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Bearded Boy Scouts
A few months ago, the Boy Scouts of America launched a new ad campaign featuring bearded boy scouts. I don't think anyone has yet figured out what the campaign is supposed to mean, or why it's supposed to make boys want to be boy scouts. (links:
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Posted By: Alex -
Sat Feb 18, 2012
It's supposed to make you into a real mountain man with a craggy bearded jaw and eyes of chipped granite.
Posted by venomlash on 02/18/12 at 08:18 PM
Actually the camp is downstream from an old abandoned chemical factory. You should see the ones that they wouldn't show pictures of.
Posted by Baughbe on 02/18/12 at 09:12 PM
"Boy Scouts teaches boys to be men." ?? Who knows. My husband is an Eagle Scout. He is always prepared! :cheese:
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 02/18/12 at 09:24 PM
What a STUPID ad campaign! So much for the clean cut image the BSA has worked decades to cultivate!I blame ogilvy-mather their creative department must have their heads up their asses to come up with this! But then again somebody at BSA had to approve it! :roll:
Posted by Tyrusguy on 02/18/12 at 10:19 PM
The Soggy Bottom Boys
want you!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 02/18/12 at 11:42 PM
I got it! "Be one with the wild" They look like mountain men. That's got to be it.
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 02/19/12 at 04:57 AM
If they'd put fake boobs on girl scouts, there'd be all kinds of outcry about pedophilia. Nitwits.
Posted by TheCannyScot in Atlanta, GA on 02/19/12 at 10:16 AM
I like it. Beards are pretty taboo these days, what with the complete and total sissification of both genders. Remember when a woman could survive a slap in the mouth without permanent mental and emotional scarring? Or a boy would get bullied at school, and somehow, find a way to not go home and kill himself over it?
Posted by BHicks on 02/19/12 at 01:58 PM
@BHicks are you suggesting that violence against women and school bullying are GOOD things? your use of the word "sissification" implies that you are! ❓
Posted by Tyrusguy on 02/19/12 at 02:44 PM
I'm suggesting that their survivable things. Kids are, have always been, and will always be cruel. Being overly sensitive to it (to the point of suicide) is disadvantageous to the victim.
I'll backtrack on the slap in the mouth thing if we can agree that ideals of equality require violence against men to be taken equally seriously.
Posted by BHicks on 02/19/12 at 09:49 PM
@BHicks Violence against ANYONE should be taken seriously! In the case of children it should be punished even if the perpetrators are other children! Then maybe we can break the cycle of violence that our society seems to be trapped in.
Posted by Tyrusguy on 02/20/12 at 12:07 AM
Indeed. sorry for getting off-topic
Posted by BHicks on 02/20/12 at 06:27 AM
@BHicks: Hang in there... we don't always agree and sometimes we don't fully understand what each other are driving at but we slug it out just the same.
@Tyrusguy: I get what he's saying. It's not the violence he's in favor of but the over reaction of the victims in today's society. Some kid gets a super wedgie and either
a) he has to undergo years of physiotherapy to get over it
b) he runs home, commits suicide and it makes national news
c) the perpetrator gets expelled from 5th grade altogether
d) everybody, including the nun that assisted in the perpetrator's birth, gets named in a multi-million dollar law suit.
Unrestricted tort law, namby-pamby judges, our insatiable NEED for 24/7/365 news, and the lack of personal responsibility, among other things are driving this phenomenon.
Back in "the day" if you got a wedgie you either learned to live with it, kicked some a$$ or got even some other way. What you didn't do was run home and tell Mommy!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 02/20/12 at 07:25 AM
@BHicks Thanks, No need to say sorry though, we ALL go off topic on this site! That is part of what makes it so fun. It's just that your first Comment touched on two topics that always get a strong reaction from me. I was bullied in school, Till I went through a dramatic growth spurt! the memory of how it felt to be held down and beaten stays with me to this day. It's the reason that I usually side with the underdog! It can be hard to pick up on someones tone at times, I'm sorry if that was the case here.
@Expat47 I grew up "back in the day" when our society accepted even condoned MANY things that it does not now. Things like segregation, spousal abuse, drunk driving, "queer bashing", school bullying,and others too numerous to name! Speaking as a member of the rat race it can be uncomfortable when society moves your cheese, but that is how things change and hopefully, get better!
Posted by Tyrusguy on 02/20/12 at 12:33 PM
I wrote a rather long response to this topic and it disappeared when I hit submit. 😠 Suffice it to say I was made fun of and picked on all through school. This included cruel remarks when I returned to school after daddy died. Two class mates in two years (10th & 11th grades) committed suicide. (one for sure, pills, the other suspected , fell or jumped?) I considered it myself a time or two because my self esteem was very low and the names and remarks became so hurtful. My point being, we hear about it more now, but it has always happened. I do not pretend to know what to do about it, but I know how it feels to be that hurt and depressed by the cruelty of others. I wish we were kinder to each other as a species, but that is not gonna happen any time soon.
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 02/20/12 at 12:43 PM
BTW I can take a slap just fine, but I would not advise taking a nap afterwards! (hubby is NOT like that, he is a big teddy bear.)
Posted by Patty in Ohio, USA on 02/20/12 at 12:47 PM
Speaking of equal opportunity spouse battering, google "Kenya husband battering."
Posted by ges on 02/20/12 at 01:02 PM
I was thinking about writing a response to tyrusguy and then read yours and mostly agreed with it.
Having said that, if parents respected others, then there kids would be more likely to respect others and bullying would be greatly reduced. Then violence against men and women would be reduced - it would be a great non-vicious cycle. But then, that would require people to think about others before thinking of themselves.
That ain't happenin' in this system.
But a nice thought don't you think?
Posted by Terry on 02/21/12 at 05:01 PM
So, how about they should have done the ad campaign during Mo'vember? 😊
Posted by Rhi on 02/21/12 at 05:07 PM
Thanks for the support to pursue controversial topics. I Just realized that neither of the controversies I mentioned had to do with Bearded Boy Scouts! I try not to run around stirring up trouble for its own sake...
Posted by BHicks on 02/22/12 at 09:33 AM
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Two recent cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome were confirmed in residents of the Texas Panhandle and South Plains, bringing the year's total to three.
Texas had one case in 2013. No cases were reported from 2009 to 2012.
The disease is severe and sometimes fatal, prompting the Texas Department of State Health Services to remind people to protect themselves from the virus that causes HPS. A case confirmed earlier this year was a resident of the Panhandle.
Hantavirus is carried by certain species of rats and mice that shed the virus in their urine, droppings and saliva. The virus can be transmitted to people when nesting materials or dust contaminated by infected rat or mouse urine, droppings and saliva are stirred up, allowing the virus to be breathed in by humans. The illness is rare, but HPS cases are frequently associated with spring cleaning.
DSHS recommends general safety precautions that apply to Hantavirus as well as other infectious diseases:
- Seal openings that may allow rats and mice to enter homes and workplaces.
- Remove brush, woodpiles, trash and other items that may attract rats and mice.
- Tightly close garbage cans, pet food containers and other food sources.
- Before cleaning up nests or droppings found inside, open windows and doors to ventilate the area for at least 30 minutes.
- If any dust will be stirred up, goggles and a HEPA or N-95 mask are recommended.
- Wear protective gloves to handle dead mice and rats or to clean up nesting areas, urine or droppings.
- Do not stir up dust by sweeping or vacuuming. Dampen areas before cleanup with either a 1-to-10 bleach-water mixture or another effective disinfectant, in order to eliminate dust and begin inactivating the virus. After 30 minutes, apply the viricide again and immediately begin the cleaning process.
- Use the same viricide and apply to dead rodents, nests, urine and droppings before cleaning, with the same 30 minute interval and reapplication process.
Early symptoms of hantavirus infection include fatigue, fever and muscle aches. These symptoms may be accompanied by headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Later symptoms include coughing and shortness of breath. If hantavirus is suspected, people should contact their health care provider immediately and inform the practitioner of exposure to rodents, their waste, or their nesting material.
A total of 41 HPS cases have been confirmed in Texas since 1993, the first year it was reported. 14 of those cases resulted in death. For more infectious disease news and information, visit and "like" the Infectious Disease News Facebook page

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KENAI, Alaska – Sean Boulay had a grin plastered across his face a couple of hours after donning his waders, wheeling his blue and white cooler onto the sand and sticking a large net into the water.
The unsuspecting sockeye salmon soon were swimming into his net one after another, and Boulay eventually had a string of fish in the cold water of the world-renowned Kenai River.
His catch was the result of a uniquely Alaskan activity called dipnetting. For a few precious weeks in midsummer, residents obtain free permits to dip homemade nets into the water and catch fish that will fill their freezers and pantries for months to come.
Each head of household is entitled to 25 fish, with each additional member allowed 10 each. That adds up to hundreds of dollars worth of some of the best wild salmon on the planet.
"I got two fish in 10 minutes right off the bat," said Boulay, an Anchorage hospital employee. "I bet I'm going to walk away with 30 fish."
Dipnetting permit numbers have more than doubled since 1996 when the current regulations were adopted. Last year, nearly 30,000 dipnetting permits were issued and 339,993 sockeye salmon were pulled from the Kenai.
The season occurs during peak salmon migration on the Kenai River. Sonar devices that count the fish in the river indicated a total of 741,721 fish passed by in July, demonstrating how it is so easy for residents to scoop up so many fish by throwing a net in the water.
The popularity of dipnetting reflects Alaskans' unending appetite for all things salmon.
There's salmon tacos, salmon souffle and salmon salad sandwiches. There's salmon loaf, salmon chowder and salmon jerky. There's smoked salmon cheeseballs, smoked salmon strips and salmon pasta salad.
Dipnetting is an economic necessity for Susan Stockdale, 55, of Nikiski, who is unemployed. In these tough economic times, she said, dipnetting is an economic lifesaver for many of her single female friends.
"The moose meat from the winter season and the fish from dipnetting, that's what gets us through the winter," Stockdale said. "I know of many single mothers that rely on these fish and road kill. If there is nothing else, you always have your salmon."
Stockdale cut short a break and ran to get her homemade dipnetting pole in the river. Within a minute or two she had a large salmon in her net. She retrieved the 10-pounder, hit it on the head with a hammer, rinsed it off and placed it in her cooler.
Stockdale pulled her green and white cooler, now packed with a half-dozen salmon, up to the beach where she collapsed into a camp chair as she worried about money. It costs $15 for each 12 hours to park at the Kenai beach. Parking and camping for two days can cost $120, she said.
Still, she figures she will be back: "It gets us through."
Thomas Runyon of Anchorage said he dipnets so that his wife can enjoy fish head stew, a dish she ate growing up in the Eskimo village of Emmonak in western Alaska. Laura Runyon stores fish heads in a 5-gallon bucket with brine and salt in the basement for a month and serves them with seal oil and bread.
The trick to successful dipnetting?
"There is really no skill involved," said Kevin Feller, a 50-year-old diesel mechanic who was dipnetting for a few days before returning to his job in the North Slope oil fields. "Stand there with your net and they swim right in."
Boulay had used rod and reel to fish for salmon before, but never a dipnet.
He took right to it, using a net with a 5-foot diameter to haul in fish along with about 200 other dipnetters along a 2-mile stretch of beach. In true Alaskan fashion, the 29-year-old Boulay boasted he'd never once bought salmon from the grocery store — too expensive.
As he gutted and filleted his sockeye salmon, and tossed the carcasses, Boulay reflected on his newfound passion.
"I figure I was born here for a reason," he said.


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Besonderes Haustier: Nobumitsu Murabayashi lebt seit 34 Jahren mit einem Alligator in seiner Wohnung im japanischen Kure / 2016 ***
Man lives with 2 meter alligator
In Kure City, Hiroshima, Japan, lives Mr. Nobumitsu Murabayashi, a 65 year old man who has been living with an alligator for 34 years. The alligator's name is Caiman, and it is a male spectacled caiman. He bought the baby alligator at a festival without thinking too much about it, and now it's grown into a hefty 2.1 meters and 46 kilograms. Though Mr. Murabayashi keeps a massive tub of water in front of his house for Caiman, he roams freely, spending a lot of his time in the tatami room, or sometimes the bathroom. Because of this, he has to have the tatami renewed once a year, and the sliding paper doors are full of holes. Despite that, Mr. Murabayashi cares for Caiman like his own son, and when he has time he takes him for walks in the city. Don't worry, he has permission from the city government! He's been featured in TV shows before, and many people know about him, but still, when people see the huge alligator walking down the street, even the locals stop and stare at him closely. With his children all grown up and independent, Mr. Murabayashi now showers Caiman with all of his attention. Caiman, who is expected to live another 20 to 30 years, has become the joy of Mr. Murabayashi's life.
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- Japan - Man Lives With 2 Meter Alligator - 09 Nov 2016


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BillboardIn its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
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By Kris Magri, engineering intern
Thanks again to everyone who entered the Alex Rider Dream Gadget Contest! As promised, our team at Make: Labs has built the winning gadget: the super-stealth Listening Cup designed by Grand Prize winner Nic. Check it out!
Amid a raft of great entries that were extremely creative, the Listening Cup was deemed the overall winner because it's stealthy and high-tech, but still buildable. It came with detailed hand-drawn plans, even showing what type of electronic parts would be needed. The original idea was a drinking cup with a false bottom and electronics hidden beneath — a microphone, an amplifier, and a speaker — so that a person could put the cup to their ear and eavesdrop on conversations from a distance, or listen through walls.
Using electronics available to anyone, we found that the Listening Cup can easily pick up faint nearby sounds and make them louder, though it couldn't listen though walls unless they were paper-thin. Of course, we figure Alex Rider's employer MI6 could afford some awesome miniaturized circuits, like those in expensive hearing aids, that would boost the Listening Cup's performance tremendously.
Overall, the Listening Cup was a pleasure to design and build. It really put us in the shoes of Smithers, the gadget maker for Alex Rider (though we are envious of his lab).
Building the Listening Cup
After judging all the entries on three criteria (creativity of idea, cool factor, and technical realism), tabulating the results, and choosing Listening Cup as the ultimate winner, our troubles were just beginning. Now, how to build one?
We've published quite a few amplifier circuits in MAKE magazine, and built several more that weren't published, so we had a pretty good stash of circuits to try. We went through the magazines and identified 3 potential circuits that might work. On the first day, engineering intern Eric Chu and I reached for the quick-build to test what it would be like to have a amplifier with its microphone inside a cup. We stole the amplifier module from an existing project sitting on our shelf: the "Covert Wireless Listening" device disguised as a book, from MAKE Volume 16, the "Spy Tech" issue. We cut a hole in an ordinary red plastic Dixie cup and shoved the mic in. This became our tester unit for the next few days…
Test Circuit 1
After cramming in the stolen electronics and taping batteries onto the Dixie cup with black tape, we soldered a microphone onto 2 long wires so we could try different microphone configurations. There were so many dangling wires that one person had to hold the cup, aim it, and fiddle with the switches, while the other would tag along with the earphones on. It was like being tied together. We discovered that it was very easy to point the mic the wrong way and get head-splitting feedback! We quickly learned to not put the earphones in our ears.
There was much congregating going on at the MAKE offices, with the entire staff in big meetings all day. Roped together by the headphone cord, Eric and I tried to eavesdrop on their meetings. It was a total fail. We couldn't hear a thing. We tried placing the cup against the glass door to the conference room. People inside stared, then looked away, with a sort of, "Oh, it's those crazy interns with their odd contraptions again." I guess they're all pretty used to seeing these sort of things.
After a while, engineering intern Tyler Moskowite joined us, and we got more scientific. He became our sound source. We traveled to various rooms and sealed him inside, talking to himself. Then we fiddled and reconfigured the mic, and hurt our eardrums more, but nothing worked.
Someone had a good idea that maybe we needed a funnel-shape to direct the sound into the mic. Eric made a paper cone and fitted the mic inside the tip and snooped on meetings. That didn't work either. How about a parabolic dish inside the cup? I went home dreaming of ways to bend wires, cut cardboard, or mold plastic into a parabolic shape. The next few days were spent in similar tests. Our amp finally stopped working due to all the things we'd tried soldering to it by that point.
Feedback? Headphone Jack
We had big concerns about feedback the entire time; in fact I had raised the concern the first time we looked at Nic's rough circuit, which placed the microphone and the speaker back to back. At the time, I thought feedback was an electrical phenomenon, so I thought that sharing the same space on the circuit board would cause problems. Eric figured out that feedback is really a physical phenomenon: the sound waves emitted by the speaker get picked up by the microphone. It all depends on where the mic is pointing. Eric got pretty good at knowing just where feedback would occur, and being very careful not to point the cup the wrong way. But we decided to separate the mic and speaker even further; we would build a hidden headphone jack into the cup. That would be better for stealth listening anyway!
More Research
At this point Eric and I both sat down and did some internet research. I came across "shotgun mics," named for their long shotgun-barrel shape. We quickly made our own, by lengthening the mic's wires and placing it into a ½" PVC pipe about 1½ feet long. We couldn't hear any improvements.
Finally, I sat down and learned about making parabolic dishes. I went through the calculations and found out that due to physical wavelength of sound waves, the dish would have to be at least 1 foot in diameter to focus the sound at the mic. A miniature one that would fit inside a cup was against the laws of physics. I felt quite scientific and engineery at this moment. Furthermore, we happened to be studying sound in my college physics class, and that very week I had learned that sound is a longitudinal pressure wave. The human ear can detect these tiny changes in pressure over an amazing range, down to a displacement as small as the spacing between atoms. It dawned on me how little we in the lab really knew about acoustics.
Test Circuit 2
But by the next day, Eric and I had arrived at the same conclusion. We realized that what we needed wasn't a large amount of amplification. Instead, what we needed was the ability to pick up very faint sounds, and amplify them just a little, enough to drive a headphone speaker.
Eric found a circuit that did this in the online archive redcircuits.com. He ordered all the parts and we each built the circuit on breadboards. Two circuits — neither worked. I checked his over and found several errors. Mine didn't work either so I emailed the author of the circuit and got a lovely reply back from Flavio Dellepiane. The next day when I came in Eric had got his circuit to work (I never did get mine to work!). It seemed very promising — so promising, we didn't even try the Dixie cup. We went right for the real thing.
Keith Hammond, the editor in charge of the project, decided to house our amplifier circuit inside a collapsible travel cup to make it even more spy-gadget-esque. Eric ordered this great stainless steel collapsible cup, so my task was to try to fit the circuit onto a small round PCB about 1¾" in diameter. We were using all through-hole parts, and the two 1uF capacitors were huge — each was 1″ long! This simply would not do. I scoured the Digi-Key catalog for smaller caps and found some tantalum caps I thought might work. Before they arrived, however, in a stroke of luck, we found some electrolytic 1uF caps in a neglected box in the lab. We threw them into Eric's breadboarded circuit. They seemed to work and were significantly smaller, so I went ahead with the build.
Arranging all the parts into a small space while still being able to follow the circuit flow was a pleasure. I really got into the Zen of it, in the late evening in the lab by myself, and there was an enjoyable element of craftmanship in the task. I had the whole circuit in my head and knew where each lead on the bottom side (as opposed to the component side) needed to be attached. I thought the finished circuit was quite nice, and, it worked — always a bonus.
The next day was our deadline to have the circuit in the cup and working. Eric drilled a hole into the cup for the audio jack and we mounted the circuit. The way he did it was really slick, nicely disguised, and still allowed the cup to collapse. We turned it on and it worked. We ran around the office with the working Listening Cup, trying it out. I was quite pleased to have met our deadline, with 45 minutes or so to spare before my bus came!
But then, a problem. When we showed it to Keith, he pointed out that we had failed to disguise the circuit. The project was supposed to have a false bottom, so you couldn't see the circuitry inside the cup. ARGH. I quickly cut a false bottom out of metal and sticky-taped it to the circuitry. I knew I wasn't coming in the next day so I really wanted to make our deadline and be done that night. But the false bottom stuck up too high because our capacitors were too tall.
I tried to rush and desolder-resolder the capacitors. They're cylinder-shaped, so I tried to lay them over instead of having them stand up. I even found a capacitor that was slightly shorter and substituted that, and it fit quite nicely. Then I replaced everything and tried to get the false bottom to fit. I had about 10 minutes left. The false bottom was a little too big. I sanded and sanded and kept checking the fit. I thought it would work, and the bus-time was looming, so I took a gamble and "used a bigger hammer." That's my name for the judicious use of force. It fit, but it busted the jack out of the very nice mounting hole Eric had drilled. Pity. I plugged it in anyway and listened. Thrum-thrum-thrum-thrum. The circuit made a curious throbbing noise. It was broken. My gamble had failed. Eric was not happy with me and started shooting lazor beams out of his mouth. I ran away on the bus.
Victory at Last
The next day Eric troubleshot the circuit and found out that in my haste, I had soldered in a 47uF cap instead of a 470uF cap. That explained that problem. We also forgot about how to fit our current power supply, an AA battery, inside the cup! We decided to use a 3V button-cell lithium battery as our power source. We found that the circuit could handle above 1.5V for a short time and was noticeably louder, but we didn't leave it at 3V for risk of frying the components. We used Ohm's Law and calculated the necessary resistor value (which turned out to be about 260 ohms) to drop the voltage down to the required 1.5V.
Eric decided to build another circuit since the first one didn't fit with the false-bottom plate. The tantalum 1uF capacitors arrived and he tested them on his breadboarded circuit. They worked perfectly so he laid out all the components on a new protoboard, keeping in mind to make it as thin as possible. We decided to use an old technique called wire wrapping to connect the components instead of soldering, since it was easier to undo any mistakes. A notch was cut out of the board to fit around the audio jack and the jack's threads were secured with a bit of super glue to keep the screw-on ring in place. After another round of troubleshooting, the Listening Cup was finally complete and ready for some spying!
8 thoughts on "Alex Rider Contest Winner: Listening Cup gadget build — it works!"
There are wall listening devices that use an accelerometer to listen in. They actually work though most walls, but can be very expensive. Maybe someone could DIY one?
This is so totally rad, I'm so glad we ran this contest! There were so many great submissions. Cheers to Nic for his design, and cheers to you guys for building it!!
Cool! I'm so excited! Looks like really good build quality, with the metal cup and all.
Good work, next time use surface mount components! They're not as scary as you think.
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"We believe in a movement of real music, hand made to last the test of time. Reflecting the sounds and values of people during an incredibly inspiring, honest and spiritually elevated period in popular music history."
A compilation for the heart! The third volume of TDR's passionate music series for lovers is filled with love beats from Amalia, Blaktroniks, GB & A Race Of Angels, Kissey, Omar, Pugs Atomz and other sensual highlights to set the tone.
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Biological Sciences Division
Research Highlights
December 2006
PNNL to Manage Two DOE Field Research Sites for Studying Contaminant Transport
New program enables multidisciplinary research, data sharing
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will manage two field research sites being established by the U.S. Department of Energy to investigate contaminant transport. The research at these sites is expected to lead to new strategies for remediating DOE sites. The awards for these field-scale studies will provide funding to enable large interdisciplinary teams to advance the understanding and simulation of subsurface processes affecting transport of uranium and other contaminants.
The sites are part of the Integrated Field-Scale Subsurface Research Challenge, a new program sponsored by DOE's Environmental Remediation Sciences Division. The sites are home to contaminant research previously sponsored by the ERSD, and the program takes it up to a new level by providing support for multi-investigator teams to perform large, benchmark-type experiments focused on pressing field-scale science issues. The field sites are also required to provide capabilities to collect, permit and ship environmental samples of different types to other ERSD investigators and provide site access to those interested in testing specific concepts or technologies/techniques relevant to the study of subsurface contaminant fate and transport.
Proposed design of the field experimental plot at the Hanford Site's 300 Area.
The Hanford Site's 300 Area Uranium Plume. The 300 Area at the Hanford site will be home to one of the field sites. A team of scientists from PNNL, and researchers from three other DOE laboratories, four universities and the U.S. Geological Survey will evaluate four hypotheses related to the uranium plume beneath the site. The plume resulted from nuclear fuels fabrication activities that took place from 1943 to 1975.
The four hypotheses will take advantage of the site's unique hydrogeologic attributes, which are representative of numerous other contaminated sites at Hanford along the Columbia River corridor. "The hypotheses will focus on multi-scale mass transfer processes in the vadose zone and saturated zone; their influence on field-scale uranium biogeochemistry and transport; and their implications for natural attenuation and remediation, particularly with regard to the longevity of the groundwater uranium plume," said John Zachara, PNNL chief scientist, who leads the research team. "We have designed an innovative monitoring array for in situ manipulation experiments that cut across waste sources in the vadose zone, through contaminated aquifer regions, to final discharge to the Columbia River at the groundwater-river interface." Projected funding for this field demonstration is $1.75 million during FY 2007 and $3 million in FY 2008.
Uranium Mill Tailings Site in Rifle, Colorado. The second field study expands on work being done at a Uranium Mill Tailings Site in Rifle, Colorado. There, PNNL geohydrologist Phil Long has been coordinating a diverse team of researchers examining the stimulation of subsurface microorganisms to reduce and immobilize uranium in situ. Acetate addition to the subsurface stimulates metal-reducing bacteria to effectively remove uranium from groundwater. The research has led to three important findings: 1) in situ bioremediation of uranium is possible, 2) uranium reduction activity at this site is associated with microbial iron reduction and appears to decrease with the onset of sulfate reduction, and 3) some uranium removal activity appears to persist long after acetate injections cease. The results indicate that in situ bioremediation of uranium is possible but that significant issues remain to adequately describe and control the process.
(A) Location of the proposed Rifle Field Site in Colorado. (B) Map of the site showing estimated uranium concentration in groundwater as of approximately 1998 and location of existing experimental plots on the site. (C) Photograph of the site looking east.
Understanding the coupled biogeochemical processes controlling uranium mobility is critical to the design of optimal biostimulation strategies for prolonging uranium bioremediation. The research team consists of scientists from PNNL, two other national laboratories, four universities, a private company and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Said Long, "At the new field research site, we hope to understand the microbial factors and associated geochemistry controlling uranium movement so that DOE can confidently remediate uranium plumes." The team will test four hypotheses related to geochemical and microbial controls on stimulated uranium bioreduction, uranium sorption under iron-reducing conditions, uranium stability and removal after biostimulation and rates of natural bioreduction of uranium.
"A key part of the research will be the use of proteomics to determine the metabolic status of subsurface microbial populations during biostimulation," added Long. "This new information will allow us to define the relationship between microbial activity and the geochemical changes that occur as a result of acetate addition. Ultimately we will be able to optimize microbial behavior in the subsurface to maximize removal of uranium from groundwater in situ. The new knowledge we gain will then be used to develop effective flow and reactive transport models. These will be major steps toward meeting DOE's environmental remediation goals." Projected funding for this field demonstration is $1.75 million during FY 2007 and $3 million in FY 2008.


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UK's biggest financial fears revealed ahead of Budget
Those are the findings of a new survey of people's biggest financial worries, ahead of this week's Budget.
A lack of money in retirement years was cited by 41 per cent of respondents, and given how much pensions have been in the news in recent years, it's no surprise that 90 per cent of people said they found it difficult to save for the future. Indeed, 83 per cent of those questioned said they were scared of not having enough money to retire at all.
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Hide AdThe research by UK cashback site TopCashback revealed other worries - a further 35 per cent admitted to being worried about falling into debt.
Other concerns on the list of top financial fears include being unable to save (30 per cent), not having enough money to cover monthly expenditures (29 per cent), not being able to afford a comfortable lifestyle (29 per cent) and missing mortgage/rent payments (16 per cent), and much of this could be driven by confusion over their finances.
43 per cent of those asked said they struggled to make the right financial choices, and of those, 63 per cent blamed it on not fully understanding their financial situation, while 61 per cent said it was because they didn't realise the consequences of their bad spending and saving habits.
More than half of the survey - 53 per cent - blamed their poor money management on overspending and taking out personal loans they couldn't pay back, as well as living outside of their means (53 per cent) and not realising the consequences of having minimal savings (35 per cent).
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Hide AdUnsurprisingly, the research also lists living payday to payday (31 per cent), being unable to save (30 per cent) and not being able to afford a comfortable lifestyle (26 per cent) as other top financial fears.
Confusion and a lack of understanding, which so often go hand in hand with fear, may be at the root of this worry.
Of those who have struggled with making the right financial choices (47 per cent), almost two thirds (63 per cent) blame their wrong decisions on not fully understanding their financial situation, while 56 per cent say it was because they did not realise the consequences of their bad spending and saving habits.
"Finances can be a very tricky and daunting subject, particularly in areas such as pensions, investments and even day-to-day money management," said Natasha Rachel Smith, consumer affairs editor for TopCashback.co.uk.
"Many people have a tendency to ignore financial matters because they find them too difficult to understand or because they don't fully appreciate their financial situation."


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THIS IS THE ORIGINAL VINTAGE POSTER / AD FROM 1996 FOR THE READING FESTIVAL. This Is The Original, Is Completely Genuine & A Very RARE CLASSIC From Over 22 Years Ago! This is a beautiful framed & completely original vintage piece of musical history which has been personally sourced by Track Attack.
We are dedicated to discovering & preserving timeless & rare pieces of rock & pop music memorabilia and making true pieces of musical history available for everyone to enjoy. This piece of musical history is not reproduced or copied in any way. This is an original piece of advertising material. And has been professionally matted using a premium quality cream mount board & presented inside a beautiful, art gallery quality, ready to hang solid black wooden frame.
The Frame Size Is A VERY STYLISH & IMPRESSIVE 18"x14" (46cmX35cm). This really is a stunning piece of vintage music memorabilia and is simply too precious. To be missed, if you are looking for something original to display in your home or office, this is certain to become the ultimate talking point. (Zone 3) All Other European Countries.
THE PACKAGING WE USE IS CUSTOM MADE FOR OUR COMPANY AND HAS BEEN PRODUCED FOR MAXIMUM TRANSIT PROTECTION. Please note that these poster / ad's are original and therefore will show signs of age which only adds to their undoubted appeal as collectors items. The item "READING FESTIVAL+ORIGINAL 1996+ROCK+POSTER+AD+FRAMED+EXPRESS GLOBAL SHIP+TICKETS" is in sale since Wednesday, May 1, 2019. This item is in the category "Music\Music Memorabilia\Pop\Presentation Discs". The seller is "*trackattack*" and is located in GET IT FAST - BUY IT NOW!.
This item can be shipped worldwide.


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Been a busy year. I decided to bite the bullet and make films. I've been writing, and have several scripts at various stages.
Before diving into a whole 10 minute plus short, I decided to shoot a trailer for one of the scripts I'm writing, in lieu of a traditional inspiration reel.
We shot the trailer in a weekend in DEC- living in Edit/Score Mix Grade right now.
Here's a selection of still used to decide on color/tones. First kick at the can.
Starring Cassandra Clark///Pamela Gaye Walker.
More soon.


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All-nighters at Disneyland are a rite of passage in California this time of year. High schools from up and down the state, indeed some from out of state, send their seniors by bus, weary of their studies, to revel in the adolescents-only environs of the Magic Kingdom.
It's called "grad nite" and it has been an icon of both the park-and California for many years. It's a symbol that high school seniors have made it and deserve a party all their own, one their parents can sanction and one in which they can participate with abandon.
My high school seniors got back this morning from their much vaunted, greatly anticipated trip. Graduation was today at Adolfo Camarillo High School, where I teach, in Ventura County, CA. We're about 85 miles north of Anaheim and our kids participate every year. I was especially close to this year's seniors and they knew of my love for Disneyland. They also knew that at 44, with a 9-year old at home and second career as a writer, I wouldn't be joining them. I can stay up late…but not all night.
So, I was anxious to get their report this morning. The past few years have seen students complain more and more about Disneyland's indifference to the crowds who show up on grad-nite and the frustration with the high cost, low value of the experience. This year proved and set in concrete that view. Grad-nite is no longer fun, no longer a good idea and no longer worth the money.
I spoke to more than a dozen seniors today and all of them related their stories. Busses arrived at the park around 11:30, the official start-time of the event. But so many busses were on hand, that students were forced to wait in lines, on the busses themselves for more than an hour. The system in place at the park involves a Disneyland Cast Member boarding each bus and providing students with a wristband. One group I spoke with didn't get their wristbands until close to 1:00 A.M.
Once they were off the bus, they entered the line to get in the park and again, the crowds were so large, they didn't get inside the gates and onto Main Street USA until close to 2:00 A.M. Their bus driver gave them instructions to be back at their bus by 5:00 A.M. This left the kids three hours to "have fun" in the most crowded place on earth. Disneyland has allowed more and more schools to participate in grad-nite and the result is a park so crowded, that simple moving from one ride to another is an exercise in frustration. The kids say they cannot walk with their friends and talk. There is no room. If they are to stay together, they have to hold hands, or agree to meet at a certain spot and then go.
The cost for each student? $115.00. Now, this includes transportation, yes, but still, it's a high price to pay. Seniors at our school shell out $115.00 for Disneyland, $120.00 for prom (per person), $100.00 for a yearbook, and the list goes on.
The point isn't how much money they have to spend, however. The point is how much value each student gets for what they paid.
"It really isn't worth it to go to Disneyland," they said today. "It's so crowded. We rode on three rides, got some food, and headed home." Others talked about the large list of things they weren't allowed to bring in to the park. "You couldn't bring in Advil, but you could buy it there. You couldn't bring in water, but you could buy it there. I mean, I'm willing to spend my money at Disneyland, but they seem to just want to take it from us and not give us much in return."
I've been teaching for 19 years. I chaperoned grad-nite back in 1995 and even then, I said to my colleagues, "this is amazingly crowded and it hardly seems worth it to me." Apparently, it's gotten much worse.
As I said, I spoke to more than a dozen seniors today. Of those dozen, not one had a positive comment about grad-nite. Not one. The only positive comment I got about Disneyland was from the student who didn't go last night. "No way," she said. "I didn't go to grad-nite. I'll wait until later this summer or fall and go then on my own. That way, I can have my own time and more fun."
I hope the folks at Disneyland are paying attention. Grad-nite isn't fun anymore. I'm sure it's a fine moneymaker for the Mouse, and that's just fine. But if the idea is to offer entertainment value for the money being shelled out—that stopped, it seems to me, years ago. I will be encouraging my seniors from here on not to attend. Save your money, kids. Go to Disneyland on your own time. Tell your schools to stop participating. When the Magic Kingdom loses its magic to teenagers—it's time to change something.


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The short answer to this question is "it depends on the party." Parties are popular because they are fun opportunities to get together with friends, meet new people, and to relax and enjoy one another's company. As human beings, we are designed to be social creatures. We live in groups, work in groups, and socialize in groups. So when we desire to party, we are responding to the need for human interaction, fun, and relaxation. This is normal and natural.
For Christians, the desire for human interaction has the added dimension of wanting and needing fellowship. The Greek word translated "fellowship" in the New Testament is koinonia, which means "partnership, participation, social interaction, and communication." The important concept for Christian fellowship is "partnership." The Bible tells us we have been called into fellowship (partnership) with Christ (1 Corinthians 1:9), with the Father (1 John 1:3), and with the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2:1). John tells us that, as believers, we have fellowship with one another by virtue of the blood Jesus shed for us on the cross (1 John 1:7). Paul adds the idea that to fellowship with Christ is to partake of His suffering (Philippians 3:10). We are also warned that we are not to have fellowship with evil (1 Corinthians 10:20). Just as light and darkness are incompatible, so there should be no fellowship between Christians and sin.
The problem with the question "should Christians go to parties?" is that the "parties" being asked about are almost always not "fellowship parties." There is no reason to even ask the question regarding parties that are focused on Christian fellowship. No, this question is almost always in regards to parties that involve alcohol, drugs, and/or sex. Certainly, there are non-Christians who can party innocently, but a party that involves things that are immoral and/or illegal must be avoided. As believers, we are to guard ourselves against temptation, remembering that "bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33). Further, attending parties where sinful activities occur—even if we don't participate in them—weakens our witness and brings reproach on the name of Christ (Romans 2:24)."Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness" (2 Timothy 2:19).
There are those who might see going to parties as an opportunity to share Christ with unbelievers, and while we are to be ready with an answer for the hope within us at all times, that presupposes unbelievers at a party are interested in the gospel. Rarely does such an opportunity arise at a party where drinking, drug use, and sexual activity are occurring. Therefore, while Christians should take every opportunity to fellowship with other believers, we must be discerning about opening ourselves up to temptation or anything that would compromise our life in Christ and our witness to a watching world.


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I have a theory explaining Romney's bizarre emptiness. It has to do with his Mormonism. Mormonism consists, at its core, of many ridiculous assertions that no rational person could possibly believe. Why then does Mormonism "work" so well for its adherents? Because the practical core of the religion is not this folderol about a family of sixth century B.C. Jews sailing from Mesopotamia to North America or Joseph Smith discovering a 2,000 year old platinum scripture written by an angel buried behind his farm in upstate New York, but the patriarchal way of life it counsels. This is deeply appealing to people, and it works for them. That's why they are Mormons. At the same time, in order to be Mormons, they have to turn off their rational faculty when it comes to questions of truth. They disregard questions of truth, and focus on the pragmatic, ethical aspects of Mormonism.To expand upon Mr Auster's theory -- it's not *merely* that Mormonism requires its adherents to believe empirical assertions "that no rational person could possibly believe", but that it requires them to believe metaphysical assertions (*) "that no rational person could possibly believe".
And this describes Romney perfectly. As a Mormon, he has turned off his faculty of the rational search for truth, but at the same time he follows the healthy and solid Mormon maxims on how to live a good life. As a result, he is a man devoid of principles, even while his personal character and behavior are exemplary.
Mormonism is, in this regard, much like atheism in requiring the holding of irrational metaphysical assertions. And, most 'atheists' get around that problem by generally ignoring their metaphysical commitments ... and living their daily lives, for the most part, in accord with our Judeo-Christian metaphysical commitments. Can you imagine what the world would be like if every 'atheist' tried to live like Lenin, Stalin and Mao?
(*) For instance, that "God" is merely one more entity, amongst the many, in 'the universe'. That is, the Mormon "God" is not different in kind from you and me, or from Zeus. To put it another way, the Mormon "God" is an effect of 'the universe', rather than its cause.


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Okay, maybe it's not an Obama moment in history, but, as you may have heard, the OU has adopted Google Apps for education for its students, and I think this may be a significant move in educational technology. Niall announced it and Tony has given his reaction. We're by no means the first to do it, but I think the OU's adoption is significant for a number of reasons:
- It ain't Microsoft - there will have been strong lobbying to adopt an MS solution, so the move to Google marks a shift in the power base or at least the default assumption that it's MS who do enterprise solutions.
- It's the cloud - a lot of other universities use the OU as a benchmark I think. I know that when we adopted Moodle, that made the decision to go with open source easier for other institutions. A kind of 'well, if the OU is doing it, then it has to be reliable' argument can be put forward. So, just as Moodle acted as a seal of approval on open source VLEs, so Google Apps signifies a reliability of cloud based solutions.
- It puts powerful collaborative tools in the hands of students - I commented on twitter that Google Docs might end being the most significant educational technology around. Not because it's fantastic, but because it's there and it's easy to use. Or maybe it'll be chat. Or large email storage. Whatever it is, I think students (and tutors) will start to use the technology in ways that we don't predict or demand, but because it makes their lives easier. We have struggled to crack collaborative learning for distance students for ages - maybe Google Apps will do it in one move.
- They are not education specific tools - although it's packaged as Google Apps for education, it is really just standard Google Apps. Like a lot of ed tech people I have argued that our role is no longer to develop bespoke educational applications, but rather to take existing tools and see how these can be used in education. Google Apps reinforces that view and makes you ask the question, 'why do I need a Virtual Learning Environment, and not just a virtual environment we use for learning?'
Oh, and the pretentious title is really just an excuse to embed this song from the Low Anthem:
The Low Anthem - To The Ghosts Who Write History Books | ||
Found at skreemr.com |


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Based in the Scottish Highlands the Clan Duncan Society's primary purpose is to bring together all those with the name Duncan and the associated names of Duncan, Duncanson, Duncane, Dunkinson, Duncean, Dunken, Donkin, Dunkin and other alternate spellings; to globally unite all those with an interest in their history, heritage and ancestral roots in Scotland and unite all Duncan's both at home and overseas as one Clan.
Duncan is without doubt one of the oldest names in Scotland with a wide, varied and historic background. The formation of our own Clan Duncan Society will enable us to bring all those associated with the name together in one place as one Clan.
Now with in excess of 2,133 supporters worldwide on the Clan Roll and growing, it offers exciting prospects for the Society meeting its ambitions in the future.
HRH Prince Charles Duke of Rothesay and
John A Duncan of Sketraw
The late Society Chairman, John Duncan of Sketraw, KCN, FSA Scot. was presented to HRH Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay at the Gathering 2009 Holyrood, Edinburgh - Click Image for Larger Picture.
The Largest Gathering of the Clans since 1822 took place at Holyrood, Edinburgh on the 25th & 26th of July 2009. Over 30,000 attended on the first day, with a further 20,000 which included those watching and participating in the mile long Pageant between Holyrood Palace and The Castle.
A great weekend was had by all and many new friends were made amongst kinsfolk far and wide and Clan to Clan.
More images can be viewed in the Society's Gallery
Clan Duncan Society Membership
Society Forum
The Society
One of the Society's purposes is to reunite all those with the name Duncan. Help the continuance of the Clan as an effective body by Joining the Society as a member and show support for the cause.
Crest Badge
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| Home | Clan Duncan Society | Society Membership | Officers | Clan Duncan Information | History | Duncan Coats of Arms |
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| © Clan Duncan Society 2009 | last Update 27 Aug 2011 | Duncan Network |


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Accessorize For Fall With Urban Outfitters!
Fall has arrived and it is not only time to rock layers and comfy sweaters, it is time to rock some of the cutest fall accessories! I was poking around on the Urban Outfitters site and was really excited to see they had beanies, bags, bracelets and much more that I actually loved!
I put all of my favorites in a gallery for you to check out, if you like what you see go get your own on the site HERE!


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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — James Martin, a British philanthropist and technology guru who was once the highest-selling author on books about computing, has died near his private island in Bermuda. He was 79.
Authorities in the British territory said Thursday that an autopsy is pending for Martin, whose body was found by a kayaker in waters near his home on Agar's Island. Police have said they do not believe a crime is involved.
Martin was the largest single private donor in the nearly 900-year history of the University of Oxford, donating more than $150 million to help establish the Oxford Martin School, where researchers study global issues, challenges and opportunities facing humanity in the 21st century. Project topics range from climate change to quantum physics to the future of food.
Martin also was a Pulitzer Prize nominee for a 1977 technology book, "The Wired Society," which Oxford University said contained descriptions about the use of computers and the Internet that was still timely a quarter of a century later. The university also noted that Martin was ranked fourth in Computer World's 25th Anniversary Edition's most influential people in computer technology. He is also credited with helping automate software development.
"You rarely meet someone who's such an incredible philanthropist whose sole interest is doing good at the highest level," said Dr. Anthony Knap, director of the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group at Texas A&M University. "I think it's a tragic loss. He was an innovative man who could have continued doing good."
Knap, who previously worked in Bermuda, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that he had known Martin for about 18 years and considered him a very modest and gentle man.
"He was a bit of an enigma," Knap said. "For a long time he was in the background, which didn't really fit into his level of success."
Martin traveled around the world to give lectures and is an honorary life fellow of the British Royal Institution and a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science.
He wrote more than 100 textbooks and published books including "The Meaning of the 21st Century," which was made into a film narrated by actor Michael Douglas. It analyzes technological, political, ethical, social and environmental issues of modern times.
Professor Ian Goldin, director of the Oxford Martin School, said in an email to the AP that Martin had a passion for changing to world for the better and described his intellect as extraordinary and wide-ranging.
"His aim was to harvest the opportunities of the 21st century and stop terrible risks materializing," Goldin wrote. "He was interested in everything and people of all ages, especially young people."
Goldin said Martin also was passionate about his garden, theater and music, as well as walking and traveling.
He leaves behind a wife, Lillian, a daughter, two grandchildren and four stepchildren.


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We have sold a property at 107 Mountainside Drive in Fruitvale.
Under Construction - nearing completion. Another beautiful half duplex is almost 100% complete in Mountainside Estate. Beautiful and bright open concept living room, diningroom, and kitchen provide lots of space for cooking and entertaining. Large master bedroom with walk-through closet and a full ensuite bathroom, plus another bedroom on the main floor that could make a great office or den as well. The basement is unfinished and wide open for your ideas, storage space, or future development. Mountainview Estates is a quiet seniors oriented development that is close to all Fruitvale amenities and these brand new duplexes are part of a land strata with an age restriction of 50 and a strata fee of $100/mo. Call your REALTOR® today for more information or to arrange a personal viewing of this unit. Note- pictures are of a similar duplex and will be updated regularly, as construction is completed. (id:2493)


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Trailer for Hero.
Using the assasination attempt of the historical figure, Chin Shi Huang Di (The first emperor of China) as a backdrop, this film attempts to explore and develop a better understanding of the Chinese concept of a hero. In a Chinese cultural context, it hopes to explore the preconceptions and misinterpretations of heroism and heroes. At the height of China's Warring States period, the country was divided into seven kingdoms: Qin, Zhao, Han Wei, Yan, Chu and Qi. For years, the separate kingdoms fought ruthlessly for supremacy. As a result, the populace endured decades of death and suffering. The Kingdom of Qin was the most determined of all. The Qin King was obsessed with conquering all of China and becoming her first Emperor. He had long been the target of assassins throughout the other six states. Of all the would-be killers, none inspired as much fear as the three legendary assassins, Broken Sword, Flying Snow and Sky. To anyone who defeated the three assassins, the King of Qin promised great power, mountains of gold and a private audience with the King himself. But defeating the killers is a near impossible task. For ten years no one came close to claiming the prize. So when the enigmatic county sheriff, Nameless, came to the palace bearing the legendary weapons of the slain assassins, the King was impatient to hear his story. Sitting in the palace, only ten paces from the King, Nameless told his extraordinary tale: For ten years, Nameless studied the way of the sword and resolved to challenge the three assassins. Using the secrets of swordsmanship; Nameless defeated the mighty Sky in a furious showdown. Following this initial victory, he destroyed the famed duo of Flying Snow and Broken Sword. This time using a weapon far more devastating than his sword - their extraordinary love for each other. The King hung on every detail of this curious story. But then something most unexpected happened - the King has a different story to tell of how Nameless really came to sit there, face to face with the King! It appears that everything was not so simple. In the centre of the intrigue sits Nameless -a solitary ranger and the King of Qin - the ruler of the Kingdom, with only ten steps between them. Within those ten steps holds an earth-shattering tale of love, honour and duty, a story that moves beyond the reaches of history. A story about what it means to be a Hero.
1 min 5 sec
Posted On
February 18, 2010
Zhang Yimou
Zhang Yimou
Miramax Films
August 27, 2004
Jet Li
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai
Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk
Zhang Ziyi
Chen Dao Ming
No Music Available


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Worthing Coaches has a range of vehicles suitable for passengers with disabilities, however its important that we we know about your requirements at the time of booking to ensure that your needs are met at each stage of the journey.
Getting on and off the vehicle
If you or any of your party will need assistance getting on or off a coach, please contact us. Our drivers and escorts are not permitted to lift or carry passengers on and off coaches, or take any other action that may put their own health, safety and welfare at risk. Our drivers are happy to assist with the loading and unloading of luggage from the coach, but will need assistance with items over 20kgs.
Manual wheelchairs
Subject to our vehicles loading capacity, we can sometimes transport lightweight, manual wheelchairs, provided they are able to be folded and stowed in the luggage hold of the coach. We regret that we are unable to accept manual wheelchairs that are more than 20kgs. Please let us know at the time of booking if you wish to travel with a wheelchair.
Mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs
When we have room we are also able to transport small mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs subject to the following:
We must be notified of your requirements at least one week prior to departure. If the disabled passenger needs to travel in their wheelchair in the main cabin of the coach we have vehicles that can accommodate this, providing the wheelchair fits within the dimensions below. If the wheelchair exceeds the dimensions or we are unable to restrain the chair safely, the passenger will be unable to travel in this way.
If the disabled passenger needs to travel in their wheelchair in the main cabin of the coach, the wheelchair, occupant and an assistant must not exceed a combined weight of 300kgs, as this is the safe working load for the wheelchair lift.
The disabled passenger is required to wear the seat belt supplied and any seat restraint mechanism must be securely and correctly fitted.
If the scooter or powered wheelchair will be stowed in the luggage hold it must break down into separate parts each weighing no more than 20kgs. The disabled customer must also be accompanied at the point of departure and arrival by a companion who is able to dismantle and reassemble the powered wheelchair or scooter to enable stowage in the coach. Our drivers and escorts are not permitted to dismantle or reassemble mobility scooters or powered wheelchairs that have been approved for travel.
The powered wheelchair or scooter must be operated by dry cell batteries only.
That there is sufficient additional room in the hold to carry the item.
The more information we have about your requirements, the better prepared we will be to meet your needs when you travel with us. If you would like to discuss any of the above please do not hesitate to contact us.
Assistance dogs
Fully trained and approved assistance dogs may be accepted under certain circumstances, but is subject to the following:
The owner is responsible for all aspects of adequate travel and accommodation and will be subject to an additional fouling charge.
If the assistance dog is unable to lie at the passenger's feet an additional charge will apply. Aisles are not to be blocked for safety reasons.
No other animals are to be carried.
We allow passengers who require personal oxygen supplies to carry them in hand held bottles, however, other suppliers such as ferry companies or the Channel Tunnel operator may refuse them.
Other limitations
Our drivers and escorts are not permitted to:
Assist passengers with eating or personal hygiene.
Provide medical services such as giving injections. If a medical condition requires others to provide this type of care, you should travel with a companion who can assist you during your journey.
Provide personal care services during the journey.
Worthing Coaches will not accept liability for any damage to personal property howsoever caused.
We welcome feedback and comments from disabled customers about how we can improve our service to you.
In meeting these commitments, we will take into account the Equality Act 2010 as it applies to coach operations.
Safety & Disability Ts & Cs V.4 November 2016
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REI Revelcloud Hoodie Jacket
This jacket has been good for casual, non-hiking uses and for long-distance hikes. Due to its weight and the effectiveness of its insulation, I wouldn't hesitate to take this jacket on any hike, though for extreme low temperatures it is obviously not enough on its own. I recommend buying it. This review is intended for the Men's version of this jacket, though I doubt there is any significant difference.
- Weight
- Insulation
Fit & Comfort: The jacket fit my body well at the arms and torso. Its lightness and flexibility made it almost invisible to wear - accomplishing tasks while hiking was extremely easy.
Adjustability: There isn't much to adjust with this jacket. It's a simple design with three outer pockets that is fairly form-fitting.
Water resistance: It has reasonable water resistance. As an insulated jacket, I imagine it would take sustained contact with rain to soak through. However, I haven't put this to the test. I use it paired with a simple, lightweight rain jacket which helps to protect the weight and fit advantages of this jacket.
Breathability: As an insulated jacket, breathability is not the first thing I was looking for. Quite the opposite. This jacket holds heat extremely well.
Moisture: As an insulating jacket, its ability to wick is not relevant.
Warmth: The jacket holds heat well and was sufficient for keeping my arms and torso warm at temperatures as low as 40 degrees, though this also involved some level of activity (walking, setting up camp, etc). I wouldn't necessarily say it will keep you warm if you're sitting still in low temperatures for an extended period of time, but again, its lightness and fit make it really ideal as an inner-layer on top of other cold-weather clothing.
Layering: This jacket is ideally suited for layering.
Abrasion: While the jacket has not shown any abrasion, it does have a feel that it needs to be cared for somewhat. I wouldn't necessarily go rolling around in a pile of thorns with this jacket. Having said that, it accompanied me on a 70 mile thru hike where it was worn for six to four hours per day during camp set up and tear down and was perfectly fine. I wear it casually as well and it's still as good as new.
Functions: Zippers and pockets are convenient and easy to use. All pockets have zippers.
Ease of use: Extremely easy.
Features: Jacket collapses into a small stuff sack about the size of a softball. This is by far the best feature. When not wearing this jacket, you can make it virtually invisible in so far as it's extremely light and extremely small.
Durability: While I feel like it could potentially be damaged under stress, I've worn it quite a bit and it's still good as new. I recommend buying it and seeing for yourself.
Conditions: I've had it for about a year and taken it on strenuous hiking and also used it around the town. It's still as good as new.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $80
I bought this jacket as an impulse buy at REI with my 20% off outlet coupon. The jacket was already marked down due to not a popular color? (This color purple was the only color marked down and there were a ton of them) The rest were $129. So with coupon I paid $47.93. What a deal I couldn't pass it up! I learned to live with the bright odd color purple. It is super lightweight and crazy warm!
- Lightweight
- Packs into side pocket
- Has a zipper pocket on left chest area that I love!
- Inside hole for headphones to come through chest pocket
- Warm
- Great for backpacking
- Great for layering clothing
- Weird color
Packs into side pocket
Crazy color, but great buy! As you see above the reason I bought the jacket. I got it for a steal and it makes a great backpacking jacket, great camp jacket when mornings are chilly, to keep warm while eating my breakfast.
The two things I love are the chest pocket with headphone wiring capabilities and that the whole jacket packs into one of the side pockets for easy transport and putting in a backpack.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $47.93
This is an affordable, warm, packable, lightweight jacket and very good quality for REI.
- Packable
- Lightweight
- Affordable
- Warm
- Could use more pockets
I picked up the Revelcloud jacket at REI on clearance. I had been eyeing the Patagonia version of this style down shirt/jacket for a while but could justify the cost. Now that I have it, I'm glad I waited, but also know that it's worth its original price, especially when compared to the price of the Patagonia.
The quality is very good. A lot of times, with gear from REI, it's a mixed bag. On this one, they've got a winner. The stitching looks great, the material is very nice too, and you can't go wrong with Primaloft. (I wonder if they'll move to something like Primaloft's new Alpha for the next version of this jacket?)
As far as function, it does what it is supposed to. It's warm and has a nice fit. It comes with an included stuff sack which makes the jacket pack down to a tube about 4"x 9". It has a breast pocket on the outside, just like my marmot softshell (a great place for an iPhone) and it also has a headphone port in the fabric on the inside of that pocket so you can route earbuds out.
I do wish it had at least one more pocket on the inside. I really like the larger mesh pockets in the REI rain jackets, but I guess with this application, as a insulating layer, they deemed it unnecessary.
I highly recommend this jacket to anyone looking for a lightweight insulating layer, it's more than enough for going around town or on the trail in 30-40 degree weather.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $73.83
G**D**** you REI for making the perfect jacket and then removing it from your line several years ago and then re-releasing it without telling me!!!
- Warm
- Durable
- Hood
- Hood
- Hood
- Worn till its stuffing shows through the holes
Just now I find out about this newest rendition in time to see that it's also been discontinued. I lament my old rag of a jacket, that I still wear because it still works after performing flawlessly thru hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: What is behind me does not matter.
Awesome all-purpose jacket. Ultra comfort and ultra-utility.
- Lightweight and packable
- Amazingly warm
- Can be an insulating layer or casual jacket
- Material is by no means flimsy, but it's not the most durable
I've had this jacket (actually a men's large) for three years now and it's been a dream the whole time. It's kept me warm across a dozen counties, including in the Inland Northwest and Norwegian winter, all while staying still looking almost new. Except the oil stain from where I spilled nearly a cup of mayonnaise off a Zapikanka in Poland :P
Makes an awesome pillow once stowed, too!
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: ~$100
Your Review
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Men's | |
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Historic Range: $73.73-$99.93 Reviewers Paid: $73.83-$100.00 |
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Historic Range: $73.73-$159.00 Reviewers Paid: $47.93 |


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Shhhh... you've discovered the secret classification for members, and it is based on number of posts:1 star - Newbie - 0 posts1 star - Member - 1 post2 stars - Sr. Member - 50 posts3 stars - Contributor - 100 posts4 stars - Sr. Contributor - 150 posts5 stars - Forecaster - 300 postsAdmins and Moderators get 5 stars (but with different colors) Best regards,Ken
Am I the only one here with five stars still taking home a one star paycheck?
Quote from: Mark / Ohio on January 27, 2009, 09:51:57 PMAm I the only one here with five stars still taking home a one star paycheck? Well, at least you are still taking home a paycheck, eh?
I think Josh became a Senior Contributor in about a week. Oh, to have so much time on my hands.....
9 signature tests and you can be there too....


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May 11, 1902 - July 9, 1984
Edna Ernestine Kramer was born in Manhattan on May 11, 1902. She was the first child of two Jewish immigrants, Joseph Kramer and Sabine Elowitch Kramer. Edna Kramer was named after her Uncle, Edward, who had a gift for math. He longed to be an engineer, but he died too early to achieve his goal. Edna Kramer wanted to carry out his desire to excel in mathematics, so she decided to become a mathematician in his honor.
The Kramer family stressed the importance of education and excelling in it. Each child in the family was held to high standards. They excelled in school, received top honors, and became teachers. Not only did her parents play a large part in the excellence of Edna Kramer's educational career, but her Aunt Therese Elowitch and Cousin Josephine Schwartz challenged her as well. By the time she went to grade school, Edna had already studied higher level elementary school assignments that her cousin Josephine had brought home.
Edna's first desire was to be a German teacher, but those wishes were crushed by the World War. At this turning point, a new person came into her life, John A. Swenson, chairman of the mathematics department in Wadleigh High School. He revealed the gift of mathematical knowledge that Edna had. In 1922 Edna Kramer received a BA degree summa cum laude from Hunter College where she majored in mathematics. She was elected into the Pi Mu Epsilon honorary mathematics society and Phi Beta Kappa. She did graduate study at Columbia University while teaching at DeWitt Clinton High School in Bronx, New York and at Wadleigh High School. Kramer earned her MA in mathematics in 1925 ["The mathematical theory of the top"] and PhD in mathematics with a minor in Physics in 1930. [The first part of her PhD thesis appeared in the American Journal of Mathematics, Vol. 52 (1930) (Abstract).] She continued her studies as a full time student at the Courant Institute of New York University from 1939-1940 and 1965-1969. She also furthered her studies at the University of Chicago during 1941.
With some monetary help from Swenson, she became the first female instructor of mathematics at New Jersey State Teachers College in Montclair. While in Montclair Kramer was invited to co-author a high school textbook with some colleagues. She had to decline the offer because of her loyalty to Swenson. This loyalty for Swenson stemmed from his curricular proposals and Kramer not wanting to compete with his own authoring of books. Although she declined their offer, she did help them with ideas, corrections, exercises and applications within the book. Within her own book on statistics, Kramer gave her colleagues credit for their influence.
On July 2, 1935, Edna Kramer married Benedict Taxier Lassar. Lassar was a French teacher and guidance counselor at Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, New York. Lassar graduated from New York's City College and Columbia University. He eventually retired from the New York City School system in 1962 and became a psychologist in 1964. Lassar encouraged Kramer's interests in teaching and writing. They traveled about the United States, Canada, and the near and far East. Kramer's two major books were dedicated to Lassar because of his strong influence and the role he played in her life.
The Depression affected Kramer in a different way than most. Although anti-Semitism, discrimination of women, and low wages caused great danger to her work of research and teaching, she was able to overcome these difficulties. She took a teaching position with the New York City School system in 1934, where her salary doubled and she became an acting chairman of the department. During 1935-1938 she taught a method curriculum in the graduate school at Brooklyn College. During 1943-1945 she work long hours at Jefferson High School then long evenings at Columbia University. Later she worked in the university's Division of War Research under the office of Scientific Research and Development in Washington, D.C. In 1948, she began her lasting affiliation with New York Polytechnic Institute, moving from adjunct instructor to adjunct professor in 1953. She retired from the New York City school system in 1956 and New York Polytechnic Institute in 1965.
While she worked she belonged to the American Mathematical Society, the Mathematics Association of America, The Sociètè Mathématique de France, the Association for Women in Mathematics, the American Association for Advancement of Sciences, the History of Science Society, and New York Academy of Science. After she retired, she remained busy with publishing, traveling, and studying. From 1965-1969, she attended classes at Courant Institute, and in 1973 she was invited to give a lecture on "The Contributions of Women, Past and Present, to the Development of Mathematics" at Nanuarg University in Singapore.
Kramer's greatest work is considered the book, The Nature and Growth of Modern Mathematics, which was published in 1970. This work took her 14 years to complete. In 1972 she was elected into the Hall of Fame at Hunter College. On July 9, 1984, Edna Ernestine Kramer Lassar died after struggling with Parkinson's disease. Although she is no longer living, her many books still are read and studied today, including A First Course in Educational Statistics, Mathematics Takes Wings: An Aviation Supplement to Secondary Mathematics, and The Main Stream of Mathematics.
May 1997


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- Home
- About Muscatine
- History
- Historic Places
Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places in the City of Muscatine
- Alexander Clark House, 203 W. 3rd St.
- Clark-Blackwell Hous, 206 Cherry St.
- Downtown Commercial, Historic District, 2nd Street
- First Presbyterian Church, 401 Iowa Ave.
- Greenwood Cemetery Chapel, 1814 Lucas St.
- J. C. B. Warde House, 205 Cherry St.
- Muscatine County Courthouse, 401 E. 3rd St.
- Pliny and Adelia Fay House, 112 Locust St.
- S.M. McKibben House, 102 Walnut St.
- Sinnett Octagon House, Highways 38 & 61
- Trinity Episcopal Church, 411 E. 2nd St.
- W. Joseph Fuller House, 1001 Mulberry Ave.
- Welch Apartments, 224 Iowa Avenue
- West Hill Historic District, W. 2nd Street
National Register of Historic Places Just Outside the City
- Lock and Dam No. 16 Historic District, 33109 102nd Avenue W., Illinois City, IL
- Pine Creek Grist Mill, Wildcat Den State Park
- Pine Mill Bridge, Wildcat Den State Park
- Pine Mills German Methodist Episcopal Church, 180th Street and Verde Avenue
National Register of Historic Places in Muscatine County
- Big Slough Creek Bridge, Nichols
- Bridge near West Liberty, West Liberty
- Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad – Wilton Depot, Wilton
- Samuel Nichols House, Nichols
- George H. and Loretta Ward House, West Liberty
- West Liberty Commercial Historic District, West Liberty
- Wilton Candy Kitchen, Wilton


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It's Fresher's Week in Sheffield, there's an entire army of new students looking for somewhere to party. So what does DiS do? We lay on a couple of acoustic-led folk acts and a one-man band (plus drummer), of course. And they did us proud: Eugene McGuinness proved himself a cultured songsmith par excellence, Jonjo Feather had us all captivated with his gravity-defying barnet and ace rock 'n' roll, while Pocket Satellite proved why they're one of Sheffield's loveliest little secrets. Then we all got drunk while the Tender Maulings DJs dropped killer tunes until well past closing time.
Get yourself down next month, October 27, for more fun times with The Week That Was, Cats In Paris and Champion Kickboxer - it's DiS' 8th Birthday, come and celebrate with us!
Photos by Gary Wolstenholme
Eugene McGuinness
Jonjo Feather
Pocket Satellite


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Nothing says Cold War like a map of the work with LEDs embedded in it. Throw in some analog dials for good measure and you've got a piece that would be comfortable mounted next the WOPR in everyone's favorite '80s-computers-run-amok movie. We think [Dima] really hit the mark when building this status panel for OpenDNS datacenter monitoring.
[Dima] works for OpenDNS and wanted to make something special for its upcoming 5 year anniversary. He'd already been toying with making boxes from laser-cut wooden pieces. This was just a matter of choosing a size that would fit the dials and leave a suitable area for a laser-etched map. Each of the twelve panel meters gets a PWM signal from the Arduino Mega that he used to bring the device to life. It shows a comparative server load for each data center based on the previous day's numbers. There is an LED in the map for each of these centers. Right now they're all red, but he used RGB LEDs and plans to upgrade the capability soon. He should have no problem doing this as he sourced some TLC5940 drivers to extend his I/O capabilities.
Don't forget the check out the clip embedded after the break.