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Now we've had a bit more time to look at what last week's Army 202 statement means, lets take a bit of a look at some of the finer details.
Among the announcements, articles and suchlike, there was an accompanying brochure on the Army's official website that received very little publicity, but details the Army 2020 cuts and restructuring in much more detail than I have seen anywhere else.
Of course, some of the most high profile cuts have come in the Infantry, with the loss of some famous names.
- 5th Bn Royal Scottish Regiment (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) to be reduced to a public duties Company
The Argylls are currently an Air Assault Battalion, based in Canterbury, so moving to Edinburgh as an incremental company will obviously arouse quite a few howls north of the border. It is a similar move to the manner in which the second Battalions of Guards Regiments were reduced to incremental company status in the early 1990's.
The Following Infantry Battalions, and the traditions of some of their antecedent Regiments, will be lost:
- 2nd Bn Royal Fusiliers, currently based in Germany in the Light Infantry Role.
- 2nd Bn Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards), currently in Cyprus in the Light Infantry Role, as the theatre reserve Battalion.
- 3rd Bn Mercian Regiment (formerly the Staffordshire Regiment), currently in Germany in the armoured infantry role.
- 2nd Bn Royal Welsh Regiment (formerly the Royal Regiment of Wales), currently in Tidworth in the armoured infantry role.
Two threads seem to emerge – a reduction in armoured infantry in particular, and a cut in Germany-based units in preparation for the units that remain there being brought back to Britain in the forseeable future. Apart from one case the MOD has chosen to cut the junior Battalions of each Regiment, apart from in the case of the Green Howards, who are a relatively senior Battalion with the 3rd Bn (Duke of Wellington's) being junior. It was obviously felt that a theatre reserve Battalion was not necessary and easier to cut in terms of operational tempo.
The following Armoured units are to merge:
- 1st and 2nd Royal Tank Regiments to merge; 1st RTR currently at Warminster and RAF Honington as CBRN, and 2nd RTR are currently at Tidworth as an Armoured Regiment.
- Queens Royal Lancers and 9th/12th Royal Lancers to merge; QRL are currently at Catterick as a recconaissance Regiment, and 9/12 are currently in Germany as a reconaissance Regiment.
Obviously in terms of armour, the decision was to merge where there was commonality – reducing to a single Tank Regiment, for example, and creating a new Regiment of Lancers. Merging similar Regiments should cut down on overheads.
The loss of two Regiments from the Royal Artillery:
- 39 Regiment RA. Known as the Welsh Gunners and recruiting from Wales, currently operate MLRS in Newcastle.
- 40 Regiment RA. Known as the Lowland Gunners, recruiting from Lowland Scotland, currently operating the 105mm light gun.
These are two most junior Artillery Regiments, apart from 47 Regt RA who operate the UAV systems, which are presumably too important to cut what with UAV's being a growth area for the future. Again, the MOD seems to have gone with cutting the most junior Regiments first.
Royal Engineers:
- 24 Commando Regiment RE, currently based at RMB Chivenor near Barnstaple. Leaving 59 Independent Commando Squadron RE.
- 25 Regiment RE, already disbanded.
- 28 Regiment RE, an amphibious bridging unit currently based in Hameln in Germany.
- 38 Regiment RE, based in Antrim.
- 67 Works Group RE
The cutting of 24 Cdo RE suggests that it is not felt that a full Regiment will be needed to support 3 Cdo Bde in an expeditionary capacity, or at least not to the extent that another Engineer Regiment could not be attached to augment the independent Commando Squadron. The disbanding of 28 Regiment seems sensible, given that it was only ever intended to facilitate the withdrawl of the British Army of the Rhine from Germany in the face of the Warsaw Pact. With the withdrawl of British Forces from Germany, it would seem un-necessary to re-home them in the UK. The cutting of 38 Regiment seems to be part of the move to de-militarise Northern Ireland.
Royal Signals:
- 7th Signal Regiment, ARRC, at Elmpt (old RAF Bruggen)
Probably not a surprising move given that the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps has relocated from Rheindalen to Innsworth recently, and with the withdrawl of the rest of the British Army from Germany.
Army Air Corps:
- 1 Regiment AAC and 9 Regiment AAC to merge, both Lynx Wildcat Regiments.
- 1 Logistics Support Regiment
- 2 Logistics Support Regiment
- 23 Pioneer Regiment; Oxford
- 8 Regiment RLC; Catterick
- 19 Combat Service Support Bn
- 24 Regiment RLC; Germany
- 101 Force Support Bn; a hybrid regular and TA unit
- 5 Regiment RMP
I actually had trouble finding out much information about the RLC, REME and RMP units concerned. Any contributions would be gratefully received.
Looking at it, it does seem like a salami-slicing exercise. The promised dramatic reductions in Armour haven't happened, and various Infantry Regiments were protected due to political concerns. Aside from a few cases more junior Regiments were cut, with the Army having its age-old concern with seniority above much else. It seems inaccurate to describe Army 2020 as a restructuring exercise. The Mike Jackson led cuts in the mid 2000's at least dealt with the problems of arms plot and lots of tiny infantry Regiments.
Related articles
- Defence Secretary Philip Hammond admits that morale is low among the troops (independent.co.uk)
- Army unit cuts prompt criticism (bbc.co.uk)
- 17 major Army units to be axed (standard.co.uk)
- Historic battalions set to be axed in defence cuts (itv.com)
- Revealed: The Infantry Battalions To Be Axed (news.sky.com)
- Why Not Cut Half The MP's Not Police and Army (femaleimagination.wordpress.com)
- Battle to save Fusiliers marches to Parliament (menmedia.co.uk)
- Wellington boot (thesun.co.uk)
- Green Howards face axe after 300 years in Army shake-up (yorkshirepost.co.uk)
- Army morale 'fragile' says Defence Secretary as 17 units are lost amid cuts (independent.co.uk)
- Scottish infantry spared as English regiments axed (telegraph.co.uk)
- MoD cuts: Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders reduced to ceremonial duties (scotsman.com)


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Fashion for Men offers the finest local and international fashion for men brands. We got fantastic selection for the most affordable and high-quality clothing, shoes, underwear, beach attire, and accessories for men. Shop and purchase your desired item in a convenient and secure way.
Myrrh Shop is your one-stop-shop for fashion for men, we offer the latest and finest clothing, shoes, and accessories! We guarantee you that you can always find the latest fashion and trends here that meet and flatter your unique style.

subset: commoncrawl


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From July 24 until August 27, Sony will showcase four new downloadable games for PlayStation 3 or Vita. They're not exactly exclusive, but at least three of them will probably be good (Sorry, multiplatform Expendables 2, we can't judge you yet, one way or the other.
The trailer above breaks it down. Buy a bunch of these games, and you'll get a discount. Papa & Yo and Sound Shapes are PlayStation exclusives; CS: Go will also be available on PC and Xbox 360.


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Your favorite TV show may be filming near you. And if you're lucky, maybe you'll spot Lucy Liu.
From 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 11 the CBS-TV series "Elementary" will be filming on Nyack's Main Street at Prohibition River.
In other words, don't expect to be able to park at the River Space parking lot; it's reserved for film vehicles. The lower portion of Main Street will have some parking reserved, but only for cars, no trucks.
"Elementary" stars Johnny Lee Miller and Liu and is a serialized retelling of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic detective stories.
Miller is Holmes and Liu is his sidekick and biographer, Watson.
The show is in its sixth season.
Got a film or movie tip? Send to email@example.com.
Click here to sign up for Daily Voice's free daily emails and news alerts.


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dhermansen needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 80 designs submitted by 17 freelance designers.
Please read the feedback on your entry, even if it has been removed from consideration. We have something for you to try out.
Accepted File Formats:
Standard Web Formats (.jpg, .gif or .png)
We don't want to give too much direction because we want a lot of free thinking involved by the designers that submit logos. For the most part we are totally open, but we do have some guidelines.
- Logo should fit within a 250(w) x 100(h) box.
- Title Text: Legacy Cages
- Subtitle Text: U.S.A. Made Stainless Steel Cages
- We thought it might look good for some or all of the text to look like a glossy stainless steel.
- Since we are making parrot cages, there should probably be a parrot or the silhouette of a parrot in the logo.
Other than that anything goes!
 As mentioned in the subtitle of this listing; if someone submits a logo that is so good we are willing to end the contest early we will pay them $200 total.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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The hip joints house a lot of physical and emotional tension -- especially for women. The reason? Chalk it up to a combination of a sedentary lifestyle and nonstop stress. "It may feel like you're not doing anything sitting at your desk all day, but this position actually contracts the front of the hip and stretches the back of the hip, which can throw off your alignment," says New York-based yoga and Pilates instructor James Darling. If you ignore the need for balance in this central area, you could wind up with low back pain, poor posture, and debilitating tension. Practice these three hip stretches and strengtheners to increase flexibility -- and stave off stiffness and injury down the road.
Crescent Lunge
What It Does
Opens the front of the hip while strengthening the opposite leg, helping you to stabilize the muscles around the bone and engage the core muscles.
How to Do It
With your feet hip-width apart, step the right leg back into a deep lunge, bending your front leg to about 90 degrees. Stay on the ball of your right foot and keep your hips squared. Extend the arms straight overhead, using the abdominal muscles to keep your upper body erect and stable (above). Take three to five deep breaths, imagining that you're breathing into your right hip and releasing tension there. Repeat on the other side.
Reclining Pigeon
What It Does
Releases tension in the hip socket and loosens the glutes.
How to Do It
Lie on your back with legs bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift the right leg and rest your right ankle on your left knee, rotating the right hip out. Reach your arms around your left leg, gently hugging the leg toward you (below). For a deeper stretch, press the right knee outward. Take a few deep breaths, keeping your spine long and letting your lower back release into the floor. Switch legs and repeat. "Do this regularly," says Darling, "and you'll notice a difference in how you walk and move."
What It Does
Stretches the glute muscles, hip flexor, and the lower abdominal muscles.
How to Do It
Starting in a push-up position, draw your left knee in and sit up, resting with your left leg bent in front of you and the other leg straight behind you (below). Keep your hips squared and your weight balanced between them. You can also bend forward, stretching your arms out in front of you and resting your forehead on your mat. Take five to 10 deep, relaxed breaths, letting gravity draw you down deeper into the stretch.


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Thirty words and phrases you need to stop using today
There's plenty more where this comes from. I've got another 70 at least, so this will just be the first in a series of posts. Leave your suggestions in the comments or tweet them under #wordsthatshouldbebanned. Click on hyperlinked words for fuller coverage on goodcopybadcopy. In no particular order . . .
1. Bandwidth
Please don't tell me you don't have the "bandwidth" to take on a project. I'll just assume you mean you don't have the mental capacity to do it. And I'm probably right.
2. Impact
Admit it, you use this word because you're too lazy to learn the difference between "affect" and "effect", don't you?
3. Downsizing
A euphemism for "you're being sacked" that's now so commonly used it's barely considered a euphemism any more.
4. Rightsizing
A euphemism for "downsizing". Euphemisms for euphemisms are the linguistic equivalent of financial derivatives – designed to distance their users from the risk and responsibility attached to engaging in nefarious activities. That's possibly why I mostly used to hear it from financial types when they were describing the benefits of the latest mega-merger they were working on. Unfortunately for them, said financial types have now mostly been rightsized themselves. Shame that.
5. Outsourcing
I've only just got over the shock of learning I'm about to be rightsized. And now you tell me you want me to train my cheaper replacement before I go?
6. Performance-managed out
You see, that's the problem with euphemisms: no one is taken in by them. Everyone knows that your head of operations was sacked because he was crap at his job – they worked with him for gawd's sake. Telling people he was "performance-managed out" just insults everyone's intelligence.
7. Leverage
Ah, cute. You work in the HR department of an investment bank and you think that adopting the language of the revenue-generating ("losing"? – Ed.) boys in the front office will give you some cred in the organisation? I hate to break it to you, but while you're still talking about "leveraging talent" and "leveraging diversity", they all started deleveraging, ooh, slightly before that infamous Cramer rant started doing the rounds on the internet. Which kinda makes you look slightly less informed than Joe Kennedy's shoe shine boy, doesn't it? And that's a shame, because "deleveraging talent" sounds like it could be quite a nice euphemism for "rightsizing", something I'm guessing you're doing quite a lot of these days.
8. Solutions
You know it sounds stupid, but you just can't help using it can you?
9. Ideate
I'd never heard this word until I discovered it quite recently on the website for a consultant specialising in "talent development strategies". Apparently it means "to imagine, to conceive, to form ideas". Now, I have a PhD from the University of Cambridge, which by definition required me to do some original thinking. Yet somehow I never at any point in that PhD-writing process felt the need to use the word "ideate". Is "how to be nice to your employees" really that much more of a complex topic than enigmatic diction in the Old English poem Exodus? (Actually, the same website talked about "integrative frameworks", "aligned philosophies" and "opportunities to recalibrate", so perhaps it is).
10. Passion
For God's sake, get a room, won't you? Some of us are trying to work in here.
11. Annual leave
My heart always sinks when I read this inhuman bit of corpspeak in someone's out-of-office reply. You are allowed to have a holiday from time to time, you know. I won't think any the worse of you if you tell me you're sunning yourself on a beach in Tenerife for two weeks because your nightmare boss and mind-numbingly dull job have left you completely strung out.
12. Interface
You plan to build stronger relationships with your customers by "interfacing" with them more regularly, huh? Hmm, perhaps people would take to you more if, instead of interfacing with them, you actually talked to them for once?
13. Going forward
Used in the workplace to mean "from now on" or "in future". Whenever I hear it I suspect the speaker of trying not to sound like they're whingeing (when in fact they clearly are). For example, if someone emails you to say "Going forward, please cc me on all correspondence regarding this project" (for they'll always prefer the word "regarding" to "about"), you know that what they really mean is "I'm sick of not being included in things and am totally paranoid that you're deliberately leaving me out".
14. Human resources
In my parents' day, the Human Resources department was called "Personnel", which is ironically much more human than "Human Resources". C'mon guys, why not go the whole way and call yourselves "the Department of Expendable Assets"?
15. Human capital
Smarter HR types, having wised up to the offensiveness of the term "Human Resources", have rebranded the field as "Human Capital". Hmm. Still kinda implies that you see me as a figure on a balance sheet, doesn't it? An asset to be used, shifted around or disposed of as required. What, you mean I am? Oh, okay then.
16. Transformation
Employees are scared of change. But with four times as many syllables and a host of related pompous adjectives (transformal, transformative, transformational), "transformation" sounds much more upbeat and dynamic than change. Which is good, because that means most employees won't notice that the transformation involves them being outsourced (or so you hope).
17. Engagement
Go on, admit it. When you talk about wanting to "engage me", what you really mean is "market to me".
18. Takeaways
A word that is fine to use if you're describing highly calorific treats consumed in lieu of a home-cooked meal because that meeting dragged on until 8pm. It's not fine to use in reference to a handout or an idea presented to you in said meeting. Like many corporate words, it's particularly offensive when preceded by the word "key".
19. Competency
"Competence" is used by literate people to describe one's ability to do something well. "Competency", often found in its plural form "competencies", was invented by HR people to describe some specific aspect of one's competence that is only required in the workplace, and which only they really get. Incidentally, you'd think the antonym of "competency" would be "incompetency" but, strangely, this has never caught on in HR departments, who instead prefer to refer to your incompetencies as "development areas".
20. Silo
Fine to use if you're a farmer with a large store of grain. Please don't use it if you work in an investment bank – particularly if you have a tendency to turn nouns into verbs, such as "all our departments are very siloed".
21. Escalate
Wars escalate, arguments escalate, problems escalate. But you can't escalate something to someone else without offending those of us who took the trouble to learn the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs. Sorry.
22. Advise
You're pleased to advise me that you'll be attending tomorrow's meeting, are you? Don't you think it's just a little self-aggrandising to label "telling someone something" as "advice"?
23. Revert
Please don't tell me you'll "revert by COB" when I email you. I'll only end up reverting to type (ranty, slightly obnoxious wordsmith, in case you were wondering).
24. Challenge
The fact that your sales are down 54% on the quarter isn't a challenge – it's a problem. Recognise it as such.
25. Guerrilla
Do you think Che Guevara ever informed the media of his imminent arrival? I ask because the moment I knew "guerrilla" was completely overused was when it appeared in a press release announcing – get this – "a guerrilla exhibition of designer flower arrangements". (Yikes, insurrection among the peonies! An insurgency of tulips! The carnations are revolting!)
26. Pop-up
Currently favoured by trendy designer types who've realised that "guerrilla" is, like, SO nineties. A word that's fine to use when describing those annoying ads that interrupt you when you're surfing the web. It's not fine to when referring to those equally annoying temporary shops/galleries/theatres etc that appear in vacant shops thanks to a bunch of brainless art students.
27. Space
No one cool goes to galleries any more – they're all experiencing "art spaces". And theatres are just soooo boring compared with a "performance space". And what? You dine in the kitchen? How old hat! Our home boasts a contemporary "eating space", dontcha know. (Actually, "eating space" is probably just the least negative way of describing the modern kitchen, which seems to be just a cooker in your living room. Back in the day such a feature was the preserve of the bedsit. Today it's a sign you're living in a "luxury designer executive apartment").
28. Strategy
Right, we've strategised our strategy for strategic delivery. Can we actually get down to doing some work now, please? Oh, and by the way, saying it "stradegy" doesn't imbue you with mid-Atlantic dynamism – it makes you sound like the office joke.
29. Framework
An essential part of any "stradegy". Particularly favoured by bureaucratic types who think it's impressive to spend time planning rather than doing.
30. Foodie
You'll only ever hear the words "I'm such a foodie!" uttered (sorry, brayed) faux-apologetically by middle-class English people boasting about having good taste. My knowledge of Italian is limited, but I'm fairly sure that that nation of natural food-lovers doesn't have an equivalent word for "foodie". That's because, unlike the English, the Italians don't eat merely to feel superior.


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FRIDAY, April 20, 2012 (HealthDay News) -- Patients are much more likely to develop small-bowel obstruction after abdominal or pelvic surgery if they have open surgery rather than minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery, a new study finds.
Small-bowel obstruction -- a blockage in the small intestines -- can develop within days of surgery as a result of scar tissue formation and is a common reason for emergency admission to a hospital.
In this study, Swedish researchers examined the incidence of small-bowel obstruction in more than 108,000 patients who had abdominal or pelvic surgery such as gallbladder surgery, hysterectomy, appendix removal or weight-loss surgery.
The patients were followed for up to five years after surgery or until death. The incidence of small bowel obstruction ranged from 0.4 percent to nearly 14 percent, depending on the type of surgery. Patients who underwent open surgery appeared at least four times more likely to develop small-bowel obstruction than those who had laparoscopic surgery.
The study appears in the April issue of the Archives of Surgery.
"This study shows that, beyond important factors such as age, previous abdominal surgery and comorbidity [coexisting illnesses], the surgical technique is the most important factor related to [small-bowel obstruction]," concluded Dr. Eva Angenete, of Sahlgrenska University Hospital, and colleagues in a journal news release.
"For surgeons, [the study] highlights another potential benefit of minimally invasive surgery and challenges us to continue to offer less invasive procedures whenever they are feasible. For payers and health care policy leaders, it suggests that substantial cost savings could be achieved if open surgery were replaced with laparoscopic surgery more often," Dr. Luke Funk and Dr. Stanley Ashley, of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, wrote in an accompanying journal editorial.
More information
The MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia has more about bowel obstruction.


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Junior Social Work majors are reminded to set an appointment with Dr. Matthews, Social Work Field Coordinator, to discuss their senior field placements. The schedule is posted on Dr. Matthews's office door at Webb 430.
Monthly Archives: September 2013
Social Work Club
Visit the Social Work Club at the student club and activities tables at the President's picnic on Tuesday, September 10, 5-7 pm on the Webb Hall Lawn.
Pre-Social Work Reception
The annual Pre-Social Work Reception will be held on Tuesday October 22, 2013 in Science 301 from 5-6 pm. Light refreshments will be served and we'll share conversation and updates about the program.


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I found a posting in the forum, that claims, that the Free/Busy information isn't available in Outlook 2013.
Since I unsuccessfully used the reset-freebusy.php script for a couple of accounts, this might by true.
But there is a comparison sheet for the different OL versions (), with a "x" in "Freebusy times" for OL 2013.
My question now is: What is true, is it supported or not? And if it is supported, what can I do with our installation ZCP 7.2.1, Connector 7.2.4 to make the information available?
Thanks for any hints and suggestions,


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Oscar Carrasco at Luis Adelantado Valencia
As DailyServing continues to expand our network of contributing writers and partnering websites to offer more global coverage of the visual arts, we are proud to bring you the first of a series of posts from our pals DaWire, a Puerto Rico-based global online magazine. Their recent article featuring new work by Oscar Carrasco at Luis Adelantado Valencia is featured below. In 2006 Oscar Carrasco[…..]


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Brembo Brakes
Are you interested in Brembo Brakes? Then look no further than Louis.
Discover the Brembo Brakes range now, and take advantage of our low prices and top service.
My Louis: Your bikes always ready!
In future, log in using your e-mail address and a password freely chosen by you.Switch now
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Worldwide Launch of Highest Capacity 4GB M2 Card for Use with Digital Cameras, Hand-held Game Players and Sony Ericsson Mobile Phones
MILPITAS, CALIFORNIA, June 27, 2007 - SanDisk®Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today announced the availability of the 4-gigabyte(GB)1 Memory Stick Micro™ (M2) card. With the capacity to hold up to 1,000 MP3 songs, 9,600 high-resolution photos or up to 20 hours of MPEG4 video2, the 4GB M2 is compatible with Sony Ericsson's latest generation of slim line, multimedia mobile handsets such as the Cyber-shot™ and Walkman® series.
"Music, video, photos, games-these are the types of content driving the need for higher capacity cards such as the 4GB M2," said Jeff Kost, vice president and general manager of the Mobile Consumer Solutions division at SanDisk. "This trend is expected to grow as consumers embrace the mobile lifestyle and demand more storage-intensive features from a single mobile device."
The M2 format was co-developed by SanDisk and Sony Corporation to meet the growing storage needs of highly compact, multimedia mobile phones. The M2 measures 0.59" long x 0.49" wide x 0.05" high, or 15mm x 12.5mm x 1.2mm, making it the second smallest flash memory media in the world, behind the microSD™ format, which SanDisk pioneered.
The SanDisk M2 card line is designed for use with mobile handsets that have an M2 slot as well as all Memory Stick PRO Duo™ slotted devices. When accompanied by the included Memory Stick PRO Duo adapter, M2 cards are fully backwards compatible with all digital cameras and hand-held game players such as the Sony PlayStation® Portable that have a Memory Stick PRO Duo slot.
The 4GB M2 card has a suggested retail price of $99.99. The new card is expected to be available worldwide this summer at many of the more than 210,000 consumer electronics stores and retail outlets where SanDisk products are sold.
SanDisk is the original inventor of flash storage cards and is the world's largest supplier of flash data storage card products, using its patented, high-density flash memory and controller technology. SanDisk is headquartered in Milpitas, California, and has operations worldwide, with more than half of its sales outside the U.S.
1 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes.
2 Approximations based on 4-minute songs at 128 kbps MP3 (music), 1-minute clips at 384kbps (video), and compressed JPEG images from a 2-megapixel camera (photos). Actual numbers may vary.
SanDisk's web site/home page address: http://www.sandisk.com
SanDisk's product and executive images can be downloaded from
SanDisk and the SanDisk logo are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. microSD is a trademark. Memory Stick PRO Duo and Memory Stick micro are trademarks of Sony Corporation. All brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective holder(s).
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including expectations for new product introductions, specifications, applications, markets, pricing, product availability, customer acceptance and customers that are based on our current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate. Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include among others: market demand for our products may grow more slowly than our expectations, there may be a slower adoption rate for these products in new markets that we are targeting, our products may not be available at the prices, dates or in the geographies we anticipate, and the other risks detailed from time-to-time under the caption "Risk Factors" and elsewhere in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. We do not intend to update the information contained in this press release.
SanDisk Corporation
Mike Wong
(408) 801-1240


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Broncos add 13th UDFA, WR Eric Page
It took a little longer than the Broncos hoped it would to lock down undrafted rookie wide receiver Eric Page from Toledo, but the team and Page agreed on a free agent rookie deal late Saturday night.
Page becomes the 13th member of the Broncos' undrafted rookie class.
Page, at 5-foot-9 and only 185 pounds, fits the profile of a slot receiver, but was coveted by the Broncos for his return skills, and very well could be atop the Broncos' depth chart at kick and punt returner when training camp opens this summer. The Broncos' lost their main returner when Eddie Royal signed with San Diego.


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Suntech May Set, But Solar Will Still Grow
|Suntech's bankruptcy is complicated, but it indicates a consolidation of the solar industry.
|Haibing Ma
|Haibing Ma is the Manager of the China Program at the Worldwatch Institute
|Related Posts
|Another Solar Trade Dispute: United States Files WTO Complaint Against India
|Unsustainable Practices are Eroding China's Green Achievement
|Transforming U.S. Energy: The 2012 Story the Media Missed
|Read More
|Tweets by @WorldwatchInst
On March 15, Suntech Power Holdings Co., one of China's largest solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers, failed to pay its US$541 million convertible debt, causing its stock price to bottom out. (See Figure 1.) Three days later, eight Chinese banks filed a petition asking for the company's main operating subsidiary, Wuxi Suntech, to be declared insolvent and proceed to restructuring. With Wuxi Suntech owing the banks 7.1 billion RMB (US$1.14 billion), the company was forced to declare bankruptcy on March 20.
There was discussion about whether the Chinese central government would rescue the former star of China's solar sector, but the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), abiding with its new policies for renewable energy, said the government "wouldn't and shouldn't intervene."
Figure 1: Stock price of Suntech Power Holdings Co. (Unit: USD) (Source: Google Finance).
This put the municipal government of Wuxi, in China's Jiangsu Province, in a dilemma. On the one hand, Suntech had become a model enterprise showcasing Wuxi's sustainable development success; it would be extremely difficult for the local government to let it go. In 2012, a proposal from Suntech Power to shut down Wuxi Suntech had distressed the local government so much that the municipality made an effort to save the company, securing an additional 200 million RMB ($32.2 million) loan from the Bank of China.
But this time around, having lost the creditworthiness to receive strong support from state banks, government bailout options were limited. Wuxi Guolian Development Group, a financial company controlled by the municipal government, was expected to take over Wuxi Suntech. On March 20, a former senior executive of Guolian was assigned to be the new president of Suntech Power. This marked the official entry of local government into the restructuring process for the suffering Chinese solar company.
Suntech's distress was not a surprise to many observers. The president of Canadian Solar, a leading PV manufacturer in China, said that Suntech's earlier business scandals had prepared the industry for the company's bankruptcy. And the president of Yingli Green Energy, another top PV manufacturer in China, observed that the entire industry had been struggling.
Founded in 2001 by Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Wuxi Suntech grew rapidly during the golden period of solar PV development in China. Suntech Power was formed in 2005 and was the first Chinese solar company to go public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In the ensuing two years, the company's profit rocketed from $30 million to $170 million, making Suntech the largest solar company in China and the fourth largest in the world.
So what led to Suntech's rapid fall? Key factors include the global economic backdrop, the company's own management problems, and an over-heated solar industry.
Figure 2: Suntech's total net revenue gained from different regions (2005–11).
In late 2011, the United States and the European Union—the two largest markets for China's PV products––successively applied anti-dumping measures against China to protect their own domestic PV manufacturers. Suntech, like other Chinese PV manufacturers, was heavily dependent on exports (see Figure 2), and faced significant challenges as a result of these adjustments to international trade rules.
Suntech's own operational strategy was not healthy, either. China uses a tax rebate policy to incentivize exports, providing a 17 percent tax rebate for PV modules being sent out of the country. Taking advantage of the policy, Suntech had received an estimated $1.9 billion in refunds over the past seven years, according to data from the company's 2007 and 2011 Annual Reports. Suntech had been increasingly relying on these tax refunds: in 2011, the estimated rebate it received was 22 percent higher than the company's gross profit. (See Figure 3.)
Figure 3: Comparison between Suntech's gross profit and tax rebate values (2005–11).
Weak management of accounts also threatened the company's capital chain. In 2011, the accounts receivable from investees of the Global Solar Fund (GSF, a problematic subsidiary of Suntech that was once subjected to a fraud investigation) reached $19.5 million, 58 percent of the total annual sales to GSF investees.
These factors rendered Suntech's operation unsustainable. If the tax benefit dropped due to either policy change or reduced exports, the company would not be able to support itself, nor continue to operate under the huge debt it was bearing.
Moreover, Suntech's misjudgment of the market had more than once resulted in huge losses. Examples of reckless market behavior included buying silicon polycrystal at unreasonably high prices and choosing to pursue expansion even after the market limit had been reached. Business scandals such as related-party transactions with Shi's private companies, tax evasion, and possible tax fraud, as well as a public letter of complaint against the senior staff, further exposed the mismanagement inside the company.
Beyond these internal problems, Suntech found little support from regulatory policies. The rampant pursuit of GDP growth among local governments in China was a primary contributor to the overproduction of solar PV products in the country. In the midst of the large-scale curtailment in domestic PV production in 2011, the Wuxi government still encouraged Suntech to keep expanding, providing land and requesting that the company build another factory requiring 50,000 employees. Such practices, fueled by cheap credit from state banks, made Suntech's failure almost inevitable.
Suntech is only one example of struggling PV manufacturing in China. LDK Solar, a company of similar scale, was caught in the same curtailment. However, through support from local government and foreign investors, the selling of subsidiaries, and better debt management, LDK is recovering.
The story of Suntech's failure is complicated, but it reflects the urgent need for China's solar industry to reorganize. As the demand for PV products shifts from a handful of European countries to other emerging markets, fluctuations in the market have taught PV manufacturers to manage risk more carefully. Right now, an industry-wide consolidation is in process, not only in China, but also elsewhere in the world, including in the United States. As the market cuts out the least efficient firms, as with Suntech, a healthier and more mature solar industry will emerge.
Wanqing Zhou is an intern with the China program at Worldwatch Institute. Haibing Ma is the China Program Manager at Worldwatch Institute.


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It's Rude to Stare
Even if the shower cake IS modeled after the guest of honor's ginormous rack.
I have a confession to make: I really don't like attending baby showers. There's all the frippy little decorations, lots of cooing "mom" types, and those obligatory shower games which were undoubtably invented by a woman on the verge of a murder/suicide. However, I think this cake would liven up your average baby shower. I mean, just watching a room full of women in flamingo capris and sun dresses trying to compliment, much less cut, this cake would be bona fide entertainment. "Why, Doris" (looking mom-to-be up and down) "it looks just like you! Er, would you like a slice of boobie?"
Thanks to Kate E. for the photo!


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Happy New Year! I hope that 2014 was kind to all of you. If it wasn't –fear not! Simply resolve to make 2015 your best year yet. I'm going to work hard to do the same for me and my family.
There is one a regret I have for last year. I'm very disappointed with my lack of activity on Sour Mash Manifesto. If you've visited in the last 12 months you've probably read numerous excuses from me. I'll refrain from making any specific promises, but I do intend to make Sour Mash Manifesto worth your time in 2015. I'm very grateful that you have stuck with me in spite of the snail's pace of new content.
As I look back on 2014 from a whiskey point of view, I am a little disappointed to be honest. Not about a lack of great whiskey, mind you. There's some awesome stuff out there. I'm not even overly concerned about escalating prices. Sure, I hate paying more for whiskey, but I adjust my expectations accordingly (probably like you do). What has really disappointed me is all this clamoring for limited releases, rare whiskey, and the constant questioning of "which one's better, which one should I buy?" The whiskey loving community is so overcome with finding these limited and rare bottles that little else seems to matter. I'm worried we are forgetting to appreciate all that is readily available.
Bloggers must take the bulk of the blame for fanning these flames. I've come across as the head of the Pappy Propaganda Parade at certain points over the years (Guilty!). Yes I feel the 15 year is one of the great whiskeys on the planet, I truly do, but it's all a bit much. Ironically this contributed a bit to the inactivity here. Why pile on to this fervor?
As an aside – I recommend ignoring every review you see on a Van Winkle, Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC), Four Roses Limited, etc. If you want to secure these rare releases I'd start making friends with a few local merchants. Find out how the store determines who gets a bottle of these highly sought after whiskeys. Then spend your money with the one or two that you feel give you the best shot. You'll have to talk to owners and buyers at the stores and get a good "read" on that. Show the store that you are committed to giving them your business, and ask them to do the same. Like anything in life, ask for what you want, but be realistic about it (they can't satisfy everyone). If the store is one that uses a list – get on it and be patient. When you have the opportunity, buy it.
Back on track……
The answer for me and for Sour Mash Manifesto is to get back to basics. That means focusing the majority of reviews on products with at least some moderate availability. There are so many gems out there that are overlooked while we scan for scan for labels of old men or deer antlers. I'm going to shed more light on those whiskeys. Some limited releases will find their way on the site from time to time, but less often. As a result, Sour Mash Manifesto won't be your best place to find the latest ratings on the 2015 BTAC or Limited Edition Four Roses. For that information there are a ton of other great resources.
Another area I'll be looking at more closely is "craft"/"micro" whiskeys. I hate both of those terms, but this segment of the industry continues to grow and evolve into a category on its own. It represents a lot of younger whiskeys, regional styles, and more unique grain bills and recipes. Fear not bourbon lovers – this won't be a micro-only site, but I do wish to help wade through some of this stuff on the shelves.
Honesty, I've never had an original idea when it comes to Sour Mash Manifesto. I just talk about what has my attention. Other bloggers and industry folks have stated the same as I have above. I'm not trying to grandstand or act above the fray, and I don't begrudge others that feel differently. Clearly people want to know what enthusiasts think about certain whiskeys.
To put my thoughts in perspective, consider for a moment that I'm sipping a beautiful Eagle Rare Single Barrel (private barrel selection) from One Stop Wine and Liquors in Johnson City, TN. It's easily on the best whiskeys I've drank in the last six months. It's spectacular, but writing about it is pointless due to your chances of securing some. Even still, you probably have a better chance getting this than you do some of the others I've mentioned. That's the problem with all this hoopla, and I don't need to add to it.
Please consider this a glimpse into where things are going at Sour Mash Manifesto. I know it will allow me to provide more value to the whiskey loving community. Thank you again for visiting.
Happy New Year to you and yours and drink your whiskey!


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November 27, 2012
Kevin Smith, Michael Steel, Brendan Buck
WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following statement today on the House Republican Steering Committee's chairmanship recommendations for the 113th Congress. The Steering Committee's recommendations will be presented to the full House Republican Conference tomorrow for ratification.
"Our team will continue focusing on reforms that will grow our economy and create new jobs, and on holding the Obama administration accountable through aggressive oversight of the Executive Branch. The House of Representatives is an outpost in Democratic-controlled Washington for the priorities of the American people, and I have every confidence that the chairmen selected today are up to the task of translating those priorities into solutions Americans are counting on to get our economy moving again."
- Agriculture – Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK)
- Appropriations – Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY)
- Armed Services – Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA)
- Budget – Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI)
- Education and the Workforce – Rep. John Kline (R-MN)
- Energy and Commerce – Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)
- Financial Services – Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
- Foreign Affairs – Rep. Ed Royce (R-CA)
- Homeland Security – Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX)
- Intelligence – Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI)
- Judiciary – Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)
- Natural Resources – Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA)
- Oversight and Government Reform – Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA)
- Rules – Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
- Science, Space, and Technology – Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX)
- Small Business – Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO)
- Transportation and Infrastructure – Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA)
- Veterans' Affairs – Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL)
- Ways and Means – Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI)
NOTE: Chairmanship selections for the House Administration and Ethics Committees will be announced at a later date. A full list of House Republican leadership for the 113th Congress can be found here.


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Unscripted Special Hosted by Howie Mandel
Mixes Flash Mob Concept with Hidden Camera Elements
To Provide Surprise Reveals to Unknowing Participants
Just in time for Thanksgiving, viewers can gobble up a new installment of the unscripted special MOBBED, which will air Wednesday, Nov. 23 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) following THE X FACTOR on FOX. Hosted by Howie Mandel, MOBBED puts a hidden-camera spin on the "flash mob" concept.
In each installment of this series, Mandel and thousands of strangers will help a special guest plan an extraordinary surprise for a friend, family member, loved one or co-worker. The unknowing participant will be shocked and stunned by a surprise performance that will lead up to a fantastic reveal.
Throughout the hour, the guests will be seen getting ready for the event - rehearsing their routines and refining their speeches - all while receiving guidance from host Mandel. Then, on the day of the big affair - with the hidden cameras rolling - the detailed plan comes to fruition and suddenly explodes into a song-and-dance spectacle that no one will ever forget.
MOBBED is produced by Alevy Productions and Angel City Factory. Howie Mandel, Chris Cowan, Jean-Michel Michenaud, Mike Marks, Darryl Trell, Howard Kitrosser, Kevin Healey, Michael Rotenberg and Toby Gorman serve as executive producers. It is based on a format created by Mandel, Trell and Kitrosser. Become a fan of the series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MobbedonFOX and follow the series on Twitter at @mobbedonFOX.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: THE X FACTOR will now air from 8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT.]


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Welcome to Teton Thai
A family run business, we have been serving authentic Thai food in Jackson Hole for over a decade. Consistently voted the best Thai restaurant in Jackson Hole, our menu of finely crafted recipes has earned us a fantastic reputation we strive to live up to. Located in Teton Village at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, we are in proximity to the ski area in winter and Grand Teton National Park in the summer.
Connect with Teton Thai
Check us out in The Guardian
Great write up on Bryan Iguchi, Travis Rice, Teton Thai, and Jackson Hole.
Thanks Zahan, Gemma, and Tom
Thanks american airlines for the shout out in your magazine american way
Teton Thai in Business Jet Travler
Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune featured us in an article
Here's the buzz out West
Pow and Chow
We've been featured in this episode of "Pow and Chow" by pro snowboarder Tim Eddy


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Even though the concept idea is cool, I think this design of the Joker could have turned out much better. Here is a request fulfillment on "how to draw Hello Kitty Joker". Yes she is once again dressed to impress as she flaunts her stuff. Drawing a Joker version of Hello Kitty was really fun and very colorful when it came time to color in the concept. I do hope that whoever made the request likes what they see. I on the other hand would like to leave this description at that so I can get busy with uploading more tuts for you all. So try and hang in there even though a lot of you may be celebrating Memorial Day weekend.
DragoArt members upload artwork and drawing tutorials! They are also allowed to leave comments on tutorials, profiles, etc. Many more features, as well; it's way better than just being a boring guest! Register Now!


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This is the third installment in a series of articles summarizing about 220 significant changes in the 2002 NEC. These articles do not cover every change, and they are not intended to provide a full explanation of the reasons for the changes, as that information is readily available on NFPA's Web page on the NEC, www.necdirect.org, and will also be available in continuing education courses, books and videos on the changes.
Article 600 — Electric Signs and Outline Lighting
Section 600.21(F) — Ballasts, transformers and electronic power supplies located above suspended ceilings may not be connected to the branch circuit by flexible cord.
Section 600.32(A) — The minimum size of the raceway used for neon secondary circuits is ½ in.
Article 604 — Manufactured Wiring Systems
Section 604.6(A)(1) and (2) — Appropriate types of limited energy circuit cables may be used in manufactured wiring systems intended for use with limited energy circuits.
Section 680.27(B)(604.6(E)) — Support requirements for manufactured wiring must be in accordance with the wiring method used.
Article 620 — Elevators, Dumbwaiters, Escalators, Moving Walks, Wheelchair Lifts and Stairway Chair Lifts
Throughout this article, the requirements for installations in "Machinery Rooms and Machine Spaces" are now also applied to "Control Rooms and Control Spaces." Modern equipment is not confined to the traditional "Elevator Equipment Rooms," so this change applies the article to other spaces used for elevator equipment and controls.
Section 620.51 — A new exception permits general-use snap switches for disconnecting means for wheelchair lifts where the lift is 2 hp or less in accordance with Section 430.109(C).
Article 640 — Audio Signal Processing, Amplification and Reproduction Equipment
Section 640.3(A) — Accessible portions of abandoned cables must be removed. This section applies only to audio distribution cables, but similar changes have been made in Chapters 7 and 8 for other limited-energy cables.
Section 640.6 — Cables run on the outside surfaces of ceilings and walls must be supported from building structural components and installed in such a manner that the cables will not be damaged by normal building use or by the support methods. Other cables (not installed on outside surfaces) must be installed neat and workmanlike. All cables must be protected in accordance with 300.4(D). (Section 300.11 also applies to Article 640 wiring.)
Article 645 — Information Technology Equipment
Section 645.5(D)(5)(c) — Type ITC cable has been added to the list of cable types for use in raised floors. However, Type ITC cable is restricted to industrial occupancies by Article 727.
Section 645.5(D)(6) — Abandoned cables must be removed from raised floor spaces.
Article 647 — Sensitive Electronic Equipment
This new article was mostly extracted from Article 530 and revised. It covers 60/120V systems, commonly referred to as "Technical Power." Applications are limited to supervised areas of commercial and industrial occupancies. "Commercial and industrial" in this sense is intended to mean primarily non-residential, and is not intended to prohibit the use of these systems in schools, for example. Ordinary equipment and wiring devices may be used but must be marked. Voltage drop is limited.
Article 665 — Induction and Dielectric Heating Equipment
This article was rewritten and induction welding and melting processes were added to the scope of the article.
Article 680 — Swimming Pools, Fountains and Similar Installations
Article 680 was rewritten, primarily to improve usability. The subject areas (Parts) now stand alone without reference to other Parts. The term "specified body of water" has been added and includes all bodies of water covered by Article 680.
Section 680.6 — Grounding requirements were relocated, grouped in one place and clarified.
Section 680.12 — Requirements for "Maintenance Disconnects" have been clarified. Maintenance disconnects are required for all equipment except lighting and must be accessible and within sight of the equipment.
Section 680.22(A)(4) — Where the normal requirement for clearances of receptacles from pools cannot be met at a dwelling due to the dimensions of the lot, one GFCI-protected receptacle may be located closer than 10 ft but not less than 5 ft from the wall of the pool.
Section 680.22(C) — Switching devices may be installed closer than 5 ft from a pool if the device is listed for use within 5 ft from a pool.
Section 680.23 — One length is limited to 6 ft and the total length is limited to 10 ft when LFMC or LFNC are used for wiring underwater luminaires. Type LFNC-B is not limited in length.
Section 680.26(B)(1) — Encapsulated reinforcing in pool structures is not required to be bonded, but an alternate method of eliminating voltage gradients must be provided.
Section 680.26(B)(4) — Double-insulated pump motors are not to be bonded, but a bonding means must be provided in the vicinity for replacement motors that may not be double-insulated.
Section 680.27(B)(1) — The controller for an electrically operated pool cover must be located where the operator has a clear view of the entire pool.
Section 680.44(B) — Field-assembled spas and hot tubs that are three-phase, over 250V or over 50A are not required to have GFCI protection.
Section 680.57(C)(2) — Portable signs may not be put in or within 5 ft of pools or fountains.
Section 680.62(A)(2) — Therapeutic tubs, other than listed self-contained units, that are three-phase, over 250V or over 50A are not required to have GFCI protection.
Article 690 — Solar Photovoltaic Systems
Section 690.14(C) — Disconnecting means for photovoltaic systems are not required to be suitable for use as service disconnects, but must meet service disconnect requirements with regard to location, marking, grouping and maximum numbers of devices.
Article 692 — Fuel Cells
This new article covers an emerging technology. Requirements are similar to Article 690, and the systems are generally treated like separately derived systems. All equipment is required to be evaluated and listed for the purpose prior to installation.


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McALLEN � Homer Cedillo Jr., a former Hidalgo County District Court probation officer, along with his mother, two aunts and three cousins, have been convicted for defrauding the American Family Life Assurance Company (Aflac), U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced Monday.
A total of 36 persons were charged with conspiracy and wire fraud in mid-June 2011 in connection with a multi-million dollar scheme to defraud Aflac involving the filing of thousands of false injury claims under Aflac's Accident-Only Supplemental Insurance Plan.
At a hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa, Cedillo, 42, of Edinburg, pleaded guilty. The six others who alos pleaded guilty today were Mary Cedillo, 65, of Edinburg, and Martha Ortega, 58, Yolanda Segovia, 55, Candida Chavez, 35, Lori Chavez, 29, and Anissa Chavez, 31, all of McAllen. As a result of today's guilty pleas, 35 of the 36 defendants charged in this case have been convicted of wire fraud.
According to information presented at today's hearing, the above-named defendants were policyholders under Aflac's Accident-Only Supplemental Insurance Plan at various times from 2005 through 2010. During that time period, they would routinely deliver lists of fake accidents and injuries to two licensed physicians who worked at a clinic together in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. After receiving the lists, the physicians prepared an "accident report" for each fake injury in exchange for a cash kickback of approximately $15 per accident report.
In each report, the physicians falsely claimed they had provided treatment and prescribed medicine to the defendants for their purported injuries. Over time, the above-named defendants and their co-conspirators faxed a total of approximately 21,000 false injury claims, each accompanied by a false accident report prepared by the physicians, to Aflac's claims department in Columbus, Ga., causing Aflac to disburse in excess of $3 million in insurance proceeds.
Chief Judge Hinojosa has scheduled sentencing for Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, at which time they will face up to 20 years in federal prison without parole and a $250,000 fine.
The investigation leading to the charges was conducted by FBI with valuable assistance from Aflac's Special Investigations Unit in Columbus, Ga. Assistant United States Attorney Greg Saikin is prosecuting the case.


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Koprivshtitsa in Bulgaria. Photo: Alan Grant
The great debate on Europe's borders
May 2009
A revolution has taken place in Europe over the past decade - the transformation of ten post-communist states into full-fledged members of the European Union. While the outcome of that revolution was celebrated with fireworks and speeches on 1 May 2004 (and on 1 January 2007 in Romania and Bulgaria), the details of the transformation process have gone largely unexamined by the broader policy and development community.
For those countries aspiring to eventually accede to the European Union, there are still huge challenges ahead. It is clear they have to change dramatically in order to be able to join the EU. But are the EU's pre-accession tools powerful enough to help these countries to accomplish these tasks? What evidence supports the arguments of enlargement sceptics? Will public debates on enlargement in different European societies constitute insurmountable obstacles? What would be the price of an enlargement stop?
It was to address these questions that we decided to develop a special portal on EU enlargement and a substantive ESI research program supervised by ESI deputy chairman Kristof Bender.


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DETROIT, March 4 (UPI) -- Patrick Sharp notched a goal and an assist for Chicago Sunday and the Blackhawks logged their third straight win, a 2-1 decision over Detroit.
Sharp scored on a first-period power play and assisted on Patrick Kane's go-ahead tally with 1:19 left in the middle frame for Chicago, which won for only the third time in 16 road games.
Ray Emery turned aside 23-of-24 shots to earn the victory.
Niklas Kronwall got the only goal for Central Division co-leader Detroit, which continued an injury-filled rough patch with a fourth loss in six games.
Jimmy Howard started in net for the Red Wings and had allowed a goal on five shots before the leaving in the first period with a lower body injury.
Joey MacDonald relieved, turning aside 12-of-13 shots the rest of the way.


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Related Items
|Related pages:
|Useful links:
ILO: Accident Prevention on Board Ship at Sea and in Port (pdf 704kb)
|Related documents:
ILO, MLC and ITF Guidance on health and safety (1298kb PDF)
|Photo: Steven Bruijneel, www.dockwork.be
Staying safe while you are at sea is as important as staying healthy.
Working at sea can expose you to particular risks. Seafarers have a one in 11 chance of being injured on their tour of duty – much higher than other occupations.
How do I stay safe on board?Slips, trips and falls are the biggest hazard at sea – with the danger of fractured or sprained limbs. Decks and gangways are the most injury-prone areas so be sure to watch your footing at sea. It is also important to exercise, eat healthily and avoid fatigue. The fitter you are, the more alert you will be.
Are there guidelines available?If you work on cruise ships or passenger vehicles, you also need to take the safety of passengers into account. ITF has specific policy advice for best practice in ensuring the safety of yourself, your crewmates and your passengers. See the link on the right of this page for more information.
The ILO code of practice for accident prevention on board ship at sea and in port provides practical recommendations and useful guidance. These include the establishment of a safety and health committee on all ships, with elected seafarers' safety representatives. Further information is available on the right of the page.
ITF has produced a training video for ships' safety representatives. This aims to assist crew and safety reps to improve on-board safety culture, and how to avoid and deal with any accidents. The video is available for viewing as a link on the right of this page.
ITF is developing a specific policy on health and safety in shipping. This will provide practical guidance to ITF seafarers' affiliates, their shop stewards, shipboard representatives and members on safety and health in shipboard work.
Why do accidents happen at sea?Accidents can happen when ships are under pressures to meet unrealistic schedules with too few crew. Owners sometimes cut corners by not maintaining the ship and its equipment, increasing the risks. Ships registered under Flags of Convenience have fewer regulations, and greater potential for unsafe practices.
The risks can be minimised where crews are fully trained in the safe running of the ship. Ship owners should also provide medical care and social support.
Have you had an accident?Seek advice on any first aid issue – radio medical advice is available throughout the world, in port or at sea, and your ship's master is obliged to be fully conversant with radio medical procedures.
Make sure you report any accident on board. This will help maintain the safety of the ship for current and future crew members. You will also stand a better chance of receiving any compensation.
The ITF has dedicated claims handlers to assist seafarers and their families in claims for compensation following injury or death. If you have suffered an accident, please contact the ITF and/or your union without delay, using the link on the right of this page.
We will advise you of the best way in which your claim can be handled and, if necessary, will take it up directly with the agents and owners to negotiate the best possible compensation for you.


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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is seeking the help of major U.S. sports organizations, including the National Football League, to persuade young and healthy Americans to sign up for medical insurance coverage later this year, officials said on Monday.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the federal government was in the midst of negotiations on advertising campaigns and potential partnerships as part of an outreach effort that will intensify over the summer and early fall.
"The NFL, for instance, in the conversations I've had, has been very actively and enthusiastically engaged because they see health promotion as one of the things that is good for them and good for the country," Sebelius told reporters.
An NFL spokesman was not immediately available for comment.
The campaign is expected to target 2.7 million younger consumers between the ages of 18 to 35, mostly male and non-white, whose participation in new online health insurance exchanges is vital to the success of President Barack Obama's 2010 healthcare reform law.
Enrollment for the new health plans begins on October 1, and the administration has released few details about how it will persuade people to sign up.
Earlier on Monday, the administration launched its healthcare outreach effort with a new call center and a revamped website intended as the market entry point for millions of new consumers.
The campaign will be one segment of a much broader national outreach effort that will include hospitals, healthcare companies and providers, community organizers, media groups and state and local officials.
The challenge will be to overcome huge public skepticism, particularly among young and healthy consumers, that the new plans are worthwhile. Individuals who don't obtain insurance will face a penalty that begins at $95 in 2014 and rises to 2.5 percent of annual income in 2016.
Two non-profit groups with strong ties to the Obama administration - Enroll America and Organizing for Action - started their campaigns last week with national television ads and grass-roots organizing events in a number of states.
The website HealthCare.gov, which the administration has used as a public guide to its reform law, formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, has been revamped as a consumer education site where the public can learn how to get ready for open enrollment this fall.
By October, the site will allow enrollees in 34 federally operated online marketplaces to apply for federal subsidies and shop online for plans.
The administration also offers a Spanish language site with the same information at CuidadoDeSalud.gov.
Consumers also can get information about coming benefits through a new 24-hour-a-day call center that offers services in 150 languages. Beginning October 1, the call center will help consumers complete applications and select insurance plans.
Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Michele Gershberg, Paul Simao, Bill Trott and Cynthia Osterman


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Monkton woman wins EPA video contest
MONKTON — When Monkton resident Nora Parren was casting around for a way to drum up scholarship money, the Vassar College student assumed she'd be left to writing essays until the end of time.So when she stumbled across a contest sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency challenging students to create videos promoting water quality, Parren was pleasantly surprised. A hobby animator, for some time she'd been making stop-motion videos in her dorm room.She was even more surprised a few months later, though, when the 21-year-old cognitive science and anthropology student found out she'd won the national contest, earning $2,500 she spent on a research trip to South Africa.Her video, "Dastardly Deeds and the Water Pollution Monster," uses stop-motion animation to illustrate how fertilizers and other pollutants can affect water quality. Though Parren's own academic passions lie in the field of cognitive science, she said that paying attention to water quality and conservation were always important in both her Monkton home and at her New York college."As a household and a college, it's something we've paid attention to," she said. "I definitely think it's important."That's a message that Parren also grew up learning from her father, Steve Parren, a rare species biologist with the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife Department.Her video specifically highlights storm drains as a place where pollutants can be unintentionally funneled into bodies of water. Though storm drains aren't prevalent in most of Vermont, it gets at the larger issue of water runoff, Parren said. "People don't even think about (what's getting washed into the water)," she said. Parren made the video while studying abroad in Belfast, though she found herself in Barcelona visiting friends from college when it came time to actually produce the short clip. She'd used clay before in some of her stop-animation clips, but supplies were in short order. She had her camera at the time, which she used to photograph each frame of the film, but little else.Parren improvised. She collected scraps of paper, trash and old posters from the streets of Barcelona, and fashioned the paper in a rough collage. She used chewing gum to attach the scraps to a wall in a friend's dorm room, and then painstakingly began photographing each frame of her video while altering the content of each scene just slightly."The concept is pretty simple," said Parren of the stop-motion technique. "But the devil is in the details."In addition to pointing out the ways that individuals inadvertently hurt water quality — like treating grass and gardens with fertilizers, or not disposing of pet waste properly — Parren also uses her brief video to give viewers suggestions for water stewardship."Once we see the problems that water pollution causes, we can take steps to prevent it and help keep our water clean," she says in the video.Those suggestions include using compost instead of fertilizers, checking cars for oil leaks, and planting gardens to filter pollution and prevent soil erosion.The entry beat out more than 200 other entries to win the EPA's contest. The good news came to Parren when she was in South Africa, on the same research trip she'd hoped to fund in part with the scholarship money.She was there for a conference, and to assist with research among the native Zulu population in South Africa.Parren is already working on another video entry for a scholarship competition. The money would be nice, she said, but the process of making the videos alone is worthwhile enough."I really enjoy it," she said. "With cognitive science, work is reading and writing. It's not that it's not interesting, but art has always been for me something that I've been able to focus completely on and not tear myself away until I was done. Something about it being a visceral product and a visual image makes a difference."


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Thursday, October 15, 2009
Our AL Rookie of the Year Ballot
Mostly, we wanted to get involved with the BBA so that we could vote on the postseason awards. And while we were trying to be magnanimous and allow our fellow Jays bloggers the opportunity to vote on Manager of the Year (an award that we kinda hate anyway), we're jumping in to cast our ballot for the AL Rookie of the Year.
With a few weeks left in the season, we probably would have had a completely different final three, but with a little time to look over the performances of the handful of candidates, we narrowed the field down to three. And so, here's how we saw it.
1) Andrew Bailey, Oakland A's - 1.31 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 91 Ks / 24 BBs, 26 saves in 83.1 IP.
Saves might be viewed amongst the more progressive thinkers as the most overestimated stat in baseball, and as such, a lot of voters might breeze past the Athletics' closer. But we couldn't look past that high K rate, and the excellent ratio. Even if Bailey hadn't been bestowed with the closer role, those numbers out of the pen put him amongst the elite late inning pitchers.
2) Brett Anderson, Oakland A's - 11-11, 4.06 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 150 Ks / 45 BBs in 175 IP.
With much of the focus through the season on the performances of the Tigers' Rick Porcello, the Rays Jeff Niemann and the Jays' Ricky Romero, Anderson's numbers in the end stand out across the board. His ERA was slightly higher than that of Niemann and Porcello, but his K rate, WHIP and K/BB ratio were much better.
3) Jeff Niemann, Tampa Rays - 13-9, 3.94 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 125 Ks / 59 BBs in 180.2 IP.
Given the choice between Niemann and Porcello, the Rays starters' higher K rate tips the scales in his favour.
Falling off the ballot
Among those who fell just short of our ballot were the Tigers' Porcello (not enough Ks, too much of his stats racked up against the NL); the Orioles' Nolan Reimold (good numbers, but not enough to rate a mention); the Orioles' Matt Wieters (he'll be good eventually, but his performance this year didn't stack up); the Rangers' Elvis Andrus (love his defense, but hate the .702 OPS); and the Jays' Ricky Romero (wore out by season's end, and the last six weeks pretty much wiped him off the ballot.)
15 comments:
- The Ack said...
Here's the problem I have with the K-rate argument: none of us were using that as a strike against Doc in '06 and '07 when his rate dipped into the 5.X/9 range, but still produced Cy worthy numbers.
I think K-rate is a solid predictor of future success....but if you achieve success without a great K-per-nine.....is it not still success nonetheless?
Porcello has been successful throughout his minor league career without a great K/9, so perhaps he's still harnessing his stuff, and hittes can't do much with it as is.
But that's just me.
- October 15, 2009 at 11:28 AM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Going forwards, I probably like Porcello more...but 89 Ks versus 52 walks just doesn't strike us as a good ratio for this season.
And for the sake of comparison, Doc had 204 Ks versus 32 walks in his Cy Young season. So there's a pretty substantial difference there.
- October 15, 2009 at 11:58 AM
- SP said...
Yea I'm with you. Porcello had the highest GB rate in the AL so I'm fine with the low K rate. But I still go with Niemann for now because he's in the AL East and he had a better FIP. Porcello may force GBs but he also gave up a bunch of HRs. Also important: Niemann had a 3.2 WAR, Porcello had 1.9.
- October 15, 2009 at 12:07 PM
- SP said...
By the way, fuck Porcello and Boras.
- October 15, 2009 at 12:11 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Actually, didn't I just hear that Porcello dropped Boras in favour of the Hendricks?
- October 15, 2009 at 12:23 PM
- Darren Priest said...
Yet another player Billy Beane will let go before his first payday. Of course, Beane thinks pretty much any pitcher can be the closer and won't pay them. Ricciardi missed that memo, apparently.
- October 15, 2009 at 2:08 PM
- Darren Priest said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- October 15, 2009 at 2:08 PM
- October 15, 2009 at 2:39 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Balloonboy is safe!
- October 15, 2009 at 6:12 PM
- Joanna said...
Porcello fought off a charging/frothing Kevin Youkilis and somehow ended up on top. The kid is alright.
- October 15, 2009 at 7:00 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Actually, I had forgotten about that. If I'd remembered, I would have bumped Porky up to third on my ballot, just for that one judo throw.
- October 15, 2009 at 7:02 PM
- FrostKing said...
Thanks for including Brett Anderson on your ballot. I thought he deserved the award pretty easily, but no one else even voted for him (from the AL). It's now so much that the saves are overrated as that Bailey just didn't pitch enough innings (though it's not his job).
- October 16, 2009 at 12:08 AM
Brett Anderson?
I always thought Suede was one of the most overrated bands of the 90s.
In Rookie of the Year voting I often think there's the split between "who had the best year" and "who you'd rather want on your team in a couple of years".
Pat Listach anyone?
- October 16, 2009 at 1:20 AM
- jroberts said...
Pat Listach anyone?
Terrible vote, and not only because Listach was out of baseball four years later. How do you (Lofton) lead the league in steals and finish second in ROY voting, when the winner's main strength is also stealing bases?
- October 16, 2009 at 8:41 AM
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The Rams lost unbelievable lead to Ayden-Grifton, falling 28-27.
AYDEN�Certain things in life defy explanation.
Count previously winless Ayden-Grifton�s 28-27 overtime victory over still-winless Greene Central Friday night as one of those things.
There�s no logical rationalization for how the Chargers were able to rally from a 21-0 fourth quarter deficit�thanks to a hodgepodge of deft passing by quarterback Hunter Cannon, the inability of the GC secondary to knock down a Hail Mary thrown into triple coverage and some atrocious clock mismanagement by the officiating crew that would have made the NFL replacement refs hide in shame.
It went down like this in the Eastern Carolina 2A Conference opener for both teams:
After R. J. Nelson scampered 8 yards to paydirt to bring the Chargers (1-6, 1-0) within 21-14 with 1:11 left to play, GC was able to recover the ensuing onside kick.
Four kneel downs by Rams� quarterback Austin Batchelor countered by just one remaining AG timeout should have easily killed the clock � game over, GC victory.
Except that twice the officials paused the clock for reasons unknown and then even added additional time back when they determined that Batchelor didn�t kneel down fast enough for their liking on second down.
Somehow, after Batchelor took a knee on fourth down from the GC�s own 30, there was still 0.1 seconds showing on the clock, and even that amount was restored to 2.0 seconds after the officials met to discuss the situation.
With time still on the clock and the change of possession, AG�s offense returned to the field for one final snap. Cannon lofted a perfect jump ball toward the end zone that Chargers� receiver Giddell Watters corralled despite being blanketed by a trio of GC defenders.
Josh Walston calmly booted the extra point and the game headed into overtime knotted at 21-21.
�It�s a play we�ve never tried before,� AG coach Paul Cornwell said. �We lined up all of our tallest receivers on one side and told Hunter to just throw the ball to the end zone. He made a nice throw and Giddell made an outstanding catch.�
Despite starting its first overtime drive from the 25 instead of the 10 because of an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty assessed during the end of regulation confusion, GC collected itself enough to score first in the extra session.
Batchelor found Michael Mitchell with a 24-yard TD strike, but then the Chargers got a huge break when GC kicker Alex Firme hurried the extra point kick just enough that it sailed wide left, leaving the Rams with a precarious 27-21 lead.
The Chargers needed just one play to register the equalizer on Drew Turnage�s 10-yard run. Walston�s fourth successful point after kick sealed the miraculous victory.
�We didn�t get many breaks from the officials, but they�re not the reason we lost,� GC coach Allen Wooten said. �We were in the driver�s seat with a 21-0 lead, and then at the end all we had to do was bat down one pass. We had our chances but just couldn�t finish.�
The first half was scoreless until the Rams struck twice for TD�s in the final 34.4 seconds of the second quarter.
Batchelor�s one-yard plunge capped a 4-play, 53-yard drive, most of which came on a bubble screen to Curtez Braswell that covered 46 yards.
Two plays later, AG�s Nelson lost his first of four fumbles, giving the Rams the ball back at the AG 20 with 9.2 seconds left before intermission.
One play was all GC (0-7, 0-1) needed as Batchelor and Mitchell hooked up in the near left corner of the end zone to give the Rams a 14-0 lead at the break.
That lead swelled to 21-0 when Greene Central�s Ronshon Bullock plowed over from the 3 just a minute into the final period.
But the Chargers didn�t wilt, finally denting the scoreboard on Cannon�s one-yard dive at the 7:44 mark, culminating an 8-play, 63-yard march.
The key play came when Cannon and Drew Turnage connected on 26-yard pass on 4th and 23 from the GC 30.
The Chargers actually recovered an onside kick after their first score but then promptly coughed the ball back to the Rams on the very next play, one of 6 fumbles lost by AG in the mud and muck.
Trailing 21-7, A-G moved 56 yards in 5 plays to close the gap to 21-14.
Cannon, who had not attempted a pass the entire game until the fourth quarter, was especially impressive on the drive, completing 3-of-4 for 48 yards.
Cannon finished 5-of-6 through the air for 104 yards, all in the last stanza.
�We kept fighting and didn�t give up,� Cornwell said. �It feels great to get that first win and start off the conference season the right way, but my heart breaks for those Greene Central kids. They played their hearts out. I�ve been on the wrong side of a few games like this and it�s a tough way to lose.�
Although Nelson had trouble hanging onto the ball, he was still the Chargers� offensive catalyst, rushing for 144 yards on 27 carries.
�R. J. played four games with a cast on his arm and didn�t fumble once,� Cornwell said. �I know it was wet and slippery out there, but we�ve got to do a better job of protecting the football.�
GC turned the ball over twice, both on first half interceptions that stalled drives on the Chargers side of the field.
Despite the two picks, Batchelor completed 14 of 23 passes for 203 yards.
�We threw the ball well and played a good game defensively for the most part,� Wooten said. �I thought we were the better team for the majority of the game, but give Ayden-Grifton credit for making plays at the end. We still have four conference games to play so we have to keep our heads up. We can�t let this one game dictate what happens in the next four.�
The Chargers take to the road next week at South Lenoir, while GC returns home to face North Lenoir for homecoming.


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As the mammoth storm churned in the Atlantic in the days leading up to Halloween as part hurricane, part Nor'easter, forecasters dubbed it "Frankenstorm."
The devastation it would wreak on some of the most densely populated places in the United States did away with the clever nickname. Now, millions of coastal residents in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut will remember 2012 as the year of Sandy.
Officially, Sandy made landfall near Atlantic City, N.J., as a Category 1 hurricane about 8 p.m. Oct. 29. It was downgraded to a tropical storm shortly thereafter, but the sustained 80 mph winds and powerful storm surge wiped away many of the iconic boardwalks lining the Jersey Shore. It destroyed coastal homes and knocked out power to more than 8.5 million people in 16 states and the District of Columbia.
The lights of Broadway -- indeed most of the lights in Manhattan -- went dark.
Staten Island and a coastal neighborhood in Queens -- the Rockaways -- were particularly hard-hit. The storm sparked a fire in another Queens neighborhood that laid waste to more than 100 homes.
In all, Sandy was blamed for 132 fatalities in the United States. Sandy was a killer storm well before then, however. As it passed through the Caribbean, 60 lives were lost.
The federal government estimates Sandy caused $71 billion in total damage.
The storm played a role in the nation's impending election. President Barack Obama, then locked in a tight race with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, earned political points in the storm's immediate aftermath, canceling campaign events in battleground states first to manage the federal response in Washington, and later to make a much-talked-about tour of the Garden State with top Romney ally, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
Christie heaped praise on Obama's handling of the storm at the same, calling his leadership "outstanding" and the two were photographed and recorded at multiple stops shaking hands, hugging and trading compliments as they met with storm victims and the press -- a stark difference from the rhetorical bombs Christie had been lobbing at Obama just days before.
"It's been a great working relationship," Christie said. "I cannot thank the president enough for his personal concern and compassion for our state."
When asked by Fox News about the storm's bipartisan aftermath and whether he would embark on a similar tour with Romney, Christie responded tersely: "I have no idea. Nor am I the least bit concerned or interested."
In the weeks after the storm, both Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo have lobbied lawmakers in Washington to authorize billions in recovery aide from the Federal Emergency Management System.
The New York Times said Obama plans to ask Congress to authorize $50 billion in aid for affected states though that amount is far less than what Cuomo and Christie had sought for each of their states alone. The Obama administration has not confirmed that amount.
Cuomo has said New York needs $50 billion alone to make repairs. In total, officials in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have asked for $82 billion.
"While $50 billion is a significant amount of money, it unfortunately does not meet all of New York and New Jersey's substantial needs," Sens. Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand of New York and Frank R. Lautenberg and Robert Menendez of New Jersey, all Democrats, said in a joint statement released Dec. 5.
"The administration is working closely with our partners in the states and in Congress and is in the process of developing a request for a supplemental" spending plan, Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said. "But that process has not been completed and it would be premature to speculate on a specific number or even on a numerical range."


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Discover the many good reasons for having animals in your life.
"Until a person has loved an animal a part of the soul remains unawakened." ~Anatole France
People who love animals know that there are many very good reasons to have animals in your life.
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Combinations of new and existing technology have changed the face of predictive maintenance.
For more than a decade, predictive maintenance (PdM) has enabled facilities technicians to identify and solve problems before they have a chance to damage equipment. Yet financial woes caused by the recent economic decline have taken less than a year to have a markedly negative effect on the discipline. Operations workers are under pressure to maximize profit in every way, leading to cramped equipment rooms, insufficient maintenance downtime, and inadequate infrastructure. These budgetary constraints have also helped to create an odd mix of overloaded equipment, lightly loaded equipment, and complicated switching.
Compressed schedules are allowing Code violations and workmanship problems to creep into new construction. Tight budgets sometimes preclude sound engineering, which usually precludes adequate testing. Increasingly, construction crews are supplied with inadequate training, tools, and documentation to conduct the required testing, all of which makes for a challenging maintenance environment. But new developments like improved test instruments, monitoring equipment, training, software, communications, and procedures can help.
Test instruments.
Advances in technology have made test instruments smaller and less expensive, placing a wider range of testing capabilities at a maintenance worker's disposal.
Today, rugged test equipment with selectable displays, easy-to-use scope functions, analysis, storage, and networking is readily available and affordable. This equipment goes beyond electrical properties to measure variables like temperature and vibration. Some of these devices store labeled profiles that include the settings you used in the past for tests on specific equipment. The instruments also make it easier to perform trending analysis.
As an example, under the old way of doing things, the current year's annual IR tests had no correlation to the previous year's IR tests — or any previous test. As long as a cable was in spec, it was considered OK. Although trending is equally important for preventing disasters and providing other benefits, spotting trends was difficult without easy methods for plotting data. No longer. Today, when your computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) issues a work order, it identifies the specific test, instrument, and settings to use for the piece of equipment in question. A technician performs the test with the same settings and procedure used the time before. After the test, the technician can download data to a system that aggregates data from previous tests and builds trend reports.
From the field, you can download directly to a laptop or PDA, or you can transmit wirelessly to a central unit. Wireless communications with a database allows for instant feedback and analysis against equipment history. Consider the following example. A technician calls up a trend report that demonstrates a slow deterioration of insulation resistance and a sudden, sharp turn upward. Perhaps an event like a voltage spike caused acute damage. This cable is destined to fail — even though it's in spec. So the technician identifies it with a tag and sends a work request to the central system. When the testing is complete, a coordinator views the work requests and schedules work orders for repairs during the next available window. It's the trend, not the raw measurement, that tells you what you need to know. Integration with a CMMS and other software systems allows you to tie information together from all of your communications-enabled test equipment.
If you can conduct a manual test like voltage measurement, the predictive portion of the job is what you do with the test results. And that's usually a matter of using predictive software or some other means of converting raw data to visibly obvious trends. This brings us to another facet of PdM — automatic monitoring and testing.
Monitoring equipment.
Just because you have the right test equipment, that doesn't mean you don't need monitors or vice-versa. Test equipment and monitoring devices serve different functions.
Consider batteries. Battery testing requires special training, entails special hazards, and generates costs not involved in other testing. As a result, most facilities limit costs by using longer battery testing intervals. In lieu of battery tests that could be spaced too far apart to catch problems in time, a battery monitor identifies possible problems — you can then perform manual tests to determine how best to preserve uptime. Similarly, a power monitor at a panel — be it the service entrance or the distribution for specific equipment — eliminates the need for a balancing act between testing frequency and downtime risk.
The same advances in test equipment have had a pronounced effect on the functionalities of monitoring equipment. From intelligent breakers to powerful panel meters, several choices in monitoring equipment exist for spotting nearly any problem before it occurs. Imagine having a protective relay that tells you the degree of contact erosion so you can schedule maintenance before a failure occurs. These capabilities exist today.
Communications tools and procedures.
PDAs, networks, wireless computers, and cell phones have all changed the face of PdM. (See "Remote Power Monitoring and Control" on page 16 of this issue for the latest in remote maintenance monitoring.) Communications tools enable you to do more than monitor from a distance. Thanks to all the data collection, trending, and analysis, equipment vendors have tremendous knowledge of how equipment actually performs — and fails — in the field.
Consequently, maintenance workers have changed their ideas of what constitutes effective maintenance. It's evident now that some of the time-honored practices were wrong and others aren't performed nearly enough. Debates used to rage about whether it made sense to retorque fasteners as part of PdM. Mechanical engineers said no, due to the risk of stretching the fastener beyond its elastic limits. Maintenance engineers said yes, because things vibrate loose. Analysis of industry data shows the mechanical engineers were right. Today's accurate, easy-to-use infrared thermometers allow you to identify loose fasteners and focus on only those that need immediate attention.
Just because the economy may not allow for it, predictive maintenance isn't an investment you can do without. Thanks to technological advances that have made test instruments smaller and more affordable, protecting your facility against failures and downtime is much more feasible. Not only will you be protecting your equipment, but you'll also be protecting your bottom line — and that's the best investment you can make.
Photo courtesy of Staco Electric.


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WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- An egg tycoon whose business has been linked to the U.S. salmonella outbreak told a congressional panel Wednesday his family failed to adapt to growth.
Austin "Jack" DeCoster, testifying before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee, apologized for the illness caused by the spread of the infection, The New York Times reported. He said the business "got big quite a while before we stopped acting like it was small."
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More than 500 million eggs produced by DeCoster's company, Wright County Eggs, and another Iowa company, Hallandale Farms, have been recalled. More than 1,500 people have been reported ill with salmonella traced to contaminated eggs.
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DeCoster acknowledged his company has tangled with federal regulators many times. U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said his companies have had "run-in after run-in."
"Yet they continue to raise chickens in slovenly conditions and to make millions of dollars by selling contaminated eggs," Waxman said.
Food and Drug Administration investigations following the recalls determined the egg producers' facilities were infested with flies, maggots and rodents, and had overflowing animal waste pits. Congressional investigators discovered records of tests at Wright County Egg barns indicating toxic salmonella bacteria had been present for years before the outbreak, the Times reported.
Two animal rights activists were removed from the hearing room after brandishing banners that said "All eggs kill!"
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., criticized Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., for holding up a vote on food safety legislation.
"This is a public health imperative," Markey said. "There must be some exceptions for Republicans in the Senate. They must release this bill so that we can protect millions of families."
Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, denied Coburn was preventing Senate consideration of the bill, the Times said.


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Located in downtown Osage, Arkansas - Osage Clayworks is in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, close to Eureka Springs, AR and the famous Branson, Missouri. You won't want to miss it if you are in the area.
Welcome to Osage Clayworks, where you can find handmade pottery in a neat old building.
Lale has been a potter for almost 30 years. Each piece of pottery is handmade
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Our pottery is handmade and fired right here in the store. We use good quality clay to ensure that our pottery is sturdy and durable.
Clayworks was formerly
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Comicraft was founded by Richard Starkings and John Roshell in 1992, and together they are credited with pioneering digital lettering in the comic book industry.
Today, Comicraft's lettering methods and processes are now the widely accepted industry standard. The Comicraft studio's clients include DARK HORSE COMICS, DC COMICS, MARVEL COMICS, IMAGE COMICS, MAD MAGAZINE, NICKELODEON, GRAPHITTI DESIGNS/VIEW ASKEW, SCHOLASTIC and TODD McFARLANE PRODUCTIONS and their lettering and design work over the last fifteen years has earned them over a dozen comic book industry awards including the much coveted Eisner.
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