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We encourage competition in areas where this can make a positive difference for customers. We allow companies to develop and operate small, local electricity networks and encourage companies to compete to connect new customers to the networks. This should mean that customers connecting to the network get fairer prices and better service.
The small, local networks are owned and operated by Independent Distribution Network Operators (IDNOs). The Electricity Distribution Network Operators (DNOs), IDNOs and Independent Connection Providers (ICPs) can all provide connection services.


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For weeks and weeks I've been internet-quiet, amidst lots of beautiful things. So now I have to get this out of the way. Which by no means means I didn't love every last second of the moments featured herein, but the past few weeks really contained an inordinate amount of moments.
[Forewarning: This is a lot of photos.
If you are sensitive to overwhelm, please think about viewing this post in installments.]
. . . first of all, Green Gulch.
A Zen temple and farm near Muir Beach where I spent two really meaningful weeks,
two years ago, and a recent afternoon as well.
Home to lots of wooden rooms and statues, the above hellebore, a living cutting from the Bodhi tree, very very good bread, a rich library, and copious amounts of mist.
Then there's Big Sur.
Mythic land of Kerouac, Henry Miller, the Beatles's,
even more really good bread, cliffs & redwoods,
and Esalen, amongst other things.
Esalen is a resort/spiritual/education center, a farm, and the home of the most beautiful hot springs I've ever encountered. (No clothes = no documentation, sorry.)
We volunteered on the farm in exchange for three phenomenal meals,
a walk through a burnt redwood forest, a long soak in the hot springs (during which we sighted grey whales spouting, a whole bunch of playful seals, and a breathtaking sunset) and an hour of meditation, with the sound of the waves crashing in the darkness outside.
Highway 1 passes over the forest trail.
Best friends-in-love.
I spent a bunch of time in the woods with my friends,
and we each worked on the things that feed us:
reading, talking, tending fire, feeding each another, building shelves, looking at moss,
playing with ash,
. . . but not a lot of it wanted to be documented.
I spent ten minutes trying to photograph this damn beautiful branch,
and this was the best I got.
It's incredibly dry in California this season, though it rained on us a lot.
Dry lake beds, brown hills.
Send your liquid thoughts there, okay?
And then I checked out some of San Francisco,
but really only a corner.
The corner where Flora Grubb lives.
I don't think I have to tell you how much this place inspired me.
I've never had a 30-year-plan, but I think I might right now.
I got on a plane, I flew to Portland. Fingers of mist wrapped around San Francisco.
I saw old friends, all doing things they love. One works at the amazing Zenger Farm.
Another grows a magical beard.
I didn't take many pictures of Portland; I was too busy feeling its bittersweet mopeyness,
riding its buses, drinking its coffee, and eating its hipsterized duck egg sandwiches.
It's so beautiful to see faraway friends and to know that we're all doing the best we can at being adults, making meaning, working hard, etc. etc..
While I was out there, it was mostly snowing here. And yet, just like the post office, my friend Caroline made the final touches and ensured the delivery of all of our Full Moon Valentines.
I can't thank her enough.
If you made it this far, thank you.
I love you guys a lot.

subset: commoncrawl


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La Paz / Mohave Counties
Colorado River Dams
Along the Colorado River, there are many dams that are necessary for civilization in the desert. They also provide a variety of recreational activities. In this article, we are going to go over the dams along the Colorado River in Arizona and the history behind them.
First up is Glen Canyon Dam. Glen Canyon Dam is the second largest dam along the Colorado River and lies in Page, Arizona. Its main purpose includes generating electricity and providing desert cities with water, as with all the other dams. Glen Canyon Dam is part of the Colorado River Storage Project for the Upper Colorado Basin. "The project furnishes the long-time regulatory storage needed to permit the states in the upper basin to meet their flow obligation at Lee's Ferry, Arizona, (as defined in the Colorado River Compact) and still use their apportioned water," says the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the operator of the dam. Construction began in 1956 by Merritt-Chapman & Scott, the industrial conglomerate. The dam began blocking the flow of the Colorado River in 1963 but was not dedicated until 1966. In 1980, 17 years later, Glen Canyon Dam finally blocked the river enough for Lake Powell to reach its maximum height. Lake Powell is the largest reservoir in the United States.
Glen Canyon dam generates about 451 megawatts of electricity. This contributes to about 6% of the total energy import for Arizona. Utah is given 16% of its total energy from the dam. The dam has the potential to generate 1300 megawatts of electricity but it does not. Glen Canyon dam saves over 5 million tons of carbon dioxide a year. The dam is 720 feet tall and is 1560 feet long. Many states, including California, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico get about 8.3 million acre-feet of water every year from the dam. Around 85% of the water passed through the dam/lake is used in irrigation projects; the rest is diverted to urban areas.
Next up is Hoover Dam, which is located 30 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Once called Boulder Dam, Hoover Dam lies in the Black Canyon section of the Colorado River. Hoover was once the world's largest hydroelectric power generating station and the largest concrete structure, but was passed by the Grand Coulee Dam and is the 38th largest hydroelectric generating station.
Construction began on March 11, 1931 by Six Companies, Inc. As they poured the concrete in sections, they realized that due to a chemical reaction in the concrete, it was necessary to circulate cold water through to solidify it. If they did not do this, they estimated it would take 125 years to solidify. To help with this massive cooling process, Union Carbide Corporation was hired. Boulder City was built as a camp for workers. To this day, gambling is still not allowed, just as it was during construction. 96 people died during the construction of Hoover dam and 42 other deaths can be attributed to pneumonia from working in tunnels. Finally, in 1936, the dam was completed. A year earlier, on September 30, 1935, the dam was dedicated to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Hoover dam was completed about 2 years ahead of schedule. Operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the dam is 726 feet high, 1244 feet long, and cost $49 million. Water flowing from Lake Mead reaches the generators at a speed of 85 miles an hour. Arizona receives about 18% of the dams yearly output of 2080 megawatts.
Forty-five miles downstream of Hoover Dam along the Colorado River, sits Davis Dam. Davis dam is unlike the other dams along the river. It is an earth zone dam with a concrete spillway. Its main purpose is to re-regulate water coming from Hoover and going down the river. The dam was originally called Bullhead Dam for the nearby Bullhead City, but the name was changed to Davis dam, after Arthur Powell Davis, the director of the Bureau of Reclamation. They have owned the dam since it opened in 1951. The dam has a capacity of 251 megawatts and generates 1 to 2 terawatts of electricity annually. Davis dam is 200 feet high and 1,600 feet long.
Parker Dam, the last dam in this article, is 110 miles downstream from Davis Dam. Lake Havasu has the capacity of about 647,000 acre-feet of water, or the equivalent of 210 billion gallons. Lake Havasu is over 45 miles long! Parker Dam is the deepest dam in the world. It is 320 feet high and 235 feet are below the bedrock of the river. The dam was built from 1934-1938 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, who owns the dam. Parker Dam has 4 generators with the capacity of 120 megawatts. However, the generation of power is limited by a requirement to keep the lake levels between 440 to 450 feet for recreational purposes. Lake Havasu is very important to the water supply to Phoenix. Located at Lake Havasu is the CAP (Central Arizona Project) pump. This is the initial source of CAP water. Water is pumped through the Buckskin Mountains and then carried via aqueducts into Phoenix.
"Glen Canyon Dam." Wikipedia. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glen_Canyon_Dam>.
"Hoover Dam." Wikipedia. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam>.
"Davis Dam." Wikipedia. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis_Dam>.
"Parker Dam." Wikipedia. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Dam>.
Glen Canyon Dam photo from a family collection


text: Faith in Throughcare works in local communities in some of the most challenged areas of Scotland. We recruit and train volunteers from all walks of life to mentor someone returning to their community after a short prison sentence. We are currently active in North Glasgow, Greenock/ Port Glasgow and Kilmarnock.


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Metro Safety System Failure Undisclosed Before June Crash
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The crash-avoidance system suspected of failing in the recent deadly accident on Metro's Red Line malfunctioned three months earlier, when a rush-hour train on Capitol Hill came "dangerously close" to another train and halted only after the operator hit the emergency brake, newly obtained records show.
At the time of the March 2 incident, the train operator and control-center supervisors did not know that anything serious was wrong, the records indicate. The operator applied the brake because he realized that the train was not slowing fast enough and would overrun the station platform, a fairly common occurrence. About a week later, while reviewing computer logs, officials determined that there was a problem with the Automatic Train Protection system and that the train had stopped just 500 feet behind another.
Despite repeated promises of greater openness about safety, Metro officials did not make public the near miss at the Potomac Avenue Station, and federal investigators said Metro did not tell them about it after the Red Line crash, which killed nine people and injured 80.
The National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the June 22 crash, learned of the March incident last week when notified by the little-known Tri-State Oversight Committee, said NTSB spokeswoman Bridget Serchak. Metro officials did not immediately respond to questions about why they did not notify the NTSB.
The Washington Post discovered the incident while reviewing documents obtained through a public records request filed with the oversight committee, which was created 12 years ago to monitor Metro.
In an April 29 letter to Metro's chief safety officer, committee chairman Eric Madison asked Metro to conduct an investigation and submit a report about the Potomac Avenue incident, citing the "potentially catastrophic" nature of it. He said the train "violated a block," meaning it improperly shared a section of track with another train, and "came dangerously close to the leading train." Madison, a planner for the D.C. Transportation Department, wrote that it was only by "coincidence" that a Metro employee later noticed the incident in computer records.
Metro has yet to formally respond to the committee, which is empowered to oversee safety issues and make suggestions but cannot direct Metro to take action.
Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said Friday that although both incidents might have involved the failure of the protection system, they appear linked to different components and so would be unconnected.
"If a part goes down on the car, it's not necessarily related to the part that's on the track," said Farbstein, who described the March and June incidents as "very, very different."
Farbstein said the March incident, which took place at 4 p.m. on a Monday as a train on the Orange Line headed toward Vienna, was caused by a single failed relay on a subway car that has been fixed. The car was a 1000 series model, the same kind of car on the striking train in the June crash. The June crash is suspected of being caused by a faulty track circuit. Either problem could lead to a temporary failure of the Automatic Train Protection, a fail-safe system that monitors train locations and is supposed to automatically stop a train if it senses it is too close to another.
Farbstein said that because the car component was flawed, the six-car train at Potomac Avenue did not receive a stop command.
"The train operator did use the [emergency brake] when he realized he wasn't slowing down," she said. The train overshot the platform by about 75 feet, the length of a rail car, and halted about 500 feet from the train in front of it, she said. No one was injured, and the train was taken out of service.


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Part 3: Top 8 Things You Can Do and Say to Help Your Child Combat Negative Body Image Influences/
Part 3: Top 8 Things You Can Do and Say to Help Your Child Combat Negative Body Image Influences
You Have the Power
The roots of body image issues grow far deeper than just "looks". Sure, we all have to look in the mirror and we all have to live with the person staring back at us but that mirror image of our outside is only part of the equation. How we feel about ourselves on the inside determines how susceptible we will be to negative influences on the outside.
We all have the power to grow children who are strong and confident on the inside; children who do not define their self worth based on looks. This internal strength, confidence, and belief in themselves is what will save our children when faced with the forces of negative body image influence. Let's teach our children that they are strong, they are smart, they are beautiful, and they can be anything they want to be.
Growing Strong and Confident Children
1. Tell them they are perfectly made on the inside and out.
Don't base your compliments on their clothes, shoes, makeup or hair - those are not what make them beautiful. When I was growing up my Grandfather on my Dad's side would offer compliments such as this, "Wow, YOU sure make that dress look nice!". I love this and I use it with my children.
2. Tell them you are proud of them. I have very fond memories of my Mom and Dad telling me ALL THE TIME that they were proud of me. When I was younger I didn't really understand what that meant but now that I have my own children I get it. We are proud of our children simply because they are who they are. We are proud of their little personalities that are just theirs and make up who they are. Of course we have moments when our children excel and we are full of praise for them but don't wait for those moments. Tell them NOW that you are proud of them simply because they are who they are.
3. Be their cheerleader. My Mom always told me "You can do anything you set your mind to.". Guess what? I believed her. There has never come a day when I have wanted to do something but didn't out of fear of failing or not knowing how to do it. If I want to do something I figure out how to do it and I do it damn it! It never even occurs to me that I won't be able to do something simply because I don't know how or because I can't. I know that I can do anything - Because my Moma said I can :->
4. Tell them they are smart. My Grandfather on my Mother's side always encouraged me to do well in school and further my education beyond high school. He is a large part of why I went to college and graduated. I have two sisters who are younger than me. I finished college while they were still in high school. When my Grandfather would introduce us he would put his arms around all three of us and say, "These are my pretty Granddaughters". Then he would put his arm around just me and say, "And this is my pretty and smart Granddaughter."! (Big smile on my face as I recall this). I think my sisters went to college just so our Grandfather would call all 3 of us "pretty and smart". HA!
5. Encourage their individuality. Find pieces of their personality that are unique to them and that you can praise. My Dad always told me I was a leader. He could have told me instead that I was a stubborn kid who refused to play by the rules but instead made them up as I went (because I definitely was)! Simply because my Dad told me I was a leader I have always believed that I am. I typically take the road less traveled. I don't look to others to define who I am or what I want to be. Thank you Pops!
6. Let them express themselves. When your child shows an interest in something that is of little or no importance to you don't blow it off! Encourage their ideas and thoughts. Encourage them to believe in themselves. Teach them that if they can dream it they can do it! Don't try to mold them into a miniature you - that's not who they are! Even something as simple as letting them pick out their own clothes can go a long way in building confidence in themselves. Let them wear a Cinderella dress to the supermarket. Who cares!
7. Play this really cheesy confidence building game. I tried this with my children and a few of their friends recently and it was a huge success! Put everyone in a circle and then say one nice thing about each person in the circle. When you are finished let the person next to you do the same until everyone has had a turn. When you are finished everyone in the room with have a huge smile on their face. Each person will have just heard multiple compliments on themselves. A side bonus I noticed was that the children all played very well together after this exercise. The energy in the room was absolutely positive. I even noticed the children playing up the compliments they had been given. For example, one child was told that she is very polite. I noticed as she was playing she took every opportunity to say please and thank you. Each child was in a good mood because their confidence had just been boosted.
8. And yes, tell them they are beautiful.Everyone needs to hear it! When my cousin, Erika, was only a couple of years old I told her she was pretty. She replied, "I know". I asked her, "How do you know?". Her response was "Because my Moma told me I am pretty." Wow! What a statement! It's amazing how much children absorb. They absolutely adore their parents and believe every word they say. Tell them they are pretty, tell them they are beautiful, tell them they are kind, tell them they are smart. They will believe you and they will believe in themselves because of it!
The World is Not All Butterflies and Rainbows
Choose your words to your children carefully. They admire you and they hang on every word you say. I am not saying that you should teach your children that the world is all butterflies and rainbows. Of course not. However, your children will each be dealt their fair share of rejection and hurtful comments from the world so don't add to it. The words you speak to your children are ingrained in their mind. They believe what you say. If you tear them down, well, they'll be torn down and broken. If you build them up then at least they will stand a chance when this nasty world gets its hands on them.
Read more posts in this series:
Part 1: As Early as
Age 9. Help Your Child Combat Negative
Body Image Influences?
Part 2: Change the Voices in Your Head. Help
Your Child Combat Negative Body Image Influences?


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An East Meadow man was arrested for allegedly selling heroin to two Oceanside residents and a Plainview resident who died of overdoses.
According to the Nassau County Police Department, Alan Sadowsky was arrested on Jan. 26 after being directly linked to the sale of heroin that led to the overdose deaths of two Oceanside residents on Jan. 26. He was also linked to the sale of heroin that resulted in a Plainview resident's death on Oct. 4, 2018.
After a lengthy investigation, NCPD detectives were led to the Extended Stay Hotel, on South Oyster Bay Road in Bethpage, and arrested Sadowsky, who was in possession of 228 bags of heroin, 10 grams of cocaine and other drug paraphernalia and pills, including methadone and Xanax.
Sadowsky was charged with two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree sale of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was arraigned in First District Court, in Hempstead, on Jan. 28.


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A small firm, but owned and staffed by a committed group that utilize their diverse strengths and backgrounds to bring innovation and dedication to every project.
Kash is Owner and Principal at K. Boodjeh Architects, and has been practicing as a Licensed Architect in California since 1989. Kash designs with a passion; he works to find the solution that articulates the project's essence. His work includes a wide variety of project types and sizes including office, institutional, commercial, single and multi-family residential in the counties of Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino, Sonoma, San Francisco, Del Norte and San Diego.
Kash received a Bachelor of Architecture and Bachelor of Science in Architecture from Kent State University. He has also received a Green Building Professional Certificate from Sonoma State University, and completed Assisted Living / Dementia: Design for the Frail and Elderly and for People with AIDS or Alzheimer's at Harvard University. Bronze Medal "Outstanding Achievement in Architecture," Tau Sigma Delta. 1983. Pi Mu Epsilon, Mathematics' Honor Society. 1981.
valerie allen
Valerie Allen is passionate about sustainability and attention to context and landscape in the design of the built environment. Her interest in design has been influenced by travel and study in Europe and Latin America, work and study in the area of historic preservation and adaptive reuse, and participation in permaculture projects and communities.
Valerie received her bachelor's degree in Architecture and minor in art history with honors from the University of Oklahoma in Norman in May 2006. She became a Licensed Architect in 2016 and is a LEED Accredited Professional.
Peter Oliver is currently studying at Humboldt State University and works at KBA part time. He grew up in Humboldt County and is interested in contributing to the development of the area.