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Financial Assistance Grants to benefit WA councils
Media Release
18 August 2015
Local Governments across Western Australia will receive $280.1 million from the Australian Government to support local projects and services as part of the Coalition's $2.3 billion local government Financial Assistance Grant programme for 2015–16.
This distribution includes $141.0 million already paid to Western Australia to ensure councils had early access to their grants to support local priorities.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Warren Truss said that the $280.1 million comes with no strings attached—meaning councils are free to spend their allocation according to local priorities, be it for infrastructure, health, recreation, environment or employment projects.
"The first quarterly payment under the Financial Assistance Grant programme for 2015–16 of $34.8 million was made to the Western Australian Government yesterday and councils can expect to receive their funding shortly," Mr Truss said.
"This vital cash injection to meet local needs is in addition to the Government's $3.2 billion Roads to Recovery programme, $1.45 billion more than the previous government provided under their programme.
"We have also ensured the extra Roads to Recovery money will be distributed to councils with no requirement for them to match the extra money. We have also made the programme permanent—something Labor failed to do when they were in Government.
"Round Two of the federal Coalition Government's $300 million Bridges Renewal Programme will be available exclusively to local government. This Round of up to $100 million will be provided for the repair and replacement of local bridges to deliver better transport links for their communities and industries.
"Applications for Round Two close on 31 August.
"The Government has also committed $200 million under the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Programme, providing funding for important local infrastructure over five years from 2014–15."
Mr Truss said an additional $200 million has been committed by the Australian Government over the next two years under the Black Spot Programme to further reduce crashes on Australian roads.
"The Coalition Government is committed to ensuring local councils and the communities they serve get the funding they need to deliver the infrastructure and services of the 21st century," Mr Truss said.
"Over the four-years of the Financial Assistance Grant programme (2015–16—2018–19), the Coalition has committed $9.45 billion to local governments to deliver services and build community infrastructure."
Details of the allocations to councils under the Financial Assistance Grant programme are available online at: www.regional.gov.au/local/assistance/index.aspx


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YP3040 Pan-Tilt Motor
Operator-controlled field of view adjustment
- Pan-tilt functionality for fixed cameras
- Operator-controlled movement
- IP66-rated protection
- For column and wall mounting
- Easy installation
Cost-effective solution
YP3040 Pan-Tilt Motor is an optional accessory for Axis fixed network cameras with support for positioning unit. It is ideal for use where a cost-effective solution for fine adjustments to a camera's field of view is needed.
The camera is connected directly to the positioning unit and can be panned and tilted easily by an operator. Be aware that YP3040 does not support preset positions.
Easy installation
YP3040 Pan-Tilt Motor can be used both indoors and outdoors. The positioning unit is recommended for column mounting and can also be installed on a wall with an optional YP3040 Wall Bracket . The recommended power supply is Mains adaptor PS-24.

subset: commoncrawl


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By APRIL WRIGHT, Staff
and Landmark News Service
RICHMOND — Yielding to protests from localities, the Virginia House of Delegates on Tuesday defeated an effort to restrict local taxing power.
While Food Lion is closing more than 100 stores, the location in Hillsville is not one of them.
The local grocery is not on Food Lion's list of underperforming stores set to close in the next 30 days.
In Virginia, Food Lion stores in Roanoke and Radford will close, according to Delhaize, the Belgian supermarket chain that operates the Food Lion brand. Though nearby Mount Airy, N.C., has four Food Lions, none are on the chopping block.
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) has approved a request by Appalachian Power Company to recover $26.1 million in costs associated with the acquisition and operation of the Dresden Generating Plant in Ohio.
The rate adjustment, added as a rate rider allowed by Virginia law, will become effective for service rendered on or after March 1, according to an APCo press release. The new charge will increase the monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity by approximately $2.08.
HILLSVILLE — Carroll County has come up short in its two-year effort to lure a prospective new employer associated with a possible 150 jobs.
County Administrator Gary Larrowe said in a news release that the economic development prospect will not be moving jobs to Carroll, and instead will hire a second shift at a present location that will use refugees from Burma.
Copyright © 2019
The Galax Gazette is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Galax, Grayson, Carroll, and surrounding areas.


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BASKETBALL: Kenton upends Wapak
KENTON — The Wapakoneta Redskins started strong and nearly finished strong.
But they hit a wall in the second quarter and never fully recovered, suffering a 54-46 defeat at the hands of the Kenton Wildcats in a Western Buckeye League varsity boys basketball game Friday night at Kenton High School.
Wapak scored just two points in the second quarter on a Travis Bertram jumper at the 4:53 mark.
Meanwhile, the Wildcats went on a 10-0 run the final three minutes of the quarter to take a 22-14 lead at the half.
"It was frustrating because we came out with such a hot start and then we just, we didn't make shots," Wapak coach Matt Bradley said. "We had not a whole lot of possessions in the second quarter, and we gave up offensive rebounds, which even lowered the number of possessions.
"You've got to score more than two points in a quarter if you want to win a game."
Kenton led 38-26 early in the fourth quarter when the Redskins made their run.
Junior Jake Buzzard drained a long 3-pointer. Then junior Alex Greve stole the ball in the backcourt and flipped it to senior Andy Faller, who knocked down a three from the right wing.
In a span of 11 seconds, the Redskins had cut the lead in half.
Wapak got the ball back and senior Kaleb Vondenhuevel scored on a pick and roll to cut it to 38-34 with 6:06 to play.
"When a team gets backed up against the wall, they're going to make some plays," Kenton coach Terry Rowe said. "We figured they were going to do that. ..... Things got interesting there."
After a back-and-forth exchange, Kenton's Maty Mauk scored eight points in a two-minute span, sinking a pair of long-range 3-pointers to give the Wildcats a 50-42 lead with 1:25 remaining.
Wapak got no closer than six in the final moments.
"We were able to make enough plays down the stretch to win the game," Rowe said.
Mauk finished with half (27) of Kenton's 54 points. He connected on six 3-pointers and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds.
"Hat's off to them for finding Maty Mauk," Bradley said. "And he made shots.
"The scouting report is when he steps across half court, he's open. And we didn't do a good job of finding where he was and he hit big shots."
Bertram had a big game for Wapak, matching Mauk's 27 points. He scored 10 of the Redskins' 12 first-quarter points.
Vondenhuevel added eight points for Wapak and grabbed a team-high sox boards.
Kenton outrebounded the Redskins 28-21.
Wapak finished its regular season 7-13 overall and 3-6 in league play. Kenton is 5-13 and 1-8 in WBL play.
In the junior varsity game, Kenton held off a late Redskins' charge by shooting 11 of 14 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter for a 67-57 win.
Freshman Kodi Morgan scored 13 points with three 3-pointers for Wapak. Sophomore Zach Schmerge added nine points.


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OMAK One hopeful marijuana retailer has pre-emptively sued the city of Wenatchee over its business license laws, but Omak plans to remain steadfast in defending a similar ordinance should anyone take legal action.
SMP Retail, which could receive a state business license to open a shop at 1510 N. Wenatchee Ave. in Wenatchee, filed a lawsuit last week in Chelan County Superior Court.
Only one proposed retailer in Omak – The Sage Shop, 903 Engh Road No. C – has qualified to go through the last phase of the state licensing process. The company filed for a city business license Friday.
"We're going to respond in a careful and measured way, and I don't know what that is," City Administrator Ralph Malone said.
The city has maintained it will not change its existing code, which states it cannot issue business licenses to any company whose operations are illegal under local, state or federal law.
"Is there the possibility that somebody could take us to court? Well, certainly," Malone said. "I can't predict what will happen."
"I do know that we will adhere to what our ordinance says, and then I guess if we get challenged in court the question might be, would the court invalidate our ordinance? It's been in place for decades, so it isn't like we ran out and passed a new law to discriminate against a business that would otherwise be legal in Washington."
The Sage Shop owner has asked that her identity be withheld for now, since she doesn't yet have her state license. The state estimates it will begin issuing licenses in early July.
"It's exciting, but at the same time I know there's a lot more hoops to go through," she said. "I think it could potentially bring a lot of benefits to the community, and that is definitely my vision with it. I'm a mom and a health care practitioner… and I just feel that if I have the opportunity to influence how it's going to be handled in the community, I want to do it in the most positive way."
Malone said the city is firm in its stance.
Regarding the Obama administration's decision that it will not actively seek to prosecute marijuana businesses in Washington and Colorado, Malone said, "A discretionary failure to act doesn't undo what the law says."
Several other municipalities share a similar view, including Brewster and Bridgeport, while towns such as Winthrop have been working on adjusting their codes to fit the new state law.
The Winthrop Town Council approved a zoning ordinance amendment last week that would allow marijuana retailers to set up shop in the downtown and highway-area commercial districts.
Business owners could also obtain conditional use permits to operate in an industrial zone.
The decision falls in favor of resident Austin Lott, who plans to open a shop at 29 Horizon Flats Road Suite 7 if he receives a state license. That area is within the industrial zone.
The town Planning Commission and zoning administrator determined earlier this year that Lott's proposal was not an approved use for the industrial zone, and the Town Council denied Lott's appeal.
However, a public hearing last month drew feedback from several residents, the majority of whom were in favor of allowing marijuana businesses.
The other applicant proceeding through the state licensing process, Hamsterdam LLC, hopes to open a shop at 303 Riverside Ave. in the downtown commercial district.
The only other pre-qualified retail applicant in Okanogan County is located within the county at-large: 4USRetail, 23251 state Highway 20, Okanogan.
The state plans to grant licenses to a maximum of 334 hopeful recreational marijuana retailers across the state. Locally, that breaks down to five stores in Okanogan County, with one earmarked for Omak; three for Douglas County, with one shop in East Wenatchee; one for Ferry County at-large, and seven in Grant County, with one shop each to be located in Ephrata and Quincy and two shops for Moses Lake.
Companies in Grant County selected for further screening are Brandy's Antiques, 226 Coulee Blvd. in Electric City; Rainbow Purple, 7835 state Highway 283 in Ephrata, and High Time Station, 1448 Basin St. N.W. in Ephrata.
Rainbow Purple is within Grant County at-large.
Six applicants were selected in Douglas County at-large. In order, they are Chronics in Rock Island; The Lid, 826 state Highway 173 Suite B in Brewster; Columbia Herbal in Waterville; The Roach in East Wenatchee; Green to Go in Wenatchee, and Holistic Healing Alternatives in Waterville.
Three applicants are listed for consideration in East Wenatchee: The Happy Crop Shoppe, Canabis Rock Island Road and Good Times Hemp.
In Ferry County, all three applicants have made it to the next round. They are Secret Herb Shop in Boyds; Mountain View Herbal, 4 Mid Mountain Road in Republic, and Weyzer Bud, 5 E. July St. in Danville.
About 55 percent of voters across the state supported Initiative 502 in 2012, which legalizes possession of recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. Amounts are limited to one ounce of marijuana, 16 ounces in solid form or 72 ounces in liquid form.
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2009-12-30 / Opinion
Railing against indifference, and hoping for a kinder 2010
Have you ever experienced Déjà vu? As I look back on 2009, I recall having one of those moments. I, like many Long Islanders, have the regular, boring commuter persona that resides only in the steel gray cars of the Long Island Railroad. We enter the train, quickly claim our seats and then raise our invisible walls.
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Venera 10
Goals: Like its twin, Venera 9, the Venera 10 mission called for an orbiter and a lander to explore Venus. The orbiter was to act as a communications relay and study Venus from above while the lander descended via parachute to study and photograph the planet's surface.
Accomplishments: Venera 10 arrived at Venus three days after its twin. Though 2,200 km (1,367 miles) closer to the equator than Venera 9, the Venera 10 lander measured a temperature only 5 degrees C (9 degrees F) hotter. Atmospheric pressure at the surface was found to be 92 times that of Earth at sea level. As in the Venera 9 mission, the orbiter served as a communications relay for the lander while imaging the atmosphere in ultraviolet light and conducting other experiments. The lander transmitted data for a then record 65 minutes, including a panoramic picture of Venus' surface. Gamma ray readings suggested a basaltic surface in agreement with measurements by Venera 9, though the landscape appeared to be older than that of Venera 9's landing site.


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Matt Larkin one of our Seahawks beat guys tells us the Seattle Seahawks announced several roster moves yesterday afternoon. Perhaps the most noticeable is they claimed Denver Broncos reserve kicker Steven Hauschka. Jeff Reed couldn't kick it into the endzone! Nuff said!
Whooops I Did It Again!? Seahawks Add/Drop 4 More!
September 5, 2011 By


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CRESTVIEW � Following a drenching weekend, sunny skies have welcomed Gators, Bullpups, Panthers, Hoboes, Owls, Eagles, Aviators, Cougars, Mustangs and Bulldogs back to their halls of academia.
CRESTVIEW � Following a drenching weekend, sunny skies have welcomed Gators, Bullpups, Panthers, Hoboes, Owls, Eagles, Aviators, Cougars, Mustangs and Bulldogs back to their halls of academia.
For the first day of school photo gallery, click here>>
Teachers and staff waited in hallways and walkways on Monday to guide returning and new north Okaloosa students to their classrooms, and lend an occasional hand.
At Bob Sikes Elementary School, music teacher Gayle Vickers helped fourth-grader Tatem Enders find the right walkway to her classroom.
"It's going real smoothly," Vickers said. "It's because parents showed up at orientation and know where to take their children."
Lewis and Emma Prewitt stopped for a moment as they entered Riverside Elementary School so their parents could snap their photo in front of the school's sign.
"I'm the kindergartner and she's the second grader," Lewis explained matter-of-factly.
�Amazing� staffs
Walker Elementary School Principal Jeanine Kirkland credited her staff for extraordinary efforts preparing the school for opening.
"We had teachers still here late last night doing the finishing touches," she said Monday morning. "Everybody's excited and ready to go."
Norah Martin, beginning her first day as an Owl third-grader, looked forward to working multiplication problems and participating in spelling bees, which, she said, are "great."
Riverside Principal Tammy Matz, one of several new area principals, credited her school's educators for assuring a smooth transition to her new position.
"I cannot tell you what an amazing staff this is," Matz said. "They have made this so easy."
At Baker School, a steady stream of moms, dads and guardians guided kindergartners through high-schoolers to their rooms.
"Parents are walking with their children to school,� Principal Thomas Shipp said. �It will be this way for at least the first couple of days.�
Some parents said they were more anxious than their children, who for the most part were excited to begin their new school year.
"It's exciting and (I'm) a little nervous," Tia Donahoo said while dropping her daughter, Nia, off at Antioch Elementary School for her first day of kindergarten.
"She is excited so I am fine with that," Donahoo said. "She has a friend in there so she is happy."
School zones
Crestview Police and school crossing guards reported minimal traffic problems apart from the usual slowing through school zones.
"They (moved) really well, especially for the first day of school,� crossing guard Carolyn Hulion, stationed at Crestview High School, said.
Police stopped several drivers who sped through school zones, community policing officer Sam Kimmons said.
"Our traffic unit was pulling them over," he said. "They were getting them one right after the other. Basically, it was people not paying attention. We get a lot of people from out of state who don't know it's a school zone."
"It takes about a week for them to get acclimated to the school zones again," crossing guard Dave Gansel said.
Gansel, who has halted traffic for crossing Bulldogs for seven years, said he was glad to see students again, many of whom paused to greet him.
"These high school kids are very polite," he said. "They say, 'Thank you' and 'Have a nice day.'"
News Bulletin staff writer Matthew Brown contributed to this story.
Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.


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Production of the Mustang started in Dearborn, Michigan on March 9, 1964 and the car was presented to the public on April 17, 1964 at the New york city World's Fair. It is Ford's third oldest nameplate presently in production. Original sales forecasts projected less than 100,000 units for the first year. This mark was gone beyond in three months from rollout. Another 318,000 would be sold during the model year (a record), and in its first eighteen months, more than one million Mustangs were developed. Looking for Mustangs for sale in Tavares FL is easy now. Just use the internet to search for them near you.
Classic Mustangs For Sale
All of these were VIN-identified as 1965 models, but a number of modifications were made at the standard opening of the brand-new design year (beginning August 1964), including the addition of back-up lights on some designs, the introduction of generators to replace generators, and an upgrade of the V8 engine from 260 cu into 289 cu in. In the case of at least some six-cylinder Mustangs fitted with the 101 hp 170 cu in Falcon engine, the rush into production included some uncommon peculiarities, such as a horn ring bearing the 'Ford Falcon' logo design underneath a trim ring emblazoned with 'Ford Mustang.' These attributes made enough difference to necessitate classification of the 121,538 earlier ones as "1964 1/2" model-year Mustangs, a difference that has sustained with perfectionists. Buy Classic Mustangs in Tavares FL and live the muscle car dream.
The 1973 OPEC oil embargo brought with it more stringent pollution laws and the desire for fuel-efficiency. This was also the very first time in automobile history that the Big 3 were needing to take on imports. The brand-new Mustang II was smaller than the very first version but, due to the additional devices required to fulfill brand-new US emission and security regulations, was much heavier than the very first design. Performance was lowered and in the very first year only 385,993 cars were sold. Second generation Mustangs were readily available between 1974 and 1978 and available in a coupe and hatchback variation. 1979 the Mustang was revamped a 3rd time. This time it was based on the larger Fox platform and the interior was really large enough for 4 individuals. The trunk was larger therefore was the engine bay. The body styles readily available included a coupe, hatchback and in 1983 a convertible. In 1979 the 3rd generation Mustang acted as an Indianapolis 500 rate vehicle and Ford constructed 10,478 commemorative reproductions. The 3rd generation Mustangs were produced from 1979 to 1982. Now has never been a better time to buy the Ford Mustang Of Your Dreams in Tavares FL with special collector financing available.
4th generation design was available from 1994 to 2004. 1994 Brought about the very first significant redesign for the Mustang in 15 years. Patrick Schiavone incorporated a number of styling from earlier Mustangs. The base model had a 3.8 OHV V6 engine from 1994 to 1998, and was mated to a conventional 5-speed manual transmission or optional 4-speed automated.


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S-1867 is going to a full vote on the floor of the Senate next week after passing a cloture procedure vote. This bill was passed by committee in secret behind closed doors without a public hearing. I can see why the secrecy. It is because because these men see the American streets as a battlefield because they see the people as the enemy now because we threatens their power. Why because these politicians have sold their soul and their country out for power. This bill is an act treason. I will dare say the word treason because these senators are traitors to our lives, our safety and security.
This bill also repeals the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878 that prohibits US Military to be deployed on the streets of America to be used as a police force. Now I know why the founders were so dead set against having a standing army. It is because of this reason the Army, can be used to oppress the American people. Abe Lincoln used the Union Army to arrest journalist, state legislators and even shut down the congress. Suspending the right of habeas corpus should be real frightening to everyone. To the governors, mayors, county sheriff, police officers. all local politicians and state legislators should really pay attention. They better find out really fast that none of them are safe if this bill becomes law. We can see Soldiers or Marines coming to arrest any local or state politicians that stands in the way.
This proposed legislation going to the Senate Floor for a full vote this week. If this Bill passes and signed into law will be icing on the cake for the tyrants to drop the hammer hard on the American people. Put together with President Bush's signing PD-51, the Military Commissions Act and the John Warner Defense Authorization Bill. It is a recipe for disaster ready to happen.This is the Patriot Act on steroids, so we must have this bill stopped in its tracks. We are going to have to start taking steps to remove entrenched politicians in the US Senate from office by all legal means possible. If they are not removed, they will keep trying until they get what they want. This bill is criminal, they are fighting words against the American people. These people in Washington want to hold onto power and have no interest in the people's best interest anymore. We are the ones who stand in the way.
What really should have every person's hair stand on the back of their neck is no one is safe. Not only will the Army, Marines and foreign troops be used to arrest dissidents. These powers could be expanded to even arrest Obama's useful idiots who supported this madness. In any tyranny, no one is safe. Not even the troops or the enforcers. This power could be used to remove people from their homes in rural areas and relocate them to the big cities under UN Agenda 21. Washington DC is now becoming unhinged because the people are waking up and if they do not try to send a chilling effect into the population. They all could be going to jail for treason and fraud.
The International banking cartel cannot implode this economy unless the population is controlled by force or by fraud. Since now the American people are looking past the puppets and seeing the real power who are the Banking establishment. They ruling class knows their time is short. This is not a move of over confidence by the goverment to oppress the population. This is desperation because the window of opportunity is closing on their New World Order. Even if this bill is passed. There will be resistance within the Military and among the several states to this new power to use the troops in this new capacity. I can see the some State Governors setting up state guards or recalling their national guard units to protect the people in the states from Federal power. This were we can see a lot of blow back not only from the people, but within the Military and the States too.
This should have every enlisted person to commissioned officer thinking twice about following orders arresting American citizens. Why because once their enlistment term ends or an officer leaves his post and no longer accepts another commission. They are now veterans, under Homeland Security reports. They have become possible enemies of the state or domestic terrorist. The US goverment has abandoned the veterans and no longer takes care of them. The US goverment has robbed countless families of death benefits and much needed treatment to service related injuries. This very government that is going to betray the American people has betrayed Military and the Veterans. They better make a choice while they still have the right to say "no" This is a wait and see game. I just pray the we all do what is right if we are faced with the tough choice dealing with a unhinged Federal Government who just declared war on us.


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Cumann Baire
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Dinner Dance 2011 _EXTRAS
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Welcome to the Birth Place,
home of Stacey Haugland Certified Professional Midwife.
Bozeman, Montana!
Women's bodies are born to grow, birth, and nurse babies.
Our job at the Birth Place is to support you in finding your way through pregnancy and birth to parenthood. To best meet your individual needs, we offer leisurely prenatal visits, continuous labor support, and abundant post-partum home and office visits. Whether you birth at home or in our beautiful birth center, in the water or out, we will labor with you. Our skilled staff has the latest training in birth and breastfeeding, as well as a solid grounding in time-honored remedies and labor support techniques. You are welcome and encouraged to include your family and friends as is best for you and your baby.


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LMFAO Diddy You Stupid For This: P Diddy Sells Bitchassness T-Shirts & Coming Soon No Bitchassness Spray
Diddy TV reports "BITCHASSNES LEVEL ORANGE ALERT!!!"
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When Messin With A DJ Goes Sideways: Dj Scrilla Puts Khia On Blast! (Releases Her Angry Voicemail Going At Him. Then Responds Back) "Miss Wack Supreme" [Audio]
Dj Daa One reports "KHIA AKA MS WACK SUPREME WANNA DISS THE STREETS TALENT SCOUT DJ SCRILL"
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The book that I would like to recommend is Made to Stick. Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die ... - it is about creating messages that will be remembered. It is build around a simple list:
- Simple
- Unexpected
- Concrete
- Credible
- Emotional
- Stories
these are the ingredients of an effective marketing message (and yeah the first letters do form an mnemotechnic acronym).
The message needs to be simple, so that the basics are easily understood and can be easily spread around. I think this will be well understood to programmers. It is not about dumbing it down - it is about finding the real core. It needs to be unexpected to catch peoples attention. To hold attention the book advices to use curiosity gaps. Next quality is concrete - this is about involving things the audience already knows well, tangible things and painting a mental image. Credibility comes from inside or from an outside authority, inside credibility comes from using vivid details, statistics but also can be gained by inviting the audience to test for themselves. Emotional is about speaking to emotions. Finally the best messages are stories - the power of story telling comes from the fact that that people reach the conclusions for themselves and they easily absorb them as their own.
Apparently this was tested by the ads business:
The final group was trained for two hours on how to use the six creative templates. Once again, the fifteen best ads were selected by the creative director and tested with consumers. Suddenly these novices sprouted creativity. Their ads were rated as 50 percent more creative and produced a 55 percent more positive attitude toward the products advertised. This is a stunning improvement for a two-hour investment in learning a few basic templates! It appears that there are indeed systematic ways to produce creative ideas.
from excerpts.


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Becoming a Bonner Scholar requires a
separate application that should be completed in addition to the application for admission. Students must
demonstrate both financial need and a commitment to community service.
In the fall of 1990, the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation
began recognizing students who demonstrated the ability to succeed both in the
classroom and in the communities beyond those classrooms.
You could be selected as one of Wofford's representatives to
attend the Bonner Congress, an annual gathering of 2 representatives from all
25 Bonner schools.


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Michael Rush needed a new other design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 43 designs submitted by 11 freelance designers.
Next Decade
We are launching a new multi-billion dollar new energy firm, one which will compete with the major International Oil Companies, by being more profitable due to innovation, creativity, speed and forward thinking.
This brand has the opportunity to become, over the next few years, a household name and brand like Shell, BP, ExxonMobil, etc. The term "Next Decade" is used today throughout energy literature...but tomorrow it will be a brand, not just a term.
We have developed a potential tag line, "Navigating energy frontiers" because NextDecade is not descriptive, and we will be in the off-shore energy space.
We need a PowerPoint template: cover page, agenda page, content pages and closing page template. 4 pages total.
The winner will have the opportunity to win a great monetary prize, but also see their design become recognized in the huge energy market very quickly.
Thank you 99 designs, and good luck designers!
Oil, gas, LNG (liquified natural gas) crowd
4 pages for the entire template: cover page, agenda page, content pages and closing page.
Our existing logo is attached for use as you see fit.
Think clean and professional business catalogue.
Please provide PSD files at the end of the competition with a minimum width of 1600 pixels.


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Browse new cars and vans
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This used Volkswagen Polo for sale at Listers Volkswagen Leamington Spa is offered with the following accessories and options:
Driver seat height adjust
Rear electric windows
Electric front windows
Remote central locking with 2 remote folding keys
60/40 split folding rear seat
Finance available subject to status. Indemnities may be required. Other finance offers may be available but cannot be used in conjunction with this offer. We will only introduce you to a small number of carefully selected finance providers who may be able to help you finance your purchase. We may receive payment from the finance provider if you decide to enter into an agreement with them. This introduction does not amount to independent financial advice. Any information provided by Listers Group Limited or any of its representatives is done so on a non-advised basis. Listers Group Limited is not a credit lender. Please note the figures shown are intended as a guide only. While we endeavour to provide as accurate figures as possible, the final quotation may differ depending on the specification of the individual car they relate to and the finance company used. If you would like a bespoke quotation, please use the 'enquire now' button and one of our team will be in touch to discuss your specific requirements.
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The Das WeltAuto used car programme is designed to give you the same exceptional level of experience as a new car customer, giving you complete confidence and peace of mind.
Our skilled, Volkswagen trained technicians carry out a thorough workshop and test drive inspection of every used car before it can become a Das WeltAuto used car.
Any faults identified are fixed using Volkswagen Genuine PartsTM Only then can it be part of the Approved Used Car programme.
All Volkswagen Approved Used Cars come with at least a 12 month Volkswagen warranty. So you can rest assured that if the unexpected happens, you will be protected.
30 day/1000 mile 'No Quibble' Exchange Policy, if for any reason, you want to change the car - maybe you have second thoughts, or it doesn't fit in your garage, for instance, we will always allow you to exchange it for another of the same price, as long as the vehicle is returned in the same condition as when collected.
All our Approved Used cars come with a minimum 12 months Volkswagen Roadside Assistance.
This includes breakdown and recovery services all year-round, at home or on the roadside, in the UK and Europe, with no limit on call outs.
You can be sure of your car's history. We check the vehicle identity and match it with the DVLA registration. We also verify that there are no outstanding finance arrangements on the car, and that the mileage is correct.
This certificate details your car's entire Volkswagen Das WeltAuto Retailer Network history, for example routine servicing work, and also verifies the cars identity and status of the Warranty.
You can drive away your Das WeltAuto used Volkswagen with complete confidence, as 5-day Volkswagen insurance is available free of charge.
When buying a Das WeltAuto used car from a Volkswagen Retailer you can finance your car just as you can with a new car.
Approved used schemes are subject to change. Please contact the dealership who will be happy to confirm details for you.
For a full list of departments and opening hours, or for further details about our site, please visit the Listers Volkswagen Leamington Spa homepage. During public and bank holidays, please call us to confirm our opening times before visiting.
Average rating of 4.7 based on Facebook and Google customer reviews for Listers Volkswagen Leamington Spa.
By Jonathan Crouch
Added 13th October, 2017
Cleverer, cleaner and classier, this improved fifth generation Volkswagen Polo supermini remains a quality used car choice. This revised model introduced in 2014 may look little different from the original MK5 design we first saw in 2009 but it featured important changes lie beneath the bonnet - and on the equipment list. Some fresh engines and a bit of extra hi-tech in the Golf-style cabin both aimed to please loyal buyers, while keeping this car class-competitive against more recent rivals. As a result, this model remained very viable as a carefully conservative choice in its class and will appeal on the used car market where it's low key, but likeable.
See more reviews in our Volkswagen Polo independent review section.
You should contact the dealership to confirm price, specification and availability prior to viewing. When ordering a vehicle, it is your responsibility to check that the specification and optional extras meet your requirements. While some photographs may show used vehicles with cherished or personalised plates, these plates are not for sale and are not included with the vehicle.
All pre-owned vehicles are inspected and prepared to very high standards which are designed to give you complete peace of mind and confidence when purchasing from Listers. Please note that multiple drivers may have previously used the vehicles available for sale.
Emissions and efficiency data taken from official test results, where available, when new. Data shown is intended to provide a standard figure for comparing the relative fuel economy of different vehicles of a similar age and condition, and does not represent the average fuel consumption that will be achieved on the road. Actual figures will depend on factors including the age of the vehicle, how it has been maintained, road and weather conditions and driving style.


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- Mix:
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- 1 Tblsp. good prepared mustard
- 1 Tblsp. vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. allspice
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- Warm in the microwave and spoon over ham before baking.
Terri's Notes
-"good mustard" would be Koop's, Grey Poupon, or a horseradish mustard, but plain old mustard is just fine!
-I usually divide it, put half on the ham before it goes in the oven and pour the other half over the ham part way through baking.
-We like it so well that I make a second batch and serve it as a dipping sauce. This also works well if you're not sure the entire family will like it...just serve it on the side.
-It does get very sticky and thick, just reheat it and it melts again.
-Arrange pineapple rings on the ham too, it's a wonderful combination!
Share this Recipe


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Dive Choice Mexico needed a new t-shirt design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 41 designs submitted by 15 freelance designers.
Dive Choice Mexico
Dive Choice Mexico is run by a married couple Ricardo (Mexican) Karen (Dutch) We are specialized in diving with small groups in Cozumel and the Cenotes in the mainland of the riviera Maya.
We work with our small fast boats in Cozumel, where dive safety, fun and great experiences go together.
Dive Choice Mexico has over 20 years experience teaching diving.
We care about our divers and most of our divers become part of our Cozumel dive family!
Look at our website: http://www.divechoicemexico.com
Most divers love our personal service which does not stop after the dive, look at the remarks we get from our clients at trips advisor:
Non divers starting from the age of 10 to 55
Divers who are already certified
Male and Female
Mostly form the USA and Canada
We like our current Logo with the colors and the baby sea turtle. Feel free to use it or to use it in 1 color for example white in a color ful T shirt.
In Cozumel we have about a 100 dive stores/shop and almost everybody has a white shirt with blue. We are looking for a creative design that will set us apart (example intersting graphic or catchy design)
Also when you are on a boat a darker/colored T shirt with bright colors stands out more than the white shirts.
The effect we are looking for is that when you are on the boat that ohter boats can see us from far away. DCM should be visible everywhere.
We have attached 2 T shirts which we have used in the past.
What is important is that we want to come over as a small, safe and fun company where divers feel like they are part of our dive family.
Please use in the T shirt:
http://www.divechoicemexico.com and the words "Cozumel Mexico"
Feel free to ask us any Questions at email@example.com
The winner also gets a free dive when you are in Cozumel


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About Wifezilla
None of this adresses the issue that their music really sucks!
They just change their aim to the consumers. If you can't force them to comply to their model, just fire at will and do as much damage as possible until you finally die.
If I owned a theater I could provide consumers with an experience they can't get at home. Better sound system, bigger screen, more comfortable furniture, better snacks, cleaner room, etc...
Serving wine & beer would be a good idea. How about descent food instead of just crap you can buy at 7-11 and smuggle in yourself. Of course too many cities make it almost impossible to get a liquor license or a food prep license.
What about giving away promotional items related to the movie you are watching? A prize drawing or getting a special promotional code with your ticket is something you can't get at home.
There are a lot of things that can be done to get people in the theaters. Making home watching too inconvenient or too expensive isn't one of them.
No way in hell will I pay $30 to watch a movie at home.
You have content creators, distributors (networks), advertisers that foot the bill and then the consumer. As the barriers from creators to consumers crumble, the distributors, instead of adding value to the consumer (like ease of access to content), have tried to become road blocks and force consumers to continue to come to them. What they are really doing is contributing to their own demise as consumers actively seek other ways to get content. Instead of a road block, they are just a shrinking speed bump...or more like a flattened squirrel.
Is anyone else thinking of the Will Ferrel Funny or Die sketches with little Pearl? That was not a problem, but a video in which the vulgarity is NOT ACTUALLY presented to the children warrants an arrest?
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/74/the-landlord-from-will-ferrell-and-adam-ghost-panther-m ckay
Going to Myspace was like walking in to a teenager's bedroom. There was obnoxious music blasting at you and you couldn't find the button to turn it off, there were ugly posters and pictures everywhere, you couldn't read the text through all the garbage, and if you could every other word was 4 letters and ended in "UCK". All that was missing was the smell of dirty laundry and bong water.
Myspace lost because even parents of teenagers have no interest in hanging around a teenager's room for more than a few seconds IRL. Why would people want to recreate the experience digitally?
With Facebook, I can communicate with my 4 year old nephews, my 22 year old son in Iraq, or even my 80-something grandmother.
Ooo SNAP! (That is as brilliant, insightful, and well-informed as I get before my coffee)


text: In September 1944, after the victorious end of the Normandy campaign, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery devised a daring operation to open the way to the Ruhr by seizing a bridgehead north of the Rhine, at Arnhem. On September 17, Operation Market, the largest airborne and glider operation in history (five thousand aircraft) was carried out by three Allied airborne divisions. Operation Garden was the ground side in which the Thirtieth (British) Corps was to link up with the British First Airborne at Arnhem by thrusting north along a narrow corridor opened by the U.S. Eighty-second and 101st Airborne Divisions. Then, the remainder of British Second Army would rapidly assault the Ruhr, thus hastening the collapse of the Third Reich and likely ending the war in 1944.


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Was U.S. Christian Slain in Muslim Mauritania 'Asking for It'?
An American Christian worker named Chris Leggett was gunned down by Al Qaeda for the alleged "crime" of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity.
Mon, Jul. 13, 2009 Posted: 02:01 PM EDT
Note to missionary critics. The persecution of Christians in Mauritania is a human rights issue.
Mauritania is a land of striking beauty. With sand dunes lined against the sky, Bedouins riding camels in the countryside, and flying beetles that look like they come straight from the abyss of the Apocalypse; Mauritania is a land of extremes - extreme beauty, extreme hospitality, and lately, extreme religion. As the world mourned the death of Michael Jackson, another man went not so quietly into the night, though largely unnoticed by mainstream media.
On Tuesday, June 23, 2009, an American Christian worker named Chris Leggett was gunned down by Al Qaeda for the alleged "crime" of trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. To give you an idea of what kind of man Chris Leggett was, the 39-year old native of Cleveland, Tennessee, not only taught computer science in a low-class neighborhood in the capital city of Nouakchott, he also, according to the Cleveland Daily Banner, worked with the prison systems to train and equip women and young boys to re-enter society, directed a training center providing training in computer skills, sewing, and literacy, and oversaw a micro-loan program which fostered the growth of hundreds of small businesses.
Although the minuscule media coverage has been fairly straightforward, I was saddened to see some of the nasty comments on the Huffington Post when Ahmed Mohamed posted the Associated Press story on the site. Although a few of the comments unequivocally condemned Leggett's murder for what it is, a cowardly act of violence motivated by extremists, far too many seemed to think that Leggett was somehow "asking for it" because of the nature of his work in a Muslim land, as if Chris Leggett somehow deserved to die because of his passion for sharing his faith.
One commenter wrote, "Well, you know, it is their country. You go walking around with arrogant disregard of their laws, you better be prepared to pay the consequences. Non-story." Another commenter cut from the same cloth replied, "I agree. It doesn't take much intelligence for non-military Americans to keep out of these countries. You not only go there at your own risk - you ask for it."
My beef isn't so much with the Huffington Post (who likely has little control over what people comment on the site), but to the people who made those nasty comments (there were some that were far worse), I would like to say to them: Feel free to criticize Christian missionaries working in Muslims lands, but I hope you realize that you're criticizing from a position of privilege. Many of you live in countries that allow you to choose your religious beliefs without fear of torture, imprisonment, or death. Hundreds of millions of Muslims live in countries that deny them that right. How do you know that out of the world's roughly 1.2 billion Muslims, that some of them don't want to hear another perspective?
Chris Leggett most likely wasn't banging the Bible over anyone's head, but I wouldn't be surprised if a few curious Muslims quietly asked him about his religious beliefs. After all, most Muslims I know - unlike most Westerners I know - like to discuss religion in every day conversation and enjoy hearing other people's perspectives. If a few of these same Muslims through peaceful dialogue came to the conclusion that Chris's beliefs were correct, where's the crime in that? If Chris Leggett did break Mauritanian law, then it was an unjust law that he broke. Last time I checked, breaking unjust laws is called civil disobedience. Acts of civil disobedience have been crucial to every major advance in human rights.
As a matter of fact, there are hundreds of secret believers in Mauritania right now. Many of them have been abducted, tortured in horrific ways, and forced to name their fellow believers - while the Mauritanian government looks the other way. According to many persecution watchdogs, the persecution of Christians in Mauritania is particularly ferocious, but the same story can be found in countless other countries like Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, and Pakistan. It's time that the decent people of the world wake up to the fact that roughly a billion people live under governments that don't allow them the freedom to obey their conscience in choosing their religious beliefs. The right to choose one's religion is the most basic of human rights. After all, why should human rights apply to everyone except for Muslims?
Aaron D. Taylor is the author of Alone with a Jihadist: A Biblical Response to Holy War scheduled to be released in October 2009 but available for pre-order at amazon.com. Aaron can be contacted at firstname.lastname@example.com. To follow Aaron on Twitter, go to twitter.com/aarondtaylor.
CP Guest Contributor
Aaron D. Taylor


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Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia. Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is a major tourism destination seeing more than 3.65 million visitors a year who inject more than one billion dollars into the local economy.
Victoria is a cruise ship port where cruise liners stop at Ogden Point terminal. The city also receives economic benefits from its close proximity to Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, the Canadian military's main Pacific naval base.
Downtown Victoria serves as Greater Victoria's regional downtown, where many night clubs, theatres, restaurants and pubs are clustered, and where much larger regional public events occur.
In particular, Canada Day fireworks displays and Symphony Splash concerts draw tens of thousands of Greater Victorians and visitors to the downtown core. The city has hosted sports events including the 2005 Ford World Men's Curling Championship tournament, the 1994 Commonwealth Games, and 2006 Skate Canada.
The city is also a destination for conventions, meetings, and conferences.
Every year, the Swiftsure International Yacht Race brings boaters from around the world, to participate in the boat race in the waters off of Vancouver Island. The Tall Ships Festival brings sailing ships to Victoria for the public to see and feel the sailing way of life in the past and present.
Amethyst Inn would like to remind you of the new US passport policy for U. S. citizens:
New passport Requirements for U.S. Citizens
January 23, 2007, ALL PERSONS traveling by air outside of the United States are required to present a passport or other valid travel document to enter or re-enter the United States (from Canada).
|Activities and Outdoors
|Local Attractions
|Travel Resources


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From the PHP-Coding-Practices.com website today, there's a new post that, using a tip from this article on BarelyFitz, shows how to control CSS information with PHP.
Today I stumbled upon a cool article that explains how one can control one's CSS colors via PHP to former relative shades. How is this done I hear you asking? Just look at the following code.
His example uses the tutorial's csscolor class and shows how to implement it with a base color and a highlight color and use it to generate variations of the same shades.


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Choosing green products to use in sustainable projects is always a balancing act, according to Dave Wesemann, LEED AP, VP, and principal electrical engineer at Spectrum Engineers, a Salt Lake City-based full-service MEP firm. Considerations include initial cost, long-term costs, ease of operation, and ease of replacement parts. "We go through life cycle cost analysis to make sure we're making the right decision," Wesemann says. "We like to make sure each product has been tested and proven, can be maintained, and is also cost-effective."
Therefore, Wesemann tries to keep things simple. He and his team make sure the products they specify — and the replacement parts — are readily available and easy to maintain. "We're careful not to specify the newest, latest whiz-bang items out there on the market," he says. "The last thing we want to do is specify a system that's so complex that it just gets abandoned when the building is done, and the architect and engineer walk away."
Off the shelf
In fact, a 2009 survey of buildings by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Research Council reveals that buildings that achieve energy use reductions of 50% or more below standard practice do not typically incorporate state-of-the-art technologies. Instead, according to the report, "Real Prospects for Energy Efficiency in the United States," the highest-performing buildings integrate multiple "state-of-the-shelf" technologies to achieve these performance levels. "This represents a huge opportunity for improved energy performance using existing, available technologies," reads the report. "It's not the leading-edge technologies that make the difference."
For example, a low-ballast factor, program-start electronic ballast in combination with a 3,100-lumen T8 lamp is what Wesemann describes as the "workhorse" of energy efficiency. Pairing the energy-efficient luminaire with the ballast that drives it is the ultimate way to reduce overall lighting energy. "You want to make sure that when the luminaire is turned on, it is delivering light in the most efficient way it can," he explains. "Then with the controls, you make sure the light isn't on more than it needs to be."
In addition, the combination provides the most lumens per watt with a competitive initial cost and maintenance costs, partly due to the use of standard products. "You see these 4-foot lamps all over the place," says Wesemann, who claims that, in general, the T8 lamp is the most predominantly used lamp. However, the higher lumens version is slightly more expensive — about $5 or $10 per luminaire — than the standard 2,800-lumen lamp. "For a very small premium, you can get into what is called 'premium' efficiency," says Wesemann, who says that maintenance personnel can replace the higher efficiency units with the standard lamp later, if necessary.
For that reason, he specifies these lamp and ballast combinations even if a building isn't considered green or seeking a sustainable certification, such as the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). "It's something we propose on every project," says Wesemann, who is a LEED-accredited professional. "In Utah, there have been three platinum LEED projects, and Spectrum has been involved with all of them. But we still specify these energy-efficient lamps and ballasts, whether or not the project is considered sustainable."
Zero-energy buildings
Many federal, state, and local building codes have recently adopted more stringent energy-efficient standards. Therefore, even in non-accredited or certified green projects, products that decrease energy use are welcome. "You cannot use over a certain amount of energy per square foot based on the type of building, so those products help us to meet those codes as well," says Wesemann, who states that most public building projects in Utah have at least some green considerations, particularly state government buildings and campuses for higher education.
In fact, education buildings were the largest market for green building in 2008, according to New York-based McGraw-Hill Construction's Green Outlook 2011 report, "Green Trends Driving Growth." The report predicted this market to grow from $9 billion in 2008 to between $13 billion and $16 billion in 2010.
However, other sustainable initiatives focus on commercial buildings. In San Francisco, Mayor Edwin Lee recently signed into law the Existing Commercial Building Energy Performance Ordinance, which will require non-residential buildings to make annual energy-usage reports available to the public. In addition, the new city code mandates that buildings over 10,000 square feet complete an energy-efficiency audit every five years.
In September, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) introduced a statewide plan designed to help commercial building owners to achieve net-zero energy use. The Zero Net Energy (ZNE) Action Plan aims to transform the state's commercial buildings into energy-efficient facilities that are also powered by renewable or clean energy by 2030. To date, California has more ZNE buildings than any other state in the nation. Technologies needed to achieve ZNE — including high-performance lighting and rooftop photovoltaic (PV) arrays — are widely available, and the state and utilities offer many incentives to building owners.
Finally, the International Code Council, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that develops commercial and residential building codes and standards used by many state and local governments, revised its 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) in late October, based on proposals by a coalition led by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); the New Buildings Institute (NBI), White Salmon, Wash.; and the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Washington, D.C. The revisions call for a reduction in energy use by 30%, compared to the standards specified in the 2006 IECC. The changes include requirements for daylight zone controls, a new compliance option allowing the builder to choose between high-performance lighting, high-performance HVAC equipment, or on-site renewable power generation in meeting the code's requirements for energy conservation. Methods specified include controlling all lamps or luminaires; dual switching of alternate rows of luminaires, alternate luminaires, or alternate lamps; switching the middle lamp luminaires independently of the outer lamps; or switching each luminaire or each lamp.
Notwithstanding the renewable and clean energy provisions included in these standards, specification of solar panels remains relatively low at 0.7% for commercial and institutional buildings. Energy efficiency remains the consistent driver for green building activity in these markets. The majority of corporate leaders (91%), commercial building owners (89%), commercial building tenants (96%), and architects and engineers (80%) rank energy cost and use savings as the impetus behind the decision to build green, according to the McGraw-Hill Construction Green Outlook 2011 report.
Moreover, according to "Real Prospects for Energy Efficiency in the United States," the deployment of energy conservation products could do away with the demand for more expensive renewable energy systems. "The full deployment of cost-effective, energy-efficient technologies in buildings alone could eliminate the need to add to U.S. electricity generation capacity," reads the report.
Certifications and eco-labels
A 2008 survey by McGraw-Hill Construction, New York, revealed that more than one-half of the architects, engineers, building owners, and contractors surveyed consider green product certifications and eco-labels "very valuable" when selecting green products. However, there are currently more than 100 green product certifications in the United States alone. For example, Energy Star, a program started by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992 that focused on energy-efficient computers, includes labels for more than 50 energy-efficient product categories and thousands of different models oriented for buildings and homes. From 2006 to 2009, references to Energy Star in specifications have nearly doubled from a rate of 9.4% in 2006 to 18.3% in 2009. The Energy Star label appears most often in project specification for dormitories and apartments, according to McGraw-Hill Construction's SpecShare, 2006-2009.
Green Seal, a non-profit organization that serves as a third-party certifier and standards developer, is the largest U.S.-based eco-label organization. Although it is most well known for certifying paints and coatings, it also certifies a range of other building products. From 2008 to 2009, according to SpecShare, the specification rate for Green Seal-certified products nearly doubled.
Green Electrical Upgrades Guides, developed in conjunction with the NAED Manufacturers Council, describe the green electrical products and solutions that have been proven to reduce electrical consumption and operating costs in commercial and industrial buildings. Although green product standards outline some of the criteria for different material types, unfortunately, they typically do not review the performance and variations of individual products from specific manufacturers.
GreenGuard, a voluntary certification program that tests and identifies products' air emissions, compares product exposure concentrations against specific pollutant standards established by the EPA and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Its specification rate has been growing steadily since 2006. However, according to SpecShare, the rate is still quite low, reaching only 5% in 2009.
Give a hoot
The low specification rate for GreenGuard could be due to a lack of requirements regarding materials for certain building components, including electrical systems. Although plastic insulation and jacketing on electric and data wire and cable can contain lead, plasticizers, flame retardants, and chemicals that may be toxic, especially in the event of fire or as the wire jacketing deteriorates over time, LEED currently excludes MEP products for hazardous materials. LEED's Energy & Atmosphere category encourages a wide variety of energy strategies, including: commissioning; energy use monitoring; efficient design and construction; efficient appliances, systems, and lighting; the use of renewable and clean sources of energy, generated on-site or off-site; and other innovative strategies. Yet, it doesn't mention materials.
"Materials haven't been as big of an issue because in the LEED rating system they don't count those types of products in their overall equation for sustainable materials," says Wesemann, who explains that those considerations are left more for the structural elements of a building. "Even if you could count them, the lighting fixtures wouldn't be enough to put much of a dent in obtaining that specific LEED rating point."
Moreover, a materials requirement for electrical systems could limit design choices. "In the lighting world, the many selections are based on look and performance," Wesemann says. "If we were forced to look at only products that used renewable materials in their designs, it would significantly limit the design and wouldn't really contribute that much to the overall sustainable picture. But we may see more manufacturers come onboard with that, though. We're certainly not opposed to it."
Currently, wires and cables are available with nonhalogenated insulation and jacketing and with no heavy metals. Brattleboro, Vt.-based BuildingGreen, Inc., publisher of the GreenSpec Directory, the leading national directory of green building products, and Environmental Building News, a newsletter that focuses on green building, included a new fast-connect wiring and cabling system that is made with no heavy metals or halogenated plastics in its 2010 Top 10 Green Building Products list. "Materials are a consideration," says Jennifer Atlee, research director of the organization's rigorous criteria it uses to include products in its directory. "But, depending on the product, there are other primary issues, such as energy efficiency and performance. Those are primary in terms of the life cycle impacts of those products."
Green criteria
In the past year, approximately 180 product listings have been added to the GreenSpec database, which includes more than 2,200 product listings. Manufacturers do not pay to be listed, and neither GreenSpec nor Environmental Building News carries advertising. It bases inclusion on performance reports solicited from experts in the field and its members.
Electrical products are considered on the basis of efficiency, performance, and function. For exterior lighting, light pollution is a major consideration. "We try to look at the most important life cycle concerns for a particular product categories," says Atlee.
Some products are included strictly for use, such as diagnostics and metering equipment. "In the past, we included more of them because there were fewer available," continues Atlee, who explains that the GreenSpec directory has been around since before many products for green building were widely available. "As the industry makes more information available and becomes clear about what the standards are for a particular product category, we incorporate that into the GreenSpec directory."
For some products, there remains a lack of information. "There are very few products for which there is full information and full disclosure," says Atlee.
When available, the organization uses environmental product declarations, which are a full disclosure about the material or product, such as composition and overall life cycle impacts. Atlee describes them as a life cycle analysis that's accessible to the public. "We love to find those whenever we can, but they are rarely available," adds Atlee.
Therefore, the researchers often have to dig deeper. They look into patents and contact manufacturers directly. "We have a strong nose for greenwash," Atlee says. "If we see something that doesn't add up or doesn't look quite right, we will dig in other places."
The numerous certifications and lack of information can be confusing for any designer or engineer wanting to specify green products. Through its newsletter, BuildingGreen also offers a strategy for designers and engineers in the process of making product selections. While there is no definitive process for selecting green materials, Environmental Building News offers a 12-step method to help specifiers narrow the focus on important environmental considerations and to prioritize certain environmental factors (see Twelve Steps to Choosing Green Products). The process was initially published in the January 1997 issue.
Selecting environmentally preferable products (EPP) requires research, critical evaluation, and common sense. Issues such as code compliance, warranties, and performance must be carefully considered. Specifiers are advised to collect performance criteria, environmental product information, material safety data sheets (MSDS), maintenance expectations, and corporate environmental policy statements for the manufacturers under consideration. In addition, specifiers should expect that some green products may be subject to limited availability or long lead times, particularly when ordered in large quantities. Finally, users should be wary of greenwashing, which is making environmental claims that have not been substantiated by independent sources.
The architect and owner look to each specific discipline to propose sustainable, energy-efficient solutions in their respective area, but typically everybody will have some knowledge of what's out there available, according to Wesemann. "Part of selecting a design team today is selecting one that is knowledgeable about the technologies," he explains.
At Spectrum, specifying engineers are experts in their field. For example, the lighting design department is headed up by an individual who was a former president of the national Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), New York, which sets the standards for lighting. "Every year, he speaks at conferences, and people seek him out to see what's going on in the industry," says Wesemann. "Quite frequently, we all speak at sustainability conferences. To do so, you need to be up on the latest information, so we'll do our own research."
In addition to industry groups, Wesemann stays in contact with the manufacturers that are also actively involved with these industry groups. In addition to attending trade shows and staying up-to-date on research and development items, he checks out the latest products, receives samples to test, and sends them back with notes for improvement. "In general, it's just being actively engaged in everything that's offered out there," Wesemann says. "You have to be active in your industry. Other than doing your design work, you need to be actively involved in your industry groups."
Sidebar: Twelve Steps to Choosing Green Products
Choosing the right materials for a building is no easy task under any circumstances, according to BuildingGreen, Inc., Brattleboro, Vt.-based publisher of the GreenSpec directory of green products and the Environmental Building News (EBN) newsletter. No generic resource can anticipate all the demands and constraints of a particular project, so ultimately the designer or specifier must use the available information and make his or her own decision. Outlined below is EBN's simplified methodology for choosing the most benign materials.
Two of the most significant sources of environmental impact from building materials are energy use in the building and possible impacts on occupant health. Considerations of impacts in the use phase depend not only on the material in question, but also on the application for that material.
Step 1. Energy use: Will the material in question (in the relevant application) have a measurable impact on building energy use? If not, proceed to step 2.
If yes (as for materials such as glazing, insulation, mechanical systems), avoid options that do not minimize energy use. Also take care to design the application to minimize energy use. For materials that can be used in an energy-efficient manner only with the addition of other components, the impact of including those additional components must be factored in. Examples include glazing systems that require exterior shading systems for efficiency, and light-gauge steel framing that requires foam sheathing to prevent thermal bridging.
Step 2. Occupant health: Could products in this application affect the health of building occupants? If not, proceed to step 3.
If yes (interior furnishings, interior finishes, mechanical systems), avoid materials that are likely to adversely affect occupant health, and design systems to minimize any possible adverse effects when sources of indoor pollution cannot be avoided.
Step 3. Durability and maintenance: Are products in this application likely to need replacement, special treatment, or repair multiple times during the life of the structure? If not, proceed to step 4.
If yes (roofing, coatings, sealants), avoid products with short expected life spans (unless they are made from low-impact, renewable materials and are easily recycled) or products that require frequent, high-impact maintenance procedures. Also, design the structure for flexibility so that materials that might become obsolete before they wear out (such as wiring) can be replaced with minimal disruption and cost.
The remaining steps pertain less to the application (how a material or product is used) and more to the material itself. They require knowledge of the raw materials that go into each product.
Step 4. Hazardous by-products: Are significant toxic or hazardous intermediaries or by-products created during manufacture. If so, how significant is the risk of their release to the environment or risk of hazard to worker health? If these are not significant, proceed to step 5.
Where toxic by-products are either generated in large quantities or in small but uncontrolled quantities (smelting of zinc, production of petrochemicals), the building material in question should be avoided, if possible, or sourced from a company with strong environmental standards.
Step 5. Energy use: How energy-intensive is the manufacturing process? If it's not very intensive, proceed to step 6.
If the manufacture of a building material is very energy-intensive compared to the alternatives (aluminum, plastics), its use should be minimized. It is not the energy use itself that is of concern, however, but the pollution from its generation and use. Industries using clean-burning or renewable energy sources have lower burdens than those relying on coal or petroleum.
Step 6. Waste from manufacturing: How much solid waste is generated in the manufacturing process? If it's not much relative to the quantity of product manufactured, proceed to step 7.
If significant amounts of solid waste are generated that are not readily usable for other purposes (tailings from mining of copper and other metals), seek alternative materials or materials from companies with progressive recycling programs.
Raw materials:
Step 7. Resource limitations: Are any of the component materials from rare or endangered resources? If not, proceed to step 8.
If yes (endangered or threatened tree species), avoid these products unless they can be sourced from recycled material.
Step 8. Impacts of resource extraction: Are there significant ecological impacts from the process of mining or harvesting the raw materials? If not, proceed to step 9.
If yes (damage to rainforests from bauxite mining for aluminum or from certain timber harvesting practices), seek suppliers of material from recycled stock or those with credible third-party verification of environmentally sound harvesting methods.
Step 9. Transportation: Are the primary raw materials located a great distance from your site? If not, proceed to step 10.
If yes (Italian marble, tropical timber, New Zealand wool), seek appropriate alternative materials from more local sources.
Disposal or reuse:
Step 10. Demolition waste: Can the material be easily separated out for reuse or recycling after its useful life in the structure is over? If so, proceed to step 11.
While most materials that are used in large quantities in building construction (steel, concrete) can be at least partially recycled, others are less recyclable and may become a disposal problem in the future. Examples include products that combine different materials (such as fiberglass composites) or undergo a fundamental chemical change during manufacture (thermoset plastics such as polyurethane foams). Consider the future recyclability of products chosen.
Step 11. Hazardous materials from demolition: Might the material become a toxic or hazardous waste problem after the end of its useful life? If not, proceed to step 11.
If yes (preservative-treated wood), seek alternative products or construction systems that require less of the material in question.
Step 12. Review the results: Go over any concerns that have been raised about the products under consideration, and look for other life-cycle impacts that might be specific to a particular material.
For example, with drywall and spray-in open-cell polyurethane foam insulation, waste generated at the job site is a potential problem that should be considered.
Source: BuildingGreen, Inc.


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In honor of Memorial Day next week, all of us need to honor those veterans who put their own lives in jeopardy for all the rest of us. Such a man is Peter L. Mariello, of Erdenheim, who was an Army Supply Sergeant in World War II. According to a niece and nephew, Philip and Gina Iannuzzi, Peter is also "one of the nicest people you will ever meet. He is kind and generous and visits his wife, who resides in a nursing home for health reasons, every day."
Peter wrote a poem in honor of his fellow soldiers that we would like to share with readers on behalf of those who sacrificed so much — those to whom we owe a debt so great that it can never be fully repaid:
"Have you seen the many names on the
wall …
Of all our troops who stood so tall?
They gave their lives so we could be free,
And they fought for us so gallantly.
"They left their families and next of kin,
And fought in a land they had never been
Our country now will never fall,
Thanks to the many names on the wall.
"So let's be proud of our soldiers so
We appreciate how much they gave.
We thank the troops who stood so tall.
God bless the many names on the wall."


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The San Francisco 49ers are still trying to solve depth issues at wide receiver with injuries to Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham rendering them unavailable for the foreseeable future.
Last year's first-round draft pick A.J. Jenkins is still struggling to find a footing and is sitting out with an injury. Kyle Williams and Kasim Osgood also missed practice on Wednesday.
That leaves the 49ers incredibly thin at the position. As a result, the 49ers are set to workout free agent receiver Laurent Robinson this week according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
Robinson appeared in just seven games for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season after signing a five-year deal with the team. Robinson dealt with concussions and was released by the Jaguars this offseason. He caught just 24 passes for 252 yards last season for the Jaguars after having a career year with the Dallas Cowboys in 2011. That season Robinson caught 54 passes for 858 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Robinson will have to prove his concussion issues are behind him if the 49ers are going to sign him. They took a look at concussion-plagued receiver Austin Collie this offseason too but he also remains a free agent.


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The Patriots got back on the practice field Wednesday to start preparations for Sunday's AFC Championship Game against the Ravens and they were missing just one player who has a chance of playing.
Cornerback Alfonzo Dennard missed the session, but the team said it was not an injury-related absence. Tight end Rob Gronkowski also missed practice, although we already know that he'll be out after suffering another injury to his previously broken forearm and would suspect the Patriots would make a move with his roster spot at some point this week.
Two Patriots who were forced out of last weekend's game with the Texans were able to practice in limited fashion. Running back Danny Woodhead and defensive end Chandler Jones were both on the field. One member of the Ravens feels confident that Jones will be on the field and his opinion might mean a little more since he's also Jones' brother.
"He's not telling me anything," Ravens defensive end Arthur Jones said, via the Baltimore Sun. "I think he's going to be out there. He's a hard worker, and I know he's getting treatment on it hard."
On the Ravens end of things, running back Bernard Pierce was limited in practice and 16 players were listed as full participants in practice. That's a page right out of the Bill Belichick playbook, although there were just five Patriots on Wednesday's injury report after 20 players made the list at this time last week.