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NicoleRequest Her Follow
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Measurements: 34b-28-32
Nicole epitomizes an RK girl. Over her time with the network, she consistently appeared on the RK website WeLiveTogether.com for two straight years. To put it another way, Nicole starred in 90 episode of We Live Together over a two year span. Now that's dedication and a whole hell of a lot of pussy licking. After all, WeLiveTogether.com is one of RK's niche lesbian sites. To date, all of Nicole's episodes have very good RK member ratings. Nicole is a gorgeous blonde porn star from the United States. She has a phenomenal body, clear hazel eyes, and the sexiest lips you've ever seen; dare I say, better than Angelina Jolie's. Nicole has based her career in filming almost exclusively lesbian porn. However, she has done hardcore hetero M-F porn videos in the past including an episode on CumFiesta.com titled, "Feng Shui Fucking."
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A workshop at the 33rd Meeting of the German Linguistic Society (DGfS) February 23-25, 2011 - University of Göttingen
Thórhallur Eythórsson
Hans-Martin Gärtner
Invited Speakers:
Ásgrímur Angantýsson (Reykjavík)
Nicole Dehé (Konstanz)
Research on comparative Germanic syntax has for a long time been stimulated by the challenge of Icelandic, a language singled out by a great number of 'peculiar' phenomena not attested (to such a degree) elsewhere (Maling & Zaenen 1990; Thráinsson 1994; 2007). The aim of our workshop is to bring together researchers more narrowly concerned with the proper analysis of Icelandic with researchers interested in comparative Germanic syntax who would like to test and broaden their views in light of the 'Icelandic challenge.' We particularly welcome attempts at bringing in evidence from the interfaces of syntax with morphophonology and prosody as well as semantics/pragmatics. Given the long and virtually uninterrupted literary documentation of Icelandic, this language is an ideal testing ground for theories of language change. Therefore, we also encourage contributions from historical linguistics.
Website of the 33rd Meeting of the German Linguistic Society (DGfS): http://dgfs2011.uni-goettingen.de/index.html

subset: commoncrawl


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Dr. James J. Wynne was honored with the 2013 Russ Prize for his contribution to the technology behind groundbreaking vision correction surgery.
Photographer: Bill Truslow
Feb 13, 2014
By Colleen Carow and Adrienne Cornwall
Dr. James J. Wynne, recipient of the 2013 Russ Prize, will discuss his role in developing the pulsed ultraviolet excimer laser, the technology behind LASIK and PRK vision correction surgeries, on Thurs., Feb. 20, from 3:15-4:15 p.m. in Ohio University's Baker University Center Theatre.
Wynne's Stocker Series Lecture, presented by the Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ College of Engineering and Technology, will explain his contributions to developing and testing laser ablative photodecomposition, which led to these groundbreaking surgical procedures and improved vision for more than 25 million people.
The excimer laser's capability to etch tissue cleanly without burning was discovered by Wynne's colleague and Russ Prize co-recipient Dr. Rangaswamy Srinivasan while working at IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center and was extensively tested by Srinivasan, Wynne and a third IBM colleague and Russ Prize recipient, the late Samuel E. Blum.
Srinivasan's discovery in November 1981, when he irradiated cartilage from his leftover Thanksgiving turkey, found that the pulsed ultraviolet laser etched the cartilage cleanly and left the surrounding tissue undamaged. Srinivasan, Blum and Wynne tested the laser under controlled conditions and found that lasers at longer wavelengths left surrounding tissue burned and damaged, while the shorter wavelength laser made incisions with no thermal damage.
Wynne and Srinivasan further tested the effects of the ultraviolet excimer laser on human tissue in collaboration with cardiologists, ophthalmologists, dermatologists, and dental anatomists, leading to similar results and the application of the laser to ophthalmic surgery.
The National Academy of Engineering and the Russ College honored Srinivasan, Wynne and Blum with the 2013 Russ Prize, a $500,000 award that honors a bioengineering achievement in widespread use that improves the human condition.
This lecture, part of the Stocker Lecture Series, is free and open to the public. The lecture will also be streamed live online.
For more information on the Russ Prize, visit www.ohio.edu/engineering/russ-prize.
For more information about the Russ College, visit www.ohio.edu/engineering/.


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Ritter, who has been in the role since 2009, is to be replaced by Cliff Harris, an executive at GE's gas turbines division. Harris will take up the role on 1 June. Ritter is to leave GE to join engineering firm Arcadis as CEO.
Additionally, GE has hired former Kenersys Europe CEO Andreas von Bobart for the newly created post of general manager of GE's German wind business. He took up the role on 1 May.
Von Bobart will be tasked with reviving GE's performance in Germany, which is largely dominated by Enercon. Despite leading the worldwide turbine installations league in 2012, much of this was down to the US market and that is expected to decline substantially this year.
As an indication of GE's position in Germany, it was not included by name in installation by manufacturer statistics for 2012 released by German wind energy institute DEWI (according to GE, it has installed 45MW in Germany since 2009).
Von Bobart's other responsibilities include commercialisation of the new 2.5MW wind turbine with 120-metre blade diameter, designed with a view to use in lower wind speed areas in Germany. It is currently being tested at Wieringermeer in the Netherlands.
GE has about 2.3GW of onshore wind installed in Germany, almost all commissioned pre-2008, according to DEWI data, and accounted for around 7% of the total 31GW of German wind at end-2012.
Prior to Kenersys, von Bobart held management positions at GE Wind Energy including as manager of the business unit Germany, and he was managing director at SSB Wind Systems (formerly SSB Antriebstechnik and now part of American company Emerson Industrial Automation)) in Salzbergen, where GE has a turbine assembly works.


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CHERRYVILLE � The Bessemer City boys scaled two big hurdles Thursday in the opening round of the Bud Black/Dennis Tate Holiday Classic.
For one, the Yellow Jackets advanced to the semifinals of a Christmas tournament in which they have historically struggled.
Secondly, the 51-42 victory over South Point gave Bessemer City, a 1A club, a win over a team from the big, bad Big South 3A Conference.
�Any time you beat a 3A school, that is a plus for a little 1A school like us,� Bessemer City coach Danny McDowell said. �I was proud of the fact that we beat a Big South team. We did not play one of our best games, but we played well enough to win in the second half.�
Indeed, the Yellow Jackets (6-1, 2-0 SPC) took control in the third quarter with a 10-0 run that vaulted them from a 27-25 deficit to a 35-27 lead. Brad James and Michael Meeks, who rebounded from a scoreless, 0-for-5-shooting first half, contributed four points each to the spurt.
After losing the lead, the cold-shooting Red Raiders (0-9, 0-3 Big South) never got closer than four points for the remainder of the game.
In the eight-minute stretch of the third, South Point shot 2-for-19 from the field, and they never found their offensive legs again.
Three players scored in double figures for BC: James with 11, Jearrard Wright and Tyrece Meeks each with 10.
John Chavis was the only South Point player in double figures with 11.
Three plays in the game stood out. To end the first half, James hit a fall away 3-pointer from 20 feet away to pull BC within 26-25 at the break.
Again, the Yellow Jackets made a buzzer-beating play to close the third period when Ronnie Webber tipped in a miss to make it 37-31, BC.
Later, after the Jackets went to their spread, Webber passed over a trap in the corner and hit Tyrece Meeks for a layup to push BC�s lead to 10, 49-39, with 1:25 left in the game.
South Point coach Kody Kubbs pointed to his team�s disastrous third quarter, in which the Red Raiders were outscored 12-5.
�We lost our minds,� Kubbs said. �We did not get into our defensive matchups, and we got carried away with the ball. In all nine games, we have had 3-4 minute mental meltdowns. You cannot recover from that.�
Kubbs said his charting showed that South Point missed 15 layups.
�That�s 30 points, and that was the game,� he said.
Boys roundup
Chase 67, Australia B 44 � Shad Blanton�s 29 points led Chase (7-3) in the opening round.
Castlewood (VA) 59, Australia A 52 � Tyler Austin�s 16 points led the way as Castlewood advanced to play Bessemer City.
Cherryville 81, Thomas Jefferson Classical 59 � Senior Spencer Stamey scored 14 of his game-high 19 points in the first half as the Ironmen (6-4, 1-1) won the nightcap against a future conference foe. Cherryville was in command at halftime, 45-21. Trent Friday had 13 and Al-Malik Vinson 10 for the Ironmen, who meet Chase Friday in the semis.
Girls roundup
South Point 73, Chase 29 � Guard Ashley Mull scored 21 points as the defending champions opened the tournament in impressive fashion. South Point (9-1) mounted a 22-9 first quarter lead and took a 40-16 cushion into the half. Blair Griffin added 10 points for the Red Raiders (9-1).
Bessemer City 64, Thomas Jefferson Classical 19 � Madison Carter scored 28 points as Bessemer City (4-3) advanced to the semifinal round. Daniaya Mackins added 10 points for BC.
Hickory Grove 60, Castlewood (Va.) 37 � Hannah Adamczyk scored 15 to lead Hickory Grove into a semifinal meeting with South Point.
Cherryville 49, Hunter Huss 37 � Huss was within six points at the half, but Cherryville (2-8) used a 1-3-1 zone press in the third period to pull out of danger. Jacquilla Burris and Molly Whitworth combined for 11 points in a 13-7 run to extend the lead to 12, 38-26, heading into the fourth.
Burris finished with 16, Whitworth 15. Jalaah Crosby�s 12 points led Huss (0-10).


text: 28 Apr 2013 08:00 The global air travel map is being redrawn as growth rates slow in traditional markets and surge in evolving economies including India, Africa and Latin America, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, Mr James Hogan, said today. His comments coincided with the announcement by Etihad Airways of a 24 per cent strategic equity investment in Jet Airways, the second largest airline in India. In Amsterdam, delivering the fifth annual Airneth Lecture to aviation industry executives, policymakers and researchers, Mr Hogan said the major shift occurring in the global economy was impacting significantly upon the air transport industry, requiring airlines to reshape their networks and enter new partnerships in order to remain competitive. "Legacy markets are growing, but at a slower pace. Emerging markets are surging," Mr Hogan said. "Traffic patterns and demographics are changing. Traditional air transport hubs are declining in prominence, with growth constrained by inadequate infrastructure and ingrained political resistance to change. "The Arabian Gulf – the geographic centre of the world – is now evolving as the global centre of the air transport industry, with the number of passengers passing through Gulf hubs outstripping industry growth rates." IATA figures shows that in February, 2013, Middle East hub traffic was up by 10.6 per cent over February, 2012, compared with the global growth rate of 3.7 per cent. Mr Hogan said the airline industry was entering a new phase of consolidation, as no single carrier could satisfy the global growth in passenger traffic. He said a new hybrid business model was emerging, in which minority equity alliances were bridging the gap between full mergers and legacy alliances. In addition to its new investment in Jet Airways, Etihad Airways has acquired stakes in airberlin (just under 30 per cent), Air Seychelles (40 per cent), Virgin Australia (8.56 per cent) and Aer Lingus (just under 3 per cent), and continues to explore opportunities where they make financial and strategic sense. "The new business model delivers benefits which previously were available only through full mergers or acquisitions," Mr Hogan said. These benefits include joint procurement, cross-utilisation of aircraft, joint training of pilots and cabin crew, shared sales forces in common destinations, and dual focus on revenue growth and cost reduction. But Mr Hogan said the airline industry's growth would be held back by government under-investment in efficient airspace management, and continued application of operating and investment restrictions designed decades ago. Mr Hogan said the markets which would benefit most from the continued growth in air transport would be those in "aviation-friendly jurisdictions", in which Governments recognised the economic contributions of airlines and the technological advances and capabilities of aircraft. He said growth also would be maximised in markets like Abu Dhabi where governments embraced and implemented open skies policies, and planned airports, infrastructure, airspace corridors and operational regulations to support the industry and its customers. Επικοινωνήστε μαζί μας Ως πραγματικά διεθνής αεροπορική εταιρία, η Etihad Airways διαθέτει παγκόσμια παρουσία. Μάθετε πώς μπορείτε να επικοινωνήσετε με το πλησιέστερο σε σας γραφείο της Etihad Airways. Προβολή στοιχείων επικοινωνίας Παρατηρήσεις Αν θέλετε να μας στείλετε κάποιο θετικό ή αρνητικό σχόλιο να διατυπώσετε κάποιο παράπονο ή να κάνετε μια ερώτηση, παρακαλούμε κάντε κλικ εδώ Κάντε μας like Επισκεφθείτε τη σελίδα μας στο Facebook! Δείτε μας Επισκεφθείτε το κανάλι μας στο YouTube! Ακολουθήστε μας Etihad Airways | Προσφορές Etihad | Βοήθεια με την Etihad | Επιβραβεύσεις Etihad


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Longtime readers of Pol Position know that we here at the PP desk have an obsession with the ceremonial aspects of politicking. We never pass up a good groundbreaking or ribbon cutting.
And our love affair all started with the big check; the bigger the better as far as we're concerned. In fact, the whole XPols competition – where we handed out points for various acts of politicking and declared a winner at the end of every fiscal year – all stemmed from the Checkies, a more humble version of the XPols that tracked the distribution of oversized checks.
(We were forced to abandon the XPols when monitoring all of these acts of politicking across our bi-borough coverage area started to cut into our ritual of cutting out around 1 p.m. on Friday for a few round of Night Train Express-tinis.)
We've noticed, however, much to our dismay, that the practice of handing out large checks to signify the allocation of taxpayer money (you know, because otherwise we would never be able to visualize just how much money was being handed out and who was doing it) seems to have fallen off over the years. Nope, we just don't see that many big checks anymore.
But we couldn't let this particular big check go unnoticed.
As we were changing out the paper in the Pol Position hamster cage last week, we caught sight of this picture of Councilman Daniel Dromm of Queens handing out a big check at Elmhurst Hospital Center. Even in the heyday of the big check we never spotted one of such exquisite beauty out in the wild. Such craftsmanship and attention to detail!
Not only is the check of perfect proportions, but take note of the picture of City Hall emblazoned across the front. This isn't some big piece of poster board hastily purchased at a local craft store and scrawled on with a big black marker. No, this a big check of the highest order made by someone with a respect of the history and significance of the big check.
Could this signal a renaissance of the big check? Will the greatest thinkers of our time throw themselves into the art of the big check and change politicking in society for the rest of time? Will we just see more of them? Pol Position certainly hopes so.


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Farro is a whole grain that's become a usual suspect in my every day cooking. I really like its creamy, barley-like texture and that it cooks in about 20 minutes. I make a risotto with farro along with cannellini beans. My kids usually clean their plates when I make it, so I'm guessing they like it a little.
But the other day I couldn't find any farro in my kitchen and pulled out a bag of grains that my sister-in-law Liza brought me from a Portland farmer's market. They came from Ayer's Creek Farm , a small family farm in Oregon.
The bag was labeled "Frumento – Soft Red Wheat". I couldn't find much info after I Googled "frumento" other than it's Italian for wheat or grain. I decided to treat the grains like wheat berries instead of the imported Italian semi-pearled (semi-pearled makes for quicker cooking) farro that I usually have, which meant I soaked them in a bowl on the counter for a few hours.
I'd planned to roast a few supermarket vine-ripened tomatoes I had on the counter, my go-to method for tuning up their somewhat bland, out-of-season taste, but I forgot to turn on the oven. So I put the whole tomatoes over the gas flame for a few minutes until their skins were black and blistered.
I liked the combo of smoky tomatoes and the full flavor of the cooked frumento; definitely springier to the teeth than farro, but in a good way.
I'm glad I had Ancient Grains for Modern Meals by Maria Speck on hand while researching and cooking this post. Maria is an expert on whole grains and I love her Mediterranean-influenced palate.
Lia at Nourish Network also has great info and a recipe for wheat berries – and lots of other healthy foods – on her site.
wheat berries with charred tomato, arugula & ricotta
Yield 4 servings
Add some cooked beans like cannellini or chickpeas to the wheat berries for extra protein and nutrition.
- 1 ½ cups soft wheat berries
- Salt
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon prepared harissa or red chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 or 3 small vine-ripened tomatoes or ¾ cup canned fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 big handfuls baby arugula
- ½ cup fresh whole milk ricotta
- Soak the wheat berries in enough water to cover, either overnight or before you go out for the day.
- Bring 3 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a saucepan; add the drained wheat berries. Simmer for about an hour, or until the wheat berries are plump and al dente when you test one. If they seem too hard, cook up to an additional 15-30 minutes, keeping in mind that when fully cooked they will retain a small bit of "chew".
- Drain all but a small amount of water (1 or 2 tablespoons) from the wheat berries; put them back in the pan and stir in the garlic, smoked paprika if using, harissa or chili and 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- If using fresh tomatoes, char them directly over a gas flame on your stovetop or under a hot broiler, turning them until their skins are blackened and blistered. Chop into rough pieces and add them (or the canned tomatoes) to the wheat berries.
- Transfer the wheat berries to a serving bowl and toss with the arugula; taste and season with salt if needed. Dollop with spoonfuls of ricotta and drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.
Hi there! I'm Karen, a mother of two and a professionally trained cook certified in holistic nutrition.
As the recipe developer, photographer and publisher of Familystyle Food, I share recipes and tips for making easy seasonal meals that are healthy and flavorful. Learn more about me here.
Check out the full recipe index.
Have a question or feedback on a recipe?
Join the conversation and leave a comment below, or send me an email — I love hearing from you!


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Global LPG Cylinder Market Research Report 2017-2022
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The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The LPG Cylinder market analysis is provided for the China markets including development trends, competitive landscape analysis, and key regions development status.
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The LPG Cylinder report is offers a clear picture of the current and future trends, developments and opportunities. The report, prepared by a highly seasoned team of analysts and data experts, carries an array of tables and graphs besides qualitative analyses. Starting with a discussion on the current state of the LPG Cylinder market, the report goes on to discuss the dynamics affecting each segment within it. The report segments the market to up to three levels and studies each of these in great detail. The result is a set of sharp insights and recommendations that will help companies stay ahead of the next new trend in the industry.
The regulatory environment, being such an intrinsic part of the LPG Cylinder market, does need special focus. The report collates information relating to current and future policies and regulations that could directly or indirectly affect business operations. The report is an invaluable business intelligence repository for new and existing players in the LPG Cylinder market.
This report also presents product specification, manufacturing process, and product cost structure etc.Production is separated by regions, technology and applications. Analysis also covers upstream raw materials, equipment, downstream client survey, marketing channels, industry development trend and proposals. In the end, the report includes LPG Cylinder new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, investment return analysis, and development trend analysis. In conclusion, it is a deep research report on Global LPG Cylinder industry.
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In addition, market share evaluation in terms of revenue for major companies is also covered in the report. The scope consequently aids market players in order to identify major markets—in terms of growth—and assist in making appropriate decisions. In this report, key players in the LPG Cylinder market have been acknowledged with the help of various primary sources and secondary sources including primary and secondary interviews and yearly reports of major market competitors. Primary sources mainly comprise industry experts from core and associated industries, technology developers, major suppliers, distributors, service providers, manufacturers, and bodies correlated to all the segments of this value chain of LPG Cylinder industry. On the basis of this research, the market shares have been assessed and validated.
This research study comprises extensive secondary sources, databases, and directories in order to recognize and accumulate data useful for a practical, market-oriented, and marketable study of the global LPG Cylinder market.This research report offers in-depth analysis of the market size (revenue), market share, major market segments, different geographic regions, forecast for the next five years, key market players, and premium industry trends. It also focuses on the key drivers, restraints, opportunities and challenges in the embedded computing system market.


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1. 2006: Texas 41, USC 38 – Hailed as one of the greatest games in college football history as Vince Young and Texas denied USC its third straight national title. Texas got the ball back after the defense stopped the Trojans on a 4th-and-2 with 2:09 left. Young, who had 467 total yards and three scores, went on to score the game-winner with 19 seconds left on a 4th-and-5. It was the Longhorns first national championship since 1970.
2. 1963: USC 42, Wisconsin 38 – The first time the Nos. 1 and 2 ranked teams in the country played in a bowl game, it didn't disappoint. Wisconsin scored 23 unanswered points in the fourth quarter but couldn't quite complete the comeback in a game that set 11 Rose Bowl records.
3. 1929: Georgia Tech 8, California 7 – The infamous Wrong-Way game, as Cal's Roy Riegels recovered a fumble and returned it 65 yards in the wrong direction only to be stopped by a teammate at the 1-yard line. Tech blocked a punt a few plays later to take the lead on a safety.
4. 1926: Alabama 20, Washington 19 – Alabama scored three touchdowns in less than seven minutes in the second half to stun Washington and the college football world in one of the biggest upsets in Rose Bowl history. The win claimed the Tide's first national title. It was also the first time a southern team played in Pasadena.
5. 1980: USC 17, Ohio State 16 – Heisman trophy winning USC running back Charles White rushed for a Rose Bowl record 247 yards and the game-winning touchdown with a little over a minute remaining. USC finished the season ranked No. 2 behind Alabama because of a tie with Stanford earlier in the season in a game it led 21-0.
6. 1941: Stanford 21, Nebraska 13 – Featuring one of the most famous plays in Rose Bowl history, after Nebraska held Stanford out of the end zone on four consecutive plays from the 1-yard line, the Cornhuskers elected to punt out of the end zone on first down only for Stanford to return the punt for a touchdown to seal the win.
7. 2005: Texas 38, Michigan 37 – The game that introduced Vince Young to the college football world, as the Texas quarterback racked up 372 yards and five scores to rally the Longhorns from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Dusty Mangum kicked the game winner as time expired to claim the Longhorns' first Rose Bowl win.
8. 1942: Oregon State 20, Duke 16 – This game was moved to Duke's campus due to fears of a Japanese attack on the West Coast following the events at Pearl Harbor 25 days earlier. It took Oregon State nearly two weeks to make the trip by train, but the heavy underdogs prevailed.
9. 1902: Michigan 49, Stanford 0
The inaugural Rose Bowl was so lopsided that the Stanford captain was granted his request to end the game with eight minutes remaining. National champion Michigan finished 11-0 and earned the nickname, the "point-a-minute" team due to the 501 they scored that season.
10. 1966: UCLA 14, Michigan St. 12 – UCLA shocked the No. 1 and heavily favored Spartans with two second-quarter touchdowns runs from sophomore quarterback Gary Beban, who went on to win the Heisman Trophy in 1967. Michigan St. nearly rallied with two fourth quarter scores, but both two-point conversions failed, including the dramatic final one where defensive back Bob Stiles stopped Bob Apisa one foot from the end zone, going unconscious in the process.


text:
Green Day Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)
Think you can't sing? Think again. Can you hum or sing the pitches as you tune your guitar? Can you sing along with your car radio? You can? Great! Now we know you can sing. It's good to get that out of the way. Come on in and wail away.
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Exclusive Body of Proof Sneak Peek: Who Gets Kidnapped?
Apr 15, 2013 12:55 PM EDT
On Tuesday's episode of Body of Proof, a wealthy fund manager named Gerry Roberts (guest star Christopher McDonald) is on trial for allegedly defrauding his investors. But, he's kidnapped while leaving court — right in front of Tommy (Mark Vall… Read more


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In Coal Country, A Win for Clean Energy
Clean energy activists are elated over a big victory in the heart of coal country, where a Kentucky power cooperative has agreed to cancel plans to build a new coal-fired power plant.
The East Kentucky Power Cooperative struck a deal with an alliance of grassroots activists and others to halt plans for the proposed coal-burning unit at Smith Power Station in Clark County, Ky. The agreement involves the grassroots citizens group Kentuckians for the Commonwealth along with the Kentucky Environmental Foundation, Sierra Club, the Kentucky attorney general, and Gallatin Steel, the EKPC's biggest industrial customer. Also involved in the agreement were individual co-op members, including noted Kentucky author and farmer Wendell Berry, a member of the Shelby Energy co-op.
Besides canceling the plant's construction, EKPC will also commit $125,000 to working with public interest groups and its member co-ops to come up with ideas for new energy efficiency programs and clean-energy options.
"Renewables and demand-side management programs will play increasingly important roles in the energy industry," said EKPC Chief Financial Officer Mike McNalley. "This collaborative will help EKPC gather ideas and feedback to explore the realistic potential of renewables and demand-side management here in Kentucky."
The High Cost of Cheap Coal
More and more people are recalculating the true price of coal, deciding it's simply too high to pay.
Under the agreement, which was announced Nov. 18, EKPC will withdraw all the permits it needs to build the Smith coal plant. In return, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and its allies will dismiss a number of lawsuits and administrative challenges pending against EKPC, and they will not oppose EKPC's efforts to recover costs already spent on the plant.
The deal was reached after a long campaign by Kentucky activists who showed up by the hundreds at public hearings for the plant's permits, gathered thousands of signatures on petitions, met with local co-op directors, sent letters to the Kentucky attorney general and local newspapers, and hosted house parties to discuss the issues with their neighbors.
"Sometimes it can feel like you are a voice in the wilderness," said Kentuckians for the Commonwealth member Randy Wilson. "But it's important to get involved and keep pushing for solutions. Now we have a chance to work together with the co-ops to create jobs here at home while at the same time helping people save energy and money."
- : Appalachian residents are serious about putting a stop to mountaintop removal coal mining—and building a more sustainable economy to take its place.
- : The last intact mountain in West Virginia's Coal River Valley is slated for mountaintop removal coal mining. Local residents have other ideas.
- : What's the potential for carbon-free electricity production? How many coal plants could we replace if we turned to carbon-free renewables instead?


text: Healthy MyPlate-Inspired Side Dish Recipes Healthy MyPlate-Inspired Side Dish Recipes These delicious side dish recipes make it easy to eat healthy and follow the USDA's MyPlate Guidelines. These recipes meet the guidelines for calories, portion size, sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. To make a complete meal, please refer to the serving suggestions. Download a FREE Healthy Vegetable Side Dish Recipe Cookbook! See Recipes ADVERTISEMENT Recipes in slideshow ADVERTISEMENT


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Effects of MAC Preventive Therapy on Disease-Causing Bacteria in HIV-Infected Patients: A Substudy of CPCRA 048
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00000933
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : August 31, 2001
Last Update Posted : October 1, 2013
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Some people who have taken azithromycin to prevent MAC (Mycobacterium avium Complex, a bacterial infection common in HIV-infected persons) have been found to carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria (germs that grow despite the presence of drugs used to kill them). The purpose of this study is to see if people who take azithromycin carry more antibiotic-resistant bacteria than people who have chosen to delay MAC preventive therapy.
When bacteria like Streptococcus (a type of bacteria that causes pneumonia and meningitis) are frequently exposed to antibiotics, the bacteria can become resistant to the drugs. MAC preventive therapy uses antibiotics, but this can make it difficult to treat other infections caused by bacteria that have become resistant in HIV-infected persons. If MAC preventive therapy is delayed, Streptococcus in the body may be less likely to develop resistance. Therefore, if the patient does get a Streptococcus infection, it will be easier to treat because it is not resistant to the antibiotics.
|Condition or disease
|Mycobacterium Avium-intracellulare Infection HIV Infections Pneumococcal Infections
Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of bacteremia, pneumonia, meningitis, and otitis media in the United States. Prior to 1987, this organism was uniformly susceptible to penicillin; since then, however, increasing numbers of isolates resistant to penicillin, as well as to other common antibiotics, have been identified. Frequent exposure to antibiotics has been documented as an important risk factor for the emergence of resistant organisms in HIV-infected patients, who are more likely than uninfected people to be colonized with antibiotic-resistant strains of S. pneumoniae. This substudy is the first to examine the effects of withdrawing or delaying the initiation of prophylaxis (in this case, MAC prophylaxis) on the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pneumococci in a prospective manner.
Study participants are a subset of those enrolled in the CR-MAC Protocol (CPCRA 048). Oropharyngeal swabs are taken at baseline and 4 months after randomization, and are used to isolate S. pneumoniae in culture. These isolates are tested for susceptibility to macrolides, penicillin, cephalosporins, quinolones, and TMP-SMX. The rates of pneumococcal colonization at baseline and 4 months after randomization are determined and used to estimate the impact of deferring MAC prophylaxis on carriage of antibiotic-resistant S. pneumoniae.
|Study Type :
|Enrollment :
|326 participants
|Official Title:
|Effects of Prophylaxis for Disseminated Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) Disease With Azithromycin Versus Deferred Prophylaxis on Carriage of Antibiotic-Resistant Streptococcus Pneumoniae: A Substudy of the CR-MAC Protocol (CPCRA 048)
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|July 2000
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria
You may be eligible for this study if you:
- Are enrolled in CPCRA 048.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00000933
|United States, California
|Community Consortium / UCSF
|San Francisco, California, United States, 94110
|United States, Colorado
|Denver CPCRA / Denver Public Hlth
|Denver, Colorado, United States, 80204
|United States, District of Columbia
|Washington Reg AIDS Prog / Dept of Infect Dis
|Washington, District of Columbia, United States, 20422
|United States, Georgia
|AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta
|Atlanta, Georgia, United States, 30308
|United States, Illinois
|AIDS Research Alliance - Chicago
|Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60657
|United States, Louisiana
|Louisiana Comm AIDS Rsch Prog / Tulane Univ Med
|New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 70112
|United States, Michigan
|Wayne State Univ - WSU/DMC / Univ Hlth Ctr
|Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48201
|Henry Ford Hosp
|Detroit, Michigan, United States, 48202
|United States, New Jersey
|Southern New Jersey AIDS Cln Trials / Dept of Med
|Camden, New Jersey, United States, 08103
|North Jersey Community Research Initiative
|Newark, New Jersey, United States, 07103
|United States, New Mexico
|Partners in Research / New Mexico
|Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States, 87131
|United States, New York
|Harlem AIDS Treatment Grp / Harlem Hosp Ctr
|New York, New York, United States, 10037
|United States, Oregon
|The Research and Education Group
|Portland, Oregon, United States, 97210
|United States, Pennsylvania
|Philadelphia FIGHT
|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19107
|United States, Virginia
|Richmond AIDS Consortium / Div of Infect Diseases
|Richmond, Virginia, United States, 23298
|Study Chair:
|El-Sadr W
|Study Chair:
|Burman W
|Responsible Party:
|National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00000933 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
11607 ( Registry Identifier: DAIDS ES )
Parent Study CPCRA 048
|First Posted:
|August 31, 2001 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|October 1, 2013
|Last Verified:
|September 2013
Keywords provided by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID):
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections
Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection
Antibiotics, Macrolide
Drug Administration Schedule
Drug Resistance, Microbial
Carrier State
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Communicable Diseases
Mycobacterium Infections
Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection
Pneumococcal Infections
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Actinomycetales Infections
Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections
Bacterial Infections
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous
Streptococcal Infections
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Anti-Infective Agents


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The Bipasesores is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse faculty, staff and student body.
Faculty Positions
Faculty positions may include, but are not limited to: Professors, instructors and lecturers.
Staff/Professional Positions
Hourly and salaried positions in a variety of categories include, but are not limited to: Administrative, managerial, skilled crafts, service and maintenance, technical and paraprofessional.
Student/Temporary Positions
Temporary and/or on-campus student positions that are temporary in nature with no expectation of continued employment.


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Yes, you're right, a lot of images will bypass any content filter that relies on blacklist words or websites. And of course you can't control what they see once they leave your house and visit their friends.
But my kids seeing pictures of a dildo, tbh I wouldn't be bothered. I am not in general against my teen kids seeing nudity or, if I'm honest soft porn. It's in the same thing boat as alcohol. They're going to be experiencing it one day (alcohol, sex etc).
However, what I am not happy about them seeing is all the stuff that's beyond soft core. There is stuff out there that would revile a teenager.
So, rather than push it away and ignore, just control it's introduction. So, for example, since the kids were 10-12 we've be fine with our kids drinking wine/beer at home, for example with meals and parties etc. And to be fair, they're not now gagging to go out and get blind drunk. I've often picked up my daughter (now 17) from parties, who's quite level headed and doesn't get blind drunk, whilst some of her friends are chucking their guts up at parties .. and once out of my car window after giving them a lift. I'd like to think that was because we didn't make alcohol a Taboo.


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Despite early success, it was back to basics for the Bluffton High School football team Monday.
"We're working on fundamentals — blocking and tackling," said head coach Ken Cribb. "The team that blocks and tackles the best wins."
But for Cribb, talk of fundamentals may be misdirection of the sort that his pistol offensive attack employs — a quick draw with many targets.
Quarterback C.J. Frazier has delivered touchdown passes to four different receivers — Jerry Scott, Eric Boyles, Dimitri Lowry and Marquis Webber.
Meanwhile, eight different backs have scored for the Bobcats — Scott, Boyles, Lowry, Tykeem Major, Zach "Tex" Scott, Michael Grant, K.J. Ford and Vinny Boni.
It's the kind of diversity that keeps opposing defenses off balance, and Cribb is continually fine-tuning the attack.
"We're going to add some new wrinkles to the offense this week," Cribb said.
"We're implementing new things all the time as the season evolves," he said. "We're way ahead of schedule."
The season so far has the Bobcats atop the Region 7-3A standings with a 2-0 record. Beyond that, Bluffton has piled up 136 points in a 76-0 win over Hilton Head and a 60-14 win over Ridgeland.
"We just want to get better every week and go after another win," Cribb said.
The coach said his team has suffered no major injuries and he welcomed the return of B.J. Hill, Tex Scott and Bo Strimpfel against Ridgeland.
Friday's opponent is Hardeeville High — like Ridgeland, another Region 5-1A team.
Hardeeville is 0-1 after losing 14-0 to Beach High of Georgia last week.
Bluffton's third straight home game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium.
Aug. 19 — BHS 76, Hilton Head 0
Aug. 26. — BHS 60, Ridgeland 14
Friday — vs. Hardeeville
Sept. 9 — at Estill
Sept. 16 — vs. Wade Hampton
Sept. 30 — at Lake Marion
Oct. 7 — vs. Cane Bay
Oct. 14 — vs. Battery Creek
Oct. 21 — at Berkeley
Oct. 28 — at Hilton Head


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The Anderson County Middle School girls' basketball A-team rolled to a 41-19 win over Bardstown Thursday night.
The Lady Mustangs remained unbeaten after ripping Bardstown with a 26-8 explosion in the first half.
Kaci Currens led Anderson with 15 points, while Bailey Curry added 12.
"I am very proud of the kids," Anderson coach Clay Birdwhistell said. "Last year, this team went 0-2 against Bardstown. All week long, I reminded them that Bardstown expected to come in here and win.
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I want to tell you all about this recipe. I would like to sit down with you and urge you to get some shrimp marinating immediately because the sooner you do the quicker you'll be to putting one of these tangy, slightly spicy shrimp into your mouth. I would also encourage heavy dipping into the smoky and rich sauce. But I'm running out of time so I'll just have to trust the images will be enticing enough.
As it is I'm late to pick up my boy from his first day of all day school, lunch is still sitting on the table from three hours ago, dishes are in the sink (that's nothing new) and the other two kids have been watching a movie for the last hour while I try and tackle my growing to do list. So, as I said, I wish I had more time to urge you to make this recipe. You'll just have to trust me and get on it.
As a contributor for S.Pellegrino's Practice the Art of Fine Food program I created this recipe and post along with many others that can be found on their Facebook page here.


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Wired's Gadget Lab blog has a story about how a group of about 250 Kindle owners are staging an online protest over Kindle e-books that cost more than $9.99. The weapon they're using is Amazon's own tagging system, as price offenders are getting hit with a special "9 99 boycott" tag.
The roving--and most likely growing--band of annoyed Kindle owners includes such folks as Connecticut librarian Crystal O'Brien, who spends "a few minutes every day in the Kindle book store tagging the more expensive digital books with the '9 99 boycott' tag and removing it once the price drops below the threshold."
I wish I'd known about the tag when I was searching for a new Kindle e-book the other day. I came across Tana French's "The Likeness" and was considering a purchase until I saw that the Kindle edition was priced at a shocking $14.27. What was so ridiculous was the $10.20 paperback version costs $4 less. However, I didn't notice the "9 99 boycott" tag until I read the Wired blog and went back to look to see whether it was tagged (it was).
Now, if you're new to the whole e-book pricing game, you might think Amazon's the villain here. But the unfortunate fact is that it's really the publishers who are behind the pricing.
Amazon isn't gouging the consumer, and according to my sources, may barely be breaking even on some best sellers that cost $10. You only need to look at the price of books in the eBook Store from Sony to get a pretty good idea that Amazon's trimmed its margins pretty close to the bone. (Typically, best sellers sell for a buck or two more in the Sony eBook Store--and Sony isn't turning big profits either).
Look, I understand publishers don't want to price the Kindle Edition too low for fear that it will hurt sales of the hardcover edition. But I still maintain Kindle best-sellers should cost a few bucks less than what the paperback version of the book would cost. Case in point: I'm not going to buy the paperback edition of "The Likeness" at $10.20. But I would have paid $7.99 for the Kindle version. Now, of course, no sale has been made.
To make my point, I'm slapping a 7 99 boycott tag on "The Likeness." An over $10 boycott is a start. But we really need to get to $7.99. Who's with me?


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Given the challenges associated with installing foundations in deeper waters and ensuring turbines operate successfully in a harsh marine environment, it may seem surprising that it is cables that run into trouble time and time again. Cables are, after all, a rather standardised technology often laid at sea for other sectors such as oil, gas and telecommunications.
Yet the 80% figure is accurate, insist insurers. Niels Kragelund, head of wind energy at Danish insurance firm Codan, says that cables account for 90% of the number of offshore wind claims and 70% of the actual cost of all offshore wind claims. The 80% figure comes from the average split between these two numbers.
Tim Halperin-Smith, divisional director of renewable energy at global insurance brokers Willis, agrees with the 80% figure. Of all the offshore wind claims relating to cables his firm receives, he adds, most incidents occur during installation, half of them due to human error.
Complications often occur when the cable is being buried in the seabed, for example not burying it deep enough, Halperin-Smith explains. Also, as the cable is laid, it naturally wants to return to the shape it took on the carousel it has just come off, so if it is not being monitored and the appropriate tension kept during installation, looping can occur. This can lead to the cable bending beyond the limit known as its maximum bend radius. If this happens, the cable's longevity may be damaged and it has to be replaced.
Care required
Such issues are all too common, says Kragelund, who believes that the main problem is the lack of experience among many sea and cable contractors. "Some of the claims we have seen are so stupid you can't imagine," he says, citing one case where a contractor working on a turbine did not know the cable's location and put two legs of its jack-up barge directly on top of the cable.
Jack-up barge legs can reach depths of 10 metres below the seabed surface, while cables are typically buried around one metre deep, so the cable was crushed by the jack-up barge. "They are not careful enough," adds Kragelund. Many vessels used by contractors are more suitable for near-shore operations rather than the high seas, he adds, making it more difficult to effectively install cables in deeper waters.
Mark Liddiard, power-sector business manager at engineering consultant HR Wallingford, says there is also ignorance about the effect of environmental factors - such as scour caused by highly moveable sediment on the seabed - on cable damage. The firm's own research has shown that scour can develop quickly and may not have been anticipated by the project developer. In many cases, the key problem is lack of awareness of the mobility of sediment in the area, Liddiard says.
"We have seen evidence of cables free-spanning (floating freely) under the water," he says. "To deliver the required protection, cables are often installed by trenching, and buried a metre below the seabed surface, generally in soft sediments. If the sediment is highly mobile, you may end up with a cable exposed and that obviously puts it in a position where it is more prone to damage."
Liddiard adds that highly mobile sediment can also create a scour effect on the base of a turbine's monopile foundation, which can expose the cable at the point where it connects with the turbine.
According to Halperin-Smith, insurers generally draw a distinction between projects built by utilities as their own generating assets - which they are likely to own for 20 to 25 years - and those built by consortia with a view to selling them once the construction is complete. Insurers believe the latter are built with a focus on the short term construction, rather than the long term operation of the assets.
Matt Rowland, an underwriter at GCube Insurance, agrees, saying that utilities are regarded as having the buying power to secure better, more experienced contractors. Where an independent power producer-style consortium comes together to build a project, the parties are generally in it to maximise profits - and one way of achieving this is to use contractors relatively new to the sector that will undercut more established firms in order to secure work, he adds.
"In Germany we have seen experienced contractors having to be brought in to such projects during construction to remedy issues that these inexperienced contractors are unable to solve," Rowland says. "The rates from an insurance perspective reflect that. The rates given to E.on or RWE on its fifth or sixth project will be completely different to those offered to projects run by inexperienced developers and contractors."
In addition to varying insurance rates, the level of "deductibles" - or amounts that must be paid by developers on claims before the policy pays out - can also vary greatly dependent on an insurers' assessment of the experience of both developers and contractors.
Rowland puts the range for deductibles on European offshore projects at between EUR500,000 and EUR1 million. Halperin-Smith largely concurs, saying the deductibles levels for offshore wind are rising, from EUR300,000 a couple of years ago to between EUR750,000 and EUR1 million now. This is mainly due to the number of cable claims and the rising cost of offshore vessels which is making cable repair more and more expensive, he says.
Contractor watch
Many insurers now conduct detailed assessments of a contractor's ability to get the job done, both in terms of their past experience and the equipment they are using.
Developers and insurers jointly employ marine warranty surveyors as technical consultants to assess a contractors' work during installation. These act as an insurer's "eyes and ears" on site, says Halperin-Smith.
Kragelund adds that his firm is rewriting its scope of works to make sure their work is precise and detailed. "We are very much relying on marine warranty surveyors to make sure the erection of an offshore wind farm can happen in a good and proper way," he says.
These surveyors should make sure equipment is right for the project and that the contractor is good. Insurers even go so far as to find out what ships are being used and who the captain is, to make sure they are experienced, Kragelund adds. "We would refuse to insure a project if the project manager hadn't worked on at least one project with success before. It all comes down to the question of 'do the people know what they are doing?' If not, then we will stay away."
However, Chris Sturgeon, managing director of Red Penguin Associates, a marine consultancy specialising in submarine cable projects across the range of industries, disagrees that marine warranty surveyors should be the ones to solve the problems surrounding offshore wind cable installation. "If (the problem) gets to the warranty surveyor then there has not been enough due diligence up front," he says. "They are a back-stop."
Instead, says Sturgeon, developers should be addressing installation at the earliest possible stages to reduce the risk of something going wrong. Blaming human error, he says, is the easy answer.
"It's all about design," says Sturgeon. "It's understanding what the process is at installation, and the detail, and bringing it as far forward as you can in the design process. If you have got the right people and project management processes prepared adequately then you will decrease the risk of human error occurring at the final stage."
Work together
Halperin-Smith agrees, saying his firm is looking to work with developers at the tendering stage of a project to probe bidding contractors on their proposed installation methodologies. He cites the example of two UK offshore wind farms as a good illustration of where a project has been improved due to a client being more stringent in its scope of work
"The same crew and vessel that worked on one project and managed to cut the cable, then managed to lay a 42-kilometre export cable successfully on its next project," he says. "The difference was that the client, following their insurer questioning why they were using a crew that had cut a cable previously, made around 12 changes to the contractor's scope of works. If a developer engages with the installation critically and at an early stage, there is no reason why you can't get it right."
- Mechanical problems Cable damage plays a very minor role in insurance claims for onshore wind farms. Instead, the majority of claims seen by insurers for onshore wind farms centre around mechanical and electrical breakdowns, particularly problems with main shaft bearings, gear boxes and generators. Claims occur during both construction and operation phases:
- Construction claims Construction-phase insurance claims typically include blade damage caused by mishandling, dropping of components during transportation, theft of components from the work area, electrical fault during commissioning and weather-related damages.
- Operational claims These onshore claims tend to include turbine fires, storm damage to valves, damage to blades, substations, foundations or gearboxes, machinery breakdown, manufacturer design problems and mechanical faults in the main components.


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Jewelry Sale
Banana Republic Jewelry Sale
Enjoy the values offered in the jewelry sale at Banana Republic. Discover lovely jewelry pieces in the sale collection including necklaces, rings, bracelets and more. Find savings and fashion by choosing the latest design styles in the jewelry sale. It is fun to save money on great jewelry items in the Banana Republic sale collection.


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Scientists' collection of gravitational waves just got a lot bigger
Scientists added 4 new sets of spacetime ripples to their inventory
Shutterstock/GM Stock Films
Astronomers have now tallied up more gravitational wave sightings than they can count on their fingers.
Scientists with the LIGO and Virgo gravitational wave observatories report four new sets of these ripples in spacetime. Those additions bring the total count to 11, the researchers say in a study published December 3 at arXiv.org, marking major progress since the first gravitational wave detection in 2015 (SN: 3/5/16, p. 6).
All but one of the 11 sets of waves were stirred up in violent collisions of two black holes. The one remaining detection, reported in October 2017, instead came from the smashup of two stellar corpses called neutron stars (SN: 11/11/17, p. 6).
The observations are beginning to reveal how often such waves jiggle the cosmos, and the properties of the shadowy cosmic figures that unleash the ripples. For example, the data hint that black holes may have merged more frequently earlier in the universe's history, the researchers report in a second study posted December 3 at arXiv.org. The team also concluded that few mergers involve black holes bigger than about 50 times the sun's mass.
"There's real strong evidence that those [larger] black holes are missing," says LIGO member Daniel Holz, an astrophysicist at the University of Chicago. Some theoretical physicists had predicted such a dearth of bulky black holes, based on the physics of stellar explosions that produce the cosmic chasms.
Record-breaking black holes produced one of the new sets of spacetime shivers. The combined mass of the colliding behemoths was the largest yet spotted, with one black hole weighing in at about 50 times the mass of the sun, and the other at 34 times the sun's mass. Those ripples also originated farther away than any previous detection: about 9 billion light-years from Earth, give or take a few billion. "It stands out in every possible way," says physicist Emanuele Berti of Johns Hopkins University, who was not involved with the research. "It's super interesting."
LIGO's two detectors — located in Hanford, Wash., and Livingston, La., — and Virgo, near Pisa in Italy, are shuttered for upgrades until next spring. Improvements to the equipment could triple the number of gravitational wave sightings, Holz says. "We're going to get a whole bunch more."
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration. GWTC-1: A gravitational-wave transient catalog of compact binary mergers observed by LIGO and Virgo during the first and second observing runs. arXiv:1811.12907. Posted December 3, 2018.
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration and the Virgo Collaboration. Binary black hole population properties inferred from the first and second observing runs of Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo. arXiv:1811.12940. Posted December 3, 2018.
E. Conover. Colliding black holes are reported for a fifth time. Science News Online, November 16, 2017.
E. Conover. Neutron star collision showers the universe with a wealth of discoveries. Science News. Vol. 192, November 11, 2017, p. 6.
E. Conover. Trio of detectors tracks gravitational waves to their home. Science News. Vol. 192, October 28, 2017, p. 8.
A. Grant. Gravity waves from black holes verify Einstein's prediction. Science News. Vol. 189, March 5, 2016, p. 6.


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But your "where there is no real reason to have a regionally adjusted UBI" is what I'm referring to. It means that the BIU would be justifiably equal.Thesh wrote:In Equilibrium != Equal
Moderators: Azrael, Moderators General, Prelates
But your "where there is no real reason to have a regionally adjusted UBI" is what I'm referring to. It means that the BIU would be justifiably equal.Thesh wrote:In Equilibrium != Equal
Pfhorrest wrote:I'm not talking about calculating your regular income taxes based on just property income (which is already counted as part of your regular income, yes), but just having the only kind of income subject to the UBI-funding tax (and from which the mean of which the UBI amount is calculated) by net property income. So all your income as currently calculated gets taxed as it currently does; then all of your net property income specifically gets taxed again at some percent, and you get credited that same percent of the mean of all net property incomes.
You mean things like renting a car when you travel, renting a backhoe when you want to do yard work, and renting an airplane when you want to fly? How is this parasitic? The alternative is that I would have to purchase an car every time I flew to a distant town, and then try to sell it when the flight was issuing its boarding call for my flight home.slinches wrote: I certainly agree that sitting on assets and renting their use is parasitic to the economy in nature.
Can't the same be said of retail? Doubling the wholesale price for a retail customer is pretty much the norm. Stores would argue that they provide a service; renters have the same argument. Why not keep the margins of stores be kept "as small as possible"?slinches wrote:While the ability to rent is valuable to a society, renters must necessarily charge more than the item is worth in order to make a profit. That profit is non-productive except in the capacity that it allows for more efficient distribution of shared resources. So we should definitely not prohibit renting as a business, but the margins of those businesses should be kept as small of a percentage of the asset's productive value as can be achieved.
Pfhorrest wrote:That reflexivity argument you support for money is exactly the source of my issues with real estate rent. The people who are too poor to buy their own houses instead have to rent them which sucks up the money they would be putting toward not being too poor to buy a house anymore, trapping them in perpetual debt. If everyone could easily afford to buy housing if they wanted to own and only rented when they wanted to rent there would be no practical problem with it, and so in dirt cheap markets nobody cares, but in places where most people cannot buy, rent leaves them trapped in that circumstance.
Pfhorrest wrote:And yes, I know, then move somewhere cheap, but do you really think there ought to be no e.g. grocery store checkers in California, where that kind of job will never ever pay enough to afford not to rent? Tens of millions of people should 'just move'?
CorruptUser wrote:They WOULD pay enough, or at least more, if we reduced the supply of unskilled labor. But I don't get the impression you would be ok with tighter immigration controls.
Flying drones and robots now patrol distribution warehouses - they've become workhorses of the e-commerce era online that retailers can't do without. It is driving down costs but it is also putting people out of work: what price progress?
It could be a scene from Blade Runner 2049; the flying drone hovers in the warehouse aisle, its spinning rotors filling the cavernous space with a buzzing whine.
It edges close to the packages stacked on the shelf and scans them using onboard optical sensors, before whizzing off to its next assignment.
But this is no sci-fi film, it's a warehouse in the US - one of around 250,000 throughout the country, many gargantuan in size: retail giant Walmart's smallest warehouse, for example, is larger than 17 football fields put together.
And these automated drones are now doing the jobs humans - on foot, or operating fork-lift trucks and mechanical lifts - used to do: and they're doing them more cheaply and more accurately.
Two drones can do the work of 100 humans over the same time period, according to supply chain specialist, Argon Consulting. This means they can do several tours of a warehouse - even at night - compare results, identify discrepancies, and build up a much more accurate picture much more quickly.
CorruptUser wrote:Ultra-Highly skilled immigrants, such as doctors and entrepreneurs, create more jobs than they consume. We are generally good about bringing those people over. It's the unskilled immigrants I am talking about. Those... It's a mixed bag, really. They absolutely benefit the skilled and highly skilled natives by making their dollars go farther, but they harm the unskilled natives.
Then it gets into the thorny issue of taxes when it comes to social services like schools and hospitals.
As for automation, I actually don't see that as a problem and think we should be automating more regardless. I... actually disagree a bit on the citizens wage as a solution; I'd prefer citizen's employment in the form of increasing civil service jobs, because why pay people to do nothing when theres still work to be done? Automate all the fast food and construction jobs, but train those workers to be in child protective services, education, police force, criminal defense attorneys, etc. For the people that are too incompetent to be trained in absolutely anything? Yeah, maybe a subsistence welfare, but I think those people are few and far between.
CorruptUser wrote:Alright, "all" was a bit of hyperbole, but most construction jobs are likely to be automated.
fun link
"Construction and building worker (other)" is unlikely, and electrical engineer amongst the least likely, so there will still be jobs, but roofer, carpenter, bricklayer, and so on are pretty much toast, and I don't consider those unskilled. There absolutely are skilled and semiskilled jobs in construction, part of the reason that even Terry Goodkind, the author who is the lovechild from when Ayn Rand took the advice to "go fuck herself" literally, actually supported construction workers guilds/unions. Because when you get the non-union workers, well, you'll be devoured by workers comp issues and delays.
eran_rathan wrote:Anyone who thinks construction is unskilled labor doesn't have a fucking clue and should work in it for a while before mouthing off.
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Rules for SuperFocus
SuperFocus is a very simple but effective method of processing your work. You write everything you have to do in a long list in a notebook. As you think of more things you add them to the end of the list.
Then you start at the beginning of the list and keep circulating round the first page, working on the tasks until you have worked on as many as you want to. Then you move on to the next page and do the same. Once you have got to the end of the list, you go back to the beginning, and start again at the first page.
On each page there is a second column on which you can add additional tasks, as follows:
- When you are working on a page, you can add any urgent tasks to that page.
- If you work on a task and don't finish it, then you re-enter the task on the next page.
An important rule is that you can't leave a page before working on all the tasks in Column 2.
This summary only gives a general description, so it's important that you read the complete rules as given below, and especially that you make sure you understand the rules about dismissing tasks.
SuperFocus is an advanced but simple time management system, which aims to give the best possible balance between easy and difficult tasks and urgent and non-urgent tasks. It also makes sure that you finish what you have started.
The system uses a ruled notebook with two columns on a page. If you can't fit two columns into your page, you can use facing pages instead.
The two columns work differently:
Column 1
All tasks are entered initially in the left-hand column (Column 1) (unless they are urgent).
The list in Column 1 runs continuously from page to page.
Column 2
Is exclusively for urgent and unfinished tasks
Take your notebook
Leaving room for a second column, write a list of everything you have to do down the left of the page, one task to a line.
Continue onto further pages as necessary, using only the left side of the page.
Add further tasks as you think of them or as they come up.
Start work on page 1 by considering each task in turn until one of them feels ready to be done. Work on it for as long as you feel like it. When you have finished working on it, take the following action:
- if the task is finished, delete it by striking it through with a horizontal line. If it is a recurring task, re-enter it at the end of your list in Column 1.
- if the task is not finished, delete it in the same way. Re-enter it in Column 2 on the next page. If you are on the last page, then go back to the beginning of the list and re-enter the task in Column 2 of the first active page. If there is no room in Column 2, then re-enter it on the first page on which there is room.
Enter urgent tasks in Column 2 of the page you are currently working on. If there is no more room in Column 2, then enter it on the first page on which there is room.
Continue working in the same way by circulating around the first page until no more tasks feel ready to be done. All tasks in column 2 must be worked on before you can move to a new page.
Continue circulating round page 1 until all tasks in column 2 have been worked on and no more tasks in column 1 feel ready to be worked on. To clarify: you do not have to work on all the tasks in Column 1 but you do have to work on all the tasks in Column 2.
Move to the next page and continue to act in the same way.
Once you have reached the end of the list, go back to the beginning.
When there are no active tasks remaining on a page, the page is finished and is no longer part of the active list. This rule does not apply to the last page. Note that Column 2 does not have to be full. In the above photo the left-hand page is completed. The wiggly line at the bottom of Column 2 is to stop accidental entry of further tasks into Column 2.
Dismissal is an important process for weeding out tasks that are not going anywhere.
There are two occasions on which tasks are dismissed:
1. If no tasks are done in Column 1 during a visit to a page, all remaining tasks in Column 1 are dismissed. This rule does not apply to the last page of the list.
2. When you visit a page which is full (i.e. both Column 1 and Column 2 are full), all Column 1 tasks on that page must be either actioned or dismissed.
Dismissal only applies to tasks in Column 1. Tasks in Column 2 must always be be worked on.
Dismissal is where the system finally gets rid of all the items which the system has sifted and found wanting. This may happen very quickly (for instance if you have entered a long list of books you are thinking of reading), but more usually quite slowly.
These tasks are no longer active, but subject to review. It is a good idea to have a recurring task on your list called "Review Dismissed Tasks". On review you should consider carefully why they were rejected, whether they really need to be done at all, whether the time is ripe for them to be done, whether they distract from your main goals, and any other factors. When you do re-enter a dismissed item, it is often a good idea to break it down or re-phrase it in some way.
Highlighting rejected items helps you to review them easily.
Remember that the dismissal rules do not apply to the page on which you are still writing items (i.e. the last page).
Signs and symbols
a. When a task has been actioned, it is crossed out with a horizontal line.
b. When a task is dismissed it is highlighted.
c. When a dismissed task is reviewed and either reinstated or removed altogether, it is crossed out as it is no longer subject to review.
d. A page which has no active tasks left on it is marked with a cross in the outside upper corner.
e. When there are no active tasks left on any previous pages, the cross is surrounded with a circle.
f. When there are no dismissed tasks still subject to review on any previous pages, the circle is highlighted.


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From The Archives
The Photogs
The unsung heroes behind every car feature or event coverage story are the photographers. With that thought as inspiration, we dug up some photos of the earliest HOT ROD magazine staff photogs who gave us the printed legacy we cherish.
On the ladder is Eric Rickman, who shot for HOT ROD from 1952 through 1970, when he moved to Petersen Publishing's motorcycle group. Rickman was the magazine's most prolific shooter. This was photographed at the '57 NHRA Nationals by Tom Medley. Neither the ladder nor the girls were unusual for Rick-and note the flip-flops. The Sept. '10 issue of our retro-only magazine, HOT ROD Deluxe, on the newsstands concurrently with this issue of HOT ROD, features a day-by-day pictorial of all Rick's work from 1955. It's a must-see.
The man kneeling in front of the 6th National Championship Drags sign is Bob D'Olivo, another Petersen stalwart who worked at the company from 1952 through 1996. While Rickman documented hot rods, D'Olivo was far-reaching in his coverage of subjects like racing, teen stars, and outdoorsmanship for other Petersen titles. Significant but briefly employed shooter Pat Brollier snapped this pose at the '60 NHRA Nationals.
You no doubt recognize HOT ROD's first official editor and NHRA founder Wally Parks in the jacket with the camera around his neck. This was photographed by Bob Petersen himself at the '60 Daytona 500. Wally shot photos for the magazines in the early years, but not as frequently as other staffers.
Finally, the two men side by side are Ray Brock (left) and Tom Medley at Bonneville in 1958. Ray worked at various Petersen Publishing mags from 1953 through the early '70s, holding editorial and publishing jobs at HOT ROD. He rarely took photos, and when he did, most were out of focus. Tom first appeared on the HOT ROD masthead in the Feb. '48 issue and stuck with the publishing company for 30 years. He may be best remembered for his work at Rod & Custom but made significant contributions to HRM, including penning the famous Stroker McGurk cartoon. Note that among the manufacturer names stitched in his shirt, it says Stroker above the breast pocket.


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There is growing concern regarding the environmental impact and associated costs of lost petroleum-based fluids. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that more than 700 million gal of petroleum enter the environment each year, more than half of which is through irresponsible and illegal disposal. Industry experts estimate that 70 to 80% of hydraulic fluids leave systems through leaks, spills, line breakage, and fitting failure. Petroleum is persistent and toxic. It damages living organisms including plants, animals, and marine life for many years. In addition, the Coast Guard, EPA, and local governments are increasing the range of responsibility of lubricant releases including significant fines and clean-up costs.
In addition to regulatory pressure, equipment operators are frequently faced with clients and stakeholders who are concerned with petroleum-based hydraulic fluids getting into the environment. Even a small amount of petroleum could contaminate an area and cause it to be classified as hazardous.
Prevention is the best environmental protection
As demands on lubricant systems increase, the likelihood of accidental release of fluids also increases. Increased operating temperatures, pressures, and working cycles shorten the life of circuit components. The single best approach to protecting the environment, the equipment, and the operation is to prevent leaks and spills through good routine maintenance. A good preventative maintenance program will:
- Increase productivity because equipment is used more,
- Better utilize in-shop maintenance because there is less emergency work,
- Improve control of spare part inventory and reduce parts usage,
- Reduce equipment down time,
- Reduce safety hazards,
- Increase equipment life,
- Reduce fines and clean-up costs due to environmental release, and
- Reduce down time related to environmental release.
Even with the best maintenance practices, hydraulic leaks and spills are almost inevitable. With that in mind, more and more operators are exploring the use of environmentally preferable alternatives.
Bio-based means less regulation
There are increasing regulatory pressures from the EPA, Coast Guard, and other environmental organizations. While small releases will not result in a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) clean up, large spills will. All petroleum hydraulic fluid spills are "reportable events." These events involve a great deal of clean-up cost, administrative procedures, and punitive fines that can range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
While spilling large quantities of biodegradable hydraulic fluid is still considered under RCRA to be a reportable event, agencies are required to evaluate "bio-based oils" differently than petroleum-based oils. As awareness of biodegradable fluid increases, state and federal agencies are becoming more lenient regarding fines and clean-up costs. In fact, there are several case studies of equipment releasing several hundred gallons of vegetable-based hydraulic fluid into environmentally sensitive areas with no fines and minimal clean-up expense. In most instances, the operator was able to continue working while clean-up efforts were underway. Since the fluids were biodegradable and non-toxic, there was no long-term negative effect to the ecosystem.
There is a common misperception that the Coast Guard or other agencies approve oils based on the oil not leaving a sheen. This is not true. The Coast Guard does not approve, recommend, or endorse any fluids. Furthermore, the Coast Guard does not approve or recommend any test procedures, but rather, follows United States statute laws. The oil sheen that is frequently referenced is inferred from the Clean Water Act as defining "any substance that leaves a sheen, emulsification, or discoloration, as a pollutant and be subject to appropriate fines and regulations governing pollutants." The Coast Guard also relies on the guidelines as outlined by equipment manufacturers and highly favors the use of bio-based and biodegradable fluids. Figure 1 shows the process of biodegradation. Biodegradation is the process of chemical breakdown or transformation of a material caused by organisms or their enzymes.
There are two commonly used measurements for biodegradation. The first is "primary degradation" which measures reduction of the carbon and hydrogen bonds (C-H) in the initial solution; this is the reduction of the amount of the lubricant. The most widely used test that measures this decrease is the CEC-L-33-A-93.
The second measurement of biodegradation is "secondary degradation" or "ultimate degradation." This measures the evolution of CO2 through the biodegradation. The usual test for this is the OECD 301or the ASTM D4684. Figure 2 shows both processes.
Biodegradability defined
There is no single definition of biodegradability. Throughout the United States and internationally there is a wide range of environmentally preferable definitions. The ASTM 6064 has defined biodegradable as a function of degree of degradation, time, and test methodology. Figure 3 shows the different classifications of biodegradation.
Despite these definitions, there are two widely used designations for biodegradability, readily and inherently. Readily biodegradable is defined as degrading 80% within 21 days as measured by the decrease of a test sample. This type of degradation is preferable because in most cases, the fluid will degrade long before environmental damage has occurred. Because of this, little is required in terms of long-term bio-remediation. Vegetable-based lubricants and some synthetic ester-based products exhibit ready biodegradation.
There are several petroleum-based lubricants that claim "inherent biodegradability." Inherent biodegradation is defined as having the propensity to biodegrade, with no indication of timing or degree. These types of products can persist in the environment for years, continuing to cause substantial damage. They require long-term remediation due to the environmental persistence. Typically, these products are petroleum-based, like conventional lubricants. Figure 4 illustrates the difference in degradation timing of a readily biodegradable product compared to an inherently biodegradable product.
This graph easily shows the difference between a readily biodegradable product and an inherently biodegradable one. The EPA and Coast Guard use this differentiation when evaluating an oil release.
Eco-toxicity is critical to living organisms
Another measurement to determine environmental effect of a lubricant is "eco-toxicity." Historically, tests for eco-toxicity have concentrated on the aquatic environment with a number of standard test procedures. Most typically, the tests are for "acute toxicity." This is a measurement of the concentration required to kill various organisms over a short period of time ranging from 24-96 hours. Depending on the tests and its end points, the toxicity of a fluid is described by a loading rate that has a 50% effect (EL50) or causes 50% mortality (LL50) after the stated time. That is, at what concentration of fluid one half of the sample organisms die. Figure 5 shows the different classifications of ecotoxicity.
Performance of bio-fluids
There is a wide variety of performance levels among biodegradable products. When an environmentally preferable product is required outside the common temperatures range, a biodegradable synthetic is usually required. While offering biodegradation, these products can operate in temperatures in excess of 400° F and still offer long fluid life. As would be expected, these products are significantly more expensive.
Care must be taken in choosing the appropriate product for the specific application. Responsible Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) suppliers can clearly indicate their definition of "environmentally preferable." The Federal Trade Commission has been very specific in its requirements for environmental claims and state "look for claims that give some substance to the claim, the additional information that explains why the product is environmentally friendly." Many "would-be" EPP suppliers use misleading environmental claims such as "inherently biodegradable" or "food-grade." Suppliers should be able to support performance claims with testing data. These data can include standard industry tests (ASTM), field-testing, and equipment manufacturer tests. Unless an EPP supplier specializes in environmentally preferable products, they are probably not an expert in the field.
Product demonstration is key
When exploring the use of environmentally safe hydraulic fluids, one quickly observes that not all environmentally safe fluids or the companies that promote them are the same. It seems almost every oil company has some type of "environmentally safe" oil. One must read the fine print to understand what they were really selling.
Because there is no standard for environmentally preferable fluids, many different types of products claim to be environmentally safe. For the most part, they fall into four major classes of products:
- Inherently biodegradable products are those that will break down "some day" and the time to do so is usually measured in years. The environmentally safe aspect is that they are made from either food grade oil or highly refined petroleum-based fluids and contain no heavy metals in the additives. While not truly biodegradable, they can have reduced toxicity.
- USDA H1 "food grade" lubricants that are designated for use in food processing plants. They are designed for light duty applications where the fluid does not come in contact with food. Food grade oils are typically impractical for severe marine applications. In addition, they are toxic; in fact an entire batch of food must be discarded in the event of contact with the lubricant. Finally, they are petroleum-based and therefore environmentally persistent (inherently biodegradable or non-biodegradable) meaning they will be toxic to marine life for long periods of time.
- Readily biodegradable products such as vegetable-based fluids break down into safe, environmentally compatible components (CO2 and H2O) by more than 90% in 28 days or less. They are also non-toxic so they don't kill marine life. They typically are designed for low operating temperatures (less that 220°F).
- Synthetic products usually offer enhanced performance as compared to vegetable or petroleum products. Some can be readily biodegradable and non-toxic and can withstand operating temperatures over 400°F.
History paints a picture
Historically, vegetable-based fluids had not exhibited sufficient performance for most hydraulic applications. There were several reasons for this.
Fluid formulations — Traditionally, a lubricant is compounded from petroleum-based oil and a variety of performance chemistries. Early pioneers in the vegetable-based lubricant market used the same chemistry that was used for petroleum lubricants in vegetable based-oils. It was a great idea, but it didn't work. The characteristics of vegetable oils are vastly different than those of petroleum oils. Vegetable oils had to be formulated for their individual strengths and limitations. Today, there are several vegetable-based products on the market. They offer good performance and a fair price. While all vegetable-based lubricants have temperature limitations, there are some that are better than others. One should check with their lubricant supplier to determine their maximum and minimum operating temperatures. While most vegetable-based lubricants have a maximum operating temperature of 140°F, there are some that offer protection as high as 220°F. Similarly, most vegetable-based lubricants offer good performance to 30°F, yet there are some that flow below –30°F.
Fluid choice — Even the highest performing bio-based fluids have operating limitations in terms of temperature and life expectancy. Using a bio-based fluid in an application higher than 220°F (and as low as 160°F for some fluids) will cause premature and possibly catastrophic equipment failure. There are numerous cases in which using a vegetable-based fluid in the wrong application was a major contributor to the failure. In extreme high temperatures and environmentally sensitive applications, readily biodegradable synthetic fluids should be utilized.
Fluid care — Traditional bio-based fluids offer unique performance characteristics; however they require special care to maximize their useful life. While water is the enemy of all lubricants, most bio-based fluids are more susceptible to hydrolytic breakdown, the result of which can be acid formation. These acids can attack seals, increase wea,r and accelerate fluid aging. Proper filtering will prolong the useful life of these fluids.
Pile drivers lead the way
There are many examples of successful long-term users of environmentally safe fluids. They have had to adapt over time to maximize the utility of the fluids. One example is American Piledriving Equipment Company (APE). For the past 20 years, APE has lead the piledriving industry toward environmental responsibility by exclusively utilizing vegetable-based hydraulic fluids. These biodegradable and non-toxic oils cost more than conventional petroleum-based fluids, but in the long term, save operators thousand of dollars by reducing fines, oil clean-up costs, and downtime. In addition, using agriculturally based products has helped the environment because it breaks down quickly in the environment (readily biodegradable), does not hurt wildlife (non-toxic), and reduces dependence on petroleum, a nonrenewable resource. Finally, using vegetable-based hydraulic fluids has improved the performance of vibro-hammers because of its excellent lubricating properties.
In April of 1989, John White, now the President of APE, developed a vibro-hammer that was smaller in size, yet could perform as well as much larger hammers. As a result of its smaller size, stronger innovative components such as tungsten were required. These hammers were used to help Boeing Corp. protect existing structures from earthquake damage. They soon found their way into Prudhoe Bay, one of the most pristine environments in the world. The environmental regulations in Prudhoe Bay are extremely strict with fines amounting to $20,000 per square foot of oil spill. Any jobsite — and in particular a pile driving site — is susceptible to oil leaks and spills and the risk of fine was too great. In fact, one option, to lay protective mats down over the entire working area was evaluated but was deemed impractical.
About this time, there were several initiatives in Europe to utilize vegetable oil as a base fluid for lubricants. Scandinavian loggers were evaluating the use of rapeseed oil for chain oils while the Swiss were experimenting with vegetable-base two cycle oils for outboard motors. APE began to explore the use of vegetable oil as the base for a hydraulic fluid and found it to be quite possible.
In mid-1992, APE made the decision to move to vegetable oil in all their equipment. There were several obstacles to overcome, however. First, was the performance of the fluid. Early vegetable-based products did not offer long-term protection for heavy-duty applications. They broke down rapidly at the temperature of a working vibro-hammer and had to be changed out more frequently than conventional petroleum products. APE needed to address the cooling system and sump size of the oil. Secondly, because there was limited supply of vegetable oils, if a contractor lost oil it would be difficult to locate a supply of appropriate product. To overcome this, APE installed a backup gravity feed reservoir that allowed the operator to refill his unit by simply pulling a lever. With these obstacles taken care of, APE went system wide with environmentally safe vegetable hydraulic fluids.
The fluid worked well, but still had a few limitations such as cold temperature performance, rust potential, and availability. However, in 1998, newer formulations were able to improve upon these limitations. In fact, with the improvements to the fluids, the APE hammers are able to run cooler, extending the life both of the hammer and the hydraulic fluid. Since then, APE has expanded the use of vegetable-based, biodegradable products to include diesel fuel, grease, gear oil and others.
Saving money in the long run
While the vegetable-based fluids cost more on a per gallon basis, the following four case studies actually show a cost savings by the utilization of the environmentally safe fluids.
While driving piles in the Sacramento River, a piledriving company's hydraulic fitting broke, dumping 600-700 gal of vegetable hydraulic fluid into the river. After initial traditional emergency response; containment, recovery, and reporting, the California Department of Natural Resources allowed the operator to continue working. They agreed to wait 30 days before evaluating fines and long-term remediation. At that time, the water showed no oil, and the fish and plants were thriving. Therefore, there was no fine and no clean up required. As a result, the company saved $30,000 in downtime, $20,000 in fines, and $50,000 in cleanup.
The Bonneville Hydroelectric Dam used an APE Kong 400 to install protecting piles to divert fish from the damn. Using petroleum hydraulic fluid would have jeopardized the very fish the project was designed to protect. The project won environmental awareness award from the Society of Military Engineers (SAME).
While driving sheet piles off of San Juan, Puerto Rico, a sheet cut a hydraulic hose. At least 300 to 400 gal of EnviroLogic 146 hydraulic fluid were released prior to shutting down the machine. The environmental regulator was on site and reviewed the Material Safety Data Sheet. Subsequently, no cleanup other than initial containment and recovery was required. The hose was replaced and the operation was able to continue.
While driving pile in Elliot Bay, a Seattle contractor discovered that a hydraulic hose ruptured and allowed approximately 200 gal of EnviroLogic 146 vegetable hydraulic fluid into the bay. While the contractor used their best efforts to contain and clean the spill, Washington State Resource Damage Assessment (RDA) committee reviewed the event. According to "Oil Spill Compensation Schedule Rule" (WAC 173-183) the contractor was liable, based on amount and type fluid, location and time of the spill, for a fine of approximately $40,000. With support of the biodegradable oil supplier, the RDA committee reviewed the "true" environmental impact, and the fine was eliminated.
Proof is in the performance
The true proof of performance is the field. Any fluid supplier should support their customers with routine oil monitoring and interpretation of the results. Because biodegradable products behave differently than conventional petroleum products, one should not count exclusively on the conventional oil analyst's interpretation test labs results.
It is important to partner with a biofluid supplier, with enough field and technical experience to support an oil-monitoring program and to be willing and able to support product changes.
Many factors should be considered when choosing a biodegradable fluid. The key considerations to be evaluated prior to selecting any fluid include:
- Temperature,
- Pressure,
- Seals and elastomers,
- Water intervention,
- Fluid life,
- Spill potential, and
- Client choice.
Readily biodegradable lubricants can save time and money while protecting the environment; however, they must be properly maintained. Because the key to long fluid life and top tier performance is keeping the fluid clean and dry, proper filtration is essential.
For more information, visit www.terresolve.com or call (800)-661-3558.