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Get a load, literally, of the Darwin Year sculpture
Zagging off which, fellow blogger Terrell Clemmons offers some thoughts on design issues:
Early in 2009, the International Year of Darwin got underway in Shrewsbury, England, the birthplace of Charles Darwin. As part of the celebration marking both Darwin's 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his seminal work, On the Origin of Species, a sculpture was unveiled in Shrewsbury's Mardol Quay Gardens. Nearly forty feet high, sixty feet long, and weighing over 200 tons, the structure, named Quantum Leap, resembles a gigantic slinky placed on the ground like an upside down 'U.' Darwin coordinator, Jon King, explains, "What we wanted was an iconic structure – something that was big, was bold, but something that could be interpreted in different ways." In an irony apparently lost on its celebrants, the name 'Quantum Leap' makes a fitting metaphor for the thinking of contemporary Darwinists.Well, no matter how you think life happened and changed, Darwinism certainly sends the conjecture index soaring to the moon. Darwinism and cosmology are practically licences to write fiction, calling it science. One way you can tell is the easy way both morph into popular culture. The Cave Man, the Many Universes ... hey, the Lifestyles Page editor loves them almost as much as she likes a sip, a sniff, a whiff, and a spa afternoon. And next week, just like the soaps, the story will all be different. Good for business, that last part.
[ ... ]
"There is something fascinating about science," Mark Twain, a contemporary of Darwin, once quipped. "One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling investment of facts."
- "Darwin's Quantum Leap" (December 9, 2009)
Labels: Darwin year


text: From Across the Room… She looked at me with eyes that held an ocean storm and dared me, "Jump in." Advertisements Rate this:Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:Like Loading... Related Published by R. Todd I'm older than I think I am and younger than I feel. I'm stuck in the 80's but relevant to today (oh I hope that last part is true). I think I am more of an enigma than I really am, but somehow still confound those who try to figure me out (or they just look at me weird, so I infer that). And I really hate my first name. Husband, father, Navy Vet, UCF graduate, cat owner (translate.. slave), wannabe writer, and all around big kid who is stuck in an adult world. Overall, I just... um.. something to something, blah blah blah. And that's all I got to say about that. View all posts by R. Todd

subset: commoncrawl


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An announcement by the International Trade Commission has revealed that, based on the complaint by Hillcrest Labs against Nintendo last month, the ITC is planning to investigate the game publisher for possible patent violations.
Hillcrest filed the complaint against Nintendo in August, claiming that the Wiimote violates patents for the former's motion-sensitive remote control, "the Loop," based on Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, which deals with intellectual property.
Basically, the complaint from Hillcrest has requested that the ITC issue both an exclusion order and a cease-and-desist order against Nintendo. That the ITC has decided to investigate Nintendo doesn't mean, however, that the agency has made any decision about the case itself.
This has the potential to be a major issue, both for Nintendo and gamers around the world, if the ITC finds in Hillcrest's favor. In a worst-case scenario, Nintendo could be forced to stop selling the Wii and Wiimotes until a settlement is reached. While that's doubtful, this news must be slightly troubling for the company.


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Hooked On Drums is no longer offering classes or performances.
Hooked On Drums™
Hooked On Drums™ brings the upbeat, inspiring rhythms of African djembe drumming from the Malinke people in Guinea , West Africa to kids in urban Chicago. We offer Hooked On Drums classes and youth drum performances through the Chicago Park District, local schools and community organizations.
Video: Hooked On Drums 2009 Highlights
More than just a way to "blow off steam" or "keep kids off the street," the program gets kids hooked on authentic, traditional music, allowing them to explore African heritage while sharpening their minds on a complex musical idiom. And the rhythms are irresistible!
Hooked On Drums™ is deeply committed to using African music as a vehicle for fostering creativity, curiosity, discipline, self-confidence and well-being in youth—above all, inner-city, at risk youth of diverse ethnic backgrounds. As of November 2013, we are no longer a non-profit and cannot receive tax-deductible donations. Learn more about our Vision here.
Interested in Hooked On Drums Classes or Performances?
Follow Hooked On Drums on Facebook!


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Posted 8 years ago
(1 item)
I live in Italy and share time between here and Florida. The other day we were cleaning out one of our out-buildings to make way for construction and I came across this over-sized Birra di Sicilia (Messina) dal 1923 can/keg just sitting in a back corner.
I checked the measurements of the can/keg (approx 11 1/2" across the top and 18" tall) with those computations in hand did some quick math (~1837 cubic inches) and determined that the can held ~30 liters of beer.
Confirmed with a few locals that they recall these having beer in them and were distributed this way. I have yet to hear from the Beer Collectors out there that have ever seen another example of this can.
I have looked everywhere and cannot seem to locate a single image of a can this large.
Please help. Thanks. Please contact me if you have ever seen another item like this


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Archive for the 'Science' tag
Robotics Back to School Blog Series
It is that time of year again … backpacks on our backs, buses on the streets, and lessons being planned. Yes, we are going back to school! To kick start the school year, we are introducing a six week robotics back to school blog series that highlights the technical and pedagogical side of planning for your robotics classroom. John Watson, from ROBOTC customer support, and Jason McKenna, a K-8 Gifted Support Teacher in the Hopewell Area School District outside of Pittsburgh, PA, will be sharing with you tips, tricks, advice, and recommendations on prepping your robotics classroom and curriculum.
As each blog is posted, the topics below will turn into hyperlinks, so feel free to bookmark this page!
- Organizing a Robotics Classroom
- Which Robotics Kit Should I Use? LEGO EDITION — VEX EDITION
- Reviewing ROBOTC Concepts After a Summer Off
- Setting up ROBOTC and RVW for the Classroom
- Robotics Curriculum Breakdown
- Setting Up Robots: LEGO EDITION — VEX EDITION
- Differentiated Instructions
- Troubleshooting Common Issues in ROBOTC and RVW
- Handling Common Teaching Issues
- Advanced ROBOTC and Robotics
- Assessment and Extension Activities
If you have any questions or would like to start a conversation on any of the topics, feel free to leave us a comment below!


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May 31, 2005
On Wine Value, and a Bargain Southern Rhone Red
Some are minor, like how people misuse the word varietal. As in "that's my favorite varietal" or "how many grape varietals are in that blend?" It's variety, in both cases. Grape varieties can be varietal just like comics hopefully can be comical. But saying "that's my favorite grape varietal" makes about as much sense as saying "he's my favorite comical."
Which makes me think of the annoying myth where you have to be sophisticated to appreciate wine. Apparently that's not true at all, what with the wine crowd constantly effusing about favored grape varietals.
Yet some peeves are more serious. Perhaps the worst, because it seems to be reason number one that people give me for why they aren't into wine, is that you have to spend a lot of money to get good wine. It's simply not true.
Oh, but here comes a related peeve. Yes, yes, yes, you'll constantly read in the wine press about great values from the world over. But they're usually high volume, mass marketed brands that, given what they offer, don't seem to be a nice way to spend $10 at all. Gallo of Sonoma, Kendall Jackson, Georges DuBoeuf? Yes, all likely to be found almost anywhere in the US. But good value? Maybe if you're really into Hostess doughnuts and fast food. For the most part, these and virtually all the other big brand wines have as much distinction as the Red Lobster.
No, value in wine is admittedly a more complex, personal, and to some degree a local concept. Now I'm the first to admit I love, and love to taste, wines that cost a whole lot more than $10. But if you are interested, you can drink and even cellar terrific wines for an average of $10 a bottle, pretty much anywhere you live.
Sure, it doesn't hurt to live near regions that produce wine you like. There are always some local values you won't find elsewhere. But retailers almost everywhere discount good wine that they simply can't sell. And you can't overlook buying and shipping wine from retailers across the country, just like you do from Land's End or amazon.com. There are high quality retailers out there with some amazing deals on wines that are worth your time and money.
One little blog entry can't convey all the ways to find discount wine. I'm passionate about the subject, and I will write more about where you can find great deals. But here's my personal favorite. Bargain bins. Of course, they vary widely by region, and truth be told I've never found as consistently great bargain bins as we have here in Portland. But even if you're not a manic bin browser like me, keep your eyes open for unusual things your local retailer might want to get rid of. Stay away from suspect wines – leaking out the top, faded labels from too much light exposure, low fill levels, etc. All bargain hunters must learn some painful lessons with dicey purchases, and wine bargain hunters are no different. But it's fun and often worth the search. And if you're like me, you might get to the point where you turn down bargains because you simply find too many.
Today's inspiration? A $14 wine that I found in a bargain bin for $8 that tastes like a $20+ wine. When you find something like this, you know you've spent your time well.
2001 Andre Brunel Cotes du Rhone Villages "Cuvee Sabrine"
This southern Rhone red wine is a typical blend of grenache, syrah, and mourvedre, and the producer happens to make wine for the widely noted Chateauneuf du Pape property Les Cailloux. It offers a dark ruby color with a lovely perfume of the southern Rhone – red berries, black pepper, stones, and the classic garrigue or mixture of earth and herbs that you might notice on a walk in this area of France. In the mouth the wine is gorgeous, with rich stony fruit, pepper, and clean earth flavors. There is bright acidity, fine tannins, and a fairly long finish with some alcoholic warmth.
Overall, the wine is a little slick compared to the traditional producers, made in a more modern style that preserves the fresh fruit character of the grapes. But there's simply question where this wine comes from, and it is delicious over two nights (I only saved some in the name of science) with food and on its own. This was the best wine under $10 I've had in a long time and it will hold for a few years even if it doesn't develop much. It's great as it is, and for $8 it might as well have been free.
May 18, 2005
All day I dream about Scotus
Enough please with the recent Supreme Court of the United States decision on interstate wine shipping.
Now I'm the first in line to cheer the removal of restrictions on interstate wine trade. I currently live in one of many essentially free trade states in this nation. Wineries sell and ship wine directly to consumers here and in other states that allow shipping. Wine shops too, if they choose. And the wholesale trade still gets its share – wineries will always need agents to handle at least part of their distribution, most for the larger wineries that couldn't possibly sell more than a fraction direct.
But what about the kids? You know, the ones the wholesalers say will abuse free trade by ordering alcohol on the…gasp, internet. Kids here in Oregon, believe it or not, aren't getting liquored up with hooch they score online. There are way too many easier, cheaper, and faster ways to party, all of them qualities kids appreciate most.
And so the recent Supremes ruling opening the floodgates for interstate wine shipping. Hooray! What? That's not really the whole story? But that's what everyone's saying.
Even the New York Times editorial staff said so on Tuesday. They noted the end of "unfair barriers…to the free flow of wine across the state lines." They even pile on by saying how the ruling will have "considerable effect on the wine industry and its customers, particularly in the booming areas of online shopping and small specialty vineyards." Sounds like free trade for everyone.
But, no. The ruling really says that, in states that allow in-state wineries to ship directly to consumers, such as Michigan and New York, it's unfair to prohibit out-of-state wineries to ship directly. That's wineries, not online or old fashioned wine shops that still presumably face restrictions. And that means states can choose to eliminate all direct shipping, which is just what Michigan might do. For the affected states, the wholesalers generally have a whole lot more power and influence than fledgling wine industries. Who do you think will win?
To its credit, the NYT did mention that states might "choose" to ban all shipping. But that was buried in the editorial, in the aftermath of their initial frothing. And they didn't mention the wineries only part of the ruling.
So the ruling is a step, a positive step even. But it's only a step. Save the toasts for bigger news, like when wineries and wine shops are really free to ship to anyone. Just like the guns and ammo sellers.
May 03, 2005
A Nice Summation of Vintage
So we have the freakishly hot '03 vintage in the Loire Valley and the damp, cool, more typcial '04 vintage. Check out this post on Wine Therapy by Paris-based contributor Rahsaan, who writes nicely about two top producers of Vouvray, Huet and Foreau.
Pay special attention to SFJoe's reply. He offers as pithy a summation of the two vintages as I've seen, and suggests the kind of nuance you should be able to find in the wines of any year:
"The 2004s reflect the vintage very accurately. You can feel the rain on your neck while you taste them the same way you can feel the sweat on your brow from [the] '03s."
Nicely said.
May 02, 2005
Edmund Burle Does It Again
However, I tasted the 2003 Edmund Burle Cotes du Rhone over the past couple nights, and this is a great little wine, as usual, and a nice bargain on sale for $8.46 locally. Not sure where else you can find this wine, but local importer PS Wines brings it in to Portland. This '03 from Burle is classic rustic, wild grenached-based Cotes du Rhone. The color is ruddy ruby and it has an exotic aroma full of stones, pepper, and cherry with nice dried herb notes. The flavors are full and round on the palate with lots of fine tannin and a typcially stoney flavor. It is dry on the finish, so this wine needs food to show its best. And I'd drink this younger despite the structure, because the flavors seem so broad and ripe that I don't think they have much evolution before they simply wilt. But what a tasty, honest wine and how delicious it was with burgers.
May 01, 2005
Manning Magnum Madness Mad-riffic
So how was the best wine house party in Portland? Terrific as usual, with lots good folks and good food, and a vast amount of undeniably good wine. The only downside, beside the unusually hard rain that fell all day and night, is not being able to try everything. And I didn't get to say hello to some people that I wanted to see. Such is life. The highlights listed here implicate the amount of wine consumption, and consider that I tried to hold back and spit a reasonable amount to keep my head straight. Which didn't exactly happen. At least I was riding the bus. On to the event.
Before my first taste, I cut up my Seigle de Thiézac and Pane Francese, both of which turned out pretty well. The siegle was especially tasty with Eddie Robinson's homemade paté. I ended up hanging out around the food taste much of the night as I tasted through the line up of wines.
I started at the white wine table in the Manning dining room. This table was perhaps the star of the event with a terrific array of quality sparkling and still wines. I loved the NV Ariston Champagne Aspasie Brut Prestige, a big Champagne I've never heard of with rich, barrel-aged aromas and flavors with good acidity. The NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Rosé was nice as well, with a pale color and delicate red fruit flavors. For comparison, I tried the 1994 Argyle Brut, a Willamette Valley sparkling wine that tasted good as usual but simple with citrus and yeast flavors. I like Argyle wines, but they never show much complexity. The 2001 Sauzet Puligny-Montrachet Champ-Canet was a big change of pace, with nice slightly maturing white burgundy flavors of apples, toast, and cream. The 2003 Donnhoff Oberhauser Brucke Riesling Spatlese showed the ripeness of the '03 vintage across Europe, with sweet Auslese-like richness and lots of broad flavors that taste great now. The 2002 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese showed lots of petrol for a young wine, but was otherwise fairly tight and young. Drink the Donnhoff and hold this one. Finally, a curiosity, the 1989 Maresh Vineyard Riesling Red Barn, from Oregon's own Dundee Hills. Thanks to my buddy Jim Maresh for sharing another nice example of his family's wine from the '80s. Youthful color, diesel and lemon aroma, nicely flavorful with maybe Spatlese-level sweetness. Not German in complexity or soil flavors, but tasty stuff and Oregon at the core.
In the living room, I found the first table of reds, this one featuring mostly wines from pinot noir and gamay. I brought the '03 Lapierre Morgon and found a '99 from the same producer to compare. The maturing '99 was a favorite on the night, with nice peppery earthy Burgundy-like complexity and elegance. The '03 was more primary and large, maybe even a little alcoholic, again showing the heat of the vintage. Still a good drink though. Another favorite of mine was the 2002 Cameron Pinot Noir Clos Electrique, which only reinforced my feeling that Cameron is one of the top 5 producers of Oregon wine. This wine shows the depth and richness of the '02 vintage here in the Willamette Valley, but the alcohol remains in check, flavors are complex, and there's not a lot of noticeable oakiness. This is a classic in the making. John and Kay Eliasson of Oregon's La Bete winery were here, and John brought a 1985 Pinot noir he made as an amateur from grapes grown near Estacada, OR, far from the heart of wine country today in the Cascade foothills. And wouldn't you know it, this mature, delicate wine was delicious with nice earthy flavors and some hints of fruit, more than alive though starting downhill. I'd happily drink this with dinner. More Oregon pinot noir, this time it's the 1996 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir. This bottle seemed a bit old, not dried out but soft and simple with easy cherry flavors. The 1999 Amity Pinot Noir Schouten Vineyard shows again how underrated this and other pioneer producers are today. Nice, polished but honest pinot noir from a long, late vintage known for great balance and complex flavors. This wine, like many tonight, was opened way too soon. Same with the 1998 Chehalem Pinot Noir Rion Reserve, a bigger wine from a sunnier vintage but still young, fresh, and delicious. Breaking the Oregon pinot streak, the 1993 Podere Il Palazzino Chianti Classico Riserva Grosso Sanese seemed young and rich for this lighter year in Chianti. Without seeing the full label I thought it was a super Tuscan with some cabernet in the mix, but indeed this is all sangiovese as once vociferous taster pointed out. Nice stuff with a long life ahead.
I had arrived a little late and missed some early favorites like the 1985 Veuve Clicquot Champagne Rosé Reserve Brut. Now after lingering at the first table of reds, I saw I had already missed some of the best things from the second red table. First and most painful, the 2000 Produttori di Barbaresco Riserva Rabaja. Nevertheless, I ventured downstairs to the "bigger" red table and found some more things to sample. First up was the '00 Les Pailleres Gigondas, which I also tasted at last year's event. What was a grapey monolithic but nice Gigondas has opened some to reveal more red fruit, pepper, and stone flavors. This is a terrific wine with at least 10 years ahead of it. The 1996 Prunotto Barolo Bussia was predictably tannic and hard but showed lots of promise. I don't have much experience with this producer, but, although I've heard lots of grumbling from others about how the house style is new wave, this bottle showed nice Barolo character. Just let it rest for 5 or 10 more years, especially in magnum. Next were a couple of California cabernets. First the 1999 Heitz Bella Oaks Vineyard, which tasted nice if predictably young and wound up. It took a back seat to the 1991 Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve, which is a terrific example of this long, cool vintage. Oaky as the house style goes, but with enough stuffing, as they say, to balance it out. Cassis, herb, and graphite flavors that echo Bordeaux but with the ripeness of Napa.
I turned out not to be too interested in the other "big" wines, so I made my way back upstairs to find a dessert wine frenzy all over the house. Big bottles, little bottles, already empty bottles…again my slow pace cost me tastes of some precious wines. But at this point, even with my moderate pace, I was winding things down. Still, I managed a few more tastes. The 1971 Quinta do Noval Colheita, a vintage tawny port, was gorgeous with nice sweetness and length. The 1996 Huet Vouvray Le Mont Moelleux 1er Trie was less intense than I expected for this bottling, but that's picking nits. No white wine for me ages more slowly than chenin blanc, and this wine is typically a classic example. Open again in 20 years. There were two different bottlings of the '80 Mas Amiel Maury, an early bottled vintage-port-style wine and a later-bottled example that saw two decades of cask ageing. Both were delicious, and nicely savory for all their sweetness. Usually I find Maury too sweet compared to its sister wine Banyuls, but these bottlings were superb. And finally my other contribution, the NV Broadbent Madeira Terrantez Old Reserve that is at least 50 years old and perhaps 70. Wow, this was terrific. I had tasted a little of this one in the afternoon as I decanted it, and found it to be moderately sweet with lots of hard to describe complexity and the typical bright acid of Madeira. Tasted even better to me later on and it showed a wonderful unique fragrance. Wish I had bought more of this when I found it on close out for $24. Even the full retail of $48 is a relative deal here, for a wine that will last in an opened bottle almost indefinitely. And to think that the Madeira experts I know say this is good stuff but not great. I need to taste more.
So that was that. I said final goodbyes, munched a little more food and trundled down to the bus stop in the rain. Thanks again to Marshall and Carolyn for hosting and to all for bringing such fantastic wines. I look forward to next year, if the Mannings are willing.


text: I'm sure this has been talked about plenty, however I don't have the motivation to search and search and read through everything to find the answer... I have a droid razr and I installed the .215 leak, if we really are getting jellybean and have to go back to .211 how do I do this? Please just explain it instead of directing me to hundreds of pages worth of stuff i have to read through. I tried that and didn't get hardly anywhere. haha. Sorry for being such an inconvenience. =]


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News just keeps pouring in on the military malfeasance front:
— Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, who lately seems to be spending much of his time like a high-school chaperone, has decided to demote the former head of U.S. Africa Command, William "Kip" Ward, from a full, four-star general to three stars, for spending thousands of dollars on lavish travel and other unauthorized expenses, the AP reports. He will also repay the government $82,000.
— The Air Force, utilizing the latest in stealth technology, has decided to release its probe into sexual misconduct by its instructors at its San Antonio, Tex., training post on Wednesday afternoon. No word yet on whether the timing was set to ensure minimal coverage of the Lackland Air Force Base scandal as the entire Pentagon press corps is busy running hard after the latest revelations in the Petraeus-Allen saga.
That means the Air Force (Lackland trainers), the Army (Ward, and the retired Petraeus) and the Marines (Allen) all are grappling with personnel public-relations headaches this week.
Once again, the Navy elected not to participate in this joint operation.
In fact, it has been more than a week since the Navy fired a skipper, this time the captain of the frigate USS Vandegrift and three of his officers for drunken behavior while in the Russian Pacific port of Vladivostok.


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Coming soon, new site design with added storefront for your religious item needs.
NEW addition: Holy Bible King James Version. Holy Bible KJV
Secular = 46.2%
Wiccan = 38.5%
Pagan = 37.4%
Buddhist = 23.1%
Hindu = 15.4%
Jewish = 7.7%
Christian = 7.7%
Muslim = 0.0%
Mormon = 0.0%
You are Agnostic. This is a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God.
A Deist is a person that Believes in a God but not like religions teach. This God is the creator of everything but, most Deists dont think that God interacts with the world or our lives.
Because you are Agnostic, you are being honest with yourself by saying that you do not know. By using your logic and reasoning you have set yourself up to be able to find the truth.
You are Secular. This means that you make your decisions about life by your own experience and try to think about whats best for everyone. This is the only way to have an equal society. You my be religious or believe in a God but, You don't let that impact your reasons for wanting the best for people.
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Kiwifruit growing regions outside the Bay of Plenty could soon play bigger parts in a $1 billion-a-year industry battling a bacterial scourge that is here to stay.
Professor Ian Warrington, co-president of the International Horticulture Congress, has suggested ways New Zealand could live with Psa-V, which has now spread as far as Hawkes Bay since its discovery in heartland Te Puke nearly two years ago.
"The importance of different growing regions in the future will be far more so than currently," he said.
But it was "very unlikely" the industry's heartland could be shifted away from the Bay of Plenty to cleaner ground.
"I'm talking about diversifying so we've got alternative growing areas where your integrated kiwifruit industry has a chance of getting supply from different regions where climates and seasons may have had different impacts on crops.
"And we'd be talking about innovative growers prepared to take the risk of getting into a new crop or perhaps, if we are able to be very certain about the resistance of new cultivars, then having the courage to put those into new areas and keeping the industry clean."
He put the chances of eradicating Psa at "pretty much zero".
"The question is, how can various management and chemical techniques be used to suppress it to an economic level where growers can survive and have a viable industry?"
More than $10 million has gone into an industry research and development programme to fight Psa, involving testing more than 300 products against it.
As of this week, 1669 orchards across the Bay of Plenty, Franklin, Waikato, Coromandel and Hawkes Bay had tested positive for Psa-V, covering about 59 per cent of New Zealand's kiwifruit hectares.
The long-term impact was this year estimated at between $740 million and $885 million, while up to 470 jobs each year over the next three years would be lost.
Psa around the world
Italy: Found in 1992, now widespread in main growing regions.
France: Found in 2010, 18 per cent of industry now affected.
Japan: Different strain found in 1989, managed by cutting back vines.
South Korea: Severely damaged its industry in 1992, now mostly confined to two regions.
Chile: Eight orchards tested positive this year.


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Plains All American Pipeline To Acquire Crude Oil Rail Terminals from U.S. Development Group
Plains All American Pipeline To Acquire Crude Oil Rail Terminals from U.S. Development Group
Assets Complement Existing Businesses & Expand Nationwide Rail Network
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. (NYSE: PAA), announced today that it has agreed to acquire four operating crude oil rail terminals, one terminal under development and various contractual arrangements from U.S. Development Group (USD) for approximately $500 million. The transaction received early termination of the required waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act and is expected to close before the end of this year.
The assets to be acquired include three crude oil rail loading terminals located in the Eagle Ford, Bakken and Niobrara producing regions with an aggregate daily loading capacity of approximately 85,000 barrels per day, a rail unloading terminal at St. James, Louisiana with capacity of approximately 140,000 barrels per day and a project to construct a crude oil unloading terminal near Bakersfield, California.
"These assets represent a very attractive addition to our existing North American rail activities, substantially improving our scale, scope, and flexibility," said Greg L. Armstrong, Chairman and CEO of PAA. "Given recent and projected increases in North American crude oil production and volumetric and quality imbalances expected to occur in certain regions over the next several years, we believe that strategically located rail loading and unloading assets will continue to play an important role in the transportation of crude oil in North America."
The Partnership stated that following the acquisition and taking into account projects currently under development, PAA's North American crude oil rail business platform will include five loading terminals and three unloading terminals. Crude oil loading capacity is expected to total approximately 250,000 barrels per day, with five facilities located in or near key producing areas extending from the US Rockies to South Texas. Unloading capacity is expected to total 335,000 barrels per day with terminals located on the East Coast, Gulf Coast and West Coast. The West Coast project will connect with PAA's West Coast pipeline and terminal network and will have access to refinery markets in both Northern and Southern California.
PAA also owns an extensive network of rail facilities for natural gas liquids (NGLs) that extends throughout the U.S. and Canada and includes 18 active loading and/or unloading terminals.
To support its current and planned activities for crude oil and NGL movements by rail, the Partnership expects to have approximately 6,700 railcars under lease by the end of 2013.
Shortly after the announcement of closing the pending transaction, the Partnership intends to post to its website a presentation that contains additional information regarding PAA's network of crude oil and NGL rail assets.
PAA owns a network of approximately 18,000 miles of liquids pipelines, 120 million barrels of liquids storage capacity and handles more than 3 million barrels of physical product on a daily basis.
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P. is a publicly traded master limited partnership engaged in the transportation, storage, terminalling and marketing of crude oil and refined products, as well as in the processing, transportation, fractionation, storage and marketing of natural gas liquids. Through its general partner interest and majority equity ownership position in PAA Natural Gas Storage, L.P. (NYS: PNG) , PAA owns and operates natural gas storage facilities. PAA is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Forward Looking Statements
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this release are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from results or outcomes anticipated in the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, various factors that could frustrate or delay our ability to consummate the transaction; various factors that could adversely impact our ability to complete ongoing or planned expansion projects relating to the assets to be acquired or relating to PAA's existing assets or projects, including among other things, shortages, cost increases or delays in receipt of supplies, materials or labor; inability to obtain, delays in the receipt of, or other issues associated with necessary licenses, permits, approvals, consents, rights of way or other governmental or third party requirements; weather interference with business operations or project construction; environmental liabilities, issues or events that result in construction delays or otherwise impact targeted in-service dates; the successful integration and future performance of the acquired assets or businesses; the availability of adequate third-party production volumes for transportation and marketing in the areas in which we operate and other factors that could cause declines in crude oil volumes transported by rail, such as declines in production from existing oil and gas reserves or failure to develop additional oil and gas reserves; fluctuations in refinery capacity in areas served by our rail facilities and other factors affecting demand for various grades of crude oil and resulting changes in pricing conditions or transportation requirements; our ability to obtain debt or equity financing on satisfactory terms to fund our expansion and development projects; the impact of current and future laws, rulings, governmental regulations, accounting standards and statements and related interpretations; the effects of competition; interruptions in service on third-party pipelines; general economic, market or business conditions and the amplification of other risks caused by volatile financial markets, capital constraints and liquidity concerns; and other factors and uncertainties inherent in the transportation, storage, terminalling and marketing of crude oil as discussed in the Partnership's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Plains All American Pipeline, L.P.
Roy I. Lamoreaux, 713/646-4222 - 800/564-3036
Director, Investor Relations
Brad Leone, 713/646-4196
Manager, Communications
KEYWORDS: United States North America Canada Texas
The article Plains All American Pipeline To Acquire Crude Oil Rail Terminals from U.S. Development Group originally appeared on Fool.com.Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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text: What happens when you combine the might of the two most powerful creatures in the universe? You get this amazing oil painting of Robocop riding a unicorn. Found by the image-hunters at Photo Basement, this is one of those brilliant pieces of fan art that hovers perfectly in the canny valley between sarcasm and homage. Click the image to see it in full-size glory. Pure Epic Awesome [via Photobasement]


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URL: https://welcome-services.desy.de/@@siteview
Breadcrumb Navigation
Welcome to the DESY Campus!
Welcome Services is the central contact point for all German and foreign visitors, be it a guest scientist, a participant for a conference or a summer student. The following pages should help you to get prepared for a stay in Hamburg. The assistance comprises information on foreign law, reservation of guestrooms, house hunting, language courses and cultural events. Our aim is to simplify the lives of our scientists and their families and to enable them to do first steps in Germany independently.
The services are divided into 3 divisions:
The International Office provides support in regard to all necessary administrative processes, which involve a stay in Germany and simplifies the access to scientific life.
In addition to that the International Office is a centre of information: DESY people and guests from other institutes may obtain information just about anything and everything.
Through the Hostel office you can book accommodation in various guesthouses directly on the DESY premises- subject to availability.
The Housing office assists DESY campus scientists in finding suitable external accommodation.


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text: « Return to Search Higher Total Folate Intake May Be Associated with Lower Risk of Exfoliation Glaucoma April 03, 2014 Contact: Mary Leach 617-573-4170 BOSTON (April 3, 2014) -- Exfoliation glaucoma (EG), caused by exfoliation syndrome, a condition in which white clumps of fibrillar material form in the eye, is the most common cause of secondary open-angle glaucoma and a leading cause of blindness and visual impairment. Effective strategies for preventing this disease are lacking. Elevated homocysteine, which may enhance exfoliation material formation, is one possible risk factor that has received significant research attention. Research studies demonstrate that high intake of vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate is associated with lower homocysteine levels. A prospective study from Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) / Harvard Medical School (HMS), and Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) set out to evaluate the association between the intake of these vitamins and EG. The researchers designed a prospective cohort study using more than 20 years of follow-up data from the Nurses' Health Study (all female registered nurses) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (all male health professionals) from June 1, 1980 to May 31, 2010 (Nurses' Health Study) and Jan. 1, 1986 to Dec. 31, 2010 (Health Professionals Follow-up Study). They observed that higher total folate intake was associated with a lower risk for EG/suspected exfoliation glaucoma (SEG), supporting a possible causal role of homocysteine in EG/SEG. Their results are published online in the April 3, 2014 issue of JAMA Ophthalmology. "We included a subset of 78,980 women and 41,221 men who were 40 years or older, free of glaucoma, had completed dietary questionnaires, and reported an eye examination during follow-up," said lead author Jae H. Kang, Sc.D., Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, BWH/HMS. "Incident cases of EG/SEG, totaling 339 were first identified with the questionnaires and were subsequently confirmed with medical records. Multivariable relative risks for EG/SEG were calculated in each cohort and then pooled with meta-analysis." The results showed that vitamin B6 and B12 intake was not associated with EG/SEG risk in pooled analyses (P= .52 and P= .99 for linear trend, respectively). However, there was a trend of a reduced risk of EG/SEG with higher total folate intake, with relations being stronger for higher folate intake from supplements than from diet alone. "Our conclusions are that higher folate intake is associated with a lower risk for EG/SEG, supporting a possible causal role of homocysteine in EG/SEG," said senior author Louis Pasquale, M.D., Glaucoma Service Director, Mass. Eye and Ear. "More work needs to be done but these are critical insights that may give us a better understanding of how EG progresses, which helps to bring us closer to developing interventions or treatments that prevent this blinding disease." In addition to Drs. Kang and Pasquale, other authors are Stephanie J. Loomis, M.P.H.(Mass. Eye and Ear), Janey L. Wiggs, M.D., Ph.D. (Mass. Eye and Ear), and Walter C. Willett, M.D., Dr.PH (HSPH). This work was supported by grants P01 CA87969, UMI CA167552, and EY020928 (Dr. Wiggs) and grant EY09611 (Dr. Pasquale) from the National Institutes of Health and the Arthur Ashley Foundation. Drs. Wiggs and Pasquale are also supported by the HMS Department of Ophthalmology Glaucoma Center of Excellence.


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Peer-Reviewed Publications
Found 161 resultsTitle
Filters: Author is Winston, Flaura Koplin [Clear All Filters]
Precision prevention: time to move beyond universal interventions." Inj. Prev.. 2015."
Simulated Driving Assessment (SDA) for teen drivers: results from a validation study." Inj. Prev.. 2015."
Systematic, theoretically-grounded development and feasibility testing of an innovative, preventive web-based game for children exposed to acute trauma." Clin Pract Pediatr Psychol. 2015;3(1):12-24."
Traumatic Stress, Depression, and Recovery: Child and Parent Responses After Emergency Medical Care for Unintentional Injury." Pediatr Emerg Care. 2015;31(11):737-42."
Adolescence, Attention Allocation, and Driving Safety." J Adolesc Health. 2014;54(5S):S6-S15."
Comparison of teen and adult driver crash scenarios in a nationally representative sample of serious crashes." Accident Analysis and Prevention. 2014;Volume 72, November 2014:302-308."
Driving errors of learner teens: Frequency, nature and their association with practice." Accid Anal Prev. 2014;72C:433-439."
Effect of the Teen Driving Plan on the Driving Performance of Teenagers Before Licensure: A Randomized Clinical Trial." JAMA Pediatr. 2014."
Engagement with the TeenDrivingPlan and diversity of teens' supervised practice driving: lessons for internet-based learner driver interventions." Inj. Prev.. 2014."
Experience and Skill Predict Failure to Brake Errors: Further Validation of the Simulated Driving Assessment.". In: SAE World Congress and Exhibition.; 2014."
Headway Time Errors, Safe Driving Skill, and Experience: An Initial Validation of the Simulated Driving Assessment.". In: Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting.; 2014."
Medication Reduces Crash Risk Among Men With ADHD." Evidence Based Mental Health. 2014."
Residual Cognitive Disability after Completion of Inpatient Rehabilitation among Injured Children." Journal of Pediatrics. 2014;164(1):130-135."
Simulated Driving Assessment: Case Study for the Development of DriveLab™, Extendable Matlab Toolbox for Data Reduction of Clinical Driving Simulator Data.". In: SAE World Congress and Exhibition. Detroit, Michigan: SAE International; 2014."
Anticipated Increases in Medically Attended Injuries by Children and Young Adults With the Affordable Care Act: The Growing Role of Primary Care in the Pediatric Trauma System." Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2013."
Child coping, parent coping assistance, and post-traumatic stress following pediatric physical injury." Child Care Health Dev. 2013;39(2):171-7."
Evaluation of Unintended Training Effects from Collision Scenarios in a Simulated Assessment for Young Novice Drivers.; 2013.
Headway Time and Crashes Among Novice Teens and Experienced Adult Drivers in a Simulated Lead Truck Braking Scenario." Proc Int Driv Symp Hum Factors Driv Assess Train Veh Des. 2013;67:439-445."
Miles to Go: Focusing on Risks for Teen Driver Crashes. Philadelphia : The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute; 2013.
New Insights Into the Detrimental Effects of Peer Passengers on Teen Drivers. Vol. 57. Sage Publications; 2013.
Physical disability after injury-related inpatient rehabilitation in children." Pediatrics. 2013;131(1):e206-13."
(2012). Using Crash Data to Develop Simulator Scenarios for Assessing Young Novice Driver Performance." Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board. 2012:73-78."
Adult-supervised practice driving for adolescent learners: The current state and directions for interventions." J Safety Res. 2012;43(1):21-8."
Boosting Restraint Norms: A Community-Delivered Campaign to Promote Booster Seat Use." Traffic Injury Prevention. 2012."


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A little under two years ago, on a rainy day similar to those buffeting Mumbai for over a week now, I stepped out of the office with my colleagues for a meeting with office bearers of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (L.I.C) in Worli.
Grey skies had blanketed the city and the rain fell intermittently. While there was respite from the skies between spells of rain, there was no respite from the pall of windswept grey and black umbrellas deftly negotiating other umbrellas passing them by, the black adding to the overall gloom, with the occasional colour floating about in the street failing to break the impasse.
After the pounding through the year, roads clung on to puddles of water, seeking relief from the humidity of a long summer. Commuters exercised caution in choosing the puddles to leap over and the puddles to walk through, often choosing the latter to avoid leaping over a puddle only to land in another with a splash.
The much trumpeted Bandra – Worli Sea Link had opened to traffic a little over a week ago, connecting Bandra to Worli across the Mahim Bay. At over five kilometers the cable-stayed bridge over the Arabian Sea had attracted joy riders soon after it was thrown open to the public, with thousands lining up for a drive in the hope they would experience the roiling sea under them from the safety of the sea bridge.
But Mumbai being Mumbai, priorities soon rearranged themselves, with matters of urgency and compulsion taking over the need for joy rides between Worli and Bandra, with the exception of those with time on hand.
As we huddled into the office transport, matters of work took a backseat in the time leading up to the moment the car lined up with the bridge over a violent sea. Rivulets streamed down the windshield, glazing over the yellows of Traffic Policemen posted on the bridge into images brushed over with effects in image software. With windows rolled up we rolled onto the bridge in a cocoon of silence save the occasional banter, the pattering of raindrops and the whooshing of rearing waves muted to the ear even as the eye sought to recreate it.
Shortly we sped over seemingly innumerable spans supported on piers before approaching the massive central tower rising into the sky, the cables descended at angles, turning the cable-stayed portions on either side of the approach into a pleasing geometry.
A few quick turns negotiating the traffic barricades and we were on the home stretch before exiting the bridge on the Worli side in quick time. I was disappointed over passing it so quickly, and I hadn't even got a good, long, hard look at the sea as we passed over it. For a moment I doubted if it was over five kilometers long before my colleagues laid my doubts to rest. It was 5.6 kms. long.
Upon entering the main concourse of L.I.C.'s office building I was struck by how high the ceiling was. With Worli home to large corporations, private and public, the L.I.C building was in keeping in the style of buildings fashioned in Worli in the decades before modernity and transparent open spaces sectioned along temporary lines and reflecting facades came to influence architectural space in newer constructions elsewhere in Mumbai. This looked, felt, and even smelt like Babu space except for a large painting nearly rising to the ceiling behind the receptionist. It was a 1963 Husain.
Not that I needed confirmation to the fact. The lines, the colours, the figures, even if a mystery to those not well informed about the Mumbai art scene, like yours truly, pointed to Maqbool Fida Husain, or M.F. Husain as he is better known in India, or rather was known in India before his passing away in exile in faraway London a little over a week ago, just as the monsoons rumbled into Mumbai ahead of time early this month.
The Gods must have conspired in bridging the two events with a common element, the Mumbai monsoon.
The only paintings I've admired of M.F. Husain's are those of the horses he painted, the lines, the strength in the lines, and the mood made for an arresting pause. Of the rest of his paintings, limited to those I've seen exhibited in galleries and in print, I rarely found any that distinguished itself to a layman eye, more likely ordinary than not, contrary to what many others might feel. In time I came around to believing that their value lay more in the construction of the M.F. Husain brand than any inherent elevating characteristics.
I turned my gaze at the M.F. Husain on the wall.
Dulled by inclement weather outside, the lighting struggled to reveal the painting from where I sat on the sofa with my colleagues, waiting to be summoned to the meeting.
Curious, I got up from the seat and walked up to the painting. A form rising above the masses before him revealed itself holding up what appeared to be the Sun while looking to his right at musicians playing musical instruments.
In the foreground, probably seeking a face to the faceless masses in a throng, he shows a family. For a moment I stand there, attempting to make sense of M.F. Husain's painting from the early 1960s. I make no headway except for returning my eye to the hordes or masses populating the scene.
If the musical instrument in the scene, most likely a Tanpura or maybe a Sitar, held in the classic pose of an accompaniment in a Hindustani music recital, is meant to lend a religious significance to the gathering of the masses at the feet of the one holding up the Sun or a ball of light, I wouldn't know for certain. My guess is as good as yours.
Whether he meant for the imposing figure holding up the ball of flame to be a leader of sorts, I cannot be sure but wouldn't be surprised if he turned out to be holding light to the masses, showing them the way out or a way forward. I could only imagine the intent.
The only certainty, if I can lay claim to it, is the gathering of the masses, and to an extent the notion of a leader rallying the masses about him, either to lead them on, or give them an audience.
And before the day was out, additional elements I happened upon in the landing by the stairway before we got called to the meeting, soon knotted themselves into a narrative around the masses, and a leader. It was as unlikely a coincidence as it was an unlikely analogy. Ah! The dots one will connect when waiting to be called to work!
Where the concourse opened into the landing leading to the staircase, several writing/display boards were stacked up against a wooden cabin fashioned in the space below the staircase, each writing board belonging to a pressure group organized as an employee union, and serving as notice boards for union demands, appeals, and announcements laid in chalk, with the exception of Grahak Chalval. Grahak is Hindi for customer while Chalval is Marathi for movement. Customer Movement.
The announcement in chalk read:
*Happy News* *Happy News*
For L.I.C. Employees
By Courtsey of Grahak Chalval
Montex Wrist Watch Offer
On Purchase of One Wrist Watch
Get Another Wrist Watch Free*
Leather Belt Rs. 250/-
Metal Belt Rs. 300/-
Offer Date: 13 July – 17 July
Time: Between 12 pm – 3 pm
While I had read about Grahak Chalval before I was surprised to find its presence prominently announced in a Govt. institution. No other Govt. office I had visited before bore Grahak Panchayat's presence as prominently as at the L.I.C. office that day, in fact there was no visible presence.
Grahak Chalval is a consumer co-operative movement that emerged in the unlikely event of angry residents in Pune burning down a warehouse suspected of hoarding essential household commodities, inconveniencing consumers by creating artificial shortages aimed at hiking prices. The year was 1974, and Bindu Madhav Joshi was witness to the frustrated mob running amok.
Bindu Madhav Joshi, hailing from Pune's Brahmin community distinguished by its stellar contribution to the Arts, the Academia, Administration, and Social movements, combined with other young social-movement minded Brahmin youth, including Sudhir Phadke and Pu La Deshpande, to raise in consumers an awareness about their rights and help check their exploitation by traders, eventually founding Grahak Panchayat to achieve his objectives.
He mobilized 'Buying Groups' comprising members who bought commodities on behalf of consumers before distributing them at their doorsteps on a 'No Loss – No Profit' basis, ensuring the benefits of collective buying power while putting a check on trading malpractices formerly visited upon individual consumers. Families benefited from the discounts the 'Buying Groups' managed on their behalf, easing financial constraints in the process. It was a rather unique co-operative movement.
Bindu Madhav Joshi's movement eventually expanded its scope to safeguard consumer interests in a variety of matters affecting consumers, showing them the pitfalls to avoid, the rights to exercise, and the way forward.
As we prepared to take the lift, I couldn't help notice the parallel between my interpretation of M.F. Husain's rendition on canvas in the reception and the genesis of Grahak Chalval, the canvas of a painter converging with the reality of a social activist rendered in the consumer movement serving the masses.
In the video below, hear Bindu Madhav Joshi inform and caution consumers of the pitfalls to avoid when buying goods in the marketplace, even advising them to bargain at the counter, reminding them that the Consumer Is King.
Further Reading:
1. Mumbai Grahak Panchayat Website.
2. How The Consumer Movement Started, Outlook Money, 1998.
3. Grahak Chalval, A Unique Co-operative Movement, The Hindu, 1999.
4. Customer's King Turns 80, Loksatta, 2010.


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LOS ANGELES – Now, USC's quarterback battle takes a summer hiatus.
It's been an interesting spring, with sophomores Cody Kessler and Max Wittek and freshman Max Browne all competing to succeed Matt Barkley, but after six weeks and 15 spring practices, there's little clarity.
USC concluded spring ball Saturday afternoon with its annual scrimmage at the Coliseum, and when Coach Lane Kiffin releases a depth chart Monday, it almost certainly will not designate a No. 1 quarterback. That means the competition will resume in August, when the Trojans rev up again for fall camp.
"We'll go back and watch the film, but I would not imagine a decision coming out of today," Kiffin said.
So who "won" the day? Kessler. In six drives, he completed 15 of 22 attempts for 242 yards and three touchdowns. Wittek, in five drives, completed 12 of 17 for 145 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Browne, in five drives, completed 7 of 11 for 80 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Each one had his moments. Kessler, quelling doubts about arm strength, threw a deep ball that turned into a 70-yard touchdown to Marqise Lee. Wittek lofted a perfectly placed ball to the end zone for a 30-yard touchdown to Lee. Browne and Nelson Agholor connected on a 44-yard touchdown.
Kessler, though, made fewer mistakes and showed nice command on the field. Several times at the line of scrimmage, he pulled back – Barkley-like – to call an audible or move teammates to different spots.
With Wittek and Browne sitting at the same interview table, Kessler gave a diplomatic answer when asked if he thought he had done enough to earn the starting job.
"I think that I put everything I had into it," Kessler said. "I think that's the best way to say it. I (put) basically everything I had in spring, and hopefully showed all the hard work that I put in in the offseason, and hopefully showed on film this spring. Because both of these guys are really amazing quarterbacks."
Later, Wittek gave a more direct answer to the same question.
"Yeah. I think I've played well," Wittek said. "I think I put a good resume on film, and I'll look forward to seeing what happens."
It's unwise to make sweeping judgments from the scrimmage. USC ran 86 plays but did not tackle because of injury woes that kept 20 players (including 16 scholarship players) off the field.
"I really thought the day, the 15th practice, was similar to the first 14 combined," Kiffin said. "We saw some of the same good things and some of the same (negative) issues come up."
That's a fair assessment. The good? The passing game and, by extension, the receivers. Lee caught eight balls for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Agholor caught seven for 116 yards and two touchdowns.
The surprise? Victor Blackwell, the Mater Dei High product who is competing to be the No. 3 receiver. Blackwell, at the end of an under-the-radar spring, caught seven balls for 155 yards and one touchdown.
The defensive front seven looked strong, as it has throughout the spring. There were 12 sacks, including three by Morgan Breslin, and USC's rushing total (including sacks) was minus-13 yards.
Again, the secondary struggled, as evidenced by the passing numbers. The notable exception was safety Demetrius Wright, who had quite a week. On Monday, Wright was told he should have surgery to repair a torn hip labrum, but decided to keep playing and treat it with rehab.
Wright had been a starting safety throughout the spring, but Saturday morning, he was told he was being moved to the second team and was being replaced by freshman Leon McQuay III.
"We told him, 'If you don't like it, come out and make plays,"' Kiffin said.
So, Wright had two interceptions.
"I just had to get my mindset right, so I could come out and show these guys that I could be a starter for them," Wright said.
Contact the writer: email@example.com


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A call to shovels: City Hall asks for help
Classes at Hermon Hutchens Elementary School canceled
Officials in Valdez are preparing for an all-out assault on the accumulated snow on top of the roof of Hermon Hutchens Elementary School after the weight of the snow exceeded 90 pounds per square foot Monday.
Consequently, elementary school students in Valdez got a first-ever "snow day" Tuesday when district officials announced classes were canceled through Friday, January 13, due to the excessive snow load accumulated on the structure's roof.
"As of tomorrow we are going to have to close the school for elementary kids," Jacob Jensen, superintendent for Valdez City Schools, said in a report to the board of education at its regularly scheduled meeting Monday night.
As of noon on Wednesday, all the classes at all the schools have been canceled.
"Hermon Hutchens Elementary School is currently the only city building that has exceeded its load limit and therefore has been closed pending snow removal efforts," the city said Tuesday afternoon when it issued a press release asking for the public to help remove the snow.
"The City is asking for more temporary workers or volunteers, 18 years old or older, who can help remove snow from the Elementary School, the High School, and other City buildings," it said. "While temporary workers may be needed indefinitely, volunteers are particularly needed from Thursday January 12 through Monday, January 16."
Hourly pay for snow shoveling has been increased to $20.30 according to Sheri Pierce, spokeswoman for the City of Valdez.
Officials are asking anyone looking to volunteer or go on the city's payroll temporarily to call City Hall at 834-3457 and leave your name, contact number, and when you will be available to work.
"Shoveling crews will be organized into three eight hour shifts, working around the clock throughout the weekend," to clear the elementary school, the city said.
"We are closed through Friday," said Beth Duffy, administrative secretary at Hermon Hutchens. Parents and students will be updated on the status of elementary school classes Sunday, January 15 through the districts "Alert Now" message systems.
Updates will also be available on the district's Edline system on the internet.
The snow accumulated on the school's roof weighed an impressive 97 pounds per square foot Monday night. The problem is, the building is only rated to hold a load of no more than 90 pounds per square inch.
"As long as the whole square foot weight is over 90 (pounds) it is unsafe," Jensen told the board.
An acute shortage of snow removal equipment and people willing to work at the district's hourly rate of pay have stymied district efforts to keep the snow load on the roof at a manageable level according to Jensen.
The roof at Gilson Jr. High has already been shoveled off and the roof of Valdez High School is poorly insulated and as a result snow melts off the structure at a fast rate because of the heat loss.
Jensen said the district has had a small crew at work shoveling snow from the school's roof for the last several weeks, but the temporary workers hired by the district all quit to work for the city, which was paying almost $2 an hour more in hourly wages than the district.
"The city is going to have all their folks over here," on the school's roof Tuesday, Jensen said. But a lack of industrial-grade snow scoops is also an impediment to clearing the roof. The city has ordered a large number of industrial grade snow scoops to aid in the effort to clear the roof so classes can resume.
At Monday night's school board meeting, board member Dr. Kathy Todd asked if she could loan her aluminum scoop to the district to speed up snow removal.
"If the limit is the scoops, I'll volunteer it right away," she said.
Ben Olds, head of building maintenance for the district, said household scoops are not the same as the types used for industrial snow removal.
Parents looking for current information on the school closure and where future classes will be held can expect robocalls from the district's Alert Now system, online or they can tune in to local radio for updates.
"The City of Valdez and Valdez City Schools have been working diligently to remove an excessive amount of snow from all city buildings," the city said Tuesday afternoon. "However, some buildings are now approaching their structural limits for snow load.
Current information will also be posted at http://www.ValdezStar.net as it is made available. Faster updates are available on the Valdez Star Facebook page.


text:
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I heard this also last night and deliberately didn't post it because Bopper immediately regretted letting the cat out of the bag. CBS had told him not to announce this. Mark got upset and called in to shush Bopper. The date being given here is incorrect. I think the mods should remove that post and all others on the topic because I don't want to see Bopper getting in trouble. Drawing the conclusion that this appearance means they're eliminated next is a big stretch also because they could just as easily be promoting the show. Marcus and Amani were on The Talk before they were eliminated. Bopper and Mark are popular just like Marcus and Amani were, so I'm not surprised that they were asked to be on The Talk.
Why would any logical person (Prophet as a thinking person is excepted here) not assume that Mark and Bopper are about to be eliminated, starting at least one hour behind on a linear leg where there is unlikely to be any bunching and also having a SpeedBump to slow them down?
If it WAS Brenchel who did the FF, wouldn't it have been noticeable in her recent pics(I believe there was a pic of them when they returned from TAR?)
I have a feeling Mark and Bopper are way, way, behind. So far behind in fact, that if they do get to go for the Fast Forward (assuming there is one), it might not be enough. And it is possible that the Fast Forward won't be available for them until after the Speed Bump. Dave and Rachel not only finished the roadblock ahead of the other teams, they finished the detour ahead of the other teams, and I suspect before any of the other teams reached the detour. While we can't conclude logically that Mark and Bopper are eliminated this leg based on what we've seen so far from CBS, I seriously doubt they'll win the leg. There's also a suspicion in my mind that we may see a team fall seriously behind on the leg in Japan, and I'm wondering if this may possibly explain the two-hour finale, rather than two separate episodes. It hasn't happened in a long time for a fourth place team, but the way this season keeps giving us callbacks to earlier seasons, it wouldn't surprise me at this point.
Just a quick comment in all of the speculation. Tasks are not changed at the last moment to favor teams; the elimination points are not changed, i.e., a non-elimination leg remains a non-elimination leg. I don't know if it is still being done, but in the early seasons, it was mentioned that production actually prepared a sworn affidavit, prior to the start of filming,of the tasks that would be used and at what point so as to avoid claims that tasks were changed on the spot to favor any team.The affidavit, as I understood what was mentioned at the time, also included the backup tasks or legs in case of problems at any point in the race. There's absolutely no way a last minute change in location or tasks can be made without some advance preparation (local production crew and extras) so it can be executed and keep filming on track.It irritates me to no end when there's a suggestion such as changing a task or an elimination point to favor keeping a particular team in the race. Among other things, since TAR is legally considered under US law to be a game show, it is required to comply with federal law that prohibits manipulation of the game elements to favor or not favor particular teams.
I'd read an info on wikipedia that there are 10 countries that will visit on TAR 20, Japan is the 10th one and so which Asian country will be the 9th one? Could be in Thailand or China, again?!
Quote from: topaz on April 27, 2012, 06:16:58 AMI'd read an info on wikipedia that there are 10 countries that will visit on TAR 20, Japan is the 10th one and so which Asian country will be the 9th one? Could be in Thailand or China, again?! How does the wikipedia user that added this know that again? There is no time for more countries because there are only two more weeks of broadcast.
The possibility exists that Osaka is a TBC "keep on racing" leg. Or else they have the shortest PitStop ever. (Which could be, I think last season's was < 8 hours.)http://forum.realityfanforum.com/index.php/topic,26553.msg747166.html#msg747166
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It seems inevitable that a cemetery recording site would partner with one of the largest newspaper archives to give access to obituaries. It has now happened with a partnership between the fast growing gravemarker site, BillionGraves.com, and the newspaper archives site, GenealogyBank.com. Of course, searching in the newspaper collection can discover a lot more than just obituaries. Here is a quote from the BillionGraves.com blog:
GenealogyBank and BillionGraves stand side by side to provide you the records you need to fill in those gaps, verify your family tree, and perpetuate the stories of your ancestors through:In addition, the entries for each of the individuals located in BillionGraves.com now have expanded information screens to add information about relationships, links to FamilySearch and personal history.
Because of this partnership, you are now able to access that information as easily as usingour search page.
- Birth and Marriage records
- Obituaries
- Photographs
- Various news articles from historical newspapers
- Passenger lists
- Military and government records found in historical books and documents
- And more!


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94 N. Main Street, Jasper, GA - (706) 253-2457
In a recent Sunday New York Times, a columnist discussed the benefits to governments from taking more advice/input from social scientists and behavior researchers when developing policies.
Columnist Richard H. Thaler described a process in Great Britain where the government used a small office of social scientists to look at ways to get more public participation or to make other policies more effective. The column noted that by crafting better overdue notices on tax bills, the government collected a record amount of unpaid taxes––in fact more than enough to cover the entire budget of the office.
What the columnist found was that if the government would apply two standards to every program, policy or office, they would increase effectiveness. These two criteria are so startlingly obvious they shouldn't have to be stated. But they are shockingly missing from government program promotion, ranging from local recycling to the federal healthcare plan.
The two key ingredients:
• "If you want to encourage some activity, make it easy."
• "You can't make evidence-based policy decisions without evidence."
Whether promoting recycling or the paying of your taxes, government does a fair job but could go further in making things convenient for users. For example, the new recreation center and old swimming pool at Roper Park aren't easy to use, because the hours these facilities are open may not jibe with times families are looking for recreation. Nor is there any organized system to highlight programs and amenities the county offers at the park. If it wants more people frequenting Roper Park (and hopefully supporting programs there with user fees) local government needs to re-think its approach from the user's point of view.
The state and county have made a big campaign to encourage recycling. But, at least in Pickens, it is not particularly easy for homeowners to participate. There is no government -provided curbside pick-up of recyclables, and you find few recycling bins in public spaces. The county has emphasized the savings available to families through recycling, as the practice reduces the volume of garbage families generate and by that decreases their dumping fees. But maybe the county still needs to look at how recycling could be made easier for the user.
On the federal level, could our nation have created a more complicated income tax system? In Britain it was found that by making tax forms simple and easy the government gained a higher percentage of people correctly and honestly paying their yearly taxes. It hurts to write that check every April. The least the IRS might do is make the chore a tad more straight-forward. Maybe even here we might see an increase in honest filers with and uptick in revenue to boot.
As to evidence-based policy, history is filled with examples where some government body went off half-cocked, even half informed, and created a full-scale mess.
The problem is surely not that the speed of government allows no time for research. With red tape, projects like the Tate Depot and widening of Highway 53 through Jasper have languished a long time already. Moving without thinking stems from misguided approaches where objectives are identified first, and evidence to support the plan is created later. In this line, the invasion of Iraq proceeded while a contradictory assessment concerning the ease of the operation and the support that could be expected from Iraqis was ignored.
Locally, we have the courthouse renovation. The recommendation that a location besides Main Street be considered was put forward by a courthouse committee but ignored. It may not have been a better choice, but it never appeared to get serious consideration.
Looking ahead, we urge all elected officials, both new and returning, to keep these two standards (make it easy and don't proceed until you have considered all the facts) in mind whenever plotting a future direction.


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The Straits Times
22 September 2010
Meditation brings clarity of mind in the midst of crisis, says GIC chief of investment Ng Kok Song
By Lee Siew Hua, Senior Writer
THE idea of sitting silently on a meditation mat - twice a day, like a statue - is likely to agitate the typical executive shackled to a very important schedule in stress capital Singapore.
But Mr Ng Kok Song, 62, the 'Christian friend' who taught a meditation mantra to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, serenely flips the perspective. Think of meditation as an antidote to the rush of the corporate world, suggests the group chief investment officer of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (GIC).
Mr Ng has spent 40 years working to invest Singapore's foreign reserves. For 22 years, he has been a practitioner of Christian meditation. The Catholic says meditation gives him clarity of mind, especially in times of financial crisis.
'Meditation brings calm and equanimity - not to be overelated when times are good or overdepressed when times are bad,' says Mr Ng, who meditates 25 minutes each morning, and again at night.
'I think it gives you greater clarity of mind, which helps in times of chaos and great stress, to see what's the cause of things, what's passing, what's enduring and what's really important.'
Read a PDF of the entire article here.


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Dr. Carl A. Stockton is the sixth Chancellor of Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM), having assumed the office July 1, 2016, at the invitation of the Auburn University Board of Trustees. He has strong ties to Alabama and the Southeast and an active and successful history of service and leadership in higher education.
In his 32 years in higher education, as both administrator and faculty member, Dr. Stockton has raised more than $100 million in grants and capital support for the universities and programs he has served. His leadership and support have increased degree offerings for students and research and professional development opportunities for faculty as well as cultivated partnerships with industry and international universities.
Dr. Stockton has successfully managed toward continuous growth and high achievement. While serving as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs of the University of Houston-Clear Lake — the post he held from 2007 until joining AUM — Dr. Stockton grew enrollment by 18 percent, a record in the university's history. He also led the university to earn the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Community Engagement Classification in both Curricular Engagement and Outreach Partnerships and in being named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. He has also encouraged and facilitated faculty engagement with the Fulbright Scholars Program.
Beginning his career as an assistant professor in health science education at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Dr. Stockton advanced to administration as the department chair of exercise, sport and health education in Radford University's College of Education and Human Development and then as department chair of health and applied human sciences in the University of North Carolina at Wilmington's College of Art and Sciences.
While at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, Dr. Stockton led efforts to develop a Space Act Agreement with NASA/Johnson Space Center, which led to the establishment of a Cybersecurity Institute. He has partnered on projects with NASA, the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation.
In addition to his distinguished career spanning progressive levels of achievement as educator, researcher and author, and administrator, Dr. Stockton's accomplishments are also marked by active professional and community involvement.
He holds memberships in the American Public Health Association, the American Association for Health Education, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the American Council on Education, Eta Sigma Gamma Professional Health Service Honorary and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Dr. Stockton has served as a member of the Board of Directors for Space Center Rotary and as a Trustee for the Space Center Rotary Endowment Foundation Board. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Airlie Gardens Foundation and the Board Bond Advisory Committee Community Partnership with the University of Texas at Brownsville. He also previously served on the national Board of Directors for the American Association for Health Education.
Among Dr. Stockton's awards and honors are the Houston Endowed Chair for Education, the Pi Lambda Theta International Honor Society and Professional Association in Education Award, the Health Administrator of the Year Award, and the Omicron Delta Kappa Honorary Society for leadership. He is a Fellow of the American Association for Health Education and was, most recently, inducted into the University of Florida College of Health and Human Performance's Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. As a faculty member, Dr. Stockton received the Alpha Lambda Delta Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Outstanding Faculty Service Award from Radford University.
Dr. Stockton holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Health Education from the University of Florida and a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Education from the University of Tennessee. He and his wife, Elaine, have one daughter, Taylor, who is working on her master's degree in accounting and was named All-American Scholar by the Women's Golf Coaches Association and Student Athlete of the Year by the Southland Conference.
|Mail Address
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LIFE Armstrong County participants receive most of their adult day services, medical care, rehabilitation and more at the LIFE Center. LIFE drivers transport our participants to and from the Center as well as to other scheduled medical appointments managed through LIFE. Each participant receives individualized care and personal attention. The staff strives to help them reach their highest levels of functioning, health and well-being. A day at the LIFE Center may include the following:


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17 Things Jenny McCarthy Has Actually Said
As the newest co-host on "The View," Jenny McCarthy will soon have a daily, nationally televised platform to share her own, often controversial views with the ABC talk show's 3.3 million viewers.
The outspoken comedian/actress/author/Autism advocate/Playboy bunny/talk show host has never been shy about sharing her opinions, and most famously she believes there is a link between vaccines and autism, an opinion that's near-universally regarded as dangerous.
Here are some of McCarthy's most controversial statements you will likely be hearing more about on "The View" come September 9.
McCarthy says she has "healed" her son of Autism:
She explained on CNN:
- "Without a doubt in my mind, I believe that vaccinations triggered Evan's autism."
- "Following bio-medical treatment — which is basically changing the diet, giving vitamins and supplements and detoxing the body from metals or candida — and he recovered. And the reason the medical community has such a hard time with this is because we are treating and healing a vaccine injury ... this is truly a revolution."
- "People are also dying from vaccinations. Evan, my son, died in front of me for two minutes. You ask any mother in the autism community if we'll take the flu, the measles, over autism and day of the week. I think they need to wake up and stop hurting our kids."
- "The reason why [the medical community] is reluctant to talk about it is because there's such a huge business in pharmaceuticals."
- "I look at autism like a bus accident, and you don't become cured from a bus accident, but you can recover." — She said in a Time magazine profile, "The Autism Debate: Who's Afraid of Jenny McCarthy?"
- "Let me see if I can put this in scientific terms: Think of autism like a fart, and vaccines are the finger you pull to make it happen."
On Sex:
- "I'm very very good at it. I will actually research on how to make sex more interesting and better, whether that's positions and I'm cartwheeling on that … talking dirty," she told Howard Stern.
- "I can't even begin to tell you how many casting couches I was attacked on. Not just by casting people, but by stars. And when I wouldn't give them my number, they'd say, "Who the hell do you think you are? You will never make it in this town. I'll make sure of it," she told TV Guide in 1996.
She spilled all to "Access Hollywood":
- "I've noticed, now being 37, I'm much more horny than I was in my 20s," adding "I'm about a 9.8" on a 1-10 scale.
- "Size definitely helps, but the thing is, you don't need big," she said. "Average is awesome. Standard issue is awesome!"
- "No I don't have a sex tape and I'm kind of upset that I don't. You know why? 'Cause I'm really good,"
- "My [dream] night with Brad Pitt in the book is one of the best nights ever," she said. "He's just as hot as you think he is; his butt is beautiful and he can pee like a race horse. That's all I can tell you 'cause Angelina might be mad."
On appearing on the cover of Playboy:
- "I figured [I'd do it] one more time before everything really falls apart. Why not? And [my son] Evan's tuition was really expensive this year," she told the "Today" show.
- McCarthy told Oprah that the Playboy people were surprised when she first took off her undies because she supposedly had the hairiest nether region they'd ever seen.
On Relationships:
- "I am a little bit of a dirty bird sometimes ... I am a serial dater," she said on the "Today" show.
- She memorably went on Oprah and talked about breaking up with Jim Carrey after five years because it "wasn't fun anymore," explaining "When it's not fun anymore, you need to start investigating and do an inquiry into the relationship."
- McCarthy is currently dating Donnie Wahlberg after he appeared on her Vh1 talk show and asked him "Do you talk dirty when you're having sex?" He admitted, "I do," and the rest is history.
Join the conversation about this story »
See Also:
- Jenny McCarthy Confirmed As New Co-Host Of 'The View'
- New Yorkers Are Capturing Crazy Street Videos Of Amanda Bynes Dancing By Herself And Mumbling Over Soup
- Paparazzi Curse At Young Suri Cruise In Disturbing Video
SEE ALSO: Barbara Walters announces Jenny McCarthy has joined 'The View'