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Is the new AC adapter you bought a genuine Gateway one or generic?
I have seen similar instances where a generic adapter was at fault due to not being compatible with the battery.
Well, I've read a lot of battery issue posts and found nothing to figure out this situation. The title is the best way to describe this. My laptop battery completely body blocks my AC adapter.
I took out my older laptop, a Gateway NX570. It's a few years old and was running great up to last March when I bought my new one. I want to use it as a small server to upload weather station info so I dusted it off and started playing with it.
In a couple of days, the battery appeared to stop charging. I was using it with the AC adapter and the battery discharged to nearly nothing. The computer wouldn't even turn on with the adapter plugged in, so I figured the adapter had given up. Easy fix: I bought a new adapter. The computer fired right up and the battery registered a mysterious 25% charge.
Now I'm noticing that the "charging" indicator light on the front isn't working and the battery is discharging as the computer is running with the AC adapter in plugged in. Soon it powers down as the battery discharged completely. Hmm. Bad battery? But wait:
I removed the battery and mashed the power button. The computer turned on and ran normally. The power icon looks like a little AC plug, indicating that I'm running with the adapter plugged in with a fully charged battery. Now. I put the battery back in as the computer was still running and the icon changed to a little battery, and discharging at that.
Power management drivers, right? No worries, says I. I should do a clean install of Windows XP anyway since I'm putting this computer back into service. I started Windows fresh and the problem is still here. I did all of the little tricks in the device manager that I've been reading about to no avail. I decided to sleep on it and decide if buying another battery was worth a shot. I left the laptop plugged in with the battery in place.
This morning I walked up to a laptop with no charging indicator light but a full battery, nonetheless. So now I'm going to save my money and hold off on the battery purchase. The only new detail to report is that I know the charging indicator lamp will still work because I just saw it on briefly as I was playing with power scheme settings. I haven't been able to recreate that.
So finally? My question. Is there a way to use different drivers to manage the battery charging and power use of this laptop or should I just get a cheap UPS until I replace it?
Is the new AC adapter you bought a genuine Gateway one or generic?
I have seen similar instances where a generic adapter was at fault due to not being compatible with the battery.
Are you running XP SP3?
SP3 is installed.
There could be something to the idea of a genuine Gateway brick versus the aftermarket version. Gateway bricks may talk to the motherboard better?
I've done the buy it and try it troubleshooting before and this old machine isn't breaking the bank so far. But for the sake of patience (or lack of it), I may just go to the local shop and pick up a small UPS. This laptop is going to sit on a desk in a cold corner and send weather station data up to Wunderground. It's only going to run one program for the rest of its natural life. I'll still look for the genuine Gateway part for the simple fact that the less junk under the desk, the better.
It would be cool to solve this one. I and others around me have never seen this kind of battery behavior in many years.
A low cost alternative to buying parts when there is no clear-cut fix. I have steered three distant family members to an off-lease computer when they had a need for a super low cost setup. They came ready for use. All worked. In fact one has been working for 3 years without me having to provide repairs. Link
If you need a monitor, call a local auction house to find out if next auction has computers. I have picked them up CRT's monitors for as little as $10 that way.
Linux Mint Debian Edition
Oh I'm with you, brother. (But not out loud in public.) If I get tired of this problem, I'll just get a refurbished web book to do this job for me.
I've been able to provide some of our working families in our community with a computer out of my own pocket by way of these. Their kids have a computer in the house and the machine runs just fine.
There's some kind of odd stigma attached to the purchase of pre-owned gear, be it computers, small appliances, or cars, so I never really mention it around the forums. Thanks for bringing it up.


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Band-engineered semiconductors and phosphor materials for efficient solid-state lighting
Band-engineered semiconductors and phosphor materials for efficient solid-state lighting contributes toward the development of sustainable lighting technology for the 21st century. Lighting consumes ~1 TW of power worldwide, with greenhouse gas emission equivalent to 70% of the world's car emission. Solid-state lighting using semiconductor light emitting diodes (LEDs) has been widely recognized as the next generation energy-efficient lighting technology, since LEDs feature superior efficiency, longer lifetime, and lower environmental hazard when compared with conventional lighting sources. Currently a blue LED is usually combined with phosphor coating to generate white light. There are two major challenges to this technology: (1) LED Efficiency droop at high current density required for lighting; (2) Optical energy losses due to converting blue photons to lower energy photons by phosphors. To attack the former issue we are exploring band-engineering of semiconductors near direct-indirect gap transition to achieve anti-droop properties. For the latter issue we are investigating more efficient phosphor materials especially in the yellow-red regime to enhance its conversion efficiency. We are also conducting research on long-afterglow phosphors which can store optical energy during the day and emit light at night for emergency lighting and decorative lighting.
Faculty contact: Jifeng Liu

subset: commoncrawl


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Archive for the 'cars' Category
As reported by Ken Thomas of the Associated Press (AP), the Chevrolet Equinox has been delivered to people participating in a trial program that involves free loans of the innovative vehicles to a small group of consumers. In addition to General Motors, Honda and BMW are supplying hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars for initial trials in real-life driving conditions. The AP report is summarized here, with additional information provided (links to sources are given).
The Chevy Equinox carries up to 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) of hydrogen gas in pressurized tanks. In the fuel cell, hydrogen reacts with oxygen to generate electricity and the byproduct, water. Although explosive under some conditions, hydrogen is considered safe in these cars because a leak in the system would simply cause the hydrogen to become diluted by air, reaching concentrations that aren't flammable. Equinox driver Tom Albert has covered 2300 miles in two months, and is enthusiastic about the car, citing only the lack of filling stations and the 200 mile range as real limitations (there are only two filling stations in the Washington, D.C. area where he lives).
Reportedly, the performance of the Equinox is equivalent to approximately 43 miles per gallon with conventional gasoline. The cars themselves are considered to be zero emission vehicles, though the source of hydrogen affects the ultimate environmental impact of this technology. Currently, most hydrogen comes from fossil fuels in a process that does generate CO2. However, the goal is to generate hydrogen from renewable sources. One approach to sustainable hydrogen was recently described here and republished here with additional discussion. In addition, as reported by Thomas, extracting hydrogen from natural gas results in about half the CO2 production associated with equivalent gasoline use by a vehicle. This information comes from Patrick Serfass, director of technology for the National Hydrogen Association.
There is a Federal Government target of producing hydrogen at a cost equivalent to $1.50/gallon of gasoline by 2010; current costs are estimated to be $3.00/gallon.
The Chevy Equinox is joined by the Honda FCX Clarity, which is being leased for $600/month to about 200 people in California. There were 50,000 web-based requests for leases, but the program was limited in part by the location of filling stations. Of the 61 hydrogen fueling stations in the U.S., about half are in California. A press release from Air Products, a major supplier of hydrogen, provides more information about present and future health of hydrogen as fuel.
The FCX Clarity travels about 270 miles on one tank of hydrogen, and Jon Spallino is one happy driver:
You're not sacrificing anything, and actually for me it's an enhanced driving experience… I think that's a misconception people have, that you're puttering around in an underpowered cramped little soapbox
BMW's Hydrogen 7 runs on gasoline or hydrogen, with separate tanks to take you about 130 miles on hydrogen and 300 miles on gas.
So far, the production of fuel cell cars requires custom manufacturing, so the real costs per car are very high and undisclosed, but things are certainly being driven in the right direction.
Original text Copyright © 2008, James K. Bashkin
Technorati Tags: hydrogen powered vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells, Chevy Equinox, Honda FCX Clarity, BMW Hydrogen 7, alternative fuel, sustainability, cars, transportation


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"Who am I?"
Those are some famous words spoken by one Cloud Strife.
Love him or hate him, Cloud bears a name and face that many fans of the Final Fantasy series will know. The question of "Who am I?" is something Cloud will probably never have to worry about ever again, as his place in FF history as a recognizable character has been sealed.
With the re-release of Final Fantasy X in all its HD glory this day, many of us will be playing the 2001 game for the very first time or re-living the journey from Zarnarkand to Spira. There are lots of things to love about Final Fantasy X: the beautiful art, the wonderful story, the gorgeous soundtrack! Blitzball! Yevon! And then there's the game's protagonist, Tidus.
I've seen many Internet opinions labeling him as "whiny". Hey, maybe he is! I don't really recall disliking him but there's that one thing he is infamously remembered for, and that is that strange laugh (in either Japanese or English). In that way, Tidus had something unforgettable! That's to be applauded!
With Tidus, it's less of a question for me as to who he is. I remember him—even without the horrid laughter.
But then there are those Final Fantasy characters that I have a difficult time remembering that they existed. In all fairness, as expansive as the cast of characters can get in any given Final Fantasy game, it would be hard for every single one of them to get their moment to shine. Some shine more than others. Not all personalities are going to be loved either (but that is not the heated discussion of personal favourites we will be having today).
In my perfect worlds of Final Fantasy, everyone would be decked out as odd and/or be wonderful—be it design, characteristics or personalities. They would also not be relegated at being [insert low level stats] because I had no inclination to include them in my group of fighters. In the adventure happening outside of the wagon (whoops, wrong series reference), they would all be cool enough to go exploring with me in my party (or at least in heavy rotation when given the choice).
Unfortunately, all cannot be memorable and loved. It's a sad truth that often happens… but not today! Today, I will struggle to remember all of you lackluster characters and give you a moment of glory! ...In an article about how forgettable you were to me.
1. Vaan and Penelo, Final Fantasy XII
Oh boy. I'm sorry, and this is rather embarrassing but who are you two? It's not that I have a dislike for either of you, per se. It's just that there's really nothing to dislike about you guys since you were non-entities to me. This game was clearly not about Vaan (and Penelo, to an extent) at all but rather followed the political razzamatazz involving Ashe, Basch, Gabranth, the annoyingly Rico Suave space pirate Balthier and the bunny girl that traveled with him. Those are characters that I remember. Vaan and Penelo? Not so much. Can anyone tell me what exactly it was Vaan did? Was he there to act as the players' eyes? I guess that would make me very forgettable. I don't like that. Give me a purpose other than an outsider looking in! Or at least better clothes. Sheesh.
Oh snap, wait. Did I just call the bunny girl, bunny girl? Looks like there's someone else I forgot about too.
Fran, was it? At least I knew you were a bunny girl who was bad-assed! Don't stress the small stuff, girl.
Let's move on.
2. Amarant Coral, Final Fantasy IX
Confession time, everyone. I had to look up Amarant to make sure I was spelling his name correctly (spoiler: I did not. I initially called him "Amaranth"). What I remember about him was that he was a bounty hunter. Maybe. And that he had red locks. The sad part is that even after reading his wiki article, it did not jog any memories except for the fact that he had a conversation with Freya. Now Freya! I remember her. She was my favourite. The mystery under that hat. That dragoon pose.
Ah, Freya…swoon!
Ehm. My apologies. I digress.
Now, if I could put Eiko on this list, I totally would. Not because I found her forgettable (which I kinda do), it's more so that I want to forget her. What a brat! But this little blurb was not about her, it was about Amaranth.
3. Snow Villiers, Final Fantasy XIII
A boy with white hair, named Hope, had a grudge against someone. The guy Hope disliked was some brute in a bandana. The dude also had a light brown trench coat and was engaged to Lightning's sister. What was the grudge about? Now I know the boy's mother had been killed. So that's probably the source of tension… but ugh, what a brute, one dimensional tough guy character that dude was.
Yes. That's an inside scoop as to my thoughts. So truthfully, I have not really forgotten about Snow yet because Final Fantasy XIII was only released a few years ago. Then there's the issue that I don't like him, so he's sticking out like a sore thumb right now. But Snow has all the right symptoms in appearance—bland. Meathead. Not a Fashionista—to be forgotten by me in the future*.
*It should be noted that I did not play FFXIII-2 and Lightning Returns yet though, so maybe there will be some Hope for Snow. Ignore the terrible (and nonsensical) attempt at a pun. Let us keep going.
4. Kimahri Ronso, Final Fantasy X
There was Wakka, the Besaid Island person whose English voice actor tried too hard to sound as though he was from 'the islands' (...tangent sidenote: Jamaica is not the only island in the Caribbean, even if Wakka was "representing" Hawaiian culture). There was Auron, the jug-carrying, shades wearing and sword wielding bad-ass. Lulu...she had a bad attitude, a revealing dress and walked around with a moogle. There was also Rikku, who was chirpy, had some thieving ways and was a mechanic whiz. Tidus and Yuna were the stars.
Finally, there was a Ronso. He was Yuna's protector who looked like a lion. Oh! And he was blue! He also did not say much. Something about a tribe. A broken horn… Alright, so there's actually a whole lot more to Kimahri's story, the Ronsos, and Kimahri's connection to Yuna but as far as party members went, he did not really have a place in mine. He certainly did not suffer from a design presence because his commanded attention with all that smurfiness. But then, I really enjoyed my little lion beast
on all fours in Red XIII of Final Fantasy VII better.
5. Selphie Tilmitt and Irvine Kinneas, Final Fantasy VIII
Ah, Final Fantasy VIII. The cast I wish I could forget. It even had a villain I'm not sure made any type of sense (but girl had style!). But not you, Zell. I could never forget you and your hot dog loving self! You were brilliant.
Oh okay, this is not the list of characters I dislike personally. This is that list of the less memorable characters. And as much as I would love to have words with Rinoa Heartilly had it been the former, I'll stick to the plan! In that plan, Selphie and Irvine are sadly the scapegoats. They're not terrible characters but in thinking on it, they also kinda/sorta feel like the prototypes for Rikku and Balthier, respectively.
Irvine, on his false exterior anyway, had that same sort of annoying ladies' man charm ::yawn::. The cowboy hat worked though.
Selphie was a bundle of cheer whose characterization did not feel as though it went too much beyond that.
Much like this sorry excuse of a paragraph.
BONUS! Elena, Final Fantasy VII
Ha ha! This one is a bit of a joke (yeah, they all are) but bear with me. FFVII is my favourite in the series (BOO HISS, I can hear some of you crying) and as such, I have a better memory of and connection to the characters. I may not remember the name of every single general in Shinra or the division heads for each sector. But when it comes to generally thinking about AVALANCHE, the main group, the two hidden characters and The Turks, I remember the key players. Except for Elena. She's not a playable character but again, she should be important enough for me to remember. And yet I feel a conversation like this is plausible for me to have...
"Hey! Who were the Turks?"
"EASY! Reno, Rude, Tseng and Rufus, the President!"
"Um, you're forgetting Elena..."
Then a memory of a blonde girl rolling down a snowy hill comes back to me.
Soon thereafter, I quickly start finger-snapping as I recall the theme of The Turks and I promptly forget again about Elena—the Turks member who was less than cool and didn't deserve that theme.
Oh who am I really kidding. Half of The Turks were a bunch of misfits. Lovable, but misfits nonetheless.
So that's it from me for now. I'm sure I am forgetting lots of other forgettable characters from the very extensive world of Final Fantasy (of which, for disclosure, I've played FFIV through FFX, FFXII and FFXIII). I really exercised my brain there to bring back those memories of characters I met. And now back into the vault they go!
...Um...what were we talking about again?
Oh yeah, that's right!
Now, let's hear yours! Reach into the recesses of your minds and tell me all about the characters you "forgot" about (this is a not a catalyst for the ones you hated! Just the ones that didn't do much to stand out for you to say, include in your party) from the worlds of Final Fantasy. You know, if you can remember them.
And one more thing. When you all start up your adventures in Final Fantasy X today for the first, second or X'th time, please say hello to the Ronso Kimahri for me. But don't tell him about what we talked about today and my dirty little secret. I don't want to be mauled, please. And thanks.
- Don't forget to visit TAY Classic. If you wanted to have discussions about life, videogames and anything else, be sure to do so. Join in a discussion or start one of your own. Just create a blog post of your own and make one of your tags, "Tay Classic". If you had any questions on how TAY works, check out this tutorial for TAY.


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How do I manage my apps?
Your device allows you to download and uninstall apps, which can be managed either through Galaxy Apps or the Play Store on your device. Some apps may have already been pre-loaded on to your device.
Please note: You will need to set up a Google account before you can download or uninstall apps using the Play Store, or a Samsung account when downloading apps from Galaxy Apps. While the steps will be the same on each device, your icons and screen may differ slightly from the illustrations below depending on your deice, operating system and theme.
Only install known and trusted apps
For security reasons, we recommend that you download apps from a secure and trusted app store like Galaxy Apps or the Play Store on your Samsung device. Your Samsung device does not allow automatic download of apps from unknown sources. If you download an app that is from an unknown source, you will be prompted to allow unknown apps to be installed in your settings. If you do download an app from a third party site, ensure that it is only from a reputable and secure source.
App minimum requirements and specifications
Different apps have different minimum requirements to run. Bigger and more complex apps will usually need a higher level of operating system in order to run effectively.
If you have an older device, you will not be able to install apps that need a later operating system or other minimum specifications to work. If you try to install an app that requires a higher operating system than your device, you may not be able to install it or the app may not work effectively if you can.Note that larger developers may offer a 'lite' version of the app for older or lower-storage devices.
Other apps may require that you have a SIM-card installed e.g. Whatsapp.
To download an application to your device, you will need to:
If you are no longer in the Play Store, you can also open the app by tapping on the notification or by finding it by tapping apps from your home screen.
PLEASE NOTE: that the images given below may differ depending on your device, operating system and theme being used. For this example, we have used the gallery application.
To move an app on your device, you will need to:
If you want to rearrange your apps, simply press and hold the app then drag it to your preferred location.
PLEASE NOTE: that you will need to set up and create the secure folder before you can use it.
The Secure Folder is currently available on devices running on Android Nougat 7.0 and above. More information on how to move an app to the secure folder can be found here.
To add an app to a folder, you will to:
Depending on your device, you may need to tap outside the box to save your changes.
PLEASE NOTE: Most apps are developed to be run from internal storage and not from SD cards. Some developers still allow apps to be moved to an SD card, but this can result in usability issues. TIP: if you are trying to save storage space, try setting your photos and videos to save to the SD card first (or to automatically back up via Wi-Fi) before attempting to move apps.
To move an app to external storage:
PLEASE NOTE: that if the change option is greyed out or not available, then this app is not able to be moved.
PLEASE NOTE: that it's a good idea to make sure you keep your apps updated. Developers frequently release updates to improve app performance, fix bugs or provide new features.
To update your apps, you will need to:
To update all the apps, tap Update all
To update individual apps, tap Update
There are three options available to you when wanting to automatically update your applications:
● Do not auto-update apps
● Auto-update apps at anytime. Data charges may apply
● Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only
To enable auto-updates, you will need to:
PLEASE NOTE: that data charges may apply if Over any network has been selected.
PLEASE NOTE: that some apps cannot be uninstalled. For most of these, you will see an option to 'Disable' instead of uninstall. Take care when disabling apps. Some may be needed for the running of basic functions on your device. For example, if you disable the Play Store, you will no longer be able to download or update apps from the Play Store.
To uninstall an app from your device, you will need to:
PLEASE NOTE: that the Task Manager feature is available on older devices and may not be available on newer devices or operating systems.
Recent applications lets you quickly return to recently used apps. When you exit an app by pressing Home, the application is saved in its current state and will remain active in the background. When you touch Back, the application will close in its current state. Pressing either key will add the application to the list.
Depending on your device, the last app used can be displayed first or at the bottom of the last. You can touch and swipe any app's to the left or right to dismiss it from the list.
The Task manager is a simple application that offers quick memory management. You can view and exit applications running on your device. You can uninstall applications you have downloaded. You can even free up system resources and view the amount of free space available on your device. From the Recent applications screen, touch Task manager.
PLEASE NOTE: the way app notifications work on your device will depend on your operating system..
PLEASE NOTE: that only apps that follow the Multi-Window format for Android Nougat and above can be used as part of an app pair for Galaxy Edge devices. You can also use the same app (e.g. Samsung Internet + Samsung Internet) to open to browser windows.
If you regularly use two apps at the same time, you can use the Apps edge panel to launch them together so that they show in a split screen view.
This function is available on the Android 7.0 Nougat operating system and up.
If you're experiencing unusual behaviour on Samsung mobiles, tablets or wearables, you can send us an error report or ask us a question in the Samsung Members app.
This allows us to a closer look at what is happening. The data is anonymised and only held for the duration of the investigation. Find out more about sending an error report through the Samsung Members app.
Thank you for your feedback!
Not finding what you're looking for? We're here to help.
There are a number of different ways of contacting us via Live Chat, Email, Twitter, Facebook Messenger and more.
Need a repair?
Whether your product is in warranty or out of warranty, we're here to help.


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Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, wants the NBA to investigate the Miami Heat's signing of all-stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for evidence of player tampering.
In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer in Las Vegas in advance of the NBA owners meeting this week, Cuban expressed concern about how the three friends orchestrated their signings. James, Wade and Bosh met with each other throughout the free-agency period, when each was still under contract with their teams at the time.
"I'm going to bring it up to the league that we really do have to re-evaluate the issue of player tampering," Cuban said. "Who knows what will happen? But I have to suggest it to them because there has to be more definitive rules."
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors, the former teams of James and Bosh respectively, currently have no plans to bring tampering charges themselves, according to ESPN.
The three players have openly talked about playing together since at least the 2008 Summer Olympics, where they won a gold medal for Team USA. Before the NBA free agency period opened on July 1, Bosh, James and Wade met at James' home in Ohio to discuss their futures. Cuban is suggesting that they may have violated league rules that are supposed to prevent players, agents and teams from negotiating ahead of that date. NBA Commissioner David Stern is expected to address the topic at the league meetings.
James revealed that he would play for the Heat in an ESPN prime time special last week that drew over 10 millions viewers, making it the third most-watched cable show of the year.


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I am using WPF for a new project with my company and I do not have previous experience with WPF. I am having problems list a collection on a listview on the WPF interface.
Our solution is setup in the following:
Project A - Contain's core functions and item collections retrieved over the network connections
Project B - Contain's our WinForms interface which is used for displaying the data from project A but we want to make this our legacy interface and continue our development on WPF
Project C - Contain our WPF interface which we plan on displaying and allowing the user to interact with our data from Project A
Now the problem I have is that Project A maintains a List of objects that is received over the network and can come in at any time, and is typically updated at a fairly fast rate. I want to display the objects that are in the list on a ListView on the WPF UI but I get errors that I do not have an ObservableCollection to bind to the ListView. Are there standard ways for displaying data in WPF without using WPF binding friendly collections?
The only way I can think to do it right now is to copy the entire List over to a ObservableCollection which can then bind to the ListView but that seems to be a very wasteful way to do it, especially if the list can be a fairly large number of items and we want to see updates at a fairly regular interval.
Any suggestions on how to properly do this?
Thanks for any help!


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NEW YORK -- A French painting owned by Madonna has sold at a New York City auction for more than $7 million.
Sotheby's auction house hasn't said who bought Fernand Leger's (lay-ZHAYZ') "Three Women at the Red Table" for $7.2 million on Tuesday. The abstract work had a pre-sale estimate of $5 million to $7 million.
Proceeds of the sale will benefit the Ray of Light Foundation, which supports girls' education in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries.
Madonna says she wanted to "trade something valuable for something invaluable" in countries where female education is rare or nonexistent. She bought the work at Sotheby's in 1990 for $3.4 million.
Leger created the work in 1921 as part of a series depicting women with still-life compositions.
From the Associated PressAssociated Press


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Keys - Skins - Cards
Online Games
€ Currency
more information
Requirement for this product: Character has to be Lvl 70.
Duration: 14 days
For every paragon level you reach in Diablo 3, you will receive more points in strength, vitality, intelligence and dexterity, just like when you were leveling before. Beyond that, you get 3% magic find and gold find bonus for each paragon level, so you'll be able to achieve 300% bonus when reaching paragon level 100. Also, your character's portrait will be especially highlighted with a more and more imposing frame while you climb ub the paragon levels.
Here at MMOGA you can buy Diablo 3 Paragon Leveling. Save yourself the time and effort consuming process of rising in the paragon levels and let our Diablo 3 experts do the work so you can benefit from it. Buy Diablo 3 Paragon Leveling now at MMOGA!


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"Steam Train-17"
This "Steam Train-17" artwork is a photo-manipulated composite combining two steam locomotive wheel details found in New Delhi then digitally blended with a grungy textured tarpaulin found in the back alleyways of Yangon, Myanmar.
See my descriptive list of the "World's Best 100 Steam Train Museums" including sample photos.
Signed Limited Edition Canvas Prints
These are my images used to create this digital artwork composite.
Steam Train, New Delhi
Plastic Tarp, Yangon
Steam Train, New Delhi
An additional charge of $150 USD will be added for international DHL or FEDEX shipping from Bangkok.
Images are available as archival Giclée prints in hand-signed, limited editions personally printed under strict control by the artist on an Epson P9000 digital printer using the highest quality Epson archival inks and acid-free fine art photographic canvas with an approximate life span of 200 years when displayed under normal circumstances out of direct sunlight. Each canvas print will be rolled and shipped in a sturdy tube and is delivered with a signed Certificate of Authenticity verifying that no other prints will ever be issued once the edition number at the respective size is exhausted. (Note: Sizes listed in inches reflect nominal dimensions. The buyer will need to have the canvas prints stretched or framed at a professional frame shop upon receipt. Dimensions listed reflect the actual image size in centimeters and will come with an additional black border allowing full wraparound on standard 2cm stretcher bars. This border could be trimmed off as per your framing method of choice. Also, due to calibration differences between various display monitors and printers the color hues of the prints might vary slightly from those you see on screen. All prints are sprayed with a matte surface UV coating.) There will be an additional charge of $150 USD for packaging and international DHL or FEDEX shipping. Request available print sizes, edition numbers and current delivery times here.
Collector Edition Designer Art Coffee Mugs
Enhance your hot java experience by adding an artistic "Steam Punk Steam Train-17" visual thrill to your day.
Create your designer mug collection by choosing your selection from my Art Mug Gallery.
See other image selections in the Steam Punk Steam Train Series or visit the Fine Art Prints page to view other gallery choices.
Read my wild, decades-long vagabonding tale, "Magical Steam Train," about ceaselessly wandering the globe scouring distant back alleyways in search of grungy textured backgrounds and scouting for nostalgic vintage steam trains to use in the fine art compositions of this series.
Check out this press article "A Steam Punk Steam Train Dream" featruing my fine art imagery in The Art Blog.
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Steampunk Train Blog


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I hope those in the Easton area can attend this event on March 31 (click on the poster for a larger view):
I'm really looking forward to learning more about this area from the residents and to participate in the walking tour. I'll post a follow-up blog post when the event is over!
Learn more about The Hill here and/or visit the Historic Easton web site.


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We want you to be happy with your purchase. If you're not then please return the products to us within 30 days
Find out more about returning goods
You can now collect Loyalty Points for every order you place online with us. (Excludes Trade, unless TRADE+ member)
If you find the same product on offer at a lower price at one of our competitors then we'll match that price.
More details
4 button oval shaped overlay for the VL260 panel range from Balboa.
All overlays in the VL range have a dedicated light button, and will feature a variation on the number of jet buttons and other operational buttons. The temp button may be either a single or dual button layout. Refer to the picture for the exact button layout.
Overlays can also be known as inlays, stickers or decals.
Balboa over the years have re-branded so slight differences in the colour and design of the layout may be present.
We will always send out the most recent overlay we have.
|Compatible with
|Button Qty
|Jets, Light, Aux, Temp
|Overlay MPN
|Display Cut Out
|Size (W) :
|169 mm
|Size (L):
|48 mm
|Panel Series
There are currently no questions for this product.


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What's going on?!
UPDATE: Well, it's not that we fell in the U.S. News rankings. Last year:
The University of Wisconsin-Madison ranked 13th among public institutions in rankings released today (Tuesday, Aug. 17) in the U.S. News & World Report's 2011 Edition of America's Best Colleges.This year, we've gone up to 10th among public institutions and 42d among national universities.
UW-Madison also tied for 45th among 262 national doctoral universities. In the 2010 edition, the university ranked ninth among public institutions and tied for 39th among national doctoral universities.
UPDATE: Explained here and discussed here.


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No More Bling For Cops? St. Louis Police Department Are Putting An End To Gold Filled Badges Ranging From 2K - 6K
CBS reports "St. Louis' police department is planning on putting an end to big spending. especially the gold-filled badges that top officer sport"
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Meetings ethiopia
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Sheraton Addis Founded in 1995 and since then in private ownership, the Savoy Hotel Yangon is a heritage boutique hotel.…Read More »
Radisson Blu Hotel
Radisson Blu Hotel Radisson Blu Hotel in Addis Ababa is centrally located within Ethiopia's capital city—adjacent to the United Nations…Read More »
Salem's Ethiopia Craft store in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Website: http://www.salemsethiopia.com/ Edna Mall Shopping mall in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Address: Cameroon…Read More »
Golf in Ethiopia
Addis Ababa Golf Club Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Phone: +251 (11) 320-1892, +251 (11) 371-3062 British Embassy GC British Embassy…Read More »
Hilton Addis
Hilton Addis Hilton Addis Ababa is located near the ECA Convention Center in the city center and is only 15…Read More »
Marriott Executive Apartments
Marriott Executive Apartments Centrally located, this Marriott Executive Apartments, Addis Ababa is a few steps from UN-ECA Headquarters and a…Read More »
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Bole, Medihanialem Bldg Room No. 601 Phone 251-116 670 082/279 Fax 251-116 670 072 Email: email@example.com Website: https://www.aaicec.com/ UN Economic…Read More »
Gondar became the capital of the Ethiopian empire when emperor Fasiladas decided to move to it in 1636. Gondar remained…Read More »


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Please help us spread the word - We're currently hiring for a Market Conduct Examiner. Sound interesting? This person will work under our Chief Market Conduct Examiner or Lead Examiner Analyst, analyzing, reviewing and identifying the market conduct practices of health insurance companies and other regulated entities that could harm consumers.
This job posting is open until Nov. 13, so if you know someone who may be interested and who's up to the challenge, please tell them soon! See the salary, specific duties and other qualifications.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
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Strengthening U.S.-China Ties, One Student at a Time
By Gregg Sangillo
November 23, 2013
Diplomacy is often confined to high-level talks between world leaders. But improving relations between the United States and China needs a grassroots approach, and students will play a vital role in bringing the two global powers closer together. That was the message at a recent event held at American University's School of International Service (SIS).
This was the first annual 100,000 Strong Foundation conference to enhance U.S.-China relations through study abroad. The well-attended event featured diplomats, university officials and students, business executives, and nonprofit leaders. Closing out the conference was a special appearance from China Vice Premier Liu Yandong. "State-to-state relations are very dependent on people-to-people exchanges," she said. "Investing in youth is to invest in the future."
People-to-People Ties
American University President Neil Kerwin kicked off the event and mentioned AU's role in promoting student-to-student exchange. "As we speak, 22 of our students are studying in China. Since 2010, we've had 148 students from American University studying in China," he said, adding that China is the largest contributor of international students to AU.
"We want our students going abroad, studying other cultures," said SIS Dean James Goldgeier.
Several speakers emphasized the immense value of cross-cultural exchange between the two countries. Norman Francis, president of Xavier University of Louisiana, compared sending more American students to China to President John F. Kennedy's call to put a man on the moon. "We are involved in something in human capital and in human dimensions that I don't think we fully realize," Francis said.
Daniel Russel, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, described the need for first-hand learning in another country. "We have to learn how the world works. Not by watching on TV, not by looking at it through binoculars, but by getting out there and doing things, meeting people, and studying," he said.
"This is not just nice-to-do stuff. This is not just feel good stuff," Russel said. "[What] keeps governments from going overboard in one direction or another are ties between the people."
The Foundation's Mission
100,000 Strong started out as a State Department initiative announced by President Barack Obama in 2009. In January 2013, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled the 100,000 Strong Foundation, which is housed at SIS. The conference, co-hosted by AU, occurred in conjunction with the fourth annual U.S.-China Consultation on People-to-People Exchange.
Travis Tanner, senior vice president and chief operating officer of the foundation, believes there's a broader strategic purpose to promoting study abroad. "The U.S.-China relationship is the most consequential bilateral relationship that exists today," he said in an interview. "If you look at global health issues, terrorism issues, climate change and environment, these are issues that our countries will have to collaborate on."
With the goal of getting 100,000 American students studying in China, Chinese students already had a sizable head start. According to some estimates, 200,000 Chinese students come to school in the United States, while fewer than 27,000 Americans are studying in China.
"The obstacles are complex and language remains a significant barrier, which is one explanation for why more Americans study abroad in the U.K. than anywhere else in the world," said Leeanne Dunsmore, associate dean for program development and graduate admissions at SIS. "Chinese language programs are increasing in the U.S., which will certainly fuel demand for study abroad in China."
The cost of studying in China can be a deterrent, Tanner said. And there are still cultural barriers and parental concerns, with some mothers or fathers more likely to have studied in Western Europe.
Reaching New Students
The 100,000 Strong Foundation aims to attract a more diverse group of students than typically study in China. This includes community college students, often with fewer economic resources at their disposal.
There was a strong presence of historically black colleges and universities at the conference. Xavier University of Louisiana is a historically black college, and Francis noted that the number of students taking Mandarin at his school has doubled. "These young people are eager. Eager to see the world, and eager to make a contribution," he said.
AU Students Abroad
Alyssa Briggs was a student ambassador at the 100,000 Strong Foundation event. She's a senior international studies major at AU, and she previously studied abroad in Beijing. Briggs admits that she experienced culture shock living in China. But she highlights the people she encountered and learned from. "I got to know my Chinese teachers, and they're some of the most incredible people I have ever met," Briggs said.
Charles Chen was part of a student panel at the conference giving testimonials about living in China. Now an AU junior studying business administration and international relations, he's lived part of his life in China and part of his life in the United States. In his testimonial, he mentioned how he's felt like a foreigner in both countries. "The most striking fact that I learned is I am actually not American, I am actually not Chinese," he said. "But I learned that the two cultures are really open to actually teach me what the culture is."
Chen's own experience illustrates the benefits of closer U.S.-China ties, and even holding conferences like this one. He ran into his former high school principal in Shanghai, Xiangdong Xu, who just happened to be in attendance at the 100,000 Strong Foundation conference. "I'm really, really happy to see him right here," he said.
Please read the full article at the American University website.


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News media has been full of reports this week about the one-year anniversary of Sandy, the superstorm that ripped the coastal areas of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Sandy doesn't have the "hurricane" title because it lost tropical characteristics before moving ashore, but that's a silly distinction to people who had to deal with the storm. In the real world, it behaved like a hurricane.
Many residents of the Mid-Atlantic are still dealing with the impact, a year later.
But you might have forgotten, or never realized, that Sandy had another interesting to it. While delivering damaging winds and storm surge to the coast, it arrived late enough in the year to deliver chilly air into the Appalachians.
It was just chilly enough at higher altitudes to create an early-season snowstorm. For much of the region, in fact, the Sandy snowstorm was the heaviest of the winter season, and it came in late October.
Larry Lee and Pat Moore of the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C., wrote an interesting and comprehensive report on that "other side" of Sandy. That report can be found on the Weather Service website and is an interesting read -- especially for weather geeks.
There was enough moisture to drop several feet of snow in some parts of the N.C. mountains. While not included in the report, there also was some very heavy snow in southern West Virginia and even the higher altitudes in Virginia.
The cutoff between heavy snow and rain was a tight gradient. Lee and Moore note that Asheville got little if any snow, but more than a foot accumulated a short distance away.
Check it out, if you get a chance.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
When a hurricane brought snow to North Carolina
News media has been full of reports this week about the one-year anniversary of Sandy, the superstorm that ripped the coastal areas of New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
European version of Sandy?
The St. Jude's Storm wasn't a hurricane, but it came nearly a year to the day after Sandy battered the United States' coastline from New Jersey to Rhode Island.
And it was the worst storm to hit much of Europe in at least a decade.
So named because it roared across the United Kingdom and into the European mainland Monday, which is St. Jude's feast day in some Christian denominations, the storm killed 15, caused millions of dollars' damage, and left hundreds of thousands of residents and businesses without power.
It was another reminder that Europe is certainly not immune to Atlantic-bred storms.
Some of the storm's fuel came from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lorenzo in the eastern Atlantic, but the system was a cold-core storm -- definitely not tropical. Meteorologists had plenty of warning, and the southern parts of Wales and England were on alert when the storm made landfall Monday morning.
After ripping across the United Kingdom, the storm plowed into the European mainland, damaging northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and southern Sweden. Then it pushed eastward, battering the Baltic nations (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) before roaring into Russia near St. Petersburg.
A 14-year-old boy playing in the surf on the southeast coast of England was washed out to sea. So was a woman on an island off the French coast. Nearly a dozen others were killed by falling trees.
Travel across the English Channel -- both above land (ferry) and below (Eurostar high-speed train) -- was halted for several hours.
Officials reported more than 270,000 power outages in Wales and England, and 30-foot waves battered the southern coast. Wind gusts of more than 100 mph were reported at gauges a short distance off the coast.
There were numerous reports of winds gusting around 80 mph in northern Europe.
About 100,000 power outages were reported in Latvia. At St. Petersburg, strong winds forced a rise in the Neva River, and the water level climbed 10 inches in an hour.
The St. Jude's Storm pales in comparison to the system called the worst ever to hit the United Kingdom -- on Nov. 26, 1703. That storm had winds of about 80 mph, but it hit heavily populated areas in an era when storm protection was a rarity. As a result, about 10,000 people were killed in south central England. Tens of thousands of trees were blown down.
Much of the Netherlands' coastal protection system was upgraded after a storm that struck Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in 1953. Nearly 2,000 people died in that country when ocean water overwhelmed coastal communities. Another 2,000 deaths were reported in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe.
Monday, October 28, 2013
On snow, frost, severe storms, and Halloween ...
Thoughts on a variety of topics after a weekend trip to western Maryland, where snow fell briefly Thursday afternoon ...
October freeze: The weekend cold snap produced the chilliest weather in the Carolinas this early in the season since 2006.
The low temperature Saturday morning in Charlotte was 27 degrees (which was colder than where I was, north of Frederick, Md.). That set a record for the date, and only once in Charlotte weather history -- on Oct. 26, 2006 -- has it been so cold this early in the season.
The 55-degree high temperature Friday was the chilliest maximum October temperature in Charlotte since a 53-degree high on Oct. 17, 2009.
Southeast snow: You probably saw where snow fell in the North Carolina mountains Thursday, and there were even minor accumulations for a while in some of the higher elevations.
You might not have realized, however, that more significant snow fell Thursday in the traditional "snow belt" areas along the Great Lakes. Several inches of very wet snow accumulated in the higher elevations southeast of lakes Erie and Ontario.
Deep low pressure to the north of the Great Lakes was funneling a strong supply of cold, unstable air into the United States. When that unstable air crossed the Great Lakes, it picked up moisture and deposited it as snow on the shore, especially in the higher areas a bit inland from the lakes.
Stormy week ahead: It looks like one of those strong autumn storm systems will push eastward across the United States over the next few days. It will plow into some rather mild air, and the result likely will be an outbreak of severe weather Tuesday and Wednesday in the Midwest and Mid-South.
By Thursday, that low will drag a cold front, stretching from the Great Lakes into the South. Strong thunderstorms are likely again, but meteorologists aren't certain if the instability factor will be as high as it is expected to be Tuesday and Wednesday.
Strong wind shear will accompany the front as it moves into the Carolinas on Thursday night. Right now, it's too early to know if there will be enough instability for severe thunderstorms to break out. But it's possible, and we'll have to watch the forecast unfold this week.
Halloween: Those thunderstorms and the cold front will arrive a bit too late to do much damage to trick-or-treating Thursday evening. It's possible a few showers could arrive in the Charlotte region ahead of the main band of precipitation -- possibly as early as the evening hours. But most areas are likely to remain dry.
It will be mild, too. High temperatures are expected to reach the low and mid 70s, and with ample cloud cover, conditions will remain warm Thursday evening, even after the sun sets.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Carolinas' hurricane threat ending?
An evolving weather pattern could bring at least a temporary end to a Carolinas hurricane season that never really started.
It's too early to stick a fork in the 2013 tropical weather season for our part of the country, but the forecast trend for the remainder of October is not the kind of pattern that would favor tropical storms or hurricanes along the Carolinas coast.
A deep trough is forecast to set up shop over the eastern United States, and most long-range computer models predict the pattern will continue for the remainder of October. The trough will allow cold air to funnel southward, covering much of the area east of the Mississippi River.
This pattern will bring some snow to the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, as increasingly colder air moves into that part of the country next week.
In the Carolinas, it will translate into clear skies, chilly temperatures and low humidity levels for much of next week. After an October with a steady diet of highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s and 60s, it'll be more like daytime highs of 65 degrees and morning lows in the lower 40s.
At this time of year, the most common breeding ground for tropical storms and hurricanes is the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Accu-Weather posted an article article today in which meteorologist Dan Kottlowski says the changing pattern actually might foster development of tropical storm activity.
But atmospheric steering currents would push any tropical systems either westward into Mexico or out into the Atlantic off the Florida coast. It's possible that rain from a tropical system could push northward into the Carolinas, but a direct hit from a storm would seem unlikely, given the predicted pattern.
It probably will be early November before the new pattern relents, and by that time, we'll be thinking more about winter weather than hurricanes.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
It's Great Southeast ShakeOut Day
Thousands of students and workers across the Southeast stopped what they were doing and ducked for cover at 10:17 a.m. Thursday.
They were participants in the second annual Great Southeast ShakeOut, a drill which is part of Earthquake Awareness Week. Participants were practicing how they should respond in the event of an earthquake.
I'm sure everyone in the Charlotte region realizes that the idea of an earthquake in this region is not far-fetched. Sure, we're not in a prime zone, but the ground has shaken many times in recent years.
According to the ShakeOut website, at least two Charlotte schools -- Idlewild Elementary and McKee Road Elementary -- were among the participants. So were a number of business offices.
More than 1.6 million people were expected to participate in Thursday morning's drill.
In recent history, you probably remember the Aug. 23, 2011, earthquake which gave the Charlotte area a jolt. That quake, with a 5.8 intensity, was centered about 40 miles northwest of Richmond. It was the strongest earthquake in the eastern United States since 1897.
The big one, of course, was the quake that hit Charleston on Sept. 1, 1886. That one had a 7.3 intensity, and it left at least 60 people dead. The quake was felt as far away as central Ohio and Havana, and it gave the Charlotte region a serious shake, according to reports at the time. In recent years, earthquakes have been reported in Charleston in November 1952, August 1959, March and July 1960, and October 1967.
Authorities say a quake similar to the 1886 shake in the Charleston area would result in a huge loss of life, along with severe property damage.
A 5.2 earthquake, centered near Waynesville (west of Asheville) was reported on Feb. 21, 1916. That temblor was felt several states away but did little damage.
I've written before about the Dec. 13, 1879, earthquake that was centered in southeastern Mecklenburg County. That one had a 4.0 intensity.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Cold air to descend next week
It's looking increasingly likely as if a buckle in the jet stream will allow the first real shot of cold air this season to push into parts of the continental United States next week.
While somewhat-cooler conditions could reach the Carolinas, it looks for now as if the really chilly stuff will be confined to areas northwest of the Charlotte region.
But the configuration of the cold air outbreak could provide a hint of what is to come this winter, if you believe some of the long-range forecasts.
It has been a mild month so far for the Midwest and much of the East. Temperatures this month in places like Chicago and St. Louis have averaged 6 to 7 degrees above average. In the Charlotte area, temperatures have been only a few degrees above average.
All that appears likely to change. Low pressure in Hudson Bay and high pressure south of Greenland could provide a blocking pattern like the kind that bring bitterly cold air and snowstorms to the central and eastern United States in the winter. In late October, of course, there won't be the bitter cold and widespread snow, although parts of the Midwest could see flurries.
The best guess now is that the cold air will funnel southward, creating the typical "U-shaped" pattern that we see in blocking situations. Areas above the outline of the letter U will be in the cold air. That jet stream dip will come southward from Canada into the Dakota, then down across the Midwest, bottoming out in Tennessee and then curving northeast across Virginia and the Mid Atlantic.
If that happens, say goodbye to the growing season in much of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, along with the Great Lakes.
Nearly all of the Carolinas would stay on the milder side of the cold air outbreak in that scenario.
I've seen a couple long-range winter forecasts that predict the same general pattern from November through February. We'll talk more about that in coming days.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Devastating cyclone aims at India
A major weather event appears to be unfolding in another part of the world.
While the hurricane season has been a washout here in the Western Hemisphere, one of the strongest cyclones in recent years is poised to strike India early Saturday.
Super Cyclone Phailin is in the Bay of Bengal on Friday and moving toward the eastern coast of India. Forecasters say the storm likely will make landfall about 10 a.m. Saturday (Eastern time), affecting Andra Pradesh and Odisha states.
Phailin (Thai for "sapphire") was a tropical storm just a few days ago but exploded in strength Thursday as it entered the Bay of Bengal. Top sustained winds Friday morning were 155 mph, and the storm's total circulation area is about 40 percent of the size of India. The storm's winds increased about 70 mph during the day Thursday.
With little or no wind shear and very warm water in the Bay of Bengal, Phailin is not likely to weaken.
The water is quite shallow near the coasts of India and Bangladesh in the Bay of Bengal, and that contributes to the massive damage caused by waves and storm surge. Forecasters say Phailin is building 50-foot waves.
A strong cyclone struck roughly the same area in 1999, killing nearly 10,000 and causing $2.5 billion in damage.
However, forecasters say Phailin likely will hit land a bit south of the 1999 storm, where the land is a bit farther above sea level. That might temper the impact of the storm surge and waves.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Yes, it's definitely autumn
Most people describe autumn as cool, crisp days with sunshine in a deep blue sky.
But take a look out the window this afternoon. See those grey skies? Step outside. Feel that northeast breeze with a bit of a chill in it?
That's how you know autumn has arrived.
A look at the weather map confirms it. Low pressure is moving up the coast. Gale warnings are displayed along the Carolinas shoreline. Between 2 and 3 inches of rain are expected near the coast, in places like Myrtle Beach and Wilmington.
It's not a strong nor'easter, but it's a good facsimile. And it's a sign that autumn weather is taking hold in the Southeast.
Here in the immediate Charlotte area, the coastal storm will bring cloudy skies and a few showers through Wednesday night. Temperatures will be held in the 60s during the daytime -- about 20 degrees cooler than those summer-like readings we experienced last weekend.
Tropical Storm Karen was a meteorological bust. Just about the time that tropical storm warnings and hurricane watches were issued for the Gulf coast late last week -- and I began writing about the threat that Karen would bring to the Charlotte region -- the storm was ripped apart by southwest shear.
But a bit of Karen lives on. Some of the moisture drifted across Florida and formed an upper level low pressure system this week along the Atlantic coast. Now that low is drifting slowly northward, staying offshore but spreading wind and rain inland. It's a taste of what will be coming later this fall and winter.
By late Thursday and Friday, the coastal low finally will push out to sea, off the Virginia coast, and weaken. Sunshine will return to the Charlotte region, and high temperatures will be back in the 70s. In the meantime, you're getting a chance to wear those autumn clothes for the first time this season.
And there's a chance the kind of weather we had late last week, with highs in the mid 80s, won't be seen around here again until later next spring.
Friday, October 4, 2013
Our weekend weather ... and Karen
Our surge of late-summer weather has a few more days left in it before whatever is left of Tropical Storm Karen affects some portion of the Carolinas.
We'll talk about Karen later. First, the next few days ...
If you were looking for one of those crisp autumn weekends, this isn't it.
The good news is the weather won't get in the way of any outdoor events. It'll be shorts-and-T shirt weather at high school football games Friday night, and you'll need sunscreen and plenty of water if you're planning to attend a daytime college game Saturday.
The typical Saturday morning events -- youth sports, golf, tennis, festivals -- will go off without a hitch.
We're looking at plenty of sun and daytime temperatures in the middle 80s. Those temperatures are about 10 degrees above average for this time of year, although they're not in the record-level category.
Sunday will be the transition day. It will be dry, for most people, and the warm weather will continue. But a cold front will be approaching from the west, and tropical moisture from Karen will be surging north from the Gulf of Mexico. That will mean a steady increase in clouds during the day. A few showers could develop, mostly to the west of Charlotte.
That sets the stage for Karen.
The computer models are doing what computer models often do -- shooting out a number of widely-differing forecasts. Two trends have developed over the last 18 hours, though:
-- A slowing down of Karen's movement. The storm is not expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast until early Sunday. That's about 18 hours later than what we thought yesterday.
-- An increasing chance that Karen stays south of Charlotte. This is related to the previous point. The storm's remnants are expected to merge with the advancing cold front. On a faster track, that merger would have taken place Sunday, and Karen's remnants would glide up the front, across the western Carolinas.
But if it happens later, which looks increasingly likely, the front will be farther east. The latest National Hurricane Center forecast track shows Karen moving northeast across Georgia and then taking something of a right turn across South Carolina.
Either way, the Charlotte area stands to get rain and breezy conditions Monday.
I had some spare time Thursday and looked at the archives, to see what a track across South Carolina would mean. Often, it means the heaviest rain falls well south of Charlotte. But Jake Wimberley of the National Weather Service's office in Greer, S.C., noted that when Hurricane Ida followed such a path in 2009, it brought 3 to 5 inches of rain in much of the area.
We'll keep an eye on this through the weekend.
In the meantime, enjoy summer in October.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Karen headed for the Carolinas
Tropical Storm Karen, which formed Thursday morning in the Gulf of Mexico near the Yucatan peninsula, is headed for the Carolinas, according to nearly all the weather models.
But the exact track of what's left of Karen will play a huge role in determining how much of an impact is felt in the Charlotte region.
There are a couple things that seem reasonably certain, however:
1. The precipitation from Karen will arrive in Charlotte late Sunday and continue into early Monday afternoon.
2. Several weeks of dry weather will put a limit on any flooding potential in the region.
Otherwise, there are a lot of unknowns.
The National Hurricane Center expects Karen to rapidly reach hurricane strength by Friday morning, then weaken as it approaches the Gulf Coast. The weakening will be due to wind shear and an intrusion of some dry air from Mexico.
But Karen likely will be a strong tropical storm, possibly with 60 to 70 mph winds, when it makes landfall early Sunday somewhere between the Florida panhandle and extreme eastern Louisiana.
The National Hurricane Center's official forecast track carries the storm northeast, along an advancing cold front, across Georgia and the western Carolinas, a short distance west of Charlotte. But the GFS model forecasts a more easterly track.
If the GFS were to verify, the heaviest rain and the threat of severe storms would remain east of Charlotte. But the Hurricane Center's track would put Charlotte, and the area east of southeast of the city, in the bulls eye.
At the minimum, the Monday morning commute in Charlotte will be soggy.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Tropical trouble an outside risk for weekend
The tropics have been extremely quiet all season, despite forecasts of a busy hurricane season in the Southeast and the Gulf of Mexico.
But a tropical system could bring weather troubles to the Carolinas late this weekend.
Could .....
The National Hurricane Center is watching an area of disturbed weather in the western Caribbean Sea, and forecasters have given it a 50 percent chance of becoming an organized tropical depression or storm within the next five days.
By late in the weekend, a cold front is expected to be pushing eastward across the United States, bringing an end to the 80-degree weather that the Carolinas will experience the next few days.
Forecasters think the tropical system could link with the cold front and move northward along the frontal system.
The computer models, as you might expect, are all over the board. As meteorologist Andrew Kimball at the National Weather Service's office in Greenville-Spartanburg noted this morning, the various forecasts have the tropical system reaching the U.S. coast anywhere from the Florida panhandle to western Louisiana.
If the system were to move northward across Georgia and the western Carolinas, it could mean heavy rain and severe weather for the Charlotte region, perhaps late Saturday and Sunday. As Kimball notes, a path through the South Carolina Midlands would spare our region of the rain and severe conditions.
We'll watch this over the next several days.


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text: t64b1m t72umg May 25, 2015 By Veli-Pekka Kivimäki Share this article: Veli-Pekka is a doctoral student at Finnish National Defence University, researching social media and open source intelligence. He has a long background in the technology industry, more recently focusing on defense research. Join the Bellingcat Mailing List: Enter your email address to receive a weekly digest of Bellingcat posts, links to open source research articles, and more.


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William spent the night with us Sunday and on Monday he decided to make me a present. He did really well and I am very proud of him. I will treasure my crochet hook for as long as I live.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Round ripple baby blanket
I just recently finished this round ripple baby blanket for a "niece" - Jessi Dolan - she's not really a niece by blood - just a niece because her family has been friends with our family from day 1. She's having a boy - that's why the blanket has a section of blue and why I am typing this in blue. :)
I crocheted this blanket with Red Heart Jeweltones and Red Heart Sparkling (discontinued yarns - I wish the Red Heart company would bring them back) using a "J" hook.
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It's been a while since my last fisheye post! I'll admit, I have not used this lens in over 6 months. I always love seeing shots in fisheye. It is definitely not an everyday lens, but when used properly…it can create wonderful art! Enjoy!
Talke Photography Settings:
Camera: Nikon D300
Lens: Nikon 10.5 Fisheye f/2.8
Setting: Aperture Mode
Focal Length: 10.5 mm
Exposure: HDR 5 exposures (+2 to -2)
Aperture: f/11.0
Gear: Tripod
Post Process: Adobe CS5, Color Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, onOne Software Photo Tools 2.6


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Author: Jim Carroll, Chairman, BBH London
My father worked for a time at a gasket factory in Romford. One Christmas he presented me with a corporate diary he had been given by an industrial felt supplier. Inside they'd printed their slogan: 'You need the felt. We felt the need.' I loved that line. I thought it was so funny, clever and beautiful at the same time.
I was at school studying for my A Levels: Latin, Greek, Ancient History. It was a robustly academic diet. I found that, having immersed myself in Homer, Horace and Herodotus, I was increasingly distracted by Essex fashion and soul music, pub banter and puns. I was drawn to the facile, frivolous and foolish. I guess it was a kind of mental displacement.
In the early '80s, pop was revered anew in the UK. In the wake of the ponderous rock and precocious punk of the '70s, we embraced ABC, Haircut 100 and Dollar with gusto. We believed in the beauty of the three minute pop song: shiny lyrics, shallow sentiments, shimmering production. We believed that there was an integrity in pop that raised it above the pretentious posturing of the indie crowd; that there was a kind of perfection in its brevity and wit. We believed that love itself was fragile, funny and transient.
Around about that time I determined that I'd one day like to work in advertising.
'And all my friends just might ask me.
They say,"Martin, maybe one day you'll find true love."
I say,"Maybe. There must be a solution
To the one thing, the one thing, we can't find"'
The Look of Love, ABC
In my 20s I noticed my social circle was narrowing and deepening. I was spending more and more time with a tight knit bunch of close friends. Although I greatly enjoyed their company, I became concerned that my conversation was increasingly predictable, that I was reinforcing my own prejudices and opinions. And so I set myself the task of developing a broad but shallow social set. I endeavoured to ensure that I saw a lot of friends infrequently. (I wouldn't necessarily recommend this particular game plan. It was frankly rather exhausting).
Nigel Bogle once complained that Planning had a nack of digging down to Australia to discover the meaning of a paper clip. In my brief, and I have to say less than successful, tenure as Head of Planning at BBH, I endeavoured to address this. I transposed my 'broad and shallow' strategy to Planning: I encouraged the department to experience more things less profoundly; to work on more projects less intensively. Broad and Shallow Planning was to be my legacy to the strategic community. Strangely it was never widely adopted…
I guess I have always felt a little uncomfortable with the elevated status we afford brands nowadays. We talk of trust and love and ideals. Loyalty, passion, faith. Visions, missions, purposes. It sometimes strikes me as faintly bombastic. Brands as Wagnerian heroes. The Emerson, Lake and Palmers of consumption. The high concept action movies of marketing. Roll the credits. Lighters in the air. Cue the helicopters. Cue the smoke machines. Cue Coldplay. Cue Ghandi…
Surely not all soft drinks can save the babies, not all toothpastes can launch a thousand ships. Surely many brands have more modest roles to play in people's lives. The fleeting glance, the quiet companion, the casual acquaintance. Shouldn't we of all people be celebrating the inconsequential, the insignificant, the incidental? For these foolish things are truly the stuff of life.
'A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces,
An airline ticket to romantic places.
A tinkling piano in the next apartment,
Those stumbling words that told me what your heart meant.
These foolish things remind me of you'
These Foolish Things, Eric Maschwitz & Jack Strachey
Finally, a word of caution. We have all learned to ladder up to higher order concepts and social goods. Ordinary, everyday brands get to leave behind base functionality, to sup with sages and kings. And often it serves a brand well to give it a higher purpose and social resonance. But beware the Icarus Effect. You may be playing with the Pomp Rock of Planning. In a Creds meeting once, I told a High Street optical retailer that his brand gave consumers the gift of sight. He excused himself and said he was due back on Planet Earth.
So don't get me wrong. I love a big, ambitious, high ground, universal idea as much as the next man. I love brands with vision, confidence and courage. I've even nodded along to Coldplay occasionally.
But, just for once, let's raise a glass to the little guys, to the not-so-crazy ones. Here's to the inconsequential, the incidental and frivolous. Here's to the modest, the momentary and fleeting. Here's to swimming in the shallow end.


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Designer Dennis Basso is mostly known for his furs and dressing New York's society set. His spring 2013 collection plays to that group of tony women, but like others, he, too is after a younger girl as well. His collection of glamour gowns, styled with cropped and strapped jackets, fur shrugs and dresses constructed of layers of tulle, lace and shiny fabric are sure to get the attention of the uptown girl in need of some gloss.
– Michael Quintanilla


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Saturday, December 11, 2010
Topaz is Nine!
(I wrote this on Thursday but didn't realize I didn't post it until now!)
For Topaz's 9th birthday (edited to add:) on Thursday a 9 mile snowshoe run was scheduled. The weather was perfect for a winter day. No wind, bright sunshine and a good amount of snow.
At 4:00 sharp we left the lot and as usual, nobody had been upon the trails since I broke them. I carried my headlamp and a few gels for the run. I knew it would be dark upon our finish. It becomes pretty dark in the woods just before 5:00, with a pre-dark at about 4:45 where I need to take out my lights. I have such horrible night vision, it is very difficult for me to see in the darkening woods.
It was pretty cool to begin our run in the bright beautiful sunshine, breaking more trail, feeling the warm sun upon my back. Pretty soon the sky began to turn a pink and purple color as the red ball began to set. The moon began to rise and before I knew it we were in darkness. I put on my headlamp and continued to break trail. Before I knew it we were in total darkness. I stopped to flick off my light, to look at the stars. They they were, obliterating the darkness of the sky. Beautiful.
2 hours later were were back at the car, ready to head home. A perfect birthday run for Topaz :)
Labels: Birthday Run, Topaz
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text:
Mifepristone and misoprostol use is a
two-step method.
A medical abortion usually
requires at least two visits to your doctor over several weeks. For the first
visit, one medicine is taken during the visit and a second medicine is given to
be taken at home. The second visit is a follow-up appointment, usually
scheduled about 2 weeks after the first visit, to make sure the pregnancy has
ended and no complications are present. If a medical abortion is not
successful, a surgical abortion is then done to complete the process because
misoprostol can cause fetal abnormalities.
You can take pain
medicine by mouth for this medical procedure.
A medical abortion with mifepristone
offers women an early-pregnancy abortion option that doesn't involve
A medical abortion is only done in the first 9 weeks of
Medical abortions can be done
through 9 weeks of pregnancy. Up to 7 weeks, the combination of mifepristone
(orally) and misoprostol (orally) is effective in about 92 out of 100 cases.1
Within 4 hours
of taking the second medicine (misoprostol), many women have vaginal bleeding
and cramping, and the pregnancy is terminated.2 Most
pregnancies end within the first 24 hours after the misoprostol dose. If not,
then typically a second dose of misoprostol is given.
Misoprostol can be given orally, buccally (dissolved between the gums and cheek), or vaginally. Misoprostol
is slightly more effective when given vaginally than when taken by
mouth.1 But many doctors are only giving misoprostol by mouth because of reports of a rare, fatal infection that affected a few women after using vaginal misoprostol. Some studies have shown that taking misoprostol buccally works as well as when it is given vaginally or orally.3, 4
This method of abortion causes symptoms
similar to a
miscarriage (such as severe cramping and vaginal
bleeding) as tissue and clots pass from the uterus. Symptoms may
Side effects may increase as the length of pregnancy
increases and in women having their first pregnancy.
The U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) has reported that a few women have died from a
severe infection (sepsis) after having an abortion using
mifepristone and vaginal misoprostol.5 Signs of serious infection include
weakness, nausea, and diarrhea with or without belly pain. This rare
infection may not cause a fever. Call your doctor or go to the hospital if you
have any of these signs of a serious infection after having a medical
Call your doctor immediately if you have any of these symptoms after an abortion:
Call your doctor for an appointment if you have had any of these symptoms after a recent
See Drug Reference for a full list of side effects.
(Drug Reference is not available in all systems.)
Choosing a medical or surgical
procedure for an abortion will depend on your medical history, how many weeks
pregnant you are, what options are available where you live, and your personal
Mifepristone should not be used for women who have any
of the following conditions:2
Avoid alcohol and aspirin while
using mifepristone and misoprostol for a medical abortion.
medical abortion does not require surgery but must be done in the first 9 weeks
of pregnancy. If a medical abortion fails, a surgical abortion must be done as
Expect that you may
experience different
emotional reactions after an abortion.
Depression can be triggered when pregnancy hormones
change after an abortion. If you have more than 2 weeks of depression symptoms,
such as fatigue, sleep or appetite change, or feelings of sadness, emptiness,
anxiety, or irritability, see your doctor about treatment.
Do not
have sexual intercourse for at least 1 week, or longer, as advised by your
When you start having intercourse again, use birth
control, and use condoms to prevent infection. For more information, see
the topic
Birth Control.
Your next regular period
may come at any time within 6 weeks after the abortion. Be sure to contact your
doctor if you do not have a period within 6 weeks.
Complete the new medication information form (PDF)(What is a PDF document?) to help you understand this medication.
CitationsAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
(2005, reaffirmed 2009). Medical management of abortion. ACOG Practice Bulletin
No. 67. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 106(4):
871–882.Holmquist S, Gilliam M (2008). Induced abortion. In RS
Gibbs et al., eds., Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology, 10th ed., pp. 586–603. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams and
Wilkins.Middleton T, et al. (2005). Randomized trial of
mifepristone and buccal or vaginal misoprostol for abortion through 56 days of
last menstrual period. Contraception, 72(5):
328–332.Winikoff B, et al. (2008). Two distinct oral routes of misoprostol in mifepristone medical abortion: A randomized controlled trial. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 112(6): 1303–1310.U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2006). Public health advisory: Sepsis and medical abortion with mifepristone (Mifeprex). Available online: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/PublicHealthAdvisories/ucm051298.htm.
Last Revised:
August 31, 2012
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine & Rebecca H. Allen, MD, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology & Kirtly Jones, MD - Obstetrics and Gynecology
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


text:
FORT GORDON, Ga. - The commanding general of Army Human Resources Command, Maj. Gen. Richard Mustion, talked with officers of Fort Gordon and the U.S. Army Signal Center of Excellence Sept. 18, 2013 at Alexander Hall about the soon-to-be revised Officer Evaluation Report and information on force-shaping and drawdown and promotion rates as part of the HRC Executive Road Show, a suite of briefings geared toward communicating and discussing the impact of recent and impending changes as the Army transitions to the future.
The opening comments to the session stressed that changes being implemented by HRC will affect all soldiers at all levels with Mustion describing in detail HRC's role in the implementation of the new OER system, Department of the Army form 67-10, that is set to take place by the end of calendar year 2013.
"I don't want anyone to think that the OER doesn't work today," said Mustion during his address. "It does. All we're doing is making it better; making it more effective, making it more efficient."
A few of the major changes to the OER include incorporating a rater profile, transition to forms based on grade plates, refined senior rater techniques, and the identification of operational and broadening assignments.
As examples of the revised report were displayed on a large screen, Mustion highlighted the key areas of change to each form describing the purpose of those changes and how they are geared toward better identifying the skills and attributes of the rated officer.
"Right now our raters are not held accountable, quite frankly, for what they say," said Mustion. "That means there's 97 percent of 'above the box' check [on the evaluation form] and there's no check for what the rater puts in there. They're not accountable for identifying the best performance."
"Raters will be charged to identify in a controlled manner our very best performers," he said.
The re-implementation of the OER support form will help them do just that by identifying those officers who are the cream of the crop based on their support form that will outline the rated officer's key accomplishments, skills and attributes.
One reason for the change to the OER was to have an evaluation system that better aligned with current Army leadership doctrine and one that accurately evaluates the performance and potential of Army officers. The result is that the form will better inform and equip leaders to be able to create a more transparent process for officer assignments and selection.
Mustion said, "One of the messages we want to carry to the field is the critical importance to officers and noncommissioned officers to pay attention to their personnel records and when appropriate, use the My Board File application when they are being considered by a promotion board."
Visits of this type are not new for HRC. Before the decades long operational tempo of back-to-back deployments HRC consistently sent teams to installations to brief the latest information on personnel issues. However the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan put a halt to such visits. The visits help bring to light hot topics and personnel issues that are of importance to soldiers and their families.
"We are investing heavily in transition assistance programs," said Mustion. "Transition is now a commander's program that emphasizes that soldiers begin transition education and assistance no later than 12 months prior to separation [from the Army] to ensure they are civilian career and/or education ready. Transition is a continual process, not an event; the earlier individuals begin preparing, the more successful they will be."
When asked what message he had for family members of Fort Gordon, Mustion said, "These installation visits and the personal engagements that result give us a better understanding of soldiers' concerns."
"I think before we place an officer, NCO, or soldier on assignment instructions either to or from Fort Gordon [or anywhere] we ought to understand the impact the move will have on a soldier and the soldier's family," he said.
In regard to the HRC visits, Mustion shared, "This is a cultural change for HRC and it might take us a while to get there but I think it's important for us to consider as we strengthen the all volunteer Army."
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