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After two years of harrowing confrontations in Washington, the national debt is no longer growing out of control and policymakers from President Obama to House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) have rushed to take credit.
But nearly half the improvement forecast for the coming decade is due to factors unrelated to the budget battles, including lower-than-expected health-care costs and a recovering economy, according to a Washington Post analysis of congressional budget data.
The brighter budgetary outlook is recasting the political debate. A growing chorus of Democrats is urging policymakers to declare victory and move on, leaving deficit hawks to plead for them to focus on an unfinished job. Legislation passed since Republicans took control of the House in 2011 should generate significant savings this year and through the rest of the decade, the data show. But much of it will not materialize unless policymakers adhere to caps on agency spending — including a layer of sharp cuts known as the sequester — that people in both parties view as unrealistic.
RELATED: As Deficit Shrinks, So Does Mandate for Sequester
Lawmakers, meanwhile, have done nothing to improve the finances of Social Security and Medicare, programs that already account for more than a third of federal spending and are forecast to push the debt skyward again at the end of the decade as the baby-boom generation retires.
"The deficit is getting better, but it's not a result of any hard choices Congress made," said Robert Bixby, executive director of the bipartisan Concord Coalition, who has spent 20 years pressing lawmakers to address the looming expense of an aging population.
"They all want to get on the aircraft carrier, like George Bush with his 'Mission Accomplished' banners," Bixby said, referring to the 43rd president's premature 2003 declaration of victory in the Iraq war. "It's very frustrating, because you can feel the momentum being sucked away from the budget debate. But then you look at the numbers and you realize how little has been done to solve the basic problem."
Liberals long perplexed by Washington's obsession with the debt have nonetheless seized the moment since the Congressional Budget Office last month announced that the budget outlook is improving much faster than expected.
This week, the Center for American Progress, a think tank with close ties to the White House, published a report urging policymakers to "hit the reset button" on the budget debate: "No more pretending that the sky is falling. No more rash actions to cut the deficit without regard for real-world impacts. No more calls for an ever-elusive grand bargain."
RELATED: 'Charm Offensive' Ends As Boehner Calls Obama Reckless
"It's true that we still have a long-term deficit challenge," said the center's president, Neera Tanden. But "if you were entering the country from another planet right now, you would wonder why our economic policy is focused on the deficit, which has stabilized, when we still have seven and a half percent unemployment."
At the same time, senior Democrats are scaling back their ambitions for further savings, arguing for legislation that would simply replace the sequester in 2014.
"That would be my small deal," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D-Wash.). "Do we still need to talk about the bigger deal? Absolutely." But absent progress toward a broader agreement that includes higher taxes as well as entitlement reforms, replacing the sequester "would at least give us some stability over the next year or two," she said.
Obama has proposed to replace the entire 10-year life span of the sequester with new taxes on the rich and structural reforms that would make Social Security and Medicare more affordable for the long haul. But House Republicans rejected the offer, and Obama's effort to jump-start negotiations with Senate Republicans has stalled.
The developments have alarmed advocates of deficit reduction, who say policymakers should stop congratulating themselves and get back to work.
"The truth is, the hardest part has yet to be done," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. "There's no need to have additional deficit reduction in the very short term. But you just can't say you got the job half done so you should quit in the middle."
The nation began racking up record annual deficits in excess of $1 trillion after the onset of a global recession in 2007. Tax collections plummeted and spending on social programs soared as people were thrown out of work and forced to seek government assistance. When Obama took office in 2009, he pushed Congress to enact a massive economic stimulus package that helped stabilize the economy but added to the red ink.
The Congressional Budget Office has long forecast that conditions would improve as the economy recovered. Congress also agreed to let taxes rise on high-income households as part of a deal in January to avert the "fiscal cliff" of simultaneous tax hikes and spending cuts.
The bulk of the savings was adopted as part of the 2011 fight over the federal debt limit and relies almost entirely on congressional enforcement of unprecedented cuts to agency budgets. Those cuts, which are now being deepened by the sequester, are on track to drive agency spending to the lowest levels on record, as a share of the economy, by 2017.
But Republicans are already struggling to live with the cuts.
RELATED: Obama Leaves His Successor a Deficit Mess
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) said the House is unlikely to pass eight of the 12 spending bills needed to lock in the sequester for the coming fiscal year, an exercise that would require lawmakers to slash 15 percent from international aid, nearly 10 percent from transportation and housing, and nearly 19 percent from health, education and labor.
The House did pass funding bills this week for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, but those measures would increase spending for those agencies, part of a Republican push to shift the burden of the sequester away from defense and entirely onto domestic programs.
Even if Congress manages to enforce the sequester, the caps are set to expire in 2021. Without reforms to popular health and retirement programs, higher revenue, or both,"the sustainability of federal fiscal policy over the long run is now even more tenuous than prior to the fiscal crisis," said a recent analysis by the forecasting firm Moody's Analytics. The national debt will be stabilized, but at a level nearly double its postwar average, as a share of the economy.
Still, the shrinking deficit has sapped energy from a debate that, after two years, has failed to break the fundamental stalemate between Republicans who don't want to raise taxes and Democrats who won't cut entitlement benefits without some contribution from the rich.
RELATED: For Team Obama, a Rocky Road to a Grand Bargain
"I just don't see a lot of hope in the grand bargain at the moment," Tanden said. "We've gotten to a place where the big deal means I have to kill one of my children and you have to kill one of your children. What we're trying to point out is you don't have to kill anybody to undo the sequester, which is a stupid policy."
Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), who has been dogged in pursuit of a grand bargain, agrees about the sequester, comparing it to "saying you want to go on a diet and then hitting your [weight target] by cutting off your leg." And with the growth in health costs slowing, he said, the outlook for Medicare has become somewhat less dire.
"So we've got a little breathing room. But that just means we should redouble our efforts to do this in a sensible way," Warner said. "Many of us who still think this is still the overwhelming issue believe it's taken on a value beyond the economic imperatives and that it would improve confidence if we could show we can get our balance sheet right."
Policymakers still have to get through the fall, when the government will shut down and the Treasury Department will face default without congressional action. Senior Republicans, such as House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), are still predicting a showdown that could force a broad agreement.
Neither side wants another white-knuckle confrontation, however, and administration officials predict the pain of the sequester will soon become unbearable for Republicans, particularly when furloughs start hitting hundreds of thousands of defense workers next month.
But Republicans say they will not trade the sequester for higher taxes, especially when official forecasts now show the nation owing $750 billion in interest payments on the debt in 2023, a sum larger than the entire defense budget. "What's going to be cut to pay for that?" Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), the senior Republican on the Senate Budget Committee, asked. "This idea that you have no responsibility to tighten your belt and begin to take some medicine now, I think is irresponsible."
This piece originally appeared in The Washington Post.
Read more at The Washington Post:
Diaz-Balart on Immigration Reform: Pushback on Everything?
Is a Democratic Surveillance State Possible?
Secrecy of Surveillance Programs Blunts Legality Challenges


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Home Page Chess Life Online 2010 October World Youth Delegation Set
World Youth Delegation Set |
September 20, 2010 | |
The US delegation to the World Youth Championship (Halkidiki, Greece, October 19-31)
is set. USCF National Educational consultant Jerry Nash said, "With 40
players and a total of 104 delegates, this has to be a US record for
attendance at the World Youth! These players – and their families(!) - have worked hard throughout the year for this opportunity and I have no doubt that the experience they will gain from an event of this caliber will have an impact even beyond their chess endeavors in the years to come. " GMs John Fedorowicz (who will also report for Chess Life Magazine), Sam Palatnik and FIDE Senior Trainers Michael Khodarkovsky, IM Armen Ambartsoumiam and FM Aviv Friedman will coach and lead the team. Find out more including a pdf file of all pre-registered players and schedule on the official site, wycc2010.chessdom.com. Look for more details as the event approaches. U8 Girls Annie Wang Kaavya Ramesh Emily Nguyen Joanna Liu U10 Girls Devina Devagharan Reve Singh Nicole Zlotchevsky Samritha Palakollu U12 Girls Simone Liao Alice Dong Apurva Virkud Mariya Oreshko Margaret Hua U14 Girls Sarah Chiang Jessica Regam Claudia Munoz U16 Girls Anna Matlin U18 Girls Anjali Datta U8 Boys Aravind Kumar Awonder Liang Rayan Taghizadeh Praveen Balakrishnan U10 Boys Samuel Sevian Tommy He Jeffery Xiong Jonathan Chiang Vignesh Panchanatham Cameron Wheeler U12 Boys Kayden Troff Christopher Wu Joshua Colas Kapil Chandran Dachey Lim Justus Williams Kesav Viswanadha Allan Beilin U14 Boys David Adelberg Atulya Shetty U18 Boys Steve Zierk Jeffrey Haskel |

subset: commoncrawl


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Valentine News: Valentine Ideas without breaking the bank... [ romantic ideas ]
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Commentary: We Hacked North Korea With Balloons and USB Drives
An airborne challenge to Kim Jong Un's information monopoly.
PAJU, South Korea — At the base of a mountain almost two miles from the North Korean border, the giant helium balloons slowly float upward, borne by a stiff, cold wind. These are not balloons in the conventional sense—the transparent, cylindrical tubes covered in colorful Korean script are more than 20 feet in length and each carries three large bundles wrapped in plastic. The characters painted on one of the balloons reads, "The regime must fall."
The launch site is at the confluence of the Imjin and Han Rivers, which form the border with North Korea. From here, it's possible to see the Potemkin village constructed on the shores across the river. The picturesque agrarian hamlet is really just a series of uninhabited sham structures, which contrast sharply with the bustle and industry of the South Korean side. Using binoculars we can see people "walking" back and forth and pretending to till the land despite below-freezing temperatures.
We're here to hack the North Korean government's monopoly of information above the 38th parallel on the Korean peninsula. The North Korean dictatorship continues to be one of the most totalitarian regimes on the planet. While other regimes oppress their dissidents and censor the Internet, North Korea has no dissidents and no connection to the outside world. It has no Internet. The Kim family rules with absolute authority, arbitrarily imprisoning or executing anyone who stands in their way. The regime goes even further; not only is the offender imprisoned, but entire generations of his family are also sent to the gulags . The embargo of information into and out of the country has forced human rights groups to be creative in their methods of reaching North Korean citizens.
The balloons rise and drift toward the border dividing democratic South Korea and Kim Jong Un's totalitarian regime in the north. Each balloon carries a bundle containing DVDs, USBs, transistor radios, and tens of thousands of leaflets printed with information about the world outside North Korea. Once the balloons travel far enough north, a small timer will break open the sturdy plastic bags and shower the contents of the packages over the countryside. The text printed on the leaflets is changed from launch to launch; the leaflets we are using today contain a cartoon depicting Kim Jong Un's execution of his uncle as well as pro-democracy and human rights literature.
In preparation for Wednesday's launch, a group of tireless men and women, most defectors themselves, put together the precious cargo the balloons carry. This group is part of an organization called Fighters for a Free North Korea, and their leader is Park Sang Hak , a defector and son of a former North Korean spy who escaped 15 years ago by swimming across the river. Park has since dedicated his life to fighting for freedom in his homeland. That dedication has earned him awards (he received the Human Rights Foundation's Václav Havel Prize for Creative Dissent last year) as well as attempts on his life.
In 2011, a North Korean assassin traveled to Seoul and tried to kill Park with a poison needle hidden inside a pen. The South Korean National Intelligence Service found out about the plan to murder Park, whom the Pyongyang regime has designated " Enemy Zero ," and tipped him off before he went to meet the would-be killer.
Undaunted, Park continued his efforts to offer support to the countrymen he had left behind. He realized that although the government tightly controlled everything that came into the country on the ground, the sky remained free. Park decided this would be his way of smuggling his message across the border.
This is how we found ourselves at a mountaintop an hour and a half outside of Seoul in 15-degree-Fahrenheit weather. We had been preparing for weeks in secret in order to stay off the South Korean government's radar, after our previous launch attempt was thwarted by South Korean police forces .
In June of last year, at a different border site, word got out about the effort, which was to be the first time that a foreign NGO had collaborated directly in such an activity. Two days before the anticipated launch date, the North Korean government issued a warning through its propaganda outlet, threatening , "[I]f you so much as haunt [the launch site] with your presence and act as human shields for refugees who have already been sentenced to death, we will kill you."
We chose to ignore this inflammatory rhetoric, which is typical of the regime, and pressed on. The morning of the launch, however, the North Korean government issued a second warning , this time from the Command of the Korean People's Army, saying the launch "reminds one of a puppy knowing no fear of a tiger." This threat was taken so seriously by the South Korean government that its security forces mobilized to stop us.
On the day of the launch, 300 uniformed South Korean policemen swarmed the site, preventing us from achieving our goal. Park attempted to drive to another launch site, but he was stopped and taken to a nearby police station, where he was detained for six hours and then released. The episode underlined how many South Koreans regard the human rights struggle in the North as merely a distraction and an annoyance.
So what do these balloons carry that is dangerous enough to the North Korean government to warrant an attempted assassination and multiple public death threats to an international NGO? All of the goods carried by the balloons are illegal inside North Korea, but the regime consistently names one item in their threats to Park and his group: the pro-democracy leaflets.
The North Korean government dreads subversive information. For decades, the regime has controlled all information entering the country. While the government still has a monopoly over information dissemination within North Korea, cracks are beginning to show. Many North Koreans now have access to smuggled DVDs and USBs loaded with videos. They are seeing the world outside the North, and it doesn't match up to the dictatorship's lies and propaganda. Shows such as Desperate Housewives and The Mentalist , and films like Bad Boys , all of which defectors tell us are very popular in the North, provide a wildly different alternative to their daily lives.
Slowly, piercing the information blockade is helping to expose the fallibility of the North Korean state. Kim Jong Un's government, just like the governments of his father and grandfather before him, is engineered to make North Korean citizens dependent on the state for everything. However, the famine of the 1990s, in which over a million North Koreans starved to death, forced people to depend less on the state for survival. The black market, fueled by smuggling, began to gain momentum.
Smuggling is the only way to bring information and technology to the North Korean people, and it is punishable by death. DVDs, USBs, and even laptops are making their way over the Chinese border into the hands of North Koreans, helped along by NGOs based in South Korea. Some groups engage directly in smuggling activities to provide information and equipment, others use short- and medium-wave radio broadcasts, and Park Sang Hak uses balloons and other creative methods of sending help over the border.
These groups, however, are in the midst of a crisis. Finding support, especially for the more aggressive methods, is difficult within South Korea, as South Koreans fear antagonizing their distant relatives in the North. Until this year, the U.S. government provided support for these groups through the National Endowment for Democracy and the State Department's DRL programs . The majority of this funding however, has been cut in the last year. A remarkable opportunity now exists, given the funding gap, to build peer-to-peer networks between Korean defectors and worldwide allies willing to stand against despotism. Radio transmission is especially costly, and one group we visited in Seoul won't be able to afford to produce its programming after March of this year.
These groups struggle in silence as the international press creates a media circus around Dennis Rodman and his "friendship" with Kim Jong Un. His antics feed into the popular perception of the regime as a bizarre place where bad things happen as opposed to one of the world's cruelest tyrannies, being challenged by a handful of civil society organizations with combined annual budgets totaling no more than $1 million. And the North, with its nuclear hardware, concentration camps, and totalitarian control over its people, is being challenged with freedom of expression and the power of ideas. In the end, we believe ideas will win.
Alexander Lloyd is managing director of Accelerator Ventures and Thor Halvorssen is president of the New York-based Human Rights Foundation. They co-founded the Disrupt North Korea Project, a non-violent action program designed to hack the North Korean regime.


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This British police intimidation of a blogger is much less heavy-handed than the hammer the Mayor of Peoria brought down on a parody Twitter account.
The Cambridge, UK story is, however, creepy insofar as it could be read to suggest that the police support the far-right UKIP party. Then again, the UKIP complainant was a local councillor, so maybe it really is the somewhat-less-unkind UK version of the Peoria story. After all, in Cambridge, no property was damaged or seized or destroyed. And no judges signed off on spurious warrants either.


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By Andy Ives, CFP®, AIF®
IRA Analyst
The coronavirus-related distribution (CRD) rules for Roth conversions have a gaping hole.
An "affected person" (as we have defined in previous blogs), is entitled under the CARES Act to withdraw up to $100,000 from their IRA or workplace retirement plan. A CRD avoids the 10% early distribution penalty for those under 59 ½, can be repaid to a qualified retirement account within three years, and allows the account owner to spread the income (and subsequent taxes due) over a three-year period.
The coronavirus pandemic has decimated the world's economy. In the United States, unemployment levels rival the Great Depression. Businesses are shuttered. Food banks are strained as desperate families wait patiently for a box of groceries. Hospital staffs are exhausted, and the number of dead increases daily. CRDs are designed to help those most in need by providing access to a source of last-resort, emergency funds. The 3-year repayment option allows profoundly "affected people" to make their account whole once the economy turns, and the 3-year tax spread helps soften the monetary pain of the withdrawal.
The CARES Act does not appear to preclude an affected person from taking a CRD and immediately rolling those dollars into a Roth as a conversion. The taxes can then be spread over the CRD-allowable 3-year period. Individuals who do not need the money from their retirement account due to a coronavirus emergency, but who can otherwise shoehorn themselves into the definition of an "affected person," could abuse this loophole.
Does a CRD and immediate Roth conversion violate the "spirit" of the law? I certainly think so. Will I look sideways at those who maneuver their way into such a transaction? Absolutely. Will my disapproval make them lose any sleep at night? Probably not.
Be aware – this transaction is not without risk. The IRS or Congress could retroactively shut down the CRD/Roth conversion abuse. Until then, however, CRD exploitation will continue as people game the system.
Aren't we better than that?


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DIY Paint By Numbers - Bulldog Painting Canvas
Easy DIY Kit Paint by Numbers for adults
Discover your artistic talent and have an enjoyable and relaxing experience with the Paint by Numbers Canvas kits.
DIY Paint By Numbers - Bulldog Painting Canvas
Perfect family or friends activity - share the joy of painting with your family or friends and create everlasting memories
- Increase your ability to focus and hence your productivity
- Reduce stress and improve your mood - a proven therapy method that increase the "feel good" neurotransmitter dopamine, improve attention to details
- Painting and art therapy improve concentration and communication and can help reduce the feeling of isolation
- Art therapy increase the self-esteem, confidence and self-awareness
- After your finish your piece of art you can showcase it on your wall
- Create your own art gallery with your canvas paintings
- An ideal gift idea for your dearest ones whether it is a birthday or any other occasion
The Kit contains:
- Pre-printed and numbered high quality painting canvas, 40 x 50 cm
- Numbered acrylic paints - 1 set
- Set of 3 nylon paint brushes ( Small, Medium, Large)
- Skill level: Intermediate
We offer professional packaging on our products, so you will receive it in the best condition.
Product Details
Product Details
DIY Paint by Numbers Canvas Print (Unframed)
The Kit contains:
- Pre-printed and numbered high quality painting canvas, 40 x 50 cm
- Numbered acrylic paints - 1 set
- Set of 3 nylon paint brushes ( Small, Medium, Large)
- Skill level: Intermediate
40 x 50 cm
Delivery & Returns
Delivery & Returns
We offer free shipping on all orders to over 170 countries worldwide. Our primary goal is to offer exceptional value and service to our customers, striving to exceed expectations by continually expanding and adapting to meet the diverse needs of our clientele across the globe.
Do you ship worldwide?
Absolutely. We offer FREE shipping to more than 170 countries globally. Nonetheless, there are certain locations we cannot deliver to. In the event that your location falls within this category, we will reach out to you once we receive your order.
How do you ship packages?
Our canvas prints are shipped via postal services around the world in solid tubes to safeguard the canvas during transportation. Packages in the USA are shipped primarily by USPS and in Canada via Canada Post. Our shipments across mainland Europe are handled by Deutsche Post, DHL, PostNL. Packages in Australia and Singapore are handled by Australia Post and Singapore Post. Packages in New Zealand are shipped by New Zealand Post. Some orders may be shipped via DHL or FedEx, depending on the weight and size of the package.
What is the expected shipping duration?
Most orders are arriving within 10-20 Business Days, depending on your location. Here are the estimated shipping timeframes we provide:
Shipping Schedules
Your Location |
* Estimated Shipping Schedule |
United States |
10-20 Business days |
Canada |
10-20 Business days |
Europe |
10-20 Business days |
United Kingdom |
10-20 Business days |
Australia, New Zealand |
10-15 Business days |
South East Asia |
15-25 Business days |
Middle East |
10-25 Business days |
Mexico, Central America, South America |
15-35 Business days |
Russia |
15-35 Business days |
African Continent |
20-40 Business days |
*Kindly allocate 3-5 days for order processing.
Do you provide tracking information?
Yes, we provide tracking information. Soon after your order ships, you will receive an email that contains your tracking information.
- Free shipping to certain destinations may not provide tracking information until the package is close to its final delivery point.
- Some shipping carriers may take approximately 5-7 business days for tracking information to reflect in our system.
- Items from the same purchase may be sent in separate packages due to logistical considerations.
- Some international shipments may experience extended intervals between tracking updates, spanning several days or even weeks, as packages move through various postal distribution centers en route to their destinations.
What should I consider regarding customs when making an international purchase?
We ship internationally, and although the majority of our customers experience no duties or taxes, there is a possibility of a minor import duty based on your country. After the items have been shipped, any custom fees are beyond our responsibility. When you purchase our products, you acknowledge that one or more packages may be shipped to you, potentially incurring custom fees upon arrival in your country.
Delivery Update. Please be informed that until further notice, we are unable to ship to the following countries due to existing limitations in international logistics: India and South Africa.
How can I contact you?
If you have any other questions, please contact us and we will do our best to help you out.
For more information in our Refund Policy at Diveros
This product is shipped in a rigid tube for protection of the canvas in transit.


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For Week Ending June 4, 2016
Summer is heating up, as are home sales and prices. Millennials are hitting home- buying age with force and are showing interest in entering the real estate market. As inventory continues to struggle to keep up with demand, options are fewer than desired, and price wars are proving to be a challenge for many buyers in a seller's market.
In the Twin Cities region, for the week ending June 4:
- New Listings decreased 7.9% to 2,011
- Pending Sales decreased 15.3% to 1,203
- Inventory decreased 19.5% to 13,571
For the month of May:
- Median Sales Price increased 5.7% to $236,826
- Days on Market decreased 21.1% to 60
- Percent of Original List Price Received increased 1.1% to 98.6%
- Months Supply of Inventory decreased 28.9% to 2.7
All comparisons are to 2015
Click here for the full Weekly Market Activity Report. From The Skinny Blog.


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Privacy Policy
Types of information collected from our visitors on haslemereplumbing.co.uk
The data is collected via Google Analytics primarily used to optimize our website for our visitors, and allow us to monitor how many visitors the site receives.
You can read more about Google Analytics here
Google Analytics collects the following types of information from users:
Type of user agent (web browser) used, software manufacture and version number.
Type of operating system
Screen colours (colour processing ability of the users screen)
Javascript support
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Friday 7 January 2011
A la Folie – encore
The volunteers have had two limitations placed on them. Firstly, no running water will be provided, meaning that rain water has needed to be salvaged, and a predominance of plants that flourish in dry conditions. Secondly, the garden will have a short life span, providing just a brief blaze of green before the planned social housing digs its foundations down into the beds.
No-one is here when I pass, and little is here to keep people in the garden beyond two benches and the promise of calm and quiet. Dominating the garden are the high walls of neighbouring structures, and on one of these the imprint of what must have stood here before. The scribbled lines of a house, the shape of which could easily have come from a child's imagination.
Dust back to dust. New walls will rise, new stories will be created, but other ephemeral traces of the past will be erased from our shared landscape.
7 comments:
- Christine H. said...
There's something very appealing about the spot, at least from the camera's vantage point. I guess if you were sitting on the bench there, maybe it's not as nice. I like the view of the wall very much.
- 7 January 2011 at 23:13
- FotoMarg said...
Isn't it wonderful to see some greenery in amongst the stonework. Of course nature would have grown some weeds there anyway. Thanks again for another interesting place you have found for us.
- 8 January 2011 at 00:28
- Owen said...
Progress waits for no abandoned ghosts to decide they are ready to disappear forever... they just go, with the heartless efficiency of bulldozers and wrecking balls...
- 8 January 2011 at 05:28
- cocoa and coconut said...
Those lines really do look like an old house! It definitely seems like a quiet place. Almost a little eerie.
- 8 January 2011 at 07:45
- Jill said...
What an interesting spot. Those two (dead?) trees either side of the house imprint give this an almost eerie feel, like an image in a ghost story.
It's great to see examples of this kind of guerrilla gardening - locals taking over abandoned spots to create some much-needed greenery. Often they will grow vegetables, but I guess that would be particularly challenging in January with no running water... - 8 January 2011 at 09:37
- Cergie said...
Beaucoup de poésie dans ce message et de la nostalgie aussi.
Je vais t'apprendre un mot qui vaut bien Ghost Sign que tu m'as appris c'est palimpseste. En l'occurence tu as ici un très beau palimpseste architectural.
(Une excellente année 2011 à toi, Adam !) - 10 January 2011 at 14:01
- Kiki said...
oh, never mind the fascinating story and interesting photos - it's your English that really does it for me! You have a fantastic vocabulary and I happily 'paddle and swim' in the lake of wonderfully constructed and imaginative paintings of your words.
I am really glad to have found you although I have no idea how and where and why....
who cares?! fut I DO feel sorry for the gardeners who have gardens with such an insecure and short life span! - 17 January 2011 at 22:09


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Dating in Archaeology: Challenges to Biblical Credibility
[EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second of a two-part series on "Dating in Archaeology." Part I is titled "Dating in Archaeology: Radiocarbon and Tree-Ring Dating."]
"Biblical historical data are accurate to an extent far surpassing the ideas of any modern critical students, who have consistently tended to err on the side of hypercriticism" (1949, Albright, p. 229).
"Archaeologists now generally agree that their discoveries…have produced a new consensus about the formation of ancient Israel that contradicts significant parts of the biblical version" (Strauss, 1988).
These statements represent the conflicting messages that characterize the field of archaeology. In Albright's era, archaeologists' interpretations of field excavations ordinarily corroborated biblical information. It was common for prominent archaeologists such as Nelson Glueck to confidently affirm: "…no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference" (1959, p. 31).
Prior to the 1970s, interpretations of archaeological explorations generally heightened the Bible's credibility (Davis, 1993, 19[2]:54-59). Since then, however, the amiable relationship between archaeology and the Bible has deteriorated dramatically. It is commonplace for the new generation of archaeologists to spurn the historical credibility of the biblical narrative (see Dever, 1990, 16[3]:52-62).
Archaeology, therefore, presents a challenge to those who contend for the integrity of the Scriptures. How are we to respond? On what basis do many archaeologists repudiate the historicity of the biblical text, and how reliable are their methods? To answer these and other questions we must have a basic understanding of the science of archaeology.
An archaeologist is not a modern "Indiana Jones" searching for exotic treasures in booby-trapped caverns. His expeditions are carefully-planned pursuits, including a highly-trained staff of scientists from various disciplines.
Though much surface exploration occurs, we often associate archaeology with excavation. Most excavations involve a "tell," which is the Arabic word for "mound." More descriptively, the word traces back to the Babylonian tillu, which meant "ruin heap" (Albright, 1949, p. 18). Similar to the Indian mounds of North America, tells are artificial hills composed of the cultural remains (e.g., pottery, tools, weapons, statues) from different settlements on the same site.
Stratification—the Making of a Tell
The cross section of a tell resembles a layer cake, with each layer representing an occupational level. These mounds were not formed merely by the natural drifting of sands, or by the gradual accumulation of debris. Though these were factors, catastrophes such as war, fire, or earthquake destroyed a settlement. Then, new settlers leveled the ground, and rebuilt on the same site. The layer of debris from the previous city formed a stratum, which generally measured from about one to five feet thick (Free, 1969, pp. 6-7). This caused the ground level of the new settlement to be several feet higher than the previous one. Also, the cultural remnants of the older settlement lay underneath the new.
Over the years, this process was repeated until several successive strata were formed, and the mound rose higher. As the height of the mound rose, the occupational area generally decreased (though sometimes the reverse occurred; Albright, 1949, p. 17). When the site was finally abandoned, wind and rain leveled the top and eroded the sides, until a city wall or other structure halted the erosion process. The shape of these mounds resembles a truncated cone (see Unger, 1954, pp. 19-21). Most important biblical sites have this characteristic form, which trained archaeologists readily recognize.
Excavation and Dating
Once a tell has been identified, then comes the arduous and fastidious task of excavation. There is more to excavating one of these mounds than merely removing each successive occupational layer, since artifacts from one stratum can intrude into another level. Archaeologists, therefore, have developed methods that help them identify artifacts with their proper stratum (see Kenyon, 1957a, pp. 75-80; LaSor, 1979, 1:237-240). These methods also assist them in developing a sequential chronology of the tell, since artifacts from the top layer represent the most recent civilization and the bottom layer represents the oldest. But how do they assign specific dates to these levels?
Often, and especially for ancient dates, radiocarbon and dendrochronology (i.e., tree-ring dating) are employed, whose deficiencies have been well-documented (see Major, 1993). For more recent dates, archaeologists generally rely on a sophisticated dating system based upon pottery, which is used extensively in Syro-Palestinian archaeology. Sir Flinders Petrie (1853-1942), the famed Egyptologist, first introduced this method, and William Albright, the distinguished American archaeologist, refined it further. Pottery serves well for dating purposes for at least two reasons: (1) it was relatively inexpensive, and thus plentiful; and (2) pottery styles underwent frequent changes (see LaSor, 1979, 1:241-242; Laughlin, 1992; Wood, 1988). This system associates the marked changes of pottery styles with different archaeological ages (see Figure 1).
Figure 1: Cross section through an idealized tell showing pottery types, and successive layers of settlement from ancient to modern times. The evolutionary-based archaeological timescale on the right comes from Silberman (1989). |
How do pottery types date the strata from which they are unearthed? Suppose workers discover a cooking pot with relatively straight sides, a row of holes just below the rim, and a rope decoration below the holes. According to pottery typology, this kind of vessel was dominant in the Middle Bronze Age (c. 2000-1500 B.C.; Laughlin, 1992, 18[5]:73). Thus, if a sufficient amount of such vessels is found in a level of a tell, an archaeologist will date the stratum between the years 2000-1500 B.C.
This pottery-based dating scheme has proved to be helpful in assigning general dates to occupational levels of a mound. Further, the dates determined by this scheme often coincide with biblical chronology. For instance, excavators at Shiloh have dated a destruction level on that site at 1050 B.C., which corresponds with the battle of Ebenezer recorded in 1 Samuel 4 (cf. Jeremiah 7:12; Albright, 1949, p. 228). Such finds (and there are many) confirm the historical data of the biblical text. However, archaeologists' interpretations based upon this dating scheme often conflict with biblical chronology. Consider two examples.
The Age of the Earth
First, there is a discrepancy between the archaeological and biblical estimations of the Earth's age. The chronologies supplied with the genealogies from Adam to Abraham prohibit the Earth from being as old as the archaeological timescale indicates. While it is true that genealogical rec~ords occasionally may contain gaps, this does not negate the force of the chronologies attached to them. If Seth were, for example, a distant relative of Adam, nevertheless, Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born (Genesis 5:3). We cannot dismiss a priori biblical chronology simply by assuming genealogical gaps.
The archaeological timescale indicates a Paleolithic era which dates back to 700,000 years ago. Further, archaeologists generally recognize a Neolithic settlement at Tell es-Sultan (Jericho) which dates to about 8000 B.C. (Wood, 1990, 16[2]:45). Since the Flood would have destroyed any orderly remains of antediluvian civilizations, the remnants of ancient societies preserved in mounds (as those at Jericho) most likely accumulated after the Flood (Vaninger, 1985a, 20:34). Such a timetable forces the Creation back several thousand more years than allowed by biblical chronology.
Conquest of Canaan
Second, biblical and archaeological dates of some historical events are in conflict. A classic example of this chronological tension is the conquest of Canaan. The Bible indicates that 480 years transpired between the exodus and the fourth year of Solomon's reign (1 Kings 6:1). We can date his reign with reasonable confidence at 971-931 B.C., which places the date of his fourth regnal year at 967 B.C. This would place the date of the exodus at 1447 B.C. Allowing for the 40 years of wilderness wandering prior to the Israelites' invasion of Canaan, the initial stages of the conquest occurred around 1407 B.C.
However, archaeologists generally believe that the Israelites entered Canaan about 1230-1220 B.C., nearly 200 years later than the biblical date (Bimson, 1987, 13[5]:40-42). Again, excavations at Jericho, the first fortified city conquered by the Israelites (Joshua 2-6), are at the heart of this controversy. John Garstang was the first to employ modern pottery chronology to explore this biblical site. He uncovered a residential area in the southeast slope of the tell, which he called "City IV." This city had been destroyed by a violent conflagration. Based on pottery in the destruction debris, and other artifacts in the nearby cemetery, he associated City IV with the first city Israel defeated in the conquest. Garstang dated this destruction level to the late 15th or early 14th century B.C., and he believed that the invading Israelites caused the destruction, in harmony with the biblical record (Joshua 6:24; Wood, 1987, p. 7).
Kathleen Kenyon critiqued Garstang's work in 1951, and did additional excavation at this site during 1952-1958. Kenyon disagreed with Garstang's date of the destruction level, and placed it at c. 1550 B.C., many years before the biblical date of the conquest. She further contended that in 1400 B.C. there was no fortified city for Joshua's army to conquer, and that the archaeological evidence does not agree with the biblical description of a large-scale military incursion contemporary with the destruction of Jericho (Kenyon, 1957b, p. 259). Kenyon based her conclusions largely upon the absence of pottery typically used around 1400 B.C.
Subsequently, scholars have critiqued Kenyon's work and have vindicated the conclusions of Garstang, and, by implication, the biblical chronology (Wood, 1990; Livingston, 1988; see also Jackson, 1990). Kenyon's conclusions, however, caused Jericho to become the classic example of the difficulties with correlating the biblical account of the conquest with the archaeological record. Pottery stands at the center of the interpretive and dating discrepancies of the conquest.
How should we respond when archaeologists' interpretations are at variance with biblical facts? The following principles might be helpful as we struggle with the increasing antagonism toward the Scriptures from the field of archaeology.
Evolutionary Assumptions
As a rule, archaeologists endorse evolutionary assumptions that the Earth is ancient and that man developed gradually—both physically and intellectually—over millions of years. Kenyon attributed the development of the Jordan Valley to vast terrestrial movements two million years ago (Kenyon, 1957b, p. 23). Albright discussed in detail the "…artistic evolution of Homo sapiens," which first began around 30,000 to 20,000 B.C. (1942, pp. 6-10). Allegedly, as man slowly "evolved," he learned how to manufacture tools from stones, and gradually developed the ability to make pottery. With his discovery of fire, he learned to fashion tools from copper and iron. Thus, archaeologists assume that centuries transpired before man graduated from stone tools and weapons to metallic implements.
This, however, is an assumption that is plainly at odds with biblical revelation. Man was highly intelligent from the dawn of Creation, and possessed the ability to manufacture tools and musical instruments (indicative of artistic ability) from metals (Genesis 4:20-22). Further, the descendants of Noah retained the technical ability for making tools and weapons, which would allow for rapid cultural recovery and restoration after the Flood (see Vaninger, 1985b, 22:67). The tower of Babel is an eloquent, and infamous, witness to the postdiluvians' technical abilities (Genesis 11).
In addition, the divinely prompted dispersion from Babel would account for the cultural disparity between ancient Egypt and Mesopotamian cultures. Researchers have found virtually no evidence of unsophisticated cultures in Egypt; advanced civilization in that region veritably explodes onto the historical scene. In contrast, Mesopotamia exhibits a clear cultural development from simple societies to more advanced civilization (Vaninger, 1985a, 22:38). This has puzzled archaeologists for many years. But, the ancient dispersion could account for these disparate cultural developments.
Evidence indicates that an aggressive transfusion of culture from the Near and Middle East into Egypt occurred in ancient history, which directly corresponds to biblical information (cf. Genesis 11:8-9; Albright, 1949, pp. 71-72). Those who migrated to Egypt obviously carried with them both culture and technology more advanced than those possessed by the people who remained in the Mesopotamian region. Accordingly, highly developed civilizations, and cultures which used stone implements, were contemporary; they were not separated by millennia. Even today, some cultures remain isolated from advanced technology, and continue to employ implements generally associated with the so-called Stone Age (see Livingston, 1992, 5[1]:7). Thus, evidence of settlements using stone tools does not demand an ancient Earth.
Paucity of Evidence
Second, we must recognize that archaeological evidence is fragmentary and, therefore, greatly limited. Despite the amount of potsherds, bones, ornaments, or tools collected from a given site, the evidence reflects only a paltry fraction of what existed in antiquity (Brandfon, 1988, 14[1]:54). Unearthed data often are insufficient, inconclusive, and subject to biased interpretation. The current debate about the time of the conquest is a case in point. Archaeological data alone are inadequate to determine the exact date, or cause, of Jericho's destruction. Therefore, we should listen with cautious skepticism when archaeologists appeal to evidence that conflicts with the biblical text.
Presuppositions of Archaeologists
Third, the paucity of archaeological evidence provides fertile soil for imaginative—and often contradictory—conclusions. We must not overlook the matter of subjectivity in interpretations. Regarding this matter, Jesse Long Jr. correctly stated that "…presuppositions and assumptions determine interpretive stance and often color conclusions" (1992, 134[12]:12). He further added that "…the new archaeological consensus [regarding discoveries contradicting significant parts of the biblical version—GKB] may be more a reflection of philosophical assumptions than the concrete evidence of sherds and stones" (1992, 134[12]:12).
Inexact Science
Finally, archaeology is an imprecise science, and should not serve as the judge of biblical historicity. The pottery dating scheme, for example, has proved to be most helpful in determining relative dates of strata in a tell. But, at best, pottery can place one only within the "chronological ball park." John Laughlin, a seasoned archaeologist, recognized the importance of potsherds in dating strata, but offered two warnings: (1) a standard pottery type might have had many variants; and (2) similar ceramic types might not date to the same era—some types may have survived longer than others, and different manufacturing techniques and styles might have been introduced at different times in different locales. Further, he mentioned the fact of subjectivity in determining pottery typology: "…in addition to its observable traits, pottery has a 'feel' to it" (1990, 18[5]:72). Therefore, we must recognize archaeology for what it is—an inexact science with the innate capacity for mistakes.
There are many archaeological evidences, both artifactual and literary, which have undermined liberal interpretations of the biblical text, and supported its credibility. However, archaeology, like other natural sciences, has its limitations. William Dever, for example, observed that although archaeology as a historical discipline can answer many questions, it is incapable of determining "why" something occurred (1990, 16[3]:57). The destruction level at Jericho, for instance, which many date to the early 15th century B.C., corroborates the biblical text, but it cannot prove that a transcendent God caused its walls to fall. We must turn to sacred history for causative details. However, the physical evidence does support the historicity of the biblical narrative—certainly something we would expect of a divinely-inspired volume. Further, archaeology often serves to illuminate biblical texts. The literary discoveries at Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit), for example, have enhanced our knowledge of Baalism, shedding considerable light on biblical allusions to this pagan cult (see Brantley, 1993).
Indeed, archaeology is most helpful in biblical studies, often confirming and illuminating biblical texts. We must be aware, however, of its limitations, and deficiencies. The dating methods employed (e.g., radiocarbon, dendrochronology, pottery, and others) are imperfect, and are always based upon certain assumptions. Further, we should be aware of the current anti-biblical trend among many archaeologists. As with any scientific discipline, we need not sift God's Word through the sieve of archaeological inquiry. Archaeological interpretations are in a constant state of flux and often wither as grass, but God's Word abides forever.
Albright, W.F. (1942), Archaeology and the Religion of Israel (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins Press).
Albright, W.F. (1949), The Archaeology of Palestine (Hardmondsworth, England: Penguin Books).
Bimson, John (1987), "Redating the Exodus," Biblical Archaeology Review, 13[5]:40-68, September/October.
Brandfon, Fredric (1988), "Archaeology and the Biblical Text," Biblical Archaeology Review, 14[1]:54-59, January/February.
Brantley, Garry K. (1993), "Pagan Mythology and the Bible," Reason & Revelation, 13:49-53, July.
Davis, Thomas (1993), "Faith and Archaeology: A Brief History to the Present," Biblical Archaeology Review, 19[2]:54-59, March/April.
Dever, William (1990), "Archaeology and the Bible: Understanding Their Special Relationship," Biblical Archaeology Review, 16[3]:52-62, May/June.
Free, Joseph (1969), Archaeology and Bible History (Wheaton, IL: Scripture Press).
Glueck, Nelson (1959), Rivers in the Desert (New York: Grove Press).
Jackson, Wayne (1990), "The Saga of Ancient Jericho," Reason & Revelation, 10:17-19, April.
Kenyon, Kathleen (1957a), Beginning in Archaeology (New York: Praeger).
Kenyon, Kathleen (1957b), Digging Up Jericho (New York: Praeger).
LaSor, W.S. (1979), "Archaeology," International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, ed. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans), 1:235-244, revised edition.
Laughlin, John (1992), "How to Date a Cooking Pot," Biblical Archaeology Review, 18[5]:72-74, September/October.
Livingston, David (1988), "Exodus and Conquest," Archaeology and Biblical Research, 1[3]:13-17, Summer.
Livingston, David (1992), "Was Adam a Cave Man?," Archaeology and Biblical Research, 5[1]:5-15, January/February.
Long, Jesse C. Jr. (1992), "Archaeology in Biblical Studies," Gospel Advocate, 134[12]:12-14, December.
Major, Trevor (1993), "Dating in Archaeology—Radiocarbon and Tree-Ring Dating," Reason & Revelation, 13:73-77, October.
Silberman, Neil Asher (1989), "Measuring Time Archaeologically," Biblical Archaeology Review, 15[6]:70-71, November/December.
Strauss, Stephen (1988), quoted in: Long, Jesse Jr. (1992), "Archaeology in Biblical Studies," Gospel Advocate, 134[12]:12-14, December.
Unger, Merrill (1954), Archaeology and the Old Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan).
Vaninger, Stan (1985a), "Archaeology and the Antiquity of Ancient Civilization: A Conflict with Biblical Chronology?—Part I," Creation Research Society Quarterly, 22:33-39, June.
Vaninger, Stan (1985b), "Archaeology and the Antiquity of Ancient Civilization: A Conflict with Biblical Chronology?—Part II," Creation Research Society Quarterly, 22:64-67, September.
Wood, Bryant (1987), "Uncovering the Truth at Jericho," Archaeology and Biblical Research, pp. 7-16, premier issue.
Wood, Bryant (1988), "Before They Were Sherds," Archaeology and Biblical Research, 1[4]:27ff., Autumn.
Wood, Bryant (1990), "Did the Israelites Conquer Jericho?—A New Look at the Archaeological Evidence," Biblical Archaeology Review, 16[2]:45-57, March/April.
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It's no secret that COVID-19 has turned the automotive industry upside down, and it has some employees looking for creative, new ways to stay in the car business.
"Cars is like my favorite thing," said car enthusiast Kyle Ague.
It was his job to know everything you could ever need to know about high end cars. He taught customers how to use their cars, even did house calls and trained sales staff. And then came COVID-19. Auge was furloughed. So, he took that love of cars to the internet.
"We've created a website that we're calling EnginePass.com. It's an automotive expertise website," he explained. "We share reviews, lifestyle pieces."
The Center for Automotive Research says there's a lot of opportunity for technological advances and for ideas like EnginePass.com.
"Clever young people that have those ideas, go for it," urged CEO Carla Bailo. "He time has never been better."
The automotive think tank does research in every facet of the industry, which is now completely upside down.
Factory shut downs, lack of revenue, low sales--it has led dealers to do unique things like personally delivering cars. There's even been virtual auctions, people buying things sight unseen. And lots of buyer uncertainty.
And as things slowly start to open back up, the team at Engine Pass are featuring what people want to know and what they can expect right now when buying a car.
For Auge, it's a new way to remain involved in the world that he loves so much.
"The dealership model might change a little bit and I'd personally rather be on the more forward-facing side of that and be a resource for people because you don't know what the future holds for the dealership model," Auge said.


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The Word Brain A short guide to fast language learning 2015 Edition TheWordBrain.com Free Medical Journals > 3.000 free journals FreeMedicalJournals.com aioLingua Thirty-five (35) PDFs Refreshing your English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, German and Chinese. Free audio, free PDF, free web exercises. www.aiolingua.com Amedeo The Medical Literature Guide http://amedeo.com |
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Sales and marketing
Sales and Marketing careers are crucial to delivering Shell products and services to customers across the globe.
Sales and Marketing is Shell's driving force for global commercial success.
A Sales and Marketing job at Shell revolves around customer experience and is essential in creating value across the entire customer chain. We are looking for skilled salespeople and career marketers that can deliver value and drive customer satisfaction globally.
Driving profitable growth by connecting with customers and understanding their needs is key to Sales and Marketing at Shell, whether our customers are high street consumers, business partners, governments or NGOs.
That is why we want to find remarkable Sales and Marketing professionals brimming with personality and corporate experience, who are passionate about enhancing the customer experience and can build trusting relationships. We are looking for individuals to be a part of a customer-focused organisation that strives to make a positive impact on the industry.
Meet the manager, Juan Ignacio Elias, Global Sales Excellence Lead for Shell Global Commercial
Juan says the key differentiators between Shell and other international oil companies are in the value of the Shell brand, its global development opportunities and its commitment to the customer.
"I've held several local, regional and global roles in Sales and Marketing," he says "I particularly enjoyed accessing such diverse scope, and working in a global company with strong core values: honesty, integrity and respect for people.
Juan, who has worked for Shell for more than a decade now, explains how Shell champions effective commercial teams in order to provide the best customer experience possible.
"Working for Shell in any commercial role will expose you to working with a very professional and diverse team using the latest techniques and tools, while maintaining a good work-life balance."
Voice of the Customer and Commercial Excellence
Shell's commitment to being customer-focused and maximising customer value is best encapsulated by the Voice of the Customer campaign and the internal Commercial Excellence programme.
Launched in 2012 in Shell service stations across the UK and rolled out across Shell-branded outlets around the world in 2013, the Voice of the Customer campaign allows us to discover in real time what customers think about their experience during their visit to Shell. This is now beginning to shape how Shell service stations operate, and is creating the vital opportunity for us to hold an international dialogue with our customers.
The Commercial Excellence programme seeks to identify and develop the best sales practices for our commercial teams. Helping our sales professionals coordinate and align their work so that they can better understand and fulfill our customers' needs, it is an important tool in ensuring we have in place the right set of behaviours, processes and tools for our people.
A career in Sales and Marketing at Shell will immerse you in the latest commercial management practices and offer you the opportunity to make an impact in our highly-respected sales business.


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Air conditioning is certainly nothing different; in reality, the chemical make up responsible for hvac was initial figured out during the 1800s. Nevertheless, like most of the home appliances we consider offered in modern-day community, latest advances in innovation have transformed the attributes of this particular device that has made our properties and workplaces a lot more comfy, particularly corporate air conditioning in Johannesburg.
Programmable thermostats
Basic hvac was uncomplicated: a switch to turn it off and on, and most likely a second command for the fan rate of speed. On the other hand, advancements in modern technology have made the programmable temperature a common function on a/c units, enabling property owners to change their air conditioning unit to preserve a completely air-conditioned atmosphere. These kinds of thermostats also make Air Conditioning more power proficient since they may be configured to cool down only the parts of your property or office that you are using or to shut off even though individuals are out of the business or out of home.
Cleaner air
One more renovation in the last few years has actually been a concentrate on cleaner air, both in the manner in which the air conditioning unit itself runs and in the features carried out from unit..
– Original air conditioners used Freon gases – either chlorofluorocarbon, hyrdofluorocarbon, or hytrogenated chlorofluorocarbon as the primary cooling agent. These gases are toxic in and of themselves.
– Newer air conditioners have replaced these standard gases with ones that are less dangerous to the environment, and as of 2010 the less dangerous gases will be standard in all new units.
– While HVAC units used to simply heat or cool air, the latest models can also dehumidify and filter air to improve air quality and even reduce the suffering of people with allergies.
Emphasis on efficiency.
Filtering air and getting rid of harmful Freon is not the only way that cooling your home or office has changed. New AC units are also more energy efficient.
– As of January 2006, the lowest acceptable SEER (energy efficiency rating from the Energy Star board) for new central air conditioning systems was increased to 13 from its previous low of 10.
– More units now use fans that continue to blow after the compressor turns off, taking advantage of the left over cool air that would otherwise remain unused.
Air conditioning is something that we often take for granted, especially in Jacksonville Florida and the surrounding areas. However, each time we enjoy the feeling of cool air indoors on a hot summer day, we should take a moment to appreciate the ways that AC has been made more energy efficient and less harmful to the environment due to recent improvements.
If you are interested in repairing or updating your air conditioning system in or around Jacksonville, Florida, contact the professionals at Ocean State AC today. With an professional and experienced staff, you can rely on us to get the job done and keep you cool! Visit http://www.atlasair.co.za.