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Planet Market Reports adds "Global Digital Inspection Market 2018 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2025" Reportin Database.
This report provides in depth study of "Global Digital Inspection Market" using SWOT analysis Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat to the organization. The Global Digital Inspection Market report also provides an in-depth survey of key players in the market which is based on the various objectives of an organization such as profiling, the product outline, the quantity of production, required raw material, and the financial health of the organization.
It also divulges details about the mode of research methodology used for the study. It includes data from primary as well as secondary resources. The report is a useful resource for industry players, new entrants in the marketplace, and investors as it helps them plan their business to gain fruitful and meaningful outcomes. It makes them aware of the production, capacity, revenue, supply, consumption, export, import, the challenges and risks associated with the industry, and much more. The report has a mention of the market drivers and opportunities. Key players are profiled in the report and their developments in recent years are mentioned, which helps in understanding the competitive outlook of the global Construction and Mining Equipment market.
Get Free sample PDF Brochure of Market Study @ http://www.planetmarketreports.com/report-sample/digital-inspection-market-77
The Global Digital Inspection industry is provided in the report based on product scope and market status & outlook. The market is segmented on the basis of type, end-users/application, and geography.
Global Digital Inspection Market - By Type
The report provides information about the production, price, revenue, market share, and growth rate of each type.
Global Digital Inspection Market - By Application
Regarding this segment, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption, market share, and growth rate. Geographically, the market has been analyzed across North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and India. The status and prospect through 2012-2022 for each of these regions are listed in the report.
Get More Enquire About This Report @ http://www.planetmarketreports.com/digital-inspection-market-77
The Global Digital Inspection market report also covers an analysis of the market effect factors. This includes the technology progress/risk substitutes/threat and technology progress in the related industry), consumer needs/customer preference change, and economic/political environmental change.
Global Digital Inspection Market- Key Players
Information about the production, capacity, price, revenue (value), and market share of each of these manufacturers from 2012 to 2017 are clearly described in the report.The trends and marketing strategies such as mergers and acquisitions, adopted by each of the manufacturers provide an understanding of the level of competitiveness prevailing in the industry.
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Planet Market Reports gives statistical surveying reports to businesses, people and associations with a goal of helping them in their decision making process. We have huge database of market research reports & company profiles across globe.We associated with global market research a publisher who has a wide range of research specialists & industry experts which provides you deeper penetration of market research industry.
We have statistical surveying reports from number of top publishers and update our reports collections on daily basis with most recent research data to furnish our customers with the moment online access to our database. With access to this database, our customers will be able to benefit from expert insights on worldwide businesses, items, and market patterns. We help you in your buy choice by mapping your data needs with our immense accumulation of reports.
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Publish Date: April 18, 2018 5:23 PM


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Mayors of Corfu, Lefkada and Governer of the Ionian Islands visit Serbian Patriarch
On Saturday, February 23, 2013 His Holiness Irinej, Serbian Patriarch met with Mr. Spiriodn Spiru, Governor of the Ionian Islands; Mr. Giannis Trepeklis and Mr. Kostas Aravantis, mayors of Corfu and Lefkada respectfully; accompanied by His Excellency Dimostenes Stoidis, Ambassador of Greece in Serbia and Mr. Spiros Mastoras, honorary consul of Serbia on Corfu.
The members of the delegation informed His Holiness about the life of our brotherly people on these Greek islands.
Patriarch Irinej particularly pointed out the great role of the citizens of Corfu who gave shelter to our people, Church and army in the First World War (from 1916-18). Therefore one century later, we should mark with dignity this historical moment of the Serbian and Greek history.


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Comply With MeBy Gary Bolles
Technology: Sarbanes-Oxley
Comply With Me
Step 1: Get Educated
The effects of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 may ripple throughout your IT organization. Not a public company? You may still have to worryand even if you don't, you need to learn more about compliance.
Decision-making processes in your company are no doubt a mishmash of manual and electronic steps. Determining who's responsible for which information and what decisions, and making sure the system contains checks and balances to guarantee that those decisions are justified, can be a hair-pulling exercise for the most straightforward tasks in business-process analysis.
But getting the process down cold is no longer simply an intellectual exercise. Driven by laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, your CEO and CFO are now personally responsible for ensuring the accuracy of processes like financial reporting. That means they'll be breathing down IT's neck to guarantee the company's information systems are helping accuracy, not hurting it.
IT is responding. According to a survey conducted in April by AMR Research Inc., about 85 percent of all public companies intend to change their IT systems as part of their efforts to comply with the law. And those companies are planning to spend $2.5 billion in 2003 alone on projects related to compliance.
Why the worry? Born out of post-Enron angst, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, variously called SOA, SOX or Sarbox, defines a set of standards for tracking and reporting requirements intended to hold top executives' feet to the fire on corporate financial statements. CEOs and CFOs of publicly traded companies must attest to the accuracy of those statements, and anything that looks fishy may elicit sweat-inducing questions from the Securities and Exchange Commissionand, potentially, penalties ranging from personal fines to jail time.
What makes top executives and board members wake up in a cold sweat is worrying about the shakiness of the foundation of financial controls on which their companies sit. In a nutshell, Sarbanes-Oxley says public businesses have to vet every internal process that feeds into a financial statement. The challenge is "walking the dog" through all the information sources that roll up into those reports, especially where any kind of information technology is involved.
In small public companies with uncomplicated products or services, those processes may be relatively straightforward. In large multinational companies, however, financial reporting may have its roots deep in the supply chain, or be buried in a customer relationship management system, or managed differently, depending on your company's global locations and the kind of software each location uses. Those intricacies can make the financial reporting excavation process a complicated exercise at bestand at worst, a minefield fraught with potential financial explosions.
Public companies are the act's main targets, but that doesn't mean all private companies are immune. If your company could be acquired by another that's already public, the CFO of the new parent is responsible as soon as the first dollar flows through the combined entity. And that means substantialand potentially deal-breakingrisk if the acquiree isn't already following deep financial discipline.
So how clear are the ramifications of Sarbanes-Oxley for most companies? "It's probably not very clear to the CIO yet," says Melinda Litherland, an audit partner at Deloitte & Touche. "It's probably very clear to the CFO."
Questions for Your CFO:
Get Involved
Step 2: Get Involved
You'll have to build a close relationship with your internal financial
management group. But remember: It's not about you.
To any company with solid auditing processes, especially those that have implemented ISO 9000's quality management standards, the general requirements for complying with Sarbanes-Oxley are relatively straightforward.
Your CFO already has fairly good guidelines for financial discipline. The SEC has recommended a series of financial reporting standards defined by COSO, the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, developed in response to the savings-and-loan crisis of the late 1980s. Says Pamela Fredericks, senior security consultant with IT advisory Forsythe Solutions Group, "The IT side [of the house] probably is blissfully unaware of these things." But your CFO should be intimately familiar with its requirements, since it's likely your company has been following at least some part of the framework for some time.
The devil is in the regulatory details, however, so it's critical to determine how Sarbanes-Oxley could affect your company specifically. Your CFO has to outline as clear a picture as possible of the internal processes that feed financial reports and determine how much the company has to clean up its act. Taking those steps will be toughest for smaller public companies, many of which don't have large finance departments and may lack robust internal audit processes. Only after this work is done, though, can the ramifications for IT be made clear.
Initial discussions on compliance can be far-reaching, drawing in executives from operations, finance, audit and legal. Don't be shy about asking to be involved in these meetings, because sooner or later they'll be generating requirements for IT. But don't expect all the answers to come immediately, since in many cases the ramifications for IT at your company will only become clear over time.
Remember, though, that Sarbanes-Oxley processes are really the province of your CFO. It's that person's job to ensure that tight fiscal management policies are in place, whether they're supported by technology or by handwritten Post-it Notes. "In this situation, the CIO should not even attempt to take charge," says John Hagerty, vice president at AMR Research.
Ask Your CFO:
Tell IT Staff:
Tell Your CFO:
Avoid Garbage
The sleuthing game for IT involves figuring out where systems issues, such as the processes baked into customer relationship management and sales force automation, affect financial reporting. You must be able to document how the chain of financial reporting works and how your information systems support it. And you must have a clear idea of where that chain can break down, and be prepared to survive an audit of those processes in case something does break.The trick is knowing just how IT systems grease the flow of any potentially erroneous or inconsistent informationor even help create it.
Step 3: Avoid Garbage
What's the role of technology? Make sure the quality of the data going into reports means there's nothing inaccurate coming out.
Suppose a hypothetical widget manufacturer has a relatively loose process for recording orders and payments. While no fraud may be intended whatsoever, salespeople are allowed to book orders lacking absolute certainty that a sale will be completed.
Or suppose a software company allows revenues to be recognized before an application was signed off as a released product. The result under Sarbanes-Oxley: Your company may be overstating revenue in one quarter that requires restatement the next. That was bad enough in the pre-Enron world, but it's tantamount to Russian roulette today.
|Decision Tree
There's also the speed with which the SEC wants to be notified if "germane" events occur that could affect financial reports. For some issues, 15 business days are allowed to lapse before notification must be provided. For others, it's rumored that the SEC may get anxious after only two days.
Ask Your CFFO:
Ask Your IT Staff:
Ask Your Outsourcers:
Get a Plan
Step 4: Get a Plan
Should you start throwing software at the problem? Not yetthough you may find Sarbanes-Oxley can kick-start some process discipline.
Some IT executives may find Sarbanes-Oxley can help create process discipline in the company that will ultimately lead to new technology initiatives, helping justify projects like that server consolidation you've been trying to fund. Having different versions of financial ERP software running around the company may create enough risk that those systems have to be merged. Just as with Y2K, that may open the door for projects that would allow your company to upgrade other processes. And some vendors are touting the act's rapid reporting requirements as an impetus to the development of the "real-time enterprise," friction-free business processes that allow information to roll up and decision-making processes to ripple down rapidly. You'll likely never reach such a lofty goal, but if the act makes your CXOs nervous enough, they'll start pushing IT to move in that direction.
Showcasing the software industry's never-ending ability to innovate, a variety of vendors are offering risk management applications designed to help automate processes that may make Sarbanes-Oxley reporting more efficient. These typically approach the challenge either by aggregating existing enterprise software into a portal that provides a one-stop site for compliance checking, or by focusing on business processes, streamlining steps that were formerly spread out through various applications.
Is a new application really necessary? Not for most companies, analysts say. "This is very much a pen-to-paper exercise right now," says AMR's Hagerty. "CFOs need to come up with a cogent approach before they start throwing technology at the problem." In fact, most of the Sarbanes-Oxley applications are still so newand most companies' understanding of the broad ramifications of compliance is still so much in fluxthat few CIOs are willing to stick their heads above the trenches to discuss their efforts yet.
But the clock is ticking. Larger public companies with fiscal years coinciding with the calendar year must be ready by December 2004. That may seem like a long time away. But because those requirements are still being updated, your CFO may find a new reason why IT has to scramble. Understand there are numerous gray areas, and that a variety of issuesand how to deal with themmay only be revealed in the coming months. Admits AMR's Hagerty: "Best practices don't exist at this point."
Ask Your IT Architect:
Ask Risk Management Software Vendors:
Ask Your CFO:
Complying With SARBANES-OXLEY


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Karachi Board First Year Commerce Regular Result 2013
Karachi Board First Year Commerce Regular Result 2013
Karachi Board First Year Commerce Regular Result 2013 announced. Karachi Board BIEK First Year Commerce Regular Result 2013 has been announced today.
Initially the Board started functioning in a three roomed ground floor of a residential house. Report of Students week 2003 2004 regarding co-curricular activities Madar-e-Millat year/Students week Celebrated from 8th December 2003 to 12th December 2003 and for the winners of each event, prize distribution ceremony arranged on 9th October 2004 at 11:00 A.M. in B.S.E. Karachi.
BSEK Matric 9th Class Result 2013 Karachi Board Expected to annouced in the month of june according to source of allpkresults, but date is not confirmed yet as its confirmed we will share here.
Board has the power to organize, regulate, develop and control Intermediate Education. The controlling Authority of the Board is the Governor of Sindh or his nominee. The Chairman is the principal executive and academic officer of the Board, while the Secretary is the in charge of the academic and administrative Sector and the Controller of Examinations is the In charge of the Examination Section. The above officers and the Audit officer are appointed by the Controlling Authority of the Board, while other officers are also appointed by the Board on the recommendation of the appointment Committee.
For More Info Regarding Result visit innerforum.net


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I haven't really seen anyone discuss this, and I myself have somewhat ignored the issue because Arians makes me sick and I wanted him gone even before the 2008 Superbowl win, but I'm curious what others are thinking.
Arians is now 6-2 as the head coach of the Colts, so what the f%#k is going on?
I don't believe that Luck is better than Roethlisberger or that he plays in Arians' system better, so I'll remove the quarterbacks out of the equation. That leaves Tomlin, Arians and the offensive lines of the two teams.
Was Arians an idiot running the offense when he was on the Steelers? That can't even be a question. Of course he was. The question is whether Tomlin, the offensive line of the Steelers, or a combination of the two forced Arians into being an idiot, or is Arians still an idiot and the Colts are just getting very lucky? I haven't really watched them play and I haven't looked at stats to help answer these questions.


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Leon Steinmetz has come full circle, and then some. The Moscow-born artist, a Cambridge resident since the late-1970s, recently returned to his hometown with "Contemplating Gogol," a solo show of his works at the renowned Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.
Leon Steinmetz has come full circle, and then some. The Moscow-born artist, a Cambridge resident since the late-1970s, recently returned to his hometown with "Contemplating Gogol," a solo show of his works at the renowned Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.
But Steinmetz's full circle goes far beyond geographical boundaries. He's also taken quite a roundabout road involving his career, smoothly moving between the fields of art and literature and back again.
"I started doing drawings when I was 5," says Steinmetz. "I never thought about it as being a career; I just loved it and thought it was the most pleasant thing to do."
Success came early, with international exhibitions of his pen drawings on his resume by his mid-20s. Over the years, he progressed to different types of works on paper, including watercolors and collages, sometimes figurative, sometimes outright abstract.
Yet celebrated by critics and supported by collectors, Steinmetz and his creative interests took a major turn when, after a mid-'70s gallery show in Rome featuring a series of large drawings of dwarfs – based on paintings by Velazquez – he entered discussions with Harper & Row about publishing the drawings and writing an introduction about them. An editor's suggestion eventually morphed the project into "The Story of Ricky, the Royal Dwarf," a book of fiction by Steinmetz, accompanied by a whole new set of drawings.
And a whole new career.
"I started writing fiction, non-fiction, essays, and short stories," says Steinmetz, a self-taught writer. "And I started teaching creative writing at Harvard Extension School and Harvard Summer School.
"It was nothing to do with art," he adds. "When I was doing all of this, I never thought I would go back to art; I thought that writing was now my field."
Steinmetz's wife, Inga Karetnikova, was busy as a writer, teacher, and film historian. Steinmetz, too, became interested in film, collaborating on writing projects with Polish director Agnieszka Holland and British director Peter Greenaway. He even found time to publish an original screenplay, and is currently looking for a producer. But busy as he was, he also moved back into art.
"I was waiting for the outcome of a writing project, and I was on pins and needles," he recalls. "Just to calm myself down, I picked up some Dante – 'The Divine Comedy.' I was reading 'The Inferno,' and started, almost subconsciously, doing drawings, sort of meditating with pen in hand."
His longtime friend and art collector, Cambridge resident H.A. Crosby Forbes, later bought that series of drawings, and eventually donated them to the Museum of Fine Arts.
Thinking back on the circumstances that led to the creation of those drawings, Steinmetz says, "I hadn't done any art for 15 years. I was still going to museums and studying art, absorbing art. But around 2000 or 2001 I started to move back into art fulltime."
He admits, without a hint of bragging, that he feels that he's a better artist now.
"The world hasn't changed for me," he says. "The same things interest me, whether it be Plato or Moliere or Dante or Rembrandt or Goya or Greek mythology or the Italian Renaissance. If someone asked me who I consider my teachers, I would say it's Goya, Rembrandt, Leonardo, Picasso and Durer. It's not that I try to imitate them. I just love the energy, I love the combination of them, of the comic and tragic in life."
The Gogol show at the Pushkin Museum, which ran from Dec. 1 to Jan. 10, was an unexpected surprise for Steinmetz. He was in New York, attending a gala honoring Philippe de Montebello, who was retiring after a long tenure as director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. One of the other guests was Pushkin director Irina Antonova.
"I knew her from before, so we resumed our acquaintance," recalls Steinmetz. "She asked me what I was doing, and I told her. She was interested and said, out of the blue, would you like to exhibit at my museum?"
The resulting nine sets of drawings, comprised of about 80 pieces, weren't simply illustrations based on Gogol's writings. They were, as the title suggests, drawings contemplating his ideas.
"Only two of the sets relate directly to Gogol," insists Steinmetz. "Seven of them are related only marginally to him. They could have been related to any other great thinker and philosopher."
It's not the first time Steinmetz has made art in conjunction with the great 19th-century Russian writer. In 2006, he published a collection of 21 kinetic drawings that came to life through Gogol's story "The Portrait." There was a release party for the book at the Pierre Menard Gallery in Cambridge, and the drawings were on display there for a while.
Though there are collections of Steinmetz's work at both the Boston Athenaeum and the Museum of Fine Arts (the two series "Demons of the Deluge" and the more accessible "Their Majesties and Their Dwarfs" are amazing), nothing is currently on display.
"Works on paper cannot be continuously exhibited for long periods of time," explains Steinmetz. "Some of mine were up for about six months at the MFA, then they were put back into the Department of Drawings. But they rotate them. I hope they will be seen again soon."
For a look at more of Steinmetz's work, visit www.leonsteinmetz.com.
Wicked Local Cambridge writer Ed Symkus can be reached at email@example.com.


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When you choose from one of our Mercedes-Benz Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, you get the same attention and care as you expect when buying a new car. Every pre-owned Mercedes-Benz has passed our rigorous safety, mechanical, electrical checks and have full service history before being awarded our minimum 12 months' warranty, 24hrs roadside assistance (available on selected vehicles).
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The all-new CLS-Class follows in its predecessor's pioneering footsteps.Read more View all cars


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The Securities and Exchange Commission and state securities regulators are warning investors to not rely solely on a financial professional's title to determine whether the person has the expertise they need.
In a joint Investor Bulletin, released Wednesday, the SEC and the North American Securities Administrators Association warn investors to ensure that they are working with a financial professional who is registered or licensed by federal or state authorities, as it affords investors "certain legal protections."
The bulletin explains that financial professional titles and licenses are not the same. "A financial professional may use various titles whether or not he or she is registered or licensed with a regulatory authority," the bulletin states.
The bulletin goes on to explain that some titles are granted by private organizations, such as a trade group. "While some private groups that grant titles may provide a method for the investor to complain about one of their members and can discipline a member for misconduct, there are other groups that do not take complaints or discipline their members," the bulletin states.
Other titles may be "simply purchased, or even made up by financial professionals hoping to imply that they have certain expertise or qualifications; such titles are generally marketing tools and are not granted by a regulator."
As with any title, investors should ask the following questions to verify the professional's title is legitimate.
- Who awarded your title?
- What are the training, ethical and other requirements to receive the title?
- Did you have to take a course and pass a test?
- Does the designation require a certain level of work experience or education?
- To maintain the designation, are you required to take refresher courses?
- How can I verify your standing with this organization?
Professional organizations also may offer information online about the titles that they grant, the bulletin states. "In some cases, the granting organization's website may allow you to verify that a person has earned a certain title."
For instance, the bulletin notes that the website of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards allows visitors to search for CFP professionals to verify CFP certification.
"Even after checking, it may not be clear to you whether a title represents relevant expertise, a marketing tool, or something else," the bulletin says. "That's why you should always check the financial professional's background, rather than relying solely on the professional's title."
Check out Alphabet Soup Decoded on ThinkAdvisor.


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Your Search–'Put Up or Shut Up'–Did Not Match Any Documents. Did You Mean: 'Go Screw Yourself'?
Not satisfied with a compromise proposal from Chairman Martin that meets most of its conditions, Google has now delivered an all-or-nothing ultimatum to the U.S. government, insisting that every single one of their conditions 'must' be met or they will not participate in the spectrum auction. Google is demanding the government stack the deck in its favor, limit competing bids and effectively force wireless carriers to alter their business models to Google's liking. We would repeat that Google should put up or shut up–they can bid and enter the wireless market with any business model they prefer, then let consumers decide which model they like best."
—Jim Cicconi, AT&T's senior executive vice president for external and legislative affairs
Oh, it's on now. Google yesterday dismissed AT&T's criticism of its conditional pledge to drop at least $4.6 billion on the Federal Communications Commission's upcoming 700-megahertz spectrum auction, characterizing it as the rhetoric of an oligopolist more interested in monopoly profits than openness and innovation.
In a post to the Google Policy Blog, Richard Whitt–Google's Washington telecom and media counsel–gutted AT&T's argument that the search sovereign's spectrum bid "is an attempt to pressure the U.S. government to turn the auction process on its head by ensuring only a few, if any, bidders will compete with Google." Google isn't out to skew the spectrum auction in its favor, said Whitt, it's out to un-skew it, rejiggering it so it no longer favors incumbent carriers like AT&T who would like nothing more than to continue to operate in a "less than fully competitive" environment.
"Our position is simple enough," Whitt explained. "FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and the other commissioners have argued persuasively that we need a real third-pipe broadband competitor in this country. They also believe that the upcoming 700 MHz auction is the best way to get there. All we are saying is that, based on what we know, new broadband competition will emerge from the upcoming auction only if the FCC's rules allow it to happen. For Google, and other potential new entrants, the prevailing imbalance can be corrected most effectively by introducing license conditions based on open platforms. … While Google embraces the kinds of openness and innovation that are the hallmark of the Internet, the incumbents apparently prefer their existing business models. That of course is their prerogative. However, open platforms–specifically, open applications, open devices, open wholesale services and open network access–together make the spectrum more valuable to Google, or any other potential bidder seeking to create innovative, higher-speed, lower-priced offerings."
Clearly, Google does not intend to "shut up," as Cicconi suggested it should. But it will "put up" a wireless business given the chance. Perhaps even one created with the help of the smaller carriers being squeezed out of the market by the AT&Ts and Verizons of the world. "We see a lot of companies in this space who we would love to collaborate with," Google's Chris Sacca told Bloomberg. "There are a lot of folks who would love to compete."


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Here's your reward for taking a staycation this summer.
The price of a real vacation is now a bargain. A steal, actually.
Why? A lot of Americans skipped their summer getaway, forcing nervous rental companies, hotels and restaurants to slash prices. We had our reasons for staying home, of course. Record high gas prices, a soft economy and air travel woes made us miss the expensive out-of-town vacation.
So between now and the holidays — the traditional off-season for a lot of vacation hotspots — here's your chance to make up for lost time. The deals will be good. Really good.
Call it the staycation effect.
Consider that Florida is in a deep recession, weighed down by declining real estate values and rising unemployment. In Orlando, hotel rates are expected to go into freefall as properties get desperate to fill rooms.
Ditto for Las Vegas, which is seeing its lowest hotel rates in five years, according to a recent survey. Among the bargains: $60 a night at the Monte Carlo, $103 a night at Loews Lake Las Vegas and $199 a night at the Wynn.
But there are other reasons why you should book a vacation now, in the waning days of summer. Reasons that go beyond the bargain you'll probably find.
1. It's a "magical" time of the year
When it comes to tourism, Orlando turns into a ghost town in September, which may be why many of the city's top restaurants throw a fire sale. It's called Orlando Magical Dining Month. The event is billed as a showcase of the globally influenced plates being served in Orlando's "celebrity-chef studded eateries, one-of-a kind resort kitchens and award-winning neighborhood establishments." Participating restaurants feature three-course, prix fixe dinners for $19 or $29 all month long. These aren't B-list places, either. Among the participating restaurants are Le Coq Au Vin and Emeril's.
2. Entire islands are on sale
Few destinations have been as hard-hit by the staycation trend as Hawaii. The overall number of visitors fell about five percent during the first half of the year, which prompted the Hawaii Convention & Visitors Bureau to pump about $3 million into a campaign to bring people back to the islands. The result (PDF) is a comprehensive initiative offering deeply discounted airfare, free hotel room nights, free meals, free rental cars and free food and beverage dining credits. You'll save "at least" $200 on your next trip to Hawaii, it promises. This kind of sweeping discount on meals, cars and other activities comes along once in a generation. It's enough to make me want to say Aloha to the Aloha State.
3. Some vacations are free
Ever wanted to visit Lancaster County, Pa.? The Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau is giving away two nights at the Lancaster Arts Hotel this fall. Lancaster County is one of my favorite places to visit during the fall. It's quiet and the fall foliage is spectacular. If you're looking for something faster-paced, Las Vegas is offering a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to experience Sin City with three chances to win everything from a tattoo at Vince Neil Ink to a Zero-Gravity plane ride. If you're reading this before the end of September, there's still time to enter the contest. If not, ask yourself: if more people take staycations, imagine what next year's giveaway will look like.
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4. Good things come in packages
Not only are the package deals offered by the likes of online travel agencies like Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity getting more and more affordable, hotels are getting into the act, too. For example, at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Ill., guests can take advantage of one of its deeply-discounted fall packages. Among its deals are a fall bonfire special, which includes a campfire sing-a-long with a direct descendent of Buffalo Bill or a horse-drawn hay wagon ride around the resort, plus a $25 breakfast voucher and, of course, accommodations. It's available from Sept. 5 to Nov. 23, and rates start at $119 a night. (The cheapest rate I could find on its site during August is $139.)
5. Yes, even Europe is discounted
Worried about the sinking dollar? Just wait a few weeks for your European vacation, and you could save big bucks. I've been giving this advice for years, but this year the deals are particularly attractive. Here's an example. Auto Europe's combination airfare/car rental rates, valid on departures from Sept. 1 through Oct. 31, include roundtrip airfare (along with the fuel surcharge) and three days of rental. Boston to Venice, Italy, is $797. With the money you save, you could get a room at the San Clemente Palace Hotel & Resort.
But my favorite reason for planning a fall getaway goes beyond these sales and specials. It has to do with the fact that almost no one else vacations in September, October and November.
One of my most memorable off-season vacations happened last year at the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Marco Island, Fla. The summer crowds had vanished, leaving a near-empty beach and a staff eager to lavish personal attention on the guests who remained. We never had to wait for a table at Quinn's on the Beach, a restaurant that served tasty tropical drinks and Caribbean-themed appetizers. And the highlight of our visit was a waverunner tour through the nearby mangrove forests, looking for dolphin and manatees.
I can't imagine vacationing at any other time of the year, not just because of the reasonable prices, but because it's the only reasonable time of year to travel.
Every Monday, my column takes a close look at what makes the travel business tick. Your comments are always welcome, and if you can't get enough of my column, drop by my blog for daily insights into the world of travel.
© 2013 msnbc.com. Reprints


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Videos | July 27, 2007
The Challenges of Getting to Mars - Transport for Launch
Getting the Phoenix spacecraft from its 'birthplace' in Colorado to its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida is no easy task.
Transcript:The Challenges of Getting to Mars
Phoenix Mars Lander: Transport for Launch
Text: The Challenges of Getting to Mars
Text: Phoenix Mars Lander: Transport for Launch
Phoenix is a lander that's going to the north polar highlands of Mars ...
Text: Deborah Bass
... to look for evidence of .
Deputy Project Scientist, Phoenix Mission
... habitable zones, places where life might have existed in the past.
Text: 3:30 a.m. -- Lockheed Martin
Text: Littleton, Colorado
Moving flight hardware ...
Text: Chris Lewicki
... not even to mention ...
Text: Flight Systems Engineer, Phoenix Mission
... an entire spacecraft is usually a delicate affair. It's very meticulously coordianted.
There's, you know, arranging a police escort at 3 in the morning on a Monday morning, and all the state and local authoriites that need to know about something like that, and all the paperwork that's required to essentially close down a section of the highway for a period of time.
There's a whole analysis process that goes along with making sure that the speacraft, on the back of a truck, on a flatbed trailer, in the box that it is in, isn't going to be exposed to any environment that it's not rated for.
So we know how much force a pothole in the road will induce on the spaecraft.
Just a little bit into the trip, we had kind of a light rain. And that's another thing that just makes you ill at ease with your spacecraft that you've had in a clean room up until that point in time.
We had to fly a spacecraft on a plane all the way from one side of the country to the other.
Text: C-17 Globemaster III
And that is a scary thing.
Text: 10:00 a.m. -- Buckley Air Force Base
Text: 4 Hours to Departure
And you kind of look at the box and you look at the aircraft and you wonder, 'Is it going to fit in there?'
When they open those rear doors, there's this cavernous space inside. Even as big as it is, this box just barely fits inside of it. It was a really kind of manual, brute-force operation.
Text: 12:30 p.m. -- 1.5 Hours to Departure
It looks just like we're loading a box onto a plane. Inside this box is such an enormous treasure. This is something that these hundreds and hundreds of people have worked on to make it all come together. We've got Air Force pilots, most trustworthy people. They are flying this spacecraft from Denver to Cape Canaveral. And we trust these pilots. But we still worry. We're tracking this spacecraft and this plane as it's flying across the country. And as Florida comes into view, we think, 'Oh (sigh), we're OK.' And we can relax. We can't be, really. Text: 7:30 p.m. -- Arrival at Kennedy Space Center
Because we have a still huge amount of work to do to get this spacecraft to the launchpad, assembled properly, all fueled up, and ready to go to Mars.
Background music (choral and symphonic medley)
Text: NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology


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|Outside the Cube
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How you recognize male scammers.
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Name: gen carter Ham


text: I have a 1999 Z3 2.8L coupe I attempted tightening my parking brake today, and ran into a problem. Using the bentley manual for my Z3, I loosened the nuts on the brake cable under the bake handle, then removed one lug nut from each rear wheel, and jacked the car up. The manual instructed me to use a flathead screwdriver to adjust a screw through the hole for the lug nut I removed, turning clockwise to tighten. I a got through all of that just fine until it cam time to tighten that last screw. I turned it maybe 3/4 of a single turn and it fell out. So I removed the brake caliper and tried to remove the drum to reach the screw, but even after removing the rotor tightening screw (which didn't seem long enough to do anything) the rotor and drum wont even budge. My only thought is that it might be rusted to the axel and would need to be broken off, but I really don't wont to go banging on my brake rotor. Oh and this is the driver side if it makes any difference. Any thoughts on how to resolve this?


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coming soon
Law Offices of William P. Glavin
841 Apollo St., Suite 450
El Segundo CA 90245
Phone : (310) 882-0000
Fax : (310) 322-2303
E-mail : email@example.com
The materials contained in this web site have been prepared by the Law Offices of William P. Glavin for informational purposes only. The information contained is general in nature, and may not apply to particular factual or legal circumstances. In any event, the materials do not constitute legal advice or opinions and should not be relied upon as such. Transmission of the information on this web site is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Internet subscribers and online readers should not act upon any information on this web site without seeking professional counsel.


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A former Penn State assistant coach who worked with Jerry Sandusky testified today that he and other members of the football staff were present when Sandusky brought young boys into the team's showers.
Dick Anderson, the first witness called by the defense after prosecutors rested their case Monday, said he never witnessed anything inappropriate.
"If Jerry would bring someone in with The Second Mile, they had been working out, for whatever reason they came in, it was not uncommon ... with the other coaches in the shower as well," Anderson said.
Anderson also testified that it's not unusual for him to be in the showers with younger boys at the YMCA.
Anderson took the stand after prosecutors presented their 21st, and final, witness, a woman whose son said Sandusky raped him in the basement of the coach's home.
The woman said her son told her that Sandusky called him late one night after the first round of charges were filed in November, asking if he'd be a character witness. But the next month, prosecutors brought charges against Sandusky, alleging he'd had forced anal sex with the boy.
The woman said her son's laundry would often be short of underwear and he would claim he had thrown it away because he had an accident. Last week, the teen said Sandusky forced him to have anal sex that made him bleed.
"I always wondered why he never had any underwear in the laundry," she said. "There was never any underwear, any socks ... that was odd to me."
Also Monday, prosecutors withdrew one count against Sandusky, saying the statute he was charged under did not apply at the time of the alleged illegal contact.
That leaves 51 counts involving 10 alleged victims over a 15-year span. Sandusky, whose November arrest led to the ouster of Penn State's president and the firing of Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno, has denied wrongdoing.
During his testimony, Anderson said Sandusky had a "wonderful reputation" in the community.
"He was well thought of in every regard," Anderson said.
He also testified about the busy schedule Penn State coaches kept.
In their questions to prosecution witnesses, the defense has sought to show how the stories of accusers have changed over time, that they were prodded and coached by investigators and prosecutors, that some are motivated to lie by the hopes of a civil lawsuit jackpot, and to paint Sandusky's interactions with children as misunderstood and part of a lifelong effort to help, not victimize, them.
Defense attorney Joe Amendola pressed the accusers for dates and locations, details of their involvement with the kids' charity Sandusky founded, arrests or drug problems, contacts they had with Sandusky in the years since the alleged abuse ended and the terms of representation deals with civil lawyers. At least six said they told incorrect or incomplete stories in early contacts with police, and three testified that some of the details only came back to them in recent years.
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Kimberly-Clark Corp. claims in a lawsuit that a recycler sold defective feminine hygiene products made at its Conway factory instead of destroying them as agreed.
A spokesman for Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark said Thursday that it found improperly made tampons for sale on the Internet. The company says it had an agreement with Austin, Texas-based Balcones Recycling to destroy the items but found them for sale on the Internet.
Balcones told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette (http://is.gd/BrnuqU) the allegations were incorrect and that it would fight the lawsuit. Balcones has a facility in Little Rock, where Kimberly-Clark says the defective products were sent.
Kimberly-Clark claims in the suit filed in Little Rock federal court that it spent $2.4 million to recall the products.


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XR 78•64 [78lb/min 500-780HP]
Component Details:
- Stainless steel bearing housing
- 360 Degree Water Jacket
- Ceramic dual ball bearing
- Compressor wheel - 62.1MM Inducer / 86MM Exducer
- Turbine Outlet - 64.1MM
- 78lb a Minute Flow Rating
- 500-750HP Applications
Introducing the Xona Series CHRA a billet SS construction featuring expanded water jacketing which fully surrounds the entire hot side register for improved heat blocking in the turbine section. Better materials extend the service life through improved corrosion resistance and reduced heat conduction into the bearing section of the CHRA. The rotating assembly is isolated from vibration 3 dimensionally via specially designed oil damping chambers which also serve to provide variable preload to the angular contact ceramic ball bearings ensuring that bearing preload increases with oil pressure, rpm and thrust loads a feature never before seen in ball bearing turbochargers. Correct loading of angular contact ball bearings and bearing temperature are the determining factors when it comes to the lifespan of the ball bearing.


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When Sherry Rapisarda called 911 on May 25 to say water was rising around her family's trailer home on Route 67, she was told to evacuate. "I looked out the door and I told (the dispatcher), 'I can't evacuate, I can't even get to my car,' " she said
When Sherry Rapisarda called 911 on May 25 to say water was rising around her family's trailer home on Route 67, she was told to evacuate.
"I looked out the door and I told (the dispatcher), 'I can't evacuate, I can't even get to my car,' " she said, remembering how the Fire Department arrived with a boat and ferried her, her husband, their two grown children and two cats to dry land.
On June 14, when the floods came again, she and her daughter were home and walked through the water, leaving the cats behind because the problem seemed a bit less severe.
The two floods, which officials have said were caused by the breaching of a beaver dam on state property just west of Colonel's Mountain, have left behind damage on Route 67 and around the Spring Street area, where cars were sitting in about 3 feet of water.
Now, every other day, highway surveyor Thomas S. Boudreau hikes up to the pond from a trail on North Street to check on the dam. The pond is bisected by the Warren-Palmer town line.
"I have a measuring device, and I keep an eye on the level of the water," he said. If it goes up much, he can remove what the beavers have built up in the previous day. The water is now just 2 feet deep, and he doesn't anticipate any more problems.
Before the dam broke the first time, it was holding back a big pond. Mr. Boudreau estimated conservatively that about 3 million gallons of water came down the hill like a tsunami.
It left behind damage at Village Pointe Plaza, which Kathy Allard-Fountain owns. Her Hair Studio and Day Spa had water in the basement that affected all the plaza's tenants. The water line left behind is 7 inches above the floor.
"We have storage for the businesses in the cellar," she said. "The liquor store (Whiskey Hill) had the worst (damage)."
The West Warren Library, though, was prepared.
"They remembered 2005," Ms. Allard-Fountain said. "They had everything in plastic bins."
That was the first year the dam broke and flooded the plaza. Some folks, including Ms. Allard-Fountain, had more or less forgotten that incident.
But with two floods in three weeks, people will likely remember this for a while, and they won't let local officials forget, either. They've sent a letter to selectmen and want something done about the beavers.
Still, fixing the problem requires a process. First the Board of Health must issue an emergency trapping permit so the beavers can be removed. Health Board Chairman Kenneth Lacey said Mr. Boudreau is working on the permit now.
Since state trapping laws prohibit the relocation of beavers, they must be killed, officials said. So the town needs a licensed trapper to do the job and funding to pay that person. Trapping season, when the beaver pelts would have had some value, ended in April and won't start again until November, so the trapper doesn't benefit much unless he is paid.
Money is likely to be an issue.
Mr. Boudreau and the three other Highway Department employees have already spent more than 120 hours dealing with beaver problems — not just the ones that caused the floods — since Jan. 1.
"I don't even have enough money in my budget to run my fleet," he said.
While the land is owned by the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, it appears the town must fix the problem.
"It's like any other private landowner," Ralph E. Taylor, district supervisor for the Connecticut Valley Wildlife District of the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. "The people who have the problem are given permission to be on the property to fix the problem."
The area is used for hiking, bird watching, fishing and hunting, Mr. Taylor said. It was once home to a KOA campground, but no structures remain, and camping is not permitted.
The beavers have been at the site for at least 50 years. Officials know that because the dam and pond show up on topographical maps from 1956.
Mr. Boudreau said there are four huts, which he guesses are home to about 20 beavers.
Estimates are that the dam is about 100 feet long and between 7 and 15 feet deep, which, as beaver dams go, isn't all that large, Mr. Taylor said.
But it's too big for the neighbors.
Once these beavers are gone, officials say, the town will have to monitor the situation because the area, with its meandering stream, is attractive to the species. Warren officials think the state should lend a hand with that.
So does Mrs. Rapisarda, who made a sign she hoped state Sen. Stephen M. Brewer, D-Barre, might see during a recent event in town. She posted it on a tree near a gravel-covered area that was once her yard. She has also contacted state Rep. Todd M. Smola, R-Warren.
State workers did make repairs to Route 67, and residents hope a more permanent fix will be done once the beavers are gone. But it doesn't help the Rapisardas with their problem.
"The state should come in and clean this up," Daniel Rapisarda said, gesturing to his front yard. "It's a mess. That's chunks of the road there, and all those rocks that came down. They need to take care of it."
Many who had damage did not have flood insurance, and the Rapisardas were told that even if they did, the mess caused by the flood was considered "rodent damage" and wouldn't have been covered.
"You just can't win," Mrs. Rapisarda said.
Contact Kim Ring at email@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimmring.


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An ancient Japanese proverb states that "the simplest solution is the best." If that's the case (and we think it is!), then this attractive house—nestled high in California's Sierra Nevada mountains—is one of the better solar-heated homes around, since its design allows it to store heat during the sunlight hours and release that warmth, slowly, to the interior throughout the day and night.
In order to find out more about the unusual dwelling, MOTHER EARTH NEWS sent staffer Richard Freudenberger to Olympic Valley, California where—surrounded by several inches of snow and subfreezing temperatures—he talked to owner/designer Tom Smith (in a comfortably warm atmosphere) and questioned him on various aspects of the thermal envelope house including the all-important "passive" approach to its heating.
The number of solar houses being designed, built, and lived in grows by leaps and bounds every year. And, more often than not, these "newcomers" on the solar scene are passively heated. Let's face it... if you're building a house from scratch, why bother with pumps and pipes (which are not only expensive, but are also subject to periodic failure) when you can get the same results from a system that uses nothing but a well-planned design to achieve its goal?
Furthermore, "active" heating systems require a collector, something that [1] most likely will be commercially produced and costly, [2] will probably detract from the beauty of the house, regardless of how aesthetically pleasing the structure otherwise is, and [3] will usually necessitate additional engineering and construction considerations.
These factors helped Tom Smith and his architectural advisor, Lee Butler of San Francisco, decide to go with a totally passive system. And—after 20 months of research and a full year of living in the house—Mr. Smith has no regrets. If anything, the structure's efficiency has exceeded his expectations ... especially since many days are overcast in the Sierras, and even in bright weather the trees native to the area block much of the afternoon sun.
The Thermal Envelope
The house is designed according to a principle Tom calls the "envelope idea." That is, the living quarters are surrounded by an envelope of tempered air. In place of a collector, a 300-square-foot greenhouse—faced with 390 square feet of double-pane, tempered glass—is incorporated into the south-facing side of the house. Behind this solarium, the structure's three bedrooms and two living areas are isolated from the outer walls and roof of the house by an inner "shell." The shell in turn is separated from the exterior by at least 12 inches of air space all around (with the exception of the east and west walls, which are common to both frameworks). This air space provides a passageway for the flow of warm air, not only creating a convective loop, but also maintaining the inner shell at a comfortable temperature (while still providing a "buffer zone" to the cooler outside shell).
So, in effect, the walls of this inner compartment act as both collector and storage medium. And this system—coupled with the fact that there are two feet of backfill in the insulated crawl space beneath the house—guarantees that heat gained during sunny periods (about 400,000 Btu's on a typical January day, as near as Tom can figure it) will be stored for up to 72 hours.
Naturally, Tom's envelope works just fine in the winter. But what about the summer? Well, during the warmer months, the "flow" cycle is reversed. When Smith opens the clerestory windows at the upper face of the house, the hot air gathered there is forced to evacuate, drawing behind it cooler air pulled from any open windows below. In addition, fresh outside air is drawn through an underground vent pipe at the north side of the building, and passes above and below the shell of the inner structure, cooling the area within.
More (or Less) Heat as It's Needed
The basic design of the envelope house allows it to be about 80% energy self-sufficient in both winter and summer, an impressive figure considering the simplicity of the passive system. However, additional heat can be supplied by a wood-burning stove, which more than makes up the remaining 20%. And, if an extended cold snap should happen along, the system is further backed up with baseboard electric heating which— although it hasn't been needed yet—is required by local building codes and lending institutions.
On the other side of the coin, summer cooling has presented no problem at Tom's Olympic Valley location. However, he's quick to point out that—if the house were to be constructed in a hotter clime—simple adjustments (like the installation of window shades, extra vents, or a roof overhang) would provide ideal cost-effective solutions.
Insulation Is the Key
Unlike many other energy-efficient houses, the Smith dwelling doesn't require an overabundance of insulation. A standard resistance value of R-19 is achieved throughout the exterior shell with rigid insulation board, and the inner shell is insulated—in the same manner— to R-13. It's important to note that—although both shells do require insulation for the system to work properly— excessive thermal protection not only defeats the purpose of the dual-surface design, but wastes money more wisely spent on heavier glass for the greenhouse wall.
Tom also took full advantage of insulation when he designed the structure's foundation. Because it serves as a thermal storage area, the "base" of the dwelling was insulated (with two inches of urethane foam) to a value of R-13, preventing heat within the mass from escaping to the outside.
The choice and placement of windows is, Smith says, every bit as important as insulation. Naturally, the south-facing windows are one major consideration, since they're at the "business end" of the house. Double-pane glass is used here (although single-pane glazing would cost less and admit more heat) because the loss of stored warmth through thinner material at night would exceed the slight gain reaped during the day. The east-and west-oriented windows are also double thick, and the north side of the house doesn't have "viewports" at all (though double- or triple-pane glass could be installed if desired).
As a final precaution against the infiltration of cold outside air, the owner used caulking or weatherstripping on everything "openable" including the two doors that constitute the double-lock entry, or vestibule. In this way, all drafts are eliminated and the "airlock seal" goes a long way toward keeping the house comfortable, especially when the outside temperature plummets to below freezing.
Standard Construction and Reasonable Cost
Even though the operation and design of the naturally convective heating/cooling system are unorthodox, the construction techniques used in the house are not. Its foundation—aside from the insulation that shields it from the earth—is nothing more than block and poured concrete. And resting on this substructure is a network of piers which not only support the floor of the house, but also hold it several feet above the foundation, providing room for the necessary two feet of heat-storing backfill and circulation air space. This setup, then, is no different from a standard crawl space in any conventional dwelling.
Orthodox construction methods were used in the framing, too. The walls of the outer shell are 2 X 6 studs, and 2 X 12 beams are used in the ceiling (to support the heavy snow load). All windows and glass are standard commercial units, as are the prehung doors. The roof of the inner shell is merely fastened to the bottom of the 2 X 12 beams, and the north side of this interior structure is simply an extra 2 X 4 stud frame wall. Actually, then, the "inside layer" isn't load bearing, so it's no more difficult (or expensive) to construct than any other interior wall scheme.
Of course, there are those who will maintain that the cost of the additional materials required for this inner shell outweighs its advantages. Not so, claims Mr. Smith. He insists that the overall expense is lower because a large saving is realized by the elimination of expensive heating ductwork within the walls of the house.
In all, the entire cost of construction—including the builder's profit—came to a grand total of $53,258 (slightly over $28 per square foot for a 1,900-square-foot house, which is quite reasonable when you consider that the average cost per square foot in the Olympic Valley area is $35 to $37). Of course, this figure would be drastically reduced in an owner-built house, and even further savings will be realized over the years because of the structure's self-sufficiency.
Furthermore—since the structure is conventional—it fully complies with all local building codes (these differ from county to county) and can therefore be financed through normal lending institutions. Best of all, the design is flexible enough to be adapted to whatever changes might be dictated by location, climate, building codes, or even space requirements.
The Comfort Factor
It's difficult to explain the distinct feeling of satisfaction that this house provides. Unlike a conventionally heated home, which often seems "stuffy," the Smith residence has a natural "outdoor" feel to it. This wholesome feeling is amplified by the fact that the entire south wall of the structure is open—at least visually—to the great out-of-doors.
In addition, there are no drafts or artificial convections inside the house. All air movement takes place within the "envelope" and heats the inner shell through absorption (with the exception of the greenhouse, which gets direct sunlight and is in itself part of the "envelope" by virtue of the fact that its floor planks are spaced 1/4 inch apart for airflow).
Of course, this enclosed current of air doesn't preserve a constant temperature throughout the home's interior. However, a slight thermal variation from area to area is actually desirable, since it relieves "physiological boredom." Another benefit of Smith's design is that it keeps the relative humidity at an acceptable level (between 50 and 60%), rather than drying the air out as central heating units tend to do.
Pros, Cons, and Future Plans
The "envelope" idea incorporated in this structure is a good one. It works as well in practice as it does in theory. However, there are disadvantages—though easy to live with—that should be noted. The first is that the passive system can only store thermal energy for two or three days, less than the typical active system. Also, the design is such that windows—especially those on the north side of the house—are difficult to install (or, at best, expensive) because of the double shell.
On the bright side, though, it can't be denied that the system is cost-effective from the standpoint not only of initial investment but also of maintenance. And—once the house is built—heating is for the most part a " free ride."
Almost as important as the economy of the house is its overall flexibility of design. As long as there is an expanse of glass on the south-facing wall and a passageway around the inner shell for air to circulate, the layout of the rooms inside can be modified to suit personal tastes. The same adaptability applies to other features of the house, too. The entrance can be incorporated into the greenhouse (along with the stairway, if desired), the floor of the greenhouse can be covered with any of a variety of materials (as long as floor vents are used), and storage space can be added (with the construction of a peaked roof) above the air passageway.
Now that Tom has been "living in an envelope" for a while, he's had time to evaluate his ideas on the basis of experience rather than theory ... and Smith is more than pleased with the results. He does plan to add a work loft in the upper portion of the greenhouse and—if finances permit—a hot tub (warmed by the exhaust from the wood stove) set into the greenhouse floor. But, even without these "luxuries", the Smith "thermal envelope" house is a mighty pleasing package!
How the "Envelope" Works
The Smith house has two major parts: [1] the load-bearing outer shell, which incorporates a 300-square-foot greenhouse on its south side, and [2] the inner shell, which is separated from the exterior framework by a 12-inch air space all around (except on its east and west walls, which are shared with the "outside" structure).
As the low winter sun beats down on the building, its rays pass through the double-strength glass on the face of the greenhouse (a good deal of which is angled to catch more light), heating the air within. That warmed air rises, drawing behind it—through quarter-inch spaces between the planks of the greenhouse floor—cooler air from the crawl space below the house.
Then, when the heated air reaches the upper limits of the greenhouse, it's drawn through the air passageway between the roofs of the two structures, down through the same channel at the north wall of the house, and back into the crawl space, where it heats two feet of backfill spread atop the structure's well-insulated foundation.
Hence we have an "envelope" of warm air—which is kept constantly circulating by convection—surrounding the inner shell of the house. This envelope, then, not only tempers the inner structure, but also warms the thermal mass beneath the house (which can maintain its warmth for up to three days). Additionally, the air space between the two shells serves as a "buffer zone" to the cold outside air.
At night, the cycle is reversed. As the air within the greenhouse loses its heat (mainly because of the large amount of glass on the structure's surface), it begins to fall, forcing the warm air in the crawl space to move up the passageway in the north wall and through the channel in the roof ... where it eventually spills into the greenhouse to start the convective cycle all over again.
In the warmer months, the envelope works in a slightly different manner. The summer sun—now a good deal higher in the sky—can't feed as much heat into the house because of the angle at which it strikes the three rows of windows. Whatever heat does pass through the glass, however, rises and escapes out the clerestory transoms, which can be easily opened. In addition, there's an outside vent pipe—routed underground—which feeds into the crawl space at the north side of the house. A controllable damper on this pipe allows the desired amount of fresh outside air to be drawn through both the crawl space and the air channel between the shells, cooling the structure as it goes and finally exhausting from the clerestory windows with the heated greenhouse air.
Of course, in hot climates, extra steps might have to be taken to help cool the structure (window shades, a roof overhang, or additional vents), but these solutions are still passive and comparatively inexpensive.


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Texans arrested in massive LA drugs busts
Louisiana police target minor offenses on I-10 to find big drug hauls
Police in Louisiana have scored a month of massive drug hauls after traffic stops yielded over 1,000 pounds of marijuana, 11,000 ecstasy tablets and 11 pounds of cocaine.
Huge stacks of marijuana were seized after state troopers stopped drivers for minor offenses like improper lane usage and poor signalling.
Subsequent searches by police, and K-9 units in some cases, revealed the cars contained tens of thousands of dollars worth of drugs.
Three of the 4 drivers who were arrested traveling on East I-10 in Louisiana were from Texas.
It started Feb. 26 when troopers pulled over Christopher Lee-Sinc Jackson, 31, from Beaumont.
After searching his car, police said they found 11 pounds of cocaine, 2 hand guns and $10,000 cash hidden in his Lexus.
Photos show the cocaine neatly wrapped in cellophane and taped up with black utility tape.
A police dog sniffed out the next find after a driver was stopped on March 21.
Jamorrius R. Gibson, 23, of Hammond, La., had over a 100 pounds of marijuana, 1.1 kilos -- 11,000 doses -- of ecstasy plus 8 ounces of codeine syrup in his Honda Accord, according to Louisiana state police.
Martin Martinez, 34, from La Marque, was driving a Mercedes on I-10 in Baton Rouge, March 23, when he was pulled over by troopers for improper lane usage. LSP said a search revealed 244 pounds of marijuana.
Finally, the largest haul of over 586 pounds of marijuana, packaged up in bundles, was alleged to be found in 25-year-old Juan Rangle's Nissan Pathfinder on March 24.
All four face charges related to possession of drugs with intent to supply plus minor traffic offences and, in the case of Jackson, a firearms charge of illeaglly carrying weapons.


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TV Show – Before he was a serial killer, Hannibal Lecter was a psychiatrist.
Actually, that's not quite right. He's already a serial killer, it's just that nobody knows it yet. Not even FBI profiler Will Graham, who's being treated by Dr. Lecter for the depression and instability he suffers as a result of his work with deranged minds. Graham is obsessed by the hunt for the Chesapeake Ripper, a serial killer who's been taunting him for some time but continues to escape his grasp.
While it's based on characters from the books by Thomas Harris, Hannibal is set before any of those books take place. It's a gruesome show, definitely not for everyone – even I, a veteran Criminal Minds fan, have to look away from some of the murder scenes. But there's a grim kind of humor to the show, too, courtesy of producer and writer Brian Fuller, creator of such whimsical series as Pushing Daisies and Dead Like Me. If you enjoy serious psychological drama (and cannibal puns) you should love Hannibal.
Season two of Hannibal premieres tonight on NBC at 9pm.


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The baroque moated castle of Schloss Dankern offers a variety of leisure activities for all the family and is the centrepoint of this exceptional holiday resort in Haren, at the heart of the scenic Emsland region.
No matter whether you spend just a day or a whole holiday at Schloss Dankern, boredom doesn't stand a chance: come rain or shine, the 200-hectare site offers more than 200 leisure, sports and kids' activities for all-round family fun. Children can play at being knights at the huge Drago Castle or have lots of fun on the giant water slide. The covered Spielland play area (10,000m²) with its new indoor activity centre features snake slides, wave slides, an ice rink, bouncy castles, climbing walls, indoor bumper cars, pool, darts, carousels, soft ball cannons, pony riding and slide towers – perfect for young adventurers. Water babies can splash around in the outdoor pool and tropical leisure pool or at Lake Dankern with its sandy beach. Other facilities include a spinning tower, family go-karting, a high ropes course with exceptionally tricky sections, a low ropes course for children over 1.25 metres, mini golf, badminton, tennis, table tennis, bowling, an inline skating course, pedalos, a children's disco and a cinema.
Perfect swimming weather and water at just the right temperature are guaranteed at the TOPAS leisure pool. The slides, ranging from four to 110 metres, are lots of fun for children. Other features include submerged seating, a jacuzzi, a water cone fountain and a separate pool for the little ones, with play equipment. If you enjoy being on the beach, be sure to head to Lake Dankern, where you can relax and unwind on the white sand while the kids build sandcastles or have fun burying dad! For sporty visitors there is windsurfing, a waterskiing circuit, seabob rental and a diving school with equipment hire for taster sessions. And if you want to spend your whole holiday here, 'woodland', 'lakeside' and 'heathland' holiday homes with modern furnishings and terraces are available. They provide a cosy home-from-home for families looking to relax and recharge their batteries. A carefree holiday wouldn't be complete without good food and there are plenty of restaurants here that cater for all the family. Come and pay us a visit – Schloss Dankern offers no end of holiday fun even if you're just here for the day.
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