text:
Event highlights
Voices of Canton (VOCI) members are celebrating the holiday season by raising their voices in song, dressing in elaborate costumes and throwing a feast "fit for a king."
• The choral group will perform a free concert at 7:30 tonight in the sanctuary of St. Stephen the Martyr Lutheran Church, 4600 Fulton Drive NW in Jackson Township. The show will follow the "holiday festival" format, in which seasonal music is mixed with readings and scripture, as well as carols and songs sung by the audience. The show will include an array of selections, including a Renaissance motet, a calypso carol and a movement from "The Nutcracker." The group also will perform Stanford Scriven's "Christ the Appletree," an allegorical carol created when the composer was only 20 years old. According to the group, VOCI will be one of the first Ohio choirs to perform the piece.
• VOCI members have something new up their lace-trimmed sleeves for this year's Madrigal Feaste. After performing the event at the Canton Cultural Center for the Arts for more than 30 years, the group will entertain this year at the Canton Woman's Club at 822 Market Ave. N. Members still will dress in madrigal costumes, representing monks, guards, singers and litter carriers, and will entertain with holiday music. Guests will be treated to a feast of mushroom and barley soup, roasted boar with apple-raisin dressing, roasted red skinned potatoes, warm wassail, green beans, bread and yule log with hunter's sauce. A wine and ale bar will be available. Dinner times are 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $48 and can be obtained by calling 330-452-4098 or online at voicesofcanton.org/tickets.


text:
Czech Republic officials say traces of horse meat were discovered in frozen packages of meatballs sent to their country for sale at furniture giant Ikea. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
Shoppers who relish the popular meatballs sold in IKEA furniture stores in the United States don't have to worry that they're getting a serving of horse meat in their snacks, store officials said Monday.
The pork and beef used in Ikea meatballs in the U.S. comes from a domestic supplier and is not related to a recall of frozen meatballs in the Czech Republic, said Mona Liss, a store spokeswoman.
"We can confirm that the contents of the meatballs follow the IKEA recipe and contain only beef and pork from animals raised in the U.S. and Canada," Liss said in a statement to NBC News. "All beef and pork from the U.S. and Canada must comply with USDA guidelines."
IKEA pulled 1,675 pounds of one-kilogram packs of frozen meatballs made in Sweden and shipped to the Czech Republic for sale in IKEA stores after the Czech State Veterinary Administration detected traces of horse meat in the products, the Associated Press reported.
IKEA's furniture stores worldwide feature restaurants and also sell food typical of the store's home country, including the wildly popular Kottbullar meatballs.
IKEA is the latest global firm to grapple with a horse meat scandal that has been spreading through Europe for the past month. Food giants Nestle and Birds Eye recalled prepared meat products last week after tests detected horse meat in ravioli, lasagna and chili con carne. Both of those firms said that U.S. operations are separate and that no meat implicated in the European scandal has been used in food in America.
U.S. Department of Agriculture officials also told NBC News that it's highly unlikely that beef or pork adulterated with horse meat will make it into the nation's food supply. Strict labeling and inspection requirements are aimed at making sure all meats are what they say they are.
However, USDA officials also acknowledge that testing for specific species in shipments of meat is conducted only when there's reason to suspect a problem.
In 1981, shipments of boneless beef from Australia were found to be adulterated with both horse meat and kangaroo. That finding forced the detention and inspection of more than 66 million pounds of meat – and led to stricter inspection efforts, USDA officials said.
European officials are conducting random DNA tests after traces of horse meat began turning up in frozen beef patties and prepared foods in the past month.
More than a dozen nations have now detected horse meat in various products.
Related stories:
- Horse found in IKEA meatballs, Czech officials say
- Horse meat in the US? Unlikely, but tests are rare
- 'Fraud on a massive scale:' Europe's horse meat scandal keeps growing

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mike Huckabee goes after Romneycare with particular vigor in his new book, but a Republican defender of the plan notes to me that some of those attacks seem to lack factual support. The book paints Romneycare broadly as an unpopular, acknowledged failure -- when it remains quite popular in the (liberal) state. And the details seem, at best, painted with a very broad brush.
One particularly unfair attack: "A noble goal, indeed," Huckabee writes of Romney's plan. "But when the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation stepped into the lab…they found that health care, which was 16 percent of the state budget in 1990, had jumped to 35 percent in 2010."
The problem: Romney's planned was passed in 2006, not 1990. By that time, health care costs had jumped in Massachusetts (as they had around the country), adding up to 32% of the fiscal year 2006 budget -- according to the same organization's 2005 assessment. So the growth has been from 32% to 35%, hardly out of line with the national picture.
Huckabee also argues that Romney's plan drove up costs for individuals while care declined: "If everyone in Massachusetts is paying more, it must mean patients are receiving better care, right? In fact, just the opposite is happening."
But while the state pays substantially more for health care than does Huckabee's Arkansas (though less than states like Ohio and New Hampshire), premiums are down for people purchasing care in the individual market -- the focus of the reform -- and have, in broad terms, shown increases "similar to the national trend rates," according to a study from the free market-oriented Pioneer Institute last year.
More clearly, the evidence that people see the quality of their health care declining as spending rises seems weak: A 2009 New England Journal of Medicine survey found 85% of state doctors saying health care had either no impact or a positive one. The doctors had other complaints, but a mere 6% said the quality of care had declined. Surveys also show the plan is popular with consumers, and the legislature is hardly rushing to repeal it -- though the state is struggling to contain the cost of health care spending.So, so, so deceitful.


text:
The William's Green tent, a 2,000-capacity space, is at its best on Sunday, opened at midday by long-bearded Canadian Ben Caplan. If a man's musical prowess can be judged by the superiority of his beard, then before even opening his mouth, Caplan is a god of a songwriter.
Remarkably, his performance exceeds such expectations, Caplan delivering heartfelt folk tales with a powerful and gravelly voice. There's an intimacy between his words and delivery that is rare, and echoes of both Jeff Buckley and Tom Waits (the latter, certainly, informs aspects of Caplan's sound).
The standout might be the melancholic 'Drift Apart'. But Caplan is never not upbeat, and has the charisma to get the audience on his side and make his solo performance feel bigger than the sum of its parts.
Palma Violets follow at William's Green. The Lambeth four-piece's debut Glastonbury set is invested with an overwhelming energy and a primal punk-rock showmanship. They confirm their status as one of the fastest-rising bands around, and make the hype seem justified. Chili Jesson and Sam Fryer, as co-frontmen, put their hearts into it. Chili is frenzied and unpredictable, lending the show a tense feel that suits their Clash-like sound.
To cap off the afternoon at William's Green, The Vaccines provide a snappy 14-track set, with singles 'Nørgaard' and 'If You Wanna' causing the biggest surges in an already euphoric atmosphere. Their performance consolidates their position as a favourite future headliner. They appear to be at the same stage as Mumford & Sons were after their John Peel Stage performance in 2010, where the folky types had a crowd stretching far beyond the perimeter of the tent.
For the sunset slot on the Other Stage, The Smashing Pumpkins churn out some of the heaviest rock of the weekend. Billy Corgan's clean vocals and lead melodies can be heart-achingly beautiful at times, and are woven into a foundation of brash guitar and drums. Their sound is one of rock's most enviable juxtapositions, and at its most evocative when played live.
The crowd is enthusiastic, lighting up when 'Bullet With Butterfly Wings', 'Disarm' and 'Tonight Tonight' are aired. At other times, though, a more sedated atmosphere prevails.
Away from the deluge of rock and indie, the West Holts stage, host to Chic and Public Enemy on the previous two nights, caps off a remarkable weekend with two Bobby Womack sets.
First up is Bobby Womack and The Bravest Band, with Damon Albarn on piano and backing vocals. Womack's distinctively husky and soulful vocals fit well within a sound that headed by warbling basslines, giving the band an innovative and contemporary feel.
After a brief turnaround, a classic Womack set begins – and the crowd really gets going. It's a truly joyous occasion. The night sky is lit up by a stage filled with a brass section, a trio of female gospel singers, two drummers, a guitarist and bassist – and, at the centre of everyone's attention, the remarkable, charming and legendary Womack. 'Across 110th Street' is the biggest hit, but there is a consistently jovial atmosphere, and astonishment at the excellence of the band on stage.
After hours, the most idyllic part of the festival – the Green Fields – plays to some of its latest-running live music. There are smile all round when Bristol-based dub reggae outfit Laid Blak play Croissant Neuf.
By sunrise the stone circle is at its busiest, as those last standing flock there to cap off a truly brilliant 2013 at Glastonbury.
- - -
Words: Cai Trefor
And Saturday's highlights here
Get the best of Clash on your iPhone - download the app here


text:
UT date and time of
equinoxes and solstices on Earth[1]
An equinox occurs twice a year, around 20 March and 22 September. The word itself has several related definitions. The oldest meaning is the day when daytime and night are of approximately equal duration.[2] The word equinox comes from this definition, derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night). The equinox is not exactly the same as the day when period of daytime and night are of equal length for two reasons. Firstly, sunrise, which begins daytime, occurs when the top of the Sun's disk rises above the eastern horizon. At that instant, the disk's center is still below the horizon. Secondly, Earth's atmosphere refracts sunlight. As a result, an observer sees daylight before the first glimpse of the Sun's disk above the horizon. To avoid this ambiguity, the word equilux is sometimes used to mean a day on which the periods of daylight and night are equal.[3][note 1] Times of sunset and sunrise vary with an observer's location (longitude and latitude), so the dates when day and night are of exactly equal length likewise depend on location.
The other definitions are based on several related simultaneous astronomical events, and refer either to the events themselves or to the days on which they occur. These events are the reason that the period of daytime and night are approximately equal on the day of an equinox.
An equinox occurs when the plane of Earth's Equator passes the center of the Sun. At that instant, the tilt of Earth's axis neither inclines away from nor towards the Sun. The two annual equinoxes are the only times when the subsolar point—the place on Earth's surface where the center of the Sun is exactly overhead—is on the Equator, and, conversely, the Sun is at zenith over the Equator. The subsolar point crosses the equator, moving northward at the March equinox and southward at the September equinox.celestial sphere where the celestial equator (i.e. declination 0) and ecliptic intersect. These points of intersection are called equinoctial points: classically, the vernal point (RA = 00h 00m 00s and longitude = 0°) and the autumnal point (RA = 12h 00m 00s and longitude = 180°).
The equinoxes are the only times when the solar terminator is perpendicular to the Equator. As a result, the Northern and Southern Hemispheres are illuminated equally.
Equinoxes on the Earth
Diagram of the Earth's seasons as seen from the north. Far right: December solstice.
Diagram of the Earth's seasons as seen from the south. Far left: June solstice.
When Julius Caesar established his calendar in 45 BC he set 25 March as the spring equinox. Because a Julian year (365.25 days) is slightly longer than an actual year the calendar drifted with respect to the equinox, such that the equinox was occurring on about 21 March in AD 300 and by AD 1500 it had reached 11 March.
This drift induced Pope Gregory XIII to create a modern Gregorian calendar. The Pope wanted to restore the edicts concerning the date of Easter of the Council of Nicaea of AD 325. So the shift in the date of the equinox that occurred between the 4th and the 16th centuries was annulled with the Gregorian calendar, but nothing was done for the first four centuries of the Julian calendar. The days of 29 February of the years AD 100, AD 200, AD 300, and the day created by the irregular application of leap years between the assassination of Caesar and the decree of Augustus re-arranging the calendar in AD 8, remained in effect. This moved the equinox four days earlier than in Caesar's time.
- Vernal equinox and autumnal equinox: these classical names are direct derivatives of Latin (ver = spring and autumnus = autumn). These names are based on the seasons, and can be ambiguous since seasons of the northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere are opposites, and the vernal equinox of one hemisphere is the autumnal equinox of the other.
- Spring equinox and fall equinox or autumn equinox: these are more colloquial names based on the seasons, and are also therefore ambiguous across hemispheres.
- March equinox and September equinox: names referring to the times of the year when such equinoxes occur. These are without the ambiguity as to which hemisphere is the context, but are still not universal as not all people use a solar-based calendar where the equinoxes occur every year in the same month (as they do not in the Islamic calendar and Hebrew calendar, for example), and the names are not useful for other planets (Mars, for example), even though these planets do have seasons.
- Northward equinox and southward equinox: names referring to the apparent motion of the Sun at the times of the equinox. The least culturally biased terms.
- Vernal point and autumnal point are the points on the celestial sphere where the Sun is located on the vernal equinox and autumnal equinox respectively. Usually this terminology is fixed for the Northern hemisphere.
- First point (or cusp) of Aries and first point of Libra are names formerly used by astronomers and now used by navigators and astrologers. Navigational ephemeris tables record the geographic position of the First Point of Aries as the reference for position of navigational stars. Due to the precession of the equinoxes, the astrological signs of the tropical zodiac where these equinoxes are located no longer correspond with the actual constellations once ascribed to them. The equinoxes are currently in the constellations of Pisces and Virgo. In sidereal astrology (notably Hindu astrology), by contrast, the first point of Aries remains aligned with Ras Hammel "the head of the ram", i.e. the Aries constellation.
Length of equinoctial day and night
On the day of the equinox, the center of the Sun spends a roughly equal amount of time above and below the horizon at every location on the Earth, so night and day are about the same length. The word equinox derives from the Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night). In reality, the day is longer than the night at an equinox. Day is usually defined as the period when sunlight reaches the ground in the absence of local obstacles. From the Earth, the Sun appears as a disc rather than a point of light, so when the center of the Sun is below the horizon, its upper edge is visible. Furthermore, the atmosphere refracts light, so even when the upper limb of the Sun is 0.4 degrees below the horizon, its rays curve over the horizon to the ground. In sunrise/sunset tables, the assumed semidiameter (apparent radius) of the Sun is 16 minutes of arc and the atmospheric refraction is assumed to be 34 minutes of arc. Their combination means that when the upper limb of Sun is on the visible horizon, its center is 50 minutes of arc below the geometric horizon, which is the intersection with the celestial sphere of a horizontal plane through the eye of the observer. These effects make the day about 14 minutes longer than the night at the Equator and longer still towards the Poles. The real equality of day and night only happens in places far enough from the Equator to have a seasonal difference in day length of at least 7 minutes, actually occurring a few days towards the winter side of each equinox.
Because the Sun is a spherical (rather than a single-point) source of light, the actual crossing of the Sun over the Equator takes approximately 33 hours.
At the equinoxes, the rate of change for the length of daylight and night-time is the greatest. At the poles, the equinox marks the start of the transition from 24 hours of nighttime to 24 hours of daylight (or vice versa). Far north of the Arctic Circle, at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway, there is an additional 15 minutes more daylight every day about the time of the Spring equinox, whereas in Singapore (which is just one degree of latitude north of the Equator), the amount of daylight in each daytime varies by just a few seconds.
Geocentric view of the astronomical seasons
In the half-year centered on the June solstice, the Sun rises north of east and sets north of west, which means longer days with shorter nights for the Northern Hemisphere and shorter days with longer nights for the Southern Hemisphere. In the half-year centered on the December solstice, the Sun rises south of east and sets south of west and the durations of day and night are reversed.
Also on the day of an equinox, the Sun rises everywhere on Earth (except at the Poles) at about 06:00 and sets at about 18:00 (local time). These times are not exact for several reasons:
- The Sun is much larger in diameter than the Earth, so that more than half of the Earth could be in sunlight at any one time (due to unparallel rays creating tangent points beyond an equal-day-night line).
- Most places on Earth use a time zone which differs from the local solar time by minutes or even hours. For example, if the Sun rises at 07:00 on the equinox, it will set 12 hours later at 19:00.
- Even people whose time zone is equal to local solar time will not see sunrise and sunset at 06:00 and 18:00. This is due to the variable speed of the Earth in its orbit, and is described as the equation of time. It has different values for the March and September equinoxes (+8 and −8 minutes respectively).
- Sunrise and sunset are commonly defined for the upper limb of the solar disk, rather than its center. The upper limb is already up for at least a minute before the center appears, and the upper limb likewise sets later than the center of the solar disk. Also, when the Sun is near the horizon, atmospheric refraction shifts its apparent position above its true position by a little more than its own diameter. This makes sunrise more than two minutes earlier and sunset an equal amount later. These two effects combine to make the equinox day 12 h 7 min long and the night only 11 h 53 min. Note, however, that these numbers are only true for the tropics. For moderate latitudes, the discrepancy increases (e.g., 12 minutes in London); and closer to the Poles it becomes very much larger (in terms of time). Up to about 100 km from either Pole, the Sun is up for a full 24 hours on an equinox day.
- Night includes twilight. If dawn and dusk are instead considered daytime, the day would be almost 13 hours near the equator, and longer at higher latitudes.
- Height of the horizon changes the day's length. For an observer atop a mountain the day is longer, while standing in a valley will shorten the day.
Day arcs of the Sun
Some of the statements above can be made clearer by picturing the day arc (i.e., the path the Sun tracks along the celestial dome in its diurnal movement). The pictures show this for every hour on equinox day. In addition, some 'ghost' suns are also indicated below the horizon, up to 18° below it; the Sun in such areas still causes twilight. The depictions presented below can be used for both the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. The observer is understood to be sitting near the tree on the island depicted in the middle of the ocean; the green arrows give cardinal directions.
- In the Northern Hemisphere, north is to the left, the Sun rises in the east (far arrow), culminates in the south (right arrow), while moving to the right and setting in the west (near arrow).
- In the Southern Hemisphere, south is to the left, the Sun rises in the east (near arrow), culminates in the north (right arrow), while moving to the left and setting in the west (far arrow).
The following special cases are depicted:
Day arc at 0° latitude (Equator)
The arc passes through the zenith, resulting in almost no shadows at high noon.
Day arc at 20° latitude
The Sun culminates at 70° altitude and its path at sunrise and sunset occurs at a steep 70° angle to the horizon. Twilight still lasts about one hour.
Day arc at 50° latitude
Twilight lasts almost two hours.
Day arc at 70° latitude
The Sun culminates at no more than 20° altitude and its daily path at sunrise and sunset is at a shallow 20° angle to the horizon. Twilight lasts for more than four hours; in fact, there is barely any night.
Day arc at 90° latitude (Pole)
If it were not for atmospheric refraction, the Sun would be on the horizon all the time.
Celestial coordinate systems
The vernal equinox occurs in March, about when the Sun crosses the celestial equator south to north.[4] The term "vernal point" is used for the time of this occurrence and for the direction in space where the Sun is seen at that time, which is the origin of some celestial coordinate systems:
- in the ecliptic coordinate system, the vernal point is the origin of the ecliptic longitude;
- in the equatorial coordinate system, the vernal point is the origin of the right ascension.
Because of the precession of the Earth's axis, the position of the vernal point on the celestial sphere changes over time, and the equatorial and the ecliptic coordinate systems change accordingly. Thus when specifying celestial coordinates for an object, one has to specify at what time the vernal point and the celestial equator are taken. That reference time is called the equinox of date.[5]
The autumnal equinox is at ecliptic longitude 180° and at right ascension 12h.
The upper culmination of the vernal point is considered the start of the sidereal day for the observer. The hour angle of the vernal point is, by definition, the observer's sidereal time.
The same is true in western tropical astrology: the vernal equinox is the first point (i.e. the start) of the sign of Aries. In this system, it is of no significance that the equinoxes shift over time with respect to the fixed stars.
Using the current official IAU constellation boundaries – and taking into account the variable precession speed and the rotation of the ecliptic – the equinoxes shift through the constellations as follows[6] (expressed in astronomical year numbering in which the year 0 = 1 BC, −1 = 2 BC, etc.):
- The March equinox passed from Taurus into Aries in year −1865, passed into Pisces in year −67, will pass into Aquarius in year 2597, will pass into Capricornus in year 4312. It passed along (but not into) a 'corner' of Cetus on 0°10' distance in year 1489.
- The September equinox passed from Libra into Virgo in year −729, will pass into Leo in year 2439.
Cultural aspects
A number of traditional spring and autumn (harvest) festivals are celebrated on the date of the equinoxes.
Equinoxes of other planets
Equinox is a phenomenon that can occur on any planet with a significant tilt to its rotational axis. Most dramatic of these is Saturn, where the equinox places its normally majestic ring system edge-on facing the Sun. As a result, they are visible only as a thin line when seen from Earth. When seen from above – a view seen by humans during an equinox for the first time from the Cassini space probe in 2009 – they receive very little sunshine, indeed more planetshine than light from the Sun.[7]
This lack of sunshine occurs once every 14.7 years. It can last a few weeks before and after the exact equinox. The most recent exact equinox for Saturn was on 11 August 2009. Its next equinox will take place on 30 April 2024.
One effect of equinoctial periods is the temporary disruption of communications satellites. For all geostationary satellites, there are a few days around the equinox when the sun goes directly behind the satellite relative to Earth (i.e. within the beam-width of the ground-station antenna) for a short period each day. The Sun's immense power and broad radiation spectrum overload the Earth station's reception circuits with noise and, depending on antenna size and other factors, temporarily disrupt or degrade the circuit. The duration of those effects varies but can range from a few minutes to an hour. (For a given frequency band, a larger antenna has a narrower beam-width and hence experiences shorter duration "Sun outage" windows.)
See also
- Aphelion – occurs around 5 July (see formula)
- Lady Day
- Nowruz
- Solstice
- Songkran
- Sun outage – a phenomenon that occurs around the time of an equinox
- ^ This meaning of "equilux" is rather modern (c. 2006) and unusual; technical references since the beginning of the 20th century (c. 1910) use the terms "equilux" and "isophot" to mean "of equal illumination", in the context of curves showing how intensely lighting equipment will illuminate a surface. See for instance John William Tudor Walsh, Textbook of Illuminating Engineering (Intermediate Grade), I. Pitman, 1947.
- ^ United States Naval Observatory (2010-06-10). "Earth's Seasons: Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion, and Aphelion, 2000-2020".
- ^ "equinox" at Oxford Dictionaries
- ^ Owens, Steve (20 March 2010). "Equinox, Equilux, and Twilight Times". Dark Sky Diary (blog). Retrieved 31 December 2010.
- ^ Strictly speaking, at the equinox the sun's ecliptic longitude is zero. Its latitude won't be exactly zero since the earth isn't exactly in the plane of the ecliptic. (The ecliptic is defined by the center of mass of the earth and moon combined.)
- ^ Montenbruck, Oliver; Pfleger, Thomas. Astronomy on the Personal Computer. Springer-Verlag. p. 17.
- ^ J. Meeus; Mathematical Astronomical Morsels; ISBN 0-943396-51-4
- ^ "PIA11667: The Rite of Spring". Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
External links
- Details about the Length of Day and Night at the Equinoxes. U.S. Naval Observatory. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command
- Calculation of Length of Day (Formulas and Graphs)
- Equinoctial Points – The Nuttall Encyclopædia
- Table of times for Equinoxes, Solstices, Perihelion and Aphelion in 2000–2020
- Table of times of Spring Equinox for a thousand years: 1452–2547
- Gray, Meghan; Merrifield, Michael. "Solstice and Equinox". Sixty Symbols.
- Use dmy dates from December 2013
- WorldHeritage pages with incorrect protection templates
- All articles with unsourced statements
- Articles with unsourced statements from May 2014
- Articles with unsourced statements from April 2014
- Articles needing additional references from December 2011
- All articles needing additional references
- Articles needing additional references from September 2012
- Articles with unsourced statements from September 2012
- Commons category template with no category set
- Commons category with page title same as on Wikidata
- Technical factors of astrology
- Dynamics of the Solar System
- Time in astronomy
- March observances
- September observances


text:
Jordan Jumpman Air Hoodie - Mens - Black/Gym Red
Browse all deals at Champs Sports
See more in Sweaters & Vests
See more from Jordan
* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with Champs Sports to confirm actual price & availability.
- Be the first to comment!
Champs Sports
4031 Gramercy St Ste A12
Columbus, OH 43219
Champs Sports
2748 Eastland Mal
Columbus, OH 43232


text:
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and his Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren fought Wednesday over who would be better at creating jobs, protecting Medicare and keeping down the cost of higher education during their third debate in Massachusetts' closely-watched Senate race.
Warren faulted Brown for voting against a series of Democratic-sponsored jobs bills and noted that Brown has vowed to repeal the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act if re-elected.
Brown said he opposed jobs bills that would have also hiked taxes on the private sector, and said that while he supported Massachusetts' landmark health care bill, he opposes the federal version because it also includes tax increases.
Brown referred to what he called "Obamacare" as a "jobs crushing bill" and warned seniors that it would cut Medicare by nearly three quarters of a trillion dollars. Warren said it would not cut benefits by "one penny."
The event was raucous at times, with supporters of each candidate occasionally applauding or booing during the hour-long match-up at Springfield Symphony Hall.
Warren criticized Brown for opposing the so-called Buffett rule, which would require those earning $1 million a year or more to pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes.
"Senator Brown voted with the billionaires, not with the secretaries," said Warren, who also criticized Brown for signing the no-new-tax pledge from conservative anti-tax activist Grover Norquist.
Brown said there needs to be a "top-to-bottom review" of the federal tax code rather than a reliance on additional tax increases.
"I'm not going to be raising taxes on anyone in Massachusetts or anyone in the United States," Brown said, who also warned that taking away oil subsidies could push up the cost of gas at the pump.
On women's issues, Warren said she would be the stronger of the two.
Warren faulted Brown for supporting an amendment, which was defeated, that would have let employers or health insurers deny coverage for services they say violate their moral or religious beliefs, including birth control.
She also criticized Brown for voting "against a pro-choice woman from Massachusetts to the U.S. Supreme Court" — a reference to Elena Kagan.
"I want to go to Washington to be there for all of our daughters and all of granddaughters," Warren said.
Brown said he supported the amendment because "I am not going to be pitting Catholics against their faith," and opposed Kagan because of her lack of judicial experience.
Brown also described himself as "pro-choice" and said he and Warren "both support Roe v. Wade."
The candidates agreed on some foreign policy goals.
Both said that Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime has to go given the thousands of individuals killed since the uprising against him began.
"The citizens there are being slaughtered," Brown said.
Both said Iran has to be prevented from developing nuclear weapons.
"It's destabilizing to the world," Warren said.
The two sparred on higher education.
Brown faulted Warren for her nearly $350,000 annual salary as a Harvard Law School professor, which he said adds to the cost of education.
Warren noted that she went to public colleges — the University of Houston and Rutgers University — adding that the country needs to reinvest in education to help other students get a college degree.
Warren criticized Brown for procedural votes against a bill that would have prevented a doubling of federal student loans. Brown said he ultimately voted for a bipartisan measure that did not raise taxes.
Warren on several occasions accused Brown of using the same "playbook" as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Polls in Massachusetts have shown Obama with a wide lead over Romney.
Warren also invoked the late Sen. Edward Kennedy at one point in the debate, after Brown cited a study by the National Federation of Independent Businesses that "Obamacare" would cost 17,000 jobs in Massachusetts.
Warren said the NFIB was a group that had endorsed Republicans, including Brown, and once "referred to Ted Kennedy as public enemy number one."
Brown was elected to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Kennedy in 2009.
One notable topic that failed to surface was the controversy surrounding Warren's claims of Native American heritage that led off the first two debates.
Brown said he didn't raise the issue because, unlike the first two debates, he wasn't asked about it.
Wednesday's debate was their first in Western Massachusetts.
LeBlanc reported from Boston.
US Sen. Brown, Warren spar in 3rd Mass. debate
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and his Democratic challenger Elizabeth Warren fought Wednesday over who would be better at creating jobs, protecting Medicare and keeping down the cost of higher education during their third debate in Massachusetts' closely-watched Senate race.


text:
Orange linen cotton lightweight fabric with vertically woven 1cm azure stripes.
Orange linen cotton striped fabric
from: 11.61€
Composition: 52% linen / 48% cotton
Width: 180cm (70.9″)
Weight: 160 g/m² (4.72 oz/yd²)
Manufacturer: AB "Siulas" www.siulas.com
Country of manufacture: Lithuania
Latest reviews from our Etsy shop LinenFashionbySiulas
Tessie on May 20, 2020
This fabric is gorgeous. I'm so excited to make my Mom a pinafore apron! I hope this item will be available again. I would buy more for sure!
Julianbell on May 14, 2020
So beautiful. Thank you!! Very soft and elegant fabric. I can't wait to start sewing. It is a treasure. 😀😀😀
Tessie on May 11, 2020
I'm in love with this fabric. The brown is rich & lovely…the texture is beautiful. So excited to get sewing.
Abby on May 2, 2020
This yarn is beautiful. I cannot wait to knit some hand towels with it!! I also received it very quickly after I placed my order. Thank you so much!!
felixadandenault on Mar 17, 2020
Great quality and timely shipping
cathdrake on Mar 14, 2020
Just as pictured – fabulous light linen, promptly shipped. Perfect!


text:
Real Estate Transactions for issue of 07-10-12
July 10, 2012
16th Ward
Nico Homes Inc. to Jonathan Lapham at 429 Fisher St. for $6,600.
17th Ward
Bank America NA to Ching Hsiu Hou at 1613 Arlington Ave. for $19,000.
Brian Young to Craig and Constance Bentzen at 1016 Bradish St. for $350,000.
Black and Gold Properties LLC to Jason Reefer and Shannon Fair at 1811 Jane St. for $389,000.
RE 360 SS Partn. 11 L.P. to Neighborhood Real Estate Services LLC at 58 Mt. Oliver St. for $5,200.
Pius Street Assoc. L.P. to John Tomaro at 1 Pius St. Unit B3 for $294,900.
Paul Turman to Sean and Catharine Norris at 1105 St. Martin St. for $109,500.
Barbara Leach to Steel Mill Properties LLC at 1824 Sidney St. for $131,000.
18th Ward
Pittsburgh City to Chaz Clemons at 423 Michigan St. for $2,900.
19th Ward
Jestin Carlton to Brian and Ashley Krieger at 324 Augusta St. for $149,900.
Margery Parry to Walter Young III and Sharon Young at 111 Grandview Ave. Unit 1103 for $550,000.
Joann Rodriguez Naeser to Jeffrey Michael Swartz at 323 Sweetbriar St. for $100,000.
29th Ward
Theresa Ciletti to Dil and Bishnu Bhattarai at 2415 Glenroy St. for $95,000.
Estate of Gerald Cafardi to Thomas Gruber and Anthony Cafardi at 434 Kirk Ave. for $22,450.
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to Realty Choice Investments LLC at 227 Linnview Ave. for $14,000.
David Kahl to Mei Ling Sze at 2010 Lucina Ave. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $47,970).
Gerald Hesse to Andrew Seifert at 52 Owendale Ave. for $79,900.
30th Ward
Michael Stehle to Michael and Naomi Mullen at 319 McKinley St. for $39,000.
Mt. Oliver
Monica Ann Meis to James and Constance D'Orfeo at 18 Elizabeth St. for $6,500.
Veterans Administration to John Connell Jr. and Vicki Connell at 154 Ormsby Ave. for $28,000.
Mary Miele to David and Jessica Shearer at 209 Quincy Ave. for $28,000.


text:
Hospital Stripped of 'Catholic' Seal
Bishop Olmsted tells the Register of St. Joseph's 'many other violations' of Church teachings, where a nun last year approved an abortion.
PHOENIX — St. Joseph's Hospital in Phoenix can no longer be considered Catholic.
That is the decision Bishop Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix announced Tuesday.
Citing seven years of vain attempts to get the institution to comply with Church teachings on abortion, sterilization and birth control, Bishop Olmsted said in an interview with the Register, "What I've tried to do is make clear at the present time I cannot assure them St. Joseph's Hospital is following the ethical directives of the Catholic Church."
St. Joseph's administration responded that the bishop's declaration will not change how it does its work or its claim to be Catholic.
The president of St. Joseph's, Linda Hunt, said in a prepared statement, "Though we are deeply disappointed, we will be steadfast in fulfilling our mission of care. …Nothing has changed."
The issue arose earlier this year when an abortion was performed on a woman with pulmonary hypertension, a condition exacerbated by her 11-week pregnancy. Because Sister of Mercy Margaret McBride, at that time vice president of mission integration at the hospital, concurred with a hospital ethics advisory committee decision to okay the abortion, Bishop Olmsted privately informed her she had thereby automatically excommunicated herself.
But the excommunication was somehow made public.
Bishop Olmsted said that throughout his seven years as the ordinary in Phoenix he has been attempting to bring St. Joseph's and its parent company, Catholic Healthcare West, in line with Catholic teaching.
"A few [staff] have expressed concern. It's been difficult to put their complaints in writing because of their fear of losing their jobs," he said. "There also are patients: A mother goes and her child is delivered, and once the delivery takes place, it is recommended that she have her tubes tied, which is illicit."
From the start, Bishop Olmsted was concerned that Catholic Healthcare West was operating Chandler Regional Health Center in Chandler, Ariz., in willful disregard of the U.S. bishops' "Ethical and Religious Directives" (ERDs). "That's why they didn't use the word 'Catholic' in the Chandler name. They were proud of it," said Bishop Olmsted.
In fact, Father John Ehrich, diocesan director of medical ethics, said the hospital administration seemed more concerned with pleasing various government agencies than following Catholic moral teaching.
"There is no doubt the primary concern was their standing as it relates to licensing of their hospital and their ability to practice medicine," said Father Ehrich. "I think, unfortunately, they see their ability to practice authentically Catholic health care as extremely difficult given the current laws. They are, no doubt, more concerned about that than following the ethical and religious directives of the Catholic Church."
$2 Billion at Stake
St. Joseph's, Chandler Regional and one other Catholic hospital operated by Catholic Healthcare West deliver $2 billion worth of health-care services to Arizona Medicaid through an entity called Mercy Care. These services include elective abortions and sterilizations.
"The state mandates that they have to perform those services," said Father Ehrich. And even though these procedures are done outside St. Joseph's, "they are still formally cooperating in this, which is completely contrary to Church teaching, and they know this."
Bishop Olmsted said St. Joseph's administration promised to produce letters from other bishops supporting their policies, but "they have never produced those letters. At one point they said, 'The bishops didn't want to put it in writing.' And my response was: 'Would you do business that way?'"
Next, St. Joseph's produced arguments from a canon lawyer that supported them, "which argument," said Bishop Olmsted, "I found completely unconvincing."
Father Ehrich said that canon lawyers and moral theologians solicited by the secular media defended the controversial abortion with the Catholic doctrine of double effect. The Church teaches that there is a morally acceptable "double effect" when a treatment of a condition endangering the mother has the "foreseen but unintended" effect of killing the unborn baby.
"But this was not what St. Joseph's said at the time. "They freely acknowledged that they terminated a pregnancy. They would say, 'We had to terminate the pregnancy to save the life of the mother.'"
In response to Bishop Olmsted's announcement, the Catholic Health Association, which represents Catholic hospitals in the United States, supported St. Joseph's. CHA's president, Sister Carol Keehan, in a statement, praised St. Joseph's staff for its "long and stellar history of protection for life at all stages" and defended their actions in the case in dispute with Bishop Olmsted.
"They carefully evaluated the patient's situation and correctly applied the 'Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services' to it, saving the only life that was possible to save," said Sister Carol, a Daughter of Charity who was a key supporter of President Obama's health-insurance reform bill earlier this year.
"But the ERDs themselves state that the diocesan bishop exercises responsibilities rooted in his office," said John Brehany, executive director of the Catholic Medical Association, representing U.S. doctors committed to practicing medicine in conformity with Catholic teaching. "If they are denying the role of the bishop, they are not following the ERDs."
Father Ehrich speculated that the operation was conducted to reduce the hospital's or doctors' exposure to a lawsuit. But it was unnecessary medically, he claims. "The mortality rate for hypertension is very, very low."
St. Joseph's president, Linda Hunt, disagreed. "In November 2009, the woman was admitted to St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center with worsening symptoms," she said in her prepared statement. "Tests revealed that she now had life-threatening pulmonary hypertension. The chart notes that she had been informed that her risk of mortality was close to 100% if she continued the pregnancy."
"If we are presented with a situation in which a pregnancy threatens a woman's life," Hunt added, "our first priority is to save both patients. If that is not possible, we will always save the life that we can save, and that is what we did in this case."
Hunt added that the decision to abort the child was made "in collaboration with the patient, her family, her caregivers and our ethics committee. Morally, ethically and legally, we simply cannot stand by and let someone die whose life we might be able to save."
Will Do It Again
Bishop Olmsted's action may have no tangible effect. Hunt said, "St. Joseph's will retain its name, and our Catholic heritage will always be at the core of who we are. Our mission and values will not change, nor do we believe this action will have any impact on our operations."
The Sisters of Mercy will continue to run the hospital, which will continue to provide facilities for priests to administer the sacraments. It will continue to refuse to perform elective abortions. And if the same condition arises where an abortion is required to save a mother's life? "We would do it again," Hunt stated.
Bishop Olmsted admitted there is nothing he can do beyond what he has done. He would not direct Catholics to shun St. Joseph's as patients or staff.
The problem posed by St. Joseph's claiming to be Catholic is a broad one, he said. "We are going through a crisis of Catholic identity both in terms of individuals who claim to be Catholic, but neither talking nor acting in accordance with Church teachings, and in terms of institutions such as universities and health-care organizations."
Brehany said more than the ethics of a particular case is at stake. If it were just a dispute over "a one-off complex case,", it would be possible to give St. Joseph's "the benefit of the doubt. It seems that it is a more systemic rejection not only of the Church's teachings but also the bishop's role in the diocese." He believes St. Joseph's "really underestimates the reality and the effects of the rupture that has taken place and the effects of no longer being in living communion with the Church. It gets back to almost a Protestant principle: 'Of course we're good Catholics. Of course we're following Jesus. We just don't accept that bishop, that successor of Christ.'"
"One of the tools that Christ gave the Church as a service to the experts and laity involved is a structure of authority and guidance to help resolve disputes. … That's precisely what is in dispute."
Brehany said St. Joseph's is acting as if it is claiming to be "an independent magisterium. You know: 'We will teach what is ethical.'"
Register correspondent Steve Weatherbe writes from Victoria, British Columbia.


text:
N° 51–2003: 25 Years of Human Spaceflight in Europe
22 August 2003
2003 is a year for Europe to commemorate a number of "firsts" in human spaceflight.
25 years ago Europe made its entry into human spaceflight history when the Czecholslovakian cosmonaut Vladimir Remek took part in a first mission under the Interkosmos cooperation programme between the Soviet Union and other partner countries. He lifted off from Baikonur on 2 March 1978 on the Soyuz 28 spacecraft for a 8-day mission to the Salyut 6 space station. He was soon followed, from 27 June to 5 July 1978, by a Polish cosmonaut colleague, Miroslaw Hermaszewski on the Soyuz 30 mission. Two months later, on 26 August, German cosmonaut Sigmund Jähn, on the third manned Interkosmos mission, climbed into Soyuz 31, lifted off from Baikonur and, together with his Soviet fellow crew member Valery Bykovski, circled the Earth 141 times on a eight-day mission to the Salyut 6 space station before returning to Earth and landing safely on 3 September. The first West European astronaut to participate in a mission on a Soviet spacecraft was French astronaut Jean-Loup Chrétien of CNES, who flew on 24 June 1982 aboard Soyuz T-6 to the Salyut-7 space station.
20 years ago the Western side of Europe entered the human spaceflight arena with its own orbital laboratory, with the maiden flight of Spacelab, carried inside the cargo bay of NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia, on the 10-day STS-9/Spacelab 1 mission from 28 November to 8 December 1983 under a cooperation agreement between NASA and ESA. This was also saw the first spaceflight by a West European astronaut, and the first ever by a non-American citizen on a US spacecraft, the German ESA astronaut Ulf Merbold, who twice returned to space, on the Spacelab International Microgravity Laboratory 1 mission on US Space Shuttle flight STS-42 in January 1992 and, in the framework of the ESA-Russian Euromir 94 programme, on a Soyuz TM-20 to the Russian space station Mir from 3 September 1995 to 29 February 1996, thus becoming the first European to have flown on both a US and a Russian spacecraft.
Coincidentally, although coming from two opposite political blocks and carrying different passports at the time when they performed their historic spaceflights, the then East German cosmonaut Sigmund Jähn and West German astronaut Ulf Merbold come from the same region in the green heart of Germany, the Vogtland, halfway between Nuremberg and Leipzig. Jähn was born in Morgenröthe-Rautenkranz and Merbold in the town of Greiz.
Separated by the Iron Curtain until 1989, Jähn and Merbold later worked together on the same space programmes, first for the Russian space station Mir and then for the International Space Station.
The German Space Agency DLR, with support from the European Space Agency, is marking the 25th anniversary of the flight by Sigmund Jähn with a special event on Saturday 30 August, beginning at 11:00 h, in Markneukirchen, near the home town of Sigmund Jähn, Morgenröthe-Morgenkranz.
Under the title "Spaceflight – a Journey through Time" and in the presence of German President Johannes Rau and the German Minister for Education and Research, Edelgard Bulmahn, the Chairman of the DLR Board, Professor Sigmar Wittig, and ESA Director of Human Spaceflight, Jörg Feustel-Büechl, will welcome over 1000 invited guests to this event.
In a multi-faceted and informative 90-minute on-stage programme, which will be transmitted live via satellite TV and Internet, the event will honour Sigmund Jähn's contribution to peaceful international cooperation in space and review the mission by Ulf Merbold on the first flight by Spacelab, which was built under ESA contract by a European industrial consortium led by the German company ERNO (today EADS Space Transportation) in Bremen and more than 20 Spacelab missions that followed, notably the German Spacelab mission D-2 ten years ago, from 26 April to 6 May 1993, with the German astronauts Hans Schlegel and Ulrich Walter. Schlegel has since joined ESA's European Astronaut Corps based in Cologne, which is headed by Ernst Messerschmid, who together with Dutch ESA astronaut Wubbo Ockels and German DLR astronaut Reinhold Furrer took part in the first German Spacelab mission, Spacelab D-1 on STS-61 A, in 1985.
The "Journey through Time" will also take in the four missions by European astronauts to the Russian Mir station which took place in the framework of the DLR-Russian cooperation on Mir 92 and 97 and ESA-Russian cooperation on Euromir 94 and 95.
Several European and Russian astronauts and cosmonauts involved in these missions will be at Markneukirchen, including Sigmund Jähn, Eberhard Köllner (replacement crew member for Jähn on Soyuz 31) and Valery Bykovski (Soyuz 31), Ulf Merbold (Spacelab 1, Spacelab IML-1 and Euromir 94), Ernst Messerschmid (Spacelab D-1), Klaus-Dietrich Flade (Mir 92), Ulrich Walter (Spacelab D-2), Thomas Reiter and Yuri Gidzenko (Euromir 95) Reinhold Ewald, Vassily Zbliyev and Valery Korsun (Mir 97).
The event will not only honour Europe's past achievements in European human spaceflight, but will also be taking a look at the present and future: German Education and Research Minister Edelgard Bulmahn, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight, Jörg Feustel-Büechl, and DLR Chairman, Prof. Sigmar Wittig, will present the European and German views and plans for the International Space Station and Europe's and Germany's future role in manned space activities.
One of the highlights will be a live video link with the International Space Station, from where crew members Yuri Malenchenko from Russia and Edward Lu (NASA), who in October this year will be joined by ESA astronaut Pedro Duque during the Spanish Soyuz mission to the ISS, will speak to the audience in Markneukirchen.
The whole event will be transmitted live on the Astra satellite system and can be received by anyone in Europe who is equipped with an analog satellite receiver tuned to the following parameters: position 19.2 East, analog transponder, frequency 10.921 GHz, horizontal polarisation, stereo sound at 7.02 and 7.20 MHz. In parallel, the event is being transmitted in streaming video mode on the Internet and can be accessed from www.dlr.de and www.esa.int.
Transmission will start at 11:00 h and finish at 12:30 h.
Attendance at in the event is by invitation only.
For further information please contact:
ESA Media Relations Paris
Franco Bonacina
Tel.: +33 1 5369 7713, fax: 7690
E-mail: email@example.com
DLR Press and Public Relations Cologne
Eduard Müller
Tel.: +49 2203 601 2805, fax:3249
E-mail: email@example.com
DLR Press and Public Relations Berlin
Andreas Schütz
Tel.: +49 30 67055 130, fax: 120
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Press Office Vogtland District
Kerstin Büttner
Tel.: +49 3741 392 431, fax: 292
E-mail: email@example.com
For further information:
ESA, Media Relations Service
Tel: +33.(0)1.5369.7155
Fax: +33.(0)1.5369.7690


text:
City dumps dog tax for yellow cards to deal with lazy owners
About a year ago we reported on a proposed dog tax in the city of Izumisano in Osaka Prefecture. The purpose of the levy was to pay for patrols to enforce a local law mandating that dog owners clean up after their pets. The city's mayor, Hiroyasu Chiyomatsu, says that because Izumisano is close to Kansai International Airport, the city is a "gateway to Japan" and thus it is embarrassing if the first thing visitors see is dog doo all over the streets.
As it happens, the tax was never passed, since dog owners complained that it was only a minority who broke the law and thus was unfair to punish all of them for the sins of a few. In addition, once it was announced that the patrols were going into effect, the problem actually got worse, since some dog owners misinterpreted the measure to mean that they could leave the droppings behind because the city would be cleaning it up.
So in February the city announced a new strategy. Pairs of inu no fun G-men (dog feces government men) would patrol the city in public vehicles three days a week and whenever they saw droppings on the ground they would place a yellow card on them and leave it there.
If the droppings weren't picked up for a month, then the G-men would clean it up. The idea is that dog owners tend to walk their pets along the same routes and so will likely see the yellow card and feel guilty enough to clean it up themselves. Only ¥4.6 million has been budgeted for the program, so in order to save money the patrols will be made up of individuals from the local Retired Persons Human Resource Center, whose average age is 75.
So far, the plan seems to be working. In the month before it went into effect, patrols counted 1,736 spots where droppings were left behind, and in the month after it went into effect the number of spots numbered 1,030. Fines will likely go into effect in July.
The ¥1,000 penalty, however, can only be issued when a dog owner is caught in the act — or non-act, in this case. Such issuances may be even be rarer since the patrols only go out in the early morning and late evening. As it stands, many local governments throughout Japan have similar fines for negligent dog owners but few actually collect any money.
There are also other pet problems that the town wants to address, including non-registration of dogs — estimated to be about half — and people who walk their dogs without leashes. About 4,400 people are bitten by dogs every year in Japan.


text:
Every day there is increasing more evidence that we have gone beyond the tipping point and we are now in a situation of runaway global warming.
Conference – Greening of the Internet Economy
We would like to invite you to participate in an important workshop being hosted by the California Public Utilities Commission and the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology on Jan 22-23rd,
2009 focused on how Information Communication Technology (ICT) can be used to address issues of global change.
Greening the Internet Economy is an invitation-only event bringing together hundreds of the foremost public policy makers, industry experts, research leaders, and global nonprofits to advance strategies for sustainability and energy efficiency in the rapidly growing realm of information and communications technology (ICT).
With the new world focus on reducing carbon emissions to fight global warming, it is time for the ICT sector to respond by reducing energy usage in a dramatic way, and ensuring ICT elements are built ³green.² This symposium will provide an unprecedented opportunity for decision-makers in key sectors‹ investment, technology, government and business‹ to identify ways of building an Internet economy and infrastructure to ensure a more sustainable future.
Sessions for the event include discussions of how California¹s landmark AB32 legislation will be implemented, opportunities for greening power hungry data centers, how global corporate leaders are reducing their carbon footprint, advances in energy and emerging technology, intelligent transportation, smart buildings, driving consumer efficiency, and the academic perspective on green ICT.
Confirmed speakers include Bill Wiehl from Google (Green Energy Czar), Arne Josefsberg (MS Data Center Architect), Tom Bauman (CEO of Climate Check), Stephen Harper (Global Director for Intel Environmental and Energy Policy), Scott Lang (President and CEO of Silver Spring Network), Rich Lechner (VP for Energy and Environment, IBM) and Wolfgang Wagener (Director of Connected Urban Development, CISCO) are but a few of the exceptional panelists lined up to offer insight for the event.
Seating is limited and this event is invitation-only.
Please accept your invitation as soon as possible to ensure your space and register today at http://greeninternet.calit2.net


text:
out of 5 Stars
Dad's Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning is locally and family owned. We have been serving families and businesses for over 20 years in the great city of Birmingham. We specialize in carpet cleaning, re-stretching and repairs. We also offer expert cleaning and care for delicate upholstery fabrics and investment quality area rugs.
All of our technicians are certified by the IICRC to ensure the best quality cleaning possible. Our friendly and knowledgeable customer service reps are ready to handle a
Service was great and removed stain completely. Thank you.
-- Tim F
SoTellUs © 2020 - All Rights Reserved


text:
Friday marks 40th anniversary of Brett's debut
Hall of Famer recorded first of his 3,154 hits against White Sox in Chicago
NEW YORK -- This seems to be the summer of George Brett.
Brett emerged from his comfortable existence as Kansas City's most-renowned citizen and low-key club vice president to step in as the Royals' interim hitting coach in late May. That came 20 years after he'd retired as an active player in 1993.
In July, there was a fuss made over the 30th anniversary of his famous Pine Tar Game in 1983. He held news conferences in both New York and Kansas City to discuss the event.
Then Brett decided to step out of his coaching role, which occasioned another news conference in Kansas City to discuss that. That came roughly two months after the news conference in St. Louis to discuss why he'd taken it on in the first place.
And now, wouldn't you know, Brett is the object of attention again, because Friday marks the 40th anniversary of his first Major League game on Aug. 2, 1973.
"Another anniversary," Brett said. "I promise you there will be no press conference for this one."
No, and Brett is morphing back into his more laid-back life as a Kansas City icon as well as a club executive and valued advisor of general manager Dayton Moore. Also, as husband and father. Brett and wife Leslie took off this week to spend time at a family ranch in Idaho. So he's not around to reminisce about his first day in the Majors, a game against the White Sox at Chicago's old Comiskey Park.
Keep in mind this was 40 years ago and Brett was 20 years old -- did we mention his 60th birthday was May 15? -- and he doesn't have real vivid memories of that day.
Brett was summoned from Triple-A Omaha, and he later recalled that when Omaha manager Harry Malmberg came to the apartment he shared with pitcher Mark Littell and catcher Buck Martinez with news of a promotion, both he and Martinez figured it was Littell going up. But, no, Brett got the call to fill in for veteran third baseman Paul Schaal, who'd sprained an ankle.
So off Brett went to Chicago, arriving not long before game time to discover he was in the lineup and batting eighth against right-hander Stan Bahnsen. He came up in the second inning.
"I hit a line drive and Stan Bahnsen caught it, and the next at-bat I hit a broken-bat single to left. That's all I remember," Brett said. "I can't remember my third or fourth at-bat, I can't tell you if we won or lost."
Well, he looked at strike three and grounded out in his last two at-bats, also against Bahnsen, and the Royals won the game, 3-1.
"I remember after the game, we jumped on a plane and flew to Minnesota," Brett said.
The Brett break-in period turned out to be rather brief and unimpressive.
"I played in a few games and sat on the bench for two weeks, and then I got sent down. I went 1-for-4 the first game, 1-for-4 the second game and didn't play again," Brett said.
It wasn't quite that brief. He played four games and went 2-for-14 before being benched and returned to Omaha.
"I went back to Triple-A and played there, and got called up in September and ended up getting 40 at-bats and hit .125 or .175 or whatever it was," Brett said.
Brett finished his 13 games with a .125 (5-for-40) average and made the club the next spring. Success was slow in coming, but the big change in his baseball life occurred when he came under the influence of Royals hitting coach Charley Lau.
"That was at the All-Star break in 1974," Brett said.
Brett was batting .232 at the break that year, and from that point on, he hit .316 to finish the season with an overall average of .282. It was a rise of 50 points, and Brett's career began to flourish. It peaked at .390 in 1980.
When Brett was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999, he pointed heavenward to thank Lau, who died of cancer in 1984.
And the night that Brett assumed the role of hitting coach this year, he again invoked the name of his old mentor.
"I'm basically going to be Charley Lau's ghost," he said.
Indeed, perhaps Brett inspired the Royals the way Lau inspired him. They had a winning record during his tenure and have an 11-2 record since the All-Star break. Yep, there's that All-Star break thing again.
Anyway, 40 years ago on Friday, Brett was far, far away from three batting titles, an American League Most Valuable Player Award, 13 All-Star selections, two World Series and the Hall of Fame. That day in Chicago, he broke his bat and got his first hit. There were 3,153 more to come.


text:
A collection of scholarly works about individual liberty and free markets. A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.
1857 - 1929
Historical Period:
The 19th Century
A pioneer American sociologist who is best remembered for his work on the "leisure class" in America. [The image comes from "The Warren J. Samuels Portrait Collection at Duke University."]


text:
skip to main
skip to sidebar
{Places to Visit}
{My Etsy Store}
{The look!}
{My Etsy Store}
Email This
Share to Twitter
Share to Facebook
Share to Pinterest
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Follow @minimeredith
Enter your email address:
Delivered by
Moonlight Court
Welcome to Moonlight Court--so named because of my interest in the color and whimsy of Marie Antoinette's court, as well as my propensity to keep my blog up to date by the light of the moon. Please enjoy my musings on Inspiration, Art, Music, Movies, and Creative Living, etc. Please also enjoy my favorite hobby--American Revolutionary War reenacting, and the many photos that I have taken. If you are interested in using a photo for personal or commercial purposes, please email me at "revwarphotos" on my gmail account. Thanks!
View my complete profile
June (2)
May (1)
November (1)
October (2)
September (1)
May (3)
August (3)
July (17)
June (17)
April (21)
March (23)
February (23)
January (26)
December (12)
November (25)
October (24)
September (20)
August (27)
July (25)
June (22)
May (26)
April (26)
March (27)
February (24)
January (26)
December (27)
November (26)
October (18)
September (26)
August (22)
July (30)
June (31)
May (31)
April (20)
March (28)
February (27)
January (28)
December (21)
November (28)
October (27)
September (23)
August (31)
July (32)
June (22)
All Comments
All Comments
{all rights reserved copyright 2013 moonlight court}
{No part of this Web site may be reproduced in any form, including any electronic image, text, photocopying or translation to another language without permission. If your photo has been used without proper credit, feel free to contact me for correction or removal. No intention is made to claim any property not my own and every effort is made to give proper credit. Thank you.}
Site Meter


text:
By Ian Williams
NBC News Correspondent
One of the Sumatran orangutan's richest habitats, an area of swampland containing the highest density of the red apes on the planet, is being illegally slashed and burned by palm oil companies to make way for palm oil plantations.
"If we can't stop them here, then there really is no hope," said Ian Singleton as we stood on the edge of what had once been pristine forest, home to hundreds of orangutans, but now reduced to a charred wilderness as far as the eye could see. As he spoke we could hear the distant sound of a chain saw.
Singleton runs the Sumatra Orangutan Conservation Programme, an organization at the forefront of a battle to save what remains of the forest and the apes.
There are fewer than 7,000 of the critically endangered Sumatran orangutans left in the wild, according to a 2008 survey completed by Singleton and other scientists. The largest number live in a vast area of swampland and lowland forest close to the northern tip of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.
"Orangutan paradise," Singleton calls the area – but it's a paradise under threat.
The key battleground for Singleton is the Tripa Peat Swamp Forest, much of which has already been converted to palm oil plantations. The relentless march of the palm oil business is the biggest threat facing the orangutans.
A cheap, edible oil, palm oil is found in almost half of all packaged supermarket products, from instant noodles, to cookies to ice cream, and Indonesia is the world's biggest supplier.
"Look, look," said Singleton, handing me a pair of field glasses. In the distance a large male orangutan moved gracefully across the canopy of trees. We would soon see three more.
There is something spell-binding about seeing an orangutan in its natural habitat, and for a while we were glued to that point, watching these high-wire masters at play. But excitement here was quickly tempered by the realization that the area of forest we were looking at was isolated and surrounded on three sides by plantations that were moving ever closer.
Singleton concluded that these apes had just about enough forest to survive – for now.
When he believes an orangutan is in danger, he said, he sends in a team to track and sedate it, transferring the animal to a sprawling rescue center he runs on the edge of the Sumatran city of Medan.
Singleton sometimes refers to the center as a "refugee camp."
"These are the lucky few," Singleton told me during a visit there. "They are effectively refugees from forests that no longer exist."
And like in refugee camps across the world, there was no shortage of agonizing stories of suffering and survival, but also resilience and hope.
Among the 55 orangutans in Singleton's care was a scrawny and bewildered 2-year-old named Chocolate, the newest arrival. Merely a toddler, Chocolate wrapped his arms and legs around Singleton, who lifted him carefully from a cot designed for a child.
"He's a bit thin, but otherwise quite fit and feisty," Singleton said. He believes the mother was probably shot.
"There's no way a mother would allow a baby to be taken from her, not while she's still alive – never in a million years," said Singleton. Among orangutans, the bond between mother and child is one of the strongest in the animal kingdom, a child staying with its mom for as many as nine years.
Most orangutans arrive at the center as toddlers, many lacking even the basic confidence to climb trees. You'd have thought that came naturally to a great ape, but some youngsters will only scale the branches in the presence of a keeper, who acts as a surrogate mom.
That's not a term Singleton likes. The aim of his organization is to build the animals' skills and independence for an eventual return to the wild, though initially many are dependent on him and his staff.
He also introduced me to Leuser, a big male, probably more than 40 years old and blind.
"One day he went too near farmers at the edge of the forest and they took pot shots at him. They put 62 air rifle pellets into him, mostly around the head," Singleton said. Forty-eight are still there, and the X-ray resembles the speckled roof of a planetarium.
In the top corner of a nearby cage, 9-year-old Bahroeni was sitting inside a large tire, one of his legs dangling, encased in a cast. He, too, had been sold as a pet when he was a toddler and, as he grew up, the nylon rope that tied him to a fence was never removed.
Plantation owners and small holders frequently regard orangutans as pets, though there is profit to be had in illegally selling off the babies as pets.
"The law is very clear, but the enforcement is very weak," Singleton said, tickling one of the toddlers, who reacts with child-like convulsions.
The center aims to return its refugees to the wild, in an undisturbed part of the forest, as soon as they are able to go.
As we spoke, a group of keepers from the rescue center carried on a stretcher an anaesthetised young male named Dito. They lay him out on an operating table in the medical center and after making a small insertion in his neck, they implanted a transmitter.
The transmitter will help Singleton monitor Dito's movements, "so you know what they're doing, where they're going. That they are OK."
Singleton and colleague Graham Usher launch drone with camera to monitor illegal deforestation.
On the Tripa frontline, Singleton and his team are now deploying a powerful new weapon: a drone, equipped with a small camera that will help them identify illegal forest clearing.
The area is supposed to be a protected forest, and using fire to clear the land as well as converting deep peat are illegal practices under Indonesian law.
Conservationists did have one recent victory, when one of the worst culprits, a company called Kallista Alam, had one of its operating permits revoked. That's never happened before, since Indonesia has a terrible track record in enforcing its own environmental laws.
And Singleton says satellite imagery shows that burning has continued, even after Kallista Alam's permit was revoked.
He is now urging criminal action against such companies and others involved in the illegal clearing, asking for their permits to be revoked, and the peat land to be restored.
For all the horrible destruction laid out before us in Tripa, Singleton remains optimistic, believing that the tide may now be turning in favor of Indonesia's once lonely conservationists, and that the impunity with which the plantations destroyed the forest is at last being challenged.
Before leaving Sumatra, Singleton took me to an area where his refugees are being re-located. He told me that for him nothing can quite match the satisfaction of seeing the often bruised and terrified animals that turn up at his rescue center back in the wild.
"Now they have a second chance of spending 30 or 40 years in the wild, and of having four or five babies," he told me as we tracked some recently released orangutans days later.
There was a sudden movement of red fur through the thick forest canopy above us.
"I get a real kick out of this," Singleton said. "It's as if they never left, and if we'd not been here they'd have died."
source: http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/15/14456815-demand-for-palm-oil-used-in-packaged-food-products-leaves-orangutans-at-risk?lite


text:
DRC home :: Events :: Feedback :: Wallpaper :: Advanced Search
NORWALK, Ohio -- IHRA Vice-President of Sales/Marketing, Aaron Polburn, announced AC Delco as title sponsor of the inaugural IHRA Summit Drag Racing event, April 20-22, 2001 at Virginia Motorsports Park. Joining AC Delco as presenting sponsor will be Chevrolet, with the event known as the AC Delco Nationals, presented by Chevrolet.
Joining Polburn at the PRI show in Indianapolis for the announcement were Stan Novak, Associate Sports Marketing Manager Advertising & Sales Promotion, AC Delco, Fred Simmonds, Drag Racing Marketing Manager for General Motors and Bryan Pierce, of Virginia Motorsports Park.
"I am pleased to announce the largest event sponsorship program in IHRA history," said Polburn. "It is the first time these two world recognized companies have gotten involved in a major way with IHRA. The AC Delco Nationals, presented by Chevrolet, gives IHRA the opportunity to reach new fans in one of the fastest growing areas of the United States."
"AC Delco is excited about teaming up with the IHRA and Chevrolet at Virginia Motorsports Park," Novak said. "We've done a lot of research, that shows what works, and obviously this venue is aimed specifically at our target customers and that's why we are there."
Like AC Delco, Chevrolet plans to utilize the race to build relationships with dealers and vendors.
"Chevrolet Motor Division is proud to become the presenting sponsor of the IHRA AC Delco Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park," stated Simmonds, Drag Racing Marketing Manager for GM. "This sponsorship is noteworthy in that it reaffirms Chevrolet's ongoing relationship with Virginia Motorsports Park and launches a new relationship with the IHRA. AC Delco is a natural marketing partner for Chevrolet, and we're looking forward to a great drag racing event where we can host our local Chevrolet and AC Delco dealers and personnel."
GM brands have enjoyed a strong relationship with Virginia Motorsports Park as the "Official Vehicle" of VMP for the past six years. Earlier this year, Virginia Motorsports Park, located in Dinwiddie, Va., south of Richmond, switched sanctioning from NHRA to IHRA
"Virginia Motorsports Park is pleased and proud to have AC Delco and Chevrolet as part of the first IHRA national event in Virginia," said Paul Coleman, General Partner, Virginia Motorsports Park. "Switching sanctioning bodies was a major change for our facility and the drag racing industry. We're honored AC Delco and Chevrolet have chosen to continue their long-standing relationship with VMP and begin a new one with IHRA."
Headquartered in Norwalk, Ohio, IHRA is the fastest growing motorsports sanctioning
body in the United States. IHRA-sanctioned professional, sportsman and bracket
racing provides competition opportunities for drivers at all levels, developing
future stars through the IHRA Summit Drag Racing Series, Holley Sportsman
Championship, Super Summit Series and Briggs & Stratton Junior Dragster Series.


text:
So, I got married on Saturday!! It was the best day of my life, followed by the best extended weekend on my life. Denver is the most beautiful place on earth, and I'm forever glad that I was so adamant about getting married on a mountain at sunset.
I am so blessed that my heart hurts.
I have promised the world a post on how to keep a wedding under a thousand dollars*, but for now, I'm just going to show off a couple of my favorite photos so far, and answer the questions everyone's dying to know:
No, I don't really feel "married," just like you didn't really feel "18" or "21." Yes, I was way more nervous on my wedding day than I expected to be. Yes, we're still in Denver. And yes, the sex is great! (We both blog about sex and porn, so yes, I know that's your only real question.)
2. What Makes Sex Great, And What Doesn't
3. What I Didn't Expect About Marriage
4. 10 Things He Did Right (& What Makes Men So Valuable)
5. You Decide! (Ask a question/suggest a topic in the comments!)


text:
For the exact same reasons as stated by Ugo I would also vote +10. However, I would like to see the definition be written in terms of -10 first, and then some explanation to rationalize the +10. arkin > Ugo Corda wrote: > >> +10. >> >> The open ended nature of SOAP and WSDL bindings should provide plenty >> of flexibility for alternatives other than the classical WSDL binding >> to SOAP over HTTP. >> >> I also think that, using Mike's words, "there is not much difference >> between the +5 and the +10 positions, because SOAP 1.2 and WSDL 1.2 >> are rich and extensible enough to encompass things like RESTful and >> Semantic Web applications". In fact, SOAP 1.2 Web Method feature >> supports a RESTful model, and the WSD group is discussing how to >> integrate RDF in WSDL 1.2 as we speak. >> >> At this point in time, I believe any decision of extending WSA's >> foundations beyond SOAP and WSDL would create confusion in the >> industry and undermine the main reason for Web services existence, >> i.e. interoperability. >> >> If at a certain point in the future it became evident that the >> industry needed something more than SOAP and WSDL as WS foundation, I >> would certainly be happy to contemplate a new version of WSA that >> took that into account. >> >> Ugo >> >> >> >>> -----Original Message----- From: Champion, Mike >>> [mailto:email@example.com] Sent: Sunday, June 01, >>> 2003 9:04 AM To: firstname.lastname@example.com Subject: Counting noses on "is >>> SOAP and/or WSDL intrinsic to the definitio n of Web service" >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Chris said (and Ugo +1'd) >>> >>> >>>> And, for the record, I am still very much opposed to any effort to >>>> generalize "Web service" for purposes of this >>> >>> >>> architecture document >>> >>>> that does not have SOAP and WSDL at its core. IMO, >>> >>> >>> interoperability is why >>> >>>> we are doing Web services in the first place, and you cannot >>>> achieve interop if there are thirty one flavors of Web service >>> >>> >>> technology stacks. >>> >>> >>> Since we're proposing text for section 1.5 of the document, and >>> we're doing triage on issues to see how close we are to consensus, >>> let's see where we stand on this one. I'd appreciate hearing from >>> everyone who cares about this (and if you want to debate someone >>> else's position, please change the subject line). >>> >>> Heres's what I would consider to be the range of plausible opinions: >>> (the ordering of some of the options is a bit arbitrary, >>> but try to get into the spirit of the thing here ...) >>> >>> -10 Neither are necessary; if two machines can agree on how to >>> provide/consume services over the Web, they are doing "Web >>> services." >>> >>> -5 Neither are necessary, but XML is. It's XML that provides the >>> secret sauce that allows machines to communicate in a >>> standards-based but loosely coupled way over the Web >>> >>> 0 SOAP or WSDL is necessary, it depends on the details of the >>> application >>> >>> +1 WSDL is necessary, but not SOAP >>> >>> +2 SOAP is necessary, but not WSDL >>> >>> +5 Both are necessary "conceptually" but not literally. >>> >>> +10 Both are necessary, at least as far as the scope of the WSA >>> document is concerned. >>> >>> "Mu" [1] would also be an acceptable vote; that would indicate your >>> sense that this scale is meaningless, or orthogonal to your >>> conception of what is important. I would imagine that Mark B. >>> would be in the "mu" position, but I could be wrong :-) >>> >>> A few scenarios that might help: >>> >>> Would something like photos.yahoo.com be a "web service" if they >>> documented their URLs and POST formats well enough for programmers >>> to use the service? Such a service would allow one to use HTTP POST >>> to put images in a gallery and then, depending on the query >>> parameters in the URI, get them back in difference sizes, formats, >>> orientations, etc. If you think this is a Web service, I think >>> you would vote -10. >>> >>> Would something like photos.yahoo.com that only worked with SVG >>> images and used XQuery (extended with operations to store data as >>> well as query it) be a "Web service?" If so, would would probably >>> vote -5 >>> >>> Would the "photos" service sketched out above be a Web service if >>> they .... >>> >>> - Published either a SOAP or a WSDL interface description? Vote 0 - >>> Published a WSDL description of how to access the service (with >>> or without SOAP)? Vote +1 - Defined a SOAP interface and documented >>> it with example code? Vote +2 - Published a DAML-S description (or >>> some other formal language description) of both the data formats >>> and protocols needed to access the service? Vote +5 - Defined a >>> SOAP interface *and* published a WSDL description of the interface? >>> Vote +10 >>> >>> >>> [1]"mu means 'no thing'. Like 'quality' it points outside the >>> process of dualistic discrimination. mu simply says, 'no class; not >>> one, not zero, not yes, not no'. It states that the context of the >>> question is such that a yes or no answer is in error and should not >>> be given. 'Unask the question' is what it says." - Robert M. Pirsig >>> from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. >>> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0553277472 >>> >>> >> >> -- "Those who can, do; those who can't, make screenshots" ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Assaf Arkin firstname.lastname@example.com Intalio Inc. www.intalio.com The Business Process Management Company (650) 577 4700 This message is intended only for the use of the Addressee and may contain information that is PRIVILEGED and CONFIDENTIAL. If you are not the intended recipient, dissemination of this communication is prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please erase all copies of the message and its attachments and notify us immediately.Received on Monday, 2 June 2003 14:07:37 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Friday, 17 January 2020 23:05:52 UTC


text:
Financial Services Act 2012
- Type of Bill:
- Government Bill
- Sponsors:
- Mr George Osborne
HM Treasury
- Lord Sassoon
HM Treasury
Progress of the Bill
Bill started in the House of Commons
- House of Commons
- House of Lords
- Royal Assent
Last event
- Royal Assent 19 December, 2012 | 19.12.2012
Act of Parliament
|Bill 101 2012-13 (as ordered by the House of Commons) | PDF version, 317KB
Latest news on the Financial Services Act 2012
Following agreement by both Houses on the text of the Bill it received Royal Assent on 19 December. The Bill is now an Act of Parliament (law).
Summary of the Financial Services Act 2012A Bill To amend the Bank of England Act 1998, the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and the Banking Act 2009; to make other provision about financial services and markets; to make provision about the exercise of certain statutory functions relating to building societies, friendly societies and other mutual societies; to amend section 785 of the Companies Act 2006; to make provision enabling the Director of Savings to provide services to other public bodies; and for connected purposes.
Stay up to date
Keep up to date with the progress of Bills going through Parliament. Sign up for email alerts or use our RSS feeds.
Related information
Guide to the passage of a Bill
Find out what happens at each stage of a Public Bill's journey through Parliament with the Passage of a Bill guide.
When does a Bill become law?
Explanation of what happens after Bills have been passed, and when laws may change.


text:
hair inspiration
A collection of hair inspiration, all found here.
Other Stories
7 comments:
So lovely. I have been growing my hair out for what seems like ages! Can't wait for it to be as long as the first photo.ReplyDelete
Yep, I would love to rock any and all of those 'dos. Must pin now!ReplyDelete
Gorgeous!! all of them are absolutely stunning :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 22, 2011
oh i love the super long hair! My hair is pretty curly and i had been growing it out since high school. About a year ago i let my sister chop it all off and while i have really enjoyed having short sassy (and easy) hair.... i miss my long locks terribly. here's to another 8 years of growing it out ,lolReplyDelete
Beautiful! I love the design of this post.ReplyDelete
Love all of them except for maybe the first one...I think I'd get tangled up in that hair!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 28, 2011
Such pretty hair, I love the last twoReplyDelete
Thank you for your comments, I love hearing from you!
Questions, comments or sponsorship inquires, please contact me via the 'contact' link.


text:
Reduced Stress - torque limiter reduces drive-train stress
A novel way to handle the drive-train stresses in wind turbines during grid faults is to use the new Zero-Max torque limiter. The multi-operational device can release the entire drive train from mechanical stress during the faults. This cost-effective hardware, available for wind turbines up to 3MW, is self-adjusting and no maintenance is required.
Several grid connection requirements for wind turbines exist in Denmark, the UK, Germany and Ireland. They are under harmonisation in EU. A fault can appear anywhere, from thetransformer's medium-voltage terminals out to the point of connection, even in the transmission grid. In such an event, a wind turbine must, on most occasions, stay connected throughout the duration of the fault.
A fault in a local network or a transmission grid will be cleared by protective circuit breakers in less than a second. After that, the grid voltage will increase, again within a few seconds, back up to normal level. During this period, transient torque pressures can be imposed on the drive train. The Zero-Max torque limiter has been approved and performed better than expected in full-scale tests, says the company. It is designed for 750kW, 900kW, 1.0MW, 1.3MW, 1.5MW and 2.0MW. Each model has protection levels that can be adjusted as necessary. www.zero-max.dk
Precision wind rotors - projector guides manual cutting process
To guarantee the highest product quality, maximum precision is needed when placing glass-fibre mats, pre-impregnated fibres and carbon decal components in wind rotors, which are usually assembled manually. The Z-Laser Projector shows an image of the contour inside the mould, helping workers place blade components accurately and more quickly than when using templates.
The laser projector guides workers through the manual lay-up process and, according to the company, can increase productivity by up to 30%. The working process is not only optimised but controlled and logged. The software works with common 3D-CAD programs, and databases are available. www.z-laser.com
Balancing benefits. Keep the wind rotor in check
Operations and maintenance employees were considered when the Balancing Box was created. This is a plug-and-use vibration measuring system that will check wind turbines for rotor imbalance. It has been developed by Berlin Wind, a company that provides dynamic rotor balancing and blade-angle measurements. It also allows detection of the causes of accelerated wear or damage to components, identification of problems before major damage is done, and prevention of costly repairs and downtime.
Click image for digital magazine
The Balancing Box is used in combination with the company's Balancing Test and Balancing Viewer software, which take the user step by step through the measuring process, showing the results and providing an assessment of the vibration level.
The results, which can be assessed onsite, are based on vibration limit values and specific measurement conditions for each type and configuration of wind turbine. Measurement results may be documented automatically and can stored in Berlin Wind's balancing database. www.berlinwind.com
Competitive towers for tall turbinesRuukki has set out to design competitive towers for tall turbines, and has developed a new lattice structure, which the company claims is a cost-effective alternative for tower heights of more than 100 metres.
As wind velocity increases with height, higher turbines are more efficient and able to benefit more easily from inland wind conditions. Ruukki, which supplies pre-fabricated tower plates and other metal-based components to the construction industry, will use a patented design from its collaborator Seeba Technik for its new lattice tower design. It expects that this product will help to meet a growing demand for the taller structures. www.ruukki.com
Dynamic software to simulate turbine operation
Aprogram from MSC Software gives users a single tool for creating an all-in-one model of a whole wind turbine that supports custom levels of detail. Adwimo, the user-friendly and scalable software, provides the complete design process of a turbine. From the conceptual design phase, a simplified turbine can be expanded to include more complex components, such as gears and bearings, and swap from rigid to flexible bodies — all on screen.
Adwimo plugs in to the widely used Adams multi-body dynamics software program, and provides all the features needed to assemble a turbine and to simulate single or multiple wind farms. It includes tower, blades, hub, mainframe, gearbox housing, bearings, transmission, controls (generator, pitch, yaw), aerodynamic and centrifugal forces, coriolis acceleration, gyroscopic moments, point loads, gravity, thermal loads, and wave loads from third parties.www.mscsoftware.com
Maintenance-free coupling for high-speed wind turbine shafts.
A new coupling for the high-speed shaft on wind turbines is being produced by Geislinger, a company that specialises in torsional vibration. The Compowind is a new integrated slip coupling with a unique modular design that can be easily adapted to suit different installation situations.
The coupling is made from high-tech composite materials, making it lightweight and durable. It is a tailor-made solution for wind turbine applications between gearbox and generator, and the company claims that these durable materials ensure that the components maintain their properties for the lifetime of the product.
The Compowind coupling ensures low reaction forces and minimises bearing load, helping to increase system availability. Resistance to ageing and factors like heat, cold and oil is an added benefit.
The classic Geislinger Coupling uses steel leaf springs and hydrodynamic damping, providing elasticity and damping to the drive train and reducing peak torques. www.geislinger.com
Producing high torque capacityThese gearboxes are quite different from the standard conventional planetary designs, says Czech manufacturer Wikov. The company uses flexible pins in all of its gearboxes and multi-planetary epicyclic trains, mostly in a differential arrangement that splits the torque transmission, significantly increasing torque capacity while reducing size and weight. There is equal load distribution across the tooth face and among the planet wheels, which compensates for deflections caused by enormous rotor loads. This, says Wikov, produces outstanding reliability and long service life.
The company produces generator drive gearboxes for wind turbines of 1.5MW, 2MW, 3MW, 3.6MW and 5MW for onshore and offshore use, and supplies the largest 5MW offshore wind turbines with a rotor diameter of over 140 metres.
The 5MW gearbox is very compact, weighing only 57 tonnes, while facing an input torque of over 5,000kNm. Wikov also produces a variable gear ratio system that enables standard synchronous generators to operate at constant speed. This simplifies the drive train and reduces the need for power electronics. www.wikov.com
Low-power ground based radar detection
Until an aircraft is detected, the warning lights of the OCAS audio visual warning system remains passive. And only if the aircraft is known to be tracking an unsafe route does the system light up the nighttime sky. OCAS operates in the US, Canada and Norway already, and claims to be the only obstacle-marking system approved by the International Dark Sky Association.
New offshore jack-up platform
The biggest barrier to offshore wind growth, some experts claim, is the shortage of capacity to install turbines at sea. A new jack-up platform, Thor, built by Hochtief Construction, will equip the company more widely for the task of developing and building new offshore wind farms.
Thor is one of the largest jack-up platforms for the installation of wind turbines at sea. Its 82-metre-long legs allow it to work in depths of up to 50 metres. The permanently installed 500-tonne crane is designed for safe and efficient working, and its rapid lifting speed makes it more comfortable in rough seas.
Environmental edge to this high-tech solution
Repair Versus Replace is a new service from Dex, a supply-chain solutions provider for high-tech industries. The company's unique engineering solutions, together with its world-class repair services, form the backbone of this new initiative.
As the name suggests, this new service emphasises repairing defective turbine components rather than purchasing replacements. With teams of skilled electrical and mechanical engineers, Dex uses reliable, repeatable tests to develop and document repairs for a growing range of wind turbines.
Dex aims to provide customers with quick, efficient and competitively priced repairs for electronic and electromechanical turbine components, to maximise output while saving customers up to 70% in replacement costs. It also offers quick turnaround times, averaging seven to ten days.
"The cost of repair is approximately one-third of buying new," says Duncan Kellet of ScottishPower Renewables, Dex's biggest wind power client, which now keeps a contingency stock of repaired units to be swapped out if necessary. "This makes us less reliant on the original equipment manufacturer to have parts transported to site," Kellet says.
To ensure highest quality standards and reliable repairs, all Dex locations maintain rigorous international standards. www.dex.com
Extending an old idea to aid major construction
To improve the reliability of multi-megawatt turbines, engineering firm Timken has created a series of massive, tapered roller bearings based on those invented by the company in 1898.
The fundamental engineering of the Ultrawind series is similar to the original, with the addition of integrated seals, lubrication and condition monitoring to enable it to operate in a turbine high on a wind tower in extreme conditions.
These new bearings provide a simplified drive train for main-shaft wind turbine designs — both geared and gearless. The bearing raceway profiles are designed to control maximum stress levels for enhanced durability. www.timken.com
Protect and restore surface metal structures
To prevent wear and tear in gearboxes and bearings of wind turbines, German technology company Rewitec has developed a technologically advanced coating that restores worn surface metal structures and permanently protects them from abrasion, even under extreme conditions.
Rewitec Nanocoating can offer protection for engines, gearboxes, compressors and bearings.
The technology is not based on modification of the oil film, but on modification of the surface texture of frictional metal parts and the creation of a new, smooth metal-silicate coating.
The soft silicate particles remove dirt from rubbing metal surfaces and react with the metal to form a smooth protective layer on the surface. Metal no longer rubs on metal, but between two metal-silicate surfaces with low friction and improved friction-related properties, increasing the lifetime of the parts.
The coating reduces fuel, lubricant and energy consumption. And the low cost means that if a wind turbine's life is prolonged by six days, the product costs are paid, says the company. Furthermore, a targeted exchange and maintenance of the gearbox and bearings is also possible. www.rewitec.com


text:
No Dante Exum in 2013-14? College Hoops Won't Suffer Too MuchPosted by Chris Johnson on August 29th, 2013
Chris Johnson is an RTC Columnist. He can be reached @ChrisDJohnsonn.
In the immediate aftermath of the Miami Heat's thrilling seven-game victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, college and professional basketball fans alike directed their focus not at the player draft looming one week ahead, but at the 2014 draft – the one expected to be populated by the most talented recruiting class, featuring one of the most talented players, of the past decade. Speculation of various teams "tanking" was abundant and widespread. General managers assumed futuristic, pick-stacking, salary-shedding free agency strategies. "Wig-out for [Andrew] Wiggins" entered the lexicon. Everyone wanted to get in on the talent bounty waiting in the 2014 draft lottery. Rightfully so. By now, the biggest prospects basically roll off the tongue as a reflex: Kansas' Wiggins, Kentucky's Julius Randle, Duke's Jabari Parker, Arizona's Aaron Gordon, among others. But there's one name you might not be quite as familiar with. That name is Dante Exum, an Australian-born 6'6″, 188-pound slasher who had scouts swooning after stealing the show at the FIBA U-19 World Championships in the Czech Republic this summer (along with a standout performance at the Nike Hoop Summit), where he averaged 18 points per game, just under four assists, and dropped 33 points against a formidable team from Spain.
The NBA Draft chatter intensified, and Exum's lottery bona fides soon hardened into a national scouting consensus, leaving little doubt he would join Wiggins and Randle and the like in upper reaches of the first round next June. Earlier this summer, ESPN.com draft insider Chad Ford ranked Exum third on his list of "Top 100 Draft Prospects" for 2014. The only lingering question about Exum, who is on track to finish his high school course work in October, making him eligible to enroll in any American university at the end of the fall semester, was whether he would bring his hyperbolically mythologized land-down-under skills to the Division I ranks for a few months before entering the draft. ESPN's Jeff Goodman answered that question on Tuesday:
"Schools have been saying I can start in early December and play this season," Exum told ESPN. "But if college is the option, I'll stay in Australia, do workouts with the national team and then go to college next August. Playing this season in college is not an option."


text:
Life Stage Gift Planner™
Learn which type of gift may be appropriate at your life stage.
Learn which type of gift may be appropriate at your life stage.
Discover the gifts made most frequently by other donors.
Learn more about gift options that will help you meet your goals.
See how others have benefited from supporting DAV.
Disabled veterans have sacrificed so much for our great nation. Through gift planning, you can carefully structure a donation that will help DAV to make a lasting difference in their lives. Whether you are making an outright gift or planning for the future, your donation can generously serve disabled veterans while possibly helping you further your financial goals.