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For unions, not a fatal verdict
The conservative majority on the Supreme Court on Monday signaled its distaste for state laws requiring public-sector workers to pay union dues — but stopped short of sweeping them away, handing organized labor a partial victory in a contentious case.
By a 5-4 vote, the justices ruled in Harris v. Quinn that home health care workers in Illinois cannot be compelled to financially support a union they don't wish to join. Illinois is one of 26 states that require public-sector workers — such as firefighters, police officers and teachers — to pay partial dues, often known as "agency fees," to the unions that negotiate their contracts and represent them in grievances, even if the employees find the union's advocacy work distasteful.
Story Continued Below
Union leaders had feared that the justices might strike down those state laws as unconstitutional. The justices did not go that far. They issued a more narrow ruling that the home health care workers at issue in the case are not "full-fledged public employees" because they are hired and fired by individual patients and work in private homes, though they are paid in part by the state, via Medicaid.
( Also on POLITICO: SCOTUS ignites birth control, Obamacare fight)
Because they're not truly state employees, the justices decided these workers did not have to pay union dues.
Even the fairly narrow ruling is a blow to the Service Employees International Union, the American Federation of Teachers and other unions that have organized hundreds of thousands of home health workers in states including Illinois, California and Connecticut. Those workers can now decide whether they want to support the union financially.
Labor leaders regard workers who don't pay the fees as freeloaders, since they benefit from the union's work negotiating contracts but don't pay their fair share to cover the expenses.
( Also on POLITICO: Hill Dems plot response to Hobby Lobby)
"My gut reaction [to the ruling] was defiance," said Mary Kay Henry, president of the SEIU, which counts about 400,000 home health workers among its members. "Today we are more determined than ever to stay united."
Other labor leaders, including AFT President Randi Weingarten, pledged to redouble their efforts to organize workers.
And the White House vowed to back them up. Years of tension over issues ranging from education policy to health care regulations to the Keystone XL pipeline have pinched relations between President Barack Obama and the unions that twice helped him win elections. But his press secretary made clear there was no divide on the fundamental questions raised by the Supreme Court case.
The union arrangement the court struck down in Illinois was crucial to improving health workers' pay, benefits, training and safety, Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. He called the ruling a disappointment and said it would "make it significantly harder for these dedicated employees to get a fair shake in exchange for their hard work."
( Also on POLITICO: Dems: Ruling could boost '14 hopes)
Earnest added, for good measure: "The administration remains committed to defending collective bargaining rights."
Legal analysts said the court spared unions a devastating blow — but warned that organized labor isn't out of the woods yet. Far from it.
Indeed, in writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito sharply criticized a 1977 precedent, known as Abood, that granted states the right to compel union dues. Alito called that ruling "questionable" and "anomalous," all but inviting a further challenge in the future. He was joined in his opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia and Anthony Kennedy.
Alito cited a "bedrock principle that, except perhaps in the rarest of circumstances, no person in this country may be compelled to subsidize speech by a third party that he or she does not wish to support."
Such language suggests the conservative majority may be ready to overturn Abood and free all public-sector workers from compulsory dues. (The court has previously held that workers can't be forced to subsidize unions' political activism, just the portion of the dues that covers the costs of negotiation and representation.)
"In the short run, the decision is fairly limited," said Mark Neuberger, an attorney focusing in labor law at the firm Foley & Lardner. "However, what should have every union officer grabbing for a bottle of antacids is the thought process revealed by the majority of the justices in the decision today. They view compulsory union membership as a restraint of free speech."
On the other hand, the case before the court offered a clear opportunity for justices to abolish mandatory fees for once and for all — "and they didn't do it," said Benjamin Sachs, a law professor at Harvard University.


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Sometimes you just have to show the world how it's done. Greenfreeze is Greenpeace's market proven, environmentally friendly, refrigeration technology. The SolarChill project aims to create a stand-alone solar powered refrigerator that not only preserves food, but also meets the World Health Organization's standards for vaccine storage.
Greenfreeze and Solar Chill on display at the Earth Summit in Johannesburg, Setpember 2002.
When the dramatic discovery of the ozone hole in 1986 forced the banning of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the refrigeration industry switched to hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HCFC¹s are also ozone depleting substances but less so than CFCs. Meanwhile, both HCFCs and HFCs are potent greenhouse gasses. It was an environmental case of "out of the frying pan and into the fire".
To highlight the madness of switching from disastrous to very bad, and to show that it is possible to do it right, Greenpeace initiated the development of an environmentally friendly domestic refrigerator. We call this technology Greenfreeze, and it avoids the use of HCFCs and HFCs.
Once the Greenfreeze technology was developed it had to be marketed. To convince a sceptical industry that there is wide spread consumer appeal for an environmentally friendly refrigerator, our supporters pre-ordered nearly 100,000 of them. The rest is history.
Greenfreeze uses hydrocarbons as the blowing agent for the insulation foam and for the refrigerant. Hydrocarbons are completely ozone friendly, and used in refrigeration have minimal global warming impact.
Hydrocarbon technology is not dependent on patented foaming agents and refrigerants. The operating costs are lower, and the maintenance is easier than with HCFC or HFC technology.
Greenfreeze revolutionized the refrigeration industry. Today there are over 150 million Greenfreeze refrigerators in the world, produced by all the major European, Chinese, Japanese and Indian manufacturers. Major European companies, including Bosch/Siemens, Electrolux, Liebherr, Miele, Quelle, Vestfrost, Whirlpool, Bauknecht, Foron, and AEG are marketing Greenfreeze. It is now available in most major markets, with the exception of North America. Big industry users, most notably Coca Cola, McDonald's and Unilever are also switching over to HFC free technologies.
In short, Greenfreeze is a triumph of "can do" over "can't be done", and an encouraging demonstration that there are workable solutions to climate change.
SolarChill will bring the benefits of refrigeration to people living without reliable supplies of electricity.
The SolarChill project brings Greenpeace together with the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Environmental Program (UNEP), GTZ Proklima, the Danish Technological Institute (DTI) and Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH).
One of the primary uses of SolarChill will be vaccine storage. Vaccines need to be kept cold or they spoil - making vaccine distribution difficult in areas lacking electricity. One SolarChill unit can serve a population of 50,000 people for preserving vaccines. It will also be a valuable solution for food preservation, and for use in emergency relief where electrical supply has been disrupted by war or natural disaster.
The unique feature of SolarChill is that energy is stored in ice instead of batteries. An ice compartment keeps the cabinet at desired temperatures during the night. The key to the technology is the use of a direct current compressor instead of the standard alternating current compressor in normal refrigerators. This is the first ever application of a direct current hydrocarbon compressor in the world.
SolarChill is currently at the prototype field-testing stage. There are two models: a chest-type and an upright refrigerator. They are being field tested in Indonesia, Cuba and Senegal. These units meet the required specifications for vaccine refrigeration.
More than just another example of how smart use of technology can help with climate change, the SolarChill project demonstrates that social and environmental issues are often intertwined.
People in the developing world will suffer a lion's share of the effects of climate change, but play a much smaller role in causing it than industrialized countries. At the same time, they lack the standards in health and food security that people in industrialized countries take for granted.
However, the impacts of climate change, like the spread of infectious diseases, do not respect national boundaries. SolarChill brings practical solutions to health, environment and development issues, and it demonstrates that large international organizations can cooperate to meet overlapping challenges.
Discover more about Solar Chill at solarchill.org.
Wind Energy Solar Energy Geothermal Energy Efficiency

subset: commoncrawl


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Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to views.
Jul 26, 19 04:21 PM
Personality types test is a tool to screen employees for managerial or leadership positions, organizations can avoid a bad hire.
Jun 25, 19 06:01 AM
I discovered what type I am, and as I read deeper into that type, it told me things about myself.. This article was far too critical. My health practitioner
Apr 02, 19 01:31 PM
No way are loads of you getting 160+. Einstein's was 160 and mine is 145. Did you all do your tests on the same website? If so it must be REALLY inaccurate


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E-PARASITE Bill: 'The End Of The Internet As We Know It'
from the this-gets-worse-and-worse deptWe already wrote about the ridiculously bad E-PARASITE bill (the Enforcing and Protecting American Rights Against Sites Intent on Theft and Exploitation Act), but having now had a chance go to through the full bill a few more times, there are even more bad things in there that I missed on the first read-through. Now I understand why Rep. Zoe Lofgren's first reaction to this bill was to say that "this would mean the end of the Internet as we know it."
She's right. The more you look at the details, the more you realize how this bill is an astounding wishlist of everything that the legacy entertainment gatekeepers have wanted in the law for decades and were unable to get. It effectively dismantles the DMCA's safe harbors, what's left of the Sony Betamax decision, puts massive liability on tons of US-based websites, and will lead to widespread blocking of websites and services based solely on accusations of some infringement. It's hard to overstate just how bad this bill is.
And, while its mechanisms are similar to the way China's Great Firewall works (by putting liability on service providers if they fail to block sites), it's even worse than that. At least the Chinese Great Firewall is determined by government talking points. The E-PARASITE bill allows for a massive private right of action that effectively lets any copyright holder take action against sites they don't like. (Oh, and the bill is being called both the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and E-PARASITE (which covers the PROTECT IP-like parts of the bill, SOPA refers to the larger bill that also includes the felony streaming part).
Some of the key problems with the bill, beyond what we discussed yesterday:
- While supporters of the bill still continue to insist that this bill is only targeted at foreign infringers, that's false. Part of the bill focuses on foreign infringers -- the part that allows the Attorney General to kill websites. But the private right of action section has no such restriction. Instead, it allows copyright holders to effectively kill any site they'd like. You have to dig down into the details to see this, but let's pull out the key sections to see. The act, in section 104, defines sites that are "dedicated to the theft of US property" as including any "US-directed site" that:
is taking, or has taken deliberate actions to avoid confirming a high probability of the use of the U.S.-directed site to carry out acts that constitute a violation of section 501 or 1201 of title 17, United States Code;If that sounds massively confusing, you're right. But what it's saying, in the most twisted language possible, is that if it's probable that a site used in the US (note no restriction to just foreign sites here) can be used to infringe, and that site fails to take some sort of action against the "high probability" that the site can be used to infringe, then it can be declared dedicated to the theft of US property. This turns both the DMCA safe harbors and the Supreme Court's Sony Betamax ruling completely on their heads. In effect, it appears to be saying that if you choose not to self-police your site for infringement -- i.e., putting up filters, or proactively monitoring content for infringement -- you can be declared in violation of the law... at which point a court can order all ad networks and payment processors to automatically stop doing business with you.
Think of all the sites this could effect. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Tumblr, SoundCloud, Ebay, Flickr, Wikipedia, Craigslist, Wordpress -- basically any site that has any user-generated content. If they don't proactively filter or monitor their content, they could be at risk of a claim that they took "deliberate actions to avoid confirming a high probability" that their sites could be used to infringe... and thus they could be subject to an action by a private party that strips them of both ad revenue and the ability to process any payments.
Remember how Monster Cable -- massive supporters of this bill -- declared both Craigslist and eBay as being dedicated to infringement? Under this bill, a company like Monster could take action against those sites, putting a tremendous burden on them.
- The definitional problems don't stop there. Separate from the ridiculous definition above, this act would also declare a site "dedicated to theft of U.S. property," if it is "primarily designed" in a way that "engages in, enables, or facilitates" a violation of copyright law. Those last two points are ridiculously broad. "Enables" infringement? "Facilitates"? That's practically the entire internet. The primary design of YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. all "enable" or "facilitate" infringement.
- While some reporters claimed that the "private right of action" was taken out of this bill, or even "softened," nothing could be further from the truth. The details show that the private right of action is significantly worse in this bill. What changed is that in PROTECT IP, private copyright holders could go to court to force payment processors and ad networks to stop dealing with sites they accuse. Under E-PARASITE, before they go to court, they first have to send a notification, very similar to a DMCA takedown notice. But, of course, as we've seen with the DMCA, while it's "voluntary" to comply, if you don't comply you lose safe harbors -- so nearly everyone complies. That means this private right of action almost certainly will lead to ad networks and payment processors cutting off any site they receive a notification on -- no matter how legitimate. And, while the bill does allow for a counternotification process, unlike the DMCA, there is no requirement that the payment processors and ad networks restore service to anyone who files a counternotice, after a given period of time (absent a lawsuit). In other words: a copyright holder could issue a bogus claim that a site is dedicated to infringement, and the payment processor and ad network could pull the plug on the site... and even if a counternotice is filed, those services have no obligation to bring back service.
Again, using our Monster Cable example, it could force all payment processors to no longer allow payments on Craigslist or eBay, and even if those sites filed counternotices, the service providers would be under no obligation to turn those things back on. And just think of the massive, irreparable harm if legitimate sites lose both the ability to accept payments and to have ads for just a few days? And while there is liability for those who file false notices, as we've seen with the DMCA, such provisions are rarely, if ever, enforced -- and generally are interpreted to only apply in cases of extreme misrepresentation.
- As noted above, the private right of action establishes an astoundingly broad new standard for what's considered infringing. Beyond user-generated content sites, pretty much any cloud computing service can be deemed "dedicated to the theft of US property," if they choose not to filter and monitor the content being sent through the cloud. Any of the online locker services are in serious trouble if this bill becomes law. Amazon's and Google's music services would have to monitor your uploads and try to stop infringement to avoid liability. Box.net and Dropbox would likely have to monitor what files you're storing to avoid liability. It's honestly that insane.
- Supporters of the bill, beyond falsely claiming that it's just focused on foreign sites, are also claiming that this bill does not target such sites. An aide to the House Judiciary Committee, who supports the bill, claimed, "Sites that host user content -- like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter -- have nothing to be concerned about under this bill." But that's demonstrably false. Perhaps this aide is unaware that Viacom is still in the middle of a $1 billion lawsuit claiming that YouTube was dedicated to infringement. Under the definitions in this bill, YouTube would absolutely have been liable, and likely would have been shut down years ago. In fact, Viacom never would have had to sue. It would have just made use of the notification process, and kept any and all advertising and payment processing from the site... and voila, dead YouTube, without the benefit of a judge reviewing the case (and, need we remind the House Judiciary Committee, that so far the judge has sided with YouTube?).
- The bill would be red meat to any foreign government that censors its internet. China, Iran, Saudi Arabia are going to love this. The mechanisms for censorship are quite similar. Under E-PARASITE, service providers have to proactively block to prevent liability. China's Great Firewall works the exact same way: by threatening ISPs with liability if they don't block content harmful to Chinese citizens. Replace harmful to Chinese citizens with "a high probability" of being used for infringement... and you've got E-PARASITE.
- Another change between this bill and the Senate's PROTECT IP is that this bill calls out "search engines" more directly, rather than "information location tools," as in the Senate bill. While that may seem to be narrower, the definition of a search engine is ridiculously broad (of course).
The term ��Internet search engine�� means a service made available via the Internet that searches, crawls, categorizes, or indexes information or Web sites available elsewhere on the Internet and on the basis of a user query or selection that consists of terms, concepts, categories, questions, or other data returns to the user a means, such as a hyperlinked list of Uniform Resource Locators, of locating, viewing, or downloading such information or data available on the Internet relating to such query or selection.Under this definition, Techdirt could be declared a search engine under this law. After all, we take "questions" and queries from readers, and often return stories that link elsewhere on the internet. Yikes!
- As highlighted above, there are all sorts of definitional problems with the bill. And you can tell how insane things get with definitions when the authors of this bill even go so far as to define the word "including." I'm not joking:
INCLUDING.--The term "including" means including, but not limited to.This is the kind of mess we're dealing with.
Filed Under: censorship, copyright, dmca, e-parasites, internet, liability, protect ip, sopa


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New Multi Coat Red in Design Studio
New Multi Coat Red in Design Studio
It's a multi-coat paint so will definitely be different than the "original" sunset red. That's what I'm going with so will have to visit the stores once they have the paint chip in stock. Doesn't matter much to me as it's the only bright color available and I've had red on my last two cars (I'm becoming a creature of habit). Can't wait to "un-defer" and finalize my config. P1,491.
No way it's the Signature color! Signature owners would run amok if Tesla deprived them of one of their very few perks they got for paying the Signature surcharge.
Did you see the Sunset Red in person at some of the events? From the description others who have seen it had for it, I did not get the impression that it was "flat" (although it does look flat in some pictures, but pictures rarely do colors justice).
I'd be shocked if it were the Signature Red and don't expect it to be. Does look deeper than the Sunset Red that was at the Get Amped events, though. Happy about that.
Yay, finally the Red i was waiting for. Just in the nick of time too... I expect my Finalize email within the next two batches.
To me, the red in George's blog today looks the same as the Sunset Red. I wouldn't trust the hue in the design studio, since it's just CGI. It hasn't been accurate for any of the other colors.
P 9001 2013 RED, Pano, 19" wheels, Grey Leather, 85kWh, Tech Package, Active Air, Parcel Shelf.
Finalized this morning with the release of the new RED!
My Wife and I are both very excited.
Schlemiel. I concur. I believe if you order the multi coat red pictured in the DS, the Sunset Red from the Get Amped tour is what will be delivered to you.
Since Tesla supplied a picture of the red in the event gallery where they shot photos of all the colors in the same daylight, I can't imagine they have since changed it to another red.
Beautiful red. I predict big sales of that one.
I think this is the same red which Motor Trend used in their COYA. IMO beautiful!
Actually, when I look at the Tesla logo at the top of my screen, I see a gradation in color from the upper left to the lower right. Each of those extremes, to me, look like the Sunset Red and the Signature Red. Just saying.
So, for those who are receiving the Finalize emails now, does it mean if they select the new red and their production starts March, they could get their cars potentially earlier than the 10-14K Ps who are ahead of them with the other colors?
Trekker56 - I rather think it means that those who have already reserved and configured the new red, expecting it "this summer", won't have to wait as long.
Of course "this summer" really meant the summer of 2013.
ah - makes sense. I didn't realize new Red was available as a Finalize option sine it was not in the DS.
Trekker56 - you may be right that it was not available. I was just speculating, which usually gets me in trouble.
I disagree that the red in the design studio is the same as the Sunset Red that was at the Get Amped event. The Sunset Red did not look like a multi-coat paint process. Will just have to wait for the paint chip to arrive at the local store.
I have been wavering between green and brown as my choice of color. But that debate is now definitely to an end; it will be this New Red! Absolutely beautiful, at least it seems so in design studio. I wanted a red, but the sunset red is not metallic and that is a must for me. But can anyone tell me, is the multi-coat color actually metallic? Maybe a stupid question, but I have yet to see the Pearl White color in real life.
The red at the events was a flat red, not metallic in any way
I contend there is nothing "flat" about this: http://www.motortrend.com/oftheyear/car/1301_2013_motor_trend_car_of_the...
Doesn't need to be metallic.
JohnQ - It may be offerred with a different finish for 2013, but its the color that was referred to as Sunset Red. There were only two red paint chips...Signature and Sunset. Sig is on its way. Sunset is the new Red and its being offerred as a multi-coat. I think they both look great.
Has anyone confirmed what it takes to switch colors after a signed MVPA? I emailed an old rep but have yet to get a reply. I'm P#4605 and wouldn't mind delaying if I could switch to the new red. Or would it be better to walk into the store to confirm on the spot?
I would've loved to order my Model S in the new Red, but I'm already finalized (P5058/60 kWh) in Blue, but have not received it yet. Considering that the car hasn't actually been built yet, we should be able to get a last minute opportunity. Sigh. At least that's another $750 that won't go to Tesla. I'll enjoy my Blue Model S.
At some point TM must "lock in" the supplies pipeline for your car, and after that no (substantial) changes under the original MVPA are possible. I suspect you're beyond that point, but it depends on battery size, etc. Check. Quickly.
Good news for me. After a couple of emails yesterday and today to email@example.com, I received a call from Jason today to say that I'm not too late in the production line to be able to change my configuration (I'm P#4605)!
So I went ahead to change it to the Multi-coat Red, and also from 21" dark/grey wheels to the 21" silver wheels (I prefer silver wheels with the red). The caveat is that I'll probably have to wait around March or April 2013 for my delivery. I was fine with that since I really liked the red.
They are preparing my new paperwork now (email received to inform me of that).
I guess that takes me out of the sequencing so the rest may receive their cars a tiny tiny bit earlier!
Really? Are you sure?
I'm p5514 and was told by Walter that I can't change because it's too late - they are prioritizing my car, whatever that means
@kalel65 : Yes, I'm sure. Even my design studio webpage shows the change to the new red. Perhaps there was some delay for my configuration that allowed me to do this.
FWIW, my configuration is:
- Performance
- 85KWh battery
- 21" Silver Wheels
- Black interior
- Carbon Fiber spoiler & decor
- Pano roof
- Tech and Sound package
- Active Air Suspension
- Paint Armor
Performances appear to be delayed.
Yes he said that my delivery date would be extended so that and performane explains it.
The red looks very nice but I can't wait. I had chosen white
It's taking time to squeeze the extra HP in.
P5664 here
Currently on target for jan/feb.
Got an email I can go to new red , still get super charging for free, but need to wait to march/apr
I''m currently 60kwh, blue metallic, 19, pano, tech pack, air susp
Not sure which way to go, so impatient. If it was metallic red, I would have to suck it up and wait..
Grrr. Tough decision!
Shauk, I'm P1,491 and deferred specifically to get the red. I'd be getting my car in the next few weeks but instead in April. Painful to wait another 4 months but worth it to me.
P#9974 and definitely want the red. For those with delivery dates past March, would finalizing with red significantly change the delivery date (since it is after March anyway)?
My number is very close to yours and I just finalized with the red and the 60kwh battery. It says April/May delivery.
Now that Sig Red is flushed from the Paint Center nozzles, there should be little delay.
Don't think those Signature Red nozzles will be flushed till the 500 European Signatures are done.
Maybe they are done, tucked away in a corner till all is ready ...
Or the bodies could be painted, but set aside.
I was at the Tesla store today, and the red is not the same as the Signature red. It is the same red of the uniforms that the employees wear. So it's much lighter in color.
I saw the samples in the store, and they are definitely not a deep red like the Signature model.
p.s. I also did my test drive today, and it was awesome!
mibaro2 is it like the red tee shirt in the merchandise section? That's pretty bright red. 7
On Tesla's gallery page (http://www.teslamotors.com/gallery), there is a picture of this Red in the "10 colors - Fremont, CA" photos section.
A couple of user photos from teslamotorclub also show this red:
The red on the design studio page seems darker though - maybe my monitor/laptop isn't color-calibrated right.
The one I saw at the Get Amped test drive event in August matches these pictures. These are my personal pictures from the Get Amped event:
Are the teslamotorsclub the new Red or the Signature red?
do you have photos to compare?
IMO, definitely Sunset Red. The Sig Red is far deeper maroon.
thanks, Guess I will have to see it 'live'
vouteb: I got the attachments from this thread, which shows all the colors. These are all very well taken photos!
If I have time to stop by the Tesla Motors showroom and see the new red paint-chip, I'll try to take a photo of it and post it up here.
Thanks a lot
Is the 'traffic light' picture, SIG Red?
Pretty sure it's not. No maroon darkness in it.
Does anybody know if I order Performance 85 KW with air and all toys but new Red color, how far will I be pushed back in line?
@ylyubarsky, I completed paperwork on new Red on Wednesday and the estimated delivery was April/May. That's a non-performance 85kWh with Air and a few other thing that shouldn't have an impact on date. I'm P1,491 and deferred to get the red.


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Cliff Grassmick/Daily Camera
Where your deepest pain hides, there also lives your life's purpose.
That belief is what carried Aaron Huey deeper and deeper into darkness.
For the Boulder man, that darkness was drug and alcohol addiction. It was the pain of not having his biological father in his life, then learning his father had died from alcoholism and Huey's fear his nature would take him down the same road.
"I followed my wound," Huey says. "The thing that hurts the most is the thing we focus the most healing on, and that creates a path for your life. Your wound is your gift."
He refers to the quote by writer Joseph Campbell: "It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you stumble, there lies your treasure."
The abyss is what led Huey here — to a green, wooden house perched on a hillside up Olde Stage Road, off Lefthand Canyon outside Boulder. In the backyard: a wooden skate ramp, which teens built by hand, and a fire pit, where they will be holding an initiation ceremony on Sunday, Jan. 13, for the newest members of the Bear Tribe.
This is Fire Mountain, a residential facility for teens seeking sobriety.
The Bear Tribe has grown to about 800 members — all with a bear pendant necklace representing their affiliation and journey — since Huey and his wife, Chris Porta, founded this movement in 2004. In a way, the tribe is like a fraternity or, even, a gang; after all, the motto is "I've got your back." But tonight's initiation centers on sobriety, letting go of guilt, mistakes and heartache and forging a new chapter.
The Bear Tribe is about a new life.
The heavy metal cheerleader
This is Huey's new life, too.
"I was one of these kids, back in my day," says Huey, who grew up in Longmont. "That's my formal training: I have been there."
It started with the neighbor kid offering him marijuana when he was 12. By the time he finished college, he was a daily abuser of various drugs and alcohol. The abuse ran his life to the point that he lost his home, first wife and custody of their daughter.
He remembers the day, March 21, 1998, on the side of the road in Erie, when he put down the drugs for the final time and enrolled in a 12-step program.
Today, people call Huey part-warrior, part-poet, part-heavy metal cheerleader. He travels the world as a speaker and empowerment coach. He's known as the "bad boy of good."
His methods are out-of-the-box, but they have helped hundreds of youngsters. One ceremony culminates with a Tool song. Huey has a shaved head and visible tattoos. Today, he's dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans. He meets the teens where they are. Because he's been there himself. Huey is the founder and coach. Fire Mountain's staff includes therapists, but Huey is not one of them.
He tells the kids he loves them.
He aims to be authentic and honest, he says, because that's what he wants the kids to be. That's where the healing is, he says.
Letting things die
As a trained martial artist, Huey is a guy of rituals and ceremonies. In one Fire Mountain ceremony, teens privately write their darkest shames and pains on a piece of paper, crumple it up and set it on fire. Then they funnel the emotions connected with that event into a rock — and chuck it as far as they can into the pond. Finally, they listen to "The Grudge" by Tool.
Give away the stone.
Let the oceans take and
transmutate this cold and fated anchor.
Give away the stone.
Let the waters kiss and
transmutate these leaden grudges into gold.
The ceremony is about invoking your darkest shadows and focusing on them. And then getting them out of your system, Huey says. Doing it in a group is key.
"Everybody's got a rock to throw," he says.
Next, the teens look each other in the eyes and repeat, "I love you no matter what. I love you anyway."
It's a rite of passage, Huey says, to mark and validate the passage from childhood into functional adulthood, where your emotions still exist, but they do not control your life. A lesson in letting old things die and new things be born, he says.
For many of these teens, this is their last chance at a new life.
The Fire Mountain movement started as an inspiring summer camp for kids: warrior camps, superhero camps. But Huey soon realized how badly teens needed something uplifting in their lives, too. He expanded to offer empowering teen camps. But those camps weren't reaching everyone. Especially not the kids "who won't respond to the empowerment, because the hurt is too much." So he and his wife turned their former house into a co-ed, sober, residential home for those teens.
"More" was Huey's first word as a child, and he says it has shaped his entire life.
"There's more to do with these kids. There are more kids to help. There are more facilities to build. This is more love. There's always more," he says.
The capacity of the current home is small, at eight. Teens ages 12 to 17 live here for four to 14 months. Staff and various therapists stay on site 24/7.
The teens are here for help with drug and alcohol abuse, depression, bullying, physical abuse, anxiety, anger management, self-mutilation and family and school struggles.
Huey says every participant's story is the most amazing story he's ever heard; he could never pick just one. One 9-year-old boy who tried to commit suicide three times has now made it through high school and is looking at colleges.
Another boy named Caleb was brought to Fire Mountain by his mom two days after his 15th birthday. For two years, he had been struggling with drugs, breaking into cars and hanging out with the wrong crew. (They stole a bunch of stuff from his dad's house, including a gun, he says.)
"It just got worse and worse," he says.
After he got out of Fire Mountain, he fell into the destructive patterns again, he says. This time, he caught himself. He texted Huey and asked to come back. This time, he really wanted to quit. He, not his mom, initiated this visit.
If he hadn't made that call, instead of now packing for a wilderness trip, Caleb says, he'd probably be skipping school, getting high or maybe even in jail.
Maybe worse.
'The world needs this'
Today, a group of five teens sits around the wooden kitchen table doing an exercise in goal-setting. Dogs mill at their feet. After this, the teens will pack their backpacks for a weeklong wilderness trip. One week of every month, they go on some kind of excursion.
Fire Mountain combines a variety of different healing techniques, says Porta. In addition to wilderness therapy, Fire Mountain offers life skills, organization and time management, group counseling, individual counseling, equine therapy, family counseling, community building and volunteer work. The students exercise and do yoga at the Colorado Athletic Club every day, and they eat only organic, healthy food.
Fire Mountain tries to keep prices comparatively "low," at $6,000 a month. (Some facilities charge as much as $20,000 a month.) Fire Mountain offers scholarships, and the founders are serious deal-hunters — they were even featured on TLC's "Extreme Couponing" show a few months ago, thanks to Boulderite Julie Faatima, who helped them stock their pantry for eight teens and staff for two weeks for $150.
The teens have helped write Fire Mountain's 12-step program. The ultimate goal is for the Bear Tribe grads to run addiction recovery programs for other youth in town.
The premise: Trauma takes place in isolation. Healing takes place in community.
This afternoon's initiation ceremony is a start. It will be run by graduates. About 65 percent of Fire Mountain's graduates do well after leaving and many return to volunteer, Porta says. When they hit a rough patch, many, like Caleb, call the facility themselves seeking help.
"When the kids leave here, we want them to have a sober, healthy community to hang out with. If they go back to their old friends, that's where the temptation is," she says.
One boy who asked to be identified as Brian is back in school after nine months at Fire Mountain.
His parents enrolled him in the facility after what his mom calls their "groovy approach to parenting — trust that the kid will do the right thing" — just didn't work. Brian was screaming for limits. At age 15, he was in trouble with the law, smoking marijuana, cutting classes, failing school and unaware of how his behavior was crushing his family and endangering his life, his mom says.
His mom says Fire Mountain taught her how to set limits and enforce them — and to be confident in those limits, even when it feels wrong.
Today, Brian is more self-aware, she says.
"Formal school teaches you about facts and figures but very little about yourself," his mom says. "Now he can talk and think about developmental psychology, family dynamics, cause and effect in relationships."
Brian is not yet fully healed, she admits. He still chooses to sometimes learn things the hard way.
"But I hear him feeling sorry for his old friends who are now into much heavier drugs and dangerous behaviors," she says. "He would be like them now if he hadn't gone to Fire Mountain."
The world needs this, Aaron Huey says.
"The world needs people who will dig, and journey through hell with the teens and go to the worst, darkest places, and teach them how to shine their light there," he says. "And there's only one way to do that. You got to do it yourself. You got to confront your own demons."
As he sees it, this is not about being "better."
"It's about giving up the struggle to be different from who you are," he says. "Here, in this house, it's real. They don't have to fake it anymore. They can be hurt and pissed off and sad and lonely and depressed, and we will be with them. And then when they break free from it and they can be a champion of themselves and start taking their message of hope and success to other teenagers, we'll be with them, too."


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THURSDAY, Sept. 23, 2010 (HealthDay News) -- For people whose carotid arteries have become narrowed, restricting blood flow to the brain, having a surgical procedure to widen them reduces the risk of stroke over a 10-year period, British researchers report.
The carotid artery -- one on either side of the neck -- supplies blood carrying oxygen to the head, so a procedure to widen it helps restore blood flow to the brain. However, the operation, called a carotid endarterectomy, has about a 3 percent risk of causing an immediate stroke, the researchers cautioned.
For some elderly patients, this risk may outweigh any long-term benefit. But older, healthy patients will likely benefit from the procedure, the study authors noted.
However, Dr. Larry B. Goldstein, professor of neurology and director of the Duke Stroke Center at Duke University Medical Center, who was not involved in the study, suggested that the benefits might be smaller than they appeared in the study.
"Recent studies suggest that the rate of stroke in patients with [narrowed carotid arteries without symptoms] is lower than the rates found in this trial," he said. Although the study found the rate of stroke in patients without a carotid endarterectomy to be 1.8 percent a year over a 10-year period, Goldstein noted that "the rates are thought to be about 1 percent a year, but may be as low as around 0.5 percent a year."
The lower rates of stroke, he said, "are thought to be due to advances in medical treatment such as blood pressure control, antiplatelet drugs and more widespread use of statins."
The report is published in the Sept. 25 issue of The Lancet.
In the Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial, a research team led by Dr. Alison Halliday of the John Radcliffe Hospital, the University of Oxford, randomly assigned 3,120 patients with narrowed carotid arteries to surgery or to no surgery until their condition required it.
Some of the patients originally assigned to the "no surgery" group did undergo the operation during the study, the researchers noted.
A total of 1,979 operations were performed. Among these the risk of stroke within 30 days was 3 percent, including 26 minor and 34 disabling or fatal strokes, Halliday's team reported.
Over an average of five years of follow-up, 4.1 percent of those who underwent the procedure suffered a stroke, compared with 10 percent of those who did not have the operation.
At 10 years, 10.8 percent of those who had the operation had suffered a stroke, compared with 16.9 percent of those who were not operated on, the researchers found.
The study authors noted that both groups included patients receiving blood pressure-lowering and anti-clotting drugs.
In addition, over the years of the study, patients in both groups were also taking cholesterol-lowering drugs. Even these medications did not affect the benefit of the surgery, the researchers said.
The benefit of the operation was seen for people who had the surgery before they were 75, but not among patients older than that, Halliday's group found.
"This trial took more than 15 years to complete, because we wanted to know about the long-term effects of surgery," Halliday said in a statement.
"The finding that successful carotid artery surgery can substantially reduce the stroke risk for many years is remarkable, because it means that most of the risk of stroke over the next five years in patients with a narrowed carotid artery is caused by that single carotid lesion. The definite benefits that we have found will be of practical value to doctors and patients deciding in the future whether to take the immediate risk of having such surgery," she said.
Overall, the study found benefit of endarterectomy in selected patients, Goldstein said.
The rates of stroke were reduced from about 2.2 percent a year to 1.4 percent a year over five years and from 1.8 percent a year to 1.3 percent a year over 10 years, he said.
"Decisions regarding whether or not to perform the operation must consider the overall small, but significant, benefit found in the study, the possibility that the benefit may be further reduced with modern medical therapy, individual patient characteristics, the surgeons' experience and complication rates, and patient preferences," he added.
This modest reduction in risk and the number of patients needed to treat to prevent one stroke may not be enough to justify performing the surgery on most patients, Goldstein said.
"This means that 24 operations would need to be performed to prevent one stroke over five years, or 22 operations to prevent one stroke over 10 years. This includes a 3 percent risk [of stroke from] the operation," he said, adding that there was no reduction in total mortality.
In a comment published with the study, Pierre Amarenco of Bichat Hospital in Paris, France, and colleagues wrote: "... it should be investigated further why the net benefit is not significant in patients older than 75 years, to distinguish whether some older patients could still benefit. Until then, decision making for these patients can only be on the basis of medical judgment for individual patients with in-depth discussions with the patient."
More information
For more information on stroke, visit the U.S. National Library of Medicine.


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Our training event in Raleigh NC has the developer track in "Guaranteed to Run" status. It will include only 80294 Customization and Configuration in CRM 2011, 80444 Processes in CRM 2011 and 80295 Extending CRM 2011.
80295 and 80294 prepare you for certification exams that can build your credibility as a CRM 2011 consultant or developer or help Microsoft partner organizations with MPN requirements.
The event will now start on Friday October 19, 2012 and run though Thursday October 25th, excluding Sunday the 21st.
There are a few still seats available, so if you need this training, contact Diann Fresa at 919-459-5808 or firstname.lastname@example.com right away. She can get you pricing and process your registration. I will be travelling for the next few weeks, so she is the best person to speak with about the remaining seats. For more information, check it out here.
It will probably be six months before we run these classes in Raleigh again, so act quickly if you need the training!
We have cancelled the 80290-93 CRM Applications classes and the 80296 Installation and Configuring CRM 2011 classes from this event due to lack of registration for those classes. We regret any inconvenience this may cause.
Stephen V Noe, CRM Architect & Trainer


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|Volunteer Assistant Coach
Jim Ley is a local product, born and raised in Santa Barbara, he graduated from Santa Barbara High School and played varsity golf for the Dons.
Ley started his professional career in 1976 with Sam Randolph at La Cumbre Country Club. Following his stint at La Cumbre, he moved on to Ocean Meadows for five years, worked at Santa Barbara Golf Club for 12 years and he's now been at Twin Lakes for more than 25 years.
Ley is a very active player and competitor in the Southern Calif. area. He has played in the San Diego PGA Open, the CPC PGA Championship and the Senior CPC PGA Championship. Ley was the 1999 Player of the Year for the Northern Chapter PGA, and has won numerous chapter and section events. In 2006, he qualified for and participated in the U.S. Senior Open.
Ley's coaching interest began with the San Marcos High School boy's team. He was with the team when it won three CIF Section Titles and a pair of state titles. Ley's many attributes include unbridled enthusiasm and positivity.


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Falcons score 6 runs in fifth and seventh innings
By Chris Whitaker, The Americus Times-Recorder
MONTEVALLO, Ala. - The Montevallo Falcons exploded for six runs in the fifth and seventh innings to go on for a 17-4 win against Georgia Southwestern on Monday, taking 2 of 3 games in the teams' opening series.
The Falcons (2-1) finished with 14 hits while the Hurricanes (1-2) made three errors.
Francisco Gomez was 3-for-4 with a double on the day. GSW scored all four of its runs in the second inning. Noble Coley's two-run single to left field put GSW ahead 2-0, Jared Allen stole home and Chris Lingham's single gave the Hurricanes a 4-0 lead.
Montevallo trailed 4-3 when it used three hits, two errors and three free passes (walk, two hit batters) to take a 9-4 lead in the fifth. Then in the seventh, the Falcons scored six on four hits, an error and two more hit batters.
Tyler Daniel (0-1) took the loss, pitching an inning and allowing three runs on three hits. The Hurricanes used five pitchers, with Andrew Whiggum starting and going three-plus innings.
The Hurricanes split Sunday's games, opening with a 5-3 loss before taking the second game 5-1.
Lingham and Shane Doyle each had two RBI in Game 2, with Doyle's coming on a double in a three-run second inning.
Lingham led four Hurricanes with multiple hits with three, and he stole five bases; he finished with seven in the series.
Zach Whitman (1-0) pitched six innings allowing one run on five hits to get the win.
Zack Stanton gave GSW a 1-0 lead in the first on a RBI-single to left. After Montevallo scored in the third to cut the deficit to 4-1, Lingham's second RBI pushed the lead back to four runs in the fourth.
In the first game, Cody Adams hit a two-run homer in the fifth to give GSW a 3-2 lead, but Montevallo responded with two runs in the bottom half behind two GSW errors and a Cory Luckie sacrifice.
GSW had four errors in the game.
R.M. Cozza (0-1) pitched five innings, allowing four runs - two earned - in taking the loss.
The Hurricanes will host a four-game series starting Friday against West Alabama.


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Anatomy and Cell Biology
School of Medicine > Anatomy and Cell Biology > Faculty > Katherine S. Fields, PhD
Katherine Swenson Fields, PhD
Research Associate Professor
Ph.D.: University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Postdoctoral training: Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, Harvard Medical School
Previous positions: Assistant Research Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology and Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical School
Publications: Click here
The long-standing focus of my research has been centered on the molecular pathways that regulate cell cycle progression, migration and proliferation in proliferative diseases. Our current studies, which are carried out in collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. Tim Fields, are directed toward understanding the cellular and molecular processes within the renal environment that influence polycystic kidney disease (PKD) progression. PKD is a common, potentially life-threatening genetic disease that is characterized by fluid-filled cysts that develop within the kidneys and grow steadily over decades, leading to both massive enlargement and gross distortion of this organ. Cysts arise and expand due to the abnormal proliferation and fluid secretion of the epithelial cells that line the tubules of the kidney. Expansion of renal cysts in PKD causes compressive injury to the surrounding non-cystic tissues, inducing an inflammatory response that includes the infiltration of lymphocytes and macrophages1. While genetic mutations in the cilia-associated PKD1 or PKD2 genes are primarily responsible for the onset of most examples of PKD, there is accruing evidence that the renal injury due to cyst initiation/expansion and the resultant inflammatory processes that occur in this disease accelerate its progression.
Our lab is interested in the role of the renal inflammatory environment, with a particular focus on macrophages, in PKD progression. Macrophages normally infiltrate tissues in response to infection or injury where they act first to sterilize the environment. Subsequently, they secrete factors that promote repair, cell proliferation and regeneration of damaged tissues. Following tissue repair, further infiltration of these cells no longer occurs, and their numbers decline to that found in the pre-injured state. In PKD kidneys from both humans and mice we have found large numbers of infiltrated renal macrophages and, using a mouse model of PKD, have shown that the presence of these cells contributes to cyst expansion and functional renal decline. In further experiments, we found that macrophages promote the proliferation of PKD cyst cells when co-cultured in vitro, and that these pro-proliferative effects are mediated by soluble factor(s). In addition, we have found that the presence of renal tubule epithelial cells can "program" the macrophages to assume this pro-proliferative phenotype in vitro2. Collectively, these studies suggest that macrophage infiltration persists in PKD, and, while their transient presence in non-PKD kidneys forms an important part of the normal physiologic response to injury, their continued presence in PKD is specifically pathologic, promoting cyst cell proliferation and expansion.
Ongoing projects in the lab are focused on 1) identification of the specific macrophage factors and downstream signaling pathways that promote PKD cyst cell proliferation; 2) elucidation of the mechanism by which renal epithelial cells program the pro-proliferative macrophage phenotype; and 3) identification of the specific factors that mediate renal macrophage recruitment in PKD. To carry out these studies, we employ both in vitro cell culture systems using primary human cells, as well as whole-animal, genetically-altered strains of mice that model PKD. This research is expected to facilitate the achievement of our broader goals, which are to develop therapeutic agents to be used in the clinic that block deleterious macrophage processes in PKD, and, thus, are expected to slow progression of this disease.
Recent Publications
- Grantham JJ, Mulamalla S, Swenson-Fields KI. Why kidneys fail in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Nat Rev Nephrol. 7:556-566, 2011. PMID: 21862990
- Swenson-Fields KI, Vivian CJ , Salah SM, Peda JD, Davis BM, van Rooijen N, Wallace DP, Fields TA. Macrophages promote polycystic kidney disease progression. Kidney Int. 2013 Feb 20. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 23423256
Lab Members
Timothy Fiels, MD, PhD
Co Principal Investigator
Department of Pathology
Sally Salah, MS
Graduate Student
Jaqueline Peda
Department of Pathology
Graduate Student
Mentor: Tim Fields, MD, PhD
Tyler Stephenson
Research Assistant
Brad Davis
Summer Undergraduate


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The latest fashionable political game of the reactionary right is the secessionist movement, whose various proponents claim there is a constitutional and/or moral right of states to secede. The constitutional claim would be plausible if there were no preamble to the Constitution stating: "We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union ..."
Notice the first three words are "We the people," not "We the representatives of the various states."
Notice also the reference to the United States, not a collection of separate and allied states. Much of the impetus for creating one united nation was the general disarray of commerce that resulted from each state having the power to create its own currency. A similar phenomenon would arise with state militias forming the armed forces of this country. I wonder how the U.S. would have fared during World Wars I and II with 48 separate armies.
There is a common belief that because the state of Texas was an independent republic between 1836 and 1845, it retains a right to secede. There is no historical basis for this myth. The vote by legislators of the Republic of Texas to join the United States in 1845 was 55-1. There was no provision made for a right to secede afterward.
The alleged right of states to nullify federal laws was addressed and rejected in Article Six of the Constitution. If secessionists want to legitimately allow for the prospect of secession, they must succeed in obtaining an amendment to the Constitution. It is sometimes alleged there is a moral right for a state to secede. In the 1850s, there were numerous abolitionists who believed this. I can understand why they maintained that belief. Modern-day secessionists, nearly all of the right-wing variety, like to pretend their moral stature is similar to the old abolitionists. This fraud is easily detected because of frequent references to, and approval of, the old Confederacy.
(Syndicated) Columnist Walter Williams has declared that secession for southerners, before the Civil War, was a path to freedom. That's plausible, if you ignore the fact that prior to the outbreak of the Civil War, about four million of the South's nine million inhabitants were slaves. The vast majority had dark complexions. Apparently to Williams, they were not, therefore, worthy of being counted - which is to say not worthy of consideration.
Allen Finegold


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Bend it Like Beckham
Let's call it the Gordon Beckham factor.
I think all of us would agree that if the White Sox's No. 1 draft pick from 2008 can recapture the kind of offensive production and excitement he generated in his rookie season, our Sox would have a lot better chance to contend in the A.L. Central.
Gordo reminded us of what he can do with a 3 for 4 effort with this first homer of the season and two RBIs in last night's 7-2 Sox win over the Indians.
After the past two seasons, which saw Beckham hit .252 and and .230, respectively, with disappointing power numbers–9 HR and 49 RBI in 2010 and 10, 44 in 2011–it's been hard to remember that he came on the scene in '09 with 14 homers, 63 RBIs and a .270 batting average in his first 103 games.
By far his best offensive game in a long time (he has already proven to be one of the best defensive second basemen around). Beckham has given hope that he's turned the corner. One game doesn't make a season, but it's something to build on.
In 2009, Beckham was named the A.L. Rookie of the Year in two different polls. It was then that he was pegged as our next big star and the new, fresh face of the franchise. But life intervened and something happened, whether it was in his head or a flaw in his swing.
Maybe it's wishful thinking to look at this performance against the Tribe and think Beckham will now return to elite status. But I, for one, choose to believe it.
Time will tell.


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Climate and Energy Program
Worldwatch Institute's Climate and Energy Program is dedicated to achieving a transformation of the global energy system in order to stabilize the climate and increase energy security.
Strong scientific evidence indicates that global greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2020 and be more than halved by 2050 to avoid catastrophic climate change. Worldwatch's Energy and Climate Change Program aims to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy based on sustainable use of renewable energy sources in concert with major energy-efficiency gains, sustainable agricultural practices, and low-emissions transportation.
Although many argue that such a transition will be expensive and difficult, Worldwatch research shows that it would create vast economic opportunities, spur innovation and job creation, and assist efforts to reduce poverty while providing a more resilient and sustainable global economic system. Worldwatch works to inform decision makers about the potential for a low-carbon future and to develop and communicate policies and strategies that can best achieve that goal.
Follow Re-Volt and subscribe to Vital Signs Online for the latest from Worldwatch's climate and energy research.
Low-Carbon Development Strategies – Providing nations with policy advice and research on the potential and deployment of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and transportation, in order to support achievement of low-carbon development goals
Natural Gas and Sustainable Energy Initiative – Investigating the latest natural gas sources and extraction technologies, their environmental impact, and their potential to reduce greenhouse gases and enable widespread adoption of renewables
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Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Status Reports – Providing an integrated picture of the global renewable energy and energy efficiency situations, including reports for the IPCC, REEEP, and REN 21
Climate and Energy Security 2.0 – Researching the security implications of a transition of the international energy, industrial, and transportation systems toward green technologies
Agriculture, Health, and Climate Change – Supporting agricultural innovations that nourish people and support rural livelihoods while also protecting soils and water supplies and helping communities cope with a changing climate
China Program – Helping decision makers in China and around the globe better understand the country's environmental challenges and opportunities, including in the areas of renewable energy and energy efficiency
India Climate Initiative – Tracking key developments in India while assisting today's leaders make the decisions of tomorrow
New Economy Council – Connecting green industry players and sustainability champions with policymakers and experts from Europe and the United States
Re-Volt – Cutting edge commentary on international climate and energy policy and updates on the work of Worldwatch's climate and energy team
Alexander Ochs, Director, Climate and Energy Program
International climate negotiations; domestic climate and energy policies of the United States, Europe, and major emerging countries; economic, social, and security effects of low-carbon strategies
Christopher Flavin, President Emeritus
Building a low-carbon economy; peak oil; global climate change
Robert Engelman, President
Climate change and population; gender issues
Alice Jaspersen, Vital Signs Online Director and Research Associate
Biofuels; coal; renewable energy and energy efficiency; energy policy
Saya Kitasei, MAP Sustainable Energy Fellow, 2009–10
Haibing Ma, China Program Manager
Climate change and clean energy policies, sectoral analysis, electronic waste management
Michael Renner, Senior Researcher
Green economy; transportation; global security
Janet L. Sawin, Senior Fellow
Renewable energy and climate change mitigation; renewables policy and global trends; global climate change
Sam Shrank, MAP Sustainable Energy Fellow, 2010-2011
Damandeep Singh, India Program Manager
Heidi VanGenderen, Senior Energy Advisor (natural gas)
Natural gas; sub-federal climate and energy policy
Recent Publications
Renewable Revolution: Low-Carbon Energy by 2030
Mitigating Climate Change Through Food and Land Use
Red, White, and Green: Transforming U.S. Biofuels
State of the World 2009: Into a Warming World
Renewables 2007 Global Status Report and 2009 update [PDF]
Powering China's Development: The Role of Renewable Energy
Biofuels for Transport: Global Potential and Implications for Sustainable Agriculture and Energy in the 21st Century
American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security
Climate Change Reference Guide
Additional Resources
Vital Signs Online - Energy and Transportation Trends
American Clean Skies Foundation
Casten Family Foundation
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Germany
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Johannette Wallerstein Institute
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UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund
Winslow Foundation
To stay up-to-date on the latest Energy and Climate Program news and analysis, please sign up for one of our e-newsletters or subscribe to our RSS feed.


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Eye-catching design,
Quality HD display with ultra-high pixel density
Great camera with quick-launch mode, attractive design, nice software
Fantastic screen
Good HD video capture
Rugged IP67 certification
Good-looking design
Compact and robust smartphone
Good call quality
Excellent mounting bracket
Solid construction, Clear display
Fantastic screen and a two-day battery life
A stunning, metal design
Display with outstanding outdoor visibility
Solid build quality
Sleek, unique design
Fast camera with good photo and video quality
Feel sturdy and very well made
Premium finish, Very good display
Pinch of underwater and dust resistance
Sharp looking HD Reality Display
Terrible battery life
Solid build
Solid battery life
Takes good photos for its class
Terrible video recording
Good build quality
Pretty, solid design
Spacious screen, with high pixel density for its class
Powered with Bravia engine
Deep Xperia Facebook integration
ReviewGist helps you find the best products to buy by making sense of online reviews.
We are currently aggregating 376,500 reviews
covering over 29,474 products.
© 2019 ReviewGist.com. All Rights Reserved.


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General Packet Radio Services (GPRS) is a wireless data communication service that transfers data at a rate of up to 40-50Kbps, a similar access speed to a dial-up modem.
It permits continuous connection to the Internet for mobile phones and higher data rates allow for the use of multimedia applications such as web sites viewing on mobile handheld devices. Other features provided through the use of GPRS are e-mail, video streaming, multimedia messages and location-based services. GPRS is based on Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication, which runs at speeds of up to 9.6 kilobits, and is available on almost all GSM networks.
GPRS is an efficient way of sending and receiving small bursts of data, such as e-mail and web browsing, in addition to receiving large volumes of data.
EGPRS (Enhanced GPRS or EDGE) is an enhanced version of GPRS and uses a different type of technology. It allows GPRS transfers of approximately three times faster.
Capabilities Available With GPRS
- Connect to office or personal email accounts to get email as it arrives
- Browse the Internet on the mobile phone
- Synchronize cell phone and office calendar
- Download ringing tones, graphics, and games
- Play online games
- Send and receive Multimedia Message Service (MMS) messages
- Use mobile phone as a modem to connect a laptop to the Internet
- Use Java based applications that require a network connection
- Chat using instant messaging
- Transfer data up to three times faster with an EGPRS (Enhanced GPRS) phone
GPRS Classes
There are three GPRS classes which help indicate the capabilities of a mobile phone.
- Class A
Class A mobile phones can be connected to both GPRS and GSM services simultaneously.
- Class B
Class B mobile phones can be attached to both GPRS and GSM services, using one service at a time. Class B enables making or receiving a voice call, or sending/receiving an SMS during a GPRS connection.
- Class C
Class C mobile phones are attached to either GPRS or GSM voice service. One needs to switch manually between services.
Comparison of Technologies
The class of the device determines the speed at which GPRS can be used. The table below displays different types of technologies and their rates of transfer.
Uplink (Sending)
Downlink (Receiving)
14 kbps
28-64 kbps
9.6-14 kbps
9.6-14 kbps
56 kbps
56 kbps
|ISDN Standard
64 kbps
64 kbps
2 Mbps
2 Mbps


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Calxeda EnergyCore ARM low power processorPosted in arm, energy-efficiency, processor on November 4th, 2011 by FrankM – Comments Off
Calxeda delivers an energy-efficient ARM processor to the server on a chip market. HP will integrate the processor into its low power server platforms.
… "The EnergyCore ARM-based SoC launched today will power a completely new breed of servers.
Thanks to it's mobile phone heritage and patent-pending innovations from Calxeda, the new processor consumes less than one tenth the power of today's most energy efficient server processors and is ideal for workloads such as web serving, Big Data applications, scalable analytics such as Apache Hadoop, media streaming and mid-tier infrastructure such as caching and in-memory scalable databases." …


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A fable of Love and Life for New year by Suresh. Copyright Suresh 2012
It's New Year as usual, Town is beautifully glowing with lights as I take a midnight stroll, and there is something about New Year! People just feel something new is going happen & things are going to be better, old resolutions just for few days find new life.
As I pass the main street, bunch of young drunkards are over excited to wish everyone, On this same street and on similar nights I have been called by my skin color and by four letter words. But not today! Today It seems like world is a nicer place.
At this time of the year!! I love to take midnight walks nearby river bridge. Every New Year, this river and bridge suddenly becomes a Runaway Bride@!…Overflowing!, Giggling with sound, Lit up with light!! And with the noisy songs of the city, it's fantastic. I just stand by the bridge to savour the beauty of this town.
Tonight I see my friend Father John on the bridge, still in his pastor uniform under the leather jacket. He sees me and calls me out " Hey ugly dear one!!, Come over I have two glasses and wine bottle, I have been waiting for a beautiful lady! But looks like my luck isn't in my pocket! I have to settle for an ugly guy!" I smile as I know John for over 30 years! He loves to cut jokes at my expense! I tell him "John, You are ugly and no woman ever liked you! I heard this from reliable source!"
John looks at me and shouts loudly "my friend! You want wine or not! You can't bloody insult me and expect me to pour wine, do you?" I tell him "Sorry"
He asks me "Who is your reliable source?" and I let a big grin on my face and tell John" it's your Mom , John!" and John Laughs hysterically and says "if you want to know women, you have to stop talking to my Mom!"
We both laugh our bellies out! As we settle with our wine glass and find a nice little corner on bridge, John fills two glasses of wine!
Before I could pick up my glass and say cheers! John tells me "Slow my friend! Where is your prayer? In fact it's OK to go to Church and not pray! But drinking Wine and you don't pray? Oh! You are committing big sin , not the one easily forgiven!
I raise my eyebrows-in question mark and John tells me " Wine, WINE, Wine, my dear friend, Wine comes from same root as divine' and he goes on without waiting for me to respond.
"Wine is the most beautiful discovery of man, he failed to find God in every moment so he discovered wine! In wine man discovers and uncovers the root he has forgotten, that is Happiness is his core being!! Wine gives him eyes from which world looks beautiful, Infact this universe is always beautiful but you don't have eyes to see. Wine gives you eyes to see this world beautifully. Wine gives you a song to sing and wine gives you a dance to dance! And my friend that's how you live in this world! With a dance and a song…"
"……Wine gives you heart to laugh and stay light, suddenly you have no other moment important more than now, because you can't have any other moment when you are drunk. Drunkards move slowly not because they are drunk, because that's how you should be in first place, Slow and full of awareness."
"….My friend, Wine is a reminder to you that Life can be better, Wine is a taste of what divine tastes like!. Infact if you can be drunk with divine! Then you found your life!"
"…Wine is an every moment reminder that you need to find Divine! Be careful my friend! Please drink both wine and life carefully, take every sip of life with awareness and with prayerfulness. Do not insult wine by drinking wine with out smelling aroma. You can smell it if you know your breathing! Just be aware of breathing then you can smell the aroma of Divine and Life everywhere!"
"…..I am still holding my glass while John looks at his glass and tells me one final time before drinking "My friend on this New year, I wish you wine and Divine! May every moment of your life be as new as a sip of this wine! May you smell every moment with your breath, may you get drunkard with Divine rest of your life,, Hic hic hip hip hurray!"
I lift my glass too but slowly and say "Happy New year John! I wish you wine and Divine!"
_ End of the fable


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Obama's next campaign: His library
President Barack Obama's next campaign is about to begin.
Even though his second inauguration is still weeks away, the work of his presidential library starts soon: Libraries take years of planning and decisions by the president and his inner circle, from choosing a location, to picking achievements to highlight. It's a chance for Obama to begin shaping his legacy, and has in the past been an increasingly large priority during presidents' second terms.
Story Continued Below
( Also on POLITICO:President Obama: Historian-in-chief)
But it requires the kind of personal fundraising that Obama clearly dislikes, full of potential pitfalls that led his predecessors into trouble.
Add more complications for Obama: He'll have to decide whether to build the library in his birthplace of Hawaii or his adopted hometown of Chicago and possibly raise funds for a presence in both. Even for one, he could need to raise close to $500 million. Though much of the work will be done by a circle of close friends who will begin mobilizing in the coming months — including one longtime friend of the first lady already starting to make way for the library to be associated with the University of Chicago — much of the fundraising is going to come down to Obama himself.
"It's like a third-term contribution," said Skip Rutherford, a longtime friend of Bill Clinton who was involved in the planning for the library in Little Rock. "These are the friends and associates and supporters of a particular president, and they all want attention from him."
( Also on POLITICO: President Obama's 2nd-term history lessons)
Clinton's library cost $165 million and George W. Bush has brought in more than $300 million for his library, due to open next year. But Obama will need to raise even more since Congress has hiked endowment requirements for future libraries to at least 60 percent of the cost of construction.
( PHOTOS: 2012 White House Christmas decorations)
Presidential libraries are constructed and endowed with private funds, before being handed over to the National Archives. Federal employees staff the facilities, which include archives, museums and presidents' final resting places. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first president to oversee a library being built, and putting one together has become an assumed part of serving in the White House.
Now it's Obama's turn — and that starts with fundraising, lots of it, even after a year's worth of promises that he was done. His pledge that this was his last time asking for money became such a familiar part of his speeches that at one July event in New York, a Wall Street veteran interrupted with a joke.
"So you're not going to call us for the library?" the donor said.
"Somebody else will make that call," Obama shot back.
But with big donors being pressed for large checks, based on past library efforts, Obama will have to make calls, host visits and otherwise accommodate the people giving him hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. Donors will inevitably demand it.
Obama can't be disconnected from the process.


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I am VERY disappointed. I've have been using this book and the Institute manual together to go through the Book of Mormon. For the most part, it's like reading the same book with a few exceptions.
I'm not sure how the authors get away it. Don't waste your money. Just use the Institute manual. This book literally adds very little more to your BoM study.
I am so moved by what I learned in just the first few pages.I have been inactive for 30 years and started studying the Old Testament but was hesitant to return to the Book of Momon .I read how Nephi 's name is a representation of his nature "Goodly and that his name Nephi is derived from an ancient Egyptian word NFR. An adjective that means good. I instantly knew in a moment Joseph Smith woldl not have know something of that nature in those times. Old Testament names are descriptive of the person and from the moment on I knew I was going to learn more than I EVER thought.
Thank you for all the work put into this book. It will touch many lives.
I just received my copy of THE BOOK OF MORMON STUDY GUIDE and find that it is difficult to put down. Having studied Institute of Religion manuals and Gospel Doctrine manuals in the past... I am finding that this new book is far superior with so much more data from LDS scholars and teachers and the writings of the General Authorities. It definitely is the best study guide I have yet encountered.
As others have mentioned, this book is a wonderful companion while studying the Book of Mormon. Filled to overflowing with quotes from both the Brethren and scholarly works and study guides, The Book of Mormon Study Guide has enhanced my understanding of this sacred work. I love the Book of Mormon, and have studied it extensively for many years, yet there were many insights in the study guide that helped me consider sacred truths in new ways. Highly recommended.
I can only vouch for the ebook version with the added content. Earlier reviews stating that there was no table of contents page are now out of date. With this revised version you can easily navigate to any chapter in the book. So far I've found this book to be the best study guide available. There is so much insight into even the introduction of the Book of Mormon. For example. 1 Nephi 1:1 alone has almost 2 pages of information on the meaning of the world goodly in context and the origin/ meaning of Nephi's name in relation to it. It also contains graphs, images, maps, you name it. As a recent convert and soon-to-be missionary. I can't praise this book highly enough for how easy it brings many sources together and provides background information, context, historical records and the words of the prophets together in an easily digestible format. Thank you!
The content is of exceptional quality and volume.
It is easy to locate books chapters and verses for reference using the table of contents.
The hyperlinks work to direct you to any referenced book that is included in your library.
The things that I have seen as negative reviews have been fixed in this e-book volume. Thank you.
I recommend this book to anybody with an iPad, because you will need to screen size.
I very much enjoy the ease of study using this as a supplement to my personal studies along side the BYU-I Pathways studies.
Best Book of Mormon study guide available! Period.
Although it contains the most comprehensive, and thorough commentary, currently available, it is presented in a way that allows its contents to be easily and effortlessly absorbed; not only this but its easy to understand language, layout, and structure, make it a true pleasure to read/study, and quite addictive I might add ;) Although it is ripe and chock-full of new material, it also incorporates a comprehensive collaboration of inspired material from church leaders, religious scholars, church manuals, and other commentary books, making it the most complete and comprehensive Book of Mormon commentary currently available!
The eBook contains a lot more material than the paperback, making it a clear winner in my opinion. As far as I can tell, all of the issues concerning the eBook version have been fully resolved in this current updated edition; including the hyperlinks and incorporation of individual chapter hyperlinks; it's amazing!
Indeed, if you are looking to either rekindle your enthusiasm for the BofM, or simply desirous to increase your depth of understanding thereof, there is simply no better, or more valuable, study guide currently available than this masterpiece. I LOVE IT!
Great very useful content but a terrible interface!
This make the information you are looking for very hard to find with much scrolling. It needs an index, both for content and for chapters and verses. If it had this it would be a great source but as it is you can't even use it in Sunday School during the lesson.
I ended up studying just 17 pages for 3 hours and still I am studying!! I have learned so MUCH! I encourage everyone to buy this book!!!
I received a copy of this for Christmas and love it. I purchased a second for my wife because we can't share. When I discovered that there was additional content on the DB electronic edition, I purchased that as well. I guess what I am saying is that I think I'm personally responsible for this book being #1 on the DB best seller list. The commentary is different from anything you would get anywhere else and I'm impressed with the questions and the charts inserted throughout the book. Well done!
This Book could not have come out at a better time. My ward is piloting the new curriculum, and I am the youth Sunday school teacher. I was a little unsure about what resources would best complement my lesson preparations, but this book has made lesson planning a cakewalk! It is so helpful! The more I use it, the more I fall in love with it!
It also makes the perfect supplement for family scripture study in a family filled with teenagers. We started with the book, and now I just purchased the e-book too.
This study guide has been quite useful for me and my family. We have been using it every morning for the past several weeks. My seminary age teens have been captivated by the resources. They seem to actually be listening! It has quotes and references from General Authorities that I have never read before. I would highly recommend it for a serious scholar/ for any LDS family.
I expected just another Book of Mormon commentary with so-called scholars giving a few good insights here and there. However, I was overwhelmed with the thoughtful selection by the editors of prophetic commentary, Church magazines and material, and only the highest respected scholarly commentaries. It pulled so many resources together it was like having dozens of commentaries all packed into one book!
In addition, the eBook allowed me to go deeper where I wanted and contained even more commentary that the print version.
The day I received this book I'm not quite sure what I was expecting and gave a hurried and unfair review. I want to admit I was not only wrong but I was very wrong. The more I use this volume the more impressed I am. I didn't realize how each verse or verses were tied into one another and in a sense create a book that could be read alone without cross-reference. But I am knocking one star off due to I still think it unfair that those whom purchased the ebook have access to many more quotes than we who payed out thirty dollars, they should still give us a link to read and review these other comments.
This is the most comprehensive Book of Mormon study guide available. Instead of telling you what certain verses mean, like those guide mentioned by other reviewers, this book provides evidence through scripture and prophetic quotes. It is a great companion book to use for personal study and a perfect aid for use during Gospel Doctrine and class discussion.
What I found most interesting was the eBook Version. This is the most comprehensive eBook that Deseret Book has released to date. The eBook includes an astounding 600 additional pages of material over the paper copy. When I read the scriptures on my iPad or iPhone, I find it extremely convenient to be able to quickly switch from scripture study to the eBook to read the commentary.
I purchased this book because the sales description sounded like it would be a great, comprehensive aid for the Book of Mormon study this year. The book itself was quite disappointing, the cover was very thin and the text paper inside is a very poor quality. I was reading from the Book or Mormon today to try out this new volume. Out of five verses I looked up only two were covered. One was not even mentioned. I was under the impression that this was a verse by verse study guide but most verses are limped together in groups of four or more. I was very disappointed on one verse I was having trouble with so I found it and it was just questions, no help at all, I already had my question, I wanted answers.
But what bothered me the most and I think it is not good business is that they have all these little dots after verses and you can see much more information from the ebook version. I view this as in very poor taste and a way to force the reader to purchase the ebook so one can read all the quote. For $30.00 I think they could give the purchaser some type of link to read all the material that the product description alludes to being all complete in the paperback. I would have saved $20.00 and bought the ebook instead if I had know this. The book has some very nice features but I think I was gipped by almost false advertising.
I LOVE David Ridges Book of Mormon Made Easier series. It's available in eBook, paperback, and a deluxe version with photos. If you've never purchased a study guide it's the perfect one start with. I have also read the Verse by Verse series as well. The Book of Mormon Verse by Verse is lacking in my opinion and I haven't picked it up in a long time, it's my least favorite study guide of the 3.
That being said, I enjoyed this study guide. It's completely different in what it has to offer from the Ridges books. The Q&A format is easy to read and thought provoking. It's a great resource if you are studying to teach Gospel Doctrine, the questions can be used to encourage class discussion.
OK if you've never purchased another Book of Mormon study guide. But, I also have a copy of "Verse by Verse: Book of Mormon". This study guide has the same feel and seems to use the same references and examples of the previous book. I think both books leave the "student" wanting more. I much prefer the David Ridges series "The Book of Mormon Made Easier". You get the same references and much more including many opportunities to be introspective by asking the right question. I hope the David Ridges series is converted to an ebook. And when it does, my suggestion would be to keep the scripture verses in one column and the commentary in a second column. That way, I can move freely back and forth between the two in a real "study" mode. To make it even better, allow me to insert some of my own favorite talks, quotes and scriptures into the ebook.


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Al Neuharth: An innovator who stayed the course
His penchant for ambitious moves and his zeal for life were to be admired.
Al Neuharth was a pirate. And I mean that as a compliment.
Neuharth's impactful and flamboyant career offers two important lessons for executives and entrepreneurs in today's volatile, exciting media landscape.
Lesson One: Innovate. Think big and think bold.
STORY, VIDEO: USA TODAY founder Al Neuharth dies at 89
Lesson Two: Stay the course. Don't worry about the slings and arrows from critics steeped in the conventional wisdom.
Realize that a new venture, particularly a non-traditional one, does not guarantee overnight success. If you're confident that you're on the right track, absorb some money-losing seasons and keep going.
Neuharth's big innovation was the one you are reading, USA TODAY. It was a revolutionary idea back in 1982, a new national newspaper (who knew there was a market for one?) with lots of graphics and short stories and a hokey tone.
The sophisticated critics pummeled it mercilessly (and I pretty much agreed with them). Neuharth didn't care. The paper, in fairness, has evolved quite a bit over the years, pretty much in a good way. But its endurance is a monument to Neuharth's vision. And, ironically, it had a huge impact on many newspapers, even some run by its detractors.
(Full disclosure: I now write a weekly column on the media for USA TODAY in addition to American Journalism Review. For what it's worth, I wrote a column in AJR expressing similar views on the occasion of USA TODAY's 25th anniversary in 2007.)
I wasn't an unmitigated fan. Neuharth's "never a down quarter" insistence on ever-rising profits at Gannett's newspapers was good for business. For journalism, not so much.
But I did admire his penchant for ambitious moves and his zeal for life.
The last time I saw him was in December 2011. Neuharth's longtime close associate Charles Overby was stepping down as head of two of Al's other creations, the Freedom Forum and the Newseum. There was, Freedom Forum-style, a mega-event at the Newseum to celebrate Overby.
I was with a friend who had worked for quite a while at the Freedom Forum. Once the lengthy festivities were over, as we were leaving, she suggested we duck into The Source, the Wolfgang Puck restaurant next to the Newseum, to see if any of her former colleagues were still around.
And there was Neuharth, well into his 80s, late in the evening, resplendent in a red sport jacket (who else but Neuharth could get away with a red sport jacket?), Grand Marnier in hand, holding court.
Rieder is editor and senior vice president of American Journalism Review.


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Ruffles Crispy Fries Potato Strips Offer a New Take on Potato Chips
Ruffles has added a twist to one of America's most popular side dishes. Ruffles Crispy Fries Potato Strips, which debuted just in time for National French Fry Day on July 13, are the first french fry-shaped snacks sliced from real potatoes. The new product brings to life the french fry experience -- from the shape, to the taste, to the crunchy texture and even to the packaging. They can even be microwaved for a straight-from-the-diner flavor.
While numerous reports suggest french fries originated in Belgium during World War I, this finger food has become one of the most popular and iconic in modern America. Ruffles' newest snack adds a unique spin on the long and celebrated history of the french fry. It comes in two varieties, Original and Cheese.


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This action is now closed. Thanks to everyone who submitted a photo!
If you want to do more for the Arctic, ask Barack Obama to withdraw Shell's Arctic drilling permits.
EYES ON THE ARCTIC: We need your help to create a unique art piece at the North Pole
This April, a team of young explorers, activists and storytellers will launch an expedition to the North Pole to declare this region protected for those who live there and all life on Earth.
We'd like to invite you to join us on this epic journey by getting involved in the largest participatory art project in the world: INSIDE OUT . We are working with the Inside Out project, launched by the artist JR, to create an extraordinary image made up of your faces, to take with us on the expedition.
All we need is your portrait and we'll do the rest...
Photo instructions: Photograph yourself, or get someone to photograph you, in front of a plain white background. Look up and think about the magic and mystery of the far North. Portraits must be of your face, no additional body parts. No pets or disguises.
Only one person per portrait, and each one must be submitted with that person's contact details.
Inside Out is a large-scale participatory art project that transforms messages of personal identity into pieces of artistic work. Everyone is challenged to use black and white photographic portraits to discover, reveal and share the untold stories and images of people around the world. It is a creation of the artist JR, recipient of the 2011 TED Prize (watch JR's TED talk here).