text:
Apple Pie Smoothies? The New Food Truck You've Got To Try
Whether you're adding a little bit of it to a sweet fruit or a savory recipe, grandma's cottage cheese is more often something-on-the-side than a main feature. Despite its nutritional benefits, cottage cheese has never been quite as sexy as its goat, Brie, and Parmigiano-Reggiano counterparts. Until now.
Today marks the launch of Friendship Dairies' Fit To Go Mobile Mixer, which will be touring New York City until June 4, spreading the word that cottage cheese can be an exciting and healthy addition to your daily routine. And we're hopping on board.
Find the truck using Facebook or Twitter and get your own free sample of 1% low fat, 1% low fat pineapple, or 4% regular cottage cheese. Add the Instant Wasabi or Granola Glee mix-ins for added flavor and crunch. Or try a new creation developed by master of healthy comfort food – yes, it's possible! – Rocco DiSpirito. DiSpirito's Friendship Apple Pie Smoothie is a delicious and nutritious shake with, you guessed it, 1% low fat cottage cheese.
Free. Healthy. Delicious. Cheese. What more could you ask for?
Photo: Courtesy of Friendship Dairies.
More from New York
Trend Takeout
The Forget-The-Minidress Guide To Summer Style
Just because you aren't wearing "short-shorts" doesn't mean your dress qualifies as office-and-everywhere appropriate. In fact, a short dress can be more ...
Annie Georgia Greenberg
Jun 17, 2016
Food & Drinks
14 NYC Foodies To Follow On Instagram
In a city of never-ending menus and food trends, it can be hard to figure out the next best brunch spot, lunchtime haunt, or recipe to master. However, all those hours you spend sifting through the world of Instagram can actually result in more than just ogling of some serious #foodporn. In fact, it may be the best way to ...
Ilana Kaplan
Jul 13, 2016


text:
RabbitMQ: Messaging that Just Works (Part 2)
Join the DZone community and get the full member experience.Join For Free
Learn more about Kotlin, a new programming language designed to solve problems that software developers face every day brought to you in partnership with JetBrains.
The Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) is an application layer protocol for messaging. This talk introduces RabbitMQ, its prominent multi-lingual open-source implementation.
Emile Joubert, RabbitMQ engineer, will look at the relevance of Erlang/OTP as an implementation platform, the benefits of a messaging system and common messaging patterns. Some important features in recent releases will be discussed with examples. Join us to find out how RabbitMQ can help to scale your application, whether it's on a device, the web, in the data centre or the cloud.
The Java Zone is brought to you in partnership with JetBrains. Discover how powerful static code analysis and ergonomic design make development not only productive but also an enjoyable experience.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
UnderCover & Razors & Smith Accessories
Designed to perfectly complement Remz frames comes the Ground Control Wheels. These 57mm/90A wheels are made from a super high rebound PU that makes them extremely fast, grippy and long lasting. These Ground Control wheels feature a Black Urethane an... Read More
{boxId:"compare8eb44356070018b9de90aa7264", id:"435814P"}
Reg. $89.99
Fashion meets function with a healthy dose of finesse. The mastermind features crisp, smart styling with strategically located performance details that make this model action ready. Hydrophilic Megol Nose and Temple Pads will make sure that the Master... Read More
{boxId:"compareb1ff65c46e3b5330d5efaaad9a", id:"316030P"}
Ground Control has been popular for years. These 59mm wheels will make them great for both the street and park shredding. ... Read More
{boxId:"compareb03ad35cd0e1ad1ca666a54d4d", id:"435815P"}
Perfect for the street and the skate park comes the Razors Ground Control 80mm/88A Wheels. These wheels are high quality as is Ground Control tradition. ... Read More
{boxId:"compare76d266081a3a96319f1a4d0ad1", id:"435816P"}
The Smith Lowdown Polarized Sunglasses offer a classic style with performance to match. Featuring a medium fit and medium coverage, the Lowdown is all style but has enough coverage from its carbonic lens to block those harmful rays from the sun from do... Read More
{boxId:"compare7d6e35ff0498aad4f366434568", id:"386516P"}
A scaled down version of Smith's successful Serpico comes the Serpico Slim Polarized Sunglasses. These shades are identical in form and function to the original Serpico. These shades were slimmed down to accommodate smaller faces. With its polarized l... Read More
{boxId:"compare849794163b6a5ff208e38e3b57", id:"270714P"}
The Smith Cheetah Polar Sunglasses are a stylish and fun option that are based on a late 1980's design but updated with the features to keep you protected. Head outdoors wearing the Cheetah and you'll find that you have great coverage behind polarized... Read More
{boxId:"compare82a6a6c3e5b6cd74822ee8085b", id:"386512P"}
Featuring a clean, round style and built for performance and fashion, the Smith Clayton Polar Sunglasses are a great get for those who want to make a statement when they're outdoors and under the sun. You'll have medium coverage with this durable Evol... Read More
{boxId:"compareea499236164af9fc8b00bd084a", id:"386349P"}
Reg. $119.00
The Serpico is the sunglass industry's first Toric aviator. Utilizing Tapered Lens Technology and advanced Carbonic material lenses, The Serpico combines high fashion with excellence in optical clarity. A 9x3 Tortic Carbonic TLT Lens is combined with o... Read More
{boxId:"compare9ab4f83bb902d17987842d3fff", id:"134105P"}
Give yourself stylish and glamorous protection with the Smith Shorewood ChromaPop Sunglasses. These shades have a medium fit with a large coverage to fit a variety of face shapes and sizes. The bold frame with broad temples provides you with tremendo... Read More
{boxId:"compareb504144403d73d4f2f9715f4ad", id:"336693P"}
The Smith Colette Polar Sunglasses boast a curved brow and sharp corners to help show off the style that you want to portray. Beyond the dazzling looks are features that keep your eyes protected from the sun and give you the ability to see everything ... Read More
{boxId:"compare71c60234bcaec80d121175b457", id:"386351P"}
The Smith Dockside ChromaPop Sunglasses give you a ton of features to help maximize your performance whether you're on the court playing basketball or just kicking back in the backyard. The Dockside was created for lots of coverage and offers an Out-o... Read More
{boxId:"compare78766ac1cb3ac24a8fd9789f20", id:"386525P"}
With a distinguished and classic shape the Smith Dolen ChromaPop Sunglasses will have you looking stylish. These shades also features refined details that make them perfect for outdoor adventures, extended road trips and urban exploration. The Chroma... Read More
{boxId:"compare0213b21b37834c5bc81a22fdb9", id:"336851P"}
The Smith Clark Polar Sunglasses are designed with crisp edges and a thick surface to give an extra pop to the classic look of eyewear. There very lightweight Clark Sunglasses feature an Evolve Frame and Carbonic Lens which is impact resistant. The p... Read More
{boxId:"compare9e8b6ba3615dd3bb11a182bb06", id:"386522P"}
The Smith Cheetah Sunglasses are a stylish and fun option that are based on a late 1980's design but updated with the features to keep you protected. Head outdoors wearing the Cheetah and you'll find that you have great coverage behind a 6 Base Curvat... Read More
{boxId:"comparef969326e2c743e1c5882b162ca", id:"386514P"}
The Smith Lowdown Slim Polarized Sunglasses offers a slim version of the Lowdown original and boasts a classic shape. Featuring a medium fit and small coverage, the Lowdown is all style but enough coverage from its carbonic lens to block those harmful... Read More
{boxId:"compare60187ae34a41c2bdad9d577fc7", id:"386357P"}
Designed specifically for the active person comes the Smith Dover ChromaPop Sunglasses. The Dover is an essential piece of gear to have as you embark on your journey. These shades offer you superb coverage and clarity and feature a polarized and prot... Read More
{boxId:"comparec42cc4a24612d1823027547e9d", id:"336852P"}
The Smith Colette Sunglasses boast a curved brow and sharp corners to help show off the style that you want to portray. Beyond the dazzling looks are features that keep your eyes protected from the sun and give you the ability to see everything clearl... Read More
{boxId:"compare180c4aebf627e0e5f28bb537ba", id:"386352P"}
Calling back the day of the early 90's when it was all about grunge and MTV, the Smith Marvine Polarized Sunglasses are all about style and performance for those looking for a little nostalgia minus the hyper color T-shirts and floppy disks. The Carbo... Read More
{boxId:"comparefcc5065d4e138ac08fdbe9406e", id:"386506P"}
A great set of wheels for the more-than-average skater. These wheels were designed for the more aggressive user that prefers grinding and sliding tricks as oppose to a leisure skate through the park. ... Read More
{boxId:"comparecb4575110f0db8c507733cf1f8", id:"106144P"}
Timeless designs meet exciting tech with the Smith Wayward ChromaPop Sunglasses. The Wayward Sunglasses are made to fit great. The Megol Nose and Temple Pads along with the Out-of Sight Spring Hinges provide an excellent fit and will stay straight ev... Read More
{boxId:"compare545f98205d147fa04b1812d8cc", id:"386346P"}
The Smith Tioga Polarized Sunglasses boast the same styles of the early-90's where it originated but has the updated features to give you nostalgia and performance all in one. The Carbonic Lenses and Propionate Frames give you the durability and neces... Read More
{boxId:"compare85cdd1268896d06b8d3a04b8e1", id:"386361P"}
As you stray from the beaten path do not forget your Smith Nomad ChromaPop Sunglasses. These shades feature a polarized lens with an anti-reflective and hydrophobic lens coating that will help keep your peepers protected from the suns harmful UV rays.... Read More
{boxId:"compare0652d163f1a1fa32eb6bca8783", id:"336849P"}
If you're looking for sunglasses that are durable, very lightweight and built to maximize your view then you'll want to wear these Smith Outlier TI ChromaPop Sunglasses the next time you head out. The polarized lenses will minimize glare and the Chrom... Read More
{boxId:"compare213b28ee655175cea92aa0efd4", id:"386528P"}


text:
FiltersShow / Hide
- All Events
- Music
- Comedy
- Theatre & Shows
- Sport
- Cinema
- Festivals
- Days Out
- Edinburgh Fringe
- Anywhere In The UK
- Location: Anywhere in the UK
Radius: ... miles
Get an alert when new Jubei dates are announced
Jubei is the name on the lips of almost every top-flight drum and bass DJ in 2011.
Whether it's his solo productions, collaborations with the likes of Breakage, Alix Perez, Icicle, SPY, Lenzman and Ulterior Motive, or his work as a member of Code 3 (with SP:MC and Dakuan), his music features heavily in the sets of those in the know.
Jubei tour dates listed on Ents24.com since Mar 2008.
Jubei Tour Dates
Track Jubei
- You are tracking Jubei
Fans of this artist also track:
- Receive email as soon as new tour dates are announced
- 1,293,143 fans now rely on Ents24 alerts
- Alerts are free and always will be!
- We never share details with 3rd parties
No current UK tour dates for Jubei
Alert me when new Jubei tour dates are announced...
You are tracking Jubei.
We will email you as soon as UK tour dates are announced.
- Be the first to know about new Jubei tour dates
- Alerts are free always will be
- We hate spam and will never share your email address with anyone else
- 1,293,143 fans now rely on Ents24 to track their favourite artists and venues
Puttour dates on your web site
- Customisable, flexible tour date widget
- Super quick set-up, get the code here
News and Announcements RSS feed
No current news or announcements.
Have Your Say
- Have you seen Jubei? Why not write a review?
Fans who like 'Jubei' also like:
Do you represent Jubei, or are you a member of their promotional team? Click here to claim this page


text: Mockup Offers More Details On Windows Mobile 7 UISean Fallon10/20/09 3:26pmFiled to: Rumorwindows mobile 7winmo 7Windows mobile 6.5.1MicrosoftWinmoCellphonesSmartphonesWindows Mobile14EditInvite manuallyPromoteDismissUndismissHideShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink Rumor has it that the bottom section of the image above is an internal mockup of what UI controls on Windows Mobile 7 might look like (compared to WinMo 6.5).Apparently, these minor improvements (slider, toggle switch, soft keys, pivots) were initially slated for WInMo 6.5.1, but so far they have not shown up in the build. Again, these shots are only a rumor at this point, but some of the elements do seem to be in line with earlier leaks. [WMExperts via WMpoweruser] Reply14 repliesLeave a reply


text:
Rail travel from Wakefield Westgate to Belfast International.
Wakefield Westgate has cctv payphone phone atm cashpoint cash machineBelfast International, Belfast International Airport, Aldergrove, Belfast, BT29 4AB.
Airports by rail, with Holiday Extras, who I work for. I am not earning a fee on this (damn).
To take benefit of the best prices you will need to prove you are not a business traveller, en route to the airport, so you will need to provide either your flight details or your holiday booking reference. I don't think you will need to provide this when you arrive at wakefield-westgate station but you may be asked to provide them on your journey from wakefield-westgate station to the airport.
Going to belfast-international airport on the train is great, you can take a nap, read (even at night), play travel scrabble, or just gaze out of the window... The other restriction to buying these cheap tickets from wakefield-westgate station to the airport is that there must be at least two adults travelling together. But another great advantage is that children go free. All children under 5 go free, and then one child over 5 but under sixteen per grown up travelling by train to belfast-international airport.
make sure you leave enough time to get to belfast-international airport early enough to eat, shop and so on, so check the times of trains from wakefield-westgate station before you go. If you end up with time to kill at the airport you can always read or play travel scrabble again! As you have bought yr train ticket in advance, you don't need to worry about the opening hours of the station.
the station opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 05:00-00:30, Friday 05:00-23:45, Saturday 05:00-23:30, Sunday 08:00-01:00..
Or maybe you meant
- Wakefield Westgate to Birmingham airport
- Wakefield Westgate to Glasgow International airport
- Wakefield Westgate to Gatwick airport
- Wakefield Westgate to Heathrow airport
- Wakefield Westgate to Luton airport
- Wakefield Westgate to Manchester airport
- Wakefield Westgate to Newcastle airport
- Wakefield Westgate to Stansted airport


text:
Brush Grubber Extreme
Item # WX2-154908In Stock
Large-sized trees have met their match.
You May Also Like
Impact Implements ATV / UTV 3-Position Blade with Box EndsNon-Member $134.99
Impact Implements ATV / UTV 1-point Lift SystemNon-Member $134.99
The Acreage RakeNon-Member $389.99 Buyer's Club $350.99
Bad Boy Groundhog MAX ATV / UTV Disc PlowNon-Member $349.99 Buyer's Club $314.99
Guide Gear 12 Volt ATV / UTV Receiver Mount Spreader, 80-PoundNon-Member $119.99 Buyer's Club $107.99
Field Tuff Heavy Duty Drag HarrowNon-Member $199.99 Buyer's Club $179.99
Kolpin ATV Rear Lounger with Lockable Helmet Storage BoxNon-Member $159.99 Buyer's Club $143.99
Spintech Gamemaster Tailgate Feeder, 100 Pound CapacityNon-Member $129.99 Buyer's Club $116.99
48" ATV / UTV CultipackerNon-Member $599.99 Buyer's Club $539.99
Guide Gear 2" Receiver Universal Winch Mount, 3500 lbs.Non-Member $24.99 Buyer's Club $22.49
Kolpin UTV Side Mirrors & BONUS Rear View MirrorNon-Member $44.99 Buyer's Club $40.49
Don't Forget
Antler King Mega Food Plot Starter KitNon-Member $24.99 Buyer's Club $22.49
- Details & Specs
- Reviews
- Articles & Tips
Removing small-, medium- and large-sized trees from your cabin or home yard is a pain. We all know it and we all hate doing it. You can try to wrap a chain around it and pull, but the tree simply bends and the chain slides off. You can spend hours digging out the roots to pull it out, but then you get to deal with shoulder and back pain all night long. Brush Grubber thought this whole process was ridiculous, and they came up with the Brush Grubber Extreme.
Capable of pulling out trees and brush up to 5" in diameter from the ground... roots and all. It locks onto the tree using 18 gripping teeth and a spring-loaded jaw. The teeth are specifically designed to give you an incredibly strong and secure hold. It does this by getting tighter and tighter with each pull. To provide a more secure hold and avoid debarking the tree, the two grip pads are capable of rotating a full 360°. Whether you are pulling Buckthorn, prickly ash or other stubborn brush, the Brush Grubber Extreme has you covered with an undisputed grip.
- Removes trees up to 5" in diameter
- Powerful spring-loaded grip tightens as you pull
- Made of 1" steel (compared to 1/2" on the original Grubber and 3/4" on the HD)
- 18 gripping teeth on each 360° rotating pad
- Permanently removes buckthorn, prickly ash and other stubborn brush
- Two large rugged handles for easy handling and operation
- Heaviest duty, works with your truck or tractor
- Weighs 22 lbs.
Grab ahold, pull and order today!Key Specifications
- Item number: 154908
- Material: Steel
- Model number: BG-11


text:
Jung Do Taekwondo Academy emphasizes the traditional values of discipline, hard work, practice, control and focus. We believe martial arts benefits everyone! Taekwondo develops better health, flexibility, reaction time, focus, poise, and most of all stronger character. Children will learn respect, focus, and that through hard work and perseverance, they can do almost anything, including earn their black belt! Our goal is to teach each student to reach his or her full potential.
Upcoming Events
Bring A friends Week
Black Belt Preparation Class
Lock - In
Belt Testing
16(thur)4- 8pm
( No regular Class)
Black belt Testing
17th(fri) 6:30pm
2016 summer
Black Belt Ceremony
School Closed for Summer Break
June,27 ~ July,4
Class Resume July,5
Summer Camp


text:
Have a look at the three screens from the DLC campaign below.
Dead Island: Ryder White will be available on all platforms (PSN, Xbox Live, Steam) on January 31st for $9.99 US or 800 MicroSoft Points.
Boot Hill Heroes July 24 • 9:00am PDT/12:00pm EDT
Tales from the Borderlands July 31 • 9:00am PDT/12:00pm EDT
Breath of Fire IV Continues! Every Monday • 5:00pm PDT/8:00pm EDT
Grandia II Continues! Every Wednesday • 2:00pm PDT/5:00pm EDT


text:
Always the one to banish trends or tradition, Kawasaki has been at the helm of motorcycle madness ever since the bike-maker came into being. The Japanese giant has handed us innumerable machines which have broken conventionalism and shattered conservative beliefs in the motorcycle business with the likes of the iconic H1 Mach III or then the much modern yet equally hooligan 636! Kawasaki is back at the game again this time with the all-new Kawasaki Ninja 300. As the world moves towards all-out street motorcycles like the Honda CBR250R, the Suzuki Inazuma, the KTM Duke to name a few and their styling too is more for the street than anything that has to do with race machines. And Kawasaki has cashed in on this very spot left open with the new Ninja 300 – bringing supersports-like aggressive styling disguising a potent street motorcycle.
Already an icon by itself, the Ninja 250R has long been holding the crown in the quarter litre class with its big-bike appeal matched with a strong motor, ease of riding and low ownership costs. With such strong credentials, it was indeed a dangerous task for Kawasaki to rebuild an all-new machine without losing the ethos of the Ninja 250R which have successfully stood the test of time. But then again it is probably only Kawasaki amongst the four Japanese biggies who can take this challenge and own up to it like no other and deliver a smashing new motorcycle like the Ninja 300, which not only uplifts the laidback spirit of its predecessor but takes a step ahead to show the rivals how it's done.
Re-writing the code of conduct amongst quarter-litre brigade, the new Ninja 300 is loud and belligerent in its character unlike the sports-touring and comfort-oriented approach of the earlier Ninja 250R. The new machine borrows design cues straight from Kawasaki's flagship Ninja machines the ZX-6R and the ZX-10R. Cool to the bone and charming in its poise, styling on the Ninja 300 is clearly a leap towards sports side of things in the 200-400cc market borrowing Kawasaki's "mass-forward, minimalist-tail" design language from the bigger Ninja machines.
Flared bodywork with sharp edges is fancy yet functional. For instance, the aerodynamic bodywork not only helps in better top-speed gains but underneath the fairing there is a reworked radiator cowl which prevents the hot air away from reaching the rider's legs. Similarly, the new dual multi-reflector headlights carry forward the Ninja's race-bike design genes but at the same time provide extremely good illumination for street as well.
Swing a leg over the Ninja 300 and its hostile demeanour is even more apparent as the large tachometer upfront hogs all the attention with its 13,000rpm redline screaming 'bring it on' straight in your face. As one grasps the handlebars, it is easy to notice there is something strange about the ergonomics on the Ninja 300. No, not the addition of a 'pass' button (finally!). It is the riding posture. Neither is it fully committed as found in an all-out racing motorcycle nor does it feel utterly laidback and lazy as the Ninja 250R. The ergonomics on the Ninja 300 are somewhere in between the two and doesn't feel quite right the first instance one mounts the saddle.
But it is only a matter of time before one cranks the fuel injected 296cc, liquid-cooled, parallel twin cylinder DOHC motor of the Ninja and takes to the roads to understand how the riding position actually helps. Unlike the Ninja 250R, the 300 offers sportier seating posture but the raised two-piece handlebars make for a comfortable grip on the motorcycle without requiring the rider to be curled up in a race-bike riding stance. And that gives the Ninja 300 a very solid sports-touring advantage but without having to look dull or boring.
And make no mistake, for this little green mean monster has all the go to match the show. The Ninja 300 gets capacity hike from 249cc of the Ninja 250R to 296cc thanks to a longer stroke (62.0 x 49.0 mm as against the Ninja 250R's 62.0 x 41.2 mm). The hike has helped in presenting the Ninja 300 with increased torque and stronger mid-range grunt and the new engine now makes 39PS of power at 11,000rpm and 27Nm of torque at 10,000rpm. The new motor boasts of sleeveless, plated, die-cast aluminium cylinder, a new cylinder head, new crankcases as well as lighter pistons. Use of improved materials within the engine has helped Kawasaki to keep the motorcycle weight under check despite the bigger engine size as the Ninja 300 weighs the same as the Ninja 250R tipping the scale at 172kg for the non-ABS model.
The 296cc motor has undergone a major revamp internally to improve its overall power and torque delivery. Employing lighter pistons helps in achieving higher maximum rpm quicker and hence the redline on the Ninja 300 resides at 13,000rpm as against the high-strung 13,250rpm of the Ninja 250R. The lighter pistons also get flatter piston crowns for better combustion efficiency while the compression ratio too has been dropped from 11.6:1 of the Ninja 250R to 10.6:1 on the Ninja 300, which results in lesser operating temperature for the pistons improving their longevity.
In simpler terms, the bigger engine complemented by liberal use of high-end lightweight engine components internally has helped Kawasaki build an all-new motorcycle with a significantly different character than its predecessor. And the performance only goes on to testify the above claims. Mated to a slick six-speed transmission, the Kawasaki Ninja 300 has hugely benefitted from the capacity hike and improved torque with regards to its initial and mid-range acceleration with the bike touching the 100km/h mark from standstill in just 6.88 seconds. And it would have posted an even better time was it not for the inappropriate chain tension that our test bike came with. But a late six second time for 0-100km/h is no less a feat for a quarter-litre motorcycle and once you factor in the top whack which can go in excess of 175km/h given the road, the Ninja 300 has all the meat of a serious performance machine.
And unlike the Ninja 250R's lack of mid-range grunt eating into daily practicality on our traffic-filled Indian roads, the Ninja 300 packs in enough juice right from as low as 4,000rpm for comfortable commuting without having to keep shifting through the gears to keep the power handy. The chunky mid-range throw of torque present in the 300 gives it enormous functionality as was seen in our 30-70km/h roll-on test times with the Ninja 300 posting a time of 6.57 seconds in fifth gear – almost a whole three seconds quicker than the Ninja 250R's time of 9.55 seconds in the same test. As aforementioned, Kawasaki's ethos of syncing race design with street functionality are not simply limited to the aesthetics of the machine but are deep rooted in the very essence of the Ninja 300.
` 16.45 lakhGet on Road Price
` 6.60 lakhGet on Road Price
` 23.44 lakhGet on Road Price
` 7.54 lakhGet on Road Price
Est. Price: `73,000
Mid 2016
Est. Price: `2.00 lakh
Mid 2016
Est. Price: `1.20 lakh
August 2016
Est. Price: `60,000
Mid 2016
Get on Road Price


text:
Mind & Body
Share < br />this article:
10 Shocking Celebrity Threesomes
Kate Torgovnick/Kate-Book.com
| October 25, 2009 - 5:00 pm
Share < br />this article:
Launch fullscreen
Return to Story
jon gosselin
Recommended for you
Following Kate Gosselin's Awkward "Today Show" Incident, Jon Gosselin Remarkably Comes Out As The Less-Awful Parent
Jon Gosselin Admits Reality TV Stardom Messed Up His Eight Kids
Star Couplings: Kate and Jon Gosselin Have Settled Their Custody Dispute
8 Suggestions For Jon Gosselin's First Book
Quickies: Jon Gosselin's Hawk Has Mange & Some Troubling "Mad Men" News
Why Would Anyone Want To Impersonate Jon Gosselin?!?!
Simply Irresistible
Join The Frisky Weekly Romp
Thank you for signing up for our newsletter. You will receive a confirmation shortly.
Sign Up
You'll Love
Gift Guide: For The Broke-But-Aspiring Gwyneth
Gift Guide: For The Materialistic Social Media Witch
Gift Guide: For Your Friend Who's Transitioning


text:
Free personalized radio that
plays the music you love
Ninety days in the electric chair
Step right up son
Gonna show you something ain't never been done
Features of This Trackpunk roots
electric rock instrumentation
a subtle use of vocal harmony
major key tonality
These are just a few of the hundreds of attributes cataloged for this track by the Music Genome Project.show more
Similar Tracks
Don't have a Pandora account? Sign up
Already have a Pandora account? Log In


text:
Toggle navigation
Place an ad
Sign in with Classifieds account
Sign in with Classifieds account
Place an ad
Search All Classifieds
Auctions / Sales
Business Services
Garage Sales
Pets & Animals
Real Estate
Funeral Directory
Find a job
Post a job
Find a car
Post a car
Find a home
Post a home
Find a rental
Post a rental
Get stuff done
Make money now
Featured Ads
Charlotte LGBT Pride - Advertise Your Business!!
>120,000 people expected. Your logo/text featured at our vendor booth. Only $25! Check out the details at www.gaydar.directory and go to/click Advertise for more information. Space will fill up quickly!
Mobile Home for Rent
Mobile home for rent. 2 BR 1 BA on large wooded lot in Waxhaw, NC
New paint, new carpet, new flooring. Appliances included.
Deposit plus references required from past rentals.
Acceptable credit rating plus Criminal background check required.
AKC English Lab Pups-OFA Certified-SandyLand Show Lines
AKC English Labrador Pups! Males and Females. OFA Hips/Elbows. Top english import show lines- frosty the snowman, sandylands. Big, blocky pups with laid back temperament. Now accepting deposits
New client discount on hair needs
Come and get $10.00 off your first visit with Yelena Kovalev at Hair Studio at Foxcroft 7808 Fairview Rd. Charlotte, NC 28226. Sample of services include haircuts, color, highlights, conditioning treatments, keratin treatments. Call or text for appointment at (413)455-9250. Mention this ad...
AKC French Bulldog Puppies
AKC Registered. Very sweet and loving puppies. Great for families with kids. Every puppy comes with a health guarantee, shots, and wormings up to date. We accept cash, credit cards, and pay pal. Appointments only please call 828-397-4881 or 828-238-7687 today to reserve your new baby. To see all...
Schnese Puppies
Schnese puppies-Havanese and Miniature Schnauzer,a hybird dog,very smart and very loveable,easy to train,trained to a puppy pad since they were 4 1/2 weeks old,raise in our home around our family and our grand kids,doesn't bark a lot,but will let you know when they hear something,will make a...
Cullowhee NC Home in Mountains on River
3/2.5 Custom all white pine wood interior, 2200 sf in Caney Fork Community. 1.25 acres. Trout fish, kayak, tube in your own backyard. Send email for brochure and video.
Brittany's AKC OFA
Working Dogs- Sire has multiple field trial champions in his Pedigree. Sire and dam are OFA Hips and Elbows...They love their families - Farm raised with lots of LOVE $500 with Limited AKC or $1000 for full AKC. Please call Cindy 864-490-6354
labrador retriever puppys
Beautiful AKC Labrador Chocolate puppys call 336-670-3333.
Recent Ads
Date: Thursday, July 28th, 2016
Address: 2665 Zion Church Rd., Concord, NC 28025
Time: 2:00 PM Local Time
By virtue of default by Blair Da-Marie Transportation LLC, under the Promissory note dated September 11th, 2015, payable to Commercial Credit Group Inc....
Blue Pitbull Puppies
6wks ADBA reg utd on shots and dewormed great temperament
Mountain Waterfall and View
A beautiful 1.83 acre secluded lot on Fancy Gap Mountain with an extraordinary southern panoramic view of Piedmont and a spectacular waterfall. A 2 hour drive from Charlotte and accessible from Rt 52 or the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Serious inquiries...
Help center
Give us a call
or visit our
Online Support
Need a job?
Need to hire some help?
Cleaning a House
Fixing a Car
Handyman Work
Personal Trainer
Running Errands
And More...
Find and hire the help you need!
Log in with your
Email Address:
Forgot your password?


text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Aug 8, 1995
|Filing date
|Jun 17, 1994
|Priority date
|Jan 11, 1993
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Keith F. M. Thompson
|Original Assignee
|Thompson; Keith F. M.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (9), Non-Patent Citations (8), Referenced by (25), Classifications (12), Legal Events (6)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/002,720 filed on Jan. 11, 1993, now abandoned.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention is primarily of value in offshore exploration for petroleum, secondarily, in studies of anthropogenic environmental pollution in the marine realm. The mode of operation relies upon phenomena resulting from the bacterial metabolism of organic matter, whereby numerous classes of bacteria, acting sequentially, change marine sediments from an oxidized to a reduced state. These processes can be monitored through the accumulation or destruction of a variety of inorganic compounds, the most important of which determine the electrical condition of the sediment. Therefore, in the present embodiment of the invention the processes are monitored electrically. Pollution or petroleum seepage can be monitored electrically, as described in the present application.
2. Description of Related Art
The following U.S. Patents were found to be the closest prior art patents regarding the present application but none of these patents shows or suggests, alone or in combination, the disclosure of the present application.
______________________________________4,310,057 1/1982 Brame4,319,482 3/1982 Bunner4,340,391 7/1982 Demaison et al.4,335,622 6/1982 Bartz4,444,889 4/1984 Demaison et al.4,574,118 3/1986 Demaison et al.4,659,675 4/1987 Demaison et al.______________________________________
The normal seawater/subjacent-sediment system universally exhibits an uppermost, oxidized, electrochemical zone with a positive electrical potential, and a deeper reduced zone with a negative potential. Bacterial generation of hydrogen sulfide characterizes the reduced zone. Electrical disequilibrium is maintained by the bacterial metabolism of the natural supply of labile organic matter and concomitant transformation of inorganic components dissolved in sea water. The normal depth to the reduced zone varies from 0.01 m to over 10 m, depending upon the natural rate of provenance of organic matter.
A potential difference of the order of 450 millivolts between a reference electrode at seawater potential and an electrode embedded within the sediments of the sea floor is sufficient to prove that the generation of hydrogen sulfide is taking place. There are four prerequisites for such generation: (1) the presence of sulfate ion, (2) of sulfate-reducing bacteria, (3) of an adequate supply of organic matter, and (4), the absence of dissolved oxygen. Requirements (1) and (2) are universally satisfied in the marine environment; (4) is ultimately brought about in the sediments by the activity of oxygen-consuming bacteria; (3) may be met either by organic detritus from recently living organisms, or by the abnormal addition of organic matter, e.g., the entry of petroleum seeping from accumulations at depth. It is possible to distinguish between these alternative sources of organic carbon by mapping the depth to the onset of hydrogen sulfide generation.
The depth to the sulfide zone is regularly distributed in the instance of recent organic sources, but is quasi-randomly distributed in the case of petroleum seepage. The present system is principally directed toward the detection of petroleum seepage, and the apparatus is designed with this objective in view. Nevertheless, only minor modifications are required to facilitate the application of the apparatus to the search for, and delineation of the occurrence of, abnormally contributed anthropogenic organic matter, such as sewage sludge.
As shown by Fenchel and Reidel (Marine Biology, 1970, Vol. 7, p. 255-268), the sulfide zone, or system, occurs universally in marine sediments. It is an anaerobic (extremely oxygen-deficient) environment established under a cover of oxidized sediments at depths below the surface ranging from a few centimeters to tens of meters. The depth is determined by, and equilibrium between, oxygen depletion and oxygen renewal. Depletion is brought about by oxygen-consuming (aerobic) bacteria, renewal by the diffusion of oxygen from sea water. When oxygen is exhausted anaerobic bacteria rapidly become dominant. Chief among these are the sulfate-reducing type which release hydrogen sulfide. The sulfide zone is encountered at depths of 1 to 50 cm in bays, inlets, estuaries, and along open coastlines. The upper surface of the sulfide zone is readily contourable and mappable, an expression of the regularity of its development. For example, Fenchel and Reidel found the top of the sulfide zone to consistently occur 30 cm below the surface at a relatively constant distance of 0.3 miles offshore, along more than 8 miles of shoreline in Onslow Bay, N.C.
A further, and remarkable, demonstration of the regularity of the development of the sulfide zone, of major importance for the application proposed here, was provided by the data of Shokes (1976) shown in FIG. 1 and explained in greater detail later. Shokes found that, over the entire domain of sedimentation of the Mississippi River (covering most of the Gulf of Mexico), the depth to the sulfide zone varied regularly with the rate of sedimentation. At the mouth of the river the sulfide zone occurs at a uniform depth of 75 cm. It deepens progressively until, in the deepest water sampled, it occurs at depths greater than 7 meters. The correlation coefficient relating sedimentation rate and sulfide reduction rate was 0.98. Thus, from the coastline to oceanic water depths, the depth of the sulfide zone within the sediments can be expected to increase continuously, and to be uniform over large areas.
The basis of the relationship discovered by Shokes is that "detrital" organic matter of natural origin is normally and invariably present in sea floor sediments. It comprises detritus from remnants or traces of once-living organisms which settles to the sea floor along with sedimentary mineral particles. The greater the rate of sedimentation, the more rapidly organic matter is deposited, and the more numerous become the bacteria within the sediments. Their enhanced activities result in decrease in the depth to the top of the sulfide zone.
Although petroleum is obviously of natural origin, it is only rarely present in marine sediments, and represents organic matter of abnormal provenance when it seeps upward from great depth into the surface sediments. Likewise, anthropogenic organic matter represents an abnormal contribution. Both petroleum, and anthropogenic waste, represent food material for bacteria, enhancing their numbers and activities.
The first claim that petroleum in seepages comprises the base of a marine food chain appears to have been made by Spies and Davis, Marine Biology, 1979, Vol. 50, p. 227-238.
If the rate of delivery of organic matter is abnormally increased, abnormal conditions of the distribution of bacterial zonation and of electrical potential develop. The top of the sulfide zone is artificially raised toward the sediment surface. The depth to the top of the sulfide zone, (synonymous with the occurrence of hydrogen sulfide) can be determined by carrying out electrical measurements. If this depth shows rapid variation from place to place, is non-uniform, locally abnormally shallow, develops a patchy distribution, lineaments, or other departures from the regional, normal, uniformity of depth, then the occurrence of petroleum seepage is very strongly suggested, barring evidence of anthropogenic dumping. The latter tends towards surficial modification, seepage towards modification within the sediment column.
Petroleum hydrocarbons are metabolized by a great variety of bacteria always present in marine sediments. The bacteria are consumed in turn by the meiofauna, largely comprising a variety of worms, and the meiofauna by the macrofauna. The latter includes crabs and shellfish. The unique tubeworms which characterize these "chemosynthetic" communities are symbiotic (directly dependant upon) sulfide-oxidizing bacteria. Firm evidence of the utilization of petroleum carbon for building tissue was provided by Bauer, et al., (Nature, Nov. 15, 1990) who showed that at a seep near Coal Oil Point, Calif., the macrofauna were made up of only 35% modern carbon, and 65% petroleum-derived carbon, based on measured carbon-14 activity.
The discovery of petroleum seepage, and the assessment of such regularity as it can exhibit, e.g., occurrence along outcropping fault traces, can be of significant value in petroleum exploration. There is need to determine as soon as possible in the course of exploration of any given subsea region whether petroleum has been generated in the subsurface. In an extremely large proportion of instances, petroleum generation, followed by migration into subsurface traps, is accompanied by the escape of some fraction of the petroleum to the surface, where it manifests itself as seepage. Large scale petroleum seepage has led in the past to the discovery of numerous of the world's most important petroleum provinces. Minor seepages are also unequivocal and valuable indicators of the presence of petroleum at depth.
Seafloor seepages have been detected to date by direct observation from submersible vehicles, by inference based on geophysical surveys, and by the analysis of sediment samples. All of these endeavors are widely and extensively practiced in the course of offshore petroleum exploration. Obtaining sea floor sediment samples (cores) in areas of seepage has the advantage of providing traces of petroleum suitable for geochemical analysis, so that an appraisal can be made as to the nature of the potentially exploitable hydrocarbons. It is possible to distinguish gas-plus-condensate from oil, to estimate the original API gravity, and to distinguish whether the oil is sulfur-rich, or sulfur-poor. However, no information from the cores is available until laboratory analyses are completed after the lapse of a significant period of time. Secondly, locations at which cores are to be taken must be decided in advance. Random or grid locations must be chosen unless geophysical records are available showing likely seepage sites, such as areas of gas-charged sediment, or shallow faulting. What is later discovered in the analyses is in part a matter of chance, as cores cannot be positioned on the seafloor with precision.
The present invention overcomes these limitations to a significant degree. Anomalous depths to the sulfide zone and occurrences of hydrogen sulfide in deep water sediments can only be due to the presence of seeping petroleum. With a cable-suspended probe, and instantaneous readings of electrochemical potential available on the ship above, real-time mapping can be carried out to determine the extent, boundaries, limits, and configurations of seepage-affected sediments. The probability of the presence of otherwise undetected seepage on the sea floor can be raised to a high level. For confirmation, optimum locations for the retrieval of sediment samples can be selected. Maps obtained of seepage locations can later be interpreted with advantage by petroleum explorationists. Areas for detailed geophysical examination can be chosen.
In regions of prolific seepage, the top of the sulfide zone can be raised to the extent that it coincides with the sediment-water interface. This promotes the growth of surface mats of the white/orange bacterium Beggiatoa which subsists by oxidizing upwardly diffusing hydrogen sulfide. Such bacteria contribute significantly to the food chains developed in chemosynthetic communities (principally of tube worms and mussels) in the deep Gulf of Mexico. It is predicted that the depth to the surface of an anomalous sulfide zone relates to the size or activity of the associated seepage.
The following data (Table 1) demonstrate that sediments having anomalous concentrations of hydrogen sulfide bear exceptionally high levels of petroleum hydrocarbons. These data, previously unpublished, are compiled (with permission) from the files of British Petroleum (BP) Exploration Company, Houston, Tex., and represent unspecified locations in waters of depths greater than 600 feet in the Gulf of Mexico.
TABLE 1______________________________________Comparison of concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbonsdetected in sediment cores four meters in length in relationshipto the presence or absence of hydrogen sulfide. Observed Mean Concentration Hydrogen HydrogenMeasured Sulfide Present Sulfide AbsentCompound (274 Analyses) (1967 Analyses)______________________________________Methane 17,075 ppm 355 ppmEthane 165 ppm 2.5 ppmPropane 31 ppm 1.0 ppmN-Butane 3.9 ppm 0.3 ppmAromatic Hydrocarbons 45,174 units* 2,970 units*(total)______________________________________ *units are arbitrary but consistent, measured by ultraviolet spectroscopy
The data of Table 1 show that only 274 (12.2%) of the 2241 locations examined by coring exhibit hydrogen sulfide, encountered towards the base of the cores. It is clear that the great majority of the cores which exhibit extremely high concentrations of hydrocarbons due to petroleum seepage possess detectable hydrogen sulfide. Hydrocarbons which do not normally occur in seafloor sediments are significantly elevated in the hydrogen sulfide-bearing cores, by an average factor of 66-fold in the case of ethane, to 13-fold in the case of n-butane. Numerous of the sulfide-bearing cores contained visible traces, films, or droplets of crude oil which could be correlated with oil from reservoirs at depth. Hydrogen sulfide can therefore be employed as a pathfinder for petroleum seepage.
Various regions of the floor of the Gulf of Mexico exhibit major differences in the proportion of cores recovered bearing hydrogen sulfide. Large areas of no occurrence exist. Fairways known to be oil-productive occur, within which as many as 38% of cores are sulfide-positive. Hydrogen sulfide due to petroleum seepage has also been encountered in the sediments of the North Sea, on the Campeche Shelf off of Yucatan, Offshore California, and elsewhere.
The present invention seeks to discover petroleum seepage on the seafloor, that is, natural leakage from subsurface reservoirs of gas or oil, by an indirect procedure and by remote sensing. By "indirect procedure" is meant that no chemical analytical process is carried out seeking actual petroleum components. Rather, the invention seeks electrical signals reflecting the occurrence of a series of changes which can only be due to the presence of petroleum components in the sediments at the sea floor. By "remote sensing" it is meant that observations are made from a ship using digitally programmable instruments with capabilities for two-way communication, lowered to the sea floor by steel cable.
The preferred embodiment of a device for the intended purposes comprises the following essential parts: a cylindrical probe, 8 cm in diameter, and 5.1 meters in length, deployed from a ship by steel cable, eventually falling rapidly under gravity to penetrate the sediments of the seafloor. The probe carries five, insulated, platinum electrodes on its surface, spaced along its length at an average spacing of 0.85 meters. The key to inferring the presence of petroleum seepage lies in determining the depth, to the nearest 0.5 meter, of the transition from oxidized sediment at the sea floor to reduced sediment bearing hydrogen sulfide, the "sulfide zone". This depth is estimated by measuring the difference in electrical potential between the reference electrode and each of electrodes individually and sequentially, employing an analog signal multiplexer, or scanner. This and other instrumental components are housed in a pressure-resistant cylinder immediately above the probe.
Measurements are made by a high input impedance electrometer. Digital data are transmitted to the ship by means of a system of acoustic modems and transducers located at the top of the probe and shipboard. Upon completion of a set of readings the ship's position and water depth are recorded, the probe is winched out of the sediments and lifted to sufficient height above the seafloor to enable the ship to move to nearby location. The sequence is repeated in order to map the top and geographic distribution of the sulfide zone. This determines whether or not these characteristics are normal or abnormal, the latter in almost all cases indicating the occurrence of petroleum seepage.
FIG. 1 is a chart showing regularity of relationship between rate of sedimentation and the bacterial reduction of sulfate ion (SO4 --) in sediments over a large area of the Gulf of Mexico (After Shokes, Texas A&M University, 1976);
FIG. 2 is a chart of profiles of progressive changes in selected variables in marine sediments (After Fenchel and Reidel, 1970);
FIG. 3 is a block diagram and side elevational view of components of the petroleum exploration system of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the components of the instrument housing shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a sectional, side elevational view of the electrical measurement component shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 5a is a side, elevational view of the probe shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 6 is a sectional, side elevational view of part of the probe shown in FIG. 5a;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged, sectional, side elevational view of part of the electrode in FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 is a sectional, side elevational view of a connector coupling for the probe shown in FIG. 5a; and
FIG. 9 is a sectional, side elevational view of the lower segment of the probe shown in FIG. 5a.
FIG. 1 after Shokes (1976), is a chart showing regularity of the relationship between rate of sedimentation and the bacterial reduction of sulfate ion (SO4 --) in sediments over a large area of the Gulf of Mexico. These observations are vital to the rationale of the present invention, as follows. Bacterial sulfate reduction leads to the development of a sulfide zone and the generation of negative electrical potential in marine sediments. As sedimentation rates vary slowly and regularly over large areas of the sea floor, localized, shallow occurrences of the sulfide zone must represent abnormal introductions of bacterial nutrients, namely, petroleum hydrocarbons.
FIG. 2, after Fenchel and Reidel (1970), is a chart of profiles of progressive changes in selected variables in marine sediments. Specifically shown are changes in chemical composition in relation to changes in electrical potential, conventionally designated "Eh", shown by curve 11, from values of the order of +300 millivolts (mv) at the sea floor 13, to -200 mv within the sulfide zone 15. The three principal groups of bacteria which occur everywhere in marine sediments are shown. Each occupies a specific zone and universally brings about a series of chemical changes, each characteristic of a zone. As illustrated, the oxidized zone 17 is characterized by decreasing levels of sulfate ion 19, oxygen content 21, ferric iron (Fe+++)23, and nitrite ion 25. The anaerobic sulfide zone is characterized by increasing concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2 S) 27, ammonium (NH3) and phosphate ion (PO4 ---) 29, ferrous ion (Fe++)31, and methane (CH4)33. Methane is generated by bacteria in the deepest zone, using carbon dioxide 35 generated in the zones above.
Aerobic bacteria in the uppermost sediments utilize oxygen dissolved in seawater for the consumption of detrital organic matter. When dissolved oxygen is exhausted, the anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria become dominant, obtaining oxygen from the dissolved sulfate ion of seawater, present as an interstitial fluid. These bacteria break down sulfate ion, obtaining oxygen for their life processes, and releasing sulfur as hydrogen sulfide. The following reaction, driven by bacterial energy, can be written to summarize this, though it does not represent the actual steps:
SO4 -- +H2 O=H2 S+202 +2e-
That is, water plus sulfate ion yields hydrogen sulfide plus free electrons. The reaction represents the dominant electrochemical change in the zone of activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria. In electrochemical terms it is the dominant half-cell reaction, setting up a negative electrical potential within the sediments, generally observed to be of the order of -200 millivolts at the pH of seawater. On the other hand, Eh values measured in surface-layer sediments, provided that the bottom water contains dissolved oxygen, are commonly +200 to +300 mv. The potential difference between the surface and the sulfide zone can therefore be as high as 500 mv.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram and side elevational view of components of the petroleum exploration system of the present invention. A ship 10 is floating on a body of seawater 12 having a floor 14. An A-frame 16 is positioned at the stern of the ship 10 and allows lowering overboard of a steel cable 18 to which an elongate probe 20 is attached. A winch 22 is capable of raising as much as 2,000 meters of cable and the attached load at a rate of several hundred feet per minute to deploy the probe 20. Steel cable 18 is solely of a load-bearing nature and does not carry electrical power or data.
Use of the system of the present invention is implemented by way of a personal computer (PC) based work station 24 which may employ an IBM TS/1486SX/20 computer. In one possible mode of operation of the system of the present invention, probe 20 is lowered to within 6 meters of the floor 14 and then allowed to fall freely to implant itself in the sediment of floor 14. A digital trigger code is transmitted from the keyboard of computer 24 through line 26 to the shipboard Datasonics acoustic modem 28 (ATM-851) then through line 30 to the AT-418 transducer 32 where the electrical signal is converted to acoustic data and transmitted with error detection at 14 kHz, 1200 bits/second. Transmission of the signal through the water reaches the receiver 34 associated with the probe. Receiver 34 may be a Datasonics ATM-845. Receiver 34 also is shown to be an acoustic modem and transducer in FIG. 4.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the components of the instrument housing shown in FIG. 3. Reconversion of the trigger signal, acoustic to digital, takes place in the receiver 34 which, as pointed out previously, is an acoustic modem and transducer. The trigger signal activates the microprocessors of the Keithley Model 617 electrometer 36, and the Keithley Model 705 Scanner 50. Various time-based programs of electrode interrogation can be implied. In one possible mode of operation each insulated electrode 40, 42, 44, 46, and 48 can be connected to the electrometer and reference electrode 52 for one second in five. Scanner 50 and electrometer 36 can be instructed to execute one voltage measurement every 45 ms while any given electrode is so connected whereby 20 measurements per second can be obtained. The suite of 100 measurements per scan equals the data storage capability of electrometer 36. Data suites can be transferred to host computer 24 during the subsequent scan. Lines 54, 56, 58, 60 and 62 are connected respectively to electrodes 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48. Reference electrode 52 is connected to electrometer 36 through line 64. Battery 66 provides power for the components through lines 68 and 70. Line 72 carries digital data between line 38 and scanner 50.
At each measurement site representing a single insertion of the probe 20, a suite of electrical measurements is obtained and stored on the hard disk of computer 24 in association with logistical information such as geographic positional data from the navigation equipment of ship 10, particularly data from navigation system 74 in FIG. 3 which may be an Accufix Precision Navigation Receiver, (Megapulse Inc.), connected through line 76 to computer 24. A depth digitizer 78 which may be a PD3 -2000 Precision Depth Digitizer and Display (SeaBeam Instruments, Inc.), is connected through line 80 to computer 24.
It will be appreciated that instrument housing 82 is positioned above probe 20. Disk 84 is positioned above the probe 20 to limit penetration of the sediment and above disk 84 are weights 86, 88, 90 and 92 to cause the probe 20 to penetrate the sediment in floor 14 during the free-fall of the probe.
Line 98 carries the signal from the electrodes located in probe 20 and is connected between scanner 50 and electrometer 36.
FIG. 5 is a sectional, side elevational view of the electrical measurement component shown in FIG. 4. The electrical measurement system comprises an electrometer 36 which may be a Keithley Model 617 electrometer which features extremely high input impedance (2�1014 ohms) so that virtually no current is drawn from the natural system under investigation when measurements are made. Electrometer 36 incorporates a JFET (Junction Field Effect Transistor) preamplifier 100 as the first stage providing the requisite input impedance. Preamplifier 100 feeds an operational amplifier 102 through line 104 and line 106. The output of operational amplifier 102 goes to an analog to digital converter 108 through line 110. Converter 108 employs a precision reference voltage source 112 through line 114. The electrometer 36 incorporates a microprocessor 116 connected to converter 108 through line 118. Instrumentation 120 may be an IEEE-488 Digital Interface for Programmable Instrumentation facilitating automation of measurement collection. Instrumentation 120 is connected through line 122 to microprocessor 116 and through line 38 to acoustic modem 34. Electrometer settings of range, function (measurement of current, resistance, or voltage), zero check, and store and transmit data are conveyed from the computer workstation 24 to the IEEE-488 interface instrumentation 120 and thereafter to the function selector 124 which is connected through line 126 to line 110. Power from battery 66 is provided to the electrometer 36 through line 68 and to the scanner 50 through line 70.
Upon placement of the probe 20 in the floor of the seawater, measurements are initiated by sending a trigger signal to the electrometer 36 and, simultaneously, to scanner 50 through line 72. Scanner 50, also equipped with an IEEE-488 digital interface, is a programmable, precision switching device connected through line 98 to preamplifier 100. Contacts 130, 132, 134, 136, and 138 are connected respectively to lines 54, 56, 58, 60, and 62. The function of scanner 50 is to sequentially open and close the five switches having contacts 130, 132, 134, 136, and 138, facilitating the connection of individual measurement electrodes of probe 20 to preamplifier 100.
In viewing FIG. 5 it will be appreciated that instrument housing 82 has a lower portion which has a threaded end 142 for engaging the threaded upper portion 144 of probe 20. Bore 146 allows lines 54, 56, 58, 60, and 62 to pass through the lower portion of instrument housing 82 and into probe 20.
The acoustic modem and transducer or receiver 34 is positioned in the upper portion of instrument housing 82. Support 148 is connected to hanger 150 and receiver 34 passes through support 148 at opening 152.
The frequency and duration of switch closing can be programmed by the digital interface of scanner 50 and modified from the computer workstation 24 on ship 10. Reference electrode 52 may be made of platinum and is located in an insulated recess similar to the recesses utilized in the probe. Reference electrode 52 is mounted on the upper surface 154 of instrument housing 82. The reference electrode 52 is connected through line 64 to the low side signal input terminal of electrometer 36. Disk 84 is positioned on the upper portion of probe 20 to stop penetration of probe 20 into the floor of the seawater. Weights 86, 88, 90, and 92 allow the probe and the instrument housing to fall through the seawater and cause the probe 20 to be imbedded in the floor.
FIG. 5a is a side, elevational view of the probe shown in FIG. 3. Probe 20 comprises four tubular members 158, 160, 162, and 164, attached together by couplings 166, 168, 170, and 172 which are threadedly connected to the tubular members. The tubular members may have a total length of 5.1 meters (16.7 feet), with an outside diameter of 8 cm (3.4 inches), and are fabricated from carbon-fiber-reinforced synthetic resin. An insulating material extends through the threaded segments to insure that the probe is not electrically conductive overall since conductivity would interfere with the measurement of static potential differences between the electrodes of the probe and the reference electrode. The wall thickness of the segments may be approximately 2.7 cm. Lower segment 174 may be a cone having a 20 degree angle and may be 22.5 cm in length to facilitate penetration of the floor.
As explained previously, electrode 48 is connected to line 62, electrode 46 is connected to line 60, electrode 44 is connected to line 58, electrode 42 is connected to line 56 and electrode 40 is connected to line 54.
FIG. 6 is a sectional, side elevational view of part of the probe shown in FIG. 5a. Segment 164 has threaded end 176 and threaded end 178. Electrode 46 is connected to line 60 which passes through bore 146. Electrode 46 may be made of platinum and is positioned in an electrode cavity 180.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged, sectional, side elevational view of part of the electrode shown in FIG. 6. Electrode 46 may be connected to segment 164 with a non-conductive screw 182. Electrode 46 is insulated from segment 164 with a gasket 184 which may be constructed of Teflon. Likewise screw 186 passes through electrode 46 and insulated gasket 188 to segment 164.
Line 60 is a triaxial cable having conductor 190 welded with a weld 192 to electrode 46. Electrode cavity 180 may be filled with epoxy resin. Thus, it will be appreciated that the electrodes on the probe are wired by triaxial cable passing through the bore of the probe.
FIG. 8 is a sectional, side elevational view of a connector coupling for the probe shown in FIG. 5a. Coupling 72 has a large diameter portion 194 with threads 196 and 198 above and below the portion 194. The threads allow coupling 172 to join segment 164 to segment 174. Likewise the other couplings are used to join the other segments of the probe in a similar manner. Coupling 172 and the other couplings may be of an electrically insulating material such as nylon. Bore 200 in the coupling 172 is part of bore 146 which extends through the probe.
FIG. 9 is a sectional, side, elevational view of the lower segment of the probe shown in FIG. 5a. Segment 174 has a 20 degree angle and has electrode 48 positioned in electrode cavity 202. Electrode 48 is connected to line 62 which extends through the upper part of segment 174 having inside threads 204. The connection of electrode 48 shown in FIG. 9 is the same as the detail shown in FIG. 7 regarding electrode 46.
A suitable supplier of the acoustic modem 28 and transducer 32 is Datasonics, Inc., P.O. Box 8, Cataumet, Mass. 02534. Electrometer 36 and scanner 50 may be obtained from Keithley Instruments, Inc. P.O. Box 94525, Cleveland, Ohio 44101-9249 and computer 24 may be obtained from Computer City, 3908 Bissonnet, Houston, Tex. 77005. Navigation system 74 may be an Accufix Precision Navigation Receiver from Megapulse, Inc., 8 Preston Court, Bedford, Mass. 01730-2380. Depth digitizer 78 may be a PD3 -2000 Precision Depth Digitizer and Display from Sea Beam Instruments, Inc. 141 Washington Street, East Walpole, Mass. 02032-1155.
Thus it will be appreciated that the present invention provides a system, method, and apparatus for offshore petroleum exploration. Electrical potential is measured at various locations and at various depths according to the location of the probe on the floor of the seawater to identify seepage of petroleum on the floor of the seawater thereby indicating likely locations of petroleum reserves. The present invention utilizes known data with a novel probe and related apparatus positioned in the probe and on a ship floating on the body of seawater. The present invention is reliable, efficient, and relatively inexpensive when compared with the present methods of determining possible locations of petroleum reserves.
Although the present invention has been shown and described in a preferred embodiment according to the patent laws of the United States, it will be appreciated that modifications, variations and improvements may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention defined by the claims.
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Sep 9, 1970
|Jan 16, 1973
|Overton H
|Method of locating anomalous zones of chemical activity in a well bore
|Aug 30, 1977
|Jun 5, 1979
|Delphian Corporation
|Sulfide monitoring system and method
|Feb 27, 1980
|Oct 6, 1981
|Stm Corporation
|Method of obtaining and recording seismic and geochemical data
|Mar 13, 1981
|Nov 23, 1982
|Conoco Inc.
|Method for relating shallow electrical anomalies to the presence of deeper hydrocarbon reservoirs
|May 4, 1982
|Apr 10, 1984
|Global Cathodic Protection Ltd.
|Apparatus for determining underwater potential differences employing Luggins tubulus
|Apr 15, 1987
|Oct 25, 1988
|Hnu Systems, Inc.
|Method of determining H2 S
|Jun 27, 1990
|May 26, 1992
|Fiberchem Inc.
|Reservoir chemical sensors
|May 19, 1992
|Jul 12, 1994
|Amoco Corporation
|Inclusion composition mapping of earth's subsurface using collective fluid inclusion volatile compositions
|May 7, 1979
|Dec 12, 1979
|Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V.
|Means for water bottom logging
|Bauer et al., "Radiocarbon Evidence of Fossilcarbon Cycling in Sediments of a Nearshore Hydrocarbon Seep", Nature, vol. 348, Nov. 15, 1990, pp. 230-232.
|Bauer et al., Radiocarbon Evidence of Fossilcarbon Cycling in Sediments of a Nearshore Hydrocarbon Seep , Nature, vol. 348, Nov. 15, 1990, pp. 230 232.
|Davis et al., "Infaunal Benthos of a Natural Petroleum Seep: Study of Community Structure"., Marine Biology., 59, 31-41 (1980).
|Davis et al., Infaunal Benthos of a Natural Petroleum Seep: Study of Community Structure ., Marine Biology., 59, 31 41 (1980).
|Fenchel et al., "The Sulfide System: a New Biotic Community Underneath the Oxidized Layer of Marine Sand Bottoms.," Marine Biology., 7, 255-268 (1970).
|Fenchel et al., The Sulfide System: a New Biotic Community Underneath the Oxidized Layer of Marine Sand Bottoms., Marine Biology., 7, 255 268 (1970).
|Shokes, Rate Dependent Distributions of Lead 210 and Interstitial Sulfate in Sediments of the Mississippi River Delta., Dissertation: Texas A&M Univ., May 1976.
|Shokes, Rate-Dependent Distributions of Lead-210 and Interstitial Sulfate in Sediments of the Mississippi River Delta., Dissertation: Texas A&M Univ., May 1976.
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Jun 26, 1996
|Jun 23, 1998
|The Regents Of The University Of California
|Seafloor magnetotelluric system and method for oil exploration
|Jan 21, 1998
|Jun 27, 2000
|Endress + Hauser Gmbh + Co.
|Cable probe
|Dec 23, 1996
|Sep 5, 2000
|The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
|In situ microscope imaging system for examining subsurface environments
|Apr 20, 2000
|Mar 4, 2003
|Xl Technology Limited
|Seabed analysis
|Nov 1, 2002
|Nov 23, 2004
|Bechtel Bwxt Idaho, Llc
|Visual probes and methods for placing visual probes into subsurface areas
|Oct 3, 2002
|Mar 29, 2005
|Oceaneering International, Inc.
|System and method for motion compensation utilizing an underwater sensor
|Jan 30, 2003
|Sep 27, 2005
|Kent Byerly
|Methods of processing magnetotelluric signals
|Apr 9, 2004
|Jun 20, 2006
|The Regents Of The University Of California
|Portable apparatus and method for measuring hydraulic features in rivers and streams
|Nov 22, 2004
|Dec 25, 2007
|Battelle Energy Alliance, Llc
|Apparatuses for interaction with a subterranean formation, and methods of use thereof
|Oct 12, 2010
|Gregg Drilling & Testing, Inc.
|Hydrostatically compensated deep sea probe with shear strain gauges
|Nov 10, 2008
|Apr 19, 2011
|The Regents Of The University Of California
|In-situ soil nitrate ion concentration sensor
|Oct 11, 2006
|Nov 8, 2011
|Byerly Kent A
|Methods of processing magnetotelluric signals
|May 21, 2013
|The Regents Of The University Of California
|In-situ soil nitrate ion concentration sensor
|Nov 21, 2005
|Jul 8, 2014
|Benthic Geotech, Pty Ltd
|Instrumentation probe for in situ measurement and testing of seabed
|Nov 9, 2012
|Sep 29, 2015
|Exxonmobil Upstream Research Company
|Exploration method and system for detection of hydrocarbons with an underwater vehicle
|Jan 30, 2003
|Aug 5, 2004
|Kent Byerly
|Methods of processing magnetotelluric signals
|Nov 1, 2002
|Nov 4, 2004
|Clark Don T.
|Visual probes and methods for placing visual probes into subsurface areas
|Nov 22, 2004
|Jun 9, 2005
|Clark Don T.
|Apparatuses for interaction with a subterranean formation, and methods of use thereof
|Apr 9, 2004
|Oct 13, 2005
|The Regents Of The University Of California
|Portable apparatus and method for measuring hydraulic features in rivers and streams
|Oct 11, 2006
|Apr 17, 2008
|Byerly Kent A
|Methods of processing magnetotelluric signals
|Nov 21, 2005
|Oct 23, 2008
|Stephen David Payor
|Instrumentation Probe for in Situ Measurement and Testing of Seabed
|Nov 10, 2008
|Jul 2, 2009
|The Regents Of The University Of California
|In-situ soil nitrate ion concentration sensor
|Jun 11, 2008
|Dec 17, 2009
|Gregg Drilling & Testing, Inc.
|Hydrostatically compensated deep sea probe with shear strain gauges
|May 23, 2014
|Sep 11, 2014
|Benthic Geotech, Pty Ltd
|Instrumentation probe for in situ measurement and testing of seabed
|Sep 27, 2010
|Feb 16, 2011
|Submarine sediment acoustic parameter in-situ measuring device
|U.S. Classification
|435/9, 324/348, 436/121, 436/29, 436/151, 73/170.32, 435/287.1, 436/28
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Aug 7, 1995
Owner name: PETROSURVEYS, INC., TEXAS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:THOMPSON, KEITH F.M.;REEL/FRAME:007573/0543
Effective date: 19950707
|Mar 2, 1999
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Mar 22, 1999
|Surcharge for late payment
|Mar 22, 1999
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Aug 8, 2003
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|Oct 7, 2003
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20030808


text:
Sex education is failing to reduce adolescent birthrates in conservative states, according to a new study. Perhaps paradoxically, states with a majority conservative population and higher degree of religiosity tend to have higher teen birthrates. The findings suggest that the social structure of the state, such as the degree of conservatism, can undermine the effect of the sex curricula.
Get top stories and blog posts emailed to me each day. Newsletters may offer personalized content or advertisements.Learn more


text:
Template:Potd/2013-09-06 (en)
From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
This is the English translation of the Picture of the day description page from .
Tivoli Bridge (bascule bridge), in closed position. From the François Maillol Embankment. Construction of the bridge between 1949 and 1951 by the Établissements Daydé. Sète, Hérault, France.
Descriptions in other languages:


text:
Tour Edge Reaction 2 Complete Set - LadiesThe best combination of technology and value in women's golf, the Reaction 2 box set features a lifetime warranty and game-enhancing features that lower scores. The woods and hybrid features a white finish that increases the contrast between the club's leading edge and the ground. The more contrast, the easier an object is to see, and the easier it is for you to focus.
The set includes a high-lofted, 15-degree driver that gets shots up quick for increased carry and more distance. The 460cc, titanium matrix driver has a high moment of inertia (MOI) which limits club head twisting for greater forgiveness and longer, more consistent drives. The oversized 3-wood is easily hit off the deck and produces accurate, high- flying shots because of its low center of gravity.
Making the game more fun from the fairways, the forgiving #5 hybrid boasts a low center of gravity and makes hitting the green and making par easier. The oversized, stainless steel irons feature an undercut cavity for more forgiveness and a larger sweet spot. And the high MOI mallet style putter with an easy-to-use alignment aid delivers more accurate putts.
Recent Products
Featured Products
Garmin Approach X40 Golf GPS Band - Black/GreyPrice: $249.99
Taylormade M2 Fairway WoodPrice: $249.95
Mizuno MP-25 Iron SetPrice: $999.95
2016 Adidas Tour 360 Boost BOA Golf Shoes - White/Black/SilverPrice: $229.95
Game Golf Live - GPS Shot Tracking SystemPrice: $249.00
Bridgestone JGR DriverPrice: $299.00
Skechers GO GOLF Pro Matt Kuchar Golf Shoes - Black/WhitePrice: $139.95
Arccos Driver - Golf Tracking SystemPrice: $79.95
2016 Clicgear B3 Cart Bag - BlackPrice: $199.95
2016 Volvik Vivid Golf Balls (1 Dozen) - Matte OrangePrice: $29.95
2016 Pedego Stretch Electric Cargo Bike - OlivePrice: $3,395.00


text:
Questions? Ask our experts:
800.606.6969 Live Chat
This special-purpose eyepiece includes a reticle with phosphorescent-etched crossline patterns, internally illuminated so the lines are clearly visible against dark skies. It has good eye relief and dioptric correction with a double crossline reticle.
|Packaging Info
|Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
|3.6 x 2.9 x 1.9"


text:
Gridstore Renames Itself HyperGrid, Intros Hyper-Converged Infrastructure As A Service
Gridstore acquired a platform-as-a-service developer and combined the technology with its own hyper-converged infrastructure to form the new company.
Gridstore acquired a platform-as-a-service developer and combined the technology with its own hyper-converged infrastructure to form the new company.
A competitive salary and benefits package can help with employee retention, but don't overlook the little things. Here are some outside perspectives on the issue. (From ITBestOfBreed.com)
Verizon officially announced Monday that it had struck a deal to acquire the operational assets of Yahoo, a $4.83 billion deal that vastly expands the company's media, search and communications assets.
The CEO of PlanetOne tells why cloud provides a more valuable opportunity for agent partners over cable services. (From ITBestOfBreed.com)
A new study suggests ways channel partners can approach their clients' Internet of Things initiatives. (From ITBestOfBreed.com)
Here are seven things CFB Strategies learned from building and maintaining the fundraising and grassroots infrastructure for the Republican candidate. (From ITBestOfBreed.com)
Here are eight new opportunities channel partners should be eyeing after the recent Cisco Live show. (From ITBestOfBreed.com)
Adding a wireless and mobility practice would be a big undertaking for Comcast but a huge benefit for partners, says an executive at one of the company's partners.
Speculation around which company would acquire Yahoo has been persistent since the internet company put itself up for sale months ago.
Kirsten Young, channel chief at the application delivery controller specialist, says the company's partner community has increased 25 percent over the past 24 months.
Verizon says unlimited data customers burning through more than 100 GB of data regularly must either move to a tiered data plan or be cut off from the Verizon network.
Two of NetApp's top executives at an executive briefing attended by CRN said the company has weathered storage industry disruptions and is well positioned for the future.
New automation features and functionality allow partners and customers to focus their efforts on business analytics rather than data warehouse administration.
CTG CEO Cliff Bleustein has resigned and been replaced by Bud Crumlish, the longtime head of Strategic Staffing Services, the company's largest business unit.
The telecom giant also saw growth in its small-business customer segment, with CFO John Stephens touting 'strong demand' for secure mobile business solutions.
The 10 Biggest Cloud Outages Of 2016 (So Far)
CRN takes a look at the 10 cloud outages that grabbed headlines in the first half of 2016.
6 Data Center Emerging Vendors You Need To Know About
Although some computing chores have been turned over to cloud systems, data centers remain the core of many IT operations. Here are six startups with intriguing data center technologies that caught our eye.
8 Things You Didn't Know About Cisco's Acquisition And Investment Strategy
Cisco can execute on an acquisition in mere days, led by a global team of 50 people. Here are eight things you didn't know about Cisco's M&A strategy.
Apply now for Enterprise App Awards.
Emerging Vendors
Here we present CRN's 2016 Emerging Vendors list, our annual roundup of up-and-coming technology vendors that are developing innovative new products to meet ever-changing market demands.


text:
DENVER—Interest in the 16M project at the corner of Sixteenth and Market Streets is hot—a total of six leases for commercial space have been executed to date. Construction on the 10-story mixed-use development at this anchor location is well underway with occupancy set for July 2014.
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank is well ahead of the game in terms of leasing out its 130,000 square feet of office space as it has signed a number of major tenants and is in negotiations with several more. "We've had tremendous response for leasing the building," said Newmark Grubb Knight Frank's Jamie A. Gard, "We have about 50,000 square feet of the building pre-leased." While Newmark Grubb Knight Frank is not able to disclose the names of the tenants at this point, the good news for LoDo is that they are all newcomers to the district.
Indicative of a healthy Denver Central Business District (CBD) office market, vacancy in Denver's CBD has continued to decrease to 14.3%, which is the lowest level since 2008. Vacancy in LoDo is very tight at 9.2%, which is the lowest of any submarket or micromarket in the Denver office market. Tenants wanting a LoDo address have limited options in existing product, and Newmark Grubb Knight Frank Research forecasts that continued high demand will drive vacancy below 8% by year-end 2013. It seems the Denver CBD has not only recovered from the Great Recession, it is in expansion mode and is fast approaching equilibrium. With so little new supply in the pipeline, and strong demand, the stage is set for the market to continue to tighten.
Executive Managing Director Jamie A. Gard and Executive Managing Director Nathan R. Johnson at Denver-based Newmark Grubb Knight Frank have been retained as the exclusive leasing and marketing agents for the office portion of the 16M project, www.16MDenver.com.


text:
Ballot Initiatives
US CO: Column: Challenging Retail Pot In Pueblo
US CO: Legal Weed Sparks Debate Over Allowing Pot Clubs
Chronicle AM: New Orleans "Decrim" in Effect, Philippine Drug Executions Accelerate, More... (6/21/16)
The Big Easy goes easy on marijuana possession, a California medical marijuana business is back in operation after a misbegotten raid, Danish cops raid Christiania to little effect, suspected drug dealers are being killed in the Philippines, and more.
[image:1 align:right caption:true]Marijuana Policy
Maine Legalization Foes Unveil New Website. Anti-legalization forces operating as Mainers Protecting Our Youth and Communities have launched a new website aimed at doing in the legalization initiative from the Maine Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. A drop-down menu on the website provides an indication of their approach, with buttons for "Pot Shops on Main Street," "Marijuana Candy," and "Big Marijuana."
New Orleans "Decriminalization" Ordinance Goes Into Effect. A newly passed city ordinance allowing police to cite and fine instead of arrest people caught with small quantities of pot is now in effect in the Big Easy. But not everybody will get a ticket. Those caught with pot in a drug free zone, such as a city park, school, or church will still be charged and jailed.
Medical Marijuana
After Misbegotten Raid, California Medical Marijuana Company Open for Business Again. Sonoma County's Care By Design (CBD) is already back in business after a massive raid including a hundred police officers and DEA agents last week. Business operator Dennis Franklin Hunter was released without charges after initially being held on a $5 million bond. Police raided the business thinking it was using a dangerous and illegal butane extraction process to make cannabis oil, but it was actually using a non-flammable CO2 extraction process. CBD is blaming the botched raid on a disgruntled former employee involved in a competing business.
Danish Cops Raid Christiania's Pusher Street, To No Avail. Police last Friday marched into the Copenhagen hippy enclave, tore down 37 marijuana and hash sales stands, and arrested 18 people, but new stands went up and pot sales recommenced before police even left the scene. The raid is sparking new discussion on marijuana legalization, including from a senior prosecutor in the Copenhagen prosecutor's office. I personally believe we should legalize the sale of cannabis because this is a fight we cannot win," Anna Birgitt Sturup said.
Philippines in Drug Dealer Killing Frenzy. Under the new presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, who earned a reputation as a crime fighter and death squad organizer as the long-time mayor of Davao City, killings of alleged drug dealers are surging. Duterte has vowed to eradicate drugs and other crime within six months and even offered to give medals to citizens who kill them. Police reported killing 11 suspected drug dealers over the weekend, saying they resisted arrest, with more than 40 killed since Duterte was elected on May 9.
US MD: Harris Among Federal Lawmakers Pushing for Medical Pot
Chronicle AM: Supremes Open Door to More Lawless Searches, CA Dems Endorse AUMA, More... (6/20/16)
The Supreme Court hands down a pair of rulings supporting law enforcement powers, the California and Arizona marijuana legalization efforts gain powerful endorsements, the feds give up on trying to bust Fedex for shipping prescription pills, and more.
[image:1 align:left]Marijuana Policy
Arizona Congressman Endorses Legalization Initiative. US Congressman Ruben Gallegos (D-Phoenix) announced Monday that he is endorsing the legalization initiative from the Arizona Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. "Forcing sales of this plant into the underground market has resulted in billions of dollars flowing into the hands of drug cartels and other criminals," Rep. Gallegos said. "We will be far better off if we shift the production and sale of marijuana to taxpaying Arizona businesses subject to strict regulations. It will also allow the state to direct law enforcement resources toward reducing violence and other more serious crimes."
California Democratic Party Endorses Legalization Initiative. Meeting in Long Beach over the weekend, the executive committee of the state Democratic Party voted to endorse the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). The initiative would legalize the possession of up to an ounce of weed, allow limited personal cultivation, and allow regulated commercial cultivation and sales.
Colorado Health Department Reports No Increase in Youth Use. Marijuana use among high school students in the state has not increased since legalization, the Health Department reported Monday. The report was based on a statewide student survey. It found that 21% of students had reported using marijuana, in line with earlier figures from the state and below the national average of nearly 22%.
Medical Marijuana
Congressional Pot Fans, Foes Work Together on New Research Bill. Legalization opponent Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) is joining forces with Congress's "top legal pot advocate," Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) to file a bill to overhaul federal policies on marijuana research. The bill would make it easier for scientists to conduct research on the medical use of marijuana. It hasn't been filed yet, but is expected this week.
Arkansas Initiative Campaign Hands in Signatures. Supporters of the Arkansans for Compassionate Care medical marijuana initiative handed in more than 110,000 raw signatures to state officials in Little Rock Monday. The initiative only needs some 67,000 valid voter signatures to qualify for the November ballot. If as many as 30% of the signatures are found invalid, organizers would still have enough signatures to qualify.
Asset Forfeiture
Oklahoma Governor Delays Using Card Readers to Seize Money. In the wake of a furious outcry over the Highway Patrol's recent use of ERAD card-reading devices to seize money from debit and credit cards, Gov. Mary Fallin (R) last Friday directed the secretary of safety and secure to delay using the the card-readers until the state can develop a clear policy for their use.
Law Enforcement
Supreme Court Opens Door to More Lawless Police Searches. In a pair of decisions released Monday, the US Supreme Court again demonstrated its deference to law enforcement priorities, in one case by expanding an exception to the long-standing ruling requiring that unlawfully gathered evidence be discarded and in another by holding that drug dealers, even those engaged only in street-corner sales, are engaged in interstate commerce.The two decisions expand the ability of local police to skirt the law without effective punishment on the one hand, and allow prosecutors to use the weight of the federal criminal justice system to come down on small-time criminals whose cases would normally be the purview of local authorities on the other. Taken together, the decisions show a high court that once again give great deference to the demands of law enforcement.
Feds Drop Drug Trafficking Case Against Fedex. Federal prosecutors in San Francisco last Friday suddenly moved to drop all criminal charges against the delivery service, which they had accused of knowingly delivering illegal prescription drugs. In court, presiding Judge Charley Breyer said the company was "factually innocent" and that the DEA had failed to provide it with the names of customers who were shipping illegal drugs. "The dismissal is an act, in the court's view, entirely consistent with the government's overarching obligation to seek justice even at the expense of some embarrassment," Breyr said, according to a transcript of the hearing.
US MA: Stopping Pot: Growing Opposition To Legalization
US NV: Column: Here Come The Drug Legalizers - Again
US CA: OPED: Legalizing Marijuana Would Create a
US CA: Editorial: So Far, So Good on Cannabis Cultivation
Chronicle AM: Times of London Calls for Drug Decrim, Microsoft Enters MJ Business, More... (6/17/16)
Three reports on marijuana policy are released, Microsoft gets in the marijuana business, the Times of London calls for drug decriminalization and hints at legalization, a Thai minister reiterates his call for regulating meth, and more.
[image:1 align:right]Marijuana Policy
Brookings Institution Releases Research Papers on Legalization and Regulation. One paper is "Bootleggers, Baptists, bureaucrats, and bongs: How special interests will shape marijuana legalization," in which Brookings Senior Fellows Philip Wallach and Jonathan Rauch ask: Why did marijuana legalization recently break through in the face of what had long been overwhelming interest-group resistance? How might key social and bureaucratic actors reorganize and reassert themselves, and as legalization ushers in a "new normal" of marijuana-related regulation and lobbying, what kinds of pitfalls and opportunities lie ahead? The second paper is "Worry about bad marijuana -- not Big Marijuana," in which Rauch and Senior Fellow John Hudak examine a concern that many critics and proponents of marijuana legalization share: the potential emergence of Big Marijuana, a corporate lobby akin to Big Tobacco that recklessly pursues profits and wields sufficient clout to shape regulation to its liking. Hudak and Rauch ultimately argue against alarmism, concluding that "policy should concern itself with harmful practices, not with industry structure, and it should begin with a presumption of neutrality on issues of corporate size and market structure."
Transnational Institute Releases Report on Marijuana Regulation and UN Treaties. The report, "Cannabis Regulation and the UN Drug Treaties: Strategies for Reform," which was compiled by a group of experts in the United States, Mexico, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United Kingdom, makes clear that the problem is not that countries are pursuing reforms to legally regulate cannabis, but rather the antiquated drug treaty provisions that explicitly block such reforms. Overcoming that hurdle, the report argues, does not require a global consensus to rewrite the UN drug treaties -- a difficult task under current conditions -- but can be achieved by procedures available to individual countries and groups of countries under international law.
Microsoft Enters the Marijuana Business. The tech giant announced Thursday that is forming a partnership with a marijuana-focused software company called Kind Financial, which provides "seed to sale" services for marijuana growers. The move makes Microsoft the first major tech company to get involved with the growing legal marijuana industry.
Michigan Legalizers Sue Over 180-Window for Signatures. MI Legalize, the group seeking to get its legalization initiative on the November ballot, filed suit Thursday in the state Court of Claims seeking to overturn a new law and an old policy that render invalid any signatures gathered outside of a 180-day window. Michigan officials ruled that the campaign came up short after they rejected signatures from the beginning of the petition drive because they had been gathered outside that window.
Medical Marijuana
New Jersey Assembly Passes PTSD Bill. The Assembly approved the bill Thursday, and a Senate committee approved a similar measure the same day. The bills would allow patients suffering from PTSD to use medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation.
Asset Forfeiture
Delaware Legislature Passes Mild Asset Forfeiture Reform Bill. The Senate unanimously approved House Bill 309, which would force the state's Special Law Enforcement Assistance Fund to disclose the specific items and programs its civil asset forfeiture fund paid for. The measure has already passed the House and goes to the desk of Gov. Jack Markell (D). A bill that would have abolished civil forfeiture was filed, but never moved this year.
The Times of London Calls for Drug Decriminalization, Hints at Legalization. England's most prestigious newspaper has declared itself in favor of treating drug use and possession as a public health issue rather than a criminal one. In a leading article, "Breaking Good", the paper supported the call earlier this week from the Royal Society for Public Health for drug decriminalization. The newspaper said that although it is "radical advice," it is "sound" and ministers should "give it serious consideration." In an editorial in the same issue, the Times went a step further: "The government should be encouraged to think of decriminalization not as an end in itself but as a first step towards legalizing and regulating drugs as it already regulates alcohol and tobacco."
Thai Minister Defends Call for Legalizing Meth. Facing criticism, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya held firm Friday to his call to regulate instead of prohibit methamphetamine. He said it is impossible to eliminate dangerous drugs, so there should be a proper way to live with them. He added that crackdowns on users and sellers had filled the country's prisons, but not prevented drug use.
US CA: Pot Exhibit Is A Budding Success
US WI: Marijuana Supporters Pushing For Binding Referendum
US CO: Group Files Petitions to Ban Pueblo Recreational
US OR: Column: Cannabis News Roundup
US CA: Pot For Sale?
US CA: Column: Marijuana's Billionaire Bogeyman
Medical Marijuana Update
Ohio becomes the newest medical marijuana state, but you can't smoke it; a pair of contending Arkansas initiatives are coming up on a signature turn-in deadline; DPA identifies problems with New York's medical marijuana program, and more.
[image:1 align:right]Arkansas
As of Wednesday, a pair of medical marijuana initiative campaigns are facing a ticking clock. Two separate medical marijuana initiative campaigns have until July 8 to get enoughvoter signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act of 2016 campaign says it has gathered some 70,000 signatures so far. It needs 67,000 valid ones to qualify. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016 says it has 40,000 signatures; because it is a constitutional amendment, it needs 85,000 valid signatures to qualify.
Last Wednesday, Ohio became the newest medical marijuana state. Gov. John Kasich (R) last Wednesday signed into law a medical marijuana bill that allows use of full plant material, but not in smokeable form. Under the new law, it should take up to two years for Ohioans to see the first medical marijuana dispensaries.
New York
On Tuesday, the Drug Policy Alliance scorched the state's medical marijuana program. In a new report, Assessing New York's Medical Marijuana Program: Problems of Patient Access and Affordability, the Drug Policy Alliance finds severe problems with patient and caregiver access under the program. The report, which relied on patient surveys, finds that more than half of patients and caregivers had not yet found a doctor to certify them and 60% of those had been looking for three to four months for a physicians. Also, more than three-quarters (77%) said they could not afford their medicine. DPA recommends further legislation to improve the program and urges the Health Department to provide more information about the implementation and performance of the program.
On Tuesday, a lawsuit challenging the state's folding of medical marijuana into the recreational sales system was filed. Seattle attorney and marijuana activist Douglas Hiatt has filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to block the July1 implementation of the Cannabis Patient Protection Act, arguing that the law's folding of medical marijuana into the recreational marijuana market will cause harm to patients.
[For extensive information about the medical marijuana debate, presented in a neutral format, visit MedicalMarijuana.ProCon.org.]
Chronicle AM: CA ACLU Endorses AUMA, Nadelmann Testifies at Senate Hearing, More... (6/15/16)
Summer is here, and the initiative campaigns are heating up, DPA head Ethan Nadelmann slams drug prohibition at the Capitol, New York legislators announce agreement on a heroin and prescription opioids package, and more.
[image:1 align:right]Marijuana Policy
Arizona Anti-Legalization Group Gets Big Donation From Electric Utility. A group organized to defeat the Arizona Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol's legalization initiative has received a $10,000 donation from the state's largest electric utility. Arizona Public Services made the donation to Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy because the company is concerned about employment law language in the measure, "especially considering the public safety aspects involved in providing reliable electric service to APS customers. But the initiative's language says "[it] does not affect the ability of employers to enact and enforce workplace policies restricting the consumption of marijuana and marijuana products by employees."
California ACLU Formally Endorses AUMA Legalization Initiative.The ACLU of California Tuesday endorsed the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). "The disastrous war on marijuana in California continues to ensnare thousands of people -- particularly young people of color -- in the criminal justice system every year," said Margaret Dooley-Sammuli, criminal justice and drug policy director with the ACLU of California. "It is time to move from prohibition to regulation. AUMA will establish a controlled and regulated market for adults, significantly reduce the harm done to young people under current marijuana laws, and generate substantial revenue for drug education and for the communities most devastated by the war on drugs."
Medical Marijuana
Arkansas Initiative Campaigns Face Ticking Clock. Two separate medical marijuana initiative campaigns have until July 8 to get enoughvoter signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act of 2016 campaign says it has gathered some 70,000 signatures so far. It needs 67,000 valid ones to qualify. The Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment of 2016 says it has 40,000 signatures; because it is a constitutional amendment, it needs 85,000 valid signatures to qualify.
Washington Lawsuit Challenges New State Medical Marijuana Law. Seattle attorney and marijuana activist Douglas Hiatt has filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to block the July1 implementation of the Cannabis Patient Protection Act, arguing that the law's folding of medical marijuana into the recreational marijuana market will cause harm to patients.
Heroin and Prescription Opioids
New York Leaders Reach Agreement on Heroin, Opioids Bill Package. Legislative leaders announced Tuesday they had agreed on a package of bills aimed at growing heroin and prescription opioid use in the state. The bills would mandate insurance coverage for overdose reversal drugs, ease getting insurance coverage for drug treatment, and reduce prescription limits for opioids from 30 days to seven days, among other provisions.
Drug Policy
Ethan Nadelmann Testifies at US Senate Committee Hearing. The Drug Policy Alliance head testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee as part of a round table on drug policy. "The war on drugs in this country and around the world has been a monumental disaster," Nadelmann said. "We developed an addiction. It was an addiction to drug war thinking, drug war ideology, and drug war policies." Nadelmann wasn't alone in criticizing drug prohibition; Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) also criticized it, saying prohibition now fuels drug cartels, just as alcohol prohibiton fueled gangsters.
Dutch Justice Minister Rejects Study Calling for Legal Marijuana Production. Justice Minister Ard van der Steur told members of parliament that last week's study finding legalizing pot production would have public health and human rights benefits would have no impact on his government's policies regarding cannabis cafes. The conservative government has moved to restrict them and refused to countenance creating a legal supply system for them.