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|If consumers are willing to accept more variability in price, they can get a discount from a flat base rate because the cost of delivering service goes down
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Back to Markets and Pricing Index
1. Background
2. Acronyms/Definitions
3. Business Case
4. Benefits
5. Risks/Issues
6. Case Studies
7. Success Factors
8. Next Steps
9. Links
- The Smart Grid is not all about technology and consumers will not be engaged to change their energy use behavior without financial motivation. Today most consumers pay the same rate for electricity regardless of when they use it or the actual cost.
- On the consumer side, dynamic pricing can lower costs and improve reliability. Currently, on a hot day when the electric system is strained, Flex Your Power puts out alerts and the California ISO calls on consumers to voluntarily cut their usage. These voluntary appeals are helpful to shave demand. However, dynamic pricing gives a customer an even stronger motivation to respond.
- However, no customer is calling saying "I want smart pricing." Educating customers, offering them tools, providing temporary bill protection and offering a menu of dynamic pricing rates needs to be part of the solution.
2. Acronyms/Definitions
- Climate Zone – Based on altitude and temperatures for summer and winter, utility service territories are divided into climate zones that reflect the average energy consumption within each zone. Different climates create different energy needs, so baseline allowances vary by climate zone.
- Baseline – The starting point in tiered pricing rates. Baseline allowances account for 50% to 70% of the average residential consumption within a baseline zone. Additional baseline allowances are available for customers with special medical requirements.
- CARE - California Alternate Rates for Energy - CARE rates are discounted for low income customers
- Contract Demand - . At the outset of starting a commercial or industrial account, you may be required to sign a document committing to a specified demand.
- CPP – Critical Peak Pricing - Critical Peak Pricing programs offers lower electricity rates in return for setting a rate 3 to 5 times higher than the regular rate on up to twelve "Critical Peak" afternoons during the summer. Generally, the declaration is made one day in advance, but in some cases it is made just an hour before the higher rate goes into effect. Generally, the retail provider is limited – either by regulation or contract – in the number of peak days it can call in a year. At all other times, CPP customers are charged a non-dynamic rate, which may be time-invariant or may be time-of-use (TOU) based. Some CPP programs have multiple levels of critical peaks and associated retail prices, such as "peak" days and "super-peak" days, with the expectation that the higher-price days would be called less frequently. In California, Most classes have optional CPP rates.
- CRL – Customer Specific Reference Level - Used to calculate PTR discounts
- Demand Limit - Configurable limit by customer subscription Not a common pricing structure in US, but it is in Europe
- Demand Charges - Recover capacity-related costs. In California, demand charges are only used for larger customers. For smaller customers, demand charges are recovered through energy charges
- Energy Charges - Recover variable costs of generation. Energy charges vary by TOU period based on old PX hourly price variation; this may change with MRTU
- Free Rider Savings - Structural savings in a PTR program. These are rebates that customers would receive as a consequence of ordinary variation in their daily energy usage (e.g., if they happen to be on vacation on the day a PTR event is called, but were home during the period reflected in their CRL allowance). Customers will realize additional bill savings under the PTR program if they initiate real demand reduction efforts in response to PTR calls. In practice, each customer will realize a combination of bill savings under PTR (structural and demand response), although such effects must be estimated statistically and could never be measured independently for each household.
- IHD – In Home Display - With respect to TURN's assumption that a customer must purchase an IHD to participate in PTR, PG&E indicates that it has budgeted funds to provide continued support of education and event notification, such as public service messages and press releases. Thus, according to PG&E, although IHDs are critical as an additional notification channel, a portion of PG&E's customers (particularly in high density urban areas like the San Francisco Bay Area) may learn about PTR events through other media.
- OAT – Ordinarily Applicable Tariff - Base rate from which CCP and PTR are calculated.
- Peak Demand - A measure of the capacity you require and that your utility is committed to meet under its franchise charter. Your electric meter makes measurements recorded at 15 minute intervals and the peak recorded demand in a billing cycle is what your utility will charge you for. Think of demand as the diameter of a water pipe and the current as water flowing through it.
That said, tariffs can get a little intricate. There can be time of day rates where you can be billed for peak demands measured during on-peak, shoulder-peak and off-peak hours. Also in regions where capacity is tight, you may find yourself subject to a ratchet whereby your peak annual demand may impact your cost for the next year. Example: If your peak annual demand is 100 kW and there is an 80% ratchet, your minimum billing demand from that billing cycle forward for the next 11 months will be 80 kW. Now if your actual metered demand during those cycles is >=80 kW, no issue - you pay for what you used. But if demand is <80 kW, you pay for the capacity that the utility has obligated itself to meet. The higher the percent of the ratchet the more likely the ratchet will be invoked as the minimum billing demand.
- PDP - Peak Day Pricing - A new pricing plan in response to a statewide initiative led by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for the reduction of peak energy demand. PDP encourages customers to conserve energy when the grid is at or near capacity by rewarding customers who are able to reduce and/or shift their energy use to non-peak periods. PDP offers customers the option of getting power at a reduced price most of the time, if they agree to pay higher prices when the utility is facing peak demand.
- PTR - Peak Time Rebate - An incentive for load reduction equivalent to the penalty for increased use under a CPP rate. This formula will be used for California Residential customers instead of a CPP because of legal restrictions in AB1x. Peak time rebate (PTR) is sometimes described as an inverted CPP rate and provides rebates to participants to reduce electricity use during days when electricity demand is the highest (critical peak days). PTR could also be considered a mass-market equivalent of the emergency DR option. The dispatch for PTR is the same as that for CPP. If customers fail to curtail during the event, there is no penalty; the customer simply does not receive the rebate. Like CPP, participants can be notified of critical peak days either a day in advance or on the day of the event
- RTP – Real Time Pricing - Under RTP programs, the retail customer is charged prices that change at short intervals, generally each hour, but in some cases as often as every five minutes. In most cases, those prices are set one day in advance, but in some cases the price is set an hour or less in advance, and reflects real-time supply/demand balance even more accurately. RTP requires hourly market price signals to be sent to the end-use customer. This in turn requires a wholesale hourly electricity market which poses difficulties for implementing RTP.
- Tiered Pricing – Higher rates for higher use. The more you use, the more you pay. The starting point is "Baseline" amount. Specific to climate zones
- TURN – Toward Utility Rate Normalization - Consumer Advocacy Group which questions the business cases of smart grid investments.
- Two-Tier PTR Incentive Design - Participants with enabling technology such as automated load reductions devices will be paid a higher incentives to than participants without such devices or displays. Designed to minimize free-ridership. Approved for SDG&E, SCE and PG&E. PG&E is concerned about practical issues for establishing, enforcing and monitoring a two-tier incentive program. For instance:
- How will the required technology measures be identified (and updated)?
- How will individual customers' adoption of such measures be known and confirmed?
- TOU – Time of Use - Higher Rates in peak and part peak, lower rates in off-peak
- PG&E and SCE have 6-hour summer on-peak. SDG&E has 7-hour summer on-peak. There are no winter on-peak periods
- Customers over 200 kW have TOU rates, 100 kW for SDG&E. There are optional TOU rates for most customers
- SCE and PG&E have interruptible rates for large customers and A/C cycling; SCE has agricultural pump cycling PG&E's AC cycling is new
- Seasonal Rate – In California, summer demand is higher than winter, so rates are higher. All California utilities have seasonal rates. SDG&E is changing its summer season to May-October. SCE's summer is June-Sept. PG&E's summer is May-October
- VPP – Variable Peak Pricing - Options to buy electricity at a fixed price. A form of a TOU pricing that allows customers to purchase their generation supply from at prices set on a daily basis. Standard on-peak and off-peak time-of-use rates are in effect throughout the month. Under the VPP program, the on-peak price for each weekday will be available the previous day (typically late afternoon) on the utility's web site. The customers is billed for actual consumption during the billing cycle at these prices.
Policy and Economic Issues in Dynamic Electricity Pricing - Severin Borenstein Professor UC Berkeley Haas School of Business Director UC Energy Institute April 11, 2007
Advances in metering, sensors, and automated response continue to lower the costs and raise the potential benefits of dynamic retail electricity pricing. Political opposition, however, has slowed the transition to these more efficient pricing policies. This webinar analyzes the potential benefits from dynamic pricing and the concerns about wealth transfers and risk to customers and utilities.
3. Business Case
- Ask people to describe the smart grid's two biggest benefits and they will typically answer "demand response" and "energy efficiency." Trouble is, both of them depend on dynamic pricing for maximum impact. People really start changing behavior when prices give them incentives and penalties.
But here's the problem -- very few jurisdictions have implemented dynamic pricing for residential customers. Even though there's lots of objective data about the benefits, most PUCs are afraid to approve dynamic pricing due to potential consumer backlash. Not that it matters, since most utilities don't ask for it.
- A Smart Grid is a key enabler in communicating peak prices to consumers; with the goal of peak reduction. Tariffs should reflect the cost of service at different times of day and create the incentives to respond. For example:
- Off-peak (9pm-10am) 3 cents
- Intermediate(10am -12pm and 7pm – 9pm) 6 cents
- On-peak (12pm – 7pm) 13 cents
- Critical (5 hrs/day max 120 hrs/yr max) 60 cents
- Ahmad Faruqui (principal of The Brattle Group)is an economist and leading expert on dynamic pricing. At a recent conference, he outlined these dynamic pricing myths - and truths:
- Myth 1: Residential consumers don't reduce peak demand in response to dynamic pricing? As proven in over 70 pilots, the reduction ranges up to 58% and averages about 20%.
- Myth 2: Customer response does not persist over time? Since 1990, a half million customers at two Arizona utilities (Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service) have been on time-of-use prices, taking action to reduce their peak load, etc. Other programs have shown persistent response to critical peak prices and rebates for heat waves lasting two or three consecutive days.
- Myth 3: Dynamic pricing hurts low income customers? Over 90% of low income customers saved money in the various pilots. For PowerCentsDC, where low income customers participated only in the critical peak rebate option, 100% of these customers saved money.
- Myth 4: Customers don't understand dynamic pricing? Historically many examples of popular dynamically priced services abound — from long distance phone call charges (remember that?), to cell phones, air fares, hotel rooms, and more. Dynamic pricing is even in parking meters, which often specify a daytime price and free nighttime use.
- Myth 5: Customers don't want dynamic pricing? Surveys of customers who have no experience with dynamic electricity pricing show that 40-80% report that they do want this option. Similarly, in pilot and ongoing dynamic pricing programs, typically 80% of participating consumers report that they like dynamic prices — and about 90% would recommend it to family and friends.
- Myth 6: Customers have never encountered Dynamic Pricing ? DP is common in everyday life: the plain old parking meter and daytime parking in large cities, tolls on major bridges, sporting events, airline seats, hotel rooms, rental cars and cell phones.
- Myth 7: Customers don't want Dynamic Pricing? ;When customers are asked if they want DP, the majority say no since they only think of high prices and volatile prices. However, when they have lived through it, either in fullscale programs or in pilot settings, the vast majority say yes. There have been over 100 dynamic pricing pilot programs in the US. In follow-up surveys, 80% of the customers prefer the new prices to their old rates.
- Myth 8: Dynamic Pricing does not work in restructured markets? It has been tested and offered in a variety of markets. The most recent examples come from Connecticut, the
District of Columbia, Illinois and Maryland.
- Myth 9: Dynamic Pricing pilots are invalid because of selection bias? In the best pilots, treatments groups and control groups were picked randomly to be representative of the population at large. Pre-treatment measurements were taken to net out any preexisting differences between the treatment and control groups. Analysis of three recent pilots shows that the impacts are not affected when the control group is removed from the estimation of impact.
- Myth 10: It is much better to pursue direct load control? Direct load control (DLC) only applies to customers who have air conditioning or water heating; other end-uses in the home are not incentivized to respond during critical events. Payments are made whether or not events are called and without smart meters, it is hard to verify that the controlled load has actually responded. Traditionally, direct load control is only triggered by reliability events. In general, Dynamic Pricing can yield higher load responsiveness when combined with enabling technology than DLC and it can be triggered by either economic or reliability event.
- Myth 1: Residential consumers don't reduce peak demand in response to dynamic pricing? As proven in over 70 pilots, the reduction ranges up to 58% and averages about 20%.
The Clash of the Dynamic Pricing Titans: Faruqui v Toney - Part 1 from Judith Schwartz on Vimeo.
A spirited debate on the pros, cons, and common ground for Smart Meter, Smart Grid and dynamic pricing deployment. Featuring Dr. Ahmad Faruqui of The Brattle Group and Dr. Mark Toney of TURN. The discussion is moderated by Judith Schwartz of To the Point.
The event was sponsored by the Kellogg Alumni Club. Recorded in San Francisco 2.17.2011
4. Benefits
- Save Consumers Money - We are all paying an insurance premium to make energy available in the peak. Dynamic pricing also provides customers with a chance to lower their energy bills by curtailing peak period usage and/or shifting it to off-peak periods. They can also help to lower prices in wholesale markets and to mitigate market power being exercised by a few generators.
Wholesale electricity prices vary as often as every hour. However, these prices are up to 15% lower than the energy component of retail prices, according to research by Dr. Bernie Neenan, an economist with the Electric Power Research Institute. This is because retail prices include a premium to cover the retailer's cost of hedging the wholesale price risk.
- Improves Reliability by reducing peak demand
- Increases Equity - Provides a more equitable pricing by reducing costs to customers with lower-than-average peak usage who are currently subsidizing customers with higher-than- average peak usage. Communicates actual system costs more clearly. In the current rate structure, consumers in an area that may require an investment receive no signal in their retail rates that their growing electric use is leading to a significant cost that will be borne by all ratepayers in the franchise area.
- Encourages energy efficiency and conservation
- Reduces Capital Requirements – By reduces use on peak, dynamic pricing offsets the need for expensive peaking capacity. If regulators recognize the need for some grid investment long before they are actually asked to permit a transmission line, they can design rates that send a signal to consumers. For example, they can authorize the utility to offer credits to customers who take certain actions to delay the need for the line.
- Help Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions. In California, when wholesale energy prices are high, the most inefficient and polluting power plants are operating. Dynamic pricing can discourage consumers from using power at peak times, and thus utilities won't have to fire up those less efficient power plants. Also, if the state's wind turbines are spinning at full speed, a customer on dynamic pricing could see low prices, letting them know that it's a good time to run their equipment.
- Leverages Smart Meters - Dynamic pricing will enable consumers to get significant value from their new meters. PG&E needs to put in place dynamic pricing rates now because PG&E is rolling out new Smart Meters to all of its customers. PG&E expects to finish deployment of its Smart Meters by 2012.
- Benefits from Future Enabling Technology - Over the long run, customers may have access to more enabling technology allowing them to respond more easily to PTR rates and increase their resulting demand response. For these reasons, the CPUC concluded that the demand elasticity for the SCE PTR settlement agreement business case could be based on elasticity calculated from CPP rates and are assumed to remain stable over time, and are reasonable for the purposes of estimating future energy savings from PTR rates and their associated benefits.
- Legal Constraints - Some customers need to be protected from free market. New York law prohibits mandatory time-of-use rates. Enacted during California utility crisis of 2000-01, AB 1X prohibited residential customers to be placed on a mandatory rate schedule or overlay that can result in higher bills for Tier 1 and Tier 2 usage. The limitations created by AB 1X meant that dynamic pricing programs that could potentially increase customer bills (e.g., CPP) may only be offered to residential customers on a voluntary basis.
In October 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger signed bill, SB695, allows rates to rise again in those first two tiers, to a limited degree. Bills can rise by the same amount as the rate of inflation - as tracked by the consumer price index - plus 1 percent. The total increase can not exceed 5 percent per year.
The same bill also allows a limited return to a policy called direct access, which let power customers buy from companies other than the utilities. Direct access was part of California's disastrous experiment with electricity deregulation in the 1990s, but the state suspended it in the wake of the electricity crisis. Under SB695, the state will now allow direct access to grow again, but only to the level it reached before the crisis, as measured by the total amount of electricity sold under direct access contracts. Importantly, the Act does not eliminate the existing prohibition on Direct Access; it merely directs the California Public Utilities Commission to consider and develop limited Direct Access rules in the coming months.
- Winners and Losers - Some customers may have concerns about dynamic pricing increasing their rates. Dynamic Pricing has become a political football. Low cost electricity any time the consumer wants to use it can be seen as an entitlement. Using ratemaking and retail incentives to address system needs appears to some as undue price discrimination, and is thus a controversial topic in some parts of the country.
- Unfair Impact on Low Income Consumers - Consumer groups argue that dynamic pricing will disproportionately affect the unemployed, the poor, and the elderly, who may be less able to reorder their energy usage or purchase expensive smart appliances that could facilitate more use of off-peak power. Electricity is an essential service. Heating and/or cooling in different climates are essential to life. If the cost of electricity at peak times is too much for some consumers to pay, is it better that:
(a) All consumers pay less for electricity at peak times; or
(b) The price of electricity is set based on actual costs , and social / hardship policies are in place to help those who are vulnerable in society to pay for their electricity
- Consumer Cynicism - Basically, utility consumers don't trust the utilities. When rates change, they assume that the utilities are trying to gouge them. The gist of a cynical view is, "We'll use your taxes to pay to install expensive meters that utilities cannot cost-justify, and these meters have the sole value of enabling TOU readings.
"Then our lobbyists will lean on rate-setting bodies to raise your rates. Then you consumers will pay for it all, first with your taxes, then with higher electric bills ever afterwards."
"Finally, we vendors will try to sell you gizmos that enable you to turn off the juice when prices are highest, to soften the impact."
- Electricity Seen as a Right - Many factions who traditionally claim to staunchly support the value of free market forces seem to be very vocal that market pricing of electricity via TOU rates is some sort of government/utility conspiracy to deprive people of their inalienable right to electricity and the pursuit of happiness.
- Transparency - Customers are not really aware that the price they pay for electricity today includes a significant risk premium for insuring them against wholesale price volatility. Effectively, policy-makers have made this choice for them. What the policy-makers have failed to communicate to customers is that the average price of electricity will go down if dynamic pricing is introduced.
- Lack of Feedback - Today consumers have very little information about their energy use
- Cost/Benefit Analysis - How will the costs and benefits of dynamic pricing be evaluated? Are the tests that have long been used to evaluate other demand side programs sufficient or should they be modified by including the concept of consumer surplus in the net benefits equation?
- Customer Participation - Not all customers aware of PTR events are likely to reduce load in response to a program event. SCE argues that the figure is 50%, while TURN counters it is more likely to be 25% TURN calls into question the applicability of participation rates from the State Pilot Program (SPP) because the SPP population differs from the general population of the state in that they have already shown a willingness to voluntarily participate in demand response programs, and are therefore more likely to participate than typical customers.
- PTR Incentives Unproven - Current evidence does not provide a definite picture of customer behavior under a PTR rate, since such rates are not currently in widespread use.
- Victoria, Australia - The state of Victoria has a mandatory Smart Meter rollout plan and it is on its way to over 3 million meters. In March, 2010, the government placed a moratorium on TOU.
In Australia, critical peak is due to air conditioners. Peak demand is around noon. Consumer advocacy groups raised hell about pensioners, disabled, infirm, etc. Those who cannot reduce power consumption at that time. They account for 15% of the consumer population. The lesson?
Utilities are charged with implementing energy policy. Social policy is someone else's role, but if left unresolved substantial criticism, bad press and backlash will be the result.
In 2004, the Essential Services Commission of Victoria, Australia (ESC) mandated interval meters for 2.6 million Victorian electricity customers. The rollout commenced in mid 2009 and is forecast to be completed by the end of 2013. In 2009 the Victorian Auditor General undertook a review of the program and found that there were "significant inadequacies" in advice to Government and that project governance "has not been appropriate". In May 2010 it was reported that the program was expected to cost $500 million more than originally estimated with a total cost of $1.6 billion
In March 2010, the Victorian Energy Minister Peter Batchelor announced that there will be a moratorium on the introduction of Time of Use tariffs because of concerns pensioners and the poor would be hardest hit by higher electricity prices. Mr Batchelor made the announcement, an election-year embarrassment for the government, after meeting representatives of the poor, including St Vincent de Paul and the Victorian Council of Social Service (VCSS). Consequently meters installed in Victoria have limited smart functionality with neither interval data nor the Home Area Network being available for households making realising consumer benefits uncertain.
Charity groups estimate the meters, dubbed "dumb meters" by the state opposition could increase a household's annual electricity bill by more than $250 a year. Victorian Auditor-General Des Pearson savaged the scheme in a report to Parliament late in 2009, saying "There has been insufficient analysis to fully understand potential perverse outcomes, risks and unintended consequences for consumers," VCOSS chief executive Cath Smith said Mr Batchelor had recognised that people who spend a lot of time at home during the day or who could not shift their energy use to off-peak times could suffer. Ms Smith said the elderly, long-term unemployed and people with disabilities might be hit hardest by the new pricing plan. "It's imperative the impacts of time-of-use pricing are investigated and measures are put in place to ensure low-income and disadvantaged households are not worse off," she said.
In November 2010 the Victorian Labor Party was voted out of State Government. The incoming Coalition Party stated that the program would be reviewed and the Auditor General's recommendations implemented specifically commenting on program governance, customer data protection and cost recovery. In January 2011 the Energy Minister Michael O'Brien said he was not ruling out a suspension of the program.
- California Dynamic Pricing Plan - To efficiently manage the impacts of heightened demand for electricity, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has mandated that all Investor Owned Utilities pursue Time Varying Pricing as a way to support the state's energy and greenhouse gas reduction requirements. This mandate transitions all business customers in the state from flat pricing plans to time varying pricing plans that align customers' price of energy with the cost of energy at the time it is used.
In February 2010, The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) adopted new rate structures for commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers of PG&E as part of an effort to implement dynamic electricity prices for all California consumers. These rates are designed to reflect the cost of electricity production during periods of high demand. When combined with PG&E's Smart Meters, these rates will provide an opportunity for customers to lower their bills while improving system reliability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Click here for the complete proposal.
Beginning November 1, 2011, many commercial and industrial customers will begin moving to new Peak Day Pricing rates. Customers on these rates will pay different prices for electricity depending on the time of day. On the few hottest days of the year, prices for electricity used between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. will increase further. However, PG&E will notify customers about these peak days one day in advance, so customers can plan accordingly. All customers who participate in the Peak Day Pricing program will have options to reduce the uncertainty that these rates may cause. For example, customers will have an option that protects them for the first year they are on the new rate if their electricity costs for the year are higher because they are on the Peak Day Pricing rate versus when they were on their old rate structure. Customers can also opt out of the Peak Day Pricing rate anytime within the first year of participation if they feel the rate is not working for them. Customers that choose to stay on the rate can also use conservation efforts or move their usage to other times to limit their exposure to these peak time rates.
- There will be between nine and 15 Peak Day Pricing event days per calendar year.
- All customers that are defaulted to, or choose, Peak Day Pricing rates will be afforded bill stabilization for the first year, unless they choose to waive such protection. All customers subject to Peak Day Pricing will have a hedging option to reduce bill volatility.
- Customers who are on Peak Day Pricing rates may opt out any time during the first year they are on such rates.
- High Demand customers Monthly Demand ≥200kW
Transition to PDP started May 2010
E-19, E-20, A-10, E-37 rate schedules
- Large Agricultural customers Monthly Demand ≥200kW
Transition to PDP starts February 2011
- Small/Medium Agricultural customers Monthly Demand up to 200kW
Transition to TOU starts March 2013
- Small/Medium Business customers Monthly Demand up to 200kW
Transition to PDP starts November 2012
- PG&E Commercial and industrial customers of any size who participate in either SmartRate™ or Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) will also transition to PDP
- California Opposition to Peak Day Pricing - In February 2011 The Division of Ratepayer Advocates (DRA), an independent consumer advocacy division of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), and the California Small Business Association (CSBA), a non-profit small business advocacy group, requested that the CPUC revisit its decision to direct PG&E to place 500,000 small business customers on a dynamic pricing program beginning in November 2011. They claimed program will likely lead to disruption and higher costs to small businesses.
They noted that more than 90 percent of PG&E's small business customers currently pay a flat electric rate, and the vast majority of small business customers have had no experience with time-varying electric rates. Yet, the dynamic pricing program is extremely complex for customers to understand and prevents small businesses from being able to plan for the cost of electricity. DRA and CSBA favor rate design programs where electricity prices are predictable and easy to understand.
Regarding why her organization is petitioning the CPUC, Betty Jo Toccoli, President of CSBA, said, "California lost 1.4 million jobs over the last four years and the state's unemployment rate is over 12 percent. With dynamic pricing, small businesses will send workers home, tell workers not to come into work or pay large electric bills for using power on peak days. Small business is the engine of our economy. We need policies that will promote job retention and job growth by small businesses, promote economic recovery, and help small businesses use electricity efficiently every day, not just on peak days."
Despite an intensive utility education campaign, 62 percent of large business customers have opted out of dynamic pricing in favor of a simpler time-of-use (TOU) pricing largely based on businesses' own experience with time-varying rates. PG&E has reported many difficulties in communicating the features of dynamic pricing to even its largest business customers, many of which have dedicated energy experts on staff. Additionally, one of the assumptions underlying mandatory dynamic pricing was that there would be a variety of new products, services, and programs that would enable small business owners to reduce their usage during peak periods. This has yet to happen.
The joint petition filed by DRA and CSBA asks the CPUC to consider a gradual transition to the more customer-friendly time-of-use pricing for small businesses, rather than implement dynamic pricing on a fixed timetable beginning in November 2011. Customers should not be transitioned until certain readiness conditions are met, including customer understanding of the rate structure, a reasonable level of voluntary participation, and a low level of customer complaints. Furthermore, the availability of reasonably-priced supporting technologies such as "smart appliances" could provide customers the ability to change their electricity use in order to take advantage of or not be harmed by rates that vary by time.
Current evidence does not provide a definite picture of customer behavior under a PTR rate, since such rates are not currently in widespread use. TURN argues that a priori one would expect customers to consume less under a CPP rate than under a PTR rate because the consequence of peak consumption under CPP rates is likely to be more attention getting for the customer, and that expensive consumption will run into the customer's budget constraint. On the other hand, the customer under PTR rates faces no adverse consequence from continuing to consume, and that extra consumption at the lower OAT does not impact budget constraint.
Under a CPP rate, the charge on each kWh consumed during the peak period on an event day is the OAT plus the CPP adder of 60¢/kWh. So if the OAT is 16¢, a customer would be charged 76¢ for each kWh consumed during the peak event (a "stick," accompanied by a "carrot" of tariff reductions on other kWh consumed). Under a PTR rate, the customer is charged the OAT on each kWh consumed during the event peak period (e.g., 16¢), but receives a credit of 60¢/kWh for each kWh saved compared to a reference level. TURN states that while the marginal incentive to save a kWh is the same between the CPP and PTR rates, the marginal price to consume a kWh is far higher under the CPP rate (76¢) versus the PTR rate (16¢).
TURN also argues that quantitative evidence supports the theory that a combination of a lack of a penalty for increased use combined with a low absolute level of savings available under a PTR rate would over time discourage customers from reducing usage under a PTR rate. SCE counters that TURN's position has no empirical basis, and provides analyses that the demand elasticity computed for CPP under the SPP are "statistically indistinguishable" from the elasticity of PTR pilots conducted elsewhere.
- PowerCentsDC - was an advanced or "smart" meter pilot program for approximately 800 to 900 residential customers. The program began in mid-July 2008, and ended in October 2009. It was sponsored by Smart Meter Pilot Program, Inc., a non-profit organization comprised of the Consumer Utility Board, the District of Columbia Office of the People's Counsel, the District of Columbia Public Service Commission, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Pepco.
PowerCentsDC ended in October 2009 after operating for two summers and one winter. It gathered sufficient information regarding customer response to residential smart pricing to serve as a guide to future program design. SMPPI documented the results in the final report and shared their findings with District and national policymakers who are exploring long-term policy options involving smart metering.
- Consistent with other pilots, PowerCentsDC showed more consumers reduced summer usage in response to dynamic prices, energy information and automatic control.
- CPP prices led to the greatest reduction in peak demand
- CPR prices were the most popular
- Customers with limited-income signed up at a greater rate than others, reduced peak demand very slightly less than others, and saved money on the program.
- Summer peak reductions were greater than winter implying greater discretionary load
- Automated response via smart thermostats increased the reduction
- The vast majority of participants saved money even though the program was designed to be revenue neutral.
- Over 93% of participants who expressed a preference preferred PowerCentsDC to over Pepco's standard offer service.
- Offer flexibility and options - Under dynamic pricing, customers would face higher prices during a small number of hours during the year but lower prices during other times. Applicants should consider offering "price protection" products that allow customers to pre-purchase set quantities of electricity at fixed prices. These products substantially reduce bill volatility without distorting the price signal from dynamic pricing.
- Offer an online comparison tool - For example, here's one from the Ontario Energy Board. It helps Ontario consumers understand how their energy costs might change if they switched from standard to time-of-use pricing.
- Marketing - Market smart pricing to attract those customers who stand to gain the most from it and who would also give me the most benefits. It would not be a good situation if the only customers who joined the program are the ones who would get lower bills simply by switching over to dynamic pricing rates and not making any reductions in their peak loads. This has to involve utilities learning a whole new way to talk to – and listen to –their customers.
- Value for Consumers - While we are interested in getting customers to reduce energy use during the few peak price times, it is only worthwhile to the customer if their peak time costs are more than offset by low electricity prices at many other times. If you let basic laws of supply and demand in the electric markets work then this will be the case. However, utility rate-making often finds ways to nickel and dime customers to the point where they end up on a rate that charges high prices but not low ones. But this isn't inevitable. Consumer advocates and regulatory agencies need to work with utilities to develop new dynamic pricing options that provide real value to consumers, not just price shocks.
- Smooth Transition - Minimize "sticker" shock in the transition from one rate design to another. To minimize distributional concerns and to facilitate the transition to dynamic pricing it is important that customers facing dynamic pricing not subsidize customers facing traditional price schedules. In particular, price schedules for non-dynamic pricing should continue to reflect the average cost per kilowatt-hour of serving that group, which is likely to be higher than for customers on dynamic pricing.
- Bill Protection ("shadow billing") is a way to phase in dynamic pricing. This means that consumers are placed on the new prices, but guaranteed not to have a higher bill for the first year. For example, PG&E has a bill protection option that prevents participants in CPP from paying more than they would have under their previous rate during their first year of CPP participation. Participants may also opt for technical assistance to help them better take advantage of the program.
- Education - There will be short periods when energy prices will be high and customers have higher bills, but there will be many more times when consumers will save money because of they have access to lower prices. Giving customers smart meters and new rates will change their monthly bills. If introduced correctly and paired with the right high-quality education and information tools, customers will make the adjustment. If done wrong, customers won't understand the changes and will be angry about having to pay for new technologies that they don't see benefiting them. Regulators and others will have to be diligent that the introduction of smart meters and new rates is well managed and that any transitional hiccups are not overblown.
- Simplicity - Be simple and easy to understand. The rate has to be friendly. Traditionally, utilities are not very good at marketing new services to customers. Just compare your utility bill or other information that you receive from them to what you get from a more dynamic one like the cellular industry. "Friends and Family" and "Nights and Weekends" phone plans are a lot easier to understand than a long complicated tariff sheet that includes references to critical peak periods, demand charges and lots of terms, conditions and disclaimers. Utilities tend to think that these types of rate sheets are what they should provide to customers, but they tend to be nearly impossible for customers to understand and riddled with terms that sound intimidating or just plain scary. We don't need to hide the details, but we need to articulate what we are doing in ways that people can understand. Again, this sort of confusion isn't inevitable, but we need to build a new type of relationship between utilities and consumers.
- Equity - Meet the needs of people with fixed incomes and severe medical conditions. Equitably allocate costs across customer classes.
- Enabling Technology - CPP and PTR usually require notification a day in advance of the DR event occurrence. Enabling technology such as Auto-DR can facilitate end-use load response within a much shorter timeframe. Therefore, pricing options coupled with enabling technology can respond to DR events with an hour notification.
- The Smart Grid Investment Grant Program suggests conducting randomized control trials involving smart meters and dynamic pricing. In the ideal trial, smart meters would first be installed for all customers within a particular geographic area. This might be any well-defined part of the applicant's service area or, alternatively, a set of zip codes. Selection of this area would be at the discretion of the applicant and could be based on where it would be easiest to install smart meters. Next, customers within this geographic area would be randomly assigned start dates for dynamic pricing. There would probably need to be a significant period of time between start dates. For example, a randomly-selected sample of 50% of all customers might begin dynamic pricing on March 1, 2010, while the other 50% begins on March 1, 2012. The DOE is most interested in applications in which some customers would remain on default tariffs for at least two years. The randomization would need to take place at the customer level so all customers within the geographic area are equally likely to be in each group.
- LBL - TAP - Tariff Analysis Project -A comprehensive data warehouse of electric tariffs combined with a variety of query and analytical tools. T.A.P. contains a growing library of hundreds of tariffs, from over a hundred utilities, for residential, commercial-industrial, agricultural and public sector customers. A generic data model has been developed to concisely represent all varieties of tariff structures, capturing seasonal charges, time-of-use rates, and complex block structures.
- PG&E - Smart Grid Rate Case with PTR Plans
- SCE Smart Grid Rate Case -Overview -PTR Plans
- The Brattle Group - From Smart Metering to Smart Pricing - Smart meters, such as those being implemented by a number of utilities in Canada, Italy and the United States under the rubric of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), provide many operational benefits to the utility such as lower meter reading costs, theft detection, faster outage detection and remote customer connect/disconnect.
- The Brattle Group - The Power of Experimentation - New evidence on residential demand response. - This paper reviews evidence from the fourteen most recent pricing experiments with dynamic pricing. It finds that, on average, customers respond to higher prices by lowering usage. The magnitude of price response depends on several factors, such as the magnitude of the price increase, the presence of central air conditioning and the availability of enabling technologies such as two-way communicating thermostats and gateway systems. For the average customer, time-of-use rates are likely to induce a drop in peak usage of under 5% while critical peak pricing tariffs a drop of around 10-25%. Customers with central air conditioning are likely to display responses in the 15-20% range while those with enabling technologies in the 25-45% range.
- Dynamic Pricing in a Smart Grid World NARUC Webinar January 26, 2010 Chuck Goldman, Project Manager Electricity Markets and Policy Group Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Theresa Flaim, Energy Resource Economics, LLC; Roger Levy, Levy Associates
- 2010 Load Impact Evaluation of Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Time-Based Pricing Tariffs FSC Group, March 31, 2011 This report contains ex post and ex ante load impact estimates for PG&E's residential time-based pricing tariffs. PG&E has three time-varying rates for residential customers. SmartRate is a dynamic tariff that has high peak period prices on up to 15 event days each year. It is an overlay on top of PG&E's otherwise applicable tariff, which is a four tier, increasing block rate. Under SmartRate, prices vary only on event days. Roughly 25,000 residential customers are on the tariff. The average load reduction during the peak period in 2010 across 13 event days was 14.1%. This evaluation examines several important policy issues, including whether load impacts differ when customers are under first year bill protection than after bill protection expires, whether impacts differ for customers on a balanced payment plan and whether structural winners respond differently than structural losers. The report also assesses whether impacts stay the same, grow or diminish for customers that are on the tariff for multiple years. The effect of customer characteristics, such as air conditioning ownership and income, are also examined,


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At age 23, Hannah Porter is the sole proprietor of her own business. Pretty Print Shop features printable art, logo work, apparel, and drinkware of Hannah's design. She started selling her crafts through Etsy in 2013 as a side-job, and now, as she applies for law school, she runs the shop full-time through her own website. Her's is a one-woman show that will inspire many other freelancers and hobbyists.
The Start
How did you start your business?
The Pretty Print Shop started as a hobby, but I've been running it full time since I moved and left my job. I was working in HR at a financial software company, but I was frustrated they weren't using my skills in design and social media. And I couldn't show them my work in Pretty Print Shop because the company has a clause against talking about your own business. My first products were printables. A printable is a 8×10" image that is good to frame and decorate your wall or your desk. Customers buy the high-resolution image and print it out for
themselves. Printables are easy to make – I spend some time making it initially, but afterwards I can sell it over and over. I started doing logos after that. People tend want a full set – like banner, icon, so on – and that's easy to do once the logo is designed. Now I do clothing, too.
I first started selling on Etsy, but recently I've been selling from my website because it's cheaper. The website takes a flat fee. Etsy takes a percentage, so if you sell more expensive items the fees are bigger. I don't sell my clothes and logos on Etsy anymore, just the printables.
How did you fund your business in the beginning?
I didn't because my products were only digital in the beginning. Looking back I think I should have, so I could have more variety and stock. Well, I just got a business credit card that has $10,000 credit limit and no interest for the first year, so that's like a $10,000 loan.
Pro tip: Business credit cards can make sure you always have emergency cash on hand. Browse your top business credit card matches for free and apply in minutes!
Running the Business
How did you learn to run your business?
Research. I had to figure out how to do taxes. I got a business license as a sole proprietor which is the cheapest and easiest to get. Plus there's no employer tax ID.
Who was your first customer?
An Etsy girl in Michigan who sells chapsticks. We're Instagram friends. Before I launched Pretty Print Shop I marketed by searching #Etsy and following anyone with an Etsy shop. A lot of people will follow you back when you follow them. I had to slow down on that because it's
"cooler" to have more followers than people you follow.
What's the biggest mistake you made in the first year?
Not charging sales tax. Technically out-of-state buyers are supposed to pay tax for their own state, but I didn't know that in the beginning. Last year was difficult – I had to pay all sales tax myself. Now my site calculates and charges sales tax automatically when buyers enter their address.
I also think I undervalue my product. I set my prices for logos ridiculously low in the beginning to build my portfolio. I still have low prices and give a lot of discounts. Non-profits get 50% off or even free. But they pass on the word and post on my Instagram. A lot of them send me gifts, like this necklace I'm wearing.
What's the smartest thing you did in the first year?
Marketing on Instagram. @prettyprintshop is where I do all my marketing. Facebook is extremely difficult for small businesses to market because they charge for visibility. Instagram is much better, but Facebook bought Instagram so that might change.
What's the most rewarding thing about running your own business?
I like that I can help people whenever I want to. There are a lot of charity auctions on Instagram that I can donate items to. I can give discounts to anyone; I give discounts to non-profits, students, military, parents in the process of adoption, etc.
What's the most challenging thing about running your own business?
It's a one-person business, so I have to work all the time. People send messages, and the bigger you get the ruder people are because they think you're a big business, not a single person. It's hard to keep up with that expectation.
What's the most surprising thing about running your own business?
I'm surprised by how much people like my work, especially because I've never considered myself artistic. Graphic design is different, though. I don't have to draw much. I use purchased elements like clip art, and when I hand-draw I charge much more.
I'm surprised by how successful the shop is. I have a waitlist, and I'm making a profit. Definitely not enough to live on, but better than I expected. I will probably keep an online presence while I'm at law school.
What business owner or entrepreneur do you admire most?
There's one girl who started on Etsy around at same time, doing similar stuff as me. She has a degree in graphic design and she's gotten way bigger. She has about 30,000 followers now. Her stuff is really good, so she can charge more.
Also Susan Peterson, the baby shoe designer and founder of Freshly Picked. She was on Shark Tank and now her shoes are sold at Nordstrom. She's the Etsy role model.
What I've Learned
What do you wish you had known before you had started your business?
I would charge sales tax.
What's your advice for others who are starting their business
Don't give up. I've seen a lot of small businesses close in the first few months – not because they go bankrupt, but because their business isn't as successful as they had hoped. It takes time. It's not a get-rich-quick scheme.
About the Author — Sarah Tang is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley where she learned to love the diverse personalities of mom-and-pop stores. She likes intriguing storefronts, creative specialty stores, and well-designed business websites.

subset: commoncrawl


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(Some spoilers ahead)
The reason why the other members of Avengers could not come to help Captain America and Black Widow is well explained in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD TV series.
1) Compartmentalization of SHIELD that prevents information from disseminating
2) Level 6 Agents that are the Avengers do not have access to information for Level 7 agents and higher
3) Hydra prevents information from getting to the other Avengers
4) The other avengers and other agents are too far away from walking distance to be contacted
The other avengers are not aware of what is happening at SHIELD because of the compartmentalization of the organization. So, level 6 agents that are the Avengers cannot know things that are happening on a higher level 7 and above(Agent Coulson, Maria Hill).
It is specifically because of the compartmentalization of SHIELD that is why information can be slow to reach the other Avengers(level 6 clearance) until it is too late. If there were no compartmentalization, information would be instantly shared with all agents, and all members of Avengers would have total access to all information at SHIELD and they would be able to instantly react and arrive to help Captain America and Natasha instead of being kept in the dark.
Director Fury got shot because he tried to contact Captain America. This also proves that Hydra was preventing Fury from seeking help from members of the Avengers.


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July 3, 2012 – BUSINESS WIRE — Electro Scientific Industries Inc. (ESI, NASDAQ:ESIO), which makes laser-based tools for microelectronics manufacturing, received multiple-unit orders for its model 3510 test system from leading Japanese and Korean electronic components manufacturers.
The customers are expanding production of small-geometry multi-layer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), which are integrated into smartphones by the hundreds. The devices are small form factor (size 0603 and 0402) with metalized terminals.
The ESI 3510 performs electrical testing with a rotary technology that supports multiple tests simultaneously. The system offers high-throughput small device handling with reliable sorting capability. It can test and sort up to 840,000 MLCC chips per hour. Precision-controlled dynamic contact force eliminates marking on the MLCC


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In 2008 Tesco submitted a planning application to open a 45,500 sq ft store in Banchory.
Following a public consultation in March 2008 residents and traders expressed concerns about the proposed store. Around a 120 people attended a public meeting on the 30th May 2008 organised by Banchory Community Council. Representatives from Tesco also spoke at the Banchory Community Council AGM on 9th June.
United Kingdom57° 3' 13.8816" N, 2° 29' 27.456" W
Aberdeenshire GB


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Mr. Dewet Graham UN Liaison Office, Pretoria 0001 South Africa +27710813714 First I must apologize for contacting you if you find my help not worthy. My problem is that I hate to see people being cheated for no reason. I am a junior staff at the UN liaison office here in South Africa and while going through some of the files in my office, I discovered that some foreigners are being used and dumped by some of our Senior Directors, Banks Executives and the Government officials. Please be informed that a payment of $12,700,000.00 (Twelve Million Seven Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) only was approved to be paid to you and the only contact I got on the file is this email address so I decided to write you via this email to see if I will get a response from you which will confirm that you are alive. This money has been approved but has not yet been paid out to your account. I have found out that these top officials are using your money to trade at the International Market buying stocks and making interest while delaying your payment. I have found out that these top officials are using your money to trade at the International Market buying stocks and making interest while delaying your payment. These officials use delay tactics to hold on to your payment while they make money. They will tell you that your transfer or check will be delivered today and when that time comes, they will come up with another excuse why your payment was stopped or cancelled. Just last week they presented a woman by name Mrs. Laura Burke who came to our office with a letter which she claimed you gave her to claim this money on your behalf. She said that you are dead, that you gave her the letter authorizing her to claim the money when you became so sick. Here is the account she forwarded where they want the money transferred and we want to know if you are aware of this account. ACC NAME: LAURA BURKE BANK NAME: CITI BANK BANK ADDRESS: ARIZONA, USA. ACCOUNT Number: 6503809428. This payment is either as a result of lottery, inheritance or some Holocust claim which is due to you. In my further search I found out that some of the Beneficiaries are not even aware of any payment in their names. They don't even know that such payments exist for them. I am contacting you secretly believing that you will keep this as top secret. I want to work with you to move these funds to your account within 72 hours if only you can accept to work with me. Please one thing I must ask of you is to keep this secret until we get the transfer made to your account. If you will not be able to handle the secret part of this, please let me know and I will never contact you again because what I want is to see that justice is done and your money is released to you. This payment is in your name and belongs to you so you should have it. I need immediately your response confirming that you are alive and did not send this woman Mrs. Laura Burke to claim this money on your behalf. Once I have received your response, I will let you know what to do immediately and get this payment within 3 working days if you follow it up. Email me back with your full name, complete address and your contact telephone number. Yours faithfully, Mr. Dewet Graham UN Liaison Office South Africa
What Is This?This Email with the Subject "Read carefully and know the secret why you have not yet been paid." was received in one of Scamdex's honeypot email accounts on Thu, 17 Mar 2016 07:28:45 -0700 and has been classified as a Generic Scam Email. The sender shows as "Mr. Dewet Graham"<email@example.com>, although that address was probably spoofed. We recommend that you do not attempt to contact any persons or organizations referenced in this email, as you may expose yourself to scammers and, at the very least, you will be added to their email address lists for spam purposes.


text:
Wilson Staff D7 Irons (Individual Steel) 5 to PW
D7 with RE•AKT Technology™ puts power where it's needed most. Long irons feature three rows of Power Holes and a thinner, more responsive face for maximum distance. Fewer Power Holes combine with optimal weighting and extreme feel in the shorter irons for the most precise distance control. D7 helps golfers play their best.
- Progressive Power Holes: Long irons have three rows of Power Holes for maximum distance. Shorter irons have fewer Power Holes with optimized weighting for maximum feel and precision.
- Ultra Thin Face: Hot, responsive face for longer shots and better feel.
- Performance Iron Aesthetic: With straighter lines, a cleaner top line and improved weighting, D7 combines the look of a player's iron with the benefits of Super Game Improvement Technology.
Specification: Wilson Staff D7 Irons (Individual Steel) 5 to PW
Gents Right Hand, Gents Left Hand
|Shaft Type
KBS Tour 80 FST
Reg Flex, Stiff Flex
Vendor Information
- Store Name: Wodonga Golf Club Pro Shop
- Vendor: Wodonga Golf Club Pro Shop
10 Clubhouse Pl
Wodonga Victoria 3690
- No ratings found yet!


text:
Last Friday I was lucky enough to be invited along to the lauch of Eyre Cocktails at The Skeff along with Into The West Blogger Network. Eyre Cocktails is a new cocktail bar located in The Skeff, Galway. It's right on Eyre Square so the location could not be more perfect.
The host on the night was professional rugby player Jack Dineen, I must say he did a fantastic job, there was also a very special guest which all us bloggers were so excited about and that was Suzanne Jackson (So Sue Me). Suzanne has a signature cocktail at Eyre Cocktails named 'So Sip Me', definitely one of the nicest tasting cocktails I've ever had! It is made up of Vodka, Cremè de Menthe, Kiwi Liquer and Sweet Mix: Blended with crushed ice. All those ingredients are a match made in heaven.
Eyre Cocktails has the largest selection when it comes to cocktails that I've ever came across so you are guaranteed to find the ideal cocktail for you. We were also treated to food throughout the night and everything was honestly so delicious, I couldn't flaw anything in the slightest.
Overall, I was so impressed with the entire night, I think I may have fallen in love with The Skeff as a venue. It's the ideal place for a Sex and The City inspired girly night out!
I'd like to say a massive thank you to Into the West Blogger Network for having me, the work that Sinead & Saibh do never fails to impress me.
I'd also like to say thank you to all at The Skeff for spoiling us and making sure we had a great night, hats off to all the staff for being so friendly and attentive, looking forward to my next visit. :)
Snapchat: theskeff
Facebook: Skeff Bar
Twitter: TheSkeffBar
Instagram: theskeffbar


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So I had a birthday recently, without much fanfare, because I'm an adult. For my birthday I went to Dragon*Con, just like I do every year, and this is what I wore on Day Zero!
This is the best picture I have and of course it was taken in a mirror.
I took these pictures in our hotel room at the Marriott.
The hair clips and jumperskirt are Metamorphose's Telephone Print. This is probably my favourite dress!
The blouse was made by me.
The boots are from eBay.
Dragon*Con was amazing as always!
For the uninitiated, Dragon*Con is a four day science fiction/multigenre convention held every Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. I shared my photos from Dragon*Con on Venture Cosplay, Facebook, and Google+
Lots of awesome things happened there, the highlights being:
• Seeing Bella Morte Live! I've been a huge fan of them since High School, since I heard "Relics" on some compilation CD I bought back then. They were amazing, and I'm so glad I finally got to see them! Sadly though they did not play my favourite song (Silver Crosses) which isn't that surprising given its from like their first album. I bought a t-shirt from them that I'm going to turn into a dress (pictures to follow).
• Getting my picture with Doc Hammer, one of the creators of The Venture Brothers! This was my photo mission for the weekend. I've met him and Jackson Publick (Christopher McCulloch) a bunch of times, but never had photographic evidence of it until now. Unfortunately Jackson Publick wasn't at the convention or I would've got my picture with him too and I'd probably die of happiness. I missed a lot of the panels Doc was at (I need an iPhone I guess, cuz I had a hell of a time making sense of the paper programming guide now that the con spans over 5 hotels or whatever it is) but thanks to my friend V I didn't miss the big panel he was at on Sunday, after which this photo was taken.
• I didn't spend a lot of time in the Dealer's rooms but in the basement of the Marriott I found this awesome dealer called Little Cookie. At least, I think it was her! She doesn't have any of this cute resin stuff on her etsy, so maybe she was sharing the table with someone else who makes resin jewellery. I got the above necklace (stunning!) and this really cute Totoro ring and strawberry hair clip which matches a ring I own:
Altogether I think it was the best Dragon*Con yet! I can't wait till next year… I'm sad its over. 🙁
Until next time…


text: Our favorite Asperger's sufferer [One of them. -Ed.] Heather made it into the New York Times today! "She tried out for the show, she explained, partly to test her own limits. 'It was a point in my life where I was thinking either Asperger's was going to define me or I was going to be able to work around it.'" Well, she sorta ended up being defined by it, but it's what made us love her. We don't give a fuck if the competition is fixed for Saleisha to take the win. In our hearts, Heather will always be the Top Model of Cycle 9. [NY Times]


text:
LUXURY SUB-PENTHOUSE, recognized for Design Excellence & featured in WL Magazine. There won't be one like this again. MASSIVE 1,115sf CORNER 1BR Suite+Den+2 Baths in Air Conditioned building w/ EXPANSIVE VIEWS & privacy of only 4 suites/ floor was designed to enhance your living experience by creating extra large living spaces. Entertainers Dream w/seamless connection to large patio w/built-in outdoor kitchen. Luxurious yet comfortable. House sized kitchen w/XL pantry, Wolf appls, Italian leathered granite, rift-cut oak cabinetry, automatic blinds. Master bdrm w/walk in dressing room, freestanding tub + walk in shower, dble sink , in-floor heating. Downtown Business district, Yaletown lifestyle, Seawall, Marina, 2 City parks steps away – Location is Unbeatable. OPEN FRIDAY 11-1PM.
Taxes (2017): $2,764.40
Get the latest Stats


text:
A US district court judge has found Apple guilty of e-book price fixing after three weeks of court proceedings that ended 20 June. Apple has said that it will appeal the decision, and maintains that it has done nothing wrong.
Judge Denise Cote for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York said in an opinion issued Wednesday that "this Court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that Apple conspired to restrain trade."
The U.S. Department of Justice filed the antitrust lawsuit in April last year alleging that Apple and five publishers - Penguin Group, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan - had conspired to raise e-book prices. The publishers, however, have since all settled, agreeing to stop prohibiting wholesale discounts and to pay a cumulative US$164 million, earmarked to benefit consumers.
Apple was the only defendant to go to trial, but the company maintained that it had done nothing wrong.
"We're not going to sign something that says we did something that we didn't do, so we're going to fight," said CEO Tim Cook during an interview at the D11 conference in May.
Still unclear, of course, are the long-term ramifications of the decision. Most likely to benefit is Amazon, who was alleged to be the target of the collusion between Apple and publishers. But some reports suggest that Amazon has already started to raise prices. A separate trial will determine damages.
Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr told our colleagues at Macworld.com: "Apple did not conspire to fix ebook pricing and we will continue to fight against these false accusations. When we introduced the iBookstore in 2010, we gave customers more choice, injecting much needed innovation and competition into the market, breaking Amazon's monopolistic grip on the publishing industry. We've done nothing wrong and we will appeal the judge's decision."
Additional reporting by Macworld.com's Dan Moren.
See also:
Apple's Eddy Cue keeps it brief in e-book 'price fixing' testimony
'Steve Jobs email' plays pivotal role in e-book price fixing case


text:
with therapist...Me: This current plan does not seem to be working. I want a clearer way to deal with the problem.
Th: So what you are trying to say is, that you want my help in finding a way to deal with the problem
Me: (thinks to self.. have I been talking chinese since the past 4 months?)..... Yes!!
Th: But then you are assuming that you know that the plan isnt working.
Me: Yes, I do not think it is working.
Th: I would disagree with you on that. There are a lot of things you do much more easily now.. (gives example.)
Me: No, not necessarily. I do not find them easy.. (gives several examples.) And it is quite frustrating that a)you do not see that and b)we cannot find another way or plan to deal with it.
Th: So what you are trying to say is, that you are very frustrated about how things are going and you want my help to find some other way.
Me: Yes. I dont think you are helping much by sticking to just one plan, which I have already scratched as not working.
Th: It must be very frustrating then to not have any plan or way to handle the problem
Me: Yes, it is.
Th: Lets talk about why you got frustrated and upset in the last session.
Me: You know what? I am too irritated right now, and you are not giving me any ideas or support. So I will see you next week ( or never.... someone knock me back to my senses)..
Not the exact conversation, but pretty much a gist of what happens when I want answers and a defined plan. It is quite obvious that I need to change the counselor, it just not that easy a task.
A month of so of updating another one with the background, going all over it again, paperwork to connect him with the primary doctor and to the disability insurance and on and on.. And the stress to myself to deal with a new person and place all over again.. blahh.
The simple question why do I need one. I dont really, but this is the only way other than doping up on meds to keep the recovery on track and keep the frustration and depression in check.


text:
The UnitingCare Australia Aged Care Network today released independent modelling that demonstrates the full extent of the impact of the aged care budget cuts on sick and frail older people in residential aged care.
UnitingCare Australia welcomes the Pension Review Background Paper released yesterday, but says more needs to be done to protect the rights of those who are marginalised and vulnerable.
UnitingCare Australia has welcomed yesterday's report of the Senate Inquiry into Residential and Community Aged Care in Australia. The Inquiry, conducted by the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration, has called for sweeping changes including an all-encompassing review of the sector using a client-based approach.
Last night's Four Corners report on aged care has highlighted once again the need for the Minister and her Department to direct their attention to enabling a high quality of care for older people.
The Australian Government, through the Minister for Ageing Justine Elliot, has demonstrated a fundamental lack of understanding of the challenges facing Australia as a result of long term neglect of capital financing of residential aged care.
The Campaign for Care of Older Australians (CCOA) has written to State and Territory leaders to urge their support for aged care to be treated as a priority during next week's COAG meeting.
The Campaign for Care of Older Australians (CCOA) is concerned that the Federal Government and members of COAG have not started the process to address fundamental reforms needed in aged care.
The Campaign for Care of Older Australians (CCOA) has warmly welcomed the announcement of terms of reference for the Productivity Commission inquiry into aged care.


text:
If you're like me, you put sleep before anything else in the morning. You roll out of bed, quickly get ready to go and head out the door. Some may say this is the lazy girl's morning routine… but to each their own, *shrug.*
Ever since I have started a full-time job, breakfast has magically disappeared from my morning routine. I find myself getting hungry pretttty soon after I get to work, which leads me to spend money at the coffee shop below my work (dang you, well-placed-coffee-shop) or reaching to unhealthy food at my desk or the office kitchen. I recently discovered overnight oats, and they have changed the way I eat breakfast! As someone who knows their morning routine to a T, overnight oats are perfect because you guessed it, you make them the night before.
There are tons of different overnight recipes out there – my favorite is the peanut butter banana! Some others I make regularly are vanilla, strawberry chia, and raspberry.
Most recipes stick to a pretty standard base of rolled oats, almond milk, fruit, and chia seeds. I also like to add honey and Greek yogurt! You can add whatever you want to fit your tastes.
Put all of the ingredients together in a bowl or jar, stick it in the fridge and you're done! Easy as that.
Peanut Butter Banana Honey Overnight Oats
- 3/4 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
- 3/4 cup milk (almond or regular)
- 1/2 banana, sliced
- 1 T of peanut butter or PB2
- 2 t of chia seeds
- Honey
- Layer all of your ingredients, excluding milk and honey. Start with your oats on the bottom.
- Add milk and honey.
- Place lid on jar and shake.
- Put jar in fridge overnight.
- Enjoy in the morning!


text:
At Nayland College students are offered guidance in planning their education pathways. Knowing what qualifications are available and what is needed to get there is the key. Students have opportunities to gather information, discuss their options and make plans. Form teachers, subject teachers, head of learning areas and the careers staff are involved in this important process.
There are so many career options available. Choices can be difficult to make and often change. Students may have a specific area of interest or be undecided and want to keep their options open. Planning a pathway from year 9 to year 13 and beyond is better than planning one year at a time, and will help students gain the most from their time at Nayland College.
It is time once again for our current Year 9 students to select their option subjects for next year.
You can watch the video below and then head over the Student/Parent Portal to complete your subject selection.
At subject selection time students and parents are invited to open evenings and extra career interviews are scheduled.
After reviewing subject information on the Nayland Subject Selection Website, you can watch the video below and then head over the Student/Parent Portal to complete your subject selection.


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Hostel Holidays :
Click on the Map to Zoom in to find bunkhouse holidays
in Wales.
1. Isle of Anglesey:
After crossing to the Island over one
of the two famous bridges, the Menai and the Britannia, you will find
a beautiful Island with an untouched 125 mile coastline of sandy bays
and cliffs, designated an area of "outstanding natural beauty." Small
seaside resorts with magnificent beaches, family attractions and historic
Castles, and a great place to stay in Wales.
2. Conwy County: Conwy County
is a diverse county offering miles of sandy beaches, from Penmaenmawr
to Abergele, rocky headlands at Llanfairfechan, Penmaenmawr and the Great
Orme Country Park at Llandudno. Add to this the beautiful Conwy Valley
and the Snowdonia National Park and you will see that there is much to
offer for a great bunkhouse holiday in Conwy, North Wales.
Add your Bunkhouse to walesdirectory.co.uk. Click
here for information.
Bunkhouses in Snowdonia,
Bunkhouses in Pembrokeshire.
Bunkhouses in Monmouthshire
south Wales and the Brecon Beacons and Bunkhouses
in Denbighshire.
Return to
holidays in Anglesey >
Return to holidays
in Wales >
Copyright © 1998 - 2008 Bernard Wellings walesdirectory
home page.


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- Africanized honey bee
- Africanized honey bee.(Источник: «Англо-русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд-во ВНИРО, 1995 г.)
Смотреть что такое "Africanized honey bee" в других словарях:
Africanized honey bee — noun a strain of bees that originated in Brazil in the 1950s as a cross between an aggressive African bee and a honeybee; retains most of the traits of the African bee; now spread as far north as Texas • Syn: ↑Africanized bee, ↑killer bee, ↑Apis… … Useful english dictionary
Honey bee — For other uses, see Honey bee (disambiguation). This article refers collectively to all true honey bees; for the common domesticated honey bee, see European honey bee. Honeybees Temporal range: Oligocene–Recent … Wikipedia
European honey bee — Taxobox name = Western honey bee ( Apis mellifera ) image caption = Honey bee approaching a Milk Thistle flowerhead regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Insecta ordo = Hymenoptera subordo = Apocrita superfamilia = Apoidea familia =… … Wikipedia
Maltese honey bee — Maltese honey bees on frame with queen cells Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia … Wikipedia
Swarming (honey bee) — Swarming is the natural means of reproduction of honey bee colonies (considering the colony as the organism rather than individual bees which cannot survive alone), including the domesticated Western honey bee. In the process two or more colonies … Wikipedia
Diseases of the honey bee — or abnormal hive conditions include: Contents 1 Pests and parasites 1.1 Varroa mites 1.1.1 Treatment 1.2 Acarine (Tracheal) mit … Wikipedia
List of honey bee races — Races of honey bees Some biologists use race synonymously with subspecies or in botany variety, to refer to divisions within a species. Pure representatives of any race are becoming ever rarer because humans have imported favored subspecies to… … Wikipedia
Africanized bee — Killer bee redirects here. For other uses, see Killer bees (disambiguation). Africanized honey bee Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia … Wikipedia
Bee sting, Africanized — All stings from bees (and other large stinging insects such as yellow jackets, hornets and wasps) can trigger allergic reactions varying greatly in severity. Avoidance and prompt treatment are essential. This is surely so with Africanized honey… … Medical dictionary
Bee — Taxobox name = Bees image width = 200px image caption = Honeybee ( Apis mellifera ) collecting pollen regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Insecta ordo = Hymenoptera subordo = Apocrita superfamilia = Apoidea unranked genus = Anthophila … Wikipedia


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There are plenty of hiking and ski-touring opportunities from Hanmer Springs Ski Area outside the patrolled area. You will find details of day trips and overnight adventures in New Zealand Backcountry Skiing written by James Broadbent. Please consult the staff before departing and register your intentions at the ticket office.
There is no ski patrol or avalanche control outside the marked ski area boundary. Outside the ski area boundary you are responsible for your own safety. Do not travel alone in these areas and check that everybody in your party has appropriate equipment (e.g. avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe) and the skills to use them. Check the Backcountry Avalanche Advisory Report for current backcountry status and obey the NZ Mountains Safety Backcountry Code at all times.


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LOUISVILLE. Bendix Commercial Vehicles LLC unveiled its Wingman ACB (Active Cruise with Braking) safety system the company said delivers warnings and proactive interventions to help drivers avoid collisions as well as data to help with fleet operations and driver training here today at the Mid-America Trucking Show.
Bendix said the new system builds on its ESP full-stability technology by adding a radar sensor mounted to the front of the vehicle that assists drivers in keeping a set following distance between their truck and the vehicle in front of them.
With cruise control on and speed set, Wingman ACB will warn and provide active interventions – reducing throttle, engaging the engine retarder and, if necessary automatically applying the foundation brakes to help the driver maintain the intended following distance, said Bendix.
When cruise control is not engaged, the driver still gets the benefit of following distance alerts to let him know if he's getting too close to the forward vehicle, which "can be especially helpful during those conditions when cruise control should not be used, such as inclement weather and heavy traffic." Bendix also pointed out the inclusion of its ESP full-stability technology helps drivers mitigate rollover and loss-of-control situations on dry, wet, snow and ice-covered roadways.
"It's all about helping fleets avoid crashes," said Joe McAleese, Bendix president & CEO. "Bendix is building on its commitment to delivering strong, cost effective, active safety solutions that have a real impact for fleets – from the cost, revenue, profit and safety performance perspectives."
According to Bendix, Wingman ACB was designed to deliver driver-friendly adaptive cruise control technology with full vehicle and braking system integration. Information, warnings, and operation of the Wingman system is incorporated into the vehicle dash in direct view of the driver. Drivers activate the system using the existing cruise control switches in the vehicle, and receive information and warnings through the vehicle dash, so there are "no extra distracting displays to look for when a warning sounds."
Following distance can be customized by the fleet using Bendix ACom diagnostic software (version 6.3 or higher). Based on those fleet-specific settings, the system's audio and visual warnings alert drivers as the truck closes in on the forward vehicle. Because the system's alerts can be so valuable to driver behavior and decision making, Bendix noted, they're delivered even when the vehicle is not in cruise control, which is often the case for city driving and during inclement weather.
Bendix pointed out that automatic brake applications on wet, snowy, or ice-covered surfaces can result in directional instability – slide-out or over-steer events that can lead to a jackknife or loss-of-control situation. But by including full-stability, with its capabilities for reading driver steering intent and vehicle direction, the potential instability instigated by the automatic application of the brakes can be mitigated, the company said.
"As active safety systems that automatically apply brakes increase, they will be built on a foundation of full stability," said Fred Andersky, marketing director for the Bendix controls product business team. "Why? Because roll-only systems don't possess all the sensors and braking capability needed to interpret conditions and respond appropriately – and may increase instability of the vehicle during automatic braking events on slick surfaces. Therefore, full-stability is a critical part of systems that include an active braking component."
According to Andersky, the combination of active cruise with braking and full stability positions the Bendix approach as "the one that will do more to help fleets avoid more types of accidents – collisions, rollovers, and loss-of-control – than any other system marketed today".
In addition, Bendix said the Wingman system provides data that fleets can use to help improve driver performance by targeting specific driver needs for training. Insights, such as following distance, use of cruise control and even stability events are available from the system through easy download using Bendix ACom software.
Bendix Wingman ACB is available for fleets to order today, with vehicle delivery in early July. For more information, go to www.bendix.com.


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Rajamouli has talked about his retirement. Well, not literally, but he did indicate that he would retire from direction someday and what's interesting is that he has announced what would be his last film. Rajamouli said his last film could be on Mahabharat.
It is known that a film on Mahabharata is Rajamouli's dream. In fact, Rajamoili himself has admitted that it is dream to make a film on Mahabharata on large canvas. He has been dreaming to make a film on the epic.
And every time, when Rajamouli is done with a film and its release, speculations would rife that he would be making Mahabharata as his next film. Talking about his dream project Mahabharata, Rajamouli said that he would make a film on Mahabharata as his last film at the end of his career. He said probably a film on Mahabharata would be his last film. Rajamouli said he may not start working on it immediately but he said he will work on it at towards end of his filmy career. He said until then, thoughts on Mahabharata are alive in him.
Rajamouli also said he has clarified many times that a film on Mahabharata is only a dream project and he pointed out that media continues to speculate every time before his next film.
Recent Random Post:


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Paypal Fraud with Bill-Me-Later now called Paypal credit
A Paypal and Bill-Me-Later/Paypal Credit fraud that I have experienced is/are buyer unauthorized transfers from Paypal (paid from bank account) to Bill-Me-Later (now Paypal credit) without the buyer's (eBay auction winner's) consent/knowledge. These credit authorizations then incur substantial interest and large unpaid balance fees for several months (less than 6 months so as not to incur legal oversight) until they are presented to the unsuspecting Paypal account holder. Obviously, this is fraud, plain and simple. The so-called modern school of business terms this aggressive, however, it is plainly theft. I believe that Paypal and Paypal Credit (formerly Bill-Me-Later) should be censored and indicted for consumer fraud.
Posted: December 2, 2014 at 7:19 pm


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If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you've probably seen me post a lot (like…a LOT) about a program called PiYo Strength.
It's been kind of a whirlwind journey for me when it comes to becoming a real, live fitness instructor:
- February 7: Take the AFAA Certification Exam
- February 22: Take the PiYo Strength Certification Exam
- February 26: Find out I passed the PiYo Strength Exam
- February 28: Find out I passed the AFAA Exam
- March 15: Teach my first PiYo Strength class
In five weeks, my life changed dramatically (and yet not so much, since I still have a full time job that I love, and a toddler who comes first).
(From my awesome mentor Alli Upham.)
I'm extremely lucky to be in a position to teach in a studio that I love (Dance Trance Orlando) with people who love me no matter what (so many friends have been coming out to my classes!) and so far, the response has been absolutely incredible. Week 1, I had 18 people show up, and on Week 2, we "sold" out (these preview classes are free) so quickly that I ended up adding a second class to run back-to-back, just to get everyone in. This weekend is Week 3, and the final free class, and we were booked solid two weeks ago.
image from @andreadennis on Instagram
image from @runtothefinish on Instagram, with @sequellife_BP
I think I'm an OK teacher so far — I have a lot to work on, for sure, but more than a decade of taking group exercise classes has helped me understand proper cueing and energy — but I don't think it's me that has people packing the floor.
It's PiYo Strength.
So, what the heck is PiYo? Here's the elevator speech I give at the beginning of class:
"PiYo Strength is exactly what it sounds like. It's strength building — lunges, push-ups, burpees — combined with postures from yoga and pilates — the warrior series, sun salutations — set to Top 40 music. It's not like any other yoga class you've ever taken, but you will build flexibility, balance and sweat a heck of a lot."
Chalene Johnson — yes, THAT Chalene — created the program, but it's now become part of the Beachbody offerings. In fact, it's going to be released as an at-home workout very soon (!!!) and Chalene just released this video trailer:
Each lesson follows the same 10 workout tracks — for example, a warmup, a heat-building session, a lower body session, flow (the most traditional yoga section), etc. — but will change out the songs and the specific moves. If you take any of the Les Mills programs (Body Pump, Body Attack) it's sort of the same except that Les Mills is much stricter in terms of following the exact choreography.
PiYo is sweaty. It's tough. (I've told some friends recently that it's a yoga bootcamp, with Rihanna and Katy Perry and Maroon 5 as the soundtrack.)
And it WORKS. Now that I'm teaching, I go through my lessons at least twice during the week to stay fresh, then I lead one or two classes on the weekend. And in just six weeks, my arms have gotten much, much more toned. I'm shocked. But that's what happens when you hold planks forever and ever, I guess.
I'm so excited to be teaching this format, and I'd love to answer any more questions you have about the class, the certification experience or anything else!
TWO BIG THANK YOUS (and one big disclosure: for both the products listed below, I was provided the items for free in exchange for my honest feedback to the company and for an honest — as always, the companies knew this would be honest — review here on the blog. You can learn more about my disclosure policy here.)
1) THANK YOU to Samson Tech for sending me one of the most important tools I'm currently using as a PiYo Strength instructor: a fitness headset and microphone! Because I offer so many verbal cues through class, I really wanted to make sure that my students could hear me clearly over the music, but I had no idea what to get in terms of equipment.
I googled, asked my fellow IDEA Fit advisors, looked on Amazon and ended up more confused than ever. Luckily, I got some GREAT advice from a local Jazzercise instructor, who raved about the Samson Tech Airline system, and strongly advised me to get the wireless version. I took a shot and reached out to Samson to see if they'd consider sending me a review product, and they said yes! I was very, very nervous that it would be hard to set up — I know nothing about audio systems, and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to figure out how to set it up with the studio's speakers — but it was super easy and worked like a charm.
It's wireless, which means I just put the headset around my head, turn on the receiver, plug the receiver into the speakers and start talking. Despite a few bad moments with some nasty feedback, solved by a few adjustments of the master and headset volume pots on the speaker, I really haven't had any problems. And my students say the microphone helps them hear my cues clearly, which is the main thing.
2) THANK YOU to YogaOutlet.com, which I'll be spending a lot of time and money on in the future. They let me go on a shopping spree to test out their new website, and I finally got an item that has been on my yoga wishlist for years — a Manduka mat!
I honestly wish I'd invested in this much, much sooner. It's expensive, I know. But it's very thick (I have had no wrist pain since using it, despite LONG plank sessions), has a sticky texture that means it grips the floor and is guaranteed for life. There's a reason that this brand gets so much love from yogis and yoginis.
The prices on YogaOutlet.com are really, really competitive — and you get free shipping when you spend $49 or more. A few things that I didn't buy yet but are in the cart for consideration right now:


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Coastal Watershed Institute
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Blvd S.
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565
Phone: 239-590-7526
Mike Parsons
Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP) is a common form of seafood poisoning, affecting tens of thousands of people worldwide. People who consume reef-dwelling fish such as grouper, snapper, barracuda, hogfish, and triggerfish are potentially at risk. Although CFP is primarily a concern in tropical and sub-tropical coastal regions, the export of fish from these areas to markets in other regions creates a risk to fish consumers worldwide. One of the reasons why so many people are afflicted with CFP is because no simple screening method currently exists, hindering efforts to monitor for CFP outbreaks and protect people from exposure to toxic fish.
An international team of researchers headed by Michael Parsons of Florida Gulf Coast University, aims to better understand the factors that influence the occurrence of CFP, through a research project entitled "CiguaHAB". CiguaHAB is an anticipated 5-year project funded by NOAA's Ecology and Oceanography of Harmful Algal Blooms (ECOHAB) Program designed to investigate the conditions that lead to CFP outbreaks.
Ciguatera Fish Poisoning
CFP is caused by the consumption of fish which have accumulated toxins called ciguatoxins in their tissue. Ciguatoxins are heat-stable and therefore persist in the fish tissue even after being cooked. Ciguatoxins are produced by benthic dinoflagellates of the genus Gambierdiscus. The dinoflagellates are epiphytic, meaning that they live attached to a host, most often benthic macroalgae. As these macroalgal hosts are consumed by herbivorous fish, the Gambierdiscus cells are consumed as well, and ciguatoxins are thereby introduced into the foodweb. From there, ciguatoxins are transferred to carnivorous fishes, eventually accumulating in the tissues of top predators. When people consume fish which have accumulated CTXs, they are at risk of CFP.
Common CFP symptoms include gastrointestinal problems like abdominal cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting followed by neurological symptoms. Headaches, muscle aches, and numbness are common; other symptoms may include strange sensations, such as the feeling of loose teeth, confusion between hot and cold temperatures, or a metallic taste in the mouth. Symptoms may persist for weeks or months. Death is rare, and usually associated with the consumption of whole fish, in which organs where toxins accumulate in higher concentrations are ingested.
An international team of experts from universities and laboratories around the Greater Caribbean Region has been assembled to investigate the conditions that lead to CFP outbreaks and create a model which will lead towards a better predictive capability and assist in elucidating the effects of global warming and other climactic or environmental perturbations on this important public health issue. In addition to Michael Parsons, Professor of Marine Science and Director of the Coastal Watershed Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University, the team includes Don Anderson and Mindy Richlen (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), Deana Erdner (University of Texas Marine Science Institute), Ron Kiene and Alison Robertson (University of South Alabama), Yuri Okolodkov (University of Veracruz, Mexico), and Tyler Smith (University of the Virgin Islands).
The primary objectives of this research are to:
Field studies will take place at seven locations throughout the northern portion of the Greater Caribbean region (GCR). These sites were chosen to encompass the entire study region and to include areas known to host CFP outbreaks.


text: Joseph Peterson, age 89, loving father and husband and dedicated community volunteer, died peacefully at home in Newport Beach surrounded by his family, June 28, 2011. Joe loved watching sports, playing golf, and firing up the bar-b-cue. After serving in the Air Force in WWII, he went on to graduate in business from Washington University, St. Louis. He had a long career in advertising with the J. Walter Thompson Agency, and as Marketing Manager for Coldwell Banker. He and wife Marcy raised four children in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood, and then relocated to Newport Beach, a town they grew to love. In retirement, Joe spent many years as a Big Brother of Orange County, volunteered as teacher's aide at Pomona Elementary, Costa Mesa, and dedicated over 15 years at Friendship Shelter, Laguna Beach. Son of Joseph and Katharine Peterson, Joe was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1921 and raised in St. Louis. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Marcy Peterson, sister Barbara Harford of St. Louis, and children Katie Peterson of Seattle, Chris Peterson of Petaluma, John Peterson of Palo Alto, and Anne Bentley of Seattle, and by grandchildren Evan, Collin, and Sofia. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent In Memory of Joseph Peterson to Friendship Shelter, P.O. Box 4252, Laguna Beach, CA 92652.


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Dan Parsley
SVP of Corporate Development
angelMD builds relationships that spur investment in the companies and ideas charting the future of medicine.
Dan Parsley, senior vice president of corporate development, has over 30 years of success launching, leading, growing and investing in technology-enabled businesses. He was previously a consultant with CSC, PwC and Accenture, assisting companies in their early through later stage capital raising and business strategy.