text:
SEMO professor ends bid for seat on state Senate
(Local News ~ 02/03/08)
Ellen Dillon, an instructor in Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Communications, abandoned her plans to run for the state Senate on Friday after learning she would have to take a leave of absence to campaign. Dillon, a Democrat, was seeking her party's nomination to run against incumbent state Sen. Jason Crowell, R-Cape Girardeau, in the six-county 27th District...
The faces of SEMO
(Local News ~ 02/03/08)
Southeast Missouri State University officials are following the creed that it's important to know where you come from before you know where you can go. As the university prepares to develop a strategic plan, outlining its goals for the next three to five years, it is closely studying who it already serves...
Politics and property taxes
(Local News ~ 02/03/08)
Editor's note: Cape Girardeau voters will select a new state representative in a special election Tuesday. This is the last installment in a series to familiarize voters with the three candidates' stands on some of the important issues that the winner will face during the legislative session, which is already underway....
Speak Out 2/3/08
(Speak Out ~ 02/03/08)
The flip side; Make a choice; Broken system; Not fooling everyone
Drew - Wasson
(Engagement ~ 02/03/08)
Brian and Kimberly Drew of Delta announce the engagement of their daughter, Jessica A. Drew, to Farrell E. Wasson. He is the son of James E. and Debbie Wasson of Scott City. Drew is a 2006 graduate of Delta High School. She expects to receive an associate degree in applied science from Metro Business College in March. She is employed at Siebert and Schuster Attorneys at Law...
Planning should be joint effort
(Letter to the Editor ~ 02/03/08)
To the editor:I read an article in the Jan. 26 Southeast Missourian regarding a perceived rivalry between Cape Girardeau and Sikeston over the proposed path of a highway linking Kentucky to Southeast Missouri. I feel the article was attempting to pit the leaders of Cape Girardeau against those of Sikeston and other Bootheel communities. In my opinion, this is not the best approach for the citizens of Southeast Missouri...
(Wedding ~ 02/03/08)
Jenna Lynn Wishart and Shannon Dean McIntosh exchanged wedding vows Jan. 5, 2008, at the Eagles Lodge in Cape Girardeau. Darren McIntosh, brother of the groom, performed the ceremony. Music was by Caleb McIntosh of Cape Girardeau, brother of the groom...
Meyer - Ford
(Engagement ~ 02/03/08)
Leah Dixon Meyer and Steven Wayne Ford were married June 30, 2007, at New McKendree United Methodist Church in Jackson. Calvin Brown performed the ceremony. Pianist was Deborah Myers of Oak Ridge, aunt of the bride. Vocalists were Carole Sherman of Coralville, Iowa, and Lisa Crites of Jackson, aunts of the bride...
Births 2/3/08
(Births ~ 02/03/08)
Narsh; Bollinger; Hinson; Johnson; Coryell; Dickerson; Dorris; Lutes; Mullally; Bray
(Engagement ~ 02/03/08)
Kurt and Pam Pfanstiel of Cape Girardeau announce the engagement of their daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Pfanstiel, to Stephen Russell Turner. He is the son of Russell and Milly Turner of Bethlehem, Tauranga, New Zealand. Pfanstiel received a bachelor of science degree in human environmental studies from Southeast Missouri State University. She is a freelance interior designer and has a studio at Edward Bernard Gallery...
Ashby - Little
(Wedding ~ 02/03/08)
Marla Renee Ashby and Brian Patrick Little were married Nov. 10, 2007, in Negril, Jamaica. Parents of the couple are Terry and Karen Ashby and Daniel and Georgia Little, all of Cape Girardeau. Maid of honor was Melissa Ashby of Cape Girardeau, sister of the bride...
Orderly growth
(Editorial ~ 02/03/08)
The Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission has started what is likely to be a lengthy discussion of planning for subdivisions outside the city but likely to be annexed sometime in the future. The city is interested in making sure subdivisions have adequate streets, sewers and water lines...
Out of the past 2/3/08
(Out of the Past ~ 02/03/08)
The Cape Girardeau City Council last night approved the preliminary plan for redevelopment; in doing so, the council recognized the Cape Girardeau Redevelopment Corporation as the sole organization authorized to develop a plan to redevelop several blocks of Water, Main and Spanish streets and the Marquette Hotel site...
(Engagement ~ 02/03/08)
John and Karla Wyatt of Scott City announce the engagement of their daughter, Sheena Rae Wyatt, to Brian Allen Phipps. He is the son of Mary Phipps of Scott City. Wyatt is a graduate of Metro Business College. Phipps is employed at Gilster-Mary Lee Corp...
Corn ethanol least efficient of all
(Letter to the Editor ~ 02/03/08)
To the editor:I am one of many who are fed up with the misinformation being spread through ignorance and by special-interest groups. Following are the facts comparing gasoline and alternate fuels. Corn ethanol: 22 percent less emissions, 1-1.3 energy ratio, 300 gallons an acre. In principle, any plant material can be used...
McFerron - Harrell
(Wedding ~ 02/03/08)
CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Brooke Alison McFerron and Jason Brent Harrell were married Sept. 15, 2007, at First United Methodist Church in Chaffee. The Rev. Frank Husted performed the ceremony. Vocalist was Kandi Pennington of Jackson. Parents of the bride are William and Alice McFerron of Chaffee. The groom is the son of Fred and Pam Harrell of Jackson...
Seabaugh - 60 years
(Anniversary ~ 02/03/08)
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Seabaugh of Cape Girardeau recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. Seabaugh and Nora Lee Spalding were married Dec. 25, 1947, at Trinity Lutheran Church.
ONE issues we can all agree on
(Letter to the Editor ~ 02/03/08)
To the editor:As a voter and a member of the poverty-fighting group ONE, I have partnered with the more than 2.4 million ONE members nationally in an effort to make the fight against extreme poverty and global disease an issue in the presidential election...
Assessing a losing situation
(Column ~ 02/03/08)
Husband-and-wife journalists Bob Miller and Callie Clark Miller use this space to offer their views on everyday issues. HE SAID: I don't know exactly at what point I looked in the mirror and told myself enough is enough, or exactly at what point my cute and talented wife agreed with me, but sometime late last year, I put my foot down (with Callie's permission, of course) and came to this conclusion: I needed to go back to the gym. And I needed to go on a diet...
New ways to help Missourians
(Letter to the Editor ~ 02/03/08)
To the editor:In Missouri, the beginning of a new year means the beginning of a new legislative session. It is the time to focus on priorities that can make a positive difference in the lives of Missouri families and in the operation of Missouri businesses...
National Geographic Kids magazine sponsors contest
(Community ~ 02/03/08)
WASHINGTON -- National Geographic Kids magazine is sponsoring its third annual "Hands-On Explorer Challenge," in which 15 kids ages 9-14 and two teachers will win an 11-day expedition to Australia, courtesy of Tourism Australia. To enter, kids must write an original essay of no more than 300 words describing how they "actively explore their world" and the most interesting things they have encountered. ...
Hemmann - Brumfield
(Wedding ~ 02/03/08)
April Danielle Hemmann and Shane Andrew Brumfield were married June 23, 2007, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau. The Rev. Mark Martin performed the ceremony. Pianist was Judy Sharp and soloist was John Litzelfelner, both of Jackson. The bride is the daughter of Dennis and Beverly Hemmann of Oak Ridge. The groom is the son of Linda Brumfield of Ste. Genevieve, Mo., and the late Robert Brumfield Jr...
Bock - Holcomb
(Engagement ~ 02/03/08)
Mark and Christy Bock of Jackson and Mark and Vickie Rinehart of Dexter, Mo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Cassi Leann Bock of Millersville, to Joshua Douglas Holcomb of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Doug and Jeri Holcomb of Cape Girardeau...
Collect Web tips for Florida Everglades vacation
(Community ~ 02/03/08)
Ever seen a live alligator up close and personal, in the wild? Ridden an air boat across a sea of water and grass? You can do all that and more in South Florida at Everglades National Park -- www.nps.gov/ever/ -- with visitors centers conveniently located at Homestead and west of Miami on the Tamiami Trail. ...
(Engagement ~ 02/03/08)
Jerry and Terri Whalen of Peculiar, Mo., and Alisa Heydon of Steamboat Springs, Colo., announce the engagement of their daughter, Allyson Ann Whalen, to Charlie Lindberg, both of Cape Girardeau. He is the son of Chuck and Deb Lindberg of Greenville, Mo...
Word scramble answers
(Community ~ 02/03/08)
1: touchdown 2: end zone 3:coin toss 4: fumble 5: super bowl 6: overtime 7: turnover 8: quarterback 9: locker room 10: football
MU engineers working to develop pulse power for disabling explosives
(State News ~ 02/03/08)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Pulse power could be the next great innovation in defense technology. A team of University of Missouri engineers have started a project funded by the Department of Defense to develop pulse power -- compressed, short bursts of electricity -- to identify and disable hidden explosives during wartime...
Police report 2/3/08
(Police/Fire Report ~ 02/03/08)
DWIs; Property damage
Education, health, housing and anti-poverty programs face budget squeeze
(National News ~ 02/03/08)
WASHINGTON -- The spiraling growth of Medicare and the high cost of renewing President Bush's tax cuts are squeezing popular education, health, housing and anti-poverty programs in the budget blueprint that he hands lawmakers Monday. Even with difficult-to-digest proposals to curb Medicare costs and kill programs to repair dilapidated public housing, fund community action agencies and provide food to the elderly poor, Bush's $3 trillion budget will project deficits around $400 billion this year and next.. ...
Mary Hindman
(Obituary ~ 02/03/08)
CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Mary Camille Hindman, 82, of Chaffee died Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at Saint Francis Medical Center. She was born April 2, 1925, at Chaffee, daughter of Harvey and Jessie Marie Litzelfelner Burnett. She and Joseph Scheeter were married Aug. 19, 1944. He died Feb. 26, 1964. She and Kenneth Hindman were married Nov. 28, 1968...
Helena Holmes
(Obituary ~ 02/03/08)
MURPHYSBORO, Ill. -- Helena Holmes, 91, of Murphysboro and formerly of Cairo, Ill., died Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro. She was born Feb. 15, 1916, in Griffin, Ind., daughter of Charles and Martha Calvin Upshaw. She and Hezzie Holmes were married, and he died in 1985...
Former St. Louis Post-Dispatch lifestyle editor found slain in her home
(State News ~ 02/03/08)
CHESTERFIELD, Mo. -- Nancy Miller, a former lifestyle editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, was found slain in her St. Louis-area home Friday night. Miller's body was found around 6 p.m. after friends and neighbors couldn't reach her by cell phone. Chesterfield police would not comment on the cause of death...
Mormons say goodbye to longtime church president
(National News ~ 02/03/08)
SALT LAKE CITY -- Gordon B. Hinckley was remembered as a "prophet to the people" on Saturday as tens of thousands of faithful Mormons gathered to say goodbye to the church's longtime president. The funeral at the conference center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints capped a week of mourning for Hinckley, who died Jan. 27 at age 97...
Fire report 2/3/08
(Police/Fire Report ~ 02/03/08)
n At 8:53 p.m., emergency medical service in the 3000 block of Aspen Drive. n At 9:38 p.m., emergency medical service in the 300 block of Broadway. n At 11:51 p.m., emergency medical service in the 100 block of North Main Street. n At 11:55 p.m., emergency medical service in the 600 block of Elk Lane...
U.S., Iraqis vow to crack down after deadly bombings in Baghdad
(International News ~ 02/03/08)
BAGHDAD -- A top U.S. commander said Saturday that two bombings carried out by women wrapped in bombs that killed nearly 100 people in Baghdad underscored that al-Qaida in Iraq remains a serious threat, but he vowed the military would "not give back any terrain" to the terror network...
Change of leadership in S. Korea places N. Korea in dilemma
(International News ~ 02/03/08)
SEOUL, South Korea -- North Korea is facing its worst food shortage in years, yet its rich southern neighbor has yet to hear the usual cry for help. Instead, the communist regime is silent, and most experts see a connection to the election of a new South Korean president, conservative Lee Myung-bak, who wants concessions from North Korea in exchange for aid...
Paula Dover
(Obituary ~ 02/03/08)
Paula Faye Cobb Dover, 55, of Columbia, Mo., formerly of Cape Girardeau, died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete at Ford and Sons Funeral Home.
Katharine Beck
(Obituary ~ 02/03/08)
Katharine Lucille Beck, 67, of Jackson died Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau. She was born Nov. 23, 1940, in Fresno, Calif., daughter of Owen and Helen Webb Smith. She and Ronnie L. Beck were married Oct. 1, 1960, in Caruthersville, Mo...
Christopher Talley
(Obituary ~ 02/03/08)
Christopher G. Talley passed away at his home in Cape Girardeau on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008, at the age of 67. He was born in Montgomery, Ala., to Pat and Missouri Talley. He grew up with a brother, Pat, and sisters Merry, Robin and Francis. During his young years, Chris was known for his love of dogs, ability to find mischief and the creation of Stopherese, a unique language developed by Chris to describe everything from human anatomy to automotive parts. ...
5 women dead in clothing store shooting in suburban Chicago
(National News ~ 02/03/08)
TINLEY PARK, Ill. -- A gunman fatally shot five women in a robbery at a store in a suburban Chicago strip mall and fled Saturday, prompting police to sweep through neighboring shops as terrified customers watched. The victims, including at least one employee, were killed at a Lane Bryant clothing store at the Brookside Marketplace, police Sgt. T.J. Grady said...
Hundreds of rebels clash with government forces in Chad's capital
(International News ~ 02/03/08)
NAIROBI, Kenya -- Hundreds of rebels charged into Chad's capital aboard pickup trucks Saturday, clashing with government troops around the presidential palace in the most forceful attempt yet to oust President Idriss Deby. The violence endangered a $300 million global aid operation supporting millions of people in the former French colony and also delayed the deployment of the European Union's peacekeeping mission to both Chad and neighboring Central African Republic...
Births 2/3/08
(Births ~ 02/03/08)
Narsh; Bollinger; Hinson; Johnson
Robert Crites
(Obituary ~ 02/03/08)
Robert L. "Bob" Crites, age 87, of Jackson passed away Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at Jackson Manor Nursing Home in Jackson. He was born Aug. 26, 1920, in Oak Ridge and was raised by his grandmother, Mattie Davis. He and Helen Wilkinson were married Nov. 7, 1941, in Jackson. She survives...
Chamber award winners have rich history in Cape Girardeau
(Local News ~ 02/03/08)
James A. Rust, winner of the 2008 Rush H. Limbaugh award from the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, has an extensive list of accomplishments. In addition to operating a company, RM Coco, that does business in all 50 states and several foreign countries, Rust has devoted considerable amounts of time to community projects. His accomplishments include:...
William Oakes
(Obituary ~ 02/03/08)
SIKESTON, Mo. -- William Jerry Oakes, 57, of Sikeston died Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at home following an extended illness. He was born Sept. 23, 1950, at Luxora, Ark., son of the late William Daniel and Hazel Helen Collins Oakes. He and Theresa Jane Graham were married July 11, 1970, at Benton, Mo...
Nancy Breth
(Obituary ~ 02/03/08)
Nancy Delores Breth, 56, of Cape Girardeau died Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at her home. She was born May 2, 1951 at Annapolis, Md., daughter of Elvie Wetzel and Virginia Estelle Harrison Perry. Breth was employed by K-Force. She was a medical transcriptionist. She attended Cape First Church...
Britney Spears' father gets temporary control of troubled pop star's welfare
(Entertainment ~ 02/03/08)
LOS ANGELES -- Throughout the course of Britney Spears' months-long tailspin, one question has lingered with each turn: Why doesn't her family take measures to stop this? On Friday, they did. Spears' father, James Spears, was put in charge of the troubled pop star's welfare during a surprise court appearance by him and mother Lynne Spears, a day after their daughter was whisked to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation...
Paul Penland
(Obituary ~ 02/03/08)
ANNA, Ill. -- Paul Penland, 91, of Anna died Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2008, at the Lutheran Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born April 8, 1916, in Cobden, Ill., son of Curtis and Ella Hewlett Penland. He and Opal F. Basinger were married Oct. 22, 1938, in Jackson. She died Jan. 9, 2007...
Ross Bollinger
(Obituary ~ 02/03/08)
ADVANCE, Mo. -- Ross Bollinger, 90, of Advance died Friday, Feb. 1, 2008, at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cape Girardeau. He was born June 5, 1917, at Bell City, Mo., son of Alvin and Mary Barks Bollinger. He and Georgia Redman were married May 17, 1941, at Benton, Mo...
New stroke treatment can vacuum clots out of the brain
(National News ~ 02/03/08)
WASHINGTON -- It's a tiny vacuum cleaner for the brain: A new treatment for stroke victims promises to suction out clogged arteries in hopes of stopping the brain attack before it does permanent harm. Called Penumbra, the newly approved device is the latest in a series of inside-the-artery attempts to boost recovery from stroke, the nation's No. 3 killer...
Republicans work South, Democrats hit West in weekend push
(National News ~ 02/03/08)
Sen. John McCain barnstormed through the South on Saturday, campaigning for a Super Tuesday knockout in the Republican presidential race. Democratic rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton worked the West on the final weekend before primaries and caucuses in more than 20 states...
Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow, predicts more winter ahead
(National News ~ 02/03/08)
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. -- Brace yourself for more wintry weather. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Saturday, leading the groundhog to forecast six more weeks of winter. The rodent was pulled from his stump by members of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club Inner Circle, top-hat- and tuxedo-wearing businessmen who carry out the tradition...
More than 200 marchers protest Minuteman regional conference
(State News ~ 02/03/08)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- More than 200 demonstrators turned up to protest the opening here of an anti-illegal immigration group's first regional conference. The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps is holding a two-day conference in Kansas City in a show of solidarity with member Frances Semler, who attracted criticism from civil rights groups after she was appointed to a local parks board...
Club news
(Community News ~ 02/03/08)
St. Mary CCW The St. Mary Council of Catholic Women met Jan. 17 in the Monsignor Huels Room for a covered-dish supper. Dr. David Westrich presented a program on macular degeneration. Pat Eftink distributed copies of the treasurer's report...
Redhawks need OT to tame pesky Skyhawks
(College Sports ~ 02/03/08)
Undermanned Tennessee-Martin, the Ohio Valley Conference's last-place women's basketball team, made things more difficult than expected for Southeast Missouri State. Much more difficult. But the Redhawks survived a valiant effort by the Skyhawks on Saturday afternoon to post their sixth straight victory, 58-51 in overtime...
Redhawks drop first dual meet of season
(College Sports ~ 02/03/08)
Tom Farden watched his Southeast Missouri State gymnastics team lose its first meet this winter, but he saw three positives along the way. First, the Redhawks posted their second-best vault score (48.900) in the program's 33-year history. Second, the Redhawks had their best floor performance in three meets this season (48.800)...
Redhawks suffer their seventh loss in eight games
(College Sports ~ 02/03/08)
The Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team appeared to recapture its swagger with Tuesday's triple-overtime win over Ohio Valley Conference leader Austin Peay. But Tennessee-Martin knock-ed the Redhawks back down in a big way Saturday night...
Area calendar
(Community Sports ~ 02/03/08)
Basketball n Free-throw competition: The Knights of Columbus will host its annual free-throw championship at 1 p.m. today at the Immaculate Conception gymnasium in Jackson. The competition is for boys and girls ages 10 to 14. Registration will be from noon to 1 p.m. the day of the competition. Participants must have proof of age and written parental consent. Info: Ken Hotop, 243-1000, 579-0196...
Meadow Heights, Zalma advance to championship game
(High School Sports ~ 02/03/08)
Zalma, the No. 5 seed, upset No. 1 Leopold, 62-61, in the semifinals of the Mississippi Valley Conference boys basketball tournament at Oak Ridge High School on Saturday. Justin Lemons led the Bulldogs with 17 points, while Colton Bailey scored 12. Leopold entered halftime with a 33-28 lead, but Zalma (8-8) controlled the second half, especially the third quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 24-15...
Bell City upends South Iron 72-60
(High School Sports ~ 02/03/08)
ANNAPOLIS, Mo. -- South Iron is unbeaten no more. The state's top-ranked team in Class 2 was beaten 72-60 in its home finale on senior night by a Bell City team that overcame its early offensive struggles with stout defense and steady free-throw shooting...
Details for Hillary Clinton visit to St. Louis announced
(State News ~ 02/03/08)
ST. LOUIS -- Hillary Rodham Clinton's visit to the St. Louis area will be at noon today at a union hall in Bridgeton. The Democratic presidential candidate will host a town hall meeting at the International Association of Machinists hall. Clinton's rival for the nomination, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, was to appear at a rally in downtown St. Louis on Saturday night...
Supporters of Special Olympics make annual Polar Bear Plunge
(Local News ~ 02/03/08)
Between spectators, plungers and volunteers, about 500 people were in attendance at Saturday's Polar Bear Plunge, a fundraiser for the Special Olympics, at Trail of Tears State Park's Lake Boutin. Almost 30 volunteers were on hand to keep things running smoothly. They included two firefighters submerged chest-high at the rear of the roped-in area of the lake, Cape County Private Ambulance workers, paramedics and Department of Natural Resources rangers...
Super bowl to do list
(Community ~ 02/03/08)
football activities n Fold along the dotted lines at the top of this page, and you'll have a paper football to "kick" with your middle finger. You or a friend can make goal posts by putting the tips of your thumbs together and sticking your pointer fingers up...
Stories from Sunday, February 3, 2008
Browse other days


text:
How is the Real Estate Market?
I don't think there is a real estate agent in the world that isn't at a neighborhood party, a family event or business function that doesn't get asked "How is the Real Estate Market?"
In this article, we will discuss what the real estate market really is and how it functions.
But let's really put it into perspective. When you ask "How is the real estate market?" You are generally asking "How is the real estate market pertaining to me?"
Different markets mean different things to different people.
A seller wants a red hot seller's market.
A buyer wants a hot buyer's market.
Most agents want a neutral market.
But believe it or not if you are a home seller moving up you will probably want a buyers market and prices to be down and if you are seller downsizing you want a seller's market!
No matter what my response is to "how is the real estate market?" someone is going to be disappointed depending on why you are asking!
How is the Real Estate Market Determined?
Absorption rate in the real estate market is one huge determining factor of how the market is doing. This is how many months supply of inventory is on the market if no other properties hit the market. Lets take a look at the Tewksbury MA Real Estate Market.
- There are currently 37 residential units for sale on the market in Tewksbury MA.
- In the past 6 months 79 units sold for an average of 13 units per month.
- Divide 37×13 and that shows we have roughly an absorption rate of 2.8 months… meaning it will take 2.8 months to sell the current inventory.
The absorption rate for the overall Tewksbury Market is 2.8 months.
What is a balanced or neutral market:
A balanced market is when the absorption rate is between 5 to 6 months. It gives buyers time and plenty of inventory to buy the right house and sellers can reasonable expect to find a buyer in that time frame if their home is competitively marketed and priced. A neutral market see moderate appreciation of 1-3% a year. Generally no one is advantaged or disadvantaged in a neutral or balanced market.
What is a seller's market:
A seller's market is defined as a real estate market with an absorption rate below 5 months. This shows that inventory is low and there is much pent up demand from home buyers. Home buyer's are disadvantaged and seller's start to control the process as you get deeper and deeper into a sellers market.
What is a buyer's market :
is when the absorption rate is above 5-7 months. There is more housing inventory than there are buyers. Home seller's are disadvantaged and home buyer's start to control the process as you get deeper into a real estate market.
Given the absorption rate is 2.8 months in Tewksbury we can pretty much say Tewksbury is a a hot sellers market. Remember that absorption rate includes from the moment a property hits the market to the time it closes. A typical closing is from 45 to 60 days. That means properties are going under agreement in under a month with many going under with in days of hitting the market.
The other factors to look at are the days on market rising or falling? And, are median house prices rising or falling. This will give you an indication of which way the market is heading.
Why is it important to Understand How the Real Estate Market is Doing?
It is critically important to understand how the real estate market is doing whether your a buyer or a seller. Depending on the condition of the real estate market it will dictate how you act and react during the buying or selling process.
The Sellers Market
Of course the sellers market is beneficial to the seller. As one party gains control of a market it means that they have a leg up on the other party. As of today most of the markets I serve are in a sellers to hot sellers market.
Sellers can be picky and demanding. Many sellers find themselves with multiple offers with in days of listing. If you give a seller a hard time during home inspection or have too many contingencies in your offer they will say step aside there are three more home buyers after you!!
Buyers need to be diligent about getting into the good properties and make split second decisions. You may have to pay over asking as you find your one of many offers and give up normal contingencies in your purchase contract. Be demanding on home inspection issues and you may be kicked to the curb.
There will be very strong competition for good homes among home buyers and you need to be prepared to step up to the plate.
The Buyers Market
Alternately a Buyers Market puts home buyers in the drivers seat during offers and negotiations. They can ask for contingencies and may insist on the inclusion of personal items. When it comes to home inspections they may give you a laundry list of items to repair knowing if you don't the next seller will. Home buyers have choices and time there is not urgency to buy your home.
Home sellers will feel the need to meet the buyers demands as they usually they have their own timeline they want to meet. There will be other homes that will suit the buyers needs and your house will not stand out. You will have to meet your buyers demands.
The Neutral Market
A neutral market favors neither party and the spirit of negotiations really kicks in. Neither party will feel like they are backed into a corner or feel particularly rushed in most circumstances.
Things To Know About Real Estate Markets
Real state markets can be complicated and I can cover way more than I am covering in this article. But I would like to cover a few points that home buyers and home sellers should be aware of about real estate markets.
- Real estate markets are hyper local. You can have one town that is doing well and a neighboring town doing poorly. It can even go farther than that and you can have two sections of town performing very differently.
- Real estate markets can be segmented in even a hyper local market. Different price points can be reacting differently even in the same hyper local market. Take the Andover MA Real Estate Market. In the past 6 months the absorption rate has been 2.4 months in the $300k to $500k price range while the $800k to $1.4mil price range was 5.3 months. The difference of a hot sellers market vs a more balanced market for the higher price range.
- Real estate markets are good for one day only. Ok so this may be extreme but in general this statement can be true, a real estate market can turn on a dime. We can have a very flat winter market than the spring hits and the market gets crazy! or vice versa.
- Buyers and Sellers perception of the real estate market is usually lagging. I find that buyers and sellers perception is based on data that is 6 months to a year old and see number 3! Data gathered is generally a lagging indicator to begin with and most buyers or sellers rely on old information.
- Understanding the real estate market your in is important. The real estate market you are in will set the tone for your entire time in the real estate market. I have had sellers in a buyer's market expect to sell there house in 3 months…. listed to close, when the absorption rate is more like 7 months! Understanding the market data helps give you a realistic perspective and provide a realistic plan.
- You have no control of real estate market conditions. Real Estate Markets are what they are, you can't control them. Nor should you try to time them, they are fairly unpredictable. The time to buy or sell the time you need or want to buy or sell. Waiting for a market to change can lead to trouble… serious trouble.
- Nobody can predict where the market is headed. Like the stock market no can really predict where the real estate market is headed over a period of time. If you could there would be a ton of people getting rich.
Final thought on "How is the Real Estate Market?"
Understanding the real estate market you are about to enter is critical in setting realistic expectations whether you are a buyer or seller. It will dictate what you have ahead of you in buyer or seller expectations, how you look for homes, how you negotiate offers and home inspection issues.
Since post World War ll the real estate market has been in a steady incline either matching or slightly beating inflation. But during the incline it does cycle up and down. Think of buying real estate in terms of decades and not two or three years. The true benefit of owning a house is over time, seeing long term appreciation and paying down your house until you own it outright!
A good listing agent or a good buyer's agent will educate you on current real estate market conditions and how to proceed pertaining to your specific needs and goals.
Other Real Estate Market Resources:
- Nerd Wallet- Understanding Your Housing Market
- Xavier Debuck- Signs Your Home May Be Overpriced in a Sellers Market
- Teresa Cowart- Sweetening Your Offer in a Red Hot Seller's Market
- Bill Gassett- Selling Your Home in a Buyer's Market
- Lynn Pineda- What is a Seller's Market?
How is the Real Estate Market?, was provided by Kevin Vitali of EXIT Group One Real Estate of Tewksbury MA. If you would like to sell or buy a home, give me a call at 978-360-0422 and let's get the process started.
Want to know how the Real Estate Market is doing in Your area? Real Estate Services in the following areas: Northeast Massachusetts, Merrimack Valley, North Shore and Metrowest. Including the following communities and the surrounding area- Amesbury, Andover, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Dracut, Groveland, Haverhill, Lowell, Melrose, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, North Andover, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Wakefield, Wilmington, Westfor

subset: commoncrawl


text:
VBS and Outreach Ministry Partner to Support Arkansas Rice Depot's "Food for Kids" Program
On Sunday, May 27, Second Presbyterian Church will receive the Pentecost Offering, one of our regular denominational offerings designated to help bring God's transforming and redeeming love to children at risk, to nurture young people's growing faith, and provide opportunities for young adults to become spiritual leaders. Sixty percent of the offering we receive will be used by the PC(USA) for child advocacy programs and support of the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program. We currently have two young adults in our congregation participating in this program–Sarah Akin and David Mills.
The remaining forty percent of the offering is to be used by our congregation for an area program for children at risk. The Outreach Ministry has designated Arkansas Rice Depot's "Food for Kids" program to receive this offering. "Food for Kids" meets the needs of students (K-12th grades) who display educational, physical, or emotional problems at school due to hunger at home. The students receive backpacks filled with kid-friendly, nourishing food to take home each day and on weekends. During the current school year 32,000 children in 650 Arkansas schools are being served through this program.
The Vacation Bible School planning committee also decided to designate our VBS offering to the "Food for Kids" program. We hope to enable our children to adopt a specific school to sponsor during the 2012-13 school year…."a school for a school." The cost for "adoption" is $2400. The children will combine their Sunday School offerings and their VBS offerings toward this effort. By partnering with the Pentecost Offering we should be well on our way "in the adoption process."
So that our children can visualize what they are doing with their offering, we will create a BIG fish tank to be filled with paper fish each day to signify the progress toward our goal. We will "stock the tank" with fish that signify the offering received on Pentecost Sunday. Please give generously so that we can support our Young Adults Volunteers in Ministry and support our children as they reach out to children at risk in our community.


text:
iPhone Atlas warns that the 1.1.3 jailbreak may prevent official third party apps from working.
iPhone firmware 1.1.3 includes a mechanism for approving signed applications. Signed apps use private keys to authorize themselves for installation on the iPhone/iPod Touch. This gets damaged by the jailbreak, although it's reversable. It does mean that official and unofficial third party apps won't be able to co-exist.
Since there's an official SDK coming soon, which will be available to everyone, there's no reason the developers currently writing unofficial applications won't switch to the SDK and release the same applications in a form that won't require jailbreaking the iPhone.
Blogged with Flock
Tags: iphone


text:
Women In Games Vancouver To Host Social Mixer During GDX
Vancouver – The new Women In Games International (Vancouver) Chapter will be hosting a social networking evening during the upcoming Game Design Expo. Women In Games International will be presenting a panel discussion at Vancouver Film School's Open House about – Women In Games – on Sunday, February 8th. There will also be an announcement from the group in regards to a new $30 000.00 scholarship fund for VFS' Game Design Programme. Please note that both days of the 2009 Game Design Expo are sold out.
The mixer will be held at Digital Alchemy Entertainment's studio in Gastown. Those who are interested in attending, please RSVP on WIGI-Vancouver's FaceBook event page. There are sponsorship opportunities for this event; interested companies or individuals are asked to contact Maria [at] radical [dot] ca. There will be drinks and appetizers along with some music and good conversation.


text:
Chemical Free Product Guides
How To Choose A Chemical Free Laundry Detergent
You probably already know to avoid toxic chemicals like bleach in your laundry routine. But have you ever wondered about the safety of the other chemicals lurking in your laundry detergent? You might assume that the government has tested all the chemicals used in your laundry detergent for safety, but that's not actually the case. Out of some 62,000 chemicals approved for use in the US, only about 300 have actually been tested for safety. Most people also don't realize that laundry detergent manufacturers aren't required to show their full ingredient lists on their labels. Another shocker is that the word "fragrance" on a laundry detergent can actually mask a cocktail of dozens of harmful ingredients. The Environmental Working Group (EWG), the authority on product & environmental safety, rates almost 70% of laundry detergents a D or F (their highest safety concern). Not to worry though, we're here to help with the top offenders to avoid in your quest for a toxic chemical free laundry detergent. Top Ingredients to Avoid for a Chemical Free Laundry Detergent 1. Bleach: Just in case you need a reminder on the safety risks, sodium hypochlorite (bleach) is extremely toxic and dangerous given its ability to cause severe skin burns & eye damage, trigger dangerous allergy and asthma reactions, its link to cancer and organ damage, and its extreme toxicity if inhaled or ingested. 2. Fragrances: Fragrances in laundry detergents are designed to stay in clothing after washing, which means you should definitely be concerned about their safety. Fragrance chemicals can pass through the skin and enter the blood stream. They are manufactured from petroleum and coal tar and are classified as carcinogens, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, skin and respiratory irritants. Unfortunately the fragrance industry is primarily self-regulated, where safety testing does not have to precede product sales and fragrance cocktails don't even have to be reviewed by regulatory agencies. In household cleaning products like laundry detergents, fragrances are considered trade secrets, meaning that manufacturers aren't required to disclose the potentially hundreds of ingredients hiding behind the one word "fragrance". Step 1 in your pursuit of a chemical free laundry detergent is to say no to fragrances! Don't buy it if you see the words "fragrance" or "parfum" on the label. And don't be tricked by the phrase "fragrance-free" or "unscented". You also have to check the ingredient list, because sometimes companies use a masking fragrance to cover the chemical smell of their product. Also watch out for products labeled as "natural" or "natural fragrance," because there is no standard criteria for what these words mean. 3. Phthalates: These are often present in laundry detergent but you won't find them listed on labels. They are typically associated with fragrances, so here is yet another reason to avoid fragrances. Across multiple studies, phthalates have been shown to cause hormone disruption. The Centers for Disease Control reported that phthalates can be found in the blood of most Americans, and the greatest quantities are in women. They can also be found in some plastic containers, so avoid detergents with recycling codes 3 & 7. 4. Brighteners: What's creating the extra brightness from optical brighteners? It's chemicals that actually remain on the clothes to absorb UV light & minimize yellow so that clothes appear brighter. EWG recommends that consumers stay away from these because of skin irritation and environmental safety concerns, and the EPA has said that these are potentially toxic. These ingredients aren't always listed, so a helpful rule of thumb is that if the product is labeled as biodegradable, it probably doesn't contain optical brighteners. 5. Phosphates & EDTA: Manufacturers use these to make detergents more effective in hard water. These chemicals have long been associated with environmental damage. They cause algae blooms that damage ecosystems. Look for phosphate-free on laundry detergent labels. Many detergents have eliminated these, but they're often replacing them with ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) in its place, which has been found to be toxic in animal studies. 6. Quaternium-15: This chemical found in laundry detergent releases formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen. It can trigger asthma, damage the respiratory system, and cause skin rashes. 7. Petroleum distillates: Petroleum distillates aim to do some good by removing grease from dirty clothing. But these chemicals have been linked to cancer and lung damage. Other names it goes by include aliphatic petroleum naphtha, petroleum naphtha, and rubber solvent. 8. NPE (nonylphenol ethoxylate) is a surfactant, a wetting agent that helps water penetrate into the fabric of your clothing. NPEs are hormone disruptors & suspected carcinogens. These are already banned in Canada and Europe. 9. Formaldehyde: This nasty one is classified as a human carcinogen by the U.S. government and World Health Organization and frequently shows up in laundry products. There are many health concerns associated with this one, including cancer, skin irritation, and organ toxicity. 10. 1,4 dioxane: The National Institutes of Health warned that 1,4-dioxane is "reasonably expected to be a human carcinogen", because it has been repeatedly shown to cause cancer in animal studies. It is also considered by the State of California to be potentially toxic to the brain and central nervous system, kidneys, liver and respiratory system. A Note On Borax Many people who are searching for a chemical free laundry detergent will be tempted to use borax an alternative. However, according to EWG, it is a skin & eye irritant and suspected hormone disruptor based on animal studies. It is also toxic to children. We think it's safest to avoid it. If you're looking for all-natural detergent, check out our eco-friendly laundry sheets. They're packed with ultra-concentrated stain and odor removal powers that clean, freshen, whiten, and brighten laundry without any bleach, dyes, or fragrances! And the ingredients are biodegradable in accordance with OECD 310D (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development). We also recommend incorporating a toxic chemical free cleaner & deodorizer like Force of Nature into your laundry regimen. Starting with just salt, water and vinegar, it has no toxic chemicals yet cleans as well as bleach without removing color. It's great for pre-treating stains & eliminating stubborn odors in gym clothes. The fabrics used in athletic clothing are designed in a way that makes them hang on to odors, which you've probably noticed if you have any athletes in your family. If you spray them first with Force of Nature, you'll remove the stubborn odors that laundry detergents can't handle. And because it's toxic, it's great to spray on baby clothes & bibs to get rid of stains and smells either as a pre-treatment or if you have a spill on-the-go.


text:
# click the upper-left icon to select videos from the playlist
source: zammù multimedia - Università di Catania
Medical imaging is the science and technology to acquire images of the human body (either as a whole or in parts) for clinical interpretation or interventions. The main challenge for clinicians lies in the explosive number of images being acquired, and their hidden, often complementary or dynamic information contents. To aid the analysis of this increasing amount and complexity of medical images, medical image computing has emerged as an interdisciplinary field at the interface of computer science, engineering, physics, applied mathematics, and of course medicine. In this field, scientists aim to develop robust and accurate computational methods to extract clinically relevant information. In contrast, the field of computer vision is the science and technology of "making machines that see", with a focus on the design, theory and implementation of techniques that allow for automatic processing and interpretation of images and videos throught the exploitation of machine learnin. Recent research in these traditionally separate fields suggests that both scientific communities could mutually benefit from one another – but a scientific gap continues to exist.
The focus of this Medical Imaging Summer School (MISS) is to train a new generation of young scientists to bridge this gap, by providing insights into the various interfaces between medical imaging, computer vision and machine learning, based on the shared broad categories of: image segmentation, registration and reconstruction, classification and modelling, and computer-aided interpretation. The course will contain a combination of in-depth tutorial-style lectures on fundamental state-of-the-art concepts, followed by accessible yet advanced research lectures using examples and applications. A broad overview of the field will be given, and guided reading groups will complement lectures. The course will be delivered by world renowned experts from both academia and industry, who are working closely at the interface of medical imaging/computer vision.
The school aims to provide a stimulating graduate training opportunity for young researchers and Ph.D. students. The participants will benefit from direct interaction with world leaders in medical image computing and computer vision (often working in both fields). Participants will also have the opportunity to present their own research, and to interact with their scientific peers, in a friendly and constructive setting.
For more information, send an email to email@example.com
• Roberto Cipolla, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
• Giovanni Maria Farinella, University of Catania, Italy
• Julia Schnabel, King's College London, United Kingdom
• Filippo Stanco, University of Catania, Italy
MISS 2016 Favignana Spot 3:15
[Miss 2016] Alison Noble - Popular Classics in Machine Learning for Medical Imaging 1:05:14
[MISS 2016] Carsten Rother - Introduction to Graphical Models 1:14:48
[MISS 2016] Carsten Rother - Graphical Models in BioImedical imaging 46:52
[MISS 2016] William M. Wells III - A Graphical Introduction to Probabilistic Graphical Models 1:23:47
[MISS 2016] Ben Glocker - Random Forests and their applications in medical imaging 59:38
[MISS 2016] Nicholas Ayache - Anatomical/Physiological models in MI and biophysical simulation 1:39:05
[MISS 2016] Marleen de Bruijne - Learning imaging biomarkers: challenges and pitfalls 1:10:32
[MISS 2016] Marleen de Bruijne - Learning from Weak Labels 50:36
[MISS 2016] Ben Glocker - Solving continuous problems with discrete optimization 1:05:35
[MISS 2016] William M. Wells III - A multi-perspective introduction to the EM algorithm 31:35
[MISS 2016] William M. Wells III - Uncertainty in Registration with MCMC 45:50
[MISS 2016] Alison Noble - Learning to interpret Ultrasound Imaging 1:14:15
[MISS 2016] Daniel Rueckert - Manifold Learning, Dictionary Learning & Sparsity 57:31
[MISS 2016] Daniel Rueckert - Machine Learning for segmentation and Reconstruction 48:12
[MISS 2016] Max Welling - Approximate Bayesian Posterior Inference for Big Data 1:13:38
[MISS 2016] Raquel Urtasun - Introduction to Convolutional Neural Networks 55:07
[MISS 2016] Ben Glocker - Deep Learning for Brain Lesion Segmentation 59:57
[MISS 2016] Andrea Vedaldi - Advanced Convolutional Neural Networks 1:27:14
[MISS 2016] Raquel Urtasun - Learning Deep Structured Models 1:01:30
[MISS 2016] Andrea Vedaldi - Understanding CNNs using visualisation and transformation analysis 1:04:22
[MISS 2016] Max Welling - Deep Learning, Graphical Models and Bayesian Estimation 1:12:43
Menarini ( Miss 2016, Favignana ) 2:30
1. Clicking ▼&► to (un)fold the tree menu may facilitate locating what you want to find. 2. Videos embedded here do not necessarily represent my viewpoints or preferences. 3. This is just one of my several websites. Please click the category-tags below these two lines to go to each independent website.


text:
Oil Leak Bigger Than Reported – And Feds Knew
No shock here…on Day 21, I said we were looking at an extinction event.
From ABC News (how the hell did that happen?):
BP and Feds Withheld Videos Showing Massive Scope of Oil Spill
New videos show more clearly than ever how BP, with little resistance from the Coast Guard or other federal agencies, kept the public in the dark about just how bad things were beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico.
On May 1, 11 days after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, and nine days after oil began spilling into the Gulf, the Coast Guard had still only released a single image of oil leaking a mile beneath the surface — a fuzzy photograph of a broken pipe spewing oil.
But inside the unified command center, where BP and federal agencies were orchestrating the spill response, video monitors had already displayed hours of footage they did not make public. The images showed a far more dire situation unfolding underwater. The footage filmed by submarines showed three separate leaks, including one that was unleashing a torrent of oil into the Gulf.
BP officials said they made all the video available to federal officials.
"The video has been available to the unified command from the very beginning," said Mark Proegler, a BP spokesman. "It's always been here from the beginning. They had it."
Coast Guard officials told ABC News that BP refused to allow them to release the more startling images, arguing they were proprietary. But at the time, the agency was doing little to convey to the world what the images were showing. Coast Guard Admiral Mary Landry was sticking with estimates, calculated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which put the spill's size at about 5,000 barrels a day for several weeks. Coast Guard officials said they were focused on the response, and advised the public not to worry about just how much oil was pouring into the water.
"I would caution you not to get fixated on an estimate of how much is out there," said Adm. Landry.
Two days later, as oil continued to spew, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said much the same thing.
"This fixation on the number of barrels is a little bit misleading," said Napolitano.
BP officials said everyone inside the Unified Command center in Louisiana agreed that the 5,000 barrel figure was the best they could offer.


text:
If you have any questions or queries please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Address: TBS Outdoor Ltd, Unit 15, Culver Nurseries, Cattlegate Road, Enfield, Middlesex. EN2 9DS. UK
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Alternatively, use this contact form and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
*Required Field
To Create an account please fill in the form below and we will be in touch with your login details.


text:
Nobuyasu Hirobe
Creative Director • mui Lab株式会社 / mui Lab, Inc.
Nobuyasu Hirobe is Co-Founder and Creative Director at mui Lab. After working as an in-house designer, he invented the mui Board made of natural wood as a feel-good IoT interface for stress-free digital living. He seeks to realize UI designs to use as prompts for a sequence of digital operations in everyday human life.


text:
An application to dig the largest quarry in Canadian history (and the second largest in North America) in prime agricultural land near Toronto has aroused widespread opposition.
According to rabble.ca, the quarry would stretch over 2,300 acres and dip 200 feet below the water table – making it deeper than Niagara Falls. Located at the headwaters of important river systems in Melancthon, Ontario, the proposed gravel "mega-quarry" would pump out 600 million litres of water every day, raising important concerns about its effects on the local water supply.
The operation would also see 150 loaded trucks leave the quarry every hour to travel down local roads. This would inevitably create dust, noise and safety problems for local residents.
One would think that such an unprecedented project would attract rigorous government scrutiny. However, that is not the case. Rather than proceeding through a full-scale environmental assessment under the auspices of the Ontario Ministry of Environment, the application is currently being reviewed under the laxer and less environmentally-focused standards of the Ministry of Natural Resources. This is an easier process for the project owner, The Highland Companies, and the U.S. hedge fund behind it, but one that will fail to fully consider the effects of the quarry on the people and natural life to be forced to live with it.
In response, the local community is mobilizing, and has drawn attention to the quarry in high places. The Leader of the labour-based Ontario New Democratic Party, Andrea Horwarth, plus the Council of Canadians and a host of local politicians have condemned the project. The famed David Suzuki Foundation expressed serious concerns. Grassroots organizing included a five-day march from the provincial legislature in Toronto to Melancthon by 200 concerned citizens. It began, appropriately, on April 22, Earth Day 2011.
Socialists propose an immediate cancellation of the mega-quarry approval process, and urge all concerned Ontarians to add their voice in opposition to this environmentally, economically and socially destructive project.
> The article above was written by Eric Kupka.


text:
But being drunk/high is part of the dutch DNA...
But being drunk/high is part of the dutch DNA...
Well I know this game isn't that particularly interesting for most of you here, but as I'm trying to find excuses to not study for this boring exam here we go then:
Milan: (4-4-2) Kalac, Simic, Bonera, Kaladze, Favalli, Cafù, Brocchi, Pirlo, Serginho, Ronaldo, Borriello.
Reggina: (3-5-2) Campagnolo, Di Dio, Aronica, Lanzaro, Modesto, Tedesco, Gazzi, Vigiani, Mesto, Bianchi, Amoruso.
It seems that we're playing with two wingers! That should be interesting. What more is interesting is that Borriello is picked instead of Oliveira And another thing Bonera and Kaladze in the center should be interesting as well. How will R99 do after his injury is another question I want to see answered today. Will Favallinho score?
See guys, this game is interesting as well!
is it now brickeberg
speaking about doing them a favour!
Well filipo I have to admit. It was not interesting at all Bring on the summer mercato!
indeed the game didn't matter and unfortunatly couldn't entertain at all.
This game was just like the game of a few years ago when Milan had clinched the Scudetto, and Reggina needed to win to stay in A.
No real effort from the Milan players, maybe aside from Cafu...most of them we're just thinking about vacation. Kaladze seemed to be mad when he was subbed though, something maybe there.
Nice atmosphere...Milan fans got to show off a big version of the CL cup during HT...shows that indeed there is a good friendship with the Reggina fans...glad they will be in Serie A still.
Well Reggina certainly didn't deserve to go down. Without the points penalty they would have almost made Uefa. The worst 3 teams went down and rightly so, Chievo had their future in their own hands and failed, blaming everyone else is a bit rich.


text:
Screenwriting partners Maryam Keshavarz [pictured] and Paolo Marinou-Blanco receive this year's $15,000 SFFS/Hearst Screenwriting Grant for The Last Harem.
Musa Syeed received an honorable mention for The Doctor.
The panelists who reviewed submissions were Tamara Badgley Horowitz, SFFS grants coordinator; Jennie Frankel Frisbie, agent, Magnet Management; SFFS Publicity manager Bill Proctor; Michele Turnure-Salleo, director of Filmmaker360; and multi-hyphenate Christopher Upham.
"The Last Harem offers a unique perspective on Persian history," said the jurors in a statement. "Shining a spotlight on a period unfamiliar to many Western audiences, the evocative writing pulled the jury into a fully-realized world of intrigue, passion and power."
The SFFS/Hearst Screenwriting Grant, supported by a gift from William R. Hearst III, is a component of the expanding grants program administered through Filmmaker360, the Film Society's robust filmmaker services department.


text:
In order to reach my destination of Ursuline from Aspen, I had to fly a puddle-jumper called Aspen Airways (which we not so lovingly referred to as Gasp & Scareways) from Aspen to Denver. From Denver, I had to take a big old jet airliner to St. Louis. Once I reached St. Louis, I took a taxicab from the airport to the main train terminal. From there, I caught the train to school in Arcadia/Ironton/Pilot Knob (which was one stop for all). It was always a fun train ride in spite of all the stops along the way. There was always either a worker from the school or a nun, at the station, to drive us the three miles to school, with our trunks and various other forms of baggage in tow. I always loved the train ride and the dining car and the porters. I also didn't mind that there were always lots of cute guys headed back to Kemper Military, to flirt unmercifully with. The train had an air that seemed more like the 1950's than the 1960's and it was always an adventure. For some reason it always made me feel sophisticated. I wasn't. I always tried to act sophisticated and order a martini, but they were always on to me, no doubt.
Now, there was this one nun named Sister Assumpta (who was my *dorm mother* the first year) who would occasionally slip out to join us in a smoke behind the gym. It's a miracle that she wasn't with us that day. It was a well known rule that if you were caught smoking @ Ursuline, the punishment was bad. Which is why it was always so hilarious that Asuumpta came with us. Anyway, so there we were acting like we had the habit reeeeeally bad and just puffing away. All three of us still had on our uniforms because it was Friday of the weekend and we'd just gotten out of classes, bid our friends goodbye and saw that the nuns were off to vespers before we launched our excellent smoking plan.


text:
Archive for November 2015
Ultimate Christmas Countdown
Getting organized early is the best way to ensure more holiday cheer and less holiday stress. We have put together a timeline to help keep you and your family on track for the holidays. The month before………. Make a family plan: Are you hosting Christmas at your house or going to your in-laws? Put activities…Read More
Happy Thanksgiving!
We want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy time with your family and friends! Our Model Homes will be closed on Thursday and Friday, we will reopen Saturday at 11:00 am!Read More
Preparing Your Home for Thanksgiving
Before all of your family and friends arrive for Thanksgiving, you want to make sure that everything is in working order. A plumbing problem is the last thing that you want to happen when you have guests in your home. Check your disposal and appliances: Make sure that your garbage disposal is ready for the…Read More
Hosting Thanksgiving at Home
It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is only a week away! For those of you who might be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your home this year, knowing it is only a week away might send you right into panic mode. To help out with any hosting anxiety that you might experience, we have come up…Read More
Why Buy New
In a survey conducted by Trulia, they found that twice as many people prefer new homes to existing homes. New means exactly that: brand new properties that have never been lived in before. While shiny and new sounds great, there are more advantages of building a new home then just its appearance. You are…Read More
Home Security Tips Before the Holidays
Thanksgiving is one of the most traveled Holidays, and with it being just around the corner, we felt it was important to go over some home security tips. You not only want to make sure your home is secure from burglars, but you also want to make sure there is nothing left on in your…Read More
Your Favorite Room, Your Master Bath
Everyone needs that one room or place in their home where they can go and relax. That room is your spot, your happy place, the place where you go to escape your screaming toddler, where you go to unwind from a stressful day at work, or a place where you go when you just need…Read More
Home For the Holidays
We have several move-in ready and almost move-in ready homes in all 5 of our Niblock Communities. Located in our Laurel Park community, is our move-in ready Arlington Inventory home. With 5 bedrooms, 4 full bathrooms, and an open-living floor plan, this home is perfect for entertaining relatives during the holidays! And we can't forget to mention…Read More
Tips on Hosting a Housewarming Party in Your New Niblock Home
The tradition of a housewarming party has been around for a long time. Before the invention of electricity, guests would stop by to wish the new homeowners their best, and would give them gifts of firewood. As times have changed (thankfully electricity was invented) so has the tradition of housewarming parties. Here are a few…Read More
Decorating the Exterior of Your Home
Whenever you think about decorating your new home, the first thoughts that might go through your mind are: What colors am I going to paint the walls? What color cabinets do I want? Or how am I going to arrange my family room? While these are all valid questions to have, one aspect of the home that you…Read More
Nontoxic Cleaners You Can Make at Home
With all of the advertising out there on the fighting power of chemical cleaners, it is easy to see why the majority of us would find it hard to believe that non chemical cleaners work just as well. There are more and more non-toxic chemicals becoming available, however, those can be expensive. Lucky for you, we…Read More


text:
A distant sun-like star may have devoured a dozen or more of its own Earth-size planets, new research shows.
Researchers named the star Kronos, after the Titan of Greek mythology who ate his own children out of fears they'd dethrone him, according to a statement from Princeton University. Kronos belongs to a binary star system, or double-star system, located 350 light-years from Earth.
Astronomers discovered the star's ravenous habits while comparing its chemical composition to that of its stellar twin, named Krios — the Greek Titan god of the constellations and Kronos' older brother. The results showed that Kronos had an unusually high level of rock-forming minerals, suggesting it feasted on roughly 15 Earth masses' worth of rocky planets in its lifetime, according to the study. [Gallery: Dying Stars Consume Rocky Alien Planets]
Both stars — designated as HD 240430 and HD 240429, respectively — are approximately 4 billion years old, and they appear to be yellow G-type stars, similar to (but slightly younger than) the sun. Observations also showed that the stars orbit each other once every 10,000 years or so, according to the study.
Gallery: Dying Stars Consume Rocky Alien Planets
The study revealed
At first, astronomers questioned whether the two stars were in fact a binary pair, because they are located a whopping two light-years apart. But further research confirmed that the co-moving stars have the same radial velocities. Their movements toward and away from Earth match — a key indicator of a binary star system, according to the statement.
What is most surprising about the stellar duo is that they are composed of drastically different materials. The study revealed that Kronos had an unusually high level of minerals such as magnesium, aluminum, silicon, iron, chromium and yttrium — metals that make up the bulk of rocky planets such as Earth. However, the ravenous star did not have an equally high level of volatile compounds, which are most often found in gas form, like oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and potassium, according to the statement.
Most metal-rich stars «have all the other elements enhanced at a similar level, whereas Kronos has volatile elements suppressed, which makes it really weird in the general context of stellar abundance patterns,» Semyeong Oh, a graduate student at Princeton and lead author of the study, said in the statement.
The abundance of rock-forming minerals was concentrated in Kronos' outer layers, rather than mixed throughout the star. Furthermore, the researchers confirmed that the types of minerals in the outer layers of the star solidify at warmer temperatures — a characteristic of rocky planets, which form closer to their parent star than gas giants do.
Therefore, Kronos likely consumed 15 Earth-mass planets in order to gain the unusual abundance of rock-forming minerals, the researchers said; otherwise, the star would have a higher abundance of volatiles from gobbling up gas giants.
«All of the elements that would make up a rocky planet are exactly the elements that are enhanced on Kronos,» Oh said. «And the volatile elements are not enhanced, so that provides a strong argument for a planet engulfment scenario, instead of something else.»
The study also provides new insight into stellar formation and exoplanets.
«At the moment, we are still at the stage of piecing together different observations to determine how and when exoplanets form,» said Jessie Christiansen, an astronomer at the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute at the California Institute of Technology who was not involved in the research.
«It's difficult to directly observe planet formation around young stars — they are typically shrouded in dust, and the stars themselves are very active, which makes it hard to disentangle any signals from the planets,» Christiansen said. «So we have to infer what we can from the limited information we have. If borne out, this new window onto the masses and compositions of the material in the early stages of planetary systems may provide crucial constraints for planet formation theories.»


text:
[sigplus] Critical error: Image gallery folder fruehstuecksraum,list=0,limit=0,random=0,width=100,height=100,gap_h=20,gap_v=20 is expected to be a path relative to the image base folder specified in the back-end.
This website uses cookies to manage authentication, navigation, and other functions. By using our website, you agree that we can place these types of cookies on your device.
View e-Privacy Directive Documents
Reconsider Cookies
You have declined cookies. This decision can be reversed.
Remove Cookies
You have allowed cookies to be placed on your computer. This decision can be reversed.


text:
Got bananas getting too ripe? I usually do. Here is a great recipe to take care of the bananas and feed the "monkeys" in your house. My kids love this recipe. We eat it for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.
(printable recipe)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs, beaten
3 mashed overripe bananas
1 cup chocolate chips, cold
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. With your mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add in eggs and bananas.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients until mixed well. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake for about 60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
7. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then flip out to cool on a wire rack.
8. Mix glaze ingredients and pour over bread.
Source: "mooched" from www.alittlebreather.wordpress.com + my own glaze
This recipe is posted on Carole's Chatter, Good Recipes Online, Homestead Simple, Sugar Bee Crafts, Making the World Cuter, Craft-O-Maniac, A Pinch of Joy, Addicted to Recipes, The Tablescaper, Country Momma Cooks, Funky Junk Interiors, Gingerbread, Six Sisters Stuff, Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons, Doodles and Stitches, Simply Sweet Home, Alli 'N Sons, My Turn For Us, The Shabby Nest, Twinkle in the Eye, Sugar and Dots, Miz Helens Country Cottage, Delightful Order, REAL Housewives of Riverton, A Little Nosh, The Brambleberry Cottage, Michelles Tasty Creations, The NY Melrose Family, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Lady Behind the Curtain, First Home Love Life, Mommy By Day Crafter By Night, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Pinkapotamus, You Are Talking Too Much, Watch Out Martha, The Kings Court IV, Gingersnap Crafts, Savvy Southern Style


text:
Charles Shepard, President and CEO
Every generation of artists has wrestled with two major demons – how to create art that is distinct from the notable art that preceded them and how to create art that is relevant to the particular time in which they find themselves. In the early 20th century, for example, a great many artists were tremendously influenced by the social, political, and economic upheavals that came to define Modernity. In the wake of the Industrial Revolution, the collapse of numerous monarchies, the rise of the metropolis, and the devastation of a world war, artists retreated rapidly from their former assignment of illusionist depictions of the natural world. Far more progressive – and far more intellectually engaging–challenges presented themselves in the form of any of several approaches emerging in abstraction. On the Dionysian side of the equation, given to emotive and poetic tendencies, we saw the development of Figurative Expressionism, Futurism, Fauvism, Dadaism, Surrealism, Orphism, and, eventually, Abstract Expressionism . By contrast, the rational and well-reasoned Apollonian camp leaned to Cubism, Constructivism, Suprematism, Geometric Abstraction, Minimalism, and Op art. No matter the medium or the material, most art of the last one hundred years stemmed directly or indirectly from these roots.
It is, of course, entirely possible to engage any given work of art and respond favorably or unfavorably toward it without any sense at all of this historical context that I very briefly addressed in my introductory paragraph. That said, as you encounter a piece or several pieces for that matter, it is often fascinating to discover a set of visual clues that lead to a thread that can be followed back into the timeline of art historical achievements in such a way as to better understand what the maker of the art presently before us might have on his or her mind.
My first encounter with a sculpture by Michael Estes Taylor took my breath away. I saw him as an Apollonian prodigy who successfully stretched back in time to absorb, comprehend, and internalize the reasoning and the rendering of the very best practitioners of these earlier movements – Cubism, Constructivism, and Geometricism, in particular – and breathed new life into these endeavors through his contemporary interpretation in glass of their historic ambitions. Highly regarded Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Magdalena Dabrowski noted the shared objective within the artists of these early 20th century movements is to develop "a purely pictorial reality built of elemental geometric forms." Michael's work does all that and more. Working and shaping optical glass into geometric elements that he then fuses together in asymmetrical configurations, Michael creates sculptures that are seemingly ever in motion. In that alone, he has surpassed the other achievements of his geometric predecessors by infusing geometry with kinetic implications. Beyond that, because Michael works in glass, his sensitive manipulation of light plays a dynamic role that no other geometrically-inclined artist before him could ever have imagined.
Michael is one of the key contributors to the evolution of contemporary glass and is respected by every artist in the field. Further, because Michael never ceases to explore and expand his sculptural vocabulary, he continues to make major contributions to the advancement of glass as a medium that continues to change the language of contemporary sculpture in the 21st century.
Taken from the Michael Estes Taylor: Voyage of Variations exhibition catalogue, available for free in the exhibition galleries through November 17th.


text:
Michigan's No Fault Act was a well-intended experiment by the Legislature to address the multiple problems created by an unchecked, wide open tort system. The prevailing logic was to eliminate fault as a consideration in auto accident litigation so that each party to an accident would instead use their own insurance company for medical coverage, wage loss and other benefits such as PIP. It was thought that this would reduce the large volume of auto accident lawsuits clogging the court system and make it simpler and easier for everybody to receive benefits after being injured in an accident. In an effort to ensure that the system would work and out of an apparent concern for injured victims of auto accidents, the Legislature created unlimited medical benefits, easily the most generous in the nation.
At the same time, the no-fault law provided exceptions to the rule that an injured person can only claim benefits from their auto insurance company. This exception essentially allows people with serious injuries to still sue the at-fault driver, despite the existence of unlimited PIP benefits. Decisions from the Michigan Supreme Court have gone back and forth over the years in determining what qualifies as a serious enough injury, with the prevailing view giving the exception a much broader interpretation than what the court was previously willing to do.
The effect of this is that the Michigan's no-fault system doesn't really operate as a true no-fault system. The tradeoff of restricting victims' right to sue in exchange for unlimited medical coverage is illusory. There's little doubt that these factors play a major role in driving up the costs of auto insurance premiums in Michigan, making them some of the highest in the nation.
One must question the continued viability of the no-fault system in its current form and it is reasonable to conclude that the no-fault law's original goal of insuring all drivers and eliminating or reducing lawsuits while at the same time providing unlimited benefits has failed.
Recognizing the failure of the current system, the Legislature should take actions to reform it. It need not throw out the entire no-fault system, but rather modify it in ways that will help reduce the costs of insurance premiums. The good news is that policymakers do not need to reinvent the wheel — several other states have no-fault systems but do not experience the same high cost premiums Michiganders are currently forced to pay. The ideas recommended in this paper would simply make Michigan's auto insurance system more similar to those in other states and are aimed at putting downward pressure on the cost of insurance. The result should be lower premiums for all Michigan drivers and fewer uninsured cars and drivers out on the road.


text:
On May 8, 2020, the European Commission (the Commission) issued a second amendment to the "Temporary Framework for State Aid measures to support the economy in the current COVID-19 outbreak", for the purpose of allowing Member States to provide recapitalizations aid in favor of non-financial companies in need.
Since the adoption – on March 13, 2020 – of the Communication "Coordinated economic response to the COVID-19 outbreak", the Commission has demonstrated its intention to address the shock caused by the health emergency to the global and Union's economies through a coordinated economic response of Member States and EU institutions.
Against this backdrop, the State Aid Temporary Framework (the Temporary Framework), adopted on March 19, 2020, sat alongside the State aid tools already available to face the collateral effects of the current crisis, thus granting Member States the possibility to provide, on the basis of Article 107(3)(b) TFEU, direct grants, selective tax advantages, state guarantees for loans, subsidized public loans, and short-term export credit insurance. Following the same strategy, the first amendment to the Temporary Framework, issued on April 3, 2020, enabled Member States, inter alia, to allow for targeted measures to save jobs and support those sectors and companies mostly affected by COVID-19 (for a more analytic overview on the provisions of the Temporary Framework and its first amendment please refer to GT Newsletter "EU at the Time of COVID-19", dated May 5, 2020).
The adoption of the second amendment complements the types of measures already covered by the Temporary Framework and expands the aid tools available for States with a view to authorize targeted public interventions in the form of recapitalization aid to non-financial companies in need. The second amendment was published on May 13, 2020, and will remain in force until December 31, 2020, save for the provisions on recapitalization which will be effective until July 1, 2021.
Preliminary Considerations: A New Effective Tool or Solely a Residual Remedy?
By means of the second amendment, the Commission enables Member States to provide public support in the form of equity or hybrid capital instruments to undertakings facing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 outbreak, provided that "no other appropriate solution can be found" and, in any case, "subject to stringent conditions" with a view to discourage the spread of distortive effects for competition between undertakings.
The Commission also emphasizes that recapitalization measures should only be considered as residual remedies, as there may be more suitable tools existing at EU level to support companies in difficulty. The Commission makes reference, in particular, to the possibility for Member States to acquire strategic companies under fair market terms and prices, to make full use of national investment screening mechanisms or to exercise, where existing, the governmental "golden powers".
Recapitalization Schemes and the Proportionality Test
Recapitalization schemes provided by the Commission aim at ensuring that the disruption of the economy does not result in the unnecessary exit of undertakings that were viable before the COVID-19 outbreak from the market. They may be particularly useful for companies that are not able to sustain more debt and for which the liquidity support provided by the State is not sufficient to ensure their long-term viability.
In detail, the Commission allows Member States to provide "COVID-19 recapitalization measures" to both large undertakings and SMEs by using:
- equity instruments, namely the issuance of new common or preferred shares, and/or
- hybrid capital instruments, like profit participation rights, silent participations, and convertible secured or unsecured bonds.
State intervention may take the form of any variation or combination of equity injections and/or hybrid capital, provided that they are the least distortive to competition.
To this purpose, the second amendment establishes precise eligibility and entry conditions to be fulfilled by applying the recapitalization measures, consisting of:
- the necessity of the aid, without which the beneficiary would go out of business or would face serious difficulties to maintain its operations;
- the existence of a common interest to intervene. This may relate, inter alia, to avoiding social hardship and market failure due to significant loss of employment, the exit from the market of an innovative company or a systemically important company or the risk of disruption to an important service;
- non-availability on the markets of financing at affordable terms and inadequacy of horizontal measures provided by the Member State to cover liquidity needs;
- non-applicability to companies "in difficulty" as of December 31, 2019 within the meaning of Article 2(18) of Regulation (EU) no. 651/2014 ("General Block Exemption Regulation").
States shall grant COVID-19 recapitalization measures only following a written request by the prospective beneficiary undertakings. A separate notification to the Commission of individual aid is required only with regard to aid schemes exceeding a threshold of €250 million.
In any case, in order to ensure proportionality of the aid, the Commission establishes that "the amount of the COVID-19 recapitalization must not exceed the minimum needed to ensure the viability of the beneficiary, and should not go beyond restoring the capital structure of the beneficiary to the one predating the COVID-19 outbreak, i.e. the situation on 31 December 2019". However, no specific thresholds in this regard have been specified.
Remuneration Mechanisms for the Public Investment
The Member State, which shall receive appropriate remuneration for the investment, is asked to put in place a mechanism to gradually incentivize redemption of COVID-19 recapitalization measures, which should be redeemed as soon as the economy stabilizes. In this regard, the Commission provides for two remuneration schemes, to be applied respectively regarding equity instruments and hybrid capital instruments.
Any recapitalization measure granted in the form of equity instruments shall be related to a "step-up mechanism" increasing the remuneration of the State, aimed at incentivizing the beneficiary to buy back the State capital injections. This increase in remuneration, which may take, for example, the form of additional shares granted to the State, shall correspond to a minimum of 10% increase in the remuneration. The step-up mechanism shall be activated (i) four years after the equity injection if the State has not sold at least 40% of its equity participation resulting from the equity injection, and (ii) six years after the equity injection, if the State has not sold in full its equity participation. If the beneficiary is not a publicly listed company, Member States may decide to implement each of the two steps one year later.
Regarding hybrid capital instruments, the Temporary Framework sets specific values of remuneration different for SMEs and large enterprises for each of the eight years following the recapitalization.
The Commission may accept alternative remuneration mechanisms, provided they overall lead to a similar outcome with regard to the incentive effects on the exit of the State and a similar overall impact on the State's remuneration.
Exit Strategy of the State from the Participation Resulting from the Recapitalization
Beneficiaries other than SMEs that have received a COVID-19 recapitalization of more than 25% of equity must demonstrate a credible exit strategy for the participation of the Member State, save for the case in which the State's intervention is reduced below the level of 25% of equity within 12 months from the date of the granting of the aid.
The exit strategy should be prepared and submitted to the Member State within 12 months following the granting of the aid and must be endorsed by the State.
If within six years following the COVID-19 recapitalization the State's intervention has not been reduced below 15% of beneficiary's equity, a restructuring plan for the beneficiary must be notified to the Commission.
Governance and Prevention of Undue Distortions of Competition
The Commission establishes certain conditions and sets some restrictions regarding governance of undertakings in order to limit the potential distortive effects on competition and to encourage the beneficiaries and their owners to buy out the shares owned by the State as soon as the economy will be stabilized.
Firstly, as long as the COVID-19 recapitalization measures have not been fully redeemed, beneficiaries cannot make dividend payments, nor buy back shares, other than in relation to the State.
Furthermore, as long as at least 75% of the COVID-19 recapitalization measures have not been redeemed:
- beneficiaries other than SMEs are in principle prevented from acquiring a more than 10% stake in competitors or other operators in the same line of business;
- the remuneration of each member of the beneficiaries' management must not go beyond the fixed part of his/her remuneration on December 31, 2019, and must not include any bonus or other variable or comparable payment.
Subordinated Debt
The Commission allows Member States to grant subordinated loans, provided the amount of subordinated debt shall not exceed the following thresholds:
- two-thirds of the annual wage bill of the beneficiary and
- 8.4% of the beneficiary's total turnover in 2019 (12.5% of the beneficiary's turnover for SMEs).
The loans must be granted at reduced interest rates for a maximum of six years.
The scope of the Commission's intervention is to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak by establishing a proper framework to be applied across a wide range of industrial sectors, in line with EU State aid rules. The adoption of this strategy responds to the flexibility needs of Member States, to which the Commission granted certain room for manoeuvre in assessing the compliance with the new State aid framework. This is the case, for example, of the power granted to States to evaluate the necessity of the aid as well as to assess the existence of a common interest to intervene in relation to such circumstances in which the "risk of disruption to an important service, or similar situations" could justify a State's intervention in situations even where there is no market failure.
However, the flexibility provided for Member States does not ensure that supporting measures will actually be addressed to the undertakings and sectors mostly affected by the crisis. Only those Member States having a budgetary ability to provide State aid will make recourse to these measures of public support, by deciding autonomously which company and industry aid. This threat has been recognized by the Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, who urged the need to "make sure that this global symmetric crisis does not transform into an asymmetric shock to the detriment of Member States with less possibility to help their industry and the EU's competitiveness as a whole". According to Commissioner Vestager, the existence of significant differences among the levels of aid granted by various Member States may cause distortion in "the bloc' single market" as it may hamper the common level playing field. For instance, she evoked a scenario where a company first receives aid from a given Member State and then uses the liquidity received in order to acquire shares in companies from other Member State that received less or no aid.
Additionally, during the last two months, the Commission has approved 107 State aid measures, for an overall amount of €1.9 trillion in State aid. In particular, from March 12 to May 15, 2020, 103 measures were granted under the Temporary Framework while the remaining ones were allowed pursuant to Article 107(3)(b) TFEU, namely in the form of "aid to make good the damage caused by natural disasters or exceptional occurrences".
This data may demonstrate that the need for liquidity is pushing a number of Member States to support and take advantage of the measures provided by the Temporary Framework, with the effect of obliging the Commission to accelerate the in-depth investigations generally needed before approving an aid plan.
* This GT Alert is limited to non-U.S. matters and law.
For more information and updates on the developing COVID-19 situation, visit GT's Health Emergency Preparedness Task Force: Coronavirus Disease 2019.


text:
Personal Reflection Essay On Gender And Communication
Report Issue
Write a 2 page single-spaced paper that explains how you see yourself, another person, or members of an organization/institution with respect to gender. Keep in mind that stronger papers will exceed the 600 word minimum requirement. The grading rubric at the bottom of this page provides clarity for the expectations for this assignment.
The paper should focus on gender as expressed and experienced through a person's life events. You may discuss any or all of the following: family dynamics (i.e., birth order, family expectations, religious values, other influential institutions, etc.), and culture (how a person learns to act as a gendered person), have formed a worldview ("…the way in which we perceive the world –and our behavior" Gamble & Gamble, 2003, p. 59) and ultimately influenced communication. You are not required to write about your personal gender; you may choose to write about a family member, friend, religious figure, secular public figure, or member of a specific institution, industry, or organization. If you are unsure of your approach, feel free to e-mail your instructor for guidance. While there is no expectation that you reveal your own personal information, the intent of the paper is for you to write from a personal perspective, not solely from online references. If a person described is not a publicly known figure, be sure to refer to them by a pseudonym.


text:
Introduction: Thermal Test Chamber for Edge of Space Testing.
Getting stuff *really* cold is difficult, dangerous, and lots of fun. Our group is preparing to send an autonomous glider up to about 100,000 feet, so we needed a way to chill our electronics to -70c to test their use before these edge-of-space flights.
Basic concept:
Just using dry ice in a cooler will result in about 0c air. In order to chill air much colder, a fan is used to circulate the air to reach -42c. In order to hit -70c or colder, liquid nitrogen and a heat exchange (coil) is used.
This test chamber uses dry ice and liquid nitrogen to cool the air.
This instructable is part of our edge-of-space project. Watch for updates over on Hackerbot Labs
Step 1: Acquire Parts for Building
- 25' of 3/8" copper pipe (hardware store)
- Fittings to adapt up to 1/2" ID pipe (hardware store)
- 2' of 1/2" pipe to use as a reservoir
- Fiberglass wrap insulation for reservoir
- Teflon tape for the threads (hardware store)
- 4" diameter PVC pipe (just for forming the coil, about 2' will do)
- A large ice cooler which you can remove the lid from.
- 2" thick pink insulation foam. a full sheet is handy, but it needs to be the size of your cooler
- A powerful fan which can fit in the ice cooler for air circulation
- One or more thermal probes for monitoring the temp (K type thermocouples work best here)
- A large cooler/ice chest with a lid which can be completely removed.
- "ice" packs. The sealed kind you reuse. A bunch of them
- A funnel
- Some stiff plastic tubing
WARNING: This stuff is cold - so cold that it will burn you. Seriously. It can blind you. It can freeze off a finger or a limb, and I'm not even going to get into what would happen to your insides if you drink it. Use proper care while handling. Eye protection is very important while interacting with liquid nitrogen. Ventilation is extremely important as well. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.
- Several blocks of dry ice. 10 lbs will do, 20 is better. This can be sourced at most grocery stores. Some states require you to be 18 or older to purchase and consume Dry Ice.
- a large dewar of liquid nitrogen. This can be sourced at most welding supply shops. Dewars can be rented or borrowed.
Step 2: Turn Your Coil..
Start by dry-fitting all of the fittings, ensuring all the threads line up and have the correct gender and size so you can get up to the diameter of the small end of the funnel.
Next, it's time to make the coil. Copper pipe is stiff and can kink very easily. Kinks are not desired. Using a large cylindrical object of some kind (I used 4" diameter PVC pipe), 'turn' the copper pipe around the object to get a nearly perfect coil without any kinks. This requires much hand/arm/upper body strength, and may require a helper or two, depending on the wall thickness of your copper coil. It's important to leave extra at each end of the coil for connecting adapters and allowing for venting from the other end of the coil. You should end up with something that looks like the below photo.
Next, install all of the fittings on the end of the copper pipe to adapt it up to a larger size. Caution, the press fittings on the copper pipe are a pain to install, and it can be tricky to get a good fit. Don't over tighten the press fittings, or the threads will fail. It will still be somewhat 'loose' on the fitting, but should be water and air tight. Compression fittings are not designed to be load bearing, so don't stress the system too much or it will break or kink.
We created a reservoir by using a 2 foot length of 1/2" pipe; this extends the after the fittings. don't install this section of pipe until you've completed your lid..
Step 3: Prep the Cooler
We found this rather large budwiser compliant cooler at a local grocery store. It claims to keep 10 cases of beer cold for 10 days. It was selected due to the ease at which the lid was removed, and the size of the internal volume. Due to the size of the coil and circulation fan, much space is needed. Make sure your cooler is dry and clean. Having water or moisture in the cooler is bad.
Start by removing the lid on your ice chest/cooler by whatever means required. In our case, it was 5 screws. We will be building a replacement lid for the cooler, which we can then drill holes into. You could, in theory, use the stock lid and drill holes in it. This reduces it's effectiveness for cooling beer later, unless you like your beer at -70c.
Next, cut and form your pink insulative foam to fit the recess left by the removed lid. Cutting and shaping foam is messy prospect; the chips get stuck everywhere, have a shopvac handy. Cutting foam can be done with a skillsaw, handsaw, or even a table saw. If you happen to have a hotknife made out of nichrome wire, it cuts foam rather effectively. For final shaping, simple 100 grit sandpaper works best. The goal is to create a new lid which needs to be 'press fit' into the cooler. It should compress slightly when it's properly installed on the top of the cooler. This will create a very effective seal.
Finally, install your circulation fan. We used a duct fan from a hardware store. It fit nicely inside of our cooler. Somehow, the specifications on the fan do not list the lowest temp it will operate at. There is some risk that the oil used on the fan will freeze; keeping the fan running should allow the heat from friction to keep the bearings at a happen temp. In practice, this has shown to be true.
When you are done, you should have something which looks like the below photos..
Step 4: Final Assembly
- Drill a 1/2" hole in the foam lid.
- install coil and reservoir pipe on the lid
- Insulate reservoir pipe
Step 5: Using the Test Chamber
Make sure you are well stocked on liquid nitrogen and dry ice. SAFETY is very important here. You can really hurt yourself with these items; they WILL freeze you if you come in contact with them. Use strong insulative gloves, safety glasses, closed sealed boots, pants & long sleeved shirts. Also, getting moisture inside of the coil could cause it to clog and burst with very hazardous results. Don't do that. Ensure your coil is dry and empty of all moisture and fluids (best method is to make sure water doesn't get in there in the first place..) In addition, ventilation is very important. nitrogen can displace o2 in the air, which means you've got yourself a vapor version of iocaine powder. Odorless, tasteless, deadly. Make sure you've got lots of room and a source of fresh air.
Liquid nitrogen can splash, which sends -321F liquid all over the place. This is bad, don't let it happen. It will boil at room temperature. Seek the guidance of a professional on the safe handling of dry ice and liquid nitrogen.
Start off by staging your work area. Have cleanup devices handy, and plenty of room to work. Get out your supplies and objects you wish to freeze.
Load the cooler with the dry ice and reusable ice packs. Don't use normal ice; this will create moisture in your test chamber, which is a pain. It will freeze and condense on your coil, which reduces the effectiveness.
The reusable ice packs increase the thermal capacitance of the system. Pre-freezing them in your freezer is a good idea.
Place your thermal probes inside of the cooler, at positions you wish to measure the temperature. On your first run, you will likely discover that your thermal probe won't measure as low as required. Some testing will be needed.
The dry ice should be placed between the coil and fan, staged such that the fan blows air over them. Once the lid is sealed and the fan is turned on, you should start to see a rapid drop in temperature. This will not cool past -30c to -42c due to heat loss. Once the chamber has hit a stable temperature, it's time for the liquid nitrogen.
This is the hazardous part. Use due care.
The liquid nitrogen when it enters the reservoir will phase change almost instantly. This creates nitrogen vapor, which is of a much larger volume. So it will tend to spray and burp until it cools the reservoir down to a point where it is not boiling so rapidly. If you just 'dump' much liquid nitrogen into this reservoir, it will likely splash back into your face blinding you. Don't do that.
One trick to help with the out gassing is to vent the funnel. This can be done with a simple tube run down inside of the funnel. This allows the gaseous nitrogen to escape without it blasting up liquid nitrogen into your face. In addition, ensure that the other end of the coil is not blocked or clogged, or it could burst/explode.
Slowly pour the liquid nitrogen into the funnel. At first, the temp of the system will not change, as the liquid nitrogen needs a chance to pre-chill the external reservoir and coil. Closely monitor the temp to ensure that you don't get below your target temp. Do not overfill the reservoir.
As shown on the multimeters below, you can reach very cold temperatures very easily.
That is it! you've now built yourself a el-cheapo thermal test chamber!