text:
European Roulette is considered as one of the most fascinating and popular among all gambling emulators. What's so special here, while nowadays there is a huge variety of games and they differ by just minor distinctions? Apparently, European Roulette is considered as the most popular version of the legendary casino game. The online game was developed basing to its rules.
Gambling experts got a perfect opportunity to enjoy and strive for great cash gains just being online. No need to leave the house anymore. A PC, laptop or even just smartphone with internet access is enough to taste the atmosphere of casinos, luck and passion.
Moreover, modern online casinos offer their visitors to play the European Roulette slot machine for free. You need to work out your own strategy and test yourself on being fortunate at the appropriate time to make the game a nice time spending with gaining real money.
Basically, European Roulette consists of a wheel divided into 36 fields (professionals call them "chambers") with additional Zero section. The index numbers of European Roulette are spread more chaotically than in its American fellow game. There's no Double Zero chamber, it's another American-only feature.
A player can choose out of ten different bet types on any single spin and get more info about them by pressing the Help button. Once the player wins, he is in between to choose if to cash out or to place his next bet.
European Roulette is the spirit of the gambling, its tradition and soul. Due to great variety of options, the players have significant advantages to win. All the player needs is to study the slot rules carefully, to set the betting limits and start the game.
Once the player starts the slot, some nice graphical effects appear on the screen: thanks to guys from PlayTech, the graphics is on a high level, as is other their software made with love to the details. The game's audio track was also chosen competently, so all necessary items of the path to win are here, helping the player to tune in to his winnings.
Well, let's get back to the game's main playing processes. There are 37 chambers on the wheel, including 36 numbers and just one Zero (as per European roulette's traditions comparing with the American one). The numbers are of two classical colors: black and red, with Zero's green decoration.
While making a bet it's up to your choice how to place it. Betting is available in many modes, from placing your money into an exact number to color sectors, numbers' groups, or odd/even numbers.
The rule is just one: the more risky is your bet, the more you are going to win. Color of the chamber is one of the least risky bets, while game with an exact number is the hardest one. And don't forget about green Zero: it refers all bet amounts to the dealer.
The European Roulette game's purpose is the match of the predicted number/color/group and the ball stopped in the selected chamber. The prize depends on the special payments table. In general, the specific payment indexes are as follows, according to the bet type:
- Specific number – 35:1
- Split (including two numbers beside) – 17:1
- Straight (consisting of three sequent numbers) – 11:1
- Four numbers – 8:1
- Six numbers – 5:1
- Dozen (or Column) – 2:1
As it's shown, the payment rates can be very high, so a lucky dog has a chance to win a real deal. To make his bets easier, a player can find the numbers already came out up to the moment. The info is shown on the upright corner of the screen. After studying the information, some players build their own strategies implementing theory of chances. There is a simple and usable (even for gambling newbies!) Control Panel at the bottom of the screen.
European Roulette's features
Most important activities are made using just 3 main buttons: spinning the wheel, cancelling a bid or duplicate it. While very simple in use, the gameplay enthralls with its' unpredictability starting from very first moments. The gambling is felt even stronger when bids are higher.
The PlayTech team guys created their European Roulette in English as well as in some other main languages, so diving into the gameplay is quite easy for everyone. European Roulette is a perfect version of the famous Roulette. You never have a chance to get bored of it!


text: Philip Rose is a seasoned pastor with more than 25 years of ministry experience in the Midwest. His powerful, practical teaching style mixed with his deep passion for creating authentic relationships both inside the church and within our communities, results in a leader ready to bring the "Share the Life" message to life in Kalamazoo. Click the photo to learn more about Pastor Philip!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
<font size="3">SBS Exam in Beta Next Week </font>
Microsoft may release exam to beta testers Sept. 22-28, but the cert group has yet to confirm whether newest exam for SBS implementers is a go.
Although Microsoft certification program managers announced that the 70-282, Designing, Deploying, and Managing a Network Solution for a Small- and Medium-Sized Business would be available Sept. 22-28, as of this writing the company hasn't listed specific exam beta dates on the exam guide (click here). Microsoft program managers announced the exam, which is aimed at implementers of the upcoming Small Business Server 2003, at the MCP TechMentor conference in San Diego.
Nonetheless, the exam, numbered 71-282 while in beta, appears on both the Prometric and Vue registration sites. The sites don't provide clues as to the exact date availability.
Microsoft Press training and exam preparation materials currently do not exist for Exam 70-282; the publishing group hasn't acknowledged whether any books are planned. Microsoft Learning is currently developing Course 2395, Designing, Deploying, and Managing a Network Solution for a Small- and Medium-Sized Business, which is expected later this year.
Source: mcpmag.com
SBS Exam in Beta Next Week
Discussion in 'News' started by SimonV, Sep 19, 2003.
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text:
RLV News sites:
RLV Alert at Spacer.com
- Space Frontier Society
Space Access Society Updates
History Timeline - July-Dec.1999
When the the
links go dead, an attempt to "relink" them will be made
if the pages can be found at a new location. Otherwise, the text
will be disconnected but still shown in italics.
If you want to follow
up on an interesting but disconnected item, there are a few possiblities:
Archives: RLV
News Archive Directory
27, 1999
overruns make the headlines. The GAO (General Accounting
Office) report mentioned below finds that the project is more
than $300M over its initial cost and 16 months behind schedule.
This was caused by problems with the development of the engines
and hydrogen tanks. Also, the top speed will reach Mach 13 instead
of Mach 15. (L.A.Times article says top speed is Mach 11.) The
report has caught the attention of most major media outlets.
e.g. [--Link Dead--]L.A. Times - Glitches Slow Rocket
Plane Development * Space.com
- Congressional Report Blasts X-33
See the recent
Bulletin for a perspective on the NASA approach to the X-33.
26, 1999
briefs...Support for loan guarantees to private companies
developing reusable launch vehicles is growing in Congress.
( [--Link Dead--]Space.com - Support for Space Launch Legislation
Grows) Earlier versions of a proposed bill by Sen. John
Breaux (D-Louisiana) were previously opposed by the small startup
companies (e.g. Kelly and Rotary) due to fears it would only
benefit Lockheed-Martin's VentureStar. However, changes in the
bill plus continued difficulties in raising private funds has
soften the opposition.
New Space
Access Society bulletin reports on the 6th anniversary of
the first flight of the DC-X, status of RLV funding in the current
bills in Congress, Kistler status, Rotaryfunding, NASA search
for shuttle replacement, and European RLV efforts.
X-33 is over-budget
and behind schedule according to a GAO report. (SAS
Bulletin , Rohrabacher
statement at Reston.com )
25, 1999
X-Planes briefing promised that 2000 will be a busy
year for RLV testing. The X-33
is on (a delayed) schedule for rollout in the 1st quarter of
the year and first flight in the summer. Currently, there are
no major problems with key components (but the engines begin
testing soon and there could always be a surprise there.)
The weight
problem seems to have been overcome and they vehicle has been
steady at 75k lbs for sometime. I did not hear what top speed
they would reach but would reach 50miles altitude. 15 flights
are in the test program with a 2 day turnaround to be demonstrated
once. [X-33
Slide Show ]
The X-34
will have 3 vehicles instead of 2. The A1 was intended for ground
testing only but will now be modified for unpowered drop tests
(and renamed the A1-A). These tests will be in early 2000. The
A2 vehicle will have the Fastrac
engine installed in the Spring and after ground firings, will
be launched in the summer. A third vehicle will be available
in late 2000 for flights going to Mach 10.
The X-37
currently has only 2 flights scheduled. In 2002 it will be taken
up in a shuttle and released for a flight back to the ground.
A mission in 2003 will be a long duration flight, relying on
the solar panels paid for by the Air Force. It will also demonstrate
that it can rendevous and inspect a satellite in LEO (Gee! I
wonder why the Air Force is interested in that capability?)
See [--Link
Dead--]Space.com - Air Force Needs Shape Newest NASA X Rocket
- 'X' marks the future: NASA moves forward with space-planes
- August 24, 1999 * SpaceViews
Article: NASA, Orbital Revise X-34 Testing Schedule * [--Link
Dead--]Space.com - X-34 Test Set, Experimenters Join Project
* [--Link Dead--]Space.com - X-33 Project Races Toward First
Test Flight Next Summer
20, 1999
K-1 is 75% complete
according to a report at Space.com ([--Link Dead--]Money
Tight for Kistler Aerospace-Space.com). The article discusses
Kistler's hunt for funding to complete their development phase.
Nothing said about the Saudi funding
mentioned in the Aviation Week Space Business back in July.
Perhaps it has either fallen through or they decided not to
say more until the deal is finalized. (Recent print issues of
AW&ST have not mentioned their interview with Mueller. Perhaps,
it will be in the next quarterly issue of AW Space Business.)
However, Kistler seems to be proceeding regardless and says
they will be flying 10 months after funding is obtained.
project receives the first Pegasus booster
at Dryden Research Center according to a report at [--Link
Dead--]Launchspace. After various tests the Orbital Science
booster will be attached this fall to the second stage Hyper-X
vehicle. Three separate such combinations will be launched from
a B-52 starting next Spring to investigate hypersonic technologies.
Although the vehicles will not be recovered, the information
learned could lead to applications in future hypersonic reusable
19, 1999
accelerates development of Nevada launch site. An
[--Link Dead--]article in Space. com details Kistler's
plan to use part of a former nuclear test site for its second
launch facility after the one Woomera, Australia. Kistler recently
raised sufficient capital to continue
with its development plans.
Rocket will finish ATV flight tests
but will cease operations by end of year without new funds appearing.
[--Link Dead--]Space.com - Tom Clancy-supported Spaceship
Ready to Resume Flight Tests.
and Boeing RLV strategy in Aviation Week, Aug. 2,
1999 issue. Boeing is involved in both NASA's X-37
and the Air Force's X-40A .
Both are mini-shuttle type lifting bodies. The X-40A is a prototype
vehicle that was dropped from a B-52 in August 1998. The X-37
will be 20% bigger than the X-40A. (The Air Force is also contributing
funds to the X-37.) It will undergo not only atmospheric drop
tests but also will be taken to orbit aboard a shuttlein late
2002 and will fly back to earth on its own.
The X-37 is
part of NASA's FutureX
project and will test 41 different technologies for reusable
launch vehicles. These include the use of hydrogen peroxide
for both main propulsion and control thrusters, new reusable
thermal protection materials, lightweight landing gear, fault-tolerant
systems for autonomous operations, and more.
The X-37 program
will also contribute directly to Boeing's RLV development
plans. Boeing intends an incremental approach to RLVs that first
involves a 2-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) vehicle. This could initially
be an X-37 type vehicle atop an expendable and then later a
reusable first stage. This could deliver about 2500kg payload
to low earth orbit. A follow-on vehicle would be a large TSTO
that delivers 10-12,500kg payload to orbit.
to broadcast an X-Planes briefing on NASA TV at 1
p.m. EDT Aug. 24. Presentations will be given on X-33, X-34,
& X-37 projects. See SpaceCasts
section for online sources for NASA TV. Spacelink
- 99-08-18 X-Vehicle Briefing AUG 24
X-33 History Project provides not only background
information on the project but also an ongoing timeline .
For example, it reports that as of mid-August ,
there were still 50 parts missing from the engines delivered
to Stennis and tests have been delayed.
13, 1999
briefs....NASA continues support of Aerojet's strutjet
rocket based combined cycle: [--Link Dead--]Yahoo - GenCorp
Aerojet to Continue Developing New Propulsion System .
The August
2 issue of Aviation Week (p.36) gives a detailed and interesting
description of the recent short testflights of the Rotary Rocket
ATV. The flights were considered a success but were challenging
for the pilots.
For example,
the pilots sit below the center of mass so the motion cues are
reversed, i.e. when the vehicle starts to move left, the bottom
of the vehicle swings right.
Also, the
rotors are powered by tip rockets fed via centrifugal pumping
thus leading to unstable rotor speed. Faster rotation gives
more pumping and thus even faster rotor speed. A converse instability
occurs when reducing speed. The copilots job is primarily to
control the rotor speed.
Recent reports
in Space News and in a newsgroup message from G. C. Hudson indicate
that Rotary Rocket has enough money to complete a few more test
flights but will have to close shop at end of the year without
new infusions of cash.
5 , 1999
has received clearance from the US State Department,
according to Aviation Week's business , to send various necessary
tools and equipment to its launchpad in Woomera, Australia.
Along with funding problems, this had held up construction there
for over a year. [--Link Dead--]Yahoo - GenCorp Aerojet
to Continue Developing New Propulsion System
design falls into place. Engineers at Lockheed-Martin
have now put together a detailed design for the VentureStar
SSTO with sufficient margins to give them high confidence of
reaching their payload goal. Success of the X-33 suborbital
launcher next year is the only remaining step before they could
begin construction leading to a launch in 2005. Of course, funding
is still the biggest obstacle.
Technology has been
selected by NASA to develop and build the Fastrac engine for
the X-34 program under a $11 million contract.
30, 1999
briefs....Space.com reports on the [--Link
Dead--]X-33 aerospike engine testing at Stennis and on the first
test flight of the Rotary Rocket ATV.
28, 1999
receives Saudi investment. Aviation
Week Space Business Online reports that Kistler will obtain
enough funds from investors in Saudi Arabia to complete its
test program. The Saudis have promised to provide "whatever
it takes" to reach operational status. This should also
release the Taiwanese funds (see below )
that were contingent upon Kistler obtaining sufficient funds
from other sources to reach the $200M or so required to build
and test launch the first vehicles. This should also save them
from the high interest rates required for junk bonds that Kistler
was considering to issue. As soon as the check arrives, construction
will resume on their launch facilities in Woomera, Australia.
24, 1999
flight of Rotary's ATV occurred on Friday
July 22. As planned, it only lifted a few feet off the ground
in the methodical process of testing out the controls and fixing
bugs in the system. (Report from SAS
Update ). Unfortunately, Rotary has also undergone further
layoffs as funding fails to appear. [July 28 - Rotary
Press Release on first ATV flight .][July 29 - Video
now available at RR. Spaceviews
Article ]
16, 1999
briefs....First complete X-33 aerospike engine
sent to NASA Stennis for tests. See [--Error
[--Time Out--]--] Press Release .
14, 1999
& Boeing sign X-37 agreement.
The government/industry collaboration will split the $173 million
development cost of the reusable, unmanned orbiting vehicle
that will be taken into orbit in 2002 with the Space Shuttle.
It will use its own propulsion system to deorbit and then return
to earth with an autonomously controlled glide landing. The
X-37 is part of NASA's continuing program to develop cheaper
launch systems and will "serve as a test bed for 41 airframe,
propulsion and operations technologies" that support RLV
The X-37 is
a 120% version of the X-40 ,
which in August of 1998 carried out a successful drop test from
a B-52. The X-40 is part of the Air Force's Spaceplane program
and the Air Force will contribute $16 million to the government
share of the X-37. First drop test of the X-37 from a B-52 will
occur in 2001.
Press Release * CNN
- New space plane project takes off - July 15, 1999
13, 1999
Spaceflight Center has awarded $16 million to 13
proposals involved with various reusable launch vehicle technologies.
Composite materials, hydrogen peroxide techonlogy, autonomous
flight control, and other areas important for RLV development
are involved.
A small Huntsville,
Alabama company called [--Error--]Space
America was awarded a $900,000 contract to develop regenerative
cooling for the Fastrac
rocket engine thrust chamber, which currently uses ablative
cooling. Note that Rotary Rocket recently switched
to the Fastrac.
See MSFC
Press Release , [--Link Dead--]Huntsville
Times article .
plans RLV demonstrator. DaimlerChrysler Aerosapce
(DASA) has begun the Phoenix demonstration program. Phoenix
will test various technologies leading to launch in 2002
of a small single engine sub-orbital test vehicle. Success of
this project would then lead later to a reusable, unmanned launcher
system called Hopper. Equipped with 3 Vulcain Mark 2
engines and sled launched, Hopper will go into low earth orbit
and release a separate expendable upper stage that can place
7 ton satellites into LEO or 5 tons in geostationary orbit.
It will return to earth with a glide landing. The Hopper will
weigh 400 tons at take-off and is 40m long and 22m wingspan.
[--Link Dead--]SpaceDaily article
Press Release June 99 ]
briefs....A Yahoo News article discusses European
views on RLVs: Rocket
Designers Look To The Next Generation .
11, 1999
The second X-38
vehicle successfully completed
its second flight test on July 9. It was dropped from the highest
altitude yet - 31,500ft. The test verified new maneuvers and
improvements in the drogue chute. More tests of ever greater
complexity and altitude will continue over the coming years
leading up to a release from a space shuttle in 2001. See SpaceViews
, [--Link Dead--]Spacedaily articles.
9, 1999
briefs....Technology Review gives a short report
on RLV's at [--Link Dead--]July/Aug
99: Reusable Rockets Get Ready ...
2, 1999
briefs....A RealMedia streamed
video of the recent X-34 captive carry test is available
at the Houston
Chronicle space news page. The piece also includes a background
video on the X-34 program....Forbes magazine (July 5) has an
article about Rotary Rocket and other RLV startups - Earth
to Gary . Includes also a sidebar on space
tourism .
30, 1999
briefs....See the Antelope Valley Press article for
the latest on Rotary: AV
Press: Rotary Rocket lands $1 billion in contracts ... X-34
captive test flight ended early after some vibrations seen on
a panel on the L-1011 but otherwise no major problems: CNN
- NASA's rocket-plane takes first test ride - June 29, 1999 ....
27, 1999
captive flight tests begin. The first flight test
of the X-34 reusable rocket plane will take place this week.
The vehicle will remain attached to its L-1011 mother ship.
The aerodynamics of the configuration will be studied as well
as various tests of the modifications made for the X-34 attachment.
press release .
problems delay project by 6 months.
The X-38
is the developmental program of the Crew Rescue Vehicle for
the International Space Station. The program is being carried
out by Johnson Space Center. The CRV will use a small rocket
to drop out of orbit and after a period of free fall will glide
to a landing with a parafoil. Several drop tests from a B-52
of sub-scale versions have been carried out. In 2001 a drop
test in orbit from
the Shuttle is planned leading to an operational system by 2003.
However, various problems with electrical and parachute systems
have delayed drop tests this summer that may in turn delay the
space tests. The upcoming flights are from a higher altitude
than previous tests and will involve using the flight control
surfaces. See article in Antelope
Valley Press June 23, 1999 .
24, 1999
makes a turn for the better.In
a press
release, Rotary clarified their situation a bit. They have
decided to defer development of the Rocketjet main engine
and instead use a derivative of the Fastrac engine developed
by NASA for the X-34
project. (See the Fastrac
links). This engine is reusable but for only a limited number
of times due to the use of an ablatively cooled nozzle. However,
in a newsgroup message, Gary Hudson said the derived from
phrase in the PR should be emphasized. This could mean that
Rotary will make some modifications to extend the lifetime of
the engine. A cluster of Fastracs will be used to achieve the
necessary thrust.
and technicians involved with the RocketJet have been laid off
although the company hopes to return to development of the engine
later if possible. In the meantime, there is enough funds to
continue with the ATV tests. The company succeeded in a ground
test and will soon try taking the vehicle a short distance above
the ground.
Also, good
news on the Rotary business situation. The same press release
says that they now have over 900 million dollars of contracts
for launches during the first ten years of operation. While
they won't see much of this money until the spacecraft are in
orbit, this will certainly help in convincing investors of the
companies viability. SpaceViews
article June 24,1999 .
Provides Payload
User's Guide at the Kistler
Aerospace web site. It gives the details for satellite builders
on how to adapt their spacecraft to the Kistler K-1 launcher.
reusable engine technology shows
progress. While
there was little new rocket engine technology development of
any sort in the USA for about 25 years after the Space Suttle
Main Engine, there seems to be a spurt of progress on several
begins to investigate
RLVs. The Ariane 5 has dominated European launch development
for several years and the governments there want to see a return
on this investment before starting radical new programs. However,
Europe is nevertheless beginning to take a look at RLVs as progress
in the US starts to appear. Although currently the talk is about
vehicles 15-20 years in the future, this may change when the NASA
and private RLVs start to fly. Some of the work from the canceled
Hermes manned vehicle is being carried over, as well as work with
NASA on the crew
rescue vehicle for the ISS.
The French aerospace giant
[--Time Out--]Aerospatiale Matra is
taking a leading role in this area. See their [--Link
Dead--]reusable launch vehicles page.
The third Ariane 5 mission,
in fact, launched a capsule called the [--Link
Dead--]ARD that tested thermal protection materials for future
RLVs. Vehicle test designs include the [--Link
Dead--]ARES winged glider test vehicle with no onboard propulsion
and the [--Link Dead--]Themis that
would carry out sub-orbital tests up to Mach 11 with its own propulsion.
19, 1999
announces layoffs and restructuring...Unable
to raise sufficient funds to maintain the development of the
Rotan launcher, Rotary will cut back on staff. However, they
will attempt to continue with tests of the ATV. See SAS
announcement , SpaceViews
article ,
NASA Watch
. [According to a news group message from SAS's Henry Vanderbilt,
Rotary will be able maintain about 40% of it's previous workforce
for several months. This should allow them to finish the ATV
testing while continuing the search for funding. June 22, 1999.]
12, 1999
Single-Stage-To-Orbit in 1970?
Though many in the
aerospace community dispute whether an SSTO is feasible even
today, others claim that already by the late 1960's such a vehicle
could have been built. Gary
Hudson , founder and President of
Rotary Rockets , has been working on RLV and SSTO concepts
since the 1970's. His paper History
of the Phoenix VTOL SSTO, AAS 91-643 (pdf) notes the pioneering
work of Phil Bono at Douglas Aircraft. Bono developed several
reusable SSTO designs beginning as far back as 1964.
Hudson discusses
the Saturn
IVB 3rd stage that was developed by Douglas. A standalone
version of this stage (more as a thought experiment than a real
proposal) could have put itself into orbit along with a 5000kg
payload. A reusable version could have put about 1700kgs into
Bono and later
Hudson developed several vehicle designs under the title of
the Phoenix series. This work gradually refined RLV SSTO
concepts. A crucial finding from this work was that developing
lightweight structures to obtain a low structural mass fraction
was far more important than improving propulsion technology.
The availability of high strength, low weight composite materials
in fact has brought about the revitalized interest in such vehicles.
For more about
the history of RLV SSTO designs, see other papers by Gary Hudson
that have been collected in html format by Marcus
Lindroos :
A Commercial, Reusable Single-Stage-To-Orbit Launch Vehicle
Concept (1987)
M: A Small SSTO Launch Vehicle for Commercial Space Transport
Missions (1989) & Appendix
Thunderbird X-Prize entry
from the British Starchaser
rocketry group advances. The three person vehicle, also referred
to as Starchaser 4, would provide a 15min ride to 100km and
back. Led by Steve Bennett, the group has the support of a number
of British organizations and companies. They have announced
a contest for a ride on their entry in the X-Prize
contest, as well as a ticket purchase for £64500 ($100000).
Plans are for first launch in 2003. The group has successfully
launched some conventional rockets. See the recent BBC articles
on their rocket
launches and a mockup
of the Thunderbird . Advanced
Rocketry .
receives contract with
Applied Space
Resources (ASR) to launch its lunar lander. Sometime after
2002 the Lunar Retriever I would return 12kgs of lunar samples
to earth to use for research as well as to sell to the public.
See article at SpaceViews
news....check out the [--Link Dead--]Kistler
Promotional video (12mins) in RealVideo from
Kistler page ... Also, a short video on the X-34
(Turning rocket dreams to reality) at MSNBC ....
Aerojet develops robust
preburners as part of an Air Force reusable engine
development program...Space News reports that Kistler Aerospace
is planning to seek public financing later this year.
3, 1999
updates: Information
on the ATV tied down tests have been posted on the Rotary site.
See the What's
Hot page, a press
release with links to a short video clip. See also SpaceViews
article .
news.....a short history
of the X-15 , the first reusable spaceship, is given in an
article by Andrew LePagein the June
1 edition of SpaceViews... follow there also the ongoing
discussion of RLV vs ELV costs.
28, 1999
Committee hearings on
the Commercial Space Launch Industry discussed RLV prospects
on May 20. Senator
John Breaux (D-La) has proposed loan guarantees of nearly
a billion dollars for the RLV industry. Many of the small startups,
however, fear this money will all go to Lockheed-Martin's VentureStar
program. Peter
Teets of Lock-Mart, in fact, said that they have been unable
to raise interest on Wall Street for commercial funding of [--Error
[--Time Out--]--]VentureStar . (see [--Link
Dead--]Spacer.com article)
Wurst of Space Access is one of the stronger supporters
among the startups of Breaux's efforts and presented his views
on how Congress and NASA can help RLV development. He supports
loan guarantees in this presentation (and at the recent Space
Access Society meeting ) and has also previously urged that
NASA contract for transportation on whatever vehicle offers
the lowest price rather than getting involved directly in launcher
development. This was also the theme of Andrew
Beal , whose Beal
Aerospace is developing an ELV who also suggested a tax
holiday for a given period for profits from new launchers.
Schluter of Boeing revealed at the hearing that Boeing has
serious ongoing efforts to develop RLV technologies and launchers.
This includes work on the X-37 and X-38 projects. (See [--Link
Dead--]Spacer.com article.)
Transportation Architecture Study reports are
now on the web. This study was commissioned by NASA to hear
what various private companies have to say about what NASA should
do to reduce the cost of space transportation in the next decade.
Reports come from the big guys -Boeing ,
and Orbital
Science - and also several small startups - Kelly ,
Kistler ,
Access - plus a [--Link Dead--]NASA in-house
Program Status Report indicates that the problems
with the hydrogen tank and aerospike engines are being overcome.
Other component development, such as the oxygen tank tests and
thermal protection materials, seems to be coming along well.
The big challenge now is to assemble and integrate all the systems
in time for a mid-2000 launch.
updates: Gary Hudson reports in a newsgroup message
on May 27 that the ATV has recently undergone "tied down"
tests. Various small problems were found and are being corrected.
First hover tests will occur soon.... Jerry
Pournelle , science fiction writer, has posted a page
of photos and commentary on the April rollout of
the ATV. (He is the prime force behind the influential Citizens
Advisory Council on National Space Policy .)
8, 1999
Sciences rolled out the first X-34 at
NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California on April
30. The first of three vehicles, the A1 will be used on several
captive carry test flights with the companys L-1011 aircraft.
The second vehicle, A2, will be delivered in July and will be
used for several unpowered drop tests later in the summer. The
first powered flights could begin as early as January 1999 if
these tests go well. Using the Fastrac engine, developed by
NASA, the unmanned vehicles should reach Mach 8 and an altitude
of 50miles. A third vehicle, A3, will be delivered in 2000.
A1 could be modified for flight capability later for about $10-15M
if one of the other vehicles is damaged. See Aviation Week,
April 26, 1999, pp. 78-80. Links
begins study of a commercial RLV. Based on its X-34
design, Orbital Science is beginning preliminary development
of a follow-on commercial reusable vehicle. The vehicle would
put about 4000kg in low earth orbit. Development costs are estimated
around $250M. [See [--Link Dead--]article
at Spacer.com ]
fuel tanks make progress.
The first composite [--Error [--Time Out--]--]hydrogen
tank , two of which reside in the rear portion of the
vehicle, was [--Error [--Time Out--]--]delivered
for testing to Marshal Spaceflight Center in April. The
second tank will be delivered later this summer. It was the
delamination problems in the latter that has caused several
month postponement of the first flight. A [--Error
[--Time Out--]--]duplicate of the aluminum [--Error
[--Time Out--]--]oxygen tank , a double lobed structure
that takes up the front of the vehicle, has just completed successful
tests at Marshall. It used water instead of liquid oxygen to
simulate the stresses of flight. [[--Time
Out--]VentureStar Press release , [--Link
Dead--]Spacer article: X-33 L-Ox Tank Completes Stress Tests
Access LLC in a Popular Science article (June 1999)
reveals more about the design of its hypersonic vehicle and
its development plans. The horizontal takeoff and landing first
stage uses ejector ramjets, based on a proprietary design of
its Kaiser Marquardt subcontractor, that provides enough power
at low speeds to allow the vehicle to take off and reach the
velocity where ramjet action can take over. The 4 ramjet engines
get it to an altitude of about 30mi where a rocket engine provides
a further boost to 100mi altitude and mach 9. The nose then
opens alligator style to release a small reusable booster to
put satellites into LEO. A third booster for geostationary satellites
is also under design. The orbital vehicles would return and
do glide landings. The first stage is about the size of a 747
and the second stage looks about the size of the X-40
designs. Development costs look to be in the $billion+ range.
The company says a first flight could occur in 2002 and regular
flights in 2003 to put 5000kg in LEO at $2000/kg. The company
is teamed with a merchant bank to raise the money and is also
pushing for government support in the form of loan guarantees
and/or a NASA contract for Space Station support. They claim
NASA could save $10billion over a 10 year period with the Space
Access vehicle replacing the shuttle.
news... Space Access pushes for FAA certification
of RLV's as part of the effort to reach the reliability of airliners
(article )
... The Financial Times reports
that Richard Branson has created Virgin
Galactic Airways to develop space tourism projects.
The 3 person company hopes to offer 2 hour rides in orbit for
$50k by 2007. They are in discussions with various RLV companies,
especially Rotary. [Gary Hudson said at Space Access that most
of the detailsin previous newspaper reports about Virgin and
Rotary, e.g. that Virgin was making a large investment in the
company, were wrong but wouldn't say more.]
26, 1999
will receive $50 million from several Taiwanese banks.
The Taiwan government is encouraging investment in
Kistler by the private sector to
help boost the country's space technology base. Once they are
flying, Kistler has promised to enter a joint venture with Taiwan
and transfer its technology. (See [--Error--]NandoTimes/Reuters
article, China News article) [Ed.
- this will be a substantial boost to Kistler coming
in addition to the recent $30M investment from Northrop-Grumman.
This should allow them to achieve a launch in early 2000. However,
I wonder if the draconian restrictions recently placed by Congress
on space technology interactions, even with friendly countries,
will throw a monkey wrench into their plans.] [May 17, 1999
- [--Link Dead--]Spacer.com article]
successful Space
conference in Phoenix.
Space Access'99, organized by Henry Vanderbilt, presented a
super lineup that included representatives of most of the major
players in RLV development. Status reports covered projects
ranging from X-33 to small startups like TGV. The former has
overcome problems with the engines and the hydrogen tanks and
is on schedule for maiden flights in 2000. The various small
RLV companies are making lots of technical progress but still
fighting for funding. [See the conference
review by Jeff Foust at SpaceViews
, May 8,1999]
Rocket reduces rotor lengths.
In a presentation at Space Access'99, Gary Hudson said that
studies have shown that the Rotan's rotors can be shortened
by about 6ft and still provide the necessary landing capabilities.
Furthermore, this means that the rotors not longer have to be
folded upwards as the vehicle reenters the atmosphere. They
can now extend normal to the vehicle and remain safe from the
bowshock heating.
Launch Services (Civilian Astronaut Corp) has gone out of business.
Advent tried to bootstrap its way to space tourism by using
the deposits of customers
to fund its vehicle. However, the number of customers placing
$5000 deposits grew too slowly to give them a realistic chance
of meeting their construction timetable. They were aiming for
at least 2000 customers to raise $10M before they would begin
cutting metal for their suborbital sea launched RLV. However,
after a couple of years they had less than 150 paying civilian
astronauts. Rather than drag out the process indefinitely,
they decided to close shop and return the deposits. See the
article . [Ed. - while
this is a setback for space tourism startup efforts, I still
find it remarkable that there were this many people willing
to put down several thousand dollars for a ride that would provide
4 minutes of weightlessness, and in a vehicle that didn't even
exist yet. It is not a big leap of faith to imagine that this
indicates a very large market for rides on a proven, reliable
Other archives:
Sept - Dec 1999


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Love, Antosha
Love, Antosha (2019) full movie watch online on 123Movies From a prolific career in film and television, Anton Yelchin left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton's impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man.
Anton Yelchin, Chris Pine, Irina Korina, J.J. Abrams, Jennifer Lawrence, Jodie Foster, John Cho, Nicolas Cage, Viktor Yelchin
Director: Garret Price
Country: USA


text: Completely seamless and simple to use! Fat Daddio's manufactures the largest line of removable-bottom pans. Designed for cheesecakes, these 3" deep commercial quality pans can also be used for upside down cakes, tiramisu, ice cream cakes and many other desserts where the top needs to be preserved. Because removal is so simple, they are perfect for bar-type cookies and brownies. Due to the density of cake batters, these pans will not leak. De-panning is as easy as pushing through the bottom!


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June 2014 will see MCM bring its celebration of sci-fi, games, comics, anime and cosplay to Northern Ireland for the very first time, with the inaugural MCM Belfast Comic Con.
The announcement comes hard on the heels of last week's news that MCM Expo is also launching a show in Dublin next year, as well as expanding its MCM Scotland Comic Con and MCM Manchester Comic Con events.
Commenting on the new show, which will be held on 7-8th June at Belfast's Kings Hall Complex, MCM co-organiser Paul Miley said: "We're delighted to be bringing our popular comic con brand to Belfast next year. After we announced our new Dublin show, Northern Irish comic book fans were asking when they were going to get an event …well, here it is!
"With MCM shows now covering the whole of England, Ireland and Scotland, there's never been a better time for gamers, comic collectors, sci-fi enthusiasts, movie buffs and fans of geek culture in general to check out the comic c0n scene."
"As the recent record-breaking Scotland Comic Con proved, there's an increasing appetite for MCM comic conventions at the moment," added MCM co-organiser Bryan Cooney. "We'd like everyone to come along and experience one for themselves, and with our ever-expanding roster of top quality events, that's never been easier."
Categories: Events


text:
Online tool that helps depositors
determine how the insurance rules and limits apply to a
specific group of deposit accounts — what's insured and what
portion (if any) exceeds coverage limits at that bank.
Learn if your bank is insured, view
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The secure Internet channel for
FDIC-insured institutions to conduct business and exchange
information with the FDIC.
The inventory of other assets for sale
-- including office furniture, fixtures, and equipment.
The final rule on education loans indicates the agencies will consider low-cost education loans to low-income borrowers as a positive factor when assessing a financial institution's record of meeting community credit needs under the CRA. The rule:
The provisions on minority- and women-owned financial institutions and low-income credit unions were previously communicated in Interagency Questions and Answers Regarding Community Reinvestment, published on March 11, 2010 (see FIL-9-2010).
FDIC-Supervised Banks (Commercial and Savings)
Suggested Routing:
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FDIC financial institution letters (FILs) may be accessed from the FDIC's Web site at www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2010/index.html.
To receive FILs electronically, please visit http://www.fdic.gov/about/subscriptions/fil.html.
Paper copies of FDIC financial institution letters may be obtained through the FDIC's Public Information Center, 3501 Fairfax Drive, E-1002, Arlington, VA 22226 (1-877-275-3342 or 703-562-2200).


text:
Press Releases
In the News
- In my travels: Junior League Show House (New Pittsburgh Courier, May 23, 2018)
- What to do this week in Pittsburgh: May 6-12, 2018 (The Incline, May 6, 2018)
- Junior League hosting Show House event (KDKA "Pittsburgh Today Live," May 2018)
- Show House benefit opens May 5 at 1300 Wood Street (The Wilkinsburg Sun, May 2018)
- Designers' Show House opens this week in Wilkinsburg (Wilkinsburg Community Development Corp., April 30, 2018)
- #SEENintheCity (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 26, 2018)
- Interior design students team up with the Junior League of Pittsburgh to transform historic mansion (Art Institute of Pittsburgh, March 23, 2018)
- Sip & See Wilkinsburg's Designer Show House this weekend (Wilkinsburg Community Development Corp., March 22, 2018)
- Cinderella story: Junior League Show House awaits its transformation (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 19, 2018)
- Show House: Junior League unveils historic Wilkinsburg manse (Pittsburgh Magazine, Dec. 18, 2017)
- Junior League of Pittsburgh to transform Wilkinsburg mansion into Show House (Tribune-Review, Dec. 13, 2017)
- Junior League designers show house planned in Wilkinsburg in May (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Dec. 12, 2017)
Media Information
The Junior League of Pittsburgh welcomes media coverage of the 2018 Show House. Here you will find our media kit with information and resources about the event and Junior League of Pittsburgh.
For interview requests, please contact Communications Director Janey Cink at email@example.com or 724-710-0929.
- 2018 Show House logo (PNG)
- 2018 Show House photo by Erin McClain Beck


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what I truly love is a pair of shoes that can be worn across multiple seasons. You know, one that's neither too "summery" nor "wintery" and can move with you seamlessly from climate to climate with the simple switch of an outfit or addition of socks or tights. This versatility not only brings down your cost-per-wear but also simply adds to your quantity of shoe options year-round.
Sometimes changing and purchasing new shoes for every season can be a little stressful and pricey.
Here are some Shoes that can take you through winter and spring. Some boots that have less fur coverage which serves as winter shoes can also we worn in spring.
To Purchase all the shoes Visit Casnaboty.
Here is a Link to all my shoes, follow this link and view all my shoes from Casnaboty.
Here is my latest warm tracker red boot. To purchase follow the link.
What are your thoughts?


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In 2003, when Harvey Pekar's American Splendor film was coming out, the indie-friendly film chain Landmark Cinemas was really high on the film and an acquaintance of mine who worked as a graphic designer for their in-house magazine, FLM, asked me if I would try to edit a short comics section in tribute to Harv. So I did. It didn't come out quite like I'd hoped, but I was honored to do it. I thought of this when Harvey passed away recently and I wrote this, but couldn't find a copy. This weekend, while starting to move everything out of my basement to have some work done, I found it. As far as I know, it isn't on the web anywhere else, and there are some great pieces.
Click HERE for a larger version than what's below, so you can read all of it, but here's the Tim Hensley piece to whet your whistle:


text:
Reading Time: 9 minutes If you're working with organizations in SharePoint Online and in a modernization effort to move from a classic to a modern list/library experience, you may
Month: August 2018
Search using a SharePoint Hub Source
Reading Time: 3 minutes I recently blogged about using SharePoint site scripts and a site design to build a standardized Project Site template. It provisioned the site with some
Build and use custom Sensitive Information Types in Office 365
Reading Time: 5 minutes Office 365 comes with 87 built-in sensitive information types. They can be used to identify and take action in several places: Data Loss Prevention (DLP),


text:
22 Pictures of People with Funny Superpowers
One of these superpowers is to make fantastic pictures without using Photoshop!
Looking at films about heroes and mutants, you involuntarily begin to dream of your own great superpower. For example, about the ability to lick your navel, spread your lips etc.
And now we look at the gallery of these achievements of simple, seemingly people, and involuntarily envy what they have achieved in this life. Even the raccoon has achieved that he is a raccoon, but what did you achieve?
You do not have to answer, unless you have only super ability to give answers to rhetorical questions. Take a look at 22 Pictures of People with Funny Superpowers.


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We Tend To Select Romantic Partners Who Look Like Our Parents
April 23, 2016 by Justin Lehmiller
Throughout the animal kingdom, scientists have found that early caregiving experiences shape later patterns of sexual attraction.
For example, if you ever took an Introductory Psychology course, you probably learned about Konrad Lorenz's discovery that baby geese "imprint" on the first moving object they see shortly after birth, meaning they treat that object as if it were their mother and start following it around [1]. Perhaps your textbook even included some adorable photos of Lorenz being trailed by a gaggle of geese that had imprinted on him. However, what's even more fascinating than this is that, when they grew up, these geese would attempt to mate with human men that physically resembled Lorenz himself—in this case, that meant white dudes with big white beards!
This isn't a phenomenon unique to animals, though—something similar happens in humans. I know some of you will find this creepy, but humans have a tendency to select romantic partners who physically resemble their childhood caretakers. The preferred theory is that, as children, humans experience an imprinting-like process in which the physical traits of (usually) one's opposite-parent form a mental template that is later used for selecting mates in adulthood.
Here's a look at some of the evidence in favor of this idea:
- A 2013 study found that people who were born to older parents (mother and/or father) reported greater attraction to older partners as adults.
- A 2003 study found that the hair and eye color of people's opposite sex parents were related to the hair and eye color of their romantic partners.
- A 2012 study found that the height of people's opposite sex parents was associated with the their height of their romantic partners.
- A 2010 study found that women selected romantic partners who had similar amounts of body hair to their fathers.
- A 2004 study found that women who had been adopted as children had a tendency to select husbands who physically resembled their adoptive fathers.
- A 2002 study found that men tended to select wives who physically resembled their mothers.
Interestingly, the last two studies both found that the nature of the relationship people had with their parents mattered. Specifically, people who had more positive relationships with their parents were the most likely to select partners/spouses who looked like their parents.
With all of that said, there are a few caveats to keep in mind here. First, we can't say for sure whether the above effects are truly a result of sexual imprinting. Another possibility is that this is simply a byproduct of mere exposure (i.e., the idea that repeated exposure to a given stimulus, such as persons of older age, increases familiarity and liking for that stimulus). Yet another potential explanation is that we engage in phenotype-matching (i.e., the idea that we are drawn to partners who physically resemble us—and because we tend to resemble our parents, we also end up with a preference for people who look like our parents).
Second, although there's an association between the traits of our parents and the traits of our partners, most studies have found relatively small correlations. Thus, while our parents may very well help to shape what we find attractive in others, there's definitely a lot more to the story than this.
Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook (facebook.com/psychologyofsex), Twitter (@JustinLehmiller), or Reddit (reddit.com/r/psychologyofsex) to receive updates.
[1] Lorenz, K.Z. (1970). Studies in Animal and Human Behavior, Vol. 1. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Image Source: 123RF/Marek Uliasz
Dr. Justin Lehmiller is a social psychologist and Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute. He runs the Sex and Psychology blog and podcast and is author of the popular book Tell Me What You Want. Dr. Lehmiller is an award-winning educator, and a prolific researcher who has published more than 50 academic works.Read full bio >


text: You have my permission to share my articles and or video presentations with anyone you believe could benefit, however, I maintain ownership of the intellectual property AND my articles, video presentations and eBooks are not to be considered OPEN SOURCE. Please also provide a link back to Second Chance to Live. In the event that you have questions, please send those questions to me. All questions are good questions. I look forward to hearing from you. Copyright 2007 -2022


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It sometimes seems that life is conspiring to keep us from visiting Theler Wetlands. For instance, we had several days in a row without a single thing to do, but the rain clouds finally decided it was Fall and moved in. Finally, despite the fog, I decided to head out for Belfair since we desperately needed exercise and Belfair is my favorite place to walk even if we walk too slowly to count as "Exercise" according to my Apple watch.
We hit patches of heavy fog several times on the way their, and I was getting a little worried since Belfair is usually foggy even when the drive there is sunny. Surprise. We were greeted by blue skies and moonshine.
Although we could hear birds in the woods, the spiderwebs took center stage, reminding us that it is, indeed, Fall.
There still aren't a lot of birds, but there were a few Green-Winged Teal that managed to hide in the distant shadows. Luckily, the Killdeer were far more indifferent, allowing some nice close-ups.
I spotted this Yellowlegs (Greater, I think) a long way out on the first part of our walk, but it, too, seemed indifferent to us when we returned.
There were several gulls to be seen, but this Ring-Billed Gull kept flying by, forcing me to see if I could get a good shot of it in flight. Several of the photos were blurry, but this one captured it nicely.
It would have been a perfect day if we could have stopped at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Port Orchard on the way home, but right now I'll certainly settle for a few more days like this.


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June 2.
One million dollars.
A full ride college scholarship.
Ages 12 and up.
Those are key takeaways from Governor Mike DeWine's Wednesday prime time address. A mere 90 minutes after Ohio legislators filed a concurrent resolution to rescind the health mandates, DeWine took to the television and streaming airwaves to announce that "Ohioans have done their job. It's time to lift the mandates."
June 2 is the date when Ohio's COVID related health orders will be lifted (with the exception of nursing homes). As with other states, individual Ohio businesses will maintain the ability to set their own regulations, but Ohio's statewide orders will be gone.
Why wait until June 2? According to Governor DeWine, that is so more Ohioans have the opportunity to get at least the first dose of a COVID shot. Currently, 42% of Ohioians have taken the shot.
Grand Finale
While the grand finale financial prize announcements connected to those shots were yet to be announced, DeWine spent much of his address touting the value of the vaccine. "Everyone can now control their own health. Everyone can now control their own destiny," he stated. "Each person has access to a mighty weapon. The vaccinated feel liberated and vaccination is safer than running the risk of getting the virus. You can hug your family again. You can go to a restaurant again."
And starting Thursday, May 13, DeWine says Ohioans ages 12 and up be able to enjoy those freedoms as well. With the recent Emergency Authorization Use approval for the Pfizer vaccine, individuals ages 12 and up can now schedule an appointment, which DeWine says will start in Ohio right away. Appointments will open Thursday, less than 24 hours after his address.
"The way we're really going to control the pandemic is to vaccinate a higher number of individuals including children. While it generally is a milder illness, [some of these kids can get very sick]" DeWine read those remarks from Dr. Sherman Alter, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Dayton Children's Hospital.
The Final Announcement
*Shots for 12-15 year olds
*Lifted health orders effective June 2
Those announcements, plus the news that cases continue to fall, led up to the final announcement of the night: a lottery system intended to make 5 Ohioans millionaires.
After calling on businesses across Ohio to increase incentives for vaccinations, DeWine announced that the state of Ohio had an incentive of its own. Starting May 26, one adult winner will be drawn each Wednesday for five weeks straight. Each winner receives $1 million dollars. Touted the "Vax-a-Million" drawing, the winners will be derived from the Ohio Secretary of State's publicly available voter registration database. Those not in the voting database will still be eligible by registering at a yet to be announced website.
And not to forget those under 18, DeWine also announced an incentive prize drawing for individuals age 12-17 who choose to receive the COVID shot. On the same night that the first $1 million dollar prize winner is announced, a vaccinated minor will receive a full ride scholarship to any university in the state of Ohio. This prize drawing will take place for 5 weeks, with 5 randomly drawn minors receiving full ride college scholarships. Registration for this lottery opens May 18.
Response to Governor DeWine's address was swift on social media, with many applauding the decision to lift restrictions, others criticizing the 3 week delay for such. Perhaps surprising to DeWine was the growing group questioning the monetary prize awards. DeWine says the prize money will be paid through federal coronavirus funds.


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WHERE'D-YOU-GET-THAT GIFTS. If you're looking for unique gifts that they'll absolutely adore, look no more! ModCloth has the most delightfully expected gifts that are sure to delight every and any recipient. From cool and quirky books about cats to octopus-shaped coffee mugs and marvelous marquee lights, you're sure to find something awesome that will put a smile on their face!
Headed to a friend's apartment- or house-warming party? You'll find the greatest gifts among our selection of unique room decor! Every abode needs a dazzling doormat to welcome guests with glee, and we have a stunning assortment of sure-to-please options. Or perhaps your pal is a whiz in the kitchen? In that case, we suggest a set of darling tea towels, an awesome apron, or an eye-popping plate set! We have unique gifts that will please even the pickiest person.
For the vintage-lover in your life, we have stunning home decor inspired by eras gone by! You'll find unique gifts such as mid-century-inspired barware, pretty pillows in 70s-esque color palettes, and retro clocks that are cute to boot. At ModCloth, you'll find unique gifts for everyone on your list!


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The Shand & Jurs 94630 Pilot Operated Relief Valves are designed to meet low pressure applications within a relief range from 1.0 psi thru 15 psi. These Magnavalves are ideally suited for land or marine use, specifically marine cargo tankers transporting LNG, cryogenic or low temperature liquids.
Available in 2" through 12'' sizes, the 94630 provides extreme reliability by utilizing a magnetic pilot design. The magnetic pilot assures positive pressure relief at set pressure with no overpressure required and resets itself at the preset blowdown.
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Shand & Jurs "Expanda-Seal" option is available on all pressure pallet assemblies. This feature significantly reduces leakage. The ballooning effect of the Teflon diaphragm effectively seals the valve.
The "Expanda-Seal" feature ensures less than .5 SCFH of air at 95% of the set point.


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Every year hundreds of new books are published about how to lose weight and get healthy. New gyms open. More and more research is done on the ideal diet and exercise program. Well-meaning medical doctors write life-changing, meme-filled, snarky blogs. Despite all these efforts, America's waistline continues to increase. Why are these diets and exercise programs failing? Could it be that we are missing a huge piece of the health and weight loss equation? Yeah, we are missing something really big and I'm not just talking about fasting. America is chronically underslept. This lack of sleep is making us overweight, diabetic, and also quite sleepy. I will explain…
Below are obesity rates in the U.S. by year as compared to our average sleep amount. As we get less sleep, our weight increases. Why does this happen? There are lots of reasons, but first, a couple disclaimers. First, I don't believe that sleep deprivation is the only cause of our obesity epidemic. Second, the graph below only shows a correlation which doesn't prove that insufficient sleep causes obesity. In the next few paragraphs, I will make the case that sleep plays a much bigger role in our health and fitness than most of us think, in the hopes of motivating you to stay in bed longer. I know "stay in bed longer to lose weight" sounds like clickbait, but just keep reading. That also sounds like clickbait.
While the above graph shows a strong correlation between sleep and obesity, it's still just a correlation, and better studies are needed to show if poor sleep is actually causing obesity. The fictitious lower graph shows that as pirate prevalence goes down, global population goes up. This is also a correlation, but probably mostly coincidental. So, we shouldn't be fooled by statements solely based on a correlation, that's bad science.
Fortunately, in recent years there have been many scientific studies showing a causal relationship between lack of sleep and obesity even after adjusting for factors like exercise, age, sex, and proximity to a Cinnabon. Here is the link. Why does insufficient sleep causes weight gain? Great question. One important and often overlooked cause is hormonal. When we don't get the proper amount of quality sleep, a stress hormone called cortisol goes up. High cortisol causes us to lose muscle and gain fat, regardless of what we eat! Cushing's syndrome is a disease characterized by too much cortisol and the effects (shown on the right) are devastating and very similar to persistent lack of sleep. High cortisol from lack of sleep or Cushing's syndrome makes getting healthy as f**k impossible.
Incidentally, Addison's disease is when cortisol levels are too low (opposite of Cushing's syndrome). JFK had this disease. The symptoms are tan skin, thin appearance, extra confidence, and frequent, aggressive episodes of coitus.*
Sleep loss just doesn't cause obesity, but it can also lead to type 2 diabetes. Rates of type 2 diabetes are much higher in under-slept adults, but like the pirates and global population, this was just a correlation, until one study took a group of healthy fit young people and limited half of them to just four hours of sleep per night. The researchers fed both groups the same healthful food. After just one week, the under-slept group's blood sugar levels were so high, they qualified as "pre-diabetic"! WTF? I've been taking care of diabetics and pre-diabetics for years. Why am I just learning this? This has been repeated in different studies with even less severe sleep disruptions. Type 2 diabetes will take an average of 10 years off of your life, but even just having slightly high blood sugar triggers high insulin, increased body fat, and a host of other bad stuff. Here's my article about insulin and blood sugar.
Lack of sleep makes us hungry as f**k. Pro-satiety hormones (leptin) and pro-hunger hormones (ghrelin and endocannabinoids) all go in the wrong direction after just two nights of poor sleep (6 hours or less). This is a double or even triple whammy for weight gain, because these hormones cause us to be persistently hungry but also not fully satisfied by eating. In one well controlled experiment done at a sleep study hotel, patients ate an average of 340 calories more per day when they were restricted to six hours sleep as compared to when they were allowed 8 hours sleep. Additionally, those sleep deprived subjects tended to choose more junk food (cookies, pretzels, chips, Chili Lime Cheetos, etc) and they reported excessive cravings for high carb foods. Basically, not sleeping enough gives us the munchies.
Poor sleep crushes dieting efforts and causes muscle loss. One study took a group of dieters and let half of the subjects sleep normally and sleep restricted the other half to just 5.5 hours per night. While both groups lost weight, the low sleep group lost mostly muscle while the group that got good sleep, lost mostly fat. Losing muscle while retaining fat lowers our metabolism and makes us less sexified, technically speaking. This is the opposite of bueno, I might even dare to say it's no bueno. If you haven't noticed, the theme of this article is that good sleep helps us lose weight.
How did one group or researchers turn a group of virile, strapping men in their 20's (think shirtless Abercrombie and Fitch models spraying each other with water from a hose) into a bunch of middle aged dad-bods with jean shorts on riding lawnmowers? They limited their sleep to only 5.5 hours. This sleep restriction aged these young men by 15 years in terms of their testosterone levels. Testosterone is important for weight because it promotes muscle building while simultaneously decreasing body fat and low testosterone in men is linked to truncal obesity. Sufficient, restorative sleep boosts testosterone and also growth hormone which is responsible for injury repair, muscle growth, resurfacing the lining of blood vessels, and essential for healthy cardiac function and blood pressure. Growth hormone is also the number one reason NFL players visit doctors in Mexico, so you know it must be good.
While there is some evidence that exercise improves sleep, more research is needed in this area. What has been repeatedly shown is that great sleep boosts your exercise performance and poor sleep greatly decreases your ability and likelihood of exercising. Shawn Stevenson's book, Sleep Smarter recommends morning exercise as a key for better sleep at night. Don't worry, I'll go into my recommendations for getting great sleep in my next post.
Many of us are trying so hard to get thin and healthy that we are waking up at 4 AM to go to the gym, spending tons of money on powders, pills, food scales, and Lululemon apparel and not getting the results we could get from simply staying in bed and getting a great night's sleep. This should come as great news because sleep is free and it feels amazing.
In conclusion, poor sleep makes us gain weight by screwing up our hormones, spiking blood sugar, lowering our metabolism, shrinking our muscles, holding onto body fat, increasing our cravings, and sabotaging our workouts. Clearly, getting sufficient quality sleep should be a priority of anyone who is trying to get healthy as f**k or maintain their healthy as f**k status. It's ridiculous that this is not more emphasized by the health community. It's clear from my research that not getting enough quality sleep is the perfect activity, if your goal is to become obese, diabetic, and sleepy. I will put out my best sleep improvement tips in the next few days. Thanks for reading.
*Addison's disease is a rare autoimmune disease that is characterized by low cortisol. Symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, low blood sugar, hyperpigmentation of the skin, and depression. JFK had this disease. I'm not kidding. I was kidding about the coitus part.
One of the primary resources for this article was the amazing book, Why We Sleep by Dr. Mathew Walker. I highly recommend it.


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When dealing with recessions or drastic declines in sales, companies are often tempted to increase profits by cancelling low-performing products from their portfolios. But sales numbers aren't everything, and this isn't always the best way forward. We have identified a counter-intuitive — yet potentially highly-beneficial — alternative: Leveraging high-priced products that don't sell much as a competitive advantage.
There are five key reasons why businesses should consider this strategy.
Reason 1: To increase the sales of other products in the lineup.
Offering a premium option, even if it is out-of-reach for most customers, could help to make the other items offered by the brand appear like a great deal. This shift in perceived value is especially likely to occur if those cheaper alternatives offer relatively little downgrade in terms of quality. For instance, Samsung's flagship phone, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, retails for an eye-popping $1,600 in its 512GB version. While Samsung knows that this feature-rich version appeals only to a handful of enthusiasts with deep pockets, it nevertheless serves to reinforce the sales of its more popular little brother, the Galaxy S20 phone, which comes off as a bargain in comparison: A very similar user experience for only $1,000.
Reason 2: To communicate expertise.
Offering more-expensive-than-usual options can also serve to communicate expertise or innovation. For instance, generic drug companies (e.g., manufacturers of Digoxin or Doxycycline) tend to carry some ambitiously-priced products in their portfolios. They offer these high-priced drugs to signal their ability to research and develop innovative and advanced treatments. This strategy effectively communicates that the brand can punch above its weight, even if these drugs do not sell much. Likewise, the Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin released what it deemed "the most complicated watch in the world," the one-off reference 57260 with 57 horological complications. This release allowed the brand to showcase its watchmaking skills, even if the majority of its product line is much more modest from a technical standpoint. Another example is the warehouse retailer Costco, which offers a few big-ticket jewelry items, such as a $600,000 diamond. Carrying these unique products gives Costco legitimacy as a diamond retailer for its more typical offerings, such as engagement rings, earrings, and pendants, which cost a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
Reason 3: To convey brand prestige.
Carrying high-priced items could also be used to generate or maintain premium brand associations in consumers' minds, which might otherwise be affected by the presence of other affordable products in the portfolio. As a case in point, Apple launched the unapologetically expensive $699 Mac Pro Wheels Kit, a set of four custom-designed stainless steel and rubber wheels that make it easy to move its computer around. The company released this unique accessory near the time it introduced one of its most affordable phones ever, the mainstream $399 iPhone SE2 model. This release helped cement the brand positioning among the premium tech segment, which was at risk of shifting toward a more accessible positioning as Apple continues to release budget-conscious product lines. Similarly, the top-selling American whiskey brand, Jack Daniel's, carries several low-volume premium labels, such as the $500 Sinatra Century, under the same Jack Daniel's brand umbrella. The brand continues to offer these more marginal product lines despite making the vast majority of its sales from the well-recognized Black Label and other affordable variations. Again, this strategy helps elevate the brand associations beyond the status traditionally associated with its top-selling products.
Reason 4: To get free publicity.
While brands can never accurately predict what news will become viral, one proven formula to generate some attention is to bring to market outrageously expensive products. This way, brands may benefit from the free publicity that comes with media coverage and social media buzz, even if the spotlighted product does not sell. For instance, the release of a $1.3 million gold and diamond-encrusted vodka bottle by the Russian car brand Russo-Baltique allowed the brand to gain overnight recognition around the world. Similarly, the release of $30 branded clay bricks by the streetwear fashion brand Supreme was able to generate a considerable amount of free publicity for the brand among the general population — from fashion experts, media, and customers, all trying to figure out why the product existed in the first place.
Reason 5: To gradually move the brand upmarket.
Today's consumers are eager to trade down on price, but getting them to trade up is challenging and complicated. Brands can open the door to a potential repositioning by carrying some high-priced items that will move the range of acceptable price points for the rest of the portfolio.
This way, moving the brand up the price ladder in the future may seem more justified and appropriate. For example, Nike regularly releases some limited series of sneakers, such as the Back to the Future II-inspired AIR MAG, whose current aftermarket price is around $26,000. Inspired by these limited editions calling for huge premiums, consumers are increasingly willing to splurge more money on Nike's regular athletic shoes and sneakers lines. The brand is taking notes, consistently raising its prices in recent years, occupying a more premium position in the marketplace.
If your company is experiencing a dip in revenue, it might be time to get creative with your sales strategy; rolling out a high-priced product could be the answer you're looking for.


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Born in Brooklyn and raised in South Jamaica, Queens, Edwin Freeman plays The Finisher Mister Cee – legendary DJ and confidant to Notorious B.I.G. – in the upcoming Notorious film. Freeman has starred in the independent film Da Mission, as well as made appearances in the films Inside Man and My Super Ex Girlfriend. As the world anticipates this long-awaited film, Edwin Freeman gives some insight on landing his role and the importance of Mister Cee in the life of Biggie.
AllHipHop.com Alternatives: How did you land the role of Mister Cee?
Edwin Freeman: I got a call from my agent who told me about the audition. When I arrived for the audition I came with the mind state that I was Mister Cee, I read for the casting director and went home. I got a phone call about a week later notifying me that I had been selected for the part. I met with my acting coach the following week and began to study Calvin Laburn the person. I wanted to show the world Calvin the human, instead of Mister Cee the Hip-Hop legend.
AHHA: How were you able to identify with the character of Mister Cee?
Edwin Freeman: When I was in Junior High School me and my friends used to save our money to buy records and throw house parties on the weekend. So I knew a bit about DJing prior to taking on the role of Mister Cee. Being the big fan of Hip-Hop that I am, I grew up listening to Big Daddy Kane and I also listen to [Mister Cee] on the radio.
AHHA: Were you able to work with Mister Cee in order to help portray him accurately in the film?
Edwin Freeman: Prior to filming I didnt have the honor of meeting Mister Cee, but what I did was watch videos of him when he used to DJ for Big Daddy Kane back in the days so that I could learn his mannerisms, how he walked, how he held his head, his posture and I also listened to him everyday on Hot 97 to learn his tone of voice. Being that I didnt meet him before we started shooting, I had to use those other resources.
Biggie Mister Cee Freestyle
AHHA: Did taking on the role help you learn more about the inner workings of the music industry?
Edwin Freeman: Taking on the role gave me a behind the scenes view of what it takes for an artist to go from unsigned to being signed to a major label and the work thats involved in making that transition. Most fans just get the glitz and glamour side of the story. Rarely do we get to see the grit and grind and what it takes to make it to the top. With Notorious, fans will finally get to see the journey.
AHHA: Was it at any point intimidating portraying a person who is still alive and active?
Edwin Freeman: One of the biggest challenges of portraying a person who is still alive and active is making sure you capture the very essence of their existence. You have to make sure your portrayal is authentic. Thats where your work as an actor comes in. You dont want to miss your mark.
AHHA: What do you think it was that Mister Cee saw in Biggie that was special, and unique?
Edwin Freeman: At the time that Mister Cee discovered Biggie he was the DJ for the hottest rapper out [Big Daddy Kane]. So when he heard him rapping, he was blown away. It was like the second coming of Big Daddy Kane; thats what caught Mister Cees attention. Even as a local neighborhood rapper, Biggie had great potential.
AHHA: In what ways do you feel Mister Cee helped mold Biggie into the rap icon that he eventually became?
Edwin Freeman: Mister Cee introduced Biggie to the business side of the game. Although all of Biggies friends knew that he was talented, Mister Cee was the first one who really got him to see that if he was willing to put in the necessary work, he could make a living rapping. Their relationship wasnt just a manager-artist situation; it was an older brother, younger brother situation as well. Mister Cee took Biggie under his wing. He had his best interest at heart.
AHHA: What is your most memorable experience from working on the film?
Edwin Freeman: My most memorable experience was arriving on set each day and transforming into Mister Cee and seeing the other actors, Derek Luke, Jamal Woolard, Marc John Jefferies, Dennis L.A. White and Kevin Phillips get into character as well. We each really embodied the characters that we were portraying. That was a very fun and memorable experience.
AHHA: If Biggie was alive today what advice do you think he would give to his fans?
Edwin Freeman: If Biggie was alive today, I think that he would tell his fans to stay positive, work hard and to maximize the time that they spend on earth. Biggie was a big dreamer and a hard worker. He came from one of the worst neighborhoods in New York City, and he still worked hard to make something of himself. Unfortunately, he was killed at the tender age of 24, because I believe that if he had lived longer he would have contributed so much more to the world; although his legacy is tremendous.
AHHA: What can we expect from you in the future?
Edwin Freeman: Some more films, television shows, writing and eventually producing my own projects. This is just the beginning; Im just getting warmed up!
Biggie Mister Cee Freestyle


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Simphiwe Dana Shares New Single 'Usikhonzile' from Upcoming Album 'Bamako'
Listen to Simphiwe Dana's new single 'Usikhonzile.'
Simphiwe Dana recently released the first single from her upcoming studio album. The song, which is titled "Usikhonzile" is a dedication to an undisclosed character who the South African jazz/soul musician sings praises to as he/she/they is a friend of many people in this country." She told News Central in a recent interview. "It's basically meant to give him his 'flowers' while he is still alive. It's about praising him for the work he has done for many people," she told the website.
The artist's ethereal voice finds a home over electric guitars; it's reminiscent of her 2015 album, the experimental Firebrand.
"Usikhonzile" is the first single from Dana's album which will be titled Bamako. "I have a strong affinity for West African music, particularly Mali and Senegal," Dana told News Central. "Last year, I took the opportunity to produce some of the songs on the album while in the Malian city of Bamako, where I stayed for almost a month. It was my first time in Mali and I experienced the country's culture through Bamako and this is how I came up with the title, Bamako."
Bamako, which arrives on in March, will be Dana's fifth studio album which joins monumental releases such as Zandisile (2004), Kulture Noir (2010), One Love on Bantu Biko Street (2006) and the aforementioned Firebrand (2014). Bamako comes with two fitting appearances from Malian legend Salif Keita who appears on the songs "Masibambaneni" and "Ndizamile."
Stream "Usikhonzile" below and pre-order/pre-save/pre-add Bamako on your streaming platform of choice.
From Your Site Articles


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What Do I Read Next?
Last Updated on July 29, 2019, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 147
Tennessee Williams wrote A Streetcar Named Desire in 1947. It features another frustrated family, though here the interactions become violent.
Eugene O'Neill is also considered a major American playwright. He published Long Day's Journey into Night in 1956. It also features a family within which tensions are obvious, in part because of the alcohol abuse present in the characters.
A Raisin in the Sun, written by Lorraine Hansberry and first produced in 1959 presents the situation of a black family, each of whose members attempts to exercise choice for the good of the family and themselves individually.
The Bluest Eye, published by Toni Morrison in 1970, concerns a young African-American girl who loses touch with reality because of her life circumstances.
Elizabeth Bishop's poem, "In the Waiting Room," (1976) tells the story of a young girl at the moment when she realizes she is both an individual and part of a community.


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The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA, was passed in 1965 as the education component of President Johnson's "War on Poverty." It was designed to address the achievement gap between children from low-income families and their higher-income peers and was the most expansive federal education bill ever passed. The bill created a special source of funding, Title I, to deliver targeted categorical—as opposed to general-federal aid to programs specifically designed to help disadvantaged children. ESEA advanced the principle that students in need, regardless of whether they attend a public or private school, are entitled to an equitable share of services and benefits.
The ESEA preceded the official establishment of the Department of Education under President Carter in 1980 and has expanded dramatically through regular reauthorizations in the 50 years since its creation. President Bush initiated a bi-partisan effort in 2000 to update the ESEA, creating the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, or NCLB. The NCLB expired and was due for reauthorization in 2007 but Congress has been unable to agree on terms and has chosen to default to annual funding but not reauthorization.
Currently, the stalemate remains in place. In February, a House committee passed the HR5, the "Student Success Act," which would amend NCLB. The bill would spend $23 billion annually, roughly what is currently spent under NCLB. Due to internal debates among Republicans over the interpretation of certain provisions of the bill and a veto threat from President Obama, the bill failed to reach the floor for debate. The Senate continues a bi-partisan effort to address differences and create a proposal that may improve the chances reauthorization may eventually be successful.
The USCCB supports the efforts of legislators to address the concerns of Catholic educators in the reauthorization of ESEA/NCLB. In addition to adequate religious liberty protections, a top concern is insuring nonpublic school students receive the equitable share of program services and benefits to which they are entitled and Congress has traditionally intended. Over the years the principle has been eroded by some public school districts that choose to retain funds generated by private school students without meaningful consultation with those private schools. The USCCB believes HR5 addresses those concerns but passage of a final reauthorization is required to insure they are resolved.
The U.S. House passed on July 8, 2015, a reauthorization of ESEA. HR 5, the "Student Success Act," contains provisions which support nonpublic school students getting their fair share of federal education dollars. The Student Success Act, HR 5. It passed the House yesterday 218-213. At press time the Senate is working on its own version of the bill.


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Pam was admitted to practice in 1998 after completing her law degree and Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from the University of Adelaide. Pam also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours from Flinders University which she completed in 1991.
Pam has practiced primarily in the area of Family Law throughout her legal career with various boutique and large law firms. She specialises in divorce proceedings, property settlements, children's issues, spousal maintenance, child support and de facto matters.
Pam's approach is to try and resolve family law disputes quickly and cost effectively, giving sensible and realistic advice.


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ChapterTracker is the result of a lot of experience in networking groups and really captures important information in a reasonably easy manner. Other methods require a lot more effort and don't provide the reports and insights. Good job! This tool will help members be much more effective with their relationship marketing.
Privacy Policy: Referral Marketing Association Web Site
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Focus: 'Community choice' could provide cheaper, greener electricity for San Diego, report says
A government-run alternative to San Diego Gas & Electric could deliver more green energy while costing residents and businesses less money over time, according to a report released Wednesday by the city of San Diego.
The document sparked the latest round of jockeying by environmentalists, fiscal hawks, backers of investor-owned utilities and others, with each group espousing what it sees as the benefits, detriments or unknown factors of community choice aggregation — commonly called CCA.
Such programs have become increasingly popular across California, with a growing number of cities and counties considering them as a way to more rapidly boost use of renewable energy.
The California Public Utilities Commission recently predicted a transformation in the state's electricity landscape: It said investor-owned utilities, which today buy and sell power for about 76 percent of the market, could see their control over such decisions plunge to less than 15 percent by 2025, largely because of competition from CCAs and the installation of rooftop solar panels.
The study released Wednesday looked at the feasibility of launching a CCA program in San Diego, which might eventually be adopted to satisfy the city's pledge to tap only solar, wind and other green energy sources by 2035.
"We're moving full speed ahead to reach our ultimate goal of using one hundred percent renewable energy citywide, and this draft study shows we have the ability to get there," Mayor Kevin Faulconer said on Wednesday after the report's release.
Under community choice, a utility still operates the poles and wires needed to deliver energy, but elected officials control the buying and selling of power for their jurisdiction. If a city or county votes to form or join such a program, ratepayers can opt out if they prefer to stick with the plans and rates offered by their traditional utility.
Specifically, the new report found that a community choice program has the potential to deliver cheaper rates than SDG&E's while providing 50 percent renewable energy by 2023 and 80 percent green power by 2027. SDG&E currently offers about 43 percent renewable energy to its customers, and under state law must get to 50 percent by 2030.
Advocates of community choice hailed the report, which was compiled by the fiscal, engineering and energy consulting company Willdan Financial Services in Temecula.
"It confirms what we already knew — that San Diego families only stand to gain from the adoption of community choice," said Nicole Capretz, executive director of the San Diego-based nonprofit group Climate Action Campaign. "The question is no longer whether we move forward with community choice, the question is what are we waiting for."
The SDG&E shareholder group that lobbies on CCA issues, Sempra Service Corporation, released a statement criticizing the report as flawed.
"San Diegans deserve an open and honest conversation about the best way to reduce emissions in our region. The city's study is incomplete because it is not possible to determine what a government-controlled energy model will cost customers. Until the true costs and benefits of such a program are transparent and shared with the public, we believe it is premature to move forward."
The lobbying group said issues that could impact rates for both community choice and traditional utilities are still being debated by the state Public Utilities Commission. Specifically, the commission is reviewing whether to adjust an "exit fee" charged to CCAs to ensure that utilities are compensated for the long-term energy contracts they signed on behalf of ratepayers who subsequently became community-choice customers.
In the fight against climate change, San Diego approved a Climate Action Plan in December 2015 that calls for slashing its greenhouse-gas emissions in half by 2035 from the level in 2010. Electricity accounts for about 24 percent of the city's carbon footprint, behind transportation at 55 percent.
The city has already met an interim benchmark of cutting such emissions by 15 percent by 2020 as a result of state and federal mandates to improve fuel efficiency and for utilities to purchase green power. But there's debate about how San Diego can best get to its 2035 goal, which is legally binding.
The city is accepting alternative proposals for meeting its green-energy benchmarks.
SDG&E officials said the utility plans to submit its own competing blueprint, which the City Council would likely weigh against community choice and any other energy options. This process would include voting sometime early next year on a path forward.
"Over the coming months we will also look at other approaches, put all the alternatives on the table and have a public discussion about the best way to ensure reasonable rates for San Diegans and a sustainable future for our city," Faulconer said.
Arguably the biggest opponent of CCA proposals in San Diego County is SDG&E.
This year, it became the first investor-owned utility in the state allowed to form a shareholder-funded lobbying group to weigh in on community choice. Investigators at the utilities commission said they are looking into whether the SDG&E lobbying arm began meeting with elected officials before it was cleared to do so. Sempra officials have denied any wrongdoing.
The creation of a lobbying division followed the Legislature's decision in 2011 to bar investor-owned utilities from using ratepayer dollars to speak out on CCAs. The lawmakers took action after a bitter fight between Marin County and Pacific Gas & Electric over establishment of the state's first CCA program.
In the San Diego region, elected officials have expressed mixed views about community choice programs.
In February, the county Board of Supervisors declined to study the feasibility of CCA for the unincorporated communities it governs.
Meanwhile, Solana Beach has taken official steps toward adopting community choice, and three other North County cities — Encinitas, Del Mar and Carlsbad — are jointly looking at a similar idea.
By the end of the year, community choice programs from Humboldt to Lancaster are expected to serve nearly 1 million people, according to state energy regulators. In addition, cities and counties representing more than 15 million of the state's nearly 40 million residents are in various stages of considering community choice.
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The second largest museum in Tennessee is the Customs House Museum & Cultural Center. The attraction features over 35,000 square feet of exhibit space, special events, and hands-on activities and crafts.
Have you visited Customs House Museum & Cultural Center? Be the first to tell others about it!
Please describe the place or activity, explain what you liked best or least, or give any special tips. Sharing your thoughts really helps other visitors. Thank you!