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Posts Tagged 'enabling technologies'
Crowdsourcing Science: Citizens Measuring water levels
Posted in Models, Research by Jessica Bird on July 16th, 2013
Source: FastCoExist
Image from the CrowdHydrology project.
From the article "An Army Of Citizen Scientists Is Tracking Our Water Levels" by Zak Stone.
In an age of mechanized, digitized labor there are still some jobs where humans get it done better or more cheaply than just about any machinery–particularly when that human labor is crowdsourced by volunteers. University of Buffalo Geologist Chris Lowry figured that out when trying to collet basic information on the water level of streams across a large watershed in western New York, an endeavor that would eat up cash using machinery or time using labor from the lab. After reading an article about a researcher who used crowdsourcing to get the public to help monitor roadkill, "I was like 'If these people can get people to help out with their research, why can't I get people to help out with water level measurements?'" explains Lowry. He started simple, printing out a half sheet of paper that said "'Please text me the water level,' and it had a phone number. "And then I bought a giant ruler, I brought this into the stream, I put this sign on top, and then I just waited for someone to send me a text message," he explains. "And sure enough, a couple people sent me text messages."
That basic idea turned into the pilot project CrowdHydrology at nine New York freshwater sites, starting in 2011. Now, with support from the U.S. Geological Survey, the project will expand to more than 50 new sites across New York, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa. The data can help fill in gaps in data collection as budget cutbacks mean the USGS is discontinuing monitoring of certain streams.
When citizens are contributing data, quality is always a concern, but Lowry says control tests–where a pressure transducer measures water levels in the same sites where people are measuring by hand–show that "people who send us text messages do a really really good job." The level of error turned out to be to be as small as one tick mark on a ruler.
Lowry has found that engaging local communities is the key to getting a high volume of texts from any given site–more so than just foot traffic. And locations where passersby are more likely to take an interest in science–like a nature center–have worked best. "I really think that as scientists we may just be on the cusp of crowdsourcing scientific data. I think there's going to be a big boom in the future for using these kinds of methods," Lowry says. […] "On one side we're using [the project] for cutting edge research. On the other, we're using it as this outreach tool to foster the next generation of scientist."
>>> Read the full article on FastCoExist.
>>> Learn more about the CrowdHydrology project on their website.
(Em)Powering Communities: SolarKiosk
Posted in Models, Movements by Jessica Bird on February 15th, 2013
Source: TransitionsFF
Photo from SolarKiosk.
From 'SolarKiosk: mobile modular power for really remote areas" on Good.is
For those who've grown up constantly plugged into the power grid, it's almost impossible to think of life without an endless supply of outlets, power cords, and technology. But for an estimated 1.5 billion people around the world, power—from cutting and burning firewood to lighting kerosene lamps, paraffin, and candles—doesn't come easy. According to the United Nations Foundation, almost 3 billion people rely on traditional biomass for cooking and heating, about 1.5 billion have no access to electricity, and 1 billion more have access only to unreliable electricity networks. Smoke from polluting and inefficient cooking, lighting, and heating devices kills nearly two million people a year and causes a range of chronic illnesses and other health impacts.
In an effort to tackle health and development-related obstacles in developing countries, a company based in Germany and Ethiopia is bringing clean energy to "off-grid areas" around the world. Housed in a metal hut topped with a solar panel-filled roof, the designers have named their creation a "SolarKiosk," a small-scale power source for communities without electricity. Each SolarKiosk is expected to provide enough power for villagers to charge their mobile phones and car batteries, run a computer, or power up a solar fridge. Goods sold from the Kiosk include solar lanterns, mobile phones, and cards to top-up cellular devices. Considering that the Kiosk's fridge may be the community's only one, it could be used to house everything from medication to chilled drinks. The kiosk could also provide television, music, and internet depending on the locale. The creators project that a larger-size SolarKiosk could even produce enough energy to run a telecom tower reliably, while also providing security and maintenance. It will even be possible to connect multiple kiosks to create a local grid.
The world's first SolarKiosk set up shop on July 15 [2012] near Lake Langana in Ethiopia. Designed by Graft Architects, the project not only provides clean energy solutions to "off-grid" countries, but once installed, becomes a power-generating shop and business hub, providing jobs to community members and education on how solar products work. It also becomes a glowing, solar-powered light source at night. Each kiosk comes in a lightweight, DIY kit, making it is easy to transport and build a kiosk in off-road, rural areas—the package could even be carried to its target location on the back of a donkey. With the exception of pre-manufactured electrical components, the kiosk's parts can be constructed from a range of local materials including bamboo, wood, adobe, stone, metal, or even recycled goods. Post-assembly, the entire structure is firmly anchored in the ground. […]
NB. The second SolarKiosk was installed in Teppi, Ethiopia, in November last year. – [JB]
>>> You can read the full article on Good.is.
>>> You can learn more about SolarKiosk on their website.
Cow Power: Reducing waste, boosting electricity supply
Posted in Models by Jessica Bird on January 23rd, 2013
Article source: The Morning Sentinel.
Image by Ian Barbour via Creative Commons
From "Cow power' turns manure, food waste into mighty electricity source' by Ben McCanna
"Every day in rural Penobscot County, a large dairy farm harnesses clean-burning gas from cow manure and food waste, and it generates enough electricity to power 800 homes continuously. The process, commonly known as cow power, has the potential to earn the facility $800,000 a year. It also creates byproducts — animal bedding and a less-odorous fertilizer — that save the farm about $100,000 a year. Cow power is more consistent than solar and wind energy, and it eliminates greenhouses gases that otherwise would enter the atmosphere. The $5.5 million project could pay for itself in five years."
>>> You can learn more about cow power here or here.
Seawater Agriculture: High-tech and Low-tech paths
Posted in Movements, Research by Kate Archdeacon on December 3rd, 2012
Source: guardian.co.uk
Image from Seawater Greenhouse
In the Guardian this week, there's an article by Jonathan Margolis about the commercialisation of a technology that uses seawater as the main element of agriculturally productive greenhouses. Much of the article focuses on the way the technology, developed by British theatre lighting engineer Charlie Paton, has been scaled up and combined with extra technology to provide consistent, commercial-quality crops from the Sundrop Farms greenhouse in the desert outside Port Augusta, in South Australia. On it's own, that's pretty exciting and well worth a read.
A 75m line of motorised parabolic mirrors that follow the sun all day focuses its heat on a pipe containing a sealed-in supply of oil. The hot oil in turn heats nearby tanks of seawater pumped up from a few metres below ground – the shore is only 100m away. The oil brings the seawater up to 160C and steam from this drives turbines providing electricity. Some of the hot water from the process heats the greenhouse through the cold desert nights, while the rest is fed into a desalination plant that produces the 10,000 litres of fresh water a day needed to keep the plants happy. The water the grower gets is pure and ready for the perfect mix of nutrients to be added. The air in the greenhouse is kept humid and cool by trickling water over a wall of honeycombed cardboard evaporative pads through which air is driven by wind and fans. The system is hi-tech all the way; the greenhouse is in a remote spot, but the grower, a hyper-enthusiastic 27-year-old Canadian, Dave Pratt, can rather delightfully control all the growing conditions for his tonnes of crops from an iPhone app if he's out on the town – or even home in Ontario.
The remainder of the article touches on the divergence of philosophy between Paton's Seawater Greenhouse, and SunDrop.
The Seawater Greenhouse method, which they are still promoting actively, involves no desalination plant, no gleaming solar mirrors and little by way of anything electronic. Everything in the Seawater Greenhouse vision is low-tech, cheap to start up and reliant on the subtle, gentle interaction of evaporation and condensation of seawater with wind, both natural and artificial, blown by fans powered by solar panels. If things go wrong and production is disrupted by a glitch in this model, you just persuade people to eat perfectly good but odd-looking produce – or harvest less and stand firm by your sustainable principles.
For those of us interested in the gap between local, low-tech production designed to shift society away from BAU, and the changes that occur when those systems scale up to cater to the existing market, this article may also provide a few points of contention.
Read the full article by Jonathan Margolis for the Guardian.
Sustainable Product Creation: Design, Engineering and Behaviour
Posted in Movements, Research by Kate Archdeacon on July 11th, 2012
Source: Core 77
© Buckminster Fuller Institute via flickr
From "The Key to Sustainable Product Creation: The Marriage of Engineering and Design" by Dawn Danby:
These days I spend a lot of time with students and brand-new grads. They're fired up to make an impact, and are impatient with solutions that don't directly take on big issues like e-waste and energy scarcity. Many of them know what greenwashing is, even if they don't know what it's called. Young designers have been vaguely led to believe that designers hold the power. But when they set out to create green product solutions, they often fail—it's just not work that can be done alone.
Many of the best sustainable design student projects I see come from interdisciplinary teams. A colleague and I recently coached a team of students who were designing a new refrigerator. Half of the team was made up of UC Berkeley engineers, the other half product designers from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. The engineers investigated technologies like thermal battery innovations, essential for creating a high-efficiency appliance. But they were developing a mass-market product, not simply a new technology. The designers focused on user behavior, cultural context, aesthetics and ease of use. To succeed in the Mexican market, any environmentally friendly technologies had to be affordable for everyone. The biggest waste in fridges, though, isn't necessarily solved by new technologies: it's in addressing the huge amount of cold air that pours out when the door is held open. The team's final design incorporated an insulated window and quick access tray that allows users to ponder, and then to pull out the food they use most, without opening the full door. All of this keeps the fridge closed longer, which saves energy by preventing the cold air from escaping.
Technical solutions can be dreamed up by scientists and clean tech engineers, but the viable projects incorporate beauty, form and human factors. Consider the BioLite stove, which addresses the in-home air pollution problem faced by half the world's population. In aggregate, this is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Their HomeStove reduces fuel consumption by half, cuts smoke emissions by more than 90 percent, and improves the health of the whole community by nearly eliminating black carbon soot.
Design researcher Dan Lockton has made an exhaustive study of how to understand and adjust behavior, with an emphasis on social and environmental benefit. Lockton's free, downloadable Design with Intent Toolkit is full of provocations for rethinking a product's interface, such as "How simply can you structure things, to make it easier for users to do what you'd like them to do?" This is where design can excel: make it easy to switch a computer into a low-power state; make it obvious how much water is being used to fill a bath; or eliminate the option of having a TV remain in standby, "vampire power" mode.
You can design for more complex behavior, too; designing for product lifetime can help slow waste streams and allow recyclers to recover valuable materials. By providing product teardowns and guides on how to fix most common electronics and mobile devices, iFixit's entire mission is encouraging repairability and long life for electronics, all of which is determined by the way that they're designed.
I signed up to study industrial design in 1997, in a fit of inspired frustration. I'd freaked myself out on tours of landfills and road trips through forest clear-cuts. Squinting into the future, the design community seemed like it secretly held the reins. I believed that ecological design could change the world—all we seemed to need was the will, and some better data. As a student, I worked on projects that hooked into ecology in obvious ways: salt marsh conservation, degradable food packaging. Looking around at the time, there wasn't much to see. Bamboo furniture, and a meltscape of recycled plastics: sustainability seen only through the lens of picking greener materials. "You'll never find work if you're interested in the environment," said one well-intentioned teacher. And that's the main difference between then and now. Engineers develop the technology for green products, and design makes them sing. For this generation of designers and engineers, this is the work worth doing.
Read the full article by Dawn Danby on Core 77.
Sharing Stuff: A review of challenges and unexpected results
Posted in Movements by Kate Archdeacon on July 9th, 2012
Photo by mtsofan via flickr CC
From "Collaborative Chats Recap: Stuff-Sharing: Where's the Traction?" by Millicent Johnson on Shareable:
This month's Collaborative Chats explored the world of peer to peer goods sharing services. While everyone loves the concept of sharing underutilized household items, these platforms have had a challenging time gaining traction. Throughout the evening we explored the challenges, lessons, and future of goods sharing. Joining the conversation were:
- Tim Hyer, Founder and CEO, Getable
- Micki Krimmel, Founder and CEO, NeighborGoods
- Kip Harkness, Assistant City Manager, City of San Jose
- Chris Smith, Co-Founder and CEO, NorCal Rental Group
Below are some reflections from the evening. Check back for the video next week!
What are the Biggest Challenges Facing Peer to Peer Goods Sharing Companies?
The conversation started by discussing the challenges of running a peer to peer goods sharing service. Micki said that when a lot of these services started a few years ago, people assumed that financial transactions were the only type of transaction that would draw people to share. Turns out people don't share household items for financial gain alone- it's simply not the same return on investment as sharing your car or home. It's a lot of work to post an item and take a picture, just to let someone use your power drill. She's learned that the value for people who share their stuff is actually the social transaction and return. She reminded us that there are lots of ways that we transact with each other every day, like taking someone out to lunch in exchange for advice, that don't involve a clear financial exchange but we still perceive them as valuable. She thinks that the challenge for the industry now is to figure out how to get people to pay for the value they receive through the social transaction of sharing.
Tim from Getable felt like the initial challenge for the industry is inventory of goods. When people are able to access a good they need immediately and seamlessly they're more likely to rent or share in the future. That's why Getable partnered with traditional sharing businesses like rental companies, to ensure a reliable transaction with guaranteed inventory of what people actually need to share. Micki challenged this assertion by pointing out that on NeighborGoods they have the opposite challenge – lots of inventory and people willing to share and not enough people wanting or looking to borrow, which was fascinating.
Check out the full post by Millicent Johnson on Shareable to read the responses to the other discussion points, below:
- Is There a Cultural Barrier to Renting Goods?
- New Ways of Thinking of Transactions
- New Forms of "Neighborhood"
- How Sharing can Help Governments
- The Future of Goods Sharing
Farmhack: Open-source agricultural technology
Posted in Models by Jessica Bird on July 4th, 2012
Source: Shareable
From "FarmHack: Collaboratively Retooling Agriculture" by Benjamin Brownell:
FarmHack is a network for sharing open source know-how amongst the distributed fringe of DIY agricultural tech aficionados and innovators. In the same vein as Appropedia or Open Source Ecology, a collaborative digital knowledge-base facilitates the harvest of crowd wisdom to address challenges and inefficiencies in modern ecological (and economical) farm operation. It is a project of Young Farmers Coalition and somewhat angled to the exuberant and tech-savvy eco-preneurial demographic, but inclusive and supportive of all open earthy inhabitants.
A primary focus of the organization is toward intensive development meet-ups, teach-ins, and hackathons, in person, on the farm. Just after landing at my new rural summer farm home and hack-factory in Vermont, I learned of one such get-together nearby on Lake Champlain. It appealed as a chance to meet peers, learn about the local Intervale organic agricultural enterprise collective, and practice some "agile" collaborative protocols in fresh context.
We were first treated to a tour of the Intervale Center, and the predominantly "hacked" implements and equipment of its Farmers' Cooperative, such as automated greenhouses, root vegetable washer (designed in conjunction with University of Vermont engineering students), salad greens dryer (Amana brand washing machine uncased and set to spin), four-barrelled flame-throwing weed exterminator, and electric tractor-to-be. Use of these is on a per-hour honor system basis, with a proportional pooled fund (plus lots of good-natured volunteer effort) to cover maintenance, repairs, and new purchase. It's effective, productive, and proliferating (link is an "idea worth sharing" pdf pamphlet on farm equipment co-ops from University of Sasketchewan Center for the Study of Cooperatives).
Rural areas–so many in stark economic decline today–are in fact a wealth of raw materials, practical skill, and entrained devotion towards creative repurposing and sustainable initiative. Some of the best comfort and satisfaction about life on and with a piece of land, is that there is always plenty to "do;" to explore, to evaluate and improve upon, to hack away at in a mechanical or strategic manner–with room for creativity and eclectic flair–leading directly to concrete (frequently delicious and/or nutritious) result.
Commercial crop production and domestic animal management is intensely context-sensitive and dynamic vocation. It's frequently demeaning and discouraging. It's relatively crap pay. And, it is occasionally a paramount satisfaction returned for gritty labors in the public interest that are literally life-giving. Sustainable food systems are the long-range engine and "money supply" of our civil society. Open sourcing the know-how and effective story lines of successful ventures within this realm will invite citizens back into the processes and rewards of collaborative solving for abundance, ecology, community, and culture.
Read the full article by Benjamin Brownell on Shareable.
EV Charging Station Software
Posted in Models by Kate Archdeacon on June 7th, 2012
Source: Autopia
From "Software Helps EV Station Owners Become Entrepreneurs" by Keith Barry:
While [EV] drivers already have a myriad of services they can use to search for public plugs and see what prices they've put on electricity, WattStation Connect makes it easy for owners of charging stations to set hours and rates using a computer or smartphone. It's an easy way for EV owners to make some cash off their home charging setup, or for businesses to install public charging stations in their parking lots.
Apps like PlugShare and Recargo already let anyone with a free electrical outlet publicize their charging station, and software like WattStation Connect can turn it into a business. Like a convenience store owner who puts an ATM next to the coffee maker and collects the transaction fees, a charging station may soon become yet another source of revenue for anyone with a parking space and an electrical connection.
Using the WattStation Connect software, owners can decide whether the station is public or private, then choose when it's open and how much a charge should cost. Owners can charge for electricity by the hour, by the kilowatt hour or require a flat rate upfront. It's also possible to set up dynamic pricing by time, or allow separate users to pay different rates. For instance, a business owner could let his or her own employees charge for free but ask the general public to chip in for electricity.
Read the full article by Keith Barry.
It doesn't look like this app has actually been released yet, but the WattStation site, linked above, says that updates and announcements of the release will be posted there. KA
Food Freight Deliveries by Barge in Paris
Posted in Models by Kate Archdeacon on April 26th, 2012
Source: ifw
Image © Alfred Cromback
From "Supermarket delivers by river" by Stuart Todd:
French supermarket Franprix, part of the Casino group, will later this year use river transport to deliver food products on a daily basis to 80 of its stores in the centre of Paris. The development is believed to be an industry first.
Containers will be transported by truck from a warehouse in the suburbs of Paris to the inland port of Bonneuil-sur-Marne for transfer to a barge for the 20 km journey along the Marne and Seine rivers to the heart of the French capital – thus avoiding chronic road trafiic congestion into Paris. Currently, services carrying food products by river to Paris have had to terminate at ports in the suburbs due to the lack of a city centre river terminal capable of handling containers.
The Franprix service has been made possible by re-development work carried out by inland ports operator, the Ports de Paris, on a stretch of quayside located in Paris' 7th arrondissement, near the Eiffel Tower, to accomodate the barge shuttles.
The service is scheduled for launch in September and in the start-up phase will transport 28 containers(the equivalent of 450 pallets) daily rising to 48 containers over time. Deliveries to Franprix stores will be undertaken by Norbert Dentressangle. "Each container transported by river represents 10,000 fewer truck kilometres annually," the retailer said. The stores served by the barge shuttle will display the logo "Supplied by the Seine," the retailer added.
In September last year, French inland waterway specialist Compagnie Fluviale de Transport (CFT) unveiled a new barge service on the Seine for the delivery of new vehicles to dealerships and car rental firms in central Paris.
In 2007, another French supermarket chain, Monoprix,began supplying its Paris city centre outlets by a Fret SNCF-operated 20-wagon shuttle, running every working day on the D Line of SNCF's Paris suburban network.
Read the original article by Stuart Todd.
Chinese Wheelbarrows: Low-carbon, low-infrastructure vehicles
Posted in Models, Research by Kate Archdeacon on February 16th, 2012
Source: Low-Tech Magazine
Image from Kris de Decker
From "How to downsize a transport network: the Chinese wheelbarrow" by Kris de Decker:
For being such a seemingly ordinary vehicle, the wheelbarrow has a surprisingly exciting history. This is especially true in the East, where it became a universal means of transportation for both passengers and goods, even over long distances.
The Chinese wheelbarrow – which was driven by human labour, beasts of burden and wind power – was of a different design than its European counterpart. By placing a large wheel in the middle of the vehicle instead of a smaller wheel in front, one could easily carry three to six times as much weight than if using a European wheelbarrow.
The one-wheeled vehicle appeared around the time the extensive Ancient Chinese road infrastructure began to disintegrate. Instead of holding on to carts, wagons and wide paved roads, the Chinese turned their focus to a much more easily maintainable network of narrow paths designed for wheelbarrows. The Europeans, faced with similar problems at the time, did not adapt and subsequently lost the option of smooth land transportation for almost one thousand years.
Transport options over land
Before the arrival of the steam engine, people have always preferred to move cargo over water instead of over land, because it takes much less effort to do so. But whenever this was not possible, there remained essentially three options for transporting goods: carrying them (using aids like a yoke, or none at all), tying them to pack animals (donkeys, mules, horses, camels, goats), or loading them onto a wheeled cart or wagon (which could be pulled by humans or animals).
Carrying stuff was the easiest way to go; there was no need to build roads or vehicles, nor to feed animals. But humans can carry no more than 25 to 40 kg over long distances, which made this a labour-intensive method if many goods had to be transported. Pack animals can take about 50 to 150 kg, but they have to be fed, are slightly more demanding than people in terms of terrain, and they can be stubborn. Pack animals also require one or more people to guide them.
When carrying goods – whether by person or by pack animals – the load is not only moved in the desired direction but it also undergoes an up and down movement with every step. This is a significant waste of energy, especially when transporting heavy goods over long distances. Dragging stuff does not have this drawback, but in that case you have friction to fight. Pulling a wheeled vehicle is therefore the most energy-efficient choice, because the cargo only undergoes a horizontal motion and friction is largely overcome by the wheels. Wheeled carts and wagons, whether powered by animals or people, can take more weight for the same energy input, but this advantage comes at a price; you need to build fairly smooth and level roads, and you need to build a vehicle. If the vehicle is drawn by an animal, the animal needs to be fed.
When all these factors are taken into consideration, the wheelbarrow could be considered the most efficient transport option over land, prior to the Industrial Revolution. It could take a load similar to that of a pack animal, yet it was powered by human labour and not prone to disobedience.
Compared to a two-wheeled cart or a four-wheeled wagon, a wheelbarrow was much cheaper to build because wheel construction was a labour-intensive job. Although the wheelbarrow required a road, a very narrow path (about as wide as the wheel) sufficed, and it could be bumpy. The two handles gave an intimacy of control that made the wheelbarrow very manoeuvrable.
When the wheelbarrow finally caught on in Europe, it was used for short distance cargo transport only, notably in construction, mining and agriculture. It was not a road vehicle. In the East, however, the wheelbarrow was also applied to medium and long distance travel, carrying both cargo and passengers. This use – which had no Western counterpart – was only possible because of a difference in the design of the Chinese vehicle. The Western wheelbarrow was very ill-adapted to carry heavy weights over longer distances, whereas the Chinese design excelled at it.
On the European wheelbarrow the wheel was (and is) invariably placed at the furthest forward end of the barrow, so that the weight of the burden is equally distributed between the wheel and the man pushing it. In fact, the wheel substitutes for the front man of the handbarrow or stretcher, the carrying tool that was replaced by the wheelbarrow.
Superior Chinese design
In the characteristic Chinese design a much larger wheel was (and is) placed in the middle of the wheelbarrow, so that it takes the full weight of the burden with the human operator only guiding the vehicle. In fact, in this design the wheel substitutes for a pack animal. In other words, when the load is 100 kg, the operator of a European wheelbarrow carries a load of 50 kg while the operator of a Chinese wheelbarrow carries nothing. He (or she) only has to push or pull, and steer.
The decay of the Chinese road infrastructure
The importance of the Chinese wheelbarrow can only be understood in the context of the Chinese transportation network. Prior to the third century AD, China had an extensive and well-maintained road network suited for animal powered carts and wagons. It was only surpassed in length by the Ancient Roman road network. The Chinese road infrastructure attained a total length of about 25,000 miles (40,000 km), compared to almost 50,000 miles (80,000 km) for the Roman system.
The Chinese and Roman road systems were built (independently) over the course of five centuries during the same period in history. Curiously, due to (unrelated) political reasons, both systems also started to disintegrate side by side from the third century AD onwards, and herein lies the explanation for the success of the Chinese wheelbarrow. As we have seen, the one-wheeled vehicle appeared during this period, and this is no coincidence. Increasingly, it was the only vehicle that could be operated on the deteriorating road network.
Lessons for the future
Of course, it was not only the wheelbarrow that kept Chinese communication running after the second century AD. At least as important was the impressive network of artificial canals that complemented it. This infrastructure became ever more important after the detoriation of the road network. For example, the Grand Canal, which ran from Hangzhou to Bejing over a distance of 1800 km, was completed in 1327 after 700 years of digging.
In Europe, the first (relatively modest) canals were only built during the 16th century, and most of them only appeared in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Chinese wheelbarrow alone could not have given Europe an equally effective transport infrastructure as the Chinese, but there is no doubt that it could have made life in medieval Europe a great deal easier.
The story of the Chinese wheelbarrow also teaches us an obvious lesson for the future. While many of us today are not even prepared to change their limousine for a small car, let alone their automobile for a bicycle, we forget that neither one of these vehicles can function without suited roads. Building and maintaining roads is very hard work, and history shows that it is far from evident to keep up with it.
In this regard, it is important to keep in mind that we won't be as lucky as the medieval Europeans who inherited one of the best and most durable road networks in the world. Our road infrastructure – mostly based on asphalt – is more similar to that of the Ancient Chinese and will disintegrate at a much faster rate if we lose our ability to maintain it. The Chinese wheelbarrow – and with it many other forgotten low-tech transportation options – might one day come in very handy again.
Read the full article (there's a lot more, with pictures too) by Kris de Decker on Low-Tech Magazine.


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What is a Lever Tumbler Lock?
The opening and locking mechanism of a Lever Tumbler Lock uses different levers to stop its bolt from engaging or disengaging. The predominant use of levers in the locking mechanism is what birthed this variety of door lock's name.
On the inside of a typical type of lever tumbler lock, the tumbler(s) only need to be raised to a certain height in order to open up sufficient room for the lock's bolt to slide past. This process of unlocking a lever tumbler lock requires the appropriate key to be slotted in to release the bolt by moving the levers high enough to disengage a door's lock.
Various types of lever tumbler locks come with different numbers of levers. But typically, the number of levers in a lever tumbler lock is usually an odd number. The reason for having an odd number of locks is to make it possible for a lever tumbler lock to be opened from either the outside or inside of a door with the right key – the balance in number of levers is what makes this possible.
As expert London locksmiths, when our clients request for a lever tumbler lock, we usually first ascertain the level of security the client requires. This is because the more number of levers a lever tumbler lock has, the more secure it usually is. Thus, by knowing the level of security needed by a client either on their home or business, we can recommend and install a lever tumbler lock with a sufficient amount of levers.
How do Lever Tumbler Locks work?
The average Lever Tumbler Lock for a door usually has about 3-5 levers in it. With the right key, the lever can be manipulated in the appropriate sequence to unlock the door. All the levers in the lock need to be pushed to a sufficient height before the locking mechanism can be disengaged and the door opened.
Because of the distinct nature of the mechanism of Lever Tumblers, the keys usually also have a distinct shape to match the locks' insides. A typical lever tumbler key is often bitted to enable it fit in and manipulate the levers as necessary to unlock or lock a door.
Types of Lever Tumbler Locks
There are a variety of lever tumbler locks currently available on the market, and the difference between varieties is usually based on the number of levers that are available within the lock. Different lever tumbler lock manufacturers also have certain unique differences to differentiate their product from that of other brands. But generally speaking, lever tumblers can be categorised into the following;
- 3 Lever Locks: This is arguably the most widely available lever lock. It is mostly recommended for low security doors, such as doors within the house. We do not recommend this sort of lock for external doors.
- 5 Lever Locks: For London clients looking for more security from a lever tumbler lock, we often recommend the 5 lever lock. The varieties of this type of lock we typically install for clients tend to come with anti-lock picking features, as well as hardened bolts and anti-drill plates for maximum protection against attempts at a forceful entry.
We have experts at TopLocksmiths who can install a lever tumbler lock of your choice on any type of door you have in mind. We can install lever tumblers on any door in your building regardless the material of the door. We also provide lever tumbler replacement and repair services.
If you are unsure concerning what sort of lever tumbler lock will be ideal for your security needs, you can contact our experts now to receive proper guidance that will help you make a well informed decision.
Quality of the Lever Tumbler Locks we install
The first major advancement in lever tumbler lock technology was brought to light by Robert Barron in 1778. It was called the Double Acting Lever Lock and it upgraded lever locks by adding more levers to what was previously a mere two lever system. Thankfully, since Robert Barron's breakthrough, lever tumblers have undergone several upgrades over the years. We have lever tumbler locks in a wide variety and from different brands and each one offers a unique security benefit.
To ensure you get the utmost security from a lever tumbler installation, we only use locks manufactured by leading brands who have proven their competence and reliability over the years. And to ensure there are no flaws in an installation, only our expert and vetted in-house locksmiths perform installations for our London clients. Based on your security needs, we can provide a lock with the ideal amount of levers to offer optimal security.
How much do Lever Tumbler Locks cost?
The price of a Lever Tumbler is often dependent on the number of levers, the quality of the lock, as well as the lock's brand. The cheaper a lever tumbler lock is, the more likely it is to be weak and ineffectual in the long run. This is why we only use lever tumblers from leading brands that we have tested and come to trust over the years.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Peggy Helmerich Library will be closed Aug. 13 - Sep. 3 for library improvements
When donating money to a charity, you naturally want to choose organizations which will use their funds efficiently and effectively. You also want to avoid fake charities set up to take scam well-intentioned donors. The library has collected a list of resources you can use to investigate the legitimacy of organizations claiming to be charities, as well as how various nonprofit organizations spend the money they receive.
These tools can be found in the Nonprofit Resource Center. This center is a comprehensive collection of tools for creating or managing a nonprofit organization, researching grants and fundraising, or searching for employment through a nonprofit. The guide includes a section on finding charities. You can find a link to these tools on the Research & Learn page of our website, in the Research by Subject box. Once on the Nonprofit Resource Center page, select the gray tab at the top of the page which says 'Find a Nonprofit' and you'll see a list of searchable Charitable Giving Web Resources.


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The appointment took place within the framework of the international summit meeting of the association. This appointment situates Metro on the international front line in the public transport area. Metro Madrid has played an active part in the UITP ever since 1950
Borja Carabante, the Chief Executive of Metro Madrid, was appointed member of
the governing body of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP, from the French:
Union Internationale des Transports Publics) at its General Meeting, held in Montreal on 14 May.
This appointment took place within the framework of the International Summit that the Association
held from 15-17 May.
This appointment situates Metro Madrid on the international front line in the public transport sector and represents yet another recognition of the leadership that it exercises as regards knowledge and application of new technologies, as well as in the field of advanced methods of organization, management and sustainability in the context of 'SmartCities' of the future.
The Governing Body of the UITP is the highest organizational entity and has sole responsibility for determining its position in the area of international transport policy. Composed of the most senior executives of transport companies and authorities, this body is essential when it comes to approving the UITP Integrated Global Work Plan and proposing the list of candidates for the presidency of the association.
The UITP is a non-profit international association with over 130 years of history, which Metro Madrid has belonged to since 1950. It is an international network of professionals in the sector that studies, advises and puts forward solutions for promoting public transport at the social, economic and technical levels of all its members.
Copyright © Metro de Madrid, 2009. All rigth reserved.


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Definition of Profanation
1. Noun. Blasphemous behavior; the act of depriving something of its sacred character. "Desecration of the Holy Sabbath"
Generic synonyms: Irreverence, Violation
Derivative terms: Blasphemous, Desecrate, Profane, Sacrilegious
2. Noun. Degradation of something worthy of respect; cheapening.
Derivative terms: Profane
Definition of Profanation
1. n. The act of violating sacred things, or of treating them with contempt or irreverence; irreverent or too familiar treatment or use of what is sacred; desecration; as, the profanation of the Sabbath; the profanation of a sanctuary; the profanation of the name of God.
Definition of Profanation
1. Noun. The act of profaning; desecration, blasphemous behaviour, defilement. ¹
¹ Source: wiktionary.com
Definition of Profanation
1. [n -S]
Profanation Pictures
Click the following link to bring up a new window with an automated collection of images related to the term: Profanation Images
Lexicographical Neighbors of Profanation
Literary usage of Profanation
Below you will find example usage of this term as found in modern and/or classical literature:
1. Precedents of Indictments and Pleas: Adapted to the Use of Both of the by Francis Wharton (1881)
"(756) Nuisance in an open profanation of the Lord's day, by keeping shop.(d) That AB, late of, etc., butcher, on, etc., and continually afterwards until the ..."
2. American State Papers Bearing on Sunday Legislation by William Addison Blakely, Willard Allen Colcord (1911)
"profanation of day a scandal to Christian faith. Three hours in the stocks. ... AN ACT AGAINST THE profanation OF THE LORD'S DAY, CALLED SUNDAY. ..."
3. Institutes of the Christian Religion by Jean Calvin, John Allen (1816)
"The Papal Mass not only a sacrilegious profanation of the Lord's Supper, but a total Annihilation of it. W ITH these, and similar inventions, ..."
4. The Old and New Testament connected in the history of the Jews and by Humphrey Prideaux (1836)
"This prophecy, therefore, was primarily and "" typically fulfilled in that profanation and new dedication of the altar and temple at Jerusalem: but its ..."
5. Angelic Wisdom Concerning the Divine Providence by Emanuel Swedenborg, George Woolworth Colton (1918)
"As profanation of what is holy means profanation by those who know the truths ... Of the profanation of such there are several kinds, some lighter and some ..."
6. The Old and New Testament Connected in the History of the Jews and by Humphrey Prideaux (1845)
"These days therefore, literally understood, make the three years and a half, during which the profanation and persecution of Antiochus remained in the ..."
7. The Liberty of the Press, Speech, and Public Worship: Being Commentaries on by James Paterson (1880)
"These are the laws relating to the profanation of the sabbath, profane swearing, and witchcraft. These laws were once treated as essential parts of ..."
8. The Liberty of the Press, Speech, and Public Worship: Being Commentaries on by James Paterson (1880)
"These are th-- laws relating to the profanation of the sabbath, ... set forth in the earlier part of this volume.i profanation of the sabbath generally. ..."


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Posted in Minnesota October 19, 2016
10 Minnesota Restaurants Right On The River That You're Guaranteed To Love
What's better than eating a delicious meal? Eating a delicious meal with a view, of course. Minnesota has dozens of waterfront restaurants, many of them situated on the banks of one of our 10,000 lakes. But this time, we want to show our rivers some love. From the Mississippi to the St. Croix, here are 10 of the best restaurants right on the river in Minnesota.
Have you ever been to any of these restaurants? Let us know! If you're looking for even more waterfront dining in Minnesota, check out this list of 14 of the best waterfront restaurants in Minnesota.


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Today, the PR Council announces the team that we will be sending to Cannes next month to represent the United States in the International Cannes Young Lions competition.
Perhaps one of the defining trends of communications in the last decade has been the ever-blurring lines between PR, content marketing, digital advertising, social strategy and everything in between.
Subscribe to this blog
All content © Cohn & Wolfe 2010


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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
Interested in making your property and neighborhood FireSmart?
The Jasper Fire Department is recruiting Community Champions to become advocates for wildfire safety in their neighborhoods and work towa...
Tuesday, August 7 regular meeting, 1:30pm - cancelled (no quorum)
Tuesday, August 14 committee meeting, 9:30am – changed to regular meeting at 1:30pm
Meetings take place downstairs at the Library and Cultural Centre. The August...
NEW for 2018 - subscribe to the Municipality of Jasper Alert Centre to receive emergency notifications by text or email. You will receive a confirmation text or email once registration is complete.
The Municipality of Jasper and Parks Canada have formally agreed that in the event of an involuntary removal of a mobile home - due to a wildfire, for example - a mobile home may be replaced with a new mobile home.
Be wildfire ready: know the risks, make a plan and get a kit. Download the guide to get started.
Effective July 3, 2018, the Municipality of Jasper is lifting its fire ban for the Jasper town site. Jasper National Park has also lifted its fire ban due to a recent increase in relative humidity. Please check the JNP website for current information.
Highlights from the June 19, 2018 Intergovernmental Forum include a wildfire information session; mobile home replacement in the event of a wildfire; recreational marijuana; and Aspen Gardens development.
Dressed in the colours of the rainbow, Jasper's mayor and council celebrated the completion of the community's rainbow-painted crosswalk, June 12. Gathering together before the day's Committee-of-the-Whole meeting, the group ...
Highlights from the December 19, 2017 Intergovernmental Forum include the Jasper Community Sustainability Plan update; parcel GB release; recreational marijuana and FireSmart project funding.
Starting in early December, the Municipality of Jasper is moving ahead with FireSmart work around the town site to improve community wildfire protection and remove hazardous trees from public lands.
The Municipality of Jasper received a 5 Blooms - Bronze rating and a special mention for Municipal Library and Cultural Centre Landscape during the 2017 National/International Symposium and Awards Ceremonies in Ottawa.
The Municipality ...


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Posted on Wednesday, April 18, 2012
by Karenhuni
hi everyone my name is karen and im a post op transgender male to female , hope this dosnt offend anyone ? xx
ok sorry seems to have xx
just thought i might be welcome here xx
Nice to meet you Karenhuni..look around the site and join in on conversation, I don't judge.
Hello Karen
Welcome. Join in.
Hi Karen,
Welcome to fab40!
Welcome to the group. Take a look around and you will find something that interests you.
Hello there.....
We don't judge unless asked so no worries
Just keep in mind sometimes we are so busy we don't have time to answer all posts. And the more friends you have on here the more you will show up on their dashboards. Not everyone visits the homepage....
So welcome!
I'm not offended at all. I have a pal in college who is transgender, male to female. She's very happy. She says that all her life she felt wrong in her body. She finally feels right.
thank you cynthia , yes your friend is right , thats exactly how it feels
karen x
Let's Talk About Anything


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LONDON — Mega-site YouPorn.com is ready to write a big check for the more "intimate footage" of Kate Middleton and Prince William after topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge were published in France's Closer magazine.
In a letter to Closer editor Laurence Pieau obtained by TMZ, YouPorn marketing director Corey Price said, "We'd like to make an offer on this footage since we believe this is an incredibly newsworthy story, and we are already being slammed with emails from our site's loyal visitors begging us to make an offer."
Closer is reportedly in possession of racier footage of the royal couple slathering sun tan lotion on each other among other shots during a holiday as the couple relaxed at the Chateau d'Autet, in Provence, France.
YouPorn said that it is confident that it could show the footage legally and it has an "open checkbook" ready to fill in the amount Closer asks.
The Closer editor was slammed for publishing the topless shots in a letter crafted by Prince William himself, but defended herself claiming that they showed a young couple in love. She further stated that she held back the more explicit footage, although some reports said the magazine would run an additional 24-page feature.
"One shouldn't dramatize these pictures. The reactions are a little disproportionate," Pieau said. She added that the couple were "visible from the street" and continued, "She is a young woman who is topless, just like women who can be seen on beaches all over France and the rest of the world. They are pictures which are full of joy. They are not degrading."
But quickly after the nudes went public the Royal Family issued a statement that said, "Their royal highnesses have been hugely saddened to learn that a French publication and a photographer have invaded their privacy in such a grotesque and totally unjustifiable manner."
Closer then pulled the photos offline after being contacted by the royals' legal team.
But that didn't stop the lawyers from filing an injunction in France's courts on Monday against Closer publisher Mindadori in an attempt to stop further publication in that country. A rep for St. James's Palace said in a statement, "legal proceedings for breach of privacy have been commenced today in France."
The lawyers reportedly will also seek an unspecified amount of damages.
Along with Closer, Mindadori also owns Italian magazine Chi that together boast a readership of more than 3 million.
The company's head honcho is none other than the infamous former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
Email sent. If you wish to send to another person, click here.


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Whatsapp marketing bulk jobs
I need an iPhone/iPad app. I would like it designed and built. The App should have all the features of WhatsApp & Should be able to video conference with atleast 30 people. There should be adding people into video conference while in a video call and there should be Group Video Call Options.
Hi help me build website android and ios Chat app native (like whatsapp!) if you have created a messaging app show it to me. No time wasters, price fix for all!
Hi, I need help with European whatsapp numbers. Preferred Germany, Belgium, Austria. Thanks a lot, Ismail
Looking for Bulk Whatsapp marketing tool. It should be able to handle images & Videos also.
Hi, We are looking for Whatsapp chatbot development for our marketing purpose. It should for basic interactions with our leads over whatsapp.
I already have a design, I just need you to build my personal website.
I need an Android app. I would like it designed and built.
Dear Freelancers, I am looking for someone who can build whatsapp like messanger app using firebase as backend system. Do let me know who can work for this project. Project budget : 10,000 INR
I need the application to connect people with professionals, that people have to acquire credit to be able to chat/call/videocall with professionals. People should be ...chat with a professional, discount their wallet once the professional accepts the chat/call/videocall. The app must be able to send images, location voice notes, etc. like whatsapp.
i would like to get a project ready like whatsapp status within very short of time
it must be completely like WhatsApp.
I want to create api which display user's last seen. And it have to work with multiple user's.
Hello, I need a tool like this: [login to view URL] But via webpage. Basically the web application just need to check a lot of numbers if they are whatsapp number or not. Please, see the video. In python will be better.
A Whatsapp chatbot which operates without people having to opt in. For a targeted market. Leads are provided.
Hello, I need someone to make a simple customer support application that is connected to whatspp just like whatsapp web but with few features.
I need a new website. I need you to design and build a landing page. budget 500 INR
Hello, I want build little application from which user can add any whatsapp number to track. When number come online application will send push notification to user and same notification when user go offline. I want server based application, so if user who are tracking number have not internet connection, it will still save tracking number's online/offline
Hello, we are a travel agency and we need ready made customer support s...it allows us to blur numbers of customers for security and it allows us to reply to multiple messages at the same time and it allows one or more members to have access to whatsapp at the same time. If you got solution for us as a company then we are willing cooporate with you.
...working solution for presence (Online/Offline) checking for WhatsApp. I was using JavaScript for same before two month and its now vanished and not working. I have tried Yowsup and Chat-API and I can not manage more than 40 numbers in it. If You have solution which can provide me presence of bulk numbers, Please bid here. If You have read and have solution
First: Make your quote wise - i only work with fix budgets. Create a bot for whatsApp with the following features Backend: See users Chats (Each number has is own chat to see) Questions and answers can be edit, delete or add Files, which user can upload, are there for download Admin can add videofiles to bot User: is able to upload files in bot


text: pillar of cloud pillar of fire Moses obeyed God. Moses was leading the children of Isreal from Egypt to the land flowing milk and honey. God himself was their leader. The story of how God led people of Isreal by the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night can be... Continue reading »


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Project Overview
User Based Communication Services: User based services are services that support users and their needs in society. In particular a core focus has been placed on services that will help address the healthcare needs of users. A number of case study scenarios have been developed to identify healthcare related services, and these include – hospital environments and services to support medical officers (including services for paramedics), services for elderly patients (in particular patients suffering from alzheimers disease), as well as services that are used to create virtual communities of users. The development of the scenarios is conducted in collaboration between WIT TSSG and UL IDC. Additionally, a cross-disciplinary research topic in the area of Nano-networking is also introduced in the project. In particular, the TSSG has investigated communication protocols for molecular communication. This research theme is to support novel communication techniques for networked micro/nano bio-devices embedded in the human body.
Communication Service Management: While services in the future will be created in abundance, there will be a need to manage these services. This includes managing services within the infrastructure network, as well as in ad hoc network scenarios (this is more towards scenarios of social ad hoc networks), and how services are used to create virtual communities to connect people. At the services layer, the aim is to create an adaptive service middleware (known as CSM – Cognitive Service Middleware) that will manage the functionalities required by the services (e.g. bridge the services to user's requirements). Functionalities required by the service middleware includes evaluating the user's profile and other context information and tailoring composed services to meet user's requirements. The cognitive requirements of the CSM would be to adaptively change the middleware's functionalities and requirements as services, as well as user's requirements, changes and to develop adaptive techniques to allow service middleware to interact with other middleware. In the case of adaptive techniques, bio-inspired techniques can be applied.
Network Infrastructure Management: Since services will be very diverse, this will result in more dynamic traffic in the underlying network infrastructure. In particular, techniques will be required for adapting protocols to help support more dynamic and adaptive techniques for resource management. To date, work includes an adaptive routing solution called Parametrised Gradient Based Routing (PGBR) in core network infrastructure, as well as adaptive MAC layer resource management to support applications such as on-line gaming in wireless networks.
Societal and Technological Relationship. The interaction between society and information technology is complicated. FutureComm is interested in the development of models, processes and tools to aid users of communications services, including individuals and different social groupings, to manage aspects of their interaction with each other as mediated by the communications infrastructure. For the project, it is important to develop an approach for capturing and analysing information relating to social interactions between users and user groups. This information can be used to guide the development of communications services that exhibit high levels of usability and promote sustenance and growth of communities.
Project Implementation
The objective is to create an interdisciplinary, as well as trans-disciplinary, research programme in order to maximise research novelty in services and network management. The TSSG sees this as one of the key research requirements in addressing the challenges of Future Internet. By conducting this research, FutureComm will enhance Ireland's importance in the development of the Future Internet and connect Irish research and Irish based industry to the global research community. The objective is to ensure Ireland's leadership in the development of the communications infrastructure for the Future Internet and as a result establish Ireland as a location for continued economic investment.
Key Objectives
1. Continue to develop key research capacity in core technical domain of telecommunications management and to build on this core with domain expertise in related fields.
2. Develop new interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary research themes that will improve service and network management research for Future Internet
3. Strengthen Ireland's academic research through collaborations with leading International partners.
4. Publish research findings in leading international conferences and journals
5. Conduct this research programme through PhD student supervision, and increase the number of PhD graduates as set out by the Irish government
For more information on FutureComm project contact project manager below:
Project Manager: Dmitri Botvich – email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Seek Wisdom
Café Menu for Thursday, November 13, 2014
Today's Special is: Lord, Give Me Wisdom
Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Carolyn Dale Newell
Main Ingredient:
Then God said to Solomon: "Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life–but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king..."
2 Chronicles 1:11 NKJV
Ask! What shall I give you?
2 Chronicles 1:7 NKJV
These were the words of God to Solomon. Suppose we did not know the rest of the story, how would we answer? Honestly, I doubt that wisdom would be in my top five responses.
Solomon was seeking divine wisdom, not the wisdom of this world. Think of the many requests King Solomon could have made. He could have asked for long life or wealth, but he chose wisdom.
God was so pleased with his request for wisdom that He not only gave Solomon wisdom and knowledge, but God gave him...
wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.
2 Chronicles 1:12 NKJV
The world knew about Solomon's wisdom. The Queen of Sheba visited King Solomon and she was amazed at his wisdom.
And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.
2 Chronicles 9:23 NKJV
Obviously, wisdom is a precious gift from God and we should seek it daily in prayer. James said,
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
James 1:5 NKJV
God is eager to grant us wisdom.
Godly wisdom can help us when we are wrestling with a decision. Wisdom can aid in witnessing. Sometimes, it can help us understand God's purposes in trials. Today, begin to seek the wisdom that God wants to give you.
Take Out:
Could we be so full of the world's wisdom that we are blinded to our lack of godly wisdom?
Without a doubt, that is one of the devil's deceitful traps. Seek wisdom from God and let's get started today. After 30 days, it will be interesting to look back at the changes we see because we sought divine wisdom.
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come to You humbly asking for Your wisdom. We don't want to be satisfied with the wisdom from this world, but we want divine wisdom from You. Give me wisdom in the choices I make. Give me wisdom when I share the gospel. Forgive me for not seeking wisdom as I should. Thank You for the wisdom I receive from You. In Jesus' name, amen.
Click here to receive a free download of Carolyn's devotional eBook, "In The Storm". For more encouragement, visit Carolyn at Devotions For You where you will find more encouraging devotions.
© 2014 by Carolyn Dale Newell. All rights reserved.
Is God speaking to you through today's devotion? We'd love for you to share how this message has encouraged you to continue pursuing the God of hope. Scroll to the bottom of this page and leave a reply.
Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? Pull up a chair… He's been waiting for you.
The conversation at the Café is always hot and fresh. We invite you to listen in as Luann and Friends gather around the table to discuss everyday life.
Comfort food for your soul is always on our menu, and friends are always close enough to hug. We invite you to join us daily, as our writers share how the Lord continues to transform them into His glorious image.
Still craving more… Join us as we grow together in grace and truth through our online bible study.
Leave a Comment
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More in Today's Special
August 21, 2018Victory and Defeat: How to Find God's Victory in the Apparent Losses of Life
August 20, 2018All-Inclusive
August 17, 2018Blood Does Not Lie


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No Wrist Yoga
Due to this pesky little bone 'exhibit A' and a non-yoga-caused injury I've been discovering some funky adaptations to a classic vinyasa practice to avoid the wrist. Try them! Even without injury, our wrists sometimes need a break and our egos often do....
So due to lugging my rather heavy baby around, I appear to have injured one of my little wrist bones.
But the good news is that we learn far more on our yoga journey when we are constrained by something. I learnt this keenly during my pregnancy. So if you are very inflexible, have sciliosis, missing limbs or injuries, yoga CAN STILL WORK for you*. (* for some injuries please definitely check with a Doctor first)
This is how I work a yoga practice WITHOUT using my left wrist....try it!
A whole flow avoiding wrists
Thank you Duncan Yoga on YouTube! Googling for this blog I discovered this flow. You don't always have to adapt your sequences though just adapt your poses (see my pose adaptations below). If this is your situation too- just tell the yoga teachers at Yoga Quota and they will be able to help.
Be Picky about your poses and adapt
Asana is only the tip of the iceberg
When you have to adapt your asana (your poses), it is good because it reminds you:
Let me know of any wrist avoiding tactics you may have and I'll be trying them for size! and enjoy your body as it is- injuries and limitations and all.
Leave a Reply.
August 2018


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Hotel Name: SpringHill Suites by Marriott
Location: Baltimore, MD (USA)
Room Type: 1BR Suite Corner
Book it!:
The Room: It's hard to watch the video we took of this room at SpringHill Suites Baltimore Downtown/Inner Harbor. Not because it makes the room look terrible, but because it doesn't. Our far-away shots just don't seem to capture the real wear & tear on this room. Lesson learned. We'll be sure to get more close-ups of the nastiness next time.
But there's just no way to properly capture the smell.
If Glade made a "lived in" scented plug-in, this is what it would smell like. It's a tolerable odor only after you've settled in and it's become your "new normal". First whiff brings hints of fresh carpet powder, damp towels and a large man's dirty underpants.
You might not be too unhappy with the bed. Linens appeared clean and the mattress fits the comfort profile of what you should find in a 3 star hotel. Pillows were fluffy and my wife, the ultimate bed-comfort tester, had no complaints.
The washroom features a separate sink area and toilet/shower room. Counter space is tight with just a small amount of room on either side of the sink for your toiletries, make-up, etc. If you're taking advantage of the whole room and have an extra person (or persons) staying on the sofa-bed, this space could get pretty crowded. There's nothing suite-like about the shower, just a typical shower/bath combo with reasonable water pressure.
Service: Here's where this hotel shines. While we didn't push the staff with any particular problems, we found the front desk and support crew to be very pleasant. Welcoming smiles, great suggestions for things to do in the area and unsolicited greetings at breakfast ("We're glad you're here") make this place special. You'll just wish it was at a different hotel.
Wi-fi/Connectivity: The complimentary wi-fi won't win any speed contests, but that it was free and worked consistently kept us from being grossed out about how tattered and spilled-on the furniture we were sitting on was.
Overall: For the price, this room disappoints on many levels. It's cheap feel extends from its appliances to the mismatched and worn furniture. The exclamation point on our stay was walking to check-out through a lobby that smelled like raw sewage. I'm not sure that's a normal feature, but I could have done without it.
If you're looking for shelter because you're locked out of your house or there's been a natural disaster, this room is great. If you have a choice, it's not. But stop in and say hi to the friendly crew at the front desk.
Rating (Room-only): 2 hops of 5
How we got it/Booking: Booked using the Marriott website. SpringHill suites is a part of the Marriott family, so Marriott Rewards points can be redeemed to book here.


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Hedera by Cookie A
Welcome! You are browsing as a guestCreate a free account to see 4607 projects made from this pattern and more... What am I missing?
by Cookie A
This pattern is available for $6.00 USD
buy it now or visit pattern website
buy it now or visit pattern website
Still available free on Knitty, and now available with three additional sizes as a download and in the book Knit. Sock. Love.
For more information, see: http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATThedera.html
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About this pattern
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text: Chandak, Uttarakhand, India Chandak refers to a hill that is famous for housing a temple dedicated to the Lord 'Manu' and is located at a small distance of 8 kilometers from Pithoragarh. The hang gliding spot of Chandak considered as one of the best spot for the adventure and the fascinating mining factory is also located near the valley. One can easily see the Himalayan Ranges and the wide extending beautiful, mesmerizing valley. The place offers its tourists good opportunities for hang gliding along with the famous temple of Mostamanu which is located just two kilometers from the town. FacebookTwitterGoogle+


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Increasingly, the experience of the past is no longer useful for predicting solutions for the future and optimism and positive energies have become the first casualties of this new business environment. Relationships, trust, collaboration, resource sharing and recognition, all take a back seat as the organisation struggles to stay afloat and leaders who are the 'Fulcrum of Engagement' experience deep fatigue and non-gratification for their efforts.
Appreciative Inquiry is an approach to Personal and Organisational Change based on
the work of David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva of Case Western Reserve University. The
Appreciative Enquiry approach challenges the traditional problem-solving process within
organisations that are deficit-based, leading to depleting energies through gap analysis
and blame games that, at best, generate solutions that restore the original level of performance. Instead, Appreciative Inquiry is a strength-based approach to problem-solving that enables the organisation to raise the bar on performance by releasing positive generative energies and drawing from the Life-Giving Forces of organisations — forces that are operative when the organisation is working at its best. Appreciative Inquiry is also based on the assumption that questions and dialogues about strengths, successes, values, hopes
and dreams are transformational. It suggests that organisational change is in fact a relational
process of inquiry grounded in affirmation and appreciation. The Appreciative Inquiry approach
is based on certain principles, of which the following four are most relevant, particularly in the context of suggesting what leaders could do to manage teams and retaining positive energies during difficult times.
(1) The Constructionist Principle and Leadership- Words create Worlds
This places human communication and language at the center of human organisations and change. This principle acknowledges the fact that meaning is made in conversation and reality is created in communication. Leaders play the most important role within the organisation of connecting the dots and interpreting reality for others. They carry the responsibility of defining the world for those around them. Therefore, words, metaphors and the language that leaders use are more than descriptions of reality. They, in fact, help create the worlds for their teams with their words. Therefore, the questions leaders must ask themselves are – What are we putting out into the social discourse within organisations? When things go wrong, are we
the beacons of hopelessness instead of the harbingers of hope? Especially during times of
adversity, challenge, confusion and insecurity, are we able to maintain a climate for positive action?
(2) The Simultaneity Principle and Leadership- Inquiry creates change
That the approach or nature of inquiry itself is the change. That the inquiry does not precede
change. Therefore, leaders must be careful of the direction they allow the inquiry to take by being careful about the first questions asked. The diagnosis of the problem itself sets off the direction of thought and action. They therefore, must conduct the inquiry carefully, with
responsibility by understanding the impact of problem definition ahead of generating solutions.
(3) The Poetic Principle and Leadership- We can choose what we study
Organisations are like poetry, they are open books with great sources of learning and study. Therefore, what we choose to focus on grows. What we choose to study can create our world.
As leaders, do we choose to focus on results despite efforts? Do we choose to focus on
mistakes? Do we choose to focus on what is absent? Do we instead look towards our strengths,
achievements, best practices and in difficult times, stories of heroism, employee-ship and engagement? Whatever we choose to spotlight and appreciate, as Leaders will grow within organizations.
(4) The Anticipatory Principle and Leadership – Images inspire Action
Human systems move in the direction of images of the future we create. The more positive and
hopeful those images, the more positive the present day action will be.
Like Einstein said, "If the mind can see it, the body will obey it!" This principle is the most powerful for leaders grappling with the complexities of an unrelenting business environment that demands the onerous task of defining the course of action and
motivating teams to work in new directions. It is during times of ambiguity that the leader's ability to visualise how a new idea will work or how opportunities will unfold in the future, is put to test. The Anticipatory Principle is in full power even while defining the outcomes of everyday decisions enabling the leader to create a climate for action by creating positive image of the future. Appreciative Inquiry is rooted in the power of Positive Psychology. From the placebo effect that makes the power of belief triumph reality, to the Pygmalion effect that enables people to rise to others' expectations of them, both positive and negative. It is a powerful philosophy for leaders to get people to do their best, create performance from Self
Belief and develop real leaders who can drive change and solve problems with joy. It can be a
powerhouse of a belief system because it celebrates organisations as interconnected human systems, all waiting to become expansive in their strengths and collective life-giving
forces. It is an approach that can make the workplace an inclusive sphere where problems
are solved and change is managed with good cheer, releasing generative forces that raise the bar on organisational performance.
Leadership that cannot look beyond its nose, managing from quarter to quarter, identifying
mistakes, placing blames and penalties with fervour for driving performances must stop to
reflect. Are our actions constantly unappreciative of our talent? How do we generally open meetings — by stating disappointments and gaps? How do we react to the presentation of new ideas? What do we say during business review meetings? Is our focus deficit-oriented,
constantly focused on what has not been delivered? Not happened? Complains or feedback from customers? Some organisations have created toxic cultures with leaders being
rewarded for constantly badgering and beating up teams for poor performance. Such teams only get bogged down eventually into nonperformance.
Leaders who believe in and practice Appreciative Inquiry principles can drive performance
and change through the positive power of palpable life-giving forces that constantly help people
deliver to the business and drive Positive Change.
– Appreciative Inquiry in Organisational Life – Cooperrider, D and Srivastva, S
– The Power of Appreciative Inquiry: A Practice Guide to Positive Change, Whitney, D. and Trosten-Bloom, A., Berrett- Koehler Publishers


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Friday, 11 June 2010
SAW Focus 4 - Alison Knox
Tuesday June 23rd 7.30pm
Alison Knox
The Ukrainian Cultural Centre
Fee: £1.50/£1 concessions
Booking: 07771 280671
"I am an artist. I do not have a job, I have my work .
My art is not what I "do" it is who I am.
I do what I love and I love what I do.
There are no days off from being who I am, or doing what I do.
My art is how I earn my living, pay the bills and feed my family, it is my first and last thought each day.
I am an artist and I honour and uphold that as best I can, without compromise."
Local artist Alison Knox will share her parts of personal journey both as an artist, and what art means to her. Delivered as an unscripted, engaging and very down to earth talk, Alison hopes to encourage others to follow their artistic hearts in whatever way feels good to them.
APPROX 60 mins
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Students make blankets for children at hospital
GREEN BAY (WLUK) -- Students at Notre Dame Academy spent time making blankets and cards to donate to children at a Madison hospital.
It's all part of a project led by Notre Dame Academy sophomore Sydney Ditcheit.
She was inspired to lead the project after she was hospitalized following a UTV crash in 2016.
She said she received blankets while she was in the hospital.
Following her stay, her and her friends led a fundraiser at the school to raise money to buy fabric.
"We have enough fabric to make 40 blankets and then we've already made 15 in the past so a total of 55," Ditcheit explained.
Ditscheit also revived a $500 grant from "Youth Service America" and "Walt Disney Company" to help with the project.
The group will deliver the blankets to the American Family Children's Hospital later this week.


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Snow Truck 2
If you are going to drive your vehicle on a snowy road then you would immediately know the difference between driving it in a dry and icy road. If the ice is think enough then you might not go places since it would be slippery and the thick ice would surely block your way. Fortunately, you are driving a snow truck, which is specially made for thick snowy covered road. An average vehicle can't move an inch with a thick snow, but this truck can since it is specially built for such condition. However, it doesn't mean that you won't get an accident as you still need to be an experience driver to be able to get to where you want to go. The idea in this game is to get to the finish line as fast as you can. The bonus points dwindle each passing moment. You need to get to the finish line as fast as you can. But, going there won't be easy since the road is covered with snow and the road ahead is made out of mountains. The game gets harder and more challenging as you make some progress. Are you ready for the challenge of your life?


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Flash Physics is our daily pick of the latest need-to-know developments from the global physics community selected by Physics World's team of editors and reporters
Using the Sun to extract water from dry air
A new solar-powered system that can extract water from air in arid regions of the world has been unveiled by researchers in the US and Saudi Arabia. Led by Omar Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, and Evelyn Wang of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the team created the device using a metal-organic framework (MOF). The device is powered by heat from sunlight. It can harvest 2.8 litres of liquid water per kilogram of MOF per day at relative humidity levels of 20–30% – which are common in arid regions of the world. MOFs combine metals with organic molecules to create rigid, porous structures that are ideal for storing gases and liquids. The system comprises a kilogram of compressed MOF crystals that sits below a solar absorber and above a condenser plate. Ambient air diffuses through the porous MOF, where water molecules preferentially attach to the interior surfaces. Sunlight heats up the MOF and drives the bound water toward the condenser, where the vapour condenses and drips into a collector. "This work offers a new way to harvest water from air that does not require high relative humidity conditions and is much more energy efficient than other existing technologies," says Wang. Yaghi adds: "There is a lot of potential for scaling up the amount of water that is being harvested. It is just a matter of further engineering now." The system is described in Science.
Material glows in response to stress
A material that repeatedly lights up in response to mechanical forces has been developed by researchers at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University in Japan. To create the material, Georgy Filonenko and Julia Khusnutdinova incorporated stress-sensing molecules called photoluminescent mechanophores into the common polymer, polyurethane. While mechanophores are not new, they are typically one-use only. They emit light when a strong force breaks a specific chemical bond between atoms or pulls apart two molecular patterns. The radical change in structure causes a shift in the wavelength of light emitted (the glow), but it is difficult to return the molecule to its original, "off" state. Therefore, Filonenko and Khusnutdinova developed a molecule that relies upon dynamic rather than structural changes. Their phosphorescent copper complexes move rapidly when the host polymer is in a relaxed state, and the motion suppresses light emission. Yet when a mechanical force is applied, the movement of the polymer chains, and hence the mechanophores, slows, and consequently the complexes are able to luminesce. The light emitted is visible to the naked eye when the material is bathed in UV light and becomes brighter with increasing force. However, unlike previous stress-reacting materials, Filonenko and Khusnutdinova's can revert to its original, non-luminescent state as no chemical bonds have been broken. The new mechanophores are described in Advanced Materials and could be used to assess stress and dynamics in soft materials.
Physicist bags prestigious economics award
The physicist-turned-economist Dave Donaldson has won the John Bates Clark Medal of the American Economic Association (AEA). The medal is given to "economist under the age of 40 who is judged to have made the most significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge". Described by the AEA as "the most exciting economist in the area of empirical trade," Donaldson has studied topics as diverse as the economic impact of railways in 19th century India and the consequences of climate change on agricultural markets. Donaldson, 38, is associate professor of Economics at Stanford University in California and is a dual citizen of Canada and the UK. He studied physics at the University of Oxford before doing an MSc and PhD in economics at the London School of Economics.
- You can find all our daily Flash Physics posts in the website's news section, as well as on Twitter and Facebook using #FlashPhysics. Tune in to physicsworld.com later today to read today's extensive news story on rainfall during tropical storms.