text:
Community-Based Screening: An Accurate and Affordable Option for Preventive Health
Lisa Sheppard, MD - October 28, 2013
A recent story written by Kaiser Health News which appeared as a segment on National Public Radio and on their website focused on the community screening industry, and Life Line Screening in particular. While our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Andrew Manganaro and the perspective of one customer are represented in the story, it also included a number of misleading assertions and misrepresented facts.
It is important to first note that Life Line Screening has collected the largest database of screening results of its kind, which we are making available to academic researchers for free to help add to the evidence-base around the utility of screening and better understanding of vascular disease. This research collaboration has resulted in numerous academic publications. In fact, our focus is on using academic means, excellent clinical quality and clear patient education to help move individuals, and the nation's conversation, towards better outcomes through preventive health. Our work is based on rigorous protocols and customer follow-up, and our team is comprised of noted clinical experts, reviewing physicians and a celebrated Chief Medical Officer. To imply otherwise or to suggest that we are irresponsibly promoting unnecessary screening is simply wrong.
The most concerning element of the article is a statement from a representative of the AAFP that following a carotid artery screening, "the patient is more likely actually to have a stroke because of the screening and subsequent testing and possible surgery than if they'd never been screened at all."
There is no data or studies to support this claim. Ultrasound is a non-invasive, no-radiation, medically-accepted technology used widely to perform examinations, including in emergency rooms by the bedside, and in hospitals across the country that offer screenings themselves. The argument that screenings would lead to a greater likelihood of a stroke because a patient who discovered they were at risk would then initiate a conversation with their physician about the best treatment approach, and may actually be treated, sells short the physician, the patient and the fundamental value of prevention. Indeed, sometimes the "watchful waiting" described in the article may be the best course of action once the patient has consulted their physician – but that doesn't mean that the screening wasn't valuable or accurate, since the patient would likely not have known they even had a condition or risk factor worthy of "watching" otherwise.
In the words of noted physician, Matthew Mintz, Associate Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, with whom we consulted, "As a point of clarification, screening does not make it more likely that a person will have a stroke. There is some concern that the follow-up testing or possible surgery could cause a stroke, but newer, modern methods of follow-up and the expertise of an experienced surgeon make this possibility far less likely than older research assumed. Learning that you have an early stage problem means you can make decisions that may help you live longer, live healthier and be in control of your health. This is part of the conversation you should have with your doctor, and you may find that screening is an excellent choice if you have risk factors and are interested in learning what is going on inside of your body."
The story also alleges that "many of the findings are false positives." This is simply not the case. At Life Line Screening, we are highly committed to accuracy and quality, and we have extensive experience delivering on this commitment – as we have provided more than 8 million screenings (as the article notes).
In fact, we have conducted a side-by-side audit study in the U.K. that found excellent accuracy when correlating our findings to the standard criteria used by United Kingdom hospital vascular and radiology departments. We are also in the process of completing additional research in the U.S, and we are confident that these findings will further support the accuracy of our screenings.
The piece suggests that Life Line Screening tests "healthy people." In fact, we screen based upon recognized appropriate risk factors. The vast majority of our clients have one or more notable risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, or diabetes, and the average age of our patients is 62, well within a clear risk category. That's far from the characterization of broadly screening healthy people, and in contrast, supports that our screenings offer a valued healthcare service for today's seniors – many of whom face significant access to care challenges and need or prefer options outside the traditional system. When a patient comes to our screenings, they learn about healthy behaviors and risk factors, become more educated, more knowledgeable, and hopefully more empowered to take care of their health.
Finally, the article includes the opinion that, "when information comes in the form of an advertisement or promotion, regardless of the source, be skeptical." The reality is that doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and even dentists all advertise their services. Many of these organizations or businesses are also "for profit." Does that mean that we should assume that any healthcare service that invests in raising awareness of its offerings should be discounted or considered warily? If so, many of us would likely have to go out and find new providers for all our health needs. Indeed, as a for-profit, Life Line Screening is carefully transparent about its prices and services, contrary to most peoples' experiences with healthcare billing.
Hopefully this information and data help clarify some of the information presented in this recent story. If you have any further questions about Life Line Screening and the services the company provides, feel free to reach out to Joelle Reizes, the company's Global Communications Director, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Category: Health Screenings, Life Line Screening News
Tags: community screenings , Life Line Screening , preventative health screenings
4 Comments so far
Claudia H. Wilson - October 28, 2013 at 11:10 pm
I am a total advocate for Lifeline Screening. It first saved my husband's life by finding an abdominal aorta aneurysm which was operated on within days. It was the size of a grapefruit and he had no idea it was there. Ten years late, the screening saved me from having a stroke by finding that my left carodid artery was 90% blocked. Of course, I found a great vascular surgeon in Phoenix and was totally cleaned out with a week. It is absolutely crazy to say that this screening is not worth the few dollars we spend on it. No doctor can order ultra sounds just for the prevention of disease. People won't get them because their insurance won't pay for them. This is something we choose to have done and we pay for it in order to prevent some awful thing from happening. This is a wonderful company and I tell people all the time to sign up for a screening. It might just save your life. Many of our friends have done just that ! It is a bargain. Thanks you very much !
Barbara Westlake-Kenny - October 29, 2013 at 10:49 am
I totally agree with Claudia. My husband and I go to LifeLine every time it is offered. The first time we went, about seven years ago, they advised me to get a cardiologist's opinion ASAP, and I had carotid artery surgery right away. Now my cardiologist screens me at regular intervals, and my right carotid artery will soon need surgery. I LOVE YOU, LifeLine! I KNOW that you have saved my life!
Connie Ferich - October 29, 2013 at 4:38 pm
I work for Life Line Screening and I find this article to be completely incorrect. I talk to many people where they report that we have saved their life or the life of someone they know. Unfortunately, sometimes I also speak to people who have not followed up on their findings, and they have had a stroke and are now disabled. One woman received a letter from us and took it to her doctor and he discouraged her from getting screened. She decided to come anyway and we found 98% blockage in one Carotid Artery and 50% in the other. We sent her to her doctor with the films and she was evaluated quickly and wound up having surgery, which she and the doctor felt possibly saved her from having a stroke. I understand that individual experiences are just that, individual and maybe aren't the same for everyone, but they make me and our customers believers in what we do.
Colene Lee - October 30, 2014 at 11:39 am
Thank you Life Line for giving us your side of the story.
Though my triglyceride and good cholesterol levels are very good, I have a hereditary condition of high bad cholesterol. I have often been told by health professionals that I should go on statin drugs, which I refuse to do because of the crippling side effects my friends have suffered.
Thanks to Life Line's affordable screenings, which have shown my arteries to be clear, I neither feel stressed out about my condition or compelled to take statin drugs.
4 Responses to "Community-Based Screening: An Accurate and Affordable Option for Preventive Health"


text:
Three Gorges Dam
|This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Dalatrass (talk | contribs) at 12:11, 29 November 2013. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
|Yangtze Three Gorges Project
The dam in September 2009
|Power, flood control, navigation
|Construction began
|December 14, 1994
|Construction cost
|¥180 billion (US$26 billion)
|China Yangtze Power (subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation)
|Dam and spillways
|Spillway capacity
|116,000 m3/s (4,100,000 cu ft/s)
|Power Station
|Commission date
|Three Gorges Dam
In his poem "Swimming" (1956), engraved on the 1954 Flood Memorial in Wuhan, Mao Zedong envisions "walls of stone" to be erected upstream.[2]
|Traditional Chinese
|Simplified Chinese
The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in Yiling District, Yichang, Hubei province, China. The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest power station in terms of installed capacity (22,500 MW). In 2012, the amount of electricity the dam generated was similar to the amount generated by the Itaipu Dam. [3][4]
Except for a ship lift, the dam project was completed and fully functional as of July 4, 2012,[5][6] when the last of the main turbines in the underground plant began production. Each main turbine has a capacity of 700 MW.[4][7] The dam body was completed in 2006. Coupling the dam's 32 main turbines with two smaller generators (50 MW each) to power the plant itself, the total electric generating capacity of the dam is 22,500 MW.[4][8][9]
As well as producing electricity, the dam is intended to increase the Yangtze River's shipping capacity and reduce the potential for floods downstream by providing flood storage space. The Chinese government regards the project as a historic engineering, social and economic success,[10] with the design of state-of-the-art large turbines,[11] and a move toward limiting greenhouse gas emissions.[12] However, the dam flooded archaeological and cultural sites and displaced some 1.3 million people, and is causing significant ecological changes, including an increased risk of landslides.[13] The dam has been a controversial topic both domestically and abroad.[14]
- 1 History
- 2 Composition and dimensions
- 3 Economics
- 4 Power generation and distribution
- 5 Environmental impact
- 6 Floods, agriculture, industry
- 7 Navigating the dam
- 8 Relocation of residents
- 9 Other effects
- 10 Upstream dams
- 11 See also
- 12 References
- 13 External links
A large dam across the Yangtze River was originally envisioned by Sun Yat-sen in The International Development of China, in 1919.[15][16] He stated that a dam capable of generating 30 million horsepower (22 GW) was possible downstream of the Three Gorges.[16] In 1932, the Nationalist government, led by Chiang Kai-shek, began preliminary work on plans in the Three Gorges. In 1939, Japanese military forces occupied Yichang and surveyed the area. A design, the Otani plan, was completed for the dam in anticipation of a Japanese victory over China.
In 1944, the United States Bureau of Reclamation chief design engineer, John L. Savage, surveyed the area and drew up a dam proposal for the 'Yangtze River Project'.[17] Some 54 Chinese engineers went to the U.S. for training. The original plans called for the dam to employ a unique method for moving ships; the ships would move into locks located at the lower and upper ends of the dam and then cranes with cables would move the ships from one lock to the next. In the case of smaller water craft, groups of craft would be lifted together for efficiency. It is not known whether this solution was considered for its water-saving performance or because the engineers thought the difference in height between the river above and below the dam too great for alternative methods.[18] Some exploration, survey, economic study, and design work was done, but the government, in the midst of the Chinese Civil War, halted work in 1947.
After the 1949 Communist takeover, Mao Zedong supported the project, but began the Gezhouba Dam project nearby first, and economic problems including the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution slowed progress. After the 1954 Yangtze River Floods, in 1956, Mao Zedong authored "Swimming", a poem about his fascination with a dam on the Yangtze River. In 1958, after the Hundred Flowers Campaign, some engineers who spoke out against the project were imprisoned.[19]
During the 1980s, the idea of a dam reemerged. The National People's Congress approved the dam in 1992: out of 2,633 delegates, 1,767 voted in favour, 177 voted against, 664 forfeited, and 25 members did not vote.[20] Construction started on December 14, 1994.[21] The dam was expected to be fully operational in 2009, but additional projects, such as the underground power plant with six additional generators, delayed full operation until May 2012.[19][9] The ship lift is expected to be completed in 2014.[22] The dam had raised the water level in the reservoir to 172.5 m (566 ft) above sea level by the end of 2008 and the designed maximum level of 175 m (574 ft) by October 2010.[23][24]
Composition and dimensions
Made of concrete and steel, the dam is 2,335 m (7,661 ft) long and the top of the dam is 185 metres (607 ft) above sea level. The project used 27.2 million cubic metres (35.6×106 cu yd) of concrete (mainly for the dam wall), 463,000 tonnes of steel (enough to build 63 Eiffel Towers) and moved about 102.6 million cubic metres (134.2×106 cu yd) of earth.[25] The concrete dam wall is 181 metres (594 ft) high above the rock basis.
When the water level is at its maximum of 175 metres (574 ft) above sea level, which is 110 metres (361 ft) higher than the river level downstream, the dam reservoir is on average about 660 kilometres (410 mi) in length and 1.12 kilometres (3,700 ft) in width. It contains 39.3 km3 (31,900,000 acre⋅ft) of water and has a total surface area of 1,045 square kilometres (403 sq mi). On completion, the reservoir flooded a total area of 632 square kilometres (244 sq mi) of land, compared to the 1,350 square kilometres (520 sq mi) of reservoir created by the Itaipu Dam.[26]
The government estimated that the Three Gorges Dam project would cost 180 billion yuan (US$22.5 billion).[27] By the end of 2008, spending had reached 148.365 billion yuan, among which 64.613 billion yuan was spent on construction, 68.557 billion yuan on relocating affected residents, and 15.195 billion yuan on financing.[28] It is estimated that the construction cost will be recovered when the dam has generated 1,000 gigawatt-hours (3,600 TJ)* of electricity, yielding 250 billion yuan. Full cost recovery is expected to occur ten years after the dam starts full operation.[27]
Funding sources include the Three Gorges Dam Construction Fund, profits from the Gezhouba Dam, loans from the China Development Bank, loans from domestic and foreign commercial banks, corporate bonds, and revenue before and after the dam is fully operational. Additional charges were assessed as follows: Every province receiving power from the Three Gorges Dam has to pay ¥7.00 per MWh extra. Other provinces had to pay an additional charge of ¥4.00 per MWh. Tibet pays no surcharge.[29]
Power generation and distribution
Generating capacity
Power generation is managed by China Yangtze Power, a listed subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC) — a Central Enterprise SOE administered by SASAC. The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest capacity hydroelectric power station with 34 generators: 32 main generators, each with a capacity of 700 MW, and two plant power generators, each with capacity of 50 MW, making a total capacity of 22,500 MW.[4] Among those 32 main generators, 14 are installed in the north side of the dam, 12 in the south side, and the remaining six in the underground power plant in the mountain south of the dam. The expected annual electricity generation will be over 100 GWh.[30]
The main generators weigh about 6,000 tonnes each and are designed to produce more than 700 MW of power. The designed head of the generator is 80.6 meters (264 ft). The flow rate varies between 600–950 cubic metres per second (21,000–34,000 cu ft/s) depending on the head available. The greater the head, the less water needed to reach full power. Three Gorges uses Francis turbines. Turbine diameter is 9.7/10.4 m (VGS design/Alstom's design) and rotation speed is 75 revolutions per minute. Rated power is 778 MVA, with a maximum of 840 MVA and a power factor of 0.9. The generator produces electrical power at 20 kV. The outer diameter of the generator stator is 21.4/20.9 m. The inner diameter is 18.5/18.8 m. The stator, the biggest of its kind, is 3.1/3 m in height. Bearing load is 5050/5500 tonnes. Average efficiency is over 94%, and reaches 96.5%.[31][32]
The generators are manufactured by two joint ventures. One of them includes Alstom, ABB Group, Kvaerner, and the Chinese company Haerbin Motor. The other includes Voith, General Electric, Siemens (abbreviated as VGS), and the Chinese company Oriental Motor. The technology transfer agreement was signed together with the contract. Most of the generators are water-cooled. Some newer ones are air-cooled, which are simpler in design and manufacture and are easier to maintain.[33]
Generator installation progress
The 14 north side main generators are in operation. The first (No. 2) started on July 10, 2003. The north side became completely operational September 7, 2005 with the implementation of generator No. 9. Full power (9,800 MW) was only reached on October 18, 2006 after the water level reached 156 m.[34]
The 12 south side main generators are also in operation. No. 22 began operation on June 11, 2007 and No. 15 started up on October 30, 2008.[7] The sixth (No. 17) began operation on December 18, 2007, raising capacity to 14.1 GW, finally surpassing Itaipu (14.0 GW), to become the world's largest hydropower plant by capacity.[35][36][37][38]
The 6 underground main generators are also in operation as of May 23, 2012, when the last main generator, No. 27, finished its final test.[5] raising capacity to 22.5 GW. After 9 years of construction, installation and testing, the power plant is now fully operational.[9][39][40][41]
Output milestones
By August 16, 2011, the plant had generated 500 GWh of electricity.[42][43] In July 2008 it generated 10.3 GWh of electricity, its first month over 10 GWh.[44] On June 30, 2009, after the river flow rate increased to over 24,000 m3, all 28 generators were switched on, producing only 16,100 MW because the head available during flood season is insufficient.[45] During an August 2009 flood, the plant first reached its maximum output for a short period.[46]
During the November to May dry season, power output is limited by the river's flow rate, as seen in the diagrams on the right. When there is enough flow, power output is limited by plant generating capacity. The maximum power-output curves were calculated based on the average flow rate at the dam site, assuming the water level is 175 m and the plant gross efficiency is 90.15%. The actual power output in 2008 was obtained based on the monthly electricity sent to the grid.[47][48]
The Three Gorges Dam reached its design-maximum reservoir water level of 175 m (574 ft) for the first time on October 26, 2010, in which the intended annual power-generation capacity of 84.7 GWh was realized.[23] In 2012, the dam's 32 generating units generated a record 98.1 GWh of electricity, which accounts for 14% of China's total hydro generation.[49]
|Number of
installed units
The State Grid Corporation and China Southern Power Grid paid a flat rate of ¥250 per MWh (US$35.7) until July 2, 2008. Since then, the price has varied by province, from ¥228.7–401.8 per MWh. Higher-paying customers receive priority, such as Shanghai.[54] Nine provinces and two cities consume power from the dam.[55]
Power distribution and transmission infrastructure cost about 34.387 billion Yuan. Construction was completed in December 2007, one year ahead of schedule.[56]
Power is distributed over multiple 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines. Three Direct current (DC) lines to the East China Grid carry 7,200 MW: Three Gorges – Shanghai (3,000 MW), HVDC Three Gorges – Changzhou (3,000 MW), and HVDC Gezhouba – Shanghai (1,200 MW). The alternating current (AC) lines to the Central China Grid have a total capacity of 12,000 MW. The DC transmission line HVDC Three Gorges – Guangdong to the South China Grid has a capacity of 3,000 MW.[57]
The dam was expected to provide 10% of China's power. However, electricity demand has increased more quickly than previously projected. Even fully operational, on average, it supports only about 1.7% of electricity demand in China in the year of 2011, when the Chinese electricity demand reached 4692.8 GWh.[58][59]
Environmental impact
According to the National Development and Reform Commission of China, 366 grams of coal would produce 1 kWh of electricity during 2006.[60] At full power, Three Gorges reduces coal consumption by 31 million tonnes per year, avoiding 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions,[61] millions of tonnes of dust, one million tonnes of sulfur dioxide, 370,000 tonnes of nitric oxide, 10,000 tonnes of carbon monoxide, and a significant amount of mercury.[62] Hydropower saves the energy needed to mine, wash, and transport the coal from northern China.
From 2003 to 2007, power production equaled that of 84 million tonnes of standard coal, reducing carbon dioxide by 190 million tonnes, sulfur dioxide by 2.29 million tonnes, and nitrogen oxides by 980,000 tonnes.[63]
The dam increased the Yangtze's barge capacity sixfold, reducing carbon dioxide emission by 630,000 tonnes. From 2004 to 2007 a total of 198 million tonnes of goods passed through the ship locks. Compared to using trucking, barges reduced carbon dioxide emission by ten million tonnes and lowered costs by 25%.[63]
Erosion and sedimentation
Two hazards are uniquely identified with the dam.[64] One is that sedimentation projections are not agreed upon, and the other is that the dam sits on a seismic fault. At current levels, 80% of the land in the area is experiencing erosion, depositing about 40 million tons of sediment into the Yangtze annually.[65] Because the flow is slower above the dam, much of this sediment will now settle there instead of flowing downstream, and there will be less sediment downstream.
The absence of silt downstream has three effects:
- Some hydrologists expect downstream riverbanks to become more vulnerable to flooding.[66]
- Shanghai, more than 1,600 km (990 mi) away, rests on a massive sedimentary plain. The "arriving silt—so long as it does arrive—strengthens the bed on which Shanghai is built... the less the tonnage of arriving sediment the more vulnerable is this biggest of Chinese cities to inundation..."[67]
- Benthic sediment buildup causes biological damage and reduces aquatic biodiversity.[68]
Earthquakes and landslides
Erosion in the reservoir, induced by rising water, causes frequent major landslides that have led to noticeable disturbance in the reservoir surface, including two incidents in May 2009 when somewhere between 20,000 and 50,000 cubic metres (26,000 and 65,000 cu yd) of material plunged into the flooded Wuxia Gorge of the Wu River.[69] Also, in the first four months of 2010, there were 97 significant landslides.[70]
Waste management
The dam catalyzed improved upstream wastewater treatment around Chongqing and its suburban areas. According to the Ministry of Environmental Protection, as of April 2007 more than 50 new plants could treat 1.84 million tonnes per day, 65% of the total need. About 32 landfills were added, which could handle 7,664.5 tonnes of solid waste every day.[71] Over one billion tons of wastewater are released annually into the river,[65] which was more likely to be swept away before the reservoir was created. This has left the water looking stagnant, polluted and murky.[70]
Forest cover
The Three Gorges area currently has 10% forestation, down from 20% in the 1950s.[65]
Research by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization research suggests that the Asia-Pacific region will, overall, gain about 6,000 square km of forest in 2008. That is quite a turnaround from the 13,000 square km net loss of forest each year in the 1990s. The main reason is China's huge reforestation effort. This accelerated after the 1998 Yangtze River floods convinced the government that it must restore tree cover, especially in the Yangtze's basin upstream of the Three Gorges Dam.[72]
Concerns about the potential wildlife impact of the Dam predate the National People's Congress's approval in 1992.[73] This region has long been known for its rich biodiversity. It is home to 6,388 species of plants, which belong to 238 families and 1508 genera. Of these plant species, 57 percent are endangered.[74] These rare species are also used as ingredients in traditional Chinese medicines.[75] Already, the percentage of forested area in the region surrounding the Three Gorges Dam has dropped from twenty percent in 1950 to less than ten percent as of 2002,[76] negatively affecting all plant species in this locality. The region also provides habitats to hundreds of freshwater and terrestrial animal species.[65] Freshwater fish are especially affected by dams due to changes in the water temperature and flow regime. Many other fish are hurt in the turbine blades of the hydroelectric plants as well. This is particularly detrimental to the ecosystem of the region because the Yangtze River basin is home to 361 different fish species and accounts for twenty-seven percent of all endangered freshwater fish species in China.[77] Other aquatic species are being endangered by the dam, particularly the Baiji, or the Chinese River Dolphin.[65]
Of the 3,000 to 4,000 remaining critically endangered Siberian Crane, a large number currently spend the winter in wetlands that will be destroyed by the Three Gorges Dam.[78] The dam contributed to the functional extinction of the Baiji Yangtze river dolphin. Though it was close to this level even at the start of construction, the dam further decreased its habitat and increased ship travel, which are among the factors causing what will be its ultimate demise. In addition, populations of the Yangtze sturgeon are guaranteed to be "negatively affected" by the dam.[79]
Floods, agriculture, industry
An important function of the dam is to control flooding, which is a major problem for the seasonal river of the Yangtze. Millions of people live downstream of the dam, with many large, important cities like Wuhan, Nanjing, and Shanghai situated adjacent to the river. Plenty of farm land and China's most important industrial area are built beside the river.
The reservoir's flood storage capacity is 22 cubic kilometres (18,000,000 acre⋅ft). This capacity will reduce the frequency of major downstream flooding from once every ten years to once every 100 years. The dam is expected to minimize the effect of even a "super" flood.[80][81] In 1954 the river flooded 193,000 km2 (74,518 sq mi), killing 33,169 people and forcing 18,884,000 people to move. The flood covered Wuhan, a city of eight million people, for over three months, and the Jingguang Railway was out of service for more than 100 days.[82] The 1954 flood carried 50 cubic kilometres (12 cu mi) of water. The dam could only divert the water above Chenglingji, leaving 30 to 40 km3 (7.2 to 9.6 cu mi) to be diverted.[83] Also the dam cannot protect against some of the large tributaries downstream, including the Xiang, Zishui, Yuanshui, Lishui, Hanshui, and the Gan.
In 1998 a flood in the same area caused billions of dollars in damage; 2,039 km2 (787 sq mi) of farm land were flooded. The flood affected more than 2.3 million people, killing 1,526.[84]
In early August 2009, the largest flood in five years passed through the dam site. The dam limited the water flow to less than 40,000 cubic metres (52,000 cu yd) per second, raising the upstream water level from 145.13 metres on August 1, 2009, to 152.88 on August 8, 2009. 4.27 cubic kilometres of flood water were captured and the river flow was cut by as much as 15,000 cubic metres per second.[46]
The dam discharges its reservoir during the dry season between December and March every year.[85] This increases the flow rate of the river downstream, and provides fresh water for agricultural and industrial usage. It also improves shipping conditions. The water level upstream drops from 175 m to 145 m,[86] preparing for the rainy season. The water also powers the Gezhouba Dam downstream.
Since the filling of the reservoir in 2003, the Three Gorges Dam has supplied an extra 11 cubic kilometres of fresh water to downstream cities and farms during the dry season.[87]
During the 2010 South China floods, in July, inflows at the Three Gorges Dam reached a peak of 70,000 m3/s (2,500,000 cu ft/s), exceeding the peak during the 1998 Yangtze River Floods. The dam's reservoir rose nearly 3 m (9.8 ft) in 24 hours and reduced the outflow to 40,000 m3/s (1,400,000 cu ft/s) in discharges downstream, effectively alleviating serious impacts on the middle and lower river.[88][89]
The installation of ship locks is intended to increase river shipping from ten million to 100 million tonnes annually, as a result transportation costs will be cut between 30 and 37%. Shipping will become safer, since the gorges are notoriously dangerous to navigate.[63] Ships with much deeper draft will be able to navigate 2,400 kilometres (1,500 mi) upstream from Shanghai all the way to Chongqing. It is expected that shipping to Chongqing will increase fivefold.[90][91]
There are two series of ship locks installed near the dam (30°50′12″N 111°1′10″E / 30.83667°N 111.01944°E). Each of them is made up of five stages, with transit time at around four hours. Maximum vessel size is 10,000 tons.[92] The locks are 280 m long, 35 m wide, and 5 m deep (918 x 114 x 16.4 ft).[93][94] That is 30 m longer than those on the St Lawrence Seaway, but half as deep. Before the dam was constructed, the maximum freight capacity at the Three Gorges site was 18.0 million tonnes per year. From 2004 to 2007, a total of 198 million tonnes of freight passed through the locks. The freight capacity of the river increased six times and the cost of shipping was reduced by 25%. The total capacity of the ship locks is expected to reach 100 million tonnes per year.[63]
These locks are staircase locks, whereby inner lock gate pairs serve as both the upper gate and lower gate. The gates are the vulnerable hinged type, which, if damaged, could temporarily render the entire flight unusable. As there are separate sets of locks for upstream and downstream traffic, this system is more water efficient than bi-directional staircase locks.
Ship lifts
In addition to the canal locks, a ship lift, a kind of elevator for vessels, is under construction. The ship lift is designed to be capable of lifting ships of up to 3,000 tons.[95] The original plans specified a lift with the capacity to lift 11,500 ton vessels. The vertical distance traveled will be 113 metres,[96] and the size of the ship lift's basin will be 120x18x3.5 metres. The ship lift, when completed, will take 30 to 40 minutes to transit, as opposed to the three to four hours for stepping through the locks.[97] One complicating factor is that the water level can vary dramatically. The ship lift must work even if water levels vary by 12 meters (39 ft) on the lower side, and 30 metres on the upper side.
The ship lift was not yet complete when the rest of the project was officially opened on May 20, 2006.[98][99] In November 2007 it was reported in the local media that construction of the ship lift started in October 2007 and was anticipated to be completed in 2014.[22]
In February 2012 Xinhua reported that the four towers that are to support the ship lift had almost been completed.[100]
The report said the towers had reached 189 meters of the anticipated 195 meters, the towers would be completed by June 2012 and the entire shiplift in 2015.
Portage railways
Plans also exist for the construction of short portage railways bypassing the dam area altogether. Two short rail lines, one on each side of the river, are to be constructed. The 88-km long northern portage railway (北岸翻坝铁路) will run from the Taipingxi port facility (太平溪港) on the northern side of the Yangtze, just upstream from the dam, via Yichang East Railway Station to the Baiyang Tianjiahe port facility in Baiyang Town (白洋镇), below Yichang.[101] The 95-km long southern portage railway (南岸翻坝铁路) will run from Maoping[disambiguation needed] (upstream of the dam) via Yichang South Railway Station to Zhicheng (on the Jiaozuo–Liuzhou Railway).[101]
In late 2012, preliminary work started along both future railway routes.[102]
Relocation of residents
As of June 2008, China relocated 1.24 million residents (ending with Gaoyang in Hubei Province),[103][104] about 1.5% of the province's 60.3 million and Chongqing Municipality's 31.44 million population.[105] About 140,000 residents were relocated to other provinces.[106]
Relocation was completed on July 22, 2008.[104] Some 2007 reports claimed that Chongqing Municipality will encourage an additional four million people to move away from the dam to the main urban area of Chongqing by 2020.[107][108][109] However, the municipal government explained that the relocation is due to urbanization, rather than the dam, and people involved included other areas of the municipality.[110]
Allegedly, funds for relocating 13,000 farmers around Gaoyang disappeared after being sent to the local government, leaving residents without compensation.[111]
Other effects
Culture and aesthetics
The 600 km (370 mi) long reservoir flooded some 1,300 archaeological sites and altered the appearance of the Three Gorges as the water level rose over 300 ft (91 m).[112] Cultural and historical relics are being moved to higher ground as they are discovered, but the flooding inevitably covered undiscovered relics. Some sites could not be moved because of their location, size, or design. For example, the hanging coffins site high in the Shen Nong Gorge is part of the cliffs.[113]
National security
The United States Department of Defense reported that in Taiwan, "proponents of strikes against the mainland apparently hope that merely presenting credible threats to China's urban population or high-value targets, such as the Three Gorges Dam, will deter Chinese military coercion."[114]
The notion that the military in Taiwan would seek to destroy the dam provoked an angry response from the mainland Chinese media. People's Liberation Army General Liu Yuan was quoted in the China Youth Daily saying that the People's Republic of China would be "seriously on guard against threats from Taiwan independence terrorists."[115]
Structural integrity
Days after the first filling of the reservoir, around 80 hairline cracks were observed in the dam's structure.[116][117][118] The submerged spillway gates of the dam might pose a risk of cavitation, similar to what severely damaged the poorly designed and cavitating spillways of the Glen Canyon Dam in the US state of Arizona, which was unable to properly withstand the Colorado river floods of 1983.[119] However 163,000 concrete units of the Three Gorges dam all passed quality testing and the deformation was within design limits. An experts group gave the project overall a good quality rating.[120]
Upstream dams
In order to maximize the utility of the Three Gorges Dam and cut down on sedimentation from the Jinsha River, upstream of the Yangtze River before reaching Yibin in Sichuan, authorities plan to build a series of dams downstream of Jinsha, including Wudongde Dam, Baihetan Dam, Xiluodu Dam, and Xiangjiaba Dam. The total capacity of those four dams is 38,500 MW,[121] almost double the capacity of the Three Gorges.[122] Xiluodu and Xiangjiaba are under construction, while Baihetan is preparing for construction and Wudongde is seeking government approval. Another eight dams are in the midstream of the Jinsha and eight more upstream of it.[123]
See also
- Energy policy of China
- List of largest power stations in the world
- List of largest hydroelectric power stations
- List of power stations in China
- List of dams and reservoirs in China
- ^ "Three Gorges Project" (PDF). Chinese National Committee on Large Dams. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
- ^ ""Swimming" by Mao Zedong". Marxists.org. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ a b "2012年三峡工程建设与运行管理成效十分显著".
- ^ a b c d Acker, Fabian (2009-03-02). "Taming the Yangtze". IET magazine.[dead link]
- ^ a b "三峡工程最后一台机组结束72小时试运行". ctg.com.cn. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
- ^ "Three Gorges underground power station electrical and mechanical equipment is fully handed over production" (in Chinese). China Three Gorges Corporation. Retrieved 8 July 2012.
- ^ a b "三峡工程左右岸电站26台机组全部投入商业运行" (in Chinese). China Three Gorges Project Corporation. 2008-10-30. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ^ ":: Three Gorges reservoir raises water to target level". Xinhua. 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ^ a b c "Final Turbine at China's Three Gorges Dam Begins Testing". Inventor Spot. Retrieved 2011-05-15.
- ^ "中国长江三峡工程开发总公司". Ctgpc.com.cn. 2009-04-08. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "中国长江三峡工程开发总公司". Ctgpc.com.cn. 2009-03-10. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "一座自主创新历史丰碑 三峡工程的改革开放之路". Hb.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "重庆云阳长江右岸现360万方滑坡险情-地方-人民网". People's Daily. Retrieved 2009-08-01. See also: "探访三峡库区云阳故陵滑坡险情". News.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ Lin Yang (2007-10-12). "China's Three Gorges Dam Under Fire". Time. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
The giant Three Gorges Dam across China's Yangtze River has been mired in controversy ever since it was first proposedSee also: Laris, Michael (1998-08-17). "Untamed Waterways Kill Thousands Yearly". Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
Officials now use the deadly history of the Yangtze, China's longest river, to justify the country's riskiest and most controversial infrastructure project – the enormous Three Gorges Dam.and Grant, Stan (2005-06-18). "Global Challenges: Ecological and Technological Advances Around the World". CNN. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
China's engineering marvel is unleashing a torrent of criticism. [...] When it comes to global challenges, few are greater or more controversial than the construction of the massive Three Gorges Dam in Central China.and Gerin, Roseanne (2008-12-11). "Rolling on a River". Beijing Review. Retrieved 2009-03-28.
..the 180-billion yuan ($26.3 billion) Three Gorges Dam project has been highly contentious.
- ^ Lin Yang (2007-10-12). "China's Three Gorges Dam Under Fire". Time.
- ^ a b "中国国民党、亲民党、111新党访问团相继参观三峡工程_新闻中心_新浪网". News.sina.com.cn. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ John Lucian Savage Biography by Abel Wolman & W. H. Lyles, National Academy of Science, 1978.
- ^ "China's Dream Dam." Popular Science, July 1946
- ^ a b Steven Mufson (1997-11-09). "The Yangtze Dam: Feat or Folly?". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ^ "1992年4月3日全国人大批准兴建三峡工程". News.rednet.cn. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^ Allin, Samuel Robert Fishleigh (2004-11-30). "An Examination of China's Three Gorges Dam Project Based on the Framework Presented in the Report of The World Commission on Dams" (PDF). Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ^ a b "三峡升船机开工建设_荆楚网 (Three Gorges ship lift operation construction)". CnHubei. 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2008-08-09. translation
- ^ a b Water level at Three Gorges Project raised to full capacity
- ^ "三峡完成172.5米蓄水 中游航道正常维护(图)-搜狐新闻". News.sohu.com. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^ "Three Gorges Dam Project — Quick Facts". ibiblio.org. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ^ "三峡水库:世界淹没面积最大的水库 (Three Gorges reservoir: World submergence area biggest reservoir)". Xinhua Net. 2003-11-21. Retrieved 2008-04-10.
- ^ a b "International Water Power and Dam Construction". Waterpowermagazine.com. 2007-01-10. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
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- ^ "Three Gorges Dam" (in Chinese). China Three Gorges Project Corporation. 2003-04-20. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
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- ^ "李永安:我水轮发电机组已具完全自主设计制造能力_财经频道_新华网" (in Chinese). Xinhua News Agency. 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ^ THREE GORGES DAM by Matthew Morioka, Alireza Abrishamkar, Yve Kay CEE 491
- ^ "三峡工程及其水电机组概况 (Three Gorges Project and water and electricity unit survey)" (in Chinese). 中华商务网讯. 2002-07-26. Retrieved 2008-04-11. translation
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- ^ "三峡地下电站30号机组充水启动 (Three Gorges Underground Power Station Unit No. 30, water-filled start)". Three Gorges Corporation. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
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- ^ "三峡工程左右岸电站26台机组全部投入商业运行 – 中国报道 – 国际在线" (in Chinese). CRI online. 2008-10-30. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ^ "三峡电站月发电量首过百亿千瓦时" (in Chinese). China Three Gorges Project Corporation. 2008-08-15. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ^ "三峡电站26台发电机组投产后首次满负荷发电". Hb.xinhuanet.com. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ a b "中国长江三峡工程开发总公司". Ctgpc.com.cn. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
- ^ "国家电网公司-主要水电厂来水和运行情况". Sgcc.com.cn. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "国家电网公司-国调直调信息系统". Sgcc.com.cn. Retrieved 2009-08-01. State Grid Corporation
- ^ "China's Three Gorges sets new production record". Hydro World. January 10, 2013. Retrieved 2013-01-10.
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- ^ "国家重大技术装备". Chinaequip.gov.cn. 2010-01-08. Retrieved 2010-08-20.
- ^ "峡—葛洲坝梯级电站全年发电1006.1亿千瓦时".
- ^ "Three Gorges Project Generates 78.29 Bln Kwh of Electricity in 2011".
- ^ "中国长江三峡工程开发总公司". Ctgpc.com.cn. 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "Construction of the Three Gorges Project and Ecological Protection". Chinagate.com.cn. 2007-11-27. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
- ^ "Three Gorges Dam" (in Chinese). National Development and Reform Commission. 2007-12-20. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
- ^ "Three Gorges, China". ABB Group. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
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- ^ "能源局:2011年全社会用电量累计达46928亿千瓦时".
- ^ "Three Gorges Dam" (in Chinese). NDRC. 2007-03-07. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
- ^ "Greenhouse Gas Emissions By Country". Carbonplanet. 2006. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
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- ^ a b c d "长江电力(600900)2008年上半年发电量完成情况公告 – 证券之星 (The Three Gorges sluice year transported goods volume may amount to 100,000,000 tons)". Xinhua. 2007-01-23. Retrieved 2008-08-09. translation
- ^ Topping, Audrey Ronning. Environmental controversy over the Three Gorges Dam. Earth Times News Service.
- ^ a b c d e
Qing, Dai, 9. The River Dragon Has Come!: The Three Gorges Dam and the Fate of China's Yangtze River and Its People (East Gate Book). Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe, 1997. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "autogenerated1" defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ "三峡大坝之忧". The Wall Street Journal. 2007-08-28. Retrieved 2009-08-16.
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- ^ "湖北省三峡治污项目三年内投入约23.5亿元 (In the Hubei Province Three Gorges anti-pollution project three years invest the approximately 2,350,000,000 Yuan)". Xinhua. 2007-04-19. Retrieved 2008-08-09. translation
- ^ Peter Collins, Falling Here, Rising There, The World in 2008, The Economist, p. 63.
- ^ Li, Long (1989). Environmental planning of large-scale water projects: The Three Gorges Dam case, China (M.A. thesis) Wilfrid Laurier University
- ^ Wu, Jianguo, et al. "Three-Gorges Dam— Experiment in Habitat Fragmentation?" Science 300-5623 (May 23, 2003): 1239–1240.
- ^ Chetham, Deirdre. "Before the Deluge: The Vanishing World of the Yangtze's Three Gorges." New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.
- ^ Chetham, Deirdre. "Before the Deluge: The Vanishing World of the Yangtze's Three Gorges."
- ^ Xie, Ping. "Three-Gorges Dam: Risk to Ancient Fish." Science 302-5648 (Nov 14, 2003): 1149.
- ^ "Three Gorges Dam Case Study". American University, The School of International Service. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
- ^ Ethan Theuerkauf (2007-10-02). "Three Gorges Dam: A Blessing or an Environmental Disaster?". The Flat Hat, the College of William and Mary's student newspaper. Retrieved 2008-01-20.[dead link]
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- ^
"The Three Gorges Dam". Washington Post. 1997. Archived from the original on 2011-12-14. Retrieved 2011-12-14.
A maximum depth of 574 feet. This is expected to allow 10,000-ton ocean-going cargo ships and passenger liners to navigate 1,500 miles inland to Chongqing.
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- ^
"Tower columns for Three Gorges shiplift to be built". YICHANG, Hubei Province: Xinhua. 2012-02-27. Archived from the original on 2013-02-27.
The entire shiplift will be completed in 2015.
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- ^ 三峡翻坝铁路前期工作启动 建成实现水铁联运 (Preliminary work started on the Three Gorges Portage Railways. The project will implement a water-rail connection.) 2012-10-12
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- ^ "Three Gorges Dam". Living On Earth. Retrieved 2009-06-03.
- ^ Steven Hannon. The 1983 Flood at Glen Canyon
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- ^ "中国三峡总公司拟在金沙江上建4座梯级水电站 总装机容量为3850万千瓦_中国电力网(www.chinapower.com.cn)新闻中心". chinapower.com.cn. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "Beijing Environment, Science and Technology Update". U.S. Embassy in China. 2003-03-07. Retrieved 2008-01-20.
- ^ "Beyond Three Gorges in China". Water Power Magazine. 2007-01-10. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
External links
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Three Gorges Dam.
- China Three Gorges Corporation (In English)
- China Yangtze Power Co., Ltd. - (In English)
- "Three Gorges Power Plant Animation". YouTube.

subset: commoncrawl


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About me
Megan Paustian is interested in the ecology, invasion biology, and phylogenetics of terrestrial slugs, particularly of the family Philomycidae and other poorly-known taxa. The terrestrial slugs (>550 species) are a group whose amazing worldwide ubiquity contrast with their scientific neglect. Although slugs are often very abundant (especially in agriculture), visible to the public, renowned as invasives, and economically and ecologically significant, the basic ecology and life history of most species remain surprisingly little understood. For her dissertation research, Megan investigated how competition between non-native arionid slugs and native philomycid slugs may negatively impact philomycid populations. She sought to compare the relative importance of the resources involved in conflict and to determine the mechanisms of competition between species. For her post-doctoral research, she hopes to integrate her experience in ecology with phylogeographic techniques in a study of the speciation and dispersal patterns of the Philomycidae.
My info
- Full name
- Megan Paustian
- Username
- mpaustia
- I am
- a professional scientist
- Curator level
- Full Curator
- 19 objects curated
- 3 taxa curated
- 0 images set as exemplar
- 0 articles selected for Overview
- 0 preferred classifications selected
- 0 common names added
- 0 common names removed
- 0 common names curated
- 2 taxa commented
- 2 comments submitted
- 0 articles added
- 0 data records added
- *counts are refreshed daily
Curator qualifications
- Credentials
- Ph.D. BEES Program (Behavior, Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics) at the University of Maryland, College Park. Rubenstein Fellow 2010. Collection Manager of Mollusks at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, PIttsburgh.
- Curation scope
- slug species, especially Philomycidae


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With the amount of information on the Internet—news, stories, tutorials, encyclopaediae—it's hard to ever stop reading. What usually gets you in the end is impracticality. A need to switch devices or to go offline, but also the inability to read it now and a lack of commitment to read it later.
Reading websites can be bliss, but it isn't always comfortable. Noisy webpages assail your eyes and after a while, the almighty LCD takes its toll. With impending eye-strain causing a drop in productivity 4 Ways To Prevent Computer-Related Eye Strain Without Losing Productivity 4 Ways To Prevent Computer-Related Eye Strain Without Losing Productivity Do you spend many hours in front of a computer screen? If you do, you're probably familiar with the inescapable eye strain that comes with it. Headaches, burning eyes, itchiness and just being tired, are... Read More , it's time to call it a day.
If you're hungry to read (as I am), there are ways to get rid (or at least partly circumvent) these impracticalities. Other tips and tools also help to make reading more comfortable Make Your Web Reading More Productive With The Help Of 6 Chrome Extensions Make Your Web Reading More Productive With The Help Of 6 Chrome Extensions Reading on the web at the best of times is an ocular challenge. Those who love reading and a warm blanket, tend to hate reading on a web browser. Designing a better reading experience for... Read More . With these in your toolbox, you're able to make reading about reading again.
Invert Colours (for Nightly Reading)
Late at night, or in a dimly lit room, a glaring LCD screen wearies the eyes and can give you a killer headache. The black text on a white background works well in most general situations, but if you're reading in bad lighting, you should try inverting the webpage colours for easier reading. Your eyes will thank you for it.
Firefox users should take a look at Blank Your Screen + Easy Reading. This add-on lets you invert the colours on a webpage by clicking the status bar icon or using a key combination (Ctrl + Alt + B). You can change the colour palette in the preferences if you prefer e.g. white on green over white on black.
Google Chrome users can use Google's official accessibility extension: High Contrast. Similar to the Firefox add-on, you can toggle inverting the colours using the extension button or a keyboard shortcut (Cmd + Shift + F11). A big advantage of this extension is that you can change the preferred colour scheme for each individual website. This way, you don't have to toggle the colours every time you visit a rare website that already offers a night reading mode.
Save Pages For Delayed Reading
Sometimes you encounter an interesting page, app or article when you don't have the time to fully check it out. Maybe you're late for work. Maybe you're at work. In either case, it can be useful to save an article for later reading.
Pocket saves you the trouble of remembering or writing down these web pages. Just create an account and install the browser extension or bookmarklet. Pressing the icon saves (or "pockets") the article for later reading. Because this list of delayed articles is linked to your account, the pages you save from different devices are all gathered in one convenient place.
You can access these articles from your reading list via the Pocket website or using the Pocket for Mac 5 Better Alternatives to Pocket That Bookmark Anything for Later 5 Better Alternatives to Pocket That Bookmark Anything for Later Pocket has long held the crown of being the internet's best digital bookmarking service. But is it time to scrap it and search for better read-it-later bookmarking alternatives? Read More application. Cleaned of all clutter, reading these articles with Pocket is even more fun than usual. (More on removing clutter below).
To read on your other devices, get the free mobile apps for (deep breath) iPhone/iPad, Android, Kindle Fire, Windows Mobile, Blackberry, WebOS and s60. A number of other apps, like the popular Flipboard, integrate with Pocket as well. In summary: don't expect much compatibility issues.
Send To Kindle
Although Pocket integrates well with a lot of devices, including the Kindle Fire, it doesn't play well with eReaders. You can use another browser extension to bridge that particular gap. The official Send To Kindle extensions have you covered. These tie in to browsers like Chrome (pictured below) and Firefox, but you can also download desktop applications for Mac and Windows Amazon's New "Send To Kindle" App Lets You Easily Send Files From PC To Kindle [News] Amazon's New "Send To Kindle" App Lets You Easily Send Files From PC To Kindle [News] Amazon has just released a new piece of software, aimed at making your PC-Kindle interaction even easier. The new app is called Send to Kindle, and can be downloaded onto any Windows machine from here... Read More and push local files to your eReader.
You can choose whether to send the current web page to your Kindle, or to preview it first. The add-on removes all the unnecessary clutter, sidebars and buttons alike, and presents it for your approval. You can change the title and author of the article and tinker with the formatting if you'd like. However, in my experience the Send to Kindle extension does a good job on its own.
It might seem a bit much to add another extension to your browser for one device. However, it all depends on how extensively you use your eReader. Personally, I use Send to Kindle about as much as I use Pocket. Especially for longer reads an eReader can be preferable to a tablet.
Download The Entire Web Page
If you use a single device, or have an easy way of transferring the files, you can also save the entire webpage to your computer. Using your browser's File -> Save As feature, you can save the current page to a folder on your computer. This has the benefit of providing offline access while retaining the original formatting.
If a single page does not suffice, read Justin Pot's instructions on downloading an entire website How Do I Download an Entire Website for Offline Reading? How Do I Download an Entire Website for Offline Reading? Life often brings all of us to places WiFi and 4G can't reach. With a little preparation, you can use these website downloads and browse certain websites offline -- perhaps for research, entertainment, or posterity. Read More (or selection thereof) for offline reading.
If you don't need to keep the web page in web page form, it might be a better idea to download it as a PDF file. Depending on the website, the result can look magnificent or horrendous, but in either case it's easy to transfer and use on other devices.
The easiest way to create a PDF is by printing to an application (instead of a hardware printer) that creates the PDF. This feature is standard included on Mac OS X. Users of other operating systems can install a third-party tool like CutePDF (Windows) or CUPS-PDF (Linux). If you are using Chrome, you can use the Save as PDF option.
Declutter Pages with Readability
Most websites (including this one) have headers, sidebars and a whole lot of buttons that are useful while navigating, but only serve to distract you while you're trying to read a longer article. A browser extension like Readability Save Your Eyes & Improve Web Page Legibility With Readability [Firefox] Save Your Eyes & Improve Web Page Legibility With Readability [Firefox] Poor web design can really put a damper on your web browsing. Ever been to a website with a jet black background and neon font colors with flashing banner ads all over the place? Good... Read More strips most of the article except title, pictures, and text to create a cleaner and much easier to read article, as demonstrated in the screenshot below.
These decluttered articles are similar to the pages you'll read using Pocket or sent to Kindle, both discussed in detail above, but now available to read on the spot.
Actually, Readability also supports delayed reading and sending articles to Kindle (although it doesn't match up to these other tools in all regards). However, if you prefer a one size fits all solution, you should also check out Readability to handle these respective jobs.
What do you use to make websites easier and more pleasant to read? Do you have any tips for your fellow reader? Add your voice in the comments section below!
Leave a Reply
I find a simple "gmail this" IE bookmarklet stops me being distracted at work by useful (but not work based) websites.
Since I sometimes take my work laptop home for my own use, I have firefox set up for home stuff in general, including a similar "email to work" bookmarklet. The system works.
Thanks much for these tips and links to some helpers. At night, my eyes are tired so I need all the help I can get.
i already have the send to kindle extension.
I am now inverting the colors ;)
Pocket and Readability are wonderful
Instapaper is the best one for sending pages to a Kindle.
I also like to use the Style option of the browser (remove style actually), to read sites that have dark background.
Dotepub (dotepub.com) has an extension that alloes you to download any web page as an epub. I find it invaluable
I aggree with Hildyj: Clearly is *awesome*
I have tried many of the ways you suggested. Readability has a nice interface. Pocket seems to have *unlimited* space (With Evernote, it is not hard to go over your monthly limit).
If the article is something I want to keep for future, I usually do a "print to" and save as PDF... It's much simpler this way. It is easy to lose track of your tagging system in Evernote
Great Things to Do! Thanks a lot..
Great way to make websites easier to read: larger fonts. If the default page zoom settings aren't enough, use the Firefox addon NoSquint to put a set of controls in the toolbar, or a gadget that shows the current zoom level and pops out a control panel when clicked. You can press CTRL plus the PLUS key to view a page larger, CTRL plus MINUS to zoom out (smaller), or add the SHIFT key to zoom just the text; you can also use CTRL plus Zero to reset everything back to 100%.
PrintFriendly is also great for reading. http://www.printfriendly.com
Nice.. I can read for longer hours now.
No mention of Instapaper? Wasn't that around before Pocket?
Yep. I personally switched to Instapaper from Pocket, because I like how it looks better.
FF add-on "No Small Text" increases the size of small text, without making regular text huge.
And Readability rocks.
I just wish that website designers would stop using gray on gray. It's very very hard to read. And if they would use black on white then we would not need to worry about playing games to get decent contrast. Also if sites like Facebook and iOS would allow you to make the text larger when you wanted not when they wanted that would help too.
You can use "CTRL+" to increase and "CTRL-" to decrease the size of text on the screen.
You can also use Wunderlist as a tool for saving articles you wish to read later. It also has a Chrome extension.
You may also use Wunderlist as a tool for saving articles you wish to read later. It also has a Chrome extension.
I set up send to Kindle and the Blank Your Screen+Easy Reading. I'll see how those work before I try anything else.
I use the Clearly extension which strips out the junk, like Readability, but also gives you the option to send it to Evernote.


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- Sharebear
- 5 years ago
- Wedding: May 2013
Many many years ago, I was told by an endocrinologist that I had PCOS and she put me on the pill to regulate my periods. Because I was only 19 at the time and wasn't trying to get pregnant, I wasn't really given much information and basically told to not worry about it until I was actually TTC. They made this diagnosis based on symptoms and bloodwork so I didn't have an ultrasound at the time either.
So since then, I guess I've always just had it in my head that getting pregnant wouldn't be easy for me and even though I've always used precautions, I've never thought that when I did try to conceive that it would just happen.
Now that we are trying to conceive, I was talking to a family member about my unofficial "game plan" for starting our family. In my mind, we're going to try for 6 months, after that visit the doctor to inquire about fertility testing, and depending on the outcome of those tests, either look into fertility treatments or the adoption process.
This family member thought I was being wayyyy too negative about the whole thing and passively suggested that I should be more hopeful. As in miracles do happen….
Is she right? I dunno, I guess I felt I was being more realistic than negative. I've always wanted children but I just don't want to be crushed month after month if it doesn't happen. Does anyone else have low conception expectations?


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House In Humble
Hylleskovvænget, Humble, Region Syddanmark, Denmark
Property Ref:
Description of House In HumbleA 10 km long sandy beach is located near this holiday home in Ristinge. This beach is ideal for families with children and nature lovers. A small footpath leads to Ristinge Hale, from where you can enjoy a magnificent view of Marstal located on Ærø Island. Ristinge Peninsula was formed in the last Ice Age from the Little Belt Glacier. One of the best beaches of this region is located on this island. A bird sanctuary and the area of Nørreballe is a large nature reserve located south of Ristinge in Tryggelev. You can spot rare eagles in this bird sanctuary. Enjoy wonderful experiences in the fishing villages and in the wonderful, endlessly long, child-friendly sandy beaches located in Langeland. This region offers activities for all age groups. You can play golf in the south of the island, admire the rich number of birds or spot wild horses. Dovns Klint is the southern tip of the island, where you can experience impressive nature during all seasons.
Features of House In Humble
Updating Calendar
For information about rates or to make a booking.
Location details for House In Humble
(All distances and times are approximations)
Langeland & Tåsinge home.Other locations within the Funen, Langeland, Tåsinge area:


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Lance Armstrong is racing the Galveston 70.3 this weekend. If you are a triathlete, there is little doubt that you know that his return (yes I said return) to triathlon has really sparked an interest in our quarky little sport. In an online poll conducted on the Ironman Facebook page, he is the fan pick to win the men's side of the race, but I for one am not willing to anoint him the next king of the three sports. Unbelievable sportsman, yes. King of 1/2 IM and IM racing? Not quite yet.
In the poll, fans are selecting from four athletes, but really the only two that are in contention are Lance Armstrong and Michael Raelert. As I am writing this, Armstrong has just over 400 votes and Raelert has just over 370 votes. Chris Lieto (my favorite iron distance triathlete) was going to participate in this race, but pulled out with an injury. I really as disappointed because he could almost match Armstrong's pace on the bike. Lieto and Armstrong had a little friendly time trial in Hawaii a couple of years ago as Lieto trained for Kona. The result? Armstrong barely edged out Lieto. Barely.
Thinking back to what I wrote up about Lance Armstrong before Panama 70.3 where he came really, really close to winning, it would seem I am down on Lance. Looking at the entries related to my questions about doping and what his former teammates say about him it looks like I have some type of bone to pick with him. Could be that he was my boss in a former life and I still carry that grudge.
But I really want to like Lance. I think what you are seeing is my resistance to hitting my knees and pounding my fists on the road as he flies by me on his bike like the Tifosi used to do in Italy for their cycling campionissimo. I am not resigned to the fact that he will win every race he enters just because he is, well, Lance.
He is fantastic for the sport of triathlon. He will bring big sponsorship dollars and innovation to our sport. Other pros will enjoy the new technologies and money that he brings with him. But Lieto, Macca, Crowie, Raelert, and other top professionals need to stand up to him instead of being star struck. Don't get me wrong — I don't think anyone has rolled over for him yet. While you have to respect his accomplishment of seven (yes seven) wins at the Tour de France, this is a new sport. It reminds me of when Michael Jordan started the new PED named "crack" and tried his hand at baseball. While Jordan never made it to the big show, he did try his best to be a two sport athlete. I think at Kona 2012, all the top pros will bring their A game and Armstrong will finish off the podium. I would like to see someone take a page out of Contador's playbook and really use a psychological game to work Armstrong over. Except I would like to see triathletes remain drug free. Using the "it was in this hamburger I ate" excuse is not going to work with IMNA.
One athlete that was not in the poll that you should never count out is Matthew Russell. Of course I pick him mostly because of his last name and he looks just like me too. But, the native New Yorker moved down to Austin to live and train and I gotta think he has made several trip to Galveston to train on the course. Why not use your home court advantage? He is strong and I think as a dark horse, he has every chance to podium this weekend.
As for the women's race, I think this race belongs to Caitlin Snow. Of course, if Angela Naeth was going to this race, she would be my pick for the win. Angela is in Las Vegas to race Leadman this weekend. There are some great athletes racing Leadman, but I am going to stick with my winner and say Angela, rock and roll this weekend. Go for the win. We know you have it in you.
I think it will be interesting to see who wins Galveston. If it is Armstrong, the triathlon world will go crazy. If it is anyone else, they are going to have to catch and beat him on the run, because you know no matter how much time you put on him on the swim, he is going to hunt you down like a wounded animal. You know he is going to put time on the field and barring injury or a mechanical, Armstrong will be first off the bike. It remains to be seen if Raelert and Russell (man I wish I was related to him) will be able to catch and hold him off on the run.
What do you guys think? Am I the last holdout to jump on the "Lance Armstrong is the greatest triathlete ever" bandwagon?
And now for your daily running motivational quote from me on Pinterest.
Related Topics:
Triathlon Training Tips
Triathlon Product Reviews
Triathlon Race Reports


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Farmers just want the ability to effectively produce food for the world.
This year's Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention will focus on that desire with its theme of "Freedom to Farm: Cultivating the American Dream." The event will be held Nov. 27-29 at the Westfields Marriott in Chantilly.
Keynote speaker Stuart Rothenberg will examine how the recent presidential election could affect farmers. Rothenberg is editor and publisher of The Rothenberg Political Report, a non-partisan newsletter that provides analysis of U.S. elections. He will address convention participants at lunch on Tuesday.
In addition to his newsletter, Rothenberg writes a twice-weekly column for Capitol Hill's Roll Call, and he has contributed opinion pieces to The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times and the Orlando Sentinel.
His political expertise also has garnered him appearances on NBC's Meet the Press and TODAY and ABC's This Week and Nightline.
Following the keynote speech, participants can attend afternoon workshops to learn how American agriculture is affected by world economics, and how they can effectively share agriculture's story with consumers.
David Kohl, president of AgriVisions LLC, a consulting business for agricultural organizations, will lead a workshop titled "The Wild World of Global Economics." He will address how world economies are influencing land values, commodities and agricultural input costs.
Kohl taught for 25 years as a professor of agricultural finance and small business management and entrepreneurship in Virginia Tech's Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. He is currently a professor emeritus.
A second workshop will introduce the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance and why it was formed to spark national conversations between consumers and farmers.
The workshop will feature research findings that indicate consumers want more information about their food and about farmers' continuous improvement efforts. Participants will receive suggestions for getting involved in national conversations about the nation's food supply.
On Wednesday morning, American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman will address convention participants at breakfast. Stallman has served as AFBF president since 2000 and is a past president of the Texas Farm Bureau.
Wednesday's lunch speaker is Jolene Brown, an Iowa corn and soybean farmer, author and family business consultant. She will present "Wrinkles of Wit and Wisdom," an inspirational speech based on old-fashioned words of insight such as "Don't count your chickens before they're hatched" and "Keep your fences mended."
Voting delegates from each county Farm Bureau will help shape the organization's state and federal policies for the coming year. Delegates also will elect members of the VFBF board of directors to represent Districts 2, 5, 8, 11 and 14.
Also up for election are the offices of VFBF president, vice-president, Women's Committee chairman and Young Farmers Committee chairman.
With nearly 150,000 members in 88 county Farm Bureaus, VFBF is Virginia's largest farmers' advocacy group. Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, non-partisan, voluntary organization committed to protecting Virginia's farms and ensuring a safe, fresh and locally grown food supply.


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Relationship Details
Celebrity Biographies
CM Punk dated Beth Phoenix in the past, but they broke up in December, 2011. CM Punk dated Beth Phoenix for 1 month. CM Punk is currently married to AJ Lee.
Sports - Wrestler / WWF
Why Famous: N/A
Age: 39 (b. 10/26/1978)
Sports - Wrestler / WWF
Why Famous: WWE Diva
Age: 37 (b. 11/24/1980)
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When you purchase a new product from anyone any brand you should first look at the company you are buying from. Whether you are buying a New Car or a New Coffee maker; the company that makes the product is far from the company that sells it!!
Last month my wife and I experienced this FIRST HAND… We decided to purchase ourselves a new "Hot Tub" for our Christmas gift to each other and I started my research on the web. I research "Top Manufactures", "Top Consumer Rated" and "Top Industry Rated". I looked at specifications, Dimensions, and ALL the "Bells and Whistles" and WOW there are a lot of bells and whistles!!!
I narrowed the field fairly quickly and brought the numbers down to just 4 that were in the "Top 10" list. Jacuzzi, Hot Springs, Nordic, and Cal Spa. (All three are offered in Longview) All were highly rated "Nationally" by both INDUSTRY and CONSUMER which only left us a little leg work to see which one we liked and purchase; Right??? WOW what a difference it makes to actually do the "Leg Work". We spent about a week and listened to "Pushy" sales pitches on what makes "Our Hot Tub" the best and why the others are "NOT the quality" and really "NO NEED to Compare Shop the other places in town" "I have been in the business for 45 years and "NO BODY IS BETTER THAN ME"!!! We listened to one salesman tell us that his three brands were the best then in the next sentence tell us that two of his brands "weren't brands that he would purchase" and one elderly gent would only show us "Videos" on his computer and had nothing to show on the floor. We really started getting discouraged when we Stopped by East Texas Spa next to "Casa Ole" on the loop.
Greg, Laurie, and Cecile went out of their way to make us feel as if we were family instead of just another customer. Greg spent the time to explain his product in terms that even I could understand. They also encouraged us to "Check out the competition" if we found a better product then buy it!
We looked at the "Google Ratings" for all the places we had visited and found that "East Texas Spa" is the ONLY place that has a 5 star rating and we now know why. Greg has answered EVERY question without hesitation and the installation team was extremely professional and "Happy" to help with all my questions.
We purchased a new Hot Springs "Gleam" hot tub and are looking forward to many years of "Luxury"


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Well, here I am sharing something I never, ever thought I'd be writing about! And getting more personal than I usually do on the blog. But I couldn't find any way around it, if I wanted to say thank-you and spotlight a great organization. And I do, so here goes!
I do find joy in what I do as a mother. That is mostly because of the example of this great woman - my mom. She is the mother of seven children and you should see the way her face lights up when one of them walk into the room. She has taught me so much about enjoying every stage of life - of my children and my own life, too!
|My Beautiful Mother
|From Left: Mari Goodman, Judy Ward, Me
|Humbled & Happy
|Steve, or The Love of My Life in case it wasn't obvious!
And finally, for anyone still reading - is the quote I shared in my speech:


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Elle Mel Mata - Tales of Xillia 2
|Elle is adorable <3 I love her design (especially her Mike-inspired backpack)! Being made to meet Hideo Baba at October's London MCM Comic Con \o/
I'm gonna tie in Arphrial as Ludger sometime in 2014 and he's gonna be perfect!! And of course we've got Lulu too :]
She looks really cute, think you'll suit her!
This was adorbs! <3
This was adorable!
Buyin up stuff
Been getting some bits and pieces together for Elle already! The wig is a Shinku wig and it's a little more golden than Elle's hair, but I realy like it :] the pigtails are thin and it even has her little curls at the front! I think cause it's a bit more golden it'll make the costume look a little more vibrant. Ordered some incredibly attractive ~galaxy leggings~ (not pictured), goodness knows what they'll look like when they arrive but it was cheaper than sourcing and buying fabric to make my own. Also ordered my fat little Lulu, who was extortionately priced but adorable <3 there is a larger version but he was quite a bit more expensive, and I couldn't resist the chibi version! I'm going to get fabric for her hat, cardigan, dress and backpack today, hopefully! Her costume is super simple but I can't wait to get started :]


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Series: Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology
355 pages, Figs
The evolutionary roots of human communication are difficult to trace, but recent comparative research suggests that the first key step in that evolutionary history may have been the establishment of basic communicative flexibility - the ability to vocalize freely combined with the capability to coordinate vocalization with communicative intent. The contributors to this volume investigate how some species (particularly ancient hominids) broke free of the constraints of "fixed signals," actions that were evolved to communicate but lack the flexibility of language - a newborn infant's cry, for example, always signals distress and has a stereotypical form not modifiable by the crying baby. Fundamentally, the contributors ask what communicative flexibility is and what evolutionary conditions can produce it.
The accounts offered in these chapters are notable for taking the question of language origins farther back in evolutionary time than in much previous work. Many contributors address the very earliest communicative break of the hominid line from the primate background; others examine the evolutionary origins of flexibility in, for example, birds and marine mammals. The volume's interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives illuminate issues that are on the cutting edge of recent research on this topic.
From talking parrots and femme fatale fireflies to singing seals and human children, the authors leave few stones unturned in this wide- ranging and up-to-date survey. The topic--how organisms evolve flexible communication systems--is one of central relevance to the evolution of human spoken language --W. Tecumseh Fitch, University of St Andrews "Many books about communication deal with signals and signaling, but the relevance of these subjects to language--the elephant in the room--is linked to some key issues, particularly the flexibility, adaptability, and creativity with which complex signals are deployed. These issues are frequently downplayed, but Oller and Greibel, and a collection of impressive authors, tackle them head-on in this broad-ranging synthesis of contemporary biological science." --John L. Locke, Lehman College, City University of New York
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Court suspends trial of ousted Egyptian president
CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian court suspended the conspiracy trial of the country's former president and some top Muslim Brotherhood leaders after defense lawyers demanded that a panel of judges overseeing the trial be changed.
Mohammed Morsi and 35 others are on trial on charges of conspiring with foreign groups, including the Palestinian militant organization Hamas, to undermine Egypt's national security.
The Cairo Criminal Court on Thursday decided to suspend the trial on Thursday the defendants' lawyers demanded that the panel be changed.
No date was set for the trial to start.
Morsi was ousted by the military after just one year in power following protests by millions of Egyptians demanding that he resign. He faces a multitude of trials on a wide range of charges, some of which carry the death penalty.


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I've arrange my own freelance bookkeeping business, after months of advertising, I lastly acquired one curiosity call. So this might be my first time to debate in individual, what I have to offer, and the way I may help them. How do I sell them on utilizing my companies.
I'd try to discover prospects that every one lived in the identical normal space say an house and /or neighborhoodThat would make it simpler on you and extra convienent in your clients especially when you had to make a number of journeys to the store or several completely different stores all in the same common space. Brainstorm! Give you as many names as attainable. At this level within the process, it's all about amount, not high quality. You're going to have some stinkers and a few winners. That's okay.
Preserve it easy: Do not use large phrases, or something that's difficult for the average particular person to read. This brings us right again to with the ability to keep in mind your identify. Also keep away from cutesy spellings since this could make it hard to find your corporation online. I love this. My niece is a stylist and I despatched it to her. My favorite here in SC is… drum roll… Notty heads!!! Thank you, your article helps i'm 23 and daily dreaming about buying out my bosses or beginning my very own. Your article reminds me there is loads I'm not prepared for. Such an attractive option to transfer closer to establishing your individual id. I'm so pleased with you my pricey.
The store owners do, nevertheless, maintain in a front window a small signal bearing the original title. The signal was comparatively expensive to have made. Do not make any rash choices. Meet with an advisor before making monetary or life changing commitments (like signing a lease or quitting your day job). Beginning a business may be more complex and take longer than you expect. Manage the full sales-cycle with startups and emerging businesses, from initial contact via to closing.
As a new farmer, you might be eligible for funding to cut back the mortgage principal on your first business business by up to $30,000. It's more than tailoring business. Right here you make custom-made dresses for special day by taking orders from the purchasers. You could have needed expertise in weaving and embroidery. The above map might be an essential component for Competitor Evaluation i.e. to discover the place the competitions are and discern whether or not their operation is a protracted-term risk to the survival of C.H.D.S Ltd.


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Thermaltake Overseer RX-I Chassis Review
Closer Look:
The photos are far from over; the plastic bag and foam are removed to reveal something rather pleasing to the eye. The front almost presents itself as a decent replication of the HAF series from Cooler Master. This style seems to be the favorite from many manufactures, as they try to make proceeds off of a very concrete design. Three blue accents on either side of the drive bays give this case its own look, and I see great potential here for you modifying friends!
In contrast to the stylish front panel, the back side is about as average as that of any case you can find anymore. A couple of water tube ports, bottom mount PSU, an array of PCI-E slots, and a 120 mm fan make up the rear. At the top right you'll notice a little change-up in the form of peripheral protection (this feature allows you to "lock" your keyboard and mouse to deter thieves). Two thumb screws secure each panel, and a hidden fan filter for the bottom fans can be seen. We'll discuss this filter when we look at the innards of the case later on in the review.
The left and right sides of the case are next. The left has a small window and, with the protective film removed, provides a clear look into the case. A large fan opening is covered with a mesh filter, but unfortunately doesn't come stock with the fan itself. The window provides a little peek inside, but it does not show off the hardware much. As for the right side, it is just a plain panel with a little extra room built-in for cable management.
The top I/O portion of the case can't go without mention. The center isn't a button but rather a blue emblem that actually "breathes" with a blue LED once it is hooked up properly. I'm not really sure why this feature was added; it reminds me of the Razer DeathAdder mouse logo which "breathes" for no particular reason other than to simply look "cool". Two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports are available (unfortunately my motherboard does not support the USB 3.0 header, but it is still a great option). An eSATA port as well as microphone and headphone jacks are also available for quick access. What seems to be more and more common in cases is the hot-swap feature for both SSDs and standard HDDs. It is something I personally didn't care about prior but has slowly found a way to prove its usefulness to me over the last few months. It's a nice feature that I really enjoy seeing in chassis of all designs.
Overall this case is quite appealing from the outside. As a fan of any blue in cases, I'm happy to see the blue LED fans, blue accents, and blue power lights. Besides, what would a BluePanda be without her blue?