text:
Hartford, Conn. (courtesy Trinity sports information) – The Brandeis baseball team concluded its 2012 season with a pair of games at Trinity (Conn.) College, ranked No. 22 in the nation. The Judges fell by scores of 3-0 and 6-4 to end their season with a record of 8-31.
For Trinity, sophomore RHPs Peter Burrows (Floral Park, N.Y.) and Pat Carbone (North Wales, Pa.) combined on a seven-hit shutout in the first game and junior Alex Almeida (Bridgeport, Conn.) went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI in the nightcap to lead the Bantams to a the sweep.
Burrows allowed six hits and walked four with a pair of strikeouts, before yielding to Carbone who gave up a hit and a walk before saving the opening game with a strikeout. Trinity scored runs in each of the first two innings on RBI singles by senior tri-captain Kevin Mortimer (Spencer, Mass.) and freshman 3B Adam Moossmann (East Northport, N.Y.), respectively, and added a third run in the fourth frame on a another run-scoring base hit by Moossmann. Junior Chris Ferro (Walpole, Mass./Walpole) was 3-for-4 with a double and a stolen base for the Judge offense, while junior lefty Mike Swerdloff (Scarsdale, N.Y./Ardsley) took the loss on the hill for Brandeis allowing eight hits and three runs over five innings.
In game two, Brandeis senior tri-captain Sean O'Hare (Southampton, Mass./Hampshire Regional) started the game with a double and scored on a groundout to give the visitors a 1-0 lead early, but Trinity came back with two runs in the bottom of the first when Almeida singled and junior OF Michael Rueger (Teaneck, N.J.) blasted a two-run homer over the left field wall. The Bantams went on to score once in each of the next two frames and twice in the fourth, including once on a solo shot by junior SS Steve Rogers (Watertown, Mass.) and twice on a two-run double by Almeida. Trinity senior tri-captain RHP Angus Anderson (Middletown, R.I.) earned the win with three innings of relief, while junior righty D.J. Goldberg (Plainville, Mass.) pitched out of jam in the fifth inning and added did not allow a hit over seven outs to record a save. Ferro was 2-for-4 with a double and freshman Kyle Brenner (Brookfield, Mass./St. Peter-Marian) was also 2-for-4 for Brandeis offensively.


text:
New Microsoft CEO Shapes His Team
Pair of Executives to Depart, as Satya Nadella Rounds Out First Month at Helm
New Microsoft Corp. chief Satya Nadella has started to put his imprint on the software giant.
Mr. Nadella, the third chief executive officer in the company's history, said Monday that Microsoft executives Tony Bates and Tami Reller will be leaving the software giant, the first sign of fallout from his appointment last month. Mr. Nadella announced these departures and related changes in an email sent to Microsoft employees, which was posted on the company's website....

subset: commoncrawl


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Biology Experiments and the TimeLapse Pro iPad App
Teachers can easily incorporate iPads into their biology science classrooms to research and record experiments. This activity uses iPads and the TimeLapse Pro app to measure the growth of mung beans over time.
|Submitted by
|Sam Gliksman
|Grade level
|4th- to 6th-grade science
|Students learn to measure and collect data about botany and plant growth, and learn simple techniques for statistical mapping and mathematical analysis.
|iPad 2 (or higher), time-lapse photography app such as TimeLapse Pro or StopMotion Recorder, photography stand for iPad, Numbers app
|Materials needed
|Packet of mung beans, 4 glass jars or beakers filled 75% high with sterilized potting soil, tap water, salt, dish detergent, coffee powder, 4 100ml beakers, 1 measuring cylinder, 1 digital weighing scale, black marker and/or labels
This experiment uses TimeLapse Pro to test how different solutions used to water plants affect growth. The results will be measured and recorded by students while also being captured on time-lapse video.
The following points outline the process:
The independent variable is the solution used to water the plants — plain water, coffee-and-water mixture, salt water, and water-and-detergent solution.
The dependent variable is the growth of the mung-bean plants. This is determined by measuring the height of the plants every day.
The constants (control variables) are the size of the container, the amount and concentration of the various solutions added daily, the amount of sunlight, and the temperature of the environment (room temperature).
Fill the four glass jars or beakers three fourths full with the sterilized soil. Plant 12 mung beans in each pot, and allow them to germinate for 5 days, using the same amount of water on each plant.
You need ten seeds to germinate; add two extra just in case some don't germinate. When you are ready to record your data, make sure you have only ten germinated beans.)
Plug in the iPad, mount it on a stand, and set up your TimeLapse app. Set the time lapse to take one picture every five minutes.
For the first five days, you may choose to do a close-up of just one of the plants to capture the mung-bean germination in full close-up. The resultant time-lapse movie is truly magical.
After the first five days of germination, you need to have a clear view of all four plants so that you can compare the growth of the plants and the effect of the different solutions. Make sure that you are looking at them from the same angle so that perspective will not be a factor.
Water the four plants with tap water only for the first five days, allowing the seeds to germinate. After five days, record the average heights in a spreadsheet in the Numbers app.
Discuss the meaning of "average" growth and how it can be calculated in the spreadsheet. Obtain the average height by measuring the height of the ten plants in each pot, adding them up, and dividing by 10.
Prepare your four solutions in the 100ml beakers. For the coffee mixture, add 10g of coffee to 100ml of water, and label it Coffee. For the detergent mixture, mix 10ml of detergent to 100ml of water, and for the saline solution. add 1 g of salt to 100ml of water. Label each beaker accordingly.
You could also prepare enough solution in advance for all ten days by preparing a liter of each of the mixtures.
Label the four plants Water, Coffee, Detergent, and Saline. Over the next ten days, water the pots once a day with 100ml of each solution, according to the labels on the pots.
Make sure you turn the plants halfway through the experiment period to ensure that each side of the plant is getting adequate sunshine.
Check to make sure that the soil is not too soggy and there is no water pooling at the bottom of the container. Adjust the quantity of liquid if need be, but be sure to give each plant the same amount of liquid as the others.
Measure and calculate the average height of the mung-bean plants every day for the next ten days. Record all calculations in a Numbers spreadsheet.
Discuss linear graphs and their meaning; then have the students use the different growth rates to create a linear graph.


text: A quick note about this tutorial. Lots of people are reporting issues with getting the drivers set up. This could occur because of a variety of reason. Since each person has a different home computer set up, I suggest if you run into any problems, please feel free to ask questions but I also urge you to review this thread in its entirety - there are a lot of solutions to the many issues people were encountering. Thanks in advance! I have personally tested the method below and can confirm that it worked for me. A lot of people are asking about unlocking the bootloader and rooting the Verizon Galaxy Nexus and there's a bit of confusion over the different methods used with the GMS version. I'll try to keep this as simple as possible and noob friendly. No ADB is needed with this tutorial. If anything changes between now and once the device is released, I'll update accordingly. Feel free to submit changes to me. Disclaimer: This tutorial is Windows only at this point (I may update for Mac and Linux at a later time). Use the following methods at your own risk. I am not responsible if you brick your phone. I did not develop these methods. This will void your manufacturer warranty. Good luck! This entire process is based on Paul O'Brien's Superboot. What is Superboot? Via Paul: What do I need? Drivers: Samsung Driver - this installs general Samsung driver Pdanet Driver (32 bit or 64 bit) - this installs the Android 1.0 driver (solves the "waiting for device" warning) Root file: Superboot The Process: 1. Read the directions completely. 2. Read the directions again. Okay, now you're ready. 3. Download all (only download the Pdanet file for your type of computer; i.e. 32 or 64 bit) the above files to your home computer. 4. Install driver 1 from above. Plug your phone it and verify that the drivers are working. 5. Enable USB Debugging on the Nexus. (This is found by going to Settings > Developer options) 6. Install driver 2 from above. This will install Pdanet on both your phone and your computer. Follow the install wizard closely and choose the option for a Samsung device. (A quick note about Pdanet; when you unlock the device, it will be wiped from the device - so don't worry about uninstalling; On your computer, feel free to uninstall Pdanet if you want - the drivers will remain installed - so don't worry) 7. Follow this part of the tutorial exactly. Extract the contents of Superboot and rename the extracted folder "root." This extracted root folder will contain 12 files. 8. Place the renamed root folder from step 7 onto the root (or base) of your computer's C drive (it should be here: C:\). It has to be renamed and placed in this specific location for this tutorial to work. 9. Power down the phone. 10. Connect the phone to your computer via usb. 11. On your computer, from the control panel, open device manager. With the device manager, we will visually verify that we have correctly installed the Android 1.0 driver. 12. Boot the phone into the bootloader by simultaneously holding Volume Up + Volume Down + Power. Check the device manager window. You should see something appear that mentions Android 1.0. If you see that, you're good to go. 13. Open up the command prompt in Windows: Click Start Menu, then in the search bar type: cmd (this will open the command prompt); Type the following: cd C:/ Then type the following: cd root 14. The next step will unlock your bootload - this will wipe all data on your device. In the command prompt, type the followingt: fastboot-windows oem unlock 15. You will receive a warning about unlocking. Use the volume keys to select an option and use the power button to confirm. 16. Your bootloader will now say: Lock State - Unlocked (near the bottom) as well as "Fastboot Status - Okay" 17. Now, to root your device, simply double click: install-superboot-windows.bat that you originally placed in the root folder in steps 7 & 8 above. 18. You will now see the black Google screen with the lock icon at the bottom. 19. Your phone should reboot automatically after a couple minutes on the Google screen. If, and only if your phone doesn't reboot automatically after 5 minutes, unplug the usb cable and perform a battery pull. (Mine did not reboot automatically - so I had to pull the battery.) 20. Put your battery back in and power on your device. 21. Be patient while it boots up, and don't worry - first boot may take up to 5 minutes. Breath....breath some more. 22. After phone set up, confirm Superuser app in your app tray. 23. Open Superuser, go into settings (top right, wrench icon), scroll down and "tap to check for updates." Tap "update anyway." You should get a red warning for busybox, but everything else should be green. 24. Open up the market and download BusyBox installer. 25. Run the BusyBox installer. 26. You are now unlocked and rooted and armed with Superuser privileges. Enjoy your limitless device. 27. Flip Verizon the bird. All credit for this tutorial goes to: Evostance and Paul O'Brien Useful root apps: Busybox Rom Manager Titanium Backup Root Explorer Questions? The above method unlocks your bootloader AND roots your device. You do not need ADB. This does not put a custom recovery on your phone. This does not put a custom rom on your phone. Yes, your phone is still stock. Yes, you will still receive OTA's from Google/Verizon. This only puts Superuser on your phone, you need to install busybox yourself.


text:
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a. Registration. Certain products or services made available through the Web Site require you to register with the Web Site. Person Information that the Company may collect during registration may include your IP address, user name, password, email address, general location (i.e., closest city), zip code, gender, birth year, wireless telephone number, and other information that you decide to provide us with, or that you decide to include in a public profile. This Personal Information is used by the Company to operate the Web Site (including by providing more targeted advertising) and to communicate with you. In addition, the Company may use contact information to communicate with you regarding additional Web Site products or services available to you. The Company will always provide you the opportunity to opt out of receiving such communications for additional the Web Site products or services. If you feel that you are receiving communications for which you previously opted out, please contact the Company at Octagon, Inc., 1751 Pinnacle Drive, Suite 1500, McLean, VA 22102, Attn: General Counsel. Except where noted otherwise, your user name, birth year, gender, location, and zip code, as well as other information you choose to display publicly ("Public Profile Information"), may be made available to other the Web Site users. The Company will obtain your consent prior to using such Personal Information for any additional purpose not noted herein.
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Last Updated: November 1, 2008


text:
Allied Printing Company
- Specialties
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Introducing the latest additions to our colorful team. The HP T300 color inkjet press produces fully variable, fully vibrant, fully modular pieces in less time than you ever thought possible. And, the HP Indigo 10000, a 20 x 29" format digital press that precisely delivers high impact color (with variable capabilities) for all your printed projects…in a snap.
POPcolor® is the science of going beyond conventional offset printing to express the full artistic intent of the creator. Our process synchronizes every variable to expand your range of color and control. Simply put, we make color POP.
Some projects don't have the luxury of time. When you need a response measured in moments, Allied clicks into action. When time is money, there is none to waste.
When your brand is on the launch pad with a new product or service, its first impressions will be its most lasting. Getting the message and delivery just right requires experience, stamina and a fair amount of mojo. To Allied, a successful launch is more than a process. It's a discipline.
Rethinking the role of print in major marketing campaigns can create highly sophisticated solutions. Bringing them to life means finding a partner with deep experience and airtight organizational skills. Creating this choreography is an Allied specialty. So, when the curtain goes up, you'll be ready.
Sometimes, the real thing isn't as good as a lifelike sample. That's why Allied invented Reality Prints. Our technology can help you deliver the color, texture and substance of the product, without using the product to sell the product. Got it? Read on.
Popology™ is our comprehensive online campaign management system, combining print-on-demand technology with web-based ordering and fulfillment. With a few clicks, you or select people from your team can send out direct mail, order additional collateral materials for the office or sales team, or execute a campaign across multiple channels.
Every movement has a leader. Ours has several. They've worked with us to find new ways to engage, appeal and target their audiences. Now, their stories can be told. Spoiler alert: be prepared to envy their success.
Whatever your job demands, Allied can handle it. In fact, we can do everything but lick the stamps. We have a machine for that.
We've been waiting for you, waiting to show you why you should rethink ink. The road to amazing possibilities starts here.


text:
of course, there's always something to fall in love with: asexual perspectives on pop culture and much more.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Oh, and find my asexual city poll here.
8 comments:
- Heidi said...
aww, what part of Texas? if you're anywhere near Abilene, i owe you a cup of eternal gratitude... or decaf, or whatever you prefer =)
- October 2, 2008 at 7:27 PM
hey, i WILL meet you at the airport :-)
- October 2, 2008 at 7:45 PM
- The Impossible K said...
Thanks for the link! I was wondering about that poll the last time you mentioned it, but was too lazy to fumble around with the search bar on AVEN (it doesn't work well for me anyway)...
Oh, and now I definitely have to check out that book!! :)
- October 2, 2008 at 9:04 PM
- Ily said...
Not really close to Abilene, but will have to take a raincheck on that coffee for a longer trip in the future :-)
Yay, Madelines at the airport!
- October 2, 2008 at 11:01 PM
- gatto said...
Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport reminds me of Reading Rainbow. :)
- October 4, 2008 at 3:34 PM
- Elvira said...
Oh my dear. I miss you. This is how I found you. I googled A-Date. Then I went through the postings until I saw something that was in San Fran and used your alias. Then I found your blog! I did not know you had a blog! Americorps is pretty cool, btw. I haven't done it, but I applied for some positions, and a friend of mine is currently doing a position in Vancouver, WA.
- October 6, 2008 at 1:17 PM
- Joanna Leigh said...
Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany (Yeah, the book the movie Simon Birch is based on) has an asexual character. it isn't mentioned til the end, but It's the only book I've read that does so...
- October 6, 2008 at 2:48 PM
I very rarely read fiction but I have read The Bone People because of the asexual character. It's an amazing book but, as you suggest, the asexuality is just present, not discussed as such.
I understand it hasn't been made into a film because the author doesn't want it to be. It is a work of art, honed over many many years. It can't be changed into another form without losing what it is.
If I have understood that correctly, I really admire her; firstly for having such a strong sense of what she created being as she wants it to be, and secondly for not compromising that for cash.
- October 10, 2008 at 2:22 AM


text: A Class 3 Kill-Storm tore through the greater Denver area last night, knocking down trees with heavy winds and rain, demolishing vehicle windshields with golf ball-sized hail, and no less than six separate tornado sightings. Welcome to June in our new globally warmed future! [Buzzfeed - Image: @CrazyJon85 / weather.com]


text:
SCHURTER, Inc. to showcase extensive range of block and line filters at EMC 2015
SCHURTER's featured product solutions at the conference will include 1-, 2- and multi-stage filters for single and 3-phase systems, along with a wide range of current ratings and operating voltages in both AC and DC. Our filter products ensure electromagnetic compliance (EMC) and comply with the technical and regulatory standards, as well as meeting international safety standards. SCHURTER has filters for Standard, Industrial, and Medical (M5 & M80) applications, and industry specific filters built for Industrial Automation, Telecom, and Solar equipment.
The SCHURTER team of EMC experts looks forward to meeting you and discussing solutions for your EMC challenges.
Visit us at booth #712 - we look forward to seeing you there!


text:
Hi everyone. I created an account on here because I'm just really not sure anymore... about the things I've experienced. I'm hoping someone can help me. I'm sixteen, if that matters. Anyways, a month or two ago, I kind of realized I was a bit.. weird. Like, one time my mom was driving and I was gazing out my window. We passed a street with a cul de sac and as I was looking at it, I saw a guy, almost a teenager in red basketball shorts and white tank top bouncing a basket ball. He had red hair. I look away, and look back, and he's not there. It kind of unnerved me, because I definitely saw him, but I figured I was seeing things. Another time, about a week or two after this, I was sitting in my bedroom and I looked out my window at the train tracks and I saw this rather large lady walking down them. I look away for about thirty seconds and look back to check how far she'd gotten and... she wasn't there anymore. I got up to get a better look to see where she'd gone but I couldn't find her. She definitely couldn't have gotten that far in that amount of time. It instantly reminded me of the red-haired guy.
Now I've been working at this independent living facility for a couple months. I've worked the late shift many times, but now I just can't take it anymore, which is the main reason I'm seeking help and advice. I love my work, my boss, the residents, my coworkers, and even my best friends work there. Quitting isn't even considered. Well, the other night, I'm dishwashing. I'm all by myself and it's around 7:00. Ever since my coworkers left, I've been seeing things. Black figures. They're out of the corner of my eye and every single time I turn around to see who's there, because I even feel someone's there. But each time whatever it is is gone. At first I'm brushing it off. But it becomes more and more regular. And I'm definitely seeing this thing! And then it graduates into a white dress. I'm seeing the bottom of this ruffled white dress out of the corner of my eye. I'm like, "GREAT, my work is haunted." But I don't have any other choice but to finish my work, so I continue on. To keep myself company, I began to sing. I got to this one lyric where it was like, "rest in peace, my friend". I see the white dress instantly, and I turn around. Nothing's there, so I think, maybe that was some kind of trigger. So, I sing it again. The moment I finish singing it, this bright flash bursts out of the corner of the room. I'm startled out of my mind. I pray to God to comfort myself, and then I called my mom. She sent my dad down to keep me company and as I'm waiting, I made sure that nothing could've caused it. I looked all around, no one is in the vicinity, and nothing in that corner could've done that. It resembled a flash of lightning or an old camera flash. But it's just a corner.. with crates and stuff for dishwashing.
Now fastforward to tonight. I have to work this shift again and I'm sort of unnerved after the last time. Of course I begin seeing the black figures. I'm literally doing all of my work with my head turned so I can see behind my back. I'm seeing the bottom of like, pitch black pants. That's what these figures look like. A few times I saw that damned dress. And then, I swear to God, I see the face of this lady. Her hair is brown and in a high bun and I picture a lavendar-colored dress. I'm not sure if I imagined it, or if I saw it, but it's clear in my mind. I'm very anxious at this point, but I continue my work because I refuse to make people mad at me with unfinished stuff. I'm standing there at the sink and all of a sudden I gasp, and kind of jump, and I get the shivers. I don't even know what caused this reaction, I didn't see, hear, or feel anything. I decided to take a break from the kitchen and take the garbage out outside where I talked to some of the old people and settle my nerves. I went back in, finished what little I had to do, and got the hell out of there.
What if I have to work this shift again? Thankfully I don't have to the rest of the week, or next week, but I don't know what to do anymore. Am I sensitive or something? Is there anyway to stop being sensitive? Or at least learn about it so I'm not so freaked out?
I have a few other experiences, but my workplace is the one that bothers me the most. Many people have died there. I'll do anything so long as I stop experiencing these things, or at least learn how to control them/understand them.
I'm kind of confused, in need of advice.
Started by Mikele , Jul 16 2012 11:42 PM
2 replies to this topic
Posted 16 July 2012 - 11:42 PM
Posted 29 July 2012 - 04:27 PM
From what you've posted I can't see any reason for you to feel nervous, there's no sign that if what you're experiencing are entities that they mean harm in any way.
The best thing you can do is just find that one thing that makes you feel safe and confident and just remember that it's just another part of the world and from what I can tell you aren't going to come to any harm.
Unless things start to get aggressive (which seems unlikely) just keep yourself calm and you'll be fine.
The best thing you can do is just find that one thing that makes you feel safe and confident and just remember that it's just another part of the world and from what I can tell you aren't going to come to any harm.
Unless things start to get aggressive (which seems unlikely) just keep yourself calm and you'll be fine.
Posted 12 November 2012 - 12:41 AM
To me it is obvious u have the gift of sight. U said u have seen a guy with a ball one time. And now you see things at ur work all the time. They maybe coming to you because they know that you know they are there. They know u see them. Spirits and entities are around every where just only a few of us see them. They don't seem to try to harm you in any way but if you don't want to see them tell them. Explain that they are bothering you and you want them to go away. It works. Or maybe try to talk to them you are in there home just be polite.
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text:
What it Means to be Gay in China
A Chinese court has called for legislation that would make it easier for straight women married to gay men to get out of their marriages. The WSJ's Josh Chin tells us why this is a big issue in China.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
I ... the ... over ten years ago gave lesbian and transgender people were considered mentally ill in China ... well the country's opened up a lot since then but stereotypes do you still persist ... joining me now is reporter Josh Chin from Bejing ... okay just the then new line of which was introduced by a court in China ... which says that women and married into gay men can get out and add their marriage is so what's during all this controversy ... Renren was on isn't subtle all yet ... its proposal by the person in the quarter B J What they basically said it is out ... of the day the recommended the government may be easier for straight women ... to get out of ... marriages to ... thousands of a blade of Discover adapter they've been married ... um and you know this is sort of move is a fairly in big issued assessments as many as sixteen million ... straight women did the NBA when they get married to you know caveman or bisexual or transgendered man in a lot of cases they didn't know ... about the partner's sexual orientation before and so ... you know this this is been issued its and it's been the headlines ... for a little while ... those who was the woman last year committed suicide after finding out her awesome Wednesday ... so's of the proposal ... it's kind of brought all this back into the news ... um and you know it's it's also raised its and it's it's on the controversial because some of the new gay rights activists in China basically sort of feel like it's a it's a band aid ... it's not really going far enough for me the proposal based we were just the Wildwood would theoretically make it easier ... for of for these women to an older marriages rather than been been view divorce but there's a whole list of questions though that kind of the proposal doesn't answer ... the new including ... you know how you know women have children with these men that you know was that weren't insured property was at work and also ... it doesn't really address the issue of of this termination ... again against a gay bisexual and transgendered people in China ... the cayenne has and stated before I mean they can't recently has come a long way in the last decade but ... I think anyone really lived openly as a gay person in China or are on ... to the state intentionally harm you from doing so ... already running a little automotive lease of the progress has been pretty ... pretty impressive anew desexed wasn't the criminalized in China until nineteen ninety seven ... I've as you mentioned ... that homosexuality was was considered a mental ... illness ... up until two thousand won ... and so I mean if you look of the situation ... of will be above the levels of acceptance of the gay community in China since then it's it's pretty remarkable progress I mean there are certainly ... openly gay people in China either for the vibrant gay communities in the major cities in China the U ... a gay clubs and groups and in all this stuff ... there was ... you know the last couple years authentic ... pair of fairly high profile public gay weddings ... oh one the one in Shenzhen ... a couple years ago last year was won in in Fujian province ... I they were sort of you know all these social media which says attract a younger crowd ... it is all the Wall Street by the celebrated this a lot of interest in them the wasn't that much condemnation ... but newly issued China actually is his with his views with family its ... a note that a lot of Chinese did we talk to that sort of pervert we did this is sort of ... live and let live approach to to get people who were strangers ... in a no one seems to really ... care how anyone else leaves our lives but ... you know the families of one of their own children ... it is a bill comes out then becomes much more problematic ... you know because yes ... but ... now I mean you are mentioning two and gay marriage is recently ... and in an ascending and it is illegal to get married it and it a day in China or were these to Cerro the ceremonial lighting ... write to those beautiful either the board is referred to serve on a weddings is not new gay marriage is not allowed in China ... such wanted activist been pushing for ... on the dosa been encouraged by it by the approval of the Virgin Group and a couple states the United States but I knew ... that present ... they're not allowed to be in the bed that's a big issue that's what some gay activists say pushes ... came in at least into into marriages straight women ... that are the somewhat deceptive ... you know because they don't ... do that there isn't ... a sense of the Smith family is and you know that that it's ok to to to to to marry ... it's one of the same sex in China ... and Kate great thanks Fran that's nice and that was


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On April 16, Steve Woodring, chief plant operator at the Harrisonville Wastewater Treatment Plant in Harrisonville, Mo., was working in the plant's main lift station, which contains a split wet well with two submersible dry water pumps. Normally, these pumps take care of the flows to the wet well, but when they get too high, the overflow is directed into a larger pump gallery. On this day, the split wet well was flooded, and one of the two submersible dry pumps was reading inoperable — the monitoring system was keeping the 30-hp variable-frequency drive (VFD) from starting it. While Woodring waited for the pump repair people to arrive, he decided to try to bypass the VFD and engage the pump, running it for a few minutes so he could hook the bail, which had come detached from the rope used to track it, to the boom truck to draw the water down. "The controls on these pumps are extremely touchy," says Woodring. "The slightest bit of moisture or variance in ohm readings will show a problem. It's not uncommon for this system to cry wolf."
Standing right in front of the closed circuit breaker enclosure, Woodring bent down to reach the bypass switch and started to operate it when there was a loud noise in the cabinet, and the power to the plant shut off. "Just as soon as it began to make contact, there was a humongous bang in that cabinet like a shotgun went off," says Woodring. "This particular station doesn't have skylights, so when the power goes off, it's dark as a dungeon. It took me a couple of seconds to realize I was all right."
There was no flash, no smoke, and no smell. The generator started up, restoring the lights, and the working pumps began to operate. After a few minutes, Woodring performed an assessment of the facilities. Initially, no damages were found. He used a screwdriver to open the VFD, which was cool to the touch. There weren't any dropped fuses. After a few minutes, he opened the cabinet. No signs of odor or smoke there either. "I didn't even lose a light bulb," he says.
A closer inspection by the city's electrical crew uncovered that the main 800A breaker was tripped. According to specifications for this breaker, at 480V, it holds an interrupting rating of 65,000A. "The station should have been destroyed, and I should have been killed," says Woodring.
He credits the bank of eight arresters primarily installed as protection against lightning and ground-fault incidents at this lift station with saving the plant as well as his life. "None of us planned on giving the arresters this ultimate test," he says. "It didn't just lessen the arc flash, it prevented it."
In subsequent investigations of the incident, damage has been found. On the day of the incident, the pump repair people eventually arrived and pulled the inoperable pump. Essentially, the pump was welded to itself. "It was dead," says Woodring. "It was shorted on all three legs."
In addition, an electrician checked out the VFD, wiring, and circuit breakers. The contacts were welded shut. "Basically, the fault came backward," says Woodring. "It went through the input side, and the arresters cut it off."
Prevention first
On average, approximately five to 10 severe arc flash explosions occur in electric equipment every day in the United States, sending their victims to a hospital or special burn units, according to statistics compiled by CapSchell, Inc., a Chicago-based research and consulting firm that specializes in preventing workplace injuries and deaths. Each year, more than 2,000 people are treated in burn centers with severe arc flash injuries. This number doesn't include cases in which the victim is sent to an outpatient clinic for medical treatment or is unharmed, as was the case with Woodring.
An arc flash is an electric current that passes through air when insulation or isolation between electrified conductors is no longer sufficient to withstand the applied voltage, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Quincy, Mass. Arc temperatures can reach 35,000°F, and, as a result, can cause severe burns. An arc flash also generates an enormous explosive force. Even a relatively small 10,000A arc at 480V can create an explosion equivalent to 8MW of power. Unlike electrical shock incidents, a victim of an arc flash does not have to touch live components to sustain an injury. Other injuries from arc flash include blindness, hearing loss, nerve damage, and cardiac arrest.
According to a study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2,287 U.S. workers died and 32,807 sustained lost-time injuries due to electrical shock or burn injuries over a 7-yr period starting in 1992. The study showed that of the 32,807 non-fatal injuries involving lost time, 38% were classified as electrical burns. The report concluded that: "To decrease the number and severity of non-fatal electrical burn injuries, direct worker exposure to electrical arc energy must be reduced." In other words, mitigation strategies are key to reducing the number of these incidents.
Ideally, the best way to prevent an arc flash event is to work only on or near de-energized equipment, but sometimes this type of work can't be avoided. On the day of the incident, Woodring was aware of the dangers of arc flash. It's the plant's policy to de-energize equipment before working on it when possible. However, there have been times when actual practice goes against this policy. "I've checked on simple things, like a relay or a fuse, before calling an electrician," confesses Woodring, who, on those occasions, would open up the cabinet and re-energize to check if power was going to the fuse block, for instance. "Fuses can be checked when power is down, of course," admits Woodring. "But there are just some instances where there are things to check when it's energized."
An arc flash analysis must be performed prior to allowing personnel to work on energized equipment or even when performing a voltage check to confirm de-energization. The analysis defines the flash protection boundary distance and the type of personal protective equipment (PPE) required. On the day of the incident in Harrisonville, Woodring was not wearing any PPE. "That should not have been attempted without proper protective gear on," he says.
Protective relays that detect arc flash conditions and send a trip signal to a circuit breaker to interrupt current can be installed on electrical systems. They are often installed in facilities that must remain running 24/7, such as power plants and industrial plants. Some of these arc flash detection devices use the arc's bright flash against it. When the devices' fiber-optic sensor detects the flash of light at the same time as the overcurrent, the relay issues a trip signal to the circuit breaker. That removes the voltage and current from the circuit, which, in turn, reduces the amount of interim energy from the arc flash.
These devices don't eliminate the use of PPE, but they reduce the category required by NFPA 70E, "Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace," which is widely cited by OSHA and covers safety-related work practices, including employee training, hazard/risk evaluation, establishing electrically safe work conditions, establishing approach boundaries, and selecting and using PPE and flame-resistant (FR) clothing. A Hazard Category 2 requires lighter weight PPE than a Hazard Category 4.
Woodring is going to begin requiring members of his crew to wear the proper PPE when they're checking equipment. "Even if it's just one set, we need to have it," he says. "That policy was just not in place before, and that's unfortunate. PPE should be used no matter how well you think this is going to work or how secure you think the system is. If the worst thing that happens is somebody gets hot and sweaty from having the gear on, that's okay."
Collaborative effort
In January 2005, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Piscataway, N.J., and the NFPA formed the Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project to gain deeper insight into arc flash phenomena and the hazards they pose for those working on or near electrical equipment operating at or above 50V. This collaborative effort brings together the two organizations that have been at the forefront of electrical safety issues and, more importantly, that will apply the knowledge gained to create practices and standards that enhance workplace safety.
The $6- to $7-million initiative supports research and additional testing to increase the understanding of a variety of issues related, such as heat and thermal effects, blast pressure, sound, and light intensity, which need further research and testing validation to provide relevant information that can be used to develop safety strategies that will protect workers, according to the program's project manager, Dr. Wei-jen Lee, University of Texas, Arlington, and Ben Johnson, co-chair of the program's Steering Committee, IEEE Life Fellow, and VP of Thermon Industries, San Marcos, Texas.
In 2008, four high-power test/laboratory facilities — three independent test laboratories and one corporate sponsor of the project — were selected. The project management team identified these third-party-certified, independent test laboratories for quality assurance, qualified personnel, previous experience, and adequate facilities for arc flash testing. In February 2010, a fifth independent test laboratory was pre-qualified through a similar process. These test laboratories were invited to submit technical and cost proposals for RFPs issued for the arc flash collaborative research project.
The first round of scouting tests, otherwise known as Phase 1, was designed to check the instrumentation functionality, sensitivity, overall measurement accuracy, repeatability of experiments, and consistency of test results with identical test protocols and arrangements in different environment and independent test facilities. Phase 1 test results on heat flux and thermal energy measurements have been verified for accuracy and conformity and justified (or compared) with the various theoretical models. Next, an expanded set of similar tests for Phase II will focus on quantifying the significance of many of the variables that influence the energy of an arc fault event, such as operating voltage, 3-phase bolted fault-current level, air-gap length, type of enclosures, and electrode orientation.
In order to maintain consistency, the project managers worked with the test facilities personnel to verify the test setup and witness the calibration procedure and the actual tests. It was the intention of the proposed testing to discuss, when appropriate, with the test laboratories in advance and ensure that all the testing is done under exactly similar test setup.
Analyses and validation of test results were performed by the IEEE/NFPA research team to verify and compare with the basic circuit-theory model, input-output characteristics, conservation of energy, and energy-transfer mechanism; compare with available theoretical and/or empirical models published in the literature for similar operating and testing conditions; and compare the results from different laboratories for identical tests. After preliminary data analysis, the project team has observed that different labs have yielded relative consistent results when configurations are identical.
The goal of the Phase II testing is to provide new information regarding typical operating ranges among the industry. Due to budget and time constraints, it is difficult — if not impossible — to perform tests for all possible operating conditions. Therefore, the project team has established a balanced approach to the design of the Phase II test plan. Additional spot tests may be performed later to verify/clarify/confirm the results/conclusion of the data analysis. The tests will include different levels of bolted fault current, fault duration, and measurement distances. For instance, there are 270 tests scheduled for 4,160V alone. Since the distance to the back panel is another variable that can affect the incident energy, the project management team plans to perform selective tests to extract the correlation between the incident energy and the distance to the back panel.
The test results of the project will provide information that is expected to help more accurately predict the hazards associated with high-energy arcing faults and the accompanying arc blasts, thereby improving electrical safety standards and providing practical safeguards for employees in the workplace. The proposed research and testing plan will focus on the development of physics- and engineering-based modeling and testing to validate the theory related to heat transfer and thermal effects, arc blast pressure, sound, and light intensity. This effort will include both the open-air arc hazard and the effect of enclosures commonly found in electrical systems, such as switchgears, motor control centers, and power panels.
The data and information generated by this project will strengthen electrical safety standards, IEEE 1584, "Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations" and NFPA 70E. The IEEE 1584 Committee will be able to use the new information and data to expand the current guidelines. "This will help IEEE provide guidance for re-engineering safer electrical equipment and systems that reduce the potential for arc flash," says Johnson.
In addition, the NFPA 70E Technical Committee will use the new information and data to enhance work practice requirements outlined in NFPA 70E (NFPA 70E Proposed Revisions on page 26). "This program should have a huge payoff in preventing injuries," says Johnson. "It will yield standards for the industrial, commercial, and utility electric power industries that more closely reflect arc flash and arc blast experience in the workplace. The information provided by these tests and used in revising these standards will allow the industry to take steps to prevent or mitigate hazards and help workers protect themselves against the possibility of injury."
Up for adoption
Unfortunately, there are still some jurisdictions in the United States that have not adopted codes that include reference to arc flash mitigation (Map on page 24). "Unless the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) is using the 2005 or later edition of the NEC, you cannot push for arc flash protection," says Laurel C. Talbot, electrical inspector and owner, Lightning Surge Protection Co., Appleton City, Mo. "In versions of the Code prior to 2005, arc flash is not considered a problem, so unless the local municipality accepts the 2005 or 2008 NEC as its operating code, facilities don't have to do a thing about arc flash."
For instance, Missouri does not adopt an electrical code statewide. Instead, it allows local AHJs to decide on it. In Harrisonville, where Woodring works, the 2005 Code is standard. However, for construction at the wastewater treatment plant, the facility has chosen to adopt the 2008 Code. "We're using the 2008 Code, even though the city has adopted the 2005 Code," Woodring explains.
The plant has a head works building, two aeration basins, two clarifiers, and a digester. Recently, Harrisonville voters approved a $9.7-million bond, issued to upgrade the Harrisonville sewer system and a 5-yr program of improvements, which is substantially complete.
"There's been quite a bit of discussion about arc flash," says Woodring. "A couple of months ago, even our electric superintendant said we're going to have to start using PPE. So even though it's not in full force at this time, we're very much in the know — and that's the direction we're going."
Sidebar: NFPA 70E Proposed Revisions
Currently, proposals for revision to NFPA 70E, "Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace," are under consideration. Proposed changes accepted in the Report on Proposals (ROP) include adding columns to the hazard/risk category classifications table to provide the maximum available short circuit current and overcurrent protective device clearing time parameters for every task associated with all equipment currently covered, including equipment rated over 600V. A column with the arc flash boundary for every task has also been added.
In addition, a revision to the equipment labeling requirement has been accepted. Under the proposal, equipment that may require service or maintenance while energized would be field-marked with a label, including available incident energy or the minimum arc rating of protective clothing (but not both) as well as the date of the most recent arc flash hazard analysis, the nominal system voltage, and the arc flash boundary.
Currently, NFPA70E does not specify that it only applies to alternating current (AC) systems. Because of its predominant use, AC systems were used as the basis of many of the standard's requirements, but proposed changes to the 2012 edition of NFPA 70E will include the hazards associated with direct current (DC) systems. Included in the accepted committee actions on DC system safety requirements are actions to add a DC approach boundary table similar to current Table 130.2(C) and a DC task table similar to current Table 130.7(C)(9).
Revisions to the definition of a "qualified person" in the National Electrical Code (NEC) will include DC systems, particularly renewable energy sources and fuel cells. A "qualified person," according to the NEC, is one who has "skills and knowledge related to the construction and operation of the electrical equipment and installations and has received safety training to recognize and avoid the hazards involved." Because the articles covering the renewable energy sources have many requirements related to the installation of DC systems, workers will have to be trained in safety-related work practices associated with these systems.
The first step in processing the 2012 edition of NFPA 70E, "Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace," has been completed. The ROP and a draft of the proposed revisions will be available at http://www.nfpa.org/70E on or around June 25. Public comments on the committee's proposed actions are due September 3. The report on comments (ROC) will be posted on or around Feb. 25, 2011, and ROC meeting will take place from October 25-29 in Savannah, Ga. The Notice of Intent to Make a Motion (NITMAM) closing date is April 8, 2011, and the posting date is May 6, 2011.


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Check out the latest projects here:Project Logs
I machine from silver steel rod, then hand figure depending on whats needed. If its a form tool I will drill through the rod and work round the hole to form a radius tool, or more holes for something more complex. I use silver steel as it's what I have to hand, not got any gauge plate. I make press tools from silver steel to use in the arbour press, and they are oil hardened.A little off topic, but the tools are machined and oil hardened (10W-30 motor oil). I take stainless tig wire and heat to red let it cool naturally so its soft. I can roughly bend the shape with my fingers then size the ring in the press tool, that helps work harden the ring a little. It's used in some bespoke parts I make and sell. I do a batch of 25 rings at a time, the tool has made a few hundred parts now. So you're not just limited to lathe tools.
Nice video thanks!
What you Brits call silver steel is called tool steel here in the States. It (here, at least) is available in rounds, square, and rectangular shapes with fair distribution.
Interesting, do you also call it drill rod as well? I actually thought it was. Well that is what I have been describing it in the past
So what do you make square drills from Lew
Drill rod is drill rod. It is round and comes in oil hardening and water hardening varieties.
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Events for September 11, 2019
Events Search and Views Navigation
9:00 pm
Hawkins Jazz Collective at the Owl Shop
The Hawkins Jazz Collective performs every Wednesday evening from 9:00 pm to midnight at the Owl Shop in downtown New Haven. This is hard driving straight ahead jazz that represents the best of the post bop era. FREE. The Owl Shop is located at 268 College Street, New Haven, CT 06510. Photo by Craig S. […]Find out more »


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ALA Meeting on Govt. Information Policy
I think that sometimes we (GODORT) recognize that there are other experts out there in ALA on particular topics (particularly in the divisions), but that they may not recognize how many areas that 'government information' can apply to. (Just in the past month we've had the NIH Open Access legislation, and we're currently awaiting the LC report on the future of bibliographic control.) I also think that sometimes these other areas only comment if an issue is 'big enough,' or if someone else's comments don't agree - while we review and comment on issues a bit more frequently. Bill, the point you make below ("How to get us all to move quickly and effectively while knowing who to pull in, and when, is essential") is one I strongly agree with. Given the size and diversity of ALA, I think that's our biggest challenge. Vglenn 10:00, 7 November 2007 (CDT)
[from an e-mail]
The ALA Washington Office in conjunction with the Committee on Legislation (COL) is planning a Dialogue on Government Information. (At Annual Conference I believe it was called a summit, but the word summit was already in use for a future meeting on E-Government. No one could keep it straight so the name was changed. The focus has not.)
The dialogue is planned to open the discussion on government information throughout the association and to possibly identifying issues/topics that needed further exploration at the e-gov summit. The dialogue will also focus on developing better communication between ALA units and on finding common ground. •A planning group has begun work. •An outside facilitator will be part of this meeting. •The date is December 12th, in Washington. PURPOSE: •A discussion on government information issues, perhaps identifying those issues/topics that need further exploration by ALA units •developing techniques (deliberative dialogue) within these groups to effectively communicate, find common ground on exploring these government information issues, concerns, challenges INVITEES: •Some members of the ALA Executive board •2 representatives from ACRL & 2 from GODORT •COL members • a representative from these COL Subcommittees – GIS & Federal Libraries •1 representative from all other ALA membership divisions •1 representative from SRRT, MAGERT, FAFLRT, IFRT •1 from the following ALA Committees: Rural and Native (OLOS) & Chapter Relations •The meeting will be by invitation, but as always ALA meetings are open. •Space is a concern. •This is a meeting for ALA, outside groups will not participate OUTCOMES: •A White paper on using deliberative dialogue process for government information •Improved communication among units in ALA to deal with association-wide issues in a rapidly changing government information environment •Lay groundwork for E-govt summit •Identify a process for a possible review of the "Principles of Government Information." Sleeman 13:29, 8 November 2007 (CST)
More about the meeting that I learned last week (11/2)
On Tuesday, November 2nd I attended a meeting with the leadership of ALCTS at the ALA/WO [Pam Bluh, current Chair; Bruce Johnson, Past Chair; Charles Wilt, Executive Director; Lynne and Tara of the WO].
We talked at length about the meeting planned for December 12 (12/12). The important piece about that is that ALA and COL see it as being about the process of communicating not the 'nitty gritty' of specific ALA policy statements. ALA has hired a facilitator to run the 12/12 meeting and that person will interview ALA leadership about policy and communication issues. It was suggested that these interviews should be with the elected or appointed leadership of the respective groups and not just anyone in ALA. It may be that those outside of the unit leadership may not be as plugged into where the organization wants to go and may not adequately represent the intentions of the roundtables or divisions. While this was agreed to it was stressed that for the communication to really work effectively any voice of the membership had to be heard.
Getting all voices heard, particularly some that might not have a government information policy orientation (ALCTS and YALSA were cited examples), is extremely important to getting buy in for any policy statement.
As far as the 12/12 event – COL and GIS (with help from Tara Olivero) are putting the event together. OITP is helping with some funding as is ALA. ALA is trying to reduce costs as much as possible. Questions about the event should go through the various ALA unit leadership to COL. In all, I think the approach being planned will allow GODORT to (re)position ourselves as a 'team player' within ALA. One of the challenges I have seen in the past is that GODORT is knowledgeable on many policy issues while some other ALA units are not; our response can be nimble and on point but then it gets bogged down in the myriad of levels that is ALA. How to get us all to move quickly and effectively while knowing who to pull in, and when, is essential.
Finally, on this topic, I think we (GODORT) are lucky in that both Larry Romans and Fran Buckley – supporters of GODORT – will be present at the 12/12 event.Sleeman 14:34, 5 November 2007 (CST)
Hi, I'd like to begin our planning here by re-printing the original invitation and in doing so I want to stress that I really do not want us to be locked into a discussion about GPO/FDLP. I (and others) have pushed for this event to be about more than the FDLP and I think we need GODORT to go into it prepared to talk about all the issues. A good place to start would be for everyone to review the "legislative issues" page of ALA[1] and to think about how we can communicate our legislative priorities. Where do our goals match 'big ALA's' goals?
...... E-mail from Emily Sheketoff [email@example.com]
The Committee on Legislation would like to pull together representatives from ALA who are interested in government information issues for a discussion to lay the parameters for better, more effective communication among units and what we need to get started; a discussion on government information and e government. Since your groups are very involved in this issue, could you please send me the name and contact information for 2 representatives (one from leadership and your legislative chair) you would like us to invite. The event will be in DC Dec 12, 13 or 14 and ALA will be paying expenses. But if you could designate someone local (commuting distance from Washington Office), we would appreciate the money savings.
Thanks. Any questions, contact Carrie Russell or me. Emily ......
So, let's begin. What do we need to be thinking about in terms of communication? Sleeman 12:32, 25 October 2007 (CDT)
I am delighted to see ALA taking on this issue and trying to unite the various parties under one strong leading position. While I concur with Emily's contention that this cannot "lock into" a discussion purely about GPO/FDLP, I think the issue of transparency and publishing has to be on the list of issues to address. Every librarian (worth their salt) relies on government information. From the statistical abstracts of the US to the country studies from State, government information is a primary building block of learning. Today however, the antiquated laws of the Federal government no longer ensure that Agencies will publish and, if they do, that their work will be available either broadly or long-term. Services like USA.gov spend a lot of their time fixing broken links and removing references to content that simply no longer exists.
The problem that I see is that there are no mandates for Agencies to live by. OMB A-130 so loosely defines things as to have no real influence on the heads of Agencies. Inertia is the only thing really keeping Agency libraries in place and making sure traditional government information products remain available. It is simply easier to keep them available than it would be to shut them down... for now. The E-Gov Act of 2002 required annual inventories and it required search services of Agency Web sites. It also required standard metadata for information products. All of these mandates produced nothing because OMB considers the status quo sufficient and Congress hasn't done the oversight of the law that would create real change.
The "Government Information Policy" issues that the COL/GIS and GODORT, FAFLRT, etc. should be tackling are issues that allow Chief Information Officers to abdicate their responsibility for managing federal libraries, creating searchable Web sites, and providing detailed inventories (and the metadata to support them) for what their Agencies are producing. If CIOs are responsible for these core issues, GPO would have a clear clientele for their services within the executive Branch and institutions could harvest and maintain legacy collections of electronic government information. ALA needs to paint this picture succinctly for its membership and for our elected officials.


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Scotlandshire: BBC Scotland Coverage Of The Independence Referendum
- In Alerts 2014
- Post 24 March 2014
- Last Updated on 24 March 2014
- By Editor
By David Cromwell
The BBC's 'Amazing Litany' Of Bias
Coverage of the Scottish independence referendum, due to be held on September 18 this year, is a compelling example of the deep establishment bias of the corporate media. Some critics have characterised the BBC's coverage, in particular, as though Scotland is merely a region or a county of the United Kingdom called 'Scotlandshire'.
The establishment, pro-Union bias of 'mainstream' coverage emerges clearly from a careful analysis by an experienced media academic, and by the BBC's reprehensible attempt to rubbish both the study and its author. The year-long study was conducted by a small team led by Professor John Robertson of the University of West Scotland. Between 17 September 2012 – 18 September 2013, the team recorded and transcribed approximately 730 hours of evening TV news output broadcast by BBC Scotland and Scottish Television (STV). The study concluded that 317 news items broadcast by the BBC favoured the 'No' campaign (i.e. no to Scottish independence) compared to just 211 favourable to the 'Yes' campaign. A similar bias in favour of the 'No' campaign was displayed by STV. Overall, there was a broadcaster bias favouring the 'No' campaign by a ratio of 3:2. In other words, there was 50 per cent more favourable coverage to the 'No' campaign.
Professor Robertson told Media Lens that 'more importantly', there was also:
'undue deference and the pretence of apolitical wisdom in [official] reports coming from London – the Office for Budget Responsibility and Institute for Fiscal Studies, for example; but, also, Treasury officials [were] presented as detached academic figures to be trusted.' (Email, March 18, 2014)
There was also a deep-rooted personalisation of Scottish independence by the broadcasters in their systematic conflating of the 'wishes' of Alex Salmond, Scotland's First Minister, with the aims and objectives of the 'Yes' campaign. This was not the case with media coverage of the 'No' campaign. The objectives of the 'No' Campaign were not routinely portrayed as the 'wishes' of Alastair Darling, leader of the 'Better Together' group campaigning to keep Scotland within the United Kingdom.
Professor Robertson told us that:
'the conflation of the First Minister's wishes with the YES campaign seems a classic case of undermining ideas by association with clownish portrayal of leading actors [in the campaign].'
This media performance was, he said, reminiscent of past corporate media demonisation of former miners' leader Arthur Scargill and Labour leaders Neil Kinnock and Michael Foot.
Finally, Professor Robertson noted that there was a strong 'tendency to begin [news] reports with bad economic news for the Yes campaign [...]. Reports leading off with bad news or warnings against voting Yes were more common than the opposite by a ratio of 22:4 on Reporting Scotland (BBC) and a ratio of 20:7 on STV.'
Last year, Craig Murray, the former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, gave a dramatic illustration of this biased tendency to report bad news for the 'Yes' campaign with the following list of BBC headlines:
'Scottish independence: Pension shortfall warning'
'Scottish independence: Warning over "weakened military"'
'Scottish independence: "Havoc" warning from pensions firm'
'Scottish independence: Luxembourg warns against "going separate ways"'
'Scottish independence: Barroso warning on EU membership'
'Scottish independence: Michael Moore issues warning over vote question'
'Scottish independence: "Border checks" warning from home secretary'
Murray commented:
'Please note this amazing litany – and I use the word litany carefully, a verbal repetition to inculcate belief – includes only those where the deliberate practice of repetitive coupling of "independence" and "warning" has been captured by being written on the [BBC] website; there are hundreds of other examples of broadcast, spoken use of the words "Warning" and "Scottish independence" in the same sentence by the BBC.
'The presentation of every one of the above stories was in the most tendentious and anti-independence manner conceivable. They have all been countered and comprehensively rebutted.
'By contrast, there are no BBC headlines that promote positive claims about Scottish Independence. You will look in vain for headlines that say "Yes campaign says independent Scotland will be eighth richest country in the world" or "Official GERS [Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland] report shows Scotland's public finances much healthier than those of the UK".'
So how did BBC Scotland respond to Professor Robertson's documented evidence of clear bias in its coverage of the Scottish independence referendum? Derek Bateman, a retired journalist with decades of experience at the BBC, summed it up as follows:
'Instead of doing what any self-confident public service broadcaster should do and produce a news item out of a critical report from one of our own universities, they seem to have hidden it from the licence-fee paying public who bankroll them and then mounted a sabotage operation against the author.'
Amazingly, BBC Scotland sent a 6,000-word letter to Professor Robertson in an attempt to demolish his study and undermine his credibility, copying it to the professor's Principal at the University of West Scotland. This unprecedented move seemed deliberately calculated to intimidate the researcher. Certainly, Bateman and other commentators, as well as Robertson himself, described the BBC's action as no less than 'bullying'.
Bateman noted BBC Scotland's 'fury at being found out misleading viewers' and he concluded:
'It strikes me as the height of hypocrisy for the BBC to try to badger an independent organization because it can't stand it revealing the truth – that it is failing in its primary duty to the Scots...and they didn't even report it.'
In a careful and detailed response, Robertson rebutted the BBC criticism of his one-year study, and he concluded:
'I think I've answered all the questions needed to contest these conclusions. [...] The BBC response is a remarkably heavy-handed reaction. Why did they not report the research, let their experts critique it on air and then ask me to defend it? Instead we see a bullying email to my employer and a blanket suppression across the mainstream media in the UK. I'm shocked.'
The BBC Corporate 'Gang Of Four' Emerge From The Shadows
On March 11, 2014, Professor Robertson appeared in front of the Scottish Parliament's Education and Culture Committee in Edinburgh. He had been invited to present the main findings of his study and to answer questions from those sitting on the Committee, all Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Four senior staff from BBC Scotland also appeared before the Committee later that same day.
Prof. Robertson began by thanking the Committee for the opportunity to speak to them, and then continued:
'much has happened in the month or so since I released the research paper. Much of it has been quite upsetting for me. So I want to begin by saying some fairly strong things about my experience in the last month or so.
'I'd like to condemn the behaviour of BBC Scotland's Department of Policy and Corporate Affairs in suppressing the dissemination of my research, and in circulating an insulting and ill-informed critique of my research directly to my Principal, bypassing my Head of School, my Dean, straight to the Principal. [...]
'I'd like to condemn the silence and collusion of almost all of Scotland's mainstream media in disappearing my research, despite this massive online presence [of Robertson's study]. Its online presence is a news item which has been ignored. [...]
'And thirdly I'd like to, unfortunately, condemn the silence of almost all Scottish academics with an interest in this field who might have been expected to challenge censorship of intellectual material.
'I've been personally hurt by the above combination of threat from a powerful institution. [...] I interpret [what has happened] as an attempt at thought control in a democracy, and, of all democracies, the one I like the best. And I'm very upset by that.'
Prof. Robertson was asked by one MSP what kind of research he'd conducted in the past. He responded:
'My interest is in, dare I say it, thought control in democracies. Everyone knows in a totalitarian state you can't trust the media. Everyone knows they're being lied to. Thought control in totalitarian states is totally ineffective because the entire population pretty much know: don't trust that stuff from the party.
'In democracies, there is thought control. There's undeniably thought control. Media and political elites often work in each other's interests. They don't go round in a big cauldron saying, "Let's do down the working classes and send our boys off to die, because we want them to do that." They just mix. They go to the same schools. Their children go to the same schools. They share the same interests, the same cultural interests.
'So we do end up with a degree of thought control without conspiracy...'
Prof. Robertson added that he'd conducted research for many years into media coverage of war and the economy. That research was 'more controversial' than the work he'd just published. But:
'This is the first piece of research I've ever done that's attracted any interest.'
Following Prof. Robertson's solo appearance before the Parliamentary Committee, BBC Scotland put up a four-man panel to counter him. This heavyweight squad comprised Ken MacQuarrie (Director of BBC Scotland), John Boothman (Head of News and Current Affairs), Bruce Malcolm (Head of Commonwealth Games coverage) and John Mullin (Editor, Referendum Unit). It is worth noting that John Mullin is a former editor of the Independent on Sunday, and his propaganda role there has previously been scrutinised by Media Lens.
This was a rare outing for senior BBC management to be compelled to answer questions in public on BBC coverage, and it was fascinating to watch. Many of our readers will be all too painfully aware of the boilerplate text that is routinely generated whenever complaints are submitted to the broadcaster: copious and vacuous prose about how 'BBC News adheres to impartiality', 'we are confident that our standards have been upheld', and so on, ad nauseam.
Here, then, was an opportunity for the public to see what it looks like when the standard text is read out loud by a senior BBC manager. Thus, Ken MacQuarrie, director of BBC Scotland, can be seen grandly dismissing Prof. Robertson's careful study and robotically asserting that BBC 'impartiality' has been maintained. (Watch from 3 mins : 53 secs). Much of the BBC's stonewalling of the Parliamentary Committee's questions that follows is characterised by stock evasive phrases and corporate-speak padding, trying to buy time to think and to shrug off challenges. It consists largely of a verbal shuffling of the feet, a feeble attempt to project an illusion of responding with something, anything, of substance.
The very first question from the Committee chairman, Stewart Maxwell, and the shifty response from MacQuarrie is emblematic of the proceedings:
'Could you tell us, Mr MacQuarrie, why you took the view that it was necessary to respond in the way you did to Professor Robertson's research?'
MacQuarrie responds woodenly with a prepared written script about the supposed 'fundamental errors' in the study, but singularly fails to answer Maxwell's question.
Maxwell persists:
'We know what you did with this research [i.e. did not report it, but instead issued a 6,000-word response to Prof. Robertson, and copied to his Principal]. What I'm asking about is, in all of the many hundreds of other bits of academic research that you report every year, can you name the number of occasions where you did a similar thing?'
'No, in general terms, I can't name a specific instance where we would have copied the Principal in a piece in academic research.'
Maxwell continued:
'Don't you find it rather peculiar – wouldn't an ordinary person looking at this event find it rather peculiar – that the BBC accept academic research, day in day out, respond to that by publishing stories on it, having debates on that research? But on this one occasion, when the research is about your own output, that's not how you respond; you respond in an entirely different way.'
'I don't think it's peculiar in the slightest. We wanted to correct the errors of fact that, you know, were in the report. And I think it's perfectly reasonable when it is about our own output, and it was on a question, if you like, of our impartiality that we would get the facts on the table. And that we wrote only to Professor Robertson and copied to the Principal.'
Maxwell followed up with:
'I'm quite surprised by that answer because it seems to me frankly astonishing that on no other occasion do you expend effort in trying to analyse research that's produced by academics – and you've said so; there's been no occasion to your mind that you've ever done this before. But on this occasion, you do spend what seems to me quite substantial amounts of effort in attempting to discredit the research of Professor Robertson.'
There followed a comical interlude in which Maxwell tried to determine the number of complaints that the BBC had received about its coverage of the Scottish independence referendum. Maxwell first notes that he had earlier submitted a request under Freedom of Information which MacQuarrie had summarily rejected. He now questions MacQuarrie:
'So you won't supply this Committee with the number of complaints the BBC has received about the referendum coverage?'
'In terms of specifically about the referendum coverage, no.'
'No. Why not?'
'I think that, in general terms, we use that contact when we reply to each individual complaint. And first of all the body that would release that information is the BBC Trust, rather than the Executive. And we don't break it, we would not break it down.'
'What I'm trying to understand [is] why you wouldn't do that. Clearly you're a body that is paid for by the public. Surely the public have a right to know about the level of interest or complaints about your output?'
'And the Trust regularly publish the data about the number of contacts on an annual basis.'
Maxwell, clearly unimpressed by MacQuarrie's stonewalling, insists:
'I'm not asking you about the number of contacts, Mr MacQuarrie. I asked you about the number of complaints you've received from the public about the referendum coverage.'
MacQuarrie waffles:
'Specifically, we would not break down the complaints into subject by subject areas.'
This was hardly a credible response, to say the least.
As Derek Bateman, the ex-BBC journalist quoted earlier, remarked on his blog:
'I don't believe it. That information is retrievable [...]. We're not hearing the number because it's too embarrassing to publicise.'
Bateman summed up:
'From what I saw, the BBC are in full assault mode and totally unapologetic and as a result look unreasonable, defensive and flustered. It has become the default position of an organisation caught out by events and floundering.'
'A Classic Case Of Thought Control'
Prof. Robertson told us afterwards that he had expected that the BBC panel:
'would repeat the same generalised assertions of flaws without evidence and the magnification of tiny errors into fundamental weaknesses. They had no other path but repetition of that which had already been deconstructed in my full response on newsnetscotland.com. The BBC Gang of Four were, in what I saw, leaden, sullen, defensive and repetitive.' (Email, March 18, 2014)
He hailed the Committee Chairman's 'dogged extraction of the fact that the BBC had never mounted such a campaign against a piece of research before, ever.' Prof. Robertson also noted that the Committee had exposed the BBC's 'failure to record and organise criticism of their performance'.
We asked Prof. Robertson to expand on what had been the response to his study from academia, including his own colleagues and management. He told us that at his institution, the University of West Scotland, there had been:
'strong support for me at all levels, including Principal, for my right to expression of intellectual ideas. Otherwise, a disturbing silence with no leading academic in politics, history, media theory prepared to protest the suppression of my report. As a long-time admirer and copyist of the Glasgow University Media Group's methodology, the silence on the left is frankly creepy. Further, I've had no invitations to speak to such departments but only an invitation from Glasgow University's Department of Scottish Literature.'
Prof. Robertson pointed out that his year-long study was just the first half of a longer research project. The final two-year survey will conclude in September 2014 and he intends to write it up as a book chapter for publication in early 2015. As an example of continuing bias, he pointed to the recent BBC Andrew Marr interview with Alex Salmond which 'gives more than a hint of anti-independence bias at the BBC'.
We asked Prof. Robertson whether he had any final remarks about what the whole episode had revealed about his primary research interest: namely, thought control in democracies:
'As a long-term adopter of the Propaganda Model's usefulness in other contexts, I've been naive about its usefulness in Scotland; no longer. It now looks a classic case of thought control enabled by self-censorship within elites and amongst those less powerful that they manage.'
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text:
Hello forums!
I've opened this thread to discusss "self deletion" in Java.
It is perfectly possible, but has a trick to it. Obviously, you can't delete a file that is running. We'd have to send a scheduled delete request to the shell of the OS. (though its bad architecture since you're program is dependant on an specific platform) anyways that can easily be forseen.
-from another forumAnything that is being run cannot be deleted as it is a process in use. What you could do (and this is dirty, bad architecture) is use Runtime.exec() to (on windows) use the "AT" command to schedule a delete command on your java code files. Again, this is not the best idea and it's platform dependant (so you'd have to have a way to do this on linux too - cron would do it).
I'd say to use the ProcessBuilder instead of the Runtime.exec(), because it is very limmited.
Some people are using this
The reason why I've started to look at this option is because, the program I am working with, generates 2 copies of itself, and has one of the deletes the original, but it generates several unsyncronized problems, which thread and waiting would not prevent it to a 100%. So I rather have each program take care of itself, sending a delete request on itself upon conclusion of its instructions.public static void main(String[] args) throws Throwable {
File f = new File("DeleteMe.jar");
Ideas, advice, comment?
I appreciate your feedback. Meanwhile.. I'd be google-ing and trying to apply it.