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An academic who called for regeneration programmes in several northern cities to be scrapped because the cities had failed has been given a job as an adviser for education.
Dr Tim Leunig has been picked as a policy adviser for the education secretary Michael Gove and will be part of a team who will advise Gove on the his education reforms.
The appointment has enraged many MPs in Bradford, Liverpool and Sunderland because of a 2008 government report co-authored by Leunig.
The report urged politicians to give up attempts to prevent cities in the north falling further into economic decline and instead focus efforts and cash on already booming areas in the south.
In Cities Unlimited for the Conservative's main thinktank, Policy Exchange, Leunig suggested all three million new homes planned by the Labour government should be built in just three southern cities - London, Oxford and Cambridge - as many northern cities had "failed" and were "beyond revival".
The report was branded "barmy" by the then leader of the Opposition, David Cameron. He said of the London School of Economics lecturer: "I gather he's off to Australia. The sooner he gets on the ship the better."
Clever policy wonk
The appointment as education adviser has been defended by deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who said Leunig's role would mainly involve working will the Lib Dems schools minister David Laws, who has returned to the government after resigning over an expenses scandal in 2010.
Clegg told the Liverpool Echo: "Tim Leunig is a clever policy wonk but he is so utterly and totally wrong in what he said about the north-south divide.
"He knows what I think. Thankfully he is in government to advise David Laws behind the scenes on education policy and not on our great northern cities."
Many MPs were concerned that a man who has been so critical about regeneration in the north has been given a prominent role in education.
Gerry Sutcliffe, Labour MP for Bradford South, said: "It does not bode well for areas like ours when someone who made such outrageous comments is advising government.
"Michael Gove had been to Bradford and met us and I thought he understood what we were saying about the needs we have. This news is deeply concerning that someone that has views like these should be advising government in any capacity."
Stephen Twigg, the West Derby MP and Labour's education spokesman, said: "This appointment will scare people in Liverpool. We know this man's opinions and the track record of this government since May 2010. Now it's going to have an adviser that doesn't think Liverpool, or other northern cities, have a future."
Leunig recently described the prime minister's proposal to end housing benefit for the under-25s as a gimmick.


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NY1—July 13, 2008
Many of the Americans who have osteoporosis or osteopenia turn to exercise as a means to improve their conditions, but not all exercise is helpful. In fact, some can be downright harmful to the already delicate bones of those affected with either condition.
Most experts will agree that exercises that force the spine to bend or twist, like sit-ups or certain movements in yoga, can cause the spine to compress and possibly fracture any weakened bones. Exercises that are high-impact on joints, like running or jumping, can also be bad for bones.
However, that's not to say that all exercises are not indicated for those with osteoporosis or osteopenia. According to Hospital for Special Surgery physical therapist Heather Williams, PT, DPT, there are many exercises that would help someone with either condition.
"You definitely want to build your upper and lower extremities' strength and your core strength safely," Williams said. "Walking, low-impact type aerobics, these are all very helpful types of exercises."
As always, be sure to consult with your doctor if you have any questions about your current workout regimen.
Read the full story at ny1.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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City Scorecard Rank
Boston, MA
Boston's 2014 Climate Action Plan Update and Energy Reduction Plan detail the city's energy and climate strategies for its internal government operations. Boston's varied strategies work to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from municipal buildings, streetlights, transportation, and procurement of new equipment.
Last updated: February 2017
In 2007, then-Mayor Menino set the goal of reducing municipal greenhouse gas emissions 7% by 2012 and 80% by 2050 compared to 1990. The 2014 Climate Action Plan Update expanded upon these goals to include a goal to reduce municipal and communitywide greenhouse gas emissions 25% below 2005 levels by 2020. The Boston Transportation Mobility Plan includes climate change as a major design parameter for the planning process, and the Department of Neighborhood Development is developing a new housing plan for Boston, which will include broad sustainability principles. In addition, Boston was designated a Massachusetts Green Community in 2010 which comes with a requirement to establish an energy use baseline and develop a plan to reduce energy use by 20% by 2014. The city is still working towards this goal and reports annually on progress to the Commonwealth. Boston is also an active municipal partner in the U.S. DOE's Better Buildings Challenge.
In order to meet its local government energy goal, Boston would have needed to greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1.3% per year.
Boston has achieved its local government greenhouse gas goal for 2020.
Boston releases an annual report on its progress toward reducing municipal greenhouse gas emissions and related initiatives on the Climate Action website. The city reports annual emissions figures in the City of Boston Municipal and Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
Last updated: April 2017
Vehicle Fleets and Infrastructure
The 2007 executive order on climate action required that municipal departments purchase hybrid, alternative-fueled, or high-efficiency vehicles whenever possible; newmotor vehicles shall be the most fuel-efficient within their vehicle class. Boston also has established a motor pool, FleetHub, using car-sharing technology, allowing the city to reduce the fleet size and maximize the use of existing stock. Additionally, Boston's central fleet uses FleetWave as a business management tool to drive efficient operations; all central fleet vehicles are equipped with electronic IDs that track fueling.
Note: For local fleet initiatives, policies listed must make a specific, mandatory requirement for increasing fleet efficiency. Local alternative-fuel vehicle procurement requirements that give a voluntary option to count efficient vehicles are thus not included.
Public Lighting
Boston has not yet adopted a policy requiring efficient outdoor lighting, such as the International Dark-Sky Association's Model Lighting Ordinance. However, the Energy Reduction Plan specifies a 40% reduction goal for energy use of streetlights in the city. The City of Boston is currently retrofitting its mercury and sodium vapor lighting to LED luminaires. To date, 76.3% of the City's 64,000 electric street lights have been retrofitted, resulting in 35.6 million kWh in annual electriCity savings. The city's goal is to replace all of its streetlights with LEDs over the next few years.
New Buildings and Equipment
The 2007 executive order directed that all new municipal buildings must be LEED Silver Certified, and new and renovated buildings must exceed LEED energy standards by 14 and 7 percent, respectively. Projects funded by the city under the Department of Neighborhood Development's Green Affordable Housing Program must also meet the LEED Silver standards. Massachusetts State law mandates life cycle cost estimates for the early designs of new state or municipal buildings or energy systems (Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 149, Section 44M). The Purchasing Office and the Department of Innovation and Technology were required to issue Environmentally Preferable Procurement Guidelines, but it is unclear if energy efficiency requirements were included as part of these procurement guidelines.
Last updated: April 2017
Building Benchmarking and Retrofitting
In accordance with the 2013 Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance, Boston uses Portfolio Manager to benchmark energy use in 100% of its municipal buildings, which is 321 buildings and 17,751,655 square feet. The city's integrated energy management plan, developed in 2004, laid out a retrofit plan for Boston's top ten municipal energy users, and the plan is currently being implemented. Boston secured nearly $10 million in commitments from Eversource and National Grid to support the acquisition and installation of energy efficiency measures in city properties. In August 2014, the City announced completion of a $66.7 million energy efficiency rehabilitation of 13 public housing properties owned by the Boston Housing Authority (BHA). The work completed by project contractor, Ameresco, includes millions of dollars in energy savings, capital upgrades to BHA's public housing portfolio, and the first-in-the-nation, public housing project-labor agreement, which provided an opportunity for BHA residents to embark on careers in the building trades through the Building Pathways Program. Based on the BHA success, the City developed an energy efficiency project finance program, called the Renew Boston Trust, that replicates field-proven finance models for municipal, housing, commercial and institutional sectors.
Public Employees
We did not find data on policies aimed at reducing the commutes of city workers, such as flexible schedules and teleworking.
Last updated: January 2017
The city's primary sustainability program is the Greenovate Boston initiative, which provides recognition to city residents and businesses saving energy and provides technical assistance resources including those to help with high energy bills, properly size air conditioning units, and save energy at work.
Last updated: April 2017
Boston's initial climate goals were formally adopted in 2007 with Executive Order 3-3890 and the Greenovate Boston 2014 Climate Action Plan Update provided the most recent update to these goals. Boston's goals are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25% below 2005 levels by 2020 and 80% below 2005 levels by 2050. Boston also has a goal of reducing energy consumption in commercial and industrial buildings by 7%.
Boston reports progress towards greenhouse gas reductions in the Carbon Disclosure Project's 2016 Citywide Emissions Database. The city has reduced its community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 19% between 2007 and 2014. The city is currently on track to meet its goal for 2020.
Last updated: April 2017
The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) explored the potential for multi-user microgrids with integrated combined heat and power (CHP) in the 2016 Boston Community Energy Study (BCES) report. The report identified 42 districts throughout the City with conditions favorable for a multi-user microgrids. The city also has a full-time staff member dedicated to assisting with planning for district energy systems.
Last updated: April 2017
Mayor Thomas Menino created the Grow Boston Greener (now Greenovate Boston) program with the goal of planting 100,000 new trees in Boston by 2020 and increasing the tree canopy to 35%.
We did not find information on any policies that require or incentivize low impact development (LID) or conservation of private land. The city does not have a private tree protection ordinance.
Last updated: April 2017
Boston has several building sector initiatives to improve efficiency including a "stretch" energy code, energy savings goals, green building requirements, and required energy rating and disclosure. The Inspectional Services Department manages building energy code compliance and enforcement for the City of Boston, while many of the other building energy policies are managed by the Office of Environment.
Boston is a US DOE Better Buildings Challenge Community Partner, committing to a 20% reduction in energy intensity in a portfolio of public and private buildings. Boston's Climate Action Plan, published in 2007, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020 and includes energy efficiency strategies for buildings in meeting that target. The 2011 update to the Plan notes that 67% of planned reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are to be achieved through measures related to buildings and energy sources, with the majority coming from building efficiency.
Last updated: January 2017
The Massachusetts law requires statewide adoption of each new International Energy Conservation Code edition within one year of its publication. Massachusetts has adopted the 2015 IECC for commercial and residential buildings. Massachusetts also allows its local jurisdictions to upgrade their energy codes with a state-determined stretch code. To learn more about state policies regarding building energy codes in Massachusetts, visit the State Policy Database.
Boston has adopted the Massachusetts Stretch Energy code, which requires new buildings to exceed the base energy code by 20%. The City advocates at the state-level for more stringent codes.
Boston has adopted the Massachusetts Stretch Energy code, which requires new buildings to exceed the base energy code by 20%. The City advocates at the state-level for more stringent codes.
Last updated: January 2017
The city of Boston has internal staff dedicated solely to energy code compliance through its Inspectional Services Department. Boston requires building code officials to attend training for energy code plan review and inspection. Boston requires participation in third-party plan review and performance testing to verify compliance with energy codes. Boston does not provide upfront support to developers or owners for energy code compliance.
Last updated: January 2017
Green Building Requirements
Since 2007, Article 37 of Boston's municipal zoning code requires that all new commercial projects over 50,000 sq ft. meet the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED certification standards. Article 37 also applies to all residential multifamily buildings over 50,000 sq ft.
Article 37 requires that all projects achieve at least the 'certifiable' level of the United States Green Building Council Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design (LEED) Rating System. Boston's Interagency Green Building Committee (IGBC) verifies that each project meets LEED certification standards prior to the issuance of Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy. IGBC's Review Procedures and Submittal Requirements were updated in January 2015 to incorporate Green Buildings (Article 37) and the Boston Climate Change Preparedness and Resiliency Policy (Resiliency Policy), enacted in 2013. Requirements include strict adherence to LEED checklists and proof of LEED credit attainment.
Energy Audit and Retrofit Requirements
As stipulated in Section 7-2.2 (f) of the 2013 Building Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance, buildings that are not ENERGY STAR certified or showing documented improvement in energy use reductions must take an "energy action" including either an energy assessment (audit) or retro-commissioning every five years. This requirement covers both residential and commercial buildings.
Incentives and Financing for Efficient Buildings
Boston, through its E+ Green Building Program, provides a development opportunity for builders and owners to design, build and sell green, net positive energy homes on city-owned parcels. "Energy positive" homes exceed LEED Platinum rating and supply excess energy to the grid. The city donates the land for development and provide subsidies to low-to-moderate income homebuyers. The E+ Program is an initiative of the Boston Environment Department, the Department of Neighborhood Development and the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
Development Review Guidelines for commercial buildings in the Stuart Street area have a standard maximum height of 155 feet, but if a project is certified as LEED Gold it is eligible for a height bonus up to a maximum height of 400 feet.
Last Updated: April 2017
Eversource, an investor-owned utility (IOU), is the primary electric utility serving Boston. National Grid (Boston Gas) is also an IOU and is Boston's primary gas utility. Both utilities provide their customers with a variety of energy efficiency programs. The City of Boston partners with the utilities and is an active promoter of their efficiency programs. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires spending and savings targets for its utilities through an EERS. To learn more about utility policies and programs for the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts, please visit the State Policy Database. At the state level, Boston strongly advocates for additional spending requirements for energy efficiency projects for all of its utilities.
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) is Boston's regional water authority. MWRA provides its Boston customers with water and sewer services and bills customers. The Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) owns the lines, hydrants, and pumping stations. BWSC also has jurisdiction over the stormwater management of the city. The City of Boston partners with MWRA and BWSC to increase the energy and water efficiency both at end use and throughout the system.
Last Updated: January 2017
In 2015, Eversource reported a net incremental electricity savings of 730,731 MWh, representing 3.15% of its retail sales. Eversource spent $247,917,974 on electric energy efficiency programs in 2015, accounting for 9.82% of its annual revenue. In the same year, National Grid reported 14.89 MMTherms in net incremental gas savings, representing 1.60% of its annual retail sales. To achieve these savings, National Grid spent $104,899,957 on natural gas energy efficiency programs, which is normalized to $128.62 per residential customer. These spending and savings values are for the utilities' entire Massachusetts service territory, not just Boston. Eversource offers electric efficiency incentives and technical assistance to residential and commercial/industrial customers. National Grid similarly offers natural gas efficiency programs to residential and business customers. Both utilities also sponsor whole-building programs, including multifamily buildings, through the state-wide Mass Save program. Their "whole facility" approach focuses on a facility's thermal envelope (shell insulation and air leakage conditions for units heated by natural gas or electricity) as well as lighting and mechanical systems.
The City of Boston partners with its energy utilities through the Renew Boston program. Renew Boston promotes energy efficient choices and informs Boston residents and businesses about utility-sponsored energy efficiency services. Through its community-centric outreach and education, Renew Boston helps ensure that the City's diverse homes and businesses are connected to available energy efficiency programs and incentives. Eversource continues to lend the City a manager that aids the City with energy efficiency project uptake and implementation. Moreover, the City and utilities are partnering on a joint marketing effort to increase residential home energy efficiency activities in Boston's low- and middle income neighborhoods, with a focus on increasing home energy audits, weatherization, and heating system upgrades.
The City of Boston also takes an active role in advising the utility-sponsored energy efficiency programs through a seat on the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council (EEAC). The Massachusetts Green Communities Act of 2008 created the EEAC to assist in the development and implementation of the statewide gas and electric utility energy efficiency plans. These plans set three-year targets for electricity and natural gas savings. The EEAC did not include representation from Massachusetts' municipal governments until Boston advocated for the addition of a voting seat for an individual representing "a city or town of the Commonwealth" through An Act Relative to Competitively Priced Electricity in the Commonwealth. That seat is currently represented by a City of Boston staff person.
Last Updated: January 2017
Low-Income Programs
The state of Massachusetts is served by the Low-Income Energy Affordability Network (LEAN), which is a network of Community Action Agencies, public and private housing owners, government organizations and public utilities that work together to provide low-income efficiency solutions in the state. Through LEAN, both Eversource and National Grid participate in the dual fuel Low-Income Single Family Core Initiative and Multifamily Initiative, which are available to qualified low-income residential customers. The single-family program provides no-cost energy efficiency measures to residential customers living in one- to four-unit dwellings in which at least 50% of the occupants have incomes at or below 60% of the state median income. Eligible measures for this program include insulation, air sealing, repairing or replacing heating systems, health and safety wares, water efficiency measures, and lighting fixtures. The program targets high energy users and elderly households and also streamlines eligibility requirements by automatically enrolling customers on the discount rate or who receive LIHEAP funds. The initiative is implemented by local Community Action Program (CAP) Agencies and is integrated with the Department of Housing and Community Development's (DHCD) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). There is also a statewide Energy Efficiency Advisory Council and a Multifamily Advisory Committee that provide guidance on low-income utility-sponsored programs in the state.
In 2015, according to Eversource, it achieved 23,490 MWh in energy savings from its low-income programs, while spending $25,387,428 on its low-income efficiency portfolio. These programs served 14,120 low-income customers, with each household receiving an average of $1,798 and saving an average of 1,664 kWh. In 2015, National Grid achieved 1.18 MMtherms in energy savings from its low-income programs, while spending $22,629,186 on its low-income efficiency portfolio in Massachusetts. These programs served 7,287 households, with each household receiving on average $3,105 and saving an average of 162 therms.
Multifamily Programs
Both Eversource and National Grid offer the Multi-Family Buildings Program. This comprehensive program offers multifamily energy assessments that identify cost-effective efficiency improvement or replacement opportunities. Utilizing a "whole facility" approach, the assessments focus on a facility's thermal envelope (shell insulation and air leakage conditions) as well as lighting and mechanical systems. The program also assesses in-unit savings potential for tenants. Improvements that may be eligible for incentives include lighting upgrades/controls, occupancy sensors, water heating equipment, domestic hot water measures, programmable thermostats, insulation, air sealing, heating and cooling equipment upgrades/controls, ENERGY STAR appliances and other improvements as determined on a site-specific basis. Additionally, these utilities offer the Low Income Multi-Family Energy Retrofits Program. This program provides eligible projects the use of an online tool to benchmark a development/building's energy use for one year, two building assessments to identify energy-saving opportunities (including electrical and heating audits, and installation of eligible cost-effective energy conservation measures.
Last Updated: July 2017
In order for customers to access their own energy data, Eversource makes use of the Green Button data sharing platform. Eversource and National Grid provide whole-building energy use data to building owners for building benchmarking. Eversource and National Grid also provide technical assistance for Portfolio Manager, which includes assistance collecting proper data and entering in facility information. These efforts support the City of Boston's Energy Reporting and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO), which requires building owners to submit information to the City regarding their annual energy use, ENERGY STAR rating (if applicable), water use, and greenhouse gas emissions.
Additionally, both Eversource and National Grid have provided a joint tenant-authorization form for multi-tenant building owners to collect aggregated building energy usage. National Grid provides this data by email, and Eversource allows building owners to collect their data from their Disclosure Portal. Eversource and National Grid also provide the City of Boston with annual community-wide aggregate-level electricity and gas usage information, which is published in the City's annual greenhouse gas inventory reports. Moreover, under the MassSave Program, all Eversource and National Grid energy efficiency program data is made publically available online at MassSave Data. Both Eversource and National Grid also provide zip-code level energy sales data to the city of Boston upon request for the purpose of community GHG inventory reporting.
Through its seat on the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council and requests to the state legislature, the City of Boston actively advocates for polices requiring utilities to expand the availability and granularity of energy usage data.
Last Updated: January 2017
Water Efficiency
The Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) and Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) fund water efficiency programs available to all water customers. While BWSC does not directly issue rebates and incentives under the MassSave program, Boston's energy utilities—National Grid and Eversource Energy—do offer rebates and incentives for water saving technologies. Notably, Boston customers are offered no-cost water-efficiency kits that include kitchen and bathroom faucet aerators, a low-flow replacement showerhead, a water-efficiency gauge to test showerheads and sinks, and dye tablets to check for toilet leaks. Water demand in the MWRA territory has decreased by nearly a third since the 1980s, in part through efficiency initiatives. Although no community-wide water savings target have been adopted by the city or its utilities, the MWRA has a comprehensive, long-term strategy for water savings as described in their 2013 Water System Master Plan.
Energy Efficiency and Self-Generation
MWRA has completed energy audits at 33 of its 36 major facilities. Implementation of audit recommendations and other process optimization efforts is estimated to save almost $2 million annually as part of its Long Term Sustainability Program. MWRA continues to reduce its electrical demand by optimizing process operations and renewable generation—including wind, solar, hydroelectric and biogas—and implementation of energy efficiency measures. Over the past 5 years, they have achieved a reduction of over 10% or a total of 18M kWh. Recently, MWRA entered into a memorandum of agreement with Eversource to identify and implement energy efficiency opportunities throughout MWRA's day-to-day operations and construction programs, and also to achieve higher rebates from the utility for implementing energy efficiency projects. MWRA also calls out Environmental Sustainability as a key strategic priority in their Five-Year Strategic Business Plan for FY 2016–2020. These initiatives include continuing to audit all facilities on their regular audit schedule, optimization of processes, cost effective renewable energy deployments, continued maximization of GHG reductions and fully leveraging all available utility rebates and incentives for energy efficiency. Finally, MWRA self-generates approximately 33 million kWh/year from methane capture at the Deer Island wastewater treatment plant.
Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Boston Water and Sewer Commission issued a Stormwater Best Management Practices Implementation Plan, with distinct recommendations and references to Green Infrastructure Demonstration projects including City Hall Plaza and Central Square in East Boston. In addition, BWSC is in the process of drafting a Green Infrastructure plan for stormwater runoff, which should be released within the next year.
Under BWSC's site plan requirements, developers designing new development and re-development projects must fully investigate methods for retaining or infiltrating stormwater on-site before the commission will consider a plan to discharge stormwater to its system. The commission's 2015–2017 capital improvement program includes $1,350,000 to install stormwater BMPs and green infrastructure components in three areas of the city.
The City of Boston also requires that almost all new or major renovation projects within the district include groundwater recharge (see, Groundwater Conservation Overlay District (GCOD)). Working with the BWSC, a project must demonstrate the required amount of recharge capacity, how much recharge is being provided, and locations of the supply and overflow lines along with any connections to BWSC lines. Typically, all projects must be able to recharge the first inch of rain.
Last Updated: January 2017
The transportation authority serving the City of Boston is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, a state agency. MBTA also provides the public transportation for the city and the broader metropolitan area, including train, bus, light rail, and ferry service. The Boston Region Metro Planning Organization is the MPO in charge of conducting metropolitan transportation planning. Its area of jurisdiction encompasses Boston, and many surrounding cities and towns. The Boston Transportation Department is the city agency charged with managing the city's transportation network.
Last updated: January 2017
Articles 87 and 87a of Boston's zoning code includes smart growth overlays to promote compact, mixed-use communities in specific neighborhoods. Boston has one or more neighborhoods with 0.5 required parking spaces. In downtown districts, "parking freezes" go into effect. Article 37 of the zoning code also encourages buildings subject to Large Project Review to integrate transportation demand management measures. The city encourages dense mixed-use development through density bonuses for greener buildings, affordable housing, and transit oriented development by way of Article 80.
Last updated: January 2017
Modal Share Targets
To improve integration of transportation and land use planning, Boston included a VMT reduction goal into its Climate Action Plan of 7.5% below 2010 levels by 2020. However, this target has not been codified through formal adoption. Targeted policies that will be used to achieve this goal include the implementation of complete streets policies, expanding and maintaining public transit facilities, mode shift, and parking freezes.
Car and Bicycle Sharing
There are two car sharing programs currently available to the residents and visitors of Boston, Enterprise Carshare, and zipcar. The city is served by a bikesharing program, Hubway, which has over 160 operable bike stations with approximately 1600 bicycles in total.
Complete Street
Boston adopted its Complete Streets Guidelines in 2009. The adoption of the guidelines encourages the inclusion of complete streets principles in all road construction and maintenance projects.
Last updated: January 2017
The MBTA transit system that serves Boston has received $2,162,892,767 in average annual funding from 2011-2015. This funding level is $453.03 per resident in the service territory of the agency, putting the city in the highest category (>$400) available in transit funding.
The Transit Connectivity Index measures transit service levels. It is based on the number of bus routes and train stations within walking distance for households scaled by frequency of service. The City of Boston's Transit Connectivity Index value is 40, putting it in the highest category (>=40) available in the City Scorecard.
Last updated: January 2017
At this time, the City of Boston does not offer incentives to purchase hybrid, plug-in, or EV vehicles. However, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) provides the Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (MassEVIP) Workplace Charging, which is an open grant program that provides incentives to employers for the acquisition of Level 1 and Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Additionally, the Transportation Access Plan Agreements requires that all new commercial and residential buildings include stipulations that 5% of parking in must have an EV charging station. oreover, the city owns 72EV charging stations that are available for public use.
Last updated: January 2017
Sustainable freight plan
Boston does not have a sustainable freight transportation plan in place nor does it have any policies that address freight efficiency.
Smart freight
Boston does not employ an internet-based app or service to coordinate freight transport, however, Boston Transportation Department is exploring this and other potential ways to improve transportation efficiency.
Last updated: January 2017
Boston has an Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP) to preserve access to affordable housing opportunities in transit-served areas in all of Boston's neighborhoods. Developers may include affordable units within their developments, create affordable housing in an off-site location, or make a cash contribution towards the creation or preservation of affordable housing. Boston also has site-specific transit-oriented development for mixed-income housing with built-in higher sustainability requirements. This is part of E+, which builds upon Boston's Article 37 Green Building Zoning and the city's Green Affordable Housing Guidelines.
Last updated: January 2017


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Avalon Palm Springs presents Yoga and Meditation Classes
415 S. Belardo Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262
- When:
Repeat weekly on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, until Sunday, April 28, 2019
Upcoming Date/Time(s):
on Friday and Saturdays at 5pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 9am
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Sunday, February 24, 2019
Friday, March 1, 2019
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Sunday, March 3, 2019
...more dates
- Where:
- 415 S. Belardo Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262
- Contact:
- P:760-318-3011;Visit Website
Avalon is proud to offer weekend yoga and meditation classes on our shady Presidio Lawn. Open for all levels, our yoga classes integrate traditional hatha poses with mindful breath and gentle flow. For those looking to pause and reflect, our meditation classes offer an exploration of meditation including visualization, mantra and awareness techniques to still the mind and the soul All Yoga classes are followed by a thirty minute meditation.
Yoga is on Friday and Saturdays at 5pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 9am.


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|This beautiful church was built in 1914 and still holds services on alternate Sundays.
It is literally out in the middle of nowhere, serving the local farmers and ranchers.
Can you see the outhouse back behind it?
|Remnants of an old mining town.
You can see the floods of early summer have given way
to a hot and dry landscape.
|This was a basement/foundation of a general store.
Looks a bit like the adobe homes one finds in AZ or NM.
|We love camping! My husband takes the best photos of us....


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Harper's Landscape & Gardening Centre offers a wide array of nursery and landscaping services. We are a full service nursery and landscaping company with services in almost every phase of horticulture. We grow most of our own plant material from bedding plants and vegetables up to specimen size trees. We also carry all types of plants, trees and planting supplies.
List of Services
- Landscaping Services
- Weekly and Monthly Yard Service
- Tree Sales, Delivery and Planting
- Lighting
- Citrus Trees
- Plants and Shrubs
- Irrigation Systems
- Fertilizers
- And Much More..
We design and install landscapes of any size, shape and fancy! Our landscape designers can do a complete make-over of the smallest patio or design your landscape from the ground up including patios, walks, gazebos, fire pits, etc.
If you are interested in locally grown and adapted plants from a locally owned and operated nursery, Harper's is the place! We've been serving the Valley of the Sun since 1945 with one mission in mind – to ensure that our customers receive the best service, the most accurate information, and highest quality plants, flowers and gifts available!
And we guarantee it! Harper's offers the only lifetime guarantee on plants in the state – and as far as we know, in the country! Jay, Jeff, and Jerry Harper (a.k.a. "The Harper Boys") would love to have you come in and visit us and get to know our staff on a first-name basis. We think you'll see why, since 1945, Harper's has been known as the Valley's gardening authority! Visit our landscape design centre to see what kind of wonderful ideas our team can incorporate into your dream garden firsthand!


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Artists have an infinite array of tools in their arsenal - but what if that wasn't the case? That's the question posed by "The Tool at Hand," an exhibition at the Philadelphia Art Alliance that challenged sixteen British and American artists to create a work of art using only a single tool. The results are diverse and surprising, from a vessel created via 3D printer with a Macbook Pro to a wax chair molded with the heat from an artist's bare hands.
"Aesthetically, they're all very different," says Art Alliance chief curator Sarah Archer. "They range from objects that you probably wouldn't think were the result of some bizarre experiment if they appeared in a different exhibition to others that are more mysterious or puzzling."
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"The Tool at Hand" was originally curated by Dr. Ethan Lasser for Wisconsin's Chipstone Foundation, but Archer found the show ideal for the Art Alliance. "Like Milwaukee, Philadelphia has an interesting relationship with manufacturing and fabrication," she says. "It has a rich history and a painful episode of decline, but it remains a real epicenter for designers and crafters and artists. So I thought it would be a great fit for Philly and for what we do."


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THE RECIPE: Curried Lentil Soup
There are those who love lentil soup, and there are those who nod off at the thought of it. I am of the former camp, and I hate to see it maligned, dismissed as hippie food, or worse. Lentil soup is a soulful thing, the kind of food that makes you feel cared for, even if you made it yourself. It's not particularly nice to look at, but neither are mashed potatoes, and that's never held them back.
I first got into lentil soup as a teenager, when a family friend took us out to an Indian restaurant and I fell hard for dal maharani, a mix of black and brown lentils and a sort of brown bean. I spooned it onto a heap of rice and leaned over the plate, breathing in the steam that rose from it—so many smells I didn't know!—and then I ate until I couldn't eat any more. Each time we went back to that restaurant, I ordered it, hoping to understand what made it taste so dark and earthy, so fragrant that the flavor filled not only my mouth, but my entire head.
I hadn't thought much about lentils before that dal, but apparently I liked them quite a bit, and now I was curious. I started ordering lentil soup whenever I saw it on menus, Indian or not, and I tried making my own. The late, great Laurie Colwin once wrote that lentil soup can never be bad, and though I wish that were true, I've run across some sad examples of the genre. I've even encountered one or two of them in
my very own kitchen, bland and watery messes of the kind that can only be corrected with some swearing and a
call for takeout.
This, I think, is the trick of lentils. They have an honest, bean-like flavor that's easy to like, but it's mild. It can't carry a dish on its own. Lentils need salt and aromatics like onion and garlic. They also benefit from the addition of assertive flavors, either bright ones like vinegar and mustard, or deepening, complex spices. When I make lentil salads, I make them the way the French do, dressed with olive oil, vinegar, and a whack of Dijon mustard. But when I make lentil soup, I always aim for South Asia, at least approximately, adding spices like cumin, ginger, mustard seeds, or coriander, or a blend of spices called a masala.
I've been playing around with making lentil soup for a while, with recipes from cookbooks and riffs of my own. I've found some good ones, though there are few that I've stuck with for more than a couple of batches. But one day last spring, I went out for lunch and, without meaning to, I found the lentil soup that I've been making ever since.
I wasn't in an Indian restaurant, or even a place that serves a lot of soup. I was in a small shop in Seattle called Picnic, a place that specializes in everything you might want to eat or drink on a blanket in the park. I usually go there for their house-made corned beef on rye, or for their kale salad with butter beans, cauliflower, pine nuts, and Meyer lemon vinaigrette, and until that day, I had never thought of soup as a picnic food. But up at the top of the menu, I saw the words curried lentil soup, so I ordered some with my usual sandwich.
Just the way it smelled was something special: highly spiced but silky, almost gentle. It was thick with French lentils, the small green ones that plump up and shine like caviar, and it tasted big and round and rich,
as though there were cream stirred
into it. It reminded me of dal maharani, only the spicing was quieter, softer,
so that the flavor of the lentils was
still clearly distinguishable. It tasted
like what dal might be if it were translated into French.
I met Anson and Jenny Klock, chef-owners of Picnic, in early 2009, not long after they opened their shop. As it turns out, the Klocks are fans of dal maharani, and when Anson set out to make his lentil soup, it was with that dish in mind. But his background in cooking is mostly French—he got his start at the fantastic (and now, sadly, closed) Cassis Bistro before moving on to help open the hugely celebrated restaurant Crush—and in trying to capture the flavor of dal, he drew from his own repertoire and the contents of the Picnic pantry.
He started with French lentils, a few aromatics, and his favorite spice blend, the tikka masala from World Spice Merchants in Seattle. It wasn't long before he had something good, but the soup I tasted took some trial and error. Dal maharani is quite creamy, and to get the right flavor and body, Anson decided to finish his soup with a good dose of butter. He liked it, but he wanted to find a lighter method. He tried pureeing some of the lentils, but what resulted, he said, was a little like refried beans gone wrong. Luckily, he happened to have some pureed chickpeas sitting around from another dish. An idea struck. He stirred the puree into the soup and got exactly what he was after: all the body and richness of butter or cream, but lighter on the palate and the gut. He still uses a small amount of butter for flavor, but the chickpea puree does most of the work.
Anson serves his curried lentil soup with just a few sliced green onions, and that's how I serve mine at home, though my husband likes to add hot sauce. We've been eating it for lunch every day lately, and unless Anson makes up a new recipe, I don't foresee a reason to stop.
THE RECIPE: Curried Lentil Soup


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Olympic Day 2012 focuses on "Being fit and active – a healthy lifestyle through sport"
The American Samoa National Olympic (ASNOC) in partnership with Department of Parks & Recreation and McDonald's American Samoa, will be hosting the 2012 Olympic Day this Saturday, June 23rd at the Su'igaula Utulei Beach Park.
"Olympic Day" is a worldwide annual event of the Olympic Movement, and ASNOC joins the International Olympic Committees (IOCs) in the world to promote this movement and take advantage of this occasion to share the Olympic spirit with everyone in our Territory," said Ken Tupua, President of the ASNOC.
"This is an opportunity for everyone to come together, move together and learn about the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect," added Tupua.
Olympic Day was introduced in 1984 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games on June 23, 1894 at the Sorbonne University in Paris. It is to promote the Olympic ideals of participation, tolerance, equality, solidarity, fair play and peace; contributing towards a peaceful and better society.
Over the last 20 years, Olympic Day has been associated with the Olympic Day Runs all over the world and 205 NOCs will participate in this year's celebration.
"Thousands of men, women and children, senior citizens, athletes and disabled people representing all backgrounds and social classes will be taking part in the Olympic Day Runs all over the world commemorating in their own way the creation of the Olympic Games," said Tupua.
The theme for this year's Olympic Day is "Being fit and active – a healthy lifestyle through sport".
"Given the ongoing challenges facing our Territory's population with the high rate of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, ASNOC has decided again to use the theme from last year with the goal of encouraging everyone to start and maintain living a Healthy Lifestyle through Sports." said House Rep. Larry Sanitoa, Chairman of the Olympic Day Organizing Committee.
"The staggering and disheartening statistics on the prevalent non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure in American Samoa has reinvigorated our efforts as our territory sports body to do more than just promoting sports" added Rep. Sanitoa.
"We need to continue to accentuate upon our people the importance of our health and the direct correlations in getting involved with sports," said Rep. Sanitoa.
The program is scheduled to start with an Olympic Day Run which will be a 10K run from Aveina Store in Nuuuli to the Su'igaula Utulei Beach Park on Saturday morning. Registration for the 10K will begin at 5:30 a.m. in front of Aveina Store and the official race will start at about 6 a.m.
The fun run/walk will start around 6 a.m. from SM Mart (last store in Nuuuli - going to Fagatogo) or for a shorter leisure walk route start from Fagaalu Park at the same time. Zumba will start right after the Olympic Day Run.
Activities at Su'igaula Utulei Beach Park are scheduled to start from 7 a.m. to 12 noon. Activities will include sports competitions and demonstrations. (Refer to Olympic Day Ad in Samoa News)
The Department of Public Health will be there to do screening and providing educational facts about your health and sports.
For more information, please call the ASNOC office at 699-8855 or Rep. Larry Sanitoa at 733-3501.
Theme – Manu Lauti
Being fit and active – a healthy lifestyle through sport
Tausi le Tino lelei ma le malosi – e maua ai le soifua maloloina e ala I ta'aloga
Given the challenges our Territory's population face today with the high rate of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, ASNOC's goal is to use this day to encourage everyone to start living a Healthy Lifestyle through Sports.
Diabetes crisis is the most challenging health issue facing American Samoa. World Health Organization (WHO) did a survey some years ago suggested that over 50% of the population in Am. Samoa have diabetes. With this current trends, one in three children born today will face a future with diabetes.
Approximately 40% of all deaths during 2006, 2007, 2008 up until March 30, this year are related to diabetes and related conditions (heart disease, hypertention, etc).
Over 71.3% of the children now from kindergarten to 11th grade are overweigh and obese. And the same number of over 70% had low activity.
According to medical records from LBJ from 2009 to 2010, the number of dialysis visits to the LBJ Medical Center increased by about 43%. The increase from 2010 to 2011 was about 26%. According to LBJ recent pre-dialysis patients in the Medical Clinic, the list suggests another steep increase in volume in the next few months. LBJ is moving ahead with the expansion of the Dialysis Unit (increasing it from 23 stations to 49). As a point of reference, Tucson, Arizona, a city of just over a million people, has a total of 28 dialysis stations in the entire community.
Almost a half of our population being diabetic, we will expect a continued rise in numbers of dialysis patients in the future unless we do something about now.
Financially this will be a big expenditure in our government budget.
The Olympic Day is intended to revive and remind the public of the benefits of physical activity (fa'amalosi tino) in general, particularly for our young people.
(Source: ASNOC press release)


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Spy v. Spy?
The news story that inspired this posting is the sentencing of admitted spy Ben-Ami Kadish, who was fined but avoided jail time. Judge Pauley wonders, as do I, why it took Uncle Sam 23 years to bring charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Iris Lan would have Judge Pauley believe that it took the FBI that long "to put all the pieces together." But His Honor didn't buy it, and neither do I.
The case is notable mostly because the Israeli information handler dealt with by Kadish was the same one who handled Jonathan Pollard.
My comments, in no particular order:
A. Yes, Israel does spy on the United States. And the United States similarly spies on Israel.
B. Knowing what I know about military procedures relating to classified information, and about human nature in general, there is only a small, limited set of circumstances under which one might conceivably be involved in espionage on a one- or two-shot basis. Because once you begin, your handler and/or some party associated with your handler thereafter owns you, and you must keep on playing the game. I don't like having to answer to anyone, so I have always taken pains to stay far from anything resembling espionage.
C. One of the conditions of that aforementioned small, limited set of circumstances is that the temporary spy must accept no money or other commodities of value for his or her services. Quite curiously, the "facts" as agreed to by Kadish and the U.S. Attorney specifically provide that Kadish neither requested nor received anything of value for his services.
D. Yet, according to the criminal Complaint, Kadish remained in telephone and e-mail contact with his handler up until the FBI began questioning Kadish in 2008.
E. Jonathan Pollard, beyond all doubt, was provided with cash and other goods and perquisites for his efforts. It certainly was far, far more than his out-of-pocket cab fare, telephone calls and photocopy expenses.
F. More to the point, there were, and are, persistent rumors that Pollard had customers other than Israel. If this is true, then it would go very far towards explaining why the U.S. government dealt with Pollard in a manner as harsh as it did, and why Israel has been less than enthusiastic about pressuring the United States for Pollard's release.
G. When Kadish began providing documents in 1979 or before, there still was this entity known as the Soviet Union. At the time, the conflict between Israel and the Arabs was a proxy war between the USA and the Soviet Union, during which Israel used American weaponry against the Soviet weaponry used by the Arab states. More importantly, Israel, on its own and in conjunction with the United States Department of Defense, made modifications and improvements to the American weapons, to the benefit of both Israel and the United States.
H. As Judge Pauley surely suspects, there is much, much more to the Kadish story than the government is disclosing. And the obvious use of the bringing of charges in 2008, after 23 years, as a lever to pressure Israel, does not account for the whole story. I, for one, do not have sufficient information to do anything more than engage in speculative guessing as to what these other factors might be.
I. Judge Pauley inquired of Kadish's attorney as to Kadish's source of livelihood. The only answer given was that Kadish had some investments. Might there be a tax angle to this all? As a tax attorney, I can think of all sorts of taxation issues.
Labels: Ben-Ami Kadish, espionage, Israel, Jonathan Pollard, taxation


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Shannon Airport has delivered on its pledge to achieve significant passenger growth in its second year as an independent entity, with end of year figures for 2014 showing a 17% increase on 2013.
In 2013 following separation the airport ended five successive years of decline and in 2014 has delivered significant growth, with passenger numbers increasing from 1,400,032 to 1,639,315.The growth was achieved on the back of 10 new destinations and 16 service enhancements overall in 2014.
The biggest growth market was in European services, where nine new destinations delivered a 70% increase (from 251,813 to 427,887). While these included a number of popular sun destinations which return for 2015, growth on European services also drew high numbers of inbound visitors, thanks to the return of links to Germany (Munich and Berlin) as well new French (Paris and Poitiers) services – markets with traditionally a strong demand for the unique West of Ireland tourism product.
There was also strong growth (10%) across the airport's five US services (Boston, Chicago, Newark, JFK New York and Philadelphia), building on the increase achieved in the second half of 2013 when the airport enjoyed a 22% uplift in transatlantic passengers. Shannon's largest overall market, the UK, continued to recover, achieving a 5% increase in 2014. The year finished on another monthly high in December with a 7% increase on passenger numbers compared with December 2013. This included a 165% increase on European services.
via – ShannonGroup


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Tag Archives: Vudu
Hisense Plus Pro: A Review
More and more Americans are ditching traditional cable and satellite companies in lieu of more affordable entertainment options. We're entering a new world of smart TVs and set-top boxes that blur the lines between your television and your computer. There … Continue reading
Posted in Movies, Music and Gaming Tagged Amazon, Home Security System, Sharp, Smart Phone, SubTERRAIN, Total Control System, TruAudio, Vudu Leave a comment


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Hôtel Villa Koegui
Travelzoo Staff
Why We Love It
- Sleek design features and airy spaces
- Striking patio with seating, surrounded by flora
- It's a 7-minute walk from the beach
- Close to restaurants and bars
Map & Directions
Biarritz's international airport is an 8-minute drive from the hotel, or you can hop on the bus (the number 14). Get off at the Jardin Public stop -- the hotel is a 2-minute walk away. Trains run into Biarritz train station, a 10-minute drive or 15-minute bus trip from the hotel (take the number 8 to Jardin Public).


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As soon as I had finished my mini bathroom makeover, I started updating it, and adding things to it.
The positive comments I received about my yellow bath, made me re-assess the look.
Let's face it, I'm probably never going to get it re-enamelled in white, so I'm embracing my retro vintage yellow bath.
The walls are grey, and yellow and grey go together, right.......... so I thought I'd mix it up a bit more......
I thought I'd add a colour I would never normally use........
um....yes....I painted the chair in AS Emile.
I bought a match pot of this and Paloma when I went to the shop in the previous post.
All the gorgeous blues and greens were drawing me towards them (all the gorgeous blues and greens that would have gone great with yellow !) but no, I was trying to think outside the box.
I think I like it, I'm still not sure......I quite liked it when it was white !
I painted a little wooden pot in the Paloma, distressing through to the cream and adding charcoal as highlights.
I like this........a lot.
Then I tackled the gap on the wall.
I had always wanted something to the left of the round mirror and originally envisaged some empty white frames and then I thought an eye chart would be great, because it would make more of a statement.
After embracing the yellow retro/vintage bath and painting the chair I thought maybe something colourful would be better, like a circus font, maybe saying 'HOME', or a Mexican style floral skull (done in colours to suit my bathroom of course).
And thanks to my thought processes, I've added more empty frames, eye charts, circus font artwork, and skulls to my looooong list of things.to.do !
Btw, I was drawn to Paloma because I used to wear Paloma Picasso perfume and because of Paloma Faith, She's an amazing singer and recently did an incredible performance on a chat show. You can see it here.


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Meet Coach Patrick
Watch the video to learn more about me and my coaching style.
Patrick is a 22-time Ironman finisher, including 8x Kona with a 9:27 Personal Best!
Inside Endurance Nation, Coach Patrick manages the Athlete Welcome Process — including your Welcome and 30-Day phone calls. Patrick is also in charge of day-to-day athlete support via the Micro Forum, text message and phone.
Patrick is your official Run Coach, as well, working hard to create workouts that will challenge you and help you reach new levels of run fitness.
You can find Patrick inside the Team once you create your Free 30-Day Trial Membership. If you look hard enough, you can find him elsewhere online, including:
Post Race Family Time!
Aero Time in Kona!
Placid 4 Keys Talk!


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A curriculum designed and written by Maine educators.
Here in Maine, an exciting new era in forest bioproducts and biotechnology has emerged during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, one that brings change to some industrial practices of the past while still allowing the traditional forest products industry to maintain its foothold throughout the state. At the University of Maine's Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative (FBRI), the largest research initiative in the state's history, researchers are striving to create a commercially viable, wood-based biorefinery that can separate chipped wood into its components and produce valuable chemicals and extractives. If successful, this biorefinery will be sited within the walls of existing, forest products manufacturing facilities such as pulp mills, providing added value to processes that have been in place for decades.
FBRI's Vision:
To advance understanding about the scientific underpinnings, system behavior,
and policy implications for the production of forest-based bioproducts that meet
societal needs for materials, chemicals and fuels in an economically and ecologically
sustainable manner.
In 2006, UMaine received a $6.9 million award from the National Science Foundation's Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). The Maine TREE Foundation and Maine PLT received funding from this project to train and inform Maine teachers about the research at UMaine. Running parallel with this project, National PLT was developing a Biotechnology/RISK curriculum.
To familiarize Maine's middle, high school and early college students with FBRI's work, Maine Project Learning Tree (PLT) created these five lesson sequences. Linked as supplements to the National PLT Biotechnology curriculum, the goal of these lessons is two-fold: to deepen students' content understanding and process skills in science while at the same time introducing students to biotechnological and other scientific and technological advancements taking place at FBRI.
These lessons use biotechnology and forest bioproducts as a window through which secondary students investigate current field research. Educators and students can step back from specific issues and examine broader concepts and larger connections—not just biological, but social, ethical, and economic as well. Students will learn that decisions about scientific research, alternative energy use and forest products rest to some extent on perspectives from a large community working together to explore, experiment and create new solutions that address current societal needs.
Maine Forest Bioproducts and Biotechnology was developed by Maine Project Learning Tree (PLT) in partnership with the Maine TREE Foundation, National PLT, Forest Bioproducts Research Initiative (FBRI) and NSF/EPSCoR. Educators are permitted to download, print, and use any of the following online materials.
Comments from teachers who piloted lessons:
"Lesson Three provides a good model for a cumulative, capstone, or semester-long project. It could also take the place of a traditional science-fair project or experiment." C.Kropp, Washington Academy, Machias
"I was pleased with the student response to Lesson 5 despite being taught at the end of the school year. It was a great opportunity for students to discuss systems and how parts of a system affect the whole." M. Greaves, CSD #9, Aroostook County
Project Learning Tree® (PLT) is an award winning, multi-disciplinary environmental education program for educators and students in PreK-grade 12. PLT is a program of the American Forest Foundation. It is one of the most widely used environmental education programs in the United States and abroad, and continues to set the standard for environmental education excellence. PLT helps students learn how to think, not what to think, about the environment.
Photo: Wood fibre in the market place - researching for a new era


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TORONTO, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Toronto's main stock index closed sharply higher on Wednesday, led by commodity issues after the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled it may pump extra stimulus into the U.S. economy.
Underpinned by a sagging U.S. currency, bullion prices set a record high, while the price of oil held close to $83 a barrel. Those bullish prices helped send the index's materials group up 1.76 percent and the energy sector 0.9 percent higher.
The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index .GSPTSE unofficially closed 97.67 points, or 0.78 percent, higher at 12,673.31, paring gains from the highest level in more than two years, reached earlier in the session. (Reporting by Ka Yan Ng; editing by Peter Galloway)


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Whether or not you consider yourself a tidy person, the belongings and artifacts that populate your home can end up being an obstacle when it comes time to sell. The key thing to remember is that buyers are looking to imagine themselves living in your home, and the more of your own stuff you have lying around, the harder it's going to be for them to do that.
Of course, you don't want to show a completely empty home either, but a good balance is possible. Here are a few tips for de-cluttering that will make your home more attractive without sapping away all of your time and energy.
1. Put some of your stuff into storage
If you're selling this home and moving into another, you may already have a storage unit for some of the belongings you'll be transporting. Either way, putting some of your items into storage to thin out the clutter in your home is usually a wise investment.
The cost of renting a modest unit for a month (or a few) shouldn't be too high, and the difference it can make in your home's attractiveness and value can be tremendous. Storage units are especially great for dealing with large items such as furniture and exercise equipment.
2. Deal with the small items
We know it's daunting, but when it comes to de-cluttering, you'll want to concentrate a lot of your attention on the many small items and objects that collect in a home over the years. Yes, you'll need to have some décor, and you'll probably want to leave a few items on display, but it makes sense to remove the vast majority. When it comes to small items, we're talking everything from picture frames to books to kitchen utensils to toiletries. Store these off-site if possible, but at the very least you'll want to make sure they're out of sight.
3. Consider hiring a home stager
Although it's certainly possible to de-clutter and stage your home all by yourself, or with the help of your agent only, it's often a wise investment to hire a professional to do some of the work for you. Though home staging is a relatively new profession, it's already had such an impact on the market that most buyers expect to walk into open, pristine, and flowing spaces when shopping for a new home.
Home stagers have the advantage of knowing the tricks of the trade, as well as an outsider's perspective—plus they can bring in decorative touches of their own, which will save you money. You shouldn't consider it necessary to hire a stager, but in many cases it will help your home to sell more quickly and fetch a higher price.
For answers to your home buying questions and more, contact Phil Ganz at Fairway Mortgage Corporation today!


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Schaeffler applies cookies to secure an optimal use. With the further use of this website you accept the application of cookies. More Information
Spherical roller bearings are used in electric motors when very high radial and axial loads have to be supported.
Spherical roller bearings are not greased and normally not sealed. Special designs, however, are available with seals. Spherical roller bearings can be lubricated using oil or grease. For vertical axes, they are usually greased with oil.


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ZARA, which is part of the Inditex Group,beijing register wofe, is one of the worlds leading retail fashion companies. Inditex Group registered WOFE in Beijing and entered the China market in 2005 with ambitious growth plans which required the opening of a large number of retail outlets. ZARA had very tight deadlines for the opening of the new shops, and any delays would be extremely costly.
Every new shop required approvals from several government bureau approvals. beijing register wofe.The scale and complexity of the challenge was magnified by the fact that ZARA had to obtain the approvals in different cities and municipalities at the same time.
1. Information Packages
? According to our abundant WOFE registration experiences in Beijing,we helped ZARA to prepare a shop opening information package that included all the documentation required for the different bureaus approvals.beijing register wofe. This was to be used as the source for all the basic required information for all new openings.
2. Key Relationships
Our team maintained positive relationships at an official level with Department Directors in order to ensure a favorable atmosphere for the work that needed to be done.
We also worked closely with the government employees in charge of the files,beijing register wofe, being the staff who actually handled the paperwork.
We have helped ZARA with approvals for several shop openings, reducing the shop approval time from 3 months to an average of 3 weeks.


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Currajong Wreck is a 68 metre long ship wreck in 24 metres of water which needs to be dived at 1:00 am in the morning. Must be AOW with 5 night dives and min 20 dives
On the evening of 8 March 1910, the TSS Currajong entered Port Jackson and headed up the Harbour. As the Currajong neared Bradleys Head, the huge 6000 plus tons passenger liner, SS Wyreema, bound for Cairns approached from the west. As was later to be shown at the Marine Inquiry, the Wyreema was traveling on the wrong side of the channel and hit the Currajong amidships on the port side. The Currajong started sinking immediately and the helmsman, Hans Neilson, was killed.
Since the dive site is in the harbour's main shipping channels it must be undertaken after Harbour officially closes down for the day.
"A must do!"
Kristy on 8/3/2009 1:07:21 PM
Comments: There was something eerily exciting about doing a night at 12am in Sydney Harbour. The vis was good enough for a night dive and it was amazing to see a wreck right in our own harbour! The boat and crew were fantastic.
"A Night to Remember"
Emma on 3/3/2009 12:34:25 PM
Comments: Buzz buzz buzz….. It's 10:30pm and my alarm has just woken me up. So I get cossied up, don my red shirt and head out to meet Rachael in the Ute. On the way to Rose Bay we detour to pick up Kristy, after the usual just woken conversations we start the girlie chat and why don't men ever call you back? (Answers on a postcard please …!) As we go through the bright lights of Kings Cross we see lots of drunken revellers wandering the streets. We get some strange looks from other drivers wondering a Sc... More details
"nite dive"
zoran on 1/3/2009 11:53:56 PM
Comments: good dive,all the best for the planning on this dive. the visibility was 2-3 meters,but not much of a wreck left to be seen.various marine live down there, and a good practice on nite diving.make shure you got all the gear needed for nite dive on this one.i give boat crew 5+ for putting the anchor right on the wreck-which made dive a lot more easy.
For more details click on the tabs below to expand or collapse them:


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I bet you know how to duplicate database from primary, or read only standby databases. But do you know how to duplicate from active database RAC environment into Single instance node without ASM or any shared file system? It's really awkward feeling while searching this simple information, because no one mention about it. While you duplicating database from RAC to the Single, you needs to configure controlfile snapshot to the ASM or shared filesystem. If you haven't any, you need to create some. Fortunately we've got very small ASM diskgroup only for ocr and voting files. So we can involve this group to our process.
rman target sys/pass@RO_standby auxiliary sys/pass@AIM_standby RMAN> configure snapshot controlfile name to '+ocrvt/hostname'; RMAN> duplicate target database for standby from active database nofilenamecheck;
The duplicate process just using this controlfile snapshot for creating normal controlfile in location which mention in the spfile.


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Dual-Releasing Control Panel – 6-zone is a dual releasing control panel that is field configurable for use on Deluge Sprinkler Systems, Pre-action Sprinkler Systems and Agent Release Systems.
Dual-Releasing Control Panel – 6-zone
Listed to UL 864, 9th edition
• Field configurable to operate with a Deluge
Sprinkler System, a Pre-action Sprinkler System
and an Agent Release System
• Six Class B (Style B) Input Circuits
• Input Circuits One to Four can be configured as
Non-Verified Alarm, Non Latching Supervisory,
Latching Supervisory or Agent Release/Water Flow
depending on the Mode of Operation selected
• Input Circuits Five & Six can be configured as
Manual Release Input, Abort Input or Abort/Manual
Release Combination Input depending on the Mode
of Operation selected
• Input Circuits can be converted to Class "A" (Style
"D") using the ICAC-306 Converter Module
• Four Class "B" (Style "Y") Output Circuits which can be
configured for Silenceable Signal, Non-Silenceable
Signal, Silenceable Strobe, Non-Silenceable
Strobe or Releasing Circuit (Circuits 3 & 4 Only)
• Output Circuits can be converted to Class "A" (Style
"Z") using the OCAC-304 Converter Module
• 5 Amp Power Supply
• 4-wire smoke power 22.3 VDC @ 300ma max.
Supervised Aux Power 22.3 VDC @ 500ma max.
• Aux Power (Unregulated) 24 VDC @ 1.7 Amp max.
• Relay contacts for Common Alarm (Non
Disconnectable), Auxiliary Alarm (Disconnectable),
Common Supervisory (can be converted to common
alarm if no Supervisory input) and Common Trouble
• Cross Zone option
• Counting Zones option
• Output signals can be configured for Steady (fixed) or
Escalating (tone changes as input operation changes)
• Release Timer 0 to 60 Seconds (5 second increments)
• Manual Release Delay 0 to 30 Seconds (5 second
• Soak Timer 0 to 15 Minutes (21 Intervals)
• Abort Release Timer (Standard UL Type Delay, IRL
Type Delay, NYC Type Delay, Local Jurisdiction Delay)
• Special Releasing Power Supply and Release
Activation Considerations preventing false dumps
• Configurable to perform two hazard areas
• Simple panel programming through 14 PreConfigured
Modes of Operations
General Inquiries
There are no inquiries yet.


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Listen to this article
Hysterical nuns, libidinous clerics, corrupt politicians and a public execution: Krzysztof Penderecki's The Devils of Loudun has everything you could possibly want in an opera, except perhaps dogs and kittens. For Keith Warner's new production, now at home where the opera was written in Warsaw after an airing in Copenhagen, the composer has returned again to his twice-revised 1969 score, refining and reorchestrating original and new scenes. It is hard to think of a comparable 20th-century work that has been so often performed and yet so much maligned. On Wednesday, when the 80-year-old composer took applause on his home territory, Loudun's evil spirits gave every appearance of being here to stay; attempted exorcisms of the past have clearly failed.
One of the chief criticisms levelled against the piece, that the music does not carry the drama, can certainly be dismissed on the strength of this production.
Penderecki's revised score is graphically descriptive, with moments of both harsh brutality and unashamed lyricism, full of calculated effect and deftly crafted. Maybe the distance afforded by this century, where a new plurality may inform views of the last, is necessary in order fully to appreciate the piece for what it is: a ripping good yarn.
Warner's production treats it as just that. His staging is literal, cinematic, witty and well-made. Boris Kudlicka's sets are explicit, giving us everything from a bed and a confessional for Grandier's ecclesiastical misdemeanours to cloisters for the nuns and a laboratory for Adam and Mannoury. On the podium, Lionel Friend finds the fine balance between precision and passion, and is rewarded with forceful orchestral playing and formidable singing, not least from the house choir. Not many opera choruses can manage microtones with such aplomb.
There are no weak links in the large cast. Tina Kiberg is compelling as overwrought nun Jeanne, despite being required to touch herself rather more than need be for us to grasp the implication of sexual frustration. Louis Otey goes beyond risk as Grandier, giving all to the point of self-destruction; Paul McNamara navigates Baron de Laubardemont's stratospheric heights and growing sadism with apparent ease; Silja Schindler floats through the heights of the unfortunate Philippe's lines, while Krzysztof Szmyt and Robert Gierlach make a hilarious double act as Adam and Mannoury.
When the blood-soaked Grandier is finally assumed in a tube of smoke and coloured light, we may have been cheated of the promised burning at the stake but we have been comprehensively entertained, somewhat revolted, and possibly even edified.


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When Roderick and Victoria and each of their siblings were tasked with deciding on a project to complete this summer, Roderick chose organizing a lemonade stand and donating the proceeds to BackStoppers. 7-year old Roderick and 4-year old Victoria worked the lemonade stand all morning and then afternoon long on a hot day earlier this week and raised $110.00!
We were lucky enough to meet Roderick and Victoria at our office where they presented us and officers with the Frontenac Police Department with their donation. The two impressed us with their concern for public servants and families of fallen first responders. Roderick and Victoria received gifts of goodie bags from the Frontenac Police Department, and Victoria spent the rest of her day talking excitedly about having met the police officers.
Thank you Roderick and Victoria for supporting The BackStoppers and honoring our area's police officers, firefighters, and paramedics and EMTs with your lemonade stand!Read More
Team BackStoppers is ready for RAGBRAI XLIV!
The Team leaves today for Iowa where they will ride 420 miles across the state in one week on this year's RAGBRAI course, raising awareness and funds for BackStoppers.
Team BackStoppers member Bob Stuckey stopped in our office last week and let us know everyone is ready and excited, and that the heat shouldn't be too bad this year. If you can believe the extended forecast, that is.
Team BackStoppers, founded in 2013, is a group of cyclists of all skill levels. These ambassadors on bikes don BackStoppers jerseys for their annual trip to RAGBRAI and while logging miles in Missouri and Illinois all year long. Funds raised by the Team benefit The BackStoppers Education Fund.
Good luck Team BackStoppers! We know you'll have a very challenging, rewarding, and successful week all while having a lot of fun. Thank you for everything you do for The BackStoppers!
If you would like to help support Team BackStoppers on RAGBRAI XLIV, make a donation today and include "Team BackStoppers" in the comments.Read More
6-year old Ashtynn saw a YouTube video of a lemonade stand for charity and decided to do the same for BackStoppers. After sitting at her lemonade stand for six hours and selling every cup herself, Ashtynn had raised $1,105.05 for families of fallen first responders! Then, Ashtynn and her family visited local police and fire departments to drop off baskets full of snacks.
Many area firefighters and paramedics, including High Ridge Fire Chief Mike Arnhart and Capt. Ron Arnhart with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, came out to enjoy some refreshing lemonade on a hot day, and the High Ridge Fire Department made sure the stand was shaded under a big tent.
We were honored to meet Ashtynn at our office and receive one of her snack baskets as a gift. This inspiring young girl brought her proud parents and grandparents and spoke with KSDK NewsChannel 5's James Tuxbury about her fundraiser.
Ashtynn's hard work and great kindness will go a long way to help families who've lost a loved one in the line of duty. The BackStoppers is very grateful for this generous donation. Thank you, Ashtynn, for supporting BackStoppers!
Read More
The BackStoppers has provided assistance to Officer Michael Flamion who was shot on July 8th, 2016, and remains in critical but stable condition.
Officer Flamion is a nine year veteran of law enforcement who joined the Ballwin Police Department in 2014 and previously served with the De Soto Police Department for seven years. He has a long road ahead of him and he, his family, friends, and fellow first responders are in our thoughts and prayers.
Our mission is to provide needed financial assistance and support to the families of first responders who have lost their lives or suffered a catastrophic injury performing their duty. Please consider making a donation today on our donation page or by mail at the address below.
The BackStoppers
PO Box 795168
St. Louis, MO 63179-0700.
We thank you for your generous support.
Officer Mike Flamion
Ballwin Police Department
With the addition of Officer Mike Flamion, we are now assisting 77 families with 63 dependent children and have assisted a total of 156 families since 1959.


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My littlest sister very badly wanted to see Oz the Great and Powerful. So the ladies of my family (my mom, my two younger sisters and I) wandered off and caught it on opening night.
Oz the Great and Powerful is a prequel to 1939's Wizard of Oz, and explains how Oz got a wizard. And it's terrible. It's a modern day "climb my penis to safety!" tale. Barf.
It's getting mixed reviews...and I suppose there are some nice things I could say about it. It's pretty, and it has some really beautiful moments (the sub-plot with the China Doll is pretty excellent). The cinematography is excellent, there are some really clever homages to the original movie, and the cast tries. But that's it. For the purposes of this blogger, the film is a disaster and an incredibly regressive film for such a strong female cast.
Spoilers ahead....
Let's introduce our hero: Oz, the titular character as delivered by James Franco. Oz is a selfish, dishonest, womanizing schmuck. From the first scene to the last (the last, post-redemption scene) he never relents with the pursuit of sexual gratification. As far as I could tell, he never learned that he was an exploitative jackass whose shameless objectification and pursuit of women actually created the effing Wicked Witch of the West. His last scene in the film is scoring a kiss of the woman whose kingdom he just stole. Sure, he's supposed to be a redeemed anti-hero by the end of the movie, but I don't buy it - his "victory" is illusion, he's never at any point in harms way, he gets the gold and the girl (which have been his motivation the entire time), and his plan to rule Oz hinges on an elaborate hoax. Oz the Great? I call bullshit. Oz is a MacGuffin and an asshole.
So, how did he become the hero of this hot mess? Well that would be because he stole all of the thunder from Glinda (Michelle Williams). The good witch Glinda is the rightful hero of this film. She's the heir to the Emerald throne, and has been leading a rebellion for 10 years prior to Professor Doofus MacGuffin's appearance. She's also a total badass whose power, and the respect and love she commands from the people of Oz is basically the entire basis for the victories of the film. But she's been sitting around waiting this past decade for the wizard her father prophecized before his death because apparently, the heir to the throne who also happens to be a crazy powerful witch can't lead her own people to rebellion. She needs some idiot conman from Kansas to save her with fireworks. What, what? Yes, that's right - fireworks. And a projector. She's clearly loved, respected, and basically frigging amazing. But no, that's not enough - we need a dude with no powers at all that she has to beg for help to save the day, as a penis is apparently an important component to being an inspiring leader, and the only way to get written into a prophecy (seriously - do women ever show up in hero prophecies as anything other than the miracle pregnancy storage device?). Pffffffffffffft.
And...the "wicked" witches. As I alluded to already, the Wicked Witch of the West (the one Dorothy melts in the original film) is created when Theodora (Mila Kunis) is spurned by Oz the great asshole. Two small problems: her and Oz are together for a little over a day and... Theodora's broken heart is spurned on by her sister Evanora (Rachel Weisz) pulling the classic "women are competitive back-biting b*tches" card). Why are the witches wicked, you ask? Well, Evanora is kind of wicked. She poisoned her way onto the throne, and seems to be a bit of a liar and kind of a fascist maniac. We never find out why she does any of this (because she's wicked, presumably), but whatever her reasons are, her wickedness is completely surpassed by the monster she creates out of her sister. Over a boy. That she'd just met. I don't even understand why she's wicked. She was totally right to be furious with Oz over being a manipulative jackass, but it was nothing that a rational person couldn't have gotten over with a bottle of whisky and some chocolate ice cream. Glinda probably would've been up for that - she herself points out that Oz is a narcissistic, selfish, liar. She just needed him to defeat Theodora (who wasn't evil before she showed up) and Evanora (even though she didn't actually need him for that, because everything required to defeat Evanora, including the epic duel part of things, was handled by Glinda herself).
Oh, and as soon as the witches become "wicked" they get UGLY. Because, of course - you totally can judge books by their covers.
The entire movie hinges on women's worlds' revolving around male figures of authority and/or men who show them sexual interest. Blergh. And, to add insult to injury, the man in this particular story is a total asshole who gets all of the credit for Glinda's badassery. Even with 3 tremendous female talents as co-leads, this movie just couldn't resist the urge to completely crap on women as powerful agents of their own destinies.
I give this movie 2 blerghs out of a possible 5 "for f*ck's sake it's the 21st century.


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Long before it was a serious career option, I chose to walk away from traditional work and into a freelance career. Working for one of the world's most difficult people made that decision easy and 22 years later I am eternally grateful for her crappy attitude pushing me out on my own. At the ripe old age of 23, I moved into portfolio work; doing a range of things suited to my skills. Back then I was one of the few but nowadays I would be just one of the many.
More than ever, organisations and recruiters face the new breed of portfolio workers. Yes, some may chose to work within organisations, others go it alone, but they are setting the rules about how they wish to work, what they want to work on and for how long. The 'talent' is out and networking thanks to social.
The interconnected world, supported by a myriad of social platforms designed to network, share, publish and influence, provides an opportunity to self-promote to literally anyone. In an age where job stability, employer loyalty and people investment can still be considered shaky, the much maligned Gen Y's and Millennials are making the plays as to how they want their career to pan out. Social naturally complements this move.
Many of them are banking on creating incomes on everything from a diverse skills set (across a range of workplaces) through to working in and out of a series of start-ups. All the while they are telling their stories of success as well as failure across their LinkedIn profiles, blogs and twitter accounts. They are also gaining coverage across niche online media sharing their news and views to a much engaged network. They are at the helm of their careers and setting their compass. People can see them and find them easily.
This creates an new operating environment for recruiters and HR's who will need to move to a new model to attract and keep this pro-active careerists. Jobs will need to be redesigned to build in the flexibility of working location, hours, work/life balance and the need to cultivate innovation and passion into the ongoing roles of the future.
Entrepreneurs are adopting this people-focused culture to keep and develop these free ranging and thinking portfolio workers. They align this people shift with their new economy business models which often turn financial and operational methodologies on their heads. They recognise how their people and wider teams underpin their future success and it's paying dividends.
People will always be the key to an successful business where thinking is required. You can only mechanise certain things. These brilliantly placed young professionals are communicating far and wide, spruiking their own talents, running their own lines of argument and setting the scene for the businesses of the future.
If organisations want to hold onto control then it will be their loss. The talent will continue to be connected, talking to prospects and securing the next deal. Why wouldn't you want people like that working for you?