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Our pseudonymous bluestocking sexplorers tie themselves in knots over BDSM.
BDSM has experienced a bit of a public renaissance recently, with Fifty Shades of Grey being touted as both illustrating the voracious sexual appetites of women, and as an example of false consciousness and the kind of fucked up shit it can lead to. Edna feels uneasy about the role that BDSM plays in reproducing patriarchal power dynamics in the bedroom. She feels that were she to get into BDSM she would choose to take a dominant role, especially in heterosexual sex, partly as a way to subvert the role of submissive woman.
After discussing this with Edna, Aggie –who does enjoy being thrown around the bedroom from time to time – got in a bit of a tizz. As if it wasn't bad enough that she hasn't called her grandparents in weeks and BASICALLY PISSED ALL OVER EMMELINE PANKHURST'S GRAVE by forgetting to vote in the last council elections, now she's also responsible for reinforcing millennia of patriarchal oppression whenever she has a wank? Not Good. So, like the Strong, Independent woman she is, Aggie had a bath and a little cry and called a Man for advice. The Man was not encouraging. Despite admitting that it might be 'really patronising', he refused to believe that anyone could genuinely enjoy pain, and thought that taking pleasure in causing someone pain was gross. Aggie thought about this for a while and decided that, yes, this was patronising, but didn't feel any better about herself – until she remembered that the Man played rugby. Sports which involve knocking people over and doing exercise – ARE THEY REALLY SO DIFFERENT FROM KINKY SEX? In an effort to figure out why she likes what she likes, Aggie made a list of things she enjoys for reasons similar to those which make her want painful sex: running around uni parks until she can't breathe and wants to vomit, dancing, getting really, really, really drunk, going to foreign countries on her own, and crying at sad films(books/songs/poignantly arranged napkins). Things that push her limits or force her out of her head and into her body – some kind of release. . For her painful sex at its best is a case of 'ohholymotherofcunt, would you LOOK at what my body can do? I can go SO FAR and take SO MUCH (and I want it to be for you).'
But does allowing someone to dominate you physically impact on the rest of the relationship? It depends. Aggie has definitely known boys who, upon request, will push her down on a bed and fuck her in the throat with a menstrual-blood covered dick, before cheerfully offering to do the washing up and engaging in a balanced and respectful debate about the current state of the EU. While kinky things done with someone who doesn't respect you could definitely make the situation worse, doing things that are both intensely physical and personal, especially if they are things that most people would think are a bit weird, can bring its own kind of intimacy – in Aggie's experience fisting mostly feels like a very advanced form of holding hands.
Aggie and Edna's discussions of BDSM has raised some tense and personal questions about power, consent and why we want what we want. Too often power dynamics in sex go unexplored. Take the role of penetration in heterosexual sex. There are*loads* of straight men who would consider themselves as having lovely fluffy sex completely divorced from ideas of dominance and submission, but would totally freak out at the idea of being penetrated, regardless of the gender of the other person involved. Most human interactions involve power dynamics in one form or another and it's good to be aware of them. Whether or not we finally accept that the accentuation of power dynamics involved in BDSM can really be healthy, the kind of interrogation of consent, desire and power that is prompted by discussing it can only be a good thing.
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On Tue, 11 Mar 2003, Bill LaPlant wrote: > It seems to me that in providing text descriptions of graphics, we really must > consider the intent of the content provider in deciding the thoroughness of the > descriptions. I guess so, but this is not what alt attributes are about. An alt attribute is meant to be a replacement for an image, not a description of it. Unfortunately even the W3C recommendations are partly confused in this issue. One of the causes of this confusion is probably the fact that in quite a many cases, it is not _possible_ to write a replacement for an image into an alt attribute, either due to the technical limitations of the attribute structure and implementation or due to lack of time and other resources, or perhaps due to the inherent nature of the image. I've written a partial explanation of the "great confusion" (alternative versus description): http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/html/alt.html#idea If you use a picture of Mona Lisa merely as decoration, alt="" is adequate. If you use it on a page about Leonardo da Vinci, then maybe alt="Leonardo da Vinci painted Mona Lisa." (or something in a little more stylish language) would be adequate, if that's what you are trying to say. If the page is _about_ Mona Lisa and the picture is included so that the user can look at it while reading the commentary, then obviously there is no way to write a replacement. What we would really need is a coded way of saying that the image contains essential visual information that cannot be expressed in words and a name, or label, for the image so that it might be associated with something that the user knows otherwise. I have suggested the use of notations like alt="[Mona Lisa]", in lack of anything better. The brackets would tell that it's not a replacement but a name, or description. > If the image is provided to "dress up" the page, not, therefore > adding to the substance of the content, then it would seem to me that the briefer > description would be appropriate for the alt tag. For what purpose? Why would you tell me that a page contains red bullets just because you've decided to use red bullets as separators or bullet points? Wouldn't it then be equally important to tell me, for each and every list item on the page, that a style sheet has been used to make the list bullets red (assuming, for the sake of argument, that CSS would let me do that, as it should)? > If, on the otherhand, the image > is illustrative of some key point to be made that amplifies the rest of the content, > then a more detailed description would be appropriate. No, a textual equivalent should be given. It should be the text that you would write if no images existed. > If the designers are > enamored of a detailed description of the image used for decorative purposes for > some reason, in addition to the shorter alt tag, they can always add a "D" link > which can be by-passed by the reader in a hurry. No, that would just add annoyance to foolishness. The "D" link concept has largely been abandoned even in theory, and it was not much used in practice, but no matter what you use as a link, there should be something potentially useful at the other side of the link. If an author thinks that explaining the decorations is somehow relevant, then such things would belong to the footnote-like stuff at the end of the page, an "about this page" section. And if there's a link to a document about some decoration, then it should be clearly identified as such in the link text. -- Jukka "Yucca" Korpela, http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/Received on Tuesday, 11 March 2003 17:41:36 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Friday, 17 January 2020 20:36:14 UTC

subset: commoncrawl


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Computers & Laptops.
Choosing the right workstation is critical to productivity and compatibility. Isosceles recommends, builds, installs and supports many different types of workstations, including customized builds. Whether it's a modern workstation design, like the Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) or a Lenovo laptop, we'll make sure it's the right set up for your business.
Isosceles continues to stock an extensive inventory of parts, accessories and computers to provide quick and complete support for our clients across the Kootenays.
Visit our demo centre
Isosceles has a full customer demonstration centre in Cranbrook. Drop by to check out the latest tech and ask our experts about #eveythingIT
Customized builds
We love talking hardware! Our skilled and experienced technicians can sit down with you to review and discuss options for your custom build. Whether it's a hardcore gaming rig, or a specialised task computer set-up, we'll find the right solution for you.
Service, support and warranty for our customized builds are handled onsite at our convenient locations in the East Kootenays to provide you with high level, efficient service.


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Make Money Recycling Computer Parts
Believe it or not, the economics of the chop shop are best demonstrated in the tech world. If you're sitting on a stack of non-working, half-disassembled computers and peripherals, you'll make more money selling them part by part than you would trying to make a few working computers out of them. While there is money to be made by recycling the valuable components, pulling the parts from the computer and selling the specific parts to users who need that exact part can be a windfall.
1. Take inventory of what you have. Note the make, model and speed of the part. While some computer components are compatible with a wide range of computers (a third-party video card, for example), some parts are specific to that brand or even exact model of computer.
2. Disassemble the computer and store the parts, labeling them correctly. Use static bags to store any components that are sensitive to static (RAM, motherboards, PCI cards) to keep them protected. If you want to wipe the data off of any hard drives, do that at this time. You can delete the files by putting the hard drive into another computer, or an external hard drive case, and reformatting it.
3. Put the parts up for auction on eBay or a site that specializes in computer equipment. You'll find that the market for a specific part is pretty strong, because it's often one simple component that stands between having a working computer and forking over the dough to buy a new one. Put as much specific information you can in the listing, along with a picture. If you need more data on a part, or you're unsure about something, do an online search to find out the specs.
4. Sell the valuable parts (the gold from the various components is the only real valuable metal there) to a metal refiner. These are companies that specialize in removing the gold from the circuit boards. The rule of thumb is that the older the computer, the more value it has in this department, as newer models employ less valuable metals. Again, a simple online search will yield scores of companies that specialize in this.
5. Recycle the carcass of the PC in a way that is environmentally safe. Just putting it in a box and having the garbage man remove it isn't the correct way to rid you of the unusable parts. Do an online search for computer recyclers in your area, and make a run there with as many computers you can, once you've stripped out the good stuff.Tags: online search, companies that, companies that specialize, Computer Parts, gold from


text: La La Land Mommy: Brasstown Bald, Georgia (The Highest Point In Georgia) Yesterday the kids and I were sitting at home while The Husband was out running an errand. Next thing I knew he called and asked us all to hurry and get dress. We know when he does this we are in for something good. We had no idea what he had planned but we hurried up and got dressed. I made sure to wear tennis shoes because we have been doing a bunch of outside activity :: Keep Reading ::


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Capital Bank Workers Fight Liquidation
Capital Bank workers have urged the High Court to dismiss the National Social Security Authority's application to liquidate the troubled bank on the basis that the application is defective and lacks Government's authority.
NSSA on Tuesday filed an application for provisional liquidation of Capital Bank arguing that the bank is no longer able to carry out any banking business.
The workers say NSSA does not have both the Minister of Labour and the Minister of Finance and Economic Development's written authority to dispose or disinvest from Capital bank as required by Section 28 of the NSSA Act (Chapter 17:04), read together with Section 8 of the Schedule to the NSSA Act.
"We contend that the absence of such authority is fatal against NSSA. We therefore contend that this application ought to be dismissed on the above procedural grounds alone," said Mr Edwin Chavora, Capital Bank head of treasury.
Mr Chavora is representing 30 other senior managers of Capital Bank who have also deposed supporting affidavits. He said NSSA should not be allowed to benefit from its own omissions since it voluntarily surrendered its banking licence held by Capital Bank.
"We do not accept that there were good grounds for the surrender of the banking license and for this reason, we confirm that we have noted an appeal to the Minister of Finance, in terms of Section 73 of the Banking Act," said Mr Chavora.
He wants the court not to entertain NSSA's application before their appeal has been determined by the Minister.
Mr Chavora argues that Capital Bank is unable to pay its liabilities nor that it is no longer able to continue trading as a going concern as mentioned in the application for liquidation by NSSA. He said the position is that NSSA committed serious omissions and commissions which it cannot hide behind or use as an excuse in shutting down the bank.
He cited NSSA's failure to honour its agreement with the curator of Renaissance Merchant Bank, which agreement was executed on December 19 2011. NSSA's own failure to comply with the common law by reaching an agreement with the main shareholder in RMB and Renaissance Financial Holdings, represented by Mr Patterson Timba.
"It is our contention that the curator could not have had powers of selling and disposing of shares but rather, the shareholders that controlled RMB and RFHL. We contend that NSSA hurried to do this and obviated the main shareholders, in order to achieve its subjective aim and intention of using RMB as a vehicle of acquiring a majority stake in First Mutual Life. We therefore contend that the original agreement between NSSA and the curator was unlawful and should be set aside. Consequently, the impairment of the bank's capital arose out of NSSA's refusal to allow the bank to follow up its rights offer in FML," said Mr Chavora.
The bank's employees, who are in excess of one hundred, said liquidation of Capital Bank would result in loss of employment, in recoverable loss to unsecured depositors and other creditors, loss to NSSA of about $48 million in pensioners' money (being goodwill impairment, provisions for guarantees to PTA bank and NORSAD and share losses recorded by the bank since NSSA took over.
The workers argued that NSSA has not had a board of directors for more than 10 months and the decision to disinvest from the troubled bank can only be legitimately made by an authorised competent board.
"The point is that only the board of the applicant (NSSA) could have brought this application in the name of the company. If at all shareholders had a right to bring an application for winding up of a company, then such an application must be brought in the shareholder's name with the affected company being cited as the respondent," said Mr Chavora.
The workers argue that in the court papers filed by NSSA, there is nothing that shows that the company has authorised anyone to institute the liquidation proceedings.
Source : The Herald


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And this is how we started this month… Foreshadowing much?
Technical Difficulties
So there we were, in St. Thomas for our wedding week and honeymoon, and our Macbook fails to turn on. Nothing. Then we remind ourselves of the Bloody Mary we spilled on the keyboard last fall, just a month after having the laptop. Yes, we are getting it fixed and we have backups so the posts will be coming soon, they just have to wait until we get back from work to use the desktop computer.
We promise there are some BIG things coming for Redemption, her crew, and the blog here in the next few weeks! Seriously, stay tuned on here and our Instagram and Twitter for exciting updates!
Electrical Fun: Vol. 3
Whiz Bang!
So about our absence…
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
Dead Sea Swim!
"I want to be like water. I want to slip between fingers, but hold up a ship."
-Michelle Williams
Israel Trip Video!
We're catching up with all of our pictures and videos from our trips lately and just finished a quick video of our Israel adventure. It's just a quick tease of most of what we did, for more information and pictures of the trip go see our picture-documentary here: Israel: the Holy Land
Israel: the Holy Land
"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." Romans 11:36


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10/30/14 – Honolulu, Hawai'i: The Medical Cannabis Coalition of Hawai'i ("MCCHI") welcomes the enactment of Act 60, which, as of 11/1/14, voids provisions in Hawai'i rental agreements that previously would have allowed eviction of a tenant based on their status as a registered patient with Hawaiiʻs medical marijuana program.
Medical Cannabis Coalition of Hawai'i and Drug Policy Action Group Executive Director Rafael Kennedy said: "With 88% of voters in strong support of Hawaiiʻs 15 year-old medical marijuana program, itʻs really encouraging to see this issue stepping into the light. Housing is a core issue for many people. Itʻs incredibly expensive and can be hard to come by, especially on Oahu. Patient-renters should never have to live in fear of eviction just because of private decisions about medication. This bill goes a long way to fixing that – and people need to know about it to protect their rights. Medical marijuana patients want to be good neighbors. If smoking is not allowed in a building, then neither is smoked cannabis. Increasingly, medical marijuana is consumed without smoking at all, including methods like vaporizing, juicing, oils and tinctures, and edibles. These do not fall under any smoking ban provision."
The law also makes an exception for condominiums or community associations that entirely prohibit the use of medical marijuana in their rules – but advocates see a lot of down side and not a lot of upside to that idea. Kennedy continued: "A community association that rejects tenants based on the medications they choose will find itself very much behind the times. Medical marijuana is not a crime – it is, and has been, legal in Hawai'i for 15 years. Patients and caregivers are everywhere, in every walk of life. Especially in a "graying" state like Hawai'i as our seniors ever increasingly are making plans to "age in place," the right approach is for rental agents to welcome medical marijuana patients as they would any other tenant. We plan to work to expand these protections, helping ensure that medical cannabis patients in Hawai'i are treated fairly by the law."
People renting or living in government-subsidized housing may not experience the same protections this law affords people renting in the private sector.
The Medical Cannabis Coalition of Hawai'i is a confidential, local support group and advocate for patients, caregivers and doctors accessing Hawaiiʻs medical marijuana program. Founding members include the Drug Policy Action Group and the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai'i. Patients, doctors and caregivers are urged to join the confidential support network "The Medical Cannabis Coalition of Hawai'i" founded by the Drug Policy Action Group and the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai'i and follow the latest news at www.mcchi.org.


text: i was playing yesterday and the guitarist just kept saying get rid of that clicky sound, i didn't notice it as bad as he did, but what can i do...its a valve pre-amp, should i get rid of some high mids or highs on the eq?? i really like the tone. it had good punch, response and a good slap sound, but these bloody clicky thing...and i don't think they were really from frett buzz, as it was a different type of buzz... thanks


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Brooklyn Eagle.
There are still a few kinks to be ironed out, so current renderings are not yet available. City Point was once projected to be the tallest building in Brooklyn by far.
As a "stalled project," City Point was chosen to receive $20 million in federal stimulus financing.
New Design for City Point Phase IA Gets Preliminary Approval From Design Commission Brooklyn Eagle
- One Less Stalled Development in Brooklyn
- More Changes Coming to Downtown Brooklyn (2009)
- Brooklyn's Municipal Building Facade Rehab Underway (2009)
- Brooklyn 2012 Video, In Celebration of City Point (2008)
- Brooklyn Office Building Slows, But Albee Square Mall Is Coming Down (2007)
- Brooklyn's City Point Compared to Time-Warner Center (2007)
- RIP Albee Square Mall (2007)
- Fulton Street Mall to get Quite the Overhaul (2007)
Rendering courtesy of architects GreenbergFarrow
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
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Coast Guard certifies jack-up rig
The U.S. Coast Guard announced this morning that it had examined the drilling rig in Homer earlier this week, and issued a Coast Guard Certificate of Compliance.
With the certification, the rig left Homer around 8:30 a.m. and will head directly to the Cosmopolitan prospect off of the coast of Anchor Point, according to Buccaneer.
The Coast Guard also certificated the Spartan 151 jack-up rig docked in Port Graham.
A certificate of compliance is issued for all mobile offshore drilling units operating offshore, Jay Jerome, a Coast Guard Sector Anchorage marine inspector, said in a statement. An inspection for compliance is a thorough review of the vessel and crew to ensure their safety while operating offshore. The examinations verify documentation, safety equipment and machinery installations and witness fire and abandon ship drills.
Eric Lidji
See story in April 7 edition, available Friday, April 5 at 11 a.m. at www.PetroleumNews.com


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We have all seen and may have been victims of it. What I am speaking of is commonly referred to as "muscle imbalance," and regularly this is usually seen with most guys. As familiar as this may be, this occurs with other muscle groups too. Therefore, it's essential for the sake of health, aesthetics, and strength, to focus on balancing your muscles.
The Risk of Muscular Imbalance
Many people only train their "mirror muscles," which are usually the chest, shoulders, biceps, and abs because of the pleasant view when the shirt is off. Continue to do this, and you're in for it the worst way. Significant imbalances bring upon injury and pain. Muscles that are imbalanced usually means that you have overdeveloped muscles in one area and weak muscles in the opposite. Therefore, you are adding unnecessary wear and tear on your muscles, joints, ligaments and in some cases even your spine, which is a big no-no. If you find yourself building up only the upper or lower body (in some cases), you will create a disproportionate amount of muscle in either top or bottom half of the body. Extra weight on the top half, especially, can add stress to the legs because they are not able to support the weight. Not only will you be top heavy, but you will be exhausted just by standing around!
Common Imbalances and How to Correct Them
Balancing muscles requires you to put complete focus on specific areas. For example your arms; if you're focusing on biceps and neglecting your triceps, you will be unbalanced – sure your "guns" may look good, but your triceps may be weak. A common mistake is that you work out your biceps for bigger arms. The truth of the matter is that your triceps make up most of your guns than the biceps and do more work. Therefore, if you can not straighten your arms while relaxing, your biceps are overpowering the triceps.
Next imbalance is those with a big chest. Although it's appealing, the moment that person turns around, you look at something that may appear out of place. The back is what I'm referring to and is another muscle that most neglect, only because it you can not see it during training. Not training your back is a missing link to an aesthetically pleasing appeal while at the same time showcasing strength. Although you can not look at your back when training, you can see the width of the lats from under the armpits once developed.
Wait, there's one more!
The last muscle imbalance that goes unnoticed are the hamstrings (muscles in the back of the upper leg) and quadriceps (muscles in front of the upper leg). These two muscles work together to stabilize the knee and hip. Many people tend to have weaker or "tight" hamstrings with massive quads. The "tightness" means that the quads are doing most of the work. You also can expect an increase of damaging joints and ligaments in the leg and the knee if not corrected. Doing exercises that target the weaker muscle helps avoid injury and can even help with loosening up the tight tissue instead of merely stretching.
In Summary
Now that you are familiar with the imbalances of muscles find that it is essential to have a balanced approach when training. Weight training is not just about aesthetics; it is about functional strength, which mainly acts upon in real life situation– being able to put those hard-earned muscles to use outside of the gym in the real world. So next time you hit the gym, pay some attention to your weak points! Click here if you need to download the guide that you see suitable to the results you desire. If you have specific goals, feel free to contact me for 1-on-1 online coaching if you are in need of furthering yourself on your fitness journey.


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Monsoon Voucher Codes for Online Shopping Deals in Ireland. Shop at Monsoon for one of the leading women's wear and children's wear fashion brands. Monsoon clothing sell beautiful fabrics with traditional craftsmanship, original prints and inspirational design from around the globe with an eclectic style and a modern edge. Monsoon offer ladies fashion including desses, swimwear, jackets, jeans, shorts, party wear, childrens clothing and gifts for all special occasions. Shop at Monsoon Online Store for discount clothing with exclusive Coupons and Promotional Offers.
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|29 Cruises Street, Limerick City
|Unit 26, Garryowen Mall, Dooradoyle
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Opening Hours:Monday: 24 hours, Tuesday: 24 hours, Wednesday: 24 hours, Thursday: 24 hours, Friday: 24 hours, Saturday: 24 hours, Sunday: 24 hours
Must Buy Deal Online
Must Buy Deal Online. Prices subject to change. Click buy now to see deals today
Terms & Conditions Apply
Voucher Code: No Voucher Code Required
Valid: 26/11/2014 to 12/06/2015


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Does a Future Gas Glut Shape Russian Decision Making in Russia-Ukraine Conflict?
- Jun 11, 2014 3:00 pm GMT
- 381 views
Russia may appear to some observers to have all the cards in its continued negotiations with Ukraine over their high stakes natural gas pricing dispute, in which European gas supply remains a hostage. But long term trends in global natural gas might not be on Moscow's side. Russia's willingness to talk about compromise with Ukraine about continuing natural gas shipments is not necessary a sign of any shift away from revisionism but more likely a reflection of the commercial realities that the global natural gas market is likely moving towards oversupply in the coming years.
Spot liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices in Northeast Asia have hit a 20 month low during the normal seasonal downturn in demand, dipping below $13 per MMbtu, well below peak levels the $20 plus per MMbtu levels seen post-Fukushima. European spot prices are also falling due to high inventories and redirected spot supplies from Asia where new supplies from ExxonMobil's Papua New Guinea LNG export facility, lackluster Chinese demand, and predictions of a mild summer (based on the El Nino weather phenomenon) are contributing to a sense of surplus. The larger than expected seasonal drop in spot liquefied natural gas prices, both in Europe and in Asia, comes even as geopolitical threats to supply loom large.
There is no question that certain European countries, including Ukraine, would have difficulty replacing Russian natural gas supplies in the immediate term and more so this winter, were relations with Moscow to deteriorate to the point of a cutoff. But the recent easing of European and Asian spot natural gas prices in recent weeks are a longer term sign that Russia should think twice about how many times it can overplay its "cut-off threat" hand. Markets have their own ways of correcting over time for problems like Russian revisionism, and the global natural gas market could easily move to a supply glut in the coming years.
One factor not in Russia's favor is the geopolitical posture of Qatar which has skillfully positioned itself to play a swing supplier role in times of market dislocations. Qatar was able to respond rapidly with spot cargoes to Japan's supply distress in the aftermath of Japan's Fukushima disaster. And, it has responded equally swiftly to demands in Europe in the wake of Russian supply concerns by increasing seasonal shipments in April 2014 to the UK by over 1 million tons of LNG (1.38 bcm). These sales represent a threefold increase over Doha's typical seasonal boost to Europe when Asian demand wanes seasonally in the spring. Europe's lack of pipeline connectedness and sticky monopolies remains a barrier to free-flowing trade in natural gas but Moscow inadvertently could solve the EU's reform problem quickly by creating a crisis that would surely motivate political will.
While short term inelasticities can dominate for a winter or two, markets tend to respond to supply risks by allocating solutions – ranging from stockpiling that can eventually pressure prices; to fuel substitution that can eventually curb long term demand; to greater efforts at fuel efficiency. In Europe right now, all three of these things are being studied carefully and in the long run, buyers will also look for new suppliers. UC Davis-Baker Institute-Harvard studies on global LNG show that Russia could lose substantial market share over time, if liberalization in Europe gains pace. The European Union is pushing a liberalization message and it is even impacting negotiations with Bulgaria regarding Russia's South Stream gas pipeline project. In an example of how US LNG may help with diversification strategies over time, Spanish utility Iberdrola just signed a multi-billion dollar deal to buy 35 billion cubic feet of US LNG from a subsidiary of Cheniere starting in 2019.
Relatively high prices in Europe and Asia have been encouraging active investment of new supplies aimed at serving those markets. The idea that shale development will stay limited to North America is not a sound one. Already, ExxonMobil and Chevron Corporation have announced substantial progress in new shale production in Argentina. The longer term picture shows lots of investors with natural gas to hawk. The cue of LNG developers is a long one and Russia's willingness perhaps to cede its markets accidentally could bail out producers from cost overrun crippled Australia to West Africa to open sales opportunities that might not otherwise have been available.
Russia's strategy of a pivot to China may also be hard to implement despite its prestigious announcement in April. That's because if sanctions hit, Moscow might have trouble sourcing the gas to ship to China. Most, if not all, of the natural gas produced in the Russian east involves fields developed, or to be developed, with Western partners ( in other words putting the finance and operational equipment to the fields within the reach of the US and European governments). Of course, it is possible for Moscow to replace companies like ExxonMobil and Shell with Chinese firms albeit at a sizable inconvenience and greater indebtedness to Beijing. But President Putin might want to take a lesson on the problems of that idea from Venezuela's beleaguered leader Nicolas Maduro. The Maduro regime is teetering on the brink of economic disaster as Venezuelans protest in the streets while vast quantities of Venezuelan oil is shipped to China to pay back $60 billion in Chinese loans. It is unclear how the Maduro regime will keep the lights on and still pay back Beijing in promised oil. Putin, who is already shipping some oil to pay back $20 billion in Chinese financing to Russia's oil industry, will have to ask himself how much of a financial vassal state to China is his federation willing to be in order to appear like a threat to Europe.
Moreover, Russia's entire pitch to Western companies for assistance in Arctic LNG projects could also end abruptly, should a changing posture by Moscow on Ukraine invite deeper economic sanctions. That is because LNG development requires equipment and technologies that could easily be deemed as dual-use by the Obama administration. A delay in signing on Arctic deals could prove a death nell for Russian Arctic development even years later if sanctions are removed. That because once American and European firms have moved on to other LNG projects in their cue, they would be unlikely to return to Arctic projects, especially as more and more shale prospects beckon in less difficult terrains.
Time is not on Putin's side when it comes to long term natural gas markets. Russia may feel it can grab a political victory to transform Europe back to its liking through natural gas, but the costs of that glory might prove extremely high and its spoils extremely short-lived.
Photo Credit: Russian Gas and Ukraine/shutterstock
Thank Amy for the Post!
Energy Central contributors share their experience and insights for the benefit of other Members (like you). Please show them your appreciation by leaving a comment, 'liking' this post, or following this Member.


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Why Test Automation & Top 10 Testing Tools
Why Test Automation?
Test Automation is one of the most cost-effective and time-saving methods for testing software products. Unquestionably, it makes the life of the test engineer a lot easier, when compared to the manual testing.
Software Test automation uses specific tools to control the implementation of testing and compares the expected result against the actuals and reports the test results. Usually smoke tests, sanity tests & regression tests, which have repetitive actions, are automated.
Testing Tools not only help us to execute test scripts but also helps us to automate data set up generation, product installation, GUI interaction, defect logging, etc.
Criteria for Tool Selection
The following parameters are considered, while considering the right testing tool:
- Test Script maintainability & reusability
- Skillset required
- Data driven competences
- Extensibility & Customizability
- Debugging & error logging capabilities
- Platform independence
- Version control friendly
- Support unattended test runs
List of Top 10 Testing Tools that would help you meet your testing objectives.
- Telerik Test Studio
Telerik Test Studio is a Windows-based software testing tool which is used for web and desktop functional testing, performance testing, load testing and mobile application testing. The tool ships with a plugin for Visual Studio and an individual app that uses the same repositories and file formats.
- Selenium
Selenium is a testing framework for web applications. Selenium provides with an option of record/playback tool for authoring tests without learning a test scripting language (Selenium IDE). The most popular flavour of selenium is the Webdriver, which offers users to create custom reusable scripts that are highly maintainable.
- SilkTest
This tool is used for functional & regression automated testing for enterprise application. The main features of SilkTest are SilkTest Host & SilkTest Agent. The first one contains all the source script files whereas the later one helps translating the script commands into GUI commands
- Appium
Appium is open source tool used for automation of native, mobile web, and hybrid applications on iOS and Android platforms. Mainly Appium is "cross-platform" which allows you to write tests against multiple platforms using the same API. Thus, the code can be reused between various test suites.
- Ranorex
Ranorex is GUI test automation framework. This tool is used for desktop, web-based and mobile applications. This tool does not have scripting language; it used standard programming languages such as C#, VB.NET as a base.
- TestComplete
TestComplete is a functional automated testing platform. The tool is developed by SmartBear Software. With this tool automated tests for Microsoft Windows, Web, Android (operating system) and iOS applications can be created. Tests can be recorded, scripted or manually created with the help of keyword driven operations and this can be used for automated playback and error logging.
There are three modules in TestComplete Desktop / Web / Mobile
- Watir
Watir Webdriver (Web Application Testing in Ruby, pronounced as water), is an open-source Ruby library for automating web browsers. It pushes Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari, and is accessible as a RubyGems gem. The tool consists of several smaller & important projects called watir-classic, watir-webdriver and watirspec.
- Visual Studio Test Professional
The Visual Studio Unit Testing Framework is from Microsoft's suite of unit testing tools as it is integrated into some versions of Visual Studio 2005 and later. The unit testing framework is well-defined in Microsoft Visual Studio. The Unit tests can be created with the unit testing framework can be executed in Visual Studio or, using MSTest.exe, from a command line. There are various elements in Visual Studio Test Professional which are mainly Test class, Test Method, Assertion, Initialization & Clean-up methods.
HPE Unified Functional Testing (UFT) software was formerly known as HP QuickTest Professional (QTP). The tool provides functional and regression test automation for software applications and environments. HPE Unified Functional Testing can be used for enterprise quality assurance. The tool uses Visual Basics Scripting for automation of applications.
- SoapUI
SoapUI is an open-source web service testing application. This is mainly used for (SOA) service-oriented architectures and (REST) representational state transfers. Its functionality covers web service inspection, invoking, development, simulation and mocking, functional testing, load and compliance testing. The commercial version SoapUI Pro, focuses on features designed to boost productivity.


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A big thank you from Oakwood Junior School to all those that attended our Summer Fair last Wednesday afternoon, making our Summer Fair a great success!
Archive for July, 2017
Summer FairMonday, July 17th, 2017
Athletics PlusThursday, July 6th, 2017
Congratulations to Oakwood Athletics team who had a wonderful morning at Moorways Stadium on Tuesday 27th June.
1. St Clares (146pts)
2. Oakwood (132pts)
3. Alvaston Jr (98pts)
4. Reigate Park (60pts)
5. St Giles (26pts)
2. Oakwood (132pts)
3. Alvaston Jr (98pts)
4. Reigate Park (60pts)
5. St Giles (26pts)
Fine performances in all the races, including the 200M, 400M and relays.
Field events included javelin and shot putt, alongside long jump and triple jump.
As always, the children of Oakwood competed to the best of their ability and with a strong sense of fair play.
Narrowly missing out on top spot, Oakwood emerged a very respectable second, silver medal, to end a highly successful mornings event.
All the children came back to school happy and excited.
Thank you to all the children involved and also to Mr Evans and Miss Grundle for their input and assisting them on the day.
In addition a big thank you To Mr Evans and Miss Grundle for the sustained effort and transport of the children to close on 100 events throughout the school year.


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Knick's Uniclean 900 Self Cleaning pH measurement system is now available from Gas Alarm Systems . Combined with sensors, retractable fittings and process analysis systems, Knick's Uniclean 900 control system for retractable fittings ensures fully automatic, precise pH measuring even in challenging process environments, e.g. in high-pressure and high-temperature applications or in applications with heavily polluted media.
The control system immerses the sensors in the medium for short periods in freely configurable intervals. Afterwards, the system cleans and rinses the sensors, automatically pumping cleaning liquid or water into the rinsing chamber. This feature considerably extends the lifespan of sensors in highly aggressive process media.
In Uniclean 900 applications, sensors do not need to be removed for manual cleaning, making complex bypass solutions and process interruptions unnecessary. Measuring can take place in the pressure tank or main pipe, thus increasing measuring accuracy.
The Uniclean 900 pump operates with minimal wear and maintenance requirements: unlike other systems, the new concept does not require movable mechanical parts, pistons or cylinders.
Consumption of cleaning agents is extremely low. Instead of controlling a pump with a special cleaning liquid, the system can also be used to activate a pressure valve connected to e.g. a water pipe.
The Uniclean 900's modular structure allows for the use of any type of retractable fitting, while optimal functionality is ensured by combining the unit with the Ceramat and SensoGate sensor lock gates.
The Uniclean 900 is controlled through the Protos 3400 measuring system or directly through a PLC. Featuring Profibus PA and Foundation Fieldbus interfaces, the system can be directly integrated into fieldbus networks, including zone 1 hazardous areas.
Suitable for wall and pipe mounting, the housing is available in two versions: polished stainless steel for pharma and food applications and powder-coated steel for corrosive environments. The basic version includes all features required for smooth, safe operation, such as a water pressure gauge, air filter, water strainer and a flooding sensor in the housing which sends alarm messages in case of an emergency.


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Scene: A pleasant afternoon. Dinner is marinating in the fridge, the kids are out playing, I'm trying to get some writing done.
I open the door to find one of the neighborhood girls (age 9) pointing dramatically at an unfamiliar neighborhood child on a scooter (age approximately 7, giggling uncontrollably).
Small neighbor child: Miss Penelope! This girl! Ran over! A unicorn. ON HER SCOOTER.
Me: OMG. IS THE UNICORN OKAY?
Small neighbor child: I don't know!
Me: That's horrible! (to the giggling child) Couldn't you have stopped?!?! Aren't there brakes on that menacing contraption under your control?
Giggling Delinquent child: No!
Me: What? Do you even have a license to drive?
Giggling Delinquent child: No!
Me: OH THE HUMANITY. I can't bear it! Won't somebody think of the baby unicorns???
The girls run off, I close the door, return to my desk, and write exactly one sentence. It's not even a long sentence.
Small neighbor child: Miss Penelope–
Me, tearfully: Is the unicorn okay?
Small neighbor child: Yes! See, it's right here! It's fine.
Me: ….That's a chalk drawing of a unicorn.
Small neighbor child: Yes!
Me: I THOUGHT YOU MEANT A REAL UNICORN.
Small neighbor child: No!
Me: I was about to call animal control!
Small neighbor child: You don't call animal control about a unicorn!
Me: You don't?
Small neighbor child: No! You call the vet!
Me, doing my best Gilda Radner imitation: Ooooohhhhhhhhhh. Never mind!
Just so everyone knows, imitations of Helen Lovejoy and Gilda Radner are completely lost on the 9-year-old set.


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Yesterday, when Hitman Absolution developer IO Interactive released the first cover issue of "Hope News Times" they promised to release a new edition of the fictional paper each Thursday, with an accompanying screenshot every following Friday.
I don't think you need me to remind you that today is Friday, so just go ahead and check out the brand new screenshot from IO and Square below.
I must say, Agent 47 pulls off the whole upstanding law enforcement officer look pretty well, don't you think? If you checked out the first issue of the "Hope News Times" that went live yesterday (see it here), then the advertisement for Blake Dexter's "Dexter Industries" in the screenshot above should have immediately caught your eye.
Could Blake be Agent 47's next major target? He certainly does have a lot of pull in this quaint South Dakota town, serving as the community's "local legend."
Be sure to check back here at PlayStation LifeStyle next Thursday and Friday for more teasers showcasing hints at what we can expect from Hitman Absolution. You can also head over to the game's official Facebook page to make sure you don't miss a beat.


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Meeting Jason Baltimore
Kristen Frederick, AOC congressional liaison, sits down with Jason Baltimore, AOC's first African American general counsel, to discuss what brought him to the Architect of the Capitol and what opportunities lie ahead for him in his new role.
Jason Baltimore (left) serving in Taji, Iraq during his 2007-2008 deployment.
AOC General Counsel Jason Baltimore is not used to wearing a suit and tie.
As an undergraduate, he suited up as a wide receiver for the Cornell University Big Red football team and also donned a uniform as a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) midshipman.
Jason continued as a man in uniform after college when he began a career in the Navy as a supply corps officer. He wore the Navy uniform while serving two deployments in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm in the early '90s.
Accepted into the Navy Law Education Program in 1995, Jason studied at UCLA School of Law, and after completing his studies, transitioned to the Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps (Navy JAG Corps). He continued to proudly sport the Navy uniform during stints in southern California, Washington, D.C., Spain, and an additional deployment to Iraq (in desert camouflage), before a final transfer to D.C.
Now that Jason works among civilians as the AOC's general counsel, he's forced to make fashion choices he never had to consider during all of his years with the Navy.
"My wife and daughters need to approve my choice of suit, tie and shirt every day," laughs Jason. "It's not something I'm used to after almost 23 years in a uniform. I even had to learn how to tie a tie."
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jason to find out more about the newest member of AOC's executive team:
What brought you to the Architect of the Capitol?
I saw the job opportunity at the AOC posted on USAJOBS.gov, and I thought it sounded like a tremendous opportunity. I enjoy the challenge of learning new things, and this seemed like a good fit for my personality.
How would you describe your style of leadership?
I like to give my staff a sense of empowerment. I try not to micromanage their work so that they have the ability to take ownership in what they do. They are certainly held accountable, but I give them the room to do what they need to do to get the job done.
I would describe myself as low-key, but I do like to have an upbeat office. I want people to enjoy coming to work and I encourage humor in the workplace.
What has been your impression of the AOC thus far?
The AOC is a remarkable group of people. It was really staggering for me to learn the amount of work that the AOC is involved in. It was very eye-opening to learn the scope of the AOC's responsibility, and specifically the General Counsel's office.
What challenges does the General Counsel face in the future?
Well, I've only been here for a short time, and right now it feels a little bit like trying to drink water from a fire hose. Like any new job, there is a bit of a learning curve, but I'm up to the challenge.
My initial goal is to promptly and efficiently take care of the needs of our client base — including the entire AOC community — as well as focus on developing the professional and personal needs of the General Counsel staff.
I see one of the main challenges for the General Counsel as how best to advise the AOC more efficiently within the current budget environment, being mindful to identify and discuss legal ramifications of any action.
What will you bring to the job as General Counsel?
I like to think that I'm a quick learner. I'm a people person that "plays well with others." I excel at juggling a bunch of different issues at once, which is something the GC needs to do on a daily basis. And I think I bring a lot of energy and a new perspective to the job.
Read this interview and more in the Winter 2013 issue of AOC's magazine, Foundations & Perspectives.


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20 Dessert Salad Recipes That Are So Retro They're Cool Again
There's nothing more disappointing than a lackluster salad. It can leave you sad, hungry and questioning the world around you. That's not an issue with dessert salads — dessert made with gelatin, whipped topping and canned fruit — and (thankfully) not resembling a salad in the slightest. Although you might remember them mostly from pictures of retro dinner parties in the '50s and '60s, today they're most common in the Midwest, where you can find them at cafeterias, potlucks and parties. Sure, it's by no means the next healthy food trend, but these dessert salads are some of the most satisfying treats you can whip up for a post-dinner indulgence. Here are 20 recipes that will turn you into a retro dessert salad devotee.
Strawberry and Peanut Butter Cookie Salad
Since this cookie salad is just yogurt topped with cookie crumbles, sprinkles and strawberries, we're calling it — cookie salad is the hottest new breakfast trend of 2016. If it doesn't catch on, don't worry about us. We'll be over here eating cookies for breakfast. (via My Name Is Yeh)
Spring Fling Fluff Fruit Salad
The classic dessert salad gets freshened up in this spring fling version. Fresh strawberries, blueberries and kiwi add a tart balance to creamy pudding and marshmallows. You can almost call it a healthy upgrade. (via The Seasoned Mom)
Creamsicle Jello Mold
If you were looking for a whimsical take on a creamsicle, this Jello salad is it. Even if you weren't, it certainly is a spectacle to behold, with chunks of orange Jello suspended mid-mold. Wow guests with this cool treat at your first barbecue of the season. (via Cupcakes and Kale Chips)
Cherry Fluff Walnut Salad
When temperatures rise, cool down with this pretty pink dessert. It's a refreshing six-ingredient treat to whip together when surprise guests come to your door. (via My Kitchen Craze)
Aunt Laura's Stained Glass Cake
This artsy Jello cake is bound to impress, even though it's a breeze to make. This one's a fun option for a kid's birthday party — just make sure you snag a slice for yourself. (via My Recipes)
Blueberry Ice Cream Cakes
Put on your high heels and apron; these dome-shaped blueberry ice cream cakes are a total throwback to the retro "bombe" desserts of the '60s and '70s. Make individual-sized ones for extra cute factor, or make a big one to slice into and share. (via El Invitado de Invierno)
Quick Blueberry Mint Salad
This is the most salad-like "salad" of the bunch. This blueberry concoction with fresh mint would do for a tasty breakfast or a healthy dessert. Top with fresh whipped cream if you're going the dessert route, or if you're feeling special. (via Salad Menu)
Lemon Cupcakes With Lavender Frosting
These aren't your average cupcakes. The secret ingredient is gelatin (surprise!) and a sparkling lemon beverage of your choice (Limonata Sanpellegrino, anyone?). Pipe the lavender frosting on for an elegant taste and presentation. They're just the treat you need for a dressed-up bridal shower or Easter get-together. (via My Recipes)
Frog Eye Salad
No frogs were harmed in the making of this salad, which is actually a pasta salad if we're being technical. Yes, you heard right. This is a dessert pasta salad. But you'll hardly notice given the microscopic size of the pasta used. (via Chelsea's Messy Apron)
Millionaire Pie
This cold, creamy pie is basically a congealed dessert salad fused with a crumbly graham cracker crust. With no preparation needed for any of your ingredients — which include Cool Whip, crushed pineapple and maraschino cherries — you can throw this pie together in no time. Just make sure you leave time for it to congeal in the fridge. (via Spicy Southern Kitchen)
Strawberry Waldorf Salad
In a healthy and more appetizing twist, this Waldorf salad swaps out mayonnaise for Greek yogurt. Don't worry — there are still marshmallows and coconut whipped topping to dessert-ify the dish. (via Food Done Light)
Ambrosia Parfait
Dress up your classic ambrosia salad by turning it into a parfait. Rather than looking like a heaping bowl of fluff, it's incredibly glam in shot glasses layered with fresh pineapple and grapes. You can use a large trifle bowl to get the same effect. (via Cook's Hideout)
Snickers Caramel Apple Salad
This Snickers caramel apple salad is like an ice cream sundae gone off the rails, in the best way possible. Apples and caramel are made for each other, so it's no wonder someone got around to making a dessert salad out of 'em. (via Spicy Southern Kitchen)
21st-Century Green Top Salad
Here's a new way to eat your greens. This fun, mint-hued salad gets its dreamy pastel color from a few drops of food coloring. It even tastes green, thanks to a fresh squeeze of lime. (via My Recipes)
Cherry Pistachio Fluff
Delicious cherry pie filling gives this fluff its sweet pink color. Assorted pastel marshmallows are a playful and tasty accessory that would make this dessert right at home after Easter dinner. (via Bijoux and Bits)
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
This strawberry pretzel salad might be the least salad-like of the bunch. Taste-wise, it's a lot closer to cheesecake, but hey, we don't make the dessert salad rules. Whatever it is, it's a delicious blend of fruity, creamy and salty, and that's all we need to know. (via Brown Eyed Baker)
Red Hot Jello Salad
Yes, you guessed it. This Jello salad is not only bright red — it also features cinnamon-flavored Red Hot candy. If you're not a fan of celery in desserts, opt for extra apples instead. (via Love Bakes Good Cakes)
Buko Pandan Salad
Though this is a Filipino dessert, it's right in line with the American definition of dessert salads: It's got gelatin in it! These jelly cubes are flavored with pandan, a tropical leaf with a grassy, nutty taste. You can find it online or at a local Asian grocery store. (via Foxy Folksy)
Angel Fluff Salad
Heaven sent this fluff salad down to earth. Or maybe it was the marshmallow gods. Whoever sent it, we send thanks. This pretty pink dessert will make your inner little girl twirl. (via The Seasoned Mom)
Coca-Cola Salad
Soda fans will love this Jello treat. It's Coca-Cola mixed with cherry Jello, so basically, cherry Coke. Cut a slice, and cheers plates with your best buds. (via Magnolia Days)


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Back in December 2017, Brad Garlinghouse, CEO of Ripple (XRP) announced the presence of 15 JP Morgan executives in a talk he gave on the technologies of Ripple (XRP). Back then XRP crossed the $1 mark for the first time ever after the announcement. Ever since, more people became speculative of the possibility of a partnership between the two companies. The partnership will in part have an effect on XRP's price as Ripple's xRapid feature gains attention from the largest investment bank in the world.
Recently, JP Morgan's official Treasury website also announced that they were working on a real time payment system that will have 'ripple benefits' to their customers. Another hint from JP Morgan? This undoubtedly created a buzz of hope amongst the Ripple and XRP investors, but is JP Morgan up for a partnership with Ripple Inc. or XRP? In this article we focus on the possible partnership between JP Morgan and Ripple Inc. and the truth behind the bank's hints.
"Attempting to send this to you without being outed, but we have had a few discussions with reps at JP Morgan with respect to our capabilities and what we bring to the table should they engage us. Not much more has happened beyond that, but initial talks have actually occurred. That much I can confirm. Super nervous to be sending you this info, but hope that you can keep me anon and protected. Our execs working overtime to put together the biggest partnership headlines as they can. All I got for now. More to come if developments occur."
– Rumor from an insider in Ripple Inc.
In one of the reports released last week, a statement from an insider was made public of the intention of the two firms to partner soon. According to the note, the two companies were holding consultations and discussions with the partnership headlines expected to be big when released. The source of the information requested to be kept anonymous for their own protection but we weren't able to obtain information from a second source at JPM or Ripple Inc.
Is Ripple the chosen blockchain solution?
Ripple technologies are known to be bank friendly which has seen the widespread adoption of xCurrent system by over 100 banks according to Brad. JP Morgan has talked of introducing a new payment system in the US for the first time in 40 years that aims to dramatically simplify processes from transaction initiation through to reconciliation. Very much sounds like the xRapid technology from Ripple. However, is Ripple the chosen blockchain to lead JP Morgan to instant, costless and secure payments?
Quorum blockchain vs Ripple xRapid technology
Given that JP Morgan has already launched its own 'advanced' blockchain, namely Quorum, it seems highly unlikely thatRipple (XRP) will ever be adopted by the bank. Quorum is an Ethereum based blockchain aiming at dealing with applications requiring high speed and high throughput while processing private transactions within a permissioned group of known participants. Quorum addresses specific challenges to blockchain technology adoption within the financial industry, and beyond.
Ripple Inc. still has a chance to partner with JP Morgan as it can provide a more developed platform with better features than the Quorum blockchain. Ripple and XRP fans should keep watch and hope for the best as the two companies continue to court each other in the recent days.
Ripple (XRP) currently trades at $0.539673 USD, a slight 2.85% gain in the last 24 hours. The coin still holds the third position on Coinmarketcap capitalization listing with a total market capitalization of $21,179,631,311 USD.


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But as a Secretary conducting political correspondence, I could not issue an order, or express an opinion, without satisfying various persons very unlike myself, that the thing was fit to be done. I was thus in a good position for finding out by practice the mode of putting a thought which gives it easiest admittance … Continue reading John Stuart Mill as Project Manager
Author: ghelleks
Jan Ken Po
Scrooge McLingo
The Newsletter
For a few years, I was maintaining a technology job is no excuse by slurping up my activity from Twitter, Tumblr, and so forth, occasionally punctuated with some essays. Once Soren was born, that fell by the wayside. Now all the cool kids are using newsletters. So, OK. Newsletter it is.
The Death of Corporal Cirillo
She didn't see a wedding ring, and didn't know if he was married. So she just kept repeating: "Your family loves you. Your parents are so proud of you. Your military family loves you. All the people here, we're working so hard for you. Everybody loves you." The impromptu team kept waiting for an ambulance, … Continue reading The Death of Corporal Cirillo
Beautiful Fonts on RHEL 7
Good lord how I hate the way fonts are handled on Linux. These instructions make things bearable.
American Flag (Toy Soldiers)
David Cole


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Join Mofos Network for only 24.98$ 14.99$ This offer ends in:
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- : 4 Nov 2011
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FY 2012 Appropriation for U.S. Geological Survey
Total USGS appropriations:
The FY 2011 appropriation was $1,083.7 million
The FY 2012 Administration request was $1,117.9 million
The FY 2012 appropriation is $1,069.7 million, a decline of $14.0 million or 1.3 percent.
For a breakdown of the appropriations by USGS programs under Surveys, Investigations and Research, visit the AIP FYI blog: FY 2012 Appropriation for U.S. Geological Survey.
Of note, the appropriations report states:
Land Use Change and Land Imaging
"Within Land Use Change, an increase of $11,500,000 is provided to complete funding for Landsat 8 ground operations development. The conferees have not agreed with the proposal to create a separate 'Land Imaging' account and have instead maintained funding for all satellite operations within this subactivity. Estimated administrative savings assumed in the proposed new account have been assumed within the Land Use Change account instead.
"The conferees have not agreed to transfer budgetary authority for the launch of Landsat satellites 9 and 10 from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to the Survey. Of the requested $48,000,000 increase for its implementation, the conferees have provided $2,000,000 for program development only. The conferees note that future requests for the project are estimated by the Administration to escalate to over $400,000,000 by fiscal year 2014. There is little doubt that resources will not be available within the Interior Appropriations bill to support these very large increases without decimating all other Survey programs. The conferees note that the launch of Landsat 9 is not scheduled until 2018. This allows time in the year ahead for all interested parties to re-examine how to proceed with future Landsat missions. In the conferees' view this would be a prudent step, inasmuch as the current budget proposal is based on a report from the Office of Science and Technology Policy issued in 2008, and both technological advances and a vastly different economic environment may point to other, less costly, options for obtaining Landsat data."
National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program and National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Federal and State Partnerships
"Increases to the request include $998,000 for the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program to continue funding at the current year enacted level, and $1,500,000 for National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Federal and State Partnerships to partially restore the proposed reduction to that program. Decreases from the request include $500,000 from WaterSMART."
Natural Hazards and Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning
"The conferees have not agreed to proposed reductions in the request and have restored funds to the following programs: $2,000,000 for Earthquake Grants; $1,800,000 for the 2012 Multi-Hazards Initiative; and $1,500,000 for the National Volcano Early Warning System. Decreases from the request include $800,000 from the 2011 Multi-Hazards Initiative, and $3,000,000 from Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning."
Related articles
- Analysis of R & D Investments in FY 2012 Appropriations Bill (geodatapolicy.wordpress.com)
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- January 22, 2012 -


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Integrated Agency Momentum Worldwide Launches Australia's First Sephora Store
French beauty retailer Sephora opens the doors to its first store in Australia at Pitt St, Westfield Sydney today with the launch being handled by agency Momentum Worldwide.
The launch activation – comprising digital, experiential, promotional and social elements – has been developed and managed by the specialist integrated agency.
In fitting with Sephora's message of "Enough beauty sleep, Sydney… it's time to wake up!" a giant alarm clock, over the store's entrance, has been counting down to the official launch at midday.
To capture consumer excitement, Instagram images uploaded and tagged #countdowntobeauty will be displayed on the installation.
Crowds are expected to queue to be among the first to visit the flagship store. Already, thousands have lined up to get their hands on exclusive samples in the week leading up to the opening.
Visitors on launch day will be treated to drinks and snacks and, as the countdown reaches zero, a bill of entertainment including DJs, stilt walkers and a choreographed dance show featuring store staff.
The very lucky, very first shoppers to set foot in the store will be the winners of the 'Sephora Sleepover' competition. Four female friends from Sydney have won a Thursday night stay in the nearby QT Hotel, where they will be pampered and lavished with gifts from Sephora brands, before being escorted as guests of honour to the store.
Fiona Novak, Sephora country manager, said: "It has been a long time coming – especially for our devoted Australian Sephora fans – although we know the wait will be worth it."
Gus Guthrie, managing director, Momentum Worldwide Australia, said: "We're very excited to be a part of a launch that generates so much fervour among its target audience… and Christmas shopping for my wife will be made a whole lot easier."
Public relations and social media for the store launch is being handled by Cav Con.


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I had just completed making a website and uploading to our host when I noticed that when I went to the website and checked the source codes there was a bunch of extra html that is not there before I uploaded it. I scanned my computer with Superantispyware (great program btw) and found some baddies. I am not sure if any of these could have infected my web pages. I also deleted all the pages from my host server. I scanned the pages on my computer and neither Avast or Super.. found anything, yet I am afraid to upload my pages again - since the code doesn't show up until after it is online (it is not in the source code when it is only on my computer).
How can I make sure that I am not still infected without having to upload my site again to my server and put it online - when it doesn't show up until I do?
P.S. My friend attempted to add my new site to Facebook, when it was online, and appearently started her virus scan - as it detected a virus.
Go to the link below and type in your www addy.
Once you enter your url start the scan. It will give you detailed URL info broken links, HTML problems, malware and viruses etc.
http://www.urlvoid.com/ the same goes for this site enter your URL addy click scan.
Hope that helps.
If you would rather let someone with knowledge of rating a websites safety check?, you can join WOT (Web Of Trust)
These guys are a great group of people who will break down your sites security rating.
They can advise you on everything you ask and more. Note: They use everyday pc users who give their time freely to help keep the web safe for everyone. And you will find most willing to help you.
Let them know that you think your site is infected and need it reviewed.
As website owner you get a 30 day free trial or join as a user and ask them to rate the site, this is free.
If they find issues be polite and try and follow any advice.
To add WOT to your browser type in your search engine:
WOT "browser name" addon.
Sorry I just noticed you have removed your site. My advice works only if your URL is online. Sorry about that.
I uploaded my site again (minus the menu.js, so now my sub-menus don't work) and the same thing is happening with the source code:
I checked it with both the sites you gave, and they say it is clean, so why do I have this unknown huge amount of code in my file, that only appears in the Veiw--> Source? - and why did my friend get a warning the other day, and my hosting provider send me an email saying they suspected my menu.js as having virus?
If you uploaded your site without the suspected menu.js in it, how would they find the virus? So both scans would be clean? I don't know the in's and outs of websites only where to test them.
Im thinking you should install a stronger AV program, more powerful than Avast? On your pc and test it again. Or go to the BullGuard website and get the 90 day free trial version and see how you go? Heres the link.
Hopefully someone who has some experience in websites might be able to offer you some advice. VirusTotal checks your site using 43 AV/Spyware programs so if it says its clean it should be.
What were the "baddies" SuperAntiSpyware found?
You might want to download MalwareBytes also?
They often find something the other left behind.
I have scanned with Trend Housecalls, Norton, Avast!, Malwarebytes, TFC, etc. and come up clean (SuperAntiSpyware found some adware in internet files) and I still get this code after my site goes online. I asked my host provider to check their servers and they say they have nothing.
I uploaded from another computer and still get the codes.
All scans on the URL say it is clean but Facebook and Zone Alarm say my site may be harmful.
Sorry im not sure? I saw your site on the WOT site and checked it out myself. I found it to be clean also? And except for the left to right scrolling on your site that the other WOT members already suggested you change, im not sure? Have you checked with Zone Alarm for false positives?
Site is back up with no funky codes.
Between my upload and cPanel something/some one was adding the codes.
I uploaded one of the pages to my own server and it did just fine with nothing getting added. So I wrote cPanel and told them it has to be them and to find the bad stuff and remove it - They did.
Also, I reduced the page to 900px - not sure if that will be enough?
Maybe you can check it and tell me.
Glad to here your problems have been sorted. The site is looking good and jewelery looks good.Glad you took the advice we gave you.
I still noted you don't have a privacy policy, which you should add. As you take credit card details. That would explain the red WOT rating you have at the moment, I gave you full green except for privacy which I rated yellow.:-)
Hope that helps?
Your hosting provider should have safe guards set inplace to catch any attempts to put a virus or hack onto your page. If you are useing your own hosting servers i would recomend sweeping all of your files with more then 1 virus protection because sometimes one program will pick up a virus that another program will not.
If your still haveing issues you can visite me at http://keepitsimplepc.net and feel free to email me at email@example.com
Jerome Brend
Keepit Simple PC


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Interview of Eric Dautriat, executive director of the European Clean Sky Programme
Eric Dautriat, after leading the Clean Sky Joint Undertaking for 7 years, this September is moving on to a new chapter in his career. In this frame the EASN Association is pleased to host an interview where he shares his views and assesses the project's added value and impact.
Q1: Dear Eric, please allow me to start with a personal question. You have successfully guided Clean Sky Joint Undertaking since September 2009. After 7 years, this September, you are moving on to a new chapter in your career. What are your feelings?
I have been lucky in my career, which fully took place, so far, in the aerospace world, with a number of exciting jobs: in particular, when I was leading the Directorate of Launchers at CNES some fifteen years ago, with the responsibility of the development and qualification of the current Ariane 5 rocket. But I must say that Clean Sky gives me the impression to have been the most rewarding. together with my team and with the participants to the programme, I had the opportunity to build something from almost a blank page. Beyond that, I have always enjoyed working in a European environment, and what is better in the EU policy than Research?
I fully understand the need of a limited term a Director, in particular when you have been the founding one. Seven years is, from this point of view, enough! However, of course, beyond the unavoidable melancholy to leave this adventure, there are several strategic items that I would have liked to continue to work out. But this would never been ending!
Q2: After these years, what do you think are the main achievements of CS? What value it has added to the European Aeronautical community in terms of research and innovation and finally what has been the impact for the European economy?
Although most of them have been a bit delayed with respect to the initial schedule, almost all the demonstrators foreseen at the beginning are there, on ground or in flight, as expected - of course with the evolutions and re-orientations that you may expect in any research phase! I noticed how enthusiastic the transverse teams were, from the different horizons contributing to such achievements. The two largest: the Open Rotor (ground-based), and the Laminar Wing (in-flight), are still to come but I'm very confident in their success.
Beyond these many technical facts, I consider that the "innovation chain" composed of more than 600 participants in Clean Sky 1 is, in itself, a very positive achievement, a very strong asset. We need to put more emphasis on these hundreds of smaller projects, funded through the Calls for proposals, directly contributing to the demonstrators or not: most of them have an intrinsic value, a proper life, a potential for spill-overs, etc. The lower part of the iceberg is not the less important! Unfortunately, we at the JU are often missing such ex-post information about the destiny of a Clean Sky - funded project. Collecting such feedback would bring a lot to the knowledge we may have of our impact, and our ability to "advertise" the benefits of aeronautical research public funding.
Regarding the socio-economic impact, as you know, this is very difficult to establish. We are working on this. Making a forecast of jobs created in the aeronautical manufacturing sector thanks to Clean Sky is quite difficult; anyway it will remain mostly virtual until the Clean Sky technologies are actually implemented into products; this is beyond the remit of the JU, of course - but equally, evidencing such an outcome will become more and more expected (rightfully) by the policy-makers. Anyway, we should have a first analysis at the beginning of next year, as an input proposed to the mid-term assessment.
Q3: In the years to come, what will be the main challenges for Clean Sky 2 and what obstacles and difficulties will have to overcome? What about the balance between production of breakthrough technologies & innovation, and the integration of these in to flying products: what could be improved and what actions should be taken for that?
Clean Sky 2 is more than twice the size of Clean Sky 1. If I consider the current trend, we could reach more than 1000 entities involved. Managing this into complex demonstrators will be a challenge! In particular, we have far more consortia as Core Partners than we had in Clean Sky 1 as Associates: this is, to a large extent, good news because this shows that many newcomers will be allowed a stable and long-term involvement in the full programme - including many universities. But this will have to be closely managed, in a context where on-time delivery is important, because of the size and the complexity of the demonstrators.
It will also be essential to keep and when necessary increase, the technical ambitions of the projects. Clean Sky cannot be and must never prioritize short-term, incremental progress. We need to work on actual breakthroughs. Research is research, it means going beyond the state of the art.
I wish that we are able to keep enough flexibility to this very large programme; our activities are based on an exhaustive "Development Plan" describing the full content up to completion in 2024, but this plan is updated each year and it is essential to be able to include, during the course of the programme, new inputs, new ideas, without breaking the necessary stability needed for the big projects.
Starting in early 2017, we intend to implement calls focused on "thematic areas", complementing the quite prescriptive, "top-down" topic descriptions we are usually publishing. These areas will still be closely linked to the objectives of ITDs and IADPs (our "technological platforms"), with a "granularity" level like alternative use of rejected heat from engine power gearboxes, or future pilot interface modalities. The "whats" will be shortly described, and the "hows" will remain open. This should strongly enhance the opportunities for applicants to bring bottom-up inputs. And hopefully this will encourage breakthrough initiatives. We are currently working out the possible content and the process for such a call, with our Members.
In parallel, we are also considering how to improve the involvement of students, mainly PhDs, in Clean Sky projects, in particular (but not only) through SME-led projects. We are discussing this with Academia and experts, and I'm happy that you are actively participating as EASN! There is, of course, some link between these two initiatives, even if they are not identical.
Q4: I know, we both agree on the indispensable role of the academia. Do you feel this is properly reflected in the participation and the level of involvement of academia in CS2? What should be done as to support the academia to continue creating breakthrough technologies and long-standing innovations?
Yes, I confirm we do agree about this indispensable role! We have 114 academia involved in Clean Sky 1; 114 different universities, I'm not saying 114 faculties or departments. This is a lot! And in Clean Sky 2, they are now conquering important roles as Core Partners, often within small consortia. Indeed, there is more momentum now for Academia than ever. They apply, and they have a high success rate (as you know, by construction the success rate in Clean Sky is higher than in classical, collaborative research, thanks to the more precise character of the topics, which cannot be tackled by so many applicants). However, I do believe that Academia are not pro-active enough in this programme. As if they were considering the answers to CS calls as a side activity, while their main focus is with some other funding sources. Same for some Research Organizations. I think that a programme which should (if I extrapolate the CS1 figures) bring in the range of 500 mEuro to these two categories together deserves more than a "reactive" behaviour - just answering calls. Do bring us (or my sucessors!) fresh ideas, provided that they are consistent with the ITD objectives, and the JU will do so that they are duly considered, challenged and when possible, included! This is linked, of course, with my upper remarks about the necessary flexibility of CS2, and the implementation of these "thematic areas", which should fit the inclination of Academia?
There is a received idea that Clean Sky, being industry-led, is just about high TRLs. But this is wrong. Before reaching high TRLs you need to work at lower ones. I have statistics about this, which I already, publicly mentioned?
One more point: Academia and Research Organizations are not much talking together at strategic level. I would recommend to improve this.
On a separate note, I wish to emphasize the very active participation of academics in our Scientific Committee and, as external experts, in the annual reviews we are performing - together with senior engineers with an industrial background. This is very fruitful.
Q5: Do you think that the decrease of fuel prices could discourage the industry involvement in Clean Sky?
This is a relevant question... not particularly about Clean Sky, I guess, but also some national programmes, or a number of NASA-led projects in the US, etc. It did happen in the past that such short-term fluctuations had a strong influence on long-term R&D projects, a bit like farmers uprooting centenarian olive trees because of some oil price annual drop! But now things are different, the reaction against climate change is high on political agendas, in particular after COP21. I cannot imagine that tomorrow, anyone will be tempted to consider that Clean Sky CO2-oriented projects (which are still the backbone of CS2 despite the addition of competitiveness as an explicit objective) can be slowed down or put on hold for this reason! I'm confident that all our Members are convinced of the strategic character of reducing CO2 emissions, as a sine qua non condition for the continued growth of air transport.
In any case, such situations show, once more, how important the continuity, the stability of the public funding is, implementing long-term policies and leveraging the private investment.
Q6: Is there any further message you would like to give?
I guess you will not be surprised if I add something about the future - beyond Clean Sky 2. The mid-term assessment of Horizon 2020 (and separately, Clean Sky 2) will, no doubt, trigger reflections and recommendations for what we may call "FP9" and "Clean Sky 3" - I do believe that there will be a Clean Sky 3! Among a series of other necessary improvements and evolutions, I wish to highlight that the current divide of aeronautical R&T between Clean Sky 2 (large majority) and the "Collaborative Research" is far from optimal and prevents from implementing any consistent, seamless approach. Beyond that, the Commission is putting emphasis on a transverse "STRIA", strategic transport research and innovation agenda, including aviation, and this makes sense; there will definitely be some significant (low TRL?) activities where aviation and surface transport may find common technological grounds. But this is one reason more to reconsider where and how to optimally fund an upstream, sectoral research, which remains more than ever needed, given the high specificities of aeronautics. Including the full journey of aeronautical research in Clean Sky is just common sense. Of course it would request a ring-fencing of the "upstream" research part within the total budget, in order to prevent it from being pumped out by shorter-term R&T contingencies; but this is obvious and quite easy to do. I don't see any reasonable objection to this.
I fully support the necessity of bringing the appropriate funding to the upstream research. Sometimes, I'm a bit concerned about the emphasis put on the concept of innovation when it is disconnected from research, and I'm afraid it is more and more often the case (I'm not speaking here of aeronautics, but more widely). Politicians want immediate outcomes, you know, a brilliant innovator innovates and one month after you have one hundred jobs created. At least in aeronautics, what I know is that long research journeys through the full TRL scale are the condition for those breakthroughs which at the end, will actually support European competitiveness and global sustainability, and consequently, create jobs. This must definitely be preserved. But this will be performed all the more efficiently if upstream research is really, concretely connected to the industrial strategies, while keeping its specificity. Isn't such an approach part of Clean Sky vocation?


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Name: Marie-France Roy
Age: 22
From: Charlevoix, Quebec and moved to Whistler 3 years ago.
Sponsors: Rome, Oakley, Redbull, Solo Mobile, Thirty-two, Etnies, Whistler-Blackcomb resort and Empire Boardshop.
Briefly describe yourself… When I'm not snowboarding, I really enjoy spending time in nature, going mountain biking, skateboarding, pick up shells on the beach. Later I will probably use my degree in Applied Ecology to be some kind of biologist or environmentalist.
Talk us through your average day… Waking up at whatever time depending of where I am, breakfast, meet up with some friends, riding until 2 or 3 and then go down, get changed and hang out some more.
How long have you been riding? 11 years
Best achievement:Being happy
Biggest rush:Men's Superpark
Scariest moment: When you're in the air on a big booter and you know that you won't clear it or will overshoot it.
Favourite riders: My brothers or anybody on the hill that looks like they're having fun.
Favourite place to ride and why: Whistler because it's home and its so good there. However, I love to get to travel everywhere.
Top 3 tunes: The owls go (Architechture in Helsinki), Walking after midnight (Pasty Cline), some Arcade Fire.
How do you stay in shape? I try to go biking during my off season or do other sports. I know it's bad but I just hate to be inside in a gym.
Top training tip: Do something you enjoy and keeps you in shape. That's why I have never go to the gym.
Favourite foods: Seafood, Italian, strawberry pies and milk.
Must-have beauty product:I don't really care.
Beauty tip: Be natural, be yourself.
Favourite clothing brands: Oakley
Fashion tip: I'm not really good at those. I just go with the flow.
Which celeb's style do you admire? I'd say Gwen Stefanie.
Favourite quote: Aime davantage la vie, le bonheur sera la récompense.
Before I die I want to: Build a quiet, small, sustainable house not too far from the ocean somewhere and have a little family.