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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post885861668824956764..comments2020-05-22T16:47:00.758+00:00Comments on Open and Shut?: The OA Interviews: Michael Eisen, co-founder of the Public Library of ScienceOpen & Shuthttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-21029370783170338632012-02-22T09:56:06.112+00:002012-02-22T09:56:06.112+00:00Thanks for linking to my post on LSE's Impact ...Thanks for linking to my post on LSE's Impact of Social Sciences blog! Just a point for the sake of clarity: I was writing in a personal capacity and am unaffiliated with LSE, and the post was therefore not a position statement.Neil Stewarthttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-5586151589156691592012-02-21T09:24:14.362+00:002012-02-21T09:24:14.362+00:00What the gold OA market needs to do is show the va...What the gold OA market needs to do is show the value of the liberated information. At present this counts for nothing. The fact that translators can translate papers without permission, that people can write books including pictures and tables and text, that I and other can use clever algorithms to mine information counts for nothing. There is a huge value in the liberated good.

Governments are rushing to release open data because they have been convinced that it is in their interest to make it a public good. Scientists / scholars hide this. [Kent Anderson publishes only to clinicians, while the scholarly poor - the patients - cannot read the research.]

Michael, is there not some way of quantifying the value released by PLoS/ONE. Governments cost lives ate hundreds of thousands - if a paper saves a life it's worth a lot.Peter Murray-Rusthttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-17704650454478496042012-02-21T07:29:31.702+00:002012-02-21T07:29:31.702+00:00Just a comment on one thing Mike said: on post-pub...Just a comment on one thing Mike said: on post-publication commenting and discussion in PLoS One, he remarks
"People don't navigate the literature that way, and the next generation of our system will have to give people the easy ability to record their thoughts on ANY paper that they are reading if it is to be successful."
He is right, of course.

But there IS an easy way to record – and share – your thoughts on any paper, that is completely publisher-independent (and repository-independent). It is one of the many functions offered in the free scientific PDF-reader Utopia Documents. So if you read the PDF-version of any article, do it with Utopia Documents, and comment to your heart's content.

The free reader is available to be downloaded from http://getutopia.orgJan email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-13131828059113922352012-02-21T04:22:52.158+00:002012-02-21T04:22:52.158+00:00It's really hard to see how gold OA wouldn'...It's really hard to see how gold OA wouldn't be better than the current system for all manner of reasons:

1) The current system has elements of a monopoly, in that an individual publisher is the exclusive source for the articles they publish. Since papers aren't fungible, the publishers can - and most have - exploited this monopoly by increasing charges at a rate far greater than inflation at a time when costs are decreasing. This is obviously not the case with gold OA.

2) There's a disconnect between the people making the decision about where to publish and the people who pay the subscription bills. This means that there is very little effect on author demand if prices go up. Another inefficiency absent from gold OA.

3) The customer in gold OA is likely to be the funding agency - NIH, NSF, Wellcome, HHMI, etc... - who have much greater power to negotiate with potential customers than do individual universities.

That's not say that gold OA is immune from wackiness. It's not clear how much of a difference price makes to many authors, and there are some non-trivial things to think about in deciding how to fund gold OA (research grant supplements? institutional pools? single payer?). You could argue that the research reagents market has similar features and it has a lot of inefficiencies. But put all this together, and I still don't see how it could be 1/10th as bad as the current system.

, and I'm sure publishers will figure out a way to extract whatever they can from funding agenciesMichael Eisenhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-2659328087228081932012-02-20T16:47:57.661+00:002012-02-20T16:47:57.661+00:00As Mike knows, I fear a pure Gold OA 'market&#...As Mike knows, I fear a pure Gold OA 'market' would, in many ways, be worse than what we have now. Which is one of many reasons why I'm proposing to have libraries take over from publishers:
http://bjoern.brembs.net/comment-n835.htmlBjoern Brembshttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-18098020583629696612012-02-20T14:52:16.312+00:002012-02-20T14:52:16.312+00:00"I do doubt that it would be a better market...."I do doubt that it would be a better market."

I have to say that this surprises me: it's honestly hard to imagine a much worse market than the one we have -- it feels as though almost any change would be for the better.

In particular, anything that brings the consequences of authors' journal-selection choices closer to them seems like a step in the right direction. In the real world, choices has consequences. Whenever academics are shieded from the consequences of their choices, it can only reinforce the (often unfair) public impression of "ivory towers".

"I assume you do not see Green OA as an option?"

I wouldn't go that far! I think Green OA is much better than nothing, and for that reason I strongly oppose the RWA and support the FRPAA. But it has serious problems. The most important one was nailed by Michael Eisen in the interview: "if self-archiving ever started to gain real traction, the green light publishers have given to do it will immediately be withdrawn."

That is a manifestation of the broader problem that Green OA still leaves publishers, rather than scientists, in charge of science. It's done with the publishers' permission. In the end, that can't be healthy.

Still, it's a good step.

I suspect that in fifteen or twenty years we'll have a radically disrupted scholarly landscape dominated by arXiv-like unreviewed repositories in conjunction with many alternative, complementary and linked post-publication peer-review systems and overlays providing other added value, such as journal-like collections. But I need hardly say that I really don't know -- and although it's a bit unsettling, I actually find it tremendously invigorating to be watching (and in a small way involved) as the community thrashes out what the future of science is going to look like.Mike Taylorhttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-65613485841380315672012-02-20T14:36:12.830+00:002012-02-20T14:36:12.830+00:00I do doubt that it would be a better market. Howev...I do doubt that it would be a better market. However, it would of course have one important advantage: the world's research would be freely available!

I assume you do not see Green OA as an option?Open & Shuthttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-63947111844262554172012-02-20T14:26:58.565+00:002012-02-20T14:26:58.565+00:00Good questions. I won't pretend to have all t...Good questions. I won't pretend to have all the answers -- I don't think any of us can until we're further forward this this -- but do you disagree that the mostly-Gold OA system would be a less imperfect market than the current subscription-based one?Mike Taylorhttps://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-57315070404118310772012-02-20T14:22:43.975+00:002012-02-20T14:22:43.975+00:00"In a market where that is the principal means of ... "In a market where that is the principal means of publication, publishers will have to compete for authors' attention on a level playing field, based on price and features. In that world, if PLoS ONE's $1350 charge turns out to be too high, then authors will simply desert it for a journal that charges less (or offers more). Sad for PLoS if that happens, but not for the scholarly ecosystem as a whole.

Does this still apply when author-side fees are paid by means of the membership schemes offered by OA publishers, or when they are paid out of institutional Gold OA funds? In such circumstances, does the situation differ so very much from what you describe below?

 "By contrast, in the current system where barrier-based journals predominate, decision makers are insulated from the costs that their decisions impose. Authors' choice of where to publish their work is made independent of the cost of the journals under consideration, because those costs are paid out of a separate library budget. It's the very definition of an inefficient market."

And would the level playing field you describe apply if the bill was paid directly by research funders, as seems to be envisaged by Michael Eisen when he says,  "I can also see a future in which the costs of publishing are not paid on a per paper basis, but rather are borne by a coalition of research funders, as is done with eLife"? Open & Shuthttps://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-7961882.post-24744363226092457282012-02-20T13:33:30.436+00:002012-02-20T13:33:30.436+00:00"All in all, the suspicion must be that publi..."All in all, the suspicion must be that publishers will continue to ask the research community to pay more than it is able or willing to afford to publish its papers — unless a more drastic change takes place. Certainly wide scale take-up of Gold OA does not appear to offer a solution to the affordability problem."

Here is where I am more optimistic than you are about Gold OA. In a market where that is the principal means of publication, publishers will have to compete for authors' attention on a level playing field, based on price and features. In that world, if PLoS ONE's $1350 charge turns out to be too high, then authors will simply desert it for a journal that charges less (or offers more). Sad for PLoS if that happens, but not for the scholarly ecosystem as a whole.

By contrast, in the current system where barrier-based journals predominate, decision makers are insulated from the costs that their decisions impose. Authors' choice of where to publish their work is made independent of the cost of the journals under consideration, because those costs are paid out of a separate library budget. It's the very definition of an inefficient market.

What Gold OA does is to tie together publication decisions and their consequences. I am pretty confident that if we are able to make the switch to a Gold OA-dominant system, then common-or-garden market forces will kick in and competition will reward the publishers that give the best service rather than the ones that libraries feel they can't do without.Mike Taylorhttps://email@example.com


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I've tried doing some things, and it's a struggle. For one thing, I can't seem to be able to undervolt or underclock the CPU. Neither Ryzen Master nor the BIOS options ended up doing anything.Well, not completely nothing, the voltage did seem to take more time to read 1.4V and system power when running Prime95 was around 120W instead of 127W. But underclocking didn't seem to do a thing and voltage tweaking didn't seem to do any more than that. It's not that the system was unstable or stopped working, it simply didn't do a thing.
GPU undervolting did work, although only when I dropped the SOC voltage. But that made quite an obvious change, from around 88W in FurMark at 1.1V to around 82W at 1V. Still, without the ability of saving power by tweaking the CPU I felt that it was easiest to just use the 35W BIOS option.
Given that I had already tested that, I figured I'd move from power testing to something that was on my original test plan: comparing the integrate Vega 8 to the Radeon HD 5750 in my Phenom II PC.

subset: commoncrawl


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- Description
Seeing the exact fuel pressure on your boat can mean the difference between extracting the most performance safely and expensive failures. AutoMeter's Digital Stepper Motor Fuel Pressure Gauge will precisely measure your exact fuel pressure at levels of accuracy previously unheard of even in professional gauges. Designed for fuel injected or carbureted applications, our advanced 1/8" NPT solid state pressure transducer provides the best possible measurements on the market with unparalleled resistance to vibration and heat. Don't take chances with your investment; a precise fuel pressure gauge could be the cheapest insurance you've ever bought.
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so is this a accurate gauge that doesn't change when the weather changes.... my liquid filled pro comps are outside on the cowl and never gave me a correct reading ....will this gauge stay accurate on matter how hot it gets outsideThank you so much for contacting us. As this gauge uses a digital stepper motor design, it will in no way be affected by changes in temperature. A liquid filled gauge is very different, and being a sealed design, can change based on fluctuations in temperature. You should have no issues with this instrument.Date published: 2017-11-13
California Prop 65 Warning


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Themed Reading
While I procrastinate a bit on getting back to Grapes of Wrath (I love the book, it's just so disheartening), I revert to a favorite procrastinating activity: list-making. So, my lists today relate to some theme-reading posts going around at the moment.
If I were to be denied book-buying, and the library, here are some theme-reads from my bookshelf in which I could occupy myself (all books I have not yet read):
- Australia: The New World, pub. By Granta
- Oscar and Lucinda: Peter Carey
- Living with Crazy Buttocks – Kaz Cooke
Classics by Male Authors:
- Moll Flanders – Daniel Defoe
- Robinson Crusoe – Daniel Defoe
- The Mill on the Floss – George Eliot
- Tom Jones – Henry Fielding
- Far From the Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy
- Catch-22 – Joseph Heller
- The Scarlet Letter – Nathaniel Hawthorne
Politics/Current Events:
- Standing Alone – Asra Q. Nomani
- Jihad vs McWorld by Benjamin Barber
- Hidden Agendas – John Pilger
- The Algebra of Infinite Justice – Arundhati Roy
- International Human Rights in Context – Steiner
- A Doll's House – Henrik Ibsen
- Phaedra – Jean Racine
- Andromache – Jean Racine
- No Exit – Jean Paul Sartre
- The Misanthrope – Moliere
- Twenty Seven Wagons Full of Cotton - Tennessee Williams
Books By Barbara Pym:
- A Glass of Blessings
- Some Tame Gazelle
- An Unsuitable Attachment
- Sweet Dove Died
That would keep me going for a good six months, I believe!


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Visualizing and Querying General Application Schema
Ashish KshirsagarOral Defence Date:
Saturday, June 27, 2009 - 13:00Location:
SCI 241Time:
1:00 p.m.Committee:
Professor Murphy, Professor Petkovic,and Assistant Prof. Chris Smith (Biology)
Biologists and other researchers need tools to extract information from large and complex biological databases. First, the biological databases contain complex data types varying from species to species and contain a lot of tables with many relationships. Second, the researchers and biologists are not familiar with querying the database for information. These two factors have engendered a need for simple user friendly query generating tools. User Interface for Chado Schema is a query generating tool developed at SFSU used locally for exploring and understanding the Chado schema [5], a relational schema developed by GMOD group [25] to manage genomic data for organisms like Arabidopsis, zebrafish, and mouse. This tool displays the tables of a relational database as nodes in a graph, and the primary key-foreign key associations between tables as edges. Query specifications are entered graphically by right clicking on nodes to choose attributes for output or to specify selection criteria. In addition to this graph, there is a control panel providing various features for interaction with the graph. Interaction allows biologists to better understand the database schema and to extract appropriate input and output attributes needed to form simple select-project-join SQL queries. Since the main motive of this tool was to visualize the Chado schema, it was designed in such a way that it only processed Chado schema data. The primary goal of the new work presented in this paper is to allow this tool to work correctly with any well-formed relational schema. This goal was realized by developing an SQL parser to processes the SQL DDL Statements used to create the schema and to pre-configure the graph display software. This software is deployed as a Java Web Start application that executes remotely via a standard web browser. This software was tested and validated by manually verifying that it correctly displays graphic output for two complex schemas.


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The maker of Taser stun guns has advised law enforcement agencies to avoid hitting suspects in the chest.
Essentially this boils down to "Don't aim for center mass" in most situations.
"Sudden cardiac arrest, a leading cause of death in the United States, often occurs in the midst of an arrest, Taser International said in the bulletin. If a stun gun is discharged to the chest, a lawsuit likely will follow, charging that police used excessive force, the document said."
I believe the real issue is one of bad policy and an increasing tendency in our law enforcement units to act under a "police state" philosophy.
Tasers should be an alternative to lethal force. However, instead they have become the means of forcing submission. Even when dealing with non-violent individuals. It's Taze first ask questions later. If someone is not immediately being obedient to every whim of the officer – taser!
I am of the opinion that tasers should only be used if there is a threat of violence. If someone is simply asking a question or seemingly ignoring the officer's directions. That is NOT a use justification for lethal force or its alternatives. The officer should assess the situation, call for back up, proceed with caution. Not just shoot on sight with a taser. Sometimes the situation requires other actions, such as the case of the man who was in diabetic and was tasered because he did not respond to the officers. When what he really needed was medical treatment.
This statement by taser may force a policy change. Because now lawyers will point to this statement as de facto evidence of a known risk. And that tasers should not be used wantonly, but only under duress.


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Ajay Jayaram.
It was an Immaculate, incredible, stunning, dramatic and what not to say for Ajay Jayaram one of the best shuttlers from India has entered into the Finals of the Victor Korea Open 2015 trashing his opponent Chou Tien Chen [7] of Chinese Taipei 21-19, 21-15 in straight games.
In case you missed it, please click the video below to watch the recording of the match.
All the best for a win in the Finals too.


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Interview with Muhammad Yasir, Pakistani journalist among migrants.
Interview with two female journalists and activists from Iraq.
Number of defamation lawsuits against journalists is rising in BiH.
State should not be allowed to use state advertisement as a tool to pressure media.
New report by Mediacentar Sarajevo aims to contribute to transparency.


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Cruise Lines, their passengers and crew spent a record $21.69 billion in the US in 2016, up 15 per cent since 2011 and representing a new peak in US cruise industry expenditures, according to a new study from Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world's largest cruise industry trade association.
CLIA's 2016 Economic Impact Analysis, an independent study commissioned by CLIA and conducted by Business Research and Economic Advisors (BREA), shows that total contributions of the global cruise industry to the US economy reached a record $47.76 billion in 2016, up 3.6 per cent from 2014. This includes generating 389,432 US jobs paying more than $20.5 billion in wages and salaries.
"The global cruise industry is a critical contributor to the U.S. economy and we see clear evidence of the industry's positive impact across the country," said Cindy D'Aoust, president and CEO, CLIA. "We saw cruise lines purchasing goods or services in support of their operations, and passengers traveling for their cruise vacations. The cruise industry continues to prosper and set economic records, and that's good news for cruise lines, cruise employees, suppliers and passengers."
According to CLIA's study, 11.66 million cruise passengers worldwide embarked from US ports in 2016, setting a new high and growing 5.4 per cent since 2014.
The top ten US cruise ports accounted for 87.2 per cent of 2016 embarkations, and Florida whose ports handled 7.08 million embarkations accounted for nearly 61 per cent of all US cruise embarkations. Embarkations from California's ports (Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego and San Francisco) increased 5.5 per cent since 2014 to 1.06 million, with an increased number of embarkations from Long Beach accounting for 57 per cent of California's total growth.
TTN is the most established trade publication in the Middle East distributed on a controlled circulation basis to members of the travel and tourism industry.
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Law for Architects: What You Need to Know
- Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
- Publication date: 2012-05-21
- Language: English
- Pages: 224
An essential reference for practitioners, emphasizing how legal concepts affect the process of bringing architectural vision to reality.Law for Architects: What You Need to Know guides design professionals through the daunting landscape where design and construction meet the legal system. It provides an introduction―written in clear, reader-friendly language―to issues that arise at every stage in the practice of architecture. For architects starting or building their own practice: Why do I need a written agreement with my clients? Why do I need insurance? How do I organize my firm? For seasoned architects considering retirement: How do I transfer ownership in my company? How can I benefit from the good will I helped to build? For students who want to learn more about the practicalities of starting out: Why is it important to have a license? Isn't it enough to have a degree in architecture? What are my rights as an employee? It also addresses the perennial questions that concern architects: How do I protect myself from being sued? How do I protect my intellectual property rights in my work? and much more.Law for Architects identifies the legal issues that lurk in every corner of your design practice and helps you figure out what questions you need to ask.
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Anna Rossi
Italy's Anna Rossi tees off in her 6th event of the 2013 LETAS season this week, at the Fourqueux Ladies Open. Anna answers 18 quick questions...
1. Tell me something most people don't know about you? I like dancing very much, like R&B, Hip-Hop…. I took lessons, but did not continue…but I would like to do it when I have time.
2. What would you like to do for a living if you are not a pro golfer? I would like to be professional volley ball player, as sportswomen, but if not, I would like to be translator.
3. Education? Which University and degree? I finished my school and then I decided to play golf professionally… So I got the card and I did not get back to the University
4. How many and which languages do you speak? English, Spanish, French and Italian.
5. Who would be in your dream foursome? Ernie Els, Lorena Ochoa and Tiger Woods, with me.
6. What is your favourite activity you do when you want to relax? Watching a movie.
7. Do you have a favourite TV commercial or serie? Sex and the City.
8. What invention do you wish you had thought of? Teletransportation.
9. Favourite gift you have received and from who? A pair of high heeled shoes. There were pink and red.
10. What's your favourite tradition from your country you love doing? We have a day on 5-6th January, which is called "Panevino" and they have fire and there are many food and drinks. We drink hot red wine with spices…
11. Favourite expression from your country? Ciao.
12. What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment to date? When I won the British Amateur.
13. Is there a song that you like to sing when no one is around like in the car or the shower? I always sing all day….
14. What is your favourite store to shop in and why? I like go shopping in Treviso, a little village near Venezia.
15. What beauty product can you not live without? Mascara.
16. What is your favorite time of year? Summer time.
17. Something you hate doing? I hate stretching.
18. If you could have an unlimited storage of one thing, what would it be? Shoes


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Ooo want to see her fly. Wish I was was there
If you still haven't had the chance to attend the University of Texas at El Paso's production of Mary Poppins, you still have a couple of weeks to do so. UTEP's Dinner Theatre will continue performing the musical until May 24. The musical is based on the books by P.L. Travers and the popular 1964 Disney movie.
In order to assist the dysfunctional Banks family, the magical nanny flies into their lives by umbrella. According to the El Paso Times, The show is said to have lots of special effects and 14 different sets. This includes a two-story house where the Banks family resides.
The movie and book were adapted for Broadway in 2001 by producer Cameron Mackintosh. The show premiered in London in 2004 and on Broadway in 2006. In addition to newer songs, the musical features the popular songs from the movie such as "A Spoonful of Sugar"…
View original post 35 more words


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Craft beer manufacturers are attacking Wisconsin wholesalers over a legislative push to draw stricter boundaries among the three tiers of the state's alcohol industry.
Last week, the Capital Times reported that the Wisconsin Tavern League, Wisconsin Beer Distributors Association and the Wisconsin Wine and Spirits Institute were circulating a proposal that would eliminate crossover among the tiers.
Under the proposal, a permit or license holder in one tier would be barred from holding an interest or ownership in another tier "regardless of the subchapter and type of alcohol beverage product sold."
Additionally, the legislation would create a government agency, the Office of Alcohol Beverages Enforcement, to police the industry. Currently, the Department of Revenue enforces the alcoholic beverage laws within Chapter 125.
Beer companies believe the creation of a "hard definition" of the intent of the law could strip away rights currently granted to brewers.
"That's the biggest and scariest part of this," Wisconsin Brewers Guild president William Glass told Brewbound. "They're laying the groundwork for a slippery slope that works to their advantage."
Meanwhile, a source close to the wholesalers told Brewbound that the changes aren't meant to strip away rights, but rather to establish a point of contact for alcohol-related issues. The source also said the proposed legislation had nothing to do with taprooms, brewpubs or retail rights, which are allowed through a separate section of Wisconsin code.
According to the drafted proposal, the director of the Office of Alcohol Beverage Enforcement would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate for a six-year term. The director would then appoint 15 additional employees to permit, audit and enforce liquor licenses statewide. The formation of the office would cost $2 million, and would be funded via fees collected by the DOR. However, it's unclear how the office would remain funded.
The leak of the measure comes as Wisconsin lawmakers attempt to reach an agreement this month on the state's budget.
Glass told Brewbound that the guild, the Wisconsin Winery Association and the Wisconsin Distillers Guild were never consulted about the plan and fear the legislation will be pushed through via a 999 motion, which have been historically used to move forward special interest legislation.
"They have got to come to us and talk to us if they're going to change our industry," said Glass, who is also the president of The Brewing Projekt brewery in Eau Claire. "It's inequitable and dishonest for them to speak on our behalf, and we have asked to be at the table."
New Glarus founder and president Deb Carey told Brewbound that she believes the wholesalers are leading the push for the measure.
"The reason we're concerned about it is that every time we get 'help' from another tier without any input from the breweries, it ends up being something that harms us," she said. "We would really like to have a seat at the table and have some input into what's going on."
Carey added that she has a hard time believing that the Tavern League of Wisconsin is supporting legislation that would impose "long list of fines on tavern owners." She believes "someone is trying to stir up mud and make it the brewers against the taverns."
"This was written by the liquor wholesalers," she said, specifically naming lobbyist Eric Peterson. "It's the fourth time that I've seen it floating around."
Carey continued: "They would like it if the brewers were in an argument with the Tavern League. We love the Tavern League. We have no qualms with anything they would want."
The idea of a "pure" separation in the three-tier system is "a new development over the last five years" in Wisconsin, Carey said.
"It never has been pure," she said. "When I started my brewery, you were required to have a wholesaler license. A lot of restaurants invested in breweries, and wholesalers invested in breweries and restaurants."
Calls to Tavern League of Wisconsin lobbyist Scott Stenger were not returned.
Meanwhile, MillerCoors director of state government affairs, Paul Lucas, had initially signaled the company's support for the proposal during an early drafting of the legislation.
However, in an email dated May 3 and obtained by Brewbound, Lucas backtracked on his initial support for the "creation of a new division of alcohol enforcement," while simultaneously calling for "clarification of legislative intent" on cross-tier ownership.
"For MillerCoors, this change in state law is the clear priority," Lucas wrote. "Without such a change, the industry runs the risk of cross-tier ownership expanding at a significant level and places others restrictions central to our system at risk. Again, this is our number one priority.
"Simply put, we are unwilling to accept the increased scrutiny into our marketing and trade practices that a stand-alone enforcement agency will invite," he continued. "We have the experience of 49 other states, many with similar type structures, as a reminder of why we don't wish to create such an environment for ourselves. We do see the need to force upon Revenue the creation of a senior level person dedicated to alcohol issues and enforcement."
In a letter to Gov. Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Legislature, dated May 31, Glass wrote that the proposed changes are "a solution in search of a problem."
"As Wisconsin's independent craft brewers, we are not three-tier abolitionists; rather we are simply looking for an equitable relationship and an even playing field within our industry," Glass wrote.
Wisconsin law currently permits breweries to self-distribute up to 300,000 barrels of beer annually, and suppliers can also operate up to two retail locations within the state.
"Despite our ability to cross the tiers and effectively operate as manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer, our commitment to the responsible trade practices and adherence to Chapter 125 has never wavered," Glass wrote.
Glass has also called on lawmakers to modernize the laws within Chapter 125.
The proposed legislation has also run into opposition from Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin.
"At a time when we should be looking to modernize the system and have some flexibility to reflect what consumers want and instead the distributors want to go in the opposite direction and really tighten things up," Americans for Prosperity Wisconsin state director Eric Bott told the Capital Times.


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Organic Gift Set for Gardeners
Evoke spring cheer any time of the year with the perfect gift set for the green-thumbed Badger in your life. Includes one 2oz tin Sore Muscle Rub, one 2oz tin Badger Balm, one .75oz tin Cuticle Care, and one .60oz Anti-Bug™ Balm Travel Stick. Comes packaged and ready for gifting in a 100% recycled box tied with a charming green ribbon and tag adorned with original Badger art.
Sore Muscle Rub harnesses the power of cayenne and ginger to soothe away stress and sore muscles. Perfect for using after a long day in the garden, or anytime you're feeling a little stiff. Smells great and softens skin–definitely not your typical smelly rub! This is our original formula and still a favorite.
Badger Balm is an ultra-rich, ultra-moisturizing balm that smooths and softens the most chapped, cracked, rough, or weathered skin but is gentle enough to use every day. Smells great with the light minty and somewhat earthy aroma of wintergreen. If you should ever find yourself lost in some vast, uncharted wilderness, you want this balm with you!
Cuticle Care has soothing shea butter and vitamin-rich seabuckthorn CO2 extract to nourish, moisturize, and protect dry cuticles and hands. Pure steam-distilled essential oils deliver a light citrus aroma that's sure to please the senses. Portable size makes carrying beauty in your hands and pocket a cinch
Anti-Bug™ Balm Travel Stick is a safe, effective, all-natural and DEET-free bug repellent in a convenient travel size twist-up stick for on the go protection! Smells great, works great, and is perfect for use on your wrists, ankles and behind the ears, places mosquitoes love to bite.


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"Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful." --George Box*
I need to be honest with you, I'm not all that good at generating novel ideas: Some of my most well-cited papers involve theories that sociologists came up with decades ago; Reviewers frequently accuse me of running post-hoc analyses (asking the data for ideas, rather than generating apriori predictions); When media cover my research, the most common initial comment is something like: "This is so obvious....blah, blah....you suck." You get the idea.
I don't view this particular characteristic of my research as a flaw. Rather, I'm acknowledging that not all scientists can be ground-breaking theorists/game changers: Some people come up with great ideas and some people test them. For the most part, I test theories and I do it in (what I hope are) convincing ways. Given this characteristic of my research, you might be surprised then, to learn that I love theory!**
You read that right.
Some researchers might argue that theory creation is an easy step in any scientific enterprise and in principle this is not an incorrect statement. Literally anyone could generate a theory in social psychology by connecting two variables together with an explanation: For instance, messy environments increase stereotyping because they force people to use automatic information processing (a now retracted Science paper). It is this sort of theorizing that leads people to suggest that theory-making is easy--whereas data collection/interpretation is hard.***
I don't buy this argument for a moment. True theory--that which generates new ideas, argues them in compelling ways, and charts new directions for future research with precise predictions--though difficult to generate, can change a scientific discipline in fundamental ways. New theories can launch researchers into new areas of inquiry, lead to the testing of ideas in previously uncharted territories, and motivate a reexamination of old ideas.
When I think of good theory in social psychology, I think of the explosion of interest in cultural psychology following the work of psychologists like Hazel Markus, Harry Triandis, Shinobu Kitayama, and others. Up until the 1980s, researchers in social psychology were convinced that there were fundamental universals in human social interaction (i.e., the Fundamental Attribution Error): The realization that culture influences how we think about the self, what we value, and what it means to relate to others was not something the field acknowledged until after these theories were published. Generating theories of cultural psychology meant standing in opposition to universals that were held up by the field.
Perhaps the best thing that good theories accomplish is that they draw out good data. A compelling theory can inspire talented methodologists, publishing factories (what I call highly productive researchers), and new graduate students to test the theory across a number of different laboratories and methods. Without theorists (thanks Marx and Bourdieu!), I would be toiling along on less interesting topics of far less consequence.
Which brings me back to George Box's quote at the top of the page: "Essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful." The quote reflects what must be a truth about even our best theories: They're wrongheaded but useful. Theories can't possibly be even mostly correct because if they were, social life would be much less complicated than it actually is (and we'd all be jobless). Social life is complex with individuals and situations contributing large amounts of random variation to all social interactions. Even the most compelling, eloquent, and sensible theories won't likely explain all that nuance without getting it at least partially wrong. But good theories will galvanize us to test them, and in that fashion, theories are truly useful!****
*I first learned of this quote via a twitter conversation with an esteemed colleague. Score one for social media!
**As a social psychologist, I couldn't resist the counter-intuitive opening to this blog post. It's the resurrection stone of the deathly hallows of psychological science.
***Data is hard.
****Simine Vazire's blog has the best footnotes!


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If you missed yesterdays post, start there! It'll make more sense ;)
Today I'm just testing out some false nails to see how it goes on my injured nail. These are from the brand Elegant Touch and I found these in Priceline for under $10. I know a lot come with nail glue but as glue will mean I'll need remover, so I went looking for ones that just used those soft adhesive patches that just peel off.
It's been a long time since I picked out some false nails so I was surprised how pretty these actually were.
Elegant Touch seems to be a brand from the UK but I was really taken by their designs. These are pretty peacock feathers! We've come a long way from the standard colour falsies I remember of the mid 90s. I actually can't believe I found it hard to make a decision on which packet to get!
The pack consists of 24 nails, adhesive tabs, the instruction leaflet and a buffer. Very easy to apply. Find which nail works best on each finger, peel off each side off the adhesive tab and press the nail on top, break the little tab off and file smooth. Voila! Really easy and if you are in a rush these would be ideal!
The packaging claims that it could last up to a week but I think unless you are super careful that they would catch before then. As always my pointer finger isn't quite the right shape so I have ended up with a gap that I found myself picking at. They still lasted 24 hours while doing all housework and cleaning!
Pros - They are very easy and quick to apply. The hardest part is selecting the right nail for each finger! Also they are really easy to remove. Biggest pro is the design! I mean look at how pretty this one is!! Well worth a look.
Cons - These apparently are the "short" nails and for me they are definitely anything by short. My nails are quite long at the moment and the only one peeking out is my little finger. Also if your nail doesn't shape to the plastic then you'll have gaps.
I'll be back tomorrow with another edition - please keep the comments coming with suggestions on other things to use! I'll be only doing this series til Monday but as my bite is not quite half way grown out I'll be back for round 2 soon!!


text:
Potter, Stephen
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This chapter explores how to measure energy and emissions from urban transport. It then provides information to make a comparison between energy use and CO2 emissions for urban travel by car, train, tram and bus. A substantial difference is noted between the figures for peak and off-peak travel, associated with patterns of vehicle loadings. The chapter concludes with a discussion on how energy efficiency can be improved and the need to shift from a vehicle to a systems level to fully evaluate policy options.
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|0-08-044103-3, 978-0-08-044103-0
|Transport Energy; Urban Public Transport; CO2 emissions; transport policy
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|Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) > Engineering and Innovation
Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
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|Stephen Potter
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|06 Jul 2006
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|07 Dec 2018 10:25
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Vietnam then
Vietnam was split up into two in 1954, the government was communist in the North and democratic in the South. North and South Vietnam were finally reunified on July 2, 1976. During the war the soldiers of vietnam recieved meal packs. All the soldiers got plastic knives, forks and spoons, a can opener, a toothpick, sugar, salt, coffee and matches with each meal. They only recieved three meal packs a day.If they were good they would get cocoa, fruit punch or gum as a treat. And as you would think, the food wassn't any better for the citizens of Vietnam. Lots of people went many days witout eating anything. The living conditions were quite bad and unsanitary for the soldiers and the people in Vietnam. There was also the stress of being killed at any time of day for most people. The US involvement in the Vietnam War caused so many issues within the United States that even to this day there are still issues! Important events since the reunification of the country include, a border war with China in 1979 and Vietnam's invasion of Cambodia the year before.Vietnam finally decided to withdraw its troops from Cambodia
in 1989 .
Vietnam now
Although many westerners still imagine Vietnam as a warzone, it
is in reality a country filled with stunning natural beauty and peaceful village life. In some cities, like Hanoi, there are still even some traces of French architecture. Even though the war left Vietnam a disaster, and one of the 5 poorest countries, it is no longer considered an underdeveloped country, but is now considered a middle-income country. Although Vietnam isn't quite as developed as it's neighbours, such as Thailand or Malaysia, it has still had plenty of development success over the past 10-15 years! Vietnam is also one of south-east Asia's fastest-growing economies and is hoping to become a developed nation by 2020. Vietnam is both tropical and temperate, and is made up of a considerable amount of sun, a high rate of rainfall,nd high humidity . So don't be afraid to pack your bags and head over to this beautiful country.


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Tag Archives: pakistan
Trekking in northern Pakistan
Pakistan offers some of the best trekking in the world. The Karakoram, Himalaya and Hindu Kush ranges which dominate northern Pakistan are truly spectacular. They encompass soaring mountains of rock, ice and snow, huge sweeping glaciers, plateaux and high pastures … Continue reading
Posted in Pakistan Tagged asia, buddhist painting, ecology, environmentalism, image, mountain, northern areas, northern pakistan, pakistan, photography, rock art, rock painting, tourism, travel, trek 2 Comments
Road transport in Pakistan
There is next to no training for would be drivers,… and the test is a farce. Licences are invariably obtained through bribery, and as a result there are real dangers on the roads and streets from poor judgement and suicidal … Continue reading
In Pakistan, the alcohol trade flourishes despite of the ban
He does his work in the shadows and is always on the lookout for the police, but Abdul is not into the drug trade. He is providing to the tipplers their ration of alcohol. Every afternoon, Abdul hits the road … Continue reading
Shamanism in Northern Pakistan
Before Islam replaced buddhism and hinduism in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, complex indigenous religions were practised. Ra or Aftab, the solar deity, was an archetypal figure from whom the rulers of Bolor ( ancient name of the Northern Areas) … Continue reading
Posted in Pakistan Tagged agricultural work, agriculture, asia, culture, extinction, history, northern areas, northern pakistan, pakistan, photographie, photography, shaman, shamanism, survival, tribal, tribe 2 Comments
Pakistan : Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road in the world. It connects China to Pakistan. On its 1.300 kms journey from Islamabad, Pakistan's modern capital, to Kashgar, a market town in China's most westerly province, the Karakoram Highway … Continue reading
Posted in Pakistan Tagged asia, china, commerce, development, engineering, flagellation, flogging, gilgit, highway, indus valley, karakoram, muharram, muslim festival, northern areas, northern pakistan, pakistan, photographie, photography, road, shia festival Leave a comment
Pakistan : the atomic bomb
It started in 1964. On october 16 to be precise, when China completed its firsts nuclear tests, two years after winning a quick war against India. Since its independence in 1947, India was striving to become a nuclear power. But after 1964, the … Continue reading
Posted in Pakistan Tagged army, atomic, atomic bomb, bomb, desert, military, nuclear bomb, pakistan, photographie, photography, soldier, thar, travel, voyage, war Leave a comment


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The following guidelines are binding on all students of
A D.Rufa'I College for Legal and Islamic Studies.Misau –
Bauchi State.
1 A Student must satisfy the minimum of 75% attendance before he/she is qualified to sit for any Examination
2 A Student should arrive at the examination venue ten (10) minutes before the commencement of the Examination.
Only students that registered for a course will be allowed to sit for that Examination.
3 Students shall come to the Examination Hall with their I.D. Card and Examination Card.
4 Students should rot enter the Examination Hall with any paper relating to that exams, mobile phone, handkerchief or tissue paper
5 Students should net write anything on the question paper.
Students shall not expose answers to their colleagues to copy.
6 Students should nm borrow any writing material from another person without permission from the Invigilator.
7 Student shall not expose answers to their colleagues to copy
8 Student shall not borrow any writing material from another permission from the invigilator
9 A Student with an improper dress will be disallowed to enter Examination Hall.
10 An Invigilator should ensure that students maintain silence while Examination is in progress.
11 Eating und Chewing in an Examination Hall are prohibited.
12 Any student found smoking in an Examination Hall while examination is in progress, such a Student shall be disqualified from writing that paper
13 Once Examination time-table is pasted on the Notice Board of a particular School, it shall be the responsibility of each student to make sure that he/she knows the dates, time and venue of the examination.
14 Students should not be allowed to enter Examination Hall an hour after the commencement of that exam.
15 Students should not leave Examination Hall before an hour of the commencement of that Examination.


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Compare Funeral Costs: Cremation Urn and Memorial vs. Casket and Headstone
For those planning a funeral with limited financial resources, it is prudent to evaluate the cost of cremation urns and memorials compared to a casket and headstone. Cremation offers the most versatility and opportunity to control costs for those on a budget while burial costs mount quickly.
Cremation Urn and Memorial Costs
Cremation urns vary dramatically in cost based on an array of factors. The size of the urn, the materials used in its construction, and the simplicity of its design all play a role in cost. Families can buy a simple scattering urn made of biodegradable materials for as little as $50 to $100. A wide variety of urns is available in the $100 to $400 range, although some families will pay more than $1,000 for fine or precious materials.
Memorials are as simple or as elaborate as families wish. An engraved memorial plaque costs as little as $100; a memorial statue or a memorial bench is in the $2,000 to $3,000 range.
Casket and Headstone Costs
Caskets are unquestionably more expensive than cremation urns. Many caskets are priced in the $1,000 to $2,000 range, with a select few options for a budget between $500 and $1,000. More elaborate caskets that include precious woods and materials can easily skyrocket to $14,000.
Headstones tend to cost more than cremation memorials. Prices vary, depending on the region and material, but the least expensive headstones are typically priced in the $200 to $500 range. More elaborate upright markers range from $1,000 to $3,000, with prices quickly escalating for fine materials or elaborate details.
When comparing goods costs between cremation urns and memorials and caskets and headstones, it's easy to see cremation is the more affordable option.
Cremation Society of Virginia
Latest posts by Cremation Society of Virginia (see all)
- Cremation Society of Virginia Hosts Open Houseof Charlottesville Location - October 16, 2019
- Cremation Society of Virginia Hosts Tree of Remembrance Event - December 21, 2017
- New Faces in Person and Online for Cremation Society of Virginia - May 15, 2017
Published: May 13, 2016 | Category: Cremation Cost


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- April 16, 2012Published:
- EnglishLanguages:
- IT professionalsAudiences:
- Microsoft System Center 2012 Configuration ManagerTechnology:
- MCTSCredit toward certification:
Administering and Deploying System Center 2012 Configuration Manager
This exam has been retired
For currently available options, please see the Microsoft Certification exam list.
Skills measured
This exam measures your ability to accomplish the technical tasks listed below. The percentages indicate the relative weight of each major topic area on the exam. The higher the percentage, the more questions you are likely to see on that content area on the exam. View video tutorials about the variety of question types on Microsoft exams.
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- Design and plan System Center Configuration Manager infrastructure (10–15%)
- Plan System Center Configuration Manager hierarchy and site system roles
- Pre-installation requirements, examining the current computing environment, CAS, primary and secondary sites, branch cache, designing and recommending System Center Configuration Manager server architecture, extending the Active Directory schema (DNS service records, WINS), managed providers, discovery methods, and planning migration
- Plan and configure security
- PKI or self-signed certificates, HTTP or HTTPs implementation, NAP, FEP, and planning role-based security
- Define the Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
- Disaster recovery and site maintenance
Preparation resources
- Plan System Center Configuration Manager hierarchy and site system roles
- Manage operating system deployment (OSD) (10–15%)
- Configure the OSD environment
- Configuring WDS, configuring PXE, configuring the VM build environment, and integrating with MDT
- Build and capture an image
- Updating base images, task sequences
- Deploy an image
- New (bare metal) and upgrade images, VHD deployment
- Manage images
- Drivers, servicing
Preparation resources
- Configure the OSD environment
- Deploy applications and software updates (10–15%)
- Create an application
- Defining deployment types, deploying applications to RDSH, MSI, and App-V, and converting a package
- Deploy an application
- User device affinity, compliance settings, Software Center, and task sequences
- Monitor application deployment
- Resolving issues, managing application distribution points, distribution point groups, Content Library, SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS), log files, and In Console Monitoring
- Manage the software library and application catalog
- Web portal configuration, work schedule, and definition of primary machines for users
- Create and monitor software updates
- Automatic Deployment Rules (ADR), SSRS, creating update groups, creating deployment packages, log files, and In Console Monitoring
- Configure FEP clients by using System Center Configuration Manager
- Creating and managing policy by using Configuration Manager, configuring definitions within the client policy, exporting from Configuration Manager, choosing which template to use, and select exclusions
Preparation resources
- Create an application
- Manage compliance settings (10–15%)
- Build a Configuration Item (CI)
- Creating a CI, importing a CI, setting CI versioning, and remediation rules
- Create and monitor a baseline
- Importing a configuration pack, building a custom baseline, SSRS, log files, In Console Monitoring, deploying a baseline
Preparation resources
- Build a Configuration Item (CI)
- Manage sites (10–15%)
- Manage collections
- Setting maintenance windows, defining rules for collections (collection membership, query-based collections), collection-specific settings
- Monitor site health
- SSRS, log files, In Console Monitoring, Toolkit
- Configure software updates
- Sync schedule, catalogs, products, WSUS, and superseded updates
- Manage site communications
- Configuring bandwidth settings for a site address, configuring senders, secondary sites (file-based replication, SQL replication paths), resolving DP connections
- Manage boundary groups
- Creating boundary groups, using boundary groups in more than one DP, client roaming, Internet-based clients
- Manage role-based security
- Security scopes, custom roles, cloned security roles and permissions
Preparation resources
- Manage collections
- Manage clients (10–15%)
- Deploy clients
- GPO, WSUS, logon scripts, manual, client push, OSD task sequence, monitoring client health
- Manage mobile devices
- Enrolling mobile devices, Exchange Connector, AMT enrollment point (out-of-band management), and wiping mobile devices
- Manage client agent settings
- Desired configuration settings, mobile device client agent, NAP client agent, configuring power management, configuring remote control agent, hardware inventory agent, software inventory agent, software metering agent, advertised programs agent, computer agent
Preparation resources
- Deploy clients
- Manage inventory (10–15%)
- Manage hardware inventory
- Configuring MOF, export and import settings, enabling or disabling WMI classes, extending hardware inventory to other client assets, WMI or registry reporting
- Manage software inventory
- Standardized vendor name, list of tracked inventory, report inventory data, asset intelligence, software metering (enable or disable rules, report software metering results)
- Monitor inventory data flow
- Client-to-site, site-to-site
Preparation resources
- Manage hardware inventory
- Manage reports and queries (10–15%)
- Build queries
- Console queries, WQL, sub-selects
- Create reports
- Cloning and modifying reports, creating custom reports, import and export reports
- Manage SSRS
- Configuring security, configuring caching, configuring subscriptions
Preparation resources
- Build queries
Who should take this exam?
This exam is designed for candidates that have System Center Configuration Manager 2012, Windows Server, security, and networking experience in an enterprise environment. Candidates should also have basic Microsoft SQL Server and Windows PowerShell knowledge, mobile device management, and application configuration experience. These candidates may be the System Center Configuration Manager Administrator, Active Directory Administrator, Exchange Administrator, Windows Server Administrator, or Enterprise Desktop Administrator for their organizations.
More information about exams
- Preparing for an exam
We recommend that you review this exam preparation guide in its entirety and familiarize yourself with the resources on this website before you schedule your exam. See the Microsoft Certification exam overview for information about registration, videos of typical exam question formats, and other preparation resources. For information on exam policies and scoring, see the Microsoft Certification exam policies and FAQs.
- Note
This preparation guide is subject to change at any time without prior notice and at the sole discretion of Microsoft. Microsoft exams might include adaptive testing technology and simulation items. Microsoft does not identify the format in which exams are presented. Please use this preparation guide to prepare for the exam, regardless of its format. To help you prepare for this exam, Microsoft recommends that you have hands-on experience with the product and that you use the specified training resources. These training resources do not necessarily cover all topics listed in the "Skills measured" section.


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This was in a text from my daughter Elizabeth. She is in Florida where it is hot and sunny. I am in New Hampshire where it is not. We cherish the time we have when we are together, but it is never enough. In the evening, when I am home from work, I send her a text, knowing that she will be busy with school and friends. It is just a nudge. A touch, to say I love you.
The horsies began when Elizabeth was in first grade. She painfully thin and ill with an endocrine disorder that would take years to diagnose. I wanted so badly to keep her near to me. I wanted to home school her- to keep her safe from classmates who sneezed and coughed and spread their germs over her books and pencils. I wanted to protect my sickly little girl with the huge eyes from the older boys in the bus line who laughed at her skinny arms and legs and called her a "bug eyed creep." I wanted to let her snuggle under the covers until it was late in the morning, and spend golden afternoons in the sun where the fresh air and warmth would help her to grow strong and healthy.
But what we want as parents is not always what is best for our children. Children become strong by doing, by overcoming, by daring. I knew that I needed to go to work and Elizabeth needed to go to school. I knew she needed to take courage in hand, leave my protective arms and enter the battle ground with the brick walls and hopscotch playground. She needed to prove to herself that she did not need her mother with her every moment. But she needed a reminder that her mother was not far away.
When Abby entered kindergarten, I made her a friendship bracelet out of cotton embroidery floss. I told her that if she became lonely, she need only touch her bracelet to remember that her mother is her best friend. The bracelet was all she needed.
When Gabriel started school, he charged forward with the bravado that only a five-year old boy possesses. He announced he was too old for a kiss goodbye, but devised a secret handshake. When I dropped him off, he would lightly punch my fist with his, meaning, "I love you. I'll see you in a few hours." It served him well.
I stumbled upon a solution for Elizabeth in the children's jewelry section at a local department store- a tiny pair of gold earrings in the shape of horses. As I put the earrings into her ears that night, I told her that these were magic horsies that would gently nibble her ear lobes when I was thinking about her. I told her if she became lonely for me, she should send the horsies to let me know. I would send them back right away, and when she felt a nibble, she would know that I was not far.
Elizabeth is grown now. She wears large silver hoops in her ears. She is tall and willowy, and exotically beautiful. Her eyes are still huge but instead of teasing her about them, boys get lost in them. She has traveled to places I only read about in books and she is not afraid. She is brilliant and beautiful and has a heart that spreads golden warmth to everyone she touches.
But every now and then, as all of us do, she needs to be reminded that her mother loves her. She needs a text, an email, a phone call, a letter. So excuse me. It's time to send the horsies.


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- Font:
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BEIJING — Water supplies to 28,000 people in northern China have been cut after an overturned truck spilled 33 tons of toxic oil into a river, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Wednesday.
The truck was carrying wash oil, also known as creosote, when it overturned and dumped its contents into a river in Shanxi province, contaminating 70 million cubic feet of water, the agency said, citing the provincial environmental bureau.
Supplies to the towns of Dazhai and Sandu in Xiyang county, which the reservoir serves, have been cut, Xinhua said.
Creosote is commonly used to treat wood products and probably causes cancer in humans, according to the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Reported a week later
The spill occurred last Thursday, Xinhua said, but the agency did not say why it was reported a week later.
Cleanup crews were using pumps, tons of activated carbon and other materials to absorb the spill of brown oil, the agency reported.
To provide a temporary supply, local authorities were trucking in drinking water to affected residents, and were attempting to connect water pipes to a large well in the nearby village of Mahui, Xinhua said.
Investigations showed the truck overturned due to brake failure, the report said.
History of pollution
Most of China's canals, rivers and lakes are severely tainted by agricultural and household pollution. Chinese leaders say the country faces a critical water shortage, in part because of chronic pollution and chemical accidents.
In August, China said it would spend $125 billion to improve water treatment and recycling by 2010 to fight the mounting threat of urban water pollution.
Last November, a chemical plant blast spilled tons of benzene and other toxic material into the Songhua river, halting water supplies to millions in China and Russia. Local authorities were accused of reacting too slowly and delaying public disclosure of the spill.
© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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this is the second board this sweet customer has ordered, and it may be my favorite Bible verse board so far! love to put your ideas into action!
revelation 21:5 board...
Labels: verse boards
1 comments:
- Jenny said...
Looks great! Love the font combination. :)
- January 30, 2011 at 7:44 PM
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Calendar can be a method to mention a period (this sort of because the example). These types of names are known as calendar dates. This date can be depending on the motions of celestial bodies like the sun and moon. Calendars may also consider tools that illustrate the system.
As well as on this occasion we are going to talk about about printable 2016 calendar 3 months per page ideally might know about give below works well for you actually.


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I've needed to accomplish this for three years now. You've no strategy how many times I have fantasized about this, I said. What, you think I haven't observed you stare at my butt all this time? Some days I walk by your table, because I understand I'll have your attention. Wait, you have been contacting me any office mother for three years. Does which make that weird? she asked. Oh nightmare, I hadn't also thought about that. I do believe we just had company incest, I claimed, laughing at my very own joke. Fortunately, she laughed as well. Then she folded off me, made onto her area, and gave me yet another long enthusiastic kiss. Ok, therefore, we can't do this again, for several reasons. I recently desired to many thanks for being so sweet, and caring therefore much about me, but I do believe I might have let it escape hand. I promise that was not my
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She may be nineteen years more than me, but she's still the greatest person I have ever actually met in person. Her name Xxx Live Free Chat is Janie, and her workplace is all about ten legs behind mine at work. She's small and small, with fantastic feet and the most wonderful ass I've actually seen. Her crazy hair really sticks out, but it's definately not the only thing about her that pulls my focus on her. She really is the sum total deal, having an incredible personality on top of her spectacular beauty. My personal favorite the main morning is when I hear the pressing of her high heel pumps as she walks in, and guides right past my desk. We generally claim hello, and frequently include a little else to our really short morning discussion, and then I could view her ass while she hikes to her desk. The best area of the afternoon is when she is filing the instructions in the line of file units right behind my desk. It's difficult to concentrate when she is bent over, showing her amazing butt down such as the trophy it is. It's likely you have guessed by given that I do believe she has got the sweetest bum I have ever seen. Today we were supposed to wear red for
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Oregon's Willamette Week Online (WWeek.com) reports that Portland's September 5th live performance of Stan Freberg's 1959 musical "Oregon! Oregon!" has sold out, as well as the Sunday, August 30th show in Jacksonville, OR.
According to WWeek.com, you can tune into a broadcast of Live Wire! Radio's 8.22 live recording (which "previewed three numbers from the show") today (Saturday, 8.29) at 7 PM (PST) on Oregon Public Radio… which is only useful to those living within the broadcast area, unfortunately. OPB.org does appear to offer a streaming live broadcast, but (and this is very frustrating to this Freberg fan) clicking the "on demand" link on the site to listen live yields a "502 Bad Gateway" page (whatever that is).
I am contacting Live Wire Radio to see if perhaps they might be offering this same broadcast in the future by way of their podcast.
Now, for a little history lesson on this lesser-known Freberg gem, courtesy of Shellac.org and the musical's official page on Oregon150.org:
In 1958 – to celebrate the Oregon's centennial (100th birthday) – the Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Company commissioned the Grammy Award-winning radio personality Stan Freberg to write a 21-minute-long musical comedy about the beaver state. What resulted was a hilarious tale of two explorers in 1859 named Harry and David, their encounter with a witch, and the subsequent birth of a state which must go back into the bottle after 100 years … that is, if the citizens of 1959 can't break the spell.
It was premiered on radio during the Oregon Centennial in 1959, and was distributed to radio stations as a twelve inch vinyl LP album. Side One featured two versions of an introduction by Freberg, (billed as "Stan Freberg, Matinee Idol"), with the second version including a few words from William W. Wessinger, the president of Blitz Weinhard Co. This was followed by the show itself, which runs for 21 minutes. Side Two includes separate individual versions of each of the featured songs, including several variations on the title piece, "Oregon! Oregon!"
The plot, (attributed to "M. Goose") loosely follows the tale of Rumplstitskin, who is personified in this tale as a Witch, who "bottles" states. When the state of Oregon is un-corked, the Witch tells the two explorers, (named "Harry & David" in an obvious commercial nod to the Medford, Oregon mail order gift fruit outfit), that it must go back in the bottle after a hundred years.
When the Centennial rolls around, the witch offers a reprieve if someone can come up with her real name. A California Fruit Inspector happens to over hear her, and saves the day. The Witch, (aka "Miss Columbia River Salmon 1822"), stomps her feet so hard, she falls through the dock at the Centennial party and plunges into Coos Bay.
Click here to listen to the original 1959 recording of the "Oregon! Oregon!" theme, courtesy of Oregon150.org.
Here's a paraphrased transcription of Stan's 1959 introduction to the musical:
"I suggested that it might be a nice idea if they threw a big birthday party with ice cream and cake and paper hats and noise makers. Well I might as well have saved my breath because as it turned out, the only noise maker they were interested in was me. They thought the matter through and decided to give Oregon a birthday gift that all Oregonians could enjoy, something much more durable than ice cream and cake. They wanted a musical comedy, complete with a story, songs and music. It started to be quite a short musical comedy, say five minutes in length. But it grew longer and longer and longer until it had three acts and lasted 21 minutes."
For complete details on the original musical recording and to listen to the album in its entirety, please visit Shellac Radio — shellac.org.
Other suggested reading/listening:
– OPB.org: Oregon! Oregon! Musical Updated for 2009
– NPR.org: Oregon's 150 Calls For A New Act
– The Most Official Unofficial Stan Freberg Website
– The Unofficial Stan Freberg HERE Archives
In a bit of related news, Mark Evanier stated 8.18 on NewsfromME.com that he spent the day "in a recording studio directing the first three shows of the second season of The Garfield Show":
We had a fine cast today. We have our regulars — Frank Welker (as the cat), Gregg Berger, Wally Wingert and Jason Marsden. We have our semi-regulars — Audrey Wasilewski, Julie Payne, Laura Summer and David L. Lander. And today, we had as guest stars, Stan Freberg, Laraine Newman and Jack Riley.
Whenever anyone asks me the secret of directing cartoon voices, I tell 'em it's easy. Hire a cast like that, tell 'em which microphones to use and get out of their way. It's hard work but enormous fun. Having grown up listening to Stan Freberg records (and having purloined much of my sense of humor from the man), I still find it a little unbelievable to be working with him.
And a Freberg-related news item I mentioned here may have gotten buried in my 7.22 VAs on DVD feature article:
– Beany and Cecil (Matty's Sunday Funnies): The Special Edition Volume 2 releases September 8th and includes 11 cartoons and bonus content, including "Time for Beany" (which features Stan Freberg and Daws Butler) and a feature entitled "Bob Clampett and Friends." It features the voices of Jim MacGeorge, Irv Shoemaker, Lord Buckley, Scatman Crothers, and Paul Frees.
And Mark Evanier offered additional details on the above title in an 8.19 blog post:
A few years ago, a superb DVD came out that mainly covered the animated Beany & Cecil but it was crammed full of special features about Bob's life, including materials from his vast files. The man saved everything and his son Robert Junior, in assembling the DVD, dipped into those archives and offered up some gems. I can't think of another animation-related DVD I've ever bought that gave you more for your money. Alas…maddeningly…it was not a big success. It did not spawn a whole mess of other volumes and it went out of print and became hard to find.
So now we have two happy announcements. One is that Volume Two has been assembled anyway and it'll be out next month. The other joyous news is that the Clampett Studio, run by his family, has stumbled across a few boxes of Volume One in the warehouse. So if you didn't get one, you can get one now when you order this new collection. It has my highest recommendation and I can't imagine that the new volume won't, as well.
Go here. Click. Enjoy. You will.
It's also worth noting that Stan celebrated his 83rd birthday on August 7th. Happy belated birthday, Stan!


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Cotswold Farm – the house
Cotswold Farm was originally a small stone built farmhouse with cart shed and cow shed forming a small farmyard. It is on a map of the 1720's as The New Farm. Barns were added in the 19th Century. In 1900 the house was doubled in size and in 1926 the Birchalls came and engaged Sydney Barnsley, the architect, to add two wings in the Arts & Crafts style. Norman Jewson, his assistant, completed the work after Sydney Barnley's death. Norman Jewson is responsible for fine interior plaster work.
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commissioned by the British government. Firm project proposals in Europe amount to 3900 MW by 2007. With a history of growth that exceeds
expectations, the wind industry is on a fast-track learning curve that will slash the price of a kilowatt hour made at sea. Here's how it will be done
Evidence suggests that the increased revenue from exploiting higher wind speeds farther offshore can outweigh the increased cable costs and electrical losses. Move a 1000 MW near-shore station 100 kilometres offshore in a similar water depth and even if the electricity fetches no more than two cents a kilowatt hour -- less than the sales prices for gas generated electricity today -- the extra revenue from 20% more energy yield balances the extra costs. Repeat the exercise for a 100 MW wind station and the same economies of scale are not achieved, but the break-even point for the extra energy yield of stronger winds far offshore is still a sales price of six cents a kilowatt hour -- less than the going rate being paid for offshore wind today.
It is these economic attractions that are encouraging the rush to secure permits for offshore wind plant construction in Europe, North America, Japan and elsewhere. Finding ways to get costs down is also the catalyst for a virtuous circle: the faster the costs fall, the more it will inspire general confidence in stepping up the activity that will bring costs down. Growth is likely to accelerate as offshore electricity prices approach those of the conventional sources. In Britain that means halving them and in Denmark cutting them by a third.
In broad brush terms the capital costs of offshore wind are 30-50% higher than on shore, but they are partially offset by higher energy yields of up to around 20% for near-shore installations and 40% farther offshore. There is plenty of scope for economies of scale to narrow the remaining difference between onshore and offshore costs. Much bigger wind turbines installed in far larger groups are the key that unlocks the crock of gold. Offshore projects are more capital intensive than onshore projects, so the cheaper loans and longer repayment periods that are expected to be on offer as the technology becomes more established cut even more off the energy price than for onshore wind.
Add to this the potential for further gains from mass production and grouping offshore wind plant in geographic zones (so they can share infrastructure costs) and the fall in offshore electricity prices will be rapid indeed. How fast is dependent on government backing the construction of large projects: the UK is leading with its capital grants and strategic site-zoning. What is certain is that there is more than enough potential for offshore wind power prices to fall to a point where they compete with the cheapest power on the market.
The challenges
Meeting the challenges of harvesting offshore wind energy economically is giving birth to an entire new industry. Resource measurement and site identification require different technology and skills to that needed on land. Wind turbines for offshore use have different design requirements. Pre-installation assembly facilities must be set up at dockside locations. Turbine installation requires new types of lifting technology and even whole new ship designs. Above all, the choice of foundation type and of long term maintenance strategies -- which could include the design and construction of dedicated vessels and permanent offshore service bases -- are subject to rigorous debate with optimal solutions still being investigated.
Some challenges can be met by drawing from the lessons of onshore wind power. The way in which energy losses and turbulence vary with inter-machine spacing is well understood as are cable costs, so the trade-offs between widely-spaced turbines and long lengths of cabling can be estimated with reasonable accuracy. Operating a group of wind turbines at sea from a distant control terminal is not that much different from operating the same group on land. Indeed, since the instrumentation on a large turbine becomes a lesser proportion of the total machine cost, there is likely to be a pay-off in adding extra sensors for relaying more operational data back to base, allowing for more finely tuned control.
But while these areas are within the bounds of common wind power industry knowledge, many of the challenges to making offshore wind power an economic solution to power supply are sending engineers back to the drawing boards for a rethink of the fundamentals.
Location, location
Prospecting for sites offshore is expensive. Assessment of wind speeds requires a measurement mast, say 80 metres tall, to be driven into the seabed and operated for at least 12 months. This exercise can cost up to EUR 2 million. Most of the potential savings will come from development of bigger wind stations, enabling the cost to be spread. For a 1000 MW wind farm, site prospecting amounts to just EUR 2 of a predicted installed cost per kilowatt of EUR 820 by 2012, while for a 30 MW wind farm it is EUR 30/kW.
Costs could also be reduced by using satellite measurements -- regularly used by weather forecasters -- to quantify offshore wind speed. First, however, the industry has to be satisfied that the resolution and accuracy are adequate. Alternatively, it may be possible to develop analytical techniques that can produce reliable wind speed estimates, taking into account data from nearby sites. These procedures stand a better chance of being adopted offshore, as the sea surface has known characteristics, potentially less complex than the topography on land.
Finding the best winds is the key to bringing down costs through increased energy yield. Around 25 masts are now installed off British, German, French, Spanish and Scandinavian coastlines. The assessments made so far suggest that moving a near-shore site 100 kilometres farther out from the coast can increase wind speed by up to a substantial 1 m/s. That amounts to at least a 20% reduction in the final energy price.
Cheaper turbines
The wind turbines themselves account for at least half of the total cost of an offshore wind station (fig 2). As with wind plant onshore, reducing machine costs is key to bringing down energy price. The turbines in the 40 MW Middelgrunden wind farm off Copenhagen cost EUR 675/kW while the DTI estimates EUR 765/kW for turbines modified for offshore use (box). Larger machines and improved production techniques means that wind turbine costs are falling by 15% for every doubling of global installed capacity -- and capacity has been doubling every three years, or a little under. Following these trends, prices will fall by around 40% by 2012. Even if the trends decline, a fall of 20% seems reasonable to expect.
Advances in generator technology, pushed by the pressure to go offshore, are also delivering cost reductions. Nearly all the machines on offer (table) now have double-fed generators, full-span pitch control and operate at variable speed. Compared with the "standard" induction generators used by the industry to date both on and offshore, the new double-fed asynchronous units give better control of the power factor. This higher quality electricity not only reduces cable losses -- a vital factor for offshore economics in particular because of the length of underground cable involved -- but also reduces charges imposed by the network operator for having to provide reactive power. Furthermore, the use of asynchronous generators -- provided they have advanced electronics -- allows wind turbines to feed reactive power (essential for the grid) into networks, providing operators with a potential additional income stream.
foundation fundamentals
Most of the cost of foundations lies in their manufacture and placement, making it unlikely that increases in size will lead to significant decreases in price. The foundation costs for a 5 MW wind turbine, however, will not necessarily be 66% higher than those of a 3 MW machine. A lot of work is in progress on foundation design and a 20% reduction in costs to EUR 192/kW by 2012 is probably the least we can expect.
After early experiments with gravity base foundations (a large and heavy mass of material, normally concrete, sometimes encased in steel) the monopile is emerging as the foundation of choice. Not that gravity foundations hold no potential for lower cost. The energy division of British consulting engineers Arup claims its patented system, which involves pre-assembly of the base and turbine onshore before it is towed out to sea, is a worthy competitor.
Monopiles, despite lengths of up to 35 metres, are relatively light and versatile. While installation requires a pile driver or drill, this disadvantage is offset by the need to prepare the seabed for gravity base foundations and to protect them from scour (shifting seabed). Whether or not a socket has to be drilled first for a monopile, as at Yttre Stengrund in Sweden, depends on the seabed. Piles can be driven into sand or mud, but rock must be drilled first and a socket used.
Monopiles have to get bigger to cope with bigger turbines. So far pile diameters have increased from three metres in the early days, to 3.5 metres at Blyth in England, to four metres at Horns Rev and the North Hoyle project now being built off the north coast of Wales. Diameters of five to six metres are the next step, together with more sophisticated drilling techniques.
A third option is a steel tripod, which uses relatively small piles underneath each leg. Although the tripod is both more complex and heavy than the monopile -- and thus more expensive -- it has the advantages of rigidity. Deeper waters necessitate taller columns on which to mount the turbine tower. Up to around depths of 30 metres, a 70 metre tower, say, can sit safely on a monopile. Above that depth, and the tripod comes into its own. The tripod was used for an early 200 kW single-turbine installation in Sweden, operating since 1991, and has been proposed for use in a 60 MW, 12 turbine project for the proposed Borkum project in German waters.
Installation savings
Savings in installation costs will come partly through the use of purpose-built vessels now being built for the offshore wind industry (box) and partly through the use of more sophisticated procedures, currently under investigation. One cost-saving strategy is the erection of the foundation, tower and nacelle onshore before floating the entire structure out to its site. Information on installation costs is scant as they are not always segregated from turbine costs, but it appears they account for EUR 30-60/kW of the total cost. On that basis, a 20% saving -- in line with the estimate for turbine costs -- seems to be an achievable goal.
One cost out of the control of man is the size of the construction window: the weather remains a formidable adversary. Most of the wind farms built so far have experienced delays and the start to construction of PowerGen's project at Scroby Sands off the English east coast was put back by about six months to avoid the risks posed by winter weather. Even in this area, however, advances in installation technique will reduce the cost penalties of crews and equipment standing idle because of bad weather. Operations involving cranes in high winds, even if a jack-up barge is used to provide a stable platform, are impossible.
Cost cutting care
Just as the costs of installing large offshore wind farms justify the construction of specialist vessels, the same considerations apply to taking care of them. The maintenance contract for a 100 MW wind farm is likely to be worth over EUR 1,000,000 annually. Operation and maintenance costs account for 25% of the energy price, so a 33% reduction over time, to account for learning curve experience, perhaps rising to 50%, by taking into account additional savings from larger arrays, can reduce energy costs by 12%.
Different maintenance strategies are being contemplated and the most cost-effective may take time to evolve. Savings are likely to come partly from better utilisation of men and materials on the much larger wind farms, partly from sheer experience as the industry grapples with the problems of balancing access costs, the cost of lost energy production from machines with faults, and the competing modes of transport. At Horns Rev, owner Elsam has scheduled two annual service inspections per turbine and each turbine is expected to require one to three extraordinary service checks a year when components malfunction. At times, it may make sense to wait for other faults to occur and deal with several together, or to advance a scheduled service. Some early studies did float the concept of "maintenance on breakdown" -- do not fix unless broken, but this is not expected to catch on. NEG Micon, however, is aiming at only one planned service visit per year on its offshore plant.
Although helicopters are much more expensive than boats, for sheer feasibility of access they are proving to be indispensable. Despite their high costs, they make efficient use of manpower -- and time is money. At Horns Rev, a combination of boats in calm weather and helicopters is being used, with technicians flown to the site if wave heights are more than 1.5 metres.
As wind farms grow, the economics of permanently manned offshore bases within the turbine arrays start to look attractive. The farther from shore, the greater the cost of ferrying people to the installation. The summertime complement of offshore windsmiths could be higher than during the winter period when less maintenance can be carried out.
Electrical costs are EUR 110/kW for the Middelgrunden wind farm off Copenhagen, far less than the DTI's EUR 375/kW for UK conditions, where turbines are not about to be installed within a stone's throw of the capital city. The cost span, however, is an indication of how dramatic the savings can be. The total cost of Middelgrunden came out at around EUR 1200/kW, which compares with EUR 1500/kW for the DTI's estimate for a UK offshore plant; the difference is mainly attributable to the much lower electrical connection costs in Denmark.
A recent research result calculates that electrical costs can drop from EUR 90 per installed kilowatt of generating capacity, to EUR 40/kW when moving from a 100 MW wind farm to a 1000 MW wind farm (within 20 kilometres of the shore). Additional savings from cheaper cables and from experience in laying and installing them could produce more bonuses.
Moving farther offshore increases these costs, but not in direct proportion (moving from 20 kilometres to 100 kilometres from the coast puts up costs by a factor of about three). The crossover point for balancing the increased costs against the value of the extra energy is surprisingly low, as noted at the start of this article.
Once the distance from shore is more than 100 kilometres, the economic advantages and disadvantages of using direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) cabling to send wind power ashore come into play. Switching from AC to DC at 150 kilometres potentially reduces costs by about 25%. When to make that switch is the subject of much discussion.
Electricity networks run on AC current and wind turbines have nearly always delivered AC power to the grid. As the length of the connection increases, however, losses induced by the fluctuating voltages in buried cables rise steadily and necessitate some form of "compensation" at distances above around 40 kilometres. The cost of this equipment, plus the losses, tends to tilt the balance in favour of DC transmission at distances above about 100 kilometres, but towards the use of AC transmission for projects closer to shore (fig 3). All the projects in immediate development are well within 100 kilometres of the coast, making AC the obvious choice.
On the other hand, the increasing tendency for wind turbines to employ generators that initially produce direct current may tilt the balance back towards DC connections at shorter distances. Direct DC connection eliminates the need for inverters on wind turbines with generators that produce DC power. They can, in theory, be replaced by a single, larger inverter at the point of connection to the network. The drawback is that DC transmission voltages are much higher than those at which wind turbines generate. The extra cost of sorting out that problem also works against using DC for shorter distances.
The generation cost of offshore wind -- what a kilowatt hour costs to produce -- is dictated by two factors: the overall project cost and the terms under which it is financed. The overall cost elements are site selection, the turbines, foundations, installing the hardware, operating and maintaining it and getting the power into the electricity grid. The potential for cost-cutting in each area suggests that nearly 50% can be shaved off the total by 2012 (fig 1).
Learning curve experience indicates that a 40% reduction in the cost of buying and installing an offshore wind turbine is realistic to expect within ten years. To be on the safe side, assume the drop is 20%. Electrical costs for a 550 MW wind farm 100 kilometres from shore -- smaller than projects being proposed for that distance -- come down to EUR 45/kW by 2012. That's 80% less than for the recently completed 160 MW Horns Rev wind station, 16 kilometres offshore. Foundation costs are on track for a 20% reduction to EUR 192/kW within ten years. Wind measurement and other preparatory costs are more or less independent of project size, so the bigger the project the less impact on overall cost: site selection will come down by at least 50%, from EUR 120/kW to EUR 60/kW. Finally, more sophisticated and streamlined operations and maintenance techniques will knock at least EUR 25/kW off the annual cost of maintenance, which today is EUR 55/kW.
The bottom line (and conservative) prediction is an overall project cost, for a 550 MW farm, 100 kilometres from the shore, coming online in 2012, of around EUR 850/kW. That is just under 60% of current prices. Translating capital cost to generation cost depends on the financial terms. The effect on cost of a favourable public sector framework compared with private sector conditions is dramatic. Costs quoted for the Middelgrunden station in Denmark, derived using public sector interest rates and depreciation periods, are EUR 0.035/kWh. Projections by the UK government for its first wind stations are EUR 0.0.76/kWh -- far higher despite the better British wind speeds. The difference is a reflection of the capital intensive nature of wind energy prices: British costs are greater because of the impact of private sector conditions on the annual costs charged to the project to account for depreciation and interest.
Assuming a drop to EUR 850/kW, UK costs should drop to around EUR 0.04-0.045/kWh by 2012. The upper boundary is consistent with the lowest estimate produced by the UK government team -- cautious lot indeed (fig 2). This price could well be close to that of gas-fired generation, depending on future trends in the price of gas. If Denmark were to maintain its public sector treatment of offshore wind, the cost on a site with good winds comes down to EUR 0.03/kWh -- less than the price of gas. Put another way, to compete with gas in 2012, UK offshore prices need to halve, while in Denmark -- based on Horns Rev -- they need to fall by about one third. The offshore wind industry is well on track to achieve those reductions and give gas a run for its money.