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Greed is not a "Family Value"
24 October 2012
"Then he said to the crowd, 'Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions.'" (Luke 12:15)
Many Americans in the last decade or so have spoken of "Biblical values," and have encouraged a return to "family values," but somehow the values they have had in mind focus almost exclusively around sexuality and gender roles. One of the more remarkable aspects of Jesus' preaching is that, if you read the gospels to try to find where he supports the "family values" promoted by these critics of popular American culture, you will hunt in vain. The "family values" Jesus promotes have nothing to do with specified gender roles, and only rarely does Jesus speak of matters pertaining to sexual morality.
On the other hand, hardly a page of the gospels goes by without a comment from Jesus having to do with what one might call "financial morality" (or, in more Biblical language, economic justice). Even Jesus' remarks on what we think of as sexual morality (e.g., divorce, remarriage, adultery) are bound up with questions of the economic status of women and children who, in ancient societies, often had to rely exclusively upon the support of a male householder (a husband or father). For example, a man who divorces his wife "forces her to commit adultery" (Matt 5:32) because, to find a means of support for herself and any children who might remain with her, she would be forced either to remarry or to turn to prostitution. Jesus' "family values" are those of the prophets: protecting widows and orphans, sustaining those who have no other means of support. Unlike many Americans today, Jesus does not consider greed a virtue.
"One's life does not consist of possessions." Watch the "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." Is it true that such lives do not revolve around possessions? Why are lottery tickets so popular? Do people buy them because they want to support public education (which is the sales pitch that many state politicians have used to get public lotteries accepted by the voters)?
Do they want the funds for some other philanthropic purpose? Or do they buy lottery tickets because they want to enjoy "the good life," where every amenity is within their grasp and the needs of the world are entirely obscured from view? Some people are forced to work long hours, ignoring the strain on their physical health and the needs of their spirits, simply to make ends meet. Is this because their employers are on guard against greed when they set wages, or because they are concerned only about "the bottom line"? Jesus does not say, "take care to guard against all want." The poor have no difficulty recognizing their dependence upon God. It is the rich who prefer dependence upon wealth, forgetting Jesus' "family values" because they do not recognize Jesus' "family."
How does one "guard against all greed"? Torah enjoins the tithe, the annual giving of 10% of one's net worth in support of the poor and dispossessed (e.g., Deut. 14:22–23, 28–29). The tithe, in other words, causes a dramatic redistribution of wealth, not only liquid assets but other material resources as well. Jesus encourages giving one's life in service with the poor, even "giving all one's possessions" to do so. The dramatic effects of such a move on the economic system perhaps is less obvious, but it nevertheless remains a potent protest against the culture of greed and acquisitiveness that has strangled every now-dead culture in human history.
Regardless of what pop-economists and politicians may say, greed is not good—nor does true laissez-faire economic policy (as envisioned by the early theorists) give free rein to the kind of greed that has marked the fatal, classist economic policies of the Reagan and Bush eras.
Some people appear to have forgotten that the USSR collapsed because of failed economic policies that illustrated the philosophy of Ayn Rand more than that which Karl Marx borrowed from the New Testament and from the example of Jesus. Jesus may not have won the Nobel Prize for economics, but John Nash did, and for proving that Jesus' focus on the common good, not personal greed, is what makes an economic system strong.


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Belly Fat. Spare Tire. Muffin Top. Call it what you want, but it's a major health hazard. Fat that's stored around your midsection raises your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. That's the bad news. The good news is that this kind of fat is very metabolically active and is easier to lose than the fat that's stored in your derriere.
So, how did that belly fat get there in the first place? When you gain weight it's simply a matter of math – you've consistently taken in more calories from food than you've burned off through activity. Let's say that you eat pretty healthy, but you drink a 12 oz. regualr soda every day. That 140-calorie soda will cause you to gain 14.4 pounds a year. What if, instead of a soda, you enjoy a daily 350-calorie iced blended, flavored coffee drink (with whipped cream, of course) – that's 36.5 pounds a year you'll gain!
Simply put, if calories in are greater than calories out, you'll gain weight, which will go straight to your middle. There are certain foods that increase your weight and body fat more than others – partly because of their hormonal effect in the body and partly because these foods are addictive, causing you to eat more of them and have an even higher calorie intake. These foods include:
- Saturated fat and trans fat: fried foods, "snack" foods, animal fat (marbled meats, poultry skin), high fat dairy foods, pastries (cookies, cakes, cupcakes, doughnuts, etc.)
- Sugar – table sugar, soda, candy, ice cream, cookies, brownies, etc.
- White flour products: cereal, crackers, bread, tortillas, bagels, pasta, rice.
- Alcohol
Other (non-food) factors that influence weight gain and belly fat include lack of physical activity, inadequate sleep, stress, depression, hormones, and age.
How to Banish Belly Fat
Are you ready to banish the belly fat for good? It's easier than you think. Check out these belly-fighting tips and get started right away. Your belly, bikini, and health will thank you.
- Fruit and vegetables: fresh (preferably organic) or frozen (without added sugar or salt). Dried is good, too, but watch those with added sugar and mind the portion size, as they are high in calories and can contribute to weight gain.
- Beans and lentils
- Soy foods: Real soy foods, like tofu, soy beans, soy milk, and soy nuts
- Omega-3 rich foods: wild Alaskan salmon, Pacific halibut, black cod/sable fish, barramundi, tuna, walnuts, ground flax seed
- Monounsaturated fats: avocado, olive oil, almonds, pistachios
- Lean protein: fish, skinless chicken and turkey breast, eggs, egg whites, nonfat or 1% dairy, bison.
- Water
- Green Tea
- Regular exercise: a combination of cardio and strength training are key for burning calories, improving your heart health, and increasing your lean muscle mass. The more active muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolism will be. Yoga, pilates, and tai chi are great for balance, stability, and core strength.
- Sleep: Try to get at least 7 1/2 hours of sleep a night. Turn off the TV, computer, and cell phone an hour before bed so that your brain can produce enough melatonin so you can fall asleep quickly.
- Deep breathing and meditation: reduce your stress and stress hormones by quieting your mind a few times a day. Close your eyes, breathe slowly and deeply, and focus on a mantra, such as "calm" or "peace."

subset: commoncrawl


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Little Bunny has a problem and he doesn't know how to solve it. Sometimes things in a little bunny's life can feel so hard. So Big Bunny has an idea.
"I have an idea. I'd like you to talk to Some Bunny. Some Bunny is a therapist."
Some Bunny To Talk To presents therapy in a way that is simple, direct, and easy for young children to understand. Children will hear about what to expect from therapy and how therapists are very good at helping kids to solve problems. They will learn about the ins and outs of therapy and that therapy can be a positive and helpful experience!
Included is a Note to Parents and Caregivers that outlines how best to support children in therapy and what to do to pave the way for a positive therapy experience.
About the Authors and Illustrator:
Cheryl Sterling, PhD, Paola Conte, PhD, and Larissa Labay, PsyD, are pediatric psychologists in private practice who specialize in providing cognitive-behavioral therapy to children and adolescents. They trained at Brown and Harvard University, the University of Miami, and the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, respectively.
Cheryl Sterling and Larissa Labay are on staff at a major medical center in Northern New Jersey, while Paola Conte practices on Long Island, NY.
Tiphanie Beeke earned a master's degree in illustration from the Royal College of Art in London and currently lives in France with her husband and three children. She enjoys the sunshine, the snow, illustrating books, and living with her noisy family.
Caversham Booksellers98 Harbord St, Toronto, ON M5S 1G6 Canada
(click for map and directions)All prices in $cdn
Copyright 2020
toll-free (800) 361-6120
Tel (416) 944-0962 | Fax (416) 944-0963
E-mail [email protected]
Hours: 9-6 Mon-Sat / Closed Sunday (EST)


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Moments after House Speaker John Boehner's announcement, President Barack Obama issued a statement congratulating Congress for ending its "partisan stalemate."
The decision to accept the measure came swiftly after the top Republican in the Senate, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, urged the House to accept it.
The plan, backed by the president, extends a 2-percent payroll tax cut and buys time for working out a full-year renewal.
The House had rejected the measure on Tuesday to kick it back to the Senate, but Senate members had already left Washington for the holidays. Obama told House Republicans that the short-term measure was the only option.
Boehner had insisted on a full-year extension of the existing payroll tax cut before Jan. 1, urging Obama to haul Senate Democrats back to town to talk to his chosen negotiators.
If a deal was not worked out by the end of the year, taxes would have gone up for 160 million Americans on New Year's Day and almost 2 million people would have lost unemployment benefits as well.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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Socketbug within Appcelerator Titanium web view
Andrew Alexander 8 years ago • 0
Just found the answer to my problem - debugging embedded web pages within mobile application frameworks like Appcelerator Titanium - no more build and debug then hope for the best when i embed the pages.
Big problem - appcelerator only seems to work if i directly 'include' the javascript files into the web page - it looks like sb.js does the loading order for me - is there any chance of getting this documented so i can manually force this and therefore get the files included within my mobile app package. (i.e. if i don't specify them, then the preprocessor for the mobile framework won't include the other .js files in the package and therefore they aren't available to sb.js)
Customer support service by UserEcho


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By DENISE M. BARAN-UNLAND
The Herald News
Joliet, Illinois — Pediatricians might consider screening their young patients for symptoms of bullying during routine, preventative check-ups, said Dr. Thomas Moore, pediatrician at Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.
"When I did a little research I learned that bullying is more common than I thought and it can cause long-term damage," Moore said. "Both the bullies and the victims have an increased risk of psychiatric problems down the road."
Continue reading
Filed under: Anti-bullying, Bullying, Effects of Bullying, Pediatrics, Research Studies | Tagged: American Academy of Pediatrics, Andrea Schreier, Anti-bullying, Bullying, Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center, Thomas Moore | Leave a comment »


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Gender at work: A companion to the World Development Report on Jobs.
This document looks closely at existing constraints as well as policies and practices that show promise in closing the gender gaps in freedoms and opportunities. It explains that gender inequality is a major part of the global jobs challenge and that reducing gender gaps in the world of work can yield big development payoffs.


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Thank you to everyone who participated in our September Challenge!!
It is an Anything Goes Challenge with the optional theme "Clocks"
CONGRATULATIONS to our Grand Prize Winner
Paper Whims ~ Our winner of 3 + 1 digistamps from the Oddball Art Etsy Shop
We had 16 AWESOME entries this month which means we were able to draw the TOP 3 prizes along side our Grand Prize Winner!!!
Our entries for September!
~ Our TOP 3 ~
Gail Hutchinson ~ First Prize and our winner of 3 +1 digi stamps
from the Oddball Art Etsy Shop.
Ginny ~ Second Prize and our winner of 2 digistamps
from the Oddball Art Etsy Shop.
Kitty ~ Third Prize and our winner of 1 +1 digi stamps from the Oddball Art Etsy Shop.
Please contact Stephanie to claim your prize...provide THIS LINK in your email along with your image selections. (only the img# is needed)
You have until November 30, 2017 to request your images.
Thank you to everyone that participated......let's keep going and move ahead into October/November and shoot for another TOP 3 when we have 15+ entries.....now stop by our October/November Challenge for another chance to win!


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Firefighters battle multiple brush fires
Windy, dry conditions spark 6 fires in St. Johns, Baker counties
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Saturday's windy and dry conditions sparked six brush fires across northeast Florida, say officials.
Authorities say currently, there are three active brush fires in St. Johns County and two active brush fires in Baker County.
In Hastings, officials say no structures were reported in danger after a 10 foot by 100 foot fire grew to one-fourth of an acre.
Fire officials say the brush fire in Hastings is now under control.
At the Flager Estates in Hastings off East Deep Creek Boulevard, fire crews say the fire has not yet been contained.
Also in St. Johns County, a fast-moving brush fire started in the St. Johns Forest neighborhood on Flores Way.
Officials said three homes had to be evacuated there.
At one point, the fire reached the tops of 129 pine trees.
Firefighters said they will watch throughout the night.
One street away, spot over grass fire was extinguished quickly and is 100 percent contained, said officials.
On Brian Way, a brush fire roughly the size of three-fourths of an acre started in brush behind the back-left side of a trailer.
911 calls and neighbors said they heard several exploding sounds, which could have come from Aerosol cans exploding.
There are still hot spots inside containment lines. Officials said this fire is 100 percent contained.
In Baker County, the first brush fire started in Glen St. Mary off L.E. Harvey Road. Officials said the 60-acre fire has been 80 percent contained.
There's also a fire on Sawtooth Lane in Baker County that is about 12 acres, which is also 80 percent contained.
Watch Channel 4 News and stay with News4Jax.com as this story develops.
Copyright 2013 by News4Jax.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Local 1138 - A member of the
International USW
, represents over 700 Steelworkers in western Pennsylvania. We
are employed by
ATI Float Rolled Products (Bagdad, Vandergrift, Labs and Latrobe) ,
Akers National Roll-Avonmore and Apollo Borough Part-Time Police. As the governing body of this local, it is
our responsibility to adapt to an ever changing working
environment, educating and informing our members along the way, in an
effort to increase the good and welfare of our workers.
This Site was Designed by Nova Software Solutions
All Rights Reserved


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If you've been following the 52 Week Savings Plan, you should have a whopping $10 set aside. Don't worry, that little bundle of money will continue to grow! Each month I'll be sharing tips for making the most of the money you have to enable that nest ... Read More
Top 18 Holiday Bargains for Stocking Up
I love the holiday shopping season and seeing piles of food bargains at the grocery store. It seems they pop up earlier every year. Here in Texas at my favorite Kroger's, I noticed holiday foods on sale before Halloween! This is the time of year ... Read More
December deals bring the year to a close
This is the final month of the 52 Weeks Savings Plan! The year ends with a month full of celebrations and deals. Remnants of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday may be found at the beginning of the month. Holidays this month are Hanukkah ... Read More
52 Weeks Savings Plan: November is full of deals
If you are a bargain shopper, then November is probably your favorite month. The month begins and ends with holiday deals and it features a weekend dedicated to sales – Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday. November's main holiday ... Read More
52 Weeks Savings Plan: Find Great Deals In October
October means there are pumpkins everywhere – from decorations to drinks. Are they popping up in your town? Thanks to October, there are also great deals to be found everywhere. This is a big month for stores to replace summer items with fall ... Read More
52 Weeks Savings Plan: August Deals Bring Summer To a Close
August is full of summer activities and back to school preparations, but it lacks any major holidays. That doesn't mean this month will lack in deals and sales, though. The main focus is back-to-school deals but before doing any shopping this month, ... Read More


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CCC Letter to Parents – 21/05/20
The Workington Academy Art Department have been keeping busy this half term with a number of different projects:
- Year 7's have been learning about light, shadow and shape.
- Year 8's have been learning the value of primary research and composition skills with real fish and crustaceans.
- Year 12's have been involved in a paper making workshop.
Related posts


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Is this Bella's heartbreak holiday?
It's been a tough time for Bella Hadid recently. As if breaking up with boyfriend The Weeknd back in November wasn't hard enough, she's now having to cope with the fact that her ex has moved on with the stunning Selena Gomez in a very public way.
But Bella clearly knows the best way to deal with heartache is to book a getaway with your girlfriends and then proceed to post loads of snaps of you looking happy and HOT.
That's exactly what she did this weekend, giving her 11.5m Instagram followers a snapshot into her last minute gals' trip to Jamaica – just as The Weeknd and Selena were flaunting their relationship on a romantic trip to his hometown of Toronto.
Following pap shots of the new couple circulating over the weekend, on Sunday Bella shared a picture of herself boarding a plane, writing: 'Decided to take my girls to Jamaica ☀'
And from thereon in the sexy selfies began!
Donning a skin-coloured thong swimsuit that left *very* little to the imagination, Gigi's little sister posted a series of sizzling shots that left no-one in any doubt as to what her ex is missing.
In one snap she called the paradise island her 'happy place', whilst in another she confessed: 'Jst really happy to be here' [sic].
Fans are quick to speculate over how The Weeknd – real nameAbel Makkonen Tesfaye – might react to the pictures, with one commenting: 'Uuu gotta miss this @theweeknd.'
Another posted: 'Abel is crying.'
A third wrote: 'The Weeknd made a mistake.'
Her trip comes as The Weeknd was snapped looking very loved up with new girlfriend Selena.
The pair spent the end of last week in his hometown of Toronto, where they were snapped going on a cinema date, walking through the streets hand in hand, and having a cute time at the local aquarium – with the I Feel It Coming singer uploading snaps and videos of their outing to Instagram.
Let's hope Bella turned her wifi off after uploading her snaps…


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One restroom for all: The plight of CSUEB student housing
Fernanda Carrillo,
November 16, 2017
I am one of the many students living on campus along the 1901 block of Harder Road, an area filled with student dorms. I live in the Sonora Building with many other transfer students who attend Cal State East Bay. I currently live in a dorm with six other people, however, the only problem with the...
Student housing in high demand
Taylor Fedorenko,
November 1, 2017
It was a warm Sunday afternoon when I left Sacramento and set off toward what would become my new home: Hayward. Finally, freedom was attained. I had just moved out of my parents' house to attend college at Cal State East Bay. I received warm welcomes from family friends who were kindly letting me ...


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I personally have no issue with Orcon's new data plans and am actually getting more data for marginally more money.
What I do have a big issue with, and why I am awaiting my connection with a new ISP, is that I can't do my job as well with Orcon's continuing difficulties.
Skype calls have become a lottery, downloading daily builds of software we produce in the US is painfully slow.
And the real insult is, the Status Page continues to insist there are no known issues. I'm sorry but that's dishonesty, pure and simple.


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French with a twist. Actually I feel like this outfit is a soup of sporty, chic and tomboy. A total street style look.
You have probably all noticed that the french beret is back in business, and I just have to say that I love it! When I was in Bulgaria for the holidays, I bought berets in several different colors. I just couldn't keep my hands off them, and to be honest you can style a beret with all kinds of styles. You just have to dare to try!
2 comments on "ETERNAL FLAME"
Digger antrekket! 😀


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Boston College Law School
BC Law's demanding first-year program emphasizes concise analysis, creativity, oral and written communication skills, and an appreciation for professional responsibility and ethics. We teach you how to research, how to reason and how to write. Legal Reasoning, Research & Writing (LRR&W) is a full-year course that is an important part of our first-year curriculum at BC Law. In LRR&W you will learn a sophisticated methodology for legal problem-solving by developing and integrating legal analysis, research and communication skills. LRR&W is taught in sections of approximately forty-five students by six highly experienced full-time professors who have created a distinctive, nationally recognized program. Over the course of the year, you will receive extensive written and oral feedback on several major writing assignments as well as on interim drafts and have the opportunity to meet individually with your LRR&W professor a number of times. Legal employers report that LRR&W contributes to the success of BC Law graduates in the workplace by preparing them exceptionally well to research, analyze and write about legal problems.


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Well I've been busy lately, I know. I think I let you slip away a bit too far, and apart from talking about you to Dave a few months ago, I'd not thought much about you lately.
I feel kinda slack about that. I know that in a (rather major) way you no longer exist, but I don't want to forget that you did, or that you still have a place somewhere. I feel like I lost you years before you left us, so it feels like a very long time since we've talked.
Rita's paintings are back on show, and I think you'd really like the way they've done it. It's free and very comprehensive, and it flows well. I'd love you to see it. There's a painting of Quentin that Sam resembles so much, it's eerie. And then there's a painting of Douglas that made me smile, as all I could see was you, and then after it was pointed out, Daniel. Funny how the men in the family all seem to resemble each other so closely, or start to become their ancestors.
Andy and I are going to the UK in September, and I'm spending some time in Scotland – I'm excited. It seems like the start of the next part of my life, where I live over there for a little bit; in your history, and have new experiences. I don't know whether you're aware of us down here, but Dave is living there without me and it has been rough without him. I'd have loved for you to have met him, and teased him, and I still wish that you could see me now, now that I'm grown. Almost.
The family are good – Becky's kids are growing fast, and Daniel seems to be doing well in London. I'm looking forward to seeing him.
I hope that you have returned somewhat to your old self in the past few years. I know the time in the home was really tough for you, as it was for me, and my only wish is that you are back to fighting form and pulling tricks. I know that that's how you are in my head: not sick, old and sad, but cheeky, strong and full of wit.
Well. I promise to talk again soon, and not leave it so long next time. There's so much to catch up on, I forget how much things change in so short a time.


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Launching TKA's Chats… Beverly Brandt!
Be sure to save this date: August 25th from 9-10 PM EDT, cause you REALLY don't want to miss out on this! We are proud to announce Beverly Brandt as our launch author for the TKA chats. To continue the excitement, following Beverly, TKA chats will honor the presence of Kerri Buckley from Bantam Dell.If you haven't already, make sure to join our yahoo group so you can involved with all this fun! Click here to get all the info to sign up.
Now, if you don't already know, Beverly Brandt is a former financial analyst who had big dreams of becoming a published author someday. Those dreams became a reality back in 2000 when she wrote her first book in under three months and sold it just six months later. Beverly has gone on to sell more than a dozen novels and novellas to two different publishers since that first sale. In addition, her May 2003 release, ROOM SERVICE, has been optioned for the big screen with hot young actress Jessica Simpson signed on to play the lead. 2005 has been a busy year for Beverly and her kickass alter ego Jacey Ford, with five releases this year . . . and another six already scheduled for 2006! Her latest release, THE TIARA CLUB, was an RT BOOKClub top pick, and KICK ASS, her upcoming anthology with Maggie Shayne, MaryJanice Davidson, and Angela Knight, was awarded 4 1/2 stars. As you can see, she has tons of experience, so get your questions ready for an expert.
Along with her publishing successes, Beverly's novels also have been finalists in numerous contests, including the Daphne du Maurier contest for best romantic suspense (2005), the National Readers' Choice award (2005), Georgia Romance Writers' Maggie award (2004), the Madcap award for best romantic comedy (2003 & 2005), and the Smoky Mountain Romance Writers' Readers & Bookbuyers Best (2004 & 2005). Way to go Beverly! She continues to write and hopes that she'll actually win one of these awards someday (we know she will). . . but she'd settle for a spot on the USA Today bestseller list, instead! Be sure to get all the latest updates and sign up for Beverly's newsletter.
Close on Beverly's heels, the TKA chat room will host another stellar chance for you to get the inside scoop and your burning questions answered! Kerri Buckley from Bantam Dell, "a young editor who is already building a dynamic list," will be live in the TKA chat room on Sunday night, August 28th from 9-10 pm EDT. Although still defining her primary areas of interest, Kerri is thrilled to currently be working with Diana Peterfreund on CONFESSIONS OF A (SECRET) SOCIETY GIRL, which she bought at auction from The Knight Agency in late April (YAY!). Beverly Brandt and Kerri Buckley. Here's your chance to ask the experts, so don't miss these awesome opportunities. Be sure to mark your calendars. We have lots in store for the TKA yahoo group so stay tuned…


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Grow with Mr. José
Plants under 300W LED modules with active cooling
Once LED lighting was a novelty in cultivation, but this is a long time ago now. Many growers today have experience with using diodes and we don't have to rely only on what the manufacturers tell us in their advertising. If you are now expecting a propaganda article, or waiting for absolution on which manufacturer is guaranteed to make the best lighting, I'm afraid I must disappoint you. The time is now ripe for us to look objectively at LED lighting.
I hope that those of you with accurate knowledge of LED technology will forgive me, but I think it is necessary to describe it first. LED is an abbreviation for Light Emitting Diode. The technology works on the principle of semiconductor wafers which convert electricity directly into light, without the significant by-product of heat, meaning that an LED will convert most of the energy it consumes into light. For the ordinary user this means that less electricity will be used to achieve the same amount of light as from a bulb. For indoor cultivators, in addition, this means that the nursery will not be significantly heated by the light source in any way, and moreover they will be able to move the source much closer to the plants. It is necessary to add that even an LED does not convert 100% of electrical energy into light, as some people think. Compared with MH and HPS lamps, the efficiency of converting electricity into light is roughly doubled. So it should be easy to deduce that a 600W HPS lamp can be replaced by a 300W LED module, which of course isn't entirely true, as we will see in a few paragraphs.
If you are interested in when and where LED technology began, you should know that it is necessary to look back to the beginning of the 20th century, when the British experimenter H.J. Round discovered electroluminescence in the Marconi laboratories in 1907. In 1927, the Russian Oleg Losev announced the production of the first electroluminescent diode, which was the original name of LEDs. Diodes can shine in different bands on the light spectrum, from ultraviolet to infrared (which you will know, for example, from the remote control for your television). The colours of light, in simplified lay terms, depend on the chemical composition of the semiconductor. People say, and on the internet you will find, that the development of blue and white LEDs, which are used in modules for cultivation of plants, took a relatively long time. What is certain is that the option of choosing the band of the spectrum is an enormous advantage of LEDs. Of course, major research is pursuing a completely different direction than that of cultivation. The goal of researchers was to develop a light source which could replace natural daylight and would produce light at a lower cost than existing bulbs and alternative fluorescent illumination (low-energy light bulbs and fluorescent lamps, which is not an entirely accurate designation, but we all use it).
Since saving energy has been cited as the main advantage of LEDs, it is necessary to state that, in order for the diodes to light up, we need a control and power module. Printed circuit boards are commonly used. A disadvantage of LED technology is its low tolerance of high temperatures, so it is necessary to cool the module in some way. The efficiency of the cooling system has a significant impact on the service life of the diode, which under optimal conditions is incomparably longer than that of traditional bulbs. The service life of an LED is also one of the selling points put forward by producers of this technology. If the cooling is inadequate, it may lead to damage to or interruption of circuits, which could result in total or partial failure of the lighting equipment. Some types of diode will start to flicker or will simply stop shining. The fact that damage does not as a rule affect every section, meaning that the lights will still partially shine, is something of a silver lining. As already stated, overheating the module can be avoided by cooling it, either actively or passively. The majority of modern LED modules for cultivation of plants have continuous active cooling. In practice this means that the module is equipped with one or more ventilator fans, which dissipate the heat away from the source and the printed circuit boards with the diodes. The amount of heat is incomparably lower than that emitted by HPS or MH bulbs – just for the record. An example of a passive cooling system could be an aluminium fin module connected to the LED module. The cooler dissipates the heat passively. You will find a similar device in your computer. It has probably already occurred to you that active cooling will use a few extra Watts of power – and you're right, of course. It may also be a problem that active cooling isn't completely quiet. Personally I think that the sound made by small ventilator fans is not coming from the noisiest device in the growroom, but we can certainly agree that passive cooling, which operates quietly and economically, is more suitable for a growroom. The most recent developments in LED cultivation modules are also moving in that direction and manufacturers are endeavouring to use passive cooling systems.
A 12 volt LED module with passive cooling
Let us now look at where LED modules originate from. Officially, the majority of manufacturers claim that their LED modules are made in Europe. This may be true, but only up to a certain point. Modules may be assembled here, but most of the components, including diodes and connections, are made in China. This in itself does not mean that the modules or diodes are poor quality. After all, China produces at least some of the electronic components of many world-famous brands, including for those who sell themselves on their quality. The reality is that manufacturers choose the components from which the cultivation module is to be assembled, and that, in essence, is the main thing. So as long as the producer chooses the more expensive and better-quality components, they can provide high-quality cultivation lighting, even if it is labelled 'Made in China'.
If you follow the cultivation equipment market, you will certainly have noticed how many new firms making cultivation LEDs appear every year. In the previous paragraphs I have mentioned enough basic information which will determine whether or not the LED module is good quality. All of these indicators are not totally irrelevant, unless the module emits light in the correct band of the spectrum. We growers also need LED modules that are energy efficient, are not noisy and most importantly, those modules under which the plants will show strong signs of growth and significant flower formations. Simply put, we need strong stems and large, hard buds, and we will achieve this combination only if we have the correct composition of light. As already stated, the cultivation of plants is not the main concern of world leaders in lighting developments. Firms like OSRAM and PHILIPS earn far and away more money by developing LED bulbs for your table lamps or chandeliers for your living room. And since diodes are easy to get hold of and any handyman can assemble an LED module in his small workshop, many enthusiasts have thrown themselves into the development of the correct light combination for cultivation. The basic guidance information on what band of the light spectrum is suitable for growth and which for flowering has been known for a long time now. Nevertheless, in order to obtain really functional light it is necessary to create a precise combination, and on the basis of practical experience, to add here and subtract there. The first LED modules for marijuana cultivators had one enormous disadvantage: the plants under them did not flower well. They flowered, but the size and hardness of the buds could not be compared with the cultivars obtained under HPS bulbs. This initial problem gave LED technology such a bad name among growers that even today you will struggle to convince some experienced cultivators, let alone novices, that developments have moved forward and that it is possible to use LEDs to grow really excellent supplies.
A series of LED modules with passive cooling
Let's turn to practice now. How often have you heard that, when cultivating under LED modules, you will obtain a yield of two grams per Watt of energy consumed? In other words this would mean, that under a 300W LED module you will cultivate 600 grams of supplies? Yes, I've heard this a few times too. But I've never seen it – and I would very much like to. I have two criticisms. A 300W LED module with active cooling must have either a lower power output, or higher consumption. The reason is simple. If I populated the module with 300 diodes of 1 Watt each (author's note: recently it has been possible to observe the advent of 3W diodes), I certainly have a 300W module, but I still need an active cooler, which with this output will still be used frequently. This means that the power consumption of the module is actually several tens of Watts higher, so the conversion to grams is distorted. My second criticism is that my own proven experience, and that of others, cannot confirm this result even by chance. I can get a maximum stable return of 1.4 grams per Watt when cultivating classic varieties and clones and with a minimum 14 day growth phase.
The most frequently asked question in discussions of LED modules for cultivation concerns power. How powerful an LED module do I need to replace a 600W HPS bulb? On the basis of current knowledge I can say that the results will be closest if you choose an LED module with power output of around 30 – 40% lower than the HPS bulb you have used up till now. So you should replace a 1000W bulb with an LED module of 600 – 700W. A 600W HPS bulb can be effectively replaced with a 350 – 400W LED module. You can substitute an LED module of at least 240W for a 400W bulb and a 150W LED module for a 250W HPS bulb. These ratios have been calculated for suitable illumination of a given amount of space.
The question of exchanging traditional HPS bulbs for LEDs can also be put in a different way. Is it possible to increase the amount to be harvested in a given space, if I use an LED module of the same power output as my current HPS bulbs? Put simply, what will happen if instead of a 600W HPS bulb you hang a 600W LED module in your growroom? There is no entirely clear answer. This would be expected to increase the weight of the crop by 30 – 40%. In such a case we would still be able to say that if we illuminate an area of 1 x 1 metres with a 1000W HPS bulb, we would obtain a 40% larger harvest. This is of course not true, because we always have to use a lamp whose output corresponds to the area we intend to illuminate. LED modules can thus primarily be used to achieve the same results while reducing electricity consumption, and not to increase the yield with the same consumption.
A really small LED module is enough for ordinary plants
What else do we know about cultivating under LED? In the first part of this article I mentioned that LED modules do not emit heat, or rather that they only emit a little, in comparison with HPS bulbs. This gives an enormous advantage to the cultivator who has a problem with excessive temperatures in the nursery. This problem can occur in sun-exposed houses, attic flats, roof growrooms etc. and of course occurs more frequently and for a longer period of the year in countries nearer the equator. For this reason the demand for LED modules is higher in countries with higher daytime temperatures than in those in the temperate zone – the principle reason for buying LEDs there is their economical operation. I have just stumbled across temperature. If you don't need to cool the growroom too much, you don't run the air conditioning and not even a ventilator fan needs to run on a high gear. You will therefore save money not just on electricity for lighting, but also for ventilation. But what should you do if you need the warmth of traditional HPS bulbs for cultivation? You have two options – equip your growroom with heating, which has the possibly undervalued advantage of lower consumption of LED modules (for electric heating) or reach for your HPS bulbs again. By this I mean one thing: LED cultivation technology is not suitable in every case. If you have a nursery at home in the attic, LEDs are very suitable for you, because there is usually more heat, not less, in spaces like these. If, by contrast, your nursery is in the cellar, or in an unheated house, your problem will rather be low temperatures and therefore it will be worth using HPS bulbs which will give the plants sufficient warmth and light.
Not long ago I met a producer of LED cultivation modules. His is the third generation of his family to be employed in artificial lighting for ordinary greenhouse plants. He told me one very interesting thing that I hadn't thought about up till then, and which has genuinely caught my attention. There is nothing new in the fact that diodes emit light in a cone shape. In a cultivation LED module there are a number of diodes of different colours. The cultivator needs the light from all diodes to combine so that all plants receive the same dose of light throughout the intended range. Therefore it is important that the source of light is not too close to the plants. The absolutely perfect solution is a moving light source, in this case an LED module which moves above the plants and guarantees the same supply of the spectrum for all the plants.
A blue light-emitting diode
Have I forgotten anything? Yes, here are a few last pieces of information. Under LED illumination the buds will not usually reach the same size as under HPS bulbs, but in total there will be more of them, and even the bottom ones will be worth it. When cultivating under several lamps it is an advantage to replace half the HPs bulbs with LED lights at half the power. The harvest will in this case be the same and the consumption of electricity will be lower. Of course you must still ensure that the temperature does not rise much above 30 °C.
In conclusion I should perhaps state that for small domestic cultivation, or microcultivation, modules powered by 12V are suitable. Their great advantage is simple passive cooling and sufficient power. The single and final disadvantage of the technology remains its somewhat high price. This is of course relative, because you will see returns on your lowered electricity costs, which you will be able to calculate for yourselves. I wish you much success in the practical use of LEDs for your plants.


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Hearings and Business Meetings
May 15 2006
Full Committee Hearing- Electricity Reliability
SD-366 Energy Committee Hearing Room 02:30 PM
Mr. John Moot
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Testimony of John S. Moot
General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
United States Senate
May 15, 2006
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:
Thank you for this opportunity to appear before you to discuss the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's progress in implementing the electric reliability provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), provisions that will bring about historic changes in this country's electric utility industry and that represent a major contribution by Congress to the public welfare. I appear today as a Commission staff witness and do not represent the views of the Commission or any individual Commissioner. Nevertheless, I am confident that I speak for everyone at the Commission when I say that we consider electric system reliability to be a matter of the highest priority. Indeed, Commission Chairman Joseph Kelliher has stated that "[a]ssuring reliability of the bulk power system is arguably the most important responsibility given the Commission by the Energy Policy Act of 2005."
I am happy to report that the Commission has met the deadline Congress established in EPAct 2005 for issuing rules governing the certification of an electric reliability organization (ERO) and procedures for establishing, approving and enforcing electric reliability standards. The Commission currently has before it an application by the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) requesting certification as the ERO, as well as a request by NERC for approval of 102 reliability standards. Once the Commission processes these filings and the regional delegation agreements that will be filed in the near future, we will have established the first-ever mandatory reliability regime for the nation's bulk-power system.
Congress initiated this process in EPAct 2005 when it amended the Federal Power Act (FPA) to include a new section designated section 215. It establishes a program of mandatory, enforceable electric bulk-power system reliability standards that are subject to Commission approval and are applicable to all users, owners, and operators of the nation's bulk-power system. Section 215 of the FPA requires the Commission to certify an ERO which will develop and administer reliability standards, subject to Commission review and approval. The ERO is authorized to impose, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, penalties for violations of reliability standards, subject to Commission review. In addition to enforcement by the ERO, the Commission may initiate enforcement on its own motion. Section 215 directed the Commission to issue a final rule implementing its requirements no later than 180 days after enactment, or by February 5, 2006.
The Commission issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) on September 1, 2005 that contained proposed regulations concerning ERO certification, the process for developing and enforcing reliability standards, delegation of ERO authority to regional reliability entities, ERO funding and other matters necessary to implement FPA section 215. The Commission received approximately 1,700 pages of comments on the NOPR and made a number of changes to its proposed regulations based on these comments. On February 3, 2006 the Commission issued is final rule, which has been designated Order No. 672.
The regulations adopted by Order No. 672 establish:
? criteria that an entity must satisfy to qualify as the ERO;
? procedures for the ERO to propose new or modified reliability standards for Commission review;
? procedures for timely resolution of any conflict between a reliability standard and a Commission-approved tariff or order;
? procedures for resolving an inconsistency between a state action and a reliability standard;
? regulations pertaining to ERO funding;
? procedures governing an enforcement action by the ERO, regional entity or the Commission;
? criteria for delegating ERO authority to regional entities;
? regulations governing the issuance by the ERO of periodic reports assessing the reliability and adequacy of the North American bulk-power system; and
? procedures for creating regional advisory bodies composed of representatives of state governments and formed to advise the Commission, the ERO or regional entities on reliability matters.
On March 30, 2006, the Commission issued an order on rehearing in which it clarified certain aspects of the regulations issued in Order No. 672. The Commission received no comments on this order, and the rulemaking process initiated on September 1, 2005 is now complete.
As required by FPA section 215, the Commission's new regulations specify that the ERO must submit each proposed reliability standard, and any modification to an existing standard, to the Commission for approval. Only reliability standards approved by the Commission are enforceable under FPA section 215. The Commission may approve a proposed reliability standard if it determines the standard is just, reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the public interest. The regulations allow regional entities to propose reliability standards through the ERO, and they allow the ERO to delegate compliance monitoring and enforcement to regional entities.
The ERO and regional entities must monitor compliance with the reliability standards. They may direct violators to comply with the standards or impose penalties for violations, subject to review by, and appeal to, the Commission. Under the Commission's new regulations, the ERO and regional entities will be subject to periodic performance assessments to assure that they remain in compliance with the requirements of the statute and the Commission's regulations. This will entail a performance assessment three years after certification and every five years thereafter.
The Commission's new regulations permit the ERO and regional entities to take remedial action other than through penalties, e.g., compliance directives or imposition of additional training requirements, and require them to have an audit program to ensure compliance. The regulations require the ERO to notify the Commission promptly of any violation, or alleged violation, of a standard and to propose penalty guidelines and a range of monetary and non-monetary penalties for violations. Non-monetary penalties can include such things as imposing a limitation on an activity, function, or operation, or adding an entity to a reliability watch list composed of major violators.
Our goal is to implement these new regulations as quickly as possible, consistent with due process and the deliberation necessary to assure that all legal and technical requirements have been met. The formal implementation process began on April 4, 2006. On that date NERC filed an application for certification as the ERO and a petition seeking approval of its current voluntary reliability standards as the mandatory standards specified in FPA section 215. The Commission received no other requests for ERO certification or standards approval.
NERC was formed in 1968 by the regional reliability councils covering the contiguous 48 states, several provinces in Canada and a portion of Baja California Norte in Mexico. NERC and these (now) eight councils operate as a voluntary, industry-sponsored reliability organization formed to ensure the reliability of the North American bulk-power system. NERC's ERO certification application contains a detailed discussion of its capabilities, structure, rules, procedures and plans for transition to ERO status. The Commission issued a notice of this application on April 7, 2006. The Commission received comments on NERC's ERO certification application from over forty parties. Their comments generally support the application, but many offer recommendations on a host of matters pertaining to governance and balanced decision-making, the scope of the activities and functions NERC proposes, ERO funding, the reliability standard development process, reliability monitoring and standards enforcement, and delegation of the ERO's authority to regional entities. For example, several commenters address the range of users, owners and operators of the bulk-power system to be listed on a compliance registry that would be subject to possible reliability standard enforcement actions. Commission staff is currently reviewing these comments.
NERC's reliability standards petition seeks approval of 102 proposed reliability standards. Ninety of these standards, known as "Version 0" standards, became effective on a voluntary basis on April 1, 2005. NERC explained that the Version 0 standards "are a translation, with certain improvements, of [its] operating policies that were developed over several decades and its planning standards, which were approved in September 1997." The April 4, 2006 petition includes 12 new standards, which were approved by the NERC board of trustees for implementation in February 2006. NERC states that one additional standard, related to cyber security, is undergoing revision and was filed for informational purposes only. NERC maintains that the 102 proposed reliability standards collectively define overall acceptable performance with regard to operation, planning and design of the North American bulk-power system. NERC requests that the reliability standards become effective on January 1, 2007, or an alternative date determined by the Commission.
On April 18, 2006, the Commission issued a notice of a rulemaking process for consideration of NERC's proposed reliability standards. Commission staff issued a preliminary assessment of the standards last week. In anticipation of NERC's ERO certification application, Chairman Kelliher directed the Commission's Division of Reliability in the Fall of 2005 to initiate a thorough technical review of NERC's existing voluntary standards. Staff has been at work analyzing the standards for a number of months, and the document reflects its assessment to date. The preliminary assessment is approximately 130 pages long, and as one might expect, much of it is highly technical and directed primarily to an audience of power system operators and engineers. I can, however, summarize its basic conclusions in brief.
The assessment is limited to a technical review, and it makes no final recommendations about whether NERC's proposed reliability standards satisfy the Commission's criteria for acceptable standards. It is the first step in an open and inclusive process designed to solicit industry comment on the potential deficiencies in the current standards and the appropriate process and timeline for addressing them. Staff concluded that NERC's voluntary standards program represents a solid foundation on which to maintain and improve the reliability of the nation's bulk-power system. However, staff also identified a number of deficiencies, many of which, it should be noted, NERC itself has acknowledged. For example, some of the proposed standards contain ambiguities that need to be clarified. There are instances of technical inadequacy that raise concerns. Some standards lack objective measures and compliance levels that are necessary for consistent interpretation and enforcement. This list of examples is representative rather than exhaustive.
I do not wish to leave the impression that the problems staff has identified represent insurmountable difficulties. As noted, staff concluded that NERC's proposed standards constitute a solid foundation from which to proceed. However, the Commission believes that Congress intended it to promote improvements in bulk-power system reliability, and pursuing that goal makes it necessary to take a hard look at the existing standards to determine whether any require modification to meet the statutory standard.
The Commission stated in its April 18, 2006 notice that it intends to hold a technical conference on the NERC standards prior to issuing a formal notice of proposed rulemaking. This technical conference, and an opportunity for subsequent written comments, will provide the public with an opportunity to comment on both NERC's proposed standards and Commission staff's assessment of those standards. The Commission anticipates that this preliminary analysis, and the exchange of ideas it will promote, will help to focus and expedite the formal rulemaking process.
The Commission's regulations incorporate the statutory requirement that to be approved the Commission must determine that a reliability standard is just, reasonable, not unduly discriminatory or preferential, and in the public interest. The regulations also specify that the Commission will remand for further consideration a proposed reliability standard that it determines fails to satisfy this test in whole or in part. The Commission anticipates that the task of standards review and approval will be an ongoing process and will continue even after an initial set of reliability standards has been approved. As facts and circumstances change, and as our understanding of the bulk-power system grows, new standards, or improvements to existing standards, will become necessary. The Commission's regulations take this into account and specifically provide that the Commission may, on its own motion or a complaint, order the ERO to submit a new or modified standard when the Commission considers this appropriate to carry out the requirements of FPA section 215.
I would like to turn now to a general description of some of the key issues that the Commission expects to address in the coming months as it proceeds to certify an ERO and approve an initial set of mandatory reliability standards.
As part of its review of NERC's ERO certification application, the Commission will need to consider the details of how the ERO will operate, including matters related to compliance oversight, enforcement of standards and assessment of penalties. Section 215(c) of the FPA specifies that before an entity can be certified as the ERO, the Commission must determine that the entity has rules that, among other things, (i) assure its independence from users, owners and operators of the bulk-power system; (ii) equitably allocate reasonable dues, fees and other charges among system end users; (iii) provide fair and impartial standards enforcement procedures; and (iv) provide for reasonable notice and opportunity for comment, due process, openness, and balance of interests in developing reliability standards and otherwise exercising its duties. The Commission received numerous comments addressing some of these matters in the rulemaking that led up to the issuance of Order No. 672. In many cases the Commission concluded that the issues raised would be best dealt with in the context of ERO certification. Staff's initial review of the comments received on NERC's certification application indicates that public interest in these issues remains high.
The Commission will need to consider the establishment of regional reliability entities. The statute permits the ERO, with Commission approval, to delegate the authority to enforce reliability standards to regional entities. NERC's ERO certification application contains a pro forma delegation agreement that sets out elements that would be common to every such agreement. Individual agreements may include other elements based on matters specific to the region in question. While the Commission stressed the importance of uniformity among regional entities in Order No. 672, a certain amount of variation is likely based on regional differences and unique features of specific systems. The Commission will have to evaluate that variation on a case-by-case basis when reviewing individual delegation agreements submitted for approval.
A related issue that the Commission will need to resolve is the degree of uniformity necessary for enforcement, due process and penalty assessment across the regional entities. The Commission stated in Order No. 672 that it believes regional processes should be uniform unless regional facts, other than custom, require a difference. The Commission will need to evaluate any region-specific procedures or process standards contained in a proposed delegation agreement in light of this basic policy.
The Commission will need to devote considerable attention to reviewing NERC's 102 proposed reliability standards. As noted above, Commission staff has been engaged for some time now in a detailed technical analysis of the proposed standards and has issued a comprehensive assessment of them. The Commission will continue its analysis and expects that the process will enter a new stage once public comment on the standards is received both in the technical conference and the subsequent rulemaking proceeding.
In addition to detailed analysis of individual reliability standards, the Commission will need to consider its procedural options under section 215. The Commission could accept the standards, remand them for further development, or accept them on the condition that they are modified to address certain concerns. The Commission also must determine whether there are groups of standards that must be accepted or remanded as a package because the effectiveness or enforceability of one depends on the approval of others in the same group.
In the course of reviewing and approving reliability standards, the Commission will need to consider any proposed regional variations in standards. The Commission concluded in Order No. 672 that uniformity of reliability standards "should be the goal and the practice, the rule rather than the exception." At the same time, it noted two types of regional variations that generally would be acceptable: (i) regional differences that are more stringent than the continent-wide standard and (ii) a regional standard that is necessitated by a physical difference in the bulk-power system. In addition to considering such variations, the Commission will need to deal with the problem of transition to greater uniformity. The Commission has acknowledged that the transition cannot be made overnight, but it will be necessary to ensure that reasonable progress toward uniformity is achieved.
FPA section 215 also allows for the creation of regional advisory bodies. These bodies will advise both the ERO and the Commission on a range of matters related to reliability. The Commission has already received a petition from the Western Governors Association requesting that the Commission establish a proposed Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Body. In addition to representatives from the states concerned, that organization is expected to include members representing the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia and the Mexican state of Baja Norte or an agency of the government of Mexico representing the portion of Mexico in the Western Interconnection.
The Commission also will need to work directly with regulators from Canada and Mexico to ensure successful implementation of mandatory reliability standards. The North American transmission grid is an interconnected continental system regulated by the laws of three nations. However, it operates according to the laws of physics, which do not respect national boundaries. In order to ensure transmission grid reliability, the Commission will need to continue to cooperate with both Canada and Mexico.
New FPA section 215(c)(2)(E) requires the ERO to take appropriate steps to gain recognition in Canada and Mexico. NERC has already begun seeking recognition from governmental authorities in Canada. NERC is also in discussions with Mexican authorities, although I understand that at this time the electric system regulator in Mexico may not have comparable reliability authority. Together with the Department of Energy and in coordination with the State Department, the Commission has been working closely with Canadian federal and provincial authorities for some time, and has been in contact with Mexican regulators, to coordinate implementation of this new law.
Finally, the Commission still must answer several fundamental questions arising under FPA section 215 either through additional rulemakings or on a case-by-case basis. Of particular importance is the issue of determining who is considered a "user" of the bulk-power system for purposes of section 215. The statute itself does not settle this question, but rather simply states that all users, owners, and operators of the bulk-power system shall comply with the new reliability standards. The Commission determined in Order No. 672 that who is to be deemed a user would be best considered in the context of its review of proposed reliability standards.
The Commission is well positioned to undertake all of these tasks. In fact, it began to focus on reliability issues well before the passage of EPAct 2005. Commission staff played a key role in the U.S.-Canada Power System Outage Task Force formed to investigate the August 14, 2003 blackout. When the Task Force issued its report in April 2004, the Commission took immediate steps to implement the recommendations contained in it that were addressed to the Commission. Among other things, it announced that no new independent system operator or regional transmission organization would be approved until its reliability capabilities were functional. The Commission also issued a policy statement in response to the Blackout Report that addressed a number of other issues, such as cost recovery of prudent reliability expenditures, the need to cooperate with the states, Canada and Mexico on reliability issues, and the interpretation of reliability-related provisions in transmission tariffs on file with the Commission. On this last point, the Commission stated that requirements in those tariffs to follow "good utility practice" would be interpreted to include compliance with NERC's reliability standards.
The Commission helped form the Bilateral ERO Oversight Group in February of 2004 to develop an international framework for electric reliability. The Group is comprised of representatives from the Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Electricity Working Group in Canada, with assistance from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and the U.S. Department of State. In October of 2004 the Commission established a new Division of Reliability to develop policies, programs and strategies to promote and facilitate reliability. It also added staff with expertise in reliability matters. The Commission is currently in the process of expanding its reliability staff even further. One task of this new division has been to participate in NERC's reliability readiness reviews of balancing authorities, transmission operators and reliability coordinators in North America to determine their readiness to maintain safe and reliable operations. It also has been engaged in studies and other activities to assess longer-term and strategic needs and issues related to power grid reliability.
In conclusion, I can say that the Commission is hard at work implementing the electric reliability provisions of EPAct 2005 as Congress intended, as expeditiously as possible, and in light of input from all affected industry stakeholder groups. Thank you again for this opportunity to speak, and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.


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Sunscreen protects your skin against damage caused by exposure to UV rays by means of UVA and UVB filters that absorb and reflect harmful UV light. When you apply sunscreen, the UV filters form a thin, protective barrier on the surface of your skin and essentially absorb the harmful UV radiation before it penetrates and damages your skin.
UVA filters protect the skin from UVA rays, which make up 95 percent of the UV light reaching the Earth's surface. UVA rays also penetrate deep into the skin are known to be instrumental in speeding up the skin aging process.
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CHANHASSEN -- Last week, President Obama declared that he would not implement United States law if it was politically or logistically inconvenient to do so. His administration quietly sent out a web posting advising the nation that large employers would not have to comply with the legal mandate to provide health insurance to their full-time employees.
Please don't get me wrong. I have always opposed Obamacare, believing that Minnesota has done an exceptional job of ensuring that every resident that wants health care coverage has access. In fact, as a state senator I was a party to the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Obamacare. (I was one of many from across the nation who argued in the Supreme Court that the plan violated the limits of the Commerce Clause; ultimately the Court agreed, but upheld the mandates in Obamacare as a constitutional use of Congress's power to tax.)
I'd prefer that there be no implementation of Obamacare, but that is not my point. There is a much greater concern here. Like it or not, this law was passed by Congress, signed by the president and upheld in the Supreme Court. The president has no right or authority to delay implementation of United States ;aw; it is his duty to support and defend our Constitution and respect our laws. Presidents do not get to pick and choose which laws should be followed, or enforced, or by whom.
Yet this is not the first time; it has become a pattern, with too many recent examples:
n In June 2012, President Obama issued a directive ending the practice of enforcing immigration laws that require deporting people younger than 30 who came to the U.S. before age 16, and granting them a two year deferral. (Many may believe this is a just or merciful decision; please remember, my point is not about the result, it's about the power).
n After the June 30 revolution in Egypt, the president has said that he wants to continue foreign aid payments, even though U.S. law prohibits making non-humanitarian aid payments after a military coup d'état -- because the funds get paid to the military. (You may think the Egyptian military leaders did the right thing or the wrong thing here, but either way, a coup is still a coup under the legal definition, and the legal prohibition should not be ignored simply because it is inconvenient.)
n The National Security Agency under President Obama has sought and obtained hundreds of secret court orders, including one authorizing years of systematic blanket surveillance of the communications of innocent Americans. Secret law is not law: there has been no way for citizens to know of the existence, interpretation, execution or legal justification for these laws. This is a fundamental abuse of power by the federal government.
n President Obama's IRS illegally has targeted law-abiding taxpayers for harassment based upon their political views, and has target-audited these groups' donors. (This is the same IRS that is intended to enforce Obamacare mandates; we should be very concerned about additional abuses).
We do not have a king. We have a president who should never be above the law. If we can't live with or abide by our own laws, the answer is not to ignore them or apply them selectively -- we should change them, amend them or, better yet, repeal them.
We need a stronger Congress to exercise real oversight, and provide the meaningful checks and balances our constitutional framers envisioned as the answer to abuse of power by the executive branch. Both parties in Congress for too long have adopted the "hands off, it's our guy" approach when their president goes too far, so our next president is unlikely to enforce laws he doesn't like either -- unless something changes.
We need congressmen and women who will faithfully perform the responsibilities that they owe, not to their political parties, but to the American people -- to ensure that we have a Congress separate and independent from the president. Being a member of Congress is not like running a business; it's not a game show, and it's not a country club. We don't need to send millionaires or celebrities to Washington. We need and deserve dedicated and determined representatives and advocates for the people.
Each and every one of the signers of our Declaration of Independence committed an act of treason by declaring independence from the King of England. And the difference between the gallows and glory for each of them was the will and the courage to define and to overcome the force of tyranny. If we would honor their valor and the cause of freedom, we need to revive congressional oversight and its institutional independence, before our growing crisis of confidence turns into a full-blown constitutional crisis.
Julianne Ortman is a state senator, lawyer, and the ranking member of the tax committee in the Minnesota Senate. She currently resides in Chanhassen.


text: Wednesday's strike was part of a series of rolling protests [AFP] "We are angered by the cost of food. We are here to register our disgust and frustration. We are on this march to express our anger," he said outside the headquarters of the power utility Eskom. The one-day walkout and the march were part of a series of rolling strikes being held around the country, Africa's biggest economy. COSATU is planning a nationwide strike for August 6.Intervention urgedPolice said that there were about 25,000 people at Wednesday's rally in Johannesburg, and many of them denounced plans by Eskom to hike tariffs by 27.5 per cent following widespread power cuts earlier this year.Lindiwe Mabuko, a trader in vegetables in the Hillbrow neighbourhood, urged the government to intervene to lower prices. "The government is just punishing us by allowing these price increases. We are very poor and we cannot afford them," the 38-year-old mother of three said. Cosmos Luthuli, a student from Alexandra township, said he had taken the day off school to join in the protest. "I am not going to school today because this protest is important to me," he told the AFP news agency. "My parents are finding it difficult to feed us. We are a family of seven and these prices are meant to kill us."Wednesday's strike shut mines and car makers, disrupted textile factories and brought business to a standstill in Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, North West and Limpopo provinces.A sharp rise in the price of petrol, milk and bread, and a series of interest rate hikes meant to curb inflation have the determination to change government policies.Economic growth has averaged about five per cent in recent years but dropped sharply in the first quarter of 2008 as the impact of the power crisis hurt mines and manufacturing. SOURCE: Agencies


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Between a slice of molten chocolate cake or a killer bowl of kale salad, which one would taste better to you? While the obvious answer might be the slice of cake (who wouldn't want cake?) there's actually a number of you who might have chosen the kale salad. Why?
The answer is because our taste buds are individual and unique. Every one of us has our likes and dislikes when it comes to food. But what's even more exciting is that our taste buds are changeable, meaning we can train and even retrain them with a bit of work. Crazy, right?
Many of us grew up on a diet of processed foods and dessert every night, so it's no wonder that our taste buds prefer the salty and sweet sensations. But just because you are a sugar fiend right now doesn't mean you have to be one forever. Research has shown that reducing our salt and sugar intake over time leads to a lower preference threshold for these tastes. In other words, we can teach our taste buds to accept less sugar and less salt without giving up the pleasantness of what we are eating. And with some mindfulness and determination, we can actually retrain our taste buds to prefer subtler tastes like bitter and pungent – the tastes that are in kale and other healthy whole foods.
Here's what the process looks like:
Eat mindfully.
Taking the time to notice the flavors and textures of what we put into our mouth goes a long way in educating our taste buds about what we like and what we don't. Next time you sit down for a meal, try turning off the TV and putting away your phone. Focus on the food in front of you and ask yourself, does this taste good? Oftentimes, we find that processed foods high in salt and sugar really don't have much taste other than, well, salt and sugar.
If you don't like it, try it again.
Exposing our taste buds over and over again to the same foods has a huge impact on whether we end up liking it or not. Parents will often feed their infants foods like mashed peas multiple times before the baby stops spitting it out. It's the same idea for us as adults. Part of the retraining process requires us to become accustomed to foods that we previously shunned. After a few times of eating steamed broccoli we may just find that we like it.
Add variety.
In addition to trying different foods multiple times before we decide whether we like them or not, it's also important to focus on increasing variety in our diet. The more foods that our taste buds are exposed to, the more likely we are to end up liking a bigger variety of foods.
Cut out artificially flavored and sweetened foods.
Removing these foods from our diet will go a long way in helping us retrain our taste buds to enjoy the natural taste of whole foods. Artificially flavored and sweetened products "trick" our taste buds into thinking that food needs to be super salty or super sweet to be tasty. But as a result, we miss out on all the other delightful tastes like sour, bitter, and umami, a taste best described as "savory".
Make your plate pretty.
There's a saying that chefs around the world like to say – "you eat with your eyes first". And it's true. Researchers have found that when we make our plates look appetizing, we tend to perceive that food as being more delicious than foods that do not look appetizing. A big part of making our plates look tantalizing is to add lots of colors and textures.
Don't judge a food by its smell.
Have you ever lifted the lid off a steaming pot of broccoli or popped open the lid of sauerkraut? If you have, you probably know that these odors don't exactly smell enticing. There are some foods such as these that give off stinky aromas, but in truth they actually taste pretty good! So please, don't judge a food by its smell because your taste buds might just perk up at the flavor.
Spice it up!
I get it, food can be plain and boring. Why eat carrot sticks when you can have zesty Doritos? The good news is that healthy food doesn't have to feel like a sacrifice. A few dashes of your favorite spices can really go a long way when you're trying to make a healthy dish more flavorful or a snack – like carrot sticks – a bit more exciting. If you need some inspiration, check out these spice blends from around the world.
Be patient.
Retraining our taste buds takes time! About 6-8 weeks to be more precise. Just like losing weight, learning to like new foods is not going to happen overnight. It will take mindfulness and determination, but I promise it's possible.
Rossy M. Mindfully training your taste buds. Tasting Mindfulness. https://www.umsystem.edu/newscentral/mindfuleating/2013/10/09/mindfully-training-your-taste-buds/. Accessed February 23, 2016.
Pagan CN. 6 tricks for training your taste buds to crave healthy foods. Women's Health Magazine. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/how-to-retrain-your-taste-buds. Accessed February 23, 2016.
Schaeffer J. Taste better, live better– Using flavor to retrain palates and fill up on less. Today's Dietician. 2008;10(10):54. http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/092208p54.shtml. Accessed February 23, 2016.
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake. Taste and flavor roles of sodium in foods: A unique challenge to reducing sodium intake. In: Henney JE, Taylor CL, Boon CS, ed. Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States. Washington D.C.: National Academies Press; 2010: 67-90.
Wise PM, Nattress L, Flammer LJ, Beauchamp GK. Reduced dietary intake of simple sugars alters perceived sweet taste intensity but not perceived pleasantness. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016;103(1):50-60. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.112300.
Castle M. Does the way we see food affect its taste? HuffPost Taste. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/Menuism/does-the-way-we-see-food-affect-taste_b_1872204.html. Accessed February 23, 2016.


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Two very important minerals to consider adding to your MS diet are calcium and magnesium. The substances go together like two conjoined twins with the same heart. They should not be be separated. Both are minerals that play important roles in keeping your body functioning effectively and they need each other to do so. You will find that most supplements containing calcium will also contain magnesium. Calcium actually needs magnesium to be effectively absorbed. When these essential minerals are put together, they complement each other and provide a variety of important benefits for our bodies. For example, calcium primarily causes the contraction of muscles and vessels while magnesium primarily helps with relaxation of muscles. Let's take a closer look at this delicate interaction.
Where One Is, The Other Must Be
Electrical impulses transmit signals to the nerves and brain, and movement occurs. The conductor for these impulses is calcium which enters the cells through calcium channels operated by magnesium. Once calcium does its work, magnesium helps the body get rid of the calcium before it crystallises. If not enough magnesium is present, then calcium builds up in the cells causing symptoms such as hypertension, migraines and asthma. The most important benefits of calcium and magnesium in a single supplement are the following:
- Facilitation of healthy blood pressure and a steady heartbeat
- Prevention of muscle cramps and pain
- Support of the nervous system by ensuring fast transmission of messages all over the body
They are your quintessential Batman and Robin, Ben and Jerry, or Bert and Ernie. You should not have one without the other! In addition, the Calcium and Magnesium combo do not like to be taken in isolation. They are highly social characters and need a variety of other elements to ensure proper absorption and utilisation. Without help from their friends, your expensive calcium-magnesium supplements may simply pass through the body, unused. It is important that a calcium-magnesium supplement is taken with:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin K
- Zinc
Let's take a closer look at each mineral and it's benefits.
Benefits Of Calcium In The Body
We have all grown up knowing that Calcium is important for strengthening bones and teeth. It helps to prevent osteoporosis and high blood pressure. Basically, if there is not enough calcium floating around in our blood to carry our essential functions, the body will leach it from our bones. Sustaining a proper heart beat, muscle contraction, and nerve function is more important to your body than maintaining strong bones, so it will do what is necessary to stay alive. Your body is thinking of survival, not long term quality of life. Over the years and without your knowledge your bones will become weaker and more brittle until one day, surprise, you have osteoporosis and a host of other complications!
MS Diet Sources Of Calcium
We have all been told that dairy products are the best source of calcium. In actual fact, most of this nutritional content is lost during the process of pasteurisation. As dairy products are not part of The MS Diet, the best source of calcium is leafy green vegetables or fish such as sardines (tweet this). However, you need to eat a large amount of these sources to get your daily requirement of calcium.
Just to get back to the dairy/calcium discussion, it is interesting to note that Americans, along with other countries with high-calcium intakes from dairy (New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom) have amongst the highest hip fracture rates in the world. This is compared to countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore which do not consume much dairy and have amongst the lowest hip fracture rates in the world. Part of the problem is that dairy is rich in protein and the more protein you consume, the more calcium is excreted in your urine (tweet this). In addition, calcium is not the be all and end all when it comes to strong bones. Vitamins K and D and magnesium are also vital for healthy bones. In fact, about two-thirds of the magnesium in the human body is found in our bones.
Benefits Of Magnesium In The Body
Almost every bodily system is dependant on magnesium. It helps to manufacture the cellular energy needed for nerve transmission. Sounds like a highly important job to me, especially for those with MS! We need all our healthy nerves to be firing at full speed as there may be a few unhealthy ones that are not. Magnesium also helps metabolise the B vitamins and essential fatty acids. As we all know, these two are absolutely essential to keeping MS under control. Magnesium is also an important co-factor in over three hundred enzymatic reactions in the human body, contributing to the production of cardiovascular functions, and the production and synthesis of energy. A magnesium deficiency is a common finding in MS and spasticity can often be traced to low levels of magnesium. This deficiency may be caused by a diet high in refined and processed foods and saturated fat. Interesting!
Symptoms of MS that are also symptoms of magnesium deficiency include: muscle spasms; weakness; twitching; muscle atrophy; an inability to control the bladder; nystagmus (rapid eye movements); hearing loss; and osteoporosis. Even a mild deficiency of magnesium can cause increased sensitivity to noise, nervousness, irritability, mental depression, confusion, twitching, trembling, apprehension, and insomnia. Good levels of Magnesium will help with depression, sleep disturbances and emotionally disturbed behaviour.
Most importantly for us, it works to heal neurological diseases because of its effect of calming and nourishing the nervous system. There are quite a few conditions and complications listed in this paragraph that could be avoided, simply by ensuring your body has what it needs – this is a supplement worth having.
MS Diet Sources Of Magnesium
Green vegetables such as spinach and kale are good sources of magnesium. Nuts, such as cashews and seeds, will also get you ahead in the magnesium game.
Please remember, I'm not a doctor so please ensure you consult with a medical professional to see whats right for you – I'm just someone who wants to share what has worked for me!
What Makes Calcium & Magnesium Essential For MS'ers?
As we have already discussed, the calcium-magnesium combo has a very important role to play in keeping our nervous system healthy. People with MS are often found to have a deficiency in magnesium and some would argue that this deficiency could have actually given rise to MS. Interestingly, it seems that vitamin D needs to be taken in combination with the minerals to help them absorb in the small intestines. These are a few of the MS specific benefits of these mega minerals:
- Calcium and magnesium are important in the development, structure and stability of myelin – this has been shown through recent research studies
- Magnesium facilitates the nervous system's ability to relax and contract your muscles, essential for smooth movement and balance
- Magnesium calms and nourishes the nervous system
- Magnesium manufactures the cellular energy, needed for nerve impulse transmission
- Calcium is the conductor of nerve impulses between brain and body
What I Use
Chelated Calcium / Magnesium 1:1 Tablets: 120 by Solgar
After quite a bit of research, I have settled on a supplement by Solgar. This neatly combines both calcium and magnesium in a high-quality dose. I chose this supplement for two important reasons:
1. The Ratio of 1:1
Firstly, the dosage of each mineral is in equal proportions. Though many reports suggest taking calcium to magnesium in a 2:1 ratio, this figure is largely arbitrary. The ideal ratio for any individual will vary depending on their current levels of each mineral as well as risk factors for deficiency. Several researchers now support a 1:1 calcium to magnesium ratio for improved bone support and reduced risk of disease. This is due, not only, to the increased evidence pointing to widespread magnesium deficiency, but also concerns over the risk of arterial calcification when low magnesium stores are coupled with high calcium intake. If you feel you need more calcium on a daily basis, try and eat foods rich in calcium such as loads of kale and spinach, rather than boosting your calcium supplement intake.
2. Contains Chelation
Secondly, the name of this supplement contains a very important word, "chelated". This helps the minerals to bind with amino acids in the body to make absorption more effective. The mineral particle is held much like a claw would hold a small object. Chelation prevents a normally reactive mineral or ion like magnesium from interacting with other reactive substances. You will find that many inexpensive supplements are not chelated which means that very little of them are actually being absorbed.
What Does This MS Supplement Contain?
This supplement is suitable for vegans and is starch and sugar free. Four tablets of Solgar Chelated Calcium/Magnesium 1:1 provides:
- Calcium (as bisglycinate+, carbonate, citrate+) 500mg
- Magnesium (as bisglycinate+, oxide, citrate+) 500mg
- microcrystalline cellulose
- hydroxypropyl cellulose
- cellulose gum
- rice flour
- citric acid
- silicon dioxide (anti- aking agent)
- magnesium stearate (anti-aking agent)
- hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose
- titanium dioxide (colour)
- vegetable glycerin
Why I Recommend This Specific Brand
Solgar is well known for its high quality supplements and production methods. All products are well researched and science based. I also like that the tablets are aqueous coated which means they are finished off using a natural, water based coating instead of the more common solvent-based coating agent, shellac. This natural coating improves absorption of the nutrients.
Recommended Dosage
Once again, its always best to consult with your doctor or neurologist before taking any supplements as part of your MS diet. The recommended dosage (which I use) is as follows:
Tablets: Six tablets daily which provide 750mg calcium and 750mg magnesium. The tablets are quite big and it is a labour of love for your body to take them each morning. Interestingly, the dosage of calcium is only 94% of your DV (RDA) and the dosage of magnesium is 200% of your DV (RDA). There is a an important reason for this. Calcium is known to deplete some of your body's store of magnesium. So increasing the dose of of magnesium helps to make up for the amount you'll lose. With this dosage, you will correct any magnesium deficiency however, if the dose of calcium was higher, the calcium would prevent more magnesium from being absorbed.
"Definitely an essential combination."
In addition, magnesium aids the absorption and utilisation of calcium. Therefore, if it is lacking then no matter how much calcium you are taking, it won't be properly absorbed. They have a strange relationship in that they need each other, desperately, to fulfil their functions but they also work against each other in certain ways. Sounds like a typical husband and wife relationship if you ask me!
Finally, you may want to take these at night, as they considered slight "relaxants", although I have never experienced this.
Expected Monthly Cost
This MS supplement is readily available and inexpensive, so it won't break the bank to ensure you are getting what your body needs. MS supplements dont have to cost a lot, and more more you buy, the cheaper they generally are, so always try buy bulk where possible.
Tablets: A bottle of 120 tablets should last 30 days taking 4 tablets per day. The bottle costs roughly $15 (£16), which should last a month.
Where Can I Get This Supplement?
Solgar Chelated Calcium Magnesium 1:1 can be obtained through your local health store (use Solgar's store locator), but is easiest bought via Amazon: just following the links below:
USA: Amazon.com
UK: Amazon.co.uk
You should be able to source a supplier in your local area, alternatively, find one online. There are many MS supplements out there, so please make sure you are getting a good quality brand from a reputable seller!
I hope that gives you a bit more insight into what MS supplements I use, for a complete list of all the supplements I take as part of my MS diet, visit the Supplements page. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a comment below, I will respond to every one.


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Despite shakupushpam's medicinal value, this plant is seen as abandoned vines in between the shrubs and trees. It's often seen as a weed growing in between other plants. Shankpushpams is a herb only to the people who know its medicinal value. Its noticed more for the peculiarly shaped vibrant bluepea flowers.
Butterfly peas/Shankupushpam Herbal flower's Bud
Different Names of Blue Peas (Ayurvedic Synonyms)
- supuspi
- sveta
- girikarnika
- gokarnika
- mohanasi
- ardrakarni
- mahasveta
- sephanda
- vishnukrantha
Also, the flower is known as Aral, malayamukki, Kakkanam etc in local Indian languages.
Clitoria Ternatea, Blue pea or Butterfly peas- Flower Bud
Region wise common Names of Blue Peas
This herbal vines name varies like, Butterfly-Pea in Australia, Honte in French,Blaue Clitorie in German, Clitoria Azul in Portuguese, Bejuco de Conchitas in Spanish, Cunha in Brazil etc. Also known as cordofan-pea, campanilla, conchita azul, azulejo, papito, zapotillo, choroque, bandera etc.
Benefits and uses of Blue peas
Clitoria Ternatea Viny Ornamental Plants
Butterfly Pea Plants Significance in Agriculture
Light Violet Clitoria or Shankupushpam- Rain wet flower snaps
|Blue Butterfly Pea-Flower used in Cocktails, Gins, as a Food Dye, Tea etc
Why cultivate Butterfly pea Vines?
Blue Pea Vines, Benefits as Cattle Feed
Butterfly Pea creeper Plant Benefits as Cover Crops
Bluepea Flowers, Uses as Food
- Used as a natural food dye, blue tinge is given to rice or rice cakes using blue pea plant.
- Butterfly peas young Pods and leaves are used like vegetables.
- Flowers are also used to make tea with added lemongrass. Dry flowers of blue peas are available commercially for making the tea. Blue Pea tea Recipe is very popular in many Asian countries.
- Blue Pea Cocktails and Gins are available. In Gins, the flower extract is used for its coloring nature.
- Clitoria Flower bud dipped in rice while cooking, for color.
- Syrupy drinks are made from blue pea plants which are sometimes mixed with sweet lime.
- Batter fried clitoria flowers are consumed in some Asian countries.
- The drinks made of blue pea extracts changes color to purple or pink, on getting added with acidic contents like lemon juice.
Clitoria flower and Fruits, Ayurvedic Herbal flower close-ups
Blue Pea Herbal Uses - Shankupushpam plant and flowers as Medicine
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Magnificent, the rank of sight in this is amazing! Affirmed Lego designer Ryan McNaught has actually made the globe's very first Lego Colosseum. Making use of 200,000 Lego blocks, the version is presented in cross-segment with fifty percent in its existing day ruined framework and also fifty percent as it was the factor at which Rome's one-of-a-kind Colosseum was made, around 80 ADVERTISEMENT. Created the College of Sydney, it's right currently on point of view at Nicholson Gallery in Melbourne, Australia, up until January 2013. Actually, it's Lego layout at its finest. See the web page and also have some unbelievable information. You will certainly be astonished.
So take a look at first lego bricks you always needed.
If you're trying to check for first lego bricks, you have actually land on the cool lading page.
More Info: mymodernmet | Ryan McNaught, eBayFreeLegos
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