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Why is SF not considered literary?
Disclaimer: A quick point to make before I begin: the 'SF' in the title refers to 'Speculative Fiction' and not 'Science Fiction', and thus incorporates Fantasy within it.
Science Fiction, Fantasy and the 'literary' have famously not got on in the past. Take Britain's premier Literary Fiction award, the Man Booker Prize: it has had but one fantasy novel even longlisted in recent years, the superlative Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norell by Susanne Clarke. In Sci-Fi, there is a little more positivity with four shortlisted titles since its inception:
• Doris Lessing – Sirian Experiments
• Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid's Tale
• Margaret Atwood – Oryx & Crake
• Kazuo Ishiguro – Never Let Me Go
These SF texts can be considered, to quote Adam Roberts, 'non-genre SF' fairly safely. The closest our genre base has come to this pinnacle of British critical achievement is Atwood's Blind Assassin, which contains an SF subplot, though really the central plot is suburban life in mid-20th Century Canada.
Consider also that pinnacle of American achievement, as so much of Fantasy now is American in origin: The Pulitzer Prize. The only SF title to have won is The Road by Cormac MacCarthy. The Nobel Prize Laureates with SF features to their writing? Doris Lesing, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Herman Hesse and Gunter Grass.
Why is this? In the past there has been a fairly safe answer – because SF panders to the masses, and thus isn't written very well. And yes, in the era of pulp Sci-Fi, and even into the 60s and 70s, this could be considered the case. But is this not the case in all genres, and it is the exceptions that are considered 'literary'? Consider the current day situation: Anne Perry, Bernard Cornwall, Conn Igulden – all write 'historical fiction' to an average, but not literary, standard. Throw in Barbara Kingsolver or Hilary Mantel, and you have the exception. For SF in the early and middle halves of the century, it fell to Orwell, Wells and Stapledon to carry SF forward. I challenge anyone to read Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy and not be blown away by the style and description – it is clear Literature, and has begun to be treated as such.
Approaching the 80s and 90s, we get a rebirth from the trashy era of Heinlein and Eddings, who, for all their positives, did not write incredible literary stories. Instead we witness Ender's Game and The Game of Thrones, and the bleeding of Fantasy into the Literary with magic realism, and Kundera, Rushdie and Garcia Marquez. Sci-Fi witnesses a similar 'non-genre' rebirth in Atwood and Lessing. It is, in my humble opinion, this non-genre-ization of SF that cast it out from the circle of 'respected' genres, alongside the birth of table-top RPGS and computers games that are looked down upon by those who consider themselves 'the elite'.
Yes, there is trash. But there is trash in all genres. There is a history of trash in all genres. What all 'literary' genres also have is history, something SF has in abundance. From Homer's Odyssey to Shelley's Frankenstein, from Virgil's Aeniad to The Real Story of Ah-Q, from Arabian Nights to Beowulf to Stoker to Swift and back again SF is literary history. And, with the advent of the century, and major players who write beautiful prose, and an influx of new authorship and new adventures, I believe the likes of Mieville, of Rothfuss, of Roberts, of Martin, of Murakami, of Lynch; all deserve recognition on a literary plane, and from literary figures.
And I challenge you to show me why not. I don't think you can.
21 Comments
I think today what we actually have are works of high literary merit in virtually every genre. "Literary" fiction, today, is merely another genre – work written in a specific style to a specific taste. And, incidentally, subsidized to a large degree by the better selling works of other genres…
Looking back on the works we consider classics today, most were "popular" fiction in their era. Why? Because readers know best. If a work fails to connect with readers, it won't be read. And if it fails to connect with readers in large numbers, it probably isn't very good fiction. One of the best measures of literary merit is probably the number of people reading a work.
You are absolutely wrong.
SFF should not in any way seek recognition from the "literary establishment". In fact it should actively fight it.
What is needed is that everyone recognize that lit.fic. (,or literature as the snobs who like that genre like to call it,) is a genre, and not in any way a definition of what is good fiction.
Lit.fic. is the most narrow-minded genre in fiction. And when it comes to telling a story, probably the worst crap available on the bookshelves. Lit.fic. is characterized by its adherence to style over story, and that is something that will almost never make a good novel in my opinion.
What we need is all genre fiction from romance to science fiction, and everyone else that is looked down on by the "literati" banding together and remove lit.fic. from its present position as the definition of good literature, and get it recognized as what it is just another genre of literature. Once it is classified as what it is, the genre of lit.fic., we'll hopefully stop them making their narrow definitions be the rule as to what is classified as a good novel.
I enjoyed the essay, but the author has ignored the work of some fine SF writers. I challenge anyone to deny that Ray Bradbury wrote exquisite prose. Some of it, almost poetic.
What is trumpeted as "literary" fiction usually tracks the misery of a pitiful outcast or the trials of a dysfunctional family. Most of the writers are pretentious, self-centered people who sneer at the idea of storytelling.
I gotta say, I'm having trouble agreeing here. Doris Lessing won a Nobel for her 'Golden Notebook', a spec fic if I've ever seen one. Rothfuss is #1 on the NY Times bestseller list…it's not as though it's underground. Perhaps it's just me, and everyone I know who reads reads sci fi and fantasy, but the truth is, this bias is something I've not encountered. I know someone writing a PhD in English on fantasy novels, another in Literary Criticism on MMORPG and war, and still another (again in English) on steampunk. Now, I may be an odd duck, but that says to me that fantasy and sci fi are taken quite seriously.
One issue has been that literary fiction is valued for it's capacity to tackle 'big' themes, usually meaning existential or philosophical ones. While SF offers a variety of interesting channels for such explorations, it has largely been dominated by the telling of ripping yarns: I guess the issue is that if you give a story a speculative setting or speculative elements, it can still be ANY kind of fiction, but it is (understandably) identified with its dominant sub genres. I would say that for it to be of 'real' literary value, its speculative elements need to be there for a good reason. If you want to tell a story about second marriages and their impact on families then setting it among the moons of Saturn may well distract and detract! Oh, and can I just namecheck Gene Wolfe? That's who taught me SF can blow your mind with philosophy.
Literary Fiction circles are like hipsters. The more popular a text is, the less respect it gets, or if it's still well regarded, people say that's the case "despite its popularity."
Thanks for that Marc! Really underlines my point.
Missoularedhead: I included Doris Lessing in the main article for just that reason. She has written Spec-Fic before. But I also used a disclaimer that her, Ishiguro, MacCarthy, Atwood and the like are 'non-genre' SF. i.e., their publisher has realised that they are writing SF, but has published as far from SF as they possibly can.
For that reason you won't find them, or David Mitchell, or David Foster Wallace, or Joyce Carroll Oates' Zombie, or most J.G. Ballard, or Thomas Pynchon, or Don Delillo, or Michael Chabon, or many others I could mention, on the SF shelves in a bookshop. instead you'll find them in 'mainstream' fiction, or 'general' fiction.
I was recently angered by Neal Stephenson being moved into 'general' fiction in the bookshop I work in 'because he'll sell better there'. Why? Because the poncy world of the masses has little or no regard for SF?
To me, SF needs to break free from the stigma associated with it. i want more people to appreciate the wonderful worlds within it. I want them to love SF the way I do. And if that means getting it recognized as 'literary', so be it.
To the above point by Wiermage and Missoularedhead's point about people doing PhD.'s and dissertations and the lie: Yes, people will write those interesting PhD's, because people in university are quite liekly to be more radical and emergent than those who ar respected 'literary critics' (See Charles Brooker and Martin Amis for examples of Literary Critics against SF). How many more PhD students, nevertheless, will be looking at the 'modern classics' – lit-fic of the likes of Kingsolver, Mantel and the like? Far more, I'm willing to bet.
I don't know who Charles Brooker is (and Google reveals nothing) but in what way was Martin Amis against SF? He was the science fiction critic for the Observer!
I think a simple fact of reality is that many people WON'T appreciate the wonderful worlds within SF, even if you dropped it in their lap free of charge.
Or perhaps they'll appreciate it in the same sense that I appreciate the wonderful intrigue within the books of Tom Clancy or Robert Ludlum. I've read both of those authors. I enjoyed them. I might even read them in the future. But when I go to the book store, I don't go to the espionage section. It doesn't matter how much some of my coworkers rave about spy novels. I like fantasy and a bit of science fiction. It's what draws me in. It's what keeps me up at night when I should be sleeping so I'll be ready for work the next day. Spy novels, even very good ones, very seldom do that. And no matter how much I talk about my beloved fantasy, my coworkers aren't going to abandon their spy novels.
Different people have different tastes. That's OK. That's more than OK. It's what makes the world, the real one outside of my books, a pretty wonderful place of its own.
So many novels that are studied in Canadian schools today are sf novels. Fahrenheit 451, 1984, the handmaid's tale, etc. SF and fantasy, like any genre, CAN look at big themes if they want to. I'd like to see them getting more respect (and not just sales).
I read this article, and I find that I really didn't recognize any of the author's names mentioned. I have no clue who they are, or whether their books are worth reading. But I doubt I that I will ever read any of them, either. I have tried reading what is classified as "literary" fiction, and I can't get through it. To me it seems that the definition of "literary" fiction is "Beautiful writing in which nothing happens!" When I read a book I expect there to be a story, something happening.
I definitely agree with the idea that SF should not pander to the "Literati," in fact SF should just give them a good swift kick. I will rate a Hugo or Nebula winner over a Pulitzer prize any day. Give me Frodo Baggins, Lazarus Long, Harry Dresden, or Sookie Stackhouse any day … and I'll enjoy it. Do the people who read the "literary" stuff enjoy it, or do they just read it because someone says it is good (even if it isn't)?
[…] contributors occasionally. What has Science Fiction got to do with Fantasy? Well the first article [Is Sci-Fi Literature?] […]
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"Why is SF not considered literary?" I guess the obvious rejoinder is, by whom? The answer seems to be the judges of literary awards but you demonstrate in your post that this absolute statement isn't true. A science fiction novel was longlisted for this year's Booker Prize and, as you say, a science fiction novel won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. So they do consider SF to be literary. If the question is instead what proportion of winners of literary awards should be SF then I don't think that is a very interesting question.
If the question is why do literary awards favour non-genre SF over genre SF then, well, that is a bit better but still misses the fundamental difference between the two. Non-genre SF comes from within literary fiction, genre SF not only comes from outside but the vast majority it has absolutely no interest in aspiring to be literary fiction. As you say: "But is this not the case in all genres, and it is the exceptions that are considered 'literary'?" Bernard Cornwell is never going to win the Booker but it would be absurd to ask why historical fiction is not considered literary.
At the end of the post you group China Mieville, Patrick Rothfuss, Adam Roberts, George RR Martin, Haruki Murakami and Scott Lynch together. That is a hugely disparate group. We can probably discard Murakami since he is exactly the sort of non-genre SF writer who receives huge amounts of literary recognition. Then you have a trio of fantasy who are very much in the Bernard Cornwell rather than Hillary Mantel mold. It is frankly ridiculous to suggest that Martin, Rothfuss or Lynch are comparable to someone like Cormac McCarthy and should be considered for the Pulitzer. That leaves two genre writers who do produce literary fiction and would certainly be justified in wondering why they are always overlooked in favour of literary authors producing non-genre SF.
So yeah, literary awards could definitely be a little less parochial and could do more to investigate the very best of genre fiction. But, as I see it, the problem is much less that literary awards rarely reward genre writers and much more that writers within the genre rarely have the aspirations of Mieville and Roberts.
Science Fiction has pooped in the pubic's eye for a long time. I cry at night..
Speculative Fiction is not considered literary because the vast majority of it is NOT literary. I love Rothfuss and agree he's an excellent writer, but _The Kingkiller Chronicles_ is not (and I'm pretty sure does not aspire to be) literature. It's rather a damned find yarn.
This is a bit simplistic and ignores a whole lot of important details but, in a nutshell, literature tends to be character driven and speculative fiction, by its very nature, tends to be plot driven. Speculative fiction is all about incredible magic or awesome technology and amazing, heart-palpitating adventure.
I fully agree that there are exceptions within the genres that deserve recognition. It IS possible to write speculative fiction that qualifies as a great work of literature. But that doesn't change the fact that there is a fundamental tension between the aims of speculative fiction and the aims of literature. Reflecting that, there's also a fundamental tension between what fans of the genre want.
_Gormenghast_ may be an awesome piece of literature and a wonderful story, but I'd wager that only a few of the regulars here have read it. Furthermore, I'd wager that if you sent every regular member here a copy of it for free, only a few more of them would complete the first book, much less the whole series. Most of the readers here want Kylar Stern wrapped in his black ka'kari engaged in an assassination, not Steerpike plotting to burn a library. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
So personally, I don't particularly care that Speculative Fiction doesn't receive literary accolades, any more than I care that SF books aren't nominated for Grammys or Oscars. It's different worlds; it's different purposes. It doesn't mean that one is superior to the other. It just means they're different.
I thought I'd chime in here, because I'm a (Canadian) literary critic, and I see a lot of opinions about what people like me must think, and most of them are just ridiculous. I thought you might appreciate my perspective.
So: I review books for money (mostly Literary fiction, which is a term I'll use here to mean the genre of mainstream fiction that cherry picks the best from other genres, even though I think it's problematic to define it that way), and am reasonably well known, and I think–I hope–reasonably well-respected by my peers. I give positive reviews to genre fiction fairly regularly (mostly horror, SF, and mysteries, as those are the non-Literary genres that come across my desk most often), and am always eager to find strong works that challenge Literary norms, especially when that involves exploring territory originally carved out by the pulps way back in the day. I have a degree in English literature, and I studied interdisciplinary theory at grad school. (That's not really relevant, but I thought you might like to know a bit of my background.)
I read Lovecraft & PK Dick & Miéville & Gibson & I enjoy them every bit as much as I enjoy A.S. Byatt & Julian Barnes. I also play video games, tabletop RPGs and whatever. So do many of my Literary friends, including those who are authors and publishers.
First, reading professionally is different from reading for pleasure. When I read for pleasure, I read for a bunch of different kinds of pleasure.
Some examples from my pleasure-reading: I read A.S. Byatt because her prose is smooth on the surface, but becomes sharp and clever as you look at it more closely, and because she writes about art and colour better than any English-language writer now living. She gives you a sense of works of art as physically vital, the literal embodiment of all the thought and energy the artist put into them. Her characters think differently from each other, about entirely different things, and she can show you whole different worlds that exist simultaneously in the same space, if you are willing to put effort into looking. I like that sort of thing; I like being challenged in that way.
I read PK Dick because he was a mad genius, and every one of his books gives me an existential crisis, and I come out the other end changed, and often uneasy about it. The emotional trauma of paranoia is always so visceral in his work (though otherwise his characters are often–but not alway–very flat, and his prose isn't worth a tinker's damn). I like that sort of thing too.
I read William Gibson because, even in his explicitly SF work, nobody looks more closely at *now* than he does, and he understands why little things we take for granted are actually big things. He hangs it all on a (usually) pretty exciting thriller plot, but what you're actually reading is a clever stew of sociology and psychogeography. He's also got a gift for metaphor, and with Pattern Recognition he got his characters to walk around like real people. With Zero History, he finally figured out dialogue. In fact, I should probably confess that William Gibson is my favourite living author, and I have interviewed him professionally.
I read Bernard Cornwell because there's lots of action, a reasonable nod in the direction of historical accuracy, and he's funny sometimes. I read Gordon Dahlquist because I've got a thing for faux-Victorians getting up to smutty stuff, and he writes a cracking mystery. I could go on. These are all distinct pleasures, and are all equally valid, when reading for pleasure. And I'm under no obligation to examine any of them (but I do, because I'm like that).
When I read professionally, I look at entirely different things. What is the author trying to achieve with this book? Where does it fit in her oeuvre? Where does it fit amongst the other books being published right now, and amongst the traditions the author writes from? Does it have obvious influences, and has the author assimilated them well, or is he trapped by them? I look at the structure of the book, and I see if it holds everything together, or wanders about aimlessly, or (worse) if it's some bit of wholly inappropriate cleverness. I look at whether or not the plot functions logically, and–more importantly–if the plot flows naturally from the characters and their choices, or if the author has wedged it into an agenda of her own.
And here come the two things that seem to have the commenters up in arms:
First, is the writing any good? There are no hard and fast rules. The most important thing is that it's functional in a way that is appropriate to the artistic aims of the book, and that the author pulls it off. Showy is generally bad, but that's not the same thing as complex or linguistically dense; in fact, it's often what happens when an author attempts those things, and fails. Stripped down prose with very few adjectives and adverbs can be dull and monotonous in the wrong hands, but rich and wonderful and moving in the right ones. It's all very subjective, but I agree with Umberto Eco in that there are privileged readings (he said something like 'a text can mean anything, but it can't mean everything', and that holds true with judgements about quality; any word could be the right word, but not every word–some are very obviously the wrong ones). I read like an editor, with a red pen in my hand, taking apart sentences and seeing why they work or don't work, striking out excess words and underlining the bits that are surprising or exceptional.
I'll let you in on a little secret about Literary prose vs SF prose, using an example. Charlie Stross and Ray Robertson (a Canadian Literary author who occupies roughly the same space in CanLit that Stross does in SF) have really similar prose styles. Except that Robertson's prose is a much, much better version of that style. When I read Stross, my red pen sees a lot of "good enough" words and sentences instead of "best" ones. In Robertson I see mostly "best" ones. Robertson doesn't publish as often as Stross does, but when does publish, his books feel more professional, like he has paid more attention to the details. It feels like he cares more about the quality of his books, whether it's true or not (I don't think it is). And *that matters*. I will say this, though: Literary authors catch hell for bad prose way more often than you might think. The ink in my pen is just as red for Robertson as it is for Stross.
But prose quality isn't the big one for Literary types. It's big, but not the biggest.
So finally, the biggest thing is, for lack of a better term, emotional/psychological realism. A novel is a kind of model consciousness or world-view (or several competing ones, depending on how many characters there are). I need the characters to be people. I don't need to like them, I don't need to understand them. I'd prefer to be interested in them, but that's a separate issue. What I want is to believe in them as people running around in the world, having thoughts I'm not hearing, desires I'm not reading about, and so on. I don't need to see those thoughts and desires, I just need the sense that they're there, and to believe the author would show them to me if she thought it was necessary. I can't give a book a positive review, regardless of its genre, if it doesn't succeed at doing this, at least to some degree. Exceptions can be made for extremely experimental works, or other cases in which it's clear the author deliberately chose another path, but those cases are pretty rare, and I am reluctant to embrace them. And I'll tell you what else; really polished, accomplished prose makes pulling this off a hell of a lot easier.
It's a hard thing to do, and a lot of authors don't get it right. You can still do this and have a plot involving guns and swords and action and big ideas about space or time and whatever. Elmore Leonard does it. Patrick O'Brian was brilliant at it, most of the time. Canadian SF writer JM Frey, whose novel Triptych I recently reviewed, does it very well. Ursula K. LeGuin gets it right, and so does China Miéville.
In my experience all but the very best writers get the balance wrong somehow. The difference is SF writers tend to then throw their weight into polishing up the plot & ideas bits instead of the characters (which I think, honestly, is a mistake regardless of genre, except in very rare circumstances). Guy Gavriel Kay comes really close, and gets better with every book, but has still only done it once or twice (and his early books are a joke in that regard). Tolkien is an abominable failure. Neal Stevenson gets there in The Diamond Age, but otherwise misses the mark. Neil Gaiman manages it in some of his comics, but pretty much nowhere else. Frank Herbert and Joe Haldeman don't even come close. Charlie Stross doesn't even seem to try half the time. (And except for Tolkien, these are all writers I *like*.)
The absolute last thing I ask myself is whether or not I like a book, because I've been at this long enough to know the difference between things I like and things that are good. I *like* David Eddings, but I also know those books are utter trash from beginning to end, and if I had to read them professionally, I could not in good conscience give them a positive review. I could–and would–say that I enjoyed them, but I would make it clear that it was because sometimes trash is fun, in the same way that sometimes ice cream and pork rinds taste just right for dinner. But nobody would take me seriously if I recommended it for a nice Friday night at home, and they'd be right not to.
Anyway, I look those things for every book, regardless of its genre. I agree with William Gibson when he said "Readers who are excessively concerned with genre, and the boundaries of genre, don't strike me as particularly sophisticated readers. And that can be true on both sides of that fence." I write mostly for trade publications (ie. magazines that librarians and booksellers read to help them decide what to stock), so I will try and place a book in a particular marketing category if I feel it's necessary (we don't want a bookstore specializing in mystery novels to order a box of George Martin by mistake), but it has no impact on my assessment of the book's quality.
If you want to know why Literary types claim some SF writers and not others as their own, it's the psychological realism thing. Those writers get that bit dead on, every time, and it, more than anything else, is the defining characteristic of contemporary Literature**. All of those writers I mentioned who *don't* get it right have other things going for them that make their work great, but they are never going to hit the Nobel or the Booker or the Giller or whatever metric you choose, because that's the one hurdle that they absolutely must make, every time. Literary fiction is, first and foremost, about modelling a believable consciousness in prose. If they achieve that, then it doesn't matter what the plot looks like, or if the characters ride around in spaceships and shoot guns at each other, because those things aren't usually relevant. Although it is possible for them to get in the way if the writer isn't all that good at them, or uses them to wedge the characters into a plot with an agenda.
Let me also say, though, that I don't think there's anything wrong with writing to a particular community of readers. JM Frey's wonderful novel Triptych could have had Literary accolades if she'd dropped the time-traveling assassins, which got in the way (mostly because she's better at psychological realism than she is at action), and had just gone with the furry blue alien–oh, and gotten a better cover; I cannot tell you how important that sort of thing is in being taken seriously outside of the SF community; so much genre stuff has just offensively ugly covers–but she wasn't writing for Literary acceptance, and doesn't need it, or to my knowledge, want it. And that's okay.
To be honest, I'm not particularly fond of labelling things, despite all this. But if we must, I'd like to take the marketing category we call "Literature" and change its name to Mainstream Fiction, and let "Literature" be the very best work from all genres, past and present. But that ain't gonna happen. I'm not trying to tell you guys that elitism and genre snobbery doesn't exist, because it certainly does. But we critics are readers first, and we're in it because we love to read, and in my experience, most of us are open to new kinds of reading experiences.
Anyway, I hope this has been in some way helpful. If not, I'm sorry for taking up your time.
**When you get into work that is too old to be considered contemporary, then other factors come into play, about which I am not going to say anything, because I am a critic of new books, and I don't feel comfortable defining where older books fit, at times when ideas and criteria were markedly different.
Oh we're reading the handmiads tale in University. I like it, but I don't like the lack of plot that is inherent in a lot of literary plots. There snobbiness from the fantasy side;)
Hmmm I kind of disagree that anything should be added to the literature side because that solidifies the image that literary fiction is a cut above "Genre" fiction. Personally I find Rothfuss' female characters horribly written…sorry if that's abit harsh but the scene where Kvothe and the barman (can't remember his name) are talking about women is pretty cringe worthy
I agree with Martin here, calling Rothfuss or Martin 'literary' is a stretch… bit like saying Rowling is 'literary'. I can jump between the two – pulp fantasy/ sci fi and literary works, and love both… but you need to recognize the differences as well.


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Revolution Sweeps Natural Gas Industry
"Amara's Law", named for the scientist and futurist Roy Amara states, "We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run." This is a good concept and at Contra the Heard we try it keep in mind when evaluating the tide of change emanating from the natural gas industry.
When the shale gas story broke a few years ago it was greeted with a tremendous burst of enthusiasm. It led to a rush to exploit the resource in areas such as the Bakken field in North Dakota. So intense is the rig activity there that this once lonely and dark area of the U.S. Midwest is now lit up like a Christmas tree, visible from orbit.
The mania quickly got hosed down as the production boom led to a crash in the price of natural gas. Banks that were eager to fund burgeoning development programs suddenly saw their business models burn up like a gas flare. Many wells showed an unusually rapid rate of depletion. A public backlash developed regarding the potential environmental effects of hydraulic fracturing: the fouling of aquifers, methane leaks and earthquakes. The newly coined term "fracking", joined the lexicon as a dirty word.
All of this controversy is obscuring the fact that the fossil fuel equation on this planet has fundamentally changed. The amount of unconventional gas in these types of formations is staggering. According to the International Energy Agency there is now sufficient recoverable resource to sustain current levels of supply for 250 years. Industry sources consider the IEA estimate far too low, they see the resource at least ten times larger.
Even the adjective "unconventional" is being rendered meaningless. If you produce the majority of a product using so-called unconventional means rather than conventional, hasn't the unconventional become conventional? That is happening right now in the U.S. where the former makes up over 60 percent of total gas produced.
For investors, trying to participate in this revolution is like trying to grab the tiger by the tail. Junior producers have been pummelled as they throw assets overboard to reduce debt. Majors like Encana (ECA-NYSE) and Chesapeake Energy (CHK-NYSE) have done somewhat better, ramping up production of liquid rich fields, but the stock price is mired at lows not seen in a decade. Pipelines like TransCanada (TRP- NYSE) are somewhat insulated as they enjoy regulated rates of return on portions of their business, but nonetheless guidance was sharply revised down this month. Utilities like Trans-Alta (TA-TSX) have been whacked as they are stuck with long running coal contracts while competitors burn cheap gas.
The alternative energy sector has been turned upside down. Billionaire T. Boone Pickens was once a champion of wind energy, but he has thrown in the towel, switching his allegiance to gas. Leading turbine manufacturer Vesta (VWDRY-OTC) was trading in the mid-$20 range in 2009, now its going for about $1.75 a share. Solar has also been eclipsed, Chinese panel producers JA Solar (JASIO-Nasdaq) and Suntech Power (STP-NYSE) are trading at pennies on the dollar of their former valuations.
At this point, the winners' circle is small. Golar (GMLP-NASDAQ) is a standout in a moribund shipping sector because their LNG carriers are highly coveted. Westport Innovations' (TPRT-NASDAQ) stock price has been strong due to interest in their CNG engines, but growing revenues haven't translated to profitability as the company lost $17.9-million last year.
Good or bad, short-term share prices are a poor indicator of what will happen long term. That's because the sudden increase in the availability of gas is a highly disruptive force that the market has been unable to absorb. The time lag to build new ships, LNG terminals, pipelines and power plants is long. It will be difficult to convince consumers that CNG is cheaper and has higher octane than super premium gasoline. Government has a critical role to play, as the energy sector is already highly regulated. Leadership is needed to drive efficiency and jump over the "chicken and egg" hurdles.
The long-term impact of the natural gas revolution is comprehensive and far reaching. As the primary component of nitrogen fertilizer, natural gas will help to feed billions of hungry mouths. As an alternative to coal and oil, it will reduce CO2 emissions and increase air quality. As oil from the Middle East becomes relatively less important, the fabric of global politics will be altered. And as Amara's law suggests, even these lofty predictions are apt to be superseded by repercussions that cannot yet be imagined.
Benj Gallander and Ben Stadelmann are co-editors of Contra the Heard Investment Newsletter. Contra has a 10-year annualized return of 15.3 per cent.

subset: commoncrawl


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Brother of Accused Bourke Street Killer Dimitrious Gargasoulas Faces Charges of Assault
Last Update: 18:40
Angelo Gargasoulas, 26, the brother of the accused Bourke Street killer, Dimitrious Gargasoulas has once again been accused of assault — this time of breaking into a women's home and assaulting her last Saturday.
Other crimes he is being accused of are smashing the woman's car and cell phone.
Gargasoulas has previously been accused of multiple assaults including one on his mother in January in which he assaulted her after she failed "to make him a late-night toastie fast enough," heraldsun.com reported.
On Wednesday, he showed up before the Melbourne Magistrates Court facing a list of charges including single charges of drug and weapon possession, unlawful assault with a weapon, unlawful assault as well as two counts each of entering a building with the intent to assault a person and intentionally damaging property.
See Also:


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Coal Fired Nachos 12
layered with cheese sauce, topped with jalapeno and a mix of monterrey jack and yellow cheddar cheese, salsa & sour cream on the side… add chicken, pulled pork, guacamole, pale ale infused house-made chili 3.5 each
Pale Ale Infused House-Made Chili 10
topped with a shredded cheese blend served with tortilla chips for dipping (extra toppings 1)
House-made Crispy Potato Chips & Onion Dip 8
house-made, seasoned to perfection, served with chef's onion dip
Pretzel Sticks 8
served with honey mustard
Chicken & Spinach Meatballs 10
sun-dried tomatoes, basil, roasted garlic, marinara sauce
Chicken Tenders 11
choice of plain, buffalo, honey mustard, bbq, with celery
Spinach & Artichoke Dip 12
with tortilla chips
Basket Of Fries 5
Arugula Salad sm. 8 lg. 11
arugula, roasted corn, shaved parmesan with lemon vinaigrette
Baby Spinach sm. 9 lg. 12
baby spinach, cranberries, goat cheese and bacon with balsamic vinaigrette
Mixed Mesclun sm. 8 lg. 11
mesclun greens, cucumber, tomato, balsamic vinaigrette
Caesar Salad sm. 9 lg. 12
crisp romaine hearts, house made caesar dressing, croutons, grated parmesan cheese
Buffalo Chicken Salad sm. 10 lg. 14
buffalo chicken strips, romaine lettuce, red onions, shredded carrots, sweet corn, blue cheese dressing
add grilled chicken…4
served with house made crispy potato chips
sub side salad 2.5
Turkey & Brie 12
house roast turkey, brie, apple chutney, arugula
Chicken Pepperoni Parmesan 13
chicken breast, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, pecorino romano, marinara sauce
Chicken & Spinach Meatball 12
house made chicken & spinach meatballs, marinara sauce, provolone, arugula
Pesto & Oven Dried Tomatoes 12
house made mozzarella, pesto, oven dried tomatoes, pecorino romano
Pulled Pork 12
tender slow cooked pork shoulder, pepperjack cheese, jalapenos & cole slaw
Chipotle Chicken & Bacon 13
chipotle marinated chicken, tomato, bacon, gouda & ranch
Chicken Pesto 12
chicken breast, house made mozzarella, tomato & pesto
Lemon Rosemary 12
topped with caramelized onions
Honey Hot Habanero 12
glazed with wild flower honey
with ranch dressing and celery
Buffalo 12
with blue cheese dressing and celery
all our pies are cooked well done, dusted with pecorino romano
Margherita 13.5
tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese & basil
The Mikey 15.5
tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese & all beef pepperoni
BBQ Chicken 17.5
grilled chicken, mozzarella, smoked gouda, red onion, scallion, honey bbq sauce
L'enza 17.5
tomato sauce, italian sausage, wild mushroom & mozzarella cheese
The Brooksy 17.5
white olive oil pizza with grilled chicken, caramelized onions, wild mushroom, mascarpone & mozzarella cheese.
L'oscar 18
white olive oil pizza with sausage, caramelized onions, wild mushroom, mascarpone & mozzarella cheese
BBQ Pulled Pork 17.5
bbq glazed pulled pork, caramelized onions, smoked gouda topped with extra bbq sauce
Mushroom & Brie 17
mushrooms, caramelized onions, baby spinach, brie, mozzarella & pecorino romano
Pesto Tomato 17
fresh mozzarella, oven dried tomatoes, pesto & pecorino romano
Paradigm 17.5
tomato sauce, sausage, all beef pepperoni, bacon & mozzarella cheese
Pesto Chicken 17
pesto sauce, diced tomatoes, grilled chicken, mozzarella cheese
The Marley 15.5
tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese pizza, finished with arugula, shaved parmesan and a balsamic drizzle
Buffalo Chicken 17.5
buffalo sauce, grilled chicken, roasted red peppers, scallions, bleu cheese crumble and mozzarella cheese
Dante 18
tomato sauce, house-made meatballs, mozzarella, roasted red peppers and basil
Jero's Pineapple 18
tomato sauce, house made fresh mozzarella cheese, bacon, pineapple, jalapeño
Winner of the 1st Annual Game On Pizza Toss
Sartorelli 18
chicken, bacon, house made mozzarella, caramelized onions, garlic, ranch dressing
caramelized onions
red onion
roasted red peppers
diced tomatoes
oven dried tomatoes
baby spinach
grilled chicken
italian sausage
all beef pepperoni
pulled pork
house made mozzarella
pepper jack
smoked gouda
Side of French Fries 5
Grilled Cheese and chips 6
Turkey Sandwich with Lettuce and Mayo 8
Tenders and fries 8
Small Pizza cheese 9 / pepperoni 10


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Indigo Dyeing
I've returned to Fujino for two days, trying to get as much indigo dyeing done as I can. I'm leaving Japan on Saturday, so this is the last chance that I'll have to do it. I've prepared a stencil using the traditional persimmon paper and brought it with me. Bryan's home and workshop is a cozy place to work (above left). He shows us some yarn that he has recently dyed (below left).
I begin by boiling the fabrics that I've brought (below right). There is a lot of glue in the heavy canvas that I chose, so it must be boiled with soap and lye. The indigo will adhere to the cloth better if the glue is removed.
After the fabric is clean, I stencil the pattern onto the canvas using rice paste (above). The paste will resist the dye and remain the color of the cloth. The paste must be completely dry before I start dyeing.
The view outside Bryan's kitchen window looks out onto his vegetable garden (above left). A few students practice Shibori techniques by folding fabric and stitching it together. The stitched fabric dries in the sun (below right). After the dyeing is finished, it's cut open, revealing the pattern (below left).
I spend several hours dyeing my fabric pieces. Here are a few examples of the final result. My original intention was to have text in the middle of the wreath reading "No Nukes". I couldn't get the text to look right, so I must try again, but I'm happy with the wreath image results. I've realized that there are a lot of limitations when dyeing fabric. It's a much different process than painting. I'll have to build on what I've learned in order to develop my motifs.


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Tuesday, March 6, 2018 at 6:00:00 PM Blvd Tavern 320 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City,
Join us for monthly meetup where we practice coaching skills and tools, debrief challenges in a safe environment. We spend the first 30 minutes networking. The official "work" starts at 6:30.Downtown KC/Crossroads - Parking available across the street. Click here for event


text: Are you coming to India for a short period of time and want to see some of the world-class tourist locations? Select day trips from Trip To India Tours. We are offering wonderful India day Tours to explore major tourist attractions in and around Jaipur. Our team of highly qualified travel experts will guide you in choosing the location that suits your short trip. We are also famous for carefully designed private travel packages of India day tours with guided sightseeing. You can also have a look at the below mentioned Jaipur Day Tours to make your trip to India even more worthwhile.


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Having funded artists including Bill Ryder-Jones, Stealing Sheep and Låpsley, Arts Council England have pledged continuing support to the fund, as Getintothis' David Hall reports.
Arts Council England have confirmed their continued backing of the Momentum Music Fund delivered by PRS for Music Foundation, to the tune of a further £1 million. To coincide with this, Spotify has confirmed it too will continue its support as digital partner for the same period.
This allows PRS for Music Foundation, the UK's leading charitable funder of new music and talent development across all genres, to continue running their Momentum Music Fund for another two years.
The fund started in 2013 and has invested in over 120 diverse artists, including chart-toppers Years & Years, Merseyside talent and GIT Award nominee Låpsley and, for this year's fund, Hooton Tennis Club, Liverpool Sound City 2016 acts Kagoule and Levelz plus many more top UK talent.
Win tickets to Festival Number 6 2016 to see Noel Gallagher, Hot Chip, Bastille and more
Arts Council England has invested £250k -£500k per year, which has seen the fund support the recording of 72 new albums as well as some 100 UK tours, totalling over 650 UK live dates, since its inception. According to their own figures, every £1 invested by Momentum has generated £7.46 for the UK music industry.
"Momentum's impact over the past 3 years demonstrate that this is not only a hugely popular fund, but a transformational one, which is having a positive impact on the careers of over 120 artists," says Vanessa Reed, Executive Director of PRS for Music Foundation, "We're delighted that Arts Council England continues to recognise the importance of this fund for independent music which we've been running on their behalf since 2013."
The next deadline for the Momentum Music Fund is Tuesday, August 9. Artists can apply through their website.


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Welcome to the Faculty of Nursing
Nursing is a profession that is both a science and an art. Science undergirds nursing but nursing is fundamentally relational.
You will come to know the human condition and how patients will teach you about the need for grace and dignity in living with a chronic condition.
Nurses experience joy and sorrow as they provide care to patients and their families.
I encourage men and women to take up the challenge of nursing and make a difference in people's lives.
david Gregory, RN, PhD
Dean & Professor
If you require more information please contact us.


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Vitamin C, also known as L-Ascorbic or L-Ascorbate acid is one of the vital vitamins required by all living organisms. Unlike other species, humans cannot manufacture Vitamin C inside their bodies and hence it is vital for us to eat a diet which is a rich source of this Vitamin.
Deficiency of Vitamin C causes a myriad of problems in the body, the chief among them being a condition known as Scurvy. Since Vitamin C is water soluble it is continuously diluted and excreted from the body and hence we require an almost incessant supply of this Vitamin. Vitamin C was first isolated in 1928 by the nobel-prize winner, biochemist, Dr. Albert Szent-Gyorgyi.
Vitamin C is required by the human body to maintain good health of the tissues in all parts of the body. One of the main uses of Vitamin C in the human body is for the formation of the protein, Collagen, which is needed for the formation of ligaments, tissues, skin and blood vessels.
Vitamin C functions as an anti-oxidant which aids in getting rid of the toxins produced in the body and maintains the oxidation balance inside the human body. The health of our hair, skin and nails are also maintained because of Vitamin C. It is also helpful in keeping diseases like common cold at bay, healing of surgical, burn and other wounds, keeping allergies at bay, providing immunity to the body, preventing cancer because of its anti-oxidizing property etc. Low vitamin C levels easily decrease the immune system weak leading to the easy penetration of disease causing germs and bacteria.
Deficiency of this Vitamin leads to cataract problem because the lens of the eye needs constant supply of vitamin C and when the body refuses to give that, it leads to cataract. Heart diseases, stroke, and high blood pressure can also be kept in check because of the anti-oxidizing property of this wonder Vitamin. The cholesterol level in the body is also kept in check from rising by this Vitamin.
Sources of Vitamin C include all the citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, tangerines, limes, papayas and berries among others. Among the vegetables, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, peas etc are the richest sources of Vitamin C and the others contain it in small doses. Even though meat does not contain Vitamin C, however liver has been found to contain some traces. Although there are Vitamin C pills and supplements available in the market, it is best to ingest it in its natural and varied forms as it is a water soluble vitamin.
Side Effects:
Although vitamin C generally doesn't cause harm because of its tendency to get flushed out of the system however there are still some side effects in dire cases. Supplements of this Vitamin have been known to have a diuretic effect. High doses of vitamin C can cause gas, acidity, diarrhea etc. Overdose of Vitamin C might also lead to nausea, vomiting, headaches and drowsiness. It is always beneficial to take any supplements in a doctor's supervision.


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Wellbeing Series - Part 1: Self-Care 101 - HP220
This is the first session of a three-part wellbeing series. Check out Part 2: Building Resilience and Part 3: Workplace Wellbeing.
We don't always take the time to care for and nurture ourselves and we sometimes require support to integrate relaxation and our personal needs into daily life. This session will focus on increasing mental health literacy through self-care for individuals.
Participants will learn about the body's stress response and how to identify these responses in themselves. They will have an opportunity to take a stress index, explore what self-care means to them and identify key UBC resources that can be engaged to support work life integration and positive mental health.
Participants will:
All staff, faculty, and postdoctoral fellows are welcome.
This session will be facilitated by Miranda Massie, Health Promotion Specialist for staff and faculty in UBC's Human Resource Department.


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The draft report, released Wednesday, came in response to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's determination that Marin had "failed to comply" with the 1964 Civil Rights Act and two other anti-discrimination statutes. Marin's Community Development Agency recommended amending zoning regulations to ease the construction of new apartments, passing new laws requiring new developments to offer housing at below-market rates, and stepping up programs to combat discrimination by landlords and realtors. Chuck Hauptman, HUD's Regional Director for Fair Housing, said officials were reviewing the plan "to see if it is acceptable as far as content goes."There's also this video report from CNN.
In the eleven years I lived there, the double standards of Marin's hot-tub liberals was on display for all who cared to see. Being among the more liberal areas in America, Marin is also one of the wealthiest, which shoots arrows in the myth that the wealthy are all Republicans.
But Marin liberals also were quick to attack anyone who supported the War on Terror and Iraq, in addition to securing the US southern border, as "racists." The good Marin libs even attacked sobriety checkpoints in the (mostly Hispanic) Canal Area of San Rafael as "racial profiling." But when you looked at the facts, you had to ask yourself--if the good liberals of Marin County cared about minorities, why did they oppose affordable housing projects like the one planned by Habitat for Humanity? Because it would make the areas where their multi-million dollar homes were look "like a housing project."
In other words, getting rid of the cheap labor who mow and manicure their lawns and clean their toilets is racist, but Marin liberals sure don't want them living in their nice upscale neighborhoods.
Or what about when the owner of Sol Food Puerto Rican restaurant in San Rafael caused a stir when she decided to paint her place of business a bright green color? One big-hearted Marin County lib told the Marin IJ: "I thought I was in Richmond," referring to the mostly-black, high-crime town across the Rafael Bridge from Marin.
I've also posted at this blog many instances of anti-Semitism among the Moron County so-called "anti-war" Left.
It looks like, after so many years of playing the race card against those who oppose their liberalism, Marin's chickens are coming home to rooooooooost, and under an Administration they supported at the ballot box.


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I'm sharing this tag with
Timbro Scrapmania - Tags, Tags, Tags
I Love ProMarkers - One for the Girls
Addicted to Stamps - Woman's Day
Fashionable Stamping - Anything Goes
Now I'm going to play with another Tag Blank.
Lovely tags and both so different. Love your Rogue Redhead images and colouring. Thanks for joining the fun at ATSM. MonikaReplyDelete
LOVE your tags!!
Thanks for joining us at FSC !
xxx Ellie xxx
That is a wonderful tag card for the IWD challenge at Addicted to Stamps and More, Zoe! It's great with the two generations of females and awesome coloring! (I hope the Gas Man didn't pinch any of your markers!!) Hugs, DarnellReplyDelete
This is a gorgeous tag and perfect for our inspiration challenge this week at ATS&M. So glad you've linked up and shared your wonderful creation.ReplyDelete
Super tag, love the vintage style and colour combo, thanks for joining us at I Love Promarkers xxReplyDelete


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Proposal: A new kind of blog comment system
I've always felt that comments should be completely decentralized particularly because it already is… and I, for one, like putting comments on my own blog rather than spreading them across hundreds of sites. Seems like there's already been some work in putting threading extensions in Atom…
12 Standard Screen Patterns
If these are really patterns have to wonder why people are still building them from scratch.
A Unit Test You Should Never Write
Yeah, that's a pretty awful test. It's not just that it's stale it's that it's really very procedural. Testing not only ought to capture requirements it ought to read like requirements…
Bad developer != novice developer
It's an excellent point. I'd go further and suggest that what separates a great programmer from a good programmer is that the great ones are good at sharing their deep understanding of the problem and solution space.
Down With Social
It seems to me that social media is the new television. It's just more of the same old, same old broadcast advertising but now for the web.


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MWM – Book Recommendations v7
It's my monthly book time! Here are my book recs for February 2018. What books are you reading this month? Find all my past Book Recommendations HERE.
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me2hjwHyRiM[/embedyt]
If you have any topics that you want me to talk about, please leave a comment.
Tune in every Monday for new videos where I talk about entrepreneurship, lifestyle, spirituality, personal development, and my own life experiences.
I'm here to keep it real and share my ongoing journey and struggles with you. This journey we call LIFE is not always easy, but you are not alone. Let's help each other out and lift each other up.
If you enjoyed this video and know someone who would benefit from watching it, PLEASE SHARE!
Follow me on social media to see all my latest stories and photos:
Website: www.marianbacoluba.com
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For exciting info on upcoming events and consciously created content, please SUBSCRIBE HERE!


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The Bed King Special Brochures
With The Bed King, you are guaranteed the healthiest and most comfortable sleep from the widest range of beds and mattresses in South Africa; and at the best value! Unbelievable specials to suit every budget, every comfort level and every need! View our latest specials here, join our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter for up-to-date information, news and daily specials! What are you waiting for? Buy now; in-store, online or through our national call centre! Remember, The Bed King doesn't sell cheap beds, mattresses, or anything cheap. But our Best Price Promise means you are guaranteed the lowest prices in South Africa, matched with a quality that will provide maximum comfort and style for years to come.
*Some offers are only available in store
Find your nearest Bed King store here


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Nixon Says Missouri Faces Weeks of Potential Floods
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) - Gov. Jay Nixon says Missouri faces several more weeks of potential flooding along the Missouri River as high water pushes its way south and eastward across the state. Nixon met with officials from the Missouri National Guard outside St. Joseph for a briefing Monday on the guard's response to the flooding. He said the floods were made worse by heavy overnight storms that dumped up to 4 inches of rain in some sections, swelling the river past major flood stage near St. Joseph.
Three levees in northwest Missouri also overtopped Monday, and three small towns were under voluntary evacuations orders. National Guard Col. David Boyle said about 200 troops have been working full-time on the flood, but more may be added as the high-water levels reach downstream.


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and you can unsubscribe at any time.
You have probably heard that PHP is much easier to learn than any other programming languages, such as Java or the .NET languages, not to mention Perl, but if you are new to PHP, it can be daunting. If you...


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For visible signs of aging and volume-deficient areas of the face, dermal fillers are one of the most popular treatments on the cosmetic market. Heralded for their immediate results and long-lasting effects, dermal fillers are proven to be safe and effective. At Dermatology Associates, we offer multiple dermal filler options for your cosmetic needs.
Dermatology Associates has locations in Norwood, Franklin, and Foxboro in Massachusetts. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover the benefits of dermal filler injectable treatments.
What are Dermal Fillers?
Comprised of hyaluronic acid and other substances that are naturally found in the body, dermal fillers immediately plump volume-deficient areas around the forehead, eyes, nose, and mouth. Dermal fillers are administered underneath the skin and there are many types of dermal fillers depending on the location and severity of the signs of aging.
At Dermatology Associates, we offer a variety of dermal fillers: Juvederm®, Voluma®, and Restylane®.
One of the most top-requested dermal fillers worldwide, Juvederm® has one of the highest formulations of hyaluronic acid, a natural substance in the body that creates immediate volume underneath the skin. Here at Dermatology Associates, P.C. we offer both Juvederm® XC for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, as well as, Juvederm Ultra® XC for lip augmentation.
Specifically designed to correct volume-loss in the midface, Voluma® is the first FDA-approved dermal filler for creating volume in the cheek area. As the skin ages, the apples of your cheeks can take on a sunken or hollow appearance that can make you look older than you actually are. With Voluma®, a more youthful shape can be restored.
Specifically formulated to treat moderate to severe lines and wrinkles while adding volume and fullness. Restylane® Silk stands apart from other dermal fillers as it is the first FDA-approved product designed for both lip enhancement and the smoothing of wrinkles around the mouth for a subtle natural enhancement. Restylane® Lyft is also another option for cheek augmentation, as well as moderate to severe facials wrinkles and folds. Our consultants can help you to choose which dermal filler is the best option for you.
How Long Do Dermal Fillers Last?
Every patient may experience different results, but most dermal fillers provide visible volume to the skin for about six to eight months on average. Although visible signs of aging may return after the fillers wear off, wrinkles and lines can be effectively managed through regular treatment and a good skincare regimen recommended by our consultants
The most common side effects associated with dermal fillers are slight bruising, swelling and redness. Our consultants and providers will advise you on all possible risks that may apply to you prior to your treatment with dermal fillers.
Contact Dermatology Associates today to schedule a consultation and find out if you are a candidate for dermal fillers.


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We just finished Christine and Stephan's guestbooks so we wanted to share. Guestbooks are so much fun because wedding guests LOVE to flip through the pages and make their little notes to the couple.
I know Christine and Stephane from my hometown of Live Oak, so I'm super stoked to share their big day with them. And it's coming up around the corner!


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Brazed Plate Heat Exchanger
Product Description
These Units are 40% Heavier and better made then the competition. These heat exchanger's compact, rugged assembly is composed of stainless steel 316L plate packs sealed & pressed together by means of brazing metal along the border of the units. This eliminates the need for traditional gaskets or external pressure retaining parts. The plate packs are embossed with special corrugation patterns to promote high turbulence flow, which dramatically increases the heat transfer rates of the units thus making them a highly economical and effective solution for many processes and heating applications.
Typical Applications
- Central Heating
- Hydronic Heating
- Solar and Geothermic Heating
- Industrial Process Heat Recovery
- Condensers and Evaporators in Refrigeration Systems
- Oil Coolers
- Close Approach Fluid-to-Fluid Heat Transfer
Performance Data
- BTU Rating: 30,000 (Commonly used for small heating applications, Beer Chillers, Bio-Diesel Warmer). Btu Rating is based on 10 GPM; 180F water
- Connection Size: 3/4" MPT
- Dimensions: 3'' x 8''
- Max Temp. 428 F
- Design Pressure: 435 PSIG
- Heating Transfer Area: 7.23 SQ.FT
- Channel Volume 0.29 Gal
- High heat transfer coefficient
- Small unit size with a high heat transfer capacity
- Cost efficiency
- Stainless steel connections
- Easy installation
Customer Reviews
scott says:
Posted on 4/13/2018Ordered from you before & now adding a hot plate for domestic hot water & needed more parts.
Write Your Own Review
Free Shipping On All Orders Over $199.99 (Continental US Only)


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Yoga Therapy and Integrative Medicine: Where Ancient Science Meets Modern Medicine is the first integrative medical textbook linking modern medicine and alternative therapies with the ancient science of Yoga. Uniting a world-class collection of Yoga-oriented doctors, licensed healthcare professionals, scholars, researchers, and Yoga Therapists hand-picked for their knowledge and wisdom, this book features insight from more than thirty-five contributors who represent some of the top universities and leading Yoga Therapy institutions around the globe.
Complete with over 150 images, an extensive glossary, and diagrams, Yoga Therapy and Integrative Medicine is intended to help illuminate alternative treatment methods and Yoga Therapy's application as a complementary therapeutic treatment approach.
Compiled, written, and edited by Terra Gold, Larry Payne, and Eden Goldman, it includes three main parts: Yoga Therapy and Integrative Medicine, Diverse Approaches to Yoga Therapy, and The Evolution of Yoga Therapy.
Sacred music has been used in all cultures as a way to inspire and uplift communities. This album of eight tracks offers a range of soothing, transcending, and festive grooves that celebrate spirit. The fusion of mantras offers adventurous rhythm and harmony, taking the listener on a continuous soulful journey.
Leading up to the creation of this album, I studied Ethnomusicology and the use of sound in rituals and religious practices; created electric ambient drum and bass music with consciousness-inspiring lyrics in Los Angeles; studied and practiced sound therapy in Seattle, Northern California, and even Scotland; and chanted at community kirtan gatherings. Using mantras has become an integrated part of my own wellness practice, and I have focused my attention on the path of Bhakti Yoga, chanting Sanskrit chants as used in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. My love for all forms of music and devotional prayer through song continues to deepen.


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Volunteer Sign-up Form
1. Please show your Driver's License in the office.
2. Report to Volunteer coordinator for the tasks to be assigned.
3. Please hold Volunteer badge during Volunteer hours.
4. Maintain your log for date/hours/task volunteered.
Our temple needs volunteers.
Anyone with ages 14 and above can volunteer.
Kids between 10 to 14 has to be accompanied by adults all the time to volunteer.
For high school students temple will provide volunteer hours.
All student/ youth volunteers have to contact adult volunteer coordinator.
All others can contact Adult volunteer Coordinator.
You can volunteer when you visit temple for few hours by contacting volunteer coordinator or register online to volunteer once a week or once a month at your convenience.


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With over 20 years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experience, Professor Quint is the first Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt to teach in China. He came to Beijing in 2005 from America to establish the first world-class jiu-jitsu school here, founding Gracie Jiu-Jitsu China. Professor Quint's teacher is the renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu master Pedro Sauer.
Steve has over 15 years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experience, beginning in 2002. He has trained across the world, and for the past three years has devoted his time and energy to becoming a more effective jiu-jitsu teacher dedicated to sharing the art with his student base in Beijing, China.
A Taiwanese-born American, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, martial art instructor and software developer. Mr. Wang has over twenty years of martial art training and teaching experience begining his jiu-jitsu journey in 1996 at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York City.
Wang Xuejing began studying jiu-jitsu in 2015 under Chet Quint. His persistent study and dedication led him to be awarded a blue belt 15 months later. With his attention to detail and focus on defensive techniques, his technical foundation has proved exemplar for other students.


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Please post your nonprofit marketing position here — FT or PT staff, consulting or internship opportunities.
1) Communications Coordinator (part-time), Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, (Hartford, CT)
2) Communications Manager, United to End Genocide, (Washington, D.C.)
3) Communications Officer and Intern, Public Affairs, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, (Chicago, IL)
4) Communications Specialist/Publicist, The Connecticut State Employees Association, (Hartford, CT)
5) Digital and Marketing Director, NET IMPACT, (San Francisco, CA)
6) Internship, Public Affairs (paid), American Wind Energy Association, (Washington, D.C.)
7) Manager, Digital Media and Web Services, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, (Washington, D.C.)
8) Marketing Manager, StudentsFirst, (Oakland, CA)
9) National Marketing Director, Stand for Children, (Waltham, MA or Portland, OR)
10) Senior Communications Specialist, Society for Science & the Public, (Washington, D.C.)
11) Senior Interactive Marketing Consultant, Beaconfire, (Arlington, VA)
12) Strategist, Big Duck, (Brooklyn, NY)
1) Communications Associate, Education Resource Strategies, (Watertown, MA)
2) Communications Coordinator, The Civic Federation, (Chicago, IL)
3) Communications Officer, Open Society Foundations, (Washington, D.C.)
4) Community Outreach and Social Media Specialist (part-time), Youth L.E.A.D.,
(Miami, FL)
5) Director, Public Relations & Marketing, Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, (New Haven, CT)
6) Director for Direct Marketing, Earthwatch Institute, (Boston, MA)
7) Marketing and Communication Internship, Idealware, (Portland, ME)
8) Marketing Projects Manager, BRIC Arts | Media | Bklyn, (Brooklyn, NY)
9) Online Campaigns Manager, League of Conservation Voters, (Washington, D.C.)
10) Online Communications Manager, Innocence Project, (New York, NY)
11) Publicist (part-time), The Wakeman Agency, (White Plains, NY)
12) Social Media Manager, TechSoup Global, (San Francisco, CA)
P.S. Post your open positions – Submit your jobs here, today!


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The following bands can blow me. Short of that, and having them show up at my doorstep on their knees with mouths agape ready to swallow the issue of my fetid seed down their mouths, they can simply eat the rotted remains of Jim Morrison's esophagus.
Radiohead- Mopey asshole whiny-fuck-pop-star wannabees from the land that saw fit to perform a country wide circle jerk for the union of two horse faced douchebags who would just as soon have the entire nation die of starvation if it meant that they could garner one more crown jewel. Thom Yorke should have crushed up poodles shoved down his gullet. I would wish harm on the rest of the band, but I don't know who the fuck they are. At least Pearl Jam are American and probably get to fuck alot of real hot mid-western chicks who dream about sopping up Eddie Vedder's ejaculate with their flannel shirts. I mean, do they even sell flannel shirts in the UK? Real flannel... not that bullshitty new wave plaid stuff.
Notable exception- Paranoid Android... only because it's a Pink Floyd song.
Genesis - Anyone who debates the "era's" of Genital-cyst (that's pretty farking clever) for relevance and quality (ie Hackett vs Gabriel vs Collins vs who gives a fuck) should stop wasting their time and start instead pondering the stages of anal cancer and how one stage is better than another.
Notable Exception - The future death of Phil Collins
Bon Jovi- As an American I fully support the rights of money hungry cock suckers from New Jersey to make a buck off of the teeming masses whenever possible. Oh, my mistake, I confused these A.O.R. hacks with Snooki and The Situation. Jon Bon Jovi is musical AIDS.
Notable Exception- Richie Sambora dropped his load into Heather Locklear for a long time and still keeps going to rehab.
Kanye West- Would it be racisty to say that this guy is a non-rappable self absorbed publicity whore who actually was offended when he lost a meaningless award to Taylor Swift? Guess what, fuck face, at least she has two tits and a vagina... which gives her three things alot more useful than anything you have or have ever done.
Notable exception - He's tappin' Beyonce. Damn, got him confused with that Jay Zee guy.
The Pixies- Whaddya get when you up: a pussyass band name + a fat fuck + the only woman in the world I wouldn't fuck + 2 guys who I wouldn't recognize if I was running them over with my gas guzzling SUV? The world's most favoritist college band (trademark). That is, if you were in college in the 90's and never got laid. Ooh, I'm a Pixie. Kill me now. The same folk who wear Pixies shirts also stick gardenias up their ass and pretend they're Morrissey.
I saw their movie (I think it's called Suck Eat Suck) and Black Francis was lying on a hotel bed in his skivvies. I may never get an erection again.
Notable exception - Awaiting Black Francis' appearance on The Biggest Loser (or whuddevah that fat person losing weight show is).
That's it for now... I'm going back to my steady regimen of Minor Threat, early Black Flag, Motorhead, The Stooges, Killdozer. And RUSH. PS- Fuck you- RUSH FUCKING RULES! And I've gotten laid when 2112 was on (of course that was back around 1986) Oh yeah, download my band's new rekkid (STABBY ROAD) fer free. (shameless plug).


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Last night the hubby and I decided to go to Crave for dinner. I've been wanting to go there for a while, but as we rarely go out to eat it hasn't happened.
I even wore lipstick.
We got there around 7:45 and were promptly seated – in what might be the shorts chairs and tables ever. I felt like a giant. The restaurant wasn't packed, but there was a decent crowd. We started with wine (some Zin) and beer and calamari – that was oddly served with mayo. I guess it works for some people, but for me calamari is paired with a red sauce!
For our meal, the hubby got ahi tuna – served with green beans and rice and I ordered 3 rolls of sushi: spicy tuna, caterpillar, and veggie.
The ahi serving size was HUGE and definitely explained the price.
The sushi was nice and fresh – but it wasn't anything special and I (personally) don't think it warranted the price bump. I've had better sushi for less. If/when we go back I will skip the sushi and go with the fish or steak (and possibly the lobster mash potatoes!!).
Overall, we enjoyed dinner – but not enough to go rushing back. It WAS nice to have some alone time out though – that we will do again soon 🙂
After dinner we made a very romantic trip to ABC Liquor and picked up some goodies for tomorrow morning.
We also picked out this:
And made some "chocolate milk" (2 shots of chocolate whipped vodka and 4oz of milk). Pretty tasty — and felt good getting a little calcium. Or does the vodka defeat the purpose??
Today I spent the day mentally preparing for my race and with my two loco kids, which may have made me mental. I tried to keep it the day low key (thanks mom for stopping by!) and kept my appetite at bay. For some reason just thinking about running 23 miles has given me an insane craving for gummy bears and sugar. Instead, I carbed up on jasmine rice and veggies (with chicken).
It was good (recipe to come), but not the same.
I'm feeling good about my run tomorrow. My legs feel rested. My ankles aren't hurting (like they have been the past 2 weeks), I feel hydrated. I'm READY to get these miles under my belt and start my taper.
3 weeks till the marathon! <—-WOAH, how did that happen?
Have you ever been disappointed by a restaurant you were anticipating good things from?
Have you seen The Holiday? It's on right now and I'm watching it for the 1st time. I'm loving it!


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How was church today for you? Could you hear the children sing? Because I can tell you, the children in Haiti, know. How. To. Sing.
Today was a full day of pure joy. We all woke up bright and early this morning either to watch the lovely sunrise, or take a run through Port-au-Prince. The day started out nice and hot. The whole team dressed up very nice for church at Grace Church in the city of Titanyen. The service was beautiful. It was two and a half hours long, but it was worth it all. The first 45 minutes of the service was all worship. Every voice in the sanctuary was belting out the words to every song. There was a section of kids in the center of the room with their hands raised, singing with passion. It was a beautiful thunder of angelic voices. You could pick out every child's voice that sang freely. There was no fear.
Many of the children we visited last Wednesday reunited with our team at the church service. Lots of them fell asleep in our arms. We also had the whole team go up on the stage to lead the song Holy Spirit all together. Kara also gave a powerful message on four stages (that she used chairs to demonstrate on stage) of our faith and relationship with Christ. The first is coming to meet God, the next one is when we continue to learn about Jesus, the third was becoming fishers of men, and the last was baring fruit. Her words not only impacted and inspired the Haitians, but also her team. She has been such a blessing to all of us this week in countless ways.
After church this morning, the whole team hopped into the tap-tap, and drove up to Wahoo Beach. We spent a majority of the afternoon cooling off in the ocean, entertained by rafts and trampolines on the water. At one point, all 16 of us laid down in a circle on the trampoline, tanning under the sun… or so we thought. Some of us applied the sunscreen, and others may have "forgotten". But it didn't matter if you had or hadn't, for all of us got a little crispy. This Haitian sun is aggressive, I tell you. But sunburn didn't take away any of the fun. The sight from the beach was absolutely stunning. You could stand on large rocks and stare off at the endless ocean next to mountains reaching the clouds. I couldn't think of a better way to end the week.
When we got back to the house, we settled down and dipped ourselves in sunburn cream. We sat on the balcony and reflected our day as usual with pictures, words-of-the-day, and lovely worship. This week has been so real, it's just unreal. There are no words to explain the experiences we've had. Pictures, videos, and stories are only a taste of how Jesus moves through His people. From holding the sick and diseased children whose smiles bring deep joy, to rubbing the tender feet of the well-lived elders. They touched our hearts once we touched their faces. The Lord moved our hearts once we opened our eyes to what He had in store. Although garbage and broken down homes filled the streets, Haiti was unbelievably beautiful. It's what makes Haiti beautiful! When driving in the tap-tap, we would see the day-to-day life of so many Haitians for only a few seconds. We would laugh with the girl who made her new bracelet, and cry with the boy who was malnourished and diseased with no doctor to see. So many were oppressed by hell itself. Yet with all the joy they overflowed with, it would be hard to tell. The Holy Spirit is so alive in every part of this country. No one knows how big the world is, until they actually see the whole world. But do you know who does see the whole world? Our Heavenly Father. He moves through every inch of the air. A friend once told me that it's easy to see God as an American idea. But God is Haitian, Guatemalan, Ethiopian, Chinese, Brazilian, and all of the above. The Holy Spirit is flowing through Haiti just as much as He is in the United States and everywhere else. Yet He is so personal and close to each of us. What a privilege it is to serve such a sovereign King. Although this week has ended for us in Haiti, there is SO much more The Lord has has planned.
It is only the beginning.
Allison Eide


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Uncommon Threads: New Works by Mar Goman
Arecently arrived batch of new books from the ever-awesome Mar Goman has me all jazzed up. Many of you will remember Mar from her two solo shows at 23 Sandy Gallery. Artist books are just a small segment of her prolific artistic output. Each batch of books that comes my way find homes very quickly. Mar's work is always lush with fabric, sewing, embroidery, buttons, found rusty bits and almost always include her own self-portrait. Check out two of her new and available books here.
New work from Mar got me thinking about the upcoming call for entries for All Stitched Up, a juried exhibition at University of Puget Sound "asking for submissions of artists' books from around the globe where stitching is a featured element." You can find the call for endtries for All Stitched Up here.
That got me thinking about Uncommon Threads, one of my very favorite exhibitions in the gallery way back in 2011. Sadly, the online exhibition catalog is no more for that show, but I do have several related books currently in inventory. Click here to find inspiration in this new Uncommon Threads Curated Collection of artist books using techniques such as stitching, sewing, embroidery, buttons, beads, textiles and more from current inventory.


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Detecting patients' pain levels via their brain signals
The system could help with diagnosing and treating patients that cannot communicate.
Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have developed a system that measures a patient's pain level by analyzing brain activity from a portable neuroimaging device.
The system could help doctors diagnose and treat pain in unconscious and noncommunicative patients, which could reduce the risk of chronic pain that can occur after surgery.
Pain management is a surprisingly challenging, complex balancing act. Overtreating pain, for example, runs the risk of addicting patients to pain medication. Undertreating pain, on the other hand, may lead to long-term chronic pain and other complications. Today, doctors generally gauge pain levels according to their patients' own reports of how they're feeling. But what about patients who can't communicate how they're feeling effectively — or at all — such as children, elderly patients with dementia, or those undergoing surgery?
In a paper presented at the International Conference on Affective Computing and Intelligent Interaction, the researchers describe a method to quantify pain in patients. To do so, they leverage an emerging neuroimaging technique called functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), in which sensors placed around the head measure oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations that indicate neuron activity.
For their work, the researchers use only a few fNIRS sensors on a patient's forehead to measure activity in the prefrontal cortex, which plays a major role in pain processing. Using the measured brain signals, the researchers developed personalized machine-learning models to detect patterns of oxygenated hemoglobin levels associated with pain responses. When the sensors are in place, the models can detect whether a patient is experiencing pain with around 87 percent accuracy.
"The way we measure pain hasn't changed over the years," says Daniel Lopez-Martinez, a PhD student in the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology and a researcher at the MIT Media Lab. "If we don't have metrics for how much pain someone experiences, treating pain and running clinical trials becomes challenging. The motivation is to quantify pain in an objective manner that doesn't require the cooperation of the patient, such as when a patient is unconscious during surgery."
Traditionally, surgery patients receive anesthesia and medication based on their age, weight, previous diseases, and other factors. If they don't move and their heart rate remains stable, they're considered fine. But the brain may still be processing pain signals while they're unconscious, which can lead to increased postoperative pain and long-term chronic pain. The researchers' system could provide surgeons with real-time information about an unconscious patient's pain levels, so they can adjust anesthesia and medication dosages accordingly to stop those pain signals.
Joining Lopez-Martinez on the paper are: Ke Peng of Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, and the CHUM Research Centre in Montreal; Arielle Lee and David Borsook, both of Harvard Medical School, Boston Children's Hospital, and Massachusetts General Hospital; and Rosalind Picard, a professor of media arts and sciences and director of affective computing research in the Media Lab.
Focusing on the forehead
In their work, the researchers adapted the fNIRS system and developed new machine-learning techniques to make the system more accurate and practical for clinical use.
To use fNIRS, sensors are traditionally placed all around a patient's head. Different wavelengths of near-infrared light shine through the skull and into the brain. Oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin absorb the wavelengths differently, altering their signals slightly. When the infrared signals reflect back to the sensors, signal-processing techniques use the altered signals to calculate how much of each hemoglobin type is present in different regions of the brain.
When a patient is hurt, regions of the brain associated with pain will see a sharp rise in oxygenated hemoglobin and decreases in deoxygenated hemoglobin, and these changes can be detected through fNIRS monitoring. But traditional fNIRS systems place sensors all around the patient's head. This can take a long time to set up, and it can be difficult for patients who must lie down. It also isn't really feasible for patients undergoing surgery.
Therefore, the researchers adapted the fNIRS system to specifically measure signals only from the prefrontal cortex. While pain processing involves outputs of information from multiple regions of the brain, studies have shown the prefrontal cortex integrates all that information. This means they need to place sensors only over the forehead.
Another problem with traditional fNIRS systems is they capture some signals from the skull and skin that contribute to noise. To fix that, the researchers installed additional sensors to capture and filter out those signals.
An emerging neuroimaging technique called functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) could help detect pain.
Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
Personalized pain modeling
On the machine-learning side, the researchers trained and tested a model on a labeled pain-processing dataset they collected from 43 male participants. (Next they plan to collect a lot more data from diverse patient populations, including female patients — both during surgery and while conscious, and at a range of pain intensities — in order to better evaluate the accuracy of the system.)
Each participant wore the researchers' fNIRS device and was randomly exposed to an innocuous sensation and then about a dozen shocks to their thumb at two different pain intensities, measured on a scale of 1-10: a low level (about a 3/10) or high level (about 7/10). Those two intensities were determined with pretests: The participants self-reported the low level as being only strongly aware of the shock without pain, and the high level as the maximum pain they could tolerate.
In training, the model extracted dozens of features from the signals related to how much oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin was present, as well as how quickly the oxygenated hemoglobin levels rose. Those two metrics — quantity and speed — give a clearer picture of a patient's experience of pain at the different intensities.
Importantly, the model also automatically generates "personalized" submodels that extract high-resolution features from individual patient subpopulations. Traditionally, in machine learning, one model learns classifications — "pain" or "no pain" — based on average responses of the entire patient population. But that generalized approach can reduce accuracy, especially with diverse patient populations.
The researchers' model instead trains on the entire population but simultaneously identifies shared characteristics among subpopulations within the larger dataset. For example, pain responses to the two intensities may differ between young and old patients, or depending on gender. This generates learned submodels that break off and learn, in parallel, patterns of their patient subpopulations. At the same time, however, they're all still sharing information and learning patterns shared across the entire population. In short, they're simultaneously leveraging fine-grained personalized information and population-level information to train better.
The personalized models and a traditional model were evaluated in classifying pain or no-pain in a random hold-out set of participant brain signals from the dataset, where the self-reported pain scores were known for each participant. The personalized models outperformed the traditional model by about 20 percent, reaching about 87 percent accuracy.
"Because we are able to detect pain with this high accuracy, using only a few sensors on the forehead, we have a solid basis for bringing this technology to a real-world clinical setting," Lopez-Martinez says.
Reprinted with permission of MIT News. Read the original article.
- Gene mutation causes woman to feel no pain, anxiety - Big Think ›
- Your Brain Can Detect Disease in Others Before It Even Breaks Out ... ›
COVID surprise: Kids are doing all the stuff their helicopter parents used to do for them
Young people could even end up less anxiety-ridden, thanks to newfound confidence
- The coronavirus pandemic may have a silver lining: It shows how insanely resourceful kids really are.
- Let Grow, a non-profit promoting independence as a critical part of childhood, ran an "Independence Challenge" essay contest for kids. Here are a few of the amazing essays that came in.
- Download Let Grow's free Independence Kit with ideas for kids.
Four philosophers who realized they were completely wrong about things
Philosophers like to present their works as if everything before it was wrong. Sometimes, they even say they have ended the need for more philosophy. So, what happens when somebody realizes they were mistaken?
Sometimes philosophers are wrong and admitting that you could be wrong is a big part of being a real philosopher. While most philosophers make minor adjustments to their arguments to correct for mistakes, others make large shifts in their thinking. Here, we have four philosophers who went back on what they said earlier in often radical ways.
Withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants can last over a year, new study finds
We must rethink the "chemical imbalance" theory of mental health.
- A new review found that withdrawal symptoms from antidepressants and antipsychotics can last for over a year.
- Side effects from SSRIs, SNRIs, and antipsychotics last longer than benzodiazepines like Valium or Prozac.
- The global antidepressant market is expected to reach $28.6 billion this year.
Is there a limit to optimism when it comes to climate change?
Or is doubt a self-fulfilling prophecy?
'We're doomed': a common refrain in casual conversation about climate change.
What should schools teach? Now is the moment to ask.
The future of learning will be different, and now is the time to lay the groundwork.


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A series of free bi-monthly webinars examining topics vital to the future of higher education (scroll down for links to our past webinars).
Join the NCHEMS mailing list at the bottom of this page for up-to-date information.
Upcoming Webinars:
TBD – af·ford·a·bil·i·ty/əfôrdəˈbilədē/ noun – Affordability is a complicated subject, made even more so by multiple perspectives: student, institution or state. It seems that the only agreement is that college is not affordable and getting less so all the time. Yet lacking any common definition of affordability and how to measure it, we might not recognize it if we saw it, nor do we have a target for goal-setting in order to bring us closer to achieving it. Brian Prescott leads a dialog on a subject that is at the forefront of policy debates affecting everyone from students and their families to communities, institutions, systems, states, and the federal government. It's a simple word with major implications.
Past Webinars:
January 2019 – The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same In the 50 years since NCHEMS first began its work, many changes have occurred in the external factors affecting postsecondary education including the public policy environment. Dennis Jones leads a webinar highlighting curves in the policy road since 1969 and shares opinions on how policy will have to keep evolving to meet looming conditions. Pat Callan and David Longanecker will add their voices to this conversation.
April 2019 – It's a Systemic Thing. (Or it should be.) Higher education institutions are facing ever-increasing amounts of scrutiny and pressure as the importance of a college education to both individual success and a healthy economy becomes more apparent. Yet institutions acting on their own will struggle to navigate an increasingly perilous pathway in states that have unfavorable demographic futures combined with state disinvestment, as many do. State higher education agencies and multi-campus systems can add value by exercising bold, decisive, and forward-thinking policy leadership that promotes a systems approach, marked by cross-institutional collaboration, to solving these challenges. Brian Prescott leads a discussion with Aaron Thompson (Kentucky Council on Post-Secondary Education) and Jason Lane (State University of New York). They focus on how the role of state higher education agencies and multi-campus systems is evolving to help meet the demands to achieve attainment goals and close equity gaps – even as resources are stretched thin.
May 2019 – Quality Never Goes Out of Style The changing world of higher education, shaped by new forms of instructional delivery and constantly shifting demands for relevant credentials, demands new definitions of quality and new approaches to quality assurance. In this webinar, Peter Ewell addresses the evolution of quality assurance since the emergence of the "assessment movement" in the early 1980s, with an emphasis on the role of institutional accreditation and the constantly improving array of approaches to gathering evidence about what and how much students have learned. Assisting Peter as resources for this webinar are a faculty member with expertise in learning outcomes assessment (George Kuh of Indiana University and the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment) and an expert in accreditation and quality assurance policy (Melanie Booth – Associate Vice President at Dominican University and served with the WASC Senior Commission and the Quality Assurance Commons).
July 2019 – A Little (Culture) Change Just Might Do the Trick For the past two years, NCHEMS has hosted The Foundation for Student Success (FSS), setting up teams (or pods) of schools in Mentor/Mentee relationships to examine how some institutions of higher education have interrupted undesirable trends in student success measures of historically underrepresented and underserved populations. Sarah Torres Lugo and her guests, Paul Dosal (University of South Florida) and Sally Johnstone (NCHEMS) discuss the critical role of data in igniting and sustaining campus culture change that creates more fertile conditions for equity gap elimination and improvements in overall student success.
September 2019 – Is That a Classroom In Your Cellphone?
It's been decades since broadband brought classrooms into our homes, making quality education outside of a brick-and-mortar institution a new norm. Sally Johnstone and her guests—Candace Thille, Dale Johnson, and Heather Hiles—discuss the importance of the developing advances in learning science and tools that support students' greater success. They will also discuss the ever-evolving world of alternative delivery systems and how these tools will help address the needs of an agile workforce.
February 2020 – It's More Than Just a Pretty Chart
While "too much data" isn't really a thing, sorting through what is relevant to whom, what should be in focus at what altitude, and ultimately how to use the vast stores of information at our disposal leads to a dizzying array of choices. Rachel Christeson and Gina Johnson lead a discussion on data visualization: how to avoid some of the rabbit holes you trip over if you try to answer too many (or the wrong) questions and how to keep the audience for your visualizations in mind as you prepare them. They will be joined by two other NCHEMS colleagues, John Clark and Linda Leyba, who will share their expertise at finding publicly available data.
Join the NCHEMS mailing list by filling out the form below for up to date information about the Webinar Series


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Finance Guru Speaks: Today Union Budget 2016 has been announced.
Below are the key points for tax payers:-
|Budget 2016-Tax Payers
2. No change in income tax slabs in 2016-17 budget.
3. First-time home buyers to get additional deduction of Rs 50,000 on interest for loan upto Rs 35 lakh. The cost of house should not be more than Rs 50 lakh.
4. Deduction for rent paid will be raised from Rs 20,000 to Rs 60,000 to benefit those living in rented houses.
5. Ceiling of tax rebate for tax payers with up to Rs 5 lakh annual come to be raised to Rs 5000 from Rs 2000 currently. It means a relief of Rs 3000 per year.
FY 2015-16 Income Tax Slabs:-For an Individual (Male or Female) :
|Income Tax Rate FY 2015-16
|Income Tax Rate FY 2015-16 for Senior Citizens
For a resident Super Senior Citizen (More than 80 years of age) :
|Income Tax Rate FY 2015-16 for Super Senior Citizens
Please share this article over social networks. For more Learning, Please visit "At A Glance" Section.


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Your ankle deep in wet mud, with a sunburnt face and rumbling tummy whilst being crushed in a mosh pit. Music festivals, the pinnacle of British summer. But if you're not interested in the customary mix of burgers and booze, then you'll probably be quite limited for food options.
We have the perfect solution for you if you long to stay healthy but still partake in the fun; a stock of jerky! A packet of Wild West Original Jerky contains 37% protein and is low in fat. It's also in light and handy sized packaging that will fit in your bum bag (if that's your thing) and is tastes good.
Jerky will stay fresh in your tent as it doesn't need refrigerating and it comes in a waterproof bag, ready to take on day 2 and 3. Wild West also comes in a range of flavours so your tastebuds won't get bored.
If you're still hoping to keep your diet relatively balanced at a music festival, you could bring some nuts and dried fruit which go really well with jerky. These won't spoil when you don't have fridge handy.
Protein is essential for muscle re-growth and it builds and repairs skin, hair and bones. As your body does not store protein, it's important to eat regular amounts throughout the day, which can be problematic at festivals. Keeping a pack of jerky on you will help curb the hunger pangs until you're able to escape the crowd and get yourself a pint and a burger.
All that's left to do is enjoy the festival atmosphere and probably get a pair of wellies.
You can find all our jerky flavours here: Meatsnacks Shop


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Presumptive Democrat nominee uses .mobi for mobile web site.
United States Presidential candidate Barack Obama is leveraging the mobile web to get his message out. His campaign is using ObamaMobile.mobi. And unlike most popular .mobi domain names, it actually resolves to a .mobi domain rather than just forwarding to a mobile version of a .com we site.
The site does a good job providing interactivity despite mobile limitations. For example, it provides a text response number and lets users receive a whitepaper about Obama's mobile plan via e-mail (since downloading it on the phone wouldn't work well).
The only unfortunate news in this for .mobi fans is that this is a long and poor domain name. Obama.mobi forwards to an Information.com page. Even worse, ObamaMobile.com is owned by a New York firm. ObamaMobile.com was registered prior to the Barack Obama campaign picking up its domain name.
According to the dotMobi blog, Republican candidate John McCain doesn't have a mobile site. JohnMcCain.mobi is registered by a company called "Campaign Solutions". McCainMobile.mobi isn't registered yet, but McCainMobile.com is registered by the same company that owns ObamaMobile.com.