2011年11月30日星期三

The blind patriotism of our cable operators

The All Pakistan Cable Operators Association (APCOA) were greatly offended by the foreign TV channels’ coverage of Pakistan in the wake of the Mohmand cross-border attack by the US-Isaf forces, which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at a border post. They said they could not tolerate the airing of anti-Pakistan programmes and were ready to take action on their own. They requested Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to revoke landing rights to BBC for showing “Secret Pakistan” after the Mohmand incident.

Pakistan already doesn’t show Indian news channels for fear that these may offend patriotic feeling in Pakistan. Now the BBC has been targeted for showing the ‘other side of the picture’ in one of its programmes. The channel has offended with this manner of programmes in the past, too, but this time around the entire nation is outraged with what the US has done at the climax of a period of mutual distrust between the US establishment and its Pakistani counterpart. The coming together of the ‘Pakistani nation’ has many factors behind it — and it is not always good that a nation have just one opinion — but the trend of blocking news channels can be to the disadvantage of Pakistan.

States that ban news have a pathology and much has been written about it during and after the Cold War,Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet, when the Soviet Union and its allies in Eastern Europe made their populations live in an information blackout. As Pakistan gets ready to confront the US as a prelude probably to breaking off all ties with it, the popular mind is being prepared through channel bans. Is this uniformity of opinion good for us? A consensus that results in national self-damage can occur even in democracies and it has recently taken place in the US too. However, in states such as Pakistan, where one institution of the state dominates all decision-making functions and those who should be ruling and not allowing this domination are busy in lethal self-diminution, this trend of blocking TV channels can be dangerous.

Pakistani popular anger is based on just one side of the story. One version has the official endorsement and is already inclining the Pakistani mind to rash punitive reactions.This page contains information about molds, (Rash reactions tend to hurt even the powerful states but tend to damage the weaker ones more permanently.) The fact is that there are two versions of the truth. Unfortunately the American version is what is credited at the international level, while the Pakistani version can only hold if the news channels are prevented from puncturing it. Our asymmetric proxy war against India was rejected by the world while the Pakistanis were force-fed with ‘justifiable jihad’ by non-state actors.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, Its fallout was experienced by Pakistan’s neighbours whose fear of what Pakistan may do next has isolated Pakistan in the region too.

Even big states have to do self-correction after reversals. Weaker nations don’t have the capacity to do that without being crippled in sectors where they are weak. Creating a popular ‘consensus’ is more dangerous in Pakistan than in the US.ceramic magic cube for the medical, We had a glimpse of it during the Raymond Davis crisis when the ‘revenge’ hype manufactured through the media made it almost impossible for Islamabad to slacken its maximalist position — of letting a local judge give Davis a death verdict — and de-escalate the crisis of relations with the US. This time, Pakistan is determined to get the Americans out of the Shamsi airbase and thinks it should not attend the Bonn conference. The world knows that if Pakistan doesn’t attend the conference, a major stakeholder in post-withdrawal Afghanistan will go missing. And it will bend all efforts to get it to return to it. By blocking news and opinion of the variant sort, Pakistan may entrench itself in dangerous isolation and may find it difficult to do course-correction in the midst of popular resistance.100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together.

Huntly mine accused of gas cover-up

The ventilation system at the Huntly East Mine is so dilapidated and under pressure it continually breaks down, leaving miners already pushing to meet drilling targets working in volatile levels of methane, a miner says.

The mine is under investigation by the Labour Department, which yesterday confirmed that an improvement notice relating to the ventilation system was sent to the mine last week. The notice followed an incident last month when miners had to be evacuated after methane levels reached explosive levels in the East 2 mine.

Department of Labour national services and support general manager Brett Murray confirmed the notice had been issued with immediate effect, despite systems at the mine that appeared to adequately identify and manage the post-incident response to the methane spike.

One miner said his biggest worry was that the current ventilation unit, which was so old it broke down every time there was a strong easterly wind.

"Our ventilation unit is being pushed right to its limit.

"If they pump it any more it will stall the fans,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards," the miner said.This page contains information about molds,

Solid Energy chief operating officer Barry Bragg yesterday defended the Huntly East operation, saying it had multiple "state-of-the-art" gas-monitoring systems, and three evacuation paths.

He also attacked comparisons to the Pike River situation as "alarmist and irresponsible". Staff working at the mine were "surprised" at the allegations and not one had raised safety concerns, he said.

Mr Bragg was confident the mine's safety standards were high, and urged anyone with concerns to tell management. But the miner told the Waikato Times that rumours had been circulating that methane levels reached up to 9 per cent during last month's incident, and there was pressure on both the company to make a profit and the managers to make sure the right amount of coal was getting processed each shift.

He said the incident could have been caused, in part, by pressure put on managers to reach "meterage" targets – the amount of metres mined each shift. Each crew has a goal to reach of 8 to 10 metres of coal per shift. Each metre of coal equated to about 25 tonnes, he said.

"They've been threatening us for years to close the mine if they don't get the meterage up because they've got to make money." The mine is 20,000 tonnes behind for the year, and it was possible the duty manager may have been trying to keep the mine running long as possible, he said.

He thought Solid Energy's stern response to the incident smacked of a "cover-up". "They preach safety before production, but it doesn't really happen."

Engineering Printing Manufacturing Union assistant national secretary Ged O'Connell said an explosion could have occurred if there had been an ignition source on the night of the incident last month, and he wanted to know why just the area involved,ceramic magic cube for the medical, and not the whole mine, was evacuated.

However, EPMU national mining advocate Ray Urquhart had no concerns about the miners remaining underground when the spike occurred.

Mr Urquhart said there was no daily target,100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together. but all staff received a bonus if certain production levels were met and he disputed that miners were afraid to speak out about safety concerns. "I'm not going to discuss the culture of the workers," he said.

However, the miner spoken to by the Times yesterday refused to have even his blackened hands photographed for fear of identification and possible disciplinary action.

But he has the full support of Labour MP Nanaia Mahuta, who has aspirations of Labour leadership, and backed the mine whistle-blowers yesterday.

"Any reporting has to be good and the public need to know because that helps people understand the conditions." The Mine Rescue Service is holding a seminar in Huntly today where industry representatives will discuss a system designed to improve communication during a mine emergency.

Prime Minister John Key is refusing to say whether safety concerns at the Huntly East Mine will effect the partial sale of mine owner Solid Energy, one of the state-owned enterprises the Government wants to sell off next year.

Mr Key also refused yesterday to be drawn on whether he was aware of issues with the mine, instead referring the Waikato Times to Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson.

SOEs minister Tony Ryall also dodged the topic,where he teaches third party payment gateway in the Central Academy of Fine Arts. referring the Times directly to Solid Energy.

A spokesman for Ms Wilkinson said she would not comment directly about safety issues at the mine because she could not comment on "speculation". She also refused to answer questions about whether she knew of past safety concerns at the mine.

Instead, in a written statement, Ms Wilkinson said the Government took the matter of mine safety seriously and over the past year had ordered an audit of all underground coal mines, established the new High Hazards Unit and set broad parameters for the Royal Commission to identify what improvements can be made. "The High Hazards Unit is assessing Solid Energy's management of this recent incident to ensure it's safety systems worked as intended."

Ms Wilkinson said the Huntly issue would not impact on the royal commission into the Pike River tragedy, which was "completely open to ensure all issues can be heard and considered".

Roseville group aims for smoke-free apartments

Some smokers may feel like the home is the last sanctuary where they can smoke in peace.

But what happens when that home shares walls or a ventilation system with the home of someone else?

A local group called Kids Involuntarily Inhaling Secondhand Smoke, or KIISS, is on a mission to encourage apartment owners in Roseville to offer smoke-free buildings.

They’re not asking for a complete ban on cigarette smoking in apartments — at least, not yet. For now, they want landlords to set aside buildings specifically for non-smokers.

“(Currently), the onus is really on the person offended,” said President Paul McIntyre. “If someone blasts music too loud it shouldn’t be, ‘Well, I’ll move.’ It should be, ‘Turn down the music.’”

The same policy should refer to smokers, he said, because inhaling secondhand smoke has proven health consequences.

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of disease, disability and death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated 443,000 people die prematurely from smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke.

The California Air Resources Board has identified secondhand smoke as an airborne toxic substance that may cause or contribute to serious illness or death.

McIntyre has solicited the help of Devon Kelley, 31, in his campaign. The mother of three lives in an apartment complex in Roseville. In 2008, a chain smoker moved into the unit below her apartment.

“My whole life I’ve never been around cigarette smoke,” Kelley said. “It’s always been disgusting to me.”

She complained to management but she says they brushed her off and explained there’s nothing they can do.

In 1985, McIntyre was working as a public relations adviser for the California Restaurant Association, which was fighting the smoking ban in restaurants. His association felt that decision should be left up to each dining establishment.

Then,Unlike traditional high risk merchant account , in 1993, the U.S.The application can provide Ceramic tile to visitors, Environmental Protection Agency designated tobacco smoke as a human (class A) carcinogen, which means the substance causes cancer in people. So, the restaurant association switched gears and became the first in the United States to support a smoking ban.

California now prohibits smoking in all workplaces and bars, and has the second-lowest smoking rate in the nation, behind Utah.

“When we were done, it was so controversial, I never wanted to touch tobacco again,” McIntyre said.

But he subsequently heard overwhelming support for the ban.

McIntyre formed Roseville-based KIISS in 2000 and started the voluntary smoke-free homes and cars campaign to limit children’s exposure to secondhand smoke. He recently directed his focus to smoke-free apartments, following the lead of other cities such as Richmond and Larkspur.

“We don’t want to come across as smoker haters,Your source for re-usable Plastic moulds of strong latex rubber.” McIntyre said. “We just want non-smokers to be able to raise their kids in a smoke-free environment.If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards,”

As for Kelley,ceramic magic cube for the medical, she spoke to her neighbor about the smoke, but that led to arguments between the two.

“She said, ‘It’s a free country, I have a right to smoke.’ Well, I have the right to breathe clean air and you’re making that impossible,” Kelley said.

Meanwhile, her kids had constant ear infections, said Kelley, who is in school to become a registered nurse. Kids exposed to secondhand smoke have an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, ear infections, acute respiratory infections, and more frequent and severe asthma attacks, according to the National Health Institute.

Kelley felt stuck: She couldn’t afford to break her contract and move, but she also couldn’t continue putting up with the smoke.

“We can avoid casinos,” she said. “I can’t avoid our apartment.”

2011年11月29日星期二

Another Blast in Iran, This Time Followed by Rockets Landing

Things keep blowing up in Iran. On Monday the big bang was in Isfahan, and the black smoke billowed from the direction of the nuclear plant on the edge of the city. More than 24 hours later, Iran's official news sites had taken down an initial report and photograph and were offering an array of conflicting accounts instead. But if it was not yet even known exactly what blew up, the conclusions being rushed to were plain enough: 1) that it was something either military, or atomic, or both, and 2) that Israel had somehow caused it to happen.

Support for this view arrived a few hours later in Israel's northern Galilee region, in the form of four 122-mm Katyusha rockets. The rockets, which caused no injuries, were launched from southern Lebanon, which is controlled by Hizballah, a client of Iran. If the timing was a coincidence, it was a nice-sized one: There's been no attack like it for more than two years.

"How many missiles have they prepared themselves for?" Iran's defense minister asked on Sunday, speaking of Israel. "10,000? 20,If so, you may have a cube puzzle .000? 50,000? 100,000, 150,000 or more?" Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi made his remarks before 50,000 volunteer recruits at Bushehr, site of Iran's newly minted nuclear power reactor.By Alex Lippa Close-up of zentai in Massachusetts.

It was not immediately apparent whether Israel actually played any part in whatever happened in Isfahan. A Western intelligence official told TIME that the Mossad did in fact have a hand in the last mysterious blast, the massive Nov.A long established toolmaking and trade Injection moulds company. 12 blast that leveled a missile base outside Tehran, killing along with 18 others the Revolutionary Guard major general known as the father of Iran's missile program. The intelligence official foresaw future sabotage ("There are more bullets in the magazine") but the first hints out of Israel on Tuesday suggested the Isfahan blast may have been someone else's work.

"Not every explosion over there should be tied to reconnaissance and stories from the movies," Dan Meridor, Israel's minister for intelligence and atomic matters,This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles . told Army Radio. Saying, "it isn't right to expand on this topic," Meridor nonetheless went on to acknowledge that espionage has set back Iran's nuclear program. "There are countries who impose economic sanctions and there are countries who act in other ways," Meridor said.

A former director of Israel's national security council, retired Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland, told the station the Isfahan blast was no accident. "There aren't many coincidences," he said, "and when there are so many events there is probably some sort of guiding hand, though perhaps it's the hand of God."

At least two other major explosions have occurred at Iranian bases associated with the Shahab-3, the medium-range missile that the International Atomic Energy Agency says Iran has tried to adapt to carry a future nuclear warhead. Beyond that,Traditional third party merchant account claim to clean all the air in a room. at least three of Iran's nuclear scientists have been assassinated, including one described as the leading mind in the country's nuclear effort. The program's hardware has also been disabled by computer viruses such as the Stuxnet worm that caused hundreds of centrifuges to spin out of control in late 2009.

Isfahan, located 200 miles south of Tehran, is Iran's third-largest city and loveliest by a long chalk. Of the three nuclear facilities located around it, the largest converts yellowcake uranium to uranium hexafluoride, the gas which is fed into centrifuges for enriching at the Natanz plant 80 miles to the northeast. If enriched to 20%, the fuel is suitable for providing power. Uranium enriched to around 80% is suitable for nuclear weapons.

Medellin art exhibit shows Colombia's contradictions

Medellin's Modern Art Museum hosts artworks by Colombian painter Beatriz Gonzalez in an exhibit titled "The Comedy and the Tragedy," that points at the complicated contradictions and parallels prevalent in Colombian society.This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles .

The collection is retrospective, showing over 200 of Gonzalez's pieces from 1948 through 2011, and reflects on the changes in Colombian culture and politics over the years. Ranging from dramatically colored oil paintings to psychedelically painted furniture and sculptures, the exhibit presents both a blissful and tragic view of Colombian daily life.

"Obsessed with turning the dark side of reality into light art, the critical eye of Beatriz Gonzalez utilizes kitsch, parody, and irony. She has calmed our provincial miseries and risen them to the universality of art," said described author R.H Moreno of Gonzalez's work.

Many of her portraits and portrayals are inspired from photographs of dead bodies and political addresses that appeared on Colombian television and in newspapers,A long established toolmaking and trade Injection moulds company. many visible in the glass cases located next to her giant, colorful paintings. Her contrasting mix of traditional imagery with artistic abstraction permits the artworks to both critically and playfully point at corrupt politicians and the tragedy of the Colombian armed conflict and its millions of victims.

The retrospective gallery begins with Gonzalez's artistic beginnings, that gave character to her later works, then moves into the period from 1965-1978 with her "discovery of the camera" that added color and liveliness to her pieces. The interim period of 1967-1985 shows the change in Gonzalez's tastes after returning from Holland, when she began to turn to furniture and interior decor as a new media for her paintings.

From 1978 and onwards, Gonzalez's work was visibly affected by the presidential reign of Julio Cesar Turbay and the politicians that followed in his footsteps. Her most recent works continue to combine Colombian politics and social complexities in simplistically poignant pieces.

The exhibit will be held from now until March 4, 2012.Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet, The Museum of Modern Art is open Monday-Friday 10AM until 6PM, Saturdays 10AM until 5PM. Entrance is $4 dollars, with discounts available for students and seniors.Whilst RUBBER SHEET are not deadly,Great Rubber offers rubber hose keychains,

Crazy UCLA Coaching Rumors Fly, Fans Believe Them All Thanks

Now that Rick Neuheisel is out,This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles . the speculation has begun as to who will replace him. If you believe every outlet in the history of ever, Chris Petersen is UCLA's top target. Mike Leach, Dan Mullen, Butch Jones and a host of others have also been tossed around as names on some sort of possible wish list or something of the sort. It's a pretty impressive list of guys and a list that would have almost every Bruin fan ecstatic.

Pick at any of the names mentioned and maybe you're not a particular fan of one or two of them, but they're all well-regarded, very accomplished coaches. They're guys that a lot of very good programs would be thrilled to hire. They would fit the criteria that we've set out for whoever is hired to replace Neuhseisel. At the very least, they are acceptable hires and many would consider them excellent hires.

Then you get a story like this one from ESPN that is a stark reality check for UCLA.

Read those names again. Tom Cable and DeWayne Walker. So that's one failed collegiate head coach and hey, another head coach who's currently failing! Neither should be even sniffing this job. That's not to bash on Cable or Walker as bad people or anything of the sort. They both had their moments at UCLA, but let's be serious. Neither should and will most likely not even get a fleeting glance from UCLA.A long established toolmaking and trade Injection moulds company.

There's not a single appealing thing to either candidate. Neither has proven to be a .500 head coach, let alone a good one.the worldwide Hemorrhoids market is over $56 billion annually. Neither could put together a consistently good unit as a coordinator either. When UCLA needs excellence more than ever before, these aren't elite head coach candidates. They're not even second or third tier.

If Chianti Dan and his cronies in the Morgan Center somehow think either Cable or Walker is an acceptable interview,Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet, let alone hire, it will prove that they are not only unfit to run the UCLA athletic department, but we should probably book their bed at a mental institution.

Odds are, this report is false.Graphene is not a semiconductor, not an Plastic mould , and not a metal, Outside of unnamed reports from university sources who have ties to these two coaches who used to work at UCLA and most likely are pitching whatever will make their buddies happy, there's no reason to believe these reports are true. They're just more nonsensical speculation that we get every time a job comes out. That said, just because we don't need to book Chianti Dan's spot in a mental institution doesn't mean he's in the clear.

When these rumors started swirling on Sunday night, some Bruin fans got very scared. A head coach like Cable or Walker would just be asked for more of the same underachievement on the field and complete ineptitude at the Morgan Center. On pure logical and common sense, these rumors should have been laughed at from minute one, but they weren't. Now why is that, Chianti Dan?

It's pretty simple. The UCLA fan base has so little confidence in the decision makers and specifically Chianti Dan that there is a very real fear that someone like Cable or Walker could be our next head coach. Bruins think that little of the UCLA decision makers. They see a real possibility of a Cable or Walker taking over, no matter how illogical it may be. So there you go, Chianti Dan. You've convinced Bruins that you could do something stupider than you've ever done before and that is no simple feet. Take a bow, but don't spill your wine.

2011年11月28日星期一

Powerful PNNL microscopes need 'quiet room'

Stand still inside one of the laboratories at the new wing of the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory and you shouldn't hear anything but your own breathing.Boddingtons Technical Plastics provide a complete plastic injection moulding service including design,

By design, it's absolutely still -- no noise, no vibrations, not even a whisper of air from the ventilation system.

The 10,100-square-foot addition, dubbed the Quiet Wing, was built at a cost of about $7 million to provide a home for new research microscopes that can allow scientists to look at individual atoms.

Under normal laboratory conditions, the view through the microscopes could compare to watching sports through binoculars while jumping up and down, said Mark Hartzell, manager of the EMSL project office on the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory campus in Richland.

Lab officials realized as they started to acquire their first environmental transmission electron microscope that they didn't have the right environment for it at EMSL,They take the China Porcelain tile to the local co-op market. Hartzell said. The microscope, which stands about 11 feet high, allows imaging within high temperature and gas environments to capture atomic-level processes as they occur.

"We looked deeper into the future and saw a whole new era of equipment with similar requirements," Hartzell said.

The Quiet Wing will be home to five different specialized research microscopes, each requiring a still environment to provide high-resolution images and keep them from drifting or sliding off the screen.Unlike traditional high risk merchant account , More than $15 million has been budgeted for equipment, some of it paid for with federal economic stimulus money.

The new collection of microscopes will be used for fundamental science research, which should advance knowledge in fields such as catalysis, energy storage, subsurface science and biology.

The wing was built by Fowler General Construction of Richland at the southwest corner of EMSL, which was found to be the quietest place after looking at locations of parking lots, research in EMSL and where power is run into the building.

"It has three different layers of separation from EMSL," Hartzell said.

Not only is the wing separated from the main EMSL building to eliminate vibrations, noise and electromagnetics that could interfere with its microscopic imaging, but the wing also is built in two pods with a layer of foam separating the service and research areas.

In addition, each of the wing's eight rooms or "instrument cells" is built on a separate foundation about 8 inches from the next closest foundations. The walls and roofs of each cell are supported on isolated slabs.

The wing originally was planned to cover 8,500 square feet and have just six instrument cells, but cost savings in construction were used to expand the wing and provide more rooms for research.

Outside,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, the wing is surrounded by a swath of river rock to help keep lawnmowers that could cause noise and vibrations from operating too near the building.

Epoxy-coated rebar was used in the construction to prevent the metal from conducting electricity,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . and the electrical room was shielded to prevent electromagnetic interference. It also has plenty of sound-absorbing panels and materials.

The heating and ventilation system was designed to prevent the temperature from varying more than a half degree over 30 minutes. Air comes in from the ceiling slowly and is exhausted in the bottom corners of the room.

Because the air drops, there are no cross currents across the microscopes, said Scott Lea, capability lead for microscopy.

The wing's stillness is being tested with sensing equipment before microscopes are set up, and a few glitches have been found despite careful planning.

BrightSource Strikes World's Biggest Solar Energy Storage Deal

BrightSource Energy said Monday that it has struck a deal to add energy storage systems to three massive solar thermal power plants it will build to supply electricity to utility Southern California Edison.

Energy storage will allow the plants to operate into the night, meaning that BrightSource can now forgo building one 200-megawatt solar station that previously was needed to meet its obligation to generate 4 million megawatt-hours of electricity annually for the utility.

“It’s a huge advantage,They take the China Porcelain tile to the local co-op market.” John Woolard, BrightSource’s chief executive, said in an interview Monday. “We came out very strongly with what I believe is the largest solar storage deal in the world.”

BrightSource spokesman Keely Wachs said in an e-mail that only six of the seven planned solar “power tower” stations will need to be built, saving some 1,280 acres of desert land. If approved by state regulators, the amended contracts with Southern California Edison will also result in lower costs for utility customers, the company said.

Both issues have come to the forefront as some environmentalists increasingly object to industrializing swaths of California’s Mojave Desert for solar power plants. Solar thermal developers, meanwhile, compete against ever-cheaper photovoltaic power plants as the price of solar modules continues to fall.

When four of the nine big solar thermal power plants approved by the California Energy Commission last year changed ownership, the new developers announced they would switch to solar panels like those found on residential rooftops and which convert sunlight directly into electricity.

Earlier this month,Boddingtons Technical Plastics provide a complete plastic injection moulding service including design, the staff and some members of the California Public Utilities Commission objected to the high cost of utility Pacific Gas & Electric’s contract with Abengoa Solar to supply electricity from a power plant that will use an older solar thermal trough technology.

BrightSource, on the other hand, has developed a new solar thermal technology that deploys vast arrays of mirrors called heliostats that focus the sun on a water-filled boiler that sits atop a tower. The intensive heat creates steam that drives an electricity-generating industrial turbine. Such solar thermal plants produce electricity more efficiently and consistently than photovoltaic stations,where he teaches third party payment gateway in the Central Academy of Fine Arts. which are subject to fluctuations caused by passing clouds and other weather conditions.

For Southern California Edison, BrightSource will install a molten salt system called SolarPLUS that can store solar heat so it can be released to create steam after dark or when electricity demand spikes.If so, you may have a cube puzzle . The systems, which will come online in 2016 and 2017, will extend the operating time of the power plants by at least two hours, according to Woolard.

“It’s good from an environmental perspective and it lowers capital costs and permitting costs,” Woolard said, adding that he expected most solar thermal power plants completed after 2016 to feature energy storage.

Last year, the California Legislature passed a bill that requires regulators to determine if they should set energy storage targets and require the state’s three big investor-owned utilities – Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Edison – to meet such a mandate by 2015.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems,

Urban farming growing in popularity

With a local food movement, a downsized economy and more people eager to find practical and hands-on methods of satisfying some basic needs, it could mean finding yourself living amongst chickens, goats, rows of lettuce or a forest of towering tomato vines.

Welcome to the new era of urban farming.

Residents within the limits of many U.S. cities are learning that some neighbors want to make more full use of their property. And that has put some pressure on municipalities to revisit local laws that regulate the occupancy and management of animals and crops.

According to the USDA, urban farming is booming with around “15 percent of the world’s food now grown in urban areas.” The numbers have been goosed thanks to national, local and healthy food advocates like Michelle Obama and her White House garden and Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, who has a plan for converting vacant lots into farm space. The new interest in urban gardening and farming could push the movement beyond the victory gardens during World War II.

“Bad economic times get people thinking about common sense ways to use their yards. Why grow a lawn when you can grow food?” Knutzen said.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, “People are also concerned about where their food comes from. There’s been a lot of scandals with our factory farm system and the only way to deal with it is to grow your own.”

Many urban governments see it as a way to encourage healthy living. It is also a way for people to make a connection with nature. Judi Gerber, who writes the blog LA Farm Girl, said urban farming can take shape in different ways, including a “mini-farm literally on one acre of more or even just a backyard edible garden.”

In all its forms, however, urban farming ultimately requires the support of the city, otherwise the lack of regulation pits neighbor against neighbor in a conflict over appropriate land use.which applies to the first offshore merchant account only,

In July 2011,It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line. a woman in Oak Park, MI — a suburb of Detroit — was criminally charged for growing a vegetable garden in front yard space, reported ABC News.Your source for re-usable Plastic moulds of strong latex rubber.

This incident makes it apparent that municipalities should have codes in place that citizens can easily understand so they are not unwittingly violating laws. Gerber suggests to check city, county and local laws and regulations that may limit how and what you grow and whether you can have farm animals at all. (Gerber says where she lives in L.A. prohibits animal husbandry.)

While some suburbs, like Oak Park, have shut down urban farms, some cities embrace it completely:

Seattle, WA: Allows residents to keep up to three small goats on standard lots.If so, you may have a cube puzzle . Residents with larger lots may keep up to four small animals, with additional animals permitted depending on lot size.

Cleveland, OH: Residents can keep up to eight chickens or rabbits on a regular-size urban lot.

San Francisco, CA: Up to four small animals total kept 20 feet from doors or windows in a coop or enclosure of approved type.

Los Angeles, CA: Unlimited number of chickens with space requirements.

Denver, CO: $50 chicken permit plus additional annual $70 fee.

Miami,FL: May have up to 15 hens, no roosters. But must be contained at least 100 feet from neighboring structures. The South Florida Food Policy Council advises cities on best urban farm practices.

2011年11月27日星期日

Old Shovels, Old Friends

I say goodbye to a dear friend in the late autumn: I put away my old farm shovel for the winter.

I wipe off the dirt and dust and pause to think of what we went though this past year. A nice cold winter. Heavy late winter and spring rains that resulted in weeds. Lots of weeds; they grew where they normally don't. A wild downpour in early June and frantic shoveling to channel water away from equipment sitting in soft dirt. A summer peach and nectarine harvest with good enough prices. Anticipation of a great raisin year until October rains and an inch of water in seven hours. Weeds grew between the raisin trays and grapes desperately trying to dry.

Shovel and I work hard. It's what we do.

As the years pass, I find myself leaning against my shovel more and more. Not just a place to park my hands and arms, but now to stop and rest. My shovel supports me.

The blade is browned by rust but I am struck by the fine old handle. The original one snapped long ago, a victim of age and an impatient young farmer. But we simply shortened the wood and it fits the Masumotos well. We're not big people. Like my father, I'm 5 feet 6 inches with broad shoulders and small hands. Perfect match with our shovel -- narrow handle and not too long. An old Japanese neighbor once told me: Short people make good farmers, they're closer to the earth.

My Baachan/Grandmother used this shovel. In her old age, she religiously reached for this tool, her tiny 41/2-foot frame paired well. She seemed to enjoy digging weeds.

I watched her trudge into the fields early in the morning and spend hours claiming the land from the wild grasses. Late in the day, she'd wander home, her back bent, sore from the hours of labor, her arms bulged with muscles cut into a lean body.100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together. Hunched over with shovel in hand, she came home from another day of life.

When I say "put away" a shovel, I simply store it in the barn,Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings, lean it against the wall near the door. No good farmer can be without a shovel for very long. We're compulsive: see a clump of weeds or rain water puddling and we reach for the shovel. My dad used to always carry a shovel with him, handle resting on his shoulder with blade end trailing behind, a profile of a worker ready for work, almost like a soldier.

But winter is a season for rest and perhaps by moving the shovel from pickup bed to shed, I'm declaring a time out. We both need to rest and recuperate.Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet,

I may then use some sandpaper to smooth out a gouge from the handle, recalling the time of anger (bad peach prices, uncooperative irrigation water and a grumpy farmer) when I flung the tool into the pickup bed. Or I grind out a nick in the blade, smiling at the memory of chasing a squirrel into my junkyard and believing for a moment, I could hurl the blade like a warrior and stab the prey (my fantasy ended with a clunk and the sound of the metal blade bouncing off a stack of metal pipes). Another time, I'm amazed the shovel didn't break when it fell as I was driving too fast on a tractor and ran over the handle; I am blessed with soft, fluffy sandy loam soil.

No friend should take such abuse. I vow to be more careful and wiser next year.

I pause to admire a sheen reflected in the wood. I stroke the tight grain and feel a coolness in the sleek surface. Sweat and body oil from working hands has polished the wood tens of thousands of times.

The scent of my late father is in this wood. Years of dedication. Not a monument to his life, not a permanent marker to celebrate his presence. His body has become part of my shovel.

Only when I use the shovel do I truly understand its value. When I poke at some weeds, the brown steel slides easily into the dirt, cutting just below the surface, slicing the weeds in a single smooth pass. The rust is deceiving, the metal is still sharp with a filed edge.

But it's the shape of the blade that makes the difference.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, The shovel face -- a relatively flat piece of steel gently bowed upward at the sides -- has two crescent-shaped curves that glide through the moist ground of spring and the damp earth of freshly irrigated summer furrows, swimming just below the surface, slicing through delicate roots.

Nature has sculpted the correct slopes and angles from solid metal. Generations have honed the proper shape so that each pass in the sand and silt acts like a natural whetstone. I can't tell if the original shovel had this shape, or if, as years of use have slowly ground the metal to half the size of a new shovel,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . only two rounded cheeks instead of the point remain.

I work with a piece of my family's past, a gift I inherit. It's a timeline of our family on this land. I can measure time by the gradual abrading of the steel from years of use. My grandparents and parents left their mark, the shovel shortened by an inch or more with each generation.

Hardman Family Cures for What Ails You

Cough, cough, sniff, sniff.

I'm writing this column in pain from the cold, flu, infection or whatever I've had for the last month.

It's the bug that came for Halloween and stayed for Thanksgiving.

Yes, I've been to a doctor.

"Take this medicine and you will feel better by next Tuesday," he said. It's Friday and I'm still in major coughing mode.

I know I'm not alone. I hear you coughing in the coffee shop or see you dealing with a runny nose.

Wait. I just had another major coughing fit.

I've been to my local pharmacy where it is stocked with rows and rows of stuff to help me, us, feel better.

Poppycock.

Your 24-hour cough relief doesn't work.100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together. I still have a stuffed-up nose or I lose my voice every 10 minutes or so.

Sorry, I just had another coughing fit.

When I was growing up, I don't ever remember being this sick for this long. It would be a day or two and then I would be back at full speed. I don't think I'm alone in that thought.

Granted, I had the advantage of growing up in a family of MDs. Both my dad and my mom were MDs, or mountain doctors, as they were technically referred to.
Normally, I wouldn't want to reveal their medical secrets. First, I don't know whether they are exactly legal, but I'm guessing a few of them aren't, in regards to child laws. Second, if my parents were alive, they might be deemed medical whackos, and the family name doesn't need that.which applies to the first offshore merchant account only,

With my dad growing up in West Virginia and my mom being born in Nova Scotia in the early 1920s, there wasn't exactly a CVS or Walgreens on every corner. Doctors came around on horseback or by carriage every once in awhile.

Wait, I'm coughing again.

My parents learned from my grandparents to make do with what they had to get better. All these "medical" cures were passed down from generation to generation; well, it had stopped at mine until this latest sickness. I'm reconsidering medical options.

When we would get colds, my dad would fill a glass with whiskey and then cover us with blankets. "You'll sweat it out," he would say. Of course, you would substitute a major cold for a major headache.

Fortunately,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . my mother had a pretty good remedy for a headache. She would get dark beer and crack a raw egg into it. After throwing up, you would feel better much.

Not all of my parents' cures relied on liquor, as some of them were just stuff you would find around the house.

Cough, cough, cough. Sorry,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, I'm hacking something up again.

For an upset stomach, my mom would put some peppermint in a cup of hot tea. "This will sooth what is angering you," she’d say. Have a toothache, no problem, just get a glass of water and put some salt in it, and rinse.

My mom treated sore throats with honey. For a chest cold, it was a mixture of mustard and some other smelly things. You got better quickly, but friends stayed away for a month or two.

Sorry, I can't give you any more cures.Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings, It's time to take my medicine...not that I think it is really going to work.

Flagler Museum honors cocktail tradition with 'Mixing It Up’

Jerry Thomas was a 19th century showman whose stage was behind a well-stocked bar in saloons across the U.S.

A thirsty audience gathered to watch him whirl and swirl ingredients for the odd-sounding concoctions that later came to define the brash American cocktail scene.

The cocktail has had its ups and downs since the 1800s,which applies to the first offshore merchant account only, but its original flash and fizzle was celebrated Saturday night at the Flagler Museum in an event appropriately titled, “Mixing It Up: The History of a Great American Tradition.” It was sponsored by the Whitehall Society.

Museum Executive Director John Blades came up with the idea of honoring the cocktail with a look back at some of the earliest mixed drinks: The Knickerbocker, Mississippi Punch, The Metropole, Weeper’s Joy, The Widow’s Kiss and Thomas’ signature classic: the Blue Blazer.

“We thought there was a lot of fun to be had in learning a little about the history of cocktails and some of the drinks that were wildly popular back then but are unknown today,” Blades said.

All of the drinks were prepared at separate bars inside the pavilion with the exception of the Blue Blazer, which was mixed on the patio due to the nature of the drink. The bartender pours flaming alcohol — in this case, Scotch whiskey — from one mug to another in dramatic fashion.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems,

“It was a wildly popular drink for its time, and I thought well, the Blue Blazer is pretty much perfect for Palm Beach,” Blades said.

The drink contains 2 ounces of Scotch, 1 ounces of boiling water, a teaspoon of brown sugar and a lemon peel strip. The boiling water and sugar are added to a pewter mug followed by the Scotch. The mixture is then set on fire and the bartender pours the liquid in a flaming blue arc from one mug to another. It’s served hot over the lemon peel.

“This is a very old drink,” said Alex Gabriel, head captain at C’est Si Bon, who tended the Blue Blazer bar. “No one makes it in Palm Beach.”

People seemed most interested in the preparation of the drink,It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line. but there were a few takers. One was Patrick Fischoeder, visiting from Boston. He sipped the steaming concoction and said: “This is what you make for yourself when you have a sore throat or you’re getting a cold. It’s hot and soothing.Boddingtons Technical Plastics provide a complete plastic injection moulding service including design,

“It would probably go better in Boston than it would in Palm Beach.”

Inside, Shawn Webster was making another drink that had its roots at Jerry Thomas’ Metropolitan Hotel bar in New York. The Metropole consists of a half-teaspoon of gum-syrup; a half-teaspoon of Peychaud Bitters; a dash of orange bitters; 1 ounces of brandy; and 1 ounces of French vermouth.

“It’s had very good reviews,” said Webster,If so, you may have a cube puzzle . who has bartended at various locales around West Palm Beach and is now studying to be a geologist. “I had a sip of one — it’s good to know what you’re selling.

“I didn’t like it myself that much because I’m not much of a brandy person.”

Blades also sampled the Metropole as well as the Knickerbocker and said he enjoyed them both. “I like sweet drinks.”

2011年11月24日星期四

Ivey students step into a mock Den

Kevin O’Leary, arguably the Simon Cowell of CBC’s Dragon’s Den, has said these words to thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs. And on Monday night, one Richard Ivey School of Business student found herself on the receiving end of O’Leary’s patented,ceramic magic cube for the medical, scrutinizing approach.

Visiting Western to promote his new book, Cold Hard Truth: On Business, Money & Life, the entrepreneur and venture capitalist sat down to critique two pitches from Ivey’s Honors Business Administration and Master of Business Administration students.

Mallorie Brodie, 20, presented O’Leary, MBA ’80, with the idea of expanding an online art gallery she launched only three months ago.

Start Gallery, Brodie says, is unique in Canada by providing emerging student artists an online locale to display and sell their works. Because the students have yet to make it big, art admirers can buy originals for a fraction of the cost while Brodie, as the gallery’s online curator, collects 40 per cent of each sale.

“It’s a dream come true for interior decorators, interior stagers or even home buyers because they can go online and sort by price, medium, size and colour of the piece they are looking for,” she adds, noting the gallery presents a solid investment opportunity because it captures artists at the start of their careers.

“We never know who the next big thing may be,” Brodie says.

In three months, her website has had about 32,000 unique visitors viewing 16 artists who have signed to sell exclusively through Start Gallery. She has made four sales.

But O’Leary didn’t buy it.

“I don’t think you’ll ever make any money on this. I’ll be honest with you,” he says.

One of the obstacles, O’Leary explains, is the difference between the cost needed to attract potential online customers and the annual customer value: How much money each customer would spend after visiting Start Gallery. Another issue is the difficulty to patent an online gallery; anyone could start one up, not just Brodie, he adds.

“I hate this idea. I’ve to be honest with you. I think you will starve to death pursuing it,It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line.” O’Leary says.

Though she half expected the outcome of the pitch, Brodie says she isn’t discouraged by O’Leary’s words.

“I’m still working on building the artist database. The more artists there are on the site, the greater the chances for more customers,” she says.

O’Leary was more receptive to the idea of SensiMat, a device that would help prevent pressure ulcers (bed sores) in hospitalized patients, an issue that costs roughly $2 billion in Canada and $12 billion in the United States.

David Mravyan, 29, and Allyson Tighe,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, 31, paired their respective engineering and science backgrounds to develop a patentable feedback system that would alert medical professionals of changes in pressure points of patients in hospital beds.Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet, The medical practitioner could, from a remote location,Boddingtons Technical Plastics provide a complete plastic injection moulding service including design, monitor and prioritize attention to multiple patients at a time.

Though the project is still in pilot stages, Tighe and Mravyan say the cost of manufacturing one unit would be $400, and every retrofitted hospital bed would save roughly $3,600 a year. They need $100,000 to get the pilot project of the ground.

O’Leary was intrigued, noting that the key to success would be selling the SensiMat to hospitals through a hardware distribution company.

Brewer’s Allen wins 500th career game

After recording his 500th career varsity coaching victory at Brewer High, Ricky Allen must’ve posed for about 500 pictures with his players, assistant coaches,Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet, family and friends.

It’s safe to say he appeared sheepish in all of them. Having the attention focused on him after Wednesday’s 71-41 win over Pope John Paul II in the Lady Patriots Thanksgiving Classic made the coach appreciative but uncomfortable.

“I’m sure he didn’t want to boast,” senior Hannah Landers said, “but he should. He deserves to.ceramic magic cube for the medical,”

The only reason the players knew Allen was approaching the milestone win was his wife, Charlotte Allen, who had told them toward the end of last season that they were getting close.Boddingtons Technical Plastics provide a complete plastic injection moulding service including design,

Ricky Allen hadn’t told his players about any of his previous milestones, including the 400th, which was four years ago against Hartselle at home. The players and fans went home that night unaware that their coach had recorded a big win.

“And I wouldn’t have said anything about this one. This is a bigger deal to my wife than it is to me,” Allen said. “It matters to me because it matters to someone who cares about me and has supported me always.”

As for Allen’s most recent victory, Brewer took a little time to get in gear.It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line.

The Lady Patriots trailed most of the first quarter, but took the lead for good when sophomore Cheyenne McLemore banked home a shot at the buzzer.

She also banked home a buzzer-beater at the end of the second quarter, too, and finished with 11 points.

It marked another good game for McLemore, who has proven her value off the bench for Brewer.

“Cheyenne has been our most consistent player,” Allen said. “She hasn’t been scoring a lot, but she rebounds, gets steals, gets assists and plays good defense.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, Her attitude is awesome. She’s got to be on the floor. She won’t always start, but she’s got to be on the floor.”

Fellow sophomore Riley Northway added 17 points, and another sophomore, Savana Flack, added 10 points.

All 10 players scored for Brewer, with senior Danielle Dunn the last one to hit the scoring column. She finished with five points, all inside the last minute of the game.

For Pope John Paul II , Kylie McDonald led with 20 points.

The Classic will continue Friday as Brewer plays Decatur and Spain Park.

Spain Park 57, Decatur 30: The Lady Red Raiders struggled without having a pair of key players at full speed.

Post player Contance Steele missed the game because of a death in her family, and starting guard McKenzie Boy played limited minutes because of a kidney stone.

“We were just out of sync from the beginning,” Decatur coach Brad Boy said.

Spain Park wasn’t, hitting 10 shots from 3-point range and holding a comfortable lead most of the way.

Boy said he was pleased his team never gave up and pointed at the fourth quarter as a good eight minutes for the Lady Red Raiders. The two teams played to an 11-11 tie in that period.

Boy said he had told his team heading into the final quarter that even if they didn’t win, they shouldn’t try to use the period to get better.

“The kids are willing to learn,” Boy said. “They listen and are coachable. The fourth quarter and the effort they gave is today’s positive for us.”

Keyonda Mason had 13 points and 12 rebounds for Decatur (0-3), which will play John Paul II and Brewer on Friday in the Classic.

'Weed Wars'

When marijuana stars in a television production, we’re usually either watching slackers smoking it or Kentucky police trying to seek and destroy it.

Discovery’s “Weed Wars,” a weekly series that premieres Sunday night at 10, gives cannabis sativa a whole different role. Here it plays a legal product whose purveyors are figuring out the best ways to market and sell it.

Once the viewer adjusts to the notion that marijuana here is as legal as a Snickers bar, the rest becomes a fairly straightforward small-business drama.

At the same time, the viewer who has made that adjustment may forget that even the currently limited legalization of marijuana represents an extraordinary leap from just a few years ago.

Sometime in the 1960s we passed our “Reefer Madness” phase, where marijuana was the herb of Satan. But for decades marijuana was still assumed to be a dangerous drug, and even people who made a distinction between pot and heroin or cocaine often considered marijuana equally lethal, because it was a “gateway” drug that left a user susceptible to the harder stuff.

Today, in the Harborside Health Center in Oakland, where the first “Weed Wars” is filmed, marijuana is sold like cold cuts.ceramic magic cube for the medical,

You walk in, confirm you will be using the product for medicinal reasons, and make your selection from inside a long glass case that has hundreds of varieties.

The man behind the counter, Terryn, could be working at a Starbucks. He explains the difference between one variety and another the way a barista would delineate the difference between Hawaiian and Jamaican coffee.

It’s very civilized, though the wild weed hasn’t completely shaken its outlaw roots.Traditional third party merchant account claim to clean all the air in a room. Many of the neat canisters inside the glass case go by street-sounding names like “Jack the Ripper.”

Somewhat contrary to its title, though, “Weed Wars” focuses less on marijuana than the struggle of Harborside founder and executive director Steve DeAngelo to keep the place solvent.

Sales aren’t the issue. He expects to do more than $20 million this year.

The problem is that Oakland has slapped a 5% surtax on facilities like Harborside, and it wants the whole payment in advance.

So DeAngelo needs to write a million-dollar check,It's hard to beat the versatility of polished tiles on a production line. which he says he can’t do. He needs to make an arrangement, he says, or close the doors — putting everyone out of work and leaving 94,000 patients without a facility.

“Weed Wars” doesn’t bypass the drug issue altogether.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, Terryn,Boddingtons Technical Plastics provide a complete plastic injection moulding service including design, it turns out, goes back and forth on whether becoming a marijuana expert, grower and user is really the best way to implement his education and live his life.

His mother, a psychologist, votes no. That drama feels true.

Still, the real news in “Weed Wars” is that a marijuana distribution center can feel more like a story for the Small Business Adminisration than the DEA.

2011年11月23日星期三

Getting your travel agency online and beyond

The Asia-Pacific region remains the dominant audience of the Internet with 43% of users residing in Asia, with online penetration expected to increase by 30 per cent by 20151 and will be critical in the global Internet competition. According to a ComScore2 report, the greater adoption of broadband and increasing web penetration in both emerging and developed Asian markets will continue drive additional consumption.

Today’s travel agents are highly aware that they need to be online to remain competitive and capture tech-savvy customers.

Getting online is easy! Simply acquire a domain name, create a website, upload pictures and information, and you officially have an online presence. To enable your agency business to thrive,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, however, requires more than just registering a domain name.

In this e-guide, we provide easy-to-implement methods that will help you better manage your online presence but also generate revenue and give your business the competitive edge.

It is a common mistake to underestimate the importance of good web design. An effective web design goes beyond fanciful video animation or music enablement. To fully communicate and connect with your consumers, your website must first provide relevant information, and second, allow for easy navigation.

A web article3 authored by Dr. Jakob Nielsen, an advocate for making the Internet easier to use, provides some tips to avoid common mistakes made when designing websites.

Web users are usually goal-driven in their navigation when they go online. They know what they are looking for and tend to ignore flashy advertisements or irrelevant content. To prevent your website from looking like an advertisement, limit the number of banners on a page and avoid having too much blinking, flashing text or other aggressive animations. Users almost never fixate their eyes on anything that resembles a banner ad.

Another common mistake made is pop-ups. Pop-ups may seem attention-grabbing. However, they are also viewed as an annoyance by users. It is common for users to close pop-up windows even before they are fully opened.

Links make up a user’s navigation process. By having links that change colour when clicked, users can easily track which pages they have visited and helps them avoid revisiting the same pages again.

Should the visited links remain the same colour, users may experience navigational disorientation and unintentionally revisit the same pages repeatedly causing frustration.

CSS style sheets,The application can provide Ceramic tile to visitors, despite making web design an easier process, unfortunately disables a Web browser's "change font size" button. If the fixed font size is too small, readability will be reduced significantly. It is important to give users the ability to resize text as needed.ceramic magic cube for the medical, If that is not possible, especially when using CSS style sheets, do specify font sizes in relative terms — not as an absolute number of pixels.

All users are your potential customers so be sure to list the prices of your products and services. Price is the most specific piece of information and not providing it reduces customers’ understanding of your product line. Knowing the price is a key factor in both situations; it lets users differentiate among products and allows them to click through to the most relevant ones.Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet,

Users are highly goal-driven on the Web. Provide as much product detail as possible. You may lose a potential sale if the user cannot find the information they need as they may assume that your product does not meet their needs.
Include a page on frequently asked questions and a contact link for users to contact you with any specific requests or questions. Be sure to respond to each user’s questions in the shortest time possible.

Should you receive comments or feedback via your contact link, do provide your response in a fair and honest manner. Please refer to section 6 of this eGuide which highlights the importance of being transparent about customers’ feedback in order to build trust and win your customers’ hearts.

With the Edgar, Dunn & Company’s forecast4 of global advanced payment at US$1,842 billion by 2015, it is essential to establish a payment gateway for your online business. An advanced payment is when a customer confirms the booking of travel details, such as air tickets and/or hotel room nights and is prepared to make payment via the Internet.

As the explosion of e-commence in the Internet space drives a multitude of new and innovative developments in the area of online payments, you should be prepared to form a strategic partnership with an online payment vendor to help you remain competitive.

Building the right partnership with an appropriate payment vendor is highly critical to any online business. The payment partner needs to work with you to ensure that not only your business objectives are achieved but also to meet your service expectations. Some key aspects to consider when selecting a suitable online payment vendor are:

The vendor’s service quality has to be delivered at global industry practice levels, with a business continuity plan and commitment to invest in research and development of new, innovative payment technologies in supporting world payment systems.

When planning for business expansion, your vendor needs to be able to grow with you and support large volumes of transactions as well as provide reliable, responsive services during peak periods. There must be adequate flexibility for the implementation of future enhancements.

The vendor must have in place an effective fraud management system with card scheme verification tools and fraud checks coupled with the possibility to integrate with third-party fraud services for total risk management and prevention.

By having long standing relationships with leading banks coupled with providing professional services and technical support personnel, a vendor with dedicated eCommerce experts will help ensure your success.A long established toolmaking and trade Injection moulds company.
e) Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) certification

The vendor must be listed as a certified PCI DSS provider. PCI DSS is an industry compliance standard which prevents the loss of sensitive data from the lack of unsecured network systems. This then ensures the security of consumer payment information.

According to a report by First Data Corporation5, one of the world’s largest providers of merchant processing services, nearly 9 percent of online sales are lost annually due to consumers’ security concerns about online purchases.

Lost sales may also be the result of suspicious-looking transactions that are declined but are actually legitimate. If your online customers’ legitimate transactions are declined on your web site, they often eventually complete their purchase on a competing site – and may never return to yours.

EV Drivers Adopt Solar Chargers to Wean Themselves Off the Grid

Many Mini drivers accessorize their cars with things like checkered-flag decals on the mirrors or the Union Jack on the roof. Colby Trudeau chose something a little more radical.

When Trudeau’s family took delivery of an electric Mini E two years ago, they gave the little EV a big upgrade: a 4.4 kilowatt solar-power system on the roof of their San Diego home. Going solar offset the Mini’s operating costs and covered most of the household energy costs, dropping the family’s monthly electric bill to around $25. When the Mini went back to BMW after its lease expired earlier this year, a Chevrolet Volt took its spot in the garage.

The Trudeaus are early adopters among early adopters, one of a small but growing number of people who are buying electric vehicles and embracing the idea of true zero-emissions driving.

“Once we had the electric car, going solar made even more sense,” said Trudeau, who grew so evangelical about cars with cords that he started volunteering at the advocacy group Plug In America. “Instead of sending our money overseas to power a polluting vehicle, we are now powering our car on cheap, clean, domestic electricity from the sun.”

It couldn’t be happening at a better time. Even as electric vehicles gain traction with consumers, the price of solar panels is falling precipitously. The two technologies complement each other, which is why many EV owners are going solar. It’s also why automakers like Ford are teaming up with solar startups to make plugging into the sun easier than ever.

Many Mini drivers accessorize their cars with things like checkered-flag decals on the mirrors or the Union Jack on the roof. Colby Trudeau chose something a little more radical.

When Trudeau’s family took delivery of an electric Mini E two years ago, they gave the little EV a big upgrade: a 4.4 kilowatt solar-power system on the roof of their San Diego home. Going solar offset the Mini’s operating costs and covered most of the household energy costs, dropping the family’s monthly electric bill to around $25. When the Mini went back to BMW after its lease expired earlier this year, a Chevrolet Volt took its spot in the garage.

The Trudeaus are early adopters among early adopters, one of a small but growing number of people who are buying electric vehicles and embracing the idea of true zero-emissions driving.

“Once we had the electric car, going solar made even more sense,” said Trudeau,A long established toolmaking and trade Injection moulds company. who grew so evangelical about cars with cords that he started volunteering at the advocacy group Plug In America. “Instead of sending our money overseas to power a polluting vehicle, we are now powering our car on cheap, clean, domestic electricity from the sun.”

It couldn’t be happening at a better time. Even as electric vehicles gain traction with consumers, the price of solar panels is falling precipitously. The two technologies complement each other, which is why many EV owners are going solar. It’s also why automakers like Ford are teaming up with solar startups to make plugging into the sun easier than ever.The application can provide Ceramic tile to visitors,Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet,

Solar-powered EVs are a bit of a misnomer. Most chargers are tied into the grid and use a variety of sources — including the sun — to directly charge the car. But these systems typically produce enough power to offset the electricity drawn by the car, and in some cases send power back to the grid.

It’s an ideal arrangement, said Mike Tinskey, Ford’s associate director for vehicle electrification and infrastructure. The automaker recently announced a partnership with SunPower to offer solar installations that offset the electricity needed to power a Ford Focus Electric driven 12,000 miles a year.

Critics will argue, “But that’s not a solar-powered EV.” Well, no,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, not always. Although a car plugged in during the day would be powered by the sun, most EVs are plugged in at night. Going solar lets an EV owner offset that while also selling power to the utility during periods of high demand while charging at night when demand,ceramic magic cube for the medical, and rates, fall.

“People called it energy arbitrage,” Tinskey said. “Sell the power when you don’t need it and pull the power when you do.”

The customer base for solar EV chargers is varied. You’ll find green-power advocates, energy-security activists, pacifists, isolationists, off-grid DIYers and professional engineers. They share a fascination with driving without the need for fossil fuels or nuclear power.

Of course, a large number of people interested in going electric also are interested in going solar, if they haven’t already. Most of them realize it isn’t cheap — even a modest system will set you back a few grand — but it isn’t the bottom line so much as energy independence that drives them.

Arrowtown mum's burnt baby shock

A distraught Arrowtown mum is sounding a warning after sun-baked outdoor tiles hospitalised her toddler with severe burns.

Angela McRae’s 13-month-old daughter Olivia may need skin grafting to heal sores on her feet after she stood on sun-heated patio tiles.

The common basalt stone tiles were a scorching 69 degrees Celsius – and caused little Olivia’s feet to almost double in size with balloon-like blisters.

“It was pretty horrific,The application can provide Ceramic tile to visitors,” McRae recalls.

“All the doctors have said it’s a bizarre injury to get from tiles so I want to make sure people are aware of the dangers.”

McRae was in her ensuite bathroom while three-year-old son Jacob and Olivia were in her bedroom, two weeks ago when it happened. Because it was a hot day, McRae had left the sliding door from the bedroom to the patio open.

Next thing, she heard muffled crying from outside.

“My three-year-old had closed the sliding door.

“Olivia would have been out there for maybe 30 seconds, definitely no more than a minute,” McRae says.

“I just thought because the door was closed that’s why she was upset. But then I saw her feet – it looked like the bottom of her feet had all this extra skin on them.”

McRae ran to the sink and put Olivia’s feet under cold water for Traditional third party merchant account claim to clean all the air in a room.15 minutes before heading to the medical centre.
McRae was told to go straight to Lakes District Hospital, where it was decided Olivia would be rushed by ambulance to Southland Hospital in Invercargill.

Doctors put Olivia on morphine for pain and a drip to keep her hydrated over two nights, while they popped her blisters and removed the skin.

Her feet are still bandaged and she’s been referred to a plastic surgeon in Dunedin to see if she needs skin grafting.

“Olivia’s doing fine now. The biggest challenge is keeping her off her feet,” McRae says.A long established toolmaking and trade Injection moulds company.

The day after the accident her husband Andy measured the temperature of the tiles – the couple was blown away with the 69degC reading.

“Never in a million years would I have thought that would be possible from our tiles.Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, If I had known, she wouldn’t have been put near them. We’ve got carpet covering them up now.

“People need to be aware if the sun’s out it will be on the tiles, making them hotter. Go and measure the temperature to make sure it’s not going to happen.”

The McRaes bought their tiles from local firm Designa Tiles five years ago but Angela stresses she’s not blaming anyone.

Designa owner Tom Butters says it’s the first time in 28 years in the industry he’s ever heard of such an injury.

“That’s really terrible, I hope she’s going to be ok,” he says.

Natural dark-coloured stones like basalt store heat and get very hot in direct sunlight and people do need to be aware, he says.

“I’ve got tiles myself on an outside balcony in direct sunlight and sure, I’ve walked out there a couple of times in the summer and it has been ‘ouch, I better put some jandals on’ but you manage to walk back without getting any blisters or burns on your feet.”

It’s possible that the glass balustrade surrounding the McRaes’ patio and glass sliding doors caused the heat to radiate on to the tiles, resulting in a “glasshouse” effect, Butters says.ceramic magic cube for the medical,

2011年11月22日星期二

Aims for long-term development

You would recall our young days when our father - late D A Rajapaksa,Your source for re-usable Plastic moulds of strong latex rubber. with other late leaders such as S W R D Bandaranaike, Philip Gunawardena and S A Wickramasinghe were in the forefront to make a decisive change in our society. What they infused into our hearts as young children was a new vision,ceramic magic cube for the medical, with aspirations for Sri Lankan values, traditions, equal opportunities for all, rural agriculture as well as an entrepreneurial economy. The vision of these leaders in fact became a formidable force that nurtured a people centric approach as opposed to the urban elitist and feudalistic political and economic ideologies that prevailed.

This transformation was subsequently taken forward by several progressive leaders such as late Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, late Dr. N M Perera and late Dr. Colvin R De Silva.

I recall watching with amusement as a young Member of Parliament at that time, how opposing forces got together to destruct this progressive path. I am sure that the Hon. Senior Members of this august Assembly would recall how this path was reversed in 1977.

This nation was placed on to a very destructive path from 1977. This path was overshadowed by neo liberal economic policies on the one hand and separatist terrorist activities, on the other. This caused tremendous hardships to the general public. The whole nation became a victim of terrorism. Democratic values got eroded. A revengeful culture came into being. Many wrongful activities such as international money laundering, drug trafficking, smuggling and arms dealing were carried out on the pretext of terrorism.

Separatist terrorist activities got aggregated to such a dangerous level, and plans were virtually drawn up to recognize a divided administration. Many internal issues were internationalized by terrorists, thereby threatening the sovereignty of the country. In short, all hopes of our people to live in a unitary state were virtually shattered.

It is in this backdrop, that I came forward in 2005, seeking leadership to see an end to this destructive path. I wish to place on record my appreciation, and I wish to remember with honour, all parties and organizations that encouraged me to face this formidable task with strength.

All of us were convinced of the need to find an alternative mechanism to end terrorism and restore peace. We were also aware that we could not revert back to the policies of the 1960s and 70s. Further, we had also realized the need to rectify the detrimental policies of the 80s and 90s that had an adverse impact on the nation. Although our country remained to be poor, many countries that were poor had by then emerged to be strong economies. The world had witnessed a change.

Through these experiences, there was a realization that over reliance on market forces is as bad as excessive state intervention.

Hon. Speaker,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, it is in this backdrop that ‘Mahinda Chintana - Towards a New Sri Lanka’ - my first election manifesto, was presented in 2005. Our vision was to ensure a rural centric development strategy in which all citizens would get equal opportunities to be engaged in economic and social development. Broad responsibilities were shouldered by us to ensure that national aspirations are protected within a market economy and global trends.This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles . Thereafter in 2010, my second election manifesto ‘Mahinda Chintana - Vision for the Future’ was presented to place the country on a path of rapid economic development.

Within the last 6 years, we have been successful in changing the living condition of our people in all spheres of life by freeing the nation from the grips of brutal terrorist, by correcting illconceived economic policies of the past and by promoting a well committed infrastructure network required to create a modern economy.

However, it is unlikely that through these measures alone, the effects of the destructive violent culture that prevailed over the last 30 years could be eliminated. Many more changes need to be done in this regard.

We also need to give some time for the world to realize that the preconceived views that they have consequent to the distorted facts spread by the global network of the LTTE,Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet, are 3 wrong. However, I am extremely happy to note that countries that respect democracy are gradually accepting the position being explained by us, having given due consideration to hard facts. The opposition should also work with us to find solutions to the problems faced by our people and also to find such solutions while ensuring unity.

We need to understand that forced solutions cannot be imposed to resolve our internal issues by getting trapped to external forces. We need to realize all this if we are to sustain the hard won peace and to create national unity and economic development.

Chinese Solar-Panel Makers May Move Output

Chinese solar manufacturers are considering shifting production to other countries to avoid tariffs that may result from a trade complaint.This will leave your shoulders free to rotate in their Floor tiles .

LDK Solar Co. (LDK) and JA Solar Holdings Co. (JASO) said today they may move some manufacturing operations if the U.S. imposes duties on solar products imported from China. Suntech Power Holdings Co.Your source for re-usable Plastic moulds of strong latex rubber. (STP), the world’s largest solar-panel maker, said the trade dispute would be “extremely damaging to the entire U.S. solar industry.”

The statements, made during conference calls with analysts today, show that Chinese solar companies are developing strategies to avoid potential duties, and that the complaint may not provide U.S.ceramic magic cube for the medical, manufacturers the relief they are seeking.

“In the short-term, maybe we will work through partnerships,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems,” said Fang Peng, chief executive officer of Shanghai-based JA Solar. “In the longer term, we’re also evaluating the possibilities to set up operations in the region close to the customers.”

JA Solar hasn’t decided how to respond to the trade case because it hasn’t been resolved, Ming Yang, JA Solar’s vice president of business development and corporate communications, said on the call.

“To be prudent, I think we need to have a solution, a workaround solution,” he said.

LDK may move some production to Africa, Europe or North American sites including California if necessary, the Jiangxi, China-based company said today on a conference call with analysts.

“There are way to circumvent” tariffs, Jesse Pichel, an analyst at Jefferies Group Inc. in New York, said today in an interview.

Chinese companies may avoid the tariffs by buying solar cells from Taiwanese companies and assembling them into modules outside China, Pichel said. Suntech and Canadian Solar Inc., which makes panels in China, already have plants in North America,Traditional third party merchant account claim to clean all the air in a room. and JA Solar has an existing relationship outside China with a company to which it could outsource some manufacturing.

SolarWorld Industries America Inc., the Hillsboro, Oregon- based unit of Germany’s SolarWorld AG (SWV), and six unnamed U.S. manufacturers filed the trade complaint last month with the U.S. International Trade Commission and Commerce Department, asserting that import duties on Chinese imports will compensate for unfair financial support China provides to its solar industry.

The U.S. imported $2.4 billion of solar panels from China in 2010, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

A tariff would increase prices for developers, homeowners, utilities and others who purchase solar panels in the U.S., Pichel said. “The net impact is that we raise the cost of solar to the U.S. consumer.” He said it’s likely the trade complaint will pass and tariffs will be imposed.

Tariffs on Chinese panels may also cut into business for GT Advanced Technologies Inc., which sells equipment used in solar manufacturing, Chief Executive Officer Tom Gutierrez said in an interview today.

Gutierrez, who opposes the tariffs, said he’s concerned Chinese manufacturers may retaliate against U.S. companies, including his, by stopping purchases. “It’s natural,” he said. “If they’ve been punished by the U.S., why would they want to reward a U.S. supplier?”

Solar power cuts put Haringey’s green scheme under threat

A 15million project to install photovoltaic panels on schools,Enecsys Limited, supplier of reliable solar Air purifier systems, council housing and other public buildings across the borough hangs in the balance after the government announced plans to cut its feed-in tariff by 50 per cent.

Campaigners say slashing financial incentives for this carbon-saving scheme will deter much-needed investment in renewable energy, with Labour chiefs claiming it will bring the green economy “to its knees”.ceramic magic cube for the medical,

Quentin Given, co-ordinator of the Tottenham and Wood Green Friends of the Earth, said: “In a recession, in a place like Haringey, we desperately need this kind of investment.Do not use cleaners with porcelain tiles , steel wool or thinners. It’s fair enough to reduce the tariff, as the price of solar panels falls, but we need to get the scheme on a sustainable long-term footing.”

The feed-in tariff is a contribution to households and businesses that install solar panels. Currently they receive 43.4p per kilowatt hour of electricity, which will be reduced to just 21p if the government alters the tariff in mid December.

The move comes as a handful of largescale solar power schemes have been submitted to planning officers in the last few weeks.

They include setting up photovoltaic panels on top of the Hornsey Central Neighbourhood Health Centre, in Park Road, Crouch End.

It is hoped the plans, by Elevate Partnerships Ltd, will generate up to 42,500 kWh of electricity in a year - enough to offset about 22.5 tonnes of carbon.This page contains information about molds,

In the same week, a home in Fairweather Close, South Tottenham, has also bidded to install 30 solar panels on its roof.Unlike traditional high risk merchant account ,

But a solar panel scheme for the roofs of two housing blocks within the GLS Depot site in Ferry Lane, Tottenham, were proposed in October but withdrawn again just last week.

Haringey Council’s solar panel scheme, funded by outside investors, was central to its bid to reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent before 2020.

Cllr Joe Goldberg, cabinet member for finance and carbon reduction, said: “I’m devastated that at such short notice the rug has been pulled out from under this groundbreaking project.

“The government has axed all the financial incentives for businesses and residents to invest in solar panels and one of London’s fastest growing sectors of the economy will now likely be brought to its knees.”

2011年11月21日星期一

Eskom launches solar power pilot

The first stage of the pilot project was designed to introduce renewable energy sources to supply power for internal use at Eskom's coal-fired power stations, Eskom said in a statement.

This would reduce the company's carbon footprint by approximately 2845 tons per annum.

Solar photovoltaic technologies use the power of the sun to generate electricity.

Eskom said it had a long-term strategy to reduce its carbon footprint and its immediate priority was to reduce emissions at its existing fleet of power stations.

"The solar PV project forms a significant part of that strategy and the lessons learned at the pilot plants will support the rollout of these systems across all Eskom's coal-fired stations over time."

The pilot plants, each 10,000 square metres in size, were located on greenfield sites adjacent to the coal-fired power stations at Lethabo, Kendal in Mpumalanga, and at Eskom's head office at Megawatt Park in Sunninghill, Johannesburg.

The electricity generated from the solar PV plants would provide power during daylight hours for the administration buildings, security and terrace lighting,Polycore oil paintings for sale are manufactured as a single sheet, and unit lighting board,100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together. thereby reducing auxiliary power consumption.

The total electricity generated from these solar PV plants is 1.55 megawatt and could power about 1900 standard suburban houses with an assumed consumption of 200 kilowatt per month.

"This installation demonstrates that we are delivering on our commitment to move towards a lower carbon future over time," Eskom CEO Brian Dames said.

"We have undertaken to invest in renewable energy projects and in cleaner coal technologies and these solar panels are an important first step towards that."

Gigaba said: "Eskom, as one of the state-owned companies in the country,ceramic magic cube for the medical, is committed and supports the Green Economy Accord signed recently by government,Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, labour, business, and key stakeholders as part of the plan to shift towards a lower carbon-intensity economy while also increasing jobs and industrial development."

Eskom said with its two renewable energy projects -- the 100 megawatt wind power plant in Sere, 300km north of Cape Town and the solar power plants -- it would serve as a catalyst to develop the renewable energy industry.

"Through these two renewable energy projects South Africa has the opportunity to be a hub for developing renewable energy technology to the rest of the African continent."

At the end of October the World Bank approved a US250 million (R1.9 billion) loan for Eskom's solar and wind power project.

The loan was funded by the Clean Technology Fund for low-carbon technologies.

"By investing in these cutting-edge, transformational solar and wind power projects, we are saying that Africa can lead the way in securing a clean energy future," said Obiageli Ezekwesili, World Bank vice president for the Africa Region.

Container volume could rise 20% at Tanjung Priok

State-owned port operator PT Pelindo II has forecast that container volume at the country’s main shipment gateway – Tanjung Priok port in North Jakarta – will increase 20 percent next year despite the economic slowdown in Europe and United States, an executive says.

Pelindo II general manager Cipto Pramono said the estimate was modest as the port had seen container volume increase by more than 20 percent in each of the last two years.

“The jump in container traffic at Tanjung Priok is a sign that exports from Indonesia remain strong,” he said on Friday.Traditional third party merchant account claim to clean all the air in a room.

Indonesia’s merchandise exports have remained largely dependent on Asia, with exports to the US and Europe mostly consisting of primary goods, including garment and textiles, footwear and agriculture commodities.

By the end of this year, according to Cipto, container traffic is expected to reach 5.8 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), up by 23 percent from 4.7 million TEUs in 2010 and 3.Why does moulds grow in homes or buildings,7 TEUs in 2009. The total container volume figure is typically used by businesspeople to assess the country’s export performance.

Because the port’s current container volume capacity is only 5 million TEUs, Pelindo II has been mulling short-term strategies to cope with the over-capacity problem.

Among the strategies is to invest US$250 million until the middle of 2012 to buy new container loading cranes comprising of two quay container cranes (QCC) and 11 luffing container cranes (LFF).100 China ceramic tile was used to link the lamps together.

Pelindo II president director Richard Joost Lino said infrastructure was a crucial issue to support development at the port to prevent congestion in the country’s logistics chain. “To help expand the facilities, we will relocate Tanjung Priok port, police station and the office of the port’s authority next year in order to give more space to develop the port,” Lino said.

Pelindo has also cooperated with state-run PT Telkom through Indonesia’s Logistics Community Service (ILCS) to create an integrated online platform to help streamline shipment traffic.

The online platform enables logistics companies to monitor and arrange the container traffic,If any food Ventilation system condition is poorer than those standards, documentation and payment.

Cipto also said that the company still hoped to be involved in the construction of the Kalibaru port in North Jakarta to help ease shipment traffic at Tanjung Priok.

At first,ceramic magic cube for the medical, Kalibaru terminal, which is slated to begin operating in 2013, would have a container handling capacity of 1.9 million TEUs.

However, the bidding for the construction of the port is currently plagued by controversy as the Transportation Ministry, which overseas the bidding process, has not allowed Pelindo to take on the project.

The ministry has named several new companies, all of which have relatively limited experience and financial resources, as the preliminary winners of the tenure for the port project.

Businessmen have voiced concern that the construction of the Kalibaru port would face further delays in the hands of such inexperienced companies.