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Like the New ‘Superfly’? Stream These 13 Classic Blaxploitation Films
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In the heat of summer, there’s nothing cooler than Blaxploitation films. From streetwise hustlers to tough men of action to foxy lady vigilantes with the weight of the world on their shoulders, the heroes of Blaxploitation films brought a new and unapologetically black perspective to American cinema in the ’70s, opening it to audiences that were hungry to see movies about people like themselves, with struggles like theirs — and perhaps enjoy a bit of vicarious wish-fulfillment as well. And as the buzz surrounding last week’s release of Director X’s “Superfly” remake attests, Blaxploitation’s traversal of genre, class and social norms left a lasting influence on the political and aesthetic sensibilities of generations of filmmakers and fans.
If you haven’t yet delved into the world of Blaxploitation, or you’re simply looking for more, the streaming service Brown Sugar has an expansive collection of Blaxploitation films that range from DVD quality to grainy transfers that recall an era of drive-ins and corner cinemas. Brown Sugar is available for $3.99 a month with the option to watch on the website or subscribe using the app, which you can download to your mobile device or your streaming device, including Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire Stick. Brown Sugar is also available as an add-on channel for Amazon Prime Video subscribers. (See Brown Sugar’s F.A.Q. page for more details.)
Brown Sugar features a wide range of movies from multiple categories, including action, drama, comedy, horror and romance. Not all are Blaxploitation films, but the variety of those that are underscores the notion that Blaxploitation was always more of a movement than a genre. Given Brown Sugar’s ever-growing collection, it’s hard to know just where to dive in. Here are a few suggestions on some of the best Blaxploitation films the service has to offer.
An obvious place to start after watching the remake, “Superfly” incorporates an stylish fashion sense and memorable soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield to bring a sense of class and soul to the world of drug dealers in an early example of Ghetto Fabulous. Directed by Gordon Parks Jr. (whose father found success a year earlier with “Shaft”), “Superfly” trades cops for crooks and still manages to find a moral center. Youngblood Priest (Ron O’Neal), dressed to the nines and adorned with a cross necklace that doubles as a coke spoon, wants to escape his life of drug dealing and go straight. He needs to complete one last job before walking away, but the job leads him deep into a conspiracy, one that costs more than he counted on.
Arguably the most iconic of Blaxploitation films, Gordon Parks’s “Shaft” went a long way in terms of inducting Blaxploitation into the popular culture of its time. Detective John Shaft (Richard Roundtree) acts with action hero efficiency to take down a New York mob, but his presence demands respect not only from black militants but from a number of white members of the police force as well. “Shaft” served as a bridge between black and white audiences, a fact that was rewarded with both a Grammy and an Academy Award for Isaac Hayes’s soundtrack. The film spawned two sequels, the first of which, “Shaft’s Big Score,” is also available on Brown Sugar. Expect the character to return in a major way next year when “Son of Shaft” unites three generations. Can you dig it?
A year before Charles Bronson took his revenge to the streets in “Death Wish,” Pam Grier was dealing out vigilante justice on her own terms. This influential film by Jack Hill follows a nurse who seeks revenge on her entire community’s drug organization. Disguising herself as a prostitute, Coffy takes down the pushers in a variety of extreme ways, the most notable of which involves the metal shiv she hides in her afro. Considered a Blaxploitation classic today, “Coffy” wasn’t met with enough success in its time to engender any sequels, but Grier and Hill rejoined the next year for the similarly themed “Foxy Brown.” Both of these films served as the inspiration for Quentin Tarantino’s “Jackie Brown,” which helped put the spotlight back on Grier.
‘Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song’ (1971)
It’s rough, it’s dirty, and there’s nothing sweet about it. “Sweetback” gave birth to the Blaxploitation era. Directed, written, produced, composed, edited and starring Melvin Van Peebles, “Sweetback” is notable for its unflinching look at urban black neighborhoods. The film follows a young man, gifted with extraordinary sexual prowess, as he navigates South Central Los Angeles and is blamed for a murder he didn’t commit. Chased by the police and the Hell’s Angels, he travels through a world where there is no safety or quarter for a black man. While neither the most enjoyable nor most competently made film on this list, it’s a must watch for film-history buffs looking for this cinema movement’s origins.
‘Friday Foster’ (1975)
It’s a racially-charged conspiracy film given all the charm of Howard Hawks’s “His Girl Friday.” Based on the comic strip of the same name, “Friday Foster” follows a former-model-turned-photojournalist (played by the Blaxploitation queen Pam Grier) who uncovers an assassination plot against the nation’s wealthiest African-American. Although less action-packed than other films featuring Grier, its political nature feels particularly relevant because of its concerns over white supremacists in high places. Despite the twists and turns the film takes, the high point is the comedic banter between Grier and Yaphet Kotto. And with Eartha Kitt playing the role of a fashion designer who figures into the conspiracy, “Friday Foster” is more fun than it has any right to be.
‘Detroit 9000’ (1973)
This combination of a buddy-cop picture and a heist flick is a favorite of Quentin Tarantino’s, and it’s the easiest to recommend to anyone looking for some flair and blockbuster panache. Directed by Arthur Marks (“Friday Foster”), “Detroit 9000” once again blends political intrigue with humor, but it takes a darker turn. The film puts together a young black detective and an old-school white detective to solve a case of stolen funds that could swing a campaign against a black congressman. Dealing with the racial divide of Detroit, the film explores a city that is tearing itself apart. With a bloody shootout to rival any of its contemporaries, and a moral dilemma that offers no easy answers, “Detroit 9000” challenges notions of justice as frequently as it excites with its buddy dynamics and high-action set pieces.
‘Truck Turner’ (1974)
Isaac Hayes’s Blaxploitation legacy may be most often identified with “Shaft,” but “Truck Turner” is one of the greatest things that soul man ever put forth. The former football player, Truck Turner (Isaac Hayes), now a bounty hunter, finds himself up against a ruthless Madame, played by Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols, and a sociopathic pimp played by Yaphet Kotto. Devoid of any larger conspiracies or social lessons, “Truck Turner” keeps the stakes real but is wholly interested in providing an action-packed and good-humored time — and in doing it with a wink and a smile. One of Blaxploitation’s strongest hidden gems, and a recent addition to Brown Sugar’s library, “Truck Turner” is the perfect entry for a movie night with friends.
In its ability to cross genres, Blaxploitation made no exception for horror. Sure, “Blacula” has become a bit of a joke over the course of the decades since its release, and it isn’t exactly terrifying, but it has enough blood and gothic sensibility to deliver some genuinely creepy moments. One of many Blaxploitation horror movies, “Blacula” is often lumped with “Blackenstein” and “Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde,” which are also available on Brown Sugar. Offering gothic romance with an African twist, “Blacula” follows Prince Mamuwalde (William Marshall), a vampire whose new neighborhood rejects him at every turn, as he falls in love with a girl. A poignant tragedy, “Blacula” takes itself far more seriously than its title and reputation would suggest. It’s sequel, “Scream Blacula Scream,” is also available on Brown Sugar.
‘Cleopatra Jones’ (1973)
Bad women doing it for themselves didn’t stop with Pam Grier: Tamara Dobson carved out her own territory as Cleopatra Jones. Tapping into the popularity of the James Bond films, “Cleopatra Jones” put the Bond girl type front and center as Jones, a federal agent, went after deranged drug lord known as Mommy (Shelley Winters). Equipped with a car full of gadgets, a background in martial arts and a love for her people, Cleopatra Jones worked for the United States government, which made her stand apart from her fellow Blaxploitation heroes. While it offers more flair than grit, fans of the espionage genre will get a kick out of this film’s stylish twist on the familiar conventions. The film’s sequel, “Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold,” is also available on Brown Sugar.
Ten years before Rambo drew first blood, there was the one-man army “Slaughter.” Taking a step out of the neighborhood, the film follows Vietnam veteran Slaughter, played by the human wrecking ball and former Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown as he hunts down the mobsters who killed his father. Slaughter’s explosive crusade led to his teaming up with United States federal agents in South America in order to destroy a supercomputer used to run a criminal empire. It’s full-blooded nonsense that serves as a likely, partial inspiration to the Blaxploiation satire “Black Dynamite.” “Slaughter” lacked the social justice aspect of many of its counterparts, but it made Brown one of the most prominent actors of the Blaxploitation era. “Black Gunn,” in which Brown also stars, is available on Brown Sugar as well.
‘The Candy Tangerine Man’ (1975)
With its biting jive talk, violent extremes and unabashed preoccupation with sex, this film may be too vulgar for some. But despite its crude makeup, “The Candy Tangerine Man” follows a pimp know as the Black Baron (John Daniels), who rules the streets by night and by day resumes his life as a hard-working suburban father and husband. While the film’s ethics are questionable at best, it is an interesting examination of the kind of superheroism attributed to pimps and hustlers. Despite being a later entry in the Blaxploitation canon, this film operates with a seediness that feels closer to “Sweetback” than some of the more commercially appealing Blaxploitation films that came later.
‘Three The Hard Way’ (1974)
Bringing together the stars Jim Brown, Fred Williamson and Jim Kelly, this feature from Gordon Parks Jr. is the “Avengers” of Blaxploitation films. Together, gifted with the skills of sharpshooting, martial arts and all around charm, these three heroes take on a neo-Nazi brigade that plans to commit genocide against African-Americans by poisoning the water supply with a newly discovered formula. While the film is far more interested in explosions than in plot, it is well-shot and delivers some noteworthy across-state action. The chemistry among the three leads, who all seem to share the screen amiably, makes this a Blaxploitation event film. In addition to several films starring Brown, plenty of films starring Williamson and Kelly can be found in Brown Sugar’s library as well.
In “Coonskin,” Blaxploitation gets animated by the hand of the famed director Ralph Bakshi. Controversial upon release, the film has become a tough-to-find cult classic that reimagines Disney’s “Song of the South.” Brother Rabbit, Brother Bear and Preacher Fox are forced to leave their home in the south and move to Harlem, where they get mixed up in a world of organized crime, minstrel show satire and white supremacists. Featuring the voice work of Barry White and Scatman Crothers, the film takes an iconoclastic look at American history and the role of black people within it. “Coonskin” offers a broad pastiche of ’70s filmmaking conventions and possess a wicked sense of humor, making it a Blaxploitation film unlike any other.

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Common Insect Repellent Affects Nervous System Same As Nerve Gas.
Posted Aug 06 2009 11:22pm
Common Insect Repellent Affects Nervous System Same As Nerve Gas
PARIS — One of the world's most common insect repellents acts on the central nervous system in the same way as some insecticides and nerve gases, according to a study released on Wednesday. Experiments on insects, as well as on enzymes extracted from mice and human neurons, showed for the first time that deet can interfere with the proper functioning of the nervous system. Their findings shed light on the so-called "Gulf War Syndrome," the name given to a complex and variable mix of neurological symptoms reported by tens of thousands of US military veterans who served in the first Gulf War against Iraq in 1990-1991. Some 200 million people use deet-based products every years, according to the study, published in the British-based open-access journal BMC Biology. The researchers say further studies are "urgently needed" to assess deet's potential toxicity to humans, especially when combined with other chemical compounds.

domain: news


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The sea is vast - breathing lazily by the shore line, - and, in the distance, it is almost dormant and strangely still in the moonlight glow. There, far away on the horizon, the silvery sea softly fuses with the blue southern sky and is sound asleep, covered in lacy reflections of spindrift clouds whose gossamer fabric is motionless and does not obscure the golden glitter of stars. Over the dark waters, the sky hovers very low as if trying to hear the waves' unsettled whisper as they slowly roll to shore.
On the shore's forested mountains, ugly trees are misshapen by the nor'easter, their jagged, stiff tops project into the blue vastness above; yet, below, their gloomy outlines are relaxed and lush in the warmth and languor of the southern night.
The mountains are solemn as if suspended in thought. They throw dark shadows on the spongy, greenish crests of the waves below, enveloping them as if to arrest their singular motion, to muffle their incessant splashing and the sighs of their foam - all the sounds that disturb the mysterious fusion of the air's calm and the silver-blue shine of the moon still hidden by the mountain tops.
- Al-la-a-Akhba-a-ar!.. - quietly exhales Nadyr-Raghim-Ogly, a gray-haired, old and wise Crimean herder, tall and withered, his skin deeply burnt by the southern sun.
He and I are lying on the sand by a huge stone that broke off from the nearest mountain, still under its shadow and overgrown with moss; - the stone looks glum and severe. The waves knurl over the sea side of it, depositing slime and algae; and the rock so adorned seems tethered by the narrow strip of sand that separates sea from mountains. The other side of the rock, the side that faces the mountain, is lit by our campfire, and each time the flames shiver, murky shadows dazzle the old stone's surface deeply indented with cracks and scratches.
Raghim and I are cooking fish soup from our fresh catch, and we both are in such a surreal mood when everything seems animate, inspires and opens your soul to deep feelings; the heart is pure, and the lightness of being expels all desires except the desire to think.
And the sea caresses the shore, and the waves splash at it with such tenderness as if begging us to let them warm up by the campfire. At times, in the unified harmony of the waves' sounds, one can distinguish a higher note, like a playful pitch, - that's when one of the waves, the boldest of them, creeps up and almost touches us.
Raghim lies with his chest in the sand and his face turned seaward, absorbed in thought and watching the sea; his elbows are planted in the sand and he holds his head in his palms, looking into the hazy distance as if transfixed. A shaggy goat-fur hat nearly slid off his head, and the sea breeze cools his high and deeply wrinkled brow. He seems to be conversing with the sea, and starts philosophizing without caring if I am even listening to him:
- The one who is faithful to God, he goes to paradise. And the one who serves not God nor the Prophet?.. Maybe, he is - in that sea foam. And those silver spots on the water, who knows?... maybe it's him, too.
The dark expanse of the mighty sea brightens, and sporadically, like scattered glitter, there appear some patches of reflected moonlight. The moon has finally risen up from the disheveled mountain tops, and it now pours its pensive light over the waters which calmly breathe toward it, over the shore, and over the rock by which we lie.
- Raghim!... Tell me a story. - I ask of the old man.
- What for? - answers Raghim without turning to look at me.
- ...'cause...! I love your tales.
- I've already told you all of them. Don't know any more. - He is just saying this because he wants me to beg him. So, I beg.
- Want me to tell you a song? - says Raghim, agreeably.
I do want to hear the old song; and, in sonorous cantillation, trying to preserve the peculiar melody, he begins.
High up the mountain crawled a snake and lay there in a slimy crevice, all curled up tightly and looking seaward.
High in the sky the sun shone brightly, rocks breathing heat, and ocean waves were breaking stones beneath the mountain...
Cutting a canyon into the mountain, grinding the stones, a stream was rushing, all dark and foamy, toward the ocean...
All of a sudden into the crevice where Snake was resting there fell a falcon, blood on her feathers, and deeply wounded...
Her cry was piercing; she fell and tumbled, crushing her breast in helpless anger upon the stones...
First, Snake was frightened, crawled shrewdly backwards, but soon he figured that poor Falcon perhaps had only a few brief minutes of life remaining...
He slithered close to the wounded Falcon, and hissed directly into her ear:
- Hey, are you dying?
- Yes, I am dying! - responded Falcon with a heavy sigh. - I had a good life!.. I knew fulfillment of dreams and hopes!.. I saw the sky... I touched it, soared!.. You'll never know it so high and close!.. You poor creature!
- What is the sky to me? Nothing and empty... One cannot crawl there. I like it here ... so warm and humid!
Snake answered thus the bird of freedom, and deep inside he even chuckled at her delusions. And thought like this: "We fly or crawl, but in the end we know what happens: we all turn to dust, all end up buried in sand or soil..."
But wounded Falcon just shook herself, lifted her head up, and looked around the seeping crevice. Indeed, the stone around there was wet and slimy, the air was stifling and smelled of scavenge.
And Falcon gathered all her strength remaining, and let out a cry of pain and yearning:
- Oh, if I only could rise up flying - one last time only, while I'm still living - in the deep air of lucid heaven!...
Snake heard, and whispered: "Why would she, dying, be so driven to grieve for flying?... This lucid air that bears flyers, indeed, may turn out to be delightful for living creatures. "
He said to Falcon, the dying dreamer: "Come on, move close to the cliff's edge there, and throw down your wounded body. For ... who would know?! ... your wings and air might lift you upward, and once again let you enjoy the thrill of flying amidst your element."
And Falcon shuddered; with a loud cry, she labored to gain the canyon's bluff, slipping and falling and yet still rising. But then she made it to the utmost edge and spread out her wings; inhaling deeply, she looked around with a flaming glare - and downward fell.
And like a stone she rolled and tumbled, and slipped and scattered, breaking her wings and losing feathers...
The stream below caught her, all beaten, washed off her bleeding, covered with foam and gently carried her into the ocean.
The ocean waves were crushing stones with mournful roaring... The corpse of Falcon was never found in the vast expanses of rocks and water...
Laying in his crevice, Snake contemplated the death of Falcon, her love of flying. He lay a long time in the narrow crevice, staring into this puzzling air that teases the eyes of the misguided with silly dreams.
- What did she see there, in total emptiness, without bottom or edge or cover? The likes of her, in death as living, why do they dare confuse one's soul with their passion for skyward flying? What do they see there? What do they hear? And might not I grasp all its meanings if I could fly there for just one moment?
Snake said - and did it! His body tightened, he fast uncoiled, cutting through the air, like a flash of lightning.
Those born to crawl - will never fly!.. Forgetting that, Snake hit the stones; not hurt, however, he thought, elated:
- So, that's the beauty of skyward flying! It is - in falling!.. Birds are so foolish! Not knowing earth, depressed when grounded, they feel the calling to rise to heaven and seek life's pleasures in empty vastness. It is but empty. It is filled with light but void of food and of protection for us the living. Why, then, was Falcon so bold and proud? Just to conceal the sheer madness of her desires and lack of fitness among the living. Birds are so foolish!.. But I am wiser! I shan't be bullied by their tattles. I know now! I saw their heaven, the sky of flying. I launched into it, its depths I measured; endured falling, but did not shudder, and gained much confidence from this endeavor. Let those wretches who cannot love this solid ground live in delusion. I know the truth. I won't be fooled. Of earth created - by earth I'm living.
And feeling proud, he coiled tightly, and was quite happy.
In sunlit glory the ocean glittered, and waves crushed stones with thunderous roaring. And in that roaring one could just hear the song, or ballad, of the proud Falcon; the rocks were trembling from waves' hard beating, and heaven echoed words of the ballad:
"We praise the daring of valiant dreamers!
"Creation's wisdom is in their boldness. Oh, blessed Falcon! You were defeated, and died pursuing your dream of freedom, of flying skyward. And yet ... Oh, Falcon! Yours is the future - the blood you spilled, like sparks of fire, will light the darkness of grim existence, igniting hearts of countless many with thirst for living! And in this ballad, the song composed for the strong of spirit, you will be always the shining symbol, the proud caller to light and freedom!
"Praised be the daring of all bold dreamers!"
... Quiet is the opalescent remoteness of the sea, the waves roll over sand with rustling melodies, and I am silent, watching the distant horizon. The silver patches of moonlight on the sea surface are abundant now... Our cauldron is boiling slowly.
One of the waves rolls playfully out on the shore, and, with a defiant rattle, crawls straight toward Raghim's head.
- What the ...?? Get off!!! - Raghim brandishes his hand at it, and it obediently rolls back into the sea.
Raghim's treatment of waves as animate is neither funny nor troubling to me. In fact, everything around us looks mysteriously alive, soft, and tender. The sea is profoundly quiet, so quiet it is, that one feels its immense power - even in the refreshing breeze from the sea to the mountains still feverish from the day's swelter - one feels the hidden, contained but all-mighty force. The sky, dark-blue and adorned by the golden lace of stars, evokes exultation that is all but enchanting, bewitching the soul, confusing the mind, as a sweet precursor of some awesome revelation.
All around, the world is in a slumber, but a slumber so tense and fragile, and so delicate that it seems any moment to shake it off and break into a melody of sublime and powerful harmony. This tune can tell of the secrets of the universe, bring reason to the mind and then extinguish it just as quickly as one puts out a candle; and entice your soul away, high up into the dark-blue abyss of the skies where the tremulous veil of the stars will welcome it with the exquisite, heavenly music of revelation...
i. A part of this translation - the prose poem or 'song' section - has been previously published in Slovo/Word, v. 71, August 2011, pp. 23-27. In that publication, my 'prose' sections which are the introduction and the conclusion of the whole work were replaced by the editor with translation by Leonid Yakovlev; yet, I think mine are better and closer to the Maxim Gorky's original Russian.


Strange Brew: Minnesota's Motley Mix of School Reforms
Minnesota was the first state to embrace many important education reforms, from statewide open enrollment to charter schools to tax credits for parents paying certain education expenses. This report, written by Dr. Mitchell Pearlstein, President of the Minneapolis-based Center of the American Experiment, tells the stories behind Minnesota's unique policy experiences.? What lay behind Minnesota's worthy innovations? Who was responsible for the bad ideas? Mitch's short answer: governors were behind most of the proposals that expanded education choice, while the flawed policies emerged from the state's education bureaucracy.


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The Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is committed to excellence in teaching, research and service to ensure that humanity's present and future food, health and natural resource needs are met while protecting the environment.
The Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
The Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (FAES), one of McGill University’s 11 faculties, is at the forefront of advances in applied bioscience, food, nutritional and environmental sciences research and teaching. Located on the Macdonald Campus at the western tip of the island of Montreal, the Faculty is centred within one of the highest concentrations of high-tech activity in Canada. The FAES offers unique multidisciplinary research programs that bring together health, environment, food and nutrition, bioproducts, biotechnology and the agriculture sectors.
The FAES’s strategic research activities range from basic molecular sciences to applied agricultural, food and environmental sciences, with medical and industrial applications. In the last three years, the Faculty has leveraged $45 million in research funding, led collaborations with more than 30 industrial and institutional partners, and developed numerous international projects. State-of-the-art facilities for teaching, training and research in applied biosciences and biotechnologies, including bioprocessing laboratories and environmental sciences, meet growing demand in these disciplines.
For more than 150 years, McGill University has been setting the pace for research and innovation and has consistently maintained this record of excellence. The only Canadian institution included in the world’s top 25 universities by the Times Higher Education Supplement, McGill was also ranked as Canada’s leading research university by Research Infosource in 2005.

domain: agronomy


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WASHINGTON ― Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and vice presidential nominee Mike Pence used the beginning of this year’s Obamacare enrollment period Tuesday to pledge to repeal President Barack Obama’s health care reform initiative next year.
During their separate speeches in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, outside Philadelphia, Trump and Pence recounted a litany of time-worn conservative attacks on the six-year-old law. Their speeches included some true things, some misleading things and some widely debunked things. The candidates also outlined Trump’s proposals to “replace” the Affordable Care Act.
“When we win on Nov. 8, and elect a Republican Congress, we will be able to immediately repeal and replace Obamacare,” Trump said in his speech at a campaign event one week before Election Day in the battleground of the Keystone State suburbs. “It’s one of the single most important reasons why we must win.”
Their assessment of premiums on the health insurance exchanges was correct ― if partially misleading ― and they were right that Obama’s promises that no one would lose their health insurance plan or have to see a new doctor weren’t fulfilled. But Trump and Pence also trotted out several dubious claims about the Affordable Care Act: The law isn’t “killing jobs,” and it isn’t leading to a rise in part-time employment
Notably, Trump and Pence didn’t offer any recognition of the Affordable Care Act’s achievements, or new details on how their policies would actually replace a law that has led to more Americans having health coverage than ever before.
Trump labeled the law as simply a “catastrophe,” and ran through a litany of talking points about Obama’s broken promises on health care that would be familiar to anyone who’s seen a Republican talking about health care since 2009. Pence made lengthier remarks on health care before Trump, and was preceded by several Republican lawmakers.
As is the norm for Republicans, Trump and Pence completely ignored the Affordable Care Act’s successes while solely focusing on its failures, both real and imagined.
Anyone watching Trump and Pence speak Tuesday would have no idea that the health care law extended health coverage to 20 million previously uncovered people since 2014, bringing the uninsured rate to an all-time low, nor that their plans would eliminate health benefits for roughly as many people.
By contrast, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, and Obama himself, hype the parts of the Affordable Care Act that are working but acknowledge its shortcomings, especially when it comes to cost.
Obama’s prescriptions for the health care law align closely with Clinton’s health care agenda, which focus on enhancements to the Affordable Care Act including more generous health insurance subsidies and the creation of a government-run public option program that would compete with private insurers.
Obamacare’s problems are real. The sign-up period for 2017 policies sold on the law’s health insurance exchanges began Tuesday and goes through Jan. 31.
Health coverage next year will be costlier for most, and much costlier for many, and fewer health insurance companies are selling their products on these exchanges after suffering financial losses. The average price for the “benchmark” insurance policies used to set subsidy amounts is going up 25 percent in the 39 states where the federal government runs the exchanges via HealthCare.gov.
Rather than presenting the health care reform law as flawed or incomplete, Trump used cataclysmic language, eliding how few Americans are subject to those rate increases.
“If we don’t repeal and replace Obamacare, we will destroy American health care forever,” Trump said. More than a half-century ago, Ronald Reagan made a similar prediction about Medicare. “One of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children, what it once was like in America when men were free,” Reagan said in 1961.
Premiums on the Obamacare exchanges are unrelated to the cost of the job-based health benefits that cover about half of Americans, or the government programs like Medicare and Medicaid that cover almost everyone else.
In fact, premiums for employer-sponsored health benefits have been rising at lower than historical rates in recent years, and that trend is expected to continue next year. Trump also didn’t mention that the Affordable Care Act’s tax credit subsidies will at least partially shield most exchange customers from the premium hikes.
Trump and Pence are correct, however, that premiums are going up by a lot for those consumers who receive little or no subsidy, that five states and thousands of counties have just one insurer available on the exchanges, and that the Affordable Care Act doesn’t offer any relief to these households.
A review of Trump’s own plans doesn’t indicate he would offer much relief, either, especially to those millions who were uninsured before Obamacare and would be uninsured without it. It’s a far cry from Trump’s February promise: “I will not let people die on the streets for lack of health care.”
Trump, similar to House Republicans, would eliminate health insurance subsidies and replace them with a tax deduction of lesser value and that would be useful mainly to higher-income households.
Likewise, Trump and other Republicans favor converting Medicaid to a “block grant” of money to states, which is equivalent to a massive funding cut. In place of the Affordable Care Act’s guarantee of coverage regardless of pre-existing conditions, Trump calls for a weaker policy that only allows those individuals access to insurance if they’ve never been uninsured before.
(Despite his support for repealing the Affordable Care Act and significantly scaling back Medicaid, Pence, as governor of Indiana, used money from the law to expand Medicaid to more than 400,000 poor Hoosiers. In addition, Indiana is bucking the national trend next year because its average “benchmark” Obamacare premiums are actually going down 2 percent.)
Trump’s purported replacement for the regulated insurance exchanges, where basic benefits are guaranteed and no one can be excluded, is to permit health insurance companies to resume now-illegal practices like excluding people because of their medical histories or charging them more, allowing insurers to raise rates on older people (as a way of reducing rates for younger ones).
Trump also continues to trumpet allowing health insurers based in one state to sell policies “across state lines” ― a line of business the insurance industry isn’t clamoring for and that would result in a rush toward the states that levy the loosest requirements on what insurers must cover, leading to skimpier insurance policies. This policy also would encourage healthy people, who need insurance the least, to flock to insurers in those lightly regulated states, which would remove them from their home states’ insurance pool, causing rates to rise for those who remain.
Another favorite GOP proposal that’s part of Trump’s agenda is expanding the use of health savings accounts, which are tax-free vehicles where money can be set aside for medical expenses. These accounts must be paired with high-deductible health plans, a fact Trump ignores while criticizing exchange coverage for having high deductibles.
Trump wants America to believe he and a GOP-led Congress would move swiftly not only to repeal the Affordable Care Act but to disrupt the status quo and implement something new. That would require a consensus around health policy the Republican Party has been unable to achieve since the beginning of Obama’s presidency.
During his speech Tuesday, he also said he’d call a “special session” of Congress to deal with health care, which is completely unnecessary because Congress already will be in normal session in January.
Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularlyincitespolitical violence and is a

domain: economics


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August 23, 2017
Photo by Erica Devalve Instagram
During a Monday Night Football preseason game between the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns, Seth DeValve joined 11 other players as they took a knee and prayed during the National Anthem, making DeValve the first white player to do so.
When asked why he chose to participate, he told Cleveland.com, “I wanted to support my African-American teammates today who wanted to take a knee. We wanted to draw attention to the fact that there’s things in this country that still needs to change.”
But the issue is deeper than that for DeValve. The 24-year-old is married to a Black woman.
“I myself will be raising children that don’t look like me, and I want to do my part as well to do everything I can to raise them in a better environment than we have right now,” he continued.
DeValve’s support comes after Seattle Seahawks Defensive End Michael Bennett called for white players to use their platform to effect change.
TELL US: Fair or foul? Do you think kneeling or sitting during the national anthem will make a difference?

domain: sociology


New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Offense, Violating Supervised Release
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut
John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SHAQUILLE PEARSON, 25, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday in Hartford federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm, and also admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release from a prior federal firearm conviction.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 23, 2017, Pearson was sentenced in federal court to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was released from federal prison in May 2018.
On March 21, 2019, after leading New Haven police officers on a foot chase, Pearson was found in possession of a loaded Taurus PT25, .25 caliber handgun.
In addition to his prior federal conviction, Pearson’s criminal history includes state convictions for burglary and for carrying a dangerous weapon.
Pearson is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Alvin W. Thompson on September 9, 2019, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years for unlawfully possessing a firearm, and additional penalties for violating the conditions of his supervised release from his 2017 federal conviction.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the New Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah P. Karwan and Maria del Pilar Gonzalez.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Updated June 18, 2019
Project Safe Neighborhoods


Concentrations of carbonyl compounds (formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein and acetone) and BTEX (benzene, toluene and xylenes) were monitored at 128 residential homes (255) in Xicheng district, Beijing, during the period of November–December 2009. The indoor concentrations of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, acetone, benzene, toluene and xylenes were in the ranges of 1.3–85.6 µg/m3, 0.7–102.0 µg/m3, 0.3–102.1 µg/m3, 0.1–25.1 µg/m3, 1.0–47.5 µg/m3, 1.3–86.0 µg/m3 and 0.2–78.7 µg/m3, respectively. The concentrations of all species during the investigation period were below the Chinese guideline values. Based on the measured concentrations, a receptor model (PMF; positive matrix factorization) coupled with the source information was applied to identify the major emission sources. The results showed that four major sources were identified by the PMF method, including (1) outdoor incursion factors, (2) emissions from building materials and paint solvent, (3) emissions from particle board and plywood flooring and (4) emissions from household cleaning chemicals. Our results also reveal that the health risks due to exposure to formaldehyde and benzene for Beijing residents were greater during this period than those for people living in Guangzhou and Hangzhou, China.


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JOIN US FOR A NIGHT OF NETWORKING AT THE TRADITIONAL PEA SOUP AND PANCAKES, HOSTED BY THE FINNISH AND SWEDISH CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE.
A traditional Nordic meal with pea soup, pancakes, beer, wine and punch, will be served at Chef Søren's Kitchen.
Speaker: Madeleine Onne
The new Artistic Director of the Finnish National Ballet, presently living in Houston, previously Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet, and Prima Ballerina in Sweden.
RSVP is not required.
FACC Members: $20
(Includes valet parking)


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To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
From other countries
5.0 out of 5 starsExcellent teen-noir
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 September 2009
I recently read this one on holiday between longer novels and it hit the spot perfectly. Evie's mother is a girl who likes the men, and her husband, Joe, is something of a rogue and always coming up with schemes that don't quite work. Evie thinks the pair of them very glamorous, but at the same time she is resentful, particularly of her more experienced mother, who just needs to look and the men come running. The family take off to Florida in pursuit of another of Joe's schemes and events rapidly take a turn for the sour. There's a suspicious death and suddenly Evie and Joe are in the dock for murder. Evie has to make a choice, neatly summed up by the novel's title. This is a fine book, redolent with the feel of late 1940's America. It's one of those books that has the knack of making the reader feel they are actually there, but the detail, although very sensory, is painted in a controlled way that never becomes overblown. I also have to say that the strong packaging added to the appeal. 5 stars!
I spent three years of my life dreading power outages, but I must say, I am truly grateful for the one I had yesterday.It allowed me to reread what was one of my most favorite books as a fifteen year-old. What I Saw and How I Lied is a brief, yet complex tale of growing up.
What I loved most about the novel was that it turns the widespread notion that the years following World War II were a golden age on its head. In fact, it works in an almost Gatsby way: Evie starts out the novel with a bright, childish, innocence about her, and her experiences allow her to think twice about the world around her.
“I loved him like a fever. Then he left. He kicked through love like it was dust and he kept on walking.”
First, I must say that Blundell has a way with words- she has a way on inserting little flowery (prose wise) moments throughout the novel while still making allowing Evie's voice to shine through. If it wan't for Blundell's skill, this book would not be nearly as a good or as powerful.
“Darling, I have a tip," Arlene said. "Never, ever wait for a man.”
What I Saw and How I Lied is also a tragic love story- yes, in the conventional sense-> between a girl and a boy. But it also has a lot to do with the love between husband and wife, daughter and mother, daughter and father, and in some ways, a man and a woman. Throughout the novel, Evie struggles to figure out what real love is why trying to become an adult.
"But while I'd be their daughter, while I'd eat the roast and come home from dates and wash the dishes, I would also be myself. I would love my mother, but I'd never want to be her again. I would never be what someone else wanted me to be. I would never laugh at a joke I didn't think was funny. I would never tell another lie. I would be the truth-teller, starting today. That would be tough. But I was tougher.”
There is also a serious Gone Girl quality to this book: it's unpredictable, and it's characters fluctuate between downright ugly and downright cruel. You never known when the truth will rear it's nasty head, and makes for an exciting, interesting read.
I have wanted to read 'What I Saw and How I Lied' by Judy Blundell as soon as I finished reading 'No Strings Attached'. I was amazed in so many ways by that book and here I am again! I know how Judy Blundell does it. This is a totally different story but she worked her magic again.
The story starts out a simply coming of age story and slowly at first and then a fever pitch turns into a story with suspense, murder, adultery and ends without knowing who did it. Few books can do that without making you feel cheated. But this one did.
The main character is Evie Spooner who seems very naïve at first but aching to grow up. Then she had some experiences that she shouldn't have to deal with at her age. She was only 15 years old bonded closely with her mother but wondered why she seemed to hold her back when it came to putting on makeup and dating. Her step father, Joe Spooner, seems like a pretty good guy, standing up for her and protecting her when needed. But how much does she really know about her parents? Can she really trust them? Were they "normal"?
Into life comes Peter Coleridge, 23 years old, an ex -GI who served under her father in WWII. Why doesn't her father like him? Why does her mother act the way she does when Peter is there? The family meets Peter on a trip to Palm Beach, a vacation trip that each one of them wished they had never gone on.
This book brings up many questions about parents, secrets and trust. Plus the story starts twist and twist as revelations about the parents and more are disclosed. I really enjoyed this book and have lots more things to think about. Ethical questions abound in this book.
This is the kind of book you want to curl up with and read cover to cover without stopping. Judy Blundell is a master storyteller, but this novel is compelling for other reasons — for its ability to make you consider moral questions without trying too hard. They are simply woven into the fabric of the book.


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There are so many reasons to teach yourself the art of furniture repurposing. These days there is so much support, and SO much information on the web that it’s become a nearly foolproof way to save money, start a fun new hobby or even launch a lucrative side hustle that can turn into a career!
My friend and “expert” in the furniture refinishing field is Jen Crider, the blogger behind Girl in the Garage. I’m so proud to say that Jen is now the best selling author with her new book, “Amazing Furniture Makeovers”.
I met Jen back in 2012 when we were a part of a 30-person DIY home decor “tribe”. We were bloggers that were very focused on furniture repurposing projects. This group of ladies pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me the courage to try new techniques and paint mediums. I learned SO much from this group, and since then, the furniture painting “industry” has exploded with newly inspired entrepreneurs, new paints and new finishes.
Here are just a few of my favorites from Jen’s book:
From image transfers, to upholstery, decoupage and paint, this beautiful book is filled with so many great ideas. Jen’s style is on-trend, her writing style is easy to read and she offers unbelievable before-and-after photos. Advanced skills are more accessible to all levels, she breaks down each process with step-by-step visuals with simple, clear instructions.
Even this amazing “luggage” dresser is broken down in simple, step by step instructions. I LOVE this makeover!
Once you learn the skills to renew furniture…it’s truly one of the most rewarding and fun DIY projects you’ll ever take on.
10 Reasons to Learn the Art of Furniture Refinishing
Some of the benefits of giving furniture repurposing a try:
- Low-Cost, High Impact: Beautiful furniture is no longer a budget breaker as you learn the skills to fix or design your very own pieces.
- And…It Adds Value: Most people who learn the art of furniture repurposing begin to take on more sophisticated home improvement projects (like painting kitchen cabinets, painting banisters). If done well, these projects can add value to your home.
- You Recognize GOOD Design: You start to understand how furniture is made, and you recognize good design when you see it.
- More Choices: Your have a leg up! Your furniture selection widens exponentially when you see secondhand items in a brand new light.
- Resourceful & Adaptable: You can easily fix broken pieces, change colors or styles as trends change or as your tastes evolve over time.
- Perfectly Customized For Your Home: You no longer have to settle for store-bought furniture. You are now able to find furniture that is the perfect size and perfect color for your space.
- You Become an Expert: You’ll develop a style that works for you. AND you’ll understand many finishes and how to acheive them. Soon you’ll be able to tackle most any project that comes along.
- A Perfect Teen Job: This is a PERFECT summer job for teens with amazing profits. A $10 thrifted table can easily become a $150 profit for teens, which sometimes represents and entire week’s pay!
- Create Your Own Side Hustle: Furniture repurposing is the ground floor for starting your own creative business.
- Developing a Tribe: If you start a blog, you’ll get to hang with other like-minded creatives and possibly gain the attention of companies willing to support your creative business.
What’s In MY Garage?
I’m so excited to share some of the pieces that I picked up…waiting for me in my garage.
As you can see I’m gravitating towards French-Indusrial chic style that I’ve always loved so much. Some furniture will be for sale and available for local pickup, or in our local antique booth. We may even keep some pieces since we are starting over in our new home.
Thank you to Jen for all of her inspiration, I’m so proud of my talented friend. Be sure to pick up your copy and learn the art of furniture repurposing. Jen has already inspired thousands and she’s definitely inspired me to jump back into the playing field and start a few new furniture projects of my own!


CL Front Pads - RC6E (4026)
Carbon Lorraine Pad shape 4026
Clio 2 RS front pads
Note: Photographes are not pad shape 4026
CL Brakes RC6E otherwise known as RC6 Endurance pads; offer a similar braking coefficient to the RC6 (μ=0.46) but has an extremely low wear rate making it ideal for endurance racing or for teams wanting a low cost braking solution over a race season.


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Online casino players seeking a big cash giveaway won't want to miss Playtech's £500,000 giveaway. This is the largest casino network promotion run by the world's leading omni-channel gaming software, systems and services provider. The promotion will run across the Playtech network for a total of 28 days.
The monster cash giveaway coincides with the launch of several amazing superhero slots including three based off Superman films: "Superman", "Superman II" and "Man of Steel". This isn't the first time the casino games supplier has launched a promotion in honor of newly released slots. Back in 2016 there was a £250,000 network promotion to promote the release of other DC-branded titles.
The current giveaway consists of 4 draws: one worth £200,000 and the three others valued at £100,000 each. Top prizes will be worth up to £5,000 and there will also be hundreds of smaller cash prizes, so there are many winning chances.
Players who wish to take part to get their chance to win one of these awesome cash prizes can do so by playing any one of these great slots: Superman, Superman II, Man of Steel, Green Lantern, Space Invaders, Buffalo Blitz, Halloween Fortune 2, Plenty O' Fortune, and Age of the Gods. Players will receive 1 ticket into the prize draw for every £10 real-money bet placed on any of these games.

domain: game


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Synopses & Reviews
The first historical dictionary devoted to science fiction, Brave New Words: The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction
shows exactly how science-fictional words and their associated concepts have developed over time, with full citations and bibliographic information. It's a window on a whole genre of literature through the words invented and passed along by the genre's most talented writers. In addition, it shows how many words we consider everyday vocabulary words like "spacesuit," "blast off," and "robot" had their roots in imaginative literature, and not in hard science.
Citations are included for each definition, starting with the earliest usage that can be found. These citations are drawn not only from science fiction books and magazines, but also from mainstream publications, fanzines, screenplays, newspapers, comics, film, songs, and the Internet. In addition to illustrating the different ways each word has been used, citations also show when and where words have moved out of the science fiction lexicon and into that of other subcultures or mainstream English.
Brave New Words covers the shared language of science fiction, as well as the vocabulary of science fiction criticism and its fans those terms that are used by many authors in multiple settings. Words coined in science fiction have become part of the vocabulary of any number of subcultures and endeavors, from comics, to neo-paganism, to aerospace, to computers, to environmentalism, to zine culture. This is the first book to document this vocabulary transfer. Not just a useful reference and an entertaining browse, this book also documents the enduring legacy of science fiction writers and fans.
"I had an embarrassingly good time poring through Brave New Words. It's more than a dictionary, it's a secret history of science fiction and of the last 50 years of popular culture." John Scalzi, author of Old Man's War
"An important and entertaining reference for any science fiction writer, magazine editor, fan, neophyte reader, or librarian....Both interesting and humorous. Many science fiction fans will probably read it from cover to cover. Highly recommeded. All levels." CHOICE
"This admirable and unique source demonstrates on nearly every page the surprising extent to which the language of science fiction has entered everyday English-terms and concepts such as beam me up, cyberspace, downtime, gateway, morph, newspeak, robot, and space cadet. Highly recommended." Library Journal
About the Author
Jeff Prucher is a freelance lexicographer and an editor for the Oxford English Dictionary's science fiction project. He has previously been a bookseller, office temp, editorial assistant for Locus, and software quality assurance engineer. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and more books than they realistically have room for.

domain: library


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Trinity Forest is a historic & intensively managed forestry property with healthy varying ages of pine plantations & intermittent Stream-side Management Zones (SMZ's) along creek drains. Excellent public road frontage & access with excellent internal road system for forestry...
Buck Creek Ranch is a beautiful 1,940 acres located in Daisy, Oklahoma with frontage along the Indian Nation Turnpike. Buck Creek is located about 2.5 hours from Dallas, OKC, and Tulsa. This ranch is comprised of some of Oklahoma's most beautiful features which include Bal...
Oh My! HGTV has nothing on this Best of the Best Bryan Bell Custom all brick 3 level overlooking Lake Norfork with over 4,000SF, 4BR/3.5BA nestled in the pine trees on 14.28AC with 36x60 outbuilding. 2 Stall Boat Dock with Swim Deck & over 1400 Feet of Gov't Strip Frontage. ...
Charming Pumice-Crete Southwest style home on Stollsteimer Creek; This Southwestern Chic home offering 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with 2,421 square feet of living space is ready to be your new home. This home borders Chimney Rocky National Monument and other large parcels of lan...
EXCELLENT EXPOSURE! Highly visible acreage off of Route 1, prime for commercial development. Over 11 acres of endless potential and possibilities. Warehouse and retail/service center already in place, along with leased cell tower and billboards. Property cannot settle prior to 2019, offering plenty of time for due diligence and planning. Available for Lease-Purchase!
$5,249,0005.33 acres33672 Bayview Medical Drive, Lewes, DE19958 - Sussex County
Impeccable Medical Office Building off Savannah Road on East Side of Route 1! This Medical Office Building Features Two Floors of Medical Office Space Totaling 16,761 SF of Space, and a Finished Basement Space Totaling 4,763 SF of Space. The First Floor is Allocated 7,588 SF with a Large Lobby and a 3 Stop 2500LB Capacity Elevator, Large Reception Area, Women's and Men's Dressing Room, Kitchen, Exam Rooms, X-Ray Rooms, Ultrasound Room, MRI and MRI Control Room, Various Other Offices/Exam Rooms, and 7 Bathrooms. The Second Floor is Allocated 9,173 SF Consisting of Offices, Exam Rooms, Conference Room, Large Reception Area, Waiting Room, File Storage Room, and 6 Bathrooms. There is a Full Basement Allocated 4,763 SF of Space. The Facility
$4,749,0004.71 acresCOASTAL S HIGHWAY ONE, Lewes, DE19958 - Sussex County
These 3 C3 Zoned Parcels just inside the City Limits are Prime for Many uses. The Property Consists of 613' of rd Frontage, 3 Entrances, and a Designated Pump Station Location. It would make a Perfect Location for Medical Buildings being Right Down The Street From The New Hospital Site. Also includes parcels 42 & 264
$2,500,00081.93 acresSB Route 113, Georgetown, DE19947 - Sussex County
82 acre development opportunity within City of Georgetown Town limits. Zoning TN-welcomes commercial development, multi family, and more. Discoveries on file from former Pre-Approval recvd for Multi family and Commercial frontage.
$2,250,00010.6 acres22297 Dupont Blvd, Georgetown, DE19947 - Sussex County
Commercial Real Estate Available at the Busy Route 9 / Route 113 Interchange. Vacant Property for Sale or Lease, 10.6 Acres Situated on the North Bound Lanes of Route 113. Join Neighboring Retail: Microtel Inn, Citizens Bank, Rite Aide, KFC, M&T Bank, Taco Bell, Radio Shack, Walmart, Subway, Dollar General. Buyer is Responsible for Sewer and Water Hook-Up Fees and Any DelDOT Requirements. Seller will Subdivide for $225K / Acre.
$1,800,0007.51 acres22654 S Sussex Highway S, Seaford, DE19973 - Sussex County
This is one of 4 parcels listed & available for a total of 7.51 acres.
Located within city limits with city services available.
Three other parcels all front on Alt Rt. 13 / Bridgeville Hwy
TM#: 331-03.00-193.05 - 3.71 acres
TM#: 331-03.00-193.09 - 1.24 acres
TM#: 331-03.00-193.10 - 1.27 acres
TM#: 331-03.00-193.11 - 1.29 acres
$1,490,00018.83 acresLot East Trap Pond Road, Georgetown, DE19947 - Sussex County
"The Fountains", an approved subdivision located within the town limits of Georgetown, DE. Town sewer and water available. Chesapeake utilities can supply natural gas. Two approved entrances- East Trap Pond Rd. and Little St. Approved for 83 single family cottages and attached units and one central building designed as a club house. Property abuts Route 9 (County Seat Hwy). Little Street and East Trap Pond Road. Location is close to shopping and restaurants with easy access from Route 113.
$1,450,0006 acres32985 Shoppes At Long Neck, Millsboro, DE19966 - Sussex County
Nice retail center in one of the fastest growing communities in Sussex County. The rents support CAP Rate in the high 8s, even with an allowance of 5% vacancy (currently none) and a management fee of 4% on the $117,339 NOI. Additional parcel next to Grotto Pizza can support an 8000 SF improvement for more retail or offices--for the right deal, it could be included!
$1,450,0001.2 acres16373 Coastal Hwy, Lewes, DE19958 - Sussex County
Prime commercial property fronting Route 1, includes Billboard, existing buildings and road with cul-de-sec with Route 1 access. Sale includes parcel 59 aka Lot #4 and Northeast Blvd,a private street off Route 1.
$1,400,0003.21 acresParcel "A" Bayshore Plaza, Millsboro, DE19966 - Sussex County
This 38 acre parcel is located across from the airport in Georgetown on the corner of Railroad Ave and Airport Road. It is zoned Light Industrial 2. Light Industrial 2 consists of a building or land used for general light industrial, warehousing, and storage uses, including certain open or enclosed storage of products, material and vehicles. A list of permitted uses is included in the supplements.
$1,200,0006.58 acres0 ROUTE 113, Milford, DE19963 - Sussex County
Zoned C-3 in the City of Milford, 6.58 acres with 1,275 ft. road frontage.Preliminary approval for 37,000 sq.ft.commercial center and 170 mini-storage units. Water/Sewer City of Milford and Del Dot letter for ingress/egress.Billboard not included.
$1,200,0002.98 acresRt 23 Long Neck Rd & Oak Forest Park, Millsboro, DE19966 - Sussex County
DON'T MISS THIS GEM!!! LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!!! Rare 2.98+/- Acre, commercially-zoned C-1 parcel located on heavily traveled Long Neck Road. NEVER BEFORE LISTED!!! Surrounded by other businesses in a rapidly-growing area! Don't miss this opportunity to start or grow your business! Sussex County Code and Restrictions apply. Sewer & Water Available. DON'T PASS THIS ONE BY!
$999,9005.84 acres- Market St. & River Rd., Blades, DE19973 - Sussex County
Prime C-2 location fronting on US Rt 13/Sussex Hwy with frontage on Alt Rt 13 / Bridgeville Hwy with 400' road frontage. Annexed into Seaford City limits with sewer & water available but not on site yet. Includes 3 parcels for a total of 6.77 acres. Sale includes parcels 193.00, 193.12 & 193.13 for a total of 6.77 acres.
$950,0001.7 acres11475 Commercial, Laurel, DE19956 - Sussex County
Commercial, 7,800 sq. ft. bldg. includes 2,100 retail section, 3-phase power, 2000 sq. ft. det. building w/oversized door & large billboard on 1.55 acres highly visible on US 13, a major East Coast artery with a turn around directly in front of property. Located just outside city limits. Can receive city water and sewer.
$890,0008.3 acres28086 Dagsboro Road, Dagsboro, DE19939 - Sussex County
Take advantage of 13 BEAUTIFUL and SPACIOUS offices all in one building along route 26 in Dagsboro! Building features 2 modern kitchens, 3 restrooms, a spacious foyer, conference rooms, and a sunny back deck. This layout is perfect for a business to take over and is conveniently located in a PRIME spot right in central Sussex County to attract customers!! Bonus: the desks and conference room tables are all included as well! ACT FAST!
$600,0003 acres20146 WOLF RD, Georgetown, DE19947 - Sussex County
Beautiful 1 acre turn key business, C-1 zoning on Route 16. Main workshop 50x85, showroom, office, 3 bays, 3 lifts w/50x20 storage. Two 20x50 office and storage buildings, 2 pole signs. Well kept and maintained. Ask agent about owner financing!
$499,9002.78 acres24559 DUPONT BLVD., Georgetown, DE19947 - Sussex County
Unique Commercial Property! Home is included with the sale! Adjoining property is for sale! Both parcels together make a nice piece of property. Entrance is on this property. Lots of potential for a growing business.
Great location and close to beaches is this 1.35 acre commercial parcel. Property includes a 40x70 warehouse, up-graded electrical transformer, 6 commercial sewer connections and water taps on site. Existing 6 unit apartment complex is being conveyed as is.

domain: geography


Sen. Jeff SessionsJeff SessionsSharpton pressures Dems on Trump nominees Trump allies warn: No compromise on immigration Could bipartisanship rise with Trump government? MORE (R-Ala.) accused Senate Majority Leader Harry ReidHarry ReidDemocratic efforts to cling to power at FCC are doomed to fail Lawmakers haggle over funding bill as shutdown nears Overnight Tech: Big win for Samsung over Apple | Trump to sit down with tech leaders | Trump claims credit for B investment deal MORE (D-Nev.) of opening “Pandora’s box” last week when he used the nuclear option to change Senate filibuster rules.
Last Thursday, 52 Democrats voted to change the rules by limiting the minority party’s right to filibuster presidential nominees. In the past, Democrats needed 60 votes to overcome GOP filibuster of a nominee, but with the rule change a simple majority can end debate on a nominee.
Reid decided to use the “nuclear option” — which gets its name because of the damage it does to bipartisan relationships — after Republicans blocked three of President Obama’s nominees to the D.C. District Court.
Sessions, who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Reid’s actions have turned George Washington’s “cooling saucer” into another House of Representatives, where the minority party has little power.
“We are witnessing a fundamental and potentially lasting alteration of the Senate,” Sessions wrote. “Reid, in effect, is turning the Senate into Nancy Pelosi’s House of Representatives.”
Sessions said Republican obstruction stems from the fact that Reid won’t allow an open amendment process, saying Reid’s “dictatorial actions” are to blame.


Innovation Drive is a company that provides a platform to turn its clients' ideas into real products. It comprises a community of idea assessors, industrial designers, product designers, engineers and manufacturers who work together to produce products ready for market. The company aims to facilitate the commercialization process.
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When was Innovation Drive founded?
Innovation Drive was founded in 2018.
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Innovation Drive has 4 employees.
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Competitors of Innovation Drive include Embria, raksan and Another Ventures.
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Glut of multimillion dollar deals highlight on-going attractiveness of solar investments
Funding for capital intensive projects may currently be as scarce as hen's teeth, but apparently nobody has yet told investors in the solar energy sector. While industry insiders accept it is increasingly...
Introducing mandatory climate risk disclosure for businesses and investors is an essential part of achieving net zero emissions argues Nick Molho, executive director of the Aldersgate Group
Speaking at pre-COP talks in Costa Rica UK Climate Minister Lord Duncan urges other countries to step up their climate commitments
Northern Powergrid launches pioneering smart grid trial, where electric vans replace diesel generators as back up power supplies
Sustainable bonds and green economy marks: London Stock Exchange beefs up sustainable investment offerings
Initiatives aim to support companies with sustainable business models and investors who are increasingly focusing on environmental products and services


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Stay Alive created a bit of buzz earlier this year and was anticipated by many a genre fan thanks to its concept, which blends two of regular internet users’ favourite pastimes; movies and games.
The story sees Hutch lose his best friend Loomis to a horrible accident. Hutch and his friends decide to throw a LAN party in honour of Loomis, and play a game named Stay Alive which Loomis had been beta testing before he died.
The kids play the game and get spooked, and discover the next day that their friend Miller, later died in real life in the exact same way his character died in the game. Everyone is sceptical at first, including the obligatory bumbling cops, but the group soon has no other option but to believe it, as their number continues to dwindle.
The film unfortunately suffered the curse of the PG-13 rating, as Hollywood big wigs thought younger audience members would mean more bums on seats (which more or less worked) but the core audience felt cheated, as the film was so badly butchered in editing, that there are a number of gaping plot holes to be found.
Unlike the majority of IMDB members, most viewers should be able to fill in the blanks by things called process of elimination and logical thought processes, yet there are a number of niggling factors that we could never figure out for ourselves, mainly – who made the game?
It has been promised that this will be dealt with in the obligatory director’s cut DVD and we shall also see more gore, new characters and even new sub-plots…essentially the whole film.
These problems do not make the film a complete waste of time however, as there are a number of plus points, mainly the cast and the witty banter, plus the New Orleans locations and gothic imagery also work very well, as does the soundtrack and the creepy sound design.
It’s pretty cheesy and the overall experience is ruined by the mandatory editing, but it’s a fun little film that fills a theatrical gap before the forthcoming onslaught of sequels and big budget horror flicks hit multiplexes.


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(photo by Xavier Gameday)
By: Parker Fields
Let's just start this off by saying one word.
This game had everything as two top 25 teams battled and it was quite the showdown on the court. This game started off with a Xavier offensive masterclass. Through the first 10 mins of the game Xavier was shooting nearly 70% from the field. To go along with their defense, Xavier was holding Uconn to just 37% from the field up to this point. Xavier was playing so well offensively that they even had a 36-26 lead with just a few minutes left in the first half. This however was when everything changed. Uconn found the three ball and they found it fast. Uconn went on a 16-5 run to end the half and went into halftime with a 42-41 lead after trailing just about the whole half. For the half Xavier shot 58% from the field and 57% from three. Uconn shot 47% from the field and 42% from three. With those stats it's pretty crazy that Uconn had the lead, right? Here's why.
Uconn won the rebounding battle 18-13 and got up an extra 10 shots on Xavier. Simply, Uconn got a lot more shot attempts which in turn resulted in more points, even if Xavier shot the higher percentage.
Xavier was led by Zach Freemantle with eleven points and six rebounds. Uconn was led by Adama Sanogo with 10 points.
Overall, this first half was filled with a lot of action and we knew we were in for a great second half.
The second half started off with back to back threes from Uconn and it looked like it was about to start turning in their favor. This however, did not insue the rest of the way. Xavier and Uconn went back and forth trading buckets, and no team gained a lead more than a couple points. This back and forth battle of trading baskets lasted until the game was tied at 73 with 3:58 left to play.
From there, Xavier did not allow Uconn to score a single point. Xavier played stifling defense down the stretch and didn't allow Uconn many good looks. This defensive effort at the end of the game show Xavier's ability to defend when everybody is locked in and engaged. Xavier hit some free throws and this game was over. Xavier went onto score the last ten points of this game and win by a score of 83-73.
It was over, Xavier had beat the #2 team in the country and one of their biggest wins in school history. Cintas Center was rocking today, and it was one of the most electric atmospheres I have ever seen.
Xavier was led by Zach Freemantle with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists. Colby Jones also pitched in 16 points.
Uonn was led by their star big man Adama Sonogo who had 18 points and 6 rebounds. Andre Jackson Jr. pitched in a near triple double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists.
#22 Xavier will now travel to Villanova next Saturday for another Big East showdown. It should be a fun season for Xavier fans as they look to win a Conference title.


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Canada announced key projects while at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, including Process Research Ortech’s (PRO) mining project in Botswana with investment partners – valued at CAD $129 million (USD $100 million), as announced by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Process Research Ortech (PRO) and Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI) will sign an MOU to bring partners together to investment in a copper and nickel mine in Botswana focused on extracting and processing the minerals for the development of batteries.
As noted by the Government of Canada, this investment will advance Canada’s global leadership on critical minerals by ensuring leading Canadian companies, like PRO, work with innovative research institutions to develop and secure supply chains for the critical minerals; all to enable a transition to a low-carbon economy and support advanced technology and manufacturing.
”This project shows Canada is the partner of choice for local beneficiation, skills development, and job creation across Africa and in Canada, within the context of deeper intra-Africa trade to which Canada has been committed ” says Jacques NdoutouMvé, VP of Business Development at Process Research Ortech.
”In my capacity as Vice President (Africa) of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business, I am glad to see this outcome of our 2019 conference in Botswana that PRO supported and which brought together leaders and decision-makers in no small part thanks to Global Affairs Canada and our headline sponsor Hatch”.
The Next Stage in Investment Facilitation
NdoutouMvé has taken his extensive project portfolio and interests into a single entity.
He says the Toronto-based firm will continue to deliver projects, in part by turning connections made at events through to the tangible delivery of projects and investment. “I am proud of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business as the premier platform to bring people together. It is up to us in the business community to use the platform to create deals out of the important connections facilitated by Canada’s premier chamber for African markets.”
121 Canada is committed to Canada-Africa deal-making through advisory, including establishing private equity funds dedicated to the African continent (with both country and sector-specific focus areas). The first fund was set up last year in Cape Town and with a Pan-African in focus for Canadian investors.
During PDAC this month, 121 Canada facilitated the participation of the Republic of Gabon with an expo booth, attendance at the largest African mining event in North America and a Ministerial luncheon for investors in the heart of Toronto’s financial district.
”121 Canada is a proud member and supporter of The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business and I encourage other organzations to take advantage of the organization’s 28-year track record as a not-for-profit supported by its members and sponsors.”


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When someone receives a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, it’s natural for them to experience worry and fear about the future. It’s an extremely dangerous mental health disorder and treatment can be difficult and extensive. For those reasons, treatment of anorexia nervosa should include some aspect of family support or that of a close-knit group of friends. The anorexia nervosa treatment process takes thorough planning, with a support system of loved ones and therapists in place when the individual moves on to aftercare.
A long-term recovery without a support structure is possible, but it’s much easier when the patient has educated, caring, and responsible people there to hold them up.
While the program for treatment a person chooses to attend is crucial, what they do following recovery is just as important. When seeking out an anorexia nervosa recovery center for your loved one, make sure you take into account how comprehensive their aftercare and support programs are.
Anorexia Nervosa: Signs and Symptoms
Anorexia nervosa, which leads all mental health disorders in causing death, is a potentially life-threatening behavioral disorder characterized by consistent and pathological restriction of food intake, severe weight loss and inability to maintain body weight, body dysmorphia (flawed or distorted body image), and occasionally abuse of medications like amphetamines or laxatives.
Based on fear of gaining weight and attempting to exert control over their lives, people with anorexia nervosa make great efforts to restrict the number of calories they eat. They may also engage in excessive or compulsive exercise, beyond the point of self-injury. Although the common perception is that anorexia nervosa only affects young women, this mental health disorders can affect people of all ages, genders, races, and social backgrounds.
What Are the Warning Signs of Anorexia Nervosa?
Each person has a unique experience with anorexia nervosa, but several diagnostic criteria are common in most cases. Anorexia nervosa may also present as atypical anorexia nervosa, in which the individual does not reach a dangerously low body weight:
- Refusal to eat certain foods or pushing foods around on the plate
- Frequent, extreme dieting
- Avoiding public meals or finding excuses not to eat
- Obsessing over the number of calories taken in
- Constant weighing and counting calories
- Only eating in private
- The inability to maintain a medically appropriate body weight
- Ceasing to menstruate
- Low energy, fatigue, and feeling cold constantly
- Sleeplessness or insomnia
- Avoiding public meals and restaurants
It’s Important to Act Quickly If a Diagnosis Is Made
The longer someone lives with anorexia nervosa, the harder it can be to counteract the disorder. That may seem like a minor problem, but anorexia nervosa is a dangerous disorder that can cause death. If it is ignored or goes untreated, the health risks can pile up and become insurmountable. People with anorexia nervosa also tend to experience other forms of mental health disorder as well, such as depressions, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation.
That’s why it’s essential for recovery that families reach out for help from an eating disorder treatment center or psychiatric professional sooner rather than later if they suspect anorexia nervosa is present. As the patient’s support system is helping to locate the right anorexia nervosa recovery center for their loved ones, they should look for a comprehensive treatment program that includes evidence-based therapies like CBT as well as group and family therapy sessions that extent a support system around them.
Anorexia Nervosa Aftercare: How to Build a Support System
Most treatment facilities for eating disorders have a pre-planned aftercare system in place and will get their patients’ families involved early during the treatment process. Often, family counseling is part of the weekly routine in residential or day treatment, and the education they receive greatly improves their ability to support their loved ones after graduation.
Heading home and back into a regular routine without a solid aftercare plan can greatly increase the odds of relapse, undoing the progress made during active treatment. Almost every kind of behavioral health disorder can be triggered by stress or other difficult situations. With training on wellbeing practices, meal planning, and other support methods, the family members of the recovered individual can become the bedrock of a healthier, happier lifestyle.

domain: psychology


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Saravanan was born in Salem district of Tamil Nadu in India. He is an actor in Indian films who acted more in Tamil films. He has five siblings. He is the second among them. His mother's job was staff nursing. His father worked as an IG (Inspector-general of police). He completed his bachelors' degree in Arts from the Government Arts College at Salem in the Tamil Literature. He then moved to the capital city of Tamil Nadu, Chennai to complete his acting course at Adyar Film Institute, which is officially known as M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute. It is an institute which was established in the year 1945 and is known to be run by the state government of Tamil Nadu. He is not only an actor but also a director. He was the director of the film "Thaayumaanavan". He acted many lead roles in a series of films during the 1990s. His acting career took a break in the later end of the 1990 decade.
He started his second innings in 2007 with an Indian Tamil romantic-drama film named "
Paruthiveeran" which was under the direction of Ameer Sultan. He was the paternal uncle of the play role of Karthi, a well known Indian film actor in the Tamil film industry. His role won critical applause. He was awarded the "Filmfare Award for being the best supporting actor in Tamil. He also got a Vijay Award for being the best supporting actor for his extraordinary performance in this film. The success triggered much more offers subsequently for him. HE got an opportunity to be a part of "Veeramum Eeramum", a biopic of Sanjay Ram, which is based on the real-life story of Venkatesa Pannaiyar. In the year 1991, he played in the film "Vaidhehi Vanthachu" following with a Tamil language drama film "Pondatti Rajyam" in the next year along with "
In the year 1993, he acted in many films like Muthupandi, Parvathi Ennai Paradi, Akkarai Cheemayile, Nallathey Nadakkum, Pettredutha Pillai, Suriyan Chandiran, and Maamiyar Veedu. The next year, he played three movies namely Thaai Manasu, Sevatha Ponnu and Veettai Paru Naattai. In the year 1996, Vishwanath and Thirumbi Paar were the two films in which he acted. In the year 1997, he acted in only one film named Thambi Durai he was the lead actor. In 1998, He starred a Tamil comedy film named Santhosham opposite Suvalakshmi and Ponmaanai Thedi, a Tamil comedy-drama film directed by Paari along with
Suvarna Mathew. In 2001, he filmed Nandha and then directed the movie "
Thayumanavan" in the year 2003. In the year 2009, he played in "Azhagar Malai", being known for his special appearance following with Pinchumanasu in the same year. He had only one film to act in 2010 namely Vilai. He played Tambi Vettothi Sundaram in 2011 and Orange film in 2012 in Malayalam. He acted in
Alex Pandian as Parthiban and also in Keeripulla in the year 2013 in Tamil and 2014, he acted as Ayyanar in Aranmanai. In 2016, he acted films namely Sowkarpettai, Meenakshi Kadhalan Ilangovan and Pottu in Tamil.

domain: celebrity


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Biotherapy promotes good energy flow, provides temporary relief
Rufus Duffin and Elena Yamaeva are at a loss. Their son, Logan, suffers from a rare genetic disease that is slowly eating away at his cells and causing irreversible nerve damage to his tiny body. There is no cure, no known medical treatment, and the life expectancy for children with this disease — Type 1 GM1 gangliosidosis — is around three years. Logan is about six months shy of his second birthday.
“He progressed normally from birth, maybe a little slower neurologically,” Duffin recalls. But then, “at eight, 10 months, he started to decline: didn’t grow, lost the skills he had gained, couldn’t keep food down, wasn’t sleeping and was having seizures.”
Faced with their son’s rapidly weakening health and no possible assistance from medical professionals, the couple decided to look for alternative sources of relief for Logan, which is when they came across biotherapy.
This unusual — and controversial — alternative treatment is basically a healing technique based on Chinese medicine that aims to “re-balance” the body’s energy sources without prescription drugs or long hospital stays. The treatment is not something many medical professional advocate. However, proponents claim biotherapy can ease a patient’s pain and discomfort.
Duffin and his wife found Charlotte Jakobsen, a biotherapist based in Denmark, on the Internet. Jakobsen has been working with the couple’s young son since October, and Duffin says he immediately noticed improvements.
“The jumps in [Logan’s] progress have been big. … He went from waking up 15 times in the night to waking up once,” Duffin says. “I can’t tell you how amazing it feels to be able to help him when there is no possible medical support.”
Jakobsen has been practicing biotherapy for eight years and admits the treatment may, at first, sound a little strange.
“It’s very basic,” Jakobsen notes, during a recent visit to Prague. “We work with the aura and the energy field. We feel blockages. It’s a Chinese way of looking at health and how everything must flow.”
What it basically amounts to is Jakobsen waving her hands around a patient’s body, looking for areas that either have too much or not enough energy. If there’s an area with too much, she “removes” it; if an area needs more she “puts” it back. The whole 30-minute treatment is performed without any physical contact between the patient and therapist. In fact, Jakobsen doesn’t even need to be in the same country to treat a patient.
“I just imagine doing the treatment on [them],” she says. “It sounds weird, I know, but it doesn’t matter where [the patients] are; I can do it.”
Jakobsen says she feels tingling in her fingers or the area is heavy if there’s too much energy in a spot of a person’s body, while if there’s not enough it feels cold or like a dead area.
“In order to start the healing process, we need to increase the energy,” she says. “Starting the energy process gives the body the opportunity to heal itself.”
Biotherapy doesn’t have everyone convinced of its benefits, though. Dr. Jiří Heřt is a retired general practitioner and former anatomy professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Plzeň, west Bohemia. He spent 20 years analyzing alternative medicine and doesn’t believe these types of techniques help.
“All of these [alternative treatments] are really vague. It is about a psychological effect on the patients, but there is no energy flowing into the patient,” he says. “It’s like when a child is sick and their mother pats them. It’s a placebo effect.”
Dr. Heřt adds that psychological therapy can help a patient to heal, but licensed medical doctors are a person’s safest avenue.
Still, when there are no medical options available, biotherapy, some argue, can act as a last refuge for the terminally ill. Jakobsen doesn’t claim this is a cure, but, for example, she has treated people who have leukemia and says the sessions eased their pain and helped them sleep.
“It sounds like such a little thing to us, but to them it is huge,” she says.
Duffin and Yamaeva were so excited about the progress they saw in Logan, they arranged for Jakobsen to come to Prague to teach them the treatment. Now, they treat their son twice a day. They are pleased with his continuing progress. In addition to sleeping through the night, Logan has also gained weight. His hair has started to grow again. His vision has improved, and he has stopped having seizures, his parents report.
The procedure was created by Zdenko Domančič. His clinic in Slovenia, the Domančič Biotherapy Clinic, is the largest bioenergy clinic in the world. Jakobsen has studied with Domančič but says she first heard about the therapy on a television program featuring two practitioners from Ireland.
“It’s very easy to learn. We train the sensitivity in your fingertips, and everyone feels energy within 15 minutes of practice,” she says. “What I like about biotherapy is everyone can learn it to a certain degree and use it to help their friends and family.”
Jakobsen says the procedure is not only a viable option for the seriously ill, but also for those suffering from a migraine or depression.
Jakobsen held her first workshop here in January, and came back in February to hold an advanced workshop for those first students, as well as a special one for medical professionals. She says she will come back to Prague if enough people show an interest in learning about biotherapy.
Much of Chinese medicine is based on a person’s “chakras,” or the body’s seven focal energy points, and “meridians,” the channels that circulate the energy through your body. If one part of your body is blocked with too much energy, Jakobsen explains, that means energy won’t get to other parts of the body, which can lead to pain and illness.
“Biotherapy is about a feeling,” she says. “You don’t need to know a lot, just work within the natural flow of energy.”

domain: medical


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|Game 3||Game 3 Outline|
Even though the dragon had handed you the smallest of the bunch, you don't mind. The dragon and Jessie are both way bigger then you. Jessie is almost thrice the size of the dragon and has fat overflowing everywhere. On the other hand, the dragon isn't fat. Instead bulges of muscle protrude from his body, he looks very strong. As you tear into the gut of the pig like a pack of hungry wolves, you savor the taste. The juicy, greasy roasted pig meat almost melts in your mouth because of the fat.
Jessie is the first to finish her pig. She moans as the grease dribbles down her chin as she beckons for another. The dragon tosses her a pig that doubled the size of her first one. She tore into it like there was no tomorrow. You start working on the rear of the pig. As you eat you think about how if the things hadn't happened, what you would have thought if you were to eat a pig's rump.
As the last of your pig disappears you suddenly feel sick. Could it be because you had stuffed yourself with a pig almost as big as you? Or is it the werewolf venom going through your system? You fall over face first onto Jessie's soft flesh. It didn't hurt. The dragon looks at you and suddenly slaps himself.
"Crap! I forgot the plant!" He quickly drops his pig and runs out. Moments later he has a greenish liquid in a veil. He hands it to you and beckons you to drink it.
Written by Shubeko
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domain: literature


Vestas Wind Systems, is a Danish wind turbine manufacturer. In January 2011, Vestas published a report titled Life Cycle Assessment of Electricity Production from a V112 Turbine Wind Park. Within this report's boring and tedious pages are found some of the deepest secrets of the wind industry. "Life Cycle" contains a detailed account of the materials inputs for a 100 MW wind farm. The 100 MW is a nominal rating based on the use of 33 Vestas V112 wind generation systems in a theoretical facility. Each V112 is rated at 3 MW, although its actual output will varie from 0% to 100% depending on wind conditions. Average V112 output can also varie with location.
The report breaks down the materials input by component. Thus the wind turbine mechanisms and towers themselves will require 6634 metric tonnes of Unalloyed or Low alloyed steel and iron, 1442 tonnes of highly alloyed steel, and 2170 tonnes of cast iron. In addition the foundations will require 1491 Tonnes of Steel and iron materials, and 29770 tonnes of Concrete and mortar.
The wikipedia rates the average electrical output - the capacity factor - of wind generators from 20% to 40%. 20% of a 100 MW rated facility is 20 MWs while 40% is 40 MWs. Each V112 requires 355.7 tonnes of steel and iron to construct, or 117.7 tonnes per MW rated capacity. At a capacity factor of 40%, 293 tonnes of iron or steel input will produce one MW of average output, while at a capacity factor of 20%, 587 tonnes are required to produce a MW of average output.
In addition, about 300 tonnes of concrete is used for the tower foundation per every 1 MW of rated generating capacity. At 40% capacity factor that means 750 tonnes of concrete per average MW of output and at 20% capacity factor 1500 tonnes.
There are other significant material inputs into the V112 installation including Aluminum (total 208 tonnes per facility) and Copper (total 176 tons per facility).
Now lets look at another renewables technology, Solar PV. I looked at, A Review of Risks in the Solar Electric Life-Cycle, by V.M. Fthenakis and H.C. Kim of Brookhaven National Laboratory. Those writers reported drawing on date reported by Mason, J. M., V.M. Fthenakis, T. Hansen and H.C. Kim, in "Energy Pay-Back and Life Cycle CO2" Emissions of the BOS in an Optimized 3.5 MW PV Installation. Progress in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, the report materials input for 1 MW on nominal PV generating capacity. These include 40 metric tonnes of steel per MW, 19 tones of Aluminum, 76 tons of concrete, 85 tonnes of glass, and 13 tons of silicon.
The Wikipedia reports capacity factors of from 12% to 19% for solar PV instalations. This would yield between 120 and 190 kWs of average output for every 1 MW of installed PV power. This would require an input of between 333 and 210 tonnes of steel and between 633 and 400 MT of Concrete per MW of average electrical output. The input of other material into the Solar PV instalation would be equally impressive.
Discussions of the future of energy should focus on costs and resource availability. Switching the world energy system from fossil fuels to post carbon energy technology will be a massive undertaking, that will require huge inputs of materials and labor, whatever energy technology is chosen. Yet the choice of technology is important because the cost of labor and materials inputs matters. Per Peterson illustrates the problem by a comparison of some material inputs for various nuclear technologies:
PBMR is a gas cooled Pebble Bed Modular Reactor while AHTR-IT refers to a molten salt cooled graphite moderated reactor that could use pebble bed technology. Peterson's graphic nicely demonstrates why Pebble Bed Technology, once viewed as very promising has ceased to be viewed as an important nuclear option. Yet pebble bed research has not been entirely wasted. Professor Peterson believes that all of the materials input problems of Pebble Bed Technology. AHTR-IT refers to molten salt cooled graphite moderated reactors that have similar featurs when compaired to MSRs.
In "Metal And Concrete Inputs For Several Nuclear Power Plants," Per F. Peterson, Haihua Zhao, and Robert Petroski of the University of California, Berkeley, reviewed the concrete and steel inputs requirements of several nuclear designs. They stated,
The construction of existing 1970-vintage U.S. nuclear power plants required 40 metric tons (MT) of steel and 90 cubic meters (m3) of concrete per average megawatt of electricity (MW(ave)) generating capacity, when operated at a capacity factor of 0.9 MW(ave)/MW(rated) . . .Peterson and his associates stated that,
In nuclear energy systems, the major construction inputs are steel and concrete, which comprise over 95% of the total energy input into materials. To first order, the total building volume determines total concrete volume. The quantity of concrete also plays a very important role in deciding the plant overall cost:Peterson and associates explain the AHTR,
• Concrete related material and construction cost is important in total cost (~25% of total plant cost for 1970’s PWRs );
• Concrete volume affects construction time;
• Rebar (reinforcing steel in concrete) is a large percentage of total steel input (about 0.06 MT rebar per MT reinforced concrete for 1970’s PWRs );
• Rebar is about 35% of total steel for 1970’s PWRs ;
• Concrete volume affects decommissioning cost.
The AHTR is a new reactor concept that combines four technologies in a new way: coated particle nuclear fuels traditionally used for helium cooled reactors, Brayton power cycles, passive safety systems and plant designs from liquid cooled fast reactors, and low pressure molten salt coolants . The new combination of technologies may enable the development of a large high efficiency, lower cost high temperature (700 to 1000oC) reactor for electricity. As the peak reactor coolant temperatures approach 700oC, several technologies (Brayton cycles, passive reactor safety systems, available materials, etc.) work together to improve total system performance while significantly reducing costs relative to those for other reactors.Peterson estimates that the steel and iron input for a 1235 MWe AHTR facility to be around 19348 tonnes of metal with some where between 10% and 20% being non ferrous metals, or about 16 MTs per rated MW or 18 MTs per MW of average output. Concrete input would be 184354 cubic meters. Which comes to somewhere close to 424000 MT of concrete, or 343 MT per rated MWe, or around 380 MT of concrete per average MW of output.
The AHTR sufficiently similar to MSRs in design to argue that its material inputs would be similar to that of AHTRs. It should also be noted that Per Peterson and his associates did not consider this concrete and steel savings proposal. Namely that MSRs, be located in recycled coal fired generation facilities. We have no detailed studies of the benefits of the recycling approach would be, but if we assume a saving of 25% of ferrous metals and concrete. That leaves us with 285 MTs of concrete and around 13.5 tones of metal input per average MW of output.
At least one additional "trick" can be used to lower the materials input into MSR installations. The "trick" involves the use of underground housing of the reactor core. Above surface reactor installations require massive concrete and steel outer shielding structures, while such structures add no protection to an underground housed core, and thus are unneeded.
The AHTR derives its advantage from its materials advantage from its compactness. Peterson and his associates compared their AHTR design to the ESBRR, a generation III+ reactor. The ESBWR facility occupied 485477 cubic meters of building space compared to 184354 cubic meters for the AHTR. We can assume that the relationship will be similar for MSRs and ESBWRs.
We began this story with an account of the materials inputs for Wind and solar PV installations. There is a flaw in that story as we have told it so far. Both Wind and Solar PV are variable and do not provide energy on demand. With such unreliable energy sources balancing from other energy sources. I recently noted that a recent IER publication Harnessing Variable Renewables: a Guide to the Balancing Challenge. A discussion of that publication in offshoreWIND.biz tells us,
The resulting analysis shows that each region has the technical resources to balance large shares of variable renewable energy.
Potentials range from 19% in the least flexible area assessed (Japan) to 63% in the most flexible area (Denmark). The IEA also assessed the resources of the British Isles (Great Britain and Ireland together), 31%; the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal together), 27%; Mexico, 29%; the Nordic Power Market (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden), 48%; the Western Interconnection of the United States, 45%; and the area operated by the New Brunswick System Operator in Eastern Canada, 37%.
Most of the balancing resources will be carbon dependent. Thus the stable, reliable grid will continue to draw somewhere between half and two-thirds of its electricity from carbon emitting sources, if we exclude nuclear power. The only alternative to nuclear that will put us close to the carbon control 80% carbon reduction goal climate scientists say we need in order to prevent massive climate disruption, would be the the introduction of some form of energy storage. What ever form of energy storage will be chosen it will require materials input and will cost money, thus increasing the cost of renewables energy, without adding to energy output gain.
Thus the MSR and similar technologies represent reliable and low cost energy technologies, that should successfully compete with renewables on both reliability and cost. Our exciting conclusion to an otherwise dull story is that by potentially shifting to Molten Salt Nuclear technology, we can save the planet, while also saving a vast amount of money.


Rifle .275 by TT Proctor
This is a fairly new rifle proofed in 2006, it comes with a 6x42 Schmidt & Bender scope and it has a highly figured stock; just been stripped & cleaned.
A fabulous stalking rifle for a day at the stags.
If you have any questions about this item, please email us and we'll get right back to you
Perfect bore condition