Ready or Not, Mobile Computing is a Competitive Advantage
By Steven Wood, Associate Editor
Electric utilities are adapting to the new competitive marketplace by realizing two important factors: they have to provide more than electricity and they have to be responsive to their customers. The means to which they deliver electricity will remain relatively constant, but the way they respond to customers will change dramatically. As the utility industry is adapting to its new re-regulated environment, it is also finding new ways to deliver services to its customers. To be more competitive in a competitive world, utilities are finding that they have to do more than just send power down the lines. They realize that customers will demand faster response to requests, quicker outage response, and improved customer service.
Utilities are exploring several avenues to answer these needs. Many are looking towards the Internet as the answer. According to a study by the Yankee Group, 62 percent of incumbent energy companies consider the Internet to be very important or critical to their futures, but less than 20 percent currently provide customer or supplier specific information access or services. Most energy companies do not think of the Internet as a transaction-enabling or value-creating opportunity, but merely as a static repository of company and product information.
This indicates that utilities will be looking for alternatives to delivering customer benefits that will also provide corporate savings. Some utilities will try to combine the Internet with other customer satisfaction services, such as mobile computing.
In fact, more than 50 percent of U.S. utilities plan to implement mobile data systems (MDS) within the next two years, according to IT consulting firm META Group. “Utilities have to move at a quicker pace in implementing mobile computing to stay competitive,” said Mel Hinton, PSE&G information technology engineer. “We need these tools to be competitive, we have to work smarter and better.”
Trends in Mobile Computing
According to Rick Nicholson, META Group energies information strategies senior program director, there are several trends to watch. Proprietary offerings from niche suppliers will be moving towards open/standards-based offerings from large players; application/solution vendors who do it all will move to specialization in applications and services; mobile data terminal implementations will move to thick and thin client implementations; and multiple overlapping systems will move to a consolidated MDS gateway/server.
Nicholson also indicated that there will be a growth of public wireless data networks (instead of private networks) due to capacity constraints, coverage constraints and cost. Multipurpose networks are becoming more popular verses specialized networks, more efficient use of bandwidth and more use of Internet protocol.
Mobile computing can offer several different advantages to utilities during the deregulation rollout. Whether a utility uses it for order management, advanced meter reading or outage response, the tools can vary from handheld keypads to ruggedized computers. According to Hinton, mobile technology is now keeping up with the office computer technology industry. He indicated that ruggedized PCs use to be 18 to 24 months behind regular laptop computers in processing speed, but now they are only three to six months behind the office-based machines. Hinton also sees expanded capabilities when manufacturers add video capability as well as improved CD-ROM systems to mobile computing systems. With the improved speed and current applications, utilities that implement a mobile computing solution will improve customer satisfaction and will potentially see improvements in their asset management.
Utilities will see a decrease in paper work orders, faster response times to service calls and improved customer satisfaction as they automate their mobile work force. Service technicians at one utility receive their daily work assignments and real-time customer status reports through their mobile computers. They also update customer records in the company`s information database as the work is performed. Two-way messaging permits field service technicians to respond directly to service calls as they develop throughout the day.
Another twist in mobile computing is the way Schlumberger is using its mobile technology. Schlumberger has expanded its meter reading capabilities by offering a complete information service in California, according to Tim Eskew, Schlumberger director of alliances. With the Schlumberger system, if a meter does not report in, a work order is automatically issued through the Internet to the field crew. The crew will make the repair on the meter and when the job is completed, the work order is downloaded at the company. Laptop computers are being used by Schlumberger to implement its mobile technology solution. “This has proven to be a cost effective service for Schlumberger,” Eskew said. “It`s a trend in the business, a natural progression where the information is the core element of mobile technology.”
San Antonio`s City Public Service (CPS), decided to implement a mobile data communications system. When fully implemented, CPS collectors, overhead electric and gas technicians and metering personnel will use the system in 200 vehicles to improve customer service and reduce outage response time.
Interfacing with the CPS mainframe computer, the system consists of two high-memory computer servers, mobile laptop computers and radio equipment. Field personnel will receive electronic work orders and will access facility maps and customer account information. CPS has installed nine radio communication towers to transmit digitized information via radio to the designated vehicles.
Collectors, the first work group to use the system, will take portable hand-held computers to the customer`s door to monitor customer accounts for payment to avoid unnecessary service disconnection. When receiving payment at the customer`s residence, the collector will be able to post it immediately on the CPS mainframe computer.
When a customer calls CPS to report a gas or electric problem, the system will route an order electronically and in seconds it will be dispatched to the nearest vehicle in the vicinity of the service problem. The system also will page the technicians in the field or at home to alert them of an incoming order.
The system also interfaces with the CPS global positioning system (GPS), which permits the technician and the CPS gas and electric operations center to monitor the servicemen`s location. Once the job has been completed, technicians enter a message into their laptops. Through an interface with the automated telephone answering system, the customer then gets a call back when service has been restored. The system also has a call ahead feature to communicate with the customer before the service personnel arrive at the customer`s residence.
CPS worked with the software vendor Mobile Data Solutions Inc. to customize mobile work force management applications to fit the utility`s needs. Motorola was responsible for the radio communications link.
In another application, Boston Edison, in the face of deregulation, explored ways to improve its competitive advantages. Mobile computing emerged as a solution, but the field crews needed instant communication with the main office in order to improve scheduling, update customer requests and confirm emergency repairs.
Service calls provide the greatest opportunity to directly interact with customers and impact their attitudes toward the utility. The utility realized that the key to keeping customers was better service, and the key to better service was improved workforce productivity.
“As our industry is deregulated, consumers will have their choice of electricity suppliers,” said Gerald Mata, Boston Edison`s field service project manager. “In addition to price, the company`s reputation for reliability and high quality customer service will influence that choice. Employing technology to improve efficiency and reduce costs enhances our ability to retain current customers and gain new customers beyond our service territory.”
After looking at the options, Boston Edison selected an application software and middleware developed by Alliance Systems. It included a Tandem Computers NonStop fault-tolerant platform that supports Microsoft Windows-based clients.
Boston Edison`s handhelds solution was the Norand PEN*KEY 6600 mobile computer with an integrated radio, bar code scanner and an Ericsson built-in wireless modem. Once the hand-helds were chosen, Alliance`s RM System software connected the computers to Boston Edison`s distributed network, using both mobile client and Tandem host software designed to support communications over wireless links.
During Boston Edison`s pilot, Mata confirmed the mobile computers reduced paperwork while giving technicians the opportunity to decrease their travel time and increase productivity on service calls. The hand-helds also helped with overall company control, allowing access to GPS devices from Trimble Navigation. These devices enabled the host computer to instantly locate vehicles, dispatch them to a nearby location or have them recalled.
The barcode scanners also created a portable, timesaving solution for new meter installation. Instead of keying in the meter identification numbers, technicians scan them in, eliminating errors and extra steps.
The mobile computing system pilot test proved to Boston Edison that time really is money. During the four month pilot test, the system enabled Boston Edison technicians to substantially increase the number of completed work orders per shift by 50 to 100 percent.
Mobile computing can be a valuable asset to an electric utility gearing up for competition, providing field service technicians with immediate information at their fingertips will make them and the utility more efficient, cost effective and improve customer service and satisfaction. Technologies and applications vary greatly; depending on a utility`s particular needs and wants. To be able to track and respond to service calls, outages, and collection activities, and provide a response mechanism to the customer will enhance the value of the services a utility can provide. The equipment is available and proven, from ruggedized computers to scanners to GPS. Implementing mobile computing can also mean success or failure in a competitive market, especially if you think like Hinton. “If you are a shaker at your utility and don`t move on this technology, I hope you`re still around in 2001 because we will be looking at your territory,” Hinton said. With that in mind, the META Group outlined the bottom line for utilities: Users selecting a new mobile computing system during the next two years should evaluate offerings in terms of adaptability to current and future business needs, capability to support non-core/value-added applications, and the vendor`s ability to minimize implementation risk. n
The HAMMERHEAD P-233 is used in vehicle or on foot for a wide variety of utility applications.


CarBuyer’s near-genetic bias against crossovers is well-documented, so I won’t repeat it here, and the only thing we’re even more biased against is crossovers that also want to be coupes at the same time.
The X4 is just such a beast, a sport utility vehicle (SUV) that crosses the crossover-ness with the (ostensible) lines of a coupe.
Ostensible because for me, it’s never really been true in my eyes, no matter how hard manufacturers try to convince us otherwise.
X4 potted history first: BMW was the first to make an SUV-coupe in the form of the bigger X6 (same size as an X5) in 200X, followed by the smaller X4 in 2014.. While the conventional life-cycle timeline implies the X4 is due for a mid-life facelift, it’s in fact all-new, having moved to the modern CLAR platform and matching the all-new BMW X3 that was launched in Singapore last year.
There will be two engines for Singapore, namely the xDrive20i, with 184hp, and the one you see here, the xDrive30i, with 252hp from the same 2.0-litre twin-scroll turbo inline four engine.
The car shown here is unique in that it’s a mix of the two that will actually be sold: The xDrive20i will be offered only in xLine trim for $230,888 with COE, while the xDrive30i is sold in M Sport X trim (for $267,888 with COE), while this car, the X4 xDrive30i xLine, has the more powerful engine, but lower spec equipment.
The difference between the xLine and M Sport X isn’t actually that major: The latter gets a head-up display, driving assistance systems (lane departure, lane change warning, city braking, rear-cross traffic warning), uprated M Sport brakes, Harman Kardon sound system, 3D view parking camera.
Visually, you’ll be able to identify M Sport X models by the satin grey fenders and bumpers (‘Frozen Grey’) like on the X2, gloss black elements and larger 20-inch wheels, an inch bigger than the xLine’s.
The X4 actually doesn’t look hugely different from before, at least from the front, the wider, flatter looking bonnet and lights cue you into the coupe-ness, but at least the rear end with its sloping tailgate, plus much wider, and much flatter, taillights wave the sleek flag high.
As noted in our international test drive, the X4 has been setup for more driving vim than the X3, notably with an e-differential, wider rear track, lower centre of gravity, and sportier suspension and steering.
For Singapore, the latter two are M Sport Suspension (non-adaptive) and Variable Sport Steering, standard on all X4 variants. Usually that’d make our rides-like-a-jiggly-thing alarm go off, but at the X4’s international drive, of the X4 xDrive30i and X4 M40d variants, we came away with the inkling that its less crashy nature would translate well onto Singapore’s rough-n-tumble tarmac.
That much is true as the the great bugbear of crossovers, especially coupe-crossovers, doesn’t rear its ugly head as much in the X4. There’s that inherent crossover thumpiness, but it doesn’t devolve into the Ozzfest when the going gets rough.
‘30i’ hasn’t meant driving nirvana in the form of a naturally-aspirated straight-six for a long time, but BMW’s familiar turbo 2.0-litre is consistently punch, quick to respond, and doesn’t bleat when you wring it.
The handling is decent and darty enough, but it won’t be enough to win over committed sedan and coupe driving enthusiasts. It certainly feels more pointy than an X3, but doesn’t have the natural grace – or low enough C of G – that makes even the entry-level, outgoing 318i ‘put a goofy smile on your face’.
Unlike the X2, which has the edge of being smaller, lighter and generally more playful, the X4’s fun-driving nature is less upfront, perhaps also because you need to go quicker to feel like it’s working. The X4 is by no means slow, but it, like so many crossovers, doesn’t imbue you with any urgency to drive quicker, so it’s just as well it handles day-to-day driving very well.
On The Inside
The smaller proportion of glass to metal, as well as the small rear windows and thick A-pillars, delivers a coupe-vibe once you’re behind the wheel, it does feel like a two-door in the sense that things seem closer, more driver-focused, but on the downside, it also makes the car feel wider and bigger than it actually is (it actually has grown slightly).
That allows the X4 to be very practical, even more so than a sedan or coupe naturally, with a generous 525-litre boot (25-litres smaller than the X3’s), 40/20/40 folding seats and a wide hatch door.
When it comes to worth-the-money, we have to extrapolate a little because of the engine vs spec quibble mentioned, but opt for the xDrive20i X Line will offer the best value for most people.
It has basically everything the M Sport X does, the latest full-featured iDrive (nav, concierge, internet-connected etc), active instrument panel, three-zone AC and wireless charging, and you won’t miss the extra 68 horsepower really.
The takeaway is that the X4 is back and better than it was. But coupe-SUVs, with one or two outliers aside, aren’t really the magical superblend of coupe and SUV promised – even Mercedes-AMG has problems with its GLC 43 Coupe that’s powerful, fast but also confused and weird.
But if you happen to like the way it looks, prefer it to the chunkiness of a conventional SUV, and enjoy a dash more of driving fun, at the expense of slightly worse visibility and busier ride, then there’s absolutely nothing wrong with the X4.
It’s no rough-n-tumble 4×4, nor is it a ‘real’ coupe, but the middle ground it strikes is an interesting one that’s thankfully free of obvious compromises.
BMW X4 xDrive30i xLine
|Engine||1,997cc, inline 4, turbocharged|
|Power||252hp at 5200-6500rpm|
|Torque||350Nm at 1450-4800|
|VES / CO2||C1 / 166g/km CO2|
|Agent||Performance Motors Limited|
|Price||On indent ($267,888 with COE for xDrive30i M Sport X)|


Guest General Posted November 28 Report Share Posted November 28 AIKEN, S.C. -- A bank teller had a million reasons to deny this transaction. Police say a man tried to open an account with a $1 million bill, which does not exist. The teller refused and called police while the man started to curse at bank workers, said Aiken County Sheriff's spokesman Lt. Michael Frank. Alexander D. Smith, 31, of Augusta, Ga., was charged with disorderly conduct and two counts of forgery, Frank said. The second forgery charge came after investigators learned Smith bought several cartons of cigarettes from a nearby grocery store with a stolen check, Frank said. Smith has a bail hearing scheduled Wednesday, but Deputy Angela Shunn of the Aiken County Detention Center did not know if he had an attorney. An off-hours call to the public defender's office went unanswered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.


Audio Not Found
If you have an embed code from one of our approved stream providers, please let us know
Download this Track
Buy on Vinyl/CD
Main genre: Hip-Hop / R&B
Producer: Lenny Kravitz
Tags: Single, Grammy Award Winner [Add]
Main genre: Rock / Pop
Contributed by DJ Anubis (16423 submissions)
Be the first to comment on this remix!
Compton's Most Wanted's Hood Took Me Under (Remix) remix of Compton's Most Wanted's Hood Took Me Under
Drake feat. Majid Jordan and Rick Ross's Hold On, We're Going Home (MMG Remix) remix of Drake feat. Majid Jordan's Hold On, We're Going Home
Jay Z feat. Chanté Moore's Girls, Girls, Girls (Part 2) remix of Jay Z feat. Q-Tip, Slick Rick and Biz Markie's Girls, Girls, Girls
Beside's Change the Beat (Female Version) remix of Fab 5 Freddy's Change the Beat (Male Version)
DJ Khaled feat. Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne's No New Friends (SFTB Remix) remix of Drake's Started From the Bottom
Copyright © 2014 WhoSampled.com Limited. All rights reserved.


Charly Haley covers city government for the Grand Forks Herald. As night reporter, she also has many general assignments. Before working at the Herald, she was a reporter at the Jamestown Sun and interned at The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, Detroit Lakes Newspapers and the St. Cloud Times. Haley is a graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead, and her hometown is Sartell, Minn.
- Member for
- 4 years 6 months
Three adults and a 6-year-old died from carbon monoxide poisoning due to an improperly vented water heater, the Traill County Sheriff's Office said this morning. Four other people, including three young children, survived and were taken to a Fargo hospital.
Four people died in Blanchard, N.D., and another is in intensive medical care after a possible carbon monoxide leak, a family member told the Herald on Monday night. Billy Knutson, of Harwood, N.D., said his sister, Bonnie Fisher, was in intensive care at a Fargo hospital Monday night after the deaths of her boyfriend, son, daughter and grandson. All five lived in Fisher's boyfriend's house in Blanchard, Knutson said. Sanford Medical Center spokeswoman Margot Peterson said Fisher, 45, was in stable condition Monday night.
The city of Grand Forks has received more time to spend federal low-income housing funds being considered for developing the Thames Court land in west Grand Forks. The City Council's Finance/Development Committee recommended in April to request an extension from the state on spending the $430,000 in federal funds and was given a yearlong extension. If the extension had not been granted, the funds would have had to be spent in a month, which was not enough time for the Thames Court project. In April, the committee recommended using the funds to subsidize development of low-income housing at
Grand Forks City Council members scheduled a public hearing for a tax exemption to redevelop a "blighted" block into a new apartment building near downtown Monday. The apartments, planned by Dakota Commercial and Development Co., will be on University Avenue between North Eighth Street and North Ninth Street. Residential buildings there now are in need of repair, and at least one is uninhabitable.
Two more giant planters shaped like human heads appeared in downtown Grand Forks last week. The city-owned decorations join another identical planter, which has sat in front of City Hall the past year. The city purchased the three giant concrete heads in fall of 2013 from a Chicago nonprofit group. It cost $5,000 for the heads and $2,800 to ship them from Chicago.
Grand Forks housing officials are pursuing an apartment complex for chronically homeless people that could be under construction as early as 2017. The Grand Forks Housing Authority has commissioned a study to assess the needs of Grand Forks' homeless population, focusing on the proposed apartment complex, said Terry Hanson, GFHA executive director. The grant-funded study, which is expected to be completed by August or September, should include location possibilities and other specifics for the project, Hanson said. The apartment complex would use a "housing-first" model, which prioritizes p
A block labeled by city officials as potentially "blighted" may soon be redeveloped into a new four-story apartment building near downtown Grand Forks. Dakota Commercial and Development Co., has submitted a preliminary proposal to city planners for redeveloping property along University Avenue between North Eighth Street and North Ninth Street. The block contains about 30 residential units in nine buildings, all of which would be demolished for the about 92,000-square-foot redevelopment, according to a city staff report.
The average yearly price for a suite in the Alerus Center increased about $1,100 this year from last year, and prices will likely increase more, but the suites are full for the first time in years, a spokesperson said. Of the 14 suites in the upper level of the Alerus Center arena, 11 are rented through yearly contracts, said Lance Johnson, Alerus Center marketing manager. Two suites are leased as part of the city-owned event center's naming rights contract with Alerus Financial and its contract with UND.
Each week, Herald reporter Charly Haley answers your questions about local government, laws and other local topics. Q.
Members of a city-organized "vibrancy initiative" are traveling to Winnipeg Thursday and Friday for inspiration on how to improve Grand Forks. The Community Vibrancy Initiative, which started earlier this year, consists of three committees each focused on improving one of these areas: local arts and events, downtown development, and the relationship between the city and UND. The initiative was sparked by a consulting report about Grand Forks presented by Jim August, former CEO of The Forks North Portage Partne


text:
No evidence confirming the general use of bronze in Ancient China, now attested by archaeological remains, can so far be dated earlier than ca 1300 B.C. The most firmly dated context in which bronze was in general use was at Cheng-chou, Honan. The knowledge of sophisticated metalworking techniques and the ability to use them to produce complicated shapes and surface decor is evident in the earliest pieces. The hallmark of the Bronze Age in China is a group of bronze vessels which are thought to have been used for ritual ceremonies and were buried with the deceased of the aristocracy. Some believe that the knowledge of bronze casting was introduced from outside China because these early objects demonstrate such a high technical standard. At present an experimental stage similar to the Near Eastern example cannot be found in China. A developed copper age has not been discovered as yet, for example. The lack of evidence for a complete copper stage and the extraordinary sophistication of the ceramic industry suggest to some, notably N. Barnard, that the Chinese simply developed metal casting independent of metalworking (Barnard 1976).
Even though the concept of metalworking may not have been indigenous, few question several related factors which do seem to be native. Unique to China are many shapes in which the vessels are cast, as are many of the motifs and their disposition on the items. The bronze recipe has also been hailed as evidence for the spontaneous development of bronze in North China during the second millennium B.C. The purpose here is to examine the last of these proposals, the nature of the bronze mixture, not in an effort to prove the spontaneous generation of a metal industry, but to study the effect of that known combination of metals on the use and function of ritual bronze vessels in the Late Shang and Early Chou Dynasties (ca 1300—ca 950 B.C.).
The peculiarity of the Chinese bronze mix is its consistent high percentage of lead. Although lead was among the earliest metals known in the Near and Middle East, it was never very extensively employed (Lucas 1962:243). By contrast, even the earliest dated Chinese pieces show some lead content and the amount seems to increase slowly, but consistently, throughout the Bronze Age. Related to this question of recipe are the following: How are the vessels classed by use? Why did the Chou foundries, as was noted soon after the first excavations, eliminate almost entirely the wine-drinking vessels from their inventories at the end of the tenth century B.C. (Karlgren 1936:135-141; Willets 1958:86-87)? What were the drinking habits of the Shang and Chou aristocracy? What, if anything, has the bronze metallurgical industry to do with the change in composition of the metal or of vessel type? Why is lead so commonly used? Could wine and/or other liquids prepared for ritual actually be ingested if served or stored in such vessels? The drinking habits of the Shang are not known in any detail. One must piece together evidence from ancient texts, oracle graphs, and indicators in material culture-in this case, the bronze ritual vessels. The high lead content of Chinese bronze vessels suggests the likelihood of plumbism if actually used for storing or serving.
The region centered at Anyang, the district of the last Shang capital, displayed a higher degree of material culture than so far discovered in contemporary or near contemporary sites. Use of bronze-always an expensive product-marked the ascendancy of these city-dwellers. The earliest use of metal would seem to have been in weaponry. Although some have suggested that supplies of bronze were stored in the forms of troves of vessels which could be available for melting into raw material for more utilitarian objects should the political climate make it necessary (Watson 1972:88), this seems doubtful. The care and consistency with which the vessels were cast and the regularity of their inclusion in tombs of the aristocracy suggest a primary function in ritual. They must certainly have been status symbols of a sort as early as the Shang.
With the advent of the Chou in ca 1050 B.C., an effort was made to preserve Shang culture, at least until the end of the tenth century B.C. The Chou claimed ascendency to the Hsia, as did the Shang, and kept up many old Shang rites and habits. For example, the first Chou king, Wu Wang, enfeoffed members of the Shang royal family and gave them the metropolitan part of the old Shang domain in which to preserve their culture. His action was, at the same time, a means for political control. The area, Sung, was potentially dangerous and was therefore encircled by fiefdoms occupied by allies.
In material culture the shift from Shang to Chou was more subtle than the actual political break. Those changes, however, are especially telling as they reveal some of the earliest preferences of the new rulers (Poor 1970/3:1-8). In this sense they are considered to prefigure more radical changes that develop after the tenth century B.C. and point out the independent choices of the Chou soon after the fall of the old Shang capital. One such marked change in the bronze industry is the elimination of vessels used for serving or drinking wine from regular production (in the North) no later than 950 B.C. As these shapes, the tsun, the yu, the fang-i, the chin, the chueh, the chili, the ku, and the kuang form a group all associated with the imbibing or offering of wine, one would assume that the reason for their abrupt disappearance from production had something to do with their use. One should also ask if the composition of the other vessels changed as well.
Information about the bronze materials, although not complete, must be viewed with respect to how and where the vessels were discovered. Data on archaeologically attested examples should be catalogued first, then materials not scientifically excavated may be compared to the first group. One must keep in mind the probability of local variations of the bronze composition. W. P. Yetts (1931:402) raises this point, but suspects that there were rough empirical standards. Unfortunately, data which would confirm regional variation in composition during the Shang is not yet available. The attested Shang materials used here are from the Anyang district, or are noted otherwise. The others correspond stylistically to those from Anyang. At present there is insufficient knowledge of ancient mines and mining for us to be able to relate composition and ore sources (Gettens 1969:46: Barnard 1976:48-51).
The studies of chemical composition of attested vessels show that the major constituents in the Shang and Early Chou alloy are copper, tin and lead. Ch’en Meng-chia (1954/7) assembled thirty-two Shang date samples: four ritual vessels and twenty-eight weapons. The sample showed the lowest percentage of lead at 0.62% and the highest at 11:58%. Unfortunately, the study does not differentiate the vessels from the weapons as the weapons would almost certainly be different from the vessels. This is clear in the Hsiao-t’un analyses where the percentage of lead is consistently higher among the weapons than the vessels.
The 44 excavated specimens from Hsiaot’un which have been published show the following results on the vessels:
|1. Upright Vessel
|2. Edge of Vessel
|3. Fragment of Vessel
The unaccounted for percentages are trace elements, metal lost through corrosion, or ones not determined in the testing process (Li Chi 1957: Table 2).
Among the weapons the range was somewhat different: 88 to 96% copper, 2 to 4% tin, and 1.05 to 2.59% lead. The figures show, as Barnard has pointed out (1953:187; 1976:19), that there was not an absolutely standardized composition for the Shang alloy, but besides copper and tin, lead was a regular part of the mix. The amount of lead is generally less than 3%. As Jung Keng reported (1958:123), in eight Shang vessels tested, 79.12 to 96.06% was copper, 1.83 to 20.32% tin and 0.05 to 2.59% lead. Similar results have issued from the British Museum Laboratory (Gettens 1969), and the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art at Oxford (Gardner 1960:130-135), and by Sueji Umehara (1940:163-184).
In other materials tested the results are similar. On vessels now in the Royal Ontario Museum, and considered pre-Anyang in date, Barbara Stephen (1962:67) illustrated the results of x-ray fluorescence analyses. Samples taken from the bodies of these eight vessels yielded a percentage of from 28 to 1 part lead, and in several, lead is in excess of tin! It should be noted that all these types are thought to be serving or pouring vessels, and that they are similar in style to the bronze materials from Cheng-chou. It should also be noted that this report by Stephens and that by Gettens on the Freer Gallery Collection do explain the method of analysis, a thing which is not done in most reports, though it is to be presumed the wet method of chemical analysis was used (Chase 1974:148-185).
Of the Freer Gallery analyses the composition of the thirty vessels of certain Shang date used for the test reveals a composition of 77.2% copper, 13.5% tin and 7.2% lead on the average (Gettens 1969). Although the average percentage of lead drops to 4.2% in vessels dated Late Shang/Early Chou (11th century B.C.), by the Middle Chou (after ca 950 B.C.) a sharp increase to 12% is noticed. The figures reported by Jung Keng also suggest a rise in amount of lead used in the early Western Chou (ca 1050—ca 950 B.C.) to 21.54% in some pieces. However, because the percentage of lead is taken on materials which date from the Western Chou period (ca 1050-771 B.C.], it can be merely suspected that the amount of lead increased significantly, and immediately, in order to produce such a sharp rise in percent of lead in this case.
The evidence above confirms the regular use of unusually high lead content in bronze, but raises other related questions. Was the use of lead accidental? Was lead metallurgy, then, distinct from both copper and tin? Why include lead in the mix?
Enough was known about the metallurgical properties of lead in the early tenth century B.C. to gain the control necessary to increase the percentage. More telling, however, is the existence of vessels cast of almost pure lead, Bishop White (1956:176) catalogued a number of these dated in the early Chou; one chueh in the Freer Gallery, a Ii-ting and a chili in Holland consisting of 95.4% lead and 4.6% antimony. Six others are in the Hermitage Museum Collection in Norfolk, Virginia. Jo Shih (1956/1:pl. 8) reports several lead vessels that were found in Western Chou tombs at Loyang. They were cast in the shapes ku, tsun, chili, yu, ting, li and chueh. Although it may be surmised that these vessels served as ming-ch’i (Kuo Pao-chun 1963:47-48) or as cheap substitutes for the much prized bronze models, or as trial casts (Barnard 1953:pl. 34), the discovery that lead could be separated and controlled no later than the Early Chou cannot be ignored. One must assume that the metallurgical nature of lead was at least partially understood.
In support of this notion, Gettens (1969:9) suggests that the low silver content already noticeable in the Shang bronzes testifies to the existence of metallurgical knowledge of lead separate from that of both copper and tin. As lead is usually found in combination in an ore called galena (Pbs, lead sulfide) which often contains silver, the smelting of lead [for example in the Near East) was often undertaken for the sole purpose of recovering the silver content. Lead was an abundant by-product. E. A. Smith (1936:29-30) proposed that lead metallurgy predated that of tin and perhaps that of copper in the Near East, and that the Shang Chinese metallurgical industry was interested in the separation of lead and silver. However, in the Freer analyses, silver, next to iron, is the most abundant impurity.
The extraction of lead being a simple process, one needs only to roast it in contact with wood or charcoal, and “the sulfur component is burned off as sulfur dioxide; the lead oxide reacts with unconverted lead sulfide and carbon, and metallic lead is released.” (Gettens 1969:9]. This crude lead, which because of its high specific gravity (11.35) and liquidity collects at the bottom of the hearth, often contains silver. The two, lead and silver, were separated by the process of cupellation. However, this process was unknown in China before 600 B.C. There was little occasion to seek large quantities of lead except as required for the ternary alloy of bronze, and it is reasonably certain that the method of extraction was one aimed at releasing lead. The exact source of lead in China is unknown. But if galena was the Chinese ore known, silver should appear as a trace element in the mix., Silver does appear, but seldom more than 0.2% prior to the 6th century B.C. The smelting methods employed in ancient China seem almost exclusively applicable to ores comprising carbonates and oxides of copper, tin and lead. It is likely that the lead would have been found in an ore such as cerrussite (white lead ore, PbCO) (Barnard 1976:22 and 70). The accessibility of lead in North China (Amano Montonosuke 1953:236; Shih Chang-ju 1955:95-129), the relative ease with which it could be extracted, regardless of the composition of the ore, and the consistent, controlled use in bronze mixes strongly suggest that lead in its separated form was not rare in the Chinese foundries.
In fact, this evidence temptingly suggests that this early knowledge of the properties of lead was the basis for alchemical discovery. When reminded that the extension of life was the impetus for alchemical experimentation in China, the connection with metalworking and ancestor worship takes on a broader meaning.
Some have suggested that there is a distinct correlation between the use of the product and the relative proportion of metals in the alloy (Li Chi 1957:48). The vessels with the highest lead content were undeniably thought to have been grave substitutes. Those with the lowest content of lead would then he appropriate to more ostentatious grave settings. Often cited is the K’ao-kung-chi of the Chou-li, purported to be of Chou Dynasty origin. The six recipes for proportions of copper and tin suggest differentiation dependent on product. For cauldrons, 5 to 1; for axes, 4 to 1; for halberds and spears, 3 to 1; for swords and knives, 2 to 1; for erasing knives and arrows, 3 to 2; for mirrors, 1 to 1 (Gettens 1961:22). This would suggest that the vessels were the most highly regarded.
But the extracted lead probably served purposes other than saving the more costly copper and tin. Although it is still not known exactly how the lead was introduced into the alloy, it is certain that the melting point of the mix was lowered by such addition, that it produced a cleaner cast, and that it made for easier finishing operations, such as removal of ridges and flaws, and for simpler final burnishing. Lead causes this in any mixture. Since the molten material could flow more easily and shrink less rapidly, the addition of lead allowed for the use of more complicated and intricate designs. And even though the exact proportions of the metal were not apparently standardized, and the K’ao-kung-chi passage quoted above cannot be precisely borne out in analyses, certainly the properties of lead described were known and desired. Lead was consciously added in a relatively consistent proportion in Shang and would be included often in higher proportion during the Chou Dynasty, though regional preferences must be considered (Gettens 1969:45).
Together with the increased knowledge of a metallurgical nature which affected the making of the vessels, other alterations are noticeable. Most studies of the ancient Chinese bronzes remark that during the Shang they were used for sacrimonial rituals. Inscriptions on the vessels further suggest that they were made in honor of particular ancestors whose memories were perpetuated by ritual observance. Ancestors and cosmic beings were consulted about important matters of domestic concern. The Shang vessels, when inscribed, record the name of the ancestor and occasionally the donor. Early in the Chou period inscriptions changed; they grew longer and included not only the name of the ancestor and the donor, but also the circumstances that led to the casting. The uses of the vessels were presumably diversified as well to include such secular purposes as gift-giving in payment for services rendered.
Although the Chou foundries continued the Shang canons of bronze decor to a great extent, Chou taste demanded the introduction of new and alteration of old motifs (Figures 2 and 3]. As the style of decor slowly shifted from a tectonic to a more plastic expression, so too did the composition of bronze change. One should also postulate a change in the use of the vessels. The most noticeable evidence for such a change in use, and presumably in ritual, is the elimination of the wine containers after the first century of Chou rule. Sacrifice to the ancestors involved the offering of food and wine. Because many of the bronze vessels had counterparts in utilitarian clay models, their use has been deduced. They were used to cook, store and serve offerings of grain and meat and to heat, pour and drink wine or to mix it with water.
An immediate problem with the use of the bronze wine containers was the likelihood of chronic plumbism among the users and especially the artisans who heated and poured the alloy. It is well established that metallic lead, both as such and when alloyed with other metals such as tin, is comparatively soluble. Even some, but not all, drinking waters dissolve some lead. Acid foods, especially acid fruits and vegetables, and tea and vinegar when stored in leaden vessels are contaminated. Even more active are the alcohols. Chinese wine was made by fermenting grain, either millet or rice (Wu Tze 1953: 160). An advantage of using lead in vessels used for brewing is that it gives a sweetish taste to the liquid and poisons microorganisms that cause souring. Lead will stop fermentation as well. However, continued use of containers releasing lead in the range of 7 to 20 ppm [parts per million) would give rise to chronic lead poisoning (Ceramic Industry 1970). If the Shang were using the bronze vessels to store and serve the wine, they were in danger of contracting either acute or chronic plumbism, Symptoms are nonspecific: decreasing appetite, fatigue, headache, drowsiness, and stupor. Further ingestion leads to irreversible injury such as brain damage and blindness, sterility and, in some cases, even death. The symptoms are similar to alcoholism.
The effect of lead content in house paints, ceramic glazes, water pipes, pewter dinner ware and a variety of household goods was studied first by R. Kobert (1906-1909). Others have applied his findings to the use of such items in cultures including Ancient Rome (Filfillan 1965) and Early America (McCord 1953). For instance, The Massachusetts Bay Colony forbade rum distillation in leaded stills in an effort to prevent “dry gripes.” The American colonists were in danger both from contaminated alcohol and from continued use of household pewter but no one, including the physicians, identified widespread “dry gripes” with the leaden containers (McCord 1953: 577). The case may have been similar among the Chinese aristocrats; they were concerned with elimination of the symptoms identified as “drunkenness,” and may not have located the cause.
There is some documentary evidence which alleges excessive drinking of alcohol and drunkenness in Shang China. For instance, the drinking habits of the late kings of the Shang Dynasty, especially of the last King Chou Hsin who “. .. went quite astray, and was abandoned to the practice of drunkenness,” were recorded in Book XV of the Shu Ching (Legge tr:470-471) and declared by the Chou as unacceptable behavior for a person in a position of authority. Although of questionable date, emphasis on the evils of drinking was apparent. In Book X of the same, “The Announcement about Drunkenness,” the use of spirits was limited by the Chou t0 important sacrifices. The causes assigned for the ruin of virtue and prosperity of the State by the Shang were the “Terrors of Heaven” and “excessive indulgence in the spirits.” (Legge tr:464-473). The downfall of the Shang was at least in part attributed to overindulgence in drink. But the symptoms could have been due to lead present in even small portions of liquid taken from bronze ritual vessels. Although these edicts are of uncertain date they do reflect a common practice in China, that of legitimizing one’s position by denigrating the conquered (Schurman 1971:29). Confucian ethics necessitated moderation, especially with regard to wine. Excessive drinking, or the symptoms associated with it, was a commonly noted cause of past defeats or downfall such as that of the Shang. Whatever the exact situation, or interpretation of the texts, one actual effect of the change in ruling house was the elimination of drinking vessels from the usual repertoire of ritual implements. The implied conclusion is that the Chou ritual limited or eliminated the use of wine. As the use of wine was controlled, lead was increased in the recipe, perhaps by coincidence.
Evidence about ceremony and vessel types used for wine which can be found in oracle records suggests that the liquid was not necessarily ingested. The oracle graphs and are used as verbs, meaning, “to offer libation, to anoint or sprinkle” at sacrifice or ceremonial honoring the ancestors (Lo Chen-yu 1910:1a). Each word contains the amphora sign and the radical for fluid, thought to be the components of the modern form chiu . The forms and , although tempting to interpret as pictographs of actual winemaking, appear in inscriptions in the same position as and seem to function in the same way and with similar meaning (Wu Tze 1953:159-163). The well-known oracle-bone graphs which delineate and name the wine vessels such as chueh ( Figure 4) and chia ( Figure 6) do not seem to specifically suggest wine drinking in the inscriptions. The graphs designate libation or sprinkling at sacrifice and are used interchangeably. There is no doubt that those shapes are associated with ceremony involving libation and sacrifice from this early date. The chueh and the chia served as receptacles for the liquids used in libations or ablutions. Care seems to be taken to avoid any suggestion of drinking, Libations involved pouring of liquids in honor of the deities, ablutions involved sprinkling of the liquid on ancestral tablets. The contaminated liquids were perhaps merely contained in the vessels during ritual where pouring and sprinkling of wine in honor of the ancestors was appropriate. Perhaps the Shang knew the dangers of drinking from these vessels.
There is no way of knowing absolutely if the Shang drank out of the vessels after the ritual. They may have used ceramic containers to hold the wine for drinking. However, if the bones from the tombs at Anyang show lead content, it could be concluded that they drank the contaminated liquid and that they also may have died from plumbism. But the Early Chou kings may simply have wished to eliminate drinking, or the part of the ceremony which led to it, at court ritual as a show of good government and control. Even if they knew of the danger of drinking from heavily leaden vessels, they seem not to have connected it with actual sickness other than drunkenness. They eliminated the practice of drinking alcohol at ritual and with it the necessity for that special group of bronze vessels.
In sum, the use and function of the ritual vessels cast in shapes which suggest containment of liquid or other sacrificial offerings may be connected to questions of alloy content. The Chinese metalworkers had sophisticated knowledge of the properties of metals. This would certainly be true of lead. The peculiarity of the Chinese bronze recipe could have had serious repercussions on the health of the users should they ingest any contents from the vessels. The oracle inscriptions, however, suggest that the liquids were sprinkled or poured as offerings to the ancestors. The elimination of the wine vessels suggests an attempt to eliminate problems whether caused by or suggested by their presence: the symptoms of drunkenness and/or plumbism. Their disappearance was certainly an expression of control and probably a clear statement against excess, perhaps specifically against drinking.

domain: history


text:
In the Kalahari Desert Africa, a cactus with the power to suppress the human appetite has been eaten for thousands of years by the Bushmen who had to make long journeys over the desert and needed to have their appetite suppressed. A recent study has unveiled that a molecule now named p.57, which is a substance in the cactus named Hoodia Gordoii, which grows naturally and only in the Kalahari Desert, has been linked to the ability to suppress the human appetite.
This most recent study to promote Hoodia Gordonii was conducted on overweight persons ingested Hoodia and left in a room with only food a television and books to read. It was found that the group consumed an average of 1000 less calories per day that the control group that was given only placebos. The study concluded that the active ingredient p.57 actually signals the brain that the stomach is full so there will be no hunger pains and thus the person will eat less food which of course will cause a loss of weight. The side effects are almost none with only a “feeling of happiness” being reported by those tested.
This is great news for the those seeking to lose weight and those seeking to keep it off, but do keep in mind that the appetite suppressing molecules are not activated if one is eating high carb food, or downing cans of high fructose corn syrup soft drinks or when the hunger is caused by a physical workout.

domain: biology


text: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been regarded as harmful molecules that damage various molecules inside cells by oxidation and are responsible for ageing and various human diseases. However, recent studies have revealed an opposite aspect of ROS that these are actively generated in cells and mediate physiological intracellular signalling as second messengers. Several proteins have been shown to function as effectors for ROS, which are sensitively and reversibly oxidized by ROS. Such ROS-effector proteins commonly possess a highly reactive cysteine (Cys) residue, of which oxidation changes the protein function, thus enabling signal transmission to downstream targets. Among the ROS effectors, protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP), thioredoxin (TRX) and peroxiredoxin (PRX) family proteins possess special domains/motifs to maintain the reactivity of Cys and utilize them to respond to ROS. Progressively advancing identification of ROS-effector proteins reveals the pleiotropic functions of ROS in physiological and pathological cell biology.

domain: medical


text:
Intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) release from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stores plays an important role in cell signaling. These stores are rapidly refilled via voltage-gated calcium channels or spontaneously via store-operated calcium channels and subsequent pumping by ER Ca2+-ATPases. Calcium release is triggered by the activation of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) channels and their function is in part dependent on their expression. We analyzed the [Ca2+]i transients in fura 2-loaded superior cervical ganglion (SCG) cells from 6, 12, 20, and 24-month-old Fischer 344 rats for their ability to rapidly and spontaneously refill. For rapid refilling, the percent difference between the peak and rate of rise of the first and second caffeine-evoked [Ca2+]i transient significantly declined with age. Spontaneous refilling significantly declined from 12-24 month-old F-344 rats. These data suggest that the ability of SCG cells to sustain release of [Ca2+]i decline with age, but the underlying mechanisms that may be responsible for a decline in caffeineevoked release of Ca2+ remain elusive. Hence, we then focused on molecular characterization of the [Ca2+]i release channel. The pattern of genetic expression of RyRl, 2 and 3, has not been previously characterized with age in this model. In all age groups ryr 1 does not appear to be expressed in the SCG and ryr2 and ryr3 appear to be the predominantly transcribed isoforms in adult rat SCG. mRNA and protein levels for RyR2 did not change with age, however, the ryr3 mRNA and protein levels significantly increased from 6 to 12 months and then significantly declined from 12 to 24 months. These data alone, cannot account for the dramatic decline in caffeine-evoked Ca2+ release observed. However, if along with the changes in gene expression there was altered modulation, this may elucidate more clearly the reasons for the change in function of the RyR. In order to examine how the modulation of the RyR is affected by age, we then focused on modulators such as phosphorylation, and nNOS protein expression levels were analyzed for changes with age. There were no significant changes in the phosphorylation of the total RyRs with age. However, there was a significant increase in nNOS production from 6 months to 12 months and decline in protein expression of nNOS from the 12 months to 24 month-old rat SCG. We have demonstrated that aging significantly impacts the ability of the SCG to sustain calcium release, and exhibits altered genetic and protein expression of the major RyR isoforms, and nNOS protein expression. Taken together, these data suggest that the alteration in release of Ca2+ is due to a combination of altered filling of the ER and changes in the modulation of the release mechanism. The compromised ability of these neurons to sustain calcium signaling may possibly alter the overall function of adrenergic neurons innervating the cerebro vasculature.
Doctor of Philosophy (Medical Science)
Year Degree Awarded
Date (Title Page)
Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings
Clacium -- physiology; Clacium -- pharmacology; Calcium Signaling -- physiology; Signal Transduction; Endoplasmic Reticulum. -- physiology; Aging; Cell Aging.
Loma Linda University Libraries
This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.
Vanterpool, Conwin Kodel, "Effects of Advancing Age on ER Calcium Regulation in Rat Superior Cervical Ganglia" (2006). Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects. 849.
Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

domain: literature


text:
I hope you’ve all had a great weekend. I didn’t mean to take a bit of a break from the blog but last week was just a bit busy. I wish I could say I was doing a lot of reading, and I have been, but it hasn’t been the fun reading kind. More like just stuff about HR to keep up with my studies.
Anyway to catch up, did you guys see that the Classics Club Spin was #3? That means I get to read The Garden Party by Katherine Mansfield. I think when I was busy making my list I forgot that this was a short story. So I’m going to try and read the other stories included in my copy. It’s not a very large book so I’m hoping I can read it by end of April.
What else, oh yes, I finished A Study In Death by Anna Lee Huber and absolutely loved this installment in the series. I’m pretty sure I have the next book already waiting for me so I’m excited about that. If you’ve thought about checking out this series I do recommend it but I would definitely read in order.
Speaking of mysteries we’ve started watching Fortitude and the first couple of episodes have sort of reminded me of Trapped (which I really liked). I’m not quite sold on this one just yet but I do like the scenery although I’m thinking we should have saved this for the summer when it’s super hot here. Oh we hit 91 degrees yesterday! Too hot, too soon.
So this week I have a lot more course material to read but hopefully I can sneak in some of my books and I have coupons for Half Price Books. Yay. After my last visit when I found those cool vintage books you know that’s one of the areas I’ll be exploring. Here’s to a great week ahead!

domain: hobby


Who We Are
South Rome Alliance is working to transform South Rome through home ownership, affordable housing choices, educational opportunities, active community involvement, leadership, and appropriate economic development.
South Rome Alliance is committed to working with community leaders to achieve the holistic revitalization in our community. The members of our staff are instrumental in achieving our goals.
Efforts to bring about meaningful change in South Rome would not be possible without the support of our partners who share our vision.


text:
Having your own business will inevitably involve plenty of ups and downs and you’ll need to be resilient to respond effectively to challenges and keep going towards your goals.
In this week’s episode, we take a look at…
- The stagnation and lack of motivation that can come from not being very resilient
- How resilience can help you bounce back from setbacks and maintain focus and momentum
- Cultivating resilience as an entrepreneur as you build a support network and practise self-care
Tune in for more on becoming more resilient.
*Resources mentioned during the episode*
Join the Facebook Group – Join us inside the One Step Outside Facebook community. https://www.facebook.com/groups/onestepoutside/
Hello there. Welcome back to the podcast as we have a final episode in the series, we’ve been having a along the lines of thinking like an entrepreneur. So if you haven’t listened to the previous episodes, I’d love for you to go back. There’s no particular order, although there is sort of a logic in my own mind. But that’s just for me. There is a sort of chronological order, I suppose, and how we implement these, and resilience as a topic for day because resilience is sort of when we’ve done all the other things, we’ve got the amazing self awareness, growth, mindset, courage, intrinsic motivation, adaptability, we’ve done all the things, we’ve been accountable, and it still doesn’t go well, it still doesn’t go as we’d hoped. That’s when we need resilience.
So that’s why I’m finishing with resilience, in fact, is one of my pillars of the five pillars of building a business.
And the life outside the nine to five is my second pillar, cultivating confidence and resilience. So that’s the final topic in this series. Next week, we’ve got an interview, and then we’ll see where we go in November. But let’s talk about resilience. So, as I think I’ve talked about stagnation and challenges quite a bit, the last few weeks as we’ve looked at thinking like an entrepreneur, but the problem is, there are challenges. And we’re all adults here. I think we’ve all experienced setbacks and challenges along the way. And if we’re not resilient, and it sounds a bit flippant, but we can become paralyzed, it’s easy to say, oh, we need to be resilient. But, you know, the person I most think of in this context is my granddad, he tragically lost his mother, his brother, and eventually his dad, very young. And he had this really hard upbringing without going into any details part from that’s already pretty tragic. And I can’t imagine that kind of, yeah, that kind of trauma from early on, he was the most positive, amazing, funny, loving, like, he’s just my favorite person in the world. And, you know, talk about resilience growing up like that, and still coming out, you just would not have known and yet not to belittle people’s experience, because everyone’s experiences their own. We all know that person who seems to just always have something happened to them, and doesn’t seem to be particularly, you know, who are we to judge, but it just they seem so unfortunately, unable to cope with the tiniest little thing. And to be honest, you know, I’ve always thought of myself as really, really strong and independent, and so on.
And maybe that’s to my detriment, because if you build that up, you’re likely to crash at some point. And with lack of sleep with, with my little ones, with, you know, stress and various things that can happen. We can be less resilient, I have been less resilient in different phases in my life more recently. So you know, it’s not that you are resilient or not. And if we’re going to embrace that growth mindset, we need to know that this is something we can absolutely cultivate. Now, yes, some people are born with it more naturally than others. But it’s definitely something we can cultivate. If we’re not so resilient, then you know, it’s very likely that we’re going to lose the motivation, enthusiasm we have for the thing that we’re working on, right for the business for the project, and for the role that we’re in. Because if we just keep having those repeated failures, setback, after setback, after setback, and sometimes, you know, that’s telling us something and itself, and that maybe we do need to pivot and be adaptable, but unfortunately, you know, it can wear us down. And at that point, it’s almost a self fulfilling prophecy, because we’re not motivated. We don’t have that drive within kind of making it an inevitability almost.
Because, you know, we’re just not doing the things we need to do. We’re kind of leaning back instead of leaning in at the very moment, we need to make more efforts. And I think I’ve said this about 100 times, the last few weeks, we’re missing out on opportunities for learning. Because if we’re just Oh, my goodness, why was me this has happened, we’re blinded by all means, you know, scream and shout, I always say for a moment for a few minutes, whatever, but then we need to get back to work. We’re missing out on those opportunities for okay, what can I learn from this? Well, no one showed up to this workshop, maybe I didn’t advertise it enough. I only talked about a couple times, because there’s a bit worried or I was a bit busy. Okay, next time I can, what can I do, I can message these people who are warm leads who you know, are interested before I can publish, like, I can do some live videos on it, blah, blah, blah, or maybe a workshop is not the right thing for me right now. Because I just don’t have capacity. So maybe I need to think of another way to show up and add value, etc, right?
So there are opportunities to learn and grow. And I think not having the resilience and knowing that we don’t have that resilience, again, is going to cultivate that fear of failure.
Because we know it’s gonna be so hard to bounce back from it, we’re not going to be able to bounce back from it and therefore we stay maybe in our comfort zone. We don’t take those risks. We don’t push ourselves we don’t look for the opportunities to grow. And then again, it becomes almost a self fulfilling prophecy as the comfort zone shrinks around us. And we become less resilient as a result. If we can win Wait, let’s be positive. When we develop that greater resilience, we can far more easily bounce back from let’s face it, the inevitable failures and setbacks, we can turn failures into stepping stones for success. It all sounds very rah, rah, but it’s true. You know, I can learn from this. Okay, I didn’t show up there. So I need to do this. All I got that feedback, how can I apply that next time? Not taking it personally, you know, there’s the Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, that I read years ago. And one of the Four Agreements that I always remember is don’t take things personally. Don’t take the setback personally, even if it is your business, the project you’ve been working on. So an extra strictly link with who you are, and you’re so passionate about it. And they’re not saying no to you, they’re saying no to the product or service, the offering the thing. Don’t take it personally. You know, they don’t care.
Let’s be honest. That’s the harsh truth. They don’t care at all. And then as much as you do, they’re not, you know, if they’re not responding to you, when you’re proactively doing outreach, if they’re not picking up the phone, if they’re not answering, if they say no to proposal, it’s not you. There’s 3000 Other reasons why they’re saying no, we’re not wanting to work with you, let’s say. So bouncing back is so much easier. That is really the definition of resilience. In fact, in fact, I think it actually is that Latin, who resilience have sort of bounced back from failure, and adapting to change. We’ve talked about this and adaptability, we’re so much better equipped to adapt to those changes in the market in the industry, if we’re adaptable if we were resilient. And then we can thrive even in those very uncertain and ambiguous and volatile times. So we’re like, yeah, yeah, whatever you throw at me, I’ll deal with it. No worries, you can always like laugh it off. I know, it’s easy to be flippant about it again.
But if we can have a bit of sense of humor, haha, this happened, what can we do now, that’s better than being sort of really attached to it and taking it really personally again. And my goodness, focus and determination and momentum is so important to keep things going in the business and in your work. And so if you have that resilience, it helps you to maintain that focus and momentum rather than always having to go Oh, it’s so terrible. Now I need to pick myself back up again, and re motivate myself and get myself going and get back into a routine. If I can stay in that steady rhythm. And it won’t always be steady. There are seasons, there are ups and downs as pool, there’s push, there’s illness, there’s holiday, all sorts, but try to stay in that routine and the rhythm and you can’t see me but I’m kind of moving my hands in a forward motion, circular motion, cyclical motion, whatever you want to call it. I’m so ready to stay committed to your long term goals despite the challenges. And finally, as ever, how can we cultivate that resilience then? Well, it comes down to a few of the things we’ve talked about the growth mindset. And again, the book is Mindset by Carol Dweck, it’s a growth mindset rather than the fixed mindset is so key in fostering resilience, right, we need to reframe any challenge as an opportunity for growth and improvement, this is actually testing my idea to the point that it’s going to be so much stronger coming out of it will be so much stronger, once I’ve addressed this challenge and adapted, right. And if your business idea, let’s say just magically has some incredible stroke of luck, and just kind of zooms through everything without having any kind of challenge, most likely, it’s not as robust as it would be if it had gone through all those different challenges and pivots and feedbacks, and so on.
And there’ll be something else that kind of makes it crash and burn, not to mention makes you suddenly lose your confidence because it’s gonna go this going so well. And you think, oh, must be because I’m amazing. It’s like your first child is really easy. And then you go, Oh, I’m such an amazing parent. And then your second one comes in, I was like, Oops, no, it was just genetics. It wasn’t my parenting.
So developing a growth mindset is so important, reframing the challenge as an opportunity for growth and improvement.
And then building a support network. You know, I said that my second pillar is cultivating confidence and resilience. And one of the key parts there, that I’ve talked about in the Business Academy in the book, outside the nine to five as well is about building a support network. Do not underestimate the importance of surrounding yourself with a supportive network of mentors, peers, advisors, look for guidance, share experiences, I have the ABCDE. Let’s see if I can remember them. So A is accountability. We talked about that ownership mentality last week, but holding yourself accountable, having other people to help you be accountable accountability partners is so important. The B is belief. People who believe in you whether it’s a supportive partner is often the case if you’re lucky, your family or friends or peers, right? See is community. So really having that sense of belonging, again, among your peers, feeling paths of like, Hey, we’re all working. We’re all trying to make this work. This is what we’re doing. We’re out there doing it. That’s so so important. Again, if we come back to intrinsic motivation, that sense of belonging is really one of the core foundational human needs. So that’s C D is disconnecting. So having and we’ll talk about self care in a moment, but just connecting from work having friends and family who don’t care so much about your work and who will help you just completely, you know, enjoy, disconnect, take time off, whether it’s a holiday or an evening, or weekend, whatever it is, or a moment, and going for a walk with someone and having a phone call as someone will start by connecting with someone. And then finally, the E and the ABCDE is the expert, right? So having a mentor or coach, someone that guide you is really valuable as well. But that support network, especially when you’re on your own is indispensable in and necessary, in fact. And then finally, yes, practicing self care.
So this means, of course, finding coping mechanisms to manage stress, hopefully, to avoid it.
Now, we can’t completely avoid it, but at least first, designing our week in our schedule in a way that that’s not, you know, at least insofar as we can, optimally planning around our time and our energy, not putting back to back calls and meetings, not putting stressful things together, when we’re about to go on holiday, or we know the kids or whatever it is, right? Sometimes we have to, but trying to avoid those. And I have in the past taken on, you know, workshops, webinars to do like either super early in the morning, or when the kids were home, which I wouldn’t usually do. And I think I just do exceptionally inevitably, the kids are screaming next door, you know, something’s not worked out, they don’t want to leave the house, whatever it is with, with dad, or whoever they’re with them. In fact, it’s always dad, say. So you know, taking care of yourself finding a way to design your shedule I always want to say schedule, I think that’s the American and then managing the stress when it happens. So in the moment, you’ve got your short term way of dealing with it, what can I do deep breaths, go for a walk. And then long term, you need to start saying no to things, aligning, making sure you’re saying yes to the things that are aligned and so on. Finding a self care ritual, whether it’s meditation, practicing mindfulness yoga, for me, the non negotiables are going for walks, fresh air. Sounds so trivial, but so basic, right? Ultimately prioritizing your well being. In fact, I almost want to make that a trait in itself, this whole piece, because taking care of yourself is so foundational, and it cuts through everything in terms of taking ownership and not blaming others. And you know, you can go to bed early, you can drink more water, you can plan healthier meals, and so on, you can make that a priority. I don’t want to patronize you but it’s so foundational to how we feel and how we are, if you think Maslow, whatever your thoughts on this, but you know, the foundation of having that basic survival and wellness is necessary in order if you’re ever to try to self actualize yourself and have all this high fluting and fulfilment and so on, you need to be well, when I haven’t slept, oh my goodness, I do not care about purpose and meaning I just want to sleep. You know, speaking from my own experience, taking care of yourself is absolutely foundational. So you know, not judging anyone, things are hard can be hard. So, you know, I connect with a lot of you and I hear that really sad things have happened are happening unexpected health family, really tragic things and and every empathy and understanding for that. And if we can develop, if we can prioritize that self care, have the support network, and really try to cultivate that resilience. It’s not to say that that pain goes away. So when there’s a book in fact, I recommend a few are going through something that sold for happiness by my goddess and his son tragically died. And his he sort of as an engineer, super smart guy, ex Google, I think was was very sort of scientific about trying to find out okay, how can I still find a way to live and be happy even with this video, the worst thing that can ever happen to you is your child dying. And so, you know, that that’s a book that I recommend is sold for happiness by my good dad, but we’re talking here, still, whatever the circumstances, and you have to judge where it’s, you know, this is not a priority right now. I need to take care of myself and my family. And that’s absolutely the way to go. And then other times, it’s like, no, no, in fact, I do want to learn and grow and develop this business. My career is important right now.
I can’t just take step back from that right now. I want to pursue this I am intrinsically motivated to keep going. I’m in it for the long haul. And despite these challenges and setbacks, I am going to learn, grow and move forwards, then then having that resilience is so so powerful. So that’s it. We’ve been looking at the traits of sort of thinking like an entrepreneur, whether you are an entrepreneur or an intrapreneur, or anything in between. We’ve looked at self awareness, intrinsic motivation, courage, adaptability, growth, mindset, accountability, and resilience. If you missed any of those episodes, and do go back and have a listen, if there’s anything you think I’ve missed, I’d love to hear from you. So you can email me at podcast at one step outsider comm ping me on LinkedIn or Instagram Whoever else but connected and I’d love to hear from you. I know there are things of course that I’ve missed out on. And I’d love to hear your insights, your your lessons, your own experiences, stories of perhaps where you did exhibit some of these things, perhaps where you were missing it. And that held you back and said, Do you please get in touch I’m not loving just talking out into the empty vacuum of space so much prefer when you respond to me and tell me how you’re getting on and, and help me learn with feedback as well learn and grow. So I’m happy to take your feedback. We’ll have another interview next week with someone other than me talking as well, which is always good. And then we’ll see where we go in November and December. My goodness can’t believe it almost the end of 2023. What is going to happen to any thought, well, we’re going to take ownership of that, aren’t we and set our intentions for next year. But in the meantime, I wish you resilience, growth and courage. And I’ll see you back next week. Bye for now
WORK WITH ANNA
Let us help you design a business and a life that gives you freedom from the 9 to 5. There are several options for how you can work with us. Choose the programme that’s right for you.
The Outsiders Business Incubator
A year-long business incubator for experienced corporate professionals who want to translate their skills and passions into a profitable and fulfilling business. onestepoutside.com/9to5
The Outsiders Business Accelerator
An ongoing mastermind for service-based business owners, freelancers and online entrepreneurs who are ready to achieve success on their own terms. onestepoutside.com/accelerate
The Outsiders Business Academy
A self-paced course for you to work through in your own time, to learn – and implement – the foundations of building a profitable business that lets you escape the 9 to 5. onestepoutside.com/course
1:1 Coaching & Mentoring
If you’re looking for one-to-one support to help you achieve your specific life and business goals, Anna has a limited number of spots for individual coaching and mentoring. onestepoutside.com/coaching
Escaping the 9 to 5
Join our Facebook group to meet a community of like-minded would-be escapees as they work on redefining and achieving success on their terms.

domain: psychology


The complete solution for controlling and monitoring capacitors on distribution systems
The efficiency of transmission and distribution systems can be improved by operating the system at a near unity power factor. This increases real power availability and improves the economics related to power handling. Capacitors are the simplest and most cost effective way of improving power factor. The CQ capacitor bank controller is the complete solution for controlling and monitoring capacitors on distribution systems.
CQ controller is available in two different models:
CQ900 can automatically monitor and switch capacitor banks based on real time network conditions. It is available in 2 versions: CQ900-L with basic control functionality, and CQ900-R with DNP3 communications for remote control through SCADA and / or a centralized Volt-Var management system
CQ930 is an advanced capacitor bank controller designed for real-time three phase monitoring and switching based on network conditions. It is also equipped with DNP3.0 communications for remote control through the SCADA and/or a centralized Volt-Var management system.
Automatic control of pole mount capacitor banks installed in distribution systems.
Why Hitachi Energy?
The CQ capacitor bank controller range comes with:
- Fully user programmable interface (via unit faceplate or PC software) for maximum flexibility in operation
- Fast on-board micro-processor for accurate sampling, measurement and decision making
- Real-time monitoring of network parameters
- Advanced automatic switching (voltage, Var, current, temperature and time)
- Flexible mounting options
- Logical, structured menu system with user-friendly navigation interface (4-line LCD for CQ900)
- IP65 (NEMA 4R) rated enclosure
- Periodic data, operations and alarm logging of 10,000 events at set time periods into non-volatile memory
- Easy update of controller software through USB drive
In addition to above, CQ930 also offers following features:
- Real-time network condition monitoring, including monitoring of harmonics (up to 19th order)
- Optional multi-bank or multi-step switching (up to 7 steps) available
- Backlit 16-line full graphic LCD screen
- Remote firmware downloading using DNP3.0
- Enhanced security including intrusion detection
Brief performance data
|CQ900 / CQ930|
|Supply voltage||90 Vac to 264 Vac universal power supply|
|Consumption||10 VA max (no modem), 30 VA (with modem)|
|Operating temperature||-40°C to 70°C (ambient)
(-40°F to +158°F)
|Humidity range||5% to 95% (non-condensing)|
|Control modes||Remote (control or monitor only), automatic (local), manual (local)|
|Automatic control modes||Schedule (time), voltage, temperature, Var, current with three user selectable priorities|
|Enclosure||Lockable IP65 (NEMA 4R), powder coated, stainless steel enclosure|
|Backup battery||3.6V lithium cell - 10 year life (unpowered state)|
|Communications||- Unit configuration and data log transfer via USB
- Optional "Hitachi Energy CapLink" radio allows local interrogation without touching unit (up to 50 m range)
- RS232 and Ethernet interfaces allow monitoring over remote networks using a wide range of modem devices.DNP3.0 communication protocol enabled (only on CQ900R and CQ930 models).
Something caught your eye?
Our sales team will get in touch with you


text:
The Federal Aviation Administration is considering a program potentially worth billions of dollars to upgrade its entire air and ground system infrastructure to support data and voice communications. The FAA last month released a request for information (RFI) for the development of its NextGenerat
The Federal Aviation Administration is considering a program potentially worth billions of dollars to upgrade its entire air and ground system infrastructure to support data and voice communications.
The FAA last month released a request for information (RFI) for the development of its Next-Generation Air Ground Communications System (Nexcom) which will replace analog equipment with digital links to help meet the increasing nationwide demand for voice and data communications between pilots and air traffic controllers.
The transition to digital links which is expected to begin in 2002 also is expected to reduce long-term maintenance costs of the FAA's aging infrastructure according to the RFI. The contract which has not been assigned an award date would call for the design of the advanced communications system and the provision of all hardware software and radio equipment for the new system. The contractor also would be required to provide maintenance of the existing systems as well as the upgraded system. The increase in air traffic demands more efficient use of the available FAA air traffic control frequency spectrum. The FAA is examining methods of using digital data communications to replace routine and often-redundant voice communications which will free up spectrum space for pilots to relay and receive information from air traffic controllers said Steven Zaidman the FAA's director of systems architecture and investment analysis.
"There are more and more pressures - in terms of traffic growth and new facilities - that are beyond radios " Zaidman said. Several of the nation's busiest airports such as Chicago and Los Angeles have experienced difficulty in handling the growing voice communications he said.
This new data communications system could be used for issuing takeoff clearances to pilots from air traffic controllers or for the transfer of communications from air traffic controllers in one geographic area to another to track an aircraft's route he said. Future developments in this technology could possibly provide real-time weather graphics in the cockpit of an aircraft.
With the RFI the FAA is seeking industry input to identify viable technology alternatives that could be used for the upgrade to evaluate the ease of moving to a new system and to gauge associated costs and risks for the transition. The FAA plans to begin making initial investment decisions - such as narrowing the field of possible replacement technologies - in the spring Zaidman said.
According to the RFI officials also are weighing the costs and benefits of operating the system as a commercial entity in lieu of a traditional government-operated and maintained system.
The Nexcom contracting officer has said the program has the potential to be awarded for "billions of dollars " according to Federal Sources Inc. a McLean Va.-based concern that follows the federal information technology market. Zaidman said it was too early to quantify the cost of the program. However he categorized it as a "very large program" that would involve replacing 40 000 radios and the avionics in the cockpits of all aircraft.
Ray Hilton director of air traffic management at the Air Transportation Association said a data communications network that has been used by the airline industry and the FAA for decades to provide rudimentary information such as clearance to leave the gate and airport weather updates has dramatically increased efficiency. Data communications also can be used to overcome some of the language problems associated with international travel he said.
NEXT STORY: IRS forms electronic signature policy

domain: economics


Mountain View Marketplace
Bonney Lake, WA
Civil Engineering, Land Surveying, Land Use Planning, Commercial, Mixed-Use | 30-acres
Bonney Lake, Washington has experienced rapid urban growth over the past two decades. With swift evolution and an influx of population comes the need for infrastructure to serve the growing community. Barghausen partnered with Visconsi for the development of the Mountain View Marketplace, a 30-acre site that was subdivided into multiple lots for commercial use. Our team played a role in the development of the Costco, Chick-fil-A, Mod Pizza, Habit Burger, Crumbl Cookies and Chipotle on the site. We are currently working on plans for the future tenants; Premier Storage and Mountain View Chiropractic. This project required a new signaled intersection and an access road. The stormwater plans include an infiltration pond with settling basins on each side that serve the entire site. Frontage improvements include sidewalks, paved parking lots and ADA walkways. This project started over 10 years ago with feasibility studies and master planning for a proposed single family and multi-family residential neighborhood on the surrounding 70-acres. Stay tuned for more information on the future neighborhood coming to Bonney Lake!


Jess Hitchcock is an Indigenous singer-songwriter stirring the Australian music and performing arts scene as a genre-defying force. Her powerful voice and knack for storytelling has her shining across pop, country, folk and opera, sharing the stage and studio with some of Australia’s favourites.
Jess’ most notable release is the duet with Paul Kelly, ‘Everyday My Mother’s Voice’, earning standing ovations across the nation. Jess has also collaborated with Archie Roach, Tina Arena & Kate Miller-Heidke.
Jess’ songs are intentionally dramatic and playful. The first single, ‘I Don’t Have The Heart’, was described by The Music as “an arena sized pop ballad”.
When Jess is not on stage with her own band, or joining forces with Australian music legends, Jess lends her impressive mezzo-soprano vocals to select productions by leading performing arts companies, including Bangarra Dance Theatre and Opera Queensland.
Jess’ anticipated album, ‘Unbreakable’, is out June 30th.


text:
A few years ago, I wasn’t allowed on any form of social media, and the allure of something forbidden to me yet used by many of my peers caused me to spend almost all of middle school begging my mom to let me on Instagram. She finally relented when I turned 14.
Now, almost two years later, I’m starting to understand my mom’s reluctance. My generation is hopelessly addicted to the Internet- myself absolutely included- and I’m beginning to realize that social media is honestly overrated. And I don’t think I’m the only person who thinks so: the amount of people I know who have said they wish they didn’t have social media is, quite frankly, surprising. So why does everyone still use it religiously? Should we be cutting back? Is social media even that bad?
What Makes Social Media Addicting?
Well, for me…
- It alleviates boredom– My chronic social media addiction compounded severely during the spring and summer, for one reason in particular: I was bored. The hours I’d used to spend doing schoolwork or doing things outside of the house were easily replaced by my phone.
- It provides social validation– This is one of the most disturbingly strong pulls for me. I am decidedly not popular at school, or really anywhere for that matter, and I constantly feel pressure to post whenever I have a picture of me that doesn’t look bad, or if I have accomplished something interesting. This is bad. The more I think about it, the worse it seems, and I know I am not the only person who feels like this.
- It satisfies your nosiness and curiosity– What is really the point of social media if not an outlet for people to pry into other people’s business? But the question I ask myself is, why do I feel so compelled to check Instagram and see all the people from my school post their selfies? It doesn’t make me feel good about myself. So why do I always feel the need to do it? I went on an Instagram cleanse about a month ago, during which I unfollowed almost 150 people. No regrets.
- It has become a source for news and politics– This one is mostly specific to 2020… if you live in America, you’d know that we’re in the midst of a very heated presidential election race at the moment. And I mean VERY heated. As a result of this, social media is flooded with political posts. I can’t stop looking at social media to check out what people are posting about, and every time, I’m bound to see something that makes me angry or upset. Especially if I look on the explore page. Every time. There’s no avoiding it. And, perversely, that only makes me want to check more often.
- It’s designed to keep you coming back– my history teacher recommended the Netflix documentary “Social Dilemma”, which I haven’t yet watched because we don’t have Netflix. Or do we? I don’t know because I’ve never watched Netflix in my life. (Yes, I know, I’m so quirky). But I don’t have to watch that documentary to realize that social media companies benefit from your usage. I deleted Instagram for Lent in 2019 and in 2020, and both years, I was constantly bombarded with emails from Instagram begging me to come back and “check out what I’d missed”. And it’s so easy to get sucked into the infinite scrolling trap!
I’ve also noticed SO many weird social constructs and habits that I adhere to because everyone else does, and after a while, I’ve started to realize just how pointless some of them are.
Weird Social Constructs of my Generation
- Obsession with followers– My friend and I used to always compare how many followers we had on Instagram (“I have 315 now, how many do you have?”) which, taking a step back, is honestly concerning. This kind of conversation isn’t particularly harmful, but it demonstrates everyone’s preoccupation with social approval on Instagram. I used to get really offended if I noticed that someone unfollowed me, even if I barely knew them, because it made me feel like people didn’t care about me at all. I deleted Instagram for Lent this past year because I was just fed up with this kind of thinking
- Vapid comments– If you look at a girl’s post on Instagram, the comments will be FILLED with “so cute!” “so gorgeous!” “pretty girl!” “so pretty!” from all her friends. Everyone posts the exact same comments on everyone’s posts, and the weird thing is that they still feel validating. There’s nothing wrong with commenting nice things on people’s posts; I just find it disconcerting that these kinds of comments can become less of a compliment and more of a common social courtesy that you say to everyone. I always feel supremely fake as the tenth person to comment “so cute!” on someone’s post
- Judging people– I feel like everyone judges you on Instagram. I see people’s posts and I silently judge them. And I carefully curate my own posts to make my life seem more interesting than it actually is. Sometimes I find myself looking at someone else’s feed and feeling really bad about myself, because it looks like they have so many more friends than me, their life is so much more fun, they are so much more photogenic. That’s another reason I deleted Instagram for Lent; it’s not super great for my self-esteem.
- Obsessing over Snapchat streaks– I got Snapchat about a year ago, and I already barely use it anymore. In all honesty, I don’t understand how Snapchat is considered addictive… at all. When I first got the app, I tried to keep my streaks with everyone, but after a while I stopped caring. There’s only so many times you can send pictures of the ceiling to your friends before it dawns on you that Snapchat is kind of pointless… I mostly just watch people’s stories now. But it’s weird to me that people put so much effort into preserving their streaks.
- Fairy comments– Listen, I know fairy comments are supposed to be a joke but… some of them go WAY too far. I also just don’t like when people think “no *sparkle* *fairy* *nail polish* *heart*” is a legitimate argument rebuttal. Sorry! (I really don’t belong in Gen Z, do I…)
Are We Wasting Our Lives?
It’s time to answer the titular question of this article. Is social media wasting our lives?
Well, the answer isn’t a definitive yes or no.
Are there better things you could be doing with your life other than scrolling through your phone, wishing you were more like someone else, just trying to pass the time in quarantine? Yes, there are. But you could make that claim about almost any activity.
Does social media have some merits to it? Of course.
It can be informative and it can be fun. It can help you connect with people. The question is: have we crossed the line of dependency?
I know people who spend 14 HOURS on their phones every single day. That number has probably increased in quarantine, but even pre-corona, it was a rarity to see anyone at school not on their phone.
Would I be able to delete social media? Probably. Do I want to? Kind of.
But I don’t think the answer is necessarily to get rid of social media. Instead, I think we need to break our dependence on it. Like they always say, moderation is key.
What do you think about social media? Do you spend a lot of time on it? Let me know in the comments!
Please subscribe to my blog! I mostly blog about books and occassionally post long rants/discussion posts like this one.
*Note- I have been SO busy since school has started, so I haven’t had much free time to be active on WordPress. I’ve been trying to stay updated on my reader with other people’s posts as much as I can, but it has been a lot!*


text:
Beach bikini micro
Anita. Age: 23. i am an angel girl.loving travelling and meeting with a reall gentleman in prague,germany and around the world....
Photo Video Gallery
Extreme Micro & Mini Bikinis - KADERIN.INFO
Description: Thank you for providing amazing outfits that we keep buying from you everytime, no reason to look anywhere else. There are lots of places where you can buy an extreme sheer bikini. Using this website means you are Ok with this. Always fun to see peoples reactions on the beach and round the pool in your items!! The craftsmanship of them are so professional and luxurious, not to mention comfortable and super soft while staying strong!

domain: travel


text:
Receiving an e-mail from Nikki Bharwani of the Green Grocer is always a treat.
She is relentless in her search for high-quality food products mostly from people who are new in the food business, yet with unique offerings.
Slowly, Nikki has managed to gather food artisans who have turned the Green Grocer catalog into an intriguing list for those who love to eat and those who go for healthy yet tasty treats.
Last week, it was the goat cheese pastillas de leche that caught my attention. I just had to try it, with all the other goat byproducts Leon Philippe manufactures under the Dairy Fresh brand.
The Dairy Fresh farm in Lipa, Batangas, is home to 600 goats—a mix of Anglo Nubian, Saanen, Toggenburg and British Alpine breeds.
According to Raffy Cooper, Leon Philippe’s marketing director, the first batch of goats were flown in from Australia and the US.
Over time, their number increased so that the farm owner, Noel Cariño, decided that since he was spending so much on the goats, he might as well turn the hobby into a business.
Rich yet light
When I got the package of pastillas, cheese, goat’s milk and kakaloka coffee, I was super excited. I love goat’s milk—rich yet light, somehow sweet, a tad pungent and tangy.
Now, imagine that deliciousness transformed into pastillas. Each piece is a well-balanced confection. To have just one is not enough, especially when it is newly made. Make sure to ask for a fresh batch when you order. It gives the classic a tasty twist.
The packaging is impressive, each pastillas is wrapped in white paper with elegant silver script printed on it. Really, what details can do.
This morning, I had a glass of the fresh goat’s milk, and to this minute I still remember how refreshing and tasty it was. The milk was clean, even pristine. They say that goat’s milk is the closest to mother’s milk.
Some interesting facts written on the bottle: Goat’s milk is a good milk substitute for those allergic to cow’s milk; it has complete proteins containing all essential amino acids without the heavy fat content; fat globules are 1/9 the size of cow’s milk, making goat’s milk very easy to break down; perfect for those who are lactose-intolerant; high in healing enzymes, a superior form of calcium.
Cooper emphasizes that their milk is not UHT, it’s farm-fresh, pasteurized and bottled the same day the goats are milked.
While the pastillas tastes very good and the milk very, very good, the goat’s milk cream cheese, meanwhile, is to-die-for. So creamy, smooth, mildly pungent, luscious yet delicate.
I enjoyed it in many ways: by spooning straight off the container, drizzling it lightly with honey, or spreading on warm toast with a thin layer of homemade mango jam.
Another brand that Leon Philippe carries is the Kakaloka coffee. Cariño and chef Billy King got to taste the coffee in Baguio and were so impressed by it that Cariño researched on the product. He found out that, while it is an Australian brand, it is owned by a Filipino family, thus the name “Kakaloka.”
The brand offers insanely good coffee blends that are robust, vibrant and organic. They make a lively brew, each starkly different from the other.
If you’re tired of your daily brew, these interesting coffee blends might just be your morning wake-uppers.
Some Kakaloka Coffee facts and tasting notes:
Smokin’ Joe Black Blend was a silver medal winner in the 2009 Sydney Fine Food Show, Class 1, Espresso, Short Black. A combined blend of Brazilian, Guatemalan and African coffee, it’s very good for brewed coffee, percolator and espresso. Medium roast. Profile: very sweet, with hints of citrus and floral fragrance. Rainforest Alliance Certified.
Fairtrade and Organic Blend is Fair Trade-certified, which guarantees a fair price paid the coffee producers. Certified organically grown. Medium-dark roast, excellent all-rounder. Works well as brewed, plunger and percolated coffee. Flavor: hints of caramel and honey-like sweetness. Perfect as breakfast coffee paired with bacon and eggs, sweets and cakes.
Mac Blend has darker roast, with chocolate and bitter-sweet flavors. Excellent for espresso, and goes well with milk-based drinks such as cappuccino and café latte. Blend of Brazil, Africa, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and El Salvador coffees.
The Green Grocer is the exclusive distributor of Leon Philippe products. Call 0918-9594220 for orders. While you’re at it, order the apple cinnamon rolls and malunggay peanut butter as well. They are my favorites!

domain: food


text:
Legacy on Main Street will present a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater on Saturday, Oct. 21, at the Legacy, 224 N. Main St., Eufaula.
Doors open at 6 p.m.; dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7:30 p.m.
The purchase price is $65 for the dinner and show; $35 for the show alone.
Dinner will be prepared by Chef Zack Robinson.
The menu includes: Your choice of entree – stuffed meatloaf or cajun pork chops.
Side dishes are smashed garlic potatoes, steamed broccoli, Caesar salad and bread; and peach cobbler for dessert.
To purchase tickets call 405-248-2992 or visit www.legacyonmainstreet. com. All sales are final.

domain: entertainment