text:
Aquaponic Farming Shows the Circle of Life
In the middle of a cold, snowy Indiana winter, something fishy is going on while Jeffrey Ginn harvests vegetables.
The ability to produce quality vegetables year round attracted Ginn and his wife Laura to aquaponics, a blend of aquaculture (raising fish), hydroponics (growing plants without soil) and the use of beneficial bacteria.
Their environmentally controlled greenhouse in Daleville operates on one continuous loop. Six hundred yellow perch excrete waste, bacteria break down the waste into nutrients that their 14 vegetables and fruits can uptake, and, in turn, the plants clean the water for the fish.
“What sold me on the system is the quality produce and the fact I can grow year round,” says Ginn, who calls their business Healthy Life Organics. “I’ll have tomatoes and cucumbers in February.”
A Happy System
Stefanie Woodring enjoys the benefits of leafy greens and tomatoes without the weeds and precipitation concerns of a traditional farmer or backyard gardener. She’s in charge of daily operations at Get Fresh Farms, an aquaponics farm that includes 22,000 gallons of recirculating water.
Get Fresh Farms started in 2012 on the campus of Fort Wayne Metals in Fort Wayne. At the time, Scott and Melissa Glaze, owners of the custom medical wire manufacturer, also owned an Irish pub and invested in aquaponics to provide fresh fish and produce for the restaurant. Today, the aquaponics farm sells kale, tomatoes and herbs to an independently owned grocery store and several restaurants in the Fort Wayne area. Fort Wayne Metals employees buy the farm’s freshly harvested tilapia.
“I like that everything is connected,” says Trevor Dawson, the farm’s biologist. “You can’t do something in one area and not have it affect somewhere else. It shows that holistic approach.”
The farm employs four to seven people throughout the year. Employees check water once or twice daily for salinity, ammonia, nitrates, pH and dissolved oxygen, among other components.
“It’s a big balancing act to keep the fish happy, the bacteria happy and the plants happy,” Dawson says.
Aquaponics in Indiana
During the winter, the Ginns keep plants happy with a sustained 65-degree greenhouse and the use of grow lights. As a result, the shareholders in their Community Supported Agriculture program, or CSA, receive fresh, locally grown produce all year. They sell fish to people who are stocking ponds.
The Ginns use an aquaponics system and technology designed by Indiana-based ECSIA (Environmentally Controlled Sustainable Integrated Agriculture).
Educators at nearby Wapahani High School built a curriculum around the ECSIA system, which biology students operate. Indiana manufactures more than 95 percent of the components for the system, Ginn says.
“We envision ECSIA systems in schools, nursing homes, hospitals, prisons and universities around the country and worldwide,” he says. “Laura and I believe that locally grown, healthy, nutrient-dense produce is essential for a longer, happier life.”
Keeping up with the demand for fresh, local produce ranks as their biggest challenge.
“I built the greenhouse big enough for two systems but don’t have capital right now to add the second one,” Ginn says. “I’m hoping to add another system to the greenhouse I’ve got, and I have room for two more greenhouses. We’ll see how that goes.”
At about two years into the aquaponics business, the Ginns have hosted tours for people from six continents. Get Fresh Farms also frequently provides educational tours, often to university students.
Tour attendees see the tanks of fish, the vegetables growing in water and the pipes connecting the two systems.
“I think a lot of people miss that third element of bacteria,” Woodring says. “People kind of understand hydroponics and they understand raising fish, but putting those two things together and adding bacteria bring misconceptions about how that works.”
Dawson says most people assume that bacteria are bad when commercially raising fish. In reality, Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter allow the aquaponics system to exist.
The bacterium known as Nitrosomonas converts ammonia to nitrite. Nitrobacter converts nitrite to nitrate that plants uptake as fertilizer. The result produces lush green plants, even in the middle of an Indiana winter.
“It’s amazing when you’re out there in January with a foot of snow outside and you’re inside harvesting fresh leafy greens,” Woodring says.

domain: food


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Untapped Savings in Europe's Aging Building Stock
The market for energy saving contract and performance contracting in Europe was worth more than 4 billion Euros in 2012. The market has been performing exceptionally well, considering the economic conditions of the past three years during for which several other building-related industries have reported negative growth levels. The outlook for the m...
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Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists :
Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
The number of Judges in the International Court of Justice is –
The Head Quarters of World Health Organisation (WHO) is at
Which one of the following countries is not a member of SAARC ?
The Secretary General of UNO is appointed by
The Security Council of UN consists of
Where is headquarters of European Union located ?
What is the main function of Central Statistical Organisation (CSO)?
Identify the goodwill ambassador for the UNICEF from the following
Which of the following is true about the “World Intellectual Property Organisation” ?
Which from the following sites/monuments in India is on the UNESCO’s list of World Cultural Heritages ?
Which from the following countries is not a member of the European Union ?
Which region of the Americas has the highest concentration of World Heritage Sites on the list of the UNESCO?
The International Criminal Police Organsiation (INTERPOL) has its headquarters at
Which amidst the following sites/monuments in India is NOT on the UNESCO’s list of World Cultural Heritage
Which of the following is not associated with the UN organisation ?
Which among the following is not a specialised agency of UNO?
Which among the following continent does not have any world cultural heritage site recognised by the UNESCO?
The headquarters of UNESCO is in
Which of the following is not a member of SAARC?
Which one of the following is not an ASEAN member?
How many permanent members are there in the Security council?
In a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of brotherhood and peace, the UN General Assembly declared his birth anniversary. October 2, as the
Which of the following organisations is the oldest?
Under the rules of the IMF, each member is required to declare the par value of its legal tender money in terms of U.S. dollars and
The headquarters of Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries is located in
‘World Bank’ is also known as
The capital of IMF’ is made up by contribution of the
Which country from the following is a permanent member of UN Security Council?
According to a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, international Day of Peace’ is observed every year on
According to the UN Convention on the rights of children, which of the following is not a right?
The Headquarters of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) is at
World Bank helps countries with loans for the purpose of
The United Nations officially came into existence on
Which of the following countries is not a permanent member of the Security Council of the UNO?
TRIPS and TRIMS are the terms associated with
The non-permanent members of the Security Council are elected for
The International Court of Justice sits in
World Trade Organization (WTO) was started in the year
When did India join the United Nations?
The Headquarters of International Atomic Energy Agency is in
The member states of the U.N.O. have delegated the primary responsibility for maintaining world peace and security to the –

domain: geography


text:
It is not good enough to allow one person to retire early for the same behavior someone else is imprisoned for.
Brooke Gehring spent most of the Great Recession behind a desk at a corporate bank dealing with the aftermath of the popped housing bubble. It was an unlikely place to find her golden-egg-laying goose. Gehring’s phone was ringing non-stop with callers asking about recently foreclosed bank-owned properties. She worked in downtown Denver, and the callers were inquiring about properties to use for pot businesses. Gehring would take advantage of the budding marijuana-growing industry in Colorado and apply her banking skills to start a business. In 2015, her enterprise made $11 million.
In the last five years, Nick Smith was arrested three times for having small amounts of pot. His license was suspended, thanks to strict marijuana laws in Texas. Because of this, Smith accrued thousands of dollars in fees, had to give up his music career and struggles to support his little daughter. His commute to work takes twice the time it used to.
These are just two out of many stories that depict the state of marijuana policy in the United States. The drug that has been used by almost 80% of 18 to 34-year-olds in the US can potentially either destroy or help fulfill the American dream, depending on where you live and what you look like. The differences in marijuana laws are drastic from state to state: Texas spends $250 million a year prosecuting marijuana users and sellers, and possessions charges can land a Texan in jail from 90 days to 99 years. Colorado gains $135 million in revenue from pot and doesn’t penalize possession.
But the racial aspect of marijuana enforcement is the most unconscionable aspect. According to a study by the American Civil Liberties Union, in states like Wisconsin and Kentucky, African-Americans are six times more likely to be arrested for pot. In Washington, D.C., and Iowa, that number goes up to eight times. Meanwhile, whites and blacks use marijuana at similar rates.
But most of us know all of this already. The disparity in marijuana arrests has been written about ad nauseam and studied at length. No member of the American left is unfettered by the 1994 interview with Nixon’s domestic policy chief, John Ehrlichman, when he told Dan Baum that “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the anti-war left and black people. We couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin. And then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities.”
So how has policy changed since then?
A Changing Tide
We are at a threshold in American politics. Desperation in the political realm has lent celebrity a powerful voice: We have one in our highest office and two are eying a run in the next election. The media and science are under siege. Americans are being forced, via political and social voices, to choose between a white nationalism-heavy brand of populism and an all-or-nothing commercialized post-structuralism. It is a hard time for common sense.
At the base of this polarization are issues that matter, but are framed only by these two extreme viewpoints. This is why marijuana policy may be the one to defend. The first year of President Donald Trump’s term has seen many of the Obama-era policies rolled back, but his direction on marijuana policy should unify those in favor of common sense.
In 2013, President Barack Obama’s Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole signed a memorandum that would well reflect the administration’s “hands off” marijuana policy. The Cole memo relayed that while marijuana is a dangerous and illegal drug on the federal level, many states are legalizing its use. It instructed prosecutors to concentrate on keeping the drugs from minors and focus pursuing dangerous criminals, as the federal government simply did not have the funds to go after every marijuana user and seller.
At the start of 2018, Attorney General Jeff Sessions repealed the memo, essentially eliminating a policy that discouraged federal prosecutors from enforcing a federal prohibition against individuals or businesses that comply with state law. Sessions could be paving the way for a possible crackdown on legal marijuana businesses.
A Bleak Outlook
The Justice Department’s move leaves states and their inhabitants in a difficult situation. While state governments are in the clear legally for passing marijuana-friendly laws, so is the federal government in pursuing its own prohibition.
According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, courts have ruled that one state permitting what the federal government prohibits doesn’t immediately mean the state is in “positive conflict” with federal law. States are also allowed to tax criminal activities, thanks to Supreme Court decision in Dept. of Revenue of Montana v. Ranch (2014). In ths case, a family was arrested, fined and had their marijuana crop confiscated and destroyed by federal law enforcement. Montana had already issued a punitive fine on the families crop, putting the second fine at issue with the constitutional right not to be charged twice for the same crime (also known as double jeopardy). Even though federal law reigns supreme in the Constitution, the law is only as good as the enforcement behind it. If prosecutors begin going after marijuana entrepreneurs, Congress is the only body that can change the tide. That is, however, unlikely.
Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-MA) often flit at support for expanding research, but they have consistently blocked legislative change. For example, at a hearing on potential medical benefits and risks of marijuana in July of 2016, Grassley stressed the possibility of CBD (a non-psychoactive and useful active ingredient in marijuana) to treat pediatric epilepsy. But even this hearing saw National Institute of Health, Drug Enforcement Administration and Food and Drug Administration scientists cautiously promoting research, stumbling over answers to simple questions on marijuana’s Schedule I designation, citing “the message” a change would send and “lack of knowledge” as reasons for this caution. While heroin overdoses takes 15,446 lives a year, and cocaine overdoses kill 10,619 people every year, both are scheduled lower than marijuana, which has never taken a single life, according to the DEA’s own drug fact sheet. The US government’s official stance is that these drugs are more addictive and more dangerous than marijuana.
Cost, Coalition and Common Sense
We are a long way from a change on this issue. Not for a lack of will: A 2015 Gallup poll showed that 60% of Americans support legalization of marijuana. There is, however, a deficit of power. No real conservative can welcome the cost of prohibition, both monetary and personal. Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman, the father of free-market economics, called the prohibition of marijuana a “moral disaster.” What budget hawk can overlook the waste of $3.4 billion that the libertarian CATO Institute approximates is spent on marijuana prohibition in 2008? After studying the effects of marijuana legalization on states, it found the evidence for arguments that “legalization spurs marijuana and other drug or alcohol use, increases crime, diminishes traffic safety, harms public health, and lowers teen educational achievement” to be absent.
At the same time, no liberal can let any issue take precedent while Americans rot in jail, face harassment on a daily basis for possessing a drug that has yet to kill a single person. This is the issue that underpins so many social-justice talking points, from the school-to-prison pipeline to racial equality.
Imagine if cops couldn’t stop a young black man just because the officer “smelled weed.” Imagine if black boys didn’t have to fear stop and search because police no longer have an easy probable cause. Stanford University has created the first comprehensive repository for police encounters in the US: The Open Policing Project revealed that legalizing marijuana would lead to “a sharp decline in the number of traffic stops.”
Imagine if the children Milton Friedman called in an interview before his death “innocent victims” were saved. Imagine if the drug could be used to treat glaucoma, as the National Eye Institute agrees it can. Imagine if epileptic seizures and those caused by the childhood disorder known as Dravet syndrome were prevented, and people could live happy, symptom-free lives, as studies suggest. From multiple sclerosis to Alzheimer’s and anxiety, the two active ingredients in marijuana, THC and CBD, have been found in very limited studies to do simply amazing things.
And these are the medical uses we know. Because of the federal government’s classification of marijuana as Schedule I drug, it is very difficult to research. In fact, only 6% of studies explored the substance’s possible medical benefits.
Americans can never forget the early disagreements that drove three of our founding fathers to pen the Federalist Papers calling for the dissolution of the Confederacy and adoption of something much greater: a union of the United States of America. Everyone’s new favorite founding father, Alexander Hamilton, doled out a serious verbal takedown in the Federalist Paper #9, a response to critics of a strong central government. He said that those who argue against the creation of a union where arguing for an “incurable disorder and imbecility in Government.”
His point helped etch the society we live in today, where our differences from state to state make each one a cauldron of culture and traversing the US like a carnival ride, and, also, a constitutional republic based on equal protection of the law.
With the addition of sanctuary cities and conflicts between whole states and the executive branch of government, we are splintering our nation along lines that may never mend. While this may seem like a time to let states figure out marijuana policy in Trump’s America — much like their actions in other policy subsets — in doing so a key opportunity will be missed. Taking this moment to forgo the striations of federalism and show to the world that this experiment in democracy is malleable yet, still, unbreakable.
The outrage that is felt when a boy is shot in the city is similar to that when a rural life is lost to an opioid — both could have been prevented by policy change. It is not good enough to allow one person to retire early for the same behavior someone else is imprisoned for.
While there are seemingly endless issues to protest, petition, sue, write and speak about, I believe this one has persisted on the same level of imbecility in government that Hamilton spoke of, for far too long. I implore Americans to let this be the issue that welcomed back common sense.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
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domain: sociology


With a women-specific design and synthetic insulation the full-featured Women's Trestles 15 is designed for sustained cold, wet weather while backpacking, mountaineering and river rafting. Improved liner fabric plus updated style lines maximize comfort.
|Delivery time - Working days||5|
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The 2017 Skoda Octavia RS has been launched in India, priced at Rs. 24.62 lakhs.
Skoda has launched the faster version of the Octavia sedan, the Octavia RS in India and has priced it at Rs. 24.62 lakhs (ex-showroom, India). The 2017 Octavia RS comes with mechanical changes and also subtle changes to the interior as well as exterior.
The Skoda Octavia RS gets a sportier looking front bumper with larger air-intakes. The grille is finished in black and also houses the RS badge. At the side, you get new 17-inch blackened 10-spoke alloy wheels with red brake callipers and at the rear you get a tailgate spoiler, RS badging and stainless steel exhaust tips that differentiate it from the regular Octavia.
In the cabin, the Skoda Octavia RS gets an all-black dashboard layout instead of the dual-tone black and beige available on the regular Octavia. The gear-knob, seats and the steering wheel (flat bottom) get a contrast red stitching and also RS stitching on the seats highlight the race-worthiness of the car. Faux carbon fibre treatment on the doors replace the regular aluminium trims. An updated 9.2-inch Columbus touchscreen system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink takes care of infotainment duties.
Powering the 2017 Skoda Octavia RS is a 2.0-litre TSI motor that punches out 230 HP of power between 5500-6200 RPM and 350 Nm of torque between 1500-4500 RPM. This engine comes paired to a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The Octavia RS with the TSI motor does the 0-100 km/hr run in just 6.8 seconds and has a top speed of 250 km/hr.
The Octavia RS also gets an updated suspension setup and a wider track at the rear. Other features in the Octavia RS are LED headlamps with LED DRLs, LED fog lamps, Traction Control, ABS with EBD, all 4 disc brakes, hands-free parking, 9 airbags, ESP, DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control), Cruise Control, 12-way adjustable driver’s seat, Alcantara leather seats, Ambient Lighting, integrated headrests in the front seats and a panoramic sunroof.
Bookings for the 2017 Skoda Octavia RS have commenced and the performance sedan comes in a choice of 4 colours – Red, White, Steel Grey and Race Blue. The Octavia RS also comes with a 4-year Skoda Service Care that includes 4-year Skoda Warranty, Skoda Assist and Skoda Maintenance Package.
2017 Skoda Octavia RS Price
– Priced at Rs. 24.62 lakhs (ex-showroom)
– The Octavia RS gets a 2.0-litre TSI motor that puts out 230 HP
– Gets a lot of sporty bits on the exteriors and interiors


Abuse victims lose housing options
Women fleeing abusive relationships can no longer find a roof and a bed at Mita Maske Ti Ki.
The Sioux Falls shelter, also called My Sister Friends' House, offered a safe place for domestic abuse victims, helping them get back on their feet and find independence.
Grant funding ran dry in April. The program moved to a different location, laid off staff and pared back its offerings. It stopped offering housing to women, but has maintained its presence in Sioux Falls with support groups and counseling services.
However, the program could be shuttered this fall without a fresh injection of funding.
“It was heartbreaking,” said Rosanna Schoneman, a former advocate who was laid off as part of the cuts. “Because I know that Sioux Falls really, really, really needs this shelter open.”
For about 15 years, My Sister Friends' House provided emergency and transitional housing for women escaping abuse. It depends on grants from the federal government, though organizers also welcome donations and volunteers.
Serving mostly Native Americans, the house was a temporary home for women fleeing abusive relationships on South Dakota reservations. It was also one of the few places in Sioux Falls where women could turn to for a place to stay if they were facing dangerous situations at home.
Unable to offer beds to women in need, My Sister Friends' House still offers provides support through its one remaining staffer. The nonprofit has a crisis line, counseling, support groups and criminal justice advocacy. It also offers referrals, guiding women to other local resources.
Hopes are pinned on a federal grant through the U.S. Department of Justice, said Lisa Heth, executive director of Wiconi Wawokiya Inc., the nonprofit that oversees the house. Organizers sent in a grant application in February for the federal government’s Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation program.
Donations are welcome, but unless the grant comes through the future looks uncertain, Heth said. Officials will hear back in the fall.
“That would put us at a serious risk of us not doing any more services,” Heth said. “If we don’t get that funding, I can’t continue to have one person there.”
Running the house costs about $12,000 a month with a full staff.
Based out of the Crow Creek Reservation in Fort Thompson, Wiconi Wawokia has relied on more than $1.7 million in federal funding since 2009 to cover those costs. Last year, however, My Sister Friends' House hit a roadblock when its most recent grant application was denied.
“It’s competitive,” Heth said. “Sometimes you can write the best darn grant, but I guess, too, it depends.”
My Sister Friends' House provided shelter to dozens of women and children every year before it was forced to eliminate the service.
Amy Carter is operations director of the Children’s Inn, another Sioux Falls nonprofit offering emergency housing for women and children.
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot of instances of domestic violence and assault and stalking,” Carter said. “Any time there can be resources for those victims, that’s important.”
Heth is hopeful the money will come through, allowing My Sister Friends' House to continue meeting the needs of abuse victims from across the state. For now, women can still seek help by calling 605-731-1950.
“The thing is that we want people to know that Mita is still there and we’re not shut down,” Heth said. “We’re just waiting for funding to come in.”


text:
Nine-Month 2021 Warranty Report:
This year, product sales took off but warranty expenses didn't follow. The result is that early in the year, warranty expense rates dove to levels never reached before, before rising back to typical levels later on. And the cause of this dip wasn't the automakers. This time it was the computer manufacturers.
As 2021 comes to a close, we can't wait until all the annual reports are published in February and March to find out how manufacturers' product warranty expenses are shaping up for the year. And so, what follows is an early look at this year's totals and averages based on data available through the first nine months of the year.
For each of the past 19 quarters, we looked at the books of all warranty-reporting manufacturers, extracting three key metrics from each quarterly financial statement and each annual report. From the notes at the end, we found figures for total claims paid and accruals made. And from the income statement at the top of each document, we found figures for product sales. And then, by dividing claims paid and accruals made by product sales, we calculated claims as a percent of sales (the claims rate), and accruals as a percent of sales (the accrual rate).
Historically Low Accrual Rate Reached
We'll get to the claims and accrual totals further down. But up top, we want to show you the average claims and accrual rate data for all manufacturers, because something very peculiar happened late last year and then early this year. As can be seen in Figure 1 below, in late 2020 the average accrual rate rose to nearly 1.5% -- its highest level since the end of 2014. And then in the first quarter of 2021, that expense rate fell to just above 1.0% -- its lowest level ever (or at least since warranty expense reporting began in 2003).Read more
Warranty & Corporate Inversions:
Although warranty has an effect on taxes, the movement of a company's headquarters from a high-tax to a low-tax country doesn't seem to change its warranty claims or accrual rates. The merger of product lines has a much bigger effect, no matter what their nationality. But in at least one case, a company leaving the U.S. decided to cease complying with warranty reporting rules.
In last week's newsletter, there were several solar equipment companies profiled that were incorporated in one country, had their headquarters in another country, and sold their stock in New York. Several were startups from Asia, which had acquired small U.S. companies in order to gain their stock listings.
This, we said, could prove troublesome if any of the companies failed to outlive their extra-long warranties. However, this globalization of warranty liabilities is not all happening in one direction. An increasing number of U.S. companies seem to be re-incorporating themselves in Bermuda, Ireland, or some other business-friendly nation, appending a "PLC" or an "Ltd" to their name, and continuing business as usual.
Most are moving abroad for tax reasons. For instance, the corporate tax rate in Ireland is 12.5%. It's 35% in the U.S. Therefore, by acquiring an Irish company and moving the official headquarters of the combined companies to Dublin, a formerly U.S.-based company could cut its nominal tax rate by almost two-thirds (not counting deductions).
Since the disclosure of warranty expense information is a requirement of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), we wanted to see what effect this new kind of corporate emigration is having upon those disclosures. Changes in warranty accrual rates affect net income, and therefore have an impact on taxes. Warranty claims payments include parts affected by sales tax or VAT, and labor affected by payroll taxes. So there are clear links between warranty and taxes. But while these corporate inversions have a clear impact on tax rates, do they also have any impact in warranty expense rates?Read more
Solar Equipment Warranties:
While product warranties that last for one or two decades are reassuring to buyers, they're not worth much unless funds are available to pay claims. That means betting on young startup companies eventually becoming old industry veterans. But who knows how reliable a system installed now will be in 10 or 20 years, and how much it will cost to repair or replace?
The solar energy equipment market is growing fast and that growth is attracting more competitors and more manufacturing capacity, forcing product prices to fall rapidly. New market entrants with unknown brand names are reassuring customers that their equipment is built to last, issuing 10-, 25- or even 30-year product warranties as a mark of their expected longevity and reliability.
But are these warranties really built to last? Are the companies issuing them to customers actually setting aside enough money to pay claims in two or three decades? And what happens if the fierce competition forces some of them to go out of business?
In general, what we're finding is that most of the manufacturers are financing their very long warranties properly, while most of the installers are playing for the short term, hoping that the manufacturers will be there to pay at least the cost of replacement parts. And if not, well, let's hope they can work something out.Read more
Appliance Service Contract
Though the market has remained relatively flat for years, market shares are changing as online sales are gaining and new players are emerging. Still, six underwriters control 90% of the market share.
In our series of articles on the major appliance service contract industry back in early 2011, we neglected to include one important item: a market share report. Seven consecutive weekly newsletters explored the history of ServiceBench Inc., GE Appliances, Lowe's, and Abt Electronics and Appliances, among others. But before we could get to the pie charts, the calendar mandated that coverage of the Warranty Chain Management Conference needed to begin.
After that was done, we never went back to finish the series.
This week, as part of our current half-year of service contract industry coverage, we'll fix that oversight and provide some details on appliance service contract market sizing and market share. But we'll admit to one major problem: seven of the top ten retailers of service contracts for major appliances sell considerably more service contracts for consumer electronics, mobile phones, and/or home computers. Separating those segments therefore required some heroic assumptions to be made.
So what we're going to say is that our estimates are rough on both edges. They're rough in terms of estimating the amount of premiums paid by consumers for their service contracts, and they're rough in terms of what kind of product the consumer protected with a service contract when they shopped at Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe's, Sears or Wal-Mart.Read more
As with luxury cars, we're finding that the smarter the phone and the more advanced its features, the higher the warranty costs. And some of the smartest phones with the biggest market shares are now driving up the warranty costs of their manufacturers.
The smarter the phone, the harder they fall. As these little computers get more compact and sophisticated, their warranty costs are escalating. And it's beginning to hurt some of the largest players.
Two weeks ago, we found that some of the most luxurious passenger cars with reputations for high quality also had relatively high warranty costs. That's not supposed to happen. High quality means low warranty costs, no?
With smartphones, it seems to be a different problem. These units are sophisticated devices that aren't meant to be dropped, sat upon, or left out in the heat, cold, or humidity. But they're also meant to be portable and always available, so abuse and misuse are inevitable.
We just collected some new warranty data that illustrates the problem. Research in Motion Ltd., or RIM, is the Canadian company responsible for the BlackBerry product line. In its most recent fiscal year, warranty claims cost more than seven percent of the company's revenue. And that was the fifth straight year in which warranty costs rose as a proportion of revenue.Read more

domain: finance


For the First Time Ever in Australia
Hooked On Classics
Live in Concert
Performed by a 45 Piece Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by George Ellis
Hooked on Classics is a musical phenomenon!
Hooked on Classics made classical music accessible to music lovers around the world.
Hooked on Classics is the Biggest Selling classical music release of all time with sales in excess of 10 million albums. Guaranteed to leave you smiling Hooked on Classics returns in a live concert setting at the iconic Sydney Opera House on Sunday 12th May for One Australian Exclusive Performance.
Hooked on Classics created the perfect blend of symphonic classical masterpieces, played over a continuous beat. The concept was a great one adding a new dimension and re-energizing the Classical Classics - Mozart to Bach, Vivaldi to Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky to Strauss. George Ellis will conduct a 45 Piece Symphony Orchestra and bring this unique symphonic sound to Australian audiences Live in Concert for the first time ever!
George Ellis impressive list of accolades includes conducting Olympic Games opening ceremonies, ARIA awards as well as combining symphony orchestras with many popular artists including Lou Reed, The Church & Human Nature to name a few. All of which makes George Ellis the perfect Conductor to bring all your Hooked On Classics favourites to life in an expansive and magical performance
Relive the excitement and let wonderful memories flow when Hooked on Classics comes alive for the First Time Ever in Australia! And what better setting than the iconic Sydney Opera House to host this breath-taking performance!
Metropolis Pre Sale: Wednesday 12 December, 9am Local Time - Friday 14 December, 8am Local Time
On Sale: Friday 14 December, 9am Local Time


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acrylic on canvasboard
White City Park is another lovely, public park filled with beautiful birds, turtles,and fish. The lake is covered with flowering lily pads and there are many trees with blossoms-the bottlebrush tree with bright red flowers and the orchid tree with lavendar flowers. I took many pictures, and settled in front of these tall grasses and lanky palm trees. I painted there for over three hours-warm but not humid, no bugs- pure, white ibuses walking right past me-peaceful, serene- a wonderful, gratifying plein air experience.


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This is an anniversary the Bulls won't be celebrating. But in this disappointing season, it perhaps is indicative of the struggles the franchise is facing.
The NBA announced Thursday the completion of its 2008 All-Star teams with the naming of reserves for the Feb. 17 game in New Orleans. It will mark the 10th year since the Bulls last had a player in the All-Star Game.
It is by far the longest the franchise has gone without a player the coaches and/or fans and media considered an All-Star. Even in the inaugural season of 1966-67, the Bulls had Guy Rodgers and Jerry Sloan as All-Stars.
In fact, in franchise history, only in 1975 -- ironically, a season when the Bulls in the pre-Michael Jordan era had their best chance to win a championship -- 1980 and 1984 did the Bulls fail to have an All-Star until the streak began after the 1998 season and Jordan's 12th and final appearance as a Bull.
But even in the one full season Jordan didn't play for the Bulls, 1993-94, the Bulls had three All-Stars in Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and B.J. Armstrong.
All this makes the case, one the Bulls have acknowledged and identified as a priority, of the importance of having a star player. This season seemingly gives further credence to the concept of needing a star to carry a team through rough stretches and reach the elusive next level.
This season also marks the first time since 1984 that no Bulls player has been invited to any of the so-called challenges, which include the rookie/sophomore game, dunk and three-point contest. In recent seasons, Bulls draft picks have been mainstays of those contests, but Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha were skipped over this season.
It is believed Chris Duhon, who has done major philanthropic work in New Orleans and is from the area, is expected to compete in one of the offshoot contests involving NBA veterans and WNBA players.
As for the rosters, the snubs in the far stronger Western Conference were glaring.
Golden State's Baron Davis, in the top 10 in steals and assists and 13th in scoring, was left off along with a longer shot in teammate Stephen Jackson. Davis is perhaps the most deserving player in either conference, and there was some surprise around the NBA that New Orleans' David West would make it over him and leave a good Warriors team without an All-Star.
Denver's Marcus Camby, first in blocks and second in rebounds, was omitted along with New Orleans' Tyson Chandler, fourth in rebounding, and the Clippers' Chris Kaman, third in both blocks and rebounds.
Kaman certainly lost out because he's playing for a losing team, though Atlanta's Joe Johnson does as well in the East and New Jersey's Jason Kidd was named a starter even though he is asking to be traded. The NBA remains uncertain about what to do if the unprecedented situation develops that Kidd is traded to the West before the game. In that event, the belief is he would be the 13th West All-Star and another All-Star would be added in the East.
San Antonio's Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker missed the team along with Dallas' Josh Howard as the Mavs got just one All-Star in Dirk Nowitzki despite having the West's third-best record. Many believe Howard has been more important to the Mavs this season than Nowitzki. Also squeezed out, because of the talent of West guards, was Utah's Deron Williams.
In the East, top-10 scorers Richard Jefferson of New Jersey and Michael Redd of Milwaukee were left off as they play for disappointing teams. Some felt Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu and Toronto's Jose Calderon had a chance.
Ray Allen wasn't selected, denying the Celtics their so-called Big Three as Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are on the East team.
Miami's Shaquille O'Neal also was left off after 14 consecutive selections, every season of his career. Garnett is the senior member now with 11 selections, followed by San Antonio's Tim Duncan with 10.
Though the game is an exhibition, it also identifies the players who most mean success in the NBA.

domain: sports


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The success of St. Louis-based Wings of Hope has really taken flight. The charity, which has more than 3,000 volunteers worldwide, has been nominated for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.
Wings of Hope helps more than one million people a year by aiding in infrastructure development in places as varied as Haiti and Congo. Volunteers typically use a small bush airplane to transport supplies, empowering the people of the region to set up self-running systems such as health care and transportation.
The St. Louis Business Journal reported that it was of particular interest to the Nobel committee that Wings of Hope does not accept any government money, including any United Nations funds.
Douglas Clements, Wings of Hope president, told CBS station KMOX in St. Louis that every project the organization takes on is approached from a humanitarian angle.
"We do not allow the subject of politics or religion to become involved in anything that we do," Clements pointed out. "We're not anti-religion, we're not anti-Democracy...we work with all governmental systems."
Wings of Hope has won numerous awards, including the United Nations Humanitarian of the Year Award and the Global Peacemaker Award. The organization also was knighted by Pope Benedict in 2008.
The organization's name and history comes from its first project in 1962 when the four founders provided a plane to a Kenyan nurse who took care of sick mothers and children in desert nomad camps.
The company gets most donations from corporations and foundations such as Geico and the Gates Foundation. Click below to donate.

domain: news


24th June 2018
The Dust Coda: “We want to be the biggest rock’n’roll band on the planet.”
Some musicians follow strange paths before they finally get a chance to do what they really want to do. For The Dust Coda guitarist Adam Mackie, this was a stint playing guitar with the likes of dance types Freestylers and Groove Armada.
“When I started playing professionally in the 00s, the London scene was urban music – everybody wanted to be Craig David,” says Mackie, whose band play the Rising Stage. “That was fine for me on a professional level, but I grew up wanting to be Slash. It was always about being in a big rock’n’roll band.”
With The Dust Coda, Mackie has finally realised his ambitions. The London four-piece – completed by drummer Scott Miller, bassist Tony Ho and Australian-born singer John Drake – find the sweet spot between the timeless rock’n’roll Rival Sons and The Temperance Movement and the electrified alt-blues of Wolfmother and The White Stripes.
“I always knew John was a hell of a singer, and the music we play really brought out something different in his voice,” says Mackie. “When we put the band together in 2015, he’d come round to my house in Brixton, we’d drink some Red Stripe and write a load of tunes. We were both, like, ‘We’ve got something here.’”
The band’s self-titled debut album possess the kind of swagger British music has been missing for a while now. Such is their confidence that its sleeve – featuring a steerhorn belt buckle, a skull ring, an Apache head and a chain arranged in a cross shape – cheekily nods to more than one classic album. “The idea was to try and rip off the Appetite For Destruction cover, but everyone associates it with Led Zeppelin IV,” laughs Mackie. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take either.”
The Dust Coda are part of a rising swell of bands, many of whom have played at Ramblin’ Man, giving the country’s homegrown music scene a shot in the arm. “Rock music is slowly building again,” he says “There’s better gigs out there, there’s a real appreciation for guitar bands again. We put our album out ourselves, without anyone really knowing us, and we couldn’t believe the reaction.”
It’s a good sign for The Dust Coda, and for Mackie. The guitarist isn’t short of ambition. “In all seriousness, my aim in the next two years I want to be the biggest rock’n’roll band in the UK. And in the next five years, I want to be the biggest rock’n’roll band on the planet.”
The Dust Coda play Ramblin’ Man’s Rising Stage on Saturday June 30


text: R/4 Indoor Drumline asked us to work on the show T-shirt for their 2009 show, "Different Drummers". This was right around the same time as the work that we were also developing for Converse Shoes. When the staff briefed us on the show, and the notion that the costuming was going to be different for every member—all the way down to the footwear—we suggested that they consider wearing Converse All Stars, different colors for each person. They loved the idea. So we incorporated it into the show graphics.

domain: entertainment


MORAY HAS JOINED education authorities throughout the North East in working with police to urge parents and guardians to work together against the dangers of young people carrying weapons.
Stats release on Thursday by Police confirms that there were 207 incidents involving young people allegedly being is possession of a weapon throughout the area between April 2016 and March this year.
Of those, 36% involved the alleged possession or use of a bladed weapon. Of those, 55 happened at primary and secondary schools – 29 in Aberdeen, 15 in Aberdeenshire and 11 in Moray. The average age of the children in schools was 12-years-old and the majority were male (93%).
In total 24 incidents were reported within a classroom followed by 15 in the playground and seven in a school corridor. Other locations included a canteen, bus, changing rooms and a locker.
Where known, reasons for carrying a weapon included to carve wood or for camping, with a number stating they simply forgot they had the weapon on them. However, more concerning, a small number of young people admitted they were carrying a weapon to threaten another person or for the purposes of self-harm.
Of the 55 incidents reported to have taken place in or around a school, 19 were recorded as a crime resulting in the young person being charged. The remainder, following thorough enquiry, were deemed not to be a crime.
The number of incidents recorded would suggest an upward trend in reporting, however Partnerships Superintendent Kate Stephen stressed that as a result of the increased focus by Police and partners to address the issue, there is a much greater awareness and significantly lower tolerance of weapon-related incidents.
She is calling on all parents and guardians to play an active role in ensuring young people are aware of the consequences of carrying weapons, in the same way they would educate their children of the dangers of alcohol and drugs and the importance of exercising Internet safety.
Superintendent Stephen said: “Young people need to understand that even if they never intend on using a weapon, the act of carrying one could result in unthinkable consequences, not to mention a potential criminal record. There is no justifiable reason for ever carrying a weapon and whether or not the intention is to use it is absolutely irrelevant. Ignorance is not an excuse.
“Working closely with partners in Education we are striving to ensure our schools and communities are safe places for young people to live and learn and to educate them about the consequences of carrying a weapon. This is ultimately about prevention, and one such incident in our schools and communities is one too many.
“Anti-weapon lessons continue to be provided by School Liaison and School Based Officers across the North East, while Aberdeen City Council’s #lifenotknife pledge has been successfully implemented in primary and secondary schools across the city, with Aberdeenshire and Moray Council areas looking to implement similar resources.
“To ensure we also have a consistent approach when responding to and dealing with such incidents, we have established a multi-agency response plan which includes a prompt assessment and follow-up to any incident, focussing on the support and welfare of all those involved.
“Provision of the necessary support to those involved is crucial, but by no means does this minimise the incident – a criminal offence will still be dealt appropriately where that is found to be the case.”
Supt Stephen added that prevention and education were critical, saying: “My message to parents and guardians is that Police, teachers and other colleagues can’t eradicate this issue on our own. It is vital you also talk about the dangers of weapon carrying and ensure all young people understand and appreciate the harsh reality of what could result.
“As a collective, we all need to work together to reduce the number of weapons carried in our communities.”
Speaking on behalf of the Directors of Education in the North East, Laurence Findlay, Corporate Director of Education & Social Care at Moray Council, added: “Ensuring young people are safe in school is essential.
“Education and Children’s Services Directors in the North East are all fully committed to working proactively in partnership with colleagues in Police Scotland to do all we can to highlight the dangers of weapons and to encourage parents and carers to also discuss the dangers of carrying weapons with their children.
“By working in partnership we would hope to deliver a consistent message that carrying weapons is never acceptable.
“Schools rightly play an important role in shaping children’s attitudes, but parents and the wider community, clearly have an important part to play.
“We will never be complacent and will continue to work with parents, pupils and staff to underline the serious consequences of carrying an offensive weapon.”


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text: There’s not many hills in London to run up, certainly no proper hills. Box Hill in the Surrey Hills is about as good as it gets. Four months in London and my mountain legs have already deserted me. In their place are the puny, road-running limbs of a southern softie unacquainted to a steep slope. I had forgotten that once familiar lactic acid burn that arrives in the calves when the gradient steepens. Still, it was a useful 11-mile run and Box Hill is a fine place from which to survey the world.


3,470 Model Y Vehicles Recalled Over Loose Bolts!
Tesla has announced a recall of 3,470 Tesla Model Y vehicles in the US from 2022 to 2023 due to the possibility of insufficiently tightened bolts that secure the frames of the second-row seatback.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), if a seat frame bolt is loose, it can weaken the seat belt system's effectiveness, leading to higher chances of injuries in the event of a crash. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that all seat frame bolts are secure to minimize the risk of injury.
Tesla has informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that it has discovered five warranty claims since December, which could be associated with the said conditions. Tesla has confirmed that there have been no known incidents of injuries or fatalities related to the recall issue.
Tesla will examine the bolts that are used to secure the frames of the second-row driver-side and passenger-side seats to the lower seat frames. If necessary, they will be tightened according to the required specifications.
In December, Tesla reported that one of its suppliers has improved their process controls and training procedures to ensure that bolts are tightened according to the required specifications. This was announced by the automaker.
2023 Tesla Model Y: What You Need to Know
|2023||Hatchback, SUV||Rear-Wheel Drive||260||$43,990|
|2023||Hatchback, SUV||Long Range||330||$48,990|


text:
ABC 22 News Team
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Low: 9 Winds: N 3-6 mph
Tomorrow: Sun Returns - A Little Warmer but Still Below Average.
High: 31 Winds: SE 4-8 mph
Thursday: Sleet & Light Freezing ...
Police Report: Wright State's Tavares Sledge Struck Girlfriend During Argument
FAIRBORN -- Wright State basketball star Tavares Sledge, 21, is facing domestic violence and child endangering charges after police say he struck his girlfriend during an argument.
Sledge, a junior forward for the Wright State men's basketball team, has pleaded not guilty today to child endangering, domestic violence, resisting arrest and obstructing official business charges following an incident Saturday night.
According to the Wright State Police Department, Sledge and his girlfriend had just left the Nutter Center buying tickets to the circus. While in his vehicle on Raider Road, police say Tavares and his girlfriend began to argue.
According to what the girlfriend told police, Tavares tried to grab his iPod from her and struck her in the face.
The dispute reportedly continued when the two arrived at their shard residence, at 245 Orville Street, Fairborn, and a neighbor called police.
Fairborn police say Sledge refused their commands when they responded to the domestic violence call. He was sitting in a 2001 Mercury Grand Marquis and refused to take the vehicle out of reverse and put it in park and failed to comply with any of officers' commands. Eventually, they decided to break the car's window to gain entry.
Sledge's and the woman's child was in the front passenger seat at the time and he sustained a scratch on his forehead. Police say they did not know the child was in the vehicle until they were breaking the window and Sledge reportedly yelled, "My baby."
Once Sledge was out of the car, police continued to struggle placing him under arrest.
Police noted they saw a small scratch on the left side of the girlfriend's eye, along with some redness and swelling. Fairborn medics treated the girlfriend and their baby at the scene.Police say that when Sledge was booked into the Fairborn Jail, his overall demeanor was "very polite and respectful." When asked why he was acting so aggressively and non-compliant on scene, Sledge reportedly told police he "thought you were going to take my child away from me."
Wright State Basketball Star Charged With Child Endangering, Domestic Violence
FAIRBORN -- Tavares Sledge, a junior forward for the Wright State mens basketball team, has pleaded not guilty today to child endangering and domestic violence charges following an incident Saturday night.
Sledge also pleaded not guilty to resisting arrest and obstructing official business.
Wright State coach Billy Donlon released this statement following his court appearance:
We were made aware that Tavares Sledge was arrested following an incident Saturday evening, and he was immediately suspended indefinitely, Donlon said. These are very serious allegations, but it would be inappropriate to have any further comment until the judicial process has run its course.
Photo courtesy Wright State University
Miami Valley Crime StoppersIf you have information about a crime that has occurred, call Miami Valley Crime Stoppers at 937-222-7867 (STOP) 800-637-5735, 24 hours a day. Callers can remain anonymous.
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Pay It ForwardElk & Elk, FOX45, and ABC22 recognize the good deeds of people and organizations who make the Miami Valley a better place.
Health Care ReformThe Supreme Court ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act sparked a new battle. Check here daily for the latest developments, locally and across the country.
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Disappointing earnings, weaker outlooks highlight latest financial results
NEW YORK (AP) -- Several big-name companies have turned in disappointing earnings or weaker outlooks today.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 03/21/14 --
Companies that pride themselves on being eco-friendly may have conflicted
ideas between marketing with ad specialties and maintaining their green
DANIELE WATTS - COURT PLEA
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An actress who claims she was racially profiled after being detained by police is seeing her case make its way through the courts.
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PHOENIX (AP) -- A Super Bowl ticket for six bucks?
IN THE NEWS: FACEBOOK OUTAGE RAISES EYEBROWS
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- For many computer users, it was like one of those times when the power, water -- or even TV service -- goes out.
Tonight on ABC 22
6:30 pm ..... ABC World News
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8:00 pm ..... The Bachelor
10:00 pm ... Castle
11:00 pm ... ABC 22 News at Eleven
11:30 pm ... Jimmy Kimmel Live
12:30 am ... Nightline


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Men’s Journey into Elderhood
“The Men’s Journey into Elderhood” is designed to call forth the elder presence within you for the sake of your family, community and the world. Most of us have not been mentored by our elders. The consequence is that we are not confident and empowered to manifest an “elder presence.” A common question is: “What does it mean to be an elder and how do I become a mature elder in life?” There is a part of us that yearns for these answers so that we are fully engaged in our purpose in this latter stage of life. Do you hunger for this? Click the link below for more information, and to register.
Men’s Journey into Elderhood: January 17-19, 2020 Monument, Colorado — registration closed. To be placed on a waiting list, please contact email@example.com.
Go! Just go! Open your heart to the possibility that your relationship can be better, maybe better than ever. Be open and trust the processes. It works!
— Ellie, Northville, MI

domain: psychology


text:
Analysts: Price Drop Could Sink New Loans
New York-Concern is growing that despite tighter underwriting standards and the demise of the riskiest loan products, falling home values could put newly originated loans underwater, raising the risk of default.
The S&P/Case-Shiller home price index showed home values fell at a record quarterly pace in the third quarter, amid few signs of improvement in the market.
And with unemployment - a key default driver - still rising, further price declines could leave many borrowers who took out home loans this year or will next year at risk of owing more money than their home is worth, according to economist Karl Case, a professor at Wellesley College and founding partner of the index.
"If prices keep dropping, 2008 and 2009 mortgages could be bad news. If prices continue to fall substantially next year, then that book is going to be underwater, too, and that's going to be very devastating to the economy," Mr. Case said during a conference call with reporters.
He noted that projections for a recovery in the housing finance industry have assumed that loans currently being originated will perform well and remain profitable.
S&P/Case-Shiller reported that home prices nationally were down 16.6% in the third quarter from a year earlier. That was higher than the rate of decline posted in the first and second quarters of this year.
The third-quarter decline puts prices back to where they were in 2004 nationally, down 21% from their peak on a national average basis, with the largest declines being posted in once-hot Sun Belt markets, including Phoenix, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. Moreover, the index shows that prices declined on a month-to-month basis in September across all metropolitan areas covered by the index.
The concern about today's new home loans ending up being underwater comes amid few signs that housing markets are stabilizing.
Already, foreclosure-related sales are forcing a high number of bank home sales, and these distressed-sales are hurting market prices, Mr. Case said.
"It's clear that there's bottleneck. The number of mortgages that are actually under water is very large, and so the auction numbers are not going to slow down anytime soon," he added.
Last week, the National Association of Realtors reported that both the number of existing home sales and the average sales price fell in October, with "distressed sales," including foreclosed homes and short sales, accounting for 45% of all sales in October.
Moreover, Mr. Case said that widespread loan modification programs that reduce the principal or monthly payments for borrowers could backfire if they are too generous. People currently struggling to make payments may stop paying and deliberately default on their loans, hoping to qualify for relief. That creates a "moral hazard" that could further escalate home loan default numbers.
"They see their neighbors getting a break and they want to get one, too," Mr. Case said.
Separately, FirstAmerican Core Logic said its mortgage risk index rose for the fourth quarter 12% from a year ago. That puts the risk of home loan delinquency 54% higher than it was in the index's base period, the first quarter of 2002 as the nation was emerging from its last recession.
The NAR found that the pace of existing home sales fell below 5 million units annually in October, with the largest median monthly price decline on record.
Separately, the Federal Housing Finance Agency also reported that home prices declined in the third quarter. The FHFA's "all transactions" price index, which includes data from home sales and appraisals for refinancing, showed a 2.7% price decline in the third quarter.


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Celtic Music in Sulphur, LA
A Celtic harp or Celtic flute can create a relaxed and enchanting atmosphere at a cocktail hour, art gallery opening, wedding ceremony or festival, while a Celtic Band performs fun and traditional music. Search for Celtic Music in Sulphur, Louisiana above.
Please note that these Celtic Music may also travel to Westlake, Moss Bluff, Vinton, Dequincy, Harbor, Hackberry, Starks, Ragley, and Reeves.


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Professional athletes support the legalization of sports betting in the U.S. a new poll from sports broadcaster ESPN shows.
The poll showed that 63 percent of a sampling of athletes from several pro sports believe sports betting should be legalized on a larger scale. The poll asked 73 players from the NFL, NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball.
The poll also found that 58 percent of the athletes had taken part in some form of gambling activity in the past, while 34 percent said they had bet on sports.
However, the poll also found concerns among the players on the potential negative impact betting can have on the professional sports industry. About 37 percent of the athletes polled said they suspected a current or former teammate had a gambling problem and 41 percent said that sports betting could hurt the integrity of games.
In addition, 10 percent said they had been approached for betting information about their own team while 3 percent suspected they had taken part in a fixed game.


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Ripp Off is a low caustic degreaser, solvent boosted to penetrate soils fast. It can be used for a multitude of applications from light degreasing of engine bays through to truck chassis, marine bilge cleaning, and workshop floors. It is the initial go to product for any application. Dilute to 1:1 for heavy soild to 50:1 for light duty cleaning. Fresh citrus fragrance. An absolute winner.Biodegradable. Available in 5L, 20L, 200L & 1000L drums.


text:
Notes: 10 leaves plus covers. 8 by 13 inches. One of 100 copies.
A long poem printed letterpress on paper handmade, in part, from garlic leaves.
The covers each have a unique monoprint by Freddy García Azze, with the back cover the reverse of the front. The design of all the covers is the same, but the inking and coloration is different. A promotional bookmark is laid in.
OCLC: IQU GZM NOC NUI VWM
Edition + Condition: This copy is printed in pink, with the title embossed. Near fine in wrappers, with a promotional bookmark laid in. Signed by the artist on the front cover and numbered 1/1 on the back (to denote a unique monoprint). This copy is handnumbered 032 on the colophon printed with the limitation and the date, February 2010.
Publication: Holguín: Editorial Cuadernos Papiro, 2010.
Item No: #306032

domain: library


|Operator||SKY Perfect JSAT Group|
|COSPAR ID||2004-011A |
|Website||Archived official page|
|Mission duration||13 years (planned)|
Failed on orbit (achieved)
|Launch mass||3,100 kg (6,800 lb)|
|BOL mass||1,528 kg (3,369 lb)|
|Dry mass||1,477 kg (3,256 lb)|
|Dimensions||26.2 m × 7.5 m × 4.5 m (86 ft × 25 ft × 15 ft) with solar panels and antennas deployed|
|Start of mission|
|Launch date||16 April 2004, 00:45:00 UTC|
|Launch site||Cape Canaveral, LC-36B|
|Contractor||International Launch Services (ILS)|
|Entered service||Never in service|
|End of mission|
|Last contact||Failed on orbit|
|Reference system||Geocentric orbit|
|Band||23 Ku-band 36 MHz|
4 Ka-band 100 MHz
|Coverage area||Japan, South Asia, East Asia, Hawaii|
|TWTA power||Ku-band: 85 watts|
Ka-band: 70 watts
Superbird-A2, known as Superbird-6 before launch, was a geostationary communications satellite ordered and operated by Space Communications Corporation (SCC) that was designed and manufactured by Hughes (now Boeing) on the BSS-601 satellite bus. It had a mixed Ku-band and Ka-band payload and was expected replace Superbird-A at the position at 158° East longitude. It was expected to provided television signals and business communications services throughout Japan, South Asia, East Asia, and Hawaii.
While the launch was within the margins specified by the satellite manufacturer, the trajectory analysis had been inexact and the satellite suffered severe life and power degradation. It tried to use a supersynchronous transfer strategy, but Boeing had failed to take into consideration the effect of the Moon. Thus, the lowest part of the orbit dropped too fast and much propellant had to be spent on a fast transit to geosynchronous orbit. Additionally, the solar panels suffered damage from the extreme contact with the atmosphere. Given the damage to the spacecraft, it was never put into service.
The spacecraft was designed and manufactured by Boeing Satellite Development Center on the BSS-601 satellite bus. It had a launch mass of 3,100 kg (6,800 lb), a beginning of life mass of 1,528 kg (3,369 lb) and an end of life mass of 1,477 kg (3,256 lb). It was designed for a 13-year life. When stowed for launch, it measured 4.5 m × 3.5 m × 3.5 m (15 ft × 11 ft × 11 ft). It had two wings with four solar panels each, that generated 4378 watts at the end of its design life. When fully deployed, the solar panels spanned 26.2 m (86 ft), with its antennas in fully extended configuration it was 7.5 m (25 ft) wide. It had a 29-cell NiH2 battery with a power charge of 200 Ah.
Its propulsion system was composed of a liquid apogee engine (LAE) with a thrust of 445 N (100 lbf). It also used had 12 22 N (4.9 lbf) bipropellant thrusters for station keeping and attitude control. It included enough propellant for orbit circularization and 13 years of operation.
It had a dual Ku-band and Ka-band payload. The Ku-band section had its 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) dual-grid shaped antenna on the West side. It had twenty three transponders powered by Traveling-wave tube#Traveling-wave-tube amplifier (TWTA) with and output power of 85 watts. It had a wide beam footprint that covered Japan, South Asia, East Asia, and Hawaii.
Its Ka-band section had a 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) single-grid shaped antenna on the East side for the wide beam, and a nadir 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) shaped surface antenna for the steerable beam. It had four 100 MHz transponders powered by TWTA with and output power of 70 Watts. The wide beam covered Japan, South Asia, East Asia, and Hawaii, while the steerable beam could be focus on any zone that had line-of-sight to the satellite.
Space Communications Corporation (SCC) was founded in 1985, the same year as the original companies that later formed JSAT. In September 2001, SCC ordered its third BSS-601 based spacecraft, Superbird-6. It was to use the 158° East position and offer a Japan wide beam service in Ku-band and Ka-band, plus steerable Ka-band spot beams. It was expected for a fall of 2003 launch aboard an Atlas IIAS.
It was decided to launch Superbird-6 into a 2895 minutes period supersynchronous orbit with an apogee of 120,679 km, a perigee of 1138 km and a 25.5° inclination. This extreme perigee and a six-maneuvers circularization program would reduce the propellant expenditure to its final position in geosynchronous orbit.
It was launched on 16 April 2004 by an Atlas IIAS that injected in the supersynchronous orbit specified by the satellite manufacturer, at which point it was named Superbird-A2. But the orbit analysis had failed to take into consideration the influence of the Moon at such high apogees and the perigee started to drop dangerously fast. Most of its propellant had to be spent and the solar panels suffered damage that reduced the power production. The satellite can not enter service as planned in July 2004. One of two main fuel tanks on the spacecraft lost pressure on 28 November 2004. The satellite was never commissioned into regular service.


Salt spray test use 5% sodium chloride salt concentration with GB/T2423 17-93 medium salt fog test standard(NSS) for testing, salt spray test standard is continuous testing for 96 hours, our LED industry lights through continuous 500 hours salt spray test, then the appearance of the radiator and lamp function, product structure coating all normal, so the corrosion resistance of lamps is strong.
The main object of this text is the structural parts of LED Lights. All the electroplating and paint parts are tested before production.The plating layer and paint layer off less than 3% in the cross-cut area (100 lattice).
Our LED lights belong the first series light,according to GB7000.1&IEC60958 standard, the street LED light had passed the text with AC1500V and 5mA leakage current.
About the text result of our LED lights,the parameter as below:
a. AC working grounding resistance<4Ω
b. Safe working grounding resistance<4Ω
According to GB7000.1-2003,IEC 60958 standard, All the LED lamps are texted with different voltage(95V/110V/220V/277V)
We put the LED lights in the 60℃ or -15℃,turn up the voltage higher than the rated voltage, then switch on power for 24 hours.After turn on and turn off these lamps with 20 seconds for the interval by 100 times,our LED lights do not paint off, discoloration, cracking, material deformation etc., at the same time,them had passed the impact test.
IP 65 text include IP6X text and IPX5 text
About IP6X: Our products don't enter the dust in the negative pressure
About IPX5: Water spray test.
The integrating sphere test mainly includes luminous flux, color temperature, color rendering index, color difference, light efficiency, power and other parameters.We can accurately measure each item with pulse type integrating sphere.
We used "EverFine" LED620 optical distribution meter to text the light intensity distribution and beam angle of LED module or LED lamp.We mounted these equipment by the standard of optical laboratory,so the test accuracy is high.
Aging Test Duration Time: 24 hours
Aging Test Steps:
a. Connect to power or cut off power by 5 times(take 20 seconds for an interval).
b. Keep the lights shocking(take 2 hours for an interval)
Aging Test Results:Our LED lights didn't appear dead lights, dark lights, flashing, partial color and other undesirable phenomena in the ading text process.
We used more than 4 times the weight of the lamp body as handing weight to text for 3 hours,our light body didn't drop.
We do this texting according to IEC60958/IEC60227(H05 W-F or H05 WH2-F2）standard,the fixed tension of power can reach 300 pounds.
Implement GB2423.10-2008 standard


As part of a series on San Benito County Farm Day 2018, here is Cathy Walls from Walls Honey Farm talking to students in the pavilion at Bolado Park about honey bees. This year, 835 third-grade students from throughout San Benito County took part in the 28th annual San Benito County Farm Day at Bolado Park and learned from a variety of agriculture professionals.
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Bullock Creek Lancers hungry to win a regional wrestling title
The Bullock Creek wrestling team hopes to go at least one step further than last year and capture its first team regional championship since 1996.
The Lancers' biggest obstacle to that regional title is Chippewa Hills, the host of Wednesday's Division 3 team regional. The fourth-ranked Warriors wrestle coach Nick Wardell's eighth-ranked Lancers at 6 p.m. in one semifinal, while Gladwin faces Manistee in the other semifinal.
The winners face off in the regional final the same night, with the champion heading to Battle Creek's Kellogg Arena for the team quarterfinals on Friday, Feb. 25.
"It's going to be a real close match," said Wardell, whose Lancers reached the team regional final last year before falling to Swan Valley. "We've got to earn bonus points whenever possible. We've got to get pins and not give up pins."
Bullock Creek is familiar with Chippewa Hills, having taking second to the Warriors in an individual tournament at Chippewa Hills on Dec. 18, and having also wrestled against them in the individual district at Chippewa Hills on Saturday.
Chippewa Hills, which has won seven straight team district titles under coach Nate Ethridge, features wrestlers ranked in the top five in Nathan Weckesser (103), Zack Cooper (112) and defending state champion Devane Dodgens (119).
"We have to fight real hard where they're strong - at 103, 112, and 119," said Wardell, whose Lancers also qualified 11 of their 14 wrestlers for the individual regional on Saturday at Benzie Central.
Bullock Creek boasts a tough threesome in sophomore Johnny Finney (130), senior Derek Camilleri (135) and junior Scott Flowers (140), all of whom are also ranked in the top five in their weight classes.
Finney is 44-6, Camilleri is 47-4, and Flowers is undefeated at 39-0.
"We need to earn wins in the middle (weights). We should be able to get them at 130, 135 and 140," Wardell said. "We've just got to limit our damage down (in the low weights) and up (in the high weights), and try to take care of our business through the middle (weights)."
The 145-pound class could be a pivotal match. Chippewa Hills senior Elvis Peacock is ranked fifth, and Bullock Creek senior Jordan Munro is ranked seventh. Peacock has beaten Munro (46-6) twice this year, but only by two-point margins each time.
In Wednesday's other semifinal, Gladwin features the No. 3-ranked wrestler in Division 3 at 189, Pat Ritchie.
Wardell wants his wrestlers to enjoy the moment, but also to make the most of it.
"They're real excited," he said. "I want them to feel special, and I want them to understand the gravity of the situation. We were (in the team regional) last year and we wrestled real good against Caro, only to come up short against Swan Valley."
Chippewa Hills is in Remus, about 20 minutes west of Mount Pleasant.
Meanwhile, Bay City Western will compete in its second straight Division 1 team regional on Wednesday at Saginaw Heritage. The Warriors will face Carman-Ainsworth in one semifinal while Heritage wrestles No. 3 Oxford in the other semifinal.


text:
Jolly Good Fellows
nytheatre.com review by Jack Hanley
May 29, 2009
Before Broadway, and before vaudeville, New Yorkers would attend concert saloons to drink and be entertained by variety theatre that included skits depicting Irish and Jewish immigrants in disparaging stereotypes. Playwrights Steve Feffer and Tucker Rafferty tell us in their program note that Irish and Jewish actors often played the roles in these skits. Jolly Good Fellows takes us back in time to one of those concert saloons, circa 1889, and explores the lives of two fictional immigrant actors who play a series of extant skits Feffer came across in his research. (He notes that these skits are known today as "Jolly Good Fellows." Why they are now known by that title is never explained.)
We're first introduced to Michael Harrigan, an actor and Irish immigrant. He's been performing solo for two decades, but is told by his producer that his act is becoming wan and he should partner with another performer to develop some fresh material. Enter a young, fresh-faced actor hungry to practice his craft. He introduces himself as Frank Green, and though he claims he's not a Jew, he says he can play one thanks to his diligent observations of Jewish immigrants in the Lower East Side. Michael, who's something of an anti-Semite, is suspicious, but hires Frank. The two quickly develop a sketch invoking every offensive stereotype they can muster for the sake of laughter and applause. In the sketch Frank plays an over-the-top caricature of a greedy and cunning Jewish pawnbroker who swindles an emerald heirloom from a drunken, Irish man—played by Michael—who retaliates with fisticuffs and apish physicality.
The sketch within the play is performed in snippets between backstage scenes of the actors' tenuous relationship. Frank, as the program note reveals, is in fact a Jewish immigrant. But he well understands that to perform on stage he must conceal his religion and heritage. So he blithely forsakes his culture for the sake of an acting gig that mocks his very identity. But soon enough his conscience comes calling when a newspaper reviewer excoriates Frank's offensive portrayal of Jews and admonishes the many Jewish audience members for taking pleasure in the act. Frank had no idea there were Jews in attendance and he falls into a fit of despair and guilt.
Michael, who happens to be a drunk and, as Frank tells him, a good storyteller, claims he has no problem with his depiction of the Irish. His concern is holding on to his job. And when he discovers that his stage partner has lied about his ethnicity, he punches him. I suppose the playwrights are suggesting that because Michael has for so long portrayed all the malicious stereotypes of Irish Catholic immigrants he has consequently surrendered his own identity to those stereotypes; and Frank could end much like Michael if he continued in this scurrilous type of theatre.
Mark Liermann efficiently paces the show, but has difficulty defining and shaping the relationship between the two men. They begin this play as strangers and, it seemed to me, they end as strangers. Perhaps this is the intention, but the composition of the final scene suggests otherwise. Louis Sallan, playing Frank, and Randy Wolfe, playing Michael, are steady and thoughtful actors who each give a sense of depth and a personal history to their character. But their interpersonal play felt stagy and inauthentic.
The ending is half poignant and half bewildering. I get the green light cast on Michael (though the director and lighting designer could have, or should have, made a less obvious choice), but why he sings the generic "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" as the light fades is anyone's guess. Frank's ending tableau is simply beautiful: He holds a sword switch pointed towards his chest and recites in Yiddish several lines from Hamlet; it is a stirring divination of the birth of American Yiddish theatre.
Though I found the play not altogether satisfying, I appreciated the work and commend everyone involved for shedding some needed light on this oft forgotten era of American theatre.

domain: artistic


text:
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domain: hobby


text:
Dec 3, 2010 – Uptake of seasonal flu vaccine has been encouraging so far, and with plenty of vaccine still available and most of the flu season still to come, the nation is in good position to boost immunization rates, officials from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.
Flu activity is increasing across the nation, with illnesses in southeastern states, especially Georgia, leading the way, Dr Ann Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters at a press briefing. She said increasing flu activity may draw more attention to efforts surrounding the Dec 5 launch of National Influenza Vaccination Week, a national observance used over the past few years to foster greater use of flu vaccine in advance of the holiday season and into the new year.
CDC officials said they were struck by the stark difference from last year, when pandemic flu escalated quickly in early fall when seasonal vaccine supplies were less than expected and the pandemic vaccine arrived too late to blunt the second wave of illnesses.
Dr Howard Koh, assistant secretary for health at the US Department of Health and Human Services, said health officials hope to parlay some of the lessons learned during the H1N1 pandemic into clear messages to the public that flu is unpredictable and that anyone, even healthy people, can become severely ill from the virus. "This is our opportunity to really improve our emphasis on this important message," he said.
He noted that the messages mesh well with the CDC's new universal flu vaccination recommendation. This is the first flu season that the vaccine has been recommended for anyone age 6 months and older.
Regional activity in Georgia
Schuchat said the percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for flu across the nation rose again last week, from 9.8% to 10.7%. Georgia became the first state to report regional flu activity, meaning the disease is active in multiple areas of the state.
Flu levels have increased sharply in southeastern states and are on the rise in western states, as well, Schuchat said. In Georgia, as in the rest of the nation, the highest percentage of isolates is influenza B, and specifically the Victoria lineage, which is a good match for the strain included in the seasonal flu vaccine, she said.
Puerto Rico and nine states (Alabama, Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina) reported local influenza activity. No pediatric deaths were reported, flu and pneumonia deaths were below the epidemic threshold, and doctor's visits for flu-like illness were below the national baseline.
"There's usually a large increase in flu activity after the holidays, and now is the time to take action," Schuchat said. "About 160 million doses have been distributed, more than any other season."
Early survey shows 33% uptake
Also at the press conference the CDC unveiled results of a rapid flu survey that it conducted in mid-November and that Schuchat said provides an early snapshot of this season's flu vaccine uptake. Overall it showed 33% of Americans have already been vaccinated, with 15% responding they definitely plan to be vaccinated and 25% saying they probably would be immunized. The phone survey included about 38,000 adults and 9,100 children.
She said the CDC is encouraged by the numbers so far. "When we compare them with last year we're a little ahead," she said, noting that uptake is fairly strong, even without the nonstop pandemic flu messages that were the hallmark of last year's flu season.
About two–thirds of respondents were vaccinated in a medical office, hospital, or clinic, while about 16% were immunized at a pharmacy or other retail location, and about 18% got vaccine at the workplace or a school.
As in past flu seasons that occurred in non-pandemic years, seniors age 65 and older had the highest vaccine uptake rate at 64%, Schuchat said.
However, the survey also found that flu immunization rates are still lagging in minority groups, she said, noting that rates for whites are 10% higher than for blacks or Hispanics.
Schuchat said the vaccination week push is well timed to help boost flu vaccination rates in minority groups. "It's not too late to make a difference for more people who would benefit," she said.
A separate part of the survey detailed an Internet poll of vaccine uptake so far in healthcare workers and pregnant women. So far about 56% of healthcare workers have been vaccinated, and 7% more say they definitely plan to be immunized. Schuchat said four of five healthcare workers were vaccinated at their workplaces. Last year about 62% of healthcare workers received the seasonal flu vaccine, with about 37% receiving the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, according to previous CDC reports.
As for pregnant women, 45% of the 1,400 surveyed said they have already been vaccinated, with an additional 4% saying they intend to be vaccinated before their babies are due. Last year about half of pregnant women received the seasonal flu vaccine.
In a summaryof the survey findings, the CDC said the rapid flu survey is a pilot program designed to help it quickly collect vaccination data. The November survey is intended to allow the CDC to modify its strategies during the current flu season. The agency will conduct another rapid survey in March to gauge overall uptake. The rapid surveys are conducted for the CDC by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago.
CDC National Influenza Vaccination Week Web page
Dec 3 CDC weekly flu surveillance report

domain: health


text:
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- All Balkan Countries
Serbia's minister in charge of corruption has said that at least 20 politicians were financed by tycoon Miroslav Miskovic, and that the Delta Holding owner should disclose their names.
Aleksandar Vucic, Serbia's deputy prime minister in charge of corruption, has called on Miskovic, the owner of Delta Holding, to reveal the names of politicians that Vucic says he financed.
"I think it’s not too big of a secret, at least for 20 politicians. But just because you have some knowledge does not mean that you have evidence.
"And it would therefore be good if he said it, or someone who did it together with him or on his behalf,” Vucic told Serbian newspaper Politika.
Miskovic's Lawyer Appeals Detention
Zdenko Tomanovic, the lawyer of Miroslav Miskovic, has appealed the decision placing his client, in a 30-day custody.
Tomanovic is requesting that Miskovic is released on bail.
Under the law, the appeal is to be considered and decided upon by the judge in charge within 48 hours.
According to Vucic, some politicians received a monthly allowance from Miskovic in the amount of 30,000 to 50,000 euro.
On December 12, Serbian police arrested Miskovic and nine other persons on suspicion of illegally earning more than 30 million euro from privatized road companies.
Two days later, a Special Court judge extended the detention of Serbia's richest man, his son Marko, and five other suspects for 30 days and the Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime launched an investigation.
The case is in relation to 24 privatization cases that the EU has flagged as problematic.
The suspects face prison sentences of two to 12 years if found guilty.
Vucic said that some people from various political parties, whose names he did not want to reveal, had tried to “put in good work for Miskovic.”
“Combat against corruption has only just started,” Vucic said, adding that five out of 24 controversial privatization cases had been opened.
Aleksandar Vucic can expect a ratings boost from the detention of Delta’s powerful boss - but the real test will be the follow-up in the courts.
In two high-profile war crimes trials currently ongoing in Pristina, a series of witnesses have retracted previous statements alleging abuse at Kosovo Liberation Army detention centres.

domain: law