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Journal of Energy in Southern Africa
versión On-line ISSN 2413-3051
versión impresa ISSN 1021-447X
J. energy South. Afr. vol.24 no.4 Cape Town abr. 2013
A cost-benefit analysis of concentrator photovoltaic technology use in South Africa: A case study
Mario du PreezI; Justin BeukesI; Ernest van DykII
IDepartment of Economics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
IIDepartment of Physics, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
The South African Government currently faces the dual problems of climate change mitigation and the rollout of electricity provision to rural, previously disadvantaged communities. This paper investigates the economic efficiency of the implementation of concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) technology in the Tyefu area in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, as a means of addressing these problems. Two cost-benefit analyses (CBA) are carried out in the study, namely a private CBA and a social CBA. The private CBA investigates the desirability of the CPV project from a private energy investor's perspective, whilst the social CBA investigates the desirability of the CPV project from society's perspective. The social CBA found that the project was socially viable and was, thus, an efficient allocation of government resources. The private CBA, on the other hand, found that investing in a CPV project was not financially viable for a private investor. With respect to the incentive scheme currently offered to private energy investors, it is recommended that the maximum bidding price of R2.85/kWh be increased. A sensitivity analysis of the bidding price showed that an increase of 300% is required to attract private investors into electricity generation projects.
Keywords: Cost-benefit analysis, concentrator photovoltaic technology, social discount rate.
1. Introduction
South Africa relies heavily on fossil fuels, particularly coal, to generate electricity (Department of Minerals and Energy, 2003). The use of fossil fuels, however, contributes to climate change, as it produces greenhouse gases (GHGs). Internationally, South Africa is the 31th highest emitter of CO2 emissions with 9.2 metric tons per capita, whereas it is ranked 20th highest emitter of CO2 emissions with 1.59 metric tons per GDP (World Bank, 2010). Coupled with the environmental consequences of fossil fuel use, South Africa has a further responsibility of addressing the inherited backlog of electricity provision to the mostly rural, previously disadvantaged communities. In an attempt to address these two problems, the government issued the White Paper on Renewable Energy. In this paper, renewable energy alternatives are proposed to replace a portion of traditional electricity generating methods.
Concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) energy generation is one such renewable option available to government. CPV is a form of active1 solar-based renewable technologies that absorb energy from the sun into solar PV panels consisting of cells. The sunlight entering the cell is concentrated2 through the use of mirrors or lenses that focus or concentrate sunlight onto PV material. The concentration of sunlight increases the intensity of the light, which allows the generation of more electricity. Owing to the light being concentrated, the cells in CPV use less semiconductor material, which makes them more efficient in comparison to conventional photovoltaic (PV) cells. The optical elements (such as lenses) multiply the sunlight intensity by factors that range from 2 (low concentration) to more than 1000 (high concentration). Figure 1 depicts the principle arrangement of a CPV concentrator.
Sunlight is concentrated by optical devices like lenses or mirrors thereby reducing the area of expensive solar cells and increasing their efficiency (PV Technology Research Advisory Council, 2007). The motive for applying this technology is to generate maximum electrical power with the minimum solar cell area, which in turn significantly lower the costs of photovoltaic generation (Daido, 2011a).
Both conventional PV and CPV systems can be used for grid-connected electricity generation and off-grid (stand-alone) generation. The latter is the most common application and where both photovoltaic technologies gain their advantage (Winkler, 2005). The useful life of a PV cell is a function of manufacturing methods and quality of the material used. Applications based on silicon material are often given a manufacturer's warranty of 25 years or more, although the expected useful life is much longer. CPV requires that the sun's orbit be tracked by moving the system accordingly, which also allows for a longer exposure time of the cells during the day (PV Technology Research Advisory Council, 2006).
CPV is a technology that operates well in regions with high solar radiation, utilising direct normal irradiance. As such, South Africa is particularly well suited for this technology, with average solar radiation levels ranging from 4.5 to 6.5kWh/m2. CPV is also well suited for off-grid application, which addresses electricity demand in remote rural areas.
There is, however, a paucity of published studies that establish the economic rationale for the use of solar energy in South Africa. This study aims to fill this gap. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first formal attempt in South Africa to establish the economic efficiency of the use of CPV. The approach employed to achieve this aim is the cost benefit analysis (CBA) method. Two types of CBA are performed, namely a private CBA and a social CBA. The private CBA evaluates the CPV project from a private investor's perspective and the social CBA evaluates the CPV project from society's point of view. In terms of the social CBA, the current means of providing electricity can be viewed as the 'without scenario', while the CPV project is the 'with- scenario'. The net benefit arising from the CPV project will simply be the difference between the 'with' and 'without' scenarios. In order to estimate the net benefit, an attempt is made to identify and estimate (where possible) the social benefits and social costs that will occur upon project execution. With respect to the private CBA, the private benefits of the CPV project are simply compared to the private costs.
The study area chosen for the implementation of the CPV project is the Tyefu rural3 settlement located in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. The settlement is called Tyefu and consists of five villages, namely Ndlambe, Ndwayana, Glenmore, Pikoli and Kalikeni (Monde-Gweleta, van Averbeke, Ainslie, Ntshona, Fraser and Belete 1997). Tyefu falls under the Ngqushwa Local Municipality, which in turn falls under the jurisdiction of the Amathole District Municipality, Eastern Cape Province (Ngqushwa Local Municipality, 2011). The local communities in Tyefu are poor - the majority of households (66.8%) in the region earn less than R1500 per month (Ngqushwa Local Municipality, 2011). Most households depend on pensions and social grants as their main source of income. Tyefu was deemed ideal to serve as a case study due to four characteristics. First, Tyefu is a remote rural settlement at the end of the national grid. Second, the community is very poor and previously disadvan-taged. Third, many households are without Eskom generated electricity. Last, the study area is located in an area with irradiance levels suitable for CPV. CPV technology requires direct normal irradiance (DNI) from the sun to generate electricity. The Tyefu area experiences annual average DNI levels of 5.27kWh/m2 which are ideal for CPV systems (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2011).
2. The CPV project
The Ngqushwa Municipality identified 84 households in the Tyefu area as not having electricity. These households formed the sample on which the demand for electricity, and thus the CPV project, is based. Traditionally, unelectrified rural, households, such as those found in Tyefu, have obtained their energy from several sources, namely paraffin, candles, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), dry-cell batteries, car batteries, wood, and diesel and petrol generators (Aitken, 2007). The amount of electricity required to replace some of the traditional energy sources is calculated below and was established by using Aitken's (2007) study results and personal correspondence (Purcell, 2011). Figure 2 provides the basic floor plan of a sample household for which a CPV system can provide electricity.
Figure 2 depicts a household which uses four fluorescent lamps, a television set, a radio and refrigerator. In order to provide an equivalent amount of energy4 to light four rooms, run a television set, radio and refrigerator for one year, the typical Tyefu household requires:
- 6.39 litres of paraffin (lighting) at a cost of R639.24 per annum.
- 22 charges for a car battery (TV) at a cost of R333.44 per annum.
- 57 sets (4 batteries per set) of dry cell batteries (radio) at a cost of R902.26 per annum.
- 20.11 kilograms of LPG (fridge) at a cost of R854.77 per annum (Purcell, 2011).
In order to meet the electricity needs of the sample households identified, a CPV system will be installed and operated ('the CPV project') with an electricity generating capacity of 30kWp and an annual output of 30.3MWh per annum. The CPV modules that will be used are mounted on a dual-axis system in order to track the sun's movement. A battery bank will be used to store the energy produced for use at non-generating hours.
Either Eskom or independent power producers (IPPs) could implement the CPV project in the Tyefu area. This would align well with Eskom's attempts to mitigate grid instability issues, by investing in off-grid, distributed generation, co-generation and small-scale renewable projects (Eskom, 2011). If an IPP were to undertake the project, they would engage in the bidding process to supply the electricity generated by the system (Norton Rose, 2011). If the project were to be undertaken by Eskom, it would also be managed by them. On the other hand, if IPPs were to undertake the project, they would outsource management to a services engineering and managing company (Pardell, 2011). The installation of the CPV system could be carried out by a services engineering and management company regardless of whether Eskom or an IPP were to undertake the project. Installation of the 30kWp system would take approximately 2 months. Maintenance of the system could also be performed by a services engineering and management company. Basic maintenance can be performed by trained locals. However, more advanced technical maintenance would have to be undertaken by more highly trained individuals within the management company.
3. Cost benefit analysis
Cost benefit analysis (CBA) is a standard technique used to assess the desirability of an investment project (Watkins, 2010). More specifically, the costs and benefits of a project are determined and compared. The measured costs and benefits are weighed up against each other to establish criteria for decisionmaking. Normally, one or more of the following three decision-making criteria are used, namely the net present value (NPV), the internal rate of return (IRR) and the discounted benefit cost ratio (BCR) (Hanley and Spash, 1993). The NPV determines whether the sum of discounted benefits (B) exceeds the sum of discounted costs (C). The NPV can be formally expressed as follows:
NPV = net present value Bt = benefit in year t
Ct = cost in year t
i = the discount rate
n = length of the project
A project is accepted if it generates a positive NPV. The IRR is the rate of interest that will produce a NPV of zero (if this interest rate is used as the discount rate). More formally:
The IRR decision rule is that the project should proceed if the IRR exceeds the discount rate(i). The BCR is a different way of expressing the NPV (Hanley and Spash, 1993). More formally, the BCR can be expressed as follows:
If the BCR exceeds unity, then the project may proceed (Hanley and Spash, 1993).
There are four standard elements to CBA: time considerations, costs, benefits, and the discount rate. All of these are discussed below for the private CBA and the social CBA, respectively.
3.1 Private CBA
The private CBA employs costs and benefits valued at market prices (i.e. purely financial flows), and omit any potential effects the project may have on society.
3.1.1 Time considerations
All the estimated private cost and private benefit flows used in this analysis are captured in per annum periods and expressed at 2010 price levels.
The project period or time horizon of the project was set at 25 years.
3.1.2 The private costs of the CPV project Investment costs
The investment cost comprises initial capital costs on the system (500 times concentration CPV modules, trackers and inverters), the regulator, initial battery bank, transportation (foreign and local), installation and training. Of all the capital equipment, only the system is imported- the regulator and battery bank are acquired locally. The derivation of the system cost is shown in Table 1.
Local transport consists of a fee of R8 950 per container (one container is used) and a fuel surcharge of 5.3 percent. Insurance and freight cost for the private analysis includes customs duties (R80 306.85) and customs VAT (R93 691.36) among other charges imposed by both local and foreign ports (Emery, 2011). In addition to these costs, costs are also incurred for the installation of the system and the training of maintenance staff. Table 2 below gives the breakdown of the investment cost component.
Operating and maintenance costs
Annual operating and maintenance costs consist of expenditures on labour (two unskilled labourers for routine tasks and one skilled labourer to manage the plant and to perform more advanced tasks), materials (spare parts and lubricants) and water (water cost is assumed to be zero since the amount used is considered negligible). In addition to the annual operating and maintenance costs, every four years the cost to replace the battery bank is added to the annual figure. The operating and maintenance costs (with battery cost) are displayed in Table 3.
Decommissioning costs
Lastly, decommissioning costs (occurring in the final year) comprise of costs to dismantle the CPV plant. This cost equals R14 569.96 (Pardell, 2011).
3.1.3 The private benefits of the CPV project
The private benefits are the revenue earned by the private investor who initiates the project. This revenue is estimated as the product of the volume of electricity output and its unit value. The latter is the upper limit of the submitted price by the private investor during the bidding process (Norton Rose, 2011). The electricity output is expected to be 30 300kWh per year. Using the current upper limit for CPV in the bidding process of R2.85/kWh (Norton Rose, 2011), the expected revenue from the sale of electricity is R86 355 per annum.
Income from recycling the plant's components during decommissioning, and the recycling of the batteries every four years (Table 4), is also included in the private analysis. This amounted to R12 084.60.
3.1.4 The private discount rate
The private discount rate was estimated as the difference between the prime lending rate and the inflation rate. Table 5 shows the data used for this calculation.
The private discount rate was calculated to be 6.42 percent per annum.
3.2 Social CBA
The costs and benefits used in the private CBA are amended (via shadow pricing) for the purposes of the social CBA to reflect their underlying opportunity costs. Externalities (secondary effects) are identified and classified under the appropriate cost or benefit category.
3.2.1 Time considerations
All estimated social cost and social benefit flows derived in this analysis are captured in per annum periods and expressed at 2010 price levels. A distributional weighting of one was used for all cross-sectional costs and benefits over the full project period. This weighting assumes that a Rand benefit is worth the same to all members of the population affected by the project. The project period for the project was set at 25 years.
3.2.2 The social costs of the CPV project Investment costs
As mentioned before, of all the capital equipment, only the system is imported. The social cost for the imported system is the sum of its fob price plus the c.i.f. (European Union, 2008). The social cost of the system was calculated to be R290 222.90 (i.e. R257 305.54 + R32 917.36). The social cost of the system is considerably lower than its private cost since taxes (i.e. customs duties and customs VAT amounting to R173 998.21) are excluded from the former.
The market prices of locally acquired capital components (regulator and batteries), local transport, installation, and training were transformed into shadow prices by applying a standard conversion factor of 0.88 as recommended by Mullins et al. (2007). These conversions are shown in Table 6.
The components of the total economic investment cost are shown in Table 7.
Operating and maintenance costs
Of all the operating and maintenance costs identified in section 3.1.2, the following ones require transformation into economic costs: salaries and wages, battery replacement, spare parts and lubricants (as mentioned before, water costs are assumed to be zero). This is carried out by applying the relevant conversion factors as recommended by Mullins et al. (2007).
Decommissioning costs
These costs are the same type of costs as those mentioned for the financial costs. However, a conversion factor of 0.88 is applied to arrive at the economic cost. The economic decommissioning cost amounts to R12 780.67 (R14 569.96 0.88).
Secondary (externality) costs
A secondary cost is that the landscape may be negatively affected, aesthetically and in terms of lost area available for other uses such as agriculture. CPV, however, has a minimal optical impact on the ground. The ground beneath the CPV panel receives enough sunlight so that it may be used for agricultural purposes. The visual impact on the site location is minimal (Daido, 2011b).
3.2.3 The social benefits of the CPV project Primary benefits
The social benefits of CPV are based on the 'with or without' principle. Without CPV, the Tyefu community would incur costs in obtaining energy for themselves. With CPV, the community avoids these costs. These avoided costs are the economic benefits of CPV in the study.8 The savings of recurring energy costs relative to the existing situation for 84 households amounted to R201 137.04 per annum (Purcell, 2011). The disaggregated cost savings are shown in Table 9.
The total cost savings amount was converted into an economic benefit by applying the standard conversion factor (R229 296.20 0.88 = R201 137).
Income from recycling the plant's components during decommissioning, and the recycling of the batteries every four years, is also considered in the social analysis. The economic benefit from recycling the glass, aluminium and steel of the CPV plant is calculated to be R10 600.53 (R156.32 + R5 526.32 + R4917.89). The income from the recycling of batteries every four years is R48 661.05. Table 10 shows the income from recycling.
Secondary benefits
CPV systems do not emit any GHGs during power generation. This benefit is insignificant, given the size of the study area, and is thus not included in the analysis (SolFocus, 2011b).
3.2.4 The social discount rate
The social discount rate used is a composite rate made up of the social opportunity cost of capital (SOCC) and the social time preference rate of consumption (STPR).
The composite social discount rate can be estimated as follows:
f = proportion of foreign funding of total;
t = proportion of government expenditure funded through taxes paid;
1 - t = proportion of government expenditure funded through borrowing;
s = proportion of people's disposable ncome that is saved;
1 - s = proportion of disposable income consumed;
x1 = average of the predominant overdraft rate on current accounts and the term lending base rate;
x2 = average of dividend yield and the capital growth of all listed shares on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange;
x3 = average of the government loan stock yield and the Eskom bond rate;
x4 = interest rate cost of foreign funding;
p = consumer price index (inflation) (Du Preez, 2004).
Data was gathered for these mentioned variables for the period 2006 to 2010. Table 11 shows the cost of government borrowing, the cost of household consumption borrowing, the return on savings and the annual inflation rate for the period (2006 to 2010). Table 12 shows the calculation of weights t and 1 - t and Table 13 shows the calculation of weights s and 1 - s.
Using the above equation and the data provided in Tables 11, 12 and 13, the real social discount rate was estimated at 5.97 percent per annum.
4. Summary results of applying the decisionmaking criteria
4.1 Private CBA
The mentioned costs and benefits along with the private discount rate were used to estimate the NPV, IRR and BCR of the private project. These results are summarised in Table 14.
The private CBA shows unfavourable results - the NPV is R-2 046 629.01, the IRR is undefined (this is due to no sign change being present in the cost benefit profile), and BCR is less than unity (0.365).
4.2 Social CBA
The above mentioned costs and benefits along with the social discount rate were used to estimate the NPV, IRR and BCR of the social project. These results are summarised in Table 15.
The social CBA yielded positive results, with a NPV of R125 616.64, an IRR of 8 percent (which exceeds the social discount rate of 5.97 %), and a BCR of 1.045.
5. Sensitivity analysis
5.1 Private CBA
A sensitivity analysis is applied to the private CBA to test the results found by altering the discount rate and the bidding price.
5.1.1 The private discount rate
The derived private discount rate of 6.42 percent was revised upwards and downwards by 2 percent and 4 percent. The results are shown in Table 16.
The changes in the discount rate do not significantly change the decision-making criteria. All results remain negative.
5.1.2 The bidding price
The revenue earned by the Tyefu electrification project is dependent on the bidding price given during the tender process. A sensitivity analysis was conducted by varying the upper limit of the bidding price, namely R2.85/kWh (Norton Rose, 2011).
The price was increased by 200 percent, 250 percent, and 300 percent. The results of the sensitivity analyses are shown in Table 17.
All three decision criteria become favourable when the bidding price is increased by 300 percent (R8.55/kWh).
5.2 Social CBA
A sensitivity analysis is applied to the social CBA to test the results by altering the discount rate.
The derived social discount rate of 5.97 percent was revised upwards and downwards by 2 percent and 4 percent, respectively. The results are shown in Table 18.
In terms of the NPV, the project becomes socially undesirable for an upward revision of 4 percent in the social discount rate.
6. Conclusion and recommendations
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the economic feasibility of a concentrator photovoltaic project in a non-electrified, rural, previously disadvantaged community. The study area chosen for the case study was a settlement, named Tyefu, consisting of five villages in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Two cost benefit analyses (CBAs) were carried out: a private CBA to investigate the project's feasibility from a private energy investor's point of view, and a social CBA to investigate the project's desirability from society's perspective.
The main results were favourable in terms of the social CBA, but unfavourable for the private CBA. More specifically, the social CBA yielded a NPV of R125 616.64, an IRR of 8 percent (which exceeds the social discount rate of 5.97%) and a BCR of 1.045, whereas the private CBA yielded a NPV of R-2 046 629.01 and a BCR of 0.365 (the IRR could not be calculated as there was no sign change in the cost benefit profile - all net benefits were negative).
It can thus be deduced that CPV rollout appears to be economically efficient on a small scale according to the social CBA, but not according to the private CBA. The benefit (income received per kWh) in the private CBA is too small to outweigh the costs of implementing and running a CPV plant in Tyefu. Currently the maximum revenue investors can earn from CPV is R2.85/kWh (Norton Rose, 2011). For a small plant of Tyefu's size, this amount is not high enough to attract private energy investors into undertaking a project of this kind. A sensitivity analysis showed that the current upper limit must be increased by up to 300% to make a project of this magnitude financially viable.
1. Passive solar energy refers to the design of buildings for harnessing the sun's energy.
2. Conventional solar PV systems make use of non-concentrated sunlight.
3. An anonymous referee made the valid point that normal PV prices have fallen since 2010. Therefore small scale CPV which is more maintenance intensive, may be difficult to justify in remote rural areas.
4. These costs were calculated using an energy conversion table where the useful energy is determined per traditional fuel (Purcell, 2011).
5. The battery cost is only incurred every four years.
6. All cost components relate to a system size of 30 000 Wp.
7. 96 batteries are required for electricity storage.
8. An anonymous referee made the valid point that if electricity was generated for income generation (productive use), then both the social and private perspectives would change in a positive direction.
9. The IRR is not reported here, as a change in the discount rate does not affect it. The IRR is independent of the discount rate, and remains at 8%.
The authors wish to thank two anonymous referees for their valuable comments as well as an anonymous referee from the ERSA for additional comments and recommendations.
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Received 3 July 2012
Revised 4 November 2013


text: I don't think it's any more of animal abuse than what those crabs normally have to deal with. I just don't know what you'd do after you put in your money and the crab comes out, though. Like... just put it in your purse and hope that it doesn't regain consciousness and figure out how to break out of the case?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Yes, that shiny Bose dock does look out of place in your workshop. But you know what would look awesome? A homebuilt blaster made out of a shiny red toolbox. This video shows you how to do it.
Officially titled the Gentleman's Boombox, it's the creation of so-called "artpenter" Floyd Davis, who makes it using only a Craftsman toolbox, a salvaged speaker, a small power amplifier, a drill and jigsaw. The video is kind of a massive shillfest for Craftsman tools, but who cares: The project is awesome. And while a metal toolbox isn't an ideal enclosure for a speaker, you shouldn't write this idea off so fast. Part of what Davis likes to do with his mutant boomboxes is to outfit them with nice drivers he finds in cast-off tower speakers at thrift stores. Combine that with a decent amp, and you'll have more than enough audio fidelity to soar above the din of your noisy tinkering. And you can't match the style. [Ubergizmo via Make]


text:
News & Information from the Audi aftermarket.
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Chassis and suspension tuning are subjectively objective. Every production vehicle is tuned with a goal in mind, be it highway cruising, back-road bombing, or city russian roulette. Some manufacturers try to blur the lines in one direction or another, but the generalization is hard to skirt: Aim for sublime handling on the back roads and the car might bounce around a bit too much on the highway or knock your teeth out in the city. High-end cars have managed to deal with this accepted norm very well
As with any great car, the engine is of the utmost importance. Sure, the suspension can be godlike and the car can handle phenomenally, but at the end of the day a capable chassis needs an equally capable engine. In its heyday, the 12v VR6 engine received multiple awards from the automotive press based on its compact packaging with its staggered piston placement, the engine allowed for V6 performance within the footprint of a common 4 cylinder. From a VW enthusiast's perspective, before the advent
Driving like a banshee is great. It's fun, it's exhilarating, it's therapeutic, it gets your senses working overtime. Channel your anger through the steering wheel of your RS car, and the combination of burnt fuel, crackling exhaust, and melting rubber combine to calm you better than any scented candle on the market. But it's all for naught if you begin to sweat profusely at the first sign of traffic because you binned A/C in search of a modicum of extra power. It's all for naught if you lose
Updated 03-31-2012 at 12:26 PM by Krazee
The best cars in the world are not your generic grocery getters. They aren't the Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys that run forever with barely an oil change, rarely (if ever) leaving you stranded, and lulling you to sleep on the highway. No, the best cars in the world are the ones that slap cartoonish grins on your face. They are so raw and unapologetic about their purpose that they make you bow before their race-like suspension and impractical interiors. Their sole purpose is to make driving fun...
Updated 03-31-2012 at 12:27 PM by Krazee


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Morgan Harrington's parents start fund
The parents of Morgan Harrington, who disappeared on October 17 after leaving a Metallica concert at John Paul Jones Arena, have started a fund to assist in the search for their daughter. (At left, a small memorial created by her parents on Copeley Bridge, where Morgan was last seen on October 17 sometime around 9:30pm.)
In other news, UVA spokesperson Carol Wood–- responding to a Hook question–- says that a mobile lighting unit, of the type found around Charlottesville on fall football weekends, was in place in the RV Lot, the site where Harrington's purse was found. (Such a light is pictured near the bottom of this recent story.)
14 comments
M- As I recall Dr. Harrington said in an early interview he moved from Charlottesville to Roanoke in 2000 to help UVA start or continue something at Carilion in Roanoke. will try to find the link.
Here is his page from "carilionclinic"site -
Here is a link that mentions the hospital where Dr. Harrington works is affiliated with UVA.
I understand it is wiki so it might be out of date or just plain wrong.
However, I also found this:
And there are many other references to a UVA connection between where Dr. Harrington works and where Morgan was last seen.
By the way, I have sent my check off to help with the search, I am very familiar with both Ed Smart and the Laura Recovery Center! I hope to be able to make it to Charlottesville this weekend for the search. Ed Smart was a force when his daughter disappeared. He qualifies for HERO status in my book! He has a very analytical and compassionate way about him. I am sure Dr. Harrington and Mrs. Harrington will each benefit from his involvement. I hope with all my heart JMU, Va Tech, and UVA all have many many who turn out to help this weekend, that is, if Morgan has not been found. TIME IS SO CRITICAL!
If I am wrong and Dr. Harrington is not attached in any way to UVA I apologize. However, if there is a connection, I think it would complicate things for him.
I can't understand why these young women think that its okay to go out alone. SAFETY IS IN NUMBERS, STUPIDITY IS ALONE!!
I do believe she was abducted and drugged up and now is probably going to be on some porno web site if not found murdered. Face it~!
It does happen. And her physical appearance, she is beautiful...she would take in lots of money for them perverts and tthey keep her drugged up, and confined inside their basement or
what ever they set up their "video studio" in.
I would search all the homes WITHIN A 25 MILE RADIUS OF THAT CONCERT, with basements or cellars that are owned by single white men between 35-60, who is seldom seen at all by their neighbors...and who drives a CARGO VAN...OR SUV WITH DARK WWINDOWS. THAT IS PROBABLY WHERE THEY WILL FIND HER...I ALSO bet that this is not the first time this perp has done this. Britanee Drexel is still missing from Myrtle Beach SC and she was pretty 5'0 tall blonde also...may be a connection somehow. I can only hope she is still alive...maybe she will get a chance to escape soon!! God Bless All!
I read the statement by the Harringtons and was first struck by the 202 area code on it. Why is someone in NYC involved in this case and how? (at first I thought well her brother works in NYC so maybe he is trying to take an active role). There was a "media" contact source on the document,Leslie Valenza, with the firm Levick Strategic Communications. Certainly not her brother. Anyone know if this is the firm where her brother works? If not,I guess the Harringtons hired a PR firm? I can fully understand the odd place the Harringtons find themselves. Their only daughter goes to a concert in a facility owned (correct me if I am wrong that UVA owns John Paul Jones Arena) by his own EMPLOYER! (maybe this is why Dr. Harrington got the tickets for the show?) I can't imagine the place they find themselves. What I can't understand is why a PR firm and start a fund? Does this firm have experience with MISSING PERSONS? There are a number of organizations which specialize in missing persons; I for one have never heard of this particular firm associated with any other missing person case. And I have to tell you whatever firm or organization was hired wasn't the first order of business to fix what UVA CAMPUS POLICE and State POLICE Lt. Rader had created? Around the same time the Harringtons were enlisting the help of a PR firm, did a new person step into the limelight - the VA State Police's PR Person Corrine Geller? I haven't followed many missing person cases where PR arms of the LE are front and center. What message does that send? The irony assounds me. This case has been remarkable to me and NOT in a GOOD WAY. I can't fathom WHY there remains so many contradictions and gaping holes in what the police released so far. The first order of business should have been to get the word out to her movements that day leading up to her disappearance and fully disclose her description and time line and CLEARLY cast as wide a media net as to demonstrate the URGENCY of finding this (or any missing person). Obviously the urgency needs to be visible and felt (as well as the power and reach of Law Enforcement)from JMU to Roanoke to Charlottesville. Considering this was a National tour, the media ripple needed to go out to touch where these bands layed before and where these bands next gig was, didn't it? I couldn't find where that was even attempted.
I get so weary of reading posts from folks who want to TRUST the police and think the police are holding back info because they are working a case. The general rule is police HATE and DOWNGRADE missing person cases. Maybe some departments are exceptions. The glare of the media and the internet has helped to raise the bar. I beg folks to use their heads. Think of the successful missing person cases and if you really want to understand the reality, take some time to look at the mistakes which have caused so many people to remain missing. I understand police can't be all places at all times. That is why we have to work together and approach each case as if it was one of our own missing. TIME IS THE ENEMY! In order to do this, I would argue releasing A FULL AND COMPLETE DESCRIPTION NEVER was/is going to compromise their case - so the fact they KNEW she was injuried and didn't disclose claiming her injury did not rise to the level of "abduction" defies logic. The fact we still have no surveillance footage of her that night at the Center defies logic. The fact we don't know the specifics or description of her (short sleeved t shirt or long sleeved, heels or flats, hair in pony tail or pulled up in a knot or ...), her car AND/or the car in which she travelled to the concert; where they parked, where her seat was, did she stay in her seat, what type of phone was discovered (without its battery!). The local newscasts (and subsequent regional pick-up) initially reported she traveled from Va Tech to the concert at UVA. This was wrong. The first press conference did not address the JUM connection correctly did they? There was no mention of where or if the group ate or planned to eat. The first news conference Lt. Rader asked convenience stores to contact them if they recognized Morgan. WHY DIDN'T CHARLOTTESVILLE POLICE ask for the TAPES from the convenience/big box/banks etc and CHECK to see what THEY FOUND? This case has been so illogical and difficult to watch unfold from the first press release. I expected better from UVA. I have to wonder if it is time to REQUIRE CAMERAS at all public venues for public safety purposes. Families shouldn't have to hire attorneys or PR firms! We can do better. Security systems may be our safety net. They already have solved various murders and helped to find various missing people, the most recognized probably was Carlie Brucia, the little one snatched at a car wash. I think it is time for CONGRESS to first pass HR 3695, it is in the Bobby Scott's sub committee right now! Come on VA, call him! Anyone notice the way the VB missing are missing from the VA STATE Police Site. Rememer the Washington teen who turned up in NYC recently but the Washington State police had made ASSUMPTIONS AND done a super sloppy job of including her on their state missing person site. It took NYC police askin the media for help solve who a LIVE person was! If we can build a dedicated national sex offender database (a terrific first step) then can't we fix the gaping holes regarding missing persons? ID the thousands of unidentified missing persons who have been found throughout our Country and help families find closure and hopefully help LE find the EVIL responsible and put them behind bars? Isn't it time for Congress and State houses to consider incentives that help cities and individuals be safer? Maybe Congress could consider tax credits to help get cameras up and operational? Public safety needs to be front and center. It is part and parcel to our homeland security, isn' it? Camera funding has been doled out through grants to police for decades. Maybe it is time for Congress and various State Legislative bodies to move to help communities. Or maybe the Bill Gates or Rupert Murdock or Oprah Winfreys and others whom have deep pockets can allign with the National Center for Missing Persons and Children (which almost disappeared, did you even know?) and make some common sense solutions viable and make us safer and help positively drive our economy.
I hope Morgan is found. Every day I google and hope to find good news. I pray for her family and their friends and the Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Roanoke areas, as well as our Country. We can do better. I just wonder WHO has to vanish to make this tide turn. Sadly, after twenty years of following these cases, I don't think it is a question of how many...
This is such a mystery! Where can she be? I know the parents don't ever wanna think about it, but it's foul play, obviously. She vanished like Natalee Holloway did. They looked alike, too. I hope to God that they find her alive and safe, and soon. It's the not knowing, the uncertainty, which i can imagine is very hard to bare. Let's hope that the reward money, along with this newly setup fund, is incentive enough to get someone's attention, where they will come forward and give some information that will crack the case wide open, and will get the lady back to her parents, friends, family, and her home.
To the parents, i hope for a speedy, safe return of your daughter! We're all praying and hoping that she will be soon found alive and safe! God bless!!
Seems odd that a forensic pathologist was unable to rule out being hit by a car , Being struck by a moving object hard enough to cause these fatal injuries would leave dimensional markings at wound sites somewhere on the body.
Veracity, 202 is DC's area code--not New York City's.
quote: "...I would search all the homes WITHIN A 25 MILE RADIUS OF THAT CONCERT...."
KATRENAVANTASSLE, how in the Wide World of Justice would you have such a search warrant issued? A 25 mile radius would include ALL of Charlottesville and a large chunk of Albemarle County. Do you subscribe to the belief that everybody is a suspect until proven innocent?
quote: "I expected better from UVA."
The same UVA that sweeps rapes under the rug because they don't want the bad publicity? :)
Thanks Just FYI- you are SO right! As you may be able to tell from my grammically challenged post (sorry all) Morgan's disappearance has hit a nerve! Thanks for the correction. It IS a DC PR FIRM - Levick Strategic Communications - 1900 M Street, NW Washington, DC 20036 P 202.973.1300 F 202.973.1301
KATRENAVANTASSLE - I read your post. WOW. I can understand the logic of your post. I wonder how old you are? The thing is, I remember a DIFFERENT USA, a different VA even! I am not a SR. I was raised in VA, in VB. I recall so many hours on my bike or at the beach, and yes I even went to concerts and movies alone... I never felt afraid. But while I busy growing up, our Court system shifted and our country changed. The Supreme Court decided the Death Penalty had to go (for awhile at least) and they announced that RAPE was not evil enough for a death sentence(remember all on our highest court at that time were men!). And courts across our Nation began to shift to protect the RIGHTS of the ACCUSED instead of mealing out JUSTICE based on criminal conduct. Common sense left the building! Courts first allowed vilifying the victims to try and deflect away criminal conduct and we have had decades of defense attorney using psycho or socio conditions to limit or excuse REAL criminal conduct. (right now I think the most popular is Bi-Polar). We have reached a point where victims rights is an ongoing debate. It is shameful in my opinion.
Courts decided to standardize sentencing and restructured or abandoned parole and probation at a time when more evil was being returned to our streets. The balance tipped. And at the same time the Courts began to limit Law Enforcement's ability to investigate. Suddenly the right of privacy trumped public safety. And it directly affected and continues to affect missing person cases- especially people from their mid-to-late teens to adult.
And here we are! Morgan Dana Harrington (and others) are missing! I can see nothing though that she did where Morgan was at fault. I can see a rule like the no re-entry rule at JPJ to be inappropriate for the times we live especially considering your post!
We have to use our common sense. Are you really prepared to be a prisoner and relinquish your freedoms? Wouldn't it make more sense to work to correct the balance and make our streets safe?
KATRENAVANTASSLE -has left the reservation
The parents held a press conference today, so my guess is that their goal in hiring the PR firm was to get advice on how to get the word out as much as possible and target groups that might not be paying much attention to newspapers and TV news (ie college students). The police aren't going to hold press conferences unless there's something new to announce.
It's possible that the parents have gotten frustrated with the police, but it also might just be that they want to supplement their efforts. The State Police DO have other cases to investigate, and it might be that they are giving Morgan's case all they've got but are simply overloaded. Or maybe the parents are frustrated. But you often hear about families starting their own funds and hiring private investigators for a missing persons case. If you've got the money or can raise it, why not? I'm sure they are willing to do anything that might lead to an answer.
Also, I'm pretty sure I've read that Mr. Harrington USED to practice at UVA but left years ago. So there shouldn't be any conflict for him. And I would think the family wouldn't let that stop them from saying what they wanted regardless. But their message seems to be more "let's find Morgan" instead of pointing fingers.
Also, the PR firm would provide equipment and technical support for the press conferences.
what does the brother know? i think he knows more about morgan than his parents think. he may have no idea where she is, but he knows more about her life than they do. i bet he could piece together what may have driven her outside based on their personal conversations.


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Prediction of the next value of a function
The following model of inductive inference is considered. Arbitrary set tau = {tau_1, tau_2, ..., tau_n} of n total functions N->N is fixed. A "black box" outputs the values f(0), f(1), ..., f(m), ... of some function f ...


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It's been two years since last saw Nathan Drake. Enough time for hearts to grow fonder, start to miss the man, miss the adventures, miss the half-tuck. To help fill the void, Sideshow have a giant $160 action figure on the way.
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Drake [Sideshow]
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Long ago, a merchant lived in a village in Zhejiang Province, near the city of Suzhou, with his daughter and a beautiful white stallion. One wintry day, the merchant told his daughter he had to travel to Shanghai on business.
Long ago, a merchant lived in a village in Zhejiang Province, near the city of Suzhou, with his daughter and a beautiful white stallion. One wintry day, the merchant told his daughter he had to travel to Shanghai on business.
"Please look after my horse while I am gone," he said. "Take care of him as if he were your brother, for I may be gone a long while."
The girl loved her father, and she loved the stallion. Naturally she took great care of the creature. She walked him and fed him, and she told him stories, the same stories she loved to tell her father.
One cold morning, after a few weeks had passed, as the girl was brushing the horse, she began to feel terribly lonely, and in jest she leaned in and whispered, "If you will bring my father home, I'll marry you."
The moment the stallion heard these words he shivered with joy.
"What's wrong?" the girl asked, but too late. The horse had raced out of the barn and galloped away so fast, she could barely catch her breath.
And the horse was so fast, he reached Shanghai by the afternoon, and there he searched the streets to find the merchant. At last he found him in the market, and he ran to his side.
When the merchant saw his horse, he was certain something was wrong at home. He leaned in and asked, "What's happened? Is my daughter hurt?"
Without a moment's hesitation, the merchant leaped onto the horse's back and together they galloped toward home, traveling faster than the wintry wind.
When they reached the house and the merchant saw his daughter standing outside, he was so relieved that he wept. He ran to embrace her, but as he did, the stallion began to neigh and whinny and kick at the earth.
The merchant turned and said sternly, "Stop that!"
But the horse grew wilder still.
"What's wrong with you?" the merchant cried, and his daughter looked down at the ground.
"Father," she said, "I must confess. I told the horse if he brought you home, I would marry him."
Hearing this, the merchant was appalled. His face grew hot with fury and shame as the horse kicked and neighed more wildly still.
"No one must ever know about this!" the merchant said, and before the girl could say a word, he took out his crossbow, aimed and silenced the horse forever.
He brought the lifeless horse into the barn, and there he hung the hide to dry.
The next morning he set off for Shanghai once again.
A few days later, the daughter and her friend walked into the barn. When the daughter saw the horsehide, she sighed and said, "This strange horse wanted to marry me. Can you imagine anything so mad?"
The hide began to move, and the two girls screamed. But before they could run away, the hide moved from the wall and wrapped itself around the merchant's daughter. It wound around her so tightly she could not move or speak.
Her friend stared in horror and cried, "What's happening?" But seeing there was nothing to be done, she ran home to get her father. Together they returned to the barn, but when they walked inside, they saw nothing — no horsehide, no girl, no sign of struggle. It was as if it had all been a dream.
Still, the girl insisted her friend was in trouble, and so she and her father told everyone in their village to search for the girl. All the villagers joined in the quest to find her. They sought her in every house and farm, in every field and valley and cave, in every corner of the city and the countryside, but they could find no sign at all of the horsehide or the girl.
A few months after the girl had disappeared, a little boy was walking past a grove of mulberry trees when he saw something strange hanging from the branches of one of the trees. It was a long silky envelope — as big as the girl — but it no longer looked like a girl or a horse's hide. He ran to tell the girl's friend and her father.
The girl's friend removed the cocoon from the branch, and when she opened it, she discovered the girl had become a silkworm and had spun threads of silk, thick and strong. She understood at once this was a precious discovery, and she and her father took the silk to Shanghai, where they sold it for a great deal of money.
They gave their bounty to the merchant, of course, but he was heartbroken. Nothing could make him smile.
And then, one warm, spring day, months after his daughter disappeared, the merchant was walking through a field dreaming of her when he happened to look up at the sky.
There, among the clouds, he saw his daughter riding upon the white stallion. "Do not weep for me, father," she called to him. "I have been assigned a task in heaven — I watch over the silkworms."
The merchant's heart expanded, and when he told the people of his village what he had seen, they began to build temples to the girl, who was called the Silkworm Goddess. Each year they offered sacrifices in her name, and they called her "the girl with the horse's head."
"Tell Me a Story 3: Women of Wonder," the third CD in the audiobook series, is now available. For more information, visit mythsandtales.com.


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Revision as of 18:13, 14 May 2014
|There is a special type of ROBOTC license called a Building License . These licenses do not require an online activation but rather have a unique building license file that must be installed with the software in order for ROBOTC to work properly. The building license file is stored on the ROBOTC Customer Service server and can be accessed by the end user at any time. To do so, you will need to:
Download the latest version of ROBOTC
|Before we start programming in ROBOTC, we need to first download and install the client. This can be done by navigating to ROBOTC's website ( http://www.robotc.net) and selecting the 'Downloads' tab.
|1) From the ROBOTC website, select the individual robotics platform you wish to program on. If you want to use multiple platforms or accidentally download the wrong version, you can manually activate and choose another platform thorugh the ROBOTC program. When you get to the correct platform page, click on the 'Download ROBOTC for X version x.xx' to start the download process:
|2) At this point click the 'Save' button to start downloading ROBOTC. You may get a warning pop-up from either Windows, your antivirus program, or both. This is to warn you that some programs downloaded from the internet can be malicious and to use care before running them; click allow to start the download.
Install ROBOTC
Download the ROBOTC Building License File
|1) Navigate to the ROBOTC Customer Service page and log in using your Customer ID and Password (this information will be sent to you in a confirmation email after purchasing a ROBOTC Building License).
|2) Select the "Licenses and Activations" icon to view all of the licenses tied to that Customer ID.
|3) Select the correct Building License File from the list of available licenses (in this example, a ROBOTC for VEX Robotics 4.0 Building License file).
|4) Click the 'Download License File' button to download the license file to your computer.
Install and Activate the Building License
|1) To activate ROBOTC with a building license, copy the building license file into the ROBOTC directory (typically C:/Program Files (x86)/Robomatter Inc/ROBOTC Development Environment 4.X).
|2) Once the building license file is installed to the ROBOTC directory, ROBOTC must be run as an administrator in order to write the activation changes to the Windows Registry. To run ROBOTC as an administrator, right click on the ROBOTC icon and select the 'Run as Administrator' option while logged into an administrator's account.
|One of the advantages of building licenses is that they help make automated installs easy. To roll out ROBOTC to multiple computers using a building license, make sure the base image has ROBOTC installed and the building license file is in the correct directory. As long as those two conditions are met, ROBOTC should be active on each computer the image is rolled out to with no further action required.
|There are, however, exceptions to this. If ROBOTC is being run from a centralized network, each computer that needs to access ROBOTC must also install a Network Dependencies package (available from the [ROBOTC downloads page]). The building license file must also be properly installed on the network in order for networked computers to access ROBOTC.


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Apple is using the NAB show in Vegas next month to make an announcement, but don't get your knickers in too much of a twist about it, say our Bothan spies in the company. The Cupertino company is taking to the floor on Sunday April 15, and there is no new hardware on offer, just new versions of the Pro media software, focusing on the Final Cut Studio suite - which in itself is rather good news.
Steve Jobs' ninja teams usually take the first stall in the South Hall, but this year they are upgrading to a bigger booth. Our sources, however, stress not to expect any radical new hardware until the launch of Leopard... yet they remind us that, with Apple, you never know. Oh, and a direct quote: "The next quarter is really going to be packed with new stuff." So on second thoughts, do get your knickers in a twist. Now.
Apple To Hold Special Event At NAB [MacWorld]


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Apple today announced that it is giving its Retina line-up of MacBook Pros a mid-cycle refresh along with a price cut. The cheapest MacBook Pro with Retina Display, the 13-inch rMBP, sees a $200 reduction in price and will now cost $1499. The top-of-the-line 13-inch rMBP sees a $300 reduction in price ($1999 vs. $1799), and will also sport a slightly faster (2.5GHz vs. 2.6GHz) Core i5 processor.
The prices of the 15-inch rMBP remain the same, but both the variants get an upgraded processor. The base 15-inch rMBP gets a 100MHz speed boost to 2.4GHz (Core i7), while the top-of-the-line variant gets a speed bump to 2.7GHz, along with a bump in RAM capacity to 16GB DDR3L from 8GB DDR3L. The prices of updating the SSD storage options for the rMBP have also been decreased considerably.
In addition to all this, Apple also announced a $100 price cut on the base 13-inch MacBook Air model. The price cuts are already in effect at all the Apple retail stores and at the company's online store.


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A fall from a bed doesn't explain the head injuries a 13-month-old girl received that led to her death on Friday, a medical examiner said.
A fall from a bed doesn't explain the head injuries a 13-month-old girl received that led to her death on Friday, a medical examiner said.
Michael A. Rios, 22, of Norwich, who brought the baby to The William W. Backus Hospital on Thursday morning, was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor.
Rios brought the unconscious child, the daughter of his girlfriend, to the hospital, saying that she fell off a bed, according to an arrest warrant affidavit from Norwich Police Detective Damon Wallace.
The child did not have visible injuries, but was bleeding in her brain, police said.
The baby was flown by Life Star helicopter to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, where her head was operated on. She died from her injuries at 3:35 a.m. Friday.
The baby's mother went to work at 6:30 a.m. Thursday, leaving the child in Rios' care, police said. The mother texted Rios at 9:55 a.m., asking if he had brought the child to her day-care center in Montville, according to police. The mother told police that Rios texted back that the baby was still asleep, which she thought was strange because the baby doesn't sleep past 7:30 a.m., police said.
At 11:30 a.m., the mother told police she got a call saying the baby was at Backus, and later she and Rios went the Children's Medical Center.
The child slept in the bed with her mother and Rios, police said, and with Rios alone after the mother went to work. Rios told police that he woke the child up at about 10:30 a.m. Shortly afterward, when he was in the kitchen, he said he heard her fall off the bed. He found her unconscious on the floor and "breathing funny," police said.
After Dr. Nina Livingston of the Connecticut Children's Medical Center told police that Rios' explanation didn't account for the baby's injuries, Rios said he often tossed the girl into the air and caught her while she laughed, police said.
On April 30, Rios said, after tossing the baby several times, he set her down on a bathroom vanity next to a sink to comb her hair, according to police.
She became dizzy and fell into the sink, hitting her head on the faucet, Rios told police.
The mother said she took the baby to the Backus emergency room, where she was pronounced in good health, police said.
In the May 2 incident, Rios told police that he tried to resuscitate the baby after finding her on the floor. Police said he also admitted shaking her in an effort to get her to respond, in which the baby's head snapped back and forth several times.
According to an autopsy performed Friday by Associate Medical Examiner Susan Williams, the baby had bleeding on the left side of her brain, on her spinal cord, as well as to both optic nerves. She also had bruising on the inside of both her upper and lower lips.
Williams determined the death was a homicide caused by blunt head trauma.
Rios is scheduled to appear May 16 in Norwich Superior Court. He is held on $100,000 bail.


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Posts tagged audi
What is your favorite Superbowl 2011 ad?0
in Ads, Events, Marketing, Television
I just had a look at the Superbowl 2011 ads and I must say that I found 99,9% pretty boring and lacking creativity. Not counting the ones with the usual predictable bad sitcom humor. I'm also a little perplexed at the huge response the Volkswagen Passat "Little Darth Vader" spot is getting. I guess that kids and Star Wars (and I'm a big Star Wars fan) always sells, but quite honestly I was expecting something more exciting/surprising after all the buzz that's been around the internet.
The only spot that provoked an emotional response in me – it had me laughing out loud – was the Bridgestone "Reply All" ad. (more…)


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Ratings & Reviews
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Warnings: Do not use if pregnant or nursing. Consult a medical doctor before starting a diet or exercise program or if you have a medical condition.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Learn more about Creatine Monohydrate.
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Cheap Bargain Spanish property all along the Costa del Sol, Spain....
Garratt Homes combine experience, professionalism and a personal approach in order to make your Spanish property purchase a successful and rewarding one.
Given the current market conditions, we specialise in finding the bargain or cheap properties which come up for sale and sell very quickly.
As Spain's property market shows signs of recovery, led by the upturn on the Costa del Sol, we pre -select the best opportunities on the market today.
We are thoroughly committed to providing our customers all the necessary help in locating the best priced and value for money properties available on the Costa del Sol. Should your interest be in making a permanent move to Spain, finding a holiday or retirement home to suit your needs or sourcing the right Spanish property investment in today's buyer's market, we bring all our experience and resources to bear to make that goal a reality.
Garratt Homes Inmobiliaria use an extensive network of agents and Spanish property finders enabling us to offer our clients over 16,000 resale properties along the coast and inland.
If you're actively looking for a cheap bargain property in the current spanish property market, you're right in thinking that the locals might get there first, or only those 'in the know' will be best placed to take advantage of any really cheap prices long before they make it onto the web pages. At Garratt Homes we are focussed on today's buyer's market and can therefore help all our customers to find and pay the best prices possible.
Our knowledge of the Spanish market – half of our clients are themselves Spanish – means that our English clientele pay the same prices and get the same level of service as the Spanish locals.
"When in Rome…or in this case the Costa del Sol…" is the correct approach when considering taking a major step like purchasing a property in a foreign land where you might not speak the language.
In order to insure your purchase is the safest and most cost effective it can possibly be, we work with specific partners for all your legal, mortgage, rental and money exchange needs. Please click on their links.
We also have years of experience working with the major developers on the coast and inland thus offering our customers the widest selection of off-plan, new and resale property.
Above all, Garratt Homes Inmobiliaria will go the extra mile for you the customer; providing a service you will be very satisfied with and would recommend to your friends and family.
Don't hesitate to contact us...…
From figures released to today by the INE (Spanish national institute of statistics) Sales were up 13.7% this September year on year and up 14.9% from the previous month.11/11/2014
If you've been following the Spanish property market a little, wondering if the time is right to get into the market, you'll have started to notice articles referring to early signs of recovery particularly on the Costas and Islands.03/11/2014
The number of houses sold is up. The number of mortgages granted is up. The number of foreign buyers is up. The number of new construction projects is up and yes, in some key areas, the prices are starting to go up too. After a seven year slide...06/09/2014
The newly elected Partido Popular (Conservative) party has introduced a raft of measures relating to the under-performing property market. These measures are directed both at stimulating certain sectors of the market and generating extra tax revenue.08/01/2012
In an unexpected move on Friday of last week, the Spanish government decided to slash VAT on the purchase of new property from 8% to 4%. Applicable immediately, this discounted tax measure will last until the end of the year -31st December 2011.23/08/2011
Many commentators have been looking to call the bottom of the market after the turbulence of the last 3 years and it would now appear that we are there or thereabouts.....19/11/2010
Tinsa, a Spanish property valuation company used by several high street banks,has signalled that house prices will drop a further 20% over 2009. 01/03/2009
The Euribor, which is linked to the Central European Bank's base lending rate, is set to close the month of December at 3.47%.28/12/2008
Situated in the prestigeous Marbella location of Cabopino. Standard prices were from 450,000€ - 515,000€. These marvellous luxury homes can now be purchased for 350,000€ - 415,000€. 28/06/2008
Against the trend of bad news in the financial markets, the Euribor fell again to 4.381% (22.01.08). This is well below the rate at the end of 2007 where the rate had spiked to 4.79%.28/01/2008
Despite starting the year well with property prices rising in all Spanish regions,2007 has ended in December with prices 0.28% below where they started in January. According to Facilisimo.com, the region of La Rioja has been the worst affected, dropping 11.08% to 2159€/m2 , Madrid and Barcelona haven't avoided the falls dropping 2.38% to 3479€/m2 and 3.05% to 3777€/m2 respectively. 05/01/2008
The Euribor, the Central European Bank's base lending rate, is set to close the month of November at 4.60%.29/11/2007
Situated in the prestigeous Marbella location of Cabopino, these high quality south facing residences boast fantastic sea views. Golf lovers can also choose south west facing homes overlooking Cabopino Golf (Par 71). Standard prices were from 450,000€ - 515,000€. These marvellous luxury homes can now be purchased for 350,000€ - 415,000€. 06/09/2007
The Euribor, the Central European Bank's base lending rate, is set to close the month of October at 4.65%.12/07/2007
Resale property prices have fallen for the third consecutive month in thirteen Spanish regions including the province of Malaga.12/07/2007
The Deutsche Bank have issued a report on the Spanish economy entitled Spain 2020, the success story continues.12/07/2007
Fantastic new property investment just released in the Dominican Republic. This product, previously only available to the Spanish investment market is now available through Garratt Homes.12/07/2007


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Not a whole lot is covered about Organization XIII's...
Welcome Back to the Truth309321
- by Amaya Mizuki
- Rating:
- Published: 26 Jul 2013
- Updated: 26 Jul 2013
- Status: In Progress
In an attempt of suicide, you somehow wound up in a league of cloaked warriors. They called themselves Nobodies, and seemed to have the goal of becoming whole once more. Seeing as you still had a heart, this goal was nothing to you, but the mysterious man your heart longed for was certainly enough to make you want to help them. Supposedly you were the key to their success, but would your own heart lead you to your demise?
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Destruction of The Boar's Head House
Great Loss to the Owner and the Public
October 1893
{Unknown newspaper}
The Boar's Head House at Hampton, one of the most conspicuous landmarks along the New England coast and the oldest beach hostelry east of Boston, was burned to the ground on Monday morning.
The fire caught from some defect in the laundry chimney, where on Saturday, employes engaged in putting the house in order for its winter closing had been burning refuse, and, smouldering for two nights and a day, escaped discovery until it had gathered resistless strength. All Sunday, a smell of burning soot had been noticed, but the most careful investigations by the steward and others, as late as Sunday evening, revealed no signs of danger.
About 9 o'clock on Monday morning, Col. Dumas was informed by gunners and others on the Head that smoke was pouring from the rear of the building, and going up stairs, he quickly found it of overpowering volume. Descending and hastening around the hotel, he found the flames beginning to burst forth, and the entire structure was speedily ablaze.
The beach, and the town for that matter, possesses no means of fighting fire, and nothing could be done to avert the destruction of the hotel and its cottage. Before noon, both had been levelled to the ground. The annex for billiards and bowling uses was saved by shielding the exposed end with wet coverings, and the rain and the direction of the wind averted the destruction of buildings otherwise in most imminent danger. Considerable furniture was saved, and the personal effects of the proprietor and employes, who were to depart during the day; had previously been removed.
The fire presented spectacles of surpassing beauty and grandeur, and attracted to the Head numerous spectators. Many more viewed it from localities quite remote and from trains crossing the Hampton marshes.
The Boar's Head House was built in 1826 by David Nudd, of whose heirs Col. Stebbins H. Dumas purchased it in 1866. As enlarged it was a four-story wooden structure of 80 by 40 feet, with a 35-foot ell, and contained 63 sleeping rooms, some of which were double. It could accommodate more than 150 guests. The cottage connected with the hotel was of two stories and 30 by 28 feet.
Upon the hotel and contents, Col. Dumas had insurance of $10,000 and until quite recently had carried twice as much. The building could not be replaced for $25,000. Upon the cottage and its furniture was $500 insurance each.
The fire comes as a crushing blow to Col. Dumas and is likely to bring to a close his long career as a hotel manager. This began in 1846 at Concord, where for 21 years she managed the Phoenix House and for a portion of the period the Eagle also. He assumed the management of the Boar's Head House in 1867, and for about three years following also controlled the Squamscott House in Exeter. He will not rebuild, but Boar's Head will not long lack a hotel. That it has lost had entertained guests of national reputation, and had been the scene of many important events and gatherings.
Hampton Beach has previously lost heavily by fire. In 1885 the Ocean, Atlantic and Sea View Houses and upwards of a dozen cottages were swept away, and in 1854 the Winnecumet House was burned.
Famous Hotel Gone
The Boar's Head Destroyed by Fire
October 1893
{Unknown newspaper}
The destruction by fire on Monday forenoon of the famous old Boar's Head hotel at Boar's Head, Hampton beach, will be a severe blow to that charming summer resort, for the house had been very closely identified with the history and the life of that beach since 1826, the year it was built.
The flames were discovered about 9 o'clock, and it is presumed that the fire originated from a defective chimney in the laundry, and had been smouldering in the partitions for several days.
A high northeast wind was blowing at the time and all efforts to save the structure were futile, for in less than two hours and a half, the large hotel, together with the cottage adjoining, were a mass of ruins.


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NEA launches new, multipronged communication blitz in 10 battleground states
Blitz includes new Web site, email and latest mailer on McCain's health care tax on working families
WASHINGTON - October 02, 2008 -
The National Education Association today launched a new, multipronged communication blitz in 10 battleground states.
The blitz is aimed at reaching NEA members and their families-who live and vote in every state, every city, and every congressional district. It includes a mailer to undecided voters about Sen. McCain's wrongheaded prescription plan for what ails America's health care system and a link to a new Web site, http://www.mccainhealthcaretax.com/, that enables members and their families to check the facts about McCain's plan and lobby him to change his position.
Emails to undecided members, phone calls, and personal visits with members and their families will follow the mailer and unveiling of the Web site. To date, NEA and its affiliates have distributed more than 4.2 million pieces of mail, made more than 2.1 million phone calls, and sent more than 1.3 million emails to members in battleground states about the presidential election as part of its Education Votes 2008 campaign. The 10 targeted battleground states are: Colo., Mich., Mo., N.C., N.H., N.M., Nev., Ohio, Pa., and Va.
This blitz comes on the heels of Gov. Palin's references to her family benefiting from health care coverage due to "good union jobs" to highlight her "working class roots" and just weeks before voters go to the polls.
"In light of Gov. Sarah Palin's comments portraying herself as 'an everyday working class American,' one would think that she would improve Sen. McCain's disastrous plan to fix what ails America's health care system," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "In reality, had Gov. Palin turned to Sen. McCain during those unfortunate hard times she and her husband faced to ask for help, it seems like Sen. McCain would have said: 'Thanks, but, no thanks.'"
According to most independent health care experts, McCain's health care fix amounts to a new tax on working families; leaves 20 million Americans out of employer-sponsored coverage; and increases out-of-pocket costs across-the-board.
"Sen. McCain's plan is further evidence that he still doesn't understand the needs of working Americans," said Van Roekel. "In the midst of the worst economic crisis America has seen since the Great Depression, he fails to grasp the urgency with which we need to provide more health care coverage for the 45 million Americans who don't have health insurance. To top it all off, his plan would pull the rug out from under employers that try to do right by their employees by paying some or all of their health care premiums."
The health care tax plan proposed by McCain comes as more and more Americans-including our 3.2 million members who are on the front lines along with students, parents and school districts-increasingly are facing the shortcomings of our strained health care system and economy. School districts are reporting more homeless students and more students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
# # #
The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.
CONTACT: Miguel A. Gonzalez (202) 822-7823


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We was actually going to do a class photoshoot since it's the last day of class.
Momfei(the guy in shorts) suddenly poses all of a sudden and the DSLR-ers started snapping pictures of him non stop coz he's such a poser. XD
He's got potential to be a model yo. lol
Once in your lifetime in Mie
2 weeks ago