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ESSAY- Food fleece: Biofuels are eco-bad and people-bad
Sigh. Another day, another inane strategy to fight global warming.
The bee in my bonnet this time is biofuels. They're nothing new, but governments and corporations are pushing biofuels with a renewed ferocity as the panacea for what ails our ailing planet. But just as biofuels are working their way into our climate-cures lexicon, organizations, environmentalists and even the United Nations are blowing a very loud whistle. They warn that the United States and the European Union's renewable energy plans, which rely on biofuels, will have devastating impacts for the global South, turn our gaze away from investing in truly carbon-free technologies, and even add a flame to the fire igniting climate change.
In October, Jean Ziegler, a U.N. expert, called for a five-year moratorium on biofuel production, telling the Associated Press, "The effect of transforming hundreds and hundreds of thousands of tons of maize, of wheat, of beans, of palm oil, into agricultural fuel is absolutely catastrophic for hungry people."
The humanitarian organization Oxfam International just denounced the EU's proposal for 10 percent of transport fuels to come from biofuels by 2020, saying it could "spell disaster for some of the world's poorest people." The target for renewable-fuel use in the United States is 35 billion gallons a year.
We're being battered left and right with ominous news about climate change, so the idea of filling our tanks and heating our homes with biofuels is naturally comforting. Biofuels sound green. They're made from things that once were green– corn, palm oil, sugar cane and other agricultural products. And they're being touted as green. A Department of Energy's resource page for biofuels says, "Hey students! Biofuels such as bioethanol and biodiesel can make a big difference in improving our environment."
But don't judge a climate cure by its color. Give it a rub, and you'll find that the term "biofuels" is actually obscuring an insidious reality. For that reason, many people, especially in the global South, have taken to calling them "agrofuels."
Consider this statement from the Landless Worker's Movement in Brazil in March, where biofuel production is skyrocketing: "We can't call this a 'bio-fuels program.' We certainly can't call it a 'bio-diesel program.' Such phrases use the prefix 'bio' to subtly imply that the energy in question comes from 'life' in general. This is illegitimate and manipulative. We need to find a term in every language that describes the situation more accurately, a term like agro-fuel. This term refers specifically to energy created from plant products grown through agriculture."
And it's this agricultural production that has so many people worried. Biofuels need land, which means traditional food crops are being elbowed off the field for fuel crops. Biofuel production is literally taking the food out of people's mouths and putting into our gas tanks. Already, increased food costs sparked by increased demand are leaving populations hungry. The price of wheat has stretched to a 10-year high, while the price of maize has doubled.
Need more land? Clear-cut some forest. Is there a word beyond irony to describe a plan to mitigate climate change that relies on cutting down the very trees that naturally remove carbon from the atmosphere? "Stupidity," perhaps? The logic is like harvesting a sick patient's lungs to save her heart. Huge tracks of Amazon rainforest are being raised to the biofuels altar like a sacrificial lamb, and the UN suggests that 98 percent of Indonesia's rainforest will disappear by 2022, where heavy biofuel production is under way.
Still need land? Just take it. The human rights group Madre, which is backing the five-year moratorium, says agrofuel plantations in Brazil and Southeast Asia are displacing indigenous people. In an editorial published on CommonDreams last week, Madre Communication Director Yifat Susskind wrote, "People are being forced to give up their land, way of life, and food self-sufficiency to grow fuel crops for export."
If this climate cure had a prescription bottle, the side effects would read: "Biofuels may cause drowsiness, headaches, human rights abuses, land deforestation, water depletion, worldwide hunger, and climate change."
Wait, climate change? That's right; this cure is actually a cause. Biofuels themselves may have a small carbon footprint, but the energy used to grow and process the fuel make for one large bear paw in the mud. Biofuels depend on the manufacturing of fertilizers, fuel used to power equipment, and fuel used to transport crops and fuels, which can offset any gains made in using biofuels. An October study by the Nobel Laureate Paul Crutzen determined that use of nitrogen fertilizers causes biofuels to contribute more to global warming than petrol.
The Department of Energy (DOE) says biomass products, of which biofuels are derived, are "often more environmentally benign than their petroleum-derived counterparts." If the DOE was a betting man, how much would it wager on "often?"
The movement against biofuels has grown from a groundswell to a tidal wave. In January, more than 220 organizations worldwide appealed to the European Parliament to abandon their mandatory biofuels target. Even the International Monetary Fund is feeling nervous. In October, an IMF research team posted an article on the IMF's website that noted, "Until new technologies are developed, using food to produce biofuels might further strain already tight supplies of arable land and water all over the world, thereby pushing food prices up even further."
It's new, carbon-free and sustainable technologies that we need to be investing in, rather than a plan that has as much stock as Bush's missile defense scheme. Madre said that the moratorium on biofuels should be accompanied by technologies that don't compromise global food security.
Susskind wrote, "We need sustainable solutions to climate change, not corporate solutions that seek to simply shift our energy addiction from one resource to another. Creative and practical solutions for meeting our energy requirements— including some local, sustainable biofuel programs— are being developed around the world."
In theory, biofuel production could reduce poverty by increasing jobs for small farmers around the world. But Oxfam warns that the "huge plantations emerging to supply the EU pose more threats than opportunities for poor people." If we're going to pull the current form of biofuels production out from under places like debt-riddled Brazil, we need to replace it with another plan that offers sustainable economic development for poor communities.
Oxfam suggests the EU implement safeguards in biofuel production that protect land rights, livelihoods, workers rights and food security. "The EU set its biofuel target without checking the impact on people and the environment," Oxfam spokesperson Robert Bailey said in a press release. "The EU must include safeguards to ensure that the rights and livelihoods of people in producing countries are protected. Without these, the 10 percent target should be scrapped and the EU should go back to the drawing board."
Until then, the U.S Department of Energy is exactly right. Biofuels will make a big difference in improving our environment— "our" being the United States and the EU, and nobody else.
This essay originally appeared in In These Times, a research-heavy journal created by some of America's most thoughtful lefties/progressives.


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Would you kindly explain the reformed view of the interpretation of Zechariah 14:1-21? I attend a non-denominational church in my area where there are no reformed churches. Recently the pastor spoke about Zechariah 14:1-21 and stated that Christ's return would take place in Jerusalem, according to these verses.
First, I should issue a couple caveats.
1) Generally speaking, there is no reformed view of the interpretation of any passage of Scripture. Reformed theology is a consensus regarding the system of doctrine taught in the Bible, and is expressed in the Reformed confessions (the Westminster Standards, the Canons of Dordt, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the confessions which preceded these). Those confessions draw their statements from the whole of Scripture, and so do not take a stand on given passages. This is an important point because it means two persons, thoroughly orthodox and reformed in their doctrine, may disagree profoundly on the interpretation of a given text. This is especially the case when discussing symbolic and prophetic passages.
2) I'm not an expert on Zechariah by any stretch of the imagination.
With that in mind, Zechariah 14 bears certain similarities to Matthew 24:3-35. If one believes, as I do, that in the latter passage Jesus is describing the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70 A.D., then it seems to me Zechariah 14 could be describing Christ's ascension, his confirmation as Lord of the nations at 70 A.D., and the flow of the Gentiles into the New Testament Church. Of course, I recognize someone else could have another, more persuasive exegesis of this passage. I will say, however, that when one considers the way in which prophetic and symbolic language is used throughout the Bible, there is no reason to conclude from this one passage that every eye will not see Christ's return in glory, or Christ's return will occur in Jerusalem.
I hope this answer is helpful, and I pray the Spirit will soon make it possible for you to be a member of a Church where you can have greater confidence in the preaching of the Word.
"Questions and Answers" is a weekly feature of the OPC website. The answers come from individual ministers in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church expressing their own convictions and do not necessarily represent an "official" position of the Church, especially in areas where the Standards of the Church (the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms) are silent.
The questions come from individuals like yourself. If you have questions about biblical and theological matters, you are invited to send them by e-mail by using the "Pose a Question" link on the OPC home page or by clicking here.
At least one new question is posted each week, so there should always be something new here for you to read. (For those people who would like to look at previous questions and answers, they will continue to be available as well.)
The purpose of the OPC website's "Questions and Answers" is to respond to biblical and theological questions. Matters of church discipline, disputes, or debates go beyond the scope of our work. We recommend that you present your concerns in these areas to the appropriate judicatory. In most cases this will be to a local pastor, elder, or session. We do not want the website to replace personal involvement in, or commitment to, the local, visible church.
While we will respond to every serious questioner, we are not bound to give a substantive answer to every question, should we deem the question to be beyond the scope of our purpose or our own ability to answer.
You will receive an answer by e-mail. Please be patient as many of our respondents are busy pastors. The response to your question may take up to two (2) weeks. Some of the questions submitted will be chosen to be posted here, along with the corresponding answers.
Note that the "Questions and Answers" posted on the site have been editedall personal references are removed, Scripture references or from some source may be added, and sometimes portions are expandedto make the questions and answers more useful to a larger audience.
|© 2020 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Chaplains and Military Personnel

subset: commoncrawl


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- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus additional for griddle
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch-thick strips
- 1 large red onion, halved, sliced lengthwise
- 3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel
- 6 to 8 fajita-size flour tortillas
- 1 avocado, halved, pitted, sliced
Recipe Preparation
Whisk 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and chili powder in large bowl. Add chicken, bell pepper, and onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature or chill up to 4 hours.
Toss red cabbage, cilantro, lime juice, lime peel, and 3 tablespoons olive oil in medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, place large griddle over 2 burners and heat over medium-high heat. Brush griddle with olive oil. Spread chicken on griddle and cook until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are browned, turning frequently with tongs, about 7 minutes total.
Divide chicken among warm tortillas; top with cabbage mixture and avocado slices.


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What does it mean when climate models don't predict weather?
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Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 15485
Location: Berkeley, California
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 1:52 pm
Post subject: What does it mean when climate models don't predict weather?
There is a great deal of misunderstanding, promoted by the carbon folks with funding to the conservative pundits, about the meaning of current temperatures. Those making money from fuels with CO2 emissions have promoted a completely unrealistic story arc, namely that climate models need to be highly accurate, and any shortcomings in those models disproves the underlying science behind climate change. There is a huge difference between modeling and making predictions. While we have pretty good information about the amount of carbon dioxide and heat that have accumulated in the atmosphere and oceans, current models are not at the level of resolution that would allow accurate predictions to be made at any scale below that of near-planetary or continental size.
Modeling vs. Prediction
When I was in graduate school in the early 1980s, I studied numerical methods, the theoretical underpinnings for modeling by engineers. It was the most difficult and rigorous course in graduate school, and convinced me that I did not want to be a modelerdespite efforts of some of the faculty to get me to try to develop a hydrology model. Computing power was scant compared to what is readily available todaybut modelers then, and now, suffer from the same disease that deniers dooverreliance on modeling to the point of believing the results.
The value of a model depends on how well it captures the underlying physics, and how well you populate the model with data. So in water resources engineering, the fluvial models were excellent for water surface level, and terrible for runoff and sediment transport. The physics for runoff in a channel are well established. But predicting runoff from a watershed depends on good information about vegetation cover, antecedent moisture conditions, and the variability of rainfall throughout the watershed.
Most models in those days were very crude, and useful only for comparing scenarios. While I didnt pursue modeling as a career, and have forgotten much of what I learned, I had a hand in the use of models, particularly for evaluating circulation and concentration of contaminants in San Francisco Bay. With the help of brilliant scientists at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and the US Geological Service, we now have third and fourth generation models that are useful in making predictions and management decisions, not merely in testing scenarios.
The revolutions in computers and aps have contributed greatly to this. Modern agriculture, from crops to grazing to growing wine grapes, now relies on much more specific information about ground moisture and temperature. This information is beginning to enter into weather (
!) science. The availability of radar, and its use by television stations in the nightly news, is providing a density of data that I could not have imagined in the early 1980s. As a result, NOAA is now working on models for predicting rainfall for events like the February 9, 2014, Pineapple Express, that will result in increasingly accurate predictions. For the Weather Office out of Monterey, current in-use models have a resolution of about 10 kilometersthat is, about one data prediction point for all of San Francisco. But they are nearing completion of models that will reduce the resolution grid to about 0.5 kilometers. I know the wing nuts think that government cant do anything wellthey are wrong. Poke around on this page for a while and look at the streaming model results:
Of course you can find the underlying science, not on Breitbart, but on sites like this:
and useful results on sites like this:
In summary, nobody with a background in science would expect climate models to be useful for predictions. It is likely that the increasing availability of raw data, from temperature to radar to moisture in the atmosphere readings, will give us the ability to improve the scale of our results, meaningful predictions are probably a decade or more away.
I understand that there are those who will gladly believe the Drudge report, untroubled by the conflict of interest in their funding sources, while doubting the government. There is no help, or hope, for such close-mindedness. The rest of you might think about how much better wind prediction is than when you first signed up for iwindsurf.com
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Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 19922
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 2:26 pm
Post subject:
It means it would be asinine beyond belief to spend trillions of dollars trying in vain to prevent a hypothetical problem based purely on political ideology.
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Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 6432
Location: The eye of the universe, Cen. Cal. coast
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 2:44 pm
Post subject:
What does it mean when climate history is used incorrectly?
A return of the dust bowl?
Al Gore brings climate change message to Kansas City
February 22
By BRIAN BURNES
The Kansas City Star
Al Gore has been known for his climate change warnings since the 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth.
But the former vice president, speaking Saturday in Kansas City, cited many more recent examples how heavy use of fossil fuels is contributing to extreme weather events and trends, in his view.
Gore filled a Westin Crown Center ballroom with a 90-minute presentation, using photos and videos to illustrate a litany of floods, wildfires, torrential rains, droughts, dust storms, rising sea levels and increasing world temperatures.
To those attending the Folk Alliance International conference, he noted examples of flooding in locations both remote and closer to home, such as in Manitou Springs, Colo., where high water barreled down mountain highways last year, carrying cars along with it.
They had never seen anything like this in Manitou Springs, Gore said.
He cited the possibility of how flooding in Pakistan could destabilize that country, a nuclear power, and the possible effect that continuing drought in California might have on the worlds food supply.
Think about that, he said. The Dust Bowl is coming back, quickly, unless we act.
Gore presented animation from his 2006 film depicting water pushing into the streets of lower Manhattan much mocked at the time, Gore said followed by images of water filling New York City subway tunnels during Hurricane Sandy in October 2012.
Gore conceded the possible fatigue some may have with his warnings, as well as the possible sense of powerlessness as to what any one individual can do to affect what appear to be vast, unchangeable trends.
Do we really have to do this and if the answer is yes can we do it? Gore said, repeating two questions he routinely hears.
The answer to both of those questions spoiler alert is yes.
Gore cited what he considered the increasing momentum with which renewable energy technologies such as wind and solar power have been embraced.
Just as one telephone company study 25 years ago underestimated the huge increase in the use of cellphones, estimates on the acceptance of wind and solar technology also have been conservative, Gore said.
Among the countries or states turning to renewable energy strategies, Gore mentioned the Vaticans increasing use of solar technology. Vatican City, Gore said, wants to be the first CO2-neutral sovereign city-state in the world.
They have two advantages, Gore said. It is very small, and they have God on their side.
He urged his listeners to act on an individual basis.
The one missing ingredient may well be you, no kidding, he said.
And, given how he was addressing a room filled with folk music admirers, Gore framed his remarks with references to two singers: Bob Dylan and the late Pete Seeger. Reciting a phrase from The Times They Are a-Changin and later invoking Seegers memory, Gore urged those in attendance to write songs and spread a renewable energy message all over this land.
Folk music, he added, played a positive role in resolving the central question in civil rights, as to what was truly right and truly wrong.
Read more here:
Funny how he conveniently doesn't mention that the dust bowl was more of a result of not using contour plowing along with crop rotation, which is why we've been able to avoid dust bowls ever since.
What a tool.
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Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 15485
Location: Berkeley, California
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 2:46 pm
Post subject:
Two people, clinging firmly to the elephant's tail, announce that they didn't bother to read the post. What a wonderful world in the bubble.
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Joined: 08 Nov 1993
Posts: 9819
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 3:01 pm
Post subject:
"...a hypothetical problem based purely on political ideology."
You can tell that isobars didn't really read what mac wrote. Political ideology? Some folks are too brainwashed to think critically. For a guy that claims to be rocket scientist and engineer, you have to wonder when he lost his way and abandoned the scientific world to be a mouthpiece for the nonsense coming out of right wing talk radio and Fox News.
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Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 15485
Location: Berkeley, California
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 6:21 pm
Post subject:
Nit wit--not only did your post have nothing to do with the topic--you are almost completely wrong. Not a surprise. See this:
Question: The Dust Bowl - What Caused the Dust Bowl in the US Midwest in the 1930's?
One of the worst climatic events in the history of the United States was the "Dust Bowl" drought which devastated the United States central states region known as the Great Plains. The Dust Bowl all but dried up an already depressed American economy in the 1930's creating millions of dollars in damages. With modern technology, NASA now believes the Jet Stream was partly responsible for this drought.
Answer: Ocean Temperatures in the 1930's Were Unstable
Scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center recently used a computer model and satellite data to examine climate over the past century. In the study, cooler than normal tropical Pacific Ocean temperatures and warmer than normal tropical Atlantic Ocean temperatures created ideal drought conditions due to the unstable sea surface temperatures. The result was dry air and high temperatures in the Midwest from about 1931 to 1939.
The Normal Supply of Moist Air From the Gulf of Mexico Was Reduced.
Changes in sea surface temperatures create shifts in weather patterns. One way is by changing the patterns in the jet stream. In the 1930's, the jet stream was weakened causing the normally moisture rich air from the Gulf of Mexico to become drier. Low level winds further reduced the normal supply of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and reduced rainfall throughout the US Midwest.
Images of the Dust Bowl
1934 US Temperature Records
Palmer Drought Index for 1934
The Jet Stream Changed Course.
The jet stream normally flows west over the Gulf of Mexico and turns northward pulling up moisture and dumping rain onto the Great Plains. As the jet stream weakened and changed course, it traveled farther south than normal starving the Midwest of precious rain.
Video Clip of the Jet Strem
For further explanation, watch the brief video clip - How Does the Jet Stream Affect Global Weather Patterns and Influence Droughts? (MPEG 1, 1MB, 10 seconds long. Courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Science Visualizations Studio. Video will take you to a new screen and take several seconds to download.) After watching this weather video clip, join the weather forum for a discussion on world climate change issues.
Siegfried Schubert, Max Suarez, Philip Pegion , Randal Koster, and Julio Bacmeister, "On the Cause of the 1930s Dust Bowl", March 19, 2004 SCIENCE Magazine.
Hmm, ocean temperatures caused drought. Betcha Drudge didn't know that.
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Joined: 24 Dec 2013
Posts: 1454
Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:45 pm
Post subject:
Mac dont sell yourself so short. Yes we can predict weather very well now. Yes climate modeling is incomplete science, but science is outstanding now. We know down to the part per million the atmosphere content of all the planets in our solar system. We are even beginning to discover the atmosphere content of exoplanets outside our solar system.
I suggest we do an experiment. Rush Limbaugh has a very large McMansion in Florida. Why dont we lock him and Hannity in one of the rooms, fill 2/3 of the house with sea water, of the 1/3 thats left we will plant 30% of it with shrubbery to represent the amount of forests on Earth. We will lock all the doors, seal all the windows, turn on the air circulation, burn a couple shrubs to represent deforestation and start a lawn mower in the basement to represent man made carbon.
The objective will be to see what happens to Rush and Sean over time? Good plan?
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Joined: 21 Dec 2008
Posts: 6432
Location: The eye of the universe, Cen. Cal. coast
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 1:09 am
Post subject:
You set it up, and lets see how far it goes.
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Joined: 07 Mar 1999
Posts: 15485
Location: Berkeley, California
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:07 am
Post subject:
NW--you have suddenly become silent about the respected climate scientists you are relying on. Three, and their latest peer reviewed publications. You know I will check them out. What, you were making it up--again?
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Joined: 03 Mar 2007
Posts: 2807
Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:08 am
Post subject:
frederick23 wrote:
...and start a lawn mower in the basement to represent man made carbon.
The objective will be to see what happens to Rush and Sean over time? Good plan?
No need for the lawnmower. Just let those two talk for a few minutes -- job done.
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Published 05/07/2019 by CIONCA Team Member
On April 30, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ("Federal Circuit") made a decision in Trading Technologies International, Inc. v. IBG LLC, Interactive Brokers LLC. Trading Technologies International, Inc. ("TT") is the owner of U.S. Patent No. 7,783,556 ("the '556 patent"), which "relates to displaying market information on a screen." According to the '556 patent's specification, traders may favor analyzing information not normally provided on a screen. Thus, the '556 patent's interface aims to improve traders' experience by also including the display of profit and loss ("P&L"). "IBG LLC and Interactive Brokers LLC (collectively, 'Petitioners') petitioned for review of…the '556 patent pursuant to the Transitional Program for Covered Business Method Patents ('CBM review')." As such, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board ("the Board") completed a CBM review and held that the claims are ineligible under 35 U.S.C. § 101. TT appealed and the Federal Circuit has jurisdiction.
As the review title indicates, "the Board may only institute CBM review for a patent that is a CBM patent," which is "a patent that claims a method or corresponding apparatus for performing data processing or other operations used in the practice, administration, or management of a financial product or service, except that the term does not include patents for technological inventions." The criteria of a technological invention are as follows: "'whether the claimed subject matter as a whole recites a technological feature that is novel and unobvious over the prior art' and whether it 'solves a technical problem using a technical solution.'"
First, TT contested whether its patent teaches a technological invention. Relying on Claim 1, the Board determined that the '556 patent is not directed towards a technological invention, and thus, is a CBM patent. The Federal Circuit agrees. The display under the patent's scope seeks to provide additional information to traders; it does not solve a technical problem with a technical solution.
Second, regarding patent eligibility, the '556 patent's focus is to provide additional information to a trader, which the Federal Circuit holds as an abstract idea. Moreover, "the claimed steps for calculating the P&L values…is nothing more than 'mere automation of manual processes using generic computers,'" rather than an improvement on the technology itself, the '556 patent is not a technological invention. Furthermore, the claimed interface fails to recite an inventive concept as it "simply takes the prior art trading screen…and adds P&L values along the axis." As such, the Federal Circuit concludes the patents claims to be ineligible under § 101.
For the reasons above, the Federal Circuit affirms the Board's decision.
This decision clarifies what is classified as a technological invention, which is (1) novel and nonobvious, and (2) solves a technical problem with a technical solution. The mere revisioning of existing technological inventions is not enough.
Full Trading Technologies International, Inc. v. IBG LLC, Interactive Brokers LLC decision can be read here: http://www.cafc.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/opinions-orders/17-2323.Opinion.4-30-2019.pdf
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed throughout this blog are the views and opinions of the individual author(s) and/or contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of our firm, CIONCA IP Law. P.C.
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Defining Inherency: A Decision in Personal Web Technologies, LLC v. Apple, Inc.
Marin Cionca3/1/2019 9:36:50 PM
USPTO Director Andrei Iancu Visits Orange County!
CIONCA Team Member2/19/2019 7:12:46 PM
Revised Guidance by USPTO on Patent Subject Matter Eligibility and Examining Computer-Implemented Functional Claims
CIONCA Team Member2/5/2019 7:22:27 PM
TiVo Puts Tivoli on Pause: TTAB's Decision in TiVo Brands LLC v. Tivoli, LLC
Marin Cionca1/23/2019 9:45:30 PM
Patent Law Alert: All Sales of the Invention, Including Secret Sales May Invalidate a Patent
CIONCA Team Member1/4/2019 4:12:21 PM
In re: Tropp: New Matter in a Continuation Can Be Relevant to Written Description Requirement
CIONCA Team Member12/18/2018 6:12:48 PM
Schlafly v. The Saint Louis Brewery: The Registration of Merely a Surname
Marin Cionca12/8/2018 8:35:06 PM
IP Assets - Procurement, Enforcement, Monetization
CIONCA Team Member11/19/2018 1:07:51 PM
The Appeals Process
CIONCA Team Member10/16/2018 6:50:31 PM
A Double-Edged Sword: Benefit of Priority or Longer Patent Term
Marin Cionca10/1/2018 7:42:12 PM
Can I Register a Color as a Trademark or Service Mark?
CIONCA Team Member9/17/2018 4:33:20 PM
Trademarks and Likelihood of Confusion: Federal Circuit's Decision in In re: Detroit Athletic Co.
Staff8/31/2018 7:26:58 PM
Patent Claim Interpretation By Federal Circuit's on Facebook's Contiguous Image Layout
Staff8/16/2018 4:24:01 PM
Correcting or Changing a Patent After Issue Through the Central Reexamination Unit
Marin Cionca7/31/2018 6:50:05 PM
My patent expired? Can I still sue for patent infringement?
Impax Laboratories Inc. v Lannett Holdings Inc. on Claim Invalidation
Marin Cionca Presents at OCIPLA May 2018 Luncheon
The Hague System for Protection of International Designs
CIONCA Staff4/20/2018 5:25:25 PM
USPTO Changes Examination Procedure Pertaining to Subject Matter Eligibility in View of Berkheimer v. HP, Inc.
CIONCA Staff4/13/2018 9:10:04 PM
It Take Two to Tango: Knowles v. Iancu, a Standing Dispute in a PTAB Decision
Andrei Iancu - New Director of the USPTO
Proceed with Caution: Consider Carefully when Narrowing Claims for Allowance
CIONCA Team2/16/2018 4:07:48 PM
Fashion and Intellectual Property
CIONCA Team1/17/2018 8:12:06 PM
A Fork in the Road: Production or Protection?
The Lanham Act: Disparagement Provision Violates the First Amendment
CIONCA Sets Foot in San Francisco
An Introduction to Patent Cooperation Treaty Applications
An Introduction to Patent Searches
An Introduction to Design Patent Applications
Staff11/3/2017 4:20:04 PM
An Introduction to Provisional Patent Applications
Staff9/28/2017 7:27:22 PM
staff9/27/2017 5:12:07 PM
CIONCA - Patent and Trademark Law Attorney
staff9/27/2017 5:00:12 PM
Claim Indefiniteness During Patent Pre-Issuance: Define Your Invention, Not Just Your Audience
staff9/15/2017 9:33:30 PM
CIONCA Staff8/20/2017 3:16:11 PM
CIONCA on Patents: Think Twice Before Suing for Patent Infringement and Fight Back when Unreasonably Sued
CIONCA - Staff8/9/2017 5:39:58 PM
Patent Case Study: The Novelty Of An "Invention" Is NOT Enough To Make It Patentable
CIONCA - Staff6/28/2017 8:26:07 PM
Patent Law: Conditions Precedent May Expose Method Claim to Broad Interpretation During Prosecution
CIONCA - Staff6/15/2017 5:32:14 PM
Patent Law: Challenging the Patent Claim Definiteness Requirement
Marin Cionca4/25/2017 9:48:49 PM
Monetization of Patents: How to Make Money with Patents
Marin Cionca2/21/2017 12:30:52 AM
Software Patent Law Update: Federal Circuit Finds Graphical User Interface Patentable
Marin Cionca9/15/2016 9:47:39 PM
Patent Law Alert: Federal Circuit Opens Door for More Software Patents
Marin Cionca9/6/2016 9:26:12 PM
Patent Case Law: New Example of Software as Patentable Subject Matter
Iris Kim, PhD6/1/2016 7:04:50 PM
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board Designates Five More Decisions as Precedential
Marin Cionca5/17/2016 8:57:23 PM
Patent Claims Rejection Based on Inherency
Iris Kim, PhD3/25/2016 8:34:14 PM
Challenging a Claim's Validity with Different Standards of Claim Construction
I. Kim PhD2/26/2016 8:47:51 PM
The U.S. Supreme Court Will Review Claim Construction Standards and Institution Decision Reviewability.
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In IPRs, patentees have to show that substitute patent claims are patentable
M. Cionca and I. Kim2/4/2016 5:55:16 PM
Software Inventions Are Still Patentable!
Marin1/28/2016 9:15:16 PM
The Patent Trial and Appeal Board Designates Two Decisions as Precedential
Marin1/28/2016 9:10:56 PM
How Unpredictability Can Affect Obviousness Challenges
Marin11/19/2015 2:13:05 PM
An Innovator's Dilemma: Design or Utility Patent?
Marin11/18/2015 7:31:35 PM
When Is a Thesis Prior Art?
Marin11/18/2015 6:15:40 PM
Covered Business Method Claims Are Not Required to Particularly Target Financial Industry
Marin11/18/2015 6:11:11 PM
PTAB Decisions Give Examples of Patent Eligible Subject Matter
Marin Cionca, Esq.
Registered Patent Attorney
USPTO Reg. No. 63899
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text:
May 25, 2016: Roque Ruiz-Carmona, the principal investigator on the observing campaign on 20 CVs that was announced in AAVSO Alert Notice 543, reports that the campaign has been revised due to telescope issues. He writes:
May 24, 2016: Roque Ruiz-Carmona (Ph.D. candidate, Institute of Mathematics, Astrophysics and Particle Physics, Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands) has requested AAVSO assistance with his campaign to observe a set of 20 cataclysmic variables (CVs) with the William Herschel Telescope (WHT) at La Palma TONIGHT.
April 22, 2013: Further to AAVSO Alert Notice 471 (http://www.aavso.org/aavso-alert-notice-471), HST/COS is scheduled to observe the eclipsing WZ Sge-type cataclysmic variable QZ Lib:
QZ Lib 2013 Apr 26 14:37:44 through 21:23:30 UT


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Merry Christmas!
|Cheese @ Borough Market
ʽʽHi, I'm Benjamin Nunn – critic, gourmand and author of Ben Viveur. I like to eat and drink. And cook. And write.
You might have read me in an in-flight magazine, or a beer publication, but here on my own blog I'm liberated from the editorial shackles of others so anything goes.
I deal with real food and drink in the real world, aiming to create recipes that taste awesome, but which can be created by mere mortals without the need for tons of specialist equipment and a doctorate in food science. Likewise, I tend to review relaxed establishments that you might visit on a whim without having to sell your first-born, rather than hugely expensive restaurants and style bars in the middle of nowhere with a velvet rope barrier, a stringent dress code and a six-month waiting list!
There's plenty of robust opinion, commentary on the world of food and drink, and lots of swearing, so look away now if you're easily offended.
Otherwise, tuck your bib in, fill your glass and turbo-charge your tastebuds. We're going for a ride... Ben Appetit!
|Cheese @ Borough Market
|Tikka taste test
|You know it makes sense
|Very, very good stuff.
|My chilli, what I done made
|No, I don't own one either
|Teh Wharf
|'Gourmet' Wetherburger, now with plate-corners
|Byron, Canary Wharf


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Back in 2000, the FAA handled 23% more air traffic with fewer flight controllers than it employs today, according to the Department of Transportation's own inspector general, who added this raises "questions about the efficiency of FAA's current controller workforce."
Either air traffic controllers have gotten far less efficient over the past 13 years, or the FAA could get by with about 3,400 fewer of them — without affecting the quality of air travel one bit. Cutting out those excess controllers would get LaHood more than halfway to the $600 million he has to cut from the FAA's budget.
And while LaHood ominously talks about closing 100 control towers, what he doesn't say is that these towers should have been closed long ago.
In fact, Bloomberg News reports the FAA itself identified more than 100 "zombie towers" that handle so few flights they should be cut back or closed.


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Plymouth State professor to give free seminar on ice age
Class to be held Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Spend this Friday with a Plymouth State University professor exploring and learning about glaciers, the ice age and land forms of the White Mountains.
Register now for this free educational day, which is the first in a summer-long series of free educational field trips.
The Ice Age, Glaciers and Landforms in the White Mountain Region will be led by Professor Bryon Middlekauff from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Friday.
Middlekauff will show what forces have shaped the land with a bus tour of the Plymouth and Rumney area.
This is a day designed for families and individuals interesting in learning about the area's land formation.
The day will begin in the classroom, then the group will go out in the field to discover evidence for the former presence of the giant ice mass in the Plymouth and Rumney area.
This will be a rain or shine activity, but the weather report for Friday looks perfect for this, with temperatures in the 70s.
Participants should wear sturdy shoes, and bring rainwear, bug spray, and water.
Space is limited for the seminar.
To register, visit http://www.plymouth.edu/white-mountains-institute/camp-psu/registration/.
Other programs are offered for Fridays throughout the summer include:
-- July 19, Weather and Climate of the High Elevations of the White Mountains with Eric Hoffman with a trip up Cannon Tramway to the summit (4080') of Cannon Mountain.
-- July 26, It's Telling Stories: Sharing Memories of the Past for the Future
Linda Upham-Bornstein, including writing tips and ways to present family history.
-- Aug. 2, Lessons From Ossipee Park with David Leuser
-- Aug. 9, Trails of the White Mountains with Ben Amsden.
All are free and end at 4 p.m.
To register visit http://www.plymouth.edu/white-mountains-institute/camp-psu/registration/.


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Jennings presented by The Great Unknowns Podcast, Ep XX - 0 views
shared by Michael J on 02 Aug 09 - Cached
Michael J on 02 Aug 09Jennings was chosen for the artist spotlight of the week for her beautiful voice and amazing musical talent. Jennings is a gifted signer, song writer, pianist, and one of the many hiden talents from the unsigned and independent industry that deserves to be in the mainstream spotlight. So, I hope you take the time to listen to this 5-track preview.


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A young livestock producer, in this case a dairyman, asked a very good question in our Farm Credit University online Ag Biz Planner course for young farmers. "What can we do to control expenses?" This question is very pertinent to the livestock industry that is reeling from the dramatic increases in costs, which has resulted in margin compression and in many cases negative margins. Let's provide some insight.
First, let's get to the basics of budgeting. One of the best tools I have used in our dairy business is budget variance analysis. Each month, the management team monitors projected costs compared to actual costs. Once a quarter, our management team sits down with our advisory team, which includes our veterinarian, crop and livestock consultant and an Extension specialist, to discuss blind spots and alternatives that will improve the long-run effectiveness of the business. Strategies developed in this meeting have specific metrics and timelines, as well as someone held accountable for the strategy's completion.
Next, focus on the big four or five expense lines. For most livestock producers, this will be feed cost, crop expense if forage crops are raised, labor, repairs and maintenance, etc. Too often when cost-cutting procedures take place, there tends to be a focus on the minor costs, such as testing, genetics, etc. which may not have a major impact on total expenses. Evaluating the large expenses can have the most impact on the bottom line.
However, the impact of testing should not be understated. Soil and forage testing along with livestock testing and monitoring become very critical in a systematic approach to cost cutting. For example, soil testing can influence fertilizer costs, which can be a huge expense for a cropping enterprise.
Next, become very proactive. Economic cycles in the agriculture industry are going to continue to be very volatile, extreme and unpredictable. Risk management requires a three-pronged approach that includes revenue, expenses and interest rates. A sound, well thought-out risk management plan with targeted metrics based upon costs, breakeven levels and profit benchmarks will not be an option but a requirement. In the profitable part of the cycle, hold cash and working capital to allow you to not only navigate through the down cycle, but also position your business take advantage of buying and capital investment opportunities on the other side.
Finally, at least once a year establish your goals. Often in this topsy-turvy world, it is easy to lose your focus psychologically because of all the "noise" in our information-packed society. Goal tracking can be an effective strategy used to monitor business progress.


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Ein Statement zur Verspätung usw usw
Quelle: Facebook
Interessant, vielleicht gibts morgen die Benchmark Demo? oder das war wirklich nur Ironie, bin mir nicht sicher
Grüße, André
First of all all, we would like to apologise for the lack of updates and news related to the release of Assetto Corsa. We have been working very hard on the Assetto Corsa project and before we make any more announcements we have had to wait until everything is in place. Now, at last, we can share some important information with you, our fans.
Almost a year ago, on December the 23rd, 2011, we announced that we are developing a new PC racing simulation, "Assetto Corsa". Our aim was to be able to release the game one year later, during 2012's holiday season.
We will not reach this goal. Assetto Corsa has been delayed and the release is now expected within 1st quarter 2013, as some of you may already know. The "Assetto Corsa technology preview", a graphics benchmark, expected to be released in 2012, has been delayed too.
We know a lot of people are keenly waiting for the release of Assetto Corsa, and we wish to thank them for the support they have given us since we announced our most ambitious project.
If you are an experienced you will already be aware that these kind of delays can happen, and will know as well that reasons for such delays can be boring. But, trust us, this is not the case, because the reasons behind our decision to delay Assetto Corsa for a few weeks are the best possible.
We just ask you to remember that what you have seen, what we are able to show you, is just the tip of the iceberg. It is not possible for us to help you understand the amount of work we have put in, as well as the many situations that can determine some of our choices.
Anyway, on December, 21st 2012, at 21.00, European time, please connect to assettocorsa.net, or facebook.com/assetto.corsa , or twitter.com/AC_assettocorsa or Assetto Corsa Google plus and prepare yourself for the most unexpected ending we are able to give you…
Quelle: Facebook
Interessant, vielleicht gibts morgen die Benchmark Demo? oder das war wirklich nur Ironie, bin mir nicht sicher
Grüße, André
Assetto Corsa Online Nick: Andre Przyklenk
Steam-Account: andyfreak1994 (gerne adden )
Steam-Account: andyfreak1994 (gerne adden )


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Why was MCP developed?
The platform was developed by using a holistic approach to designing each process level – whether the ordering process, the planning of the conveyor system or its installation – as efficiently as possible. The modules themselves set a high standard for reliable and solid technical performance. This platform was designed for flexibility, modularity, attractive industrial design, simple handling during assembly and expansions.
Efficient drive solutions
Customer needs, conditions on site, and type of materials to be conveyed define the requirements for a system. The Interroll conveyor modules can be designed for the most efficient solution for each task. Zero pressure accumulation conveying can be implemented with proven DC RollerDrive. For higher performance, efficient DC drives that enable efficient and future-proof zero pressure accumulation conveying are used together with roller conveyors with 400 V flat belt drives. Pneumatics, which creates high operating costs, is completely omitted here.
Flexible and modular concept
Refined technical details and solutions offer lots of room for the flexibility of our customers. If changes to or expansions of the system should be necessary, the planning is simple. Thanks to the modular concept, the individual modules are perfectly matched and can be easily combined with each other.
Quick installation
Largely pre-assembled modules accelerate the installation on site. Independently adjustable side guides, infinitely adjustable supports, integrated electrical conduits and an universally applicable master gauge for holes to attach add-on components are only a few of the details that reduce the installation effort.
Reliable operation
The robust and extensively tested design of the conveyor modules reduces the maintenance effort and ensures the reliable operation of a conveyor system. The platform offers a wide selection of modules and key elements so that the material flow can be planned efficiently. Everything from a single source and with expert consultation.


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My dearest fellow Muslims, please get over it and toughen your skin.
Yes I'm talking to you fellow Muslim activists and protesters. And yes I'm talking to you too, Muslim rioters and thugs.
The film, Innocence of Muslims, has recently been thrust into the spotlight clearly without any merit whatsoever, has played the willing role of firestarter to what can be seen as a tinderbox which harbours the sensitive feelings of my Muslim brothers and sisters.
I shake my head because this is exactly what the filmmaker Nakoula/Bacile (who, as recently reported, has a total of 17 different aliases) wanted.
So I am pleading with you to please stop taking the bait!
Innocence of Muslims, formerly known as Innocence of Bin Laden and once again formerly know as Desert Warrior clearly is a flimsily filmed hate propaganda packaged as a D-level film. The creator's intensity of hate is evidenced by the obvious strategic dubbing of Islamic references in his pitiful post production work, to really drive his anti-Islamic point home. The production value doesn't even amount to $100 worth, let alone the whopping $5-million tag which was initially stated by the filmmaker.
The same filmmaker, who is now discovered to be a convicted fraudster, financial scammer and a meth maker is probably laughing at all of us from his hiding place.
I saw the trailer and yes it's horrible. It's absolutely gut wrenching and 100 per cent offensive. But you don't see me running to the nearest embassy with a Molotov cocktail and tearing up a flag now do you?
Why you ask? Because a) I have more important things to do and b) I believe in not giving any weight or volume to something that is that overtly offensive. It's one thing to find offense in an obscure matter where it lends itself to an enlightening and adult discussion to explain why we are offended. But it's another thing entirely when the offensive material is so blatant and so poorly executed, that even a five-year-old will understand that it's just not worthy of any thought or discussion because it's just, well, so childish.
Sure, that's my version of turning the other cheek. When something really idiotic or offensive enters my space, I just ignore it and move on. I try to be the bigger person. Pick my battles. And honestly I just don't have the time nor the energy to dedicate to such nonsense.
So my fellow Muslims, I beg of you to get a grip. In this day and age where pretty much any one who can grab a camera, paint a wall green (the home made version of a Green Screen which was done for this vulgarity) and dole out cash for starving actors, can make a movie.
Then they upload it on YouTube and collect a few endorsements by like-minded people. If the blocks are put in the right place, it goes viral, hopefully catching the attention of key media outlets who then talk about it some more, which then gets them more press, more hits, more tweets, more forwards and they become a media sensation. Whether you or anyone else like it or not.
So here we have this Bacile character, this low rent Cecil B. DeMille wannabe (apologies to Mr. DeMille for this reference), who hopes that the aim of his film is to really show the world how crazy us Muslims are.
And cue the riots.
You, my dear Muslim brothers and sisters fell for it. Now, as I breathlessly try to explain to others that this group of rioters in the far away lands aren't like "us," I can't help but feel that the same people who had our backs in the past are now starting to view us with a little bit more skepticism. Sure I may be paranoid but you know what? At this point I have no idea what to think.
You have played right into the hands of this hate-monger and into the hands of his bigoted friends who view Muslims as "crazy," "intolerant," "violent" all in the same breath. And thanks to you we have handed them another high profile example. On a big fat shiny platter.
Bacile is probably sitting back in his armchair, twirling his evil madman mustache (assuming he has one) and roaring his evil mastermind laugh.
And he should, because his plan worked perfectly.
One last thing:
When The Book of Mormon became an award-winning Broadway musical you didn't see throngs of armed and offended Mormons flooding the Great White Way in protest, tearing up theatre programs and setting the billboards on fire. When South Park skewers their laundry list of religions including Christianity, Judaism and, yes, even Scientology, you don't see effigies of Trey Parker burning now do you?
My point exactly.
So can we all just stop being wusses now? It's time to toughen up, thicken the skin and most importantly stop taking the bait. Enough already.