text:
Ground Zero on the Road to Xibalba
Campion made a large book (4′ x 3′) of illustrated man-hole covers (with Paul Wintle) entitled Ground Zero on the Road to Xibalba. The book is taken from charcoal rubbings of covers from an old street in Austin, Tx. The images were arranged and sometimes deranged with inks, oils, metal flakes, etc to tell the story of the underworld (the repressed) of our modern day society. The book was presented as part of his Art Installation: Floodstage at the Memory Theatre in Austin and at Texas A and M, College Station.
You can look at the stills of the book, or a slide show, or watch Campion's lecture presentation of the book given at the College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley by going to
The website will be permanently closed shortly, so please retrieve any content you wish to save.


text:
Mokulele Airlines Plans to Launch Maui to Kalaeloa RouteMay 13, 2014, 1:50 PM HST · Updated May 13, 3:05 PM 0 Comments
By Wendy Osher
Mokulele Airlines today announced plans to begin air service between Kahului, Maui, and Kalaeloa Airport on the west side Oʻahu this summer.
The airline has set a target start date of July 1, 2014, at which time, Mokulele would begin offering three daily round trip flights between Kalaeloa, located at the former Barber's Point Naval Air Base John Rogers Field, and Kahului on Maui, according to the company announcement.
As part of its preparations to utilize the airport as a commercial facility, the airline says they are currently working to complete construction projects, implement flight scheduling, and hire staffing to accommodate the new route.
"The opening of the airport for commercial traffic will initially create 6-10 new positions for customer service agents, ramp agents, mechanics, pilots and management personnel," airline representatives said in a press release.
"The airport's west Oʻahu location would make these positions ideal for residents of the Kapolei and ʻEwa Beach areas," the announcement said.
The airline says the new service will make air travel more convenient for West Oʻahu residents visiting Maui, and for Maui travelers opting to visit resorts and attractions in the southwest region of Oʻahu.
According to the announcement, a special introductory fare of $69 will be available for one-way travel, including taxes and fees.
Mokulele Airlines is headquartered in Kailua-Kona, and claims to offer more than 120 flights a day between Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaiʻi, aboard its fleet of nine-passenger, turbine-powered Cessna Grand Caravans.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Life's simple pleasures and priceless moments.
Started by Marc and Angel – see Marcandangel.com and Everydaylifelessons.com, the site contains thousands of examples of simple situations and pleasures which really can help to make every day fun.
This is a superb idea as it makes you focus on the "smaller" things in life which are missed in the noise, but valuable nonetheless. This is very similar to the Happier concept covered previously.
Divided into relevant sections, the site allows you to agree or disagree accordingly with the moments, sort by popularity or simply browse the many thousands which are here.
My favourite moment (so far) is –
Accidentally overhearing someone say nice things about you.
I recommend you check out the site for yourself, there are random moments if you're not sure where to start and you can even submit your own which is great!


text:
Foresters have taken over our hearts and minds recently and keep on inspiring new projects as we get our mitts on new craft mediums. After the excitement of perfecting our home made stamps we scrapped around for as many things as we could to print on, including a cushion cover. The resulting prototype got our HoB senses tingling! Discovering we could stamp on fabric was ace and this little pattern grew and grew and led to creating more stamps. There is more to come on this as we have plans to tighten up the design and create something that we hope will be rather special; of course the final version will, in keeping with our little Foresters, have a lovely little coloured bumflap
Mummy Beaumont has been assisting with this little project and we can't wait to see the end results of the final versions and get them packaged and up for grabs!
About Aichee
Generally found with too many craft projects on the go at once: be it things out of beads, stitches, paper or Japanese robot kits. Has a tendency to loose needles in cushions. Appreciates a list with a drop shadowed tick box, likes rummaging around vintage wares, getting her face into a graphic novel or two, retro gaming, feeding her eyes with some nice art and design, moderately obsessed with skulls, cross stitch, vinyl/Japanese toys. Uses too many condiments when dining and is worryingly obsessed with English Mustard. Often get's told she has a large head.


text:
As hoped, I received a 29g tank setup for Christmas. I'm planning on setting it up as another semi-biotope, this one based on the Orinoco system of South America.
General setup:
29g tank; Walstad-style setup. This means no filtration ; just plants and a small 530 gph powerhead to circulate the water. Soil under Black Diamond sand substrate. 108 LED light fixture: Daylight/moonlight, nothing fancy, knock-off brand but appears sturdy and well built, and plenty bright enough for any plants I want to grow.
Flooded forest aquascape. Black sand substrate; possibly terraced with a section of natural sand. Lots of vertical wood structure: I'm going to head out to the desert some time this week and try to find some old, weathered juniper roots and branches to play the role of tree trunks. Some smooth river stones around the roots.
Plants should include some of the smaller swords (melon, rosette), some sort of low-grower up front (possibly eleocharus mini...recommendations?), Java moss and ferns on the hardscape, and some smaller-leafed plants here and there for varied color and texture (maybe Alternatera reineckii 'rosaefolia'? recommendations?). Red-root floaters and/or Frogbit up top. As per the Walstad method, I want to start with at least 10 different plant species and weed out the less successful/less pleasing ones as time goes by. Thanks Amazon Joe for the recommendations so far.
If the plants don't keep the parameters optimal, I'm thinking about adding a very simple aquaponic-ish setup, with some smallish decorative and/or edible plants (peppers and well-trimmed tomatoes, most likely, this being South America and all) in peat pots along the top, roots trailing directly into the aquarium.
2 Natural-colored Scalare Angels. I really want altums, but I don't think this tank is tall enough for them, and they're a fairly fussy species, needing more care than I am willing/able to give. Scalares are almost as pretty, close enough for the biotope, and a heckuva lot easier to take care of.
10 Cardinal Tetras. I could do 20 Rubies, but I'm afraid the angels would eat them. Thoughts?
5 Bandit cories.
10 Otocinclus.
That's all for now...


text:
DisplayLink has announced that it has developed a new way of enabling video projection via the USB 2.0 interface rather than the usual video ports.
When the driver is installed, it automatically recognizes that a DisplayLink-compatible projector is attached and configures itself. Up to four projectors can be used simultaneously on the same machine, according to InFocus.
Mac support for some DisplayLink-equipped products first emerged in 2008, when DisplayLink offered beta and then release drivers that enabled devices equipped with the technology to operate with the Mac. This marks InFocus' release of Mac drivers for its projector products,
The growing demand for alternative projector interface has been evident. It caters to the business and private demands of people who make use of these projectors for various purposes in aiding their respective goals.
(Source) MacWorld


text:
Analysis Topic: Personal FinanceThe analysis published under this topic are as follows.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
UK Savings Market Recovery Weakened by Bank of England Lending Schemes / Personal_Finance / Saving Bonds
The latest data from moneyfacts.co.uk reveals that the savings market has now had seven consecutive months wherein rate rises have outweighed cuts, with July seeing 151 rises versus 45 cuts.
Fixed rate bonds are continuing to play a huge part in the recovery of the market, with 60% of the recorded rate rises last month being for fixed rate bonds. In fact, the average two-year fixed bond has grown from 1.04% to 1.32% since the start of the year, and a similar picture can be seen for longer-term bonds. The average three-year fixed bond has grown from 1.21% to 1.56%, while the average five-year fixed bond is up to 1.92% from 1.67% in January 2017.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, August 12, 2017
How to Alton Towers Half Price Discount Entry 2017 and 2018, Any Time, No Pre-Booking! / Personal_Finance / Theme Parks
We are now well into the 2017 summer holidays, and whenever we have a rain free day many UK families will be off on day trips to the UK's various theme parks, with Alton Towers definitely at the top of the list especially for 12's and over's. But Don't pay the GATE price! In fact don't pay the lower online price either! that requires pre-booking, which means your gambling on the weather.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, August 05, 2017
Why Switching to a Roth IRA May Be the Best Investment Decision You'll Ever Make / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement
By Terry Coxon : Should you convert your traditional IRA or 401k to a Roth? Or are you better off sticking with what you already have?
Either way, you stay plugged into the same powerful, wealth-building advantage that makes an IRA such a good thing to have—continuous compounding of investment returns unhindered by the drag of taxes.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, August 02, 2017
Alton Towers Discount Voucher Half Price Entry ANY TIME, No Pre-Booking! / Personal_Finance / Holidays
It's the summer holidays once more and so once it stops raining many UK families will be off on day trips to the UK's various theme parks, with Alton Towers definitely at the top of the list especially for the 12's and over's.
Whilst there are the usual promotions on the breakfast cereals running, such as Adults go free with a paying child. The only problem with these offers are that according to Alton Towers to be a child you have to be under 12!Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Students, It's Time to Prepare Your Finances for the Years Ahead / Personal_Finance / Student Finances
As we approach a brand new academic year, prospective students and those ready to graduate might be considering the most cost-effective bank account that will cover their day-to-day needs. Choosing a good student bank account and finding out how to manage finances will be an essential part of life, especially for those who will be living away from home for the first time.
The latest analysis by moneyfacts.co.uk highlights some of the most essential elements when it comes to choosing the right student account and how students can prepare themselves for the years ahead.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Fixed Interest Rate Bond Rises Fuel Recovery in UK Savings Market / Personal_Finance / Savings Accounts
The latest data from moneyfacts.co.uk reveals that the savings market has now had six consecutive months wherein rate rises have outweighed cuts, with June seeing 125 rises versus 21 cuts.
Fixed rate bonds have been playing a huge part in the recovery of the market since the start of 2017, with last month showing that 78% of the recorded rate rises were for fixed rate bonds.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, July 17, 2017
Relocation: Everything You Need to do for a Smooth Transition Abroad / Personal_Finance / Immigration
Justin Weinger writes: Dreaming of moving abroad? It's not full steam ahead until you've sorted out some vital things including your finances, your housing and where on earth you're going to store all of your belongings in the meantime. Here's a relocation guide that will benefit you no matter where you're going.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
One-year Fixed Savings Interest Rates Hit Highest Level Since Base Rate Cut / Personal_Finance / Savings Accounts
It's now been 11 months since the Bank of England cut the base rate to 0.25%, and many savers will have felt the impact. Thankfully, there have been some signs of life recently, with challenger banks increasing rates considerably on their one-year fixed rate bonds.
According to the latest research by moneyfacts.co.uk, the average one-year fixed bond rate has now hit 1.11%, which is the highest recorded rate since 4 August 2016.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, July 10, 2017
What Sports Are in Store for the Rest of 2017? / Personal_Finance / Gambling...
Tuesday, July 04, 2017
UK Bank Rewards Current Accounts / Personal_Finance / Current Accounts
Consumers looking to earn a little back when they switch and spend may have noticed that some current account providers are shrinking the rewards they have on offer. The reason behind this appears to be down to low interest rates, but other factors could also be dampening activity in this area of the market.
The banks are expected to retain more capital, which could result in them spending less on perks for customers - meaning decreasing and disappearing rewards, as we've seen since the start of 2017.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Important Money Management Tips For Teenagers / Personal_Finance / Student FinancesFinancial literacy among teenagers is much lower than it should be. This is, in part, because money management education is not properly taught in schools. Most of the teens have no idea what personal finance is and why it is important. Parents are the ones that need to teach teens about money management. Obviously, this is much more difficult than it seems. The good news is that raising financially literate teenagers can be done. Follow these tips to do exactly that.
Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, June 24, 2017
Best Cash ISA for Soaring Inflation, Kent Reliance Illustrates the Great ISA Rip Off / Personal_Finance / ISA's
According to the mainstream press there are emerging signs of life in the UK savings markets as the new tax year has kicked into gear, finally offering some hope to Britain's savers after a near 5 years of a catastrophic downward death spiral in UK interest rates, one of being ripped off by the tax payer bailed out banking crime syndicate that for the duration has continued to bank bonuses on the basis of artificial profits engineered by the Bank of England in an attempt at recapitalisng the bankrupt banks all whilst the savers continue to suffer and pay the price in terms of loss of purchasing power of savings by means of sub inflation interest rates.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Walkers Pay Packet Promo Win After 540 Crisp Packets? / Personal_Finance / Freebies and Comps
Were into the final month of Walkers pay packet promotion, and has anyone won anything? Lets see if we finally win something, even a fiver after another walkers crisps buying trip to this time TESCO! Will buying from Tesco make any difference to our lack of winnings so fare? Lets find out what the chances are after 90 multi-packs and 540 packets of crisp packets later....Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, June 15, 2017
How to Find the Best Auto Loan / Personal_Finance / Debt & Loans...
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
UK High Street Loan Interest Rates More than 2% Higher Compared to Challengers / Personal_Finance / Debt & Loans
The quarterly Moneyfacts UK Credit Card Trends Treasury Report, which studies the UK personal finance market (Unsecured Personal Loans, Credit Cards and Overdrafts), shows that the gap between unsecured personal loan rates from high street brands and the rest of the market has widened, with high street rates now 2.3% higher on average compared to other providers*.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
UK Savers' Apathy Can Cause them to Miss the Best Deals / Personal_Finance / Savings Accounts
Data from moneyfacts.co.uk can reveal that the savings market has shown some signs of improvement since the start of 2017, with the number of savings rate rises outweighing cuts for the fifth month running. In fact, rises outnumbered cuts by a third, as Moneyfacts recorded 95 rate rises in May versus 60 rate reductions.Read full article... Read full article...
Monday, June 12, 2017
The Disturbing Trend That Will End in a Full-Fledged Pension Crisis / Personal_Finance / Pensions & Retirement
Shannara Johnson writes : Some experts think it will be the trigger for the next financial collapse. Others call it a "national crisis" of unprecedented proportions.
But what all of them agree on is that there's no way US pension funds can keep their promises to the next wave of retirees.
Right now, millions of Americans are hard at work believing their pensions will be their saving grace for retirement. But the predicament pension funds across the United States find themselves in does not just spell trouble for the distant future.Read full article... Read full article...
Saturday, June 10, 2017
... / Personal_Finance / Debt & Loans...
Thursday, June 08, 2017
People Will Live Past Age 100, Yet Most Of Them Won't Afford It / Personal_Finance / Longevity
I have good news and bad news.
The good news is that you and your children will probably have much longer lives than you imagine. The bad news is that you'll have to pay the bill for it.Read full article... Read full article...
Tuesday, June 06, 2017
Tips for Choosing the Best Credit Card / Personal_Finance / Credit Cards & Scoring
When the time comes to get a credit card, you'll have to take a moment to research your available options. Having a card certainly has its privileges. You'll never need to worry about walking around with lots of cash in your pocket again. Plus, you get to experience an added sense of security by having access to cash and credit at a moment's notice.Read full article... Read full article...


text:
Give Angels & Demons a spin - it's a new offering from Sha Stimuli. It was dropped on Friday, February 17th, 2012. Sha Stimuli's rap artistry continues to improve with every release, something which is most definitely evidenced on Angels & Demons. His ever-expanding catalogue is definitely better for it, and we're looking forward to the next piece of the puzzle - aren't you?
Hear more of Sha Stimuli on Hellbound. Check out Sha Stimuli's profile page for the most recent info, news, songs, and mixtapes.
Quotable Lyrics
"I wake up with the voice in my head that says God's watching
Studied scriptures and even skimmed thru Allah's doctrine
Minutes later I'm thinking of killing haters and ways to bring in some paper so having faith is a hard option
My moms told me that praying will get me far in life
And anytime it gets hectic just give your heart to Christ
But I don't know if the Lord can help my bars get tight
Or make the fans think I'm a star that's nice I'm an artist writing


text:
Emily ZimmermanAssistant Professor
- Department of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology
Office: 228C Forsyth
Phone: 617-373-5140
Email: email@example.com
BA: University of Kansas
MA: University of Kansas
PhD: University of Kansas
Postdoctoral Fellowship: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Suck, Swallow, Respiration & Speech in Premature and Full Term Infants
- Sensorimotor control of suck, swallow, respiration & speech
- Creating early speech-language assessments that can be implemented soon after birth
- Creating therapeutic multisensory stimulation paradigms that can improve short term (respiration, sucking, swallowing, feeding) and long term (speech, language, cognition)outcomes
Research Focus: Dr. Zimmerman directs the Speech & Neurodevelopment Lab (SNL). The main goal of the SNL is to create assessments and therapeutic interventions that enhance suck, swallow, respiration, and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Of particular interest are multisensory interventions that improve oral feeding in preterm infants.
Professor Zimmerman teaches courses in Language Development and Anatomy and Physiology of the Vocal Mechanism.
Zimmerman, E., Keunen, K., Norton, M., Lahav, A. (2013). Weight Gain Velocity in Very Low-Birth-Weight Infants: Effects of Exposure to Biological Maternal Sounds. American J. Perinatology, [Epub ahead of print].
Zimmerman E, McMahon E, Doheny L, Levine P, Lahav A. (2013). Transmission of biological maternal sounds does not interfere with routine NICU care: assessment of dose variability in very low birth weight infants. J Pediatr Neonat Individual Med. 1(1), 73-80.
Zimmerman, E., & Lahav, A. (2013). Ototoxicity in preterm infants: effects of genetics, aminoglycosides, and loud environmental noise. J Perinatol. 33(1):3-8
Barlow, S.M., Urish, M., Venkatesan, L., Harold, M., Zimmerman, E. (2012). Frequency Modulation (FM) and Spatiotemporal Stability of the sCPG in Preterm Infants with RDS. International J Pediatrics, [Epub ahead of print].
Zimmerman, E., Barlow, S.M. (2011). The Effects of Vestibular Stimulation Rate and Magnitude of Acceleration on Central Pattern Generation for Chest Wall Kinematics in Preterm Infants. J Perinatology, 32(8):614-20.
Poore, M., Zimmerman, E., Barlow, S.M., Wang, J., Gu, F. (2008). NTrainer therapy increases suck spatiotemporal stability in preterm infants. Acta Paediatrica, 97(7), 920-927.
Zimmerman, E., Barlow, S.M. (2008). Pacifier stiffness alters the dynamics of the suck central pattern generator. J Neonatal Nursing, 14(3):79-86. * Editor's Choice Award


text:
Property Assessed Clean Energy
April 2018
- Property assessed clean energy (PACE) programs are a way for property owners to finance energy-efficient renovations.
- Residential and commercial PACE programs have grown substantially over the past several years, though the securitization of these loans is still in the early stages.
- Looking beyond the standard lineup of asset-backed securities allows Diamond Hill to add value for our clients.
One of the unique aspects of the Diamond Hill fixed income team is our focus on securitized products including, but not limited to, residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities (ABS). According to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), ABS is a $1.5 trillion market as of December 31, 2017, which has grown substantially since its emergence in the mid-1980s. The size of the ABS market peaked in 2007 leading up to the Financial Crisis and subsequently began a decline as issuance was greatly reduced and outstanding deals continue to pay down. Only more recently has the market begun to rebound as it expands beyond the traditional categories. One of the newer types of ABS is property assessed clean energy (PACE) bonds.
The Original PACE Program
PACE began in one of the most environmentally conscious communities in the United States: Berkeley, California. In November 2007, the Berkeley City Council took an innovative approach to assisting residents who were interested in adopting the green energy movement. Berkeley First was a new program to facilitate solar energy system installation by establishing a voluntary, long-term assessment on an individual's property tax bill. Berkeley established the Sustainable Energy Financing District to fund the installation of solar electric systems and repay the financing through property tax bills over a preset time period of 20 years. As the innovator in this new field, the program delivered four distinct advantages to homeowners trying to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels:
- There was little upfront cost to the property owner.
- Capital costs would be repaid through a voluntary tax on the property, avoiding any impact to the property owner's credit.
- Cost of the system would be comparable to financing through a home equity line of credit or second mortgage as the bond is secured by the home.
- Obligation for the loan transfers with the property.
While Berkeley First was restricted to solar installations and offered to a limited audience, it helped determine the viability of expanding the utilization of financing for clean energy. The program was initiated with 40 available slots for homeowners and all slots were filled within the first 15 minutes that online applications were open. Under the program, 13 projects were completed with roughly $336,000 in financing provided. This was considered a significant first step in establishing a model for clean energy financing.
How Does PACE Work?
In order to establish PACE programs, state legislation must be passed to authorize municipalities and local governments to design and develop programs to meet constituents' needs. PACE programs are repaid and processed in the same manner as other local public benefit assessments such as sewers and sidewalks. Depending on the jurisdiction, assessments are paid either semi-annually or annually, become a portion of the property's tax bill, and serve as a lien on the property. The payments, like taxes, are collected by the cities and counties running the PACE programs and the money is passed along to the lenders, with the local government collecting a fee. The fees collected by the local government can be substantial. As reported by the Wall Street Journal1, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017 the Western Riverside Council of Governments (WRCOG) in California collected $7.1 million in revenue from PACE programs. While each PACE program can be slightly different to meet the specific needs of the local population's economic and ecological goals, there are certain aspects that are common in all PACE programs. The program and financing mechanism is strictly voluntary and can be combined with utility, local and federal incentive programs. The projects are permanent additions to the homes and transfer with the home at the time of sale.
Expansion and Government Intervention
With the success of the pilot program in Berkeley and additional success with programs in San Francisco and Boulder County, Colorado, the PACE movement was growing steadily. In 2009, the PACE program was adopted by the Obama administration, which announced new rules for PACE and also approved more than $100 million in grants to accelerate the expansion of PACE programs. In response to the White House's action regarding PACE, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac challenged the very concept of PACE and, in particular, the program's ability to assume a superior lien position to the home's actual mortgage (it is considered a tax assessment, which would be senior to all non-tax liens including mortgages). Both agencies issued new guidance that determined a PACE loan to be a violation of the property owner's mortgage agreement, therefore creating a default event on the mortgage. They also announced that they would not purchase any mortgages on properties that had PACE loans, thus limiting the marketing and potential repackaging of mortgages on homes with PACE loans. The action from Fannie and Freddie stalled growth in the industry as local and state governments placed a hold on their PACE programs over concerns about the impact to homeowners.
With federal roadblocks limiting the expansion of residential PACE programs, commercial property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) programs began to flourish. C-PACE programs take the innovation of the PACE program and apply it to commercial, industrial, multifamily and nonprofit entities and assist in providing low-cost, long-term financing for environmentally conscious upgrades to facilities. The C-PACE industry has the ability to expand and develop without constraints placed upon it by the federal government. At the end of 2017, C-PACE programs are now operating in 20 states and an additional 13 states have active C-PACE-enabling legislation.
Despite the aforementioned efforts from the federal government to intervene in the residential PACE industry and halt its expansion, PACE programs have been approved in 34 states and Washington, D.C., and three states now offer residential PACE programs (California, Missouri and Florida). Even with a limited market, residential PACE has outgrown commercial PACE since inception, though at a similar trajectory.
Headline Headaches and Growing Pains
As with any new industry the PACE market has experienced growing pains, most of which were exacerbated by news headlines. The Wall Street Journal raised the profile of the industry as well as concerns about the business model upon which PACE is built. The aforementioned January 2017 article alleged that contractors were serving as loan brokers for PACE deals but were not properly trained to do so. Since PACE loans are based on the value of the property and not on the credit history of the borrower, individual credit ratings are of less importance compared to other segments of financing. Contractors, fueled by referral fees from lenders, began to aggressively market PACE bonds to assist in landing jobs.
As a result of some of the earlier issues that arose in the PACE industry, new disclosure laws have been put in place to align PACE loans more closely with mortgage lending terms. In 2016, Department of Energy released its Best Practice Guidelines for Residential PACE Financing Programs. The document provided best practices for:
- Eligibility measures and property-owner eligibility
- Consumer and lender protections
- Education and disclosure
- Establish maximum assessment amounts
- Documentation improvements
- Disclosure standardization
- Property appraisals (pre- and post-improvement)
- Quality assurance, data collection and evaluation
The winds of change continue to swirl around the industry. In 2016, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) declared that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) would begin insuring mortgages that carry liens created by PACE programs. This decision was revoked at the end of 2017 by the Trump administration, citing concern around the impact of PACE liens to the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund as well as the lack of consumer protections.
Benefits Beyond the Financial Markets
In a paper published in March 2018 titled, "Assessing the PACE of California Residential Solar PV (Photovoltaic) Deployment," results of a study on the impact of residential PACE programs on the deployment of solar energy systems was released. The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. This report, while not the first studying the impact of PACE on PV deployment, was the first to encompass the impact of large, statewide programs. The study covers the time period from 2010 through 2015 and examines PACE impacts from two different standpoints: large cities only and all cities in California. Some of the high-level results offer a compelling argument for expansion throughout the entire country. Specifically, in Californian cities with a population of 65,000 or more, the PACE programs are credited with a 12% increase in PV deployment. When expanded to include all Californian cities, the increase in PV deployments measures roughly 7% as a result of PACE availability. The paper also noted that during the study period, PACE programs in California funded $1.8 billion in clean energy improvements, with 37% of the investment spent on renewable energy including rooftop PV systems.
Securitization for PACE and C-PACE
Though PACE programs, both residential and commercial, have grown substantially over the past several years, the securitization of these loans is still in the early stages. Unlike most other ABS deals, the collateral associated with a PACE transaction is not a loan or lease, but a voluntary tax lien agreed upon by the residential or commercial property holder in order to finance energy efficient improvements.
The first securitization of residential PACE bonds, HERO 2014, was completed by Renovate America on behalf of WRCOG by utilizing both state and federal legal channels. Due to the ongoing legal wrangling between the FHA and the PACE industry at the time, less than 40% of the mortgages linked to the residential properties in the deal were financed by government-sponsored enterprises. This initial $104 million deal was rated AA by Kroll and delivered a coupon of 4.75% with significant excess spread, overcollateralization, and a liquidity reserve of 3.0%. The transaction was not broadly distributed but rather focused on specific investors. This initial foray into securitization was followed by the second PACE securitization seven months later, which was issued on behalf of WRCOG and the San Bernardino Associated Governments (SANBAG). According to industry group PACENation, the size of the residential PACE securitization market has grown from the first two deals in 2014 totaling over $230 million to nearly $1.5 billion just three years later.
The first securitization for C-PACE was completed in September 2017 by Greenworks Lending. This was a private deal arranged by investment management firms and, while not publicly available, illustrated the feasibility and appetite for such deals.
The Diamond Hill Fixed Income Team is able to exploit some of the pricing inefficiencies associated with the PACE securitization market by applying our bottom-up research analysis and a deep understanding of the structure of the deals and companies that bring them to market. Meeting with firms like Renovate America, Ygrene, Renew, PACE Funding and others provides insight into the issuing firm's history, philosophy, background, and financial stability. We combine the qualitative aspects of understanding a company with the quantitative methodology of breaking down deals to their basic components to truly understand how they are structured and where risks may reside.
Capacity discipline also plays a very important role in the ongoing management of our fixed income strategies. Our smaller size allows us to take advantage of deal issues that larger firms would not consider, as the size of the deal would be a negligible addition to a very large strategy. At Diamond Hill, portfolio managers are solely responsible for determining the capacity estimates for their strategies. The key consideration in estimating a strategy's capacity is to determine what asset size may hinder our ability to add value over a passive alternative. Portfolio managers have the authority to close their strategies before they reach an asset size where they believe that they can no longer add sufficient value.
1 "America's Fastest Growing Loan Category has Eerie Echoes of Subprime Crisis" The Wall Street Journal, January 10, 2017.
Originally published on April 27, 2018.
The views expressed are those of Diamond Hill as of April 2018 and are subject to change. These opinions are not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of results, or investment advice.


text:
MashMeet DC REMIX: Announcement and Call for Sponsors
In correlation with the upcoming Politics Online Conference, I proudly announce MashMeet DC REMIX. Similar to the MashMeet NYC REMIX, this will be a twist on our MashMeet platform and will incorporate presentations, food and music all within a private space. The 170 person event will be held on March 5th at 7 pm in Ogilvy PR's DC offices. Myself, Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins (who is speaking at the Politics Online Conference) and Adam Ostrow will be in attendance. Tickets will be available soon.
We are still looking for several sponsors, so please contact me immediately if you are interested. Presentations will be streamed via the web on Mashable and our 2 affiliates for this event, The Social Times and Ogilvy PR's 360° Digital Influence group.
Our Hosts:
360° Digital Influence is a global word of mouth marketing discipline with a methodology for identifying and engaging digital influencers and activating networks of people to share and recommend products, services and issues. We create engaging experiences designed to promote awareness, brand loyalty, advocacy and conversion. Our clients include Intel, Lenovo, Hitachi Data Systems, Double Click, CDW, Brocade and Green Power. Read more on the 360° Digital Influence Blog.
Streaming Video Partner/Presenter:
Janmedia is an international digital agency, headquartered in Washington DC, supporting clients globally. We fuse a unique blend of usability, design and technology expertise under one roof to provide rich media solutions including advanced video streaming, interactive effects and animation, custom web design, enterprise programming services, strategy consultation and catered hosting solutions. Our 2 Presenters Already on Board: Lumifi is a new research portal that intelligently analyzes search results, web sites or documents — automatically extracting the most relevant topics, snippets and citations. Lumifi also features tools to annotate and manage research projects, collaborate with peers and colleagues, and publish reports to the web or to the desktop in Word.
Launching at TED 2008, kluster is a web based collaboration & decision-making platform. Everyone has ideas, we provide a platform to get them out of heads and into the world… where they belong. kluster can facilitate any decision making activity that is better served by asking a group.


text:
Huge product rangeOver 140,000 books & equipment products
Rapid shippingUK & Worldwide
Pay in £, € or U.S.$By card, cheque, transfer, draft
Exceptional customer serviceGet specialist help and advice
Primate locomotion has typically been studied from two points of view. Laboratory-based researchers have focused on aspects like biomechanics and energetics, whereas field-based researchers have focused on (locomotor) behaviour and ecology. Unfortunately, to date, there is relatively little scientific exchange between both groups. With a book, which will be the result of a symposium on the 2008 Meeting of the International Primatological Society in Edinburgh, we would like to bring together laboratory and field-based primate locomotion studies. We are convinced this will be beneficial for both research lines. For example, biomechanists might wonder how frequently the locomotor style they study in the lab actually occurs in nature, and field workers might use calculated costs of locomotion to understand why certain locomotor behaviours are favoured under specific conditions.
Thus, on the one hand, an established link between both groups may help interpret the results by using each other's findings. On the other hand, recent technological advances (e.g. portable high-speed cameras) make it possible to bridge the gap between lab-based and field-based research by actually collecting biomechanical data in situ. Again, communication between both groups is necessary to identify the specific needs and start up achievable and successful research projects in the field. In order to generate a wide interest, we have invited biomechanists, ecologists, and field-based researchers who combine both disciplines, and we hope their combined contributions will facilitate lasting cooperation between the mentioned disciplines and stimulate innovative research in Primatology.
Tuttle RH
Chapter 1: Introduction: Primate locomotion – towards a synergy of laboratory and field research.
Vereecke AA & D'Août K
Chapter 2: Translating primate locomotor biomechanical variables from the laboratory to the field.
Schmitt D
Chapter 3: Studying captive ape locomotion: past, present and future.
Vereecke EE, D'Août K & Aerts P
Chapter 4: Experimental and computational studies of bipedal locomotion in the bipedally-trained Japanese macaque.
Ogihara N, Hirasaki E & Nakatsukasa M
Chapter 5: In what manner do quadrupedal primates walk on two legs? Preliminary results on Olive Baboons (Papio anubis).
Berillon G, D'Août K, Daver G, Dubreuil G, Multon F, Nicolas G & de la Villetanet B
Chapter 6: Scapula movements and their contribution to three-dimensional forelimb excursions in quadruped primates.
Schmidt M & Krause C
Chapter 7: The influence of load carrying on gait parameters in humans and apes: implications for the evolution of human bipedalism.
Watson J, Payne R, Chamberlain A, Jones R & Sellers W
Chapter 8: Field and experimental approaches to the study of locomotor ontogeny in Propithecus verreauxi.
Wunderlich RE, Lawler RR & Williams AE
Chapter 9: Comparisons of limb structural properties in free-ranging chimpanzees from Kibale, Gombe, Mahale, and Taï communities.
Carlson KJ, Wrangham RW, Muller MN, Sumner DR, Morbeck ME, Nishida T, Yamanaka A & Boesch C
Chapter 10: Field study methods for primate locomotion.
Blanchard M, Sellers WI & Crompton RH
Chapter 11: Gibbon locomotion research in the field – problems, possibilities and benefits for conservation.
Cheyne SM
Chapter 12: Posture, ischial tuberosities and tree zone use is West African cercopithecids
McGraw & Sciulli PW.
Chapter 13: Forelimb suspensory gait characteristics of wild Lagothrix poeppigii and Ateles belzebuth: developing video based methodologies in free-ranging primates.
Guillot DM
Chapter 14: Gait and kinematics of arboreal quadrupedal walk of free-ranging red howlers (Alouatta seniculus) in French Guiana.
Youlatos D & Gasc J-P
Chapter 15: From treadmill to tropics: calculating ranging cost in chimpanzees.
Pontzer H, Raichlen DA & Sockol MD
Chapter 16: Linking field and laboratory approaches for studying primate locomotor responses to support orientation.
Stevens NJ, Ratsimbazafy JH & Ralainasolo F
Chapter 17: Quadrupedal locomotion of Saimiri boliviensis: a comparison of field and lab-based kinematic data.
Shapiro LJ, Young JW & Souther A
"As the subtitle indicates, the contributions in this book aim to synthesize field and laboratory studies. The editors have compiled 17 chapters [...] by 45 contributors that cover a wide variety of topics related to locomotor behavior. [...] Figure quality, including some color illustrations, throughout the book is quite good [...] . Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals in primatology, biological anthropology, and zoology."
- E. J. Sargis, Choice, Vol. 48 (10), June, 2011


text:
Sport at Mayfield
Our vision is to improve and increase the quality and quantity of high quality PE for pupils, to show how PE can enhance pupils' attainment and achievement and to create pathways for them to continue to be active beyond school. We will be developing our links to outside agencies and clubs which will help to generate positive interaction in the community. We are striving towards improving the delivery of the teaching and learning of PE in order to promote participation, progress and performance.
'High quality PE and school sport produces young people with the skills, understanding, desire and commitment to continue to improve and achieve in a range of PE, sport and health-enhancing physical activities in line with their abilities' (DCMS Learning through PE & Sport).
Our school recognises the impact that the provision of a high quality PE and school sport curriculum has on the whole school and that it can lead to whole school improvements. Developing pupil's personal qualities through PE can affect their attitudes towards school and learning. When PE and school sport provision is of the highest quality, all pupils will, to the best of their abilities, develop and demonstrate the following personal qualities:
- · A strong desire to learn and make progress;
- · High levels of dedication, attendance and involvement in PE and school sport;
- · High levels of commitment to PE and school sport;
- · Good levels of positive behaviour such as politeness, fair play and helpfulness; and
- · High levels of enjoyment and enthusiasm and a strong desire to get involved.
By implementing a monitoring and reviewing assessment system of PE, we can measure the impact and progress of the quality and provision within our school which will lead to overall whole school improvement.
Youth Sport Trust Silver Quality Mark
Youth Sport Trust Partner Schools demonstrate high quality outcomes in physical education, school sport and whole school achievement via a quality assured self-review. Completion leads to a bronze, silver or gold Partner School Award. We have now been awarded The Silver Mark for the year 2014-2015. This is renewed each year and we will be looking to move to the gold award in our self-review.


text:
Guest post from Ian Ray. Ian is editorial manager at The Children's Trust, the UK's leading charity for children with brain injury. He leads the Brain Injury Hub, an online resource and forum for families of children with brain injury.
How do you tell your child they may not be quite the same again?
Thousands of parents across the UK face this very problem each year after their child sustains an acquired brain injury.
It's hard to overstate how shocking this can be for a family, as their otherwise healthy little boy or girl is hospitalised through an impact to the head, or a 'non-traumatic' injury such as stroke or meningitis. This shockwave may rumble on for many years afterwards, as children and families contend with a huge range of issues and impairments (it would take another handful of blogs to cover them all!).
Just one of these issues is the difficulty some children have with their own awareness about their injury and its effects. This makes a lot of sense when you think about it, in that the very organ children use to make sense of themselves may not be at full strength.
On the face of it, this lack of awareness might seem a blessing, but actually, it may be hard for children to address their difficulties if they don't understand them. They may push themselves too hard, or miss mistakes they're making.
Heads Up, Tim-Tron
With Heads Up, Tim-Tron, we've tried to help parents of younger children broach this complex issue in a colourful and interesting way. It's a picture book about a little robot who bangs his head, an idea that came about after one of our clinicians compared the human brain to a cluster of tiny working circuits.
We know boys are disproportionately affected by traumatic brain injury, and a comparison with the circuits in a little robot's brain seemed like a funny way to appeal to them (hopefully without excluding little girls!).
The more we thought it through, the more aspects of brain injury seemed ripe for the robot treatment; the tiredness children experience after an injury might be rendered as a battery running low, or the difficulty some children have absorbing information might be trouble with a processor.
We'd recently launched our Brain Injury Hub resource and forum, and so a story for children seemed like the perfect next step.
Getting started
After working up the story from home, I nervously took my first draft to a writing tutor, who helped me get the book in better shape. He suggested I put together some guide illustrations to 'storyboard' the book, which was enormous fun.
As the story developed, it became increasingly important that we didn't have a big, shiny happy ending. Sadly, we know rehabilitation can sometimes be an ongoing process for children, so it was important that our story ended on a cautiously optimistic note. I hope we've achieved this.
When I had something that looked like a (somewhat amateurish) children's book, our own experts made sure it 'did its job' from a clinical perspective. We also shared the draft with some of our families, who weren't shy about telling us it was far too long.
Illustrating the book
Our director of fundraising was able to have the project charitably-funded, and we were now ready to take on an illustrator for the book. This was far and away the most exciting aspect of the project, as I trawled through illustration directories looking at every conceivable style of children's artwork.
We eventually chose Garry Parsons, an award-winning artist who hand-paints each page of his books. With his expert eye, Garry saw immediately that my version of Tim-Tron was too adult-like for young children, so he put together a collection of little robot drawings we could show to children to see who their favourites were.
With our main character designed, Garry developed initial 'thumbnail' sketches that soon became a pencil storyboard for the entire book. This itself then blossomed into a series of vivid paintings telling Tim-Tron's story.
Richard Hammond lends his support
Over the last few years The Children's Trust has benefited from the support of Richard Hammond, the Top Gear presenter who himself sustained a brain injury during filming. Despite a manic calendar of filming and appearances, Richard took the time to record an audiobook version of Heads Up, Tim-Tron for families to read along with.
With the audiobook recorded, our production process was almost complete, and after a couple of insomnia-inducing slip-ups in our schedule, we got the book to our printer.
Getting the final product back in a series of neat little boxes was a genuine thrill. And shortly afterwards, we were told the United Kingdom Brain Injury Forum had awarded us their "Innovation in the Field of Brain Injury" award for the project, a wonderful recognition of the hard work of our little team.
All we need to do now is get the book into your hands. I'm already proud of our little robot, and I hope his story will be genuinely useful to children, their friends, siblings and families.
Tim-Tron will be available from 13 January for just the cost of postage and packing from The Children's Trust, email firstname.lastname@example.com if you're interested.
Scope also has a list of positive children's books featuring disabled characters and storybooks to download.


text:
Below is a very interesting, yet quite sad, infographic about US Life Expectancy verus health care costs. The infographic comes from the Healthcare Intelligence Network (tm) (www.hin.com), which is a site that regularly produces outstanding and intesting content. The original article, entitled InfoGraphic: The Failure of US Healthcare Spending, was written by Jackie Lyons and posted on March 5th, 2013.
THe bottom line is that despite spending more than any other country on health care, that US life expectancy doesn't even rank in the top 50. A portion of the Infographic is shown below. Please click on it to see the full graphic.
Here at Ankota, we're trying to do our part to increase life expectancy and reduce health care costs by helping care providers who focus on avoiding hospitalizations. Our software helps companies manage transitions of care to avoid readmissions after a hospitalization, and also helps manage home care (to enable elderly people to remain living in the comfort of their own homes. The benefits are profound because avoided hospitalizations reduce cost and improve outcomes and quality of life.
Click on the images below for informative free white papers on readmission avoidance and highly effective home care.
Ankota provides software to improve the delivery of care outside the hospital, focusing on efficiency and care coordination. Ankota's primary focus is on Care Transitions for Reeadmisison avoidance and on management of Private Duty non-medical home care. To learn more, please visit www.ankota.com or contact Ankota.


text:
First off no I have not changed apps to zbrush... But I always test all apps when they release a new version. I do however use zbrush for things there is no mudbox or 3d coat equivelant for.
Its not often I do a critisism of an entire style of design of 3d modelling. Its risky and it can piss people off. (but hey what else is new...) But never being one to stand back from controvesy (and being a moody old bugger who hardly slept last night), I felt this critisism needs to be said. ...and let the cards fall where they will.
This model from last night (named 'Overkill') was meant as a heavy handed critisim of the recent plethora of Michael Bay-esque style mech design that I hate with a passion normally reserved for warring nations. (Now I've nothing against him and I'm sure he's a very nice guy really though lol) If I had simply put the critisism that follows without a demonstration of me actually doing it, then it would have simply been wrote off as 'oh he's only saying that because he cant do it himself'. Just because I do not do a style does not mean I cannot...like a lot of artists.
This is not hard to do and requires no artistic ability whatsoever on the half of the artist. You could teach a monkey to model in this style. Seriously I am not exagerating here. Its takes no artistic talent whatsoever. If you put no thought into function, forms and balance of design, then you end up with an abomination like this. What I hate about is that just banging a shit load of detail onto a model does not make it good. It is easy to fool the human eye into going 'wow!' just through sheer ammount of detail.
... that however does not make it a good model.
So this model is meant to show :
... that however does not make it a good model.
So this model is meant to show :
- How easy it is to do something like this in about 75mins
- What happens when you don't bear in mind form, function and balance of detail.
- A lot of parts or detail do not make a good model...and this is junk....literally. The difference between a good mech design and a bad one is the difference between a migraine and blamange lol.
- That you can make something that looks 'cool' (alledgedly) without it ever being able to be animated or even move. Its is easy with a total disregard to how a thing would mechanically work to make something that is smothered in detail such as this.
Simply covering something in pointless widdles can never replace a properly thought out design that can actually function.
...Thus end-eth the sermon for today.
How it was made:
Everything you see in the video is a default zbrush install of the latest version. A shit load of mesh insert brushes were useed with parts from just about every single one of the buggers. Unfortunatley the file /timelapse function in zbrush screwed up on this and corrupted the rest of the workflow, but its basically more of the same. Then the part I had made was then canibalised into the other parts. 'Simples'.
Now this workflow can of course be used for things with far better designs that this piece of crap. in fact i do have something in mind at some point soonish (time allowing) that will do exactly this workflow, only in a fashion that would produce a model with good design ethics.
Now while I may hate this style of modelling, its not the first time I've modelled something in a style I personally cant stand. Part of being a profesional artist is not just making things that you like or think are 'cool', but also to be able to still produce your best when you cannot stand the model or subject matter your working on.
But when producing portfolio pieces, maybe we should all make a vow to try not to just add etail and various nwiddles just so people will have a eye orgasm. Make it mean something and the detail have both form balance and purpose.
Now I'll keep this model on my site purely so I can then tell what clients have good taste and who has bad taste lol. Thus meaning I can then add a 'artisticly blind' tax to my invoices. :)


text:
By Diana Ransom
WHEN GEORGE W. BUSH last year signed into law an expanded Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) that made it easier to qualify as disabled, employers worried what the impact would be on their businesses. Right now, they have a temporary reprieve as the Obama administration reviews the act, but in the next six months that could change if the law is broadened again.
The changing landscape has benefitted Debra Ruh. The owner of TecAccess, a Rockville, Va., technology accessibility consulting firm, Ruh, 50, works with tech clients such as Dell and AOL to comply with the law and ensure that their web sites and products are accessible to people with disabilities. Business is picking up as the economy recovers: TecAccess's revenue this year will reach $4 million, double the 2008 number, says Ruh. She expects profits to drop about 5% from last year, to $200,000.
SmartMoney asked Ruh about the ups and downs with her eight-year-old firm. Here are her condensed answers.
Name: Debra Ruh
Business: TecAccess, a technology accessibility consultancy.
Industry: Technology
Location: Rockville, Virginia
Year founded: 2001
Number of employees: 25
Web address:www.tecaccess.net
You were a vice president at a prominent mortgage lender. Why the switch to a technology consultancy?
My daughter Sarah was diagnosed with Down syndrome when she was 4 months old. To be honest, we thought she'd grow out of it. But after several years, we realized that thinking wasn't realistic. My husband and I started weighing employment options for Sarah. But the
existing jobs for someone with her condition were fairly menial, while the more rigorous positions were only available to those with intellectual disabilities or the seeing impaired. At the time, we thought we should create a company that understands the value of hiring people with disabilities. I'm proud to say that Sarah who is now 22 years old has two jobs. In addition to serving as TecAccess's chief inspiration officer, in which she speaks at events, answers the
phone and performs some light administration, she also works at Nordstrom.
How do you work with companies to revamp their products and services?
Even something as simple as fixing the way a web site is constructed can make a huge difference in improving accessibility among the disabled. Many web sites contain flashy graphics and images. However, for someone who is, say, sight impaired, pictures don't translate. You have to tag all of those images in a certain way so that a screen reader will pick up what the image is. A side benefit of all of this tagging is the more accessible you make your web site, the easier it is for search engines and mobile devices to read it.
Does hiring disabled workers present its own set of challenges?
Initially, it did because we didn't hire based on qualifications as much as we hired based on the fact that someone was disabled. Regrettably, this led to a few hiring failures. However, now we hire based on qualifications first and disability second.
How did the downturn affect business?
We didn't feel any changes for the first couple of months last year. But then the projects started to just trickle in, and, all of a sudden, our customers went from paying us within 35 days to paying in 60 to 90 days. I had to reduce salaries across the board. And while we didn't lay anyone off, we didn't fill positions when people left. Although things are now looking up, the lack of cash flow stopped us from being able to create new products and services.
Helping companies cater to millions of disabled consumers is an effective sales pitch. During the downturn, did you have to change it?
Regardless of the positive return on investment we could provide, we found that, starting in January, potential clients were more interested in staying out of legal trouble. In recent years, companies including Target, Bank of America and Sony have been sued thanks to alleged violations against the Americans with Disabilities Act. As it turns out, when the economy goes down, lawsuits rise. (Editor's note: The ADA is currently under review by the Obama administration and may or may not become more inclusive.)
Considering that so many companies are struggling to make ends meet these days, what do you say to businesses that say they can't afford to add handicap-accessible products, features or services in spite of government mandates?
In this economy, we all need to expand our client base. While introducing new products and features will cost you, you'll also be widening your reach by making them more accessible. Plus, as members of the baby boomer generation age, many of them will acquire disabilities. Not taking the steps to include these individuals can quickly erode future profits.
What is your best advice for entrepreneurs getting started today?
Today, especially, it is very important to follow the rules. Now you should have enough cash to cover eight months of expenses in the bank. If you grow too quickly, slow down, or you'll exhaust your resources. Make sure your financials are always in order. Understand your balance sheet. And, of course, spend less than what you're making. While these tips seem obvious, I didn't follow them and perhaps had a more painful start-up process because of it.
For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group


text:
our dealers
Quanta Battery
Access Power Link is the leading Quanta Battery Suppliers in Mumbai that is highly known for its guaranteed, fool battery technology, and is tested in premier battery analysis facility. Being amongst the well-known Quanta Battery Distributers in India, our clients can buy from us a broad assortment of Quanta Batteries which are designed in stringent observance with the precise industrial standards.
Rocket Battery
We are the leading and authorized
Rocket Battery Suppliers in Mumbai
. These batteries are manufactured using very highest quality raw materials procured from the credible vendors of the industry. These
rocket batteries
are made using calcium alloy, which helps in maximizing the longevity of these batteries. Being amongst the top Rocket Battery Distributers in India, our clients can avail the product from us at rational rates and within the specified time frame.
Exide Battery
Access Power Link is amongst the foremost exide battery suppliers in Mumbai. The superior range of products that we offer is ideal back-up power for UPS systems. These types of
exide batteries
are recommended for backup power for UPS wherever natural conditions are tough and high ambient temperatures are general. Being the best exide battery distributers in India, we ensure that our high-performance batteries are appropriate for a large amount of applications and are utilized broadly by our customers all across the country.
Panasonic UPS Battery
As prominent Panasonic UPS Battery suppliers in Mumbai, Access Power Link endows our clients a wide range of top-grade UPS & Emergency Power Back-up Batteries. Being known as reputed Panasonic UPS Battery distributers in India, our whole range of products is methodically examined across diverse quality parameters like robustness, resilience and dependability.
Nickel Cadmium Battery
Banking on the skills of our competent team of professionals, we have carved a position of leading Nickel Cadmium Battery Suppliers in Mumbai. Being easily transportable, the offered ranges of Nickel Cadmium Batteries are endowed to customers in assured timelines and at a reasonable price in the industry. As a prime Nickel Cadmium Battery Distributers in Mumbai, we ensure that innovative technology is being applied in the mechanized process for attaining quality at its best.
Solar battery
We are one of the leading and eminent Solar battery suppliers in Mumbai, involved in supply of quality approved Solar Batteries. These solar batteries are supreme for applications where recurrent deep cycles are essential and least amount of maintenance is required. Being well-reputed Solar battery Distributers in India, we offer our products in diverse specifications in order to cater different requirements of clients.
We are counted as one of the reckoned Diesel Generator Battery Suppliers in Mumbai. Our range of quality Diesel Generator Battery can be utilized for many major applications such as emergency lighting, fire alarm and safety systems. Being amongst the top Diesel Generator Battery Distributers in India, our batteries are developed using newest technology that makes them greatly efficient in performance.
Battery Charger
In order to meet the varied demands of our respectable clients, we have established ourselves as leading Battery Charger Suppliers in Mumbai. As a leading Battery Charger Suppliers in India, we offer various types of battery chargers that comprise of Thyristor based Controlled Battery Charger, Micro-Controlled Battery Charger Intelligent Technology and Swift Battery Charger.


text:
Delta connection. (Elec.)
One of the usual forms or methods for connecting apparatus to a three-phase circuit, the three corners of the delta or triangle, as diagrammatically represented, being connected to the three wires of the supply circuit.
© Webster 1913
Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.
Sign up
Need help? email@example.com


text:
Careers at Common Bond
Thank you for your interest in joining the team at Common Bond Bistro & Bakery! We have been providing a memorable dining experience to locals and visitors for over 4 years.
Employees of Common Bond are team-oriented and customer focused and are dedicated to providing amazing dining experiences. We have fun at work, while maintaining a level of professionalism that keeps our customers coming back and feeling like a part of our family.
Front of House Guest Service
Common Bond Heights
Posted 8 months ago


text:
New Research In
Physical Sciences
Social Sciences
Featured Portals
Articles by Topic
Biological Sciences
Featured Portals
Articles by Topic
- Agricultural Sciences
- Anthropology
- Applied Biological Sciences
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics and Computational Biology
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Ecology
- Environmental Sciences
- Evolution
- Genetics
- Immunology and Inflammation
- Medical Sciences
- Microbiology
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Physiology
- Plant Biology
- Population Biology
- Psychological and Cognitive Sciences
- Sustainability Science
- Systems Biology
Pacific bluefin tuna transport Fukushima-derived radionuclides from Japan to California
Edited by Karl K. Turekian, Yale University, North Haven, CT, and approved April 25, 2012 (received for review March 22, 2012)
The Fukushima Dai-ichi release of radionuclides into ocean waters caused significant local and global concern regarding the spread of radioactive material. We report unequivocal evidence that Pacific bluefin tuna, Thunnus orientalis, transported Fukushima-derived radionuclides across the entire North Pacific Ocean. We measured γ-emitting radionuclides in California-caught tunas and found 134Cs (4.0 ± 1.4 Bq kg−1) and elevated 137Cs (6.3 ± 1.5 Bq kg−1) in 15 Pacific bluefin tuna sampled in August 2011. We found no 134Cs and background concentrations (∼1 Bq kg−1) of 137Cs in pre-Fukushima bluefin and post-Fukushima yellowfin tunas, ruling out elevated radiocesium uptake before 2011 or in California waters post-Fukushima. These findings indicate that Pacific bluefin tuna can rapidly transport radionuclides from a point source in Japan to distant ecoregions and demonstrate the importance of migratory animals as transport vectors of radionuclides. Other large, highly migratory marine animals make extensive use of waters around Japan, and these animals may also be transport vectors of Fukushima-derived radionuclides to distant regions of the North and South Pacific Oceans. These results reveal tools to trace migration origin (using the presence of 134Cs) and potentially migration timing (using 134Cs:137Cs ratios) in highly migratory marine species in the Pacific Ocean.
The infrequency of nuclear accidents coupled with potentially wide-ranging effects on ecosystems and human health make the dynamics and risks of radionuclide discharge into the environment a relatively poorly understood but highly important area of research (1⇓⇓–4). On March 11, 2011, an earthquake and subsequent tsunami led to flooding of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plants in Japan. Coolant pumps failed to operate and the power plant reactors overheated, leading to a release of radionuclides directly into the ocean exceeding that from any previous accident (3). The release of radionuclides produced a 1–2 wk pulse that peaked on April 6, 2011 with ocean concentrations of 68 MBq m−3 (3) and an estimated total release of up to 22 × 1015 Bq of 137Cs (4) (1 Bq = 1 disintegration s−1). The dominant long-lived γ-emitting radionuclides 134Cesium (t1/2 = 2.1 y) and 137Cs (t1/2 = 30 y) were released at a consistent ratio of about 1 (0.99 ± 0.03) (3), although the ratio of 134Cs:137Cs would decline slowly over time because of the differential decay rate constants of the two isotopes (Fig. S1). After considerable dilution 2–3 mo after maximum discharge, surface concentrations still exceeded prior concentrations by up to 10,000-fold in coastal waters (3) and up to 1,000-fold over a 150,000 km2 area of the Pacific up to 600 km east of Japan (4). Before the Fukushima discharge, low concentrations (1.5 mBq L−1) of the long-lived 137Cs (fallout from weapons testing) were detectable in Japanese waters (3), whereas the shorter-lived 134Cs was undetectable in Pacific surface waters and biota.
The Pacific bluefin tuna (PBFT), Thunnus orientalis, is a highly migratory fish that inhabits the western and eastern North Pacific Ocean at various life stages (5) (Fig. 1A). Mature PBFT spawn in the western Pacific, and some juveniles remain in Japanese waters while others migrate eastward to the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) (Fig. 1A), with most migrating late in their first year or early in their second (5). Thus, all bluefin between years 1–2 (here, 2-y-old PBFT) caught during summer in the eastern Pacific must have migrated from the western Pacific within several months of capture. Waters north of the Kuroshio Current (Fig. 1A) showed high radionuclide concentrations in spring 2011 (3), and juveniles make extensive use of this region before their eastward migration to the CCLME (6).
We tested the possibility that juvenile PBFT served as biological vectors of radionuclides between two distant ecoregions: the waters off Japan and the CCLME. We analyzed 2-y-old PBFT caught off San Diego, CA, in August 2011, known from size to be recent Japan migrants, for the presence of Fukushima-derived radionuclides. Because Cs accumulates in the muscle tissue of fish (7), we analyzed the white muscle tissue of PBFT in 2011 for concentrations of 134Cs, 137Cs, and various naturally occurring γ-emitting radionuclides. To rule out non-Fukushima sources of radiocesium in fish muscle, we also measured radionuclide concentrations in PBFT collected in California waters before the Fukushima discharge (2008) and in yellowfin tuna (YFT), T. albacares (August 2011), in the CCLME where they are highly residential (8, 9).
Results and Discussion
All 15 PBFT collected in 2011 contained 134Cs (4.0 ± 1.4 Bq kg−1 dry wt) and 137Cs (6.3 ±1.5 Bq kg−1) in white muscle tissue (Table 1, Table S1, and Fig. 1A). At the time of capture, total 134+137Cs concentrations were about 10 times higher in 2011 PBFT than in PBFT from previous years (Table 1). In contrast, 2008 PBFT and 2011 YFT had no measurable 134Cs and consistent, much lower 137Cs concentrations (consistent with background concentrations from fallout) than the 2011 PBFT (Table 1, Table S2, and Fig. 1A). This is unequivocal evidence that Fukushima-derived radionuclides were transported to the CCLME by Pacific bluefin tuna, as no other sources of 134Cs were present in the North Pacific preceding the Fukushima disaster (3, 4). Mean concentrations of the naturally occurring γ-emitting 40K in the 2011 PBFT were 347 ± 49 Bq kg−1 (Table 1). Other naturally occurring γ-emitting radionuclides (7Be, 211Bi, and 212Pb) were detectable at extremely low concentrations (Table S3), approximately three orders of magnitude below measured radiocesium concentrations.
Because bluefin tuna are harvested annually in the Eastern Pacific Ocean (EPO) at 1.7–9.9 × 103 metric tonnes (10) (Table S4) for human consumption (2000 to 2010), the possibility of radioactive contamination raises public health concerns. Radiocesium concentrations of post-Fukushima PBFT reported here were more than an order of magnitude below the recently changed Japanese safety limit of 100 Bq kg−1 wet wt (about 400 Bq kg−1 dry wt) (11). Inferences about the safety of consuming radioactivity-contaminated seafood can be complicated due to complexities in translating food concentration to actual dose to humans (12), but it is important to put the anthropogenic radioactivity levels in the context of naturally occurring radioactivity. Total radiocesium concentrations of post-Fukushima PBFT were approximately thirty times less than concentrations of naturally occurring 40K in post-Fukushima PBFT and YFT and pre-Fukushima PBFT (Table 1). Furthermore, before the Fukushima release the dose to human consumers of fish from 137Cs was estimated to be 0.5% of that from the α-emitting 210Po (derived from the decay of 238U, naturally occurring, ubiquitous and relatively nonvarying in the oceans and its biota (13); not measured here) in those same fish (12). Thus, even though 2011 PBFT showed a 10-fold increase in radiocesium concentrations, 134Cs and 137Cs would still likely provide low doses of radioactivity relative to naturally occurring radionuclides, particularly 210Po and 40K.
However, 2011 PBFT 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations were less than they would have been in Japanese waters because of growth, radioactive decay, and efflux of cesium. To estimate the concentrations of 134Cs and 137Cs in 2011 PBFT at the time they left Japanese waters, we back-calculated radiocesium concentrations in muscle over a range of potential trans-Pacific migration times (30–120 d) using a loss rate of assimilated Cs from fish tissue of 1.9% day−1 (14), growth dilution attributable to an increase in body mass during the trans-Pacific migration, and radioactive decay (details in SI Methods). We estimated that PBFT in Japan had 1.5–15 times higher radiocesium concentrations (30–120 d before capture, respectively) than concentrations measured at time of capture in California (Fig. 2 and Table S1). Variations in animal size at exposure and growth because exposure may influence Cs concentrations; there was a negative trend between animal size and 137Cs and 134Cs concentrations, although the correlation was not significant (Spearman's ρ; Fig. S2 and SI Methods). The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries report post-Fukushima concentrations of 134+137Cs in PBFT around Japan at 61–168 Bq kg−1 dry weight (11). Our estimates of total radiocesium (i.e., 134Cs + 137Cs) concentrations in PBFT for 90 and 120 d before capture are 73–147 Bq kg−1, respectively (Table S1). The similarity between back-calculated values and those measured in Japan PBFT suggests that our model performs well in predicting previous concentrations of Cs in tuna captured months after exposure.
Decay-corrected 134Cs:137Cs ratios measured in post-Fukushima bluefin caught off California averaged 0.62 ± 0.14 and ranged from 0.26 to 0.84 (Table 1 and Table S1). Ratios of 134Cs:137Cs have been used to discern sedimentation patterns and water movements in the Irish Sea, which received 15 PBq of discharged 137Cs between 1978 and 1983 from the nuclear fuel-reprocessing plant at Sellafield (15, 16). However, Cs ratios have not been used previously to track biota movements. Assuming that PBFT tissue would reflect the 134Cs:137Cs ratio of 1.0 to which they were exposed near Japan, radiocesium ratios can be used to make inferences about migration and the timing of exposure to contaminated waters. Back-calculated 134Cs:137Cs ratios in PBFT approached 1.0 (0.8 ± 0.2) at 4 mo before capture (Fig. 2), suggesting departure from Japan ∼4 mo before capture off California. This result suggests that the radiocesium levels in California-caught PBFT were the result of <1 mo exposure to contaminated waters near Japan. Because radiocesium release was pulsed, it is possible that back-calculated ratios will always converge on the period of maximum discharge (rather than on the date of PBFT emigration from Japanese waters). The 134Cs:137Cs ratio of seawater near Japan would have changed little from 1.0 within 4 mo of the pulsed radioactivity discharge (1.0–0.9; Fig. S1). However, additional PBFT radiocesium data across longer time scales (e.g., PBFT from 2012) will indicate whether back-calculated 134Cs:137Cs ratios in PBFT consistently converge on 1.0 in April 2011 (period of maximum discharge) or converge on 1.0 over a range of dates after the Fukushima discharge (demonstrating the utility of 134Cs:137Cs ratios as a tool to assess the timing of PBFT migrations).
The total load of radiocesium transported to the CCLME by PBFT can be estimated from catches in the EPO. Catch data varies yearly (10), but assuming PBFT commercial catches in 2011 were within the range of catch from 2000 to 2010, transported and harvested radiocesium in tuna muscle tissue in 2011 could range from ∼3–17 × 106 Bq (Table S4) or <<1% of total radiocesium released into Japanese waters (4). Catch data represent a portion of the PBFT in the EPO, so total transport of radiocesium by PBFT would likely be higher. Still, this is a small quantity of radiocesium to be introduced to a large pelagic ecosystem, but it is also a conservative estimate based on one species. Other highly migratory species (HMS) (e.g., turtles, sharks, and seabirds) that forage near Japan may assimilate radiocesium and transport it to distant regions of the north and south Pacific (Fig. 1B). Tissue concentrations of radiocesium in these species would depend on time spent near Japan, foraging strategies, and timing of migration. The potential for species in Fig. 1B and other HMS (e.g., pinnipeds, whales, and billfish) that forage in Japan to transport Fukushima-derived radiocesium is speculative. However, the presence of Fukushima-derived radiocesium in all 2011 PBFT individuals reported here suggests that study of other HMS is warranted. Our results demonstrate that Fukushima-derived radionuclides in animal tissues can serve as tracers of both migration origin (presence or absence of 134Cs) and, potentially, timing (using 134Cs:137Cs ratios) in mobile marine animals, providing valuable complementary movement data to extensive tagging programs in the Pacific (8). Extensive data regarding spatiotemporal variations in Cs concentrations in the west Pacific, and consequent uptake by biota, are forthcoming, which will sharpen the precision of these tracers. The Fukushima disaster, thus, provides an opportunity to examine both the extent of transport of anthropogenic radionuclides by highly migratory species and an unexpected tool for examining migratory origins of apex predators in the Pacific Ocean.
Tuna tissue samples were collected from recreational anglers in San Diego, CA. Muscle samples were freeze-dried and ground with mortar and pestle and analyzed using a low-energy germanium detector. We detected the γ emissions of 137Cs and 134Cs, 40K, and other naturally occurring radionuclides. 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations of post-Fukushima PBFT and YFT samples were decay-corrected to the angler-estimated catch date for all fish. We calculated 134Cs and 137Cs concentrations in 2011 PBFT for various times before capture in California (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 d). We accounted for background 137Cs in tuna muscle (1.0 Bq kg−1) by subtracting 1.0 from total 137Cs values. We then accounted for the radioactive decay of Cs isotopes, important only for the shorter-lived 134Cs (t1/2 = 2.1 y) using an exponential decay model. To account for the metabolic efflux of assimilated cesium out of fish, we used an experimentally derived marine fish efflux rate constant k of 0.019 d−1 (14). To address growth dilution of the Cs concentrations in muscle, we calculated change in fish body mass (0–120 d before catch) and calculated dilution of Cs concentrations over this range of days due to growth.
We estimated radiocesium transport to the CCLME by PBFT using catch data as a proxy for PBFT biomass in the CCLME. Catch data from 2000 to 2010 were converted to muscle biomass and then multiplied by mean measured radiocesium concentrations to generate a range of estimates of transported radiocesium. Spearman's ρ analyses (two-tailed, nonparametric; α = 0.05) were performed to assess correlation between 2011 PBFT length and radionuclide concentrations.
Equations and further details of the methods are included in SI Methods.
We thank S. Zegers for laboratory assistance; A. Carlisle for technical assistance; and K. Buesseler, M. Condrup, H. Dewar, F. Micheli, and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments. We also thank the anonymous fishermen who donated fish samples toward this study. This work was funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
- ↵1To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: dmadigan{at}stanford.edu.
Author contributions: D.J.M. and N.S.F. designed research; D.J.M., Z.B., and N.S.F. performed research; N.S.F. contributed new reagents/analytic tools; D.J.M., Z.B., and N.S.F. analyzed data; and D.J.M., Z.B., and N.S.F. wrote the paper.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
This article is a PNAS Direct Submission.
This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.1204859109/-/DCSupplemental.
Freely available online through the PNAS open access option.
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- Buesseler KO,
- et al.
- ↵
- Bayliff WH
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
- ↵Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (2011) Results of the inspection on radioactivity materials in fisheries products. Available at http://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/inspection/index.html.
- ↵
- ↵
- Krishnaswami S,
- Cochran JK
- Stewart GM,
- Fowler SW,
- Fisher NS
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- Nagasawa K
- ↵
- Shaffer SA,
- et al.
- ↵
- ↵
- Farwell CJ
- ↵
- Scida P,
- Rainosek A,
- Lowery T
- ↵
- Itoh T
- ↵
- Wild A
- ↵
- Bayliff WH,
- Ishizuka Y,
- Deriso R
- ↵
- Wild A
Citation Manager Formats
Article Classifications
- Biological Sciences
- Environmental Sciences


text:
It's not an exaggeration to say that Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace is one of the biggest disappointments in cinema history—maybe even the biggest. This was the origin story to one of the greatest villains of all time, in one of the greatest franchises of all time. What could go wrong? The answer: George Lucas. It's no secret that Lucas went through numerous iterations of A New Hope before finally landing on the finished screenplay we see today, and in hindsight, it's also not incredibly surprising that Lucas didn't write or direct Empire Strikes Back. The prequels, however, are 100% Lucas and were produced independently, meaning there was zero creative oversight. The result is, well, kind of a disaster.
But it almost wasn't—maybe. In a recent appearance on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, filmmaker Ron Howard revealed that he and at least two other filmmakers were approached to direct The Phantom Menace by Lucas himself:
["George Lucas] didn't necessarily want to direct them. He told me he had talked to Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, and me. I was the third one he spoke to. They all said the same thing: 'George, you should do it!' I don't think anybody wanted to follow-up that act at the time. It was an honor, but it would've been too daunting."
Imagine a Star Wars movie directed by Robert Zemeckis. Now that's something. Alas, everyone convinced Lucas he had to direct the prequels himself, and we got wooden performances, stilted action, and horrible pacing. But it's actually kind of nice to hear that Lucas at least tried to get a better director to take the helm, maybe knowing his own limitations, or maybe just wanting to follow the formula he imposed on Empire and Return of the Jedi. The filmmaker admits that he has trouble explaining what he wants out of his actors, and he knew well enough to approach three talented directors before tackling The Phantom Menace himself.
Now the script for Episode I is a separate issue, but I have to believe that with another filmmaker behind the camera it would've been guaranteed to be at least marginally better than the film we have today. Regardless, that didn't happen and Lucas was so soured on the response to the prequels that he swore off directing theatrically released films for good.
How would history be different if Zemeckis or Howard had directed Episode I? Would Lucas have realized Episode VII, VIII, and IX on his own without selling Lucasfilm to Disney, resulting in his original stories being used instead of the ones that J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan have dreamed up? Would Jar Jar Binks still exist? Endless questions posed by a very fascinating "what if?" scenario.


text:
The sailing programme takes place on a Wednesday afternoon at the Naval Point Club in Lyttelton with a 'learn to sail' instructor. This includes a beginner's learn to sail programme, an intermediate introduction to two-handed sailing, and a team's racing programme.
Students travel to Lyttelton via minivan. Occasionally sessions have to be cancelled due to high winds.
The College enters a team at the South Island Regatta, with training sessions leading up to this event.
Co-ordinator: Mr Steve Macintosh – email@example.com


text:
I'm in charge of finding things for my mom and me to watch. Sometimes I panic. What if I pick something that is right up my alley while Mom is on the couch, looking at me and thinking "We are not related. I found you underneath a rock and took pity on your horrible soul." My mom's not into decapitation/cars getting blown up/ or the occasional brain eating zombie. However, she's one of those cool moms who'll sit down and watch something because her kid is into it. And by kid I mean her 36 year old daughter who sleeps with a night-light on. Because of shows like American Horror Story.
Ben, his wife Vivien and their daughter Violet make a cross-country move for a fresh start. Vivien is fragile from a miscarriage and from her husband's infidelity. They move to Los Angeles, buying a beautiful mansion to strengthen their bond as a family. It's the kind of house you might lose a kid in for 45 minutes because it's so big. Ben Harmon, a psychiatrist, is over eager to get a new start since it's his infidelity that has toppled the family. Typical man, thinking if he puts a thousand miles between his family and the affair everything will come up roses.
Ben runs his office out of the new home and he's a real "How did your father dressing up as a woman make you feel?" kind of shrink. Having his office inside the house means that his family is eventually going to run into a patient, which is weird because hey, what if you're going through some bitch of a healing session and you go to use the rest room because you used up all the Kleenex and you walk in on Ben's 15 year old daughter slicing up her skin with a razor blade? Awkward.
Living next door to the Harmons is Constance (Jessica Lange) and her Down syndrome daughter, Addy. Addy is forever finding ways to get into her neighbor's house. Every time Violet or Vivien turn around, Addy has somehow made her way into the house, hiding under beds and talking about the formerly living people who occupied the house. I adore Jessica Lange's roles in all three of the American Horror Story anthology (there's American Horror Story: Murder House, American Horror Story: Asylum, and the most recent American Horror Story: Coven). Before, I saw her only as that ditsy broad in the King Kong remake. But in American Horror Story she plays an aging Southern belle who came to Los Angeles years ago to be a movie star. When that didn't happen she remained in La La Land and had children. Lang plays Constance as a real "As God is my witness I'm making a dress out of curtains!" type of gal. And a real cuckoo-ca-choo, if you get my drift.
Apparitions start popping up in the house and you don't know if they're really ghosts or just people who have wandered in, curious to see the house where so many deaths have occurred. There's even a Hollywood tour bus that rolls through the neighborhood, all the seats filled as the guide points at the house and calls it the Murder House because some baaaad stuff went down inside. Cameras and cell phones are whipped out as tourists take pictures of the house that witnessed so much brutality.
I have one word of advice to anyone going near that house: don't go into the basement. I have no idea why people insist on going into the basement. It's dark down there. When you reach up to pull the lamp cord there's always a snap and a burst of light as the light bulb dies. But instead of racing upstairs to get a flashlight you decide it's a good idea to feel your way through the dark. Touch the sweaty walls; drag your feet through the dirt floor. Get a face full of cobwebs and try not to think of the spiders setting up camp in your hair. Eyes really do adjust to a lack of light. But why are there jars of deformed babies on shelves? Why aren't there any jars of preserved peaches and raspberry jam? And just what exactly is that thing in the dark that's been stalking you since it came out of hiding from beneath the basement stairs?
What was I talking about? Oh yeah. The basement is terrifying.
Eventually, the Harmons start to figure out that there's something REALLY wrong with the house. Duh. Sometimes there's a dream-like quality to the scenes so you don't know if something's really happening or if someone's having a really bad dream. There's a huge reveal at the end, something that sent me face down into the couch cushions.
You like originality? You like screaming at the television, maybe even stomping out of the room because those idiots on TV didn't listen to you and now they're stumbling down to the basement? You don't mind sleeping with the lights on? Good. Watch this series. And for God's sake, stay out of the basement.


text:
Back in 2006, Steve appeared on Revelation TV, interviewed by Martina Moh.
Video files
The Middle East conflict is framed as one of the most complex problems in the world. But, in reality, it's very simple. Israelis want to live in peace and are willing to accept a neighboring Palestinian state. And most Palestinians do not want Israel to exist.
Steve was interviewed by Jonathan Bernis in their studio in Phoenix, Arizona in February 2010
The Motion: This House Believes that Hamas is a Greater Obstacle to Peace Than Israel.
Throughout centuries, judenhass has found expression in political, religious and social contexts spanning continents and cultures without discernible cause or correlation. 'The Great Rage' is the first installment in this five-part series, which assesses these historical expressions of Jew-hatred and grapples with the modern progression of this international rage in present-day.
The official promo for our first Saffron Planet Foundations conference held at Quinta Christian Centre on January 6-8th 2012
Desi Maxwell is famous for the "Text and Context" course, considered by many as the perfect follow on from "Kesher".
Desi is a brilliant Bible teacher and this site has a wealth of helpful online teaching and courses on DVD.
- « first
- ‹ previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4


text:
The View from Above: Amazon's Spaceballs
The company's downtown takeover just got spherical.
Amazon's ever-expanding footprint in Seattle now includes these three towering, 80- to 95-foot-high glass bubbles at Lenora Street and Sixth Avenue. They are, depending how you look at them, beehives or futuristic biodomes—a place where Amazon's downtown workforce can enjoy a temporary escape from their cubicles for fresh air and, in the words of spokesperson Sam Kennedy, "think and work differently." The 70,000-square-foot space will maintain a 72-degree temperature and 60 percent humidity by day and encase 400 plant species. When the domes are completed and ready for use in January 2018—four years after the design's approval—a lower retail area will be open to the public. How much did these spheres from the famously tight-lipped Amazon cost? Only the hive mind knows.


text:
National Scholarship Month is devoted to raising awareness about scholarships for both future and current university level students. With the average college tuition now well over $30,000 a year, applying for scholarships is essential for the college financial process. Scholarships are becoming more and more competitive so the National Scholarship Providers Association encourage planning and applying ahead.
Scholarships are a great way to help students achieve their goals, and are a form of financial aid, that does not need to be repaid. Scholarships can be awarded by many different organizations, such as non-profits, businesses, foundations and colleges themselves. Student can receive them through being awarded for academic, atheltic, and artistic achievment, as well as other aspects.
Promote National Scholarship Month with promotional writing utensils such as notebooks and pencils to get those creative juices flowing, since the majority of scholarship applications require an entry essay. School officials can put up promotional flyers around school to remind students of application deadlines.
For more great promotional opportunities, see our promotional calendar!


text: Feb 162019The sign may be small today but tomorrow it'll be bigger 💃With perseverance and hard work comes success. This can be applied to anything in life such as exams, practicing for that job interview or training to get that hot bod for next summer.Many of us will loose motivation if we don't see immediate big signs of success but our greatest adventures in life always start with that first step. So this weekend I'm wishing you the very best in all your endeavours.Take care and stay healthy 😘Dr Nora 💉Source: https://instagram.com/p/Bt7ZfpyA0el/


text:
The town now known as Espanola, New Mexico, was settled in 1598 and you can still visit buildings from the original settlement to learn about the town's vast history. Get acquainted with the Pueblo Indian and the Tewa people and the lifestyles of the early Spanish settlers by visiting Espanola's historical attractions.
Puye Cliff Dwellings
Learn more about the Anasazi people and their culture by visiting the Puye Cliff Dwellings (puyecliffs.com). Choose from walking or driving tours of the Harvey House, a bed and breakfast built in the early 1900s, Pueblo Indian dwellings and ruins along the side of the cliff or the top of the mesa, where the Tewa people once dwelled. See any of these locations individually or sign up for a combination tour of all three.
Plaza de Espanola
The Plaza de Espanola (plazadeespanola.com) is your gateway to Espanola's past. The plaza houses two museums: the Bond House museum, which was originally the home of Frank Bond in the early 1900s, and the Misión Museum, which is a replica of a Spanish church originally built in San Gabriel in 1598. The Bond House artifacts inlcude tools, housewares and other practical items. The Misión Museum contains religious artwork and the 14 coats-of-arms of the original families that settled in the town in 1598.
Chimayo Trading Post and Trujillo House
The Chimayo Trading Post and Trujillo House (no website; 110 Sandia Drive, Espanola; 505-753-9414) are two adjacent historical landmarks registered with the National Register of Historic Places. The Chimayo Trading Post was built in 1926 and now sells wool goods, clay pots and jugs and other handicrafts created by local tribes. The Trujillo House, built by E.D. Trujillo, has remained in the family since the early 1900s.
Santa Cruz Lake Recreation Area
The Santa Cruz Lake Recreation Area (no website; Santa Cruz Lake Rd.; Chimayo; 575-758-8851) is located about 13 miles east of Espanola in Chimayo. The park has two campgrounds, more than six miles of hiking trails and boat ramps leading into the lake for motorized and non-motorized boating. The lake is stocked with rainbow trout and German brown trout, which you may fish for with the proper license. Anglers must limit themselves to a total of six fish each if fishing in Santa Cruz Lake.
Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.
Photo Credits
- Attribution: Abqjoe; License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
- Attribution: Rr0044; License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
- Attribution: JerryFriedman; License: GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2


text:
The radiator pipe - located in the King Edward and West wards waiting rooms on the second floor close to the London Road entrance - flooded shortly after 9pm and water leaked into the Berkshire Cancer Centre and Medical Physics unit.
Both are outpatients departments so no patients were affected at the time, but the flooding caused damage to equipment in the Medical Physics Department - forcing staff to cancel six appointments there.
Crews from Caversham Road, Whitley Wood and Wokingham Road fire stations spent 90 minutes using specialist pumps to clear the area.
Hospital spokeswoman Jo Barrett said: "Staff, including a plumber and electrician, worked through the night to clear the flooded area and to repair the faulty pipe. Specialist staff in this area are currently assessing the situation."


text:
It's deja vu all over again for President Trump's travel ban. This week, a federal court in Hawaii blocked the latest version of the president's controversial executive order from going into effect, only seven months after the same court put a similar hold on Trump's second travel ban.
Much has happened in those seven months. After multiple unfavorable lower level rulings, the second ban finally reached the Supreme Court this summer. But the justices ultimately declined to hear the case during the court's fall session, arguing that the issue was moot since the order had already expired.
(Continues ...)
Log in to see the rest of this article and the discussion
Kiplinger Alerts is a subscription-based e-mail and online alert service that helps you make more profitable decisions for your business and investments. You get reliable intelligence and forecasts on more than a dozen factors that affect the economy and are critical to your business and financial success.