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RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR SCIENTIFIC WORKFLOWS by Gideon M. Juve A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (COMPUTER SCIENCE) May 2012 Copyright 2012 Gideon M. Juve
Object Description
|Resource management for scientific workflows
|Juve, Gideon M.
|Author email
|Doctor of Philosophy
|Document type
|Degree program
|Computer Science
|Viterbi School of Engineering
|Date defended/completed
|Date submitted
|Date approved
|Restricted until
|Date published
|Advisor (committee chair)
|Deelman, Ewa
|Advisor (committee member)
Jordan, Thomas H.
Chervenak, Ann
Nakano, Aiichiro
|Scientific workflows are a parallel computing technique used to orchestrate large, complex, multi-stage computations for data analysis and simulation in many academic domains. Resource management is a key problem in the execution of workflows because they often involve large computations and data that must be distributed across many resources in order to complete in a reasonable time. Traditionally, resources in distributed computing systems such as clusters and grids were allocated to workflow tasks through the process of batch scheduling. The tasks were submitted to a batch queue and matched to available resources just prior to execution. Recently, due to performance and quality of service considerations on the grid, and the development of cloud computing, it has become advantageous and, in the case of cloud computing, necessary for workflow applications to explicitly provision resources ahead of execution. This trend toward resource provisioning has created many new problems and opportunities in the management of scientific workflows. This thesis explores several of these resource management issues and describes some potential solutions. ❧ This thesis makes the following contributions: 1. It describes several problems associated with resource provisioning in cluster and grid environments, and presents a new provisioning approach based on pilot jobs that has many benefits for both resource owners and application users in terms of performance, quality of service, and efficiency. It also describes the design and implementation of a system based on pilot jobs that enables applications to bypass restrictive grid scheduling policies and is shown to reduce the makespan of several workflow applications by 32%-48% on average. 2. It describes the challenges of provisioning resources for workflows and other distributed applications in Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) clouds and presents a new technique for modeling complex, distributed applications that is based on directed acyclic graphs. This model is used to develop a system for automatically deploying and managing distributed applications in infrastructure clouds. The system has been used to provision hundreds of virtual clusters for executing scientific workflows in the cloud. 3. It describes the challenges and benefits of running workflow applications in infrastructure clouds and presents the results of several studies investigating the cost and performance of running workflow applications on Amazon EC2 using a variety of different resource types and storage systems. These studies compared the performance of workflows in grids and clouds, characterized the virtualization overhead of workflow applications in the cloud, compared the cost and performance of using different storage systems with workflows in the cloud, and evaluated the long-term costs of hosting workflow applications in the cloud. 4. It investigates the issue of predicting the resource needs of workflow applications using historical data, and describes a technique for collecting detailed resource usage records for workflow applications that is applied to several real applications. In addition to estimating resource requirements, this data can also be used as inputs for simulations of scheduling algorithms and workflow management systems, and for identifying problems and optimization opportunities in workflows. This technique is used to collect and analyze the resource usage of six different workflow applications, which is analyzed to identify potential bugs and opportunities for optimizing the workflows. 5. It investigates issues related to dynamic provisioning of resources for workflow ensembles and describes three different algorithms (1 offline and 2 online) that were developed for provisioning and scheduling workflow ensembles under deadline and budget constraints. The relative performance of these algorithms is evaluated using several different applications under a variety of realistic conditions including resource provisioning delays and task estimation errors. It shows that the offline algorithm is able to achieve higher performance given perfect conditions, but the online algorithms are better able to adapt to errors and delays without exceeding the constraints.
|scheduling; resource management; provisioning; scientific workflows
|Part of collection
|University of Southern California dissertations and theses
|Publisher (of the original version)
|University of Southern California
|Place of publication (of the original version)
|Los Angeles, California
|Publisher (of the digital version)
|University of Southern California. Libraries
|Electronically uploaded by the author
|Legacy record ID
|Contributing entity
|University of Southern California
|Juve, Gideon M.
|Physical access
|The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.
|Repository name
|University of Southern California Digital Library
|Repository address
|USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 7002, 106 University Village, Los Angeles, California 90089-7002, USA
|Repository email
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|University of Southern California
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|RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR SCIENTIFIC WORKFLOWS by Gideon M. Juve A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (COMPUTER SCIENCE) May 2012 Copyright 2012 Gideon M. Juve


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
State's U.S. senators call for ban on assault weapons
Washington - Connecticut's two senators took to the Senate floor Tuesday to call for a ban on assault weapons.
"I'd support a restoration of the assault ban today," said Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn. "These are weapons that were developed by our military originally, not by private industry for hunting or sports shooting purposes. They shouldn't be sold."
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said that these weapons "are not designed for self-defense or hunting, but rather for killing as many people as possible, as fast as possible. There is no reason that such weapons should be for sale in America today."
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said the tragedy in Newtown, which is in his district, will change his priorities when he succeeds the retiring Lieberman next month.
"My number one job now is to make sure this nation learns lessons about what happened in Newtown," he said.
"I'm going to show up in the Senate as the voice of those 20 kids and those six brave adults," said Murphy, referring to the 26 people killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
An assault weapons ban was enacted by Congress in 1994 during the Clinton administration, when Congress was under Democratic control. It expired in 2004, and was not renewed by a Congress dominated by the Republicans. The Obama administration is said to be giving consideration to seeking such a ban when the 113th Congress convenes in January.
While acknowledging there is no one solution to the problem of mass violence, Murphy said the answer "clearly starts with getting these awful weapons out of the hands of people who don't need them."
He also said it was important to bring mental health and developmental disorders "out of the shadows" and examine what he calls a "culture of violence."
Both Blumenthal and Lieberman also support increased background checks for those purchasing a gun - including those not sold by licensed dealers, such as those sold at gun shows. Lieberman noted that terrorists have managed to buy weapons at gun shows.
"I've talked to people since Friday who have said to me, 'Why will this be any different? Nothing happened after Columbine or Aurora or Virginia Tech or any of the other acts of mass violence in our society,'" said Lieberman, noting that he didn't blame people for being skeptical. But he continued: "I see signs of hopes around us. Colleagues who have been protectors of gun rights saying in the last few days, 'This has got to change. We've got to come together and reason together and act together, and everything has to be on the table, including our gun laws.'"
Blumenthal also called for a ban on high-capacity magazines, saying that "neither hunting nor self-defense requires 30-round clips."
Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, said Tuesday that he also supports a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. He noted that in the landmark Supreme Court case District of Columbia v. Heller, which interpreted the Second Amendment's right to bear arms as applying to individuals, conservative Justice Antonin Scalia acknowledge that this right could be abridged.
"If you read the decision, he clearly states that that does not mean any person has the right to have any firearm under any circumstances," Courtney said in an interview. "So if you look at the boundaries that the godfather of conservative legal philosophy in America put out there, the fact is that we have room here to make some changes."
Blumenthal, for one, seemed determined to make some changes.
"I will work to find a solution to this crisis - because it is a crisis - and I will not be deterred by any organization or campaign that uses scare tactics or intimidation," he said Tuesday morning. "Because there was nothing more frightening than looking into the eyes of the parents who lost their children last Friday - that is any parent's worst nightmare."
Notre Dame to cover up murals of Columbus over depiction of Native Americans
Dispute over legal fees delays criminal case of indicted utility officials


text:
DOVER, Del. — The Los Angeles Dodgers filed a proposed bankruptcy reorganization plan Friday, a little more than a week after resolving a court fight with Fox Sports that threatened plans to sell the ball club.
The Dodgers said in court documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., that the pending sale of the team should satisfy all creditor claims in full, either through cash payments or assumption of the claims by the new team owners.
The Dodgers intend to complete a sale of the team by April 30, as called for in a settlement with Major League Baseball. The April 30 date coincides with the deadline for Dodgers owner Frank McCourt to pay $131 million to his ex-wife, Jamie, as part of their divorce settlement.
"The plan resolves fully the financial challenges confronting the Dodgers that precipitated the filing by the debtors of the Chapter 11 cases through a sale of all of the equity of the Dodgers, which will result in a change in ownership of the team," the Dodgers said in a prepared statement.
A spokesman for Major League Baseball declined to comment on Friday's court filing.
According to court documents, the Dodgers plan to disclose the terms of the team sale by early April, in advance of a bankruptcy court hearing on whether to confirm the reorganization plan.
The Dodgers are asking for a Feb. 22 hearing for approval of the statement outlining the reorganization plan and the process for creditors to vote on it.
But the only creditor who would be allowed to vote on the plan is LA Partners LLC, the parent company of LA Holdco LLC. Holdco, in turn, is the sole member of the Los Angeles Dodgers Holding Co.
According to court documents, LA Partners is a wholly owned subsidiary of The McCourt-Broderick Limited Partnership, in which McCourt owns a 90 percent interest and is the sole limited partner. The McCourt Co. is the sole general partner in TMBLP and owns the remaining 10 percent.
The Dodgers sought bankruptcy protection in June after baseball Commissioner Bud Selig rejected a new TV deal with Fox that McCourt was counting on in order to make payroll and keep the franchise solvent.
After the bankruptcy filing, attorneys for Selig successfully fought to force the Dodgers to accept bankruptcy financing from Major League Baseball, arguing at the same time that McCourt had looted more than $180 million from the team for his own use and for business reasons not related to baseball and should be forced to sell the team.
The Dodgers, meanwhile, threatened to seek court permission to enter into a new media rights deal without the approval of MLB.
But after battling for several months, the Dodgers and MLB reached an agreement in November that authorized a sale of both the team and a process to market the media rights to games starting in 2014.
Fox Sports objected to the settlement with MLB and the proposed marketing of future media rights, saying it violated Fox's rights under an existing telecast contract with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers reached a settlement with Fox earlier this month after a federal district court judge said Fox likely would win an appeal of a bankruptcy judge's ruling authorizing the marketing of the media rights.
Under the settlement, the Dodgers will abide by the terms of the existing contract with Fox, which gives Fox an exclusive 45-day period starting in October to try to negotiate a contract extension with the Dodgers. The contract also prohibits the Dodgers from talking to other potential buyers of the media rights before Nov. 30 and gives Fox a limited right of first refusal on competing offers received after that date.
Initial bids for the team are due by Monday. Among potential buyers who have expressed interest in the team are groups that include former Dodgers players Orel Hershiser and Steve Garvey, former team manager Joe Torre, former owner Peter O'Malley and former general manager Fred Claire.


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Dominican Girl Vs Lesbian Stud: Chick Gets Mad When Lesbian Skips Her On The Line At Spa Castle Queens New York! (Starts Leaking After A Man Punch)
Submission by @EDiaz24
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|View Poll Results: Fate/Zero - Episode 24 Rating
|Perfect 10
|9 out of 10 : Excellent
|8 out of 10 : Very Good
|7 out of 10 : Good
|6 out of 10 : Average
|5 out of 10 : Below Average
|4 out of 10 : Poor
|3 out of 10 : Bad
|2 out of 10 : Very Bad
|1 out of 10 : Painful
|Voters: 127. You may not vote on this poll
|Thread Tools
|2012-06-17, 11:20
|Link #161
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
The battle between Saber and Berserker did not deserve its own episode. Splitting it off into its own episode would affect the pacing considerably, simply because there isn't enough content to warrant it. Here are the options:
- Not include Kirei vs Kiritsugu in that episode, and have the episode be purely about Berserker and Saber (with backstory padding out most of the episode). At this point in the story though, Kiritsugu is already in the same building as Kirei is. Delaying the confrontation any further negates the tension of that battle, simply because they should be fighting already. It'll be even worse than the Rin episode, as the Rin episode wasn't injected in a tense situation where plot-critical things are occurring. It should not take two episodes after Kiritsugu receives the message to actually get to Kirei.
- Include Kirei vs Kiritsugu in that episode. Then you have two problems: If the fight is as long as it is now, then it definitely won't be the main focal point of the episode simply due to how short it actually is. Everything in the series had been leading up to this battle, and if it's treated as an afterthought it'd be a worse crime than excluding the Saber vs Berserker battle. However, this battle was never supposed to be long either, so artificially extending it somehow would end up simply messing up the pacing of that battle.
- Include Kirei vs Kiritsugu and Kiritsugu's conversation with the Grail. At this point, one wonders just how much of the Saber vs Berserker battle can fit in here. This is probably the only option that's acceptable, simply because it gives proper focus to what the story deems important. On the other hand, by cutting off here there's no tension leading up to the final episode. There's no urgency as all of the conflicts in this episode had been resolved. Ending it with Saber being commanded to destroy the Grail introduces one final conflict that demands resolution, thus increasing the tension.
In the end, I'd think that what they did here is the best option. Just because a show is aired on television doesn't mean the show necessarily has to plan around television limitations. When the timeslot removes the show from the schedule, the only way that people will be able to watch is through the distributed version (ie: the blu-ray version) anyway. It's better to plan around that and edit later, rather than to plan with that in mind and make suboptimal choices that will remain in the distributed version.
|2012-06-17, 12:00
|Link #164
Cinderella Gang or Die
Join Date: Jun 2011
Okay. Thanks for the clarification, MrT. I don't feel as bad anymore.
Thinking back on it, I knew what it was, but it seems as though I got emotionally and mentally lost at that scene in the bedroom. That in turn yielded my post up there.
|2012-06-17, 12:07
|Link #165
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
And if you feel that wouldn't leave enough time for episode 25's content, well, they should have planned for 26 episodes then, or - even better - not wasted time on pointless and incongruous filler material for background characters like loli Rin.
|2012-06-17, 12:25
|Link #167
The Comet has Come
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Republic of California
Age: 41
If the first episode in the second season was double length, then this is technically a 26 episode series, just episode 14 and 15 were shown together as one episode. And they shifted the numbering since then.
Last edited by Ithekro; 2012-06-17 at 12:36.
|2012-06-17, 12:38
|Link #169
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
|2012-06-17, 13:58
|Link #170
Guess what time it is?
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Age: 33
Meanwhile, at ufotable...
"Hmmm... We seem to have run out of lithe, passively sympathetic mothers to strangle to death."
"What?? We still have two episodes left! Bring one back for an encore."
I am more pleased with Fate/Zero by orders of magnitude now than I was around the beginning of the second half. There really is some good conflict here, and the action is portrayed so much better in the two major fights here than it has been. They've wisely transitioned from "expensive-looking" to "slick" and it's made all the difference.
Episode 16 really was the turning point. The series hinges on buying into Kiritsugu as a character, and prior to his tense exchange with Saber, I couldn't find a foothold anywhere. He was important because everyone kept (loudly) declaring that he was important, and that was about it.
Back to 24, I was hoping we'd get a little bit more time with Kotomine and Gil, but it really was time to start wrapping things up. Archer is just a beast power-wise, even if it is out of necessity, the arc of his character having already been written. There's not much more they can do with Saber for now either, so it looks like we're steaming towards the conclusion of Kiritsugu's story.
|2012-06-17, 17:04
|Link #172
Join Date: Apr 2012
I think the Berserker vs Saber fight was all right. It began in the last episode, and Kirei and Kiritsugu deserved the attention. Though it would've been nice to at least get some backflash scenes from Lancelot's time as Saber's right hand. But then again that story has been known for a long time.
|2012-06-17, 17:54
|Link #173
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
If you simply think about it, even if you think that episode 10 didn't need to be there, what would change even if episode 10 didn't exist? The only thing that would change is that the Kariya scene at the end of episode 10 would need to be put somewhere else instead, screwing over the pacing for the other episodes. Episode 11 is entirely standalone specifically because episode 10 exists, so your complaint about wasting time with background characters is entirely meaningless as that time is spent in its own standalone episode.
Additionally, Fate/Zero's episode count was not determined by any factor other than the pacing of the story. There was no broadcast restriction or producer requirement that dictated that Fate/Zero must be 25 episodes long or else. It's only 25 episodes because the staff believed that it could done in 25 episodes.
Like I keep saying, the amount of content cut in these episodes are not enough to warrant its own episode. Attempting to do so anyway would require padding to a significant degree, to the point where the pacing for the entire finale gets bogged down, instead of merely limiting the damage to one television broadcast episode. It's fine for Rin's episode since it's supposed to be breather between episode 9 and episode 11, but that won't work when you're supposed to be accelerating towards the climax of the series.
|2012-06-17, 20:08
|Link #175
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
If they had no problem rushing through freaking Arthur vs Lancelot, why would other scenes like Kariya's in episode 10 be so damn untouchable that they would warrant an entire episode of padding just to be told properly? That makes no sense, especially when the scenes that were skipped here were clearly more important than most of the ones that came before. The content speaks for itself and it is what the development team should take into consideration when deciding which scenes should be adapted in great detail and which scenes they can afford to sacrifice or gloss over for the big picture. And obviously Arthur vs Lancelot belongs to the former category, while loli Rin going around playing mahou shoujo and saving the day certainly belongs to the latter.
Shows like Ghost in the Shell or Cowboy Bebop have standalone episodes; the main and overarching plot is only developed in certain episodes, whereas the rest are self-contained stories that can stand on their own. Fate/Zero, however, doesn't, since the entirety of the show consists of one overarching plot - the 4th Holy Grail War. By suggesting episode 11 is a standalone episode, you are implying one does not need prior viewing of any other episode to follow it, which obviously isn't the the case.
And, for the record, there wasn't even a need for a breather episode between episode 9 and 11. 9 was pretty chill and devoid of battle already, and the only reason the Rin episode even exists is because prepubescent little girls in revealing stockings sell.
|2012-06-17, 20:32
|Link #176
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Kariya's death was quite the anti-climax. And Iri's death faked me out because she had the Grail scene afterwards. I guess she "died" when the Grail copied her personality.
I thought the Arthur-Lancelot part was fine for anime-only. They showed a revelation and its impact. It boiled down to, "Saber found out one of her loyal knights hated her enough to be that Berserker."
I'm sure the LN has a lot more. But that's true of a lot of scenes because we don't get narration and internal monologue.
|2012-06-17, 21:09
|Link #178
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Not only do I feel as if the lack of a proper Saber vs Berserker fight was a major loss in of itself, it also lessened the impact of Saber's state of mind during her confrontation with Archer. Regardless of what actually went on in her duel with Lancelot, it's obvious she was driven to despair by the whole thing, thus becoming more desperate than ever to get her hands on the Holy Grail (likely because Lancelot's state further illustrated and drove home how tragic the end result of her reign and ideals was).
So, when she finally sees the Grail within her grasp, only for Gilgamesh of all people to stand in her way, surely she is filled with the utmost rage and frustration, on top of the already very emotionally draining fight she had with Berserker. That's when Saber's eyes were apparently supposed to become golden out of anger, which would have been a nice touch, but even more important than that is what comes afterwards, which I feel could have been better conveyed in the anime version: she actually hopes that Kiritsugu will use a Command Spell in order to give her an advantage against Archer. In other words, she forgets her chivalrous code of honor and resorts to the foul play she'd always resented in other heroes like Berserker and Caster. She essentially becomes what she hates, all for the sake of finally getting her hands on the Grail. That's how desperate she is and how badly she needs it (and obviously witnessing Lancelot's miserable state went a long way in making her like that). It is a major moment for Saber's character, and one which would likely go a long way in making her character more appealing to those who generally find her dull and predictable.
Yet without a proper duel with Lancelot, and perhaps a few inner monologues during the final scene, the full weight of it isn't properly conveyed, and her character, who is supposed to be this "face" of the Fate franchise, really suffers as a result. It's a shame, which is why I really hope the BDs will try and rectify those blunders.
|2012-06-17, 21:14
|Link #180
Bittersweet Distractor
Join Date: Nov 2007
Age: 27
Honestly if it was simply the monologue and speech that was cut out (Things I've heard cut out since I haven't read the LN), it wouldn't have bothered me so much, but the editing here was simply not good.
We transitioned from the fight scene of kiritsugu and kirie to Saber all of sudden stabbing berserker, without any build up or the like to the event. The last time we saw Saber on screen she was struggling massively emotionally and was being pushed to the brink and getting knocked around. HOW THE HELL DID WE GET HERE?
Also suddenly we saw Kariya was all of a sudden just dead and falls over, no final thoughts or parting words. Ryousuke got a better send off than he did, and he's been a much more major character! I mean c'mon now.
This simply does not serve. I don't know how Ufotable could've paced this series better in the end (It is hard to fit it into TV), but the TV series is not the full experience and I think anyone who is going to relegate themselves to just the TV series is most likely going to miss out if they don't check out the finished product.
It's still disappointing that the loli rin episode did in fact affect this show in the end because I would've gladly cut 10 minutes from that for this episode.
|Thread Tools


text:
2010-11 Season (Freshman)
Agoura High School/National College Prep
Graduated from National College Prep in Los Angeles ... Tallied 18 points and six rebounds per game during his senior campaign at National College Prep ... While at National College Prep, gained all-tournament accolades at the Hampton Inn Invitational ... Averaged 17 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game during his junior season at Agoura High School ... Top scoring games included 32 points against Royal, 26 points against Newbury Park and Westlake, and 24 points in games against University HS and Village Christian ... Shot 57 percent from the floor, and 45 percent from three-point territory ... Had ten or more rebounds in 15 games including 15 rebounds against Burbank and Westlake ... A first team All-Marmonte League player during the 2008-09 season ... Also gained All-Ventura County honors in 2009 ... MVP of the Agoura Tournament ... A four-year starter.
Matador Memo
Born April 2, 1992 in Los Angeles, Ca. ... Parents are Kim Kitchen and Charles Hicks ... Has one sister, Kristiaan Hicks, who is a student at Cal State Bakersfield ... Has three brothers (Kaelan, Keaton, Dylan) ... Lists Kobe Bryant as his favorite NBA player and the Lakers as his favorite pro team ... Will Smith and Angelina Jolie are his favorite actor and actress ... Always watches ESPN Sportscenter ... Clash of the Titans is his favorite movie ... Pizza is his favorite food but stays away from steak ... Favorite band is Young Money while his favorite solo artist is Lil Wayne ... Favorite website is nba.com ... Chose Cal State Northridge because it's close to home ... Playing in front of crowds is the best thing about being an athlete, according to Stephan ... The toughest thing about being an athlete is time management ... Praying and listening to music are his favorite pre-game rituals ... Takes a vacation when time permits ... Basketball could be improved, according to Stephan, if there were more video reviews or challenges ... If Stephan was president of the NCAA, he would change the college football post-season from bowl games to a playoff system ... The best player he has played against was Tristan Thompson ... The most famous person he has ever met was Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic ... Would most like to meet Michael Jordan ... Would like to switch places for a day with Chris Johnson ... Would like to be stranded on an island with a lot of people ... Would love to have dinner with T-Mac and LeBron James ... Would invest in the stock market if he had a million dollars ... The best advice Stephan ever received was - work hard at everything you do ... "Stay out of trouble" would be the advice Stephan would give to young people ... No one knows how much Stephan exercises ... Few people know that Stephan can't swim ... The autobiography of Stephan Hicks' life would be "Steph's Life" ... Denzel Washington would play the role of Stephan Hicks if a movie was made of his life ... One possession he could not live without would be his iPod ... Years from now, Stephan will still laugh when he remembers his little brother singing ... Would bring peace to the world if he had an opportunity ... The biggest obstacle Stephan overcame was playing in front of large crowds ... His mom is his hero because of all the amazing things she does everyday, according to Stephan ... Business major.


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Last year I wrote about my friend in Dallas who had recently updated her living room – using the talented design team of Ray*Weitman. My favorite item in her newly revamped room was the old Zuber wallpaper remnant that was framed and hung to the side of her fireplace. In fact, I enlarged the picture of it and cropped it so that it would really shine and be the highlight of the story. When you love something, well – it never hurts to exaggerate that feeling or emotion for effect.
Close-up of my friend's grisaille Zuber wallpaper remnant, framed.
A few months after the post showing the Zuber wallpaper, I got an interesting email from Simon P. Scott who owned the retail shop and wholesale business Jardins en Fleur. I had first heard of Simon when my partner, Megan of Beach Bungalow 8, talked about him and his beautiful store on the Skirted Roundtable one night. I had laughed at her pronunciation Jardins en Fleur, which she said in an exaggerated and affected French accent. "Say it again Megan, Jaardaan and flowwwer???" – I retorted in my annoying and whiny southern drawl (hey, I know my voice is horrible and I apologize to all who listen to the Skirted Roundtable. I need to take some diction classes to tony it up a bit.) I digress. Simon emailed me with some interesting and rather shocking news. First he said he had closed his shop and was moving in a different direction. Closing it? I never even got to visit it!!!! Most surprising was his confession.
Now, I get a lot of emails from people who read the blog, but none has ever played out like this email. I was pretty shocked when I read what Simon had to say:
Simon confessed he had read about my friend's grisaille Zuber wallpaper remnant, framed in her living room, and became inspired by it. In fact, he said, that blog story with the Zuber had actually lifted him out of the deep funk he had been in after his store closed. Really? Acting on the inspiration of the grisaille Zuber, Simon had created an entirely new line of chinoiserie inspired drawings that he was going to sell, framed and unframed, at the Gift and Decor markets around the country.
I love to hear from fans of my blog. It's the best part of the job. But truly, no one before has ever written me saying a post I had written had inspired a new business venture. I was flattered to say the least. Actually, I'm not quite sure I believed Simon when he said that that ONE picture inspired his whole new line, but I'm desperate for positive feedback, so I lapped it up. Simon's new line is now complete and he has attended several shows where it was met with great success. Of course. He has a long history of success in the retail field. Years before, he had designed products that were huge sellers. See if you remember some of his earlier designs:
There were these bottles with metal tops, along with a line of shabby-chic white crusty accessories.
His candles had rusted tops and were popular long before there were the plethora of candle lines now available.
There were also various sconces and chandeliers and lamps in his product line.
But, the biggest success was this: The Bombay Co. came calling asking for 30,000 lamps for which they would pay $14 each. In order to make the lamps at that price, Simon was forced to go to China, which is how he ended up doing business there. The natural progression of things lead from making lamps to designing hand painted wallpapers on silk that was then made in China. Simon has been creating these chinoiserie inspired wallpapers for years now, selling them through Jardins en Fleur. While he still creates those wallpapers, it is his new collection, inspired by my friend's grisaille Zuber remnant, that has really taken off at market. Today he works under a new business name - Jardins du Jour and to celebrate his new line, Simon has offered a giveaway to a lucky Cote de Texas reader!!
This framed item from Jardins du Jour will be given away to the winner! I absolutely adore this!!!!!
Simon was sweet enough to even send me one of his new grisaille wallpapers, framed, which I hung in my family room.
Here's a close up!!
Here are some more examples of the new line at Jardins du Jour. I love this combination of the grisaille background with bright color accents.
There is a series of chinoiserie figures. Here are two examples.
There is also a nature series with different birds.
Here's another chinoiserie inspired painting.
This Jardins du Jour wallpaper can be installed on a screen.
This wallpaper can be ordered on panels, framed.
All the papers can be custom colored. In fact anything in the line can be custom colored or sized. To see the entire line of available papers, please go here: www.jardinsdujour.com
Rules for the giveaway:
In order the win the painting above, all you have to do is go to Simon's web site Jardins du Jour at www.jardinsdujour.com – look around at the Portfolio, and pick out what YOU like best. Come back to this comment section and leave me a comment with your choice. A winner will be chosen this Friday night at 11:59 pm. That's all! The prize is the framed painting above. Be sure to leave your name on the comment or if you post anonymously – leave your email so we can contact you if you win! Good luck!!!! And thank you Simon, so much, for your generous giveaway!


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How Your Browser Determines Battery Runtime
Using Chrome I noticed a lot of CPU usage with some open web pages. This is much better when using Opera. Also Chrome seems to constantly write something to disk, which stops it from spinning down, which saves lots of energy. Hence I will now use Opera again, at least when surfing on battery... What are your experiences with CPU usage and disk access with browsers\?
Related Posts :
2 comments:
I love your blog D:ReplyDelete
How did you learn so much about Linux and become so handy with the terminal?
Thanks, tek! I guess the most important step was to change to Linux as my main OS. Then everything else is day-by-day issues and google. ;)ReplyDelete
But it was a long way. I started in 2001, so keep at it and you'll learn all that! I hope my blog will make the first steps easier and more fun.
I appreciate comments. Feel free to write anything you wish. Selected comments and questions will be published.
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Treatment Overview
Our consultative cardiologists pursue thorough cardiac evaluations and testing in order to formulate preventive, diagnostic and treatment strategies for patients with ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, adult congenital heart defects, hypertension, and heart disease during pregnancy.
Faculty Physicians
List of Einstein-Montefiore full-time consultative cardiology faculty members.
Treatment Facilities
Three in-patient clinical sites with CCUs and additional monitored step-down units.
Einstein-Montefiore's expansive clinical research program.
Contact Us
Immediate office consultations and emergency room consultations for patients with heart disease.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
Joint Conference Schedule
Fellowship Rotation Master Schedule
Fellow Call Schedule
Attending Call Schedule


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I am currently thinking about to leave Spotify and switch to madsonic.
One big feature on spotify for me is to make certain playlists and all favorites offline available on my mobile, because when I drive to work streaming is not working.
I know the madsonic app (on Android) will cache files after playback, but when I understood it right I have to play each track to make it offline available, and as soon as the cache is full the oldest track will be substituted.
Am I just missing how to do this or is this feature currently missing in the client? I was not able to find any detailed documentaion about the caching functionality on the website or the forum.
If so please feel free to move this thread to the feature requests.
Kind regards,


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This is a suggestion I came up with while looking at my map screen. I have only 100% beaten (That is all badges not all classes) 1 dungeon in the game. . .the Den of Danger.
But honestly it doesn't feel complete. I feel like there should be some great challenge thrown at you when you finish a dungeon so that you can finally say "Okay I have mastered this"
The simple solution is a mission popping up when you get the last badge that requires you to go into the dungeon prepping the vicious token and nothing else.
A viscous purist mission that would maybe give a gold reward (or even better an aesthetic reward of some sort) that would allow you to get that final sense of "beating" that dungeon.
You could make it even more hilarious by removing (or reducing) shop/god/booster spawns but that would probably make several of the dungeons (or all of them?) impossible. Heck as far as I know a lot of dungeons might be impossible with the viscous token unless you have a preps as is. . .
But who needs possible victory when you have certain defeat?
Obviously this is something that people can do anyway on their own. . .but I think it would be cooler with a mission.


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New Balance to Enter Skate Footwear Market with New Balance Numeric
Boston-based buy cialis from a nabp website announced today that it will enter the skate footwear market through a license agreement with Black Box Distribution of Carlsbad, CA. Branded as New Balance Numeric or NB#, Black Box will produce and market performance footwear and apparel for skateboarding. New Balance Numeric will combine the unique requirements of skateboarders with New Balance's heritage of product excellence through comfort, fit, quality and technical materials.
"New Balance is proud to partner with Black Box on the New Balance Numeric skate footwear initiative," says Rob DeMartini, President & CEO at New Balance. "As one of the most authentic and talented skate companies in the industry, Black Box offers industry knowledge and a strong commitment to skate specialty retailers that matches well with our 107-year-old tradition of delivering technical design-forward performance products for athletes."
New Balance Numeric will officially debut at the Agenda Trade show in Long Beach, California on January 4th, 2013 where team announcements and additional marketing plans will be revealed. New Balance Numeric will be available in the U.S. and Canada starting in July 2013 through specialty skateboard and action sports retailers only.
http://uristocrat.com/2010/07/rick-ross-free-mason-jayz/ is a post by cialis black is it safe on http://uristocrat.com/2012/11/puma-shadow-society-2012-fallwinter-red-star-and-blue-star/.


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DailyDirt: Uncommon Un-Colas
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
- Pepsi is launching a new soda sweetened with stevia (and sugar), but it's only going to be available online at Amazon. Pepsi True is not shipping yet, but there are already a few reviews from people who haven't tasted it. [url]
- Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray soda has been around since 1868, and it may be the only celery-flavored soda that is mass-produced commercially. Celery was once considered a superfood with medicinal powers, so they made a tonic from it, and that story is nearly the same for several other popular soft drinks with supposedly healthy ingredients. [url]
- The Un-Cola 7 Up was also known as 'Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda' when it debuted in 1929. The original formula also contained lithium which, at high doses, is prescribed to treat bi-polar disorder. Lithium citrate was removed from 7 Up by the 1950s, but the drink still contains only "100% natural" flavors. (Note: drinking water may contain trace amounts of lithium, too.) [url]


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*and courses to meet graduation requirements, general education and electives as needed to meet minimum of 60 units required for the degree.
The Liberal Arts and Sciences Degree is designed to enable students to complete the requirements for an Associate in Arts Degree with a minimum of 18 units in an area of emphasis and transfer to a University of California, a California State University or an independent/private college and university.
To meet the Liberal Arts and Sciences Degree requirements a student must complete the following:
1. One of the following four general education options
2. A minimum of 18 units in an Area of Emphasis or Specialization. These include:


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For over 50 years, Ann Taylor has been one of the most successful womenswear retailers in the US, with 48 stores dotted cross the country. Founded in 1954 by Richard Liebeskind, the brand became to the go to for luxurious yet affordable work-to weekend pieces. Infused with the American brand's 'look great, feel great' philosophy, the extensive top collection features everything from basic T-shirts to chic knits and blouses. Ann Taylor understands the importance of versatility, consistency and dependability and this believe is reflected in each and every piece in the collection. So if you need to re-stock your staples, there's something chic, contemporary and classy in this Ann Taylor edit for every preference and pursuit.
We use cookies to provide you with the best possible experience on our website. This includes third party cookies and personalised content. If you continue we'll assume you're happy to receive all cookies. However, you can change your mind at any time. Read more


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4145 members1734 Comments 271 Likes
92 members63 Comments 16 Likes
Started this discussion. Last reply by tom sarbeck Jun 3, 2013. 26 Replies 1 Like
I sent my religious father a copy of the God Delusion for Christmas. After reading it, his first response (so far, assuming there are more considering it was only on the phone) is that Richard…Continue
Alexandra has not received any gifts yet
Welcome, Alexandra! Glad you could join us. :D
Please consider joining a group to meet people and talk about anything that's on your mind, Hang With Friends. You might also like Atheist Artists, Atheists who are Artists, Ex-Adventists and Seventh-day Atheists, Women Atheists, Female Atheists, and possibly Feminist Atheists. After you've searched for stuff that interests you in "Groups" above and in the "Forums", don't forget to look at recent activity which hides along the right margin of the page all the way at the bottom.
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text: Each of the major operators would install 5,000 masts and antennas and jointly ensure network coverage along 30,000 km (19,000 miles) of rail tracks, Julien Denormandie, junior minister for territorial cohesion, told the Journal du Dimanche.The finance ministry later confirmed these details.Orange, formerly the state-owned monopoly France Telecom, SFR, Bouygues Telecom, and Iliad's Free Mobile have all under-invested in France's mobile network during the past 15 years, the minister said."I want to put an end to 'The network's bad, I'll call you back'," Denormandie told the weekly paper, published on Sunday.Asked how much financing the state would contribute, the minister replied: "Not a single cent will come from the budget!"Denormandie said that in return for the increased investment, the government would extend the telecoms companies' spectrum licenses instead of holding a new auction, effectively giving up future income.The last spectrum auction in 2015 raised 2.8 billion euros for French state coffers.Mobile users often complain that the French network can seem inferior to coverage in some African countries where telecom companies bypassed fixed lines and invested heavily in mobile.As of July 2017, the 4G networks of SFR, Bouygues Telecom, Orange and Free Mobile covered 74 percent, 70 percent, 69 percent and 47 percent of the population respectively in low density zones, according to the telecoms regulator Arcep. Denormandie said the three-year rollout plan would bring 4G coverage to more than 10,000 towns and villages currently served by either 2G or 3G networks.(This verson of the story has been refiled to add dropped "billion" in headline) (Reporting by Richard Lough; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Alexander Smith)


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Pacific Coast Highway
The Pacific Coast Highway (aka Highway 1 or 'PCH') is considered to be one of America's most famous highways (probably taking a not so close second to Route 66). Stretching from the southern tip of Baja California to the top of the Olympic peninsula, the highway is approximately 2500 miles in length. A two week drive from San Diego to the Redwood National Forest in Northern California makes for a great travel itinerary.
Get in
San Diego County
While California Highway 1 doesn't start until near Dana Point in Orange County, it's worth your time to start at the southern end of the California coast in San Diego. San Diego offers many interesting attractions to the visitor in the neighborhoods away from the beach, such as Balboa Park, Downtown, and Old Town, but if you're just interested in seeing coastline then a worthy place to start is Cabrillo National Monument at the tip of Point Loma. There, you can get a gorgeous view of San Diego, the Bay, and the ocean, and learn about some of the history of the area. Also in the monument is a lovely tidepool area at the base of the ocean cliffs.
Heading north, you can drive along the beaches in the communities of Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, and La Jolla (La Jolla also has a scenic sea coves), or just drive up I-5 and skip the beaches. You can continue to drive up I-5 through Northern San Diego County, but if you want to take a slower, yet far more scenic route along the coast, get down to the coast highway near Torrey Pines State Park, between La Jolla and Del Mar. Torrey Pines makes a scenic stop, with hills and cliffs overlooking the coast and trails leading down to the beach. Continuing north along the coast will take you through the lovely towns of Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad and Oceanside, where you'll drive right next to the coast and over a few nice lagoons connected to the ocean.
In Oceanside, you'll have to get on to I-5 to continue driving north. Just proceed on the Coast Highway through Oceanside until you get to the I-5 exit.
Orange and Los Angeles Counties
In San Clemente, you can get off I-5 at the El Camino Real exit and drive by the Capistrano Beach until you get to California Highway 1. Head north of Highway 1 through Dana Point, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach before crossing over into Los Angeles County. As you enter Long Beach, Highway 1 heads inland to cut through the South Bay region of Los Angeles County. Hwy. 1 rejoins the coast near Redondo Beach and continues slightly inland through Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo and directly under a runway at Los Angeles International Airport.
After passing the airport, Hwy. 1 heads back toward the coast through Marina del Rey and Santa Monica. Hwy. 1 hugs the coast on through Malibu.
Central Coast
From Malibu, Hwy. 1 continues along the coast through Point Mugu State Park to Oxnard. Before reaching Oxnard, the road passes by Mugu Rock, formed by the cut the road made through the mountain. After Mugu Rock, the road travels inland through Oxnard north to US-101. Get onto US-101 and heads west through Ventura, where it rejoins the coast. US-101 continues along the coast through Carpinteria, Santa Barbara and Goleta. At the Gaviota State Park, US-101 breaks away from the coast and Hwy. 1 restarts, breaking away from US-101. Hwy. 1 heads north through Lompoc and Guadalupe before rejoining the coast at Grover Beach. At the northern end of Grover Beach, Hwy. 1 merges with US-101 again which proceeds through Pismo Beach before breaking away from the coast to head north to San Luis Obispo. There, Hwy. 1 splits off of US-101 again, traveling northwest to the coastal community of Morro Bay. Hwy. 1 continues along the coast through Cambria, San Simeon, home to the Hearst Castle, along the very scenic cliffs of Big Sur. Several miles north of Big Sur, Hwy. 1 crosses over the beautiful Bixby Creek Bridge and the less famous but still beautiful Rocky Creek Bridge.
From there, Hwy. 1 continues through Carmel, then as a freeway past Monterey and Marina before becoming a two-lane road near Castroville, and then as a freeway again past Watsonville to Santa Cruz. After Santa Cruz, the road becomes a rural road winding along the coast again to the San Francisco Peninsula.
San Francisco Bay Area
Hwy. 1 continues as a rural road through several communities including Half Moon Bay. As the highway approaches Pacifica, Highway 1 becomes a freeway segment through Daly City before breaking off as a city street, Junipero Serra Blvd, in San Francisco. Shortly after exiting off the freeway, Hwy. 1 becomes 19th Avenue through the Sunset district into Golden Gate Park. In the park, Hwy. 1 becomes Park Persidio Blvd through the Richmond district and into the Presidio park, where it merges with US-101 again. Shortly after exiting onto US-101, you'll drive over the world-famous Golden Gate Bridge over the San Francisco Bay into Marin County. US-101 continues past Sausalito and Marin City, where Hwy. 1 splits off of US-101 again, heading west to the coast at Muir Beach before running north along the coast past the Point Reyes National Seashore.
North Coast
Hwy. 1 continues along the coast, breaking off briefly to go through the town of Valley Ford before rejoining the coast at Bodega Bay. It heads north through Fort Ross, Point Arena, Elk, Mendocino and Fort Bragg. After passing through the small town of Rockport, Hwy. 1 breaks away from the coast, finally ending at US-101 in the town of Leggett.
US-101 continues north through Garberville, Humboldt Redwoods State Park and Fortuna before rejoining the coast just before Eureka. US-101 continues along the coast through Arcata, McKinleyville and several small towns before finally reaching Redwood National Park, home to the world's tallest trees.
Stay safe
Get out


text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - "How Long in Poland?" Thread Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in "How Long in Poland?" Thread Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Poland View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message Mr. KalgukshiMod TeamJoined: 18 Jan 2003Posts: 6573Location: Need to know basis only. Posted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 7:49 am Post subject: "How Long in Poland?" Thread The "How Long in Poland?" thread has been removed along with several now ex-members that chose to post sexist and/or illegal drug related comments on the thread. Obviously, they had this board confused with others they may visit. This one has never permitted such nonsense and it is highly unlikely this will change in the future. Members are requested to report inappropriate postings to the Mod Team as soon as they appear. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Poland All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group Teaching Jobs in China


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Movie News: 'Gremlins' Reboot Talk; Elizabeth Banks Takes a 'Walk of Shame;' New 'Dark Skies' Trailer
Gremlins: Warner Bros. is once again in negotiations to reboot Joe Dante's funny and weird 1984 film Gremlins. The rights are held by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, and reportedly the studio has tried several times over the years to make a new version, but the deal has consistently proved to be too "daunting" from a financial perspective. Dante made a terrific sequel in 1990: Gremlins 2: The New Batch. [Vulture]
Catfish: In another college football-related story, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick claims that football player Mani Te'o was the victim of an online hoax, similar to that perpetrated in 2010's Catfish, directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman. As in the film, Te'o developed romantic feelings for a woman he met online; the woman subsequently faked her own death, and questions remain about Te'o's involvement. [Deadspin / The Hollywood Reporter]
Walk of Shame: Elizabeth Banks takes a Walk of Shame in an upcoming movie -- and in the behind-the-scenes photo below, we see her doing just that. Banks plays a TV news anchor who enjoys a wild night out before waking up in the morning without her phone, ID or money; James Marsden and Gillian Jacobs also star in the comedy. [WENN via Coming Soon]
Dark Skies Trailer: Horrors of the thrilling, supernatural kind predominate in a new U.K. trailer for Dark Skies, which is due out on February 22. Keri Russell and Josh Hamilton star as a young couple whose family and home comes under attack by powerful, unknown forces. [Hey U Guys UK]
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2019 FANDANGO MOVIES.


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Garden in Winter by Olivia Rae James on Flickr..
THE COMFORTS OF HOME by linda yvonne on Flickr.
Look out for the frost...!!!
Frost.. Jack's Kiss by Patrick | Canal Town Photo on Flickr..
Winter Garden..
Rose With a Crown by derScheuch on Flickr..
Frozen flower... looks like a mini city! Way cool.. ice flower by Jacob Watson on Flickr..
Frozen Landscape II by johnivara on Flickr..


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Please read this re. proper job psties and Urens ice cream.
Does anyone remember Urens ?
edited by: nige999, Oct 13, 2008 - 04:48 PM
Pasties and ice cream
Post memories, nostalgia and blasts from the past here. We\'re looking for tales of yesteryear and how it \"were much better in the good ol days!\"
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This week, mothers and education are on my mind. There is no more important job in the world than being a good mother or a Mr. Mom. Having parents with good sense makes a big difference in a person's life.
Parents pass along a lot in nonverbal ways: their values, their interactions with others, work ethic, problem-solving skills and good manners.
Grandmothers enjoy the fun part without the responsibility. Most grandparents, myself included, ramble on about their grandchildren. My 2-year old granddaughter spent some time sitting with me in the living room last week. She is learning to talk. (Need I say I find this most charming?) Sometimes I am clueless with her toddler-speak. That leads to frustration on her part.
There are some words I do know. Her blanket has a name: Mau-Mau. And if she wants Mau-Mau, and I cannot find it, that is as disastrous as the sinking of the Titanic. Her pacifier also has a name: Gigi. We are not sure how she arrived at these unique nomenclatures, but they are important to her.
Her attempts to say my name have evolved this year. For a while, she called me Mickey, which the entire family found hilarious. I guess I remind her of Mickey Mouse. That's fine with me. Granddaddy sometimes comes out as Grand-nanny. That draws some chuckles, too.
I could keep going with this, but the editors would soon ask me to stick to the subject. The point is this: When I spend time with my little people, it makes me think about the children in our community. What about the ones who do not have doting grandparents and attentive parents?
Folks, I am worried. I am just your average grandmother, but I care about my community and am concerned with what I am reading because of the impact on families and our public schools. Here's a highlight of some timely articles, some by Chris Kardish with The Associated Press. This column may seem like a Buzz Lightyear toy, flitting around from subject to subject, but stick with me:
Article 1: People are protesting and being arrested in Raleigh (including professors and religious leaders). In my 37 years of living here, I do not remember anything like this. They are concerned about Medicaid, unemployment benefits, the earned income tax credit, voting rights, public education and pre-K eligibility for at-risk children.
Article 2: This article discusses proposed education bills in Raleigh. They seek to limit eligibility for the state's pre-kindergarten program, lift restrictions on class size for grades K-3, cut 4,000 teacher assistants, give tax credits to parents of private-school students, and eliminate teacher tenure and a teacher's right to a hearing if terminated.
The same article points out that nationally, North Carolina's public schools have fallen from 24th in teacher pay to 48th, and also now rank 48th in per-student spending. This does not even begin to touch our local problems and county per-pupil expenditure rankings that keep heading toward the bottom.
Enter article 3 by Times-News columnist Bruce Benson, who touched on all these issues in his May 18 piece in a, shall we say, very frank manner.
The high school graduation rate is at an all-time high at 80.4 percent. Tax reform discussions and proposed legislation would reduce state revenue by $1 billion. If we've been behind before, where is this going to put us?
Article 4: We heard shocking news from the Children and Family Resource Center and the Community Foundation last week: Twenty-five percent of the county's children live in poverty, more than half of the county's public school students get free or reduced-price lunches, and 231 county students are homeless. The United Agenda for Children intends to provide these children with five promises: caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education and opportunities to serve. How will we possibly accomplish this when North Carolina opted out of Medicaid and our state school system is being dismantled?
Article 5: An article on how Americans really agree on more than we realize was interesting. We are so bogged down in parties fighting each other that we forget what we have in common. Most of us are moderate, middle-of-the-road people who do not like either extreme. We just need to figure out how to get the moderate-minded back in the driver's seat.
When one reads statistics like these, one feels helpless. One thing you can do is ask your representatives in Raleigh to support our children and our schools: Rep. Chris Whitmire, Rep Chuck McGrady and Sen. Tom Apodaca. Contact them at firstname.lastname@example.com, email@example.com and firstname.lastname@example.com, and you can find their phone numbers at www.ncleg.net.
Ask them to not support the proposed Senate budget because it is detrimental to public education. It freezes teacher pay, stops pay increases for teachers with advanced degrees, cuts 4,000 teacher assistants, makes discretionary cuts permanent, lifts class-size restrictions in grades K-3, and ends teacher tenure and their right to an appeal.
Please be polite when you communicate and show your passion for your community and your beliefs in a respectful way. Ask them to spend a few hours in some classrooms and talk with educators.
Finally, refer them to article 6, which basically says we have been living through difficult times and deep cuts but our situation has improved, according to the state controller. It is time to stop going to such extremes and use caution about tax reform and the fate of future revenues in our state. It impacts children, families and classrooms.
Mary Garrison lives in Flat Rock. Reach her at firstname.lastname@example.com.
From home to classroom and beyond
This week, mothers and education are on my mind. There is no more important job in the world than being a good mother or a Mr. Mom. Having parents with good sense makes a big difference in a person's life.


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The recycled paper produced from the instructions provided contains an additional component - wildflower seeds. The entire paper disc can be planted; the sprouting of the flowers can be observed and analyzed. The Climate Kids website is a NASA... (View More) education resource featuring articles, videos, images and games focused on the science of climate change. (View Less)
In this activity, students face an engineering challenge based on real-world applications. They are tasked with developing a tool they can use to measure the amount of rain that falls each day. Students will find out why freshwater is important,... (View More) learn about the water cycle, and the need to have a standard form of calibration for measurement tools. They will learn that keeping track of precipitation is important, and learn a little bit about how NASA's GPM satellite measures precipitation from space. This lesson uses the 5-E instructional model. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per group of students
This activity is a short engineering design challenge to be completed by individual students or small teams. A real-world problem is presented, designing buildings for hurricane-prone areas, but in a simulated way that works in a classroom, after... (View More) school club, or informal education setting. Students are given simple materials and design requirements, and must plan and build a tower as tall as possible that will hold up a tennis ball while resisting the force of wind from a fan. After the towers are built, the group comes together to test them. If there is time after testing, which can be observational or framed as a contest between teams, students can redesign their towers to improve their performance, or simply discuss what worked well and what didn't in their designs. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per group of students
In this activity, learners select the scientific instruments for their satellite, calculate the power requirements for all the subsystems, and construct a scale model of their very own Earth observing satellite using building blocks and/or Legos.... (View More) Includes instructions and worksheets. (View Less)
Can you Show that the Temperature of Air has an Effect on its Weight and its Direction of Vertical Movement?
This activity has two purposes: challenge the learner to develop a procedure for investigating a research question and to learn more about factors affecting the dynamics of air in motion. It demonstrates that warm air and cold air differ in weight... (View More) and this difference affects air's vertical movement in the atmospheric column. Resources provided to students for this challenge include a homemade balance beam made of wood, two paper bags, a desk lamp, paper clips, tape and a thermometer. The resource includes background information, teaching tips and questions to guide student discussion. This is the chapter 8 of Meteorology: An Educator's Resource for Inquiry-Based Learning for Grades 5-9. The guide includes a discussion of learning science, the use of inquiry in the classroom, instructions for making simple weather instruments, and more than 20 weather investigations ranging from teacher-centered to guided and open inquiry investigations. (View Less)
Materials Cost: $1 - $5 per student


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Club is the new direction in the motorcycle retro segment: the substance combines harmony and clean design. Available in black anodized and chrome, they become an integral part of your bike!
Rizoma Club Marker Light Kit (Pr)
Produced by Rizoma of Italy
Available Options:
Add mount adapters?:F800R (FR221B) (+$10.00)R1200GS ADV WC (FR221B) (+$10.00)F700GS (FR221B) (+$10.00)No thanksRnineT (FR221B) (+$10.00)S1000RR (FR221B) (+$10.00)R1200GS WC (FR221B) (+$10.00)F800GT (FR221B) (+$10.00)F800GS 2013-on (FR221B) (+$10.00)S1000R (FR221B) (+$10.00)R1200R (FR221B) (+$10.00)K1300R (FR221B) (+$10.00)RnineT Scrambler (FR221B) (+$10.00)S1000XR (FR221B) (+$10.00)


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Cliff Harris enters not guilty plea
Former Oregon Ducks cornerback Cliff Harris has entered a not guilty plea in connection with alleged domestic harassment.
Harris' attorney asked that he be released from jail after the Wednesday hearing, but that request was denied by Washington County Circuit Court Judge Gayle Nachtigal. It was unclear when he might be released.
Harris, an All-American in 2010, was arrested Friday night after he was seen fighting with his girlfriend outside a restaurant. He was released after posting bail on Saturday, but then he was pulled over on his way to his Tuesday court hearing and cited for reckless driving and not having a license.
Harris was let go by the New York Jets last week after he was arrested for alleged marijuana possession. He had signed a reserve-future contract with the Jets in January.


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Develop seeks online editor
The news follows the roll-out of the fresh, new look of the title - which has reinforced its position as the one publication at the heart of the games industry's creative community.
The Develop website has already expanded the depth of its content over the past few months and further developments are set to be implemented over the coming weeks.
As such, Intent Media - the publisher behind MCV and Develop - is looking to hire a dedicated online content editor for the Develop website. The ideal candidate will have a good knowledge of the video games industry's creative sector and will be able to spot - and follow-up - news stories relevant to the community.
Candidates wishing to apply should email a CV and covering letter.


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JohnPBudding Enthusiast
Content Count175
Last visited
Days Won1
About JohnP
Feet Under The Table
Contact Methods
Profile Information
Ford Model
Fiesta mk4 1.25 zetec
Recent Profile Visitors
dee jay reacted to a post in a topic: Worst Modifications.
HID Thread
JohnP replied to S666LER's topic in Ford Fiesta Clubthis is just my opinion but i dislike HID headlights, the generally tend to be set up wrong and often blind me when i pass other cars with them on. if you think your cars headlights need to be mega bright then i think you need an eye test, when i used to ride my bike with a not very bright full beam i could see perfectly well, even on country roads at night. no need for hid's imo.
PS3 or Xbox?
JohnP replied to Gazjs's topic in Computing, Gaming and Geekyi'd say PS3, i much prefer it to the wii (which is why i traded that in) and i like the whole way it operates compared to the xbox. although to be fair the differences between the xbox and ps3 aren't that big and both are really good consoles, its just the newer slim line ps3s have big hard drives and the ability to play blu ray.
As a member of the forum ...
JohnP replied to Nug878's topic in Ford Fiesta Clubouch, thats not good. glad your ok though and hope you get a new car sorrted out soon!
My sunday afternoon expedition
JohnP replied to Michael P's topic in Ford Fiesta Clubliking the pics! i took some of mine awhile ago, i really should post them up sometime!
snow/winter tyres are the way forward as MarkyR mentions. I've recently got back from Austria and in most regions it is law to have these tyres on, they are mega grippy. the hire car we had took a fair bit of effort to spin the wheels and it was only a SEAT Leon FWD. My girlfriends dad took his audi 4X4 over there with winter tyres and it was pretty much impossible to get the wheels spinning in the conditions on the ski resorts. it did help that the roads are cleared much more efficiently than over here but you could still notice the difference. oh, and on the subject of snow chains, i saw a pillock in my village putting them on during that lightish snowfall before christmas. my fiesta was handling the roads fine and i can't think of any major routes with 10/15 miles that would possibly require them (and thats only if conditions are like the are now. or worse).
Anybody supermarket ran out of deicer
JohnP replied to fiesta_lad's topic in Ford Fiesta Clubnope, but a local shop had run out of bread and potatoes because of panic buying.
hd cable for xbox 360... help?
JohnP replied to spamdan08's topic in General Chattry amazon or asda. for a hdmi cable, £5 at asda, bargain!
NFS Shift
JohnP posted a topic in Computing, Gaming and GeekyI know its an oldish game but was wondering if anyone played it? Just downloaded a new add on with a few classic american cars off PSN. They look proper cool but they do handle a bit crappy.
did you take the pics piggy? i wouldn't fancy doing that whilst driving!!!!
JohnP replied to DanGull's topic in Computing, Gaming and GeekyJohnP19 (PSN) at the minute i'm alll about CODMW2.
i don't mind driving in the snow too much, i guess thats probably because i had a couple of driving lessons in the snow and when i passed it snowed for a week or so, so most of the time it was quite slippy. i like to think that experience made me a better driver though. as mentioned though some other drivers scare the bejesus out of me, especially in my works carpark today!
The fiesta will FINALLY be mine...
JohnP replied to Michael P's topic in Ford Fiesta Clubfor my second year driving i'm being offered quotes of £990 which seems mad for a mk4 fiesta. my girlfriend has a 1.6 seat ibiza and pays £600 or so for that, i think the best way to lower your insurance would be to castrate yourself.
JohnP replied to Jonny87's topic in Ford Fiesta Clubsainsbury's is cheaper and still does nectar points!
Hello fellow ford owners
JohnP replied to GaryJ's topic in New Member Introductionswelcome to the club, glad to see another mk4 owner! also like the bike, i'm aiming to sort my test out soon!
Hi all
JohnP replied to Jamie Jay's topic in Ford Fiesta Clubi think you're right. fast ford did a feature on them awhile back. i was thinking of getting one but my car doesn't sit low enough to make the splitter look good.


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Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that full-backs Patrice Evra and Rafael were tired after the 2-2 draw with Chelsea last Sunday, but are not expected to be rested after nearly a week off between games.
Darren Fletcher (bowel condition) will miss the remainder of the season, while Nani (hamstring), Paul Scholes (knee) and Phil Jones (ankle) are all doubtful and will undergo late fitness tests.
Ahead of his first match in charge of Reading's first team, caretaker boss Eamonn Dolan has a few injury concerns to contend with ahead of the trip to Old Trafford.
Goalkeeper Adam Frederici (ankle) looks set to be out until the end of March and he is joined by Jimmy Kebe (groin) and Pavel Pogrebnyak (three-match suspension).
Jason Roberts (hip) continues to miss out, but Alex McCarthy has been back in training and looks to be touch-and-go due to a lack of match fitness.
- Following Brian McDermott's (pictured right) sacking, academy coach Eamonn Dolan will take charge of his first match for Reading's senior side on Saturday.
The Royals have not beaten Manchester United since 1927 when they triumphed over the Red Devils in the FA Cup.
Reading come into this match on the back of five consecutive defeats in all competitions.
The Royals have already lost twice to United so far this season,
losing 4-3 at the Madejski Stadium in the league and 2-1 at Old
Trafford in the FA Cup.
United have come out with three points in 14 of their last 16 Premier League matches.
The only team to beat the hosts in their last 20 fixtures is Real Madrid.
- Reading have completed the least amount of passes in the league with 69 per cent meeting the intended target.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side, on the other hand, have completed 85.7% of their passes, a stat bettered only by Arsenal.
Robin van Persie has scored just one goal since the end of January, coming against Everton over a month ago on February 10.


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Chandigarh: The Congress on Saturday played down launching of a political outfit by Arvind Kejriwal saying there were 1453 political parties registered in India and one more would strengthen the democratic fabric.
"If a person or group of people have decided to float a political party, it is their right," senior Congress leader and Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told reporters here.
"There are 1453 political parties registered with the Election Commission. So, if one more is added, this will only strengthen our democratic fabric," he said.
"The more the merrier," Tewari quipped when asked to comment on one more party "Aam Aadmi", floated by activist Kejriwal, coming into existence.
"The Aam Aadmi (common man) is synonymous with the Congress since 1885 when the party came into existence.
"Therefore, nobody can either hijack or skyjack or bicycle-jack the intrinsic relationship between the Congress and the people of this country," Tewari said.
Kejriwal`s party has been named `Aam Aadmi Party` at a meeting of its founder-members in the national capital.


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Those of us who advocate for limited government are burdened with a responsibility unlike those who prefer to see the state expand. Government growth tends to occur on autopilot. Once new programs are implemented, the impulse is always towards greater funding, expanded services, and all-around mission creep. On the rare occasions when government is constrained, however, there is no such sustaining dynamic.
Few areas underscore that principle more vividly than public assistance for the needy. During the Republican Revolution of the 1990s, congressional conservatives marshaled public opinion and managed to drag a reluctant Bill Clinton to sign welfare reform into law. That package created new incentives for work, limited lifetime benefits and ended the idea of welfare as an entitlement.
Now, more than 15 years later, it has become clear that those efforts were not enough. A report this week by the libertarian Cato Institute's Michael Tanner and Charles Hughes revealed that, when factoring in all the various public benefits available to low-income individuals, 35 states make it more lucrative to be a welfare recipient than to be employed in a minimum-wage job. Even when those benefits are slightly lower, it should be noted, the incentives remain perverse: Why work for minimum wage, after all, when you could get 95 percent of the income while doing nothing?
Unsurprisingly, California is among the offending states. According to the study, an individual who was utilizing every available benefit offered by the Golden State would be bringing in the equivalent of a $17.87 hourly wage, a figure that adds up to 96.5 percent of the state's median salary. Under that math, the suckers are the ones going to work for a living.
Make no mistake about it, the villains here aren't the poor, many of whom long for the dignity of work irrespective of how easy current policies make it to stay out of the labor force. The culpable party is government (all the way from the federal to the local level), which has created such irresponsible incentives in the first place. Such an expansive level of benefits is a gift to the unscrupulous recipient who wants to exploit the system and a temptation to the one who'd prefer to play by the rules.
Even those of us who strongly support individual liberty and personal responsibility recognize the need for a safety net. Unforeseen circumstances occur, and it's appropriate for the state to temporarily sustain the neediest among us. "Temporary" and "neediest", however, are the key words. Public assistance should be a springboard back to self-sufficiency, not an invitation to taxpayer-subsidized leisure. In order to realize that goal, California lawmakers should tighten eligibility requirements and reexamine benefit levels.
A soft heart requires keeping the safety net alive. But a tough mind demands that it be recalibrated to empower, rather than infantilize, its recipients.


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Apulia hotspot
Cluster of at least 4 WHS within reach for a return day trip from a center.
The center is: Bari.
The connection belongs to WHS Hotspots connections.
Connected Sites
Longobards in Italy: Monte Sant'Angelo
Map of Apulia hotspot
- ●● Cultural
- ●● Natural
- ●● Mixed
- ●● Tentative
Do you know of another WHS we could connect to Apulia hotspot ?
A connection should:
- Not be "self evident"
- Link at least 3 different sites
- Not duplicate or merely subdivide the "Category" assignment already identified on this site.
- Add some knowledge or insight (whether significant or trivial!) about WHS for the users of this site
- Be explained, with reference to a source


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by Barbara Olson
I struggle with addictions. When I was 5 and started kindergarten, I was addicted to glue. I glued sparkles to the cut-out hearts. I glued cotton clouds beside the yellow sun on blue construction paper. I glued gold stars to all my spelling tests, whether I deserved them or not. And sometimes I ate the glue.
My glue habit started with just a taste every other week or so, but quickly turned into a daily binge. Fortunately, my kindergarten teacher caught me one day – I had overdosed a bit, and my lips were stuck together. She and my folks quickly staged an intervention and only allowed me to use scotch tape. I have been glue-free ever since.
In high school I became addicted to cheerleading. "Go. Fight. Win." was constantly on my lips with whispered enthusiasm – for football, basketball and sometimes food fights. I made hair clips that looked like miniature pom-poms and earned money to buy a silver megaphone bracelet. My skirts were all pleated and I started dating the football captain. I was in deep.
One night my mother caught me secretly practicing my splits before I did homework. My father heard me chanting "Push 'em back, push 'em back, waaay back" in the shower. Concerned with the all-consuming nature of my enthusiasm, my parents called a quick family meeting and then called the gym teacher. I was excused from the squad.
I spent the summer in Palm Springs at my Aunt Betty's house. When I returned, I attended weekly Science Club meetings to keep me on the straight and narrow and away from cheers.
My addiction-string became serious during college. I studied in France for a semester and started smoking cigarettes with the rest of the country. My motive was pure. You see, to be polite in France you either smoked their cigarettes, made love to the men, or drank their wine – which resulted in sleeping with men anyhow. I chose cigarettes.
When I returned back to the states, I continued the habit. I thought it made me seem sophisticated. Like eating continental style (fork in left hand, upside-down/knife in right hand) or singing poignant torch songs in smoky cabaret clubs. Unfortunately, smoking was the hardest habit to break.
Finally, my friend, Penny, forced me to quit the filthy habit. She said that when I turned 30 years old the next year, I could either smoke or take the birth control pill but not both. I chose sex, quit cigarettes and I haven't looked back.
Regrettably, at my age, I am still addiction-prone. This time it is with QVC. It all started when I came home late one evening and turned on the TV to discover that there was an incredible sale on "Breezy Bras." Not only were they true-to-size but they breathed comfortably with a wicking material and were engineered using the construction secrets of the Golden Gate Bridge. In a panic, I picked up the phone and ordered two: one black, one white. My QVC addiction began.
Through the years, I have been able to curb my addiction. For starters, I just avoid the QVC channel, and I have been fairly successful. Occasionally I accidentally hit the channel while cruising with the remote – but I have weaned myself away from the clothing and jewelry spots.
To date I have been able to maintain moderation – as opposed to total abstinence – and my last purchase was absolutely justifiable. It is a wonderful hair product called "O-Jo-Biana Shampoo and Conditioner," created deep in the rain forests of South America. It not only has a guarantee, it has a promise, they say. I bought a package for myself and then quickly called back and ordered one for my mom. Total: $262 plus shipping.
Feeling so proud and smug that I had found such a stellar and useful product, I have been tuning into QVC just a wee bit each day now. It can be overwhelming – glazed rod-iron shoe trees, re-chargeable batteries that attach to night-lights, or quick-chill Jello molds shaped for all the major Christian holidays. Fortunately, I have been able to abstain from those attractive products. Obviously, I can handle this addiction.
Now, my only worry is finding just the right someone who would love owning the Marie Osmond Doll I ordered yesterday.


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Solar energy is growing fast in the United States. Consumers are installing home generation solutions, including solar panels and bundled energy solutions such as solar plus battery storage, in ever greater numbers. These solutions are enabling consumers to become both buyers and sellers of energy. Accenture's New Energy Consumer research reveals that nearly half of all US electricity customers plan to install solar or join a "shared" or community solar program in the next five years. And, with the extension of lucrative tax incentives and falling costs, we're not likely to see a slowdown in this growth any time soon.
The Solar Energy Industries Association reports that between 2009 and 2015, the price per watt for solar energy in the United States fell by nearly a factor of four, while capacity has increased more than seven-fold to nearly 8,000 MW annually. Current market conditions virtually assure that solar capacity could double every two years for the next 10 years. All of this points to a market that utilities cannot afford to ignore. But many utilities missed out on the initial solar wave, and competitors from outside the industry have captured much of the early-stage market. Some utilities have sought to block the advance of solar through charges, or creating difficulties for prosumers to sell excess power back to the grid. But pursuing this path could become hazardous as momentum for solar power continues. What then, should utilities do to catch up to achieve a more prominent, prosperous role in the market?
We know that consumer adoption of solar will increasingly challenge utilities' traditional revenue models. Solar is disrupting demand and displacing conventional sources of generation in the energy market. In addition, due to the intermittent nature of solar, it's also starting to cause very real disruption to grid operations, accelerating the need for further grid modernization to accommodate bi-directional power flows and large fluctuations in load. However, for forward-thinking utilities this rapidly changing landscape should also indicate new growth opportunities. Some utilities, for example, are using their scale and access to consumers to directly install rooftop solar at a lower cost than third-party competitors. In Arizona, Tucson Electric has installed solar for several thousand customers at roughly half the market price. Other utilities enable their customers to adopt solar by providing rebates and financing that help reduce consumers' upfront investment.
In addition to supporting individual consumers, utilities are also well positioned to aggregate consumer demand to invest in community solar projects. These larger solar farms offer customers virtual "credits" without the hassle of individual rooftop installation or requirement of home ownership. In Colorado, for example, Xcel Energy recently received regulatory approval to install up to 50 MW of community solar and sell shares to the public. Increasingly, utility-scale solar is also the electricity source of choice for utilities themselves, as solar economics undercut natural gas and wind prices and the industry races to meet emissions reduction mandates. Some states such as Texas and California are looking to large-scale solar as a primary new source of generation by signing contracts at record low prices. As the economic, fuel-diversity and environmental benefits become increasingly more attractive, solar will continue to challenge traditional sources of energy.
It is critical for all utilities to develop their own approach to solar, to decide if and how they want to play in this market. Such a decision requires a thorough assessment of the market, including:
Economic analysis to understand the interplay between energy markets, advances in solar technology, and consumers' willingness to adopt solar
Scenario planning to inform the need and potential timing of required shifts in core strategy
Business modelling to develop models that satisfy consumers' desire for solar, while protecting social obligations to serve all
Stakeholder strategy to explore the various regulatory pathways and deploy solar investments that align with stakeholder interests
As solar continues to gain traction, utilities will need to find ways to incorporate these new forms of generation. As adoption picks up speed, the need to analyze and plan effectively is imperative. Targeted acquisitions, regulatory engagement and new business models are all required. This is a market that utilities cannot afford to miss, but for those that get it right, the outlook is bright.