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I just read a book that I really can't find anything good to say about and I'm curious...do you do negative reviews on your blog? Why or why not? Part of me feels like I should have the guts to give an honest opinion if I think a book sucks, but another part of me can't stand the idea of publicly criticizing something that someone put so much work into and obviously cares deeply about.
Does the popularity of the author have anything to do with your decision? I know I would be more comfortable panning a Nicholas Sparks book (huge following and I doubt I will hurt his sales) than I would be someone self publishing and trying to establish himself.
Tell me your thoughts on this please, I'm curious to hear your opinions...
So....do you??
Friday, June 11, 2010
I just read a book that I really can't find anything good to say about and I'm curious...do you do negative reviews on your blog? Why or why not? Part of me feels like I should have the guts to give an honest opinion if I think a book sucks, but another part of me can't stand the idea of publicly criticizing something that someone put so much work into and obviously cares deeply about.
Posted by Angelique at 5:30 PM
9 comments:
- Leanna (Daisy Chain Book Reviews) said...
I've written a few negative reviews on my blog. I think the thing to do is to be honest, but not to be scathing. For example, if I really don't like I book, I will try to outline as much as possible why I didn't like it - I'm not just going to review a book and say "I hate this crap". That kind of thing doesn't help anybody! But, I'd much rather read a blog that has honest reviews rather than just read blogs that give five stars to everything. That's my take on it, anyway. :)
- June 12, 2010 at 4:49 AM
- loreleimarsh said...
I post negative reviews simply because I am a big believer in being honest. There are some books you just can't like, no matter how much you try and authors know that. They understand that their work make not suit your tastes, but they tend to appreciate the fact that you even tried and are willing to give constructive criticism. I try to find something positive to report and I definitely explain my thoughts in details when it comes to posting a negative review. I hope that makes sense and good luck!
- June 12, 2010 at 9:11 AM
- Vampires and Tofu said...
Thank you SO much for the feedback! I like what both of you had to say and I think in the future I will go ahead and post if a book just doesn't do it for me...honesty, but in a constructive way =)
Again, big thank-yous!! I really appreciate you sharing your opinions!
- June 12, 2010 at 10:04 AM
- Books and Bane said...
Since I know which book you speak of I truly inderstand this particular dilemma.The author is so giving in spirit and such. Personally, I am not sure I could do it. If the book was just a bit off maybe, but if it was really bad... not sure I could carry that load. If you can find a truly constructive way of reviewing it without sounding abusive...lol... then I would say 'go for it'. Glad to not be in your shoes my Darlin'. Wish I could help more.
- June 12, 2010 at 10:04 AM
- Steph Bowe said...
Honesty is always the best policy, but just be tactful.
Love your blog!
- June 12, 2010 at 7:51 PM
- Vampires and Tofu said...
Thanks, love yours too!!
- June 12, 2010 at 8:59 PM
- Zombie Chicken Catcher said...
At art school we were taught not to say we like or dislike something ( mind you I was kicked out half way through my second year. So maybe this advice is too silly. But it has stuck with me ). A dialoge about something with no opinion can be interesting too maybe.
- June 13, 2010 at 2:48 PM
- Vampires and Tofu said...
Eesh...I could TRY that but I'm really very opinionated lol...
- June 13, 2010 at 7:23 PM
- Juju at Tales of Whimsy.com said...
Good question. I totally do. But only if I can finish it.
- June 17, 2010 at 6:11 AM


text:
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With myHMG, our patient online service, you're always just a click away from the personal health information you need to better manage your health. Learn more about myHMG.
In an effort to better serve you, we strive to provide same-day sick appointments. However, when those appointments are not available, we're pleased to direct you to one of our HMG Urgent Care locations. Via HMG's electronic health information system, your HMG primary care provider will have detailed notes of your visit with one of our urgent care providers, enabling your provider to have continued oversight of your care.
As a regional leader, Holston Medical Group was the first to introduce the concept of 24-hour, inpatient care provided by a dedicated "hospital team." With around-the-clock care at both Indian Path Regional Medical Center, Kingsport, and Holston Valley Medical Center, Kingsport, HMG patients enjoy immediate access to an HMG specialist whose expertise is that of caring for patients during times of hospitalization. Learn more about the excellence of HMG's hospital team.
Select HMG providers enjoy admitting privileges at:
Learn more about our hours of operation and our individual providers at each of the following HMG primary care locations.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hey guys quick question this game not in hd tonight, thanks
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Hey guys quick question this game not in hd tonight, thanks
If it's a question it would appear the answer is no it's not in HD.
It's Dish networks dirty little secret. They don't have enough bandwidth to cover all their high def. channels -so they have to rotate it. That's why you will see some games in HD and some in analog. Dish does the same thing with the Reds games.
Call them up and their customer service reps will swear up and down that you don't know what you are talking about -you can tell them you are watching the game and it's not HD and they'll tell you it is. It's not their fault-they have been told that Dish purchased all the HD games the team broadcasts- they have not been told that some games will not be in HD because they lack bandwidth. If you are the Dish network you can use semantics and be obtuse -but at the end of the day- you are watching a game without HD.
I'm switching to Direct TV in 2 weeks when contract runs out. Dish folks haven't been up front about this issue.
Dish network does not have enough bandwidth to broadcast games in HD -they have to rotate them. They do the same thing with the Reds games. Every broadcasting network will have them on in HD except for Dish -and Dish will tell "the game is not in HD tonight". They lie. Not enuf bandwidth.


text:
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text:
Fort Worth, Texas -- Westwood Contractors Inc. is expanding its presence with office space in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Previously, Westwood built a strong presence in the West Coast region, serving clients for 21 years through a regional office. After a one-year hiatus, the firm's new location intensifies its connection and commitment to the area, according to the company.


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Family tree▼
m. 26 Nov 1679
Facts and Events
Thomas Pelham, 1st Baron Pelham of Laughton Bt (1653 – 23 February 1712) was a moderate English Whig politician and Member of Parliament for several constituencies. He is best remembered as father of two British prime ministers (Henry Pelham and the Duke of Newcastle) who, between them, served for 18 years as first minister. Pelham was born in Laughton, Sussex, the son of Sir John Pelham, 3rd Baronet and his wife Lucy Sidney (daughter of Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester). Pelham was educated at Tonbridge School and Christ Church, Oxford. He sat for East Grinstead from October 1678 until August 1679. In October 1679 he was returned for Lewes, serving until 1702 (when he was returned for both Lewes and Sussex); he subsequently chose to sit for Sussex, a seat he held until 1705.


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FameFlynet; Splash News Online
As expected, this weekend's Coachella festival in Indio, Calif., featured plenty of celebrities dressed in their best music fest attire.
But one star outshone them all in her Coachella-appropriate eyelet shorts suit (with a Jennifer Fisher cuff) and embroidered vest: Kate Bosworth. And that's because the star, already the queen of music festival fashion, had a hand in their design.
Bosworth, who starred in Topshop's holiday ads, is also lending her input to the British fashion label's upcoming Topshop Festival collection.
Since she served as muse and editor of sorts for the campaign, which will debut later this year and involve music, film and (of course) clothing, it only seemed fitting that she got to take the line for a spin before anyone else.
Though Topshop hasn't set a date for the Festival collection, this sneak peek on Bosworth definitely has us excited to see the full line — and snap it up for next year's Coachella.
Tell us: What do you think of Bosworth's Topshop Festival pieces?
–Alex Apatoff


text:
Type to Search
A Sneak Preview of Diane von Furstenberg's Glamorous New Tableware
This is Happening
Download song from House Beautiful's playlist on iTunes.
5 Easy Brunch Table Settings
East of Eden
Real Estate
I Am Become Joy
Don't Be Anything
When The Devil's Loose
Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk
Too Soon for Flowers
Next Gallery
Fast and easy tips for a beautiful brunch.
Multiple Authors


text:
Pre-Law Advising
Kristine Coulter
Assistant Professor, Pre-Law Advisor
Office: Mary Ann Cofrin Hall A318
Phone: (920) 465-2061
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Kris joined the Democracy and Justice Studies department in Fall 2014 as an instructor. Her teaching and research interests include law, American politics, gender and race. She is from Rochester, Minnesota, and earned her bachelor's at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and completed work toward her PhD in political science at the University of California, Irvine. She enjoys running, yoga, cooking, baking and gardening.
Elizabeth Wheat
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Office: Mary Ann Cofrin Hall B327
Phone: (920) 465-2848
Email: email@example.com
Elizabeth Wheat joined the Public and Environmental Affairs department in Fall 2012 after two years as a visiting instructor with Alma College in Michigan. She earned her bachelor's in psychology at Alma College, her master's in public affairs (with an emphasis in comparative environmental policy) from Indiana University, and completed her doctorate in Political Science at Western Michigan University. She is from Marshall, Mich. Her research interests include environmental law, civil rights and liberties, environmental justice, and international law and organizations. Courses she teaches include Environmental Politics and Policy, Environmental Law, and Perspectives in Environmental Science and Policy.


text:
Invasive Plants / Weeds
Invasive Plants and weeds compete with native plants and crops for resources. They also can harbor pests that can transmit diseases. New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station researchers are investigating how to manage crops or natural systems to control weeds.
|Principal Investigator
|Funding Source
|Information on USDA-funded projects may be found by using the assisted search option on the USDA Current Research Information System (CRIS).
|Weed Control in Crop and Non-Crop Areas in Northwestern New Mexico
|Richard Arnold
|Federal (Hatch) and State Appropriations
|Integrated Weed Management in New Mexico Cropping Systems
|Jamshid Ashigh
|Federal (Hatch) and State Appropriations
|A Hierarchical, Geospatial Approach to Mitigate Shrub Invasion in the Southwestern United States
|Brandon Bestelmeyer
|USDA Competitive Grant
|Weed Management as Part of Integrated Pest Management for New Mexico Crops
|Jill Schroeder
|Federal (Hatch) and State Appropriations


text:
Loading Prices..
Australian chart book (1940-1969)
Publisher: Australian Chart Book
ISBN10: 0646444395 ISBN13: 9780646444390 DDC: 016.78242164 Edition: (pbk.)
Cover subtitle: the hit songs and records from thirty years of specially compiled charts.
- Dewey Decimal: 016.78242164
Book Details
- Language: eng
- Physical Description: 271 p. ; 30 cm.
- Edition Info: (pbk.)
- Popular music -- Australia -- Statistics
- Popular music -- Australia -- Discography
- Popular music -- Australia -- Catalogs
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The Most Arrogant Man in France:
The modern artist strives to be independent of the public's taste--and yet depends on the public for a living. Petra Chu argues that the French Realist Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) understood this dilemma perhaps better than any painter before him. In The Most Arrogant Man in France, the first comprehensive reinterpretation of Courbet in a generation, Chu tells the fascinating story of how, in the initial age of mass media and popular high art, this important artist managed to achieve an unprecedented measure of artistic and financial independence by promoting his work and himself through the popular press.
The Courbet who emerges in Chu's account is a sophisticated artist and entrepreneur who understood that the modern artist must sell--and not only make--his art. Responding to this reality, Courbet found new ways to "package," exhibit, and publicize his work and himself. Chu shows that Courbet was one of the first artists to recognize and take advantage of the publicity potential of newspapers, using them to create acceptance of his work and to spread an image of himself as a radical outsider. Courbet introduced the independent show by displaying his art in popular venues outside the Salon, and he courted new audiences, including women.
And for a time Courbet succeeded, achieving a rare freedom for a nineteenth-century French artist. If his strategy eventually backfired and he was forced into exile, his pioneering vision of the artist's career in the modern world nevertheless makes him an intriguing forerunner to all later media-savvy artists.
"Chu details the rise, the fall, and the tireless machinations of art's first recognizably modern careerist.... In Chu's telling, Courbet seems to have done nothing without an eye to the main chance. He took pains to advertise his prominence in republican literary and artistic circles--the distinguished as well as the delectably louche. He made much of knowing the celebrated anarchist philosopher Pierre-Joseph Proudhon ('Property is theft!'), upon whose death, in 1865, he made a nostalgic portrait that was not only splendid but pantingly opportunistic.... Chu's most original analysis of Courbet's reputation in his day concerns its mixed effects on a newly 'bi-gendered' public."--Peter Schjeldahl, New Yorker
"Will surely become essential for all future Courbet studies...The title of Chu's book is self-explanatory, but in the exploration of her theme, she inevitably casts light on the artist's character."--John Golding, New York Review of Books
"[Chu's] enjoyable account shows how little we know about Courbet's intentions and procedures....[Her] richly illustrated study suggests a mind whose curious complexities were expressed only in paint."--Graham Robb, Times Literary Supplement
"In this insightful book, Chu (who edited and translated Gustave Courbet's letters) examines how the painter (1819-1877) used the press to market his work. . . . Chu's brilliant study of Courbet's paintings and marketing strategies sheds much light on his work and the artistic milieu of the 19th century."--Publishers Weekly
"A study of how Courbet wisely perceived himself to be witnessing new technologies that could, if properly integrated and exploited, further rather than threaten his vision."--George Fetherling, Seven Oaks Magazine
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text:
The government saying it won't be able to implement the Vijay Kelkar panel report on reducing fiscal deficit even before the ink is dry on it is no surprise given the fate of recommendations of many panels in the past. But any failure to measure up to market expectations on fiscal deficit front this time will be more damaging than ever.
It may be foolhardy to believe that investors are back in droves after the so called reform measures – a 12% increase in diesel prices and permission for foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail and aviation – and that they will stay. It is probably the global tide that is lifting the domestic market as it did many times in the past, and not merely due to noise from New Delhi on policy actions.
While investors in the market are cheering the headlines that are rolling out, many entrepreneurs are still not. There is little sign yet on whether investment climate will turn for the better even if National Investment Board is formed under the Prime Minister to speed up projects. Yes, it won't happen overnight, but it can't wait for long either.
The benchmark Sensex has risen 22% this year making it the best performer in Asia, and the Indian currency has gained. If these were to sustain, the economy needs more than just one increase in diesel price. The debate on cooking gas is still not settled. What we have from that is very little, by government's own admission. "The above decisions will reduce the under-recovery of OMCs by Rs. 20,300 crores `only','' the ministry of petroleum and natural gas said in newspaper advertisements. "The government of India would still have to shoulder an under-recovery burden of about Rs. 1,67,000 crores in the current year.''
The key word is `only.' The savings is just a drop in the ocean. Kelkar goes on to forecast fiscal deficit a percentage point more than what the government has budgeted, if the house is not put in order.
With little concrete measures to either raise revenues substantially, or cut subsidies sharply, the chances of breaching the Rs. 5.7 lakh crores borrowing limit is quite high.
Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's statement `we don't want to bust the borrowing limit that was announced in the Budget' shows his commitment, but is it practical? Most were expecting the government to raise the borrowing target for the second half of the fiscal given the slowdown. But believe that sticking to the budgeted target is too good to be true.
"Whether we want to borrow more, we will see later, but for now we are working on remaining within that borrowing limit,'' says Chidambaram.
With even small administrative measures becoming unpopular, the tendency to be populist would be more, hence pressure on finances. Government's credibility in the past was dented whenever it failed in its promise. Come March, we will know whether it is a shock, or a fudge, or keeping the promise.


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PRZOOM - /newswire/ -
Moissy-Cramayel, Seine & Marne, France, 2008/07/22 - The new LoriotPro version 5, an out-of-the-box operator-class software, is providing scalability, power, friendliness and flexibility with a cost of acquisition and possession highly competitive - Luteus.fr.
The French software editor LUTEUS announces the availability of the new LoriotPro version 5, a complete solution for network monitoring and auditing.
With its new features, it provides systems and networks administrators a complete solution for monitoring the availability and performance of their information system.
LoriotPro version 5 exploits the graphical interface and the power of the multitasking operating system Microsoft Windows Vista or XP. LoriotPro is available in 4 editions with modular features to better fit all sizes of companies.
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Tire Shredding Tuesdays: 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 gets real smokey
The Dodge Challenger SRT8 is an incredible machine, very capable of doing some crazy burnouts. For Tire Shredding Tuesday, we came across this video showing a 2010 Challenger SRT8 that is going well beyond a simple burnout – tearing around a parking lot with the tires spinning hard as the driver turns these high performance skins into smoke and lines on the pavement.
There isn't any information provided on this 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 owned by Bruce Winters but it is apparent that he hates his rear tires as he gives them a serious flogging. Unlike many of our burnout videos that show a car sitting in place, spinning the tires and creating some smoke, Winters flings the Challenger around the parking lot with the reckless abandon. Luckily, the Challenger in the video also stops for some traditional burnouts at which point the rear tires are truly shredded, filling the cabin of the Mopar muscle car with smoke.
Two thumbs up to Bruce Winters for compiling this excellent video of his 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 doing a bunch of stationary and rolling burnouts. The internet needs more men and muscle cars like this. Crank up your speakers to hear the sound of the 6.1L Hemi V8 accompanied by AC/DC's Thunderstruck.


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Personal computing discussed
Moderators: SecretSquirrel, just brew it!
1. What exactly you do.
2. What do you like about your job.
3. What don't you like about your job.
flying hippo wrote:1. What exactly you do.
2. What do you like about your job.
3. What don't you like about your job.
Danny; what is that? Some kind of poplar or eastern cottonwood? Notice that there isnt much to the stem(length), and looks like its pretty much a water tree....no broad leaves tho so im thinkin some sort of poplar.Did u unfasten ur suspenders after u cut it, or r u just takin a breather??
God in Training wrote:Not a programmer, but I do enjoy programming at a minor level.
1. Technical Support for software. I don't write the code, but I do track down the bugs so our developers can fix them without a lot of hunting.
2. I like not being the one under the gun to actually fix things and keep everything else working. Instead, I get to hammer at the software to find the things that need fixing.
3. I don't like having no control over when something will be fixed. Things that look simple from my end may take YEARS to be looked at because they aren't a great priority.
I don't know if anyone besides yourself can help you decide if programming is the kind of job you want. Some have the right temperment and skills for programming and some do not. If you have never programmed before but like computers, I would recommend trying a single class (or book) before getting full-scale into learning programming. Not everyone enjoys it - even if they enjoy computers.
A couple things that made me decide against programming as a career (even though I enjoy programming as a pasttime): stress level and time demands. When you program, even as a group, you are under the gun to be done by a set time -- one that often does not take reality into account. Are you willing and able to work long days at crunch time if that becomes necessary? Can you handle heavy pressure to get something to work while trying to figure out why it isn't working? Depending on the type of programming work, you may also have to work with a team. This means dealing with code written by multiple people, some better than you and some worse, and not trying to rewrite what everyone else has done to your style (so long as it works).
Hope my comments help. Good luck.
1, I am currently unemployed...see the thread about the opening of the Developers Den to find out more.
2. I like being unemployed because it gives me lots of time to program =)
3. I don't like having zero income =)


text:
As Apple's Eddy Cue said in the official press release announcing the $3 billion deal:
The addition of Beats will make our music lineup even better, from free streaming with iTunes Radio to a world-class subscription service in Beats, and of course buying music from the iTunes Store as customers have loved to do for years.
That should have been the plan all along. Like four or five years ago. To have every corner of the digital music marketplace covered. Not to do what Apple did -- isolate yourself with a dying download business and a late-to-the-party Pandora knockoff.
It wasn't that this strategy would make Apple suffer -- quite the contrary. Apple's overall download business is on fire -- app downloads and other types of media are doing well. It's just the music part of the equation that lags. And, if you're going to be in it, you might as well be in it to win it.
Steve Jobs's Apple changed the game with iTunes. Don't talk to me about Napster. Apple engineered the change that matters, effectively crushing the record industry in the process. The $15 record album turned into a $0.99 a pop a la carte business. But, for whatever reason, Apple stopped innovating with respect to music. It stood still. It's not only that it didn't jump into free streaming radio or subscription streaming soon enough, it did very little to make the old iTunes platform better or otherwise exciting.
But, suddenly, thanks to the Beats buyout, the game has changed. And, make no mistake, Tim Cook changed it.
As I reported last week, the folks at Beats -- Jimmy Iovine, Dr. Dre, Ian Rogers -- sold Apple on their wide-ranging, but undoubtedly hyper-focused vision for music. And Tim Cook -- smartly -- bought it.
Now, as Cue said, Apple has all the pieces in place to dominate every facet of this dynamic market. But it doesn't stop at the obvious. Apple has an opportunity to succeed where Pandora has failed miserably by building partnerships with bands, brands and the music industry. These relationships will yield more lucrative advertising revenue and a robust data business that'll help Apple do everything from save the music industry to create a musician working class (a promise Pandora could not keep) to sell more iPhones and iPads.
--Written by Rocco Pendola in Santa Monica, Calif.
>>Read More:
Helping Apple Haters Understand Why Android Is Doomed
How the iPad Can Get Even Bigger


text:
African firm is selling pepper-spray bullet firing drones
From BBC:
The maker of a drone that fires pepper spray bullets says it has received its first order for the machine.
South Africa-based Desert Wolf told the BBC it had secured the sale of 25 units to a mining company after showing off the tech at a trade show in London.
It is marketing the device as a "riot control copter" that can tackle crowds "without endangering the lives of security staff".
This is going to get interesting
There's already videos up about the 'Drone' with the x000 volt taser system fitted ... with demo vids of it taking out a volunteer ..
We know this sort of thing will come about. It's inevitable.
But this in my opinion shakes the core of what is coming ... and frightens the **** out of me - and I'm a law-abiding citizen.
Two things in their favor. Silent and size. A buddy has one with a camera. He flew it so you could barely see it in the distance, and if you took your eyes off, you did lose it. He had the GPS system in it. He shut the trans. off and put it on the ground. About 5 mins. later it showed up overhead at about a 100 ft. and it was silent. It stopped overhead and gradually lowered itself and landed at the point of takeoff. Very impressive.
As you say Nigel, both good and bad will come of it.
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Can You Guess the Artist in This Yearbook Photo?
He's the owner of one of the most powerful and famous voices in heavy metal history — can you recognize this future legend from this school-aged photo?
Really, we shouldn't have to tell you anything else, but we don't wanna break the laws we've established with these yearbook photos. So we'll tell you that this young man became the frontman for what would become one of the genre's most famous groups about 40 years ago. He took a 10-year break from them back in the '90s, but made a triumphant return that once again has the band among the biggest in the land.
Think you know who we're talking about? Of course you do! But just to make sure, click on the link below and find out whose photo this is!


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Connecticut Trooper Killed in Texas Hunting Accident
A Connecticut trooper was killed in a hunting accident in Texas on Saturday, February 6.
Details about the Fatal Hunting Accident
NBCDFW News is reporting that, according to Connecticut State Police, a veteran trooper died after being shot while on a hunting trip in Texas.
Trooper 1st Class Stephen Davis, a 27-year veteran, from Hebron Connecticut, died at the Cinco Ranch in Maverick County, Texas.
The Maverick County Sheriff's department says that 50-year-old Davis was hit by a shot that was fired by another hunter. The hunter who accidentally shot Davis says he was trying to shoot a wild hog at the time of the accident.
The Maverick County Sheriff's department did not indicate whether or not any charges would be filed and did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Trooper Davis has been working with the state police since 1988 with the Troop C barracks in Tolland.
The ranch in which the accident occurred is Cinco Ranch, which is about 20 miles west of Houston.
The accident involving the trooper remains currently remains under investigation.
Important Information about Shooting Accidents
According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation:
- The rate of unintentional deaths by firearms is significantly lower than unintentional deaths by other forms of injury.
- In the decade leading up to 2013, the rate of unintentional deaths related to firearms declined by 33 percent.
- The National Shooting Sports Foundation claims that hunting is one of the safest activities in America – despite reports of hunting accidents that receive a lot of media attention.


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First pic ladies!!Bbl & T/T So Ready for my J-curves! - Atlanta!!!
Hello ladies, so I finally worked up the courage to post some pics. I wanted to wait until I lost another 15lbs. Looking how great all you ladies look in your b4 and after pics kinda gave me an idea of of how much I should weigh before the SX for the results I want. I'm 5"5 and wt. 185 haven't done my measurement yet since I'm in the process of working out & dieting. This whole ordeal... READ MORE
Recent comments from Honey36
Looking real sexy! READ COMMENT
Laughing my lil ass all the way off... I may really have to go to Salama for a touch up for real after this....."maybe the Anesthesia" READ COMMENT
Amazing! Or should I say A$$mazing! Happy healing Boo! READ COMMENT
Feel better soon Boo, wish you amazing results & a fast recovery! READ COMMENT
Thanks! READ COMMENT


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text:
Coffee Syrup Nutritional Values
Nutritional Values
Values stated are per 100ml.
(A bottle contains 500ml)
- 916kj
- 216kcal
- Protein <0.1
- Carbohydrates 53.9g
of which sugars 43.7g
- Fat <0.1g
of which saturates <0.1g
- Fibre <0.7g
- Sodium 0.008g
- 1-2 year shelf life (unopened)
What's In A Virtù?
- Fruit extract
- Spring water
- Natural flavouring
- Concentrated lemon juice
- Malt extract
And that's it. Oh yeah, and an amazing taste.
100% Natural... And More
Free from artificial sweeteners
- Free from artificial colourings
- Free from artificial flavourings
- Free from artificial preservatives
- Fruit Extracts used (not cane sugar)
- Use in hot or cold drinks and baking
- Low glycemic index (Below 35)
- Low in calories
- Nut flavours contain no allergens
- Environmentally sound
- Recyclable PET bottle and Biodegradable contents
*GDAs are guidelines. Personal requirements vary depending on age, gender, weight and activity levels.


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JERUSALEM (Dec. 20)
Israelis pondering the unprecedented wave of Arab violence have discerned new elements and patterns that are causing them deep concern for the future.
The latest and most serious of these was the spread of rioting to East Jerusalem over the weekend, on a scale as bad as any in the West Bank or Gaza Strip, though no lives were lost.
Second, there is the real threat of sympathetic unrest among Israel's normally quiescent Arab population, whose expressions of solidarity with their fellows in the administered territories have already been heard.
Finally, and possibly most dangerous in the long term, is the religious fervor that seems to have joined Palestinian nationalism as the driving force behind the disturbances.
Although Premier Yitzhak Shamir has consistently played down the significance of these events, many in his own political camp view the situation with alarm.
Violence and unrest are not new phenomena in the territories Israel captured during the 1967 Six-Day War. Always simmering, they usually erupt on dates significant to Palestinians — Nov. 2, the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration; Nov. 29, the anniversary of the United Nations resolution to partition Palestine into Jewish and Arab states; and Jan. 1, the anniversary of the founding of Al Fatah, the terrorist branch of Yasir Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organization. The unrest usually abates within a few days after these anniversaries.
This month, the rioting has been almost continuous. Fierce confrontations occurred in the streets of East Jerusalem between young Palestinians and Israeli police. It even spread to Bethlehem, the only major town in the West Bank that until now was spared the convulsions elsewhere in the territory.
The timing, just days before Christmas, compounds the gravity of the situation. Arab rioters apparently gave little thought to the massive damage they were doing themselves with respect to tourism and pilgrimages to the seat of the Christian faith.
But the worst fears of Israelis were realized in Jerusalem, the proud capital of Israel, its showpiece to the world. "We have had commercial strikes and demonstrations here before, but nothing like this," Mayor Teddy Kollek noted.
The outbreak in the Arab sector of the city appears to have had two converging causes: the contagion of violence from the Gaza Strip — some sources said the rioting was led by youths from Gaza — and the high-profile move by Commerce and Industry Minister Ariel Sharon into an apartment in the Moslem Quarter of the Old City on Dec. 15, the first night of Chanukah.
Sharon insisted his move would only enhance security for Jews in the Old City and expressed hope it would encourage other Jews to move into the Moslem Quarter.
Many politicians, including members of his own Herut faction, disagreed and called his move provocative. Mayor Kollek said at the time it would raise tensions in the city — and his prediction proved to be an understatement.
The latest controversy surrounding Sharon underscores the deep divisions in Israel. The right wing is more determined than ever to hold on to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The left is more convinced than ever of the need to reach a settlement that would divest Israel of a hostile, bitter, resentful and ever more violent Arab population in the territories.
Thousands of supporters of the dovish Peace Now movement braved rain and cold Saturday night to demonstrate outside the Tel Aviv museum. They chanted, "Give peace a chance now," "An end to the violence" and "Begin peace negotiations now."
Posters at the rally said peace was preferable to the territories. Others, displayed at an earlier Communist Party march, called for "two states for two people." A large detachment of police kept counterdemonstrators representing the militant Betar youth movement from disrupting the gathering.
Diplomatic sources in Jerusalem said the disturbances there over the past two days were "directed from above." They may be right, in a spiritual as well as literal sense.
Israeli experts have noted the growing role of the Islamic faith among Arabs in the territories and in Israel proper. The "return to religion" has been an important feature of Palestinian life for some years. Now it seems to be merging with nationalist motifs.
It is an ironic development, because Israeli policy up to now has been to encourage religious groups, especially in the volatile Gaza Strip, while cracking down hard on purely nationalist and politically radical elements in the Arab high schools and universities. The religious leaders, the Israelis believed, were conservative and, therefore, less hostile.
But conservatism has become indistinguishable from Islamic fundamentalism. The lines between religion and nationalism are fading. The PLO flag flew from the minarets of mosques in Gaza during the worst of the rioting last week.
The muezzins — those who call the faithful to prayers — used their loud-hailers to rally Palestinian youths to the barricades with their rocks and gasoline bombs. The calls to holy war continued until the IDF cut off the mosques' electric supply.
The same intermingling of religious and nationalist sentiment was evident at the Balata refugee camp near Nablus. There a mother, mourning her eldest son, who was shot to death by the IDF last week, declared that "Ibrahim has joined the ranks of the martyrs. . .Even if we lose all our sons, the struggle will continue."
The other troubling question — what will happen among Israel's 750,000 Arab citizens–may be answered Monday. A one-day general strike has been called, a demonstrative act of solidarity with the Palestinians in the administered territories.
This will be an unprecedented act of vicarious protest. It remains to be seen whether the feelings of solidarity have penetrated more deeply than a formal stoppage of work, services and schools might indicate.
Some Israelis believe there has been a blurring of identities in the minds of Israeli Arabs — especially the young generation — who may see themselves less as Israeli and more at one with the Palestinians across the "Green Line"– the imaginary demarcation between Israel and the territories. And if this is true, Israelis wonder, does it contain the same propensity for violence?
Finally, Israelis are deeply worried by reactions abroad — from friend and foe alike–which have become increasingly critical of Israeli behavior since the rioting began in the Gaza Strip early this month.
The Palestinians are making the maximum possible political capital of the unrest. Their propaganda machine has had a field day and Israelis believe the PLO wants to prolong the violence even though the dead and wounded are mostly Palestinian youths.
In Washington, the Council of Presidents of National Arab-American Organizations met Thursday with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Whitehead and Richard Murphy, assistant secretary of state for Near East and South Asian affairs. They urged the United States to take concrete action against Israeli actions to protest its handling of the unrest in the territories.
The governments of the United States, Britain, France and West Germany expressed their displeasure to Israel last week.
On Friday, the 12 member states of the European Economic Community called on the Israeli authorities "to secure the protection of the inhabitants in the occupied territories in conformity with international law and the standards in the human rights field."
That message followed a resolution to the same effect adopted by the Parliament of Europe in Strasbourg last Thursday.


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One less Buck this year !
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June 28, 2007, 04:13 PM
Junior Member
Join Date: June 19, 2007
Posts: 5
I live and hunt in south Texas and just happen to be in a three buck county & I wish that Texas Parks and Wildlife would change the county I hunt in to a one buck county. Drives me up the wall when I talk to our neighbors each year and they show me all the bucks they shot that year and they are a bunch of young 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10 points and they always ask why we don't have any big deer that will score high. Each year I tell them it is because ya'll are shooting to many bucks and you can't grow big bucks if you shoot them when they are 2 1/2, 3 1/2, or 4 1/2. But they don't understand they think they need to kill a certain # of deer each year so they won't have too many which is when I ask them why don't you just shoot some does to which they reply if we did that we wouldn't have any bucks because does are where the bucks come from. Last year they droped by to show me a buck they killed it was a 1 1/2 year old 5 point with some really good tine length and I asked them why they shot it and they said it was a meat buck and it only had five points I couldn't believe my ears, I said if you wanted some meat why didn't you just shoot a doe. They didn't get the point.
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text: On 6-Aug-09, at 6:01 PM, Nanime Puloski wrote: > Can anyone explain to me why I receive an error(AtrributeError) in > NumPy > when I do numpy.sin(2**64), but not when I do numpy.sin(2.0**64), > numpy.sin(float(2**64)) or even numpy.sin(2)? In [6]: type(2**64) Out[6]: <type 'long'> In [7]: type(2) Out[7]: <type 'int'> In [8]: type(2.0**64) Out[8]: <type 'float'> Probably because 2**64 yields a long, which is an arbitrary precision type in Python, and numpy is having trouble casting it to something it can use (it's too big for numpy.int64). Notice that np.sin(2**63 - 1) works fine while np.sin(2**63) doesn't - 2**63 - 1 is the largest value that an int64 can hold. You're right that it could be approximately represented as a float32 or float64, but numpy won't cast from exact types to inexact types without you telling it to do so. I agree that the error message is less than ideal. David


text: Dorothy Hindman is an associate professor of composition in the Department of Theory and Composition at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. Hindman's work is performed extensively in the U.S., and throughout Eastern and Western Europe. Critics have called her music "intense, gripping, and frenetic," "sonorous and affirmative," and "music of terrific romantic gesture." Awards and recognition include the 2005 Almquist Choral Composition Award, a 2004 Nancy Van de Vate International Composition Prize for Opera, a 2004 Winner of the International Society of Bassists Solo Composition Competition, an Alabama State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship, and the NACUSA Young Composers Competition. Commissions for 2010 include Prothalamia for the Empire City Men's Chorus (NYC), and The Road to Damascus for the Caraval Quartet (NYC). Other recent commissions include Sursum Corda for the a cappella choir of the same name, The Wall Calls to Me to accompany a visual installation by artist Sally Johnson, Nine Churches for the Corona Guitar Kvartet and Lithuanian Sinfonia, Tapping the Furnace for Evelyn Glennie, Stuart Gerber and Scott Deal, and The Pillow Book for the Goliard Ensemble (NYC). Her residencies include a Seaside Escape to Create Residency in 2009; visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome, Italy in Fall 2005; resident composer at the Visby International Centre for Composers, Sweden in 2005; and composer-in-residence for the Goliard Ensemble in 2009. A native of Miami and a graduate of the Frost School of Music, she is also a writer for the Miami Herald and South Florida Classical Review.


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NORTH COUNTY —— The discovery of three animals with rabies this summer in San Diego County has sparked interest in animal control circles.
A dead bat was found in Bonsall, another one in San Diego's Del Cerro neighborhood and a skunk in San Diego's City Heights area. It's the first time since 1997 that a skunk has tested positive in that city.
The skunk case "is a little bit spooky," Lt. John Carlson, of the North County Animal Shelter in Carlsbad, said Tuesday.
"If it's skunk rabies or some other rabies (than bats), that could mean a new strain has surfaced," Carlson said.
Rabies is fairly common in San Diego County's bat population, and about 10 to 20 bats test positive annually for rabies county-wide, authorities said. The disease has been eradicated in the county's domestic animals since 1969. It's not unusual to find more than one infected bat at a time, especially in summer when bats are flying and foraging and people are outside more and apt to find sick or dead bats, said Dr. Nikos Gurfield, county veterinarian.
But a ground animal with rabies is a little unusual, and "three (animals) at once kind of pricks up our ears," Gurfield said.
He said no humans were exposed to the disease, and the public was reminded last week to be aware of rabies when dealing with animals.
The dachshund that found the Bonsall bat is doing a long stretch in quarantine because the 1 1/2-year-old Vista dog didn't have current rabies shots. The dachshund was vaccinated within 48 hours and is confined to its yard for six months, officials said.
If the dog's rabies shots had been current, they said, it would have been free in 30 days, but if there was any indication the dachshund was infected it would have been euthanized for testing.
"Unfortunately, that's the only way they can do (testing)," said Chuck Dotson, director of animal control for the Escondido Humane Society.
The dachshund's case was reported to the North County Humane Society in Oceanside.
Jennifer Scanlon, that agency's lead animal control officer, said the family that owns the dog has been made aware of the importance of the quarantine restrictions and that breaking them can mean a year in jail or a $1,000 fine.
Vaccinations don't guarantee absolute protection against rabies, which affects the nervous system of humans and other mammals.
However, officials said, the shots provide a degree of protection, they help limit the time dogs and cats have to be in quarantine, and they may save some pets who would be killed for testing.
Gurfield said the county tests at least 1,000 animals annually for rabies.
The Escondido Humane Society, which provides animal control for Escondido, San Marcos and, as of this year, Poway, had 106 animals tested for rabies last year.
Out of 2,629 animal bites reported last year to the North County Animal Shelter, Carlson said, 2,234 were dog bites and a "very, very small number" of dogs required testing for rabies.
Contact staff writer Jo Moreland at (760) 740-3524 or email@example.com .


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Women's hat from the CAPPELLI by Carpisa line, made from block-coloured wool. This model is embellished with a two-tone strip appliqued around the dome and it is ideal to give a touch of charm and class to your style. Available in sizes S and M.
Dimension: 20cm x 20cm x 20cm
2017-06-01 00:00:00
2018-06-01 00:00:00


text:
Rings have long symbolized the circle of life. At Gemvara, we believe that the rings you wear should be one of a kind, like you. That's why our rings are made to order in your choice of conflict-free gems and recycled precious metals. Choose blue topaz and white gold or citrine and platinum: it's your choice. Mix and match gems and precious metals for a look that's exactly you. It's jewelry for all life's occasions, from an anniversary or Valentine's Day to your own personal milestones and celebrations. Our unrivalled selection of designs by Martha Gomez Gutierrez, Gemvara Essentials, Jessica Behzad, and other talented jewelry designers means you can find a ring that's just your style. Gemvara's two-stone designs are popular as promise rings or as beautiful reminders of those you love most. You'll find it difficult to choose just one of our irresistible stack rings, which can be worn so many ways. Because all Gemvara white gold two stone garnet stackable rings are made to order, we can hand-select the finest quality materials to perfectly suit your design. Red garnet shines with the fiery glow of the desert. Pale 14k white gold, is the most popular white gold alloy. Because gold is naturally yellow, white gold has palladium or nickel and silver to lighten its color. Gemvara also plates our white gold with rhodium, a platinum group metal, to make it a brighter white. Be careful when removing rings to wash your hands. Don't leave your ring on the rim of a sink where it can slip down the drain! Clean white gold two stone garnet stackable rings with mild dish soap: use a soft brush where dust collects. Gemvara's fine quality white gold two stone garnet stackable rings are designed to be passed down for generations to come, crafted by hand in the United States.
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text:
Testimony - Wind Power: Not Green but Red
May 01, 2004
Energy is and will remain an important factor in the U.S.'s economic growth. While for much the 20th Century, America has enjoyed excess energy capacity in the transportation and utility sectors, this is no longer the case. Sustained economic growth since 1980s combined with declining domestic fuel production, an aging energy delivery infrastructure, increasing numbers of power plants reaching the end of their licensed and/or productive lives and increased federal, state and local regulatory barriers to the construction of new power plants have produced rapidly rising energy prices. Estimates indicate that during the next 20 years, U.S. oil consumption will grow by one-third and electricity demand could increase by more than 45 percent. To meet these needs the Bush administration has estimated that the U.S. will need to bring between 1,300 and 1,900 new power plants on-line during the next 20 years. Leaving aside for the moment, how this energy will get from the power plant to our homes and businesses - the transmission problem - the question is what will be the source of energy for these power plants.
Fossil fuels are relatively abundant and are significantly less costly than renewable energy sources such as wind power, solar power, geothermal power and the burning of biomass. However, the price of renewable energy, particularly wind power, has fallen significantly in recent years and is quickly becoming, under certain conditions, cost competitive with conventional fossil fuel energy. Environmentalists also point out that burning fossil fuels causes air pollution and emits greenhouse gases which, many people argue, are causing potentially catastrophic global warming. In short, renewable energy promoters claim that wind power is both cheap and "green." Neither claim is true.
Wind Power on the Rise. The price of wind generated energy fell more steeply than any other energy source over the past 30 years. Indeed, the cost of wind power fell from approximately 25 cents per kilowatt hour (kwh) in the early 1980s to between 5 cents and 7 cents (adjusting for inflation) in prime wind farm areas a decade later. Wind advocates argue that a new generation of turbines will bring the cost down below 5 cents per kwh - which is competitive with conventional fossil fuel sources for electricity generation.
Wind power, currently less than 1 percent of the U.S. power supply, could double its share within 10 years. The American Wind Energy Association has optimistically projected that wind power could provide as much as 6 percent of the nation's energy by 2020.
Green Power Bleeds Red: Birds and Bats and Blood, Oh My! The most publicized environmental harm caused by wind power may be its effects on birds and bats. Wind farms must be located where the wind blows fairly constantly. Unfortunately, such locations are prime travel routes for migratory birds, including protected species like Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles. The Sierra Club labeled wind towers "the Cuisinarts of the air." Why?
Scientists estimate as many as 44,000 birds have been killed over the past two decades by wind turbines in the Altamont Pass, east of San Francisco.
The victims include kestrels and red-tailed hawks, and - since the area is home to the largest resident population of golden eagles in the lower 48 states - an average of 50 golden eagles each year.
Exacerbating the problems, as one study explains, "Wind farms have been documented to act as both bait and executioner - rodents taking shelter at the base of turbines multiply with the protection from raptors, while in turn their greater numbers attract more raptors to the farm."
Further, at least 400 migrating bats, including red bats, eastern pipistrelles, hoary bats, and possibly endangered Indiana bats, were killed at a 44-turbine wind farm in West Virginia in 2003.
This is also a problem in other countries. At Tarifa in Spain, the site of 269 wind turbines, thousands of birds from more than 13 protected species have been killed.
Lawsuits may prevent the expansion of wind farms in West Virginia and California, and the construction of wind farms off the New England coast. Indeed, the lead scientist for the Audubon Society called for a moratorium on new wind development in bird-sensitive areas - which includes most of the suitable sites for construction.
Wind Power Still in the Red: Growing, Growing, Gone. While the price of wind power has fallen, it still costs more than spot market electric power (3.5 to 4 cents kwh). The price gap between wind power and conventional power plants is actually greater, since wind power is directly subsidized by the federal government several state governments. Wind farms are being built in the U.S. primarily for 5 key reasons:
a) wind power is subsidized by the federal government through a production tax credit of 1.8 cents per kwh (this tax credit enables wind farm owners to avoid over $100 million in federal income taxes in 2002 - an amount which grows each year as the number of wind farms grow);
b) Wind power plants also get accelerated depreciation, allowing owners to write off their costs in five years rather than the usual 20 (this permits wind farm owners to shelter over $500 million in 2002 income from federal taxes);
c) state subsidies such as the $0.01 per kwh tax credit in New Mexico;
d) green energy mandates or renewable portfolio standards - 19 states require distribution utilities provide some energy from "green" or renewable energy producers, 25 states permit utilities to charge premium prices for renewable energy to customers who chose to take such energy (so far fewer than 2 percent of customers offered this opportunity vote with their dollars and take advantage of the service), since the amount charged doesn't reflect the true cost of getting green energy to market (green energy's share of new transmission lines is not captured when wind farms are proposed) those who don't choose green energy still pick up some of the costs;
e) Public relations - providing a portion of the utilities electricity from renewable sources to show environmental concern . These subsidies, and green power mandates account for most and perhaps all of the recent growth in wind power.
Indeed, evidence of how critical just one of these reasons is to the "success" of wind farms, when 1.8 cent kwh tax credit lapsed in 2003:
California's Clipper Windpower abandoned already approved plans to build 67 windmills in Maryland.
As of January 8, 2004, orders for wind towers from the builder Beaird Industries ground to a halt, costing the company 200 jobs.
Vestas Wind Technologies shelved plans to build a manufacturing plant in Portland, Oregon.
More than 1,000 megawatts of wind power that would have been added in 2004 with the tax in place The American Wind Energy Association estimates that the expiration of the tax credit cost the grid.
Green Power Equals Low Power Blight. Wind power's environmental benefits are usually overstated, while its significant environmental harms are often ignored.
Promised air pollution improvements have failed to materialize. Wind farms generate power only when the wind is blowing within a certain range of speed. When there is too little wind, wind towers don't generate power; but when the wind is too strong, they must be shut down for fear of being blown down. Even when they function properly, wind farms average output is less than 30 percent of their theoretical capacity compared to 85 to 95 percent for combined-cycle gas fired plants.
Because of intermittency problems, wind farms need conventional power plants to supplement the power they do supply. Bringing a conventional power plant on line to supply power is not as simple as turning on a switch; therefore most "redundant" fossil fuel power stations must run, even if at reduced levels, continuously. Accordingly, very little fossil-fired electricity will be displaced and few emissions will be avoided because fossil-fueled units (operating at less than their peak capacity and efficiency or operating in "spinning reserve" mode - which means they are emitting more pollution per energy produced than if operating at peak efficiency, imagine a car idling near train tracks in case the power goes out) must be kept immediately available to supply electricity when the output from wind turbines drop because wind speed slows or falls below minimums required to power the turbines. Kilowatt-hours produced by wind turbines cannot be assumed displace the emissions associated with an equal number of kWh from fossil-fueled generating units. Combined with the pollutants emitted and CO2 released in the manufacture and maintenance of wind towers and their associated infrastructure, substituting wind power for fossil fuels does not improve air quality very much.
What about CO2? Recently researchers, Mark Jacobson and Gilbert Master's calculated that the U.S. could meet its Kyoto emission reduction goals by replacing 59 percent of coal's share of electricity production (Coal currently produces over 50 percent of the electricity generated in the U.S.) with 214,000 to 236,000, 1500 Kw windmills. They indicated that these windmills would require land space the size of South Dakota. This does not include the thousands of square miles of new transmission lines needed to deliver the energy to utilities. Because of intermittency and wind power's notorious low output when compared to theoretical capacity, Glenn Schleede has calculated that the actual number of windmills needed to replace 59 percent of coal-generated electricity would be approximately 294,500. This does not, however, look at the EIA's estimate of the new coal fired power plants that will come on-line by 2010. Replacing expected new coal generation would require an additional 71,000 1500 Kw windmills. As pointed out above, because of wind's intermittency, the coal plants would not actually be replaced or displaced, rather they would have to be maintained and idling. The "redundant" coal plants would continue to emit CO2. And having the backup system in place would be very expensive. Like a person having a second car (idling in the driveway) just in case the one he normally drives to work doesn't start.
What about the Cost? The cost data usually associated with proposed wind farms is misleading in the extreme because:
Calculations of costs for wind energy are highly dependent on assumptions about facility lifetime. Calculations often assume 20 or 30 years when no one has experience with actual life of today's wind turbines or their O&M, repair and replacement costs over 20-30 year periods.
Proponents assumes that the huge federal subsidies for wind facilities (which merely shift cost from "wind farm" owners to taxpayers and electric customers and hide them in tax bills and monthly electric bills) are not a part of the true costs.
The cited costs for electricity from wind apparently do not take into account the cost of providing backup generation or the extra costs of transmission and grid management.
Transmission capacity and costs. Lack of transmission capacity is a barrier to economic growth and electricity production in general but even more so for wind energy. Why? The intermittent and highly variable output from "wind farms" makes inefficient use of transmission capacity and cannot by itself justify the costs of adding new transmission capacity. When transmission capacity is added to serve "wind farms," the costs should be counted as part of the full cost of the wind-generated electricity. The wind industry is seeking to avoid these costs by getting regulators to roll them into base rates, thus shifting the costs from "wind farm" developers to all electric customers. (Such a case involving over $100 million is underway in Minnesota.)
Wind farms are also land-intensive and unsightly. In Europe, wind power is growing at even a faster rate than in the United States. Wind Power Monthly, the British magazine for the wind industry and enthusiasts, has reportedly recognized that the growing unpopularity of wind power is due to the industry's portrayal of wind farms as "parks" in order to trick their way into unspoiled countryside in "green" disguise. Wind farms are more like highways, industrial buildings, railways and factory farms. Often, the most favorable locations for wind farms also happen to be the current location of particularly spectacular views in relatively unspoiled areas. Wind farms that produce only a fraction of the energy of a conventional power plant require 100 times the acreage. For instance:
Two of the biggest wind "farms" in Europe have 159 turbines and cover thousands of acres; but together they take a year to produce less than four days' output from a single 2,000 MW conventional power station - which takes up 100 times fewer acres.
A proposed wind farm off the Massachusetts coast would produce only 450 MW of power but require 130 towers and more than 24 square miles of ocean.
A wind farm occupying 192,000 acres - 300 square miles - would produce the same amount of energy as a 1000 MW nuclear plant (which has less than 1700 acres, or 2.65 square miles, within its security perimeter fence), or as a 1000 MW coal powered plant taking up 1950 acres, 3.05 square miles, for all of its associated infrastructure.
In addition, regular wind-tower maintenance increase requires miles of paved roads which causes increased runoff and decreased soil absorption of moisture. The impact on wildlife habitat is often greater than technologies associated with conventional fossil fuels.
Wind Power Promises: More tax revenue, more jobs, better farm economy. Wind power proponents often argue that new wind farms will improve the farm economy, increase tax revenues and produce jobs. Research indicates that the fiscal and employment benefits which occur will be less than promised and will come at a high cost - indeed there will be a net cost.
For instance, wind advocates in:
New Mexico wind power developer's have promised $450,000 in payments in lieu of taxes, $550,000 in land rental payments, and $500,000 in compensation for 12 employees who will operate the "wind farm" when completed.
But, the annual total of $1.5 million is claimed "economic benefits" is equal to about 12.6% of the $11.88 million in EXTRA costs loaded on electric customers each year if the full, true costs of the electricity from the "wind farm" were only $0.02 per kWh above the cost of electricity from other sources (i.e., 594,206,000 kWh x $0.02 per kWh = $11,884,120).
In North and South Dakota, farmer's could reap as much as $2,400,000 (approximately $5,000 per MW of turbine capacity), which might employ 6 full time workers at, let us say, a generous $100,000 per worker - an additional $600,000 per year and associated tax revenue. However, if wind power costs only $0.02 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) more than electricity produced from other energy sources - which is a low estimate of the additional costs - then the total extra annual cost of the electricity produced by the wind turbines at an average capacity factor of 30% $25,228,400. That amounts to a net cost to ND/SD residents of more than $ 23,000,000 per year.
In Washington State, the Kittitas Valley Wind project when completed would add $14,892,000 per year to the annual cost of electricity to energy consumers, and due to the production tax credit cost U..S. taxpayers $13,402,800 per year. However it will only provide the State of Washington's farmers with an estimated $750,000 per year in rents, projected construction employment (for 6 months) of $3,120,000 and full time employment of about $332,000 per year (an estimated 8 permanent employees at $20.00 per hr).
I have similar analysis on proposed wind projects in Virginia, West Virginia, New York and Illinois. In none of these cases do the net revenues exceed more than 1/5 of the net costs.
Comparing Wind Subsidies and Taxes to Conventional Fuels. Wind proponents often complain that it is unfair to single out tax credits and other forms of subsidies to their industry, or too renewable fuels in general, for attack, since, they argue, the fossil fuel industry receives subsidies as well. This is true as far as it goes, and, of course at the NCPA we argue for an end to subsidies for all forms of fuel - allowing the market to decide energy winners and losers. Whatever one thinks of subsidies, however, the truth is that the fossil fuel industry receives far less in subsidies per BTU equivalent than renewable fuels, and far less overall than they pay in excise taxes, income taxes, royalties and other fees or taxes. At more than $101 billion, the oil and gas industry pays 40 times more in royalties and taxes than the subsidies that it receives (a total of about $2.4 billion - which includes $.8 billion for the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program).
While fossil fuels combined, leaving out LEHEAP, do receive slightly more in subsidies in absolute dollars than renewables (excluding hydropower) combined ($1.6 billion vs. $1.1 billion), per unit of energy produced renewables receive more than 3 times the amount of subsidies that fossil fuels receive ($308 million per quadrillion BTU vs. 92 million per QBTU). And, unlike fossil fuels, renewables do not produce more in tax or income revenues than the subsidies that they receive.
Conclusion. Wind power is expensive, doesn't deliver the environmental benefits it promises and imposes substantial environmental costs. Accordingly, it does not merit continued government promotion or funding. Wind power blows!
The author owes much to Glenn R. Schleede, of Energy Market and Policy Analysis, Inc. Much of the cost data in this presentation comes from his pioneering work on the cost to various states of wind power projects.
H. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D.


text:
The Most Serene Republic
Fantasick Impossibliss
(Home of the Rebels/Arts & Crafts)
US: 4 May 2010
UK: 4 May 2010
Adrian Jewett, lead vocalist/lyricist (and occasional trombonist) of The Most Serene Republic, isn't your typical rock star.
He's a pasty, red-haired Canadian with an affinity for absurd, sprawling lyrical assaults and winding, off-kilter vocal melodies. His band's unique blend of ever-shifting progressive rock, jazz, and indie-pop makes for dense yet extremely rewarding listening, yet they remain a hidden treasure, often obscured by the gigantic accomplishments and praise lavished at their heroes and label-mates Broken Social Scene. Yet this hasn't stopped the group from releasing three widely-acclaimed full-length albums, opening for huge acts like the Strokes, and getting sweet gigs like remixing a Stars track on that group's 2007 disc Do You Trust Your Friends?.
Jewett himself is charming, sarcastic, hilarious, and frequently difficult to interpret (much like his band's music). During our exhaustive interview, we engaged in a whirlwind of ridiculous banter and deep ruminations as we discussed his band's new EP, Fantasick Impossibliss, the evolution of the TMSR's ever-shifting line-up, and the surprising habits of Michael Bublé ...
First off, just wanted to congratulate you on the Juno nomination [for Video of the Year for the clip of "Heavens to Purgatory"].
Thank you.
Was that pretty cool? I know you were pretty close to Michael Bublé, which is kind of weird. How was that?
[Laughs.] Ohh, that guy. He's great; he's great. Apparently, he's a big ... marijuana smoker.
I mean, can't you tell? Michael Bublé—he's the only one, probably in the world, that smokes pot and gels his hair—like, styles his hair. I haven't met any other person who styles their hair who are big pot fans.
I don't think I've ever met one, either. That's pretty exciting.
You guys just announced the title of your new EP, which is Fantasick Impossibliss.
Yeah, it's a mixture of—oh, what is that called—it's a nonsense word; Louis Carroll invented the word ...
Yeah, Jabberwocky. Something like that. I forget the freaking term. Anyway, he concocted this brilliant, crazy idea of just taking words and cutting them directly in half, and then putting them together to make a Frankenstein word. So we took "fantasy sick" and "impossible bliss" and just put the two together. It's a lot of fun—fun with words, eh? Fun with syllables.
Are you a more of a vinyl or CD man?
Oh, I'm a compact disc man, compact discs. Love those compact discs!
I mean, who doesn't?
It's a shame, though; I've heard that with the newest compact discs, the plastic in them will deteriorate in like ten years time. It's like a ten year lifespan before they start to get eaten apart.
That's a shame.
Yeah, how awful is that?
But digital will last forever. At least ... until your hard drive fails.
There's nothing like having a physical copy, ya know?
Definitely. Back to the title: Fantasick Impossibliss—when you hear the title, with that Louis Carroll kind of vibe you described, it serves as a pretty good description of the band's music. It has that youthful, creative, even slightly difficult feel that matches the music. Even if you haven't heard the band's music, hearing that title gives a good impression of what it might sound like. Do you agree, and where did the title come from?
Oh, of course, of course! It's definitely not a title as easily accessible as something like "Ready to Play" or something like that ... although, that's probably a "cock rock" album, right? "READY TO PLAY!" So with the album title, we're not trying to be "exclusive" or anything. It's just how we like to get things done. A lot of times, people want one word or something that's easy to say. And even though simplicity is the way of life, we've always never been simple and have always been ... Superdy-Duper! ... and always more complex than we have to be.
Superdy-duper? I like that.
SUPERDY-DUPER! Yeah, I'm cutting back on "fuckin." But yeah, we definitely build up a chaos for ourselves, and I guess we naturally fight it and clear it away, but then the chaos comes again.
Speaking of new music, a couple weeks ago, you guys released "Photocall" as a free download, which, by the way, is excellent.
Oh, thank you!
And the track makes great use of the sample of Jon Brion's "Phone Call" from the score of the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which, for me, has always been my favorite piece of film music. When I heard the track, I was really excited to see that someone else shared my appreciation.
Oh, yeah, once you hear it, you're just like, "Oh, man, I want to take that!"
My thoughts, exactly. I wanted to steal it in any way possible.
[Laughs.] It's song envy, ya know? You hear an awesome track, and you're like, "God, I want that track!"
It just has such a weird quality where you can't really tell what instrument is really being played. It sounds like a classical guitar if it were warped and had been left sitting in an attic for forty years.
Yeah, it definitely has that ballroom orchestra thing! It's really the tone of it. I always say, "Tone, tone, tone!" Tone is everything. That and the melody. It's absolutely good—absolutely really good.
Why did you decide not to put "Photocall" on the EP—was it simply due to legal issues?
It's just one of those fun, little free things on the internet. And just the legalities of it—unless Jon Brion calls us personally, which would be great.
So you haven't had any direct with Jon Brion about the sample?
Never, no—I've only Google Image-d him. That's as close as I've gotten to his face.
Well, "Photocall" is a great track. Did it also just not fit on the EP from a stylistic standpoint?
Ummm ... I think the EP in itself is a whole thing, and "Photocall" was a frolic. Fantasick is good—it's still dark, but "Photocall" is very bright as far as colors go and everything. So, yeah, it's kinda weird; it doesn't really mash up at all. We just did it because A) we just always wanted to take the track and soul-suck it, and B) just for something we could do and just release and have fun doing it, and hopefully have other people listen to it and have fun.
So you guys just announced a U.S. Tour that kicked off on May 5th in Pontiac, Michigan, which also lines up with the release of the new EP. Are there any particular venues you're looking forward to playing, and also, do you feel prepared to handle the Fantasick material in a live setting?
We're still practicing up on that—so far, so good. And yeah, as far as venues go, we're looking forward to ones we haven't been to, actually.
From following you guys on Facebook and Twitter a little bit, I've heard the new EP compared to [the band's dense 2006 EP] Phages a lot. What do you make of this?
Well, it's just a confidence chain. You can hear it progressively with each album—there's definitely more confidence in each one ... because you're more confident in what you do, and what your role is, and who you're playing with. You're tighter with everybody, and you're more sure of the chemistry of everybody in the group.
So ... musically, lyrically, vocally, are you back into a little more of the "progressive" territory? On the last album, not that it wasn't adventurous per-se, but it was a little more accessible, maybe not as bizarre—
We were kinda going for that, for the whole "pop" thing.
Right. So would you say you're back into the more expansive mode of Phages and Population, cramming a lot more ideas and sounds into each track?
Yeah, because we produced it ourselves, so it's definitely going back to the way things were.
Oh, so the new EP is self-produced?
Yeah, except Dave [Newfeld, who produced last year's ...And the Ever Expanding Universe' actually produced one track. But yeah, we wanted to see what would happen if we let someone else in, as well—use their ears and their mind and see what they have to bring to the table. It was very interesting.
Awesome. Switching gears a little bit, I will preface this by saying that if this next question is a bit too personal, feel free to dodge it, but what were the circumstances of Emma's departure from the band?
That had to do with the road and a change of ... it went by so quick, all the fast changes that we've been through. When you have that many guys on the road and one girl, eventually, it's just not fair. It's just not fair for her anymore. And it's also a situation where she dreamed of bigger things, dreamed of bigger things for herself. I miss her a lot—we all miss her a lot. She's in Ancaster, going to school for Biology.
Is she working on anything musically? Is she involved with any other bands or solo work, or is she just sticking to her studies?
She was always talking about pursuing something in the Biology field. I know she's got a mic and a Mac to record on, so I'm hoping she'll keep that up, so when we see each other again, she can show me what she's been working on.
So this doesn't come down to personal issues then?
There's no set path in this whole thing. We turn in the road sharp. You're your own combustible fire. You've just gotta go off into some clear space and blow up. You can only take on the mirage of a group—and it is a mirage—except that we're all individually inclined to try to jump into each other's brains. And there's only so much that chemistry between certain brains can handle. And especially life on the road; that really stirs your brain up.
Branching off from that, your line-up is a lot different now. Obviously, having a vocalist leave, that will change your sound whether you intend to or not, so how do you plan on handling the old material live without a female vocal presence? Will you do new arrangements of the old material, or will you just work around it?
Well, besides myself, we have three other singers in the band. It's going to be very different, very challenging, and definitely not at all the song of before. She played a very vital role in these songs, with the vocal parts and everything.
I'm curious how these songs will sound in their new forms. Will it be Sean [one of the band's guitarists] handling the majority of the vocals? Will it be a mixture?
Yeah, Sean and Ryan are doing a great job handling the falsetto parts, that kind of thing.
Speaking of personnel changes, you've had a vocalist leave, but you've also had Adam [Balsam] come into the band on drums. How has he been fitting into the band? I'm assuming he appears on the new EP—how has he fit into the band's sound?
He is ... umm ... we've never had a Jewish member in the band. And besides that, it's his personality ... because we were looking for a drummer who could also be our friend; we weren't looking for just a drummer.
And you were looking for a Jewish drummer specifically.
Yeah, we wanted a Jewish drummer. No, he's a great, great guy, and there have been no tiffs at all. He is a talented percussionist and is a character in his own right, and that character just ventilates respect. I fully respect the man, and I hope to know him for the rest of my life.
In previous interviews, you guys have mentioned the plan of releasing an EP after each full-length album. What is the intention behind this, and is it still the game plan going forward?
We're hoping ... but it's a lot of work! But we're hoping to keep it up, definitely.
Is this a way to sort of "clean the slate" before each full-length album? Why just an EP?
Yeah, it's really that landscape blueprint for the next album, but it also keeps up our mentalities for the thing and the momentum for doing it—it just keeps you afloat.
Back to the Phages comparison, both album covers have very striking artwork, with a sort of watercolor feel—even the font, the white border. Is this intentional?
Yeah, it's just to keep a general character for the EPs, so they can be differentiated from the LPs. It's also a character trademark thing, too.
Who is the artist responsible for the Fantasick cover?
Her name is Anne, and she lives in Milton here. She is an illustrator. I came up with the concept, and I had already done my little pre-sketching, and then she took it and did her own thing with it. She took it and did it in such a crazy, magnificent way, and that's the end product.
"Leipzig" has always been one of my favorite Most Serene Republic tracks, and it seems to be a fan favorite. Have you encountered a lot of requests for it on the road?
A couple of times, but we always managed to not play it. "Stay Ups" is always the one people wanted to hear. But as far as "Leipzig" goes, it's been requested, but we just haven't practiced it. Maybe we should, eh?
Yes, you should.
Definitely then. Wow, I didn't know people really had any interest in "Leipzig."
It's such a beautiful song. I've always been curious why it didn't make the Population album. Was it due to space reasons—the album is already pretty long—or did it just not fit thematically or musically?
Yeah, it definitely had the role of a B-side. We had to just pick and choose, pick and choose.
Being the lyricist of the band, are you a "paper and pen" kinda guy, or do you prefer to type them up?
Oh, definitely paper and pen.
There's something more organic about it.
Exactly, David Foster Wallace style. The whole typewriter phenomenon, too—to have that chop through your thoughts—it's really loud. I'm surprised a lot of writers have written that way. [Adrian performs a loud imitation of typewriter noise]
It sounds like a battlefield.
Yeah, maybe that's why they like it.
Could be. When I hear your voice on an album, I get the impression you write your lyrics first, before your vocal melodies. Is this true?
Yes, it is now, but before, it was always melodies first, then lyrics.
Really? When did this switch occur?
I'd say it started to transform halfway through And the Ever Expanding Universe.
The lyrics are so dense, so interesting, even removed from the music. On paper, they work almost as poems.
Yeah, lyrics are poems. I forget where I heard it on a show once. Anyway, music with lyrics, it's always a literary medium. With the instrumental music that we've had, it's just "create your own story". But with singing in a band and with the lyrics, there's definitely full control in the power of the band in the person singing those words because it's a lot. You know, for me, I'll listen to an album first as a music run, then with my favorite albums, I listen for the lyrics next, and then with the third listen, I put it all together.
That's exactly the way I listen to albums, especially with your music. In terms of the production and the mixing of the vocals, I listen first strictly for music, then the second time through, I start to notice the lyrics more—I'll listen with the lyrics sheet. Then the third and fourth listen, I put it all together.
Right, I think with any album you enjoy, to really get a lock on it, it would take four or five listens.
This is particularly true for me with your music. Every time I listen to an album like Phages, I always come away with a new interpretation because your lyrics aren't straightforward. They aren't clear in meaning; you're not spoon-feeding meaning to the listener.
Oh, thank you.
The last thing I have is also a lyrical question. I know I've talked a lot about Phages today, but there is a lyric on that EP that always strikes me every time I hear it. The imagery of it just fascinates me—"We fuck like tides while Father City smokes up Mother Countryside, leaves her giggling leaves." Care to provide some insight?
Yeah! [Pause.] Sorry, I'm usually more upbeat. I haven't had any coffee today. To be blunt, Phages, the whole album, is about the speed and velocity of things. There's something missing. I guess that's how it's always been with life: the fact that there is a problem, that there is and always will be a problem. [...] I would say that it's rare to meet someone who's mad to live anymore—or mad to do anything, someone who's so intoxicatingly drunk on life itself. And there's tons of marijuana and alcohol to get you into the flow of everything, but the foolish thing is that we don't need it at all! There's a better time to be had without it at all. Because it's nature, and it's exactly what we were as kids. It's like a pure, 100% nature. And it gets diluted, gets diluted in the process. Basically, we get thrown into this "adult" thing, which is bullshit. We're more in touch with our "kid-dom". We're all walking kids; I've always thought that, anyway, as my personal opinion. Nowadays, everybody's just into getting together and drinking or smoking pot and that kind of thing. So, yeah, you're "giggling" your life away, but you're never really present when you do that stuff; there's no "you" coming out. I guess it's the traffic of our daily lives pushing away nature. But then, I guess, there's the hypocrisy of "Phones are nature! If it comes from the Earth, it's nature!" I guess I'm speaking more on an organic, human-to-human level.
I was at a party yesterday, or just hanging out with a bunch of people. And they had phones, like iPhones, and for not even one minute could a person be left unentertained. So eventually, there were these clusters of people all gathered around a phone—it was just crazy! It's a very surreal, futuristic world out there. I'm just an old-fashioned person, so I look at it from an early 20th century kind of thing, like, "Oh, Goodness!"
I feel the same way. I feel like an old man when I see the iPhones and the iPads. These things control people's lives. Instead of it being an accessory, it starts dominating your life. You have your music on this thing; you have everyone you know in there—
Oh, yeah. The thing that's bad about distraction is that it is what it is, and that is a distraction. Eventually, you've been distracted so long, you can't even connect anymore, and the way you connect with people on an intimate level isn't there anymore. It's typing, or it's texting or whatever.
- Multiple songs MySpace
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"No Dollars in Duende": On Making Uncompromising, Spirited Music
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"On the elusive yet clearly existential sadness that adds layers and textures to music.READ the article


text:
A dance company is holding a dance party this weekend, to try to help some financially troubled community health clinics in Santa Barbara County.
The Santa Barbara Community Clinics announced earlier this month that they are facing a major financial crisis, and need to raise $1.5 million dollars to keep their doors open for the next six months. The clinics provided more than 56,000 visits to low, and limited income people at their four locations in the last year.
The World Dance for Humanity Dance Company is holding a 70′s themed dance part Saturday night, at TonyRay's Cantina, in Santa Barbara. 100% of the ten dollar cover charge will go to the clinics.


text:
The bones of dozens of Iron Age warriors found in Denmark were collected and ritually mutilated after spending months on the battlefield, archaeologists say.
At least six months after the soldiers died, their bones were collected, scraped of remaining flesh, sorted and dumped in a lake. Some were handled in a truly bizarre manner; for instance, four pelvises were found strung on a stick.
PHOTOS: Iron Age Fashion
"We think it's a kind of ritual closure of the war," said Mads Kähler Holst, project manager at the dig and head of the department of archaeology at the Moesgård Museum in Denmark. The victors seem to have carried out their gruesome work on a spit of land extending into the lake where the bones were dumped, the researchers said. [See Photos of the Mutilated Iron Age Skeletons]
The site of the boneyard is in East Jutland, in a wetland area known as Alken Enge. Drainage work and peat digging have been turning up ancient human remains in this bog for decades, Holst told Live Science.
Formal excavation of the site finds it to be a mass grave dating back about 2,000 years, to the transition from B.C. to A.D. At the time, the area was about 186 miles (300 kilometers) north of the farthest reach of the Roman Empire, Holst said, and would have been occupied by Germanic tribes.
Long-Lost Iron Age Temple Unearthed in Iraq
Archaeologists have turned up at least 60 skeletonsor parts of skeletons in what used to be the bed of Lake Mossø at the site. The lake still exists, but it's smaller than it was 2,000 years ago. The 60 catalogued remains don't include bones found previously - or the many more skeletons archaeologists expect to discover.
"We have trenches going through different areas, so we know we are only touching on a small part of what is actually there," Holst said.
Most of the bones are found disarticulated from one another, and many bear the marks of the battlefield: trauma from swords, spears and axes. Spearheads, an ax, the tip of a sword and shields have also been found at the site, Holst said. All of the bodies are male.
All of the evidence points to a straightforward defeat in battle. But the bones also bear strange marks of tampering after the soldiers' death.
PHOTOS: Treasure-Filled Warrior's Grave Found in Russia
First, many have been gnawed by animals, including large predators such as wolves, dogs and badgers, Holst said. The species present and amount of scavenging suggest the bodies stayed out in the open for at least six months to a year, he said.
After this time, someone collected the corpses and sorted at least some of the bones by type. Marks of cutting and scraping suggest the bones were separated deliberately, and that they had any remaining flesh removed. Animal sacrifices and ceramic pots mixed in with the remains suggest some sort of religious ritual, Holst said. Along with the pelvises strung like beads on a stick, there is evidence that leg bones and thighbones were sorted, too, he said.
From a land spit extending into what was then the lake, the ancient people conducted these rituals and then dumped the bones. Holst and his colleagues know nothing for sure about the victors and the slaughtered, but they suspect that the winners had a geographical attachment to the area, given that they were around long enough to conduct these rituals. There are examples of ritual treatment of defeated enemies in what is now France, Switzerland and England in the centuries prior to this find, Holst said, but nothing like it has ever been seen in Denmark or the surrounding areas.
PHOTOS: Bronze-Age Battle Frozen in Time
The delay in disposing of the bodies could have been part of the ritual, Holst said. Or, perhaps the battle was part of a longer war, and the winners did not return to the bones until the conflict was over, Holst added.
The findings were announced July 28 by Aarhus University. This season's excavation at the site will continue until Aug. 8.
More from LiveScience:
8 Grisly Archaeological Discoveries In Photos: 'Alien' Skulls Reveal Odd, Ancient Tradition Photos of the Best Preserved Bog People Copyright 2014 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Article originally appeared on LiveScience.
A skull of an Iron Age warrior discovered in a bog in Denmark shows signs of battle.
This tunic was found randomly bundled up in an hunting area on the Norwegian Lendbreen glacier at 6,560 feet above the sea level. Radiocarbon dating established it was made between 230 and 390 A.D.
Relatively short and constructed from a simple cut, the greenish-brown tunic would have fitted a slender man about 5 feet, 9 inches tall. It featured a boat neck, had no buttons or fastenings, but was simply drawn over the head like a sweater.
The pre-Viking tunic showed hard wear and tear and had been mended with two patches on the reverse side.
The tunic is woven in a weave called diamond twill that was popular over large parts of northern Europe at that time. The image shows a detail of the sleeve fabric (left) and the pattern of a section of the irregular diamond twill (right).
The tunic is not the only textile item recovered from the Norwegian ice patches. Approximately 50 fragments await dating and analysis. As global warming progresses, more can be expected.