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Our home decorating blog offers interior design tips and lighting ideas for today's home! Enjoy professional interior design advice, home decor ideas and inspiration.
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Wondering how to entertain like an A-Lister this holiday season? As a designer to the stars, I can tell you that the secret is having personality! A-Listers stand out. So figure out what's unique about you and your style and create your own A-List design. You'll wind up with a space you love that your guests can't stop talking about.
My client Kurtwood Smith (That 70's Show, Medium, 24) loves hosting gatherings for friends and family with his wife Joan. They wanted their Dining Room to be one of a kind but also wanted to preserve the architectural lines of their historic Spanish home. I had the original curved ceiling covered in gold-leafing and the effect is magical. The room glows and combined with treasured art and furnishings, it totally reflects the Smiths' personality. If you have such a room, use a hanging chandelier to reflect light off the ceiling to create a warm glow. For a lower cost option, experiment with zero VOC paints or funky wallpaper. Wallpaper from the Walnut brand is a favorite of mine.
You can also capture some of that glow with high-style crystal candle holders or the lotus candle holder pictured up top. Amber has so much more personality than plain crystal and I'm loving these for holiday tabletops and mantels.
The holidays wouldn't feel complete without lots of sparkle and if you're contemplating how to entertain like an A-Lister, look no further. This glittery, mirrored end table is evocative of the vintage tables I used in Jessica Alba's Living Room, a nod to old Hollywood glamour. Not only that, it's almost identical to one I just purchased at auction that belonged to none other than rock 'n roll guitar great Slash! Add a fabulous tray to serve party treats and cocktails.
This sleek black dining table will make you feel like an A-Lister without the A-List price tag and I love that you can dress it up or down. Pair it with dark green or blue accents to create the perfect tone for a holiday meal. Add silver and sparkles for a festive New Year's Eve celebration.
Whether I'm entertaining like an A-Lister or entertaining actual A-Listers, I always express my personality by bringing a bit of the outdoors in. This charming twig and leaf candelabra lends a rustic elegance that's the perfect centerpiece for my holiday table. To personalize it even more, I add leaves, twigs or greens I've snipped from the Christmas tree around the base. So to survive and thrive this holiday season, find what moves you, fulfill your vision and remember to have fun. Pretty soon, people will be asking you for tips on how to entertain like an A-lister!
Simple, square pillows are a dime a dozen. And while they're a great design staple, decorative pillows that feature designer details like trims and tassels add that special finishing touch to a room - think of it as adding the perfect piece of jewelry to top off an outfit. Want to know how designers achieve that richly layered look with pillows? Here are a few insider tips on using trim and fabric details to transform your pillows from frumpy to fabulous.
Bullion fringe is a traditional trim that looks a little like small twisted ropes, often found adorning the bottom perimeter of a sofa or ottoman. Although regular bullion trim usually ranges in length from 6" to 12", shorter mini bullion trim (as shown above) makes a great addition to the ends of a small kidney cushion!
The mini bullion combined with the patchwork fabric panels of a black zebra and cheetah-print pillow create an interesting modern look. The second pillow features a graphic print fabric with lipcord trim around the perimeter. Lipcord is a clean and contemporary look - the "lip" attached to the cord gets sewn into the seams of the pillows for a tidy finish.
Plush fringe trims have a more traditional feel - tassel fringe looks just as elegant around the edge of a pillow as it does running down the leading edge of a pair of curtains. Brush fringe has a thick, lush look that has an unfussy elegance.
Flat woven tapes and cute buttons aren't just for gussying up clothing - they look just as at home when beautifying pillows! This graphic embroidered fabric tape adds a strong visual impact on this square pillow, and also breaks up boring grey when wrapped around a bolster pillow. Black buttons create a tufted detail and add the finishing touch.
If pillows with designer details aren't your thing, the fabric itself can be worked in unusual ways to produce beautifully textured details! Strips of gently pleated fabric wrapped around itself in a spiral pattern creates a stunning ruffled rosette pillow, while overlapping layers of wool felt create the illusion of flourishing flowers.
Keep your eyes open for interesting details when pillow shopping - a little fringe, trim, or ruffle can really be the icing on your decorating cake!
For more, check out our Decorating with Pillows tips article for more ideas and inspiration.
I am in awe of the all black room. It's gutsy, bold and if done right, beautiful. No, I am not going goth. It's just that I wish I had the courage to paint a room all black because they are so incredibly sexy. I was inspired to muse on the matter after reading one of our fellow bloggers post on designing with black and white. Black and white accessories are a mainstay in design and are probably found in every home from Maine to California, but how many of us are willing to pull a full Mary Shelley and go embrace our inner twilight?
It seems strange that all women want a little black dress and that a well-balanced room should always have something black to ground the space, so why do we hesitate when it comes to black walls? The limestone fireplace, light carpet, decorative mirror and crisp white sconces balance the darkness in this room.
A linear sconce, like this sleek design from the George Kovacs lighting collection, would be ideal for a dark wall.
White crown moulding and gold accents make this room more regal than a room ready to radiate darkness.
A large picture window and light floors counterbalance the black walls. Don't forget that reflected light will make a room shine. A large mirror and a glimmering chandelier makes all the difference.
Another application where a chandelier is not only decorative, but essential.
Hot. This is the sexiest kitchen ever. The black lacquer cabinets and walls are totally daring and totally sophisticated. Again, the large windows, white floor, mirrored backsplash and stainless steel make the space harmonious.
Here is a more pop-version of the black kitchen. Not city sophisticated, but still fun. The modern kitchen lighting adds to the dramatic punch.
A great white chair to brighten any dining space.
Who said a baby's room had to be pink? This will definitely get the notice of funkier moms and dads. See the pattern emerge? Hint...white floors. And love that Ugly Doll.
This is the classic New York City bathroom. In a city where everything is smaller, taking a risk can be easier than in larger suburban houses. This bathroom has a clubby, almost Ralph Lauren feel. The urban bathroom is usually smaller, so if you make a mistake it is easily rectified at little cost. Perhaps you will use much more primer than usual, but it's still a pretty easy fix.
Will I learn from my own post and think about painting a room black. Hopefully these images show how glamorous a black room can be. However, in case you get cold feet, there are always an array of stylish black table lamps that can move you in the right direction.
Photos Courtesy of vignettedesign.blogspot, elledecor, vanessaandvalentine, apartmentintervention, hookedonhouses.
I am a huge fan of David Bromstad and HGTV's Color Splash! Imagine my excitement when I received the opportunity to interview David for our Monday designer interview series. His designs are fun, colorful, and include David's original art tailored to each design. David shares his inspirations, his favorite color palette, and lighting tips below.
LAMPS PLUS: Where do you find inspirations for your designs?
DAVID BROMSTAD: I find inspiration everywhere. I am inspired by other artists, designers, and nature.
LAMPS PLUS: Who is your design icon?
DAVID BROMSTAD: Philippe Starck because his designs are fabulous, light hearted, and happy.
LAMPS PLUS: What is your favorite color palette?
DAVID BROMSTAD: Black and white with a pop of color - simple, clean, classic.
LAMPS PLUS: How does decorative wall art influence the overall design?
DAVID BROMSTAD: It works the other way around. My environment influences the art I create. I first select the color scheme and design for the space, then I produce the art last to help bring the room together.
LAMPS PLUS: Right now, I am obsessed with...
DAVID BROMSTAD: Faux animal heads. However, it can be any type of animal, I love them all. They look very sculptural mounted to the wall.
LAMPS PLUS: What is the most common decorating mistake people make?
DAVID BROMSTAD: Not trying. People get overwhelmed with designing their space, so they give up before even starting.
LAMPS PLUS: How do you use lighting to make an impact in your designs?
DAVID BROMSTAD: Light is essential to showing off your amazing space. I believe in illuminating your entire home and minimizing dark corners and shadows. Lighting also sets the mood in a room.
LAMPS PLUS: What type of art looks best illuminated with picture lights?
DAVID BROMSTAD: Picture lights are great for showing off any type of art - both traditional and contemporary. When artwork is illuminated it becomes the feature of the room.
LAMPS PLUS: What are your favorite two table lamps from Lamps Plus?
Eloise White Wire Table Lamp (no longer available)
Frederick Cooper Ivory Eden Table Lamp
LAMPS PLUS: It is hard to keep up with you because every time I check in you are involved in another fun and interesting project. What are you currently working on?
DAVID BROMSTAD: I start filming a new series for HGTV in December. It is a design competition show, which I will be hosting, judging, and mentoring designers. You can also find me mentoring designers on HGTV's Design Star. I will be showing my line of artwork with Penny Lane Publishing at Miami's Art Basel this December 1-3, 2011. I also just launched a bedding and bath collection. Whew - that's it for now!
LAMPS PLUS: Thanks, David!
Images: Courtesy of HGTV (Portfolio Images)
If there's ever a time that even the freest and most contemporary spirit yearns for that sense of connection that tradition provides, it's around the Christmas holidays. That needn't mean surrounding yourself with Dickensian kitsch or faux tokens of the rural childhood you never really had. Traditions grow out of our own personal history, so why not incorporate bits of that and create a holiday look from our own childhood memories into your home decor this season. Here are ten essentials for a vintage Christmas:
A trip to a flea market or thrift store can yield both the wonderfully reflective old mercury glass ornaments you recall on your parents' tree, as well as some of the records they played on "the stereo" while they decorated it. (If you don't have a retro turntable, now's the time to invest in one.) Incorporate all that glitters beautifully now—and in your recollections—and don't be afraid of those bright colors. Why not go all the way and pick up one of those wonderful old aluminum trees to strike a perfect mid-century note.
A holiday season decorated with a sense of personal tradition can't exclude whimsy, because some part of us always is a child at this time of year. The little toys and figurines that delighted your younger self make light-hearted, but affecting decorations now. Old paper ornaments, found or reconstructed, lend a touch of fragile elegance to trees and wreaths, while candles of any embellished sort are a must for the right atmosphere. If you can find vintage Christmas cards, they make evocative graphic elements on shelves or mantles. And what would the holidays be without an elf or two?
Photo Credits: Dior Inspired, Heather Bullard, Kracken Crafts, Moxie-Girl, Georgia Peachez, Raining Rita, Pretty Pyrex, In My Jammies, Elisandra Seven Star, Hannele K.
Happy Black Friday! Isn't this is the time of year when you just crave being cozy?
Think rich textures, wood-burning fireplaces, and knitted blankets. There are are a lot of home decor products that fall under the category of cozy - pillows, throws, and bedding, to name a few. But what about lighting?
Do you ever really have the desire to curl up and read a good book - under a cold, chrome fluorescent pendant light?
I've been really inspired by natural materials in lighting lately - namely wood. Rough wood textures, smooth bark, and elegant veneers have a warmth and natural beauty that's hard to ignore. Here's a round up of some lovely wood lighting fixtures (totally on-trend this winter) that have caught my eye as of late:
Highly polished wood is so elegant, and contrasts beautifully with frosted glass and polished metals. Opt for woods with dark stain finishes, like walnut and mahogany, for that high-end, "luxury ski chalet in Vermont" look.
Playing up the natural form of branches and twigs is another modern twist on rustic wood lighting. The tripod base on this floor lamp has the feel of a tree bough with branches growing from it, and the playful resin base of this table lamp looks like a casually gathered bunch of twigs.
Wood lampshades have such a warmth and sophistication about them, especially when the grain of the wood takes center stage. If a gorgeous real wood veneer lampshade is a little outside your budget, look for custom-made, giclee printed lamp shades for a dash of style that will do the trick!
For more inspiration and ideas check out these past post on faux bois and wood grain style.
Thanksgiving is much more than a highly caloric meal and chance to see family. To me, it's a gastronomic symbol of my favorite season of the year. I suppose it's genetic as my mother is a huge fan of the fall. She does toil over our annual Thanksgiving meal, but like me, she comes alive and embraces everything autumn has to offer. Before you judge, I have been known to help prepare the stuffing and we usually end up laughing when breaking down and carving the bird...my sincere apologies to all vegetarian readers. Because my family is now city folk there are no more turkey bowls to attend or games of tag. I imagine I should be thankful that we live vertically as my age and body have no business playing football at Thanksgiving or any time of the year for that matter.
Beyond all the hard labor in the kitchen, Thanksgiving is a marker and gives importance to the season. It's a mood, something in the air. Maybe it's a brisk walk with a pumpkin latte or treating myself to a new cashmere sweater. I can't accurately put it into words, ironic, right?
The colors of fall are gloriously unique and so specific. Things aren't simply a blanket of green as in summer or white as in winter and the anticipation of the holidays are still exciting. I have lived back east where one is spoiled with the vibrant surroundings of October and November, where a pumpkin patch is actually in a field and where you can pick apples directly off a tree.
Trust me, I'm not one of those "in my day, life was simpler..." The truth is that I love modernity and today's pace, it's just that autumn allows us to be a little old fashioned for a few weeks each year.
I love that in a world where mobile phones are obsolete in a year and that we couldn't possibly suffer through commercials thanks to our DVR, that the simplicity of putting on a tweed jacket, carving a pumpkin or seeing a street awash in red and yellow leaves still brings me joy.
Embrace your inner small town soul.
Rejoice in the season.
Make everybody feel welcome. So from myself and all of us at Lamps Plus, Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Photos courtesy of muffyaldrich, marthastewart, decoratingyourway, thestir.
The LAMPS PLUS Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals are here!
For great offers, keep track of the deals by visiting the Lamps Plus Facebook, page, take a look at the great deals in our Lamps Plus online sale pages, or score one=of-a-kind super deals at Lamps Plus Open Box (all the designs are been opened, but are brand new and undamaged.
Visiting a store? Make sure to take a look at our coupons and FREE stuff page.
Best wishes from all of us at Lamps Plus for a safe and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
So, remember that time when you forgot that there was a big holiday celebration coming up and you didn't plan any decorations for your home to entertain the 20+ family members that will be showing up later this evening and now you're totally panicking?
If that time is TODAY, never fear! Here are some quick and easy last-minute Thanksgiving DIY decor ideas (using supplies that just might be on-hand) to add a little autumnal pep to your home before the big turkey carving tomorrow.
If you have: mini pumpkins or gourds, then try: using mini pumpkins as placecard holders; lightly spraying an assortment of small gourds with gold paint; or carving out a spot in a small pumpkin for a sweet votive candle.
If you have: lentils, seeds, or popping corn, then try: filling a clear vessel (a hurricane lantern or tall vase works well) with lentils and seeds; arranging a layer of unpopped corn in the bottom of a clear votive holder and setting a candle on top.
If you have: a backyard, then try: collecting thin twigs and small stones to arrange in a shallow dish; or gathering colorful leaves and arranging them in a rustic container.
If you have: a printer, then try: free printable posters, napkin rings, or cupcake toppers.
Now that you've got this year covered (phew!), maybe it's time to make a note to shop early for Thanksgiving home decor next year! Incorporating the colors of fall into your home creates a warm and inviting atmosphere - try swapping out your summery decorative pillows for rich orange ones; draping a colorful throw over a side chair; or adding the soft glow of a table lamp with a glossy orange base.
Happy Thanksgiving, and happy decorating!
Image credits: Choose to Thrive, Catch My Party, Better Homes and Gardens, Country Living, My Heart's Desire, Sunset, Real Simple, Craftily Ever After, and Hostess.
With Thanksgiving and the rest of the holidays just around the corner I wanted to introduce you to Chef Terri Wahl of Auntie Em's Kitchen and her special cupcake recipe.
Terri started catering for music videos, film and television productions fourteen years ago with the idea that a well-fed crew was a happy crew. Her American comfort food recipes are collected from travels all over the country, from the best out-of-the-way cooking shacks of the South, to the seafood markets of the Northwest and everywhere in between. Are you getting hungry yet? Well, let's venture into Auntie Em's Kitchen and see what Terri has been cooking up.
Terri used to play guitar in an all female punk rock band. Now, she sells 250 cupcakes per day (over 700 on weekends and holidays), in 4 flavors: coconut, dark chocolate, carrot cake, and, the most popular, red velvet cupcake. That fills up a lof of trays and of course stomachs. Terri's cupcakes have won accolades from the LA Times and others. You may have seen her on the Food Network's shows Throwdown with Bobby Flay or more recently on Sugar High with Duff Goldman.
Right about now, you are probably wondering why we are talking about food on a design blog, right? Well, the way food is presented takes a creative use of table top decor and in a future post I follow Terri on an amazing event that she catered...and she provides some very interesting insights on how we can make our food presentation look amazing.
For now, we offer as a special Thanksgiving treat Terri's famous red velvet cupcake recipe. Enjoy!
This recipe will take about 2hours and make about 16 cupcakes.
This is what you'll need for the cupcakes:• 15 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt• 1 1/4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil• 13 ounces granulated sugar• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk• 3 eggs• 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons red food coloring • 1 1/4 teaspoons vinegar (white or apple cider can both work)• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract• 1/8 cup water
For the cupcakes:Preheat oven 350 degrees F.Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a bowl and set aside.In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix oil, sugar, and buttermilk until combined. Add eggs, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla and water and mix well. Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time and mix on low, scraping down sides occasionally, and mix until just combined. Be sure not to over mix, or the batter will come out tough.Line a 16-cup cupcake pan with paper liners, scoop the batter into the liners and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
For the yummy cream cheese frosting you'll need:• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature• 1 pound butter, room temperature• 2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted• 1 tablespoon vanilla extractWhip the butter and cream cheese together in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamed. Gradually add powdered sugar to the mixture and scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.The frosting can be used right away, or stored in the refrigerator up to a week.Frost cooled cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting.
For your covenience and recipe file, here is a printable version, Red Velvet Cupcake Recipe.


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The Fundamentals: How To Begin Measuring Maintenance Effectiveness Part IV
EP Editorial Staff | February 12, 2010
Lucky you! There is one KPI that comes close to taking into account almost all variables in a production process. What is it? Read on.
We have discussed several KPIs over the course of this series, each of which has measured one or more components in the overall production process. These various metrics have been presented as the tools management can use in measuring the health of portions of the process. Still, the question arises: Is there a single metric that takes into account all of the variables in a given production process? There is one that comes close. It's known as "TEEP," which stands for Total Effective Equipment Productivity.
TEEP is an ideal or best-case benchmark against which a production process is measured. It is the comparison between the theoretical capacity of a machine versus that machine's actual performance. TEEP uses as its litmus test the hypothetical output of a machine if it ran perfectly, all the time.
As an example, suppose you have a machine in your process that is rated to produce one part per hour. TEEP assumes that if it were to run continuously at the capacity determined by the machine manufacturer's OEM specifications, this equipment would produce 24 parts per day, 365 days per year—and that this benchmark is the number against which your actual performance should be measured.
Consider the number to be an absolute (whether it can actually be obtained), like absolute zero or the speed of light. The formula for this calculation is Actual Parts per Unit of Time X Total Time/Theoretical Parts per Unit of Time = TEEP.
Now, don't throw the magazine away and reach for the television remote. It's not as difficult as it sounds. I'll say it in English this time: TEEP is the number of good widgets you are making in a given time period compared to the total number of widgets the machine is capable of making if it ran perfectly at its rated capacity during that same period of time.
Let's look at the machine we just referenced. You have a process that produces widgets, and your primary machine is an old, but well-maintained widget-maker that is rated at one unit per hour. Your plant works two eight-hour shifts each day over a five-day work week, with the weekend being devoted to maintenance efforts. Your process continually achieves uptimes above 90%, and you seldom have any quality issues. Last week, the plant produced a total of 77 widgets at this machine center during your 80 planned production hours.
The TEEP percentage for this rather rosy scenario would be as follows: 77 actual widgets produced X 168 total hours in the week/168 possible widgets = 77%. What does this number tell us? Basically, a TEEP percentage of 77% indicates that 23% of this particular process capacity was unrealized—even though this same process is running exceptionally well when evaluated by less stringent measures. (FYI: a handy TEEP calculator is available to you here.) By the way, if your particular process is achieving a TEEP percentage above 75%, that is an excellent number, and you may take a moment to congratulate yourself.
"But wait," you say. "I don't want to run three shifts, seven days a week. I'm producing between 70 and 80 widgets per week. That's world-class output within my particular industry, especially considering the equipment I have, and that's all the widgets I can sell, anyway. So why would I want to compare myself to a standard that makes no sense for me?"
Why, indeed? TEEP is not for everyone. It's a strategic measure that is used in, among other things, determining the need for capital outlay. Suppose that the giant widget plant down the road—your main competition, perhaps—has a big fire or some other issue that causes a serious curtailment in its ability to turn out product. This leads to a widget shortage, and the price per unit skyrockets. At last, you can sell as many of the things as you can produce—and pretty much get your own price. Your unfortunate competitor will be limping along for at least a year, and as you look for ways to take advantage of what could be an extremely profitable time for your business, your eyes might drift to and linger upon the 23% of your unrealized capacity (as determined by your 77% TEEP).
There are several options open to you at this point. You can weed out the few rejects and breakdowns you have and push your TEEP to 80%. You can add a third shift and increase your TEEP or add an extra production day to do the same. You can go to a seven-day/24-hour schedule if you have high confidence in your maintenance program's ability to work around the extra demands you are placing upon the process. You can even attempt to speed up your widget-maker—if such an action can be undertaken economically, and provided you keep in mind that there are often unforeseen consequences to running a process in excess of its rated capacity. Regardless of what you do, the TEEP measure is the benchmark that lets you know how much additional production is available without additional capital expenditure (such as adding more machines, replacing older equipment, etc.).
Benchmarking against what?
Since we are on the subject, we should spend a few moments discussing the concept of benchmarks, which are those standards—sometimes theoretical—against which we measure and track our own performances. What should these numbers be? What is "world-class?" Who decides?
There is a consensus among maintenance consultants and scholars alike that benchmarks should be challenging but achievable—and I agree with that guideline. As for the actual numbers, however, there is little agreement. Benchmarks differ across industries, across plants and across machine centers. Take uptime as an example.
For years, a production uptime percentage above 80% was considered to be a good effort, and 85% was thought to be outstanding. As maintenance practices and machine technology have improved, the best of the best have continued to ease their uptimes in the direction of 88%, then 90% and finally to 95% or higher.
The issue for each plant and for every manager is to benchmark their own processes against achievable goals—and to encourage small but steady increments of improvement in their own unique process. Aspiring to a challenging benchmark should be a positive experience for the entire organization. To illustrate this point, let's go back to the widget industry for a moment.
Suppose you are the production manager for the original widget plant in your organization (the old workhorse), and you have the task of operating technologically obsolete machinery that has been poorly maintained for much of its history. The factory runs uptimes in the mid-70s and makes a small profit. Further assume that upper management has determined that large capital outlays are not in your facility's future. Times are hard, and they'll continue to run the plant as long as it pays to do so. But, if you drop into the red, that may be all she wrote. Under conditions such as these, it is probably not wise to benchmark yourself against the leading plant in your industry—a brand-new, technological marvel that consistently posts uptime percentages in the mid- to high-90s.
It's not a case of never being able to get there from here. If you establish a proper PM (preventive maintenance regimen), initiate PdM (predictive maintenance) as budgets allow, do realistic, honest root-cause analyses (RCAs) for every process failure, work safely and begin a conscientious training program, you can wash away most sins over time. There is, however, another component you must consider.
If you are consistently running uptime percentages in the mid-70s and are benchmarking against a goal of 95%, you may find that your rate of improvement drops over time. Specifically, your organization may develop a morale problem, because the goal is perceived as being out of reach. If your process has consistently run uptimes in the 75th percentile and through world-class techniques you are able to raise this average to 80%, you have achieved a huge gain in effectiveness. Conversely, if the new and improved 80% uptime is compared to a 95% goal, it still seems as if the organization has an impossibly long way to go. If, though, the benchmark were 85%, then your people have moved halfway toward their goal—a goal they perceive as being reasonable and achievable. Remember, as goals are reached, new, higher ones can be set. Thus, by making each new goal plateau achievable, you are not limiting the long-term potential of the company, particularly if you reward the attainment of these plateaus as they are reached.
Use your metrics effectively
To manage by metrics, you must first make the conscious decision to gather accurate data that is meaningful to your organization. The accuracy of your data is the critical component of the process. You must then convert the data into KPIs that your organization is capable of maintaining. Put simply, the gathering and manipulation of data into a useable form is an important job that must be performed by personnel who realize this fact and who are capable of performing the task. Finally, your KPIs should be benchmarked against realistic numbers. You must learn to walk before you can begin to run. MT
Ray Atkins is based in Rome, GA. E-mail: email@example.com; visit his Website: www.raymondlatkins.com; or hear him speak at MARTS 2010 (www.MARTSconference.com)

subset: commoncrawl


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Crystorama 6729-WP Roosevelt Weathered Patina 11 Light Chandelier
The Roosevelt collection delivers all the sparkle of a crystal chandelier but in a more modern silhouette. Strands of clear crystal beads dress up the bell-shaped wrought iron base, which is hand painted in a weathered patina finish and features a Fleur-de-lis leaf pattern. This traditional chandelier sparkles and magnificently lights up any space. Perfect for an entryway, grand living room, or even a dining room, this stunner is sure to make a statement in any space.
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Copyright © 2017 Littman Bros. Lighting.


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It's a common concern of many women as summer approaches. They want to feel comfortable in a bathing suit and have fun, but are also anxious about the prospect. • Life is short and everyone has the right to enjoy it. So buying a bathing suit should not get in the way of enjoying summer. • Logical enough, but too many women let the shopping ritual ruin at least a part of their summer activities.
Come out of hiding
Believe it or not, being comfortable and happy — rather than beating up on yourself — makes it easier to lose weight.
And conversely, the more you hide away, anxious and depressed about your body, the more likely you are to fail at losing weight. Besides, it's impossible to have fun while being overly concerned with appearance.
Anyone, regardless of size, can choose to look and feel better or worse, based on how they approach decisions about life, including what to wear.
I once attended a gathering of large women discussing their weight and eating problems. One particular woman caught my attention. She was as large or larger than most of the other women, but that was not what I noticed.
She had done such a terrific job of putting herself together that my first thought was, "She's beautiful!" Her clothes and makeup complemented her body. The colors she chose enhanced her beauty. She held herself high and oozed confidence. Finally, she was all smiles and appeared to be enjoying herself. I've never forgotten that woman.
Waiting to buy a bathing until getting to the "perfect" weight doesn't make sense. That philosophy usually ends in another wasted summer. Instead, deciding to buy a bathing suit you like and getting on with the summer festivities can get you closer to getting leaner.
After all, hiding doesn't burn many calories, but having fun does. Laughing, walking on the beach and jumping in the water are all activities that require the body to burn energy.
make it pleasant
Are you ready to buy a bathing suit? Here are some tips for making it a more pleasant experience.
1. Think of your body as a room in a house that you want to redecorate. The size and shape of the room don't matter; just think of what would look best.
2. Select colors that look good on you just as you would choose colors for your new room. Have fun. Painting every room beige would be boring. Remember that when you reach for a basic black suit.
3. Select the style that looks the best on you, just as you would choose the right furniture for your room.
4. Select accessories — a broad-brimmed hat, sandals — that look good with your color palette just as you would choose pictures and pillows.
5. Consider comfort. It's important to feel comfortable in your swimsuit, just as you want to feel good in your new room. The better the suit feels, the less preoccupied you will feel with your body. It's hard to have fun when the straps are digging into your shoulders.
6. Now that you've selected the best bathing suit for you, forget about it. Go out and have fun. Let that be the end of the issue.
Don't worry, be happy
It's impossible to be anxious and relaxed at the same time, so by doing everything you can to be more relaxed you avoid anxiety. Here are tips to help with that mission:
• Focus on the beauty around you such as the sky, the cool water, the warm sand and the sounds of laughter and play.
• When you find yourself focusing on your body or wondering what people are thinking about you, talk to yourself. Remind yourself you're there to enjoy your time. And other people are no doubt focusing more on themselves than you.
• Remind yourself that your goal is to live a happy and fulfilling life regardless of any imperfections.
• Remind yourself that you've done the best job you can to "decorate your room" and now you're setting that aside and focusing on the present moment.
It's your responsibility to create a life of which you will be proud. Who wants to look back and think, "I spent all my life focusing on my body and never letting go enough to truly have fun"?
So don't let a bathing suit get in the way of your life. Choose one that works for you, and get on with having the time of your life.
Lavinia Rodriguez, Ph.D., is a Tampa clinical psychologist who specializes in weight management. She can be reached at (813) 240-9557 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Her book, "Mind Over Fat Matters: Conquering Psychological Barriers to Weight Management," is available at FatMatters.com.


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text: East Lynn Lake, WMA will be protected from mining's effects By John McCoy June 16, 2012 Story Share People who fish and hunt at Wayne County's East Lynn Lake must feel as if they've done something wrong.In early March, a tornado blew through, uprooting and damaging more than 3,000 acres of trees near the lake. Now the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has officially set guidelines for coal operators that hope to mine the thick coal seam that surrounds the impoundment.Two companies have applied to deep-mine more than 13,000 acres of the 22,928-acre East Lynn Wildlife Management Area.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owns the land and leases it to the state Division of Natural Resources for recreational use. Sportsmen - especially anglers and boaters - are concerned about mining's potential effects on the lake's water quality.The Bureau of Land Management oversees coal mining on federal lands. Last week, BLM officials set the boundaries coal operators would have to observe if they wish to mine the area.First and most important, there would be no mining within 1,585 feet of East Lynn Dam. That makes sense. The dam's structural integrity must be maintained.The BLM requirements would also include a 200-foot buffer around the lake's perimeter as well as studies of the area's geology and potential risks from mining activity.Because the East Lynn WMA is located in an area of the state where public land is relatively scarce, it is an extremely popular hunting, fishing and boating spot. It gets heavy recreational use from people in Wayne, Lincoln, Logan, Cabell and Mingo counties. Paul Johansen, the DNR's assistant wildlife chief, understands why recreational users are concerned, but added that his agency's experience with coal mining on state-leased lands "has been positive.""We have some examples where coal operations have been able to take place [on DNR-managed WMAs] with minimum or no impact," Johansen said. "A prime example is Panther State Forest in McDowell County. There is deep mining all under the forest, but the mine portals are offsite so the impacts have been negligible."Since the East Lynn tract would be deep-mined, Johansen doesn't expect much impact on the area's deer, turkey and squirrel hunting."What's of particular importance to us is to maintain the integrity of the lake itself," he said. "It's an incredibly important fishery for us. We want to make sure safeguards are in place so that there are no impacts to the fishery and the lake's water quality."Based on past experiences with mining and land-holding companies throughout the southern portion of the state, Johansen expects the two companies involved in the East Lynn mining to cooperate with the DNR and other regulatory agencies."We don't own the land around East Lynn - we only lease it," Johansen said. "But we will be an interested party because we have the area under a license agreement."A number of our larger WMAs operate under license agreements with landholding companies, including mining companies, and we've found them to be really good to work with," Johansen said. "Our relationship with those companies has been very positive, and the sportsmen and sportswomen of West Virginia have benefited from the agreements that have been made through the agency." Actual mining on East Lynn is probably years away. Environmental studies take time, and mining permits can be deucedly difficult to obtain.If the demand for coal increases, East Lynn will probably be mined. If it is, though, the companies will have to meet requirements set forth by three agencies - the BLM, the Corps of Engineers and the DNR. In other words, it's pretty well protected. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Police seek car driven by woman found dead in Kanawha River 2 Facebook founder visits Cabin Creek Health Systems 3 Teen pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Oakes Field shooting 4 Man allegedly cuts father in Rand over argument about sandwich 5 Rhode Island bank claims Justice companies owe $4.2M on helicopter loan Month full of muskies Previous Story In search of a holy rail Next Story


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ISRN Communications and Networking
Volume 2011 (2011), Article ID 572572, 10 pages
ARCS: An Energy-Efficient Clustering Scheme for Sensor Network Monitoring Systems
Department of Computer Engineering, Chosun University, 375 Seosuk-dong, Gwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea
Received 28 May 2011; Accepted 5 July 2011
Academic Editors: J. M. Bahi, H. Nikookar, and H. M. Sun
Copyright © 2011 Dongmin Choi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
To achieve efficiency in prolonging the lifetime of sensor networks many schemes have been proposed. Among these schemes, a clustering protocol is an efficient method that prolongs the lifetime of a network. However, in applying this method, some nodes consume energy unnecessarily because of an environment in which the collected data of the sensor nodes easily overlap. In this paper we propose a clustering method which reduces unnecessary data transmission among nodes by excluding the duplication of data. Our method alleviates the problem where nearby nodes collect the same data from adjacent areas by electing all nodes that form a cluster in consideration of the sensing coverage of the nodes. Also, it introduces relay nodes, also called repeaters, which help to hop the data transmission along to cluster head nodes in order to cope with energy-hole and link failure problems. This method prevents data loss caused by link failure problem and thus the data is collected reliably. According to the results of the performance analysis, our method reduces the energy consumption, increases the transmission efficiency, and prolongs network lifetime when compared to the existing clustering methods.
1. Introduction
In wireless sensor networks, sensor nodes are randomly and densely deployed in the field for data collection. It is often the case that sensing areas by each node sometimes overlap. Moreover, sensor nodes use batteries which have limited energy and are disposable [1]. Thus, energy use is the most critical problem to consider.
Typically, energy consumption can be divided into three domains: sensing, data processing, and communication [2, 3]. Among these, the energy cost of communication is much higher than the others [4, 5]. Hence, to save energy and prolong network lifetime, we should consider how to minimize communication costs. In addition, any method which considers these problems [6, 7] needs to also maintain network stability.
Therefore hierarchical structures that use clustering [8–13] are more appropriate than flat based routing [14, 15].
However, in current clustering methods, the energy load is concentrated on the cluster head node. Eventually the remaining energy imbalance in the network gets larger and larger. In order to mitigate this energy imbalance, methods that periodically change the role of cluster head node have been suggested. In LEACH [8] cluster head nodes are elected through a setup process for reforming clusters.
In LEACH-C [8] cluster head nodes are elected by a sink or base station to prevent energy imbalances. HEED consider residual node energy for the dispersion of energy consumption [9]. BCDCP uses a method that selects cluster head nodes through a candidate set of nodes [10]. TEEN [12] sets a threshold value on the basis of LEACH to reduce the energy consumption of nodes and the cluster head node. APTEEN [13] proposed to make up for the weak points in TEEN. This method sets a time to transmit data periodically for data accuracy and reliability. Nevertheless, these schemes did not consider multihop transmission and the energy hole problem [16].
Our research considered the sensor coverage of sensor nodes and data redundancy and evaluated performance using meteorological data [17]. Also it minimizes the problem that the nodes which are deployed at a specific region redundantly collect the same data. It also increases accuracy in collecting data and solves the problem of disconnection among nodes.
This proposal is based on the basic concept of ARCT [18] which is composed of two kinds of clusters: regional and normal cluster.
In the regional cluster of ARCT, all nodes which participate in this cluster check whether their sensor values are the same or not.
However, in our scheme we include one more value: the altitude. In other words, all the nodes that form a cluster need to consider 2 types of values, the first is its sensor value (the air temperature) and the second is its altitude. Furthermore, in order to decrease the error rate during data collection, our scheme uses one more condition for a node to be included in a cluster. Typically former schemes have only considered the transmission range to form a cluster. However, in order to achieve higher sensor data accuracy, our scheme considers the sensing coverage to form a cluster. Typically nodes sensing coverage is smaller than transmission range. In transmission, in order to mitigate the phenomenon of link failure, we introduce data relay node that is named repeater to support the successful data transmission.
According to the results of the experimental evaluation, our method shows less energy consumption, higher degree of network connectivity, prolonged network lifetime, and higher data collection rate than the existing methods.
The rest of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 introduces some protocols that are based on cluster such as LEACH, LEACH-C, HEED, BCDCP, TEEN, APTEEN, and ARCT as related research. Section 3 explains our method, and Section 4 measures data collection rate, network connection rate during the network lifetime, and analyzes it in relation to the number of cluster head nodes that are created during the network lifetime, the degree of energy consumption equalization of all the nodes, the number of isolated node, and the lifetime of network. Finally, we conclude the paper in Section 5.
2. Related Research
LEACH (low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy), the hierarchical routing protocol based on the cluster, is a representative clustering method of sensor networks. In this method the cluster head node collects data from its member nodes and combines it and retransmits it to the sink periodically.
Consequently, cluster head node consumes a lot of energy. Thus, the role of the cluster head node is changed periodically in order to disperse the energy consumption in the nodes over the entire network. This method can measure the data through the cluster head node. Nevertheless, it consumes a lot of energy. Therefore, it is difficult for the network to stay operational for long periods.
To solve the problems of forming a cluster in LEACH, LEACH-C (low-energy adaptive cluster hierarchy-centralized) was proposed. In this scheme, to solve the problem of repositioning cluster head nodes, clusters are elected by a base station. All nodes in the network send a message which includes position and remaining energy information to the base station. After that, the base station broadcasts this information to all the nodes which are deployed in the field to help form an adequate cluster. However, this scheme is not energy efficient in clustering overhead because of the energy consumption in calculating and transmitting all the nodes positions to elect cluster head nodes.
HEED (hybrid, energy-efficient distributed) is a method to extend network lifetime. This method adds some values which take into account the nodes residual energy for cluster formation and election. In this scheme, the node which has more residual energy can be elected as cluster head node to prolong network lifetime. If some nodes that are candidates for the cluster head node have the same residual energy, then their transmission costs are compared. In this scheme the energy efficiency is considered in each round except for the energy that was consumed during node transmissions in round shifting.
BCDCP (base station controlled dynamic clustering protocol) in some parts this method is the same as LEACH-C like in the case of assigning the complex calculations to the base station. This method is composed of two phases: setup and data communication. In cluster formation, a base station elects a candidate set of cluster head nodes to determine cluster head nodes. To fit the number of cluster head nodes, it uses a cluster splitting algorithm which divides the network continuously. Furthermore, in this method, all the cluster head nodes send aggregated messages on a multihop basis to the base station without direct transmission. However, this method also uses same the transmission method used in LEACH-C.
TEEN (threshold sensitive energy-efficient sensor network protocol) is a reactive network in which the sensor nodes manage the threshold data. The process which excludes the threshold value is equal to LEACH.
This method uses the same method as LEACH in cluster formation. After cluster formation, cluster head nodes transmit the parameters of the data, HT, the hard threshold value, and ST, the soft threshold value, to their member nodes. All nodes collect and transmit data when the value exceeds the HT value first. After exceeding HT, nodes collect and transmit data only when the measured data exceeds ST. As a result not all nodes act in the reported time and conserve energy. However, if the collected data does not exceed HT, the node does not transmit any collected data. And if it does not exceed ST, we cannot know about data changes after the default value is passed, especially if the data change is under the threshold value. Moreover, it is hard to judge whether the nodes are alive or not, and even if the data surpasses both of the threshold values, the collected data goes through a process of being aggregated by the cluster head node. Therefore the consuming of energy for the redundant management of the collected data should be considered.
APTEEN (A Hybrid Protocol for Efficient Routing and Comprehensive Information Retrieval in Wireless Sensor Networks) which combines the advantages of LEACH and TEEN is a hybrid protocol that unites the data transmission by the threshold value of TEEN and the periodic data transmission of LEACH. It has overcome the difficulty in collecting data and the recognition of the state of the nodes. After cluster formation, the cluster head node transmits the threshold value and parameters that include the TDMA schedule count time to the member nodes. All nodes transmit the collected data to the cluster head node at the time set by the parameter. This is done even when the data exceeds the threshold value. Therefore this method solved the problem of TEEN. However, all the nodes of the network have to steadily transmit data. Thus an improvement is needed.
ARCT (An Advanced Regional Clustering Scheme using Thresholddataset) is a protocol based on the dynamic cluster that acts on the basis of the cluster and proactive network that transmits at the determined time. In addition it uses threshold—similar method to TEEN—and therefore it can be categorized as a reactive network such as TEEN. This method uses two types of clusters—the regional cluster and the normal cluster—and these two clusters have different ways to collect data. The regional cluster composes the cluster through a comparison of the data collected by adjacent nodes, and after that only the head node of the regional cluster acts and transmits the collected data. The normal cluster combines with the nodes that failed to participate in the regional cluster. All the nodes that composed this cluster participate in data collection. The nodes that participate in this cluster increase the energy efficiency using the threshold value table when collecting data.
3. Proposed Scheme
Sensor networks can be used for various applications. Our method, ARCS (an advanced region clustering scheme in wireless sensor networks for environment monitoring system) which is based on a dynamic cluster and proactive network, is proposed for environmental monitoring. Before addressing our scheme, we made some assumptions about sensor nodes, networks, and the environment.
All the nodes transmit data in a multihop fashion. All the nodes positions are fixed. All the nodes are synchronized according to time.
All the nodes have the same initial energy. All the nodes can adjust their transmission power. All the nodes have a sensor which can measure altitude. All the nodes sensor ranges are shorter than their transmission ranges. If node B can successfully receive a packet from node A, node A can also successfully receive a packet from node B. The base station (or Sink) has no limitations in energy of transmission coverage.
In the regional cluster of ARCT, all nodes which participate in the cluster check whether their sensor values are the same or not.
However, in our scheme more values are used, namely, the same altitude. In other words, all the nodes in the cluster need to consider two types of values, the first is the sensed value and the second is its altitude. Typically former schemes only considered transmission range to form clusters. However, our scheme considers sensor range which is shorter than transmission range as shown in Figure 1.
Altitude: to form a cluster, the same altitude is also included as a cluster forming condition. Even though all the nearby nodes have the same temperature, a difference in altitude is a major condition for temperature measurement. Thus this influences how data should be adequately collected.
Sensor coverage: regional clustering is a method that alleviates the redundancy of nodes collecting the same data. Thus it is not desirable to collect data from all the nodes in sensor range. All the nodes which are deployed in the AOI are chosen on the conditions above. Here is the process of node selection.(A.1.a.1) All nodes have a randomly generated time delay before being deployed in the field. (A.1.a.2) After deployment of the nodes, the node which has finished counting its delay time performs duties to become a candidate cluster head node.(A.1.a.3) When the node starts the operation, it collects all the data and transmits it to another node or the sink within the same range of its sensor range as shown in Figure 2. (A.1.a.4) All standby nodes which are deployed in the sensor coverage of operating nodes that have the same values of data mentioned above are stopped for a time out and go into sleep mode.(A.1.a.5) If one of these conditions is not met, wait for the allotted nodes operation time. Then perform as in (A.1.a.3).
In accordance with these processes, selected nodes become regional nodes and thus go into the next process to become regional clusters and repeaters.
After finishing the allotted time to select a regional node, regional nodes which are selected randomly generate the time delay again that was used in (A.1.a.1).
Here is the process of regional cluster head node selection.(1)In the predetermined time period for cluster head node selection, start from the node which has the lowest delay time to broadcast the message including the cluster head node. Then a regional cluster is formed that includes the nodes which receive the message as member nodes. The same as (A.1.a.4) in the process of node selection, all standby nodes which have received the message while counting the delay time give up becoming cluster head nodes and join the cluster as member nodes. After that, all nodes which join the cluster as member nodes count the number of packets broadcast from nearby cluster head nodes. Then, store the number of nearby cluster head nodes. (2)After finishing regional clustering, the member node which has a number of nearby cluster head nodes, that is, between 2 and 5, can be a candidate node for repeater.
The reasons for the conditions to be a repeater are as follows.
The main objective of the repeater is to support successful data retransmission in a multihop manner.
Thus, for successful relay information, repeaters need at least 2 nodes to contact. Also, Figure 3 shows the reason for the maximum number limitation.
As shown in Figure 3, when we assume that all cluster head nodes are deployed in an ideal case, to maintain the multihop transmission successfully, a repeater is needed until the number of nearby cluster head nodes is 5. However, in the case of the number of cluster head nodes being more than 6, repeaters are useless. Actually, in a real deployment based on random distribution, when there is less than 6 cluster head nodes they can communicate with each other. Thus, we set the selection ratio of repeater nodes among the candidate nodes. Repeaters perform as data relay nodes which perform at the same level of cluster head nodes to support multihop data transmission.
To achieve load balancing, our scheme selects the method of weighted values. When comparing the consumption of energy of nodes in accordance with the role of the nodes, consumption is simply as shown below:
regional node < repeater < cluster head node.
In the process of node selection, nodes which are selected as regional nodes are assigned a weight point of 1.
In the same way, nodes which are selected as cluster head nodes are assigned a weight point of 2 and repeaters are assigned a weight point of 1. By this value, all nodes renew the available random delay time slot as shown in Figure 4.
Predetermined available delay time slots that are assigned before deployment are , the minimum value of this delay time is , the maximum value is , the current available random delay time is , and the weight value of node is . Then the equation to determine the minimum value of the current available time slot is as follows:
For example, assume that a node performs as cluster head node in the first round. Then, its weight value is 3.
Because of these points, this node receives a disadvantage in assigning the random delay time for selecting a regional node. According to Pseudocode 1, this node only assigned a 223–255 time slot. This method can increase the probability of nodes in sleep state in this round to conserve energy. In addition, after finishing the time assigning, all nodes which have weight points (more than 0) decrease 1 point in each round to achieve a balance in the consumption of energy. Pseudocode 1 shows some pseudo code in ARCS.
4. Performance Evaluation
In this section we present the experimental results of our method in terms of performance in data collection, that is, the basic function of the sensor network, the connection rate of the sensor network, the number of the cluster head nodes created during the network's lifetime, the degree of equalization in energy consumption of all nodes, the number of isolated nodes, and the lifetime of the entire network. Experiments were conducted using MATLAB 7.0. The experimental environment is as follows: each round is composed of three frames and the same condition as used in LEACH is applied. Electronic energy is applied as Eelec = 50 nJ/bit, the amplified energy of the free space model is applied as Efs = 10 pJ/bti/m2, the amplified energy of the multipath model is applied as Emp = 0.0013 pJ/bti/m4, the consumed energy of node scheduling is applied as Eschedule = 5 nJ/bit/signal, the consumed energy when data is merged is applied as Eda = 5 nJ/bit/signal, the data size is applied as l = 1000 bit, the number of total nodes is applied as = 1000, and the length of a side of the network area is applied as = 100. The probability of transmission of the threshold value used in TEEN and APTEEN is applied as th=−3 to 3 and th = 0.2 according to the temperature data. The fixed transmission frequency of APTEEN is applied as one transmission every three rounds. The number of the cluster head nodes is applied as 5%. The environmental data used in this measurement is the database for temperature changes provided by the Korean Meteorological Administration.
4.1. Accuracy of Collected Data
Table 1 shows the degree of accuracy of the data collected.
According to Table 1, LEACH has the highest accuracy. This is possible because LEACH is a proactive method where all nodes are awakened and act in the same time slot. TEEN shows a low level of accuracy compared to the other methods. This is because TEEN is a method which controls transmission using two kinds of thresholds. Thus it is difficult to determine real data. In addition, we can see that the accuracy of spring and winter is low. This is what makes us indirectly guess that there was no data transmission because the collected data was less than the threshold in a certain region or for a certain time. Eventually, energy consumption of the node decreases but data collection itself becomes difficult. APTEEN shows an average degree of accuracy compared to the other methods. This is the result of the transmission of a fixed period. Therefore it scores relatively higher than TEEN. ARCS shows an accuracy higher than that of TEEN, APTEEN, and ARCT but lower than that of LEACH because it omits collected data of the regional cluster member nodes and only depends on the data collected by the cluster head nodes. However, it shows accuracy levels that are close to those of LEACH. This means that it has quite a high degree of data accuracy. Even though it shows good results, an 18% average error still remains. In the case of ARCS, it shows results higher than those of ARCT.
4.2. Network Connectivity
Table 2 shows the network connectivity measured by each protocol.
According to the table, all these protocols show results at almost the same level. In the protocol based on clusters, cluster head nodes perform the role of an intermediate data transmitter between the source node and the sink. Thus the number of cluster head nodes is most important. In the election of the cluster head nodes based on the probability, more numbers of cluster head nodes mean a higher probability of connection with the sink. Therefore more cluster head nodes give higher connection rates for the network. Typically, energy consumption of the cluster head nodes is higher than that of normal nodes. Thus it is known that the proper level for head nodes is about 5% of the total nodes as a result of former research. However, in our method regional clusters and repeaters do not consume much energy. Therefore, in our method more cluster head nodes and repeaters can be set up.
In the process of data collection and restoration, when the network is stable without a link disconnection, the primitive data goes through a normal collection process and is transmitted to the sink node, and this is successfully restored and provided to the user.
However, when a part of the network that is in charge of data collection gets disconnected, a part of the primitive data is lost because the nodes with disconnected links cannot transmit data, and the map that the sink node restructures gets harder to restore data transmission normally.
Table 3 shows the number of nodes being isolated during network lifetime.
4.3. The Number of the Cluster Head Nodes
The number of cluster head nodes is related to the degree of the connection of the network. It is essential for the method of selecting the cluster head nodes on the basis of probability to constantly maintain the number of cluster head nodes. Figure 5 shows the number of cluster head nodes that were created during the lifetime of the network for each protocol.
LEACH, TEEN, and APTEEN select cluster head nodes in the same way. All of these methods applied the same amount, or 5%, for cluster head node selection probability, and by this probability the cluster head node is selected. However, as you see in the Figure 5, the number of cluster head nodes are not stable. Cases where cluster head nodes have less than optimal values are common, and the degree of connection between the nodes decreases. Thus the probability that a problem will occur in data collection increases. When electing cluster head nodes through a competition of nodes by random time such as in ARCT, the number of cluster head nodes is maintained in the range of 35 to 40, and we can see that the error range has been decreased by half when compared to the other methods. In our method, ARCS, less than 10 nodes are maintained in its lifetime with no significant errors.
As shown in Figure 6, there are two types of cluster head nodes for successful multihop transmission, cluster head nodes and repeaters. Among these, the rate of cluster head nodes which have high energy consumption is 20%. Consequently, our method does not strongly influence the network consumption of energy.
4.4. Residual Energy of the Network
Figure 7 is a residual energy graph classified by the node that was measured at the point in time when a node with depleted energy occurred for the first time in the network.
According to Figures 7(a), 7(b), 7(c), 7(d) the other four methods show the residual energy distribution at similar levels of about 1~2 J. According to Figure 7(e) however, our method shows extraordinary results over other methods.
4.5. Energy Depletion Balance
In the multihop-based network, network lifetime can be determined by the nodes lifetime which is deployed one hop away from the sink. As shown in Figure 8, we divide the network into 3 parts (zones) to measure the degree of energy depletion among the nodes in each part. The energy hole problem typically occurs in the nodes which are deployed one hop away from the sink. Therefore, comparing the energy consumption ratio of that in area no. 1 with the other areas, we can estimate the network lifetime and stability and other factors.
Figure 9 shows the number of dead nodes that occur during the lifetime of the network in the existing methods and in the suggested method.
According to the graph, LEACH shows that over than 90% of nodes were dead within a few rounds in every zone, and this causes link-failure in multihop-based transmission.
However, the other three schemes show that less than 20% of nodes died every round. This means a low rate of link failure and partitioned networks. Our scheme shows that dead nodes are uniformly distributed throughout its lifetime and that less than 4% of nodes died. This means that the network can sustain more rounds without link failure with regard to high probability. Also it deeply correlates with the longevity of the network.
4.6. Network Lifetime
Figure 10 shows the network lifetime measured as classified by each protocol. LEACH shows the shortest network lifetime with the method that was first suggested, and TEEN, a reactive network, shows a lifetime that is almost double that of LEACH. APTEEN shows a lifetime a little shorter than that of TEEN. ARCT uses a data collection method that is different from the above three methods and has a fixed period transmission like LEACH but it decreases node density of the data collection area. Therefore it reduces the number of nodes which participate in the real data transmission and prolongs the lifetime of the network. ARCS, our method, has the same periodic transmission rate as LEACH. However, it decreases the deployed node density through a different cluster formation method and thus prolongs the network lifespan.
5. Conclusion
This research dealt with the problems and supplementations that arise when applying sensor networks that use clustering to an environmental monitoring network.
We suggested a clustering technique that is effective for this application. According to the performance evaluation, we can see that the clustering method that used regional clusters and repeaters presented by our method provides higher accuracy, a higher degree of connectivity, a lower error rate, and a longer network longevity than those of existing methods.
However, our method is optimized focusing on the characteristics of collecting temperature data and sensing area specifications. Optimized research which focuses on the characteristics and environment of the collected data before is helpful in increasing network performance and longevity enhancement in the design of protocols for sensor networks that aim to monitor the environment. We expect that our clustering method will be applied to diverse environmental monitoring.
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Pioneer life in the Benton Co. WA area
Spring Meant Hated Dose/Children Ducked From Spoon
By BURTON 0. LUM
Tri-City Pioneer
Tri-City Herald, Sunday, 11 March 1962
Seventy years ago, now, in this Tri-City area the pioneer mothers would be starting to look up their suppliers of sulphur and New Orleans molasses. February has passed. March has arrived. March was always remembered by the pioneer children as the time when their scratchy woolen underwear would soon be replaced by the more comfortable soft Canton flannel. This pleasure was somewhat lessened by the children's remembrance that March was also the month that mother brought out the distasteful concoction of sulphur and New Orleans molasses. The children gulped just thinking about it. How that cussed stuff stuck to the roofs of their mouths and the gritty, stinking sulphur seemed as though they were chewing sand that might not be too clean! When they swallowed it they were not always too sure that it would stay put.
The mothers those days did not know about the tastebuds of their little darlings. But they did have an idea what the results would be if they were successful in getting some of their concoction into the stomachs of their young offspring.
The pioneers had to he realistical — they judged anything they used by the general results they obtained from its use.
I can still vividly remember my mother searching the kitchen drawers to find the old 1847 Rogers Bros. silver plated teaspoon that the concoction has turned a greenish blue and which she used each year to ladel it out. We children knew what was in the offing and the course we were to be put through.
Sassafras tea with its pungent flavor would be substituted for our morning glass of milk. The breakfast oatmeal porridge would give way to a thin gruel of white cornmeal. Fried pancakes with bacon, eggs and potatoes would cease for a while. This spring body cleansing diet and treatment was supposed to thin and purify the blood, open the pores of the skin, clean out the intestinal tract and in general tone up the entire physical system. It generally brought good physical effects. Everyone seemed to feel better when it had been finished.
We children were always happy when the treatment had run its course and we would no longer see the old tarnished teaspoon held upright by the yellow gob that the thick-lipped old white coffee cup contained.
The children's next ordeal was the shedding of their warm-winter clothes to meet the lessening needs of spring's warmer weather. It was too bad that the children's mothers could not use curry combs and brushes on them like the fathers used on the horses.
There seemed to be no easy short cut to the pioneer mothers changing duties.
The words housewife and housework contain the most numerous catagories of
duties and responsibilities of perhaps any two other words in the English dictionary.
With the completion of the sulphur-and-molasses treatment, spring would arrive
the 22nd of March and winter would be over for another year:
The buds of the trees will swell and break
The birds of spring their nests will make
And the grass of the field will turn to green
As spring's first flowers in their beauty are seen.
Bright new leaves will clothe each barren twig
To make a canopy both high and big
And spring showers will wash the dust away
That all may sparkle in the sun's returning ray. B.O.L.—'62
Return to Index of Burton Lum Articles


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It's that time of year when local governments began finalizing their budgets for 2013. Below is a round-up of the preliminary property tax levies in Zimmerman, Sherburne County and Elk River.
Zimmerman passes preliminary levy, 3-2
The Zimmerman City Council has voted 3 to 2 to pass the preliminary 2013 General Fund Operational Budget and Levy. The preliminary levy totaled $1,361,051.
Council members Gregory Laney and Wendy Kowalski voted against it. Kowalski requested that the sewer and water budget be added to the General Fund levy amount. The council had reviewed the preliminary budget at every meeting in August and staff recommended the council approve the levy as presented. A public comment meeting to discuss the budget and levy is scheduled for Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.
Changes to the preliminary General Fund Levy may be made prior to the final adoption of the budget and levy in December.
County holds the line on preliminary levies
Sherburne County commissioners this week approved preliminary general and regional rail levies totaling $43.785 million for the tax year 2013.
The general levy of $41.8 million and regional rail levy of $1.95 million hold the line on those levies as they were approved for 2012.
The county was required by state statute to certify its preliminary levies by Sept. 15, and cannot raise the levies above those numbers for next year. Through further study of the budget this fall, commissioners could decide to reduce the levies by a deadline in December.
They set a taxation hearing for 6 p.m. Dec. 10 that will precede their vote on the final levies.
Elk River's preliminary levy stays the same
The Elk River City Council has voted 5-0 to approve a preliminary maximum property tax levy for 2013 that is identical to last year's levy of $10,275,815. "That means the amount of taxes collected (by the city) will not increase from last year," said Finance Director Tim Simon.
The 2013 budget will be fine tuned in the next couple months. The final levy will be approved in December and may be lower than the preliminary levy of $10,275,815 but cannot be higher than that.
Mayor John Dietz told the council he would go along with the motion to set the preliminary tax levy at $10,275,815, but withhold final judgment on what the 2013 budget will be until the city has more information on how it will impact the tax rate for residential and commercial properties.
A meeting where the public is invited to comment on the proposed city budget and levy is set for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at Elk River City Hall.


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Flags This Week Fly At Full Staff For Our Troops – Week 13 Honor Post
Another week goes by and no loss of life under Operation Enduring Freedom. Without a doubt, this is the longest stretch in 12 years no troops have been KIA.
Bring Them Home
KIA States Last Week: 0
It seems there is a lull for sure and it's almost an uneasy peace as if Afghanistan almost doesn't matter anymore. This is the longest stretch we have gone in 12 years where we haven't lost anyone.


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A usage question for all you legal types. In an article about a misused government informant, I came across this line: "prosecutors are asking a federal judge to dismiss charges including conspiracy and cocaine trafficking against most of the defendants, even some who pleaded guilty." And, for some reason, that particular use of pleaded made me realize I've been uneasy about the past forms of the verb to plead for a while now.
No dictionary entirely settles the point about what a publication should use today. The more descriptive sources list pled as the primary form in the United States. The more prescriptive name it an American (and Scottish) colloquialism that the correct pleaded should abolish.
On grammatical questions, I tend to be a prescriptive Americanist. I like the old school-marm distinctions: Children are reared , while crops are raised ; clothes are hung on the clothes-line, while people are hanged on the gallows. But I reckon I ain't about to say pavement when I mean sidewalk , autumn when I mean fall , or any other of them fancy-pants Latinisms the British use. The fact that in England pleaded is the sole correct form don't carry much weight for the likes of me.
You have to admit, however, that there's something more etymologically consistent about pleaded . Of the long-e verbs in English form that form weak past tenses simply by adding an -ed on the end, some are Germanic in origin ( bead , knead , weed , etc.) and some are French Latinate (the whole family of -cede verbs, for instance). But all the long-e verbs that form strong past tenses by shortening the vowel are Germanic: feed becomes fed , lead becomes led , and bleed becomes bled , with read and breed galloping along beside.
All the long-e verbs, that is, except plead which stands as a French-derived verb with a Germanic past form if we allow pled .
Still, there's something that sounds prissy and forced about pleaded that puts my back up, particularly when, as in legal contexts, it takes a direct object: He pleaded guilty.
More, it adds to the general decline of the strong forms of past tenses, as irregular verbs get forced into greater regularity. The pattern is common in English, but we're in the midst of a great linguistic push right now that probably ought to be resisted. (Try Nexis searches for breeded or waked , if you want some examples.) The increasing replacement of shone with shined has particularly begun to annoy me .
Add it all up, and isn't pled preferable to pleaded ? It's shorter, it's a strong irregular form in a context of increasing weak regularity, and it's distinctively American. What more do you want from a verb?


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Christmas 2009
Inspired by the many awesome candle cakes here on CC. This was the centerpiece for my Christmas table. All candles are 3" round cakes of various heights, covered in fondant and dusted with super gold luster dust. Purchased greenery, pinecones, etc. There were supposed to be gumpaste poinsettias, but those didn't quite make it, grrrr... I think it turned out okay anyway. First picture is (obviously) with a backdrop, the other is how they were set out on my table. Thanks for looking!


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La Jolla lifeguard tower rife with cost overruns
Baby bird, seal-pupping, and bad waste pump blamed for budget surprises
Matt Potter 4 p.m., Sept. 21
Touring to promote their new EP How The West Was One, Carbon Leaf drew a faithful crowd to the Belly Up who heard a selection of songs primarily from their last three studio releases.
Reminiscent of the way the Kinks would come on-stage and play before Ray Davies made his entrance, Barry Privett parted the curtains to cheerful applause as the band segued into "Under The Wire." For "One Prairie Rose," the five members unplugged their instruments, huddled in front of the microphones, and from the stage's edge, sang to the attentive crowd, creating a musical ambience that made the moment as personable as if they were performing in someone's living room. By this point in the show, about 80 percent of the approximately 200 people in attendance had left their seats and moved onto the floor.
Jon Markel's bass playing provided a solid bottom to a rhythm section that gave Carter Gravatt's guitar work plenty of room to shine, which he did all night. Regardless of whether it was an electric or acoustic lead, or switching to mandolin or banjo, the spider-web delicacy of his guitar work was clean and spirited.