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83. Community Information Resource Centre (CIRC), Alexandra, South Africa: CIRC provides access to information at the grassroots level through the establishment of a system for communicating and sharing information among and between communities. Alexandra is a low income community with basic survival concerns and limited access to information about the community itself, and other communities and information held in government which might prove useful in dealing with the problems of different people in the community. Within the framework of the Freedom for Information Act, the CIRC organized a database of community information based on household surveys, community surveys with community leaders and local government. Contact: Ms. Lynette Oxley, Box 838, Melville 2109, South Africa, Tel: 27 11 888 4037, Fax: 27 11 888 1041, Internet: firstname.lastname@example.com.
84. The Traditional Energy and Environment Conservation Project (TATEDO), Tanzania: TATEDO is a coalition of volunteer and development agencies (ie. artisans, farmers, individuals, institutions, NGOs and CBOs) involved in the development and promotion of renewable energy systems for enhancing sustainable environment and social-economic improvement of communities in Tanzania. TATEDO has embraced adaptive research development, production, utilization and diffusion of mature appropriate technologies through research and development in wood energy, agroforestry and environmental conservation systems for community development at the grassroots level for human settlements in both urban and peri- urban villages. TATEDO creates awareness, facilitates provision of education and training in appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes to communities and individuals. Contact: Joshua S. Meena, TATEDO, P.O. Box 32794, Dar-es- Salaam, Tanzania, Tel: 255-52-74400/74687, Fax: 255-52- 74400/46106.
85. The Small and Micro Enterprises Project, Alexandria Businessmen's Association in Association with Environment Quality International (EQI), Egypt: After a study by an international donor agency, it was realized that the productivity of the SME was hampered by lack of access to formal credit and excessive collateral requirements. A SME project was designed to leverage funds and increase productivity of SMEs nation-wide. The Alexandria Businessmen's Association (ABA) developed the SME project to provide credit and remove regulatory constraints inhibiting growth in the SME sector. In 1993, the ABA realized they were missing half of their potential market - women. Statistics related to the SME project were disaggregated by sex and training and technical courses were offered based on the different gender roles of men and women. The availability of ABA loans to women marked a dramatic difference in the lives of men and women involved in the project. Loans were offered to women on the same terms as men. This led to an increase in female entrepreneurs and also to increases in employment, overall production and wages for both men and women in Alexandria City. Contact: Mr. Mounir Neamatalla, UMP, 3B Bahgat Ali St., Zamalek, Cairo. Tel: 202 341879. Fax: 202 3413331.
86. Spittelau Waste Incineration Plant, Vienna, Austria: The Spittelau waste incineration and heat generation plant is part of the eco-aware Viennese waste management system, which was adopted in 1985 and based on the principles of waste prevention, waste recycling and eco-friendly waste disposal. After refurbishment, Spittelau is the first plant in the world to use a catalytic dioxin remover. Only waste that cannot be recycled is incinerated, and the energy generated by the plant is fed into a heating network. Spittelau burns 240,000 tonnes of waste per year, 50% of which is turned into heat. In conjunction with other heat generation facilities, Spittelau serves a heating network over 380 km long and supplies heat to 110,000 flats and 2,300 large consumers. As a result of the Viennese Waste Management system, the total volume of waste deposited between 1988 and 1993 at the central dump was reduced by 60%. Contact: Fernwarme Wien GesmbH, 1090 Vienna, Spittelauer Lande 45. Tel: 43-1-313260. Fax: 43-1-313-262884.
87. Citizens' Climate Initiative Tampere 21, Finland: Since 1992 the NGO coalition Tampere 21 has maintained a dialogue between citizens and decision makers in local action to prevent climate change. This work has resulted in a new environmental policy of Tampere, which aims at a comprehensive ecological restructuring. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the civic groups proposed bicycle routes, rail transport, improvement of waste management and renewable fuels in power supply. The coalition also demanded environmentally considerate town planning, and contrary to usual practice, the decision makers had to react to the citizen's objectives. The coalition has also addressed global responsibility by financing tree planting in Tanzania, Kenya, and India. Contact: Outi Bergh"ll, Finnish National Committee for Habitat II, Ministry of the Environment, P.O. Box 399, SF- 00121 Helsinki. Tel: 358 0 1991 9609. Fax: 358 0 1991 9631.
88. Solar Village 3 - Social Housing Estate, Greece: The Solar Village in Pefki is a unique project in the sector of Urban Practice for townships environmentally sustainable, with a healthy and safe environment. The solar energy systems installed in the village have offered important information for the comparison between different designs and products as well as for the optimum design of such plants. The long term operation of these systems in a very large scale as in the Solar Village with approximately 1700 users, supports through its demonstration the penetration of technologies for the exploitation of solar energy. For these reasons, the Pefki Solar Village has supported and supports the use of technologies saving energy, which in turn protects the environment and improves the quality of life. Contact: The Ministry of Environment and Public Works, Director for Ekistic Policy & Housing, National Committee Habitat II, Trikalon 36, 116 26 Athens.
89. Green Games of Lillehammer 1994, Norway: Lillehammer, a Norwegian town of 25,000 people,was chosen in 1988 to host the 1994 Winter Olympic Games. Traditionally, when Olympic Games are held, the pressure to set new records and the strenuous training requirements lead to a high consumption of natural resources and encroachment on the countryside to a degree that is incompatible with sustainable development. By incorporating environmental concerns into all stages of the planning for the Games and by encouraging formal and informal co-operation between the Municipality of Lillehammer, the Ministry of the Environment, the Lillehammer Olympic Organizing Committee and environmental organizations, positive results were achieved in minimizing the negative environmental impact of the Games. Contact: Audun Tron, Mayor Municipality of Lillehammer, P O Box 955, 2601 Lillehammer.
90. The Big Issue, London, United Kingdom: The Big Issue is a newspaper sold by homeless people on the streets several British cities. Its aim is to create income for homeless people while providing a combination of arts, news, international issues, and social comment to over 250,000 readers each week. Since the first issue was distributed in September 1993, over 6000 homeless people have been able to help themselves and move off the street through selling the newspaper. The Big Issue also keeps the issue of homeless in the paper and has given homeless people a voice. The paper has challenged media perceptions of homelessness as well as creating a forum where issues of the homeless can be discussed. The Big Issue has paved the way for street papers in eleven Western European countries, one paper in Eastern Europe (St. Petersburg) as well as Homeless Talk in Johannesburg, S.A.. Approximately fifty street papers now operate in Canada and the United States. Contact: The Big Issue, Fleet House, 57 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5NP. Tel: 44 171 418 0418. Fax: 44 171 418 0428.
91. Integration Council in the Favelas Rehabilitation Process, Fortaleza, Brazil: Fortaleza has 2.5 million inhabitants and the poverty level is very high. The first action was focused on education and capacity building to enable people to assume responsibility for improving their own living conditions. An educational program was established which led to the creation of micro-enterprises and the construction of housing. The problems of rehabilitation were treated in a holistic manner, focusing on the human as well as the material aspects of rehabilitation, and integrating the population into the process. For this purpose, it was fundamental to take into consideration the dignity of the people, combining capacity building, civic engagement and democratization by ensuring participation and transparency in the management of community resources. Contact: Yves Cabannes, Coordinator, Latin American Urban Initiatives, Groupe de Recherche et d'Echanges Technologiques (GRET), Rua Idelfonso Albano, 935, Aldeota, Fortaliza, Ceara, Brazil 60 115 180, Tel\Fax: 55 85 2524991.
92. The Community as Drinking Water Provider, Cali, Colombia: Most Large cities in Latin America have to cope with high immigration of peasants who leave rural areas to escape violence, economic depression and lack of educational opportunities for their children. They settle on marginalized land that is inadequate for housing and infrastructure. The community of La Sirena asked the Inter-regional Centre for Water Supply and Drainage (CINARA) to assist in designing an improved water system. The objective was to develop a system to filter and treat water for human consumption as well as a distribution network that would provide water to the homes. Financial resources were raised and controlled by the community which also manages the project. Contact: Ms. Mariela Garcia, CINARA, Cali, Colombia, Tel: 57-23- 3392345/3136, Fax: 57-23-3393289, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com.
93. Bamboo Housing National Project, Costa Rica: The National Bamboo Project was started in l986 as a new technological approach to prevent deforestation in Costa Rica. The idea was to replace the use of wood with an alternative cost-efficient and seismically sound building material. The preparatory phase saw the pilot-project being transferred from experiences in Colombia and Ecuador. During the First and Second Phases an intensive construction scheme in the rural areas was developed including technical training, massive bamboo cultivation, community and labour organization, environmental assessment of the technology and production of furniture and handicrafts for export. The project has fostered the sustainable use of bamboo as raw material for an indigenous housing programme and for the industrialization and marketing of by-products. Up to now 700 low-cost houses have been built and 200 hectares of bamboo have been cultivated. Contact: Arq. Ana Cecilia Soto, Proyecto Nacional de Bambu, Apartado 21-1350, San Sebastian, San Jose, Costa Rica.
94. Tree Nursery and Orchard/Vegetable Garden School - Libre de Agroquimicos: "An approach to Sustainable Development", Costa Rica: The Tree Nursery and Orchard/Vegetable Garden School Program, has been implemented since June 1995 in nine schools of Naranjo, Alajuela, Costa Rica. The programme focuses on children's participation in the production, maintenance and management of an orchard/vegetable garden or a nursery, with the objective of: 1) promoting the use of organic agricultural products instead of harmful chemical ones by producing their own natural pest control agents and fertilizers using fruit and animal disposes and herbs, 2) making the children conscience of the need of rational and efficient use of natural resources, and respecting their environment and 3) teaching them to be enterprising. Contact: Carlos Arce Zamora, Engineer, Director, INA Naranjo, Cruce de Cirri, Naranjo Apdo. 27, San Jos', Costa Rica Tel: 506 4500433/4633765 (direct), Fax: 506 4500433.
95. Conventional Solid Waste Management in Lima, Peru: In 1990 the Municipality of El-Agustino District asked the German Volunteer Service (DED) for technical assistance to ameliorate the problems of waste management within the district boundaries. The accumulation of garbage, shortcomings in transport and storage facilities due to budget constraints, as well as the proliferation of environmental diseases and the presence of informal pig breeders led to an unbearable situation. An ingenious recycling system for organic waste was initiated whereby through a series of processes using cost effective, intermediate technology, organic material was turned into a highly digestive diet for livestock, and lower grade organic materials were used in making fertilizer. Other visible results include the reduction in health expenditures, improvement of the ecological environment, the improvement of business environment and implications for the political environment. Contact: Mr. Fritz Rembold c/o SEGEPLAN VII Programa PROSELVA, Sta. Elena, Pet'n, Guatemala, Tel: 502-9-500-196, Fax: 502-9500-197.
96. Alternative Energy, Quebec, Canada: The Cree Aboriginal community of Ouje-Bougoumou has constructed a new village within its traditional territory in northern Quebec which is based on the dual concepts of self-determination and suitable development. One of the innovative initiatives in this new village is the installation of a "district heating system", an alternative energy technology whereby wood waste is burned in a central plant where water is heated and then transported via underground pipes to all of the buildings in the village. Essentially, while providing important heating energy to the houses and buildings, the community is converting industrial waste into energy with a great many long term socio-economic benefits to the community. Contact: Abel Bosum, Chief, Ouje-Bougoumou Cree Nation, Headquarters Office, 207 Opemiska St., Ouje-Bougoumou, Quebec. G0W 3C0.
97. New Community Pathmark, Newark, New Jersey, USA: The New Community Pathmark Supermarket is a unique partnership of the non-profit New Community Corporation (NCC), a minority- based community development corporation and the for-profit Pathmark Stores, Inc. which operates 146 supermarkets. NCC developed a 3.3 acre site at South Orange Avenue and Bergen Street and became the landlord for the $16 million, 55,000 square foot Neighbourhood Shopping Centre, housing a 48,000 square foot Pathmark and four satellite stores. The profits of the store go back to the community. Additionally, NCC Pathmark offers special public programmes ranging from healthy food fairs and energy conservation demonstrations to health screening and ethnic pride festivals. Contact: Ray Codey, Director of Development, New Community Corporation, 233 West Market Street, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA, Tel: 1 201 6397805; Fax: 1 201 6233612.
98. The Loading Dock, Baltimore, Maryland, USA: The Loading Dock, a grassroots organization that provides resources for low-income housing rehabilitation and development, is the first successful, self- sufficient, non- profit recycler of reusable building materials in the United States. By recycling building material headed to landfills, the program helps increase the supply of affordable housing while preserving the urban environment. It works in partnership with non-profit housing groups, environmental organizations, local government, building contractors, manufacturers and distributors. The organization has been contacted by 350 communities in North America and 10 in other parts of the world. The Loading Dock is committed to hiring from within the community, and training staff to become greater assets to their neighbourhoods. Contact: Leslie Kirkland and Aaron Miripol, Executive Directors, The Loading Dock, 2523 Gwynns Falls Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21216, Tel: 1 410 7283625, Fax: 7283633.
99. West Harlem Environmental Action, New York City, USA: The West Harlem Environmental Action (WHE ACT) was founded by two women in 1988 to fight the environmental harm that the North River Sewage Treatment Plant was causing to West Harlem. West Harlem endures two types of environmental stress: noxious odours from the North River Treatment Plant and heavy air pollution from the highways, commuter rail lines, and bus depots which converge at West Harlem. The EBP was successful in correcting numerous violations related to the running of the plant, including running the plant over capacity and unsafe emissions. An Advisory Committee was set up to run the EBP; the Committee developed a series of programs including environmental impact and risk assessments, community-based environmental education, development of 'green' businesses, and increases in green space. Contact: Mr. Akhtar Badshah. Mega-Cities, Inc., 915 Broadway, Ste. 1601, NY, NY 10010. Tel: 1 212 979 7644. Fax: 1 212 979 7624.


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Klaroline or Forwood?
Next season, Diaries will tear a page from the 90210 playbook by having some of the students enroll at a nearby university, Whitmore College. Others, Plec hints, "may choose to run off to Europe, New Orleans or parts unknown."-Julie Plec on the character's futuremaybe they should take another page out of 90210's playbook and get cancelled
lmao I saw that quote, I really think S5 will get them cancelled, college days is something many soaps fail in, there's a few that did it ok but usually I'm done with shows after the cast starts college. But how would it be any different, they never went to HS much anyway.
Meh,In the past two years,Elena hasn't even thought of going to college,it'd be pretty weird if she got accepted anywhere.Idk college just seems weird for people who never went to School in the first place.Only Matt should be able to get somewhere,since he was the only one who worried about mundane things like that lol

subset: commoncrawl


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Oakland Raiders
Darren McFadden - #20 - RB
|6' 1"/ 218 lbs.
|North Little Rock, AR
|Years played
|2008, 1st round, 4th pick by Raiders
Late TD lifts Bills over Raiders
David Nelson caught a touchdown pass with 14 seconds left to cap a wild fourth quarter and lead the Bills to a 38-35 win over the Raiders on Sunday.
Janikowski's leg impacts multiple parts of game
Raiders PK Sebastian Janikowski's record-tying field goal in Week One highlighted how important he is to the team's success.
Janikowski ties FG mark; Raiders top Broncos
Sebastian Janikowski tied an NFL record with a 63-yard field goal, and Oakland beat Denver 23-20 Monday night in an AFC West matchup.
Reports: Pryor asks NFLPA to appeal suspension
Raiders rookie QB Terrelle Pryor has asked the NFLPA to appeal his five-game suspension, according to NFL Network and ESPN.
Raiders hope three RBs equals No. 1 run game
The Raiders are hoping that three RBs — Darren McFadden, Michael Bush and Taiwan Jones — will make them the top-ranked rushing attack in the NFL.
Report: Raiders' Pryor will appeal suspension
Raiders rookie QB Terrelle Pryor will appeal his five-game suspension, after all, a league source has told NFL Network.
Raiders let go of QB Edwards, trio of corners
There were some minor surprises among the cuts made by the Raiders, but nothing too shocking.
No one like Bo
Had Bo Jackson played football and not baseball, and not gotten hurt, he probably would have been better than what our minds imagine he could have been.
Pryor watches as Raiders fall to Seahawks
Seattle closed out the preseason with an uninspiring 20-3 victory over Oakland on Friday night, as Raiders rookie Terrelle Pryor stayed on the sideline.
Raiders 2011 preview
After boosting the offense's production as its coordinator in 2010, Hue Jackson is now Oakland's head coach, hoping his high energy rubs off on the rest of the team this season.
Brees leads Saints to 40-20 win over Raiders
Drew Brees threw for 189 yards and led New Orleans to scores on all three drives he played in the Saints' 40-20 victory over Oakland on Sunday night.
Pryor will make instant impact, though not as QB
Recent Raiders draft choice Terrelle Pryor will see the field as soon as possible, though it won't be at the position the team projects him to play long term.
Raiders add CB Sheppard
The Raiders signed veteran CB Lito Sheppard, the team announced on Friday.
Raiders LB Goethel likely to miss season
Raiders head coach Hue Jackson told reporters Tuesday that LB Travis Goethel has a torn knee ligament and is likely to miss the entire 2011 season.
Pryor, Mallett have traveled same road
Two rookie quarterbacks — Ryan Mallett of the Patriots and Terrelle Pryor of the Raiders — have taken similar paths to the NFL.
Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie says McFadden remains a big part of the organization despite coming off perhaps his worst season as a pro.||||||| McKenzie spoke to beat reporters Thursday for the first time since Nov. 30 and looked back at a disappointing first season in Oakland and ahead to the future. McFadden struggled under the zone blocking system of the previous coordinator, Greg Knapp, who was fired after the season. McFadden averaged a career-low 3.3 yards per carry after toping 5 yards per carry the previous two seasons in Hue Jackson's power-running system.
McFadden gained 110 yards on a career high-tying 30 carries in Sunday's 15-0 win over Kansas City.||||||| It was the third 100-yard game this season for the Oakland Raiders running back, who has gained 617 in 10 contests. He's gained less than 55 in six contests this season and less than 35 in four games. McFadden has 293 yards over the past four games and gained 114 in Kansas City on Oct. 28.
McFadden and Mike Goodson are returning to the field for the Oakland Raiders after missing the previous four games with sprained right ankles.||||||| Both McFadden and Goodson are active for Thursday night's game against Denver for the first since getting hurt Nov. 4 against Tampa Bay.
The Oakland Raiders will be without their top two running backs for Sunday's game in Baltimore after McFadden and Mike Goodson missed a third consecutive day of practice.||||||| Both players suffered high ankle sprains in last week's loss to Tampa Bay and have been wearing walking boots since then.
With top two running backs McFadden and Mike Goodson slowed this week by sprained right ankles, the Raiders may need to rely on their passing game when they visit the Baltimore Ravens.||||||| Palmer threw the ball 61 times last week against Tampa Bay as the Raiders (3-5) were forced to play catch-up in the second half after losing McFadden and Goodson to the injuries. Neither back practiced Wednesday and their status remains in doubt for Sunday's game against the Ravens (2-6).


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[Video] DJ Premier's Performance from DJ Expo 2013
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The DJ Expo hosted performances from a variety of talent last month in Atlantic's City's Trump Taj Mahal hotel and casino. Legendary hip hop producer and keynote Q&A speaker DJ Premier played an electrifying set from the Stanton booth on the exhibit floor itself. If you weren't lucky enough to be there in person, you're in luck! Cerwin-Vega has uploaded video of the set to its YouTube channel. [READ MORE] Continue reading
Numbers Up: DJ Expo '13 Scales New Heights
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With its sold-out exhibit hall and nearly 6,400 attendees—a new show record—the 2013 DJ Expo once again raised the stakes for an already thriving DJ industry. Produced by DJ Times magazine and its publisher Testa Communications at the Trump Taj Mahal this past Aug. 12-15, the Expo offered attendees more than 200 exhibitor booths from more than 100 companies, showing hardware, software and specialty DJ products. [READ MORE] Continue reading
Morgan Page Announces "Morgan Page Presents" 3D Tour
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America's Best DJ 2013 nominee Morgan Page has announced the "Morgan Page Presents" Tour, which, with over 50 cities, is slated to be his largest North American tour ever. [READ MORE] Continue reading
Stanton DJ To Bring DJ Premier & Biz Markie To The DJ Expo 2013
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Stanton DJ will bring three-time Grammy Award winner and hip-hop legend DJ Premier to The DJ Expo, which will take place on August 12-15 in Atlantic City. DJ Premier will spin at Stanton's booth on Tuesday, August 13 at 3:30 PM, and DJ Times' editor Jim Tremayne will conduct a DJ Expo Keynote Q&A with DJ Premier on August 13 at 2 PM. [Read More] Continue reading
Legendary DJ Premier to Appear at DJ Expo
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One of popular music's greatest DJ/producers will be making an exclusive appearance at DJ Expo this summer. Hip-hop legend DJ Premier will appear at the Stanton DJ booth in the DJ Expo's exhibit hall at 3:30 pm on Tuesday, August 13. Be there to witness the magic… READ MORE Continue reading
DJ Expo Update: Video Moves & More
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Set for Aug. 12-15 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., DJ Expo will present the DJ industry's largest exhibit hall with major manufacturers and distributors aplenty, plus a series of sponsored evening events like Promo Only's artist showcase at House of Blues and ADJ's Pizzafest at The Taj with special guest DJ Kool—both are happening on Aug. 13. [read more] Continue reading
Return to AC: DJ Expo Set for Aug. 12-15
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Atlantic City, N.J.—Mark your calendars, folks, and add the newly announced dates for DJ Expo—August 12-15, 2013.
Set to run at Atlantic City's Trump Taj Mahal, the 28th edition of DJ Expo will bring its winning recipe of gear exhibits, educational seminars and sponsored parties to professional DJs looking to gain an edge on the competition, and enjoy themselves while they're at it. As always, DJ Expo is produced by DJ Times and its publisher Testa Communications. [...] Continue reading
Jellybean Benitez to Speak & Spin at DJ Expo
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DJ Expo is proud to present a "Keynote Q&A" with industry legend Jellybean Benitez, who will discuss his rich career—both in and out of the DJ booth—on Day 3 of the show.
From playing NYC's top clubs (Funhouse, Studio 54 & Paradise Garage) to launching chart-topping artists (like Madonna), from running a successful record label (Jellybean Soul) and music-publishing company (Jellybean Music Group) to contributing [...] Continue reading
America's Best DJ: Windy City Wildness, Philly Fun
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Philadelphia—Once again, America's Best DJ Summer Tour Presented by Pioneer DJ & DJ Times hits the road and, as spring turns to summer, it seems like we're getting the distinct pleasure of experiencing the New Jersey Turnpike on alternating weekends. No sweat, though, as we trek from NYC down to Philadelphia on Friday, we'll just crank the [...] Continue reading
DJ Expo Parties to Light Up Atlantic City
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So what's new at DJ Expo? Plenty.
Set for Aug. 8-11 at Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., the DJ Expo—presented by DJ Times and Testa Communications—will present exhibits, panels and plenty of parties, including a new one from Pioneer DJ…
Read on… Continue reading


text: We all need company and inspiration on our spiritual journey – no matter where we start from. These resources are intended to open new possibilities and offer dynamic and engaging support in your understanding and embrace of the God who is still speaking.ResourcesStillspeaking MagazineStillspeaking Evangelism CardAll the People, 14 sermonsStillspeaking Bible Study & Questions Guide GuideGod is Stillspeaking…what does that mean? bookletStillspeaking Writer's GroupAre You Still Listening? A Stillspeaking Advent DevotionalStillspeaking Daily DevotionalsThe Best of the Stillspeaking Daily Devotionals, bookletOMG! BookletBook of Acts, The: A God Is Still Speaking Bible Study(Set of 3 Volumes - Parts 1, 2, & 3)Getting Ready for Baptism, bookletThe Bible and the UCC, booklet16 Ways to Say I love My ChurchTo Begin at the Beginning: An Introduction to the Christian Faith (Revised and Expanded)Changing the Conversation: A Third Way for CongregationsA Book of Uncommon PrayersStillspeaking Writers' Group CollectionMusicGod is still speaking Especially fitting for Lent. Permission given for UCC use. By Deborah L. Patterson.Maybe God is Still Speaking by Jim AhrendAnthem can be heard and downloaded free to UCC musicians in connection with God is still speaking, Never Put a Period by Jim AhrendThis children's piece is free to UCC musicians in connection with God is Still Speaking.Holy God...Is Still Speaking Anthem with original words and music by Dr. J LanYe'.God Is Still Speaking Shorter version of anthem for liturgical use by Dr. J LanYe'.Never Place A Period by Chuck Marohnic is a 2 page, 26 bar accompaniment in F-minor with a soulful feel.God's Still Speaking by Jill Kirsten WarnerGod is Still Speaking by Barbara HammGod is Still Speaking is here for use by UCC congregations in connection with God is Still Speaking events. For further use, please contact Hope Publishing at www.hopepublishing.comUCC Statement of Faith Doxology version, words with music by Renate Hamer for Unison or choir, with piano or organ.God is Still Speaking by David SmithGod is Still Speaking by Susan HuffstutlerGod is Still Speaking by Phil WilhelmGod is Still Speaking by Jean LerschGod's Still Speaking by Dosia Carlson God is Still Speaking by Kenneth G. Mesle, Sr.God Spoke in Ages Past by Robert Lewis


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These devastating attacks to infiltrate and steal highly sensitive data, sometimes called advanced persistent threats (APT), are driven by human actors able to effectively hide their malevolent presence within networks. Today, says MacDonald, we just don't know what "goodness" and "badness" looks like in terms of network activity. "You have to know what goodness looks like" to understand "deviations from goodness," he points out.
Big data is offering new possibilities for security analysis, which could mean that one type of security tool used today, security information and event management (SIEM), and tools like it that may not properly adhere to that genre, will have to evolve, analysts contend.
To some extent that has started already today, says MacDonald, pointing to RSA's threat-detection product NetWitness and the HP ArcSight SIM, among others. Some startups, including CrowdStrike, are claiming they will tackle the APT problem in new ways.
But will SIEM evolve to be able to process business-related big data or not? And is the whole idea that business data be added into more traditional SIEM data from a variety of firewalls, servers, IPS and the like to provide meaningful intelligence on an attacker simply a pleasant illusion?
"People can't get the answers they want from SIEM tools," said Forrester analyst John Kindervag. He said something new is going to have to happen, in which SIEM tools might be a part.
Of all the analysts on the RSA panel, Jon Oltsik with Enterprise Strategy Group, appeared the most skeptical that Big Data is going to be the answer to the APT problem.
"My fear is we'll capture more data and not know what to do with it," Oltsik commented. He said chief information security officers (CISO) in the enterprise today aren't sold on the idea that big data is going to somehow be a special boon to security. "When I talk to CISOs and ask about big data, they laugh," he commented.
Still, some early adopters of big data security approaches are hopeful.
Zions Bancorporation has set up a massive repository for proactively analyzing a combination of real-time security and business data in order to identify phishing attacks, prevent fraud and ward off hacker intrusions. Announced last October, it's based on the Zettaset Data Warehouse which makes use of Hadoop for data-intensive distributed applications. Preston Wood, chief security officer at Zions, has described it as a way to augment a SIM tool and look at massive amounts of historical business data for security purposes.
SIEM vendors, including NetIQ, say they know the buzz around big data and security is just beginning.
"This is where SIEM has to go," said Matt Ulmer, director of product management at NetIQ, maker of the SIEM called Sentinel. Ulmer said the industry is starting on a path to re-invent SIEM by incorporating business intelligence. Big data could detect what's out of a normal pattern, says Ulmer, noting Sentinel 7.0 does incorporate more context for data.
"But how do you define the good?" Ulmer asked, pointing out an attacker "will take over an account, so the question is, is that the employee or the attacker?" He said stealthy attack actions may only pop up for a few seconds at most every day, so the goal is to define the trusted insider from the attacker. Big data may be able to provide a lot of assistance in that.
But Ulmer adds that there appear to be many practical reasons why the big data concept for security is going to be faced with obstacles.
One practical obstacle is the current push to put enterprise data into cloud computing, which is making it harder for the traditional SIEM approach, which has been used on premises inside the enterprise network. Another obstacle is that security managers hopeful about big data will be in the position of drawing up data-management strategies and recommendations about something that remains very cutting-edge today. In an era where other corporate issues, such as whether to adopt "Bring Your Own Device" for mobile devices are already a big topic with management, adding big data could be a hard sell.
Ellen Messmer is senior editor at Network World, an IDG publication and website, where she covers news and technology trends related to information security.
Read more about wide area network in Network World's Wide Area Network section.


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Are you hosting a Labor Day party but low on cash? Don't worry; entertaining on a budget on Labor Day weekend is very doable.
What to Bring to a Debt Counseling Meeting—and Why You Shouldn't Withhold Information
When you go to a debt counseling session, your counselor will need to learn about your financial situation so she can develop a plan to help you.
How to Use Daily Deal Sites to Actually Save Money
Although their offers seem like a steal, if you're spending a lot on daily deal sites, you might not be saving money. Here's how to make the most of them.


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Archive for the 'Hydraulic Fracturing' Category
BBC Panorama on the Energy Crisis in the UK
The BBC have very helpfully posted the recent Panorama programme 'Energy Bills: Power Failure' on YouTube (as embedded below). Presented by Tom Heap (who regularly does spots on CountryFile), it is very fair-minded and includes contributions from a wide range of people. Therefore, even if you do not live in the UK, I would recommend watching the programme because: it is very good at describing the problems that we all face; and makes it crystal clear that we must find a solution (but does so in a way that somehow avoids being dogmatic).
Some questions I would like help in answering are as follows:
1. What is the instrumental music used in the opening night-time sequence in Blackpool?
2. Why do so many poor people use the most expensive (pay-as-you-go) way to heat their homes?
3. Can we give Angel Gurria (Secretary-General of OECD) a Nobel Prize for plain-speaking?
4. How can anyone avoid concluding that Ed Milliband is an opportunist and a con-man?
5. Why did the CEO of RWE nPower not admit profit margin on generation (as opposed to sales)?
6. Is the need for decarbonisation actually incompatible with power generation being privatised?
7. Why has carbon capture and storage not been made a priority in order to continue burning coal?
8. Is it realistic to think that (in a post-carbon era) energy will ever be cheaper than it is now?
9. When will the UK government admit that fracking is not actually low-carbon and (thus) not the answer?
10. Has Michael Fallon not read the BGS report that says only 10% of shale gas is probably recoverable?
UPDATE (23/12/2013): I think the answer to Q1 is "Burn" by Ellie Goulding (see comments below).
Conservatives for conservation (of a habitable planet)
Whilst I am aware of – and have previously quoted – Lord Deben (i.e. leader of of the Committee on Climate Change – the advisory group David Cameron and George Osborne are ignoring so studiously), I was not aware of the campaign he is heading on Twitter. Thanks must therefore go to John Havery Samuel for alerting me to James Murray's Are the Green Tories preparing a fight back? article on the BusinessGreen website.
As a child, just about everyone in the UK will probably remember learning about the story of Elijah humiliating the prophets of Baal on Mt Carmel (i.e. as recounted in 1 Kings 18 in the Old Testament). However, not all may recall the crisis of faith that followed this tremendous victory (see 1 Kings 19). Although I have never really had the moment of victory, I often feel that I have sure spent a long time having a crisis of faith. However, once you appreciate that I am a socially-conservative environmental realist (see links below if you don't believe me), I think my persistent feeling that I am in an extreme minority becomes entirely understandable.
I would very much recommend that you read the entire story (i.e. of Green Conservatives preparing a fight back) on James' blog. Hopefully these opening paragraphs will encourage you to do so:
One of the bright spots in an otherwise pretty dispiriting summer for the UK environmental movement has been the unlikely emergence of Tory grandee John Gummer as Twitter's latest eco-warrior. Now known as Lord Deben, the former Environment Secretary and current chair of the independent Committee on Climate Change has provided a beacon of centre-right common sense on matters environmental – and all in 140 characters.
He has argued that fracking may be useful, but will never provide a silver bullet for the UK's energy crisis; repeatedly challenged "climate deniers and dismissers" to provide one example of a credible institution that supports their crackpot theories; and taken numerous pot shots at ill-informed anti-green commentators and several of his climate denying colleagues in the Lords. All because, in his own words, "no reasonable person would ignore expert opinion and wager his children's future on the contrarian views of people who are not peer reviewed".
It has been a breath of fresh air and a useful reminder that not all Conservatives have signed up to the reckless vision being relentlessly promoted by Lord Lawson and the Murdoch press – a vision whereby fracking miraculously saves the economy and climate change is either not really happening or left to look after itself. They may not have access to the media foghorm enjoyed by their less progressive colleagues, but there are some Tories who still understand the existential threat posed by climate change, the value of the green economy, and the relationship between conservation and Conservatism. The big question for the UK's green political scene is whether or not there are enough of them and whether they can wrestle back control of a narrative that Lord Lawson and his friends have recently steered in their own direction.
For those that would challenge my assertion that I am (or can be) 'socially conservative', I can only refer you to things I have written on this blog previously:
A brief history of mine (12 March 2012).
Why I am not a socialist (25 June 2012).
Why I am not [just] a capitalist (26 June 2012).
Similarly, for those that would challenge my assertion that I am an environmental realist, I can only refer you to the following:
The problem with inverting reality (31 January 2012).
Conserving mass, water and energy (11 July 2012).
George Monbiot is as incisive as ever
I admit it, even though I am (or would like to be) socially conservative, George Monbiot is one of my heroes. His long track record of illuminating the stupidity of climate change scepticism was one of the reasons I decided to pursue the subject in my MA research.
In his most recent offering on his blog (and in the Guardian on 20 August), George has brillianly highlighted the astounding double standards at the heart of current UK energy policy:
"The government is introducing a special veto for local people to prevent the construction of wind turbines… [Whereas the] government's new planning guidance makes [Fracking] developments almost impossible to refuse… If local voters don't like it, they can go to hell…
It has taken me 20 years and an MA in Environmental Politics to work out why I was so uncomfortable being involved in the extractive industries (i.e. mineral exploitation). George achieved this in little more than a few minutes:
Extracting resources, like war, is the real deal: what politicians seem to consider a proper, manly pursuit. Conserving energy or using gas from waste or sustaining fish stocks are treated as the concerns of sissies and hippies: even if, in hard economic terms, they make more sense.
My final word on Fracking?
(Probably not!)
Herewith appended below is an email I sent today to Professor Iain Stewart (and copied to all those named in it).
However, please note that I have just found the BBC TV programme to which it refers has now been posted on You Tube (also appended below).
Dear Professor Stewart,
I wanted to express my appreciation for the sensitive way in which you handled the issues in last night's Horizon programme and for all the facts, figures and research findings it contained. I was particularly interested in the evidence that shale gas has escaped from poorly-constructed wells in the USA. Even if the UK can improve on the 6 to 7% failure rate in the USA, 100% success (i.e. no failures) is highly improbable. Therefore, if fracking must be pursued (for whatever reason), this would make it imperative that the British Geological Survey establish baseline monitoring for methane as soon as possible. Would it be possible to get a copy of the transcript of the programme (or a list of References)?
Given my geological background and my MA in Environmental Politics, I have written a great deal about Fracking and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) on my blog. However, having started out very much opposed to both Fracking and CCS, my position has evolved as a consequence of 'exchanges of views' I had last year with Professor Peter Styles (Keele) and with Professor Robert Mair (Cambridge/Royal Society). As a result of these exchanges – summarised or linked to here on my blog – I would agree with Peter that we probably need shale gas. However, I believe Peter also agrees with me that we probably cannot afford it*. I also understand that the remit of the Royal Society specifically excluded the long-term sustainability implications of pursuing fracking.
Nevertheless, this leaves me wondering whether you could encourage the BBC to do a second programme to address the consequences of humans burning all the Earth's fossil fuels simply because they are there; and/or the need for 'Western' per capita energy consumption to be drastically reduced? Having read David MacKay's book, Sustainable Energy: Without The Hot Air, I think our biggest problem is that most people do not think holistically about the problems we face or, even worse, they seem to think concepts such as 'ecological carrying capacity' are just [eco-Fascist] propaganda. However, although it would seem that CCS is now going to be essential in order to minimise anthropogenic climate disruption (ACD), I think it is also the biggest obstacle to getting politicians to take decisive action to decarbonise our power generation systems.
Even if such a second Horizon programme is not likely, I remain very appreciative of all you have done – and are doing – to raise the profile of ACD as an Earth Science issue that should be of concern to all.
Kind regards, [etc]
* If fracking becomes the new energy boom, it is very hard to see how CCS will ever be able to be rolled-out on a global scale to keep pace with unabated CO2 emissions.
Nick Reeves says we're all 'Fracking Mad'
The Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stone!
I know this has been said many times. Most recently it has been said by one of my favourite environmental commentators/campaigners, Executive Director of CIWEM (the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management), Nick Reeves OBE. If any new readers are not familiar with him, they may wish to start by typing his name into the Search this Blog box (in the right-hand column) and see what happens…
CIWEM publishes a monthly magazine, to which Reeves nearly always contributes an article. Last week, my copy of the May 2013 issue arrived early. It includes an article by Reeves entitled, ehem, "A bonkers energy solution". However, the online version is indeed entitled "Fracking Mad". Reeves begins with a seemingly bizarre discussion of the failings of the UK's education system. However, it soon becomes clear that he considers this to be at least partly to blame for the fact that the general public are willing to accept a "bonkers energy solution" such as hydraulic fracturing. However, it is UK government policy that is "bonkers" (the general public just don't seem to realise it):
Last December, the energy and climate change secretary, Ed Davey, gave the go-ahead for fracking (the controversial technology for releasing underground shale gas) as part of a plan for maximising the use of (so called) low-cost fuel. In so doing the government has thumbed its nose at legally binding carbon emissions targets and cuffed the country to a fossil-fuel future. Worse still, its commitment to fracking will undermine investment of billions of pounds in renewables, geothermal and energy efficiency. We now know that the 'greenest government ever' tag was shameless and that ministers are back-sliding on their commitment to a low-carbon and green economy.
Reeves goes on to recount the recent history of fracking in the UK and mentions all the (probably spurious) safety concerns. Like me, he focusses on the fact that we probably cannot afford to pursue fracking because of the long-term consequences doing so will have; and that we simply must find a way to do without it. However, he is more blunt than I have been, and criticises the reviews the Government commissioned for not making this point:
The scientists appear to have ignored the fact that no amount of control and regulation can stop shale gas from being a fossil fuel or from releasing carbon dioxide.
This is an important point well made. However, in defence of the scientists (and engineers) asked to determine whether fracking is 'safe', I would have to point out that the questions of the long-term environmental sustainability, sensibility and/or survivability of fracking were carefully excluded from the remit of the reviews that the Government asked them to undertake. Reeves therefore concludes that fracking is "a reckless move driven by ideology" that "will commit the UK to being a fossil fuel economy and not a low carbon one" for decades to come… And so, you can almost hear the frustration in Reeves' voice as he asks:
What will it take to get people to understand the seriousness of the climate change catastrophe that awaits us?
Reeves then goes on to talk about carbon budgets and our rapidly-declining chances of limiting global average temperature rise to 2 Celsius (compared to pre-1850) and makes the point many others have made that global reserves of fossil fuels are five times greater than that which we would have to burn in order to guarantee at least 2 Celsius temperature rise. As Reeves puts it:
In other words, we can only avoid devastating climate change if we keep most of the world's fossil fuels in the ground. But, is that possible? Can we deliberately forgo what many regard as our most precious energy resource – the fuels that have powered 200 years of industrialisation – for the sake of future generations? It is absolutely possible, and we must. The Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stone. (my emphasis)
The remainder of Reeves' article (which I would encourage all to read) is a typically incisive summary of how this problem is entirely solvable. We do not lack the technology or the resources to produce the electricity to provide for the needs of even 10 billion humans. What we (or at least our politicians) lack is the intellectual honesty to admit that the game is up. Fossil fuels are not the solution; they are the problem. Furthermore, the longer we (or they) fail to acknowledge this, the greater the problem will become.
Reeves looks at the situation from a range of perspectives, UK, EU and global. However, in the end, this is a problem that will only ever be solved by people demanding that their politicians solve it:
The dash for oil in the Arctic and the dash for shale gas elsewhere, shows that we are as addicted to fossil fuels as we ever were. But a low-carbon future is the one we must all fight for – our gift to the unborn.
Can technology save us?
I happened to stumble across a BBC TV Horizon special, entitled 'Tomorrow's World' last Thursday. It begins with a fascinating review of humankind's history of – and propensity for – invention. It also explains some truly fascinating – and inspiring – developments in the spheres of space exploration, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and power generation.
In the introduction, the programme presenter and narrator Liz Bronnin explains how, after 100s of thousands of years of technological stagnation, the fast-moving world of technological innovation is very definitely a modern invention.
She then looks at how, since our governments announced they were not going to do so, private investors are now involved in a race to return to the Moon (and win a $US 20 million prize). Just after 11 minutes in, however, economist Marianna Mazzucato makes the point that private sector development would never happen unless governments first spent money innovating (just look at your Computer, iPhone, or SatNav).
This is followed by an examination of the invention of graphene (i.e. the repeated use of sellotape to produce a film of graphite comprised of only one layer of carbon atoms in a hexagonal matrix). It is truly astonishing what graphene can do – including carry the weight of a cat…
After 23 minutes, a variety of talking heads demonstrate the complexity of modern science and the impossibility of any one person understanding it all. However, Bronnin then presents the example of Professor Robert Langer at MIT. What he is doing – and enabling others to do – is truly amazing; including potentially doing away with the need for chemotherapy to treat cancer.
After about 32 minutes, Bronnin introduces the power of the Internet to promote innovation – crowd-sourcing research funding and the concept of open-source technology – the complete abrogation of intellectual copyright… It is a fundamental challenge to globalised Capitalism; but it may well be the solution to many of our problems…
However, to me, the final third of the programme is by far the most fascinating… It looks at the challenges of finding a replacement for fossil fuels. It provides a very clear message that this is a technological challenge driven by the reality of physics – not by ideology.
It presents the case for synthetic biology, which has now succeeded in genetically modifying cyanobacteria so that they use photosynthesis to produce ethanol. This is brilliant, but, it is still only recycling CO2 (it is not removing it from the biosphere). With this technology, we could stop the CO2 content of the atmosphere from rising (but it will not help get it down again).
In the final 10 minutes of the programme, Bronnin presents the inspiring case of the British inventor, Michael Pritchard, who miniaturised water treatment technology as a result of watching the aftermath of the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004; when people were surrounded by water they could not drink… Indeed, to prove that it works, he even gets Bronnin (at 54 minutes) to drink water extracted from a tank including all kinds of unpleasant things including dog pooh…
For all these reasons, if you have not seen it, I would recommend that you watch the programme:
Re-engineering nature for our benefit will, without doubt, be very very useful. However, I still think the optimism of the comment at the very end of the programme "…I never worry about the future of the human race, because I think we are totally capable of solving problems…" is very unwise. This is because anthropogenic climate disruption is a problem that is getting harder to solve the longer we fail to address it effectively.
Bronnin concludes by saying that, "it is an exciting time to be alive…" However, I remain very nervous. This is because, as Professor Peter Styles of Keele University – a strong supporter of the hydraulic fracturing industry – recently acknowledged, it will be impossible for carbon capture and storage to remove enough CO2 from the atmosphere to prevent very significant changes to our climate. This is because of the collective hypnosis that deludes most people into seeing perpetual economic growth as the solution to all our problems.
In short, I am certain that technology alone cannot save us. In order to avoid the ecological catastrophe that all but the most ideologically-prejudiced and wilfully-blind can see developing all around us… we need to modify our behaviour: This primarily means that we need to acknowledge the injustice of a "use it up and wear it out" mentality and, as individuals, all learn to use an awful lot less energy.
Climate change "sceptics" have picked a fight with history and science – primarily with the concept of Entropy – and they will lose. The only question that remains is this: Are we going to let them put us all in (what xraymike79 recently called) 'the dustbin of failed evolutionary experiments'.
Electronic toys of mass distraction
I must credit recent subscriber xraymike79 with apparently coining this term, in his recent post, entitled 'Mankind's Infantilism and the Death of the Planet'. However, before clicking, please note that this contains adult themes that some might find disturbing. For example, here is just a snippet:
This Earth is all we really have. Start caring for it and respecting it with the same reverence and homage we pay to our electronic toys of mass distraction, i.e. TV, iphones, video games, computers, etc.. Know that this culture of self-worship and materialism is sending our species to the dustbin of failed evolutionary experiments, most certainly by the end of this century if not mid-century. The evidence is all around us if only we care to open our eyes.
Now is probably not a good time to admit that I have been tempted back to Sky with a 75% reduction on my subscription for 9 months. However, the above chimes with an item written by John Hulburt, posted on Learning from Dogs yesterday, entitled 'E Pluribus Unum'. For example, take this:
We know we're in trouble when our legislatures have been purchased, when faith in our financial system has been willfully damaged, when political leaders engage in childish tantrums to get their way regardless of anything or anyone else, when awareness of moral reality has become meaningless and when we fail to appreciate the depths of a looming abyss. What do we gain by purposefully destabilizing our economy, reopening settled social issues and blatantly risking our inclusive future as a species for a mess of pottage? Who do we think we are?
Good questions, gentlemen. Who do we think we are; and when are our politicians going to stop lying to themselves and us? Here is a quote from James Hansen in Storms of my Grandchildren:
Ladies and gentlemen, your governments are lying through their teeth. You may wish to use softer language, but the truth is that they know that their planned approach will not come anywhere near achieving the intended global objectives. Moreover they are now taking actions that, if we do not stop them, will lock in guaranteed failure to achieve the targets they have nominally accepted. (p.184)
Hansen then goes on to at least six ways that governments are planning to fail (because they assume carbon capture and storage can be made to work fast enough to prevent catastrophe), by encouraging (1) construction of new coal-fired power plants; (2) construction of new plants to turn coal into oil; (3) development of tar sands (the dirtiest of all unconventional fossil fuels); (4) exploration for fossil fuels in wilderness areas; (5) hydraulic fracturing despite methane release; and (6) opencast coal mining everywhere. For more on this topic see: 'Hansen says we should FART' (i.e. fundamentally alter resource trajectories).
It is little wonder, then, that Thomas L Friedman, writing in the New York Times on Sunday, said this:
Face it: The last four years have been a net setback for the green movement. While President Obama deserves real praise for passing a historic increase in vehicle mileage efficiency and limits on the emissions of new coal-fired power plants, the president also chose to remove the term "climate change" from his public discourse and kept his talented team of environmentalists in a witness-protection program, banning them from the climate debate. This silence coincided with record numbers of extreme weather events — droughts and floods — and with a huge structural change in the energy marketplace.
What was that change? Put simply, all of us who had hoped that scientific research and new technologies would find cheaper ways to provide carbon-free energy at scale — wind, solar, bio, nuclear — to supplant fossil fuels failed to anticipate that new technologies (particularly hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling at much greater distances) would produce new, vastly cheaper ways to tap natural gas trapped in shale as well as crude oil previously thought unreachable, making cleaner energy alternatives much less competitive.
Friedman's ambivalence to hydraulic fracturing (elsewhere in his piece) may be deeply flawed but, sadly, I think his analysis of recent history and prediction of what Obama will now do are both probably right.
Therefore, it is also little wonder that James Hansen's Fee and Dividend system is not being taken up: because it is not in the interests of big business to take it up. It is only in the interests of the Environment; and the Environment does not seem to matter. See Hansen's recent 'Fork in the Road' [PDF].
The Earth is being sold to the highest bidder and most of its inhabitants are too busy distracting themselves to even notice. The whole thing is like an episode of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror…
End ecocide in Europe (and the World)
I am not sure what good it will do unless the whole World decides to stop self-harming as well but…
If you live in the EU please sign-up here to help stop ecocide in Europe (thanks Pendantry).
One way to stop Ecocide in Europe would be to stop Hydraulic Fracturing from going ahead in your neighbourhood. The best way to do this would be to form or join a local protest group: See the Frack-Off website for details.
As a hydrogeologist who has spent many years working on Landfill sites, I am well acquainted with methane; and how it is better to burn it than to let it escape into the atmosphere. Therefore, even if you discount all the immediate environmental hazards associated with fracking, you should be very concerned about the uncontrolled releases of methane that will occur if fracking becomes common practice. As per my recent blog post, Stephen Leahy explains why here.
Meanwhile, on the subject of those immediate environmental risks, here is the inside story from someone who was, until comparatively recently, directly involved; environmental scientist Jessica Ernst (thanks Christine).
Ultimately, of course, ecocide will only be avoided if we stop doing the things that are causing it. And the main thing we are doing that is causing it – is growing in numbers in the absence of predators; consuming exponentially-increasing amounts of food and water; and producing exponentially-increasing amounts of waste. This is no idle piece of misanthropic rhetoric – it is a cold hard fact.
Louise Gray published a short article on the Telegraph website yesterday, in which she cites Sir David Attenborough as having described humans as a plague on the Earth that need to be controlled by limiting population growth. This has attracted an an awful lot of attention and comment; most of it negative; and some of it very unpleasant. What I find most astonishing is the inability of so many admittedly-self-selected people to appreciate the difference between ideology and science. Furthermore, despite little evidence of scientific training in many of their comments, they seem content to accuse Attenborough of being a bad scientist; a bad person; and of peddling bad ideology. All this reality inversion prompted this comment from me:
Absolutely stupendous amounts of Dunning-Kruger Effect in evidence here: Despite the fact that only 49% of the population can be better-than-average at doing anything — and a far smaller percentage are likely to know what they are talking about in this instance — the fallacy of the marketplace of ideas is clearly the intellectual fortress to which the ideologically-prejudiced retreat when confronted with the scientific realities of Nature.
A few hours earlier I had found it necessary to respond to a particularly stupid assertion (that every human could be given 1000 square feet and there would still be room for plenty more) by saying this:
You need to look up the terms "ecological carrying capacity" and "overpopulation" in a reputable scientific dictionary. The latter is dependent on the former – which is specific to local conditions – so even one person per square mile makes a desert overpopulated.
If you think that a seven-fold increase in the human population since the Industrial Revolution is not a problem – especially as we are running out of the "cheap" energy that facilitated it – you are picking a fight with basic biological science: Populations of any species are limited by food supply and by predation. Humans have no predators but, having ignored (or disputed) the warnings for decades, we are now beginning to see people fighting over access to clean water and food; or at very least complaining about the price of life's essentials – hence the Arab Spring.
The writing is very much on the wall. We ignore it (or dispute the fact that it is there) at our peril.
Methane from fracking could trigger irreversible* change
* UPDATE: With thanks to fellow-blogger Pendantry for alerting me to this video of Guy McPherson (University of Arizona), note that research published in the US Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) in 2009 concluded climate change is already irreversible!
Having recently discovered the WordPress blog of international environmental journalist Stephen Leahy, he has now given me permission to also re-publish, in full, an article about hydraulic fracturing (i.e. "fracking"), which he originally published nearly a year ago and has just updated. It is from this recent update (inserted at the top of the original piece) that the title of my blog post here is derived. However, apart from thanking Stephen for permission to re-publish this – and urging all readers to take note of the recent research regarding methane released by fracking – I think further words from me would be superfluous.
This and all images below are taken from http://stephenleahy.net
UPDATE Jan 2013:
Yet another study reveals fracking has a huge problem of gas leaks. Up to 9% of the gas pumped out of the ground leaks into the atmosphere according to a study by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published in Nature this week. Natural gas (methane) is a powerful greenhouse gas. If these leaks are widespread, fracking is worse than burning coal, accelerating global warming.
In Jan 2012 I detailed new research in the article below showing that replacing coal with natural gas from fracking does little to fight climate change (see below). Now two studies published that since then make an even stronger case that fracking for natural gas is a HUGE MISTAKE:
From Nature: 'Air sampling reveals high emissions from gas field'. Methane leaks during production may offset climate benefits of natural gas.
From Environmental Research Letters: 'New study demonstrates switching to natural gas is the path to climate disaster'. What's needed is an aggressive deployment of zero-carbon technologies and conservation. Joe Romm explains. — Stephen
Shale Gas Worse Than Coal Study Finds
By Stephen Leahy
UXBRIDGE, Canada, Jan 24, 2012 (IPS)
Hundreds of thousands of shale gas wells are being "fracked" in the United States and Canada, allowing large amounts of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas, to escape into the atmosphere, new studies have shown.
Shale gas production results in 40 to 60 percent more global warming emissions than conventional gas, said Robert Howarth of Cornell University in New York State.
"Shale gas also has a larger greenhouse gas footprint than oil or coal over the short term," said Howarth, co-author of a study called "Venting and Leaking of Methane from Shale Gas Development" to be published in the journal Climatic Change.
(Audio of news conference)
Download: of%20news%20conference
This latest study follows up on Howarth and colleagues' controversial April 2011 paper that provided the first comprehensive analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from shale gas obtained by hydraulic fracturing. That study found that when gas wells are "fracked", they leak large amounts of methane and pose a significant threat to the global climate.
"We stand by the conclusion of our 2011 research," said Howarth.
That research undercuts the logic of energy sector claims that shale gas is a "bridge" to a low-carbon energy future. Those claims are based on the fact that natural gas (which is mainly methane) has half the carbon content of coal, and when burned for electricity it is more energy efficient than coal.
This independent journalism depends on public support. Click here learn more.
However, those climate gains are more than negated by methane leaks both at the well during the fracking process (called flow-back), and through the gas delivery and distribution system. Howarth and colleagues estimate that between 3.6 and 7.9 percent of all shale gas produced leaks – called "fugitive emissions" – into the atmosphere, making it worse than burning coal or oil.
Methane has 105 times the warming potential of CO2 over a 20-year time frame, after which it rapidly loses its warming potential. If large amounts of methane are released through fracking – as seems likely with hundreds of thousands of new wells forecast in the next two decades – Howarth says global temperatures could rocket upward from 0.8C currently to 1.8C in 15 to 35 years, running the risk of triggering a tipping point that could lead to catastrophic climate change.
"Our primary concern is that methane emissions over the coming two decades will drive the entire climate system past a major tipping point," he told IPS.
A study by the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) last September also concluded that methane leaks meant that natural gas provided little advantage over using coal. Even if leaks are one to two percent, far less than the Howarth estimates, it would only be slightly better than continuing to burn coal, the "Coal to gas: the influence of methane leakage" study concluded.
Fracking involves drilling vertically 500 to 3,000 metres into gas- bearing shale rock and then horizontally for 1,000 metres or more along the shale formation. Then chemicals and large amounts of water are pumped underground at high enough pressure to fracture the shale, releasing the gas into the pipeline.
The first uses of hydraulic fracturing were in Texas in the early 1990s, but were very limited. However, new technologies developed in the last eight years have made it possible to get at deep, widely dispersed deposits of gas.
The George W. Bush administration's 2005 Energy Policy Act exempted fracking from regulations under the U.S. Clean Water Act, clearing the way for the shale gas gold rush. In recent years, shale gas production has grown 48 percent per year, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
There are now an estimated 400,000 wells in the continental U.S. and tens of thousands more planned in the next year or two. Public concern has risen over water and air pollution, water shortages, disruption of rural neighbourhoods, and even earthquakes.
Ohio halted fracking this month in one part of the state after a series of small earthquakes were linked to injecting fracking wastes underground. Fracking a well requires injecting 10 to 15 million litres of water and 200,000 litres of chemicals and the resulting wastewater is often too contaminated to be reused and is pumped deeper underground or left in wastewater ponds.
Although the gas industry long denied that fracking contaminates drinking water wells and aquifers, hundreds of claims have been made over the years. However, very little independent research has been done.
Last year, researchers at Duke University looked at 68 fracking sites and found groundwater with methane concentrations 17 times higher than in wells located where fracking was not taking place. Some of the levels were higher than "immediate action" hazard levels.
Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally began to conduct its first in-depth study of the risks to drinking water. Preliminary results released late last year revealed drinking water contaminated by benzene, a known carcinogen and one of the chemicals used in fracking.
From a climate perspective, shale gas is certainly worse than conventional gas, said Zeke Hausfather, an energy expert at Efficiency 2.0 in New York, which works with power utilities. However, Hausfather disputes Howarth's findings that shale is worse than coal since the latter emits more CO2 and while methane has a life of only 10 years in the atmosphere, CO2 stays for thousands of years.
"There is a lot of uncertainty about methane leakage and much of it is based on estimates," Hausfather told IPS.
Howarth's range is on the high side, with his upper estimate of 7.9 percent, 400 percent higher than estimates for conventional gas leakage, he said. However, reducing methane leakage from shale gas is an important issue that regulators should address.
In the face of strong industry resistance, the EPA has proposed regulations to require capture of methane at the time of well completion. Regulations are necessary since economic considerations alone have not driven such reductions, said Anthony Ingraffea of Cornell University and one of Howarth's co-authors.
However, plugging the methane leaks downstream from the wellhead in transmission pipelines, compressor stations, and decades-old distribution pipelines under the streets of cities and towns throughout the U.S. and Canada would be extraordinarily expensive, Ingraffea said.
"Would the capital be better spent on constructing a smart electric grid and other technologies that move towards a truly green energy future?" he asked.
First published as Shale Gas a Bridge to More Global Warming – IPS ipsnews.net.
My earlier article on this topic:
"Fracking" for Shale Gas: The Bridge to Global Warming Disaster
(Copyright 2012/2013 Stephen Leahy)
This independent journalism depends on public support. Click here learn more.
I said further words from me would be superfluous. Therefore, instead, I would like to recommend these words from Paul Handover – of Learning from Dogs fame – which include a summary of some of the most significant projections of the new US National Climate Assessment (report issued in draft for public comment); and some wise words also from Grist blogger David Roberts.
Greenpeace responds to end of UK fracking moratorium
Thanks to Twitter, I was alerted to an online discussion on the Guardian website yesterday, prompted by statements of opinion by Mark Lynas (freelance journalist/author) and Dr David Santillo (Greenpeace Scientist).
As discussed with a commenter on this blog (Lionel) yesterday, I decided to get involved; and to try and contact Dr Santillo personally, via email:
Dear Dr Santillo,
Re: The discussion on the Guardian website today regarding Fracking
I am 100% opposed to fracking; but I think Greenpeace should move on from discussing the possible immediate environmental risks of doing it. Hence the comment that I posted earlier.
When will environmentalists stop arguing about whether fracking is inherently dangerous (because of its immediate and localised impacts when poorly engineered and/or executed)… and start focusing on the fact that it is intrinsically dangerous (because we need to stop finding evermore esoteric and unconventional fossil fuel sources to exploit)…?
Apart from this, whilst I would not want to condone the way in which at least one commenter on the Guardian website today has questioned the relevance of your background, this does beg the question as to whether Greenpeace could make use of someone with my qualifications and experience?
Yours hopefully, etc..
Having failed to get a response, I telephoned Greenpeace today, and was referred to a Press Release published on their website yesterday, which is indeed very interesting – because it includes information obtained via Freedom of Information (FOI) requests. 'Greenpeace on lifting of fracking moratorium' is worth reading in full but, if you are short of time, here are the highlights:
- Fracking is a dangerous fantasy.
- Just because it may be viable in the US does not mean it will be viable here.
- Energy analysts agree that shale gas will do little or nothing to lower bills.
- It is a massive gamble and consumers and the climate will end up paying the price.
Greenpeace FOI requests have established that, as early as last Spring, the Environment Agency issued a high-level briefing to the Prime Minister regarding their concerns of threats to drinking water near proposed fracking sites in Sussex. Clearly, such concerns have been trumped by the climate change sceptics and/or economic rationalists in the Conservative Party.
A full Greenpeace briefing on fracking can be found here: http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/document/shale-gas-silver-bullet.
UPDATE: 17 Dec 2012 – Greenpeace UK also advised me to keep an eye on their Energydesk page – for updates on all things related to UK energy policy.


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Cupcake Liner as Crayon Mold
A clever way to repurpose an everyday item.
James Wojcik
Fill foil liners about two-thirds full with unwrapped crayon stubs in assorted colors, place in a muffin tin, and bake at 275 degrees until melted (about 10 minutes). Then freeze for cool colorers with zigzag edges.
Read More About:New Uses For Old Things


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latest forum topics widget
I have bbpress/buddypress integrated and group forums working. I do not have a link to the full bbpress forums from the buddypress pages as I want users to use the forums through the groups.
However, I have noticed that new/updated topics in the group forums do not show up in the activity feed. This is probably best however, my users are asking if there could be some way a new forum topic can be displayed on the buddypress home page so that it can get more exposure.
A way to do this might be to have a widget that shows the last 5 created forum topics. Does anyone know if something like this exists already or how hard it would be to create one?
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Wiman, an alum of the talent-rich fifth season of TUF, is on a three-fight winning streak, most recently battering Cole Miller en-route to a lopsided decision win at UFC Fight for the Troops 2. German kickboxing specialist, Siver, also finds himself with three straight wins under his belt, having just derailed the title hopes of George Sotiropoulous in front of a hostile crowd at UFC 127.
"Lightweights coming off of impressive wins face off in Vegas as Matt Wiman and Dennis Siver have verbally agreed to fight July 2nd," said UFC President Dana White
Matt "Handsome" Wiman (13-5)
Win Cole Miller - Decision (Unanimous) UFC FFTT2
Win Mac Danzig - Technical Submission (Guillotine Choke) UFC 115
Win Shane Nelson - Decision (Unanimous) UFC 107
Dennis Siver (18-7)Jul 2nd, live on Pay-per-view from Las Vegas, Nevada
Win George Sotiropoulos - Decision (Unanimous) UFC 127
Win Andre Winner - Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) UFC 122
Win Spencer Fisher - Decision (Unanimous) TUF 11 Finale
B.J. Penn vs. Jon Fitch
Melvin Guillard vs. Shane Roller
Evan Dunham vs. George Sotiropoulos
Matt Wiman vs. Dennis Siver


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Flight Seeing
See the mountains from great heights. Even a short trip will enable you to see the Talkeetna Mountains, the Susitna River, the Alaska Range and the majesty of Mt. McKinley from a different perspective. Longer trips will enable you to fly right up to the glaciers of Mt. McKinley, or if you wish (and depending upon weather and time of year), to actually land on a glacier, walk around, sip champagne and take photographs. These flights all depart from Talkeetna, a 30-minute drive from Montana Creek Campground. For more information, contact:
Riverboat Service
Take a scenic riverboat or rafting trip on the Talkeetna or Chulitna River.
- Mahay's Riverboat Service: 907-733-2223
- Talkeetna River Guides: 907-733-2677


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MArtha's Vineyard Rentals
Island Vacation Rentals- the best!
Our relationships with our landlords and renters is intimate and distinctive. We offer comprehensive property management including renovations and repairs providing us the opportunity to truly know our properties. We are able to match renters to homes, neighborhoods and island villages and to pair the architecture, space and personality of our properties with the right island visitors. For renters, we provide complete concierge services including connections to personal chefs, event coordinators, cleaning services, florists, baby sitters, boat rentals, personal property orientation and arrival preparation.
Martha's Vineyard Vacation Rentals-Personalized.
The Captain Morse House, One of Edgartown's finest rental homes. This renovated and exquisitely detailed home a superb example of the grand homes built by the New England Whaling Captains.
Herring Creek Farm-Pond front with Pool
New Luxury home on 7 acres within prestigious Herring Creek Farm. Located on Edgartown Great Pond waterfront with a heated pool, gourmet kitchen, an office space.
Water Front Tower Hill with Dock and Pool
Water front family compound full of history with spectacular views of the Edgartown Harbor. The main house was designed in 1899 by H. H Richardson, the designer of Grand Central Station, consisting of 4 bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms with a gourmet kitchen, Jacuzzi and Sauna bathrooms. Guest house sleeps four. Dock has 7 feet draw.
Quintessential rambling 18th century, colonial home with carriage house overlooking 300 feet of sandy, private beach for both swimming and boating. Every luxury imagined is included and is of the utmost quality for enjoying the Vineyard lifestyle. Total charm and privacy offered on the large landscaped parcel, discreetly located just on the outskirts of the Village.
Luxury custom built home with every entertaining amenity possible. Privacy abounds on this 12.3 acre spectacular 10,000 sq. ft. Waterfront compound.
Romantic views, exercise room, boats for accessing private beach, association tennis courts and brand new, in-ground swimming pool.
Herring Creek Farm-The Cove House
Luxury Island living at its best can be experienced at The Cove house, located on the secluded estate of Herring Creek Farm. Featuring 5 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, a private pool and private beachfront access on the infamous South Beach of Marth's Vineyard. An ultimate relaxing vacation is sure to be had.
Cow Bay Estate
Prestigious Cow Bay location with Private Association Breach. Expansive water views. 5 bedrooms, gourmet kitchen and a screened in porch.
Nature abounds through this luxury, sleek contemporary with extra large windows overlooking the waterfront, where boats await to the north shore beach. Gourmet, well- equipped chefs, stainless kitchen, flat screen TV's, stereo system, master suite and stone patios. A designer's dream. Central air with every hi-end household amenity.
Spacious, new five bedroom water view home overlooking Sengekontacket Pond, with pool and central air. Walk to association private swimming beach.
The Nantucket Lightship Luxury Yacht for Rent
Enjoy the ultimate maritime experience of this historic lighthouse floating ship- A Luxury Yacht hotel! Fully restored featuring 2000 cherry and mahogany paneling throughout. 5 staterooms with private baths.
The Captain Dexter House- A Dockside Residence
Experience the views of Chappaquiddick and the Vineyard Sound from the upper deck or dock patio. Private dock and slip for your boat offer a summer full of swimming and fishing.
Chilmark Nature Hideaway
Tucked away, down a winding road is this modern gem set among elegant trees, natural landscaping and a grass expanse. This elegantly appointed home offers a serene non-chlorine pool, gourmet kitchen, a large dining table and court yard for entertaining, outdoor shower, and acres of private walking trails.
Fuller Street with Guest House
Elegant Cape located in Downtown Edgartown with a quick walk to Fuller Street Beach on Starbuck Neck. Formal living and dining rooms, mahogany den and 6 bedrooms and 4 baths make up the main house. Detached guest house with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, full kitchen and living room.
Quintessential Whaling Captain's Home which has been fully renovated with central air conditioning and fully updated.
Many bedrooms, plus a separate guest house for a perfect family reunion home. Walk to shops, beach and restaurants in the Village of Edgartown.
Private family main house with four bedrooms, wrap around decks with views, great kitchen with lovely furnishings, plus a separate one bedroom romantic cottage may also be available for rent.
Walk to Main Street or bike down the nearby bike path to Atlantic south beach. This new home includes a gourmet kitchen, many separate living areas and five bedrooms to accommodate a large family, central air, wood floors, tile baths and outdoor deck for dining. Located on a quiet, cul-de-sac street. Off South Water Street.
Beautifully designed 8-acre country retreat. This house includes a master suite, a second bedroom with twin beds and there is a third bedroom guest suite over the detached garage. A 15 foot boat included to navigate across Oyster Pond to south shore Atlantic private association beach. Swimming pool set in landscaped meadow with decks for outdoor entertaining.
South Summer Street Village Classic
Well known Architect, Patrick Ahearn designed this luxury Colonial home. Enjoy the spacious living areas, a gourmet kitchen with five bedrooms and five baths.
The brand new house has five bedroom suites on three floors, just steps to shops, restaurants and harbor boat activities. Central air conditioning ,gourmet state of the art kitchen, an outdoor fireplace, heated swimming pool and private yard. A Great in-town summer vacation home!
Beautifully furnished and landscaped home with sweeping water views, large decks, total privacy, central air, gourmet kitchen and many luxury amenities. Great for large family as guest house available separately.
Newly renovated colonial style located waterfront on Edgartown Harbor. Professionally decorated, with an open floor plan and fireplace. A rolling lawn leading to the dock and water's edge.
Brand new home with wood floors throughout, a master suite with its own balcony. The house has a gourmet kitchen, open floor plan, media room and pool table. There is deeded access to Tisbury Great Pond for boating and shared tennis courts in this lovely neighborhood.
Romance and charm in this premiere waterfront location.
Decorated with quality and style including modern amenities. Private sandy swimming beach with privacy and boats. Summer casual living yet luxurious. King bed master suite, plus two twins for a small family to enjoy outdoor living.
New large family home with heated pool and hot tub on Chappy. Close to many beaches and only 1.5 mile from the ferry. Wood, floors four screened porches, pool table, family and living room. Separate master suite on first floor, two fireplaces, large yard and patio for outdoor enjoyment.
Country Farmhouse with Private Beach on Herring Creek Farm
Private country farmhouse with private beach access to the Atlantic Shores of South Beach. Bursting with charm featuring formal living and dining rooms, and four bedrooms.
In-town Edgartown, Cottage Street
Located close to South beach bike path, this home has been renovated with wood floors, large deck, private yard, air conditioning and great size for a family reunion vacation.
Classic Vineyard renovated antique farmhouse with lovely views over Menemsha Pond and Elizabeth Islands. Three large bedrooms with a great cooking kitchen. Beautiful 5.7 acre landscaped yard. Access to private beach for swimming or boating. Exquisite sunsets!
Newly renovated, four bedroom house with pine floors, great kitchen appliances, central air, large yard, and key to use south shore Atlantic beach.
Charming summer living in this romantic, two bedroom fully renovated carriage house. As part of an estate, the carriage house has access to a private, sandy swimming beach and is exquisitely decorated.
This charming classic cape has three bedrooms, wood floor throughout, and a large screen porch room. There is a mahogany deck, overlooking a private beautifully landscaped yard. Close to South Beach and town.
In-town on High Street, just a stroll to Main Street Edgartown. Open floor plan with four bedrooms, parlor, sunny family room, and private roof deck for relaxing.
Suzanne Lanzone
508 627 0702
Aly Lanzone
508 221 3167


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(May 19) -- Anyone who travels along Interstate 215 on the west side of the valley knows how congested it can get at the Charleston exit. That congestion may get even worse with the development of a new mall scheduled to start construction next year.
The mall will be a welcome site for many of the thousands of people who call Summerlin home. It will be the only major type of mall on the west end of the valley. The mall will be located between Sahara and Charleston, just east of the I- 215.
So far, Macy's, Dillards and Robinsons-May have all committed to being anchor stores in the new mall.
However, another developer whose project has been opposed says the Summerlin mall will infringe on the Red Rock Conservation Area.
"With 24,000 acres, Summerlin is larger than the island of Manhattan," said Anthony Deering, Rouse Company which is developing the mall. Up until now residents of the fastest growing master-planned community in America have not had a mall of their own.
"Ultimately it will be 2 million square feet and have five to six anchor stores with 200 to 300 stores," adds Deering. But the mall is just one part of the larger Summerlin village which will be located between Sahara and Charleston just west of the I-215. It will include restaurants, a theater and a hotel and casino.
Summerlin Village will pave over 1300 acres of pristine desert land, and although this project has not been met with any opposition, another massive development here in the valley has. "The Summerlin area is actually closer to the Red Rock Conservation Area than our property is," said Dean Walker, Rhodes Homes.
Dean Walker works for Rhodes Homes which wants to build 5,400 homes on the James Hardie Gypsum Mine. But residents and both local and federal politicians have opposed the project because of its proximity to the Red Rock area.
Walker says he's surprised at the outcries the Rhodes project has garnered and the open arms that the Howard Hughes Summerlin Village has been met with. Anthony Deering from Rouse Company, Howard Hughes Corporation's parent company says the explanation is simple.
"We gave the BLM 1000 acres for public use in exchange for land that could not be used for public use because it was surrounded by development and this 1000 acres in the hands of the Bureau of Land Management guarantees that neither homes nor malls will ever make their way up this side of the mountain.
The Summerlin Center Mall is scheduled to be completed by early 2006.
Rouse Company: Summerlin Development
Some medical providers say they often deal with Hispanic patients who are afraid to seek medical care. It's hoped the opening of a new medical clinic will change that.


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There is a phenomenon in male/female relations that has had drastic impacts upon relationships. It effects how a couple communicates and ultimately the trust we have in one another. I am talking about the silent treatment.
Exposition of the Silent Treatment (title sounds serious')
Let's take a look at a model conversation (or a lack thereof):
[Man] 'Honey, I thought maybe we would go to Chili's tonight.'
[Female] 'Yeah whatever.'
[Man] 'Would you like to go somewhere else?'
[Silence ensuing]
[Man] 'Honey'?
I like the definition provided by The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition on the silent treatment:
Maintenance of aloof silence toward another as an expression of one's anger or disapproval.
What went wrong in this conversation? I have spent much time questioning women as to why they feel it is necessary to use such drastic measures in communication. I get answers like, 'they wouldn't understand, I was too frustrated, I was too embarrassed, or it wasn't anything important.' The problem with this thinking is that women assume right away that all men have no concern for their thoughts and feelings. Let me dispel that rumor right now. Yes, there are some men out there who deserve to be single for the way they treat women; but most men do actually consider and value the input of their significant other.
The worst part is when the frustration that a women experience gets buried by a silent treatment and then comes out at a later time. Let's revisit our conversation one month later:
[Man] 'Sweetie, I thought it would be good to go to T.G.I Fridays with the Smiths tonight.'
[Female] 'YOU NEVER CONSIDER ANYTHING I WANT. THIS IS JUST LIKE THE LAST TIME. WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS NOT LISTEN TO ME.'
[Silence ensuing]
[Man] 'Sweetie?'
The man is then left in a perilous state of confusion because nothing was brought up originally. The worst part is the woman then expects the man to remember the incident that she is frustrated over.
It needs to be clarified that I am not picking just on women. Men can act the same way, but they aren't nearly as effective as women are. Men do things to inhibit communication as well in their own ways, but for now I'm concentrating on the drastic need to address this particular issue.
Dealing with the Silent Treatment
I have not been in many relationships, but I have had enough experience to be the recipient of the silent treatment from a few different character types. It's always been the same process, but some deal with it in different ways. I had one girlfriend whose idea of a silent treatment was silence following excessive yelling. I had one girlfriend whose idea of a silent treatment was not saying anything at all, and then bringing it up months later. I've had yet another that was silent, but then opens up shortly after a little prodding.
I can offer a little advice to men and women alike (and I'm always open to some).
For Men
Remember men that most of the time the woman just wants to be assured that you notice that she is frustrated. Through gentle examination you can get most women to open up. Don't be overly forceful, and whatever you do don't call her stupid for not talking. Yelling accomplishes nothing.
If you have one of those women that harbors stuff—get rid of her.
For Women
You have to understand that most, if not all the time, the man has no conception of what has made you upset. So please don't assume that we will always know. It also helps to acknowledge that if you are so upset you can't talk about it, just let us know. A good man will give you your space to work it out, and then both of you can talk about the issues later.
If you have one of those men who is inconsiderate of you'get rid of him.
The Medical Implications of the Silent Treatment
There are actually medical implications of giving your significant other the silent treatment.
[A] study of approximately 3,000 married or cohabitating men and women revealed that married men were half as likely to die during a 10-year period compared to unmarried men. While marital status did not correlate to mortality rates in women, women in the study who held back their feelings during conflicts with their spouses did have a higher mortality rate.1
The research focused around coronary research, and it showed that restricting feelings resulted in stress which led to a higher level of mortality in both men and women. That should be a quick motivation to either (1) stay single or (2) talk about stuff as soon as it comes up. If not, you could die early!
Psychological damage is also known to come about from restraining frustration. I think there is a very real relationship between the increase of divorces and the rise of the silent treatment (although I can't prove it, but who really believes statistics anyway?).
Building Bridges
Let's work together, both men and women, on improving communication through the reduction and hopeful elimination of the silent treatment. It really does no one any good, and it only causes frustration and sometimes even death (I'm not playing around)!
[Man] 'Darling, what's wrong?'
[Female] 'You did not consider my choices for dinner tonight, and it hurt my feelings.'
[Male] 'Ok, that's fair; let's go ahead and go to your favorite restaurant then.'
[Female] 'I love you.'
[Male] 'I love you too darling.'


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About the AuthorHenrik Gram
scubapix Dragoer, Denmark
51 years old, Working as Electrcal Engineer in the offshore industry. Diving and taking pictures in my free time, mostly in and around scandinavia. see also www.galleri.scubapix.dk Married to Agnieszka Rasmussen and have 2 kids aged 18 and 21. Also taking photos above the sea level :)
Publish Date November 25, 2009
Dimensions Large Format Landscape 78 pgs Premium Paper, matte finish
Category Travel
Tags underwater photography, muck diving, south east asia, Indonesia, Lembeh, scuba, photography, underwater, travel, sulawesi, Diving, subsea
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Breaded Beef Tenderloin Recipe
My husband is a hunter and I like to come up with different ways to cook the meat he brings home. I found venison and beef tenderloin are similar so I use this recipe for both types of meat.Corrina Larson, Eden, New York
- 2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 beef tenderloin roast (4 pounds)
- 3/4 cup butter, melted, divided
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- In a large shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, seasoned salt and pepper. Cut tenderloin in half; brush beef on all sides with 1/2 cup butter. Roll in crumb mixture.
- In a large skillet, brown beef on all sides in remaining butter. Transfer to a lightly greased 15-in. x. 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; drizzle with pan drippings.
- Bake at 350° for 25-45 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°; well-done, 170°). Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, saute onions and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in flour and rosemary until blended; gradually add cream and broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in lemon juice. Serve with beef. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 cups sauce).
Originally published as Breaded Beef Tenderloin in Country Woman Christmas Annual 2008, p52
Light-Bodied Red Wine
Enjoy this recipe with a light-bodied red wine such as Pinot Noir.
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