text:
Why you want to live here!
Our location in the Baltimore/Washington corridor offers an enormous range of activities and options for our employees. Urbanites can live downtown, commute to work via the Light Rail System (we're next door to the station), and enjoy the bustle of the city. Outdoor lovers will love the rolling horse country, enormous National Parks System, and great little towns that surround us. Families can enjoy the variety of events and museums (many of them Free!) in the region, whether they are living in the Hunt Valley suburbs, the heart of the city, or out in the country.
As one of the largest game development communities in the country, Hunt Valley provides lots of opportunities to both would-be game developers and the experienced veterans that have come to work with us on the next great MMO.
Ours goes to 11
The Baltimore music scene has been a vital part of the city since 1784, and continues to thrive at places like:
Power Plant Live
8 x 10
Ram's Head Live
The Lyric
When you want to head out of town, DC offers great alternatives for all musical tastes:
Merriweather Post
9:30 Club
The Birchmere
The Kennedy Center
Special Events
Maryland Film Festival
- Biggest Anime Convention on the East Coast
- This is held across the street from us at the Hunt Valley Marriott (Previous Hosts Neil Gaiman, Larry Niven, Robert Jordan, even Isaac Asimov)
Horrorfind Weekend
(Previous Hosts Malcolm McDowell, Bruce Campbell, George Romero)
Bengie's Drive In
- One of the last drive ins around
Historic Senator Theatre
France-Merrick Performing Arts Center
The Smithsonian Museums
The Walters Art Museum
Baltimore Museum of Art
Geppi Entertainment Museum
Special Attractions
Stuff for the brave:
The Ghost Tour
Edgar Allen Poe's House and Museum
Stuff for the brainy:
B&O Railroad Museum
Antietam National Battlefield
- one of the most famous Civil War Sites
Fort McHenry
- where the actual "Star-Spangled Banner" flew during the bombardment about which Francis Scott Key was writing.
Stuff for the kids (and those who refuse to grow up):
Maryland State Fair
The Ducks
(not the mighty ones)
National Aquarium in Baltimore
Port Discovery
50 Things To Do in the DC Metro Area With a Child Before They Grow Up
Live for Games?
To Do:
Biking: Loch Raven Reservoir
NCR Rail Trail
Fencing: Baltimore Fencing Center
Maryland Renaissance Fesitval
Maryland Horse Industry Site
- Maybe you're not quite ready to participate in the Preakness, but even if you aren't, there's plenty for those who love horses
Ski Liberty
Ski Whitetail
Ski Roundtop
Trees and Sand:
Deep Creek Lake
Ocean City, MD
Assateague National Seashore
To Watch: (unless you're REALLY GOOD)
Baltimore Ravens
Washington Redskins
Baltimore Orioles
Washington Nationals
Baltimore Blast
DC United
Washington Capitals
Horse Racing:
Pimlico Racetrack
(where the Preakness is held)
Other Sources of information
Best of Baltimore archives
© 2015 ZeniMax Media Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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Thu, Apr 12, 12 at 19:13
I am in NYC and have a rooftop garden. My neighbor moved and left me two potted trees that I think are some type of chamaecyparis. They are in desperate need of a transplanting and have never had proper care; they look leggy to me. I would be grateful if someone can identify this picture and give me advice on how to pot them (size, medium, etc...) and properly care for them. They are about 6' tall. (I have never grown conifers so assume I know nothing about them! I do have other trees and shrubs growing in containers.)
Many thanks in advance. (sluice: thanks for the tip!)
http://www.patriottoursnyc.com/photos/branch1.jpg |
Follow-Up Postings:
I can't figure out how to get the picture into the message, so here's a link. |
Here is a link that might be useful: tree sample
Platycladus. Bigger pots than they are in now, in fresh potting soil intended for outdoor containers. |
- Posted by tsugajunkie z5 SE WI (My Page) on Thu, Apr 12, 12 at 19:52
Might be Chamaecyparis obtusa. Have you got a pic of the whole plant(with pot)? So we can judge how much bigger the should be. Posting pix at the link. tj |
Here is a link that might be useful: Post-a-pic
- Posted by gardener365 IL 5/6 (My Page) on Fri, Apr 13, 12 at 6:57
Has Platycladus cones forming. Loosen the roots very well and untangle all of them, and follow bboy's advice. Dax |
- Posted by coniferjoy (My Page) on Fri, Apr 13, 12 at 7:49
Yep, it's a Platycladus but I can't see which cultivar. Do you've a pic of the whole plants as well? |
I looked up some pictures and, yes, it's Platycladus. (But in VERY poor condition.) I will take a picture of it this afternoon and post it. Thanks very much to everyone! |
Here they are. They are so scraggly. I truly hope I can bring them back to good health. Thanks, everyone!
They'd do much better planted directly in the ground, than in pots. Given their very-much-less-than-ideal situation, they actually look pretty good. Resin |
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
In This Section
AES News
- 137th Audio Engineering Society Convention Breaks Records and Draws Acclaim from Attendees, Exhibitors and Presenters Alike
- Convention reminds West-Coast audio community, "If It's About Audio, It's At AES!"
- AES 2014 Election Results
- The results are in!
- Time to Vote: 2014 AES Elections
- Deadline was Friday, July 11th
- AES Showcases Latest Audio Innovations and Best Practices at 136th International Convention in Berlin
- Successful Technical Program and Exhibition draw high attendance and positive response from attendees and exhibitors alike
Berliner's Early Records
Berliner's Early Records
Emile Berliner in laboratory working on disc, looking up from desk
1889 rubber disc from NLC
Berliner photo "berlp 12010106" and sound file "Columbian anthem" sung by Haydn Quartet ca. 1895 both from LC
Return to Recording Technology History | this page revised 10/20/02


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Originally written by DEAN MILLARD
BRACE yourself Portland, the big boys are about to arrive.
This weekend will see the fastest sedans on the planet, the Top Doorslammers, descend on Portland en masse for the South Coast Slamfest for Wishes, with the biggest names in the sport all intending to race in support of Make a Wish Australia.
Top Doorslammers have been clocked hitting speeds of almost 192.8 miles per hour (310kph) over an eight mile track and the man who was behind the wheel on that run, legendary drag racer Victory Bray, will be in town on Saturday to try and go even faster.
Bray, a six-time Australian Champion and the most successful Top Doorslammer driver of all time, was in town earlier in the week to check out the track ahead of this weekend's racing and said he was pleased with what he saw and was expecting some very fast racing.
"Yesterday was the first time I had come here and it is pretty amazing," Bray said on Monday.
"The track is really good.
"I've been to lots and lots of regional tracks around Australia and this is one I've been trying to get to for many years, so it is good to be here because it rates right up there with the best of them.
"Looking at what they have got here it is pretty good.
"Very rarely do you see a concrete launch pad on a regional race track like this one, so this is excellent for us and what we want to see, and then you have got the transition there.
"They are the main parts you are looking at, the concrete start line, the first 60-feet and then the transition onto the bitumen, they are the really important parts to it."
Bray is the current world speed record holder for Top Doorslammers over the standard quarter mile track, having hit 395.52 kilometres an hour in his 1957 Chev Replica, in while he has also completed the second fastest ever run.
As a rule Top Doorslammers are generally driven by nine or 10 litre engines and are capable of producing in excess of 3,500 horse power, almost six times the power of a V8 Supercar, however Bray said with the right weather conditions the cars can generate up to around 4,000 horsepower.
"It depends on the weather a lot, the weather conditions are very important to us, and down here they have some of the best wind conditions in Australia.
"Depending on which way the wind is blowing we are hoping for some good air and with good air these things will make upwards of 3,500 horsepower up towards 4,000, so it all depends on the weather conditions.
"We are pretty fussy.
"We want a nice warm day, but we don't want the track temperature to go over about 75-80 degrees farenheit.
"We were like it overcast without too much humidity in the air and a nice high barometric.
"We get it and here in Portland gets it a lot more than other places, so this is certainly one place where a lot of people are going to be looking at the weather.
"Every team has their own meteorlogical weather station mounted on the roof and each team measures the weather every hour, watch what it is doing and puts the appropriate amount of fuel with it and that is what makes the horses power."
Bray said it was not uncommon for Top Doorslammer events to draw crowds of between 3,000 and 5,000 at regional events, while when racing at major centres those numbers swell to between 30,000 and 40,000.
Bray has an outstanding record in the sport, having competed in 36 of the 87 championship event finals that have ever been raced for 17 wins, with a further 13 semi final appearances and an overall winning percentage of 67 per cent.
While his record would suggest he is certainly one to watch two other drivers to keep an eye on are "local boy" Mark Chambers, who has been a driving force behind the development of the South Coast Raceway to accommodate the Top Doorslammers, and in form driver Peter Kapiris, who has won the last two events.
Bray said fans could not possibly miss Kapiris in his 1959 Chrysler Saratoga, which is designed around the bat mobile.
"It is an unbelievable looking thing, people look at it and go wow what a thing and he has actually painted a bat feature on it, so it is pretty neat.
"We're all Portland virgins except for Marcus Chambers, the local boy, we are all a bit concerned that he might have a little up his sleave for us, but that is how it happens.
"It doesn't matter what you bring or if you have got a bit of a reputation it can all get shot to pieces one afternoon."
Bray said when the idea was first put to the drivers about competing at Portland organisers had only hoped to attract around six or seven cars for the first event, but the response had been overwhelming with all drivers in the class expressing an interest in racing on a new track.
"Because we have never been at this track before we were hoping to get six or seven cars here, which doesn't happen in regional tracks, but we have had so many people put their hands up to come to Portland that we had to say woo guys, lets just see how it all goes first.
"We ended up letting everyone come, so we have had 14 or 15 put their hand up and we think we'll have 10 or 12 cars here.
"They are all very excited about coming to a new race track where no one has got any data.
"People have to come and get used to car, get used to track, see what the weather conditions are, see what the track conditions are and make the appropriate changes, it is not just sit in and flatten it.
"Each car takes about seven or eight guys to run for the day, so it is not just plain sailing.
"At the end of the day though everybody wants to win.
"Everybody who tows through the gate thinks they are going home with the winner's cheque."
There will be regular Friday night street legal drags from 5pm, while the big day of racing will kick off 10am Saturday at the South Coast Raceway.


text:
Retired Judges Report, December 2014.
Loudoun County, Virginia
From Judgepedia
The people of Loudoun County are served by a Circuit Court, a District Court and Magistrates.
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has jurisdiction in Loudoun County. Appeals from the Eastern District of Virginia go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
Circuit Court
Virginia 20th Judicial Circuit
District Court
Virginia 20th Judicial District


text:
Optus targets regional Australia with data sharing service
PUBLISHED: 03 Jun 2014 10:13:40 | UPDATED: 04 Jun 2014 11:33:20PRINT EDITION: 03 Jun 2014Paul O'Sullivan, country chief for Singtel-Optus, and Vicki Brady, customer managing director. Photo: Rob Homer
David Ramli
SingTel-Optus chief country officer Paul O'Sullivan says the 12 million customers living in country Australia are his next big target and the company is willing to keep losing revenue over the short term to win customers.
O'Sullivan says rural and regional customers represented about 40 per cent of the more than 30.2 million mobile subscribers across Australia.
"It's a big opportunity for us because our main competitor has a disproportionate market share in those areas," he says.
Optus plans to invest $1.2 billion in maintaining and building its Australian networks over the next 12 months with most of that going into the mobile network.
Optus is preparing its regional network for the introduction of 700MHz spectrum, which is the electronic airspace the company spent $649 million to buy in 2013. It claims the new holdings will help level the playing mobile field in regional Australia once launched in early 2015.
Telstra spent $1.3 billion buying a larger amount of 700MHz spectrum at the same auction.
O'Sullivan made his comments after launching the company's shared data plans, which let customers spread their data download limits across multiple devices and users.
The new plans copy those released by Telstra in late 2013 but at a lower cost. Where Telstra charges $10 per device a month to activate the shared data service, Optus charges a one-off fee of $5 per device.
The service is known as "bucket plans" and is popular among some carriers in the United States. Customers using multiple devices can share the data allowance across all their gadgets such as smartphones and tablet computers.
O'Sullivan admitted the move could lead to a reduction in revenues and subscriber numbers as customers with SIM-cards in their tablets switched to the new service.
"Yes there will be a short-term hit to subscriber numbers but in the longer term what you've got is a brand and a business that is very well positioned for long-term growth especially as they start to use more data," he says. "So while we're sacrificing some short-term revenues . . .this positions us really well for medium-term growth."
Telstra dominates the mobile market with 15.8 million subscribers. By comparison Optus has 9.43 million users while Vodafone Hutchison Australia has 4.96 million.
Optus and other carriers have been increasing the price of data and smartphones over the past two years. But they have also been reducing the penalties for exceeding data limits.


text:
Discover the trails of the Mexican Cemetery in Xcaret where ancestors are remembered with respect, but also with hints of humor and the typical Mexican mischief step into the Bridge to Paradise!
Explore a spiral architecture that reveals a large number of tombs and expressive personalities. There are multiple passages and entrances to the cemetery, but we assure you that there will always be something that will surprise you ... do not be afraid! This is a place of great value to the Mexican culture and its relationship with the traditional Day of the Dead.
This unique architectural work has a special significance that simulates a hill with seven levels, referring to the days of the week. On the outside you can find 365 graves that symbolize each day of the year, and finally at the main entrance is a staircase with 52 steps representing the weeks. Additionally, its spiral shape refers to a conch shell, as used in ancient times to communicate with the gods through their breath, the wind.
Children ages 5 to 11
50% off
*10% OFF purchasing 7-20 days in advance.
*15% OFF purchasing at least 21 days in advance.


text:
Here are just the quick basics.
- It'll be me, DH, DD4, and DS who will be going on 5 months at the time.
- We'll be driving down from PA, leaving home May 22. Check-in isn't until May 24 and check-out will be May 31. We are Wyndham members so our hotel is already paid for with our points.
- We will stay overnight somewhere on the way down.
- DS obviously won't be eating regular food, so he's taken care of and DD is extremely picky so will most likely share food with us as usual (I swear I don't remember the last time I purchased her her own meal at a restaurant and whatnot).
- As far as gas, I already used one of those fuel cost calculators for our minivan and it will be approx. $240 round-trip.
- We're buying our tickets in advance from Undercover Tourist, so that'll be taken care of.
Anything I'm missing? I know for a fact we won't do many souvenirs. MAYBE $150 - $200 AT MOST. Anything else that I'm budgeting for would just be food...and we don't do sit down restaurants like that at all. Maybe once or twice we will. We're very.....well.....CHEAP (lol) but I also want to be realistic.


text:
Sam Schmidt Motorsports and AFS Racing announced today a partnership to run the #17 Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc. entry for the remainder of the season, starting at Mid-Ohio.
"This is a fantastic win-win for both AFS Racing and Sam Schmidt Motorsports," said team owner Sam Schmidt. "In our pursuit to develop partnerships and relationships to enable the team to compete with two full-time entries in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2012, we have secured sponsorship for select races starting with Mid-Ohio, but we didn't have the equipment or personnel to facilitate the program. Obviously, Gary Peterson and AFS Racing did."
AFS Racing made their IZOD IndyCar Series debut earlier this season running the first four events at St. Pete, Barber, Long Beach, and Brazil with Raphael Matos. The team attempted but failed to qualify for the 33-car field in Indianapolis.
"It will be fun to race with Sam and his team instead of against them for a change," said AFS owner Gary Peterson. "What is that old saying? If you can't beat them, join them. Sam and I have had a long, competitive relationship as the two top Firestone Indy Lights teams. We're both former drivers and team owners, so we can relate to each other. One of Sam's best qualities, which I share, is his passion to win and succeed."
The driver of the #17 SSM/AFS driver will be announced at a later date.


text:
There's never been a better time to apply to Otterbein University. Apply online today!
The Otterbein Collegiate Institute (OCI) is an opportunity for high-achieving central Ohio high school students interested in taking college-level courses during their junior and senior year of high school, to begin building their college credits.
Taking advantage of Otterbein's nationally-recognized curriculum, supportive campus and convenient location, the OCI allows for students to take courses at an affordable and discounted cost of just $100 per credit hour! A typical semester course at Otterbein is four credit hours.
"Otterbein gave me a more challenging environment than high school. I was surrounded by students who wanted to learn and treated me just like the other college students." - Kelsey Walker, Westerville North High School
There are many reasons to enroll. Here are a few of them:
"OCI has been a wonderful asset for Dominic. He has grown exponentially from this experience. I believe that this is outstanding and a great confidence builder, and the cost is an exceptionally good value." - Ronald Baer, parent
Students have the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of 1000- and 2000-level courses offered on Otterbein's campus, including but not limited to:
Note: course registration may be limited by pre-requisites and other criteria.
Students typically take on course per semester, although, with permission, certain high-achieving students can take more than one course. A full list of Otterbein's course offerings can be found at www.otterbein.edu/courseofferings
For student to be considered for this competitive opportunity, they need to submit the following information to the Office of Admission:
Students will be notified of the admission decision within three to four weeks after the application deadline.
Application deadlines:
The Office of Admission is located in Clippinger Hall, 102 W. College Ave. Office Hours M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. M-F: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (summer) Contact
p/ 614.823.1500 e/ email@example.com
We'd love to meet you! Learn more about visiting Otterbein!


text:
FULL RESOLUTION - 1260x1848
News » Published 1 Week ago
Is this Beyonce the Musician?
Share your thoughts on this image?
17th January 2015 @ 05:54am
Music superstar has the media in a frenzy as news of her being pregnant with a second child is dominating the entertainment news.
5th December 2014 @ 08:14pm
Bette Midler has spoken out to praise Beyonce following her recent fall out with Ariana Grande
17th November 2013 @ 11:15pm
There have been several rumors about the state of Jay-Z and Beyonce's marriage lately, but the couple is not separating


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Salmon are an amazing fish. They are born in freshwater rivers and streams. But when they get older they swim downstream and into the salty ocean's waters where they grow up. They then return to where they were born to lay eggs and start the cycle all over again.
About 310 million years ago, scientists think that a shark called a Bandringa did just the opposite of what salmon now do. Way back then, an area south of the big city of Chicago was along an ocean coastline with rivers flowing into the area. It's here that scientists found fossils of Bandringa egg cases and young sharks.
Fossils of the adult Bandringa sharks had been found in areas where freshwater once flowed — hundreds of miles away in what is now Ohio and Pennsylvania, so scientists originally thought that there were two species of the shark — one that lived in freshwater and one that lived in saltwater.
But new research has changed the minds of some fossil experts who say that the young and old sharks were actually the same species. The adults swam downriver from freshwater swamps to lay their eggs in the salty water along what was then a coastline.
Sharks like the tiger shark still migrate to lay their eggs near the islands of Hawaii, but they stay in saltwater. The places where they lay their eggs are called nurseries.
Bandringa were similar in looks to the paddlefish that still live in Montana's Yellowstone and Missouri rivers. The ancient sharks had spoon-billed snouts and grew up to 10 feet long. They also, like paddlefish, fed off the bottom and had sensors in their snouts that could detect prey in murky water.
— Brett French, Gazette Outdoors editor


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Sun, Mar 16, 14 at 23:27
I pruned my roses about a week ago, and now Im noticing that the cut edges are weeping a weird yellow goo. Ugh. Is this good? or bad. Not ever seen it before. Thank you. |
Follow-Up Postings:
I have never seen it happen on our type of roses we grow BUT our Dogwood bushes weep/seep after being pruned and it doesn't hurt them a bit... |
- Posted by nikthegreek 9b/10a E of Athens (My Page) on Mon, Mar 17, 14 at 10:10
Weeping when pruned is a sign that the plant was not dormant when pruned, i.e. it's juices were flowing. There are those that advocate pruning to be done when a plant is dormant (talking about plants that go into dormancy) and those that advocate that pruning is better done when a plant starts to wake from dormancy since the juice flowing helps with faster wound healing. I've seen nothing to suggest that in roses one is a particularly better practice than the other. Nik |
Some plants, such as birch trees, grapevines, can 'bleed' profusely when pruned because the sap is rising under considerable internal capillary pressure. I would imagine that, as Nik says, this is sap, rising up through the vascular system....but should not be problematic for your roses. |
I always prune when the roses just start to wake up and I've never seen this happen before. Could be due to the unusual winter everyone's had. I'll have to pay close attention when I prune and see if I notice this. But, sadly, that won't be for a while yet. |
- Posted by nikthegreek 9b/10a E of Athens (My Page) on Tue, Mar 18, 14 at 3:12
I've seen sap flowing from roses after pruning more than once. The plant should be fully awake and the cane thick and green in order for this 'weeping' to be very noticeable. As Camps mentioned this is very noticeable in grapevines if pruned when they have come out of dormancy and it can take days for the sap to stop flowing. Nik |
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NEWTON's HOME PAGE
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Heat Dissipation
Name: Joel Status: Other Age: 30s Location: N/A Country: N/A Date: N/A
I was wondering what would be a really good metal (Or the best) for disapating heat. Such as a heat sink. Everybody uses Aluminum but I was wondering what would be better (Preferably a lot better). Alloys included.
Also, I looked in a chemistry book concerning this question and I am afraid I was not able to figure anything out. Could you tell me what to look for on the subject? (Ahhh. This is where I have the chance to LEARN something!)
Aluminum is used because it is inexpensive other alternatives are the noble metals: copper, silver and gold. Now you understand why Aluminum is utilized.
Dr. Myron
One rule of thumb on heat sinks is that a material that is a good conductor of electricity is also a good conductor of heat. So copper, gold, silver, etc. are going to be good conductors of heat, but they will be limited by their melting points. Each material has a property called thermal conductivity. You can look in most heat transfer or thermodynamic books to find a listing of these numbers. Look into a heat transfer book on conduction and Fourier's law.
Good luck.
Dr. Murphy
Cannot tell you what the "best" metal is due to lack of information and not being an expert on the subject. However, you can get an idea of the heat transfer capabilities of various metals by reading textbooks or other material on the subject of conductive heat transfer or possibly radiant heat transfer. I do not believe convection heat transfer (like in a convection oven) will work for you based on what general information you provided.
J. Suermann
Copper is better because it's a better conductor of heat. The best by far is diamond. It's thermal conductivity, especially at very low temperatures, is unbelievable. Look for thermal conductivity in a physics reference book.
Tim Mooney
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Blog | Comments |
WoW | 4 Comments |
Recent Comments:
Know Your Lore: Current Horde politics -- the Blood Elves, Page 2 {WoW}
Apr 4th 2010 1:00AM Actually, mechanics would not be an issue, if it was done right. And by "right" I mean the third faction - the neutral faction - is actually two factions. Neutral Horde and Neutral Alliance. Flying under the same banner of peace, these neutral factions woudl have no access to opposing hostile faction cities (ie. a human still could not enter Org) and woudl not be flagged PvP or eligible for battleground quests / faction quests. Hostile Alliance / Horde woudl be flagged PvP on all servers, and eligible for PvP quests and battlegrounds. No more need for PvP / Normal server differentiating, only RP or not. Mechanics woudl be a non-issue there.
People dream about, and request this third faction, this neutrality, because it makes sense, and it fulfills a percieved gap int he gameplay they experience. The debate on whether it is right, or wrong to have a neutral option is heated, of course. I think personally, having the option to play hostile, or neutral, woudl make perfect sense. After Arthas falls, there are a lot fo things happening in Cataclysm. There will be a lot of players on both sides who would question their war and seek a more peaceful way. So much loss, so much death, and for what? (trinkets? - sorry, had to). Tauren having their leader assasinated by the leader of the Horde? Tell me the Tauren woudl be 110% loyal to the Horde? riiiiiight. As it is, Druids have been sharing Moonglade in peace. Tauren druids learning from a night elf trainer is just fine. Highborne coming back in, many night elves would be open to the prospect. How many of them have worked with mages to accomplish a common goal? Trolls may have some bloodthirsty relatives, but that does not make them all that way. Thrall is going neutral as it is - you know many Orcs woudl follow the leader they so respected for so long. How many humans would follow Jaina's desire for peaceful ways? Consider what the Ashen Verdict has accomplished in Icecrown? basicaly ewvery race is represented, working together to take down Arthas.
Lore-wise, there is most CERTAINLY room for a neutral, peaceful faction to emerge. It's coming. Maybe not in Cat, but it is coming.
Breakfast Topic: I threw that away, d'oh {WoW}
Mar 31st 2010 8:19AM OH yah. Most definately.
Dartol's Rod of Transformation. At the time, I was questing. I needed it for a quest - it was for the Furbolgs! Now it is gone, and at the time I did not care. It was only useable in the Ashenvale area anyhow right? Wrong. Item said it was, but much much later, there's a Furbolg running around Outlands. Now I would absolutely LOVE to park myself on the stairs in the horde zone in Dalaran (Yes, I play Alliance) and pop the Furbolg suit. *sigh*
Leave a comment, win fabulous prizes! {WoW}
Mar 30th 2010 11:50AM Oh most certainly. Sign me up for sinies!
Breakfast Topic: Disenchanting BoEs in dungeon runs {WoW}
Mar 28th 2010 11:38PM I'm the enchanter that everyone is exploiting.. err.. who is providing my services graciously for all those greens and blues.
Before the DE in instances "feature" was added, BoE greens had auction value that was higher than their vendor value. Eitehr leveling alts, or enchanters looking to turn a profit off the mats, would buy them. Enchants actually had a value in the market, and players had to stop and think "do I want to put the biggest best enchant on this iLevel 219 piece, or will I replace it next week, and should I got with the cheaper enchant?".
Since the DE "feature" was added, greens often (usually) vendor for more than the AH value. On my server, they just plain don't sell anymore. Dust and Essence is now sooo plentiful that the market has collapsed for them. And rare itmes (blues) are worse. The shards are selling for LESS than the vendor value of the blues. Forget about auctioning them.
TL;DR: I greed EVERYTHING regardless. If I win, and it's green, I DE it just to add more junk to my vault. an entire tab full of mats... 15 stacks of dust.. why not. If it's BoE blue, I put it in the "grab for an alt" tab, and hope that one of the alts leveling up can use it, for a few days, before vendoring it. Seems like Blizz is totally trivializing the leveling process, and pushing everyone to endgame levels, and all this gear that used to be worth smething leveling up, is now just vendor trash at best.


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Biography of Hon. James Ralph Anspaugh
Hon. James Ralph Anspaugh, as cashier of the Gridley State Bank, had been a factor in business affairs in that section of Kansas for a number of years. His recent capable service as a member of the State Senate from the Fifteenth Senatorial District had made his name known and appreciated over the state at


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In this section
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This is a blue ribbon recipe, one of our top-ranked of all time!
See more of Epi's bestBacon Smashed Potatoes
Gourmet | November 2009
photo by Roland Bello
Makes 8 servings
active time
20 min
total time
45 min
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped dill
Steam potatoes in a large steamer rack set over boiling water, covered, until very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar, sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to hot bacon fat, scraping up brown bits.
Transfer potatoes to a large bowl, reserving 1/2 cup steaming water. Add vinegar mixture to potatoes and smash with a potato masher to desired texture, adding reserved water if desired. Stir in dill, bacon, and vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.
What to drink:
Josmeyer Les Folastries
Gewürztraminer '05
Cooks' note: Potatoes can be made 3 hours ahead and kept at room temperature. Reheat, covered, in a microwave or in a 300°F oven.
my notes
- Calories266
- Carbohydrates31 g (10%)
- Fat13 g (20%)
- Protein7 g (14%)
- Saturated Fat4 g (21%)
- Sodium248 mg (10%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat1 g
- Fiber4 g (15%)
- Monounsaturated Fat6 g
- Cholesterol19 mg (6%)
recipe featured in
recipe at a glance
type: Vegetable
main ingredients: Root Vegetable, Bacon, Potato
holiday/celebration: Christmas, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Potluck


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Maxim 2855EG Etruscan Gold Elegante Single-Tier Chandelier with 3-Lights - 36" Chain Included
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Technical Specs
Specification Sheet | |
Bulb Type | Compact Fluorescent, Incandescent |
Chandelier Type | Candle Style, Mini |
Characteristics | Crystal |
Collection | Elegante |
Genre | French Country |
Height | 14.5 |
Light Direction | Up Lighting |
Material | Iron |
Number of Bulbs | 3 |
Number of Tiers | 1 |
Style | Crystal |
Suggested Room Fit | Kitchen |
Wattage | 180 |
Watts Per Bulb | 60 |
Width | 14 |
This product has additional required/recommended options. To configure, add to your cart.
Bulbs recommended
Product Features:
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Product Specifications:
- Height: 14.5" (measured from top to bottom of fixture, excludes chain length)
- Overall Height: 50.5" (maximum distance measured from ceiling to bottom of fixture with supplied mounting hardware)
- Width: 14" (measured from left most to right most point on fixture)
- Number of Bulbs: 3
- Bulb Type: Compact Fluorescent or Incandescent
- Wattage Per Bulb: 60
- Location Rating: Dry conditions / inside
- Rated Hours: 1500 (average)
- Light Color Tempurature: 2700 K
Bulb Base and Compatibility:
- Bulb Base - Candelabra (E12): The E12 (Edison 12mm), Candelabra Edison Screw (CES), "Candelabra" is a term for the small-based incandescent light bulbs used in luminaires made for lighting and decoration.
- Compatible Bulb Types: Nearly all bulb types can be found for the E12 Candelabra Base, options include Incandescent, Fluorescent, LED, Halogen, and Xenon / Krypton.
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Our SKU: MX 2855
This product is listed under the following manufacturer number(s):
- Etruscan Gold
2855EG - Oil Rubbed Bronze
*Denotes a finish or option that has been discontinued
4 Questions from the Community
The Maxim MX 2855 is 14" in width and 14.5" in height.
What are the dimensions of the Maxim 2855?
A. The Maxim MX 2855 is 14" in width and 14.5" in height.
No, the crystals on both finishes are clear.
Are the crystals and/or bulbs really blue?
A. No, the crystals on both finishes are clear.
The Maxim MX 2855 is 14.5 to the top of the ring, not including any chain. The 72" of chain can be shortened to your desired length.
Does 14 inches include any chain links or is the fixture itself 14? Overall what is the least amount of clearance needed?
A. The Maxim MX 2855 is 14.5 to the top of the ring, not including any chain. The 72" of chain can be shortened to your desired length.
Hello and thank you for the question. I would not recommend putting the chandelier in the master bathroom. Lights for the bathroom, that are around moisture should at least have a UL listing for damp locations. If the light is going above the shower it should be UL listed for wet locations.
Would I be able to put this light in a master bath?
A. Hello and thank you for the question. I would not recommend putting the chandelier in the master bathroom. Lights for the bathroom, that are around moisture should at least have a UL listing for damp locations. If the light is going above the shower it should be UL listed for wet locations.
Product Reviews
Maxim Elegante Collection
Other Products In The Maxim Elegante Collection
Maxim MX 2858
Elegante 2 Light Candle-Style Sconce$130.00-$130.00(2)
Maxim MX 2851
Elegante Single-Tier Chandelier with 6-Lights - 36...$448.00-$448.00(7)
Maxim MX 2850
Elegante Single-Tier Chandelier with 3-Lights - 36...$218.00-$218.00(4)
Maxim MX 2857
Elegante 2 Light Candle-Style Sconce$60.00-$60.00(5)
Maxim MX 2866
Elegante 38.5" Wide 4-Bulb Bathroom Light Fixture$208.00-$208.00(1)
Warranty Info
With the exceptions listed below, Maxim Lighting International products are warranted to be free of defects in material and workmanship for ONE YEAR from date of shipment. The exceptions are:
The CounterMax™ MX-L LED Under Cabinet Lighting 87902WT/SA/MB, 87904WT/SA/MB, and 87906WT/SA/MB will be warranted for normal use for 25 years while the original purchaser owns it. Normal use means residential non-commercial use for no more than 6 hours per day in an environment that does not exceed 77°F.
The CounterMax™ MX-X12 Xenon Under Cabinet Lighting 87849WT/MB, 87851WT/MB, 87852WT/MB, 87853WT/MB, 87859WT/MB, 87861WT/MB, 87862WT/MB, 87863WT/MB will be warranted for normal use for 15 years while the original purchaser owns it. Normal use means residential non-commercial use for no more than 6 hours per day in an environment that does not exceed 77°F.
All Vivex™ outdoor fixtures will be warranted for normal use for 3 years while the original purchaser owns it.
Maxim Lighting International will, at its election, repair, replace or make appropriate adjustment where Maxim Lighting International inspection discloses any such defects occurring in normal usage within one (1) year after date of shipment. Maxim Lighting International is not responsible for removal or installation costs. This warranty is limited to the repair or replacement of the product only and that Maxim Lighting International is not responsible for any labor incurred. Use of incorrect installation methods and/or bulb wattage will void the warranty.
To obtain warranty service contact Maxim Lighting International either through your Dealer, Contractor or E-tailer, or by writing Maxim Lighting International, Attn: Customer Service Department, 253 North Vineland Avenue, City of Industry, CA 95746, USA, or by calling 1-800-486-2946 from within the USA and 1-626-956-4200 outside of the USA.
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I have been searching online for a reliable source for Acephate to treat my African Violet's infestation of Mealybugs. Can anyone give me a brand, or store recommendation?
Also, what percentage of the product should be Acephate? I have found Ortho, which is not sold in NY, but is 95%. The others I have found are 75% or less. Can anyone say what is best/safest? Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by fred_hill 6 (firstname.lastname@example.com) on Fri, Sep 5, 08 at 19:27
Hi, I have used Marathon successfully to kill off soil mealies. It is a form of Imacloprid from what I understand. Marathon is available from Cape Cod Violetry. Fred in NJ |
Acephate is *not* for indoor use. Not ever! |
- Posted by robitaillenancy1 zone 5 (My Page) on Thu, Sep 11, 08 at 15:48
Isn't Acephate for cleaning fingernail polish? I would not use this chemical and certainly not at 95%. Some guy on ebay sells Imidacloprid 95% when all you need is about 1%. That's like killing a fly with a cannon! Nancy |
Nancy - hear-hear!!! Acetone - is for cleaning nail polish. And kids who huff - use it to huff themselves into drooling idiots. I just recently looked at acephate - and it is for outdoor only and it is labeled DANGER, and it is dangerous to humans, pets, bees, it will eat your eyes out if it gets there ... The instruction to use - you need almost a biohazard suite - gloves, goggles, long sleeve shirt, rubber boots.. Acephate - is a part of Ortho Insecticide - but I would not even use it on my lawn - I would afraid to touch it afterwards. Irina |
Imidacloprid isn't for indoor use either. |
Jean - I use it as a systemic in soil - so nothing sprayed. I work with soil in latex gloves. And I looked at the info sheet for imidacloprid - there is a parameter L50 - how much per 1 kg of weight you need to consume to have 50% chance to croak. It is tried on rats, not on humans though. But with Marathon having 1% imidacloprid - I would need to eat something like 2 pounds of granules as far as I remember. Acephate - is carcinogenic, creates a liver and kidney damage etc. - means you do not want to have in your house even small amount of carcinogenic material. Generally - the safest way to beat mealy bugs - is a dumpster. More time consuming - to restart plants from crowns for soil mealy bugs - and keep spraying rubbing alcohol solution on the foliar mealy bugs. Just do not spray on streptocarpus - they die from alcohol. If Popsicle insists on using it - please look at the Optimara recommendation. Just stick to the safety procedures - goggles, gloves, long sleeves - and right now you can do it outside in a shade, let the plants dry - and carry them back. Good luck and take care Irina |
Here is a link that might be useful: opti,mara recommendation
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Blowing the whistle on plans to shift Amtrak's route south of Tacoma
The state wants to move Amtrak's Cascades trains inland south of Tacoma, routing them through Lakewood. But the cars would roll through at 79 miles an hour, raising concerns about safety and noise.
Washington state's plans to reroute its Amtrak Cascades trains through Lakewood are meeting stiff opposition. The reroute would bypass the so-called Point Defiance route that the trains currently follow along the Puget Sound shoreline between Tacoma and Nisqually.
The bypass would shave six minutes off Portland-to-Seattle trips, and could ultimately facilitate a Sound Transit expansion to Olympia — but that's not enough to mollify trackside communities.
Upgrading the inland bypass to allow operation of fast passenger trains has been planned by the state Department of Transportation (WSDOT) since1995, according to Ron Pate, high-speed rail program manager at the department's Rail and Marine Office. But the project received a big boost from the recent arrival of federal stimulus funds.
That funding will cover the entire $91.6 million cost of the project, defined as the upgrade of the 13.5 miles of track from Lakewood to Nisqually. Upgrades to the Tacoma-Lakewood segment already have been nearly completed in anticipation of Sound Transit's 2012 introduction of its Sounder service as far south as Lakewood. The infusion of funds means that seven Amtrak round-trips will be running daily over the new route by 2017, two years earlier than the state had previously planned.
Even the 2017 deadline, binding under the terms of the federal grant, seems a long way off, however, as a mountain of environmental documentation must be assembled and a torrent of protests from adjacent communities must be reckoned with.
David Anderson, who heads the neighborhood association in Lakewood's Tillicum district, along whose edge the trains would zoom by at up to 79 mph, says that some local residents would drop their opposition in return for certain mitigations but that "the majority position is that we don't want Amtrak through here at all." He knows of only one Tillicum resident who approves of the current plan.
Amtrak operates the Cascades corridor trains under contract from WSDOT, which is responsible for the service's overall development.
Anderson's group stands with the cities of DuPont and Lakewood, which have both passed resolutions opposing the WSDOT plan as currently formulated. The Clover Park School District, which serves the entirety of Lakewood, has filed a similar statement. Lakewood's resolution states that WSDOT has "disregarded" city concerns, safety paramount among them. For a time, DuPont's city website included a colorful page announcing a January public meeting on the project. The page — headlined "What Will the 'Amtrak Invasion' Cost You?" — excoriated Amtrak on several points. The city took the page down after Crosscut inquired about it.
Sound Transit owns virtually the entire 20 miles of the route, on which freight is carried by Tacoma Rail under terms of an easement with the commuter provider. The traffic amounts to four to six trains weekly.
In contrast to the Cascades, the Sounder expansion enjoys Lakewood's support. The Sounder trains would not exceed 40 mph, but Amtrak's trains would hit their 79-mph limit on most of the route, and wouldn't stop anywhere between Tacoma and Lacey, the stop that would serve Olympia.
The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway, which owns the Point Defiance route now used by Amtrak, "will need that line more than was anticipated a decade ago, and they and WSDOT definitely felt that the bypass was the best [solution]," explains Lloyd Flem, executive director of All Aboard Washington, a passenger rail advocacy group. "The total volume of freight is continuing to grow."
Flem's group supports the project. "We're not wildly enthusiastic about it, but I accept the wisdom and necessity of it now. Some of the most physically attractive scenery on the Northwest Corridor will be gone," he adds, referring to the views passengers get along the more roundabout shoreline route.
Initial funding plans for the bypass project required only a so-called document of categorical exclusion from the federal government, lessening the need for environmental review, and that document was issued in 2008. However, receipt of the stimulus funds, which WSDOT applied for instead in 2009, required a more elaborate environmental assessment, entailing a range of social concerns and "a lot of community involvement," Pate says.
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Posted Wed, Apr 20, 3:29 a.m.
Is there a map of the current and proposed routes available online anywhere?
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 6:01 a.m.
If sidewalks equal happiness, what do train tracks mean?
"Shareable" is an online magazine that describes what it means to live in a happy place, sidewalks being key according to the author of a recent article. Given we have sidewalks here in Lakewood but we are also due rail – high speed rail - does that mean we'll be even happier?
Here's an excerpt:
"The way we design our communities plays a huge role in how we experience our lives. Neighborhoods built without sidewalks, for instance, mean that people walk less and therefore experience fewer spontaneous encounters, which is what instills a spirit of community to a place. That's a chief cause of the social isolation so rampant in the modern world that contributes to depression, distrust and other maladies."
So, to extrapolate on this principle – that "designing a neighborhood for happiness" means sidewalks, and sidewalks means spontaneous encounters, and spontaneous encounters leads to smiley faces and less trips to the therapist – what means the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) plan to run 14 high speed trains per day through Lakewood and DuPont? Spontaneous combustion?
Without sidewalks, where would we be? And if WSDOT's plan succeeds, that's a good question. Where will we be?
Cut-off from civilization, alone in the world, we can walk those sidewalks right up to where they'll end – and watch the trains go by.
Now if you think Jay Walljasper is 'out there' - in his article on the reason for "happy towns" - he has a following, at least in terms of far-fetched foolishness: WSDOT.
In the Washington State Amtrak Cascades Mid-Range Plan, there are a number of foibles but here's one example: "Of every $1 billion invested in rail, an estimated 20,000 new jobs would be created curbing global warming and supporting cleaner energy."
No, seriously. That's a quote. 'Open your wallet. Save the world. Ride Amtrak.' Makes you want to get on board doesn't it?
The truth however, which is normally preferable when you're talking money of that magnitude, is likely more in keeping – certainly more down to earth – in the research of the Cato Institute. These scholars and analysts conduct independent, nonpartisan research on a number of public policy issues. Because the Cato Institute accepts no government funding, they can tell it like it is.
So, according to Cato, here's how it is with regards WSDOT's outrageous contention of curbing gas emissions.
"Amtrak has virtually no impact on reducing traffic congestion, pollution, or energy use. Even a doubling of train ridership would reduce energy consumption and traffic congestion by less than 0.1 percent. It is estimated that Amtrak removes barely 2 percent of lane capacity - considerably below the threshold required for construction of a new lane, much less a new freeway or toll road. Growth in traffic is dependent on economic growth, business expansion, and suburban growth, which Amtrak has virtually no capability of affecting."
The excerpt above can be found in its entirety at https://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-266.html but for now it is worth noting that it is entitled "Amtrak At Twenty - End of the Line for Taxpayer Subsidies".
Now that is a good idea, especially given the amount of money we taxpayers underwrite this losing proposition called Amtrak.
Happy now?
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 8:20 a.m.
I am the communications manager for the Point Defiance Bypass project.
A map of the project and more up to date information about our progress can be found on our project webpage: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/rail/pnwrc_ptdefiance/
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 8:22 a.m.
"Some of the most physically attractive scenery on the Northwest Corridor will be gone, referring to the views passengers get along the more roundabout shoreline route."
Speaking as a passenger who has made the train trip to and from Portland on several occasions, I believe trading those 15 minutes of fabulous views for a saving of 6 minutes in the overall journey is simply not worth it. I'm surprised that a group which supposedly represents the interests of rail passaengers (i.e., All Aboard Washington) could be persuaded to go along with such a scheme. Hats off to the various communities and activist groups that are trying to scuttle these plans!
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 10:18 a.m.
Six minutes in total time savings? At 79 mph? Is this figure correct? It doesn't pass the common sense test.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 11:26 a.m.
I too, very strongly agree that it would be a real shame to lose the Sound and Olympics views from the Point Defiance route. That's the prettiest part of the entire route between Eugene and Seattle! Lakewood? To save 6 minutes?? Lame. As for increased freight traffic, I find it hard to believe that with today's technology trains cannot be better dispatched and scheduled than they often are.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 11:46 a.m.
These last couple comments are interesting because another of my fellow Lakewood City Council members, Don Anderson, has asked a couple times if anyone's told the Portland-Seattle riders that they will lose what I understand is a pretty great view. It's a shame if they didn't know that was at stake. Thanks to Crosscut for educating people on the whole topic.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 12:18 p.m.
The rail route along Puget Sound is indeed the scenic highlight of the train trip south, and should be retaied for that purpose. I think even the most time-stapped traveller would rather spend the extra 6 minutes to gaze at scenery that cannot be seen any other way, than to look at the crappy backyards of Tillicum. But, isn't freeing up the tracks for frieght trains one of the objectives? There is a solution that could make everyone relatively happy: route the passenger trains along the Sound, and the freights through South Tacoma. And the frieghts wouldn't have to impact Lakewood to the degree passenger trains would, or Tillicum at all. Looking at a railroad map, there is a rail route branching off of the proposed route at Lakewood, that heads due south for many miles through McCord/Ft. Lewis, reaching the towns of Rainier & Yelm, then again through miles of countyside before rejoining the current route at Tenino. This route bypasses the many level crossings in Lakewood & Tillicum, and should be comparable in cost to upgrading the line through Tillicum; possibly less, since it would be carrying frights going 60 mph instead os passenger trains going 80. So, why don't they create a freight route through McCord/Ft.Lewis, so the passengers can keep one of the nicest features of the trip, and frieghts can speed though an already unpopulated area, and enable the residents of Lakewood and Tillicum to continue to enjoy thier unspoiled, peaceful, bucolic environment.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 12:50 p.m.
Your suggestion, alally, as to where they can put their train - is excellent. Your impressions of the community however, is exactly why we are fighting to keep from being futher cut off from the known world.
Kathleen Merryman in her article on Tacoma's East Side (TNT, April 27, 2009) - inarugably in worse shape than ours - quoted Councilwoman Connie Ladenburg as saying, "You can pass all the laws you want, but it's the people in the neighborhood who make the difference." Our strongest assets in Tillicum are our people, each with a skill, gift, talent, or ability who, when they roll up their sleeves, will make a better community with a brighter future. That philosophy is well underway. That grassroots ownership is what has and is making Tillicum the strongest neighborhood - again inarugably - in the city. The sewers going underground and the buildings planned above ground, pale in comparison to what can be accomplished by boots on the ground.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 1:31 p.m.
As a Lakewood resident and a frequent passanger on the Tacoma to Portland run, I fully support the proposed re-route.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 2:03 p.m.
DA- My apologies for the unwarranted snarky comments about Tillicum. I am only drawing from my innumerable drives down I-5 which even thinking about causes my eyes to glaze over, & which the new passenger train route would parallel. bjan- while I agree that transit isn't about "taking in the scenery", if it is as world-class as the 15+ miles of Puget Sound, Olympics, and islands, that in itself would bring in significant ridership. The Coast Starlight takes 10 hours or so to go from LA to the Bay area, while the San Juaquin route is closer to 7. The Coast Starlight is usually sold out. This is because it hugs the Pacific ocean coastline for 120 miles, and the San Juaquin goes through Fresno & Bakersfield. If there is a market for a train that takes 3 hours longer by virtue of it's scenery, surely both time-strapped travellers and sightseers can be accomodated on the same train if there is only 6 minutes difference. Also, there would be no pissing off Tillicumites, because the frights wouldn't go through there, but several miles east. The main level crossings are at 56th, 72nd, Steilacoom Blvd, & 100th; which aren't too many overpasses to build. To think of it; if freight trains didn't run through Tillicum, but through Ft Lewis, the railroad right-of-way could be converted to a bike path; providing Tillicum with connection with the "outside world", which it lacks now, as you can get there only by driving the freeway. Plus, I always thought it would be cool if the trains stopped at the old-fashioned train depot in Steilacoom, which could be a jumping-off point to the islands and peninsula via water taxis/ferries. Just an idea...
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 2:34 p.m.
One comment has been removed from this thread because of profanity and name-calling. Please keep the discussion civil.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 2:53 p.m.
Routing Amtrak through the old Prairie line makes sense for the following reasons:
1. Amtrak will only add ten trains a day, five northbound and five southbound. Additionally, the Sounder commuter trains and Amtrak would pretty much be a daylight operation only.
2. Adding freight trains to the Prairie line could add up to 30 trains a day, 24/7/365
3. I share with BNSF a property line on the Stampede subdivision; we get from five to twenty trains a day depending on the economy. Trains are not a safety issue, nor is there any disruption to our family life.
4. Unless the state wants to pay to enlarge the Nelson Bennett tunnel, traffic will continue to build and be more congested. Having to sit in the Tacoma station waiting for a window to clear the tunnel is not my favorite means of relaxation. I have had to do it many times; running over the Prairie line is much more pleasing to me than the waiting in Tacoma. Overall, it will shave the six minutes average, but the big gain will be the dropping of the waiting to clear the tunnel.
Lets get over the NIMBY attitude, this is good for the region, if we carry the NIMBY attitude to it's logical conclusion, do not let the citizens from Tillicum, Lakewood and DuPont drive over SR 18 by my house because they make too much noise and the extra automobiles are unsafe.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 2:59 p.m.
Thanks alally for the further illustration of what can be - extremely useful comments for the continuing and sure-to-come debate.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 3:03 p.m.
Regarding the potential safety issue, in general, it is much safer practice to separate the passenger trains from freight cars. If we are going to advocate for the safety of trespassers wandering across the tracks, we should also prioritize the safety of responsible citizens and paying customers that opt for an efficient and environmentally friendly means of transport.
Also, good points by seattlelifer. The real benefit is not the mathematical 6 minute savings but rather, eliminating potential bottlenecks and delays from freight traffic. We don't want this segment to become like SFO.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 3:17 p.m.
Let me restate my comment then. The people who oppose this project are NIMBYs who don't know what they're talking about. Here are the facts:
* Cascades ridership has steadily increased since its reintroduction in the 90s, as has its farebox recovery, currently around 60%. There is obviously a demand for rail service in this corridor, irrelevant bloviation from the Cato Institute notwithstanding. Cascades has the potential to break even or be profitable, if it can keep growing.
* To continue growing, Cascades needs more daily trips and much better on-time reliability. Every time I have used Cascades, the train has been delayed at the Nelson Bennett tunnel, which the point of this bypass is to, well, bypass. There is absolutely no more capacity at that tunnel, and the existing delays inhibit growth of the service.
* Even though the scheduled difference is only six minutes, the average travel time difference will probably be much more, as trains are routinely delayed for 20 mins or more at the tunnel.
* In theory, we could build this bypass and run the freights through Tillicum and the passenger trains on Point Defiance, but that would actually be much worse for the people in Tillicum. Freights are much louder, and take take up to five minutes to clear an intersection; Amtrak trains will be done in 45 seconds, plus the grade on this bypass is steeper than through the tunnel, so the big freights probably couldn't take it anyway. And the bypass will be slightly faster.
* This crap about safety is a canard. WSDOT will be rebuilding these crossings with all the best safety features. Amtrak trains already move nearly this fast through Puyallup, and I don't hear horror stories about people dying in droves at the crossings. If you manage to get killed while trespassing elsewhere, well, that's kinda your fault.
WSDOT is trying to build a medium-high speed rail corridor that puts Seattle in the middle of all the population centers of the PNW, a rail corridor that will serve us well in the rapidly-impending future of high-cost oil. Stories like this are just giving airtime to irrelevant whiners. Lead, follow, or get out of the way.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 4:08 p.m.
First, I fail to see why CATO is summarily dismissed - unless you don't want to be bothered with the facts. Second, if there is a nimby argument here, it's what's-in-it-for-passenger-me as opposed to what is best for the economy, the region, the traffic nightmare - none of which, none, does Amtrak address, per CATO or Wisconsin, Florida or Ohio governors all of whom reject the ARRA funds.
Amtrak's plan, foisted upon us by WSDOT, is money, marketing driven.
And then there is Senator Carrell:
"Another area of concern that we all are facing is the ever-increasing congestion along the Interstate 5 corridor as it runs through our district and past Joint Base Lewis-McChord. I recently attended a hearing in the Senate that addressed some of these concerns and once again heard the continuing mantra from the state Department of Transportation that they have no money to fix the problem. One of the things that I learned from that meeting was that the capacity of I-5 (which was designed in the 1950's) is about 60,000 cars a day. Currently, I-5 has reached its daily capacity on that stretch of highway, meaning that if we do exceed that capacity, backups are only going to get worse.
"When economic conditions improve, more people will begin to drive more often. Add to that the increased number of overseas troops returning home to the base, and the problem will only compound. DOT won't be able to fix it with "traffic calming devices" like metered onramps. I-5 is now projected to be at 72,000 cars a day within the next decade, which means the highway will be about 20% over capacity and commuters can expect to be stuck in traffic during half of the day. DOT is reporting that even if they started now, they won't be able to fix the congestion problem for another decade, but they also say they won't have any money to even consider starting for at least ten years. It's conceivable that the necessary lane addition may not happen for another twenty years, at which point the freeway could be as much as 50% over capacity! That would, in essence, bring traffic to a complete standstill, which is simply unacceptable."
Again, per the earlier CATO research, Amtrak does not - does not - alieviate traffic congestion, nor reduce emissions, save the polar bears, or any of the above.
Excerpt from Senator Mike Carrell's Kitchen Cabinet update, 12/17/10.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 4:35 p.m.
Cato's "studies" of Amtrak are highly suspect in general. For example, their GHG argument is that so few people take the train, it doesn't matter that those people emit less. That's not an argument against Amtrak, that's simply twisting out of context the fact that train ridership vs car drivership, taken over this entire country, is very small. What anyone with a clue about transit knows is that trains work best on short- to medium-distance corridors between cities, and in those corridors they can already compete well with driving and flying (e.g. Acela). It can work here too.
These people on Cascades would be on I-5 or on a plane if they weren't on the train. In choosing the train, not only do they not cause more congestion, they produce fewer emissions than if they drove a single-occupancy car and much less than if they flew. If you can't understand or won't accept that, this conversation is a waste of time.
Somewhat more broadly, in providing non-car options for regional travel, the state enhances the ability for people to live like I do, in the city without a car. Those of us who live this way use a fraction of the energy of people who live in the suburbs and drive a car, whether it's a Prius or a jacked-up F350, and we're largely immune to oil price variations, so all the hand-wringing in the media about how people are suffering at the pump seems rather quaint.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 5:04 p.m.
Your argument for commuters of necessity or choice using the train is a good one - if it were true. In WSDOT's very own Washington State Amtrak Cascades Mid-Range Plan, they admitted that "over 80 percent of Cascades trips are leisure-based." The logical conclusion then is that WSDOT's proposal is not in fact founded upon the "demand for Amtrak Cascades service" but rather appears to be strongly tied to marketing.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 5:04 p.m.
The point of trimming 6 minutes off the total time is that the goal is to get the train ride on par with driving. A few minutes here, a few there and then you've got a 1/2 hr saved.
That said, I found the ride along the shore well worth the extra time. When I first rode the train to Portland I had no idea it would be so beautiful. And I'd rather they fix the tracks North of Seattle to stop the slides that close the line all the time.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 7:12 p.m.
I am with GaryP, bjan, and seattlelifer.
DavidAnderson's cite of the CATO Institute is 15 years old. If you want to make arguement about how Amtrak drains tax dollars, get some more recent facts.
As for staying on the route along the water, check out this from the the WSDOT project web site: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/955B7A5D-127F-4E10-8338-651C58076104/0/10212010PtDefianceShorelineAlternativeTechMemo.pdf
They can't add trains if they stay on the current route without spending close to $1 Billion, yes I said billion. $100 million vs. $1 billion? sounds like a no brainer.
The rail line through Tillicum and Dupont is right beside I-5. The train schedules I've seen don't have passenger trains late at night or early in the morning - I-5 has trucks and jake-brakes 24 hours a day.
Posted Wed, Apr 20, 9:51 p.m.
The fact that much of the travel is leisure does not alter the environmental and and congestion-mitigation of benefits of Cascades. People want to take weekend vacations, and there is nothing illegitimate about that, nor do I see what it has to do with "marketing." Also, the fact that much of the travel is leisure travel is probably something to do with the unreliability of Cascades, the mitigation of which is one of the points of this bypass.
WSDOT is slowly turning Cascades into a self-supporting rail corridor that will provide both business and leisure travelers with another better alternative to driving on the I-5 corridor. This is a laudable goal, and this bypass is part of that process; I hope the short-sighted local opposition to the project does not inhibit WSDOT's ability to execute the plan. Citing irrelevant hit pieces from Cato undermines none of that.
Posted Thu, Apr 21, 1:03 a.m.
I agree that NIMBYism is no reason to put the kibosh on an upgrade to a needed public service. The Cascades definitely is that. And yes, I agree that the tunnel is problematic and that overall service speed, reliability, and expansion by several more trains per day, requires a solution to that problem. Still... the views are truly great (even, as someone else mentioned, world-class in terms of what is visible from a train window) on that stretch, perhaps there could be a couple of trains per day each direction (especially during daylight hours) that are "scenic route" versions of the Cascades.
Posted Thu, Apr 21, 6:36 a.m.
Since you asked:
June, 2010:
"Amtrak has been providing second-rate train service for almost four decades, while consuming almost $40 billion in federal subsidies. The system has never earned a profit and most of its routes lose money. Amtrak's on-time record is very poor, and the system as a whole only accounts for 0.1 percent of America's passenger travel."
October 30, 2009:
"Last year, taxpayers gave Amtrak $1.3 billion in direct payments. So it's not just death and taxes that you can count on. You can also count on paying taxes to prevent the death of Amtrak. Only three of Amtrak's 44 lines made a profit last year, despite 2008 being the railroad's second-best-ever year for ridership."
Sept.23, 2010 "What's wrong with high-speed rail?"
"Revenues collected from ticket sales will not cover operating expenses even under optimistic ridership forecasts. Operating the line will therefore add to the state's existing budget deficit, already at record levels. This will crowd out spending on other public services and spur state tax increases. The overall (federal and state) government subsidy will also be huge — more than $100 per passenger per ride, over and above the ticket price."
November 3, 2010
"Federally subsidized Amtrak reported a $1.26 billion net loss just last year (2009) alone."
August 5, 2009
"Are Proposals for High Speed Rail a Boondoggle?"
"Would you pay $1,000 so that someone — probably not you — can ride high-speed trains less than 60 miles a year? That's what the FRA's high-speed rail plan is going to cost: at least $90 billion or $1,000 for every federal income taxpayer. That's only the beginning. Count on adding $400 per taxpayer for cost overruns. Taxpayers will also have to cover operating losses: Amtrak currently loses $28 to $84 per passenger in most of its short-distance corridors."
October 29, 2010
"High-Speed Pork - Why fast trains are a waste of money."
Author Robert Samuelson writes: "The absurdity is apparent. High-speed rail would subsidize a tiny group of travelers and do little else. If states want these projects, they should pay all costs because there are no meaningful national gains. The administration's championing and subsidies—with money that worsens long-term budget deficits—represent short-sighted, thoughtless government at its worst."
June 8, 2009
"Even if a particular rail proposal did save a little energy in year-to-year operations, studies show that the energy cost of constructing rail lines dwarfs any annual savings. The environmental impact statement for a Portland, Oregon light-rail line found it would take 171 years of annual energy savings to repay the energy cost of construction."
"To summarize my perspective on U.S. high speed rail proposals, it's not clear to me what problem or problems high-speed rail is intended to solve."
"A 2010 assessment by the California Legislative Analyst's Office concluded that the revised HSR plan was 'on the fast track to fiscal failure,' as summarized by the California Taxpayers Association. State budgets are in poor shape to take on such new obligations. . . . To take on huge new funding commitments this year, or this decade, strikes me as not being responsible fiscal management. . . . Given the near-certainty that 100% of the capital costs of HSR must come from general taxpayers, and the risk that many of these projects, if built, will require ongoing operating subsidies, state legislators and other officials must think through where the funds to support those expenditures could come from."
The excerpt above is from the linked article authored by Robert Poole, Director of Transportation Policy at the Reason Foundation, a nonprofit public policy think tank. Poole holds two engineering degrees from MIT, and has spent nearly three decades studying both air and ground transportation and advised a number of state DOTs as well as the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
High Speed to Insolvency
"Why liberals love trains."
February 27, 2011, Newsweek, by George F. Will, an excerpt:
"Remarkably widespread derision has greeted the Obama administration's damn-the-arithmetic-full-speed-ahead proposal to spend $53 billion more (after the $8 billion in stimulus money and $2.4 billion in enticements to 23 states) in the next six years pursuant to the president's loopy goal of giving '80 percent of Americans access to high-speed rail.' 'Access' and 'high-speed' to be defined later."
Posted Thu, Apr 21, 9:22 a.m.
Do you have anything intelligent to add to this conversation, DavidAnderson, or are you just going to post right-wing rants about Amtrak?
Posted Thu, Apr 21, 10:29 a.m.
Thank you, bjan. I couldn't have said it better myself.
Posted Thu, Apr 21, 10:42 a.m.
A person convinced against his will
Is of the same opinion still.
Posted Thu, Apr 21, 11:31 a.m.
Actually, I think with your inane posting, and my "irrelevant, right-wing, don't-tell-me-the-truth-because-I-don't-want-to-hear-it" facts, we may have taken over first place in the most commented articles on Cross-cut!
How 'bout that!
Oh, and I was responding to "Bigpicture" who ostensibly wanted to be brought up to date.
Here's another one for you that seems to describe you and your ilk (I'm putting it here so as not to appear to pad our number one rating):
"In the 'Analogy of the Cave,' Plato talks about people (who) don't want to face the truth or the light, unless the market imposes that task on them – unless they virtually have no choice but to seek feedback and do something about it regularly. They prefer to live and work in relative darkness, in a comfort zone or a protected market niche. . . ."
(Principled-Centered Leadership by Stephen R. Covey, 1991)
Oh, sorry. That was written ten years ago.
Posted Thu, Apr 21, 11:49 a.m.
So you like living in your anti-rail cave and don't want me to shine any light in there? I figured, but I'm glad to hear it from your own mouth.
I have proffered evidence and arguments that the Cascades corridor is growing in revenue and ridership, and serves valid environmental and congestion mitigation purposes and well as improving the economic competitiveness and quality of life in this state. You have responded with a mix of incoherent drivel and irrelevant anti-rail hit pieces. I therefore conclude that you are incapable of or unwilling to engage in this debate and are conceding the facts and the argument to the rest of us.
Posted Thu, Apr 21, 12:14 p.m.
Danreedmiller wrote: "perhaps there could be a couple of trains per day each direction (especially during daylight hours) that are "scenic route" versions of the Cascades."
Would such an idea be feasible? If so, I think it sounds good to me!
Posted Thu, Apr 21, 12:21 p.m.
I realize this is an opinion venue so you, bjan, neither have to be forthright with your real name nor do you have to contend factually. To suggest that the evidence you have provided would stand on its own, make your case, and not be tossed out of court is a stretch to say the least. You resort rather to invective (you yourself were tossed twice) and ridicule which hardly merits more than keeping our ratings up.
Posted Thu, Apr 21, 12:30 p.m.
Thanks for clarifying once again that you have no substantive rebuttal to my statements about Cascades and its benefits.
Posted Thu, Apr 21, 1:36 p.m.
All modes of transportation are subsidized in some way or another.
Walking: We use low cost labor to make shoes in foreign lands. We use our navy to keep the shipping lanes open so that those shoes arrive safely. We use police & the courts to keep you from stealing the shoes from the store. We use property taxes to fund sidewalks.
Bicycling: We use property taxes to build bike paths. And since bicyclists use shoes, the walking subsidy applies.
Autos: We use property taxes to build roads, in addition to gasoline taxes for state roads. We use the navy and the army and the air force to keep the flow of oil coming from unstable Middle East countries.
Airplanes: We build airports with federal dollars and property taxes, and they burn oil, see auto subsidy.
Trains: We gave the original train companies the land if they would build the track, we use those same tracks for both passenger and freight transport.
Ranting about a subsidy to a particular type of transportation is inane and ignores the reality of all of the other modes that are subsidized. But then someone who hates trains might not bother to look at it that way.
Posted Fri, Apr 22, 1:44 a.m.
Right on GaryP, that all modes are subsidized in various ways.
Certainly I'd be curious to see where in this great land highways pay for themselves.
And not only "liberals" can be in favor of rail and other forms of public transit:
Posted Fri, Apr 22, 6:41 a.m.
Rail transportation is definately a non-partisan issue. Here is a pro-train (not necessarily pro-Amtrak) site, which in addition to the blogs contains some very in-depth analyses of the efficiencies of train travel, from a conservative, market-based perspective:
The late conservative icon Paul Weyrich was staunchly pro-rail. Here is a link to the book Moving Minds, that he wrote with fellow conservative William Lind:
Numerous Republican politicians support Amtrak. Looking at the roll calls for appropriation votes for Amtrak, many Republican aye votes are mixed in with the ayes from Democrats; the Nay votes are virtually all Republican.
Posted Thu, Apr 28, 3:30 p.m.
Although I support the development of a Northwest High Speed rail corridor the residents concerns here are real - and, sadly, very reminiscent of the very recent Sound Transit led portion of this same Tacoma-Olympia segment.
The only thing that is clearly being accomplished right now is a driving up of the costs of this project - curiously the same folks who are doing the bad job are also the ones making a profit doing so - an all too typical business model in America these days...
Posted Thu, Apr 28, 9:37 p.m.
"[is it] fair for those who own property adjacent to a 100-year-old-plus railroad to object if the railroad's owner decides to run more trains.
"That's a fair argument," concedes Jeff Brewster, communications director for the city of Lakewood."
Gee, d'ya think?
As for Mr. Anderson, a person who doesn't even understand who owns the shoreline tracks, then throws out a bunch of links irrelevant to the debate, has lost all credibility. The Cascade trains will run, the question is where, not "if".
Finally, the inland line is not economically viable for freight. The grades are much too steep vs. the water-level route along the shore. The NP and BN ran relatively short, local trains on that route, not the long heavy intermodal, coal and manifest freights of present-day BNSF.
Posted Fri, Apr 29, 2 p.m.
Anti-transit folks always regard trains as deadly, even though they're loud and follow a totally predictable path, unlike cars, bicycles, or Great White Sharks.
Posted Fri, Apr 29, 11:33 p.m.
As a frequent (nearly weekly) rider of Amtrak Cascades, I would gladly trade the beautiful view of the Sound for a savings of six minutes each trip, and much improved reliability and on time performance. Much of the year, the days are short anyway and it's dark the whole trip. The cited 80% leisure travelers is likely an out dated estimate, as a good many that I meet each trip are business travelers or like me have geographically divided family and work. If an excursion train is desired, petition WSDOT to have the Coast Starlight run stay on Pt. Defiance, as that run already takes an hour longer for the Portland-Seattle trip compared to Cascades service. I've noticed over the last six months that the Cascades has gone from generally some extra seats to nearly always full. So, it's already proving an invaluable service to the region despite not yet achieving time parity with driving.
The appropriate safety mitigations will need to be made for Lakewood, but this bypass project should be built, and could not come soon enough.
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An Organized Approach To Yardwork
The weather is finally starting to warm up here in the northern hemisphere, and now is a great time to start cleaning up your home's exterior spaces. This winter was hard on many landscapes, and there may be more work than usual for you this spring. Try to keep an organized approach to the work ahead of you to keep from feeling overwhelmed.
- Make a plan. You don't have to tackle all of your yard's to-do items in one weekend. You can draw a map of your yard and section it into pieces, like a puzzle. Then, on your calendar, schedule three or four hour blocks of time for when you can focus on each section. Or, make a to-do list of all the work that needs to be completed and schedule the tasks on your calendar.
- Talk with your neighbors. See what everyone has on deck this year and see if you can collaborate on any projects. Our old neighborhood would go in together each spring to pay for the rental of a wood chipper. We'd then use the wood chips for mulch and save money a second time.
- Start with sticks and leaves. Simply clearing sticks and dead leaves from your yard can make a huge difference in its appearance. Once these items are gone, you can get a good look at all the work you'll want to do.
- If you plan to pay a service or neighborhood kid to mow your lawn, make this reservation now (if you haven't already). Schedules will fill up quickly the warmer it gets. If you plan to mow your lawn yourself, block this weekly time commitment on your calendar now.
- Kill unwanted plants now, plant new ones in the fall. A layer of newspaper covered with mulch over the top of unwanted plants will kill the plants and keep you from having to weed and water this section of your yard this summer. In the fall, plant new foliage in this area so it will all be ready to go next spring.
- As plants, trees, and shrubs begin to bud, you'll be able to tell which ones survived the winter and which ones didn't. You may wish to hire a professional tree removal service for large trees and bushes. Smaller plants can often just be removed by hand and thrown in the compost bin or trash.
- Make a date to weed once a week. Block off 15 to 30 minutes each week to attend to weeding your yard. The pesky blokes poke up in sidewalk cracks, the middle of your garden, and even the center of your lawn without any previous indication. Giving yourself time each week to address the weeds will keep them from overwhelming your yard.
- Know your limits. If you aren't into yard work, hire someone else to tend to it. If you have a green thumb and love to spend time outdoors, be realistic about what you can tend to with your other responsibilities. Although I would love a beautiful English or Japanese style garden, I know I wouldn't be able to give a garden like that the attention it deserves. So, I visit the arboretum and keep things low-key at home.
What is your plan for your yard this summer? Share your ideas in the comments.


text:
I have grown these two from a pair of seeds, everything seems fine with them, besides an ugly yelllowish lump on each plant. I want to separate the two ASAP to prevent their roots interlocking, when should I do this, and when should I begin adding fertilizer to them? I used standard miracle gro but will probably get a better suited soil after they grow a bit larger, although I may need some suggestions on good types because I doubt my local southern states carries it (although I can ask if they'll order some?) I also have standard 10-10-10 N-K-P fertilizer, whats a good citrus type for fast growth for the first few years, preferably organic, I don't want to pump it full of artificial stuff
[URL=http://s423.photobucket.com/albums/pp316/Dreamcast270mhz/?action=view¤t=000_0013.jpg][IMG]http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp316/Dreamcast270mhz/th_000_0013.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s423.photobucket.com/albums/pp316/Dreamcast270mhz/?action=view¤t=000_0014.jpg][IMG]http://i423.photobucket.com/albums/pp316/Dreamcast270mhz/th_000_0014.jpg[/IMG][/URL] |
Follow-Up Postings:
I've never grown citrus from seedlings but wouldn't think it should be much different from an already aged one. From all the research I've done on this forum, standard potting soil is not the best for use with container citrus. It breaks down quickly and compacts (not leaving much room for aeration) and holds water for a long time (which leads to root rot). There's a current thread going on reading screening that has good info on how to make either the 5-1-1 or gritty mix (both good, well draining mixes). Foliage Pro fertilizer comes highly recommended on this forum. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Screening method thread
- Posted by meyermike_1micha 5 (My Page) on Fri, Aug 20, 10 at 15:56
Ottomike, Well said, well done..;-) Mike..:-) |
What about miracle gro palm,cactus and citrus soil? Can anybody recommend that, because I don't have the time to mix soil. So, when should the seedlings be safe to transplant into separate pots with new soil? |
Redfox: If you're in the South (I presume you're in Virginia?) you may be able to get some Barky Beaver potting soil. Their "premium" mix is pretty similar to the 5.1.1 mix, I believe - it's mostly pine bark fines, perlite and sand, with a little peat. The pH out of the bag is pretty favorable for citrus. I don't use it straight but you probably could. A specialty nursery may carry it. The company is based out of TN and they distribute to a number of Southern states. |
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EMPANADA FOR A DREAM is Juan's story, a growing up story, downtown on Allen Street, 169 Allen, Lower East Side.
Everybody's blasting – bacchata, merengue, salsa, hiphop and rap. And everybody's cooking – and there's boys playing baseball, football, skullies, johnny on the pony – and this girl – the most beautiful girl – watching from a window.
This is the story of family – Juan's tios, his tias, his abuelita, his sister, half sister, his mom and dad – all on a bed – little bed – everybody freezing, everybody laughing.
And it's the story of a secret, a deep shame that savages the family, the friends, the neighborhood.
It's a story about getting out.
It's a story about coming back
To Allen Street, 169 Allen…
Like Mami says, "You don't make it, God gonna punish you."
EMPANADA FOR A DREAM, a new play written and performed by Juan Francisco Villa
Presented by BALLYBEG
April 21@8pm
April 22 @3pm
April 27@8pm
April 28@8pm
April 29 @ 3 & 7pm
In the TBG Studio Theatre
TBG Arts Center
312 W. 36th Street (btw. 8th & 9th Avenues) 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10018
Tickets $18.00
Please join us on
facebook and twitter
Photograph by
Allen Tannenbaum