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Take four Lemons, and pare the yellow Rind; then cut them into slices and wring out the Juice, and let the Peel steep in it an hour; then put in a Quarter of a Pint [half a cup] of Water, six spoonfuls of Rose Water, the whites of eight Eggs, and two Yolks beaten very fine; set it over a Charcoal Fire, and keep it stirring till it be ready to boil; then put in half a Pound of double-refin'd Sugar, and strain it before you set it over the Fire, and stir it til cold.
2 squares baker's chocolateSet aside.
1/2 cup water.
2 and 1/4 cups cake flourCream together until softened:
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1 stick butterAdd gradually, creaming until fluffy
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups packed brown sugarAdd to the butter mixture, in thirds,
2 eggs, well beatenAdd the cooled chocolate to the butter and eggs. Measure out 1/2 cup buttermilk or soured milk Alternately add the dry ingredients, in fourths, and the buttermilk, in thirds, to the creamed butter and brown sugar mixture. After each addition, beat only until smooth. Do not overbeat.
Bruise the ginger, and place it in a small clean jar. Pour on the whiskey to cover, put the lid on the jar, and let steep three days.
Peel and core the apples, and slice thin. Put them in a large stew pot along with the whiskey, sugar, and lemon juice. (Mrs. Beeton says the juice should be strained, to prevent the finished dish of apples in liquor from looking cloudy. She also does not specify whether one discards the whole ginger before commencing cooking, or simmers it along with everything else. I removed it.) Cook all together "very gently until the apples are transparent but not broken," about 45 minutes. Serve cold, garnished with pieces of candied lemon peel or candied ginger.
Winter's an off-time for farmers; then they mostly enjoy their gains, hold jolly
Suppers amongst themselves.
Genial winter invites them and they forget their worries;
Just as, when ships in cargo have come to port at last,
Glad to be home the sailors adorn their poops with garlands.
Yet even now there's employment in season -- acorns to
And berries off the bay tree, and olives, and blood-red myrtle: Now you can lay your traps for the crane, your nets for the stag,
Go coursing long-eared hares, or whirl your hempen sling
To bring the fallow deer down --
Now when the snow lies deep and streams jostle their pack-ice.
Vainly alas you will eye another man's heaped-up harvest,
And relieve your own hunger by shaking an oak in the woods.
The reason why winter suns race on to dip in the ocean,
And what delays the long nights.
Bronze axe in hand, he [Eumaios] turned to split up kindling,
while they drove in a tall boar, prime and fat,
planting him square before the fire. The gods,
as ever, had their due in the swineherd's thought,
for he it was who tossed the forehead bristles
as a first offering on the flames, calling
upon the immortal gods to let Odysseus
reach his home once more.
Then he stood up
and brained the boar with split oak from the woodpile.
Life ebbed from the beast; they slaughtered him,
singed the carcass, and cut the joints.
Eumaios, taking flesh from every quarter,
put lean strips on the fat of sacrifice,
floured each one with barley meal, and cast it
into the blaze. The rest they sliced and skewered,
roasted with care, then took it off the fire
and heaped it up on platters. Now their chief,
who knew best the amenities, rose to serve,
dividing all that meat in seven portions --
one to be set aside, with proper prayers,
for the wood nymphs and Hermes, Maia's son;
the others for the company. Odysseus
he honored with long slices from the chine --
warming the master's heart. Odysseus looked at him
and said:
"May you be dear to Zeus as you are dear to me for this, Eumaios,
favoring with choice cuts a man like me."
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Of Homebuilts and SpraybombsWritten by on March 1, 2002 The Self-Billed Worlds Least Important Car Show
One of the requirementsand perksof this job is to travel the country attending car shows. The bad news is, since we fly a lot, we dont get to drive our rods and customs to shows as much as wed like, and theres zero fun in driving a rental car to a hot rod shindig. But every fall, as the fly-around show-season is winding down, we get the opportunity to drive our junk to some local California shows that always end up knocking our socks off. One of the fall shows that we always look forward to is Billetproof, held at the Holiday Bowl in Hayward, California.
Now in its fifth year, this self-billed Worlds Least Important Car Show has fast become one of the best places to see the coolest low-buck homebuilts on the West Coast. Its among those rare shows where the preferred patina is primer and homegrown hot rods rule. Its also very refreshing to hit a show with such a mellow, attitude-free vibe; no power parking, no velvet ropes, no embroidered lawnchairs, just regular old car folks getting together and enjoying a day in the sun with their friends, old and new. The real credit goes to the volunteers who help make everything run smoothly. The head honchos, Jay Ward and Kirk Jones, are quick to point the finger at the Vultures Car Club for their support: Bill Martinez and Paul Borrmann, who worked the gate; Nick Scott, Jason Fredriksson, and Todd Mountain, who made sure everyone got a good parking spot; and Steve Merritt, Tony and Rachael Basso, Tricia Ward, Marilyn Fredriksson, Christina Jones, Stormi Rindels, and Roger and Dirty from Detroit for volunteering.
Those predisposed to sunburn were lucky enough to have the covered parking area to hide in; this area also housed the small vendor area. Upstairs, the folks were treated to live music by The Sore Thumbs and The Dynotones, which was punctuated by the unmistakable sound of balls striking pins.
This show started with about 25 entrants in its first year and hit its limit of 200 vehicles within 2 years. It just keeps getting better every year with more and more great cars coming out. This year the cap was upped to 300 cars, which made it 50 percent bigger than last year, but the show is precariously close to exceeding the limitations of its venue. This would turn out to be a shame, since the bowling alley adds a certain down-home vibe. Mark September 28, 2002, on your calendar because this show is not to be missed. For info, hit www.billetproof.com.
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
Paul Cepeda's current project is this '40 DeSoto coupe. "Flow" is the word that comes to mind when describing this Nipomo, California–based custom.Gary Minor brought his clone of Robbie Martinez's '50 Olds 98 fastback. The original appeared in the Nov. '56 issue of Car Craft. Gary nailed it with a '55 Chevy truck grille and flipped bumper, '55 Cad headlight trim, '54 Packard taillights, and a '55 Poncho rear bumper, along with the rest of the modifications featured on the original car.The Retarded Sparks car club spent the day chopping member Chris Fontaine's '31 Tudor on site. The crowd readily responded to the free demo, and it was fun to stop by during the day to check progress.One of the coolest things about Billetproof is the trophies (back row). They're all handbuilt and are unique from year to year. The show's promoters even encourage clubs and individuals to create their own awards to hand out as they see fit (front row).Jerry Foreman, from Austin, Nevada, parked his '23 T-bucket next to Scotty Strebel's San Bruno, California–based '31 A pick'em-up. They're both cool prewar Fords, both have attitude, and both spout multi-carbed small-blocks, but the simple difference in wheel/tire choice places them in different eras. Which one has you drooling?Dig Guido Brenner's unfinished gow job. That's a '33 Chrysler flathead straight-eight with six carbs on a mocked-up intake between the rails. The body has a '20 Dodge Brothers cowl with the rear section of a '19 Stude Tourer narrowed and welded to it. The driver side has a Bantam-esque cutout instead of a door. The '26 Hupmobile headlights bookend a bare radiator until Guido finds a suitable shell.Here's the infamous (to some) Roach Rod currently under construction by Sam Strube of Livermore, California. It's a '23 T coupe-body-turned-roadster that Sam built on a $1,500 budget. Even though he's into it for almost twice that amount sans grille shell, he's shown that a cool car can be built on a budget through careful planning and artful scrounging.
Mike Shepherd rolled in from Sacramento in his green '57 Ford wagoon. It's powered by a tri-carbed Y-block and sits nicely on chrome reverse wheels and widewalls. Scallops and flames on a shaved body finish the look of this '60s-flavored sled.Ron Cecaci brought his Vitamin A former digger out from his Danville, California, home. He's converted the car mechanically for street use without disrupting the draggin' flavor of the exterior—except for the addition of headlights. The body is still clad in its racing livery and yes, those really are magnesium wheels.

subset: commoncrawl


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This item is temporarily out of stock. However, we can notify you as soon as this product becomes available.
Thank you
We have received your request and you will be notified as soon as this product becomes available.
Description: Cousin's Basics Beads and their designers know what you need, what you want, and what's on trend, ready for use in your next creative adventure, be it jewelry, home decor, or paper crafts.


text:
Your equipment should enhance, not hinder the joy and exhilaration of diving.
The Aeris Origin Mask features a very low volume, and light weight frame, with an extra wide field of vision. Easy adjusting low profile buckles offer convenience, comfort and hydrodynamics. The mask silicone skirt has a double feathered edge for a great seal, and a large one handed nose pocket to help in equalizing your ears.
The mask lens is made from ultra clear tempered safety glass and the molded silicone color accents allow you to color coordinate with your gear. With 5 colors to choose, black or clear silicone skirts, mask box for safe secure storage, a 30 day satisfaction guarantee and Aeris 12 month limited warranty this is one great mask choice for Scuba or snorkeling.
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Four Earn Academic All-Big 12 Honors
AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State tennis team had four student-athletes earn Academic All-Big 12 honors from the league, including three on the first team. The four honorees tied for the second-most in the conference.
Sophomore Meghan Cassens (business) and seniors Jenna Langhorst (industrial engineering) and Ellie Nixon (accounting) all earned first-team honors, which are given to student-athletes with at least a 3.20 grade point average.
Junior Emma Waites (communication studies) earned second-team accolades.
Langhorst, a Palatine, Ill. native, was recognized for the second time in her career after earning second-team honors as a junior. Cassens, Nixon and Waites were each honored for the first time.
A total of 53 Big 12 student-athletes were honored by the league.


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During North Central College's D-Term—a three-week period between Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas—students who plan to stay on campus or in the Naperville area can participate in a variety of activities. Some activities start as soon as Monday, Nov. 26, and some require advance registration; visit the Harold and Eva White Activities Center (WAC) front desk to learn more and sign up.
Students can choose to participate in any of these activity categories:


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New Calif. laws taking effect Jan. 1 | News
SACRAMENTO, CA - Shoppers are still getting their fill with those after-Christmas sales.
But come Jan. 1, the sales tax will temporarily jump another quarter-cent, bringing the statewide sales tax to 7 and 1/2 percent for four years.
California voters okayed the tax hike under Proposition 30 last month to save schools from deeper budget cuts.
"I got a 17-year-old now. I got grandkids that are going to be growing up and be in school. So whatever helps, we got to dig in our pockets a little deeper to help," said shopper Evangelina Hernandez.
Not everyone, though, is happy with another tax hike.
"Not looking forward to it," said shopper Vicki McAdams. "The reasons for it I know is to improve things, but I never see it going towards that."
The new year also brings some help to California's senior citizens.
Modeled after the Amber Alert for missing children, a Silver Alert could be activated by police for anyone 65 years old or older who's missing and in great danger because of a medical condition like Alzheimer's and dementia.
Families typically have to wait 24 hours to file a missing person's report.
"The Silver Alert law supercedes all of that and immediately puts the public and law enforcement into action looking for seniors who are lost," said Gary Passmore with Congress of California Seniors.
2013 changes some driving laws to account for technology.
Since lots of Californians are using SmartPhones these days, you'll be able to whip out your proof of insurance on those devices when a cop pulls you over.
Mike Dobson loves the idea since he just got a new iPhone 5.
"Because you have it with you all the time. What a wonderful thing if you have your proof of insurance all the time," he said " Maybe we can have our driver's license on there, you know? -(laugh").
Another change for drivers on New Year's Day: You'll be able text while you drive-IF you have SIRI or some other program on your cellphone that allows you to text hands-free
One controversial law is still on hold. The ban forbidding the use of gay-to-straight conversion therapy on minors in California is still tied up in court over its constitutionality.
Nannette Miranda


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It's always amazing to taste the older bottlings of Mondavi Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon. I think the last one I tasted was a 1974 Mondavi Reserve with a bunch of friends. I didn't leave specific tasting notes for that bottle, but I remember it holding it's own against the 1974 Chateau Margaux that we tasted the same night, which if you read the review I gave it 98 points.
The Durell Vineyard lies in the southwestern Sonoma Valley, almost in the Carneros appellation. This wine (as with most Kistler Chardonnay's) is a big, voluptuous, full-bodied effort, that will sing to most California Chardonnay lovers. I previously reviewed the 2004 Kistler Les Noisetiers Chardonnay and thought it was quite good.
I really don't get the opportunity to taste a wide variety of dry, white wine from Portugal, so this wine definitely sparked a bit of interest for me. It's produced by Niepoort which is a winery that specializes in both still and fortified wines. Click here to find out about the winery.
Chateau Longueville au Baron de Pichon-Longueville is the actual title of this wine, but most refer to the wine as "Château Pichon-Baron". It's one of Bordeaux's fourteen "second growth" wines and like most famous Bordeaux Chateaux it has a history that extends back for centuries.
For those of you who have ever tasted a bottling from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, you'll be able to attest to the greatness and fabulous complexity of their wines. Do they merit the price tag?($500 and up) Maybe not if you're comparing them to the kind of quality Pinot Noir you can obtain from both California and Oregon. However, what is unique to the tasting experience of a wine like this, is the incredibly history and exhilarating nostalgia involved in drinking something that only a small percentage of the world's population will ever have the chance of experiencing. That being said, this wine was great regardless of reputation and the awe that surrounds drinking a famous bottle of wine.
My experience with Grand Cru Brugundy is somewhat limited up until this point in my wine career. I've probably tasted a couple dozen of them both at trade events and at private parties. I do however, regard them as some of the best wines in the world when they are in prime drinking form. Burgundy as we know, is such a fickle wine region filled with so many great wines but very limited quantities and notoriously spotty vintages. The 1993 Dom. Laurent Mazis-Chambertin is a brilliant wine that is very much still an infant and is drinking amazingly.
I've had the opportunity to taste this wine on two other occasions and can honestly say that it's starting to really shine and become the wine that many thought it would be. The first time I tasted the wine about three years ago, it was no where near ready to drink and was far too massively structured and extracted to enjoy. It's quite possibly the boldest and most expressive wine from Montalcino to be made in the last couple decades.
It's always an amazing privilege to taste any bottling of Yquem and especially one that has been waiting to be opened for 27 years! This vintage of Château d'Yquem is characterized by it's amazing unctuous texture and it's richly sweet and full bodied style. Parker describes it as "massive"....
The 2008 vintage of Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a blend of three vineyards. Two of the vineyards, "Gap's Crown" and "Terra de Promissio", are located in the southern portion of the Sonoma Coast appellation lying directly in the path of the Petaluma Gap's cooling influence. The third component is a new addition from the northwestern reaches near Annapolis, Walala.
I apologize for the somewhat fuzzy picture of the label. The lighting and quality of my camera phone were slightly dodgy! Anyways, I should start off by saying that I think this wine and 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa are drinking exceptional at this point in time. The 03' vintage was a tad spotty in terms of overall quality, but I think it's time to start cracking them open and tasting a few right now.
Antica Terra is a Willamette Valley Pinot Noir that is made by Maggie Harrison, who was the assistant winemaker at the famed Sine Qua Non and apprenticed under Manfred Krankl for ten years. I'm sure she would like us to focus on the quality of her new wine and not so much the reputation of her previous employer and the wines she no longer makes.
Wines like these are a real passion of mine. Small production wines (200 cases) where the winery sources amazing fruit from the hidden corners of the Napa Valley. Wines that aren't very well know yet but have the potential to become the next "mailing list only" gems.
Legendary Santa Barbara vintner and TV icon Fess Parker passed away yesterday at the age of 85. The Texas-born Parker first made his name during the dawn of the TV era playing Davy Crockett, serialized on the popular Disneyland show. Parker followed that in the 1960s with a successful run on TV's Daniel Boone.
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Topic: Cant create mailbox after upgrade dovecot under ubuntu 9.04
After, i upgrade to fix security problem. I can not create new mailbox in /var/vmail/vmail01 but mysql can register through postfixadmin. Is it the permission problem? Any suggestion?
- Urgent issue? Pay iRedMail developer to solve it remotely at $39.


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Jobs for Life Seminar at Beltsville Adventist Community Center
Thursday, 07 November, 2013|
Would you like to be more confident and self-controlled in your job? Would you like to improve your skills and work ethic? Beginning September 30, the Jobs for Life seminar will be offered FREE through the Beltsville Adventist Community Center. The Jobs for Life seminar teaches biblical principles concerning work and the way those principles are applied in the marketplace. The seminar will be offered on Monday and Thursday evenings at 7:00 PM. Please call the church office to register at 301-937-8118 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Beltsville Adventist Community Center
4200 Ammendale Road
Beltsville, MD 20705
Beltsville, MD 20705
Event ContactPastor Glenn Holland
Phone: 301-937-8118
Website: Click to Visit


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MBA Spring 2013 Registration Starts Next Monday, Nov. 5th.
Get the information you need to get the classes you want!
Spring 2013 Registration approaches!
Spring 2013 course registration is just around the corner; are you ready? This special edition of the MBA News will help prepare you for this important event. We've prepared spreadsheets of the courses available and compiled a list of frequently asked questions regarding registration.
November 3rd 8:30am to 1pm – Open Advising Day, MBA Office, no appointment necessary
Spring 2013 Schedule Breakdown
Syllabi from previous terms may provide additional insights into courses you are considering. These syllabi are meant to be a resource so students should not purchase textbooks or make major decisions based on this information. You'll find the syllabi online here.
MBA Advisors are available for phone, email and in-person advising appointments. To schedule an appointment please contact the MBA Office at 513-745-3525. Here are our email addresses for any questions you may have.
Ann Marie Whelan
Lauren Parcell
Teresa Summe-Haas
Scheduling Advice from the MBA Office:
Here is a list of FAQ we have received from students regarding registration. The most important thing to know about registration is to register early and get on the waitlist if you are closed from a course. Here are additional insights…


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Planetary Formulas
Essential Fatty Acids
Planetary Formulas
Borage Super GLA 300 Full Spectrum
Borage Super GLA 300 Full Spectrum
Borage Super GLA 300 Full Spectrum 60 Softgel
Serving Size: 1 Softgel
Calories - 15 Calories from fat - 10
Total Fat
Borage Seed Oil Yielding: Linoleic Acid (LA) gamma-Linolenic Acid (GLA) Oleic Acid Palmitic Acid
*Percent Daily Values are based on the 2000 Calorie Diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. **Daily value not established.
Other Ingredients: gelatin, glycerin, purified water.
Warning: If you are pregnant, may become pregnant, or breastfeeding, consult your health care professional before using this product.
Suggested Use: 1 or 2 softgels daily with meals.
Planetary Formulas Borage Super GLA 300 is a specially prepared oil concentrate expressed from the seeds of the borage plant (Borago officinalis), using a specialized, solvent-free, cold-pressed extraction technique. Borage seeds are a rich source of essential fatty acids, including gamma linolenic acid (GLA), which are essential for human health. These fatty acids are necessary for maintaining the fluidity and flexibility of every cell membrane, and are integral in supporting the body's normal production of prostaglandins. Borage Super GLA 300 provides 300 mg of GLA per serving.
In our millenia-long passage from hunter-gatherers to supermarket shoppers, our diet has undergone profound changes. Specifically, we no longer consume the unprocessed foods that contain gamma linolenic acid (GLA). It is the intake of GLA that creates the soothing prostaglandins that are so important in promoting the fluidity of cellular membranes for proper nutrient absorption, brain function, skin health and immune system support.
The borage plant (Borago officinalis), also known as starflower, is indigenous to southern Europe, but now well established here in North America. This small, rough-leafed botanical with blue, star-shaped flowers has recently been rediscovered as the worlds finest source of GLA.
GLA is an essential fatty acid (EFA). As the name implies, EFAs are essential in our diet. And as our bodies cant manufacture them, we must get them from food. Unfortunately, their presence in todays processed American diet is dangerously low.
If we analyze the diets of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, we find that their primary dietary source of EFAs was wild game, which is much higher in EFAs than todays domesticated and process-fed animals. Since we evolved on the hunter-gatherer diet for millennia, and the present American diet has only been around a few generations, it makes sense that our bodies will benefit by approximating the positive aspects of our genetically programmed diet requirements as closely as possible.
The problem, however, is in our inability to pick up a mastodon rump roast, or other such wild game, during the commute home. Fortunately, Planetary Formulas Borage Super GLA 300 seed oil is now available.
As an essential fatty acid, GLA is a building block the body uses to ultimately produce and store energy, and is used in every cell of the body. EFAs help to make up our cellular membranes and act as gate-keepers for our cells. Having healthy cell membranes is crucial, as every cell must have the ability to take in the proper nutrients and keep out metabolic toxins. EFAs maintain the fluidity and permeability of our cellular membranes, promoting nutrient absorption. As the brain contains a high percentage of fatty tissue, EFAs also promote healthy brain function.
One of the most important roles of EFAs is the production of eicosanoids, short-lived regulatory messenger molecules inside our cells. These hormonelike substances regulate a variety of metabolic processes in the body, including blood pressure balance, smooth muscle contraction, proper blood clotting, blood vessel flexibility and immune system regulation.
The precursor to GLA, linoleic acid, is found in a large variety of foods, but converting it to GLA and ultimately to prostaglandins is difficult. There are many roadblocks along the way-including the consumption of alcohol, saturated fats, trans-fatty acids and the normal aging process. So, Borage Super GLA 300 is a good way of taking a metabolic shortcut and ensuring the production of the crucial prostaglandins.
Borage Super GLA 300 is an oil concentrate expressed from the seeds of the uniquely high-yielding borage plant using a specialized, non-toxic, solvent-free, coldpressed extraction technique. Each softgel capsule contains 1,300 mg of borage seed oil, yielding 300 mg of gamma linolenic acid and 446 mg of linoleic acid.
Recommended by acupuncturist, herbalist and author Michael Tierra, L.Ac., Planetary Formulas products blend classic Western, Ayurvedic and Chinese herbal formulations with modern pharmacological research for unsurpassed herbal protection. The result a natural dietary alternative unsurpassed for dependability and consumer satisfaction.
Horrobin, D. 1981. The Importance of Gamma- Linolenic Acid and Prostaglandin E1 in Human Nutrition and Medicine. Journal of Holistic MedicineVol. 3, pp. 119, 124,130. Horrobin, D. 1983. The Regulation of Prostaglandin Biosynthesis by The Manipulation of Essential Fatty Acid Metabolism. Reviews in Pure and Applied Pharmacological Sciences 4:341. Horrobin, D. 1981. Loss of Delta-6-Desaturase Activity as a Key Factor In Aging. Medical Hypotheses 7:1211. Leung, A. and Foster, S. 1996. Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics, 2nd. Ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 98, 235.


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New Energy is Driving Auto Production
Obama to give Electric Vehicles a shot
During one of President Obama's factory visits -- some might call it a campaign stop -- he joked that he would buy an electric car in about five years, or after his second term. That was just before GM, which makes the Chevy Volt, said it would suspend production of the car for five weeks beginning later this month.
What gives? Sales of the Volt have not met expectations. But even before that GM announcement, the president had been touting a plan to get more hybrid and electrics one the road, as well as those that are run by such fuels as natural gas. How so? By giving tax credits to buyers of those vehicles and by providing money to build out the necessary recharging and fueling infrastructures.
"We can't just keep on relying on the old ways of doing business," says President Obama, in a speech to truck workers at a Daimler plant in North Carolina. "We can't just rely on fossil fuels from the last century. We've got to continually develop new sources of energy."
Advocates say that the administration is thinking outside the usual paradigm -- to get past the dinosaur age of fossil fuels and into the modern realm. The financial incentives are necessary to grow the market and to create economies of scale that would improve technologies and decrease prices. Consumers would then be attracted and the subsidies could cease.
Skeptics of the proposed tax credits and federal spending are arguing that the market knows best -- not a bunch of politicians sitting in Washington, D.C. The internal combustion engine has survived all of these years not because of a lack of creative thinking but because it works better than anything else. Cars that run on gas can travel much longer distances than those that are powered by electricity.
Take the Chevy Volt: In 2011, GM sold 7,600 of those cars, short of its goal of 10,000. In 2012, the car maker had wanted to sell 45,000 of them. But if February is any indication, the company is a long way off. In fact, electric vehicles accounted for 2 percent of all cars driven off the lot in 2011, according to the Electric Drive Transportation Association.
Utility Revenues
That's a ominous start to the president's goal of putting 1 million electric cars on the road by 2015. Hence, the White House is trotting out its new proposal to jump start sales -- all hyped by $4 gas prices. The essence of his plan is to give $10,000 tax credits to buyers of alternative technologies as well as to pump in $1 billion to build out the infrastructure in key cities to run such vehicles.
"Accelerating the national deployment of electric drive cars and trucks -- battery electric, hybrid, plug-in hybrid -- and promoting diverse infrastructure options to support them will have real benefits," says Electric Drive Transportation Association President Brian Wynne. "Vehicles that run on electricity offer consumers cost savings and help boost use of domestic energy, as opposed to imported petroleum."
Electrification of the auto sector could potentially be a boon to utilities' bottom lines. Hundreds of billions are spent each year on gasoline. Even if car sales fall short of what the president is preaching, power companies would still be selling electricity into new business lines and creating lucrative revenues in the process.
There's still a ways to go before it would hit that point. In an analysis posted on its web site, vehicle expert Edmunds says that consumers can buy traditional cars and still pay the high price of gasoline and typically come out better than if they buy all-electric cars. In general, at $3 a gallon, the payback would be 15 years while at $5 a gallon, it would be nine years.
The Chevy Volt costs about $39,500 before the current tax credit of $7,500. The Nissan Leaf, its competitor, is about $32,000 before the same credit is applied. "The premium charged for hybrids and electric vehicles takes time for consumers to recover in fuel savings — often a long time, maybe even longer than they intend to own the car," says Michelle Krebs, senior analyst at Edmunds.
She goes on to say that the sales of such cars could increase irrespective of gas prices. That's because roughly 51 new hybrids will hit the market while eight new all-electric cars will do so. At the same time, though, smaller traditional cars that are getting 30-40 miles per gallon are becoming available.
Indeed, that's the free market at work. Consumers will have a choice of electric or traditional cars, many of which will use less petroleum than the current options. And that's something that the White House also supports, although it wants to pave the road for alternative vehicles to succeed.
EnergyBiz Insider is the Winner of the 2011 Online Column category awarded by Media Industry News, MIN. Ken Silverstein has also been named one of the Top Economics Journalists by Wall Street Economists.
Follow Ken on www.twitter.com/ken_silverstein
Industry thought leaders will be discussing this topic and more at the upcoming EnergyBiz Leadership Forum, Harnessing Disruption, taking place in Washington D.C., March 19-21, 2012. Review full conference details by visiting www.energybizforum.com
Electric cars
Electric car is a new face of automobile industry; it brings a revolutionary change in automobile industry due to its high efficiency capacity and performance. Mostly electric cars are known as fuel efficient cars and environmental friendly also; it provides multiple advanced feature and specification to the user and changes the concept of hybrid vehicles.
Electric cars are they conserving energy? Rev4
Electric cars are they conserving energy? Rev4
Ask yourselves what is the real cost of "Electric Car"?
Note: Electricity is a secondary form of energy derived by utilizing one form of energy to produce electric current.
Let us look at the facts:
In order to produce electricity, we need some form of energy to generate electricity, whereby you lose a substantial amount of your original source of energy in the generation process.
In the process we are losing the efficiency of the initial energy source, since it is not a direct use of the energy.
Let us take it a step further. To generate electricity we utilize; coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydro electric - water, photovoltaic-solar, wind, geothermal, etc. Many electricity generating plants utilize fossil fuel, which creates pollution.
Do you realize how much of the initial source of energy you lose to get the electricity you need for your electric automobile; you also lose electricity in the transmission lines.
Why are we jumping to a new technology, without analyzing the economic cost, the effective return and efficiency of such technology; while computing and measuring its affect on the environment?
Natural gas vehicles are a direct source of energy, where you get the most for your energy source – in efficiency and monetary value. Cost of natural gas to a comparable gallon of gas ranges around $1, it has higher octane and extends the life of your engine, it is also safer than gas.
In these hard economic times – I would think, you would want to get the most for your dollar – and not waste resources.
Another economic impact would be the loss of road tax on fuel, these funds are used to build and maintain the highway infrastructure.
"It is Cheaper to Save Energy than Make Energy"
YJ Draiman, Director of Utilities & Sustainability
Will High Electricity Rates Drive Innovation?
Escalating costs of OIL will produce innovation!
YJ Draiman's vision is to make Los Angeles as the World Capital of Renewable energy and conservation.
Electric cars are they conserving energy? No!
Electric cars are they conserving energy? No!
I worked with UPS in Chicago in the early 90's, researching the conversion of UPS vehicles to Natural Gas as a primary fuel with overnight slow fill stations on UPS compound.
If we are to survive the Energy crisis and become energy independent, we must utilize every effort not to waste our energy resources. Innovation and technology will eventually save the day.
Electric cars are a fiction of energy conservation, (Look at all the costs associated with such technology); it is not a viable option.
We must look into other forms of fuel, and invest heavily into R&D.
YJ Draiman, Director of Utilities & Sustainability
Free market?
You wrote: "Indeed, that's the free market at work. Consumers will have a choice of electric or traditional cars, many of which will use less petroleum than the current options. And that's something that the White House also supports, although it wants to pave the road for alternative vehicles to succeed."
No, a truly free market would be lead us right back to fossil fuels, where the real BTU's per quantity reside. It's a faulty assumption that just throwing money at some technology will automatically transfer into greater economies of scale. There are plenty of industries where economy of scale is never a real factor.
There might be a day when the so-called "renewables" can compete with fossil fuels dollar for dollar. The market, and not some junk-science crazed regime, will determine when that time should occur.
Natural Gas Cars - Low Cost - Transportation Alternative.
Dear EnergyBiz
Electric Cars are fine I guess but it seems to me that the US should be taking a much more active role to promote natural gas as the alternative fuel. Pushing Electric cars as some green alternative is not realizing the ineficiencies of the multiple conversions that have to occur to power the electric car. Coal or Nuclear or Gas or Hydro to Electricity -- to transmission line losses -- to Battery Charging -- to finally conversion to mechanical energy to propel the car. There are simply to many conversions to be efficient and frankly the electric car complexities are costly. I propose a more conventional and more efficient usage of the natural gas bonanza available in the US. Promote efficient and low cost alternative and get more natural gas powered cars on the road.
Garry Smith
Agree with your analysis concerning multiple conversions
You are correct, there are a lot of losses that proponents of electric vehicles do not figure in when they are doing their singing-the-praises of environmental stewardship usage of electric vehicles. Without even looking at the losses in transformers, transmission, distribution, and battery chargers, the gasoline equivalent mileage being claimed is bogus. If one stops to look at the average efficiency of fossil power plants in their service region, it is easy enough to calculate that, on a highway mileage basis, the gasoline equivalent mileage of the Leaf, for instance, is only about 32MPG, not the 100 to 110 one often sees claimed--and I am not confusing that with their range claims.
Unless one can guarantee there is no fossil-fueled power plant online while they are charging, they must assume they have added the last bit of load that causes that fossil-fueled plant to be running. Unless some careful planning is done around the charging process, I see the possibility that EVs may actually add to CO2 emissions because people are going to want to charge their vehicles when the want (or need) to.
EV tax credits are basically a boondoggle for the well-to-do with an environmental guilt complex and the car companies manufacturing a product too soon to be practical. The poor and financially struggling cannot afford an overly expensive vehicle that cannot meet their demands for transport reliably and that cannot be refueled in a few minutes on the way to where they need to go. Better to put any federal funds directed toward vehicle fuel efficiency into research improving the mileage of gasoline or diesel powered vehicles than on something a relatively few people can afford to buy.
Tiered Electricity Rates Unplug Electric Vehicles?
Hi Ken,
Thanks for the article. I've been considering electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles and have held off after my electric company implemented tiered rates at the residential level. I now pay much more if I use more than 500kWh in a month month.
There seems to be a disconnect in policies that encourage electric vehicles and the policies that encourage conservation via higher tiered rates.
Watching with amusement
I've been watching with amusement as auto companies push the electric vehicles in markets where they make no sense for precisely this reason. PG&E rates go up with usage, so lets sell in CA! Hilarious short sightedness. Yet in Chicago, real time pricing lets you charge for .05 $/kWh. Duh
Natural gas vehicles make more sense but today's premiums are making it cost ineffective. The Honda Civic NG is a $10k premiun over the gas model. At 15k miles/year and $4/gal gas the payback is 16 years. There is a sound economic reason we use what we use.
I wonder if your utility's practice is legal
It would be interesting if a lawyer were to look at the tiered rates you are talking about to see if it is even legal. It does not really cost the utility anymore to supply you with more power if you are careful about when you use it and especially if you adjust your lifestyle and activities to use the electricity during the odd hours--like running the washing machine, drier, and dishwasher in the "witching hours"; or charging an electric vehicle in those same hours. One could even argue that your use of more electricity should result in a decreasing tier rather than increasing--after all, if you have a 100A X 220V service to your home, the cost of installation and maintenance of the distribution and service lines does not change so the cost/KWh should decrease.
You might want to challenge their practice to your public utility commission.


text:
I read that long post about doors being objects and so on, and it really didn't help what I think is about to be a really simple yet dumb questions.
What is the easiest way to handle a locked door in between 2 rooms, the living room and the kitchen.
Should I make an object in the kitchen called doorkit2liv with an alias of door? Then again make an object in the living room called doorliv2kit with an alias of door?
Then set both objects the same "type" for the lock/unlock properties?
I know I must not be seeing the simple solution here, so forgive, but if you can give some advice to do this the quickest and easiest way, much thanks.


text:
Profile: Young Lam
Teachers seeking adventure, or simply a shot in the arm, may want to consider a 27-month stint with the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps is always looking for teachers, and for many, the break from teaching in the U.S. is just what teachers need for a fresh outlook.
Young Lam had a brief career in engineering at a small bio-medical firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and then spent a year in a graduate program at the University of Michigan School of Education before leaving for Kenya to teach math and physics for the Peace Corps. She teaches at a boarding high school of 235 girls and wrote a letter to share her experiences.
"My students range in age from 14 to 23. Often times, a family cannot afford to send two kids to school at the same time. Priority is given to the boys, and girls must stay at home until their parents can afford to send the girls to school," she explains. "Most of our students come from villages surrounding the school."
"My teaching style is to try to demonstrate everything possible, accompanied by lots of questions and lots of loud noises and sound effects. One of the challenges I struggle with is how to encourage students to do homework. Unlike in the U.S., the Kenyan educational system doesn't seriously take into account students' grades from exams or homework. The only factor used to determine their success in secondary school is the national exam. As a result, students often neglect doing their homework or don't take the minor exams seriously. I have adjusted my teaching to try to cover all the material during class time. I feel that in mathematics, practice in solving problems is crucial. I often move around the classroom checking each student's progress one by one. I focus on the national exam, choosing to spend lengthy periods of time going deeper into topics that are common on the national exam," she says.
Form 1 and Form 2 mathematics (ninth and tenth grade) do not involve a lot of abstract theories, so she demonstrates concepts using locally available materials. "When studying land surveying, we used the school's playing field, which has large patches of tall grass where the cows have not fed. Those patches were excellent for us to measure, using local twine and twigs. My Peace Corps mountain bike was a fascinating gadget for students when I used it as part of a demonstration. I had students ride the bike and record distance and time. I used this data to teach the linear equation y=mxtb. Simple clinometers were constructed by students using rulers, sticky tape, strings, plastic tubes from chemistry solution containers, and protractors to learn angle of elevation and depression.
"One advantage of teaching here is that I don't feel limited or restricted in the activities I do with students. There are not as many school rules and regulations like permission slips and parental signatures to bar teachers from taking students outside or down to the river for demonstrations or class," she says.
"We're very busy right now preparing for the exam. I want to use vocabulary cards, formula flash cards, and problem cards. I have ideas of creating games and puzzles based on the exam topics. Students are visiting my house in the teachers' quarters at night and on weekends seeking help," she says.
While some Peace Corps Volunteers live in cities in apartments, Young's environs fit the stereotype of Peace Corps service. "I have grown to really enjoy my house. It is comfortable, cool, and airy, especially with the many gaps and openings in the timber walls where sunlight often filters through. Even though I live alone, I have many living companions – creatures living in the roof and in hidden nooks and corners. The most fascinating to watch are the lizards, which stay for hours on the walls, motionless," Young explains.
"My Peace Corps experience has changed my life. I would like to think that in December 2002 when I set foot on an airplane to fly home, I can say I have helped people, changed lives, made my family and friends proud I do know that being a Peace Corps Volunteer has done something for me. Better awareness of the world. More appreciation for the things I have, the way people live outside of America deeper understanding of people and cultures. A clearer sense of the important things in life. A closer connection to loved ones at home. A better defined meaning of what it is to be a teacher
"I believe that the Peace Corps needs more older, experienced teachers who can bring their experiences, skills and bag of tricks to the challenges of teaching in a different culture. Readers might consider Peace Corps service as part of their teaching career. The frustrations are many. The personal rewards are even greater. Then, perhaps you will find that service in the Peace Corps demonstrates its motto: 'The toughest job you'll ever love,'" she concludes.
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text:
It's now just one week until the biggest security event of the year – Infosec!! Once again IBM will be attending, this year we will be giving NINE speaking sessions.
Our Key Note Session -
Presentation Title: 2011 was the year of the
Security Breach...what are the security & risk trends for 2012?
Speaker: Robert Freeman, Manager, X-Force Advanced Research Strategy, IBM
Theatre: Technical Theatre Date: 26/04/2012 Time: 12:00
Workshops over the three days:
Workshop Title: The Advanced Persistent Threat in 2012
Speaker - Robert Freeman, Manager, X-Force Advanced Research Strategy, IBM
Synopsis - In years past, there was a common misperception that Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) was just a problem for governments and government contractors. In 2011, there were many high-profile security breaches that were influential in affecting this misperception. Organizations of different sizes and focus areas face the threat of operationally sophisticated, targeted attacks to their computer networks. These attacks are amongst the greatest challenges facing network security professionals and researchers alike. To meet this challenge, IBM X-Force thinks it is important to consider new perspective and approaches to network hardening, breach detection and incident response. One needs to think beyond thinking like an attacker and see it as the game that it is. We have been on the forefront of understanding these threats and this talk will provide updated information from IBM X-Force on this threat and the mindset required to meet the APT challenge.
Workshop Title: Providing Your Business, Total Security Intelligence
Speaker: Steve Durkin, EMEA Channels Director at Q1 Labs, an IBM Company
Synopsis: As the world becoming more digitised and interconnected, more doors are being opened to emerging threats and leaks. Security is needed to be made a top concern, from the boardroom down. A report published by Verizon on Business Data Breaches in 2011, found that 48% of total data breaches were caused by insiders and 48% of breaches involved a misuse of an insider's privileges. All organisations, no matter the size or industry, need to put security first, allowing for the analysis of people, data, applications and infrastructure to be carried out easily and intelligently and providing instant information and visibility into business risks.
Workshop Title: Securing Mobile Devices in the Enterprise
Speaker: Vijay Dheap, Security Systems Product Manager - IBM Mobile Security Solutions
Synopsis: Enterprises want to fully capitalise on the business value of mobility but still have significant concerns about the security implications. To address these challenges, mobile security needs to be viewed and understood holistically from securing the device and the data on the device to secure access to enterprise systems and application security. In this session we will highlight the spectrum of requirements that Mobile Security covers, describe how some organisations have gotten started and introduce the concept of mobile security intelligence. Given the innate dynamic nature of mobility, an intelligent, adaptable mobile security solution is required to provide an enterprise with the necessary visibility, and control in managing threats and risks without degrading user experience.
Workshop Title - Infrastructure Protection - Towards an Optimised Security Position
Speaker - Simon Smith, CISSP - Client Technical Professional, IBM Security Systems
Synopsis - As the nature of the threat to business
changes it is important that companies review their position with regard to
security and particularly how mature their detection and prevention
capabilities are. This session looks at
some of the technology that can be used for Infrastructure protection and how
this might be integrated with other systems and data sources to provide a more
optimised solution. We will discuss the
way that a company can move from a basic security position, through proficient
and finally to optimised, giving the capability to be pre-emptive with
protection and use Security Intelligence and Analytics to provide better
protection and thus stay ahead of the threat.
Workshop Title: Application Security Hacking 101
Speaker: John Smith - IBM Application Security Specialist
Synopsis: Despite a decreased share of the vulnerability disclosures in 2011 (X-Force
Trends and Risks report, 2011) Web Application vulnerabilities still represent the single largest category of issues. This session will examine some of the common types of attacks and show how they work and how to defend against them.
Workshop Title: Integrated, Intelligent Security Analytics for the Enterprise
Speaker(s): Rob Ford - Architect - IBM Security Services, Global OM&D
Jef Gielkens - Managed Security Services Executive, Europe IBM Security Services
Synopsis: In a hyper-connected era can we ever achieve strong security? The answer is yes, but it requires some fundamental changes on how information and events are aggregated from the enterprise. The very strengths of these interconnected networks — their speed and openness, the easy access anywhere on the globe — also create a myriad of vulnerabilities. This session focuses on how you can enhance the levels of security intelligence and visibility provided by your existing security infrastructure, by leveraging the benefits of Security focused Cloud Based Data Analytics and protection technologies, in an efficient manner.
We will also have a smoothie bar on the stand (F40), so if you are attending, why not come along to the stand at grab a FREE refreshing fruit drink! You will also get the chance to talk one on one with our many experts – perhaps getting a demo of our latest products/solutions, use our Touchscope technology to browse key IBM Security pieces of collateral, or check out our Tweetwally, which will show all the twitter conversations during the day.
To join in our Twitter activity on the day – please use #infosec12 with #IBM. You can follow me @RSwindell, or our main security account @IBMSecurity.
Several of our security experts are on Twitter – John Paul Ballerini - @jpballerini, Bharat Bhusan - @_bharat_, Tom Mellow - @vintage1951, Glenn Ambler - @gambler2073, Marc Van Zadelhoff - @mvzadel and Nick Coleman - @teamsecurity. Darren Argyle - @D_Argyle
One of the experts – Vijay Dheap (@dheap) - recently shared his views with me, on what he saw the main topics of conversation at the event being. With many organisations needing to for address the speed of mobile adoption in the workplace, what their options are and how to get started. He added that the most mature organizations have one or more solutions deployed and trying to be more proactive in designing their security posture – of course all of which our IBM experts at the event would be able to help with.
Vijay also has a blog that I am sure you would find interesting - http://ow.ly/aj7Z9
If you are not attending the event, but keen to speak to IBM about their sessions, then please visit –email me at email@example.com and I will be happy to send the decks to you, and put you in touch with one of our experts!
We also have Pulse Comes To You on 30th May at The Grange, Tower Hill – where our customers & prospects can learn more about the entire Security Systems and Tivoli division. Registration is now open at - http://ow.ly/aiP1C


text: Our administration recently upgraded to 7.2.0_GA_2669 (build 20120410002323). As an executive assistant who relies heavily on monitoring the calendars of several executives, I was dismayed by the change to calendar color blocks. I know that in technology, change marches on, and in time, I'd likely get used to the little color bar, rather than having the entire entry in color. However, the colors are not true. Yellow is pale limey (though the color swatch in the choice area is bright and strong). Medium gray is pale blue. Orange is anemic, except for the unaccepted entries. I don't know how many others find this change unhelpful, but the few people I've mentioned it to have shared my concern. I would be grateful if something could be done to at LEAST strengthen and true the colors that are used in the event band to identify each users' calendar. This would help me appreciate the other new features of Zimbra calendar more.


text: Archives > Writers Page 1 of 2 Next Page > Historic leave-taking By Scott Lamb & Paula R. KincaidPosted June 27, 2014News | DETROIT—The Presbyterian Church (USA)—in a move long expected but nonetheless momentous for the 1.8-million-member denomination, the nation's sixth… [http://www.worldmag.com/2014/06/historic_leave_taking] Death by mobile phone By Scott LambPosted Sept. 23, 2011Issues | The local news reported 11 dead in a crash on I-65, about 70 miles south of Louisville, Ky. Early news reports indicated that an 18-wheeler smashed into a… [http://www.worldmag.com/2011/09/death_by_mobile_phone] Guilt by association By Scott LambPosted Aug. 6, 2011Sports | New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter collected his 3,000th hit on July 9. Although 27 other players in major league baseball history had gone before Jeter… [http://www.worldmag.com/2011/08/guilt_by_association] The Gamecocks' inspired victory By Scott LambPosted July 1, 2011Sports | The University of South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team won its second consecutive College World Series Tuesday night, defeating the University of Florida… [http://www.worldmag.com/2011/07/the_gamecocks_inspired_victory] A family amid the flood By Scott LambPosted May 28, 2011Art | As the Mississippi River slogs its way through Louisiana and Mississippi, we are reminded once again that too much water in the wrong place and at the wrong… [http://www.worldmag.com/2011/05/a_family_amid_the_flood] Accomplishment and character By Scott LambPosted May 20, 2011Sports | Inside the small farmhouse, a young couple enjoyed their first autumn living in the Missouri Ozarks. Orange leaves still left on the trees clung tightly to… [http://www.worldmag.com/2011/05/accomplishment_and_character] Traveling down the hero's road By Scott LambPosted May 13, 2011Sports | Finding heroes can be as easy as driving down the road-if you pay attention to what road you're on. I have five tickets and four sons, and tonight we'll be in… [http://www.worldmag.com/2011/05/traveling_down_the_hero_s_road] Finding heaven and hell in Walmart By Scott LambPosted May 10, 2011Religion | I trekked into Walmart for milk and bread but didn't make it past the magazines and books. I looked. I counted. Eight? How could Walmart stock eight different… [http://www.worldmag.com/2011/05/finding_heaven_and_hell_in_walmart] Two strikes and he's out: Manny Ramirez retires By Scott LambPosted April 12, 2011Sports | Rather than face a 100-game suspension for his second performance-enhancing drug violation, baseball slugger Manny Ramirez decided to retire from baseball on… [http://www.worldmag.com/2011/04/two_strikes_and_he_s_out_manny_ramirez_retires] No offense in Super Bowl XLV? By Scott LambPosted Feb. 4, 2011Media | Forget about tight ends, tackles, and touchdowns. What many want to know is whether the television commercials that will air during Super Bowl XLV will have… [http://www.worldmag.com/2011/02/no_offense_in_super_bowl_xlv] Christianity and the culture of sports By Scott LambPosted Oct. 8, 2010Books | The pillars of religion and sports undergird the house of American culture. Over 40 percent of Americans tell pollsters (perhaps with some bit of fibbing) [http://www.worldmag.com/2010/10/christianity_and_the_culture_of_sports] Resetting the conversation on baseball and steroids By Scott LambPosted Oct. 1, 2010Sports | With the unveiling of The Tenth Inning on PBS this week, filmmaker Ken Burns did something he has never done before to one of his acclaimed documentaries: He… [http://www.worldmag.com/2010/10/resetting_the_conversation_on_baseball_and_steroids] Page 1 of 2 Next Page >


text:
WPP - Congrats on seeing the heartbeat! If you believe the old wives tales, a high heartbeat means it's a girl. Have fun telling your family! The due date is a total guess anyway, but you're better off having as late a date as possible. If your OB's policy is to induce by 42 weeks, you want to make sure you have as much time as possible before that end date. Then you at least have more time to go on your own. From what I understand, most doctors won't change your due date unless your ultrasound shows that you're a week off or more.
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March 2013 Pregnancy
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/16/2013 2:17 PM EDT
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/16/2013 2:34 PM EDT
WPP, congrats on hearing the heartbeat!
Gestation times, just like our temperature as humans, are an average. Just like not everyone has the average "normal temp" of 98.6, not every baby is supposed to gestate for exactly 40 weeks from LMP. So, it's always an estimate, and can be pretty far off if a particular baby comes in the tails of the normal curve of gestation time.
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/16/2013 6:47 PM EDT
In response to Chiclet831's comment:
I have a total first-time-mom question... When exactly do babies wear pajamas? My MIL just dropped off a bunch of those one piece sleeper things with the feet. We also have a few layette sets and one of these nightgown things. (Links included because I don't know what any of these things are really called!) To me, these are all pajamas.
For newborns, those are clothes. (and that blue striped one in the first link is SO CUTE!). You might even want to get a few with the flaps that cover their hands to keep them from scratching themselves... you can fold over the flap to cover their hands, and uncover them and fold them back around the wrist. I didn't look at the other links - but I bet I know what the nightgown thing is, and those are clothes, too, for a newborn - easier to do the 1000 diaper changes per day.
Bad that she said it that way, but the clothing is so darn cute I'm sure she actually had to put 1/2 of everything back that she wanted!
So unless it's august, I'd say baby wears the blue striped outfit with the footies, then you swaddle for bed/nap, unswaddle for playtime, holding and feeding. Or a sleepsack if you don't do swaddling but what something warm at bedtime. BUT if it's august you won't need warmth, so you'd swaddle if baby needs/likes it and then have baby in a light onesie or a lightweight blue striped outfit type thing.
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/18/2013 10:52 AM EDT
A must for summer babies = muslin swaddle blankets!! They are light but can be folded over a few times for in the car, etc. Keep in mind air conditioning and transitions from hot to cool.
DD was born last July. For daytime I usually kept her in a onesie and covered her/wrapped her legs with a muslin swaddle blanket, then at night put her in the one piece footie PJs, again with the muslin. She hated to be swaddled per se - always needed her arms out. The gowns were cute, but always rode up around her waist and her little legs would be hanging out. I found the one pieces much more user friendly, and even more so for the ones that had zippers instead of snaps. =)
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/18/2013 1:46 PM EDT
FOr those with head-up babies, don't worry too much (though feel free to hang upside-down off the couch as much as you can if it makes you more comfortable!) My DD was head-down for a while and then just flipped back up breech at 36.5 weeks (I know exactly when it happened because it was wicked uncomfortable at the time, since it was getting a little cramped!). She turned again by 38 weeks on her own (well, with some upside-down off the couch time on my part) but if she hadn't my OB was willing to dry to "version" her around (manually push try to flip her by pushing on my belly from the outside). So there are options, no matter what. They just triple-checked when I was in labor to make sure she was actually head-down since it said on my chart she'd been roaming.
Good luck!
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/18/2013 1:58 PM EDT
Piggybacking on what Lissa said, my first DD was also head up and moved on her own at about 36.5 weeks. I didn't do anything special to get her to move, just regular normal activities. I actually had no idea that she had flipped, they were able to detect it at my next appointment.
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/19/2013 12:01 PM EDT
Thanks for the tip on going for a later date, chiclet. That makes sense and a C-section/induction are things I'm really hoping to avoid unless absolutely necessary.
We told our families this weekend and it went really well. Now I just want to tell everyone! We'll probably keep it quiet for another week or two though. When we told our families, we just said, "Oh, we have some pretty cool to show you..." and then just handed them the ultrasound picture. Their reactions were great and my SIL is really excited about our kids being about six months apart.
I ordered a couple books from Amazon: the Mayo Clinic one that I think Kar recommended and Baby Bargains.
I feel like I may need the bella band soon! I haven't gained any weight (maybe a pound) but I feel like my stomach is sticking way out now! I'm small though, so I imagine I'll start showing earlier.
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/19/2013 12:08 PM EDT
Congrats on telling the fam, WPP!
Early pg hormones cause abdominal distention (they slow intestinal motility) long before the baby does, and the more slender you are the more it shows.
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/20/2013 8:05 AM EDT
Glad that telling your family went well WPP! I would definitely get that bella band, if you feel like you could use it. I am 26 weeks and still using mine. It is so, so useful! Of course, I no longer use it to extend wear on my regular wardrobe, but it is super helpful in holding up maternity pants. Some of my maternity pants are still too loose, and tend to sag unattractively if I don't have the extra help from the band to sinch them up around my waist. Also, if my shirt is a little on the short side, the bella band keeps the ugly stretchy waist panel on my pants from showing and just looks like I layered a tank top under my shirt. I have 2 of them and I wear one at least 5 days a week.
Baby bargains is helpful! That's another good buy. Just take its advice with a grain of salt and cross-reference with amazon reviews and your own research.
Second time moms (or lurkers or anyone with expertise in newborn care)--are there any books you recommend about caring for a newborn? Anything I should pick up and read through before baby comes?
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/20/2013 9:23 AM EDT
In response to siena09's comment:
Second time moms (or lurkers or anyone with expertise in newborn care)--are there any books you recommend about caring for a newborn? Anything I should pick up and read through before baby comes?
Sienna, We ended up with a bunch of books given to us by various people, but these were the ones I looked at the most: Baby 411, The Nursing Mother's Companion, The AAP's Caring for your Baby and Young Child, and--more for the 3-6 months range--Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Weissbluth.
That said, I probably would have been fine without the books between all the well visits to the pedi, my moms group, and the Internet. So, don't worry if you never get around to reading them! Or, at least not fully!
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/20/2013 11:37 AM EDT
Siena, I liked the Happiest Baby on the Block. We had the book but I hear the video is also good. I also had Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child--I took a lot of that one with a grain of salt and didn't follow a lot of the advice but still found it helpful. I also had the No Cry Sleep Solution and that was somewhat helpful also.
I'm pregnant now with #2--about 13 weeks. Had the early risk assessment last week and all looks pretty good so far! I have a lot of anxiety this time around, less about the pregnancy than about having two small kids. Whenever I'm with my daughter I'm thinking, "Now, how would this work if there were *also* a newborn here?" and I just don't know the answer! I'd love to hear from other moms of 2, especially if anyone has anything reassuring on that one!
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/20/2013 1:05 PM EDT
Siena - I second Baby 411 for a good all things newborn reference. It's very easy to find answers to any questions you have and is divided up nicely into sections like eating, sleeping, etc.
Thistleflower - I just wanted to say I am pregnant with my second as well and have been experiencing the same anxiety. Everything from how am I going to sleep with 2 to how am I going to love this second baby as much as I love my first? I've been feeling more down overall this time around and I'm not sure why (I am having a girl this time and have a boy and people tell me you are more emotional with a girl - old wives tale I'm sure). I have 7 weeks to go and there are days where I'm so sick of being pregnant and can't wait to be done and days when I'm terrified of it being over. I'm with you on needing some reassurance from moms with two (or more).
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/20/2013 1:13 PM EDT
Lissa and Rama - good to hear! I'm 34 or 35 weeks now, and last Monday he was head up and on Friday he was head down. So I was very pleased! However, I would not be at all surprised if he flips again. I can see so much motion happening, plus they said on Friday that the fluid is a little high, so I feel like he still has a lot of room to roam. I really really really want him to stay head down, but I also kind of enjoy hanging off the couch. :) And I will definitely try the version if it comes to that - they said they wouldn't even consider it until after 36 weeks.
Siena - I didn't read any books before DD was born because they stressed me out, but I did practice diapering and swaddling a stuffed animal. The book I had after that I liked best was the updated Dr. Spock. It isn't a book you'd sit down and read, it's more like a reference guide. I liked looking things up in it, and it also seemed more factual than advice (although I'm sure that it still has a perspective). Someone also gave us the Dr. Sears book, and I used it as a reference occasionally, but I hated it because it came off so judgy. The only other thing I wished I had looked up / tried before the baby was born was nursing stuff. I don't know if a class or a book would have been the best bet (or maybe the internet?), but I wished I had known more about how latching works, seen a video maybe of a "good" latch on, and practiced how to hold a baby for nursing. When they handed me DD and had me give it a go, I had NO idea what position to hold her in and it was super awkward.
Thistle - congratulations! #2 is not due for another month, but I just wanted to tell you that I had the same worries, especially earlier in this pregnancy. They have settled down, but it was definitely a different set of concerns at the start of the second pregnancy.
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/20/2013 2:16 PM EDT
If you're curious about breast feeding - take a class. That was probably the best prenatal class we took before my first - gave us ideas of holds, what to expect, etc. Much better than any book could do.
As for having 2, it's totally doable. I have a 5 year old and almost 3 year old and #3 is on the way. WE wouldn't have gone for #3 if we couldn't have handled the 2 we already have, and we feel pretty comfortable. You lose a little more of your personal time / space, but the two kids totally makes up for it. I'm a bit nervous now about 3, as they'll outnumber us. But, I'm hoping the older ones will help out as much as they claim to want to (which also means simply playing together so I can tend to the baby at times).
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/20/2013 2:27 PM EDT
Most of the books I read (at least parts of) have already been mentioned - Baby Bargains; Happiest Baby on the Block; Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. I also read What to Expect the First Year. I had only read a little of Happiest Baby when I received a free copy of the DVD, so learned some good infant tips from that. Later, I found HSHHC very helpful - a little confusing, but overall I believe it helped to get DD in a good routine and to sleep through the night early on.
As some others have mentioned, I found books helpful in some ways, but in other ways I learned a lot more from this message board and friends and family. Personally, I would highly recommend reading up on sleep.
We also went to a one-time newborn care course before the baby was born. Probably 75% of the stuff I already knew, but it was good for DH to hear things from a nurse's mouth instead of mine. I feel like he took it more seriously than if I would have told him not to do certain things. And hey I learned 25% more :o)
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/21/2013 10:57 AM EDT
highly recommend the american pediatric association book your baby's first year (or something like that) - basically a big reference guide with basic, useful info (e.g. - how to bathe a newborn, feeding guidelines, etc.).
finally checking in on the boards after having DS on 3/8! had a pretty bad c-section experience this time around; i think the dr did something wrong when entering and DS ended up in the nicu due to swallowing some fluid and low blood count. and to top it off, now my incision is infected. :( weird b/c my first c-section (with the twins) was FINE with no complications same doctor. i'm definitely annoyed. but the good news is DS is fine, big and super easy so far, so if only my recovery was going as planned things would be great! :-/
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/21/2013 11:26 AM EDT
Congrats, Stef! So sorry about the infection and the complications...we never really know what's going on down there. Hope you're able to rest and recover a little bit, although I know having two two year olds all over you and the baby probably makes that a challenge!
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/21/2013 12:17 PM EDT
Congrats, Stef! Sorry to hear your recovery has been rough -- that can't be easy to deal with having a newborn and twins. Thinking of you!
WPP, so glad you told your families! I recommend the book "The Panic-Free Pregnancy" to your DH. It helped me relax early on in my pregnancy.
Thanks everyone on the tips re: baby clothes and books. Very helpful!
AFM, I got some bad work news this week. I may not have a job to come back to after my maternity leave due to my firm having serious financial problems. Not what I wanted to hear at 34 weeks pregnant. There's also a chance nothing will happen or I might be able to come back part-time. I'm having a really hard time dealing with the stress and uncertainty of the situation. They didn't even give me a timeframe as to when a decision will be made. On the bright side, it is really putting my other concerns into perspective -- it really doesn't matter if the nursery is not cute enough, etc.
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/21/2013 1:18 PM EDT
Congratulations, Stef! Although sorry to hear the recovery is so unpleasant. I have my fingers crossed for you that once you're physically on the mend, the new LO will be fun for you.
JL - sorry to hear your stressful news as well. :(
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/21/2013 2:05 PM EDT
Congrats on all the new pregnancies - WPP and thistle. Congrats on seeing the heartbeat WPP. That is so exciting!!
And congrats on the birth of your new little guy stefani! I'm sorry the recovery is so rough! As if having twins and a newborn isn't stressful enough!
jl - sorry to hear that your employment situation is up in the air - definitely stressful!
AFM- 26 weeks and things are going well. Had a dr appt yesterday and was shocked that I passed my glucose tolerance test. I failed it my last pregnancy but passed the 3-hour test, so I was prepared for the same thing this time. What a relief. Ultrasound was good - baby is estimated at almost 2 pounds, which puts her in the 26th percentile. This baby could be at risk for low birthweight due to having a 2-blood-vessel cord (instead of 3), so as long as she stays on this track, I'm thrilled. Still getting my weekly progesterone shots too as a therapy to hopefully prevent pre-term birth - although yesterday's shot was the most painful one I've had yet. Ouch! I just have to keep reminding myself it is a means to an end and I'd get 50 shots if it would get this baby to full-term!
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/21/2013 2:14 PM EDT
Congratulations stefani on your baby! I'm sorry that the delivery was complicated, and I hope you are on the road to a speedy recovery from the surgery & infection. How frustrating!
JL--I'll keep my fingers crossed for your job stability!
ALS--glad your appt went well and baby is on track! We're at the same gestational point, but my doctor isn't doing my GTT until 29 weeks. It seems late, but I trust her and I'm not at particularly elevated risk for GD, although I know you can never tell since pregnancy can cause it in women with no other risk factors.
Thanks for all the book suggestions! I'm keeping a list. My plan is to get them from my local library and page through them, then order copies of whatever seems useful for repeated reference. This plan may be foiled by the fact that the first one I checked (Happiest Baby on the Block) already has like 15 holds on it already! Hmph.
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/21/2013 4:21 PM EDT
Congratulations Stefani! I hope your recovery starts getting better. I'm sure the snuggles from your little man are helping!
JL - Hopefully your work situation gets straightened out! Maybe it will be a blessing in disguise if you get more time with your little one. (If there has to be a bright side...)
ALS - Yay for passing your glucose test! What a relief!
Siena - I didn't get my glucose test done until almost week 29 either. Also, does your library have the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD? I've heard that it's just as good as the book, maybe better if you're a visual learner.
The admin assistant asked me today how much longer I'll be able to fit into the shirt I'm wearing. I cannot get over the things that people think are okay to say to a pregnant woman that they would NEVER say to anyone else. For the record, this shirt fits fine. It's not pulling or short or anything.
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/21/2013 7:23 PM EDT
lol chiclet - that admin, i can't believe she asked that!!!
thank you all for the well wishes. :) the visiting nurse came today to change the "dressing" (eew) on the incision and it feels better already so things are looking up! :)
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/21/2013 10:51 PM EDT
ALS, regarding the shots - while I've never been pregnant I did have to get every other week shots for about 6 or so months in my feet and sometimes it starts to hurt because you 'know' it's going to hurt (because honestly, it does) so then you tense up, making it hurt SO MUCH more. So I would sit and say a little quiet mantra 'relax, soft, relax, relax' and close my eyes and it helped. One time I had a different doctor do the shot and he 'talked me through it' (he works with pediatric patients mostly) and by the time he said 'ok, I'm going to spray this stuff on your foot, and then wait a second, then I'll put it in, but slowly, you might feel it a little' blah blah I was so ON EDGE that it really hurt. My other doctor would spray the stuff, wait the minute or so, then grab my foot and insert needle. Not jab, just insert with alacrity. SO MUCH better. Also having him do that didn't give me much time to tense up, and if I did I'd do my 'relax, relaaaaaxxxxx' thing.
Perhaps this will help you?
Re: March 2013 Pregnancy
posted at 3/22/2013 11:14 AM EDT
Thanks for the advice CT! I usually don't have a problem with getting shots - but I think maybe they are starting to get to me - mentally and physically. I will try to be more relaxed. :)


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Good Guiding - What got you over the hump?
Posted 19 March 2009 - 09:00 AM
Just when I feel like I'm almost there, I'll go out and just get horrible results. That's too much like fishing (my other hobby). This ought to be a more consistent experience once you learn the nuts and bolts. I've been guiding through my WO66 and taking pictures through the 8". My last time out things went pretty well - not perfect pinpoint stars but pretty close - not bad for a newbie shooting at 1200mm focal length. The other night I was trying to shoot a few subs of M37 through the WO66 at 300mm while guiding through the SCT at 1200mm. Results were horrible, my stars were big lines (RA tracking errors). I turned off guiding and had the same result so looks like my mount was tracking really bad and guiding couldn't fix it. I'm seem to do better when I'm shooting objects in the NE part of the sky (object rising) but when I try to shoot high in the sky just west of the Meridian I struggle to get good tracking. I do balance the scope very slightly east heavy each time but maybe I need to unbalance it more to get better tracking? I don't know. I'm not necessarily trying to troubleshoot my specific problems here but really just looking for general "wisdom" from others who get good results. Things to check for, common problems, etc.
Posted 19 March 2009 - 09:06 AM
First, I get better results pointing to the East also, and I've pretty much nailed it down to the fact that my Dec motor hangs off the side of my mount and when pointed East it's in a fairly neutral position. Otherwise it skews my balance. Maybe you have the same issue?
Second, imaging at 1200mm and guiding at 300mm is probably the reason for most of your issues. Your guide cam is not seeing very much movement at all, definitely not as much as your imaging cam is. Is there any way that you can barlow your guide cam and try it? I'd do at least 3x.
Posted 19 March 2009 - 11:26 AM
Posted 19 March 2009 - 12:31 PM
Posted 19 March 2009 - 12:37 PM
I had read this advice repeatedly here on CN and it made perfect sense, but sometimes I don't relate concepts to practice as easily as I should. When I started seeing erratic corrections being needed in PHD, I looked at many different possible causes before pulling this advice out of the cobwebs and applying it. Problem solved.
Posted 19 March 2009 - 12:51 PM
I have software that works with CCDSoft to graphically display the guider errors. I use it to drift align quickly each time I set up for imaging. If you would like to try the software you can find it at www.dougsastro.net. It only works with CCDSoft.
Best Regards, Doug
Posted 19 March 2009 - 12:51 PM
Posted 19 March 2009 - 01:14 PM
The bottom line is, perfect polar alignment, achieved through drift alignment, is ideal, but less than perfect may suffice depending on your setup. And even if you do a drift alignment each time, you have the option of deciding how long you need to monitor the drift in order to fine tune the polar alignment. "Perfect" polar alignment would mean an infinitely long drift alignment, which is obviously impossible. I usually settle for no drift within the length of time I will use for my subs.
Posted 19 March 2009 - 02:22 PM
Posted 19 March 2009 - 02:59 PM
When I drift aligned using a reticle eyepiece I used 200X (10mm reticle eyepiece, 2X barlow, 1000mm focal length). These days though I drift align with my guide camera and scope, using PHD. I first make sure the guide scope is aligned with the imaging scope, then focus the guide scope on a star, turn on the fine grid overlay in PHD, start looping exposures and rotate the guide camera until one axis of the grid aligns with the RA motion of the mount. So I'm drift aligning with the same FOV that I will be guiding with, and using the same software. PHD's guiding precision of 1/4 pixel is better than my visual precision, but if I can see no drift in 5 minutes, I am satisfied that there will be no perceptible field rotation in 5 minute subs.
Posted 19 March 2009 - 03:01 PM
Good polar alignment does more than just correct for field rotation. if you are nearly aligned, the guider has to do less work to keep the star from drifting out of position so mount corrections are smaller and less frequent. This is true no matter how long you exposures are. With short focal length scopes, the errors are less apparent, but in my opinion it is still better to remove the error as much as possible. The OP was asking what got me over the hump to good guide performance and drift alignment made a definite and instant improvement for me. Of course, your mileage may very. It takes me about 20 minutes to drift align assisted by the guide scope and camera. Furthermore I can start drift aligning at twilight, before its dark enough to image.
Best Regards, Doug
Posted 19 March 2009 - 03:08 PM
I agree that good polar alignment is very important for multiple reasons. But in my case, I was over that hump before I ever started autoguiding. My first DSO photos were made with manual guiding (a real pain in several anatomical locations)
Posted 19 March 2009 - 03:15 PM
I have never tried guiding by hand, and I am very happy that I won't have to. I admire others who have had the steady nerve and patience to do long exposures this way. I don't think I could do it.
Best Regards, Doug
Posted 19 March 2009 - 03:22 PM
I admire others who have had the steady nerve and patience to do long exposures this way. I don't think I could do it.
In my case it was more a matter of false economics, ignorance and poor judgement. I ended up spending thousands on cortisone injections and physical therapy to alleviate neck problems. I'll never manually guide again!
Posted 19 March 2009 - 03:30 PM
Posted 19 March 2009 - 03:58 PM
Hi Tim,
When I drift aligned using a reticle eyepiece I used 200X (10mm reticle eyepiece, 2X barlow, 1000mm focal length). These days though I drift align with my guide camera and scope, using PHD. I first make sure the guide scope is aligned with the imaging scope, then focus the guide scope on a star, turn on the fine grid overlay in PHD, start looping exposures and rotate the guide camera until one axis of the grid aligns with the RA motion of the mount. So I'm drift aligning with the same FOV that I will be guiding with, and using the same software. PHD's guiding precision of 1/4 pixel is better than my visual precision, but if I can see no drift in 5 minutes, I am satisfied that there will be no perceptible field rotation in 5 minute subs.
That's interesting. I may have to try that using PHD. Another question for you (or anyone) if you don't mind. Do you typically guide with Declination guiding on auto or do you guide in one direction only? If in one direction only, what's the best way to determine which direction you need to guide in (North or South)?
Posted 19 March 2009 - 04:01 PM
Your CGEM mount has a fine polar alignment routine that is good enough for at least 10 minute guided exposures. My suggestion is, don't guide with a SCT. It is a bad, bad idea. Also use a scope with larger aperture to shorten the exposure time and to increase S/N. 66mm is too small. It is like imaging with binoculars. It is almost funny.
Yeah, the polar alignment routine gets you reasonably close but I still have to make some adjustments to get no drift in 5 minutes at 325x. I know plenty of folks say this is close enough and just let declination guiding do it's thing. I may get there eventually but right now I guess I like to take the approach of making it as precise as possible (within reason). Regarding using the 66mm and SCT - I gotta use what I have...
Posted 19 March 2009 - 04:30 PM
Here's what helped me:
1) Software that didn't make me think to hard. That's why I wrote PHD in the first place.
2) Eliminating flex. This one is HUGE and so often overlooked. If the star stays locked in your guide program (whatever it is) and doesn't move but your main camera shows problems, it's flex. Flex can be in a huge array of places and isn't limited to your mounting rings. The focuser, attachment of the cameras, spider support, mirror support, OTA itself, etc. can all be issues.
3) Start imaging wider / at a lower resolution than you may want to end up. Don't go for 1"/pixel until you've got things worked out well. Likewise, don't aim for 10 min subs right away. Aim for 1 min or 2 and when you notice things are now holding steady across subs, then go longer.
4) Be nice to your mount. Balance it well with a slight eastward bias and don't overload it.
A few articles here may help, in particular the NEAIC talk and the ATT article on guiding:
Posted 19 March 2009 - 05:08 PM
Good guiding starts with very good polar alignment. Without it, the best guider in the world won't be worth a hoot. Second is balance. You've got to ensure that the RA axis worm gear is continually engaged. Third is flex. If your system has inferior rings and/or dovetails that are overtaxed by the eqipment, it's not going to guide well.
In my experience, yes and no. If you are going for longer integrations, say 10 minutes or more (depending on your f/l), yes, a good drift alignment is a must. If, however, you're at relatively short focal lengths and are doing shorter integrations, a "purty good" alignment is more than enough if you are autoguiding. I never drift align anymore. Yes, there will be field rotation between frames, but any stacker worth its salt can take care of that.
What is my opinion as to "helps most"? Balance (slightly east heavy), sturdy guidescope mount, and a good calibration (if the guide program does not complete calibration sucessfully, forget guiding). Oh, one thing I've found helpful with CCDsoft and CCDops is calibrating every time I move to a target that's significantly different in declination (rather than just entering the new dec value). PHD does not seem picky that way, and only needs a new cal when you cross the meridian.
Posted 19 March 2009 - 05:48 PM
That's interesting. I may have to try that using PHD. Another question for you (or anyone) if you don't mind. Do you typically guide with Declination guiding on auto or do you guide in one direction only? If in one direction only, what's the best way to determine which direction you need to guide in (North or South)?
I always guide with DEC guiding ON. Don't ask me why, I just do. If the polar alignment is very good, it isn't really needed, and poor seeing could cause the guiding software to unnecessarily send DEC guiding commands to the mount.
If the polar alignment isn't good enough and you want to guide in only one DEC direction, you need to determine which direction the declination is drifting. You could use the buttons on your hand controller to determine in which direction (north or south) the corrections need to be made, and have the guiding software only make corrections in that direction.
Posted 19 March 2009 - 06:36 PM
The first thing I did was take all autoguiding advice with a grain of salt. It tends to be very anecdotal, non-scientific, and non-quantitative. I recommend listening to methods people use, but focus on results relevant to your equipment, and that show a clear benefit of good guiding - not just a pretty picture.
Many approaches in autoguding make perfect sense from a theoretical perspective - but the realities of making a crude mechanism track with the needed level of accuracy reveal surprising subtleties. So, be prepared to change your mind, as I have on things such as polar alignment.
Here are things that helped me:
1) Focus on fwhm in arc-seconds - in your results and others. Not just "small round stars" but - how small?
2) Advice that works for a high-end mount, such as "minimize the number of corrections," may not be best for a cheaper mount.
3) Many people, including me, abhor guiding an SCT or other mirror scope with a guidescope. It's not just guidescope flexure, but internal flexure in the sct. Switching to off-axis guiding greatly improved my results and their consistency with my C11.
4) I thought that polar alignment wasn't important for a mid-range mount (e.g. my cge) but I found that once my RA guiding was tuned (to the 2" fwhm level or so) I was getting oblong stars in dec. I tried several things in software and mechanically - but I found that my dec. guiding greatly benefited from good polar alignment.
5) PE is highly overrated since, for a mid-range mount, there are other noise sources that have to be chased at the 1-second level or so. I use video guiding and one second guide intervals with negligible latency. Nonetheless, I do use PEC to remove the fundamental and harmonics - because it does seem to reduce the work of the autoguider.
I first guided with guidedog and it was kinda fun, but I was curious just how well I could guide my cge with my own software. I was interested in Airy pattern imaging for collimation, and doing that made me realize that centroiding is full of subtleties that aren't appreciated. This led me to write MetaGuide and apply the same techniques to autoguiding.
So - here are my results, and some of my methods. Much of what I do is quite contrarian and goes against the herd - but I'm happy to show my results at the 0.5" pixel scale.
MetaGuide images with CGE, some showing raw fwhm's in the sub 2" from NE U.S.
Posted 19 March 2009 - 07:15 PM
Posted 19 March 2009 - 07:20 PM
Posted 19 March 2009 - 07:31 PM
1) Software that didn't make me think to hard. That's why I wrote PHD in the first place.
Thanks Dude. I thought nothing would make me chunk my STV but the Orion package with your software is embarrassingly good. I think your work and Pavel's mask deserve the CN Nobel prize.
I don't seem to have a problem using a little FS-60c. But the mount is pretty stable and may have something to do with it.
Posted 19 March 2009 - 08:03 PM
First the short answer: Money. I bought a better mount and virtually all of my autoguiding problems disappeared.
Now the long answer: I struggled with a mount that was at the limits of its capacity for a little over a year. I had no problems with differential flexure or mirror flop since my camera is internally guided. Ultimately, what it came down to for me was that my mount, when loaded with 22 pounds of imaging gear, simply didn't track that well. There were shifts of 1-2 arc seconds in RA that occurred over time frames that were too fast for an autoguider to keep up with. I was able to make incremental improvements through adjusting the worm/wheel meshing, adusting the couplings between the drive and the worm, making sure the mount was well balanced (meaning a few ounces East heavy), etc., but I never got the results I thought my scope was capable of. FWHM numbers simply weren't where I wanted them to be. Then I received my ridiculously expensive, very high quality mount and all my guiding problems went away instantly. When using my old mount, I typically got RMS errors between guide exposures of 0.4 pixels to 0.6 pixels with my refractor (1.2 to 1.8 arc seconds). I put that same scope on the new mount, and the first night out--a night of particularly good seeing--I got RMS errors between guide exposures of 0.02 to 0.1 arc seconds. The high end mount took away the struggle.
Can you successfully autoguide with a mid priced mount? Sure. Can you autoguide well with a mid priced mount? I never did, but I have seen plenty of evidence that others do. How can you get truly good autoguiding results with a minimum of effort? Buy a better mount and don't overload it.


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Trying to synchronize my Zimbra calendar with Tungle.com. Unfortunately it doesn't appear that tungle has the functionality I need (or maybe they do?)
I have the ear of the support person at Tungle and am trying to do legwork to determine what they would need to do to sync with Zimbra. Can anyone here help?
Thanks in advance.


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Rosemary's rice
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Rosemary Namyinza lives in the village Mutonda, in the Isoka District located in Zambia's remote of Northern Province. She lost her husband in 1991 and raised her children mostly alone. Two of her children are married and live in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. One of them started his own driving school. Her two other children still live with her on the farm.
She has 6 hectares of land, of which three are cultivated with rice and the other three with maize. She joined a farmers group (with about 50 members of which 17 women) to get access to fertilizer and seeds for the maize growing. In 2008 she started to be involved in the foundation of an association for rice farmers, which turned out in the establishment of the Isoka District Rice Assocation in 2009. She participated in this process and became member because she wanted to diversify her income and the price for rice is higher than for maize. Also maize easier gets infected while storing than rice, so she wants to professionalize and extent her rice growing.


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Worked With:
Joshua Malina
Birth Name: Joshua Malina
Born: 01/17/1966
Birth Place: New Rochelle, New York, USA
Born: 01/17/1966
Birth Place: New Rochelle, New York, USA
Often bespectacled and projecting a slightly nebbishy air, Malina has been able to play a variety of ethnicities and religions. Early in his career, in addition to the Sorkin-scripted projects, he landed small roles in independent features (i.e., the receptionist in "Clockwatchers" 1997). Warren Beatty tapped him to portray a harried campaign worker in "Bulworth" (1998) before he landed his biggest film role to date, as co-star with Luck Wilson of the Sundance-screened comedy "Kill the Man" (1999). In 2002 Malina again reunited with Sorkin to play "The West Wing's" Will Bailey, a California campaign manager who lures Sam Seaborn (Rob Lowe) into taking a congressional seat won by a deceased c... Continue Bio >>
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Ag Economist Concerned About Next Year
(Ames) -- Although grain prices are spiking as a result of the drought, a retired agricultural economist believes this year's drought may have additional consequences into next year. Robert Wisner with Iowa State University says that South America also suffered a drought this past growing season, and he says along with the U-S drought, farmers in both regions will be tempted to plant every available acre next year, which may cause a steep decline in commodity prices.
Listen here
Wisner says as a result of the drought, consumers will begin seeing higher prices at the supermarket; first with milk, then with poultry, and finally with red meat products like beef and pork.
Listen here
Wisner says in the short-term, there may be bargains with poultry and red-meat products as farmers flood the market selling their stock, but in the long-term, meat may be in short supply.