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European Economic and Social Committee - EESC
- Date submitted: 31 Oct 2011
- Stakeholder type: United Nations & Other IGOs
- Name: European Economic and Social Committee - EESC
- Submission Document: Download
Full SubmissionCommunication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Rio+20: towards the green economy and better governance The contribution of European organised civil society On 20 June 2011, the European Commission decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee, under Article 304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, on the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Rio+20: towards the green economy and better governance COM(2011) 363 final. The Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 6 September 2011. At its 474th plenary session, held on 21 and 22 September 2011 (meeting of 22 September), the European Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 141 votes to 2 with 11 abstentions. * * * 1. Conclusions and recommendations 1.1 The European Economic and Social Committee believes that the Rio 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development must send out a clear signal to the world community, with specific proposals for the transition to an economic order based on qualitative economic growth that helps to eliminate poverty and social injustice whilst preserving natural resources for future generations. 1.2 The Committee welcomes the Commission Communication1 as an important starting point for a shared analysis and positioning of the EU institutions in preparation for the Rio+20 conference. In this context the Committee refers to its work on the Resource efficiency flagship initiative and to the Low Carbon Roadmap 20502. Against this background, the Committee would like to set the following priorities. 1.3 The EESC is convinced that the transition to a sustainable economy must be integrated into an overarching sustainable development strategy and handled fairly. The Committee welcomes the fact that the Commission, too, is now addressing the social dimension of sustainable development. The Committee would like to see more emphasis on this aspect. The fundamental preconditions for this are: social cohesion, equity, including intergenerational equity, fair redistribution and solutions to social problems such as growing inequality, lack of access to a whole range of resources, poverty and unemployment. 1.4 The Committee supports the policy recommendations of the ILO on Green Jobs and stresses the need for the social partners to be actively involved in greening the work environment. It also wholeheartedly endorses the Social Protection Floor Initiative, which aims at providing for a basic set of social rights and transfers, as well as the supply of an essential level of goods and social services accessible to all. 1.5 The Committee welcomes the fact that the Commission communication has been published jointly by the Commissioners for the environment and for development. This clearly emphasises the connection between the environment, sustainable development and development aid. The Committee calls for the reappraisal of EU development aid policy to be driven by the concept of sustainable development and for this to be reflected in the structure of aid payments right down to the design of local development aid projects. 1.6 The EESC condemns in the strongest possible terms the fact that a billion human beings suffer from hunger in various parts of the world and particularly in developing countries ? a situation wholly at odds with the aim of achieving the first of the Millennium Development Goals. The Committee is convinced that ensuring access to resources, food and energy should be amongst the priorities of the global sustainability agenda. For these goals to be achieved, the active participation of civil society in policymaking at local and national level is essential. The role of women in developing countries deserves particular emphasis. 1.7 The Committee is convinced that policy measures are needed at international, national, regional and local level using a broad spectrum of policy instruments to bring about a transition to a "green economy". These include measures to ensure that market prices adequately reflect environmental costs, together with a greening of fiscal policy that shifts taxation from work to resource consumption. Public spending programmes should be geared to encouraging investment in sustainable technologies and projects. Environmentally damaging subsidies should be phased out, whilst taking due account of the social impact of doing this. Public procurement must be used to support environment-friendly products and services. Measures should be taken to improve complementarity between worldwide trade and sustainable development. 1.8 Clear indicators must be established to measure progress on the road to greater sustainability. Methods should be developed for measuring economic progress in terms not just of GDP, but also of improvements in human welfare and quality of life, with reference to the fight against poverty, the creation of decent working conditions and preservation of the natural environment. Keeping in mind its opinion Beyond GDP - measurements for sustainable development3, the EESC intends, even before the Rio+20 conference, to set out its position on how civil society should be involved in developing these indicators. 1.9 In this context, the Rio+20 conference should adopt a mandate for a "green economy" that should be actively pursued by the United Nations. This mandate should encompass six main points: � measuring progress towards a green economy; � regulatory measures to encourage the transition to a green economy; � education about sustainability to promote a green economy; � fiscal policy instruments to promote a green economy; � public spending and investment in a green economy; � setting targets for a green economy. 1.10 The achievements of efforts under the above-mentioned mandate should be used to draw up action plans and strategies at national level for a transition to a green economy, taking account of the national circumstances of each country. 1.11 Governance at international and UN level in the field of sustainable development and the environment urgently needs to be strengthened and better integrated if the necessary steps by the world community to achieve sustainable development are to be taken. The Rio+20 conference must be used to create a solid institutional framework at UN level. UNEP should be beefed up and further developed as an institution. The Committee also thinks that a Council for Sustainable Development made up of political leaders from UN member states and reporting directly to the General Assembly would help in meeting the challenges of the steps needed to ensure sustainable development and usher in a green economy. 1.12 A successful transition to a sustainable economy depends on it being accepted and supported by civil society. The Committee therefore explicitly calls for civil society representatives to be actively involved in the preparations for and follow-up to the Rio+20 conference and for them to be effectively heard during the negotiations at the conference and implementation of the results. Current forms of participation should be examined to see whether they do this job efficiently. The Committee is already actively supporting this process ahead of the Rio+20 conference by holding conferences with civil society and through consultations with representatives of European civil society and other regions of the world. 1.13 Governance for sustainable development should be strengthened at national, regional and local levels, and in the management of businesses. A precondition for this is effective, formal participation by civil society, through democratic processes and systems of dialogue, in issues and projects that are significant to the greening of the economy and to sustainable development. Europe should bring its positive experience with public participation in decision-making processes, access to environmental information and access to justice on the basis of the Aarhus Convention into the discussion at the Rio+20 summit and push for the establishment of similar structures at global level. 1.14 In order to ensure that the call for long-term sustainability is heeded more effectively and on a judicial basis, the Committee supports the initiative of the World Future Council4 to introduce ombudsmen for future generations at UN and national level. 1.15 The EU and its Member States should put their own house in order on all the challenges of sustainable development and moving to a green economy. The EESC is convinced that the EU's negotiating position at Rio+20 will be strengthened if it is true to its historical responsibility and sets itself ambitious targets for sustainable development. It has already done this in some areas, but in others much more needs to be done, and in some cases a start still has to be made. The Committee urges the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament to fully implement all existing emission reduction targets by 2020 and to consider whether the emissions reduction target set for 2020 should not be increased to 25% so that future targets can be met cost-effectively and the way can be paved for further global agreements. In addition, all necessary measures to reach the objective of increasing energy efficiency by 20% by 2020 should urgently be implemented by the Member States. In general, the EU should ensure that the policy implications of shifting towards a greener economy for more sustainable development are reflected in the definition of the new multiannual financial framework and the design of its major policies such as agricultural cohesion, trade and development policies and further implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy. The EU should review its sustainability strategy after the Rio+20 conference. 2. Background 2.1 On 24 December 2009, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to hold a new UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in Rio in 2012. 2.2 In 2010, the EESC discussed the EU's approach to this important event, and it issued its first opinion on the subject in September 20105. Since then, preparatory meetings have been held in New York and elsewhere, and the European Commission has published a communication (COM(2011) 363 final) on possible EU guidelines for the negotiations at the Rio+20 summit. In this opinion, building on a wide-ranging discussion with representatives of civil society organisations, the EESC further develops its positions and pushes for a number of points to be taken up as cornerstones in an EU negotiation strategy for the Rio+20 summit. 2.3 The General Assembly resolution determined that the Conference should have three objectives: � securing renewed Political commitment for sustainable development; � assessing progress to date and remaining gaps in implementation of the outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development; � addressing new and emerging challenges. 2.4 Current state of play:. Although there has been progress on some aspects of sustainable development over the past 20 years, the situation is deteriorating in many areas: � poverty has increased in absolute terms, with 2.6 billion people living on less than2 Euro a day; � 1.5 billion workers, half the global total, work under insecure conditions. In 2010 the highest level of unemployment since records began was measured; � carbon emissions and carbon levels in the atmosphere are continuing to increase and climate change is having an increasingly damaging impact on living conditions in many parts of the world; � migration is on the increase globally, putting additional pressure on the environment and security of supply; � current demographic trends mean that by 2050 the world's population will have grown to around 9 billion, further exacerbating these problems. 2.5 New and emerging challenges: The growing world population and continuing growth in expectations in relation to standards of living and material consumption are beginning to place strain on the world's supplies of food, energy and other natural resources. This is leading to higher prices and severe social and political problems. 2.6 Maintaining or achieving adequate food security, energy security, and resource security for all current and future generations in a world of increasing population and limited natural resources is one of the biggest new challenges facing the world in the century ahead. Ultimately, qualitative economic growth is needed that helps to eliminate poverty and social injustice whilst preserving natural resources for future generations. Establishing institutional structures for meeting this challenge should be a central issue for the 2012 summit. 2.7 The financial and economic crisis has preoccupied political leaders and finance and economics departments over the past three years. But these pressing short-term issues must not be allowed to distract attention from emerging problems in the real economy and the urgent need to transform the operation of the world's economies in a more sustainable, fairer and greener direction. This transition should itself be a major source of new investment and new jobs, and should create greater equity, cohesion, stability and resilience. It could help solve the current economic difficulties. 2.8 Renewed Political commitment: Rio 2012 provides a crucial opportunity to build a framework for this transformation, and to establish the high-level Political commitment to making this change a reality. It is essential that heads of government themselves take hold of the issues, attend the conference and guarantee that it is followed through. As global economic transition is the key theme of the conference, ministers for finance, the environment and development must also take part in it. 2.9 Sustainable development relies on civil society initiatives and participation. Civil society needs to be actively involved both in preparations for the summit and in its follow-up and implementation. Forums for dialogue should be established at national and international level to facilitate dialogue between civil society stakeholders, and between civil society and political decision-makers, on issues relating to the greening of the economy and sustainable development. 2.10 The General Assembly resolution identifies two specific themes: � a green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication; � the institutional framework for sustainable development. 2.11 It will not be possible to reach agreement at a single summit meeting on everything that needs to be done in the world to green the global economy and promote sustainable development more effectively. We consider therefore that the main aim of the conference should be to establish a robust institutional framework within the UN system for implementing the conference decisions, a framework which would have ongoing responsibility for promoting sustainable development throughout the world and for driving an action programme to green the global economy over the coming years. 3. The institutional framework: a new Council for Sustainable Development 3.1 At international level the UN Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD) has had responsibility for monitoring progress on sustainable development in the world for the past 19 years. However, the CSD is no longer effective in its present form. It has produced some good analyses of problems, but it has not proved capable of following through with substantive action. A more powerful structure within the UN system is needed to tackle the big global sustainability issues more effectively. 3.2 Amongst the various options for strengthening the institutional structure within the United Nations, the EESC supports the emerging concept of a new top-level Sustainable Development Council that would report directly to the General Assembly and integrate and strengthen the work currently done separately in the UN ECOSOC and CSD. 3.3 All the countries of the world, represented by their political leaders, should belong to this council. It should be charged with driving forward global action on all aspects of sustainable development, promoting the transition to a greener economy, and initiating action on new and emerging issues such as food and energy security. 3.4 The new council should establish close links with the World Bank and the IMF, which should themselves be given a new mission: to put promotion of sustainable development at the heart of their work. 3.5 UNEP and UNDP should be strengthened so that they can together provide stronger inputs on the environmental and developmental dimensions of sustainable development. 3.6 National governance: At the same time as establishing effective UN bodies, political leaders need to use the opportunity of the Rio Summit to reinvigorate their own national machinery for sustainable growth. 3.7 National Sustainable Development Strategies need to be revived and refreshed with full engagement and support from business and all parts of civil society. Advisory bodies such as Councils for Sustainable Development need to be adequately resourced to play their full part in bringing forward new thinking and maintaining pressure for progress. 3.8 Regional, city and local governance: There are many excellent examples all over the world of what subnational authorities can achieve. The summit should showcase the best examples and commit national governments to mandating and supporting their regional and local governments in making further advances. 3.9 The role of business and the social partners: Building on best practice, the time is ripe for prescribing best business practice on sustainability more widely by drawing up a framework convention on corporate sustainability responsibility and a framework convention on accountability based on ISO 26000. Negotiations to this end should be launched at the summit and the social partners should be fully involved in this process. 3.10 The role of civil society: The transition to a sustainable economy can only succeed if civil society is actively involved in this process. This calls for democratic processes and forums for dialogue between civil society and political decision-makers. Information about the environment, progress towards a greener economy and other aspects of sustainable development needs to be made generally available in each country so that there can be an informed public debate about the key issues. In Europe the 1998 Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (the Aarhus Convention) has been successful in extending and entrenching public rights of access to information, and in promoting public participation and access to justice. The summit should encourage moves to establish similar conventions in all regions of the world and the new Council for Sustainable Development should be mandated to pursue this objective within a global framework. 3.11 Ombudsmen for future generations: The needs of future generations are a crucial element of sustainable development, but are not represented in the relevant decision-making processes. In order to put this right and ensure that long-term interests are heeded more effectively and on a judicial basis, the Committee supports the initiative of the World Future Council6 to introduce ombudsmen for future generations at UN and national level. 4. The green economy 4.1 At present the global economy does not work in a way that will deliver sustainable development. On the environmental side it encourages over-consumption of natural resources, allows pollution of the environment, and fails to prevent climate change; on the social side it allows pervasive unemployment and widespread poverty, poor health and lack of education. 4.2 Greening the global economy means reorienting the way it operates so as to deliver more sustainable outcomes. Other economic objectives need to be reassessed in terms of their contribution to sustainable development. All the tools of economic management need to be reset so as to steer the economy in a more sustainable direction. 4.3 In economic development hitherto, economic growth has been an important prerequisite for raising the general standard of living. This must remain a central aim in future, particularly for developing countries, in which decent living conditions for all have yet to be created. A green economy is designed to decouple economic growth from negative environmental impact. It must be an element in a sustainable development strategy aimed at qualitative economic growth that helps to eliminate poverty and social injustice whilst preserving natural resources for future generations. The transition to a green economy must be compatible with the fundamental principles of justice, cooperation and shared but different responsibilities. 4.4 The EESC welcomes the fact that international climate change talks are now taking into account the social and decent work dimension of the transition towards a low-carbon economy, as stated in the shared vision for long-term global action of the Cancun Agreements. It supports the policy recommendations of the ILO on Green Jobs and stresses particularly the need for active cooperation between the social partners in greening the work environment. 4.5 Greening the economy is a major task that has to be carried through in many different arenas: � at international, national and local levels of government; � in many different sectors of the economy; � involving businesses of all kinds, the social partners and many other economic actors; � involving citizens and consumers. 4.6 The Rio conference should generate a new Political commitment to promoting sustainable development and the transition to a green economy throughout the world. Conference participants should set out principles for the transition to a greener economy. They should also give a mandate to the competent UN bodies to develop an action-oriented work programme on key issues for the advancement of sustainable development in the world. 4.7 A "green economy" mandate for the bodies of the United Nations: The Committee suggests that six main pillars, or chapters, should be included in a mandate for the further work of UN bodies on sustainable development: � measuring progress towards a green economy; � regulatory measures to encourage the transition to a green economy; � education about sustainability to promote a green economy; � fiscal policy instruments to promote a green economy; � public spending and investment in a green economy; � setting targets for a green economy. 4.8 The EU and its Member States have gained a wealth of experience in using policy instruments to promote sustainability. The EU should therefore actively bring this experience to bear at international level. 4.9 Measuring progress towards a greener economy: Parameters need to be established that give a clear indication of the progress that is being made towards greater sustainability. Methods should be developed for measuring economic progress in terms of improvements in human welfare and quality of life, with reference to the fight against poverty, the creation of decent working conditions and preservation of the natural environment. In particular, methods must be agreed for measuring the use of various kinds of natural capital in the soil, water and different ecosystems that results from economic activity. 4.10 A timetable for establishing a system to measure progress towards a green economy should be agreed at the summit. 4.11 In its opinion Beyond GDP - measurements for sustainable development7, the EESC put forward ideas about the limitations of the GDP indicator, possible corrections and additions, and the need to develop new criteria on the basis of which additional indicators for welfare and (economic, social and ecological) sustainability could be established. The EESC intends, before the Rio+20 conference, to set out its position on how civil society should be involved in developing these indicators. 4.12 Regulatory measures: Within Europe, efficiency standards for many different products and processes (particularly energy efficiency standards) have been driven steadily upwards by progressive tightening of minimum standards over the years. Europe should propose similar machinery for driving the same process forward internationally. It might also be appropriate to develop new international initiatives for chemicals management and for regulating the impact of emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology. 4.13 Education and information exchange: There are several individual countries, regions, cities, businesses, etc. that already demonstrate the success of the sustainability transition in action. 4.14 Europe has been active in promoting education about sustainability, and in spreading information about best practice and new initiatives in the sustainability field. The resulting experience should feed in to the international discussion of instruments for a green economy. 4.15 Fiscal measures: The summit should give a further impetus to national and international efforts to green the fiscal base by eliminating perverse subsidies and formulating taxation policy to facilitate job creation and inhibit pollution and the consumption of fossil fuels and other natural resources. The time is also ripe for launching a new initiative to tax financial transactions on a globally agreed basis, and to use the proceeds to fund sustainable development investments. 4.16 Investing in research and development: The competent bodies of the United Nations should be mandated to identify which areas of research and development of technologies and instruments for a green economy would benefit from consolidation of R&D efforts through international cooperation. It will be important that new greener technologies are taken up rapidly all around the world. The competent bodies of the United Nations should be specifically charged with identifying any barriers to the rapid transfer of such technologies and with developing ways to overcome them. 4.17 Public procurement programmes can be a powerful instrument for driving producers towards greener products and services. Europe has experience in using "green" public procurement whilst observing the principles of free trade within Europe. The competent bodies of the United Nations should be specifically charged with promoting best practice in this area throughout the world. 4.18 Investment flows ? a new global deal: Authoritative estimates of the global investment needed in the energy sector alone to move to a low carbon economy over the next 40 years run to trillions of euros. Other aspects of the sustainability transition will also need very large sums. The competent bodies of the United Nations should be tasked with providing a forum for monitoring the major global flows of investment, and identifying where they need to be increased or modified in order to support the sustainability transition. 4.19 The capacity to make the sustainability transition varies considerably between countries in terms of natural, economic and human resources. A very important challenge for the 2012 summit is how to give more substance and scale to a global deal to mobilise public and private resources for capacity-building, technology transfer and sustainable investment programmes to help the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and other developing countries keep pace with the sustainability transition in an equitable way. The competent UN bodies should be mandated to monitor progress on financial and other commitments to assist developing countries in the sustainability transition. 5. Targets in key sectors 5.1 A greener economy will affect all the main economic sectors. In each sector it will be necessary to promote greater efficiency in the use of energy and all other natural resources, to reduce the impacts of pollution and waste production, to have greater regard for the natural environment and biodiversity, and to ensure equity and fairness. 5.2 International development objectives are currently focused on implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. The Committee believes that at their review in 2015 a new set of international development goals should be set for the next period, with greater emphasis on sustainable development objectives. The Rio Summit should adopt this as a general objective and should mandate the new Council to follow it through with specific proposals in the key subject areas. The following paragraphs briefly review the priorities in some of the key sectors. 5.3 Energy: The greening of the energy sector is the single largest challenge within the whole greener economy project. 5.4 The transition to a greener economy requires a radical transformation of the energy sector away from fossil fuels towards low- or zero-carbon sources of power such as renewables. At the same time, in order to manage this transition more economically and efficiently, there needs to be a major effort in all sectors to utilise energy more efficiently and thus to contain or reduce increases in total global energy demand. 5.5 Access to clean, affordable and modern energy services is imperative to fostering lasting social and economic development and to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). According to the International Energy Agency, worldwide more than 1.4 billion people have no access to electricity. A billion more have access only to unreliable electricity networks. Recently, the UN General Assembly designated 2012 as the "International Year of Sustainable Energy for All" ? providing a much-needed opportunity to focus increased international attention on energy poverty, as well as the affordable solutions and business models that already exist and can be deployed on a global scale. The EESC has been actively involved in the debate on sustainable development and sustainable energy and will contribute further to this important topic. 5.6 Many people still live in energy poverty, i.e. they have insufficient access to energy. The transition to environmentally sustainable energy sources must have as one of its main aims the sufficient supply of energy at affordable prices to poorer sections of the population. 5.7 Agriculture, biodiversity and the natural environment: The EESC deplores in the strongest possible terms the fact that a billion human beings suffer from hunger in various parts of the world and particularly in developing countries ? a situation wholly at odds with the aim of achieving the first of the Millennium Development Goals. 5.8 The EESC calls on the international community to recognise the right to food at international and national level, to strengthen the right to own land and the right of access to land and water, and to keep land-grabbing in check. 5.9 The agricultural sector in many parts of the world needs thorough review from the perspective of the green economy and maintaining food security for all, preserving the natural capital of the land and its biodiversity resources, and promoting resource efficiency. There is a particular need to manage and conserve water resources better. New targets are needed in these areas. 5.10 The EESC considers the key to sustainable agriculture to lie in maintaining ? everywhere and on a sufficient scale ? high-quality, regionally differentiated, ecologically sound food production that protects and cares for rural areas, safeguards the diversity and distinctiveness of the products concerned and fosters Europe's diverse, species-rich cultural landscapes and rural areas8. Even though we need greater biodiversity worldwide, the number of species continues to fall. Forestry, mining, industry and, not least, population growth also threaten biodiversity. 5.11 Effective measures for better, more transparent functioning of agricultural markets should be introduced. The volatility of and unacceptable increase in food prices must be combated. The use of renewable resources in energy production must not happen at the expense of global food supply. Security of food supply should be ensured by maintaining stocks at regional level. We should also aim to make more use of residual biomass from agriculture and food production. 5.12 Respect for agricultural workers' rights should be ensured by implementing existing ILO conventions. It is essential for civil society to be actively involved in the implementation of sustainability projects at local and national level. The role of women in developing countries deserves particular emphasis. 5.13 Marine environment: The marine environment is characterised by pollution, overfishing and overexploitation of other marine resources. Conference participants should mandate the competent UN bodies to initiate a new international process to strengthen and coordinate existing mechanisms for protecting the marine environment and to protect fish stocks and other marine resources more effectively than under existing arrangements. 6. Showing responsibility 6.1 In order to be credible, the EU first needs to put its own house in order on its approach to sustainability. 6.2 Member States and the EU must: � collectively reconfirm their Political commitment to sustainable development by placing responsibility for it at the centre of government, supported by economics and finance ministers as well as by environment and other ministries; � reinvigorate their own sustainable development strategies and action programmes; � engage fully with business and all parts of civil society in preparations for and follow-up to the conference and in promoting sustainable development and the green economy. * * * Action Plan The European Economic and Social Committee is committed to making an active contribution to the process leading up to the 2012 UN conference on sustainable development in Rio. Hearings took place on 23 March and 7 July 2011, while this opinion was being drawn up. - Once this opinion is adopted, the rapporteur will actively seek to put forward the EESC's position in the interinstitutional dialogue aimed at establishing a common EU position. - On the basis of the adopted opinion, the EESC will further develop dialogue with European organised civil society. There are plans for joint meetings with the Liaison Group, representatives of national Economic and Social Councils, as well as other civil society organisations and networks that are also in the process of establishing their positions for the Rio+20 conference. A large-scale EESC conference planned for early 2012 will represent a further milestone in this process of discussion with civil society. - Beyond the dialogue within Europe, the EESC is dealing with the matter of the Rio+20 conference in the context of its relations with representatives of organised civil society in other parts of the world, in particular Brazil, which is hosting the conference, China and South Africa. The rapporteur will play an active role in this dialogue in order to establish joint priorities in the aims of organised civil society from different parts of the world and to bring these positions to bear in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012.The rapporteur will also represent the EESC in the Rio+20-discussion process inside the International Association of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions (AICESIS). A series of meetings with our international partners is planned in Rio next year alongside the conference itself. Brussels, 22 September 2011 The President of the European Economic and Social Committee Staffan Nilsson


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Friday, April 15, 2011
Friday Flickr Finds - Supernova Edition
By Lindsay of Linz Sews. I love how her color choices make some blocks pop and others recede. I also like the different-colored piecing in the borders.
By Becky of Becky's Blabber. Becky chose to do all her diagonal lines in cool tones and and horizontal/verticals in warm tones. It changes the design to more of a lattice look—so cool!
By Lobster Grrl. Love the sophisticated colors here.
By Shahann. Such an unexpected color combination and great prints! This one really pops.
By Katie of Katie's Korner. Her Central Park prints give these Supernova blocks a delicate, almost lacy look.
By Julie of Distant Pickles. I adore this one—it's almost kaleidoscopic or psychedelic or something! This is an example of making larger-scale, colorful prints work well in this design.
By Elizabeth of Don't Call Me Betsy. Another one that uses larger scale, colorful prints to great effect. Love those egg prints!
By Meghan of Purl and Piece. I love the subtle, yet fresh and summery color palette here. And she's working a great mix of patterns and solids here.
It's not too late to join the Supernova Quilt-Along! In fact, it will never be too late: This is a join-any-time and work-at-your-own-pace kind of deal. (But don't forget that anyone who links up a finished quilt by May 12 will be entered into a giveaway for a FQ bundle of Castle Peeps!) Thank you, everyone, for quilting along with me!
21 comments:
- Becky said...
These are all beautiful! I'm convinced that you have created one of those fabulous patterns that will look great in any fabric! thanks for sharing it with us Lee!
- April 15, 2011 at 5:42 AM
- Jackie said...
I love each one! I'm amazed at how wonderfully this pattern works with all kinds of fabric.
- April 15, 2011 at 6:15 AM
- Deb said...
They are really beautiful and I REALLY like the one with the Tula Pink material, which I have a bunch of....might have to break down and make one because I like the pattern.
- April 15, 2011 at 7:01 AM
- Leila said...
They look great!
- April 15, 2011 at 7:44 AM
- LynCC said...
They're so different! How fun to see them in varying schemes. Thanks for sharing them over here. :)
- April 15, 2011 at 7:59 AM
- Connie said...
Neat pattern and beautiful quilts made from it.
- April 15, 2011 at 8:10 AM
- ayumills said...
Wow wow wow! Each of these quilt tops is so beautiful and inspirational!!
- April 15, 2011 at 9:35 AM
- Linz said...
Well, that was a treat!! Thanks for putting mine up there!! They are all so fantastic!! I have loved every single supernova that I've seen!!
- April 15, 2011 at 10:01 AM
- Becky said...
Aw... You're so sweet! I love seeing all of the different variations!! Thanks for bringing them all together!!
- April 15, 2011 at 11:01 AM
- Gidget said...
Wonderful, beautiful quilt tops!
This is on my to do list....great pattern!
- April 15, 2011 at 11:27 AM
- tiffany said...
im linz sister i love all of these tops i love how differnt color choices can make the same patteern look so different theyy are all beautiful
- April 15, 2011 at 11:35 AM
- Elizabeth D. said...
I love how each of these fabric choices makes this quilt a little bit different!!! Thank you for sharing this pattern with all of us, I have so thoroughly enjoyed this quilt along :)
- April 15, 2011 at 11:38 AM
- Rachel Hauser said...
Thanks for sharing these. It's great to see so many different interpretations!
- April 15, 2011 at 12:14 PM
- Katie B. said...
It must be so fun for you to see your design popping up in so many different fabrics! I love them all, but I have to say Shahann's is my favorite. So bold and unexpected!
- April 15, 2011 at 12:21 PM
- felicity said...
I totally agree with Becky - this pattern looks great with all kinds of different fabric combos. I'm behind in the QAL but I am loving how mine is coming together and I am plotting to keep it for MEMEME instead of gifting it, I love it so much.
- April 15, 2011 at 1:05 PM
- Brooke said...
I really want to make this one. I've started thinking about fabrics, and now just need to find/make the time to start it. Great pattern! Everyone's versions look fantastic.
- April 15, 2011 at 3:30 PM
- Danielle said...
Wow! They are all completely fabulous! I especially love the Central Park one.
- April 15, 2011 at 4:50 PM
- Sew Many Mamas said...
Beautiful! I can't wait to try one!
- April 16, 2011 at 8:41 AM
- Michele said...
I love these Supernova blocks! I'm really interested in modern quilting now.
- April 16, 2011 at 8:03 PM
- Meghan said...
Thanks so much Lee! All of them are so great!!! I think the pattern you created is beyond amazing!
- April 17, 2011 at 10:07 PM
- capitolaquilter said...
It has been a blast seeing just how different they all look and following along. Glad you liked my Modified Design block. I have a feeling this QAL will keep me expanding my horizons with variations long after my original quilt is done. thanks again.
- April 18, 2011 at 9:13 AM

subset: commoncrawl


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laude Russell Bridges (a.k.a. Leon Russell) is born in Lawton, Oklahoma.
Leon Russell moves to Los Angeles, where, as a talented but underaged prodigy, he'll find work as a live and session musician.
"Everybody's Talking 'Bout the Young," Leon Russell's first solo single, is released on Dot Records.
Leon Russell and Mark Benno begin recording their first album as the Asylum Choir, which will be released as Look Inside the Asylum Choir later this year.
The duo of Leon Russell and Marc Benno begin making their second album as the Asylum Choir at Russell's Skyhill Studios. It will be released two years later, after Russell has become popular as a solo artist.
Accept No Substitute – The Original Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, a landmark roots album, arranged by Leon Russell (who also plays piano), enters the album chart.
Leon Russell releases his self-titled solo album, which will reach #60. It includes the classic "A Song for You."
Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour, featuring Leon Russell as musical director, performs the first show of a two-month tour in Detroit.
The Mad Dogs & Englishmen, featuring vocalist Joe Cocker, performs at New York's Fillmore East, a recording of which will be released as a double album.
Leon Russell & the Shelter People, the singer/pianist's second album, is released. It will reach #17.
The Carpenters' recording of "Superstar," written by Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett, peaks at #2 for two weeks (behind Rod Stewart's "Maggie May").
Carney, Leon Russell's third album, is released. It will peak at #2 for four weeks.
Leon Russell's "Tight Rope" enters the singles chart, where it will peak at #11.
The triple album Leon Live, taken from a performance at the Long Beach Arena the previous August, is released.
Leon Russell releases Hank Wilson's Back, an album of favorite country songs. He will ultimately record three more albums using the Hank Wilson persona.
"Lady Blue," by Leon Russell, enters the chart, where it will peak at #14.
George Benson's recording of Leon Russell's "This Masquerade" enters the singles chart. It will peak at #10 and win a Grammy for Record of the Year.
Leon Russell releases The Wedding Album, the first of two albums he'll make with wife Mary Russell. Make Love to the Music will follow a year later.
The Best of Leon Russell becomes Russell's fifth solo album to be certified gold by the RIAA.
Leon Russell's Americana is released. It will be his last studio album of new songs for fourteen years.
One for the Road, a live double album by Willie Nelson and Leon Russell, enters the album chart, where it will peak at #25.
Leon Russell's The Live Album, recorded two years earlier with the New Grass Revival, enters the album chart.
Hank Wilson Volume II, Leon Russell's second album of country-music covers – and the only album he'll record in his musically least-active decade – is released.
Anything Can Happen, Leon Russell's first release in eight years, is issued on Virgin Records.
Gimme Shelter: The Best of Leon Russell, a two-disc retrospective, is released.
Leon Russell's Face in the Crowd is released. It comes less than a year after the third volume in his country-music series using the pseudonym Hank Wilson.
Leon Russell's Signature Songs, an album of solo re-recordings of eleven of his best-known numbers, becomes the first release on the artist's namesake label.
The Union, a collaboration between Elton John and Leon Russell, is released. It will enter the album chart at #3, its peak position.
Leon Russell's induction into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame is announced.
Leon Russell is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 26th annual induction ceremony in New York. Elton John is his presenter.


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Impress your clientele with the best tablecloths around - the Elite Weave collection from Display Products!
These 7.2 oz jet-spun synthetic fabric tablecloths have the look and feel of cotton, but with superior stain resistance. Plus, the fabric won't pick, snag, or give off lint, so it will last longer, and its heavy weight allows for excellent folds. Tablecloths are wrinkle resistant, but can be used with most commercial machinery.
Ships in cartons of approximately 12 tablecloths.


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Color Photography Legend Saul Leiter Dies
Artist Saul Leiter, who spent decades working in relative obscurity before his talents as a pioneering color photographer came to light, died Tuesday in New York City. He was 89 years old.
An unassuming man who shunned attention, Leiter photographed on the streets of New York, mostly within a few blocks of his East Village apartment. Using rich layering and swaths of beautiful color, Leiter induced moments of quietude and reflection amid the bustle and chaos of New York City street life.
(Read the full article at PDNOnline.com)
Share |


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Tadalafil/Protease Inhibitors (mono deleted 06/12/2014)
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Moderate. These medicines may cause some risk when taken together. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
Protease inhibitors may slow down how quickly your liver processes tadalafil.
What might happen:
Your blood levels of tadalafil may increase and cause harmful effects.
What you should do about this interaction:
Let your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking these medicines together. Contact your doctor if you experience a painful or prolonged erection, fainting or dizziness, or changes in vision. The dose of your tadalafil may need adjusting.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.
1.Cialis (tadalafil) US prescribing information. Eli Lilly and Company February, 2010.
2.Reyataz (atazanavir sulfate) US prescribing information. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company June, 2014.
3.Prezista (darunavir) US prescribing information. Tibotec Inc. May, 2015.
4.Lexiva (fosamprenavir calcium) US prescribing information. GlaxoSmithKline February, 2013.
5.Crixivan (indinavir sulfate) US prescribing information. Merck & Co., Inc. February, 2011.
6.Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir tablets) US prescribing information. Abbott Laboratories January, 2013.
7.Norvir (ritonavir) US prescribing information. Abbott Laboratories November, 2012.
8.Invirase (saquinavir mesylate) US prescribing information. Roche Laboratories, Inc. February, 2012.
9.Aptivus (tipranavir) US prescribing information. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. February, 2012.
10.Viracept (nelfinavir mesylate) US prescribing information. Agouron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. May, 2013.


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Born on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio in 1942, Lou Ragland has donned many hats in his long career.
He's a singer, guitarist, songwriter, record producer, studio engineer, and more. Ragland's first 45, "Never Let Me Go/Party at Lester's," was recorded in 1960 at Boddie Recording Studio on Union Ave and released on the Way Out label the following year.
Between the late 1960s and mid-1970s, Ragland produced some of Cleveland's greatest soul music, helming such groups as Hot Chocolate ("Good for the Gander" is the best funk song Sly Stone never wrote), Volcanic Eruption and Seven Miles High. In 1977, he released the solo album, "The Conveyer," on his own SMH label.
Besides recording for local labels, Ragland also waxed 45s for the national imprints Amy and Warner Brothers. Before he became O'Jays road manager in 1967, he was the only African-American in the Terry Knight Revue, playing guitar alongside Cleveland saxophone legend Ernie Krivda. Knight "created" Grand Funk Railroad.
Ragland will be interviewed by Carlo Wolff, author of Cleveland Rock & Roll Memories.


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The Hill
What has been described as, "the most exciting 25 seconds in college football
from a color and pageantry standpoint," actually started out as a matter-of-fact
entrance, mainly because of necessity.
The first 20,000 seats in Clemson Memorial Stadium were built and ready for use before the 1942 season. The shortest entry into the stadium was a walk down Williamson Road from Fike Field House's dressing rooms to a gate at the top of the hill behind the east end zone. There were no dressing facilities in the west end zone-only a big clock where the hands turned, and a scoreboard, which was operated by hand.
The team would dress at Fike, walk down Williamson Road, come in the gate underneath where the big scoreboard now stands and jog down the hill for its warm-up exercises. There was no fanfare, no cannon shot fired, no tiger paw flag, no Tiger Rag played...just the team making its entrance and lining up to do the side straddle hop.
That's pretty much the way things went for the next 25 years. Either in 1964 or 1965, S.C. Jones, a member of the Clemson class of 1919, made a trip to California. He stopped at a spot in Death Valley, CA, and picked up this white flint rock. He presented it to Coach Frank Howard as being from Death Valley, CA, to Death Valley, South Carolina."
The rock laid on the floor in Howard's office in Fike for a year or more. One day Howard was cleaning up his office and he told Gene Willimon, who was the executive secretary of IPTAY, to, "take this rock and throw it over the fence, or out in the ditch...do something with it, but get it out of my office."
Willimon didn't think that was the way a rock should be treated. After all, it had been brought 3000 miles by a very sincere Tiger fan. By the mid-sixties, Memorial Stadium was pretty well living up to its moniker, Death Valley, because of the number of victories that had been recorded there. Actually, the name was first used by the late Lonnie McMillian, head coach at Presbyterian College in Clinton in the 1940s.
McMillian and the other Blue Hose coaches before him used to open the season each year by coming to Clemson. Seldom scoring (24 shutouts in 39 games) and with only three wins and four ties to show for it, his teams were getting killed by the Tigers regularly. In 1948 McMillian made the comment to the press that he was taking his team to play Clemson in Death Valley.
An occasional reference to Memorial stadium by that name could be heard for the next three or four years, but when Howard started calling it 'Death Valley' in the 1950's, the name took off like wildfire. The Tigers celebrated the 50th season in the 'valley' in 1991.
But getting back to Howard's rock. The rock was mounted on a pedestal at the top of the hill. It was unveiled September 24, 1966, on a day when Clemson played Virginia. The Tigers were down 18 points with 17 minutes to play and came back to win (40-35) on a 65-yard pass play from Jimmy Addison to Jacky Jackson in the fourth period. That was quite a spectacular debut for that rock.
The team members started rubbing the rock prior to running down the hill September 23, 1967, a day when Clemson defeated Wake Forest, 23-6. Prior to running down the hill that day, Howard told his players: "If you're going to give me 110 percent, you can rub that rock. If you're not, keep your filthy hands off it." Howard told of the incident the next day on his Sunday television show and the story became legend.
When Hootie Ingram succeeded Howard as head coach prior to the 1970 season, Ingram decided that the team would make its final entrance on the field out of the dressing room in the west end zone. In all home games in 1970 and 1971 and the first four of 1972 when the Tigers did not run down the hill, their record was 6-9. The team decided it wanted to come down the hill once prior to the South Carolina game in 1972. The result, in a cold, freezing rain, was a 7-6 victory when Jimmy Williamson knocked down a two-point conversion attempt which preserved the win.
The Tigers have made the entrance for every home game since 1942, except for the seasons mentioned above - 320 times heading into the 2007 season.
After Clemson's final warm-up, the team goes back into its dressing room under the west end zone stands for final game instructions. About 10 minutes before kickoff the team boards two buses, rides around behind the north stands to the east end zone and debarks to the top of the hill behind Howard's Rock.
At the appointed time, the cannon booms and led by a high-flying tiger paw flag, the band forms two lines for the team to run between and strikes up 'Tiger Rag'...The frenzy starts in all sincerity...and usually lasts two and a half to three hours.
It is a tradition that has inspired Clemson players for many years.


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Nicholas Harold Buckenham
His 'ACRO' software is used by CIVA for all aerobatic championship scoring and results work. ACRO has been used in the UK since 2007, and since 2008 has handled CIVA's on‐site needs from contest entry administration through to web results page output, and includes the FairPlay statistical system CIVA has developed to resolve international judging bias ‐ a major issue in our sport. Currently CIVA Scoring Director and Vice President. By training a mechanical engineer (now retired), and working career was in aerospace / consultancy and electro‐mechanical system development and manufacture. Throughout this, he has been hands‐on with mini computers and networked pc's, CAD etc. so he is a practical computer user and software author rather than a Uni‐trained IT man.


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UT Arlington | find
people | maps | submit
an event
Two Texas artists are showcased in this thought-provoking exhibition of contemporary art. Utilizing a variety of intriguing techniques such as sgraffito and burn drawings, Alice Leora Briggs (Lubbock) creates images with a surface beauty that starkly contrasts with the chilling content -- the politics and violence of Juarez, Mexico. James Sullivan (Dallas) makes two and three dimensional work that draws comparisons between the human body and organic forms in nature and contemplates the relationship between parts and the whole.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am - 5 pm and Saturdays, 12 noon to 5 pm.
Exhibition dates are February 17 - March 29, 2014 (closed for Spring Break March 10-15) More information...
Office of
University Communications(for inquiries on individual
please contact the event sponsor)


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Rated 4.5 out of 5 by 2 reviewers.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Czechmate Elegant and sturdy I bought this for my wedding. It's a beautiful plate, made out of heavy glazed ceramic but with a beautiful pattern of curves and dots. Like the other reviewer said, it does look slightly "antiqued", but only slightly, and it really works with the overall design. I did not find it disappointing in the least. This is a beautiful plate at a good price, and I'd buy it again in a heartbeat if I were to lose this one. June 13, 2013
Rated 4 out of 5 by 4kidmama cute cake pedestal love the design on this cake plate--just what I had been looking for. I would have given it 5 stars if it was white like the picture online. I was expecting a solid white color, but it has a gray haze tint to it, almost as if the ceramic underneath is showing through the white glaze, giving it a gray tint. Still very cute. April 19, 2013
1-2 of 2


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About the Department
For a degree that looks to the future of business, students choose the BBA.
Business Administration continues to be heavily sought-after because of its versatility and potential financial rewards.
The degree focuses on standard business practices and latest developments in the business world. In addition to the comprehensive BBA, concentrations within the BBA are available in marketing, management, and sport management.
Core business courses enable students to build competencies in critical thinking, analysis, and decision making to prepare for careers in a highly challenging business environment. Flexibility in the degree allows students to choose advanced electives in finance, marketing, management, operations management, sport management, and management information systems.


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School of Rock students show how well versed they are in Pink Floyd and The Ramones this weekend at the Murray Theater, but if your teens and tweens are more into hip hop, check out Odyssey Dance Theatre's take on Romeo and Juliet.
Odyssey Dance Theatre's Shut Up and Dance: Romeo and Juliet
Continuing with our music theme, Odyssey Dance Theatre takes Shakespeare's classic romance and gives it a hip hop spin. And it kicks off Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
Other showings:
Monday, Feb. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m.
The show is choreographed by Odyssey Principal Edlon Johnson and So You Think You Can Dance stars Ashleigh and Ryan Di Lello.
Kingsbury Hall, 1395 E. President's Circle, SLC
Tickets are $20 to $40
Click here for tickets and more info
School of Rock: Ramones and Pink Floyd's Meddle
The kids at School of Rock channel legendary bands Pink Floyd and The Ramones this weekend at two shows at The Murray Theatre, 4959 S. State Street.
12 p.m. matinee; 7 p.m. evening.
Tickets are $7 advance or $10 at the door.
School of Rock is also running The Big Hair Affair—the school's fundraiser concert where you can break out you spandex, combat boots and spiked bracelets. The theme is glam rock/hair metal, and there is a costume contest.
Murray Theater
Saturday, Feb. 11 at 12 p.m. and from 6 to 11 p.m.
The evening show includes casual dinner, silent auction and costume contest.
Tickets are $10. All proceeds go to The School of Rock Scholarship Fund. Call Kim at 801-808-0833 for tickets or more info.


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You can search for files in File Explorer using the search box next to the address bar in the upper right. (Note that My Computer was renamed to This PC in File Explorer in Windows 8.1 and Windows RT 8.1.)
Open File Explorer by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering File Explorer in the search box, and then tapping or clicking File Explorer.
Double-tap or double-click the folder, drive, device, or network location you'd like to search.
In the upper right, next to the address bar, enter search terms in the search box.
Your results will start to appear with your search terms highlighted.
If you want to search for all files on your PC, open your operating system drive (typically called drive C), and then enter search terms.
You can also search your PC using the Search charm. For more info, see How to search.
If you want to search for all files with a particular file extension, such as .txt, enter your search term like this: *.txt.
When you tap or click inside the search box, the Search Tools tab appears. Here are some things you can do in this tab:
You can search for a file based on properties such as the date it was last modified, its size, or what kind of file it is (such as "Picture"). After you enter your search term, tap or click the Search Tools tab and use the options in the Refine group, and then enter your search terms in the search box. For example, if you want to search for files you modified this week, tap or click Date modified, and then tap or click This week.
You can narrow search results using other properties. For example, if you want to search only file names and not file contents, tap or click Other properties, choose Name, and then enter your search term.
If you can't find what you're looking for in a specific library or folder, you can expand the search to include different locations. When the search results appear, tap or click the Search Tools tab, and then choose an option under Search again in. (Some options might not be available in Windows RT.)
If search results don't contain matches from file contents, the location you're searching isn't in the search index. To include file contents for a single search, tap or click the Search Tools tab, tap or click Advanced options, and then choose File contents. To add the location to the index so that file contents are always included in searches, tap or click the Search Tools tab, tap or click Advanced options, and then choose Change indexed locations.
Sjáðu allar þjónustusíður fyrir skrár, möppur og gagnageymslu á netinu.
Spyrðu spurningar á
umræðusvæðum samfélagsins.


text:
I'm not into helmets much but thought this might be of interest to those who are. Pa
Motorcycle riders please read and comply,
In a March 26, 2010 Settlement Agreement and Consent Order between Advanced
Carbon Composites and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA), agreed that all models and sizes of its EXT-001, EXT-002 and
EXT-003 Half Shell Motorcycle Helmets, regardless of date manufactured, fail
to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 218, 49
These light helmets have become fairly popular over the past few years with
military personnel. The helmets do not meet "DOT" standards and our riders
should not be wearing them. The fact that they have been sold as "DOT"
helmets for at least the past four or five years (with military discounts),
only to find out now that these helmets didn't pass NHTSA's selective
verification testing is very disturbing. A significant number of riders
have been at greater risk all this time due to effectively false claims by
the manufacturer, that, otherwise, they would not have been authorized to
Please click on link below. The NHTSA is offering a full refund for these


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Published: Sunday, March 17, 2013 at 12:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 11:07 a.m.
Anna Lindsay Mackie and Benjamin Joseph Dineen, both of Washington, D.C., are engaged to be married. The wedding is planned for May 18, 2013, at First Presbyterian Church in Gastonia, N.C.
Miss Mackie is the daugther of Mr. and Mrs. Haddon Spurgeon Mackie Jr. of Gastonia, N.C. Mr. Dineen is the son of Ms. Martha Beery Dineen and Dr. Jeffrey Joseph Dineen, both of Wilmington, N.C.
Reader comments posted to this article may be published in our print edition. All rights reserved. This copyrighted material may not be re-published without permission. Links are encouraged.


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We are a globally recognized innovator of sound, image, and voice technologies for cinemas, home theaters, PCs, mobile devices, and games.
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The Magic Inside Dolby
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Transform your living room into a sophisticated home theater with amazing sound and true-to-life video quality.
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Home Theater Setup Guide
Speaker Setup Guide
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Mobile devices with Dolby technologies dramatically improve your audio quality.
Dolby Audio
Mobile Products
Drivers and Codecs
Solutions for Mobile and PC Professionals
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Improve productivity by transforming the conference call into an in-person meeting experience with Dolby Voice and the Dolby Conference Phone.
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Find Dolby solutions, services, and support that can help you create more engaging products, content, and entertainment experiences.
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Dolby Pro Logic II transforms traditional stereo audio into 5.1-channel surround sound for a seamless listening experience full of presence and depth.
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With its full-range performance, Dolby Pro Logic II lets you hear all the details and subtleties in movie content, music, games, and other entertainment.
By widening the soundfield, Dolby Pro Logic II enables seamless, natural surround sound.
Your movie collection features
a host of two-channel (stereo) classics. Most of your music is in stereo, too,
and the same holds true for your video games. They sound perfectly acceptable, but
they would definitely sound better in surround.
Dolby Pro Logic II makes this
possible, converting high-quality stereo content into compelling 5.1-channel
surround sound.
With Dolby Pro Logic II
technology in your home theater, you're no longer limited to the binary
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Dolby Digital Plus™ delivers a definitive surround sound experience for all of your devices from home theater to smartphones.
Dolby Pro Logic II derives a realistic surround sound experience from two-channel content such as movies, music, and games.
Give consumers the ability to enjoy nearly all their entertainment in surround sound.
Log in to the Dolby Customer portal for help with your customer or partner account.
Apply for a license to include Dolby technologies in your products.
More Like This
Sound Bars with Dolby Technologies
Dolby technologies enhance a sound bar's audio capabilities.
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Change the way you experience entertainment at home.
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Transform your living room into a sophisticated home theater with surround sound and true-to-life video.
Who We Are


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Today we continue on with the reviews of Q.bel's new line of candy bars, and in particular the Dark Chocolate Crispy Rice Wafer Bars and Wafer Rolls. I've decided to separate the reviews by flavor instead of format, since I thought it'd be interesting to see how the execution of the confection influenced the flavor, as opposed to the other way around.
One thing I'd like to mention first is that I'm impressed with the packaging on the Wafer Rolls. Considering they're more delicate than their brick-like bar siblings, they come packaged in a plastic tray that's actually recyclable. I was happy to find that triangle with a number 1 printed on it when I first tried them. It makes me feel responsible somehow to set it aside in my recycling bin every time I eat one. It must be some unidentified OCD issue that I have.
Dark Chocolate Crispy Rice Wafer Bars
These are basically the same format as the Milk Chocolate versions I reviewed yesterday, however they look much darker and have a rather sophisticated feeling. The surface appears more heavily textured than the other as it has more bumps from the rice crisps on top.
I looked at the ingredients list and was surprised to find the cocoa powder isn't alkalized or "dutched". Usually that is the reason for the dark color in chocolate products, which is why Oreo cookies are so dark, in case you didn't know.
These smell milder than the Milk Chocolate bars with a softer, smokier chocolate aroma. The darker chocolate is deeper, more acidic smelling of red berries and coffee.
The flavor is milder too with not as big of a chocolate punch as the Milk Chocolate bars (or the Wafer Rolls, getting to that..). Instead, you do taste more of the wafers here, which add a mild vanilla flavor to the whole bar and serves to mellow out the chocolate flavor. The bar starts off sweet with the vanilla wafer coming through a little later and then finally the chocolate which its mild, lightly sweet, coffee and coconutty taste. The overall effect is a sturdy chocolately hit, and I really like it. The crispy texture and strong chocolate flavor combined with the size of the bar keeps it substantial rather than a light snack.
Dark Chocolate Wafer Rolls
Following in the footsteps of the Crispy Rice Wafer bar, the Wafer Rolls sport the same dark, rich dark chocolate appearance. The color is very deep, and mysterious with nice purple undertones. It smells sweet with hints of caramel, coconut and chocolate.
On a side note the ingredients list milk fat in the dark chocolate, so it's not "true" dark chocolate. Also unlike the bars, the cocoa liqueur is listed as alkalized, so the extreme darkness of the chocolate makes more sense here.
The flavor is rich, deep and very chocolatey. True to my expectations of a good dark chocolate. I get more of a chocolate hit here than I do with the milk chocolate version, which I really like. The taste reminds me more of a bittersweet than a true dark chocolate: it's sweeter, and has nice flavors of coconut, caramel, coffee, and chocolate running through it. Again, the wafer adds only texture here since the chocolate is so powerful, and give it a great crispy crunch. I taste more of the creamy chocolate center in this version too, and it's thick on the tongue which makes me really slow down and savor it.
Hmm, now I'm realizing it may be a bad thing I can get these at my Whole Foods. I want to buy them out of this flavor, pronto.
Rating: Hoard
Links Q.bel Website


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Basic electronics & microcontroller workshops
Hey folks, I've been threatening to hold some fun, free basic electronics and microcontroller workshops at CoLab for anyone interested… my goal is to simply share knowledge and possibly work with some of you to help bring your ideas alive! I'm now shooting to put something on in around a one month timeframe. There would likely be several workshops in this series as there is too much info to cover in a single workshop. I'll be sending out a more formal agenda in the next coming week or so.. and hopefully post to "upcoming classes" on the VCL website – once I figure out how to!...Read More
Move In Day
Move in day was a huge success. Everyone pitched in and the container was empty before noon. We got a few goodies left over from the previous tenants, some shelving and a very fine table for the metalshop, as well as lots of good metal scrap. Here is a picture of the woodshop....Read More
The container carrying 8,000 lbs of tools from the old space has arrived. Move in day is tomorrow starting at 10 am at 1907 Triumph. Let's get moved in people!Read More
Open House Days
Saturdays Member signup at the new space had great turnout. We got to meet a bunch of new people interested in the Lab, and see a few old faces we'd been missing from the old space. And for those of you who couldn't make it this weekend, we are having another open house this next week. Even if you are not interested in being a member, feel free to come out and check out the new space. When: Tuesday, March 12 – 6pm to 7pm Where: 1907 Triumph St (map) What We Need From You: Cash or cheque. $250 – for full time key holder members ($100 for first month, April + $50 yearly...Read More
CoLab searching for new spaces
We're hard at work finding new spaces. Don't worry…. the Vancouver Community Laboratory will return!Read More
Cleanup Day and Red Gate's Indiegogo campaign
Today we had our first cleanup party at the Co-lab and all the familiar faces turned up. We hauled many loads of scrap metal and lumber away (big thanks to Mike for bringing his truck, without him we would have got less than half as much done). Although it was sad to see so many months of accumulated bits and pieces going out the door, it also left me feeling lighter, and looking forward to the new place we're going to occupy in a few months. As Kim said 'maybe we'll even have plumbing!' On a similar topic, the Red Gate Collective has launched an Indiegogo campaign to...Read More


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We stood in line for 15 minutes upstairs at Silver waiting for our sip but when we got to the bar, the pourer said, "Sorry. It's 6:50. That's last call." And that was his final word.
First of all, "Last call" means last call, not last pour.
Secondly, we were standing in front of the pour station the whole time and no announcement was ever made.
I'll hurry to say this wasn't Silver management's fault. It was just another glitch in the boozearama called Park City Food & Wine Classic.
Of course, not getting a drink was not most people's problem. We had arrived late for the Friday night Main Street Grand Tasting Stroll, anyway. The $70 per person event was billed as an opportunity to taste a "different variety of wines and delicious culinary bite-size samples" by strolling from restaurant to restaurant along Park City's Main Street.
Instead, organizers may have described it as "MTV Spring Break in Park City," because this event was basically a drunkfest. Food was scarce and/or thoughtless. From the other foodies I've talked to, I understand that the Grand Tasting at the Canyons on Sunday was pretty much the same.
I had seriously hoped this year's PCFW would be different because the event, run by an out-of-state organizer as usual, had a lot more local input.
But, not.
Except for Savor the Summit, Park City–surprisingly–doesn't have a food event worthy of the town's restaurants.
Perhaps that's why so few local restaurants participate.


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The Sand Hill Adult Day Program, located in the CHEER Community Center in Georgetown, is now accepting clients.
The program is for adults ages 50 and over and is designed to engage members socially, intellectually, and creatively based on their individual needs and functional ability. Individual support is available to clients and caregivers who require ongoing supervision with the challenges of Alzheimer's disease.
The program will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
For more information, contact Beth Seeds or Cindy Mitchell at (302) 854-9500, or visit www.cheerde.com.
Location, ST | website.com