text: One thing which you MIGHT want to try as a kludge... I use a portscanner called Superscan (see http://www.keir.net) and set it to scan every port from 5900 to 5999. You can scan an entire subnet this way and yank the entire list of machines which are running VNC on any of those ports this way. It will return DNS names; you can set it to automatically "trim" non-responding systems. ----- Original Message ----- From: <Jean-Pierre.Verheecke "at" chru-strasbourg.fr> To: <vnc-list "at" uk.research.att.com> Sent: Monday/2002 January 21 10:05 Subject: Tools like VNC Commander : Hi, : : Does anyone know a tools like VNC Commander to manage a large number of : WinVNC Server on a LAN or WAN, and to remote control thos pc ? : This tool can use the VNCViewer in fact or another viewer to do this remote : control. : The purpose here is to see a list of machine netbios names (periodically : refresh if possible from an inventory and online/offline machines with : different icon, perhaps) in the same as SMS 2.0, in that way the remote : administrator could take control without asking the user to speel his : netbios name ou ip adress (so withour error) : In fact some inventory tools have gateways with WinVNC to import the list of : inventoried machine in it, so if anybody know a tools like VNC Commander : where we can import a list of WinVNC server it 'll be very nice for us and : very easy to remote control pc. : : Thanks for all, : : JPV : --------------------------------------------------------------------- : To unsubscribe, mail majordomo "at" uk.research.att.com with the line: : 'unsubscribe vnc-list' in the message BODY : See also: http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/intouch.html : --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, mail majordomo "at" uk.research.att.com with the line: 'unsubscribe vnc-list' in the message BODY See also: http://www.uk.research.att.com/vnc/intouch.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------


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KPMGers Off to Prison, With a Little Help from Learned Hand
Let's turn our attention to KPMG, shall we? The accounting giant is all over the news today.
First off, New York federal judge Lewis Kaplan yesterday handed down criminal sentences in a long-running prosecution alleging that KPMG sold improper tax shelters.
Former KPMG tax partner Robert Pfaff was sentenced to 97 months in prison and ex-KPMG tax manager John Larson lands a 121-month sentence.
More notable for us, though, attorney Raymond J. Ruble, a 63-year-old former Brown & Wood partner, got 6 ½ years in the pokey. Here's a piece on the sentences from the New York Law Journal, which says that Ruble was sentenced for his role in giving opinion letters that endorsed the KPMG shelters.
NLJ says that Kaplan quoted Learned Hand, opining that there was nothing wrong with people trying to pay the least amount of taxes, but that these men had concocted a scheme "so raw, so brazen, so outrageous" that it was clearly on the wrong side of the line separating poor or ineffectual tax planning from crime.
The criminal sentences mark a rare bright spot for New York prosecutors who have been accused of largely bungling the case. Charges against 13 of the defendants were dismissed after Kaplan found that prosecutors violated their rights to counsel by putting undue pressure on the accounting firm not to advance them defense costs. Here's an LB backgrounder on the matter.
KPMG also got roughed up a bit yesterday in the bankruptcy of subprime lender New Century Financial. The trustee overseeing the bankruptcy sued KPMG, claiming that its "reckless and grossly negligent audits" helped bring down New Century.
Here's an article form WSJ. The suit claims that KPMG specialists tried to point out errors in New Century's financials but were silenced by the KPMG partner in charge of the audits "to protect KPMG's business relationship" with New Century.
The claims, according to WSJ, are among the first to attempt to blame auditors for the subprime-mortgage crisis. KPMG disputed the claims. "Any claim that we acquiesced to client demands is unsupportable," KPMG spokesman Dan Ginsburg said.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Get My Credit Scores
How can I get my credit scores, including credit scores from all three credit reporting bureaus — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion? My credit score or credit report score tells me what lenders think about me as a credit risk.
When I apply for a charge card, refinancing, or auto loan, the prospective lender will check my credit score with one of the three credit bureaus. The credit rating agency will return a score ranging from 300 to 850, based on an algorithm that assigns a credit ranking from such factors as bill-paying history, credit-utilization ratio, and the number of inquiries on my credit report.
The primary factor in determining my credit scores is whether I have paid my bills on time. Even a couple of late bill payments will have a negative effect on my credit ranking.
My credit utilization ratio, another important element in assessing my credit score, calculates my debt as a percentage of the amount of overall credit available to me. Generally, the lower my draw-down on my available credit, the better the effect on my credit report score.
Multiple credit inquiries over a short period of time will hurt my scores. The credit rating agencies will view repeated credit report inquiries as suggesting that I might have some pressing need for money and, consequently, pose a greater risk of default.
My credit score ratings are also influenced by such extraordinary events as bankruptcy and foreclosure filings. A bankruptcy filing will have a devastating effect on my credit score, causing the score to drop as much as 200 points. It will take several years for your credit score to recover from bankruptcy filings.
Personal finance experts recommend that I get my credit scores so I can fix errors in my credit report and improve my credit score prior to applying for credit.
Information contained in my credit report and score issued by one credit bureau may be different from the information reported by the others. For example, my Experian report may show an unpaid credit card or mortgage that is not reflected on my TransUnion and Experian credit reports. So, it is important that I check my credit score with all three credit bureaus. Only my three bureau credit score, also known as the 3-1 credit score or 3 credit score, will give me my credit history as reported by all three credit bureaus.
Many consumers are pleased with the Free Triple Credit Score provided by CreditScore360, which includes all three credit scores issued by Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Here is a link to their site:
Get your Free Credit Scores from all 3 Bureaus
Here is the latest news and information from around the web on how I can
Get My Credit Score:
Updated : Thu, 30 Jun 2016 06:39:03 GMT
6 Ways to Increase Your Credit Limit – The Cheat Sheet
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Here is more news and information from around the web on how I can
Get My Credit Score:
So remember, the first step to ensure my access to the best credit rates is to Get My Credit Scores.
Improve Credit Score
Improve Credit Score
How can I improve my credit score? A good credit score can save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest payments over the life of a loan. Here are six basic steps you should take before you apply for a credit card, mortgage, refinancing or other loan. Following this advice will show you how to improve credit score numbers before you are turned down for a loan or have to pay more for credit.
1. Pay your bills on time. Stay on top of your bills, and pay careful attention to all due dates so that you are never late. Even one late payment can have a negative effect on your credit scores. Mark your calendar to remind you to pay your bills ten days in advance, and then set up email alerts to pester you every day until those bills are paid. If your bank has online bill-pay, set it up to pay your bills automatically so that you know you will never be late. Even one late payment can negatively affect your credit score.
2. Reduce your debts. Minimize the amount of debt you owe at any time, as a percentage of all credit available to you. Estimates of the ideal credit utilization rate range anywhere from 10 to 50%, but most experts agree that utilizing 10 to 15% of credit available to you will ensure you access to the best borrowing rates. Some credit advisers recommend opening additional credit cards or charge accounts to increase the amount of credit available to you at any time. Make sure, however, that you space any new credit card applications over time, as multiple applications may be perceived by the credit score bureaus as indicating a sudden need for credit, and are likely to lower your credit report score.
3. Avoid credit report inquiries. "Hard" credit inquiries will negatively affect your personal credit score. A hard inquiry occurs when apply for a charge card, auto loan or otherwise apply for credit. By contrast, "Soft" inquiries, such as when you get your credit score, do not affect your credit ranking. As a general rule, you should avoid falling for those offers to save 10% on today's purchase by applying for a store credit card. Multiple requests for credit, such as the store credit card applications which are common around the holidays, will lower your credit scores.
4. Vary your types of credit. You want to try to maintain an assortment of credit sources, such as a car loan, an installment credit card and a mortgage. A mixture of credit sources is generally better for a healthy credit score than having only one credit type. Establishing multiple sources of credit is not easy, but personal finance experts say that consumers maintaining varied credit sources tend to have higher scores than those who have one credit type.
5. Good credit scores favors those who have had credit the longest. Creditors tend to regard those who have a long history with a particular credit card as being a better credit risk. So, you should avoid closing your old credit cards, unless they carry an annual fee. In addition, keeping those old credit cards active will increase the amount of overall credit available to you, which will have a positive effect on your credit score.
6. Keep track of your credit. Personal finance experts recommend that you check your credit score and report frequently, so you can pick up possible errors in your credit history or early signs of identity theft. Many sites provide a free online credit score when you sign up for a trial offer for an identity monitoring service. Many of these credit watch services provide monthly updates alerting you to credit report inquiries or changes to your credit profile.
Following this simple guide on how to improve credit score ratings will reduce your risk of being turned down for a credit card, mortgage or car loan – and save you money.
Many consumers are pleased with the Free Triple Credit Score provided by CreditScore360, which includes all three credit scores issued by Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. Here is a link to their site:
Get your Free Credit Scores from all 3 Bureaus
Get Your Credit Score
Get Your Credit Score before you are denied a loan or have to pay more for credit. When you order an Online Credit Score, make sure that you are getting your 3 in 1 Credit Score, also known as the Three Bureau Credit Score or Triple Credit Score, as this is the only credit report score which gives you the information reported by all 3 Credit Reporting Companies — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. When you apply for a credit card, car loan or other credit, the lender or loan provider may order your Credit Report from any of the three national Credit Reporting Agencies. So, when you Get Your Credit Score, you need to make sure you find out the information contained on each of your 3 Credit Scores.
Here is the latest news from across the web on understanding your credit score, plus information on what credit scoring system is used by the three credit score agencies, what credit bureau score is best for you, and how to get your credit score.
Here is more information and news on how you can Get Your Credit Score:
Updated : Thu, 30 Jun 2016 06:39:03 GMT
6 Ways to Increase Your Credit Limit – The Cheat Sheet
Publ.Date : Sat, 25 Jun 2016 14:21:32 GMT
Publ.Date : Thu, 16 Jun 2016 04:25:59 GMT
Publ.Date : Wed, 01 Jun 2016 04:55:54 GMT
Publ.Date : Sun, 26 Jun 2016 12:45:00 GMT
Publ.Date : Sun, 19 Jun 2016 02:03:52 GMT
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So, remember, the first step to ensure my financial health is to Get My Credit Score.
Get My Credit Score
How do I Get My Credit Score?
Your Credit Score is reviewed by banks, credit card companies, car loan companies and even employers to figure out how likely you are to pay your bills on time. A High Credit Score can save you thousands on fees and interest payments. A low or Average Credit Score means that you will pay more for credit.
You can order your Consumer Credit Score from any of the Three Credit Score Companies — Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You are also entitled to a free Annual Credit Score if you are denied credit or required to pay more for a loan because of a bad credit score.
How Can I Get My Credit Score For Free?
You can order a Free Credit Score from one of the Online Credit Score providers. Generally, the Credit Bureau Score offers come with a trial offer for a Credit Monitoring Program, which alerts you to credit inquiries and unusual activity involving your credit report. If you cancel the Credit Score Monitoring service prior to the conclusion of the trial period, you will not be charged for the credit report and score.
Why do I need 3 Credit Scores?
It is important that you review All 3 Credit Scores and Get Your Credit Report from all three credit reporting agencies, as the information reflected in the credit score issued by one credit bureau may not be reflected in the Credit Report Score issued by another. Unfortunately, when you apply for credit, you do not know which Credit Bureau Score is used by the credit company or lender. So, it is important that you review your 3 Bureau Credit Score or 3 Credit Reports and Scores when you Check Your Credit Score.
How often should I Get My Credit Score?
Most financial experts recommend that you Find Out Your Credit Score and, if necessary, Get Credit Score Help, frequently to fix errors before they can negatively affect your ability to get credit. Additionally, reviewing your credit report and scores regularly may alert you to early signs of identity theft.
The first step to ensure that I have access to the best credit products is to Get My Credit Score.


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have a foxy b-day, eric carle!
it's eric carle's birthday, and art bloggers all over the web have been celebrating with their children and colorful animals! we were invited by an amazing child to join the party – and we're showing up with
bells smocks on!
when i think of eric carle, i remember N's very first baby books and how much she loved when i read the very hungry caterpillar (my all-time fav) and brown bear brown bear to her in our comfy nursing chair before sleepy time. these will always be cozy memories for me. in the past year, N has been reeeeally into foxes – it's her most favorite animal. can you tell?
i saw the book hello, red fox in our local library and decided to grab it, as we had not read it before. what a perfect choice, as it teaches children about complementary colors in a really cool optical illusion sort of way – and we've been exploring color wheels over here lately. we dove right in and read/stared at the book. (if you click this link, you'll understand why. it's tricky – like a fox!)
then we got out a bunch of art materials for two different projects…
first, we mixed and created our own color wheel using momma's fancy watercolors (just because) and talked about the idea of complementary colors… and why the "red" fox on the cover of eric carle's book was green… hmm…
after that, i suggested we use some of N's finger paintings brought home from preschool to build an animal – eric carle style! she wanted to make a fox – naturally! (hey, there's one idea of how to repurpose and transform all of those preschool pieces of art…)
first, we talked about what shapes make up a fox, and she drew them in pencil on top of her fingerpaintings. circle, oval, triangles, rectangles…
then she cut the pieces of a fox… hooray for cutting skills! she did a great job cutting on her pencil lines.
then she pasted them onto a new sheet of paper – N chose black for the background.
after it was glued down, she used a black sharpie (supervised) to add some details to the nose and eyes. this was literally a paint cut paste experience!
what's your favorite eric carle book, and what memories does it hold for you? have you made any eric carle art with your kiddos? if so, click below to share your own, or click to view many other bloggers' creative takes on eric carle tribute art!


text:
Let $X_n$ be the interarrival times for a Poisson process $\{N_t; t \geq 0\}$ with rate $\lambda$. Is it possible to calculate the probability $P\{ X_k \leq T \text{ for } k \le n, \sum_{k=1}^{n}{X_k} = t, X_{n+1}>T\}$ for given $t$ and $T$ (suppose $t$ and $T$ are compatible), i.e., how to calculate expectation of the first time that the next interarrival time is larger than or equal to T?
Thank you!


text: The Sacred Craft surf exhibit was at the Ventura fairgrounds this last weekend. For those who missed out, it was an amazing sight to see with various handcrafted surf board designs, unique surf related vendors, and beautiful talented artwork. Legendary shapers, pro surfers, famous artists, surf lovers and business owners walked the small dome building at the fairgrounds. The Tribute to the Masters Shape-off presented by US Blanks was also a big hit Saturnday and Sunday. The six shapers were allotted two hours in the US Blanks shaping bay in which to replicate a classic Yater Spoon. The Yater Spoon, a board that won the heart of Miki Dora, as well as thousands of other surfers, is not an easy board to craft. The shapers all used their special skills to replicated the Yater Spoon which offers unique volume changes, bottom roll and rail foils. Todd Proctor, Nick Pallandrini, Dennis Ryder, Michel Junod, Matt Moore and Wayne Rich battled out there skills while hundreds of audience watch in awe and photographers snapped continuous flashes. The final winner was announced Sunday afternoon. Wayne Rich took home $1000 check for his amazing talent. Congrats Wayne!


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DHARANA (Concentration, focus on attention):
Dharana means "immovable concentration of the mind". The essential idea is to hold the concentration or focus of attention in one direction. The intention is to teach the mind to focus on one point or image, pushing away superfluous thoughts. Concentration here should be effortless. You know the mind is concentrating when there is no sense of time passing.
Deep contemplation and reflection can create the right conditions, and the focus on this one point that you have chosen becomes more intense. You encourage one particular activity of the mind and, the more intense it becomes, the more the other activities of the mind fall away.
When the mind has become purified by yoga practices, it becomes able to focus efficiently on one subject or point of experience. Now you can unleash the great potential for inner healing and balance.


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A Quote by Jeffrey Hollender on corporate social responsibility, business, and good business
I think that today, more so than ever, corporate responsibility is the best strategic as well as financial path that most businesses can follow. For most businesses there are both compelling reasons to be responsible and compelling statistics that validate that responsible businesses do better according to traditional financial metrics. Of course, how you define "responsible" is somewhat of a conundrum.
Source: Meet the MasterMinds: Jeffrey Hollender on Corporate Social Responsibility: http://www.managementconsultingnews.com/interviews/hollender_interview.php
Contributed by: ~C4Chaos


text:
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Queefing Squirting Coeds 2
It's the sound and the fury as these uninhibited college schoolgirls let loose with the loudest, wettest orgasms ever! Her pussy is talking to you and it's telling you it wants you to get soaked in hot, female jizz!
Studio: Totally Tasteless Video | Production Year: 2007
Performers: Dino Bravo Lena Ramon Mark Vandervilt Ekzavir Wray Katie Plays Nick East
Tags: gonzo squirting schoolgirls


text:
The earth had suffered one more catastrophic event, pushing humanity to the very edge of extinction, forcing farmer Albert Guftree, and his sister to seek the simple existance they had once enjoyed as children.
However, a wandering minstrel and his old dog soon discovered that the passing of time changes all things, and our childish ideals can never satisfy or control our ambitions, be they human or the evolving world of robots.
Only the natural dependence of one wild creature apon another, together with the life giving property of water and the all consuming power of fire, are once more able to return the earth to sanity.
Even the wise old owl, who had just fallen asleep and toppled from a branch
once said
"That's the curse of thinking about other creatures problems, and forgetting to think about gripping the branch with your feet."
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The Sprig with Enormous Ears and Other Stories Publicado 18 de febrero de 2014
Welligig Blue's Flying Visit Publicado 07 de febrero de 2014
Welligog Green Goes Sailing By Publicado 07 de mayo de 2012
Monty's Boots Publicado 08 de enero de 2012
Posh Verny Publicado 31 de diciembre de 2011
Rusty Gets the Pips Publicado 31 de diciembre de 2011
The Sally Race Publicado 31 de diciembre de 2011
Thoughts Publicado 27 de noviembre de 2011


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Archive for March, 2010
ESPN.com Illustration
TUCSON, Ariz. — The Rockies will play the final Cactus League games at Hi Corbett Field this week and then move to Scottsdale next year. And when they do, spring training will become just a little more corporate.
Hi Corbett has been home to spring training since 1947, but few players are shedding tears about saying adios. "It's old, very old," Colorado first baseman Todd Helton said, trying his very best to come up with a non-derogatory description. "Yeah, a good way to describe it is very old."
Yes, it is, and that's what I like about the place. Hi Corbett feels more like the way spring training once was, when a team's objective was to get overweight players back in shape after a winter peddling insurance rather than to sell $30 "premium date" tickets, $8.50 beers and $40 souvenir shirts to wealthy fans vacationing from Chicago. Don't get me wrong — spring training still is a wonderful time, and every fan should enjoy its many pleasures at least once (every date is a "premium date" when you're layering on sunscreen while watching a Cactus or Grapefruit League game instead of shoveling snow). But as teams gouge taxpayers to build ever more lavish new "complexes," spring training not only becomes a little more big league; it becomes a little less personable and a little less accessible.
Tim Sheridan While Hi Corbett may not have the amenities of a modern complex, it oozes the essence of baseball.
Hi Corbett, however, is as old-school as a flannel uniform. Set amid Tucson's Gene C. Reid Park, the stadium is surrounded by a golf course (the Braves really should have trained here), a zoo (the only one in baseball outside of the bleachers at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park), picnic areas, walking paths, ponds and very public spaces. On a recent Sunday, you could see the Rockies warming up on one field, a dozen or so people performing Tai Chi beneath a small grove of trees a few yards away and a father and son playing catch just behind them.
It was so wonderfully pastoral that Georges Seurat should have painted the scene — "Sunday in the Park with Jorge De La Rosa."
"You don't feel like it's a moneymaking venture here," said former pitcher Roy Smith, who trained at Hi Corbett in the 1980s with Cleveland. "The guys are getting ready. You're close [to players]. It's more like a park over there instead of a complex. The fans can get close. That's why I always liked it. It was like that at Vero Beach [Fla.]. It has some of the aspects of the Vero Beach when the Dodgers were there."
Unlike at other facilities where the fans are fenced off from the players, the home clubhouse at Hi Corbett leads directly into a public area, requiring players to either come in contact with fans or never leave the stadium. And many of them are very willing to sign autographs. Not just a couple signatures, but autograph after autograph.
"The fans are right on top of you," Helton said in an approving tone. "They have more access to you coming in and out. That's good on some days, bad on others."
Hi Corbett is not only figuratively a step backward in time, it is also literally backward, with home plate and the batter facing west into the sun. The strange geography is especially noticeable given that there is virtually no shade in the stadium — a meager roof covers only a very small section of the seats behind home — which means that the stadium's unofficial slogan is "Always wear sunscreen." With, one longtime fan added, the additional clause that you should also bring cold beer.
You've probably seen Hi Corbett even if you've never been to Tucson because they filmed the spring training scenes for "Major League" here. This gives Hi Corbett the distinction of having both Bob Feller and Charlie Sheen pitch from its mounds.
"That's definitely a unique experience. I never thought of it that way but I had a chance to meet Bob Feller and he's really a neat individual," Rockies starter Aaron Cook said. "I've never had the chance to meet Charlie Sheen, but the chance to pitch on the same mound as a Hall of Famer and a great actor like Charlie Sheen is something that not too many people can say they've done."
Granted, "Major League" made Hi Corbett look pretty rustic, but Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger and Wesley Snipes still had it better than when Feller and the Indians moved here in 1947. "It did not have a dirt floor, but we had scorpions in the clubhouse," Feller said. "They were in the toes of your shoes. It was very close and very cozy. Not a lot of room but it wasn't that bad. I actually saw worse clubhouses in the major league."
Wait a second. Scorpions? "There were scorpions that would go and hide in the dark part of your shoe," Feller said. "And you had to be careful when you put on your shoes because there might be a scorpion in there and he would come out and sting you. Those little scorpions could nail you pretty good."
Feller was still a Hi Corbett presence long after he retired. Ex-players and writers vividly recall him standing in center field, practicing his pickoff move. He would stand there and look over his shoulder as if checking a runner at first base, then suddenly turn and fire the ball to the fence. He was doing that, mind you, when he was in his 70s.
All of this is what gives Hi Corbett its character. And it's what's missing from so many of the new spring facilities. They're all very nice and useful for teams, but they're also like the multipurpose, cookie-cutter stadiums built in the '60s and '70s. They all look alike. Peoria resembles Surprise, which resembles Goodyear, which resembles Jupiter. Stand in front of a Dippin' Dots stand or wait in line for an $8 cheeseburger and, like Milton Bradley, you may not be sure exactly which team you're with that day.
Colorado outfielder Jay Payton said he heard the Rockies' new facility in north Scottsdale (which they'll share with the Diamondbacks) will have a portable workout room that can be wheeled outside when the weather is nice. Great. Good to know the players can work on their bench press and their tans at the same time.
The Cubs, meanwhile, are threatening to move from Mesa unless the city agrees to more than $100 million in upgrades to their camp. The funding proposal would add another fee to rental car taxes that already are at 50 percent — my car cost $344 for nine days and the taxes were $175 — plus an 8 percent tax on every ticket to every game their rival teams play in Arizona (White Sox fans will be thrilled to pay money to the Cubs to see their team play in its own stadium). Few things upset me in sports anymore, but owners who blackmail communities into building them new stadiums (and then hypocritically bitch about government "socialism") still make me turn so red in the face I look like Chief Wahoo.
I mean, come on. The Cubs need a $100 million makeover in this economy? In a state that has been hit about as hard as any by the recession? For a spring training site? Really? Get real. There are 14 other teams in Arizona — including a Chicago team that has won the World Series in the past five years, let alone the past century — and fans will be only too happy to go see them instead if the Cubs move.
I say let the Cubs leave. Better yet, have them move to Hi Corbett, a beautiful ballpark that will be available next spring. It may not have a portable fitness room or a high-priced steakhouse, but it was plenty good enough to send a team to the World Series in its second year of spring training (Cleveland in 1948) and another one in its 60th (Colorado in 2007). The Cubs are too pigheaded and greedy to take advantage of this opportunity, but a couple Japanese teams are considering moving their camps to Tucson.
It's easy to see why. Hi Corbett has the sort of appeal that extends across oceans and beyond generations. Whether you're a 10-year-old Little Leaguer, a faux "Major Leaguer" or an aging Hall of Famer, the park provides such a spring training feel that you just have to pick up a baseball and see how hard you can throw it.
This week marks the end of spring training for 2010. Although both the Rockies and Diamondbacks have time left on their respective leases, it is clear that soon they will no longer call Tucson their spring home.
There are myriad reasons this day has arrived. Conjecture about who is to blame and what caused this eventuality abound. Suffice to say that there are clearly lessons about business retention to be learned.
Two years ago, Pima County reformulated a Sports and Tourism Authority, with the mission to retain and expand spring training baseball. Although a huge effort by this largely volunteer group ensued, time and circumstances simply prevented its ability to retain the existing teams.
Nonetheless, during the process, a series of exciting opportunities were uncovered.
At the suggestion of several authority board members and with the support of the Colorado Rockies, the prospect of bringing Japanese teams to Tucson was investigated. As part of the Chicago White Sox early lease cancellation negotiations, they put forth a proposal to convert part of the Kino Sports Complex into a youth tournament venue. In response to an Arizona Diamondbacks request for proposal, the potential for a new facility was investigated. From the outset, discussions with numerous other major-league teams have taken place.
Today, all of these prospects for Southern Arizona to continue to be part of professional baseball and major amateur sports are alive and well.
The obvious importance is the direct economic impact of travel induced by these activities. Numerous studies document the dollars and cents, but you need nothing more than a conversation with local hoteliers, restaurateurs, car-rental managers or other tourism-related professionals to get a clear picture of the importance of this business.
Further, these activities and affiliations brand our community and destination as having the ability to accommodate first-class activities. Make no mistake about that impact on economic development.
Rather than dwell on the negative this coming week, I invite the community to thank the departing teams for their contribution over the past years and for forcing us to look at future opportunities.
After that, we can embrace the potential of Japanese professional baseball teams competing against major- league teams – hopefully by next spring. We can also look forward to their developmental leagues bringing year-round business.
When the Sports and Tourism Authority referendum is approved by area voters, not only will opportunities for youth facilities be significantly enhanced, but based on our overtures to numerous teams we are convinced that the community will be in a position to entice new Major League Baseball teams to Tucson.
While it is sad to say goodbye to our current teams, this week by no means needs to be the end of spring training baseball in Tucson.
As we write the new chapter, hopefully we will learn from this experience, embrace the opportunities that have been presented and create a sustainable program for our community.
guest opinion
Tom Tracy is chairman of the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority.
Tucson is about to make a decision of a lifetime. The failed development of Rio Nuevo is about to pledge it's future and the future of the communities general fund on a convention center hotel that makes little or no financial sense what so ever. Rio Nuevo has spent $214m to date, has negative assets and has run out of bonding ability. A newly seated Rio Nuevo over site committee has been seated with a narrow focus of convention center and hotel feasibility ONLY. Prior 4 member boards squandered huge amounts of cash with little to show. Lacking any money, for the near future the newly seated 13 panel board will only have the ability to say yes or no to the development. The City of Tucson will then have to arrange financing for the hotel which will ultimately require the citizens of Tucson to back stop the bonds.
With the greatest of feasibility projections, assuming a unattainable occupancy rate, an exorbitant bed rate and questionable market demand we will have a hotel that is costing us $180m to build which is worth $100m when completed. (based on an agressive 10% market captialization rate, typical for hotels).
How on earth do we get the politicians, community and newly installed Rio Nuevo over site board to approve such an scary endevor? We hire lobbyist that look like business and community leaders. Throw in a couple of ACTUAL board members on the decision panel and push it through.
Downtown ties
Among those expected to have some say in whether the hotel will be built:
• Michael Guymon
The former City Council aide was a paid lobbyist for the company when it was trying to win the hotel bid and after it was selected.
He later became executive director at the Metropolitan Pima Alliance, whose members include businesses, developers and governments. The organization, which calls itself, "your voice for reasonable and responsible development," is expected to make a recommendation on whether the hotel should be built.
Guymon said he disclosed his relationship with Garfield Traub before he took the job and says his contract is basically completed, although he said he will still earn a bonus if the hotel is approved.
• Larry Hecker
Local attorney Hecker chairs the public-private Tucson Downtown Partnership, which is charged with redeveloping downtown and has been actively involved in planning. He was a paid consultant for rival hotel bidder Lopez, whose deal to redevelop his downtown hotel later fell through.
Hecker said he always discloses his work for Lopez – who opposes the Garfield Traub development – whenever the issue comes up at the partnership. Hecker said he supports the idea of a downtown convention hotel, but said the finances for this one will be challenging. He said he doesn't see any circumstance where he would have a conflict.
• Jeff DiGregorio
The co-owner of the Royal Elizabeth Bed and Breakfast also is chairman of the Rio Nuevo board, which will vote on the hotel. A week ago, his business partner, Chuck Bressi, testified before the Rio Nuevo Board saying the new hotel is needed because it would help downtown businesses, including his own.
He didn't disclose to board members, many of whom were newly appointed and attending their first meeting, that his partner is the chairman of the board.
Bressi said he was speaking as an individual, exercising his First Amendment right to free speech. He said conflicts of interests happen "every time, everywhere," and many Rio Nuevo board members could have similar conflicts. He said he spoke not only about how the hotel will help his business, but Tucson as a whole.
DiGregorio said their bed-and-breakfast only has six rooms, so there's only so much of a boost the hotel could bring them. Besides, he said, he and Bressi are selling the business.
• Dan Eckstrom
The former Pima County supervisor was a paid consultant for Lopez in his bid for a downtown hotel. He is also a member of the Rio Nuevo board.
Eckstrom abstained from voting on the hotel when the issue came up last year. He said he's smart enough to know when he has a conflict of interest and would recuse himself.
• Fred Ronstadt
The former city councilman, now executive director of the Tucson Utility Contractors Association, is an "as-needed," paid consultant for Garfield Traub. Ronstadt said his consulting for Garfield Traub was "incredibly limited," mainly to provide knowledge of early Rio Nuevo history.
While the contractors he represents could work on the project, he said Tucson Utility Contractors Association members won't get much work on the hotel because it's mainly vertical construction, and his contractors do "horizontal" construction such as street work. The organization endorses Rio Nuevo as a whole but hasn't yet taken a position on the hotel.
• Brent Davis
The former city councilman, who has remained active in civic affairs and still has the ear of current decision-makers, is the lead consultant for Garfield Traub and hired Ronstadt and Guymon.
One of my relatives received a letter Tuesday from his primary-care physician announcing that he would no longer accept private insurance or government payment. This doctor is moving immediately to accepting only direct payment from patients for his services. This is just the beginning of a cascade of consequences from passage of the federal health care bill.
Here's some insight into things to come:
· Health insurance will get more expensive for most of us. A few unhealthy people will spend less because of federal subsidies. But two mandates make higher premiums inevitable: Everyone is guaranteed insurance coverage and everyone in your community will pay the same premium. Combine these requirements with the relatively modest IRS fine for not buying insurance as required by law, and it increases the likelihood that only the already-sick will buy coverage. Therefore, insurance premiums will increase.
· It will become harder to get health care. Many doctors, like my relatives physician, will stop taking insurance (private or government-run), or they will move to another country where we can visit them. Or they will just leave the profession, not wanting to deal with the intrusion that will accompany the new federal mandates. (Watch for practices popping up like MDVip – you pay your doc $1500 for the privilege to see him/her)
· States will raise taxes. The federal law expands Medicaid and states are required to match federal funding for the program. States are not as free to borrow and they cannot print money like the federal government. Short of miraculous levels of revenue growth then, states will have to raise taxes to cover the new mandatory expense.
This will only be the beginning. We may not be able to see the ultimate end today, but one thing is certain: save for the few, health care in America just got a lot more expensive.
Dr. Byron Schlomach is an economist and the director of the Center for Economic Prosperity at the Goldwater Institute.
Learn More:
Cato Institute: Romney's Folly – Health-Care Mandates Are a Middle-Class Tax
Investor's Business Daily: To Repeat: Doctors Could Hang It Up
Brattleboro Reformer: The first step
Time magazine did one of the most comprehensive analysis' I've come across on what the health care bill means to you. If you're a small business owner look for coverage for every employee. A tax credit if you have less than 25 employees and a fine if you have more than 50 and you don't purchase insurance.
Where are we going to get the medical care for 32 million more patients? Students aren't picking general medicine as a career because the pay sucks and the stress is high.
What's the new bill going to do to Medicare? Say good bye to the Medicare Advantage programs.
What's it mean to our state?
Hit the road Jack
The Following is a letter that I emailed to Jack Camper the President of the Tucson Chamber of Commerce. Most of you have heard about the calls for him to retire. I wanted to give him an opportunity to respond and share the positive things that they are doing to promote business on our radio station. He did respond to the email but has not agreed to appear on KVOI or to appear on the other talk shows that have been covering this story. I think it is time that Jack either step up and proactively represent the chamber or retire.
Dear Jack,
Since this controversy began I have been ambivalent about it. I know we have problems in Tucson and have been personally focused on changing the city council, but I don't know if the Chamber is part of the problem. I give our talk show hosts (Jim Parisi, Joe Higgins and Chris DeSimone) the same freedom news reporters have. I only step in if they violate FCC regulations (including moral and ethical issues). So I have stayed out of the controversy. I contacted you because I wanted you to be able to tell your story on Wake up Tucson or the Jim Parisi show. I contacted the hosts and they would like to have you on. I don't see the Chamber proactively attacking this controversy. It seems like you have adopted a bunker mentality. I think this is a mistake. If you were out there on the different talk shows (Jon Justice, Wake Up Tucson, Jim Parisi, KNST, John C. Scott) pitching the things you are doing it would not only resolve this issue, it would propel the Chamber forward. It reminds me of President Obama's stance to not go on Fox News. Certainly he feels more comfortable talking to "friendly" folks like Chris Mathews. But, if he crossed the line and went on Fox he would win over many who currently oppose him. Wake Up Tucson and Jon Justice have been pretty hard on Rodney Glassman. But, since Rodney went on their shows the buzz has changed. I am not involved with the people that are asking for your resignation, I am a member of the Chamber and have sponsored some of your events. I am not your enemy. You don't need to come on our talk shows, but you need to engage this controversy and turn it in to something positive. Otherwise it tells me that it is time for you to retire.
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Looks like the house is going to pass the healthcare bill. Since this has been such a moving target I figured it was time to ask; what's in the healthcare bill? Here's a break down from Associated Press:
(AP) Congressional Democrats have released a final version of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul bill in advance of a House vote planned for Sunday. Some features of the legislation, which makes changes to the bill the Senate passed on Christmas Eve:
COST: $940 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. (Perhaps a bit more than reported when you take in all the various aspects – from Christian Science Monitor)
HOW MANY COVERED: 32 million uninsured. Major coverage expansion begins in 2014. When fully phased in, 95 percent of eligible Americans would have coverage, compared with 83 percent today. (Of the uninsured 13 million are children, 70% of them are eligible for SCHIP or Medicaid but haven't enrolled – see below)
INSURANCE MANDATE: Almost everyone is required to be insured or else pay a fine. There is an exemption for low-income people. Mandate takes effect in 2014.
INSURANCE MARKET REFORMS: Major consumer safeguards take effect in 2014. Insurers prohibited from denying coverage to people with medical problems or charging them more. Higher premiums for women would be banned. Starting this year, insurers would be forbidden from placing lifetime dollar limits on policies and from denying coverage to children because of pre-existing medical problems. Parents would be able to keep older kids on their policies up to age 26. A new high-risk pool would offer coverage to uninsured people with medical problems until 2014, when the coverage expansion goes into high gear. (this is the one that scares me. How can you expand coverage to expensive pre-existing conditions, extend older kids coverage and not have an adverse effect on premiums. I guess they are planning on regulating premium increases too. Can you say price controls?)
MEDICAID: Expands the federal-state Medicaid insurance program for the poor to cover people with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, $29,327 a year for a family of four. Childless adults would be covered for the first time, starting in 2014. The federal government would pay 100 percent of the tab for covering newly eligible individuals through 2016. A special deal that would have given Nebraska 100 percent federal financing for newly eligible Medicaid recipients in perpetuity is eliminated. A different, one-time deal negotiated by Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu for her state, Louisiana, worth as much as $300 million, remains. (The feds match each state dollar 2 to 1. Expanding Medicaid, one way or another, is going to put a big burden on the states.)
TAXES: Dramatically scales back a Senate-passed tax on high-cost insurance plans that was opposed by House Democrats and labor unions. The tax would be delayed until 2018, and the thresholds at which it is imposed would be $10,200 for individuals and $27,500 for families. To make up for the lost revenue, the bill applies an increased Medicare payroll tax to investment income as well as wages for individuals making more than $200,000, or married couples above $250,000. The tax on investment income would be 3.8 percent.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: Gradually closes the "doughnut hole" coverage gap in the Medicare prescription drug benefit that seniors fall into once they have spent $2,830. Seniors who hit the gap this year will receive a $250 rebate. Beginning in 2011, seniors in the gap receive a discount on brand name drugs, initially 50 percent off. When the gap is completely eliminated in 2020, seniors will still be responsible for 25 percent of the cost of their medications until Medicare's catastrophic coverage kicks in.
EMPLOYER RESPONSIBILITY: As in the Senate bill, businesses are not required to offer coverage. Instead, employers are hit with a fee if the government subsidizes their workers' coverage. The $2,000-per-employee fee would be assessed on the company's entire work force, minus an allowance. Companies with 50 or fewer workers are exempt from the requirement. Part-time workers are included in the calculations, counting two part-timers as one full-time worker. (Makes you want to run out and hire more employees huh? Watch for outsourcing, temp workers and jobs leaving the US. We are in a global market place, do you think India and China are mandating their companies to pay healthcare?)
SUBSIDIES: The proposal provides more generous tax credits for purchasing insurance than the original Senate bill did. The aid is available on a sliding scale for households making up to four times the federal poverty level, $88,200 for a family of four. Premiums for a family of four making $44,000 would be capped at around 6 percent of income. (Not bad, if you want more of something reduce taxes. The mortgage deduction has been a major tool to incentivising home ownership.)
HOW YOU CHOOSE YOUR HEALTH INSURANCE: Small businesses, the self-employed and the uninsured could pick a plan offered through new state-based purchasing pools called exchanges, opening for business in 2014. The exchanges would offer the same kind of purchasing power that employees of big companies benefit from. People working for medium-to-large firms would not see major changes. But if they lose their jobs or strike out on their own, they may be eligible for subsidized coverage through the exchange. (who subsidizes the coverage through an exhange? Who has the power to determine what's in the subsidized exhanges? Who has the power to let someone in or out of the exhange?)
GOVERNMENT-RUN PLAN: No government-run insurance plan. People purchasing coverage through the new insurance exchanges would have the option of signing up for national plans overseen by the federal office that manages the health plans available to members of Congress. Those plans would be private, but one would have to be nonprofit. (What? Private but subsidized and controled by government?)
ABORTION: The proposal keeps the abortion provision in the Senate bill. Abortion opponents disagree on whether restrictions on taxpayer funding go far enough. The bill tries to maintain a strict separation between taxpayer dollars and private premiums that would pay for abortion coverage. No health plan would be required to offer coverage for abortion. In plans that do cover abortion, policyholders would have to pay for it separately, and that money would have to be kept in a separate account from taxpayer money. States could ban abortion coverage in plans offered through the exchange. Exceptions would be made for cases of rape, incest and danger to the life of the mother.
GOP HEALTH CARE SUMMIT IDEAS: Following a bipartisan health care summit last month, Mr. Obama announced he was open to incorporating several Republican ideas into his legislation. But two of the principle ones – hiring investigators to pose as patients and search for fraud at hospitals and increasing spending for medical malpractice reform initiatives – did not make it into the legislation released Thursday. The legislation incorporates only one, an increase in payments to primary care physicians under Medicaid, an idea mentioned by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa. (Of course med malpractice didn't make it. Lawyers give more money to Democrats than any other group. Check out Open Secrets - do some digging)
Millions of Children Are Uninsured
SCHIP coverage
8.4 million children are uninsured
More than seven in 10 uninsured Hispanic children appear to be eligible for Medicaid or
2.9 million Hispanic children are uninsured4
More than seven in 10 uninsured children appear to be eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP
1.6 million African-American children are uninsured5
Two-thirds of uninsured non-Hispanic white children appear to be eligible for Medicaid
Most Uninsured Children Are Eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP Coverage
Medicaid or SCHIP coverage
More than eight in 10 uninsured African-American children appear to be eligible for
coverage.or SCHIP coverage.
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Remember the Beatles song "We Can Work it Out"? The Fab Four weren't exactly singing about industry collaboration, but that tune nicely describes the spirit in which trading partners have worked to improve relationships over recent decades. However, the beat would need to be quickened to adequately describe the faster pace of today's collaboration activities. "There's no doubt the industry is stepping up collaboration on all fronts," said Scott ...
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The Senior Women's Basketball Association is a nonprofit organization based
in San Diego, California. It is governed by an elected executive board.
SWBA members are women from all walks of life: business owners, dentists,
doctors, engineers, lawyers, homemakers, nurses, military and teachers.
Participants must be at least 50 years of age. Our oldest player is 89 years.
Any woman, age 50 or older, who enjoys basketball and shows good sportsmanship may
join and play.
We play three-on-three, half-court, recreational and competitive basketball.
Our regular league play is divided into four sessions per year
(summer, fall, winter, and spring) and runs for approximately eight to ten weeks
per session. Each team plays two 20 minute games weekly under the supervision of
qualified referees. These scheduled games are played Sunday afternoons and Thursday
evenings at the
Mission Valley YMCA.


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Monday, June 27, 2016
'Frozen' Attraction Set for Disney World
Disney is planning a major attraction based on its animated hit movie Frozen for its Epcot theme park at Disney World in Florida. "We've made Frozen a part of the guest ... Continue Reading →
Google Celebrates Mary Blair's 100th Birthday
Google is showcasing a colorful "birthday doodle" in honor of Disney Legend Mary Blair's 100th birthday today (Friday, Oct. 21). The much-loved artist, whe worked alongside ... Continue Reading →


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All things Mother Earth Living
by Robyn Griggs Lawrence, Editor at Large
American Lung Association, power plant, industrial pollution, solar power, solar electricity, off grid living
This week the American Lung Association reported that coal-fired power plants release more toxic pollutants such as arsenic and lead than any other industrial pollution source, Wendy Koch reports in USA Today. The ALA report says more than 400 plants in 46 states spew 386,000 tons of 84 hazardous air pollutants. 'Power plant pollution kills people,' American Lung Association president Charles D. Connor said, 'It threatens the brains and nervous system of children. It can cause cancer, heart attacks and strokes.'
As coal remains our primary power source in the United States, this isn't great news for any of us. The good news this week, also reported in USA Today, is that the U.S. solar power market grew a record 67 percent last year, making it the fastest-growing energy sector. Residential PV system prices dropped 8 percent. 'This remarkable growth puts the solar industry's goal of powering 2 million homes annually by 2015 within reach,' Rhone Resch, Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) president and CEO, stated. "Achieving such amazing growth during the economic downturn shows that smart polices combined with American ingenuity adds up to a great return on investment for the public. The bottom line is that the solar energy industry is creating tens of thousands of new American jobs each year."
SEIA highlights some of the good news:
•The total value of U.S. solar market installations grew 67 percent from $3.6 billion in 2009 to $6 billion in 2010. •Solar electric installations in 2010 totaled 956 megawatts (MW) to reach a cumulative installed capacity of 2.6 gigawatts (GW), enough to power more than half a million households. •Grid-connected PV installations grew 102 percent in 2010 to reach 878 MW, up from 435 MW in 2009, bringing cumulative installed PV capacity in the United States to 2,086 MW. •Sixteen states installed more than 10 MW of PV in 2010, up from four states in 2007. •Utility PV installations more than tripled in 2010 to reach 242 MW, up from 70 MW brought online in 2009. •U.S. manufacturing of PV components increased substantially year-over-year for wafers (97 percent growth), cells (81 percent growth), and modules (62 percent growth). •The 75-MW Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center was completed in 2010; it is the largest U.S. CSP plant to come online in nearly 20 years.
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Special Interest Websites : Community Chickens • Good Things to Eat • Keeping Backyard Bees


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TEMPE, Ariz.—Arizona State gymnastics head coach John Spini announced the addition of two-time World Champion and former Oklahoma gymnast Hollie Vise to the Gym Devil coaching staff. Vise will be filling the role of assistant coach for Kari Ward, as she takes a yearlong maternity break for her third child.
"With Kari [Ward] taking a year's leave of absence, we had the opportunity to bring Hollie on to our staff," said Spini. "She is a World Champion, she coaches in the Valley and her excellent record as a collegiate athlete and choreographer makes her a perfect fit for the program."
In 2003, Vise helped Team USA to a World Championship over Romania and also earned an individual gold medal for her bar routine. The six-time US National Team member later competed collegiately and earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma. As an elite gymnast, Vise trained at the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy in Plano, Texas, along side Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin.
"I'm really excited because I've always wanted to move into coaching college gymnastics," said Vise. "To have this opportunity to coach alongside Coach Spini, Coach [Tom] Ward and Coach [Maggie] Ethier, it's really exciting and I'm really thankful for the opportunity. I think we're going to make a great team and we all have different strengths that we bring to the table."
Vise is also known for her passion for choreography and will oversee the events of beam and floor. Prior to coaching at ASU, Vise was a traveling coach and was called around the country to choreograph routines.
"I think ASU has a great history in gymnastics, they've placed second at NCAA Championships four times, and as a coaching staff we want to bring the team to that same level," said Vise. "We have a great facility, we have a lot to offer academically and the campus is beautiful. I don't think there is a better place to be."
For Spini, Vise brings every aspect for which he was searching in an assistant coach.
"Hollie has that great dimension of communication with the athletes," said Spini. "She has a good feel for the technical base of what she needs to do to bring us forward with her experience level. I really think Hollie has a future here at Arizona State University."


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Most recipes serve a crowd of four or more, but when dinner's just for two, Giada's got the perfect menu. Set the mood with a super refreshing Italian cocktail, then serve up juicy Pork Chops alla Pizzaiola, a crunchy Italian Chopped Salad and Giada's deliciously cheesy Baked Mashed Potatoes. With this scrumptious meal, three's definitely a crowd.
Get Cooking Channel on your TV.


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Pittsburgh Basement-Turned-Wine Heaven
From Margaret Everton on January 14, 2010 in Pittsburgh
Bet Your Basement Doesnt Look Like This!
Most people have great dreams for their basement. I do. But if you look in my basement right now, all youll see are exposed rafters, cinder block retaining walls and HVAC vents. One Pittsburgh-area couple, the Hammels, had dreams for their basement, too. Their dreams came to reality, and now its worth talking about.
Way back in 1905, someone built a house. Today, in 2010, the Hammels live in that house. But even after the home celebrated its 100th birthday, nothing had happened to the homes basement. It looked like minemaybe even worse. Theirs was dank, had mold and was extremely unlikely as a place where dreams could sprout wings and fly.
No matter. As wine-lovers, the Hammels wanted to transform the room into a showcase and storage place for their wine collection. The basement was a perfect place for staging this extravagant remodel, especially with its cool-enough temperature and naturally dark setting.
Within three months, the Hammels had transformed their subsurface real estate into a breathtaking wonder. They installed a custom-made cork floor, developed a state-of-the-art HVAC system, imbued the room with rich, warm woods and subtle lighting, and put in handcrafted mahogany cabinetry with brushed copper hardware. Today, it is an awe-inspiring placea cavern of beauty and intrigue.
And it serves its purpose well. There is room for everything, from Aglianco to Zinfandel.
Photo & Story: Pittsburgh Magazine


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Welcome Beers · see all
I'm a pretty laid back guy, who gets along with pretty much anyone. Definitely love to give advice and get advice from my friends. I can be a sarcastic smartass at times and feel I have a pretty good sense of humor. I'm just one of those nice guys that can do without the drama, the lying, and the fake people being a part of my life. I still love to play soccer, get outside and work in the yard, and watch my sports. I love my television shows, movies, and a wide variety of music. Looking to meet some cool people to hopefully become friends with.
Want to know anything else, just ask!!!!
|This member is viewable by:


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Each chartering authority, in addition to any other duties imposed by this part, shall do all of the following with respect to each charter school under its authority:
(a) Identify at least one staff member as a contact person for the charter school.
(b) Visit each charter school at least annually.
(c) Ensure that each charter school under its authority complies with all reports required of charter schools by law, including the annual update required pursuant to Section 47606.5.
(d) Monitor the fiscal condition
of each charter school under its authority.
(e) Provide timely notification to the department if any of the following circumstances occur or will occur with regard to a charter school for which it is the chartering authority:
(1) A renewal of the charter is granted or denied.
(2) The charter is revoked.
(3) The charter school will cease operation for any reason.
(f) The cost of performing the duties required by this section shall be funded with supervisorial oversight fees collected pursuant to Section 47613.


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I bet I got your attention with that headline.
As I enter into my seventh year as a death-awareness educator and my fourth year producing the annual Afterlife Conference, I am constantly reminded about how resistant most people are to the topic of death. We already know that mainstream America is uncomfortable with the subject, but I was surprised to discover, through working with educators, healers, clergy and New Age leaders, that even many of the "spiritual" people are unable to look death in the eye.
Launching a public dialog about death in today's world is similar to how my generation -- the baby boomers -- broke through the taboo about discussing sex prior to the sexual revolution in the 1960s. Masters & Johnson and the Kinsey Report led the way when they shocked America by actually talking publicly -- and scientifically - about sex, and those of us in the conscious dying movement today are doing the same thing with the next great taboo.
And why wouldn't we? For the past 50 years my generation has been distinguished by its ability to dismantle and reconstruct social conventions. We directed the harsh light of truth onto the sexism, racism, religious dogma and blind patriotism that dominated the social landscape in the 1950s and 1960s, and we produced a crop of brilliant leaders who paved the way for transformation. Social activists like Gloria Steinem, Jesse Jackson and Tom Hayden; spiritual teachers like Marianne Williamson, Ram Dass and Carolyn Myss; and media moguls like Oprah Winfrey have opened doors to new ways of thinking about life on earth. Now, as baby boomers face old age, a new door is being presented… the exploration of death and beyond. And with it, a new wave of teachers is boldly addressing this taboo topic.
But talking about death is as uncomfortable for many today as talking about sex was in the days of Ozzie and Harriet. If this was 1961 and I was producing a conference or publishing books about research and experiences related to sex, society would be horrified, and very few people would come to my conference or buy my books. I am seeing a similar response to talking about death in 2014. I've done market research that shows when I use the word "death" in press releases or promotional materials, I get a tiny response compared to the response I get if I use different word choices in the same material.
Those of us who are bringing this topic into the public forum are the new Masters & Johnson, and it is our privilege and responsibility to take death out of the closet. It amazes me how much fear and shunning about death still exist in today's world, especially when it comes from people who would seem to know better, including some medical professionals, psychologists and others in the helping professions. And when we take the conversation one step further by addressing the survival of consciousness after death (i.e, the afterlife), many of these professionals run for the hills.
I am happy to report that change is coming, albeit slowly. Our afterlife conference grows bigger and better each year, and the gap is slowly being bridged between science and metaphysics when it comes to topics such as deathbed visions and near-death experience.
It is an honor and a blessing to be part of a shift toward radical change... again.


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My eyes were shut tight and I scratched at the skin on my hands and arms, begging God to change me. White was better; it was cleaner. I felt safer in white spaces; I thought I was understood. My small mind saw the distinction between the world in which I lived and the world that I wanted to live in. It saw the differences between the kids in my neighborhood and the kids in my Talented and Gifted classes at school. It heard the lilt in my classmates' laughter, and saw it in their walks.
They weren't weighed down by a thousand souls. I felt no concept of otherness in them, and I didn't want to be other-ed; I wanted to belong.
I clung to books for escape, but the heroes were all white. I imagined myself as them, wrote stories about them. I cried out to them, but chains muffled the sound. Outside of my fantasy, I was aware of my budding limitations.
At seven or eight, I felt the ceiling.
At seven or eight, I saw what I could not be.
At seven or eight, I clipped my dreams.
That night, clawing at my skin, I trusted in God.
The next morning I woke up and looked in the mirror. I saw the ruddy brown, the hardening caramel. Looking back, I see shadows of future worry lines, of Black History Month, of "This is who you are."
But who was I?
Now, crow's feet decorate its eyes; its hands are calloused, contorted. It walks on nimble toes, its heart is shriveled by dried up tears. It is difficult to love.
It is afraid. Trembling, it asks repeatedly "What do they think of me? How much can I say? What value do I have?"
It sees its reflection in broken liquor bottles, needles strewn about mildewed hallways, crack cocaine, disease. It sees it in "We just gotta do better!," black aspirations, the Black American Dream.
It fights to see reflections elsewhere: in the universalities of love, success and creativity. In the abandonment that comes with being separate, detached and whole.
At seven or eight, the self-loathing began.
Who am I now?


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Pür Lips Rock
Thursday, August 08, 2013 | Things We Love
By guest blogger Mara Davis
The Rolling Stones had one of the hottest tours this summer, and their iconic lips and tongue logo inspired this playlist. These artists have fantastic, full and interesting lips just like Jagger. If the living singers could rock a Pür Lip Gloss Stick, even better. (And we're totally into Tom Petty trying Spiked Punch, although it seems more like Beck's color ;)
About Mara Davis
Mara Davis is a radio/TV host, blogger, podcaster and pop culture fanatic. She is an event emcee, voiceover talent and contributor for HLN TV, CNN and TNT/TBS. Mara currently lives in Atlanta with her husband Mike, son Charlie and dog Brogie.


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We all love tips to make our life just a little bit more manageable. As your Dallas Household Tips Examiner I search for tips for myself and pass them along to my readers.
Spring is coming up fast and that means getting your planting started! I love herbs and every year love to start my own from seeds. This year I am going to get an early start and try this new trick I found.
Many herbs, actually, almost all of them, can be started from steeds in a regular mason jar. Chive, rosemary, parsley and thyme, are great choices to start with.
Which ever herb seeds you decide to start with, just follow the package directions for each one. Keep the soil warm and moist for each, and keeping them in full light until seeds germinate is very important. When they outgrow their mason jar, all you have to do us cut them back as needed or re-plant them into a larger pot or even straight into your flowerbed or garden.
Have more ideas like this one? Share this article on Facebook or Pinterest and add your own comments!
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#CES 2010: Bluetrek Concerto headset has Voice Email, Texting and Memo Functionality from Dial2Do
Bluetooth headset maker Bluetrek announced the upcoming availability of Bluetrek Concerto, a new headset that allows users to "enjoy voice-activated, hands-free email and texting without touching their phones."
The Bluetrek Concerto leverages on Dial2Do's Hands-free Assistant service, which costs $3.99 per month – you can sign up here.
The Dial2Do Hands-free Assistant service can be accessed with the touch of one button on the Bluetrek Concerto headset. After you've accessed it, the service lets you listen, send and reply to emails and text messages, as well as access popular Web destinations (Twitter, Google Calendar etc) – all by voice command only.
In the US, the Bluetrek Concerto headset (pictured below) will be available starting March 2010, for $89.99, coming with a 60-day free trial subscription to the Dial2Do Hands-free Assistant Pro service.
Later this year, a Dial2Do app will be available for free to Blackberry, Android, Windows Mobile and iPhone 3GS users.
Via Press release


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Jan. 27, 2012
1.28.12 Washington State NotesTUCSON - Arizona (13-7, 2-6 Pac-12) and Washington State (9-11, 3-5 Pac-12) will continue the 2011-12 Pac-12 women's basketball schedule with a contest on Sat., Jan. 28. Set to start at 1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT, the Wildcats and the Huskies will play at Friel Court in Pullman.
Arizona and Washington State will meet for the 53rd time on Saturday and the Wildcats hold a 31-21 record over the Cougars. Last season, Arizona won both match-ups between the two teams, 64-58 in Tucson and 78-61 in Pullman. In the head coach Niya Butts era, Arizona has won six of eight contests.
Arizona is 13-7 overall and 2-6 in Pac-12 play on the season, including a 6-3 road record. The Cats are paced by junior guard Davellyn Whyte's 18.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.6 steals per game. She is backed up by sophomore forward Erica Barnes' 12.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Senior guard Shanita Arnold hands out 5.0 assists per game to go with her 9.6 points. UA is shooting 39.7 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from three-point range and 71.0 percent from the free throw line.
Washington State is 9-1 overall and 3-5 in Pac-12 play on the season, including a 3-5 home record. The Cougars are paced by sophomore guard Ireti Amojo's 9.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. She is backed up by senior guard Jazmine Perkins' 8.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. All 14 members of the roster have played this season with 11 earning at least one start. WSU is shooting 38.5 percent from the field, 28.9 percent from three-point range and 63.7 percent from the free throw line.
Among the Pac-12 teams, Arizona ranks in the top three in free throw percentage (.710), three-point field goal percentage (.356) and three-point field goals made (6.6). Individually, Whyte ranks No. 2 in scoring (18.6), No. 8 in assists (3.5), No. 4 in free throw percentage (.795), No. 2 in steals (2.6) and No. 2 in three-point field goals made (2.5). Barnes is No. 13 in scoring (12.3) and No. 4 in rebounding (9.0). Arnold is No. 2 in assists (5.0) and No. 3 in assist/turnover ratio (1.7). Freshman center Aley Rohde is No. 5 in blocked shots (1.7).
Among the Pac-12 teams, Washington State ranks in the top three in turnover margin (+3.8). Individually, senior Jazmine Perkins ranks No. 11 in rebounds (7.4), No. 1 in steals (2.7) and No. 8 in defensive rebounds (5.3).
Arizona women's basketball games can be heard live on KTUC AM 1400 in Tucson. All broadcasts will start 15 minutes prior to tip-off for the pregame show. Derrick Palmer (play-by-play) and Molly O'Mara (color) will call the action this season. Visit ArizonaWildcats.com for all of your live stats and video needs.


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A 2005 study of overweight Latino children linked
higher consumption of sugar and sugar-sweetened
beverages with reduced beta-cell function. (Beta
cells are pancreatic cells that make and secrete
insulin.)1 In other words, these
overweight children were beginning to show signs of
impaired pancreatic function, which means they are
on their way to developing type 2 diabetes. The
authors emphasized the need to reduce daily sugar
intake, including drinking less sugar-sweetened
beverages, to avert disease.
In adults, a 2006 study2 linked higher
consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks with a
greater risk of weight gain, especially in people who
are overweight. These two studies add to existing
evidence3,4,5 that sweetened drinks
need to be curtailed, or even eliminated, to avert
Diabesity® -- that is, obesity and
type 2
According to Popkin and colleagues,6
Americans are consuming an average of 150 to 300
extra (i.e., unnecessary) calories each day. This is
equivalent to drinking one to two 12-ounce cans of
cola daily. Every day, many young people often drink
more sugary beverages7 than two cans
of soda or other sweetened juice drinks. Many
authorities believe that soda is contributing to the
Diabesity® epidemic in America.
Americans who lead a sedentary lifestyle are
particularly at risk. Jacobs8 has
advanced the Taylor Hypothesis that argues
that (1)
energy balance—in which the calories you burn
equals the calories you eat—is promoted by high
energy expenditure through physical activity and (2)
energy imbalance that promotes obesity is due to a
sedentary lifestyle marked by low energy expenditure
(i.e., low levels of physical activity). In other
your physiology and metabolism that ordinarily
assures energy balance works less efficiently when
your energy expenditure is low, so obesity develops
more readily in people who are physically inactive.
Conversely, energy balance is easier to maintain
when you are highly active.
Alarmed by the growing epidemic of obesity and the
high intake of sweetened beverages,
Popkin6 urges that drinking water be
used as the "preferred beverage" to fulfill daily water
needs. Although we support Popkin's position on
water, we believe that many people will resist
replacing all calorie-laden sweetened beverages with
water, and many will turn to zero-calorie "diet" drinks
Diet drinks are formulated to taste sweet but
deliver zero calories. Paradoxically, several
short-term studies, summarized by Tordoff and
Alleva,9 suggest that sweet taste
triggers a "metabolic reflex" that increases appetite.
This might lead to an increase in body weight over
the long run, but fortunately, long-term studies show
that diet drinks do not cause weight gain. Rather,
they appear to be useful in weight management.
Three key long-term studies are summarized below:
Tordoff and Alleva9 gave one group of
normal weight men and women conventional soda
(530 calories per day) and a second group the same
volume of diet soda (sweetened with aspartame).
The researchers found that in the group drinking
sugar-sweetened soda, total daily calories consumed
and body weight increased, but in the group drinking
aspartame-sweetened soda, calories consumed and
body weight decreased. No safety problems were
Raben and coworkers10 studied two
groups of people for 10 weeks, to see how
consuming two types of supplements would affect
their daily calorie intake and body weight. The
control group ate a diet that included supplemental
drinks and foods containing sucrose (i.e., regular
table sugar). The other group had similar drinks and
foods that contained artificial sweeteners in place of
sugar. Both groups were required to eat a minimum
amount of the supplements each day, but the rest of
their diet was not restricted. During the study, the
sucrose group steadily gained weight while the
artificial sweetener group steadily lost weight. The
majority of the weight gain (1.6 kg or 3.5 pounds) in
the sucrose group was primarily due to increased fat.
Blackburn and coworkers11 carried out
a very long-term study of obese female dieters. One
group of women was instructed how to lose weight in
a comprehensive program that included
aspartame-containing beverages and foods. The
control group of
dieters received the same weight-loss instruction but
was discouraged from using these products. The
weight loss in the two groups was virtually identical
for the first 19 weeks of the study. But three years
later, the aspartame group regained significantly less
weight and the conventionally-treated group
regained all of their lost weight. The authors noted
that despite other studies claiming to the contrary,
the aspartame group did not report an increase in
hunger at any time during the study. The 5% weight
loss achieved in the aspartame group was considered
to be clinically significant, and no significant health
problems were reported.
Taken together, these studies agree with earlier
careful work by Porikos and
colleagues12,13 who showed that both
lean and obese subjects living in a metabolic ward
consumed fewer calories when the researchers
covertly substituted aspartame for all the sucrose in
their diets. It is clear that the long-term use of
artificial sweeteners does NOT stimulate hunger, was
not associated with safety problems, and can be
useful for achieving weight loss in a dieting
population. Zero-calorie sugar substitutes are an
easy way to reduce or eliminate sugar-sweetened
beverages that are increasingly being linked to
Diabesity®. They may be useful not
just for
but also for preventing weight gain in a normal
weight population.
Bottom Line: Although the data are not
ironclad, studies in humans increasingly point to the
dangers of consuming sugary soft drinks and the
need to moderate sugar intake to avert obesity and
disease. Long-term studies in humans support the
use of artificially-sweetened beverages in managing
weight. Although water is our preferred beverage
choice, artificially-sweetened drinks are a better
choice than sugar-sweetened beverages. We
support the call to reduce sugar intake, especially
sugar-sweetened beverages.
The triceps muscles are used in a pushing movement,
usually along with the chest and shoulder muscles.
The triceps were briefly mentioned in the September
2005 Shape Up America! newsletter article on push
ups. (You can find that article in the
newsletter archives at shapeup.org.)
This month we are going to look at several variations
of a movement that specifically works the triceps
muscles – bench dips.
To perform bench dips, all you will need is a bench
that is placed directly against a wall so that it
won't slip while you perform the exercise. I have
also used a chair for this exercise, but since my
chair is too narrow to allow me to sit on the edge
and at the same time grip the front edge of the
chair, I put two chairs together as shown in the
illustration below. So don't hesitate to grab a
second chair if a bench is not available.
For safety's sake, position the bench or chairs
right next to each other, and back them up against a
wall to ensure they will not slip or move as you
perform this exercise.
There are two variations of this exercise, one with
your legs bent (which is the beginner position) and
another with your legs straight (which is more
difficult). To start this movement, you will need
to sit (or more accurately, "perch") on the very
edge of the bench, or chairs, and place both hands
on the front edge on either side of your body.
Place your hands so your entire palms are on the
bench and your fingers are gripping it firmly.
Next, place your feet together in front of you so
that your knees are bent and your feet are flat on
the ground. Now you are ready to start the
Slide your rear end off the bench so now only your
arms are holding you up. With your elbows pointing
backwards, slowly bend your arms and lower your
bottom towards the ground – just far enough so that
a right angle forms at your elbow joint. Stop at
that point and reverse the movement, pushing your
hands into the bench and straightening out your
arms. When you reach the top of the movement, stop
just before you lock your elbows; this will keep
your triceps working for the entire movement.
Now take a breath and repeat until you reach your
rep goal. This goal will vary depending on your
fitness level. (See table below). You only need to
do it once a week.
Goal Level
1 set, 10-12 reps
When you move from one
skill level to the next, you may have difficulty
reaching your rep goal. That's OK. Go as far as you
can and try to add one or two more reps each
2 sets, 10-12 reps
3 sets, 10-12 reps
This movement is simple, but very effective. To make
it more difficult, straighten your legs and stretch
them out before you, so that only your heels are
touching the ground.
Next month we will complete upper arm training with
a movement that strengthens the biceps.
Shape Up America! has a
RMR calculator that you can use to estimate
your resting calorie needs for the day. For more
information on metabolism, see
Step 7 of the Shape Up & Drop 10
10 1/2 oz. fresh, trimmed or frozen, cut
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. lime juice (lemon juice may be
2 Tbsp. canned green chili peppers, drained,
1 Tbsp. onion, chopped
2 tsp. tomato paste
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Cook asparagus. Drain well, pat dry with paper
Place asparagus in blender. Add remaining
ingredients. Blend until smooth. Dip will become less
thick upon standing and will need to be stirred.
Nutrition Information Per Serving:
25 calories, 0 grams fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol,
2 grams fiber, 142 milligrams sodium
Source: 5 A Day recipe,
The Shape Up America! newsletter
Editor: Adrienne Forman, MS, RD


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SAME DIFFERENCE AND OTHER STORIESReviewed by Adam Ford
by Derek Kirk Kim144 pages, black and white Published by Small Stories Distributed by Alternative Comics$12
Reviewed by Adam Ford
Warren Ellis recently mentioned Derek Kim in one of his Bad Signal emails, saying that Kim was someone who pretty soon would have lots of people claiming that they knew him when he was just starting out. Well, allow me to unabashedly jump on that bandwagon. I first saw the early instalments of "Same Difference", the story that takes up two-thirds of this collection, maybe three or four years ago when Kim was posting them regularly on his web site. I must have visited his site every day back then, hanging out for a new page to be uploaded. I never minded too much if there wasn't a new one up when I visited because Kim's comics were so good and the writing was so natural and funny and appealing that I could read them over and over and over without losing any sense of enjoyment.
When I heard that "Same Difference" was being collected in print form I was thrilled. When it arrived in the mail I was even more excited. Not only were the comics in there all together for me to carry in my bag and have with me for ever and ever and read whenever I want, the book itself is a beautiful object. It's small - about the size of a paperback novel. The cover illustration is done predominantly in subtle gold and olive-green, depicting the wall of a house with the slender branches of a white-flowering tree resting against a window. If you look closely you can make out someone's face as they stand in the dark room behind the window. The book also has flaps folded over on the back and front pages, the kind of things you use to mark your place when you stop reading. There's a lot of book-as-object love radiating from this gorgeous package.
But maybe we should get down to the actual stories themselves. What you've got here is the complete graphic novella "Same Difference" that was serialised on Kim's web site, as well as a whole bunch of shorter stories that make up the last third of the book. "Same Difference" is obviously the showpiece of the book, but the inclusion of the short stories gives a wider sampling of Kim's capacity as a comic storyteller and allows him to demonstrate the breadth of his talent.
"Same Difference" at its simplest is a comfortable and casually meandering story about two old friends, Simon and Nancy, going on a road trip to Simon's old home town. The road trip and its impetus, like most road stories, provide a framework for the two of them to encounter and make observations about all manner of things in our contemporary world like high-school reminiscences and the nature of friendship, all the while dipping into a seemingly inexhaustible supply of reverential pop culture namedropping. The pacing of the story is lackadaisical, and sometimes even feels a touch directionless, but the depth of detail with which Kim invests every step in the journey makes every digression feel important and relevant, and prevents things from ever feeling like they're taking too long.
The short stories in the back are a good demonstration of the breadth of Kim's range of drawing styles. For each of the stories he uses a different style depending on his dramatic intention. The bleaker stories take a photorealist approach, while the comedic and satirical stories are drawn in a more cartoony line-art style. What makes "Same Difference" stand apart from these other stories is the way that Kim uses the entire range of his artistic styles to illustrate each mood of the story as it is needed. His style of illustration changes from panel to panel to suit the mood of the story. In the more slapstick comedic moments he'll strip things back to a manga-style iconic approach and noses, mouths and eyes will become simple lines and dashes. The next moment the mood will snap back all serious and dramatic and the same character's face will be drawn in much more "realist" detail. This balance between the realist and the cartoony that draws the reader in and holds their attention. The transitions between more and less realist depiction are an effective device that Kim uses seamlessly and with precision. As well as this impressive artistic balancing act, there's a much more loving and hopeful air about "Same Difference" when compared to the rest of the stories, which as a whole are much angrier and cynical. This doesn't mean that they're less worthy, but for mine the gentle and kind touch of "Same Difference" is much more appealing by comparison.
There's a deft cinematic feel about the composition of "Same Difference" - the subtle use of moment-to-moment and scene-to-scene transitions show Kim to have a shrewd understanding of dramatic timing. The episodic way that the story progresses is also shrewd. Certain parts of the story are so complete in themselves that they could easily stand alone as short pieces of their own: the episode where Simon's old high-school friend talks about the first time she ever lied to her mother; the sequence of long-shot landscapes complete with "soundtrack" that depicts the actual road trip; the three-page 2x3 panel grid sequence where Simon and Nancy have a faux-argument in the front of Simon's car. All of these scenes and others have such a discrete and distinctive feel to them, but at the same time they all fit together as a whole.
The environments that Kim creates for his characters to inhabit are so convincing that you almost experience a physical sensation when the story moves on and that environment is left behind. When Simon and Nancy are buying ramen noodles and ice-cream in their local Safeway it could be my local Safeway that they're in. When they're sitting in their car in suburbia, it feels like the suburbia that I know from personal experience. Nancy's tiny bedroom in the shopfront house feels like any number of sharehouse bedrooms I've been in. The Pho restaurant the story begins in could be the one I visit regularly to get a number 22 with extra broccoli.
I could rave on for pages more about this book, I really could. But I think I've pretty much covered it. Derek Kim is one of the artform's true geniuses: a man with great ability as both a writer and an artist who has been able to bring the two together in a way that perfectly demonstrates the breadth, depth and true capacity of comics as a story-telling device par excellence. "Same Difference" is a real, honest and true story full of the best kind of everyday wisdom and insight, a story that is at once universal and unique.
It's Not Possible To Recommend This Highly Enough


text:
Of the world's nearly 45,000 cargo ships, many burn a low-grade bunker fuel in their engines and produce pollution equivalent to millions of automobiles. To help reduce that toxic load and keep the price of shipping freight reasonable, engineers at the University of Tokyo (UT) and a group of collaborators have designed a system of large, retractable sails measuring 64 feet (20 m) wide by 164 feet (50 m) high, which studies indicate can reduce annual fuel use on ships equipped with them by up to 30%.Read More
Researchers have developed a solar-powered sensor system that is just nine cubic millimeters in size. It is 1,000 times smaller than comparable commercial counterparts and can harvest energy from its surroundings to operate nearly perpetually. The system could enable new biomedical implants as well as building and bridge-monitoring devices. It could also vastly improve the efficiency and cost of current environmental sensor networks designed to detect movement or track air and water quality. Read More
Following last September's announcement of new 50 megapixel and 60 megapixel H4D medium format cameras, Hasselblad has now announced the immediate availability of the H4D-40 DSLR camera system. The 40 of course signifies the number of megapixels, but the camera also benefits from up to four minute exposure times, faster capture rates and higher ISO ratings as well as an improved auto focus mechanism.Read More
The ancient lotus leaf has natural properties that scientists believe could prove beneficial in today's modern world. Already Gizmag has featured articles about the lotus leaf surface, including a self-cleaning cup and a transparent coating for space suits. Recently, though, in an effort to improve the efficiency of modern engineering systems, such as power plants and some electronic equipment that must be cooled by removing heat through water evaporation and condensation, engineers at Duke University have been studying the lotus leaf. Using an ultra high-speed camera, a powerful microscope and an audio speaker, scientists were able to observe water as it condensed on the leaf's surface, and more importantly, how the water condensate disappeared.Read More
Sharp has designed its new iPod docking system to match the look and feel of an iPod or iPhone. Finished in glossy piano black, the DK-AP8 has a removable touch panel that controls the system button-free via infrared. Something a little different, the Sharp unit has various ports including AUX input and video (FBAS) output on the back which enables it to be connected to a TV for viewing photos or videos stored on the iPhone or iPod.Read More
Thanks to a system created by SRS Energy and offered exclusively as an upgrade option to customers of US Tile (the largest manufacturer of clay tile in the United States), those wishing to benefit from rooftop solar energy will no longer have to worry about any panels being stuck on the side of the roof and spoiling the aesthetics. The Solé Power Tile system is the first building-integrated photovoltaic roofing product designed to blend in with curved roof tiles commonly found in the Pacific West and Southwest of the United States. Read More
Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed an electric transport system where the vehicles get their power needs from cables underneath the surface of the road via non-contact magnetic charging. As well as potentially saving Koreans a lot of money by reducing crude oil imports, widespread adoption of the technology also offers the potential of improving air quality in currently polluted cities.Read More
Raytheon has announced the creation of the world's largest infra-red light wave detector, the "4K by 4K" focal plane array. Not only will it allow whole hemisphere satellite monitoring at 16 megapixel resolution but it should also make sensors less dependent on the complicated scanning mechanisms used in current systems.Read More
IASUS Concepts may not be well known to mobile phone consumers, as it has largely operated in the military marketplace until now, making specialist headsets, throat microphones and similar special operations paraphernalia. Its anonymity might soon be short lived thanks to its latest 500K Series Headset targeted at iPhone and Blackberry power users. Its Special Ops look is no accident as the 500K is adapted from standard issue FBI, CIA, and secret service earpieces, and is the first to introduce an acoustic coil earpiece to the mobile platform.Read More
Desalination is a popular source of potable water in Middle Eastern countries, where large energy reserves and the relative scarcity of water suitable for drinking led to desalination in the region accounting for close to 75% of total world capacity in 2007. If that figure hasn't already dropped it almost certainly will as access to clean water becomes an issue for many places around the globe. And the shortage isn't just limited to developing countries, with places like California and parts of Australia facing their worst droughts in recorded history. A new mini-mobile-modular (M3) "smart" water desalination and filtration system could help determine the feasibility of desalination in areas that may be considering it for the first time.Read More
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