text:
Democracy in Retreat
A thought-provoking study of democratization proposing that the spate of retreating democracies, one after another over the past two decades, is not just a series of exceptions.
See more in Global; Democratization
Senior Fellow for Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, China; Asian regionalism; public diplomacy; democratization in the developing world.
Emerging Powers in Southeast Asia , Southeast Asia Roundtable Series
Joshua Kurlantzick is senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Kurlantzick was previously a scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he studied Southeast Asian politics and economics and China's relations with Southeast Asia, including Chinese investment, aid, and diplomacy. Previously, he was a fellow at the University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy and a fellow at the Pacific Council on International Policy.
Kurlantzick has also served as a columnist for Time, a correspondent for the Economist based in Bangkok, a special correspondent for the New Republic, a senior correspondent for the American Prospect, and a contributing writer for Mother Jones. He also serves on the editorial board of Current History.
He is the winner of the Luce Scholarship for journalism in Asia and was selected as a finalist for the Osborn Elliot prize for journalism in Asia. His first book, Charm Offensive: How China's Soft Power Is Transforming the World, was nominated for CFR's 2008 Arthur Ross Book Award. He is the author of Democracy in Retreat: The Revolt of the Middle Class and the Worldwide Decline in Representative Government, and the author of the forthcoming A Great Place to Have a War: The Secret War in Laos and the Birth of a Military CIA.
Kurlantzick received his BA in political science from Haverford College.
Since early in President Obama's first term, the United States has pursued a policy of rebuilding ties with Southeast Asia, part of a broader strategy toward Asia called the "pivot," or rebalance. This strategy includes shifting economic, diplomatic, and military resources to the region. In large part, the Obama administration has focused on building relations with countries in mainland Southeast Asia once shunned because of their autocratic governments and reviving close links to Thailand and Malaysia.
Yet as the United States has re-engaged with the region, Southeast Asia has regressed politically. An increasingly authoritarian and unstable Southeast Asia could prove a poor partner. Although there are numerous reasons for Southeast Asia's political regression, aspects of the pivot may be contributing to the region's backsliding. My work on the pivot—articles, roundtable meetings, blog posts, and working papers—aim to help the United States rethink aspects of the pivot in Southeast Asia. This reevaluation of policy will help the United States to fulfill the core promise of the pivot—to reorient American attention to the Pacific—while better aligning Asia policy with democratic values and also maximizing the strategic benefits of America's involvement in Southeast Asia.
This project is made possible through the support of the Open Society Foundations.
Over the past four years, Myanmar (Burma) has undergone rapid political and economic reform. Aung San Suu Kyi has been released from house arrest, and the country has liberalized the media, political expression, and parts of the economy. The National League for Democracy could well win a majority of seats in the 2015 parliamentary elections. Many multinational companies view Myanmar as a gigantic opportunity.
Yet since early 2013, Myanmar's reform process appears to have stalled. After initially loosening media restrictions, the government has tightened them. President Thein Sein, who had been hailed as a liberalizer in his first three years, has shifted course and begun to consolidate power to himself. Meanwhile, hopes that Myanmar's military would reduce its role in politics have proven unfounded. Members of the military also allegedly are involved in the Buddhist paramilitary groups that have sprung up and attacked Muslims, leading to severe conflict in western Rakhine State.
In the run-up to critical 2015 national elections, the Project on Political and Economic Reform in Myanmar—which includes roundtables, in-country research, articles, and blog posts—examines the challenges Myanmar faces in building a federal democratic state. The project also examines the role of external actors in helping Myanmar craft a federal democracy.
This project is made possible through the support of the Open Society Foundations.
Over the past decade, state capitalism—a high degree of state intervention in or control of an economy—has been growing throughout the developing world. Contrary to popular wisdom among many policymakers and writers, however, the phenomenon is not confined to authoritarian states. Democracies like South Africa, Brazil, Turkey, India, Singapore, and Malaysia increasingly have adopted state interventionist strategies to support industries and individual companies their governments consider most important to development.
This growth in state capitalism could have enormous repercussions for global markets, international institutions, global security, and democracy throughout the developing world. My work on state capitalism, which will culminate in a book, examines its rise and analyzes why so many developing democracies over the past decade have pursued it. I also analyze the implications of modern state capitalism for the world economy, international security, and democratic development throughout Asia, Latin America, and other developing regions of the world.
A thought-provoking study of democratization proposing that the spate of retreating democracies, one after another over the past two decades, is not just a series of exceptions.
See more in Global; Democratization
With concise historical analysis and forward-looking prescriptions, Pathways to Freedom offers an authoritative and accessible look at what countries must do to build durable and prosperous democracies—and what the United States and others can do to help.
See more in Global; Economic Development; Democratization
Joshua Kurlantzick examines how emerging democratic powers like India and Brazil have thus far avoided a leadership in democracy promotion commensurate with their new global statuses
See more in Democratization
Joshua Kurlantzick shares an excerpt from his new book, Democracy in Retreat, which revolves around a disturbing thesis: that after a steady increase in the number of democracies in the world for nearly a century, autocratic rule is on the march.
See more in Democratization; Emerging Markets
Joshua Kurlantzick suggests that the interethnic conflict in Rakhine State in western Myanmar is symptomatic of the larger challenges the country faces as it transitions from absolute military rule to democracy.
See more in Human Rights; Burma/Myanmar; Religion
Joshua Kurlantzick reviews King Bhumibhol Adulyadej: A Life's Work and examines how, in Thailand and elsewhere, royal reverence has hampered democracy.
See more in United States; Thailand; Democratization
On the eve of President Obama's historic trip to Myanmar, Joshua Kurlantzick argues that the economic and political changes underway in that country—though substantial—may not be as secure as many Burmese reformers and outside observers think.
See more in United States; Burma/Myanmar; Politics and Strategy
Joshua Kurlantzick explores the roots of the insurgency in Thailand's deep south, prospects for a settlement, and why this deadly conflict remains largely ignored by the international media.
See more in Thailand; Radicalization and Extremism; Political Movements and Protests
Joshua Kurlantzick says Peter Popham's The Lady and the Peacock is the most thorough and, in some ways, the most critical biography of Aung San Suu Kyi, who is now making the transition from longtime opposition leader to member of parliament and leading ally of the Myanmar president.
See more in Burma/Myanmar
Joshua Kurlantzick examines the southern Thai conflict and the reasons why it has been so ignored, both in Thailand and in the international community.
See more in Thailand
Joshua Kurlantzick argues that state capitalism can be conducive to innovation.
See more in Emerging Markets
Joshua Kurlantzick says that after five decades of brutal military rule, Myanmar has been slowly shifting in the direction of legitimate democratic governance, but many serious obstacles still have to be overcome.
See more in Burma/Myanmar; Democratization; Political Movements and Protests
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses current sectarian violence between the Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities in western Myanmar's Rakhine state.
See more in Burma/Myanmar
Joshua Kurlantzick reviews William Dobson's The Dictator's Learning Curve.
See more in Global; Presidents and Chiefs of State
Joshua Kurlantzick says that even though its by-elections were relatively free and fair, Burma remains a long way from a truly democratic culture of elections.
See more in Burma/Myanmar; Elections
Joshua Kurlantzick reviews The River of Lost Footsteps and Where China Meets India by Thant Myint-U.
See more in Burma/Myanmar; Political Movements and Protests; Democratization
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses the unexpected series of reforms that has taken place in Burma since President Thein Sein took office.
See more in Political Movements and Protests; Burma/Myanmar; Democratization
Joshua Kurlantzick states, "China, other Asian nations, and the United States remain unprepared for Myanmar to spark a refugee crisis, a large-scale conflict along its borders — or even a nuclear breakout."
See more in China; United States; Political Movements and Protests; Burma/Myanmar
Joshua Kurlantzick says that while the Arab Spring has allowed nations in the region to begin transitioning to democracy, democracy is actually faltering throughout the developing world.
See more in Democratization; Global
Joshua Kurlantzick reviews Joel Brinkley's Cambodia's Curse: The Modern History of a Troubled Land.
See more in Cambodia; Democratization
Joshua Kurlantzick reviews Mara Hvistendahl's Unnatural Selection: Choosing Boys Over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men.
See more in China; Tibet; Population
Joshua Kurlantzick reviews Mara Hvistendahl's Unnatural Selection.
See more in Population; India; China
5:30 p.m.–6:00 p.m. Reception
6:00 p.m.–6:45 p.m. Meeting
6:45 p.m.–7:15 p.m. Reception and Book Signing
*Please note special timing*
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
This meeting is on the record.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on the Trump administration's approach to the South China Sea.
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses President-Elect Trump's business deals in Southeast Asia.
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and the future of the U.S.-Philippine relationship. Additionally, he discusses his forthcoming book, A Great Place to Have a War: America in Laos and the Birth of a Military CIA.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on regional dynamics in Southeast Asia.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on the state of Thailand's economy.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on President-Elect Donald J. Trump's phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on political developments in Myanmar.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's visit to China.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on the future of Thai politics following the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on the success of the Obama administration's pivot to Asia.
Joshua Kurlantzick is interviewed about the long-term risks of a lack of progress on human rights and democracy in Southeast Asia.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on decisions John Kerry's successor as Secretary of State may have to make in Southeast Asia.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on China-Vietnam relations and the South China Sea.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on Laos.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on statements made at the G-7 summit in Japan.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on U.S. foreign policy toward Vietnam.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on U.S. involvment in Laos.
Joshua Kurlantizck discusses how the Thaksin era ushered in the reign of state capitalism in Thailand.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on Myanmar's new NLD-led government and the process of selecting the next president.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on the U.S.-Myanmar relationship during the upcoming government transition following the sweeping victory of the National League for Democracy in recent elections.
Joshua Kurlantzick is interviewed about what to expect from Myanmar's new government after the National League for Democracy's landslide victory.
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses upcoming elections in Myanmar.
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses the upcoming elections in Myanmar.
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses the regional implications of Myanmar's upcoming elections.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on President Joko Widido's visit to Washington and the U.S.-Indonesia relationship.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on the negative effects of corruption on aviation and other industries in Indonesia.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on China's use of commerce to promote national interests.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on the Thai government's human rights record and the U.S.-Thailand relationship.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on the state of the U.S.-Thailand alliance.
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses the lifting of martial law in Thailand, and the implications of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's invocation of Article 44.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted on how Singapore became and continues to be so succesful.
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses what's happening in Thailand and where the kingdom may be headed.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted in Southeast Asia Globe on the decentralization of power in Indonesia.
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses the recent clashes between police and students in Myanmar.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted in the Boston Review on the idea of "Thai-style democracy."
The Sydney Morning Herald discusses Joshua Kurlantzick's article criticizing Tony Abbott, Prime Minister of Australia.
Joshua Kurlantzick is quoted extensively in Mizzima about why the United States should take a tougher stance on Myanmar.
Joshua Kurlantzick is interviewed by the Diplomat on what to expect in Southeast Asia in 2015. In particular, he comments on Thailand's slow return to democracy and the effect of oil prices on Southeast Asian economies.
1777 F Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20006
United States
Senior Fellow for Southeast Asia
Research Associate
|James West
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses President-Elect Trump's business deals in Southeast Asia.
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and the future of the U.S.-Philippine relationship. Additionally, he discusses his forthcoming book, A Great Place to Have a War: America in Laos and the Birth of a Military CIA.
Joshua Kurlantzick discusses upcoming elections in Myanmar.


text:
Skip to comments.Newsweek Obama Cover: 'The First Gay President'
Posted on 05/13/2012 11:05:25 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
click here to read article
He's the prez AND the first lady:)
LOL. I've been saying that since the girly faggot got elected! Newsweek has just clued into it now? BTW, is Newsweek still in business? I'm sure their 17 loyal readers will find the cover very interesting and provocative.
Oh-Bam-Ah! More appropriate cover would be the pics of him bending over bowing to other male leaders. He's had lots of practice bending over.
I saw that cover earlier. I really thought that somebody was making fun of Obama. I really thought somebody photoshopped a picture of Obama with a homosexual themed rainbow halo onto a fake Newsweek cover.
I am really shocked to learn that this is their actual cover picture. I don't think I shock too easily at what the liberals in the MSM do, but this one seemed so over the top to me.
I am still surprised they haven't folded already.
They still give him the halo. I doubt that anyone in the world looks to Time and Newsweak for objectivity any more. It's all about finding an echo chamber that repeats back the readers' biases.
picture of Obama with a homosexual themed rainbow halo onto a fake Newsweek cover.
The gay groups use rainbows as an image or color scheme as a symbol of their movement.
A rainbow halo could signify a symbolism of being sacreligious. Or it could mean that they think Obama is an angel for supporting homosexual marriage. Or it could be a nod to Obama saying that he supports homosexual marriage due to the Biblical principle of the Golden Rule.
One thing is certain. This cover is meant to convey a message about homosexual marriage and about Obama.
Whomever it is advising Obama to take these actions, I say THANK YOU! :-D
You big silly, it means he's now officially a secular saint.
Somebody (the media)has polling data which shows that the only living thing that couldn't beat Zero in November is the thin layer of microbial film under Aunt Ruby's refrigerator.
I now deem this election officially OVER - either that or there is a blockbuster revelation relative to Obama's sexuality which is about to hit the 24 hour news cycle and the lamestream is doing this so that when it is revealed, they can claim
"old news!"
But it won't be the first time he or Newsweek have shot themselves in the foot.
I guess this is an attempt to one-up Time's breastfeeding cover.
It won't work.
I hope these queers can really get behind you Barry (No pun intended)!
I bet his wife is humiliated by this.I wonder if she knew Obama's preferences before she married him.
My guess is yes. She got a big leg up when she hitched her fat-ass wagon to his down low night train.
Apparently it was his kids who convinced him to come out of the closet (where he was smooching with a gay secret service agent).
This morning, he began with:
"This is not part of the sermon, but I feel compelled to take a stand: Marriage is between one man and one woman -- for life -- -- because that is what GOD'S WORD says -- no matter what any official says !"
The response was the expected healthy rumble of "Amen!"s -- and then the entire congregation erupted into loud and sustained applause!!
Ø'hØmØ's queer stance definitely has not helped his prospects in Atlanta, Texas!!
The story's by Andrew Sullivan, no less.
1. This is just hilarious. I love the way Newsweek made his head look pointy, too.
2. Obama is going to continue to blame Biden for forcing his hand on this issue. I can just picture him holding this issue of Newsweek, pacing around the Oval Office, bumping into furniture, fuming and swearing about Biden.
And Michelle will be livid, too. For if Obama is the first "gay" president, where does that leave her?
3. This is the Obama who wanted to improve America's standing abroad and have other nations respect us. Remember "we will extend our hand to you, Iran, if you will unclench your fist"? Ha! Ahdmadinijhad will be very relieved indeed that he never held hands with Obama! Eww!
Is that cover Newsweek's way of endorsing Romney? How could Newsweek believe that cover does the Liberal Messiah any favors?
BTW, thanks Biden.
His Highness Queen Barack Obama.
Nothing else makes sense.
maybe its to get Obama out and save the Democratic-Progressive Party (and the Nation as well). They are loyal to the movement not the man—he was a tool only—they will toss under the bus.
I wonder if the Taliban still wants to talk to the first gay president....
Here's what I said on another thread (quoting myself):
"One of a continuing series of inoculation shots for Obama. When proof of homosexual dalliances emerges, Obama will be fully inoculated against the effects. It will already have completed the transformation into old news."
On this thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2883313/posts
He's gay Jesus?
Good photo choice New-Speak.
It looks like The Gay-One has a severe callus centered on his upper lip.
She knows he was Riding-Dirty in his coacaine fueled dates with Larry Sinclair.
Don't be shocked. I wrote a short vanity on the General Chat side of FR saying that the media is setting Obama up for martyrdom for his brave stand on homosexual marriage.
When Obama loses, and he will, it will be said that he sacrificed his presidency for the noble cause of gay marriage.
More and more lib pundits are realizing Obama is a loser. Even AP had a story about what a global disappointment Obama has been. And there is Klein's book about Obama fittingly called, The Amateur. The media is giving him a halo and a golden parachute for the coming fall from grace.
Martyrdom is coming.
The rainbow halo is the first sign of that martyrdom. Either that or the rainbow pot of all our tax dollars is sitting on the bamster's head.
"the 31 States who've passed Constitutional amendments defining marriage between a MAN and WOMAN have been by significant majorities."
What I find interesting is that Jeremiah Wright has just come out to say the Obama administration j tried to buy his silence. Obviously, he has no intention of staying silent, and who would have more dirt on him?
"And Michelle will be livid, too. For if Obama is the first gay president, where does that leave her?"
A "fag hag" (pardon me but "fag hag" is out there - get it, "out there.").
You said "blow."
You said "tool".
You said "head".
You said "come out".
James Buchanan was the first gay President. His lover lived in the White House and his niece served as first lady.
"You said come out."
Why yes, I did. (smile)
Interesting maybe the media should dig a little more into the claims of one Larry Sinclair.... now that Obama has officially come out....
Freepmail wagglebee to subscribe or unsubscribe from the homosexual agenda ping list.
Be sure to click the FreeRepublic homosexual agenda keyword search link for a list of all related articles. We don't ping you to all related articles so be sure to click the previous link to see the latest articles.
Add keywords homosexual agenda to flag FR articles to this ping list.
Subtle change now noticeable in the way the media is treating him.
I thought it was fake at first too lol.
This is called "inoculation".
Obama's inner circle has concluded that Reggie Love or Larry Sinclair or someone is about to get some airtime calling out Obama as a gay lover.
By running this story first, Tina Brown has converted any talk of Obama's homosexuality (or bisexuality) into a third party attack on gay "rights".
Pretty clever...
What does the rainbow halo mean?
You big silly, it means he's now officially a secular saint.
Exactly right.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
[Translated, it was difficult, i tried]
Kristen in V. Angostura read a letter from me and told her assistant that she wanted to meet me. John gave a few schedules to my dad and met us in a cafeteria. The production talked with me and my family ahead of time to ensure we were not psychopaths, I know. Hahaha when they told me "she is waiting" I almost had a heart attack, could not breathe. I crossed the street and walked half a block and entered the mansion and went through security where they had metal detectors (as if I would do something to you. Já) crossed another door and you came running to greet me. That image will never leave me. I hugged you for all the times i could not, starting to cry was inevitable. I was so nervous I had a tummy ache and when I saw you, everything vanished. I said "I'm so sorry, I know you must hate this" and you said 'Are you kidding me? This is the best part' with a huge smile that I will never forget, I was speechless for a while, I couldn't do anything but look at you Kristen and I couldn't help myself I said: "You're actually more beautiful in person" and you touched your hair, you did not know what to tell me lol I love you you're so cute. "How much time do we have?" and you said "Oh, we're just chillin". They were totally having a party in the backyard. In fact my brother told me that Garrett told him "Do you like beer?" "Yes, with friends" (Indian) and said "Do you want?" (and pointed to his glass of beer)
They brought us two chairs and they sort of separated us and I said nah, I got up and dragged my chair right next to you "I cannot be so far from you" "hahaha" you laughed. They brought us water and you drank half of yours in half a minutes (it was hot) haha and I said "I do not even know why I have this glass on my hand, I'm gonna leave it in the ground for my safety" jajaja
You introduced me to all your friends .. Sam R. GOSH! My weakness (the English) told me "Hi how are you? I'm Sam" "I know. Nice to meet you!" then Garret approached me (Yes, it's beautiful. Very) has eyes to die I swear. and says "Hey, I'm Garret" (I found the all very cool especially Garret) and one other greeted me one I cant remember who.
Lastly, John (who is the best let's make that clear) would speak to me with a smile and I neither looked nor listened, I could not stop looking at the creature who sat next to me. I grabbed your hand (btw, is very soft and had chipped red nail polish) and you said...."How are you? Are you Enjoying this?" "MY LIFE IS NOT GONNA GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS. TRUST ME" "Oh, do not say that!" hahaha but it's true. "But truth is, this is the moment of my life."
We talked about Robert and Ashley Greene, I taught her some Spanish and we were being silly. She is very sweet, none of what they say is true. She's so shy is hard to believe. I was with her for an hour because at 1710 I was out already, but it seemed a century. I want more centuries. I love you princess, there is no bigger satisfaction to know that you know I exist and that you escorted me to the door.
For those who want to know, No I didn't met her at the airport. It was a something between her and I, and I do not want to say more. But I want to clarify something: I do not pretend to enjoy one, I just wanted to share my experience, if it bothers you is not my fault. Kristen Jaymes Stewart I love you, thank you for the best day of my life.
Translation and via KstewRobFans


text:
Courtney Love Gossip
Courtney Love gossip, latest news, photos, and video.
Courtney & Frances Bean in London
David M. Benett/ Getty Images
Courtney Love was in London yesterday to be featured at the Women In Creativity series. Frances Bean Full Story
Smutty Social Media, January 5, 2016
I thought that journalist looked familiar! Well we have one part cast for the inevitable movie. Flattered to share her bespectacled skepticism & distaste for Kratz. https://t.co/5mBnTrvKWf — Rashida Jones (@iamrashidajones) January 4, 2016 Full Story
Smutty Social Media, Friday July 10, 2015
FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/ Elisabetta Villa/ Franco Origlia/ Agostino Fabio/ Getty Images
Of course I Can't Ariana Grande's brother is going to jump in and paint her as a victim. Of course it's being labeled as harsh judgment. Of course he used the hashtag #weforgiveyouariana. Of course they won't acknowledge how unbelievably rude and entitled she acted. Full Story
Smutty Social Media, Thursday June 25, 2015
Now Zayn is at Louis Vuitton, continuing his life out of the spotlight. Zayn Malik (@niazkilam) outside the #LouisVuitton Men's #LVSpring Show from @mrkimjones Full Story
Smutty Social Media, Friday May 29, 2015
In this morning's intro, Lainey asked what we thought of the Ian Somerhalder asking his fans to back off for the day. But putting him aside, I wonder what it's like for Nikki Reed to constantly be on the periphery of hysteria. She had it with Twilight and Kristen and Rob, and now she's married to someone who inspires that same type of, um, devotion. Full Story
Smutty Social Media, Wednesday March 11, 2015
AKM-GSI/ Splash News
Demi Lovato considers herself the luckiest woman in the world. So, um, good for her. Yeah so um....... This is mine.....?!!?!! 😱❤🔥 Took this without him knowing.. #sorrynotsorry #RIPFez #luckiestwomanintheworldrighthere ✋😍😍😍 Full Story
Frances Bean & Courtney Love: a Sundance reunion
Tommaso Boddi/ Getty Images
Have you been watching Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways on HBO? The short explanation is that the band travels to different cities across America to explore that town's musical history. I mainlined several episodes during the holidays. The Seattle episode sent me into a Nirvana/Kurt Cobain nostalgia black hole that lasted two days. Full Story
The couple of the year
Page Six reports exclusively that Courtney Love and Aaron Sorkin are checking each other, even though his publicist denies that they're "dating". According to the paper though, Courtney's been living at the Chateau Marmont, always a residence that promotes good, healthy relationships, and she and Aaron have been together for a few months. Full Story
Courtney and Frances Forever
Fortunata/ Splash
The Smiths are getting a lot of attention this week, particularly for the, um, curious Vulture interview -- click here if you missed Duana's post on it. Patterns and Joe Kennedy? Child's play compared to the cray cray that is Courtney Love. Full Story
New Year's White
Was this an official memo for New Year's Eve that I missed? I feel like everyone wore white. I wore pants with an elastic waistband a grey fleece jumper, if that means anything at all. Not sure I can fit into skinny jeans anymore...This, obviously, isn't a problem for Gwyneth Paltrow who spent NYE in Abu Dhabi where Coldplay was paid $1. Full Story
GOOP on the A List & Wood Burning Ovens
This week's GOOP is about pizza. Which I'm actually eating right now as I'm writing. It's Dr Oetker which is a LOT easier than what G is telling me to do with her dough kneading and other various gourmet kitchen activities. Having said that, there are pictures. Of her doing the dough kneading and even a shot of her wood burning oven that she had built in her yard. Full Story


text:
PayPal has an advantage over another big Internet player, Google, in rolling out payments at the physical point of sale because it already has tens of millions of payments customers on file with billions in their accounts "ready to spend," contends Don Kingsborough, PayPal's vice president for retail and prepaid products.
NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Deutsche Telekom, one of the most important backers of SIM-based NFC through the years, now questions whether the technology could ever become a standard, as it quietly withdrew its little-used SIM-based NFC mobile wallet from the German market last week after more than two years.
NFC Times Exclusive – The rollout of digital payments, including services using NFC technology, are undoubtedly making progress, especially compared with just a few years ago.
NFC Times Exclusive – More Chinese OEMs have launched support for NFC transit ticketing, following earlier launches by Xiaomi and Huawei, NFC Times has learned, with at least five more device makers enabling service in one to two Chinese cities, or planning to do so.
NFC Times Exclusive Insight - All stations on Moscow's new commuter rail line, the Moscow Central Circle, or MCC, and some Moscow Metro stations linked with the new line, accept open-loop payments, including with Apple Pay, the Russian transit authority confirmed to NFC Times, adding that the authority is looking forward to accepting a range of other NFC-enabled wallets, including Samsung Pay.
NFC Times Exclusive – In line with its October promise, Samsung has launched its mobile payments service in two additional markets, Malaysia and Thailand, bringing the number of markets to 12, counting Puerto Rico. Still, in some of the markets where Samsung Pay has launched, the device maker adopted a different rollout strategy, which it calls "early access."
NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Huawei and NXP Semiconductors have announced that the Chinese smartphone maker has added three cities to its transit-ticketing service from its Huawei Pay wallet, as Chinese OEMs continue to lead in enabling NFC fare collection from their devices.
NFC Times Exclusive – NFC secure element shipments for 2016 will be lower than earlier forecasts by card and chip vendor trade association Eurosmart, although the group is not saying by how much.
NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Google is using an embedded secure element to enable users to tap to pay in its latest Android Pay market, Japan–the first time since launching Android Pay that the search giant is not using host card emulation to enable payments.
NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Far EasTone, one of Taiwan's three major telcos, officially launched its mobile wallet Tuesday, offering a range of services and technologies as it prepares to compete with the coming of the "Pays" wallets, including Apple Pay, which is expected to launch in Taiwan in the first quarter.
NFC Times Exclusive Insight – Germany-based white-label payments software and prepaid payments services provider Wirecard hopes to make its mobile payments app boon more attractive to German users by giving them the option of insuring their in-store purchases.
NFC Times Exclusive Insight – In case anyone is still wondering, Apple didn't launch Apple Pay for the transaction fees it earns from banks, even if the iPhone maker still doesn't publicly acknowledge it charges the fees to begin with.
NFC Times Exclusive – Sony Mobile has no plans to introduce its own payments service, choosing instead to work with local mobile payments service providers market by market, NFC Times has learned.


text:
How we pay for electricity
Just what goes into figuring how much we pay for electricity? Currently, we pay for electricity based on three things: 1) Energy charges, or the kilowatt hours (KWH) that we use, 2) the energy demand and 3) the transmission demand. In days gone by, we also used to pay for something called "Price Cost Adjustment" (PCA) which went up and down based on the cost of fuel (in our case, the price of coal), but there is no longer a separate charge for this item. Now, just what are these three items we are paying for?
1) Energy charges (Kilowatt hours): This is how our wholesale provider measures the total amount of electricity that we (and therefore you) have used in a month's time to run all of the electrical items in your home or business. This is the unit of measurement that your meter records. This amount mainly goes toward paying for the operational costs of providing you electricity and covers such things as salaries, fuel, and etcetera. This charge usually amounts to just under 50 percent of what we pay each month to our wholesale provider.
2) Energy Demand: This gets much more complicated. Every electric system that serves the public is subject to a demand, or load, that varies from hour to hour, day to day, and season to season. The demand, which is expressed in kilowatts (not kilowatt-hours), is a measure of the rate of electric usage. Demand can be affected by the number of hours of daylight, temperature extremes, and seasonal activities such as crop drying.
The higher the total demand, the more it costs a utility to serve its consumers because more expensive generation sources need to run to keep up with the demand. Demand charges cover "fixed" costs, such as capital costs, financing and other firm business costs.
Each month when the wholesale provider hits its highest "demand", each user then pays its share of the monthly demand based upon the use for that hour increment. So, if Webster City is using 7 percent of the power during the half- hour period, it pays for 7 percent of those total monthly costs.
3) Transmission demand is pretty much the same as energy demand, but rather than paying for generation related demand costs, transmission demand costs are just that, the fixed costs for the lines and equipment that transmit the power to your location. Combined demand charges amount to just over 50 percent of what we pay monthly for electricity.
Just for the sake of discussion, let's look at a simple example of how this might work on a monthly basis: It is August and it is hot and dry, but it is still daylight savings time and so the sun it still shining until late into the evening. On average, during the day, the wholesale system is using about 200 MW of power while most people are at work. Webster City is using 6 percent of that amount, and therefore about 12 MW. To provide this power, the wholesale company is using three large coal fired power plants and it is using the oldest of the power plants because they are the cheapest to run because they were the cheapest to build. Power plants built today will cost several times more than what it cost to build the same sized power plant 10 years ago.
More demand
The end of the work day comes and everyone goes home and turns down the thermostat to kick on the AC. They turn on the TV, put in a load of laundry and start cooking supper. Everyone across the system does the same and all of a sudden, the wholesale provider has to fire up two more power plants to meet the "demand" which has now exceeded 300 MW. The two power plants being fired up are newer and their fixed costs are greater. The system reaches its peak demand for the month at 6 to 6:30 that evening (Friday, Aug. 12) at 330 MW and Webster City is using 7 percent (over 23 MW) of that total demand. Webster City now pays 7 percent of the total fixed costs for the month of August. When that peak is met each month is not known until the end of the month when all of the usage numbers are calculated, and it is based on the "system" peak, not the Webster City peak. We have peaks and valleys each day, but the demand charges are based on the highest peak each month and the System is built to meet those peaks so that the system does not experience brown outs or black outs. Just worth noting, at 3 a.m., the system usage is probably about 75 MW when all of the lights are turned off and most are sound asleep, and that power is very cheap and excess power is being sold cheaply into the grid.
Now it gets even more complicated. How do we charge customers to recover these costs? Commercial and residential meters show us the total KWH used, but gives us no idea of exactly who was using how much power at 6 to 6:30 on Aug. 12. The dozen or so big industrial users have expensive demand meters that measure this usage, so they are billed directly for what power they were using at 6 to 6:30 on Aug. 12, but what about the rest of the demand charges? To an extent, we guess. Based upon our past experience, we estimate how much of the actual demand charges were unaccounted for by the big industrial users and we build the KWH charges so that we hope this revenue is sufficient to pay for the demand charges each month. That is how we arrive at the 8.3 cents per KWH that we charge residential and commercial customers. The time of the peak demand as noted earlier changes due to length of daylight, seasons and temperature to name just a few things that affect it, so it isn't always in the early evening. Sometimes it is in the morning as everyone is getting ready for work or just getting to work. Sometimes it is during the week and other times it is on a hot Sunday. What we can tell you as that like the example above, Webster City consistently utilizes more of the demand than we do of the total energy (as in the example with 6 percent of the energy charges and 7 percent of the demand charges). This does make our electric costs slightly more expensive than others buying electricity from the same wholesale company. In other words, when the big demand hits the system, we in Webster City seem to consistently have more things turned on than the rest of the users in our area, so we pay slightly more.
Measuring the demand
In the future, I believe that all electric users will have meters capable of measuring demand. If nothing else, I believe that the federal government will require this as they try to insure the wise use of electricity and also try to avoid brown outs and black outs while ensuring everyone has the electricity they need. At that point, users will pay for electricity based on demand and those users who insist on using electricity when everyone else is will pay 4 to 5 times as much for that electricity as those who chose to run the clothes dryer at 3 a.m. New appliances are preparing for this day. They are already more energy efficient. There are already appliances out there that will cycle on and off based on the signals sent through the electric lines indicating whether the "demand" is high or low. There are appliances that can be set to come on at a later time so that dishes are washed at 1 am.
You can do those things right now. They may not affect your bill directly, but if everyone used less electricity during those obvious peak times, the City could lower its percentage of total demand and that would allow us to lower the rates for everyone. You should start thinking about this now, because soon I believe you will be forced to in order to control your electric costs.


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Skip to comments.Obama: Thank Bush If Immigration Passes
Posted on 04/25/2013 11:33:23 AM PDT by Arthurio
By JORDAN FABIAN (@Jordanfabian)
April 25, 2013
One major piece of unfinished business from George W. Bush's presidency is comprehensive immigration reform. With the issue once again before Congress, President Barack Obama said Thursday if it passes this time, Bush should receive a lion's share of the credit.
Obama spoke, along with four other living U.S. presidents, at a dedication ceremony for Bush's new presidential library in Dallas, Texas. All of them mostly avoided discussion of partisan politics, but Obama took a moment to praise Bush for his effort to find compromise on immigration reform.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Exactly. "Don't blame me"
Bush did have a hand in some sort of reform but you took it to extreme and there's always someone else to blame.
I don't think Bush was trying to get the illegal votes.
I don't thank GWB for much. Certainly not for anything immigration related.
All the gushing over W today is making me ill. The only reason we have Obama , ObamaCare, etc etc is partially due to "Dubya"
He didn't thank Bush for improving homeland security and preventing terrorist attacks on American soil from 9/11 to the end of his term.
He didn't thank Bush for tracking down and killing Muslim extremists and doing the work that led to and enabled the killing of Bin Laden.
I am a fan of GW, he is not perfect, none of us are, but compared to Obama is about perfect!
He gave us what we/he thought were 2 very good Conservatives to Supreme Court, yes we are holding breath a bit about Roberts, will find out very shortly just how good or bad Roberts is, hoping/praying that Roberts is in fact pro life/pro family otherwise will be only another mistake appointment.
Some folks will be warmed because of the nice things Obama said today about GW, but I only have to remind myself of the 2 unladylike NON Christian "women" he appointed to the high Court, how he supports infanticide etc
No warm feelings here
Immigration reform was one of GW`s lower moments, but still respect the man, ABSOLUTELY
Disappointed that his beautiful daughters and beautiful wife do not share GW`s Christian faith....the 3 of them are all pro choice whatever and for gay marriage
I absolutely refuse to watch coverage of anything Bush. Or Carter, Clinton, or Obama for that matter too. The American people make pitiful nomination and election choices.
I agree with Babs Bush, no mo BUSH in the WH!!!!
If you think GWB gives a hoot about any conservative principles you're smoking the good stuff! He was strong armed to put quasi cons on Supreme Court, he spent taxpayer $'s like a dried out drunken sailor especially the Billions of $$s sent to the Afican strong man tyrants while paling around with his DAzz friend Bono, he wasted time trying to domesticate Islamics but standing by while Jews and Christians in the ME were murdered in mass and 1000's of young US Soldiers were slaughtered, the SOB should be in prison for believing the GD Golman stooge Hank Paulson sending the economy into the tank and helping elect the Commie! Worthless, worthless waste of time and our country's future. I have nothing good to say about that entire clan of thieves and liars!
"Doubling down on Bush's Fault
Yup. Like on the RUSH show this morning, the plan is to have the illegal alien bill fail miserably. Then his cronies from the lib media will blame Bush all over again. Win or lose, it's Dubya's fault and our brain-dead pussiedent will be unscathed.
It ain't nobody's signature, but YOUR"S, Obama!
Actually, he's absolutely right. Bush's views on illegals and on immigration law weren't much different from Obama's.
This is one attitude that I just can't understand or stomach. Why is it that when a Democrat pushes a policy, it's condemned, but if precisely the same policy is pushed by a Republican, people either look the other way or make excuses?
Either a policy is bad, or it isn't, independent of whether it's being pushed by (R) or (D). A "path to citizenship" for illegals was a bad idea when Bush peddled it, and it remains bad when Obama peddles it.
You would think that in a nation of 300+ million people, we could do better than these guys. Evidently not.
Many of Obama's worst policies are just the logical continuation of Bush's. His stimulus plan was TARP on a grand scale. The current amnestyfest isn't all that different from the bill of goods on illegals that Bush tried to sell us when he was in office.
The bottom line is, you have "liberals" supporting policies under Obama that they condemned under Bush, and similar schizophrenia among "conservatives" who praised the policies under Bush and now condemn them under Obama.
Sen. Cruz is right, Obama wants the immigration bill to fail.... It's a two 'fer/three 'fer......
Bush's fault.
Mean Republicans
Hispanic vote stays heavily Democrat....
In any event the Democrats win because he's successfully triangulating himself....just like Clinton did in the 90s....
Obama is a lot of vile things, but he isn't totally stupid. He is, however, evil in thought, actions, and agenda....
>>I dont think Bush was trying to get the illegal votes.<<
You're kidding, right?
Haha, that's a good one.
"See you at the signing." After that I spit every time I saw his face on my TV.
Yes and no. We have NObama beuuase the American electorate has become stupid over the years and we have sat idly by while the media and schools indoctrinated a whole generation or two of voters. We did nothing but complain and wish for a change all the while we still voted for RINO losers who back stabbed us first chance they got. We sat back and let tv infest our young with MTV and such. I could go on and on...
We have nobody to blame but ourselves for letting it happen. Sadly for GW the tipping point came on his watch. I am tired of Bush catching the heat for NObama, to paraphrase we get the government we deserve. He was not the best president, but I'd take him any day over NObama and Clinton.
No Mexican would vote for a Republican.
"Reform" goooood.
"Defense" baaaaad.
Yes, who can forget "see you at the signing." That's the same kind of smug arrogance that we get from Obama today.
Here we see Obama relvie his true intention for the immigration issues. Destroy republican party by driving idiot federal republican politicians into alienating their voter base.
How tacky and classless of Obama!
Classless faggot, co-opting another mans ceremony for his self serving agenda...
You showed up for this?
Born 02-06-2013
Pound sand.
The Republicants of today are the Democrats of 1992
The Democrats of today are the Weather Underground of 1972
It has been one uninterrupted slide into fail for conservatives for 25 years. We have achieved nothing. Always playing defense, always chasing the culture.
So let me get this straight. Amnesty for illegal aliens is a bad idea now, but it was a good idea when Bush supported it. Let me guess, you're one of those "Jeb 2016" guys, right?
Holding our breathe on Roberts? Are you kidding me, Roberts gave us Obamacare! Roberts should me removed from the court.
Oh dear gawd ..
FO nOOb .....
The surest way to identify a idiot on any online forum: somebody who thinks he can "win" any argument by bragging about how much longer he's been posting on the board than his opponent. Thanks for being exhibit A of this sort of dull, vacuous mind.
Did I not freakin say that??? So you are not holding your breath to hear what he has to say on Gay Marriage, perhaps even abortion??
Well I am holding breath
President Bush DESERVES a lot of blame for the immigration problems. He didn't build the fence - not event the part that had been authorized. He supported the comprensive reform scam (i.e. Amnesty), etc. Let the blame fall where it is due.
FYI, We fought President Bush on both AMNESTY and TARP.
You weren't here then, so you didn't know.
Guess the AM didn't care for my response and I'm not plowing that field again.
You are presumptious at a minimum and merely guessing my views on this issue.
Further, you showed up a month ago with your jack wagon and adolescent boughts of turrets that have no basis in fact.
And, again AM, if you go through this nOObs history you will find this chump is a head case.
Well then, just why are you on this thread? Oh and one other thing, I can't believe you're blaming Pres. Bush for freaking OBAMACARE? Are you seriously trying to blame Pres. Bush for that, too? TSK! Explain yourself, please! Are you seriously out of any of the usual crap to complain about, that you have to dig up something to trash him with?
But did he deserve the blame for the immigration mess that started far before he got into office? No! Why is it that so many of you Bush bashers need to blame him for most of the immigration problems? I'm remembering him saying that he wanted to maybe grant amnesty on a case-by-case basis, not a "blanket amnesty" like so many on here accuse him of; and that only for those who have family wanting to join them. He also put many, many more National Guard forces on the borders than Obama and Clinton did, and yes, they were building walls and fences where they could!
Now I know I read that, so don't tell me it didn't happen and I'm imagining it all! I'm sure I read that, and as recently as about a year or two ago. It was when Obama was said to have put some National Guard forces on a few areas on the border, and it was by someone on "Free Republic", I believe.
They all deserve blame. Ted Kennedy most of all, for changing the face of immigration; Reagan and Bush I for failing to enforce the border security provisions of the first Amnesty, Clinton for doing nothing, Bush II for reasons previously stated, and Obama.
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Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
On-line version ISSN 2411-9717
Print version ISSN 0038-223X
J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall. vol.111 n.12 Johannesburg Dec. 2011
Numerical computation of average pillar stress and implications for pillar design
J.A.L NapierI, II; D.F. MalanII
ICSIR, South Africa and Department of Mining Engineering, University of Pretoria, South Africa
IIDepartment of Mining Engineering, University of Pretoria, South Africa
A number of issues relating to the computational aspects of pillar design are addressed in this paper. The computation of average pillar stress values is important when attempting to establish criteria for pillar design and in the analysis of the stability of tabular pillar layouts. One of the default 'classic' numerical methods that are used to determine pillar stresses is the displacement discontinuity method. In many instances it is not clearly understood that this approach does suffer from some limitations, particularly in relation to the fact that in coarse element simulations, the simulated average pillar stress (APS) can depend on the chosen mesh size. The nature of this error is highlighted in this paper and some strategies are suggested to bound the magnitude of these errors. It is demonstrated as well that the popular linear stiffness approximation to pillar or seam compressibility does appear to allow reasonably accurate estimates of the average pillar stress when either the pillar height is varied or when the seam modulus differs from the host rock modulus. A practical implication of this study is that if the seam modulus is noticeably lower than that of the host rock, such as for coal seams, it is important to use a linear stiffness constitutive model for the pillars rather than a 'rigid' pillar assumption. This added complexity seems unnecessary, however, when simulating hard rock pillars in mines where the seam modulus is very similar to that of the surrounding rock.
Keywords: pillar design, average pillar stress, numerical modelling, tabular layouts
Pillars are ubiquitously used in hard rock underground mining operations for the control of regional layout stability, and in some cases in the form of crush pillars or yield pillars to control local roof conditions. Although pillar behaviour has been studied1-3 for many decades, the methodologies used to design pillars are nevertheless still imperfect and require additional research4. A particular difficulty in pillar design is that pillar failure occurs according to a number of complex local mechanisms imposed by the heterogeneity of the pillar geological structure (Figure 1 illustrates one of these failure mechanisms) and by the deformations in the proximate roof and floor regions. It has also been understood for many years that the overall stability of a pillar layout system will depend on the relative stiffness characteristics of the surrounding host region and on the effective loaddeformation (strain-softening) characteristics of the pillar units5,6. Owing to the many unknowns, empirical determination of pillar strength has remained a popular approach3.
The empirical determination of pillar strengths7-9 usually depends on classifying case studies of selected visual observations and monitored deformations of actual pillars against an estimate of the load that is carried by these pillars. The usefulness of these analyses is strongly dependent on the accuracy of the estimated pillar load. Before numerical modelling programs were commonly available, tributary area theory was frequently used to estimate the pillar loads. Salamon and Munro7 and Hedley and Grant1 used this approach to estimate pillar loads and to derive their famous empirical pillar strength formulae.
A difficulty with tributary area theory is that it cannot take irregularities, such as solid abutments and large barrier pillars, into account. Ryder and Jager10 suggest that the deviations are small at shallow depth in regular pillar layouts having low extraction ratios, and can in fact be ignored in most aspects of coal mine design. In contrast, in hard rock mines, the deviations can be significant owing to the much higher extraction ratios. These layouts require numerical modelling to evaluate the average pillar loads11,9. In estimating pillar strength, a typical approach is to identify pillars underground that are very small or are considered to have failed. By careful numerical simulation of these layouts and pillars, the strength of the pillars, or at least the minimum strength of intact pillars, can be estimated.
Although numerical techniques have become popular for estimating pillar stresses, these techniques may lead to erroneous results if the basic characteristics of these methods are not fully appreciated. As pillar load is such a fundamental building block in pillar strength studies, the objective of this paper is to create awareness regarding some of the pitfalls that arise when calculating average pillar stresses. In particular, the displacement discontinuity boundary element method (DDM) is a numerical technique that is very well suited to the analysis of pillar systems in large-scale tabular layout problems in which the plan projection of the mined area may cover several square kilometres. This paper discusses some of the numerical errors that arise when using the DDM to calculate average pillar stresses. It must be noted that while local failure and deformation mechanisms may be analysed using nonlinear continuum plasticity finite element or finite difference models, these methods are themselves difficult to apply to the interactive analysis of extensive rock mass regions surrounding large-scale three-dimensional tabular pillar layouts.
Solution of tabular mine layouts using the displacement discontinuity boundary element method
The displacement discontinuity boundary element method assumes that the mining height (stope width) is generally much smaller than the areal extent of mining, and the excavation is approximated as a simple cut in the medium having two opposing surfaces. This approximate representation of the tabular excavation is termed a 'slit' approximation in the remainder of the paper. The relative difference in the displacement vector at each point on the excavation 'slit' surface determines the induced displacement and stress components at all points in the medium according to a wellestablished influence function theory, which allows the redistribution of stress following mining to be calculated. This approach was suggested originally for determining stress concentrations and surface subsidence deformations induced by coal mining operations in the United Kingdom12,13. A later version of this procedure was introduced in South Africa by Salamon14, who termed the method the 'face element principle'. The method has subsequently become known as the displacement discontinuity method15,16. A variety of computer tools have been developed in a number of countries to solve large-scale tabular mine layout problems using the displacement discontinuity technique. Specific examples include MSCALC/ BESOL (Crouch15), MAP3D (Wiles17), MINSIM-D (Ryder and Napier18), TEXAN (Napier and Malan19), and special purpose tools for analysing laminated strata such as LaModel (Salamon20, Heasley21). In the DDM analysis the plan outline of the mined area is tessellated using square, quadrilateral, or triangular shaped elements and a specific displacement discontinuity variation is assumed within each element. The problem is solved to determine the detailed distribution of the displacement discontinuity components in all elements such that the total stress at designated points within each mined element is zero (corresponding to the boundary condition that would be expected in an open excavation) or is constrained by the limiting movement of the roof and floor when complete elastic convergence (closure) occurs. The DDM has provided a basic 'workhorse' tool to rock mechanics practitioners for routine estimation of stress distributions in pillar layouts and for assessing the potential for induced fault slip in deep-level gold and platinum mine workings. One of the most important applications of the DDM is to determine pillar stress distributions and average pillar loads for the assessment of layout stability or in the back-analysis of observed pillar failures, and the empirical determination of pillar strength criteria.
There are unfortunately a number of computational difficulties associated with the DDM technique, which are not generally appreciated and which may lead to misinterpretations of analysis results. The reasons for these difficulties and some solutions to these problems are presented in the following sections. The discussion is confined to the consideration of only the stress component normal to the plane of the seam or reef horizon.
Application of tributary area theory to determine average pillar stress
Let the region that is enclosed by the projection of a specific pillar outline onto the seam or reef plane be designated by Ω. Let the area of the projected pillar region in the seam or reef plane be equal to R, and assume that z defines the coordinate direction normal to this plane. Let σzz (P) be the value of the stress component normal to the reef plane at point P within the pillar region Ω. This stress component will be assumed to be compressive and, following the sign convention used in this paper, will be negative. The absolute magnitude, AP, of the average pillar stress component, zz, acting over the pillar is then defined to be given by the following expression:
In Equation [1], dRp denotes the differential area element with respect to the points Pin the pillar region Ω. The evaluation of Equation [1] over a general pillar shape is, in general, very difficult and in most practical cases has to be determined numerically. However, in the particular case where each pillar is a uniformly replicated unit within an infinite, horizontal tabular layout, the average pillar stress, zz, is given by
where e is the extraction ratio and is the virgin vertical stress at the seam horizon. This relationship provides a useful check for numerical procedures and is a good approximation to the average stress acting on pillars near the centre of an extensive, regular layout. In a layout comprising pillars of different sizes, Equation [2] can be interpreted as a general statement of force equilibrium before and after mining takes place, and expresses the average stress acting on the entire pillar ensemble and on the abutment regions. This average value determination is termed the simplified tributary area theory (TAT)10 and is independent of the surrounding rock mass modulus. It must be emphasised that each individual pillar in a general layout will have a stress value that may be either above or below the average TAT value expressed by Equation [2], and the TAT value is therefore not necessarily a conservative estimate for the average stress over every pillar in the layout. The focus in the present paper is on the numerical computation of the average stress in individual pillars as defined by Equation [1].
Figure 4 illustrates a horizontal test layout simulated with the TEXAN code19 where the nominal extraction ratio is e = 0.75 within the pillar region and the virgin stress at the reef horizon is = -108 MPa. Using Equation [2], the tributary area estimate of the average pillar stress is AP = 432 MPa. Figure 5 illustrates the computed average stress values for a row of pillars (from left to right) in the centre of the excavation. The layout is tessellated using 10 m square elements with constant displacement discontinuity values, and each pillar is represented by a 4 x 4 cluster of elements. The average stress in each pillar is calculated as the mean of the stress values that arise at the centres of the 4 x 4 pillar element clusters. Figure 5 illustrates that as the overall size of the layout area increases, the average pillar stress tends towards the tributary area stress asymptote predicted by Equation [2]. The average pillar stress values of the pillars adjacent to the abutments can be seen to be significantly lower than the asymptotic value. This is an illustration of how the nominal tributary area estimate of the average stress overestimates the stresses on pillars, since the effect of abutments or barrier pillars is ignored. Different results will arise if the pillar sizes are variable, or if irregular layout configurations are analysed. In these cases the numerically computed average pillar stress values in individual pillars may exceed or fall below the TAT value estimated by Equation [2]. It is also important to understand that certain numerical errors are associated with the use of the DDM, and that the choice of element size can affect the computed estimates of average pillar stress values. This is discussed in the next section.
Effect of element size on the determination of average pillar stress values
Errors can arise in the application of the DDM to the numerical determination of average stress values of individual pillar, depending on the choice of element size and the element shape in a geometrically complicated layout configuration. Some perspective on the nature of these errors can be gained by considering initially the simple case of a single strip pillar located between two similar parallel-sided panels in a horizontal plane. The layout configuration and characteristic dimensions are shown in Figure 6.
If the displacement discontinuity slit approximation is used, it is possible to determine the average pillar stress analytically (Salamon22). The resulting expression is
where K(k) is the complete elliptic integral of the first kind defined as23
and the argument k is given by22
The pillar problem illustrated in Figure 6 may be solved numerically by dividing each panel into equal-sized, constant value displacement discontinuity elements. The total stress σzzt (si) at the centre si of panel element i is given by the expression:
where Dz(sj) is the value of the assumed constant elastic convergence in element j and where the sum is taken over all elements, j = 1 to N. The sign of Dz(sj) in Equation [6] is positive when the relative movement of the seam roof (reef hangingwall) is towards the seam floor (reef footwall). The influence kernel function Fzz(si, sj) is given by
In Equation [7], gj is the length of element j, E is the Young's modulus of the country rock, and v is the Poisson's ratio (a derivation of Equation [7] may be found in Crouch and Starfield16). It should be noted that the expression for Fzz (si, sj) depends only on the relative distance |si - sj| between the centres of elements i and j. In the special case where all element sizes have the same value g, it is apparent that si - sj = (i - j) g and Equation [7] reduces to
∞ Since it is known that it follows that indicating that the influence kernels are self-equilibrating. The numerical solution to Equation [6] is
obtained by setting the total stress(si) at the centre of each panel element to zero and solving for the unknown values of the displacement discontinuity values Dz (sj). In the specific case where there is only a single element of length gi at position si, the unknown value of Dz (si) in Equation [6] is given by
It is of interest to note that the analytical solution for thee average elastic convergence Dz in a single, open parallelsided panel22 of span g is given by
which can be seen to be exactly one half of the value given by Equation [9]. Although a single, constant strength displacement discontinuity value is admittedly a very crude approximation to the elastic convergence in an isolated panel, it is apparent that the use of the kernel expressions given by Equations [7] or [8] can be expected to yield some inaccuracy in estimations of the elastic convergence that will depend on the choice of the element size. It is important also to note that since the influence kernel values are self-equilibrating, the element grid size effect will be reduced if extensive replicated layouts are considered, such as the case illustrated in Figure 4. In practice, all layouts are obviously of finite extent, and consequently errors in estimated stress values can arise when the element sizes are significant compared to the characteristic dimensions of the pillars that are of interest. A detailed analysis of this error behaviour and strategies to compensate for the grid size effect has been presented by Ryder and Napier18 but, unfortunately, this treatment does not address the question of how to calculate average pillar stress values. This issue is considered in more detail in the present paper.
In order to gain some perspective on this question, consider a specific example in which the pillar and panel span dimensions, W and S in Figure 6, are assigned the values W = 24 m and S = 120 m respectively. Using Equations [3], [4], and (5), it can be determined that the analytical value of the
average pillar stress is 4.55908. A numerical estimate of the average pillar stress can be obtained in two stages. In the first stage, the panel and pillar regions are divided into uniformly sized elements gi=g (where, for convenience, g is chosen to be such that W and S are a common integral multiple of g) and Equation [6] is solved for the elastic convergence values Dz(si) in each panel. In the second stage, the average stress in the central pillar is found by again employing Equations [6] and [8] to determine the total stress values (sk) at the centre sk of each pillar element, k, using the known solution values Dz (si ) and the kernel influence functions given by Equation [8]. The
numerical estimate of the average pillar stress, is calculated from the weighted average summed over the pillar elements:
Equation [11] reduces to the arithmetic average if all pillar elements have the same size. The results of these computations of the average pillar stress, when using a virgin stress value of 100 MPa, are plotted in Figure 7 as a function of the element size, g.
It is striking that the estimated absolute magnitude of the average pillar stress values, shown in Figure 7, follow a nearly perfect linear trend when plotted against the element grid size. The fitted trend intercept has a value of 456.05 MPa, which may be compared to the analytic solution value of 455.91 MPa (an error of about 0.03%). The linear trend displayed in Figure 7 also suggests that if two APS values of A1 and A2 are found, corresponding to grid size values of g1 and g 2 respectively, then the extrapolated value (for the APS limit as the grid size tends to zero) can be estimated from the equation
In the special case where g 2= g 1/2, Equation [12] reduces to
where A2 corresponds to the APS estimate with the finer grid size.
In practice, it is not possible to arrange the pillar and panel element sizes to conform exactly to the edges of the layout excavations and to represent the detailed outlines of irregular pillar shapes using uniform square element tessellations. In this case, the best that can be done is to tessellate the layout with elements that are as evenly sized as possible, and to designate the element as being 'mined' if the open excavation constitutes more than one half of the element area. A finer tessellation may then be constructed either by splitting the coarse parent tessellation or by re-meshing the problem region with a finer element tessellation. Consider, for example, an annular excavation region in the x-y plane surrounding a central, circular pillar as shown in Figure 8. Suppose that a square region of side length 300 m is tessellated with square, constant variation displacement discontinuity elements having side lengths g. The centre points of the elements are assumed to be located at positions xp = x0 + pg and yq = y0 where p and q are integers and (x0,y0) is a chosen coordinate origin. The stress component values normal to the excavation plane are given at the centres of the elements by an appropriate influence relationship analogous to Equation [6]. For the case of constant value displacement discontinuity elements, this relationship may be expressed as
where (xp, yq) is the virgin stress at point (xp, yq) and Dz (xr, ys) is the normal displacement discontinuity component at point (xr, ys) on the excavation plane. The summation limits M and N cover the region of interest. The stress influence function Fzz is given by the expression14,16,19
Were ε1 = -1, ε2 = 1, Ai = g(p-r-(εi / 2)), Bj = g(q-s-(εj /2)) and Rij = A close examination of Equation [15] also reveals that the kernel influence function, Fzz, depends only on the absolute magnitude of the relative distance coordinates |xp - xr| and |yq-ys| between the source point (xr, ys) and receiving point (xp, yq). It may be noted as well that the influence matrix defined by Equation [15] is also self-equilibrating. The annular excavation problem depicted in Figure 8 was solved using Equations [14] and [15] with a series of different element mesh sizes, g, that are summarized in Table I. In each case, the centre of the circular pillar was assumed to be located at xc =150, yc = 150 and the mesh origin was chosen to be x0 = 0, y0= 0. In Table I, NE is the number of elements assigned to the annular excavation and NP is the number of elements in the central pillar. These numbers obviously increase as the element size g decreases. The values SE and SP indicate the total area of the elements in the excavation region and in the pillar region respectively. The asymptotic values of SE and SP, as the grid size tends to zero, are 67858.4 m2 and 2827.4 m2.
Figure 9 is a plot of the estimated stress values at the centres of the elements covering the central pillar region for the different mesh sizes given in Table I. Each point is plotted as a function of the radial distance of the element centre from the centre of the pillar. The magnitudes of the average pillar stress values corresponding to each element grid size are summarized in the last column of Table I and are plotted in Figure 10. It is apparent that the trend in average values is nonlinear, unlike the plane strain case shown in Figure 7, making the extrapolation procedure more uncertain. For example, if it is assumed that a quadratic extrapolation can be applied, then the average pillar stress would be given by
where A1, A2, and A3 represent the average stress magnitudes computed with element grid sizes of g, g/2, and g/4 respectively. Applying Equation [16] to the first three entries of the last column in Table I yields an extrapolated average stress magnitude of 429.5 MPa. If Equation [16] is applied to the last three entries, the extrapolated average stress magnitude is 434.1 MPa. Alternatively, applying the linear extrapolation of Equation [13] to the last two values of the last column of Table I yields an extrapolated average stress magnitude of 434.9 MPa. An independent check on the accuracy of this estimate was made by Gordeliy24 using a special axisymmetric formulation of the displacement discontinuity method25. This yielded a value of 435.0 MPa, which is in close agreement with the extrapolated value estimates. It may be noted as well that the simple extrapolation procedures described here could be extended to a more general Richardson deferred limit extrapolation26 procedure, admitting a power-law variation of the average pillar stress as a function of the element grid size, but probably offering a limited improvement in accuracy in the present case.
This example demonstrates that the extrapolation technique must be treated with some caution in the case of tabular mine layouts. The main sources of numerical error arise from both the inaccuracy of constant value displacement discontinuity element convergence values and from the limitations of using a square element shape to tessellate complex layout configurations. It is important to note that for the finest grid size used in Table I (g = 1.25 m) the ratio of the pillar diameter to the grid size is 48. In practical layout problems, the use of such a fine grid relative to the characteristic dimension of pillars of interest may be prohibitive computationally. Unfortunately, there are no simple numerical solutions to this problem. One possible strategy is to use higher order triangular or quadrilateral shaped elements19. This certainly provides a much more efficient method of representing complex layout plan forms and, combined with the extrapolation method described here, represents the best current numerical approach to the estimation of average pillar stress magnitudes. However, it is important to note that it is not possible to determine with complete accuracy the stress profiles in pillar or abutment regions, since no exact asymptotic analytic forms are known for the elastic convergence distribution near the edges of a general polygonal-shaped pillar region or mining abutment region.
A second difficulty is that the stress distribution in an actual pillar will be affected by additional factors such as the finite height of the excavation and by local face fracturing or pillar scaling. The effect of the reef and seam stiffness is discussed in the next section.
Effect of seam or reef stiffness on average pillar stress
The displacement discontinuity approximation to a tabular excavation takes no account of the excavation dimensions normal to the plane of the seam or reef and it simulates the pillars with 'zero height'. The pillar can therefore not deform. A popular method that is used to compensate for the seam or reef compressibility is to employ a linear spring (the so-called 'Winkler spring' approximation) to represent the assumed elastic behaviour of the seam or reef material (see, for example, Oravecz27). In Equation [14], the total stress at points (xp, yq) of the seam is assumed to be given by the expression
where S is a linear stiffness factor that is used to represent the seam or reef compressibility at the point (xp, yq). For example, if the mining height is H and if it is assumed that the lateral strain parallel to the seam or reef plane is negligible, then the stiffness S may be deduced from Hooke's law to be
where ES and vS are the Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio respectively of the seam or reef rock in the pillar or abutment regions. It is important to note that the value of kS depends on the ratio ES/H and will be altered if either ES or H is varied. Following the adopted sign conventions used in this paper, it apparent from Equation [17] that when Dz > 0 the seam is compressed relative to the virgin state and the total stress becomes more compressive than the virgin stress . Substituting Equation [17] into Equation [14] yields the following equality constraint relationship for the elastic convergence Dz (xp, yq) at point (xp, yq) in the seam,
Equations [14] and [19] can be combined to solve for the elastic convergence in both the excavation and seam regions. The total stress values at all points in the seam regions can be recovered from Equation [17].
It is of some interest to compare the stress values that are computed using the linear stiffness approximation to values that are obtained by explicitly solving two adjacent rectangular section slots as illustrated in Figure 11. The explicit slot solution is obtained using an elastic boundary element program, RIFT, and the pillar stress values are evaluated along the horizontal line AB through the centre of the pillar as illustrated in Figure 11. It is assumed that the rock mass modulus is 72 000 MPa and the Poisson's ratio is 0.2. The panel spans are set to 120 m, the pillar width is equal to 24 m, and the virgin stress at the seam horizon is assumed to be = -100 MPa. Note that the pillar and panel dimensions are similar to those used to plot the graph in Figure 7, where the analytical solution for a zero height pillar was found to be equal to 455.91 MPa and the corresponding extrapolated numerical estimate was 456.05 MPa. If the seam modulus, ES, and seam Poisson's ratio, vS, are equal to the rock mass values then, using Equation [18], the linear seam stiffness is kS = 80 000 MPa/m if the pillar height is equal to 1 m. Figure 12 shows a comparison between the pillar stress profile determined along the centre line AB of the actual pillar and the values obtained from the displacement discontinuity slit solution using the linear stiffness factor in the pillar region. It is apparent from Figure 12 that the stress profiles are very similar in this case where the pillar height:width ratio is small (1:24). If the pillar height is increased to 4 m, the equivalent linear seam stiffness is reduced to 20 000 MPa/m. Figure 13 shows a comparison between the stress profile across the central line of the 4 m pillar and the linear stiffness model. In this case, it is apparent that the stress in the actual pillar model is much lower near the pillar edges than for the linear seam stiffness model. These diagrams illustrate some important differences in the stress profiles that are estimated using an actual pillar as compared to the simple stiffness model where the pillar edge stress is highly peaked.
The average pillar stress values, scaled to the seam horizon virgin stress, were calculated for a series of different pillar heights and are summarized in Table II. In each case the seam modulus and Poisson's ratio are assumed to be the same as the respective rock mass values. The scaled average stress values given in Table II are plotted against the scaled pillar height values (pillar height divided by the pillar width) in Figure 14. It is of particular interest to observe that for the chosen example, where the pillar elastic parameters are the same as the surrounding rock mass, the average pillar stress values are not very strongly dependent on the height of the pillar. It is also apparent that the average stress values that are calculated across the centre of the actual pillar cases are slightly larger than but very similar to, the values for the linear stiffness model. The results plotted in Figure 13 show that the linear stiffness model may yield artificially peaked stress values near the edges of the pillar.
It is of some interest to calculate the variation of the effective vertical pillar stiffness at each point across the pillar width for different pillar heights. Let the absolute difference in the vertical displacement between the roof contact and the floor contact of the pillar at a distance x from the pillar centre line be designated as Referring to Equation [17], the effective point pillar stiffness, keff, at position x within the pillar is defined to be
where the virgin vertical stress component (x) and the total vertical stress component(x) are evaluated at positions x along the central line AB across the pillar (see Figure 11). These effective stiffness factors were computed for each pillar height value in the first column of Table II and are plotted in Figure 15. The results indicate that the effective point stiffness profile, defined according to Equation [20], is relatively uniform in the central region of each pillar but decreases more and more sharply near the pillar edges, as the pillar height becomes smaller. The central 'plateau' stiffness in each profile shown in Figure 15 is larger than the corresponding stiffness values in the second column of Table II but falls below these values near the pillar edges. It is also noteworthy that the reduced effective stiffness near the pillar edges can be expected to induce significantly different stress patterns in the pillar foundation and roof regions near the pillar edges from the stress field that is induced by using the zero height seam or reef linear stiffness approximation defined by Equation (17). This difference in the point stiffness near the pillar edges will control the propensity for the pillar to 'punch' into the surrounding rock and will play an important role in controlling possible slip on discontinuities that are parallel to the roof and floor contacts near the pillar edges. These possibilities will not be explored further here.
From the point of view of estimating average pillar stress values, it appears that the linear stiffness model will yield comparable results to cases where the actual pillar height is explicitly modelled. If the pillar material and the host rock have similar elastic properties, then the rigid seam model where the elastic convergence is zero also apparently yields a good upper bound to the average pillar normal stress. The case where the pillar material elastic properties are different from the host rock is considered in the next section.
Reef or seam modulus different from the host rock
Figure16 shows two examples of underground pillars where (a) the pillar rock has approximately the same modulus as the host rock and where (b) the pillar rock modulus is softer than the host rock. The pillar shown in Figure 16a is an example of a pillar in a platinum mine in the Great Dyke in Zimbabwe, where the pillar material and the rock in the hangingwall and footwall typically have the same average moduli. In contrast, the coal pillar in Figure 16b has a much lower modulus than the host rock. It is important to consider how the average pillar stress is affected by a contrast between the pillar modulus and the host rock modulus. In addition, the important question arises whether a simple rigid pillar assumption, associated with a zero width slit solution, can lead to errors when computing the average pillar stress for the two different pillar scenarios illustrated in Figure 16.
The same pillar geometry depicted in Figure 11 and discussed in the previous section was analysed using RIFT with a seam modulus ES that was different from the host rock modulus of 72 000 MPa. The Poisson's ratio was set equal to 0.2 for both the seam material and the host rock. The results for a fixed pillar height of 4 m are shown in Table III, and the scaled average pillar stress values are plotted against the ratio of the rock modulus to the pillar modulus in Figure 17. It is again interesting to observe that the average stress associated with the actual pillar geometry is very similar to, but slightly larger than, the corresponding average stress value determined using the linear stiffness model. This appears also to hold true if the individual values of the seam modulus ES and the pillar height, H, are varied but the ratio of ES :H is maintained at a constant value. This is illustrated in Table IV, where the linear seam stiffness is 20 000 MPa m for each row. It is notable as well that the average pillar stress of the actual pillar is remarkably insensitive to the different pillar height cases, provided the pillar modulus is changed in proportion to the height. It should be stated again that the linear stiffness model appears to yield good results in computing the elastic average pillar stress, but should be very carefully assessed if stress values are to be evaluated in the rock mass near the pillar edges.
From Figure 17, it is apparent that, for the present example, the average pillar stress will be overestimated if the seam modulus is assumed to be very stiff. (As the rock modulus: seam modulus tends to zero, the pillar effectively becomes rigid). For cases where the seam modulus is much lower than the host rock modulus, it is then recommended that the linear stiffness model should be used with the pillar stiffness estimated using Equation [18].
The computation of average pillar stress values is important when attempting to establish criteria for pillar design and in the analysis of the stability of tabular pillar layouts. One of the default 'classic' numerical methods that are used to determine pillar stresses is the displacement discontinuity method. In many instances it is not clearly understood that this approach does suffer from some limitations, particularly in relation to the fact that in coarse element simulations, the results can depend on the chosen element mesh size. The nature of this error is highlighted in the paper and some strategies are suggested to bound the magnitude of these errors. It is demonstrated as well that the popular linear stiffness approximation to pillar or seam compressibility does appear to allow reasonably accurate estimates to be made of the average pillar stress when either the pillar height is varied or when the seam modulus differs from the host rock modulus. At the same time, it is noted that although this approximation has some utility in allowing the determination of average pillar stress values, it may lead to significant errors when analysing the stress distribution off the reef plane or along the seam horizon in positions that are close to the edges of pillars or abutments. It is important to explore these effects in relation to pillar foundation failure mechanisms in future studies.
A practical implication of this study is that if the seam modulus is noticeably lower than that of the host rock, such as for coal seams, it is advisable to use a linear stiffness model for the pillars instead of a 'rigid' pillar assumption. This added complexity seems unnecessary, however, when simulating hard rock pillars in mines where the seam modulus is very similar to that of the surrounding rock.
The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of Dr Elizaveta Gordeliy in performing an independent check on the estimated value of the average stress in the circular pillar example used in the paper. We also acknowledge the helpful comments relating to tributary area theory made by a referee. In addition we wish to acknowledge our appreciation to Professor Anthony Peirce for his detailed review and crosschecking of the paper as well as comments on the Richardson extrapolation technique.
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Paper received Feb. 2011; revised paper received Jul. 2011
© The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2011. SA ISSN 0038-223X/3.00 + 0.00.


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Mary R wrote:Actually, if you do a bit of googling I think you'll find that stevia is very popular and governmentally approved as a sweetener in Japan, both Koreas, and China. Japan even uses it as the sweetener for their diet Coke.
But as of January, 2005 both Salvia divinorum (and its active chemical derivative were added to South Korea's list of illegal narcotics (along with Amineptin, quazepam and Ketamine). Salvia is also now on the US Navy's list of banned substances. In February, 2004 they released a document (Navy Awareness Training on Salvia Divinorum) that lists the rules and sections that sailors may be disciplined under. The Marines have some special documentation of their own on Salvia, but I don't know if the Army has taken a stance.
hummingbird wrote:Hmmm... I do grow salvia in my garden but had not ever heard of it as a sweetener. Stevia is pretty good, and is an herb that is much sweeter than sugar but does not affect blood sugar levels - it is especially good for sweetening beverages. I also enjoy maple syrup/sugar/powder as a terrific natural sugar.
If you're looking for alternative sweetners, the Weston A. Price Foundation (that emphasizes traditional nutrition) has a nice "Sugar-Free Blues" writeup about both non-nutritive and alternative sweeteners, at http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/ ... #thaumatin.