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That looks fantastic and way over the top. I expect the complete secondary enclosure will help them keep warm and doubt condensation will be an issue since you have double pane glass. I would go as is and watch.
That looks fantastic and way over the top. I expect the complete secondary enclosure will help them keep warm and doubt condensation will be an issue since you have double pane glass. I would go as is and watch.
I thought of a way to minimize the chance of the bees glueing my top bars to my tops where the meet together, I'll just bend a couple of flashing to cover the edge and that should give them almost nothing to glue on.. I'll try that today maybe and update you guys with a picture maybe..
I mix melted beeswax with olive oil until, when cooled to room temperature, it reaches about the consistency of Crisco/Vegetable Shortening/Rendered Lard. My wife & I originally invented this substance as a hand salve (the tiniest amount of it works GREAT to smooth & soothe dry, cracking skin), but it also works quite well, used in VERY conservative amounts, for "lubricating" things you don't want the bees to stick together. You can mix it a little thicker, so it'll still be "solid" enough to not stick to the bees as they walk on it, but "soft" enough for you to easily break the seal, and the propolis shouldn't affect this property any.
Good luck, and post some pics with bees in there, I want to see the pretty hive, with a big, pretty colony inside! :-)
Rob, That is a great idea, we make salves as well but never thought of using that for this...I will definately try that.
Thank you!
Terra Vita
tommy , your hive is just plain awesome, love the design , i have a engineering back ground from school and i could tell you , it hads to be one of the best design i seen so far, im new to beekeeping and i decided to go top bar , i think the langstroth hive disturb the bees too much. by taking it apart, if the top bar could take nomal 19 inch frame then i think it way better then a langstroth behive , going to base my top bar to yours with a few mods of my own, keep posting those pictures , i also want to see it with bees, good luck , =)
I know nothing about top bar hives but I have to say that is the most extravagant one I have ever seen. I wish I had your woodworking skills!
Raising Vermont Bees one mistake at a time.
USDA Zone 5A
looks awesome.....keep bees in it for a year ...work out kinks and then market it.....it looks cool...mine are very simple and humble.....good luck with it.....market it to an upscale niche and you may be on to something...
Thanks again for the encouragements and support, I opted out to remove the "insulated blanket" from the design and actually insulate the first 2 inches of the attic for ease and simplicity of oppenning up the hive and not having to find a spot to drop the bulky thing on the ground :P ill post a picture tomorow, I also added a support at the back of my roof to hold it upwards without the need of the 2 chains, the front one was obstructing my first glass top, making it difficult to squeeze through. Other then that I used some lemon grass oil diluted in hot water and soaked the tips of my top bar briefly, waiting for a swarm to come or just having it ready for my bees if something goes wrong with my langstroth hive they will have somewhere to go.
My only hive seems ok, trees are blooming finnaly and the bees are hauling nectar and pollen, and they did a nice clean up of the hive, but It's still a little chilly some are getting chilled just outside the hive, so I'm waiting a bit to actually inspect it and keep an eye on it for the BIG day when they get there new home..
Thanks again everyone, Ill keep you posted and I'm glad the second enclosure maybe inspired a couple of people, I'm sure een in very hot climate they would enjoy them. they work hard enough maybe it's time we make an effort.
Terra Vita
I took some pictures this morning and here they are, 2 show the "stopper" I made to hold the roof from toppling over after removing the one chain from the way. and the others show how I insulated my Roof
Vita Hive 8.jpg
Vita Hive 9.jpg
I used the rafter part of my truss design to staple some hemp fabric on the top most of it making some sort of pocket to fill up, then I thought of the problem of my cedar shavings moving all the way down and not staying in place after oppenning and closing the hive alot, so I added little strips perpendicular to the rafters making smaller pockets, Obviously I took the whole roof off to do this, then packed it with shavings and then added another layer of hemp fabric to hold everything in place giving me about 1 1/2" of insulation, I chose the hemp fabric for it's breathability and rot resistance, hope that helps..
Vita Hive 7.jpg
Vita Hive 10.jpg
Terra Vita
A beauty of a hive, just beautiful. I bought a simple TBH and modified it to have a screened bottom board with cover and slot to slide sticky plastic into. I put two 8x12 covered windows in one side, next time I will mount them across from each other. Bees due in from CA next week, very late but Chinese Tallow, our big nectar producer, comes into bloom now. Here near Houston and the Gulf we have very mild winters so not much insulation needed. Venting has to be controlled to remove moisture without cooling the nest to much. I am sure everybody has that problem.
UPDATE on my Vita Hive, I got caught and had to put my bees in earlyer then I wanted...I could not find my queen in my Lang and there were queen cells.. So I had to hurry and get to it...
My original plan was to move my queen and 6 of my best lang frames in my top bar hive.. and have an them make comb on my bars then move the queen to the other side of my excluder...
But now I could not locate her, so I decided to take the best 6 frames I could including some queen cells to have her be born in my top bar hive(in my lang transition box).. So I had to remove the excluder to let her take her first flight..
Here is what's happening...
you can see the transition box on the right where I have my lang frames with my bees.. and my top bars on the left where they have to travel to get out..
Since I dont have my exlcuder anymore they have been building comb at the entrance between the transition box and the top bar hive..
So I took advantage of them building comb in my reach...
Here are the ones from the 2 last days, Iv'e been cleanning it up and attaching them on my top bars, They are gluing them already and have made there own also..
and here is what is bringing me back to ask questions.. I thought they were queeless about a week ago.. I could not locate her... So I went to bed nervous thinking I had a laying worker..
The day after I checked and I found no queen but ALOT of eggs and larva and none had multiple eggs in a single cell. so I decided to give them more time.. and Today I checked and this is what I saw...
In your oppinion is my hive queen right, It looks as though the capped cells would be for worker bees which would mean it cannot be a laying worker..right?
So now I'm just trying to let them build enough comb on my top bars and straight at that. and soon I will have to locate the queen and move her to the top bar side and put my excluder between the top bar side and the old lang frames stopping her from laying in there again and forcing the bees to move with her so they have time to build up before winter, because I assume keeping the lang frames which are in a different alignment would give them a hard time to move back in there for honey if they dont have time to do enough on my top bars....
Am I on the right track?
Terra Vita
Terra Vita nice work me man, nice work
very interesting article, I assume that my opening might need to be regulated a bit more then just to make sure I don't ventilate the hot humid air too quickly
Terra Vita
More on condensation, humidity, hive atmosphere in Ed.H.Clark free pdf book Constructive Beekeeping
Kind regards, Che


text:
Charming studio close to the Parliament
Size28 m²
Floor No.1(with elevator)
- Family/child friendly
- Kitchen
- Elevator in building
- Internet/WiFi
- Towels
- Baby cot
Accommodation summary
|Szent István körút, 1137 Budapest, Hungary
|Property type
|Property ID
|Acceptance rate
|Response time
|A few hours
|Calendar updated
Our apartment is located in the center of Budapest, Pest side, still very quiet. Nyugati Railway Station ( where the Airport Shuttle Train arrive) with the blue metro line, M3 and the main tram line is just 200 m away. Within walking distance you can reach the main sights of the city as the Parliament, the Liberty square (Szabadság-tér), the St. Stephen's Basilica, the State Opera House, the Andrássy street or the famous Falk Miksa street, the street of art galeries and antiquities.
The apartment is located in the downtown part of the bustling 13. district (Újlipótváros), surrounded by many local shops, terraced bars, restaurants and patisserie.
Our comfortable apartment on 28 m2 is ideal for single travellers or couples,who are looking for reasonable downtown accomodation.
Providing a small bedroom with french bed and living room with pull-out sofa, a tiny kitchen, a tiny bathroom.
- Free bed linen and towels
- Hair dryer
- Internet acces (free WIFI)
- TV with internation channels
- Microwave
- Tiny refrigator
- Toaster
- Kettle
- Luggage store upon request
- Laundry service (extra charge)
Notable spots nearby:
- change office
- bank automat
- supermarket
- non-stop shop
- shopping mall
- many shops and restaurants
- Nyugati Railway Station, metro station (200 m)
- main tram station (200 m)
- Parliament
- Margaret island
- St. Stephens Basilica
- Szabadság- tér (Liberty square)
- Andrássy Avenue
House rulesThere is a minimus stay of 3 nights during Christmas and New Years Eve period.
Smoking is stricly forbidden in the apartment.
Late check- in (after 10 p.m.) has an extra fee of EUR 10,-
There is city tax in Budapest. It's 4 % of total the price and payable at check-in.
We kindly ask all our guests wash their dishes before they leave the apartment, throw the garbage and put all used beddings and towels at one place.
|Price for > 2 guests
|R 152 ZAR per guest/night extra
|Check-in after
|On arrangement
|Check-in before
|On arrangement
|Check-out before
|On arrangement
|Cancellation Policy
Reviews for this host's other properties
Really a good host, and a nice appartment with 5 good rooms and two kitchens. Our host arranged the transfer to and from the airport, and it was really good. We had a really nice weekend in beautiful Budapest.
Very professional managed.
Nice apartement.
Really nice and big appartment, well located in the city center.
The flat is nice for big groups!
The owner is nice!
We have had a nice stay in Budapest. The flat / location was nice and perfect.
Thank you!
We stayed with 8 adults in the apartment and are very satisfied: the location relative to net Center, the space, the amenities. Overall a great location to explore a large group of Budapest. Highly recommended !!
We verbleven met 8 volwassenen in het appartement en zijn zeer tevreden over: de ligging t.o.v. net centrum, de ruimte, de voorzieningen. Kortom een geweldige locatie om met een grote groep Budapest te verkennen. Aanrader!!
The apartment is excellent: a quiet place, nice furniture and atmosphere, fully equipped with everything in good quality and well-connected to airport, metro etc.
The owner is very attentive and helpful, too, everything smoothly organized.
We indeed had a very nice time in Budapest!
We just landed in Budapest and, relative to the housing, everything has been great. The apartment is centrally located, 10 minutes from Parliament, and well equipped, with heating. We were greeted and advised, even though we were late, so it is welcome. Gabor, very friendly, informed and booked dinner on the Danube, which was fine, and sent us off on the last day. It was a great stay. Noting that, in general, not in the apartment, we have met with little kindness towards tourism in shops, restaurants, spas ... people a little dry and cold, a fact that detracts from the wonderful city. However, the trip was great and recommended, as the apartment. Thank You.
Hola !
Acabamos de aterrizar de Budapest y, respecto al alojamiento, todo ha estado genial. El apartamento está céntrico, 10 minutos del Parlamento, y bien equipado, con calefacción. Nos recibieron y asesoraron, a pesar de que llegamos tarde, por lo que es de agradecer. Gabor, muy amable, nos informó y reservó la cena por el Danubio, que estuvo muy bien, y nos despidió el último día. Ha sido una estancia estupenda. Destacar que,en general, NO en el apartamento, nosotros nos hemos encontrado con poca amabilidad hacia el turismo en tiendas, restaurantes, balnearios... la gente un poco seca y fría, hecho que desluce la maravillosa ciudad. No obstante, el viaje ha sido estupendo y recomendable, así como el apartamento. Gracias.
Excellent accommodation for a group of friends, on 2 levels, 2 bathrooms, excellent heating, WiFi and especially working (which is not easy to Budapest) modern! The location is quite central, you have everything close (metro, shopping center, station, secure parking at € 3 / day!). The only flaw is a bit noisy in the morning because of the highway. The owner is friendly and helpful. I advise! Thanks for everything Gabor
Alloggio ottimo per un gruppo di amici, su 2 piani, 2 bagni, riscaldamento ottimo, WiFi funzionante e soprattutto (cosa non facile a Budapest) moderno! La posizione è abbastanza centrale, hai tutto vicinissimo (metro, centro commerciale, stazione, parcheggio sicuro a €3/giorno!). Unica pecca è un pò rumoroso al mattino perché su strada principale. Il proprietario è gentilissimo e disponibile. Lo consiglio! Grazie di tutto Gabör
super spacious accommodation, excellent location, easy acquisition and surrender!
supergeräumiges Quartier, sehr gute Lage, unkomplizierte Übernahme und Übergabe!
Great apartment for a large group. Comfortable beds and clean bathrooms. Price / performance ratio is great.
Great location. Everything is within walking distance.
Tolles appartment für eine große Gruppe. Bequeme Betten und saubere Badezimmer. Preis/Leistungsverhältnis ist top.
Super Lage. Alles ist zu Fuß erreichbar.
- Quality assured accommodation
- Every host is verified by telephone
- Secure payment via SSL encryption

subset: commoncrawl


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The Procurement Process At The U.S. General Services Administration
Good afternoon, Chairman Coburn and distinguished members of the Committee. Thank you for inviting me here before you today to discuss the procurement process at the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).
Mr. Chairman, as you are aware, GSA's Mission is to assist Federal agencies in better serving the public by offering, at best value, superior workplaces and expert solutions, acquisition services and management policies. GSA has a critically important mission as part of this Nation's Government, and we take our responsibility very seriously.
GSA provides and contracts for billions of dollars worth of products, services and real estate for Federal agencies. GSA focuses on the acquisition process, allowing agencies to concentrate on their core missions. GSA's procurement experts identify potential vendors, award contracts and help ensure the Federal contracting requirements are met. GSA connects the public sector with industry experts and simplifies the contracting process to save agencies time and money. Other Federal agencies rely upon GSA to be efficient, effective and creative in applying our expertise in property management and procurement. GSA's efforts facilitate the acquisition of the workspace, equipment, technology, furniture, supplies, vehicles and professional services our customers need to fulfill their missions of service to the American people.
Mr. Chairman, GSA's role in the Federal procurement arena includes: helping Federal agencies acquire space, products, and services by contracting with Federal and commercial sources; simplifying Federal procurement for other Federal agencies; and negotiating large multi-user contracts and leveraging the volume of the Federal market to get the best prices for the taxpayers. GSA offers businesses the opportunity to sell billions of dollars worth of products and services to Federal agencies through its contract vehicles. Finally, GSA also has a vital role in developing and overseeing Federal property management and procurement policies, government wide.
Mr. Chairman, GSA operates mostly under a fee for service model. We provide Federal agencies with contracting expertise and solutions using resources they do not necessarily have in-house – allowing them to direct their resources to meet the mission of their Agency. Times for GSA have changed, however. We are no longer a mandatory source for Federal agencies' requirements, so we must provide them with the best value for the goods and services they need .
We undertake many steps to ensure we are getting the best value for the taxpayer. GSA has updated the Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) ordering procedures in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to increase competition, brought market forces into the buying process by making pricing data publicly available, issued a policy letter asking our buying activities to increase their competitive acquisitions by 10%, and continued to encourage Contracting Officers and schedule buyers to ask for a discount from the listed price. Lastly, to ensure the quality of its most significant acquisition actions, the Federal Supply Service (FSS) has conducted 57 Pre-Negotiation Clearance (PNC) Panels in the past year, covering $2 billion in contracts. The goal of PNC Panels is to ensure that the contract negotiator has identified negotiation objectives and is fully prepared for the negotiations.
Mr. Chairman you have expressed interest in how we use audits in getting the best value for our customers and taxpayers. FSS's Contract Management Center oversees post award reviews of vendors, reviewing more than 20 aspects of the procurement, including pricing. GSA conducts interviews of each customer service center to ensure they are receiving best value as part of the procurement management review process. We provide training on using the GSA Federal Supply Schedules to our agency customers. Finally, GSA authorized $4 million for the GSA Inspector General to conduct pre-award audits in FY 2005.
GSA Schedules and other contracting vehicles offer everything from basic support functions to highly specialized professional services to government agencies. GSA also disposes of surplus Federal property, such as real estate and vehicles to a wide range of non-Federal users, including to the public.
Examples of the products and services that GSA provides for Federal agency customers includes:
- Space in government-owned and leased buildings;
- Facilities management services, such as utilities, security, space alterations, and tenant relocation;
- A wide range of technology and other products and services directly from commercial providers;
- Long distance telecommunications services, airfare services, charge cards, shipping services and similar highly discounted consumer services;
- IT acquisition and consulting services;
- Vehicles and fleet services; and
- Surplus government property.
GSA offers customers many ways to purchase what they need. As I mentioned previously, GSA simplifies Federal procurement by negotiating large multi-user contracts and using the volume of the Federal market to leverage lower prices. Federal agencies place orders against these contracts in many ways—through GSA customer representatives or catalogs, by phone or fax, charge cards, electronic requisitioning, in-person auctions, over the Internet, or by contacting suppliers directly.
In the future, as the requirements of the American people and the needs of Federal agencies continue to increase, GSA's ability to interact, communicate and contract with companies that do business with the Federal government must become even stronger. In the fast-paced marketplace of the 21st century, electronic technology is critical to conducting business. GSA is keeping pace through its e-Gov initiatives. GSA's redesigned website provides a new feature—direct access to many interactive capabilities that facilitate doing business with GSA or finding specialized information available from GSA. GSA offers e-Tools to help other agencies manage their GSA
procurement transactions, to place orders, and to learn about business opportunities. The e-Tools allow GSA to better serve Federal customers by bringing the most up to date information to customers to allow them to do business in an efficient and cost-effective way.
Taking advantage of technology, GSA has placed many of our new contracts on-line, listing the key terms and conditions of the contracts, making them accessible to more businesses, quicker, easier and cheaper. We've also seen an increase in the use of e-Buy by 40 thousand more orders than last year, streamlining the procurement process and lowering the need for staff interaction.
Through the use of e-Tools, customers can find information about the many leading-edge products and services GSA offers and, in many cases, do business with GSA. The number and transactional capabilities of e-Tools available on gsa.gov are expected to expand in coming months. The most popular e-Tools can be found on-line at gsa.gov and include:
- Federal Forms
- GSA Advantage!
- GSA Auctions®
- GSA Global Supply
- IT Solutions Shop (ITSS)
- Per Diem Rates
- Rent on the Web
- Schedules e-Library
- e-Buy
- eOffer/eMod
The President's Management Agenda calls on Federal agencies to meet twin goals of reducing government spending and improving performance. With these outcomes in mind, GSA announced in Spring 2005, the agency's intention to restructure some of its primary functions.
Organizations like GSA that desire to achieve high performance and continuous improvement should periodically review their operations and their organizational structures in order to identify and implement improvements where possible. The most significant outcome of this reorganization is a new GSA Service-the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS)—that has emerged from the consolidation of GSA's Federal Technology Service (FTS) and FSS. Many factors led to this change, including some directly relevant to the Subcommittee's interest in GSA procurement processes. Shifting customer needs, an evolution in how agencies acquire technology products and services, efforts to reduce overlapping services, and a greater emphasis on GSA's role in Federal procurement were all important factors prompting this organizational change.
This initiative to reorganize and consolidate FTS and FSS is designed to strengthen GSA's capability to meet increasing Federal agency requirements for excellence in the acquisition of information technology, telecommunications, and other products and services; will make it easier for Federal agencies and industry contractors to use GSA acquisition processes; and will enhance GSA's efficiency of by consolidating activities that are now performed separately in both FTS and FSS.
The FAS organization has five program areas:
- Customer Accounts and Research— which enables GSA to better understand customer requirements and become a strategic partner in helping agencies meet their acquisition needs.
- Acquisition Management— which ensures that GSA's activities are fully compliant with Federal laws, regulations and policies, and that operating practices are consistent across business lines and regions.
- Integrated Technology Services— which groups together the GSA units that acquire information technology, telecommunications and related professional services.
- General Supplies and Services— which groups together the GSA units that acquire a broad range of commercial products and closely-related services, as well as some specialized logistics-based activities.
- Travel, Motor Vehicles and Card Services— which groups together business lines which share commonalities that provide opportunities for synergy and scale.
Benefits from the establishment of FAS include a deeper understanding by GSA of customer requirements; stronger management of the agency's acquisition processes and programs; and greater integration of GSA business lines to provide multiple channels for customers to acquire the products, services, and solutions they need. The intended outcome is a GSA organization that is capable of delivering excellent acquisition services efficiently and effectively and providing value to Federal customers and the American taxpayer.
Recognizing the need to provide direct, face-to-face customer service, the FAS organization will include six zones within the 11 GSA regions. Under this arrangement, GSA associates will provide customers in a particular geographic area with services such as IT-assisted acquisition, fleet service representatives and supply services. FAS staff conducting local customer delivery will report to the Assistant Regional Administrators in the six FAS zones.
GSA's push to ensure taxpayer dollars buy more and go farther requires rethinking old ways of doing business and creating new models that will better serve the Federal community in the 21st Century. That's precisely the idea behind the merger of the Federal Technology Service and the Federal Supply Service. To realize the full benefits of merging the two services into FAS, it is critical that the two revolving funds that currently finance the different services be merged into one new fund, the Acquisition Services Fund. This single fund would support Federal agencies' acquisitions of all personal property and services, including IT and telecommunications products and services. Many GSA customers are now buying "total business solutions" that require a mixture of IT and non-IT products and services. It would be much more cumbersome for both GSA and its customer agencies to have to account for the IT and non-IT components of these procurements under the two current revolving funds than under the single fund we are seeking. Finally, merging the two funds is an essential prerequisite to realizing the full administrative efficiencies and improved oversight and accountability that FAS will make possible.
Establishing a single "Acquisition Services Fund" will enable GSA to provide integrated acquisition services, and standardize and centralize financial management. This will result in better cost and capital planning, increased financial management oversight, and consistent fee setting. These changes are intended to generate operating efficiencies and reduced transactional costs.
Partnering with other Federal agencies, we have helped NASA launch rockets; we have helped the Department of Agriculture provide food for the hungry; we have helped HUD house the homeless; we have helped the Department of Education attack illiteracy and improve science and math scores; we have helped the Department of Labor, the Small Business Administration and the Department of Commerce provide jobs, careers and a prosperous economy; together we have helped the Department of Defense defend our Nation and preserve freedom and democracy around the world. We don't merely procure and deliver products and services. We help agencies achieve their missions of service to the American people.
We know that today, and in the future, Federal agencies are requiring and will require more and more procurement expertise and more and differing products and services. At the same time, our customer agencies are demanding faster responsiveness and turnaround times, and they are demanding more cost-effective solutions. They are relying upon GSA to take the actions necessary to make these things happen. They turn to GSA because we have the workforce and expertise available to meet these needs.
I am confident we can continue to meet these needs.
Thank you Mr. Chairman for holding this hearing today, I look forward to answering your questions.


text:
Looking Back-Aug. 15, 2013
40 years ago, Aug. 16, 1973
From the Country Echo
Dick Houston of Pine River attempted to cross the Pine River on his Polaris snowmobile but ended up sinking. He was not hurt.
Pine River's centennial celebration included an ice cream social, a Swede saw competition and a chain saw contest.
30 years ago, Aug. 18, 1983
From the Country Echo
Bernie Volesky, Kevin Holm and Lisa Holm, from Staples, won the second annual Pequot Lakes Canoe Derby on Aug. 13.
(Headline) Resort biz picks up in '83.
20 years ago, Aug. 12, 1993
From the Lake Country Echo
The Pequot Lakes School District hired three elementary and middle level teachers — Daren Blanck, Cherie Lindmeir and Rachel Gerhartz — for the upcoming school year.
Pharmacist Harvey Kack recently opened Kack Drug in Crosslake.
10 years ago,
Aug. 14, 2003
From the Lake Country Echo
Members of the Crosslake Christian Assembly of God Church broke ground for a new church building.
(Headline) Hundreds turn out for Aug. 6 Crosslake Centennial parade.


text:
Newest Voyage-Air Endorser KEVIN WELCH Songwriting Workshops
Kevin Welch and Ray Wylie Hubbard are co-hosting 3 songwriting workshops at a lovely site nestled in the Texas Hill Country, February 24-26, March 24-26, and April 21-23. These are focused workshops with small groups; each workshop is limited to only 6 participants. You'll arrive on Thursday evening and have a meet and greet and dinner followed by a Welch/Hubbard song swap. Friday and Saturday is devoted to vital lyric devices, melody, delivery, lyric structure and rhythm - both in small group discussions, and in one-on-one time with both Kevin and Ray. Sunday you'll depart by noon. Breakfast, dinner and lodging is included. Friday and Saturday have a 90-minute lunch break, so you can enjoy one of the Texas Hill Country's local restaurants.
The November and January workshops are sold out so you'll want to reserve your spot now for upcoming slots. The price for these focused, small-group workshops is $2000 per person. For more info on these joint workshops or to book your spot, see www.kevinwelch.com.


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Our websites
This is Stockholm
Modernity meets tranquility. Trend-setting restaurants and vibrant nightclubs next to idyllic archipelago. Welcome to a city where it is easy to breathe – and to feel your pulse.
The green island of Djurgården, close to central Stockholm, is beloved by both Stockholmers and tourists. Djurgården is a calm oasis which has been royal land since the fifteenth century. There are fine areas to stroll, for example around the Djurgårdsbrunn canal and Blockhusudden. Djurgården is also home to several of city's top museums and attractions, as well as enjoyable cafés and restaurants. It's easy to reach Djurgården on foot, by the Djurgården ferry boat from Gamla Stan/Slussen, by tram from Norrmalmstorg or by bus.


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Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Southwest wind 5-10 mph, increasing to 10-15 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent. A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms at night. Partly cloudy, with a low around 50. West wind 10-15 mph.
A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 75. Southwest wind 10-15 mph. A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms at night. Partly cloudy, with a low around 48.
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Smart, space saving ski transporter
Thule is dedicated to providing exceptional products that are quality tested and guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship.
Carry and protection bag for cross country skis.
A storage accessory to Thule SkiClick 7291
Protects your bindings
So smart that it even helps you to load your skis.
Sleek, aerodynamic ski carrier for all types of skis and snowboards.
Backcountry focused backpack with easy access to gear with the pack on your back.
You will be directed to the Thule Towbars Fit Guide. If you're not automatically redirected within 5 seconds,


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Today in the mail arrived a spanking new barrel from Kel Tec. No questions asked. I mailed the defective barrel off on 12/2. Pretty stellar service I would say.
All cartridges chamber as they should with no hang ups and no brand preference. Now I need some good weather to give it a test fire.


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The Future Belongs to the Innovators
Victor M. Tyler Distinguished Lectureship in Engineering
"The Future Belongs to the Innovators"
Dean Kamen
President, DEKA; Founder, FIRST
Dean Kamen is one of America's most prominent inventors and a leading advocate for increasing our country's science and engineering capacity. He is the President of DEKA, a privately owned research and development company, and the Founder of FIRST, an organization dedicated to inspiring the next generation to pursue education and careers in engineering and science.
Many of Kamen's innovations have been in medical technologies, with his work dramatically improving the quality of life for those who have used his inventions. Kamen is noted for developing game-changing technologies in a spectrum of technical disciplines. His inventions include the first infusion pump, a portable dialysis machine, an all-terrain auto-balancing transportation device for the disabled, and an advanced prosthetic arm for injured soldiers. His expertise extends well beyond medical technologies and includes inventing a power generator based on the Stirling engine and a water purifier that uses vapor compression distillation. These two innovations have the ability to be used together to produce clean water using any combustible fuel source, thereby making water purification readily available nearly anywhere in the world.
One of Kamen's proudest accomplishments is the creation of FIRST, a world-wide organization to promote engineering and science as accessible, achievable and rewarding pursuits for youth. With over 300,000 youth participants in more than 60 countries, FIRST is the world's largest engineering outreach program and its impact is well documented by the countless achievements of those who have participated in the program over the last 20 years.
Among Kamen's many honors are the National Medal of Technology presented by President William J. Clinton, election to the National Academy of Engineering, and induction to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He was presented with the Global Humanitarian Action Award by the United Nations and has been awarded honorary doctorates by ten universities.
April 18, 2013
4 p.m.
Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall
1 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT
Reception to follow


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Good grief-- those are big beautiful combs of honey!
Good grief-- those are big beautiful combs of honey!
WOW!!!!! nice looking frames of comb,honey and bees.................TONS of information to help ignorant beeks such as myself................thanks for passing on ALL of the knowledge.....
My wife took some pictures yesterday. The quality is not high, because the light wasn't so good, but I thought this was a pretty frame of new brood:
And this is a frame of older brood that the bees have made into pollen storage. I can't get over the richness of the colors. It's like some kind of beautiful old brocade. One of these days I'm going to send a better shot like this to my daughter the artist, and see what she makes of it:
really nice pictures and comb just perfect! Second picture is quite impressive - full of bees! Fresh capped brood always amused me - it has this velvet soft caps.
Серёжа, Sergey
Today, I was trying to remove vertical extension from my horizontal hive, remaining of my unsuccessful split, which is now mostly honey. It was experimental and 1.3x deep (Hx1.3). Previously I had a problem - honeycomb fell because of weight. Today, I discovered the same problem (slightly smaller). So,finally, I rescued 3 full bars and one collapsed. Since, at the end of operation everything was honey, I decided to finish this project later. Since honey everywhere, I had limited ability to take a pictures even girls were very cooperative. The bottom line is that I need to add sides to my bars if I want to use deep boxes. Sides are not necessary for mediums. By the way, 2 frames with honey have sides, which means I've installed them on May 10, now they are full of honey. Tonight I crushed honey comb and spent a few hours rescuing bees stuck in broken comb, still alive. Update: 3 frames = 6 kilos of beautiful raw honey.
Last edited by cerezha; 05-30-2013 at 04:07 PM.
Серёжа, Sergey
I've been considering using a top bar type bar for swarm traps to with short sides to prevent comb attachments to the sides of the boxes. The width would be 1 inch. I was thinking about using 3 inch sides and then using them in mediums if a swarm is captured. The sides would be 1 3/8 inches to give the be space the way a standard lang bar would. Will the stubby sides prevent the bees from attaching comb to the sides of the boxes, or will I need to go longer side?
It is a philosophical question - does not matter what we decide, bees may decide differently. In my experience, bees attach (if they wanted) even standard full frames. Thus, I decided to experiment with bars if standard frames sometime did not work as expected. In my case, I need sides for honey-comb stability. Deep-size comb full of honey is just too heavy. I tried 1x9" sides (no bottom) in deep box - bees still occasionally attach it to the walls even with bee-space, but it is much better to manipulate sided bars. My impression is that "old" bee-space did not work as expected - bees behave differently, size of the bee different, management different...
Thanks for visiting and good luck with your project - I think it should work!
Серёжа, Sergey
I will. I'm not going to be using them this year, so it will be a while.
The plan was to try to remove the vertical attachment (super ?) to the horizontal hive. It did not work as planned - first, my tool to cut wax between wall and comb broke and second ANOTHER honeycomb collapsed... So, I have a lot of honey, but it is difficult to get it. Meantime, girls are working hard in all directions. The bar with the brood was damaged by my tool. I hate this gigantic bars, could not wait to remove them. Interestingly, ~20% shorter (real deep size) in horizontal part of the hive are doing great - no problem at all!
Last edited by cerezha; 06-13-2013 at 03:46 PM.
Серёжа, Sergey
Wow Sergey, your bees and comb and honey look wonderful, you are doing something right! I could just bite right into that comb it looks so GOOD!
I have to admit - the girls won!!!! I was in full preparedness today to remove this deep box from the top of horizontal hive ...well, as you could see, it did not work at all! Instead they got a medium on the top of the deep
Серёжа, Sergey
Just got back from a month in the North Country, and checked my horizontal boomer. That hive is capping a lot of honey-- I took my first frame of honey and got almost 2 quarts of honey from it. The bees made that frame way too fat, and there were so many other frames of honey that I couldn't resist.
Anyway, picture of the long hive open:
And a frame of foundationless almost completely capped honey:
Look at this! Amusing!!!!!
My girls have made honeycomb very thick too!
Last edited by cerezha; 06-28-2013 at 03:56 AM.
Серёжа, Sergey
The reinvention of the "tub hive" ink:
Basically, it is similar to what I have now, just a box, long hive (with vertical attachment). I do not understand, why it's called "tub-hive"? By the way, how is your bees, Bernhard?
Last edited by cerezha; 06-28-2013 at 03:55 AM.
Серёжа, Sergey
Bees doing well. One apiary was suffering from pesticide spraying. Canola got sprayed with Thiacloprid. During full blossoming and sunshine. Thiacloprid was found in the pollen from those bees in laboratory tests. Bees recover right now. Hope not to loose all of them since they were weakened pretty much. First loosing all the flight bees on one day, then some brood but not much. One queen failed and was superseded. (Young queen from 2012, was pretty strong before.) Removed all pollen and bee bread, dumped the honey.
But in all other apiaries the bees do well.
I just checked on my bees and collected some 10 kilos of gorgeous honey.
Серёжа, Sergey
I harvested a couple more frames of honey from the big hive:
This was the prettiest comb yet, I think.
DANG!!!!! yall make a man wanna like the screen


text:
Are The 2010 Chargers Better?
Are the Chargers better today than they were in the playoffs? It is an interesting question to ponder because for as many changes as the Chargers have made, much of the Chargers roster remains the same. And that in itself could be an improvement. Confused? Let's discuss...
Starting with where the action begins on the gridiron battlefield, the offensive line faced much adversity during the 2009 season, and should be improved this year over the team that we last saw in the playoffs. Last season, the Chargers lost center Nick Hardwick, rookie right guard Louis Vasquez, and right tackle Jerome Clary to injuries for multiple games throughout the season, and left tackle Marcus McNeill was fighting injuries throughout the end of the year. By the January 2010 playoff game against the New York Jets, the Chargers had a hobbled Hardwick starting at center and undrafted Brandon Dombrowski starting at right tackle. The Chargers had serious depth concerns on the offensive line (not much has changed actually), but a healthy group of starters will be a marked improvement over the MASH unit that played much of 2009.
On the opposite side of the line of scrimmage, the problems on the Chargers' defensive line can be primarily blamed on the losses of Jamal Williams and Ryon Bingham. Williams, the anchor of the defense, and his backup were both lost for the season by the end of the first game in 2009, and the Chargers had a rough time filling that void. Ian Scott, Travis Johnson, Antonio Garay, and Aaron Boone were all used in various packages on defensive in the playoff loss to the Jets- hardly a dream team at the defensive tackle position, but a rotation (along with Ogemdi Nwagbuo) that was effective enough until the postseason, where they got manhandled by the Jet's offensive line. This season, following a draft where the nosetackle position was an obvious need but was not addressed until the 5th round, the rotation on the defensive line seems to be here to stay. Rookie 5th round pick Cam Thomas will be asked to be an immediate contributor on a defense that needs to get better at stopping the run, but it is unknown whether he is up to the challenge on a consistent basis. Overall, the defensive line is not worse than it was in 2009, but whether or not it can be significantly better has yet to be determined. And if the Chargers face another team like the Jets in the playoffs, you had better hope that this defensive line can play better.
Continuing with the Chargers' defense, the linebackers and defensive backs each welcome some rookie competition in LB Donald Butler and S Darrell Stuckey. The linebackers also welcome back from injury solid contributors in Jyles Tucker and Antwan Applewhite. Depth was a problem at a number of positions for the Chargers last season, so bringing back players who can contribute in a back-up capacity can be considered an improvement over last season, especially if Merriman's stay in San Diego does not make it far into the 2010 season.
The Chargers secondary may be the team's biggest question mark going into 2010. Generally speaking, with every other position on the team you know what you're going to get. But with the Chargers' defensive backs, you have a new starter at cornerback in Antoine Cason or possible Nathan Vasher, and a battle for the starting safety position opposite Eric Weddle. I'm not ready to call the trading of Antonio Cromartie addition by subtraction, because I'm not confident that Cason will better (although I think he has the talent to surprise a lot of people). At safety, the biggest question is whether or not Stuckey can beat out Kevin Ellison, and prove to be a marked improvement over what the Chargers have had in years past at that position.
Back to the offense, the biggest acquisition for the Chargers in this offseason was the drafting of RB Ryan Mathews in the first round. For a running game that was ranked second-to-last in the league, the addition of Mathews can only be an improvement. I am still of the belief that the problems with the Chargers' running game were equal parts offensive line and running back, but with a healthy offensive line, a fresh running back should do wonders for bringing the Chargers offense back into balance.
The QB position remains basically the same, with Rivers, Volek, and a 3rd stringer who really doesn't matter. The receiving corp remains relatively unchanged (Kassim Osgood was not a productive WR but his exit to Jacksonville obviously hurts our special teams). And speaking of special teams, Kaeding, Scifres, and Sproles all return, bringing with them high hopes for another solid regular season and a post-season that we hope does not come down to a field goal.
So are the 2010 Chargers better than the team that lost to the Jets in playoffs? Based on health alone I would say yes, but health can be a fleeting thing in the sport of football. All things considered, the running game has to be better with the addition of Mathews, because it would be hard to be much worse. Another year with the rotation at nosetackle should be improved as long as Thomas can step up and improve their defense against the run. From a team that went 13-3 last season, to only lead to a quick exit from the playoffs, it's hard to find a position where the Chargers got worse. Can they eliminate the slow start and mental mistakes that have become their trademark in recent years? Only time will tell, but it will make for another entertaining season.
May 13, 2010at 12:50 AM Posted by Jeff Williams
24 comments:
i would say yes, they are better. because obviously, they didnt need much. they were the best team in the last two thirds of the regular season, sweeping the highly rated nfc east and beating the upstart titans just as examples for that.
you pointed it out nicely. the O-Line isnt improved from a personnel-point-of-view. but if they can stay healthy (and last year was very unlucky), i think the run game can easily go to 20th place or so (with the addition of mathews), and we dont need more. passingwise, nothing should change too much. i would be surprised if the chargers dont finish among the top5 passing teams. protection should be even better, with the O-Line possibly getting in sync (as i said before, if they can stay healthier than last year).
DLINE wasnt that bad actually. of course, at the beginning, they had problems stopping the run. but CJ2K was stopped. the best runner of the season was contained. so i dont think that this will be a problem, especially with cam thomas (he was a projected 2nd to third rounder) adding to the rotation.
linebackers getting some depth back and if merriman and philips can bring the pressure like in some games last season, LBs shouldnt be a problem. butler should see some snaps on ILB.
secondary is suspect, yes. but to be honest, apart from the wk 1 game against the raiders, they gave up very little big-plays (at least, nothing jumps to my mind). and that is the most important thing imo. limit the 50 yd, 80 yd TD, make the offense go 12+ plays for points. maybe stuckey is the ballhawk that they need. as i said, the chargers secondary is (imo) based on playing your assignment, do what you are meant to do. so i am not sure how a guy like ed reed or darren sharper would fit in there, but 1 pick more per game wouldnt hurt.
so special teams. this is the only part i could see a dropoff. yes, its only a gunner, but what a good one. coverages may give up 1-2 yards more now on average which is ok, but do you remember all these scifres-punts which osgood literally awaited standing on the 1-yd-line?? i hope somebody can fill these shoes, because i think its a very underrated position, maybe not from the actual benefit, but from the mental benefit. you know how it pumps up your D when the ball is on the 5 or 10 instead of the 20 all the time, how the offense is hot when they start on the 35 or 40. and without their longtime special teams captain, i think these areas will suffer a little.
but overall, this team is good enough to win the division with ease. could get a tough division in 2-4 years, but right now, its a weak one and the bolts will have a first-round bye, no doubt. hopefully, they can finish. because, seriously, the jets game wasnt about that one long TD run (aside from that, the jets ran nowhere), or nates misses. it was about stupid penalties and individual errors. and nobody talks about how VJ got 100+ yds in that game against revis island. bolts were way better as the jets, but just too stupid to take advantage of it.
bMr Jeff Williams, as a redactor for a bolts blog, is it too much asked to write the goddamn name of the players properly ? MATHEWS. Come on!
- Rob Zepeda said... May 13, 2010, 8:39:00 AM
@anon above: I took care of that spelling mistake, an easy one to make actually. All that aside, what's your take on the difference between the 2009 Chargers and the 2010 Chargers at this point? Are the Bolts a better team now than they were coming in to the playoffs?
- Jason said... May 13, 2010, 9:33:00 AM
I'm cautiously optimistic, if only because of the staggering amount of injuries last season...I just can't see that happening again.
I think the DBs are the big question mark here. I have a gut feeling Cason is ready to be a starter, and the competition he gets from Vasher will help. I got tired of Cro's act midseason (gets toasted on a play, then points at the safety)...I say good riddance, his absence will help them play more as a solid unit.
LBs will be our strongest link, especially with Merriman playing for a big contract, and Butler will have a year to learn without the pressure of having to play every down. I kept waiting for Dobbins to break through, but he never really did, maybe a fresh start in Miami will help him-but with the depth we have here, he was expendable.
I sure would like to see Cam Thomas make an impact and clog up the middle so the LBs can do their job, but even if he doesn't make an immediate impact, we have enough bodies to compensate, especially with a year of on-the-job training under their belts.
I'm not gonna lie, I'm downright GIDDY about the offense. If the OL stays healthy, the sky's the limit...I'm envisioning 30+ points per game. Ryan Mathews looks like Norv's missing link, and genuinely seems like the kind of "good guy" and hard worker that we need at RB.
Are the Bolts better? My answer is YES, unless we get decimated by injuries again. If that happens, we should fire the trainer.
@ Everyone! Ok this is a preview of the 2010 season. Here it goes, we start off slow but then we get super hot. we end up 12-4. We get first round bye everyone gets rested and ready to rock and rolltokickbutt in the playoffs. But much to everyone's surprise, it's no surprise. The Chargers will choke in the big game and lose just like last year. They suck. Remember when they played the 49ers in the SB, or how about 7-8yrs back when they had first round bye and choked? Yep it's official. The San Diego Chokers!
- Jeff Williams said... May 13, 2010, 11:32:00 AM
LOL Anonymous #1- you got me, but thanks for adding so much to the conversation.
Jason, I'm not nearly as high on this offensive line, but they pass block well enough and that's what matters here. I'm very concerned about their depth because they are becoming injury-prone, but that is a concern on most teams.
Overall I see it being fairly status quo in 2010- slow start, great finish, and what happens in the playoffs is anyone's guess. My days of predicting Super Bowl wins are behind me.
YES! And then it is off to Dallas to deal a crushing blow to the NFC in the Superbowl. Nothing like our first Superbowl victory being played in tax payer funded 1.4 Billion Dollar stadium with stripper poles.
Rob, every year we lose our proven players hurt our football team. This year is no exception, losing Jamal Williams, Tim Dobbins and Antonio Cromartie will be reflected on the field. You can put me down on record for saying it's not in the Chargers best interest to trade Shawne Merriman in 2010, as it is rumored. He puts loads of pressure on the opposing QBs. I don't get it, AJ I urge you to let this one play out before you pull the hatchet on # 56. I was the only fan wearing a Michael Turner #33 Jersey the year he left for Atlanta. I thought it was common sense to keep young proven RB. "I'm mistaken there was another guy wearing same jersey but it was cause his last name was Turner." My point is that too many proven players are allowed to leave. This has neg. effect on positives gain from acquiring new talent. I'm excited about Matthews but feel we wasted draft opportunities with 28th and 40th picks.
Our O line will be fine mainly due to the emergence Dombroswki and Mruckowski. Nick Hardwick had been pushed way too much to be effective last year. Clary and Nick's play should be closely scrutinized in 2010. What's up with all the ankle sprains …we need better job with wrapping our guys. With more experience and conditioning I feel Luis Vasquez can immensely aid O line. Defense ...Cooper needs to make interceptions or remove those big ass gloves. Kevin Burnett and Travis Johnson didn't cut it in 2009.The Jury is out on weather 2010 will be better than this past season. It is not easy to match a 13-3 record. Stay tuned. Best Wishes Bolts in 2010.
Lighting 72
- arnie said... May 13, 2010, 7:55:00 PM
do know what the definition of madness is?
answer: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
the chargers have virtually the same roster, same coaches, same GM running the show. and every year they insist we don't have many needs and as soon as the season starts, injuries, slow start, in the playoffs and out. start over next year.
the roster is littered with "overachieving" low round picks, UDFA, back-up's, scrubs, and practice squad regulars. why should you, me, or any other charger fan expect this team to win a championship?
peace out
Let's see, hmmm, low round draft picks. Well, draft picks go by where you ended last year (rankings). So, if we want higher draft picks then we have to lose games to have a worse winning percentage. High draft picks don't always equal all star, see ryan leaf, ja markus russell. Also, Antonio Gates went un drafted and he's a pretty good player. It's up to the scouts and the general manager to identify those college players they think have "the right stuff" and draft the ones that are available. You also have to decide whether to pick the best player available at a need position or the best player available period for future seasons. It's the old, do we plug holes this year or build for next year? Usually, you can't do both.
Hard to say we will be better record wise. Not too many 13-3 seasons happen for any team. Question is can we get and win a superbowl. Injuries will happen. Maybe after a couple of big injury years in a row we will have a year with lessor injuries. This is also why AJ's philosophy is to be three deep at each position because it is hard to say where the injuries will happen but you know they will.
Hardwick is undersized and plays with tremendous heart and therefore has had his fair share of injuries.
McNeill has also had a lot of injuries but played pretty well through them. My concern here is that we may not sign him to a long term deal because of the injuries. His back was a concern out of college which caused him to drop to the second round. His back hasnt been the issue though thus far.
Mathews is definitely an upgrade but you can question what was given up to get him. If he produces it was worth it. If O-line still fails to block, it would not have been worth it.
I'm excited about Cam Thomas but it typically takes a few years for D-linemen to adjust to NFL. Good thing is that he may just be another part of the rotation. And perhaps Vaughn Martin and OG will be better. Garay also looked good.
Merriman is likely not going anywhere. AJ probably still thinks he can be very productive...but thinking that isnt enough to give him the rediculous contract that I am sure he wants. Let him play it out. We can always franchise him next year, get him long term deal, or trade after franchise. Worse case he goes as UFA and we get a 3rd-4th round compensatory draft pick.
I think Butler will really contribute.
Dont know what to think about Stuckey but hope that he can atleast contribute on Special teams.
I am also interested to see which Undrafted FA's make the team. Tutu, McNeal, and Lang are very intriguing. The FB Jackson is interesting too but we have both Tolbert and Hester.
All said I think we will go further in the playoffs and hope that it's Superbowl time for the Bolts!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOMP WOMP WOMP.... The Chokers are going to choke like they do every year. The only thing they play for is a good season record and then they feel they've made it but in true essence winning the SB means you've made it. San Diego Chokers will always choke. AJ's system only works for regular season games. Besides we all know if we ever do get a good player from the draft we won't sign them. Were a cheap franchise no one wants to pay a little. Aj is always trying to pay everyone the league minimum salary because Spanos family wastes all their money getting rid of the rat infestation at the Q. Lets face it the chokers are going to choke this year and the years to come no superbowl will ever be brought to this town. Worthless I say, Worthless.
thats why your writing through anonymous always talking smack probably a raider fan hiding his face as it should be find your own team and make comments on them if you hate the chargers no one needs you here.
I agree with Mr.WOMP WOMP WOMP.No matter how well the Chargers play in the regular season,they will self destruct with some stupid,brain fart personal foul.See head butting in the NFL referees rule book[ Draton Florence and Sean Philips] or a player will have the chance to put the game away with an interception that all he has to do is fall down but instead goes for personal glory running around trying to make a Sports Centers highlight film and gets stripped of the ball.That's just recent history.I'm a native San Diegan and a life long Charger fan.I had season tickets for nine years during the Dan Fouts era.As great as the team was during the season,the playoffs would start and the black cloud would appear.The "Holy Roller"play.Houston coming into town with no starting QB,RB,TE,or WR and our Hall of Fame QB throws 5 interceptions.The team has to go to Cincinnati to play in 50 below 0 windchill.Let's not forget the absolutely worst possible timing for "Iron Hands Muncie" to show up and put the ball on the ground.I'll always be a Chargers fan but I've seen enough Charger football to know one thing for sure.They are a great team to root for and a fun team to watch but, until they play the same type of disciplined football in the playoffs as they do during the season they will always come off looking like the post season is just to big for them.
Chargers will definately bE better as long as they hold on to merriman
- Jeff Williams said... May 16, 2010, 8:36:00 PM
Anonymous from this morning (you guys really can't use a name?), I hate your post, mostly because there is not a thing I can disagree with. The Chargers have beaten themselves more than they've been beaten in the postseason. Are the Chargers better? I think so. Are they more disciplined? I wouldn't bet that they are.
Again the San Dogs are highly rated but, will get their rear ends kicked again in the Playoffs. The team needs DEPTH in their Defense and maybe just maybe Rivers can keep his big mouth shut so he won't look like the moron he is.
- arnie said... May 17, 2010, 5:05:00 PM
dear, Anonymous said... May 14, 2010 5:12:00 AM
i am aware of How the draft is arranged. but AJ has made a standard of letting good veteran players walk, and replacing them with practice squad scrubs. or we draft a player in the 5th round, get upset when he dosen't live up to expectations, and replace them with a 6th round pick the following year. there is reason players are ranked in the draft. you don't need 1st rounders at every position. just four or five, from the first three rounds, spread around on both sides of the ball.
let me remind you, that we lost, to a team, in the playoffs that had the#1 ranked Rushing Offense and the #1 ranked Run Defense. how did they accomplish "most" of this? getting four 1st round picks, on your offensive line is a start. drafting Shon Greene (whom the chargers passed over for Gartrell Johnson) brining in a free agent like Terrell suggs. drafting Darnel Revis, trading up to get mark Sanchez, and surrounding them with good players and coaches, Rex Ryan (that knows what a good defense should play like) and Brian Schotenhiemer as your Offensive coordinator (fired from the chargers as PR's quarterback coach). as far FA's go, i say picking up Santonio Holmes. is far better than any of the FA's the chargers acquired.
Antonio Gates, Chris Deilman? fluke players. nobody could have predicted what they would become. but those are a few players that you will not be able to repeat. drat picks a are 50/50 at best. however, the statistic show there are more successful players that come from the first three rounds, than busts. and there fewer players that succeed from the lower rounds.
so why not increase you chances of winning a championship and get your key players in the first three rounds of the draft?
arnie, have you seen the same game? the bolts didnt lose because they were inferior. they have a good team and hopefully this aggressive draft was the missing piece.
- Ed said... May 18, 2010, 12:27:00 AM
The Jets surprised some people last season. This coming season they are everybodys radar, so lets see how good they really are? No free wins. Football is a team sport, you can have all stars you want but if they don't mesh togetheir they are not going anywhere.
- arnie said... May 19, 2010, 6:32:00 PM
yes i have seen the games. and what i saw was chargers beat up on .500 teams in that 11 game win streak, and lose, in the playoffs. they struggled against .500+ teams, all 3 of them
here's what i'm getting at, the chargers looked good against bad teams, or teams that weren't playing well. and my concern at the end of the season was, what happens when they get to the p[layoffs, and plays teams that are well above .500? the result was 17-14. now this wasn't one playoff loss, this is the fourth straight early exit. the roster is virtually unchanged and the chargers have had ample opportunities to address the needs of NT, SS, RT, DE, CB for the long term. the only need they met was RG last year, and RB this year.
what the like to do is play the numbers, get a lot UDFA and some cheap draft picks into camp and see who stands out, then try to build them into starters. look at your needs, be agressive, like most other teams in the NFL, and go get the players. Ryan Matthews alone, is not going to change their fortunes if the can't block fo him.
back to my original point, the results don't lie. if you keep scraping the bottom of the barrel for players, why should they expect different results?
peace out
- Ed said... May 21, 2010, 1:39:00 AM
the Chargers are 4 times Western Division Champs in a row. I say the offensive line is fine.When L.T. came down to his golf tournament, he said he tried to get hold of the members of the offensive line to assure them he did not calling them out.THAT SAYS THE OFFENSIVED LINE DIDN'T LIKE BEING L.T.'S ESCAPE GOAT.So they are going to be fired up. They had two rookies playing last year,look out they are fired up. They won 11 games in a row last year, to be honest with you the odds were againist them to win 12 in a row. They were better off losing one or two in between. That way they be on edge. So all these so called fans that talk s**t, don't jump on the bandwagon when they win!!!!!!!!!!!!
My take on the 2010 Charger team is very good! Considering all of the LT fans dissapoitment in letting him go. There is a saying: Life goes on.....Ryan Mathews whom I've followed since he was a Senior at West Hi in Bakersfield. In which he led the entire nation in rushing and total yards, plus he seta new Ca hi-school record for scoring 44 TD's in his fial year! We al know how great he played at Fresno State which some people consider a Mid Major college in athletics, but I can insure you they played Wisconsin, Cinncinatti, and Illonois all on the road and Boise State at home! So all the doubters can see its not an easy schedule for any college team. Mathews can catch the ball, rest assured on that. He has soft hands and was used alot on flare outs and screen plays. Some might doubt his speed, but believe me he can outrun most DB's and Safeties once he gets thru the first 2 waves of defensive players! Being a SF Niners fan, I was hoping they would get him first but for you lucky Charger fans your in for a very special treat this year. He was the best running back in the draft, including the overated CJ Spiller. So my hats off to you people in San Diego, I'll be watching as many Charger games as possible because of Ryan! You'll all forget about LT by about the 3rd game of the season. Hopefully your offensive line can get healthy so Mathews can show what he's got in his Aresenal of Weapons including Rookie of the Year...without a doubt!..Jeff from Morro Bay, Ca.
- Ed said... May 23, 2010, 9:16:00 AM
Jeff(Morro Bay,CA) You should become a Charger Fan! Show some these so-called Charger Fans how not to be so negative. These fans remind me of ex-vice president Dick Cheny. When Obama took office, the Generals said Dick was talking like he wanted the USA to be attack, just to prove the Obama wasn't the man for the job. These fans seem to want Mathews,Thomas, and the Chargers to fail , so they can call them "chokers","another A.J. bunder". These Fans need to check themselves, and dig deep inside to see if they are really Charger Fans. I checked other teams blogs,websites. You know what? They don't even talk negative about their team, even if their team is below 500. Charger so-called fans(negative ones) need to find another team.If I am not happy with some thing, I get rid of it or wouldn't waste my time on it. I hope these fans give the True Charger Fans a break and find a new team.
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text:
Town Square
Connecting the dots...
Original post made by John, College Terrace, on Dec 2, 2007
A few years ago, we hired a head librarian from Pacific Grove. She studied our library situation, and determined that the current branch system is obsolete. A major new and modern central library would be better. She was ignored. She quit.
Now, we are being asked to support BOTH a new (and very expesnive) police station, as well as a very expensive update of Mitchell Park branch library.
A very rough guess as to what these decisions will cost us is about $50M.
The new ABAG requirements will cost Palo Alto about $300M.
Perhaps I am naive, but I consider these things to be big ticket items.
Our city governance is, on occasion, dysfunctional. We can only blame ourselves. They reflect the majority will.
Chop Keenan should have been welcomed, with his offer, and the branch library system should have been phased out. ABAG should just be told, "NO!".
And we wonder why we are out of money...connect the dots.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Dec 2, 2007 at 6:56 pm
Thanks for the link. It is amusing to read what a former council member said.
"I hear some people talking about Mr. Keenan's motivation," Councilman Vic Ojakian said. "I'll be one of those people who just thanks him. Because he happens to be a native son of Palo Alto, and I'll assume that his motivations are honorable."
Talk about a dumb (or dishonest?) way to evaluate a proposal or someone's motivation. Anyway, motivation isn't relevant. He's just blowing smoke.
And Keenan has lived most of his adult life in Woodside.
a resident of Downtown North
on Dec 3, 2007 at 8:44 am
I believe the Gilman Street location for the proposed Public Safety Building turned out to be too small for what both the City and Chop Keenan had in mind.
The proposed building would have far exceeded the 50 ft. height limit, and in that location was considered unacceptable. The cost of the land plus the building would have cost far more than the present proposal on the Park Boulevard site.
The building was going to include mainly commercial offices plus a Public Safety component. The lack of adequate parking facilities was also another huge problem.
a resident of College Terrace
on Dec 3, 2007 at 11:23 am
Please provide your information sources for your claim that the proposed PSB would be too small (at 60,000 sq ft.). Also, please provide the information supporting the claim that it would violate the 50 ft. height limit (if so, by how much?).
A few neighbors objected, and the council backed away from it, as usual.
a resident of Stanford
on Dec 3, 2007 at 12:53 pm
[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]
a resident of College Terrace
on Dec 3, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Entitled to your opinion, but I am requesting actual references. I looked, but could not find them. Maybe I missed them. We should be able to ask for reference material on a blog like this.
a resident of Barron Park
on Dec 3, 2007 at 9:00 pm
"...the proposed PSB would be too small at 60,000 sq. ft."
John. I don't see where Resident claimed the PSB would be 60,000 sq. ft. either under Mr. Keenan's proposal - only estimates were made - or the current proposal of 50,000 sq. ft.
Further I sorta remember that Mr. Keenan wanted to use 3 floors for the Public Safety Building and an additional number for his commercial rentals (plus maybe underground parking which is scarce in that area).
I think this would exceed a 50 foot height limit considerably.
a resident of College Terrace
on Dec 4, 2007 at 10:49 am
I just want to get a full understanding of why the Gilman proposal was rejected. There were high hopes, then nothing. Aside from your recollections, can you provide documentation that shows that it was becasue of height limitations and/or parking and/or size restrictions. For example, I am looking for newspaper articles or meeting minutes. That's all.


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text:
me to i wish all le officers were like that
I wish all LE felt the same way.
me to i wish all le officers were like that
buying up all the guns and ammo i can just to PISS OFF the douche bag liberals
Me three, that's a very well writen letter
"Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem" Ronald Reagan
I think there are a lot more LEs that would agree with that letter, than disagree with it.
Make no mistake, our enemies in these matters are not the soldiers, but the politicians.
Imagine whirled peas
Peace, Love, And Superior Firepower
Good letter.. I thing we are going to start seeing more of that..
Our Deputies, for the most part here in the north woods of our county, are basically decent guys.
Pro gun.. They have a huge A.O. to cover.
We really are kind of on our own till they can respond. They understand the need for legal citizens to be armed. Pretty much everyone here is.
Feinwit and crew can sit in their golden palace and sign all the damn papers the bitch wants.. One problem.. Now who is going out too collect the guns?
The Police? Every one I talked too said "I aint going."
The Military? They hate the commie S.O.B.s..
They better start thinking real hard up in D.C. with their continued stomping on our constitution.
If things keep going, they may not be kicking down our doors, but their gates.
"Man needs but two things to survive alone in the woods. A blow up female doll and his trusty old AK-47" - Thomas Jefferson 1781
Excellent post. Well written. Hoping that more LE get the point and become vocal.
All I can say is ,,,,outstanding,, I have a great deal of respect for them and there fortitude in standing up and being counted. It leaves a lump in my heart to hear expressed how much so many of us think alike about this great nation, they are truly a credit to there uniforms!!
Thank you Gentlemen
Awsome at least there are some level haeded people in the community.
I like that all the Sheriffs put their names on the side of it. Makes you feel like there is hope.
I donated to our local sheriffs this week. Lots of sheriffs will not support the gun grab. More power to them.


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Your Account
Take a geek and a PC, add one soldering iron, a home, and a copy of Home Hacking Projects for Geeks, and you'll give new meaning to the term, "home improvement." From fearless neophytes to tool-wielding masterminds, the home hacker in any geek will find new inspiration and plenty of hands-on guidance to take on a variety of home-transforming projects once relegated to the world of sci-fi.This fun new guide combines creativity with electricity and power tools to achieve cool--and sometimes even practical--home automation projects. Never again will you have to flip a light switch when you enter a room or use a key to open your front door. With a few off-the-shelf devices, some homemade hardware, and a little imagination, you can be living in your own high-tech habitat.Home Hacking Projects for Geeks shows hackers of all ability levels how to take on a wide range of projects, from the relatively small but energy-conscious automating of light switches, to building home theaters using Windows or Linux-based PCs, to more complicated projects like building home security systems that rival those offered by professional security consultants. Each project includes a conceptual diagram, a "What You Need List" and a small "Project Stats" section that describes the relative difficulty, time involved, and cost of the project. What's more, each project is a workable, practical way to improve your home--something unique that you can customize for your individual needs.The thirteen projects in Home Hacking Projects for Geeks are divided into three categories: Home Automation, Home Entertainment Systems, and Security, and include projects such as:
Eric's Love affair with technology began as a child with his first electronics project kits from Radio Shack. In his early teens, a friend's Texas Instruments TI99/4A intoduced him to computers and programming, thus sealing his fate to be a lifelong geek.Professionally, Eric's experience is diverse. He worked for a voice messaging pioneer in the 80s. He spent three years in the Army working with nerve agents. He designed fully automated manufacturing facilities for the precast concrete industry. Then he went to college.These days Eric makes a living as a technology consultant and systems engineer. He also finds time for writing, teaching, and editing. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Alyssa, their daughter, Lily, and Lily's grandparents Will and Jean.
View Eric Faulkner's full profile page.
Tony Northrup, a Boston-area network security consultant and technology author, developed his interest in home automation after renting an apartment where every light was controlled by pulling a string. Tony turned to home automation products to add light switches without needing to hire an electrician or cutting into the drywall. Tony later bought a house and now uses computers to control and monitor virtually every system in his home: electrical, home theater, security, and even plumbing. Tony's wife, Erica, ensures his home hacking projects are user-friendly and reliable, while his cat, Sammy, mangles every project within paw's reach.
View Tony Northrup's full profile page.
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text:
Video: The greatest traffic stop ever?
posted at 6:47 pm on March 30, 2012 by Allahpundit
We're a few days late to this, I know, but it's perfect Friday material and a nifty sequel to the greatest arrest ever. I'm giving you two versions of the dashboard-cam video, the AP's edited clip and the PD's extended director's cut, but the highlight of this post isn't the footage, as insane as it is. It's this must-read WaPo report on what "Batman" does with his time. He's not fighting crime anymore, but he's still a hero:
When Batman finally reached the elevator for the slow ride up to the cancer ward, I could see his face already sweating behind the mask. He told me he loses 5 to 6 pounds in water weight when he wears the superhero uniform. He paid $5,000 for it. He spends $25,000 a year of his own money on Batman toys and memorabilia. He signs every book, hat, T-shirt and backpack he hands out — Batman…
Batman began visiting Baltimore area hospitals in 2001, sometimes with his now teenage son Brandon playing Robin. Once other hospitals and charities heard about his car and his cape, Batman was put on superhero speed dial for children's causes around the region. He visits sick kids at least couple times a month, sometimes more often. He visits schools, too, to talk about bullying. He does not do birthday parties.
"Eventually, it sinks in and you become him," Batman told me. "It feels like I have a responsibility that's beyond a normal person. And that responsibility is to be there for the kids, to be strong for them, and to make them smile as much as I can." He understands that might sound corny, but he doesn't care…
Batman stepped off the elevator on the fourth floor of Children's. Spider-Man and Wonder Woman were there too — both professional actors from talent agencies, on the clock. He picked up a little boy and said, "I have a present for you." He shook hands with a father and handed him a yellow rubber Batman bracelet, saying, "This will bring you good luck." The father said, "We need good luck."
Read to the end of the story for the reaction upon seeing the "Batmobile" of a four-year-old whose baby sister has cancer. Said "Batman" to Jalopnik, "I don't do it to become famous, I do it for the kids. They mean more to me than anything." It's only March but this might be the feelgood story of the year.
Related Posts:
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text:
Explore the Political and Cultural Context of Iran this September
Posted by Carleen Pickard in Citizen Diplomacy, Middle East, Trip Participant Stories on 20th June, 2012 | 2 Comments
What it's like to travel to Iran? Here's what one past Reality Tours participant had to say about traveling.
Read More...


text:
Waiting For A Trudeau To Decriminalize Marijuana
Earlier this month, Washington and Colorado voted to legalize recreational marijuana for adults. One week later, Liberal Party of Canada leadership contender Justin Trudeau announced to a high school audience in Prince Edward Island that he is "a huge supporter of decriminalization" of marijuana. It's a fantastic declaration and fits with the Liberal Party's official platform position endorsing marijuana legalization.
For some people in the Canadian cannabis law reform movement, this was a surprise to hear - but encouraging. In 2009, Justin Trudeau voted in favour of Bill C-15, mandatory minimum prison sentences for pot, and has even recently made anti-marijuana comments, leaving many confused about where he stood on the issue.
The Young Liberals and other party members worked hard in recent years to get legalization successfully accepted into the party platform, and have no doubt been educating Trudeau about marijuana and prohibition. His decision to publicly endorse decriminalization and even legalization is exciting for activists across Canada.
Because of the perceived flip-flop by the likely Liberal Party leader, Canada's conservative news network Sun TV invited me to talk about his shifting position. Sun TV is certainly no fan of the young leadership hopeful and described him as "wobbly" on the legalization issue.
I explained that Trudeau, and even Stephen Harper, would be wise to embrace the anti-prohibition message because a large majority of Canadians want marijuana to be legalized. Almost three-quarters of people 55 and older, an important voting demographic, want legalization or decriminalization. The people have spoken, and our politicians should listen.
In many ways, politicians are listening - and talking, too. The current federal Liberal Party interim leader Bob Rae has repeatedly denounced the drug war and supports the party's legalization platform. The New Democratic Party leader Thomas Mulcair is mostly silent on the issue, but the party has been working to end prohibition for many years and Mulcair knows it's an important issue to many NDP members. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May has always supported legalization and will no doubt continue to do so.
In British Columbia, unfortunately, we haven't seen the same kind of leadership - or even any comment whatsoever - from Premier Christy Clark. Despite previously acknowledging prohibition doesn't work as a radio show host on CKNW, she is now silent on the issue and defers to the federal government's prohibition policy.
With the provincial Liberal party floundering, current Liberal MLA Kash Heed calling for legalization, former Liberal Attorney General Geoff Plant doing the same, and 75 per cent of British Columbians supporting legalization, it's bizarre that Clark refuses to even acknowledge the subject.
But the premier will have to clarify her position sooner or later. Sensible BC, a new provincial referendum campaign to decriminalize marijuana, has been receiving public support, national media attention, and a recent endorsement from the Vancouver Sun editorial board.
The premier will have to say something about marijuana law reform as we head into the 2013 election. With enough encouragement from the citizens of B.C., perhaps she will join the majority and call for decriminalization, at least.
On the federal level, the Liberal Party has taken a pro-legalization position and now the likely potential leader has made his stance clear. Prohibition is an expensive, wasteful, harmful failed policy. That fact is acknowledged not only by activists like myself and my husband Marc Emery, but also many high-profile figures involved with groups like Stop The Violence BC, including former mayors and attorney generals, B.C.'s Chief Medical Officer, the Health Officers Council of B.C., the B.C. Union of Municipalities, the Canadian Public Health Association, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, and numerous other organizations and individuals. This is a popular topic.
Justin Trudeau and every MP need to hear from their constituents about cannabis. It's incumbent upon Canadians to demand that our government - which is funded by our tax dollars - stop wasting our precious resources and time on a prohibition policy that the majority of citizens do not support. Hopefully, if the NDP or Liberals form federal government in 2015, marijuana law reform will be discussed and supported in Parliament. Trudeau may be our best hope, but he must continue to endorse legalization.
Canadian history teaches us not to take a politician's word as a commitment. Previous Liberal Prime Minister Jean Chretien promised to decriminalize marijuana in 2003 and failed to follow through. In August 1970, the Globe and Mail's front-page headline read "Marijuana to be Decriminalized" after Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau's Royal LeDain Commission recommended ending cannabis prohibition.
Forty-two years and two million Canadian marijuana arrests later, we are still waiting for someone named Trudeau to make good on the promise. That shouldn't be hard to do. It's what the majority of Canadians want.
The government would save an estimated $13.7 billion on prohibition enforcement costs and tax revenue by legalizing marijuana, according to a paper endorsed by 300 economists.
Inmates incarcerated on marijuana-related charges cost U.S. prisons $1 billion annually, according to a 2007 study, AlterNet reports.
Including lost tax revenues, a 2007 study found that enforcing the marijuana prohibition costs tax payers $41.8 billion annually, Forbes reports.
Marijuana growers account for $14 billion a year in sales in California, making it the state's most valuable cash crop, TIME reports.
It's estimated that illegal marijuana is a $36 billion industry in the U.S., MadameNoire reports.
About one-third of Americans say they think legalizing marijuana would boost the economy, according to a 2010 poll by Associated Press-CNBC.
The Sacramento News and Review saw a big boost in ad revenue when it offered advertising space for more than 60 medical marijuana dispensaries, enabling the publication to hire three additional employees, according to News 10.
Mendocino County, California's zip tie program aimed at regulating medical marijuana growing by charging permits for each plant raised $600,000 in revenue in for the Sheriff's department in 2011.
The city of Oakland, California raised $1.3 million in tax revenue from medical marijuana dispensaries in 2011, 3 percent of the city's total business tax revenue, according to The New York Times.
In 2011, Colorado pulled in $5 milllion in sales taxes from medical marijuana businesses, The New York Times reports.
Economist Stephen Easton estimated in 2010 that legal marijuana could be a $45 to $100 billion industry, Bloomberg Businessweek reports.
When hydroponic marijuana growing supply chain weGrow opens a new store it creates an estimated 75 jobs indirectly, according to AZBusiness Magazine.
More than 60 percent of states agree with taxing marijuana, according to a poll by Associated Press-CNBC.
A Norwegian study 25 years in the making came to the shocking conclusion that frequent marijuana use lowers employees' motivation at work.
There could be more than 1,000 medical marijuana dispensaries operating in California, Pasadena Weekly reported in 2009.
As of July 2011, the city of Denver counted more medical marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks franchises.
Follow Jodie Emery on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JodieEmery


text:
Town Square
The Skin I'm In
Original post made by Ms. Jenson, Rex Manor, on Mar 29, 2013
I've been through a lot. If someone had warned me about what would have come after, I would have put up a fight. Moving to a different school was always hard. Imagine moving all the way across the US! Being a new kid was rather unnerving. Being a new kid from D.C. was even worse.
There were a lot of different races and cultures in my new school. If a lot of them were new to me, I was also different to them. Three quarters of my first California school was made up of Latino children; I am not Latino. I'm African American. There weren't very many kids of my race in my new community, so that left me being the only African American in my class. I was peppered with questions like "why does your hair look like that?", "why does your hair feel like that?", "why is your skin that color?" and more. I was speechless. At 7, I wasn't prepared for those questions. It didn't stop there.
As I got older the questions continued, and were less and less harmless. I began getting bullied, not only for my skin color but also for my height. No one even cared that the darkness of my skin comes from my Panamanian side, and not my African American. See, I was Spanish just like the rest of the kids, but I guess that they couldn't see that through their ignorance. I began to lose myself. When people would make a racist remark I would lie and say that I wasn't black. I regretted it every time, but it became a habit of self-defense.
For 6 years I've been living a life untrue to me. People say society makes the person, but that's not true. I allowed the people who judged me to shape who I am as a whole. Now I'm the one with questions: Do I want to be the Kourtni that everyone expects, or the Kourtni I truly am? Should I continue to live this life of lies, or be true to myself?
With a Perspective, I'm Kourtni R.
Panther Pen -- The Panther Pen is a collaboration between the students, staff, and parents of Crittenden Middle School.The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Crittenden Middle School or Mountain View Whisman School District.
Comments (2)
a resident of Monta Loma
on Mar 29, 2013 at 2:01 pm
Diane Hernandez is a registered user.
Kourtni I am so amazed that you have the guts to write this. Please be who you really are. If someone has a problem with that ,it's THEIR problem not yours. I hope you always strive to be real and never let anyone dictate how you should be. I don't know you but I already know you are a beautiful person inside and out. You'll go far in this world ...I just know it.
a resident of another community
on Mar 29, 2013 at 10:44 pm
L Romaine Brown is a registered user.
Thank you for writing this memoir, Kourtni. I think your line "the questions continued, and were less and less harmless" is powerful understatement.
You made me think. The young people questioning you from that place -- threatened when dealing with differences. Don't you wish those school children's questions could have been to understand and know you? On an instinctive level, without thought, kids put a label on or distance themselves from those who differ.
So, I remembered being "the new kid on the block" every year of my schooling until my junior and senior year of high school. I was not much different from my peers, white bread blue collar lower middle class, but just being the outsider, the stranger taught me build up a shell -- a false self that pretended the comments didn't matter, and that I wasn't lonely.
Your journey has so much more honesty, to face and own what you allowed that low level humanoid taunting and bullying to do to you. Your writing shows the emerging answer to your question about being the real you. I hope you will continue to write your stories. Your truth.
Thanks very much.
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text: Ruger has always made 20 and 30 rd magazines for the Mini-14, Bill Ruger just restricted their sale to LE only. You could get them if you found a dealer willing to sell them to you, and on the secondary market. He was a great gun designer, but an idiot when it came to "gun control" issues. After he died the company finally got some people in charge who have decided to go for the lucrative "evil assault weapon" market which is why Ruger now has so many "tactical" models.


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