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When it comes to drinking, teenagers are constantly in the firing line for irresponsible behaviour but is it them who are really to blame for the carnage alcohol causes? Carly Gibbs reports.
The man in Greerton Super Liquor is wearing an outlandish gold suit, a "bling" necklace, black sunglasses and is pursing his lips at a weedy cream-coloured chihuahua.
The dog too has a necklace and he's sitting on top of a box of alcohol.
The pair have pulled up in their limousine.
They're "Pimpin'."
Is this how people "roll" in Tauranga?
Er, no. This is not a real scenario.
It's a poster depicting the bourbon and cola drink Cody's - a popular tipple with teens - and its target market is obvious.
Look around this store and it's colour overload. Bottles of all sizes and shapes are stacked on shelves. Some pink, some silver. A bottle of Snow Queen Vodka, showing a buxom woman in a sky-high tiara and tight-fitting gown sells for $62.99. It's a pretty bottle.
In fact, they're all pretty bottles but they are lethal weapons in the wrong hands.
Come here on a Wednesday at 10am and it's quiet. A man in a beat-up leather jacket, curly hair pulled into a low-slung ponytail, buys a six-pack of Victoria Bitter and a single can of what looks like bourbon. Outside his mate waits for him in a white car. Stereo pumping.
Doug Harvie has owned this store for 13 years and works out the back.
A grey TV plays security footage on top of an old filing cabinet. There are posters all over his walls. A young woman standing behind a polished motorbike is promoting Jim Beam. Then there are the posters for those with more expensive tastes - Mo�& Chandon.
Opal Nera.
Harvie, with his chopper style moustache and slightly gruff voice, says he knows what people might say - that he's in the business of selling drugs.
Dig a little deeper though and you'll find this 57-year-old is a father of five and an advocate for change. He wants his business to be known as the hardest place in Tauranga for under-age drinkers to buy grog.
Harvie's tough line comes as the government considers the Alcohol Reform Bill, which introduces a split purchase age under which the minimum age for buying liquor at supermarkets and other off-licence shops would be increased from 18 years to 20. The age in pubs and other on-licensed premises would remain 18. The bill is in response to the Law Commission's 2010 report aimed at curbing the harm of alcohol.
"I don't think alcohol is the problem," he says with arms crossed. "I think alcohol makes the problem worse but there seems to be a lot of social policies that governments have introduced have made kids and the family unit a lot less respectful of law and order, of parents," Harvie says.
"The way teenagers get rat-faced, I don't believe they have much respect for themselves either."
Harvie says in his day, getting drunk was a consequence of having a good time.
"Nowadays, they seem they want to get drunk as soon as they go out and seem to think it's real cool to be spewing in the drain at 7pm rather than 1am."
And Harvie would know. He's got an eagle eye on all the boys and girls who enter his store. He says they like to drink cheap wine, Cody's and vodka because it has no taste and you can mix it with almost anything.
"Girls tend to skull a bottle of wine, under $10, 14 per cent, drink it by yourself. That's six and a half or seven standard drinks and if you drink it quickly you're off your face quickly.
"That to me is sad. That's where this lack of respect for themselves comes in. How can you respect yourself if you're off your brain?"
And what does getting off your brain do?
It causes teens to get aggressive, Harvie reckons. "In my day a 16-year-old would run a mile if a police car arrived. Today they want to take the police on, they want to throw bottles, it's just amazing."
The establishment of a Western Bay Off-Licence Alcohol Accord (OLAA) in September 2008, of which nearly all off-licensed premises in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty are voluntary members, has helped raise awareness around the issue of the supply of liquor to minors.
Harvie says if he suspects customers are buying liquor on behalf of teenagers, he asks them to fill out a form with their personal details and sign it, making them liable if they are caught.
"Parents are the worst. While they think their intentions are good to give little Mary a four-pack of RTDs, after that she's not the same Mary they know."
Harvie has a growing concern about how he is perceived in the community.
"It's becoming more and more socially unacceptable to be involved in retailing or anything to do with selling alcohol. You go out socially and people ask 'what do you for a job?' 'I sell alcohol', 'Oh drug pusher', they say."
Harvie says binge drinking is not unique to New Zealand and he can't see alcohol ever being banned.
So, what's the answer?
"Parents need to be role models not mates with their kids and continue to supervise them," he says. "It's like the whole hole in a condom theory, at what stage is the chemist responsible?"
Getting wasted
Taking little responsibility for themselves are teens.
Seven 17-year-olds the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend interviewed with the protection of being given false names, were blase about getting drunk and more disturbingly blase about what they got up to while intoxicated. They giggled during a good part of the interview.
Shaun has given up heavy drinking because he was getting "wasted" and sleeping with girls he didn't know. He's now shacked up with an 18-year-old and has curbed his old ways.
Getting wasted caused him a little bit of grief but according to the girls, not as much as they get.
"Girls get way more judged," Anna, with blonde hair piled on top of her head, says. "If guys get drunk and do something stupid it's just funny."
Michael, slouched in his chair, agrees. "It's a scandal if a girl does something."
What are girls doing?
"I think some girls make it real easy for guys to get into them," Anna reports unashamedly.
She adds: "I don't reckon they get taken advantage of, they're just easier to persuade. It just makes it a lot easier for them to get them into bed. I've never thought I've been taken advantage of. I've never woken up and thought 'what a dick'. They don't have to make any effort."
Michael chips in with: "Alcohol does something to like boys' hormone levels, I think?"
"Yeah, it makes you horny," Anna says with a laugh.
Do reputations go away?
"It depends what you do. Like, if you sleep with a rank-as guy, you get dissed. Some people purposely spread rumours," Josh says.
"There's some bitchy stuff on Facebook, hell yeah. Girls gossip so bad."
For those who don't drink (that's two out of the seven I interviewed) both have their separate reasons.
Quietly spoken Sarah comes from a Christian family and says her parents are "real strict".
"My mum doesn't know that I've ever drunk and when I do, even if it's two, I get real hungover.
"She's anti-everything. She's been through it all before, 'I don't want you to go through it,' she says. Blah, blah. I never tell her about drinking stories or anything."
Tim doesn't drink because he prefers being the sober driver and says "the boys" respect him for it.
"I'm the same as Sarah, I've got crazy parents. They found out once that I'd got drunk and weren't happy."
Controlling a hangover in front of parents means "putting a good act on" or staying the night at a friend's place so they can sleep the next day.
The teens drink at house parties - often when parents are away - and drink Double Brown beer, vodka or RTDs. They say 18-year-olds buy it for them.
A good night out
One trend the teens have noticed is their peers are getting more violent at parties.
"It's dumb. If someone is looking at you wrong ...
"There's a lot of school type relation stuff. Rivalry between the schools."
On the whole though, alcohol generally equals a good night out and students - a selection of Year 10 to 13 - consume it most weekends.
"I love it when you have a good night and everyone is just way happier and way looser and everything goes to plan," Anna says.
"Exactly," says Toby. "It's just a party. I don't know why it's so bad."
Because the consequences of "good nights" often linger on.
Denise McEnteer, who has 25 years' experience working with sexual assault victims, is counselling an average of 18 Tauranga girls a week for both present and historical sexual abuse cases. Teenagers, aged 13-17, make up three quarters of her practice.
In her Norris St office, on soft blue chairs decorated with sequined cushions, she crosses her stocking-clad legs and says what she is seeing is getting worse and it's more sanctioned.
"Young women are now chasing young men. We now have an understanding with young women of 'why shouldn't I chase this young guy? Why shouldn't I get drunk and why shouldn't I have sex with him tonight, five minutes or half an hour after I've met him?'
"That's all normalised now and that's actually pretty frightening, I reckon. There's also a belief that if they have sex with this young man, they're going to catch the boyfriend but it doesn't work like that with our young men."
Talk to your sons and daughters
McEnteer urges all parents, even those who don't believe their child would ever drink, to think again. While most mums and dads are doing their "darndest" to keep their kids safe, the reality is, parents don't always know what their teenagers are getting up to.
She encourages parents to talk to their sons and daughters about how to develop functional, healthy relationships.
"We've got the technology to set what is a facade to say 'we're staying with a girl buddy', when actually, we're not. We're off to a party and then we'll stay wherever.
"They're coming to see me with physical assaults, sexual assaults, can't remember. They go to a party, wake up, can't find their clothes. That is happening exponentially now and there's been some very nasty stranger rapes resulting from intoxication of young women in Tauranga."
Many teens were also taking a cocktail of mind altering drugs but alcohol was the "worst demon".
Under-age drinkers try it on
Saturday night at super club Illuminati is the "big night".
Out on the town, bronzed girls in tight dresses stumble along in heels, while boys with the backs of their jeans hanging down roll out on to the street.
On an average Saturday there's 13 security staff on at Illuminati and seven bar staff.
Owners Glenn and Virginia Meikle, who also own Brewers Bar and Super Liquor in Mount Maunganui, say under-age drinkers "try it on" all the time.
"There's a lot of fake IDs and it's really hard to know," Virginia, 43, says. "Some of them are so good."
About 1000 party people enter Illuminati on a Saturday and 90 per cent are aged 18 to 25.
Virginia says if parents are concerned about their children aged under 18 getting in, they should feel free to call them.
"By all means, give us a ring, give us their picture. We can have a file at the door, you know? We would like that. I've said to Glenn, if we do have 16-year-olds picked up at the door, I'd like to ring their parents because do they realise this?"
Glenn, 40, has had a parent ring him at 8am on Sunday "livid" because her 16-year-old daughter had managed to slip into Illuminati with a fake ID.
"We tracked her down eventually ... she was 17 or something."
As parents of two teenagers, the Meikles say they worry just as much as the next parent.
"Our daughter is 15 and if she wants to go out and stay with a friend we will ring the parent. If she's going to a party she has to be chaperoned by either us or another parent," Virginia says.
The couple believes if council were to ever give clubs at 1am closing as opposed to the current law of 3am, there'd be chaos on the streets with young people not ready to wind down for the night.
"At the moment it's licensed, protected, managed."
Turned away for being too intoxicated
Grumpy Mole business manager Anita Duncan says on an average Saturday about 40 people are turned away for being too intoxicated and inside staff have come down harder on younger drinkers and watch them "like children".
A 30-year-old woman from Brookfield, who spoke on the condition she was not named, says a fortnight ago she and a friend had been at a pub in Rotorua and were waiting for a taxi when they saw a drunk 16-year-old girl standing at the door who could hardly stand.
Author and clinical leader of Relationship Services Whakawhanaungatanga Bay of Plenty/Gisborne area, Les Simmonds, explains some of the reasons teenagers drink in his book Raising Teens Today, which he co-wrote with psychologist Ian Lambie.
Simmonds says children try alcohol for the same experimental reason Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Everest. "Because it's there and they want to knock the bastard off."
Other factors he says are peer pressure and emotional problems.
It happens every weekend
Get Smart Tauranga Drug and Alcohol Services manager Stuart Caldwell says the organisation is counselling at five local secondary schools on a weekly basis. In the past 12 months they have gone from one to two fulltime counsellors and those counsellors now both have waiting lists.
Caldwell tells how Get Smart's Street Help Van team came across a very drunk teenage girl in the CBD.
"She was so drunk, it took our team 10 minutes to get her name and another 10 minutes to get her address.
"During this time three unrelated males came past and offered to take her home.
"This type of situation happens every weekend," he says.
Get Smart's Street Help Van has been taking drunk teens home or to hospital on Friday and Saturday nights for 20 years.
A fortnight ago, an out-of-control 16th birthday party at Tauranga Racecourse was broken up by police and 12 teens arrested.
Western Bay of Plenty Police area commander Mike Clement says it's excessive drinking that's causing the problem, especially when mixed with synthetic drugs like Kronic.
Clement says dance parties are becoming increasingly popular and nine months ago he had 15 and 16-year-olds literally vomiting at his feet at a dance party in Te Puke. Clement says he's often accused of being "the party police" but parents and schools have a responsibility to push a zero-tolerance message for alcohol, especially around ball season.
Alcohol free activities
Last week St Kentigern College had sniffer dogs, a breathalyser and had security pat down students at its ball.
The heightened measures follow the death of King's College student David Gaynor. Last year 16-year-old King's pupil James Webster died from alcohol poisoning.
Tauranga Safe City runs the Sexual Assault Primary Prevention campaign in secondary schools.
They are looking to become part of a youth development group where youth co-ordinate alcohol free activities.
The Government now has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put serious roadblocks into the binge drinking carnage.
In Get Smart's opinion, this would be best answered with four measures: Introducing a minimum price per standard drink; restoring supermarkets to alcohol-free; banning all broadcast alcohol advertising and sponsorship and end legal drunk driving by reducing the blood alcohol content for adult driving from .08 to .05 or lower.
In 2005, liver cancer was the world's third most common cause of cancer deaths. British psychologist and biologist Aric Sigman says New Zealand would benefit from a drinking age of 21, even if it was difficult to enforce.
It was best if a person did not drink until at least 24-and-a-half because the brain does not fully develop until nearly 25. '
For many teenagers though, the message of "responsible drinking" is one that may never fully sink in.
This weekend, there's bound to be a party somewhere.
Bound to be underage drinkers. Bound to be a night they'll forget.
Related stories:
Teen drinking out of control
Editorial: Time for action on teen drinking
Go to the Bay of Plenty Times Facebook Page to join the discussion.


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NEW YORK — Members of Bernard Madoff's family want civil complaints alleging they were in on the disgraced financier's massive securities fraud thrown out.
The accusation by a trustee liquidating Madoff's assets "is a sensationalistic attempt to lump together members of the Madoff family and create liability by association,'' attorneys for brother Peter Madoff wrote in papers filed late Monday in federal bankruptcy court in Manhattan.
Lawyers for the trustee, Irving Picard, declined to comment.
Madoff, 71, is serving a 150-year prison term after admitting that his investment advisory service at Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities was a front for a multibillion dollar Ponzi scheme that spanned decades. He never bought any securities, instead using new investments to pay returns to existing clients.
The trustee has alleged it would have been impossible for them not to know about a scheme that enriched the family, and has demanded they return ill-gotten gains to investors.
Madoff, his brother, and sons Mark and Andrew have all insisted the three were purposely left in the dark. While the FBI says its investigation is ongoing, none of the family members have been charged with any crimes.
The motions to dismiss the trustees' complaints portray the brother and sons — who ran a separate market-making and proprietary-trading business they insist was legitimate — as victims of the scheme.
The court papers credit the sons with contacting "authorities within hours of learning of their father's betrayal of their trust.''

subset: commoncrawl


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This month's article focuses on one of the most important of all markets for electrical products — the commercial construction market. The products used in this market cut across virtually all product categories, including lighting; wire and cable; fittings; connectors and terminals; conduit, cable tray and wiring systems; wiring devices; motors and motor controls; distribution equipment; circuit breakers and fuses; switchgear; datacom products; power conditioning equipment; signaling equipment; building management systems; and electricians' supplies.
With this selection of products, it's easy to see why few markets are nearer and dearer to an electrical distributor's heart than new construction and retrofit work in the commercial market. It's a huge market that sweeps across big cities, small towns and rural areas — from Main Street America to malls and strip shopping centers. The biggest applications include office buildings, stores and shopping centers, hotels, banks, theaters, museums, sporting facilities and other public buildings.
Commercial construction probably accounts for a bigger selection of products from a distributor's warehouse shelves than any other market. Depending on how you define this market, it accounts for approximately 30 percent of a typical electrical distributor's business, according to Electrical Wholesaling magazine's November 2010 Regional Factbook. Following are the key market trends that shape the commercial market.
The more profitable jobs often get obscured by the "trophy" jobs
Everyone likes to drive by the biggest construction project in town and say to anyone who will listen, "We worked on that project." But for every office tower, stadium or other landmark job, there are probably dozens of smaller — but more profitable — jobs that get done quietly, don't go out to bid and never quite hit the radar screen in the market. Don't overlook the small projects or retrofit work that may still be available in the slowest of economic times.
Retrofit work is equally important as new construction
It's tough to get hard numbers on exactly how big the commercial retrofit market can be for electrical distributors and their customers. But no one will dispute that it's sizeable and that it can often be more profitable than new construction work because it usually doesn't go out to bid. According to Electrical Wholesaling's 2010 Regional Factbook, commercial/office maintenance supplies and commercial/office retrofit business accounts for 4.9 percent of the average distributor's sales, while new office construction is 9.6 percent of sales. One of the biggest sources of commercial retrofit work — even during the recession — was energy-efficient lighting systems. The inherent cost savings of the more efficient lighting systems blended with utility rebates and federal, state or local tax incentives can often push the return on investment (ROI) for energy-efficient lighting systems such as T5 or T8 lighting to two years or less.
Although solar installations on commercial facilities are becoming more popular in the geographic market areas that offer a lucrative blend of utility rebates and local incentives, along with the 30 percent federal tax incentive, currently most photovoltaic (PV) systems for in the commercial market have a ROI of at least five years or more.
Market indicators point to still-sluggish commercial market
The commercial market is governed by the laws of supply and demand — developers and building owners only build or renovate offices, shops, restaurants, and other commercial projects when they believe there will be enough customer demand to buy or lease them. As we all know, there's been little customer demand for new projects over the past three years because of the lack of capital to fund new projects, high unemployment, historically high office vacancy rates and the general uncertainty over the direction of the economy. While the construction industry is through the worst of this business cycle, market conditions have been painfully slow to improve.
The national numbers for the commercial market aren't too encouraging yet, but Electrical Wholesaling's editors are starting to hear from some from distributors that project business is starting to pick up in some geographic markets. When you need to get forecasts on the health of the construction market, check out Electrical Wholesaling's monthly "Electrostats" department, which compiles the Department of Commerce's Value of New Construction data for offices, lodging and other market segments. More detailed data by project type is available on a monthly basis at www.census.gov by clicking on the "Construction" tab and then selecting "Value Put in Place." Other sources of economic data include McGraw-Hill's www.construction.com, and Reed Construction Data's www.reedconstructiondata.com; the American Institute of Architects' Architectural Billings Index, available monthly at www.aia.org; and CB Ellis' www.grubb-ellis.com. CB Ellis offers quarterly reports on office vacancy trends for the entire United States and broken down for major U.S. metropolitan markets. Office vacancy rates are an important regional economic indicator because developers and building owners generally won't build many new buildings when office vacancy rates are much above 10 percent. As a point of reference, in the fourth quarter of 2010 the national vacancy rate was just below a historically high 17 percent, and some markets, including Dallas; San Jose, Calif.; Stamford, Conn.; and Detroit; were suffering with office vacancy rate of more than 25 percent in their central business districts. On the flip side, Fort Worth, Texas; Charleston, S.C.; Columbus, Ohio; New York; and Raleigh, N.C.; all had vacancy rates of less than 10 percent.
To find vacancy rates for your local market, go to www.grubb-ellis.com, click on "Market Research" and then on "Research Reports." From there you can click on the metropolitan area in which you are interested, or the national reports, accessible below the map of the United States.
Voice/data applications continue to grow in all areas of the commercial market
You don't have to look far in any modern office building to see that there are more applications than ever for voice/data cabling in commercial applications such as offices, stores and warehouses. People are producing more data than ever on computers, and because they need to send, manage, print and otherwise manipulate this data, it creates an enormous amount of opportunity, even in the current recession. More and more of this is done wirelessly, and wireless networks have quickly become common in commercial buildings.
Security has also become a bigger concern in commercial installations, and that means more opportunity for your customers to install security cameras, pass-card entry systems, alarms and many other security systems. In the not too distant future, look for wireless systems to gain popularity in new construction and retrofit applications in the commercial market.
With the help of LEED design standards, federal legislation and a growing "green consciousness," energy-efficient lighting systems have become more of a given in commercial buildings
The lighting system in a commercial building can easily account for up to 25 percent of the building's electrical bill. It has gotten easier to sell energy-efficiency to building owners on lighting retrofits, now that the payback is often two years or less, thanks to improvements in indoor and exterior lamps, lighting fixtures, reflectors, dimming systems and daylighting designs. You can help electrical contractors get the word across to their customers by working with your manufacturers and taking advantage of the sales tools they offer, such as case studies and energy audits.
One driver for greener buildings is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C. LEED standards have helped increase awareness in the design community of the economic and environmental benefits of green buildings.
Customers look for faster turnaround of custom-built products
When it comes to switchgear, large load centers and other products that require a high degree of customization, customers expect manufacturers and distributors involved in the transaction to get the product on the jobsite as quickly as possible. With CAD/CAM design systems, speed-of-light communication systems and the move to more modular components, manufacturers have to make their manufacturing processes as responsive as possible. When possible, manufacturers design these systems with modular components so they can tailor a product to a customer's specific request. This enables manufacturers to cut down on the number of different products they have to design, build, stock and track.
"Design/build" construction continues to gain ground on traditional "design-bid-build" construction
In a design/build project, the same company does the design and construction work, as opposed to the traditional bid project, where a design firm handles its part of the project for the building owner, who then puts the project out for open bidding.
Electrical contractors with design/build capabilities see less competition and more profit margin in the design-build market than in the traditional design-bid-build market. They also can take control of an entire project, get involved earlier in the process and eliminate the disputes that exist between the contractor and the designer. From a building owner's perspective, proponents of design-build projects say the biggest advantages of design/build projects are the single point of responsibility for construction and design; potential to fast-track a project (beginning construction or procurement prior to the design being completed); shorter overall delivery time of the project; and the reduction or elimination of change orders.
The latest in design and communication technologies are becoming a bigger part of the commercial market
You don't find many electrical contractors wandering into a distributor's counter area with a materials list for a commercial job scrawled on a piece of 2×4, as in the old days. Electrical distributors' customers are slowly adopting project management software, CAD/CAM, remote ordering and other productivity tools. As the industry moves slowly but inevitably toward greater computerization, electrical distributors can expect their customers to order products via tablet computers like the iPad and personal digital assistants (PDAs) like iPhones and Blackberries, right from the job-site. They will also see contractors monitor their performance with project management software. Project management software tools offered by companies such as e-Builder and AutoDesk allow electrical contractors and subcontractors in other building trades to track deliveries, order products and monitor construction project deadlines via the Web.
Trade Service Corp., San Diego, Calif., recently launched a new e-business tool for electrical contractors that will save them time in the bidding process. Submittal Manager includes software and 250,000-plus catalog pages covering more than one million electrical items accessible with the click of a mouse.
Get familiar with the latest trend in construction design: BIM (building information modeling)
One buzzword you are sure to run across in the commercial market is BIM. Wikipedia defines "BIM" as, "Building information modeling covers geometry, spatial relationships, light analysis, geographic information, quantities and properties of building components (for example manufacturers' details)… The concept of Building Information Modeling is to build a building virtually prior to building it physically, in order to work out problems, and simulate and analyze potential impacts."
One of the biggest reasons BIM is important to electrical manufacturers, distributors, independent manufacturers' reps, is that in a full-blown BIM design, each electrical product used in the design may have a digital record "attached" to it that includes not only its technical specifications and capabilities, but pertinent logistical and pricing information such as suppliers, change orders, and where it fits in the project timeline. If you are looking for information on BIM, a great place to start is www.buildingsmartalliance.com. The Building Smart Alliance is run by National Institute of Building Sciences, Washington, D.C., to promote BIM and educate construction professionals on its use in the building trades. Associated General Contractors, Arlington, Va., and Engineering News-Record magazine (www.enr.construction.com) are two other great resources for the latest information on BIM. Although BIM's adoption rate appears to be slow and depends on the size of the contractor (with bigger companies most prevalent among the early adopters), it's a trend worth watching.
Next month: Industrial Market 101
A Look Inside
The Commercial Market
Power In
- Pole -line hardware & utility meters
- Load centers
- Switchgear
- Distribution equipment
- Circuit breakers & fuses
- Solar panels and mounting hardware
Current Carriers
- Building wire & power cable
- Wiring devices and wallplates
- VDV cabling & equipment
- Portable cord
- Building management
Protect Direct
- Cable fittings & fasteners
- Receptacle boxes
- Junction boxes & covers
- Enclosures
- Underfloor wiring systems for offices & IT rooms
Misc. Electrical Loads
- Fluorescent, HID, incandescent, halogen & LED lamps
- Lighting fixtures & ballasts
- Dimming equipment, occupancy sensors & other lighting controls
- Motors & drives
- Snow-melting equipment for walkways
In the Truck
- Voice/data/video systems
- Security systems
- UPS & power conditioning equipment
Tools of the Trade
- Hand tools
- Power tools
- Metering equipment
- Conduit benders
- Insulating tape
Key Commercial Applications
Definitions vary for the scope of the commercial market because some people like to break out this market into different sub-segments. Whatever you decide to call it, there's a ton of business waiting for savvy distributors and their customers. Here are the biggest customers in the commercial market:
- Office buildings
- Strip shopping centers
- Big-box retailers
- Shopping malls
- Main Street America shops
- Hotels and motels
- Restaurants
- Theaters, theme parks and other entertainment facilities
- Banks
- Museums
- Sporting stadiums
- Data centers
What's New
The commercial market has seen lots of changes and now offers even more sales opportunities for distributors, reps and manufacturers. Here are some of the biggest changes.
Applications for LEDs are expanding from exit signs into parking lots, accent lighting and some general lighting applications.
Building owners are leasing their rooftops to solar companies and getting a break on the electricity these PV installations generate.
Building Information Modeling (BIM) is starting to hit the mainstream and will eventually help distributors become more integrated into the logistics of supplying projects.
Wireless networks are commonplace.
Buildings designed to meet green LEED standards are much more common.
As electric vehicles become more widespread, EV supply equipment will be a key add-on product.
The Commercial Market by the Numbers
While McGraw-Hill Construction expects the construction of commercial buildings to increase 16 percent to $44.9 billion, that's still more than 55 percent down from the recent market high of $101 billion in 2007.
Commercial/office construction accounts for approximately 30 percent of all electrical supplies sold through electrical distributors and in 2011 should account for more than $25 billion in 2011, according to Electrical Wholesaling's Market Planning Guide.
Eighteen of 59 metropolitan areas (31 percent) in the most recent Grubb-Ellis report on office vacancies had vacancy rates exceeding 20 percent.


text:
It's been around for about six months. You've heard the stories. You've seen the debates. You've had time to ask questions, analyze comments, seek information, and form an opinion. So what do you think CCD is? Take the poll....
GM plants
neonicotinoid based chemicals
Other pesticides other than neonicotinoids
Pesticide buildup within the hive from beekeepers
Multiple items working together such as stress, nutrition, management practices, etc.
Unknown viral or bacterial issues
A known but older virus seen before, perhaps mutated. Stone brood, etc.
Mite resistance and overload
It's been around for about six months. You've heard the stories. You've seen the debates. You've had time to ask questions, analyze comments, seek information, and form an opinion. So what do you think CCD is? Take the poll....
Ummmm....what poll? :confused:
- Ann, a Gardening Beek
Sorry Ann, its a two part entry, and i type slow....
Wow, I guess we need some of those fired federal prosecutors,Voters: 2. You may not vote on this poll
as this seems a clear case of voter fraud!
Believe it or not, I don't think that we have enough information to be at the point where we can make anything other than an assumption. And you know what it means to assume. Right?
Seriously, I don't think we can answer this question yet.
Mark Berninghausen
Where it may be hard to believe, and perhaps mathematically improbable, what about bad luck. One plans on what one can do in the future according to what one successfully accomplished in the past. What do you get when the weather and nectar flows work against you?
Mark Berninghausen
Mark, its a closed poll. You mean if you were at my home for dinner, you would suggest I have no reason to ask you what you "THINK" CCD is? Its like asking "who do you think will be next president?" I can speculate, assume and give my opinion, whether I can see the future or not.
So untill we have the facts and know 100% the answer, we can not ask prior to what peoples thoughts are? Thats what polls do. Its not a poll of "Whats 2 plus 2". Polls are questions asking what people thoughts are, what they use, and other various matter.
Come on. Like you can't say what you "think" CCD is, cause the facts are not all in.....
I believe it....NOT!
Should I just guess Bjorn? I mean I have no idea! You suggest that by now I should have evaluated the evidence and come to a conclusion but golly, there's plenty of speculation and precious little hard evidence to be had. The CCD working group is being tight-lipped regarding what if anything they're coming up with, or even what direction they're leaning. There are rumors.. and there are reports of big-time reticence on the part of affected big-time beekeepers to even admit they're having a problem. On Bee-L there are folks who are claiming CCD is a figment of people's imagination, that there are no "major calamitous colony losses" at all as evidenced by there being plenty of bees in the almonds and that package and queen prices and delivery schedules are "normal".
On the other hand, balancing the naysayers, people with a pet peeve are convinced they know what's causing CCD- GM crops, pesticides, sunspots, what have you. It reminds me of the saying "if all you have is a hammer, all your problems will be nails." Lose a lot of hives to mites last year? Then CCD is caused by mites.
So I'm still clueless. I voted "other"
Dulcius ex asperis
I am truly sorry George to put you through any agonizing thought process. I perhaps should ask those that have not formed any opinion on the matter to not vote. I really did not think asking a simple question as "What do you think CCD is?" would be that big of a deal.
I had planned a follow up question asking "What do you base your opinion on" but see now that this probably would of had people dropping on the floor. Based on the complexity of the first question that some have proposed, I am glad I withheld.
Well Bjorn, my opinion is that I don't know and don't know enough about what is going on in other beekeepers hives to want to venture a guess.
I talked to David Hackenberg over a month ago and got his perspective. I have known Dave for 15 years or more and respect his observations and believe what he described to me. But I haven't seen first hand what others have, in my own operation. As far as I can tell.
So, what is causing it? Someone with evidence will have to tell me.
I did vote. I voted for other.
Mark Berninghausen
Right now, if you put a gun to my head I'd say CCD was caused by complications due to mites complicated by chemical use both in hives and on fields, of course, further complicated, by stress resulting from poor nutrition and excessive splitting, COMPLICATED by being pushed to produce 13 months a year while being carted around the country and forced to live in bee ghettos.
They're demoralized stressed out bees. My name for this syndrome: Beepression
But you don't have a gun to my head... so I'll just say "I dunno yet"
Dulcius ex asperis
Hey Moderator. How come my dot isn't green, meaning I'm online. Cause I am and it isn't.
Mark Berninghausen
holy flame war batman
Well I don't know how to vote exactly.
Personally, I think it is multiple factors working together (ie stress, nutrition, chemicals in comb, mgmt practices, etc. etc..)
BUT... I think those multiple factors work together to limit the colonies ability to ward off or control either a known (but maybe mutated) or an unknown viral/bacterial issue....
That puts me wanting to chose up to 3 things. (Maybe I could have and didn't read closely enough)
I still think there is some level of contagious effect.
An interesting article in one of the latest rags (ABJ I think) mentioned that a soggy wet dead bee was taking from one of the hives affected by CCD. It was placed on a frame of healthy bees and the healthy bees moved back as if repelled by this one dead bee. Strange... but obviously correlates to the known fact that many of these colonies are untouched by SHB, robbers, or wax moths for up to 2 weeks.
I am not edumacated enough as some other people here to make a scientific guess but just my opinion that there ultimately is some sort of viral/bacteria issue which wreaks havoc as a result of other multiple factors at work.
Dan Williamson
B&C Honey Farm http://www.flickr.com/photos/9848229@N05/
I'll be honest, I haven't tried answering the poll yet because these, IME, usually let you pick just one answer.
Dan Williamson said almost exactly what I've been thinking.
I've eliminated some of the choices in my mind, but I'm still left with three, give or take, of the options in the poll.
I think it works this way. Each of the stressors acts by shortening bee lives. They normally live (say) 6 weeks. High levels of pesticide in the hive= 5 weeks. Poor nutrition due to drought= 4 weeks. A 1500 mile move= 3 weeks. At 3 weeks of life nurse bees will be forced early into foraging. Since the older bees don't die all at once, naturally they die when out and working. Result: an empty hive with a few young bees, not enough to cover the brood, and a queen.
Of course this wouldn't explain my 15 hives which have never been moved or medicated. (Except O/A.)
I think that it is odd that there are no dead bees in/around the hive. How do you find the cause of death if there are no bodies? I think the problem has something to do with bee navigation. As far as they're telling us the brood left in the hive is "healthy".
All of my bees were OK, even though they were pretty weak going into winter. I fed them sugar water 1:1. They seem to be building up right now. ALL of my bees are feral from swarms, cutouts and trapouts. Some are mean, some run like crazy on the comb when you inspect their hive, but they seem to not be suffering from CCD. I also use no foundation in my frames. I am not getting on a high-horse about these methods either. My TBH is REALLY well populated right now and doing the best of all. Last year was tough on my bees because it was so dry (in Blanco), especially for late -acquired hives. The hives are located in Brenham, TX now and are in an area that seems to be too wet. Some of the comb had mold growing on it. When I inspected last I removed it. One last observation: Most of the queens in my hives seemed to only want to lay in new comb. The older brood comb the old timers say queens love so much my queens seem to leave alone in preference of newly drawn brood comb (tan comb, not white or dark brown).
I hope for the best for you and your bees
You asked for "hot air", so . . . .
The "problems" that we "see" are mite-based. We do not understand V-mites well enough to even raise them in a lab, how can we understand what we see in our hives? There is a lot to learn about what they are doing to our bees. But, what is described as CCD has been recorded many times in the past, long before mites, long before pesticides, GMO, and "sunspots". I'll place my bet on weather/bee management that we havent yet mastered. To solve problems like mites and CCD, we first must know more about normal bees.
Before sunspots?!?!


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After months of debating whether to bight the bullet and shed out a £1000 + for a Apple Macbook Pro, I stumbled across a gem of a laptop the Sony S Series. After receiving mine a few weeks ago (July 2011) I could not be happier.
This laptop really is an Apple Macbook Pro beater.
The features below are some of the major similarities with the Apple Macbook Pro 13.3" £999 model and the £740 Sony S Series (notice the difference in price!)
Intel® CoreTM i5-2410M (2.30 / 2.90GHz)
LED backlit display, 4GB RAM, 320GB (5400rpm) HDD, CD/DVD player/burner, HDMITM out. USB 3.0
However the Sony S Series offers even more:
With an ability to switch from stamina to speed mode. Unlike the mac the sony offers the perfect balance between work (stamina mode) and pleasure (speed mode). Turning in speed mode boots up the AMD graphics (512MB VRAM) integrated graphics card. Running games like Fifa 2011 and Call of Duty with ease.
The S series also includes 7 hour battery life like the mac but also offers the option of an additional slim battery at another £70 booting up the battery life to 14hours the best on the market for a laptop packing this much power.
Other add ons include finger print scanner at an extra £40 and 3G at an extra £100. All the specs can also be upgraded to a very high standard at extra cost.
The Sony all comes in at a 1.55kg with the macbook weighing in at 2.04 kg.
On the other hand this could be down to one of the only disadvantages with the product with the side hinges holding up the screen feeling a little bit flimsy.
But this just does not put we off this great product. Whether or not this review will be successful in showing the Apple fans the premium they are paying, remains to be seen.
To compare the S Series with the Macbook Pro yourself here are the links:
Youtube review


text:
Find Us
Frog Hollow CSA
Community Supported Agriculture builds neighborhoods. A CSA is a way for individuals, families, and businesses to connect with and support local small farms, and to receive healthy, quality fruits and other seasonal foods. Every week, Frog Hollow Farm's Happy Child CSA delivers boxes of fresh fruit to an established neighborhood drop site – often the front porch of a generous neighbour, or a school or business in the community.
To learn more about our CSA or sign up for your own share, visit us at happychildcsa.com!
Farmers Markets
We participate in many Farmer's Markets in the greater Bay Area! Come visit us and sample our latest varieties.
Tuesday find us at the South Berkeley market. On Wednesday find us in San Francisco at the Castro market, and in downtown Santa Cruz. On Thursday we're at the North Berkeley market. Saturdays we participate in the Ferry Building Plaza market and at Danville. Sundays you can find us at the Kensington market.
Frog Hollow Cafe
Frog Hollow Farm at the San Francisco Ferry Building is a true urban farm stand. Our seasonal fruits are available there daily along with savory and fruit-filled pastries that are baked fresh on-site. Peruse our fruit, dry goods, sample our preserves, and enjoy a variety of breakfast and lunch items. To top it off enjoy a cup of tea from the local Red Blossom Tea Company or a french-pressed coffee or espresso drink expertly made from beans roasted by Verve Coffee in Santa Cruz.
Retail Outlets
During our harvest season you can find our fruit regularly in organic or high-end grocery stores around the greater San Francisco bay area including many Whole Foods and in Berkeley Natural and El Cerrito Natural grocery. Stores deal with us on an individual basis, so if you're curious if our fruit is at a particular location, or would like to see our fruit at your local grocery store, please contact the purchasing manager of your local store's produce section.
Outside of California, our fruit is often featured by Hubbell and Hudson in the Woodlands, Texas, in Metropolitan Markets in Seattle, and in Thrifty grocery stores in British Columbia, Canada.
Our preserves are also found in select stores around the bay area and across the country, including The Rustic Loaf in Upland, CA. Like our fruit, stores deal with us directly and we often don't know whether or not a product is still in stock. Want to see us on the shelf? Have your favorite store's purchasing manager contact us for samples or wholesale information.
Here's a list of all our current retailers:
- Whole Foods: Texas Division
- Whole Foods, NoCal Division
- Baldor Specialty Foods, Bronx, NY (distributor)
- Gelson's Markets: LA Area
- Jimbo's Naturally, San Diego Area
- Specialty Foods, Boston Area (distributor)
- Bi-Rite, San Francisco
- Cooks Company (distributor)
- Greenleaf Produce (distributor)
- Star Grocery, Berkeley, CA
- EC Natural, El Cerrito, CA
- Monterey Market, Berkeley, CA
- Frog Hollow Farm Market, SF Ferry Building, SF, CA


text:
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date index][Thread index]
st: Question on Logit/Probit
"David Cobey" <email@example.com>
st: Question on Logit/Probit
Mon, 26 Mar 2007 00:03:23 -0400
I'm trying to estimate the percentage of an area under high yield variety
crops as time changes. I hoping to estimate a basic S shaped technology
diffusion model. Can I use logit and probit for a continuous dependant
variable ranging from 0-1 or does logit/probit only work for discrete
If logit and probit won't work, how should I estimate this S shaped model?
Example of data -
Year Percentage
1965 0
1966 .1
1967 .3
1968 .6
1969 .8
1970 .9
1971 1
-----Original Message-----
From: David Cobey [mailto:firstname.lastname@example.com]
Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2007 6:15 PM
To: 'email@example.com'
Subject: RE: Data management
Other people may have better ideas but here is what I would do.
I would create a temporary variable for each id to hold the changes and then
copy them over all at once.
egen id= group(code)
gen temporary_id = .
replace temporary_id=3 if id==1;
replace temporary_id=5 if id==2;
replace temporary_id=8 if id==3;
id = temporary_id
drop temporary_id
Hope this helps,
-----Original Message-----
From: email@example.com
[mailto:email@example.com] On Behalf Of Roy,Suryadipta
Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2007 5:59 PM
To: firstname.lastname@example.com
Subject: st: Data management
I have a panel data of (say) 100 countries for 10 years. I
am trying to attach identification numbers for these
countries based on another dataset for merging purposes
later on. So, I started with
a. egen id= group(code), where "code" is the code numbers
of these countries, e.g. ABW, AFG etc.
b. Then I am trying to replace these id-s with
replace id=3 if id==1;
replace id=5 if id==2;
replace id=8 if id==3;
But the 3rd line of the command is replacing the first set
of id-s also. I would greatly appreciate if someone can
suggest how to take care of this.
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
* For searches and help try:
* http://www.stata.com/support/faqs/res/findit.html
* http://www.stata.com/support/statalist/faq
* http://www.ats.ucla.edu/stat/stata/
|© Copyright 1996–2017 StataCorp LLC | Terms of use | Privacy | Contact us | What's new | Site index


text:
keep track of where you are quilting on a log cabin? I am SID on this one, and man it is hard to keep track of where you have been and where you need to go!
Any great hints out there??????
Welcome to the Quilting Board!
keep track of where you are quilting on a log cabin? I am SID on this one, and man it is hard to keep track of where you have been and where you need to go!
Any great hints out there??????
never did it but how about placing some painter's tape over the quilt and remove it as you need to SITD?
It should not leave any residue.
My GOAL is to ALWAYS ENJOY EVERY STEP of the quilting process....
Are you machine or hand quilting? In hand quilting I just leave a thread tail when I stop quilting a line. If machine quilting use painter's tape to mark the spot as mentioned. If you can't find the spot, find it on the back and put a pin through to the front and then mark.
I am machine quilting. I will try the painters tape. Thanks. It just seems like I get started on a long seam and there is that other seam. I keep losing my place 😔
I use pins to mark where I'm not to stitch.
i always start from the middle & work my way out on any quilting project, as i learned years ago from books. it is easier for me to remember where i am and what i need to stitch next. when i am quilting, i do ocassionally start down a path already traveled while doing sid, i stop ...find where i should be by looking at back of quilt re-start. after all done, i go over the back side snipping threads, removing unsatisfactory areas of stitching and duplicate stitch lines. i place pins on missed lines & areas i have removed stitching and need to re-do.
the rogue quilter - in from wandering in the sun and snow with camera in hand.
I sometimes use chalk to mark where I want to "travel" to next with my quilting. Its easy to get lost on a log cabin( especially scrappy no specific fabric to follow it path) on a domestic machine. Sometimes I use pins to help me map my way.
I use a large safety pin (quilt pin) with a piece of wildly colored fabric on it, can see it at a glance and saves me time and stress.
There are some good ideas here! I will keep them in mind for my next log cabin.
I just did FMQ on the log cabin quilts I have made. Easy to see where I need to quilt, pins are still in the quilt. When all pins are out, I know I'm done.
Another Phyllis
This life is the only one you get - enjoy it before you lose it.


text:
Posted by Zyg
What makes dealing with Henry unique is that he understands that business people coming to him need to look at both their legal and business decisions in context and simultaneously. He's excellent at approaching the problem he's presented with both of these hats on at once. Whereas other lawyers I've dealt with have blinders on for strictly legal options, Henry gets that business decisions involving lawyers are a constant balancing act involving real world decisions rather than academic discussions involving fine points of the law.
And I cannot begin to tell you how great a letter he wrote to keep one mega corporation off my back!


text:
Smartphones took the concept of carrier control to a whole new level, but service providers' influence over these devices goes even deeper than most would imagine. In Cellular Exploitation on a Global Scale: The Rise and Fall of the Control Protocol, Mathew Solnik and Marc Blanchou walk you through their extensive reverse engineering of baseband- and application-space code and over-the-air protocols. Their proof of concept shows how the flaws they've uncovered can pose real threats to end users, not the least of which is OTA code execution over all major cellular networks and operating systems.
Mobile Point-of-Sale (mPOS) systems allow small businesses and drug dealers to accept credit card payments using a smartphone. You won't be surprised to hear that mobile security experts Nils and Jon Butler have discovered a series of mPOS vulnerabilities that give them code execution through a variety of vectors. Come to their Briefing, Mission mPOSsible, to hear all about the weaknesses of current mPOS solutions and see live attack demos, including a malicious credit card that drops a remote root shell on the unsuspecting system.
Despite Google Play's relative lack of malware, aggressive ad libs leak a lot of user privacy information, which allows for some very targeted attacks. Sidewinder Targeted Attack Against Android in the Golden Age of Ad Libs delves into one such practical case in point, which uses ad libs to intercept location information, opening the door to targeting specific areas (say, a CEO's office). The attacker can invoke common Android services to take photos, read the clipboard, call numbers, and more, opening the door to yet more attacks. Google knows, but the fragmented nature of the Android ecosystem means millions of users remain vulnerable to such "Sidewinder" attacks.
Sound fun? Good. We think so, too. Regular registration ends July 26. Please visit Black Hat USA 2014's registration page to get started.


text:
Naazholding.com is a 1 year old domain, situated in United States. The domain is linked to the IP address 126.96.36.199 which is provided by the hosting company Go Daddy.
It was registered by Naaz holding , who can be reached at . The site is owned by Naaz holding. Registration details show that it was registered on 08 Jan 2016 through bigrock solutions limited and will expire on 08 Jan 2017.
The site returns a status code of 200. The site is being served through nginx.


text:
This sprinter is quite literally Usain-Bolted! A Cheetah Robot funded by the US military has set a new sprint record for legged robots reaching a speed of 28.3 mph. This Cheetah Robot has fine taste. As of now, this Robot runs only in a straight line when plugged into power, only on a treadmill.
The Boston Dynamics the firm that has brought this robotic cheetah to life were able to achieve this speed in a 4 legged robot by refining algorithms and back motions coordinating the robot's leg and increasing the installed power.
The firm is also revealed that it is developing various types of military robots funded by US government agency DARPA. Robotic experts reveal, mechanical animals will be used in the future to carry supplies for troops at various war locations and will also be sent into battle when required.
Providing an insight about speed of the robotic cheetah, Chief Robotics Scientist at Boston Dynamics, Dr. Alfred Rizzi, said "Achieving 28 mph on the treadmill is quite a challenge and accomplishment, for which I commend our robotics team. But our real goal is to create a robot that moves freely outdoors while it runs fast. We are building an outdoor version that we will call Wildcat that should be ready for testing next year". The firm conceded "Bolt is still the superior athlete".


text:
Dear Valued Customer,
I would like to announce the closing of my business, Infinity Imaging. As of December 1st, 2016, Infinity Imaging will no longer be providing graphic design, web design, printing, signs or vehicle graphic services.
Website Design Customers
Website Hosting Customers
Should your website be hosted with us, Jeff from Shibumi Design Studios can take over as host for your site. Since Jeff is hosted on a VPS server, which offers better security, and individual cPanel account access with malware scanner, there would be a small increase from $69.95 per year you pay now to $99.95 per year (no tax), and you will receive your annual invoice from them. You can discuss with Jeff, the potential of having your own dedicated account, and also be aware that websites need to be updated, modules updated, security patches installed, etc. You can't just put a site up and leave it, or it will become vulnerable to hackers. Jeff will have suggestions for you concerning the safety and effectiveness of your website, he can offer a Joomla security solution for $100 installed and configured, then $50 per annual fee after that, as well as best practices to help keep your site safe from attacks. I strongly urge you to contact him to discuss these things prior to needing to hire him to fix things.(see below for more info and pricing).
Graphic Design, Signs, Vehicle Graphics and Printing Customers
In the Ottawa region, Jeff can help with graphic design services and printing/signs. His full time job is with Koffman Signs Ltd. in Nepean.
Your Graphic Files
Please do not be concerned about any graphic files that I may have on my system. I have backed up all logos and other graphics onto an external drive, and would be pleased to provide you with copies should you need them. If you want to provide me with a memory stick, I could just move all of your files onto for you. I'm not leaving the Bancroft area, and there is no rush for you to get these files, as I can help you with this in the future.
Thank you very much for your business. It has been a pleasure to work with you, and I am confident that I am leaving you in good hands with Jeff and Al.
Kevin W. Taylor
Website Security Services Available from Shibumi
You should also consider purchasing monthly maintenance package that Jeff offers for bi-monthly site check-ups that covers running and installing any Joomla updates, Joomla extension updates, scanning for malware, and making sure the site is running smoothly, whether you are hosted with him or not. This usually accounts for 1 hour of time per month. This does not, however, cover any requested updates, additions, or other work required on the website, which would fall under the standard rate of $50 per hour.
His rates for maintenance are:
Month to Month: $50 - billed monthly (would cost $600 annually)
Save $180 with a 1 Year plan: $420 ($35 per month) billed yearly
Save $480 with a 2 Year plan: $720 ($30 per month) billed every 2 years
Save $900 with a 3 Year plan: $900 ($25 per month) billed every 3 years


text:
Saint Louis football coach Matt Wright confirmed Thursday afternoon that he will no longer be the football coach and that the school will make an official announcement today.
Wright said that he's disappointed and that he still loves the school and the football program. He added that he won't comment on the situation until the official announcement.
It was the second piece of bad news for Wright in one week. Earlier, he was removed from his full-time job in the school's developmental office, told that it was under restructuring.
Wright took over in 2012 when then-coach Darnell Arceneaux suddenly departed. The Crusaders were 6-4 in Arceneaux's final season and the school pointed toward Wright, an assistant coach, as his successor.
After his last game, a season-ending loss to Punahou on Oct. 27, 2011, Arceneaux said this: "We have high expectations every year at Saint Louis and it's tough. It'll continue to be like that."
Wright was not initially interested in the top job, but gradually warmed up to it. Saint Louis went 6-3 this season, 4-2 in the tough Interscholastic League of Honolulu. They gave eventual ILH and state champion Punahou its closest game, a 35-32 win by the Buffanblu.
Saint Louis finished this season ranked No. 5 in the Star-Advertiser Top 10.
In two seasons, Wright was 11-8, including 8-5 in ILH play.
Saint Louis has been in the media recently because of financial issues.
Wright, 34, has a degree in psychology with a background in finance. He is a graduate of 'Iolani School.


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Why send all that electric power to two wheels when you can do it to four? That's the question Audi is asking – and answering – with its F12 super-electric vehicle.
Audi says the car, which is akin to the R8 E-Tron that had been slated to go on sale later this year until the winds of change swept through, will have three electric motors, as opposed to the E-Tron's two motors, and that power will be driven to both the front and rear axles. The F12 also uses two battery packs that have a combined energy capacity of over 38 kWh.
Perhaps most interesting, the packs area designed to better withstand crashes, using 200 macrocells in each pack packed into beveled walls that "allow the macrocells to shift relative to one another for additional safety in the event of an accident." Audi says this system "can even withstand a side impact with pole."
In all, the F12 will have 204 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. Audi developed the model along with Bosch, among other entities, and the project so far has cost 36 million euros ($46.6 million US).
The Audi R8 E-Tron, which has a single-charge range of about 135 miles, set a world speed record for a series production car at Nürburgring earlier this year by completing a lap in eight minutes and 9.099 seconds. Audi's F12 press release is available below.
- e performance research project developed platform for electric cars
- Close collaboration with experts from academia and industry
- High-voltage battery as focal point of the project
- Successful conclusion to e performance project.
Electric drives represent a key topic for the mobility of the future. The Ingolstadt carmaker therefore launched the e performance project on the premises of Audi Electronics Venture GmbH (AEV) on October 1, 2009. The objective: a scalable systems architecture for electric-powered cars, a flexible technology platform that also includes a plug-in hybrid drive. It should be suitable for use in everything from a sports car to a sedan to a city car.
Experts from both industry and academia were involved in the project, which had a budget of €36 million. The engineers from AUDI AG and Audi Electronics Venture collaborated closely with Robert Bosch GmbH, Bosch Engineering GmbH and three institutes of RWTH Aachen University: the Institute of Automotive Engineering (ika), the Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) and the Institute of Electrical Machines (IEM). The technical universities of Munich, Dresden and Ilmenau, Leibniz University Hanover, the Fraunhofer institutes IESE and IISB as well as Forschungsgesellschaft Kraftfahrwesen mbH Aachen were also members of the consortium. The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) supported e performance with some €23 million.
"Our team united engineering art, creativity and a portion of lateral thinking," says Dr. Christian Allmann, one of the project managers. "Young, independent free-thinkers worked together with the experts from the Technical Development departments at Audi and Bosch. We enjoyed a constant sharing of our respective knowledge and different work cultures." "The project was very dynamic with respect to personnel and technologies, resulting in a very flexible collaboration with open interfaces," adds Martin Schüssler, Allmann's colleague.
e performance was broken down into a dozen work packages from the energy storage system to the control concept to dynamic stability control. In the initial phases, the participants worked mostly with advanced simulation tools, then they built submodules and finally a drivable car, the F12. The sports car looks like a production Audi R8 on the outside, but it is purely electric-powered. The F12 represents the "e Sport" model within the modular system platform.
One of the key subject areas of the project was the high-voltage battery. In the F12, it comprises two separate blocks with an overall capacity of more than 38 kWh. Each block is made up of 200 macrocells. The beveled walls allow the macrocells to shift relative to one another for additional safety in the event of an accident. Cast aluminum sections in the battery system absorb a majority of the crash energy. Computations and initial tests on the component level indicate that this innovative safety concept can even withstand a side impact with pole.
The research car is powered by three different electric motors, each of which can be controlled separately. During slow driving, only the synchronous motor at the front axle is active. At higher speeds, the performance-optimized asynchronous motors at the rear axle come into play. Together the three electric motors produce 150 kW (204 hp) and 550 Nm (405.66 lb-ft) of torque. Their interaction makes the e Sport a fully electric quattro.
Another of the technology platform's innovations is the switchable high-voltage electrical system. The two batteries deliver different output voltages of 144 or 216 volts. The uniform system voltage required is provided by means of a DC/DC converter. Under part load, the voltage is around 200 volts to maximize efficiency. With increasing power demand and speed, this increases to as much as 440 volts.
The F12 also uses an efficient heat pump for the thermal management of the drive system and the interior. It regulates the temperature of the batteries depending on the situation and can also store heat in them so that less energy is required to heat the interior the next time the car is driven.
The F12 driver controls basic drive functions – Park, Reverse, Neutral and Drive – by operating buttons on the center tunnel. All other operations are controlled via a tablet computer that can be removed from the center console. A user-programmable instrument cluster presents all key information in high resolution.
"From the very beginning, our initiative was the largest interdisciplinary research project in Germany for electric cars," concludes Christian Allmann. "Everyone who was involved gained competence and provided valuable qualification among themselves according to the 'open innovation' principle, including for the employees at the companies and universities." This is also reflected in the 20 degree theses and 50 doctoral theses that resulted from the project.
Thanks to modern development tools and innovative knowledge management, the project partners were able to network very flexibly. The researchers used cameras to document each design step and made their knowledge available on a server accessible to all collaboration partners throughout Germany. This transparency and tight networking made e performance into a research project with a profound halo effect for Germany as a base of research and industry. The partnerships did not end with the completion of the F12. The first follow-up projects focusing on specific technical topics such as thermal management have already begun. Individual solutions, such as the CFRP housing for the rear battery, show good prospects for later production use. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research wants to continue to support the development of new automobile concepts, primarily in the areas of the battery, high-performance electronics systems and overall energy management.


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I own a 226.. Great gun, very reliable, heavy for carry.
WHEN I buy a 1911, it'll be a Springer, a Colt, or a Smith. Most likely a Springfield Armory.
Just because Porsche makes a great sports car... doesn't mean I want their sedan...
I've done a lot of reading about the SIG Revolution and 220 models. If I want a good .45 for home defense and the range is one model preferable to the other? I'll be at the range this weekend to try them both.
It seems like there are as many detractors as fans when it comes to the Revolution 1911 model. SIG apparently had some problems with their 1911 line but those that have not had problems (or had them resolved by SIG) swear by the gun's accuracy and reliability. I have heard very little criticism of the 220.
What is the opinion of Revolution and 220 owners?
I own a 226.. Great gun, very reliable, heavy for carry.
WHEN I buy a 1911, it'll be a Springer, a Colt, or a Smith. Most likely a Springfield Armory.
Just because Porsche makes a great sports car... doesn't mean I want their sedan...
You're really comparing apples and oranges. The Revolution is just a pretty standard (aside from the oddly shaped slide) 1911 assembled from a variety of aftermarket parts. I think it is a cast, not forged, gun, but I am not positive. The gizmos on the Revolution are pretty common - beavertail, "match" trigger, etc. - and can be had on many 1911s. The Revolution has all the well-documented advantages of the 1911 in terms of ease of shooting: low bore axis, good fit in the hand, potentially great trigger.
The P220 is a much more modern design, and probably more reliable than the Revolution. It also usually comes with a DA trigger, versus the SA on the Revolution, so if you want to carry hammer-down the P220 is the obvious choice. Downside is a high bore axis, giving you more muzzle flip than a 1911/Revolution.
For range/competition shooting, I'd go for the Revolution. For general defensive carry, it really boils down to the trigger mechanism you prefer and if you want the absolute reliability of the modern design, or are willing to accept a higher potential for malfunctions in the older 1911 design.
Thanks for the answers guys. I own a P226 in 9mm and have been so happy with its performance that I thought about staying with SIG for a .45 solution. After some more reading I think I need to expand my search to other fine .45s like Springfield, Kimber, etc..
The Revolution attracted me because they are using some nice parts from companies like Wilson Combat, the design is easier to field strip than other 1911s, and it's supposed to be very accurate. But after reading some of the problems SIG had with their 1911 models I'm not sure the Revolution would be any better than a Springer or Kimber.
It's off to the range to shoot as many of these models as possible and decide which fits me the best.
You might add S&W to your list of 1911s to examine. My distinct impression is that they are currently the most trouble-free 1911s in that general price range.
I went to the range today and tried the SIG Revolution C3, SIG 220, Taurus 1911 (at the suggestion of the range owner), and the Springfield 1911 A1.
All seem to have their own personality. I shot the best with the SIG guns. Both the C3 and the 220 were very accurate. The other two models were also good but I shot a bit less accurately with them. This could be for a number of reasons. They were all range rentals, I had never shot any of the models before and obviously I wasn't used to any of them after one session (about 4 magazines per gun were shot).
I have to say I was impressed with the SIG Revolution C3. After hearing and reading some negative things about the SIG 1911s I was pleasantly surprised how good it felt and how accurate it was. I have experience on the SIG P226 so the 220 model felt very comfortable and familiar. It was also quite accurate for my first experience.
My range didn't have a S&W 1911 so I'll have to keep looking for an opportunity to try that gun. The S&W does seem to have many admirers.
After this experience I feel more comfortable about buying a SIG 1911 or a 220. Now I just have to make the decision.
Sig has had so many problems with their 1911s that I don't know if I'd get one personally. Even with the 2nd generation Sig 1911s, there were plenty of problems...
I also don't like the shape of the "bump" on the Sig 1911 grip safeties...
Last week we had a gun show in town and I had a chance to get good buys on the SIG Revolution C3 and the 220. After going back and forth for a while I decided on the 220. It's a very familiar gun to me since I have a P226 in 9mm.
After stripping, cleaning, and lubricating the gun I was off to the range today. I put 100 rounds through the gun and it behaved perfectly. I find the 220 easier to shoot accurately than my 9mm (that may be because I take more time between shots with a magazine that holds 8 rounds than one with 20 rounds). It was producing very tight groups at 25, 33, and 45feet and it feels great in my hand. I'll probably go back to the range this weekend and put another 100 rounds downrange.
The SIG Revolution C3 is a very nice gun and I'm sure I would it would have made me happy but the 220 is a comfortable, reliable, accurate gun and it's very easy to strip and maintain. I'm happy!
I personally trust the newest generation of the Sig Revolution 1911. From what I hear, the first gen was just a bunch of aftermarket parts thrown together and the Sig Sauer name printed on it and after all of the problems Sig started producing their own parts and they worked together flawlessly. That is just the story I personally heard from a Sig rep while I toyed with two separate Revolutions. The triggers felt just as nice as any other "custom" or "loaded," the grip safety was very reassuring and seemed very smooth and it had one of the most reliable names possible printed on the slide and it didn't start with a G. When I fired it at the show I was at, I hit every clay that was posted on the fence which was about 20 feet out.
With that said, when I get my first 1911 the Revolution will compete equally with Springfield.
SIG Revolution uses the Series 80 firing pin block. For this reason, I would not recomend this handgun or a Para Ordinance or Colt to anyone.
Read details in my other post:
Why I'm not a fan of these 1911s: Colt, Para, SIG, Kimber, S&W


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Technical characteristics
- Extensive size and speed range.
- Several case sizes can be handled on the same machine (multiple case magazines).
- Various options depending on requirements: interface, gluing method, automatic size changeovers, etc.
- Speed: up to 70 cases per minute depending on the format.
- Precise case forming.
- Inner flap folding guaranteed.
- Accurate hot-melt gluing and case squaring.
- American cases (RSC), half cases, cases with special flaps and pre-joined display cases can all be handled on this Machine.
- Clean design offering easy access
- Centralised adjustment points to ensure quick format changeovers
- Low case magazine to facilitate loading
Functional description
- Positive extraction of case blanks from a sloping magazine or a flat belt magazine, 2500mm long.
- Erection and squaring of the static case by rotating arm and lower support ramp.
- Deflection of the long flaps prior to folding of inner flaps.
- Sequential or motorized transfer of blanks (held square) by mechanical shuttle with speed control for the even application of glue strips.
- Pre-folding of the long flaps whilst case is stationary, followed by progressive folding during transfer.
- Application of even pressure to the static case, squaring the case prior to outfeed.
Technical characteristics
- Low and medium speed segment, up to 30 cases per minute
- Cardboard case magazine on two separate conveyors equipped with chains and driven in controlled and independent manner for smooth advance and accurate positioning of the blank at the extraction station
- Case extracted and folded positively in two stages, by means of two mechanical arms with eight suction cups, for higher efficiency
- Bottom flaps folded positively and longitudinal flaps pre-folded at a standstill for perfectly squared up cases
- Machine with in-line or a 90° configuration
- Excellent machine autonomy with a magazine capacity with a working loading length of 1,400 mm
- High-quality components and superior finishing level for high demanding industrial environments
- Regular and uniform application of hot-melt glue strips or adhesive tape thanks to motor-driven side belts with controlled speed
- Three types of closure for the bottom flaps: hot-melt gluing, adhesive tape or by double closure by combining both
- Machine able to handle a wide range of packaging
- 6" or 7" touch-screen HMI display panel
- 2 minute format changeover thanks to quick-release systems (push-pull, without requiring a crank handle)
- Reduction and centralization of adjustment points, all accessible on a single side
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Case Erector F312
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text:
Monday, October 17, 2011
Student Startups Showcased at Venture FairBudding entrepreneurs Sanna Gaspard, a CMU Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering, and Doug Bernstein, a senior biomedical engineering major, were award winners at the 3 Rivers Venture Fair, which highlighted Greenlighting Startups at PNC Park in late September. The event showcased breakthrough innovations for an audience of venture capitalists, private investors, investment bankers, and leaders in business, finance and entrepreneurship.
Gaspard, founder of the medical device startup Rubitection, took first place for her patent-pending, low-cost, non-invasive device capable of detecting early stage pressure ulcers. She credits CMU business incubators Project Olympus and the Center for Technology Transfer and Enterprise Creation (CTTEC) for helping her with funding for her product and company, and testing her device.
Bernstein, founder of Peca Labs, won third place for his patient-specific artificial heart valve for right ventricle reconstruction in pediatrics. Peca Labs is a medical device company focusing on rare pediatric and cardiovascular conditions. Bernstein said CTTEC was "immensely helpful in the development" of his company.
Sanna Gaspard's award-winning non-invasive device for detecting ulcers.


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American Press high school sports reporter Troy LaFleur.
Last Modified: Thursday, October 03, 2013 2:41 PM
By Troy LaFleur / American Press
In the state of Louisiana, scheduling a game against a state powerhouse is beneficial, win or lose, because it earns you power points.
For those who don't know what power points are, don't worry, even those of us who work closely with high school football are still trying to figure them out.
Apparently, the Louisiana High School Athletic Association uses the power-ranking format to determine which teams are better than others by strength of schedule, the amount of points you win by and a whole bunch of other factors that we can't begin to comprehend.
It's like Louisiana has its very own version of the Bowl Championship Series.
Maybe that's a bit harsh.
The power rankings usually work out in favor of the highly ranked teams in the Louisiana Sports Writers Association prep polls and anyone with a good record, but that can't even come close to compensating for the annual head-scratchers of having 3-7 teams with tough schedules sneak into the playoffs ahead of teams with 5-5 records or better.
Apparently, when whoever is in charge of conjuring up these power rankings is hard at work, they dish out a certain number of points to the winning team. Sounds easy enough.
Then every team that played a school in a higher classification than them receives points based on how high up they played. Not by how good the team in question actually is, but by how much larger of a school.
From there each team receives a certain value of points based on whether each team on its schedule won or lost that week.
Throw in a few points here and there for this and that, divide the total by the number of games played and I think you get your power ranking.
Based on this formula, teams have been structuring their schedules to earn as many power points as they can every year.
And why not? If you can lose to a few powerhouses and then sweep most of your district, you will be sitting pretty with a first-round home game come playoff time.
Power rankings remain the largest reason throughout the state as to why some teams play such brutal nondistrict schedules. But for some schools, particularly Class 5A and 4A teams, there isn't much to be earned by playing larger schools. Instead, some of these programs elect to challenge themselves early every year by facing the best of the best.
LaGrange, for example, plays what is possibly the toughest nondistrict schedule in the entire state every year. In 2013, the Gators opened with Notre Dame, which has competed in six of the last 10 Class 3A state championship games. They followed that with Barbe, which is ranked No. 1 in the state in 5A after finishing runner-up in 2012. Their next two games were against perennial contenders University Lab and Calvary Baptist.
Yes, LaGrange stands to benefit in the power rankings from such a difficult schedule, but will only earn points for playing up against Barbe.
Head coach Jules Sullen has admitted to building such difficult schedules in order to see where his team stands against the best of the best, and you can't fault him for that. You get a much better assessment of your team from seeing them play a 10-0 team than an 0-10 team.
Other teams in Southwest Louisiana that have opened their season against highly ranked teams or bigger schools are St. Louis, which has played Notre Dame, West Feliciana and Sam Houston, and Sulphur, which opened its year with St. Thomas More and Holy Cross.
You can't help but agree with both arguments for playing a tough schedule. Earning power points will get you into the state playoffs and that will not be changing anytime soon, so why not give your team a chance to reach it?
And seeing how well your team performs against a potential state champion is the ultimate measuring stick.
However, at some point the coaches who are designing such difficult schedules must think about the welfare and morale of their squads.
Looking forward to the playoffs or testing your mettle against a great team are exciting, but after so many losses can you really expect a bunch of high schoolers not to hang their heads and have their pride hurt?
Momentum is a huge part of any sport and having your team's morale and confidence at the highest level possible is key to keep momentum in your favor. In order to do so, your team has to win some games.
I am not saying that any of these teams had no chance in winning any of the big games, but when you are playing three to four games against such high-level competition you have to realistically expect that you aren't going to get out of there with an unblemished record.
Not only can a team's morale get hurt, but playing against competition with future college players week in and week out could potentially affect it physically as well. If a team has a star player go down against a state power, it runs the risk of not being able to catch up in the power rankings.
Coaching football is far from an easy task, and I would personally hate to have to organize a 10-week schedule, but every coach needs to take his team's confidence and well being into careful consideration before they plan their quest to the playoffs.
• • •
Troy LaFleur covers high school athletics. Email him at email@example.com