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5 Nov 2009 : Column 1130Wcontinued
Modelling results from the DECC Energy Model may differ slightly from the results of other DECC analysis. See for example, the analysis for the Renewable Energy Strategy which shows an illustrative mix of renewable technologies for meeting the 2020 RES-Renewable Energy Strategy-target:
The DECC energy projections can be found at:
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the level of levies to be placed on fossil fuels in order to fund the proposed renewable heat incentive; and, what assessment has been made of the distributional effect on household incomes of such levies. [296638]
Mr. Kidney: As part of the Renewable Energy Strategy, published in July this year, we provided an estimate of the potential impact of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) levy on consumers.
The RHI subsidy costs are expected to be passed on to consumers of fossil fuels used for heat through price increases on them.
Initial work to estimate the impact of the policy, assuming all costs fall on gas prices, is summarised as follows. These numbers are based on the costs figures presented in the impact assessment which accompanied the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES). The impact assessment set out ranges which reflect different possibilities for providing support for technologies and sectors under the RHI. The upper end of these ranges is used as the central estimate in the overall RES impact assessment.
Based on these assumptions, under our lead scenario in the RES (that in 2020 12 per cent. of heat comes from renewable sources), bill increases in the domestic sector in 2020 are expected to be in the order of 16 to 23 per cent. corresponding to an average domestic bill increase of around £120 to £172.
However, the eventual cost of the RHI and its actual impact on bills will depend on a series of policy decisions which are still to be taken and external variable factors. For example, whether the support will be paid over a short or long period, how we differentiate support across the different technologies, changes in fossil fuel prices, and likely rates of return. The forthcoming consultation on the Renewable Heat Incentive, will be the next step in this process, and be accompanied by a further Regulatory Impact Assessment.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on measures to reduce fuel poverty among park home residents since 1997. [297497]
Mr. Kidney: It is difficult to reduce the carbon emissions and heating bills of park homes due to the lack of scope for key energy efficiency measures, such as cavity wall and loft insulation. Where scope does exist, such as through draught-proofing and high efficiency lights and appliances, assistance is available to park homes residents through schemes such as the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and Warm Front.
Warm Front is currently working in partnership with a gas distributor and a local residents association to enable 61 residents of Elm Tree caravan park in Hartlepool to be connected to the mains gas network. This project meant these homes, previously utilising liquid petroleum gas, coal or forms of electric heating, reduced their likely energy bills and likely carbon consumption. The project considerably reduced the otherwise prohibitive cost that had prevented each park home individually connecting to the gas network.
Warm front will be undertaking a piloting exercise of insulation technologies for park homes. Technologies will be assessed against a variety of criteria, including cost of installation, energy savings and customer satisfaction. Details of the pilot, including the specific technology types and target areas, are currently being finalised.
The fuel poverty charity, National Energy Action, has developed expertise in addressing the problems of treating park homes. Any treatment will, however, require a coordinated response involving the park home residents' association and the site operator.
Free expert advice on practical ways to save energy in the home is also available through the Act on CO2 advice line.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) evaluated on the use of green hydrogen as an alternative to natural gas. [297460]
Mr. Kidney: Hydrogen, unlike natural gas, is not a primary energy source. Like electricity, it is an energy carrier, which requires the use of a primary energy source for its production. Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced using low or zero carbon sources. The Department of Trade and Industry commissioned a study which reported in December 2004-A strategic framework for hydrogen energy in the UK. This examined the circumstances under which it would make sense for the UK to deploy hydrogen, including green hydrogen. It concluded that the main potential application would be as a transport fuel for use in fuel cell powered vehicles. While hydrogen might have some niche applications as a heating fuel-for example, in remote islands with no available alternative fuel and with substantial renewable energy resources-the study concluded that, in general, the energy loss associated with the production of hydrogen would not be justified where the direct conversion of primary sources to heat was feasible. The Government broadly accept that conclusion.
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of levels of gas storage in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [297761]
Mr. Kidney: National Grid's published figures show that, this week, our storage capacity was around 99 per cent. full.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many wind farms there are in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) the North East and (d) Tees Valley district. [296339]
Mr. Kidney: The relevant data are set out in the following table:
|Number of schemes
| Source: AEA Technology
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on wind farm planning applications in areas of outstanding natural beauty; and if he will make a statement. [297757]
Mr. Kidney: I have received a recent representation regarding a planning application for a wind farm within an area of outstanding natural beauty. I am unable to comment further on this matter as the application remains subject to the statutory planning process.
The Government's Planning Policy Statement 22 on renewable energy is clear that planning permission for renewable energy projects should be granted only where it can be demonstrated that the objectives of the designation of the area will not be compromised by the development, and that any significant adverse effects are clearly outweighed by the environmental, social and economic benefits.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police officers are planned to be deployed in each basic command unit in the Staffordshire police force area in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; [297488]
(2) how many police officers were deployed in each basic command unit of the Staffordshire police force area in (a) 1997, (b) 2001, (c) 2005 and (d) 2009 on the latest date for which figures are available. [297489]
Mr. Hanson: Information on planned deployment is not collected centrally. Decisions about the number of officers, PCSOs-police community support officers-and police staff in each basic command unit and other specialist units is an operational matter for the chief constable.
The available data for the number of police officers deployed are provided in the following table. This information has been collected since April 2002.
|Police officer strength in Staffordshire police force area by basic command unit, as at 31 March( 1, 2, 3)
|Police force
|(1) These figures are based on full-time equivalents that have been rounded to the nearest whole number, due to rounding there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of constituent items.
(2) Data on police strength by police basic command unit were collected centrally for the first time for the period beginning April 2002. Therefore no breakdowns by BCU are available prior to that.
(3) Figures prior to 2003 are not directly comparable with figures from 2003 onwards, since figures prior to 2003 exclude staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave, whereas figures from 2003 onwards include them.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent from the public purse on measures to reduce numbers of burglaries in each of the last 10 years; and what plans he has for such spending in each of the next three years. [297340]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 2 November 2009]: Burglary reduction is core police business, and as such it is not possible to disaggregate what proportion of the significant investment in the police service over the past decade has been spent on this. The police and partners have experienced significant success over the past decade in bringing overall crime, including burglary, down. According to the British Crime Survey, domestic burglary has fallen by 54 per cent. since 1997.
We have provided additional support to the frontline through specific crime reduction initiatives, such as £250 million in the Crime Reduction Programme between 1999 and 2002, of which £25 million was through the Reducing Burglary Initiative. Most recently we have launched Operation Vigilance and the Safer Homes Action Against Burglary programme, which are part of a £20 million package targeting acquisitive crime such as burglary.
In addition, we are taking actions to manage offenders, including the Prolific and Priority Offender scheme, the Drug Intervention Programme and the adoption nationally of the Integrated Offender Management approach by next spring, are helping to bring down a range of crimes, including burglary.
Spending plans for the next three years are not yet finalised.
James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding his Department has allocated (a) directly and (b) indirectly via grants to (i) local authorities and (ii) other organisations for the provision of closed circuit television cameras in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the likely level of such funding in (A) 2009-10 and (B) 2010-11. [297146]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Between 1999 and 2003, £170 million of capital funding was made available to local authorities under the Home Office Crime Reduction programme. This resulted in 680 schemes being installed in town centres and other public places. Central funding has been spent on CCTV since 2003 through various programmes such as Communities Against Drugs, the Safer Communities Initiative and the Building Safer Communities Initiative. Central data are not held on how much has been spent or will be spent in future years on CCTV-related activity through area-based grant. ABG funding is non-ringfenced and local authorities can spend it as they see fit to support the delivery of local, regional and national priorities in their area.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress has been made by local crime partnerships in (a) Denbighshire and (b) England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [297338]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 2 November 2009]: The information is as follows:
(a) Denbighshire achieved a 22 per cent. reduction in the recorded crime British Crime Survey (BCS) Comparator during the period 2005-06 to 2007-08.
The latest published crime statistics for 2008-09 show a two per cent. increase in recorded crime BCS comparator (since 2007-08), and the Home Office Crime Team in Wales is working closely to support the Community Safety Partnership (CSP), which is very focused on tackling this increase in crime.
(b) Local partners in Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) in England and CSPs in Wales continue to make a significant contribution to our overall progress in reducing crime.
Since 1997, crime has fallen: all crime as measured by the BCS is down 36 per cent.; domestic burglary is down 54 per cent.; all vehicle-related thefts down 57 per cent.; all household offences down 36 per cent.; all BCS violence down 41 per cent.; and all personal offences down 36 per cent.
The latest published crime statistics for 2008-09 show a seven per cent. decrease overall in recorded crime BCS comparator in England and Wales (since 2007-08).
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of false burglar alarm call-outs to each police force in each of the last three years. [297339]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 2 November 2009]: The information requested is not held centrally.
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First Timers
Steps to take
1. Sign up for a Kayak Course
If you want to do the whole event as an individual, or be the team kayaker you'll need a CTC Grade 2 Kayaking Skills Certificate.
Click here for the certification process and list of instructors.
In 2015, we introduced a new Tandem section where competitors paddled in supplied double kayaks. This section will be available for competing in 2017. One team member will require a Grade 2 Certificate; the other need only complete the "River Safety Skills" section of the certificate.
Click here to download a copy of the Grade 2 Kayaking Skills Certificate.
The kayak section should be one of the highlights of the race but it needs to be taken seriously. Make sure you choose a kayak you are really stable in and do plenty of time on the river. Everyone has the odd swim now and then but if you are heading off on the kayak leg expecting a swim then you need a more stable boat and some more skill practice. With the right combination the kayak leg will be one of the highlights of the race. Any questions please contact us and we will put you in touch with the water safety team.
2. Find a Team Mate
If you enter the two or three person teams section, you can either find your own teammate (one team member does the first cycle and the kayak stage, the other the mountain run and the last cycle stage) or teammates (one team member does each discipline) or click here to find a teammate.
3. Enter the Coast to Coast
The Website will have the dates for entries opening each year. Entries are limited to 800 runners through the Mountain run – this equates to between 1050-1200 competitors in total depending on the make up of teams.
We highly recommend that new entrants compete in the Two Day event before tackling the One Day World Championship event. It is not called the Longest Day for nothing. The time cut-offs are very tight and as a reference you should be able to complete the Two Day race in under 15 1/2 hours. The Two Day event is the heart and soul of the race and a magic experience - find out what you're in for first up and don't have the disappointment of a being unable to finish the event due to a time restriction. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
There are 60 double kayaks available for the Tandem section.
4. Download the Latest Handbook
The Handbook for the next race are now available online. Everything you need to know is in them. Make sure you download the handbook specific to your event and check back for any updates just prior to the race.
5. Start training and enter a few local events
Check the Coast to Coast Facebook site for events listing, nutrition notes and other useful stuff. We'll also send out items in the monthly updates. See the TEAM CP page for training programs specific to the event.
Check out our event partner TEAM CP for ideas around training and group sessions in Canterbury.
Use our Facebook page to find training partners or organise trips with other competitors through the course or training sessions closer to home.
6. Find a Training Partner
To find a training partner, post your details on our Facebook page.
7. Sign up for a guided Mountain Run
For guided mountain runs click here.
All mountain guide operators are required to have the appropriate DOC consents - click here for details
For more details about training on the Mountain Run section click here
8. Find support crew
If you're an international competitor, you may be able to find an enthusiastic local to help you - click here to find a support crew.
We also have a number of providers who offer full logistics for the race, they can arrange everything from flights and accommodation to kayak and bike rental and support crew – check them out in the Travel and Accommodation section.
9. Watch these transition tips by Team CP
Transition 2 - Bike to Mountain Run
Transition 3 - Mountain Run to Bike (Longest Day only)

subset: commoncrawl


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`Ikaika By.Dominque Bones-Lark Presents:Broke Down Palace S/S 2015 Collection
`Ikaika By. Dominque Bones-Lark
Saturday, September 6, 2014 from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM (PDT)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Since 2003, `Ikaika By. Dominque Bones-Lark has been changing the fabric of the fashion world. Our clothing line specializes in men's and women's wear embodying Asian influences with a high-end urban flair.
Over the last decade, we've assisted various designers with and have been featured in numerous fashion shows including Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The time has come for us to present our own show:
`Ikaika By. Dominque Bones-Lark's Presents :
Broke Down Palace
S/S 2015Collection NYFW
La Tea Theatre
Saturday, September 06, 2014
Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center Inc.
La Tea Ttheatre
http://www.csvcenter.org located on Manhattan's lower eastside.
Take the F, J, M, Z Trains to Essex Street
Doors open at 4:30 PM.
Show Begins at 5:30 PM.
A portion of the proceeds collected from the show will be donated to our non-profit –orginization of choice.
When & Where
The Clemente Soto Vélez Cultural & Educational Center
107 Suffolk St
La Tea Ttheatre , 2nd Floor
New York,
Saturday, September 6, 2014 from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM (PDT)
Add to my calendar
`Ikaika By. Dominque Bones-Lark
By. Dominque Bones-Lark
Fashion,Fantasy, Power, Beauty…
The imperial essence, draped in an array of fabrics mesmerized by color and texture. Inspiration derives from the pages of stories from worlds left long ago.
`Ikaika By Dominque Bones-Lark embodies Asian influences with a high-end Urban flair!
"It's not your every day ready to wear; It's not even ready to wear. With each collection my skills and my story manifests. And I welcome you to join! No, I urge you to join the manifestation which is `Ikaika."


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Less a sequel than a loose, bigger-budget remake of El Mariachi, Rodriguez's second feature may be a rambling, derivative exercise in gratuitous violence, but its determination to proceed as if the word 'restraint' never existed makes for gleeful entertainment. The story takes off from and rehashes the first film. Out to avenge his girlfriend's death, the mariachi (Banderas) turns up in a lawless border town, determined, against the advice of his buddy Buscemi (Steve, that is), to kill drug-lord Bucho (De Almeida). There's a hitch: Bucho knows he's targeted, and orders his myriad henchmen to waste anybody new in town. Happily, after a run-in with one such thug, the mariachi falls in with bookstore proprietor Carolina (Hayek), who offers him shelter from the storm of bullets. Humour comes mainly via Buscemi, De Almeida and, in a pleasingly curtailed cameo, a mugging Tarantino. If the irony and invention lacks the light touch of El Mariachi, there's more than enough preposterous pleasure to be had from Rodriguez's expertise with the action set-pieces and absurdist approach to the story's mythical aspirations. Bloody good fun.
Release details
|105 mins
Cast and crew
|Robert Rodriguez
|Robert Rodriguez
|Joaquim de Almeida
Quentin Tarantino
Antonio Banderas
Salma Hayek
Steve Buscemi
Cheech Marin


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MDF Traders defines its boundaries within which we look for the future needs of food, globally.
We select highly qualified food experts for keen observation of organic food processing and:our growing areas are the most beautiful northern part of the country, Hunza, Gilgit, and Ghezer.
These fresh and dried fruits are grown and sun dried in pollution free mighty Karakorum
and Himalayan mountains valleys of Pakistan. Dry fruits and nuts are processed under
supervision of qualified professionals. Farmers do not use any chemical fertilizers
and pesticides, these fruits are healthy snack, having natural defense against diseases
and are unique among other fruits for having natural flavor and taste.


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If you ever doubted the merits of European integration go and get a visa for your non-EC national spouse at any EC embassy. You'll find it a small piece of bureaucratic holiday pre-history perfectly preserved. If you're under 40 you won't even remember that it used to be like this to go on holiday anywhere - the long queues, the raffle tickets, the security man who treats you like a criminal for wanting to visit his country, the assumption that somehow you must be undesirable if you have to subject yourself to this process.
The offices are always in a dark windowless basement. There is always security glass (as if there was any point in stealing a visa) and there is always an officious official, generally female, walking around with a clipboard. They want your bank statements, your marriage certificates, a letter from your employer and a solemn promise that you won't like their country enough to actually stay there. All the time you want to scream: 'We're only going on holiday.' But you can't because the man has a rubber stamp marked 'denied' and being grumpy might be a reason for using it.
For me and my wife though, the Italian consulate will always stand out as the only place where our actual choice of destination was questioned. 'Ischia? Why on earth do you want to go there?' said the man behind the counter, whose blue shirt and crumpled monotone tie were the height of bureaucrat chic. We couldn't work out why he would say it, though after two hours at the consulate it was a question we were starting to ask ourselves. If good things come to those who wait, Ischia would have to be paradise.
The island of Ischia sits in the middle of the bay of Naples, a 30-minute boat ride from the city, its holiday appeal apparently rendered invisible by the wealth and fame of nearby Capri and the overcrowded resort draw of Sorrento. The island has been treated as Capri's supposedly ugly sister for two millennia, in 29BC the Roman emperor Augustus swapped Ischia with the Greeks to get hold of Capri. The island has had an inferiority complex ever since, even to the extent of fostering a legend about an island next door where the women are incredibly beautiful. The women of Ischia are expected, presumably, to take this on their double chins.
It takes as long to duck and dive through the smog and snarl-up of Naples to get to the boat for Ischia as does the journey from the port to Ischia itself. The journey is short enough that your companions are more likely to be commuters than tourists. But the island might as well be on another planet. When you arrive at Ischia Port, a volcanic lagoon fringed with green hills and a fishing-village picture-postcard sea-front, Naples feels 100 years away. They say you can see Naples from Ischia on a clear day. But who would bother looking?
They, which I suppose means people who produce brochures, call Ischia the Green Island, historically because of the mineral content of the rocks, now because of the foliage that seems to cling to the volcanic summit and foothills that dominate the island.
Ischia is small, only 47 square kilometres, and nearly half the 40,000 inhabitants live in the main town, simply called Ischia. Because of its size there are limits on the number of cars allowed on the island and restrictions on building which have stopped it turning into any kind of resort hell. Everything here feels up close and personal in the nicest sense (except perhaps the cliff edges on some of the winding roads). The two best hotels, Il Moresco and the Excelsior, are barely visible from behind trees and bushes - the lemon tree and Indian fig are trademarks of the island. There are cacti, exotic birds, fruits, trees hanging out of everyone's back garden, views from extinct volcanoes, seafood by the bucket, beaches, castles, history. So how has such a beautiful place remained relatively undiscovered?
There have been people on Ischia since the Stone Age. It's been occupied by the Phoenicians, taken over by the Syracusans, claimed by Romans, overrun by wealthy refugees from Pompeii, attacked by the Vandals, Byzantines, Saracens and Normans, developed by the Emperor of Swabia (don't ask me where that was), routinely swapped between France and Spain, returned to Garibaldi's new Italy and occupied by the Germans between 1942 and 1945. The invading Tourists must have seemed harmless in comparison.
Of course the real reason for its absence from most tourist radars is that the island is very small and those who got here first (the Germans again) have kept coming back. There wasn't room for many more until recently and so there was no need for Ischians to shout about the place.
There are other reasons why it has escaped attention. It caters for the quieter crowd, which has tended to mean older and richer folk and tourists who don't like tourists. The word of mouth has probably been limited because the kind of people who like Ischia wouldn't want to tell everyone about it. Its appeal is genteel, lying less in the beaches, which are plentiful but of mixed quality, and more in the volcanic springs and heated mineral waters which hide beneath Ischia's volcanic rocks. All the best hotels have spas and for those of us who think heaven will be an eternally hot bath with a succession of books and newspapers and a constantly replenished glass of fine wine, Ischia can give you a strong hint of how pleasant eternity could be. Mobile phones only work sporadically here too.
The island even produces its own wine, which is exclusively drunk there. The Pietratorcia (Flaming Rock) winery on the island is open to visitors and offers light lunch and a tour of the vineyard for a pittance. Don't let the kids ask what they're going to do with the luvvly bunny wabbits they keep in a stony underground hutch, though. They double as the local culinary speciality.
You don't need to choose between the beach or the hot bath. The nearest Ischia comes to a resort is at the Poseidon Gardens, where the prettiest beach backs on to an outdoor spa and bath complex with differently styled pools supplied by the 12 local springs and varying in temperature from 26C to 40C (for those who aren't cooks or chemists, the temperature of a very hot bath). From the coastal road above it looks like a giant crazy-golf course. Poseidon gets quite crowded so we went to the Negombo, which is more to local tastes, smaller and one suspects the island's premier water-based al fresco shagging opportunity.
All of Ischia reeks of understated unhurried good-living. In fact the only bold and dramatic thing about Ischia is its castle, which, if you saw The Talented Mr Ripley, you have already seen without knowing it. The fake coastal town of Mongibello in the film was a composite of a number of southern Italian towns, but the beach where Ripley and his prey meet and the town square with a huge island castle in the background is Ischia. The cast stayed at Il Moresco and loved it, though how Gwyneth Paltrow maintained her stick-like dignity with the overgenerous portions and five courses they serve up at lunch and dinner is a mystery to me.
If you don't want to return home with unwelcome excess baggage on your gut then the castle does at the very least offer an opportunity for a brisk uphill walk. There is a lift (not an original feature), but the walk up the wide spiral passage that leads to the top is cool and invigorating with a couple of shrines and chapels for those who want to mask their exhaustion with fake religious fervour.
The castle's history is typically rich. It was used as a refuge from pirates by local inhabitants and at one time was home to 5,000 people. Michelangelo is said to have designed a turret for Princess Vittoria Colonna. They claim Mona Lisa came from here. It boasted 13 churches and was a convent for the Poor Sisters of Clare. The word Poor hardly does justice to the miserable existence of the Sisters of Clare. The convent was made up of the unloved first-born daughters of wealthy folk and when they died, their bodies were not buried but sat in chairs to putrefy in the room where the nuns prayed. The remains were left to drain away through a hole in the chair into the rocks. Mortality rates were high, which I suppose, was the point. The chairs are still there.
The only English intervention up to now in the history of the island was noisy and unhelpful - the Royal Navy bombarded the castle and destroyed part of it in 1809. Well, not quite the only intervention. The English composer Sir William Walton made a lasting, positive contribution to the island and remains the Ischians basic idea of what the English are like. Walton fell in love with the island and made his home here in 1949, creating a now beautiful garden from a lump of volcanic rock that the locals thought utterly barren. The venture was written off as a typically eccentric and hopeless piece of English bravado. Walton is no more, but his Argentinian wife Susana prowls the garden at La Mortella, now open to the public and containing at least 300 exotic plants from all sorts of places whose climate is nothing like Ischia, evangelising its beauty and the talents of its designer Russell Page. Go there in the morning or the late evening to avoid the busy times or go when Lady Walton has scheduled a recital. But definitely go.
Perhaps as a thank you to Walton, Ischians are prepared to forget the bombardment and welcome the English back. The mainly middle-aged Germans are not coming in the numbers they were so there are vacancies which British travel agents are moving in on. The nightlife of Ischia is not sensational, your kids would get bored in less than 24 hours, but if you and your significant other want some peace and quiet and a do-nothing, feelgood fortnight away from home and work, the food, the hot spas, the beach and the sheer green tranquility of the place will send you to bed early anyway. And as for the man at the Italian embassy. Well, I'm afraid, my friend, the secret of Ischia is out.
From 6-31 October, Crystal Premier Italy offers seven nights at the four-star Il Moresco from £818 per person, including Gatwick-Naples flights and transfers (0870 888 0024).
Lady Walton's garden at La Mortella is open from 1 April to 15 November on Tue, Thu, Sat and Sun, 9am-7pm. Concerts at 5pm in recital hall at weekends. Five-day breaks staying in a newly built annex to the house are available from £795 per person from Heritage Productions (020 8878 5887).


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Shift in Simulation Superiority
New report highlights strengths and weaknesses in U.S. high-end computer simulations relative to international counterparts
Science and engineering are advancing rapidly in part due to ever more powerful computer simulations, yet the most advanced supercomputers require programming skills that all too few U.S. researchers possess. At the same time, affordable computers and committed national programs outside the U.S. are eroding American competitiveness in number of simulation-driven fields.
These are some of the key findings in the International Assessment of Research and Development in Simulation-Based Engineering and Science, released on Apr. 22, 2009, by the World Technology Evaluation Center (WTEC).
"The startling news was how quickly our assumptions have to change," said Phillip Westmoreland, program director for combustion, fire and plasma systems at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and one of the sponsors of the report. "Because computer chip speeds aren't increasing, hundreds and thousands of chips are being ganged together, each one with many processors. New ways of programming are necessary."
Like other WTEC studies, this study was led by a team of leading researchers from a range of simulation science and engineering disciplines and involved site visits to research facilities around the world.
The nearly 400-page, multi-agency report highlights several areas in which the U.S. still maintains a competitive edge, including the development of novel algorithms, but also highlights endeavors that are increasingly driven by efforts in Europe or Asia, such as the creation and simulation of new materials from first principles.
"Some of the new high-powered computers are as common as gaming computers, so key breakthroughs and leadership could come from anywhere in the world," added Westmoreland. "Last week's research-directions workshop brought together engineers and scientists from around the country, developing ideas that would keep the U.S. at the vanguard as we face these changes."
Sharon Glotzer of the University of Michigan chaired the panel of experts that executed the studies of the Asian, European and U.S. simulation research activities. Peter Cummings of both Vanderbilt University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory co-authored the report with Glotzer and seven other panelists, and the two co-chaired the Apr. 22-23, 2009, workshop with Glotzer that provided agencies initial guidance on strategic directions.
"Progress in simulation-based engineering and science holds great promise for the pervasive advancement of knowledge and understanding through discovery," said Clark Cooper, program director for materials and surface engineering at NSF and also a sponsor of the report. "We expect future developments to continue to enhance prediction and decision making in the presence of uncertainty."
The WTEC study was funded by the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department of Energy
For more information, read the full report and the University of Michigan press release.
Media Contacts
Program Contacts
Principal Investigators
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2017, its budget is $7.5 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and other institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 48,000 competitive proposals for funding and makes about 12,000 new funding awards.
Useful NSF Web Sites:


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Music Is A Gateway
If I was able to make a living off of what I love the most, I would be teaching guitar lessons to people. My ultimate goal I would have for that career path is to show to the people I teach that playing guitar is more than just a hobby. It can be used as an alternate way to relieve stress and to express yourself. Teaching guitar would also allow me to fulfill my other goal, which is to teach people how to think differently about how they analyze music and to create good critical thinking skills. This dream job would change the way people think about art and music. Both of those activities invoke a different way to process information. This would create a new generation of people who would drive towards a common goal to better the world they will live in.


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Free Gifts
Visit SteveAdamsBook.com to get your copy of The Passionate Entrepreneur and learn about FREE bonus offers you can receive when you purchase.
About Steve
Steve Adams is an entrepreneur, speaker and author of "The Passionate Entrepreneur." Successful Entrepreneur, corporate banker to Main Street Steve Adams has a lot to say to the entrepreneur who desires more than they are today. Read more…
Steve's Blog
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KILLEEN — Two Harker Heights City Council candidates contesting Place 1 discussed their backgrounds and city issues at a Monday political forum sponsored by the Exchange Club of Killeen. The third candidate vying for the open slot, Donald Sandlin, did not attend.
Candidate Stuart McLennan opened the forum by pointing to his seven years of experience on the Planning and Zoning Commission, one year serving on the city infrastructure committee and his familiarity with local government code.
McLennan, a 12-year Heights resident, challenged the other candidates' experience.
"None of the other candidates can match (my) record of relevant experience," McLennan said. "Military careers leading soldiers, business careers managing malls, and involvement in the community are commendable, but equating them to city governance is a stretch."
Schiffman, who managed shopping malls, including Killeen Mall, for 33 years, didn't immediately respond, but replied by phone after the forum.
"I regret that Mr. McLennan has to elevate his limited experience by disparaging my extensive business credentials and experience derived over a long and successful business career," Schiffman said.
At the forum, Schiffman, a 20-year Heights resident, said his professional experience is well-suited for council service, and noted that working in business gears one's mind toward producing consistent results. Managing change is the biggest challenge facing government leaders, Schiffman said. "I will be your representative for that change."
And Harker Heights faces the prospect of extensive change in coming years.
As development sprawls outward, McLennan said he expects the city's population to increase by about 22,000 people in the next 35 years. He said council members will need to collaborate with other cities to ensure water access through a solid, regionally integrated infrastructure.
Schiffman projected the build-out to occur between 2028 and 2033. The main build-out-related issue is a shrinking amount of developable land, he said. This calls for a specific and focused approach for master planning initiatives that should mesh the interests of businesses and residents.
"If the quality of our infrastructure is not already in place at that time, then we can look to not having an economically sustainable community for years to come," Schiffman said.
Provided by the city, campaign finance reports give a different picture of the race, and show disparities between money raised by the three candidates.
Between Jan. 30 and mid-April, Sandlin raised and spent no money on his campaign, McLennan raised $610 and spent $488.68, and Schiffman raised $4,592.12 and spent $1,935.45. With McLennan's contributions, 8.2 percent were for $50 or less, while 12.4 percent of Schiffman's fell in the same category. Final campaign finance reports are due today.
Two places, Place 1 and Place 3, are on the May 11 ballot, though only Place 1 is contested. Mayor Pro Tem Pat Christ is running unopposed for Place 3. The city charter requires Place 1 Councilman John Reider, who has served two terms, to sit out a term before seeking re-election.
Early voting started Monday and ends Tuesday. Early votes can be cast from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Monday, and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 305 Miller's Crossing.
On Election Day, May 11, voters can cast ballots at the Harker Heights Recreation Center, 307 Miller's Crossing.
To learn more about the candidates, go to kdnews.com/news/politics.


text: [[quoteright:330:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nauru_1632.gif]][[caption-width-right:330:[-The Parliament is right next to the airport? How do they even hold sessions with the noise?-] ]]Nauru is many things, most of which are related to its small size and population. Currently the smallest republic, the smallest island country, and with just over 9,300 residents, it is the second least-populated country in the world.A colony of the German Empire that was transferred to Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, it was briefly occupied by the Japanese in WWII. It declared independence in 1968.Due to its phosphate reserves, it once boasted the highest per-capita income of any independent nation. By the time the reserves ran out, though, Nauru's environment had become a wreck and its economy collapsed. The country is currently trying to pick its way from financial ruin by modernizing its infrastructure and other methods (including hosting detained migrants Australia had caught trying to cross the sea). The current president of Nauru is Baron Waqa.UsefulNotes/AustralianRulesFootball is Nauru's most popular sport, as well as soccer and softball.At last count, it also held the record for most obese nation (both sexes over 90%).Nauru is [[{{UsefulNotes/Finland}} the Finnish]] word [[InMyLanguageThatSoundsLike for laughter]].----[[AC:The Nauruan flag]]http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nauru_flag_6248.png->The blue field symbolizes the Pacific Ocean, while the narrow yellow line the Equator. The star at the lower hoist reflects Nauru's position relative to the Equator; its white color represents phospate, and its 12 rays symbolize the island's 12 original tribes.----


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GRAVESTONES have been stolen in a 'despicable' raid on a churchyard.
Church officials said the theft of five slabs covering graves in Tockholes Chapel, in Chapels Lane, has caused 'immense distress to the community'.
The chapel gardener noticed the slabs were missing when he cut the grass and also found that several other gravestones have been damaged.
Police say the thefts could have taken place in daylight, with thieves acting as workmen with vans. A police investigation is now underway.
Rev Sarah Moore, of Tockholes Chapel, said: "We consider the deliberate damage and vandalism of graves to be a disrespectful and despicable act that causes immense distress to families and to the community as a whole.
"Where practicable, we hope to contact the families of those interred concerned but as many of the graves are historic, this may not be easy.
"The matter has been reported to the police who are investigating this matter and similar occurrences in the local area."
One resident, who asked not to be named, said: "It's absolutely disgusting.
"The stones will be worth a fair bit as decorative items, but they are memorials and this shouldn't happen."
Inspector Wendy Bower, from Darwen CID, said: "Sadly paving stone thefts are common across the county and rural areas are often targeted.
"This is a despicable crime which has a real impact on family members and people in the community.
"Often these type of offences are carried out in broad daylight by criminals posing as workmen.
"They can be difficult to detect and it can be some time before a victim realises that they have been stolen."
Tockholes Councillor Colin Rigby labelled the thieves 'absolute idiots'.
He said: "The thieves do not realise how many people they are hurting.
"It's a beautiful little place where generation after generation of families have lived, and many people still in the area will know those buried there."


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Business Case
Cisco Technology Helps Keep Passengers,
Plans, and Luggage on Schedule at Sydney Airport
As domestic and international traffic continues to grow at Australia's largest, busiest airport, an extensive wireless LAN (WLAN) is playing a central role in keeping passenger and cargo movement on schedule. Using Cisco® Aironet® 350, 1100, and 1200 series access points, the airport's wireless network expedites airport maintenance, emergency services, and taxiway management. Airport retailers are accessing the network for their applications, and airport administrators are also evaluating how the WLAN can improve other airport services, such as baggage reconciliation, Internet access for passengers, and enhanced airport security.
Covering 907 hectares on the northern shoreline of Botany Bay, Australia, Sydney Airport is Australia's busiest commercial airport. Opened in 1920, Sydney Airport is one of the oldest, continuously operating airports in the world. Each year, an estimated 25 million domestic and international passengers transit Sydney Airport, and the airport's three runways accommodate more than 250,000 aircraft movements.
In June 2002, the Australian federal government sold the Sydney Airport Corporation Limited (SACL) to the Southern Cross Airports Corporation, which now is the parent company and controlling entity of Sydney Airport.
Although Internet kiosks and voice-over-IP (VoIP) wireless technology have been deployed at the airport for several years—even before the 2000 Olympic Games were hosted in Sydney—wireless Internet access service to passengers, tenants, and airport management will become available in August 2003.
At the Airport Council International (ACI) World Assembly in 2000, a resolution was passed recommending that airport operators should assert control over the use of WLAN systems at airports—both inside and outside terminal buildings. The ACI recommended that airports provide and manage an exclusive common infrastructure for wireless technology.
This resolution came at a time when operations managers at major airports already had begun to institute changes for transforming air terminals from time-wasting stopovers into productive business environments. Airport IT departments are taking the lead by creating a unified wireless infrastructure—a WLAN—that serves this important business traveler market.
If properly designed, a common WLAN can serve public access customers as well as operational applications. This WLAN produces significant benefits, including streamlined support and maintenance that improves manageability and total cost of ownership, easier integration of various services, and the ability to support converged applications such as voice, data, and video running over the same network. The common WLAN also prevents problems that might result from poorly coordinated multiple wireless networks, such as non-uniform coverage, dead spots with no coverage, and security problems caused by insecurely designed wireless networks that are easily accessible to hackers.
Revenue generation is another consideration in modern airports. With a unified WLAN, an airport could provide baseline services to airlines and other tenants as part of their lease agreement and could charge for applications or services that require service level agreements (SLAs). Airlines and tenants can then offer tiered services to travelers.
All of these issues—from comprehensive wireless coverage and passenger productivity to real-time security and revenue generation—were matters that Sydney Airport operators hoped to address with installation of the end-to-end WLAN.
"As the manager of IT&T at Sydney Airport, I was concerned that wireless would be treated like cabling, and that Sydney Airport would have to manage the installation of multiple wireless networks," says SACL's Chief Information Officer Russ Lewis. "Sydney Airport was also looking at extending its wireless use to include additional operational applications and, therefore, needed to protect the wireless spectrum across the airport," he explains.
Using Cisco Aironet wireless technology, SACL has achieved airport-wide consistency for its wireless systems. The WLAN covers taxiways, runways, most ancillary buildings, and all terminals (with the present exception of the Qantas Domestic Terminal 3).
The wireless network is part of the airport's overall ATM network. SACL uses two additional separate networks, both Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) rings, for baggage and baggage screening. They are integrated via routers to the ATM network. "All 802.11 infrastructure is `owned and managed' by SACL," says Lewis. "Tenants, including airlines, are strongly encouraged to use it."
SACL's data network runs entirely on Cisco equipment. It has an ATM core based on Cisco Catalyst® 8500 and 5500 series switches, with an IP-over-Ethernet (IPoE) edge based on Catalyst 2900 Series switches.
Cisco Aironet 350 Series access points are located in terminals and in a number of buildings near taxiways and runways. Based on direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) technology and operating in the 2.4 GHz band, Cisco Aironet 350 Series access points provide an Ethernet-like data rate of up to 11 megabits per second (Mbps). They are IEEE 802.11b-compliant and certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance for interoperability.
High levels of redundancy are built into both the wireless and ATM networks. "Sydney Airport provides availability of 99.6 percent for each network device with repair times of less than 60 minutes," Lewis explains.
To reinforce the WLAN, 100 percent redundancy is built into the network at Sydney Airport's international terminal (Terminal 1) and domestic terminal (Terminal 2), using more than 150 Cisco Aironet access points. These include Cisco Aironet 1100 and 1200 series access points. SACL is deploying Cisco Aironet 1100 Series access points internally within the domestic terminal, and Cisco Aironet 1200 Series access points to external areas such as the paved aprons outside hangars and certain other airfield structures. The Cisco Aironet 1200 Series can use external antennas.
The Cisco Aironet 1100 Series has a modular design and features a single, IEEE 802.11b radio, integrated diversity dipole antennas, and an innovative mounting system for easy installation in a variety of locations and orientations. It can easily be integrated into an existing network as a wireless overlay, or can be used to create a separate, all-wireless network. The Cisco Aironet 1100 Series is field-upgradable to the new IEEE 802.11b.
With simultaneous support for both 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz radios, the Cisco Aironet 1200 Series product also preserves existing IEEE 802.11b investments and provides a migration path to both the new IEEE 802.11a and the IEEE 802.11g standards.
Both the 802.11a and 802.11g standards have data transmission rates of up to 54 Mbps, a five-fold increase on the 11 Mbps data rate of the 802.11b standard. 802.11a offers eight distinct channels, compared to 802.11b's three channels, and is immune to interference from devices that operate in the 2.4-GHz band, such as cordless phones, microwave ovens, and other 802.11b WLANs. 802.11a, however, is not compatible with 802.11b devices.
IEEE 802.11g provides the benefit of backward compatibility with 802.11b equipment, preserving users' investment in their existing WLAN infrastructure. However, because 802.11g is limited to the same three channels as 802.11b, scalability may become a factor as WLAN user density increases.
SACL is not considering using the 802.11A (5 Ghz Spectrum) standard and will wait until the 802.11G(2.4GHz) is released to make the most of the 54-Mb throughput with backward compatibility with SACL's existing 802.11b clients, according to Lewis.
"Additionally, a wireless bridge network covers the whole airport and is used for VoIP wireless for our emergency services," says Lewis. "An emergency vehicle has telephones connected to a directional Yagi antenna that is tuned to the antennas on the main buildings. The service covers the entire airport," Lewis explains. But because the mobile telephone system could get overloaded in an emergency, "the VoIP wireless is one of the alternative means of communication," he says.
Cisco Aironet wireless bridges operate in the 2.4-GHz band. As a result, their range and performance are not affected by physical barriers such as large buildings or aircraft, or by inclement weather.
The choice of Cisco Aironet technology for Sydney Airport's WLAN was driven by two factors, according to Lewis. "First was our experience with the Cisco Aironet wireless bridges for emergency VoIP wireless. Products from other wireless suppliers had been tested but did not perform as well as the Cisco equipment. Since the installation of over one hundred access points, virtually no problems have been experienced."
The second factor in choosing to work with Cisco was SACL's relationship with the networking technology company over the past several years. "From the first implementation of ATM to the present wireless network, Cisco has provided SACL with excellent service in both sales and technical support," Lewis explains.
SACL uses wireless for maintenance management, enabling staff to track and complete maintenance jobs in the field, receive notification of new jobs as they arise, and eliminate the associated paperwork. "Wireless provides the mobility for our maintenance team and enhances productivity," Lewis explains.
The management software used at the airport is MAXIMO, a maintenance management tool developed by MRO Software. MAXIMO works with the Sycho Smart Software package to integrate the airport staff's handheld hardware (personal digital assistants, or PDAs) to MAXIMO.
Cisco wireless technology is also used to help in managing aircraft on the airport's taxiways. Specially developed software is used to measure aircraft deviation off the center line on taxiways. This data is then transmitted by wireless to a central database for analysis and use in planning; the data is reported to regulatory agencies as well.
Sydney Airport's WLAN is also available to retail tenants. One retail vendor at the airport is currently using the WLAN to manage stock, and SACL is negotiating with a number of others. Additionally, beginning in late 2003, Sydney Airport's WLAN will be used for baggage reconciliation. This will allow the airlines to match the bag to the passenger and provide quicker access to the bag in the hold of the plane should a passenger not board the aircraft, which would require the bag to be removed from the hold.
Next Steps
Sydney Airport's WLAN will be available to the traveling public as of August 2003. Sydney Airport is negotiating with several wireless Internet service providers (ISPs) to provide Internet access to areas in the arrival and departure lounges, retail outlets, and restaurants. Because SACL owns the infrastructure, the company will collect revenue based on a revenue sharing agreement with the ISP.
The common wireless infrastructure will deliver consistent wireless connectivity to passengers moving between different zones and among different providers at Sydney Airport, which will prevent the annoyance of dropped reception. Passengers will be able to check and send e-mail, access documents, and remain productive during layovers. It will also make it possible for business travelers to use their companies' virtual private network (VPN) clients.
With ISP wireless Internet access, Sydney Airport's Web page with Airport Village information will be the home page to the public, and will provide links to the various ISPs. Airport Village is a Sydney Airport commercial service providing services in retail and travel.
Sydney Airport administrators are actively investigating further uses for its WLAN. One area of special interest—particularly in the post-September 11 environment—is security. The unified wireless network can play a pivotal role, facilitating the mobilization of security forces quickly throughout the entire airport. Sydney Airport is developing a pilot program that would provide VoIP handheld telephones to duty officers for this and related kinds of purposes. "Should the wireless telephones be successful, Sydney Airport will realize considerable savings in mobile telephone costs," Lewis says.
Sydney Airport
- Opened in 1920
- Purchased by Southern Cross Airports Corporation in June 2002
- Australia's busiest international and domestic airport
- Passenger terminals: 34 international aircraft gates, 36 domestic aircraft gates
- Commercial terminals: three international and two domestic
- One of the area's major employers, providing 60,000 jobs
- Generates approximately A
- 6.5 billion in economic benefits to the Sydney region
- International visitors through the airport spend more than A$2.5 billion annually in the Sydney area alone
- Requires services of 600 businesses and organizations to meet needs of airport users
- Served 23.2 million passengers— 36 percent international, 58 percent domestic, 6 percent regional between 1999 and 2000
- 254,729 aircraft movements (2002)
- Revenue of more than A$454 million (2002)
- Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of more than A$215.1 million (2002)
"From the first implementation of ATM to the present wireless network, Cisco has provided SACL with excellent service in both sales and technical support."
—Russ Lewis, Chief Information Officer, SACL


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The Clique Books
The best series, that also has a hit movie is, The Clique. Here are the main characters.
Massie Block
Alicia Rivera
Dylan Marvil
Kristen Gregory
Claire Lyons
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It is about a bunch of girls in middle school, called ; the pretty committee. They are my favorite books by Lisi Harrison
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'Abduction' Trailer Premieres with Taylor Lautner
He's a real boy now. Shedding his werewolf skin, Taylor Lautner stars in "Abduction," a John Singleton thriller. Lautner plays Nathan, a teenager who begins to question his life when he discovers his baby photo on a missing persons website.
A shoot 'em up, blow it up production that oozes John Woo, the film also features Alfred Molina, Maria Bello and Sigourney Weaver. Watch the trailer after the jump.


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Retina Bliss Photos Photographer
ShareeChanteModel Female Bellport, New York, US
Mayhem # 2906455
About MeMy biggest goal overall is to become Americas Next top Model! To build myself as a person and to also build my own brand as ShareeChante. To get my name known. To add more experience to my resume but to also have fun doing it. From this site I'm looking for work that's gonna help me reach the top. My style is diverse and I'm willing to work with any positive and successful people that has nothing but good things to bring to the table for me
**Seeking work for Magazine Submissions and/or Apparel Companies**
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Christian Wulff, Germany's new federal president, has not been idle. He had barely wiped his feet on the doormat in Schloss Bellevue, his splendid new Berlin residence, before setting off on a foreign trip.
While his job is without power, it carries lots of prestige. Indeed, the role is more about symbolism than substance. But the symbolism matters.
His first stop on Wednesday was in Strasbourg to meet Jerzy Buzek, European Parliament president. Second stop was Paris, for a chat with Nicolas Sarkozy at the Elysée palace. And third stop, on Thursday, was Brussels, where he had lined up Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council, José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, and Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Nato secretary-general.
It was all about pouring oil on troubled waters, to be sure. Germany's relationship to the European Union has seldom caused so much anxiety amongst its neighbours, since Berlin started to bang the drum with a vengeance about the need for fiscal discipline – first in Greece, and now in the rest of the eurozone. Read more