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Not Always in the Stars: Why You Should Ignore Your Horoscope
Horoscope writers use a lot of tricks to make us believe what they've said. Here are some of the top ones and some reasons why, even if we do trust the writers, we should still ignore our horoscope anyway.We Believe a Personality Analysis Even If It Doesn't Really Apply to Us
A famous experiment was carried out in 1948, by the psychologist Bertram R. Forer. He gave his students a personality test, then gave them all exactly the same "results" (which he'd assembled from horoscopes):
"You have a need for other people to like and admire you, and yet you tend to be critical of yourself. While you have some personality weaknesses, you are generally able to compensate for them. You have considerable unused capacity that you have not turned to your advantage. Disciplined and self-controlled on the outside, you tend to be worrisome and insecure on the inside. At times you have serious doubts as to whether you have made the right decision or done the right thing. You prefer a certain amount of change and variety and become dissatisfied when hemmed in by restrictions and limitations. You also pride yourself as an independent thinker; and do not accept others' statements without satisfactory proof. But you have found it unwise to be too frank in revealing yourself to others. At times you are extroverted, affable, and sociable, while at other times you are introverted, wary, and reserved. Some of your aspirations tend to be rather unrealistic."
The students were asked to rate the personality profile's accuracy from 1 to 5, with 5 being the most accurate rating. Guess what? The average rating was 4.26—despite the fact that every single student had received exactly the same rating. This has been dubbed the Forer effect, and it's been borne out by study after study ever since 1948.
So if you have one of those key rings that tells you your personality based on your star sign or your name—ignore it.
We Give Too Much Importance to Coincidences
You might be reading this and thinking but, my horoscope has come true on several occasions! Well, I'm afraid that's just an example of subjective validation, which means you pick up on coincidences and assign them an incorrect meaning. This particularly happens when it's something that has personal meaning to you: when you want it to be more than a coincidence.
Think of it this way. Have you ever had that experience when the phone rings, you think "it'll be John" and it is? Spooky, huh? But what about all the times when you think "it'll be John" … and it isn't. You probably forget all about those.
Horoscopes Use Vague Statements and Generalizations
Here are a few statements taken from typical horoscopes (all from the Daily Mail newspaper).
"There will be ups and downs financially with nothing going quite to plan." "But if you can give yourself space to ponder you may be able to answer one or two questions which have been bothering you recently. Nothing superficial will really help so you will need to focus and get right down to the nitty gritty." "You won't suffer fools or slow coaches gladly and will express yourself firmly but forcefully at times. Just don't go a step too far since you may want support when you get into a muddle towards mid month."
Notice anything in common? These statements could apply to anyone:
* Aren't everyone's finances up and down (especially during current times)?
* Readers probably know that getting to the heart of tricky questions in life involves focusing and pondering, not just looking for a quick fix. This is good advice, but why on earth would it only apply to one particular star sign?
* Do any of us suffer fools and slow coaches gladly? And don't we all get into a muddle on a regular basis? "Towards mid month" is vague enough to cover at least a ten or twelve day period, too.
The Big Reason You Shouldn't Place Your Trust in Horoscopes
Even if you're a horo-sceptic like me, imagine for a moment that you do believe every word of a horoscope or personality profile. You could end up hugely limiting yourself because of it. For example, if your horoscope warns of money problems ahead, you might get anxious or even use it as an excuse to spend unnecessarily thinking that hard times are inevitable.
One of the horoscopes I looked at included the line: "You'll occupy yourself happily spending money on all manner of frivolities since you reckon you need pampering." Now, how many of us have the self-discipline not to use this as an excuse to think, yes, my horoscope is right, I should buy that new CD/shirt/game … even though I want to pay off my loans.
You could be subconsciously sabotaging yourself because you believe in a nonsense personality profile. Perhaps you think you're an impetuous and sometimes angry person, because of your star sign—and this is preventing you from dealing with your hot-headed nature (which might be half-imagined anyway). Or maybe you think that you're shy, because your star sign's always told you so—and you've never made an effort to overcome this.
None of us are "stuck" with our foibles: we can all improve ourselves, break bad habits and establish good ones. Instead of reading horoscopes, find some truly worthwhile reading (DumbLittleMan is a great place to start) that can actually help you improve your life.
By Ali Hale of DumbLittleMan. Want to read more content like this? Visit DivineCaroline.com or check out these related links:


text: Hello, I've had a Sennheiser PC-151 for a few months now, and whenever I record in Quicktime with the microphone, about 2 minutes of straight static/echoing occur. This usually happens at about an hour and nine minutes in, and from there occurs every hour afterward. I've searched a couple of forums and found that a lot of people have had similar problems. The solution I kept seeing was to go into Audio MIDI and change the clocking/add an aggregate device, which I did, but nothing changed. To give some specs, the microphone is on a headset which has a 3.5mm stereo jack. I have that attached to a USB adapter. At first I thought that the static came from the time machine backing up, as it happened every hour, but it still occurred even after I turned off Time Machine. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Griffin

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This is what the mobile video game industry looks like broken down into numbers
It is estimated that the mobile gaming industry will rake in about $8 billion this year, which is nearly a quarter of what the entire mobile entertainment niche was valued at in 2010. With the global market share of smartphones on the rise, that number is expected to grow to the whopping $11.4 billion by the end of 2014. Since the majority of mobile games are free of charge, their developers benefit mainly from in-game purchases, such as virtual currency or extra lives, while advertisements account for only half as much of the revenue that a game generates. Nevertheless, mobile video game studios reportedly made $87 million in revenue from ads in 2010, and this figure is predicted to explode to the staggering $894 million by 2015.
While game developers enjoy watching their bank accounts reaching higher and higher milestones, smartphone and tablet owners are spending more and more time on mobile gaming. No matter whether they admit it or not, an estimated 84% of tablet owners play video games on their device and approximately 34% of people who have an iPhone spend time on the same activity every single day. In comparison, nearly half of all BlackBerry users have no games installed on their device at all, which is probably among the reasons why the platform has not been doing that well recently.
Feel free to check the entire infographic yourself, after which you can go back and finish that level of Angry Birds, and if you have come across any great mobile video games recently, do not hesitate to let us know by dropping a line in the comments below.
source: Geekaphone via DailyMobile
8 Comments
1. 3g (unregistered)
that is the main reason most poeple choose ios yet android fans are too blind to see it.what more can you do on a smartphone than to play lots of games which ios doesnt disappoint when it comes to that matter.all the good and mind blowing games can be found on ios thats why i still keep my good old 3gs.will never sell it.lol
2. eiyoy009 (Posts: 57; Member since: 01 Jun 2011)
because windows phone 7 is not yet tested...if it is success xbox will force to be wp7 fan..hehe
3. ps (unregistered)
Old! AB has been downloaded 300 million times not 140
4. Paden (Posts: 262; Member since: 07 Jul 2011)
Still, it's a cool infographic. Good info!
5. matistight (Posts: 568; Member since: 13 May 2009)
f**king angry birds...
6. DroidFTW (unregistered)
@3g typical iFan, ignorant to the core. Just so happens that android has an phone emulator, so not only can I play all the cool android games, but also all the phone games as well. Does ios have this? Thought so... Iphones are and always will be a status symbol and nothing more. Typical iFans are gonna be the stuck up douchebags who think that they are better than everyone else. I have nothing against apple, only the a**holes who buy it and then act all high and mighty.
7. DroidFTW (unregistered)
Sorry, typod iPhone 2 times in above post.
8. V-Rep (unregistered)
I agree with last post in theory if not in attitude. iPhones are a great high-end device with a lot of good points but Apple has always been geared toward two very specific demographics. Professionals (Graphic Designers, DJ's, media intensive users), and the status sensitive who care more about appearance than functionality because they are in all honesty never going to use a fraction of any devices potential.
For any average user who is going to use a device for multiple and ever changing purposes in their daily lives the variety and lower cost of open source software is a better choice.


text: "We can't have everything we want when we want it. If children don't learn the virtue of patience at an early age, a parent could find themselves in a very difficult situation when that child is older and it comes time to say 'no' to a big-ticket item they are wanting," she explains. No matter your child's age or the budget you're working with, Boyd-Soisson says that there's always a deeper message to be heard when it comes to spending money. "It's a good lesson to learn that things that don't cost a lot of money can be the most enjoyable -- such as spending time with family." -- Written by Kathryn Tuggle for MainStreet


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GWEN IFILL: A major new study released today concludes that one in eight American teens has had suicidal thoughts. One of every 25 has attempted suicide.
Those findings come from a survey of nearly 6,500 teens published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, the largest in-depth analysis of teens on this subject.
More than half of the young people who planned, thought of, or attempted to kill themselves had received at least some treatment. Nearly 1,400 between the ages of 13 and 18 took their own life in 2010.
For more about the study and some of the issues it raises, we talk to two experts.
Dr. Timothy Lineberry is medical director of the MayoClinicPsychiatric Hospital.
And Brian Daly is a clinical child and adolescent psychologist and professor at DrexelUniversity.
Welcome to you both.
Dr. Daly, how concerned should we be about these numbers?
DR. BRIAN DALY, DrexelUniversity: I think they're very concerning, Gwen.
I think some of the data indicates here that once we get them into treatment, with is where we want them, we're not actually being as effective as we want to be and suggesting really we need to be much more vigilant in terms of working with these youth.
We're seeing some of these thoughts are coming after the initiation of treatment, which I think is most concerning. And we know that this is a group that is at high risk of dropping out. So there's some question about I think whether the mental health professionals are being as vigilant in continually assessing suicidal thoughts, attempts and plans for these individuals.
GWEN IFILL: Dr. Lineberry, as you read this report, did you see signs there that gave you new information that you could use to apply to figure out what is driving these numbers?
DR. TIMOTHY LINEBERRY, Mayo Clinic: Well, I think this is a significant kind of addition in terms of research with the information in the prevalence, because this is at higher rates than it is with adults.
As Dr. Daly was pointing out, I think the issues that we have clinically are, how do we identify and treat at-risk individuals and children and adolescents who are at risk for suicide, and can we do a better job with clinical treatment?
GWEN IFILL: Well, here is my question, and I want to ask you both about that. When you talk about treatment — and the interesting thing in the report is these were not the missed people. These were not the missed patients. People knew that they were having trouble. They were already in treatment. How is it that people already in treatment still get to the point where they're considering or actually acting on suicidal thoughts?
Dr. Lineberry, you first.
TIMOTHY LINEBERRY: You know, as we think about suicide, one of the things to keep in mind is that it's not a binary phenomenon, where it's yes or no, that you either are suicidal or you are not suicidal.
So we see changes in terms of how people are thinking about suicide, where they're acting or planning suicide based on the severity of illness. So, what we need to look at doing is, what are the factors associated in clinical treatment as we're going that are either signs of treatment or acting more aggressively or assertively when a child or — a child or an adolescent or a parent is reporting that there's concerns with worsening system symptoms or the initiation of thoughts of suicide?
One of the things about this study that is remarkable is the degree of thoughts of suicide associated with attempts vs. just thoughts of suicide and then thinking about planning for suicide and then subsequent attempts.
GWEN IFILL: Dr. Daly, I want you to pick up on that point. We're talking about the distinction stopping people from thinking about it and moving to acting on it.
BRIAN DALY: Yes, it's a great point that is made.
I think, sort of adding on to it, one thing that we're concerned with is that the old conventional thinking used to be if we're able to reduce the symptoms of depression that thoughts of suicide and even suicide plans and attempts should also diminish.
And I think we're seeing some new evidence that suggests even though we're able to reduce some of these symptoms of depression, it doesn't necessarily mean that thoughts of suicide or suicide plans are going to drop as well.
And, so, again, back to my earlier point, it sort of suggested the mental health professionals need to continue to remain vigilant during treatment, that even if we see these teenagers becoming better in terms of their symptoms of depression reducing, we need to continue to check in with them about whether they're having thoughts, plans, or ideas around suicide.
GWEN IFILL: Dr. Daly, if it's true that suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents, is this something which has gotten progressively worse, and is there any way that we can identify why?
BRIAN DALY: No, it's not necessarily something that has gotten progressively worse.
We actually see some data that suggests that suicide completion is not necessarily rising from an epidemiological perspective. But, nonetheless, it's the third leading cause of death among teenagers.
And this suggests even when we have them where we want them, which is in some intensive treatment, it doesn't always mean, as was pointed out earlier, that we're doing the right things to diminish these ideas, these plans, attempts and certainly from stopping the completions that occur.
GWEN IFILL: Dr. Lineberry, of course it strikes us very close to home when we think about young people having these thoughts or taking these actions, but how does it compare to adult behavior?
TIMOTHY LINEBERRY: Well, I think there are some key differences.
And getting back to what Dr. Daly had said, there's been the thought — and actually our research shows this — we're making a difference with depressive symptoms and other syndromes in adults, that we're more likely to see changes with thoughts of suicide or suicidal behavior.
And that doesn't seem to be the story that we're getting from research with children and adolescents. So it's important to keep in mind that these are two different things in terms of tracking.
From a prevention standpoint, it's critical that we look at what are things in terms of impulsivity, because the children's data — the children and adolescent data is very different from impulsive attempts compared to adults.
So it may speak more to the need for risk-prevention strategies, making sure that there's very clear plans in place for clinicians and for parents and families.
GWEN IFILL: And there's a difference between girls and boys, between who will think about it and who will act as well?
TIMOTHY LINEBERRY: There is a difference. With girls, we see a higher rate of attempts, but if we look at rates of suicide, we see higher rates in boys, in males.
And so it's important for us to also keep in mind that there may be some aspects of this research that are helpful in getting to that group as well.
GWEN IFILL: Dr. Daly, what do we do about the stigma, the reluctant the reluctance to talk about this issue, to even idea this issue, especially for parents?
BRIAN DALY: It's a very difficult issue.
I think the fact of the matter, even counselors who work with these adolescents can be discomforted by working with, you know, a suicidal teenager. And so it's an issue that needs more national dialogue. There's certainly been efforts by the surgeon general to promote a dialogue about this.
But I think the individuals that work most closely with teenagers, including teachers and parents, are often very uncomfortable with this idea of speaking with them about it.
And there's a myth in society that if you bring up the topic of suicide with teenagers, that they're more likely to act on those impulses, when in fact we know the opposite is true, that parents, peers and teachers, when they bring up this notion with teenagers, it shows care and concern and it actually helps decrease some suicidal ideation.
GWEN IFILL: Dr. Lineberry, are there social or demographic drivers here, that people from a certain background or a certain geographic location are more likely to consider this?
TIMOTHY LINEBERRY: You know, the research study didn't look at a number of the social and demographic factors as much.
We do see differences in terms of education, so there were some things with the study showing that differences with education, with support at home could be a factor with that.
It's important to keep in mind that there's a number of factors associated that are just not related to psychiatric illness, but stressors, culture, support, supports at home, supports with school and those involved with the child or adolescent.
GWEN IFILL: Dr. Timothy Lineberry of the MayoClinicPsychiatric Hospital and Dr. Brian Daly of DrexelUniversity, thank you both so much.
TIMOTHY LINEBERRY: Thank you.
BRIAN DALY: Thank you.


text:
Seattle Rep Takes on Ten New Projects
Ten new projects from national and Seattle playwrights will be in development this spring through Seattle Repertory Theatre's New Play Program, the theatre announced today. Projects in the works include plays by Robert Schenkkan (By the Waters of Babylon, The Kentucky Cycle), Cheryl West (Holiday Heart, Play On, Rejoice!), Kathleen Tolan (Memory House), Stephanie Timm (On the Nature of Dust), and Seattle actors R. Hamilton Wright and David Pichette.
Seattle Rep will partner with Oregon Shakespeare Festival to help develop Robert Schenkkan's new two-part series on Lyndon B. Johnson. Last season the two theatres partnered for the first time on Bill Cain's play Equivocation, which appeared at OSF and then at Seattle Rep.
The theatre will also continue developing Cheryl West's new play with music, Pullman Porter Blues, which had a public reading at Seattle Rep in September. Artistic Director Jerry Manning has now announced a commitment to producing the work in the fall of 2012.
"Since the New Play Program was officially re-instated in the fall of 2009, Pullman Porter Blues is the first project we've commissioned to move towards a main stage production," said Manning. "This is an exciting moment to see how the process can work-from the seed of an idea to the full realization of a new play."
Another commission in the works is Kathleen Tolan's Istanbul Notes, a piece about Iraqi refugees living in Turkey.
In addition to the commissions, the theatre will support a number of writers through workshops this spring. Those projects include an adaptation of The Hounds of Baskerville by actors David Pichette and R. Hamilton Wright; a partnership with New Century Theatre Company to help develop Stephanie Timm's The Red Dress Party (a contemporary riff on A Streetcar Named Desire); Marya Sea Kaminski's new play inspired by Bonnie and Clyde; Joanna Horowitz's country musical, 100 Heartbreaks; and Jerry Manning's own J.R.R. Tolkien, Joseph McCarthy and Dorothy Day in Milwaukee about three unlikely archivists curating the personal papers of three very unlikely public figures.
The final piece of the New Play Program ties to the theatre's Yes Project, an initiative to inspire young artists and audiences. The Yes Project focuses on finding and developing plays for the main stage that feature young characters and/or have a curriculum tie-in. The first project in development is with Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig, who came to Seattle Rep last February with Lidless, which was workshopped in collaboration with the University of Washington's School of Drama. Using interviews as primary research, Cowhig's piece Neon Night Light (Working Title) will explore the stories and mythologies of people who live off the grid, including homeless youth.
The second is a project with Justin Huertas and Andrea Allen, who acted in and directed 2010's Speech & Debate, respectively. Through a travelogue of sorts, Huertas will chronicle his experiences on the road playing cello with the national tour of Spring Awakening, and the two will develop a piece about coming of age and coming out.


text:
Friday, July 1, 2011
July Reading List
Currently Reading:
To Read:
Finished Reading:
7 comments:
Ooh, please read Bad Taste in Boys asap! I can't wait to read your review for it. I want that book so bad. ;)ReplyDelete
I should probably make a list like this! It takes me a while to pick what book to read next. Also Bad Taste in Boys?? AHH! Can't wait for it. Sleight was incredibly fantastic! I hope you love that one too!ReplyDelete
Man, I love beautiful book covers. You picked a bunch of good buzz books. Can't wait to read your reviews.ReplyDelete
Nina: Bad Taste in Boys has been on my to read for a while I was planning on reading it last month but I had a crazy work schedule.ReplyDelete
Two Readers Reviews: For me it helps to focus on what comes next. I'm excited for Sleight!
Thanks Amy @ bookgoonie!
FOREVER!! Can't wait to see what you think.ReplyDelete
you should read these three books by lisa mcmann,wake, fade and gone. i read thge first one and it was great, just havent read the other two yet..ReplyDelete
its cool you're trying to read 75 books this year. My goal for 2011 was 100 books and I'm on book # 92. So I'm almost there.ReplyDelete


text:
Currently sold in China for ¥13,650, this side by side refrigerator from Bosch has a frameless and strikingly coloured glass front in egglplant. Yes this is a purple 604 litre refrigerator that holds food and keeps things cool just in the right color. We love the simple lines, and wish we could also get this in chartreuse green. It also has a "fuzzy controls" display to give you temperature and other info on the front.
Via Appliancist
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Does anyone know where i can purchase this for delivery to the USA?


text:
A MAN has been arrested following a blaze at a convenience store on Bromyard Road.
The 35-year-old is currently in custody at Worcester Police Station after being arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life following a fire at Boughton Stores.
Police and firefighters were called to the blaze at 1.30am this morning.
The fire, which involved a number of gas canisters, caused damage to the shop and the house attached to the shop as well as to a car parked in front of the shop and three cars belonging to the Hylton Nissan dealership next door.
A number of residents also had to be evacuated from the area.
Send your pictures and videos to email@example.com.
There will be more on this story in tomorrow's Worcester News.


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JIM LEHRER: There was a pair of big news stories about General Motors today. The balance sheet is in the black again, and the man in charge is leaving.
GM's earnings report marked the second straight quarter of profit for the automaker. The company made more than $1.3 billion from April through June — its best report in six years. That's on top of $865 million it made for the first three months of 2010.
It was welcome news for a firm that went through bankruptcy protection a year ago after receiving $50 billion in federal bailouts.
U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: In short, our goal is to get GM back on its feet, take a hands-off approach, and get out quickly.
JIM LEHRER: Despite that pledge, GM was derisively dubbed "Government Motors."
Still, the company emerged from bankruptcy in just 40 days. In the process, it shed hundreds of dealerships, plus its Pontiac and other unprofitable lines. Instead, it focused on a core group: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac.
Fritz Henderson was CEO at the time.
FRITZ HENDERSON, former CEO, General Motors: From this point on, our efforts are dedicated to customers, cars, culture and paying back the taxpayers.
JIM LEHRER: Henderson was replaced last December by Ed Whitacre, who announced today he will step down as CEO come September 1st. Whitacre had made clear his tenure would be brief, and today he said, "I believe we've accomplished what we set out to do."
The new CEO, the fourth in just over a year, will be GM board member Dan Ackerson. He's also managing director of the private equity firm The Carlyle Group. Ackerson will oversee efforts to ramp up U.S. sales and production of new lines, including the Chevy Cruze, due out next month.
Later this year, GM begins selling the Chevy Volt, an electric car that got a presidential test-drive last month. GM hopes the Volt will help reinvigorate and recast its image.
The federal government still owns 61 percent of GM, but the automaker plans to file soon for an initial public offering of stock. That could lead to reducing the federal stake later this year.
JIM LEHRER: And to David Shepardson, who covers the auto industry for "The Detroit News," and George Magliano, an analyst with IHS Automotive in New York.
David, is it correct to say that GM no longer wants to be known as "Government Motors?" That's their priority right now, right?
DAVID SHEPARDSON, "The Detroit News": Absolutely. I mean, that label has cost them a fair number of sales, given the anger over bailouts in general and the fact that some of those customers have shifted to Ford or Chrysler or Toyota. I mean, their first priority is to launch this IPO and get the government out of the business. As Ed Whitacre said, "We want the government out, period."
JIM LEHRER: The IPO meaning — explain what that is.
DAVID SHEPARDSON: Right. Meaning as early as tomorrow, GM will file paperwork to set in motion the public sale of its stock. It's not currently traded publicly.
That will allow the government to sell off the first big chunk of its stake. The Canadian government owns some stock, too, in exchange for the $12 billion it lent GM, as well as the former bondholders and the United Auto Workers health care trust fund owns about 20 percent of GM.
JIM LEHRER: Mr. Magliano, how did GM do it? How did they get from where they were just a year ago to where they are today with a big profit?
GEORGE MAGLIANO, IHS Automotive: Well, they put the steps in place to become profitable before the bankruptcy. But the bankruptcy was the catalyst.
They were closing plants, trying to divest themselves of brands, trying to trim down their labor force, become a much more global player. They were moving in that direction, but they weren't moving fast enough. And the big catalyst at the end of the day was the bankruptcy proceeding and the fact that the government —
JIM LEHRER: All right. We've lost Mr. Magliano in New York.
So pick up the answer there for me, David.
DAVID SHEPARDSON: Well, he was right. Part of it was before the bankruptcy. The bankruptcy allowed GM to shed $30 billion in debt. What it's also done is allowed the company —
JIM LEHRER: Because under bankruptcy law, it was possible to do all of this. You could reshape labor contracts, you could do all of that, they that they could haven't done through negotiations.
DAVID SHEPARDSON: Absolutely. And as the promo pointed out, they were also able to get rid of a lot of dealers, too. You know, hundreds of dealers, and get rid of these unprofitable contracts. They were able to negotiate with the UAW a new long-term agreement that allows them to hire new workers at just $14 an hour, or about $32,000 a year. All these things allowed them to shrink their costs so this company can be profitable at a far lower sales volume.
Remember, GM lost almost $90 billion between 2005 and 2009. That's like some small countries' GDP. It's a lot of money. And that was when the market was selling 16 million, 17 million vehicles a year.
Now, when the auto industry signed far fewer vehicles, GM can be profitable. Today, booking $2.2 billion in the first six months, even though auto sales are relatively low, although they're up from last year, but all these changes they've made and the new leadership has a big impact on where they are.
JIM LEHRER: Generally speaking, using the term — picking up on your word "shrink," is the scale of everything more in sync now in? In other words, the scale of the labor force, the scale of the plants, the scale of everything, more in sync with what they can produce and sell and all of that?
DAVID SHEPARDSON: Absolutely. A big problem GM had for years is underutilization of their capacity. They had lots of factories that were only working on one shift, factories that — you know, they were shutting factories for a few weeks in the summer. This year they didn't shut nearly as many factories. They said their utilization was 93 percent versus last year, about 40 percent. So —
JIM LEHRER: That's a huge change, is it not?
DAVID SHEPARDSON: Part of that was related to the bankruptcy since they basically shut down for a month. So the numbers are a little skewed, but certainly you have a new management team that's come in and is running this company really like it hasn't been run in decades.
JIM LEHRER: All right. How much of all of this, of the good stuff, should be credited to Ed Whitacre?
DAVID SHEPARDSON: Part of it. Certainly the product portfolio, the new products like the Cruze you mentioned. These were products that were launched, or the development under Rick Wagoner two CEOs ago. But he deserves a lot of credit for focusing the mission on simplicity, keep it simple. You know the mantra of GM is "Deliver, design, and sell the world's best cars."
And also they have accountability. People who don't do the job, or he doesn't like, Ed Whitacre has been willing to move out or shift or basically push out the door.
JIM LEHRER: Yes.
Mr. Magliano, you're back now.
GEORGE MAGLIANO: Good to be back.
JIM LEHRER: David Shepardson finished your sentences for you, but let's pick up on what I was talking about David about right now, which is how much of the positive stuff here should be given to Ed Whitacre? In other words, the credit for it should be given to Ed Whitacre?
GEORGE MAGLIANO: I think he gets a lot of credit for pushing it through. And number one, he changed the corporate culture, or started to change the corporate culture at GM.
GM was known for bureaucracy, slow-moving, very inbred. And, you know, bringing somebody in from the outside. He really shook things up. And he caused a lot of consternation, but he got the job done. And he really got them moving in the right direction.
And the bankruptcy, as we said before, enabled him to get out — close down a lot of those plants that were totally unused, and now they can match production to sales, which makes it that much more profitable. They don't to give the vehicles away like they used to in the past when they were just sitting in the dealerships and they couldn't sell them. So that's a big change.
JIM LEHRER: But Whitacre, of course, came out of the communications business. He had been the CEO of AT&T. He didn't know anything about cars.
So, how was he able to do that? What did he bring to it that was able to produce this kind of result?
GEORGE MAGLIANO: I think what you need at the top is leadership. You don't need a "car guy." And you saw it with Alan Mulally, but he had a lot more manufacturing —
JIM LEHRER: He's the head of Ford, right?
GEORGE MAGLIANO: Yes. And basically, you need a guy on top to set the direction to get people moving, and then to put good people down below that know the business, and to really let them do their job. And that's what he did, and that's what we expect from the new CEO.
JIM LEHRER: Now, the government involvement in this, David, is there any direct government involvement in the operation of General Motors at this point?
DAVID SHEPARDSON: No. I think it's pretty clear that the Obama administration, GM — you know, the administration is not running GM for the simple reason that they don't want to be accused of making decisions for environmental or other political reasons like where to put plants. I mean, if they opened the door and started running GM as an arm of the government, it would make it far more difficult for the administration to get out of the company. And I think, you know, over the last 18 months, we've seen no evidence that the government has actually stepped in and picked the paint colors or something.
JIM LEHRER: Mr. Magliano, what's the word within the industry about the new products that General Motors has already produced? We talked about some of them in the introduction that are coming.
Does General Motors got its product act together?
GEORGE MAGLIANO: It's getting its product act together. When Bob Lutz was doing the product development, or heading up that team in General Motors, they got high marks for the new products and the aggression in the new products. But at the time, gasoline prices were relatively low. They shot up, and now they had to rethink where they were going.
And the new Cruze is their number one big shot in the compact or small car arena. And this is going to be a big test for them. And the jury is still out.
It's an improvement over the replacement that they had before, the Cobalt, which was a very bland vehicle. This is much more upscale. But it's going to go head to head with the Focus which just came out which Ford has, and that's a pretty upscale small car as well. And, of course, you've got the stalwarts outs there, the Civic and the Corolla in that class.
So, it's a tough segment to compete in. So we've got to see what happens.
JIM LEHRER: In that regard, when we look ahead to see what's going to happen, General Motors is not out of the woods yet, is it?
GEORGE MAGLIANO: No. They're off sort of the operating table, but still, there's a long way to go.
They've got to keep working on costs. We've got a new union contract coming up. And they have to keep working on product.
And the name of the game in the industry is product, product, and more product. You can't hound on that enough. And it's — that's why you've got to sell the best cars and trucks in the business. And then they've got to keep doing that. They've got to keep developing it and doing it to survive.
JIM LEHRER: And based on your reporting, David, the people who follow this industry would agree with you, right?
DAVID SHEPARDSON: Yes. No, I think GM is in the best shape it's been in certainly 10, 20 years.
The company has lowered its costs, it's bringing out new products. It's a very competitive market, as George pointed out there. There's lots of new vehicles, lots of competitors, all over the globe. But GM is in a very good spot, but it still has a lot of work to do in Europe and North America, to be certain.
JIM LEHRER: OK. Thank you.
Gentlemen, thank you very much.
George Magliano, sorry about the technical problems, but we got it all in anyhow. Thank you very much.
GEORGE MAGLIANO: Thank you.


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Film: Tiny Furniture, Jean-Michel Basquiat: Radiant Child, New York I Love You, and Influencers. Also anything crafted by Wes Anderson or Hayao Miyazaki is gold.
Pon De Television: HBO Girls, Parks & Recreation, anything Gordon Ramsay... One thing you should know is that I barely watch television, but if I did I'd probably have more to talk about at the parties I never go to.
Books: Fountainhead, The Tao of Pooh
2. Intellectual, stimulating conversation
3. Patio drinks
4. Will power
5. Larry David's existence
6. Smiling/laughing/crying
a) In a dim-lit West-end dive bar, sipping a Strongbow on ice in an intimate, buzzing atmosphere. Jukebox optional. Good tunes a must.
b) On my couch and/or in bed streaming movies or music while surfing the interweb. Chances are I just made fresh guacamole, or I'm watching Girls and next level resonating with Lena Dunam (sry not sry).
c) Out with girlfriends/avoiding hangovers.


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1) Update on the Chinese slowdown: Investors will get another reading on China\'s economy overnight — and perhaps more of a sense of how much they should be worried about the slowdown there.
Data on consumer and producer prices are slated to come out at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time. Analysts expect 2.1% year-over-year growth in China\'s consumer price index, and a 2.9% decline in the producer price index, according to FactSet.
Ahead of the reports, Citi on Monday became the latest bank to lower its growth forecasts for China. It cut its 2013 GDP growth target to 7.4% from 7.6% and its 2014 target to 7.1% from 7.3%. HSBC, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and UBS have all cut their 2013 forecasts lately.
The next evening (11 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday), we\'ll get another useful economic update for China, this one on the country\'s merchandise trade balance.
2) Will Wolverine keep behaving well? Shoe company Wolverine World Wide is slated to report quarterly earnings before tomorrow\'s open.
The mid-cap stock has been acting well, rising to all-time highs from support at its 10-week moving average, a key stock chart level. Some traders will have seen that as a buying opportunity.
One key factor with this earnings report is how Wolverine is faring with an integration and reorganization following its purchase last year of several shoe brands — Sperry Top-Sider, Keds, Saucony and Stride Rite. Stifel analysts have said the integration is on schedule and below budget.
Wall Street expects quarterly earnings per share of 34 cents on revenue of $591 million, according to FactSet data.
3) Earnings season starts well: Alcoa initially rose in after-hours trading on Monday after it kicked off earnings season. Shares gave up most gains during the company\'s earnings call.
The aluminum giant reported quarterly earnings per share that slightly bested forecasts, while revenue roughly matched expectations.
While Alcoa is a Dow component, it\'s not the corporate bellwether that it once was. The materials sector just isn\'t as big as other sectors, such as the tech space, whose market cap makes it the S&P 500\'s largest sector.
Plus, whether Alcoa's earnings meet or beat has little predictive value in determining whether other companies will meet or beat, as noted in a post today on the Tell blog.
4) Checking in with small businesses: The U.S. economic calendar is relatively light before the bell Tuesday, but the National Federation of Independent Business will deliver its usual update on its small-business optimism index.
Analysts are expecting a reading of 94.7 for June, below the index\'s long-term average of 100. The figures come from a survey conducted each month of NFIB members.
For a discussion of things that traders should know for the next 24 hours, take a gander at the video above.
–Victor Reklaitis
Follow Vic on Twitter @vicrek
Follow The Tell blog @thetellblog


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Four Christmases
Every Christmas happily unmarried Brad and Kate escape divorced parents and exasperating relatives by getting on a plane. This year a fog rolls in, the airport shuts down and the couple is forced to celebrate four family Christmases in one hectic, hilarious day. Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon lead an all-star cast in a comedy brimming with good cheer and great laughs -- as well as the answer to the question: Can Brad and Kate's relationship survive Four Christmases?
Elf is genuinely good. Not just Saturday Night Live-movie good, when the movie has some funny bits but is basically an insult to humanity; Elf is a smartly written, skillfully directed, and deftly acted story of a human being adopted by Christmas elves who returns to the human world to find his father. And because the writing, directing, and acting are all genuinely good, Elf is also genuinely funny. Will Ferrell, as Buddy the adopted elf, is hysterically sincere. James Caan, as his rediscovered father, executes his surly dumbfoundedness with perfect aplomb. Zooey Deschanel, as a department store worker with whom Buddy falls in love, is adorably sardonic. Director Jon Favreau (Swingers) shepherds the movie through all the obligatory Christmas cliches and focuses on material that's sometimes subtle and consistently surprising. Frankly, Elf feels miraculous. Also featuring Mary Steenburgen, Bob Newhart, Peter Dinklage, and Ed Asner as Santa Claus. --Bret Fetzer
Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas
Disney's biggest stars shine in a magical, heartwarming movie sure to become a holiday classic! Mickey, Minnie, and their famous friends Goofy, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto gather to reminisce about love, magic, and surprises in three wonder-filled stories of Christmas past. In the fine tradition of Disney's superb storytelling, Minnie and Mickey recall the year they both gave up what was most important to them for the sake of the other, making for one unforgettable Christmas. Goofy and Max retell when they experienced a series of hilarious but season-shaking events ... until a visit from the real Santa made it a most magical holiday. Thinking back to when they wished Christmas was every day, Donald's nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie remember their dream turning into a comical catastrophe, eventually teaching them what true holiday spirit is all about. Featuring the entire cast in a finale of merry, magical Christmas songs -- all the excitement of MICKEY'S ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS is ready to unwrap for holiday family fun!


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Creation/Application Sponsored by
Today, a group of industry stakeholders including L'Oreal, Estee Lauder, Cognis and Aveda launched OASIS: Organic And Sustainable Industry Standards for personal care. The key points are as follows:
OASIS set the standards based on a lack of a unified regulatory seal. According to founding member Tim Kapsner, "We believe it will become an internationally recognized standard, and will be regarded as the seal that represents sustainable and organic manufacturing."


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An argument we are having at work...
View Single Post
Steven Lyle Jordan
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 8,478
Karma: 5171130
Join Date: Jan 2006
Device: none
Suspension of disbelief is always up to the reader to decide. There are plenty of examples of plots and settings in SF that the reader suspends a lot of disbelief in... the entire
Star Trek
canon, for instance. But even if you ignore the scientific fallacies, mostly engineered to advance the stories, you can find some great literature in there. (Sometimes.)
On the other hand, if you are more demanding of your science, suspending your disbelief can ruin the story for you. So you decide what is and is not acceptable, to allow you to enjoy the story experience.
Some people can turn it on and off at will, others can't. So you just go with what works for you, you either swallow the scientific problems (and even the best SF literature has it), or you stand by them, and see what stories are left for you.
Steven Lyle Jordan
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Jose Susumo Azano Matsura, a Mexican billionaire/millionaire whose family businesses include construction and computer security, has been making headlines in San Diego for weeks.
Two charged in illegal San Diego campaign contribution scheme
Feds: Mexican 'money man' wanted to make SD bayfront into 'Miami West'
Claim: Former San Diego Mayor Bob Filner offered to delay development to help Mexican millionaire
Mexican moneyman had two wives
"But the scandal is beginning to attract national interest," Foreign Policy reports.
Susumo Azano, as he is called by federal prosecutors, has not been charged. Although Azano lives in Coronado, Calif., as a Mexican national he is prohibited from donating to any American political campaigns.
According to a complaint against Ravneet Singh, owner of ElectionMall Inc., and Ernesto Encinas, a retired police detective, $500,000 of Azano's money went into a U.S.-based shell company and from there into a Super PAC.
"We are not aware of another example of a similar case," Peter Carr, a public relations officer at the Justice Department, tells FP's The Cable. "Super PACs are a new vehicle for political spending."
"Sex Harassment" Filner (a Democrat), District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis (a Republican), mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher (a Dem) and a U.S. congressman believed to be Juan Vargas (D-Calif.) are thought to have been the politicians who benefitted from the Super PAC contributions, according to the UT. They all deny any wrongdoing.


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NICK Wright scored a debut double as Worcester City showed there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful for the season ahead.
Although Carl Heeley's side were unable to fashion an opening day victory, many inside Aggborough would have felt buoyed by what they had witnessed.
They would have taken heart from knowing this strong-looking squad is a work in progress with the personnel to cause a few ripples in Conference North.
City will have to improve on Saturday's 2-2 draw against Stalybridge Celtic and that should come with time.
In coming from behind twice, the hosts also demonstrated the battling qualities that they will no doubt need between now and next April.
Wright, who only signed on Thursday night, popped up twice to bring his new employers level.
The former Kidderminster Harriers striker was the stand-out addition to a forward line also boosted by Daniel Nti pledging his future to the club.
Wright was in the right place to turn the ball home after George Williams' cross had been played back towards goal by Wayne Thomas and again showed predatory instincts to convert following Danny Jackman's corner.
With the not-insignificant power of relative unknown Daniel Udoh, another late pre-season acquisition, coming off the bench in the second-half, City's firepower looks more menacing.
After scoring less than a goal per game last season, it was an area they needed to address and, despite the recruitment process being somewhat last-minute, they might just have done that.
Ironically, with much having been made of City retaining their miserly defence, the hosts twice shot themselves in the foot by gifting Stalybridge two first-half goals.
Liam Dickenson sprung an unconvincing offside trap from Jack Truelove's raking pass to put the visitors ahead before Paul Ennis was granted the freedom of Aggborough to restore their advantage going into half-time.
On both occasions, the City defence parted and left new keeper Nathan Vaughan with no chance.
In doing so, Worcester once again found themselves chasing a game, a familiar trait last season.
Yet, once Wright had restored parity for the second time three minutes after the break, Heeley's side might have gone on to win.
Stalybridge keeper Lewis King was thankful to the woodwork after Mike Symons deflected Nti's effort on to the post and last season's top-scorer flashed a header wide from a second-half corner.
Celtic, managed by former Harriers midfielder Keith Briggs, went close when Dickenson poked wide of Vaughan's goal.
But City will be pleased with their first showing of the new campaign and, two uncharacteristic defensive lapses aside, can look forward with optimism.


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We spent the final two days of the cruise at sea and headed home for the long drive back to NJ on Sunday morning. It was an incredible trip and I'm hoping to put together all the GoPro clips I got to create a video soon!
Monday, June 16, 2014
Eastern Caribbean Cruise [St. Maarten]
This was another island we had previously visited on our honeymoon.
Loved this random teddy bear we found sitting here.
3 comments:
- AnonymousJune 16, 2014 at 12:15 PM
What's with the "candid" bikini poses??ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you! They weren't candid. My husband wanted to take a few of me, so I posed :) I'm proud of my body after three kids.Delete
i had a stopover there two years ago but never stayed on the island, now i wish i had! the water is so beautiful...ReplyDelete


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I came across the CashMakingPowerSites.com opportunity in my daily research for business opportunities to present to my readers. Honestly, I'm hesitating to purchase this system for review because I want to do some more research. I've read a few reviews that say it's a great opportunity, and others that say it's a scam. That's why I'd like to hear from you to get your opinion. If you have used the CashMakingPowerSites system, I'd love to hear what you think of it. If not, take a look at their landing page and give us your first impression. Is CashMakingPowerSites.com a scam, or is it a great business opportunity?
I'd like you to visit their site directly to get your first impression, but here's the high-level overview of their offer:
- You get 5 turnkey websites that they have optimized to drive action from your visitors.
- You basically need to do nothing except market these 5 sites.
- They are affiliate websites where your goal is to direct visitors to a final purchase page via your ClickBank affiliate ID. (Which is free.)
The websites are:
- PickAndClickCash.com – Has to do with Real Estate and possibly Buying Foreclosed Homes.
- UltimateAdvertisingSolution.com – Secrets to advertising. (Get $10,000 in Ads for 1% of what everyone else pays.)
- UltimateDiabetesSolution.com – A Cure for Diabetes?
- UltimateCancerSolution.com – A Cure for Cancer? (Probably an herbal remedy or lifestyle change, but I'm curious.)
- UltimateHealthyHeart.com – Secret to a healthy, strong, and powerful heart.
So take a look at their sales pitch and let us know what you think. If the reviews aren't all negative, I'll purchase the system and do a more thorough investigation.


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DIRECTV's TV Service is Recommended by CableTV.com
Using rating data collected from a
number of independent consumer surveys, we have analyzed each of the cable companies and other
television services available in your area and ranked them in order to help you determine which
one is right for your household. Based on this information, we've ranked DIRECTV as the top TV service
provider among all satellite TV and cable companies in Kilmarnock, VA.
Typically, you can access major networks regardless of where you live. However, the availability of smaller channels can differ from city to city, meaning TV packages in Kilmarnock may be slightly different from similar packages in other areas. If you want to be sure to catch all of your favorite shows and never miss a Washington Redskins or game, you need to find a premier TV package that offers the channels you care about. The best cable company in Kilmarnock, VA will give you all the channels you want, at a price that makes you happy. With the data we provide, you can compare packages, features, channel availability, and prices of the highest rated providers in Kilmarnock.
When you're looking for a cable company in Kilmarnock, VA, you want the best. On top of offering the features, channels, and prices you want, the TV provider you choose should deliver reliable service and expert customer support. CableTV.com considers these important issues when ranking and recommending service providers, so you can know which companies are dependable and have fast, friendly customer service.


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Finding Ways To Stay Healthy At The 10TV Health And Fitness Expo
10TV's 5th annual Health and Fitness Expo kicked off Saturday with another round of visitors hoping to discover new ways to stay healthy.
With programs in hand and empty bags ready for free giveaways, Columbus resident Faye Oney and Dublin resident Gay Eberhart came to the expo with their health in mind.
"It's my number one priority," Oney said.
After checking out a fitness demonstration, the ladies took advantage of some free health screenings.
Health professionals checked their BMI, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.
"As life progresses, there are certain conditions that can develop and knowing those numbers and what your targets are is very important," said Marla Samide, Giant Eagle Clinical Pharmacist Coordinator.
Eberhart took part in the screenings because she refuses to take her health for granted.
Eberhart's life was saved by an organ donor when she received a new heart in 2000.
"I just caught a virus at the age of 42 and had to have a heart transplant," she said. "I received it within 45 minutes of being listed. I was very, very fortunate."
Eberhart wanted to visit the various booths and vendors at the 10TV Health and Fitness Expo to find the best ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
"It keeps you living longer," she said.
The expo is not just for adults. Kids have the chance to take part in hands-on activities such as a climbing wall, sports games and an obstacle-jumping inflatable called the "Eliminator."
"It's really fun and so exciting," said Laterriana Higgins, an 11-year-old from Columbus.
While the kids learned about active ways to have fun Saturday, their parents had the chance to watch cooking demonstrations from celebrities like Subway's Jared Fogle or learn about the dangers of distracted driving at the Maria's Message booth.
Visitors to the Expo on Sunday will get the opportunity to meet celebrity guests such as legendary rocker Bret Michaels and sports legends Scoonie Penn and Archie Griffin along with former OSU football coaches Earle Bruce and John Cooper.
There really is something for people wanting to commit to be fit, people like Eberhart and Oney.
"You only get one body so you might as well take care of it," Oney said.


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I know that they're a stacked-humbucker version of the P-90, but I know nothing of their reputation, magnets, or winds. In a Guitarist magazine article I read years ago, the reviewer claimed that they were sonically identical to the real-deal Gibson P-90 (which sounds like BS to me, what with the different construction. A little like claiming that the sound of a Lil'59 is indistinguishable from its full-size cousin).
I ask because my Les Paul Special has P-100s, and it sounds pretty bad. A lot of people rave about P-90s, so I'm thinking that perhaps these P-100s are to blame, and a pickup change is in order.
Anybody have experience of these?


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Crocus Floor Lamp
This beautiful lamp consists of a bipod oak base, which has been hand-finished with a hardwax oil rub.
The crocus petals, which shade the bulb, are made from lacquered tissue paper, which has been stretched around a wire frame. It comes in seven colours: orange, cream, fuchsia, gold, pale pink, red and lilac. Please see the swatch image to see an approximate example of how each colour will look when lit.
Max 20w Energy Saving Bulb
Height 175cm, base foot print 20 cm x 30 cm.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a MADE-TO-ORDER item and will require two/three weeks for creation and delivery.
PLEASE NOTE: This lamp by Colin Chetwood falls outside our normal shipping costs. Please select 'Colin Chetwood Shipping' at the checkout.


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Call EPA 24 hours a day.1300 372 842 or 1300 EPA VIC
Air quality is important to the health and wellbeing of all Victorians. Most air pollution comes from industry, motor vehicles and domestic wood burning.
EPA plays a role in protecting the community from noise pollution.
Human health and wellbeing relies on the quality of our environment every day.
Many industrial activities require works approvals and licences from EPA.
EPA helps protect Victorians' health from potential environmental hazards.
EPA works to protect Victoria from pollution during major infrastructure projects.
EPA periodically reviews environmental policy and regulation.
Guidance for business and industry, including licensing, works approvals and planning.
Information about the fees and charges levied by EPA.
EPA welcomes the recommendations of the Independent Inquiry into EPA.
EPA works with the community, businesses and other organisations to protect the environment.
EPA recognises staff who are leaders in the areas of air quality, inland water, marine water, waste, landfill, land and groundwater, and odour.
The process to submit complaints about the conduct of an EPA authorised officer.
The Energy from waste guideline (publication 1559) outlines how the Environment Protection Act and associated policies and Regulations are applied to the assessment of proposals that recover energy from waste (EfW).
The document provides high-level guidance for industry, government and the community on EPA's expectations and requirements for the siting, design, construction and operation of such facilities. The guideline is consistent with the Victorian Government's Getting full value: the Victorian Waste and Resource Recovery Policy.
The new publication is a revised version of the draft guideline (publication 1549), which was released for public comment between 6 September and 11 October 2013. Ten submissions were received and these were considered in finalising the guideline.
The table below sets out the key themes from public submissions received and EPA's responses to them.
This document is the first guideline on EfW released by EPA. It is high level and includes all forms of EfW technologies so that stakeholders (including the community) have a holistic view of the topic and options.
The guideline does state that it primarily focuses on thermal technologies. It also contains useful information on biological treatment – including on the works approval assessment process, schedule categories, references to state environment protection policies and Regulations and combustion of biogas.
EPA intends to provide further guidance on biological treatment (particularly anaerobic digestion) in the future.
In relation to the statement that 'recovery of energy should not compete with avoidance, reuse or recycling':
As part of the works approval process, EPA will assess the proposed feedstock, to ensure it is made of residual wastes, and the benefits and impacts of an EfW plant over the lifetime of a plant. However, once a works approval is issued, EPA will not revisit the approved waste feedstock and the removal of recyclables overtime is expected to be market-driven.
If the feedstock of an EfW facility changes to the point where emissions to the environment are likely to be altered significantly, a works approval will be required to ensure these emissions are still within acceptable limits.
EPA suggests that waste generators consider future diversion opportunities before signing long-term contracts with EfW providers and those EfW providers should not rely on a single source of supply.
The detailed analysis is only required by EPA as part of the works approval process (either by the facility making the RDF, if scheduled, or by the facility using the RDF). Once the works approval is issued and the plant is operating, EPA will focus on controlling emissions to the environment by the plant using the RDF. As contaminants within the feedstock could impact these emissions, it is recommended that proponents carefully control the quality of their feedstock on an ongoing basis.
The RDF assessment will focus on ensuring it does not contain recyclables, waste with no calorific value or contaminants. If contaminants are present (for example PIW), proponents will need to demonstrate that risks associated with these have been addressed.
The section on biofuels is called 'waste acceptance and preparation for energy recovery'. This means that, if the waste meets the biofuel criteria, there is no need to seek approval from EPA before using it as feedstock for energy recovery. For example, untreated wood residue can be used directly in a boiler of small capacity, or biomass can be used in a small anaerobic digester. However, A07 and A08 scheduled categories still apply (due to the process rather than the feedstock).
Thermal treatment of waste other than biofuel, even in small volumes, could trigger A02 (based on risk).
This section has been clarified in the final document.
EPA acknowledges that the 0.65 threshold will be difficult to reach for small-scale projects, and this will be taken into consideration during the assessment of a proposal. As stated in the guideline, there will be a degree of flexibility and pragmatism in using the formulae. However, setting various thresholds would be very complex, as there are multiple factors that could cause the efficiency to drop off (such as feedstock, scale of operations or limited use of heat). Proponents are asked to aim for the highest efficiency possible, but with a degree of pragmatism and cost-effectiveness.
The inclusion of the R1 formulae in the guideline is also a way to provide a consistent and transparent mechanism to assess the thermal efficiency of a plant.
Landfill gas is a by-product of the landfilling process and is therefore out of scope of the guideline. However, 'out of scope' does not mean EPA does not consider it as an option. It simply means it is not addressed as part of this guideline. Setting up bioreactors is already addressed in the Landfill best practice environmental management (BPEM) guideline (publication 788); therefore, there is no need to repeat the wording in this EfW guideline.
Further, recycling and recovery of energy should be considered as a preferred option, ahead of landfilling, as per the waste hierarchy. As landfilling is the last option on the hierarchy, waste that is too commingled/contaminated will end up there anyway.
Where the harvested landfill gas is combusted to generate energy, it may become a scheduled activity (A08), depending on the capacity, and this part of the process is in scope of the EfW guideline, particularly from an air emission point of view.
Where EPA has stated that 'the combustion of RDF as fuel replacement in an existing facility should have similar or reduced emissions to atmosphere in comparison to the emissions from the standard fuel it replaces':
Whilst the overall benefit to the Victorian environment is taken into account when assessing a proposal, it is difficult to directly compare two different geographical locations and two completely different technologies.
The original assessment of the air emission profile from an existing plant would have been based on a range of local factors, including the proximity of residential areas, the local environment and so on. Therefore, if this profile is likely to change, with levels of some contaminants decreasing and others increasing, a new assessment will be needed to determine whether the overall air emissions are still acceptable to the local environment. If the emission profile of an existing plant is significantly impacted, the proposals will likely be rejected, or technical modifications will be required (for example, to improve scrubbing efficiency).
Page last updated on 3 Aug 2017


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ORLANDO, Fla. - A 28-year-old man who works at Walt Disney World was arrested at his workplace on child pornography charges.
Kentriale Authur Barnes, of Orlando, was arrested Wednesday on charges of cruelty toward a child and possession of obscene material.
According to an arrest affidavit, Orange County investigators discovered that illegal photos were downloaded to a computer where Barnes lives.
Deputies went to his home after obtaining a search warrant and found child pornography on a laptop computer, the affidavit said.
Deputies learned that Barnes worked at Disney and went to his workplace, Fort Wilderness, according to law enforcement officials. There, Barnes admitted that he had downloaded the images and said he knew it was illegal, the affidavit said.
Barnes told investigators that he had been downloading child porn for years.
He was arrested and taken to the Orange County Jail.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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SP11-406 - Potentiometer Lever Return Spring
Lever Return Spring for PB-5 and PB-6 Style Potentiometer (Pot Box)
Part Number: SP11-406
BK55-140 - Brake Pedal Return Spring
Brake Pedal Return Spring for Westinghouse Marketeer models 139, 436, 437 and HMK Marketeer models 438 and 439.......Also Nordskog "Marketeer" models 262 and 264.
Part Number: BK55-140
7689W - 1/4-20 Nut
1/4"-20 standard course thread Nut for many applications on 1963 and newer Harley Davidson.......Also Club Car, Cushman, E-Z-GO, Legend, Pargo, Jacobsen, Taylor-Dunn and others.
Part Number: 7689W
SP55-492 - Rotary Arm Return Spring
Rotary Arm Return Spring for Speed Control Box on Nordskog late models 262 and 264 and early models 280/282B series.......Also Nordco model 450 4-Runner. .
Part Number: SP55-492
7676 - 1/4-28 Nut
1/4"-28 Nut for many applications on 1963 and newer Harley Davidson, Cushman, E-Z-GO, Taylor-Dunn and others.
Part Number: 7676
SP55-030 - Spring for Speed Control & F&R
Spring for Speed Control Pivot Bar on 1965 to 1975 Westinghouse Marketer models 436E, 436G, 437 and 437A.......Also fits Nordco Marketeer model 139, one required.......Also Movable Contact on Forward and Reverse Switch on Nordskog model 535 Errand Master.......Also model 323 Stock Chaser and model 450 4-Runner golf cart, two required.
Part Number: SP55-030
BT44-270 - Nut for Battery Rod, 3/8-16
Nut for Battery Hold Down Rod for Club Car Precedent models from 2004 and newer.......Also Top of Shock and King Pin Nut on 1981 and newer model DS.
Part Number: BT44-270
WH11-290 - Lug Nut, SAE
1/2-20 Steel Lug Nut for 1974 and newer Club Car.......Also Harley Davidson and Columbia Par car....... Also all years of E-Z-GO.......Also Cushman, Taylor Dunn, Jacobsen, Motrec, and others,
Part Number: WH11-290
SP22-070 - Pot Box Spring
Accelerator Return Spring for Speed Control Box on Nordskog models 280/282 and model 150.
Part Number: SP22-070
BT44-260 - Nut for Battery Rod & Other, 5/16-18
Nut for Battery Hold Down Rod on 1976 to 2006 Club Car model DS & XRT.......Also 1974 & newer E-Z-GO.......Many other carts & applications.
Part Number: BT44-260
AX22-380 - Retaining Ring, Input Gear
Input Gear Retaining Snap Ring for 1986-1/2 and newer E-Z-GO electric.......Also 1993 to 2013 Columbia Par Car electric....... Also 1990 to 1995 Hyundai.......Also 1990 to 2008 Yamaha electric models G8-G27.......Also 2006 & newer Cushman Titan.......Also 1998 and newer Taylor-Dunn model R-380.......Also 1992 and newer Nordskog model 280A.......Also Motrec 330-E and other models ......All with Dana electric differential.......Also Rear Axle Bearing Retainer for 1970 to 1980 Club Car Caroche, Pargo golf carts, early E-Z-GO golf carts and mid 1980s burden carriers, All with Terrill differentials.
Part Number: AX22-380
ST11-402 - Jam Nut, Left Hand, 9/16-18
Left Hand Thread Tie Rod End Jam Nut for 1986 to 1989 Columbia Par Car.......Also 1965 to mid 2001 E-Z-GO.......Also 1974 to 1990 Melex.......Also Cushman, Pargo, Legend.......Also others with 9/16"-18 left hand thread jam nuts.
Part Number: ST11-402
261351 Highway 101Sequim, Washington 98382United States
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RECIPES: Recipe Details
Open Faced Caprese Sliders
6-8 small tomatoes, like Roma or Plum
2 lbs ground sirloin
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons grated parmesian cheese
1 bunch of fresh basil leaves ( at least 30-40 leaves)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
18 slices of mozzarella cheese (about 1 ounce each)
18 slices of baguette or skinny french bread
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
oil to brush on grill
Preheat grill to medium high heat or about 350 - 375 degrees.
Slice the tomatoes into thick slices (you'll need 18 slices). Reserve center slices in bowl for later. Take end slices of tomato and chop into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces.
To Make Patties:
In bowl, mix chopped tomatoes, 2 lbs ground sirloin, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons grated parmesian cheese.
Divide into 18 equal portions and lightly patty each to about 3/4 inch thickness. Cover patties and refrigerate until ready to grill.
To make topping:
Wash basil and trim stems from leaves. Put leaves in bowl with sliced tomatoes.
To prepare bread:
Mix 1/3 cup olive oil with 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic. Lightly brush both sides of bread with the garlic oil. Place slices on heated grill and grill about 1 minute on each side or until they are slightly crispy. Set aside.
To Cook burgers:
Brush oil on grill. Place burger patties on grill, cover and cook about 3 minutes on each side.
While the burgers cook:
Miix 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground pepper, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Drizzle over basil and tomato slices and toss to coat.
When the burgers are almost done, lay one tomato slice on each burger, top with slice of mozzarella cheese, close lid and cook for about 1 minute to melt cheese.
Place one cheese and tomato topped burger patty on each slice of bread. Top each with a couple of dressed basil leaves.
Makes 6 servings ( 3 sliders each)
Super fresh ingredients and a simple plan. What could be better?


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Bruce Willis takes his ever-tough, crime-fighting alter-ego John McClane all the way to Russia in this fifth thrilling installment in the "Die Hard" series. This time, McClane heads to Moscow for a little father-estranged son bonding...and a lot of explosive action.
Jai Courtney co-stars as the younger McClane who partners up with his super-cop dad to take down a wealthy gangster with political aspirations and nuclear capabilities. Sebastian Koch, Rasha Bukvic, Cole Hauser co-star. Directed by John Moore; written by Skip Woods.


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104-1 Felicia Smiles by DROPS design
Welcome! You are browsing as a guestWould you like to see 25 projects made from this pattern and much more? create a free account What am I missing?
© DROPS Design
by evai
104-1 Felicia Smiles
This pattern is available for free.
You can't get enough of warm colors in the fall. This is "wavy", nice and colorful!
Materials: DROPS Fabel
100-100-100-150-150-150 g
of each of following colours:
no 520, brown mix,
no 543, red orange mix,
no 672, wine mix,
no 674, heather mix
DROPS needle size 7 mm / US 10.5 - for casting on
DROPS needle size 4 mm / US 6 – or needle size needed to obtain correct knitting tension
DROPS Inka metal button no 531: 5-5-5-6-6-6 pcs
For more information, see: http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/us/pattern.php?id=337...


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Perhaps he's the only one in the country. If so I really don't think he's going to be able to pull the economy out of the doldrums singlehandedly because most of his credit card bill line items look like this:
Burrito Barn $3.49
In-N-Out Burger $2.99
I think we need an economic strategy that goes beyond my son saying, "Why, yes, I will have fries with that."
My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer


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The Lexmark X543dn is a color laser multifunction printer that's loaded with office-friendly features and produces good-quality print and graphics. When we tested it a couple years back, we decided it was a decent printer for the then-low $600 price. (Read the PCWorld review for details.) Now, however, Lexmark has the X543dn on sale for $150 off, dropping this multifunction printer down to only $449 with free shipping.
For hot tech bargains in your inbox every week, subscribe to the PCWorld Bargain Bulletin newsletter.
This story, "Lexmark X543dn Color Multifunction Laser, $150 Off" was originally published by PCWorld Exclusive.


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Add Metabolism and signalling functions of amino acids in the regulation of cell/tissue function in health and disease headlines to your news reader:
Or, paste the URL in the box below into your preferred RSS reader.
It is now well established that beyond their essential role as components of protein, amino acids, possibly acting via nutrient transporters/receptors ("transceptors") or intracellular sensors, have the capability to initiate and/or regulate crucial cell signalling pathways that control a diverse array of cellular processes including, for example, gene expression, autophagy, lysosomal biogenesis, and lipid and protein synthesis that ultimately influence cell growth and proliferation. Regulation of many of these cellular processes is critically dependent on the activity of the mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) signalling complex, which is responsive not only to hormonal cues but to changes in amino acid availability. While the past decade has seen significant developments in our understanding of the sensing and signalling mechanisms by which amino acids influence mTORC1 activity the editorial team recognise that future advances in this research area could help inform the development of strategies that utilize amino acids as nutraceuticals to counter certain pathologies such as sarcopenia. Alternatively, studies in this area may help identify novel amino acid sensors as therapeutic targets for suppressing mTORC1, which may help in the treatment of certain cancers and neurodegenerative conditions.
The editors of AJP - E&M invite submission of original research articles that provide novel mechanistic insight of how particular amino acids or their metabolic derivatives are sensed by cells, how they may influence activation and cross-talk between signaling pathways regulating key aspects of cell and tissue function and whether use of amino acids or specific pharmacological derivatives can confer therapeutic benefits for disease treatment. We will consider both original research articles and review articles. For review articles only, authors should email the editorial office (firstname.lastname@example.com) with a pre-submission inquiry including a working title, author and affiliation list, abstract, and brief outline of the content for approval by the editors.
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The perfect response to a very personal interview question
Nick Corcodilos started headhunting in Silicon Valley in 1979, and has answered more than 30,000 questions from the Ask The Headhunter community over the past decade.
In this special Making Sense edition of Ask The Headhunter, Nick shares insider advice and contrarian methods about winning and keeping the right job, on one condition: that you, dear Making Sense reader, send Nick your questions about your personal challenges with job hunting, interviewing, networking, resumes, job boards or salary negotiations. No guarantees — just a promise to do his best to offer useful advice.
Question: I am looking for a job that is a greater challenge and I've been making the rounds with the recruiters in my industry. So far, of three male recruiters and three male interviewers I have spoken with, each has asked me what my husband does for a living. Why does this matter? If only one guy asked me that, I would shrug it off but every one of these guys asked the same question.
For what it's worth, my husband is a software developer and I have answered the question every time. If I am asked the question again, what's the best way to avoid it without sounding defensive?
Nick Corcodilos: Try this: "My husband wouldn't be interested in this position, but thanks for asking. What does your wife do?"
In general, I think "turnabout is fair play" is a good rule when you need to judge the legitimacy of an interview question. That is, an interviewer shouldn't ask any questions he's not willing to answer himself. (Of course, this would apply to women interviewers, too.)
If the retort I've suggested seems extreme, it's based on the same logic I apply to the salary question. (See "Should I disclose my salary history?") If an employer has a right to information about your salary history, then you have a right to salary history relating to the position at hand. That is, what does the company pay others who do that job, and what has it paid over the past few years? Likewise, if Mr. Interviewer wants to know what your husband does, he won't mind telling you what his wife does for a living.
My rule is, always look at the business angle first. So before we get into sexist interviewers and discrimination, let's look at another aspect of this: What does your answer gain the interviewer?
Two things. One, it tells him how much of a financial cushion you have, because that could influence the level of salary a recruiter will try to get you, and the kind of offer a manager might make. Two, it helps him assess whether you're likely to quit if your spouse gets a new job. (In other words, whose career comes first?) By itself, there's nothing onerous about this; it's just an aggressive negotiating tactic. It doesn't mean the guy's discriminating. He could be a fine, upstanding fellow who is so focused on "the deal" that he misses the sexist connotation of his question.
And that's why the retort I suggested is such a good one. A guy who meant nothing improper by it will blush beet red and retreat with an apology. He might still be a jerk, but he's probably benign. He won't be offended by your spiked response.
On the other hand, if the interviewer reacts with a nasty glare, you've just saved yourself from a complete waste of time. Guys who don't know how to talk to women should interview inflatable dolls instead. You don't need to know how to answer them. You need only recognize them so you can cross the street to avoid them. There's no quarter in continuing an interview with a jerk. Your choice is to complain or sue for discrimination, or to walk away.
The retort we discussed is a good though admittedly aggressive test. If it leaves the interviewer embarrassed, this gives you an edge so you can find out what he's really like. At this point, I suggest asking and answering what I think is the best interview question ever. (Click here.) If he gets offended, then he's not worth talking to.
If we expect the people we work with to have high standards, we often have to insist on it. You're not being defensive when the interviewer is being offensive; you're going on offense yourself. Use your judgment, but stick to your guns.
Dear readers: What's the most personal or inappropriate interview question you've been asked? How did you respond?
Nick Corcodilos invites Making Sense readers to subscribe to his free weekly Ask The Headhunter© Newsletter. His in-depth "how to" PDF books are available on his website: "How to Work With Headhunters…and how to make headhunters work for you," "How Can I Change Careers?", "Keep Your Salary Under Wraps" and "Fearless Job Hunting."
Send your questions to Nick, and join him for discussion every week here on Making Sense. Thanks for participating!
Copyright © 2013 Nick Corcodilos. All rights reserved in all media. Ask the Headhunter® is a registered trademark.


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RESOLVE actively seeks partnerships with businesses, professionals, and companies which share our mission to improve the lives of women and men living with infertility. RESOLVE corporate partners and sponsors make a commitment of their time, money, and other resources to advance common goals within the infertility community.
Support those living with infertility by supporting the non-profit that supports them. Each year RESOLVE provides more than 1.5 million women and men with a community of support and gives them a voice to fight for their rights to build a family and reach their resolution. RESOLVE is the only organization with a strong and dedicated network of volunteers that brings vital support programs to local communities and mobilizes grassroots advocates when the infertility voice needs to be heard.
RESOLVE events, web listings, and advertising offer professionals and businesses online, in print, and in-person visibility within the infertility community, with options ranging from $500 - $5,000. Learn more.
For more information about becoming a RESOLVE Sponsor, please contact the Development Coordinator; email@example.com; 703.556.7172
Team RESOLVE Partners make a minimum investment of $5,000 per year to create and implement a strategic partnership with RESOLVE to achieve common goals. To learn more contact RESOLVE's Development Team at email@example.com.
Our promotions and products partnership provide an easy way for consumers to support RESOLVE by simply buying a product or service that triggers an automatic donation to RESOLVE. Learn more.
Click here for a list of RESOLVE's partners in January 1- December 31, 2016.
Read RESOLVE's Corporate Relations Policy.


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CBS' THE BIG BANG THEORY Soars to Over 21 Million Viewers with Live+7 Results`
CBS moved from a first-place tie with NBC in adults 18-49 during Week 10 to an outright win, according to Nielsen live plus 7-day ratings for the week ending Dec. 2.
CBS gained +0.7 of a rating point among adults 18-49, moving to a 3.3/09 from live plus same day average of 2.6/07 to finish +.3 ahead of NBC for the week.
CBS: (L+SD A18-49) 2.6; (Lift A18-49) + 0.7 = (Live +7 A18-49) 3.3
NBC: (L+SD A18-49) 2.6; (Lift A18-49 +0.4 = (Live +7 A18-49) 3.0
CBS also improved its first-place finishes in viewers (13.37m from 11.41m, +1.96m) and adults 25-54 (4.4/10 from 3.6/09, +0.8) live plus 7-day lift from live plus same day averages. CBS won the week in all categories.
Among CBS's top weekly gainers in live plus 7-day lift among viewers were THE BIG BANG THEORY (+3.82m to 21.07m), ELEMENTARY (+3.77m to 14.22m), PERSON OF INTEREST (+3.52m to 17.95m), HAWAII FIVE-0 (+3.29m to 13.59m), CRIMINAL MINDS (+3.25m to 15.61m), CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION (+3.13m to 15.24m) and NCIS (+3.13m to 22.89m).
CBS programs posting the largest 7-day lift increases in adults 18-49 were THE BIG BANG THEORY (+1.9 to 7.4), CRIMINAL MINDS (+1.3 to 4.2), PERSON OF INTEREST (+1.2 to 4.1) and ELEMENTARY (+1.2 to 3.4).


text: What better way to keep your trucks attached to your deck than with the help of a bro? There are no better ways, zero. The second best way also happens to involve the help of a bro, but the difference is you'll literally have your skateboard held together with the help of a bro; like, your friend with the skinniest fingers would amputate his fingers and then you'd utilize all of your friends wedding rings to keep the fingers attached. It's suggested your friend keep his thumbs, those things are worthless for holding a skateboard together anyway.If anyone you know objects strongly to that, it's probably a good sign, maybe just get this hardware instead.Check stock and price


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DETROIT - Back in April, an 85-year-old retired school teacher submitted his paperwork to be an at-large Detroit City Council candidate.
"I have always had a relentless urge to participate in politics, and Detroit, they say, is in dire need of leaders," said George Cunningham.
The City Clerk's Office reviewed his paperwork and later notified him that he did not have enough valid signatures to be a candidate. The Clerk's Office gave Cunningham an option to resubmit his paperwork with the required 500 signatures before the May 14 filing deadline.
Cunningham complied. He received a letter from the Clerk's Office stating he had enough signatures to be on the primary ballot. However, that didn't appear to be the case when Cunningham saw a sample ballot this past week.
"That's when the shock hit me," he said. "I don't know what happened."
After months of campaigning, his name was not on the ballot. According to the Clerk's Office, they accidentally sent him a letter in April stating that he met the requirements when, in fact, he still did not have enough valid signatures.
It's a clerical mistake that left this long-time Detroiter thinking he was a candidate until just days before the election.
"It should not happen to anyone and I hope it doesn't happen to anyone," said Cunningham. "It's caused sleepless nights."
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.