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In December 2012, the then-Chief of the Italian Navy, Admiral Luigi Binelli Mantelli (now Chief of the Italian Joint Defense Staff), highlighted several measures to reorient the service according to evolving geopolitical conditions and a period of budget austerity. He released a document titled Changing for Growing , offering analysis and discussion on several naval issues. Additional details were provided in the yearly Italian Navy's Report, published in January 2013, and confirmed by the current Chief of the Italian Navy, Admiral Giuseppe De Giorgi.
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Vanishing Act
How the universe is erasing evidence of its beginnings and moving faster toward its end
In 1917, on the third floor of an apartment building in the Wilmersdorf borough of wartime Berlin, an ailing tenant named Albert Einstein sat focused on a lofty subject: the universe. In February of that year, he published a paper that effectively launched the modern field of cosmology. In it, he suggested that the fabric of space and time contains an innate tension, an energy that seethes beneath the surface of every inch of the universe. This "cosmological constant" was the force that held gravity in check and kept the universe from collapsing on itself, he said.
In other words, the universe was in a holding pattern.
A dozen years later, however, the astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that the universe was not standing still, as Einstein had suggested. Hubble found that the universe was instead expanding—forever moving outward—and didn't need anything to keep itself from collapsing. Hubble's discovery led Einstein to repudiate his own claim of a cosmological constant and to write the incident off as the "worst blunder" of his career.
In the years that followed, Einstein's concept of a cosmological constant faded but never disappeared. Researchers continued to ask: If the universe is simply being carried out by its own momentum, does that necessarily mean that nothing, no tension is filling the vacuum of the universe?
It turns out Einstein's conclusions might have been less farfetched than he thought. Cosmologists continued to research this theory, and what they discovered is shedding light on the future of the universe—while simultaneously erasing traces of its past.
A New Constant is Discovered
In 1995, physicists Lawrence Krauss, Ph.D., then at Case Western Reserve University, and Michael Turner, Ph.D., of Fermilab in Illinois, argued in the journal General Relativity and
Gravitation that the universe does, in fact, have a cosmological constant. It is a force that not only propels the expansion of the universe, but does so at ever-faster speeds, constantly accelerating, they said.
The scientists pieced together data, including X-ray telescope observations of faraway galaxies and Hubble Space Telescope distance measurements to nearby ones. They concluded that something seems to be pushing the expansion of the universe ever faster.
That force is dark energy, researchers say, and its existence means the universe will ultimately expand so far and so wide that the stars, planets and galaxies as we know them will disappear from view. Future astronomers will look skyward toward a barren universe that lacks any clues about its origins.
"There will be ever-diminishing evidence that there was a Big Bang," says Glenn Starkman, Ph.D., a Case Western Reserve physicist and director of the university's Origins Initiative. That could mean the end of cosmology as we know it. "Cosmologists in general are trying to answer big questions," Starkman says. "Most of the questions we've been trying to answer are about the past. But I think the big questions about the future are, in many ways, just as interesting."
Dark energy may indeed have a lot to say about the future, scientists are finding. In 1995, though, not everyone was on board with the concept of a new cosmological constant.
"The concept turned out to be right, and that was a very remarkable thing," says Will Kinney, Ph.D., a physicist at the State University of New York at Buffalo. At the time, Kinney says, "I don't know that a lot of people took the cosmological constant seriously."
That changed in 1998, when an international coalition of astronomers released a sheaf of data in both the Astronomical Journal and the Astrophysical Journal that they said proved the universe is expanding at an increasingly rapid rate. Measuring the brightness of 102 exploding stars, or supernovae, in distant galaxies, the scientists found that these supernovae were often dimmer than expected. The findings fit a pattern that could only be explained by a universe whose expansion was accelerating over time.
The cosmic self-pressure that the scientists observed—dark energy—has since been confirmed by independent observations, including careful measurements by high-tech instruments such as NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, which launched in 2001.
Shedding Light on Dark Energy
No one knows for certain what dark energy is or what generates it, but one thing is clear: It is pressuring space to expand. That makes dark energy stand apart from everything else in the universe because every other form of matter or energy gravitationally tugs on other matter.
Dark energy's peculiar feature is that it seems to fill any void or vacuum, including those created by the universe's expansion. Even a patch of empty space that had been eradicated of all known forms of matter and energy still contains dark energy, Starkman says.
"So if you have twice as much vacuum as you had before, then you have twice as much of that energy," he says. "That's really peculiar. If you take a box and stretch it, you get something for free. That's the property that accounts for the ability of the vacuum to expand at an accelerating rate. The more you expand it, the more of the [dark energy] you have, and the more that it pushes."
If dark energy seems confusing, that's because it is, Starkman says. The greatest minds in physics are baffled. Dark energy is one of the most perplexing unsolved mysteries in science today, and scientists' best guess for what lies at the heart of dark energy and the cosmological constant lies in quantum physics, Starkman says.
Quantum theory predicts that empty space will wiggle with low-level vibrations, even when all the energy in that space is depleted. It says that the simplest kind of motion conceivable, subatomic particles moving back and forth like miniature springs, will be present even when no other energy is present and they will never not move. Imagine a universe filled with simple quantum particles. Now rob the universe of every ounce of energy it contains. What quantum theory says is that, powered by nothing whatsoever, the universe will still vibrate with what is sometimes called "vacuum energy" or "zero-point energy."
Quantum vacuum energy is "the simplest explanation for the origin of [dark] energy," Starkman says. But the explanation remains murky. Starkman holds out hope that in Geneva, Switzerland, the CERN laboratory's Large Hadron Collider, the world's most powerful particle accelerator, may uncover precious clues about dark energy. The accelerator, which began operating in September, will allow scientists to analyze high-energy beam collisions and possibly reveal a new world of unknown particles.
The experiments could ultimately explain why those particles exist and behave as they do. They could reveal the origins of mass, shed light on dark matter, uncover hidden symmetries of the universe, and possibly find extra dimensions of space.
In the meantime, the observed existence of dark energy—whatever its origins—is producing real consequences for the universe's future.
The Universe's Beginning and End
In 1999, Starkman co-authored a paper with fellow Case Western Reserve physicist Tanmay Vachaspati, Ph.D., and Mark Trodden, Ph.D., of Syracuse University. The research, which appeared in Astrophysical Journal, linked cosmic acceleration to a decidedly bleak future. The universe had entered an extended period of rapid growth, they said, and, eventually, the objects in it would move away so rapidly from our world that they would fall away from view.
The evidence came from observations of supernovae, they said, which measurements showed were not only moving away, but moving away at ever faster speeds. Traditional Big Bang theory runs counter to this notion. It predicts that cosmic expansion will slow or even halt over time. Think of a fireworks explosion: an initial blast, streamers shooting out from the core at great speed, then a gradual slowing until the lights of the fireworks collapse and fade.
If the universe's expansion continues to speed up, not slow down, then light from distant galaxies will fade for a different reason: It eventually will be unable to keep up. "We realized that things were going to start disappearing," Starkman says. "The longer you wait, the less you'll see."
However, he adds, it will take scores of billions of years to lose sight of the universe's landscape as we know it. Today, the universe is just a teenager, a spry 14 billion years young. The cosmic end-state comes when the universe nears 100 billion years old.
As that faraway birthday approaches, cosmic expansion will have created vast stretches of void between galaxies. Today's visible universe, with its hundreds of billions of galaxies stretchingfar into the great beyond, will have sunk below the Earth's horizon. Our sun and solar system will be long gone, having fizzled somewhere near the 19 billion-year mark.
If civilizations exist in other galaxies at such a late date, their conclusions about the universe will be incomplete. Light from neighboring galaxies will be unable to reach them because the expansion of space will have quickened beyond the lowly photon's ability to keep up. Cosmology, particularly the study of the universe's origins, will by then have reached an end. The science launched by Einstein's notion of a cosmological constant will be destroyed by that very same constant.
But scientists are not only considering questions of the past; they are also considering future prospects for life in the universe.
In 1979, physicist Freeman Dyson, Ph.D., of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton University published a paper in the journal Reviews of Modern Physics that argued life could survive indefinitely in a universe that also expanded indefinitely. In Dyson's view, biology could ultimately win the battle with a hostile universe.
Of course, appearing 19 years before the discovery of accelerating cosmic expansion, Dyson's paper did not consider dark energy or a cosmological constant. In 2004, Starkman co-wrote another paper with Lawrence Krauss that delivered the bad news: Life is eventually doomed. Einstein's greatest blunder ultimately, after hundreds of billions of years, wrenches the universe apart. And with it goes the prospect for biology.
"The universe is going to have a long, slow end," Starkman says. "It will first begin with ignorance. And if we are right, it will end with death."
Kinney, of the University at Buffalo, expands on that argument. In a paper written with physicist Katherine Freese, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan, Kinney points out that no one knows for certain whether the cosmological constant is, in fact, constant. It could be that the acceleration of the universe's expansion will change over time. In some scenarios, in which the amount of dark energy exponentially diminishes over time, they find that doom and gloom may not prevail. Under such circumstances, the universe and biological processes in it could, theoretically at least, continue far into the future.
The question is, how far into the future?
"We all agree that life can last longer if the cosmological constant isn't constant," Starkman says. "What we're arguing over here is how long. The evidence doesn't seem to suggest that it will last forever. But maybe the certainty of our continued existence isn't the most important thing—maybe it's the understanding that we gain while we're here."


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Stuart Tomlinson is a goalkeeper for Burton Albion Football Club, a fourth-tier English team.
Last edited by AngolaZee; January 5th, 2013 at 09:29 AM.
stuart is a crazy size for a footballer, what a stud
Matt Jarvis, an English soccer player for the West Ham Football Club, has appeared on the front of a gay mag urging gay players to come out ... though it's not likely to happen any time soon ...
As a Belgian I support this! WHOW!
fleeflaafloo meh ^^
My Boyfriend, sexy Jack Wilshere
Last edited by EuroSoccer; January 26th, 2013 at 06:49 AM.
Do soccer players lose their shorts/underwear like rugby players do? I don't seem to see much of that.
lovely men to see here


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|Ivy Pepper
|First appearance in comic
"Introduction 3"
|First appearance with dialog
Ivy Pepper[1] is the goddaughter of Atlas and Mitzi. She is first depicted in a photograph in "Introduction 3", and first appears with dialog in "Formaldehyde".
In the comic
Volume 1
In "Formaldehyde", Ivy and Mitzi are discussing Lackadaisy's finances in Little Daisy when Rocky returns from his run-in with the pig farmers. Mitzi asks Ivy to escort Rocky when he goes to talk with Viktor about retrieving the car, believing her presence will make Viktor less likely to throttle Rocky.
In "Quantentheorie", Ivy persuades Viktor to accompany Rocky as he retrieves the car, without killing him. She shows no hesitation in playfully attacking Viktor in order to gain his assent.
Ivy meets Freckle in "Surreption", when Rocky brings Freckle to Little Daisy. Ivy takes an immediate and intense interest in Freckle, though his reaction is akin to terror. Though Rocky is atypically protective of Freckle and rejects Ivy's suggestion that he bring Freckle to Lackadaisy, Ivy distracts Rocky and then slips a Lackadaisy pin to Freckle.
Ivy next appears in "Growltiger", dressed up and reading McClure's in Little Daisy while waiting for Freckle to arrive. Freckle shows up in "Latecomer", but his anxiety prevents him from going inside until Ivy approaches him. They make their way to Lackadaisy in "Wishy-washy". Ivy cuts Horatio off abruptly when he asks whether Ivy has, "found another one already". While Ivy wants to dance with Freckle, he does not share her interest, and is surprised to find himself in a speakeasy at all. The issue is rendered moot when Rocky and the the band practically run them over. Rocky is less than pleased to see Freckle, and Ivy explains that she invited him because Rocky would not, and because her last "dance partner broke his arms and legs in some horrible accident". Due to the incoming pig farmers, Rocky begins leading them out of the club, and in "Killjoy", Zib manhandles Ivy out of the club. Ivy tells Horatio that she will go to the garage to reenter Lackadaisy in "Caveat".
Ivy makes her way into the garage in "Rowdydow", only to find Benjy Jessup making his way toward the exit. Seeing Viktor approaching from the other direction, Benjy attempts to shoot him, but Ivy throws off his aim. Benjy almost shoots Ivy, though this appears to be accidental, before Viktor punches him out. In "Stranglehold", Ivy realizes Viktor has been shot, and though he claims...poorly...that he does not need a doctor, Ivy leaves to get assistance, though Benjy asks her not to. Ivy proceeds to call Doctor Quackenbush from Little Daisy in "Quacksalver". After telling or reminding Quackenbush that she is Atlas's goddaughter, Ivy mentions that Quackenbush owes them a favor, though Quackenbush apparently believes that it is Lackadaisy who owes him a favor. Though Ivy notes that Quackenbush is, "awfully uppity for a horse doctor parading as a-", Quackenbush agrees to look at Viktor...after Ivy agrees to pay in cash. Seeing Wick outside Little Daisy, Ivy rushes to him, exclaiming that he has money, and in "Wherewithal" plays on his sense of chivalry to convince him to pay for Viktor's medical care.
Ivy returns to the garage in "Houdini", finding Viktor in a rare state of vulnerability. Ivy asks where Benjy has gone to, and after Viktor claims he let Benjy go, Ivy asks Viktor what really happened. Viktor then claims that Benjy vanished, only to have Ivy call him a bad liar, though she does not press the issue further. It seems evident that she has not noticed the tail sticking out of the back of the truck. By "Lassitude", Doctor Quackenbush has already arrived and removed the bullet from Viktor's chest as Mitzi and Zib arrive from Lackadaisy.
Volume 2
Ivy next appears in "Academia", when Rocky and Freckle visit her college because Rocky intends to use her as a shield against Viktor. Ivy tells her friends that her father wants her to come home for the summer; she is intentionally failing English Composition so that she will be able to stay in St. Louis to take a make-up class. Their discussion is interrupted when Ivy sees Chad, her ex-boyfriend. She is disappointed when he retreats from her, and wonders, "why does that always happen?" Upon seeing Rocky, Ivy assaults him in "Bee-line", blaming him for the prior night's events. She is mollified when Rocky explains his reason for coming to her, and tells him that Viktor is "pretty listless"; she visited him earlier, left the radio tuned to "something cheerful" and intends to bring him copies of Vogue and Vanity Fair.
Ivy, Rocky and Freckle arrive at Viktor's apartment in "Deadeye". Though Viktor slams the door in their faces, Ivy persists in entering. After dropping the magazines in Viktor's lap, she introduces him to Freckle, declaring that they are dating. At that, Viktor directs his glare beam at Freckle. In "Dotage", their conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Mrs. Bapka, Viktor's upstairs neighbor, who desires Viktor's assistance with her sink. When he is unable to get to his feet due to a coughing fit related to his injuries, Freckle and Ivy go in his place at Rocky's suggestion. While Freckle examines Mrs. Bapka's sink in "Handyman", Ivy asks him whether it is true that he killed the pig farmers. Before Freckle can respond he is distracted as sardines[2] spill from a sink pipe onto his face, and withdraws from under the sink without answering Ivy's question, leaving her dubious. Ivy and Freckle talk further in "Sandwich", with Ivy trying to determine why Freckle is spending time working with Rocky if he does not like what he did the prior evening. She dismisses his claim that he is working with Rocky just because he needed a job, but before she can gain more useful information from him they are both distracted by the sandwiches Mrs. Bapka has made for them...with the sardines Freckle removed from her sink pipe earlier.
In "Rhubarb", Ivy returns to Viktor's room after Freckle and Rocky have left. She asks him whether he is the reason that Chad is afraid of her, and he replies that, "Chad vas...bad". Ivy next asks about Claude, and Viktor states that, "Claude vas...flawed". Ivy proceeds to ask about Cecil, and Viktor says that Cecil was "no good". Ivy asks why Viktor has been sabotaging her social life when they are friends, but Viktor states that they are not friends and that she should not stay in St. Louis, especially given the events of the prior evening. Ivy asks whether Viktor is playing "concerned patriarch" only because he is bored due to his injuries keeping him from the activities he used to perform, but before he can respond she proclaims him a "monster" and leaves. In "Gallivant", Ivy yells to Viktor from outside his apartment that she is giving up on him. While storming off she runs into Freckle and Rocky. Rocky offers her a lift, and after pausing to kiss Freckle and stating that, "we'll do it again", she sits between them. They arrive at Freckle's house in "Homestead", where Ivy horrifies Rocky and Freckle by asking whether she can meet Freckle's mother. As Freckle gets out of the car Ivy reminds him that he owes her a date. Rocky then asks Ivy whether she would like to go "location scouting" with him, an offer she happily accepts.
In "Begorra", Ivy and Rocky travel to a farm located in Defiance, and locate a spring house filled with bottles of liquor. Ivy asks Rocky how she can get Freckle to talk to her. Rocky suggests sports, but when Ivy indicates that she would prefer a more profound conversation, Rocky warns her against it. While they are peering in at the booze a source of illumination comes up from behind them, drawing Ivy's attention. The light is revealed to be from the headlamps of a hearse that is facing them in "Corpse-lights". After Rocky and Ivy provide explanations for their presence at the spring house that apparently fail to satisfy whomever's within the hearse, it moves closer to them. Ivy and Rocky throw a soda bottle and a rock at the front of the hearse, causing little apparent damage. The hearse then charges forward, prompting Ivy and Rocky to run for a nearby cornfield. In "Dead-run" the hearse pursues them through the corn. Rocky and Ivy try to hide in a barn to escape the hearse, only to realize the barn already has a car-sized hole in it. They next place a sickle mower across the barn door opening, expecting it will flatten the hearse's tires, but the sickle mower becomes lodged beneath the hearse as it continues to pursue them. Rocky and Ivy flee into another cornfield in "Haymaker", but trip over an irrigation pipe. The pursuing hearse severs the pipe and hits Rocky. He sustains a head injury shortly before a piece of the pipe lands on him along with the sickle mower. When Ivy finds him he has a visible head wound and is unconscious beneath the pipe and mower. Ivy unsuccessfully tries to rouse Rocky in "Predicament", but is forced to abandon him when Abelard and his passenger near her location. Ivy makes her way to Abelard's hearse, finding a gun inside it.
"Scrapbook" includes a photo of Ivy and two companions wearing laboratory coats. In "Tannenbaum", Ivy gives Viktor a green-and-yellow hat and matching yellow scarf, though only because she does not want her father to know that she spent money.
Ivy appears in a New Year's picture taken in Lackadaisy in 1926, shown in "New Year".
Ivy is depicted in color in "Preview 0013" and "Preview 0025".
Ivy was born on May 20, 1909 in Kansas City, Missouri, making her 18 years old at the time of the comic.[3][1][4] Ivy's height is approximately 5'1".[5] Tracy notes that, "Ivy wears bright colors I associate with spring and youth".[6] With regards to her voice, Tracy has stated that Ivy is, "Pert, cute, high pitched, but with a self-aware, sardonic edge. There's a bit of deliberately disarming con artist beneath the daintiness".[7]
Ivy has a somewhat forceful personality. She is likely one of the few individuals who can assault Viktor without him retaliating[8] and has no qualms about expressing a strong interest in Freckle immediately upon meeting him. [9] Ivy appears to have few qualms against deceiving her father. In "Academia" she tells her friends that she is failing English on purpose so that she can stay in St. Louis, while in "Tannenbaum" she gives Viktor a hat and scarf so that her father will not know that she spent money. Tracy has described Ivy as a "fickle teenager". Regarding how Ivy feels about her involvement in an illegal business, Tracy noted that, "Ivy might have been partial-witness to some nasty things and she certainly has some inkling of what goes on behind the scenes, but she enjoys a degree of separation that allows her to partake of the spoils without herself making any major moral compromises. For her, the ethical implications remain largely unexamined, so it still seems all a rather grand, exotic adventure she's in a privileged position to experience....thus far".[3] Additionally, regarding her youth, "Ivy was precocious but over-indulged; a princess in a gangster's bootleg barony hovering between innocence and immersion in an underworld. I don't think she's grown out of it yet".[10]
Ivy is fond of petit fours, and will claim to enjoy drinking a Tom Collins, a Parisian, a White Lady, or other drinks that she has heard others discuss. In fact she has not drank alcohol often and does not care for it, though she has enjoyed champagne punch. Ivy took piano lessons as a child, though not happily.[3] She enjoys reading, "McCalls, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Red Book Magazine (Redbook) and perhaps just about anything else that'd give her an excuse not to read her coursework".[6] Ivy will smoke on occasion around her friends or to maintain her image, but does not care for it.[10]
"Growltiger" establishes that Ivy is taking classes at a university, and apparently enjoys reading McClure's, while "Scrapbook" shows Ivy and two companions wearing laboratory coats. She is a member of her school's rifle team.[1] Her college campus is seen in "Academia", and includes a building modeled on St. Louis University's DuBourg Hall.[11] Attending college in St. Louis was Ivy's idea; she was motivated by the idea of working for Mitzi and gaining access to Lackadaisy and jazz.[6]
In "Growltiger", Mitzi idly asks whether Ivy has, "lured another poor boy into meeting you", suggesting that Ivy may have a penchant for bringing men to Little Daisy and possibly Lackadaisy. This is brought up again in "Wishy-washy", in which Horatio asks whether Ivy has "found another one". Ivy notes to Rocky and Freckle that her previous "dance partner" had his arms and legs broken in a horrible accident.
Ivy has an ex-boyfriend, Chad, who appears in "Academia" with broken arms and legs and retreats when he sees her, leading Ivy to ask sadly, "Why does that always happen?", indicating that Ivy has had similar experiences in the past, though whether with Chad or other individuals is unclear.
In "Handyman", it appears that Ivy can understand Mrs. Bapka's language, which is Slovak.[12]
Ivy is depicted as a human in "Perennial", "Preview 0012" and "Counterpart".
Ivy is Atlas's goddaughter.[13] Atlas was a friend of Ivy's father when they were in school, and Ivy's father later assisted Atlas in liquor trafficking. Atlas knew Ivy, but not especially well.[3]
Ivy meets Freckle in "Surreption" and immediately takes a strong interest in him, though Freckle appears frightened of her, or at least her forthrightness. In "Wishy-washy" Ivy wants to dance with Freckle, though he does not share her interest and appears more scared by the idea than anything else. Nevertheless, in "Deadeye" Ivy tells Viktor that she has decided that she and Freckle are dating. Ivy asks Freckle whether it is true that he killed the pig farmers in "Handyman", but he fails to answer the question and leaves her dubious.
In "Gallivant", Ivy kisses Freckle while getting into a car with him and Rocky, and states that they will kiss again in the future. Freckle seems agreeable to this.
During "Begorra", Ivy asks Rocky how she can get Freckle to talk to her. When she dismisses Rocky's suggestion of discussing sports because she wants to pry deeper into Freckle's pscyhe, Rocky advises her against it.
Ivy appears to have a well-established relationship with Viktor. She is willing to confront him physically without fear of retribution, considering him a "big teddy bear"; it's unclear whether Viktor enjoys or merely tolerates these confrontations.[8] Ivy is one of the few people whom Viktor appears to let his guard down around, as she has actually seen him in a vulnerable state.[14]
In "Rhubarb", Ivy realizes that Viktor has been sabotaging her social life and that he does not want her to be involved with Lackadaisy. She rebuffs his concerns, calling him a "monster" and storming out. In "Gallivant", Ivy yells to Viktor from outside his apartment that she is giving up on him.
Ivy and Wick are familiar with each other as of "Wherewithal", likely because Wick is a long-standing patron of Lackadaisy. Ivy knows Wick well enough to play on his sense of chivalry when it suits her purposes. Their relationship appears to be somewhat formal, with Wick referring to Ivy as, "Miss Pepper".
Zib appears to show some degree of deference to Ivy, calling her "Miss Pepper".[15]
Ivy is based upon a real cat owned by Tracy. A painting of her can be seen at "Ivy the Cat".
Though it has not been made explicitly clear in the comic, Tracy has noted that Ivy is going to college at SLU.[16]
In response to criticism regarding Ivy, Tracy noted that Ivy will play an integral part in the story; she is not incidental.[17]
"Preview 0004" shows Ivy and Freckle sitting together more companionably than has been shown in the comic thus far. "Reader Question: Ivy and Viktor" reveals Ivy's reaction to the notion that people might fancy the notion of her and Viktor in a relationship.
- ^ a b c Ivy's profile
- ^ "Gallivant"
- ^ a b c d Forum post by Tracy - January 27, 2011
- ^ Forum FAQ
- ^ "Preview 0020"
- ^ a b c Forum post by Tracy - May 18, 2010
- ^ Forum post by Tracy - October 6, 2009
- ^ a b "Quantentheorie"
- ^ "Surreption"
- ^ a b Forum post by Tracy - September 9, 2009
- ^ "Academia"
- ^ "Tiny Narratives (Q&A)"
- ^ "Quacksalver"
- ^ "Houdini"
- ^ "Killjoy"
- ^ Forum post by Tracy - February 24, 2011
- ^ Forum post by Tracy - June 22, 2011


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INTERNET: The Marriott Anaheim provides internet access throughout the hotel at a cost of $12.95 per day.
ASTM MEMBERS' WORK AREA (COMPLIMENTARY INTERNET): ASTM provides computers with an internet connection. This area will also be wireless for your laptop computer. You may visit the ASTM website, apply or renew your membership, order publications or check your email.
The hotel is located approximately 12 miles/20 minutes from the John Wayne Airport and 35 miles/60 minutes from LAX. The hotel's phone number is 714-750-8000 and the general fax number is 714-750-9100. The web site for the hotel is Marriott Anaheim.
For information on the city of Anaheim visit the Anaheim Convention and Visitors Bureau Website at: anaheimoc.org.
AIRPORT SHUTTLE SERVICE: Super Shuttle Service is available at the baggage claim terminal. The cost is $21 per person round trip from the John Wayne Airport and $32 per person round trip from LAX. Taxis cost approximately $35 from John Wayne Airport and $90 from LAX.
PARKING: Parking is available for $24 self-parking and $28 valet parking with in and out privileges.
ASTM staff will provide several training sessions on various subjects to educate and assist officers, members and non-members of ASTM committees. The following topics will be discussed:
Recently taken on the role of a subcommittee chairman, task group leader, or technical contact in your committee? This training module will provide an overview of the duties and responsibilities associated with each role. We will also navigate the ASTM website to review available resources that will assist you in your standards development work. Several tools that will be discussed are work item registration, collaboration areas, submitting items for ballot, and using virtual meetings.
During this joint Technical Committee Operations and Editorial module, we will review both new and revised standards as they go through the development and publication process. We will cover how standard ideas are introduced, drafted, and publicized as well as review ASTM's electronic tools and time-tested techniques for accelerating the development of your standard. Included in the workshop will be a brief review of work items registration, the three stages of balloting, and an explanation of the key roles of your editor and the standard's technical contact.
Refreshments will be available at all sessions.
To access the symposium/workshops/seminar objectives, registration fee information, and online registration, click on the title of the event below. You may also register online to attend a symposium or workshop at the "Register" link above.Workshop on REACH, RoHS and Conflict Mineral Potential Impacts Upon the Metals Industry (Wednesday) (Sponsored by Committee B05) Symposium on Developing Consensus Standards for Measuring Chemical Emissions from Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF) Insulation (Thursday and Friday) (Sponsored by Committee D22) Symposium on Natural Occurrences of Asbestos (NOA) (Thursday and Friday) (Sponsored by Committee D22) Workshop on Impact of Moisture in the Built Environment: Prevention, Evaluation, Response and Due Diligence (Thursday) (Sponsored by Committees D22 and E50) Seminar on Designing User Experience to Bring Your Product to Life! (Wednesday) (Sponsored by Committee E18) Workshop on Estimating LNAPL Transmissivity (Tuesday) (Sponsored by Committee E50) 2015 ASTM International Rolling Element Bearings (Wednesday and Thursday) (Sponsored by Committee F34) Don't be "Goofy" with Restricted Materials: Celebrate the 10 Year Anniversary of ASTM International F40 Committee (Wednesday) (Sponsored by Committee F40)
If you have questions regarding only the symposium/workshop registration, contact: Hannah Sparks at firstname.lastname@example.com or 610-832-9677.
Several ASTM committees collect a voluntary fee to support activities associated within the committee such as awards, social events, etc. Each committee determines the amount, encourages your contribution, and can be paid online in advance on the preregistration page. This voluntary contribution is not an ASTM International society fee.
Please purchase your tickets online in advance if you plan to attend any events. Your tickets will be available on-site at the registration desk.
Committee Week meetings offer on-site services from the ASTM staff. We provide photocopying service, audio/visual equipment, and a members' work area with complimentary computers with internet connections. We also have an editor on-site to assist you with the form and style of standards, editorial changes and first drafts of standards.
Join your elected officers and staff for a continental breakfast on Wednesday morning at 7:00am sharp at the Marriott Anaheim. At this breakfast, you will hear an update on ASTM and have an opportunity to ask questions or share your comments. You may pick up your ticket at the ASTM registration desk.
Join us for coffee and breakfast pastries Monday through Wednesday from 8:30am to 9:30am at the Marriott Anaheim. A representative from the Anaheim Convention and Visitors Bureau will be on hand with information on what to see and do in Anaheim. For city information and brochures, contact the Anaheim Convention and Visitor Bureau at: anaheimoc.org.
Visit the happiest place on earth – Disneyland. You can purchase specially-priced Disneyland Resort Theme Park tickets prior to your arrival. For advance purchase visit the ASTM April Committee Week ticket store:
Tickets are valid from Thursday, April 23, 2015 to Monday, May 04, 2015. Ticket store closes 9:00 PM PST on Saturday, April 25, 2015.
Show your ASTM badge and save at participating restaurants, attractions, and much more! For more information, click here: http://microsite.anaheimoc.org/sybas
Attendees have the option to determine their dress at ASTM meetings. Business casual attire is acceptable at this meeting and appropriate for Anaheim. The average temperatures in April range from a high of 76 degrees to a low of 53 degrees.
Please advise the hotel and ASTM of any disability which will require special attention. The Marriott Anaheim is in compliance with ADA standards.
For information on ASTM International's products and services, please visit the ASTM website at www.astm.org.
Questions concerning general registration, accommodations, travel, hotel, logistics, etc. contact Annika Huffman in the ASTM Meetings Department at 610-832-9707 or email@example.com.


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Publisher: Daniel P. Wade
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This free workshop helps older adults get the support they need and find practical ways to deal with pain, fatigue, and stress. Older adults can also discover better nutrition and exercise choices, understand new treatment options, and learn better ways to talk with their doctor and family about their health.
National Council on Aging (NCOA)
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5 simple ways to save time
Find tips to stretch an hour
Time. It's something we all want more of, but it's also something nobody can buy.
It's unfair because it seems like some people actually get more than 24 hours in a day. In reality, we all have the same amount of time to work with. But, is there a way to stretch an hour?
There just might be a way. Efficiency is a great way to buy yourself a little more time. You might not be the most organized person in the world, but that doesn't mean you should suffer by the hands of the clock. Taking it step by step is the best way to increase efficiency -- moderation is the key.
In other words, don't try to change all of your habits at once.
Ahead you will learn how to keep your life organized, not let technology suck your brain time, prepare for what you're going to eat, use the evening to help you keep up and get comfortable with limits.
No. 5: Know where to be
Scheduling used to involve a rotary phone and "penciling" someone in to the timeline of your day. Now, calendars are instant, people can invite you to events and meetings and you can keep everything in one central location.
Pick the program you like to use and stick with it -- you don't need several programs to keep you on schedule, one should work just fine.
If your appointments are organized, you can glance at your day and see exactly what you're in for. (You should also give yourself plenty of time to get to your appointment across town, but let's take this step by step).
Another thing that super organized people use is the classic "to-do" list. This could be on a paper sticky note, a virtual note, a special program or a notebook you carry with you. Just try to keep your list in one spot. You can even add completed items to your list, just to cross them off, if it would make you feel more productive. Ask true "list people" -- they do it all the time.
No. 4: Detach from your email
Looking for a way to waste hours of your life? Get sucked in to Cyber Space. Sure, many of us use the Internet to get our work done, but some of the most productive people have a "technology schedule" they follow.
If your profession allows you to do this, schedule a block of time in the morning and a block in the afternoon to deal with your email. This is easier said than done but it will allow you to step away and get several projects done before you dive back in to putting out fires.
It might even make you feel special to see how much mail you received while you were away.
If email is something you need to be near at all times for your job, then put limits on other technology or Internet uses, such as Facebook. It's used for marketing and for business, but that doesn't mean you need to creep on your college crush's photo page for a half hour while at work.
No. 3: Assert your taste buds
"What do you want to eat?" "I don't know, what do you want to eat?"
This conversation is one of the biggest wastes of time in the world. At some point someone's going to have to step up and make a decision. At work, resolve to be the person who narrows down the lunch options to three places. Better yet, be decisive and pick somewhere.
On the home front, this kind of delay in decision-making can often postpone dinner for hours -- or at least what feels like hours.
During the weekend, map out a family meal plan for each evening. This might even help save on the cash, if you're planning simple meals to create at home and shopping for the ingredients over the weekend. Breathe a sigh of relief -- it's one less thing that you have to worry about in a week. You'll do yourself a favor by planning ahead.
No. 2: Lucky ties and laundry
You've probably seen a member of your family fly around the house the morning of a big event, or the morning something is due. (Maybe you've even done this yourself). Your husband can't find his lucky tie, your daughter's work shirt is in the laundry. It could be any number of things.
Take a moment to flash back to the last time that happened.
Now, commit to preparing the night before, no matter how tired or relaxed you may be at the time -- you will thank yourself in the morning. You can't control everyone else's schedule, but you can prompt them to have everything ready. Also, if all of your things are prepared, it buys you time to help those around you.
It's never fun to start out the day in a panic. Keep it organized by doing what you can the night before.
No. 1: Work and home boundaries
We all have them: the masters of wasting time. You can find them at work and throughout life.
If you're avoiding the coffee pot at 9 a.m. because Chatty Suzie will steal 30 minutes of your life that you'll never get back, become assertive. You do not have to be mean to do this, but get your coffee (you'll need that) and politely tell her you do not have time to talk. Depending upon your personality, this might be a daily occurrence or something that you don't feel comfortable doing.
Try it once. It gets easier.
At home, set boundaries for neighbors and family. You can set the limits with which you are comfortable. You may require visitors to call first or you may be comfortable with drop in guests. Maybe you reserve Sunday afternoon for "family time."
Find a schedule that works for you and breathe easier knowing that you are in control of your time.
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