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Does the station ever give tours to groups and individuals?
KIXE-TV is always ready to give a tour to a group or individual. We only ask for a week or two advance notice. We also recommend that tours be given to persons in the fourth grade or older--in that younger children become quickly bored--as much of what there is to see is highly technical. Call Rob Keenan at (530) 243-5493 for more details.
How do I get an event on the Community Datebook?
KIXE-TV produces an area-wide "Community Datebook." To submit information on a local non-profit event, fax or Email us with the title, date, and time at least 3 weeks prior to the event.
Does KIXE make presentations to service clubs and organizations?
KIXE-TV makes numerous presentations throughout the year at various events throughout the Northstate. This may include taped previews of our upcoming programming or speeches on underwriting opportunities (for businesses) or the role of television in the lives of children. Also, our KIXE Ready To Learn Project Coordinator will be able to teach parents, day care centers, or other caregivers valuable child care skills as they relate to viewing KIXE programs. Call Rob Keenan at (530) 243-5493 for more details.
Why does KIXE repeat so many programs? or Why doesn't KIXE repeat programs more often?
Given that we are asked both questions often, it would seem KIXE-TV fulfills the prophecy that "You can't please all of the people, all of the time!" Perhaps the following will help to clear up some confusion:
Because of their extreme popularity, KIXE-TV normally repeats the highly rated regular series NATURE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, and NOVA in the same week. Also, programs with significant local interest scheduled for repeats may include CALIFORNIA 'S GOLD and FISHING BEHIND THE LINES.
Unfortunately, there are many, many programs available to public broadcasters and too few time slots in the schedule. Coupled with our mission to reach a diverse audience, it becomes difficult to find time slots for all of these available programs, much less find time to repeat them. Indeed, there are almost twice as many programs offered to KIXE-TV from networks, producers, and distributors, then there are air time slots to fill with them. It should be noted that many of the prime time programs, mini-series, and season series seen on KIXE-TV, are repeated in subsequent years. While you may not see a program repeated the same week, chances are, you will have the opportunity to see many major prime time programs repeated in the next year or two. In the final analysis, Public Television repeats many programs many more times than their commercial network counterparts.
KIXE pre-empted my favorite program with an Auction or local production. What happens to these pre-empted programs?
KIXE makes every attempt to move major prime time programs to a later date in the event of a local substitution. While you may not see a program at its' regularly scheduled time, chances are, it will be seen sometime within the next month, if not later the same evening.
What is the difference between Public Television, PBS, CPB and KIXE?
Public Television is a general term that refers to the wing of the television industry that encompasses facilities and personnel employed to make free, over-the-air, public television programming available to the citizens of the United States. Public Television and PBS are not synonymous.
PBS is a specific acronym for the Public Broadcasting System which is headquartered in Washington D.C. and is responsible for distributing a majority (but not all) of the programs to the over 300 individual public television stations across the country. Public television stations also receive programming from four other regional networks, independent producers, foreign distributors, and they produce their own local programs.
The primary thrust for a public television system in this country came from an act of congress. Congress also created the non-profit Corporation for Public Broadcasting or CPB to administer the federal moneys used to fund programs, stations, and other public television related entities. KIXE receives about a third of it's funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
KIXE is a local public television station--affiliated with the PBS network--and funded, in part, by CPB. KIXE provides over-the-air programming to 10 counties in Northern California and is located in Redding.
When will the ANTIQUES ROADSHOW be coming to Northern California?
The "Antiques Roadshow" is not scheduled to come to the Chico or Redding area in the near future. As a rule, "Antiques Roadshow" attracts over 40,000 people and only visits large metropolitan areas.
What is DVS?
Descriptive Video Service (DVS) is a free, national service that adds narrated descriptions of key visual elements such as actions, body language, costumes, scene changes and graphics for public-television viewers who have low vision or are blind. DVS allows visually impaired viewers to follow all the action, suspense, and drama that is normally conveyed visually by following the audio narration. Descriptive Video Service is normally transmitted through a station's SAP channel. (See below.)
What is SAP?
Second Audio Program (SAP) is an additional track of audio provided as part of the standard broadcast signal. It is commonly used to delivers DVS, foreign audio translations or reading services for blind and visually impaired persons. (See above.)
How do I receive these signals?
Most standard stereo TVs and VCRs are equipped with a feature that enables you to receive SAP. This is usually a button/switch on the control panel or on the remote control and is most commonly labeled: SAP, MTS, Audio 2, or Audio B. If you have a satellite dish, select the "alternate video" or "aux audio" button on your remote. If your TV or VCR is not equipped with the SAP feature, you may purchase a SAP receiver.
If you do not wish to receive these signals, be certain that you have selected the "off" mode on the above mentioned controls. The reception of these signals is controlled by the viewer, not KIXE.
How can I get a copy of a program?
Most of the programs we air on Channel 9 are available on videotape. There are different 800 numbers you can call to order programs based on what the program was and who produced it.
I don't want to buy a copy; can't you make me one from the tape you have?
Channel 9 only has rights to broadcast the programs we air. We do not have duplication rights, so it is illegal for us to make copies of any programs for our members or viewers.
Do you keep all of the programs you air in your library?
No, our library is relatively small, so we don't keep a lot of the programs you see on Channel 9. The majority of the programs in our library are fundraising. Also, most programs you see are taken directly from a satellite feed.
How do you decide whether or not to air a program?
We look at lots of different things, but mainly we're interested in whether a particular program has generated viewer response in the past or whether it has generated viewer response at other public television stations around the country. We also look at whether PBS and other PBS program distributors have "blessed" a program so that it meets the editorial and non-commercial guidelines set down by the FCC. One large segment of viewer response is measured by dollars pledged around a program. In addition, Channel 9 receives requests from independent producers to air their programs, and these must also meet our content, technical, and non-commercial specifications.
Why do you pre-empt or move my program during pledge drives or auctions?
On-air pledge drives are the single most important and efficient way for Channel 9 to raise money. Therefore, we have to move our schedule around in order to make sure we have enough on-air minutes allocated to the fundraising task.
Why do you make last minute changes to the program schedule?
Most times, last minute changes are completely outside of our control. It could be because there were technical glitches rendering the program unusable. It could be because of human error. It could be because PBS or other program distributors discovered at the last minute that something was factually incorrect. Whatever the reason, we, obviously, try to keep these changes to a minimum.
Why do the on-line program guide, the TV Guide, and the local newspapers never seem to agree on what it is that you're airing?
The problem has to do with deadlines. The lead-time for online schedule is about a week or so, whereas the lead times for TV Guide and the local newspaper are two or three weeks. So, it all comes down to when the changes occur and who we have time to notify.
Who do I contact with closed caption concerns?
For all questions concerning closed caption call (530)243-5493 or or contact us by email at email@example.com.
When are KIXE Board Meetings?
Board meetings are held at 3pm on the last Thurs. of each month.
How can I view KIXE TV and where is the broadcast available?
Click the this link: https://www.antennaweb.org/
What is the difference between Digital Television (DTV), High Definition Television (HDTV), and Standard Definition Television (SDTV)?
DTV is a new way of transmitting television signals. It replaces analog, the way television has been transmitted for the last 50 years.
When will television stations begin to broadcast in HDTV?
The commercial stations in the nation's larger cities are already broadcasting at least some programs in HDTV. The public television stations in those cities began some broadcasts in HDTV in 2000. Here in Northern California, commercial stations began airing some programs in HDTV in 2003. KIXE began broadcasting DTV on November, 2003.
Will my present analog TV receiver be obsolete when stations start broadcasting in HDTV?
No, Digital to analog converters are available to permit your continued use of your present analog TV sets, although the picture quality will not be as good as a true HDTV receiver will produce. As of 2005, analog television receivers are no longer be manufactured and will be phased out.
How much will HDTV television receivers cost?
HDTV television receivers are available for home use in a variety of options with varying price tags. HDTV sets are also available now in flat screen plasma displays. Large screen projectors are also available. Smaller tabletop HDTV receivers are available with prices coming down as set makers begin mass production. There are also special converter boxes available now for under $60 which can allow analog TVs and home computers to receiver and display off-air HDTV signals.
Will I be able to use my present outdoor antenna to receive HDTV broadcasts?
You may be able to use your current outdoor antenna depending on its quality and design. If it will not work, you will need to buy a combonation VHF/UHF antenna to receive the digital signal.
Will there be fringe reception problems with digital broadcasts?
No, the days of "snowy pictures" and fading in and out will end. With digital transmissions, you either get a perfect picture and sound, or nothing at all.
What will KIXE offer when multicasting begins?
We now offer three separate channels of Standard Definition Television when KIXE is not airing a HDTV broadcast. One SDTV channel will be PBS programming, perhaps in 8 hour blocks for the three work shifts, 24 hours a day. A third channel offers the Create channel. At some point in the future KIXE could offer distance learning credit courses, training programs (how to use the new technology and software), and continuing education shows.
Why is this new digital technology necessary? What's wrong with television as we've always had it?
This is a change that has been mandated by the United States Congress. Television, as we've known it up until now, has been a passive device. With HDTV, the computer is merging with television. This will create a new "appliance" in your home--one that offers you special interactive elements allowing you to select camera angles when watching a sporting event or concert, opportunities to make or change appointments, vote anywhere in the world, do comparative shopping right from your living room, watch programs when convenient for you, and download movies from community video servers. There's nothing wrong with your present TV, any more than there was something wrong with records when they were replaced by CD's. It's just an improved way of delivering information, education, and entertainment into your home in an interactive way.
What is data-casting and will it be available with digital television?
Data-casting allows the transmission of special information to your home using hidden space in the digital broadcast signal, much as closed captioning does with today's conventional television. So, KIXE will be able to provide you with stock quotes, sports statistics, school closings, weather bulletins, travel information, electronic newspapers and other educational material to enhance your availability of resources. DTV provides a digital pipeline into your home with a transmission rate up to 500 times that of your PC modem.
What will KIXE provide using HDTV technology?
Public broadcasting is uniquely positioned to bring you the finest in HDTV viewing. Our nature, outdoor programs, and travel shows will be even more spectacular in HDTV. Our quality drama and concerts will come into your home with six-channel, surround CD-quality sound. Our educational programs will provide teachers with new resources designed to enhance the learning process.
Will my favorite programs be available for DTV even though they were produced for analog?
Why will HDTV programs be rectangular rather than the square picture I now have?
An Analog TV receiver has a picture in a 4:3 ratio--four units wide and three units high. HDTV is broadcast in a 16:9 ratio--16 units wide and 9 units high. HDTV format accepts wide screen movie format perfectly. Movies will be experienced in your home with a clarity and sound quality previously reserved for movie theaters.
What is the key advantage of DTV?
Probably the most important advantage is that it preserves a free, over-the-air television service. DTV will also make it possible for the first time for broadcasters to deliver multiple channels and enhanced data services into your home.
What does DTV mean to KIXE?
It means that we will be better able to serve the Northstate community. A common saying among PBS stations is that the technology has now caught up with the mission, and what that means for KIXE is a tremendous improvement in providing quality educational, informational, and entertaining programs in ways we couldn't have even imagined just a few years ago.


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I must confess that I am an avid Wally Lamb fan. I have read almost everything he's written and especially liked I Know This Much is True. If you've never read Lamb, start with that one. For me, I was excited to pick up his latest to read on vacation – one of those great 600 pagers to sink into when you have a bit of time. I am a lover of big fat books and his usually are, but his editor should have stepped in with The Hour I First Believed because that one turned out to be rather unnecessarily bloated, even though it started out well. This one didn't really drag on but I felt it fell a bit flat. I almost enjoyed it and really tried to. The narratives from different members of the family enriched the perspective and created a well rounded story. But his writing has turned a bit cliché which is disappointing. I don't remember that from his earlier novels.
Lamb has a distinctive voice – caustic, breezy and sarcastic, but at the same time reflective. The main theme in all of his books, is this: "Life is messy, violent, confusing, and hopeful." Water is fluid and shifting, as are our lives, Lamb seems to be saying. Especially when there are dark undercurrents at work.
"Anna Oh, mother of three and successful artist, is picking out her wedding dress for the second time in her life. In the pretty, rustic town of Three Rivers Connecticut, where she raised her kids, Anna is preparing to marry Viveca, who is the opposite of her ex-husband in almost every way. But the wedding provokes very mixed reactions, opening a Pandora's Box of toxic secrets – dark and painful truths which will change the family dynamic forever."
The thread that runs through the whole book is actually the power of art. Lamb celebrates the best kind of art, a subversive type which shakes complacency and causes a stir. Another thread is that of the "sins of the Fathers, visited upon the children". What we experience in life helps to shape who we are but does not absolve us of responsibility for our actions. Lamb brings up an old saying that goes, "Destiny shuffles the cards, but we are the ones who must play the game."

subset: commoncrawl


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LinkedIn Beefs Up Recruiter, the Company's Biggest Revenue Driver
Ask any tech trader on the Street — LinkedIn is consistently crushing it every earnings season. Question is, how does the one tech company outperforming all its peers on the public market keep up that momentum?
LinkedIn gave at least one answer to this on Wednesday morning: Juice up your largest revenue-driving product.
The company debuted a redesigned version of its Recruiter product, an update solidly in line with the company's revamped consumer-facing profile pages introduced late last year.
It's pretty much a de-uglifying of the company's previous version of Recruiter, which, while obviously heavily used by talent recruiters, was just plain unattractive to look at.
But yes, it's also more than that. Aside from making the old page look quite similar to users' profile pages, LinkedIn has placed heavy emphasis on the search bar, located at the top-left-hand corner of the page. Scroll down the page, and the search box follows you persistently. Hover over the box, and a history of your saved searches and some auto-suggested options will drop down in the menu below.
It's pretty clear from the update this morning that strengthening search is a priority. Part of LinkedIn's power is much akin to Google's: People who go to the sites have a clear intent, whether it be to find a potential new job recruit, or in Google's case, to find the price of a fine French Camembert (or whatever it is people search for).
At the same time, LinkedIn — like Google — must remain "sticky." Instead of having its users visit the page and then immediately leave after finding a result, adding features like suggested searches, the suggested "people you may want to hire" section and an increased focus on messaging give the company a better chance at increasing engagement in the long term.
The aesthetic revamp of Recruiter is long overdue. As I noted previously, out of LinkedIn's three revenue streams — subscriptions, ads and "talent solutions" — the talent solutions product is the company's largest revenue driver, responsible for $161 million in revenue during Q4 of 2012. That was a massive 90 percent year-on-year jump, but I questioned at the time how the company could sustain that rate of growth in the long term. This redesign is the first step in that direction.
The redesign seems to have worked for the consumer-facing products. After the profile redesign last year, "All the metrics we care most about are way, way up," said Parker Barrile, senior director of talent solutions products.
Eager headhunters should expect the new version of Recruiter to roll out next week.


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Satellites Search For Ancient Artifact
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life,
on the seventeenth day of the second month-
on that day all the springs of the great deep burst forth,
and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.
And rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. --Genesis 7
By Leonard David, Senior Space Writer Space.com
August 23 2001
Military and private satellite snapshots of Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey reveal an anomaly that researchers say might be the remains of Noah's Ark.A soon-to-be-launched commercial spacecraft will focus powerful cameras on the mysterious mountainside oddity to help unravel its true nature. In the past, expeditions permitted to search the area for what some claim are the ruins of Noah's Ark, while failing to conclusively prove its existence, have succeeded in sustaining debate. The area itself is a geopolitical and religious hot spot, with Mount Ararat sitting in the far eastern frontier of Turkey, near the borders of Armenia, Georgia (formerly part of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the USSR) and Iran. Even the late Apollo 15 moonwalker James Irwin was repeatedly drawn to Mount Ararat in hopes of finding Ark wreckage. Through his High Flight Foundation, a non-profit evangelical organization based in Colorado Springs, the former astronaut made six treks to Mount Ararat in an unsuccessful quest to find remains of the ark. Irwin's last expedition in 1990 ran into trouble. Turkish police detained him following allegations that he engaged in spying while looking for the Ark. Since 1991, the mountain has been closed due to Turkish military operations against Kurdish rebels in the area. Today the exploration of 17,000-foot Mount Ararat and the search for Noah's Ark has moved to higher ground -- thanks to high-tech satellite flyovers. Flood of data
To get up to speed on this search, it helps to start with the Bible. Noah was instructed by God to save his family and the world's animals during a great flood that would cover the Earth. To do so, Noah built a large vessel, an ark. What followed was a pouring rain lasting 40 days and 40 nights. According to the Book of Genesis, as the Great Flood receded, the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat.
Now jump to 1949.Aircraft imagery of Mount Ararat taken in June of that year and analyzed by U.S. intelligence officials includes a unique feature at the 15,500-foot level on the Northwestern Plateau. Then in 1973 and 1976, through the lenses of classified satellites, this "whatever-it-is" also purportedly stirred up the same community. "It's called the 'Ararat Anomaly'," said Porcher Taylor, an assistant professor at the University of Richmond in Virginia, and an expert in satellite imaging diplomacy and the news media. He has been gathering evidence on the novel feature since 1993, including a set of those 1949 aerial shots of the area, now declassified. Taylor said that arguments have erupted within intelligence circles for decades as to what truly has been seen on Mount Ararat. "Debates center on whether or not it's a strange rock formation, a crashed airplane, perhaps a fortress or some other structure hundreds of years old … or maybe something more interesting of potentially biblical proportions," Taylor told SPACE.com. Certain individuals in the know, he added, believe what is visible in certain satellite pictures is the bow of a ship sticking out of a glacier. The anomaly is apparently more than 600-feet long (183 meters), Taylor said, at least that part of it jutting out as seen in aerial and satellite imagery. One expert, a naval engineer and architect, when looking at the photos believes "prongs" or "ribs" of the keel of an ancient marine structure can be identified, he said. Divided interpretation Taylor recently took his plight to The Washington Times Corporation, publisher of Insight Magazine. That publication helped fund special snapping sessions using Space Imaging's private satellite, IKONOS 2. On four separate dates starting in October 1999 into the summer of 2000, photos of the mountain were taken by IKONOS and processed by Space Imaging, based in Thornton, Colorado. Space Imaging's Ikonos 2 can resolve objects as small as 3.3 feet (1 meter) across. IKONOS pictures snapped over Mount Ararat then were contrasted with the aircraft photos taken in 1949. A seven-person team of independent scientists and analysts scrutinized the batch of images. While clearly the photos show some type of feature, the team was divided in their interpretation. While some felt the anomaly could be human-made, others voted for rock or deferred to inconclusive data, Taylor said. One team member concluded the anomaly had apparently shifted, suggesting that its composition was foreign and not a chunk of the mountain. IKONOS imagery confirms that the anomaly is "broken" in several places. "The color of the anomaly is uniquely different from the surrounding strato-volcanic rock. The anomaly seems to be very smooth in texture as compared to the jagged rocks," Taylor said. If it's human-made, then what is it? By using satellites, such as IKONOS, the saga has become a "space-based Indiana Jones," Taylor says.
Source: Space.com 23 August 2001
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23
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Last Update: 11/24/2015
By The Issue Wonk
**A special thanks goes out to 2 good friends who wrote some of this when we did a presentation recently for a church on divesting individual portfolios from fossil fuels.**
Given the recent bad news that the planet has warmed 1° Celsius over pre-industrial levels and that we've surpassed the 400 ppm threshold for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, I'd say that the COP21 has got it's work cut out for them. (TWW, COP21, 11/14/15) But what can we do? Sure, we've cut our use of gasoline. We've stopped accepting plastic bags from stores. We've converted from incandescent lightbulbs. We've stopped using plastic water bottles. We're walking more, turning our thermostats down, everything we can think of. Some have even bought electric or hybrid cars, put solar panels on their homes, and any number of other things. But it's not enough. So, what more can you do? Look at where you have your money. Is any of it invested in fossil fuels? Divest -- Today!
Why divest? Let the Reverend Desmond Tutu explain it to you. (You Tube)
There are 3 very good reasons to divest your individual portfolio from fossil fuels and reinvest in renewable energy. Let me tell you about them.
For many years people have aligned their investments with their values. Many shun what has been called "sin" stocks like tobacco, alcohol, and gambling. And remember the anti-Apartheid movement of the 1980s? All around the world people and organizations stopped investing in South Africa and it worked. The Apartheid government was toppled. The same thing is going on with fossil fuels. A coalition of medical organizations has called for the health sector to divest from fossil fuels because of the harm from climate change to human health. Pope Francis has called for caring for our "common home" by addressing the problem "that can no longer be left to a future generation." And, as you saw above, the Reverend Desmond Tutu is calling for divestiture. You, too, can put your money where your mouth is and play a part in stopping the destruction of life on earth by fossil fuels by divesting your investments.
Bloomberg reported at the Science of Singularity: "The question is no longer if the world will transition to cleaner energy, but how long it will take. In the chart below, BNEF [Bloomberg New Energy Finance] forecasts the billions of dollars that need to be invested each year in order to avoid the most severe consequences of climate change, represented by a benchmark increase of more than 2 degrees Celsius. The blue lines are what's needed, in billions, the red lines show what's actually being spent. Since the financial crisis, funding has fallen well short of the target, according to BNEF."
As this graph indicates, we need to act now on climate change. The longer we postpone action, the more draconian the measures will need to be in order to correct the path we are taking. Reducing investments in fossil fuels is a rapid way to do this.
According to a 2013 report from the American Association for the Advancement of Science entitled, What We Know: The Reality, Risks, and Response to Climate Change,
Earth's climate is on a path to warm beyond the range
of what has been experienced over the past millions of
years. The range of uncertainty for the warming along
the current emissions path is wide enough to
encompass massively disruptive consequences to
societies and ecosystems: as global temperatures rise,
there is a real risk, however small, that one or more
critical parts of the Earth's climate system will
experience abrupt, unpredictable and potentially
irreversible changes. Disturbingly, scientists do not
know how much warming is required to trigger such
changes to the climate system.
As this report says, "The sooner we act, the lower the risk and cost. And there is much we can do."
Another reason to divest from fossil fuels is to stop the industry from stealing from the public. Fossil fuel industries privatize the profits but socialize the costs. These costs are called externalities – like removing mountain tops, poisoning ground water and streams, despoiling coastlines, polluting the air. These are costs that the public must pay. The fossil fuel industry does not pay for the true costs of its environmental destruction. It does not pay for the illnesses it causes. It does not pay for the carbon it discards in the atmosphere, accelerating climate change. It does not pay for the impact of climate disruption on our communities, including property damage and crop loss resulting from increasingly violent storms. We, the public, pay for all these things so that the fossil fuel industry can pocket ever greater profits.
Also, all these profits are being used to buy influence with state and federal governments – influence used against the public interest. Their political power assures them of unfair advantage to continue to dominate the energy market with dirty energy at a time when we desperately need to transition to clean, renewable energy. They also use this political power to lobby against needed clean energy incentives. It's made even worse by the fact that the fossil fuel industry receives government subsidies which add to its profits. And the industry uses its profits to market to the nation that climate change doesn't exist by hiring so-called scientists to produce spurious research saying it's not happening.
For decades fossil fuel companies have spent billions of dollars to get subsidies and tax breaks, block carbon reduction goals, and fight support for renewable energy. They have so much political power that the only way to stop them is with our wallets.
Divestiture from investments in fossil fuels has been embraced all over the world. This graph from Arabella Advisors' September 2015 report, illustrates the 436 institutions and 2,040 individuals across 43 countries that have divested - representing $2.6 trillion in assets. Countries like Scotland and Chile have divested. The Norwegian Parliament ordered its sovereign wealth fund to divest. The City of Sao Paulo, Brazil has divested. The City of Newcastle, Australia, which has the most coal going through its port every day, just voted to divest its $270 million portfolio from fossil fuels, including coal. And just recently the State of California passed a coal divestment bill. It's the first to pass a state-level bill which requires the California Public Employees' Retirement System and the California State Teachers' Retirement System to divest from all companies that get at least half of their revenue from coal mining. These 2 retirement systems are responsible for $476 billion in assets.
Religious organizations and churches are doing it. The first was the United Methodist Church followed soon thereafter by the Unitarian Universalist Association. The World Council of Churches is divesting, as is the Lutheran World Federation and the Church of England. And there are many individual congregations across the world divesting their meager funds from fossil fuels.
Many colleges and universities are divesting completely or in part. Universities like the University of Glasgow, Stanford University, Syracuse University, University of Washington, and the University of Maine. Recently the University of California system sold off $200 million from its endowment and pension fund holdings in coal and oil sands companies. Smaller colleges and community colleges are also divesting, like Sterling College in Vermont, Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, and DeAnza and Foothill Community Colleges in the San Francisco Bay area. And students at Swarthmore, Yale, and others are demanding their institutions divest. Harvard just divested $108 million.
There are many other organizations divesting from fossil fuels and reinvesting in renewable energies. The British Medical Association, The Guardian Media Group, and – you'll love this – The Rockefeller Brothers Fund, founded with a $860 million endowment from Standard Oil, has begun divesting from fossil fuels and reinvesting in renewable energy industries.
But what about individuals? What about your portfolio? Haven't got a lot of money? Doesn't make any difference. Look at this graph from the Arabella Advisors report. 51% of individuals divesting have less than $100,000 to invest. This includes, of course, people with only a few thousand dollars to invest. So, concern about investments in fossil fuels isn't just for the very wealthy. It's for all of us. Every one of us. It's our responsibility – not someone else's.
Fossil fuel industries have been losing money. Renewable energy industries have been doing better. According to the Motley Fool, since 2007 "electricity generation from coal has fallen 24.9%" but generation from wind grew 309% and solar grew 607%. That doesn't include solar on residential roofs "or any installations from 2013, which was a record year for solar, installing about 4.4 GW [gigawatt] in the U.S." And Tim McDonnell, writing for Mother Jones, reported that, according to projections from Bloomberg, by 2030 "renewables will account for 70% of new power supply worldwide."
A report published in the Political Economy Research Institute entitled Global Green Growth: Clean Energy Industrial Investments and Expanding Job Opportunities, found that renewable energy sector is producing more jobs than the fossil fuel sector. Indeed, forecasts show that the power generation capacity of fossil fuels is beginning to decline. At the same time the forecast for power generation of clean energy is climbing.
This graph created by the Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) illustrates that the fossil fuel power generation capacity has been decreasing since 2013. The clean energy sector, however, is projected to increase, especially in solar and wind over the next 15 years.
According to the Arabella Advisors report:
Reports by Citigroup analysts, HSBC, Mercer,
the International Energy Agency, Bank of England,
Carbon Tracker Initiative, and others have offered
evidence of a significant, quantifiable risk to
portfolios exposed to fossil fuel assets in a carbon
constrained world. The leaders of several of the
largest institutions to divest in the past year
have cited climate risk to investment portfolios
as a key factor in their decisions. [Emphasis
Another reason the fossil fuel holdings are risky is that the companies are pouring the vast majority of their profits into expensive and environmentally dangerous projects to find more reserves. BP is again drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Tar Sands fields are expanding in Canada. Shell recently halted their expensive explorations in the Arctic, but may continue it when oil prices rise again. What this means to individual shareholders, is that there is less money available for dividends. Potential expenses and fines for oil spills are very costly and hurt the bottom line.
As I told you above, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund has begun divesting from fossil fuels. According to CNN Money, "dumping" fossil fuels was a great move.
Oil prices have plunged from over $90 when the
fund made its announcement in September 2014
to $45 now -- the lowest level since the recession.
Big energy stocks have been clobbered. Energy is
by far the worst performing sector in the stock
market in 2015. Meanwhile, the climate change
divestment movement continues to gain momentum.
Rockefeller is no longer an outlier.
"We are able to show it can be done," says Rockefeller
Brothers Fund President Stephen Heintz, "without
causing harm to the overall performance of your
investment portfolio."
As you move your money out of fossil fuel companies, invest in sustainable clean energy companies. Support a low carbon future by reinvesting your money into the industries that will be good for our planet, good for our health, and might just make all the difference.
© The Issue Wonk, 2015
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DETROIT (AP) - Enrollment in the Detroit Public Schools is projected to nose-dive to fewer than 40,000 students, according to a deficit elimination plan the district filed with state Education officials.
The revised plan, which the state approved earlier this month, also projects the closing of 28 more schools over the next three years as the district continues to chip away at a $72 million budget deficit. The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press reported on the plan Thursday.
It calls for the district to see a $2.6 million positive fund balance by the end of the 2015-16 fiscal year. Emergency manager Roy Roberts, in a letter to staff posted on the Detroit Public Schools website, called the plan an 'aggressive approach to eliminating the deficit in an effort to prepare the district to become an effective, efficient and, most importantly, a long-lasting organization.'
Roberts, a former General Motors executive appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2011 to run the district's finances, said no decisions have been made about school closures.
'The deficit ties our hands operationally and academically in so many ways,' he wrote in the staff letter. 'Currently our spending on support services is far too expensive and our debt service too high to allow resources to be allocated to our nearly 50,000 students.'
Under the plan, $195 million in expenses will be slashed between 2013-14 and 2015-16. Meanwhile, the school district could lose more than $180 million in state per-pupil funding through 2016, when enrollment is expected to dip to about 38,400 students.
More than 540 teaching jobs and 470 support services positions are expected to be cut between 2014 and 2016.
Roberts said in his letter that 'the district will have no choice but to continue to shrink' if it keeps losing students.
'I know that this is not what any of us wants to see happen,' he said. 'My goal is for all of us to work together to grow the district.'
The Detroit district has been under state oversight since 2009. Roberts succeeded Robert Bobb as emergency manager. Bobb was appointed by then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Snyder's predecessor.
The projected school closures would follow dozens of others in recent years.
After dropping below 100,000 in 2008, Detroit's enrollment continues to fall, with many parents sending their children to suburban districts and public charter schools in the city.
Roberts' plan also calls for a 2 percent pay raise in fiscal year 2015 - the first wage increase for all district employees in 10 years.


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It's been quite a while since I featured any auctions, but I just seen a few really wonderful flies posted on doubleleopard, Paul Schmookler's account. Lots of Warren Duncan Rusty Rat's are posted. I think Paul must have a case of them socked away. There are 4 Rusty Rat's posted, each tied with a different type of hair in the wing; grey fox, badger, mongoose and skunk.
Happy bidding.


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Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Saturday, December 07, 2013
Ol' Project and a Northern Storm
Posted by Marcos Mateu at 10:15 PM 2 comments:
Tuesday, December 03, 2013
Great book by Carl Potts
new book from DC comics written by Carl Potts recently came out, "The DC Comics Guide to Creating Comics: Inside the Art of Visual Storytelling", which by the way I'm very happy to say features a page of my artwork, a page selected out of the original work I did for Framed Ink. Carl is an incredibly, hands on, experienced professional that has been in the comic book industry for many years as an artist, writer and editor, having been the mentor to some of the big names of these days including Jim Lee, Whilce Portacio and Mike Mignola. This book offers a very concise look into the specific world of comics, getting into the detail of the essentials and building up from there, the way to make sure all the information is explained clearly step by step and therefore prove useful to the reader. In this specific narrative media, as in any other, the understanding and learning of such 'grammatical' rules is essential, so that we can then own them and play with them to our advantage when it comes to telling stories, sometimes by sticking to them, sometimes by breaking them while knowing why and how to do it. Besides the visual / artistic side of the trade, Carl also drives you through the basics of how a script works. To put everything into work under a very practical light, the last chapter of the book basically sums up all knowledge and theory explained in the book through the eyes of four different professional artists (including Carl himself) by proposing a three page sequence exercise in the shape of a script that each artist fleshes out and puts on paper in their own personal way. It is great to see how each mind works and how the same script can be visualized in different ways to accomplish the desired narrative goals. The chapter does not only provide the reader with the final artwork, but also with the sketches and the actual thought process each artist went through to get there, which is always the core of the whole thing. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!
Posted by Marcos Mateu at 6:09 AM 3 comments:
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Dinner Tonight: Cheese Flautas with Cilantro Pesto Recipe
Your source for quick recipe every single week day.
I usually don't look to Martha Stewart for my Mexican recipes. (That's what Rick Bayless is for.) But for some reason I couldn't get past this one.
I think what sold me were the pumpkin seeds. Usually flautas, sometimes called taquitos, are stuffed with ground beef and cheddar cheese. They can be good in a gut-bomb kind of way, but that's about it. On the other hand, these featured pumpkin seeds which are ground with the garlic and cilantro to create a kind of pesto. It's rolled in the tortillas with the cheese and then pan-fried.
My only worry was that all the filling would fall out during the frying process. Luckily it all largely stayed put. What did fall out turned into glorious little browned bits, which were actually the best part. Sure, these aren't exactly light, but they don't have any meat, and if you serve them with salsa, you can almost feel good about yourself.
- Yield:3
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- salt and pepper
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup peanut oil
- Salsa
Place a skillet over medium heat. Soften the tortillas on the skillet for a few second each side. Set aside. Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a skillet set over medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add the pumpkin seeds and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until browned. Scrap into a food processor along with the cilantro, lime juice, and the rest of the olive oil. Process until smooth.
Place a tablespoon or so of the pesto onto each tortilla. Sprinkle each with the cheese. Roll up the tortillas, and place them seam side down on a plate.
Pour the peanut oil into a skillet set over medium heat. Place 4 our of the tortillas seam side down in the oil. Cook for a minute and then flip. Cook for another minute, and then drain on a paper towel. Repeat with the other tortillas.
Serve with salsa of your choice.


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Detroit may be bankrupt, but its art is worth millions
DETROIT >> The fair market values of some of the most popular pieces in the Detroit Institute of Arts - including Bruegel the Elder's "The Wedding Dance" and a Van Gogh self-portrait have been released.
Christie's auction house appraised about 2,800 paintings, sculptures, pottery and other city-owned artwork at the city's request. The list of the items and how much each would fetch at sale were released Thursday by the city.
"The Wedding Dance" is valued at $100 million to $200 million, while Van Gogh's "Self Portrait with Straw Hat" was given a price tag of between $80 million and $150 million.
State-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr hired Christie's to do the work. Orr has said city-owned art in the museum can be considered an asset and could be vulnerable during a bankruptcy. He filed for bankruptcy in July, and federal Judge Steven Rhodes approved the petition Dec. 3.
The high values of some of Detroit's pieces are not surprising, said Charles Guerin, director of the Hyde Collection in Glen Falls, New York.
"The art market has become a place to invest large sums of money," Guerin said. "Art is a commodity, especially when you get into those numbers. It's amazing somebody would even have $150 million to spend. There are a lot of wealthy people in the world who can look at $150 million as if it's chump change."
According to the appraisal by New York-based Christie's, the city-owned pieces at the Detroit Institute of Arts are collectively worth between $454 million to $867 million. They represent about five percent of the museum's estimated 66,000-work collection.
Orr has said the city's debt is at least $18 billion. That includes $5.7 billion in unfunded health care obligations and $3.5 billion in unfunded pension liabilities. He is expected to present a plan of adjustment for fiscal restructuring to the bankruptcy court in early January that will include his recommendations for the art.
Guerin cautioned against selling any of the art, saying it would be "short-sighted."
"Detroit is a great city. One of the things that make it a great city is that it has an absolutely great museum," he said.
Here are some of the highlights of the appraisal:
- "The Wedding Dance," Pieter Bruegel I, $100 million-$200 million.
- "Self Portrait with Straw Hat," Vincent Van Gogh, $80 million-$150 million.
- "The Visitation," Rembrandt Harmensz. Van Rijn, $50 million-$90 million.
- "Le guéridon," Henri Matisse, $40 million-$80 million.
- "Gladioli," Claude Monet, $12 million-$20 million.
- "The Palla Altarpiece: Tobias and Three Archangels," Neri Di Bicci, $8 million-$15 million.
- "Portrait of Hendrik Swalmius," Frans Hals, $6 million-$10 million.
- "Madonna and Child," Giovanni Bellini and Workshop, $4 million-$10 million.
- "Saint Jerome in His Study," Workshop of Jan Van Eyck, $4 million-$8 million.
- "A dead hare with flowers and onions on a ledge," Jean-Simeon Chardin, $5 million-$7 million.


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Big Rapids, Mich. - A number of key plays down the stretch at crunch time lifted the Ferris State University men's basketball team to a hard-fought 75-72 win over visiting Wayne State on Thursday (Feb. 20) night in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) men's basketball action at FSU's Jim Wink Arena.
The Bulldogs and Warriors battled in yet another classic meeting between the two league foes with the lead changing hands 11 times and the score tied eight different times.
An early five-point Bulldog lead with 12:55 to go in the opening half was erased as the two teams went to the locker room at the break tied at 38 points apiece.
Wayne State asserted control early in the second half and built its largest lead at seven with 10:18 to go, but the Bulldogs never quit. FSU cut the lead to two points on a three-pointer from sophomore forward Josh Fleming with 8:49 to play before WSU increased the margin back to five again on a pair of Bryan Coleman free throws near the seven-minute mark.
However, Ferris State answered and eventually took the lead for the first time in the second half on junior guard Dietrich Lever's layup in the paint with 5:16 to play. Following a missed jumper from the Warriors, senior forward Raymoan McAfee scored inside on an offensive putback to increase the Bulldogs' lead to four with four and a half minutes to go.
The Warriors, though, scored four-straight to tie the game up on a Chene Phillips jumper with under four minutes to play and grabbed a one-point edge less than a minute later on a layup from Gerald Williams-Taylor.
Again, Ferris State bounced back and the Bulldogs grabbed the lead for good on an offensive rebound and putback from Fleming with 2:37 to play. The Warriors were not able to answer on the ensuing possession and Fleming responded again at the offensive end. He rebounded a missed shot and made one of two free throws to give the Bulldogs a 72-70 lead.
Following Fleming's second miss, the Bulldogs yet again came up with a defensive stop. FSU misfired offensively with a minute to go, but Fleming again came up with a critical offensive board to keep possession of the ball. After a timeout, the Bulldogs ran the shot clock down to near 25 seconds and junior guard Drew Lehman made yet another key play on the offensive glass by grabbing a loose rebound off a Lever miss.
After a Wayne State foul, Lever connected on one of two free throws with 16 seconds remaining to push the lead to three points. Williams-Taylor scored a putback of his on to trim the margin to a single point inside of eight seconds, but Lehman sank two free throws with six seconds to play and the Warriors turned the ball over on their final possession as FSU preserved the victory.
The win avenged an earlier 79-62 Wayne State victory this season in the first matchup between the two teams in Detroit and lifted the Bulldogs to 8-15 overall and 7-12 in league play. WSU fell to 11-12 overall and 9-11 in conference action.
Lehman led the Bulldogs with a team-high 22 points and also totaled a team-best seven rebounds with four assists and two steals in 36 minutes of action. Sophomore guard Jibreel Jackson also had a big night in the backcourt with 17 points, four rebounds and a pair of assists.
Fleming scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half for the Bulldogs and came up with four offensive rebounds while sophomore center Jared Stolicker also scored 12 points inside on six-of-10 shooting and added two blocks on the defensive end. Lever totaled a squad-high five assists and senior forward Raymoan McAfee contributed five points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.
Meanwhile, Coleman led the way for Wayne State with a game-high 23 points, including 14 in the opening period. He also had a contest-best eight rebounds with WSU also receiving 19 points along with six rebounds and six assists from Chene Phillips in 40 minutes of work. Williams-Taylor added 10 points and five rebounds.
Ferris State outrebounded Wayne State 38-31 for the night and grabbed 22 offensive boards to 11 for the visitors, which helped the Bulldogs post a decisive 24-8 margin in second chance scoring.
The Bulldogs also held a big edge in points off turnovers by a 15-3 count as FSU forced 14 turnovers while totaling only nine of its own. Ferris State finished with four steals and six blocked shots in comparison to WSU's five steals and two rejections.
Overall, Wayne State shot 54.5% for the game and made three-of-five (60%) three's along with nine-of-13 (69.2%) free throws. Ferris State made 42.2% of its field goal attempts and hit seven-of-16 (43.8%) three-point tries, but was only 14-of-23 (60.9%) at the line.
The victory helped the Bulldogs remain in front of Wayne State in the all-time series as FSU now leads by a slim 41-39 count.
Ferris State has three games remaining on its regular-season schedule, including two games against Saginaw Valley State and two home contests.
The Bulldogs will visit Saginaw Valley State on Saturday (Feb. 22) for a 7 p.m. (ET) evening league encounter in University Center before returning home next week to host archrival Grand Valley State on Thursday (Feb. 27) night at Wink Arena. FSU then hosts SVSU in the regular-season finale next Saturday (March 1) in Big Rapids.
Key Plays Down The Stretch Help Bulldogs Beat Wayne State In Exciting League Home Tilt
|Wayne State (11-11,9-10 GLIAC)
|Ferris State (7-15, 6-12 GLIAC)
Big Rapids, Mich. - A number of key plays down the stretch at crunch time lifted the Ferris State University men's basketball team to a hard-fought 75-72 win over visiting Wayne State on Thursday (Feb. 20) night in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) men's basketball action at FSU's Jim Wink Arena.


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WASHINGTON – D.C. United and the Columbus Crew entered their matchup on Saturday evening with something in common: roster turnover. Both teams rebuilt their squads from the inside out following a disappointing 2013 campaign – United's starting XI featured seven new faces, including US national team star Eddie Johnson, while Columbus took the pitch with five newcomers.
In the end, it was Columbus who played more like a team, while United showed much of the uncertainty one would expect from a squad with so many new faces. A Federico Higuain brace and a Jairo Arrieta strike led the Crew to a 3-0 victory in front of 13,840 at RFK Stadium.
The win marked the first for Columbus's first-year head coach Gregg Berhalter. United remain winless in 13 straight league matches, dating back to August of last season.
Beyond the scoreboard, the Crew dominated the match, boasting 57 percent of the possession and owning a 5-1 lead in shots on goal. However, both teams traded half-chances during an uneventful opening quarter hour. Four minutes in, newly acquired left back Cristian Fernandez gave United their first chance of the evening, striking an ambitious ball from 40 yards out that sailed just over the bar. Columbus countered with several attempts of their own, all well off the mark.
But United's newly formed backline of Sean Franklin, Bobby Boswell, Jeff Parke, and Christian ultimately capitulated to the Crew's quick, probing attack.
First, offseason acquisitions Giancarlo Gonzalez and Hector Jimenez combined with Josh Williams to set up Arrieta for the Crew opener 18 minutes in. Jimenez one-timed a pass from Gonzalez to a streaking Wiliams on the right flank, and Williams struck a curling, one-touch cross to Arrieta, who's sliding effort found got past outstretched goalkeeper Bill Hamid.
Then, in the 27th minute, Columbus doubled their advantage. United midfielder Perry Kitchen and Crew defender Michael Parkhurst grappled while racing for a loose ball in the box, with referee Andres Pfefferokorn ruling that Kitchen committed a foul in the exchange. Higuain converted the ensuing penalty kick.
For the most part, Columbus contented themselves with sitting back and defending in the second half, while United attempted to push forward in search of an opener of their own. Johnson, who signed a new Designated Player contract this week, searched for space, but was smothered or subdued again and again by the Crew's Parkhurst and Giancarlo Gonzalez.
D.C. nearly got back into the match five minutes into the second stanza. Nick Deleon played a bending cross into the box, which Columbus 'keeper Steve Clark tipped goalwards. A well-positioned Parkhurst, however, cleared the ball off the goal line. Despite a series of offensive-minded substitutions, it was D.C.'s only genuine chance at goal until the 86th minute when a scramble in the Crew area after a corner kick saw the ball fall to Christian. His shot from the penalty spot was blocked at the last second by Justin Meram.
Meram then forced Hamid into a fine, diving save in 77th minute, when his shot from the top of the D was deflected on its way goalward.
There was nothing Hamid could do about the Higuain's shot in the 90th minute, though, as the Argentine tapped home the Crew's third goal after Meram found him wide open running into the box.
Neither team is in action next weekend. Columbus will host the Philadelphia Union on March 22, while D.C. will travel north to face yet another re-shaped team, Toronto FC, on the same day.
MLSsoccer.com Men of the Match
|What We Saw
|Michael Parkhurst (CLB)
|Neutralized his USMNT teammate Eddie Johnson from start to finish, helped hold DC to 1 shot on goal, and rarely lost possession.
|Jairo Arrieta (CLB)
|Costa Rican international scored a nice simple goal in first half, but proved dangerous with his running all night long.
|Federico Higuain (CLB)
|Ran the Crew attack for 90 minutes, creating chances and relieving pressure. The two goals were just the cherries on the top.


text: 3Q earnings round up On The Editor's Desk By Martha Entwistle Updated Tue October 2, 2007 With a number of security firms posting earnings lately, I thought a Friday round-up might be interesting: • L1's business is finally rolling like they've promised. These strike me as particularly positive developments: Revenue for the third quarter of 2007 was $115.5 million compared to $39.8 million in the third quarter of 2006, an increase of $75.7 million or 190 percent. The Company had impressive organic growth of 32 percent for the quarter. The Company's net income in the third quarter amounted to $1.5 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $29.3 million, or $0.66 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2006, which included asset impairments and merger-related charges of $22.8 million. It's certainly always better to make $2 million rather than lose $29 million. • Stanley's security segment sales are up 24 percent • UTC Fire & Security's organic revenue growth in the quarter was 4%, led by Lenel, the security businesses in the Americas, and Asia. • Honeywell's income is up 14 percent, but see these paragraphs: "People might be concerned whether there is the margin potential in ACS that the company has intimated," he said. The ACS business, representing nearly 40% of Honeywell's quarterly revenue, provides technology and services to improve efficiency in manufacturing and home and building climates, as well as provides products for security and fire detection. • Brink's third-quarter revenue was $817.0 million, up 15.2% (10% on a constant currency basis) from $709.5 million in the third quarter of 2006. Operating profit increased to $60.5 million, up 11.2 % from $54.4 million in the year- ago period. • Ingersoll Rand'srevenues from continuing operations for the first nine months of 2007 have increased approximately 9 % compared with the same period of 2006, and remember that: The Company's Bobcat, Utility Equipment, Attachments and Road Development business units are now being reported as discontinued operations. It's still a good time to be a security company, but not as good as it has been.


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Community Outreach Activities
Faculty and Educators in the Geosciences were also called on to communicate important information about the Tsunami to the public at large in addition to their students. Here are some approaches to public outreach that geoscience professionals took in response.
Community Forums
I'll be giving a free hour-long presentation on tsunamis and earthquakes to a general audience at the central branch of the Rochester, New York Public Library. The presentation is one in a noontime series on general interest topics sponsored by the Friends of the library. I'll be using a Powerpoint slide show for which I'll rely in part on information and images from your website, so thanks!
Tom Wells
I gave a talk at a large, local retirement community as part of their Cultural Encounters series. The talk was titled: "The greatest tsunami disasters through time." It focused on not only the Dec. 26 tsunami but also the 1947 Aleutian tsunami, 1960 Chilean tsunami, and 1996 Peruvian tsunami. There was a lengthy discussion session following the 45-minute talk.
he talk went very well. After hearing the tsunami talk, it seemed that the group wanted to hear more about earthquakes and how/where earthquakes are generated (I told them I'd come back in 2006 to talk about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake!).
Laura Guertin, Penn State Delaware County
Local and National Media
Have written an op-ed piece for Florida Today newspaper; given a dozen press interviews; half-dozen TV and radio interviews; university lecture (1/12/05); will give the Plenary Lecture at the annual meeting of the Florida Academy of Sciences in March.
Senator Joe Liberman sponsored a bill for 40-50 DART buoys and $30,000,000 in initial funding for a Global Tsuanmi Warning System (of course the fact that I wrote to him on October 22, 2003 and sent him a copy of my Sea Technology Magazine editorial of March 2003 didn't matter).
George A. Maul (more info) , Florida Institute of Technology
We sent an e-mail to our public relations office and to the local newspapers, alerting them that we had a seimograph station and had recorded the earthquake event that caused the tsunami. We welcomed any questions they had about the event. Word got out that we had informaiton on the earthquake and one member of our department (Brad Jordan) and one local alumnus (Gary Nottis) conducted a series of interviews with WVIA, WITF, WKOK, KDKA and WHP radio stations and they carried the story. Further, televised interviews were carried on WBRE, WNEP and CCN. The local papers as well as Harrisubrg and Pittsburgh papers also carried the story. In all of the on campus interviews the reporters got a chance to see our seimograph, real-time display of seismicity complete with aftershocks, our print out of the earthquake seimogram, and other visual aids on the basics of earthquakes and tsunamis. We explained how to measure the magnitude of an earthquake and mentioned the frequency of earthquakes of that size. Other general quesiotns were fielded.
Dr. Mary Beth Gray, Bucknell University
We are an Earth Science news exhibit at a science center, so we centered all of our programming for the most part around the tsunami coverage. We played CNN and News World International on our large video screens for the week or so after the tsunami, basically as long as they gave extensive coverage to the topic, except for political issues about "is such-and-such country being generous or stingy"? We also more prominently than usual featured the Seismic Monitor from Iris (more info) , also on a large screen next to the video coverage.
We set our internet pages in the exhibit to feature tsunami coverage from the BBC and continue to have a station with links to tsunami background, before-and-after images, and USGS info. Our web page , accessible both in the exhibit and to the general world on the internet, also has links on the front page to several sources about the disaster.
K Stofer, Maryland Science Center
I immediately added scientific materials on the Indonesian tsunami and tsunamis in general to my web site ( This site may be offline. ) and have been updating it frequently. I also prepared a 64-slide Powerpoint presentation for my classes that I have been presenting these first couple weeks of classes. I am currently writing a book on the tsunami.
The web site was hit by a tsunami of visitors and it was shut down. Predicted bandwidth would have been 115 GB for the month; I'm only allowed 20GB/mnth. It's a limitation for which I was not prepared. The presentations to my classes have been very successful. There is a lot of interest in the tsunami among intro, gen-ed, oceanography, non-majors.
W. Sean Chamberlin, Fullerton College
We will be taking the seismograms submitted from AS-1 stations and using them with Alan Jones Seismic Waves program to integrate the data collection and teachability. This is to be completed by 2/28/2005.
Anne M Ortiz, Science Education Solutions
K-12 and public outreach through the Windows to the Universe.I developed a news article and three pages on the website that describe the basic science of tsunamis.
Through our comments system we have received positive user feedback about the tsunami content. We are looking for animations and other graphics that we can add to our existing content.
Lisa Gardiner, National Center for Atmospheric Research/UCAR


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When flyers appeared at Riverside City College on April Fool's Day saying the student body president was a sex offender, students were stunned by the cruel prank. They were even more stunned when they learned it was true.
"I was flabbergasted," said Amanda Waring, a theater arts major who works for the school newspaper. "At first people thought it was a joke."
Doug Robert Figueroa, 40, who was elected to a one-year term as student body president in May, pleaded guilty in 2005 to kidnapping and lewd and lascivious acts with a boy under 14, the Riverside Press Enterprise ( https://bit.ly/10APlun ) reported. His five-year prison term was immediately suspended and he's serving 10 years' probation.
Figueroa told the newspaper in an e-mail that he has not tried to hide his past.
"Many students have been aware of my status and we believe in rehabilitation," Figueroa said. "I dedicate my life to change the stigmas on these types of offenses. Don't get me wrong, there are some offenders that truly need to be on high supervision."
College administrators released a statement saying Figueroa had notified them of his status as required, and that his name appeared in a publicly available binder identifying campus sex offender at the college police department. They said Figueroa was told not to engage in activities that violate his probation, and he was not at the school's annual Halloween or Easter celebrations, where many children gather.
"The administration reviewed the district policies, the law and the constitution of the Associated Students and determined that there was no policy, statute or ordinance that could prohibit this student from seeking office as student body president," the statement said.
Information from: The Press-Enterprise, https://www.pe.com
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Fire at Russian psychiatric hospital kills 38
MOSCOW -- A fire swept quickly through a psychiatric hospital outside Moscow early Friday, killing 38 people, some of them sedated and in their beds, officials said.
The one-story brick-and-wood hospital building housed patients with severe mental disorders, Health Ministry officials said. An Emergencies Ministry official said the fire started in a wooden annex and then spread to the main brick building, which had wooden beams.
Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said that half of the patients took sedatives at night. She insisted that the patients were not tied to their beds and were not given any medication that would leave them unconscious and unable to escape.
At least 29 people were burned alive, said Irina Gumennaya, a spokeswoman for the federal Investigative Committee.
Investigators said the 38 dead included 36 patients and two doctors. They said a nurse managed to escape and save one patient, while another patient got out on his own. The Emergencies Ministry also posted a list of the patients indicating they ranged in age from 20 to 76. Gumennaya told Russian news agencies that most of the people died in their beds.
Moscow region Governor Andrei Vorobyev said some of the hospital windows were barred. Gumennaya cited the surviving nurse as saying that the doors inside the hospital were not locked.
Investigators said they are looking at violations of fire regulations and a short circuit as possible causes for the blaze that engulfed the hospital in the Ramensky settlement, some 85 kilometers (53 miles) north of Moscow.
Vadim Belovoshin of the Emergencies Ministry said that it took firefighters an hour to get to the hospital because a ferry across a canal was closed and they had to make a detour.
Vorobyev told Russian state television that the fire alarm seems to have worked, but the fire spread too quickly.
Skvotsova told the state television said that the hospital had all the necessary fire equipment, but conceded mental hospitals should be better equiped for emergencies than the current law requires.
President Vladimir Putin called for a thorough investigation into the deadly fire and asked regional authorities to pay more attention to safety regulations.
Russia has a poor fire safety record, with about 12,000 deaths reported in 2012. In January, a fire in an underground parking lot killed 10 migrant workers from Tajikistan who were working and living there. In a similar incident in September, 14 Vietnamese workers were killed by fire at a clothing factory near Moscow.
In one of the most high-profile cases of negligence, more than 150 people died in a night club in the city of Perm after a pyrotechnic show ignited a wooden ceiling.


text:
Joynson's local history books:
Murders In Monmouth: Capital Crimes from the Jersey Shore's Past
released November 1, 2007
Early Aviation in Monmouth County, New Jersey
released March 4, 2016
Wicked Monmouth County
released July 30, 2010
Greetings from Monmouth County, New Jersey!
Do your roots dead end (g) here?
Genealogy is the study of family descent - recording the history of your ancestors. Birth certificates, marriage certificates and death certificates are the primary documents used in building your ancestral tree.
I really enjoy doing genealogy research for clients and am ready to conduct a thorough genealogy search for you. My research has been successful in a dozen countries and many states and I am probably most helpful to people needing help in my local area that includes Monmouth County and New Jersey. My experience is in searching many sources in Monmouth County, including records held in historical libraries,
county archives
, court and surrogate office records, deeds and mortgages, cemeteries, newspapers and more. I can find copies of births, baptisms, marriage certificates, census records, military files, employee records and more.
from satisfied customers are available on request.
Did you check to see if your ancestor filed a Last Will and Testament? How about property - did they buy, sell or inherit real estate in Monmouth County? I can search for all these documents and more, and sometimes they are very revealing. Want a picture of a gravestone? Need a copy of a birth certificate? An obituary? Please
or call me at (732) 239-0118. I can provide you with impressive ancestral charts and descendant reports with facts and sources quoted. Searches are not limited geographically and I am quick to respond.
I received an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University and am a member of
Monmouth County Historical Association
and have been doing genealogy research since before the Internet came to be, with experience in
Monmouth County
Ocean County
New Jersey
. The genealogy research fee is $30/hour plus out-of-pocket expenses for copies, fees, postage, etc. I have given lectures and written articles on genealogy resarch and am available as guest speaker.
I volunteered as the former president of Holmdel Historical Society for six years. Currently I am the full time Records Analyst at Monmouth County Archives, where I enjoy serving the public research requests.
Pictured on the front cover
of November 2011 issue of
, as
"The History Detective."
Photo by
McKay Imaging
For help with local genealogical research and information regarding local history, location, getting vital statistics, religious institutions, cemeteries or funeral homes, see:
Aberdeen Township
Matawan Township
Matawan Borough
Holmdel Township
Or hire me and we will both quickly learn the interesting facts about your ancestors, wherever they came from!
Thank you for visiting my website.
The above information is offered freely to anyone wishing to do their own research.
To hire George or for more info email
George Joynson
or call (732)239-0118.
Last updated February 2017. You may be surprised to learn what's in your family tree! Hope to hear from you soon!


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EVENT: Concert Celebrates Polish Composer Krzysztof Penderecki
DATE, TIME, AND PLACE: Sunday, April 14 at 3 p.m. in Strong Auditorium, University of Rochester River Campus.
WHAT: A concert featuring Eastman School of Music trio Strings & Hammers will honor the 80th birthday of composer Krzysztof Penderecki, one of today's foremost contemporary composers.
Strings & Hammers features Eunmi Ko on piano, Sini Virtanen on violin, and Julia Shulman on double bass. The trio's performance of three pieces will be accompanied by a short lecture on the different stylistic periods of Penderecki. In addition to Penderecki's birthday, this event also marks the 40th anniversary of the sister cities relationship between Rochester and Krakow, Penderecki's home city.
Born November 23, 1933, in Dębica, Poland, Penderecki studied at the Krakow Conservatory, where he later became a professor. Soon after graduating in 1958, Penderecki composed one of his best-known and oft-performed compositions, Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, which received a UNESCO prize in 1960. This piece was followed by several successes, including what was considered his first major work, "St. Luke's Passion," commissioned by the West German Radio in Cologne to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the Munster Cathedral in 1966.
Penderecki is the recipient of multiple Grammy Awards and was named "Best Living Composer" at the Midem Classic in Cannes in 2000. He has received many honorary doctorates and professorships from various universities, including the University of Rochester, as well as honorary memberships from music conservatories around the world.
SPONSOR: The University of Rochester's Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies and the Department of Music.
ADMISSION: Free.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the Skalny Center at 585.275.9898.
Category: Society & Culture


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DiS-favourites Jagwar Ma descend on Bristol for the next instalment of Nokia's LumiaLive sessions in conjunction with La Blogoteque & Microsoft Devices.
We gave Jagwar Ma's exquisite album Howlin a 8/10 review and on seeing them in Nottingham late last year, DiS' Dom Gourlay described them as "possibly the most exciting live band on the planet right now." And you could watch them live, for free, at Bristol's Old Court House, if you win our competition.
Christophe Abric of La Blogothèque (who will be shooting the session) said:
"There's something organic in their heady electro soul fusion sound, something that brings you back to the heart of Madchester and the famous Haçienda club, a sound that is that's impossible to resist."
We have 20 pairs of tickets to give away, and all you need to do for a chance to win is post a tweet using the following button:
Competition closes at midday on June 8th and winners will be chosen at random by DiS editor and notified via Twitter.
Years & Years - Lumia Live Session
Here's footage of the recent Lumia Live Session at an abandoned tube station in London.
p.s. You can also enter to win tickets via the Nokia website too.
Wanna dance? Win tickets for @JagwarMa @nokia_uk #LumiaLive session on June 12th in Bristol!
http://t.co/4YvTwOiwk6 pic.twitter.com/JvyQgyzkxV— La Blogotheque (@blogotheque) June 2, 2014


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GREAT NEWS, everyone: Hearthstone is now available on iOS (iPad, iPhone, and iPoop)!
While many of us are rolling our eyes at the fact that this is a soft launch in test markets and the Android app is still months away, those who happen to have a Crapple device can now enjoy Hearthstone on the can.. See what I did there? We are going to share how you can join in on the action while also looking at some upcoming features, tips and tricks, and other goodies.
First and foremost, there are two ways you can get the Hearthstone app on your iPhone and iPad. The easy way is to live in Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. The hard way is moving there just to get your Hearthstone fix wherever you go.
No worries – there is a third way to get Hearthstone on your iPoop device!
What you want to do is switch your Apple App Store region to Canada and trick your device into thinking you are there. I'm not sure if you have to even have to change your address but this is what I tested successfully:
- Go into Settings then iTunes / App Store and tap your Apple ID.
- Click View Apple ID and then change your region to Canada.
- Agree to the terms then edit your profile.
- Choose "none" for payment.
- Copy and paste a Canada address from a public listing (i.e. apartment listings).
- Choose "none" for payment.
- Open up the App Store and download Hearthstone.
- Launch Hearthstone and play a match or two – ENJOY!
- Receive your FREE "expert pack" after playing one match.
After you test that Hearthstone has successfully installed, you can revert back to your original settings. The trickiest part is finding an address that is publicly listed. I recommend using something buried in the search engine results so we're not all living in the same place (LOL). Apartment listings, retail stores, and bank addresses are all public domain so it should not take long to find. The specific steps thereof may vary if you have not upgraded to iOS 7.x yet but it is very easy to figure this out.
There are two big reasons why the iOS test launch of the Hearthstone app are huge news:
- This means the bigger updates are right around the corner.
- Deckbuilding games lend themselves well to mobile devices.
I know lots of you geeks and gamers out there have been holding out for Hearthstone to come out on their preferred mobile devices. Some are just waiting for Blizzard to polish the game further and balance everything out. Blizzard opted to do a rather soft launch for Hearthstone but I reckon now may be the best time to jump in, unless you rather wait a two or three months for the Android app.
If you are hesitant about trying out Hearthstone, perhaps some thoughts from our own Stan Faryna may provide some perspective for TCG/CCG newbies:
Assuming the average fight takes 10 minutes…
If you win on average one out of 20 times, that's 3.3 hours to get one win. And not necessarily any gold in that time with the exception of possible quests and level-ups.
Where's the "good" game play for the free player? If you win on average one out of six times, that's one hour to get to a win. You are unlikely to make gold to buy a pack of cards (or do the arena) with two or three hours of play.Where's the "good" game play for the casual player?What kind of game play should a free player expect?What kind of game play should a casual player expect?
Hearthstone is without a doubt the TCG (Tradeable Card Game) for non-TCG/CCG players. Is there a pay-to-win element? Sure but what free-to-play game doesn't have that (the answer is NONE)? Are there balancing issues? Absolutely but online games are almost always works in progress. A look at the development road map may help you appreciate just how much Blizzard is committed to casual and hardcore gamers alike.
Let's look at a few key points here. I want to sell you on Hearthstone so we can have Geeky Antics / HorsePLAY! game nights. Please keep an open mind…
Blizzard Has Mastered Mass Appeal
Between the familiarity of their intellectual property, the mythos and universe they have weaved for over two decades, and their accessible (not watered-down) game mechanics, Blizzard has mastered creating mass appeal for their properties. Virtually everyone has heard of Blizzard, even if they're not a gamer.. Or they've at least heard of World of Warcraft.. Remember that game?
Hearthstone is already becoming quite pervasive. Even before we lucky gamers got into the closed beta, the game was teased in World of Warcraft. That was back in 2012 and Hearthstone is popping up in more and more conversations.
What's amazing is how people that would otherwise make fun of deckbuilding games or actively avoid them are enjoying Hearthstone. For some, it's the lore and mythos behind the game but, for everyone, it's the balance and relative ease that makes Hearthstone appealing.
Blizzard has had a fantastic track record bringing niche genres into the forefront and pioneering fresh video game concepts. Starcraft and Warcraft made RTS games more mainstream than ever, paving the way for eSports. Diablo made hack-and-slash lootfests a thing. World of Warcraft got everyone on the MMO bandwagon and introduced billions of gamers to the Warcraft universe. Now, Hearthstone is bringing TCGs to a much wider audience than Yu-Gi-Oh! and Magic The Gathering combined. Let's not forget Heroes Of The Storm, which is positioned to make the MOBA/ARTS genre even more of a mainstream activity.
You Don't Have To Do PvP
Expert Mode bot battles should be coming back. During the Hearthstone beta, you could battle more difficult bots for better rewards. For some reason, Blizzard gave this feature the axe but there is still Practice mode if you really hate losing or just don't like PvP. I get it: no one likes to lose all the time.
Adventure Mode will change things up quite a bit by providing a story-driven single-player experience. According to the Gamepedia unofficial Hearthstone development wiki, the first installment/episode is set to follow the iOS app release. Assuming the test launch does not count, we should be about six weeks away from this, likely sooner.
My recommendation is that any new player avoid any PvP matchmaking and stick to friendly duels with friends and Practice mode. You want to at least grasp the core mechanics and unlock the basic cards for your heroes of choice before diving into more competitive play. Doing otherwise will lead to unfair expectations and quick judgements.
There are plenty of players out there that do strategy streams, podcasts, and videos. I am also more than happy to coach new players. Add me – my BattleTag is Yogizilla#1722. Hearthstone is definitely meant to be enjoyed with friends. The community as a whole is friendly so it's a great place to connect with new geeks!
Learn the basics and the game suddenly becomes more fun.. And you lose less, regardless of the cards.
If you jump straight into human matches, you're just asking for trouble. The forced tutorial does a good job of introducing the board layout and basics but a little practice makes PvP much more fun. You want to at least unlock most of the heroes and core decks before you can find your sweet spot and WIN!
Wait.. Is Hearthstone A Pay-To-Win Game?!
Hellz to da NO!
Certainly, the pay-to-win element is there. I have to reiterate that this is just how free-to-play has to be. The 20% or so will always make it possible for the rest of us to play for free or on the cheap. Let's not forget that video games have business interest and have to make money like everyone else. It's only when the pursuit of financial interest over-powers player skill and fun that I would say a game is truly pay-to-win.
We'll be highlighting EP17 of HorsePLAY! LIVE here on Geeky Antics to dig deeper into the issues of pay-to-win, pesky paywalls, and weak core mechanics. For now, suffice to say that Blizzard has balanced Hearthstone quite well. They've made it so that skill and fun are still the focus, though paying with time and/or money still give you an edge.
I would say that, compared to other deckbuilding games, Hearthstone has the most diverse meta. I've seen tons of different types of decks and combos. More importantly, every player has a fighting chance if they are patient and learn the strategies behind it all.
Now, there is the matter of legendary cards. In some deckbuilding games, expensive and uber-rare cards are almost auto-wins and insta-adds for any deck. I don't find that is the case in Hearthstone, though they help without a doubt.
I have not spent any real money on Hearthstone (yet) and I have beaten plenty of uber decks. I slacked quite a bit during the beta and it's only now that Season 1 started that I am really doing my time – in a good way! In my case, I am familiar with the game mechanics of deckbuilding games as a whole so that helps but I have brought new players into Hearthstone and they picked up the game rather quickly. That proves that it's not about the cards you own or even how much time you put in.
To me, any game that requires too much investment of time or money is not fun. You should be able to pick up a game and enjoy it right off the bat. If it's a competitive game, time spent mastering the game should be rewarded but new players should also have the opportunity to compete in a fair and balanced environment.
Arena Gives You Bang For Your Buck
I totally recommend this game to anyone curious about what makes a deckbuilding game fun. I will say that it is best to stick to Practice and friendly matches. Once you unlock the basic cards (one per hero level for a total of 10 unlocks), your deckbuilding options really open up and you'll be able to try out new strategies.
I would say after at least a week or 12 hours of solid gameplay, you may want to try out Arena Mode. If you can win at least three matches, you'll usually get a better deal than buying just one so-called "expert pack". The buy-in for Arena is currently 150 gold whereas a card pack costs 100 gold, both around or under $2 USD. To put this into perspective, you can earn around 300 gold daily in a reasonable amount of time without it feeling like a total grind.
Arena is essentially a survival mode where you duel random players until you lose three times. You can have these matches at your leisure and retire whenever. Each run can last up to a maximum of ten wins, as you can see by the keys in the image above. Realistically, you can expect to win two matches at most when you are just starting off. To date, I have only won about four matches at most on Arena and I am a fairly competent player.
Overall, I think Hearthstone is great right now and will only get better. This is one of those games I want to play with my friends and our Geeky Antics community. I have no reservations recommending this game but I do hope this mini guide helps you get started the right way. Give it a try and look us up. We'd love to play with you!


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Jonathan Brookins' first UFC fight since winning "The Ultimate Fighter 12" will have to wait a bit longer.
MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) today confirmed with event sources that Brookins (12-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) has suffered an eye injury and has been forced out of his June 4 fight with fellow lightweight Jeremy Stephens (19-6 MMA, 6-5 UFC).
In his place on the card, The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale, steps former WEC fighter Danny Downes (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC).
Verbal agreements are in place for the new matchup.
The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale takes place at at The Pearl at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The night's main card, including Stephens vs. Downes, airs on Spike TV.
Brookins, a one-time Bellator and WEC fighter, defeated Ran Weathers, Sevak Magakian, Sako Chivitchian and Kyle Watson to advance to the TUF 12 Finale, where he ultimately defeated Michael Johnson via unanimous decision back in December. He then was slated to fight John Makdessi at UFC 129 but was forced off the card due to an injury.
His replacement, Downes, took a gamble this past weekend and received permission to take a fight outside the UFC. The Duke Roufus-trained fighter successfully submitted Tory Bogguess at an NAFC event in Wisconsin and now makes his UFC debut with back-to-back wins, which included a decision victory over previously undefeated Tiequan Zhang in the WEC's final event before a merger with the UFC.
Stephens, meanwhile, enters the fight on a 3-1 run in the organization, which included a recent third-round knockout of Marcus Davis at UFC 125. The win, which earned Stephens a third "KO of the Night" bonus check, followed a close split-decision defeat to Melvin Guillard in September. Prior to that loss, the Iowa native and California-based fighter earned back-to-back wins over Justin Buchholz and Sam Stout.
For the latest on The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Jonathan Brookins)


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There are many different types of oscilloscope, some of which are detailed below:
- Analogue oscilloscopes – Also known as a cathode-ray oscilloscope, this is the oldest type. It produces an image on the display by causing a focused electron beam to travel in patterns across the face of a cathode ray tube.
- Digital oscilloscopes – These devices are built from various software and electronic hardware modules which work together to detect, process and display electronic signals.
- Mixed signal oscilloscopes – This type operates two or four analogue channels along with a larger number of digital channels. The benefit of this type of oscilloscope is there's no need to use a separate logic analyser.
Oscilloscope accessories
As well as our extensive range of oscilloscopes, we offer a wide choice of accessories, including spectrum analysers, signal amplifiers, current probes and clamps – available from industry-leading brands such as Fluke, Keysight and ISO-TECH.
Current probes and clamps – Current clamps and probes typically have jaws which open to clamp around an electrical connector to measure the current without having to make physical contact with it. Theyre often used to measure the magnitude of alternating current.
Oscilloscope probes – These are commonly used by electrical engineers. When selecting the correct probe, make sure the probes capacitance is within the measuring range of the oscilloscope. To identify which probe is required, refer to the oscilloscopes manual.


text:
Hudson-ci/Extend Hudson
< Hudson-ci
Revision as of 19:11, 23 July 2013 by Scott.fisher.oracle.com (Talk | contribs)
Developing Plugins
Hudson supports plugins, which allow Hudson to be extended to meet specific needs of individual projects. Read on to learn how to write a plugin.
- Write your first Hudson Plugin
- Plugin Architecture
- Plugin Directory Structure
- Sample - Writing an SCM plugin
- Extension points
- Dependencies among plugins
- Writing Plugin code
- Using IntelliJ IDEA plugin
- Structured Form Submission
- Making your plugin behave in distributed Hudson
- Making your plugin behave in secured Hudson
- Marking a new plugin version as incompatible with older versions
- Hints for plugin-development newbies
- Exposing data to the remote API
- Writing CLI commands
- Participating to the initialization
- Writing Plugin UI using Jelly Framework
- Writing unit tests for your plugin
- Writing UI integration tests for your plugin
- Understanding Stapler URL mapping rules
- Tips
Additional references
- Hudson Javadoc
- Jelly taglib reference core define


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I was recently adding the Google +1 button to my site, and while I'm not too happy about adding another bloody button to the long list of ones here, it had to be done. I've yet had to see any positive results, or notice a change within my Google SERPs in regards to this new social voting feature. The long tail search results still are over spammed and it seems that Google's Panda update is still lost in the dark for the most part. So is this the next step to redeeming the polluted search results, or the next thing to game?
There is without a doubt a network being formed as I write this to sell, trade and gain Google +1 votes. I scoured some of the biggest webmaster forums for this post to see if anyone was already offering them for sale…not quite yet (and I'm kind of surprised). There is definitely going to be a blitz to buy these if they work, and if it does work well then Google is in for even more trouble.
For those in the know, or in the I read a ton of forums, their is another large update related to Panda coming. There has also been talk about a major change to the way they view links as well! I doubt this sooner than later update will incorporate the +1 votes, but in a year from now I imagine these will come heavily into play. Just like the people who have gamed links when the anchor text tip was out, they'll game this and there will be huge money to be made. So this is why I'm a little worried.
So how many of you will buy these votes if it's an option? If you're not willing to dip your pen in the black ink, do you fear being left in the dust with nothing to do but complain to Google? I'd also love to hear from anyone who thinks the +1 votes are already influencing their rankings.