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Combustion Air vs. Size of space
December 2013
Gas Heating
I work doing Gas Fitting & Heating maintenace on a number of buildings that have boilers of various vintages from the 40's to recent models. I've been in this position for over a year now. On a number of our buildings from the 70's and 80's we have Hydrotherm Modular Atomspheric Boilers. These Boilers are relatively simple to work on, and fairly reliable, but inefficient too (running about 75-78% combustion efficiency accross the board). Most of these boilers are continuous pilot, and some of the later models have electronic ignition. Here is a link to the manual: www.athproducts.com/modules/lit_lib/download.asp?litFileID=1518
Anyways, according to the Gas Fitter who is senior to msyelf and who has been here a lot longer than I, we seem to have a recurring theme of certain buildings that contain these boilers sooting up regularly. By regularly I mean the heat exchangers need to be cleaned every 2-3 years. The common belief held by him and the person above him who retired (and they are both pretty good gas fitters) that I replaced is that the sooting up is a result of the DDC having the ability to turn the boilers off and on as well as the Aquastat (DDC Solid State Relay - SSR is in series with each boilers Aquastat). So as long as the Aquastat has closed contacts, the SSR from DDC can turn the boilers on and off as needed to achieve a certain setpoint in the common building heating loop. This leads to "extra" short cycling in some cases but I'm not sure if I entirely believe it's the entire issue. The reason I say this is because why aren't other boilers in other buildings sooting up eventually as well? Some schools that have these boilers dont soot up or rarely soot up. So I did a little bit of digging.
First thing I checked was combustion air on one of the plants I am dealing with that is starting to soot up. According to the Canadian Natural Gas Code, for anything over 400,000 BTUH on atompsheric appliances that require dilution air, we size it so the combustion air opening is 7000 BTUH per square inch up to 1,000,000 BTUH, (143 sq in) plus 14,000 BTUH per square inch for everything over 1,000,000 BTUH. Relief/Ventilation air is to be 10 sq inches or 10% of combustion air surface area opening, whichever is greater. So on the plant I am dealing with which has 4x 900,000 BTUH MR boilers plus 1x 250,000 BTUH hot water tank (3,850,000 BTUH) I sized the combustion air and I am within specs according to code, BUT, if you check the manual above which I did, they require either 4000, 2000, or 1000 BTUH per square inch of combustion air surface area, depending on how you bring the air into the mechanical room, AND the combustion air opening and the relief air opening must both be the same size meeting this formula for EACH opening. So in this case my combustion air in this one particular boiler room does not meet the specifications, not even close (less than 50% basically, or more). Note that in the instructions it says if your mechanical room is a confined space you must meet the above combustion air requirements (4000, 2000, 1000, per sq. in, etc.). I measured the Mechanical room that these boilers sit in and it is BY A LONG SHOT definately considered confined space as per instructions even though it looks like your average sized boiler room.
But we have another building with roughly the same load as this, and it roughly has the the neccessary required combustion air, or at least more than enough, and it soots up about every 3-4 years. The thing about this Mechanical room is it is quite small - similar in size to the above boiler room so the boilers are in similar proximity to each other in how they are arranged, the pads they sit on, etc. to fit in this boiler room. And I visited it the other day for the first time just to check it out and something I noticed that I found interested was the boiler farthest from the combustion air was starting to soot up the most. I also noticed in the original room above that the boilers farthest from the (undersized) combustion air seemed to be the dirtiest. This may just be a concidence, or it may not.
I plugged my analyzer into one of the boilers closest to the combustion air, something not many guys do on an atomspheric, and I read the oxygen, CO levels, with the boiler room doors closed (doors to outside). I would then open the boiler room doors and the oxygen in the boiler would increase by about half a percent and the CO levels would go down.
I have briefly looked at draft - most of our buildings with these boilers are vented relatively similarly - there are slighty variations but they all seem to have the common theme (common vented in a similar orientation for the most part into a chimney) - this is where I will go next obviously as draft can have an effect on how the flame/burner performs and lifts, as well, etc.
But what I'm getting at is, it's one thing to have enough combustion air, but how critical in your mind is it to have combustion air in the right place? I look at these boiler rooms and the cubic footage of air that they contain as a "buffer." The boilers pull their combustion and dilution air from this space and the space in an effort to create equilibrium pulls air from the outside to balance pressure. But if there is less buffer/cubic footage then I'd imagine you'd have more of a direct pull from the boilers to directly from outside, which creates some sort of resistance potentially to them getting design combustion air. Can boilers closer to the combustion air opening, effectively "starve" other boilers farther away from the combustion air source of air if the boilers are in close proximity to each other? (and, if this is true, it would be compounded by having a lack of combustion air opening...). How critical is it to balance your combustion air, in smaller spaces, relative to your fuel burning appliancees in your opinion? How critical is size of room vs equipment? Or do you think short cycling, or draft may more or less be the culprit.
I have measured draft on other boilers of this vintage in ohter mechanical rooms with an analzyer on the boiler, and with turning other boilers common vented on and off and I've seen slight variations in draft and combustion analysis as other boilers turn on and off, obviously creating more draft that "pulls" a bit more on the boiler I was checking - in some cases on dirty burners creating a bit more CO, probably causing a bit more flame "lift off" ultimatley tickling the bottom of the heat exchanger, or something along those lines. Gas pressures are always within spec - it's one of the first things I usually check and adjust if needed.
The other issue I look at is these plants do see some flue gas condensation in the mornings as these buildings aren't 24/7. But since the plants are well oversized most of the year this usually isn't an issue as the plants come up to temperature very quickly (within half an hour or better most of the time). When I clean the stainless steel burners I usually seem some "crud" which I liken to perhaps tiny bits of heat exchanger metal sacrificing itself and/or burner impurities falling back on the burners ultimately causing the burner ports to get dirty which can cause issues with CO production certainly, but so can soot falling back on the burners fouling them as well.
Anyways - it's amazing how wonderfully simple these burners are to work on, but, they seem to have some complex issues at times. Any of your thoughts are appreciated.
Class 'A' Gas Fitter - Certified Hydronic Systems Designer - Journeyman Plumber
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December 2013
Questions & Answers:
You've made some very good observations.
I'm not the resident authority but I do know from experience that if you have multiple boilers and appliances venting into one or more (especially multiple) flues, very strange things can happen. One being what you describe. If opening the door to the boiler room causes the numbers to change, it pretty well says that there isn't enough draft/make up air.
Those of us who have spent a lifetime pursuing the enjoyment of wind on a sail, know how little it takes to move you along.
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Tim McElwain
December 2013
First and foremost
I commend you for being interested enough to look beyond just the cleaning and try to find the cause.
Second in looking over the attached manual there are several necessary installation requirements which must be met. In addition to making sure there is adequate air for combustion, venting and chimney size are also important. If sufficient air is available, and draft readings will indicate that in all scenarios. Yes distance from the air source for multiple boiler applications can cause the so called last boiler to be starved for air. Tandem connections of boilers for venting can also be an issue. I would go back and review this entire installation to make sure all the requirements have been satisfied. In the end it may be necessary to provide mechanical means of supplying all the air needed for combustion.
It is not normal for boilers to be sooted up as you describe. there is definitely something wrong and keep in mind soot means carbon monoxide. You mentioned these being in some schools, I hope they have CO detectors installed and working. The school issue is more reason to pursue the investigation and find a solution.
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December 2013
Confined space
Does the boiler room have combustion air and 10% ventilation air from the exterior? Does the combustion air duct end within 6 to18 inches above the floor as required by 8.4.2? We do not approve appliances over 400,000 BTU not having combustion air from outdoors! BTW, B149.1 takes precedence over the installation manual which dates from 2003. There is a new code slated for 2015. We have nearly completed the revisions and will vote on the final in June.
If the boilers short cycle, there can be condensation forming on the heat exchanger and fouling. If the return temperature is below 130F, the same thing can happen.
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December 2013
edited December 2013
Code vs MFR's instructions
Henry I'm assuming if you are not a Provincial Gas Inspector somewhere in Canada, you are obviously part of the industry somehow (mfr rep, instructor, etc.?) and well involved in the revised 2015 CSA Canadian Gas Code panel based on your response. Thank you for your input, I appreciate it.
I just got off the phone with the local Provincial Gas Inspector and he told me that technically the gas code supercedes all MFR's instructions as more often then not what happens is an appliance is brought into Canada that has less strict requirements so the code would bring those standards up effectivelly (I've become so used to just following the code and knowing it's more strict that sometimes we take for granted the fact that it works the other way). So the more strict code Canadian requirements would take precedence. He said in my case because we are experiencing related issues, and the MFR's instructions are more strict than the code we should follow their instructions, on top of double checking all the other things (draft, vent sizing, etc.).
It's one thing to know the code, but it's another thing to understand the rationale for each code clause. Going further looking at the bigger picture, as a "First line responder" in the field, it is my responsibility to further and protect my career and the gas industry as a whole to ensure these appliances are running as safely as possible, without incident. If we start having CO poisoning injuries, or deathes, or explosions, the gaseous fuel burning industry will be viewed in a dangerous light. I take this responsibility very seriously.
Class 'A' Gas Fitter - Certified Hydronic Systems Designer - Journeyman Plumber
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text:
Ave Maria
School of Law Lex Vitae Fund
Donate Now!
Fellow Alumnus/Alumna of Ave Maria School of
would like to share once more the good news
about the group of alumni that have come
together to support the Lex Vitae Society - the
law school's student organization committed to
ending abortion and building the annual
delegation from the law school to the annual
March for Life in Washington, D.C.
came to Ave Maria School of Law in 2006 because
of the school's unique Pro-Life
Mission. While in Law School,
I was proud to be a member of Lex Vitae and a
part of the March for Life.
Today, as an attorney living in
Washington, D.C. and working for Americans
United for Life - another organization committed
to ending abortion - I am deeply grateful that
AMSL prepared me so well for a career as an
advocate for pro-life reform all over
year, with the support of many alumni and in
conjunction with the Development Department at
Ave Maria, we established the Lex Vitae Fund-a
giving opportunity to encourage pro-life
leadership at the law school and to support our
alma mater in its unique focus on the dignity of
the human person.
January 2011, I was invited by Dean Milhizer to
serve as National Chairman of the Lex Vitae
Fund. I enthusiastically
agreed because attending the March as an Ave
Maria law student will always be one of my most
cherished memories and I want to make sure
future Ave Maria law students have the same
opportunity. This new
initiative will support the Lex Vitae Society in
its annual March for Life delegation, as well as
the various activities it holds on campus to
foster a deeper respect for innocent human life
and enthusiasm for the March.
Lex Vitae Fund is a restricted fund and our
contributions will be used solely to promote Lex
Vitae's activities, particularly its annual
delegation of students to the March for Life in
Washington, D.C. I am a part
of an initial group of alumni called Founders of
the Lex Vitae Fund, who are committed to a
contribution of $100 or more by May
15th, 2011, the day that Senator
Marco Rubio will join the Class of 2011 for
Commencement. I am pleased to
share that dozens of our fellow graduates of
AMSL have already committed to be Founder, and I
hope you will today if you have not done so
Founders will be recognized forever on a plaque
that will be placed in a location of honor on
the law school's campus in Naples, and will
receive recognition in law school publications
like the Advocate magazine and the
website. I particularly look
forward to recognizing your support of this new
fund before the AMSL pro-life community at the
2012 March for Life in Washington,
others will give to this Fund after May
15th - in fact we have plans to make
this one of the best-funded giving opportunities
at Ave Maria - the Founders will stand apart as
the very first ones who came together and
launched this Fund with vigor.
become a Founder of the Lex Vitae Fund, simply
go to the law school's website, or call (239)
687-5400. You can also email
firstname.lastname@example.com to
pledge your support, or simply drop a check in
the mail to the 1025 Commons Circle, Naples FL
34119 Attn: Mallary Washbish.
Please remember that the deadline
to become a Founder-with your $100
contribution-is Commencement
Sunday, May
closing, our unity as alumni of Ave Maria School
of Law is rooted in our unwavering belief that
one day the sad nightmare of abortion will end
in this country and we will be
victorious. As alumni of Ave
Maria School of Law, we will champion together
the greatest human rights battle of our time and
support future advocates for Life.
Please join me in becoming a Founder of
the Lex Vitae Fund.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
19.04.2017 •
Film NEWS
Director: Radek Wojcik
DOP: Jeremiah Pitman
Creative Director: Rory O'Conor
Styling: Gillian Willkins
Hair: Tamara Mcnaughton
Make-up: Kristina Brown
"In collaboration with Connect the Dots, GlamPR produced for adidas/Stella McCartney the video portion of the new image campaign. Agency Made Thought created fun new imagery for the successful brand. Produced in Venice Beach, California – where working out is always in fashion," says the GLAMPR team about the latest campaign, which it presents you here on GoSee. Part of it all were Director Radek Wojcik, DOP Jeremiah Pitman, Creative Director Rory O'Conor, Stylist Gillian Willkins, Hair Artist Tamara Mcnaughton, with make-up by Kristina Brown.


text:
December 10, 2013
Dear Woodville friends,
Each generation becomes less aware of Woodville's abundant history. The past can only be learned and appreciated from what can be discovered, saved, and made accessible. Otherwise, it is lost, and forgotten forever. Woodville becomes an address where residents made their living, not their lives.
Discovered/Saved: YES . Now stored, we have accumulated 200 years of our once vibrant past - documents and memorabilia of the resolute families who built our homes, stores, schools, churches, while making significant contributions to the community, to Bertie County, and to our state.
Accessible: NO. While these families' contributions have been somewhat documented in rare books and ephemera scattered in a few private hands, libraries, and churches, they are unavailable in any one collection.
Solution: Display these resources under one roof , the Sunday School Building of Grace Episcopal Church, along with artifacts from Woodville life - photos, letters, documents, books, Bibles, portraits, memoirs, maps, artifacts, toys, late 1800s clothing/jewelry, old household items, tributes, many personal effects. Having this central location will ensure our children, grandchildren, and future generations' connection to their past.
Needs: Funding to finish our history center! We're almost there, lacking only ~$10,000. Please help us complete our long envisioned project this year. In averaging the past 5 years' donations, it will take another 10 years to fund this project, unless we can engage more donors and more funds now. Thank you for your gift*, mailed to Historic Woodville, address below.
Merry Christmas from Clara, Molly, and Claudia
3104 Hillmer Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27609
Phone: 919.833.4009 E-Mail email@example.com
Visit our website at Historic Woodville
* All donations/grants are tax deductible and 100% funded to our various projects – directors receive no compensation


text: David is 62. Born in Ayrshire, Scotland he has lived in Nottingham for the past 40 years, for 20 of which he has worked a photographer and film maker. He has worked in both the private and public sector and specialised in producing media for Special Schools. He has two grown-up children, to both of whom he read Tolkien's The Hobbit as bed time stories, and is a keen supporter of research into Alzheimer's disease and bowel cancer.


text:
dig up(redirected from dig up some dirt)
dig someone or something up
Fig. to go to great effort to find someone or something. (There is an implication that the thing or person dug up is not the most desirable, but is all that could be found.) Mary dug a date up for the dance next Friday. I dug up a recipe for roast pork with pineapple. I dug up a carpenter who doesn't charge very much.
dig up something
to find something, esp. from storage We dug up the old dairy records that showed how much milk each cow produced every day.
Etymology: based on the literal meaning of dig something up (to remove something from the ground, esp. with a tool)
dig up
1. Search out, find, obtain, as in I'm sure I can dig up a few more supporters. [Mid-1800s]
2. dig up some dirt or the dirt . Find derogatory information about someone or something. For example, The editor assigned him to dig up all the dirt on the candidates. The slangy use of the noun dirt for "embarrassing or scandalous information" dates from about 1840, but this metaphoric expression is a century newer.
dig up
1. To unearth or expose and gain access to something by digging: The scientists dug up a dinosaur fossil. The landscapers dug the tree up and replanted it.
2. To scatter earth, snow, or another substance on some surface by digging into it: The woodchucks dug up my lawn last night.
3. To discover or find something through concerted effort: I dug up some old photos that were in the back of my closet. The detective intended to dig the truth up.


text:
General Dentistry
Return to our Cosmetic treatments »
The team at Portmore are passionate about cosmetic and implant dentistry, but we also understand the need for routine maintenance and general dentistry.
Eben has a particular interest in Endodontics (root canal therapy). The words 'root canal' is feared by many, even though the treatment itself is not all that painful or time consuming. The reason that a person might need a root canal is when the root of the tooth becomes infected and has to be removed. A root canal is actually a very valuable treatment because if the tooth cannot be treated by root canal, it will have to be removed and replaced with an implant. It is always more advisable and more efficient to keep a natural tooth rather than having a replacement put in. This is also why we try to save as much of the natural tooth structure as possible, even if it may have been practically damaged.
It is vital that teeth are kept clean to maintain good oral health and prevent complications. Apart from regular hygiene practices at home, patients should also visit their dentist for routine checkups in order to prevent problems before they become worse and lead to situations that may require treatments like root
Aside from regular brushing and flossing at home, at Portmore Dental we can offer you several treatments that not only keep your teeth clean, but also free from disease and further complications. These include teeth cleanings and treatments for dental problems and oral cancer checks.
Here at Portmore, our dedicated team are happy to show patients how they can improve their oral health. We provide microscopes where patients can see the amount of bacteria in their mouths, so that they know what they need to work on, and realize how important it is to get rid of those bacteria. Seeing these images firsthand gives patients a better idea of what is actually going on in their mouths and makes them more concerned about their own oral health. We also have visual cameras where patients can see pictures of the work that is being done on them, and provide pictures of the teeth that are being treated, both before and after.
In addition, Portmore also has a special machine in the form of Diaganet, which captures lesions before they become big problems. This type of preventative care will ensure that your problems are caught early and can be dealt with before they turn into more serious issues that might not be able to be treated easily.
Root Canal Treatment
When Is Root Canal Treatment Needed?
The crown of the tooth is made up of the hard, white, enamel layer and a thicker dentine layer. Both these hard layers protect the innermost soft tissues of the tooth called the pulp. The dental pulp contains blood vessels and nerves within and extends from the crown to the tips of the root or roots.
Root canal treatment involves the removal of the pulp tissues from the tooth in the event that it gets infected or inflamed. The pulp can be infected or inflamed due to either deep decay or an extensive restoration that involves the pulp, cracked or fractured tooth due to trauma, excessive wear of enamel and dentine exposing the pulp, and sometimes as a result of severe gum disease.
Signs of pulp damage may include pain, prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, discoloration of the tooth, swelling,
tenderness of the overlying gums or a bad taste in the mouth. On the other hand, there may be no symptoms at all. If pulp inflammation or infection is left untreated, it can eventually cause pain, swelling and loss of the supporting bone.
What Are The Advantages Of Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatment saves teeth that would otherwise have been extracted.
After root canal treatment the tooth is pulp-less i.e. it has no vital tissues within. However, there are vital tissues surrounding the root e.g. the gum, periodontal membrane and supporting bone. A root canal treated tooth can function normally and can be maintained with routine dental care and oral hygiene measures.
Is Root Canal Treatment Painful?
Root canal treatment procedures are relatively comfortable and often painless as the tooth is anaesthetised during treatment. After treatment, the tooth may be sensitive or tender for a few days due to inflammation of the surrounding tissues. This discomfort can be relieved by taking mild analgesics or painkillers available over the counter at the pharmacy. However, if the pain persists and is severe, or a swelling occurs, you should contact your dentist.


text:
| Clip Of Senate Session
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by jeremyart
July 19, 2013
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Matt Vasilogambros' C-SPAN Mention2013-07-15T17:26:26-04:00https://images.c-span.org/Files/2f9/20130715172653002_hd.jpgMatt Vasilogambros' C-SPAN Mention
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text:
Perfect Smile Blogs
Perfect Smile Spa is one of the largest London cosmetic dental clinics and is the subject of Extreme.. makeover, this morning TV and other national press. We are dedicated to your expectations more than.. 7 stars in our environment.
Owner: bindas
Listed in: Health
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text:
July 2017
The Argentina pesticides market is expected to reach USD XX Million by 2020 from USD 4292.40 million in 2015, witnessing a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecasted period. Argentina is a developing nation and second largest user of pesticides in South American region because of its relatively large population and land area. Its agriculture is expected to grow at faster rate for food security and economic reasons. Argentina produces maize, sunflower, wheat, soybeans, fruits and vegetables. Argentina imports large part of its pesticide consumption from USA and exports many agricultural products to USA, Canada and developed European nations.
Argentina is one of the largest producer of soy and corn, hence the utilization of pesticides in these crop is very high in the country. Genetically modified soy, corn and cotton crops dominate the domestic agricultural scenario. While adoption of GM crops was aimed at reducing chemical pesticide consumption, data from 1990 reveals that growth in utilization has increased by nine times because of increased production, use of herbicide tolerant crops and increase in pest resistance.
By segment, biopesticides are likely to witness the faster growth in comparison to the synthetic chemicals due to increasing demand of regulation on crop protection chemicals by Latin American countries for protection of citizen's health. By product type, market is categorized into herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and other crop protection chemicals. Herbicides constitute the major share of pesticides revenue. In 2014, herbicides accounted for XX% of the pesticides market. They are estimated to grow at 6.65% CAGR for 2015-2020 for the forecasted span of five years. Insecticides accounted for XX% of the Argentina pesticides market in 2014.
Further pesticides market has been segmented as synthetic and biopesticides. By application area, pesticides demand has been analyzed in terms of crop-based (including grains & cereals, oilseeds and fruits & vegetables) and non-crop-based (including turf & ornamental grass and other non-crop-based applications).
Major companies covered in the report include American Vanguard, Arysta LifeScience, BASF SE, Bayer CropScience, BioWorks, Cheminova, Chemtura Corp, Chr Hansen, Dow AgroSciences, DuPont, FMC Corp, Isagro SpA, Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, Makhteshim Agan, Marrone Bio Innovations, Monsanto, Natural Industries, Novozymes A/S, Nufarm Ltd, Sumitomo Chemical, Syngenta AG and Valent Biosciences. The key strategies used by companies in this market are new product registrations, acquisitions to enter new markets.
Key Deliverables in the Study


text:
Durban - A pledge to halve unemployment by 2030 and ensure that the distribution of wealth in the province favours black Africans is at the top of KZN premier Senzo Mchunu's agenda.
Delivering his State of the Province address in the legislature on Thursday, Mchunu said his government intended to ensure that total employment rose from the 2.4 million recorded in 2010 to 3.3 million in 2020 and ultimately to 4.5 million in 2030.
This would translate to 2.1 million jobs being created in the next 16 years.
Mchunu said the challenge of job creation was immense, despite the 267 000 jobs created in KZN between 2010 and 2014.
"We are concerned about the recent losses of jobs in the agricultural sector, about youth unemployment and the fact that real and meaningful black economic empowerment is slow," Mchunu said.
"These conditions are posing a serious risk to our society and are further exposing our people to poverty, food insecurity, substance abuse and criminal activity."
He acknowledged that the growth of the provincial economy had been sluggish.
This was notwithstanding the fact that it had grown in real terms from R270 billion in 2010 to R347bn this year.
The provincial economy is projected to grow at 3% this year and to between 3.5% and 4% next year.
"Although the tertiary sector continues to be the largest contributor to the regional economic growth, the province is better positioned to capitalise on agriculture, mineral beneficiation, manufacturing, tourism, freight and logistics, as well as the financial services sector to boost its real growth."
In the agricultural sector, Mchunu said his administration had set a target of increasing employment from 110 000 jobs to 200 000 jobs in the next five years.
It also aims to facilitate at least 1 000 new farmers who would bring 1 million hectares of unproductive land back into commercial agricultural production. The government would also strengthen the ailing Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and make it a "formidable player" in economic development and food security in the province.
Mchunu said the government was working on a shift in its focus on growing the economy.
There was recognition that for economic growth to be meaningful, the economic empowerment of indigenous Africans had to be top of the agenda for the national and provincial governments, he said.
"The objective is to address the real concerns that the balance of distribution of wealth in the province should tilt towards indigenous Africans in an equitable manner."
The focus would be on assisting small businesses and co-operatives.
"We are encouraging our compatriots in the townships and the rural areas to work hard and rekindle their interests in business. Our message is go back to those general dealerships and township businesses that characterised this country for many years."
Mchunu also expressed concerns that KZN had insufficient electricity infrastructure to meet the rising demands of industry and households.
This was due to the limited capacity of transmission lines and ageing networks. He said the government was looking at ways to support independent power producers.
"As we experience power cuts due to load shedding, we are reminded that we have vast biomass resources that could be used for energy generation."
He said the province wanted to generate at least 2 400 megawatts of new renewable energy by 2020.
Daily News


text:
Despite his divisiveness, Indians from all walks of life offered their condolences following the death of extremist political leader Balasaheb Thackeray.
Founder of the Shiv Sena political party, he died Saturday of a heart attack at age 86.
"The passing away of Bala Saheb will be deeply felt by his family and followers," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Twitter, according to The New York Times. "He was a consummate communicator whose stature in the politics of Maharashtra was unique."
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, also through Twitter, said: "Speak no 'ill' of the dead. Respect them in the hours of their death.
"The story of Mumbai is incomplete without Balasaheb Thackeray. … The memory of Bal Thackeray will live in the memory of we Mubaikars forever."
Fearing violent reactions, Indian officials pleaded for calm as police remained on alert.
"Citizens should only step out of houses only if there is an emergency," a police appeal said, according to The Los Angeles Times. "An appeal is made to people to maintain calm and peace."
More from GlobalPost: India: Political boss Bal Thackeray dies, leaving Mumbai on tenterhooks
Among his more contentious views, the LA Times said, Thackeray had praised Adolph Hitler's leadership abilities, condemned Valentine's Day as too western and espoused a Hindu-first, anti-immigration philosophy.
His politics had led to mob violence against Muslims and migrant workers, The Associated Press reported.
PM: " He was a consummate communicator whose stature in the politics of Maharashtra was unique."
— Dr Manmohan Singh (@PMOIndia) November 17, 2012
He had been sick for several days, prompting his followers from the western state of Maharashtra to gather around his home.
Thackeray began his career as a cartoonist before forming Shiv Sena – or Shiva's Army – in 1966.
His party held power in Mumbai from 1995 to 2000, the AP said.
Shiv Sena supporters and another right-wing party, Bharatiya Janata, destroyed an ancient Indian mosque in 1992, triggering waves of violence that killed 1,000.
A funeral is planned for Sunday, The New York Times said.
More from GlobalPost: Is India's original anti-migrant party in terminal decline?


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Review: The Eagles offer familiar hits, harmonies at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa
Even if you hate the f---ing Eagles, man, you know their catalog by heart. Everyone with access to an FM radio does. And that's why a sold-out crowd of 16,113 packed into the Tampa Bay Times Forum to hear the group deliver hit after hit after hit: Hotel California, Heartache Tonight, Life in the Fast Lane, Life's Been Good, Witchy Woman, I Can't Tell You Why... the setlist went on and on and on, for three solid hours.
Sean Daly was there, and he writes:
Who knows? Maybe all that Eagles bashing in The Big Lebowski has sparked the band. The show was carefully, lovingly crafted, History of the Eagles being the tour title; the set list unveiled from the start, way back in 1971, when the young scruffs were backing up Linda Ronstadt. Don Henley, now 66, and Glenn Frey, 65, took to a spare stage at first, just the two of them, one of the most vital, but volatile songwriting duos in rockdom, sharing old acoustic tune Saturday Night. Henley's voice, especially that falsetto, was particularly potent.
Then, one by one — banjo ace Bernie Leadon, bassist Timothy B. Schmit, gunslinger Joe Walsh — they expanded along with the size of the hits: Peaceful Easy Feeling, Witchy Woman, which was slowed to a blues-boogie, Walsh's serpentine licks adding a nice update.


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Detail Information
- The short- and long-term effects on the visual system of children following exposure to maternal substance misuse in pregnancyKurt Spiteri Cornish
Royal Aberdeen Children s Hospital, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
Am J Ophthalmol 156:190-4. 2013..To document the prevalence of ophthalmic morbidities in babies born to mothers who misused substances in pregnancy and to assess whether it changes over 5 years...
- Are patients attending the smoking cessation clinic aware of the association between eye disease and smoking?Kurt Spiteri Cornish
Ophthalmology Department, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Aberdeen, Scotland
Semin Ophthalmol 28:11-2. 2013..The aim of our questionnaire study is to assess the motivation for attending a smoking cessation clinic in a local district hospital in the Highlands, and the level of awareness of the association between smoking and eye disease...


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LARGO — Renters can be in a difficult situation when their landlord doesn't pay the water and sewer bill at a mobile home park, as nine families found out this week at No Go Largo Village.
In more than a few parks, the weekly or monthly rent also covers those utilities.
But there are a few things potential renters can do to protect themselves, according to St. Petersburg and Pinellas County officials.
Renters can call the community's water and sewer companies and inquire about payment history, said Tom De Yampert, St. Petersburg's manager of Housing and Community Development.
"You can ask questions like, 'Is it paid now and what has the payment structure been over the last 12 months?' " said De Yampert, who also noted that a few years ago Pinellas County had the highest population of mobile homes in the state.
"It's all public information. I tell anybody to check it out because knowledge is power."
Wednesday, 18 adults and 16 children were removed from No Go Largo Village on Clearwater Largo Road.
The park's owner, Key Largo Communities Corp., had not paid the utility bill since July 25, according to Pinellas County Utilities.
The water was disconnected Sept. 30. The city didn't become aware of the situation until this week and deemed the park unlivable, leaving the residents homeless.
All nine families were put in other housing Thursday with the help of the city, local business and charitable organizations and residents. Neither Andrea Trani, president of Key Largo Communities, nor her partner, Helene Provenzano, could be reached for comment.
It's illegal for a landlord not to provide water to a community, said Ken Burke, the county's clerk of court. But the remedy is civil. A person would have to file a claim with the clerk's office in an effort to recoup damages.
Like De Yampert, Burke has a suggestion for people looking to rent in a mobile home park.
He said it's always a good idea to check with the clerk's office Web site to see if a potential landlord has been sued a number of times.
"And landlords can do the same thing," Burke said. "They can check our Web site and see if the renter has had any evictions. It works both ways."
In this week's crisis at No Go Largo Village, Largo officials moved as quickly as they could to help the displaced families. With everyone housed, now they are looking at strategies they can implement when a similar housing crisis occurs, something that could happen sooner rather than later.
Key Largo Communities also is nearly $6,000 behind on the water bill at Bragington Oaks, a neighboring mobile home park.
Key Largo Communities initially agreed to pay $2,500 by Thursday but didn't. Friday, the company reached another agreement with Pinellas County Utilities to pay $2,528 by Tuesday and the remaining $3,531.26 by the end of October. There are six occupied units at Bragington Oaks.
Whether Bragington Oaks is next or not, Largo officials realize the situation is at least partly a sign of the times.
"We have seen the economy and what's going on in housing, and unfortunately, I don't think this is going to be the last time," said Lindsay Dicus, Largo's housing finance specialist. "I don't want this to be blamed on just the housing market, though.
"The owner of the property must take a lot of the responsibility of what happened to these families."
Times researcher Carolyn Edds contributed to this story. Demorris A. Lee can be reached at 445-4174 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Real Sports: Penn State's Bill O'Brien
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Penn State football coach and 2012 National Coach of the Year shares the challenges in turning around a program shattered by scandal on the May 21 episode of HBO's "Real Sports."
Newsday.com now uses Facebook for our comment boards. Please read our guidelines and connect your Facebook account to comment.


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LDS apostle Elder M. Russell Ballard addresses historic gathering of Smith descendants
Gildas LOGAN, UTAug. 6, 2013 6:00 a.m.
Family reunions are a great idea. The article wisely suggests that being a member of an illustrious family or having a wonderful heritage is more about living up to that heritage than basking in the glory of the attainments of forebears.


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Eight Life Rules Everyone Should Know
Reddit users got together and came up with 8 life rules everyone should know. Here they are.
1. If you're not passing someone on the freeway, GET OUT OF THE LEFT LANE.
2. When someone shows you a picture on their phone, don't swipe left or right . . . you don't want to see something embarrassing.
3. When the host starts cleaning, the party's over and you need to go home.
4. Let people get off a bus, train, or elevator before you get on.
5. Don't make plans with friends, or talk about plans with friends, in front of people who weren't invited.
6. If there's an awkward silence, don't SAY, "Awkward silence" . . . because it just makes things worse, not better.
7. If someone's wearing headphones or trying to sleep on a plane, they don't want to talk.
8. Unless you're REALLY broke or you're under 30, don't ask your friends to help you move. Hire movers.


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An apartment fire was quickly contained in Nashville on Saturday afternoon.
The incident occurred just before 4 p.m. at the Covenant Crossing Apartments located on Thompson Lane.
Evan Williams, a resident, reported to Nashville's News 2 that he saw yellow smoke coming out of a window.
"Within two minutes, there's yellow smoke coming out of a second window. And then within about five minutes, we actually see flames coming out of the second window. It was crazy," he explained.
Fire officials were able to contain the fire quickly.
All residents were able to evacuate safely.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.


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Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Night Cream
Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Night Cream Reviews
Thick & RichThis night cream by Burts Bees is extremely thick but it absorbs quickly and without any negative reaction. My only complaint is the smell.. It's not horrible, but I do prefer the night cream by Garnier, which does not have any scent. — 2 years, 10 months agoleo1999 | 678 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 0 people said helpful
Best Night Cream Yet!!I really, really love the intense hydration product line. I started on the cleanser and the day cream and then added this product. I am 44 yrs old with combination, sensitive skin. I use this product over their repair serum with attar of roses and I literally wake up with skin that looks 10x better than when I went to sleep. No breakouts and no sensitivity. My skin literally glows and I need ...read moreless makeup which speeds up my morning routine....gotta love that! Gotta love the compliments I keep getting too! LOL — 4 years, 6 months agojenn8779 | 135 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 6 of 7 people said helpful
Pretty GoodI bought this about a week ago and have used it every night. I have acne and dry skin. This product has not made my skin worse but I think it should be working a bit better especially because I paid about $17 for it. I still get some dry patches on my nose and around my chin and mouth. But, I think it makes my skin feel softer. I like the smell of it and the thickness. — 2 years, 10 months agosmspeer | 7 reviews
This review is: Helpful | Not helpful | Inappropriate | 0 of 0 people said helpful
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My Reasons for Reporting This


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Came home from work today to find not only one but to packages! I opened them up and found it was from the Sticker Santa! I told that I was doing the exchange for my son who loves stickers! Our santa sent him ALOT of stickers! He was soooo happy! There was one sticker of a goat that he loved the most! Thanks you soooo much for making my son very happy!
Here he is with his stickers!
Here he is saying CHEEZE!!
He had to make a tower with the rolls!
He wanted me to take his picture with the goat sticker on his nose!


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Described as nothing less than a "shimmering" performance, music legend Prince stepped out on Lopez Tonight to debut his new single "Laydown." But it wasn't only the world premier of this highly anticipated new record that Prince came out for a rare TV performance. He was also there to announce a set of impromptu residency shows, known as the "21 Nite Stand" tour, at The Forum in L.A. Always one to outdo himself, the Grammy and Oscar winner also announced tickets will only be $25 for all shows, which promise to "blast the roof."
Residency shows have become Prince's norm since December, and surprise guest performances by the likes of Cee Lo Green and Santana are not uncommon. There is no doubt the surprises won't stop coming, and the anticipation of what is waiting around the next corner will definitely keep the public wanting more.
Signed, Amy Powell


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Complete Report
The 476 page report in PDF format, with hyperlinks to all evidence and internal links to referenced sections and bookmark navigation. Accessible on tablet computers with a pdf reader app such as Good Reader.
Pages 1-101. Section includes Certifications, History of the College, Major Developments since 2006 Visit, Demographic Info and Achievement Data, Abstract, Organization of Self Evaluation, Responses to 2006 Recommendations and Evidence.
Standard I: Mission and Improving Institutional Effectiveness
Pages 102-163.
Standard II: Instructional Programs, Student Support Services, and Library & Learning Support Services
Pages 164-269.
Standard III: Resources
Pages 270-347. Section includes Human Resources, Physical resources, Technology Resources and Financial Resources
Standard IV: Leadership and Governance
Pages 348-395.
Actionable Improvement Plans
Pages 397-398; organized by Standards
Pages 399-401. Alphabet Soup
Pages 401-474


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What Makes Your Heart Sing? A Celebration of Song, Story, and Resilience
Bruce Cryer and Gary Malkin
Thursday, September 26, 2013 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (PDT)
Who's Going
San Francisco, California
London, United Kingdom
Florence, Italy
Event Details
Through the musical and storytelling talents of Emmy award-winning composer GARY MALKIN and HeartMath's Global HealthCare Director, BRUCE CRYER (who was a former Broadway singer/actor), you will be taken through a personal journey of entertainment, challenge and inspiration. Joining us onstage are the incomparable vocalist DEBORAH WINTERS, with the multi-talented percussionist, Ian Dogole. As a special bonus, beloved comedian MICHAEL PRITCHARD will open the festivities. Following the concert, a SWEAT YOUR PRAYERS dance set led by Five Rhythms teacher, SYLVIE MINOT.
This event is designed to awaken you to the power of inspiration, exploring how your deepest passions can help you to cultivate greater resilience and thrive through the most challenging storms.
You'll have the opportunity to ask yourself questions like: What makes your heart sing? Are you engaging in what inspires you in your life? Join us for a heartwarming evening of song, story, and movement to arouse your own personal passions so you can live "your one wild and precious life!"
Part of the proceeds of this event will go to benefit the outreach work of Sylvie Minot through the Syzygy Dance Project, supporting the disenfranchised (challenged youth, prisons, etc.) with the marvelous work of Gabriel Roth's Five Rhythms Movement.
For more information about her wonderful work, go to: www.syzygydanceproject.org. For more information about Bruce and Gary, go to www.whatmakesyourheartsing.net.
When & Where
Mission Blue Chapel at Cavallo Point
601 Murray Circle Fort Baker
Thursday, September 26, 2013 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (PDT)
Add to my calendar
Bruce Cryer and Gary Malkin
Founders of WhatMakesYourHeartSing.net, Bruce Cryer and Gary Malkin are dedicated to offering events, creating resources, and facilitating workshops that help people identify where they are on the "passion/purpose/inspiration' scale. Studies have shown that when we are touched, moved and inspired by the activities, people and work in our life, we live longer, happier and more successfully. They believe that it's time to start asking one another, what makes your heart sing? rather than what do you do and where are you from? We're hoping to start a movement fueled by joy, passion, and the power of the arts to connect, awaken and heal our hearts and spirits. Like us at www.facebook.com/whatmakesyourheartsing


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Daily Archives: September 1, 2011
Recipe: Apple Spiced Soda
Our summer here in Seattle has been lackluster, at best, and today marks the end of even the illusion of summer knocking on our door. So what better way to celebrate that then by sipping on a soda infused with one of autumn's most legendary symbols.
- 1/2 oz Monin Caramel Apple syrup
- 1/4 oz Monin Spicy Red Cinnamon syrup
- 8 oz sparkling water or club soda
- ice
Pour syrups over ice, top with sparkling water or club soda. Stir to combine and enjoy!
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text: Yes. It is eminently possible and recommended! There is extensive documentation on this. You could read the Network Administrators Guide from www.linuxdoc.org or 1/ read the new version of the Diald-HOWTO and 2/ then read the IP-Masquerade HOWTO (to quote "IP Masquerade is a networking function in Linux similar to one-to-many NAT (Network Address Translation) found in many commercial firewalls and network routers. For example, if a Linux host is connected to the Internet via PPP, Ethernet, etc., the IP Masquerade feature allows other "internal" computers connected to this Linux box (via PPP, Ethernet, etc.) to also reach the Internet as well. Linux IP Masquerading allows for this functionality even though these internal machines don't have an officially assigned IP addresses". If you have any questions implementing this, you can ask questions here. Paul mcutie sssn ciges inf cu on 02/05/2000 13:31:52 Please respond to redhat-install-list redhat com To: redhat-install-list redhat com cc: Subject: Share COM1 Hello everybody: I have a LAN with a Linux 5.2 server running Samba. I also have a modem attach to this machine. Somebody Knows If it is possible that my Windows machines share that modem too. How? Thanks in advance Manuel Cutie Mustelier -- To unsubscribe: mail redhat-install-list-request redhat com with "unsubscribe" as the Subject. ________________________ Disclaimer Notice ____________________________ This E-mail message is private and confidential and should only be read by those to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying, reproduction, modification or publication of this communication is strictly prohibited. Please delete the message from your computer and destroy any copies. This message is not intended to be relied upon by any person without subsequent written confirmation of its contents. This company therefore disclaims all responsibility and accepts no liability of any kind which may arise from any person acting, or refraining from acting, upon the contents of the message without having had subsequent written confirmation. If you have received this communication in error, or if any problems occur in transmission please notify us immediately by telephone on +44 (0)24 76 424000


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Law Review Rejection Letters and Withdraws
Following on my post about law review submission cover letters, this one is about law review rejection letters—and withdraws. Authors prefer receiving offers of publication to rejections. But most pieces attract at least some rejections and submissions to multiple publishers often get a high ratio of rejections to offers. Absent an offer, authors also prefer getting rejections to hearing nothing, to facilitate closure when making final publication decisions.
Unfortunately, in legal academic publishing, it is common for authors never to hear from publishers, as the thread at The Faculty Lounge suggests (and my own experience over 15 years attests). Yet while I appreciate receiving rejection letters, I think the common silence entirely understandable, given the law review publication process. In my opinion, authors seeking requisite closure should simply formally withdraw their piece from consideration once a deadline has passed.
As an example, this season, on August 8, I submitted an article to 45 journals (following standard practice in legal academics allowing for such concurrent submission). I received 3 offers (on August 18, 19 and 26), 17 rejections (trickling in from August 11 to September 2, when I accepted an offer), and did not hear from 25 journals.
I also followed standard practice of reporting offers to journals likely to be positivley influenced by them and requesting expedited review by the offering journal's deadline. In response to so alerting about 20 journals on August 18, with an August 26 deadline, I received the August 19 offer, stating a like deadline, and alerted another ten. On receiving the August 26 offer, with a September 2 deadline, I alerted the rest.
My requested expedited reviews generated, aside from the 2 additional offers, rejections from a quarter to a third of those contacted each round by respective deadlines, without word from the others. To those, I promptly sent formal notices of withdraw. I did this in part because I assumed they had passed on the piece and in part because I preferred not to stretch out the process by repeatedly seeking deadline extensions or hectoring journals for an express decision, as many law review authors may do. I achieved closure, despite not having a decision.
True, I appreciated receiving the rejections, as they facilitated closure, but cannot fault journals from which I did not hear within deadline. After all, it takes time to complete the internal review process and the exact length varies with many factors, like availability of the numerous participating editors, degree of disagreement among them about a piece, and strength of conviction among those who favor and disfavor it. Facing an author deadline, the coordinating editor may reasonably believe it will be possible to meet it but find, in the end, it is not.
With a deadline passed, the issue is whether to respond to an author anyway or leave it at that (the more common practice). It may be difficult to respond, however, since no official decision may have been reached to justify a rejection (much less an offer, which would seem futile to deliver post-deadline even if consensus were reached). Further, if the internal process is incomplete but capable of completion through a deadline, it remains possible that the journal will yet hear from an author announcing an extension of the deadline (that common practice among law review authors). This argues in favor of journal silence, at least until the author subsequently withdraws the piece, whereupon the journal can express regret for lacking requisite time (which 2 journals did for me this season and several have done in the past).
So the burden of closure falls on the author, not the journal, and I think that is entirely reasonable. Still, I also appreciate the rejection letters. While many follow a standardized form, occasionally a notable one appears. For me, one this year came from a journal in which I've published twice, once on a topic kindred to the current piece. The editors acknowledged that historical relationship, emphasized how they valued it, and explained how close the editorial board came to authorizing an offer, but under rules requiring near-unanimity that this piece did not command.
Even among rejection letters that are fairly standardized, one notes how they are all cordial and professional, and sometimes inform or remind authors of the nature of the process and probabilities of placement. Following are sample rejection letters received, gratefully, these past few weeks. I've highlighted in bold some of what I consider interesting or useful information—in addition to the vital and helpful fact of rejection.
1. I am writing in response to your request for expedited review. We have had an opportunity to consider your article. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept it for publication. This year we expect to receive approximately two thousand submissions for consideration, but we are able to publish only a dozen. As a consequence, we find that we must reject many thoughtful and interesting pieces. Thank you again for submitting your article to us. We hope that you will give us the opportunity to consider any articles you write in the future.
2. Thank you for submitting your article. Unfortunately, we are unable to give you a publication offer. Because we receive nearly 2,000 submissions each year, we must turn away many fine articles. Please keep us in mind in the future when you are submitting work for publication.
3. Thank you very much for submitting your article. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept your piece for publication. Our journal publishes only four issues a year, but often receives hundreds of manuscripts every month. As such, we can only accept a slender fraction of the manuscripts we receive. We appreciate your submission and hope that you will continue to submit your work to us in the future.
4. Thank you for your submission. We have now completed our final review of your manuscript and unfortunately are unable to extend an offer of publication. The Review receives a large number of submissions and we are constrained by the limited number of pages we are able to publish. Frequently we must make the difficult decision to turn down an excellent piece of scholarship. We wish you the best of luck and look forward to your next submission.
5. Thank you for submitting your article. We receive many excellent submissions each year, and the selection process is very competitive. After careful consideration, we have decided not to publish your article. We wish you the best of luck, and look forward to reviewing your future submissions.


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The inclusion of all in the ministry
James at "Idle musings of a bookseller" is publishing excerpts from a book called Company of the Committed which was written by Elton Trueblood almost 50 years ago. (I always enjoy readings James' excerpts and his comments.) For example, see this post called "Lay Ministry."
Notice this important statement about "clergy" and "laity":
The only kind of lay ministry which is worth encouraging is that which makes a radical difference in the entire Christian enterprise. To be truly effective it must erase any difference in kind between the lay and the clerical Christian. The way to erase the distinction, which is almost wholly harmful, is not by the exclusion of professionals from the ministry, as anticlerical movements have tended to do, but rather by the inclusion of all in the ministry. The expanded dictum is that in the ministry of Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free, neither male nor female, neither layman nor cleric, but all are one in Christ Jesus.†– Company of the Committed, page 62
Could this distinction between "clergy" and "laity" be one of the problems in seeing mutuality (i.e. interdependent relationships) in churches?
2 Comments
Comments are closed. If you would like to discuss this post, send an email to alan [at] alanknox [dot] net.
Thanks for the link. I'm glad you are enjoying it; it is amazing that the book is nearly 50 years old!


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Minnesota lawmakers are back home for the Passover/Easter break.
With the Capitol empty, the governor is out with a new radio ad, critical of the Senate's move to hike the income tax on the wealthiest Minnesotans to help fund education. Gov. Pawlenty has threatened to veto this bill when it hits his desk.
Education makes up one of the biggest chunks of the state budget, and during a recent speech, Gov. Pawlenty talked about education spending before the Association of Minnesota Counties, the Minnesota School Boards Association and the League of Minnesota Cities. He specifically singled out the relationship between Education Minnesota, the biggest teachers' union in the state, and the past four governors that preceeded him.
He also said that there has never not been a school funding crisis in the state, and that signals a problem.
MPR's Cathy Wurzer asked Judy Shaubach, president of Education Minnesota, to respond to the Governor's remarks.


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For your consideration is this wonderful lithograph titled "Complicité" ( Complicity), that is signed, titled, in pencil by the artist from a limited edition of 311/480. It is a superb winter scene with the frozen lake, the beautiful mountains in the back, and two women dressed up for winter enjoying a walk near the lake. The lithograph is unframed and in very good condition, with the exception of one small crease, as seen on the pictures.A great addition to a collection.
Overall size: 26.5" x 16.25" Picture size: 22.5" x 16.25"
At Cameleon, we'll minimize your shipping costs by combining into as few shipments as possible all items you order. If you would like more pictures or information regarding this item, please e-mail me, and I will gladly answer you, as quickly as possible. Thanks for visiting Cameleon.
About the artist:
Born 1958 in Montreal, Canada he completed a degree in Fine Art .He moved to the west coast in the 80s and started his quest. Since then, he has captured the interest of many private collectors throughout the world and the attention of several galleries internationally.
Treasures from around the world for you to choose from.
Extravaganza Sale on most items


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The Coop Group, being one of the leading grocery retail corporations in Switzerland with an annual revenue of 27.8 billion Swiss Franc, relies on TGW technologies and places an order for an extensive materials handling project at their site in Schafisheim in the Swiss canton of Aargau. A new regional distribution centre for the two sales regions North-West Switzerland and Central Switzerland – Zurich will be implemented.
Coop's retail stock comprises about 70,000 items and consists of various groups of goods. Thus, the logistics infrastructure is confronted with high requirements each day. Within the logistics and bakery strategy 2015+, the Coop Group committed to an optimisation and a reduction of the carbon footprint and therefore decided to consolidate the regional distribution centres for Central Switzerland – Zurich and North-West Switzerland. For this new distribution centre in Schafisheim in the canton of Aargau, Coop trusts in the systems integrator competencies of TGW to implement the complete materials handling system.
Read more about the biggest order in TGW's corpoare history in our press area.


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Stamkos on reported Feb. 6 return: 'It's impossible to tell'
Is Lightning star Steven Stamkos targeting a Feb. 6 return from the broken right tibia he sustained Nov. 11 at Boston? That was the report this week from Darren Dreger of Canada's TSN.
Asked if he is targeting a specific date for a return, Stamkos on Wednesday would not say but offered this: "It's impossible to tell, really. I mentioned in my press conference I'd love to come back and play a couple games and be able to play in the Olympics. That's my goal. You have to have a goal and you work towards your goal."
If Stamkos does return by Feb. 6, he could play two games for the Lightning before the Olympic break. On playing for Canada at the Sochi Olympics, he said it won't happen "unless I am 100 percent."
Stamkos, in sneakers and standing on a piece of wood for traction, shot pucks on the Tampa Bay Times Forum ice on Wednesday.
"I just wanted to get a fee for the stick. I miss it after a while," he said, and added, "I feel good considering what's happened and the timeframe it's been. It' encouraging."
Here is more from Stamkos:
On going stir crazy: I think that happened the moment I knew I'd be out a while. That's the toughest part, watching the games, knowing you can't really do anything, especially in the tough stretch we're in right now where we're struggling offensively. That's tough to watch. I still have a long road ahead of me and just trying to get better daily.
On how his workouts are going: It's just kind of waking up every day and feeling a little better, a little more confident. Mentally, I think, it's more of a challenge just knowing that it has only been three weeks but you're starting to explore and try some things; in the pool, underwater treadmill, stuff like that, where it's feeling good. For me this is new territory; just trying to take it in as daily as I can.
On perhaps being ahead of schedule: That's the magic question, who knows? I've never dealt with an injury like this before. A perfect example is looking at (Tom Pyatt), they say eight weeks, eight weeks comes, he's worked extremely hard, no setbacks and the (collarbone) just hasn't healed as well as they wanted it to. That's why there is no timetable. You can set goals you can hope to be back by certain dates. It's all up to how fast that bone is healing. That's why it's a little tricky.
On the reaction to walking into his first news conference: Yeah, I mean everyone was surprised. I was surprised I was walking but I think when you actually take a step back and realize the procedure that I had and what was actually done that it shouldn't come to as much of a shock as it did. That titanium rod that's in there is stability for my leg the minute they stitched me up and finished the surgery. If I could, you could have walked on it and put pressure on it immediately after. That's why I mentioned that it was more of a mental thing, just trusting that thing, seeing your bone before and seeing it in half and then having that rod in there and now you can put as much weight as you can bear on it, so it shouldn't come as big of a shock as it did. It was definitely cool seeing the reactions.
On the report by Canada's TSN that he is targeting a Feb. 6 return: Again, it's impossible to tell, really. I mentioned in my press conference I'd love to come back and play a couple games and be able to play in the Olympics. That's my goal. You have to have a goal and you work towards your goal. But, again, it's up, really, to the bone. You have no say in that in getting clearance just to skate or to have contact and be cleared to play. If the bone is fully healed, for some people it's less time, for some people it's more. That's why we can't have the guessing games of when I can be back. If everything goes well and the bone heals the way it's supposed to I'd love top be back then but we won't know until that point.
On playing in the Olympics: I won't be playing in the Olympics if I'm not 100 percent. That's something I've said since Day 1. At the end of the day you have to look at the long-term health and look at the team here in Tampa that I want to help win a championship with, and if I'm not 100percent I won't be playing. I wouldn't expect them to even take me if I wasn't 100 percent, especially at a caliber tournament like that.
On his rehab: It's a little bit of a Groundhog Day. The first two weeks you're excited, you're coming to the rink, you're seeing a lot of progression now, you're walking around, you're stable, you're fine. Now it's just kind of a daily thing when we're doing a lot of the same exercises and stuff. It gets tough coming to the rink and not being able to go on the ice. As much as it hurts me to say this, you miss practicing and you miss skating and you miss those days where it's a tough practice. When you don't have an injury you don't think about it that way. Now that I've gone though this you definitely have a different outlook. You should just be happy and blessed you are out there being able to do what you love to do. It's the old saying, 'You don't know what you have till it's gone. I think I've gotten to that stage now. You have to remind yourself it's going to be a long road. You just have to work hard and keep focused and do what you can.
On watching every Lightning game on TV: Oh, yeah. That's probably the toughest part is watching it and knowing you can't do anything to help out your team and help them win. That's frustrating, for sure.


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Kerry O'Flaherty returned to action after the Commonwealth Games steeplechase with a blistering record breaking victory in the Millisle Uphill Mile in Castlewellan.
She had only three men ahead of her as she clocked six minutes exactly to win comfortably from holder Joanne Mills with Laura Gardiner third.
Brendan Teer retained his men's title in 5:39 finishing eight seconds ahead of young 800m star Oisin O'Callaghan who just beat David O'Flaherty for second.
The event promoted by Newcastle AC raised more than £800 for the Shimna Valley Cancer Fund for Children.
Stephen Wiley and Mark Weir gave North Down the top two positions in the PSC Six Miles Road Race in Millisle.
Wiley led for every step of the way and crossed the line more than two minutes ahead. Gareth Lyons was a good third and he led Ballydrain to four of the top 10 places.
Helen Stockdale followed her four golds at the Masters Championship with another runaway success as she dominated the ladies to win by almost three minutes from Leanne Gibson with Julie Murphy third.
Aaron Harrison and Jessica Scott were the winners of the Three Miles event which was held alongside.


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Kaggle's Contests: Crunching Numbers for Fame and Glory
A couple years ago, Netflix held a contest to improve its algorithm for recommending movies. It posted a bunch of anonymized information about how people rate films, then challenged the public to best its own Cinematch algorithm by 10 percent. About 51,000 people in 186 countries took a crack at it. (The winner was a seven-person team that included scientists from AT&T Labs.) The $1 million prize was no doubt responsible for much of the interest. But the fervor pointed to something else as well: The world is full of data junkies looking for their next fix.
In April 2010, Anthony Goldbloom, an Australian economist, decided to capitalize on that urge. He founded a company called Kaggle to help businesses of any size run Netflix-style competitions. The customer supplies a data set, tells Kaggle the question it wants answered, and decides how much prize money it's willing to put up. Kaggle shapes these inputs into a contest for the data-crunching hordes. To date, about 25,000 people—including thousands of PhDs—have flocked to Kaggle to compete in dozens of contests backed by Ford, Deloitte, Microsoft, and other companies. The interest convinced investors, including PayPal co-founder Max Levchin, Google Chief Economist Hal Varian, and Web 2.0 kingpin Yuri Milner, to put $11 million into the company in November.
The startup's growth corresponds to a surge in Silicon Valley's demand for so-called data scientists, who are able to pull business and technical insights out of mounds of information. Big Web shops like Facebook and Google use these scientists to refine advertising algorithms. Elsewhere, they're revamping how retailers promote goods and helping banks detect fraud.
Big companies have sucked up the majority of the information all-stars, leaving smaller outfits scrambling. But Goldbloom, who previously worked at the Reserve Bank of Australia and the Australian Treasury, contends there are plenty of bright data geeks willing to work on tough problems. "There is not a lack of talent," he says. "It's just that the people who tend to excel at this type of work aren't always that good at communicating their talents."
One way to find them, Goldbloom believes, is to make Kaggle into the geek equivalent of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Every contest has a scoreboard. Math and computer science whizzes from places like IBM and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology tend to do well, but there are some atypical participants, including glaciologists, archeologists, and curious undergrads. Momchil Georgiev, for instance, is a senior software engineer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. By day he verifies weather forecast data. At night he turns into "SirGuessalot" and goes up against more than 500 people trying predict what day of the week people will visit a supermarket and how much they'll spend. (The sponsor is dunnhumby, an adviser to grocery chains like Tesco.) "To be honest, it's gotten a little bit addictive," says Georgiev.
Eric Huls, a vice-president at Allstate, says many of his company's math whizzes have been drawn to Kaggle. "The competition format makes Kaggle unique compared to working within the context of a traditional company," says Huls. "There is a good deal of pride and prestige that comes with objectively having bested hundreds of other people that you just can't find in the workplace."
Allstate decided to piggyback on Kaggle's appeal and last July offered a $10,000 prize to see if it could improve the way it prices automobile insurance policies. In particular, the company wanted to examine if certain characteristics of a car made it more likely to be involved in an accident that resulted in a bodily injury claim. Allstate turned over two years' worth of data that included variables like a car's horsepower, size, and number of cylinders, and anonymized accident histories. "This is not a new problem, but we were interested to see if the contestants would approach it differently than we have traditionally," Huls says. "We found the best models in the competition did improve upon the models we built internally."
Ford ran a contest to figure out ways to distinguish an alert driver from a tired driver. More than 200 players spent three months on the challenge. One of the top contestants—who goes by the handle Swedish Chef—was Christopher Hefele, an engineer at the vaunted AT&T Labs who finished second in the Netflix contest. Hefele submitted 25 different entries to the alert-driver competition, which offered up only $950 in total prize money. (He placed fourth.)
By far the most lucrative prize on Kaggle is a $3 million reward offered by Heritage Provider Network to the person who can most accurately forecast which patients will be admitted to a hospital within the next year by looking at their past insurance claims data. More than 1,000 people have downloaded the anonymized data that covers four years of hospital visits, and they have until April 2013 to post answers.
Jeremy Howard, another Aussie, serves as Kaggle's chief scientist. He's an entrepreneur who joined Kaggle after doing well in some of its competitions, including one on forecasting chess player ratings. He's now refining the way the company designs competitions and is hiring sharp data scientists. "The Netflix prize took like a year to set everything up," Howard says, and Kaggle's eight-person team has a backlog of 170 proposed contests to work through. "We want to create a system that is more like an EBay auction." Kaggle currently charges clients fixed fees totaling $20,000 for each contest, plus $10,000 a month.
Moving forward, Kaggle plans to instead take a cut of the prize money and also to emphasize invitation-only competitions. The idea is to let companies put sensitive information on Kaggle and have only 10 to 15 people analyze it. Kaggle will help select the ideal candidates to tackle the problem. "If you want to be invited to these competitions, you have to perform well in the others," Howard says. The hope is that a biotech company might feel comfortable enough to release data about a potential breakthrough drug that's still under wraps.
Howard's dream is for Kaggle to get big enough that some contestants can give up their day jobs. "These guys should be earning as much as hedge fund managers and golfers," he says.
The bottom line: Kaggle, a startup with $11 million in funding, wants companies to be more comfortable applying the wisdom of crowds to sensitive data.