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PASADENA, Calif. — Evidence that suggests Mars was once a water-rich world is mounting as scientists scrutinize data from the Opportunity rover, Opportunity, busily at work in a small crater at Meridiani Planum. That information may well be leading to a biological bombshell of a finding that the Red Planet has been, and could well be now, an extraterrestrial home for life.
There is a palpable buzz here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory that something wonderful is about to happen in the exploration of Mars.
There is no doubt that the Opportunity Mars rover is relaying a mother lode of geological data. Using an array of tools carried by the golfcart-sized robot — from spectrometers, a rock grinder, cameras and powerful microscopic imager — scientists are carefully piecing together a compelling historical portrait of a wet and wild world.
Where Opportunity now roves, some scientists here suggest, could have been underneath a huge ocean or lake. But what has truly been uncovered by the robot at Meridiani Planum is under judicious and tight-lipped review.
Those findings and their implications are headed for a major press conference on Tuesday.
It is clear that Opportunity's Earth-to-Mars hole in one — bouncing into a small crater complete with rock outcrop — has also proven to be a scientific bull's-eye. The robot is wheeling about the crater that is 70 feet (22 meters) across and 10 feet (3 meters) deep.
It is also apparent that there is a backlog of scientific measurements that Mars rover scientists working Opportunity have pocketed and kept close to their lab coats.
For one, the rover found the site laden with hematite — a mineral that typically, but not always — forms in the presence of water. Then there are the puzzling spherules found in the soil and embedded in rock. They too might be water-related, but also could be produced by the actions of a meteor impact or a spewing volcano.
A few spheres have been sliced in half and their insides imaged. Patches of these spherules, or "berries" as some call them, have undergone spectrometer exam to discern their mineral and chemical makeup. Close-up photos of soil and rock have also shown threadlike features and even an oddly shaped object that looks like Rotini pasta.
Brew of dissolved salts
There is speculation that the soil underneath the wheels of both Spirit and Opportunity rovers contains small amounts of water mixed with salt in a brine. That brew of dissolved salts keeps the mixture well below the freezing point of pure water, permitting it to exist in liquid form.
Opportunity has revisited select spots in the outcrop, drawn there, in part, to look for cross-beds — sedimentary deposits that are formed in beach, river and sand-dune environments. Using its rock abrasion tool, the rover has carried out several cleaning and grinding sessions on exposed rock outcrop.
Cross-beds are patterns of curving lines or traces found within the strata of sandstone and other sedimentary rocks. Cross-bedding indicates the general direction and force of the wind or water that originally laid down the sediments.
Right around the corner
Opportunity's research is a "work in progress," said Ray Arvidson, deputy principal investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover project from Washington University in St. Louis. Data is being gathered to present "a coherent story," he said during a press briefing last Thursday.
"That story is right around the corner," Arvidson told Space.com. "But we need to finish this work in progress, finish the set of experiments, get the data down from the spacecraft, processed and analyzed. Then I think that the story will be known."
Arvidson said multiple working hypotheses are still at play. Water is involved, but only in some of the hypotheses. Until coordinated experiments on the outcrop are completed, what the right hypothesis is remains unknown, he added.
Severing the umbilical cord
Mars exploration using the rovers has allowed on-the-spot "discovery-driven science," said Albert Haldeman, deputy project scientist for the rover missions. He likened the Mars robot work now under way to deep-ocean research using remotely operated submersibles.
"It turns out that the best way to explore rocks (on Mars) is go look at craters. Mobility buys us the ability to do that. It was the right fit for looking at rocks," Haldeman told Space.com. "The discovery from the microscopic imager and seeing those spherules … and finding a larger population of spherules and seeing them in the rocks and the outcrop … that progression of discovery influences our thinking."
Haldeman said the next step will be severing the umbilical cord between Opportunity and the crater it's exploring. The robot would wheel itself out of that site and onto the expansive terrain of Meridiani Planum.
"That umbilical cord — that's hard to break. It's more than even just a tension within the science team," Haldeman said.
Tantalizing hints
Scientists are carefully analyzing the rock data gleaned by the Opportunity rover. "We really want to understand that we've got those figured out right," Haldeman said. Up to now they have offered some "tantalizing hints," he said, that speak to a possible relationship with water.
Piecing together the story of what Opportunity has found involves great care and deliberation, Haldeman said, based on a wide range of viewpoints and levels of expertise. "We want to be cautious," he explained.
More to the point, the science output from Mars must withstand scrutiny by experts outside the rover investigation teams.
"There are lots of geologists out there who are looking at these pictures, and they are starting to drool," Haldeman said. "The American taxpayer that spent $800 million on this deserves a thorough analysis."
Slippery slope leading to life
One scientist eagerly awaiting the news from Mars, particularly from Opportunity, is Gilbert Levin. He is chairman of the board and executive officer for science of Spherix Inc. in Beltsville, Md.
Levin is a former Viking Mars lander investigator. He has long argued that his 1976 Viking Labeled Release life detection experiment, known as LR, found living microorganisms in the soil of Mars.
In 1997, Levin reported that simple laws of physics require water to occur as a liquid on the surface of Mars. Subsequent experiments and research have bolstered this view, he said, and reaffirms his Viking LR data regarding microbial life on Mars.
Levin detailed his Mars views in a Space.comphone interview and via email.
"It's hard to image why such bulletproof evidence was denied for such a long time, and why those so vigorously denying it never did so by meeting the science, but merely by brushing it away," Levin said.
"Of course, now that it must be acknowledged by all that there is liquid water on the surface of Mars," Levin added, "this starts those denying the validity of the Mars LR data down the slippery slope leading to life."
Mars mud
Levin points to Opportunity imagery that offers evidence of standing liquid water and running water on a cold Mars.
Other images show the rover tracks clearly are being made in "mud," with water being pressed out of that material, Levin said. "That water promptly freezes, and you can see reflecting ice. That's clearly ice. It could be nothing else," he said, "and the source is the water that came out of the mud."
"I wonder on Mars if it can rain upwards," he said. The idea is that subsurface water comes up through the soils and then freezes when it gets to the surface.
"Maybe these little spherules form just like raindrops form up above," Levin explained.
Levin said that brine on Mars is a code word for liquid water. He senses that great care is being taken by rover scientists because the liquid water issue starts the road to life.
"That's the monument that they are afraid to erect without real due process," Levin concluded.
© 2013 Space.com. All rights reserved. More from Space.com.


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Omega Protein Corporation (Public, NYSE:OME) is a processor, marketer and distributor of fish meal and fish oil products in the United States. The Company produces and sells a variety of protein and oil products derived from menhaden, a species of wild herring-like fish found along the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coasts.
Omega processes several grades of fish meal, as well as fish oil and fish solubles. Omega's fish meal products are primarily used as a protein ingredient in animal feed for swine, cattle, aquaculture and household pets.Fish oil is utilized for animal and aquaculture feeds.
Accounting for over 70% of the menhaden caught in the United States and over 15% of the nation's total seafood landings. Omega Protein is one of the largest fishing companies in the United States in terms of tonnage, and one of the largest fish meal companies in the world. Omega Protein's 40 fishing vessels and 35 spotter planes are housed at the company's home ports and processing plants in Abbeville and Cameron, Louisiana; Moss Point, Mississippi; and Reedville, Virginia.

subset: commoncrawl


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Bright Horizons L.P.
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Regional Certified Field Teacher- Manhattan
at Bright Horizons L.P.
Job Description
Job Description
Are you interested in assisting our growing centers in Manhattan? Then this position may be for you! We are looking for a Regional Certified Teacher to support our centers in Manhattan with filling in for our current staff while they are on vacation or fill a vacancy for a period of time. This is a full time/year round position and requires some traveling through centers solely in Manhattan.
Crafting enriching experiences
As a child care teacher at Bright Horizons, we help you explore your age group preference with opportunities to work with Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers. You'll enjoy a warm and supportive environment where you are encouraged to share your passion for early childhood education with children, parents and co-workers. You will work alongside a talented team of educators in state-of-the-art classrooms and pass on your love of learning to young, eager minds. Your guidance and positive reinforcement will help set the stage for many incredible milestones to come.
At Bright Horizons, you'll also find opportunities to experience personal and professional breakthroughs of your own. As a company with a learning culture, you will discover your full potential through state-of-the-art online training, leadership development and tuition reimbursement, including the opportunity to earn your ECE college degree for FREE! Additionally, our company culture invites you to bring your whole self to work, because it is our unique attributes, perspectives and backgrounds that make us a stronger team.How will you inspire our future generation?
What you will do as a Child Care Teacher
- Feel a sense of accomplishment as you hear the laughter and experience the wonder of children participating in activities you planned
- Observe children's interests and work with co-workers to develop creative ideas for engaging curriculum
- Record and share children's triumphs and progress with parents, relating that continued safety and attention to their individual basic care needs is a top priority
- Communicate with parents on a daily basis, sharing their children's latest adventures and achievements through a variety of avenues, including mobile apps and personal discussions
- Live our HEART principles of Honesty, Excellence, Accountability, Respect, and Teamwork
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New York
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New York
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Regional Certified Field Teacher- Manhattan
Job Type
Job Requirements
What we are looking for
- Minimum age of 18
- Hold a High School Diploma/GED
- Previous experience working with young children
- Meet state educational licensing and additional center/school requirements
- A passion for child care and making a difference in the lives of young children
- Must have a Master degree in Education plus have NY State certification in B-2, 1-6, Special Education or School Building Leadership.
- Have 12 months of professional teaching experience in a classroom
Bright Horizons – A fresh perspective on learning
In addition to being the leading provider of high quality child care and early education, Bright Horizons is the only child care company repeatedly named by FORTUNE as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For". We are passionate about building an organization where you can make an impact on future generations. It begins with the educators that we hire, and by helping you grow with us. We support a well-rounded, individualized curriculum that is fully engaging and tailored to each child's developmental needs. This visionary approach helps craft enriching experiences, and empowers children to be confident and successful lifelong learners.Benefits we offer
- Competitive salaries
- Career path opportunities
- Extensive health benefits
- Comprehensive tuition reimbursement and the opportunity to earn your college degree for FREE through our Early Education Degree Achievement Plan
- 401(k)
- Volunteer opportunities through the Bright Horizons Foundation for Children
- Commuter benefits
- Health club discounts
- Cell phone discounts and much more
Additional Information
Bright Horizons is dedicated to creating a workforce that promotes and supports diversity and inclusion. We provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals without discrimination. Bright Horizons complies with the laws and regulations set forth in the following EEO is the Law Poster: EEO IS THE LAW.Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the recruitment helpdesk at 855-877-6866 or email@example.com. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.Having technical issues with your online application? Contact us at email@example.com or 855-877-6866.
Job Category 2
Center and School


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Rich Patton
Rich Patton (affectionately known as "The Blue Crooner") sings and plays guitar. He also doubles on blues harmonica and tenor saxophone. Rich is a recently retired educator but playing and performing music is his passion.
Rich loves to play the blues, R&B, baby-boomer favorites, country, old rock n' roll, jazz, classic favorites, recent hits, slide guitar and special songs improvised for people in the audience. Tell him about birthdays as the standard "Happy Birthday" will be followed by an improvised, unique "birthday song".
Rich is great with audiences and connects quickly with people of all ages. His act is lively and fun. He is dependable, accommodating and will work well with clients and staff. He performs for a wide range of venues including nightclubs, wineries, breweries, festivals, children events, schools, retirement centers and much more. He has performed in several different states and countries.
- January 11, 2018
- 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- 719 N. Brown St.
- Alma, NE 68920
- 308-928-2128
- (Katie Selyer)
Brought to you by The MerryMakers Association
(402) 697-0205 | www.merrymakers.org
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Hi, it's me again.
Been posting over at E-Sangha for maybe two years. Dhammawheel.com has become my favorite site, and I also have become very fond of ZFI.
I'm a learner. Started sitting about 5 years ago during a Goenka course. Did a few more courses (some just 1 or 3 days long).
My wife grew up in a Vajrayana culture. We have a 7-year-old son and, lately, a newborn girl who I'm pretty sure spent her previous rebirth in a deva realm cuz she's so smart and beautiful (ok, I'm biased).
My philosophy about boards like this is to try to play nice, and not hang onto my ideas too closely. I like to be open to correction and clarification, but I also can be stubborn and (sometimes) sentimental. And vague, now and then. But I value clarity of thought, and I value the insights of Ven. Dhammanando and other venerables and advanced students I've come across on these boards. What a great privilege to be among you.
Thank you for your efforts.
Big congrats!
Introduce yourself to others at Dharma Wheel.
Post Reply
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Big congrats!
On Twitter at http://twitter.com/_jechbi" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: Big congrats!
Great to see you here too!
Re: Big congrats!
Welcome, Jechbi!
Just out of curiosity, what's ZFI?
Just out of curiosity, what's ZFI?
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Re: Big congrats!
Greetings and welcome, Jechbi!
Luke ~ ZFI is Zen Forum International - http://www.zenforuminternational.org/index.php
Luke ~ ZFI is Zen Forum International - http://www.zenforuminternational.org/index.php
Live in concord, with mutual appreciation, without disputing, blending like milk and water, viewing each other with kindly eyes.
Re: Big congrats!
Hi Jechbi
its great to see you here!
its great to see you here!
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Cross Referenced Part Numbers
Matches our part number
Description: Thread Size: M5x0.8 (5mm Standard). Thread Length (L): 16.0. Type: Acetal Tipped.
Group: Socket Set Screws - Acetal Tipped - Alloy Steel
Rec. Retail Price: 0.00. Stock: Pre-Order (about 8 weeks)
Matches our part number
Description: Thread Size: M5x0.8 (5mm Standard). Thread Length (L): 16.0. Type: Acetal Tipped.
Group: Socket Set Screws - Acetal Tipped - Alloy Steel
Rec. Retail Price: 0.00. Stock: Pre-Order (about 8 weeks)
Category Matches
Gearbox Parts
P30-60 Ondrives Parts
Bearings and Spare Parts
Where alternative parts are offered, we make no claims as to their suitability. Selection of the most suitable bearings and parts is the responsibility of the customer. We recommend you replace bearings with the same type if that type is working well. High speed caged bearings are better suited to handle vibration than standard caged bearings.
Couplings Helical and Slit
Couplings - Helical - Short - Ondrives
Also see combined categories:
All Helical and Slit Couplings
Material: 303 S3U Stainless.
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Registered Australian Company: Small Parts & Bearings Pty Ltd (ABN 79 121 865 414)
Small Parts & Bearings offers 124325 products in 2772 categories including ball bearings, roller bearings, thrust bearings, ceramic and ceramic hybrid bearings, stainless steel bearings, miniature bearings, linear bearings, shafting, oil seals and adhesives - see the full listing in the Online Catalogue. We have excellent Freight Rates within Australia and worldwide. We offer a choice of delivery with a signature required, or cheaper options with no signature required. The no signature required options are at the customer's risk once the goods leave our store.
Using the links throughout this site you will find extensive information including catalogues, technical data, and other product specific information. We sell our products worldwide through our online store and our overseas freight rates are competitive for fully traceable courier delivery.
Small Parts & Bearings is part of MBA Group offering a select range from the MBA Group catalogue.
Small Parts & Bearings products are not authorised for sale into the USA or Canada due to the reluctance of Australian insurers to provide product liability insurance into those two countries.
Information on this website is Copyright Small Parts & Bearings 1997. All rights reserved.


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The memory and controversy surrounding Trayvon Martin still lingers in the American mindset as a high school in Pittsburgh just learned.
Parents at Carrick High were less than thrilled when they learned the school voted on having a Trayvon Martin-themed homecoming, KDKA-TV reports.
Students were encouraged to wear hoodies in honor of Martin that Wednesday. Reactions were fairly mixed among parents and students.
"I am a little worried about that with the different people, how they're going to react," parent Jennifer Kagle said.
The school canceled the event and replaced it with "Bucco Hat Day."


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How to Use the Images Drawing 1
Drawing 1
Painting 2: Inclined Plane No. 8,
by George Storm, date unknown.
Paintings 1 and 2 are two in a series by George Storm, who grew up near the railroad and watched it operate. Many years after the railroad had closed, Storm painted these pictures from his memories of the portage.
Painting 2 is of the full inclined plane. Note the idler wheels and hitching shed at the base of the incline.
Questions for Painting 2
1. Is this the same inclined plane shown in the previous painting? What evidence can you give for your answer?
2. What do you think the building at the top of the incline is? What was located at the top of each of the inclined planes?
3. Note that as one set of cars is going up the incline, another set is coming down. Do you think this was typical? Why would this be the most efficient way to operate the inclines? (Remember both sets of cars are tied in to one continuous rope.) Do the two loads on this incline look to be balanced?
4. Painting 2 is of Inclined Plane No. 8, the longest incline on the railroad. This plane was about 3,100 feet long. The cars were pulled up the plane at four miles per hour. Approximately how long would a trip up this inclined plane take?
* The painting on the screen has a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a high quality version of Painting 2, but be aware that the file will take as much as 33 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.


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Travel security tab now $2.6 million for Perry
AUSTIN — As he mulls the idea of another presidential race, the cost of Gov. Rick Perry's security detail on out-of-state trips has already cost taxpayers more than $2.6 million since his re-election.
Much of that total — $1.8 million — was racked up in August 2011 through January 2012, when he traveled the country during his race for the White House.
Perry has rejected calls that he pay the security costs.
In the regular legislative session, a San Antonio lawmaker said Perry summoned him to his office with concerns over his bill to require state officeholders to reimburse taxpayers for security for trips that aren't official state business. The bill died.
"Gov. Perry is the governor of Texas 24/7 regardless of where he goes, and the Texas Department of Public Safety has a policy of providing security for governors and their families everywhere they travel, as they have back several administrations," Perry spokesman Josh Havens said by e-mail.
Rep. Lyle Larson, the San Antonio Republican who sought to rein in the security cost to taxpayers for political trips, said he told Perry during their discussion that the issue could haunt him.
"More and more folks are going to focus on how much we're spending in the event that he makes the decision over the next year and a half to travel extensively to other states, whether it's Iowa or New Hampshire or some of the primary states that people are going to be focused on," Larson said.
"This very well could become an issue if he decides to run for president in 2016," Larson said. "We can talk about a conservative approach to governance, but when we're spending taxpayer money for political activities, it just doesn't bode well on the campaign trail."
Perry has told the Washington Times he is headed to Israel in October.
The newspaper reported many analysts interpreted that as evidence he is "setting the table" for another presidential bid.
The Texas Department of Public Safety compiles the cost of Perry's security detail on a quarterly basis.
The latest report includes expenses through May. Besides costs for the quarter, it includes expenses from earlier trips for which bills have come in.
The total for the report is $137,884, including $126,982 for out-of-state trips. That includes such expenses as travel, fuel, food and lodging.
Those trips include travel to California, where Perry has sought to attract business to Texas; Palm Beach, where he appeared with Florida Gov. Rick Scott at a forum; and Washington, D.C. Perry spoke at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, near Washington in March.
The report also includes February security expenses for a trip to Tennessee. Perry in February tweeted a photo of himself with Clay Walker, saying, "Watching A&M v Vanderbilt game with country Superstar Clay Walker. Fine hospitality in TN."
Perry's direct travel costs generally are covered by his campaign or other means, not by taxpayers. The cost of his security detail is picked up by taxpayers, as it has been for previous governors.


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I've never totally gotten the appeal of Wii dancing games, though clearly there are a whole ton of Just Dance fans out there who disagree. This new ad for Harmonix's just-released Dance Central 2 takes a humorous dig at Wii games and their obsolescence in the face of full motion-tracking.
Honestly, while truly compelling Kinect games are few and far between, watching this ad reinforces the fact that there is no greater hardware out there for dancing games. Though it must be said, when I play Dance Central 2, it's less "cool, attractive dude and girl playing together" and more "goofy guy dancing around in his apartment by himself". But the potential is there! Maybe I should invite more people over so that my own Dance Central 2 sessions begin to resemble the ones on the TV.


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We need a family entertainment center
Editor (and neighbors):
I recently heard a rumor of a ranch/farm store going into the former Albertsons.
And I must ask: Do we really need another ranch/farm store in our mountain community when several are already established; while Conifer just opened a large one a few miles away? Such could put established businesses out of business.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Canyon Courier, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
|ZIP Code:


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The 2013 corn crop was planted later than normal, with over 30% of the crop planted after May 15 and a significant number of acres in Iowa planted after June 1, if at all. This creates a number of challenges for U.S. corn production that may not necessarily be fully be accounted for in the highly subjective weekly crop condition ratings, such as nitrogen loss, shallow root development etc.
News services like to compare from conditions from the previous year. When you compare any crop ratings against 2012, they are going to look good. This week's corn condition rating stood at 63% good to excellent. This rating compares to similar ratings in 2007 and 2011 in which the final U.S. corn yield was 151 and 147 bu. per acre respectively. This is versus the current USDA estimate of 156.5 bu. per acre.
The USDA left planted acreage largely unchanged in its June report. This was a farmer-reported survey that had its collection period as May 30 to June 16, still at a time when producers had every expectation or hope of getting their projected corn acres in the ground. Perhaps of greater concern is where these acres were planted. As an example, in June the USDA reported that there would be 200,000 acres less corn planted in Iowa and 200,000 acres more planted in Nebraska. In this case, it's likely that highly productive ground in the nation's leading corn-producing state was replaced with dry land and/or converted pasture acres in Nebraska.
The shifting of corn from high yielding acres to lower yielding acres further creates a yield drag on the national average. Due to last year's poor crop conditions, the USDA made aggressive summer adjustments to yield in their balance sheets. No major change is expected next month's yield estimate however; a year ago the USDA did slash their harvested acres in the August supply and demand report. Although not comparing last year's drought to this year's conditions, it is an area in which the USDA may utilize to account for lower corn acres next month.
These are all factors that could lead to a lower corn production figure down the road. And this is all before any discussion of a potential early end to the growing season, that bulls are reluctant to discuss at the risk of appearing desperate. However, we are likely just a few short weeks away from some weather service raising that concern. The question will be from what price level a frost rally might begin.
I am not trying to beat the drum for the bulls, just trying to point out that at times markets can become shortsighted and traders and analysts feed on bearish news on the way down just as they feed on the bullish news on the way up. We have used the recent price weakness to step aside on some hedge protection, with the expectation of being able to re-establish at higher levels just before or just after the August production report. Remaining flexible is still important in these markets. It just may not be necessary for the bulls to throw in the towel just yet.
Click to view larger image.
Evening Report (VIP) -- July 26, 2013
Power Hour: Keep Land Costs Reasonable to Stay Competitive


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Aleen Louise
Photos courtesy of Karen Prytula [2006], Alana Walker [2012-2013]. Penny Aris, Colleen Dunfee, Angie Garant, Ed Lambert, Karen Lawrence, Susan Schultz, Helen Kempers, Brenda Carr, Bruce Kettles, Edith Benoit, Diane Dillon, Marty Neva, Robert Chambers, and Murray Pletsch [2012-2014]. Additions from Alana Nielsen, Joan Elmer, John Kent, Dave Sim, Donna Douglas
Indexed by Sherri Pettit, Patricia Green, Marilyn Whiting, Kate Ford, Charlene Anderson, Donna Renn, Tom Thompson, Sylvia Irving, Wayne Smith, Sara Drawehn, Jim McQueen, Susan Gibb, Brenda Marchese, Jeri Thiessen, Susan L, Kathy Taylor
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Vertical motor offers increased output, less noise
GE Energy's Motors business produces the Pegasus – a marketplace solution for pump OEMs and end users who require large, slow speed, vertically mounted motors.
GE, completing more than 9,000 custom design tests for pumps and vertical motors to create Pegasus, aims to significantly reduce or completely eliminate Reed Critical Frequency (RCF) issues, offering a solution to the common industry problem of vibration issues for vertical applications. The MHV vertical motors are designed, engineered, and customized for PV 500 to PV 900 frame requirements.
"Since the Pegasus is based on customer specs, a customer can call us and state their system's pump needs," says Nimesh Sharan, Product Manager for Medium and Large Motors at GE Energy. "Then we can plug their custom data into the new Pegasus technology. The result is an automatic build sheet for the customized motor."
The vertical units have an open end and are designed to appreciably reduce noise and vibration, the latter of which can cause harmful repercussions and downtime for the system. Pegasus can also be constructed in an enclosed configuration.
Pegasus carries a worldwide warranty and full product service availability. All frames will be shipped ready to integrate with remote monitoring capabilities. Standard RMU capabilities include bearing/winding RTDs and vibration sensors.
"Our advantage of having the newest design in the marketplace is that we have the most modern design tools to deliver the best vertical motor solutions," says Sharan.
Pegasus is ideal for multi-faceted installations where smooth-driven equipment is required, including centrifugal pumps, centrifugal compressors, and fans. Other uses include reciprocating loads, belt drives, chippers and cutters, crushers or any other type of machine with high alternating and/or shocking loads not covered by standard products.
In addition to increased output/frame, reduced noise and vibration levels, and enhanced reliability, the Pegasus Vertical line offers improved power density, bearings offerings, and ratings capabilities.
GE Energy
– Edited by Gust Gianos, Control Engineering, www.controleng.com


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Jeff Martin inhabits the mysterious world of fine woodcraft — age-old hand tools, patience, natural materials warmed by earth and rain.
At 28, Martin seems an anomaly — a young man attempting to make an old-fashioned living in the modern world. Yet Martin says he and almost a dozen other Vancouver furniture designers actually make a solid living selling their careful, handcrafted work.
"For a long time, it was a bit of a pipe dream and I worked two other jobs to support doing this," said Martin, who was recently married. "Within the last year, I've personally turned the corner, and this is what I'm doing full-time for work now. I'm earning a fairly good income doing this."
What changed everything was teaming up with cabinetmaker and bronze sculptor Mark Alan Greenberg, 42, who, after a shop accident last year, wanted to work more in business development, said Martin, a reluctant business school student who later apprenticed with a New York furniture craftsman.
The new partners did some cost modelling, then upgraded equipment, quit their supplementary jobs, and raised Jeff Martin Joinery's hourly rate. Martin's business degree taught him to expect cycles, be prudent with expenditures, approach the work as work and not a hobby, and craft not only his wares, but also his image. Key clients turned out to be interior design and architectural firms buying for corporate customers who pay as much as $24,000 for a stylish, handcrafted table.
The partners approached interior designers and architects for face-to-face meetings, but also accepted an invitation to sell through John and Sarah Burrows, a Vancouver couple who set up an online store (Wood Design, woodindesign.com) earlier this year as an outgrowth of a blog they started two years ago.
"It's funny, we're doing fine," Martin said. "Even though we're charging more than in the past, business has actually picked up for us. (It happened) as soon as we figured out where that market was and started selling in New York, Toronto and Montreal — bigger markets than Vancouver."
Burrows is hoping to tap into increasing consumer interest in mindful, local consumption.
"I think there's a craving for authenticity and nostalgia in a society in which people (think) we don't make anything anymore, but we do," said Burrows who has background in finance and a master's degree in development studies. "It's not like we stopped. ... If you think about it, you can find a lot of things locally."
Despite inevitably high price tags (Wood Design's coffee tables range from $1,000 to $15,000), Burrows believes every small furniture maker he's contacted is running a profitable business. His blog has featured almost 250 firms to date.
"The fact that there are so many is ample and demonstrative evidence to us that a solid market exists both amongst makers and consumers," he said.
Unlike craftsmen buried in wood shops, Burrows said he can answer the phone promptly, specialize in marketing an online store, and arrange volume discounts for packing and delivery. In return, he takes a commission. He is also exploring "glocalization" (taking advantage of globalization while adapting products for local markets) and looking into using his site to kickstart small-scale manufacturing by bringing makers small-batch orders through a crowd-sourcing model.
He hopes that harnessing the Internet's geographic reach will allow him to not only broaden markets but also connect buyers across North America with their own local artisans.
Sarah Burrows, a former event organizer, does much of the fledgling company's social media work, sending out 1,000 emails a week and working six or seven social media sites daily. The store has made about a dozen sales since it started in March and was a nominee for Small Business BC's Successful You awards.
Like Martin, Tanja Hinder, 31, and her partner, wood craftsman Michael Thomas Host, 36, have also built a profitable firm by combining business expertise, a global approach to marketing, and artistic talent. MTH Woodworks has been in business for three years.
"We started making a profit about a half year in," said Hinder, who lined up work for the soon-to-open business while employed as a project manager for an interior design firm. "It's easier than getting a big line of credit and trying to work backwards," she said.
Most of MTH's sales are custom orders, but its Bloom collection became popular in ski areas when the firm won Designer of the Year recognition in a B.C. magazine. The company now has distributors in Europe.
Hinder has turned down a number of investment offers.
"I say grow naturally," she said. "Don't take $200,000 and don't take a huge line of credit and put everything on one card," she said. "I think a lot of people fail because their overhead is too high."
MTH keeps its overhead low by sharing its wood shop space and making all work to order.
"You can't sugar-coat it. It really is a lot of work. We work every night until 10 at least," said Hinder, whose background is in marketing and event management in Switzerland. She studied interior design after moving to Vancouver in 2005, and started her own interior design business a year ago.
To date, both Martin and MTH have sold only a few pieces through Wood Design, but are enthusiastic about the site's marketing value. Meanwhile, they are living a life they love by combining formal business skills, an international approach and Internet marketing with an ancient craft.
They, and their fellow Vancouver furniture artisans, have found a way to "put money in the bank and pay a mortgage," Martin said. True, no one's getting rich yet, Martin said, "but they are self employed and can raise a family. And for a lot of guys who get into this, it's about ideals anyway."


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Park Regis Singapore, Singapore
- Free WiFi and free parking
- Collect nights
Park Regis Singapore, Singaporefrom $119
- Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed (Park)
- Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed (Merchant)
- Twin Room, 2 Twin Beds
- Standard Room, 1 Queen Bed (Quay)
- Regis Room, One King Bed
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What's around Park Regis Singapore, Singapore
- In Downtown Singapore
- Boat Quay - 9 min walk
- Chinatown Heritage Center - 9 min walk
- Orchard Road - 11 min walk
- Raffles Place - 11 min walk
- Asian Civilisations Museum - 13 min walk
- Peranakan Museum - 14 min walk
- Thian Hock Keng Temple - 15 min walk
Getting around
- Singapore (XSP-Seletar) - 16 min drive
- Singapore (SIN-Changi) - 19 min drive
- Johor Bahru (JHB-Senai Intl.) - 54 min drive
- JB Sentral - 25 min drive
- Clarke Quay Station - 4 min walk
- Fort Canning MRT station - 8 min walk
- Chinatown Station - 8 min walk
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel has 202 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 7 floors
- Check-in time starts at 3 PM
- Check-out time is noon
- Express check-out
It is advisable to pre-blocked the room the day before arrival with 1 night room charge to guarantee early check-in.
Alternatively, guests may register first and leave the luggage at the concierge.
Required at check-in
- Credit card or cash deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
- Minimum check-in age is 18
- Minimum Spring Break check-in age is 18
Travelling with others
- One child stays free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding
- No cribs (infant beds)
- No pets or service animals allowed
- Free WiFi in public areas
- Free WiFi in rooms
- Free self parking
Payment types at the property
Other information
- Smoke-free property
In the hotel
- Buffet breakfast (surcharge)
- Outdoor pool
- Fitness facilities
- Business center
- One meeting room
- 24-hour front desk
- Concierge services
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Free newspapers in lobby
- Luggage storage
- Multilingual staff
- Porter/bellhop
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Year Built - 2010
- Elevator
- Television in common areas
In the room
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Air conditioning
- Minibar
- Coffee/tea maker
- Bathrobes
- Slippers
- Iron/ironing board
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Turndown service
- Private bathroom
- Rainfall showerhead
- Shower only
- Designer toiletries
- Hair dryer
- 42-inch LCD TV
- Premium TV channels
- Desk
- Free WiFi
- Free bottled water
- Daily housekeeping
- In-room safe (laptop compatible)
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Please note that baby cribs are not permitted at the Park Regis Singapore. Infants are required to share existing bedding with parents.
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
Some facilities may have restricted access. Guests can contact the property for details using the contact information on the booking confirmation.
Parking height restrictions apply.Please note that cultural norms and guest policies may differ by country and by property. The policies listed are provided by the property.
Mandatory fees
Deposit: SGD 100 per night
Optional extras
Buffet breakfast is offered for an extra charge of SGD 28 for adults and SGD 18 for children (approximately)
Wired Internet access is available in guestrooms for SGD 32.10 per day (rates may vary)
We have included all charges provided to us by this property. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the unit you book.
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Study: Bankruptcies linked to higher medical bills
The authors say the findings coincide with the movement toward consumer-driven health plans.
Those plans were designed to make consumers more cost conscious by requiring them to pay more out of their own pocket for care.
Harvard researchers randomly contacted more than 2,300 U.S. bankruptcy filers in early 2007. Roughly half of those filers agreed to discuss the reasons for their bankruptcy during a follow-up telephone interview.
Nearly two-thirds of all the bankruptcies in the study could be attributed to medical problems, the researchers found. Most of the filers had medical debts of more than $5,000, or 10 percent of pre-tax family income.
The average medical bill for families with private insurance totaled nearly $18,000. The average bill for uninsured families was nearly $27,000.
"In order to protect people, you have to have coverage that's comprehensive and ... that doesn't disappear when you lose your job."
Study co-author Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard and a primary care physician, is not surprised by the findings. She said health care costs rose considerably during the study period.
Families also had to pick up a much greater share of those costs as more employers switched to consumer-driven plans that had higher deductibles and co-payments, she said.
"Unfortunately, many people don't have that kind of money. And if the insurance plans require them to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket, it can driven them into bankruptcy," Woolhandler said. "So I think that really explains the increase."
The study found that most of the people bankrupted by illness were middle class before their medical crisis occurred. In many cases illness lead to job loss, followed by the loss of insurance.
The results make a strong case that private health insurance is failing people, because it's full of coverage gaps and it's easy to lose health coverage, according to Woolhandler.
"If we have a reform such as that which Mr. Obama is proposing, that just gives people access to private insurance, you will not solve the problem of medical bankruptcy," she said. "In order to protect people you have to have coverage that's comprehensive and that is continuous, that doesn't disappear when you lose your job."
Two of the study authors, including Dr. Woolhandler, are members of the group Physicians for a National Health Program. The organization supports a single-payer national health insurance program.
Woolhander said her personal views did not affect her interpretation of the bankruptcy data, which she said was peer-reviewed and approved for publication in a prestigious medical journal.
Previous medical bankruptcy research conducted by the same researchers has been widely cited by policy leaders, including President Obama.
The Harvard findings are important and should help motivate Americans who want to see lawmakers create a public insurance option, said Joel Albers, a health economics researcher with the Universal Health Care Action Network Minnesota -- a group that advocates for a single-payer health care system.
"If we're going to really get a genuine Medicare For All option it's really going to have to come from the populace," Albers said. "People have to really speak out on this and have a voice on it, and just be an active participant in making that come about."
The insurance industry says the study findings don't tell the whole story, however. Eileen Smith, with the Minnesota Council of Health Plans, said the bankruptcy study places the blame on private health insurance when the main problem is the rising cost of care.
"Health care costs are going to continue to go up regardless of what kind of funding mechanism is in place, whether it's private health insurance or in other parts of the world where you see more government support," Smith said. "We need sustainable coverage for all, and to do that we all need to work on slowing the rising costs to have a long-term solution."
The Harvard study analyzed bankruptcy cases from all 50 states. But researchers did not calculate the percentage of medical bankruptcies among individual states. So it's possible that great variation exists from state to state relative to whether medical costs contributed to the bankruptcies.
For example, Minnesota had 15,473 consumer bankruptcies last year. But it's not known if the study's findings mirror what's happening in Minnesota.
The research is published in the online edition of the American Journal of Medicine. It was paid for by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.


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Search Content
Science Visualized
Observers caught these stars going supernova
In A.D. 185, Chinese records note the appearance of a "guest star" that then faded away over the span of several months. In 1572, astronomer Tycho Brahe and many others watched as a previously unknown star in the constellation Cassiopeia blasted out gobs of light and then eventually disappeared. And 30 years ago, the world witnessed a similar blaze of light from a small galaxy that orbits the...
When a nearby star goes supernova, scientists will be ready
Almost every night that the constellation Orion is visible, physicist Mark Vagins steps outside to peer at a reddish star at the right shoulder of the mythical figure. "You can see the color of Betelgeuse with the naked eye. It's very striking, this red, red star," he says. "It may not be in my lifetime, but one of these days, that star is going to explode."
With a radius about 900 times...
30 years later, supernova 1987A is still sharing secrets
View the video
Ian Shelton was alone at a telescope in the remote Atacama Desert of Chile. After three hours getting a picture of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a wispy galaxy that orbits the Milky Way, he was plunged into darkness. High winds had taken hold of the rolltop door in the observatory's roof, slamming it shut.
"This was maybe telling me I should just call it a night," says...
Supernova is a dust factory
OXON HILL, Md. — The remnant of a recent supernova contains nearly a star's mass of dust. The dust's presence provides strong evidence that similar explosions distributed dust that seeded bursts of star formation billions of years ago.
For astronomers, dust is a bit different from the stuff on your dresser. Dust forms in space when searing-hot atoms of carbon, oxygen and silicon cool and...
A supernova's shocking development
Thirteen years ago, astronomers witnessed the brightest stellar explosion seen from Earth since the invention of the telescope. A supernova—the violent death of a massive star—had erupted in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy, only 160,000 light-years away. Because of the galaxy's proximity, scientists have had a field day tracking the unfolding saga of supernova 1987A.
Super fireworks
Thirteen years ago, astronomers witnessed the brightest stellar explosion seen from Earth since 1604. Now, they're seeing fireworks generated as material from that explosion rams into and heats up a ring of gas surrounding the exploding star.
The spectacle, 169,000 light-years away in a galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud, may shed light on the nature of the original...
Depression Gets Doleful Diagnosis
Pulsar Mystery Ends: The TV Camera Did It


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For the third year running, Mars UK has been named in the 2018 Great Place to Work® UK annual rankings in the Large Company Category. We are now ranked 8th, climbing two places from last year's ranking of 10th.
For more than 100 years, Mars Associates have been practicing the art and science of making products and services that consumers love. We like to say that we have a "healthy dissatisfaction with the status quo." Because of this we are constantly evolving and growing as a company — and we are always striving to bring The Five Principles to life in the way we work. This is at the heart of our family-owned business. It's a rewarding challenge!
There's a reason some of our world-class brands have been around for more than 100 years. Our goal has always been to deliver the very best quality products and services at a great value. Every day, we strive to bring pleasure and satisfaction to hundreds of millions of people and pets around the world...
Working at Mars matters. If you have a passion for brands that touch lives and a desire to be a part of a growing business that is making a difference for people and their pets every day, then Mars might be the perfect place for you. We're not fancy. We don't have corner offices with killer views. But, we get to work with great people who share career ambitions that include making the world a little better.


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Registered Nursing
Program Overview
The program prepares students to work as registered nurses. Upon
completion, the graduate will receive an Associate Degree in Nursing.
The graduate is entitled to take the California State Board of Registered
Nursing licensing exam.
The program offers a series of courses that combine academic classes on campus, skills practice in the nursing skills laboratory, and patient care experience in various hospitals and facilities in the San Francisco area. Click here for a description of the courses required.
More Information
Mission Statement
The purpose of City College of San Francisco Registered Nursing Program is to recruit, counsel and prepare qualified people in the San Francisco Bay Area to function effectively at an entry level registered nursing position.
In the future, Application filing period will be once a year.
see Announcement


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Solar-panel firm SunPower Corp. SPWR, +3.79% reported late Thursday a fourth-quarter net loss of $144.8 million, or $1.22 a share, versus a loss of $93 million, or 94 cents a share, a year ago. Excluding one-time items, SunPower reported a net income of 18 cents a share, compared with 4 cents. It was a "difficult year for the industry," SunPower President Chief Executive Tom Werner said, but the company enjoyed increased customer demand. Revenue for the three months ended Dec. 31 reached $678.5 million. Analysts polled by FactSet expected per-share earnings of 15 cents on revenue of $772.2 million. SunPower shares declined 0.1% in after-hours trade.
SunPower reports Q4 loss, but beats expectations
Quote References
+0.47 +3.79%


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The addition of TCU maintains Big 12 membership at 10 institutions. It is the first new member to join the Conference since it began in 1996. The Horned Frogs will begin competing in all sports with the 2012-13 academic season.
"The Big 12 Presidents and Chancellors are pleased to welcome TCU to the Big 12," noted Burns Hargis, Chair of the Big 12 Board of Directors and president of Oklahoma State University. "The addition of TCU gives us a prestigious institution with great academics, strong financial support, outstanding athletic tradition, and a perfect geographic fit. We have been working tirelessly to build an even stronger Conference and think this is an extremely positive step."
"Joining the Big 12 connects us not only to schools with whom we share a rich tradition in sports, but also to schools committed to academic excellence," TCU Chancellor Victor J. Boschini Jr. said. "Over the past six years, TCU has seen unprecedented success in academics and athletics. Participating in this conference allows us to strengthen the core of the TCU experience, which includes providing students with major opportunities in a personalized environment. It is very much in line with our overall goal to create a world-class university."
TCU, located in Fort Worth, Texas, sponsors 20 varsity sports. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field. Women's sports are basketball, cross country, equestrian, golf, rifle, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track & field and volleyball. TCU participates in every sport sponsored by the Big 12 Conference, except gymnastics, rowing, softball and wrestling. The Big 12 sponsors every sport the Horned Frogs participate in except rifle.
"We are excited to add TCU to our lineup of prestigious members," said Big 12 Interim Commissioner Chuck Neinas. "Not only do they bring an excellent football program to our Conference, but numerous other programs that have been successful on a national level as well."
Since its inception 15 years ago, the Big 12 has won 42 team national championships and 492 NCAA individual crowns. In addition, more than 3,700 student-athletes have earned All-America First Team accolades for their play on the field with more than 500 being recognized with Academic All-America honors.
Beginning July 1, 2012, the Big 12 Conference will be comprised of 10 Universities - Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Texas, and Texas Tech. The Big 12's footprint encompasses five states with over 40 million people. More than 4,100 student-athletes from across the United States and around the World compete annually in the 23 sports sponsored by the Conference.
|Location: Fort Worth, Texas
|Enrollment: 9,518 (8,229 Undergraduate)
|Founded: 1873
|Colors: Purple and White
|Chancellor: Dr. Victor J. Boschini, Jr.
|Nickname: Horned Frogs
|Director of Athletics: Chris Del Conte
|Website: gofrogs.com
♦ TCU is the only school in the nation to finish in the top 10 of the season-ending Associated Press and USA Today polls each of the last three seasons.
♦ TCU is one of just three schools to reach a BCS game each of the last two campaigns.
♦ Over the last three years, TCU has an average finish of No. 5 in the season-ending top 25 polls, ranking first nationally.
♦ Entering this season, the Frogs have recorded the second-highest win total in the nation since 2005, while winning 10 or more contests eight times since 2000.
♦ TCU has 26 all-time bowl appearances in 16 different games. At least one has been in each of the four games that now constitute the Bowl Championships Series.
♦ A $164 million renovation of TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium is underway with full completion in time for the 2012 season.
♦ TCU has made 13 postseason appearances in its men's basketball history, including seven trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Frogs have also won 11 conference titles.
♦ TCU has had men's basketball players capture 85 all-conference accolades, while eight players have garnered All-America honors.
♦ The baseball team has won 11 conference championships and has a stretch of eight consecutive appearances in the postseason since 2004. The 2009 squad reached the NCAA Super Regional for the first time and advanced to the school's first College World Series the following season.
♦ In women's basketball, TCU is one of 20 schools in the nation to make nine NCAA Tournament appearances in the last 11 campaigns.
♦ The men's golf program has advanced to NCAA competition 22 consecutive years, while 16 different Frogs have recorded 20 All-America honors.
♦ The TCU women's golf program has made 16 consecutive NCAA appearances and also won the 1983 NCAA Championship while producing seven All-Americans and six LPGA Tour members.
♦ The track & field program has won 14 NCAA event championships, including seven NCAA relay crowns.
♦ The men's tennis team has been in all but two NCAA Tournaments since 1991 and has reached the national semifinals on three occasions (1989, 1996, 2001).
♦ The women's tennis team has advanced to the NCAA Championships in seven of the past eight seasons, with 13 appearances overall.
♦ The women's soccer team was nationally ranked each of the last two seasons and in 2010 finished eighth nationally in attendance.
♦ The women's rifle team captured the 2010 NCAA Championship and finished third in 2011.
♦ The women's equestrian team won the 2008 Varsity Equestrian Western National Championship.
♦ Gordon England – Secretary of the Navy
♦ John Davis – Founder, 1-800-Flowers
♦ Dr. James Cash - Minority Owner, Boston Celtics
♦ Bob Schieffer - CBS Journalist
♦ Rod Roddy – Former Announcer, Price Is Right Television Game Show
♦ Davey O'Brien – Former NFL Quarterback and Heisman Trophy Winner
♦ Sammy Baugh – Member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
♦ Bob Lilly - Member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
♦ LaDainian Tomlinson - NFL record-holding running back
♦ Andy Dalton - NFL Quarterback
♦ Jamie Dixon – Men's Basketball Coach, University of Pittsburgh
♦ 131 undergraduate areas of study
♦ 49 master's level programs
♦ 20 areas of doctoral study
♦ 1,891 employees
♦ 532 full-time faculty members
♦ 87 percent with a terminal degree
♦ Fiscal Year 2011 budget - $406 million
♦ Total investments (as of May 31, 2011) of more than $1.2 billion
♦ Freshman-to-sophomore retention rate of 87 percent
♦ Student/faculty ratio of 13:1
♦ 78,000 living alumni


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BP Comment Quick Links
February 25, 2011
Baseball ProGUESTus
Home Runs and Humidors: Is There a Connection?
Believe it or not, most of our writers didn't enter the world sporting an @baseballprospectus.com address; with a few exceptions, they started out somewhere else. In an effort to up your reading pleasure while tipping our caps to some of the most illuminating work being done elsewhere on the internet, we'll be yielding the stage once a week to the best and brightest baseball writers, researchers and thinkers from outside of the BP umbrella. If you'd like to nominate a guest contributor (including yourself), please drop us a line.
Alan Nathan is Professor Emeritus of Physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His principal area of research is the physics of baseball. He maintains a web site devoted to this topic at go.illinois.edu/physicsofbaseball. His younger colleagues at Complete Game Consulting have bestowed upon him the exalted title of Chief Scientist.
Some of you may already know me from the blogosphere, primarily at Tom Tango's Inside The Book site and as a serious researcher in the physics of the game we all love. I am not primarily a baseball analyst. However, I am of the firm belief that a physicist has potentially useful things to contribute to baseball analysis, and I am appreciative of the opportunity to demonstrate so in this article.
Coors Field in mile-high Denver has been long viewed as a batter's paradise and a pitcher's nightmare. Because the air density in Denver is approximately 80 percent of that at sea level, fly balls hit there carry farther and pitches thrown there have less movement, both of which contribute to an increase in a variety of offensive statistics, particularly home runs. For the first seven seasons at Coors, there were 3.20 home runs hit per gamecompared to 1.93 per Rockies away game. However, beginning in 2002 the Colorado Rockies began to store their baseballs in a humidor at a constant 50 percent relative humidity and 700F, as opposed to the more typical 30 percent humidity in Denver. During the period from 2002-2010 the Coors ratio decreased to 2.39, a reduction of 25 percent, while the away game ratio stayed constant at 1.86. Is it plausible that the reduction in home runs can be attributed to the humidor? The primary goal of this article is to answer that question.
Over the past few years, many articles have been written addressing this issue, so it is a fair question to ask why this topic might still be of interest. Here are three reasons. First, there are new data that I will discuss on the effect of the humidor on the properties of the baseball. Second, there are data available today on the trajectories of fly balls that allow a more definitive study than has been heretofore possible. And third, there have been media reports that the Arizona Diamondbacks are considering storing their baseballs in a humidor, so it is important that those involved in making that decision have the best information available to them on the possible consequences. So as a secondary goal, I will address the issue of a humidor at Chase Field.
Before going through the analysis, let me first give an outline of my approach. I will first assume that in the absence of a humidor, the baseballs at Coors are stored at the ambient relative humidity of 30 percent, as opposed to the 50 percent value when stored in the humidor. The approach involves two distinct issues that need to be investigated:
First I look at the reduction in batted-ball speed (BBS), which gets us into a brief discussion of the physics of the ball-bat collision. Last year I wrote an article about this topic for Baseball Analysts, with an emphasis on how properties of the bat affect the BBS. The interested reader should go back to this article, since the same essential physics applies when considering the effect of the ball on the BBS. When baseballs are stored at an elevated humidity, two effects occur that decrease the BBS: the weight increases and the coefficient of restitution (COR) decreases. The increase in weight is due to the absorption of water by the ball. To see how that affects the BBS, realize that what really matters in the ball-bat collision is the ratio of ball weight to bat weight. The smaller the ratio, the harder the ball will be hit. Just as for a given bat speed a heavier bat will hit the ball harder than a lighter bat, so too will a given bat hit a lighter ball harder than a heavier ball.
The COR is the "bounciness" of the ball. It would be 1 for a perfectly elastic superball and 0 for a totally dead ball. For a baseball, if falls right in the middle of the two extremes at approximately 0.5. When the ball absorbs water, it gets "mushier," resulting in a reduced COR and a lower BBS. The effect of increased weight and decreased COR on the BBS are pretty easy to understand qualitatively. Physics allows us to determine these effects quantitatively, at least within the limits that I will discuss later. A third effect occurs that does not affect the BBS but does affect the flight of the ball. Namely, at elevated humidity the size of the ball increases, and this will increase the air drag. However, the resulting effect on the trajectory has been shown to be small and I will not consider it further.
So, how do we determine the dependence of weight and COR on humidity? Well, we do what physicists have been doing for centuries: careful laboratory experiments. Two such experiments have been done in recent years, one of which was published and the other of which is about to be published in the American Journal of Physics. The experiments found that when the relative humidity is increased from 30 percent to 50 percent, the weight of the ball increases by 1.6 percent and the COR decreases by 3.7 percent. Together, these results can be used to calculate that for a hard-hit ball typical of home runs in Major League Baseball, the BBS is reduced by 2.8±0.5 mph (or about 2.8 percent), where the error bar is due to the uncertainty in the COR measurement and its affect on the BBS. More on this a little later. Most of the reduction comes from the reduced COR (2.2 mph), with the remainder coming from the increase in weight (0.6 mph).
Next I investigate how the reduced BBS affects fly-ball distance and home-run production. My approach to quantifying this effect is to rely as much as possible on actual home-run data from the 2009 and 2010 seasons, which come from two sources. First we have the precise landing location and hang time, as well as the location and height of the nearest fence, from Greg Rybarczyk, proprietor of HitTracker. Second we have the BBS, vertical launch angle, and spray angle from Sportvision's HITf/x data. Of the 359 home runs hit at Coors in 2009-10, there are 336 for which I am able to match up the HitTracker and HITf/x data. These data and the much larger sample of 8801 home runs from all parks potentially provide a wealth of information about fly balls in MLB. As an example, I had earlier used such data to compare the "carry" of a fly ball in different parks.
Armed with the initial velocity, an aerodynamics model can be fine-tuned to reproduce the landing point and flight time, with the result being that the entire trajectory can be reconstructed to a high level of accuracy. In particular, we can find the height of the ball as it crosses the nearest fence and the total distance that the fly ball would have carried when extrapolated to ground level. Then we can use that same aerodynamics model with a reduced BBS and increased ball weight (the latter since the effect of air drag is reduced on a heavier ball) to recalculate the trajectory and see if the ball makes it over the nearest fence. In that manner, we can find the reduction in home runs as a result of the humidor.
The mean home-run distance at Coors is 414.8 ft. After applying our 2.8 percent reduction in BBS and 1.6 percent increase in weight, the mean distance is reduced to 401.6 ft, a change of 13.2 ft, or 3.2 percent. With those changes, the number of home runs in Coors is reduced from 336 to 235, a (30±6) percent reduction. Most of it (27 percent) comes from the reduced COR, with the remainder (3 percent) coming from the increased weight. Another way to express this result is that for each 1 ft reduction in the fly-ball distance, the home-run probability is reduced by 2.3 percent.
Let me digress a bit to talk about the two major sources of uncertainty in the result. First, the part of the calculation that associates a reduced BBS with a reduced COR requires knowledge of additional parameters of the ball-bat collision that we do not know with certainty, such as the swing speed, the impact location, etc. In my calculation, I used values that I would expect to apply to the kinds of well-hit balls that lead to home runs. The ±0.5 mph in the BBS reduction arises in part from my estimation of the uncertainty in the collision dynamics and in part from the actual COR measurements. Second, the 336 home runs that were studied are subject to the usual random fluctuations associated with a finite sample size. Together, these two sources are combined to arrive at the uncertainty of ±6 in the home-run reduction percentage.
In summary, the calculation gives a reduction of (30±6) percent, whereas the actual reduction is 25 percent. The closeness of the calculation to the actual result suggests that it is very plausible that the reduction in home runs at Coors Field can be attributed to the humidor. That is the primary conclusion of this investigation.
Let me turn now to Chase Field, where the typical relative humidity is even lower than in Denver, on the order of 20 percent. Therefore, we need to investigate the effect of changing from 20 percent to 50 percent, an increase that is 1.5 times the increase at Coors. Here I will present only a rough analysis, which ought to provide a ballpark estimate (so to speak) of the reduction we might expect at Chase. The experimental data show that the dependence of both weight and COR on relative humidity is approximately linear. The analysis of the home-run data shows that the dependence of fly-ball distance on BBS is also linear. Finally, the 2.3 percent-per-foot reduction for Coors is essentially the same as for Chase. Putting these things together, I would expect to find a reduction at Chase approximately 1.5 times that at Coors, or a whopping (45±9) percent! That's not a small number, folks.
The technique used in the present analysis allows us to investigate only factors that decrease home run production, since we have accurate fly-ball data only for home runs and not for near misses. Nevertheless, one can speculate that for small changes in BBS the reduction might also apply in the reverse direction, allowing a prediction of increases in home-run production. For example, given that the typical humidity in most MLB parks is greater than 50 percent, storing the baseballs at 50 percent in every park would result in an increase in home-run production by an amount that we could predict using the techniques employed here. As another example, the consequence of moving the fences uniformly closer by 5 ft would be an increase in home-run production by 13 percent. Other examples abound, but I'll leave those for another day.
In conclusion, I hope I have been able to convince you that applying physics techniques to baseball analysis can lead to useful insights about the game.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Greg Rybarczyk and Ryan Zander for providing the HitTracker and HITf/x data, respectively. I also thank both Greg and Mike Fast for some helpful suggestions on this article. Finally, I thank my colleague Prof. Lloyd Smith for his careful measurements of the effects of humidity on the COR and weight.
17 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
A very nice read! And now, I understand more than I did ten minutes ago. Thank you, professor!
Feb 25, 2011 04:59 AM
Thank you. I especially appreciate the insight on how use of a humidor would increase HRs in some ballparks. Perhaps humidty control is a cheaper alternative to moving fences in and out.
Feb 25, 2011 06:38 AM
Dan Malkiel
BP staff
Excellent piece.
Feb 25, 2011 07:45 AM
Actually, far and away the most important tidbit from this article was the use of HITf/X data.
Feb 25, 2011 08:15 AM
Thanks to all of you who have commented favorably on my article. Let me briefly try to answer some of the questions.
Feb 25, 2011 09:11 AM
Fascinating article, hopefully settling the arguements regarding effects of the Humidor at Coors Field.
Feb 25, 2011 09:33 AM
Thank you for this excellent article. In your response to Nailfan's question about baseball moisture acclimating to ambient conditions, you discuss the possibility of baseballs losing moisture when coming out of the humidor in Colorado, but what would happen to baseballs kept in humidors in MLB parks where typical humidity is greater than 50%? Intuitively, it seems like a baseball would pick up moisture from humid air much faster than it would lose moisture to dry air.
Feb 25, 2011 14:46 PM
So, can we explain the extreme home / road team hitting splits at coors from the 2010 season? There was a collusion complaint filed from the giants and the stats back that up. In 75 games at Coors Field, the Rockies hit .304 with 102 homers and 790 hits. Opponents have hit .258 with 67 homers and 698 hits. The Rockies have outscored visitors 452-345. (Counter argument, they had babe ruth (cargo) & tulo.)
Feb 26, 2011 00:11 AM
I meant to add the effect coors has on fastballs, which is straight with no movement, aka a bulls-eye pitch for the hitter. The away team hitting splits at coors compared to the home team make no sense to me unless its b/c of cargo & tulo or some other trickery.
Feb 26, 2011 00:26 AM
Call the column, if u ain't cheatin, u ain't trying... Ball off bat mph, plus distance allows u to calc. the weight of the ball, no?
Feb 26, 2011 00:39 AM
Alan, supposedly in 2005, they started storing the balls for a longer period of time and perhaps removing them closer to game time. You will see two reductions in scoring/HR, I think. One, in 2002, and another in 2005. So I think the data should be bifurcated.
Feb 26, 2011 01:22 AM
I agree with Tompshock and disagree with I75Titans. Allowing a team to store their balls in a climate controlled situation is just asking for them to cheat. It is too easy to do. If you allow all teams to do so, there will be a fair percentage who will cheat from time to time, whether they get caught or not. It shocks me (sort of) that MLB did not oversee the use of the Rockies' humidor from the outset. The other teams should have insisted on it.
Feb 26, 2011 01:25 AM
Some additional comments:
Feb 26, 2011 08:00 AM
As promised, I have gone through my analysis again to tighten up the arguments and uncertainties for Coors and to do a real analysis of Chase. I should point out that my previous analysis of Chase was a little quick and dirty and the numbers I present now are really my best shot at the analysis for both venues. So, the final percent reductions in home runs are:
Feb 27, 2011 12:21 PM
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I saw some old files again in my folder. I just remembered these were used for the first or perhaps second versions of posters, banners and installers.
I don't remember which one was for whatever purpose we used for the ones above. ^^
Special Notes
Then check this out: Memoirs
Straight from the GM's / CM's Folder Part I
I saw some old files again in my folder. I just remembered these were used for the first or perhaps second versions of posters, banners and installers.
The Shopaholic Gamer
During the past few weeks of my vacation leave before my 1st day at Mondo Cucina (Smeg Philippines), I decided to hit the malls.
First, I went to Robinson's Galeria, ate my fave Takoyaki, and had my dessert at Cerealicious where they made cereals, ice cream, chocolates, milk, and shaved ice together. I chose the flavor "Harry Butter and the Finger of Azkaban." Yeah, they use famous movies for flavors. Anyway, the flavor was made up of frosted cereal, butterfinger, vanilla ice cream, candy sprinkles on top of the milk & shaved ice.
Then I bought some clothes for my new job, and a few pieces for casual wear. I know, I'm a girl, so sue me. :P
I went to Megamall today and had a very late lunch at the French Baker, coz I have this craving for tomato sauce in my pasta. Kudos to their beef & tomato menu, it was the taste that I have in mind.
Then I went to Powerbooks, and good thing they have 20% discount since the interior design books cost quite a lot. I bought the biggest and most informative kitchen design book, complete with installation of refrigerators, hot water, etc. Then I also bought a sewing book (I'll be asking my mom to give me her old sewing machine), and a Filipino Cuisine book. Don't get me wrong, I know how to cook - I just want to improve more by alternative flavorings, ingredients, and other techniques. ^^
After crashing back to my house, I took few shots from my cam - I miss uploading in my DA. ^.^
My bestfriend & former college classmate texted me & informed me if I wanted to work with her in GMA 7. But I politely refused, and told her I'll probably gain more experience first before hitting broadcasting - my major.
Yes, this is what I do besides gaming. It's what we can call as my other life. :)
Memoirs of Me - A GameMaster Part IV
O2Jam - Jammin' with the O2 Peeps~
With O2Mo~
I don't have screenshots that much - usually GM Psybot was the one who conducts the in-game events, and spend time with the players there.
But I got to bond with them during on-ground events; one in which I have to wear the e-Games tube (with the old logo on it) in the cold temperature in Baguio. Good thing my trusty hoodie jacket kept me warm.
Winners of the O2Jam Event in Station 168 Baguio~
They were a bit shy, but fun to hang out with. Most of them were already high levels in O2Jam, and I was intimidated because this game was one of the hardest for me to play.
They also called me "the devil GM" because I wore that infamous devil's horns with red lights during my facilitating the event. XD~
The winners of the tournament requested for an autograph of me & CM Lowe. XP~
O2Jammers in Baguio~
I also had fun during the Tarlac Cybergames and the "mishap" of the in-game tournament, which we resolved in a flash. All's fair in love and games! But seriously, the pressure of the shouting and laughter at the same time gets me all hyped up~ (I facilitated Audition and O2Jam, and also helped out with Ran Online's tourney that day)
Eventhough I look like I was beaten by thousands of mobs and my throat was dry, I still manage to bring out a smile and answer the other inquiries of the players every after event.
So, kudos to the players of O2Jam! ^_^
August 2008 Birthday Celebrants!
Happy happy birthday to two of the people I gave salute to~!
Happy Birthday GM Lee!
Product Manager of Ran Online~
This guy who had all of the players asking for during walk-ins back at the office, and the person who will also be the best CM of e-Games (Lee was former GM / Community Manager / Assistant Product Manager).
Happy Birthday CM Hrin!
Regional Community Manager of Granado Espada~
My sister and partner-in-crime, the girl that I had party with, and I had a blast during her stay here in the Philippines (next time I'll visit you in Singapore again and party there! no business trip this time!).
And oh, our favorite Gossip Girl, Blake Lively who plays Serena dan ver Woodsen also celebrates her birthday today. Can't wait to watch the Second Season as well~!
That's about it!
Straight from the GM's Notebook Part I
The First Forum Moderators:
Audition EP Items
Gothic Bea Hairstyle
Gothic Bea Corset Top
Gothic Bea Satin Skirt
Gothic Bea Jrock Boots
Noir Grey Pointed Hat
Noir Long-Sleeved Tight Blouse
Noir Tight Jeans
Noir Ankle Boots
Veyah Shoulder-Length Hair
Veyah Bloody Red Coat
Veyah Cowboy Shorts
Veyah Rocker Boots
Level 127 Skill In-Game Auction in Ran Online
Players who won:
*All of these are in my old archives. ^^
Memoirs of Me - A GameMaster Part III
I finally found my oldest screenshots ever!
Morticia Addams - since I always wear black, they hence gave me the name in Audition once it was released. But I wasn't that good in playing back then, players actually pwned me during my first dance with them. @_@
GM Morticia's Challenge - Dance with the Players in Choreo
I wore the CuteVon Dutch Style from Top to Bottom~ And the first featured outfit in the official website before was chosen by me - the Gothic Lolita Dress. From the cute lolita themes, I decided to change my outfit to punk - hence they called Tritania as "Ate Avril" because of the Aurora hair, black tube, plaid skirt, and knee-high boots. She was more popular than my GM character, and most of the players told me to dress-up like her.
Morticia / Noir in Domination 1 - Your GM and Facilitator in Audition booth~
Still in keeping with my "Gothic" theme, I changed my name to Noir - and I was super active in conducting in-game and on-ground events that I enjoyed as long as the players were happy. ^^
Audition Tourney in EGG MOA - I'm the girl in the baby blue e-Games Shirt~ (Myx is beside me XD)
Me & GM Lowe during Domination 1
I remembered the Project Dancefloor, The Dynamic-4, Night 4 Showdown tournaments that even reached till Tarlac (during Cybergames). And of course, the fashionistas that were put into test by dressing up their characters and show it off to their fellow Audistas.
Darrick's Video Masterpiece of GM Showdown~
I had fun hanging out with the players, be it in-game or during EBs.
I just hope this won't be the last time that I'll be seeing them, there'll be lots of events that will provide me opportunity to have a reunion of course! ^.^
what would life be
without a song or a dance
what are we?
Anime Previews: Romeo & Juliet
Before I continue on my memoirs, let's have a break shall we?
Another upcoming anime series by Gonzo will make another legendary hit (hopefully) on its debut of a remake/rendition of Romeo & Juliet. To those who loved playing Granado Espada, and other Renaissance-like aspects will definitely see this one.
However, contrary to what Lord Shakespeare had done ages ago, this one will have a twist of its own. Check out the trailer here:
Here we can see Juliet will have her own action scenes as well.
The story begins with flashback to an infant Juliet escaping the massacre of the Capulet family at the hands of Laertes Montague. It then flash forwards fourteen years later with Montague ruling the fantasy land Neo Verona with an iron fist; Juliet helps the common folk in a Robin Hood-like fashion while Romeo protests his father's cruelty. They meet by coincidence at the Rose Ball and fall in love at first sight. However, when Juliet turns sixteen and learns the truth of her heritage, her love becomes conflicted between revolution and devotion.
Oh yes, the famous star cross'd lovers. The voices (Seiyuu) will be Fumie Mizusawa as Juliet, who also became the voice of Ichiko Aida (Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori) & Minamoto no Hikaru (Otogizoshi); Takahiro Mizushima as Romeo, who also became the voice of Christopher Armalite (Scrapped Princess) and Katsushita (Gokusen).
I know we shouldn't support piracy and stuff, however in Anime series, if it's not licensed yet, it's legal to redistributed accordingly as said in most of the subtitles provided by the infamous FanSubs. I usually buy my Anime series here: http://anime-gokuraku.cjb.net/ so feel free to contact him.
So Anime & Game enthusiasts alike, try to check out the upcoming titles soon. I believe most of the unlicensed series will be available in torrents and other websites for free downloads.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_x_Juliet
Memoirs of Me - A GameMaster Part II
Remember Fight Club, School Wars, Defend the VIP, Auction, Sale, Easter, Wedding, and all of those in-game events in Ran Online?
I'm proud to be part of those memorable events. Check out the screenshots below along with its corresponding captions:
The School Wars
Sacred Gate
Mystic Peak
The war begins...
In-Game Auction/Sale for the Winning School~
Easter Event - exchange candies for burr, prot/lux pots~
I was married~! ^.^
I can't seem to find some of the screenshots I had during the random visits in-game, however I found some of the recent ones I took during one of the Ran Online guild's anniversary.
I've also remembered the first e-Games EB at SM Bicutan, wherein we conducted a School Rumble, and everyone, even my co-GMs back at the office, had a blast in managing the in-game tournament. I had a good time, even with the models, since I've taught them in the basics of the game and how to manage the players during the event.
Posing with the first batch of Ran Girls~
With this, I hope I'll be able to keep track on my moments in Ran Online. I'll end this temporarily, and will create an article on Audition & O2Jam for my next memoirs.
xoxo~! ^_~
Memoirs of Me - A GameMaster Part I
I started out as someone who has a strong passion for games, just like you and your seatmate in the iCafe, or your fellow guildmate, or your friends who also love to play every now and then. I started out by playing International MMORPGs - and even Ran Online - I started to play it during the OBT stage in Malaysia. Before, I don't even know what a GM is. I wasn't sure if that was a game slang, a system, or a trend in online games. But when I saw a God-like figure with rocking armor, costumes, and weapons infront of me years ago, I decided to become just like one of them - the GameMasters.
My interview was intimidating, since in just half of the day, I got to meet the GM Head and Steve Tsao himself, and he was very friendly since he's also a gamer! After I got in, now what?
It was fun, of course. I get to test everything - new maps, items, armors, costumes, weapons, and skills even before they get to be released. But I share this secret with myself only, and of course with my co-GMs. I cannot disclose any stuff in-game unless they've given me permission to do so, via the official announcements. And the most exciting part is to meet all of these players that has the same passion as I have for the games. And of course, we would talk all-day, in-game, in the forums, and thru the first GC YM that I created. (I still do my tasks well, multi-tasking is my expertise ^_~)
Ran Guild Congress 2007 - I helped out at the merchandise booth and we sold out my fave shirt "Mamaw" in which lots of players were satisfied with their purchases, plus my moment: my skirt is not for sale! ~_~
I also miss the original team - the pioneers! I enjoyed spending lots of time with them, and I also learned a lot from them. Perhaps I owe it to them for my staying as a GM - the experience of what I've expected, and the surprising ones are the foundation of my perseverance and patience in building the community with them. Reunion perhaps in-game? Maybe, and who knows? Everything is possible when you're with them. They're not only my colleagues, but my true friends - those that can tell you to face the harsh reality, and the ones that keep me in track of our goals.
Quoting GM Imrahil on his experience: Exciting because gamers think you're a God, but what they don't know is we still scream like a little kid while getting pwned during PVP
Very true! OMG, most of the time, I'm like all bouncy and laughing on during PK, PVP; anything in-game action always gets the thrill out of me. It's like having a first-time experience on a bike, or infront of an audience or something like that. You can imagine us screaming and guessing who will win, or when the last HP is on the line. XD~
First Fight Club in-game event - your best 8 guild members get to compete
GM BoOM gave me the red outfit with the totally cute backpack. That was like ages ago, wherein GM Solus also wore the outfit, and together, the three of us strolled in the marketplace where we were ambushed by all of the players taking screenshots. I'll try to get that screenshot out of my archives. But it was one of those moments that would always make me smile whenever I'm reminiscing. ^^
There were sad moments as well, this guild telling us that their fellow member died (not relating to the game), and eventhough I never met the player in person, me & GM BadLungs went in-game infront of the E-Room with all of these guild members doing an in-game prayer in memory of their friend. Just what I've learned from an anime, is that when a person dies, eventhough you never got a chance to know them better, will always give you that sad feeling.
Let's go back to happy moments! (I sound like Peter Pan @_@) There's this small on-ground event - the first Ran Online Thematic Cosplay event in Greenhills, where most people would cosplay as their fave characters or even monsters. Since it was sudden, I have to improvise with my own school outfit and the cute Shaman backpack. You can check the pictures here shot my my dear friend Erving: http://cosplay.ph/photogallery.php?album=72
Here are my fave shots:
The Winner & Me - I tried stealing the staff ~_~
These guys are so cool! Did I mention that they're Ran Online players, and the Shaman is actually a dude? ^^
Spot Steve Tsao! He was actually inspired by the cosplay, and he decided to become a brawler during Domination 1 ^^;
I need to cut this off, and will continue my memoirs soon. Happy Gaming! ^_~


text:
Sent to me by one of my faithful correspondents, an article in the Washington Post about the unmasking of a restaurant critic. I will have some comments to make but later, lord, later...it may already be somewhat after noon but I'm still half asleep.
See the article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 04787.html


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