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Supercharging process?
Supercharging process?
First off I'm in no way trying to be rude or attacking, this is just my opinion.
Your suggestions scare me a bit. When reading your post I worry I might come across more then one other driver that feels this way.
Tesla is offering a free service to their clients, you can argue that you pay for the charging in the cost of the battery (or add-on) you select. But anyone that can use the super charger also has payed into the option of using the Superchargers. So it's still a free all you can use service.
But some how you suggest we should be entitled to an opening, for a free service that's set up on a first come first serve basis. This reminds me of gas price wars, when lines of cars are all on edge to reach the pump, and the driver with rage ensures he get his fair turn.
These supercharges are not in downtown locations for you to top up for your commute, or Starbucks instead of charging at home. They are placed between city's for cars to reposition, or take road trips that aren't possible otherwise.
By design you pull into the parking space (notice they are parking spaces not pull through lanes), plug in and walk away. Just by nature they are longer stops, tesla is placing them where we take rest stops.
The infrastructure was designed for more then one parking space ( I understand that at the moment there is at least one that has a single parking space, but I'm sure this was a testing site. And will not be the norm going forward). Also during a video or written somewhere I remember it being said that two plugs can run off one charger. If a car is plugged in with a 70% SOC, and a car pulls in with 20% SOC. The second car will draw a larger ratio of current then the first car. This way the driver with the most need, will receive the most current.
There is a smart phone app in the works from tesla, that should be able to tell you how much energy your car has. So no text or email required.
Just take a look next time your in a parking lot, how many of one car model do you see? Or how many Porsche boxsters? Because for the next few years this is what it will be like. Tesla has time to up the number of parking spaces as the number of cars hit the road in the future requiring them.
The third gen cars will more then likely have smaller battery packs, for the smaller cars, and get the same range. There time at the charge should also be equally shorter. Meaning that maybe the vast majority of Tesla's will sit for 20-30 minutes not 30-50 minutes.
I would like to hear from others on this as well.
No, you can't make a reservation.
Reservations would complicate matters, require more infrastructure (costs), and would ultimately cause more problems then they solve because people on trips often don't arrive within an hour of their target time for one reason or another. The solution to charging congestion will be be build more Superchargers on the more densely traveled routes.
@ teddyg | NOVEMBER 24, 2012: ...when you are planning a road trip where a supercharger is likely to be involved you usually know a few days in advance, roughly what time you will be leaving and arriving at your destination.
I have no problems if Tesla would like to implement a reservation system for superchargers. Ideally, however, I would like this to be automated in such a way as to allow me to specify my route through the navigation system and have the reservation automatically be scheduled based on my expected time of arrival at the charger - taking actual travel times into account. Also, the navigation system should suggest a route path that would encompass superchargers along the way.
One thing you ignore or perhaps don't know is that the power is de facto (or contracted?) managed by Solar City; they provide their SC sites' arrays' feed to the grid (A), and purchase the power used by the cars (B) from the grid. In total, the arrays are large and numerous enough so that A always exceeds B. Their profit (which must first cover array installation and capital cost) is what permits "free". Every embellishment (especially, e.g., a Supercharger attendant) cuts into or erases that.
I have a few ideas.. will try to write down.. but not sure if it will be understandable.:-)
Tesla should implement a solution, where the superchargers "talk" with cars planning to charge, as mentioned above.
This way, users at least will know that the chargers are operational, and if any, how long a line there is..
They can get a number on the map on 1-10 which tell how many people are using/heading for the specific supercharger, and plan their trip and visit the lesser used chargers.
The cars/superchargers should be able to calculate when cars arrive, and how long they will need to charge.. and come up with a number indicating any potential waiting time.
If you have a choice to charge on a few chargers on your way, the frist one you dont really need to stop at, but if you do stop it can give you the extra juice to drive past the second charger.. than this may be the way to go if you realize there are quit a few people on their way to/in line for charger 2. Then you use charger 1 and 3 instead of 2.
It should be easy to implement, as long as all cars use the navigation, and talk with the supercharger network.
The cars will know their powerneeds, and if the drivers plot a route past superchargers, the cars could ask/offer the best chargers to stop at, depending on distance/line at the chargers/expected time to wait..
Regarding reservation.. that might not be the way to go. even with a number in line, you are depending that people respect these numbers. It complicate things. You'd rather make it so that first come first served, and then arrange the line so that noone can sneak past the ones in front. Make it physical impossible to drive past others waiting in line.
And.. there should be a way to contact the owner of cars charging. Maybe Tesla could implement a solution, where the second in line automaticly get the phoone number of the owner of the car in front. So if this person forget to move the car, the one waiting could call and remind him/her. (or the car charging could call its owner itself, the car should know, through the supercharger network, that there are other cars waiting.)
In the short run, the biggest bottleneck is Harris Ranch, because it's a popular spot and has only one charging slot until a 4-slot station goes in sometime next year. In the long run, the big challenge is getting drivers to lose their gas pump mentality. Rather than charging until the car is full (which takes a long time because the top third charges very slowly compared with the bottom half), Model S drivers need to learn to unplug as soon as they have enough miles to get to the next destination.
I agree with Jack
Two things the public as a whole don't seem to understand.
1) just like your cell phone, plugging in at night tops up the battery. You don't need 300 miles of charging capacity at your house.
2) the lower your battery is the quicker it can charge, it has to do with voltage difference between the source and the battery. Larger the difference the fast energy flows. When the battery is near full, the voltage difference isn't great, and the flow slows.
Your better off leaving your house with a full battery and arriving at the supercharger as close to 0 as possible. You will get a fastl rate of charge and then drive to the next supercharger. If you arrived 75% full it takes a lot longer to fill the last 25%.
If you arrived 75% full, why do you need a charge at all?
That's the point, but on a few forums people have been of the impression they need to top up at the Superchargers.
I feel Tesla's idea is tell people to park for 30 mins, and you'll make it to the next supercharger. You'll get a maximum of a 150 miles depending on the SOC you started on. But you'll make it to the next charger.
This to me is brilliant. You won't have to think about your range, as long as you stop for 30 mins.
On a side note, I think Tesla should place a little "you are here" map at the Superchargers. Doesn't have to be fancy but just a reference to the next Superchargers in range of the one your using. Could even have a radius drawn around towns you can reach in 150 miles.
As someone who has used the supercharging network (last weekend, in Gilroy, twice), I was very pleased with it. There are two chargers, and empty spots next to the charge spots, presumably for a waiting vehicle.
Supercharging is noticeably faster on a lower battery. If you are less than 100 miles on a P85, the full current of 225A (or something high like that) flows. Once the battery is charged to 180+ mile range, it slows down to 75A. In general though, it gave me the top-up mileage I needed in a very short time. The charger was next to In-n-Out, so we really didn't worry about the charge time, just got some food, and made it back with enough charge to complete our 238 mile journey without having to worry about driving speed or efficiency. The greatest part about it was the fact that it was easy and free. No credit card, no standing there, just plug it in an walk away.
30 minutes won't cut if for a 60kWh car, though. It charges slower in absolute terms; it will fill 50% in that time, but it's a smaller 50%.
I love your reservation ideas.
I would doubt that Tesla has budgeted attendants into their business plan. You raise a valid concern but I think it would be an isolated incident. The stations mostly appear to be in areas where there aren't too many people so you could attempt to locate the selfish violator and ask him to move his car.
Seeing as there is only about two thousand on the road now (not all of them in California, not all travelling intercity most of the time) the idea of Tesla spending money on attendants is rather silly, after something like 10,000 are sold and the lines get longer, simply add more automated stations at the most heavily used stations (most likely on the route between LA and the Bay Area), not employees!
Labour costs more than just the $10.00 per hour you pay them, payroll taxes, employer contributions etc. costs something like $0.30 for every $1.00 you pay them! California is one of the worst states for employing people (taxes, regulations etc.) in any case. My guess is that the only reason Tesla is based in California is the huge incentives Governor Moonbeam offered up (smart move on his part but I personally would not want to pay the ridiculous cost of living or the state income taxes there). Florida is much cheaper and easier to live in and operate a business out of than California (they do not punish people for making money here - no state income tax), plenty of sun and beaches like CA - hmmm maybe Tesla should consider building its next plant here... Elon could buy a great waterfront place here for half of what it would cost in CA, file with the IRS as a FL resident and save a fortune! We have great fun stuff for his kids to do in Central FL and Space X already launches from Kennedy Space Centre...
Employees not building, designing or selling Teslas doing something that can be automated is a waste of money, better spend it expanding the network...
That being said does anyone know where the next supercharging stations will be? Sure the first three in between the two largest metro areas in California makes sense, 38 million people, early adapters, Tesla starts there, but next have to look at where the most model S sold... As I have not seen the geographic breakdown I would guess you would follow the wealth and population... Next logical place would be the Boston - Richmond megalopolis - 55 million people compactly lining the I-95 corridor. Place them roughly between major cities like Boston, Hartford, NY, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, DC, and Richmond. That would be eight that would serve the most populated area in the US and really help spur sales... My guess would be that Tesla would be able to get its stations in great locations (state owned rest-stops in solar friendly states or TA or Pilot truck/travel stops hoping for affluent Tesla driving customers) for very low costs.
Of course personally it gets more interesting for me when the eventually expand the network all the way down the I-95 to Miami the funnest place in america (for grownups). But still doing the the whole I-95 corridor in the phase after the northeast despite the thin population from Richmond to Jacksonville makes sense as FL is growing rapidly and will hit 20 million in a few years and there is heavy long distance travel and migration between NY and South/Central FL.
As usual, the big hurdle in emplacing S/C stations is getting regulatory and utility approval and co-operation. TM has the hardware ready to roll, but the dance partners are too snooty.
Some states are more solar friendly than others and if the state is your partner (rest-stop locations) than you will be surprised how fast those permits get issued - especially if there is an election coming up and politicians need to burnish their green image... If you are having difficulty in a particular area have the reservation holders/owners call their elected representatives to ask why government is blocking eco-friendly progress, if they do not jump to help, have them write to local newspapers about how Senator/Congressman/Assemblyman/Mayor ______________, does not give a hoot about the environment and will not help a private company do something good for a change!
In general, the SC stations will be located between cities, to facilitate long-distance travel. Few will live near them.
I don't think you should be allowed to use one within 100 miles of your home.
How much is your time worth? $5/hr is the most you could save poaching off nearby SCs.
Brian H - It would be the congestion the locals caused that would be the problem. Maybe charge $5 an hour if you live near the SC
The small return on time spent going to the SCs should discourage it enough. Travel to and from them and charging will take up an hour or two at least for every $5-10 saved. I find it hard to believe MS buyers/owners will be that hard up for small change.
I just stopped at Harris Ranch yesterday on a long distance drive from LA to San Francisco - 350 miles each way. - don't have my Tesla yet - but checked out the super charging station. Sure enough there was a tesla there plugged in. This was located at a gas station at Harris Ranch which is about half way between LA and San Fran and one of only 2 super charging stations on that 350 mile drive. They have a very nice restaurant there where you could easily spend 2 hours having dinner. If that guy with his tesla was at that restuarant having a nice dinner - who know how long I would need to wait for him to come unplug his car so it would be my turn!
My point here is that there definately needs to be some method to figure this out. There was a 2nd charger - so I would have been in luck - but what if that one was taken also? Interestingly there was a pad lock on the charging plug of the 2nd one - and since it was at a gas station there was employees inside the convenince store part of the gas station. I guess that you need to go get the key for the padlock from one of those employees to use the free charger. Since they are already there running the gas station - this wouldn't be a big deal for them to handle. For now, I imagine that they could take down my cell # if someone else showed up and wanted to know when I would be back to my car and they could call me. Maybe something low-tech like a phone call will work for now until tesla can integrate the high-tech solution through the nav system.
Just some thoughts - can't wait to get my model S!
Model S drivers have been very friendly and even more so towards fellow S drivers. I would have no problem if someone left a nice note on my car asking me to call/text/email them when I was finished charging.
The number of notes on the car would also give you an idea how long the line was :-)
We just drove down to Gilroy, primarily to try the Supercharger. It took a few minutes to find it, but despite this being a peak (lunch) moment on a Sunday with *lots* of people at the Outlet, we were the only ones at the charger. I did run into a Tesla employee who was checking it out himself.
Painless and worked as expected. Next test will be a road trip to LA in the future.
Mathematically, the likelihood of finding a free charger goes up dramatically when a few extra are provided. Additionally, the gov. (Highways and Transportation) estimates that 1% of all drivers' trips are long distance (though total mileage is about 30% - most of which is spent driving, by definition). All these fears of lineups are misplaced.
I think a common cutesy would be to leave a card with your number visible in the windshield if you leave your car. I also think that non-local people should definitely have priority. I think most of us are mature enough to discuss it among ourselves if there is a conflict.
Better yet, leave a note saying how much charge you require in the windshield. That way if someone sees through the window that you have hit that level they can call and politely call and ask to use the charger. I'm assuming that the current level of charge is visible through the windshield.
While I don't have my model S yet (hopefully next month #11640).
Green model S Performance, Tech Package, Pano roof, 21" wheels.
I think a smartphone APP for this would be awesome. It could record that your car is at a supercharger, the level of charge, how much you need and a way to contact you. Other people at that location would then be able to see that you're charging and contact you when you have hit your minimum if there's a queue.
No one else is gonna be unplugging your car unless you leave the fob there.
Charge cable is locked in: it's up to the driver to know/realize/check when his/her car is charged.
Even if they could unplug you, the cable's too short to reach any other car, I think. Owner service required!
I agree with @aaronw2 of simply using the low-tech solution of placing a courtesy card at your windshield when plugging in your car for charging. The card should contain information such as the start time of charge and contact cell number. Maybe the charging station itself can have printing capability (much like how gas pumps are printing out receipts), or even providing a stack of blank courtesy cards for people to fill out.
Even if locals hogged the SC's, Tesla would just put more in so there would be enough to meet demand.
Remember, Tesla is getting telemetrics back from each Model S, and from all the SC stations. Part of that is diagnotic data, to keep things running, the rest is to insure that they have enough SC's where people want to use them. Each station is peanuts to add chargers to once it's in.
Also, the SCs will be between cities, not near them. So few will be close enough to bother. Remember, a complete fillup will save most people <$20. Driving any distance at all (return) and getting more than a minimum wage for the time will be tough. I think FF (Freeloader Fear) is misplaced.
Has it been stated that the Superchargers will be free for the Gen III? I wonder if perhaps there will be a time when Tesla charges for their use. Especially when there are hundreds of thousands on the road.
My apologies if they have stated they will be free for ever for every Tesla. I've only seen it said they will be free for the Model S.
My first post but I've been lurking (and learning) for a while now. Many thanks to all the regular contributors here. I'm very excited to see Tesla grow. I don't have a reservation yet as I'm trying to convince the CFO (aka spouse) that one would fit our needs and which one. I'm sure the S would be fine but the X is very appealing also. When the Supercharger network reaches us here in the PNW that convincing should get easier.
Super chargers will never be installed near where people live. That isn't their purpose, which is to facilitate intercity travel.
I wonder if it depends on Solar City's capabilities and business plan and arrangements. Remember, they handle all the power usage and generation and sale to utilities, etc. So their ability to ramp up is also an issue.
@Pungoteague_Dave, maybe not in the city, but close to one would be useful. If not then half of the benefit of them is lost:
You do a fast round-trip to town from SC picking up something, then head back, total round-trip length 300 miles, SC at 150 mile mark off the city. Now you are facing range anxiety because your trip length from the SC back to SC is your car optimal range.
If you had one SC, lets say 20 mile mark off the city you could recharge at that point either coming in or going out of the city and never have that problem. Even if that would mean driving that 30 miles at wrong direction (go thru the city to get there). You would even then have just 170 miles to drive instead of full 300.
Never is a long time.
Geez. Quit trying to game the system for free urban power.
ejakulasi dini
Non of the problems listed here are the real problem. The 2 Chevy pickups parked in the charging slots in one of the California SC stations (on the evening news) is the real problems. Just as the ICE cars and trucks parked in the commercial charging stations are a problem now. Unless the law is going to start draging away the inconsiderate louts, EV drivers are going to have some inconveniences. The disabled have been inconvenieced for a long time by louts in gas-guzzlers.
I have only seen one SC, (the one in Delaware, which I saw twice) On one occasion I saw a ICE Toyota parked there. Not even a hybrid. The next time I was an S charging there. Not having SC location near urban areas would present a problem for me. Say I drive from DC to NYC. The will need to be at least one SC location near on the NJ turnpike close to NYC, oterwise, I will not have enough juice to get around while there, and how will I get back. I know there is plugshare.com etc, but that is not the point. I am buying a Tesla after all.
It would be a waste (borderline immoral IMHO, and certainly illogical from a business model perspective) for TM to use resources to put SC's in or near urban areas. There are many existing places in and around cities to pick up charges - almost any public garage, Whole Foods, etc. Where they are needed is in travel cooridors, which is why that is the stated TM strategy - to allow people to use the cars for longer trips. TM is not in business to provide free charging for normal daily use - they expect us to provide our own electricity at home and work. Other SC uses would be abusive in my opinion, just as is topping up when unecessary.
@ Pungoteague_Dave
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Just when it looked like the Lions might've changed conversation about their team, they had an off-the-field setback that hurt their chances of sustaining success.
DETROIT (AP) ? Just when it looked like the Lions might've changed conversation about their team, they had an off-the-field setback that hurt their chances of sustaining success.
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With the return of speedy running back Reggie Bush, the Lions are slight favorites to hand Chicago its first loss.
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NEXT MAN UP: Both the Bears and the Lions are without a key player on their defensive lines. Chicago tackle Henry Melton and Detroit end Jason Jones each injured their left knees last week, ending their season. The Bears plan to give Nate Collins a shot to start in Melton's place. The Lions will replace Jones by rotating rookies Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah and Devin Taylor, along with veteran Israel Idonije, who insisted he won't have revenge on his mind against the team he played 134 games for from 2004-12.
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Jose Whitten had much in his life to overcome. His mother's boyfriend abused him and his siblings. His beloved adoptive mother died when he was 15. He fell into the criminal justice system and was imprisoned for 14 years. But he never lost his motivation to help people improve their lives.
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BOK runs numerous events through out the year. In order that these events may be properly planned and organised it is necessary for Klub members to undertake these tasks. For this purpose the klub is divided into teams to carry out such duties as Car Parking, Start and Finish. In this way no one need help more than about twice a year.
BOK events are divided into several categories.
Events are either:
|These take place over a fixed period of time and competitors score points according to the number of control locations visited.
|Teams of competitors run their courses in sequence usually with a mass start.
|Cross Country
|Competitors start at interval and have to visit certain control locations in a given order. The fastest is the winner. The majority of events are cross country and are categorised as follows. Informal or Local, Usually of a non-competitive nature, often aimed at a particular orienteering skill.
|Colour Coded or District
A selection of colour coded courses ranging from those suitable for the beginner and increasing in difficulty to challenge the most experienced orienteer. The colour denotes the degree of difficulty with the darker the colour the harder the course i.e. White is easy and Brown is hard. Entry formality is minimal, you just turn up on the day, buy a map at Registration on arrival and you are allocated a start time.
The BOK League and the Avon Schools Orienteers (ASO) League events consist of colour coded courses. ASO members compete as individuals and for their school on a course according to their school year. BOK members can compete in the BOK League on the course of their choice and points are awarded for performance and helping.
The South West Gallopen League is a series of colour coded events for members of SWOA and are organised by clubs throughout the south west region In these leagues, points are scored according to the time taken in relation to the winner's time on your course. About eight of each league events are held through the season with usually your best six to count.
|Badge or Regional
|Badge events are held through out the UK and there are about four a year in the south west. Competitors run on courses according to their age/sex, the technical and physical difficulty of the course varies accordingly. There are 'A' & 'B' (hard & easy) classes for Juniors and Long & Short courses for Seniors. Badges are awarded according to the standard achieved. BOK organises one Badge or a National event each year, the BOK Trot.
|There are eight National events held each year throughout Britain with one in the south west. These are similar to Badge events but of a higher standard of difficulty.
|The J.K. (Jan Kjellström) International Festival
|This annual event is organised in turn by the regions and therefore take place in various parts of the country. Everyone can take part. The courses are of similar standard to the National event.
|British Championships
|This takes place annually in various regions of the UK. You must be a full BOF member to take part.
These are more navigationally challenging than day events. National and Regional Night Championships take place each year. BOK members also compete in the Western Night League; a series of score events held in and around Bristol.
Because of the inherent risks involved with night orienteering, the klub requires that all competitors must carry a whistle and a backup light. The organiser may also require runners to wear an article of high visibility and/or reflective clothing, and, if the weather justifies it, wear or carry a waterproof hooded jacket.
|String Course
|A String course has now become a popular feature at many events. Provided for young children with very little knowledge or skill of orienteering. They follow the string, and using a specially prepared map, visit controls on the way. Although it is not intended to be of a competitive nature the youngsters are usually timed and enjoy emulating the older competitors.
Start times
Saturday events normally take place in the afternoon, except for pre-entry events when competitors are informed of their start times. At Sunday events registration usually opens at 9.30am, with start times typically from 10.30am to 12.30pm. These times do vary, especially for pre-entry events. It is always advisable to check with the event contact before travelling.
If you are interested in sharing transport to an event you should contact the klub member who arranges sharing or a member in your area. A membership list will be sent to you when you join the klub. Many members share on a regular basis.
During the summer months Informal events are organised for you to practice orienteering skills, with tuition if required.
Weekly training runs are also held for the more active followed by an informal chat in a pub. You do not have to do the run to attend.
Each summer there is a camping weekend when there are training sessions as well as social events.
Details of all these are in BOKNews and on this web site.


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By the Editorial Board of The Tibetan Political Review
Speaking in Paris on November 26, 2011, the Kalon Tripa, Lobsang Sangay, commented that the first 100 days of his administration has been "one of the busiest Kashag [cabinets] in recent memory". The Tibetan Political Reviewposted a low-key commemoration of this 100 day mark on the actual date – November 16 – but we believed that the American custom of judging so quickly a new administration was a bit unfair or premature in the Tibetan context. However, given the Kalon Tripa's embrace of the 100 day yardstick, we do have a few thoughts.
meeting with school principals and gathering suggestions and information.
Sangay has two signature domestic initiatives – Tibet Corps and the Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) – and he mentioned them both in his testimony to the U.S. Congress on November 3, 2011. However these initiatives have yet to be launched in public. TPI has quietly started, although so far it involves only a reorganization of existing personnel of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
Any administration is judged on two main criteria: foreign policy success and domestic policy success. (Technically, busyness by itself isn't relevant). Sangay's first 100 days has been distinguished by the amount of time that he spent away from Dharamsala, traveling in the United States and Europe. His travels were largely focused on foreign policy: introducing himself in foreign capitals, speaking about the progress of Tibetan democracy, and of course calling for foreign support especially in relation to the self-immolation crisis.
From the perspective of domestic policy, it appears that Sangay's administration is still getting its feet wet (one reason we didn't initially make much of the 100 day mark). Sangay's stated "number one priority" is education, which is why he kept the Education Department (Sherig) portfolio for himself. Public information to date indicates that he has been
The Kalon Tripa on the Road
During his first 100 days or so, Sangay has visited Washington DC, Zurich, Paris, Berlin, Oslo, Copenhagen, Brussels, and London. These visits have been well-covered by Tibet.net and Phayul so we won't describe them in detail. Suffice to say that we are enthusiastic that Sangay has been taking a far more proactive approach to foreign policy than his predecessor.
In these foreign capitals, Sangay has largely shown himself to be a well-spoken and energetic representative of the Tibetan people.
As to the subject matter of Sangay's message, it largely appears to center around two things: asking Western governments to speak out about the self-immolation crisis (the same message that Tibet Support Groups worldwide are prioritizing), and asking support for his stated goals of of "restoration of freedom in Tibet and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet" (also widespread goals).
However there are a few important areas of concern.
First, Sangay has repeatedly made the somewhat incomplete statement that the self-immolators are calling for "freedom", defining "freedom" as "religious, human rights and expression". At least two of the self-immolators called for rangzen (independence), and this should not be glossed over. Moreover, regarding the self-immolators calling for rangwang (freedom), it is entirely possible that they meant freedom in the sense of political freedom, not just civil rights under Chinese rule. The one thing for certain is that none of the self-immolators faced an agonizing death in order to call for rangkyong (autonomy).
Related to this, Sangay has repeatedly stated that he "ran his election on the platform of the Middle Way [autonomy] policy" (as the CTA's official website recently put it). To our recollection, the Middle Way policy was not an issue in the recent Kalon Tripa election. Moreover, we would be surprised if all of Sangay's voters (especially the younger ones) intended their votes to be an unabashed endorsement of the previous administration's Middle Way policy, given Sangay's claim to represent "change"
Second, Sangay has repeatedly stated an incorrect number of self-immolators (like others have done). In just one example, in Berlin he stated: "I have nothing but sad report. We have had 11 cases of self-immolations." However, the courageous Tibetan blogger Woser has forcefully argued that the true number is 12 (now 13 as of December 1), because it is wrong to forget the self-immolation of Thapey in 2009. Even if Sangay had meant to qualify his statement to limit it to the past year, it makes no sense to overlook kusho Thapey's sacrifice.
Third, the format of Sangay's interaction with local Tibetan communities could be changed to better match the democratic ideals that the Tibetan people have embraced. The official CTA website depicted Tibetans in Paris and London having "audiences" with the Kalon Tripa. From articles, it seems like the set-up of the meetings also resembled audiences. This may seem like a minor point, but from the perspective of a democratic society, official characterization of such meetings as "audiences" is inappropriate for an elected leader.
Someone may have an "audience" with His Holiness the Dalai Lama or perhaps Queen Elizabeth II, but not with President Barack Obama. All citizens are equal in a republic. Political leaders do not suddenly become royalty or aristocrats upon their election; they are citizens who work as public servants. In our view, the word "audience" is appropriate only in relation to His Holiness and other incarnations (including Samdhong Rinpoche but only based on his religious role).
Sangay's election campaign made repeated reference to him being a "commoner", which we did not think was entirely helpful to Tibetan unity. Regardless, he now has a chance to bring a more common touch to the way the young Tibetan democracy operates. It may be that he did not request such meetings be set up as "audiences", but now has a chance to strengthen Tibetan democracy by proactively ordering the elimination of such aristocratic trappings. This would be a good thing.
The Speaker and the Foreign Minister Too
Another interesting development in these first 100 days is that Sangay was touring Europe at the same time as the Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament, Penpa Tsering, and the Foreign Minister (Chidrel Kalon), Dickyi Chhoyang. Also present have been Representatives (Dhonchoe) from the relevant Offices of Tibet, although keeping a lower profile.
Tsering has been on an extended European trip from November 22 through December 15, visiting Vienna, Brussels, and Italy and meeting with parliamentarians and local Tibetan communities. Tsering also accompanied Sangay to Washington DC in late October and early November.
Tsering's heightened international profile indicates the growing prominence, following His Holiness's devolution of power, of the Speaker of Parliament. The Speaker is in some ways more powerful and subject to fewer checks than the Kalon Tripa. This shows that the Tibetan Parliament's choice of its Speaker matters now more than ever, and is something to which Tibetan voters should pay serious attention.
Oddly, it is Chhoyang who appears to have the most limited schedule even though she is the Foreign Minister. The CTA website only lists her visit to Brussels on November 27. This is particularly strange because Chhoyang has proven to be an eloquent spokesperson, for example in herOctober 20 interview with Canada's CTV. Hopefully in the future, the CTA's new Foreign Minister will get greater chances to carry out the duties of her portfolio.
Any increase in the Foreign Minister's responsibilities should include greater power over the management of the Office of Tibet Representatives, who are in theory supposed to act as Tibetan ambassadors. In our view, Representatives should fall under the Foreign Minister, should act as professional diplomats, and should be the primary representative of the CTA in foreign capitals. The Kalon Tripa and the Foreign Minister can only occasionally visit a foreign country, and it is the Representative who should be tasked with maintaining foreign relations. It is with this job responsibility in mind that future Representatives should be chosen.
Conclusion: 100 Days and Counting…
These are just some observations that we had following the Kalon Tripa's invocation of the 100 day yardstick. We encourage readers to send in their own articles and letters on how they think these first 100 days went, and their hopes for the coming years.


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CULTURE DIGEST: Huckabee weighs another presidential bid; Salvation Army counters LBGT rumors; ...
NASHVILLE (BP) -- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is considering another run for president in 2016, he said on Fox News during his latest round of defending biblical values.
"When people ask me, 'Are you open to the possibilities?' the honest answer is yes. Does that mean I'm running? I don't honestly know," Huckabee, said on "Fox News Sunday" Dec. 22. "I think there is a lot of time between now and then and, frankly, the Republicans have a strong stable of possible candidates.
"What I'm looking [to do] is to find out whether it's the right thing for me to do, and I'm not ready to make that decision," Huckabee told Chris Wallace. "But I just don't want to tell people, 'Oh, no, I wouldn't open my mind to it' because that would be, frankly, dishonest at this point."
Huckabee, who was a candidate for the Republican nomination for president in 2008, went on to say there is a 50/50 chance he'll run, and while he has other projects to focus on in the meantime, he'll "just keep that option open and make a decision after the 2014 elections."
Huckabee, currently hosting his weekend "Huckabee" show on the Fox network, is a former pastor and president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention.
Wallace noted that part of Huckabee's appeal is that he's a "populist who is concerned about reaching out to minorities, to working class folks who don't typically or certainly in the last election didn't vote Republican."
Also during his appearance, Huckabee discussed the controversy surrounding comments made by Phil Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" regarding homosexuality. Huckabee launched a Facebook page called "I Stand with Phil."
"I think it has come to a point in our culture where political correctness has made it so that if you want to take a point of view that is traditional, that holds to steadfast, old-fashioned biblical Christian values, which are also, by the way, values of traditional Judaism and even Islam, that somehow you're supposed to just shut up and keep that to yourself," Huckabee said.
SALVATION ARMY DENIES LGBT DISCRIMINATION -- To dispel rumors, the Salvation Army has developed a page on its website called "Debunking the Myth of LGBT Discrimination," which is leading some to conclude the nation's second-largest charity now approves of homosexual behavior.
The issue, though, may be more nuanced than the gay lobby realizes.
"For years, Facebook posts, forwarded emails and rumors have been leading some people to believe that The Salvation Army does not serve members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community," the website states. "These accusations simply aren't true."
In a report Dec. 23, the San Diego Gay & Lesbian News said the Salvation Army's reputation within the gay community has been "greatly damaged" because of several "half-truths."
"It's sad to say that in this fight for equality the gay community has sometimes not stayed ethical in the fight," SDGLN said, adding that comments by a Salvation Army employee in Australia in 2012 have "turned into a tabloid lie of 2013."
The Salvation Army USA, SDGLN said, removed from its website the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman. "This was after many in the LBGT community called out the organization for stating this on the website," SDGLN said.
On its "debunking the myth" page, the Salvation Army says people who come to them for assistance will be served according to their need, "regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation."
The charity, which serves nearly 30 million Americans each year, also "embraces employees of many different faiths and orientations" and provides domestic partner benefits.
"Many people -- including those in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community -- support us with time and financial resources because of a common cause and commitment: To serve people in need," the website states.
Fortune magazine, in a blog post Dec. 20, said the Salvation Army still doesn't permit its clergy to conduct same-sex marriages.
"According to a spokesperson, 'as a Christian church, the Salvation Army holds theological beliefs that direct the actions of our officers and church members. Our beliefs are based on our interpretation of the Bible. As a result, our officers officiate traditional marriage ceremonies between men and women who are in committed relationships,'" Fortune reported.
The Salvation Army's website explains that the charity "is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination."
Though the Salvation Army's recent actions could be construed as embracing the homosexual lifestyle, being willing to serve people from the LGBT community does not necessarily equal celebrating their behavior, a view also held by Southern Baptists and numerous other evangelical denominations.
BOY SCOUTS ALTERNATIVE LAUNCHES WITH 500 TROOPS -- Trail Life USA, a new scouting organization that developed as an alternative to Boy Scouts of America, launched Jan. 1 with nearly 500 troops.
"We have a very excited group of churches and Christian organizations that are joining us," Mark Hancock, Trail Life USA's chief operating officer, told Religion News Service. "They're ready to go."
The new organization, created by OnMyHonor.net after the Boy Scouts changed their membership policy to allow homosexuals, has hundreds of volunteers across the country and employs a staff of six, Hancock told RNS.
Trail Life USA's statement of faith and values, which all adult leaders are required to sign, says in a section on purity that "God calls us to lives of holiness, being pure of heart, mind, word and deed. We are to reserve sexual activity for the sanctity of marriage, a lifelong commitment before God between a man and a woman."
"[Our vision is] to become the premier national character development organization for young men which produces godly and responsible husbands, fathers and citizens," said John Stembergeer, chairman of the Trail Life USA board. "Parents are going love the new outdoor adventure program and we are very excited to be part of this next chapter in the history of scouting in America."
The Southern Baptist Convention at its 2013 annual meeting passed a resolution suggesting that a longstanding missions program, Royal Ambassadors, also is an alternative to Boy Scouts. RA immerses boys in fun activities that are age- and gender-appropriate, with curriculum to nurture their mental, social, physical and spiritual development.
At the time, about 3,000 churches in the United States operated RA groups, with some churches operating multiple groups, and RA leaders totaled 6,300. More than 30,000 people subscribe to RA World magazine for RA members, indicating at least that many boys participate in the ministry.
Free sample materials and information to help start an RA group is available from WMU, the SBC missions auxiliary, at wmu.com/getstarted. Subscriptions for RA Leader, RA World and the RA Leader Kit may be ordered from WMU Customer Service (1-800-968-7301) or online at wmustore.com.
Erin Roach is Baptist Press' assistant editor. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress) and in your email (baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).


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Results tagged ' to '
Did the Rays Gamble Heavy on Their Status Quo?
Wondering if the Tampa Bay Rays basically " standing pat" will come back to either bite them in the hind quarters, or be a Godsend. So many factors were in play in the background today from medical reports on Evan Longoria's rehab assignment, to equating if sending a piece of the franchise be it B J Upton or James Shields would stall their recent Wild Card forward momentum. I swear Rays Executive VP of Baseball Ops Andrew Friedman will never have to hit Gamblers Anonymous because he only seems to bet on " sure things", or options that weigh heavily in the houses/ Rays favor.
I truly could not envision Friedman standing over a MLB gambling table surrounded by 29 of his peers holding the dice hard wishing for a 7 or 11. I imagine him more comfortable at the .25 cent slots bringing in a few dollars and making more sense of his money and movements. But still, it was good over the past week or so hearing the baited whispers and subtle glances towards Upton and Shields. Wonder how many of Friedman's peers felt confident going into today that Friedman might part with the likes of Upton who is set to hit the Free Agent market this Winter.
But then again, I could see Friedman playing Texas Hold-Em with a vengeance, and with the Rays on a West Coast road venture Friedman held his cards close to his vest hoping no one would venture to guess his intentions or call into question any type of bluff or stall tactic.
I felt sure Friedman might possibly throw down at least a Wade Davis baseball card towards an NL peer that might need an up-grade or stop-gap style player either in their 4 or 5 slots or in long relief. But Friedman has the luxury of knowing Davis is only gaining value, possibly with Davis becoming a prime piece of off-season gold that will be look upon with more value this Winter than at this time.
There were even cards in motion within the Rays farm system that hinted at some sort of planning or adjustments as RP Cesar Ramos was being primed and getting reps as a possible starter at Triple-A Durham. You had to have a feeling Friedman wanted to hold a distinctive wild card in his hand knowing a possible trade scenario involving a valuable and flexible southpaw would be considered a luxury heading into August and September as younger arms reach their yearly pitch counts.
I remember reading in Dirk Hayhurst's "Bullpen Gospels" about Ramos in the lower Padres system as a starter, so the idea is not foreign to him at all. Since I'm glancing towards the Bullpen, I truly thought Friedman might hold in his hand the cards of possibly relief pitchers Joel Peralta or Kyle Farnsworth as late inning pieces to another squad's puzzle, possible also in the National League. But the Rays Bullpen stayed intact, possibly the best thing to happen to the Rays since Fernando Rodney's first arrow flew deep and high into the sky.
Could Friedman have possibly mastered the art of the bluff this week by rebuffing advancements and trading cards being thrown down in his direction, Could the Rays not sending or receiving any players before the time ran out on this non-waiver Trade Deadline show contentment that in-house options are superior to the cards visible on the table, especially since Longoria and SP Jeff Niemann could be back in the dugout sooner rather than later.
No matter if Friedman was playing the game with all intentions of going through the motions, or waiting for the perfect scenario to be placed upon the felt and then plucking it with a grin and a giggle. We might never know the true story, but I do feel there were some potential MLB players trading cards picked up off that green poker table's felt I truly thought the Rays might contemplate a bit on, or at least bluff towards plucking them for this team.
The first player I thought the Rays might make a gentleman's wager on was Miami Marlins 1B Gaby Sanchez who ended up becoming another valuable piece to the playoff hungry Pittsburgh Pirates. I actually thought the Rays might go "in heavy" on Sanchez as a possible 2013 replacement/younger hitting upgrade for the Carlos Pena. I thought Sanchez met the Rays criteria since he can be team controlled until possibly 2016, with his first venture into arbitration coming this Winter. Lest we forget Sanchez was a NL Rookie of the Year candidate in 2010 (finished 4th).
I also thought the Rangers picking up Geovany Soto from the Chicago Cubs recently might be a trading card piece of an evolving Texas trade hand for Shields since the Rays could definitely erase their need for a catcher with someone of Soto's experience, especially since Soto will only be making his second trip trough arbitration this Winter, Soto's past All-Star clout and his 2012 salary of only $ 4.3 million, he would be viewed as a solid backstop investment considering the question marks becoming larger with Robinson Chirinos and his concussion setbacks and if Jose Lobaton is a # 1 catcher or a career back-up back stop for this squad.
All that the Rays Republic is left with his wonder and maybe a little hint of want. This team has shown signs of an upwards trend against teams currently that they will battle throughout the rest of this season for a coveted American League Wild Card slot, but you have to wonder if Friedman had set down at least 1 hand in trade if the stakes and odds would have falling more into their favor.
The Trade Deadline is one of those definite "He said, She said" types of moments where a season can be hinged or be separated by actions of standing pat. Personally, I wanted to see some down and dirty dealing via Andrew Friedman and his band of merry mongrels, but in the end we got only silence.
Some venture to say the lack of Friedman playing any cards by the final toll of the bell at the Trade Deadline set the tone loud and clear for the Rays venture towards securing one of those coveted post-season slots. In the past the Rays have stayed muted and firm in their belief of their club's talent and abilities and have come out smelling like roses.
Still, I would have loved to have someone like Sanchez chomping at the bit for that First Base job, or even Soto behind the dish providing offense and quality defense. Friedman decided to fold his hand, pay the dealer for his time and walk away empty-handed as the last cards were dealt today. But maybe by not making a gamble or losing in the process Friedman is way a head of the MLB pack. Only time will tell if he will be considered a winner or loser for his action with the cards.


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Copyright © 2020 Natural Zing's Raw Food StorePowered by osCommerce


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ATS, Inc. necesitaba un nuevo diseño de impreso o envases y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 41 diseños de 10 diseñadores freelance.
Overcoming the Stresses and Strains of Life
We are Accelerated Training Solutions, and we build business training and self-help infoproducts for training and consulting companies and networks. We've built training programs in over 17 different industries.
Mainly business professionals.
The physical product will be a 1" 3-ring full entrapment binder. This will need a cover, spine, and back designed.
The background should be red, but can be stylized however you see fit. The background should communicate stress and negativity. Cracked earth and a scene of desolation could fit.
The title ("Overcoming the Stresses and Strains of Life") at the top of the course pack. I'll leave the colors and style up to you.
An ball of glowing energy (looking kind of like a glowing sun) in the middle (abstractly representing a person), with the glow extending a bit. This is a person who is overcoming the stress and negativity.
There will be chains and/or shackles shattering off of it, but that will be up a 3d artist to create and add (if you can do this, let me know--if you can't, don't worry about it just create the energy ball and rest and I'll get it over to a 3d artist to finish).
The spine of the pack should bear the title of the course and should be congruent with the front (red background, same style).
The back of the pack should be congruent with the front (red, same style) and no energy ball.
.Ai or .psd with layers clearly labeled, please.


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Flash: Another Suspicious Package at Bancroft and Telegraph in Berkeley
By Jamey Padojino (BCN)
Monday October 28, 2013 - 04:48:00 PM
University of California at Berkeley police are investigating a suspicious package found near campus this afternoon.
The suspicious package was reported at Bancroft Way and Telegraph Avenue around 2:45 p.m., police said.
The incident is separate from the investigation into a suspicious package that shut down Shattuck Avenue downtown this afternoon.


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I edited a link to a video out of a question, because the video was not online anymore, so there is no point in having a link there. But my edit got rejected saying:
This edit changes too much in the original post; the original meaning or intent of the post would be lost.
I don't see what a deleted link to a not watchable video is changing that much.


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'Deadly Murder' launches Square One season
A rich Manhattan cougar takes a much younger man home to her SoHo apartment, but gets more than she expects in "Deadly Murder," the David Foley mystery that is opening the Square One Theatre Company season in Stratford Friday, Nov. 2.
The play was nominated for the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award in 2008. Square One artistic director Tom Holehan says it is in the tradition of such Broadway thriller hits as "Deathtrap" and "Dial M for Murder."
Square One favorite Peggy Nelson plays the woman who sets the plot in motion, Josh Willis is the mysterious young man she picks up and veteran Connecticut stage actor Al Kulcsar completes the play's dramatic triangle.
"Deadly Murder"runs through Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Stratford Theatre, 2422 Main St. The first weekend performances are Friday, Nov. 2, and Saturday, Nov. 3, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 4, at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $20-$19. Call 203-375-8778 or
visit www.squareonetheatre.com.


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At home I have a laptop acting as a central mercurial server (from here on referenced as myserver). This is great, being able to synchronize my desktop and netbook through an intermediary gives me three hard drives on which my data is stored. The setup was, however, not especially useful since my netbook goes with me almost everywhere (read: outside the home network).
This presents a problem as when I clone a repository and my .hg/hgrc file now contain a link to the server using at best a name defined in my /etc/hosts file, and at worst a local IP address (192.168.0.xyz).
I had long since done away with the IP address links, replacing them with hostname links (i.e. ssh://hg@myserver/repo instead of ssh://firstname.lastname@example.com/repo) which was the first step. Now all I needed to do was make myserver accessible through the firewall (forwarding the appropriate port (since we are talking ssh here that would be 22, unless you are paranoid and have switched the port which sshd listen on) in the router, make the server listen on that port, and finally come up with a way to dynamically switch what IP address myserver should point to.
There probably is a better solution for this, configuring the router to make all this would be one way, but I'm not sure that my router has that capability, and even if it did, I'm not sure I would have the skills to configure it. Software and shell scripting on the other hand, those are things I know how to work.
My solution, was simply to create two new hosts-files in /etc :
# touch /etc/hosts-{home,not-home}
and then insert appropriate information into them such as
# echo "myserver 192.168.0.xyz" > hosts-home # echo "myserver aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd" > hosts-not-home
(where aaa.bbb.ccc.ddd is my external IP as seen on http://whatismyip.org/).
I also made a backup of my current hosts file just to be on the safe side
# cp /etc/hosts /etc/hosts.bak
So, the overall plan is that once I've identified if I am at home, or somewhere else (i.e. not home) I will overwrite (copy) /etc/hosts with the "correct" hosts-file (-home or -not-home).
And this is where NetworkManager comes into play. Every time there is a change in the connection status of any identified network interface, NetworkManager reacts by executing every script found in /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/.
Every script is called with two parameters, the first being which interface changed (e.g. "eth0″, "wlan0″, etc.) and the second being how it changed (e.g. "up", "down"). What I wanted to do was, every time a new interface went up, check if it had connected to a device in my home network (wlan or ethernet).
So, how do you distinguish different devices in a simple manner? For me, distinguishing different MAC addresses (two known addresses at home (wlan and ethernet), and every other address was essentially not home) would do nicely.
Enter the "arp" command. From it, using flag "-i" (for interface) I can discover the IP and MAC address of the device I'm connected to. When I first discovered the example usage used flag "-a" as well which, according to the man-page, outputs results in an alternate BSD style format, using no fixed columns. This had some benefits, but as I read it again now, the "no fixed columns" remark begin to worry me. The fact that it has worked so far isn't good enough proof that it will always work. Needless to say, ymmv.
Putting it all together:
#!/bin/sh # filename: /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/99switchHosts.sh # Unless the status is "up" I'm not interested if [ "$2" != "up" ]; then exit 0; fi # I am interested in two interfaces, eth0 and wlan0 # each connect through different IP addresses and # these devices have separate MAC addresses if [ "$1" == "eth0" ]; then TARGETIP="192.168.0.1" TARGETMAC="aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff" else TARGETIP="192.168.1.1" TARGETMAC="12:34:56:78:90:ab" fi # Sometimes arp hasn't gotten hold of any IP/MAC addresses # pinging and waiting does wonders for this ping -c 1 "$TARGETIP" 1>/dev/null 2>&1 sleep 5 CURMAC=$(arp -ai "$1" | grep "$TARGETIP" | awk '{ print $4 }') while [ -z "$CURMAC" ]; do # Again, arp might not have gotten hold of IP/MAC sleep 3 CURMAC=$(arp -ai "$1" | grep "$TARGETIP" | awk '{ print $4 }') done # If MACs match, it is a known address, i.e. home if [ "$TARGETMAC" == "$CURMAC" ]; then cp /etc/hosts-home /etc/hosts else cp /etc/hosts-not-home /etc/hosts fi exit 0
This should be put in /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/99switchHosts.sh (and the script should be made execute:able)
# chmod +x /etc/NetworkManager/dispatcher.d/99switchHosts.sh
All done, not too shabby eh?
Tags: /etc/hosts, arp, IP, MAC, mercurial, NetworkManager, SSH


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One of the foundations of Eli's Cheesecake is the dedication to education and life long learning—for our people and the community. For us, these goals have been achieved because of the strong leadership of Dr. Charles Guengerich, the President of Wright College. In his 12 years as President of Wright and over 30 years at the City Colleges of Chicago, Dr. G has been totally committed to his students, his faculty and staff and the community. On June 30th, Dr. G. retired from Wright and the City Colleges of Chicago. In honor of his service, Eli's hosted a luncheon on our Farmers Market Day that also kicked off the summer program with the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences; programs that were all made possible because of Dr. G's commitment to the community.
Eli's Marc Schulman and 38th Ward Alderman Tim Cullerton thank Dr. Guengerich for his service to the community.
Dr. Guengerich and wife, Diana, are joined by former Wright Vice President and later President of Harold Washington College, Nancy DeSombre, with her husband, Gene.
Dr. Guengerich was joined by Lynn Walker, President of Truman College who previously served as Vice President of Wright.
In honor of his support and leadership for the Father's Day Bike Ride, Dr. Guengerich was named as the Grand Marshall for the 2012 Ride.


text:
A World War II veteran who provided the flag in the famous flag-raising on Iwo Jima has died. Alan Wood was 90.
Wood's son, Steven, says his father died April 18 of natural causes at his Sierra Madre home.
Wood was in charge of communications on a landing ship on Iwo Jima's shores when a Marine asked him for the biggest flag that he could find. Wood handed him a flag he had found in Pearl Harbor.
Five Marines and a Navy Corpsman later raised the flag on Mount Suribachi as Allied forces struggled to capture the Japanese-held island. The stirring moment was captured in an iconic image by Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal.
Steven Wood says his father was always humbled by his small role in the historic moment.


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BALLSTON SPA -- The man who threatened to "torture and murder" local schoolchildren was sentenced Monday to one to three years in prison and ordered to stay on his medication when he is released. Brent Dickinson, 33, was arrested in March in a joint investigation by the Saratoga Springs Police Department and the Secret Service. In March, Dickinson posted messages to the White House message board threatening to kill children at an unspecified local school and also threatening to kill President Barack Obama. "I was off my meds at the time," Dickinson told Judge Jerry Scarano in Saratoga County Court Monday morning. He said he had "run out" when he wrote the messages from computers in the Saratoga Springs Public Library, YMCA and Skidmore College. In addition to prison time for the felony charge of making a terroristic threat, Scarano ordered that Dickinson be banned from the places he made the threats from and all public and private schools in Saratoga Springs. He ordered that Dickinson continue to take his medication while on probation for five years following his release. Dickinson's sentence is less than the maximum of seven years he was facing in prison. "In this case, we found there was a serious mental health component to the case," Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy III said. "Not being on his medications was seen as having a substantial impact on his condition." He said the sentence, with conditions, found a balance between punishment and treatment. "We want him to be held responsible," Murphy said, "and going forward we want him to be a safe member of society." Assistant District Attorney James Davis said Dickinson "took full responsibility for the emails threatening both the president and the schoolchildren." Davis said Dickinson said he did not understand the impact his threats would have and that "at worst he thought people would say, 'Stop emailing me.' " While on medication, though, Davis said Dickinson "recognizes now that he was delusional and it was inappropriate." Murphy said it was unclear if the threats were empty. "We had indications he could have taken action on his threats," Murphy said. "We've seen instances across the country where threats have turned into serious injury and death, so we take these threats very seriously." Dickinson also is facing a federal charge of threatening the U.S. president, but Murphy said he did not know the status of that case. The U.S. Attorney's Office did not immediately return calls for comment on the status of the federal charges.
Brent Dickinson sentenced to prison time for threats against local schoolchildren
- LUCIAN McCARTY
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The Moon Rocks!The Moon Rocks! (2011) Season 1 Episode 7- Bubble Guppies Cartoon Episode Guide by Dave Koch
This page has been viewed 368 times this month, and 1154 times total.
- Bubble Guppies Cartoon Episode GuideEpisode GuideTelevisionSeriesCartoon
- Nickelodeon Animation Studios, WildBrain Animation Studios
- Animation Studio: Nickelodeon Animation Burbank
- Distributed by: Nickelodeon
- Cartoon Characters: Gil, Molly, Deema, Nonny, Oona, Goby, Mr. Grouper, Little Fish.
- Voice Actors: Brianna Gentilella, Christopher Borger, Selena Gonzalez, Tino Insana, Skai Jackson, Eamon Pirruccello, Angelina Wahler, Zachary Gordon, Jelani Imani; Full Voice Cast ...
- Directed By Denis Morella, Mark Salisbury.
- Produced By Elana Baumgarten, Allie Strawbridge, Jason Pattan, Ellen Martin, Irene Sherman, Jonny Belt, Robert Scull, Janice Burgess; more Producers ...
- Animated By Chris Papa, Ken Mitchroney, Toby Schwarz.
- Written By Jonny Belt, Robert Scull.
- Music: Alexej Ashkenazy.
- Editor: Liza Steinberg, Romeo Alaeff, Jason Stiff.
- First Aired on February 02, 2011.
- Originally Aired on Nickelodeon.
- Running Time: 30 minutes.
- Episode Number: 7
- Season: 1
- Color
Cartoon Summary:
The Bubble Guppies learn about outer space.
Cartoon Production Information:
Dive into the vibrant and colorful water world of the Bubble Guppies -- Gil, Molly, Deema, Nonny, Oona and Goby -- a group of adventurous underwater preschoolers learning about the world around them. Set to a soundtrack of catchy, educational pop... (more)
Watch Cartoon Video:
You can watch this episode today on your computer. Just click below to start viewing "The Moon Rocks!" online now.
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text:
Tabloids such as The National Enquirer are simply not my cup of tea and in fact elicit rumblings of anger and nausea. Yet the new book Scandalous! : 50 Shocking Events you Should Know About (so you can impress your friends) by Hallie Fryd immediately caught my eye as well as my interest.
Perhaps the major difference between this book and a tabloid is that important, albeit sensational, historical events are examined. Each event includes The Scoop! (a short synopsis), What Went Down (a more detailed description of the event), The Players (a short list of those involved), a photo, Quoteables (quotes, usually from more than one side of the issue in question), The Aftermath (what became of those involved), Why We Still Care (repercussions of the event that made changes in American life) and More (other famous incidents of a similar nature). All of this in four short pages per topic.
So while each event is indeed sensationalized, deep insights are also offered. Take for example the story "World Famous Pilot Charles Lindbergh's Baby is Kidnapped and Killed". Things I learned that I had not known include: The kidnaper's ransom notes were poorly written (perhaps indicating a lack of education), people from all over the country offered help to Lindbergh (John Condon, a retired principal, even acted as an intermediary between the Lindberghs and the kidnapper), negotiations continued for weeks, when money was finally given to the kidnaper it was marked so that it could be tracked, the instructions given by the kidnaper to find Lindbergh's baby were fake, and a month after giving out the marked money the baby's body was found. The alleged killer was eventually found, put on trial, and put to death. But questions about his guilt remained for years.
The part of each scandal that was most interesting to me was the section Why We Still Care. For the Lindbergh case, there are two reasons given.
- The trial shows how public opinion can influence a trial – The idea here is that Lindbergh was a beloved figure and people wanted retribution for the kidnapping and murder of his child. Newspapers played up every piece of evidence against the alleged killer, and in the trial the jury was only presented with circumstantial evidence. Yet the accused was put to death, perhaps largely because people were stirred up by the media.
- It was one of the first cases to use forensics to help solve a crime – The FBI opened its first crime lab the same year as the kidnapping occurred. In this case, handwriting in the ransom notes was analyzed, and the wood from the ladder found at the kidnapping scene was matched with wood in the accused man's attic.
It's fascinating to see actual historical events leading to changes that improve various aspects of our society.
The topics covered in this short book, while definitely qualifying as titillating, also tend towards the historically important, making for a fun and educational read. Some of the stories included are:
- Native American Decathlete Jim Thorpe Stripped of Olympic Medals
- Wealthy Chicago Teens Leopold and Loeb Kill 14-Year-Old Boy for Thrills
- Hollywood Star Charlie Chaplin Accused of Fathering Stalker's Baby
- Rigged Quiz Show Scandal Stuns TV Audiences
- Unethical Syphilis Experiments Conducted on Black Men
- Janet Cooke's Pulitzer Prize-Winning Story Declared Fake
- DNA Tests Spark Controversy Around Jefferson's Second Family With a Slave
- Tight Gore-Bush Election Results Lead to Bitter Battle Between Parties
All in all, a fascinating book, designed to be read by those with short attention spans (which currently includes… hey, what's that shiny thing?), and a bit of a guilty pleasure. And guaranteed to have less calories than a pan of brownies. What more could one ask for?


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An HIV-positive woman elects to have a Cesarean section to minimize the risk of infecting her baby. She asks the surgeon to tie her tubes during the procedure to prevent further pregnancies. He refuses and tells her she will have to have a separate operation at a different hospital at another time if she wants a tubal ligation. She later finds out her insurance won't pay for this operation at any hospital -- and that it won't pay for birth control pills, either.
A woman has been sexually assaulted and is rushed to the nearest emergency room for care. The risk of HIV infection is discussed and she takes a test, but she is not told that using condoms during the next few months could prevent her husband from becoming infected. She is also not offered emergency contraception or told that a different hospital might give her something to keep her from becoming pregnant. Since emergency contraception must be provided within 72 hours of sexual intercourse, not knowing about this option resulted in her pregnancy -- and placed her in a painful personal dilemma of deciding whether to have an abortion.
These aren't real stories, but they could be. Many people do not realize that the extent of care offered by medical facilities that operate under the guidance of the Catholic Church may not be equal to care available from other, non-Catholic, health providers. Some interpretations of Catholic healthcare guidelines may prohibit medical staff from educating patients about condom use to avoid HIV infection, from honoring a patient's end-of-life requests and from even mentioning the option of abortion or providing referrals to other providers who will.
These exceptions to comprehensive care may not become apparent until a medical need arises and a requested service is denied. In cases where the full range of medical options is not discussed and no referral is offered, the gap in care may not become apparent at all. This is a particular problem for people with HIV, who often have complicated and intertwining needs for treatment, diagnosis, counseling and support. It has been recognized -- and mandated in some states' HIV care guidelines -- that services for HIV-infected people should be bundled together in facilities that enable one-stop shopping for personal and family healthcare. It's also widely recognized that barriers to care -- whether geographic, economic, cultural or social -- limit the quality of care that people receive, which can result in poorer outcomes for individuals and their families. Finally, the experience of the HIV community has made it clear that an individual's full and free participation in treatment decisions encourages a greater investment in the outcome of those decisions -- and restricting patient choice undermines the engagement of patients with their health needs.
What the Church Guidelines Mean
The guidelines that limit services at Catholic healthcare facilities are derived from elemental Church doctrines about the sacredness of human life; that life begins at the moment of conception and that interfering with the natural order of reproduction, life and death is wrong. Based on these core convictions, the personal behavior of Catholics is regulated by Church edicts against artificial contraception, artificial fertility techniques, abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty. In addition, the Church attempts to limit its complicity in these activities by not enabling or facilitating their practice by agencies and resources under its control.
The National Conference of Catholic Bishops, which represents the Roman Catholic Church in this country, has produced a document known as "Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Facilities." Often referred to as "The Directives," it is the authoritative basis for limiting the medical services that Catholic healthcare providers may offer.
While Catholic providers must "adopt these Directives as policy, [and] require adherence to them . . . as a condition for medical privileges and employment," in practice, various decision-makers are able to interpret and apply the Directives differently. Generally, it is the responsibility of a local bishop to determine how the Directives will translate into policy at institutions under his purview. A conservative diocese may interpret the Directives narrowly and demand full adherence, while facilities under less strict jurisdiction may skirt some guidelines and tease out loopholes in others. Individual providers may choose to ignore certain prohibitions altogether.
Because interpretations of the guidelines are determined regionally, and because it is difficult to obtain quantitative information about the extent to which restrictions are actually imposed or evaded, no one can precisely assess to what degree the Directives are limiting access to comprehensive healthcare. But from different parts of the United States, both studies and anecdotal reports indicate that this is not a hypothetical issue.
Many people don't realize that a significant number of hospitals and other healthcare facilities in their community may be obligated to follow Church ethical guidelines. An individual may select a doctor from a list of in-plan providers without understanding that the doctor admits patients to a hospital with limited care. Many people, because of geographical constraints, may have no convenient alternative to Catholic healthcare. Still others may find their medical options limited because of where an ambulance took them for emergency care.
Catholic facilities and agencies do not always make it clear in advertising and patient handbooks what aspects of care they restrict. Depending on a bishop's direction, the facility's administration, or an individual provider's conscience, some or all of these options may not be available:
Medical staff may be prohibited from educating patients about using condoms to prevent HIV and STD infections -- even patients who are in serodiscordant sexual relationships. The prohibition may also extend to people having homosexual intercourse where conception is not an issue. Some providers may also refuse to discuss harm-reduction techniques for active drug users.
HIV-positive women with multi-drug resistant virus could possibly be denied access to an experimental drug if a clinical trial requires that birth control measures be used.
Unfortunately, it is common for women to find out they are HIV-positive at the same time they learn they are pregnant. At a Catholic facility, the provider may be forbidden to discuss a woman's option to abort the pregnancy.
Staff at a Catholic facility may refuse to honor a patient's end-of-life request to reject artificial nutrition and hydration.
Some Catholic facilities may not offer referrals -- or even inform patients about the opportunity for services they do not provide. This leaves the least informed patients with an impression that no other options exist. Even facilities that choose to provide referrals can create unreasonable barriers by requiring that patients go elsewhere for important aspects of their care.
Healthcare advocates are also concerned about Church lobbying to restrict research on stem cells, restrictions on in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, sterilization and tubal ligation. The experimental technique of "washing" sperm to safely allow an HIV-infected man to father a child may also fall outside of Church guidelines for natural insemination.
Merger Mania
While healthcare providers affiliated with other religious bodies may impose limits on certain aspects of care, primarily abortion, a national organization called The MergerWatch Project asserts that none are as restrictive as Catholic healthcare providers. More than 11 percent of the nation's community hospitals are Catholic facilities, and they account for more than 16 percent of community hospital beds, according to the Catholic Health Association of the United States. Some Catholic hospitals and hospital networks further extend their ethical reach by applying the guidelines to all affiliated outpatient clinics and even to non-Catholic tenants of Church-owned office facilities.
Today, many financially secure non-profit Catholic hospitals have become key players in what some have called "merger mania." As the trend towards consolidation within the healthcare industry continues, an increasing number of resources are coming under the control of a relatively small number of decision-makers. When secular healthcare organizations agree to merge or form partnerships with Catholic hospitals and healthcare systems, the terms of these agreements can extend Catholic ethical policies to the non-Catholic facilities. For a secular organization pressed to merge out of financial necessity, adopting the Catholic restrictions as part of an alliance that keeps the doors open may seem like a small compromise.
Other quasi-business entities that affect people's healthcare can also be governed by religious guidelines. Non-profit HMOs and insurance companies guided by Church policies have been allowed to limit the care available to their customers. Some insurance beneficiaries, including people who receive health insurance through Medicaid, have been shuttled into these HMOs without being told that they will not receive comprehensive medical care.
For non-Catholic hospitals entering business relationships with Catholic hospitals, one strategy to preserve family planning services has been to negotiate exceptions to the rules at the non-Catholic sites. But recently, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops has become more assertive with its members and their healthcare facilities about implementing the Directives. At a June 2001 conference in Atlanta, the Conference declared sterilization to be "intrinsically immoral" -- implicitly telling Catholic hospitals that their non-Catholic partner hospitals should not be providing sterilization services at all.
Lois Uttley, vice president of The Education Fund of Family Planning Advocates of New York State (MergerWatch's parent organization), suggests that the Conference "cracked down" as a direct response to some of the creative compromises that have been used to skirt Catholic regulations. "I think what this signals is a tightening of the hold of the hierarchy," she warns.
With Catholic providers strengthening their control over an increasingly large portion of the healthcare marketplace, it is reasonable to anticipate that denials of service arising from ethical mandates will multiply in the future.
Where the System Breaks Down
It's often suggested that the best accommodation between reality and the restrictions is a "work-around" tactic commonly used by sympathetic medical personnel at Catholic healthcare facilities. It's not known how many or how often providers sidestep their employers' rules and simply share information they deem appropriate with patients on a private basis, but some say this is the best way to help patients without making waves.
Uttley holds that this is no solution at all."I call it the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy in healthcare, and it's a very dangerous policy," she says. "It opens the door for anti-choice or anti-gay people in the hospital to 'rat on' physicians who are violating the [restrictions]." Physicians and nurses can face grave repercussions, including dismissal -- particularly those who signed statements pledging adherence to the hospitals' ethical policies. Refusing to sign such a statement is not necessarily an effective means of protection. At least two physicians who did so have been fired or refused admitting privileges, according to Uttley.
Religious exemptions from city, state or federally mandated standards of care have been granted in exchange for pledges to refer patients to appropriate service providers when ethical restrictions limit that care. Yet the mechanisms for monitoring and enforcing the effectiveness of these makeshift solutions have received little attention. How can the funding agency insure that people are properly referred or even informed that referrals are available? Furthermore, referral may not be practical or humane in some cases. A terminally ill patient who has requested that artificial nutrition and hydration be removed may not realistically be able to arrange for care at another facility during his or her last days.
Uttley also cautions about grave shortcomings in the referral policies that some Catholic facilities enact to mollify their critics. She points to New York State's policy of providing Catholic facilities with blank envelopes containing referral lists compiled by the state department of health. "This envelope is simply handed to the patient. In our view it's an unconscionable compromise. An appropriate referral is to say, 'I don't have this service available, but let me call such-and-such a place and make an appointment for you.'" Some feel an even better accommodation would be to provide transportation to and from the off-site provider.
GMHC's Director of Health Policy, Susan M. Dooha, agrees. "The problem with referral schemes is that they compromise the 'one-stop shopping' principle that has been proven essential to effective healthcare, and creates additional barriers for already overburdened HIV-positive people."
Dooha maintains that accepted standards of care should be maintained when church-affiliated healthcare providers enter into contracts with government. "The state," she says, "which represents you and me, shouldn't allow watered-down care to be paid for with our tax dollars. If a hospital receives Medicaid funding, for example, the public should expect to find a full range of Medicaid-covered services offered. And if an HIV provider is dependent on public money, it should be expected to provide barrier-free care. If you ask people to jump extra hurdles to access essential services that should be part of a package, then you can expect that someone will be harmed when they don't get the care they need. Government has a duty to prevent that harm."
How Healthcare Advocates Are Responding
Healthcare advocates, especially those focusing on reproductive rights, have formed networks that oppose religiously influenced healthcare on the local, state and national levels. Different groups are working on various priorities and strategies. MergerWatch, for example, monitors business transactions that threaten reproductive healthcare and helps community members fight to retain reproductive health services in the new networks.
On a different front, Californian advocates scored a victory in 2000 with legislation to mandate that consumers are informed about providers with restrictive policies. The legislation requires insurers to clearly disclose in provider guides and promotional materials which services may be restricted.
Many established groups and coalitions actively working on these issues offer HIV/AIDS organizations and concerned members of the public an array of resources and opportunities for local action. Lourdes Rivera of the National Health Law Project recommends that local advocates "really scrutinize the services currently available in the community." By doing an inventory of what is and isn't provided, advocates can arm themselves to fight efforts to further reduce patients' options.
MergerWatch's Uttley urges people to document cases in which patients have been denied information or services. MergerWatch and other groups utilize this information in their campaigns. (To report cases to MergerWatch, go to www.mergerwatch.org.)
This information can also be used to alert the community about objectionable policies already in place. "Look at how a community hospital advertises itself," says Rivera, who is managing attorney of her organization's Los Angeles office. A hospital may claim to offer a "full" array of HIV/AIDS services or reproductive services, for example, while it actually adheres to religious restrictions. People make choices about care for themselves and their families "based on what the institutions say they are providing," Rivera states.
The reproductive health community has been actively alerting affected communities, including those involved with HIV/AIDS, to the public health implications of religious-based limits on access to care. GMHC's Dooha encourages HIV/AIDS organizations to grapple with this issue, noting that dealing with restrictions to access can help make specific prevention and care measures more effective. "People with HIV don't need single services in a vacuum," she says. "Quality HIV care involves the whole ball of wax."
Back to the GMHC Treatment Issues September 2001 contents page.


text:
I am having troubles to convert an ArrayList of Object data to a multi-d array. The code below is the pseudo code:
Could anyone tell me how I could populate this array with the people's ArrayList?
I need this array because I'm trying to create a JTable using it's constructor JTable([][])
Thanks much appreciated