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Owners or operators who fail to notify the permitting authority of their intent to be covered under a permit and who discharge stormwater associated with industrial or construction activities to waters of the state, waters of the U.S., or to a separate storm sewer system without an individual or group permit, will be in violation of the Texas Administrative Code and the Clean Water Act and may be subject to legal action.
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Use Engage Denton to report a spill or illegal dumping.
If material spilled or dumped appears hazardous or is on fire, call 911.
The NOI is the application for authorization under the Industrial Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP) or Construction Stormwater permits. The NOI is in an interactive PDF document designed to be completed electronically and submitted to the TCEQ. Both the construction and industrial stormwater permits require that a copy of the NOI be sent to the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) which receives discharge from the permitted site. For sites that discharge stormwater to City of Denton, either email a copy to Watershed Protection or mail to:
City of DentonAttn: Watershed Protection1100 S Mayhill RoadDenton, TX 76208
View a list of SWPPP Preparation and Inspection Services.
This list is not to be considered comprehensive nor an endorsement for any organization. The City of Denton does not guarantee the quality of the work provided by any organization on this list. If you would like to have your organization added to this list of SWPPP preparers and inspectors, please send an email with your contact information to the City of Denton, Watershed Protection division.
A construction activity is part of a larger common plan of development if it is completed in one or more of the following ways:
It is identified by the documentation that identifies the scope of the project including such things as the following:
It can include one operator or many operators.
Example: A subdivision is being built. You are grading 0.75 acres, another company is clearing 4 different acres and a contractor is excavating another 0.5 acres. In this case, the total area that would be disturbed is 5.25 acres, so each operator would fall under the requirements associated with disturbing 5 or more acres.
Polluted stormwater runoff from construction sites often flows to MS4s and ultimately is discharged into local rivers and streams. Sediment is usually the main pollutant of concern. Sources of sedimentation include construction, agriculture, urban runoff and forestry. Sediment runoff rates from construction sites, however, are typically 10 to 20 times greater than those of agricultural lands and 1,000 to 2,000 times greater than those of forested lands. During a short period of time, construction sites can contribute more sediment to streams than can be deposited naturally during several decades. The resulting siltation and the contribution of other pollutants from construction sites can cause physical, chemical and biological harm to our nation's waters. For example, excess sediment can quickly fill rivers and lakes, requiring dredging and destroying aquatic habitats.
Construction stormwater runoff is covered under regulations of the Clean Water Act. In Texas, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has primacy and issues Construction Stormwater General Permits, also called TXR150000 permits. Sites which disturb one acre or more and sites which are a common plan of development that disturbs more than one acre, are required to complete a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), post a TCEQ construction site notice that is publicly visible and provide a copy of the construction site notice to the MS4. Construction sites which are five acres or greater (or part of a common plan of development greater than five acres) are additionally required to complete a Notice of Intent (NOI) and provide a copy to the MS4 to which they discharge. All construction sites within the City of Denton must comply with the Land Disturbing Activities section of Denton Development Code, DDC Section 35.18 and the Drainage Criteria Manual.
Post-construction stormwater management in areas undergoing new development or redevelopment is necessary because runoff from these areas has been shown to significantly affect receiving water bodies. Many studies indicate that prior planning and design for the minimization of pollutants in post-construction stormwater discharges is the most cost-effective approach to stormwater quality management.
There are generally two forms of substantial impacts of post-construction runoff. The first is caused by an increase in the type and quantity of pollutants in stormwater runoff. As runoff flows over areas altered by development, it picks up harmful sediment and chemicals such as oil and grease, pesticides, heavy metals and nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus). These pollutants often become suspended in runoff and are carried to receiving waters, such as lakes, ponds and streams. Once deposited, these pollutants can enter the food chain through small aquatic life, eventually entering the tissues of fish and humans. The second kind of post-construction runoff impact occurs by increasing the quantity of water delivered to the water body during storms. Increased impervious surfaces (e.g., parking lots, driveways and rooftops) interrupt the natural cycle of gradual percolation of water and soil and into groundwater systems. Instead, water is collected from surfaces such as asphalt and concrete and routed to drainage systems where large volumes of runoff quickly flow to the nearest receiving water. The effects of this process include streambank scouring and downstream flooding, which often lead to a loss of aquatic life and damage to property.
The City of Denton's Development Code protects riparian stream buffers, Cross Timber upland habitat, water related habitats and undeveloped floodplains. Information can be found on the ESA page.
Through the Texas Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (TPDES) program, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has established requirements to control stormwater discharges that could harm the quality of waterways (flowing or dry) in the U.S. These regulations require many types of businesses to obtain permits to discharge stormwater and to prepare a written Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), in order to address the necessary management of stormwater run-off.
Stormwater means precipitation runoff, surface water runoff or surface water drainage.
The purpose of an Industrial Stormwater Permit is to ensure that industrial facilities properly monitor and control stormwater to minimize its impact upon the environment.
Facilities mean any operation that engage in activities that are directly related to manufacturing, processing, or raw materials storage at a commercial or industrial site.
Industrial facilities that do not monitor and control stormwater run-off may allow pollutants to be transported off site. These contaminants may ultimately flow into streams, rivers, washes and other water resources.
Industrial stormwater refers to water runoff related to certain business activities identified in the stormwater regulations of the Clean Water Act. The permits related to these types of activities are known as Multi-Sector General Permits. Some businesses in Denton are required to have these permits, use the decision tree and the questions and answers section to determine if your business needs a permit.
Determine whether your facility or site discharges to a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) or to waters of the U.S.
If your facility discharges to one or both go to Step 2, otherwise no stormwater permit is needed.
What is a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4)?
A MS4 is a conveyance or system of conveyances (including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, man-made channels, or storm drains):
Industrial operators may ask their municipal government whether their facility discharges into an MS4 or into a sanitary sewer, which is not covered by the stormwater regulations.
Surface water in the state of Texas includes lakes, bays, ponds, impounding, reservoirs, springs, rivers, streams, creeks, estuaries, marshes, inlets, canals, the Gulf of Mexico inside the territorial limits of the state, and all other bodies of surface water, natural or artificial, inland or coastal, fresh or salt, navigable or non-navigable, and including the beds and banks of all watercourses and bodies of surface water, that are wholly or partially inside or bordering the state or inside the jurisdiction of the state (Section 26.001 of the Texas Water Code).
Determine if your facility's industrial activities fall within one of the eleven Categories of Industrial Activities. If your activities are listed, go to Step 3, otherwise no permit is needed. Industrial stormwater permits are required for specific types of activities. Some categories are defined by a Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code and others are defined by a narrative description. If any of the following categories apply to your business, you may be required to obtain permit coverage.
Which industries are regulated?
Determine if the listed facility or site may qualify for an exemption under the conditional no exposure exclusion and/or the ISTEA exemption. Facilities that can certify to having a condition of no exposure may be exempted from permit requirements upon completing and submitting a No Exposure Certification Form. If the facility cannot certify that a condition of exposure exists, then the facility must obtain coverage under and comply with, a stormwater permit.
No exposure means all industrial materials and activities are protected by a storm resistant shelter to prevent exposure to rain, snow, snowmelt and/or run-off. Industrial materials or activities include, but are not limited to, material handling equipment or activities, industrial machinery, raw materials, intermediate products, byproducts, final products, or waste products.
To obtain coverage under a Stormwater Discharge Permit for Industrial Activities, an owner or operator of a facility must fill out a Notice of Intent (NOI) with the TCEQ. Compliance with the provisions of a permit include preparation and implementation of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). A SWPPP must describe the site characteristics and list the pollutants that could impact stormwater quality. The plan must also identify appropriate stormwater control measures that will minimize pollutant loading in stormwater discharges. These measures are often referred to as best management practices (BMPs). Examples of BMPs include structural controls, spill response and prevention and yard maintenance.
Phase 1 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) stormwater program was promulgated in 1990 under the Clean Water Act (CWA). Phase 1 relies on National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit coverage to address stormwater runoff from incorporated places with a population of 100,000 or greater on the 1990 U.S. census, construction sites larger than five acres and certain industrial sectors.
The Stormwater Phase 2 Final Rule is the next step in EPA's effort to preserve, protect and improve the nation's water resources from polluted stormwater runoff. The Phase 2 program expands the Phase 1 program by requiring additional operators of Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) in urbanized areas and operators of small construction sites, through the use of NPDES permits, to implement programs and practices to control polluted stormwater runoff. Phase 2 is intended to further reduce adverse impacts to water quality and aquatic habitat by instituting the use of controls on the unregulated sources of stormwater discharges that have the greatest likelihood of causing continued environmental degradation.
Stormwater discharges from MS4s in urbanized areas are a concern because of the high concentration of pollutants found in these discharges. Concentrated development in urbanized areas substantially increase impervious surfaces, such as city streets, driveways, parking lots and sidewalks, on which pollutants from concentrated human activities settle and remain until a storm event washes them into nearby storm drains. Common pollutants include pesticides, fertilizers, oils, salt, litter and other debris and sediment. Another concern is the possible illicit connections of sanitary sewers, which can result in fecal coliform bacteria entering the storm sewer system. Stormwater runoff picks up and transports these and other harmful pollutants then discharges them untreated to waterways via storm sewer systems. When left uncontrolled, these discharges can result in fish kills, the destruction of spawning and wildlife habitats, a loss in aesthetic value and contamination of drinking water supplies and recreational waterways that can threaten public health.
Polluted storm water runoff is often transported to MS4s and ultimately discharged into local rivers and streams without treatment. EPA's Stormwater Phase 2 Rule establishes a MS4 stormwater management program that is intended to improve the Nation's waterways by reducing the quantity of pollutants that stormwater picks up and carries into storm sewer systems during storm events. Common pollutants include oil and grease from roadways, pesticides from lawns, sediment from construction sites and carelessly discarded trash, such as cigarette butts, paper wrappers and plastic bottles. When deposited into nearby waterways through MS4 discharges, these pollutants can impair the waterways, thereby discouraging recreational use of the resource, contaminating drinking water supplies and interfering with the habitat for fish, other aquatic organisms and wildlife.
Operators of regulated small MS4s are required to design their programs to:
Implementation will typically require the development and implementation of Best Management Practices and the achievement of measurable goals to satisfy each of the six minimum control measures.
Additional information on our illicit discharge detection and elimination, municipal good housekeeping, public education and public involvement programs can be found on our Residential Watershed webpage.
Hickory Creek watershed is located within Denton County, with a substantial portion of the watershed located within the corporate limits of the City of Denton. In general, the Hickory Creek watershed extends westward from I-35E as the highway passes through the City of Denton and drains into Lewisville Lake directly upstream from the City of Denton's drinking water intake structure. The watershed of Hickory Creek is mainly rural, containing large amounts of open space and bottomland hardwood forests. The mainly undeveloped characteristics of the Hickory Creek watershed serve to enhance water quality, since surface water runoff in many areas of the watershed passes through substantial amounts of vegetated buffers. However, development pressures continue to cause alterations in land surfaces within Hickory Creek, resulting in a reduction in the ability of this watershed to assimilate pollutants.
Although Lewisville Lake is not currently on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) list of water quality impaired waters, there are significant water quality concerns for the lake. The Lewisville Lake watershed, for example, has one of the highest application rates in the State for new or amended wastewater permits. Development is increasing within the Hickory Creek watershed, creating increases in runoff volumes and reductions in open space. Past monitoring efforts by the TCEQ have resulted in Hickory Creek being listed as a "nutrient enrichment concern" due to high ammonia concentrations. The sources of ammonia are currently not well understood within this watershed and are generally listed as "originating from unknown point and non-point sources." Watershed monitoring and modeling efforts indicate that the current approaches to managing non-point source pollution in Hickory Creek are not sufficient. New tools are needed to stimulate best management practices development and reverse declining water quality trends.
Lewisville Lake Watershed area in 1990 and in 2000. Note the increase in developed area west and east of the main branch of the lake.
The TCEQ asked the project team to develop a Watershed Protection Plan (WPP) for Hickory Creek in conjunction with the 319 grant and to include the nine USEPA WWP elements within this plan. These elements are:
Read the Hickory Creek Watershed Protection Plan (PDF).
Requirements for gas well development can be found in Denton Development Code subchapter 6. New gas wells are required to provide an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan for review as part of the review process. See Gas Well Erosion and Sediment Control Plan guidance document.


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"I know that once the fight comes, I'm gonna be in there and putting the fight on him and breaking all the hype pretty soon." - Kelvin Gastelum
Built like a Mack truck instead of the Little Engine That Could, The Ultimate Fighter season 17 finalist Kelvin Gastelum nonetheless snuck up on people on his way to Saturday's finale in Las Vegas, beating four consecutive opponents on the reality show despite having only five previous pro fights.
"I think people counted me out in every fight, and I didn't have an easy fight," said Gastelum of his run through the field. "I didn't have an easy road to the finale at all and I had to fight some of the best guys in the tournament. But I proved to myself and to the world that I belong in the finale."
That he did, decisioning Kito Andrews, then submitting Bubba McDaniel and stopping Collin Hart before a semifinal submission of Josh Samman landed him across from Uriah Hall for the TUF 17 trophy. Not surprisingly, Gastelum finds himself an underdog yet again, not surprising given the growing legend of New York's Hall, something the Yuma, Arizona resident has watched on a weekly basis.
"I've been watching it (the series), and they're building him up, but it doesn't bother me at all," he said. "I know that once the fight comes, I'm gonna be in there and putting the fight on him and breaking all the hype pretty soon."
Teammates on Chael Sonnen's squad, Gastelum and Hall were witnesses to each other's quest to survive the six week competition, and while some recent TUF finales haven't got the heart racing like those of the early seasons, this one is a notable exception, with the buzz growing as fans wait to see whether Hall's knockout run continues or if Gastelum can do what he's done all season against the odds, and that's win. As for his thoughts on Hall and the fight, they're straight to the point.
"I see great potential," said Gastelum of Hall. "But every time I look at him I think of how I'm gonna beat him, and I just picture myself holding up that trophy on April 13th."
It's as focused as you'll hear a fighter, and even though the show finished taping a while back, the former State champion wrestler hasn't let his guard down yet. For him the show and the quest aren't over until the final bell on Saturday night.
"I've got a great group of guys that are helping me out with the fight and they've been very supportive here at home and at the gym," he said. "Everybody believes in me and I'm in a great environment and in a great mindset. We believe we can beat him."
If his mindset and focus is impressive, consider that he's done all this as a 21-year-old, making him the youngest competitor in TUF history. On one hand, you could say that helped matters, as younger fighters aren't leaving as much back home as those who are older, and with just six fights, an early exit from the show wouldn't hurt his budding career as much. He disagrees with that assessment.
"I don't think my youth had anything to do with it," he said. "I had everyday struggles just like everybody else, and I really channeled all my energy and all my thoughts into every single fight. I've been wrestling for nearly ten years and in college it was the same thing. I was around a group of guys for three-four months during all the days of wrestling season, and it was kind of the same experience there because we were all there for one reason."
Fair enough. So let's re-phrase it and ask where his maturity comes from. The response is terse, but it speaks volumes.
"In my life my family and I have been through a lot and I really had to grow up fast," he said. On Saturday though, he can make those struggles of the past just that – struggles of the past – and begin a new life as a UFC fighter. That sounds good to him.
"I plan to win the show and hopefully get another fight or two sometime during this year and really build my way up," he said. "I'm here to really try and stay for a long time in the company and make a name for myself."
UFC Performance Institute
Dana White On The Opening Of UFC PI Mexico

subset: commoncrawl


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'American Horror Story' Season 4: Could Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Pfeiffer or Michael Chiklis Join the Cast?
Just over half way through 'American Horror Story: Coven,' and series star Jessica Lange has made it abundantly clear her intent to leave with the confirmed fourth season's end in early 2015. And while casting for future installments of the FX horror-drama remains up in the air for now, series creator Ryan Murphy has some surprising choices for future stars in mind to fill the void, among them Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Pfeiffer and Michael Chiklis!
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Murphy revealed repeated attempts to cast Witherspoon in previous incarnations, saying "Well, every year I go to Reese Witherspoon. I want her to play something really twisted and f---ed up. But she's always booked." Murphy also identified Pfeiffer and Chiklis among the shortlist for future seasons, though not with any indication of what roles the Hollywood pair might take.
So far of the proposed fourth season, we know that 'Coven' stars Angela Bassett and Kathy Bates have been approached to return, while Jessica Lange went on the record to say "I want to have more time to myself I guess. Once it's over and I have a full year ahead of me with nothing to do, who knows? It might not have been the best decision. But I think four years doing something is a sufficient amount of time."
Murphy had previously confirmed of season 4 that "It's not contemporary. It's either going to shoot in New Orleans or it's going to shoot in Santa Fe." The final 'Coven' shot will provide a much clearer picture of season 4, in which "Jessica Lange has always wanted to play a Marlene Dietrich figure, and now she gets to."
Any of either Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Pfeiffer or Michael Chiklis would make for fitting additions to future 'American Horror Story' seasons, but what say you? Who would you like to see bolster the FX drama's star power in Jessica Lange's wake?


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The intention of the EAFT was to create a document which would show the importance of terminology in society and which could be a useful document in different contexts. The Declaration was signed by representatives from a large number of terminology organizations:
Acaterm, AETER, AIT, Ass.I.Term, Bureau de la traduction, Bulterm, Cindoc, CTB, Colterm, Danterm, Deuterm, DTT, EAFT/AET, Eafterm, ELETO, ELOT, ELRA, Eter, GTW, Hungterm, IITF, ÍM, Infoterm, IPC, ISRDS, Jiamcatt, Korterm, LTT, NL-Term, Nordterm, Office de la langue française, Paraterm, Polterm, PRO-TLS, Radt, Realiter, Rifal, RITerm, Russian Terminology Association, Société française de terminologie, Sprakradet, Nederlandse Taalunie, Termcat, Termigal, Termip, Termisti, TermNet, TermRom-Moldova, Termrom-Romania, TNC, TSK, Union Latine, Uruterm, Uzei, Venterm.
So far, the Brussels Declaration has been translated into the following langauges:
- Basque
- Breton
- Catalan
- Danish
- Dutch
- English
- French
- Galician
- Georgian
- Greek
- Hungarian
- Icelandic
- Italian
- Norwegian - Bokmål
- Norwegian - Nynorsk
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Romanian
- Slovenian
- Spanish
- Swedish
We think it very important that the Brussels Declaration become a truly multilingual document, and we would therefore like to ask anyone interested in doing so to please translate the Declaration and send it (together with the name of the organization responsible for the translation) to the EAFT secretariat email@example.com so that we can publish it here.
It is, of course, still possible to support the Declaration, and the organizations that choose to do so will be listed on the EAFT website along with the different language versions of the Declaration.
The EAFT Board


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6 Things Key and Peele Want You to Know About "Key & Peele"
"MADtv" alums turned latter day sketch comedy saviors Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele have sneaked up on the American consciousness in the last few years, but it's a good kind of sneak. Both sons of African-American fathers and white mothers, they haven't exactly hid from their mixed-race heritage, mining a good percentage of their cheerfully subversive humor from the ethnic codes and conundrums that still dominate so much of American life.
To those who might try to (lamely) argue that race is no longer a factor in Barack Obama's America, they give us Peele's brilliant impression of President Obama alongside Key as Luther, the politician's "anger translator." It falls on the eternally stressed out Luther to put the leader's thoughts into the plain black English many of us wish he could use, and the rest know would have ended his career instantly. To those of us who might feel shy about noting that some African-American names can be a bit more imaginative and polysyllabic than Caucasian monikers, they've given us East West College Bowl roll calls dominated by names that sound like they were collaborations between George Clinton and Dr. Seuss. (Peele has acknowledged the collaboration of a certain "Mr. Weed" in the writing of these pieces.)
We were lucky enough to encounter the witty pair who, unlike some other famous comedy teams, actually appear to enjoy one another's company, at Comic-Con. Flanked by director Peter Atencio, they were there, of course, to promote the return of their Peabody-winning Comedy Central show. While they apparently couldn't say much about a possible upcoming project with Judd Apatow, they were able to discuss their already aired and rather brilliant comedy relief-turn on FX's Emmy-winning "Fargo," as well as an animated project.
1. Regarding the point of the President Obama/Luther the Anger Translator sketches (which received a positive review from no less than the eternally composed POTUS himself).
Key: The most important thing to us has always been, "Let's try, for comedic effect, to express what we think this president is thinking." If the confluence of events had been different and he'd been a different president of a different race, we still think the comedic concept's sound. So, we still would have done it. We picked Obama because we figured, "Here's a sketch only we can do" and it helps with job security.
Peele: I think maybe the first one [had more raw anger in it]… There was a little element, at the beginning – there was all this shit that wasn't getting said. There was some wish-fulfillment. It felt like nobody was defending [Obama] on the birther issue definitively enough.
Key: There was the birther issue, and the other trigger was Senator Joe Wilson screaming in the [Senate] chamber, "You lie!" That's never happened to a president before; so, why would that happen to this president?
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Posted in: Entertainment, Interviews, Television
Tags: Comedy Central, Fargo, Jordan Peele, Keegan Michael Key, Key & Peele interview, Keye & Peele, Vandaveon and Mike


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Posted 12 years ago
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Here's a cool neon Philco Radios sign that I just got restored. A fantastic piece that I found in a garage up in northern Maine. I was lucky that all the pieces were there and didn't have to search for anything. Such a cool find!


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All participants will receive a progress report card that will detail skills they have successfully achieved and any things that may need further work or improvement.
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The City of Coquitlam has partnered with the Canadian Red Cross for many years to deliver Red Cross swim curriculum (most recently known as "Swim Kids") and instructor training in the City's aquatic facilities. Earlier this year, the Canadian Red Cross announced it will no longer offer learn to swim curriculum beyond the 2022 calendar year.
The Canadian Red Cross announced they are winding down swimming and lifeguard programs to focus on surging humanitarian demands in other areas, including disaster and pandemic response, opioid harm reduction and caregiving for seniors.
The City of Coquitlam is working with the Lifesaving Society of B.C. & Yukon to offer the Swim for Life swimming instruction program.
Swim for Life programs will commence for Winter 2023 swimming lessons (January 2023 onward).
Registration for Winter 2023 swimming programs will begin Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 8:30 a.m. Programming will be viewable online on Monday, Nov. 7 at 8:30 a.m.
Use the conversion chart to determine what level is appropriate for you or your child based on age, ability and previous Red Cross Swim Kids level (if applicable).
If you or your child previously participated in Red Cross programming with the City of Coquitlam, a record of successfully completed levels have been saved in the registration system. This will help when registering for the equivalent Swim for Life level.
Please connect with a Coquitlam Aquatics staff member. They can help answer questions or help arrange a free, in-water evaluation of you or your child's current swimming competencies.
Swimming lesson participants can only be registered for one set of lessons at a time. You may register your child for the next set of lessons on the last day of the current set. This allows for more families to gain access to the limited number of available lessons. If you are currently registered in a swim lesson set in the Fall 2022 season, you will need to wait until it has concluded before registering for Winter 2023 swimming lessons.
Red Cross Swim Kids and other Red Cross aquatic programming will continue to be offered by the City of Coquitlam for the remainder of the 2022 calendar year.
The new program pricing will be similar to the current Red Cross lessons and will only vary based on the total number of lessons. Most lesson sets will be 10 classes/days. The price will be reduced if the set is a 8 or 9 classes/days.
The Swim for Life program also offers three levels of youth lessons.


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Citrus Heights SWAT Team
SWAT Commander, Lt. Kris Frey and SWAT Executive Officer, Lt. Jason Baldwin oversee the entire SWAT Team. The CHPD SWAT Team is comprised of three elements with specific areas of expertise and responsibilities. The 3 elements include the Tactical Team, Crisis Negotiations Team, and the Tactical Dispatch Team. As a SWAT team our primary goal is to save lives and each tactical mission is planned to provide for the safety of the public, police officers, and suspects.
SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) is a co-lateral duty for a Citrus Heights Police Officer. Every member of the SWAT team is a highly dedicated professional who serves the SWAT team in addition to performing their primary assignment.
There are SWAT team members in every division of the police department. Whether assigned as a patrol officer, traffic officer, detective, or Problem-Oriented Policing officer, these officers are the tactical leaders of their teams. They regularly provide tactical training to their fellow officers and assist their supervisors during critical incidents.
Tactical Team
The Tactical Team members, which also includes a Sniper Team, lead from the front in all high-risk tactical missions. The Tactical Team members are the officers who put themselves in harm's way when dealing with the various high-risk situations, such as high-risk warrant services, barricaded subjects, and hostage rescues. The Tactical Team is charged with the development of the operational plan, which includes the implementation of each element into the tactical plan. The members of the Tactical Team are trained in a wide variety of tactics which are appropriately applied to the high-risk circumstances.
To become a member of the Tactical Team, officers must show a high level of performance, integrity, maturity, and sound judgment. Potential team members participate in an exhaustive selection process that includes the following:
- Physical Agility Test
- Tactical Firearms Qualification
- Oral Interview with Team Leaders
- Performance Review
- SWAT Commander Approval
Crisis Negotiations Team (CNT)
The Crisis Negotiations Team is a group of officers specially trained to communicate with persons in high risk incidents. CNT works closely with all of the elements of the SWAT Team to successfully resolve high-risk incidents. They are specially trained to calmly and professionally negotiate with suspects to bring about safe resolutions to crisis situations.
Tactical Dispatch Team (TDT)
The Tactical Dispatch Team is comprised of specially trained professional staff. TDT members support the SWAT Team by providing for organized and accurate information flow during a high risk incident. Many high risk incidents involve a large amount of public safety resources from police and emergency medical services. TDT members help coordinate resources; ensure accurate dissemination of information, and document events as they occur.


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The Replicated Man
- Learn more about the escaped android.
- Search for clues about Zimmer's missing androids.
- (Optional) Discover what Dr. Preston knows about the android.
- Find out what Pinkerton at Rivet City knows about the android.
Part 1
Rivet City is a settlement at the far southeastern end of the Capital Wasteland. You have to visit this city several times during your main adventure, but side quests aplenty (or simple exploration) will bring you to Rivet City at other times, as well. Therefore, when and how you run into the man responsible for this side quest, a scientist named Dr. Zimmer, is completely random. Chances are you'll meet him in Dr. Li's laboratory when you visit her about Project Purity, but if you find Rivet City before then, or want to talk to Dr. Zimmer afterwards, you will have to scour Rivet City to find him. As you can see via the screens below, Dr. Zimmer and his bodyguard Armitage can literally be found roaming Rivet City.
Dr. Zimmer's request is extremely specific, and what's more, there are several ways to wrap this side quest up. Some of them are quicker than others, but we have a really quick surefire solution for you below. But first and foremost, you're going to want to pick Dr. Zimmer's brain about everything he knows. Dr. Zimmer comes from a place known as the Commonwealth, which he says is up north. Ravaged by nuclear war, just like the rest of the country (or world), Zimmer and his colleagues at an institute there created artificial intelligence in the form of androids. And one of those androids, named A3-21, happened to escape. This android was charged with finding other escaped androids, but unlike those other escaped androids, A3-21's specifications make him a must to find. It would be hard to replicate that kind of science in a brief time.
From here, things begin to get convoluted. And that's where we at IGN Guides come in, naturally. There are myriad people spread around the Wasteland that can help you find the android (and if you spoke to Zimmer and then forgot about this side quest, chances are you've seen branches in conversation trees with random characters go in the direction of the escaped android). There are four types of people you have to talk to, each having a specific set of information. We'll begin in the familiar surroundings of Megaton, where Moira Brown, shopkeeper at Craterside Supply, will have something to say on the android. Pick her brain about the android (whether you convince her with speech or pay her off is up to you), but once she's spilled the beans, you'll know what your next objective is.
Part 2
Moira Brown (or the last person you spoke to) will likely have alerted you to the fact that a man named Pinkerton at Rivet City knows what the deal is. If you did Moira Brown's Wasteland Survival Guide in its entirety (as outlined in this very guide), chances are you have already visited Pinkerton in the broken-off part of Rivet City. Getting there, if that's the case, is as easy as using the door at the end of a makeshift bridge at the back end of the ship (see the screens below). Otherwise, you're going to have to infiltrate the ship via the underwater entrance where Rivet City has split in two. To avoid redundancy, you should probably just go ahead and see the side quest information for Wasteland Survival Guide for more on that.
Again, we're assuming you've been to see Pinkerton before, and thus can breach the back end of the ship. If you can do this, then you'll be able to find Pinkerton exactly where you did during the Wasteland Survival Guide quest, but remember! -- you can always go back and visit our Wasteland Survival Guide if you need to breach this area from the ship split. When you find and speak to Pinkerton, he'll initially act like he has no idea what you're talking about in regard to the android. But if you press him (and it won't take much), he'll reveal to you that the android Dr. Zimmer speaks is none other than Rivet City's very own chief of security, Harkness! Wow. Well, this turns everything on its head, because you likely know Harkness from your time spent in Rivet City. How will you use this newfound information?
Well, naturally, you have options. On the one hand, you can tell Harkness so he can get away from Zimmer. Or, you can tell Zimmer that Harkness is the man you're looking for. Hell, you can do both if you really want to. But we did the right thing here. First, find Harkness roaming around the main area of Rivet City. If you don't find him outside the door leading into the ship (primarily by way of the marketplace), you'll almost definitely find him roaming around the marketplace itself. Speak with him and break the news to him. If you want him to go on a rampage, be as thoughtless and provocative as possible. Otherwise, break the news to him gently. That way, he'll hand over his gun to you. You'll likely have to utter the secret password Pinkerton told you to prove it all to him, but that's fine. Do what you must.
When that's done, you can now visit Zimmer. While the mysterious doctor from the Commonwealth will wander around the ship at will before you speak to Harkness, you'll likely find him in Dr. Li's lab thereafter. Run down and speak with him and his bodyguard Armitage (who is an android too, if you haven't figured that out yet). Just like with Harkness, you can deal with this how you want. We personally lied to Zimmer and told him that the android part we got from the android liberator earlier was actually a piece of Harkness, thus proving he's dead (or at least no longer in these parts any longer). You can rat out Harkness if you want, but we opted not to! Dr. Zimmer then handed us a measly fifty Bottle Caps and went on his way. Thanks for nothing, doc.


text:
BUS-A 563 Advanced Managerial Accounting
- 15 weeks
- 3 credits
- Prerequisite(s): None
This course focuses on the intersection of consulting (both internal and external) and managerial accounting. The class is based mostly on business cases with the student advising the firm on certain strategic decisions. Topics include strategic cost analysis, target costing, activity-based management, cost-of-quality analysis, nonfinancial performance measurement, and management control systems.


text:
An essay on W3C's design principles
by Bert Bos
06 Mar 2003
Why doesn't HTML include tags for style? Why can't you put text inside SMIL? Why doesn't CSS include commands to transform a document? Why, in short, does W3C modularize its specification and why in this particular way? This essay tries to make explicit what the developers in the various W3C working groups mean when they invoke words like efficiency, maintainability, accessibility, extensibility, learnability, simplicity, longevity, and other long words ending in -y.
Contrary to appearances, the W3C specifications are for the most part not
designed for computers, but for people. You may think that
, è
and </ul>
ugly and unintuitive, but what would you think if they were called
and 38F0
respectively? Most
of the formats are in fact compromises between human-readability and computer efficiency. Some are more readable than others, because we
expect more people to read them, others can be more cryptic, because "only"
programmers will look at the source.
But why do we want people to read them at all? Because all our specs are incomplete. Because people, usually other people than the original developers, have to add to them. The computer will not by itself invent a new technology. Somebody will look at HTML, understand it and think of a "cool" new technology to complement it. That's how the Web (and not only the Web) progresses.
For the same reason we try to keep the specifications of reasonable size. They must describe a useful chunk of technology, but not one that is too large for an individual to understand. After all, new ideas usually come from individuals.
The most commonly heard guideline on the Web is to separate structure and style. It is what led to the separation of HTML and CSS into two individual specifications. And a good advice it was, too. But behind this rule there are the deeper reasons of maintainability, implementability, finding the right experts, and many more, as explained below.
The Web is all about helping humans communicate, but what hopefully becomes clear from this essay is that writing specs also is a form of human communication. There is one word that summarizes nearly all the fancy keywords of this essay, and that is:


text:
You are currently viewing Bathroom Installers in "". You can select another postal area by using the switch area button at the end of the main menu. Please help others users by reviewing and rating your experience.
RJG Flooring
14 Dean Close, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP21 9QE
RJG Flooring offer a wide selection of carpets, tiles, vinyl and wooden flooring for homes and businesses across the...
Tiling : We offer a tiling service
read more
Stewart Domestic Plumbing
78 Cherry Tree Avenue, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 1GJ
Stewart Domestic Plumbing is committed to provide you the most professional plumber service for your kitchen and bathroom in...
Design : We offer a design service
read more
Installations : We offer an installation service
Sample Tiles : Tile Samples Available
Delivery Service : Delivery Service Available
Plumbtree Building Services Ltd
14 Arnolds Way, Oxford
Plumbtree Building Services are an Oxford based, well established firm offering a wide range of building and construction services...
Carpentry : We offer a Carpentry Service
read more
Nationwide Mobility
Unit 13 Armstrong Mall, Southwood Business Park, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 0NR, Hampshire, GU14 0NR
Supplier of walk in baths, wet rooms, shower enclosures, walk in showers, bath belts and lifts by Nationwide Mobility....
Installations : We offer an installation service
read more
Delivery Service : Delivery Service Available
Top Marks Plumbers
45 Crescent Road, Dudley, West Midlands, DY2 0NW
Top Marks Plumbers is a Dudley based, City & Guilds Accredited firm and one of the most experienced plumbing...
Plumbing : We offer a plumbing service
read more
My Handyman Services
Flat 3, Dunton Court, Sydenham Hill
Our company will ensure handyman services at competitive prices. Our high end work will keep your place nice and...
RM Heating & Plumbing Limited
73 Brithdir street
RM HEATING & PLUMBING LTD. RM Heating & Plumbing offer Domestic and Commercial Plumbing, Domestic Gas and Electrical installation....
Design : We offer a design service
read more
Tiling : We offer a tiling service
Plumbing : We offer a plumbing service
Carpentry : We offer a Carpentry Service
Plastering : We offer a plastering service
Painting/Decorating : We offer a painting/decorating service
Electrical Service : We offer electrical services
MJC Plumbing & Heating
8 Wadleys Road
MJC Plumbing & Heating specialise in plumbing, bathroom, central heating, boiler repair and installation services for domestic and commercial...
Design : We offer a design service
read more
Plumbing : We offer a plumbing service
The Bathroom and Kitchen Studio
77 Bicester Road, Kidlington, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX5 2LD
Here at The Bathroom and Kitchen Studio we supply a large range of kitchen, bathroom and shower furniture across...
Homewood Heating & Plumbing
23 Robbery Bottom Ln, Welwyn AL6 0UL
Bathroom installations and repairs, boiler & central heating installation and repairs. Stevenage & Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.
Chip Electrical
Byron Road Bridgetown Stratford upon Avon CV37 7JP
Chip Electrical for installation of: Electric showers Ceiling and wall lights, spotlights and down lights Shaver sockets Extractor fans,...
Electrical Service : We offer electrical services
read more
T M Hughes & Son Gas Services Ltd
194 Hullbridge Road South Woodham Ferrers Essex CM3 5LW
Have your dream bathroom. T M Hughes and Son are specialists in bathroom installations and refurbishments. We work closely...
CTD Hampton
Sandfield Ind. Est Oldfield Road Hampton Middlesex TW12 2HT
Our brand new studio at Hampton has the latest designs and colours of our great new GEMINI ranges displayed....
Crawford Construction & Plumbing
Unit 1D George Moor Ind. Est. Wigton Cumbria CA7 1BA
From burst pipes to full bathroom designs and installations, our knowledge and experience mean we can complete any plumbing...
Logic Renewables
Appleby-In-Westmorland, CA16
Our specialist bathroom design and installation team provide everything you need for your new bathroom. A full service including,...
RNB Plumbing & Heating
Carlisle CA10 2FE UK
If you're looking to improve your home by renovating your bathroom, let RNB help you. Whether you prefer modern,...
APM Plumbing Services
37 Dowbeck Road, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA2 7BX
From minor maintenance and repairs to full installations of new bathrooms, APM Plumbing provide first class services to both...
Tom Whitfield
8 Holmrook Rd, Carlisle, CA2 7TG
Every intallation we do is unique to the person and room of course but these ideas may help you...
Sobek Plumbing & Heating
Sobek inc LTD 21 Tait St Carlisle CA1 1RU
Want to save money? All materials provided at our cost price!!! Here at Sobek we install, maintain and repair...
ACS Plumbing and Heating
63 Greenacres Wetheral Carlisle UK CA4 8LD
o job is too small to us and we offer a complete service from design to installation, advising our...
James Donoghue Plumber
88, Dalston Road Carlisle Cumbria CA2 5PN
I offer a complete service on all aspects of plumbing and no matter how large of small the job...
Carlisle Plumbers
37 Parkland Avenue Carlisle CA1 3GN
Carlisle Plumbers is a family owned and operated business serving the public and companies in the Carlisle area since...
Plumbing Medic
334 London Rd Carlisle Cumbria CA1 3ER
For shower rooms, wet rooms, steam rooms and bathroom installation, contact Plumbing Medic. We can design, supply and install...
Heath Plumbing Services
Ton Yr Ywen Avenue Heath Cardiff CF14 4PB
With over 20 years of experience in plumbing, Heath Plumbing Services offers customers in and around the Cardiff area...
The Cardiff Plumber
53 Ashbourn Way, Llanishen, Cardiff. CF14 5EY
An experienced, reasonably priced, gas safe registered plumber working in Cardiff, South Wales and the surrounding area. I have...


text:
Posted by Editoress on 01/8/10
It looks like North American women's road racing is about to suffer a serious blow, with the expected withdrawal of organizer Daniel Manibal. Manibal and his team have organized the Montreal Women's World Cup, Tour du Grand Montreal and the Tour of PEI - among the only UCI sanctioned women's only races in North America. Before Christmas we spoke with Mr Manibal regarding the status of his events for 2010, and he said that it did not look too good - sponsorship was getting more and more difficult to obtain and, with the two ProTour races coming to Quebec [in September], it would be even harder to attract sponsors and arrange the necessary road closures. The Canadian Cycling Association still holds the World Cup sanction if Mr Manibal pulls out, but they would have to find a replacement organizer and sponsors in a very short time.
Return to Cycling 4 Women homepage | Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top |


text:
which is the best language to design a good web site?
Websites are made of HTML, CSS and Javascript.
PHP is main language which you require in order to code your website. And For Design you can use HTML, DHTML/CSS. This best language for web design and development
Personally I prefer PHP and ASP.
The answer very much depends on what you want your website to do. I know several people who have made great websites that get lots of traffic, and they only use HTML and CSS.
OTOH if you want interactive stuff like image sliders and light-box effects, you'll need to tackle some JavaScript. Finally, if you need to process forms, keep a list of subscribers, or similar stuff that needs you to save information from one visit to another, or even to use Ajax to interact without reloading the page, you'll need to know some server-side language like Ruby or PHP, as Ralph M. says.
I'd start out with HTML and CSS if I were you. You'll likely go a long way with that before needing more advanced stuff.
I am also prefer to PHP and Asp for dynamic websites and HTML , css for static websites
There are various web design languages available on the web like HTML, PHP and Java Script. You can opt for any according to your project need. As per my opinion, Java Script is a good web design language to create a dynamic Web Site. It has many features and functions, which will assist you to create fully-functional web design. It is important that website which is developed in Java script is quick in loading, compatible with all browsers and provides an effective security system.
Yes there are various languages for creating a whole website but as per me i would like to suggest you that if you want to build a website you can build it in Wordpress, HTMl or either in PHP as they are SEO friendly can be easily crawled by google or any other search engines.
There is only HTML. There are no other languages that build a website, it is all HTML. What you do on the backend is irrelevant, it has to output HTML.
I would say: you have to know HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP. These are the main tuuls used to build our <snip>site, althou there are many more languages and tools you may find useful to learn!
That is like asking "what is the best car"; it all depends on what your main goal is.
OK chaps and chapesses, this thread is getting a bit fluffy, and the OP is obviously too overwhelmed by all the generous replies to answer. Thread closed.


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How To Develop Software Using Only SaaS
The world is fast moving to Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and we developers are busy learning how to build SaaS applications.
We can now finally do that using nothing but SaaS applications ourselves.
The Developer's Toolbox
As developers, we don't ask for much.
An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) lets us do our main task: writing code. A Source Code Management (SCM) system stores our Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. A Continuous Integration (CI) server pulls our code through hoops that prove it is ready for use. And finally a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) or other deployment environment runs our applications.
We are used to running all of these on premises. IDEs like Eclipse or IntelliJ run on our local machines. SCMs like Git or Subversion run on some company server, as does our Jenkins/Hudson or TeamCity CI server. Finally, we deploy to a Paas like CloudFoundry, or to a custom server.
Most of those tools already run in the cloud. For those that don't, we can easily find good alternatives. Let's take a look at some of the candidates.
Integrated Development Environments
I've written about Cloud9 before. It's mainly focused on web languages like JavaScript. For Java, Codenvy seems a better choice. For both, you can run the hosted offering, or deploy it in your own data center.
Neither can match a local IDE experience yet, but the gap is closing. On the other hand, they offer some functionality you won't easily find in locally installed IDEs, like remote pair programming.
Source Code Management
Git has taken over the world, and the SaaS version of it, GitHub, is following suit.
Some people even think that your GitHub profile is your resume.
Again, you can use the hosted version (with public or private repositories), or install GitHub in your data center.
Both Cloud9 and Codenvy work seamlessly with GitHub repositories.
Continuous Integration
Jenkins/Hudson is the leader in this space, and CloudBees offers a SaaS version. Other products include Bamboo, Travis CI and CodeShip. Some of these are free for open source projects. Again, there are hosted and on premises versions.
The CI tools support GitHub through public SSH keys for access and commit hooks for starting jobs.
After GitHub, these are probably the most familiar to you: Pivotal CloudFoundry, Heroku, Google App Engine, and Azure. CloudFoundry is backed by many big organizations (including the company I work for, EMC) and seems to be emerging as the leader.
Some cloud IDEs let you push to a PaaS directly, but I don't think that's the right way to do it.
You should commit to your SCM and let CI pick up your changes.
Your CI jobs should be responsible for pushing to the PaaS. Your CI may have a custom integration to your PaaS, or you may have to use something like the CloudFoundry command-line interface to push your changes.
It seems that our entire tool chain is now available as a service, although the IDEs still leave us wanting a bit. Most of these tools are available as open source and can be deployed in your own data center.
Looks like we're making some progress towards a Frictionless Development Environment!
What SaaS applications are you using for software development? Please leave a comment below.
Reference: | How To Develop Software Using Only SaaS from our JCG partner Remon Sinnema at the Secure Software Development blog. |


text:
MARINE ARCHAEOLOGISTS MADE a thrilling discovery this week while examining a well-preserved shipwreck deep in the Gulf of Mexico – two other sunken vessels that likely went down with it during an early 19th century storm.
Much isn't known about the ships, including the flag or flags they sailed under and the year they sank about 170 miles southeast of Galveston.
They came to rest 4,363 feet, or nearly three-quarters of a mile, below the surface, making them the deepest Gulf or North American shipwrecks to have been systematically investigated by archaeologists, the researchers said.
The Little Hercules remotely operated vehicle and an anchor inside the hull of a copper-sheathed shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico. Pic: AP Photo/NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program
"What you're going to see and hear I hope will blow your mind. Because it has ours," lead investigator Fritz Hanselmann told reporters at a news conference in which the team revealed its initial findings.
"We went out with a lot of questions and we returned with even more. The big question we're all asking is: What is the shipwreck? And the answer is we still don't know," said Hanselmann, a researcher from Texas State University in San Marcos' Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.
During eight days of exploration that ended on Wednesday, the scientists used remote-controlled machines to recover more than 60 artifacts from the initial shipwreck site, including musket parts, ceramic cups and dishes, liquor bottles, clothing and even a toothbrush. The artifacts, including china from Britain, ceramics from Mexico and at least one musket from Canada, will help researchers determine the ships' histories, Hanselmann said.
Nationalities, cultures, all collide in these shipwrecks. We hope to return in the future next year with more work.
Although they weren't allowed to retrieve artifacts from the two new sites under the terms of their agreement to examine the initial one, the researchers took thousands of photos and closely examined the wreckage of all three ships, which came to rest within five miles of one another.
A variety of artifacts including ceramic plates, platters, bowls plus glass liquor, wine, medicine, and food storage bottles of many shapes and colors found inside a wrecked ship's hull. Pic: AP Photo/NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program
Two of the ships were carrying similar items, and researchers believe they may have been privateers, or armed ships that governments would hire, Hanselmann said. The third vessel was loaded with hides and large bricks of tallow, suggesting that it may have been a prize seized by the privateers.
The artifacts are headed for preservation work at a Texas A&M University research facility.
"For now, there's lot of conjecture, lots of hypotheses," said Jim Delgado, the director of the Maritime Heritage Program for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "We may have answered some questions, but we have a large number of new questions. But that's archaeology."
Delgado said the ships likely went down during the first two decades of the 1800s, which was a time of great upheaval in the Gulf region and in the New World, in general.
"Empires were falling, Spain was losing its grip, France was selling what it has, Mexico becomes independent, Texas independent, Latin America becomes independent and the US is beginning to make a foothold in the Gulf," he said. "So these wrecks are all tied to that, we are sure."
It's likely each ship was carrying 50 to 60 men and that none of them survived. Among the wreckage were telescopes and other navigational tools that survivors likely wouldn't have left behind if they could have helped it, the researchers said.
An anemone living on top of a musket that lies across other muskets at the site of a shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico. Pic: AP Photo/NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program
Delgado said the ship the team set out to examine was armed with six cannons and may have had two masts. Undersea images show the outline of a copper-clad, 84-foot-long by 26-foot-wide wooden hull.
A Shell Oil Co survey crew notified federal Interior Department officials in 2011 that its sonar had detected something resembling a shipwreck. It also detected some other material.
"Like a medical ultrasound, interpreting can be difficult," said Jack Irion, of the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
This case is the same way. You can't tell if it's an historic shipwreck or just a pile of stuff.
A year later, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration vessel examining seafloor habitat and naturally occurring gas seepage used a remote-controlled vehicle to briefly examine the wreck. Besides determining the ship's dimensions, the examination showed it to be undisturbed and likely from the early 19th century.
That ship has been dubbed the "Monterrey Shipwreck," adopting the name Shell had proposed for its development site.
Researchers have examined several other historically significant Gulf shipwrecks in recent years.
Oxidized copper hull sheathing and possible draft marks visible on the bow of a wrecked ship. Pic: AP Photo/NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program
In 1995, after a more than decade-long hunt, Texas Historical Commission archaeologists found one of famed French explorer La Salle's vessels in a coastal bay between Galveston and Corpus Christi.
The remains of the LaBelle, which went down in a storm in 1686, have been recovered and are undergoing an unusual freeze-drying treatment at Texas A&M. The ship is to be reconstructed next year and become a centerpiece of the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin.
Read: €27m in silver recovered from WWII shipwreck off Galway's coast>


text:
E.F. Schumacher is best known for his book Small is Beautiful, but those who wish to know the deep roots of his thinking need also to read A Guide for the Perplexed, which offers us a philosophical framework with suggestions as to how we can raise our consciousness and move towards a more ethical and caring society focused on a sustainable lifestyle.
Despite having originally been published 35 years ago, this book is as pertinent today as it was then, and perhaps even more essential reading. And so we should congratulate the publisher, Vintage, who last summer brought out this special edition, with a new introduction, to celebrate the centenary of Schumacher's birth.
In this book, Schumacher talks about the moral values that underpin the ideas in his previous work, and calls for a new vision. He suggests that our task is "to look at the world and see it whole". But the main message of A Guide for the Perplexed is that much of humanity is 'asleep' and thus ignorant of what really matters.
Schumacher remarks that throughout school and university he had been given 'maps' of knowledge upon which there was hardly a trace of many of the things he most cared about that seemed to him to be of the greatest possible importance for the conduct of his life. The more he became aware of the absence of the things he felt should be on those maps, the more perplexed, unhappy and cynical he became.
As a consequence of this deep dissatisfaction, he had an "inner revelation" that human beings, however learned they might appear, "knew nothing ... about anything that really mattered". In this Schumacher is not alone, for many great philosophers, poets and thinkers have expressed a similar opinion.
As he says, it is not physical sleep that is our enemy: it is the drifting, wandering, shiftless moving of our attention that makes us incompetent, miserable and less than fully human. Without self-awareness, that is, without a consciousness that is conscious of itself, we human beings merely imagine we are in control of ourselves, that we have free will and are able to carry out our intentions. In fact, we have no more freedom to form intentions and act in accordance with them than has a machine!
This lack of consciousness, as far as Schumacher is concerned, has allowed us to reach the stage where we now believe that humanity is omnipotent. However, even if all the problems we currently face were resolved by technological fixes, we would still remain separated from the higher levels of being that alone can maintain our humanity.
Schumacher believes that individuals have to wake up and actively raise their consciousness if this crisis is to be resolved. His final words in A Guide for the Perplexed ask whether a "turning around" can be accomplished by enough people quickly enough to save the modern world. He concludes that to answer 'Yes' would lead to complacency, and 'No', to despair. Instead, he says, these perplexities should be set aside and we should all "get down to work".
I heartily recommend this book for those who are concerned with the problems we face today. It is rare to find a book that combines great wisdom with the practicality of living in the modern world.


text:
Physcial Sciences Division
Staff Awards & Honors
November 2006
Julia Laskin Edited New Compendium on Mass Spectrometry
Congratulations to Julia Laskin in the Fundamental Science Directorate on serving as the editor for Principles of Mass Spectrometry Applied to Biomolecules. In this role, Julia gathered and edited reviews, opinions and articles from more than 25 experts around the world. This process was made more challenging by the unexpected passing of co-editor Chava Lifshitz in March 2005.
Published in October 2006, the 687-page tome provides in-depth information on the fundamental principles, recent advances and limitations of mass spectrometry in life sciences. The book assists researchers in selecting the best techniques and exploring innovative spectrometry applications for their own discoveries.
In addition to working on this book, Dr. Laskin conducts research in mass spectrometry, particularly ion-surface interactions, which has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Mass Spectrometry.
Citation: Principles of Mass Spectrometry Applied to Biomolecules. Julia Laskin and Chava Lifshitz (Eds.), Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2006.


text:
Woman awarded $35,000 for bringing shelter's kill rate from 100 percent to 0 in one year
TAFT, Texas - A woman who left her job as an accountant to pursue her passion for animals is being awarded $35,000 after bringing her animal shelter's kill rate from 100 percent to zero.
Kayla Denney was awarded the 2019 National Unsung Hero Award by Petco for her accomplishment.
According to a release from Petco, Denney now leads the City of Taft Animal Control Department, where almost all animals were euthanized.
Within a few months of starting her work there, and despite serious underfunding, she transformed the department, according to the release.
She told KZTV she started in November of 2018. As of Nov. 1, 2019, she said the department has saved 565 dogs and cats in Taft.
She said the $35,000 will directly help improve the conditions of her shelter.
"It's an older shelter and its run down," Denney told KZTV. ""We got lights thanks to a donor who put in electricity for us, but I want indoor outdoor kennels with a guillotine in between so when it's raining we can put them inside. We want an area where they can have meet and greet out in the field and somewhere, they can have grass time rather than just cement time."


text:
This was published 11 years ago
'You prank someone ... then it goes to the other departments'
By Karl Quinn
THE radio presenters at the centre of the royal prank call have claimed they were not ultimately responsible for a stunt that has caused outrage at a London hospital, provoked fury at Buckingham Palace and been linked to the death of a UK nurse.
Full transcript: hoax call By 2DayFM DJs
Mel Greig and Michael Christian, the presenters of Sydney station 2Day FM's Hot 30 show, came out of hiding to issue tearful apologies last night on not one but two current affairs television programs. But in doing so they sought to distance themselves from responsibility for the prank call to King Edward VII's Hospital on December 4, in which they pretended to be the Queen and Prince Charles and were put through to a nurse who revealed details about the medical condition of the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge.
"You prank someone, you record it, then it goes to the other departments to work out what they want to do with it," a clearly distraught Greig told Nine's A Current Affair. "It's been done for years. It was routine for us. It wasn't anything different."
Asked by host Tracy Grimshaw what guidelines were in place to determine what was acceptable in a prank call, Greig said: "It's not up to us to make that decision. We just record it and then it goes to the other departments to work out. I don't know what they then do with it. We just do what we do, which is make those calls."
Her co-host added that "there's a process in place" for everything that goes to air, and the royal prank "was put through every filter that everything is put through".
"We just made the phone call and that was it. We don't get to make those decisions, we don't get to make those calls, that's done by other people. Our role is just to record and get the audio and wait to be told whether it's OK or not OK."
Their account appears to tally with a statement issued by the station's owner, Southern Cross Austereo, late yesterday.
The statement claimed an internal review had found that "company protocols were adhered to" in airing the segment. They included "internal legal review" and "authorisation".
Earlier in the day, chief executive Rhys Holleran told 3AW's Neil Mitchell that five attempts had been made to contact the hospital before the segment was broadcast, without success.
"We don't claim to be perfect and we always strive to do better. We have initiated a detailed and rigorous review of our policies and procedures to inform any improvements we can make," Mr Holleran said.
''We are also providing support to our people who are deeply saddened by this tragic and unforeseen event."
On both Today Tonight and A Current Affair, Christian said he and his co-host were "shattered, gutted and heartbroken". Greig told Nine that "there's not a minute that goes by that we aren't thinking about [the dead nurse] and her family, and the thought that we might have played a part in that is gut-wrenching".
She told Seven that the situation ''doesn't seem real ... it was meant to be a silly little prank that so many people have done before. This wasn't meant to happen."
"There's no malice in the call," added Christian.
In its immediate aftermath, the call was lauded as a coup not just by the radio pair but by other media. Sydney's Daily Telegraph hailed Christian and Greig the following day for having "bagged the best international scoop so far in the unfolding soap opera that is the Kate Middleton pregnancy".
But following the discovery of the body of nurse Jacintha Saldanha, who is believed to have taken her own life – Britain's Daily Mail reported yesterday that her brother Naveen believes she "died of shame" – things have turned sour for the presenters and their station.
Facing an expected advertiser backlash, all advertising was suspended from 2Day FM on Friday. The blackout was originally planned to last until Monday, but was last night in place "until further notice".
Advertising agency boss and former media buyer Ben Willee estimated it could be costing it about $150,000 a day.
Southern Cross Austereo also announced last night that Hot 30 had been terminated and that prank calls across the company had been suspended.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has confirmed that it is not investigating any possible breach at this stage.


text:
Back when Microsoft first shipped its Xbox 360 game console (see my review and activity center for more information), the company provided a basic remote control, dubbed the Media Remote, with the high-end Xbox 360 bundle. It also provides a slightly nicer Universal Media Remote as a separate add-on purchase. While both of these remotes are much nicer than the sad-looking DVD remote Microsoft shipped for the original Xbox, neither are particularly exciting. Then, earlier this month, Logitech began shipping a programmable Harmony remote specifically for Xbox 360. Does this remote finally give Xbox 360 users what they need to control the console's Media Center Extender and DVD playback experiences? Or are we still waiting for a total solution? Let's take a look.
Xbox 360 Media Remote
Microsoft's Xbox 360 Media Remote (Figure) redefines the term "bare bones." Available for a limited time only with the $400 Xbox 360 bundle (that is, the high-end premium Xbox 360 version, not the Core System), the Media Remote is better than nothing, but not much, though it's better than the standard Xbox 360 controller for digital media tasks.
The Media Remote is white, stubby, and limited. It features buttons for powering the Xbox 360 on and off, accessing the Xbox 360 Guide, and opening and closing the DVD drive at the top. Below that are playback control buttons, arranged in a circle around a large Play button. Then, there are buttons for specific functions (Display, Title, Back, DVD Menu, and [More] Info), a four-way control pad with an OK button, the standard four colored Xbox 360 controller buttons (Yellow/Guide/Y, Blue/X, Green/A, and Red/Live TV/B), a Media Center button, and a small Record (Rec) button.
Only a very few of these buttons are notable. If you press the Media Center button when the Xbox 360 is off, the console will start up and logon immediately to the Media Center Extender environment which, of course, requires a network-connected Media Center PC running XP Media Center Edition 2005 with Update Rollup 2 (see my review). That's handy, because it saves you from starting up the console, potentially exiting from any loaded game disc, and then navigating into the Xbox Dashboard's Media blade in order to find the Media Center link.
Incidentally, I'm focusing largely on Media Center here, but the Media Remote can also be used to control DVD movie playback as well. In that capacity, this remote works just fine.
What's most notable is what's missing. The Media Remote lacks an alphanumeric keypad, which is crucial for using Media Center, especially if you ever need to search for a TV show to watch or record. That missing feature makes this remote almost completely useless. But there are other missing features, too, most of which are found on standard Media Center remotes. For example, there are no dedicated buttons for Recorded TV, My TV, My Music, My Pictures, or My Videos, all of which I use regularly with my Media Center. Most glaringly, there is no volume control or Channel/Page Up/Down control either. That's astonishing.
That said, even the lowly Media Remote is better than a normal Xbox 360 controller. First, you get that handy Media Center button. But you also get dedicated playback controls and functional buttons. Again, it's not much, but it's better than nothing.
Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote
The Microsoft Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote (UMR, $29.99) is a decent step up from the weak Media Remote and a decent purchase if you're going to be using Xbox 360's digital media features regularly (Figure). What's sort of funny is how the UMR is an obvious superset of the Media Remote: The top 60 percent or so of the remote is identical to the Media Remote (Figure). Below that, the UMR adds buttons for Volume Up/Down, a dedicated TV button (for accessing My TV), Mute, Channel/Page Up/Down, and a complete alphanumeric keypad with dedicated Enter, Clear, and Return buttons.
The UMR also lights up in a pleasant green glow whenever you touch one of its buttons (Figure), which is nice when you're watching movies or TV shows in a darkened room. Because of this feature, the buttons on the UMR are kind of a translucent white color rather than the opaque and bold white you see on the Media Remote. And because the UMR is longer than the stubby Media Remote, it also fits more nicely in the hand, and though the layout of the buttons is inexplicably different from typical Media Center remote controls, I found it easy to adapt to the layout.
Overall, the UMR is a decent if not perfect remote. Like the Media Remote, it's missing dedicated buttons for Media Center environments like My TV, Recorded TV, and so on, and the bottom row of the alphanumeric keypad is too close to the bottom of the remote, making it difficult to hit those buttons when using the remote with a single hand.
Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for Xbox 360
Logitech's recently released Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for Xbox 360 ($129.99) should be the clear winner of this roundup if you can get by the extravagant price (Figure). It's a gorgeous unit, with a high-quality design that feels almost sensually good in the hand; the material on the back of the device is pleasingly grippy. The Harmony features screams quality throughout, from the tactile feedback of the button presses to its programmability functions, which let the remote control other facets of your home theater experience, such as your stereo system and television.
The layout of the Harmony, however, is geared more toward generic media experiences than it is for the Xbox 360's specific functions. At the top is a power button and an Activities button, the latter of which lets you access combinations of functions with names like "Play Xbox 360" and "Watch a DVD." Below that are Devices and Help buttons, an interactive green-screen display with six dedicated buttons, a horribly-configured couple of rows of playback buttons (Stop, Back, Forward, Play, Record, Rewind, Fast Forward, and Pause, all lined up in a seemingly random order), the standard four colored Xbox 360 controller buttons (Yellow/Guide/Y, Blue/X, Green/A, and Red/Live TV/B), Exit and Menu, and Back and Info.
Below that, in the lower half of the remote is a four-way control pad and OK button surrounded by Volume Up, Volume Down, Glow, Channel Down, and Channel Up buttons, in a U-shaped semi-circle. (The Glow button toggles the remote's green backlight, which is nice.) Then, you get Mute and Prev buttons, a complete alphanumeric keypad, and tiny dedicated buttons for Clear, Display, Title, and Enter.
If it's not obvious, the layout of the Harmony remote is utterly horrible. It's unclear why the playback controls are arranged in two illogical rows as they are, and like the other remotes here, the Harmony is missing dedicated buttons for My TV, Recorded TV, and other Media Center activities.
So why would someone spend so much money on this remote, or about $100 more than the UMR? In addition to its superior build quality and amazing looks, the Harmony is a programmable, learning, universal remote. Using bundled PC (and Mac) software and USB cable, you actually configure the Harmony from your computer, inputting the names and model numbers of the other devices you'd like to control. The idea is fantastic, and while I understand that Harmony remotes are well-loved by certain people, I found this process confusing, difficult, and ultimately unsatisfying.
Here's how it's supposed to work. After installing the Harmony software and connecting the remote to your software, you step through a wizard and configure your devices as noted above. But you also configure something called Activities. For example, "Play Xbox 360" is a typical Activity. To begin such an Activity, you'd press the Activities button at the top of the Harmony remote. Then, a list of the available Activities would appear on the Harmony's screen. When you select the corresponding button, a number of things should happen simultaneously. In the case of "Play Xbox 360," the Harmony should turn on your Xbox 360 console and launch the game title in the unit's DVD drive, turn on your TV and switch it to the correct input, and optionally turn on other necessary devices, like your stereo, also ensuring that they're set to the right inputs.
That's nice. But depending on the devices you own, you might discover that the Harmony either doesn't work at all or only supports some of the devices' functionality. In my case, my 52-inch HDTV display refused to work with the Harmony, even though it is supposedly supported. No matter: The remote's crazy layout and lack of Media Center buttons quickly caused me to give up on it.
I thought I'd be into this kind of remote, but once the initial excitement over its industrial design wore off, its many problems surfaced quickly. Compared to the Media Remote and UMR, the Harmony remote is gorgeous looking and is the most solid feeling. But I just can't recommend spending this much money on a remote that so completely disregards Xbox 360-specific functionality and eschews good playback control layout.
None of these remotes are ideal, frankly, or as good as a standard Media Center remote control, which is too bad. The Microsoft remotes--the Media Remote and Universal Media Remote--are both lacking dedicated buttons for Recorded TV, My Music, and other often-visited Media Center environments. Meanwhile, Logitech's Harmony remote is far too expensive and complicated for the average consumer. For now, at least, Xbox 360 users will have to keep waiting for the ultimate Media Center and digital media experience. That said, I typically use the Universal Media Remote because of its simple layout and handy alphanumeric keypad. It's not perfect, but it gets the job done.


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Orion the Hunter has taken to the late autumn skies. One of the loveliest and easiest recognized constellations will be stalking the heavens till he slides into the daytime sky early next spring. Astronomers believe the Hunter, in his present form, is more than a million years old and think he will continue to stalk the heavens for another couple million years.
Look for Orion to start climbing above the south-southwestern horizon between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Orion's belt – three relatively bright stars in a straight line – is pretty easy to pick out. The Hunter appears on his side, facing us, the belt pointing upwards from the horizon. Two bright stars to the north – Betelgeuse marks Orion's left shoulder and Bellatrix, the right. Below the belt (to the southwest) is the brightest star in the constellation, Rigel, which marks Orion's left foot.
These two stars are both supergiants – largest of stars. Betelgeuse is a red supergiant and Rigel is a blue supergiant. Both of these stars are much larger than our sun (perhaps 20 times more massive) and put out about 100,000 times as much heat and energy. Betelgeuse and Rigel are about 640 and 800 light-years from earth respectively.
Extending south from Orion's belt is a smaller, fainter line of stars that create the Hunter's sword. One of the glowing orbs in this sword isn't truly a star at all. It is M42 – the Orion Nebula. A nebula is a giant complex of interstellar gas and dust. This gas and dust is continuously collapsing and creating new stars. Images from the Hubble Space Telescope have revealed as many as 3,000 stars in M42 and many of them youngsters, less than 10,000 years old.
The huge supergiants, Betelgeuse and Rigel have to defer to the Dog Star (Sirius) when it comes to brightness. Sirius will share the night sky with Orion all winter – and you can use Orion to find the Dog Star. If you draw an imaginary line through Orion's belt downward (to the east) it will point to Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, called the Dog Star because it is located in the constellation Canis Major. Although Sirius is only about 30 times brighter than the sun, it is only about nine light-years away making it brighter than the two supergiants. Canis Major and Sirius will follow the Hunter by about an hour or so.
Venus will also cozy up to the new moon for the next couple of days, making its brightest evening-star appearance. We may not be so lucky when it comes time for the Geminids, (December's premier meteor shower) as the waxing moon will light up the night sky. The nights of December 12 and 13 are forecast to be peak for the Geminids this year and the best viewing will likely be just before dawn. The moon should set around 4 a.m. on the morning of Dec. 13 and around 5 a.m. on the 14th leaving a few hours before sunrise for a little meteor gazing.


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I would like to understand how Physicists think of space-time in the context of String Theory. I understand that there are $3$ large space dimensions, a time dimension, and $6$ or $7$ (or $22$) extra dimensions, and all these dimensions need to fit together in a way such that the extra dimensions are compactified (with a Calabi-Yau or $G_2$ structure).
My question, however is not about the possible $10$, $11$ or $26$ dimensional manifolds that may be possible, but about whether string theorists consider space-time as somehow quantized (or discrete), or rather as a continuous manifold, or are both options possible? In other words, can strings move continuously through space, or are there a discrete set of locations where strings can be, and does string theory rule out one of the options?
How about the same question in loop quantum gravity (LQG)? Should I think of the spin networks in LQG as describing a discrete space-time?
Thanks for your insight, or any references you may be able to provide!


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A second player can pick up a controller and drop in at anytime as Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D. As the most brilliant scientist in the world, players can blast and beam away enemies with tricky gadgets, plus reach hard to access places that only the smartest of cockroaches can get to. Based on the upcoming DreamWorks Animation 3D feature film, the Monsters vs. Aliens video game puts the fate of the planet in players' hands as they lead a dynamic team of five misfit monsters on a mission to save the world…as only they can. The game allows fans to experience the movie's action and humor while playing as The Missing Link, the macho half-ape, half-fish; the gelatinous, indestructible and always hungry B.O.B.; and Ginormica, the 49-foot-11-inch tall woman and Insectosaurus, the 350-foot tall grub. Players utilize each character's distinct strengths, sizes and abilities to battle giant alien robots that are wreaking havoc on earth. Friends or family members can join in the excitement at anytime as the world's most brilliant scientist, Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D., in the unique co-op multiplayer mode. [Activision]
This page contains co-op info for Monsters vs. Aliens on the Playstation 3. All information about Monsters vs. Aliens was correct at the time of posting. Information is subject to change. If you see any errors please email us.


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US: A Mission to Rebuild Reputations
The pledges made by the military and one of its biggest contractors were unusually earnest. The Air Force and Boeing
would be open about their relationships, overhaul their ethics reviews
and tighten their internal controls. And they promised to give
taxpayers the best deals possible.
It was the summer of 2006, and
they were still feeling the effects of one of the biggest government
procurement scandals of recent times.
Boeing had just agreed with the Justice Department
to pay $615 million -- the biggest penalty paid by a defense contractor
-- to settle allegations of misconduct, including assertions that its
chief financial officer had conspired with a senior Air Force official
to win work; and it had lost a contract worth about $20 billion to
lease refueling tanker planes to the Air Force. The service's former
top procurement official and Boeing's former chief financial officer
went to prison. Confidence in the Air Force's procurement system was at
a low. The promises were meant to signal a new beginning.
those promises -- and the public's perception of the Air Force's
ability to spend its money prudently -- are being tested by new
contracting and public relations challenges. The Air Force is about to
award two key contracts worth a total of about $55 billion, and Boeing
is in the running for both deals.
One is a $40 billion plan to
build the refueling tankers, a second run at the deal that was canceled
after former Air Force procurement chief Darleen Druyun admitted to
negotiating for a job with Boeing while representing the Air Force. The
other is a $15 billion contract for search-and-rescue helicopters.
Boeing had won that contract, but it was suspended when two competitors
The contracts are the two biggest for the Air Force
since the Druyun scandal, and the service has identified them as its
top acquisition priorities and crucial to maintaining its fleets. In
both competitions, Boeing's bids have come under particular scrutiny,
not only because the company's awards were earlier nullified, but
because some of its competitors are again raising protests.
and the Air Force are both certainly coming under the microscope," said
James McAleese, an adviser to government contractors. "The American
people, Congress and the Pentagon have high expectations now that they say they've cleaned up their act."
The Pressure's On
Boeing officials said they were anxious to win because so few big deals are up for grabs these days.
pressure is becoming more intense to win," said Chris Raymond, Boeing's
vice president of business development for integrated defense systems.
"We want to win ethically. We want to win the right way," said Bill Barksdale, a Boeing spokesman for the tanker program.
tanker contract will help the Air Force replace its fleet of KC-135
refueling planes, which have been in service for almost 50 years. The
tankers enable U.S. military
planes to refuel in the air, giving them vastly more range than if they
had to land at refueling bases. The Air Force expects to award the
contract in February.
Boeing has proposed building a new tanker from parts of its 767 commercial planes. Boeing is competing with a team of Northrop Grumman and European Aeronautic Defence and Space, parent company of Airbus, Boeing's rival in the commercial aviation market. Their proposed tanker is based on the Airbus A330 passenger jet.
Air Force said it was trying to make the tanker competition a model for
acquisitions by having more back and forth between the service and each
bidding team, so they clearly understand what the Air Force sought and
the degree to which their proposals met the requirements.
Miller, a former top Navy official hired by the secretary of the Air
Force two years ago to improve the transparency of its acquisition
process, said he's had more than 100 meetings in the past year with
congressional leaders to update them on the process. A winner was
expected to be chosen in October, but the Air Force postponed the
decision until early this year.
"We've had a lot of people
interested in the tanker," Miller said. "It's been a perception issue
to deal with. We've been much more cautious and deliberate in
everything we do."
The Air Force has had a bumpier road finding a
new search-and-rescue helicopter. Its acquisition process has come
under scrutiny at three congressional hearings.
It awarded the contract, known as CSAR-X, to Boeing in November 2006. But two competitors -- Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky, a unit of United Technologies -- filed two rounds of protests with the Government Accountability Office,
alleging in one that the Air Force improperly evaluated the costs of
maintaining the helicopters. The GAO sustained the protests both times
-- a rarity, experts say -- and in October the Air Force asked the
teams for new bids on the deal. A winner is expected to be chosen this
Sue C. Payton, assistant secretary of the Air Force for
acquisition, said the Air Force "could have done better" in the
helicopter acquisition by having more debriefings earlier in the
process to explain to bidders where they stood "relative to their cost
and relative to their strengths and weaknesses." In current
competitions, she said, "we will make sure that we're communicating
exactly why someone loses, so they don't ever get up and walk away from
a table and not know why there weren't selected as the winner."
Under Close Scrutiny
and analysts have sharply criticized the Air Force for making what they
say are changes in the requirements to favor Boeing, a claim the Air
Force denies. The Project on Government Oversight, a government
watchdog group, said that by changing a requirement that the helicopter
be judged partly on the basis of how quickly it could be ready to go on
a mission, the Air Force "weakened one of the most important
requirements" of the contract "to allow Boeing to compete."
who is special assistant to the secretary of the Air Force for
acquisition governance and transparency, said no changes have been made
to the Air Force's requirements on the helicopter to benefit Boeing.
say the Air Force is trying to avoid any actions that would prompt
protests on both deals. "They know their relationship with Boeing is
hypersensitive," said Phil Finnegan, a defense analyst at the Teal
Group in Fairfax. "The Air Force is going to do everything to make sure it doesn't look like anything is tilted in the least toward Boeing."
says it has made improvements to strengthen the ethics and integrity in
its policies and procedures. It combined three divisions to create the
Office of Internal Governance, which employs 600 people and helps
ensure that all employees get ethics training and that deals are
executed fairly.
The Air Force shifted its selection process from
one person with virtually absolute power, as Druyun had, to decisions
made by the top acquisition official who gets input from advisers.
want to be more transparent, have more communication, more checks and
balances to improve our process and credibility," Miller said.
smaller contract that arose from the Druyun controversy was settled in
a way that illustrates the Air Force's new approach to procurement.
Druyun admitted in 2004 that she favored Boeing in awarding it a deal
worth up to $4 billion, with options, to design, build and install new
electronics kits for Lockheed Martin C-130 cargo planes, Lockheed, L-3 Communications and BAE Systems
protested. The GAO sustained their protests. The Air Force said it
would be too costly to reopen the entire contract, but it agreed to
hold a full and open competition for production and installation of the
The Air Force is planning to award a sole-source contract
to Boeing to build a small fraction of the 222 kits it needs. Boeing,
two Air Force depots, and two yet-to-be-named commercial competitors
will install those kits on C-130 aircraft to ensure the Boeing design is accurate, according to the service.
is a move Boeing's competitors and watchdog groups say shows that the
Air Force is likely to choose Boeing to produce the remaining kits,
even though Boeing is nearly $1 billion over budget and 18 months late
on the design and development part of the deal. An Air Force official
denies the allegations, saying there will be a full and open
competition to build the remaining kits and install them on C-130
New Set of Allegations
On another deal, Sen. John McCain
(R-Ariz.) has also questioned the Air Force's procurement process. He
led the effort to shelve the tanker deal and later praised Boeing's
internal changes and its decision to not write off its $615 million
settlement two years ago, saying it "conveys to me how serious the
company is to truly reforming and starting fresh."
But last fall
McCain asked the Pentagon's inspector general to investigate whether
the Air Force had improper communication with Boeing about a
multibillion-dollar purchase of its C-17 transport planes. The
president didn't support buying more planes in his budget request to
Congress and the Pentagon said it neither needed nor could afford the
In a December letter, McCain said he had "uncovered
compelling evidence of possible wrongdoing in the Air Force's
interaction with the contractor on the C17 matter." McCain also said
that "in its rank aggressiveness, the evidence I found . . . is not
unlike some of what I observed in the Boeing tanker lease scandal."
and the Air Force deny the allegations. Boeing says it decided
independently of any knowledge from the Air Force to keep its C-17 line
open in case the service decides to fund the planes. Rick Sanford, a
Boeing spokesman, said there has "absolutely not" been any ethical
breaches between the service and Boeing.
- 10 Boeing
- 124 War & Disaster Profiteering
- 204 Manufacturing