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The correct intensity of light must be provided for the task being illuminated, without producing glare, when striving for operating cost reductions.
The increasing cost of electrical energy and the growing interest in conservation are resulting in many lighting retrofits. However, many of these retrofits are carried out without concern for the duality of the illuminated environment (loss of light uniformity, excess glare, etc.). Using products now available, there isn't any reason why an energy retrofit should not maintain, if not enhance, the visual quality of the space involved while conserving electric usage.
Reasons to retrofit
There are three major reasons for retrofitting a lighting system: high utility costs, excess illumination and/or inappropriate lighting.
High utility costs. Growing utility costs are a highly motivated reason to carry out a retrofit. Times have changed, and the cost of providing electricity to a facility has substantially increased. Over the past 10 years, there have been major increases in the price of fuel used to produce electric power.
Excess illumination. Excess illumination results from several factors. These include: a change in the actual task usage of the space (the use of computers with video screens greatly changes the lighting requirement for task lighting); initial over design; and a reassessment of needs.
Inappropriate lighting. Inappropriate lighting is similar to excess lighting; however it includes lighting in areas where not needed as well as a lack of same where a need exists. Examples include lights left on when a space is not occupied or when there is adequate ambient daylight to perform a task. We experience these types of energy waste almost every day.
Once one or more of the above reasons are recognized, an analysis of the existing system should be carried out. This analysis should include a study of the various components of the lighting system, since retrofitting these systems can involve many or few components. An evaluation of the total system is highly recommended so that an accurate assessment of both the cost factors and the illumination aspects can be made.
The following main components should receive your attention.
Fluorescent lamps
The first and most obvious replacement consideration focuses on the lamps presently in the fixture. The Energy Policy Act of 1992 (commonly referred to as EPACT) addresses this with the elimination of full-wattage halophosphor fluorescent lamps. This ruling includes the entire group of these generally used lamps(e.g., cool white, warm white, daylight, etc.) because these lamps produce lower efficacy (66 to 77 lumens per lamp watt without consideration of the ballast) than present technology offers. And, most halophosphor lamps have poor color rendering. A good replacement is the triphosphor (rare earth elements) fluorescent lamp, which offers improvements in efficacy (80 to 82 lumens per lamp watt) while providing good to very good color rendering.
Reduced-wattage lamps with comparable reduced lumen rating are still available, in both the halophosphor and tri-phosphor types. These lamps are energy conservation replacements for full-wattage lamps and offer a 15% reduction in wattage. However, there is also an almost equivalent reduction in lumen output. For example, if you replace a full-wattage (40W), 4-ft, cool white, halophosphor fluorescent lamp rated at 3050 lumens with a reduced-wattage halophosphor lamp, the difference would be a reduction of wattage down to 34W and a reduction in light output down to 2650 lumens (a 15% reduction in wattage and a 13% reduction in lumens). There would be no difference in the color rendering between similar type lamps.
An example of a very simple retrofit would be to replace a full-wattage halophosphor lamp (probably cool white, the most commonly used) rated at 3050 lumens with a reduced-wattage triphosphor lamp rated at 2800 lumens. The result would be a savings of 6W per lamp (15% savings), with a reduction of only 8% of light output. This type of retrofit is possible due to the higher efficacy rating of the reduced-wattage triphosphor lamp.
Triphosphor lamps can readily be obtained from most lighting equipment sources; they are a standard product of all the major lamp manufacturers, each of which have their trade names for the lamp. Because each lamp manufacturer uses different trade names, the industry has standardized the identification of triphosphor lamps with the nomenclature "RE" for rare earth, compared to "CW" for cool white, "WW" for warm white, etc. In the lamp designation, the "RE" is followed by a "7" for a 70-to-79 color rendering index (CRI) (good rendering) or an "8" for an 80-to-89 CRI (excellent). After that, there are two digits that identify the correlated color temperature of the lamps in 100[degrees]K rating. Thus, the designation "35" indicates a 3500[degrees]K color temperature. An example of a full wattage, 4-ft, fluorescent ("F40"), triphosphor ("RE") lamp with a good color rendering index ("7") and color temperature equivalent to cool white at 4100K ("41") would be an F40/RE741 lamp.
Fluorescent ballasts
The next option in retrofitting a fluorescent system is to change the ballast. This device provides a starting voltage that spikes to ignite the lamp; it also provides a constant arc current to maintain the lamp's operation. High frequency electronic ballasts, which have become a popular retrofit item during the past few years, offer substantial improvements in performance and reliability while also offering a major reduction in operating costs. A high frequency electronic ballast operates a lamp at 20,000 to 50,000 Hz, compared to 60 Hz for a magnetic type. This high frequency causes the lamp to operate about 10% more efficiently, with a decreased ballast input wattage for the same lumen output.
Harmonic contribution. In 1994, the lighting industry finally produced a document that set performance standards for high frequency electronic ballast operation and safety: ANSI C82.11-1993, High Frequency Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts. This new standard establishes, as a maximum value, a 32% total harmonic distortion (THD). In most cases, the THD for electronic ballasts today is the range of 20%, and some ballasts even offer lower values. For the most part, you get what you pay for. There are ballasts made today that produce very low harmonics (in the range of 5%). This low harmonic level has no effect on the power consumed but may have a very dramatic effect on the extent of harmonics present. These ballasts also cost more. For comparison, the magnetic-type ballast (core and coil type), which has been the standard used with most fluorescent lamps, has a THD of approximately 24%.
Unlike fundamental currents that cancel each other at the neutral of a 3-phase wye circuit (partially or completely, depending on the load balance), the THD currents from each phase are additive. If a circuit using a magnetic ballast system with 24% THD is totally balanced, the total current flowing through the neutral will be approximately three times 24% of the 80% permissible loading (for each phase) per the NEC, or 58% of the maximum current allowed on any one of the three balanced phases. It can be less than that when any phase has a lower current than is allowed.
When high frequency electronic ballasts are used, the maximum current on the neutral, based on the allowed percentage of THD from ANSI C82.11-1993, will be three times 32% of the 80%, or 77% of the maximum current allowed on any one phase. In this scenario, as with the case above, the currents at the neutral will be well below the neutral's capacity and will conform to an acceptable installation.
Before ANSI C82.11-1993 was adapted, there were some cases of electronic ballasts exceeding the 32% now established as a limit. This could possibly cause a dangerous overload situation on the neutral conductor. When designing or retrofitting a lighting system, you should specify electronic ballasts that meet or exceed the requirements of the ANSI standard.
Ballast factor. A function of the combined lamp/ballast operation is ballast factor (BF), which is the percentage of lumens from a lamp that is operated by the actual ballast being used, compared to the lumens from the same type lamp operating with a test bench or laboratory standard ballast. This means that BF represents the percentage of lumen output of lamps based upon their lumen rating. Magnetic ballasts used today operate at about 94% BF (94% of labeled or rated lumens) for full wattage (40W) 4-ft, T12 lamps; for reduced-wattage (34W) lamps, magnetic ballasts will operate at 87% BF.
Due to the circuitry of high frequency electronic ballasts, such ballasts can be designed to have a low (around 70%), normal (around 85 to 95%), or high (above 100%) BF.
The lumen output of a lamp is the lumen rating of the lamp multiplied by the BF of the ballast used. Thus, depending upon what BF is chosen when specifying high frequency electronic ballasts for a lighting system, the lumen output of the lamps being served will have a corresponding percentage output based on the lamp's rated lumens. Lamp life does not appear to be substantially affected when using relatively low or high BF. However, when a lamp is operated at below 70% BF or above 130% BF, lamp life will decrease. Thus, selecting a ballast's BF can be an important element in obtaining the desired lighting level.
Power consumption. Power consumption by the lamp/ballast combination varies almost linearly with the ballast factor. For example, a two-lamp, 4-ft, T12 fluorescent system will require 52W at 77% BF and 60W at 88% BF. Fig. 1, details different ballast factors for various magnetic and electronic ballasts.
[Figure 1 ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
When considering a retrofit using electronic ballasts, the next obvious consideration is to use T-8 fluorescent lamps ("8" means 8/8 or 1 in. in dia) in lieu of T-12 lamps ("12" means 12/8 or 1 1/ 2 in. in dia), the latter being the most commonly employed today. The 4-ft, T-8 lamp is rated 32W and 2850 lumens (all are at least RE7), which means a lamp-only efficacy (not including ballast effect) of 89 lumens per watt, compared to a 4-ft, T-12, RE7 lamp rated at 40W and 3200 lumens, with a lamp-only efficacy of 80 lumens per watt.
The contact pins for T-8 and T-12 lamps have the same size and configuration; thus, the lamps appear to be interchangeable. Physically, they can be interchanged but be careful: T-8 lamps will require a different ballast to operate properly.
Incandescent lamps
The incandescent lamp, still one of the most popular types (but quite inefficient, as shown in Fig 2, and Fig 3) can also be retrofitted. The standard medium base lamp can be replaced with a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) and ballast package with the CFL lamp wattage rating at approximately 33% of the incandescent wattage. However, you must be careful about lamp size and shape; you must make sure that the CFL is compatible with the space available within the fixture. The shape and position of the CFL lamp can also affect the quantity and distribution of light output of the fixture.
[Figure 2 and 3 ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Reflector-type lamps (R and PAR types) with a diameter exceeding 2 1/2 in. are also controlled by EPACT, with a requirement for higher efficacy as of October 1995. This will result in most of these types of lamps being replaced with halogen types, which produce approximately 20% more light for equivalent wattage. The standard 150W, PAR 38 lamp in use today can be replaced with a newly designed 90W, PAR 38 halogen lamp with almost no reduction in light output. A rule of thumb is that there is a saving of approximately 40% power using the new halogen PAR lamp, compared to a conventional PAR incandescent lamp. However, this is not true for the R lamp as, presently, there is no halogen lamp that can replace it.
But this is not the final answer. The technology of infrared reflection (JR) for halogen sources is a major breakthrough. This technology consists of a film on the outer wall surrounding the tungsten filament that reflects the infrared energy back onto the filament. The result is extremely high efficacy, over 25 lumens per watt, compared to 10 to 15 lumens per watt for standard incandescent and 15 plus lumens per watt for the halogen lamps. A 60W halogen IR-type PAR 38 lamp will produce almost the same illumination intensity as a standard 150W source, with a 60% reduction in consumed power.
The incandescent lamp will never become fully obsolete. A basic concept when using this type lamp is to stop selecting lamps by wattage. Instead, use the lumen rating of the lamp (the actual light output) at the operating voltage, and then compare the watts used by the various sources that produce the actual lumens desired. For example, a 60W incandescent can be replaced with a 52W halogen lamp or a 18W CFL/ballast module. And, the compact fluorescent has a rated lamp life of 10,000 furs, compared with 1000 hrs and 2500 hrs respectively for incandescent and halogen lamps. Another example is a 60W, 120V standard lamp that will produce 900 lumens. A 130V-rated lamp will have to be 75W to produce the equivalent lumens at 120V. Although the 130V lamp will have a rated life of approximately 3000 hrs when operating at 120V (thus being considered along life lamp) compared with 1000 hrs for 120V use, the long life lamp will consume 75kWh of energy per 1000 hrs of operation, versus 60kWh of energy for the regular lamp. The extra 15kWh cost results in an additional $1.50, at $.10 per kwh. Additionally, the long life (130V rated) lamp costs between two to four times as much as the standard lamp. Therefore, the additional cost of energy, without any savings in lamp cost, make the standard lamp the most cost-effective choice, unless the labor cost to replace the lamp is extremely high. Then, the 10,000-hr-rated CFL package becomes the best selection.
A further result of the EPACT legislation is that all packages for medium-based screw-in lamps will have to have rated lumens, wattage, and lamp life at the operating voltage clearly marked on the package.
High intensity discharge lamps
For energy savings, there are some direct replacement lamps within the family of high intensity discharge (HID) lamps, though the replacement lamps are very specialized. The HID types include mercury vapor (MV), metal halide (M-H), and high pressure sodium (HPS). To obtain better color as well as operating cost improvements, MV lamps should be replaced with M-H lamps whenever possible. The following ratings of MV lamps can be replaced: 175W, 250W, 400W, and 1000W. For the 400W and 1000W lamps, the M-H replacements are the 325W and the 950W units respectively. In addition to a reduction of power usage, these lamps will provide improved color rendering (65 to 70 CRI for the M-H compared with 45 CRI for the MV). The lumen output of the M-H replacement lamp will increase by 30% for the 325W (a 75W savings) and over 50% for the 950W (a 50W savings). The 175W and the 250W M-H replacement lamps will provide greater luminance and better color rendering but no reduction in power.
The HPS replacement lamps cover all of the conventional sizes, with the 150W HPS replacing the 175W MV, the 215W HPS for the 250W MV, the 360W HPS for the 400W MV, and the 880W HPS for the 1000W MV. Power savings range from 10% to 16%, with an increase of as much as 50% in lumen output. The coloring rating of the HPS lamps is 22 CRI, which, like the MV they replace, is poor.
There are some concerns regarding HID lamp replacement. These include ballast compatibility, which should be verified with each installation, and lamp shape, which can greatly affect the photometric performance. In many instances, the easiest way to confirm satisfactory replacement operation is to actually try one or two replacement lamps.
HID ballasts
Most ballasts that are presently used for HID lamps are still the core-and-coil (magnetic) kind specially designed for each particular type HID lamp. The exceptions are some electronic ballasts that have been developed for 50W and 70W M-H lamps; these ballasts operate the lamp more efficiently and are considerably smaller and lighter.
With the expanding use of HID lamps, it appears that the next step will be the development of electronic ballasts designed to accommodate most of the HID lamps now available. It's not known when these ballasts will be available or what special features, if any, they will have. In regard to M-H lamps, which can take more than 10 min to achieve full light output during restart (when hot), a potential benefit of using electronic ballasts is that the circuitry design of the ballast may allow a more rapid restart.
Fixture components
In addition to lamps and ballasts, light fixtures have two key components that play an important role in providing illumination: the internal reflector and the shielding (lens or louver) medium. These two components control where the light is directed and how efficiently the light is transmitted. Because of their key roles, most retrofit schemes can involve one or both components.
One of the most over-emphasized retrofit procedures for fluorescent fixtures is the installation of a specular reflector inside the fixture. The original white painted reflector that most fixtures use has about an 89% (scattered) reflection. This means it reflects 89% of the lumens that strike the surface, but not in a mirror-like manner. The reflected component of the generated light is somewhat diffused. As a light fixture ages, the internal reflector becomes dirty and does not reflect the original rated value. But, if the fixture is cleaned when the lamps are replaced, the reflector again will approach its original rating, to about 85%, unless the paint finish has been severely degraded. The most effective specular reflector has a 95% efficiency; an average specular reflector has about a 93% efficiency, about 8% to 10% more reflectivity than the cleaned painted surface.
Because a specular reflector can be shaped to redirect the light, it can affect the direction of light from the fixture and produce more or less light at different locations in a room. There are two distinct ways in which shaped specular reflectors can be effective. In the first situation, a combination of retrofitting the fixture with a specular reflector and replacing full wattage halophosphor lamps is carried out; however, the original ballast(s) remains. The replacement lamps are energy saving (T12) RE7 lamps, the total fixture is cleaned, and a new specular reflector installed. The resulting light level will be between 95% to over 115% of the level at the time prior retrofitting, depending upon the operating time of the existing lamps and dirt accumulation prior to retrofitting. The resultant light output of the retrofit will be accompanied by a 15% savings of power and energy usage. While there is an energy savings, it's doubtful whether there is a reasonable payback.
The second situation would be a retrofit with specular reflectors that would also include replacement of the lamps and ballasts. The result can be a major improvement of the power consumed. Consider a typical 2-by 4-ft fluorescent fixture with three, 4-ft, T12 reduced-wattage halo-phosphor lamps, using tandem wired magnetic ballasts for each pair of fixtures (three 2-lamp ballasts for each set of two fixtures). The power being consumed is 123W per fixture. If this fixture was retrofitted with a specular reflector insert and electronic ballasts, and if the lamps, sockets, and ballasts were reconfigured to two 4-ft, T-8, RE 7 lamps, the illumination output of the retrofitted fixture would be from 80% to 115% of its original value, with a 50% to 30% savings in power usage respectively, depending upon the ballast factor of the replacement ballasts.
Lenses and lowers
A fixture's lens is the plastic or glass material located at the fixture opening. It allows the light produced within the fixture to pass through it unaffected, or to be directed in a diffused mannerr, or to be redistributed from concentrated to wide distribution. By itself, a lens cannot actually save energy, but in combination with lamp and ballast changes, a lens can be used to redirect the light for a more usable distribution of illumination. There are also retrofit parabolic louvers that can be used. These have 1-in. to 2-in. square openings and are 0.75 in. to 1.2 in. deep.
Certain lenses can change a fixture's light output to a very wide distribution, with the greatest candlepower located between 20 to 50 degrees out from either side of an imaginary line directly below the fixture. In comparison, a standard lens generates its greatest light distribution between 0 to 25 degrees.
A lens retrofit allows the fixture to provide a wider and more uniform distribution. In turn, this may allow fixtures to be spaced further apart, which means fewer lamps and lower operating costs. Or, lamps and ballasts can be removed from existing fixtures while light uniformity is maintained.
On the other hand, the open-type parabolic louver has a distribution similar to a standard lens, but with the advantage of having more lumens transmitted through its openings. The brightness cut-off is approximately 45 degrees from either side of an imaginary line directly below the fixture. These louvers are applicable for use in visual display terminal (VDT) computer environments.
Color rendering index (of a light source): Also known as CRI. The degree of shift that color pigments of objects undergo when illuminated by a light source as compared with the color of the same object when illuminated by a reference light of source of comparable color temperature.
Efficacy: The ratio of the total luminous flux being emitted from a light source divided by the total power input going to the light source. It is expressed in lumens per watt.
Halophosphor fluorescent lamp: A commonly used fluorescent lamp that employs a calcium halophosphate coating applied to the inside of the lamp. This coating radiates energy across the entire visible spectrum.
Triphosphor fluorescent lamp: A fairly recently developed fluorescent lamp that uses three types of rare elements in the phosphor coating applied to the inside of the lamp. When activated, each of these elements visually peaks at different areas of the visible spectrum. These three wave lengths are better matched to eye sensitivity than the light output of the halophosphate coated lamps.
Total harmonic distortion: Also known as THD. Basically, this phenomenon relates to the sum of all the harmonic waves, being multiples of the fundamental (60 Hz wave), present in a circuit or in an electrical system. Specifically, it is the square root of the sum of the squares of the RMS (root mean square) harmonic voltages or currents divided by the RMS fundamental voltage of current.


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Caution, Low Fire Danger
product details
product code: NB1116
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Bill James has always been reticent when it comes to talking about the Boston Red Sox. What makes this strange is that it is not James' nature to be reticent. In the 35 years since he wrote a pamphlet that he optimistically called, "The Baseball Abstract," James has taken on all comers, all questions, all topics. He has played devil's advocate on things that did not seem to have another side.
Sometimes he was right, sometimes he was wrong, sometimes he was right but few knew it yet, oftentimes he was misunderstood, either honestly or intentionally. But he did not hold back. Pick a baseball topic, any baseball topic, and Bill James was on the record, usually from an angle that you did not see coming. And this wasn't only true for baseball: Did Lizzie Borden really kill her father and stepmother with an axe? What are Bob Dylan's best and worst songs? Why was O.J. Simpson acquitted? What is the great American novel? Bill James always answered with force.
But on the Red Sox … he has long held back. This comes, I think, from his sense of duty. James spent his entire writing career as the outsider, the rogue who dared to question those commonly held -- and, to his ears, utterly preposterous - truisms, such as: Baseball is 75 percent pitching; batting average and wins are the best way to judge hitters' and pitchers' skills; a great shortstop can save a team 100 runs a year, and so on. He invented runs created and similarity scores and game score and win shares and the Pythagorean winning percentage and range factor and dozens of other ways to look at baseball.
But almost 10 years ago -- in 2003 -- Red Sox owner John Henry hired James to advise the team. The outsider went inside. And Bill James is, above all else, devoted.
When the team's bullpen struggled for much of 2003, plenty of people wanted to blame it on James' "closer-by-committee" theories -- even though he does not believe in a closer-by-committee -- rather than blaming it on the perhaps more pertinent fact that the Red Sox had a lousy bullpen. James accepted that. When the Red Sox won their first World Series in a billion-jillion-shmillion years in 2004, James' role was not well understood, allowing people on either side of the fence to overhype or entirely ignore his contributions, which many did with vigor. He went along with that. The Red Sox won another World Series in 2007, which allowed people to repeat the exercise. Bill James did not particularly care.
Bill James is a friend, and so I can tell you this from personal experience: I have never met anyone who cares so little about what people say or write about him. But he does care about loyalty, and the Red Sox were his team. If people wanted to blame him for the team's flaws, he happily would accept the blame. If people wanted to believe that the team won despite him, he did not discourage them -- he didn't want or believe that he deserved any credit anyway. But if the team itself or the people in the organization were somehow hurt by something he said, well, that was not acceptable. James will admit: He doesn't always know how people will take his jokes or comments or theories. He says that he was born without that filter. So, he decided that when it came to the Red Sox, it was better for him not to say anything at all.
Three years ago, we had a conversation about then-Tampa Bay outfielder Carl Crawford, and while I won't go into the details, it was quite clear that Bill was not as high on Crawford's future as, say, I was. I've long been a big Carl Crawford fan because, at his best, he's such an exciting player to watch. Bill agreed with that -- Bill loved watching Crawford play, with his great speed and defense -- but, like I say, he made it pretty clear that he thought some team would overpay wildly for Crawford's excitement quotient as he aged into his 30s.
When the team that did overpay for Crawford turned out to the Boston Red Sox, I knew that something was up.
Of course, Bill would not talk about that. He would not talk about the odd way that the Red Sox seemed to be wavering and oscillating after the years of success. He would not talk about the Red Sox giving a 31-year-old John Lackey -- coming off two shortened and not especially great seasons -- a five-year, $82.5 million deal. He sure as heck wouldn't talk about the Red Sox giving Bobby Jenks -- Bobby Bleepin' Jenks -- $12 million in celebration of his 30th birthday and two worst big-league seasons. There were many others. These were precisely the sorts of moves that Bill James had spent his entire career skewering, the sorts of moves that inspired some of his funniest and most provocative essays.
We now know that the Red Sox, essentially, stopped listening to Bill James. Owner John Henry told reporters that over the last few years -- "for reasons I really don't understand" -- James had fallen out of favor with the organization, and he said that he had to set things right, beginning immediately. Bill says that from now on, he will report directly to John Henry, and they are working on a way for James to do his best work and have that work as part of the Boston Red Sox fabric. "The purpose of this," James says, "is to ensure that my input is heard."
In several parts of Boston and New England, this bit of news stirred up precisely the sort of inane criticisms that Bill James does not care about. Clichéd talk about Bill's apparent lack of human emotion, his purported inability to see anything beyond numbers, his callous distaste for those all-American baseball qualities like leadership and courage and guts and heroism crackled in newspapers and on radio and so on. Of course, there were those who thought it might be good for the Red Sox to actually consider the opinion of one of the most influential thinkers in baseball history, since he actually works for them.
Bill James, let's be honest, didn't listen to or read what they thought, either.
* * *
The Red Sox, Bill James believes, fell into what is a pretty common trap for successful people: "After we had been very successful for a long time, we lost sight of the fact that we were still capable of making huge blunders," he says. "We sort of started to assume that whatever we did would work out."
This small bit, I believe, explains so many seemingly inexplicable decisions in sports and in life. You get told that you're smart enough times, and it gets harder and harder to not believe it (just as if your employees or admirers laugh every time you make a joke, you can become convinced that you're Louis C.K.). This is one of the reasons why Bill James doesn't care for praise, either. When the Red Sox won their second World Series in 2007, they were at the end of a rather extraordinary five-year run that would probably convince even the most humble and insecure people that they are geniuses.
• For 2003, they hired Theo Epstein (well, late 2002), hired Bill James, signed Bill Mueller (who led the league in hitting), found David Ortiz on the junk heap, picked up Bronson Arroyo off waivers, bought Kevin Millar from Florida, drafted Jonathan Papelbon (one year after drafting Jon Lester), and made it to Game 7 of the ALCS before losing after Grady Little just would not pull the plug on Pedro Martinez.
• For 2004, they fired Grady Little … and replaced him with a guy named Terry Francona. They traded for Curt Schilling, traded for Mark Bellhorn, called up Kevin Youkilis, signed Keith Foulke, drafted Dustin Pedroia, came back from a 3-0 LCS deficit against the New York Yankees and won their first World Series in a billion-jillion-shmillion years.
• For 2005, they mostly kept the team together, won 95 games, and lost quickly in the playoffs to the irrepressible White Sox.
• For 2006, they began to dismantle the team, allowed several players, including Johnny Damon, to go, traded away super-prospect Hanley Ramirez for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell, tried a few older players such as David Wells, Mike Timlin and Mark Loretta, and quickly realized that they would need to try something else.
• For 2007, they spent a truckload of money to get Daisuke Matsuzaka to come over and pitch. They signed J.D. Drew. They called up Pedroia and pitcher Jon Lester. They gave the closer's job to Papelbon. They got 20 wins from Beckett, an MVP-type offensive season from Ortiz, Drew killed it in the playoffs, they drew more walks than any team in the league and had the lowest team ERA. They came from behind to win the ALCS against Cleveland, then swept the Rockies for the World Series championship.
Sure, when you are on that kind of streak, it's easy to believe that it will never end. It's easy to believe that the cards aren't running lucky -- no, that's not the reason -- it's that you've figured out a way to beat the system. The Red Sox won 95 games in each of the next two seasons behind players like Lester and Beckett and Dice-K and Pedroia and Youkilis. The team didn't get to the World Series either year, but that's the crapshoot of the playoffs. Everything was humming. The Red Sox had money, they had Theo, they had the greatest scouting people, they had the greatest stat people, they had the most progressive owner, they had the loyal fans, how could it possibly go wrong?
And that, exactly, is the trap.
In a very short period of time, the Red Sox imploded in previously unimaginable ways. There was a series of disastrous signings. The pitching went south. There was an astonishing late-season collapse -- following quickly by stories of nefarious clubhouse dissension that included players eating chicken and drinking beer during games, and the manager being distracted by various personal issues. Theo Epstein left. Terry Francona was fired -- or in the polite phrasing of the times, the Red Sox "declined to exercise his option." The team brought in new manager Bobby Valentine -- a personal favorite who had more or less been viewed by every other team as too much of a renegade. The Red Sox traded for closer Andrew Bailey and signed Nick Punto and Cody Ross and Vicente Padilla. They moved Daniel Bard to the rotation, they acquired Marlon Byrd and Scott Podsednik.
And they look to finish in last place in their division for the first time since … baseball added divisions.
This is not to say that if the Red Sox had listened to Bill James, some or all of these things would have been different. We can't know that, and Bill himself would throw stuff at me if I suggested it. But it is to say -- and I'm saying this, not Bill -- that alienating Bill James was a pretty decent sign that something inside the Red Sox had broken. I would argue that part of what made the Red Sox so smart there for a few years was this great blend of voices, the multiple angles they got, the way conflicting opinions led to innovative and imaginative resolutions. But to do that, you have to have both the confidence to give voice to the dissenters and the modesty to admit that sometimes they're right and you're wrong.
People talk all the time about the war in baseball between scouts and stats. But Bill James doesn't see it as a war at all. (Though first he says, "I'm looking forward to that Clint Eastwood movie ["Trouble With The Curve"] -- to see how things really are.") He has said again and again that scouts do things that he could never do and see things that he could never see. But he also believes that breaking things down in different ways, using history as a guide, trying always to get closer to the heart of what wins baseball games, are valuable too.
"The 'tension' between scouts and analysts," he says, "is like the 'tension' in a business between accountants and salesmen, or the tension in a factory between welders and spot-checkers. It's nothing, basically."
* * *
There was, within the Red Sox, a sense of renewal when they traded -- or dumped -- Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, Nick Punto and Adrian Gonzalez to the Dodgers. There's a good chance that some of those players, and maybe even all of them, will be good again for the Dodgers or wherever they end up next. But inside the Red Sox world, there was just an understanding that there needed to be a purge, a cleansing, a move away from the arrogance and certitude and unluckiness that weighed down this organization for too long.
Of course, a cleansing is not going to make the Red Sox contenders again. They will have to find their rhythm again. And I would argue that part of this is making Bill James a part of the conversation again. He is, as he nears his 63rd birthday, too famous and too accomplished and too polarizing for so many people to view in anything but hackneyed distortions. He doesn't watch baseball through the open slots of a slide rule (he has even been known to stand during the seventh inning stretch and everything), and he doesn't believe that numbers form the answers (and especially the absurd numbers that so many of his critics count on in their anti-stats arguments), and he even seems to have a pretty clear understanding that the game is played by actual people with, you know, hearts and minds and blood and various organs. But it's too late for many people on all that. They've got their song, and they will sing it.
And James won't listen. He won't care. The last three years have been tough for him, but not because he was an outsider again. Heck, he's been an outsider since the start, and it hasn't discouraged him yet. The hard part was watching the Red Sox gobbled up by their own hubris. Maybe he could have helped. Maybe not. He will never know.
"On a personal level, I have failed before," he says. "I have written books that didn't quite work and had other ventures that failed. On a personal level, I can deal with that. It's embarrassing, the performance of the organization.
"But at the same time it presents a new challenge. In some ways I've been impatient, waiting to get to the point where we could start to fix this. We're there now."


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VIDEO: Take a closer look at Scott Brooks' coaching style and strategy
OKLAHOMA CITY — Scott Brooks does a bad job of bragging. As he continued to redirect credit for Oklahoma City's ongoing success to a meticulous organizational structure and its young stars, the Thunder's coach, self-deprecating to a fault, spotted Wilson Taylor in the distance.
Taylor is the club's 30-year-old manager of team operations. The morning shootaround had ended moments earlier and Taylor was busily attending to some normally behind-the-scenes tasks at the other end of the team's sprawling, immaculately lit training facility eight miles north of downtown. Like Brooks and multiple members of OKC's staff — general manager Sam Presti, superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, roster rock Nick Collison — Taylor's been with the team since it opened shop here in the summer of 2008.
"People don't talk about this, but Sam has done a great job hiring, not necessarily me, but everybody in this building," Brooks said in an interview last week with NBA.com. "You talk to Wilson right there, he understands that his job is to get our players better. And we all have the same mentality, from our therapists, from our sports scientists, from our trainers, from our equipment managers; we all understand our job is to get our players better, and I take pride in all those guys."
Still, Brooks, 48, is the coach. And he's overseeing one of the most unique and potentially historic team-building processes in the modern, free-agent-frenzied NBA. From the start of his career, Brooks has been coaching a rising icon (Durant), a perennial all-NBA player (Westbrook) and a roster that boasts, even after Jeff Green and James Harden's departures 20 months apart, seven homegrown players and six who are 25 or younger.
In the last four seasons, the Thunder have challenged the Lakers in the first round, made the West finals in 2011 and the NBA Finals in 2012 before last season's hope got short-circuited in the West semis after a Westbrook knee injury.
Now here they are again.
The bedrock for all this success lies deeper than shrewd drafting. It lies with the bond Brooks forged early on with his two divergent stars. That put the youthful crew on a developmental fast track and put OKC on the map.
On Sunday, Brooks will coach the Western Conference All-Stars in the 63rd All-Star Game in New Orleans because his Thunder sit atop the heated Western Conference with 42 wins in 54 games. Holler if you called that following Westbrook's third knee surgery the day after he dropped a Christmas Day triple-double at Madison Square Garden.
The only team in the league to rank in the top five in offensive and defensive rating? The Thunder. They've popped East powerhouses Miami and Indiana by a combined 41 points.
This is arguably the deepest OKC squad ever and, assuming Westbrook resumes his season in the coming days, the Thunder are the favorite to win the West.
Yet Brooks' role in all this — in developing high and low draft picks, steering through ego brushes and media-inflamed conflict (see: Can Westbrook and Durant co-exist?), maneuvering through stinging trades (see: Green and Harden) and now through injury — seems to get diminished.
An elementary tactician. Unimaginative in clutch-time huddles. Dependent on the athleticism of his stars. Too stubborn to stray from his rotation. These are the repeated gripes.
"I wonder who's saying that?" Durant said sternly to NBA.com. "How can you knock a guy who I think should be coach of the year this year with us losing Russ for so long and us staying on top of the best conference in the league, winning games against big teams on the road and he's putting us in position every single game to be successful; who's won 50 games, 55 games, 60 games, 47 games in the lockout [season], and we're on pace for 60 now? I mean, what can you say?"
Critics did offer a mocking golf clap during the Thunder's recent rampage over Miami (see Twitter) as Brooks finally recognized what every armchair coach has screamed since the 2012 Finals: Plodding Kendrick Perkins has no business on the floor against the Heat's smaller lineup.
"Some of the hits were fair: Our offense needs to get better, our execution needs to get better," Brooks said. "But peoples' expectations are sometimes unrealistic. When you have a group, a young team, you have to get better day by day. You can't expect to know algebra before you know basic math. And with our group, we had a plan in place that we had to reach before we could go on to the next level. Our guys have done a great job of being process-oriented to put us in this position we're in now."
VIDEO: Scott Brooks talks about who influenced him most as a coach
Lessons filed
VIDEO: Kevin Durant talks about Russell Westbrook's injury struggles
Westbrook was killing it before his sudden departure for the operating table. For six weeks now he's slapped hands and chest-bumped teammates before tipoff in skin-tight sport coats, skinny pants and colored spectacles. He hadn't missed a regular-season game in his career until this season's opener because of complications from last April's initial surgery. He missed two games of what was initially said to be a four-to-six week sit-down. Then came the post-Christmas shocker that he'd be out again. This time doing the full time.
After a brief hiccup in which the team backslid, Westbrook, 25, has witnessed his team accelerating while he sits. For Brooks, that's progress.
Brooks and his staff underwent a self-examination after the second-round playoff defeat to Memphis following Westbrook's injury. They made a couple key discoveries.
"Kevin can impact the game with his passing and defending more than I allowed him to do last year [in the playoffs]," Brooks said. "I didn't put enough emphasis on it because the natural thing was for me, and I'm assuming for most coaches, is you just lost 24 points out of your lineup, and we were playing good basketball, we were moving the ball, Russell was finding guys and giving open shots to a lot of guys; so the natural thing was Kevin had to score six or seven more points, K-Mart [Kevin Martin] had to score more, Serge [Ibaka] had to score more.
"Now this year going into it, I put more emphasis on Kevin: You have to impact it more defensively, and he has with Russell and without Russell. Kevin, you have to impact the game more with your playmaking, with Russell or without Russell, and he has. In this incredible run that he's been on, his assist level has gone up and his defense has maintained at a high level, and last year I thought I focused on him trying to score too many points in the playoffs without Russell."
Durant, 25 and in his seventh season, is averaging a career-best 5.5 assists; 6.2 without Westbrook. OKC is one of four teams allowing fewer than 100 points per 100 possessions; and only 101.1 without Westbrook, sixth-best during this stretch.
A familiar trust
VIDEO: Sam Presti talks about why he likes Scott Brooks as OKC's coach
Upon being hired away from San Antonio's front office to run Seattle's in 2007, Presti hired P.J. Carlesimo, a trusted Spurs assistant and former NBA head coach. Carlesimo needed assistants and hired Brooks, a 5-foot-11 former point guard who scrapped his way through 11 NBA seasons including a title run with the 1994 Houston Rockets.
"Scotty, my rookie year, he was an assistant and he was my favorite assistant," Durant said. "No matter how I was playing he was encouraging me. I remember he flew from California to D.C. one summer and worked me out in a gym. He left his family for a few days and worked me out, and I could just tell he cares about people. He wants to serve people and that's the type of person I love.
"It's much more than just coaching, it's his character as a man that stood out to me and drew me in to him. We've always had that bond. We go after each other. You know, he gets after me a lot and I respond pretty well. Sometimes we go back-and-forth, but that's part of life out there."
The dynamic has a distinctly Spurs feel. Tim Duncan and coach Gregg Popovich are in the 17th season of a partnership that's produced four championships in one of the NBA's smaller markets. When Duncan could have left in free agency, he chose to stay. The young stars who would join him, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, later followed suit. Popovich has long stated his admiration for Duncan begins with the future Hall of Famer's willingness to sacrifice for the betterment of the team.
"There's a lot of similarities," Brooks said. "If your best players don't buy in, you have no shot, you have no shot. Our personalities match, Russell and me, and Kevin and me. They're such different personalities between those two, but for some strange, crazy way, my personality matched with theirs, individually and together."
It allows Brooks the freedom to coach unconditionally.
"They can tell you, I don't like to talk about it, but I coach Russell hard," Brooks said. "I coach KD hard, and I still get on them more than any other guys on the team because I feel they have a responsibility to the group. And they understood that at a young age, that their responsibility to the group was more important for their success."
Durant smiles: "I'm considered a leader and guys are watching me. If he can get after me, he can get after Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb, Reggie Jackson, and they'll respond well. Sometimes I got to take it because most of the time — well, 100 percent of the time — when he gets on me, I'm wrong."
VIDEO: Colleagues-turned-rivals R.C. Buford and Sam Presti talk about their San Antonio days
Fairy tale or bust?
VIDEO: Go inside the huddle with Scott Brooks, Kevin Durant and the Thunder
Presti quickly viewed the affable, consistently even-keeled Brooks as an ideal fit in his vision for the salary cap-conscious organization: Attain and sustain success through the continual acquisition and development of young players.
When the Thunder started the 2008-09 season 1-12, Presti made the move to Brooks. Since that first interim season that ended 23-59, Brooks' team is 253-122. Durant is closing in on his third scoring title and a potential first MVP. Westbrook was headed for a fourth consecutive All-Star appearance. Ibaka, 24, has worked hard to become a two-way force. Jackson, 23, Lamb, 21, and Steven Adams, 20, have all carved out key niches in the rotation. Jones, 22, is gaining traction.
And Brooks, who will coach his second All-Star team this weekend, makes sure they all stay on track.
"He continues to find ways to get better," Presti said of his coach. "This season in particular he's done an excellent job of working to establish the depth of the team, building the depth, looking for ways to optimize the group as a whole so we're playing our best basketball at the end of the season."
It's almost a fairy tale, the young team in the small market with the franchise-first credo. But what of the happy ending? Payroll constraints of the collective bargaining agreement are not designed to keep talented, young teams together for long. Durant has told Sports Illustrated and "60 Minutes" that he's tired of finishing second.
Already there's talk of where Durant, under the guidance of newly hired agent and rap mogul Jay-Z, eventually will play. New York? Brooklyn? With the Wizards? Durant's current contract runs through the 2015-16 season, the same ending point as the extension Brooks signed in the summer of 2012.
"All the rhetoric about what's going to happen three years from now, I kind of smirk and laugh about it," Brooks said. "It's crazy. Who knows? What our team believes in is what I believe in. I believe in coming to work everyday, I believe in giving your best, I believe in being solid on and off the court.
"Those are staples that this organization is about."


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Lake Laura Homeowners Assoc. Inc.
P.O. Box 297
1343 Orkney Grade Basye, Va 22810
Phone (540) 856-8481
The staff of Senedo Springs welcomes you to "Mother Nature's Resting Place", in the foothills of the Appalachain Mountains, adjacent to the beautiful "Shenandoah Valley" of Virginia. Senedo Springs offers peace and quiet in two locations and two type of accommodations in the community of Basye. We feature duplex houses adjacent to the community store complex and condos overlooking "Happy Valley" and Basye. Trail maps, touring information, games, puzzles, and reading materials are available in the business office at check-in.


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DEERFIELD, Ill., Jul 09, 2014 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Baxter International Inc. BAX, +0.67% today announced the acquisition of AesRx, LLC, a private U.S. biopharmaceutical company focused on orphan drug targets, including the development and commercialization of Aes-103, an investigational prophylactic treatment for sickle cell disease (SCD).
Aes-103 is a first-in-class, oral, small molecule compound (5-hydroxymethylfurfural). Early studies indicate the compound may work by binding to hemoglobin and increasing oxygen affinity and stabilization, thereby reducing the sickling of red blood cells which, in turn, may reduce sickling-related outcomes such as vaso-occlusive crisis, pain, severe anemia, and fatigue. Aes-103 has received Orphan designation from the FDA and is eligible for Orphan designation in Europe.
The Aes-103 program is currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial as part of an ongoing collaboration with the NIH's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) through its Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases (TRND) program. Data has previously been presented from an escalating dose Phase I/2a safety study involving administration of a single dose among stable SCD patients. The compound, originally patented by Virginia Commonwealth University, was developed by a team from the VCU Institute for Structural Biology and Drug Discovery, an interdisciplinary research center spanning the university's Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy.
''Sickle cell disease was the first disease to ever have its molecular cause discovered, and now a potential treatment based on that discovery has at last been developed,'' said NCATS Director Christopher P. Austin, M.D. ''This success validates the NCATS model, which is based on a novel collaborative approach that de-risks intervention development programs to enable private-sector investment. We look forward to applying this model to the thousands of rare diseases that are currently untreatable, so that we realize the NCATS mission of getting more treatments to more patients more quickly.''
Baxter made an initial payment to acquire the company and may make additional future payments based on specified development, regulatory and commercial milestones. The specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
''With this acquisition, we gain a compound that has the potential to address an extremely high unmet clinical need in a community with inadequate treatment options and no recent major clinical developments,'' said Ludwig Hantson, Ph.D., president of Baxter BioScience. ''This program is complementary to our established experience in hemophilia and supports our goals to raise the bar for care of patients with a range of blood-related disorders.''
''By becoming a part of Baxter's organization, we believe this will provide Aes-103 the needed resources and expertise to complete a robust development and commercialization program,'' commented Stephen Seiler, AesRx's Founder and former Chief Executive Officer. ''Baxter has a demonstrated track record in the treatment of hematological orphan diseases and is an ideal company to take this important program forward.''
About Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a recessive disorder of the hemoglobin which can cause red blood cells to deform into rigid sickle shapes that block capillaries and other small blood vessels. This blockage can lead to a wide range of serious, sometimes life-threatening, conditions including chronic hemolytic anemia, chronic pain and acute painful crisis, stroke, acute chest syndrome, and cumulative damage to tissues and organs.
More than 13 million individuals worldwide suffer from SCD, with an estimated 100,000 people affected in the United States and 40,000 affected in Europe. SCD affects predominantly people of African descent but also occurs in certain other ethnic groups, including those of Mediterranean or Middle Eastern descent. Severe SCD is associated with chronic pain causing reduced quality of life and reduced life expectancy.
About Baxter International Inc.
Baxter International Inc., through its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures and markets products that save and sustain the lives of people with hemophilia, immune disorders, cancer, infectious diseases, kidney disease, trauma and other chronic and acute medical conditions. As a global, diversified healthcare company, Baxter applies a unique combination of expertise in medical devices, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology to create products that advance patient care worldwide.
This release includes forward-looking statements concerning Baxter's acquisition of AesRx, LLC, including expectations with regard to certain future milestone payments.The statements are based on assumptions about many important factors, including the following, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements: satisfaction of regulatory and other requirements; actions of regulatory bodies and other governmental authorities; clinical trial results; changes in laws and regulations; product quality or patient safety issues; and other risks identified in Baxter's most recent filings on Form 10-K and other SEC filings, all of which are available on Baxter's website. Baxter does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements.
SOURCE: Baxter International Inc.
Baxter International Inc.
Media Contact
Brian Kyhos, 224-948-5353
Investor Contacts
Mary Kay Ladone, 224-948-3371
Clare Trachtman, 224-948-3085
Copyright Business Wire 2014


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This interesting and well-cited blog entry from Willem Post looks at the solar industry in Germany from an objective point of view, and tries to determine whether the money invested in subsidies has paid off for the German people.
German households and businesses are increasingly concerned and upset with the rising cost of electricity as a result of the energy policies pursued by their government. Whereas some people felt good about closing down nuclear plants, the estimates of capital and other costs of doing so are steadily increasing as energy systems analysts in Germany and elsewhere are becoming more aware of the magnitude of the various impacts.
Add to that the increasing capital and subsidy costs of building out the renewables capacities required to meet self-imposed CO2 emission reduction targets, the total price tag becomes about 1.7 trillion euros ($2.26 trillion) by 2030, as estimated by Siemens. Making these investments will have major adverse impacts on Germany's international competitiveness, high-wage job creation and economic future.
Additional estimates of capital and other costs are in these URLs.
German Energy Production and CO2 EmissionsTargets
In September 2010, the German government announced the following three targets:
- Renewable electricity: 35% of total electricity production, TEP, by 2020, 50% by 2030, 65% by 2040 and 80% by 2050
Renewable electricity was 16.8% of TEP in 2011 and 19.8% in 2011.
- Renewable energy: 18% of gross energy consumption, GEC, by 2020, 30% by 2030, and 60% by 2050
GEC was 14,044 pitajoules in 2010, of which 249 PJ from wind and hydro and 1,073 PJ from other renewables, i.e., renewable energy was (249 + 1,073)/14,044 = 9.4% of the GEC. It was 5.3% in 2005, 6.4% in 2006, 7.9% in 2007, 8.1% in 2008, 8.9% in 2009. See reference 14 in this URL
- Energy efficiency: Reduce national electricity consumption, NEC, 50% below 2008 levels by 2050.
Efficiency measures, (more efficient light bulbs, appliances, HVAC systems, etc.) that reduce the NEC by about 1.07%/yr, which compounded over 38 years (2012 to 2050), would reduce the NEC by 50%. However, if the long-term growth of the GDP is 1.8%/yr, the NEC will double by 2050 thereby completely offsetting the reductions from efficiency measures. To have an NEC reduction of 50%, PLUS have 1.8%/yr GDP growth, efficiency measures that reduce the NEC by about 3.7%/yr compounded over 38 years would be required.
- Greater percentages of GDP growth would require greater efficiency percentages.
- Germany's electricity consumption per unit of GDP decreased by an average of about 1.7%/yr from 1990 to 2010. During that period the GDP grew, but the primary energy consumption remained about the same; 14,905 PJ in 1990 and 14,044 PJ in 2010. See reference 14 in this URL.
- One way to "manage" the NEC and CO2 emissions is for Germany to build energy consuming plants abroad, instead of domestically; Germany's GDP would increase, but not its NEC and CO2 emissions.
See reference 14 in this URL.
Is PV Solar Energy a Success Story in Germany?
Capital and Subsidy Cost: At the end of 2011, Germany had about 1.1 million PV solar systems installed with a total installed capacity of 24,820 MW at a capital cost of at least 100 billion euros.
Under Germany's Renewable Energy Law, EEG, each new system qualifies for 20 years of subsidies. According to the Rhine-Westphalia Institute for Economic Research, RWI, the systems connected to the grid in 2011 will cost electricity customers about 18 billion euros in subsidies over the next 20 years. RWI expert Manuel Frondel states: "The demand for subsidies is growing and growing. If all commitments to pay subsidies are added together, we have already exceeded the 100 billion euro level."
Solar system owners collected more than 8 billion euros ($10.6 billion) in subsidies in 2011 (5.1 billion euros in 2010), but the electricity they generated was just 3 percent of the total energy production. Solar energy has no dispatch value to a grid operator, because it is variable and intermittent; it has a daytime scheduling value that is a very small percentage of installed capacity.
RWI expects the EEG surcharge on electricity bills to increase. It is currently 3.59 eurocents/kWh. Because of recent developments (decommissioning nuclear plants), Mr. Frondel predicts that the surcharge will soon increase to 4.7 eurocents/kWh. For the average family, this would amount to an additional charge of about 200 euro/yr. German households complain about having the second-highest electricity prices in Europe; 26.3 eurocents/kWh. Denmark, another renewables maven, has the highest; 30.1 eurocents/kWh.
Germany's solar systems are mostly located in southern Germany; it is more sunny than northern Germany. On sunny summer days, especially around noontime, solar generation is well over 12,000 MW which exceeds what can be used to serve the demand of southern Germany. If France needs it, the excess energy is usually exported to France at low prices, because economically viable, utility-scale, battery-type storage does not exist. If France and others do not need the energy, it is fed into the ground, i.e., wasted.
Solar energy has the potential to become the most expensive mistake in German environmental policy. Berlin energy economist Georg Erdmann, a member of the monitoring group on the energy transition appointed by Chancellor Merkel, views the expansion of solar energy as a threat to the planned nuclear phase-out, because it is using capital that could be more efficiently used for other renewables and energy efficiency.
Solar Energy Production: Germany's national PV solar capacity factor for true-south-facing, correctly-angled, single-axis systems is about 0.115, but the actual CF is about 0.95, due to roofs being not true-south-facing and not correctly-angled, and because panels are aging (about 0.5%/yr), being partially shaded, and dust and snow covered.
Due to varying cloud cover, solar energy is intermittent and variable. It is minimal in the morning, maximal at noon about 3-4 hours before peak demand, minimal in the evening, minimal on cloudy days, minimal with snow on the panels, and zero at night.
During the dark, cloudy, foggy, shorter days of the German winter, solar energy production is on average less than 4% of installed capacity. Germany has successfully demonstrated to the world it is unsuitable for solar energy. A report by the German Physical Society states. "Essentially, solar energy cannot replace any conventional power plants."
Backup Plants: Solar energy is useless to households and businesses, unless it is backed up by quick-ramping gas turbine plants that ramp down when solar energy increases and ramp up when solar energy ebbs. This part-load-ramping mode more quickly wears out equipment resulting in shorter useful service lives and is inefficient resulting in increased Btu/kWh and CO2 emissions/kWh; the increases mostly offset the fuel and CO2 emissions solar energy was meant to reduce. See URLs.
Solar Energy Compared With Other Renewables: Solar energy subsidies, $/kWh, are the highest of all renewables. For comparison: If solar is set at 1, then, per dollar of subsidy, energy production by hydro is at least 6 times solar, wind 5 times solar, biomass 3 times solar.
Another comparison: To avoid a ton of CO2 emissions, one needs to invest 5 euros in insulating the roof of an old building, or 20 euros in a new gas-fired, 60% efficient CCGT plant, or 500 euros in a PV solar system.
Joachim Weimann, an environmental economist in the eastern German city of Magdeburg: "From the standpoint of the climate, every solar system is a bad investment."
Hans-Werner Sinn of the Munich-based Ifo Institute for Economic Research: "Solar energy is a waste of money at the expense of climate protection."
Economics Minister Rösler wants to cap subsidies for solar energy systems. Under his proposal, further expansion would be limited to 1,000 MW this year, about 6,500 MW less than was installed in 2011.
Repeal the EEG Law?: A proposal by the Monopolies Commission, which is supported by the German Council of Economic Experts, goes even further. The economists want to eliminate the subsidies for solar energy under the Renewable Energy Law.
They argue that energy providers should be required to satisfy a green electricity quota, but without specifying in detail what they should do to fulfill the quota. This would stimulate competition to come up with the best technology.
According to the experts, the advantage over the current system is obvious: Money would no longer be invested in places where the highest subsidies are paid, but where the most green electricity can be generated.


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So what reason for not doing law review beyond "I tried but failed" would you find compelling?
If all jobs just picked the person with the best interview, there'd just be a lot of friendly but incompetent people. Besides, as wonderful as you think you are in an interview, you're probably on par with just most people. That's encompassed in my "roughly equal."
I find that, despite the many rationalizations, most people who didn't apply for journals just didn't think they'd get on.
No offense, but it doesn't really matter what "you'd do." Lots of employers, particularly big firms, want to see law review. They value it much more than they value any of the things you listed.I don't think YBR has an inflated sense of self worth as much as you are hypersensitive about the fact that you weren't on law review. Just my two cents.
If you don't try out for it, it is because you are being lazy and immature. You are simply saying, "I don't think that'd be fun, so I'm not doing it." HTH. End of thread.
Brilliant response. Thanks for the insight.


text: Use mouse scroll wheel over image or pinch-to-zoom on touch devices. You can also click and drag around on image. Park it 1 1 Follow The GSX-R1000 Parked to Racetrack Inspired by Suzuki Vehicle Info: 2014 Suzuki GSX-R1000 Keywords 1000 1000cc gixxer gsxr literbike litrebike supersport Sign up to add your own keywords More from this Garage: More from this Profile: Garage For the street Garage MotoGP 2015 Garage Road Racing


text: The Jonas Brothers — made up of siblings Nick, Joe and Kevin — revived the fading boy band genre for the millennial crowd. After Nick signed solo to Columbia Records as a boy, Joe realized how much fun he was having with music and auditioned for Baz Luhrmann's Broadway production of "La Boheme." The brothers then started to collaborate and Kevin and Joe were optioned into Nick's contract at Columbia, where they released one CD, "It's About Time," but were dropped due to poor sales. They found a new home at Disney in 2007 which immediately proved a better fit. Their self-titled record debuted at No. 5 in 2007, the same year they appeared on an episode of "Hannah Montana," opened for Miley Cyrus on tour and performed "SOS" at the American Music Awards. They signed their own multi-million touring deal, starred in Disney Channel movie "Camp Rock" (2008's most-watched cable program) and TV series "JONAS," dueted at the 2009 Grammys with Stevie Wonder, released two more No. 1 CDs in 2008 and 2009, and showcased the pandemonium that followed them around in a big-screen concert film. The band broke up in October 2013. The middle brother has cycled through a variety of teen queens including Taylor Swift, Camilla Belle (who appeared in the "Lovebug" video), Ashley Greene and his "Camp Rock" costar Demi Lovato. His latest split came in August 2014 after he and his girlfriend of 20 months, graphic designer/model Blanda Eggenschwiler, went their separate ways.


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Here's a starter for 10.
For those of you who can't be arsed to follow the above link (most of you are police officers, after all), they are now working on a points system whereby you get 10 for an arrest or detection, 10 for giving out a fixed penalty notice, and - my favourite - MINUS 5 for unreliable intelligence. That will teach PCs to be lied to!
But now Supercopnanny has arrived in North Wales, and Mummy and Daddy have taken her advice a little too literally.
Within minutes of Supercopnanny's arrival, she is horrified by the way the Senior Management Team discipline their PCs, and she sits down to have a serious chat. The trouble, she identifies, is that there is no praise. She recommends for the SMT to get rid of the daily nitpicking emails that criticise every little thing the PCs do, and to bring in a Points system so that the PCs will know when they have been good.
The PCs quickly identify that their time spent on investigations that are going nowhere and placating traumatised victims is time wasted. Since an arrest and a ticket are valued the same, instead of spending 4 hours arresting someone, transporting them to custody, fighting with them, booking them in, and going back to get statements, they simply give out a fixed penalty ticket to a passing motorist.
But when Supercopnanny returns to see how things are going, she finds that her plan has rather backfired. The SMT are up to their ears in complaints, undetected crime and they have no way to gather intelligence about drug dealers or impending terrorist plots, as the PCs have cottoned on that unreliable intelligence is the key to their downfall.
Supercopnanny takes out her crayon and paper and thinks again...
Copyright of PC Bloggs


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After the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 Finals, Tim Duncan stopped to console LeBron James in a hallway inside Quicken Loans Arena. Duncan placed a hand on his vanquished counterpart's shoulder and delivered what began as a heartfelt message.
"This is going to be your league in a little while," Duncan said softly, before breaking into a smile, "but I appreciate you giving us this year."
Both players cracked up as they headed into the summer.
James would go on to win four most-valuable-player awards and two championships over the next six years, while Duncan collected headaches over repeated questions about his presumed retirement.
Those queries continued Saturday, even as Duncan sat one Finals victory away from a fifth title that would allow him to seize control of the NBA back from James and the Miami Heat.
Could Duncan say definitively whether another championship might prompt him to retire after 17 seasons?
"I don't have any plans on doing anything," Duncan said with the Spurs holding a three-games-to-one lead on the eve of Game 5 at the AT&T Center on Sunday. "I'm going to figure it out when it comes. I'm not saying I'm retiring. I'm not saying I'm not retiring. I'm not saying anything.
"I'm going to figure it out as it goes. I've always said if I feel like I'm effective, if I feel like I can contribute, I'll continue to play. Right now I feel that way, so we'll see what happens."
San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich obligingly quashed speculation about his retirement, saying he'd like to keep coaching beyond this season, even if he must replenish his stable of pilfered assistants on what seems like an annual basis.
When it comes to the future of the Spurs' Big Three, it's a little more complicated.
Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are each under contract for one more season, with Duncan holding a player option. Parker said in March he would like to play five or six more seasons in the NBA before completing his career with the French professional team he recently agreed to buy as controlling owner.
"Every year the journalists keep saying the same stuff, that we're done and it's the last run," said Parker, who at 32 is a pup compared to Ginobili, 36, and Duncan, 38. "I totally understand. We're getting older every year, but we always come back and just keep pushing the limits, I guess, especially Timmy and Manu."
It's helped considerably that Popovich has closely managed his stars' minutes and San Antonio has quality young players such as Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green and Patty Mills, giving the Spurs a head start on retooling for their next era, whenever that may be.
Duncan said he hasn't allowed himself to think about what winning his first title in seven years might feel like even though the Spurs are coming off back-to-back blowouts of Miami on the Heat's homecourt.
There's the little matter of what happened last year when San Antonio had a chance to end the series against the Heat with a five-point lead late in Game 6.
"We're 30 seconds away," Duncan said. "We feel that we have it in the bag and it slips out of our fingers. So I think we learn from that, and we draw on that, and we say, 'Hey, it's not over till it's over.' Our goal right now is to just win one more game. We'd love to do it [Sunday]. We'd love to do it in one game."
Duncan has already added to his legacy in these Finals by surpassing a pair of Lakers legends. He broke Magic Johnson's record with his 158th playoff double-double and has eclipsed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by logging a record 8,869 playoff minutes.
Winning another title would make Duncan the first to do so in three decades. His championships would have spanned 15 years, trailing only the 17-year gap between Abdul-Jabbar's first and final titles in 1971 and '88.
He also might have to do some more comforting of a respected rival in the hallway after the game.


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September 30, 2010
Genealogy Research Bag - a Lifesaver!
Can't find any gum but you know you are going to need some? Pens! Pencils! Where oh where is a small bottle of aspirin just in case the microfilm reader gives you a headache. And on and on it goes, if you're like me you are breathless, sweating and slightly grumpy by the time you get out the door. And you're not really sure you have everything you need.
My husband and I are avid antique hunters and we keep a tote bag in the closet with our antique hunting needs - small tape measure, pencil, small notepad, small package of kleenex (some of those stores are incredibly dusty!), sanitizing hand wipes (you are touching lots of filthy items and have no idea what might be on them), Collection list of "have already" and list of "want", and a note that says "Don't forget books on coffee grinders, pot lids, etc" That reminds us to grab our books from the bookcase that show collections and prices.
It occured to me last year that I could also start a Genealogy Research Bag. Whatever can't go in it ahead of time can be put on a list which is clipped to the outside, so I don't have to think about what I need. I can just read the list.
My Genealogy Research Bag contains a small pack of kleenex; sanitizing hand wipes; small plastic ziplock bag with a tiny container of Tylenol (I'm allergic to aspirin), some anti-acid tablets and some throat lozenges; small plastic ruler; pens and pencils; yellow highlighter; small notebook; pad of lined paper; loonies and toonies for vending machines and parking (a loony is a one-dollar coin, a toony is a 2-dollar coin); pair of airplane sockettes (very thin, easy to slip on no matter what shoes I'm wearing and they keep my feet from freezing in overly air-conditioned buildings) and a list of items to grab before leaving the house.
The grab list changes periodically but right now it has
* Ipad. I don't have to take binders or a laptop anymore, my Ipad with the GedView app works perfectly - my entire genealogy program from FTM is there at my fingertips through GedView
* GPS. Sometimes we forget to grab our GPS and can easily get lost if we're going to an archive or Library we've never gone to before.
* Charger for Iphone & Ipad. We have a car charger for these items but it never hurts to toss the in-house one in the Genealogy Research Bag
* Research Purse. That's my reminder to switch from a daily large purse to a tiny shoulder bag I keep just for antiquing or cemetery hunting or genealogy research. It allows my hands to be free, isn't heavy and holds minimal items.
* Bottles of Water and/or Lunch Bag. A reminder to take bottles of water and either pack a lunch or bring the zipped insulated lunch bag which I can fill with purchased sandwhiches, muffins, etc
When my Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner finally arrives I will add it to the Grab List or put it in my Genealogy Research Bag.
My Genealogy Research Bag is a life-saver. Hubs and I can decide on a moment's notice to go researching. I get the bag, check the grab list, call out the items to hubs which he collects and bingo we are out the door.
Of course we do have to make sure both dogs are taken care of - that Barley is out in her run with a huge dish of water and that Webley is in his room with a bed, a toy and water, that the chickens and guinea hens are out of their pen, that our donkey has a carrot before we leave... but those are on our mental check-list every time we leave the house even to go grocery shopping! We can still be out the door within a half hour of deciding we are leaving. What a wonderful change from the days of scrambling around the house wondering where I put everything I need.
11 comments:
- Thomas MacEntee said...
Another item that I always pack is a mini power strip. Not only does it allow me to get power for my devices, but usually it is a good way to meet fellow researchers!
- Joan Miller said...
Great list Lorine! I always pack a memory stick and my magic wand portable scanner.
- Elizabeth O'Neal said...
Great list, Lorine! I always include my digital camera, for those places where certain portable scanners are not allowed (like NARA).
- Geniaus said...
That's a mighty long list. I'm a sad case who takes most of this stuff everywhere in my large handbag all the time. Problem is here in Australia and some places I've been in the UK you are not allowed to take a bag into some libraries and archives and I've only got two hands!
I always make sure I wear trousers and a top with lots of poskets to accommodate all of my paraphernalia.
- hummer said...
Like you list and the additions in the comments.
- Penny said...
What would you suggest to take if you don't have an iPad? Do I create a notebook with all my lines? Include research questions? Also, I prefer to use notebooks. In other words, what would you have taken in the 'olden' days of genealogy research?
- Penny said...
What would you suggest to take if you don't have an iPad? Do I create a notebook with all my lines? Include research questions? Also, I prefer to use notebooks. In other words, what would you have taken in the 'olden' days of genealogy research?
- Genealogy Blogger said...
Hi Penny - great question! In the olden days :-) I used to take binders with my notes of what I needed. That wasn't the best because I always needed something I didn't have.
Then I got a laptop and took that which was wonderful. I still made a plan ahead of time and took my list of what I wanted to find but I had my laptop to check facts or look up another ancestor if needed.
Now I take my Ipad in place of a laptop, but I still take my notes (my plan of what I want to do in that library or archive)
- Genealogy Blogger said...
Great suggestions from everyone! I especially like the idea of taking a digital camera. I was going to use my Iphone for photos but the camera will do a better job.
Power strip - great idea if you have a laptop but I probably won't need it with my Ipad. Memory sticks don't work on Ipads (Darn!) but love the portable scanner - I'm waiting for my Flip-Pal to arrive!
I don't have any tops with pockets (another great idea) but will put my thinking cap on to see what else might work - perhaps an apron with pockets?
- Jeanne said...
Toss a thumb drive into the bag if you're taking a laptop. Several sites now allow you to copy things off computers using your little USB key-chain-size drive.
One suggestion for the person with no tops with pockets is a fisherman's vest from a sports catalog like REI, etc. You can also get a pattern for making one for all sorts of travel in any material. Some are more feminine than others. They are good for safety when traveling.


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Should information which has been passed on to us be accurate, O2 UK will be sporting not three, but four Windows Phones. A Windows Phone Central reader was able to extract details from the carrier surrounding the potential stocking of a Lumia 920 with LTE capabilities. A support representative answered queries with some degree of affirmation.
The Lumia 920 has been picked up by EE (Everything Everywhere) as an exclusive launch handset for its new 4G LTE UK network. While the exclusivity will be limited in duration, and other operators (including O2) will subsequently be able to stock the Nokia flagship Windows Phone, it's positive to see a UK carrier planning to arrive at the Microsoft party with chocolate cake.
This is not official confirmation, nor an announcement by O2, but it would prove unproductive for a representative to reveal false information to and mislead a potential (or already established) customer. There's also no reason for the carrier not to put the Nokia flagship device alongside both HTC Windows Phones and the Samsung ATIV S. See the conversation below.
O2 plans to begin rolling out its own LTE network by Spring 2013, alongside other UK carriers to get up to speed with EE. Already unveiling the HTC 8X and HTC 8S, O2 will be sporting a healthy arsenal of 4G Windows Phones to market to consumers.
We're unsure just how long EE's hold on the Lumia 920 will last, but we expect competitors to begin stocking the Windows Phone by the time said carriers make the jump to launching LTE publicly.
To recap on Lumia 920 features, the Windows Phone sports a 4.5" screen with PureMotion HD+ technology, dual-core CPU, 2000mAh battery, 8.7MP camera with PureView technology, 1GB RAM and 32GB storage. It's packing more than enough power for apps and games located on the Windows Phone Store, and we're sure attractive tariffs will be available.
Thanks, Sabita, for sending in the photo!


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Sylvia Deloris Derksen, Age 79, went to be with her Lord Jesus on Sunday November 25, 2012 from her home in Dandridge, Tenn.
Sylvia Deloris Derksen, Age 79, went to be with her Lord Jesus on Sunday November 25, 2012 from her home in Dandridge, Tenn. Sylvia was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, of Hot Springs, Ark. Services were held November 30 at Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery North Little Rock.
She was born July 18, 1933 in St. James, to Sidney and Pearl Harriet Blackstad. After graduating from St. James High School she married the love of her life Roger A. Derksen on January 17, 1952. Upon his discharge from the Navy they returned to Minnesota where she worked for Lutheran Brotherhood while he graduated from the University of MN. In 1961 they began a family and she was a devoted mother who volunteered for many years at school, church, and teaching Vacation Bible School. She loved working at Midwest Challenge which began her pursuit of a Doctorate Of Analytical Christian Counseling from American Christian College and Seminary. She had a love for poetry and wrote many beautiful inspiring poems.
Survivors include daughters, Stephanie (Steven) Balgaard, Paulette (Joseph) St. Clair; son Scott (Becky) Derksen; grandchildren Nicholas, David, Benjamin and Caleb Balgaard, Amanda (Craig) Keller, Cheri (Brian) Parker, David Derksen; step grandchildren, three great grandchildren; sister Deanna (Willard) Anderson; and a number of nieces, nephews cherished friends and loved ones.
Preceding her in death was her husband of 56 years; parents; brother Floyd; brother-in-law, Doug; an infant grandson and a granddaughter.


text:
We provide numerous animal-related services to citizens such as licencing cats and dogs, sheltering cats and dogs impounded under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw and adoptions to find new homes for impounded cats and dogs that have not been claimed by their owners.
All animal-related services result from the mandate provided by the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw. This bylaw allows Animal & Bylaw Services to work with Calgarians to ensure that cats, dogs, their owners and neighbours live together in safety and harmony.
Animal & Bylaw Services advocates responsible pet ownership for cats and dogs based on the following five principles:
Under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, at three months of age all cats and dogs residing in the City of Calgary must have a City of Calgary licence.


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Abraham: Following God's Promise: Complete Church Curriculum
by 6 authors•
Lexham Press 2012
Following God's Promise
Abraham: Following God's Promise helps your entire church dig deeper into the life of Abraham—together.
This all-in-one curriculum package has something for everyone:
- Preaching resources and sermon starters for pastors and teachers
- Videos, slides, and media for the tech team
- Bulletin inserts and handouts for the congregation
- Discussion guides and videos for small group leaders
- A take-home book for small group members
Key Features
It's the Best Curriculum for Churches
- Discover new meaning in the life of Abraham. Dig up the nuggets you might have missed. Find the perfect sermon illustrations. Discuss questions you've never thought to ask. Infuse your sermons with energy and conviction. Learn new ways to apply Abraham's story in your life—and in the life of your church.
- Do ministry more effectively. Abraham: Following God's Promise gives you everything you need to hit the ground running—which means less time in meetings and at your desk, and more time doing ministry. You get to focus on your strengths and leave the heavy lifting to us.
- Stay organized. This program helps you coordinate all your ministry programs. With a single, shared curriculum, your media team, small group leaders, Sunday school teachers, and everyone else all stay in the loop. This means fewer phone calls and last-minute surprises for you—and more time in the Word for your church.
- Help your church get connected. Abraham: Following God's Promise connects people in your small groups to each other, and connects your small groups to the Sunday-morning experience. The topics in each small group Bible study integrate with your sermons. Best of all, everything is centered on the Word, so your church gets a complete, shared Bible study experience.
Deeper Bible Study All Week Long
- Leading up to Sunday, you have everything you need to get started on your sermon—a sample outline, key points in the text, exegesis, and more. We've done the biblical research for you, so you can focus on preparing your sermon and connecting with your congregation.
- On Sunday morning, video introductions set the stage for your sermon, and custom-designed slides complement your preaching. Your media team has everything they need—the presentation is ready to go right out of the box, but they can customize it as much as they want. Your congregation follows along with handouts and bulletin inserts. Everything flows together elegantly and seamlessly.
- During the following week, your small groups can unpack the text and the topics you talked about on Sunday. The curriculum is perfect for all types of learners and interest levels. Leaders get handouts, videos, and discussion questions to help guide the group, so they'll need to purchase this edition. Everyone else gets a self-study book available separately that helps them participate to the fullest—and get ready for the next Sunday.
It's a comprehensive program to help your entire church dig deep into the Bible together.
What You'll Get
- The study book:
- A complete introduction to the life of Abraham
- Reflection questions to keep you focused on the text
- Fill-in-the-blank answer boxes to keep your group engaged
- Recommended resources to help you continue your study
- An elegant design, featuring 32 graphics tied to the commentary—also in slide format
- Presenting/Preaching materials:
- 8 sermon outlines
- 8 sermon handouts
- A video lead-in for your sermon
- 8 teaching slideshows, which work on PowerPoint, Keynote, and Proclaim
- Group curriculum:
- The leader's book
- 8 lesson plans
- 8 teaching slideshows, which work on PowerPoint, Keynote, and Proclaim
- 8 handouts with discussion questions, in Microsoft Word and PDF
- 8 intro videos, one for each lesson, which you can download after you check out.
The entire program is designed for Logos Bible Software and Logos' Faithlife Study Bible app. It combines text and visuals with today's most advanced Bible study tools. All Scripture passages link to your favorite Bible translation and to the original language texts in your library.
This is the complete church curriculum for leaders and pastors. The version for individuals and group members is available here. Both versions feature infographics, maps, artifact images, thought-provoking questions, "writable" answer boxes, Bible study tips, an annotated reading list, and printable handouts. The complete church curriculum for leaders and pastors includes everything in the individual/group member version plus videos, small group lesson plans, sermon outlines, and teaching slideshows.
The Studies in Faithful Living Series
The Studies in Faithful Living series examines the lives of biblical characters who responded faithfully to God's call. Combining narrative analysis with infographics, maps, and questions for reflection, each volume explores key events in these characters' lives, combining the depth you expect from a biblical commentary with application and teaching insights. Each volume is available as an individual/group member version or as a complete church curriculum version for pastors and teachers.
Praise for the Studies in Faithful Living Series
Logos has taken group Bible study to the next level with their new Studies in Faithful Living series. Deeply engaging, biblically accurate, and filled with life-changing applications, this series is destined to be the go-to resource for lay leaders for years to come.
—Israel Loken, Chair, Bible and Theology Departments, College of Biblical Studies, Houston, TX
Each chapter of Abraham: Following God's Promise is structured to maximize your church's study:
- Setting the Stage:
- Theme: Introduces the meaning and relevance of an event in Abraham's life
- Literary Context: Illustrates the conditions surrounding that event
- Historical and Cultural Background: Presents relevant data about the ancient world
- A Closer Look: Gives a walk through of the event while exploring issues of interpretation, original language, and theology
- Throughout the Bible: Examines discussion of the event elsewhere in the Bible
- Beyond the Bible: Treats references to the event in ancient documents and extracanonical texts, as well as references by theologians, the church fathers, and contemporary thinkers
- Application: Concludes the chapter by exploring the event's relevance to your journey of faith
You'll also find Quick Tips on difficult passages and Quick Bits of historical information, original language wording, and ancient thought.
8-Week Program
- Stepping Out in Faith (Genesis 11:27–12:9)
- Fear versus Faith (Genesis 12:10–20)
- Active Faith (Genesis 14:1–24)
- Dealing with Doubt (Genesis 15:1–21; 16:1–15)
- Promising the Impossible (Genesis 17:1–18:15)
- Bargaining with God (Genesis 18:16–33; 19:1–38)
- God's Faithfulness despite Relapse (Genesis 20:1–18; 21:22–34)
- Of Sons and Sacrifice (Genesis 21:1–21; 22:1–24)
Product Details
- Title: Abraham: Following God's Promise: Complete Church Curriculum for Leaders and Pastors
- Authors: Miles Custis, Michael Grigoni, Douglas Mangum, and Matthew M. Whitehead
- Editor: Michael Grigoni
- Series: Studies in Faithful Living
- Publisher: Lexham Press
- Publication Date: 2012
- Format: Logos Digital
About the Editor and Authors
Michael Grigoni previously served as the Studies in Faithful Living series editor and Lexham Press's managing editor of Bible reference. He holds a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and is a PhD candidate at Duke University.
About the Authors
Miles Custis is the author of The End of the Matter: Understanding the Epilogue of Ecclesiastes, a Faithlife Study Bible contributing editor, and a regular Bible Study Magazine and Lexham Bible Dictionary contributor. He holds a Master of Arts in biblical studies from Trinity Western University.
Douglas Mangum is an academic editor for Lexham Press. He holds a PhD in Hebrew from the University of Free State and holds an MA in Hebrew and Semitic Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is a Lexham English Bible and Lexham Bible Guide editor, a Faithlife Study Bible contributing editor, a Studies in Faithful Living co-author, a regular Bible Study Magazine contributor, and a frequently consulted specialist for the Lexham Bible Dictionary.
Matthew M. Whitehead has served as a Faithlife Study Bible contributing editor and Bible Study Magazine contributor. He assisted with the digitization process for the Discoveries in the Judaean Desert series and worked on the Oxford Hebrew Bible project. Matthew holds an MDiv from Northwest Baptist Seminary and is pursuing an MA in biblical studies at Trinity Western University.