2011年8月22日星期一
The job: Drug security director
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worked in the army and in the British intelligence services for 12 years, and then I wanted to do something different. When I joined the pharma industry, a decade ago, there was a shift from physical security to investigating fake medicines in-house.
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Counterfeiting is seen as an issue of intellectual property as with fake handbags and clothes. That’s wrong. With medicines it should be a public health offence. The luxury goods industry uses lots of lawyers. But a faulty pair of jeans isn’t going to kill you; a fake medicine could. My goal is to find evidence of criminal offences and hand them on to law enforcement agencies for prosecution. We don’t just want the guy selling the medicines but also those making them, tracing back up the chain. The bad guys take advantage of existing criminal networks. We’ll use whichever laws work – the Al Capone approach.
I work on 40 to 50 cases at any time. I run a global team, since most are complex cross-border operations. I look after our investigators’ wellbeing because it’s a dangerous job. All my peers are from a similar background. They are former policemen, investigators and military people. We co-operate, socialise together and share a sense of public duty. Most of us wouldn’t do anything else.
2011年8月16日星期二
The municipal bye-law
The municipal bye-law that has been approved and is about to be signed by Mayor Alcides Goitía will come into effect early in 2012. It bans the sale and use of plastic bags with a capacity of under 30 kg; larger bags will still be allowed, for collecting garbage. Penalties will be exacted for infringements, especially against those who throw plastic bags away in public places, or burn them.
"This decision arises from concern for the health and education of our people, the beauty of our landscape and the fostering of tourism, for our peninsula is blessed with beautiful beaches and scenery, fine food, and a free zone," Kile Baldayo, the president of the Carirubana local council, told IPS.
"The planet is choking on plastic bags. Everywhere in Venezuela is cluttered with them, from virtually every metre of coastline all the way to the tops of the 'tepuyes' (ancient flat-topped mountains in the southeastern province of Guayana), as well as our streets, fences and garbage dumps," Baldayo said. "It's time we did something to stop the degradation of the environment."
Pollution from plastic waste is not merely a matter of an aesthetic blight on the landscape, Alejandro Alvarez of the ARA network of environmental organisations told IPS. "When garbage is incinerated in the open air, large quantities of dioxins and furans are released, which is worrying even though we don't know the exact quantities emitted," he said.
Dioxins and furans are carcinogens that are produced when plastics are burned, and accumulate in oily solvents, soils, sediments, the food chain and human body tissues.
Reasoned arguments justifying the ordinance were presented to the city council of Carirubana by Goitia and Baldayo, who quoted statistics from the environmental watchdog Greenpeace indicating over six million tonnes of garbage, largely plastic waste, are dumped into the oceans every year.
2011年8月11日星期四
They have been the major dressmaker
As is also one of the most expensive and finest amongst wholesale handbags they want these some opportunity to pull together go on discrepancy and furthermore locations such as place clutches the commute to assist you to top physician offices and buy tucked through drawer tackles to do with that has who actually connected with prime to a lady pros to any place. Sure enough, indisputably all of these designer purses are members of the variety most typically associated with quality workout routines survive lengthy and are still considered the particular games in the haves.Synthetic version Coach handbags also Louis Vuitton things tend to be easily the absolute best reselling reproductions of their individual genuine ones with regard to accuracies in succeeding as unique bootlegged.
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2011年8月9日星期二
Diva Handbags hosting contest for breast cancer awareness
BARBOURSVILLE -- Divas Handbags is hosting a Bra Ha Ha Decorating Contest to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer. Individuals or groups are encouraged to participate and decorate a bra any way they choose.
Bras can be submitted at Divas Handbags in the Huntington Mall. There is a $5 registration fee and all bras must be on hangers. Submissions will be taken on Sept. 29-30.
After bras are submitted, people are encouraged to visit Divas Handbags and vote for their favorite creations. Voting will take place throughout the month of October. All votes cost $1 each. Winners will be awarded in categories including Queen Diva, Blingiest Bra, Biggest Bra and Best Pink Ribbon-Themed Bra.
On Oct. 30, the bras will be moved to the Breast Cancer Walk in Ritter Park for continued voting and the announcement of winners.
All proceeds collected will benefit the West Virginia Breast and Cervical Cancer Diagnostic and Treatment Fund.
Kim Kardashian goes classic in Bottega Veneta at Teen Choice Awards
Kim Kardashian goes classic in Bottega Veneta at Teen Choice Awards
Kim Kardashian arrived with her family at last night’s Teen Choice Awards wearing a sassy Givenchy cocktail
dress paired with Christian Louboutin heels and a classic Bottega Veneta Love Knot clutch. The black and
white Givenchy dress featured a textured feather skirt with demure halter turtleneck. Kim Kardashian pulled
the gown together with an exotic snakeskin belt giving the impression she walked right off the runway.
The Bottega Veneta Love Knot clutch worn by Kim Kardashian is a classic woven leather handbag which can
easily be worn as a small daytime clutch or paired with a formal dress for gala events. Kim Kardashian’s
Love Knot clutch by Bottega Veneta is easy to pair with any ensemble and was a good investment handbag on
the celebrity’s part. The clutch features a hard box frame structure and Bottega Veneta’s signature “Love
Knot” closure on top. The iconic design house has been designing the Love Knot clutch for ten years and the
popular style has become a highly coveted classic.
Kim Kardashian arrived with her family at last night’s Teen Choice Awards wearing a sassy Givenchy cocktail
dress paired with Christian Louboutin heels and a classic Bottega Veneta Love Knot clutch. The black and
white Givenchy dress featured a textured feather skirt with demure halter turtleneck. Kim Kardashian pulled
the gown together with an exotic snakeskin belt giving the impression she walked right off the runway.
The Bottega Veneta Love Knot clutch worn by Kim Kardashian is a classic woven leather handbag which can
easily be worn as a small daytime clutch or paired with a formal dress for gala events. Kim Kardashian’s
Love Knot clutch by Bottega Veneta is easy to pair with any ensemble and was a good investment handbag on
the celebrity’s part. The clutch features a hard box frame structure and Bottega Veneta’s signature “Love
Knot” closure on top. The iconic design house has been designing the Love Knot clutch for ten years and the
popular style has become a highly coveted classic.
2011年8月5日星期五
They have handed the bag to police
They have handed the bag to police in the hope of saving motorists the cost of new car parts.Ben’s mother Paula Dixon, 38, of Tintern Road, said: ‘My son was pleased to have found them.
‘He phoned home and asked us to come and get the bag because he was worried he might get the blame if he touched them.
‘I don’t understand why anyone would want to take them in the first place.
‘In one road I think there were about 15 of them which had been taken.
‘Since I found out I started looking around when I walk the dog and I noticed cars all over the place which were missing aerials.
‘Maybe it’s just stereotypical teenagers who did it for no real reason other than to inconvenience people.
‘It’s always the working people like us who get the trouble. My mother had hers stolen so maybe it’s in the bag.’
It is thought drivers in several streets around Harcourt Road were targeted by the thieves.
One resident of Harcourt Road, who did not want to be named, said: ‘I went out and bought a new aerial for my car after it was stolen only to find it was in this bag.
I don’t see the point of it. A few years ago I had some other car parts stolen.
That I could understand because they were valuable metals.
But what’s the point in stealing car aerials only to dump them somewhere?
I don’t think there’s any value to them.
‘Hopefully now we have got them back people who have had their aerials stolen can try and get them back.’
A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said two residents of Harcourt Road had contacted officers about stolen aerials on July 22 and July 25.
No other incidents have been recorded but police say other aerial thefts were probably unreported.
‘He phoned home and asked us to come and get the bag because he was worried he might get the blame if he touched them.
‘I don’t understand why anyone would want to take them in the first place.
‘In one road I think there were about 15 of them which had been taken.
‘Since I found out I started looking around when I walk the dog and I noticed cars all over the place which were missing aerials.
‘Maybe it’s just stereotypical teenagers who did it for no real reason other than to inconvenience people.
‘It’s always the working people like us who get the trouble. My mother had hers stolen so maybe it’s in the bag.’
It is thought drivers in several streets around Harcourt Road were targeted by the thieves.
One resident of Harcourt Road, who did not want to be named, said: ‘I went out and bought a new aerial for my car after it was stolen only to find it was in this bag.
I don’t see the point of it. A few years ago I had some other car parts stolen.
That I could understand because they were valuable metals.
But what’s the point in stealing car aerials only to dump them somewhere?
I don’t think there’s any value to them.
‘Hopefully now we have got them back people who have had their aerials stolen can try and get them back.’
A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said two residents of Harcourt Road had contacted officers about stolen aerials on July 22 and July 25.
No other incidents have been recorded but police say other aerial thefts were probably unreported.
2011年8月2日星期二
And there are no do-overs
And there are no do-overs. "Golf gives no margin," he writes. "You cannot hedge; you cannot bluff; you cannot give a stop-order; you cannot jilt. One chance is given you, and you hit or miss . and it is just this ultra and extreme rigidity that makes golf so intensely interesting."
Most of Haultain's best golfing insights are equally plain-spoken, but for a complete appreciation of his writing - very much a product of his time and intellectual station - you might want to have some extra "clubs" in your bag.
A good thesaurus, a couple of classical dictionaries, an anatomy textbook, an understanding of 19th century psychology and a solid grounding in the works of practically every big hitter on the Western tour, from Herodotus to Hegel, from Shakespeare to Schiller, from Juvenal to William James - all would help. But they're not all that necessary.
One solid investment, though, might a dictionary of Scottish English, where you could conceivably find some of the standard golfing terms of Haultain's day, most of them now sadly superseded by the bland nomenclature of the contemporary game. Clubs are brasseys (drivers), niblicks (irons) and creeks (oneirons); mis-hits are sclaffs and foozlers.
"Say what you the scoffers may," Haultain writes, "to foozle at golf ... cuts right down to the very deeps of the human soul."
Amen to that. A century later, virtually all of Haultain's amateurish (in the good sense) observations hold true - except for his complete whiff on the subject of professionalism. Golf, he declares, "will never be played by highly-paid professionals for the delectation of a howling and betting mob; nor, thank Heavens, will rooters ever sit on fences and screech at its results."
Most of Haultain's best golfing insights are equally plain-spoken, but for a complete appreciation of his writing - very much a product of his time and intellectual station - you might want to have some extra "clubs" in your bag.
A good thesaurus, a couple of classical dictionaries, an anatomy textbook, an understanding of 19th century psychology and a solid grounding in the works of practically every big hitter on the Western tour, from Herodotus to Hegel, from Shakespeare to Schiller, from Juvenal to William James - all would help. But they're not all that necessary.
One solid investment, though, might a dictionary of Scottish English, where you could conceivably find some of the standard golfing terms of Haultain's day, most of them now sadly superseded by the bland nomenclature of the contemporary game. Clubs are brasseys (drivers), niblicks (irons) and creeks (oneirons); mis-hits are sclaffs and foozlers.
"Say what you the scoffers may," Haultain writes, "to foozle at golf ... cuts right down to the very deeps of the human soul."
Amen to that. A century later, virtually all of Haultain's amateurish (in the good sense) observations hold true - except for his complete whiff on the subject of professionalism. Golf, he declares, "will never be played by highly-paid professionals for the delectation of a howling and betting mob; nor, thank Heavens, will rooters ever sit on fences and screech at its results."
Marion County has three boats and five deputies
Marion County has three boats and five deputies. The county patrols Detroit Lake and does marine checks at Silverton Reservoir and Walter Wirth Lake in Salem.
“We try to balance our patrol focus between customer service and safety and enforcement action,” lead deputy Dave Zahn said in an email. “We make a lot of contacts with boaters, offering assistance and conducting boat safety inspections.”
Marty Law, boating safety section manager for the Oregon State Marine Board, attributes some of the improvements to improved boater education, increased use of life jackets and better engineered boats.
“We’ve had a number of accidents that could have been more tragic if people hadn’t been wearing life jackets,” Law said. “And boats are just better engineered and people are more educated.”
Still, the incidents come at a cost. Since 2005 there has been nearly $2.5 million in damages and 82 deaths.
Most incidents in Oregon occur on rivers, with 211 since 2005. The Columbia accounts for the most at 73, with the Willamette second at 48 and the Rogue third at 32.
“Really, you have a white water river near every major metropolitan area,” Marty Law said. “It’s great boating, but you have to be prepared and ready to be on those waterways and have some knowledge and experience.”
Arrests for boating under the influence have held steady, fluctuating from more than 100 in 2005 and 2009 to only 46 in 2010 and 10 this year.
“It’s not uncommon to run into BUIIs,” said Oregon State Police Sergeant Ron Martin in Springfield. “Once ever couple of weeks we’ll be on the river, so just from the number of patrols we don’t run into that many, but we’ll get several a year, 10-12 depending on the season.”
Law said arrests can vary as different departments crack down on certain areas, changing the overall numbers, but for the most part he’s been encouraged by what he’s seen on the water.
“For a number of years we did campaigns on boating and alcohol by the operator but also passengers,” Law said. “That’s a critical piece, but what we’re hearing and what we’ve seen in surveys we’ve done is that social acceptance of drinking and operating a motorboat is down.”
On Thursday, Polk County’s Rice spent time checking crafts and speaking with boaters, even tagging Western Oregon student Meza for failing to carry a life jacket.
“We try to balance our patrol focus between customer service and safety and enforcement action,” lead deputy Dave Zahn said in an email. “We make a lot of contacts with boaters, offering assistance and conducting boat safety inspections.”
Marty Law, boating safety section manager for the Oregon State Marine Board, attributes some of the improvements to improved boater education, increased use of life jackets and better engineered boats.
“We’ve had a number of accidents that could have been more tragic if people hadn’t been wearing life jackets,” Law said. “And boats are just better engineered and people are more educated.”
Still, the incidents come at a cost. Since 2005 there has been nearly $2.5 million in damages and 82 deaths.
Most incidents in Oregon occur on rivers, with 211 since 2005. The Columbia accounts for the most at 73, with the Willamette second at 48 and the Rogue third at 32.
“Really, you have a white water river near every major metropolitan area,” Marty Law said. “It’s great boating, but you have to be prepared and ready to be on those waterways and have some knowledge and experience.”
Arrests for boating under the influence have held steady, fluctuating from more than 100 in 2005 and 2009 to only 46 in 2010 and 10 this year.
“It’s not uncommon to run into BUIIs,” said Oregon State Police Sergeant Ron Martin in Springfield. “Once ever couple of weeks we’ll be on the river, so just from the number of patrols we don’t run into that many, but we’ll get several a year, 10-12 depending on the season.”
Law said arrests can vary as different departments crack down on certain areas, changing the overall numbers, but for the most part he’s been encouraged by what he’s seen on the water.
“For a number of years we did campaigns on boating and alcohol by the operator but also passengers,” Law said. “That’s a critical piece, but what we’re hearing and what we’ve seen in surveys we’ve done is that social acceptance of drinking and operating a motorboat is down.”
On Thursday, Polk County’s Rice spent time checking crafts and speaking with boaters, even tagging Western Oregon student Meza for failing to carry a life jacket.
2011年7月27日星期三
Monday workers at the Las Brisas apartment complex
Monday workers at the Las Brisas apartment complex in Round Rock put another coat of paint over the breezeway floor that had been covered in blood Saturday.
Investigators say three teens from Georgetown, 19-year-old Derek Hawkins, 18-year-old Joshua Oldham and 18-year-old Santos Vega, confronted 25-year-old Thomas Carruthers.
"Their intent was to rob him of the drugs he was thought to be carrying," said Eric Poteet, the Round Rock Police Public Information Officer.
Police say the robbery turned into a fatal stabbing. Arrest affidavits indicate Vega confessed to stabbing Carruthers in the chest.
"Somebody you just met and then all of sudden they are dead," said Connie Thompson, who lives at apartment complex.
Thompson said she, her daughter, and daughter's boyfriend met Carruthers and others just a couple of weeks ago. They all got together to play volleyball.
"I think it was on the news and something just clicked," said Thompson. "I was like, 'What?' It is pretty sad. Even my daughter and her friends are in shock right now."
Thompson and other apartment residents are relieved those responsible for Carruthers' death have been arrested.
"It is an extreme sense of relief that they were caught, and hopefully everything turns out right in the end," said Brianda Hernandez, who just moved to the apartment. "I am extremely relieved."
Round Rock police say they did find what may be drugs on Carruthers, but they're not saying how much or what kind. Investigators say they'll determine that in the lab. While police still consider this an open investigation as they iron out the final details, they say all the people responsible for Carruthers' murder are now in jail.
Investigators say three teens from Georgetown, 19-year-old Derek Hawkins, 18-year-old Joshua Oldham and 18-year-old Santos Vega, confronted 25-year-old Thomas Carruthers.
"Their intent was to rob him of the drugs he was thought to be carrying," said Eric Poteet, the Round Rock Police Public Information Officer.
Police say the robbery turned into a fatal stabbing. Arrest affidavits indicate Vega confessed to stabbing Carruthers in the chest.
"Somebody you just met and then all of sudden they are dead," said Connie Thompson, who lives at apartment complex.
Thompson said she, her daughter, and daughter's boyfriend met Carruthers and others just a couple of weeks ago. They all got together to play volleyball.
"I think it was on the news and something just clicked," said Thompson. "I was like, 'What?' It is pretty sad. Even my daughter and her friends are in shock right now."
Thompson and other apartment residents are relieved those responsible for Carruthers' death have been arrested.
"It is an extreme sense of relief that they were caught, and hopefully everything turns out right in the end," said Brianda Hernandez, who just moved to the apartment. "I am extremely relieved."
Round Rock police say they did find what may be drugs on Carruthers, but they're not saying how much or what kind. Investigators say they'll determine that in the lab. While police still consider this an open investigation as they iron out the final details, they say all the people responsible for Carruthers' murder are now in jail.
2011年7月21日星期四
The old eight glasses of water
The old eight glasses of water a day adage is one of those things that has generally been accepted as fact. I've certainly come across it in numerous publications or on television presented as gospel. Not that anyone who's ever earnestly exhorted their fellow human beings to glug, glug, glug to this extent has ever once quoted a scientific study supporting this quantity as recommended intake...probably because there isn't one. I know no better than you where the eight glasses measurement came from; maybe someone just thought it was a nice even number, who knows? But it's always struck me as excessive. Especially since I grew out of my Dolly magazine phase.
Back in the days when I believed Dolly magazine to be the oracle of all things cool and sophisticated, i.e. the conduit through which I might attain womanly perfection (the 14-year-old version - the one with Johnny Depp escorting me to the movies, he in a waistcoat, white T-shirt and jeans, me in a hot pink tulle bubble skirt) I pretty much believed any old rubbish they printed in it including the classic "your skin and hair will be beautiful if you drink eight glasses of water a day but just in case that doesn't work here's an ad for Clearasil" ruse.
So I gave it a good honest try. Eight glasses of water a day? Not a problem. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. I mean, if it was the best way to great skin and hair and was free then why the hell wouldn't you? You know, just in case J. Depp esquire ever plucked up the courage to ask you out, you'd want to be looking your best, wouldn't you?
I lasted two days. I can't say that it did anything for my complexion but by the end of the weekend my "unzip and sit" action had never been smoother. Even staggering the eight glasses over the day and not drinking any other liquids, it still seemed as if I spent 70 per cent of my time going to or coming back from having a wee. The remaining 30 per cent was spent on the actual weeing.
Back in the days when I believed Dolly magazine to be the oracle of all things cool and sophisticated, i.e. the conduit through which I might attain womanly perfection (the 14-year-old version - the one with Johnny Depp escorting me to the movies, he in a waistcoat, white T-shirt and jeans, me in a hot pink tulle bubble skirt) I pretty much believed any old rubbish they printed in it including the classic "your skin and hair will be beautiful if you drink eight glasses of water a day but just in case that doesn't work here's an ad for Clearasil" ruse.
So I gave it a good honest try. Eight glasses of water a day? Not a problem. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. I mean, if it was the best way to great skin and hair and was free then why the hell wouldn't you? You know, just in case J. Depp esquire ever plucked up the courage to ask you out, you'd want to be looking your best, wouldn't you?
I lasted two days. I can't say that it did anything for my complexion but by the end of the weekend my "unzip and sit" action had never been smoother. Even staggering the eight glasses over the day and not drinking any other liquids, it still seemed as if I spent 70 per cent of my time going to or coming back from having a wee. The remaining 30 per cent was spent on the actual weeing.
2011年7月18日星期一
Buying in Rural Valencia Spain
When people decide to move to Spain, the things that they are wary of, are, amongst other things, being without the "comforts of home", i.e. mains electricity, water and drainage, and a telephone. If the estate agent broaches the subject of solar power and/or deposit, or tank, water, some people are disinclined to even consider the possibilities, as solar power is thought of as "something new" and therefore to be avoided. Deposit water supply is seen as returning to something akin to the Middle Ages.
When we started looking for property in Spain, we contacted Peek at Spain who, after showing us numerous properties within our original criteria, showed us the perfect house. Our priorities when searching had been the usual, mains electricity, mains water/drainage and telephone.
Our property came with none of the above, but the situation and style more than made up for this. We were told that solar power was easily obtained, and although enquiries were made, by Peek at Spain SL, on our behalf, to see if mains water could be added, this proved not to be practicable, at least in the immediate future. With their help, we contacted both a solar system installer, and the man who would be our water supplier, who both proved to be extremely helpful.
Solar Power
When we first told people, both here and back in England, we were having this installed, they thought we were mad! However, it is not such a new concept, nor as scary as people think. Solar Power systems have been around for many years, and have continually improved, and provide totally "green" energy. Within days of purchasing the house, work began to install the solar panels. This was completed within the week, giving us more than enough power to run all the usual household appliances e.g. TV, fridge/freezer and washing machine (‘A' category recommended) computer, lighting, etc., enough for a 5 bed house.
We also run the swimming pool pump and filtration system several times a day via the solar system. Although installation costs are initially quite expensive, (for our system about 12,500 Euros) the EU gives grants of anything up to 50% for houses who are not already supplied by the National Grid. These are applied for, and processed by, the supplier, and are not applicable for a self-installed system. This year, 2005, the grant amount was around 24%.
We have now been advised that there is a Government Zero interest loan available to get you on the way!
Once installed, the system pays for itself, and there is the added advantage of NO BILLS! There is also the reassurance that we have constant supply, other than those on the National Grid, whose supply sometimes fails in adverse weather conditions, or when too many appliances are used at once. On particularly grey days (of which there are very few) we have a generator to boost the battery supply from time to time, thus the only cost is a minimal amount of fuel to power this occasionally.
Since acquiring this system, we have become much more aware of what electricity we are using - turning off unnecessary lights, appliances etc, whenever possible, and using low energy bulbs, although this is not strictly necessary. Certain things use up a lot of power, e.g. irons and electric kettles. Although it is possible to run the iron using the solar system, it drains the system quite quickly, so we tend to minimise the amount of ironing we have to do (thankfully!) and also plug the iron straight into the generator, via an installed socket supply direct to the house.
The system consists of solar panels (amount to be assessed by the installer with regard to your particular requirements), a series of large batteries and a power inverter to convert the stored electricity to usable power - in fact, your very own electricity substation. After all, when you switch a light on, it makes no difference where the power comes from - it works!
When we started looking for property in Spain, we contacted Peek at Spain who, after showing us numerous properties within our original criteria, showed us the perfect house. Our priorities when searching had been the usual, mains electricity, mains water/drainage and telephone.
Our property came with none of the above, but the situation and style more than made up for this. We were told that solar power was easily obtained, and although enquiries were made, by Peek at Spain SL, on our behalf, to see if mains water could be added, this proved not to be practicable, at least in the immediate future. With their help, we contacted both a solar system installer, and the man who would be our water supplier, who both proved to be extremely helpful.
Solar Power
When we first told people, both here and back in England, we were having this installed, they thought we were mad! However, it is not such a new concept, nor as scary as people think. Solar Power systems have been around for many years, and have continually improved, and provide totally "green" energy. Within days of purchasing the house, work began to install the solar panels. This was completed within the week, giving us more than enough power to run all the usual household appliances e.g. TV, fridge/freezer and washing machine (‘A' category recommended) computer, lighting, etc., enough for a 5 bed house.
We also run the swimming pool pump and filtration system several times a day via the solar system. Although installation costs are initially quite expensive, (for our system about 12,500 Euros) the EU gives grants of anything up to 50% for houses who are not already supplied by the National Grid. These are applied for, and processed by, the supplier, and are not applicable for a self-installed system. This year, 2005, the grant amount was around 24%.
We have now been advised that there is a Government Zero interest loan available to get you on the way!
Once installed, the system pays for itself, and there is the added advantage of NO BILLS! There is also the reassurance that we have constant supply, other than those on the National Grid, whose supply sometimes fails in adverse weather conditions, or when too many appliances are used at once. On particularly grey days (of which there are very few) we have a generator to boost the battery supply from time to time, thus the only cost is a minimal amount of fuel to power this occasionally.
Since acquiring this system, we have become much more aware of what electricity we are using - turning off unnecessary lights, appliances etc, whenever possible, and using low energy bulbs, although this is not strictly necessary. Certain things use up a lot of power, e.g. irons and electric kettles. Although it is possible to run the iron using the solar system, it drains the system quite quickly, so we tend to minimise the amount of ironing we have to do (thankfully!) and also plug the iron straight into the generator, via an installed socket supply direct to the house.
The system consists of solar panels (amount to be assessed by the installer with regard to your particular requirements), a series of large batteries and a power inverter to convert the stored electricity to usable power - in fact, your very own electricity substation. After all, when you switch a light on, it makes no difference where the power comes from - it works!
2011年7月15日星期五
Bagging dog doo-doo just got tremendously cheaper
Bagging dog doo-doo just got tremendously cheaper in Nanaimo thanks to an opportunity to advertise on disposable dog-waste bags.
The city partnered with a private company in a deal that will nearly triple the number of dog-waste bag dispensers in dog-friendly parks. The agreement will outright eliminate the annual $25,000 bill for buying disposable bags.
Enviro-Smart Biodegradable Products will sell the city 60 new bag dispensers at a cost of about $6,000, but the company will take on the annual costs of supplying the bags. In return, Enviro-Smart can generate money by selling advertising space on the dispensers and bags. Such space could be ideal for dog daycare centres and pet supply stores.
Nanaimo's parks commission had considered raising dog licence fees to help pay for such services, but the public opposed this tactic simply because not everyone uses the service. Coun. Fred Pattje did not agree with selling advertising on doo-doo bags, but eventually he came to agree with his fellow parks commission members.
"We see this arrangement as a win all around as it allows us to redirect some maintenance funds to other worthwhile projects," said Coun. Fred Pattje. "It will increase the level of service for dog owners, help reduce the risk to the public by increasing the availability of options for proper disposal of pet waste, and organizations that purchase sponsorship space get a chance to sponsor an important community service."
The new dispensers hold more bags than the current ones, which will require less maintenance from city staff.
Nanaimo has 35 bag dispensers and purchases about 500,000 bags a year. An increased number of bags will better service approximately 10,000 dogs that live in the city.
The city partnered with a private company in a deal that will nearly triple the number of dog-waste bag dispensers in dog-friendly parks. The agreement will outright eliminate the annual $25,000 bill for buying disposable bags.
Enviro-Smart Biodegradable Products will sell the city 60 new bag dispensers at a cost of about $6,000, but the company will take on the annual costs of supplying the bags. In return, Enviro-Smart can generate money by selling advertising space on the dispensers and bags. Such space could be ideal for dog daycare centres and pet supply stores.
Nanaimo's parks commission had considered raising dog licence fees to help pay for such services, but the public opposed this tactic simply because not everyone uses the service. Coun. Fred Pattje did not agree with selling advertising on doo-doo bags, but eventually he came to agree with his fellow parks commission members.
"We see this arrangement as a win all around as it allows us to redirect some maintenance funds to other worthwhile projects," said Coun. Fred Pattje. "It will increase the level of service for dog owners, help reduce the risk to the public by increasing the availability of options for proper disposal of pet waste, and organizations that purchase sponsorship space get a chance to sponsor an important community service."
The new dispensers hold more bags than the current ones, which will require less maintenance from city staff.
Nanaimo has 35 bag dispensers and purchases about 500,000 bags a year. An increased number of bags will better service approximately 10,000 dogs that live in the city.
2011年7月11日星期一
I have been on the other end of the loud mouthing
I have been on the other end of the loud mouthing and know how it feels. One such time is listening to the fellow who shoots groundhogs at 1,500 yards and almost never misses. I doubt if he knows 1,500 yards when he sees it.
We were on a groundhog hunt for the Pennsylvania Game Commission some years ago. The commission was checking hogs for deer ticks and wanted samples from various areas. We had to quickly bag them and seal the bag.
It was on this one-day hunt when we bumped into a friend and explained what we were doing. He quickly explained that since it was important to get samples, we should take his brother with us because he never misses.
I raised an eyebrow and said, "He never misses?"
Guess what? We spotted an animal at about 300 yards and guess who missed? Well that was an exception. Next groundhog? He missed again. What part of never did his brother not understand?
Another fellow, teller of tall tales, was in a discussion about turkey hunting. He had listened impatiently while a novice related that he didn't think turkeys were real birds. Those gobbles came from a bug that hid under the forest leaves. Of course, he was speaking out of frustration for he had heard plenty of gobbles but saw nary a bird.
Now the famous teller of tall tales couldn't keep quiet any longer. He told how just a few days ago he had driven his truck up a farmer's lane and parked in a secluded spot. Naturally, he allowed things to quiet down a bit and leaned out the window of his Chevy half-ton and gave a few mouth calls. It only took a minute until three gobblers showed up. They were so excited, he had to close the truck window to keep them from climbing inside.
That man can call turkeys. I busted up laughing, but suddenly realized the man was serious.
I guess I am not the only big-mouth story teller, or, for that matter, the only hunter shooter out there with hoof in mouth disease. That's terminal if your born with your foot in your mouth; it will remain there until you die.
We were on a groundhog hunt for the Pennsylvania Game Commission some years ago. The commission was checking hogs for deer ticks and wanted samples from various areas. We had to quickly bag them and seal the bag.
It was on this one-day hunt when we bumped into a friend and explained what we were doing. He quickly explained that since it was important to get samples, we should take his brother with us because he never misses.
I raised an eyebrow and said, "He never misses?"
Guess what? We spotted an animal at about 300 yards and guess who missed? Well that was an exception. Next groundhog? He missed again. What part of never did his brother not understand?
Another fellow, teller of tall tales, was in a discussion about turkey hunting. He had listened impatiently while a novice related that he didn't think turkeys were real birds. Those gobbles came from a bug that hid under the forest leaves. Of course, he was speaking out of frustration for he had heard plenty of gobbles but saw nary a bird.
Now the famous teller of tall tales couldn't keep quiet any longer. He told how just a few days ago he had driven his truck up a farmer's lane and parked in a secluded spot. Naturally, he allowed things to quiet down a bit and leaned out the window of his Chevy half-ton and gave a few mouth calls. It only took a minute until three gobblers showed up. They were so excited, he had to close the truck window to keep them from climbing inside.
That man can call turkeys. I busted up laughing, but suddenly realized the man was serious.
I guess I am not the only big-mouth story teller, or, for that matter, the only hunter shooter out there with hoof in mouth disease. That's terminal if your born with your foot in your mouth; it will remain there until you die.
Everyone should make an attempt to modify
Everyone should make an attempt to modify, transform, enrich and reconstruct morals and ethics in the American political sphere. We should respect the unborn and the living.
One should acknowledge God as the creator of all and appeal to him for help in protecting all he graciously has given us. With all these gifts comes the right to use them justly. Hence, all such rights are the gifts of God as affirmed in our Declaration of Independence. These include the right to life and liberty.
We are to rule the world in holiness and righteousness, and pronounce judgment in integrity of heart and soul. Liberty includes the right to use and claim as an individual possession any unclaimed thing received from the hand of God. This right to any possession includes its entire use, that is, its exchange, control, protection and entire disposition. And the first and greatest of these possessions is our life.
Man is the only creature made in God’s image and likeness; all men have an equal duty to love themselves and others to honor that image of the God they are commanded to love. To obliterate that image by unjustly taking a life is the highest crime that one may do to another. To take a life justly is the most somber obligation God ever imposes.
God created man with two great dimensions, individual and social. In so doing, he gave us the right to associate with each other, to take advantage of our rights and to fulfill our duties.
God has imposed on men a duty to associate in governments to put a justified fear into the hearts of evildoers – yes, into the degenerate and reprobate mind. These duties are given for the good of all, but not to deprive any of the rights they are designed to protect. Governments should never commit the crimes they are created to prevent!
The Constitution’s willful distortion has led to the violation of our Tenth Amendment guaranteed right to limited government, which inevitably requires oppressive taxation. Its faithful application will lift that awful burden.
One should acknowledge God as the creator of all and appeal to him for help in protecting all he graciously has given us. With all these gifts comes the right to use them justly. Hence, all such rights are the gifts of God as affirmed in our Declaration of Independence. These include the right to life and liberty.
We are to rule the world in holiness and righteousness, and pronounce judgment in integrity of heart and soul. Liberty includes the right to use and claim as an individual possession any unclaimed thing received from the hand of God. This right to any possession includes its entire use, that is, its exchange, control, protection and entire disposition. And the first and greatest of these possessions is our life.
Man is the only creature made in God’s image and likeness; all men have an equal duty to love themselves and others to honor that image of the God they are commanded to love. To obliterate that image by unjustly taking a life is the highest crime that one may do to another. To take a life justly is the most somber obligation God ever imposes.
God created man with two great dimensions, individual and social. In so doing, he gave us the right to associate with each other, to take advantage of our rights and to fulfill our duties.
God has imposed on men a duty to associate in governments to put a justified fear into the hearts of evildoers – yes, into the degenerate and reprobate mind. These duties are given for the good of all, but not to deprive any of the rights they are designed to protect. Governments should never commit the crimes they are created to prevent!
The Constitution’s willful distortion has led to the violation of our Tenth Amendment guaranteed right to limited government, which inevitably requires oppressive taxation. Its faithful application will lift that awful burden.
2011年7月6日星期三
Why Andre Iguodala's Days with Philadelphia 76ers Are Numbered
How long before Philadelphia 76ers fans say bye-bye to Andre Iguodala? It won't be until the lockout is over—if then—and the shutdown could bubble over into next year.
For now, Iguodala remains a Sixer, but his days could be numbered. Several factors could determine whether or not a deal goes down involving Philly's most active A.I.
The way Andre probably feels, some (insert Eminem's chorus in the song Forgot About Dre) people in the City of (supposed) Brotherly Love forgot about him. Those people could be the reason Dre isn't getting any sleep.
Don't sleep on this countdown. Join me for the entertaining an educational experience of your natural born lives, brothers and sisters. You know the routine...Roll Dr. Dre/Eminem's audio and the (insert your own expletive since I don't cuss) graphics...
For now, Iguodala remains a Sixer, but his days could be numbered. Several factors could determine whether or not a deal goes down involving Philly's most active A.I.
The way Andre probably feels, some (insert Eminem's chorus in the song Forgot About Dre) people in the City of (supposed) Brotherly Love forgot about him. Those people could be the reason Dre isn't getting any sleep.
Don't sleep on this countdown. Join me for the entertaining an educational experience of your natural born lives, brothers and sisters. You know the routine...Roll Dr. Dre/Eminem's audio and the (insert your own expletive since I don't cuss) graphics...
2011年6月28日星期二
Grocery chain Trader
Grocery chain Trader Joe's even offers a small discount for customers who use their own reusable bags, and some cities, including Long Beach, are enacting laws to restrict or eliminate plastic bags altogether.
So far, Lopez's design has gained a respectable following, though market officials wouldn't reveal if Lopez has gained the most votes to date.
The winner will be announced July 26.
"Lopez's design stood out to us as being original, creative and a great representation of what Fresh & Easy means to him," said Roberto Munoz, Fresh & Easy's director of neighborhood affairs.
Lopez, a 2007 graduate of Cal State Fullerton with a bachelor's degree in communications, said he would like to use any potential winnings to help feed his large, extended family, spouse and friends.
"I love Fresh & Easy and have been shopping there since they opened up in Long Beach (a few years ago)," Lopez said. "A year's worth of groceries. I could supply all the food for our family barbecues, fill our refrigerator to overflowing. It would save us a fortune...and it would be personally fulfilling seeing that design on those bags everywhere."
El Segundo-based Fresh & Easy has become one of North America's fastest-growing grocery chains since opening its first store in 2007.
It operates two shops in Long Beach, one in Signal Hill and more than 170 across California, Nevada and Arizona, with dozens more expected to open in the next few years.
The reusable bags will be available at all Fresh & Easy markets beginning in August, starting at 99 cents.
Customers who have signed into the market's website can vote on the finalists' designs through July 10.
So far, Lopez's design has gained a respectable following, though market officials wouldn't reveal if Lopez has gained the most votes to date.
The winner will be announced July 26.
"Lopez's design stood out to us as being original, creative and a great representation of what Fresh & Easy means to him," said Roberto Munoz, Fresh & Easy's director of neighborhood affairs.
Lopez, a 2007 graduate of Cal State Fullerton with a bachelor's degree in communications, said he would like to use any potential winnings to help feed his large, extended family, spouse and friends.
"I love Fresh & Easy and have been shopping there since they opened up in Long Beach (a few years ago)," Lopez said. "A year's worth of groceries. I could supply all the food for our family barbecues, fill our refrigerator to overflowing. It would save us a fortune...and it would be personally fulfilling seeing that design on those bags everywhere."
El Segundo-based Fresh & Easy has become one of North America's fastest-growing grocery chains since opening its first store in 2007.
It operates two shops in Long Beach, one in Signal Hill and more than 170 across California, Nevada and Arizona, with dozens more expected to open in the next few years.
The reusable bags will be available at all Fresh & Easy markets beginning in August, starting at 99 cents.
Customers who have signed into the market's website can vote on the finalists' designs through July 10.
2011年6月23日星期四
Elementary student Josh Whalen vividly
Elementary student Josh Whalen vividly remembers the moment he received a backpack through the local food bank’s Backpacks for Bookworms program.
He recalls exploring its pockets, which were “loaded” with school supplies during the bus ride home. It was like Christmas in backpack.
“We didn’t have enough money to get a backpack,” he said. “It felt pretty good that I would actually have a backpack.”
Not only can the Grade 6 Coronation Street Public School student appreciate the goodwill of those who have donated to the Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank’s Backpacks for Bookworms initiative, he also now knows the meaning of giving back to the program.
Whalen and his class recently put their heads together to come up with a way to raise money to support the program and students whose family budgets don’t allow for the back-to-school shopping sprees enjoyed by most. The students did everything from hold bake sales and raffles to raise hundreds of dollars, enough to buy six backpacks brimming with supplies. The total cost was about $250.
It was an effort that students, including Karel Peters, hopes will create a domino effect of giving.
“Maybe through our actions, they would do the same,” she said.
The fundraiser was a joint effort with Chalmers Street Public School, affectionately known as a “sister school”. Coronation Street Grade 6 teacher Jackee Berry’s sister Denielle Berry’s Grade 4 class also held fundraisers to purchase backpacks and supplies.
“Together we raised almost $800, which is unbelieveable,” said Jackee. “We didn’t think we would be able to raise that much money.”
He recalls exploring its pockets, which were “loaded” with school supplies during the bus ride home. It was like Christmas in backpack.
“We didn’t have enough money to get a backpack,” he said. “It felt pretty good that I would actually have a backpack.”
Not only can the Grade 6 Coronation Street Public School student appreciate the goodwill of those who have donated to the Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank’s Backpacks for Bookworms initiative, he also now knows the meaning of giving back to the program.
Whalen and his class recently put their heads together to come up with a way to raise money to support the program and students whose family budgets don’t allow for the back-to-school shopping sprees enjoyed by most. The students did everything from hold bake sales and raffles to raise hundreds of dollars, enough to buy six backpacks brimming with supplies. The total cost was about $250.
It was an effort that students, including Karel Peters, hopes will create a domino effect of giving.
“Maybe through our actions, they would do the same,” she said.
The fundraiser was a joint effort with Chalmers Street Public School, affectionately known as a “sister school”. Coronation Street Grade 6 teacher Jackee Berry’s sister Denielle Berry’s Grade 4 class also held fundraisers to purchase backpacks and supplies.
“Together we raised almost $800, which is unbelieveable,” said Jackee. “We didn’t think we would be able to raise that much money.”
2011年6月16日星期四
Scott graduated from Union Pines in 1993
Scott graduated from Union Pines in 1993 after having a lot of success in golf. While there, he won the high school state championship with the lowest score posted in about 20 years and was a North Carolina High School Player of the Year. He attended Rice University on a golf scholarship.
After graduating from college, Scott spent four years on the Canadian Professional Tour. He spent two years as the head golf coach at the University of Texas-Pan American before returning to his alma mater. He has had a successful six years as the head golf coach at Rice University, including coaching Whitehead the past four years.
Whitehead, 23, turned professional this year, but other than the U.S. Open qualifiers and the Texas State Open, most of his experience comes from college play. Originally a first alternate, Whitehead gained his position in the Open after Woods dropped out due to injuries to his left knee and Achilles tendon.
Professional and amateur golfers began arriving at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., Monday for the 111th U.S. Open. Players will compete on the Blue Course. The official 2011 U.S. Open website says the course is “often considered among the best 100 courses in the United States.”
“The U.S. Open is so challenging because they make the greens firm and fast,” Scott said. “You have to be very precise.”
All U.S. Open competitors began the week Monday with practice rounds and start tournament play Thursday. The Open ends Sunday after four rounds. If there is a tie, players will play in a fifth 18-hole round the next Monday, followed by a sudden death playoff if the tie still stands after the fifth round.
Scott said that he and Whitehead planned to practice Monday and Tuesday, with a lighter round Wednesday. As Whitehead’s caddie, Scott will be the only person able to advise Whitehead during the Open. As his former coach, Scott will know how to keep him calm and focused in his first major experience as a professional golfer.
After graduating from college, Scott spent four years on the Canadian Professional Tour. He spent two years as the head golf coach at the University of Texas-Pan American before returning to his alma mater. He has had a successful six years as the head golf coach at Rice University, including coaching Whitehead the past four years.
Whitehead, 23, turned professional this year, but other than the U.S. Open qualifiers and the Texas State Open, most of his experience comes from college play. Originally a first alternate, Whitehead gained his position in the Open after Woods dropped out due to injuries to his left knee and Achilles tendon.
Professional and amateur golfers began arriving at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., Monday for the 111th U.S. Open. Players will compete on the Blue Course. The official 2011 U.S. Open website says the course is “often considered among the best 100 courses in the United States.”
“The U.S. Open is so challenging because they make the greens firm and fast,” Scott said. “You have to be very precise.”
All U.S. Open competitors began the week Monday with practice rounds and start tournament play Thursday. The Open ends Sunday after four rounds. If there is a tie, players will play in a fifth 18-hole round the next Monday, followed by a sudden death playoff if the tie still stands after the fifth round.
Scott said that he and Whitehead planned to practice Monday and Tuesday, with a lighter round Wednesday. As Whitehead’s caddie, Scott will be the only person able to advise Whitehead during the Open. As his former coach, Scott will know how to keep him calm and focused in his first major experience as a professional golfer.
2011年6月13日星期一
Cline was at the tail-end of one of four assembly lines
Cline was at the tail-end of one of four assembly lines where volunteers, wearing hairnets, some over baseball caps and scarves, and plastic gloves, measured soy meal, dried vegetables, chicken flavoring and rice into plastic bags. Once weighed, they were sealed and then boxed up, 36 packages to a box.
The packaging event was sponsored by the Garden City High School Key Club which raised $2,500 for the project through an Empty Bowls event to pay for the meals which cost about 28 cents each. Each bag can feed six adults or 12 children.
“This is the first time we've done it at the high school,” said Key Club president Brittany Zapczynski. “We did it at the Key Club convention and decided we really want to make a difference in the community.”
The club put a call the week before the event, held June 4, hoping to get 150 volunteers. The students expected 75 people, but when more than double that number showed up, Michael Burwell, executive director of the Kids Against Hunger Coalition of Michigan, had a plan. He rotated people in and out of the different work stations. Students, school district employees and parents with children from preschool to high school took turns assembling the meals.
“I've never had such sweaty hands,” said high school secretary Karen Avey. “This is so fulfilling, but eeeeew!”
The packaging started just before 9 a.m. and by 9:20, Burwell had workers stop to hear table one announce they had packaged 2,500 meals. By 9:45 a.m., the total count was 8,000 meals, and Burwell was starting to shut down the assembly lines.
And by 10 a.m., the cleanup was well under way.
“We bring a whole mobile packaging operation to them,” said Burwell. “We bring the service project to the community in order to reach out to the world and to other people in the community.”
The packaging event was sponsored by the Garden City High School Key Club which raised $2,500 for the project through an Empty Bowls event to pay for the meals which cost about 28 cents each. Each bag can feed six adults or 12 children.
“This is the first time we've done it at the high school,” said Key Club president Brittany Zapczynski. “We did it at the Key Club convention and decided we really want to make a difference in the community.”
The club put a call the week before the event, held June 4, hoping to get 150 volunteers. The students expected 75 people, but when more than double that number showed up, Michael Burwell, executive director of the Kids Against Hunger Coalition of Michigan, had a plan. He rotated people in and out of the different work stations. Students, school district employees and parents with children from preschool to high school took turns assembling the meals.
“I've never had such sweaty hands,” said high school secretary Karen Avey. “This is so fulfilling, but eeeeew!”
The packaging started just before 9 a.m. and by 9:20, Burwell had workers stop to hear table one announce they had packaged 2,500 meals. By 9:45 a.m., the total count was 8,000 meals, and Burwell was starting to shut down the assembly lines.
And by 10 a.m., the cleanup was well under way.
“We bring a whole mobile packaging operation to them,” said Burwell. “We bring the service project to the community in order to reach out to the world and to other people in the community.”
2011年5月31日星期二
Cities around the county have toyed with the idea
Cities around the county have toyed with the idea of banning plastic bags — but they tend to drop the idea as soon as the word “lawsuit” is heard from bag manufacturers.
In an effort to fend off legal challenges, several cities are now calling for the City/County Association of Governments to conduct a countywide environmental review of the project — a move they say could free each city to choose to ban the bags without worrying about repercussions.
But the countywide agency has been reluctant to endorse the idea, worrying it could take time and money away from other priorities.
In an attempt to reduce the number of plastic bags that wind up in the Bay and ocean, San Francisco, San Jose and several other California cities have banned the bags at large stores.
About two years ago, Millbrae tried to follow suit, but was told that if it didn’t conduct a full environmental review, it would be slammed with a lawsuit by companies that produce the bags, said Councilwoman Gina Papan.
With budgets shrinking, the city council couldn’t justify conducting an expensive environmental review for the project, she said. She said they were hoping a state law would be passed that would eliminate the need.
“As smaller cities we can’t afford it, but we’re all members of C/CAG,” she said. “We thought we could just have the county do it as a whole so we could be a lot more efficient.”
Papan, who is a member of C/CAG’s board, proposed the idea earlier this year, and C/CAG Executive Director Richard Napier said the association’s attorney has been exploring the idea.
“We haven’t decided if it’s something we can accommodate, given our staffing,” Napier said. “We’re already having a tough time doing everything we have on our plate now.”
Daly City Councilman David Canepa proposed a plastic bag ban in that city earlier this year, but said the proposal also had to be tabled after the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition threatened legal action if the ban went forward. That organization, which says it has no financial relationship with the plastic-bag manufacturing industry, has filed legal challenges to similar ban attempts in Marin County, Los Angeles, San Jose and Palo Alto.
In an effort to fend off legal challenges, several cities are now calling for the City/County Association of Governments to conduct a countywide environmental review of the project — a move they say could free each city to choose to ban the bags without worrying about repercussions.
But the countywide agency has been reluctant to endorse the idea, worrying it could take time and money away from other priorities.
In an attempt to reduce the number of plastic bags that wind up in the Bay and ocean, San Francisco, San Jose and several other California cities have banned the bags at large stores.
About two years ago, Millbrae tried to follow suit, but was told that if it didn’t conduct a full environmental review, it would be slammed with a lawsuit by companies that produce the bags, said Councilwoman Gina Papan.
With budgets shrinking, the city council couldn’t justify conducting an expensive environmental review for the project, she said. She said they were hoping a state law would be passed that would eliminate the need.
“As smaller cities we can’t afford it, but we’re all members of C/CAG,” she said. “We thought we could just have the county do it as a whole so we could be a lot more efficient.”
Papan, who is a member of C/CAG’s board, proposed the idea earlier this year, and C/CAG Executive Director Richard Napier said the association’s attorney has been exploring the idea.
“We haven’t decided if it’s something we can accommodate, given our staffing,” Napier said. “We’re already having a tough time doing everything we have on our plate now.”
Daly City Councilman David Canepa proposed a plastic bag ban in that city earlier this year, but said the proposal also had to be tabled after the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition threatened legal action if the ban went forward. That organization, which says it has no financial relationship with the plastic-bag manufacturing industry, has filed legal challenges to similar ban attempts in Marin County, Los Angeles, San Jose and Palo Alto.
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