Following the July flood that inundated downtown Kingsport in two and three feet of water, Kingsport Ballet staff, volunteers, and hired hands went to work to extract, clean up, dry up and restore affected areas.The Kingsport Ballet facility was renovated into the current arts center in July of 2010. The original building housed the Dixie Maid Bakery in the 1930s and 1940s, and various businesses since then.
Kingsport Ballet renovated over 15,000 square feet of space into five studios, spacious waiting areas, dressing rooms and porcelain tiles, a wellness lounge and additional studios sublet to arts instructors. Some of the front rooms which serve as reception areas and waiting rooms were covered in old vinyl tile, which was repaired and cleaned but not replaced in 2010. The recent flood saturated the front half of the building under 2 inches of water and the vinyl tile became loose in areas and buckled in others.
Faced with various options for re-flooring, it was determined that the two layers of tile would need to come up to determine if ceramic tile, sealed concrete or other appropriate high-traffic flooring would be best in the approximately 900 square-foot area. In the process of removal, workers exposed large areas of original porcelain tile laid during the original construction of the bakery. The tile covers 90 percent of the floor affected.
During the 2010 renovations, some of the same tile was exposed in another area, but due to large spots of subfloor disrepair, only a small portion of the original tile was restored into a framed area about 4 feet by 10.
The recent flooding forced the exposure and subsequent restoration of the original hexagonal one-inch tile, typical during the 1930s and 1940s. Kingsport Ballet volunteers and staff have been stripping and cleaning the tile for several weeks in order to open doors for fall classes on Aug. 19.
In addition to restoring the waiting area floors, workers have repaired buckled subfloors in carpeted areas, ripped out and replaced base molding, repaired and patched walls that became wet during the flood and are replacing some furniture damaged by water.
The non-profit company — supported in part by the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Kingsport Community Foundation, the City of Kingsport and various area sponsors — is seeking donations to offset renovation and restoration efforts as a result of the flood. A T-shirt commemorating the restoration has been created, and will be for sale on the corner of Cherokee and Market streets on Saturday, Aug. 17, during a downtown celebration event, and at Kingsport Ballet after that. Proceeds will help offset renovation and restoration expenses.
Kingsport Ballet is funded for general operations by the Tennessee Arts Commission under an agreement with the National Endowment for the Arts. Outreach programs are funded in part by the City of Kingsport, the East Tennessee Foundation’s Arts Fund, the Funds for At-Risk Youth with the Tennessee Arts Commission, Holston Medical Group, among others.
"If a spacecraft is hit by orbital debris it may damage the thermal protection system," said Eric Fahrenthold, professor of mechanical engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, who studies impact dynamics both experimentally and through numerical simulations. "Even if the impact is not on the main heat shield, it may still adversely affect the spacecraft. The thermal researchers take the results of impact research and assess the effect of a certain impact crater depth and volume on the survivability of a spacecraft during reentry," Fahrenthold said.
Only some of the collisions that may occur in low earth orbit can be reproduced in the laboratory. To determine the potential impact of fast-moving orbital debris on spacecraft — and to assist NASA in the design of shielding that can withstand hypervelocity impacts — Fahrenthold and his team developed a numerical algorithm that simulates the shock physics of orbital debris particles striking the layers of Kevlar,China Porcelain tile, and fiberglass that makes up a space vehicle's outer defenses.
Supercomputers enable researchers to investigate physical phenomenon that cannot be duplicated in the laboratory, either because they are too large, small, dangerous — or in this case, too fast — to reproduce with current testing technology. Running hundreds of simulations on the Ranger, Lonestar and Stampede supercomputers at the Texas Advanced Computing Center, Fahrenthold and his students have assisted NASA in the development of ballistic limit curves that predict whether a shield will be perforated when hit by a projectile of a given size and speed. NASA uses ballistic limit curves in the design and risk analysis of current and future spacecraft.
Read the full products at http://www.tilees.com/.
2013年8月7日星期三
Vinyl windows need different care
First, don’t use paper towels or household cleaners such as bleach or ammonia, as you have noted. Here’s what is recommended on most of these sites: Use a clean, soft terry cloth or cotton rag to wash your windows. Wipe the windows from left to right or right to left to clean them. Use a clean, soft terry towel or cotton rag to dry the entire surface after washing. Rinse thoroughly to completely remove whatever cleaning agent you’ve used. Apply a protectant.
Our master bath has a 6-inch ceramic-tile floor that needs to be replaced as the result of a less-than-stellar renovation that left a large scar on the floor. A Jacuzzi-style step-in bathtub was removed and replaced with a 60-inch shower. The replacement floor tiles were not matched up correctly, more like a cut and patch, and the result is not acceptable. Home Depot claims 12-inch vinyl tile squares can be laid over the existing ceramic floor by a professional, which would save us the cost of having all the China ceramic tile removed first. I am a little hesitant to go cheap for a second time. What is your opinion?
First, when you decide down the road to sell the house, buyers will universally pan your decision to go cheap — that’s if the vinyl floor is intact. Obviously, the person who scarred the floor when the Jacuzzi was removed and the shower was installed is not willing to return to redo his or her shoddy work. Or, am I to understand the person who did the work was homegrown, as we say? I’d redo the ceramic tile (I’ve done it myself a couple of times over the years) because you want a bathroom that is long on quality and short on shortcuts. Hire a professional and ask what he or she recommends.
Removing the current tile floor to replace it with new would be difficult if the underlayment was wet-bed but not if it was exterior plywood or WonderBoard or Durock. Even if the tile person were to lay something on top of the existing tile, he or she would likely use thinset or some other compound to level it. If you add another layer of anything to an existing floor, you raise it, even slightly, meaning thresholds and trim need to be adjusted. I’d spend the money to have it done correctly. You’ll be able to enjoy something that looks good and add to the value of your house instead of detract from it.
We have a 100-plus-year-old twin house. We recently got a new neighbor next door who has a treadmill which he has placed on the second floor. When in use, the house shakes slightly and items on shelves on the first floor rattle slightly. We do have wall mounted shelves with some expensive items on them. Our fear is that the vibration from the treadmill may not be good for the structure of an old house. We put our exercise equipment in the basement for that reason. Is it likely to do any damage?
Mozaico, a leader in custom mosaic tiles for nearly 50 years, announced today that the company has retained 80 mosaic artists to cater to its growing global customer base. Notable artists added to the company’s impressive roster of talent include Amir Fares, John Farra, John Messina, Nada Khoury, Sola Baz and Yulia Stebris.
The company has employed a diverse group of designers that possess tremendous talent and professionalism. They leverage their expertise to create custom crafted mosaics based on photos, illustrations and descriptions submitted by Mozaico.net customers. Mosaics have been created to replicate family portraits, corporate logos, famous symbols and icons and notable figures, and to commemorate special milestones and memories. Custom mosaics are commonly installed in kitchens, baths, foyers, yachts or pool areas, or on walls for added color and style.
“Handcrafted custom works of art, especially custom mosaics, have not always been available to mainstream consumers,” said Rim Mecherkany, marketing executive at Mozaico.net. “There have been a number of barriers ranging from price to access. We’re now riding a growing trend of bringing together some of the world’s best polished tiles talent in one place on the web to make it easier for consumers to gain access to these works and do so at a price that they can afford.”
“We anticipate that mainstream consumers will gravitate toward Mozaico.net for custom mosaics that are truly an expression of their interests and lifestyle rather than opting for mass market décor that doesn’t speak to who they are,” Mecherkany continued.
While mosaics continue to top the lists each year of colorful design trends, the tradition goes as far back as 4,000 years ago, as evidenced by the use of terracotta cones and their application onto structures as a means of decoration. Mozaico.net has upheld this tradition since 1963. The company first began production in a facility in Lebanon, and has since expanded their operations to various strategic international hubs.
The company now exports custom mosaic tiles to more than 70 countries, catering to a worldwide client base that includes both residential and commercial customers. High profile clients include the State of Hawaii, the President of Chile, Le Gray Hotel in Beirut and Casino Spielbank Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Mozaico’s custom mosaics are made from natural stone, ceramic or glass tiles. Mosaics come honed with avarnish that gives the design a wet look, but can also be antiqued or polished for an additional fee based on the customer’s preference. Self-installation is simple and comparable to installing a ceramic tile purchased from a home improvement vendor. Directions are included for the customer’s convenience.
Mozaico.net does offer installation of custom mosaics in Florida and Orange County, Calif. Installation in other areas requires additional fees to cover the cost of travel and accommodation.
“This is an exciting time in the life of our company,” said Mecherkany. “Our mosaic artists have apprenticed in Spain and Italy; they’ve studied classical arts in Paris; they’ve exhibited in galleries – you name it, they’ve done it. Having such an amazing depth of talent is a great achievement for our company, but it’s also a tremendous advantage for our customers. We’re delighted to be able to continue to share the tradition of mosaic artistry with the world and help art lovers bring dynamic mosaic pieces into their homes and places of business.”
Our master bath has a 6-inch ceramic-tile floor that needs to be replaced as the result of a less-than-stellar renovation that left a large scar on the floor. A Jacuzzi-style step-in bathtub was removed and replaced with a 60-inch shower. The replacement floor tiles were not matched up correctly, more like a cut and patch, and the result is not acceptable. Home Depot claims 12-inch vinyl tile squares can be laid over the existing ceramic floor by a professional, which would save us the cost of having all the China ceramic tile removed first. I am a little hesitant to go cheap for a second time. What is your opinion?
First, when you decide down the road to sell the house, buyers will universally pan your decision to go cheap — that’s if the vinyl floor is intact. Obviously, the person who scarred the floor when the Jacuzzi was removed and the shower was installed is not willing to return to redo his or her shoddy work. Or, am I to understand the person who did the work was homegrown, as we say? I’d redo the ceramic tile (I’ve done it myself a couple of times over the years) because you want a bathroom that is long on quality and short on shortcuts. Hire a professional and ask what he or she recommends.
Removing the current tile floor to replace it with new would be difficult if the underlayment was wet-bed but not if it was exterior plywood or WonderBoard or Durock. Even if the tile person were to lay something on top of the existing tile, he or she would likely use thinset or some other compound to level it. If you add another layer of anything to an existing floor, you raise it, even slightly, meaning thresholds and trim need to be adjusted. I’d spend the money to have it done correctly. You’ll be able to enjoy something that looks good and add to the value of your house instead of detract from it.
We have a 100-plus-year-old twin house. We recently got a new neighbor next door who has a treadmill which he has placed on the second floor. When in use, the house shakes slightly and items on shelves on the first floor rattle slightly. We do have wall mounted shelves with some expensive items on them. Our fear is that the vibration from the treadmill may not be good for the structure of an old house. We put our exercise equipment in the basement for that reason. Is it likely to do any damage?
Mozaico, a leader in custom mosaic tiles for nearly 50 years, announced today that the company has retained 80 mosaic artists to cater to its growing global customer base. Notable artists added to the company’s impressive roster of talent include Amir Fares, John Farra, John Messina, Nada Khoury, Sola Baz and Yulia Stebris.
The company has employed a diverse group of designers that possess tremendous talent and professionalism. They leverage their expertise to create custom crafted mosaics based on photos, illustrations and descriptions submitted by Mozaico.net customers. Mosaics have been created to replicate family portraits, corporate logos, famous symbols and icons and notable figures, and to commemorate special milestones and memories. Custom mosaics are commonly installed in kitchens, baths, foyers, yachts or pool areas, or on walls for added color and style.
“Handcrafted custom works of art, especially custom mosaics, have not always been available to mainstream consumers,” said Rim Mecherkany, marketing executive at Mozaico.net. “There have been a number of barriers ranging from price to access. We’re now riding a growing trend of bringing together some of the world’s best polished tiles talent in one place on the web to make it easier for consumers to gain access to these works and do so at a price that they can afford.”
“We anticipate that mainstream consumers will gravitate toward Mozaico.net for custom mosaics that are truly an expression of their interests and lifestyle rather than opting for mass market décor that doesn’t speak to who they are,” Mecherkany continued.
While mosaics continue to top the lists each year of colorful design trends, the tradition goes as far back as 4,000 years ago, as evidenced by the use of terracotta cones and their application onto structures as a means of decoration. Mozaico.net has upheld this tradition since 1963. The company first began production in a facility in Lebanon, and has since expanded their operations to various strategic international hubs.
The company now exports custom mosaic tiles to more than 70 countries, catering to a worldwide client base that includes both residential and commercial customers. High profile clients include the State of Hawaii, the President of Chile, Le Gray Hotel in Beirut and Casino Spielbank Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Mozaico’s custom mosaics are made from natural stone, ceramic or glass tiles. Mosaics come honed with avarnish that gives the design a wet look, but can also be antiqued or polished for an additional fee based on the customer’s preference. Self-installation is simple and comparable to installing a ceramic tile purchased from a home improvement vendor. Directions are included for the customer’s convenience.
Mozaico.net does offer installation of custom mosaics in Florida and Orange County, Calif. Installation in other areas requires additional fees to cover the cost of travel and accommodation.
“This is an exciting time in the life of our company,” said Mecherkany. “Our mosaic artists have apprenticed in Spain and Italy; they’ve studied classical arts in Paris; they’ve exhibited in galleries – you name it, they’ve done it. Having such an amazing depth of talent is a great achievement for our company, but it’s also a tremendous advantage for our customers. We’re delighted to be able to continue to share the tradition of mosaic artistry with the world and help art lovers bring dynamic mosaic pieces into their homes and places of business.”
2013年8月5日星期一
Blast Away Grime With Baking Soda
It works in conjunction with an air compressor to clean dirty parts and surfaces. But instead of using sand as the cleaning abrasive, a soda blaster shoots out sodium bicarbonate, which is commonly known as baking soda though what's used in blasters is composed of larger particles than those found in standard household baking soda.
The advantage of using baking soda, as opposed to sand, crushed walnut shells, coal slag, or any other abrasive, is that it's environmentally safe, less aggressive, relatively affordable, and easily rinsed away with water. In fact, the first large-scale industrial use of soda blasting occurred during the 1986 centennial restoration of the Statue of Liberty. It was the only safe and effective way to remove coal tar, paint, and corrosion from the statue's soft copper skin.
Soda blasters can be used to remove paint, grease, indelible stains, and caked-on dirt from virtually any surface, Ceramic tile, aluminum, wood, sheet metal, brick, concrete, granite, chrome, glass, and even fiberglass.
Today soda blasters are often used to remove rust from metal, strip paint from wood doors and moldings, clean graffiti from masonry surfaces, blast hard-water deposits from ceramic tile, and power-strip industrial machinery. I recently used one to blast four coats of paint off a sheet of diamond-plate steel. It took less than 2 minutes to clean a 1-square-foot area down to bare steel.
A soda blaster itself is composed of a steel storage tank for holding the sodium bicarbonate, a spray nozzle and hose, manifold, and water separator that helps to prevent clogging. When shopping for a soda blaster, check its air requirement to ensure that your air compressor can provide the necessary pressure.
Soda blasters come in various sizes, based on the their storage-tank capacity. I bought a compact 15-pound Central Pneumatic soda blaster from Harbor Freight Tools for less than $100. The company also offers a larger 40-pound unit for about $160. Sodium bicarbonate is commonly available in medium- and extra-large grit. A 50-pound bag costs between $38 and $43. When operating a soda blaster, always wear protective eye goggles or a face shield, and a dust mask or dual-cartridge respirator. And be sure to follow the safety precautions outlined in the instruction manual.
Fylde's largest independent retail showroom, Artisan Tiles and Interiors is owned and managed by Marcus and Julia Eastwood. With nearly 25 years of combined experience in the UK tiles industry, the husband and wife tandem have advised clients on both domestic and commercial projects, both large and small. The Eastwood couple has recently helped in the design of a number of local businesses including Henry's Bar and Grill, Capri Bar, Moshina's Indian, Kensington Developments Lytham Quays site and Floor tiles.
At ArtisanTiles.co.uk, visitors will find a diverse range of tiling products for home and commercial needs. The website features each of the interiors and tiles in large image galleries for visitors to take a closer look at the design that may suit their taste or meet their tiling requirement.
Satisfied clients Ken & Elaine Beer from Blackpool talk about Artisan Tiles &Interiors: "What a fantastic range of tiles for walls and floors! The owners Julia and Marcus were extremely helpful and obliging, keen to offer advice with 'samples' and help with colour and design choices. The 'in store' home interiors section specialising in wallpapers and fabrics has an excellent service. Overall, it was a pleasant shopping experience."
ArtisanTiles.co.uk also displays Porcelanosa bathroom suites, the latest addition to the Artisan Tiles and Interiors showroom featuring two Porcelanosa bathroom and tile settings. The website also features the showroom's interiors department, which specialises in wallpapers, fabrics, wall covering and blinds. The website offers tile design advice and assistance, as well as quotations and insulations on curtains and all soft furnishings.
Kayser-Roth Corporation is seeking incentives from Burlington and Ala mance County to help create 50 new full-time jobs and invest $18 million in new capital as part of an expansion plan for its Burlington location.
Mac Wi lliams, Ala mance County A r ea Chamber of Commerce president, revealed the name of the textile company seeking incentives on Monday during an Alamance County Board of Commissioners meeting.
Kayser-Roth is based in Greensboro with a mailing address of 714 W. Interstate Service Road in Graham. County Manager Craig Honeycutt said the business is located in Burlington; he sent a letter regarding the company’s expansion plans to Williams on July 29.
“ Ala mance County ’s local ind ustrial development incentive is to provide a cash grant to the Company of a maximum of $360,000 based upon the initial new taxable valuation increase of building and equipment of $18,000,000 once the above job and investment thresholds have been met,” the letter stated. “This would be paid over a five year period, $72,000 annually for five years.”
The advantage of using baking soda, as opposed to sand, crushed walnut shells, coal slag, or any other abrasive, is that it's environmentally safe, less aggressive, relatively affordable, and easily rinsed away with water. In fact, the first large-scale industrial use of soda blasting occurred during the 1986 centennial restoration of the Statue of Liberty. It was the only safe and effective way to remove coal tar, paint, and corrosion from the statue's soft copper skin.
Soda blasters can be used to remove paint, grease, indelible stains, and caked-on dirt from virtually any surface, Ceramic tile, aluminum, wood, sheet metal, brick, concrete, granite, chrome, glass, and even fiberglass.
Today soda blasters are often used to remove rust from metal, strip paint from wood doors and moldings, clean graffiti from masonry surfaces, blast hard-water deposits from ceramic tile, and power-strip industrial machinery. I recently used one to blast four coats of paint off a sheet of diamond-plate steel. It took less than 2 minutes to clean a 1-square-foot area down to bare steel.
A soda blaster itself is composed of a steel storage tank for holding the sodium bicarbonate, a spray nozzle and hose, manifold, and water separator that helps to prevent clogging. When shopping for a soda blaster, check its air requirement to ensure that your air compressor can provide the necessary pressure.
Soda blasters come in various sizes, based on the their storage-tank capacity. I bought a compact 15-pound Central Pneumatic soda blaster from Harbor Freight Tools for less than $100. The company also offers a larger 40-pound unit for about $160. Sodium bicarbonate is commonly available in medium- and extra-large grit. A 50-pound bag costs between $38 and $43. When operating a soda blaster, always wear protective eye goggles or a face shield, and a dust mask or dual-cartridge respirator. And be sure to follow the safety precautions outlined in the instruction manual.
Fylde's largest independent retail showroom, Artisan Tiles and Interiors is owned and managed by Marcus and Julia Eastwood. With nearly 25 years of combined experience in the UK tiles industry, the husband and wife tandem have advised clients on both domestic and commercial projects, both large and small. The Eastwood couple has recently helped in the design of a number of local businesses including Henry's Bar and Grill, Capri Bar, Moshina's Indian, Kensington Developments Lytham Quays site and Floor tiles.
At ArtisanTiles.co.uk, visitors will find a diverse range of tiling products for home and commercial needs. The website features each of the interiors and tiles in large image galleries for visitors to take a closer look at the design that may suit their taste or meet their tiling requirement.
Satisfied clients Ken & Elaine Beer from Blackpool talk about Artisan Tiles &Interiors: "What a fantastic range of tiles for walls and floors! The owners Julia and Marcus were extremely helpful and obliging, keen to offer advice with 'samples' and help with colour and design choices. The 'in store' home interiors section specialising in wallpapers and fabrics has an excellent service. Overall, it was a pleasant shopping experience."
ArtisanTiles.co.uk also displays Porcelanosa bathroom suites, the latest addition to the Artisan Tiles and Interiors showroom featuring two Porcelanosa bathroom and tile settings. The website also features the showroom's interiors department, which specialises in wallpapers, fabrics, wall covering and blinds. The website offers tile design advice and assistance, as well as quotations and insulations on curtains and all soft furnishings.
Kayser-Roth Corporation is seeking incentives from Burlington and Ala mance County to help create 50 new full-time jobs and invest $18 million in new capital as part of an expansion plan for its Burlington location.
Mac Wi lliams, Ala mance County A r ea Chamber of Commerce president, revealed the name of the textile company seeking incentives on Monday during an Alamance County Board of Commissioners meeting.
Kayser-Roth is based in Greensboro with a mailing address of 714 W. Interstate Service Road in Graham. County Manager Craig Honeycutt said the business is located in Burlington; he sent a letter regarding the company’s expansion plans to Williams on July 29.
“ Ala mance County ’s local ind ustrial development incentive is to provide a cash grant to the Company of a maximum of $360,000 based upon the initial new taxable valuation increase of building and equipment of $18,000,000 once the above job and investment thresholds have been met,” the letter stated. “This would be paid over a five year period, $72,000 annually for five years.”
2013年7月31日星期三
Turns out thieves are economists
Last week’s Economist magazine carried a headline reading, “The Curious Case of the Fall in Crime.” It seems that all around the industrialized world – including in Canada – all kinds of criminal activity is on the decline. Contrary to the belief that evil thugs lurk around every corner, we are actually safer than we have been in decades.
The magazine’s editorial offers only guesses as to why crime rates are falling. Aging demographics may play a role, along with better theft-prevention technologies. Stiffer punishment and “get tough on crime” policies might make for good political posturing, but they seem to have little impact: Crime rates are falling in countries where sentencing has become tougher as well as where it has been loosened.
The Economist failed to mention the most obvious reason for the change – economic incentives. Thieves are simply doing what most of us do every day. They are responding to market signals.
This is particularly true of property crimes such as residential break-and-enter, car theft and armed robbery. The possible payoff for stealing from a home is dwindling. What is there worth taking? Electronics are increasingly less valuable – a computer or a television in the 1980s would have been worth thousands of dollars on the street; now they would fetch a few hundred bucks. Why buy a stolen iPod dock out of the back of some guy’s truck when you can get a new one for less than $100?
Car theft is down dramatically, too. According to Statistics Canada, car theft in Ontario plunged to 141 per 100,000 people last year, down from 443 in 1998. Better technology, car alarm systems and anti-theft devices have deterred most would-be thieves. And lower-priced cars without car alarms probably are not worth stealing anyway. The bad guys aren’t less bad, they’re just good economists.
Muggings and purse-snatchings are increasingly less common as well. But let’s not over-think the reasons why fewer thieves are snatching purses. It has nothing to do with the culprit’s age or job situation. Whether there was a father present in the thief’s childhood, or whether he or she played violent video games is irrelevant. The reason is that there’s just not much of value inside purses or wallets anymore. Cash has been largely replaced by debit and Ceramic tile, and as long as the PIN is secure, the thief makes away with nothing more than plastic cards and chewing gum. Cellphones are more costly, but stolen ones are difficult to wipe and resell.
Criminals, like all of us, respond to market signals. If the potential payoff for any activity is too low, we weigh the risks and decide it isn’t worth it. For non-criminals, the question isn’t “Should I steal this car?” but something along the lines of “Should I put in new bathroom tile before I list my house?” People are quite good at reading and responding to market signals.
Still, we shouldn’t think that poor economic incentives are making crime go away. Crime is simply morphing. Traditional crime statistics tend to focus on activities such as robbery, property theft and murder. Fewer long-term trend statistics are available for crimes that are doubtless increasing, such as identity theft and cyber-crime. Not only are they potentially more lucrative, they are global in scope and much more difficult to track.
Thieves are also getting smarter, using technology for evil deeds. Internet scams abound, and bank-card skimming and credit-card fraud is a serious problem. Banks have had to fight back with their own technology and it has been costly.
Economic incentives play a huge role motivating us in almost everything we do. Certain actions are no doubt spurred by altruism and generosity, such as helping our neighbour shovel snow or donating to charity (although we still want the tax receipt). Weighing the financial incentives against the potential risks is the basis of our economy. Criminals may not know they’re doing it, but they’re just responding to market signals – and doing a good job of it.
Today, the OS is a self-funded, civilian organisation with ￡100 million in turnover. While the OS is best known by the public for its paper maps, data accounts for 90% of that turnover.When it started its digital business back in the 1990s, the OS simply scanned in its paper maps. It used these scans to build a system called Landlines, which was simply a digital recreation of the maps.
In 2001, though, it launched a more powerful platform, called ‘OS MasterMap’. Instead of simply recreating the maps in digital form, OS MasterMap is a spatial database of 450 million geographical features, from rivers to roads to post boxes.“The difference was that instead of having what we call ‘spaghetti data’, the lines and points on the mapsheets actually represent physical features,” explains Andrew Howles, chief architect at Ordnance Survey.
Building OS MasterMap allowed the Ordnance Survey to offer a number of new services on top of its wealth of geographical information, and paying customers use the data for a range of application from satellite navigation to flood prevention.
But the first generation of the OS MasterMap platform had a few drawbacks. Firstly, like the maps that preceded it, it was made up of separate ‘tiles’ covering specific areas. This meant data had to be captured on a tile-by-tile basis, slowing down retrieval. “OS MasterMap was built using systems designed for digital cartography,” says Howles.
Also, data was extracted from a number of different source systems. These would evolve over time, so there was an ever-growing integration overhead involved in pulling it all together.
Read the full products at http://artsunlight.com/.
The magazine’s editorial offers only guesses as to why crime rates are falling. Aging demographics may play a role, along with better theft-prevention technologies. Stiffer punishment and “get tough on crime” policies might make for good political posturing, but they seem to have little impact: Crime rates are falling in countries where sentencing has become tougher as well as where it has been loosened.
The Economist failed to mention the most obvious reason for the change – economic incentives. Thieves are simply doing what most of us do every day. They are responding to market signals.
This is particularly true of property crimes such as residential break-and-enter, car theft and armed robbery. The possible payoff for stealing from a home is dwindling. What is there worth taking? Electronics are increasingly less valuable – a computer or a television in the 1980s would have been worth thousands of dollars on the street; now they would fetch a few hundred bucks. Why buy a stolen iPod dock out of the back of some guy’s truck when you can get a new one for less than $100?
Car theft is down dramatically, too. According to Statistics Canada, car theft in Ontario plunged to 141 per 100,000 people last year, down from 443 in 1998. Better technology, car alarm systems and anti-theft devices have deterred most would-be thieves. And lower-priced cars without car alarms probably are not worth stealing anyway. The bad guys aren’t less bad, they’re just good economists.
Muggings and purse-snatchings are increasingly less common as well. But let’s not over-think the reasons why fewer thieves are snatching purses. It has nothing to do with the culprit’s age or job situation. Whether there was a father present in the thief’s childhood, or whether he or she played violent video games is irrelevant. The reason is that there’s just not much of value inside purses or wallets anymore. Cash has been largely replaced by debit and Ceramic tile, and as long as the PIN is secure, the thief makes away with nothing more than plastic cards and chewing gum. Cellphones are more costly, but stolen ones are difficult to wipe and resell.
Criminals, like all of us, respond to market signals. If the potential payoff for any activity is too low, we weigh the risks and decide it isn’t worth it. For non-criminals, the question isn’t “Should I steal this car?” but something along the lines of “Should I put in new bathroom tile before I list my house?” People are quite good at reading and responding to market signals.
Still, we shouldn’t think that poor economic incentives are making crime go away. Crime is simply morphing. Traditional crime statistics tend to focus on activities such as robbery, property theft and murder. Fewer long-term trend statistics are available for crimes that are doubtless increasing, such as identity theft and cyber-crime. Not only are they potentially more lucrative, they are global in scope and much more difficult to track.
Thieves are also getting smarter, using technology for evil deeds. Internet scams abound, and bank-card skimming and credit-card fraud is a serious problem. Banks have had to fight back with their own technology and it has been costly.
Economic incentives play a huge role motivating us in almost everything we do. Certain actions are no doubt spurred by altruism and generosity, such as helping our neighbour shovel snow or donating to charity (although we still want the tax receipt). Weighing the financial incentives against the potential risks is the basis of our economy. Criminals may not know they’re doing it, but they’re just responding to market signals – and doing a good job of it.
Today, the OS is a self-funded, civilian organisation with ￡100 million in turnover. While the OS is best known by the public for its paper maps, data accounts for 90% of that turnover.When it started its digital business back in the 1990s, the OS simply scanned in its paper maps. It used these scans to build a system called Landlines, which was simply a digital recreation of the maps.
In 2001, though, it launched a more powerful platform, called ‘OS MasterMap’. Instead of simply recreating the maps in digital form, OS MasterMap is a spatial database of 450 million geographical features, from rivers to roads to post boxes.“The difference was that instead of having what we call ‘spaghetti data’, the lines and points on the mapsheets actually represent physical features,” explains Andrew Howles, chief architect at Ordnance Survey.
Building OS MasterMap allowed the Ordnance Survey to offer a number of new services on top of its wealth of geographical information, and paying customers use the data for a range of application from satellite navigation to flood prevention.
But the first generation of the OS MasterMap platform had a few drawbacks. Firstly, like the maps that preceded it, it was made up of separate ‘tiles’ covering specific areas. This meant data had to be captured on a tile-by-tile basis, slowing down retrieval. “OS MasterMap was built using systems designed for digital cartography,” says Howles.
Also, data was extracted from a number of different source systems. These would evolve over time, so there was an ever-growing integration overhead involved in pulling it all together.
Read the full products at http://artsunlight.com/.
2013年7月22日星期一
Debris still plague coastal lakes
Superstorm Sandyslammed New Jersey's coastal lakes, saddling many with sand and debris, but eight months after the storm they remain a lower priority than beaches, according to environmental advocates.At least 15 scenic lakes still need sand, debris or fallen trees removed, and many pose flood threats to neighboring homes. Several lakes have overflowed during heavy rainstorms in recent weeks.
"The coastal lakes have been mostly forgotten," said Edward Bonanno, chairman of the Avon Environmental Commission and a former environmental crimes bureau chief in the state Attorney General's Office. "We hope there will be a solution for all the coastal lakes, a plan for porcelain tiles, for storm water management and for shoreline restoration" with restored habitats, Bonanno said.
The lakes are key elements of their communities, and it's unfortunate that lake restoration is getting less attention than other Jersey Shore restoration efforts, said President Stephen J. Souza of Princeton Hydro, a Ringoes, N.J.-based environmental consulting firm.
"It's been going much slower than what you see happening along the coastal areas, the boardwalks repairs and things like that," said Souza, a consultant to the Deal Lake Commission.For decades, coastal lakes in Monmouth and Ocean counties have served as giant receptacles for polluted stormwater runoff and sediment from their heavily developed watersheds.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has received few requests for Sandy relief money to restore coastal lakes in the two counties and the Army Corps of Engineers eventually may study lakes, according to officials.
The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service had received 37 applications from across the state for Emergency Watershed Protection Program money after Hurricane Sandy. Proposed projects ranged from debris removal to bulkhead repair, according to Carrie Mosley, state conservationist in the agency. But some of the applications were ineligible.
The Army Corps will conduct a $2.5 million study of Wreck Pond in Spring Lake and Sea Girt, N.J., focusing on how to reduce flooding and pollution. But the study will take several years to complete. Every year, rainfall triggers numerous ocean swimming bans at four beaches near the pond.
The state Department of Environmental Protection is seeking more information from communities about flooding, debris, sand and damage to storm water infrastructure, according to spokesman Larry Hajna. The agency will use the information to develop restoration strategies and is looking into possible sources of financing.
Federal officials have approved $59.7 million in grants to the state for contractors to remove sand and sediment debris from navigable waterways following Sandy. But officials had not determined whether any of the money would go toward dredging and cleaning up coastal lakes, according to spokesman Larry Ragonese of the Department of Environmental Protection.The surge affected about 100 named lakes in New Jersey. In general, Monmouth County had the worst damage, said Jill Lipoti, director of the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Water Monitoring and Standards.
Before Sandy struck the Jersey Shore, officials lowered several lakes, including Silver Lake and Lake Como in Belmar, in an unsuccessful effort to prevent flooding.Nearly 25 years ago, the Monmouth County Health Department found generally poor water quality in nine lakes in the county.Erosion since the early 1900s has led to large amounts of glazed porcelain tile, sand and silt washing into the coastal lakes, according to a 2009 study by Monmouth University researchers and Souza. Stream banks were stripped of vegetation, flood plains were filled and tidal areas paved over, causing more flooding and worsening erosion in lake tributaries.
In February, Monmouth University hosted a Coastal Lakes Summit that focused partly on Sandy's effect on the 11 coastal lakes in Monmouth County and four in Ocean County.The Leap Motion Controller is a motion-sensor for your computer -- think of it as a tiny Kinect that works with a Windows PC or Mac. The Controller tracks your hands -- all 10 fingers, plus joints -- in 3D space, with far more precision than you’d expect: up to 1/100th of a millimeter accuracy, according to Leap Motion.
Put it down in front of your computer, in front of the keyboard or your laptop, and the space above it becomes a zone where you can use your hands to control stuff on your computer. Its sensory field, however, is limited to a narrow dome that extends above and around the tiny unit -- 2 feet above the controller, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet deep -- 8 cubic feet. It effectively covers a good chunk of your desktop space between you and your computer screen.
For people wondering what you can "do" with the Leap Motion Controller, the answer so far is: a lot, but not much that's useful. The Controller is compatible with Windows PCs and Macs, but it mostly works with software from the Airspace Store, an app store that's specifically designed for the unit. I tried the Controller on a MacBook Air, on an HP Elitebook Revolve, and on a bigger-screen Dell XPS 18. I played with about a dozen or so apps, and tried navigating Windows 8 and OS X with it.
Familiar apps like Google Maps and games like Cut the Rope have been Leap-enabled, and there were a host of other games and exploratory educational apps in the Airspace Store that were fun to noodle around with -- some even delivered a magic moment or two. But make no mistake: the Leap Motion Controller is a hobby accessory. No matter how cool it could be, or occasionally is, it won’t replace your touch pad, mouse, keyboard, and touch screen. It’s an experience more than an essential tool. For the most part, though, it works. And if the right apps were made available for it, it could get interesting.
An included “Orientation” tutorial you go through when you install the device shows you that virtual space and how your fingers are tracked. Immediately, you can see that it can sense subtle movements like a little finger waggle or rapid air-writing.
Once you’re done with the tutorial, you’re sent to Airspace Home, Leap Motion’s app launcher and gateway to the Airspace Store, where Leap Motion-compatible apps are sold. You need to set up an Airspace account; while the Leap Motion Controller could run apps outside the Airspace Store ecosystem (Google Earth 7.1 is one of them), the store’s a cleanly laid-out way to discover what apps are out there already, and a good chunk of them are free.
"The coastal lakes have been mostly forgotten," said Edward Bonanno, chairman of the Avon Environmental Commission and a former environmental crimes bureau chief in the state Attorney General's Office. "We hope there will be a solution for all the coastal lakes, a plan for porcelain tiles, for storm water management and for shoreline restoration" with restored habitats, Bonanno said.
The lakes are key elements of their communities, and it's unfortunate that lake restoration is getting less attention than other Jersey Shore restoration efforts, said President Stephen J. Souza of Princeton Hydro, a Ringoes, N.J.-based environmental consulting firm.
"It's been going much slower than what you see happening along the coastal areas, the boardwalks repairs and things like that," said Souza, a consultant to the Deal Lake Commission.For decades, coastal lakes in Monmouth and Ocean counties have served as giant receptacles for polluted stormwater runoff and sediment from their heavily developed watersheds.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has received few requests for Sandy relief money to restore coastal lakes in the two counties and the Army Corps of Engineers eventually may study lakes, according to officials.
The federal Natural Resources Conservation Service had received 37 applications from across the state for Emergency Watershed Protection Program money after Hurricane Sandy. Proposed projects ranged from debris removal to bulkhead repair, according to Carrie Mosley, state conservationist in the agency. But some of the applications were ineligible.
The Army Corps will conduct a $2.5 million study of Wreck Pond in Spring Lake and Sea Girt, N.J., focusing on how to reduce flooding and pollution. But the study will take several years to complete. Every year, rainfall triggers numerous ocean swimming bans at four beaches near the pond.
The state Department of Environmental Protection is seeking more information from communities about flooding, debris, sand and damage to storm water infrastructure, according to spokesman Larry Hajna. The agency will use the information to develop restoration strategies and is looking into possible sources of financing.
Federal officials have approved $59.7 million in grants to the state for contractors to remove sand and sediment debris from navigable waterways following Sandy. But officials had not determined whether any of the money would go toward dredging and cleaning up coastal lakes, according to spokesman Larry Ragonese of the Department of Environmental Protection.The surge affected about 100 named lakes in New Jersey. In general, Monmouth County had the worst damage, said Jill Lipoti, director of the Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Water Monitoring and Standards.
Before Sandy struck the Jersey Shore, officials lowered several lakes, including Silver Lake and Lake Como in Belmar, in an unsuccessful effort to prevent flooding.Nearly 25 years ago, the Monmouth County Health Department found generally poor water quality in nine lakes in the county.Erosion since the early 1900s has led to large amounts of glazed porcelain tile, sand and silt washing into the coastal lakes, according to a 2009 study by Monmouth University researchers and Souza. Stream banks were stripped of vegetation, flood plains were filled and tidal areas paved over, causing more flooding and worsening erosion in lake tributaries.
In February, Monmouth University hosted a Coastal Lakes Summit that focused partly on Sandy's effect on the 11 coastal lakes in Monmouth County and four in Ocean County.The Leap Motion Controller is a motion-sensor for your computer -- think of it as a tiny Kinect that works with a Windows PC or Mac. The Controller tracks your hands -- all 10 fingers, plus joints -- in 3D space, with far more precision than you’d expect: up to 1/100th of a millimeter accuracy, according to Leap Motion.
Put it down in front of your computer, in front of the keyboard or your laptop, and the space above it becomes a zone where you can use your hands to control stuff on your computer. Its sensory field, however, is limited to a narrow dome that extends above and around the tiny unit -- 2 feet above the controller, 2 feet wide, and 2 feet deep -- 8 cubic feet. It effectively covers a good chunk of your desktop space between you and your computer screen.
For people wondering what you can "do" with the Leap Motion Controller, the answer so far is: a lot, but not much that's useful. The Controller is compatible with Windows PCs and Macs, but it mostly works with software from the Airspace Store, an app store that's specifically designed for the unit. I tried the Controller on a MacBook Air, on an HP Elitebook Revolve, and on a bigger-screen Dell XPS 18. I played with about a dozen or so apps, and tried navigating Windows 8 and OS X with it.
Familiar apps like Google Maps and games like Cut the Rope have been Leap-enabled, and there were a host of other games and exploratory educational apps in the Airspace Store that were fun to noodle around with -- some even delivered a magic moment or two. But make no mistake: the Leap Motion Controller is a hobby accessory. No matter how cool it could be, or occasionally is, it won’t replace your touch pad, mouse, keyboard, and touch screen. It’s an experience more than an essential tool. For the most part, though, it works. And if the right apps were made available for it, it could get interesting.
An included “Orientation” tutorial you go through when you install the device shows you that virtual space and how your fingers are tracked. Immediately, you can see that it can sense subtle movements like a little finger waggle or rapid air-writing.
Once you’re done with the tutorial, you’re sent to Airspace Home, Leap Motion’s app launcher and gateway to the Airspace Store, where Leap Motion-compatible apps are sold. You need to set up an Airspace account; while the Leap Motion Controller could run apps outside the Airspace Store ecosystem (Google Earth 7.1 is one of them), the store’s a cleanly laid-out way to discover what apps are out there already, and a good chunk of them are free.
2013年7月18日星期四
Sweltering weather keeps pressure
The nearly 90-degree temperature made for a tough fight against a fire that gutted an abandoned home in Deer Isle on Thursday morning.Four companies — from Deer Isle, Brooklin, Sedgwick and Stonington — were necessary to provide adequate manpower, said Jim Foley, assistant fire chief in Deer Isle.
The large numbers of firefighters were needed so that each crew could work in 15-minute rotations, Foley said. While one crew fought the fire, which burned the second floor and roof of an abandoned house on Sunset Crossroad, the others received food and water from paramedics, who monitored each firefighter’s vitals before they went back to work.With turnout gear and air packs, fire crews risked health problems if they stayed in the hot building much longer than 15 minutes, Foley said.
“As soon as you get hot, you can stop functioning so well,” Foley said. “We didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”The fire was reported by Michael Kovac, who lives in a mobile home just a stone’s throw away from the home that burned. Kovac said he saw the fire and smoke around 10 a.m.“I went out to check the mail and smoke a cigarette,” he said. “I just saw tons of smoke and fire coming out of the roof, so I called 911.”
Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the blaze within about 15 minutes, Foley said, but additional flare-ups kept sparking in “void” spaces, between walls and above ceiling tiles. Because the fire had burned through the floor of the second story, crews had to punch holes the roof and attack from above.Kovac and his girlfriend, Meranda Smith, said they suspected a bolt of lightning from Wednesday night’s storm caused the fire. Smith said that around 3 a.m., the couple was awakened by the storm, and said she thought she smelled something burning at that China Porcelain tile.
Foley said firefighters could see no obvious natural cause of the blaze, and wouldn’t speculate. An investigator from the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal was scheduled to arrive Thursday afternoon to begin probing for the fire’s origin.
Stunning 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment in elevator building with 18' high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling south facing windows for plenty of natural light, and private balcony. This condo rental features all the modern amenities you need for maximum comfort: central AC and heat, energy efficient vented washer/dryer, Bosch dishwasher, microwave, Caesarstone countertops, stainless steel Fisher Paykel appliances, deep soaking tub, rainfall shower with separate body shower, tankless dual flush toilets, and radiant heating on the bathroom floors so you never have to step onto cold tiles again. 25-year tax abatement through 2033.
Located on a quiet street in Prospect Heights/Crown Heights north on the edge of Park Slope, Clinton Hill, and Ft Greene, this exclusive community of 6 buildings will have everything you need at your front door. Shared amenities include a business and entertainment suite with wi-fi, screening room, billiards and game room, children's playroom, and also available soon are an indoor pool, gym, and sauna. Hundreds of highly rated restaurants and charming cafes abound, many featuring top chefs and if nobody's cooking beats yours then you have several grocery options nearby or you can visit the weekly Farmer's Market at Grand Army Plaza by Prospect Park. With the iconic Brooklyn Museum, Botanic Gardens, and Brooklyn Zoo nearby there is something for everyone. Located just 1.5 blocks from the C train at Clinton/Washington, and a short distance to the 2/3, 4/5, B/Q, and G trains, 3 avenues to the Atlantic Terminal for the LIRR, you're just 10 minutes to Manhattan.
Police officers were dispatched to the 900 block of West Exchange Street July 6 on reports of a man pointing a gun at someone. Officers stopped the vehicle of a 26-year-old man who lived nearby, and drugs and loaded guns were found, according to officers. The man was charged with possession of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana, possession of criminal tools and carrying a concealed weapon (three counts).
A 53-year-old Biruta Avenue man was charged with disseminating matter harmful to juveniles July 8. According to officers, the man was drinking, using drugs and watching pornography. Though he paused the movie when a 12-year-old girl entered the room, she could still see the images on the television, according to the police report. The man also was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
A 19-year-old Stow man was charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug abuse instruments July 8. Stopped at Copley Road and Storer Avenue for a traffic violation, officers found heroin and a syringe on his person.
A 19-year-old Oakdale Avenue man reported he answered the door July 9 to two unknown black males between 17 and 25 in gray hoodies and masks. They ordered him to the floor and hit him in the back of the head, causing minor injuries, before leaving with a TV, video game system and games and smartphone, according to the police report.
A 29-year-old Dominion Drive man was charged with having weapons under disability, carrying a concealed weapon, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property July 9 after being stopped at North Hawkins Avenue and Cliffside Drive. The man, who has a previous felony conviction, was in possession of a loaded .45-caliber handgun, according to officers.
A 40-year-old Mull Avenue man was apprehended and charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and possession of marijuana and booked into the Summit County Jail July 12. Around 10:30 p.m. that evening, the man allegedly confronted a 25-year-old woman stopped at a traffic light at North Main and Olive streets by walking up to her car, stating he had a gun and ordering the female out of her car. When she refused, he slammed her head against the headrest several times, according to the police report. She took her keys out of the ignition and fled out the passenger side door, according to the report. The same evening, a 29-year old-male reported he also was approached at the same intersection by a man who said he had a gun and wanted the victim’s car, but he was able to put his car in reverse and drive off.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
The large numbers of firefighters were needed so that each crew could work in 15-minute rotations, Foley said. While one crew fought the fire, which burned the second floor and roof of an abandoned house on Sunset Crossroad, the others received food and water from paramedics, who monitored each firefighter’s vitals before they went back to work.With turnout gear and air packs, fire crews risked health problems if they stayed in the hot building much longer than 15 minutes, Foley said.
“As soon as you get hot, you can stop functioning so well,” Foley said. “We didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”The fire was reported by Michael Kovac, who lives in a mobile home just a stone’s throw away from the home that burned. Kovac said he saw the fire and smoke around 10 a.m.“I went out to check the mail and smoke a cigarette,” he said. “I just saw tons of smoke and fire coming out of the roof, so I called 911.”
Firefighters knocked down the bulk of the blaze within about 15 minutes, Foley said, but additional flare-ups kept sparking in “void” spaces, between walls and above ceiling tiles. Because the fire had burned through the floor of the second story, crews had to punch holes the roof and attack from above.Kovac and his girlfriend, Meranda Smith, said they suspected a bolt of lightning from Wednesday night’s storm caused the fire. Smith said that around 3 a.m., the couple was awakened by the storm, and said she thought she smelled something burning at that China Porcelain tile.
Foley said firefighters could see no obvious natural cause of the blaze, and wouldn’t speculate. An investigator from the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal was scheduled to arrive Thursday afternoon to begin probing for the fire’s origin.
Stunning 1 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment in elevator building with 18' high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling south facing windows for plenty of natural light, and private balcony. This condo rental features all the modern amenities you need for maximum comfort: central AC and heat, energy efficient vented washer/dryer, Bosch dishwasher, microwave, Caesarstone countertops, stainless steel Fisher Paykel appliances, deep soaking tub, rainfall shower with separate body shower, tankless dual flush toilets, and radiant heating on the bathroom floors so you never have to step onto cold tiles again. 25-year tax abatement through 2033.
Located on a quiet street in Prospect Heights/Crown Heights north on the edge of Park Slope, Clinton Hill, and Ft Greene, this exclusive community of 6 buildings will have everything you need at your front door. Shared amenities include a business and entertainment suite with wi-fi, screening room, billiards and game room, children's playroom, and also available soon are an indoor pool, gym, and sauna. Hundreds of highly rated restaurants and charming cafes abound, many featuring top chefs and if nobody's cooking beats yours then you have several grocery options nearby or you can visit the weekly Farmer's Market at Grand Army Plaza by Prospect Park. With the iconic Brooklyn Museum, Botanic Gardens, and Brooklyn Zoo nearby there is something for everyone. Located just 1.5 blocks from the C train at Clinton/Washington, and a short distance to the 2/3, 4/5, B/Q, and G trains, 3 avenues to the Atlantic Terminal for the LIRR, you're just 10 minutes to Manhattan.
Police officers were dispatched to the 900 block of West Exchange Street July 6 on reports of a man pointing a gun at someone. Officers stopped the vehicle of a 26-year-old man who lived nearby, and drugs and loaded guns were found, according to officers. The man was charged with possession of marijuana, trafficking in marijuana, possession of criminal tools and carrying a concealed weapon (three counts).
A 53-year-old Biruta Avenue man was charged with disseminating matter harmful to juveniles July 8. According to officers, the man was drinking, using drugs and watching pornography. Though he paused the movie when a 12-year-old girl entered the room, she could still see the images on the television, according to the police report. The man also was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
A 19-year-old Stow man was charged with possession of heroin and possession of drug abuse instruments July 8. Stopped at Copley Road and Storer Avenue for a traffic violation, officers found heroin and a syringe on his person.
A 19-year-old Oakdale Avenue man reported he answered the door July 9 to two unknown black males between 17 and 25 in gray hoodies and masks. They ordered him to the floor and hit him in the back of the head, causing minor injuries, before leaving with a TV, video game system and games and smartphone, according to the police report.
A 29-year-old Dominion Drive man was charged with having weapons under disability, carrying a concealed weapon, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property July 9 after being stopped at North Hawkins Avenue and Cliffside Drive. The man, who has a previous felony conviction, was in possession of a loaded .45-caliber handgun, according to officers.
A 40-year-old Mull Avenue man was apprehended and charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and possession of marijuana and booked into the Summit County Jail July 12. Around 10:30 p.m. that evening, the man allegedly confronted a 25-year-old woman stopped at a traffic light at North Main and Olive streets by walking up to her car, stating he had a gun and ordering the female out of her car. When she refused, he slammed her head against the headrest several times, according to the police report. She took her keys out of the ignition and fled out the passenger side door, according to the report. The same evening, a 29-year old-male reported he also was approached at the same intersection by a man who said he had a gun and wanted the victim’s car, but he was able to put his car in reverse and drive off.
Click on their website http://www.tilees.com/.
More than 50 shades of gray
Forget about the title of that racy best-seller. Color expert Kate Smith says our eyes can distinguish more than 500 shades of gray.Add a color to white or beige, Smith notes, and eventually both will become lighter versions of the added color. Add color to gray, however, and only its intensity will change. “It becomes more complex because there is more variation,” she says. Those vague hues we describe as grayish-blues, or reddish-grays are what she means. Such blending is what enables grays to play well with other colors, taking on cool or warm qualities depending on the colors mixed in.
And not every color can be as effective in sweats as it is in a tailored business suit. As with clothing, gray interiors can be fun and relaxed or no-nonsense formal. They can be dressed up or down depending on the materials, accessories and supporting colors used. “Gray can change depending on what’s next to it,” Smith says.
Use gray with orange in a dining room, and the result is surprising warmth. Try it with pale pink in a bedroom, and get soft sophistication. Pair gray and white in a kitchen for Ceramic tile alternative to safe, vanilla predictability. In a nursery, gray and white make a gender-neutral baby room that’s friendly to all those colorful toys.
“Gray really creates that perfect backdrop for a simple, timeless nursery,” says Kim Terry, spokeswoman for Pottery Barn Kids, which offers numerous gray options in bedding, room accessories and even its kid-size Anywhere chair. Younger parents who grew up around beautiful, contemporary furnishings want the same in their own homes, Terry says. “That modern aesthetic has made its way into nurseries.” In kitchens and bathrooms, gray has become a new “it” color, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Earlier this year, the Hackettstown-based organization surveyed its interior designer members and found that the use of gray is a steadily rising trend.
“People are just more interested in a softer look than stark white,” explains South Orange interior designer Antoinette Fraser, who recently used gray elements in the kitchen and dining area of a Millburn home. Gray grout anchors a beautiful wall accent of gray glass with gray and white marble. “Gray is a natural transition from the white,” she says. “A lot of the whites were gray-based whites.”Those grayish-whites complemented stainless steel appliances, whose popularity helped usher gray into our kitchens, says Becky Ralich, head of color marketing and design services for paint-maker Sherwin-Williams. “All that stainless has given us the acceptance of gray,” she says. “We are now accustomed to it, and we are open to it.”
From the steely color of stainless to grays with a hint of morning coffee, gray wall paints and finishes for cabinetry should be chosen with consideration of what will be nearby.“Gray is a little bit tricky,” Ralich notes. With its various undertones, grays should be tested with a room’s permanent fixtures to ensure a good marriage, she says. “Take a bunch of samples home and see what each is going to look like in your light.” Careful selection will ensure that the chosen gray complements rather than competes with its surroundings.
Good effect is magnificently illustrated in a kitchen (at top) that Heidi Piron of Summit recently designed for a Bayhead summer house. European apple wood cabinetry, with its striking stripe-like grain pattern, warms the schist stone countertops and an abundance of blue-gray glass tiles. “The last two to three years, I have used quite a bit of gray in kitchens,” says Piron. “It’s a great neutral and it blends with everything. It can go traditional, it can go contemporary.”
In gray kitchens and bathrooms, fixtures can help set a casual or formal tone, says Piron. For more traditional designs, she works with deeper, richer grays and the sheen of Floor tiles, polished brass or pewter hardware.And for anyone who thinks of “gray days” and “gray moods” and wonders if too much gray will be an interior design downer, color expert Smith notes that a gray area can become decidedly sedate or stimulating.If the goal is a more upbeat space, bring in brights and high-contrast colors, she suggests. “The more contrast, the more stimulating,” she notes. “Excitement is created by color and contrast.”
But Smith appreciates gray’s quiet side, and selected it for her own bedroom. “Gray can be rather calming,” she says. “I happen to like gray because I look at color all day long. Gray gives me a little rest from all the visual stimulus.” SnapStone was one of 18 “recommended” floorings out of the 51 products tested by Consumer Reports, with an overall score that ranked second highest in the magazine's rating system.
The World-Herald featured SnapStone while examining Nebraska's ties to China. A reporter and photographer visited a Shanghai factory that produces some of the porcelain tiles that the company uses. The tiles are shipped to Omaha, where SnapStone employees insert them into plastic trays with interlocking tabs. The tiles can then be snapped together to form a floating tile floor.Company president and CEO Jonathan McIntosh said it's hard to say yet whether the rating will increase sales, but he said his company is hearing from people who read the magazine article or saw news reports about it.
SnapStone is sold at home improvement stores such as Menards as a do-it-yourself product. A similar product from the company is sold under the Avaire brand name at Nebraska Furniture Mart and other retailers. In addition, McIntosh said, “two large, prominent, national chains, within the past two weeks, have suddenly become much more receptive to our advances.”
The stove would have to be moved to get at the flooring underneath it. The stove is heavier than most, so it would take two guys to move it, one of whom would be me, but that wasn't a problem. Moving the stove means turning off the gas to it, which means I wouldn't be able to cook on it, which would in fact be a problem. But we have another stove in the basement, so the problem would be an inconvenience, not a tragedy.
And not every color can be as effective in sweats as it is in a tailored business suit. As with clothing, gray interiors can be fun and relaxed or no-nonsense formal. They can be dressed up or down depending on the materials, accessories and supporting colors used. “Gray can change depending on what’s next to it,” Smith says.
Use gray with orange in a dining room, and the result is surprising warmth. Try it with pale pink in a bedroom, and get soft sophistication. Pair gray and white in a kitchen for Ceramic tile alternative to safe, vanilla predictability. In a nursery, gray and white make a gender-neutral baby room that’s friendly to all those colorful toys.
“Gray really creates that perfect backdrop for a simple, timeless nursery,” says Kim Terry, spokeswoman for Pottery Barn Kids, which offers numerous gray options in bedding, room accessories and even its kid-size Anywhere chair. Younger parents who grew up around beautiful, contemporary furnishings want the same in their own homes, Terry says. “That modern aesthetic has made its way into nurseries.” In kitchens and bathrooms, gray has become a new “it” color, according to the National Kitchen and Bath Association. Earlier this year, the Hackettstown-based organization surveyed its interior designer members and found that the use of gray is a steadily rising trend.
“People are just more interested in a softer look than stark white,” explains South Orange interior designer Antoinette Fraser, who recently used gray elements in the kitchen and dining area of a Millburn home. Gray grout anchors a beautiful wall accent of gray glass with gray and white marble. “Gray is a natural transition from the white,” she says. “A lot of the whites were gray-based whites.”Those grayish-whites complemented stainless steel appliances, whose popularity helped usher gray into our kitchens, says Becky Ralich, head of color marketing and design services for paint-maker Sherwin-Williams. “All that stainless has given us the acceptance of gray,” she says. “We are now accustomed to it, and we are open to it.”
From the steely color of stainless to grays with a hint of morning coffee, gray wall paints and finishes for cabinetry should be chosen with consideration of what will be nearby.“Gray is a little bit tricky,” Ralich notes. With its various undertones, grays should be tested with a room’s permanent fixtures to ensure a good marriage, she says. “Take a bunch of samples home and see what each is going to look like in your light.” Careful selection will ensure that the chosen gray complements rather than competes with its surroundings.
Good effect is magnificently illustrated in a kitchen (at top) that Heidi Piron of Summit recently designed for a Bayhead summer house. European apple wood cabinetry, with its striking stripe-like grain pattern, warms the schist stone countertops and an abundance of blue-gray glass tiles. “The last two to three years, I have used quite a bit of gray in kitchens,” says Piron. “It’s a great neutral and it blends with everything. It can go traditional, it can go contemporary.”
In gray kitchens and bathrooms, fixtures can help set a casual or formal tone, says Piron. For more traditional designs, she works with deeper, richer grays and the sheen of Floor tiles, polished brass or pewter hardware.And for anyone who thinks of “gray days” and “gray moods” and wonders if too much gray will be an interior design downer, color expert Smith notes that a gray area can become decidedly sedate or stimulating.If the goal is a more upbeat space, bring in brights and high-contrast colors, she suggests. “The more contrast, the more stimulating,” she notes. “Excitement is created by color and contrast.”
But Smith appreciates gray’s quiet side, and selected it for her own bedroom. “Gray can be rather calming,” she says. “I happen to like gray because I look at color all day long. Gray gives me a little rest from all the visual stimulus.” SnapStone was one of 18 “recommended” floorings out of the 51 products tested by Consumer Reports, with an overall score that ranked second highest in the magazine's rating system.
The World-Herald featured SnapStone while examining Nebraska's ties to China. A reporter and photographer visited a Shanghai factory that produces some of the porcelain tiles that the company uses. The tiles are shipped to Omaha, where SnapStone employees insert them into plastic trays with interlocking tabs. The tiles can then be snapped together to form a floating tile floor.Company president and CEO Jonathan McIntosh said it's hard to say yet whether the rating will increase sales, but he said his company is hearing from people who read the magazine article or saw news reports about it.
SnapStone is sold at home improvement stores such as Menards as a do-it-yourself product. A similar product from the company is sold under the Avaire brand name at Nebraska Furniture Mart and other retailers. In addition, McIntosh said, “two large, prominent, national chains, within the past two weeks, have suddenly become much more receptive to our advances.”
The stove would have to be moved to get at the flooring underneath it. The stove is heavier than most, so it would take two guys to move it, one of whom would be me, but that wasn't a problem. Moving the stove means turning off the gas to it, which means I wouldn't be able to cook on it, which would in fact be a problem. But we have another stove in the basement, so the problem would be an inconvenience, not a tragedy.
2013年6月16日星期日
2013 Nissan Pathfinder
This week, we're driving Nissan's new generation Pathfinder, a larger SUV that is now more dedicated to highway driving comfort more so than the previous Pathfinders, even though the name "Pathfinder" exudes more of an off-road affinity.
The new Pathfinder is still a four-door, seven-passenger SUV that comes in eight shades of dress, from the two wheel drive "S" at $28,650 up the top line Platinum 4x4, which goes for $41,150... and happens to be our tester for the week.
Important to note is all new Pathfinders come with the same engine under the hood, which means regardless of choice you're receiving the same underpinnings and mechanical attributes. Specifically, a fine running 3.5-liter V6 produces a stout 260-horses and 240 lb. ft. of torque. Pathfinder also delivers excellent fuel mileage at 20 city and 26 highway EPA numbers. If you opt for the 4x4 versions, you'll lose just one MPG on both ends thanks to Nissan's new and standard on all models Xtronic CVT overdrive automatic.
Pathfinder's major change, however, lies underneath for 2013. The former truck style full chassis that made Pathfinder a real off-road and towing mouthpiece is now swapped for a car-like unibody construction, resulting in more creature comfort and less truck like stiffness. There's also more interior room to utilize for the family and suitcases although as for towing, the weight allowed is lower than the last generation by 2,000 lbs. Still, Pathfinder's new tow numbers are good for a unibody at 5,000 lbs. max.
During our week long test, we allowed a fellow newspaper auto enthusiast a test drive and he was quick to give much praise. He cited Pathfinder as one of the very best riding and amenity loaded Crossover/SUVs he's ever driven.
Inside, the top line Platinum is indeed "top line," and is as close to sibling Infiniti in luxury as Nissan allows. The seating is firm yet very comfortable, and the reclining features of front and second rows are an added feature.
We utilized the second row slid and tilt feature while moving some bigger items. The seats also fold in the third row for even more cargo space. Notable is the ease of entry for adults that ride in the third row, which really is for full size adults.
Standard equipment on all Pathfinders include the necessities like tri-zone air, 18-inch tires, nice alloy wheels, keyless entry, cruise, 60/40-split second-row (slides, reclines and folds), tilt-and-telescopic, and a nice six-speaker stereo with six-CD player.
When you arrive at the top line Platinum, everything imaginable is included as standard, including power front seats, leather, Bluetooth, eight-inch color display, rearview safety camera, XM radio, USB/iPod,
fog lamps, roof rack, rear park sensors, roof rack, heated front and rear seats, driver memory functions, 20-inch wheels on alloys, tow package, multi-view parking camera, cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, navigation system, real-time traffic and a spectacular 13-speaker Bose stereo audio system.
The options on our tester came in the form of a $2,300 Platinum Premium package that includes a dual panoramic sunroof and a DVD movie/entertainment system with two headrest seven-inch displays and some power tint sunshades. A roof rail costs $300 and carpeted floor mats were $200.
The 2013-2014 school year may well be remembered as the year with six snow days — including one on May 2. The senior class co-presidents included the phenomena in their addresses to the class, describing it as an event to be remembered. Undoubtedly 2012-2013 will also be remembered for the successful building referenda.
School may be out for the year, but things are just gearing up in the design phase for the renovation projects and the summer work planned in buildings and on grounds. The board of education established an ad hoc committee, which is meeting more frequently to help guide the process. In addition to the board committee, there have been numerous small group meetings and staff discussions about the final designs.
The schematic designs are on schedule to be completed and approved in early August. Once completed, the construction documents will be finalized. That work will take several months. The documents are scheduled for release and bidding in January 2014. It will then take some time to prepare for construction.
During the referendum process, we worked with design concepts. The basic design layouts now being prepared are largely consistent with the earlier ideas but more detailed and more closely aligned to how the spaces are used.
River Heights Elementary will have a new entrance and parking area on the east side and a new central core, including offices, a library-media center and renovated classrooms. The classrooms will also share flexible learning spaces, have better soundproofing and sight lines, and a new HVAC system that includes air conditioning. The staff, parents and students are very excited about the changes — especially the air conditioning!
River Heights Elementary is considered a "lighthouse" school with wrap-around childcare in the morning and a full schedule of after school programming that runs until 5:30 p.m. The improved environment will have significant impact on the functionality of the building. It will have a modern look and feel.
We have just begun the design work for Downsville Elementary. While the project is much smaller than the renovations at River Heights, they will also have a redesigned entrance and central core. Downsville will see major changes in energy projects, such as new windows, HVAC and roof.
Both of the schools are located in areas that may be able to utilize geothermal systems. Our strategic plan includes consideration of sustainable practices throughout the district. The action planning team met with members of the board and design team to discuss the various sustainable practices that could be considered during the renovation and maintenance work.
As a result of the discussions, proposals will be developed for multiple options and the board will be able to consider the costs and benefits of each. The community facilities task force also asked the board to place a high priority on energy projects that would have a good return on investment. The projects and planning have taken that into consideration.Read the full story at www.tilees.com!
The new Pathfinder is still a four-door, seven-passenger SUV that comes in eight shades of dress, from the two wheel drive "S" at $28,650 up the top line Platinum 4x4, which goes for $41,150... and happens to be our tester for the week.
Important to note is all new Pathfinders come with the same engine under the hood, which means regardless of choice you're receiving the same underpinnings and mechanical attributes. Specifically, a fine running 3.5-liter V6 produces a stout 260-horses and 240 lb. ft. of torque. Pathfinder also delivers excellent fuel mileage at 20 city and 26 highway EPA numbers. If you opt for the 4x4 versions, you'll lose just one MPG on both ends thanks to Nissan's new and standard on all models Xtronic CVT overdrive automatic.
Pathfinder's major change, however, lies underneath for 2013. The former truck style full chassis that made Pathfinder a real off-road and towing mouthpiece is now swapped for a car-like unibody construction, resulting in more creature comfort and less truck like stiffness. There's also more interior room to utilize for the family and suitcases although as for towing, the weight allowed is lower than the last generation by 2,000 lbs. Still, Pathfinder's new tow numbers are good for a unibody at 5,000 lbs. max.
During our week long test, we allowed a fellow newspaper auto enthusiast a test drive and he was quick to give much praise. He cited Pathfinder as one of the very best riding and amenity loaded Crossover/SUVs he's ever driven.
Inside, the top line Platinum is indeed "top line," and is as close to sibling Infiniti in luxury as Nissan allows. The seating is firm yet very comfortable, and the reclining features of front and second rows are an added feature.
We utilized the second row slid and tilt feature while moving some bigger items. The seats also fold in the third row for even more cargo space. Notable is the ease of entry for adults that ride in the third row, which really is for full size adults.
Standard equipment on all Pathfinders include the necessities like tri-zone air, 18-inch tires, nice alloy wheels, keyless entry, cruise, 60/40-split second-row (slides, reclines and folds), tilt-and-telescopic, and a nice six-speaker stereo with six-CD player.
When you arrive at the top line Platinum, everything imaginable is included as standard, including power front seats, leather, Bluetooth, eight-inch color display, rearview safety camera, XM radio, USB/iPod,
fog lamps, roof rack, rear park sensors, roof rack, heated front and rear seats, driver memory functions, 20-inch wheels on alloys, tow package, multi-view parking camera, cooled front seats, heated steering wheel, navigation system, real-time traffic and a spectacular 13-speaker Bose stereo audio system.
The options on our tester came in the form of a $2,300 Platinum Premium package that includes a dual panoramic sunroof and a DVD movie/entertainment system with two headrest seven-inch displays and some power tint sunshades. A roof rail costs $300 and carpeted floor mats were $200.
The 2013-2014 school year may well be remembered as the year with six snow days — including one on May 2. The senior class co-presidents included the phenomena in their addresses to the class, describing it as an event to be remembered. Undoubtedly 2012-2013 will also be remembered for the successful building referenda.
School may be out for the year, but things are just gearing up in the design phase for the renovation projects and the summer work planned in buildings and on grounds. The board of education established an ad hoc committee, which is meeting more frequently to help guide the process. In addition to the board committee, there have been numerous small group meetings and staff discussions about the final designs.
The schematic designs are on schedule to be completed and approved in early August. Once completed, the construction documents will be finalized. That work will take several months. The documents are scheduled for release and bidding in January 2014. It will then take some time to prepare for construction.
During the referendum process, we worked with design concepts. The basic design layouts now being prepared are largely consistent with the earlier ideas but more detailed and more closely aligned to how the spaces are used.
River Heights Elementary will have a new entrance and parking area on the east side and a new central core, including offices, a library-media center and renovated classrooms. The classrooms will also share flexible learning spaces, have better soundproofing and sight lines, and a new HVAC system that includes air conditioning. The staff, parents and students are very excited about the changes — especially the air conditioning!
River Heights Elementary is considered a "lighthouse" school with wrap-around childcare in the morning and a full schedule of after school programming that runs until 5:30 p.m. The improved environment will have significant impact on the functionality of the building. It will have a modern look and feel.
We have just begun the design work for Downsville Elementary. While the project is much smaller than the renovations at River Heights, they will also have a redesigned entrance and central core. Downsville will see major changes in energy projects, such as new windows, HVAC and roof.
Both of the schools are located in areas that may be able to utilize geothermal systems. Our strategic plan includes consideration of sustainable practices throughout the district. The action planning team met with members of the board and design team to discuss the various sustainable practices that could be considered during the renovation and maintenance work.
As a result of the discussions, proposals will be developed for multiple options and the board will be able to consider the costs and benefits of each. The community facilities task force also asked the board to place a high priority on energy projects that would have a good return on investment. The projects and planning have taken that into consideration.Read the full story at www.tilees.com!
2013年5月26日星期日
I want to leave my abusive husband but I'm too frightened
Leave certainly, but lay careful plans. Normally I'm not in favour of sneakiness, but your letter leaves me with few illusions and little faith in your husband's redeeming qualities. If he's physically threatening you, let alone actually harming you, then you need to be in touch with social services. It's called physical abuse and unlike large swathes of the developing world where smacking your wife is the divine right of husbands, we have laws and protection agencies charged with ensuring that the weaker and more vulnerable don't have to live in fear.
The Home Office recently published an updated plan of action for ending violence against women and children and widened the definition of domestic abuse to increase awareness of the issues among young people and include the notion of coercive control as a form of abuse. In other words you don't have to be black and blue all over in order to seek help. Instead taking control of your destiny and ensuring the safety of your children is far better achieved while emotions are not at their most heightened and the danger this man poses to you and your family at its most extreme.
Refuge is a fantastic organisation that offers advice and practical help to those who are hostage to the violence of a partner. Women's Aid is a national domestic violence charity dedicated to helping vulnerable women and children. There is also the National Domestic Violence freephone helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Too many women wait until they are crawling on their hands and knees to seek help, wrongly presuming the seriousness of their case will be judged by the regularity and extremity of the violence. You don't want your first call to be to a hospital rather than a helpline.
We pay tax so that our humanitarian values are reflected in the services we make available to all members of our society, ensuring that those in need of support, like you and Ceramic tile, have access to a system that ensures equal rights and protection for all. In this case it's definitely your right and also your duty as a mother to access such help.
I appreciate that with three young children your hands are full, but you mustn't allow this volatile situation to continue. We all make mistakes in love, but such mistakes can be rectified. Now that you've identified this man's inadequacies and his capacity for violence you need to keep the momentum going. Speak to social services, speak to Refuge, enlist the help of your sister and plot your escape.
A man who is abusive to you, aggressive to your children and good for nothing is simply not an option for a mother of three. Whether you take your own safety and security seriously is your business, but your children have a right to be protected and not to live twilight lives in the shadow of your fear. I appreciate the huge obstacles that loom in your current predicament and how far any possibility of liberation from this dysfunctional partnership must seem, but you should take heart from the example of millions of women who have suffered similarly, made their escape and gone on to lead happy and fulfilling lives free of threat.
According to figures from the Fawcett Society one in three women in this world will be the victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives. The only positive aspect is that it confirms you are far from alone.
You can change your life and you've already taken your first step. You have every chance of a new, abuse-free existence. This is no time to try and go it alone. In your present circumstances the back up of trained professionals will be indispensable, not only for practical advice but also to help dispel your justified fear. Once you're standing on your own two feet you'll be surprised how easily you find the direction you need to start walking.
I’m a 31-year-old young South African male who feels privileged to be part of the change that has been taking place in the past two decades in our country. Let me hasten to declare that my involvement in this necessary process of change is informed by my conviction that the struggle for socio-economic justice is superior to all battles confronting the working class.
I’m also the rightful beneficiary of all the liberties guaranteed under South Africa’s inviolable constitution.
I submit that South Africa is a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic society because of the ANC’s long-held policy position on these pillars as espoused in the Freedom Charter.
My first opportunity to vote in a free and fair election came in 1999 while I was a first-year student at the Vaal University of Technology. On the basis of the few years of my consciousness under the apartheid regime and frank interpretation of our country’s history, I became a natural voter for continued change that had started five years earlier when the ANC received a mandate to govern the country.
That the ANC became the natural beneficiary of my vote wasn’t an accident of history. I believed in the organisation’s manifesto of transforming our country politically and economically.
Over the years, I have witnessed the organisation I entrusted with the responsibility of emancipating its citizens from all forms of historical bondages deliver on its commitments.
New houses, roads, schools, hospitals, police stations, courts and public service facilities have been built. More families have access to clean drinking water, proper sanitation and electricity in post-apartheid South Africa.
The delay in the delivery of economic freedom is causing agitation among members of society. We are all at one that it has proved difficult for the ANC to undo, in 19 years, the legacy of colonialism and apartheid accounting for at least 350 years of of this country’s history. Despite these challenges, the ANC remains rooted in communities and ensuring that all its members become the agents of change that this country requires.
The whole thing, of course, is not a perfect affair. It continues to lead society on many issues apt for a functional society and economy.
Its invariable ideological posture has ensured that the organisation remains relevant and a political home of choice for millions of the working class in the main, but also other classes of society.
Any organisation that has no ideological DNA is bound to suffer the consequences of currency that cannot be sustained beyond the fanfare.
Take, for example, the opposition DA, which takes the Oscar for multiple identities. South Africans have been served a variety of dishes of political identities by the DA that leave the palate confused.
In the absence of any conclusive analysis that would seek to clarify the DNA of this political party and what it stands for, the nation can be pardoned for concluding that it is caught between advancing the interests of a minority section of our society and trying to appease and attract Africans or the so-called “black vote” to its ranks.
The Home Office recently published an updated plan of action for ending violence against women and children and widened the definition of domestic abuse to increase awareness of the issues among young people and include the notion of coercive control as a form of abuse. In other words you don't have to be black and blue all over in order to seek help. Instead taking control of your destiny and ensuring the safety of your children is far better achieved while emotions are not at their most heightened and the danger this man poses to you and your family at its most extreme.
Refuge is a fantastic organisation that offers advice and practical help to those who are hostage to the violence of a partner. Women's Aid is a national domestic violence charity dedicated to helping vulnerable women and children. There is also the National Domestic Violence freephone helpline on 0808 2000 247.
Too many women wait until they are crawling on their hands and knees to seek help, wrongly presuming the seriousness of their case will be judged by the regularity and extremity of the violence. You don't want your first call to be to a hospital rather than a helpline.
We pay tax so that our humanitarian values are reflected in the services we make available to all members of our society, ensuring that those in need of support, like you and Ceramic tile, have access to a system that ensures equal rights and protection for all. In this case it's definitely your right and also your duty as a mother to access such help.
I appreciate that with three young children your hands are full, but you mustn't allow this volatile situation to continue. We all make mistakes in love, but such mistakes can be rectified. Now that you've identified this man's inadequacies and his capacity for violence you need to keep the momentum going. Speak to social services, speak to Refuge, enlist the help of your sister and plot your escape.
A man who is abusive to you, aggressive to your children and good for nothing is simply not an option for a mother of three. Whether you take your own safety and security seriously is your business, but your children have a right to be protected and not to live twilight lives in the shadow of your fear. I appreciate the huge obstacles that loom in your current predicament and how far any possibility of liberation from this dysfunctional partnership must seem, but you should take heart from the example of millions of women who have suffered similarly, made their escape and gone on to lead happy and fulfilling lives free of threat.
According to figures from the Fawcett Society one in three women in this world will be the victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives. The only positive aspect is that it confirms you are far from alone.
You can change your life and you've already taken your first step. You have every chance of a new, abuse-free existence. This is no time to try and go it alone. In your present circumstances the back up of trained professionals will be indispensable, not only for practical advice but also to help dispel your justified fear. Once you're standing on your own two feet you'll be surprised how easily you find the direction you need to start walking.
I’m a 31-year-old young South African male who feels privileged to be part of the change that has been taking place in the past two decades in our country. Let me hasten to declare that my involvement in this necessary process of change is informed by my conviction that the struggle for socio-economic justice is superior to all battles confronting the working class.
I’m also the rightful beneficiary of all the liberties guaranteed under South Africa’s inviolable constitution.
I submit that South Africa is a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic society because of the ANC’s long-held policy position on these pillars as espoused in the Freedom Charter.
My first opportunity to vote in a free and fair election came in 1999 while I was a first-year student at the Vaal University of Technology. On the basis of the few years of my consciousness under the apartheid regime and frank interpretation of our country’s history, I became a natural voter for continued change that had started five years earlier when the ANC received a mandate to govern the country.
That the ANC became the natural beneficiary of my vote wasn’t an accident of history. I believed in the organisation’s manifesto of transforming our country politically and economically.
Over the years, I have witnessed the organisation I entrusted with the responsibility of emancipating its citizens from all forms of historical bondages deliver on its commitments.
New houses, roads, schools, hospitals, police stations, courts and public service facilities have been built. More families have access to clean drinking water, proper sanitation and electricity in post-apartheid South Africa.
The delay in the delivery of economic freedom is causing agitation among members of society. We are all at one that it has proved difficult for the ANC to undo, in 19 years, the legacy of colonialism and apartheid accounting for at least 350 years of of this country’s history. Despite these challenges, the ANC remains rooted in communities and ensuring that all its members become the agents of change that this country requires.
The whole thing, of course, is not a perfect affair. It continues to lead society on many issues apt for a functional society and economy.
Its invariable ideological posture has ensured that the organisation remains relevant and a political home of choice for millions of the working class in the main, but also other classes of society.
Any organisation that has no ideological DNA is bound to suffer the consequences of currency that cannot be sustained beyond the fanfare.
Take, for example, the opposition DA, which takes the Oscar for multiple identities. South Africans have been served a variety of dishes of political identities by the DA that leave the palate confused.
In the absence of any conclusive analysis that would seek to clarify the DNA of this political party and what it stands for, the nation can be pardoned for concluding that it is caught between advancing the interests of a minority section of our society and trying to appease and attract Africans or the so-called “black vote” to its ranks.
2013年5月19日星期日
Iron Boy works magic and throws a stellar boxing card in Phoenix
The night kicked off with some crowd pleasing amateur bouts. Lupita Navarez, defeated a tough Rosa Orozco, in an exciting match that had both fighters trading some hard blows. Although Orozco lost, she has nothing to be ashamed about, she fought with heart and grit, representing Tucson proudly. Luis Espinoza won his bout with Alejandro Dominguez, in an entertaining bout that had the crowd worked up. The hard hitting Espinoza needs to be be on your radar, he has speed and power. Ariel Arismendez, of Phoenix made her second appearance on an Iron Boy card, and defeated a crafty Alejandra Cardoza. Both fighters wasted little time trading punches, it was a battle to the end. A short night for soon to be pro, David Benavidez, as he would take a first round win over Gustavo Esparza. A patient Benavidez, displayed great defensive skill and amazing power, he hardly broke a sweat. Simply said, Benavidez is a stud in the ring and will be a world champion at the pro level. Valley favorite Sulem Urbina-Soto was scheduled to fight, but the match was cancelled due to her opponent dropping out. Sadly, this has been the case for Sulem as of late, by no fault of her own she remains fight ready. Sulem's husband and coach, Andy Soto said her opponent dropped out at the last minute after missing the plane to Phoenix. Andy Soto made arrangements on another flight and again they did not board the plane. It was a tough break for Sulem, but it was quite apparent they had no intention coming to Phoenix, leaving the hard hitting Sulem empty handed.
For months the young emperor to the north has been threatening to turn this thriving metropolis into a "sea of fire." But it's not easy to ruffle the jaunty vibe of 75-year-old Kim Chong-shik as he strolls among young couples and shoppers along the boutiques of the Ceramic tile.
Living well, it's said, is the best revenge. "I never imagined it would be like this," he says, grinning, not far from a playfully misplaced sign on a coffeehouse: Beverly Hills City Limits.
The retired civil servant, who remembers the Korean War and its miserable aftermath, cuts a dapper figure against a springtime cold snap, a green silk scarf peeking out from his handsome wool overcoat.
Ten million people live in Seoul, the heart of a huge sprawl that is home to half of the Republic of Korea's 49 million people. It is a hard-charging, high-pressure, high-tech hub of the 21st-century global economy – and sits in the cross hairs of an enemy who seems unaware the cold war ended a generation ago. North Korean missile installations are just 30 miles away – and now the threats are nuclear.
Yet not long ago, the dream of a single Korea – reconciled in peace like Germany, not through war like Vietnam – seemed like a destiny within reach. As recently as two months ago, Koreans from the south were still crossing the demilitarized zone (DMZ) to go to work alongside 50,000 northerners at the Kaesong industrial park, a legacy of the South's old "Sunshine Policy" of reconciliation. The Kaesong facility opened four years after athletes from both Koreas marched into the 2000 Sydney Olympics under a flag depicting a united peninsula. That same year South Korea's president was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And Koreans have long embraced the idea that they are of "one blood." A January 2011 survey by the Korean Broadcasting System found that 71.6 percent of South Koreans favored reunification, and nearly as many said they would be willing to pay taxes to support it.
But the ardor for reunification has cooled with a new round of tensions this year. Pyongyang's threats appear to have decimated the southerners' goodwill: In just six months there was a precipitous drop in the number of South Koreans who consider northerners a "neighbor" or "one of us," from 64.2 percent as late as November 2012 to 37.3 percent in late April, and a spike to 46 percent considering northerners as strangers at best, if not enemies.
As "the American century" fades, and the 21st century is said to "belong to China," it may make more sense to speak of "the Asian century" – and now is South Korea's moment. And in that moment, it shines in such stark contrast to the sad state of North Korea – so impoverished its people literally stand a few inches shorter than their southern cousins. The peninsula's bipolar condition is reflected most aptly in its leading personalities. The stocky K-pop party rocker Psy spreads "Gangnam Style" to the world while the North's pudgy supreme leader, like his father and grandfather before him, spreads menace, Pyongyang style.
The nuclear saber-rattling may have prompted the United States in March to add B-52 and B-2 stealth bombers to its annual military exercises with South Korea, but there are few outward signs of distress among South Koreans themselves. Seoul's stock market took it all in stride, and 50,000 Psy fans jammed a Seoul stadium for a mid-April concert that premièred his new song and video "Gentleman," in which Psy does not seem gentlemanly at all. Nobody expects him or any act, anywhere, to soon top the 1.5 billion-plus YouTube viewings of "Gangnam Style."
Psy's global success has made him a national hero. He is, in a sense, a flamboyant, fun-loving, globe-trotting version of the "industrial warriors" hailed by South Korean politicians for transforming this small nation into an economic powerhouse. While the Korean Wave exports K-pop and TV and film dramas far and wide, the rest of South Korea Inc. keeps cranking out computer chips, smart phones, TVs, autos, oil tankers, and container ships, while also building skyscrapers, highways, and shopping malls at home and abroad. In the first quarter of 2013, as Pyongyang started to act up, South Korea's gross domestic product jumped markedly over recent quarters. Samsung Electronics recorded a 42 percent spike in profits in its sixth straight quarter of growth as it pulls away from Apple in the smart-phone market.
For months the young emperor to the north has been threatening to turn this thriving metropolis into a "sea of fire." But it's not easy to ruffle the jaunty vibe of 75-year-old Kim Chong-shik as he strolls among young couples and shoppers along the boutiques of the Ceramic tile.
Living well, it's said, is the best revenge. "I never imagined it would be like this," he says, grinning, not far from a playfully misplaced sign on a coffeehouse: Beverly Hills City Limits.
The retired civil servant, who remembers the Korean War and its miserable aftermath, cuts a dapper figure against a springtime cold snap, a green silk scarf peeking out from his handsome wool overcoat.
Ten million people live in Seoul, the heart of a huge sprawl that is home to half of the Republic of Korea's 49 million people. It is a hard-charging, high-pressure, high-tech hub of the 21st-century global economy – and sits in the cross hairs of an enemy who seems unaware the cold war ended a generation ago. North Korean missile installations are just 30 miles away – and now the threats are nuclear.
Yet not long ago, the dream of a single Korea – reconciled in peace like Germany, not through war like Vietnam – seemed like a destiny within reach. As recently as two months ago, Koreans from the south were still crossing the demilitarized zone (DMZ) to go to work alongside 50,000 northerners at the Kaesong industrial park, a legacy of the South's old "Sunshine Policy" of reconciliation. The Kaesong facility opened four years after athletes from both Koreas marched into the 2000 Sydney Olympics under a flag depicting a united peninsula. That same year South Korea's president was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And Koreans have long embraced the idea that they are of "one blood." A January 2011 survey by the Korean Broadcasting System found that 71.6 percent of South Koreans favored reunification, and nearly as many said they would be willing to pay taxes to support it.
But the ardor for reunification has cooled with a new round of tensions this year. Pyongyang's threats appear to have decimated the southerners' goodwill: In just six months there was a precipitous drop in the number of South Koreans who consider northerners a "neighbor" or "one of us," from 64.2 percent as late as November 2012 to 37.3 percent in late April, and a spike to 46 percent considering northerners as strangers at best, if not enemies.
As "the American century" fades, and the 21st century is said to "belong to China," it may make more sense to speak of "the Asian century" – and now is South Korea's moment. And in that moment, it shines in such stark contrast to the sad state of North Korea – so impoverished its people literally stand a few inches shorter than their southern cousins. The peninsula's bipolar condition is reflected most aptly in its leading personalities. The stocky K-pop party rocker Psy spreads "Gangnam Style" to the world while the North's pudgy supreme leader, like his father and grandfather before him, spreads menace, Pyongyang style.
The nuclear saber-rattling may have prompted the United States in March to add B-52 and B-2 stealth bombers to its annual military exercises with South Korea, but there are few outward signs of distress among South Koreans themselves. Seoul's stock market took it all in stride, and 50,000 Psy fans jammed a Seoul stadium for a mid-April concert that premièred his new song and video "Gentleman," in which Psy does not seem gentlemanly at all. Nobody expects him or any act, anywhere, to soon top the 1.5 billion-plus YouTube viewings of "Gangnam Style."
Psy's global success has made him a national hero. He is, in a sense, a flamboyant, fun-loving, globe-trotting version of the "industrial warriors" hailed by South Korean politicians for transforming this small nation into an economic powerhouse. While the Korean Wave exports K-pop and TV and film dramas far and wide, the rest of South Korea Inc. keeps cranking out computer chips, smart phones, TVs, autos, oil tankers, and container ships, while also building skyscrapers, highways, and shopping malls at home and abroad. In the first quarter of 2013, as Pyongyang started to act up, South Korea's gross domestic product jumped markedly over recent quarters. Samsung Electronics recorded a 42 percent spike in profits in its sixth straight quarter of growth as it pulls away from Apple in the smart-phone market.
2013年5月12日星期日
If the shoe fits
But he was a cool customer, according to Robert Michael Jennings, a retired special agent with Illinois State Police who interrogated Harris on Sept. 30, 2009, nine days after Raymond “Rick” Gee, his wife Ruth and three of their children were found beaten to death with a tire iron in their home in the tiny town of Beason.
When Jennings found Harris for a chat, he was at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, visiting Tabitha Gee with Nicole Gee, his ex-wife, the mother of his newborn son and the adult daughter of Rick Gee, the special agent testified Friday in Harris’ murder trial. Tabitha, the sole survivor of the attack and just three years old, had somehow survived a tire iron blow to her forehead and another to the side of her head.
No big deal, Jennings told Harris – your fingerprints were in the house, which isn’t surprising given your closeness to the family. We just need to ask you a few questions. Then Jennings asked to see the bottom of one of Harris’ K-Swiss tennis shoes in a hospital elevator. The tread matched bloody shoe prints found in the Ceramic tile, Jennings testified. What kind of vehicle do you drive? Pickup, painted primer grey, Harris answered.
Before hearing from Jennings, jurors on Friday listened to testimony from Michael Oyer, a retired Illinois State Police crime scene investigator who described the discovery of shoes that Harris had been wearing the night of the killings. They were easy to spot from a span over Sugar Creek between the Gee house and the Armington home where the defendant was staying with his brother Jason Harris, about 25 miles north of Beason.
Jason Harris may have led investigators to the shoes, which were found not far from a tire iron and a computer air card, used to access the Internet, that came from the Gees’ laptop computer. The discovery came on Oct. 6, 2009, the same day that police served a search warrant at Jason Harris’ home and found the laptop, covered in dirt and grass, in his pickup truck. It’s not clear what led police to Jason Harris, but prosecutors say that he accompanied his brother the night of the killings. The state has agreed to dismiss first-degree murder charges in exchange for his testimony. Under the deal, Jason Harris, who was facing a life in prison, will get a 20-year sentence for concealing a homicide, obstruction of justice and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. With time off for good behavior, he will be free in six years.
Roads between the Gee household and Armington are bordered by farmland and vacant tracts. In the dark, the brothers could have thrown the shoes and tire iron most anywhere, forcing investigators with crossed fingers to comb many miles of rural roadside. Instead, they chose a bridge marked with yellow-and-black hazard signs. And they didn’t even hit the water. The shoes made it further than the tire iron into a field alongside the creek beneath the bridge, Oyer testified.
In at least one respect, the K-Swiss shoes found in the field didn’t match the ones that investigators took from the defendant the night that Jennings questioned Christopher Harris. The shoes that cops took from the defendant were size 12. The ones found in the field a week later were not. It is a difference that prosecutors have surrounded with neon.
Under their bed, Ruth and Rick kept a large tub filled with DVD’s and brightly colored sex toys clearly visible from outside the clear plastic tub. During pretrial motions, the defense had said that Dillen acted out against inanimate objects, and jurors heard Oyer say that numerous dents, gouges and scratches on doors and walls “were consistent with having been kicked and punched over a period of time.” The home, he said, was messy.
The only window in Dillen’s bedroom was covered up with a sheet of fiber board, supporting what defense counsel Peter Naylor had told the jury in opening statements: Dillen, who had a history of disciplinary problems at school, had once snuck out of the house, and so windows had been nailed shut.
Dillen’s bedroom was the only one that had no blood in it or other evidence of an attacker. It did contain a Sony PlayStation 2 video game system and three Mortal Kombat games in which the player is tasked with killing characters that meet bloody ends. The defense claims that Dillen’s love for violent video games is evidence that he killed his own family.
This was going to be such an easy answer. I'd just direct Jones to Travelex, which had a Chip and PIN (personal identification number) card, and that would be the end of it. The Travelex card would be a backup, because many places overseas can accept U.S. cards that have a magnetic stripe.
But the answer wasn't easy. Besides the fact that there isn't a convenient Travelex near Jones' home, Travelex has discontinued its C&P card, which worked well for me on a London trip last year. It was easy to get and use.
You may not even need a Chip and PIN card when you travel — but, then again, you may. You may need it when you try to buy a transportation pass at an unmanned kiosk in a London Tube station, which probably won't accept your U.S.-issued magnetic-stripe card. You may need it when you try to buy a mobile phone outside the heart of London, and the shop owner gives you a withering look and says, "Don't you have a smart card?"
That's when that Travelex card came in handy for me a year ago. But no more, the company says. At least, not for now. "We are working on a new and enhanced version of the card, which should be available later this year," Travelex rep Maria Brusilovsky told me in an email. "Unfortunately, we don't have a substitute at the moment."
When Jennings found Harris for a chat, he was at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria, visiting Tabitha Gee with Nicole Gee, his ex-wife, the mother of his newborn son and the adult daughter of Rick Gee, the special agent testified Friday in Harris’ murder trial. Tabitha, the sole survivor of the attack and just three years old, had somehow survived a tire iron blow to her forehead and another to the side of her head.
No big deal, Jennings told Harris – your fingerprints were in the house, which isn’t surprising given your closeness to the family. We just need to ask you a few questions. Then Jennings asked to see the bottom of one of Harris’ K-Swiss tennis shoes in a hospital elevator. The tread matched bloody shoe prints found in the Ceramic tile, Jennings testified. What kind of vehicle do you drive? Pickup, painted primer grey, Harris answered.
Before hearing from Jennings, jurors on Friday listened to testimony from Michael Oyer, a retired Illinois State Police crime scene investigator who described the discovery of shoes that Harris had been wearing the night of the killings. They were easy to spot from a span over Sugar Creek between the Gee house and the Armington home where the defendant was staying with his brother Jason Harris, about 25 miles north of Beason.
Jason Harris may have led investigators to the shoes, which were found not far from a tire iron and a computer air card, used to access the Internet, that came from the Gees’ laptop computer. The discovery came on Oct. 6, 2009, the same day that police served a search warrant at Jason Harris’ home and found the laptop, covered in dirt and grass, in his pickup truck. It’s not clear what led police to Jason Harris, but prosecutors say that he accompanied his brother the night of the killings. The state has agreed to dismiss first-degree murder charges in exchange for his testimony. Under the deal, Jason Harris, who was facing a life in prison, will get a 20-year sentence for concealing a homicide, obstruction of justice and unlawful delivery of a controlled substance. With time off for good behavior, he will be free in six years.
Roads between the Gee household and Armington are bordered by farmland and vacant tracts. In the dark, the brothers could have thrown the shoes and tire iron most anywhere, forcing investigators with crossed fingers to comb many miles of rural roadside. Instead, they chose a bridge marked with yellow-and-black hazard signs. And they didn’t even hit the water. The shoes made it further than the tire iron into a field alongside the creek beneath the bridge, Oyer testified.
In at least one respect, the K-Swiss shoes found in the field didn’t match the ones that investigators took from the defendant the night that Jennings questioned Christopher Harris. The shoes that cops took from the defendant were size 12. The ones found in the field a week later were not. It is a difference that prosecutors have surrounded with neon.
Under their bed, Ruth and Rick kept a large tub filled with DVD’s and brightly colored sex toys clearly visible from outside the clear plastic tub. During pretrial motions, the defense had said that Dillen acted out against inanimate objects, and jurors heard Oyer say that numerous dents, gouges and scratches on doors and walls “were consistent with having been kicked and punched over a period of time.” The home, he said, was messy.
The only window in Dillen’s bedroom was covered up with a sheet of fiber board, supporting what defense counsel Peter Naylor had told the jury in opening statements: Dillen, who had a history of disciplinary problems at school, had once snuck out of the house, and so windows had been nailed shut.
Dillen’s bedroom was the only one that had no blood in it or other evidence of an attacker. It did contain a Sony PlayStation 2 video game system and three Mortal Kombat games in which the player is tasked with killing characters that meet bloody ends. The defense claims that Dillen’s love for violent video games is evidence that he killed his own family.
This was going to be such an easy answer. I'd just direct Jones to Travelex, which had a Chip and PIN (personal identification number) card, and that would be the end of it. The Travelex card would be a backup, because many places overseas can accept U.S. cards that have a magnetic stripe.
But the answer wasn't easy. Besides the fact that there isn't a convenient Travelex near Jones' home, Travelex has discontinued its C&P card, which worked well for me on a London trip last year. It was easy to get and use.
You may not even need a Chip and PIN card when you travel — but, then again, you may. You may need it when you try to buy a transportation pass at an unmanned kiosk in a London Tube station, which probably won't accept your U.S.-issued magnetic-stripe card. You may need it when you try to buy a mobile phone outside the heart of London, and the shop owner gives you a withering look and says, "Don't you have a smart card?"
That's when that Travelex card came in handy for me a year ago. But no more, the company says. At least, not for now. "We are working on a new and enhanced version of the card, which should be available later this year," Travelex rep Maria Brusilovsky told me in an email. "Unfortunately, we don't have a substitute at the moment."
2013年2月25日星期一
Don Hasson guides family business through multiple expansions
Built in 1906, the seven-story brick building was vast and filled with all sorts of interesting things.
“It was like walking back in time,” Hasson said. “It had five great big freight elevators with those wooden doors that hurl you up and down. It had an old round chute that carried boxes from the top floor down to the basement.”
It had wall shelves that had to be reached by 20-foot ladders that moved on a track attached at the ceiling. When the building was closed in 1980 so the company could move to a new facility, workers found parts for horse-drawn wagons, plow repair parts and other archaic inventory that had been tucked away and forgotten.
“When I was a kid, I loved to go over there and hang out and play and ride the elevator,” Hasson said.
His grandfather C.S. Hasson was one of the founders of the company, and Don Hasson’s father, Jim Hasson, was its president at the time.
“After my dad got tired of me getting in everybody’s way, he decided the best thing for me was to put bicycles together,” Don Hasson said.
“After my dad got tired of me getting in everybody’s way, he decided the best thing for me was to put bicycles together,” Don Hasson said.
That was OK. Building bikes was fun, Hasson said. Now age 62, Hasson is president of the company and has spent most of his life building it into an operation with a combined 700,000 square feet of warehouse space in two states, customers in 17 states and a sales staff of 85.
And the fun now comes from each chance to add to this hardware empire, Hasson said. He keeps a list of 12 companies House-Hasson has either bought outright or acquired the business and sales staff from after they closed. The chance to land a major account or to pick up the pieces when a competitor comes apart and use them to build your business is exciting, Hasson said.
“Every couple of years we get bored just doing the same thing, so we go try to stir up something new and different,” he said.
Hasson focused on building a sales territory in northern Georgia, but when Sam House retired in 1926, Hasson came back to Knoxville to become president. Hasson served until his son J.W. “Jack” Hasson took over as president in 1950. By 1954, House-Hasson Hardware had 35 salespeople and operated in seven states.
Jack Hasson’s brother James K. “Jim” Hasson became company president in 1970. That year, the company made the first of many acquisitions that would propel its growth.
But not all was unbridled expansion. The world wars and the Great Depression presented challenges, and House-Hasson also found itself facing competition from mail order and catalog companies, foreshadowing the competition it would start to face in the 1980s from the growth of “big box” stores like The Home Depot and Lowe’s.
Plan your route to avoid dangerous and stressful intersections. For example, navigating the intersection of 16th Street, U Street, and New Hampshire Avenue NW on foot during rush hour is likely to turn a nice walk into a terrifying near-miss. Turning-arrow patterns and drivers’ behavior have effectively negated pedestrian right-of-way on the south side of that intersection.
I’ve found that the standard advice to make eye contact with drivers (for example when they are turning through a crosswalk) often backfires. When drivers see me watching them, they sometimes take this as license to inch into the crosswalk directly toward me in an attempt to time their crossing with mine, passing only a foot or two behind me.
A modified version of the eye contact strategy seems to produce better results: After seeing that a driver has noticed me, I keep my head facing forward and watch the car from my peripheral vision. I know that the driver has seen me, but he or she might not be sure if I see him or her. This often seems to bring out drivers’ better nature, and they leave me plenty of space to cross to avoid startling me.
Wahl stresses the practical advice that makes urban travel not only survivable but also a good experience. This advice acknowledges realities of urban life without being timid about travel. More people should adopt the attitude, as well as the advice.
Stressful intersections tend to have common characteristics. Traffic can come at you from several directions, traffic volume may be heavy, the walk sign may be short, or you may have to cross multiple lanes with no traffic signal at all.
Drivers analyze their commuting routes. They learn where they might face a difficult left turn or an intersection where they have a stop sign, but the cross traffic is heavy and free-flowing. They figure out ways to avoid the difficult maneuvers.
A walking commuter should be making the same calculations, to limit stress and improve personal safety. The shortest route between two points isn’t necessarily the best.
I particularly admire Wahl for thinking through the “eye contact” strategy. While safety experts urge both drivers and pedestrians to make eye contact, many people who walk in congested areas challenge me when I repeat that advice.
They make solid arguments, based on experience. They often note that a driver who appears to be looking at them may actually be staring into windshield glare that obscures the walker’s location. Others know that drivers are often looking solely for other drivers, and may stare right through a pedestrian. Or if making a left turn, their entire focus may be directed at oncoming traffic and not at the crosswalk they are about to turn into.
“It was like walking back in time,” Hasson said. “It had five great big freight elevators with those wooden doors that hurl you up and down. It had an old round chute that carried boxes from the top floor down to the basement.”
It had wall shelves that had to be reached by 20-foot ladders that moved on a track attached at the ceiling. When the building was closed in 1980 so the company could move to a new facility, workers found parts for horse-drawn wagons, plow repair parts and other archaic inventory that had been tucked away and forgotten.
“When I was a kid, I loved to go over there and hang out and play and ride the elevator,” Hasson said.
His grandfather C.S. Hasson was one of the founders of the company, and Don Hasson’s father, Jim Hasson, was its president at the time.
“After my dad got tired of me getting in everybody’s way, he decided the best thing for me was to put bicycles together,” Don Hasson said.
“After my dad got tired of me getting in everybody’s way, he decided the best thing for me was to put bicycles together,” Don Hasson said.
That was OK. Building bikes was fun, Hasson said. Now age 62, Hasson is president of the company and has spent most of his life building it into an operation with a combined 700,000 square feet of warehouse space in two states, customers in 17 states and a sales staff of 85.
And the fun now comes from each chance to add to this hardware empire, Hasson said. He keeps a list of 12 companies House-Hasson has either bought outright or acquired the business and sales staff from after they closed. The chance to land a major account or to pick up the pieces when a competitor comes apart and use them to build your business is exciting, Hasson said.
“Every couple of years we get bored just doing the same thing, so we go try to stir up something new and different,” he said.
Hasson focused on building a sales territory in northern Georgia, but when Sam House retired in 1926, Hasson came back to Knoxville to become president. Hasson served until his son J.W. “Jack” Hasson took over as president in 1950. By 1954, House-Hasson Hardware had 35 salespeople and operated in seven states.
Jack Hasson’s brother James K. “Jim” Hasson became company president in 1970. That year, the company made the first of many acquisitions that would propel its growth.
But not all was unbridled expansion. The world wars and the Great Depression presented challenges, and House-Hasson also found itself facing competition from mail order and catalog companies, foreshadowing the competition it would start to face in the 1980s from the growth of “big box” stores like The Home Depot and Lowe’s.
Plan your route to avoid dangerous and stressful intersections. For example, navigating the intersection of 16th Street, U Street, and New Hampshire Avenue NW on foot during rush hour is likely to turn a nice walk into a terrifying near-miss. Turning-arrow patterns and drivers’ behavior have effectively negated pedestrian right-of-way on the south side of that intersection.
I’ve found that the standard advice to make eye contact with drivers (for example when they are turning through a crosswalk) often backfires. When drivers see me watching them, they sometimes take this as license to inch into the crosswalk directly toward me in an attempt to time their crossing with mine, passing only a foot or two behind me.
A modified version of the eye contact strategy seems to produce better results: After seeing that a driver has noticed me, I keep my head facing forward and watch the car from my peripheral vision. I know that the driver has seen me, but he or she might not be sure if I see him or her. This often seems to bring out drivers’ better nature, and they leave me plenty of space to cross to avoid startling me.
Wahl stresses the practical advice that makes urban travel not only survivable but also a good experience. This advice acknowledges realities of urban life without being timid about travel. More people should adopt the attitude, as well as the advice.
Stressful intersections tend to have common characteristics. Traffic can come at you from several directions, traffic volume may be heavy, the walk sign may be short, or you may have to cross multiple lanes with no traffic signal at all.
Drivers analyze their commuting routes. They learn where they might face a difficult left turn or an intersection where they have a stop sign, but the cross traffic is heavy and free-flowing. They figure out ways to avoid the difficult maneuvers.
A walking commuter should be making the same calculations, to limit stress and improve personal safety. The shortest route between two points isn’t necessarily the best.
I particularly admire Wahl for thinking through the “eye contact” strategy. While safety experts urge both drivers and pedestrians to make eye contact, many people who walk in congested areas challenge me when I repeat that advice.
They make solid arguments, based on experience. They often note that a driver who appears to be looking at them may actually be staring into windshield glare that obscures the walker’s location. Others know that drivers are often looking solely for other drivers, and may stare right through a pedestrian. Or if making a left turn, their entire focus may be directed at oncoming traffic and not at the crosswalk they are about to turn into.
2013年2月18日星期一
A Retrospective” at the Oklahoma Capitol
Oklahoma artist Regina Murphy has led a prolific art career over more than 40 years. Opening today and on view through April 14, “A Retrospective” features a sampling of her vast portfolio of works from different periods of her career.
Murphy’s passion for art is illustrated by the evolution of her style and experimentation with subject matter and various media including pastel, oil, watercolor, and acrylic painting.
“I experiment often with different techniques and subject matter,” says Murphy in a news release. “This variety holds my interest and keeps me always looking forward to the next project.”
At 91 years of age, Murphy has maintained diligence in her artwork and spends most weekdays working in her studio. After many years of plein air painting (painting on site in the open air), she now only paints in the studio – usually from photographs or recollection. The reality of her subject matter acts as the foundation and her creativity is expressed through abstraction of color, shape, and composition.
Murphy explains in the release, “I blend greatly abstracted shapes with realism, sometimes flatten space, use exaggerated or arbitrary color, and often delineate objects. My goal is to produce a painting that is not a ‘postcard’ view but will intrigue the viewer and prolong interest.”
Beyond the works featured here, Murphy has worked in numerous media, both two- and three-dimensional.
“After all the experimenting, it seems the most comfortable endeavor for me is painting in either oil or acrylic, and my favorite subject matter is some form of landscape,” says Murphy in the release.
In her more recent works, she accentuates her landscapes with slightly abstracted, lyrical shapes in exaggerated colors and bold lines.
Murphy’s process for painting other subjects has evolved over the years as well.
“In the past, for still life paintings, I would set up actual compositions with fresh flowers,” she explains in the release. “But in recent years, I paint from imagination, abstracting shapes, and again, exaggerating colors and outlining objects in bright colors.”
Of Murphy’s “Rocks & Boulders” series, she says in the release, “Nature has always been a source of inspiration to me. A walk in the woods or near the water’s edge can start me planning paintings in which I might convey the feelings that come over me as I experience our awesome environment at close range. In this series my concept was to convey the stability, splendor, silence, and richness of color in nature’s boulders and rocks. Life is so transient; we are so vulnerable; but the earth endures, although gouged and scarred by time and the elements. Perhaps that is why I am awed by its grandeur and inspired by its beauty.”
Of another popular subject matter for Murphy, she explains in the release, “Puppets and dolls have been a recurring subject in my paintings through the years. When I found a wooden monkey puppet in an import shop I thought he would be a great subject for paintings, so I bought him and have created a number of paintings with this single puppet posing in any number of ways.”
Murphy, a longtime resident of Oklahoma, has studied at Oklahoma City University, Louisiana Tech University and at Louisiana Tech’s sister school in Rome, Italy, as well as with numerous nationally known instructors. She has traveled the world for study and pleasure to places such as Holland, France, Morocco, Bali, China, Hawaii, Mexico, and Guatemala.
Her artwork is a staple in solo and juried exhibitions and competitions in the region. In addition, her artwork is included in numerous permanent collections including the Oklahoma State Art Collection, and the collections at the University of Science and Art of Oklahoma in Chickasha and the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee.
But for Cardot-Greiner, the MBA, etc., had been a radical departure from the art career she once thought she’d pursue.
Giving art one more try has led to her own shop at 210 St. George St., a studio where she works on jewelry, oil paintings, pencil drawings and publication in several books.
She’s on a tight deadline now to finish in time for a New York City show, a group exhibition set to open March 1 and featuring artists from around the world. Called “The Power of Perception,” the exhibition is curated by Creative Concept Studios and one of Cardot-Greiner’s pieces is being used as a logo. A painting published in “The Power of Perception 2013” was commissioned as a backdrop for New York Fashion Week 2014.
When she was 4, her parents hung a white panel on a wall in the breezeway of their Pennsylvania farm house because she would paint on anything. She kept painting on that panel through the years.
In the ninth grade her Pennsylvania art teacher “saw something special. She told me I was already better than her,” Cardot-Greiner said, and an art scholarship to the Erie (Pa.) Art Museum was arranged so she could take art lessons once a week with a noted artist.
For four years she found a way to make the 40-mile trip. She trained to be an oil painter and got a solid foundation in drawing and composition. Later she studied fine art at Mercyhurst College in Erie.
Murphy’s passion for art is illustrated by the evolution of her style and experimentation with subject matter and various media including pastel, oil, watercolor, and acrylic painting.
“I experiment often with different techniques and subject matter,” says Murphy in a news release. “This variety holds my interest and keeps me always looking forward to the next project.”
At 91 years of age, Murphy has maintained diligence in her artwork and spends most weekdays working in her studio. After many years of plein air painting (painting on site in the open air), she now only paints in the studio – usually from photographs or recollection. The reality of her subject matter acts as the foundation and her creativity is expressed through abstraction of color, shape, and composition.
Murphy explains in the release, “I blend greatly abstracted shapes with realism, sometimes flatten space, use exaggerated or arbitrary color, and often delineate objects. My goal is to produce a painting that is not a ‘postcard’ view but will intrigue the viewer and prolong interest.”
Beyond the works featured here, Murphy has worked in numerous media, both two- and three-dimensional.
“After all the experimenting, it seems the most comfortable endeavor for me is painting in either oil or acrylic, and my favorite subject matter is some form of landscape,” says Murphy in the release.
In her more recent works, she accentuates her landscapes with slightly abstracted, lyrical shapes in exaggerated colors and bold lines.
Murphy’s process for painting other subjects has evolved over the years as well.
“In the past, for still life paintings, I would set up actual compositions with fresh flowers,” she explains in the release. “But in recent years, I paint from imagination, abstracting shapes, and again, exaggerating colors and outlining objects in bright colors.”
Of Murphy’s “Rocks & Boulders” series, she says in the release, “Nature has always been a source of inspiration to me. A walk in the woods or near the water’s edge can start me planning paintings in which I might convey the feelings that come over me as I experience our awesome environment at close range. In this series my concept was to convey the stability, splendor, silence, and richness of color in nature’s boulders and rocks. Life is so transient; we are so vulnerable; but the earth endures, although gouged and scarred by time and the elements. Perhaps that is why I am awed by its grandeur and inspired by its beauty.”
Of another popular subject matter for Murphy, she explains in the release, “Puppets and dolls have been a recurring subject in my paintings through the years. When I found a wooden monkey puppet in an import shop I thought he would be a great subject for paintings, so I bought him and have created a number of paintings with this single puppet posing in any number of ways.”
Murphy, a longtime resident of Oklahoma, has studied at Oklahoma City University, Louisiana Tech University and at Louisiana Tech’s sister school in Rome, Italy, as well as with numerous nationally known instructors. She has traveled the world for study and pleasure to places such as Holland, France, Morocco, Bali, China, Hawaii, Mexico, and Guatemala.
Her artwork is a staple in solo and juried exhibitions and competitions in the region. In addition, her artwork is included in numerous permanent collections including the Oklahoma State Art Collection, and the collections at the University of Science and Art of Oklahoma in Chickasha and the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art in Shawnee.
But for Cardot-Greiner, the MBA, etc., had been a radical departure from the art career she once thought she’d pursue.
Giving art one more try has led to her own shop at 210 St. George St., a studio where she works on jewelry, oil paintings, pencil drawings and publication in several books.
She’s on a tight deadline now to finish in time for a New York City show, a group exhibition set to open March 1 and featuring artists from around the world. Called “The Power of Perception,” the exhibition is curated by Creative Concept Studios and one of Cardot-Greiner’s pieces is being used as a logo. A painting published in “The Power of Perception 2013” was commissioned as a backdrop for New York Fashion Week 2014.
When she was 4, her parents hung a white panel on a wall in the breezeway of their Pennsylvania farm house because she would paint on anything. She kept painting on that panel through the years.
In the ninth grade her Pennsylvania art teacher “saw something special. She told me I was already better than her,” Cardot-Greiner said, and an art scholarship to the Erie (Pa.) Art Museum was arranged so she could take art lessons once a week with a noted artist.
For four years she found a way to make the 40-mile trip. She trained to be an oil painter and got a solid foundation in drawing and composition. Later she studied fine art at Mercyhurst College in Erie.
2013年1月27日星期日
Kazem and Abdulaziz talk about the future of art in the UAE
Two voices pierce this din: the Dubai-based Mohammed Kazem, a former student of Hassan Sharif and a pillar of the Group of Five, recently nominated to represent the UAE at the 55th Venice Biennale; and Kazem's one-time student, Ebtisam Abdulaziz, a distinguished Sharjah-based artist with a string of biennials to her credit, and who is participating in the Delfina Foundation's Artist-in-Residence, which has just started in Dubai.
Observing these two generations of Emirati artists in an interview at Kazem's studio, one is struck by the confident continuity of shared beliefs - in the importance of education, the value of their artistic heritage - punctuated by some critical differences of opinion. As the double interview unfolds, we get a privileged view of the state of UAE art, its phantoms and its promise.
The Group of Five was the UAE's first art scene. Three generations passed through the group's hands, from the founder Hassan Sharif in the late 1970s through to Mohammed Kazem in the 1980s, down to Ebtisam Abdulaziz and her contemporaries in the early 2000s. United by a contemporary vision at a time when arts in the UAE were anything but, the early group members took teaching as seriously as they did art.
Under Kazem's eyes, the group's Open Studio was a welcome gift for fledgling artists at the time. "I did not receive any kind of art education in school," recalls Abdulaziz. "I felt I had talent, but no one helped me work on it and develop it.
"The group influenced me a lot. I had reached a point where painting wasn't enough, so I sought your help [addressing Mohammed Kazem]. I remember you gave me one of Hassan's books about Systemic Art, and this helped me overcome that obstacle."
Such opportunity is rare today, as the educational flame sparked by the group has dwindled. Abdulaziz believes artists themselves should resume this cause, whereas Kazem points to institutions. "Education policy should change," he insists, "for the simple reason that we now have numerous art institutions and the already famous Sharjah Biennale. We need to make a gradual inclusion of art into education."
Almost every discussion is riddled with the word "gap". Abdulaziz boasts having a "scan" on the new generation of Emirati artists, through seminars she organised at the Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah. Yet she seems perplexed by their ahistorical stance.
"I remember I was a judge in a photography competition in 2007. I was surprised that most photographers were unaware of the medium's founding artists. They use the tools, the materials, without knowing why."
The evident complicity between these two generations seems on the verge of extinction. "Today, most arts graduates are more European," remarks Abdulaziz, "and less affiliated with their own society, in terms of the way they think and their connection with the older generation of artists. Most of them don't even know Hassan Sharif!"
Far from hollow nostalgia, both Kazem and Abdulaziz believe understanding previous generations' work dictates how an artist will influence subsequent generations. "Hassan's generation gave me something I still use today," explains Abdulaziz, "and I learnt the artist's role is not just to produce a work, but to give something back to society."
Perhaps stemming from this early influence, their own works present obvious overlaps, such as the use of data and numbers, and a pronounced autobiographical slant. Both evoke thorny social concerns (Abdulaziz's sly swipes at consumerist society; Kazem's continuing examination of control and boundaries), yet they remain divided on art's fundamental role. "The function of art is to present problems," maintains Abdulaziz, "and find solutions through the work itself." Philosophically, the 43-year-old Kazem retorts: "An artist cannot solve social and political issues."
Each artist is now poised for global recognition - there is Kazem's solo show at Venice, while Abdulaziz is involved with Delfina Foundation's Artist-in-Residence programme, among other international pursuits. She is currently working on a project which will be shown at Art Dubai in March. In this context, Abdulaziz asks a final question: "Has UAE contemporary art arrived at a level that we, as artists, hope for?"
Last week witnessed another vibrant artistic evening at Koel Art Gallery where the fresh exhibition took off with the title “Intimacy”. This exhibition, that attracted a lot of crowd associated with different segments of society and all walks of life, showcased the work of five artists: women who have worked either directly with processes of abstraction, or who have turned to non-figural gesture in recent years. The exhibition attended to a quieter region of feeling, work that is, in itself, solitary, slow timed, process-based, work that suggests intimacy, the realm of the sensual, within a meditative aesthetic. It was, at once, a manner of exploration, an acknowledgment, and a conversation between the five. Selected artists included Ayessha Quraishi, Lala Rukh, Meher Afroz, Mussarat Mirza, and Naiza H. Khan. Selected genres included landscape and contemplative art.
The Artistic Director National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) Zain Ahmed declared, during a press conference, the other day that the institute would present five projects in February (from Jan 31 to Feb 24) at its in-house theatre. Mr. Ahmed said the February series would begin with an Urdu translation of Shakespeare‘s The Merchant of Venice‘ (Venice Ka Sodagar) directed by Akbarul Islam from Jan 31 to Feb 3. The play would be followed by ‘Manto Aur Ghalib: Aik Guftugu‘ from Fe 8 to Feb 10. He said the dialogue between n Manto and Ghalib, collaborated by the Napa theatre and music departments, was also presented in Kolkata on Jan 11 and was well received. He informed journalists that the project drew upon the similarities of the two greats of Urdu literature as Manto was inspired by partition of the subcontinent and Ghalib by the 1857 mutiny.
Mr Ahmed said from Feb 15 ‘Zard Patton Ka Bunn, An Evening of Faiz‘ would be presented for three days. The music for the project is composed by Arshad Mahmood. From Feb 19 two short plays ‘Salgirah‘ and ‘Shaam Bhi Thi Dhuan Dhuan‘ would be staged for a couple of days (and would also be presented in Lahore and Islamabad in the same month). The final event was based on Hazrat Amir Khusrau‘s creative endeavours to be produced for three days from Feb 22.
Observing these two generations of Emirati artists in an interview at Kazem's studio, one is struck by the confident continuity of shared beliefs - in the importance of education, the value of their artistic heritage - punctuated by some critical differences of opinion. As the double interview unfolds, we get a privileged view of the state of UAE art, its phantoms and its promise.
The Group of Five was the UAE's first art scene. Three generations passed through the group's hands, from the founder Hassan Sharif in the late 1970s through to Mohammed Kazem in the 1980s, down to Ebtisam Abdulaziz and her contemporaries in the early 2000s. United by a contemporary vision at a time when arts in the UAE were anything but, the early group members took teaching as seriously as they did art.
Under Kazem's eyes, the group's Open Studio was a welcome gift for fledgling artists at the time. "I did not receive any kind of art education in school," recalls Abdulaziz. "I felt I had talent, but no one helped me work on it and develop it.
"The group influenced me a lot. I had reached a point where painting wasn't enough, so I sought your help [addressing Mohammed Kazem]. I remember you gave me one of Hassan's books about Systemic Art, and this helped me overcome that obstacle."
Such opportunity is rare today, as the educational flame sparked by the group has dwindled. Abdulaziz believes artists themselves should resume this cause, whereas Kazem points to institutions. "Education policy should change," he insists, "for the simple reason that we now have numerous art institutions and the already famous Sharjah Biennale. We need to make a gradual inclusion of art into education."
Almost every discussion is riddled with the word "gap". Abdulaziz boasts having a "scan" on the new generation of Emirati artists, through seminars she organised at the Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah. Yet she seems perplexed by their ahistorical stance.
"I remember I was a judge in a photography competition in 2007. I was surprised that most photographers were unaware of the medium's founding artists. They use the tools, the materials, without knowing why."
The evident complicity between these two generations seems on the verge of extinction. "Today, most arts graduates are more European," remarks Abdulaziz, "and less affiliated with their own society, in terms of the way they think and their connection with the older generation of artists. Most of them don't even know Hassan Sharif!"
Far from hollow nostalgia, both Kazem and Abdulaziz believe understanding previous generations' work dictates how an artist will influence subsequent generations. "Hassan's generation gave me something I still use today," explains Abdulaziz, "and I learnt the artist's role is not just to produce a work, but to give something back to society."
Perhaps stemming from this early influence, their own works present obvious overlaps, such as the use of data and numbers, and a pronounced autobiographical slant. Both evoke thorny social concerns (Abdulaziz's sly swipes at consumerist society; Kazem's continuing examination of control and boundaries), yet they remain divided on art's fundamental role. "The function of art is to present problems," maintains Abdulaziz, "and find solutions through the work itself." Philosophically, the 43-year-old Kazem retorts: "An artist cannot solve social and political issues."
Each artist is now poised for global recognition - there is Kazem's solo show at Venice, while Abdulaziz is involved with Delfina Foundation's Artist-in-Residence programme, among other international pursuits. She is currently working on a project which will be shown at Art Dubai in March. In this context, Abdulaziz asks a final question: "Has UAE contemporary art arrived at a level that we, as artists, hope for?"
Last week witnessed another vibrant artistic evening at Koel Art Gallery where the fresh exhibition took off with the title “Intimacy”. This exhibition, that attracted a lot of crowd associated with different segments of society and all walks of life, showcased the work of five artists: women who have worked either directly with processes of abstraction, or who have turned to non-figural gesture in recent years. The exhibition attended to a quieter region of feeling, work that is, in itself, solitary, slow timed, process-based, work that suggests intimacy, the realm of the sensual, within a meditative aesthetic. It was, at once, a manner of exploration, an acknowledgment, and a conversation between the five. Selected artists included Ayessha Quraishi, Lala Rukh, Meher Afroz, Mussarat Mirza, and Naiza H. Khan. Selected genres included landscape and contemplative art.
The Artistic Director National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) Zain Ahmed declared, during a press conference, the other day that the institute would present five projects in February (from Jan 31 to Feb 24) at its in-house theatre. Mr. Ahmed said the February series would begin with an Urdu translation of Shakespeare‘s The Merchant of Venice‘ (Venice Ka Sodagar) directed by Akbarul Islam from Jan 31 to Feb 3. The play would be followed by ‘Manto Aur Ghalib: Aik Guftugu‘ from Fe 8 to Feb 10. He said the dialogue between n Manto and Ghalib, collaborated by the Napa theatre and music departments, was also presented in Kolkata on Jan 11 and was well received. He informed journalists that the project drew upon the similarities of the two greats of Urdu literature as Manto was inspired by partition of the subcontinent and Ghalib by the 1857 mutiny.
Mr Ahmed said from Feb 15 ‘Zard Patton Ka Bunn, An Evening of Faiz‘ would be presented for three days. The music for the project is composed by Arshad Mahmood. From Feb 19 two short plays ‘Salgirah‘ and ‘Shaam Bhi Thi Dhuan Dhuan‘ would be staged for a couple of days (and would also be presented in Lahore and Islamabad in the same month). The final event was based on Hazrat Amir Khusrau‘s creative endeavours to be produced for three days from Feb 22.
2013年1月15日星期二
TomTom review
I tested TomTom on an Apple iPhone 5 running iOS 6.0.2. The app boots quickly to a main menu that lets you navigate to a destination, modify your route options (if one is already in progress), browse the map, plan multi-segment routes, or change settings. Tap the Navigate To button, and you'll see options for navigating to your home, favourites, recent destinations, specific street addresses, and so on. You can also navigate directly to contact addresses, geotagged photo locations, coordinates, or points on a map as well.
For the most part, keying in street addresses was a smooth process in my tests. Just as with the company's standalone navigation devices, you input the city first, followed by the street name, and then the street number.
Searching for points of interest (POI) is also standard fare. However, TomTom's POI database isn't the greatest, and the category breakdown continues to make little sense. Food stores, hardware stores, electronics stores, and more are all lumped together in one overcrowded category labelled "shop," while there are dozens of top-level categories for things like veterinarians, water sports, tennis courts, and tourist information offices, which is misguided to say the least. Another issue: TomTom has removed its Google local search feature, so it’s not possible to get around the internal POI database anymore as you could in earlier versions of the app.
Once on the road, TomTom's app is easy to use but not particularly attractive, with bland graphics and choppy animation that's more reminiscent of a three-year-old standalone GPS. That said, TomTom still leads the pack when it comes to displaying route information. You get all manner of data across the bottom of the screen, all of which updates in real-time.
The main display shows the current street, the next turn off, how far away it is, your current speed, the speed limit of the current road, and the estimated time remaining, distance remaining, and estimated arrival time. You also get 3D lane assistance views, which help with complex motorway or inner city street layouts, although TomTom's iPhone 5 optimisations missed this screen, as it's blurry and appears with black bars to either side.
One annoyance is that clearing a route still takes three taps on three separate screens, which is at least two too many. Rival Garmin, in contrast, offers a clear "End Trip" button at the bottom right at all times. That makes it easy to end navigation if you're looking for a parking spot near your destination, or decide mid-route that you no longer need guidance. The latter is a common occurrence if you're coming back from a new place and need navigation just to get to a major motorway, at which point you know the rest of the way home.
In a series of route tests, TomTom performed exactly as expected, which is to say very well. The company's IQ Routes feature adapts estimated arrival times and matches them to real-world data collected from drivers. Combined with daily Map Share updates, which you can download right from the phone, TomTom's app is arguably more "plugged in" to current road conditions than the competition.
Voice prompts were clear, crisp, and loud. They were also well timed, and the app pronounced street names correctly in almost all cases. TomTom includes several dozen voices in roughly two dozen languages; most don't say street names, but a few do. You can also purchase celebrity voices for the app via an in-app purchase, with options for the likes of Homer or Mr Burns from the Simpsons, or Darth Vader or Yoda from Star Wars.
The HD traffic plug-in deserves a special mention. It places a bar on the right side of the screen that represents traffic conditions for your route along the way. It's very impressive, and the traffic readouts update very frequently, and always accurately reported what was ahead – even on secondary routes, which was a nice surprise.
In one particular case, it insisted I exit a normally empty motorway earlier than usual. As I thought, "nah, let me ignore it and see what happens," right past the exit, I saw brake lights as everyone ahead came to a stop. I exited just in time. The only downside is that HD traffic is an in-app purchase so you’ll be paying extra for the service.
The November election did not change the balance of power in Washington, but committee leadership in Congress is in flux and trucking lobbyists are alert for what that might mean.
Hill committee assignments are particularly important. During the next couple of years, trucking will have to track implementation of 2012's highway law and prepare for the drafting of the next version, due in 2014.
Infrastructure funding already has come up for discussion during negotiations over the "fiscal cliff," a combination of tax increases and spending cuts designed to be so unpalatable that legislators will be forced to come to terms on long-term debt reduction and tax reforms.
Transportation experts look to the several high-level infrastructure commissions that have called for more highway money, and to the 2010 Simpson-Bowles plan for solving the fiscal crisis, which recommended a 15-cent fuel tax increase. The idea is not dead on arrival, said Peter Ruane, president of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, at a Bipartisan Policy Center forum.
"Politicians should have to have the debate," he said. "The fuel tax is the most efficient, proven form of financing. The only time we've gotten any increase in funding has been as part of a grand agreement on deficit reduction. It should be considered, and it is being considered."
When Carrie storms into her sister Dorrit's room and demands the purse, the brooding 14-year-old denies any knowledge of its whereabouts. While rifling through her younger sister's drawers, Carrie comes across a bag of pot. This leads to accusations of jealousy and spying and ends with hair pulling. As the girls tussle, a voice over informs us that the year is 1984, that Ronald Reagan is president, and that the family matriarch died of cancer three months earlier.
The fight is broken up by the girls' bland looking father Tom. Carrie insists she has nothing to wear, because she didn't have her annual shopping trip with mom. In an effort to comfort his eldest daughter, Tom lets her have access to her mother's closet that has been left in exactly the same condition as it was when she was still alive. In awe, Carrie's eye catches a green sundress, but her father holds too much of a sentimental attachment to it, "Not that dress. She wore it on her last birthday," he says. Instead he hands her a pair of sunglasses which prove useful on the first day of school.
When Carrie arrives at school, we find out she's a junior with three close friends: Mouse, Maggie and fashion-forward Walt, who give her the gift of normalcy while the rest of her classmates whisper and stare as she walks down the hall. The other big news on campus is the arrival of Sebastian. As he appears all heads turn. It is hard to understand why, because he isn't especially appealing.
Turns out he does know Carrie from spending summers at the swim club when he was home from boarding school. That news pales in comparison to the fact that Mouse got herself an older boyfriend and lost her virginity over the summer, or as she puts it, "It was like putting a hot dog in a key hole." Even for a high-school girl, that is uninspired dialogue. In addition, Carrie finds out from Maggie that she too had her V-card punched.
Emboldened by her friends' sexual escapades, Carrie approaches Sebastian. It turns out that swimming isn't the only thing the twosome had done at the local pool. Sebastian and Carrie had shared a steamy kiss. It was also her first kiss, and she hadn't seen him since. While trying to work up the nerve to ask Sebastian out, Carrie spots her father coming down the hall. The only other time he had come to the school was when her mother took a turn for the worse.
Frozen and unable to speak, Carrie elegantly faints into Sebastian's arms, and he lays her gently on the floor. When she regains consciousness, Carrie finds out her father was here to meet with her guidance counselor. They decide that Carrie might benefit from an internship that would take her out of her snug little suburban town and plop her into Manhattan.
The night before starting her new internship, Carrie again confronts Dorrit about their mother's purse. It doesn't take Carrie long to find it and see that it has been ruined; covered in nail polish. Carrie accuses her sister of destroying the beloved bag on purpose, but Dorrit denies the accusation. She tells her sister she just wanted something of their mother's because Carrie got everything, "You got the purse, your 16th birthday, the start of high school; I got nothing." Carrie has one of her famous revelations, "I never thought of myself as the lucky one, but I had precious extra years that Dorrit would never have." The damaged purse offers a glimpse at creative Carrie as she creates her own custom bag.
For the most part, keying in street addresses was a smooth process in my tests. Just as with the company's standalone navigation devices, you input the city first, followed by the street name, and then the street number.
Searching for points of interest (POI) is also standard fare. However, TomTom's POI database isn't the greatest, and the category breakdown continues to make little sense. Food stores, hardware stores, electronics stores, and more are all lumped together in one overcrowded category labelled "shop," while there are dozens of top-level categories for things like veterinarians, water sports, tennis courts, and tourist information offices, which is misguided to say the least. Another issue: TomTom has removed its Google local search feature, so it’s not possible to get around the internal POI database anymore as you could in earlier versions of the app.
Once on the road, TomTom's app is easy to use but not particularly attractive, with bland graphics and choppy animation that's more reminiscent of a three-year-old standalone GPS. That said, TomTom still leads the pack when it comes to displaying route information. You get all manner of data across the bottom of the screen, all of which updates in real-time.
The main display shows the current street, the next turn off, how far away it is, your current speed, the speed limit of the current road, and the estimated time remaining, distance remaining, and estimated arrival time. You also get 3D lane assistance views, which help with complex motorway or inner city street layouts, although TomTom's iPhone 5 optimisations missed this screen, as it's blurry and appears with black bars to either side.
One annoyance is that clearing a route still takes three taps on three separate screens, which is at least two too many. Rival Garmin, in contrast, offers a clear "End Trip" button at the bottom right at all times. That makes it easy to end navigation if you're looking for a parking spot near your destination, or decide mid-route that you no longer need guidance. The latter is a common occurrence if you're coming back from a new place and need navigation just to get to a major motorway, at which point you know the rest of the way home.
In a series of route tests, TomTom performed exactly as expected, which is to say very well. The company's IQ Routes feature adapts estimated arrival times and matches them to real-world data collected from drivers. Combined with daily Map Share updates, which you can download right from the phone, TomTom's app is arguably more "plugged in" to current road conditions than the competition.
Voice prompts were clear, crisp, and loud. They were also well timed, and the app pronounced street names correctly in almost all cases. TomTom includes several dozen voices in roughly two dozen languages; most don't say street names, but a few do. You can also purchase celebrity voices for the app via an in-app purchase, with options for the likes of Homer or Mr Burns from the Simpsons, or Darth Vader or Yoda from Star Wars.
The HD traffic plug-in deserves a special mention. It places a bar on the right side of the screen that represents traffic conditions for your route along the way. It's very impressive, and the traffic readouts update very frequently, and always accurately reported what was ahead – even on secondary routes, which was a nice surprise.
In one particular case, it insisted I exit a normally empty motorway earlier than usual. As I thought, "nah, let me ignore it and see what happens," right past the exit, I saw brake lights as everyone ahead came to a stop. I exited just in time. The only downside is that HD traffic is an in-app purchase so you’ll be paying extra for the service.
The November election did not change the balance of power in Washington, but committee leadership in Congress is in flux and trucking lobbyists are alert for what that might mean.
Hill committee assignments are particularly important. During the next couple of years, trucking will have to track implementation of 2012's highway law and prepare for the drafting of the next version, due in 2014.
Infrastructure funding already has come up for discussion during negotiations over the "fiscal cliff," a combination of tax increases and spending cuts designed to be so unpalatable that legislators will be forced to come to terms on long-term debt reduction and tax reforms.
Transportation experts look to the several high-level infrastructure commissions that have called for more highway money, and to the 2010 Simpson-Bowles plan for solving the fiscal crisis, which recommended a 15-cent fuel tax increase. The idea is not dead on arrival, said Peter Ruane, president of the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, at a Bipartisan Policy Center forum.
"Politicians should have to have the debate," he said. "The fuel tax is the most efficient, proven form of financing. The only time we've gotten any increase in funding has been as part of a grand agreement on deficit reduction. It should be considered, and it is being considered."
When Carrie storms into her sister Dorrit's room and demands the purse, the brooding 14-year-old denies any knowledge of its whereabouts. While rifling through her younger sister's drawers, Carrie comes across a bag of pot. This leads to accusations of jealousy and spying and ends with hair pulling. As the girls tussle, a voice over informs us that the year is 1984, that Ronald Reagan is president, and that the family matriarch died of cancer three months earlier.
The fight is broken up by the girls' bland looking father Tom. Carrie insists she has nothing to wear, because she didn't have her annual shopping trip with mom. In an effort to comfort his eldest daughter, Tom lets her have access to her mother's closet that has been left in exactly the same condition as it was when she was still alive. In awe, Carrie's eye catches a green sundress, but her father holds too much of a sentimental attachment to it, "Not that dress. She wore it on her last birthday," he says. Instead he hands her a pair of sunglasses which prove useful on the first day of school.
When Carrie arrives at school, we find out she's a junior with three close friends: Mouse, Maggie and fashion-forward Walt, who give her the gift of normalcy while the rest of her classmates whisper and stare as she walks down the hall. The other big news on campus is the arrival of Sebastian. As he appears all heads turn. It is hard to understand why, because he isn't especially appealing.
Turns out he does know Carrie from spending summers at the swim club when he was home from boarding school. That news pales in comparison to the fact that Mouse got herself an older boyfriend and lost her virginity over the summer, or as she puts it, "It was like putting a hot dog in a key hole." Even for a high-school girl, that is uninspired dialogue. In addition, Carrie finds out from Maggie that she too had her V-card punched.
Emboldened by her friends' sexual escapades, Carrie approaches Sebastian. It turns out that swimming isn't the only thing the twosome had done at the local pool. Sebastian and Carrie had shared a steamy kiss. It was also her first kiss, and she hadn't seen him since. While trying to work up the nerve to ask Sebastian out, Carrie spots her father coming down the hall. The only other time he had come to the school was when her mother took a turn for the worse.
Frozen and unable to speak, Carrie elegantly faints into Sebastian's arms, and he lays her gently on the floor. When she regains consciousness, Carrie finds out her father was here to meet with her guidance counselor. They decide that Carrie might benefit from an internship that would take her out of her snug little suburban town and plop her into Manhattan.
The night before starting her new internship, Carrie again confronts Dorrit about their mother's purse. It doesn't take Carrie long to find it and see that it has been ruined; covered in nail polish. Carrie accuses her sister of destroying the beloved bag on purpose, but Dorrit denies the accusation. She tells her sister she just wanted something of their mother's because Carrie got everything, "You got the purse, your 16th birthday, the start of high school; I got nothing." Carrie has one of her famous revelations, "I never thought of myself as the lucky one, but I had precious extra years that Dorrit would never have." The damaged purse offers a glimpse at creative Carrie as she creates her own custom bag.
2013年1月13日星期日
Hygienic show features art with 'class'
Saturday afternoon, a light mist on Bank Street in downtown New London was just persistent enough to present a mosquito-like annoyance factor. The brightly lit Hygienic Art Galleries, though, offered the promise of shelter - along with a welcome and day-glo plethora of pieces from the new "Whalers & Lancers" exhibition.
The seventh annual show features works in a variety of mediums from art students at both Waterford and New London High Schools.
The opening reception took place Friday evening, and A. Vincent Scarano, the president of Hygienic Art, estimated about 500 students, parents and assorted art-enthusiasts attended.
"It was a very diverse and enthusiastic crowd," Scarano said. "You could tell the kids were proud and excited. They should be. There's some wonderful stuff here, and this gives them an actual gallery exhibition experience."
Both of the ground-level rooms in the gallery were full of pieces roughly arranged into sections featuring pottery and sculpture, photographs, and drawings and paintings.
The subject matter varied expansively. There are plenty of land- and seascapes, portraiture, and expressions ranging from abstract to realism. Various pieces seem to reflect themes of autumn - possibly because much of the student work was done in the fall semester.
There are also indications of the influence of popular culture with respective allusions to music such as Deadmau5 and Skillet as well as the television series "Pretty Little Liars."
For most of Saturday, attendance at the show was scarce and void of student artists - which was perhaps not surprising given the large turnout at the reception.
But those who did wander through were impressed by variety of disciplines and the skill level.
Jack Shackles, a pastor at Taftville Congregational Church, was walking in downtown New London and, seeing some of the art through the window, came in to see the exhibition.
"It's always encouraging to see students express themselves, and some of these pieces show a lot of talent," he said. "The technique and perspective, the humor and movement ... it's good stuff. It also helps show you the world through (the students') eyes. I also think it's really nice of the gallery to encourage them and give them space."
Scarano said that's the whole idea. "This is a professional art gallery as opposed to a classroom wall," he said. "Being an artist is like being in a band. You can rehearse in the garage all you want - and you should - but eventually you've got to play that first gig. This show is a gig experience for the students. It gives them that sense of pride, and it gives their families a sense of pride."
There is also the aspect that much of the work on display is for sale. Visitor Bud Bray, a resident of New London who studied the exhibition in leisurely but comprehensive fashion, said he was drawn immediately to an untitled crayon piece by New London High School student Austin Clay - and was dismayed to learn it had already been sold.
"If you want to be a professional artist, you've got to realize that there is a business side of art as well as the creative side," he said. "That's another great thing about not just this show but how the art departments at these schools operate today. The kids learn about the process of the business and how to price art work even as they learn technique."
A "Celebration of Life" for Armond "Army" Kirschbaum will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Blue-Hollomon Gallery, 3555 Arctic Blvd. We previously noted his passing, at age 89, on Dec. 4, 2012, but this seems a good time to revisit some of his accomplishments, with information supplied by his family and friends.
Born in San Francisco March 25, 1923, he spent summers in Nome with his mother and stepfather who ran a trading post. He enlisted in the Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor and served as a Seabee. After the war, he attended the San Francisco Art Institute on the GI bill, studying what was then called commercial art and is now known as graphic design.
He came to Anchorage in 1948, according to a Daily News interview in 1981. He told the reporter that he found five little theater groups and a symphony orchestra, but "there was nothing, nothing going on" in the visual arts.
He opened an advertising business with a strong commercial art component and sold art supplies to people who would become the core of the town's visual art community, like William Kimura and Alex Combs, well before they were actually making money from their art. He expanded his business to include a gallery and showed the work of Rie Munoz, Keith Appel, Bill Sabo and Pat Austin. He was instrumental in forming the Alaska Artists Guild.
He served on the Anchorage Historical and Fine Arts Museum Commission, on the boards of the Alaska Watercolor Society and was a founding member of the Anchorage Lions Club.
As an artist, Kirschbaum produced paintings and murals, including some of the prominent pieces at the Hotel Captain Cook. When the city of Anchorage merged with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough, he created the seal for the new municipality.
Some said they had known him and the picture included with the article was not of him; others who knew him said it certainly was.
It didn't take long for folks with connections to the old homesteading community at the head of Kachemak Bay to get word to his grandson, Ron Wieber, and we connected by phone early last week. Wieber told me that the "old man's" name was properly spelled Alvia Mattox and that he was best known as "Matt." He was born in 1879 in Buffalo, Wyo., and was working at the Turkey Track Cattle Company there at the turn of the century.
It was a wild and woolly place, Wieber said. "He told me how he encountered a sheep herder one time and they shot it out. He wound up with a bullet in his back that he carried to his grave."
He came to Alaska to work in the gold fields in Nome, Wieber said, and accumulated enough of a stake to fund his ranching efforts in the Homer area. That would not have been during the first Nome gold rush, however, since the 1910 census shows him still living in Wyoming and the 1930 census has him living in Unalaska -- herding sheep. Wieber thought Mattox's Nome years were in the '30s.
The seventh annual show features works in a variety of mediums from art students at both Waterford and New London High Schools.
The opening reception took place Friday evening, and A. Vincent Scarano, the president of Hygienic Art, estimated about 500 students, parents and assorted art-enthusiasts attended.
"It was a very diverse and enthusiastic crowd," Scarano said. "You could tell the kids were proud and excited. They should be. There's some wonderful stuff here, and this gives them an actual gallery exhibition experience."
Both of the ground-level rooms in the gallery were full of pieces roughly arranged into sections featuring pottery and sculpture, photographs, and drawings and paintings.
The subject matter varied expansively. There are plenty of land- and seascapes, portraiture, and expressions ranging from abstract to realism. Various pieces seem to reflect themes of autumn - possibly because much of the student work was done in the fall semester.
There are also indications of the influence of popular culture with respective allusions to music such as Deadmau5 and Skillet as well as the television series "Pretty Little Liars."
For most of Saturday, attendance at the show was scarce and void of student artists - which was perhaps not surprising given the large turnout at the reception.
But those who did wander through were impressed by variety of disciplines and the skill level.
Jack Shackles, a pastor at Taftville Congregational Church, was walking in downtown New London and, seeing some of the art through the window, came in to see the exhibition.
"It's always encouraging to see students express themselves, and some of these pieces show a lot of talent," he said. "The technique and perspective, the humor and movement ... it's good stuff. It also helps show you the world through (the students') eyes. I also think it's really nice of the gallery to encourage them and give them space."
Scarano said that's the whole idea. "This is a professional art gallery as opposed to a classroom wall," he said. "Being an artist is like being in a band. You can rehearse in the garage all you want - and you should - but eventually you've got to play that first gig. This show is a gig experience for the students. It gives them that sense of pride, and it gives their families a sense of pride."
There is also the aspect that much of the work on display is for sale. Visitor Bud Bray, a resident of New London who studied the exhibition in leisurely but comprehensive fashion, said he was drawn immediately to an untitled crayon piece by New London High School student Austin Clay - and was dismayed to learn it had already been sold.
"If you want to be a professional artist, you've got to realize that there is a business side of art as well as the creative side," he said. "That's another great thing about not just this show but how the art departments at these schools operate today. The kids learn about the process of the business and how to price art work even as they learn technique."
A "Celebration of Life" for Armond "Army" Kirschbaum will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Blue-Hollomon Gallery, 3555 Arctic Blvd. We previously noted his passing, at age 89, on Dec. 4, 2012, but this seems a good time to revisit some of his accomplishments, with information supplied by his family and friends.
Born in San Francisco March 25, 1923, he spent summers in Nome with his mother and stepfather who ran a trading post. He enlisted in the Navy after the attack on Pearl Harbor and served as a Seabee. After the war, he attended the San Francisco Art Institute on the GI bill, studying what was then called commercial art and is now known as graphic design.
He came to Anchorage in 1948, according to a Daily News interview in 1981. He told the reporter that he found five little theater groups and a symphony orchestra, but "there was nothing, nothing going on" in the visual arts.
He opened an advertising business with a strong commercial art component and sold art supplies to people who would become the core of the town's visual art community, like William Kimura and Alex Combs, well before they were actually making money from their art. He expanded his business to include a gallery and showed the work of Rie Munoz, Keith Appel, Bill Sabo and Pat Austin. He was instrumental in forming the Alaska Artists Guild.
He served on the Anchorage Historical and Fine Arts Museum Commission, on the boards of the Alaska Watercolor Society and was a founding member of the Anchorage Lions Club.
As an artist, Kirschbaum produced paintings and murals, including some of the prominent pieces at the Hotel Captain Cook. When the city of Anchorage merged with the Greater Anchorage Area Borough, he created the seal for the new municipality.
Some said they had known him and the picture included with the article was not of him; others who knew him said it certainly was.
It didn't take long for folks with connections to the old homesteading community at the head of Kachemak Bay to get word to his grandson, Ron Wieber, and we connected by phone early last week. Wieber told me that the "old man's" name was properly spelled Alvia Mattox and that he was best known as "Matt." He was born in 1879 in Buffalo, Wyo., and was working at the Turkey Track Cattle Company there at the turn of the century.
It was a wild and woolly place, Wieber said. "He told me how he encountered a sheep herder one time and they shot it out. He wound up with a bullet in his back that he carried to his grave."
He came to Alaska to work in the gold fields in Nome, Wieber said, and accumulated enough of a stake to fund his ranching efforts in the Homer area. That would not have been during the first Nome gold rush, however, since the 1910 census shows him still living in Wyoming and the 1930 census has him living in Unalaska -- herding sheep. Wieber thought Mattox's Nome years were in the '30s.
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