If you've been cosmic ordering for something for some time and it still has not come, there're a number of reasons.
Let's take a look at the check list of a few usual steps:
Clarity of what you put out there--Is your order sent out using the positive words to phrase it? Is it specific? Have you visualized it vivdly in your mind's eye? Is your intention crystal clear and laser sharp? Why do you really want it? Take for example, if it's a house that you want, why do you want the house for? Is it for the joy that you want from the togetherness of your family and friends, the peace and quiet of staying in the country side to enjoy serenity? Or is it just a tool to show people you now have a new house? If you've the house, what and how would you want it for? Your intent to have the house is a critical part whether it comes in your comic ordering or not... Support of your conscious mind--Does your conscious mind pop up with non-supportive thoughts like 'the mortgage may be too high', 'now is not the time to buy yet, let's wait for another real estate crash', 'why is it that my colleague got her new house faster than me? I know how to cosmic order but she doesn't', 'why is the Universe not sending my house to me yet?', 'why has it taken ages for me to manifest a house?'...and so on... If you said 'ages', of course it take ages to come to you. It's simple. The Universe reads the words carefully, whether it's verbally spoken or mentally spoken... Alignment with your subconscious emotions--Does your subconscious have emotions that linked with events, thoughts, behavior, or conversations from your past (from your childhood to adult life) by people around you such as parents, relatives, neighbors, teachers, religious community that created sadness, jealousy, unhappiness, anger, pain etc around the subject of house or having a new house? For example, perhaps in your childhood you might have heard your neighbor telling your parents that it's difficult to finance a house and it's totally impossible to own a house 20 years later, and at that time you felt owning a house's indeed impossible. Or you might have read a newspaper article that reported the death of a father rushing his way to register his new house for the family and was crashed in an accident, and at that time you felt sad. Search through your subconscious mind's memory about the house that you so wanted and find the dis-empowering emotional links to it. if the emotion linked to the house is not removed, there's no possibility of the cosmic ordering of the house coming to you...
Do you make these mistakes when cosmic ordering for what you want? Have you found your own solutions and correct and continue to cosmic order. Practice and observe your cosmic ordering will help you become more and more successful in manifesting and creating the life you most desire.
And if you would like to have free instant access to a 6-day mini simple guide on how to send and receive your cosmic orders successfully, visit http://cosmicorderingblog.com/. Hui has achieved consistent results from her cosmic ordering in the past 1 year, especially with financial and wealth cosmic orders. Visit http://cosmicorderingblog.com/ now, and fill in the banner that flies out from the bottom of the page, for your free cosmic ordering guide. PS: remember to smile back at the banner guy who's smiling at you:)
Materials Handling Industry has matured as never before. Ever since the industrial revolution started, goods needed to be transported at a larger scale. These transports and movement of goods and materials have become the material handling industry, a mature industry which has anchored in all corners of the globe and has
The Industry Definition By definition, this optimization business is the movement, protection, control and storage of goods before, during and after the production or manufacturing process. But also includes the handling of goods during distribution to end consumers and even during the consumption and the disposal part of the end product. Every little handling falls within the handling industry.
The logistics industry highly relies on the material handling industry and in many ways is intertwined with this industry as well. The tow industries go hand in hand in order to let the supply chain process go as fluently as possible.
A Little Industrial History This management business has been around ever since humans have been trading goods. Once trading and manufacturing started to happen at a larger scale more efficient systems needed to be developed and brought into place. Equipment and optimization are constantly evolving to facilitate the demand of goods.
The industrial revolution was sparked of in Great Britain in the early 18th century when the first commercially viable steam engines entered the manufacturing, mining, agricultural and transport processes. These inventions and contraptions were shipped all over the world to increase production volumes and the industrialization of the world became a fact. The material handling industry developed along side.
In principle we are still in the middle of the industrial revolution, as we keep progressing forward. Steam engines were only the spark that flamed the technological process. But the introduction of the combustion engine, electricity, electronics, the microchip and now nano technology all are part of an ongoing industrial revolutionary process. And all along this industry has grown, developed and progressed as well.
Material Handling Industry of America Companies in the material handling industry have united in the MHIA in the United States. The MHIA is one of the largest organizations in the world representing the material handling industry. Not strange as the United States is the largest economy in the world. The MHIA is a non-profit trade organization helping its members to perform more efficiently on the world platform.
This commercial enterprise is an exciting industry as a whole as it keeps progressing and filtering in the processes needed to optimize the movement, protection, control and storage of goods. The consumption of material handling and logistics equipment and systems in America exceeds $156 billion per year, and producers employ in excess of 700,000 workers.
At this year's San Francisco's WWDC, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced iOS 5 for the company's handheld devices. The new operating system will ship this spring (fall for Northern Hemisphere) on the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, the iPad 1 and 2, and iPod Touch 3rd and 4th generation.
iCloud
The biggest news at the conference, Apple's cloud computing service will let users back up and share files with a wide range of devices. Several applications including Calendar, Mail and Contacts will have iCloud functionality right out of the gate, automatically synchronizing data between devices. Users will get 5GB of free storage, and purchased items like books and iTunes music will not count to that limit.
However, users who want to store songs that weren't bought off of iTunes will need to purchase iTunes Match. This service costs $24.99 per year. However, it isn't simply a license fee: The service will automatically scan the music library and replace stored songs with higher bit rate versions from iTunes for no additional charge.
The service is part of iOS 5 and will reach Apple computers with the upcoming OS X Lion to be released in July. CNet has more details on the desktop version and integration here.
Notification Center
This customizable news feed can show everything from stock prices to friend requests. It can be accessed in lock mode, much like the date and time display in iOS 4.
Wi-Fi iTunes Sync
You no longer need to plug your iPhone, iPod, or iPad into the computer to sync your music, photo's, videos & Apps. Wi-Fi Sync will do this automatically.
iMessage
This is an instant messaging app similar to Blackberry Messenger. iMessage has group messaging capability as well as video, photo and location sharing. However, it only communicates with other iOS devices.
Newsstand
Think iBooks, but for periodicals. This new app lets users subscribe to periodicals, which are then downloaded in the background automatically when a new issue is released.
GPS-based To-Do Lists
New to-do lists can now be location-based as well as time-based. For example, you could tag a message to get milk with the location of a local grocery store, so the next time you go there you get a reminder.
Twitter Integration
Safari, Photos, Camera and YouTube can work directly with Twitter for updates from those applications. Contacts can also link entries directly to Twitter handles.
Safari Reader
Tabbed browsing and "reader" mode are finally reaching the mobile version of the browser. Reader strips web content down to an RSS-like page, free of ads, but not pictures.
Camera Improvements
The camera can be accessed immediately from the lock screen, with the Volume Up button acting as the shutter. Pinch to zoom replaces the zoom scroll bar, and basic tools like red eye removal and color correction are available immediately after taking a photo. iCloud can also be set up to automatically upload photos to a desktop or laptop for easier editing.
Direct Updates
iOS devices can now update without having to be plugged into a computer. OS updates will be limited to new data instead of requiring a download of the entire system each time there is a minor update.
Looking forward to purchasing the iPhone 5 when it comes out?
Check our site for the latest up-to-the-minute iPhone Prices on offer. Time limited offers, ending soon.
You wake up in the morning and look across to the person you say you care for more than any one in the world. What do you really think about this person? Does he/she immediately fill you with love and adoration or are you thinking terrible or maybe even contemptuous thoughts about that person.
You get up and go to the shower in preparation for the work day. You weigh yourself and realize that you have put on a few kilos. You say to yourself "Oh, that's just because of the extras I had at dinner last night. It will be OK".
You sit down to breakfast and find yourself wishing your partner were different somehow. If only they'd dress differently, act differently, weren't so selfish, paid better attention to you or whatever it is. You don't say anything.
You go to the office and find yourself seeking out that one special person who is always so nice to you. You flirt with them and find yourself requesting or agreeing to meet after work for drinks. Over time this leads to more regular meetings until one day this becomes more serious. You convince yourself this is not an affair but just a "bit of fun" that you can control and that no-one is being hurt by it.
And then one day you lose the control and the innocent flirting becomes a one-night-stand, the one-night-stand becomes a fling and the fling becomes a full blown affair that now seems to have a mind of its own.
You have reached the point of no return and you realize you are now in really deep trouble.
How many lies were told in this story?
The truth is we all lie sometime and most of us lie most of the time.
We lie to ourselves about what is going on in our life and we lie to ourselves about what is going on in our relationships. And we lie to each other about what is going on in our relationships as well.
The lies are expressed in one of two ways; either by what we actually do say but most often the lies are expressed by what we don't say.
So what should you do when you find yourself lying or catch someone out in a lie?
I often get asked questions about lying. When is it OK? When is it not? What to do when you find someone has lied to you? Should you forgive a lie?
The answer is not as simple as it might appear. You might be thinking that you simply should never lie. But as Allan Pease, in his book "Body Language", says; to be socialised is to lie.
In other words every day we are confronted with situations, such as the first utterance we make when greeting someone, when we say: "how are you?" (As if we really care). The inevitable reply is: "fine thanks, how are you?"
We say this when what we'd really like to say is something like: "I feel terrible; the kids are mucking up, my husband does nothing to help me, and I'm fed up." Or for the man who might really want to say; "I'm so over it. I work hard to provide for my family and there's no thanks when I get home; just nagging to do more around the house and for the kids."
This response would be heard as complaining and, while it might be the truth, is most often not aired in public.
So what about the lies that should never be told?
This is how I advise my clients. If you have done something wrong for which you think you should tell the truth about ask yourself these questions first.
1. If I tell the truth about this for whom am I doing it? If it's just about my own feelings of guilt - then think carefully about the good of that for the other person. If it's because they really deserve to know then you must tell the truth.
2. If I tell the truth what good will it do? If it means an opportunity to start afresh then you must tell the truth and deal with the consequences as they come.
3. If I tell the truth what do I want as the outcome of doing that? Keep that outcome in mind to give each of you a chance to get to that rather than having the truth lead you to a place of regret.
And here are a couple of things you can do to help you both get to the best outcome.
1. Create a good place and time for the conversation to happen.
2. Alert the person to what it is you want to talk about prior to the meeting so they can prepare themselves for it.
3. Before saying what you want to say in truth, let the other know how you would prefer for them to respond eg "There is something I need to let you know, and I hope that once you've heard it you will be able to find forgiveness for me so that we can continue our relationship."
4. Be willing to forgive yourself and the other person for any part they had to play in the situation that led to creating the lie in the first place.
So until next time - Relate with Love
Lidy Seysener
About the Author
As a qualified Counselor, Lidy Seysener specializes in helping individuals and couples make the most of their lives and their relationships. She's been Counseling for more than twenty years and can also boast having been in an enduring relationship for as long.
For more information about me or what I do take a look at my newest website: http://www.acouplesjourney.com/ where you will find lots more information including quizzes and questionnaires. enter your details and you will get a free copy of my limited edition ebook titled 'Relationships - A Couples Journey'.
If you are starting to study phenology then it is likely that you will start in the spring. After a winter break it is the time of year when things are starting to happen in the natural world and it is a logical time to begin your observations.
What to study?
Which natural events do you look for? This does depend on what you are interested in because you can study birds, mammals, amphibians, insects, trees and flowers. Perhaps you would like to have a go at all of them. Below I give some suggestions. They apply to where I live in the UK, so you may have to change them for your own country, but they will give you a good idea of the principles involved.
Birds
Where you live there will be some birds that stay through the winter and others that have migrated away. For those returning migrants you can record the dates when you first see them. For me, such birds include: Swallow, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, House Martin, Sand Martin, Spotted Flycatcher, Swift, Turtle Dove, Wheatear and Willow Warbler.
Some birds will have been resident in the winter, but return to other countries in the spring. For these birds you can record the last date you have seen them. Whre I live, examples include Fieldfare, Redwing, Brambling, Brent Goose and Bewick's Swan.
Other birds are resident all year round. For these birds you can record when they start building nests, when you first see them feeding chicks and when you first see juveniles out of the nest. Where I live, such birds include Blackbird, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Robin, Thrush and, Rook (for nest-building).
Amphibians
Amphibians are very active in spring, seeking suitable ponds for mating. You can record your first sighting of newts. For frogs and toads record the first sightings of spawn and tadpoles.
Insects
Insects such as butterflies, wasps and bees also start building colonies and laying eggs in the spring so you can keep an eye out for these. For bees and wasps, you can record your first sightings but also look out for queens as well. If you do not know what a queen looks like, you can consult a field guide or look for pictures on the internet. In the UK we look for Red-tailed Bumblebees (the familiar black, yellow and white ones are tricky to tell apart), Carder Bees (the ginger ones), Honey Bees and Wasps.
Butterflies are very popular insects to study in spring. You can record the first sightings for just about any butterfly you see. The earliest butterflies to appear are Brimstone, Comma, Orange Tip, Peacock, Green-veined White, Small White and Holly Blue.
Trees
Trees are very popular subjects to study in phenology as they clearly symbolise the changing seasons with their fresh young leaves and flowers in spring and orange-brown leaves and fruits in autumn. They are also noticeably large, easy to identify and easy to observe.
With trees, there are three things to spot: budburst, first leaf appearing and first flower. Budburst refers to the leaf buds: they appear in late winter, but there will come a point when you can see them split, ready for the leaf to emerge. It is this splitting that you look out for. The first leaves to appear are often at the very top of the tree, so a pair of binoculars may be needed. Also, be careful with flowers on trees, they can be small and insignificant so you need to look closely.
You can record these events for any deciduous tree species, but they can work for trees like Holly, Yew and Scots Pine as well, it's just that their new leaves aren't so obvious. The classic trees to study are: Alder, Horse Chestnut, Rowan, Field Maple, Silver Birch, Beech, Larch, Sycamore, Pedunculate Oak, Sessile Oak and Ash. Shrubs such as Hazel, Blackthorn, Dog Rose and Lilac are also popular.
Wild Flowers
The first sightings of wild flowers are also encouraging signs of spring, so it is good to look for them and record the first date you see them. Well-known flowers that bloom early in the year include Snowdrop, Winter Aconite, Lesser Celandine, Colt's-foot, Crocus, Wood Anemone, Cuckoo Flower, Daffodil and Bluebell.
If you would like to take a step further, you can study the more recognisable grasses. These flower later than the spring flowers. Suitable grasses to study are Cock's-foot, Meadow Foxtail, Timothy Grass and Yorkshire Fog. When you first see them, they won't be in flower, so be careful. When they are in flower they will open up noticeably and change colour as the anthers appear. For example Meadow Foxtail becomes orangey-brown and Timothy Grass a nice mauve colour.
What Equipment Do I Need?
To study phenology, very little specialist equipment is needed. You will need a field guide to help you identify all the birds, animals, insects and plants. A notebook to record your observations (which eventually will go onto a computer) is essential. In addition, binoculars are useful, as birds and animals can be elusive, but also the first leaves and flowers appearing on trees are often at the very top. Some waterproof clothing and good footwear are also essential.
Be Organised
Now, you could just go out for a walk and serendipitously record whatever you see, and you can have an enjoyable time doing that, but your records can become rather random and you will miss many observations. Also, your records from one year to the next will not be comparable.
In my experience, it is best to follow a set route around your local neighbourhood. Your route should include all the locations where the natural events that you want to record take place.
Now, you may ask, how do I know here the best sites are? Well, a good start is to ask for advice from other naturalists. Additionally, you can visit the most promising sites in your area and see what you find there. It does take a lot of research and reconnaissance, but eventually you will have a list of locations and events to observe when you visit them.
In your notebook, it is helpful to write down the route and which events you will see at each point. This reminds you to look for the correct trees, birds, etc at the correct location. This works well if, like me, you are a bit scatter-brained and easily distracted. Having a set route and a list of things to look for in advance will help you to observe the natural events sooner and keep your observations consistent from year to year.
Be warned, the first events to observe, such as Hazel catkins, can be in January. In phenology, spring starts very early.
The dates you record are your earliest observation. They should be early trendsetters, not an unusual one-off. So, if you observe an event one week, you should see three or four of the same event the week after. Be careful of that strange tree that flowers in January or the birds that nest in December. You also want to observe typical wildlife in its normal habitat, so be careful, for example, of windswept exposed trees, flowers that grow next to lights and birds that nest on an artificially warm building.
Conclusion
It may seem that you have to do a lot of organising and planning, but once you start making your observations you will soon see what a wonderful structure it brings to your wildlife observations. One observation will lead naturally to the next. They will teach you much about the organisms you see and provide a delightful narrative of the natural year.
Michael Knaggs is an enthusiastic and experienced naturalist based in Yorkshire, England. He has been observing birds, flowers and butterflies since he was 12 years old. He has been studying Phenology since 2006 and contributes records to Natures Calendar, a Phenology survey run by the Woodland Trust in the UK.
Beijing's unusually fierce, and effectively official, response came in an editorial by the state Xinhua news agency: the same medium used this month to criticise America's "addiction" to debt. The article took particular exception to the suggestion that China would use its increasing naval power in the South China Sea a region where competing territorial and resource claims already threaten conflagration.
It accused a senior US military officer of "prematurely and maybe ridiculously" asserting that an expanded Chinese naval presence would have implications for regional rivalries and power dynamics.
Although Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan feel those concerns acutely, the Xinhua editorial concluded that any suggestion that China was focused on anything other than self-defence was "based on a wild guess and illogical reasoning".
The increasingly strident terms used by Xinhua, analysts say, point to a China whose confidence has been buoyed by economic frailty in the West. Echoing its previous attack on America's colossal military spending, the editorial yesterday said that for many in China, it was strange to hear such comments from the Pentagon "whose expenditures... accounted for more than an appalling 40 per cent of the world's total in 2010".
In the annual report to Congress, the Pentagon warned that China was planning to build "multiple" aircraft carriers and predicted that it would have its first indigenous carrier by 2015.
The Chinese Navy recently completed a four-day sea trial of the Varyag: a refurbished Soviet-era aircraft carrier, which it plans to use for training fighter pilots. Listing a range of growing military capabilities, including anti-ship ballistic missiles, new submarines and warships, enhanced cyber warfare technologies and a planned road-mobile intercontinental ballistic missile, the Pentagon report highlighted the potential threat this posed to the region, an issue of growing concern in Washington despite signs of improving US-China military relations.
Although the Pentagon report is produced with contributions from across the US Administration, the alarm bells over China's burgeoning military may come at a time when the Pentagon is having to cut its budget by $400 billion (£250 billion) over the next ten years, and possibly double that figure if the Congressional deficit-cutting committee set up by President Obama recommends a more dramatic reduction.
The report will serve as a reminder to Mr Obama and Congress that the US will need to spend money developing systems to counter any growing threat by China to the East Asian region and, in particular to Taiwan, which the US is committed to defend.
The Pentagon report emphasised the positive role China has played in counter-piracy, disaster relief and peacekeeping. But when asked at a press briefing whether the developing carrier programme would be seen in that light, Michael Schiffer, the deputy assistant secretary of defence for East Asia, replied: "Whether this proves to be a net plus for the region, or for the globe, or proves to be something that has destabilising effects and raises blood pressure in various regional capitals, I think remains to be seen."
China's military, the report said, still had large amounts of outdated equipment and lacked operational experience, but was "steadily closing the technological gap with modern armed forces". Mr Schiffer raised China's cyber warfare capabilities as one of the issues of increasing concern. In the past year, numerous computer systems had been targeted around the world, by attacks which "appear to have originated within China", he said.
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Do you know exactly what a winner is? Do you take responsibility for your actions? When the going gets rough? Do you get going?
These are all important questions and ones that you should know the answer to. First off I'd like to talk to you about taking responsibility. Here's what it means!
Being concerned, sensitive and aware of the effect of your actions of others.Acknowledging what you are accountable for.Acknowledging who you are accountable for.Acting accountable at all times.
Are you responsible for getting things on the right track? Do you make decisions and stand behind them? Are you in control of your thoughts and emotions? If not, why?
You need to step up your game and become a winner. If you want people to know, like and trust you, first you must start taking responsibility for your own actions. Set some goals for yourself, actually write them down, keep them where you will see them on a daily basis. This will help you accomplish whatever it may be that you have set for yourself.
Sometimes this is harder said than done, but just take some baby steps and become accountable for your actions. Challenge yourself to try something different and follow it through. Challenges are an opportunity for you to learn. You control your own thoughts and emotions. You will start making the right choices and will then be prepared to become something great, for now you are responsible for your own actions.
If you find yourself needing some guidance it is always a good idea to find yourself a mentor and ask for their help. These are people who will want to help and see you succeed. There are many people in this world who are successful and are helping others do what they do. Go and do a Google search for 6 figure earners or successful leaders and start following them.
Another suggestion is to take a course, and get the training you need to become that winner. Face book always has free training calls and webinars that you could learn some valuable information from. There is so much information to find on the internet, that it is virtually impossible to fail.
The most valuable thing you can do for yourself is to start attending live events. This is where everything will become very real for you.
Now take that knowledge and share it with others, you will be amazed with the outcome. Don't listen to the pessimist as they will make you fail before you succeed. Live everyday like it is your last, because in reality it could actually be. Your friends may question your insanity, but I wouldn't let that bother you. Just follow your dreams, take responsibility for your actions and make the right choices with your life.
Your life is a story and each day you write a new page. If you do in the end you will not be disappointed. Whatever you do, Do not ever give up on your dreams, you can become a winner!
Chery A Schmidt is an Internet Marketing Coach & Home Business Mentor. Specializing in helping others succeed online. For More Details Go Here Now=> http://newteambuilders.com/?t=ezart
As I continue giving you warning signs of a failing relationship, I must reiterate how important it is to communicate with your partner. When you avoid communication, you can safely assume that there will be trouble down the road. One of the ways to avoid the communication is by not making yourself available for your partner. Are you finding yourself checking the caller ID on the cell phone, only to notice that it is your partner, and then hitting the ignore button? Do you ignore text messages because you have nothing to say? Do you find yourself making excuses as to why you didn't pick up the phone? If any of the above describes what you are doing to your partner, then you really need to ask yourself why you are avoiding conversation.
I'm sure we can all recall a time when we couldn't wait to hear the phone ring, (back in the day there were no cell phones and no caller ID) hoping that it would be that special person. A friendly call to simply say hello and to ask how your day was going was something you waited and waited for. The ringing of the phone was like music to your ears and gave you the fluttering butterfly feeling in your stomach. You had so much to say - yet nothing to say at all. Being in love was so wonderful. And everything that your partner had to say was of the utmost importance! Communication was simple back then because you wanted to tell your partner everything about your day and hear everything about theirs.
Fast forward to today. Now you couldn't care less about their day. I can just picture some of you rolling your eyes to the back of your head when you see the caller ID of your partner come up on your cell phone. The ignore button has never been used so much. You probably hit the ignore button more on your partner than you do on telemarketers. Am I right? Well, all you're doing is prolonging the inevitable. Sooner or later you will have to talk to him/her. They will be coming home at the end of the day, and you will need to come up with some valid excuses as to why you couldn't pick up the phone. You can only use the same excuses so many times before your partner starts catching on. Sometimes it takes longer than you think for them to suspect that you are avoiding them at all costs. But eventually they can tell that you just don't want to talk to them. Frustration sets in and accusations start to fly. Insecurity strikes and all of a sudden you're in the middle of a full blown brawl. In your head you know you were just trying to avoid talking to your partner. But in your partner's head, they are conjuring up all types of scenarios as to why you can't, or won't, answer the phone. The lack of communication causes assumptions and before you know it, you are in a screaming battle trying to defend yourself simply because you just didn't feel like hearing your partner's voice.
The sad truth is that if you don't want to hear from your partner, the relationship is on the decline. The sound of their voice should not disgust you or make you hit the ignore button. If things have gotten to a point that you are avoiding calls daily, it is time to get some serious help. The lack of interest in each other's lives means that you are focusing your interests somewhere else. For a while you may be distracting yourself by doing innocent things like shopping, meeting up with friends, or playing a sport. But sooner or later, you may become so detached from your partner's life that you start looking for other ways to fill a void.
The only way you will be able to solve this problem is to communicate until you can pinpoint what made you start pulling away and avoiding your partner. As we all know, trying to do it on your own is very difficult, and most of the time couples can't get to the root of the problem because arguments start when they try to communicate. Both want to get their point across, while at the same time neither want to admit their fault in the matter.
If you are dedicated to your relationship and truly love the person you are with, you will go to any length to save the relationship. We fail to remember that relationships are a work in progress and that maintenance is needed to keep things running smoothly. I can guarantee you that a costly divorce and heartbreak are not the road you want to go down.
Cheers, Coach Lisa LifeCoachLisa (440)856-3670 Guiding you to a healthier and happier relationship one session at a time.
Washington, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy announced today the selection of 16 projects aimed at developing advanced post-combustion technologies for capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal–fired power plants. The projects, valued at $41 million over three years, are focused on reducing the energy and cost penalties associated with applying currently available carbon capture technologies to existing and new power plants.
The selections announced today will focus on developing carbon capture technologies that can achieve at least 90 percent CO2 removal and reduce the added costs at power plants with carbon capture systems to no more than a 35 percent increase in the cost of electricity produced at the plant. The Obama Administration has made a goal of developing cost-effective deployment of carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies within 10 years, with an objective of bringing 5 to 10 commercial demonstration projects online by 2016.
“Charting a path toward clean coal is essential to achieving our goals of providing clean energy, creating American jobs, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It will also help position the United States as a leader in the global clean energy race,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
Existing CO2 capture technologies are not efficient when considered in the context of large power plants. Current CO2 capture systems require large amounts of energy for their operation, resulting in decreased efficiency and reduced net power output when compared to plants operating without these technologies. The net electricity produced could be significantly reduced - often referred to as parasitic loss - since 20 to 30 percent of the power generated by the plant would have to be used to capture and compress the CO2.
The goal of this research is to reduce the energy penalty with carbon capture and sequestration technologies, thereby reducing costs and helping to move the technology closer to widespread use. Post combustion CO2 capture can be applied to both new and existing plants by adding a “filter” that helps isolate the CO2 from the other gases before it leaves the plant. This “filter” can take the form of membranes, solvents and sorbents.
The projects, managed by the Department’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, selected for negotiation of award include:
Area of Interest – Solvents
Novozyme (Franklinton, N.C.) — The applicant proposes to design, build, and test an integrated bench-scale system that combines the attributes of the bio- catalyst, carbonic anhydrase, and ultrasound technology for reducing the energy required to remove the captured CO2 from the solvent. The application of ultrasonic energy forces dissolved CO2 into gas bubbles. The technologies are projected to reduce the CO2 capture energy penalty from a coal-fired power plant by as much as 51 percent compared to using conventional monoethnolamine (MEA) scrubbing technology. (DOE share: $1,620,794; recipient share: $422,269)
Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group(Barberton, Ohio) —The project will identify chemical additives that will improve overall performance of B&W’s amine-based CO2capture technology. Recent testing at B&W indicates that blends of the solvent with additives capture CO2 more effectively when combined versus the pure solvent. Technology objectives include improving the CO2 capture system operability and reliability, minimizing environmental impacts, reducing corrosion potential in the system, and maximizing solvent durability. (DOE share: $2,835,680; recipient share: $708,920)
Battelle (PNNL) (Richland, Wash.) —The bench-scale project investigates new organic-based solvents designed specifically for capturing post-combustion CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants. The low solvent regeneration temperatures of the proposed technology facilitates energy integration that has the potential to reduce overall CO2 capture energy penalty by more than 50 percent compared to commercial systems. Continuous absorption-desorption tests will be performed on the optimal solvents over a one-year period. (DOE share: $1,999,693; recipient share: $500,000)
Carbon Capture Scientific(Pittsburgh, Pa.) —This project will perform bench-scale development and testing of a novel solvent-based CO2 scrubbing technology, known as Gas Pressurized Stripping (GPS). The GPS technology has the potential to significantly reduce the energy penalty associated with solvent regeneration by operating at higher pressures which in turn reduces the compression requirements for placement of CO2 in pipelines. Successful results could reduce the total parasitic power load of a CO2 capture process by 60 percent compared to the DOE baseline case. (DOE share: $2,999,756; recipient share: $751,169)
GE Global Research(Niskayuna, N.Y.) —This project will continue research and bench-scale testing of a novel CO2 capture solvent, aminosilicone, developed as part of a previous DOE-funded program. A manufacturing plan for the solvent and price model will be used for optimization, and combined with a rigorous process model and thorough manufacturability analysis for the solvent, will enable a practical technology path to later development at larger scales and commercialization. (DOE share: $2,999,815; recipient share: $749,954)
Area of Interest – Sorbents
W.R. Grace (Columbia, Md.) —The proposed project will develop a cost-effective CO2 capture process known as pressure swing adsorption (PSA), which utilizes rapid pressure changes to capture and release CO2. Key to this project is finding a suitable match between the adsorbent and the pressure change cycle configuration. The applicants will develop a low-pressure-drop, structured adsorbent material, based on commercially-available materials that are suitable for use in a rapid PSA cycle configuration. The proposed work builds upon promising results for CO2 capture from flue gas obtained in a previous project employing a traditional PSA cycle configuration with long cycle times of 300 seconds or so. (DOE share: $2,998,705; $749,921)
Georgia Tech Research Corp. (Atlanta, Ga.)—By using a rapid temperature change, a novel process - referred to as rapid temperature swing adsorption (RTSA) - is being investigated for CO2 capture. The CO2 is captured on hollow fibers loaded with silica-supported adsorbents. The outcomes of the project will be bench-scale demonstration of the concept of RTSA for CO2 capture, coupled with preliminary design, optimization and economic analysis of a full-scale system to demonstrate the potential for this technology to meet cost and performance goals set by DOE. (DOE share: $2,386,633; recipient share: $637,047)
InnoSepra (Bridgewater, N.J.) -- This process utilizes sorbents with much lower CO2 capture energy requirements compared to competitive processes and has been successfully demonstrated at the lab scale to obtain greater than 99 percent CO2 purity, and more than 90 percent CO2 recovery. The ultimate goals of the project are to confirm the projected performance of the InnoSepra process at the bench scale; provide sufficient data for design of a commercial-scale plant; and provide a high degree of confidence in the applicability, cost effectiveness and practical feasibility of this process. Projections based on detailed engineering evaluations show that the technology can reduce the power consumption for CO2 capture by more than 40 percent, and the capital cost for the CO2 capture equipment by more than 60 percent at commercial scale, resulting in a more than 40 percent reduction in the CO2 capture cost compared to alternate technologies such as amines. (DOE share: $2,594,885; recipient share: $650,000)
Research Triangle Institute (Research Triangle Park, N.C.) — The proposed project will develop an advanced, solid sorbent, known as Molecular Basket Sorbent (MBS), for CO2 capture. Key to this project is the optimization and production scale-up of advanced MBS materials in fluidizable form and the development of an associated fluidized-bed process technology. The associated engineering and design work will provide significant advancements for most solids-based CO2 capture systems, including demonstration of various heat recovery and process integration concepts. Anticipated project benefits are improvements in terms of energy penalty, capital/operating cost, and environmental performance for CO2 capture technology. (DOE share: $2,997,107; recipient share: $912,092)
TDA Research, Inc. (Wheat Ridge, Colo.) —The applicant proposes to develop a low-cost, high-capacity CO2 adsorbent and demonstrate its technical and economic viability for post-combustion CO2 capture for existing pulverized coal-fired power plants. The adsorbent was developed by the applicant under a previous contract with DOE. The team will work to advance the technology by improving the material capabilities and the process design, and by carrying out an evaluation with a fully-equipped prototype unit using coal flue gas to demonstrate the technical viability of the concept. (DOE share: $2,700,000; recipient share : $675,000)
University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, N.D.) —The objective of this project is to scale up and demonstrate a hybrid solid sorbent technology, referred to as the CACHYSTM process, for CO2 capture from coal combustion-derived flue gas. The technology involves a novel solid sorbent based on the following ideas: reduction of energy for sorbent regeneration, utilization of novel process chemistry, contactor conditions that minimize sorbent-CO2 heat of reaction and promote fast CO2 capture, and low-cost method of heat management. The project will develop key information for the CACHYS process—sorbent performance, energy for sorbent regeneration, physical properties of the sorbent, the integration of process components, sizing of equipment, and overall capital and operational cost of the integrated system. (DOE share: $2,952,000; recipient share: $738,000)
Area of Interest – Membranes
GE Global Research (Niskayuna, N.Y.) —The project will focus on developing novel polymer membranes at bench scale, including modifying the properties of the polymer in a coating solution and fabricating highly engineered porous hollow fiber supports that have the potential to meet DOE’s CO2 capture goals. These membranes permit CO2 to pass through to produce a concentrated CO2 stream while blocking all other gases. Physical, chemical, and mechanical stability of the materials (individual and composite) toward coal flue gas components will be evaluated using exposure and performance tests. Module design, technical, and economic feasibility analyses will be conducted to evaluate the overall performance and impact of the process on the cost of electricity. (DOE share: $2,434,282; recipient share: $608,570)
Fuel Cell Energy, Inc. (Des Plaines, Ill.) —The proposed project goal is to verify that the applicant’s patented membrane-based Direct FuelCell® (DFC) can achieve at least 90 percent CO2 capture from flue gas of an existing PC plant with no more than 35 percent increase in the COE. The DFC consists of ceramic-based layers filled with carbonate salts, separating CO2 from the flue gas with a selectivity of 100 percent over the nitrogen present in the gas. Because of fast reactions, the CO2 concentration of less than 15 percent normally found in the PC plant flue gas is suitable for this application. (DOE share: $2,994,108; recipient share: $748,527)
Membrane Technology and Research, Inc. (Menlo Park, Calif.)—This project will focus on novel membrane designs that will result in reductions in membrane cost, system complexity, footprint, and pressure drop for very large membrane-based CO2 capture projects. A commercial-scale membrane module will be developed with an area of 2,500 m2, which is 20 to 50 times larger than the area of current modules. The cost and complexity of manifolding the membrane modules and the footprint of the membrane system can be sharply reduced by development of the new mega-modules. Energy savings due to low pressure drops for gases circulated through the modules, as well as improved countercurrent flow, are additional benefits. (DOE share: $2,999,871; recipient share: $983,202)
Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) —The objective of this proposed project is a cost-effective design and manufacturing process for new membrane modules that separate CO2 from flue gas. The membranes consist of a thin selective inorganic layer embedded in a polymer structure so that it can be made in a continuous manufacturing process. They will be incorporated in spiral-wound modules for bench-scale tests at actual conditions. Preliminary cost calculations show that options of using a single-stage membrane process or a two-stage process can meet or exceed the DOE cost goals. (DOE share: $3,000,000; recipient share: $1,262,300)
William Marshall Rice University (Houston, Texas)—Researchers will construct and test at the bench-scale a novel CO2 capture process which includes: combining the absorber and stripper columns into a single integrated unit. The two functions of this integrated unit are separated by a ceramic membrane which enhances the capture of the CO2 from the flue gas and the production of a concentrated stream of CO2 for storage. A computer simulation model will be developed for the process, and the results will be used to optimize the properties of ceramics being used and the process operating conditions. The expected outcomes of this project include significant reduction in the capital and operating costs of the gas absorption process and the resulting increase in COE. (DOE share: $768,647; recipient share: $192,164)
Washington D.C. --- U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced that the Department of Energy finalized a partial guarantee for an $852 million loan to support the development of the Genesis Solar Project. The Genesis Solar Project is a 250 megawatt (MW) parabolic trough concentrating solar power (CSP) facility that will increase the nation’s currently installed CSP capacity by about 50 percent. NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, the project sponsor, estimates it will fund approximately 800 construction jobs and 47 operating jobs. The project is located on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management in Riverside County, California.
“This project creates jobs, avoids greenhouse gas emissions and helps strengthen our nation’s renewable energy future,” said Secretary Chu. “With the support of loan guarantees, we will enable the deployment of clean, renewable sources at scale, which will help bring down the cost of solar power in the years to come.”
The partial loan guarantee will support a utility-scale deployment of proven and scalable parabolic trough solar thermal technology that has been used commercially for more than two decades. The project is expected to produce enough electricity to power over 48,000 homes and avoid over 320,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Power from the project will be sold to Pacific Gas and Electric Company. The lender-applicant, Credit Suisse AG, submitted the application under the Financial Institution Partnership Program (FIPP). Through FIPP financing, the Department of Energy guarantees up to 80 percent of the eligible costs of a loan provided to a renewable energy project by qualified financial institutions.
The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office (LPO) administers three separate programs: the Title XVII Section 1703 and Section 1705 loan guarantee programs, and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program. The loan guarantee programs support the deployment of commercial technologies along with innovative technologies that avoid, reduce, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions, while ATVM supports the development of advanced vehicle technologies. To date, LPO has issued loans, loan guarantees or offered conditional commitments for loan guarantees totaling nearly $40 billion to support 42 clean energy projects across the U.S. The Department of Energy has issued conditional commitments or loan guarantees to support numerous projects, including several of the world’s largest solar generation facilities, three geothermal projects, the world’s largest wind farm, and the nation’s first new nuclear power plant in three decades. For more information, please visit http://www.lpo.energy.gov.
In this article I want to talk about the fundamental idea of how we think about change, and how to create the change in our lives that we desire. This is my own opinion and some of it comes from things I have read and learned from others.
While growing up and going to school the beginnings of the general fear of change started. In school we were taught to fear change and failure. The way to avoid failure was to always follow the rules, teach to the test and be prepared to follow the pre-designated path to a job. To mostly learn things that don't benefit our ability to create what ever we want in life. We have been taught in school to be afraid of too much change. We have been taught that pushing the envelope or breaking away from the crowd and doing something new and different, that creating change is scary and maybe even irresponsible.
The prevailing idea that is hammered into us in school is to stick to the rues and curriculum so you can get a good job, work hard and there will be time to relax and enjoy life when you retire. We are NOT taught to embrace change and think out of the box, to find solutions and think as solutionaries.
The word solutionary, coined by Zoe Weil who did a great talk about this subject on TED Talks, tedxdirigo.com a video platform. The idea is that when people are taught to look at the world and their own lives from the perspective of working toward solutions for problems and positive changes, they will be more successful themselves and society and the world will be a much better place. When people grow up and finish school they will be able to think as a solutionary. They will be able to find solutions to whatever comes their way.
If you are in a place in your life that you don't want to be in, how do you set your mind to find the positive change you want. Unfortunately we are not taught to be solutionaries and the people who do manage to change their way of thinking, do it through a very pro active and determined process of self improvement. They re-educate themselves so they can undue the way of thinking they were taught in school.
Most people tend to just keep repeating the same processes in their lives expecting to get a different result. They don't really create solutions for change and they wonder why they never get the change they want in their lives. Other people hide from change by blaming everybody and everything around them, including society, the economy and the government for their inability to accept or create the change they really want and need. The greater world does not usually change, we change first and then society and culture changes. The fear of change and the fear of the possibility of failure stops people dead in their tracks. We were not all taught to find solutions by thinking out of the box, basically to be solutionaries.
In my opinion, if we could re-educate ourselves to think in this way, to not fear change or the possibility of failure we could avoid a lot of pain and disappointment in life. We could find the solutions to the issues we face and solutions for creating want we want in life. It really is about changing the way we think and the only way to do that is through self improvement and re-educating ourselves.
For many people it is easier to just be depressed, use alcohol or drugs or just plain live life unhappy and unfulfilled. If you are a person who can honestly and sincerely say they are truly happy in all areas of your life, then I am not writing this article for you.
You are in the minority of people who have found whatever solutions that have worked for you. This article is for all the majority of people who would like more out of their lives and are stuck, because they were not taught to think in terms of finding solutions with out the fear of change.
As Zoe Weil in her talk on TED video put it, she says that if we were to graduate a generation of solutionaries, people who are taught this new way of thinking from a young age, we could change the world. We would have a generation of people who would be able to come up with solutions to create the change that could solve the problems that are confronting society. Instead of teaching people to follow like sheep, to not be comfortable asserting their leadership, we would have a generation of people who would be leaders through their ability and desire to come up with and implement solutions for positive change.
If you were taught in school to think out of the box and strive to be a leader, to come up with new ideas and challenge the old ones that don't work and that was the fundamental way you were taught to think, the world and your own life would be a much better more functional place.
Consider contributing to environmental preservation, creating a better world and a better life for yourself. It takes the desire and actions of average people to create a movement for change. What better way to take action than starting a business =that helps other people, our planet and yourself. Michael writes articles about environmental sustainability issues, including holistic health and business solutions for environmental preservation. He also coaches and trains people on how to get started in their own successful business, as an eco entrepreneur.
Simply acknowledging things to be thankful for is real a game changer. You will surprise yourself with how your outlook and attitude will improve when you recognize and practice this happiness tool.
I am not an advocate of the 'It could be worse' crowd as a way for making you feel good that others are in worse shape. It takes less energy to remind yourself of the good stuff in your life rather than comparing your lot in life with others.
You are guaranteed to be much happier and peaceful.
Gratitude is the best attitude.
Practice Being Thankful
There are no shortages of things to be grateful for. The problem is we take so much for granted that we overlook them.
You need to be conscious of the good things in your life!
We tend to acknowledge things, like health, only when there is a problem. How about starting the day thankful you feel good? (Okay, after a few cups of coffee!)
You can see, smell, talk, walk etc. No small thing at all and it starts the day off in the right frame of mind.
On your way to work or play, take notice of the sun, clouds, trees, flowers and snow. Being aware of and thankful of nature's role in our world has a calming effect on our lives.
"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures." Quote by Thornton Wilder
People In Our Lives
Gratitude is a sure relationship builder or saver.
We have many people in our lives, at times they may cause us angst or put a demand upon us. It is important to balance this 'heavy' side of relationships with the other side of it.
First off, no one is perfect, rather than harping on the things a person may do that irritate us, remind yourself of all the good attributes a person may have and be thankful for them. You will find that the exercise elevates the relationship dramatically and the annoyance factor dissipating.
ItISthe Little Things!
Be thankful for little things, we tend to focus on negative things, which create negative vibes. I am sure we all have arrived at work complaining about the traffic, but did we ever use the time to think not of everything we need to get done that day but on someone we love, some pursuit we enjoy, a recent accomplishment...
Being grateful insulates us from the tendency the culture has towards negativity and the focus on what we do not have.
We must practice being grateful and happy with what already have rather than get pulled into the message that we need this and that to be happy. You will find that being grateful actually enhances your joy and growth opportunities.
Do it as soon as you finish this article and drop me a line on your thoughts.
"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has." Quote by Epictetus
But this is what the future probably looks like. Better get used to it. Like it or not, the ramshackle rebel army is, with the support of the Nato-based coalition, creating a new way of intervening and giving strength to a new strand of international law. Farewell Gladstonian liberal intervention with its gunboats; hello people's liberal intervention with its Ray-Bans, T-shirts and hastily converted pick-ups. Of course, Libya isn't over yet.
The last days of Gaddafi could be just as messy as the long days that led to his downfall. He is more than mad enough and self-declared martyr enough to do something foolish at the end. But even if the battle ends soon and cleanly, the peace that follows is likely to be just as confused and chaotic as the conflict.
How could it be otherwise? We have intervened to prevent a massacre and let the Libyan people shape their own peace, rather than to seek to impose ours something which, by the way, we ourselves weren't very good at.
So, as we watch the National Transitional Council struggle to build a government (security should be its first priority), it would be in order to remember with humility that when we tried to do the same thing in Baghdad we didn't exactly make a roaring success of it or in Kabul either. Or, indeed, in many places where we have tried to create a Western peace after a foreign conflict.
We should now do all that we can to help the rebels to bring about order and government in Libya. But we will need to do so with understanding and patience. Better for the mistakes that will inevitably be made to be local ones, rather than our mistakes that they have to pay for, as in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 1997, before the Kosovo war started, I was in the little Albanian villages south of Pristina being bombarded by the main battle units of the Serb Army. The following day I met one of the Serb artillery commanders and found that he was more worried about being indicted by what was then the infant Yugoslav war crimes tribunal than he was of Nato's bombs.
The point about law is that it exists not just to deliver justice after the event but also to govern behaviour beforehand. After Kosovo, the world summit of 2005 gave form to a new international legal concept: the responsibility to protect (R2P for short). This asserted that, under international law, there ought to be an obligation (note "ought" and "obligation") on a government to protect its people, not abuse them. Many of us thought R2P would never be more than a piece of well-meaning rhetoric. But Libya has given R2P both form and precedent.
How R2P is carried forward post Libya will also not be smooth or free of contradictions. R2P will be applied with force in places where it can be Libya for example; but not be so applied in others, where it can't be Syria probably. But then this was true of classic liberal interventionism too.
International law does not spring from a single pen or a single piece of paper; it evolves over time confusingly, inelegantly and often in contradictory fashion. Libya has placed us slap-bang in the middle of that messy process.
Many of us, me included, feared that, after the Iraq debacle, the multilateral system might never be able to be used again for good ends. But it has been and triumphantly.
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Can you recall a time in your life when someone said a few words to you and you literally can say that that person changed your life?
Many people have had that experience and with gratefulness carry on with their lives being well aware that who they are is because someone took the time to share a bit of wisdom with them. These people know how different their lives might well have been had that particular person at that particular time not said what they said. By the works they do, whether consciously or subconsciously, walk out their lives with an attitude of "paying back." They are thankful for what has been given to them and so want to pay back to their world.
If you haven't yet had the type of experience that you honestly can say, "Someone once told me something that completely changed my life," then consider experimenting with life. Present to your life a challenge. Test the world around you to see if you could create a possible miracle.
Be truthful in what you say to maintain your integrity as a human. And, it's o.k. to be spirited and humorous, as well. If you let your personality flow, you'll be surprised at how you can create a fun and really positive experience.
Most of us don't live in the jungle or desert, so every day endless opportunities cross our paths where we can positively effect another person's life. We don't have to wait until someone "comes knocking on our door." We can "knock on their door." See what happens when you cross paths with an elderly person and you tell them with a big smile on your face, "You're looking mighty fine today." More often than not, it's nearly a guarantee, in return you'll get the biggest positive response. They'll most often laugh and immediately connect with you.
Once you get that type of response and you realize how you can positively effect another human's life just by your being "real" and reaching out, connecting with other humans will become much easier.
Then, when someone "comes knocking on your door" sharing how they're in an emotionally abusive relationship, you'll more easily be able to flow in the "1, 2, 3."
1 - "This is about you."
2 - "What is one thing you are really good at doing in your life?"
3 - "Go out and be the best (their answer) you can be today, tomorrow, and the next day."
Whether you pay forward, pay back, or perhaps a bit of both, you are making a positive difference in the world you live in.
For more explanation of the "1, 2, 3," see article, "A Possible Miracle in One Minute or Less."
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Phenology is the study of natural events that occur in nature, with particular regard to their timing. To study phenology you will need to keep a nature diary and record when you see different events occurring.
Your records provide information for a long-term study as the timing of events each year are compared with previous years to see if there are any trends.
Phenology is mostly studied in countries where there is a definite change of seasons throughout the year. So it is well suited to countries that have a spring-summer-autumn/fall-winter cycle. Although there is nothing to stop you studying phenology in a country with a different climate. All you need are some annual events that occur at particular times of the year.
Where I live, in the UK, we have a spring-summer-autumn-winter cycle and the two main seasons studied are spring and autumn. This is because these are the two seasons where the most changes and natural events take place.
In spring you can study:
Mammals, reptiles & amphibians
When hibernating animals are first seenFor particular animals, when they change to their summer coat
Birds
When winter residents leaveWhen migratory birds arriveWhen male birds start singing or performing rituals to attract femalesWhen birds start building nestsWhen birds start feeding chicksWhen juveniles are first seen out of the nest
Insects
When particular insects are first seen
Trees
When trees are in bud and ready to produce leaves (an event called budburst)When the first leaves appearWhen flowers appear
For wild flowers
When the flower is first seen, in full bloom.
In the UK, spring phenology has been studied for over 200 years. People have always been very interested in the first signs of spring, as they bring the promise of warmer weather to come.
The first sightings of a Cuckoo or Swallow are well-received. The first Peacock or Orange-tip butterflies are anticipated. With trees, the first flowers on Blackthorn and Hawthorn are very welcome and the first leaves on Oak and Ash trees are keenly noted.
In autumn you can study:
Mammals, reptiles & amphibians
when hibernating animals are last seen
Birds
Trees
When leaves are first tinted yellowWhen leaves fall offWhen trees are bare
Trees and Shrubs
When fruit first appearsHow much fruit is produced
Fungi
When different fungi are first seen
Autumn phenology has been studied far less, so there is still much to learn about autumn events and which factors influence their timings.
Not all birds, insects, trees or flowers show a clear seasonal variation in their life-cycle, but most do, so studying phenology helps you to learn a lot about the wildlife that lives in your local area.
Why study phenology?
Studying phenology helps you to learn about the events that occur in the wildlife around you. It helps you to appreciate the changing seasons and makes you aware of the effect weather can have on wildlife. It brings to your attention 'early' and 'late' years and helps you to understand why this happens. In the long term it helps to see if our climate is changing and if this will have an effect on the wildlife around us.
You can study phenology on your own and keep your personal annual diary if you wish. However, the information you collect is very useful and you can join a national scheme that collects data from many other people throughout your country. These larger data sets are useful in studying our climate on a national and global scale.
Most of all, though, studying phenology helps you to understand the yearly cycle that wildlife goes through, the different events that occur and how everything fits together and is dependent on so many other things happening at the right time. Although, at first glance, studying phenology seems little more than recording a series of dates, it provides an insight into the complex and detailed ecosystems of the organisms we share our planet with.
Michael Knaggs is a keen and enthusiastic naturalist from Yorkshire, England. He has been observing birds, butterflies and wild flowers since he was 12 years old. He has been studying phenology since 2006 and contributes to Natures Calendar, a phenology study run by the Woodland Trust in the UK.
It is correctly said that any mobile platform's success depends on the support they get from different application development vendors. This is actually true in case of Apple's iOS.
Major reasons for iPad application development growth:
1) Recently at Venture Beat's Game Beat 2011 Conference, Giancarlo Mori, CEO of Glu Mobile said that tablet gaming has a huge potential in the near future which will finish the market for traditional games. The plethora of other popular fields for iPad application consists of healthcare, insurance, entertainment, sector & also apps for security, hospitality and many more
2) Pew Research Center's latest study suggests that maximum number of American's use online video sharing sites and also share video links via e-mail. This is one of the popular reasons why iPad app developers are in demand. Companies want various video streaming applications that can run on iPad as it gives an added advantage of high resolution and big screen over the smartphones, apart from this it also makes video calling more easy. Other than US & Canada, Europe and Australia are other major geographic areas where the tablet boom is on a significant rise, primarily due to the fact; we have limitless possibility to explore on tablets like iPad.
3) Distimo report for 1st quarter says that sales for ipad grew by 12% at the Apple app store and it has got more than 30,000 apps for iPad now. This study suggested that iPad is becoming famous when it comes to downloading of the applications via Apple app store.
The 2nd quarter sales figure for iPad showed that nearly 5 million iPads have been sold and it is expected that app sales will cross around 4 million US Dollars during 2011. Also a recent study conducted by Flurry indicates that around 60% of new projects which started in the 1st quarter of 2011 consisted of iOS application development and was increased by certain percentage during the 2nd quarter. Also android and iOS app development has shown sustainable growth rate in mobile technology which only few rival to match.
With the sale of iPads, the applications are also getting popular day by day. Developers are interested in making the apps for iPad because it has a larger screen as a result of which more complex and advanced apps can be made plus it has a better user experience. With the introduction of 3G spectrum, use of business applications has increased which has helped the programmers to develop loads of applications as the pattern of internet browsing has changed and lastly many iPad apps have been sold and the growth will continue in the upcoming years.
These are few of the major reasons as a result of which iPad development, software & app developers are in demand. The iPad application can be made for various domains like entertainment, hotel & restaurant, banking & insurance, aviation, retail and many more. This insight will definitely help you to understand why an iPad application is valuable and useful for your business and organization.
The spirit bear (also known as the kermode bear) is a rare white phase of the black bear. And in the Great Bear Rainforest, in British Columbia, Canada, the spirit bear is found in high concentration - unique in the world.
Here are some neat things about this creamy-white animal that is catching our attention now -- but has been catching salmon in the inky-green rainforest for thousands of years!
1. Spirit bears are not albinos! Albinos have an absence of pigmentation, but spirit bears have pigmentation: their eyes are dark and when you see one, you see that the skin on their foot pads is dark, too.
2. It's genetic. Why are spirit bears white? It's due to a single recessive nulceotide replacement in one of their genes. Think of it like blue eyes in humans, but extremely rare. In order to be white, a cub must receive the same recessive information in that gene from both parents.
3. There is more than meets the eye. Even black bears in white bear territory carry the white gene - just as brown-eyed people can carry the blue-eyed gene in humans. And they can pass it on to their offspring. In fact more than half of black bears in some parts of this rainforest carry the spirit bear genetic makeup.
4. So a black mum can have a white cub? Yup. And vice-versa.
5. What's the advantage to being a white bear? Scientists have an idea. All of the bears in the Great Bear Rainforest have a heavy reliance on salmon. It provides about 80% of their annual protein. Scientists think that spirit bears standing above rivers fishing are more "hidden" than black bears. Why? Because to the salmon, looking up for danger, the spirit bear is light like the sky. Whereas a black bear would loom dark and foreboding against a light sky. Studies have shown that in daylight hours, spirit bears are more successful at catching salmon than black bears!
6. How did they find that out? If you are thinking it must have involved scientists in bear suits... you are right! Goofy as it sounds, it was actually very scientifically done. One of the key researchers in this is Dr. Tom Reimchen, from the University of Victoria. You can learn more about him on his website.
7. The spirit bear lives in the islands of the Great Bear Rainforest. These islands are covered in cedar, hemlock and fir trees and pierced by creeks and streams where the bears fish in the autumn. We think they may be rarely seen on the mainland and are mostly found on the islands because grizzly bears (brown bears) frequent the mainland fishing areas, and grizzly bears always dominate. So grizzlies would keep the white bears on the islands.
8. What does kermode mean, anyway? Kermode is part of the scientific name for this animal - the part that denotes this "phase" of the black bear. It is from a man called Francis Kermode, an employee of British Columbia's provincial museum, who helped scientists obtain pelts of the animal to study. Spirit bear is a name from the First Nations of the area, who have lived with these animals as long as both have been on the coast, and hold them in high regard. There is even a story that they were created to remind people of the ice age.
9. Are spirit bears protected? Well, interesting question. Yes, but not fully. We need to make sure their supply of salmon and their rainforest ecosystem is protected. But beyond that, it is illegal to hunt a white bear in British Columbia. But the black bears that carry the white gene and can create spirit cubs can be shot. Raincoast Conservation Foundation is working toward that by buying the commercial trophy hunting licences in the area. To find out more, visit their website: www.raincoast.org.
10. How can I see a spirit bear? Your best option is to travel through BC's Great Bear Rainforest by ship. In fact, several responsible tourism businesses, including one owned by my family, have offered spirit bear viewing trips for over 20 years! Taking such a trip helps protect the bears, by providing a conservation-based economy (responsibly viewing the animals).
A white bear is such a surprise in the dark rainforest world. Now you have an inkling as to why it might be there, and the fascinating questions it makes us ask.
Maureen Gordon is a writer and co-owner of Maple Leaf Adventures in British Columbia (http://www.mapleleafadventures.com/). She has travelled with guests many times to the islands of the Spirit Bear in the Great Bear Rainforest, and is certified as an assistant bear viewing guide by the Commercial Bear Viewing Association of BC. You can learn about her family's spirit bear viewing trips on her website, linked above.
In the midst of high unemployment and economic hard times, the guardians of central government say that cuts are just nowhere to be found, but parking lots around federal agencies in Washington are full to overflowing in these hard times--especially since President Obama came to town. Even as he announces that he is reducing regulations, critics note that he increased regulatory jobs by 13% and actual regulations by 60%. One economist said for Obama to say that he is giving us some paltry reduction in regulation is akin to a man who hits you on the head with a wrench and then shakes your hand. The monstrosity that is "Obamacare" waits in the wings with massive regulation unless overturned by the Supreme Court.
According to USA Today, the job security rate is 99.434% at most federal agencies. HUD, which has done such an admirable job in the housing market, has a 99.85% job security rate. They only fire people such as Catherine Austin Fitts, a Christian who once had her own bank on Wall Street. She requested an audit of all off the books money skimmed from inflated real estate mortgages to finance secret black operations by federal agencies, and was asked to leave Washington.
"We've never focused on firing people," says HUD, "and we don't intend to start now. We're focused on hiring the right people." They say the low dismissal rate is a result of their skilled and committed workforce. No, really! They said that. That explains why the President will not agree to downsize the leviathan in Washington--too many valuable resources to implement incremental socialism and nihilism--the gradual degradation of the remnants of the old republic by the miners and sappers deep within the labyrinths of government who assure that secularism and socialism become the norm for a populace weaned from liberty and Jesus Christ--all guided by most Obama appointees who have never worked a day in their lives in the private sector--the fewest private sector advisors to any President since 1900.
The calls for austerity in government echo throughout the land, but OSHA goes on and on--the same OSHA that swooped down on a small nonprofit agency of social workers helping the old, the sick, the shut-ins and the disenfranchised that liberals claim to care about. I was board chairman, and we got rid of some squirrels in our attic by using moth balls rather than an expensive exterminator because money was tight. Someone complained, and OSHA cited us for using "hazardous chemicals." They fined us an amount that would have stocked our food bank for the hungry for three months. They said, "We might forgive you the first time moth ball offense, but not to have our poster up in your work area was--unforgivable!"
For federal employees like those at OHSA, after just a few years on the job, job security soars to near 100%. Even as the real unemployment rate in the private sector stands at 18% or more, the government laid off a whopping 385 people last year in reorganizations...a 0.02 rate...one in every 6,000 employees in its 2.1 million workforce. The nearly half-million federal employees earning "$100,000 or more" enjoyed a 99.82% job security rate in 2010--jobs for life, the mantra of the socialists in Washington. Such high-salaried employees have also increased dramatically under President Obama.
Last year, in the midst of the worst recession/depression in our lifetimes, not one of the 3,000 meteorologists, 2500 health administrators, 1,000 optometrists, 800 historians, or 500 property managers were laid off...and the President's health care bureaucracy has not even begun to gear up the health bill's thousands of new IRS enforcers and committees and boards that have delegated powers of decision making stripped from the legislative branch--all forged in the Senate by seizing a House bill that was passed to help veterans get homes. The House must issue spending bills, and so this bill number was gutted completely and a whole new entitlement was constructed by people who believe that government exists to throttle capitalism, redistribute wealth and engineer social outcomes desired by the omnipresent state.
So, what do Americans have to look forward to? More federal employees are coming to punish you for personal health choices, to fondle your family in airports, to tell you what words are unacceptable at private memorial services at VA cemeteries, to tell Boeing where they can locate new factories, to tell states that they must provide money to abortionists, to populate the new SWAT teams at the U.S. Education Department (I'm not kidding!), and to tell states that don't like any of it--that federal funds will be cut off to ensure compliance with the federal religion.
Only 27 of 35,000 federal attorneys, the modern commissars, who churn out all those helpful misinterpretations of Congressional intent, craft regulations to depress employment in the private sector and penalize achievers, act as indispensable arms of the modern police state, tell private businesses who they can hire and promote, ratchet up costs that are passed on to consumers, shackle American businesses as foreign competitors continue to buy up America, and try to ensure that Jesus Christ is nowhere to be found in their secular utopia, were fired last year. None were laid off. Death claimed 33.
Outside of the ballot box in 2012, death seems the only threat to unemployment for our valued federal workforce.
Last year, I was visiting Scottsdale AZ and I noted the supreme heat, it was even hot on the golf course, with all the grass around. Worse, because there are so many golf courses there, the humidity was quite high, and it takes a lot out of you just to play a round of golf, even if you are driving a golf cart. The golf cart we were using was equipped with a "mister system" which was quite nice. Still, we had to get out of the cart each time we hit the ball, and while we were on the green putting. Now then, I think I have a new invention idea, a rather cool innovation that the golf community needs there.
What they need is mini-UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) blimps with mister systems, which follow the golfers around. While they are following the golfers around, they can send a signal back of the bird's eye view of the course to the player's iPad or tablet. The golf carts now have holders for the iPad and tablets on the steering wheels as you golf in case you want to get all the information about each hole, as you play. Therefore it would be quite easy for the UAV video camera to send the real-time video feed back to the golfers. The UAV Blimp could also measure the angle and speed of the golf ball, along with the yardage, and send all of that data back to the iPad or tablet.
The UAV could hover above the golfer as it was their turn to hit the ball, spraying a cool fine mist, and as the golfer went to hit the ball the UAV could move vertically for a perfect camera shot to perhaps 18 to 40 feet above the fairway. Now then, there are several different models of indoor remote controlled micro air vehicles. Since a round of golf doesn't take that long to play, the UAV would need to hold just over a gallon of water which is a little over 7 pounds. The UAV would have to be quiet also, and therefore its propulsion system would have to have specially shaped propellers, luckily such technology does exist.
The video cameras and other sensors to keep the UAV from hitting trees, or going out of control would also weigh in at a few pounds. Indeed, I'm considering about 10 pounds in all of useful load, on top of the weight of the fuel used whether it be a battery pack such as a hybrid Ion-Lithium battery or a small fuel tank which is commonly found on remote-control hobby aircraft. We wouldn't want the micro air vehicle or UAV to be too large, or too bulbous in shape, it would need to be a sleek design, so it would not get blown away by high winds.
Often, the fairways with trees on both sides can funnel the wind causing the Bernoulli Affect, thus speeding up the wind, and creating dynamic wind currents. A small light weight unmanned aerial vehicle or micro air vehicle could be challenged by this, but not if it had a low profile, and the right sensors to run autonomously. Obviously, you wouldn't want anything that was big such as those blimps that are used for grand openings of retail stores, the ones that you put a sign on the side and fly at 200 feet above the store.
Picture this if you will; A Boeing blended wing aircraft design of the future, albeit a little bit fatter. Such a design with proper vertical fans embedded into the design could work and would have space in the blended wing fuselage for vertical fans, along with a combination of propellers for forward propulsion. It should be dynamically stable, at least for the simple purpose of staying with the golfer, and keeping up with a golf cart which may be able to run at up to 25 miles per hour. Also, it would be important to have a strong rubber nose in case the device crashed into a tree, had to make an emergency landing on the fairway, or had to ram a paparazzi micro air vehicle, or remote-control UAV which happened to be spying on the golfers.
Further, whenever our politicians go out golfing, we could use that live video feed, for primetime television. A Congressman, Senator, or President's publicity team could also take the best shots of the day, and tweet them to the news media at their discretion. Perhaps they would be golfing in Hawaii, Martha's Vineyard, or one of the other very popular golf courses that movers and shakers enjoy playing at.
Now then, it might also be wise to use distilled water, de-ionized water, or reverse osmosis water. This would prevent stains on the golfer's clothes, and de-mineralized water in this case would be lighter weight per gallon for the UAV.
There are of course other uses for such UAVs, and micro air vehicles, and perhaps we could take a current version of such technologies and use that instead of redesigning the system from scratch. All of the sensors, autonomous terrain guidance systems, mister technologies, lightweight video feed systems, and remote-control propulsion systems already exist. Most all of this would be off-the-shelf technology, along with a simple operating system, and customized software to round out what's needed. How much would a system like this cost you wonder?
Not more than $2000 per unit. The average country club golf cart is running in the neighborhood of $5000, and therefore the unit cost of a micro air vehicle or UAV for this purpose would more than pay for itself very quickly. And it would make sense at the more exclusive golf courses, that people would want to document and videotape their experiences, and then burn a CD-ROM or DVD for later use and viewing at home or at the office when bragging to friends. It would be extremely great for professional golfers who are working to better their game at some of the top PGA golf courses prior to the tournaments.
These UAVs could also be used by groundskeepers to find spots in the grass which are over watered, or under watered, and therefore it would help in the maintenance of the golf courses as well. The video footage which was gathered would be great for a country club's website, as it would add to the strength of its brand name. Indeed I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.
Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes writing 24,500 articles by August 24th or 25th will be difficult because all the letters on his keyboard are now worn off now..
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