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The Greater Recession: America Suffers From a Crisis of Productivity
By Derek Thompson
What's really behind the 30-year collapse of the middle class? One statistic, often ignored, begins to provide a clearer picture.
Before the Great Recession, there was a greater recession for the American worker. And it's been much worse than most of us thought.
Here's what we thought we knew. In the last three decades, gross domestic product doubled but the typical worker's real wages barely increased. For those with only a high school degree, salaries fell slightly. Some economists called this period of lazy wage growth the "Great Stagnation."
It turns out that "stagnation" was too optimistic.
In fact, real wages for middle class men have declined by 28 percent since 1969, according to a report from the Hamilton Project. For men without a high school degree, they've fallen by a whopping 66 percent. "Stagnation is too weak a word," said Michael Greenstone, author of the report. "This is decline."
"The decline in earnings shakes the core of the American Dream."
Economists got it wrong, Greenstone said, because they compared wages among all working men rather than among all "working-age" men. That distinction is key, because fewer and fewer working-age men are actually working. Since 2009, one in five has been idle. When you factor in millions of men without weekly salaries, male wages sink to their lowest level since the 1950s.
"This decline in the earnings opportunities for men has had profound influences on American society," Greenstone said. "It upends families. It increases our demands from government, even as it increases our aversion to taxes and our distrust of government. It shakes the very core of the American Dream."
This finding has deep implications. It means that wages have been falling since before the credit crisis, the housing bubble, the Bush tax cuts, the Clinton boom, the wave of deregulation, the Reagan recovery, and the Nixon years. Something older and bigger than all of these things is at work. Before the Great Recession, there was a greater recession for the American worker. And its origin might surprise you.
ALL ABOUT PRODUCTIVITY
(or: If We're Working Less, Who's Working More?)
Americans have a complicated relationship with productivity. We obsess about our personal efficiency, but we don't think much about efficiency across broad swaths of the economy. Productivity is the not-so-secret sauce in our GDP. We're the second-largest manufacturer in the world even though manufacturing jobs have shrunk to less than 10 percent of our economy. We're the world's third-largest agricultural nation even though only 2 percent of us farm. The reason we can do so much work with so little is that the U.S. economy is incredibly, and increasingly, efficient at making some things cheaply.
Don't ask David Allen to explain this. Ask David Autor. He's the MIT economist who, in last month's cover story, "Can the Middle Class Be Saved?", told Don Peck that technology and offshoring is replacing jobs for the middle-educated middle-class. "Almost one of every 12 white-collar jobs in sales, administrative support, and nonmanagerial office work vanished in the first two years of the recession," Peck writes, and one in six blue-collar jobs disappeared in production, craft, repair, and machine operation.
We know where the jobs are going -- to machines, software, and foreign workers. We also know why they're going away. Global competition gives companies the incentive to be more productive, and technology and foreign labor gives companies the means to be more productive. Automation lets one employee handle the work of three, or three hundred. Off-shoring lets ten Asian workers receive the salary of one. As these corporate Getting-Things-Done strategies make the typical worker increasingly expendable, real wages have stagnated, or declined, to their 1950s levels.
What's so bad about 1950s wages, anyway? you may ask. They worked for the 1950s. We could make do with them today if the price of everything -- from socks, to televisions, to medicine -- moved at the same rate. But that is not what's happened. Instead, socks got cheaper, televisions got more complex, and health insurance got much more expensive.
There are many reasons why some prices fall, while others move in line with wages, while others spiral out of control. The most important factor might be productivity.
GOOD NEWS: JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING IS GETTING CHEAPER
(Or: Can You Be in Poverty With Two Televisions?)
Poverty is overrated. That was the unmistakable conclusion of a report from the Heritage Foundation released this July.
Most of the 30 million Americans in families making under $21,000 "are not poor in any ordinary sense of the term," the conservative think tank claimed, because they have widespread access to air conditioning, television, and a car. "They are well housed, have an adequate and reasonably steady supply of food, and have met their other basic needs, including medical care," the authors wrote.
Behind the triumph of productivity, there is darker theme. Cheaper goods need cheaper workers.
Critics savaged the survey by pointing out that many families in poverty rent apartments where fridges and air conditioning units come automatically. But the study made an important point: The ubiquity and affordability of consumer technology is an astounding testimony to productivity in the electronics sector.
In fact, eating and clothing ourselves is getting easier all the time. Before the Great Depression, about 35% of family expenditures went to food and threads. Today, we spend only 10% of our income on food and 3% of our income on clothes. Again, this is an achievement of manufacturing and farming efficiency.
It doesn't end there. Behind the most important technology stories of our time, there is a clear theme: The triumph of software. Consider the rise of Netflix over Blockbuster, music sharing over albums, Flickr over Kodak, Amazon over Borders, wireless Verizon over wired Verizon, webpages over printed pages. Everything getting cheaper feels the touch of innovation -- especially online innovation, IT, and computer software.
But there's a dark side behind the advance of productivity: Cheaper goods need cheaper workers.
BAD NEWS: ESSENTIALS ARE GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE
(Or: The Crisis in Meds, Beds, and Higher Ed)
You could say that everything is getting cheaper except for almost everything you need. We need places to live, energy to move, education to move up, and insurance to stay healthy. The productivity revolution isn't doing much to make those things more affordable.
Even after decades of building up and building out, homes and apartments are still prohibitively expensive in our most productive cities. Adjusted for inflation, home energy costs doubled between 1967 and 2003, and continued to rise in the last ten years. The cost of medical insurance is growing faster than wages. Tuition and higher education fees are growing even faster.
Look at this graph. Study it. It is the answer to the question "What's wrong with 1950s wages in 2011?" The core of our life -- gasoline, electricity, homes, health care and higher education -- is getting expensive faster than general inflation. Meanwhile, average wages are barely keeping up with the yellow line. When the middle class talks about feeling squeezed dry and sped-up, this is what they're talking about.
Committing the graph to memory is easy. Coming up with a theory is the hard part. Let me try. The reason why toasters are cheap and health insurance is not is that the productivity gains that made toasters -- not to mention computers, media*, durable goods, food, and clothes -- more affordable are not spilling over into health care. The next chart from McKinsey tells the story: More than half of total productivity growth comes from computers and information technology. Practically zero comes from health care and education. In fact, one reason why heath and education are adding the most jobs today is that employers can't meet new demand with technology or offshoring. They have to keep hiring people.
Health care isn't cost-effective because .... well, there are so many reasons. But perhaps the most important reason is that there are not clear incentives to make it more cost-effective, said Ross DeVol, executive director of economic research at the Milken Institute. "Where you have international competition, there are major incentives for innovation and efficiency," he said. "For instance, there is enormous international competition in computers. On the other hand, health care and education are inherently local services that are labor intensive, and there's little international pressure to raise efficiency to compete. Medical tourism [traveling to another country to see a doctor], for example, is still small. There are very few pressures to raise efficiency."
Martin Baily, an economic researcher at the Brookings Institution, echoed DeVol: "Health care is a fragmented industry without a Toyota, a player who will come in and shake up the production process. If you're in a doctor's office, you can make money by having an MRI machine and running half a dozen people through it. That's not a productive structure."
In education, too, Baily said, "we're still stuck in the middle ages in terms of how we teach. There's no big online, national innovation breakthrough to bring down the cost of college."
Health care and education are productivity failures, but what makes them unreceptive to automation, offshoring, and other efficiencies? One theory is that they both require highly educated, highly skilled, local labor that cannot (or will not) be replaced. Administrators and machinists can be automated and offshored with ease. Not doctors or teachers. Since we have not reduced the number of labor hours needed to "produce" a Psychology 101 lecture, the cost of professors (and by extension, college) is rising faster than the cost of a shirt or a television.
A second theory is that government has determined that health care and education are important enough to subsidize. In doing so, they might be making these industries more inefficient.
A third theory is that innovation requires aggressive experimentation that we naturally resist in schools and hospitals. If a product at Google fails, the company learns from the flop and makes something else. No big deal. But in hospitals, the "product" is a patient, and a failed experiment is a dead person and a lawsuit. Big deal. So big, in fact, that it's reasonable to consider an "aggressively experimental" health care system to be somewhat undesirable.
WHY DO YOU FEEL SQUEEZED?
(Or: It's the Productivity, Stupid)
Let's review what we know. From 1950 to 1970, earnings rose 25 percent each decade. From 1970 to 2010, real GDP doubled while real earnings fell by 28 percent. Two labor trends helped to offset this reversal. First, and very happily, women stormed into the workforce and supported their families with income. Second, and less joyously, everybody worked much harder. The typical two-parent family worked 26 percent more hours in 2010 than in 1975 but the middle class still feels incredibly squeezed.
The theory of this essay is not that productivity is bad, but that a great divergence between the productivity of different industries is making our work cheaper while it makes our necessities more expensive. As Tyler Cowen, the author of The Great Stagnation, put it: "In most typical household budgets, housing, education, and health care are very important. Higher prices in those areas, above what productivity gains can justify, are driving much of the progress slowdown." That's the productivity divergence. That's why you feel squeezed.
If you're looking for somebody to blame, blame everybody. Blame the corporations who turned jobs over to machines and foreigners. Blame investors who reinforced the culture of productivity by rewarding companies for good quarterly earnings. Blame consumers who bought more of the cheaper stuff. Blame the culture of productivity.
But also, blame the culture of un-productivity. Blame doctors for too many treatments, and university presidents for too many new buildings, and city planners for strict zoning laws, and government for subsidizing industries and obscuring incentives to be more efficient.
THE RACE THAT MATTERS
The progress of labor has been described as a race between education and technology. Today technology (tag-teaming with globalization) seems to be winning. The share of young Americans with bachelor's degrees has stalled around 30 percent. The road to better wages leads through our colleges, and higher education education needs a nudge.
Ironically, the nudge will come from technology. The best way to reduce the cost of college is to automate classes and make the college experience place-neutral. As for health care, the world is still searching for a silver bullet to kill high medical inflation. In all likelihood, there is no "bullet," but there are perhaps few dozen arrows we'll discover along the way.
The bottom line is that government has a clear role to play in the Great Recession. This is a demand shortfall. We need more money. But the solution to the Greater Recession described above won't come from more stimulus. It will come from innovative breakthroughs from surprising corners of the country. Some of these achievements will have Washington's support. Some will succeed miles from government's shadow. But they'll come. The preservation of the middle class depends on it.
* The Internet is a complicated place to talk about productivity and output. Tyler Cowen deals with this question at length in his book and smart guys like Hal Varian and Brad DeLong respond to him in this Economist debate that you should read.
The ways in which the Internet improves efficiency aren't as simple as offshoring and automation. Consider the newspaper, a bundle of news across a variety of subjects supported by interspersed advertising. The Internet stripped away this cross-subsidy, as James Fallows so wonderfully put, by turning the car and restaurant sections into discrete websites that attract discrete advertising. That makes advertising more efficient and creates value for readers who can go straight to an auto site rather than buy the entire newspaper to read a Lexus review. Good for readers! Fine for advertisers. Bad for newspaper jobs.
APPENDIX: WHAT'S NOT GETTING CHEAPER?
HOME ENERGY COSTS
AVERAGE TUITION, FEE, ROOM AND BOARD


Background: Most therapeutic modalities for common warts remain unsatisfactory. Objectives: To evaluate efficacy and safety of intralesional MMR (measles, mumps, rubella virus) vaccine in the treatment of common warts in adults. Patients and Methods: There were 110 (M:F = 61:49) patients aged 19–62 years having 1–211 warts over dorsal hands, feet, palms, soles, and periungual skin for 1–252 months. MMR vaccine 0.25 mL was injected intralesionally in the largest wart and repeated at 2-week interval until complete clearance or maximum of five doses. The outcome was evaluated as complete clearance, excellent, good, or unsatisfactory response on visual analog scale at every visit and at 4 and 8 weeks, thereafter by comparing baseline clinical photograph. Likert scale was used for patient satisfaction level assessment similarly. Results: Only 51 patients completed the study and 42 (82.4%) of them showed complete clearance of warts and 9 (17.6%) patients showed good or unsatisfactory response. In 4 (7.8%) patients, the warts subsided completely after one dose itself. The four patients showing excellent response after five doses initially also continued to improve during follow-up period of 8 weeks. Except for injection site pain, no adverse effects were noted. There was no recurrence of warts among cured who were also very much satisfied from treatment. Conclusion: Despite variable results, intralesional MMR vaccine immunotherapy appears another possible safe and effective treatment option for common warts in a set of adult patients with advantages of regression of distant warts, no significant adverse effects and low recurrence. However, well-designed, controlled studies for minimum effective dose and treatment schedule are highly desirable to make any recommendation.


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Car scheme a roaring success but some Thais unhappy
Car scheme a roaring success but some Thais unhappy – CNA, February 18, 2013
…They said that while the scheme gave the automotive and their related industries a short-term boost, it has long-term consequences.
Frost & Sullivan's Thailand country manager, Monsinee Keeratikrainon, said: "In terms of the financial system, there's increasing public debt. If you just look at the number of the car loans for last year, it grew about 42 per cent from the year before…(compared) with the household loan (which) grew only about 14 per cent from the year before. So there is a big jump in the number of (car) loans."
But the revenue department said the benefits will come later down the road.
Its director-general, Somchai Pulsawas, said: "Overall, the government will benefit more from the car project than the rebates paid out. The benefits will be in the forms of indirect income tax, higher employment and related taxes and fees."
But for now, the new cars are being blamed for the increasingly bad traffic in the capital Bangkok, where 7 million cars try to get through congested streets every day.
Many people also think the money could have been better spent elsewhere…
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HomeHeadlinesWärtsilä & Maersk developing solution to prevent scrubber discharge pipe corrosion
Wärtsilä & Maersk developing solution to prevent scrubber discharge pipe corrosion
HeadlinesShipping NewsThe WireTop Stories
The technology group Wärtsilä and Danish ship operator A.P. Moller – Maersk have provided a means for preventing corrosion in scrubber discharge pipes. The permanent in-pipe solution is designed to solve corrosion problems associated with open-loop scrubber washwater discharge.
The majority of the estimated 5,000 scrubber systems installed across the global fleet are of open-loop configuration. With this system, seawater is used to scrub SOx from the exhaust gas, with the used water then being discharged back to the sea after cleaning.
Under IMO Guidelines, the washwater from exhaust gas cleaning systems, commonly referred to as scrubbers, should have a pH of no less than 6.5. However, in reality the pH of scrubber washwater is typically acidic, prior to being diluted by seawater. This creates the risk of structural corrosion to the discharge pipes.
The risk is particularly high for pipes made of mild steel. In some cases, if the discharge pipes are inadequately protected, severe corrosion can damage the surrounding mild steel hull plates, resulting in water ingress.
The new 'pipe-in-pipe' solution allows for the original overboard pipe to remain in situ while a new glass reinforced epoxy (GRE) pipe is inserted into it. No metal cutting or welding is necessary. A SMO steel sleeve is inserted between the new GRE pipe and the existing steel pipe. An adhesive permanently secures the GRE pipe in place. Since this 'pipe-in-pipe' solution has a small impact on the internal diameter of the pipe, it is best suited for overboard pipes with a diameter greater than 300 mm.
"This is a long-term solution that can be planned for at any time, even if corrosion has not yet occurred. The component pipes can be prepared and stored either on board or at an engineering facility ready for fitting either during a scheduled drydocking or port-call or, if necessary, whilst afloat and in operation using a cofferdam at a convenient time and location" explained William Winters, Managing Director of Wärtsilä Underwater Services. He further added "This in-operation repair offers substantial overall savings to the ship owner and allows the vessel to stay in service"
"We have noted corrosion incidents occurring on some scrubber equipped vessels and wanted to be proactive in solving the problem," said Jorn Kahle, Senior Lead Specialist, Maersk. "Additionally, taking a vessel out of service is extremely costly. One of the key driving forces for development of this pipe-in-pipe concept with Wärtsilä Underwater Services is to minimise these disruptions and costs. We are happy to offer this unique cost-efficient service to any vessel with any make of scrubber".
Installations of this unique, patented solution and licensed know-how will be carried out by Wärtsilä Underwater Services. In most cases, the repair will be completed in less than two days, which can avoid the ship having to go 'off hire'. Considerable time and cost savings compared to alternative repair solutions have already been demonstrated.
The Wärtsilä/Maersk solution is intended for long-term protection. It reduces complications associated with welding work required on pipes and sometimes hull plates, particularly in underwater repair situations.


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Jo Nesbo 8 Books Set Harry Hole Thril...
Jo Nesbo 8 Books Set Harry Hole Thriller Collection Inc Son, Phantom, The Bat
Vintage Classics SKU: LWP0496
AUTHOR: Jo Nesbo
Titles In This Set
The Reedemer
The Devil's Star
Inspector Harry Hole of the Oslo Crime Squad is dispatched to Sydney to observe a murder case. Harry is free to offer assistance, but he has firm instructions to stay out of trouble. The victim is a twenty-three year old Norwegian woman who is a minor celebrity back home. Never one to sit on the sidelines, Harry befriends one of the lead detectives, and one of the witnesses, as he is drawn deeper into the case. Together, they discover that this is only the latest in a string of unsolved murders, and the pattern points toward a psychopath working his way across the country. As they circle closer and closer to the killer, Harry begins to fear that no one is safe, least of all those investigating the case.
The Redeemer
'This book had my pulse in the red zone from start to finish'
One freezing night in Oslo Christmas shoppers gather to listen to a Salvation Army street concert. An explosion cuts through the music, and a man in uniform falls to the ground, shot in the head at point-blank range. Harry Hole and his team have no immediate suspect, no weapon and no motive. But then the assassin discovers he has shot the wrong man. After some exceptionally shrewd detective work, the team begins to close in on a suspected hit man, monitoring his credit card, false passport and the line to his employer. With no money, only six bullets and no place to stay in the bitter cold, the hit man becomes increasingly desperate. He will stop at nothing to eliminate his target.
When the Norwegian ambassador to Thailand is found dead in a Bangkok brothel, Inspector Harry Hole is dispatched from Oslo to help hush up the case.
But once he arrives Harry discovers that this case is about much more than one random murder. There is something else, something more pervasive, scrabbling around behind the scenes. Or, put another way, for every cockroach you see in your hotel room, there are hundreds behind the walls. Surrounded by round-the-clock traffic noise, Harry wanders the streets of Bangkok lined with go-go bars, temples, opium dens, and tourist traps, trying to piece together the story of the ambassadors death even though no one asked him to, and no one wants him tonot even Harry himself.
One night, after the first snowfall of the year, a boy named Jonas wakes up and discovers that his mother has disappeared. Only one trace of her remains: a pink scarf, his Christmas gift to her, now worn by the snowman that inexplicably appeared in their yard earlier that day. Inspector Harry Hole suspects a link between the missing woman and a suspicious letter hes received. The case deepens when a pattern emerges: over the past decade, eleven women have vanishedall on the day of the first snow. But this is a killer who makes his own rules . . . and hell break his pattern just to keep the game interesting, as he draws Harry ever closer into his twisted web. With brilliantly realized characters and hair-raising suspense, international bestselling author Jo Nesb presents his most chilling case yetone that will test Harry Hole to the very limits of his sanity.
Summer. A boy is lying on the floor of an Oslo appartment. He is bleeding to death. Outside, the church bells toll, and he begins to tell his story. Autumn. Former police inspector Harry Hole returns to Oslo after three years away. He seeks out his old boss at Police Headquarters to request permission to investigate a homicide. But the case is already closed: the young junkie was shot dead by a fellow addict. While Harry tries to uncover the truth, the murdered boy continues his tale. A man walks the dark streets of Oslo. The streets are his and he has always been there. He is a phantom.
A young woman is murdered in her Oslo flat. One finger has been severed from her left hand, and behind her eyelid is secreted a tiny red diamond in the shape of a five-pointed star - a pentagram, the devil's star.
Detective Harry Hole is assigned to the case with his long-time adversary Tom Waaler and initially wants no part in it. But Harry is already on notice to quit the force and is left with little alternative but to drag himself out of his alcoholic stupor and get to work.
A wave of similar murders is on the horizon. An emerging pattern suggests that Oslo has a serial killer on its hands, and the five-pointed devil's star is key to solving the riddle.
With Headhunters, Jo Nesb has crafted a funny, dark, and twisted caper story worthy of Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers. FIRST TIME PUBLISHED IN THE U.S. NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM MAGNOLIA PICTURES. Roger Brown is a corporate headhunter, and he's a master of his profession. But one career simply can't support his luxurious lifestyle and his wife's fledgling art gallery. At an art opening one night he meets Clas Greve, who is not only the perfect candidate for a major CEO job, but also, perhaps, the answer to his financial woes: Greve just so happens to mention that he owns a priceless Peter Paul Rubens painting that's been lost since World War II-and Roger Brown just so happens to dabble in art theft. But when he breaks into Greve's apartment, he finds more than just the painting. And Clas Greve may turn out to be the worst thing that's ever happened to Roger Brown.


Wendy Ahnen owns this cabin along with her husband Steve. Wendy has been a working artist for over 25 years. Her custom orders for portraits and vintage style posters which can be made at Artwerq.com, are a beautuiful way to share a moment in your family's time together. If you would like to try your hand at painting a portrait of someone in your family, you can also enroll in her online painting class at Artwerq.com for $30.00. For this fee, she'll help you get started on a painting you create at home. Instructions, advice, and critiques are made by email and phone.


Established in 1982 and thriving ever since Baltimoreans United for Leadership Development (BUILD) is no ordinary organization of organizations. Under the leadership of the great Rev Vernon Dobson and Lead Organizer Arnie Graf, BUILD has delivered for Baltimore families historically cut out and shut out of decision making.
Communities Organized for Public Service (COPS) and sister organization Metro Alliance positively transformed all aspects of life in the city including politics, economics, education, health care, housing and infrastructure. First conceived and agitated into being by San Antonio native Ernesto Cortes, Jr, COPS/Metro is the gold standard of broad based community organization in the United States.
EBC launched in 1980. After building an institutional infrastructure and investing heavily in leadership training, EBC began an assault on what were then considered intractable urban problems that included burned out neighborhoods and failing schools. The stunning success of the Nehemiah Homes project conceived and developed through a series of hard fought battles with less imaginative local officials established the gold standard of urban transformation. Led by the Reverend Johnny Ray Youngblood and IAF organizer Michael Gecan EBC reimagined what city neighborhoods could be and has continued in that mode ever since.
As Pima County Interfaith Council grew from a handful of congregations in the spring of 1990 into what local media described as a "grassroots Goliath", IAF in the Southwest proved that powerful, innovative organizations could be built and sustained outside of the Texas base. The "Child Friendly City" initiative pioneered by PCIC changed in lasting ways how Metropolitan Tucson responded to pressures on families. JobPath has trained thousands of individuals for high wage jobs. School and infrastructure improvement have happened because of PCIC.
In the history of broad based organizing no state network of locally grounded organizations has consistently impacted public life like the Texas IAF. TIAF has innovated and sustained initiatives that cover the waterfront of constructive community impact. Workforce development, infrastructure, school improvement, higher education partnership, health care, housing. Wherever families are under pressure in Texas the Texas IAF through its locals has been and continues to be there.
Founding Lead Organizer Jim Drake brought the IAF culture of relational meetings to the Metropolitan Boston as he built the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization. GBIO was founded by a group of 45 clergy and community leaders who began meeting in January of 1996. What motivated this founding group to begin building GBIO was a common desire to transcend the historic divisions in Boston that existed between neighborhoods, particularly around race and class issues.
Chicago is the birthplace of community organizing. Founded in 1997, United Power for Action and Justice is the latest IAF creation that spans the region. Its size and scope is commensurate with the challenge of building power to address the entrenched machine politics perfected by Mayor Richard Daley.


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Brian McKnight's Ex-wife Julie McKnight Is Enjoying Her Life Being A Grandmother
Home » Entertainment » Brian McKnight's Ex-wife Julie McKnight Is Enjoying Her Life Being A Grandmother
Upadted On: July 22, 2021 Published On: June 11, 2021 Palistha
Brian McKnight's ex-wife, Julie McKnight is also a successful singer and songwriter. Image Source: Julie McKnight Twitter.
Was Married To Brian For Thirteen Years
Mother Of Two Sons
Brian McKnight's Ex-Wife Is Also A Singer
Enjoying Her Life As A Grandmother
Julie McKnight's Ex-husband Is Now Married
American musician Brian McKnight was once married to the fellow songwriter, Julie McKnight. The pair were together for few years, but their marriage did not survive the test of time. Since then, the former couple has moved on with their respective life.
Many know about the multitalented artist Brian's life after divorce. But Julie is very private about her life. Nevertheless, we have collected a few pieces of information about her.
So, stick with us till the end to know more about Brian McKnight's ex-wife, Julie McKnight.
Julie McKnight and her ex-husband, Brian McKnight, first met while they were in college. The pair started dating soon after and then got married in 1990. Interestingly, Brian was expelled from Oakwood College for having his girlfriend in his dorm room, violating the rules. His girlfriend also faced the same punishment. Since the singer was attending college from 1987 to 1989, it might be possible that Julie was his then-girlfriend.
Brian and Julie got married in a private ceremony in 1990, after only a few years of dating. However, their relationship suffered due to Julie's then-husband's rising fame. The pair reportedly separated twice but continued working on their marriage. Finally, after thirteen years together, the former McKnight couple divorced in 2003.
Also Read: Learn More About Sam Childers' Wife, Lynn Childers
While Julie McKnight's marriage to Brian did not result in happily ever after, they were blessed with two children. Julie gave birth to their son Brian McKnight Jr. in November 1990, while Niko McKnight was born a few years later. McKnight raised her kids while her husband was making music and touring the world. While the McKnight siblings had a good relationship with their father during their childhood, they are now not on speaking terms.
Julie McKnight gave birth to two sons while she was married to Brian McKnight. Image Source: Julie McKnight Instagram.
Both of Julie McKnight's sons, Brian Jr. and Niko, have inherited their parent's musical gifts. So naturally, they are involved in the music industry, keeping the McKnight legacy alive. The talented duo formed a production team, C.A.T.S. (acronym of Care About The Sound), in collaboration with Thomas Williams. Brian Jr. also worked on his father's hit track, Marry Your Daughter.
Apart from her two musician sons, Julie is also a loving mom to Briana McKnight. She is the daughter of One Last Cry singer from his other relationship. While Briana does not have a loving bond with her biological father, his ex-wife is an integral part of her life. Julie McKnight too addresses her as her daughter and loves her as her own. However, Julie seems to have no relationship with her ex-husband's other son, Clyde McKnight.
As stated above, Brian McKnight's ex-spouse, Julie McKnight, is also a talented singer and songwriter. McKnight grew up surrounded by music and began writing and singing professionally at 15. Julie might have kept her musical career on hold after the birth of her sons. However, she has picked it up and has now collaborated with numerous artists.
Furthermore, Julie has performed live at many music festivals around the world. She has traveled to various countries performing live and mesmerizing the audience with her voice. Julie McKnight's social media pages are filled with her performances and information about the events she is participating in. Looking through the videos she shares, it is no surprise that Julie is a talented music artist.
That voice… 😍@its_jmcknighthttps://t.co/WTuurnbL9a pic.twitter.com/keLILoxTgA
— Defected Records (@DefectedRecords) February 24, 2020
Well, Julie is showcasing her singing and writing skills every chance she gets. And with both of her children pursuing a career in music, we might see the McKnight family collaborate in the coming days.
Along with her roles as an entertainer to the world and mother to her children, Julie McKnight has now added being a grandmother to the list. McKnight first became a grandma or gigi in 2014 when her son, Brian Jr., and his then-girlfriend, Lauren Witherspoon, gave birth to a boy, Brian McKnight III. Additionally, the pair had a little girl named Ember McKnight in 2019. The young McKnight babies are the apple of their grandmother's eyes.
A post shared by Julie McKnight (@itsjuliemcknight)
McKnight loves both of her grandchildren very much. She is constantly sharing their pictures with loving words for them. Julie also expresses her gratitude to the children's mother, Lauren, for making her their grandma.
Going through Instagram, it is clear that Brian McKnight's ex-wife, Julie, is enjoying her life as a grandmother as well as a musical artist.
While Julie is living her life to the fullest as grandma to Brian Jr.'s young children, her ex-husband has found love again. Brian McKnight is currently married to Leilani Malia Mendoza. Brian has been vocal about his love for his second wife, even calling her the love of his life. The Marry Your Daughter singer even said that it took him 42 years to find his other half.
Julie McKnight's ex-husband, Brian McKnight is now married to Leilani Malia Mendoza. Image Source: Brian McKnight Instagram.
Furthermore, Julie McKnight's ex-spouse has talked about the lessons he earned from their failed marriage. He said that compromising on one thing leads to problems in the future. Moreover, he alluded that tying the knot in his twenties was a mistake and asked people not to do what he did. He has rarely talked positively about his first marriage.
On the other hand, Julie McKnight has maintained a distance from the media. She has kept her silence regarding her failed marriage and the troubled relationship between her children and ex-husband. McKnight likes to keep her thing private, and her continued silence proves it.
Nevertheless, we hope the best for Julie McKnight and her family. Whether she will find love again like her ex-spouse is unknown, but there is no doubt that Julie is enjoying her life to the fullest.
Brian McKnightBrian McKnight IIIBrian McKnight Jr.Briana McKnightCelebrity BabiesCelebrity CoupleCelebrity DivorceCelebrity RomanceClyde McKnightEmber McKnightJulie McKnightLauren WitherspoonLeilani Malia MendozaNiko McKnightThomas Williams
Matt Rhule's Wife Julie Rhule Is A Dietitian – Career And Love Life
Sean McDermott's Wife Jamie McDermott – Did You Know The Pair Were College Sweethearts?
Where Is Ayrton Senna's Ex-Wife, Lilian de Vasconcelos Souza Now?
Mike Bibby's Wife Darcy Watkins – Love Life And Children
Caleb McLaughlin Girlfriend – Is The Stranger Things Star Dating Anyone?


The city council met last evening in regular adjourned session and disposed of a considerable grist of routine business. Among the matters of special interest was a supplementary report filed by the special committee composed of Aldermen Wright, Christianson and Sargent, named some time ago, relative to the purchase of the property adjoining the Carnegie Library and the best means of securing same. The supplementary report recommended that an expression of the voters be secured on the bonding proposition to secure funds to purchase the property referred to and other desirable park property. The report was adopted and it will be decided later whether a special election will be called or whether the matter will be voted on at the regular fall election.
The recommendation for water mains on Minnesota and Nelson streets was adopted.
New sidewalk crossings were ordered in a number of places in Sampson's Additon.
The petition to transfer the poolroom license from Carl Ness to Messrs. Bart & Blackman was granted.
The petition for the vacation of St. Paul street between Woodland Ave. and the river was referred to the street and bridge committee.
The usual grist of sidewalk assessments were refunded.
A saloon license was granted to Otto Kilen.
The application for permission to repair the building recently occupied on South Main street by Will Johnson as a confectionery store, was taken up, and S.M. Sivertson named as one of the arbitrators. The owner of the property names the second and the two appoint the third, and the three pass on the extent of the damage done.
Water mains were ordered from the present terminus on Woodland Ave. to Nelson street and on Nelson Street to Pleasant Ave.
The size of the proposed 6th street water mains were changed to some extent.
On motion is was decided that beginning the first Monday in December the salary of Judge Gossman, of the municipal court, should be increased to $90 per month and Clerk N.B. Moran's salary should be increased to $40 per month, an increase of $15 in both cases.
The council will meet this evening in special adjourned session to act on the application for license by James Fraser.


The Chemical Analysis Suite uses a number of analytical techniques including Gas Chromatography, Liquid Chromatography and Colourimetry.
The Chemical Analysis Laboratory experienced technical staff is able to provide an analytical service in handling samples from the atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere and industry.
This service is available to the University Of East Anglia (UEA), the Norwich Research Park (NRP) and the wider scientific and business community in the UK and abroad. We offer a complete analytical package, from sampling and preparing to analysing and reporting results.
When required we can train personnel in the analytical techniques associated with their samples, including preparation and instrument control. Once trained, users can book the instruments to carry out their own research and analysis.
The instrument has the ability to analyse samples in different matrices, i.e. fresh water, seawater & extractions in a salt solution. The wash solution that carries the samples through the instrument can be matrix matched to the samples. The minimum volume required to determine the concentration of each nutrient (channel) is 1.5mL, thus to determine Nitrite, Ammonia/Ammonium and Silicate a minimum of 4.5mL is required.
Analysis is done using selective chemical reagents that are administered at a prescribed rate to produce a coloured compound. The intensity of the colour is proportional to the nutrient concentration in the sample, which is measured by a fixed wavelength spectrophotometer connected to each channel.
The system is configured to simultaneously measure Nitrous Oxide, Carbon Dioxide and Methane gas, from either air or liquid samples (dissolved gas).
We measure these using a TurboMatrix HS-40 automated headspace autosampler system coupled to the Clarus 500 GC containing both ECD and FID detectors.
The Dionex ion chromatography system ICS-2000 allows the quantitative analysis of negatively charged ions (anions) in aqueous solutions using suppressed conductivity detection.
Ion chromatography is a form of liquid chromatography that uses ion-exchange resins to separate ions and polar molecules based on their interaction with the resin and the equilibrium distribution of the sample components between two different phases – the mobile phase and the stationary phase. The mobile phase is the eluent and the stationary phase is the ion exchange resin within the chromatography column. The sample components migrate through the system when they are in the mobile phase, and their velocity is a function of equilibrium distribution. The components that have distributions which favour the stationary phase migrate slower than those which have distributions favouring the mobile phase.
The Dionex ion chromatography system ICS-5000 allows the quantitative analysis of negatively charged ions (anions) and positively charged ions (cations) in aqueous solutions using suppressed conductivity detection.
Agilent 7820A Gas Chromatograph with Flame Ionization Detector and 16 place autosampler.
The instrument can be fitted with a DB-5, HP-5 or Supelcowax 10 depending on the application.
Gas chromatography is an analytical technique that separates and detects components within a volatile mixture. It uses a gaseous mobile phase, or carrier gas, to transport sample components through a capillary column containing a polymeric stationary phase. The samples are separated according to their affinity for the stationary phase and relative vapour pressure.
On elution from the column, the analytes are detected by a flame ionisation detector which produces an electronic signal and generates a chromatogram from which analytes can be identified according to their retention times.
Dionex HPLC UltiMate 3000 is a high pressure liquid chromatography system with a photo diode array detector and a fluorescence detector.
HPLC is used to separate, identify and quantify chemical compounds in liquid samples. This involves a liquid sample being passed over a solid adsorbent material packed into a column using a flow of liquid solvent. Each analyte in the sample interacts slightly differently with the adsorbent material, thus retarding the flow of the analytes. If the interaction is weak, the analytes flow off the column in a short amount of time, and if the interaction is strong, then the elution time is long.


No problem on black for the color. They have not been ordered yet, so changing the color to black with white lettering.
helicopterpilotdoug wrote: Doug just noticed you posted Navy Blue T-shirts! We had black as the main color of the T-shirts for Carverfest?
Whatever as far as color....I easy like that.
Sign me up for a large and 4xl Doug. Thanks! !
Snoop65 wrote: Sign me up for a large and 4xl Doug. Thanks! !
4XL??? Not only are you a Mob Boss but a big one at that. How many legs do break a week?
I'm a kind and loving guy. I was just helping those people with their insurance scams!
put me down for (2) XL.
ONE WEEK LEFT TO ORDER!!
If you have not done so already, please post in this thread what Tee Shirts you want to order. I need a total by August 20, so post here now if you want tee shirts.
PLEASE NOTE, we added one more size, XXXXXL. Found out last night they are available.
With the orders we have right now, the base price per shirt is going to be $12.50 for Small through XL. To the base price, add for larger sizes, XXL and XXXL will be + $2.00, XXXXL will be + $3.50 and XXXXXL will be + $4.50. Tall sizes will be L and XL tall +$3.50. XXL and XXXL tall sizes will be +$5.50. I'm hoping to get more orders so we can drop the base price some, so order now and order a lot!! Once we know the base price, I'll post a link to the order page on douglasconnection.com where you will pay for them. That is where you will make the actual order and pay for them.
Doug... I'll take (2) XL in black and 2 same size of the Douglas Connection also delivered to the fest!
I'd like 2 5xlarge in black please. Pickup at CF. Thanx.
I will take one shirt XL.


If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a drunk driving accident in South Florida, the Fort Lauderdale car accident attorneys at The Ansara Law Firm, are here to help. These are among the most devastating traffic collisions with which a victim can deal, and securing experienced legal help is often essential.
We know that in the worst of these cases, nothing will completely restore someone from a catastrophic injury or bring back a loved one. But we are committed to holding negligent parties accountable. That might include not just the drunk driver, but the person who handed him the keys, his or her employer or the establishment that served him alcohol.
There are a myriad of legal strategies through which we can help those who have suffered to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other losses. Our Fort Lauderdale lawyers are experienced in handling impaired driving accident claims.
Injuries suffered in drunk driving accidents have proven to be more severe than those in which drivers are sober because impaired drivers tend to take less evasive action. That means there is an increased chance of a head-on or full-impact collision.
The ultimate goal is to establish defendant was negligent and the breach of his or her duty of care proximately resulted in your injuries.
Drivers are considered to be legally impaired by alcohol when their blood-alcohol levels are 0.08 percent or higher.
There is no similar uniform system for testing impairment by marijuana or prescription medications, which is also a growing problem. Those cases will rely more heavily on circumstantial evidence.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in 2013, a person was killed every 52 minutes in the U.S. as the result of a drunk driving accident. That amounted to a total of 10,076 fatalities in crashes where at least one driver had a blood-alcohol content of 0.08 or higher – accounting for nearly a third of all traffic deaths nationally.
While car accidents in general are a leading cause of child deaths, drunk driving accidents accounted for nearly 20 percent of all traffic fatalities among children 14 and younger. These include children who were walking or on bicycles when they were struck and killed by a drunk driver.
This figure still fails to capture the intangible losses to quality of life that inevitably stems from these crashes. While great strides have been made in recent years to drive down the drunk driving rate, it's still a major problem on Florida roads.
State legislators in 2014 tightened DUI penalties for first-time offenders arrested with a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 or greater. For them, ignition interlock devices are mandatory. Still, safety advocates say this law should be even further expanded to require it for all first-time offenders.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving reports there were 41,000 DUI arrests in Florida in 2014 and 26,300 convictions. The agency notes the average first-time offender has driven impaired at least 80 times prior to his or her first arrest for the crime, meaning these figures are just a small snapshot of the problem.
In most drunk driving cases, the first person our Fort Lauderdale lawyers seek to hold liable is the drunk driver and his or her insurance company.
But other entities may likewise be held responsible.
In some cases, bars can be held liable for a drunk driver's actions under what's known as Florida's Dram Shop Act.
Cases of minors being served alcohol are pretty straightforward, though cases falling into the second category may require more complex litigation. Such a case requires an experienced legal team.
Another possibility for liability is an employer or vehicle owner. These cases would be predicated on the idea of vicarious liability. That is, while an employer or car owner didn't necessarily do anything wrong personally, the legal doctrine of respondeat superior allows automobile owners and employers to be held liable for the negligent acts or omissions or employers or by a person to whom a vehicle is loaned.


It's not uncommon to hear stories of heroic doctors saving lives with their hands. But, it's not too often that one hears about a doctor saving lives with his gun.
On July 24, 2014, a psychiatric patient, Richard Plotts, entered Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital outside of Philadelphia with the intent to kill, and he did. But, his killing spree was cut short because 52-year-old psychiatrist, Lee Silverman, pulled his firearm from his desk and shot Plotts, critically wounding him.
Psychiatric caseworker Theresa Hunt, was killed by Plotts in the incident.
Silverman's head was grazed by one of the 36 bullets Plotts had on his person before Silverman ended the carnage by emptying his .32 caliber, semi-automatic handgun, hitting Plotts three times, once in the arm and twice in the torso.
Elements of the story ring familiar: 1) a mentally ill person chooses to kill innocent people, 2) a convicted criminal obtains a firearm illegally, and 3) murder occurs at a building that is a "gun-free zone". But in this case, compared to so many of the recent mass murders, there was a fourth element – a firearm owner who neutralized a murderer and saved lives in the process.
This story is re-igniting debate about gun rights and gun control, and civil liberties in general. Here are some of the facts behind this case.
Plotts is a convicted felon who has been arrested twice for carrying a firearm without a license, and who was convicted of federal bank robbery, which made it illegal for him to own a gun.
Plotts has a history of mental illness, but no details related to his illness have been provided by healthcare professionals.
Silverman legally purchased his semi-automatic firearm and had a conceal-carry license, which means it is legal for him to have his gun with him in a hidden manner, whether on his body or in his control.
Mercy Fitzgerald Health Systems is a "gun-free zone" where it is against policy for anyone, including Silverman, to carry weapons unless they are on-duty law enforcement.
It is generally accepted that there are approximately 300 million guns in the United States. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) there an estimated 26.2% (~83 million) of American Adults have a diagnosable mental disorder.
There is one thing no one disputes: Mental illness is the cornerstone of the nation's mass killings. The dispute about guns and their control is, however, quite alive.
Gun rights advocates point to the fact that restrictions on guns and ammunition impact only those who are law-abiding citizens who have the right to own firearms, and they do not impact the criminals or mentally ill who seek out guns to commit murder.
Gun control groups state that severely restricting the laws around the purchase of guns and ammunition would diminish the likelihood of mentally ill people gaining access to guns, and therefore would lessen the likelihood of mass killings.
Just a few months ago, Elliott Rodger – a student at UC Santa Barbara – stabbed three students to death, shot and killed three more, and ran over five more with his car on campus. He was mentally ill and posted a lengthy video to YouTube describing his pending actions and reasons for the killings – he was a virgin.
His own therapist contacted authorities after seeing disturbing videos he posted on his YouTube channel. Sheriff Deputies visited him for a "wellness check", which is when an officer decides whether a person needs to be seen by a therapist. Rodger convinced the deputies he was fine. One would think that a treating clinician's plea to evaluate a mentally ill patient would be enough for law enforcement to act. Had Rodger been taken in for evaluation, it is likely that the carnage would never have occurred.
Even so, those that support gun control, including one father of a victim, Richard Martinez, noted that the NRA and politicians that support gun rights were culpable.
Those who support gun rights pointed out that mental illness was the cornerstone of the problem and that Rodger's gun was not the only weapon used. They noted that no one was calling for a ban or restrictions to having knives, which Rodger used to kill half of the victims, or restrictions on cars, which Rodger used to plow into a crowd.
Civil liberties, particularly the 2nd Amendment, are the heart of the concern for gun advocates. Better mental health laws are the heart of the concern for everyone.
The Silverman story has gained little media attention compared to the killing spree in Santa Barbara, Sandy Hook or Aurora.
It's likely that if Silverman had not acted, the country would know about Mercy Hospital for horrific reasons. Instead, thankfully, the last statement out of the hospital was, "We look forward to Dr. Silverman's return to serving patients in our hospital," a spokesperson said.
Silverman has kept his silence since being shot himself, and critically wounding Plotts. He's posted photos and brief info to his Facebook page.


NEW April 17, 2017 comment letter (PDF) to the Delta Stewardship Council in regards to the Notice of Preparation for the Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Delta Plan Amendments.
The December 28, 2016 letter (PDF) submitting the Policy Statement to the Delta Stewardship Council.
Policy Statement issued by the Delta Protection Advisory Committee and adopted unanimously by the Commission on November 19, 2015.
Comments on the Principles paper (PDF), June 2015.
For the latest on actions taken by the Delta Stewardship Council, visit their website.
The Delta Reform Act of 2009 called on the Delta Stewardship Council (Council) to lead a multi-agency effort to update priorities for State investments in the Delta levee system. In response, the Council has launched the Delta Levees Investment Strategy (DLIS) that will combine risk analysis, economics, engineering, and decision-making techniques to identify funding priorities and assemble a comprehensive investment strategy for the Delta levees.
The Delta Reform Act also recognizes the Delta Protection Commission as "the appropriate agency to identify and provide recommendations to the Delta Stewardship Council on methods of preserving the Delta as an evolving place" as the Council implements the Delta Plan (PRC section 29703.5). In addition, the Commission has authority to review and provide comments and recommendations to the Council on "any significant project or proposed project within the scope of the Delta Plan…that may affect the unique cultural, recreational, and agricultural values within the primary and secondary zones" (PRC Section 29773).


The country was running seriously short of water last year. Mare aux Vacoas reservoir had fallen to such a low level that urgent arrangements had to be made to divert water from Mare Longue reservoir into it. Other water storages were running short just the same. Underground water reserves, which account a good part of our total supply, were also drying up fast. All this led to a severe regime of water rationing across the country. It looked as if we were making the best out of a catastrophic situation that appeared to have gone entirely out of our control. But this was one only of a series of system failures. We have had recurring situations of water shortage in the past.
Explanations were tendered last year, just as in years past whenever water rationing was resorted to, that the shortage was partly attributable to nearly half the purified water pumped into the water supply system being lost en route through leakages in old pipes that had run out of their useful life. If that argument was valid, why on earth was action not taken to redress the situation over the number of years those pipes were in disrepair? In any case, one does not look for explanations when a situation turns out as bad. One looks for remedies at the earliest at the macro level.
A critical area like water cannot be left to fend for itself to renew its fundamental infrastructure (appropriate piping, water storage capacity, manageable distribution network, etc) only after it has generated enough surplus capital of its own through higher water pricing. While water cannot continue to be sold to users at throwaway prices for the sake of political convenience, thus impairing the sector's viability, water supply cannot also be viewed in isolation. The country's water security goes beyond sectorial considerations. If money is not made available to it, by raising foreign loans if need be, for the necessary timely development because of current budgetary concerns, the problem of water shortages will persist due to the myopic view taken of the matter.
Fortunately, we've been having a steady period of rainfall since late last year. This has led to an improvement in the water level both in reservoirs and underground. But the rationing regime is still being maintained. In some regions, this strict water regime raised tempers to such a point that in January last, water users went out to attack the water tanker supplying their region. In February, rains have fallen more abundantly causing an appreciable increase in the amount of water stored in our reservoirs. Rivers swelled above their banks in some parts of the country. The meteorological station even issued a notice of torrential rainfall for Monday last.
Various parts of the country experienced flooding last week and this week. Vehicles were stranded on some of the flooded roads which included those at the city centre linking the north and the south of the country. It was claimed that the water was logged partly because the design of certain new road constructions was not conducive to its swift evacuation. Outlets proved inadequate to ferry away the water volumes accumulated over a short interval of time. Other places were flooded because wanton throwing around of waste had blocked certain normal waterways, causing water levels to breach riverbanks. In other cases, random constructions and developments which had taken place in the interval interfered with the natural drainage system, which led to the flooding of residences, rising up to two metres in some cases.
We live in a country where a lot of activities are carried out on an ad hoc basis. The importance of geophysical considerations in concept and design must have been absent in many cases for constructions to have come in the way of normal water evacuation channels wherever this was the case in the latest incidents. So, people construct at random and permits are delivered irrespective of whether the constructions obstruct natural waterways that have been here for a long time. Consequences of inconsiderate permit-giving for morcellement and other real estate development projects are realized only after the catastrophe has struck.
In 2008, Judge Domah made out a report recommending actions to be taken to avoid future cases of death by drowning in a specific area of the country, which was the event that had occasioned the commissioning of his Fact Finding Committee in the first place. In particular, the report of his Fact Finding Committee asked for an integrated water evacuation plan to be laid down and mapping out the country's flood prone areas so that pre-emptive action could have been taken. Whether and to what extent those recommendations have actually been implemented, remains unknown. But the spate of recent flooding in different parts of the country shows that the risk remains live to this day. It points out to a serious absence of coordination among decision-makers in the country's physical layout.
Mauritius is surely not the only place which is affected by such natural catastrophes. Other places in engineering-advanced countries also get under huge swathes of water from time to time. It is the price to pay if natural waterways are obstructed or if record amounts of rainfall are registered over relatively short periods as a freak of nature. In our case, we appear to have moved from one extreme of serious water scarcity to another of flooding over a relatively short space of time. This kind of reversals calls for long term careful planning so that we are hit neither by prolonged dearth of water nor by life-threatening overflows.
Water management is going to be a critical factor in the future survival of nations and it was time those responsible for it in our case had started taking it responsibly. One would have expected the Water Resources Unit to be implementing several projects such as the construction of additional water storage capacity, improving the piping network, fording rivers so that all the surplus water does not go out to the sea and coming up with a strategic water sufficiency plan covering our comprehensive needs over several decades.
That would have avoided the constant weakening of the water sector, as it has been the case so far, acting as a precondition to throw us into the arms of foreign predators stood up as strategic partners even in a sector such as the water sector. We cannot end up playing in the hands of so-called outside experts because we cannot bring our act together time and again. It will be difficult for the funding ministry, notably the Ministry of Finance, to resist the argument that our water management should be backed up as a priority by providing the necessary funds.
Someone someday will have to professionalize the full chapter of our water management so that we don't become losers when there is too little rainfall and when there is plenty of it as well. This is the situation right now. It looks like a vital area has been receiving casual attention. Delays to kick off projects have come with a cost. The population has been made to pay the price of such inefficiency at harnessing a resource which, to say the least, nature has provided us generously.
We can only hope that despite our serious management deficit in the water sector, we have enough of domestic expertise to address the task with the diligence it calls for. If so, we will not need to call in foreign expertise to keep our house in order.


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Saturday Morning Hot Links
Another 1-run road loss. The Astros lost 3-2 last night to the Angels on a rare rough inning by Dallas Keuchel made rough by a couple of fielding miscues. But the Rangers won, so the Astros have a 1.5 game lead. FanGraphs dropped the Astros division odds about 8% to 72.8% with an 89.7% chance of making the postseason. There are 21 games remaining in the regular season.
2015 Jered Weaver vs. Houston: 21IP, 17H/4ER, 16K:2BB. 1.71 ERA/0.90 WHIP
2015 Jered Weaver vs. Everybody Else: 116.2IP, 125H/68ER, 61K:25BB, 5.25 ERA/1.29 WHIP
Keuchel talked about the botched play:
It's a routine play that I just botched. I mean, I can't really say anything else. Had a lot of top spin. It's not like I haven't made that play before. That was the difference in the game...Should have had a win today.
*Scott Feldman's season is over due to a shoulder sprain.
In seven starts after the All-Star Break up until the September 1 game where Feldman was injured, he was holding hitters to a .662 OPS with a 2.36 ERA.
*Tony Sipp is available, and Jason Castro hopes to return next week.
*The OC Register wrote about the overall health of the Astros' organization.
*The New York Post wrote about Jim Crane and his money
PreStros Playoff Update
*El Paso got a 6-run 5th inning in a 6-4 Fresno loss. Fresno leads the series 2-1.
*Midland was all over Corpus in a 9-5 win. Midland leads the series 2-1.
*High Desert ended Lancaster's season with 11 runs in the first two innings in a 12-5 win over the JetHawks.
Labels: Dallas Keuchel, Jered Weaver, Jim Crane


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After our business failed we were worried that selling our concession trailer would be difficult. Since we are in a small town in Kentucky we felt like it would be hard to find local buyers. Melissa did a great job advising us on pricing, our pictures, and our followers. She helped us find a buyer in a reasonable time and was available to answer our questions along the way. She even helped us through some difficulties as the sale was coming together. We were very happy with Melissa Powers and Usedvending.com.
This was our first foray into the vending machine world (we got a mechanical snack/drink combo for our learning center). It has definitely been a learning experience! But, after doing quite a lot of research, we found that Mega-Vending had the best prices and the widest selection. We worked with April who was always supremely responsive both over the phone and on email.
As I sat down with my tools to try to figure out the mechanics of some of our initial problems myself (and I did!).... I felt confident that if I couldn't find the problem, April, or someone in her office would help us out. She stayed with us through the whole process (even though her role was essentially done) and I don't think that you can ask for more in terms of customer service.
If you're thinking about vending machines, they are trickier than they look -- but Mega-Vending was definitely great about the support.


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5 GREAT COMPANIES FOR WORK FROM HOME WRITING JOBS
Hoodie Allen Feb 28, 2017
Work from home is very different from Telecommuting or Teleworking arrangement, because it mainly involves working from home and it does not require face to face contact between the employer and the employee. The employee does not have to stay electronically connected to the work station during the working hours, because the work is generally done independently and it does not require consistent communication. Work from home has become increasingly favorable among house wives and mothers at home because of the freedom and flexibility that comes from remote working. This article will focus on the five great companies for work from home writing jobs.
Kelly services is an international staffing company leader for more than 50 years, its employees work from home locations around the country in a remarkable variety of job fields. Kelly Services is hiring freelance writers with expertise in for technical writing, product content development, healthcare engineering and training and test procedures, among other subjects. In most cases this freelance writes can either apply for the jobs or Kelly services can outsource them fromfreelance writing sites like contentmart.com.It has been named as one of Flex Jobs' Top Companies for work from home Jobs in 2014, Kelly Services employs both part-time and full-time employees.
About.com hires writers to work from home or other remote locations covering a wide range of subjects for a readership and over 40 million different audience a month, it is located in New York city, About.com hire writers who have expertise and experience in a particular subject area, as well as writers who are general freelancers and can cover a wide range of topics, from education, business, housekeeping, health to business and finance. The current writing job positions at About.com are all work from home jobs that are offered as freelance, full time and part-time positions.
Amazon.com is the world's biggest online vendor, Amazon now also produces consumer electronics, clothes, shoes and it is a major service provider of cloud computing services. Amazon is working on expanding its business and to stay competitive in the market, so they're likely to hire many work-from-home employees.Amazon.com mostly would hire freelance writers who can write a wide range of topics for their business, product marketing, product reviews, finance and many more. In most cases their work from home jobs would be part time and they tend to outsource writers from other online writing sites that connect freelance writers to clients like contentmart.com.
Lovetoknow has its headquarters in Burlingame, California, and it hires writers who can provide content on tourism, fashion, business, beauty, health, entertainment, lifestyle, travel, personal finance and other wide range of general topics. Lovetoknow operates a website and is looking for skilled and experienced freelance writers who can provide available web content that readers can use in their day to day lives. Lovetoknow is currently hiring remote, part-time freelance writer and editors to cover the hair industry, pregnancy, fashion and beauty, cruising and travel.
Teletech
Teletech is international company that is helping other companies to grow through simplifying and personalizing their relations with customers. Teletech covers many different industries, so they hire many remote employees to work both part time and full time. According to FlexJobs's data, Teletech hired more work from home employees than other companies in 2015.


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NASA's 'Spaceport of the Future' Reaches Another Milestone on Mission to Mars
This artist concept depicts the Space Launch System rocket rolling out of the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. SLS will be the most powerful rocket ever built and will launch the agency's Orion spacecraft into a new era of exploration to destinations beyond low-Earth orbit. / Credits: NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center
By Sarah Ramsey (NASA) / 03.29.2016:
NASA has completed a major milestone on its journey to Mars and is ready to begin another phase of work on its spaceport of the future, where the next generation of astronauts will launch to Mars and other deep-space destinations.
The agency recently wrapped up a comprehensive and successful review of plans for the facilities and ground support systems that will process the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
"NASA is developing and modernizing the ground systems at Kennedy to safely integrate Orion with SLS, move the vehicle to the pad, and successfully launch it into space," said Bill Hill, deputy associate administrator of NASA's Exploration Systems Development Division at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. "Modernizing the ground systems for our journey to Mars also ensures long-term sustainability and affordability to meet future needs of the multi-use spaceport."
Over the course of a few months, engineers and experts across the agency reviewed hundreds of documents as part of a comprehensive assessment. The Ground Systems Development and Operations Program (GSDO), responsible for processing SLS and Orion for flight and ensuring all systems and facilities are ready, completed its critical design review (CDR) of the facilities and ground support systems plans in December 2015.
This was followed in January by the completion of an independent assessment by a Standing Review Board, a team of aerospace experts that assessed program readiness and confirmed the program is on track to complete the engineering design and development process on budget and on schedule.
In the final step before actual fabrication, installation and testing of Kennedy's ground systems, the GSDO program and review board briefed the results of their assessments to NASA's Agency Program Management Council, led by Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot.
Engineers are transforming Kennedy's launch infrastructure to support the SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft. The heavy-lift rocket will be stacked in the Vehicle Assembly Building on the mobile launcher and roll out to Launch Pad 39B atop a modified crawler transporter. The Orion spacecraft will be fueled with propellants in the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at Kennedy prior to stacking atop the rocket. The launch team will use the new command and control system in the firing room as the clock counts down to liftoff of SLS's first flight.
"The team is working hard and we are making remarkable progress transforming our facilities," said Mike Bolger, GSDO Program Manager. "As we are preparing for NASA's journey to Mars, the outstanding team at the Kennedy Space Center is ensuring that we will be ready to receive SLS and Orion flight hardware and process the vehicle for the first flight in 2018."
The council also heard the results of the Orion CDR, completed at the program level in October 2015. The evaluation assessed the primary systems of the spacecraft, including the capsule's structures, pyrotechnics, Launch Abort System jettison, guidance, navigation and control and software systems among many other elements.
For the spacecraft's first mission on the SLS rocket, ESA (European Space Agency) is providing Orion's service module, which powers, propels, cools and provides consumables like air and water in space. Results from ESA's service module design review, which began this month, will be assessed and incorporated into Orion development and integration plans later this summer. Systems unique to the first crewed flight will be addressed at a review in the fall of 2017.
Progress continues on Orion at NASA facilities across the country. The underlying structure of the crew module arrived at Kennedy in early February for outfitting, which is currently underway. Over the next 18 months, thousands of Orion components will arrive and be installed.
Meanwhile, a structural representation of the service module is being tested at NASA's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio, where engineers conducted a successful solar array wing deployment test on Feb. 29 and are preparing for a variety of tests to confirm it can withstand the harsh conditions of launch.
For more information on GSDO, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/groundsystems
For more information on Orion, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/orion
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Different quality classifications apply in various districts of Bordeaux. The most famous is the 1855 classification of the wines of the Médoc. Also applying to the Médoc is the Cru Bourgeois classification, introduced in 1932. The classification of the Graves was introduced in 1953, and the châteaux of Saint-Émilion were first classified in 1955. The structure and terminology of classification is unique to each region. Pomerol, which is responsible for some of the most iconic and sought after Bordeaux of our time, has no quality classification at all.
1855 classification of the wines of the Médoc
This classification was prepared for the great exposition of Paris in 1855. It was a ranking of châteaux, produced by the brokers and merchants of the time, based on selling prices for their wine. It was a measure of market opinion from which quality was inferred. There are separate classifications for red and white wines.
Find the full list of the 1855 Médoc Classifications here.
The 1855 Classification has its flaws. Every Bordeaux lover can point to fifth growths which are today as good as or better than many 'superior' growths (take a bow, Pontet-Canet). A criticism of the Bordeaux 1855 Classification is that it is not revised. (With two exceptions: Cantemerle was admitted as a fifth growth in 1856, and Mouton Rothschild was promoted from second to first growth in the 1970s.) That it remains relevant today is down to two factors. For one thing, the terroir will out. The attributes of the vineyards of the successful properties can be seen, even today, to be those consistent with high quality. For another, the classification set up a virtuous (or vicious) circle, in which the most highly classified châteaux command higher prices, and can afford to make the long term investments for continued quality.
An interesting characteristic of classifications in the Médoc is that classification is for the châteaux, and is not a demarcation of vineyards. Châteaux can add to their vineyards and, so long as they're within the appellation boundaries, increase their production without affecting their classification. Margaux second growth Lascombes is one (very acquisitive) example, as is Pauillac first growth Latour. Results can be outstanding, or disappointing.
Given the almighty and corrosive row that consumed the Cru Bourgeois system for years when an overhaul was attempted in 2003, you can understand the desire to let the sleeping dog of any 1855 update lie.
The 1855 classification showcased the stars of the Médoc. The wonderfully named Cru Bourgeois – authentic, dependable and comfortably affordable – was introduced after the First World War to increase awareness of and demand for the best of the less glamorous châteaux of the wider region. Many Cru Bourgeois are in less favoured appellations, such as Moulis, Listrac and the Haut-Médoc.
Saint-Estèphe has many good Cru Bourgeois. From 2008 onwards, the Cru Bourgeois classification applies to the wine only, and not to the property. It is awarded with every new vintage, based on tastings of the wines, and visits to the vineyard.
Wines labelled 'Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel' and 'Cru Bourgeois Supérieur' were released between 2003 and 2007 after the ill-fated overhaul of 2003 and you may well come across them. They include some excellent properties.
In 1953 sixteen châteaux were awarded the classification 'Cru Classé de Graves'. All are in the appellation of Pessac-Léognan, a sub-region of the larger Graves appellation. Six châteaux are awarded for their red wines, three for their white wine, and seven for both red and white. Haut-Brion is also a First Growth in the Médoc classification of 1855.
Saint-Émilion Classification
This classification has three tiers, in order of descending quality:
Premier Grand Cru Classé A
Premier Grand Cru Classé B
Grand Cru Classé
The Saint-Émilion classification was established in 1955 with revisions taking place in 1968; 1985; 1997 and 2007 – this latter having sparked major debate and resulting legal challenges. In a key difference to the system in the Médoc, classification in Saint-Émilion was awarded to the vineyards and terroir of a château, and not to the château as a producing company.
During these 10-yearly revisions, châteaux may be, and have been, demoted or promoted on the basis of tastings and a review of actual performance by an expert panel.
However, Saint-Émilion has recently emerged from years of dispute after the revision of 2006. Legal challenges from a number of châteaux demoted in that revision led to the classification being suspended, and the terms above becoming illegal.
Agreement has, at least in theory, now been reached, although the process for reviewing the classification has been substantially altered. A notable change is a move to relax the rules on increasing vineyards without affecting classification.
Somewhat confusingly, the term 'Grand Cru' on a bottle of Saint-Émilion is no indication of special quality. Every producer is permitted to use the term as part of the standard appellation title. Still, some good, albeit unclassified, wines bear the modest 'Saint-Émilion Grand Cru' label.
Bordeaux classifications do not attempt the impossible: a qualitative ranking of producers across this large and disparate region. Rather, they sharpen the broad view of Bordeaux's appellations. The quality potential and distinctive characters of Bordeaux's different terroirs have been assessed, empirically and scientifically, for generations. It is the job of the Appellation Controlée system to trace these terroirs and broad personalities.
Classifications have evolved, sometimes messily, within the most significant appellations, and each ranks a community of peers. The shortcomings of quality classifications are undeniable, because the quality potential of a terroir relies upon unpredictable humans for realisation. Even a high classification cannot save a reputation if a producer is making average or uninspiring wine. In the end, the market decides, and that depends on quality alone. Empowering your own judgment and preferences is the most rewarding solution.
This is the only Bordeaux appellation that has no classification whatsoever. Yet Pomerol produces wines that are in huge demand and they are some of the most expensive and iconic wines produced in the world. Wines such as:
Petrus; Le Pin; L'Eglise Clinet; Vieux Chateau Certan Lafleur amongst the leaders.
The key with this tiny appellation is the reliance on the Merlot grape and the interaction with Cabernet Franc to create their style of wines.


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Helia Raises $3 Mn From Silicon Valley Investors, Including Neo, Abstract Ventures and Kevin Hartz
IndianWeb2 Desk November 26, 2020 0 Comments
Bangalore: November 26, 2020: Helia, a US based enterprise security startup by Indian origin co-founder, Ashwin Sreenivas, along with the company's US co-founders, Russell Kaplan and Daniel Berrios, today announces that it has raised USD 3 million. The funding round was led by some of the top venture capital firms and investors in Silicon Valley including Neo, Abstract Ventures and Kevin Hartz, the cofounder and chairman of Eventbrite.
Helia's SaaS platform enhances physical security within enterprises by autonomously reviewing security camera footage in real time. Rather than requiring large teams of human guards, Helia uses cutting edge deep learning to monitor cameras for security events, and alerts teams of breaches instantaneously, before they escalate into security incidents. Helia does this without requiring specialized cameras. Instead, it integrates with existing security cameras, processes their feeds on an enterprise's premises using Helia's deep learning stack, and centralizes results to the cloud where they can be viewed securely.
Helia has worked extensively with teams in India on product development, particularly in start-up hubs like Bangalore that are filled with deeply technical and entrepreneurial teams. Furthermore, Ashwin has deep connections to India, having spent the majority of his life in Cochin, Kerala.
"We are honored to have this incredible group of investors backing our vision and helping Helia on its journey" said Ashwin Sreenivas, co-founder of Helia. There is growing demand within enterprises for security teams to change posture from reactive to proactive. Rather than simply addressing the consequences of a breach, Helia allows security teams to prevent the incident altogether.
ü Helia's AI autonomously monitors all existing security cameras, and alerts security teams of breaches in real time, allowing officers to respond before the breach can escalate.
ü Breach detection ensures that only authorized employees have access to spaces.
ü Enterprise risk reports quantify risk over time allowing security leaders to uncover access control vulnerabilities and allocate guard staffing optimally
For more information, please visit https://www.helia.ai/
About the Founders: Ashwin Sreenivas, a technology entrepreneur from Kerala, is one of three co-founders at Helia; prior, he was a deployment strategist at Palantir Technologies, and has graduated with degrees in computer science and AI from Stanford University (BS, MS). Russell Kaplan, co-founder, was formerly a senior machine learning scientist at Tesla, and also has degrees in AI from Stanford University (BS, MS). Daniel Berrios, co-founder, worked in the TMT investment banking group at Goldman Sachs, and has a degree in economics from Stanford University.
About Helia: Helia is structuring and understanding the world's video. Billions of hours of video are created every day, but almost none of it can be used to create value; Helia changes this by using AI to autonomously review video in real time. The company uses advanced computer vision to integrate with existing security cameras and access control systems to monitor for breaches. Security teams are then notified of incidents in real time, along with a video clip of the event, allowing for quick identification, triage, and response.
Tags Indian-American silicon valley startup funding zfeatured


One of the sources testing the camera said this is "Boots Low Soft WeenFashion Closed Brown Low Solid Material Round Women's top Heels Toe as exciting as the Nikon Z7 announcement". One went even further and said it's "more exciting". But of course, they might got carried away with their emotions so let's keep our feet on ground. A third source said "video performance is superb".


Today, after months of wrangling, the Senate finally approved $10 billion to prevent teacher layoffs, as part of a larger $26 billion package of state aid. Nancy Pelosi has said she will call the House back next week to vote on the measure as well. States and teachers' unions (and the Obama administration) are breathing a sigh of relief.
But, as I've written before, edujobs is far from a perfect bill. It doles out money to save jobs, which is good. But it doesn't include incentives for states to reform the bad systems that govern layoffs. Currently, the vast majority of states and school districts lay off teachers based on seniority—meaning those who have the fewest years in the classroom are dismissed first, with no regard for their quality. In addition to being unfair to teachers, this "last-hired, first-fired" policy has a particularly heavy impact on low-income, high-minority schools, which tend to have a lot of young teachers.
Last week, the National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) released a study that describes additional problems with the policy. "[B]ecause many districts have redesigned human resource policies to place greater emphasis on the recruitment and retention of effective teachers, they may have hired disproportionately more effective teachers over the last several years than in prior years," the study notes. "In such cases, seniority-based layoffs will be even more detrimental for [teacher] quality." The findings then show that quality-based layoffs, which keep better teachers in the classroom, lead to greater gains in student achievement over time. "Strong teachers get nearly triple the results that weak teachers get with their students," Jane Hannaway, the head of CALDER, told USA Today.
Policymakers could have used edujobs to spur states to develop quality-based layoffs—but they didn't. Promoting good teaching and academic success, it seems, will just have to wait.


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Wildlife Bridges Over Highways Save Endangered Animals and People
Studies show wildlife crossings can reduce animal-vehicle collisions by up to 95%
The Trans-Canada Highway wildlife crossings in Banff National Park, CREDIT: Joel Satore for National Geographic
Between 1 and 2 million large animals are killed by motorists every year, according to the Western Transportation Institute.
Most of those are wild animals attempting to cross the road to migrate or find food in what was once their unimpeded range.
There are 21 species that have been listed as threatened or endangered species specifically because of highway mortalities, including Key deer in Florida, bighorn sheep in California, and red-bellied turtles in Alabama.
Highways cut wild animals off from
their seasonal migration routes, their food sources and a diverse gene pool, leading to inbreeding, weak offspring and potentially extinction.
Even when animals don't have safe ways to cross highways, many species will try anyway, including this mother black bear and her cubs in Alberta, Canada. CREDIT: Barret Hedges
"Localized extinction happens when populations can't find each other, and if they don't have genetic variability, they will blink out—especially low-mobility species in old-growth forest," Patty Garvey-Darda, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Forest Service told National Geographic.
Collisions with animals hurt people too. Around 200 humans are killed each year in over a million such accidents, and billions of dollars are spent on medical bills, car repairs and roadside assistance.
How Wildlife Bridges Help
Wildlife over- and under-passes have been remarkably effective around the world at preventing collisions and restoring populations of endangered animals.
Studies of native species in Florida, bandicoots and wallabies in Australia, and jaguars in Mexico demonstrate this.
"You can get reductions of 85 to 95 percent with crossings and fencing that guide animals under or over highways," Rob Ament, road ecology program manager at the Western Transportation Institute told National Geographic.
Wildlife bridges and tunnels have been popular in Europe since the 1950s, and are now becoming popular worldwide.
(See pictures of the underpass in Kenya reuniting elephant herds.)
Over-crossings look a lot like regular overpass for cars, except they are landscaped with native plants to entice native animals.
Fencing directs migrating pronghorn antelope in Wyoming over the highway instead of across it at Trapper's Point. CREDIT: Joe Riis
Under-crossings are tunnels under highways that help smaller, shyer animals from gold monkeys and pumas in Brazil to water voles in London.
A wildlife bridge over the Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascades in Washington State is still under construction, with native flora set to be planted in 2020, but deer and coyotes are already using it.
A total of 20 over- and under-passes being built in the area will soon allow bears, mountain lions, pika, and even trout to traverse what was once an impenetrable barrier.
"Grizzly bears, elk, deer, and moose prefer big structures that are open," says Tony Clevenger, a wildlife biologist at WTI , who monitors 6 overpasses and 38 underpasses at Banff National Park, where accidents have been reduced by 90 percent.
"Cougars and black bears prefer smaller, more constricted crossings, with less light and more cover.