text:
Vitter, Fleming: EPA wants Camp Minden cleanup oversight pay
NEW ORLEANS — U.S. Sen. David Vitter and U.S. Rep. John Fleming are indignant about what Fleming calls extortion by the Environmental Protection Agency in connection with the cleanup of 7,800 tons of potentially explosive materials at Camp Minden.
Louisiana has paid EPA $1.2 million to oversee the cleanup, but the agency is asking for an estimated $8 million more, Fleming said in a news release Thursday. Vitter said the amount is unknown.
Both said EPA is delaying a contract and endangering people.
"It is extortion from an agency whose budget this year is $8.1 billion," Fleming said.
EPA is trying to provide the review, monitoring and information that it's been asked for, spokesman David Gray said.
"EPA has been working with the state and community to dispose of the materials at Camp Minden," he wrote in an email to The Associated Press. "Throughout this effort, everyone asked that EPA provide independent review and monitoring of the disposal and ensure information is provided to the public. Our goal has been to provide that service which we believe is necessary to verify operations are protective."
State police found 7,800 tons of M6 artillery propellant and 160 tons of clean-burning igniters — much of it in the open or otherwise improperly stored — after an explosion in 2012. It's been stored more safely. But the Army says the older it gets, the greater the danger of spontaneous explosion.
The EPA said at first that burning the material in shallow trays was the only way to get rid of it quickly enough. Community outrage prompted a decision that other methods could be considered, and on May 8 the agency approved a plan for Explosive Service International of Baton Rouge to incinerate the material.
"This explosive material is getting more dangerous the longer it's neglected. But EPA is deliberately dragging its feet," Vitter said. "We're extremely close to getting this resolved once and for all. The EPA needs to do its job and get this cleanup process going. Claiming to now have additional oversight costs is unacceptable — and the health and safety of the nearby residents can absolutely not be jeopardized by an EPA money grab."
8 thoughts on "Vitter, Fleming: EPA wants Camp Minden cleanup oversight pay"
Chris Broussard
We are being played. The EPA is not the bad guy here. They came to the table. They were part of the process. It was the Army that was absent. It was the Army that refused to take responsibility for their military garbage. And it is now the Army who is throwing it back at the EPA to cow down and take the blame for their bad policies. Bad policies and practices that are polluting not only Minden but other communities around our country. We all knew that the alternative method of disposal would cost more. And that is a cost that the Army should fork over…it's their trash!! And now our politicians want to throw the EPA under the bus. Not acceptable.
The Dialogue Committee decided on 13 Attributes for a Safe Alternative Disposal!!! Our Elected Officials Must Stand By Us.. the people who elected them!!!! The EPA came to the table and they listened to us. Based on how much money the Army paid EXPLO to take the M6 with no oversight from Any Agency Protect us. They need to fund this disposal and move Forward Immediately. We have waited long enough. Rebecca Shelley Sherrard
Brian Salvatore
The additional costs here are necessary for more than just oversight. These costs include key pollution abatement features on the contained burn incinerator, on-site monitoring of the emissions, and disassembly/removal of the incinerator from Camp Minden once this problem is solved. Please recognize that the EPA is the one governmental agency that is currently trying to adhere to the set of Attributes for Safe Disposal that were devised by the Dialogue Committee. The U.S. Army has the duty to come up with any additional funding needed for the safe remedy. $8 million more is quite reasonable and justified here.
Mark Toohey
NEVER,EVER, trust the U.S. military when it comes to cleaning up a mess. There are quite a few people at the EPA whose salaries are paid with funds provided by the Department of Defense, and believe me, they know where their bread is buttered.There are lots of folks at the EPA who want to do things right, though, and if they need more money to oversee the cleanup properly GIVE IT TO THEM. The senators who claim extortion are simply misinformed, grandstanding, or both. They are the ones who are risking the health and lives of the wonderful folks at Minden.
Kerry McNamara
Congressman Fleming,
What you are characterizing as "extortion" by the EPA is, in reality, the associated cost with a less harmful disposal process. You (and simultaneously, Senator Vitter) are advocating for expenditures only adequate for a return to an open-burn disposal.
What's equally egregious, but no less expected, is the complete and utter disrespect you exhibit towards the same Dialogue Committee and concerned citizens that have spent months researching safer alternative methods, the same people that you purport to represent.
Knock it off with the tough talk and scare tactics. Who do you REALLY stand for? The US Army or the citizens of NW Louisiana?
Months of research and face-to-face conversations with all involved parties through an EPA facilitated Dialogue Committee resulted in a final facilitator's report outlining 13 critical attributes for a SAFE disposal and remediation.
And now, John Fleming and David Vitter are claiming extortion by the EPA in requiring that all of these agreed upon attributes be met.
Do not be hoodwinked by the egregiously false and misleading statements by these two congressmen. Call both TODAY, and remind them of the 13 attributes agreed upon by the Camp Minden Dialogue Committee.
Fleming: 202-225-2777
Vitter: 202-224-4623
Alice Bond
Dr. Flemming and Mr. Vitter, have you not been paying attention? Of course the EPA wants more money! We the citizens want proper emission controls! The money allowed was for an OPEN BURN. It costs a bit more to do it properly, to do it safely and to do it right! The EPA is trying to protect our citizens! What are you guys trying to do?
Leslie Daniel Rainer
This is just the latest example of behavior by Vitter and Fleming that they have
PrevPreviousMay 21, 2015 e-Paper
NextWard One – City of Minden Civil SuitsNext


text:
Pope Products Ltd. was an Australian manufacturer, based in Beverley, South Australia, best remembered for washing machines and refrigerators.

The company was founded in 1935 by Sidney Barton Pope (18 February 1905 – 2 September 1983) (generally referred to as "Barton" or "S. Barton Pope" and from 1959 "Sir Barton") and his brother Harley Clifford Pope (6 April 1908 – ) to manufacture irrigation equipment with an initial capitalisation of £15,000 in £1 shares.

History
Barton Pope and his brothers Raymond and Harley were born in Northam, Western Australia and moved to South Australia with their parents in 1913. Their father, previously a storekeeper, began manufacturing irrigation components at their 56? 66? Robert Street, West Croydon home. The boys were educated at Pulteney College (later Pulteney Grammar School) and at age 14 Barton began working for his father. What started as a father and son operation grew into a small business registered in 1928 as "Pope Sprinklers Ltd." with shareholders Henry, Barton and Harley Pope, Lily Maria Pope and J. H. Richards. A new company, "Pope Products Ltd." was floated in 1934 to take over the assets of the old company of the same name which went into voluntary liquidation. Shareholders were the two Pope brothers, R. F. Smith, S. H. Carman and Winifred Laura Browne.

Around 1935 the company moved its operations to Charles Road, Beverley. From 1939 an increasing output from the factory was directed towards the war effort; chiefly stamped and cast parts for munitions destined for the Commonwealth munitions factory at Maribyrnong, Victoria and for aircraft production at the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation at Fishermans Bend. The factory underwent significant expansion in the immediate post-war period.

The company acquired premises in Finsbury

The company was not noted for employee relations: in the early days they made extensive use of juniors 14–16 years of age as machine operators and menial labour to avoid paying award wages (hence its local nickname "The Boy Farm"). Accidents were not uncommon. With growing union militancy and the Communist threat in the late 1940s, Pope Products became a model employer. It introduced a generous incentive scheme; in 1953 bonuses to its workers exceeded dividends paid to shareholders; the same year it instituted an employees' recreation hall and sponsored sporting activities for its workers and staff.

The company entered the Australian vernacular. "Is the Pope a washing machine" was a popular play on the rhetorical question "Is the Pope Catholic?"

Products
The output of the various Pope Products factories included:
Lawn and garden sprinklers
Agricultural Sprinklers: Typhoon, Monsoon, Premier and Butterfly. With the Butterfly sprinkler also being extensively used in domestic applications.
"Ned Kelly" repeating cap gun, "Aussie" single-shot cap gun
Woodworking tools: planes, chisels
Rotary lawn mowers, endorsed by Lew Hoad
Hand and powered "tumbler" mowers
Wringer washing machines
Refrigerators
PopeAire air conditioners
Pope-Motorola television sets and Hi-Fi Stereo Cabinets, endorsed by Jack Davey
Electric motors

Amalgamation
In 1963 Pope Products and A.Simpson and Son amalgamated as Simpson-Pope Holdings Ltd. to manufacture washing machines and refrigerators. This company became Simpson Holdings in 1979 was absorbed by Email Limited in 1986, which in turn became part of the Electrolux manufacturing group in 2000.

Family
Raymond, Barton and Harley Pope were sons of Henry Pope and his wife Sarah Anne, née Nunn (ca.1868 – 7 March 1947). The two younger sons were talented violinists; Harley in particular was described as "brilliant".

Barton Pope
Sidney Barton Pope married Lily Maria Howard on 19 March 1927; they divorced in 1942. He married again, to Ada Lillian McCarthy née Hawkins on 15 June 1944 shortly after her divorce. Barton's children included:
Barbara Barton Pope (9 September 1928 – )
John Brenton Pope (20 February 1933 – )
Ian Murray Pope (13 June 1938 – )
adopted daughter Susan Pope

Barton Pope was admitted to the SA Chamber of Manufactures in 1929 and was its president in 1949. He was knighted in 1959 "for services to commerce and industry".
Their home for many years was Martin Ave, Fitzroy, South Australia. He owned a number of country properties: Yarindale station, 17 miles (30 km) from Meningie and citrus orchards at Swanbury and Allawah, near Swan Reach He was a pioneer of the use of trace elements to restore fertility to ancient soils.

Harley Pope
Harley Clifford Pope (6 April 1908 – 14 July 1985) married Alison Victoria Sterling (24 May 1910 – 21 October 2009) on 23 April 1935. Their children were:
David Pope ( – )
Elizabeth Pope (4 April 1943 – )

References

External links

Pope and Falcon woodworking planes

Australian companies established in 1935
Manufacturing companies based in Adelaide
History of Adelaide
Home appliance manufacturers of Australia
Lawn mower manufacturers
Tool manufacturing companies of Australia
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning companies
Australian subsidiaries of foreign companies
Garden tool manufacturers

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
House of Tan Teng Niah
This house is one of the most colorful in the country, and is the last remaining example of a historic villa.
House of Tan Teng Niah FrustratedFormerContributor (Atlas Obscura User)
House of Tan Teng Niah Marcin Konsek / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
JR Wetmore (Atlas Obscura User)
Window Detail MarkTimeTravel (Atlas Obscura User)
Top Places in Singapore
The Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum
This vividly colorful house was constructed in 1900 by a local businessman named Tan Teng Niah. At the time, the neighborhood was an industrial zone (Tan's candy and rubber factories were located nearby) and many of Singapore's ethnic-Chinese businessmen lived in similar villas.
Amid Singapore's rapid economic growth and social change during the 20th century, the neighborhood evolved into what is now known as Little India. Most of the old merchant houses were razed to make way for modern commercial buildings and sleek skyscrapers. However, the Tan Teng Niah house survived, and during the 1980s, it underwent a full restoration to what people see today. Believed to be the last such house in existence, it's now preserved under landmark status from the National Heritage Board.
Although the house's historical background is interesting, the key to its popularity among locals and visitors is its current appearance. The exterior is painted in a rainbow riot of vivid colors, with every element—each individual slat, molding, panel, and pilaster—in a different hue than its neighbor. An array of sky blue, avocado green, traffic-cone orange, highlighter yellow, and nail-polish pink shades adorns the house. Further embellishments beyond the psychedelic color-palette include gilded Chinese calligraphy, intricate floral lunettes, and a bamboo-tiled roof.
The house is now used as a commercial space, and recent tenants have included a pharmacy and a business training school. Quite the ordinary activities, within one of the most extraordinary buildings in Singapore.
The house of Tan Teng Niah is located at 37 Kerbau Road, a block away from Little India MRT Station.
buildings outsider art houses homes architecture
FrustratedFormerContrib...
JR Wetmore, MarkTimeTravel
https://www.straitstimes.com/business/property/former-house-of-tan-teng-niah-at-little-india-heritage-site-up-for-sale
https://www.roots.sg/Content/Places/landmarks/little-india-heritage-trail-serangoon-in-the-1900s/former-house-of-tan-teng-niah
37 Kerbau Rd
1.3070, 103.8508
Krishna's Kitchen
LASALLE Campus Green
Jalan Kubor Cemetery
Little India's hidden gem of kindness and good food.
A quiet patch of astroturf laid out between a building that seems to be splitting in half.
The oldest Muslim cemetery in Singapore, with a strong royal connection.
The first Catholic church in Singapore is a Neo-Gothic colossus with a rich architectural history.
Brno, Czechia
Kristek's House
Of all the houses that grace this neighborhood, only one is a testament to surreal architecture.
Monumental House of Emilio "El Indio" Fernandez
Resembling a 15th century medieval fortress, this home once belonged to a legend of Mexican cinema.
La Casa de las Piedritas
This exceptional home was a 32-year labor of love by a man determined to build his wife the most beautiful stone house in the world.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Self-Obsessed Web Series - Season 2
In 2016 author, illustrator and creator Sina Grace launched a web series adaptation of his own semi autobiographical graphic novel Self-Obsessed. On the 23rd of March 2017 Sina released all 5 Episodes of Season 2 via his YouTube Channel.
Amber returns as a series regular playing herself. Jon Gabrus and her former Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star Adam Busch are back for a second season. Joining the cast this season are Laura Silverman, Drew Droege, Colleen Green and Bailey Godfrey along with brand-new director Kevin Sonnichsen.
Self-Obsessed is not just Sina's personal journey but looks at how all of the cast deal with life, love and earning a living all while trying to create things and making art that they love. In this funny, honest and original web series there are some great performances as well as music to enjoy.
Below you will find every episode of season 2 with a short summary beneath it.
Disclaimer: The series contains strong language and adult themes including sex and references to drug use. It is intended for a mature audience, viewer discretion is advised.
Sina makes travel plans with Amber for their trip to Comic Con before pitching a brand-new idea to his former employer and it receives a lukewarm reception. Then he heads to former boyfriend Greg's place for dinner to meet his new boyfriend Joshua (Drew Droege) for the first time.
Sina gets a lucrative job offer but isn't sure if it is the right move and Amber experiences the highs and lows of Comic Con. Meanwhile Adam helps out his friend Laura (Laura Silverman) with her audition tape.
Sina and Amber reflect on their Comic Con experiences and share anxieties about the direction of their careers when they receive a text from Adam who needs them both to be his wing men.
Sina tries to win over Ash, (Bailey Godfrey) has Sina finally met Mr Right? Amber, Adam and Laura (Laura Silverman) play their part talking him up. Sina returns the favour helping out Adam on his date with Colleen. (Colleen Green)
Episode 5 - Season Finale
Sina makes some big decisions regarding his personal life and work. Re-energised he knows what his next project will be. Amber also reveals some of her own future plans and aspirations meanwhile things look to be heading in the right direction for Adam and Colleen. (Colleen Green)
Click to visit our Self-Obsessed Season 1 Page
Disclaimer: AmberBenson.TV is not involved in any way with the writing/production of The "Self-Obsessed" web series or the original graphic novel. We own nothing this post is for informational purposes only. We are simply trying to spread the word about another exciting web series involving Amber Benson.


text:
Mike Shum
HALIMA ADEN: Somali-American Model
Co-Director, Producer, & Director of Photography | Al Jazeera Witness | 2019
FILMMAKERS' VIEW
by Mike Shum and Arthur Nazaryan
Published on Nov 3rd, 2018 for Al Jazeera Witness
Halima Aden came to public attention in 2016, as the first contestant to wear a hijab and burkini at the Miss Minnesota USA beauty pageant. But her story resonated far beyond the worlds of pageantry and modelling.
Less than a month after the election of President Donald Trump, who had portrayed Minnesota's Somali community - to which Halima belongs - as a hotbed of extremism, Halima was showing the world that Somalis in Minnesota were part of the fabric of the state and, in many ways, defining its future.
By the time we met her in early 2017 to discuss the possibility of this film, Halima was just beginning her meteoric ascent from local beauty pageant contestant to international model.
She was keenly aware of what she represented, not only to Somali Americans, but to young Muslims who were eager to see themselves represented beyond the tired caricatures often found in the media.
But she also revealed a personal struggle: in spite of all her success, and what that meant to so many, her mother - supportive as she was - still could not accept that her daughter was a model.
Having grappled with the cultural and intergenerational gap that so often accompanies the immigrant experience ourselves, we were especially drawn to this aspect of her story.
Watch full film on Al Jazeera Witness
Filmmaker's discussion on Halima documentary at SPNN in St. Paul, MN.
me@mikeshum.com
Mike Shum, 2021 © All Rights Reserved.
Website & Branding by Mai Yer Creative


text:
Макси́м Го́рлицкий (Макси́м Тимофе́евич Сандо́вич; 31 января 1886, село Ждыня, Округ Горлице, Королевство Галиции и Лодомерии, Австро-Венгрия — 6 сентября 1914, Горлицы, Королевство Галиции и Лодомерии, Австро-Венгрия) — священнослужитель Русской православной церкви.

Канонизирован в лике священномучеников. День памяти — 6 сентября (24 августа по ст.ст.), а также третья неделя по Пятидесятнице (Собор Галицких святых).

Биография
Максим Сандович родился в лемковском селе Ждыня (ныне — Здыня, гмина Усьце-Горлицке, Малопольское воеводство, Польша) в семье грекокатолического псаломщика Тиматеуша (Тимофея) Садовича и его супруги Кристины.

С юных лет отличался благочестием. Ещё школьником он вставал рано утром, чтобы читать у себя в комнате молитвы и петь церковные песнопения. Он желал стать монахом или священником.

Учился в гимназии в городе Новый Сонч. Три месяца провел в Креховском монастыре.

Атмосфера грекокатолического монастыря василиан оказалась чуждой Максиму Сандовичу, который обращается в православие и переезжает в Российскую империю, в город Почаев, где становится послушником в Почаевской Лавре. На него большое влияние оказал будущий митрополит Антоний (Храповицкий), который способствовал поступлению Максима в Житомирскую духовную семинарию. По её окончании 11 сентября 1911 года Антоний рукоположил Максима Сандовича в священнический сан и благословил на служение на Лемковщине. Максим Сандович служил в нескольких лемковских сёлах (в селе Граб), где распространялось движение по переходу в православие.

Он подвергался гонениям со стороны австро-венгерских властей, враждебных по отношению к православным, неоднократно арестовывался и заключался в тюрьму. 28 марта 1912 года Максима Сандовича арестовали и перевезли во Львов, где обвинили в шпионаже в пользу Российской империи. Более двух лет провёл Максим Сандович в тюрьме, где ему обещали освобождение в случае отречения от православия. В июне 1914 году решением суда он был освобождён и вернулся в село Ждыня. С началом Первой мировой войны последовал новый арест Максима Сандовича, его семьи и односельчан, обвинённых в участи в русском движении. 6 сентября 1914 года без суда и следствия австрийская военная команда под предводительством ротмистра Дитриха расстреляла отца Максима во дворе тюрьмы в Горлицах на глазах его беременной жены, отца и односельчан. Последними словами Максима Сандовича были: «Да живёт Святое православие! Да живёт Святая Русь!».

Вдова Пелагея Сандович (Григорук), дочь сельского священника из белорусского села Новоберёзова на Подляшье, родила в концлагере Талергоф мальчика, также названного Максимом и ставшего православным священнослужителем.

Канонизация

Почитание священномученика Максима распространилось среди карпаторусских православных и поддерживалось даже после их депортации в концлагерь Талергоф.

7 июля 1994 года решением Архиерейского собора Польской православной церкви был причислен к лику святых в лике священномученика: «провозглашается Святой Памяти Священник о. Максим Сандович — Священномучеником за Святое Православие, принимая во внимание его истинное почитание и всенародный культ. 2) Могилу о. Максима оставить нетронутой. 3) Днем Памяти Священномученика считать 6 сентября (24 августа по ст.ст.) — день его смерти. 4) Принять текст… тропаря, кондака и величания».

Летом того же года освящением креста в село Ждыня, месте рождения Максима Сандовича, начались празднования в честь нового святого Православной церкви. В сентябре 1994 года состоялись главные торжества в Горлицах.

10 сентября 1996 года решением Архиерейского собора Русской зарубежной церкви он внесён в месяцеслов Русской зарубежной церкви с днём памяти 24 августа старого стиля.

3 апреля 2001 года решениями Священного синода Украинской православной церкви имя священномученика Максима внесено в состав Собора Галицких святых, 22 ноября 2006 года — в состав Собора Карпаторусских святых и 20 июля 2012 года — в состав Собора Волынских святых.

24 декабря 2015 года решением Священного синода Русской православной церкви включён в месяцеслов Русской православной церкви с определением празднования его памяти 24 августа / 6 сентября.

Примечания

Литература

  (в пер.)

Ссылки

 Юрий Лабынцев, Лариса Щавинская Священномученик Максим Сандович // pravoslavie.ru, 14 февраля 2002 года
 Ярослав Харкевич Священномученик Максим Горлицкий // pravoslavie.ru, 23 июня 2005
 Ireneusz Dańko Łemkowska procesja z relikwiami świętego // gazeta.pl, 05 września 2007.

Галицкие русофилы
Священномученики
Казнённые в Первую мировую войну
Казнённые в Австро-Венгрии


text:
Q: Having videos in Jade I am making a website using Node.js and Jade in Expressjs and I want to embed a video. I also want to have a video player that has the capabilities to fast forward and rewind. I was wondering if Jade has the capabilities to do this because I have searched everywhere and cannot find one example of playing videos in Jade.
I know HTML5 has the video tag, but I'm having problems trying to convert it and it won't play my video. Here is my Jade code:
video(width='320', height='240', controls='controls', autoplay='autoplay')
 source(src='/movieTest.ogg', type='video/ogg')
  object(data='/movieTest.ogg', width='320', height='240')
   embed(width='320', height='240', src='/movieTest.ogg')

Can I do this in Jade or do I need to find another way? (super helpful if you tell me how)

A: You have several things to fix. Your code is not well indented and is not correct because it has mistakes (notice autoplay attribute). Below you can see a correct piece of code:
video(width='320', height='240', autoplay='')
    source(src='/video/movie.mp4', type='video/mp4')
    source(src='/video/movie.ogg', type='video/ogg')

Videos should be stored in the public folder in Express scafolding.
You can see a demo at http://audiolibros.azurewebsites.net/.
And you can see the source code at GitHub.
Finally, a great tool to convert html2jade.org can help you
Hope this helps,
Regards.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Neutron Sciences Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate with experience and expertise in spintronics and neutron scattering, with a strong emphasis on the design and characterization of organic spintronic devices. This position resides in the Thin Films and Nanostructures Group of the Quantum Condensed Matter Division (TFN QCMD) and benefits from strong interactions with the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at ORNL and will comprise a diverse spectrum of nanoscience activities.
Overview:  As a member of the Thin Films and Nanostructures Group, major responsibilities/duties will include design and characterization of structure as well as magnetic properties of spintronic devices such as spin-valve (SV) and light emitting diode (LED) based on the heterostructures of condensed/soft matter components with high carrier mobility. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary research team with expertise in polarized neutron scattering, thin film growth, materials chemistry, and device fabrication/characterization as well as, conjugated polymer synthesis, and theory/simulation to explore the effect of subatomic, intermolecular and interfacial structure on the magnetotransport property of organic spintronic devices.
* Take a lead role in the design and characterization of organic spintronic devices.
* Perform a forefront research effort in spintronics that takes advantage of existing capabilities in conjugated polymer synthesis in combination with magnetic layers, characterization, modelling/simulation and neutron scattering.
* Work with various scientists with expertise in neutron/X-ray scattering, conjugated polymer synthesis, theory/simulation, thin film growth, materials chemistry, and device fabrication/characterization to explore the effect of selective deuterium substitution of conjugated polymers on the magneto transport property of the organic spintronic devices.
* Responsible for presenting and reporting research results and publishing scientific results in peer-reviewed journals in a timely manner.
* A PhD completed within the last 5 years in Materials Science, Physics, or other relevant fields from an accredited institution.
* Expertise in neutron and/or X-ray scattering, magnetism and data analysis is essential.
* Candidates should be self-motivated, have good interpersonal, communication and presentation skills and a demonstrated ability to interact effectively with colleagues at all levels. The ability to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team is a critical asset.
* Excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to communicate in English to an international scientific audience.
* Ability to set priorities, multi-task and adapt to ever changing needs with the proven ability to function well in a fast-paced environment.
Experience with small angle neutron scattering and diffraction, knowledge of characterization techniques such as AFM, UV-vis and XRD, and cryogenic electrical and magnetic measurement (SQUID, PPMS) is highly desirable.
Appointments will be for 24 months with a possibility of an extension of up to 12 months depending on availability of funding.
Please provide a list of publications when applying for this position. A minimum of 2 reference letters are required and can be uploaded to your profile or emailed directly to PSDrecruit at ornl.gov. <mailto:PSDrecruit at ornl.gov> Please include the title of the position in the subject line.


text:
You are here: Home / Business Now / IDP lobby urges President to withdraw Gazette
IDP lobby urges President to withdraw Gazette
March 31, 2017 By Abdul Nazeer Leave a Comment
The Civil Society Coalition for Internally Displaced Persons yesterday called upon President Maithripala Sirisena and the Government to withdraw Gazette notification No. 2011/34 signed by the President while touring Russia on 24 March 2017.
In a statement, the coalition said: "The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forcibly evicted the entire Muslim population of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka in 1990. This has been recorded as the worst ethnic cleansing exercise ever in the history of Sri Lanka. These unfortunate Muslim victims of the LTTE were forced to leave their homes, valuables and their livelihood because they refused to support the quest for Eelam by the LTTE. As patriotic citizens of Sri Lanka, they resisted the pressure to divide the nation and were all expelled with two hours' notice in the case of the Mannar Muslims and the rest were given less than 24 hours. They were allowed to take out only Rs. 500 with them.
"The Government of Sri Lanka resettled the 300,000 IDPs immediately after the final battle with the LTTE in 2009. The Muslims, who had been languishing in IDP camps for over 25 years as refugees, were not resettled during this period. In 2013, the Presidential Task Force for Northern Resettlement, through the Divisional Secretariat, began allocating lands to some of the returning Muslim IDPs. Buddhist extremists started a campaign against this resettlement of the IDPs in their original homes. Later, some environmentalists, who claimed that these IDPs were being settled within the Wilpattu National Reserve, joined them. The President himself was misled to believe that the IDPs were encroaching on the Wilpattu National Reserve, which he later withdrew and declared that 'not an inch of Wilpattu land' has been encroached.
"Unfortunately, once again, anti-Muslim forces have managed to convince the President to declare large extents of private and permit lands of Muslim IDPs as a forest reserve. This is a total violation of the 'Right of Return' of these patriotic citizens whose only crime was opposing the division of the country by the LTTE.
"We, the Muslim Civil Society call upon His Excellency, President Maithripala Sirisena, and the Government of Sri Lanka to withdraw the Gazette notification No. 2011/34 signed by the President while on a tour of Russia on 24 March 2017."
President clarifies Gazette on declaration of forests reserves near Wilpattu Sanctuary
President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday issued a clarification regarding the Gazette on the declaration of forests located near the Wilpattu sanctuary as forest reserves.
The following is the brief statement.
Some interested parties with personal or political agendas carry out disinformation campaigns and falsely state that the Muslim religious places, villages and houses would be acceded to the Government and the Wildlife Department under the said Gazette Notification.
These forests have been declared as Reserves under the Gazette in order to protect the forest areas adjacent to the areas released for the people as settlements to further ensure their security.
This is to inform that none of the Muslim religious places, villages or houses in which the people live and have legal rights would be acceded to the Government."
Filed Under: Business Now


Choosing the right accessories for your decorating project is usually the final touch for your room to look complete. Color, size, subject matter and composition are important factors when choosing accessories. Our interior designers can help you choose items to add your personal touch to a room. Pictures, paintings and mirrors in various sizes and shapes can add interest and impact to your walls. Lamps and lighting fixtures are also important decorating accessories as well as area rugs, toss pillows, and floral arrangements. Visit our showroom today to find the perfect accent pieces and accessories to fit your home and lifestyle.


Your teeth and lips will be sore for about 1-2 weeks. Everyone is different.
If you have BITE GUARDS placed on your teeth, you will only be able to bite on the bite guards. Your teeth won't touch until about 2-4 months into treatment.
You will get used to eating with the BITE GUARDS. Hang in there!
Use wax and ibuprofen (or other pain meds) to help with discomfort as needed.
During the first few weeks, you can place orthodontic wax on parts of the braces that may be bothering you (wires or brackets).
We want the braces to stay on your teeth. If one pops off your tooth, it will sometimes come out of your mouth and it will sometimes stay on the wire.
If the dislodged brace (bracket) isn't hurting you, try to hang on to it until your come in for your next adjustment.
You are responsible for keeping the braces on your teeth!
Crusts, nuts, bagels, chicken wings, popcorn kernels, raw vegetables, whole fruit, candy, taffy and ANY OTHER FOOD THAT COULD DISLODGE ONE OF YOUR BRACES.
Spaghetti sauce, red wine, coffee, tea, strawberries, blue berries, curry, dark sodas, red juices and other highly colored foods/drinks can stain your braces. Try to limit them.
Brush like crazy! It is your responsibility to keep your teeth and braces clean.
Teeth move slower when plaque and tarter is in the way!
Your adjustment will be easier if your teeth are clean!
Flossing can be difficult but it is do-able. Throughly floss at least twice per week. If you need an overview, please ask!
Please call if you have questions that aren't answered on this form. We are here to help you.
Provide us with your contact details and we will schedule an appointment for a time that is convenient for you.


Discussion Crucial says its 4GB DDR3L-1600 SODIMM is compatible. Acer's manual says I need 2 modules.
Crucial says its 4GB DDR3L-1600 SODIMM is compatible. Acer's manual says I need 2 modules.
Crucial's 4GB DDR3L-1600 SODIMM is compatible, according to their website. Acer's manual says that I need 2 2GB modules. Who's correct?
What model do you own exactly?
Could you give me the first ten characters of the computer serial number (S/N)? Only the first ten.
It's an Acer Aspire Z1650. It currently has 2GB ram in it.
So I opened it up, there were two memory slots but only one stick, a 2GB which I replaced with the Crucial 4GB. I now have 4GB-2GB usable (its a Windows 7 Starter 32bit machine). I'm not going to try to update the BIOS on this Spanish-language computer without some knowledgable assistance, but it seems somewhat faster anyways.
Sorry for the delay but Windows 7 Starter supports up to 2Gb of memory.


text:
VijayRaghavan Krishnaswamy
Professor Emeritus, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and former Principal Scientific Advisor, the Government of India
Ph.D (Molecular Biology), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India, Thesis submitted to Mumbai University
Research Fellow at California Institute of Technology, U.S.A. (until December, 1985)
Senior Research Fellow at California Institute of Technology, U.S.A.(until December, 1987)
Joined Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India
Senior Professor and Director, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India (until December, 2012)
Distinguished Professor, National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute for Fundamental Research, Bangalore, India (-present)
Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, Government of India (until January 2018)
Principal Scientific Advisor, the Government of India (-present)
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, India
Infosys Science Prize, India
Member, Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India (until 2013) Jun 2009 Member, Janelia Farm Research Campus, HHMI, Advisory Committee (-present)
Member, Janelia Farm Research Campus, HHMI, Advisory Committee (-present)
Member, Board of Governors, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology School Corporation (-present)
Fellow of the Royal Society (-present)
Foreign Associate, US. National Academy of Sciences (-present)


text:
The Observer view on the far-right's power beyond the French presidential elections
Eric Zemmour is unlikely to be the next president of France. In the first place, he is not yet officially a candidate. Second, his repellent brand of racist, far-right codswallop already has a well-established mouthpiece: Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally (formerly the National Front).
Detto ciò, Zemmour is doing well in opinion polls and is significantly influencing the election agenda. Known as a TV pundit and polemicist, his latest bestseller, France Has Not Had Its Final Word, is a pseudo-intellectual requiem for "the death of France as we know it", by which he means white, Catholic France. In breve, Zemmour claims Muslims are out to capture the state.
Such drivel might be dismissed out of hand but for the fact that, according to one recent survey at least, 61% of French people believe it is certain or probable that the white, Christian populations of Europe face extinction because of Muslim immigration from Africa. A civil war is coming, Zemmour warns; France could become an Islamic republic. A lot of voters appear to have taken fright.
This pernicious argument is rooted in the "great replacement theory" peddled by French far-right "thinkers" and adopted by likeminded bigots in Donald Trump's America and elsewhere. "The French people, their customs, their history, their state, their civility, their civilisation" are at existential risk, Zemmour claims. Nel passato, Protestants or Jews were the whipping boys. Now it's Muslims.
Zemmour, like Le Pen, blames "elites", typified by President Emmanuel Macron and the EU, for France's problems. He would suspend Schengen free movement rules (which would please Priti Patel). He wants France to defy the European court of justice. Britain and France are historical foes, lui dice, but the UK should not be punished for Brexit. All disturbingly Johnsonian.
If he stands in April's election, Zemmour is predicted to attract 14.9% of the first-round vote, contro 19.6% for Le Pen. This prospective split suggests she, not he, would face the president, currently on 26%, in a second round. That's what happened in 2017, when Macron triumphed by a margin of 2-1. He would be expected to do so again.
More intriguing, and alarming for Macron, is the possibility that either Xavier Bertrand, Valérie Pécresse or Michel Barnier, if chosen to lead the centre-right Les Républicains, could overtake Le Pen and make the run-off, as François Fillon very nearly did in 2017. That scenario poses a bigger danger for Macron. Zemmour's rampage of hate would merely have ensured defeat at the ballot box for his ugly ideas.
Thus it seems clear the real threat posed by Zemmour is not electoral. It's ideological and cultural. It's a threat to the social fabric of France and, by extension, of other European countries where febrile questions of identity, security and perceived national decline have fuelled the rise of xenophobic populist politicians. Divisive Zemmour feeds off fear of change, fear of difference, fear of each other.
Britain, where Brexit brought such sentiments to the surface, surely understands. Zemmour controversially visited London last week to spread his insidious bile. Yet fundamental differences persist. The inquest into shocking racism in English cricket, per esempio, is extremely painful. But it has revealed a country determined, however imperfectly and clumsily, to root out such poison and find better, inclusive ways. Can France honestly say the same?
What the Zemmour phenomenon dramatises in both countries, and across Europe, is the continuing failure of the political and intellectual left to develop credible alternative platforms to repulse the right's lies and distortions. Support for France's Socialists, in power under François Hollande only four years ago, has collapsed to 4.8%. In Gran Bretagna, on all precedents, Labour should be winning hands down, but it's not. The struggle against the political weaponisation of fear and hate is far from won.
beyondFrench, Editoriale, elezioni, Osservatore, Observerfarrights, energia, presidential
The Guardian view on the cost of living: money's too tight to mention
prem	 17 ore fa
The economic news this week is stark. Inflation has hit a 30-year high and the average British worker is entering their third drop in real wages in a decade. But what's really sobering is that the worst is still to co...
The Guardian view on China's baby bust: let people choose
prem	 1 giorno fa
"Of all things in the world, people are the most precious," Mao Zedong said soon after taking power, believing China needed more soldiers and workers. The advent of peace saw the population rocket from 540 million to ...
The Guardian view on water pollution: come clean on sewage
English water companies have got used to pumping raw sewage into the sea and rivers. An investigation launched last year by the regulator, Ofwat, and the Environment Agency, is a chance to put things right. But there ...
The Guardian view on French progressives: divided they fall
In better times, the French left used to draw inspiration from the old Popular Front phrase, "les lendemains qui chantent" (the tomorrows that sing). These days that kind of optimism – along with any sense of unity am...
The Guardian view on the Tories and the BBC: a backlash sees off an immediate threat
La domenica, Nadine Dorries, the culture secretary, tweeted that the BBC licence fee will be abolished in 2027 and broadcaster's funding frozen for the next two years. The licence fee is the guarantor of the BBC's finan...
Far-right French presidential candidate found guilty of racist hate speech
A French court has found the far-right presidential candidate Éric Zemmour guilty of racist hate speech for a tirade against unaccompanied child migrants. Zemmour drew widespread outrage in September 2020 when he told...


text:
Q: Overlay animated images with transparency over a static background image using ffmpeg? I'm looking to create a video using a set of png images that have transparency merged with a static background.
After doing a lot of digging I seems like it's definitely possible by using the filters library.
My initial video making without including the background is:
ffmpeg -y -qscale 1 -r 1 -b 9600 -loop -i bg.png -i frame_%d.png -s hd720 testvid.mp4

Using -vf I can apply the background as overlay:
ffmpeg -y -qscale 1 -r 1 -b 9600 -i frame_%d.png -vf "movie=bg.png [wm];[in][wm] overlay=0:0 [out]" -s hd720 testvid.mp4

However the problem is it's overlaying the background over the input. According libacfilter I can split the input and play with it's content.  I'm wondering if I can somehow change the overlay order?
Any help greatly appreciated!
UPDATE 1:
I'm trying to make the following filter work but I'm getting the movie without the background:
ffmpeg -y -qscale 1 -r 1 -b 9600 -i frame_%d.png -vf "movie=bg.png [bg]; [in] split [T1], fifo, [bg] overlay=0:0, [T2] overlay=0:0 [out]; [T1] fifo [T2]" -s hd720 testvid.mp4

UPDATE 2:
Got video making using -vf option. Just piped the input slit it applied image over it and overlayed the two split feeds! Probably not the most efficient way... but it worked!
ffmpeg -y -r 1 -b 9600 -i frame_%d.png -vf "movie=bg.png, scale=1280:720:0:0 [bg]; [in] format=rgb32, split [T1], fifo, [bg] overlay=0:0, [T2] overlay=0:0 [out]; [T1] fifo [T2]" -s hd720 testvid.mp4

A: for references in the future as of 17/02/2015, the command-line is :
ffmpeg -loop 1 -i images/background.png -i images/video_overlay%04d.png -filter_complex overlay=shortest=1 testvid.mp4

thanks for llogan who took the time to reply here : https://trac.ffmpeg.org/ticket/4315#comment:1

A: The overlay order is controlled by the order of the inputs, from the ffmpeg docs

[...] takes two inputs and one output, the first input is the "main" video on which the second input is overlayed.

You second command thus becomes:
ffmpeg -y -loop 1 -qscale 1 -r 1 -b 9600 -i frame_%d.png -vf "movie=bg.png [wm];[wm][in] overlay=0:0" -s hd720 testvid.mp4

With the latest versions of ffmpeg the new -filter_complex command makes the same process even simpler:
ffmpeg -loop 1 -i bg.png -i frame_%d.png -filter_complex overlay -shortest testvid.mp4

A complete working example:
The source of our transparent input images (apologies for dancing):

Exploded to frames with ImageMagick:
convert dancingbanana.gif -define png:color-type=6 over.png

(Setting png:color-type=6 (RGB-Matte) is crucial because ffmpeg doesn't handle indexed transparency correctly.)  Inputs are named over-0.png, over-1.png, over-2.png, etc.
Our background image (scaled to banana):

Using ffmpeg version N-40511-g66337bf (a git build from yesterday), we do:
ffmpeg -loop 1 -i bg.png -r 5 -i over-%d.png -filter_complex overlay -shortest out.avi

-loop loops the background image input so that we don't just have one frame, crucial!
-r slows down the dancing banana a bit, optional.
-filter_complex is a very recently added ffmpeg feature making handling of multiple inputs easier.
-shortest ends encoding when the shortest input ends, which is necessary as looping the background means that that input will never end.
Using a slightly less cutting-edge build, ffmpeg version 0.10.2.git-d3d5e84:
ffmpeg -loop 1 -r 5 -i back.png -vf 'movie=over-%d.png [over], [in][over] overlay' -frames:v 8 out.avi

movie doesn't allow rate setting, so we slow down the background instead which gives the same effect.  Because the overlaid movie isn't a proper input, we can't use -shortest and instead explicitly set the number of frames to output to how many overlaid input frames we have.
The final result (output as a gif for embedding):


Find Peace and Tranquillity for your soul!
This owner run establishment is situated 26km from Port Shepstone in the magnificent world renowned Oribi Gorge valley in KZN.
Only 4 romantic open plan, spacious chalets set on a rocky incline with sweeping views over the majestic Umzimkulu River Gorge. Enjoy this spectacular view from the comfort of your bed or sip your sherry while lying in your leather recliner listening to the soothing sound of the majestic Umzimkulu River rushing down the gorge, or relax and sip champagne in your double spa bath while the birdlife and peaceful surroundings soothe your stresses away. The outside shower on your secluded deck is for the really brave at heart – be at one with nature! The garden is a bird lover's paradise.
Each chalet designed for 2 adults only – this is where you restore your sanity and recharge your battery.
Your stay includes a full English breakfast on the Coffee Shop Deck or delivered to your chalet, a bottle of JC Le Roux Champagne in your fridge at check in, a decanter of Sherry on your coffee table, Filter Coffee, Nescafé Coffee, Sugar, Milk, Milo, Tea, Rooibos Tea, Homemade Health Rusks, Olive oil, Salt, Pepper, Braai spices, Salad Dressing, Butters, Ice, Jam, Tomato Sauce. We also supply Bath salts, Soap, Hand cream etc.
There is a variety of homemade food available for Dinner if you do not want to prepare your own, please check with Sue for selection – order by 15h00 and it will be delivered to your chalet at 16h30 with heating instructions.
If you want to braai there is a communal undercover Lapa at the back of the chalets with charcoal and firelighters provided.
The chalets are serviced at 09h00 every morning.
Chalets operational 7 days per week – looking forward to sharing our little piece of heaven with you! Please check our website for specials.
There is a variety of activities, walks and attractions to explore in a 12km range.


text:
Water Management in Sonoma County Grape Production
Final Report for OW12-008
OW12-008 (project overview)
Project Type: Professional + Producer
Funds awarded in 2012: $49,200.00
Karen Thomas
Sonoma County Winegrape Commission
Water conservation in Sonoma County grape production is especially important because threatened or endangered salmonids are found in the Russian River watershed and may be deemed vulnerable. Growers must use water wisely when frost protecting and irrigating vines in order to maintain grape production while minimizing impacts on the stream flows that are critical to salmonid survival. This project was designed to provide growers with information on alternatives to frost protection using overhead sprinklers, on irrigation managements strategies to reduce water use, and on Best Management Practices for water conservation when frost protecting and irrigating grape vines.
This project had three components: 1) An evaluation of spray products on grapevines to evaluate their effectiveness in protecting against frost damage; 2) irrigation demonstrations in different soil types where irrigation scheduling and duration were determined based upon soil and plant water status measurements; and 3) grower outreach to provide Best Management Practices (BMPs) for water conservation when frost protecting and irrigating grape vines.
We conducted a trial in 2013 to evaluate frost protection spray products. A site was selected in which spring frosts had occurred on one or more days each year for the previous 19 years. Materials were provided by agricultural product retailers that are commonly requested by growers or which had been recently introduced to the market for this purpose. Unfortunately, in 2013 post bud break temperatures at the trial site remained above the critical temperature (32 °F), therefore green tissue damage of leaf blades, shoots and flower clusters did not occur. No data were collected and the efficacy of the products could not be evaluated.
We demonstrated a water management technique for drip irrigation that relies on measurements, both of soil moisture and plant moisture status. The above and below ground measurements provide an excellent picture of the moisture dynamics of the vineyard. This gives us the confidence to push our vines further into levels of controlled stress that have benefits well beyond that of water conservation. It also allows us to produce riper fruit at lower brix (data not collected but observed at many sites in the North Coast), while preventing excessive stress that could lead to reduced vineyard productivity and lower yields.
The irrigation management procedure is thus:
Observe shoot tips and plant water status measurements to delay the first irrigation events for the growing season.
Attain the target leaf water potential and stomatal conductance at or before two weeks prior to veraison and maintain those through veraison.
Use soil moisture profile data to determine active root uptake zones and depth of irrigation percolation.
Use average soil moisture in the profile to determine the duration for which moisture is returned to levels prior to each irrigation – this is the proper irrigation interval for non-deficit or surplus irrigation.
Mild water stress levels will reduce the need for irrigation, and we typically find irrigating at 18-24% of crop evapotranspiration (ET) is sufficient to maintain the canopy and crop (under mild stress conditions). Irrigation may be increased closer to harvest without negative consequences, as long as irrigation is not excessive.
Despite naturally high levels of winter rainfall in typical years, water is a scarce resource in Sonoma County, and competition from various interests (agricultural, municipal and environmental) has increasingly become contentious. The use of water for frost protection and seasonal irrigation specifically in vineyards has come under scrutiny by California's State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and the National Marine Fisheries. Either or both of these agencies could limit the use of water for frost protection of grapes in the Russian River watershed during the critical frost season.
There are almost 60,000 acres of vineyards in Sonoma County. Coho salmon in the county are listed as "endangered" under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Chinook salmon and steelhead also found in the county are listed as "threatened" under the ESA. The use of water to protect grapevines from spring frosts poses risks to these species due to the instantaneous demand for water during frost events, and alleged fish takes due to stranding have occurred in association with frost events. Low flows in surface waterways pose additional risk to salmonids during summer months when there is no rainfall, yet the vines require water to irrigate.
In order to preserve grape growing in Sonoma County and protect threatened and endangered salmonids, growers need to improve water use efficiency for both frost protection and irrigation. Currently, many growers measure only ambient temperature to determine when to activate frost protection; however, knowledge of the dew point is also required to accurately determine the risk of frost damage. Growers typically use an elevated temperature threshold (35-36 degrees, for example) to trigger frost protection as a conservative approach to timing frost protection. Unfortunately, that approach often leads to unneeded or premature activation of overhead sprinkler systems and unnecessary use of water. This Western SARE funded project conducted outreach to growers via multiple methods and provided guidance for optimal decision-making for frost protection operation.
Frost protection by applications of agricultural crop sprays has been suggested as alternatives to frost water application by the SWRCB. Antibacterial sprays, often containing copper, have been shown in some crops (not grapes) to reduce the population of ice nucleating bacteria on plant surfaces, thus reducing intercellular ice formation inside the plant and subsequent tissue damage. This project attempted to conduct an objective evaluation of selected materials in a producer's vineyard that does not use overhead sprinklers for frost protection. The goal was to determine the efficacy of these materials, especially materials that do not contain copper, in order to reduce copper use in the watershed. Salmonid species are very sensitive to copper in streams and, thus, reductions in copper use can benefit salmonids. Although materials were applied each spring, there were no frost events in the project's vineyards. This is an area for future research.
Irrigation is another major use of water by the wine grape growers of the region. It is believed that growers, though intending to be good stewards, continue to irrigate prematurely each year and may irrigate in an inefficient manner. New technologies for measuring soil and plant moisture status are available to guide more efficient irrigation. We believed, from previously executed surveys and field demonstrations, that many growers could collectively conserve 30% or more of the applied irrigation water and maintain economic yields, all the while improving wine quality.
For this project, we measured soil and plant moisture status at vineyard sites to enable grower exposure to these technologies. The project worked with a grower to fine-tune irrigation based on soil and plant water status data, vine observations and overall strategies for winegrape production. The sites were selected to represent variations of soil characteristics. Results from the demonstrations were communicated to growers through workshops and field days, newsletter articles and on the Commission website www.sonomawinegrape.org.
Sonoma County grape growers have traditionally, and enthusiastically, participated in grower educational events and programs to improve their production practices. Changes in practices have been documented for pesticide use, for example. Thus, improved management practices identified in these demonstrations are likely to result in improved efficiencies in water use for both frost protection and irrigation. The results from this project have been especially timely given the severe 2014 drought conditions in Sonoma County.
Frost Protection:
Explore alternative methods to overhead sprinkler frost protection: demonstrate the efficacy, if any, of applied frost protection materials such as antitranspirants and copper fungicides/bactericides in a Sonoma County vineyard. Spring 2013.
Improve the utilization of a relatively new network of weather stations to measure temperature and dew point at key locations across the county. Real-time weather data from a nearby weather station can be accessed by growers at no charge to determine when frost protection systems are needed. The system provides email or text message alarms to be set to alert growers of frost risk. In this manner, frost risks and frost water application initiation and termination can be improved and water saved. Spring 2012 and 2013. (In spring 2014, a minor Western SARE project budget revision was approved, which allowed for the purchase of a new datalogger for the Kenwood area weather station. This weather station is located in the coldest area of Kenwood, which is located in northern Sonoma Valley. This new datalogger replaced an outdated piece of equipment, which provided system information every fifteen minutes and with questionable accuracy. The new datalogger reports weather data in real-time to accurately predict frost event temperatures critical to the timing of turning on and turning off water for frost protection. This new technology also has the ability to accomodate the utilization of soil moisture probes.)
In addition, this project looked to provide education to reduce or avoid false or early triggering of overhead sprinklers and share best management practices for the proper triggering of overhead sprinklers for frost protection to alleviate overuse during frost episodes. Spring 2012 and 2013.
Irrigation Management:
Avoid premature applications of irrigation to vineyards by taking advantage of soil moisture storage from winter and spring precipitation. Delay the initiation of irrigation applications until soil moisture diminishes to the point where irrigation is necessary. Monitor soil moisture, plant moisture status and visual (shoot length and shoot tip) indicators of impending moisture stress to determine the decisions for initiating irrigation. Summer 2012 and 2013.
Avoid deep percolation of irrigation, water which wastes water and has the potential for groundwater contamination. Demonstrate how to use soil moisture monitoring equipment in Sonoma County vineyards and/or vineyard blocks to determine proper volume of applied to avoid excessively deep water movement. Summer 2012 and 2013.
Avoid excessive use of irrigation water by adjusting intervals based on need. Demonstrate the use of soil moisture monitoring equipment in Sonoma County vineyards and/or blocks and how it may be used to determine proper intervals between irrigation applications. Summer 2012 and 2013.
Determine proper site-specific irrigation regimes. Demonstrate different irrigation practices appropriate for representative soil types and conditions in Sonoma County vineyards and/or blocks. Summer 2012 and 2013.
Demonstrate the benefits and limitations of plant water status measurements under different climatic and soil conditions in Sonoma County vineyards. Summer 2012 through 2013.
Demonstrate the differences in wine styles arising from different irrigation regimes applied to similar and adjacent vineyard blocks using a collaborator's commercial winery to process fruit from demonstration blocks. Fall 2012 through 2013.
Click linked name(s) to expand/collapse or show everyone's infohide everyone's info
Tom Gore
tom.gore@cwine.com
Vineyard Manager
Constellation Wines
910 Lytton Station Rd
Dr. Mark Greenspan
mark@advancedvit.com
Advanced Viticulture LLC
930 Shiloh Rd
Windsor, CA 95492
Mark Houser
hocvavv@hotmail.com
Hoot Owl Creek/Alexander Valley Vineyards
Scott Johnsen
scottjohnsen@ejgallo.com
Gallo Coastal Vineyards
3387 Dry Creek Rd
Peter Nissen
ngp351@sbcglobal.net
Nissen Vineyard Service Inc
Richard Rued
richard.rued@gmail.com
Rued Vineyards
Rhonda Smith
rhsmith@ucdavis.com
Viticulture Farm Advisor
Univ of CA Cooperative Extension
133 Aviation Blvd
ipm@sonomawinegrape.org
Grower Programs Manager
3637 Westwind Blvd
Steve Thomas
steve@kunde.com
Wildwood Vineyards
PO Box639
The spray trial to evaluate efficacy of chemical frost protectants was located in a Chardonnay vineyard at about 1,600 feet elevation in the Mayacamas Mountains, which form the eastern border of the Sonoma Valley in Sonoma County. The block selected was the site of spring frost damage in previous years, and the rows selected for the trial were located near the bottom of a slope. Four replications of seven treatments were installed in a randomized complete block design. A datalogger was placed inside the trial footprint and recorded temperature at 15 minute intervals. Five products were evaluated, one at two rates. Products consisted of a copper based fungicide and the balance were products that reportedly reduced plant stress (Table 1). Applications were made on five dates by backpack sprayer using label rates at the equivalent of 50 gallons per acre (Table 2).
The first application was made on March 28, 2013, within one week of bud break. Minimum daily temperatures for the week prior to the first application ranged from 33.5 °F to 41.6 °F (Figure 1). The trial was terminated May 9, two weeks after the last application on April 26. Minimum daily temperatures for the two week period prior to May 9 ranged from 42.9 °F to 58.6 °F (Figure 1).
The irrigation demonstration plots included two sites with very different soils: Red Fan vineyard off of Red Winery Road and Landslide Vineyard between Chalk Hill Road and Highway 128. Both sites are in Alexander Valley. The Red Fan site has a heavier, deeper soil, classified as Clear Lake Clay Loam and Cibo Clay. The Landslide vineyard has very gravelly and shallow soils and is classified as a Clough Gravelly Loam. In both sites, we chose two side-by-side blocks, each having the similar characteristics and all with variety Cabernet Sauvignon (see documents 9 and 12 under Results and Discussion/Milestones section). Our plan was to apply different irrigation regimes to each block and to make commercial-scale wines from each block to compare to one another in tastings.
We outfitted each of the four demonstration blocks with soil moisture profile monitors attached to telemetry units for continuous feedback of soil moisture data. We also installed a pressure switch in each irrigation line to monitor when irrigation events occurred. All of that information was available to the public online in real-time. We also made weekly measurements of vine water status (using the pressure chamber and porometer).
Research results and discussion:
We conducted a trial in 2013 to evaluate frost protection spray products. A site was selected in which spring frosts had occurred on one or more days each year for the previous 19 years. Materials were provided by agricultural product retailers that are commonly requested by growers or which had been recently introduced to the market for this purpose. Unfortunately, in 2013 post-bud break temperatures at the trial site remained above the critical temperature (32 °F), therefore green tissue damage of leaf blades, shoots and flower clusters did not occur. No data were collected and the efficacy of the products could not be evaluated.
Two very different vineyard sites were selected for the irrigation management demonstrations. The Red Fan Vineyard features fine-textured soils that are fairly uniform in depth. That soil type allows irrigation to percolate deeply because there are no impediments to water movement, such as stratified layers that create dramatic discontinuities in pore size. Contrary to what is commonly believed, water penetrates deeply in these soils, aided by strong matric forces both downward and laterally. Even small irrigations of about four hours will percolate to the bottom of the monitored root system (Fig. 1, bottom). Hence, large irrigation applications would have the negative effect of driving moisture below the root zone. This will not be beneficial because the majority or the root system is above 3' depth, and it is not necessarily possible to encourage deeper rooting in this location due to the fact that the soil profile is fully moistened by winter rainfall in essentially all years. So, the nominal irrigation chosen for Red Fan was four hours, though we found that the rain-fed moisture was able to sustain the vineyard without irrigation well into the summer.
On the contrary, the soils at the Landslide Vineyard feature clay loam soils with high rock content comprised of fractured sandstone and some river cobbles (see Photo 4). Water cannot move through rocks so the drip-irrigated water tends to spread laterally more quickly than it does vertically. Some attempts were made to irrigate with longer irrigations, but we found that the longer irrigations (up to six hours or six gallons/vine) tended to move the wetted zone out laterally and even into the wheel track. We did not sense moisture increases below 16", and this was confirmed in 2013 by backhoe pits made after an irrigation. So, the irrigation regime chosen for Landslide was short: 2-3 gallon per vine irrigations with 2-3 irrigations made per week. The rain-fed moisture depleted sooner at Landslide than at Red Fan so irrigation commenced earlier.
The general water management strategy was to wait until the vines slowed down their growth and reached desired levels of plant moisture status. The target level of stress was fairly conservative in 2012 (-12 bars), though in 2013 we had one year of experience and modified the targets. For Red Fan, we used -12 bars for Block 830 and -14 bars at Block 860 as a trigger for irrigation. For Landslide, we used -12 to -13 bars in Block 14 and -14 to -15 bars as a trigger for Block 15.
Waiting to irrigate until absolutely necessary is beneficial in many ways: 1) it is the single most effective way to reduce water application to the vineyard, 2) the stress developed in the vine stimulates the fruit ripening processes, which is especially beneficial for red wine grape varieties, 3) the moderate stress on the vine partially closes leaf pores (stomata), which put the vine into a very water-use-efficient state. This reduces the amount of irrigation needed during the remainder of the season. It may be desirable or necessary to increase the irrigation level late in the season to reduce vine stress, but it is not necessarily essential as long as the vine water stress does not become excessive. For that reason, continuous vine and soil moisture status measurements need to be made up until harvest.
The vine water management strategy attempted in this project was to impose irrigation delays and limited water applications such that the vines reached a moderate level of stress before veraison was observed. From past experience, we would like to see stomatal conductance levels of 110 to 150 mmol m-2 s-1. Achieving levels of stress in this zone, the levels of Abscisic Acid (ABA) become elevated and trigger production of ripening enzymes in the fruit. This helps the fruit to reach phenolic maturity at a lower brix level than if not stressed, which provides more flexibility in wine styles concerning the ability to achieve different flavor profiles with a lower risk of berry collapse or excessive sugar (and thereby excessive alcohol) content. It is essential that this stress level be reached about two weeks prior to veraison and carried though the rest of veraison.
Wines were made from each block and kept separate at the winery. No formal tasting was made of the wines in 2012, and the block treatments were not that different from one another. Wines from 2013 were also kept separate but have not been tested for comparison to date.
Red Fan Vineyard Location:
Irrigation (Fig. R1): Block 830 began its irrigation on July 22 in 2012, partially due to uneasiness from the grower (which was later alleviated, thus allowing for later irrigations in 2013). Block 860 began irrigations on August 9 that year and both blocks began their irrigation weeks after the vineyard manager would have normally begun had he not had the information provided to him by this demonstration project. Block 830 continued with weekly irrigations after August 9 through harvest, and Block 860 was irrigated for only four times before the vineyard manager was convinced that the vines were "too happy." Total amount applied to Block 830 was 2.22 inches (about 42 gallons/vine) while the total amount applied to Block 860 was only 0.95 inches (about 18 gallons per vine). This represents 19% and 8% of crop ET for blocks 830 and 860, respectively, from July 18 through October 10. The small amount of irrigation was possible because the vines were in a high water-use-efficiency range of stress. Note that vines did not become overly stressed or show signs of leaf abscission.
In 2013, irrigation did not commence until September 3 in Block 830, aided by a significant rainfall in late June. Block 860 did not receive irrigation until September 9, and it received only three irrigation applications. Total amount applied to Block 830 was 1.55 inches (about 29 gallons/vine) while the total amount applied to Block 860 was only 0.74 inches (about 14 gallons per vine). This represents 32% and 15% of crop ET for blocks 830 and 860, respectively, from September 3 through October 10. Note again that vines did not become overly stressed or show signs of leaf abscission through harvest.
The amount of irrigation applied to the vines is far less than the standard practice in Alexander Valley, which is 4 to 6 inches. Again, this is possible because of delayed irrigation and imposition of mild vine stress.
Water Status (Figs. R2, R3): In 2012, leaf water potential did not reach the desired level of -14 bars in Block 830 and only briefly fell into the desired stress level in Block 860 (for about two weeks). Furthermore, the stress was achieved after veraison so the maximum benefit on ripening was not realized. Likewise, neither block reached the target level of stress in 2013, and 830 was at a lower stress level than 860 after irrigation commenced and continued through harvest. The very mild weather and the heavy soils made it difficult to impose stress at this site.
This is also seen in the stomatal conductance charts. The desired stomatal conductance range was experienced only briefly in both blocks, with 860 getting into the range in late September while Block 830 did not remain in that range for long due to the irrigation activity. In 2013, Block 830 did not enter in the desired range, and Block 830 barely made it into the range during September. It may be that this vineyard is not able to reach those target stress levels due to the high water holding capacity of the soils there.
Soil moisture charts appear in Fig. R4 and R5. The upper graph in each shows the average soil moisture which we use to determine proper intervals between irrigations trying to keep the soil moisture from falling or rising and staying within the band determined through iteration. Note that we usually found that the target band determined in Year 1 was valid in Year 2 as well, indicating that the procedure we went through in Year 1 sets up a site calibration, in essence, for the soil moisture.
The multicolored bands in the middle chart shows the water content of each of the levels. This provides a visualization of the water percolation during irrigation events. Here we see that our irrigation applications (about four hours each) reached down to at least 48 inches.
The bottom lines indicate irrigation activity as sensed by the pressure switch. Note that the pressure switch devices performed irregularly and did not work for periods of time, though they tended to work all year long when they did work. For any missing irrigation information, the grower provided the missing data points.
Figs. R6 through R9 show plots of leaf water potential (LWP) and stomatal conductance versus the average profile water content (relative) for each of the days of measurement. Correlations were seen in some, but not all, of the blocks and years. R-squared values of at least 0.2 indicate significant correlations (P<0.05), so while some of the correlations look weak, they may be significant. Leaf water potential correlated to soil moisture in 2012 for Block 830 (irrigated more) but did not correlate in Block 860 (irrigated less). Stomatal conductance, however, showed a good correlation in 2012 in both blocks. We see that in both blocks, the desired stomatal conductance levels correspond to relative soil moisture levels of about 60% in Block 830 and 64% in Block 860.
In 2013, Block 830 plant water status did not correlate as well as in 2012, but the leaf water potential was significantly correlated. In Block 860, both leaf water potential and stomatal conductance were significantly and highly correlated to average relative soil moisture. The target soil moisture content was consistent in 860 between the two years, suggesting that the soil moisture may be used as an indicator of target vine water status once it has been confirmed using the vine water status measurements. It is not clear why the vine and soil moisture measurements did not always correlate, but it could be due to rootstock behavior and/or its interaction with odd weather patterns.
Landslide Vineyard Location:
Irrigation (Fig. L1): Both blocks began irrigating in 2012 on July 23. After some trial and error it was decided to irrigate Block 14 twice per week for three gallons/vine each irrigation and to irrigate Block 15 three times per week for two gallons/vine each irrigation. Total amount applied to each block was very similar by the end of the season. Total amount applied to Block 14 was 3.62 inches (about 90 gallons/vine) while the total amount applied to Block 15 was 3.55 inches (about 88 gallons per vine). This represents 24% of crop ET for both blocks from July 23 through October 10. The small amount of irrigation was possible because the vines were in a high water-use-efficiency range of stress. Note that vines did not become overly stressed or show signs of leaf abscission.
In 2013, irrigation did not commence until August 7 in Block 14, aided by a significant rainfall in late June. Block 15, which had a higher stress target, did not receive irrigation until August 28. Total amount applied to Block 14 was 1.65 inches (about 42 gallons/vine) while the total amount applied to Block 15 was only 0.72 inches (about 16 gallons per vine). This represents 24% and 11% of crop ET for blocks 14 and 15, respectively, from August 7 through October 10. Note again that vines did not become overly stressed or show signs of leaf abscission through harvest.
The amount of irrigation applied to the vines is far less than the standard practice in Alexander Valley which is 4 to 6 inches. Again, this is possible because of delayed irrigation and imposition of mild vine stress.
Water Status (Figs. L2, L3): In 2012, leaf water potential targets were reached in late July, which was before veraison started. Stomatal conductance also got into the desired range just prior to veraison and it was held through veraison and into the early stages of ripening. This occurred in both blocks. In 2013, leaf water potential reached the ideal zone in early August, around the time of veraison. The late June rainfall essentially delayed the attainment of the desired stress level. However, the leaf water potential level was held close to ideal for the rest of the ripening period. Stomatal conductance levels were slightly higher than ideal in 2013, though Block 15 was closer to the ideal level than Block 14.
Soil moisture charts appear in Fig. L4. The upper graph in each shows the average soil moisture, which we use to determine proper intervals between irrigations, trying to keep the soil moisture from falling or rising and staying within the band determined through iteration. Note that we usually found that the target band determined in Year 1 was valid in Year 2 as well, indicating that the procedure we went through in Year 1 sets up a site calibration, in essence, for the soil moisture. Block 14's soil moisture patterns were not as distinct in 2013 as they were in 2012. Block 15's did not exhibit this degradation in signal quality. It is believed that the reduced sensitivity was due to the emitter shifting from one year to the other. This is not a common occurrence seen in these sensors, and it was recognized too late to make any changes. However, because we were still sensing some soil moisture dynamics, we were able to use the information to maintain a relatively constant soil moisture level over time.
The multicolored bands in the middle chart show the water content of each of the levels. This provides a visualization of the water percolation during irrigation events. Here we see that our irrigation applications (about 2-3 hours each) reached down to only 16 inches as this was as far as we could push moisture in these rocky soils. This is counter to common belief that rocky soils allow moisture to percolate deeply. While rain will percolate deeply in these well-drained soils, drip irrigation does not do so because of the slow application of water at a point source at the soil surface.
The bottom lines indicate irrigation activity as sensed by the pressure switch. The pressure switches performed better at this site than at Red Fan, though there were a few false readings early in the 2012 season in Block 15.
Figs. L6 through L9 show plots of leaf water potential and stomatal conductance versus the average profile water content (relative) for each of the days of measurement. Correlations were seen in some, but not all, of the blocks and years. R-squared values of at least 0.2 indicate significant correlations (P<0.05), so while some of the correlations look weak, they may be significant. Leaf water potential did not correlate to soil moisture in 2012 for either block. Stomatal conductance, on the other hand, showed a good correlation in 2012 in both blocks. We see that in both blocks, the desired stomatal conductance levels correspond to relative soil moisture levels of about 49-50% in Block 14 and 51% in Block 15. Target water content is lower at Landslide than at Red Fan because of the high rock content.
In 2013, leaf water potential was more correlated to soil water content than in 2012. Block 14 was especially well-correlated. However, stomatal conductance was highly correlated in Block 14 but not correlated in Block 15. Both blocks have the same rootstock, so it is not known why correlations are sometimes high and sometimes low. It may be because Block 14 was irrigated more than Block 15 in 2013 providing a greater variety of soil moisture late in the season. We have found that stomatal conductance can be highly variable early in the growing season but tends to stabilize later in the season, when shoot growth ceases.
Participation Summary
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Education/outreach description:
Reports of the Western SARE funded project were communicated through the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission's Vine Times newsletter. A hard copy of each newsletter is mailed to 2,500 growers, vintners and industry personnel. Overall, there were four total hard copy newsletters with an approximate imprint of 10,000 views. These newsletters are also found on our website, http://www.sonomawinegrape.org/newsletters.
Grape grower introduction to the Western SARE grant was made in summer 2012 issue of Vine Times. In the fall 2012 issue, project partner Dr. Mark Greenspan provided an update of the project's field evaluations and measurements of irrigation levels. Greenspan provided readers with the log-in information to access technical information. In the spring 2013 newsletter, project partner Rhonda Smith, UC Cooperative Extension Viticulture Advisor, provided a timely update to growers on efficient use of frost water through proper timing of frost protection sprinkler use and properly determining the critical temperature of the ambient air temperature for frost damage. The summer 2013 edition was used to promote the Water Conservation Field Day, which showcased both the irrigation water conservation and frost protection findings. The report of the Field Day was provided in the fall 2013 newsletter.
A final Western SARE funded project wrap-up will take place in the upcoming summer 2014 newsletter. A short summary will be provided with a link to the entire final report found on our website.
Grower Outreach
Workshops and demonstrations, newsletter articles, and website information, including Best Management Practices (BMP) for frost protection and irrigation management, were used, and will continue to be used, to inform growers of the need to conserve water in frost protection and irrigation. The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission weather station network provides growers with real-time weather data, including temperature alerts on cell phones and dew point information, which is critical in deciding the temperature for frost protection initiation. BMPs were provided to help growers understand how water could be conserved for both frost protection and irrigation.
During the two year Western SARE funded project, three frost/drought workshops were held and the one Water Conservation Field Day event. In all, 477 growers and partners attended these outreach meetings.
A survey following the Water Field Day was completed by 16 growers, with 73-75% feeling the frost protection and irrigation management presentations were very useful. Several respondents already used the BMPs to guide their frost protection initiation and duration. Others indicated they will change practices or investigate wind machines as an alternative frost protection method. All respondents indicated they would change practices based upon the irrigation management presentation.
There is ongoing need for grower education on methods to conserve water in grape production while maintaining crop yields and quality. The irrigation demonstrations were particularly valuable because they showed that there were further irrigation savings that could be achieved without sacrificing quality by one of the county's top growers when soil and plant water status measurements were used to manage irrigation initiation, frequency and duration.
Drought & Frost Meeting, Feb. 28, 2013
Drought & Frost Meeting, Feb. 4, 2014
Flyer Drought & Frost Meeting, Feb. 28, 2013
Flyer Drought & Frost Meeting, Feb 4, 2014
OW12-008 Water Conservation Field Day Survey 8.16.13
OW12-008 Photo 15.
OW12-008 Water Conservation Field Day Flyer, Aug. 16, 2013
OW12-008 Water Conservation Field Day handout by R. Smith
OW12-008
OW12-008 Springtime Temperature Inversion Poster
Project outcomes:
The spray trials to mitigate frost risks produced no results due to lack of frost events. The irrigation management demonstrations, however, produced dramatic results. Plant and soil water status measurements resulted in delayed irrigation initiation compared to standard practices in both demonstration vineyards. Then, irrigation frequency and duration were optimized to minimize irrigation water movement beyond the active root zone. The total irrigation water supplied in the two years was 8% to 32% of crop ET at the Red Fan vineyard and 11% to 24% of crop ET at the Landslide vineyard. Those percentages are below typical deficit irrigation targets of 60% or more using crop ET models to manage irrigation.
Economic analyses were not done, but there are cost savings from pumping for reduced duration and number of irrigations when soil and plant water status is measured and data are used to manage irrigation. The exact cost will vary by water source, but individual growers should be able to calculate those savings and the ROI for the instrumentation used to better manage irrigation in their vineyards.
Farmer Adoption
The public scrutiny on water use for frost protection has resulted in increased grower adoption of frost protection BMPs and grower use of weather station data to aid and improve accurate decision making. Changes in irrigation management will take longer. Growers will need to gain comfort that they can conserve water and maintain a healthy and productive vine. But the dramatic results regarding no loss of grape quality from the irrigation management demonstrations will challenge growers to rethink their irrigation strategies.
Areas needing additional study
We conducted a trial in 2013 to evaluate frost protection spray products. A site was selected in which spring frosts had occurred on one or more days each year for the previous 19 years. Materials were provided by agricultural product retailers that are commonly requested by growers or which had been recently introduced to the market for this purpose. Unfortunately, in 2013 post bud break temperatures at the trial site remained above the critical temperature (32 °F), therefore green tissue damage of leaf blades, shoots and flower clusters did not occur. No data were collected and the efficacy of the products could not be evaluated. This trial to evaluate frost protection spray products should be reinstated in another frost season, as the results could demonstrate potential water savings during frost events. Or, it could show the products are not as advertised or beneficial only under certain circumstances. Either way, the results would be helpful going forward to growers without wind machine protection.
There is ongoing need for grower outreach and education on water conservation strategies for frost protection and irrigation management. This includes grower-to-grower education by those early adopters of new water conservation strategies developed through this Western SARE funded project.


On offer is this amazing sub-penthouse 3 bedroom, located high on the 37th level of this near new 888 Collins Street building right in the heart of Docklands. Featuring breathe taking views from the bay area, all the way to the Docklands Harbour on your very own balcony, you will be impressed by the wonderful views, day or night!
This is an opportunity not to be missed. Please call Peter Doan on 0402 959 842 for more details.


How many times have you been told to set incredible goals? How many times have you been told to set daunting goals that you are currently unable to achieve? It is a good piece of advice but it is incomplete. To achieve your goals in practice, you have to adopt a better strategy.
When we set goals, we must always know that our goals will face reality. Any goal that fails to consider the meeting point between it and reality may face its unachievable end. The most important reason to set any goal is to achieve it.
Setting incredible goals is very good but focusing on incredible goals that you can only hope to achieve in 5 or 10 years will likely lead to frustration and inability to achieve the goal. Especially when you meet obstacles.
Let us consider Alex, a young programmer. Alex has been inspired by Bill Gates since he was young. Bill Gates had a mission to provide a computer for every home and Alex believed Bill Gates has done a lot to change the world.
Alex has a goal to build the next Microsoft, to introduce a ground-breaking product that will change the world. From his teens, Alex learnt all the programming languages that he thought were important.
Although some of the languages were difficult, Alex was determined to know them and he managed to be very good in most of them.
When Alex got to the University, he saw that there were many students like him who were good in programming and also wanted to change the world. In fact, many of them were better than him in programming.
When he finished school, he applied for a position at Microsoft but he was unable to get in because the competition was better than him. He decided to begin his own start-up. He thought he would have more impact than working in another company.
His first start-up failed and the second and the third. He was angry. He never knew changing the world could be this hard. One day, he met one of his professors at a conference.
"Alex," the professor said as he patted him on the back. "You have to solve the small problems first before you look at the big ones.
Alex learnt an important lesson, that to change the world, he first has to change the world he can see, his immediate community. It is a story of building from the small onto the bigger things. You can apply this to your goals setting when next you decide to pursue that incredible goal.
In various aspects of living, there are rules and exceptions. These rules and exceptions affect how we set our goals and it helps define what we see as reasonable and unreasonable targets.
Many times, when you are inspired, you tend to look at an incredible achievement and set your goals accordingly. It is good to be outstanding but it could be a mistake to set out to have a goal that had only been achieved by two people in your field.
It is advisable to set a goal that a thousand people have achieved. At the beginning, there is a more realistic target and you're more likely to achieve this than looking at an achievement that had only been twice. When you reach your realistic target, you can set new higher targets.
Am I in any way saying you should not aim to be like Bill Gates or set incredible goals? No. Set incredible goals. As many as you want. But prepare your incredible goals for their meeting with reality.
How do you achieve your incredible goals when you meet with realities you never envisioned? You have to break your incredible goals down as much as you can.
If you fail to break your goal down, you may fail too many times to achieve it that you later give up on the goal altogether. But there are always smaller goals you can achieve that will move you towards the achievement of your ultimate incredible goal.
Let's say you are a young father or you have a sibling who is a baby and has just started crawling. One of your goals for that baby may be to see him jump up one day. That's an achievable goal for the baby but you know it will take time to see that crawling baby jump.
What can you do? Break that big goal down into smaller goals. The smaller goals include translating from crawling to taking steps, from taking steps to walking properly, from that to running, and then to your ultimate goal for the baby, jumping.
If you focus on jumping straightaway, you will get frustrated easily and it will look like you are making no progress. If you focus on taking steps however, it looks much more achievable. And it doesn't mean you have thrown away your ultimate goal but you have prepared it better to face reality.
If you achieve that smaller goal of taking the steps, it's still a step towards achieving the ultimate goal. The catch is that you can't achieve your ultimate goal without going through those steps.
Or let's consider you on a workday when you have to drive to your place of work. What is your ultimate aim when you enter your car in your house? To get to your workplace, but is that your primary focus when you switch the ignition? Probably not.
Your first point of focus is to get your car out of your house and onto the road. That is the first small goal that you must achieve if you must achieve your ultimate aim. You will agree with me that if you hit your car against a wall on your way out of your house, then that car will definitely not get you to your workplace that morning.
When you get on the road successfully, your next focus is to drive like a responsible citizen (according to the law of your country), obey traffic rules, and watch out for other drivers on the road.
If you fail at this step and you hit your car against another car, then your car will not get you to work that day and that may even be the least of your worries. If you succeed in this stage, then you will probably get to work some minutes later, in your car.
We can see that even with an event as simple as getting to your workplace, you still have to achieve some smaller goals that lead to your ultimate goal of getting to your workplace.
How many times have you seen road accidents caused by people focused on their ultimate goal rather than the current smaller goal? Many times. Many times, you have probably seen a man who was rushing to the office because he was almost late and forgot traffic rules. In these cases, we have seen accidents occur and that man is unable to achieve his ultimate goal of getting to his office. Because he neglected the current smaller goal of obeying traffic rules or looking out for other motorists.
Set incredible goals. We must always aim to achieve as high as we can. Steve Jobs said: 'those who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world are those who end up changing the world.' Set your goals of changing the world.
There are many small goals you have to achieve that will lead to your ultimate goal. List all the small goals you will have to achieve to finally achieve your big goal.
Your small goals most probably look like a chain. Some of those small goals are prerequisite to other goals. Which goal is at the beginning of the chain? Pick that goal.
If you want to be the best furniture maker in your country and you're just starting, what is the first small goal you have to achieve? Outline that goal.
Focus on achieving the small goal you have picked for the day or week. When you achieve this, you have a small victory and you can move on to the next small goal on the chain.
Why is this a better strategy? The small goal is just a trick to make you achieve your big goal. The small goal is easily achievable because it's not too far from your current step.
When you fail to achieve the small goal, you're not too frustrated because you are confident you can really achieve it. Confidence may be the last thing you have if you focus on your incredible goal that looks so far away.
The catch is that even though you are achieving the small goals, if you achieve all the small goals on the chain, then you will ultimately achieve your incredible goal. Break it down today.
Spread the information to your friends, share this post and share its benefits. Are you looking to achieve your website's performance goals with vibrant copywriting? I'm here to be of assistance. Go to this page for more details.
"Render help unto others." This is one of the most popular statements we listen to every day. It's worth its weight in gold and it's a statement that everyone has to take to heart. But is everybody eligible to help others? Yes.


text:
Six Degrees of Separation from Lilia Cuntapay
Director: Antoinette Jadaone
Client: Cinema One Originals
Poster dimensions: 27 x 39 in
A mockumentary starring Lilia Cuntapay, veteran extra and a fixture in Philippine horror films for more than three decades. Lilia's modest life is shaken up when she is surprised by her first Best Supporting Actress nomination in a local film festival; drama and hilarity ensue.
Conceptualized with Glenn Ituriaga and Antoinette Jadaone
Lilia Cuntapay is a bit of an icon in Philippine horror, so we ensconced her within the form of another recognizable icon, the Mona Lisa. I photographed Lilia in a small chapel in between shooting some scenes, taking care to mimic the posture and lighting of La Gioconda. The typography was based on Lilia's own handwriting, which was also used in the film's animated sequences and intertitles. Two versions of the poster were produced: a simple smiling one, which was used for the initial festival run, and a screaming one, which I preferred because of its dynamism, self-deprecating horror reference, and the intertext with another icon, Edvard Munch's The Scream. The screaming version was used in the film's commercial run.
Film info via IMDb