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ARROWS MISSING FROM THE QUIVER?
One of the major tasks likely to test Karen Hughes' diplomatic skills most has nothing – and everything -- to do with winning 'hearts and minds' of people around the world.
It has to do with how effective she is in persuading the people who run America's overseas broadcasting programs to accept her recommendations and suggestions.
We say persuading because, though Ms. Hughes is now President Bush's top official in charge of public diplomacy, she has no direct authority over the radio and television broadcasts the administration considers so critical to reducing anti-American attitudes abroad, especially in the Middle East.
The best she can hope for is influence, based on her close relationship to the President and, of course, the budgeting process. In other words, a turf war!
The reason is that America's overseas broadcasting programs are controlled by a government-funded but quasi-independent corporation called the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
The BBG is chaired by Kenneth Tomlinson, the rumpled-loooking Bush friend who is currently causing a political tsunami by attempting to make the domestic public broadcasting system more 'fair and balanced', i.e. include more right-wing and less left-wing content. The Secretary of State is a member of the BBG, but votes only in case of a four-to-four deadlock.
The rest of the BBG -- four Democrats and four Republicans – have little experience in overseas ' public diplomacy' broadcasting. Most made their fortunes in commercial domestic radio and television.
The Board, with a large staff and many millions in funding, has jurisdiction over a wide array of broadcast media: Voice of America (VOA), Alhurra, the Arabic-language satellite TV channel, Radio Sawa, radio beamed at the Middle East, Radio Farda, which broadcasts to Iran, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), and Radio and TV Martí, which broadcast to Cuba.
And they protect their turf zealously!
Yet it is noteworthy that in the 1,825 words of the opening statement she made at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the word 'broadcasting' was not uttered a single time. Not once.
Moreover, the mission she articulated had all the earmarks of a branding campaign for a consumer product – precisely the reason for the failure of Ms. Hughes' two predecessors.
She laid out what she called "four strategic pillars -- the four "Es":
Engagement:" We must do much more to confront hateful propaganda, dispel dangerous myths, and get out the truth."
Exchanges: "People who have the opportunity to come here learn for themselves that Americans are generous, hard-working people who value faith and family."
Education: "Americans must educate ourselves to be better citizens of our world – learning different languages and learning more about other countries and cultures. And through English language training programs, we can give young people a valuable tool that helps them improve their own lives and learn more about our values."
Empowerment: "We will create relationships with those who share our values and we will help amplify the voices of those who speak up for them."
Ms. Hughes said little about the 'how' of it all, but not to worry. While there have been something like thirty major studies of U.S. public diplomacy programs during the Bush Administration alone, one of Hughes' first acts as Undersecretary of State has been to request proposals for a $250,000 contract to carry out "a thorough and scientific study of how to address negative perceptions of the U.S., particularly in Muslim countries."
Having now been confirmed in her new post, Ms. Hughes will no doubt soon embark on the obligatory 'charm school' trip to far-off capitals. And, because she is a charming lady, she will probably get high marks.
But, then again, so did her predecessors.
Back home, she will have to confront not only the prospective turf war with the BBG, but an even more daunting reality: The critical juncture between George Bush's foreign policy and the credibility of the messages we craft to send to the world.
Can anyone think of a job less doable?
Posted by Unknown at Thursday, August 04, 2005 4 comments:
MILITARY LAWYERS' COMPLAINTS IGNORED
As early as March 2003, senior military lawyers complained to the Pentagon about the Justice Department's definition of torture and how it would be applied to interrogations of enemy prisoners captured by U.S. forces.
The lawyers were reportedly concerned that broadly defined, tough interrogation tactics would not only contravene long-standing military doctrine -- leaving too much room for interpretation by interrogators -- but also would cause public outrage if the tactics became known.
The disclosure – the first public acknowledgement of internal Defense Department disagreements over the issue – was made during a Senate hearing. The judge advocate generals (JAGs) for the Army, Air Force and Marines said they expressed their concerns during policy discussions in March and April 2003.
"We did express opposition," said Maj. Gen. Thomas J. Romig, the Army's top lawyer. "It was accepted in some cases, maybe not in all cases. It did modify the proposed list of policies and procedures."
Republican Sen. Lindsay O. Graham of South Carolina, the reserve JAG officer who chaired the Armed Services subcommittee hearing, said he was concerned that the objections were not taken seriously enough, and that the resulting policy may have triggered the abuses at U.S. detention facilities around the world.
"If they had listened to you from the outset, we wouldn't have a lot of the
problems we've dealt with" over the past two years, Graham said.
Graham, along with two other Republican senators, John McCain of Arizona and John Warner of Virginia, recently introduced an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill that would establish the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) as the governing authority for prisoner interrogations. The UCMJ confirms the applicability of the Geneva Conventions to all detainees.
At the hearing, the Army's judge advocate general, Maj. Gen. Thomas Romig, said he cautioned the DOD that the Justice Department analysis could damage military "interests worldwide … putting our service personnel at far greater risk and vitiating many of the POW/detainee safeguards the U.S. has worked hard to establish over the past five decades."
Marine Corps JAG Brig. Gen. Kevin Sandkuhler said he cautioned that the techniques suggested by the Justice Department would "adversely impact … public support and respect of U.S. armed forces [and] pride, discipline, and self-respect within the U.S. armed forces." Also at risk would be military intelligence-gathering, efforts to encourage enemies to surrender and efforts to obtain support from allied nations.
Navy JAG Rear Adm. Michael Lohr said he wrote the DOD cautioning that at least one of the interrogation techniques suggested by the Justice Department "constitutes torture under both domestic and international law."
If harsh interrogation techniques are used, he asked in his letter to the DOD, "Will the American people find we have missed the forest for the trees by condoning practices that, while technically legal, are inconsistent with our most fundamental values?"
Sen. Carl M. Levin of Michigan, the senior Democrat on the committee, asked the JAGs if they felt the tactics recently reported by investigators were consistent with Geneva Conventions prohibitions on torture.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Jack Rives said he believed they were inconsistent.
Levin also asked the generals if they would want U.S. prisoners of war treated that way. "No, Senator, we would not," Rives said.
Rives warned the general counsel's office at the Pentagon that "several of the more extreme interrogation techniques, on their face, amount to violations of domestic criminal law and the (UCMJ)"
According to senators at the hearing, the JAG concerns were overruled by the DOD general counsel's office. Pentagon spokesman Lawrence T. Di Rita said their views were weighed along with those of intelligence and policy officials. The result, he said, was a "collaborative document".
Di Rita said a new department-wide interrogations policy is being developed
and will "reflect the input of everyone who has a stake in it." The Army is also revising its field manual instructions on interrogations, he said.
The JAGs' concerns were reportedly part of an internal debate during the formulation of the policy on treatment and interrogation of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.
The State Department's legal adviser weighed in even earlier than the JAG officers. In 2002, State expressed concerns that the Bush administration had ignored the Geneva Conventions in deciding how to treat captured members of al Qaeda and the Taliban.
The Administration's position was – and is – that because such captives have been categorized as "enemy combatants" and not prisoners of war, rules governing their detention are not subject to the Geneva Conventions. The White House has merely said they would be "treated humanely".
But a military investigation into abuse at Guantanamo Bay found that a number of specific interrogation tactics -- such as forced nudity and the use of military working dogs -- were used at Guantanamo Bay to extract information from a high-value detainee. They were considered "authorized" by the Army field manual and Defense Department guidance and were therefore not considered abusive.
Identical tactics were later used at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, after Guantanamo's commander, Maj. Gen. Geoffrey Miller, was transferred to Iraq. An Army investigation of abuses at Guantanamo recommended that Gen. Miller be reprimanded, but the recommendation was overruled.
The issue of prisoner treatment has come under increasing scrutiny since the release of the photos from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, showing soldiers abusing prisoners there. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is currently suing the DOD demanding release of additional photos from that location, and the DOD has gone to court to defend its refusal to release the photos under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The abuse firestorm has been fuelled by disclosure of early memos from the Department of Justice and then White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales, now Attorney General, redefining the meaning of 'torture'.
Posted by Unknown at Thursday, August 04, 2005 13 comments:
SO MUCH FOR PRISONER INTERROGATION RULES
As Congress left town for its August vacation, the Bush Administration was congratulating itself on its legislative victories.
Critics, however, saw few victories in what Congress accomplished – bankruptcy 'reform' that they say heavily favors the credit card industry, an energy bill that does little to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, a highway bill larded with wasteful and unnecessary projects, the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), and more protection from lawsuits for the gun industry.
But when Congress returns in September – aside from the confirmation hearings for Judge John Roberts to be the next associate justice of the Supreme Court -- it will be facing multiple other political tsunamis: reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act, federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, immigration reform, and consideration of the $491 billion defense bill.
Picking up consideration of the defense bill – which includes $50 billion for U.S. troops in Iraq -- is likely to cause widespread White House heartburn. Lively debate was already well underway when Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Republican from Tennessee, abruptly pulled the bill from consideration.
The reason was White House hostility to amendments setting standards for the treatment of enemy prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and other military detention centers. The White House let it be known that the president would veto the defense-spending legislation if this provision was included in final legislation.
But White House angst about this amendment does not come from the usual suspects – the Democrats. Its authors are leading Republicans, including Arizona Sen. John McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war, Sen. Lindsay Graham of South Carolina, a former military judge, and Sen. John Warner of Virginia, the powerful chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
McCain had been working with Graham and with Sen. John Warner of Virginia, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, to respond to widely publicized cases of prisoner abuse. They proposed to set specific standards for the treatment of foreign detainees.
The McCain-Graham-Warner amendment would require that the U.S. Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation cover prisoners in military custody. McCain said, "The Army Field Manual and its various editions have served America well, through wars against both regular and irregular foes. I think we all agree to fight terrorism we must obtain intelligence. But we have to ensure that it is reliable and acquired in a way that is humane. To do otherwise not only offends our national morals but undermines our efforts to protect the Nation's security."
Together with Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, they also introduced an amendment that would prohibit cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment of prisoners and would require the United States to abide by the Geneva Convention and other international agreements on the treatment of prisoners.
The two amendments would probably have received substantial Democratic support, giving them a strong chance of passing in the Republican-controlled Senate.
McCain, a leading sponsor of the interrogation-standard amendment, said, "We need to make sure that every member of the Department of Defense understands the procedures that are being used in interrogation and we don't have a repetition of Abu Ghraib," referring to the prison in Iraq that became synonymous with detainee abuse.
Rachel Meeropol, an attorney with the Center for Constitutional Rights, said, "The administration's actions in authorizing and condoning torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment are clearly illegal, and contrary to American ideals. Continuing to ignore the abuses being carried out puts detainees, American soldiers, and even all of us at home in jeopardy. It is long past time to act, and the American people should demand a thorough inquiry, all the way up the chain of command. "
"These senators sent a message that until the Senate deals directly with the
issues of interrogation and detainee treatment, the DOD bill will not get
through the Senate," said Elisa Massimino, Washington director of Human Rights
First, a group advocating for stricter rules for handling prisoners.
Pressure on the senators to back off came from Vice President Dick Cheney, among others. The White House issued a policy statement saying, "The Administration strongly opposes such amendments, which would interfere with the protection of Americans from terrorism by diverting resources from the war to answer unnecessary or duplicative inquiry or by restricting the president's ability to conduct the war effectively under existing law."
In support of his amendment, McCain read from a July 22 letter signed by 14
retired military officers, including Marine Gen. Joseph Hoar, the former
commander of U.S. Central Command, and Rear Adm. John D. Hutson, the Navy's judge advocate general from 1997 to 2000.
"The abuse of prisoners hurts America's cause in the war on terror, endangers U.S. service members who might be captured by the enemy and is anathema to the values Americans have held dear for generations," the letter stated.
A third amendment was introduced by Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee to set up an independent commission to study reports of abuse at military detention facilities. Sen. Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, and chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee, said he was considering support for an independent investigation.
Sentiment favoring such an investigation has slowly been gathering steam in Congress, since legislation was introduced last January by Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Sen. Graham charged that the White House and the Pentagon had issued confusing and contradictory directives regarding detainee treatment. He said, "Our people are trained to do it one way; you're confusing the heck out of them. And what have we learned in the last two years? If you know what the rules are about interrogating anybody, come tell me, because I can't figure it out."
But the White House view was articulated by conservative Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who said, "I reject the idea that this Defense Department and our Army and our military is out of control, is confused about what their powers and duties and responsibilities are."


Comparison between 3D printed products from both recycled and virgin PLA.
Plastic is still one of the most popular, least expensive 3D printing materials, and polylactic acid, better known as PLA, is at the top of the bunch, due to its high strength, biocompatibility, and biodegradable nature. A lot of studies have been completed regarding PLA 3D printing filament, and a team of researchers from the Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) recently published a paper, titled "Preliminary investigations of polylactic acid (PLA) properties," that details their investigation of the tensile property of a PLA specimen 3D printed using FDM technology, along with figuring out the optimum combination of 3D printing parameters to achieve maximum mechanical properties.
Applications for FDM 3D printing include more load-bearing parts for specific requirements, and many of these demand a "certain level of mechanical property information" to be set as a benchmark in order to assess a 3D printed PLA part's strength.
While the layer height remained 0.1 mm for each of the nine parameter combinations, the raster angle was split up into three groups: three at 40°, three at 60°, and three at 80°. The three infill densities tested were 20%, 50%, and 80%. The team used a Rainstorm Desktop 2D Multicolor Printing Printer Reprap Prusa i3, with 0.4 mm nozzle, to manufacture the tensile test specimen out of 1.75 mm PLA, which was designed using SOLIDWORKS and sliced with Repetier Host software.
Average stress strain curve for all 9 parameter combinations.
The team completed tensile testing, with a maximum load of 50 kN, on all nine of the 3D printed, 3.2 mm thick PLA specimens at a speed of 5 mm/min, according to ASTM D638 standard. The ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elastic modulus were extracted from multiple regions and points: proportional limit, elastic limit, yield point, ultimate stress point, and fracture point.
The team discovered that when the infill increased, so too did all the property values, which means it's possible to choose the right infill percentage in order to achieve economic material use.
The researchers did not investigate the effect of infill density or raster angle on the specimen's UTS, yield strength, or elastic modulus for this paper.
Co-authors of the paper are S. R. Subramaniam, M. Samykano, S. K. Selvamani, W. K. Ngui, K. Kadirgama, K. Sudhakar, and M. S. Idris.


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The Rivalry Heats Up
The Ravens need to win this weekend to keep their playoff hopes alive, but that is not the only mountain they need to conquer.
With the Pittsburgh Steelers coming to M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, the Ravens need to vanquish the specter of a three-game losing streak at the hands of their AFC North competition, one that includes a heartbreaking loss in last year's AFC Championship.
And, the skid has taken place during the tenure of head coach John Harbaugh and quarterback Joe Flacco , both of whom joined the team in 2008.
Only a part of what is perhaps the NFL's best rivalries – it is certainly the most physical battle every year – Harbaugh feels like a seasoned Ravens/Steelers professional.
"After having been in it for three games, I feel like I've been in for a lifetime – after last year," the coach said. "Obviously, they've got a little bit of an edge on us so far in that span, so we've got our work cut out for us."
Middling at 5-5 among a pack of teams that have their eyes on a Wild Card berth, the Ravens have made no secret about the fact that it is a one-game season from this point on.
The Steelers, who own a 16-10 advantage in the regular-season series, are essentially in the same situation. They have a 6-4 record and a two-game losing slide, looking up at the division-leading Cincinnati Bengals.
"I think this year it's really important right now because we're a 5-5 football team, and they're a 6-4 football team," Flacco explained. "Whoever wins this game is right in the middle of things."
"We need to win this game, and I think that's what we need to go out there and make our goal on Sunday."
Flacco needs the win just as much as his teammates, and without Pittsburgh safety Troy Polamalu, who will not play due to a knee injury, those chances are slightly escalated.
The Steelers' defense has gradually answered anything Flacco was able to do to them last year.
In three meetings, the Steelers sacked Flacco 10 times, snared five interceptions and forced his passer rating to plummet with each game. Flacco earned an 81.7 mark in the first loss in overtime, 22.2 for the second regular-season meeting and 18.2 in the playoffs.
"We played them well the first game and lost," Flacco said. "Played them well the second game and lost. Played them somewhat good the third game – we didn't play great – but we came back at the end and gave it up there. They're a tough team. We've played a lot of games this year that have been tough games and close games, and we haven't come out on the right side of any. We didn't come out on the right side of any against those guys last year.
"Eventually, we're going to have to learn from those situations. I think this game coming up and the next six games we have left, I think all those tight games are going to help us fight through those situations if they present themselves again."
The Ravens know they are in for a slug-fest, given the current circumstances and previous history.
It seems that each showdown features one or two devastating hits that can set a frenzied crowd even more ablaze.
In 2006, linebacker Bart Scott, now with the New York Jets, notched what might have been the highlight of the season when he de-cleated Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on an untouched sack. Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark returned the favor in the AFC Championship with a high shot to Willis McGahee that briefly knocked the running back unconscious and sent him to the hospital.
Such physicality is why the Ravens' defense also takes responsibility whenever the Steelers are on the opposite sideline.
"Now the two teams clash because we're very similar in styles and the way we play defense and things like that," said linebacker Ray Lewis . "That's what makes it a very physical game because we know the way their defense is going to play, and ultimately, it's going to come down to one of our defenses making a play."
Whether it is Flacco or the Ravens' defense, someone in purple and black needs to make a game-changing play if Baltimore wants to get over the roadblock the Steelers have recently built.
For many of the players, both old and young, the past between the Ravens and the Steelers feels like something they've lived their entire lives.
"Here we go again," Lewis recalled. "Their tradition, their legacy, is respectful, so respectful. There are so many great ones that came through there, and that's why, honestly, if you want to know why I always try to give them my best game, [it is] because I know all of the great Pittsburgh Hall of Famers are watching.
"I know all of them are dialed in. I know how many Pittsburgh fans are out there, all of that good stuff. [I feel] like, 'OK, if that's what you want to see, let's go at it.' I think it's just a final respect for the organization and their legacy and definitely the way the guys they have on their team uphold it."
Running back Ray Rice , who is in his second season, summed it up more succinctly.
"If you're in black and gold, and we're out here in purple and black – that's just not a good mix."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Anger - Causeless
I hate people and want everyone to die.
Causless Anger
Dr. Kenner: Here is a question that's going to get very heavy very quickly. See what you think about it. I'll pause a little bit in between to answer some parts of it and then continue, but be ready to go from a woman who sounds like she is very happily married to a woman, Suzanne, who is really, really struggling and it will make sense after her first comment. "Dear Dr. Kenner. I'm about to lose everything in my life. I'm married to the most wonderful man I've ever known. Everyone loves him. He is unselfish and thinks of everyone before himself. He does everything in his power to make my life happy and rich. I want for nothing. He would do anything for me."
I want to pause right there, and right now, when someone does everything for me, I may think that they are a nice person, but what I'm robbed of is my own self esteem. I need to do for myself. When we do too much for our kids, when we tie their shoes, when we cook all their food and they never learn to cook on their own, never learn to wash the dishes, never learn to do the laundry, they never learn to live, to make choices. We are robbing them of discovering their own ability to survive in life. We're robbing them of their motor, their mind, their choice-making apparatus. And we need to let kids make choices. Obviously, within their age range, whatever is appropriate.
But if your husband is doing everything for you, you may partly be feeling like I should love him but I don't, because I don't feel good about myself. When you don't feel good about yourself, you're not going to be able to love other people. My favorite author, Ayn Rand, said, "To say I love, you first need to say the '�I'. I love myself." But you need to earn that self love. You can't fake it. The author I just mentioned is Ayn Rand. You can go to my website, DrKenner.com and read one of her books. It totally changed my life, Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged.
Continuing with the email: "The problem is, I hate the people he associates with. I don't like their kids. I don't like their manners. I don't like that they smoke or eat unhealthy. But, when I'm around them, I fake that I like them and then later I complain to my husband and we argue." I'm scratching my head - you guys are arguing? This isn't the most wonderful man. So you're arguing with him, and you're not liking the people he chooses. Let's continue. "We've both been married before. It's a second marriage for both of us. We're in our 50s and 60s. I don't have and have never wanted children. He has a 15-year-old son, and everything this son does irritates me. Whether it's his bad eating habits, his bad manners, he dresses poorly, it sends me into a rage. And then I sulk and I go off on his dad later."
Okay, so we've got a lot of anger. Something is unfair in your life - you need to get to the core of this. What is driving you buggy? Here's the problem: "In the relationship, my husband is walking on eggshells. He's waiting for the bomb to drop. I will yell, '�The dishes are dirty in the sink. You're tracking dirt into the house!' I pick on everything he does. When he drinks coffee or when he eats near the computer. I pick on everything and it's getting worse. I've got to tell you that I got giddy when Katrina hit. I hope for disasters that will kill many people. I was happy when the tsunami killed many people. The planet is overcrowded and I hate people who litter, pollute, kill or abuse or mistreat animals. I would rather spend time with animals than people."
Oh, man. This is really different now. Suzanne, you really want to figure out what type of ideas you bought into about people being evil, people being bad, that are driving you to hate people because you are a person! And you're going to hate yourself. That's exactly what you say next, that you're feeling suicidal and that you'd like to run off to Montana and live with cats and you would suicide except no one would take care of your cats the way you would.
I would get the book Choosing to Live by Cory Newman and Tom Ellis. Got to the website AcadmeyofCT.org. That's Academy of Cognitive Therapy and try to find a therapist asap. A cognitive therapist because you need to deal with your premises. Later on in the letter you say that you were abused when you were 4-years-old by a teenager. I'm not surprised that you're real angry with this teenager now, but you don't want to carry your hatred toward really good people in life, and you want to discover there are good people and make yourself into one.
Movie clip
Female: Can you come here? I don't care what you did for me.
Male: What's wrong?
Female: I don't think I want to know you anymore. All you do is make me feel bad about myself.
Dr. Kenner: And we all have people in our lives who it feels like they make us feel badly about ourselves. But is that the case, or if we really feel good about ourselves, and someone makes a comment - like if someone came up to me and said, "Ellen, you're the worst dancer I ever saw," I would look and say, "I'm not the greatest by far, but I'm certainly not the worst," and the criticism wouldn't fit and so I would still feel good about myself, but I would be real puzzled about them. Like why are they saying this? I would want to know their motives. Are they saying this because they just caught me in a moment when I tripped up? Are they saying this because they think it's funny? But they didn't have a joking tone. Why are they saying this? Are they saying this because they want to put me down? Which would not be a great motive and it would make me feel more distant from them.
We all go through a process of evaluation. When someone says something badly about us, we need to put it into context. Is it true or not? Sometimes we get really angry with people who name a truth about us. "Mom, I don't like it when I feel picked on all the time." "I'm not picking on you. Why are you saying I'm picking on you? You're always complaining and just go do the dishes. Get them done and go clean your room." "Mom, I'm feeling picked on." "I'm not doing it." That mom needs to take a look at herself. She is picking on the person. And she needs to figure out what's going on and sometimes we reject that sort of criticism when the shoe fits too well, and that's the stuff we do need to take a look at. Maybe in private, maybe we're not ready at that moment and we say things we regret. We can always apologize later properly. But you do want to feel good about yourself fundamentally and sometimes it's a gift when people name something to you that you're doing that is irritating that person or maybe many people in your life.


Grace has nothing to do with your ability or effort. It is simply God's ability working through you, for you and in you. We all have a seed of grace we received by faith at new birth. It is now up to us to grow this grace. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen 2 Peter 3:18. One of the major ways to grow in this grace, to the measure of the fullness of Christ is Humility.
More and more of the Lord's grace is lavished on the humble (James 4:6). The humble man receives more of God's working abilities in all aspects of his life which puts him on top at all times. The measure of grace you are enjoying now doesn't matter, God will still continue to bestow on you more and more grace as you continue to remain humble.
A humble man is a man who submits his will, thoughts and even emotions to God. He walks in obedience to the word of God. Humility is not timidity. A humble man is bold and confident in The Lord.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: And God will exalt you in due time, if you humble yourselves under his mighty hand casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you (1Peter 5:6-7).
A humble man is a person who casts all his cares upon God. He has no cares for himself. A humble person takes no thought of himself; he is completely sold out to God. He only seeks to please God by walking in obedience to His word. A humble man is not a man of fear but a man of faith. He might not like what God is saying, nevertheless he remains submissive in obedience. Abraham is a good example of such a man. When God instructed him to sacrifice his only son, he did not hesitate. In faith, he moved in obedience to the word of God. By reason of his obedience, God lifted him up. Today, all the nations of the earth are blessed because of the humility of Abraham.
Humility is obedience at all cost. It is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. Moses, the man God referred to as the meekest man on the earth was a man who always relied on God for what to do. He found so much grace and favour before the Lord that God decided to speak to him face to face (Numbers 12:8).
There are different levels of Grace and until we function with the fullness of the grace of our Lord Jesus, we keep on growing. And humility is the major requirement. It takes humility to enjoy the leading of the Spirit of God. It takes humility to spend more time in prayer and in studying the word. The Lord reveals more truth to the humble man, a humble man is a man of wisdom. His focus is on pleasing God at all times. A humble man never considers himself to have attained, he always seeks to increase in wisdom. A humble man is a man God exalts and bestows more grace upon.


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© Wikimedia Commons/Adrian Grycuk
Warsaw's island of peace and quiet - Jazdów neighbourhood
Masovia
There is a place in the center of Warsaw that looks nothing like a part of the modern metropolis. Jazdów neighbourhood reminds me more of a village somewhere in Masuria, northern Poland. It is a place where time passes more slowly than on the neighbouring highways. When in the neighbourhood, located right in the heart of the city, you can enjoy a variety of cultural and social activities surrounded by nature. Jazdów is a kind of a green island, where you will find peace and quiet in central Warsaw.
Finnish log houses in Warsaw
The old neighbourhood of Jazdów is one of the biggest of this kind in Poland. Settled after World War II, it was a solution for a huge lack of housing in a destroyed city. The pre-fabricated log houses came from Finland, through the Soviet Union, as a part of the after-war reparations. Originally, Jazdów was equipped with 90 wooden constructions that were ready for moving in, during the first days of August 1945. The first tenants were the workers of the company responsible for rebuilding the capital.
How does it look like now?
© Wikimedia Commons/Dudzislaw
Nowadays, Jazdów consists of 27 original log houses. Some of them are still inhabited by tenants. The most significant part, though, is used as spaces for NGO initiatives in Warsaw. Most of them are social projects, focused on community work, alternative art and music as well as sustainable and ecological solutions. All of them are open for visitors and regularly organise workshops, concerts and lectures, promoting their program. When in Warsaw, I suggest checking out their schedules. Among the organisations, one can find Państwomiasto na Trawie, which is a branch of a reputable non-profit organisation working in Warsaw since 2012, with social activism as their primary goal. Another one is Pracownia Miejskiego Pszczelarstwa - an organization built to raise awareness of the importance of bees in our cities and to promote beekeeping. There is also Towarzystwo Polska-Finlandia, supporting international relations between Finland and Poland. My favourite ones are Ambasada Muzyki Tradycyjnej and Solatorium.
The embassy of music
© Karolina Majewska
Located in the vicinity of many embassies in Warsaw, Ambasada Muzyki Tradycyjnej (the Embassy of Traditional Music) is the official location of the organisation called Dom Tańca (the House of Dance). This place gathers people of different ages and professions, joined by their passion for Polish music. Their dance parties with live music look nothing like modern discos - here you can feel the magical atmosphere of dancing in couples, a feeling of community and a real passion. Ambasada consists of one main room used as a concert hall, a dancefloor and a place to give lectures or workshops, and a big garden. It is definitely a great place to get acquainted with a whole range of new sounds and melodies and learn how to dance, play an instrument or sing. I can assure you, it's very addictive and you will want to come back for more.
Ambasada Muzyki Tradycyjnej, Warsaw
Jazdów 3/20, 00-467 Warszawa, Polska
Solatorium - solution for a depressive winter
© Solatorium
Solatorium is a Finnish wooden house full of greenery and light. The idea emerged as a way to fight the dull winters in the city. Solatorium is equipped with anti-depressive lamps, surrounded by numerous plants - it is a kind of a city retreat, where everything is made to remind you of summer (even the smell). Most of all, Solatorium is another community project, where you can relax and meet other people while discussing literature, music or learning about ecology. During winter and autumn, Solatorium is open for the public during weekends. If you wish to visit it in the summer, you should check out their numerous events!
Solatorium, Warsaw
Jazdów 3/9, 00-467 Warszawa, Polska
Whenever in Warsaw and in need of greenery, Jazdów is always a great escape space. Its great atmosphere and people engaged in social activism create one-of-a-kind neighbourhood that is relatively unknown but located only 15 minutes from the Central Railway Station. If you feel like doing something interesting, relaxing and fun, make a trip to the island of peace and quiet in central Warsaw - Jazdów neighbourhood.
Interesting towns related to this story
Hi, I'm Anna. Born and raised in Poland, I have been in the last few years travelling around Europe and living in various places. Motivated by a passion for art and culture, I travelled throughout my country and beyond. Apart from being an art historian, I'm also a food and music lover. Join me on a guided tour through the culinary, historical and cultural stories about my beautiful Poland.
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The charming cinemas of Warsaw
Brussels in the summer: find an open air event for every day of the week!


For more than many years, Piñan's greatest source of income is farming. And we have to mention that the town is home to thousands of coconut trees. Many farms around the municipality consist of the said tree of life. Coconut occupies 90% of the total agricultural lands in the town.


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We're used to being told that you have to spend more to get more, all the while flagship prices have doubled over the last four years. So not only are we told that the best should cost more, but that's also turned into a moving signpost. Thankfully we have companies like OUKITEL that can repeatedly stretch how far your cash can go. The company's recently announced MIX 2, coming this October, delivers flagship-like specs in a low-bezel package for just $299.99.


text:
RESIDENT EVIL: THE FINAL CHAPTER Trailer!
Posted by Mark Espinosa
Okay. Help me out with this.
Did Alice lose her super powers at the end of the last movie or the one before that? Did she ever get them back? I know that her army of clones were wiped out. Which, is a bummer. Where's Michelle Rodriguez? Did she die in that huge underground city? That was the last movie, right? I think a version of her lived? No. She died saving that kid. Who's kid was that? I've seen all these movies so many times and now they are all splattered across my memory. There was a boat that had a bunch of our heroes cryogenically frozen on it. Then, there was the movie that took place in a prison in the middle of a city. That's where we meet Wentworth Miller. He ended up being the brother of a character we met in the 3rd movie? The girl that was in HEROES. Which power did she have on that show? She was the one with multiple personalities. Ali Larter! I think she was Claire Redfield. That makes Wentworth Miller, Chris Redfield. What ever happened to that girl in the miniskirt in the second movie. Jill Valentine. Wait, I think she was in the last movie. She was brainwashed. The same thing happened to Oded Fehr. I think there was a girl named "K-Mart?" Did Alice have her own daughter? I need to watch all of these movies again. YES. Sup, Bon Jovi! Or is that Guns and Roses? Gun N Roses. Is there a character named Rose?
Well. According to this trailer, Alice is still at it. The world is still messed up beyond repair. It's been like that for 4 movies. The T Virus took care of that. WIPED OUT EVERYTHING. Maybe this will be the mission where Alice fixes everything? No more apocalyptic wasteland full of monsters. Oh! I just remembered the final scene from the last movie! The white house was surrounded by zombies and dragons! Oh Boy! I can't remember who all those bad guys are in this new trailer. The one at the end was the villain from the 3rd movie. I'm pretty sure Alice killed him. She kills everybody. Then, the other one with the glasses. Blah. This movie looks great! I will never get tired of RESIDENT EVIL movies. NEVER. You hear me, world? Aw. Oh. This is the last one. I just made myself sad.
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter hits theaters on January 27, 2017
PreviousGAME OF THRONES Season 6 Review
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Mark Espinosa
I spend way too much money on comic books. Ghostbusters is the perfect movie. I love quoting obscure, overlooked lines from obscure overlooked movies. I wish live action comic book movies could be as good as animated comic book movies. I think if a piece of entertainment can show you one new thing, express one new idea, then you have to appreciate it. In my spare time, I sell adult romance items for a very friendly type company.


text:
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using JudoPayDotNet.Models;

namespace JudoPayDotNet.Clients.Market
{
    /// <summary>
    /// The entity responsible for listing and processing refunds for your marketplace sellers.
    /// </summary>
    public interface IMarketRefunds
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// Creates the specified refund.
        /// </summary>
        /// <param name="refund">The refund.</param>
        /// <returns>The receipt for the created refund</returns>
        Task<IResult<ITransactionResult>> Create(RefundModel refund);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
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Find a Diner in Sanford, ME
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Thank you for visiting the website of Third Alarm Diner. If you're in the mood for food, stop by our diner today. We're one of the top places to eat in Sanford, ME. We're open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We also offer catering services for events of all types and sizes. Call 207-490-0557 now to create a custom catering menu for your party.
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Since it is not easy to find specific points on this blog I decided last year to show pictures with text on my Facebook timeline. I also started tweeting and discovered that a tweetable text page with one or more pictures is very effective. That greatly increased the readership of the blog. I will use these tweetable pages to show the main points about climate change and required action. There is little room for references on the pictures so I include them at the end of this post. I only recently saw the devastating effects of methane emissions from permafrost and why we have to reach 0 emissions before 2100. The beginning of this post is therefore more elaborate than the rest. I will try to post each picture close to where it is first referred to in the text points A-Z onwards, like 45 in A. If the picture contains data which are covered by another point it will be referred to by number and letter in the first point where it is shown. Following the list of references there are more pictures covering some additional points and newly found information.
This is covered under Q of post 30. Picture 45 shows that previously the IPCC made 7 major points look much better than reported in Paris. Melting of icefields and methane emissions from permafrost were left out because the scientists could not agree on figures (1) Q in post 30 also describes the findings of Dr. Hanson's team. Only just recently he showed how warm water currents undermine ice fields. Picture 45 shows that the sea absorbs 93% of all trapped energy, hence accelerates the melting.
Most of it is water vapour. Some people doubt the importance of Carbon dioxide (CO2) because up to 95% can be water vapor making the 5% of CO2 and other gases look insignificant. It is the CO2, methane and a few other gases that create the water vapour. CO2 is therefore the measurement of GHG. Methane is 85 times more potent than CO2 but it breaks down fast. Its 20year global warming potential (GWP) is 85 times that of CO2, dropping to 25- 35 in 100 years. It is measured as CO2 equivalent. (4) Since the coming 20 years are critical, methane emissions should be restricted.
Emissions from fracking should be avoided and all efforts should be made to trap cow emissions like Argentina started with fart packs. They extract about 300 liters of methane a day in backpacks carried by the cows. According to the EPA, cow farting (and burping, actually a lot of it is burping) accounts for 5.5 million metric tons of methane per year in the United States — that's 20 percent of total US methane emissions (6) Collecting the methane from all waste will be required. Livestock emissions make up anywhere between 14.5 and 18 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions. (7). One tonne of nitrous oxide is equivalent to 298 tonnes of carbon dioxide. (8) Cow manure emissions also contain nitrous oxide. (9).
The graph in Picture 42 D suggests that, according to the IEA we will reach the important 2 degrees before 2040 unless we take drastic action. As shown in F) above we had .04 degrees global warming during the last 18 years. That is .02222 degrees per year. Provided methane emissions remain the same it would raise el nino peaks like the present 1.3 to 2 degrees in 2048. Another source (10) explains that the projections for 2100 are based on the 100 years life of methane while the 20 year figure of 85 times potency over CO2 should apply. Their warning is: "The world really needs to worry that we are likely to cross dangerous tipping points long before then, including the irreversible loss of enough ice on Greenland and Antarctica to raise sea levels perhaps 40 feet or more". In Q of post 30 Dr. Hanson explained that during the previous ice age, sea levels rose 9 metres under similar temperature conditions. That could be the 3.6-5.3 degrees shown by the IEA. You can see their point. Such fast 0 reductions seem impossible. Fortunately, scientist and industries are working on many technologies other than renewables.
In June 2016 the G7 nations signed an agreement to try to come to 0 emissions by 2100 in order to limit global warming to 2 degrees. As shown above, 2050 is a better target. In Paris some 195 countries submitted plans on how they would reduce emissions. For most it covered the first 30 years. More drastic reductions are required to reach the 2 degree target.
Progress has been made in renewable energy from wind and solar but far more needs to be done. The action trackers on picture 40 shows that present anticipated emissions will result in 3.3-3.9 degrees warming while the committed national determined contributions will require a drop of 40 Gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent and will result in 2.5-2.8 degrees warming. O emissions will result in 1.5 degrees but requires another 30 Gt drop beyond the Paris commitments. Canada and the US have identical Copenhagen agreements, which can't be met. Both extended the same trend to reach the Paris commitment. The US is doing better than Canada but both countries have to use CCU and hydrogen power to come even close to their commitments. China had in the past a steep increase and agreed to level off. It is expected to achieve it by spending a lot on climate action as shown in picture 45 A. India knew that it could not yet level off and exceed their commitment. There are many stories of phenomenal growth in wind and solar power, so that may be the reason.
Recycling of carbon captured from the air.
Reforestation is one way to take more carbon out of the atmosphere. It takes a long time and when we let it rot away it releases the CO2. When used to generate heat or power it is therefore a carbon neutral biomass. Algae grown in lagoons grow much faster than forests and can easier be processed into biomass. Picture 6 shows that production of carbon neutral jet fuel is quite feasible but costs more than regular fuel. Algae yield 10-100 times more fuel than other crops, requires little water and require only 0.42% of all US land to produce all the petroleum fuel in the US. There are at least 3 plants in operation that capture CO2 from the air. Climeworks in Switzerland has been praised as the first operating plant. The CO2 sells for $400 per tonne, feeding greenhouses. An earlier article (24) gives a review of 3 plants and states that Climeworks captured CO2 is sold to make diesel fuel. Picture 25 shows the huge Carbon Engineering plant in Squamish BC, Canada. Because it has not yet been in commercial operation it is classified as a pilot plant. It will produce carbon neutral fuel.
fertilizers and plastics. Capturing of CO2 from gas wells has proven to be rather cheap. Now I see that the cost of CO2 for the large food and beverage market is coming down. Union Engineering reduced their cost 30% to $ 23 per ton via the Flash CO2 process. It is a refinery process High purity liquid CO2 ( >99,99%) is recovered from the bottom of the CO2 distillation column its pressure can be increased to the required pressure for EOR, Urea or methanol production. Depending on the feed gas quality it might also be partly used as food grade quality. (25,26).
CarbonCure's technology injects carbon dioxide (CO₂) sourced from the refineries of industrial emitters into concrete, where the CO₂ becomes mineralized, thereby enhancing the strength of the concrete. The innovative solution helps concrete producers to lower production costs and make a meaningful contribution toward the global effort to reduce atmospheric CO₂ emissions. Airgas offers concrete producers a complete value-added CO₂ supply and service solution, supported by its large and reliable Gulf Coast distribution network.
CarbonCure is the world leader in a breakthrough market known as CO₂ utilization, with nearly 100 installations of its technology across North America. The Global CO2 Initiative estimates that CO2 utilization in the concrete sector alone represents a $400 billion market opportunity.
The text in picture 25 K shows that In India, Carbon Clean Solutions operates at $30 per tonne. This is confirmed by the recent merger with Veolia (31). Their own website shows $40 per tonne (32) The 600,000 tonnes per year is a misquote It is 60,000 tpy. Their website has a counter. From 2009 till 25 Jan 2017 they captured 319,039 tonnes. Considering that it captures from a coal fired plant it is quite encouraging.
Aemetis, which will produce CO2 for the Keyes ethanol plant shown in picture 33 M is quite clear about the price for the food and beverage industry "Right now, the end user price of pure CO2 is about 8 cents per pound ($160 per ton). The Keyes plant would likely about 180,000 tons of CO2 per year, with peaks and valleys in CO2 production level based upon the fermentation cycle, and the CO2 plant would convert 110,000 tons (the consistent, base production level from fermentation) into liquid CO2.' (29) No wonder they asked Union Engineering in N5 above to join them and use their $30 per ton expertise as well.
ned about the earthquake danger, hence the push for green hydrogen. It includes 100 000 tpy hydrogen from biogas. Most of it will be used to feed Dutch and German pipelines, produce ammonia and methanol. The hard to read transportation allotments in thousand tpy are 100 000 cars (12) 1300 buses (10) 50 trains (5) The hard to read utilisation categories are: Distribution of energy throughout regions, buffer to increase system reliance, decarbonize transport and industry energy use, serves as feedstock using captured carbon and helps decarbonizing heat for buildings.
Apart from the references in O above there is an excellent article by professor van Wijk, showing many more details (44). It includes the following statement: The total investments for the development of a green hydrogen economy in the Northern Netherlands up to the year 2030 are estimated to be between 17.5 and 25 billion euros.
SinoHytec and its partners, including Foton, are promoting a fleet of 150 fuel cell buses in Zhangjiakou, where China will be hosting the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The completion and delivery of this fleet is expected in early 2018. Trudeau had the opportunity to learn more about how Hydrogenics and SinoHytec are working together to jointly address climate change by reducing the carbon footprint related to transportation in China.
Bloomberg's announcement in picture 44 shows a fast increase in EVs. Further details are: "Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) forecasts EVs will be as cheap as gasoline cars by 2025 and keep dropping in price until EVs overtake them in yearly sales, by which time EVs will be displacing 8 million barrels of oil a day — more than Saudi Arabia exports today".
As noted, BC has better wind conditions than Alberta and could get an even better deal rather than spending 8.7c/kwh for site C.
As documented in post 21, and summarized by me in a newspaper (55), BC has a vast surplus of hydro power because the clean energy act requires BC Hydro to buy renewable power from independent power providers(IPPs) even if they can't sell it. The IPP power is sold via long contracts at a fixed price, ranging from 8.5-9.1c/kwh. It has to be exported at bargain prices. Some power can't be sold or stored at all and is wasted by having to let reservoirs flow over, driving up the price to 11c/kwh. In 2015 when I published post 21, construction had not yet started and I concluded that wind power costs the same as hydro but will come down, did not require public financing and would not destroy an important valley. Still the BC government pushed ahead. Picture 31 shows how much the valley has already changed. Now that wind power costs so little we have the choice of paying several billions in cancellation cost or live for hundred years with a money losing white elephant. Based on T) above it is quite likely that BC, with better wind conditions than Alberta can reach a 20 year deal for unsubsidized power at 3.7c/kwh and continue to do so for the remaining 80 years. Site C is expected to produce 5100 GWH per year which is 5,100,000 MWH per year. Each MWH represents $87, amounting to $ 0.444 billion per year and $44.4 billion over its lifespan. If we use 3.7c/kwh wind power instead we will save (50x44.4)/87=$25.3 billion during those 100 years.
Picture 47 suggest that wind power capacity can be ramped up to twice the site C capacity by following the Dutch example of producing green hydrogen for transportation needs and production of synthetic natural gas (SNG). In addition, hydrogen can be used in conjunction with captured CO2 to make carbon neutral jet fuel which is badly needed as explained in picture 48. Unlike the US, BC does not have pipelines full of compressed CO2 but new technologies are a great help. As documented in N 5 above, Union Engineering will be able to produce widely transportable liquid CO2 for $23 per tonne. When hydrogen is compressed to 10 000 psi a tank full holds a lot of energy as recorded for hydrogen cars and the Alstom train.
Using SNG instead of regular gas does not only eliminate greenhouse emissions when burning it. At present the BC gas operations release a lot of methane, which is 85 times more potent than CO2. Annual emissions from B.C.'s natural gas industry total around 11.6 Mt CO2e (megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent), or about 18% of total provincial emissions. (56). Any contemplated LNG projects will further ruin our chances to come even close to our Paris commitments.
Based on data documented in neilwilhees.blogspot.ca a newspaper accepted my 400 word comment about 7 alternatives for the KM pipeline : http://www.nsnews.com/opinion/letters/letter-rail-beats-pipelines-for-safer-transport-of-alberta-oil-1.2365559 It shows that three will transport unsinkable oil while the 4 others avoid all tanker traffic through BC waters. Two of the fully estimated proposals are for refineries which would export finished products from Kitimat refineries and will be among the very few that will capture and utilize the CO2 emissions they create. The third is a huge pipeline which will carry unsinkable syncrude and export it by tanker via Prince Rupert. The Asian super refineries can easily handle dilbit, which is a sour heavy crude. Syncrude and other similar light sweet oils are more expensive but seem essential to diminish the tanker controversy in BC waters. The oil fields have 9 upgraders. Shell, Suncor and Syncrude produce the most (58) Until recently 45% of our bitumen (1.33 bbpd) was upgraded (49).
I feel that as part of the KM debates a proper evaluation has to be made about the cost, benefits and risks of all eight projects. Companies have worked hard to show what can be done and little is shown by the main media except KM disputes. At the end of post 1 is a whole list of pipelines concerns. I had a 5 Email exchange with Enbridge in 2013. Enbridge acknowledged receipt of the list. Most apply to all pipelines, some have been resolved but crack detection requirements are still not defined while external leak detection is still considered too expensive. The major recent Nexen and Husky spills show that there is still danger. Far less dangerous than trains loaded with volatile oil traveling on poorly regulated railways causing infernos. It is hard to convince the public that sending neatbit by train is safer than pipelines, in particular on almost straight new tracks with minimum grades.
Here is my opinion based on what I have read and recorded and I hope that a proper evaluation will be made before it is too late.
The 3 Northern proposal will not be able to meet the required volumes. While there are a number of icebreaking LNG tankers, only Russia has Icebreaking oil tankers and they are fully occupied with their own oil transport.
That leaves the $ 16 billion Eagle Spirit pipeline and the $19 billion G7G railway as main contenders. Both can carry more oil than KM, both have support from First Nations and agreements for jobs and prospects of part ownership. At present the pipeline still is subject to the tanker moratorium even though no dilbit is involved. The pipeline problems in post 1 will have to be evaluated and see how much improvement can be made. That also applies to KM. I have not seen a breakdown of capital and operating cost for the pipeline. Those for the G7G are high because the entire rolling stock of 208 locomotives and 6072 insulated cars with heating coils are included based on more than double the KM volume. All bridges and tunnels are estimated for future double track operation. Another cost is a tank farm at Delta Junction, from where the condensates will be added for transport via the existing Alaska pipeline to Valdez. It requires a condensate line from Valdez to Delta junction, which is included in the estimate. The Alaska pipeline is under-used but if, due to tax incentives for its users the volume increases and it can't handle the Alberta oil, there are other options shown in the van Horne report. Those options are more expensive, but again, considering potential cleanup cost for KM spills it may not be expensive. There are also some savings because Valdez is a few days closer to Asian ports. As mentioned in picture 29, the main advantage of the G7G over pipelines is that as demand for oil start dwindling pipelines will lose money while railways can still transport other goods. Picture 30 shows the mineral potential, which recently was in the news again. One potential mine was declared unacceptable for environmental reasons while the others are eyed upon for power supply from the expensive site C project.
KM's website shows that the main source of financing comes from 4 Canadian banks. Of the 26 sources 9 of the contributors are Canadian while the 2 Chinese contributors only represent 4% of the committed money. Competing proposals show more enthusiastic Chinese participation. Kitimat Clean Energy: "In April 2013, Kitimat Clean signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China which will serve as financial advisor and cooperate in the financing of the project." "In April, he secured a memorandum of understanding with the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, China's largest bank, involving $25-billion in financial backing to build the refinery, a pipeline from Alberta, and provide 10 super tankers to transport the oil to China. He said more deals with Chinese companies are on the way." Since that time the pipeline idea has been scrapped in favor of neatbit trains from CN.
The G7G neatbit railway to Alaska will be 50% owned by First Nations. With 8 trains per day it can carry twice the KM volume.
In 1982 the Canadian Constitution was amended by adding section 35 giving First Nations far more say in development of projects. First Nations have now much better access to money for their projects. RBC completed a C$545 million bond issue for the Fort McKay and Mikisew Cree bands - the largest ever private investment by a First Nation - allowing them to buy a 49 per cent stake in a Suncor Energy SU.TO 1.65% storage facility. "The deal was oversubscribed," It's assets that create cash flow," said Joe Dion, Chief Executive of First Nations-owned Frog Lake Energy Resources Corp, which produces 2,000 barrels of oil per day. "We get a piece of the action." Investment bank AltaCorp Capital is raising funds for a $16 billion oil pipeline, proposed to run from Alberta to the northern British Columbia coast. The project has modest financial backing from one of Canada's richest families, the Aquilini Group, and support from 35 First Nations to use their land. In exchange for allowing that access, the bands will own at least 35 percent of the pipeline and a corresponding share of the profits. Major Canadian oil producers including Suncor Energy Inc., Cenovus Energy Inc. and Meg Energy Corp. also want it to go ahead, while investment broker AltaCorp Capital Inc. has been lined up to organize financing. The pipeline's right of way would be on an energy corridor that would be pre-approved by First Nations to also house gas pipelines, hydro lines and fiber optic cable. That Eagle Spirit pipeline can carry twice the KM volume. Even though no dilbit will be shipped they are subject to the tanker moratorium and have a memorandum of understanding with the Roanan Corporation to move the terminal to Hyder Alaska.
HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International Maritime Organization (IMO) recently confirmed that global refiners and shippers must comply with new regulations to reduce the sulfur content in marine bunker fuels by January 2020—five years earlier than many expected. As a result, both the global refining and shipping industries will experience rapid change and significant cost and operational impacts, according to new analysis from IHS Markit (Nasdaq: INFO), the leading global source of critical information and insight.
The fluid cokers are thermal conversion units that crack long chain bitumen molecules into more valuable short chain molecules – heavy gas oil, light gas oil and naphtha. The fluid coking process is a continuous operation where fluidized coke particles are transferred back and forth between the reactor and burner vessels. A portion of the coke produced in this process is transferred to the burner to provide heat for the thermal cracking process. A portion of the coke produced in this process is transferred to the burner to provide heat for the thermal cracking process.
Expanding coking capacity in the United States, as well as at a number of other refineries, such as India's giant Reliance I and II plants at Jamnagar, has supported prices for heavier crudes, even as the premium for light sweet oils has been eroded by soaring output from shale formations, throwing a lifeline to some of the simpler refineries along the U.S. East Coast and in Europe.
The Jieyang refinery in China has the highest planned DCU capacity globally with 153 Mbpd during 2018 to 2022.
The Jizan refinery in Saudi Arabia has the second highest planned DCU capacity with 104 Mbpd. The refinery is expected to start operations in 2018 with a total capex of $7.0bn. Saudi Arabian Oil Co is the operator for the refinery.
Panjin II and Palu refineries are jointly in third for planned DCU capacity in 2022, each with a capacity of 78 Mbpd. The refineries are expected to start operations in 2021 and 2019, respectively. China North Industries Group Corporation is the operator for Panjin II refinery, while PT Palembang GMA Refinery Consortium is the operator for Palu refinery.
Duqm I has the fourth highest planned DCU capacity with 52 Mbpd. The refinery is located in Oman and is expected to start operations in 2021. Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Industries LLC is the operator. The refinery has a total capex of $7.0bn.
The Barmer refinery in India has the fifth highest DCU capacity with a capacity of 47 Mbpd. The refinery is expected to start operations in 2022 with a total capex of $6.5bn and HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd is the operator.
The remaining refineries with planned DCU capacities are Pulau Muara Besar in Brunei, Aliaga in Turkey, Zhanjiang III in China, and Mostorod II in Egypt. These have capacities of 46 Mbpd, 40 Mbpd, 32 /Mbpd and 25 Mbpd, respectively.
- Spain's Puertollano refinery is undergoing a major turnaround from the end of January. As part of the maintenance work on the conversion units, Repsol will carry out work on the thermal insulation of one of the vacuum unit's (55,000 b/d) furnaces, as well as modifying some of the equipment in place at the head of crude distillation unit No. 2. The work also includes the FCC (38,900 b/d) and the coker (24,000 b/d). The turnaround should be concluded around March 20. The company previously said it expected the work to conclude at the end of March.
- Poland's Plock refinery is planned to carry out works in the spring involving a CDU, FCC (28,000 b/d), reformer (44,300 b/d) and one HDS (hydrodesulfurization) unit.
Gothenburg refinery adding that more maintenance was to come in the first quarter. The company said that in early March it decided to move maintenance work on selected units, mainly the isocracker unit and fluid catalytic cracker, planned for April to March. It did not specify where this work would be but traders said maintenance is affecting the Lysekil refinery near Brofjorden, where there is also CDU and VDU maintenance in Q1. "These maintenance activities are progressing well, and the plan is to have the units back in operation with products to tank from the isocracker on March 18, and products to tank from the FCC on March 22," Preem said.
- Gazprom Neft has started construction of a delayed coker at its Pancevo refinery, with a target date for completion of 2019. The delayed coker will have 2,000 mt/day capacity and will help increase the depth of processing to 99.2% and diesel production by more than 38%. The refinery will start producing coke, currently not produced in Serbia.
The new refining complex will reduce the high-sulfur heavy fuel oil yield, in anticipation of the new marine fuel regulation that will take effect in 2020," Total said.
Another oil supermajor with a facility at Antwerp in Belgium, ExxonMobil, said earlier this week that it planned to complete the construction of the new delayed coker unit towards early 2018 and would then proceed with the start-up process. The delayed coker unit will be fully operational in the first half of 2018.
2018 will be a big year for Delayed Coker projects.
ExxonMobil will complete it's DCU in Antwerp in early 2018.
Construction has started on the Delayed Coker at Serbia's Pancevo Refinery.
PEMEX has plans for a $2.1 billion delayed coker project.
Canada's Oil Consumption was reported at 2,343.25 Barrel/Day th in Dec 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,298.82 Barrel/Day th for Dec 2015. Canada's Oil Consumption data is updated yearly, averaging 1,800.31 Barrel/Day th from Dec 1965 to 2016, with 52 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,382.87 Barrel/Day th in 2013 and a record low of 1,108.12 Barrel/Day th in 1965. Canada's Oil Consumption data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by BP PLC. The data is categorized under World Trend Plus's Association: Oil and Gas Sector – Table RO.BP.OIL: Oil: Consumption.
While neatbit railways are safer and not much more expensive than pipelines (pictures 53 and 54), that only applies to transporting to upgraders or complete refineries that can process it, The PS of 23 May 2018 shows why Kinder Morgan has no chance to reach the Asian market with dilbit. The same applies to the G7G railway which therefore has been planning to use newly developed Auterra oils. They are light oils with less than 1% sulphur, close to syncrude but at a much lower cost. While China has little capacity to process dilbit they import and refine a lot of oil heavier than the Brent or WTI trading benchmarks. In fact, they recently established their own Shanghai standard against which heavier oils will be rated and traded. Picture 57 shows how Chinese crude imports have grown from 6 million bpd in 2012 to 8.5 million bpd in 2017. Despite increased protests about our exports the world demand is still rising for at least 7 years and will level off for many more years. We may as well go along with the trend rather than letting others create the same quantity of GHG that people are complaining about. When we keep extracting at a soon to be reached 5 million bpd there is lots of export opportunity for blended heavy oils. I will prepare a further PS with picture to document the new developments about the competition. Some politicians and oil magazines still claim that we can make much more money by selling to Asia rather than the US. It is not as much as they think but still worthwhile.
PS 3 and picture 61 in post 31 shows that Chinese crude blends will be in high demand for quite some time and that by transporting them with the G7G railway to Valdez will cost $ 5 less per barrel than with small tankers from Burnaby to Valdez from where the oil has to be transferred to larger, more economical tankers. This PS and picture 62 show with many references why our main crude, WCS is worth far less than what is traded based on Brent and WTI qualities. Chinese refineries have no extra capacity for dilbit but high demand for heavy oil. This PS also has a lot of information about competitiveness and widely varying shipping costs. The $5 per barrel in savings has been increased to $6.20 because the amazingly high tanker cost is based on Anacortes to San Francisco rather than Anacortes to Los Angeles. That $ 4.00 is clearly shown on the Dec 2015 Oil Sands Magazine map. That map shows the cost of 14 US pipeline, tanker and railway transportation modes from Edmonton and Fort Mc Murray. There are no pipelines to the West coast but 5 pipeline and 3 railway options to reach the Southern refineries. Picture 60 only shows the 3 cheapest pipeline routes which are $7.51, 8.38 and 11.40 per barrel. Our WCS oil costs $ 15 for upgrading to WTI standard so with those transportation rates the present price difference of $24 is not out of line.
The demand for Chinese crude blends is according to https://www.platts.com/latest-news/oil/singapore/cnpc-forecasts-chinese-2018-oil-demand-to-grow-27906041 growing 7.7 % in 2018. Even though fossil fuel for cars will soon be banned, the GDP will increase 6% while oil product exports are forecast to surge 30.7% year on year.
According to a 1 June article in the Globe and mail "Continued investment in the oil sands generally, and in the Trans Mountain pipeline specifically, means Canada is doubling down on a no-win bet. We're betting that the world will fail to meet the reduction targets in the Paris Climate Agreement, thus needing more and more oil, including our expensive and polluting bitumen. We're betting, in other words, on climate disaster. If, however, the world finally gets its act together and significantly cuts emissions, then Canada will lose much of its investment in the oil sands and the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, because the first oil to be cut will be higher-cost oil such as ours".
The big advantage of using Valdes as a shipping point for Canadian blends to China can be seen in a January 2016 report: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crude-asia/traders-eye-alaskan-oil-exports-to-asia-as-shipping-ban-ended-idUSKBN0UM0FM20160108 reported that Oman crude, a Middle Eastern grade similar in quality to Alaska North Slope (ANS), delivered to North Asia on a Very Large Crude Carrier would cost about $30.60 a barrel, including freight. Meanwhile, ANS costs closer to $31.80 a barrel including $3 per barrel in freight costs on a Suezmax tanker, according to calculations by Reuters and trade sources.
Alaska North Slope has been at roughly a $3 to $4 per barrel discount to the similar Russian ESPO blend so far this month. Freight costs from the Russian port of Kozmino to South Korea are currently about 80 cents per barrel.
Even so, medium-sour Alaskan crude fits well with most Asian refineries that are geared towards processing high-sulfur Middle East crude, dealers say, and shipping time is half the four-week journey from the Gulf. Present spot rates for VLCCs can be seen in https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/more-scrapping-may-lift-oil-tanker-rates-in-late-2018-frontline-ceo/ "Spot rates for very large crude carriers (VLCCs), with a capacity to transport 260,000 tonnes of oil, have recently dropped to a loss-making $13,000-14,000 per day, far below Frontline's cash breakeven rate of $21,600". Since 1 tonne is about 6.9 barrels it amounts to 1,794,000 barrels for $21,600 per day=1.2c per barrel per day. When operating at the quoted loss it will be 0.75c per barrel per day. For the two-week journey the $21,600 amounts to 16.8 c/barrel to reach Asia from Valdez. There must be some more cost than $21,600 because the 16.8 c is unbelievable low.
I have not been able to find prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE). but it may be a help for Canada. I also don't know if there is still that much difference as reported by Dogwood 2 years ago: "In 2016, Asian refineries paid even less than U.S. refineries for comparable blends of heavy crude – as much as eight dollars less per barrel." I. The price difference between our oil and that of the US is well expressed in http://www.oilsandsmagazine.com/news/2015/12/26/how-much-for-that-heavy-oil which states: "Shipping crude oil from Mexico or the Middle-East to the US by tanker is only a few dollars a barrel. Shipping oil from Alberta to the Gulf Coast by rail or pipeline ranges from $10 to $20/bbl".
notes that there is a chance the local Orca whale population will become extinct by adding 360 tanker exits per year. compared to the present 40. These Orcas feed in the same channels and eat less with so much extra sound.
Picture 29 has been updated to reflect transport of heavy crude blends rather than neatbit (pictures 60-62) The original Mid Canada Corridor was a concept developed by Canadian Major-General Richard Rohmer. It would create an East West belt, well away from the US with a railway at its spine. Rohmer convened a conference of 150 business, political leaders and advocates to discuss how the North would be developed A large Engineering company provided many maps and reports on the technical aspect, mining and forest resource locations, soil conditions, climate aspects and significance for First Nations. When Rohmer presented the final report to prime minister Pierre Trudeau at Rideau Hall in 1971, it was refused virtually on the spot. The meeting continued, with Trudeau responding to Rohmer's arguments with indifference. Leaving Rideau Hall to go to question period, Trudeau was still "testy and agitated".
Great national efforts left their mark the late 1960s, and for decorated Canadian Major-General Richard Rohmer, the changing atmosphere of the 1960s was just what was needed for his expanding plan to move the country North.
"The development corridor, as it is envisioned, is a belt that traverses Canada through its mid-North and northern regions, with a railway as its spine," read a 1967 introductory pamphlet.
"Within this belt will grow new towns, new industries, new highways, enlarged ocean ports, new agricultural areas and a new transportation grid for the whole of Canada," it said.
In 1969, Rohmer convened a conference of 150 business, political leaders and advocates to discuss how the North would be developed, what needed to be done, and the imperative of doing it soon.
As it planned the future, the conference was determined to "avoid the mistakes of the past — the degradation and exploitation of the true native Canadian peoples, wanton pollution of air and water and indiscriminate destruction of the only pure, virtually untouched region on this continent," wrote Rohmer in 1970.
In a country where First Nations had only received the vote nine years previously, the conference was remarkable for its close involvement and consultation with First Nations peoples. "If we, the white men, who are so impatient to get out the wealth and tame the area, cannot devise ways to involve our native brethren, then we had better stay away until we can," said a conference participant.
The optimism of the conference fell on deaf ears in Ottawa only months later. When Rohmer presented the final report to prime minister Pierre Trudeau at Rideau Hall in 1971, it was refused virtually on the spot.
"I think that he thought at the time that I was a Conservative, and that anything we were doing was not worth looking at," said Rohmer. The meeting continued, with Trudeau responding to Rohmer's arguments with indifference.
Leaving Rideau Hall to go to question period, Trudeau was still "testy and agitated," wrote Rohmer.
So many environmental problems can be solved with a global revenue neutral carbon tax. It would allow people and businesses to decide how to spend their refunds on green projects and make above average gains. Via a carbon export tax an international fund could pay for CCU and green hydrogen power on a per tonne basis. The costs of wind and solar power are already about equal to fossil fuel but, as shown in picture 21 J, CCU is essential. Picture 25 K shows 4 different modern carbon capture plants. Picture 33 M gives an excellent example of CO2 utilization. Picture 49 P shows how much can be achieved with green hydrogen.
I started reading and recording articles from the US Carbon Tax Center and saw in 2013 that the US had a number of carbon pricing bills. I only looked closer at the Waxman Markey bill, designed to meet the Copenhagen commitment and the Sanders Boxer bill, which is a carbon tax bill. At the same time the BC had its revenue neutral bill. Both the Waxman Markey and the BC bill were contested by powerful organizations, producing completely wrong figures how it would affect families by leaving out all the refunds. It is all detailed in post 1 and we still live with the problem. Post 3 shows how much export tax BC could raise when we don't export our carbon for free. Post 9 reports the losses endured by the European rejection of the Northern Gateway. It was not only about the lack of carbon tax but also the unfair subsidies. When in London, Mr Harper was met by 40 protests groups while 6 MPs signed motions to keep Alberta oil put of Europe. Post 10 stresses again that without taxing, demand for oil will keep rising. We don't have to cut our production and give our share to others creating the same amount of GHG but hope for a global decline. Post 12 shows that 3 major oil companies demand a global carbon tax because with their vast natural gas reserves they can kill the coal industry. The second part analyses a speech, which the Canadian MP, Mr. Leef gave in the house, showing that he has no idea how a revenue neutral carbon tax works and that there are no MPs which can give him the correct figures on the spot. Post 19 and points F), G) and H in post 27 again show all the advantages of taxing carbon via a revenue neutral system. Points 1-7 in post 30 show how close the US can come to a global tax. Their proposed $40 tax forces countries with a lesser tax to pay import duties. China is a main target. Since all money raised will go to citizens, they shut out industries because those already will receive tax cuts. It is clear that illegal immigrants don't get any refund. Of the 11 million illegal people 8 million work. That is 5% of the total labor force. So, it is not revenue neutral but raises the standard of living of working people.
While the BC carbon tax was revenue neutral and used as an example by other countries, dangerous flaws have occurred. I have often tweeted picture 37 in reply to tweets from others. Just recently one tweeter referred to a Globe and Mail article (61) showing that pre-existing subsidies like those to the film industry and interactive digital media had been sneaked in as carbon tax refunds. Worse yet, the present provincial budget appears to scrap the law that all tax collected has to be refunded to businesses and individuals who paid for it. A few days later I got from another tweeter the Financial Post article (62) with a similar stora including figures and a graph to show how bad it is. Please, let's tell the government to restore our original system.
When Mr. Trudeau agreed in Paris to start taxing carbon he should in the national interest have made it a national revenue neutral carbon tax. By leaving it to the provinces we are faced with a hodgepodge of cap and trade, specific environmental projects and an array of subsidies for items like cars or solar panels, which are not necessarily what individuals want to spend their refunds on. We hope that it will result in prevention of excessive global warming.


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A Round-Up of Digital Journalism Programs in Canada
We know that school has just started, but declaring your major and grad school application deadlines will be just around the corner. So, if you're a Canadian post-secondary student interested in telling stories through podcasts or social media, keep reading.
The Digital publishing Awards have rounded up Canadian journalism programs focused on digital and new media. Program courses range from SFU's "Social Media for Freelance Writers" to Concordia's "Mediating Diversity through Audio Story-Telling." Programs themselves range from a quick, eight-month certificate to an intense, two-year master's.
Read through the info below to find the program that's right for you, and if there's a program we've missed, let us know.
Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC)
Certificate in New Media Journalism
Program Description: Journalism has changed. We want to know what's happening around us and why it matters – but instead of opening the paper or watching the news, we turn to YouTube, Twitter, Instagram or the latest blog. New technology has made journalists of everyone. Some coverage is worth our time, and some isn't. Good new media reporting is compelling, current and cross-platform. In SFU's part-time New Media Journalism Certificate, you'll learn to use old media skills in the new industry, master new media tools, and polish your writing and reporting skills.
More info: http://bit.ly/2h3OLoK
University of Windsor (Windsor, ON)
Combined Honours Degree in Digital Journalism
Program Description: The University of Windsor offers a combined honours journalism degree unique in Canada. Students learn the theoretical perspectives and technical skills journalists need to compete in the rapidly changing digital marketplace combined with an academic discipline in a four-year honours degree. Our objective is to graduate journalists who can find work in mainstream, alternative and citizen media. All media are moving to digital platforms, which opens up an array of multi-skilled jobs ranging from the traditional storytelling in newspapers and magazines to the very contemporary roles of videographer to web producer.
More info: http://bit.ly/2waE5iM
Wilfrid Laurier University (Waterloo, ON)
Bachelor of Arts in Digital Media and Journalism
Program Description: Our Digital Media and Journalism program develops your researching, writing, reporting, digital storytelling and technical media production skills. It teaches you how to leverage the power of digital and social media platforms to tell compelling transmedia stories and deliver pointed communications. It also helps you make sense of the political, economic and cultural world in which media professionals work. By the time you graduate, you'll be able to create compelling content for digital and social media platforms, tell intelligent text-based and transmedia stories, as well as understand and analyze the wider social, political and economic forces shaping today's media environments.
More info: http://bit.ly/2x237xI
University of Toronto, School of Continuing Studies (Toronto, ON)
Certificate in Multimedia Journalism
Program Description: How can journalists and freelance writers adapt to today's digital world? How do you tell a coherent and compelling story on a website or social media? This new certificate is geared to journalists and freelance writers, communications professionals and writers in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. You'll learn how to write for the web and use social media to tell a story or promote one online. You'll learn from industry leaders in journalism, freelance writing and online communications. They'll share their insights on the old-school skills involved in writing a news story and how to adapt these tools to the digital world. Examine the ethical questions raised by brand journalism and other adaptations of traditional journalism skills. You'll get valued feedback on your work and emerge with a portfolio that shows your skills in and understanding of digital journalism.
More info: http://bit.ly/2h2t6kv
Seneca College and York University (Joint Program) (Toronto, ON)
Ontario College Diploma for Journalism
Program Description: The Journalism program will provide you with training in television, radio, digital journalism and documentary skills. You'll gain a higher degree of competency and knowledge and be prepared to obtain entry level positions in television, radio, digital journalism and information programming.
More info: http://bit.ly/2xlxQbd
Sheridan College (Mississauga, ON)
Program: Graduate Certificate in Journalism – New Media
Program Description: Since its introduction in 2000, Sheridan's Journalism – New Media program revolutionized journalism curriculum with the creation of innovative courses that ranged from multimedia reporting to interactive documentary production. Students work directly with professors through project-based learning. JNM's integrated approach to learning combines practical and technical training – fusing traditional journalism education with trailblazing technology courses you won't find at other schools. This 8-month long intensive program is perfectly suited for university and college graduates of all disciplines, as well as mid-career professionals seeking to upgrade their skills and digital and entrepreneurial acumen.
More info: http://bit.ly/2y0vg7E
University of Ottawa (Ottawa, ON)
Honours Bachelor Degree in Digital Journalism
Program Description: The Department of Communication offers an Honours Bachelor in Digital Journalism jointly with Algonquin College (in English) and with La Cité (in French). The Department of Communication will provide theoretical, analytical and critical foundations, while courses at the college will focus on practical training. The program is ideal if you are looking for the perfect balance between journalism theory and practice.
More info: http://bit.ly/2xZuwj2
Concordia University (Montreal, QC)
Master's in Digital Innovation in Journalism Studies
Program Description: Invigorate your passion for journalism by exploring the digital ramifications of a rapidly evolving segment of the media landscape. Our one-of-a kind Master's program pushes the boundaries of research into the future of journalism with a unique focus on digital innovation, or new approaches to journalism practice. Through seminars and lab sessions, you'll develop critical thinking skills to enhance your understanding of how digital storytelling intersects with, and redefines traditional mediums such as print, television and radio. Over a period of two-years, you'll gain training in digital journalism skills combined with a strong research foundation in how to study and experiment with factual storytelling and projected journalism futures.
More info: http://bit.ly/2x0Q8fD
Dalhousie University and University of King's College (Joint Program) (Halifax, NS)
Program Description: The professional degree focuses on new methods of journalism research, new multimedia and multiplatform story forms and emerging business models. The Master of Journalism degree has two streams: Investigative reporting and New Ventures in Journalism. Both the Investigative and New Ventures streams conclude with a professional project and both are built around a core of classes in the craft and economics of digital journalism.
More info: http://bit.ly/2x1quYh
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September 15, 2017 Canadian Journalism, Digital Journalism, Journalism
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Refinancing is on the minds of many homeowners right now. Rates are at the lowest they have been since the early to mid 1950s, and there is nowhere else for them to go but up. As one mortgage professional said recently, "you can't go lower than zero!"
For this reason, it is imperative to look into refinancing, even if your credit situation is less than desirable. The lower rate over time will save tens of thousands of dollars, and if the mortgage is refinanced from a 30 to a 15-year loan, there is much to be gained in having no payment that much sooner.
In 2007, 5.75 percent was an incredible rate on a 30-year mortgage. Today, that rate is no longer competitive, considering that borrowers with less-than-desirable credit ratings can get a rate of 5 percent and maybe even lower.
Knowing this, and viewing the history of mortgage interest rates over time, it is apparent that they can go a little lower, but not by much. So now is a great time to take advantage of the lowering rates, even if you don't think you don't need to.
Paul Volcker was the Chairman of the Federal Reserve during the Carter Administration. During this time, interest rates rose drastically, leading to much short-term pain for individual consumers, but much growth and stabilization for the United States in the long run.
Today, things appear to be the same. Inflation is outpacing pay raises to the point that Senator Elizabeth Warren (D) of Massachusetts noted that for minimum wage to be competitive with where it had once been, employees would have to be earning $22 per hour.
While the American people have enjoyed low rates, and may continue to do so, there will come a time when they will adjust upward not only because that is the nature of the cycle, but also because it will help the economy grow.
It stands to reason that paying less money in bank fees is better than paying more. This is the reason why if a person finds a $30 charge for going below the minimum balance of the account, it is worthwhile to make a quick call to the local branch and ask that it be forgiven.
When it comes to mortgage interest, the situation is much more serious, but for some reason many avoid it. Over 30 years, a mortgage at a 6 percent rate will cost more in interest than it will in principle payments. This is absurd when compared to a 3.5 percent rate on a 15-year loan, especially when it breaks down to having nearly the same payment every month.
On top of this, if a homeowner was to have gotten a mortgage in 2007 at 6 percent and had it reduced to 3.5 percent today, it would reduce the life of the loan by nine years. That is nine years of not having a payment. If the payment is $1,000 per month, it would mean that $108,000 in payments that could go toward savings, investments, or paying for college tuition.
On top of this, checking out the deals that are available cannot hurt. What can hurt is to let the opportunity pass by to pay less each month.
About the author: This article was written by Richard Craft, an MBA student who looks forward on sharing his knowledge with readers throughout the web so they can make better financial decisions. He writes this on behalf of Houses.com, your number one choice when looking for a new house to buy or for selling your house. Check out their website to see how they can help you.