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Puerto Rico's yearslong debate over WTE continues as the island's landfill issues mount
After a proposed incinerator project stalled in 2018, the territory's long-term plan remains uncertain as noncompliant landfills are reaching capacity.
The image by SPC Hamiel Irizarry is licensed under CC BY 2.0
By Genevieve Glatsky
In 2017, as Puerto Rico was recovering from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, one sliver of news was unremarked on in most stories about the island: the cancellation of plans to build a waste-to-energy plant in the northern municipality of Arecibo.
The economy was in shambles, families were displaced, homes were in disrepair, businesses were closed and hundreds of thousands of the island's three million residents still lacked power. With this damage exacerbating the territory's mounting debt crisis, then-Gov. Ricardo Rosselló withdrew his support for a plan long protested by communities and activists. This project from a subsidiary of New York-based Energy Answers International was the latest iteration of many waste-to-energy (WTE) proposals going back decades, according to news reports and multiple sources on the ground.
Although the canceled plan was the most recent prospective WTE facility in Puerto Rico, many suspect it will not be the last.
WTE can be an appealing proposal for many communities, and especially so for Puerto Rico, an island plagued by noncompliant landfills the U.S. EPA projects could leave the territory at capacity in a matter of years. Such stark predictions mean more efforts are being directed toward recycling and composting initiatives, but some experts worry even an island-wide recycling program would not solve the problem fast enough. About 12-14% of waste in Puerto Rico is recycled, according to the Puerto Rico Recycling Partnership, an initiative created by the EPA and the government of Puerto Rico.
Most of the island's 29 landfills are overcapacity and noncompliant under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulations. Unlined and uncovered, many of them overflow with waste that contaminates the water supply, attracts pests and sends odors into nearby homes. The EPA has legal agreements to close 12 of these sites and is in the process of sending the territory $40 million in grants to address hazardous and solid waste management as a result.
As Puerto Rico's impending waste crisis fast approaches, many attuned to the island's needs are thinking about strategies to move forward. While environmentalists and community leaders insist on a "zero waste" program free of any combustion processes, other industry experts see WTE as a crucial part of any realistic waste management strategy. Some also see gasification as a possible third option that avoids the environmental costs of traditional mass burn combustion, while others are skeptical there is any difference at all.
"The Capitol of Puerto Rico" by Jorge Láscar is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Decades of debate
WTE has been present in the territory's materials management discussions since the 1980s, according to Ingrid Vila Biaggi, a civil and environmental engineer, who has held various senior positions in Puerto Rican government from the early 2000s until 2015. Vila Biaggi, who has since founded the non-profit organization CAMBIO to promote sustainable and responsible policy and actions in Puerto Rico, said there have been several attempts to establish facilities like the Arecibo project.
She called the most recent iteration of the Arecibo proposition "a second round to a failed proposal" that was discarded by then-Gov. Sila María Calderón in 2001. That proposal was revived in 2010 when then-Gov. Luis Fortuño passed a fast-track project evaluation process and declared an "energy emergency" on the island.
"Within that context, the waste-to-energy facility was able to get a lot of the permits and approval from government in an expedited manner," Vila Biaggi told Waste Dive.
The plant would have taken approximately 2,300 tons per day, according to a 2018 release, and cost an estimated $860 million. Vila Biaggi said the proposed plan would not have been economically feasible for local governments, because it "would make them bankrupt and would have dire consequences on the finances of the municipalities."
Myrna Conty, president of an environmental group called Friends of the River Guaynabo and coordinator for the Coalition of Anti-Incineration Organizations, also expressed concerns the plant would produce more than 400 tons of ash per day. She noted the island is already dealing with large amounts of coal ash from a plant in the province of Guayama.
Vila Biaggi and Conty allege the government attempted to rush the project's approval process without any public hearings or participation. Multiple documents provided by Conty show letters from the Coalition of Anti-Incineration Organizations to various government officials between 2012 and 2018 complaining about efforts to limit speaking time at public hearings, speed up approval processes and withhold crucial information.
After the government's 2014 debt crisis, the project was presented as an opportunity to create over 1,000 jobs in the economically depressed Arecibo area. CAMBIO, along with other environmental and community organizations, asserted this proposal overestimated the amount of jobs the facility would create. They said Puerto Rico would be unable to supply the waste necessary to run the facility and that the project would have detrimental effects on public health, the environment and social conditions.
The groups presented these arguments to the Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service, which considered providing financing for the project. The government did not withdraw its endorsement for the Arecibo project, even after the organizations presented these arguments, according to Vila Biaggi.
When Gov. Rosselló took office in 2017, a congressionally-mandated fiscal board had been appointed to take over the financial decisions of the island. His administration presented the Arecibo incinerator to the board as a "priority project."
The facility never came to fruition because of an unforeseeable factor — the devastating hurricanes that ravaged the island later that year. In January 2018, Energy Answers presented the project to the Financial Oversight and Management Board for consideration as a "critical project" under the "PROMESA" Act that established it. But the government later rescinded its endorsement for a project they no longer saw as economically feasible or desirable due to more pressing recovery issues.
Vila Biaggi currently describes the proposal as "dormant," but not "necessarily dead," with no formalized closure of the project despite longtime lobbying from nonprofits and communities. Both CAMBIO and the Arecibo communities remain "vigilant" over any changes, she said. Energy Answers, which previously saw a project in Baltimore fall apart, could not be reached for comment. The company's website is no longer active and the manager of its Arecibo project now works at a different company.
The image by Sgt. Alexis Vélez is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Searching for a silver bullet
While many experts say the island's waste challenges make WTE an attractive proposition, others remain skeptical. Mark Lichtenstein, chief of staff and chief sustainability officer for the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry, said since he started working in the territory in 2009, the proposal keeps returning like a game of "whack-a-mole."
"It's kind of seen as a silver bullet that can instantly take care of all your problems with overflowing landfills and there's a place to take the waste and — oh, by the way, we can make energy in the process," said Lichtenstein, who was formerly CEO and president of the National Recycling Coalition and also a co-founder of the Puerto Rico Recycling Partnership.
The presence of WTE facilities has grown tremendously in the past few decades, particularly in Japan, China and the European Union. But many, like Lichtenstein, cite a myriad of negative consequences. They often point to health impacts from air emissions and ash disposal, the destruction of resources that could be recycled to create new industries, the inefficiency of energy production, the relatively small number of jobs created compared to recycling or organics initiatives, and the potential to discourage waste reduction.
WTE supporters note many of these criticisms are also the same as those levied at landfills, and describe the facilities as just one part of an integrated system.
Many WTE proponents will say their facilities capture all regulated or "criteria" pollutants, but this doesn't take into account non-regulated pollutants, according to Gary Liss, vice president of Zero Waste USA.
"The criteria pollutants that are regulated are the ones that don't have good lobbyists. Non-criteria pollutants are the ones with good lobbyists," he said. "So they're not regulated. But that doesn't mean there's no impact. In fact, many of them have some of the worst impacts."
Lichtenstein and Liss, as well as activists on the ground in Puerto Rico and other communities, advocate for a "zero waste" strategy that integrates reduction, reuse, recycling and composting to create new jobs.
While WTE does have emissions of greenhouse gases, dioxins and furans, they are dwarfed by the emissions that come from landfills, according to Dr. Nickolas Themelis, founder and past director of Columbia University's Earth Engineering Center.
Themelis, whose research specialties include sustainable waste management and WTE, points out that only about 35% of waste in the United States is recycled or composted, according to the most recent figures from the EPA. Meanwhile, 52% is landfilled and only 13% goes to "combustion with energy recovery."
"Zero waste is a pipedream," he said. "Zero landfilling should be the objective." Themelis added this has been achieved in several countries through a combination of recycling and WTE. He said that WTE is the only alternative to landfilling for "post-recycling" waste, and believes it is unrealistic people will stop consuming plastic.
Advocates like Liss point to hundreds of "zero waste" cities all over the world that have adopted the goal, as well as examples like San Francisco, which reports diverting 80% of its waste from landfills and incineration. However, even a standout example like San Francisco failed to meet its goal of "zero waste" by 2020, and many have questioned the methodology behind that 80% figure.
Lichtenstein said the waste industry itself is at fault for the dearth of effective recycling systems, pointing to the 2017 disposal of green waste in Puerto Rico that had been shredded for composting as an example.
"It was the most insane thing that I've ever seen. But it's because the industry was so strong and they convinced [the Federal Emergency Management Agency] and the Corps of Engineers that composting is too complex, or we're not going to be able to make it happen. And the money that they generated in these trucking contracts was amazing," he said. "So when they say things like 'I'm a realist' what they're really saying, but they're not telling us, is the whole picture of how they themselves have stood in the way of the progressive kind of things that can happen."
Randy Jensen, President and CEO of Puerto Rican waste management company EC Waste calls those allegations "hogwash." EC Waste participated in several municipal grinding and processing contracts to handle shredded organic waste following Hurricane Maria. Jensen said the waste industry utilized much of that material by mixing it with dirt to use in daily landfill cover, erosion control, slope maintenance and road stabilizer to reduce consumption of natural resources.
"I'd argue that's as viable a recycling process as the composting process," he said, adding that such criticisms come from those who are upset that they "didn't make enough money on the composting."
Uncertain future
Some of the WTE proposals floated around in the territory have also included a less established process called gasification that some groups are more optimistic about.
Mick Barry, president of Mid America Recycling and chair of the National Recycling Coalition, said he is a proponent of gasification because he is hopeful it will avoid the ash and air emissions problems of traditional WTE.
Barry has studied gasification plans for Puerto Rico that were put on hold because of the economy's collapse in 2014. He said the proposal would add five or six additional mixed waste MRFs, which would have sorted materials for composting recycling and gasification.
Liss has a simple response to those who claim that gasification avoids the consequences of waste-to-energy: "They're lying." Lichtenstein feels similarly.
"Any thermal system or whatever you call it — pyrolysis, gasification, incineration, waste-to-energy, waste of energy, energy-from-waste — anything that's a thermal system above 212 degrees Fahrenheit, we consider the problem," said Lichtenstein. "There are incinerators, or incinerators in disguise."
Marco J. Castaldi, professor and director of the Earth Engineering Center at City College of New York, said while gasification is theoretically more efficient than traditional mass burn combustion, it is difficult practically to realize those efficiencies due to the complexity of the process. He added many have tried to use it to process mixed waste for years it has yet to be implemented on a large scale. And while gasification emissions may be different than those from mass burn combustion, Castaldi says they are not necessarily less harmful, as regulations are still developing in that area.
"I think that those groups and companies that are developing gasifiers for mixed garbage confuse the message," said Castaldi. "Because they say, 'Well we're not waste-to-energy, we're not combustion. And so therefore we're better.' And I think the public and decision makers and municipalities — they really don't understand the subtleties."
Many environmentalists are uncomfortable with the idea due to its association with traditional WTE facilities and because they prefer recycling as a waste management strategy, Barry said. But he sees gasification as a method that can complement recycling, not limit it. As an example, Barry points to a Mexican facility called Bio-Sistemas Sustentables, which previously aimed to divert 95% of its waste stream from landfills through recycling, composting and gasification.
"You get 95% recovery, we're incentivizing waste management and waste diversion and waste recovery" by using 100% of the waste stream, Barry said. "Last time I checked, that's what recycling is all about."
Vila Biaggi said she has heard gasification proposals discussed, but never formally presented in Puerto Rico.
"Our analysis at least from the plans that have been initially presented, with the limited information that has been disclosed, is that they're pretty much the same thing," she said. "There's not so much of a difference between one and the other in terms of the environmental impacts and issues that it will create."
Conty agreed, adding gasification still produces harmful nanoparticles that are difficult to measure.
Overall, academics and waste industry leaders including Themelis, Castaldi and Jensen say WTE technology has improved dramatically over the years, and contend that opponents don't take into account improved emissions control mechanisms.
With the landfill capacity crisis looming, many environmentalists like Vila Biaggi and Conty in Puerto Rico and other islands are hoping for the government to invest in a closed-loop "upcycling" model in which waste generation is reduced and what remains can be used as feedstock for new recycling industries.
But experts on the ground say current Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced's administration, like past ones, has not prioritized the issue. Recently, waste has taken even more of a backseat in the wake of a cluster of devastating earthquakes and the coronavirus pandemic.
The absence of a "sensible integrated waste management policy" makes such "silver bullet" options like WTE seem more attractive, said Vila Biaggi. She and Lichtenstein suspect plans for a WTE facility will be revived in the future. But for the time being, many in Puerto Rico appear steadfast in their opposition.
Waste Dive Trouble in paradise: Recycling a tough proposition for US territories
Waste Dive How one island territory is getting creative with upcycling and reuse
Filed Under: Corporate Collections & Transfer Recycling Organics Zero Waste Landfill WTE Policy
Danielle Ternes / Waste Dive/Waste Dive
US waste and recycling sector faces mounting risks and opportunities from climate change
As the industry increasingly recognizes its contribution to climate change and sees business opportunities in potentially mitigating those effects, the sector could be at a notable inflection point in the years ahead.
By Cole Rosengren • Nov. 18, 2020
Permission granted by E.A. Crunden
The coronavirus pandemic has brought sweeping changes to the U.S., including significant effects for an industry that has continued its work throughout the crisis. Catch up on all of Waste Dive's reporting here.
By Waste Dive Team • Updated: Jan. 7, 2021
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by admin · Published 18th January 2020
Today's game away to Banbridge Town has been postponed due to a frozen pitch.
by Colin Hopkins · Published 16th January 2020
Distillery football club will be 140 years old in November 2020. The club, a founding member of the Irish Football Association, is currently working on events and publications to celebrate its rich and proud history...
The GWSC will be running a bus to Saturday's game against Banbridge Town in the Intermediate Cup. With this being a 1:30pm kick off the bus will leave the Belfast Club at 12:15pm and pick...
A new year and a new winner with defender Chris Getty picking up the last monthly award of 2019. Chris was the winner of the Dunville's Whiskey Player of the Month award for December and...
Lisburn Distillery 1 v Annagh United 5 Premier Intermediate League (PIL) 11th January 2020 The last time Lisburn Distillery were in league action was over a month ago when a Kevin Braniff brace secured three...
Allan McCarroll
The club have received a letter of thanks from Allan McCarroll (Junior) to extend his and the familys gratitude at the clubs support on the recent passing of his father and our former player Allan...
by admin · Published 8th January 2020
Ground work help required
As Distillery supporters will be aware the club has to apply for an IFA Domestic license to continue with our hopes for a return to the Championship. This year we need some work done around...
Intermediate Cup Draw
Lisburn Distillery have been drawn away to Banbridge Town in the third round of this seasons Intermediate Cup. The game will take place on Saturday 18th January 2020 with kick off at 1:30 Pm –...

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A Policy Dialogue on Startup Pakistan brought together government organizations, technology firms, nonprofit organizations, mainstream media and emerging entrepreneurs to discuss policy matters related to startups. The policy dialogue was jointly organized by Center of Pakistan and International Relations (COPAIR) in collaboration with Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Pakistan. On the Side lines of policy dialogue, COPAIR launched its StartUp Pakistan project which aims to provide an effective platform for the new startups and young entrepreneurs to grow their potential through result oriented capacity building.
The dialogue informed the participants regarding the current status of startups in Pakistan while highlighting major challenges that the startup businesses have to face. The panel of seasoned expert speakers spoke at the occasion which include President COPAIR and CEO StartUP Pakistan Ms Amna Malik, Managing Director GEN Kashif Mohammad Khan, CEO IGNITE Yousaf Hussain, former Federal Secretary and Tax Ombudsman Chaudhary Abdul Rauf, Representative of United Nations Industrial Organization(UNIDO) Dr Shaheena Waheed, Vice President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Masooma Sibtain, Secretary General Pakistan Software Houses Association Sheharyar Haydri (P@SHA) and Representative NUST Incubation Project Mr. Faisal. The audience was comprised IT experts, entrepreneurs, NGOs' heads and youth representatives.
The panel provided detail insight into the ways of achieving economic success, enhancing entrepreneurial culture, acquiring capital and training the required human capital. The panel noted that some of the Pakistani start-ups have even left a mark at the international levels, but the country's current progress towards start-ups is far below the potential as entrepreneurs are confronted with a number of challenges that hinder the startups to release smooth progression.
Speaking at the occasion, the experts observed that startups ecosystem consists of a society of founders having ideas and skills, young companies with talent pool, incubators with mentors and capital, and the media. These elements or entities link, interact and assist each other in strengthening the ecosystem while increasing their own worth in the ecosystem. Many Pakistani entrepreneurs have initiated startups that have attracted nationwide appeal while attracting international awards. Despite possessing all the required ingredients of success, Pakistan still lags behind many countries in establishing startups.
StartUp Pakistan is a project initiated for the same objective by Amna Malik,C.E.O of COPAIR which hosted the dialogue. The policy dialogue invited stakeholders from Public and Private sectors for policy discussion for StartUp Pakistan in particular and startups in general. Complete conformity was found among all the speakers that Government should formulate a policy to guide and fund the young entrepreneurs who intend to start up their own ventures.
The Center of Pakistan and International Relations (COPAIR), headed by Ms. Amna Malik, is a strategic think tank working on policy and implementation of global issues including diplomacy, peace, interfaith harmony, environment, human rights, health, and education. The COPAIR is a non-governmental, non-profit welfare organization with a key focus on women rights.
In her introductory speech, President COPAIR Amna Malik highlighted the youth and entrepreneurial initiatives introduced and managed by COPAIR along with positive outcomes and results brought about in the promotion of trade and investment activities in the country especially among the young entrepreneurs. She also highlighted major achievements of her organization while sharing some success stories. She said that COPAIR has now aligned with GEN Pakistan's programs for the further promotion of initiatives to broaden the span of activities to bring more and more young entrepreneurs in the mainstream business sector.
While briefing the participants, she said that Startups were business ventures that aimed to target the existing markets with latest trends and modern practices. The growing culture of entrepreneurial activities in Pakistan in the past few years is on a steady rise. With a massive population of youth, the nation has a great potential for growth and creativity.
"The goal for any startup ecosystem is to develop a self-sustaining network of talent and resources that seek to cater to the problems affecting a wider community. Emerging startups are set to explore the market for product fitting under circumstances of tremendous ambiguity. Alternatively, mature startups are designed to look for cyclical and scalable business model and then move into bigger companies incorporated to operate under conditions of high certainty" she added.
Ms. Amna Malik told the participants that we are working on women empowerment as well. She referred to her project E-Women in which women are trained to sell their handicrafts through E-Business via online portals. She said that our youth initiative has been launched in consultation with Islamabad Chambers of Commerce and Industry and we work with Small and Medium Sized Entrepreneurs. She said that we are signing an agreement with SAARC Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Dec 2017. Ms. Malik said that startup touches our heart and we are here to extend any type of support for that purpose.
Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) Pakistan is Pakistan Chapter of Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN) USA which operates a platform of projects and programs in 170 countries aimed at making it easier for anyone, anywhere to start and scale a business.
Managing Director GEN Pakistan Kashif M Khan talked about Startup Nations, an initiative of Global Entrepreneurship Network USA, which had more than 65 member countries and now Startup Pakistan has linked to Startup Nations as a member. "By fostering deeper cross border collaborations and initiatives between entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurial support organizations, GEN works to fuel healthier start and scale ecosystems that create more jobs, educate individuals, accelerate innovation and strengthen economic growth.GEN helps celebrate, understand, support and connect entrepreneurs and those who champion them," he added.
President G.E.N, Kashif Mohammad Khan further said that Pakistan needs to be a member of startup nations which has 65 countries as its members. Every year in November GEN hosts a world level activity on startups. This year, India is hosting an entrepreneurship summit in November. He further added that we are working on bringing this flagship event to Pakistan for which we need support from the Government. Pakistan needs policy formation by taking all stakeholders on board.
The introduction was followed by a moderated discussion on challenges, gaps and way forward on startup related policies and their implementation. A report based on recommendations from policy dialogue will published by GEN Pakistan and COPAIR.
Yousaf Hussain,CEO IGNITE briefed the participants about the steps their institution has taken so far. He said that there are 43 Million internet users in Pakistan. IGNITE is working on setting up local internet station in Pakistan so that our internet traffic will not have to travel to other country. He threw light on the launch of incubation centers throughout Pakistan by his department. He said that one incubation center has been launched in Islamabad. Karachi and Lahore will get these centers in the next year.
He said that we need digital training of our citizens especially youth. About startups, Yousaf Hussain said that this is the world of innovation, we invite and encourage innovative ideas that we examine as feasible and workable before funding and supporting them. He said most of the big companies of present day were startups 20 or 30 years ago. We focus startups as the possible successful company of the future. We are always ready to attract, encourage, fund and train our youth for start ups.
Former Federal Secretary and Tax Ombudsman, Chaudhary Abdul Rauf enlightened the participants about tax issues in the new businesses. He recommended early refunds for the development of new businesses as they are in dire need of funds. He said that when he assumed charge of Federal Tax Ombudsman the refund cases of approximately 250 Billion were pending since long. He pointed out that we have to evolve and agree upon one definition of business. Our authorities are not completely autonomous and different policies are in force on federal and provincial levels.
Dr Shaheena Waheed, Representative of United Nations Industrial Organization (UNIDO) said that our organization seeks innovative ideas from the youth of Pakistan on clean energy technology every year. The winners receive awards and visit Silicon Valley for further information and knowledge. She said that there is no clean energy technology in Pakistan. Therefore we support innovative ideas in this field. For startups, she recommended to establish SME centers where government can provide consultancy and training. She said that UNIDO will start SME awards and will set up Renewable Energy Fund. She appreciated IGNITE's endeavors for supporting the youth entrepreneurs.
Vice President Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce, Masooma Sibtain presented the state of affairs in southern Punjab and Multan region as she hails from the area. She said that 20% of handicrafts of Pakistan are manufactured in this area. The first woman chamber of commerce was established in Multan in 2008. More than 50% women are in startups. Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority formulated a policy in 2007 but it contained nothing for women. Only a small portion can be found in present policy but that is about jewelery sector only. Women run Small and Medium Enterprises are totally ignored. She assured full support for startups from FPCCI.
Sheharyar Haydri, Secretary General Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA) said that Pakistan has enormous talents in software and IT sector. Our organization has shifted our headquarters from Karachi to Islamabad for betterment of these sectors and to reach out to more talent and policy makers. He said our youth can not do business in an environment where they are surrounded by corrupt bureaucracy and tax officials. Our pool of entrepreneurs is ready to be registered in tax net but harassment cannot be endured.
Mr Faisal from NUST Incubation Project apprised the stakeholders about the preparation of young students for future challenges. The participants emphasized upon the concerned authorities, the federal and provincial governments of Pakistan to look into the arrangements of training, funding, supporting and securing the startup sector if we intend to give our youth a bright future that will also bring peace and economic stability in the country.


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Palmyra was a Hansa A Type cargo ship which was built as Fangturm in 1944 by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, Germany for Hansa Line, Bremen, Germany. She was seized as a prize of war in 1945, passing to the Ministry of War Transport and renamed Empire Gallop. She was sold in 1947 and renamed Baltonia, the  Baltic Oak in 1953. She was sold to West Germany in 1957 and renamed Palmyra. She served until 1962, when she was sunk in a collision with another ship.

Description
The ship was  long, with a beam of . She had a depth of , and a draught of . She was assessed as , , .

The ship was propelled by a compound steam engine, which had two cylinders of 42 cm (16 inches) and two cylinders of 90 cm (35 inches) diameter by 90 cm (35 inches) stroke. The engine was built by Deutsche Werft. Rated at 1,200IHP, it drove a single screw propeller and could propel the ship at .

History
Fangturm was a Hansa A Type cargo ship built in 1944 as yard number 448 by Deutsche Werft, Hamburg, Germany for Hansa Line, Bremen, Germany. She was launched on 23 October 1944 and completed on 29 December. Her port of registry was Bremen, and the Code Letters DOYT were allocated.

In May 1945, Fangturm was seized as a prize of war at Kiel. She was passed to the Ministry of War Transport and renamed Empire Gallop. Her United Kingdom official number was 180674 and her call sign was GJKM. She was registered in London and managed by PD Hendry & Sons.

on 26 November 1946, Empire Gallop was sold to the United Baltic Corporation, London. She was renamed Baltonia in 1947. Her port of registry was London. She was renamed Baltic Oak in 1953.

Baltic Oak was sold to Bock, Godeffroy & Co, Hamburg, West Germany in 1957 and was renamed Palmyra. Her port of registry was Hamburg and the Code Letters DIQF were allocated. She was operated under the management of the Deutsche Levant Linie. On 27 March 1962, she collided with the British merchant ship  and sank  west of Ouessant, Finistère, France. Palmyra was on a voyage from Hamburg to Istanbul, Turkey with a cargo of vehicles, steel and general cargo. British Mariner put in to the River Tyne for inspection. She was deemed a constructive total loss and was scrapped.

References

External links
Monochrome photograph of Palmyra.

1944 ships
Ships built in Hamburg
World War II merchant ships of Germany
Steamships of Germany
Empire ships
Ministry of War Transport ships
Merchant ships of the United Kingdom
Steamships of the United Kingdom
Merchant ships of West Germany
Steamships of West Germany
Maritime incidents in 1962

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US20050188017A1 - Information distribution method, server, and program - Google Patents
Information distribution method, server, and program Download PDF
notice information
Hiromune Ozaki
LOG MONSTERS Inc
United Power Co Ltd
2002-03-27 Priority to JP2002-87 priority Critical
2002-03-27 Priority to JP2002087972A priority patent/JP3371208B1/en
2003-03-11 Application filed by United Power Co Ltd filed Critical United Power Co Ltd
2005-04-21 Assigned to LOG MONSTERS INC., UNITED POWER CO., LTD. reassignment LOG MONSTERS INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: OZAKI, HIROMUNE
A method for distributing information to multiple users by a server via a network, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting notice information to a destination e-mail address of a registered user whose user information, including a unique user ID and the destination e-mail address, has been stored, the notice information containing the user ID (Step S1); transmitting a designated Web page when the registered user clicks a banner area that is displayed on the user terminal by receiving the notice information (Step S2); transmitting the notice information to the e-mail address of an unregistered user that is specified by the registered user as a forwarding address when a request for forwarding the notice information is made by the registered user via the Web page, the notice information containing the user ID (Step S3); acquiring the user ID of the registered user and transmitting the Web page when the unregistered user clicks a banner area that is displayed on the user terminal by receiving the notice information (Step S4); issuing a new user ID that is associated with the user ID of the registered user when a request for registration is made by the unregistered user via the Web page (Step S5); and storing user information including the new user ID and the forwarding address (Step S6). This method promotes an increase in the number of registered users to whom information can be distributed, and thereby enables the efficient distribution of information.
The present invention relates to a method, server and program for distributing information, and more particularly to a method, server and program for distributing information to multiple users via a network.
With the proliferation of Internet use, an increasing amount of information is being distributed over computer networks. Electronic magazines, which provide information in various forms to multiple subscribed users via e-mail, are known as a means for distributing specific information to a large number of individuals.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-350895 discloses a customer information collection system that uses the publishing of electronic magazines to provide information, and to serve as a marketing approach. In this system, an electronic magazine is issued and transmitted to a target subscriber together with a subscriber key that is specific to the subscriber. A log that is made when the subscriber accesses the electronic magazine can then be collected together with the subscriber key. The log of the subscriber's access is stored in association with the information of the subscriber, thus also allowing the investigation of tastes that are unique to the subscriber.
In the distribution of information that utilizes electronic magazines, etc., such as that described above, it is preferred that information be viewed by as many users as possible who may help to achieve the purpose of distributing the information. Suppose that information were sent indiscriminately to unregistered users. Then, it would often happen that such information would not please the tastes or preferences of the users, which would not only fail to achieve the efficient distribution of the information, but would also annoy the users, thus potentially leading to an inadvertent, negative effect.
In order to prevent the above problem, it is necessary to provide an environment that will allow a large number of users to register who have an attribute that is relevant to the information to be distributed. Since registration is generally performed at the discretion of a user who has accessed a Web page or the like, one might logically seek to promote the awareness of a specific electronic magazine to thereby increase the number of subscribed users.
However, there is a problem in that information providers cannot easily identify potential target users and, therefore, fail, in many cases, to obtain satisfactory results from their promotion or advertising efforts, thus making it difficult to increase the number of registered users.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was conceived in an attempt to solve the above-mentioned problem. It is an object of the invention to provide a method, server and program for distributing information, all of which increase the number of registered users to whom information can be distributed, and thereby enable the efficient distribution of information.
The above object of the present invention is accomplished by a method for distributing information to multiple users by a server via a network, the method comprising the steps of: transmitting notice information to the destination e-mail address of a registered user whose user information, including a unique user ID and the destination e-mail address, has been stored, the notice information containing the user ID; acquiring the user ID of the registered user and transmitting a designated Web page when the registered user clicks a banner area that is displayed on the user terminal by receiving the notice information; transmitting the notice information to the e-mail address of an unregistered user that is specified by the registered user as a forwarding address when a request for forwarding the notice information is made by the registered user via the Web page, the notice information containing the user ID; acquiring the user ID of the registered user and transmitting the Web page when the unregistered user clicks a banner area that is displayed on the user terminal by receiving the notice information; issuing a new user ID that is associated with the user ID of the registered user when a request for registration is made by the unregistered user via the Web page; and storing user information including the new user ID and the forwarding address.
The above object of the present invention is also accomplished by a server for distributing information to multiple users via a network, the server comprising: a user information memory that stores user information including unique user IDs and destination e-mail addresses; a notice information memory that stores notice information to be sent to users; a notice information transmitter that transmits the notice information to users; a Web page transmitter that transmits a designated Web page in response to an access by a user; and a user information controller that controls multiple sets of the user information; wherein the notice information transmitter transmits the notice information to the destination e-mail address of a registered user, the notice information containing the user ID; when the registered user clicks a banner area that is displayed on the user terminal by receiving the notice information, the Web page transmitter acquires the user ID of the registered user and transmits the Web page; when a request for forwarding the notice information is made by the registered user via the Web page, the notice information transmitter transmits the notice information to the e-mail address of an unregistered user that is specified by the registered user as a forwarding address, the notice information containing the user ID; when the unregistered user clicks a banner area that is displayed on the user terminal by receiving the notice information, the Web page transmitter acquires the user ID of the registered user and transmits the Web page; and when a request for registration is made by the unregistered user via the Web page, the user information controller issues a new user ID that is associated with the user ID of the registered user, and stores user information including the new user ID and the forwarding address.
The above object of the present invention is further accomplished by an information distribution program that allows a server to execute the above-described information distribution method.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information distribution server according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a flow chart describing the operational procedure for the information distribution server.
FIG. 3 is an illustration showing an example of an e-mail reception page for registered users.
FIG. 4 is an illustration showing an example of a portal page.
FIG. 5 is an illustration showing an example of a message entry page.
FIG. 6 is an illustration showing an example of an e-mail address entry page.
FIG. 7 is an illustration showing an example of a confirmation page.
FIG. 8 is an illustration showing an example of an e-mail reception page for unregistered users.
FIG. 9 is an illustration showing an example of a user information entry page.
FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the hierarchical structure of user IDs.
FIG. 11 is a schematic view of an allocation table.
FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing another operational procedure for the information distribution server.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an information distribution server according to one embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the information distribution server 1 is connected to a plurality of user terminals 4 via a network 2. The user terminals 4 store therein software components such as a Web browser for accessing the Web pages that are available in the Information distribution server 1 and a mailer for sending and receiving e-mail, and can be, for example, cellular phones or personal computers.
The information distribution server 1 is a Web server, and comprises a user information memory 11, a notice information memory 12, a notice information transmitter 13, a Web page transmitter 14, a user information controller 15, a hierarchical information memory 16, and a reception refusal information memory 17.
The user information memory 11 stores user information for each user who is registered as a subscriber to an electronic magazine. This user information includes the user ID and destination e-mail address (destination address) of a registered user, as well as, for example, the age, sex, and occupation of the user. The user information further includes the service points assigned to each registered user.
The notice information memory 12 stores the notice information to be distributed to registered users as an electronic magazine. The notice information includes various information, such as newly arrived information or advertisement information, as well as the URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of target Web pages, etc.
The notice information transmitter 13 transmits the notice information stored in the notice information memory 12 to each of the user terminals 4 based on the destination addresses of the registered users stored in the user information memory 11. In a case where multiple types of notice information exist, the information of the appropriate type is transmitted to the users who have registered specifically for that type.
The Web page transmitter 14 transmits a designated Web page stored in the information distribution server 1 in response to an access by the user terminal 4.
The user information controller 15 performs such tasks as allowing the user information for newly registered users to be stored in the user information memory 11, and associating the user IDs included in the user information with each other.
The hierarchical information memory 16 stores information by which to associate the user IDs with each other, an allocation table for allocating service points to each user, etc.
The reception refusal information memory 17 stores the e-mail addresses of users who have sent a notice to the effect that they do not wish to receive an electronic magazine.
The operation of the information distribution server 1 mentioned above will now be described by referring to the flow chart shown in FIG. 2. An information provider first determines one or more users who are to be the first subscribers to an electronic magazine, and then enters the user information for such users, including their user IDs and destination addresses. This user information is then stored in the user information memory 11. The position in which the registered users are placed is hereinafter referred to as the "starting position". The user IDs of the users to be placed at the starting position may be issued either automatically or manually by the operator of the server.
The notice information transmitter 13 transmits, via e-mail, notice information on a periodical basis to each of the destination addresses that are stored in the user information memory 11 as user information (Step S1). The registered users, to which notice information can be sent, are each given a unique user ID. The notice information transmitter 13 attaches a user ID to the address of a destination Web page, and then sends the notice information including the above user ID to the corresponding destination address. Upon receiving this e-mail at the user terminal 4, an e-mail reception page for registered users is displayed as shown in FIG. 3.
In this e-mail reception page for registered users, newly arrived information, etc., is displayed, as well as a banner area that, for example, contains a target URL (e.g., http://www.aladdin.com/) and a user ID (e.g., 12345) attached to the URL as query data. If a user clicks this banner area, a request is submitted to the information distribution server 1 to transmit the Web page specified by the URL.
The banner area may not necessarily appear as described above, and may, for example, include only a text message that says "click here", or may appear as an image, such as a GIF or JPEG image, so that a user would not visually identify the target URL or user ID. Furthermore, a link is not necessarily required; a user may manually enter the displayed URL to access a Web page. In either of the above cases, the information distribution server 1 may, when a user has accessed a Web page, acquire the user ID of the user, thus identifying which one of the registered users has accessed the Web page. The form of user ID is not specifically restricted as long as each ID is unique. For example, a user ID may be a combination of numerical characters, or the e-mail address of a user.
When a registered user attempts to access a Web page, the Web page transmitter 14 transmits the Web page for the specified URL to the user terminal 4 (Step S2), as a result of which a portal page as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on the user terminal 4.
This portal page has links provided therein. For example, these links may be arranged by topic (such as restaurant guides, travel, cars, fashions, qualifications, business, and part-time jobs) among which a user may choose by clicking the one that he/she is interested in to view the detailed information thereon. This portal page also includes a link with which a user may forward the notice information received via e-mail to his/her acquaintances. Upon clicking the part that reads "Recommend the e-mail magazine" in this portal page, a message entry page as shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on the user terminal 4.
This message entry page allows a registered user to enter a message for the recipient at the forwarding destination. If a registered user enters a message and clicks the part that says "Register" in this message entry page, an e-mail address entry page is displayed in which the user may then enter the e-mail address of the forwarding destination (forwarding address), as shown in FIG. 6. This e-mail address entry page may also be reached by clicking the part that says "No message" in the message entry page, without entering a message.
If a registered user enters one or more forwarding addresses and then clicks the part saying "Send" in the e-mail address entry page of FIG. 6, the user information controller 15 checks the entered forwarding addresses as to whether or not they are stored in the user information memory 11 or the reception refusal information memory 17. If any of the entered addresses is found to be stored in the user information memory 11, it means that the user having that address is already registered, whereas if any of the entered addresses is found to be stored in the reception refusal information memory 17, it means that the user having that address has unsubscribed from the service. Hence, in either case, the user information controller 15 regards such an address as one to which notice information cannot be sent. On the contrary, if it is found that the entered addresses are stored in neither the user information memory 11 nor the reception refusal information memory 17, the user information controller 15 regards such addresses as ones to which notice information can be sent. The e-mail addresses as thus classified are displayed in a confirmation page on the user terminal 4 as shown in FIG. 7. The user may then click the "Recommend button" in this confirmation page to complete the request to the information distribution server 1 for forwarding notice information. The results of analysis as to whether to send notice information may not necessarily be displayed, thus omitting the confirmation page of FIG. 7.
In response to this request for forwarding notice information, the notice information transmitter 13 transmits, via e-mail, the notice information in which the user ID of the introducer is included to the forwarding addresses that were regarded as ones to which notice information could be sent (Step S3). This notice information includes the message that was entered by the introducer in the message entry page of FIG. 5. Upon receiving the e-mail at the user terminal 4, an e-mail reception page for unregistered users is displayed as shown in FIG. 8.
In the e-mail reception page for unregistered users, the name of the introducer and possibly the message sent from him/her are displayed in addition to the information that was displayed in the e-mail reception page for registered users of FIG. 3, thereby providing security to the e-mail receivers, and promoting them to access a Web page.
When an unregistered user attempts to access a Web page, the Web page transmitter 14 transmits the Web page for the specified URL to the user terminal 4 (Step S4). A portal page of the user terminal 4 is then displayed which is the same as that which would be displayed when accessed by a registered user (cf. FIG. 4).
This portal page incorporates a link provided therein that allows an unregistered user to register. Upon clicking the part that reads "Register" in this portal page, a user information entry page as shown in FIG. 9 is displayed. In the user information entry page, an unregistered user may enter his/her name, sex, birthdate, e-mail address, password, etc., and then click the "Confirm" button to request his/her registration to the information distribution server 1. This registration procedure may also be designed such that an unregistered user is asked to agree with, for example, a privacy policy or membership regulations.
Upon receiving a registration request from an unregistered user, the user information controller 15 issues a new user ID that is correlated with the user ID of the registered user who introduced the unregistered user (Step S5). User IDs may be correlated with each other by, for example, storing the information that identifies the user ID to which the new user ID is subordinate in the hierarchical information memory 16 whenever a new user ID is issued. User IDs may also be issued such that a new user ID is created by combining with the user ID of the introducer a serial number that is subordinate thereto as an additive code, thus allowing the new user ID to be definite in terms of its subordination, as can be seen from FIG. 10. Referring to FIG. 10, suppose the user ID of an introducer is "1" and the additive code is "1". The new user ID is then "1-1". As another example, suppose the user ID of an introducer is "2-1" and the additive code is "3". The new user ID is then "2-1-3". Unique user IDs may be assigned by following this pattern.
The user information controller 15 incorporates a new user ID thus issued into the user information that was entered during a registration procedure, and stores it in the user information memory 11 (Step S6). An electronic magazine will be sent to the newly registered user via e-mail starting with the next issue.
It may happen, depending on the situation, that an unregistered user is not motivated to subscribe to an electronic magazine after viewing the e-mail reception page for unregistered users that was sent from his/her introducer (ref. FIG. 8). In this case, the unregistered user may click the part that says "Unsubscribe" in the portal page (ref. FIG. 4) to display a page for unsubscribing. The information entered in this page, such as the e-mail address of the unregistered user, is stored in the reception refusal information memory 17. As a result, even if another registered user attempts to introduce this unregistered user, the user information controller 15 determines this unregistered user to be one to which notice information cannot be forwarded, thus eliminating the possibility of repeatedly transmitting an electronic magazine to a user who does not wish to receive one.
A method for assigning service points is described next as an example of utilizing the correlated user IDs. When a user has registered, a designated number of service points are allocated to the user, as well as to his/her introducer, etc., based on the allocation table stored in the hierarchical information memory 16. These service points are stored in the user information memory 11.
As can be seen from FIG. 11, the allocation table designates, for each electronic magazine, the relationship between the ratio (%) of the service points to be assigned to each registered user and the hierarchical level. As used herein, the "hierarchical level" indicates the hierarchical distance between a newly registered user and an already registered user. An example of this is given below with the assumption that user IDs are assigned on a hierarchical basis, as shown in FIG. 10. When the user ID of a newly registered user is "2-1-3", 5% of the new registration points are added as service points to this user, who has the hierarchical level 0, based on the allocation table. Further, 3% of the new registration points are added as service points to the user with the hierarchical level 1, i.e., the user with the user ID of "2-1", who has introduced the above user. Similarly, 2% of the new registration points are added as service points to the user with the hierarchical level 2, i.e., the user with the user ID of "2", who is two levels higher.
Service points are also allocated in response to user operations such as, in addition to new registration, viewing information, completing questionnaires, and requesting materials, all of which can be performed through the portal page (FIG. 4). For example, when a designated topic is clicked in the portal page, detailed information about the topic is displayed. By clicking the "Read it-button" that is provided at the end of this information, a designated number of service points are allocated to the user who has viewed the information, as well as to the users who are hierarchically above this user, as with the case of allocating new registration points, which was described earlier.
Depending on the total number of service points added as described above, compensation is paid to a user at designated periods or upon receipt of the designated number of service points. The compensation to be paid to each user may be charged, for example, to the provider or advertiser of the information posted on the electronic magazine.
In this way, service points are allocated not only to a newly registered user, but also to the introducer of the newly registered user, thus encouraging unregistered users to register, and further motivating already registered users to solicit other users. Furthermore, since service points are also allocated to the registered users who are hierarchically higher than an introducer, such users may be provided with substantial revenue through routes that they are not even aware of, thus also providing a game-like enjoyment. These merits, accordingly, may serve to encourage people to register with a published electronic magazine, thereby rapidly increasing the number of registered users, and ultimately ensuring the effective distribution of information.
In the case where the registered users who should be allocated service points no longer exist, for example where the starting position is at the hierarchical level 0, the service points that would normally be added to such non-existing users may all be given to the registered users located at the starting position, which is the topmost level of the hierarchical structure.
When a registered user asks to unsubscribe from an electronic magazine, the user ID of the registered user is deleted. When a deleted user ID is found in a position to which service points would otherwise be allocated, the service points are allocated to the user IDs that are hierarchically above the deleted user ID. For example, when the user ID "2-1-3" is deleted, the service points that would normally have been allocated to the user with this ID are allocated to the user with the user ID of "2-1", who is one level above him/her, and the service points that would normally have been allocated to the user with the user ID of "2-1" are allocated to the user with the user ID of "2", who is one level above him/her.
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described, the same effect as that of the described embodiment may be provided without displaying a portal page (ref. FIG. 4) on the user terminals 4 but by following the procedure that will be described below with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG. 12. Brief descriptions will be provided for the aspects of the procedure that overlap with the above-described embodiment.
The notice information transmitter 13 transmits, via e-mail, notice information on a periodical basis to each of the destination addresses stored in the user information memory 11 as user information (Step S11). This e-mail includes the user ID of a registered user.
Upon receiving this e-mail, a registered user, in response, enters the e-mail address of one or more users at a forwarding destination (forwarding addresses), together with his/her comment, if any.
Once the user information controller 15 has received this response mail from the registered user, it then searches inside the user information memory 11 and the reception refusal information memory 17 in order to determine whether the entered addresses are ones to which notice information can be sent, and then issues new user IDs for those determined to be ones to which notice information can be sent (Step S12). These new user IDs are associated with the user ID of the introducer.
The user information controller 15 further associates the newly issued user IDs with the forwarding addresses, and then stores them in the user information memory 11 (Step S13), which completes the registration procedure.
Subsequently, the notice information transmitter 13 transmits notice information to the forwarding addresses (Step S14). This transmission may also be performed prior to issuing new user IDs.
As described above, a newly registered user introduces other users in a successive way, thus rapidly increasing the number of registered users and, as a result, enabling more effective distribution of information.
If a user who has received e-mail through the recommendation of a registered user does not wish to receive upcoming electronic magazine articles, he/she may send an e-mail message to the information distribution server 1 to unsubscribe, so that the e-mail address of this user will be stored in the reception refusal information memory 17, thus preventing a user with no intention of subscribing to an electronic magazine from being annoyed by repeatedly receiving the electronic magazine.
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described, the means for transmitting notice information to the user terminals 4 may not necessarily be e-mail, and may be selected from other options as long as the transmission of information to users is assured. Furthermore, although an electronic magazine is exemplified in each of the above embodiments, other means may also be employed to transmit information to a large number of users.
It is also possible to create a program for the operating procedure followed in the above embodiment, thus allowing it to be distributed in the marketplace.
The present invention promotes an increase in the number of registered users to whom information can be distributed, and thereby enables the efficient distribution of information.
1. A method for distributing information to multiple users by a server via a network, the method comprising the steps of:
transmitting notice information to a destination e-mail address of a registered user whose user information, including a unique user ID and the destination e-mail address, has been stored, the notice information containing the user ID;
acquiring the user ID of the registered user and transmitting a designated Web page when the registered user clicks a banner area that is displayed on the user terminal by receiving the notice information;
transmitting the notice information to the e-mail address of an unregistered user that is specified by the registered user as a forwarding address when a request for forwarding the notice information is made by the registered user via the Web page, the notice information containing the user ID;
acquiring the user ID of the registered user and transmitting the Web page when the unregistered user clicks a banner area that is displayed on the user terminal by receiving the notice information;
issuing a new user ID that is associated with the user ID of the registered user when a request for registration is made by the unregistered user via the Web page; and
storing user information including the new user ID and the forwarding address.
2. A method for distributing information according to claim 1, wherein the notice information transmitted by the server to the registered or unregistered user contains information indicating the location of the Web page and being accompanied by the user ID.
3. A method for distributing information according to claim 1, wherein the notice information transmitted by the server to the forwarding address includes comment data received from the registered user.
4. A method for distributing information according to claim 1, wherein the notice information is transmitted by the server to address(es) selected from multiple forwarding addresses specified by the registered user by eliminating those stored as ones to which notice information cannot be sent.
5. A method for distributing information according to claim 1, wherein the e-mail addresses to which notice information cannot be sent include the e-mail addresses of unregistered users who have sent a notice to the effect that they do not wish to receive the notice information.
6. A method for distributing information according to claim 1, wherein the notice information is transmitted via e-mail.
7. A server for distributing information to multiple users via a network, the server comprising:
a user information memory that stores user information including unique user IDs and destination e-mail addresses;
a notice information memory that stores notice information to be sent to users;
a notice information transmitter that transmits the notice information to users;
a Web page transmitter that transmits a designated Web page in response to an access by a user; and
a user information controller that controls multiple sets of the user information;
the notice information transmitter transmits the notice information to the destination e-mail address of a registered user, the notice information containing the user ID;
when the registered user clicks a banner area that is displayed on the user terminal by receiving the notice information, the Web page transmitter acquires the user ID of the registered user and transmits the Web page;
when a request for forwarding the notice information is made by the registered user via the Web page, the notice information transmitter transmits the notice information to the e-mail address of an unregistered user that is specified by the registered user as a forwarding address, the notice information containing the user ID;
when the unregistered user clicks a banner area that is displayed on the user terminal by receiving the notice information, the Web page transmitter acquires the user ID of the registered user and transmits the Web page; and
when a request for registration is made by the unregistered user via the Web page, the user information controller issues a new user ID that is associated with the user ID of the registered user, and stores user information including the new user ID and the forwarding address.
8. An information distribution program that allows a server to execute the information distribution method of claim 1.
US10/509,046 2002-03-27 2003-03-11 Information distribution method, server, and program Abandoned US20050188017A1 (en)
JP2002-87 2002-03-27
JP2002087972A JP3371208B1 (en) 2002-03-27 2002-03-27 Information distribution method, server and program
PCT/JP2003/002828 WO2003081442A1 (en) 2002-03-27 2003-03-11 Information distribution method, server, and program
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US20010032258A1 (en) 2001-10-18 System for internet connections, system for providing internet user information, method for providing internet user preference information, and method for distributing digital contents using the internet
EP1163773B1 (en) 2004-10-06 An internet interface system
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Home > Michael Mammay
Michael Mammay
Michael Mammay is a retired army officer and a graduate of the United States Military Academy. He has a masters degree in military history, and he is a veteran of Desert Storm, Somalia, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He lives with his family in Georgia.
The Weight of Command
1. Planetside (2018)
2. Spaceside (2019)
3. Colonyside (2020)
1. The Misfit Soldier (2022)
The Weight of Command (2023)
Generation Ship (2023)
Michael Mammay recommends
Nophek Gloss (2020)
(Graven, book 1)
Essa Hansen
"An exceptional debut - one of the best I've read in years. The sheer imagination in this book is staggering . . . Reads like a Becky Chambers novel crossed with Firefly . . . With her first novel, Essa Hansen establishes herself as a force in the world of science fiction."
The Last Watch (2021)
(Divide , book 1)
J S Dewes
"The Last Watch is an amazing debut. The smart world-building and explode-off-the page action scenes make it perfect for fans of The Expanse and other fast-paced Sci Fi. I predict that Dewes is going to be a 'must read' author for years to come."
Beyond the Hallowed Sky (2021)
(Lightspeed, book 1)
"An exceptional blend of international politics, hard science, and first contact."
Spidertouch (2021)
Alex Thomson
"Outstanding debut novel... Wonderful world building with a top-notch mystery to boot."
Deep Dive (2022)
Ron Walters
"An outstanding debut novel that explores the blurred lines between virtual reality and real life. It gave me Total Recall vibes in the best way. I couldn't put it down!"
Under Fortunate Stars (2022)
Ren Hutchings
"In Under Fortunate Stars, Ren Hutchings has written a space opera that is close and personal in its conflicts and, at the same time, wide-reaching in its scope. This is destined to be one of the breakout science fiction novels of 2022."
Wake of War (2022)
Zac Topping
"WAKE OF WAR is packed with intense, realistic combat action set in an all-too-believable near future. Zac Topping has clearly been there and done that, and he delivers riveting combat scenes that explode off of the page."
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BB-207-PA4X6 BB-102-BH2; Flips from an image of Betty Boop sitting on a star to Betty Boop lifting her leg up on a star. Gold stars lined with red against a red background. TF-501-PI R-217-CD24; 3D image of the universe. Astronauts, moons, suns, stars, space ships, planets, and satellites all come to life against a dark blue background.


Seasons of Love Collection. Variations of this style starting at $1,530. Total Carat Weight : 0.26ctw Prices and Total Carat Weight do not include center stone.
Delicate and classic, this addition to the Quilted Collection features a french pave setting which showcases a round brilliant center diamond.


I work with PHP since 8 years and I never took a look on WordPress. In the start of this year a customer requires me to develop his next website, but using the WordPress. So I had to search some tutorials on the Internet and join informations to make my own way to think using WordPress.
In this first post I'll explain how to THINK in the WordPress way, the files you need to customize, create and how to get posts in yours next website pages.
The first question I had is how to imagine a new website in the WordPress way. It's easy, because it has only 2 ways of save data: Posts and Pages.
What's Page and what's is Posts?
Since WordPress 3.0 we can create our own post types. There are a lot of plugins that help you to create custom post type. It's simple and easy to use. Those plugins will create a new item on the admin navigation (on the left) with the post type you want. For example: for the customers post type we'll have a new topic on the navigation called Customers and there we'll add new posts (customers type). You can create as many Customers you want, and we'll explain how to retrive them later.
The interesting thing is you can add custom fields to pages too. You can, for example, add a "company mission" field on the About Us page. What you must do is just add a field called company_misson in that page. Resuming, you can add what you want to pages and posts.
The explanations are very good. I'll follow this tutorial, certainly. Congratz!
Thanks Felipe! I need to write more about WordPress. It's a very powerfull tool! Thanks.


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One Year Into Collections, Richland's Penny Program Just Getting Started
The State Newspaper by Dawn Hinshaw
· BY THE NUMBERS
Amount collected so far*
Amount spent so far
Amount to be collected before program ends
*Treasurer David Adams said the figure reflecting a full year's collections of the penny-on-the-dollar sales tax will not be available until July because distribution, by state government, runs behind collection.
· MORE INFORMATION
What's been done?
Though no projects have been built, Richland County's transportation program has:
• Produced a new, county-wide program to boost contracts to local, minority and small businesses. A "local business" is one headquartered in Richland County; that derives more than 50 percent of its revenues from its Richland County office; or that employs a workforce with 25 percent of employees living in Richland County.
• Established a county transportation office, with a director and assistant director, both former employees of the S.C. Department of Transportation. Two more positions will round out the team: a program manager for dirt roads, resurfacing and neighborhood improvements; and a construction/engineering manager.
• Prepared a State Infrastructure Bank request with local partners seeking $314.4 million to "transform" Assembly and Huger streets, expand streets toward the Congaree River and establish direct access to the interstate from the airport; as well as an $18 million federal grant request to extend Shop Road to Garners Ferry Road.
• Restored Sunday bus service, established a free flex route to Northeast Richland County and purchased 11 18-passenger buses.
Richland County voters may have expected their first new road projects to be well underway by now.
But exactly one year since the county began collecting a penny-on-the-dollar sales tax for transportation, construction is just now getting started on an initial list of paving projects in rural areas – short stretches of little-used dirt roads, not big-ticket road projects affecting lots of people.
With the county forced to scrap its selection process for a program management firm in February, much-anticipated projects are running a good six months behind.
Unable to launch a large project, like widening Bluff Road or fixing the interchange at I-20 and Broad River Road, county officials have decided to accelerate a plan already in the works – paving 29 dirt roads this summer using an estimated $2.9 million in sales-tax money, supplemented with other funds.
"It's something you can quickly do, so individuals will see some benefit of their tax dollars," Councilman Paul Livingston said.
The paving of a block-long section of Mt. Pilgrim Church Road, in Northeast Richland, kicks off the sales tax program in a ceremony May 8.
But, in truth, it's the hiring of the program development team that will mark real progress toward starting the county's massive, $1.07 billion transportation plan.
Tuesday, Livingston and his colleagues are scheduled to sign off on their second attempt at hiring a private-sector management team. The team will handle everything from design and inspection to updating a website giving the public the latest information on construction.
First, though, the development team will prioritize hundreds of projects included in a 2012 voter-approved plan to improve roads, public transit, sidewalks and trails – projects that, put on a fast track, could be done in a decade.
It's the need to rank and schedule projects that has frustrated progress, Livingston said.
"Although we're stalled with the program management team, there's still a lot going on," he said. "By mid-summer, hopefully, we'll start seeing a little bit of everything" under construction.
In January, the council picked ICA Engineering as its program management team, only to have one of the unsuccessful teams lodge a protest — a problem that just occurred in Florence County, too.
In Richland County, questions arose about whether the council improperly overrode staff rankings of the teams, which were based on experience as well as a commitment to hiring local subcontractors.
As a result, Richland County Council decided to start over on its selection process. This time, top staff will winnow the field to three teams, but will not rank them. The council hopes to select a team by July.
Additionally, the council is being asked, as part of penny spending, to decide whether to:
• Embark on a $3.2 million program to resurface suburban roads.
The county has earmarked $40 million for resurfacing, but transportation director Rob Perry suggested a way to get started this summer, even without a management team in place. He asked the county's public works department to identify roads with recurring maintenance issues. The result: 37 roads, most in the northwest and north central part of the county. The council's transportation committee has expressed an interest in tweaking the list, all of which would require the approval of the full County Council.
• Piggy-back on two repaving projects planned by the state.
Perry suggested the county try to take advantage of highway department plans to re-pave Trenholm Road and Clemson Road this summer, going ahead and adding bike lanes on Trenholm Road as well as sidewalks and bike lanes on Clemson Road. A partnership could save money for the county, which already had the bike and pedestrian projects on its to-do list, he said.
• Hire a separate manager just for trails.
Councilman Kelvin Washington said he wants to select a local firm to manage the county's 15 trail projects, a scheme he said is allowable because they do not use federal funds. Perry noted that two projects already have been designed and presumably are in line to be done first: the Saluda Riverwalk, an extension of the Three Rivers Greenway alongside Riverbanks Zoo; and the city's Lincoln Tunnel, serving Finlay Park.
• Fast-track the dirt-road paving program.
A council committee on dirt roads is recommending that the county do all $45 million in dirt-road paving in five years, by 2019.
Hayes Mizell, chairman of a citizen watchdog committee the county formed to keep tabs on its program, noted the county's pace has been hampered by both a court challenge of the November 2012 vote for the sales tax and the protest of the council's $50 million program development contract.
"There's been a good faith effort, but there have been some fits and starts," he said Wednesday.
"Now things are, it appears, moving forward."
Reach Hinshaw at (803) 771-8641.


Spectacular design, technology transfer from the world of motorsport and driving dynamics at the highest level; the new Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupé Black Series embodies the new AMG brand claim, Driving Performance, like no other AMG model. The new high-performance vehicle is the most powerful C-Class of all time, boasting a maximum output of 380 kW / 517 hp and a maximum torque of 620 newton metres. The AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine impresses with its hefty torque, tremendous pulling power and responsiveness, and ensures high-calibre performance: the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupé Black Series accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds.
Broad, low, brawny and ready to pounce from a standstill - the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupé Black Series makes a mighty impression. In visual terms the new high-performance vehicle is reminiscent of the SLS AMG GT3 customer sports car and symbolises the transfer of technology from the sphere of motorsport, which has been part of the corporate philosophy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH for 44 years now.


(Reuters Health) - When applying sunscreen, people tend to miss spots on their faces, and a new study suggests this is even more likely when they use SPF moisturizers.
"Perhaps there is a difference here because when people think about applying sunscreen they know they are going to be putting it on for a purpose - to protect themselves from the sun - and perhaps they are a little less diligent with moisturizer with SPF as it is part of their daily routine, without considering sun exposure," Martin said by email.
SOURCE: bit.ly/2Vl0lyD PLoS ONE, online April 3, 2019.