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Market Trends July 2017
CONSTRUCTION'S LAGGING PRODUCTIVITY GAINS HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR TECH
Construction is one of the least-digitized industries in the world. Total economic output per worker, or productivity, has remained essentially flat since the end of World War II. In many other industries, there have been productivity gains of as much as 1,500%, according to a McKinsey report from earlier this year. Stagnant productivity, combined with the sector's labor shortage, makes the construction industry "ripe for a robotic takeover," where it could reap benefits of technology, according to Recode. As of February 2017, nearly 200,000 construction jobs were left unfilled across the U.S., according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, on average, 98% of construction megaprojects go over budget, so even small improvements in efficiency could result in hundreds of millions in savings. The construction sector could save $127.3 billion annually by making more use of drones in site planning, project updates, and safety enhancements, according to PwC. Among companies developing drones specific to the industry is Autodesk, which is working with a drone company to develop drone technology that can geotag photos, push data to the cloud and create orthomosaic image files.
FREE CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY COURSES
ConTech Academy, powered by Autodesk MIM 360, is a new online, on-demand continuing education site for construction pros. The academy promises to teach people how to use the newest construction technology. Courses include Quality in the Digital Age, Site Safety with Mobile, Site Surveys with Drones and Site Layout with Robotic Total Stations. Attendees learn at their own pace and can earn free continuing professional development credits, download practical guides, templates and starter packages, learn new technical skills and trends and get tips from construction experts. All courses are free at https://contechacademy.bim360.autodesk.com.
LOWES PARTNERS WITH VIRGINIA TECH
Lowe's and Virginia Tech are working to develop an exosuit, a wearable robotic suit with lift-assist technology for Lowe's store employees, that is designed to help employees lift and move product through the store more efficiently and with less muscle fatigue. The idea came out of Lowe's Innovation Lab, which focuses on disruptive technology. The Lab envisioned a future where the use of technology could give employees "superpowers" and help maximize performance.
PRINT A 3D HOME
MIT is working on a robotic system that can 3D print homes at remote sites using a variety of materials, including the earth that's immediately at hand. The robotic 3D platform, known as the Digital Construction Platform, should mimic biology by viewing the building as an organism digitally designed and built with a system that seamlessly connects and supports the whole. The technology is focused on building without the necessity of parts while producing not only the basic structure but also interior elements. Working from a mobile, tracked platform, one of the newest 3D printing systems promises to enlarge and extend the technology to the construction of buildings in isolated areas and harsh conditions. Still in development at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the robotic 3D printing system has successfully built the walls of a 50-foot-diameter, 12-foot dome in less than 14 hours.
APPLE ENTERS SMART HOME MARKET
Apple introduced an Intelligent Home Speaker during their recent Developer's Conference. Strategy Analytics forecasts more than 12 million smart home speakers will be purchased globally in 2017, with Amazon's Echo accounting for 80% of the volume. Apple's entry, called the Home Pod, will sell for about $350 in the U.S., U.K. and Australia, and will be available in December. The main version of Amazon's Echo is $180; Google's Home speaker is $130. People will be able to interact with Apple's assistant Siri as well as control smart devices, but Apple says they are also focusing on delivering a higher-quality music experience.
MILLENNIALS WORK HARDER, EARN LESS
Inflation adjusted wages have fallen since 2000. Recent estimates from the Department of Labor show that inflation-adjusted wages for college graduates have fallen more than 5% since 2000. Wages for high school graduates have fallen 11%. The Census Bureau estimates that millennials with full time jobs earn $2,000 less in inflation-adjusted wages than their peers did in 1980. And expectations are changing. People born in 1940 had a 92% chance of earning more than their parents, those born in 1950 had a 79% chance, but those born in 1980 have just a 46% chance of earning more than their parents. And more than 20% of 18—34-year-olds live in poverty. There are several theories as to what is causing this decline in the standard of living. Some speculate that it's the enormous debt load created by the grandparents and parents of millennials that is weighing down the economy; others blame it on stagnant productivity and massive student debt.
WHY PEOPLE AREN'T BORROWING AGAINST THEIR HOMES
Americans have a tradition of borrowing against the equity in their homes to do home renovations and finance big purchases. Housing equity now equals 58% of home values, the highest point since 2006, and only 3.2 million of the 76 million owned households in the U.S. have negative equity; in 2011, there were 11 million households with negative equity in their homes. However, borrowing against home equity is still near the post-recession low.
Banking analysts say that despite low interest rates it's become harder to borrow. The web of lending regulations created after the financial crisis is still in place and banks are demanding nearly pristine credit before they will write equity lines. That has dampened what is called the wealth effect, the tendency of households to spend more when home values rise. Americans carry slightly more debt than before the recession, but that is primarily due to huge increases in student loans.
Healthier home equity borrowing could add three-quarters of a percentage point to GDP each year, according to estimates from the New York Fed. Younger and less affluent Americans are less likely than before the recession to own a home or have much equity to borrow against. Older, wealthier Americans now own a larger share of America's housing wealth, but are less likely to borrow for big purchases or projects. In 2017 Americans over 60 owned one-third of housing equity, up from one-fifth in 2006. Homeowners with credit scores above 780 own half of all housing equity, up from 40% a decade ago.
Americans borrowed an average of $181 billion annually against homes from 2000 through 2003, before the reckless borrowing of the housing bubble. From 2012 through 2015 they borrowed just $21 billion annually. Banks must now hold more money in reserve for each equity line they extend, so the business is less attractive to banks than making loans that require lower reserves. And Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can now send home loans that default back to the banks that provided them, and Fannie and Freddie loans are now costlier because they are required to impose higher fees.
EMPTY NESTS FILLING BACK UP
Millennials ages 20—26 expect to pay off their student debt by an average age of 35, although 14% of them think they'll still be paying it off when they are 50, and 32% plan to have it paid off before they turn 30. Their parents may be surprised to learn that one of the ways they hope to meet their goals is by moving back home after college, according to TD Ameritrade's Young Money Survey. The survey revealed that 32% said they owed anywhere from $10,000 to more than $50,000 on student loans. Nearly half of the post-college millennials surveyed admitted they have moved back home, and 25% of those still in school plan to do so after they graduate. They won't be embarrassed about living with Mom and Dad until they are at least 30 years old. Student debt impacts their plans in many other ways, saying it would delay them buying a home (40%) saving for retirement (31%), moving out of their parents' home (27%), having children (25%) and getting married (21%).
AMAZON PRICE-MATCHING SERVICE
An online price-matching service launched in Seattle in 2015 has a goal of helping shoppers find "Amazon.com prices" at brick-and mortar stores. PriceLocal recently added 10,000 new stores to its database, including Walmart. The service already includes Home Depot. PriceLocal adds a button to a web browser. When a customer finds an item they want on Amazon, they can click on the PriceLocal button and a local store will respond if it can match the Amazon Prime price for the item. Store owners or employees get emails and text messages with the customer's request. If the store agrees to match Amazon's price, the customer is emailed a coupon to buy the item in store. The service works only with Amazon Prime-eligible items or items with free shipping.
PRICE GYMNASTICS ON AMAZON MARKETPLACE
Amazon's marketplace opened in 2000 and now sales on the marketplace account for 49% of the goods Amazon ships. Of the more than 2 million registered sellers, 100,000 each sold more than $100,000 in goods in the past year, according to Amazon. What most consumers don't realize is that prices on the marketplace can literally change in minutes as sellers use complex algorithms to end up in the coveted BUY box, raising and lowering prices in response to demand. Some of the more sophisticated companies like Feedvisor claim to use artificial intelligence to learn the market dynamics behind every item in a catalog. Sellers who rely on Feedvisor let the system handle price increases and avoid bidding wars that can cause sudden "flash crashes." Amazon itself is noted for monitoring product categories and jumping into categories that are selling well, even going so far as to develop a house-branded version of the product. For example, the price of a pack of Duracell brand AAA batteries fluctuates from day to day on Amazon, but the price of Amazon's own brand of AAA batteries is stable, and at the time of this report Amazon brand batteries cost nearly fifty percent less per battery than Duracell's.


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Pandemic casts shadow on off-grid solar sales in poorer nations
by Megan Rowling | @meganrowling | Thomson Reuters Foundation
Wednesday, 14 October 2020 16:49 GMT
Children watch employees of Salpha Energy installing a music player powered by solar energy in their home at Sagbo-Kodji community, amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Lagos, Nigeria April 25, 2020. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja
Sales of off-grid solar products fell sharply in the first half of the year, even as many poorer households relied on them during lockdowns
Coronavirus is changing the world in unprecedented ways. Subscribe here for a briefing twice a week on how this global crisis is affecting cities, technology, approaches to climate change, and the lives of vulnerable people.
By Megan Rowling
BARCELONA, Oct 14 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - As the coronavirus pandemic hit trade and incomes hard in developing nations, sales of off-grid solar products fell sharply in the first half of the year, even as many poorer households relied on them during lockdowns.
Data compiled by GOGLA, the association for the off-grid solar energy industry, found global sales of lighting products fell 26% from the same period in 2019, hitting the lowest volume since 2014 and curbing the sector's record-breaking growth.
In a report released on Wednesday, GOGLA noted that before the COVID-19 crisis, the off-grid solar industry had expected to see continued expansion, adding to its 370,000 clean energy jobs in Africa and South Asia, and powering millions more homes and businesses.
But the pandemic now threatens the ability to reach and maintain the 13% annual growth rate needed to meet a global goal to provide sustainable, affordable energy for all by 2030, it said. Growth had been running at 10% over the past three years.
The downturn comes even as the health emergency has made clear the importance of electrification for everything from powering clinics to helping children learn at home and keeping small businesses operating, said GOGLA's research lead Susie Wheeldon.
Expanding access to off-grid solar power also "will be really influential on the speed of recovery more generally for low-income countries", she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The situation so far has varied across regions, largely shaped by government regulations in response to the pandemic.
In about 10 African countries, for example, solar home systems and products were designated an "essential service", enabling companies to continue sales and support during pandemic lockdowns.
As a result, sales of solar lighting products in East Africa dipped just 11% in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, with cash sales suffering more than pay-as-you-go systems.
In South Asia, by contrast, where off-grid solar power was not accorded special status and Indian micro-finance borrowers were not given a moratorium on repaying loans for solar products, sales plummeted by nearly 60%.
Many solar companies have tried to ease the burden on low-income buyers in response to job losses and other lockdown-related economic problems, the report said.
The majority have offered grace periods on repayments, rescheduled debt or made minimum payments smaller on products.
Some also reported using their call centres and agents to provide health information to rural households, and to offer health and life insurance. Others provided solar power and other energy products to health centres without electricity.
"They have been using the skills that they have developed in terms of being young and nimble enterprises to try and adapt to the new normal," Wheeldon said.
Sales of solar-powered, energy-efficient appliances also took a knock in the first half of the year, the report noted.
Sales of fans saw the largest absolute decline, while solar water pumps and refrigeration units also saw a halt in growth.
Solar-powered televisions, on the other hand, saw stable sales, likely the result of customer demand for entertainment and information during lockdowns.
Overall, however, the pandemic is slowing already-lagging progress on providing universal access to electricity by 2030, the International Energy Agency said.
It now projects 660 million people worldwide will still be living without electric power by 2030, or perhaps as many as 760 million if the pandemic recovery is delayed, GOGLA said.
Wheeldon said efforts underway by investors, donors and development agencies to provide relief funding to solar companies could help limit the damage, however, and pave the way for getting off-grid solar expansion back on track by 2022.
Solar keeps lights, phones on for rural Kenyans during pandemic blackouts
Powerless in a pandemic: Solar energy prescribed for off-grid healthcare
ANALYSIS-Pandemic sparks push to keep green energy-access firms switched on
(Reporting by Megan Rowling @meganrowling; editing by Laurie Goering. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers the lives of people around the world who struggle to live freely or fairly. Visit http://news.trust.org/climate)
Coronavirus & Climate
Coronavirus & Vulnerable communities
Coronavirus & Technology
Africa's leap to clean energy seen needing policy change, investment
IEA warns of post-pandemic emissions rebound
FACTBOX-Japan's green growth strategy to help achieve carbon neutral goal

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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While there remains continual doubt about if and when Velvet Revolver will ever return to the stage with a new singer, it's at least nice to know that the core group of former Guns N' Roses members remain on a friendly basis. That was definitely on display Friday night (July 13) in Seattle when Duff McKagan dropped in on his old pal Slash for a performance at the Paramount Theatre.
The main body of the performance featured Slash and his band, Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, but being as how the group was in McKagan's home base of Seattle there were many wondering if there might be a reunion to take place.
The fans did not leave disappointed as McKagan walked out with the group for the encore and proceeded to rip through the GNR-era favorites 'It's So Easy' and 'Paradise City' for those in attendance.
After the performance, Slash took to his Twitter account, where he posted, "Thanks to Duff McKagan for coming down & jamming a couple tunes as well. Made it a perfect night. #itssoeasy#" According to GNR fan forum, Gunsnfnroses.com, this marks the first time in five years that the guitar great has played 'It's So Easy' live.
While the members of Velvet Revolver have reconvened from time-to-time over the last few years in hopes of selecting a new frontman, actual performances from the band have been few and far between. The group did actually make nice with Scott Weiland to play a benefit show earlier this year, and the GNR portion of the band took the stage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, but other public appearances have been sparse in recent years.


I am Dr. Joanna Scott, creator of Mocha Parents, Awesome Kids. I am also a mother, researcher and racial equity consultant. I have worked with numerous organizations across the country who aspire to be more intentional about race in their organizational policies and practices. In this space, I borrow from my work and my parenting experiences living at the intersection of race and gender. I have an extensive background in public policy analysis, family counseling and years of experience as a child advocate. I hope my work mirrors my heart's song – a deep belief in the brilliance of every Black child.
Kids, Race and Public Space: Who Makes the Rules?


Dracula and the Haggadah? Huh?!
Narrative frame: We started the year with The Canterbury Tales and explored the idea of narrative frame, that is, the structure the author uses to tell his/her story. Chaucer, for example, creates the fiction of a group of pilgrims gathered on their way to Canterbury and frames his tales by having each pilgrim tell a story.
We're returning to the idea of narrative frame for our second outside reading book assignment of the year. The technique is apt given the time of year: Pesach, when we can compare our literary narrative frames to the story set out for us in the Haggadah.
Part I. Choose either Dracula or Frankenstein. Get it, and read it. Then answer the following question in a well-structured and well supported essay of two pages.
Why would the author use the narrative frame that is used to tell this story?
Through close reading and page number-based citations, explain what this method adds to the story and its understanding, and discuss how the text would have lost meaning had the author chosen a simpler narrative system.
Rabbi Rosen typed up the following based on our talking out how we wanted the students to connect their thinking about narrative frame to the Haggadah.
Part II. Consider the narrative frame presented to us in the text of Maggid. The speaker is sometimes named and sometimes not. The voice is variable and the perspective and tone shift. How would you describe the overall frame and narrative identity, and why would the text be presented in this way? Are there other methods which might have accomplished more than the section currently does? Is anything in particular gained or lost by this choice of narrative structure?
Go through the Maggid section, and think about who the speaker is in each section and how those sections and shifting narrators flow together. Be prepared to put forward a comprehensive read of the overarching narrative framework, and debate the efficacy and/or intentionality of the framework.
After Pesach, we're going to join our two classes for a discussion on their findings. We'll keep you posted on how that goes!
Last year for the Yom Iyun, the students in AP Art History created an exhibit about Haggadot and the Passover story by looking at illuminated Haggadot and then re-purposing a printer to tell the story of the ten plagues. A printer is how we today often create text, and since Passover is the time when we're required "to view ourselves as if we had left Egypt," connecting a printer to our ancient text seemed appropriate. Additional points about enslavement and redemption, which you can read about in the RealSchool blog post about the 2013 Yom Iyun art exhibit can be found here.
I got started in project-based learning through my interest in interdisciplinary studies. Here's a presentation I created many years ago explaining what the plagues undermine about life in Egypt.


Any relationship that you have in this world needs to have a solid foundation just like any building does or all they will do is crumble. Part of the solid foundation is learning to love them unconditionally without judging them. A lot of society says to not forgive and get revenge, but unconditional love, loves without conditions and it does not keep a record of the wrongdoings of the person that they love.
Loving someone unconditionally in a relationship consists of being there for them emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically through the good times and the bad, no matter what happens is love that is unconditional.
Being physically present for someone that you love is just that. You are there for them in person, right by their side. You listen to what they have to say, talk with them, and make sure that they are not alone. You are there for them whenever they need you any time of the day, whether it is the middle of the night or the middle of the day.
When you are connected with someone emotionally, you support them by letting them share all of their feelings with you. Supporting a person emotionally with unconditional love also means that you help them process their feelings in a manner that shows them that you are more concerned with their needs and wishes instead of your own. You are their "shoulder to cry on" to help them through the times in their life.
Supporting someone you love mentally means that you help them think their actions, desires, and motives. The way for you to do this is to find out what is going on inside of them. You also help them work through their thoughts to make the decision about what they should do.
Supporting a person that you love spiritually means that you pray with them and for them. You help them grow mentally, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Often spiritual support is given to a person without them knowing about it with you praying for them.
Loving someone unconditionally is when the people in love will do anything for the person that they love no matter what. A good example of this is the love that is unconditional that a mother has for her child. Loving someone unconditionally can be between a parent and a child, siblings, and even two lovers that have true love for each other.
Does Unconditional Love Exist? Is it Possible?
Unconditional love does exist and it is possible. Just look at nature, Dogs, cats and all animals love their families no matter what, even if they do not feed them. From the beginning, a parent's love for their children is unconditional as well. A mother always thinks that their child is the most beautiful and wonderful child in the world.
Parents are the first to forgive their child when they do something wrong. They love their child no matter how wealthy, good-looking, famous, or what their personality is like. They also will do anything for their child and do not expect anything from them in return.With these types of love in the world, loving someone unconditionally is very possible.
What is The Difference Between Conditional Love and Loving Someone Unconditionally?
When you love someone unconditionally, that means that you really love them. On the other hand, conditional love is just that. The other person has to meet certain conditions for you to love them. Examples of this are when a person looks or acts a certain way. If they do not, then that person will not love them.
However, if you love someone unconditionally, then the person that you love in this fashion, do not have to live up to standards that cannot or don't want to. Also, if you spend money on them, they do not feel that they owe you anything for you doing so. If you love someone unconditionally, then you will always love them no matter what.
Before you love someone unconditionally, you have to first love yourself unconditionally. You also need to learn how to get and give love that is unconditional. If you do not feel loved unconditionally, something has to change. Before you can expect someone to love you unconditionally, you need to love them unconditionally. Unlike your parents, who love you, no matter what, your partner's unconditional love does have certain conditions.
To have a partner love you unconditionally, you need to be faithful to them, communicate with them, support, and love them. You are telling them that you respect and love them in the deepest and honorable way. Loving them unconditionally also means that you love them just the way they are and will not try to change them.
This love is a bit different for parent and child love because even though your parents love you unconditionally, they will always do what they believe is best for you and suggest things for you to do because they have your best interests at heart.


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Khaleed, Abubakar A.; Bello, Abdulhakeem; Dangbegnon, Julien K.; Momodu, Damilola Y.; Madito, M.J. (Moshawe); Ugbo, F.U.; Akande, A.A.; Dhonge, B.P.; Barzegar, Farshad; Olaniyan, Okikiola; Mwakikunga, B.W.; Manyala, Ncholu I.
NiO/activated carbon (AC) composites were successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal reflux process as an electrode material for carbon monoxide (CO) gas sensor application. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was used to investigate the crystallinity of the samples while gas sorption analysis was used to probe the specific surface area of both the pristine NiO and NiO/AC composite. The sensors were subjected to continuous cycles of different CO concentrations and were purged with air after each cycle, followed by variations in a normalized resistance study. The results obtained from the gas sensing analysis disclose that the incorporation of AC into NiO increased the conductivity and surface area of NiO/ AC composite and subsequently enhancing the CO sensing performance of NiO/AC based sensor. These results imply that the NiO/AC composite could be an excellent nanomaterial for CO gas sensors.


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How much for a dozen?
CHEATED: Khanyi Ntsenge spoke candidly about her experience. Photo: Pheladi Sethusa
From being on the pill for a month, to injecting herself every day, twice a day for two weeks, to having one simple operation that she couldn't even recall, one Witsie has given the gift of life to a couple.
Young women can make up to R6 000 by giving their eggs to couples who cannot produce on their own, said Colleen Oates from Baby Miracles.
"Some couples pay the clinic up to R60 000 for treatments and they have a 55% success rate," said Oates. Clinics make 90% more than the girls donating their eggs. "We have a set fee of R6 000, but I feel it needs to go up a bit," said Oates. She said people commit themselves and make others' dreams come true, which should count for something.
The Injections
Girls who donate have to inject hormones that make their eggs larger, which can and often does change their hormones before and after treatment. Some feel bloated, sluggish and get enlarged breasts as side effects, like Witsie Khanyi Ntsenge.
Ntsenge, a 22-year-old honours student in demography, said the money was never a motivating factor for her to donate. She just knew she had nothing to lose. "After the operation I ate and signed an indemnity form to get my R6 000. But I hardly remember that because I was so drugged up," said Ntsenge.
Dr Trudy Smith, a gynaecologist at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, said the consequences of donating don't really make sense to her. "You are on drugs that make you fat and moody," said Smith.
She said donations made should not be motivated by money but rather out of genuine care for helping a childless person, preferably one you are close to. Ntsenge said she wouldn't have donated if she hadn't passed the psychological test that checks if you are able to deal with donating your eggs.
No satisfaction
Ntsenge did however feel "cheated" when the process ended in no more than 30 minutes. "You don't get to see the fruits of your labour – it's horrible," said Ntsenge. She said she was shocked by how quickly things came to end once her eggs were harvested. She said if you wanted to be a martyr for donating, you would be left disappointed.
Ntsenge met a woman who was there to receive an egg on the day Ntsenge donated.
Hearing the woman's story helped lessen Ntsenge's anti-climatic feelings. But she still stressed that "logic is not the same as emotions" so it took time to accept what had happened. Oates said women who donate are not taking any eggs away from their "store". The hormones they inject only help women to produce more eggs than they normally would.
"It wouldn't be legal if we were making people infertile," said Oates. Oates said that to be eligible to donate girls need to be between the ages of 21 and 32. She said 21 years of age is old enough to make such a decision and 32 is the cut-off age because "the quality of eggs deteriorate when women reach about 35 years of age".
CategoriesWits Vuvuzela work TagsEgg donation, Health
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Word of the Week: Severndroog
Yes that's right, Severndroog - an unusual word isn't it? Here's some of the history from Wikipedia:
"Severndroog Castle is a folly situated in Oxleas Wood, on Shooter's Hill in south-east London in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It was designed by architectRichard Jupp in 1784.
It was built to commemorate Commodore Sir William James who, in April 1755, attacked and destroyed the island fortress of Suvarnadurg (then rendered in English: Severndroog) of the Maratha Empire on the western coast of India, between Mumbai and Goa. James died in 1783 and the castle was built as a memorial to him by his widow, Lady James of Eltham.
A Grade II* listed building, the Gothic-style castle is 63 feet (19 m) high and triangular in section, with a hexagonal turret at each corner. From its elevated position, it offers views across London, with features in seven different counties visible on a clear day."
And what's more after 25 years, this Sunday it reopens to the public for the first time.
There's a whole lot of activities planned to celebrate its reopening which I shared earlier in the week - see There ain't no party like a Severndroog party!
So I've had a Severndroog focused kind of week - getting posters printed, persuading local business owners to display them (which to be fair has been relatively easy), featuring in the local press and on the BBC London news (you canwatch the clip here), drinks at the castle yesterday - just look at the sunset below - and still more to do to make Sunday the success it deserves to be.
The sunset from the Castle's new viewing platform
In Living Tags Royal Greenwich, WotW, London
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C'est moi, Nani: The floor's broke down!
The photos were taken at my granny's by my dearest Sister. The goverment seems to be fixing the streets and I thought it was the perfect frame to some night shots! :) peace out!


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Meranoplus carinatus är en myrart som beskrevs av Horace Donisthorpe 1942. Meranoplus carinatus ingår i släktet Meranoplus och familjen myror. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


At this time, I do not offer phone support. I run an online business and utilize modern communication methods to not only streamline day to day operations, but also offer my customers the best service I can. Since I am so busy making customer's orders, I am running loud equipment all day and need to focus on the task at hand. There are also days I work odd hours to be available to my family. I could raise my prices and hire someone to sit by the phone all day. I do not feel that is the best option for my customers. I handle all communications myself so I can ensure my customers are getting quality information right from the source. In this day and age of immediate gratification on everything, quality is severely lacking, especially in customer service. I try to reply to emails as quickly as I can. At times I get busy and can't reply immediately. If you do not hear back within 24 hours, please feel free to follow up. Once in a while I can miss something. Though I do my best to get questions answered and orders out quickly, my priority is providing my customers with not only a good value, but a quality product. That includes the service that comes with it. To offer that quality, it takes time and that time is not always immediately available. By communicating by email, we can also be ensured that your order will be accurate and have the ability to refer back to any details discussed in the future. I am asking customers to reserve phone calls for billing issues as required by our payment processor.


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N.Y. Con Gen De Vega scores Daily News; but boomerangs
Saturday, 02 December 2017 01:51
Written by Manuel Caballero
Photo of the New York Daily News print edition.
THIS column is not against New York Consul General Tess Dizon-De Vega.
We are aware how hardworking and efficient this public official is.
Nor this article has something to do with my Thanksgiving greeting that was "dedma."
Joke.
(It is unusual for Con Gen Tess not to respond even to personal texts. I have been in a state of wonder, probably, like Filipino public officials abroad waiting for clarification from the home office about a weird statement which comes out occasionally from the mouth of the Philippine president.)
What we will write is about her work environment that prompted her to send (did she write it or was it pushed on her?) a strongly-worded letter to the editor of the 98-year-old New York Daily News recently.
(The Daily News is the ninth-most circulated daily newspaper in the U.S.)
To me, the well-intended letter of the Consul General turned out to be an embarrassing one to her and the country she represents.
Why did I say that?
Around the ASEAN meeting weekends in Vietnam and Manila, it was reported in the media that President Duterte told a Filipino audience in Vietnam that at age 16, he was already a killer.
He reportedly said he killed with a knife a fellow teenager in a rumble.
The press around the world, already familiar with his notoriety concerning Davao Death Squad when he was mayor of Davao City and extrajudicial killings or summary executions of thousands of suspected drug traffickers and users in the Philippines, picked up the admission of Mr. Duterte.
Independent newspaper of England published on its front page a photo of U.S. President Trump with President Duterte and other leaders doing the ASEAN leaders' cross handshake.
From the Daily News print edition.
The newspaper headlined the picture with "Hand in hand with a killer."
The New York Daily News, apparently (I did not see the photo), published a picture of President Trump offering a toast to President Duterte during the ASEAN dinner in Manila.
The photo was captioned: "Here's to my fave murderer."
So, our good Con Gen De Vega sent a letter to the editor of the Daily News with her name and official position on it.
The newspaper titled her letter: "Respect the president."
The strongly-worded letter accused the Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper of being "irresponsible" and "malicious."
The Con Gen's letter said in part, "Characterizing a democratically-elected head of state and government in this manner is the height of journalistic irresponsibility and malice."
The letter likewise said, "The labels attached to the presidency by some media establishments such as yours betray a sad lack of journalistic standards and understanding of the political context of the Philippines."
(There was no explanation in the letter of what the "political context of the Philippines" was.)
The letter was signed: Ma. Teresa Dizon De Vega, Consul General, Philippine Consulate, New York.
In the next column to the right of Con Gen De Vega's letter was a colored picture of President Duterte with red background and a heading which said: "Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte announces he killed a person."
(This was reportedly told by President Duterte to Filipinos in Vietnam during his speech the day before.)
Sadly enough, even to an ordinary reader, the Duterte photo and title put to rest the entire letter of Con Gen De Vega.
How can one respect a president who admitted that he killed a person?
This is not to mention the international condemnations against the Duterte Administration's brutal anti-drug campaign which has killed thousands of poor suspected drug users and traffickers.
And also, the dreaded Davao Death Squad associated to Mr. Duterte while he was mayor of Davao City for 24 years.
Sometimes, it is better to just keep quiet because one never knows what comes out of the mouth of this president.
Deeply unpopular...
"Deeply unpopular Congress aims to pass deeply unpopular bill for deeply unpopular president to sign."
Above was headline of a story in The Washington Post on Nov. 27 about the Republican's Tax Bill.
Deeply was used three times.
Must be very deep, indeed.
My Thoughts on Revolutionary Government
If there is no actual revolution nor upheaval, revolutionary government is a fake government.
It will be illegal and violation of the nation's constitution.
If a leader is already prone to violence and summary killings, in all likelihood, there will be more violence and killings when a revolutionary government is adopted.
The more a country's Constitution gets amended, the weaker the institutions of government become.
As we see it, what they need in the Philippines is revolution of the mind, not revolutionary government.
I greet my son Adrian and his Fil-Swiss-American wife Natasha a Happy Wedding Anniversary.
May the Lord continue blessing their married life while they continue to put God in the center of their life.


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Debate expectations in a good place for GB and Clegg
Posted by admin | Feb 26, 2010 | Articles, Media, Politics | 13 |
In a piece for The Times earlier this week, about how social networking was changing the way many people consume media and interact with the political debate, I referred to the TV debates between the party leaders, which will be a genuinely new development in the forthcoming campaign.
I said the relative spending power of the parties, so far as the debates were concerned, would be irrelevant. So would the millions of words of hype. All that mattered was the performance of the leaders and the reactions of the public watching live, then talking to each other.
If I may add a few more words to the hype, I would like to draw attention to the Telegraph's coverage of its own poll today.
The state of the parties standing confirms the recent narrowing of the gap between the Tories and Labour. But it is a reference to the TV debates that interests me. I quote here not from the paper itself but from Labour's media monitoring department's account of it in their report on the morning papers. 'Despite an advertising blitz, an attempted Labour coup to remove the PM & the desperate state of the economy Labour has managed to close the gap. Conservative strategists hope that the turmoil created by allegations of bullying against GB coupled with Darling's unexpectedly forthright attack on the PM will have a beneficial impact in the polls over the coming days. The poll, which was conducted this week, suggests that there was no immediate effect from the bullying accusations. Cameron will also take comfort from the news that 60% of voters believe the television election debates will play an important part in helping them decide which way to vote. The Conservative leader is widely expected to perform the best in the first ever British general election debates. 53% think Cameron will gain most public support as a result of the three live broadcasts, compared to 20% for GB & 12% Clegg.'
I highlight the words 'Cameron will also take comfort' to underline the widespread media expectation, underlined by the figures in the poll, that the Tory leader will outperform GB in these debates, which today's survey, rightly I think, suggests will be an important factor in determining the final election outcome.
I suppose it gives us some inkling of the volume of hype the debates will generate that pollsters are asking for views on who will win this far off.
But the 'Cameron sure to win' mindset could turn out to be a problem for him. It is generally acknowledged that he is a better communicator than many of his predecessors, like Iain Duncan-Smith and Michael Howard. That would not be hard. It is also widely acknowledged – not least by GB – that the Prime Minister is not totally at ease with all the realities of operating in topflight politics in the media age.
But these debates will be more than a sparring of soundbites. They will require substance, policy detail, and real arguments about the future direction of the country. And that combination may well play to GB's strengths rather than DC's. The events are also a huge bonus for Nick Clegg, who remains little known outside those who follow closely the ins and outs of the political debate.
So far from taking comfort from the expectations on the debates, I think Team Dave should worry about them. One of the reasons the poll gap has narrowed is that people are beginning to think there is not much substance to the Tory leader, and not much depth to his team. A polished performance, from a pure communications perspective, will not on its own help him in the debates. Indeed it could exacerbate the sense that PR is all he really cares about, and that he lacks the sense of mission for the country that a would-be PM must have.
Elsewhere in the polling jungle today, a survey of Tory members shows them urging a rightward lurch focusing on immigration, as the hopeless Howard campaign did last time. This survey too is good news for Labour. It shows up another of the reasons why Cameron has stalled – he talks a lot about how the Party has changed, but scratch beneath the surface a little, and it's pretty much the same old Tory Party.
And more cheering survey fare from The Times which reports on a poll of 100 Tory candidates in winnable seats who named Mrs Thatcher as the runaway first choice as political hero, ahead of Sir Winston Churchill. William Wilberforce and Benjamin Disraeli. Thatcher's world view is also evident when likely new MPs are asked about the European Union. Two candidates nominated Cameron as their political hero, whilst five named William Hague, including one whose admiration did not extend to knowing how to spell his name.
All in all, rather a cheering media monitoring report this morning. And in the FT, the one actual paper I've read, nice to see the word 'wibbly-wobbliness' entering the language, from the lips of Peter Mandelson, on the subject of Mr Cameron.
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Chris Harper	on February 26, 2010 at 10:29 am
Good point about Clegg. The debates may be the place where we get a sense of whether he is closer to Labour or Tory. He is a bit of an unknown quantity. Previous third party leaders, especially Steel and Ashdown and the SDP of course, were very high profile before an election. But Clegg has the chance to make a fresh impact. Let's hope he takes Tory votes not Labour
Pauline Samuel	on February 26, 2010 at 10:31 am
Cameron is liked by the media because he gives them the impression they are who he cares about. Gordon is interested in how policy affects people, not journalists who will be fine whoever wins. I also think a lot of the venom for Gordon is because the fifty pence rate will hit a lot of the editors.
Colin Donaldson	on February 26, 2010 at 10:32 am
Wibbly-wobbliness? Your defence against Villa last week…
Chris lancashire	on February 26, 2010 at 11:04 am
As usual you are quite right – the televised debates will expose gaping holes in policy. For example, will GB be for or against cuts this week? Last week it was Labour investment versus Tory cuts; this week GB says he has consistently said cuts are required. Well he is consistent – this week.
s chapman	on February 26, 2010 at 12:18 pm
If both Tory and Labour core supporters firm up and leave the Tories slightly ahead then in marginals with the current economic climate an undecided voter I think would vote for a change after so many years of Labour – this is the most logical outcome…looks like a Tory Govt with a maj of say 25-40
Alan	on February 26, 2010 at 12:40 pm
I was in the studio for the recording of Question Time last night. I felt a distinct change of mood around. There was far less hostility to the govt than usual, and more questioning of the others. I think the Tories felt that the public must be influenced by the media hatred directed at Gordon Brown and Labour, but I think the public are much more fair minded. They have doubts about all the parties but the ones about Labour are well known whereas the ones about the other parties, especially the Tories , are now coming to the fore
Robert Jackson	on February 26, 2010 at 1:21 pm
On Nick Clegg's behaviour in the debates, I reckon there are still a lot of natural Labour voters out there in Con/LD marginals who voted tactically for the Lib/Dem candidate to eject the Tory.
If Mr Clegg simply goes away from policy to vitriol, as do the Tories anyway, then he will see his team swept away as these seats melt magically back to the Conservatives.
Peter Casebow	on February 26, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Hi Alastair, follow you on twitter and love reading the blog, but please update your web site design it is impossible to read the blog on mobile devices like the iPhone if you click through from Twitter the internal scrolling within the page doesn't work and is a web no-no. Yes I can subscribe to the blog through the RSS feed and read it in my Google Reader but at the moment the site design from a practical point of view is not helping you get your message across!
Patrick James	on February 26, 2010 at 6:03 pm
I do agree that the expectation that Cameron will be good in a TV debate is wrong headed.
It is perceived that Cameron is good on TV, people thing, the TV debate is on TV, so Cameron will be good at it. That is how the thinking works.
But Cameron is only good on TV for his own organised events or situations where he is protected from scrutiny.
An advantage he does have for the TV debate is that he is in opposition and I think any debate is easier if he's in opposition.
What Brown should do in the debate is turn the tables on him. Use attack as his defence and get Cameron straight into difficult stuff such as economic policy. Things that Brown is at home in and which Cameron is not.
The person who will benefit from the debate is Nick Clegg as you say. However Nick Clegg must be angling for a hung parliament. He knows it is better if Labour is "ahead" in a hung parliament for him I think he would be wise to target Cameron more than Brown in the debate.
Charlie Reynolds	on February 26, 2010 at 6:37 pm
I will vote for the people prepared to tell the truth on our future economy and who are most likely to have the spine to take the decisions required to get us back on our feet. Gordon Brown still won't admit to the economic disaster we are facing. The deepest and longest recession since records began with the largest debt we have ever had. You cannot go on spending like this. I know the Keynesians think a bit of inflation will do us good (Always great to have economists on hand) but it will actually destroy us. Tough decisions and plans are required now and all your talk of personality and debates and funding is a just a distraction to the real central issue.
Get some balls and tell us the truth.
Alan Quinn	on February 26, 2010 at 8:43 pm
What could count is experience. GB has it, as Chancellor, PM, meeting world leaders, sorting out the financial crisis. As Obama stated, Dave is a lightweight.
But look at it this way, Dave should be now out of sight, polling at 50% but he isn't. The polls are narrowing, Osborne and him are making mistake after mistake, Coulson could have to go if the Guardian pins any more on him.
The debate could be the final straw when the veneer cracks and the public see the real Cameron.
Eugene Zelem	on February 27, 2010 at 10:37 am
Election Suggestion Slogan
EXPECT SHORT CHANGE FROM THE CONSERVATIVES
(ANTICIPATE)
VOTE LABOUR
While some of the labour ranks were skiving at a local conference I was canvassing around Bury South this morning
and Dave isn't winning the punters over, once again pretty postive for Labour.


text:
Board index Railroading and Railfanning by Region and State New York State Railfan
Unfinished lines in the upper Delaware and Schoharie Valleys
Pertaining to all railroading subjects, past and present, in New York State.
Moderator: Otto Vondrak
drobertson
Post by drobertson » Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:00 am
Several weeks ago an article appeared in the "100 Years Ago" section of the Walton Reporter (Walton, NY) regarding Delaware & Hudson plans in the Schoharie Valley and Delaware East Branch. This article (that would have appeared in the newspaper in 1906) discussed the surveying of a line for the D&H from Schenectady to Grand Gorge. The plan was for this line to go onto Arkville and on down the East Branch of the Delaware River. The main purpose was to bring coal from PA to Schenectady. The D&H was in the process of expanding capacity and this plan was an offshoot of that. The idea had been looked at for over a decade but surveying was now actually taking place. The article goes on to say that 12 years previous to this a D&H rep was touring the East Branch and Schoharie Valley with an eye toward this proposed expansion and not wanting to leave the valleys open to competing lines. Did the Delaware and Eastern plans in that area kick off the D&H to, at least, start to look a little more seriously at this region?
This same article also talked about the Schenectady & Southwest Railroad surveying for a line in the same region but they were starting their surveying in Arkville and going northeast toward North Blenheim. Did this railroad ever have any operations?
Does anyone know if any gradework was started on either of these projects and if so is any still visible?
I think I've read that the Delaware and Eastern/Northern Railroad also had ideas about continuing past Arkville northeast into this area, also. Did this work compete or work off of any of these earlier plans?
Southwest of Stamford, NY, at the intersection of Peters Rd and State Route 10 there is gradework for, what was then, the proposed continuation of the Ulster and Delaware from Stamford through Harpersfield and on to Davenport. At the time the line had ended in Stamford. I believe the towns of Harpersfield and Davenport got some funding to start planning for the extension of the railroad through their communities as a way for it to get to Oneonta. Gradework for this extension was in progress when the Hobart Branch was built which ended their effort. The visible grade is in a field on the uphill side of Rt. 10 just east of Peters Rd. Does anyone know if any other gradework was done or is still visible for this intended line?
A couple of efforts were made to run a railroad up the Little Delaware out of Delhi and to Margaretville. I believe one was in the 1870s and one in the 1890s. Some of the gradework on the south side of the Little Delaware River, near the community of Lake Delaware, is (or was - as of 15 years ago) visible from State Rt 28. What were these railroads? Did they have anything to do with the NYO&W in Delhi? The topography gets a little tougher east of Lake Delaware. Is there any evidence of gradework beyond Lake Delaware or the plans to get through the hills to Margaretville?
The easiest topography to work with coming out of Delhi would seem to be up the West Branch of the Delaware River to Bloomville. I recently saw a map for the NYC (I think – maybe a predecessor) drawn in 1893 in a book titled Railroad Atlas of North America . This map also included the Ulster & Delaware. At that time the U&D ended in Bloomville but this map showed it continuing on to Delhi and not Oneonta. Were there any plans or efforts to connect the U&D and the NYO&W along the West Branch? It would almost seem natural given how much railroad building was going on at that time and that less than 10 miles would have separated the two lines in this valley. Maybe too little potential business though.
henry6
Post by henry6 » Thu Aug 10, 2006 3:03 pm
Check out either of the two books...one rare and out of print from the 60's I think, the other from the mid 80's...about the Delaware and Eastern/Delaware and Northern plus any book about railroading in the Catskills including histories of U&D and O&W. Most libraries in the area have access to them. Basically there were plans to circumvent the D&H from WIlkes Barre to Mohawk Valley to Montreal of which the D&E/D&N plus the Middlburg and Schoharie were part. There was to have been an extension from Central Bridge area north along Schoharie Creek to near Amsterdam, then cross the Mohawk and head through the Mountains (Fonda, Johstown and Gloversville may have been part of this scheme, too). And the U&D was in fact aiming at hooking up with a line from the west at Oneonta, perhaps the Southern NY to Richfield Springs and Herkimer or the West Shore line that made it across the hills to Earlville from Syarucse. If you look at the Delhi branch of the O&W, it could have connected at Bloomville with the U&D if someone so wished. Plus there were probably many charters issued that can only be uncovered by digging through state and county archives. There were probably other roadbeds that were just used by lumber roads for a season or two.
RussNelson
Location: Elmira, NY
Re: Unfinished lines in the upper Delaware and Schoharie Val
Post by RussNelson » Thu Aug 10, 2006 5:05 pm
drobertson wrote: The plan was for this line to go onto Arkville
Are you talking about the Delaware and Northern? The Delaware and
Northern ran up the East Branch of the Delaware River from East Branch
to Arkville. There was also a branch line that ran up to Andes from
the Union Grove / Shavertown area. You can see it labelled as the "Delaware
and Northern" on the collection of old topo maps I have published.
The visible grade is in a field on the uphill side of Rt. 10
just east of Peters Rd. Does anyone know if any other gradework was
done or is still visible for this intended line?
Oh-ho! Indeed, yes, that looks very much like a railroad. You can see it cross SR10 at A and a cut at B in this map near Stanford (links below)]. There are no more obvious remains visible on the aerial photo / topo maps.
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=42.39557,-74 ... %20NE%2FSW
http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=42.39557,-74 ... ugh%20hill
I can't see any remains of the grading you mention near Lake Delaware.
Last edited by RussNelson on Thu Aug 10, 2006 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
YES THERE IS A LOT
Yes there is a lot to see from East Branch to Downsville including stations at Shinopple and Downsville and Andes (branch difficult to find as a lot was built on trestles) and into Arkville. M&S is also very visible with station and museum at Schoharie. Other lines, elsewhere, not so easy.
BHubbell
Post by BHubbell » Thu Oct 19, 2006 10:09 pm
drobertson wrote: A couple of efforts were made to run a railroad up the Little Delaware out of Delhi and to Margaretville. I believe one was in the 1870s and one in the 1890s. Some of the gradework on the south side of the Little Delaware River, near the community of Lake Delaware, is (or was - as of 15 years ago) visible from State Rt 28. What were these railroads? Did they have anything to do with the NYO&W in Delhi? The topography gets a little tougher east of Lake Delaware. Is there any evidence of gradework beyond Lake Delaware or the plans to get through the hills to Margaretville?
The grade along the Little Delaware can be found from Delhi all the way to Lake Delaware. No grading seems to have been done on the Gerry Estate Property (they are reported to have opposed the line). East of Lake Delaware, grading can be seen on the hill south of Route 28. It is quite a distance above the road, but comes even at the summit between Lake Delaware and Andes. There is also some evidence of grading on the Andes side. From Andes the line was graded down the Tremperskill Valley and then up the East Branch of the Delaware towards Margaretville. This grading and some bridge abutments were used by the D&E (later D&N) when they built their line.
There is also a little bit of grading down in the "Bullet Hole" on Bullet Hole Rd. south and west of Andes. This was an alternate route, which would have bypassed Andes. I believe this was part of the first (1870's) effort.
The first attempt was the Delhi & Middletown which was to go from Delhi to Dean's Corners (now Arkville) and connect with the U&D. The O&W was not built at that time (c. 1872).
Neither this effort nor the second effort had anything to do directly with the O&W. Delhi was, as you know, the county seat, and they wanted a railroad. One of the early meetings by organizers of the Midland, as the O&W was first known, was held in Delhi, and Delhi had high hopes of being on the mainline. This was not to be, but Delhi had caught "railroad fever" and forever after was trying to get one or more lines built.
Burr Hubbell
drobertson wrote: The easiest topography to work with coming out of Delhi would seem to be up the West Branch of the Delaware River to Bloomville. I recently saw a map for the NYC (I think – maybe a predecessor) drawn in 1893 in a book titled Railroad Atlas of North America . This map also included the Ulster & Delaware. At that time the U&D ended in Bloomville but this map showed it continuing on to Delhi and not Oneonta. Were there any plans or efforts to connect the U&D and the NYO&W along the West Branch?
There were plans to build a railroad from Delhi to Hobart. It was to have been an electrified line, of all things. Surveys for this and other "paper railroads" of Delaware County can be found in the County Clerk's office.
Post by drobertson » Fri Jan 19, 2007 11:19 pm
I recently found a reference to a Delhi-Bloomville trolley in the "One Hundred Years Ago" section of the "Walton Reporter." The surveys were in work for the line. The Delhi end was to start at the O&W station. No mention was made of the Bloomville end. It seems the U&D station would not have fit too well for a line coming from Delhi.
There were also articles regarding completion of the D&E in Downsville, plans for Stamford to become the next Saratoga (with plans underway for a trolley system, a tram up Mt. Utsayantha and a large casino), and the Erie RR doing marketing surveys in Cannonsville for milk suppliers as they were looking to put a line from Deposit to Trout Creek (was any construction ever started on this?).
ChiefTroll
Location: Severna Park, MD
Post by ChiefTroll » Sat Jan 20, 2007 11:13 am
Doug -
The unoccupied grade west of Stamford, around behind Mudd School House at Peters Road and west toward Odell Lake was to be the line of the Rondout and Oswego as laid out by Thomas Cornell and his Superintendent, Frank Hecker. The line was mapped all the way through Davenport to Oneonta, but the R&O construction only went as far as Roxbury.
The work was resumed by the contractor under the name of New York, Kingston and Syracuse, which reached Stamford with track in 1871, and extended the grading almost, but not quite, to Odell Lake Road. The promoter of the NYK&S, one Litchfield, was also building a line southwest from Syracuse that became the Chenango Branch of the West Shore, and eventually connected with the O&W at Earlville. His promotion included plans to connect the two with an unspecified (as far as I have found) line from Oneonta to Earlville.
The U&D Society, a few years ago, set out to explore that grade west of Stamford. It is easy to locate exactly where it leaves the U&D behind the greenhouse in Stamford, and to follow it along the tree line behind the late Herb Darling's farm. Herb told me once that there was a cut where the line curved away from Peters Road, but the farmers filled it after the railroad abandoned construction. We didn't find the end of the grading that day, but a later excursion which I couldn't make found an abrupt end to the a cut in the woods just west of there, which seems to be the west end of the grading operation. It appears that the grading never made it to Odell Lake Road. The location map shows the line going over "Warners' Pass," just east of the Warner house which exists up there.
When Cornell took the railroad back as the Ulster and Delaware, he extended it to Hobart via the Hobart Branch Railroad Co., instead of to Harpersfield. Then, his Delaware and Otsego RR took it to Bloomville. He put out the idea that it was a branch to eventually reach the county seat at Delhi, deflecting criticism from the Town of Harpersfield that it was being bypassed. Harpersfield finally caught on to the plan when the D&O started grading from Bloomville to Kortright, but by then their cause was lost.
In my time on the D&H I had some chances to rummage around the archives on the 13th floor of the D&H building. There were lots of sketches of proposals by others to build lines like the Schenectady and Stamford electric line, the Delaware and Eastern toward Schenectady, and such. I never saw evidence of a D&H plan to build anything south of Middletown in the Schoharie and Delaware East Branch valleys. The D&H plotted maps in those areas, but they all represented plans by someone else.
Gordon Davids
Post by Shawn » Sun Mar 11, 2007 11:26 pm
I realize this is an older post but I felt the need to add something here. I remember my grandfather saying he worked on a rail bed that never materialized into a full scale railroad. It was in the Stamford, NY area. My Dad used to think it was Middleburgh / Schoharie connecting with Stamford line. I've read in this forum, there was never a plan to do that, at least not on paper.
I remember as a kid walking the old rail bed of the middleburgh / schoharie line. The rails were still partially buried and you could see a number of trestles. I don't see anymore rail but, spikes continue to surface every now and then.
I live near Central Bridge and have a caboose tucked back in the woods near my house. The previous owner worked for the D&H and managed to get this caboose back in the woods about 1/2 -3/4 mile off the road. Rumor has it, that he was going to lay a track around the property. Due to the incline of the property, I don't think it would be possible. The caboose is used as a camp now.
Post by ChiefTroll » Mon Mar 12, 2007 4:32 am
Shawn -
That line that your grandfather worked on could well have been the Delaware and Eastern between Grand Gorge and Prattsville. It was projected to extend to Middleburg and beyond. I think the original plan was to use the Middleburg and Schoharie and Schoharie Valley Railroads, but the D&H got control of the SV and the plans changed. The D&E grade extended from Grand Gorge to near Prattsville when they ran out of cash, and that was it.
The D&E grand plan was to build from Wilkes-Barre to around Rotterdam Jct, but all that was actually operated was East Branch to Arkville. They were also planning to use trackage rights on the U&D from Arkville to Grand Gorge, but I think the Coykendalls "granted" those rights with their fingers crossed. The era of all this was around 1910. The NYK&S grading west of Stamford was around 1872, so the D&E time frame would have been more in keeping with the era I assume for your grandfather.
BobLI
Post by BobLI » Mon Mar 12, 2007 7:03 am
Shawn, What road is that caboose in the woods om.. I'm only familiar with 1 caboose in the Central Bridge area which a neighbor has on his property. He aquired it a few years ago.
march hare
Another caboose around?
Post by march hare » Mon Mar 12, 2007 5:06 pm
Geez, I thought I had the only caboose in the woods in the Central Bridge area.
Post by Shawn » Mon Mar 12, 2007 11:40 pm
Are you on Sanitarium Rd.? If you are, You are my neighbor. When did you purchase this property? About 10 years ago?
Chief troll. I do believe that 1910 is the correct time frame. My Grand Father met my grand mother in Stamford in 1912. She was vacationing up there with a family and he must have been on one of the work crews.
Post by BobLI » Tue Mar 13, 2007 6:55 am
March Hare,
I'll have to look for that caboose next time I am on that road. Guess you arent the only one in the area with a caboose.
Shawn, March Hare is down the road from where I am. His caboose is visible from the road.
Return to "New York State Railfan"


Is it in 3.16 possible to apply a HeatmapRenderer to a GraphicLayer?
I searched the discussion forum and only found that this was not working a while back (HeatmapRenderer on GraphicsLayer?) and a workaround using a custom DynamicMapServiceLayer for Heatmap.js (Heatmap layer as Graphics Layer? ).
... but the layer won't render this as a HeatMap. Any suggestions how this can work?


text:
Next Article in Smartphones
iPhone X Delivers on Apple's Promises and That's Plenty, Say Reviewers
By John P. Mello Jr. November 1, 2017 12:49 PM PT Email Article
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Reviews of Apple's next generation iPhone X have started appearing online, and for the most part, critics have showered praise on the product.
"The iPhone X is clearly the best iPhone ever made," wrote Nilay Patel for The Verge.
"It's thin, it's powerful, it has ambitious ideas about what cameras on phones can be used for, and it pushes the design language of phones into a strange new place," he added.
The phone is so impressive, it almost seems unreal, Patel suggested. "At a glance, the iPhone X looks so good one of our video editors kept saying it looked fake."
Because the X departs from other iPhones in a number of ways, some fans of the product line may balk at buying it. Those fans need not worry, advised Lance Ulanoff in his Mashable review.
"The iPhone X changes the iPhone experience, but for the most part those changes are for the better," he wrote.
"I'm positive that those fearing the loss of the home button will forget about its absence 48 hours — tops — after buying the phone. Face ID and gestures are better, more convenient ways [to] unlock and do basic tasks on the phone," Ulanoff continued.
"That's progress," he added. "Even if you say, 'No thanks,' to the iPhone X, this is the future, so just get ready for it. "
Handholding Fumbles
The X may require a period of adjustment for some owners, cautioned Geoffrey A. Fowler in his review for The Washington Post.
"If you buy an X (pronounced "ten") now, think of it as signing up for a blind date with your most important gadget," he wrote.
"Navigating it can be just as confusing as figuring out when to hold hands. Your thumb is going to keep ending up in the wrong place," Fowler added. "I'm a columnist whose job is to live on the cutting edge, and even I'd describe my relationship (so far) with the iPhone X as 'awkward.'"
One area of anxiety for potential users is the X's use of facial identification to unlock the phone.
"The good news is that Face ID mostly works great," The Verge's Patel wrote. "The bad news is that sometimes it doesn't, and you will definitely have to adjust the way you think about using your phone to get it to a place where it mostly works great."
Performs Well in Low Light
Concerns about Face ID not working in low light conditions are misplaced, according to Patel.
"Face ID works great in the dark, because the IR projector is basically a flashlight, and flashlights are easy to see in the dark," he wrote. "But go outside in bright sunlight, which contains a lot of infrared light, or under crappy fluorescent lights, which interfere with IR, and Face ID starts to get a little inconsistent."
Users are going to have to adapt their behaviors to unlock their device, observed Jeff Orr, senior practice director for mobile devices at ABI Research.
For example, the phone must be held at eye level at about 10-20 inches from the face.
"If you're used to pulling your phone out of your pocket and glancing it at hip level, that won't work," Orr told TechNewsWorld.
"People who glance at their phone under the table at a business meeting won't be able to do that, either," he added.
Not For Everyone
The X isn't for everyone, maintained Nicole Nguyen in her BuzzFeed review.
The X "is really only for people who use the *heck* out of their phones. I'm talking about a ton of photo taking, video shooting, social-media performative exhibiting, gaming, web browsing, etc.," she wrote.
"This is a device for a power user, not a casual smartphoner who texts and uploads an Instagram every once in a while," Nguyen continued. "The iPhone 7 or 8 (or, hell, even the iPhone SE) are totally sufficient for those folks."
The X's edge-to-edge OLED screen received raves from many reviewers, not only for the quality of its resolution, but also for its size.
"The iPhone X is a big screen in a compact form factor — Cinerama in a phone booth," wrote Steven Levy for Wired.
"Though the device itself is only slightly bigger than the standard iPhone 8, its screen is roughly the same size as that of the iPhone 8 Plus," he explained.
Notch Grousing
An aspect of the X's screen that raised mixed feelings in reviewers is the "notch" found on the top of the phone.
"Call it what you like — a cutout or a notch — but the area around the new front-facing cameras and sensors is definitely a black mark on the iPhone X's screen," Heather Kelly wrote for CNN.
On the other hand, some actually found the notch appealing.
"In fact, I kind of like it, and I think it blends in nicely to the rest of the phone's software interface," observed Steve Kovach, writing for Business Insider.
"You barely notice the notch in most cases, and it looks especially nice when scrolling through apps like Twitter and Facebook," he added.
Start of Something Big
Just by meeting consumer expectations, the X is likely to do well in the market, suggested Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights and Strategy.
"I think Apple will be able to sell as many iPhone Xs as they can make," he told TechNewsWorld.
Although Apple fans had to wait longer to get their hands on a X than for the other iPhone models announced in September, many of them evidently thought the wait was worth it, noted Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT.
"Apple promised game-changing technologies with the iPhone X, and so far it looks like season ticket holders are sticking around for the whole thing, including extra innings," he told TechNewsWorld.
The X will be the beginning of another Apple boom, predicted Tim Bajarin, president of Creative Strategies.
"I believe it will start a new super cycle of iPhone sales," he told TechNewsWorld, "that will last at least 18 months, if not longer."
John P. Mello Jr. has been an ECT News Network reportersince 2003. His areas of focus include cybersecurity, IT issues, privacy, e-commerce, social media, artificial intelligence, big data and consumer electronics. He has written and edited for numerous publications, including the Boston Business Journal, theBoston Phoenix, Megapixel.Net and GovernmentSecurity News. Email John.
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text:
Alyssa Medina, Producer
Published: August 11, 2018, 10:33 pm
Man shot, killed outside home on Highcliff Drive identified
SAPD says second victim possibly connected to shooting
SAN ANTONIO – A man was killed after someone drove up and started shooting at him outside his home, San Antonio police said.
Police said the man, who has been identified by the medical examiner as 75-year-old Charles Coker, noticed a suspicious vehicle outside of his home in the 3900 block of Highcliff Drive just before 1:30 a.m. Saturday.
When he went outside to see who it was, someone inside fired shots, police said. Police said Coker returned fire.
Coker was shot in the chest and died on the way to the hospital.
Police said another man with a gunshot wound showed up to Northeast Baptist Hospital shortly after.
Police are looking into whether the second victim was inside the vehicle the suspected shooter was in.
Alyssa Medina
Alyssa Medina has worked as a Producer/Web editor with KSAT for over three years. Her passion for community and storytelling reflects in segments she's built like "New Week. New You." It is a weekly health and wellness series on the News at Noon. Alyssa has also produced Creating Black History in S.A., Behind the Mural and more.


text:
Lisa Timmons
Lisa Timmons is active behind-the-scenes as well as on stage at UCB in Los Angeles, writing, directing, producing and co-hosting a variety of shows. She first started taking classes at UCBLA in 2014 and was a writer on Maude Team, THE NEW DEAL from 2017 until 2019. Currently, she co-produces ROLLIN' WITH MY HOMIES as well as LEGITIMATE GODDAMN THEATRE, and co-hosts the weekly diversity jam, EVERYBODY GET IN HERE. She also co-produces the UCB DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP SHOW and acts as director for the mash-up sketch team. In 2019, Lisa is a participant in the National Hispanic Media Coalition's TV Writers program. She wrote for the 2017 CBS Diversity Showcase and her other half-hour comedy pilot, GONE SOUTH, was a Second Rounder at the 2014 Austin Film Festival. An Army brat, who grew up over a decade in Germany, Lisa now claims Savannah, Georgia as her hometown because that's where her mom and one of sisters live. She has a journalism degree from the University of Georgia. Overall, Lisa thinks you're doing a great job and should keep up the good work!


text:
Vol. 64, No. 1, 1976
Vol. 315: 1
Vol. 314: 1 2
ISSN: 1945-5844 (e-only)
Roots of the Euler polynomials
Frederic Timothy Howard
Vol. 64 (1976), No. 1, 181–191
DOI: 10.2140/pjm.1976.64.181
In this paper we prove some new theorems about the real and complex roots of the Euler polynomials. For each n we show how the real roots of En(x) are distributed in the closed intervaI [1, 3]. We also show how the real roots of En(x) are distributed in the arbitrary interval [m,m + 1] for n sufficiently large. Finally, we prove that if a and b are nonzero rational numbers and c is a square-free integer, then En(x) has no roots of the form a , c≠1, or a + b , c even, or a + bi, a and b integers.
Mathematical Subject Classification
Primary: 30A08, 30A08
Secondary: 33A70
Received: 2 December 1975
Revised: 30 March 1976
© Copyright 1976 Pacific Journal of Mathematics. All rights reserved.