text:
England's Last Wilderness
Categories: Archaeology, Article archive, Food and drink, History, Nature, Travel
This article first appeared in TNT magazine.
Northumberland, the most sparsely populated county in England, is the nearest thing to wilderness south of Scotland. There are only 63 people per square kilometre and, standing on a mile of pristine beach, with a castle brooding over the shore and hills fringing the horizon, I wonder why. Then the wind starts. Ten minutes later, I'm sandblasted from the beach. So that's why no one comes here.
Puffins on the Farne Islands
Well, no. It's not just the weather, though a typical Northumbrian day will include four seasons, a taste of an Ice Age and half an hour trying to see the hand in front of your face when the sea fog (sea fret as the locals call it) rolls in. Northumberland is border land, it's been border land since the Romans came up here, decided they'd gone far enough and built a wall, and its history dictates its present in a way unknown elsewhere in England.
There's no better way to understand history than digging it up, and with the Bamburgh Research Project (www.bamburghresearchproject.co.uk, from £171 per week) I could do just that. The BRP is an ongoing archaeological project, open to volunteers, excavating in and around Bamburgh Castle. If there's a more spectacular place to do archaeology, I don't know it. The castle squats on a huge great hunk of dolerite, an outcrop of the Great Whin Sill that formed 295 million years ago when magma squeezed between two layers of softer rock and set hard. Since then, the soft rock has been eroding away, and outcrops of the Great Whin Sill form some of the key landscape features of the north, including High Force waterfall in Durham and the Farne Islands, a couple of miles out into the North Sea from Bamburgh.
Digging for understanding
"You can tell by the sound your trowel makes what you're digging through. Grit is hard and clacking, sand is abrasive and scraping, clay produces a smooth hiss." Paul Gething, co-founder and co-director of the BRP, sits back on his haunches and explains to the week's intake of volunteers what we need to look – and listen for – as we excavate. Among the amateur archaeologists are students gaining credits for archaeology degrees, a seventy-year-old inspired by Time Team and those inspired by what Paul calls "the raw power of the past". Most spend the week camping with the archaeologists at a nearby camp site, juddering in to the castle each morning in a bumpy Land Rover before spending the day digging with increasingly finely graded implements (culminating in the gingerly wielded toothbrush that I used to scrape sand from a tibia emerging from a rediscovered graveyard), sifting excavated materials through flotation tanks, and tagging and bagging the day's finds (from the ubiquitous bones and pottery, through stycas – Northumbrian coins – to exquisite pieces of gold jewellery).
Yeavering Bell
But if you're the sort of person who finds even the handful of people on the beach at Bamburgh too invasive, head inland. In the lee of the Cheviot Hills is Ad Gefrin. It's a field now, but it was once the summer palace of the kings of Northumbria. Looming over Ad Gefrin, the conical hill of Yeavering Bell is also testament to the illusions of power. During the Iron Age, the greatest chieftain of the land built a fort atop the hill, its great, tumbledown stone ramparts still crowning the summit. But the chieftain is forgotten, his people gone and, as I stand on the summit, I reflect that I have not seen another human being all day. And, rubbing aching legs, that our ancestors must have had thighs like bloody tree trunks.
Watched bird bites back
A mile out from Bamburgh and accessible by boat from Seahouses (www.farne-islands.com, from £13), the Farne Islands provide a clucking, hissing cornucopia of life: 37,000 pairs of puffins, 50,000 guillemots, more than 20 other species of birds and 6,000 grey seals. St Cuthbert lived as a hermit on the island in the seventh century, when he instituted laws for the protection of Eider ducks and nesting birds; the National Trust rangers that live on the islands today continue his work. There's stiff competition for the posts, but the eleven rangers, who remain on the islands for nine months from April to November, have as raw an experience of nature as anyone in Britain.
But that's Northumberland: England's last wilderness.
Seahouses has a number of establishments vying for the title of best fish and chips shop in the north east. Neptune Restaurant (www.neptunefishandchips.co.uk, from £7.95 for cod and chips, with pot of tea and bread and butter) is one of the main contenders. The Copper Kettle Tearooms (www.copperkettletearooms.com, mains from £4.95) in Bamburgh cooks its home prepared food fresh each day, so can run out in the afternoon – get there early.
Most Northumbrian pubs serve hearty food, but a good pint can be had at the Castle Inn (http://castleinnbamburgh.co.uk/, pints from £3) in Bamburgh and the backdrop is hard to beat. Local pubs can be insular, but the Victoria Hotel (www.victoriahotel.net, from £3.40) is friendly and doesn't demur when BRP students spend hours over a single coffee while using its free WiFi.
Up the coast from Bamburgh, Pot-A-Doodle Do Wigwam Village (www.northumbrianwigwams.com, from £15 per person per night) provides accommodation in wooden wigwams, with three yurts thrown in for good measure. The living quarters at St. Cuthbert's House (www.stcuthbertshouse.com, from £90 for a double), a renovated 200-year-old chapel, are considerably more luxurious. Their breakfasts, locally sourced, are wonderful.
A Walk Around Mersea Island
Categories: Article archive, Geology, Travel
First published in The Great Outdoors magazine.
A wild walk can be an excursion into time as well as place. I've always been fascinated by how the geography of Britain has changed over the centuries, with generations of farmers nibbling at the sea, while the sea gnaws the coast elsewhere. Mersea, a tidal island in the Colne Estuary, demonstrates this vividly. And who wouldn't want to walk around an island?
View across the mudflats from The Strood at dawn
To avoid the July heat, I crossed The Strood, the causeway linking Mersea to the mainland, at dawn. Now tarmac, and regularly inundated at high spring tides, The Strood is itself a link to the past, for the causeway was first laid around 700 AD, when an Anglo-Saxon magnate ordered three to five thousand oak pilings to be sunk into the underlying clay. Oak pilings don't talk, and later Viking invaders destroyed pretty well all written records in East Anglia and Essex, but one candidate as builder was the monk-king, Sæbbi of Essex, who abdicated to devote himself to prayer.
The rising sun drew a morning mist from the ground and sea. The tide was coming in, and in the dawn silence I heard it slow swirl through the channels of the mud flats. Continuing across the island to West Mersea, I parked and set off clockwise around the island. Walking away from the harbour, seaweed shaggy pilings rulered out into the slowly filling channel and, when I again reached the causeway, the lunarscape of mud flats had been replaced by flat sheets of grey water.
Anti erosion pilings near West Mersea
From here, a short detour inland made for a long walk into the past. At the top of the rise overlooking the causeway is a barrow dating from the start of the second century AD. Now topped with an oak tree, it would once have been the most visible feature of the landscape for people crossing the causeway. When the mound was excavated early in the twentieth century, archaeologists found, at the heart of the barrow, a lead box containing cremated bones, creating a conundrum under the hill. For the Romans did not raise barrows, and the Britons did not cremate the dead. But here were both.
The oak tree atop the barrow
Returning to island circumnavigation, I followed the Pyefleet Channel. The sun had burned off the morning mist and the water sparkled in the early light. Saxon invaders, in their shallow-drafted boats, used these channels as highways into the country's heart. Not far up the coast, at Sutton Hoo, an Anglo-Saxon king was buried in one of these boats, accompanied into the next life by some of the most magnificent jewellery and armour ever made. It was not hard to imagine the creak of oarlocks and the hiss of oars as the dragon-prowed boats moved stealthily upstream. Indeed, the settlers and invaders of 1,500 years ago were accompanied by much the same soundtrack as I was: the harsh croak of seagulls, the piping whistles of curlews, and the hiss of water and wind. For a few miles I walked in a soundscape unaltered for thousands of years.
Salt marsh on the north coast of Mersea Island
The north shore of Mersea Island is quiet. I saw a handful of people, mostly on boats, but many swifts, the birds of eternal summer, jinking over the salt marshes, and, along a thistle-lined stretch of path, a cortege of butterflies accompanied me on my way.
View from eastern tip of island
Reaching the tip of the island, the North Sea opened out, unusually blue and tranquil, to the south, the land marked by shallow orange cliffs. The sea is hard gnawing the land here. Tree roots jut out into empty space, clawing against the inevitable, and then, finally, tumble down upon the beach. The cliffs were laid down 300,000 years ago, when elephants, rhinos and bear roamed the area, and fossil hunters still turn up remains.
Cliffs edging Cudmore Grove country park
The sun was up and I was thirsty and hungry. An advantage of this walk was ending it at one of the excellent seafood shacks in West Mersea, eating the wildlife – oysters, cockles, shellfish – that had, unseen, underwater, accompanied me around the island.
Belgian Beaches
Categories: Article archive, Travel
The unlikely fact of Belgian beaches produced a couple of articles, including this one for the in-flight magazine of BMI airlines.
Mention Belgium, and beer, chocolate and Poirot are likely to come to mind. Beaches probably won't figure. In fact, it might come as a surprise that Belgium even has a coastline, but it does, some 69 kilometres of it, squeezed in between France and the Netherlands, and from one end to the other, the land slides gingerly into the North Sea via miles of carefully tended, perfectly manicured sand. Add to these unexpected beaches Belgian expertise in food, design and fashion, and you have the ingredients for a surprisingly varied get away.
The coast tram (de Kusttram)
The Kusstram
Sitting by the North Sea, Belgium can't rely on its weather, so it has to try that bit harder to attract visitors. A Eurostar train ticket carries with it free onward railway travel anywhere within Belgium, so no queuing to pay for a connection at Brussels station. Even more remarkable, however, is the coast tram (www.dekusttram.be). This runs the length of Belgium's shore, from De Knokke in the east to De Panne in the west, with 70 stops along the way and a journey time from end to end of a little over two hours. With nowhere more than a short walk from a stop, all the resorts become easily accessible. During the summer services run every five to ten minutes, so should the crowds become too thick on one particular stretch of beach, it's an easy matter to hop on the tram and alight a short time later among grass-covered dunes and stroll down to a relatively empty shore.
Travel Northumberland
Categories: Article archive, Northumbria The Lost Kingdom, Travel
I first wrote this article for Time Out magazine. Since our first son was one at the time, it's older than I thought!
Bamburgh Castle and beach – at high tide!
'It's perfect, isn't it?' My gesture took in not one but two castles, three lighthouses and a beach, broad and empty as the moon.
'If perfection includes sand blasting and freezing water,' said my wife.
And there you have it in a nutshell. The Northumberland coast produces extreme reactions. People either think it the most wonderful place they've ever seen, and make annual visits as faithfully as the pilgrims to Holy Island, or they get on a plane to a country where toes dipped in the sea don't turn blue, and wind defences are not a prerequisite for a day at the beach.
Categories: Article archive
Over the next few weeks I'm going to put up on my blog some of the magazine articles that I've had published, in places ranging from Time Out to History Today, but which are not available online and, in the cases of some of the magazines, pretty well unavailable anywhere. In part, of course, this is advertising, but I'm also reasonably proud of some of these pieces and it will be great to allow them a fresh readership – it also helps me to keep the blog content refreshed without taking too much of my time, so win win all round!


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text:
Massive Hole Opens Up In Sun's Corona, Creates Geomagnetic Solar Storm Alert
G2-level solar storm issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
By: Paul Whitehead |@NeonNettle
on 11th September 2018 @ 9.00pm
A massive hole has suddenly opened up in the Sun's corona, as scientists say we are officially on watch for a geomagnetic storm.
Auroras will be likely across much of North America as the Sun descends into a solar minimum.
A storm watch for a G2-level solar storm has been issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) - which is a moderate storm on the 5-level scale, with G5 being the highest, according to science alert.
We are now heading towards a solar minimum, the least active period of the Sun's 11-year cycle, meaning there will be less sunspots, coronal mass ejection, and solar flare activity.
If Earth is in the way of those solar winds, we could experience some intense outcomes.
According to SHTFPlan: If you are one of those who loves seeing the aurora borealis or the "Northern Lights," have your camera handy, because it could be a beautiful show.
As the holes open up in the Sun's corona, although these are cooler, less dense regions of plasma in the Sun's atmosphere, they are also more dramatic with open magnetic fields.
These open regions allow the solar winds to escape the Sun's surface more easily, blowing electromagnetic radiation into space at high speeds.
While the effects of this wind will be slightly stronger than those of a G1 storm, according to Science Alert, they'll probably pass most of us by.
High-latitude power systems may experience voltage alarms due to surges from geomagnetically induced currents, and longer storms can cause transformer damage, but it looks like this storm will be a relatively short one.
a G2-level solar storm has been issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
According to the British Met Office, the solar winds could travel at speeds of up to 600 kilometers per second (372 miles per second) in the next two days.
Spacecraft operations may be affected as the storm impedes GPS, which means corrections may need to be issued by ground control.
And high-frequency radio propagation can fade at high latitudes.
The biggest effect will probably be the light show since the solar winds are responsible for auroras.
As they blow in from space, they interact with charged particles (mainly protons and electrons) in our magnetosphere.
These charged particles then rain into the ionosphere and travel along the planet's magnetic field lines to the poles, where interactions with other particles, such as oxygen and nitrogen, manifest as dancing lights in the sky. –Science Alert
According to a map released by NOAA, the auroras resulting from this storm will likely be visible from Alaska, as well as the states across the United States's Northern border with Canada and as far south as Iowa and Illinois.
There will also be aurora australis visible from Antarctica.
READ MORE: Earth Set For a BIG FREEZE, Sun 'Totally Void' Of Sun Spots For Majority Of 2018
tags: Solar Flare | Solar Energy
Solar Flare Set To Hit Earth This Week Could Cause Global Chaos, Scientists Say
Scientists and astrologists have reported a 'hole' in the surface of the sun 10th April 2018 @ 9.25pm
Danish Bank Warns Coming 'Solar Flare' Will Inflict $2 Trillion in Global Damage
X-Class solar flare could ignite chaos worldwide 6th December 2018 @ 2.00am
6th December 2018 @ 2.00AM

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Killer Instinct is een serie vechtspellen die oorspronkelijk zijn ontwikkeld door Rare en uitgegeven door Midway, Nintendo en Microsoft Studios.

Beschrijving
Het eerste spel in de serie kwam uit als arcadespel in 1994. Het tweede spel uit 1996 is eveneens een arcadespel en werd onder de titel Kill Instinct Gold geporteerd naar de Nintendo 64. Een digitale versie verscheen voor de Xbox One als Killer Instinct 2 Classic. Een reboot van de serie werd door Double Helix Games in november 2013 uitgebracht als Killer Instinct.

Spellen in de serie
 Killer Instinct (1994)
 Killer Instinct 2, ook bekend als Killer Instinct Gold (1996)
 Killer Instinct (2013)

Gameplay
Killer Instinct is een vechtspel waarbij spelers het in één-op-één gevechten tegen elkaar opnemen. De serie leent elementen uit andere vechtspellen zoals de Street Fighter-serie en de Mortal Kombat-serie.

Personages
Een lijst van personages die in de spelserie voorkomen zijn:

Externe links
 Website van Killer Instinct

Computerspelserie

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Still working on this. [edit 2009-01-08] ...no more.
HAVE A BACKUP OF YOUR DATA!
There are some chances to destroy them.
I've decided to migrate completely to Linux and run still needed Windows installations only in VirtualBox. So I have to convert my Windows Installations to Virtual Disk Images and manage these VDIs, e.g. increase, decrease or change their type from dynamically expanding to fixed-size etc. I have summarized my experience and information to this here in the hope it may also be helpful for others.
In my examples below I use a Debian etch host system with Windows XP as guest, so Ubuntu should also work direct with them. But with another environment please adapt them to your needs.
This howto http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Migrate_Windows assumes that we already have an image.vdi but don't declare how to get it.
Many thanks to QBikal for his excellent work to the internals of a virtual disk image!
It seems there is only copied a raw image into a virtual disk without any file system information to the virtual machine.
Independent of the current used operating systems you should be able to adapt my examples below to your needs if you understand the general procedure.
1. Do everything with the target operating system, e.g. partition and format virtual disks, copy data etc.
2. attach the source disks and the target disks as second and third passive devices to your managing virtual machine. So it is ensured that there are no files in access.
This is the basic procedure. You copy all data from the old VDI to a new one and use that instead of the old one. Dependent on how you create the new one (bigger, smaler, new type) you can increase, decrease or modify the type of the VDI.
you should get one error message "Access denied" for the "System Volume Information" folder. if you get more then something is going wrong. Check it in xcopy.log (search "Access denied").
that's it and only some clicks except the boring wait for xcopy.
The trick is to access the physical disk partition in the managing VM through raw hard disk access and copy that data into a virtual disk image.
Attention! Read carefully VirtualBox User Manual chapter 9.9!
Warning: Raw hard disk access is for expert users only. Incorrect use or use of an outdated con?guration can lead to total loss of data on the physical disk. Most importantly, do not attempt to boot the partition with the currently running host operating system in a guest. This will lead to severe data corruption.
follow step 6. to 11. from section 3.
that's it and should always work as long as repair does it.
This is a little bit sophisticated because we can't access the raw image directly in a virtual machine to copy its data into a VDI. A raw disk image is something like made with dd, e.g.
We have to copy the raw data into a VDI-structure outside a running virtual machine. The post http://forums.virtualbox.org/viewtopic.php?t=52 from QBikal is very helpful. Thanks again.
3. Create a fixed-size virtual disk image a little bit greater than your raw image (e.g. raw image = 10 GB, vdi = 11 GB). For further use it is important to use fixed-size!
9. Grep the magic string "eb 52 90 4e 54 46 53" (= ".R.NTFS") with hexdump from the first MB of the VDI to get the offset the raw data starts at. The cryptic options for hexdump are only to get the offset in decimal and not in default hex (there are NO line breaks!).
$ hexdump -n 1000000 -e '"%08.8_ad " 16/1 "%02x " "\n"' ".VirtualBox/VDI/MyImage.fix.vdi" | grep "eb 52 90 4e 54 46 53"
11. Create a working virtual disk image that can hold all data of your raw image. It can be a dynamically expanding image and you can choose a size of your need. It must not be the same size as your raw image.
12. Attach this working VDI to the managing machine as Secondary Slave.
follow step 7. to 11. from section 3.
follow step 12. to 14. from section 4.
I have tried to repair the fixed-size VDI in the VM after step 10. above and boot it but with no success.
Please make sure the volume is valid for extending.
I think the reason is that the drive size is greater than the file system size and the disk geometry will not fit.
Hope I haven't made a mistake in my description. For me it works.
Last edited by Ingo on 8. Jan 2009, 14:02, edited 3 times in total.
P: After cloning an installation from a physical partition (section 4.) the WinXP Setup CD does not provide a repair option.
S: I imported the second partition from a dual boot installation. The essential boot files boot.ini, ntldr, NTDETECT.COM are only reside on the first boot-parttition. I copied these files to the drive (partition) I want to import and copied the drive again into a virtual disk image (section 4.).
P: After cloning an installation from a physical partition (section 4.) I repaired it successful. But he boot process fails with a BSOD complaining about intelppm.sys.
I have followed instruction from manual (9.9.2 Access to individual physical hard disk partitions) and have created the VMDK file from raw phisical partition, then I have created the VM using such file. The fact is....XP halts on MUP.sys driver during the boot.
What else you may need ? Please let me know.
it's over a year ago I used it this way and I'm not so familiar with the newest version of VirtualBox. So I'm afraid I can't really help you. But nevertheless let me try to understand your problem.
You have made a VMDK to access a physical partition on your hard drive. Then you created a virtual machine which used the physical partition (not a disk image file) as its hard drive. What is on the partition? Did you install the operating system in your VM to the partition? Or is there an "old" OS installation and you try to boot it with a virtual machine? The latter won't work because there is a completely different (virtual) hardware.
The simplest way to a complex system is to start with a simple system.
Ingo, thenaks for your quick reply.
I think that "abstract" should summarize what your article is about. Give a high level description so you very quickly can find out if this paper is for you.
Check the sticky in the Windows Guests forum. That has a more recent howto on how to accomplish this.
- add the ubuntu user to the disk group.
it is working inside virtualbox and it boots. The only problem is that I cannot get the ethernet /internet to work. ANy hint?
The other problem is that if I try to boot windows natively, it freezes at startup screen and not responding in any way (even the reset button or the hardware on/of button), the only way to restart is to unplug power cable.
In Ask Different: How can I install Mac OS X Lion in VirtualBox, or any other type of virtual machine?


London, UK – An exclusive wall featuring 12 private LOUIS XIII cabinets has been unveiled at the Devonshire Club, located in the heart of City of London. Specially designed for the chic private members club, each glass cabinet holds an engraved decanter of LOUIS XIII, four crystal Pillet glasses and a serving pipette locked safely away. With the owner's name engraved on a personalised plaque inside and on the front of the cabinet, a private key opens up the experience to each connoisseur who purchases one of these iconic cabinets, offering the pleasure of sharing LOUIS XIII with friends and colleagues on any visit to this LOUIS XIII fortress. An iconic masterpiece for a wall of LOUIS XIII fame.


BJP MP Kirron Kher today asked how logical it was that a hotel with a five star rating cannot serve liquor as she came out in support of hoteliers hit hard by a Supreme Court order banning the sale of liquor along highways.
"How logical is it that you can't serve liquor in a five star hotel. Why have you given it five star rating? Why has it been given permissions for that place?", Kher asked asserting that the hotel industry was a major job provider. It is a question of "more than a million jobs" all over the country, she said.
Speaking about Chandigarh, her Lok Sabha constituency, Kher said the local youth got employment in the five star hotels like the Taj or the Marriot, which are among those affected by the order.
Raising a question about road safety, Kher asked who would keep an eye on the habitual drinkers among truck drivers, who may choose to carry liquor bottles as they drive.
"Those truckers who drive drunk, will fill up bottles in their trucks and drive on highways. Who is going to stop them? So, we need to think over it," Kher said.
According to an office bearer of the Chandigarh Hotel and Restaurant association, as many as 95 bars will be affected by the Supreme Court order and several hotels and restaurants located in sectors 26, 7, 35 and 17 in the city will go dry. He claimed that it could affect the jobs of up to 10,000 people employed in these bars, hotels and restaurants.
A famous watering hole in the 'city beautiful', the Chandigarh Press Club in Sector 27 has also stopped serving drinks as it falls within 500 meters of Madhya Marg, a state highway.
The Supreme Court had in a recent order held that liquor vends within 500 metres of national and state highways will have to shut down from April 1 while giving exemptions to hill states like Sikkim, Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh and areas having population up to 20,000.
For Himachal Pradesh and areas which are alongside major roads with a population up to 20,000, there may be liquor vends at a distance of 220 metres from the highways, according to the order.


text:
package com.javarush.task.task39.task3913;

import java.util.Date;

/**
 * Created by Sukora Stas.
 */
public class Record {
    private String ipAddress;
    private String userName;
    private Date date;
    private Event event;
    private int taskNumber;
    private Status status;

    public int getTaskNumber() {
        return taskNumber;
    }

    public void setTaskNumber(int taskNumber) {
        this.taskNumber = taskNumber;
    }

    public String getIpAddress() {
        return ipAddress;
    }

    public void setIpAddress(String ipAddress) {
        this.ipAddress = ipAddress;
    }

    public String getUserName() {
        return userName;
    }

    public void setUserName(String userName) {
        this.userName = userName;
    }

    public Date getDate() {
        return date;
    }

    public void setDate(Date date) {
        this.date = date;
    }

    public Event getEvent() {
        return event;
    }

    public void setEvent(Event event) {
        this.event = event;
    }

    public Status getStatus() {
        return status;
    }

    public void setStatus(Status status) {
        this.status = status;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


1. Montgomery County's Greenfest takes place today in Takoma Park. This one day festival focuses on building community and improving the environment. The festival includes exhibits, workshops, music and more.
2. You can get rid of your unwanted and expired prescription drugs at today's National Prescription Drug Takeback Day that takes place at police stations across Montgomery County. You can find a list of locations, here.
3. The Move More Montgomery Festival is happening today in Rockville.
4. The Town of Chevy Chase celebrates Spring Community Day.
5. The Washington Spirit remains undefeated after its win last night in New York, and the team sits at the top of the standings in the National Women's Soccer League. Spirit players take on Portland next Saturday at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds. You can find tickets, here.
For more events happening this weekend, check out our Weekend Planner.


Due to the high cost and the risks associated with development, complex aircraft systems have become a prime candidate for the adoption of systems engineering methodologies. This book presents the entire process of aircraft design based on a systems engineering approach from conceptual design phase, through to preliminary design phase and to detail design phase.
Presenting in one volume the methodologies behind aircraft design, this book covers the components and the issues affected by design procedures. The basic topics that are essential to the process, such as aerodynamics, flight stability and control, aero–structure, and aircraft performance are reviewed in various chapters where required. Based on these fundamentals and design requirements, the author explains the design process in a holistic manner to emphasise the integration of the individual components into the overall design. Throughout the book the various design options are considered and weighed against each other, to give readers a practical understanding of the process overall.
Readers with knowledge of the fundamental concepts of aerodynamics, propulsion, aero–structure, and flight dynamics will find this book ideal to progress towards the next stage in their understanding of the topic. Furthermore, the broad variety of design techniques covered ensures that readers have the freedom and flexibility to satisfy the design requirements when approaching real–world projects.


The fascinating story of fiberglass boats and the mavericks who dreamed them. Nine out of ten sailors today own sturdy, often beautiful fiberglass craft. Fiberglass brought boating to the non-rich, but the history of that revolution has never been told. Daniel Spurr rectifies this omission with his highly readable and affectionate account of the fiberglass boat, from its earliest incarnation in World War II to the present day. In the early days, when shoestring genius was unfettered by industrial efficiency, there were boats with tailfins, boats baked in ovens, and boats designed to be dropped from planes. The voyage from those first ugly ducklings to the graceful boats of the 1990s makes a riveting adventure of triumph and ruin. Along the way, Spurr profiles landmark designs that now set the standards in the used-boat market, and he portrays the revolution in human terms, introducing us to the vivid personalities who invented--often in their garages and rarely at a profit--the world of boating we know today.


text:
Featured book: WBCN and the American Revolution
raldrich | Featured Books
How Boston radio station WBCN became the hub of the rock-and-roll, antiwar, psychedelic solar system
For the people living in Boston in the late '60s and early '70s, the radio was their internet. This was especially true for the 250,000 college students in the city at the time seeking a place to connect around rock-and-roll, anti-war activism, and a modern youth culture. The home they found for this discourse was in an emerging local radio station called WBCN-FM.
With over 300 images and untold stories collected by Peabody Award-winner Bill Lichtenstein, WBCN and the American Revolution: How a Radio Station Defined Politics, Counterculture, and Rock and Roll tells this story of how an underground radio station became part of profound social, political, and cultural change.
In this comprehensive history, Lichtenstein explains that while San Francisco was celebrating a psychedelic Summer of Love in 1967, Boston stayed buttoned up and battened down. But that changed the following year, when a Harvard Law School graduate student named Ray Riepen founded a radio station that played music that young people actually wanted to hear. "Nothing sparks the change or fuels the youth revolution to come in Boston as does the arrival of a thirty-year-old tort lawyer from Kansas City by the name of Ronald Ray Riepen," Lichtenstein argues. "A cultural revolution is in the air in Boston."
At WBCN, creativity and countercultural politics ruled: there were no set playlists; news segments anticipated the satire of The Daily Show; on-air interviewees ranged from John and Yoko to Noam Chomsky; a telephone "Listener Line" fielded questions on any subject, day and night. For those announcers, producers, and listeners of WBCN, it was a revolutionary time in broadcast radio. Through retellings of Lichtenstein's own experiences and the compilation of stories from those who worked there, WBCN and the American Revolution explores how this small station in the heart of Boston quickly became the local epicenter of the rock-and-roll, antiwar, psychedelic solar system.
"As a budding broadcaster at powerhouse WBZ-AM in the early 1970s I fell for WBCN and told my boss, who said: 'FM? It'll never last,'" said Robin Young, host of NPR's Here and Now. "He was right in that there will never be another WBCN."
By threading these archival and oral accounts together, this book becomes more than just a history of a radio station. Rather it is the record of a cultural moment made up of a collective ecosystem of businesses, artists, and curators of the city's sociopolitical scene, the significance of which may have started in Boston, but had ripple effects that were felt across the nation.
WBCN and the American Revolution in the media:
Lichtenstein and the book are the focus of the documentary WBCN and The American Revolution, which aired previously on PBS stations. The documentary will re-air on WGBH-TV Channel 2 and WGBX-TV Channel 44 throughout June as part of the PBS affiliates' spring Pledge Drive.
The Boston Globe reviewed the book in the New England Literary News column, calling it a "lively, comprehensive history."
A new book about the radio station WBCN and another tome that takes on how our nation was formed
Lichtenstein was interviewed for WCVB's Chronicle, who calls the book "an insightful and lavishly pictorial look at the station's early days."
Reliving rock-n-roll history at Boston radio station WBCN in a new book by Bill Lichtenstein
Lichtenstein appeared on NPR and WBUR's Here & Now to discuss the book and documentary.
Revolutionary Boston radio station WBCN at center of new documentary
WBCN and the American Revolution won a silver medal in the Best Regional Non-Fiction from the Independent Publisher Book Awards and the accompanying documentary received two silver medals from the New York Festivals TV and Film Awards, including for Best Picture and Best Social Justice Documentary.
Monocle interviewed Lichtenstein for The Stack podcast on the involvement of WBCN in the social change Boston experienced in the '60s and '70s.
Counterculture: 'Fuori!!! 1971-1974' and 'WBCN and the American Revolution'
Art New England reviewed Lichtenstein's work saying it "wildly succeeds in reanimating a lost era of both radio and social history."
WBCN and the American Revolution
"A fascinating journey back in time when music and radio were at the center of a movement, and an inspiration for what media can be today. WBCN holds a special place in history."
—Jon Abbott, President and CEO, GBH
Learn more about WBCN and the American Revolution


text:
Get on with it!
+ I had the telly on to watch today's climate change debate. I noticed that as MPs were leaving the Commons chamber after PMQs they turned briefly at the bar of the House (a white strip in the carpet near the main exit) to bow (more of a slight nod) to the Speaker. An old tradition marking respect for the chair. But Andrea Leadsom just marched out. Clearly the Leader of the House is no respecter of tradition. She's just a stuck-up snob with the manners of an oik.
++ Anyway, the debate itself was a case of déjà vu – it could almost have been a debate from 15 years ago. Then of course everyone was saying we were in the last chance saloon. Now it's an emergency. So it was pleasing that Labour initiated the debate, and I thought Corbyn gave a good (but not excellent) speech. The trouble is, this subject generates a lot of vision but is rarely rooted in any kind of metric designed to discipline our behaviour. So at the moment the talk of the town is zero carbon emissions by 2050. This has an eerie ring to it – which goes by the name of NIMTO – Not In My Term of Office. That allows for a lot of flexibility. In response to the debate, Michael Gove illustrated the complacency which belies the emergency talk – everything is going swimmingly well, although we could do (a bit) better. But how would you measure the 'success' so far? Massaging the figures is the answer. This involves offshoring the carbon emissions our consumption generates and ignoring our historical emissions record. The SNP's frontbencher did say that the solution would be painful for people but then couldn't or wouldn't say how. That's the nub of it. It seems all the solutions actually rely on the market providing technological fixes which are thought to be painless, in other words electors must not feel any impact.
Some of the contributors to the debate probably did understand what's required, but I sense there's a kind of baby boomer mentality about, which is to say we know historically what adversity is (our parents might have told us about it) but we don't believe today's electorate would put up with it. Not least because the fascist media are so quick to make the point that green this and green that will cost you the earth when everything should be as cheap as possible. So there was an abundance of rhetoric, with mention of some good local schemes, and some primary schools that are doing something or other (always good to mention something from your constituency that can feature in the week's press release) and, so far as today's debate went, a sprinkling of environmental concerns which have nothing to do with climate change, e.g. a moan about the MoD not clearing up some radioactive waste on a Scottish beach).
Here's six things that might have been said:
First, understand our responsibility. There is a global metric to calculate what that is, it's called Contraction and Convergence. Adopt it and accept the consequences. It is the discipline required.
Second, translate that into sectoral targets, e.g. transport, domestic heating, industrial processes, etc. Divvy out the responsibilities.
Third, recognise that whatever word is employed, carbon rationing will be essential. The impact of this can be made equitable through a mechanism such as domestic tradable quotas. Poorer people who use less carbon will be better off. The rich will have to pay.
Fourth, stop all carbon intensive developments, such as extra runways, HS2, etc. and plan around the more efficient use of existing facilities and routes. We don't need to accelerate around the country at ever faster speeds, we need to learn how to improve productivity.
Fifth, recognise that legislation on its own will not solve the problem – it is a necessary partner to investment, and it's time the government invested heavily in e.g. renewable energy sources, insulation, demand reduction, etc. Taxes should be raised and hypothecated, so for example aviation fuel should be taxed and the proceeds devoted entirely to improving public transport and reducing its cost to passengers.
Sixth, some public services – power, transport, etc. need to be in public ownership and given a carbon reduction remit. In terms of power generation and distribution the need is to move away from a few large power stations to a honeycomb of smaller, evenly distributed sources. The important point here is that the big power generators have a disproportionate influence on policy. They need to be broken up in favour of more locally based initiatives. Public ownership in this sense should pass the benefits and profits of power generation onto local consumers, who would also be the local owners.
I might add that even though I have been a lifelong opponent of nuclear power, I would consider favourably the prospect of extending the lives of our existing nuclear power stations. In the greater scheme of things, the extra costs and risks would be marginal. But we should say no to new nuclear. It is just too expensive, and takes too long to build in any case, if it is thought it could make any meaningful contribution to zero carbon before 2050. We'd also save a lot of money by scrapping the Trident replacement. Such savings could be spent on improving our armed forces' capabilities in tackling the various climate change crises coming our way. We can't nuke climate change (but you never know, remember the 'nuclear winter?).
Today's debate ended with Labour's motion passing, as it were, nem con. Sadly that means, as the Speaker adroitly pronounced (in so many words) that nothing will happen as a result. I hope that it might be possible to draw one good thing from it though, which is that one of our mainstream parties might get radical on the subject. One can live in hope.


Ty Newydd Leisure Park is a tranquil site in the heart of Anglesey. It is a small, picturesque, friendly, family run caravan park only one mile from the very popular Benllech Bay.
The park is set in 4 acres of open countryside with views of Snowdon and the surrounding hills. Superb sandy beaches, coastal walks and nature reserves are all on our doorstep, while on-site are some of the best leisure and entertainment facilities on Anglesey. Whatever your idea of a relaxing break, from golf or fishing to taking country walks, visiting local bays and harbours or touring the countryside by car, holidaying at Ty Newydd provides everything you need.
We offer excellent facilities on site which include disabled toilets, showers and wash rooms with a baby changing room, all with constant hot water.
We also have an indoor and outdoor pool.
Tourers are made very welcome, cars can be parked at the sides of caravans and we have boat storage facilities on site.
Pets are permitted as long as they are kept on a lead and under strict supervision.
The Clubhouse has a restaurant serving food from 5 – 9 (Weds – Sun). We have entertainment most weekends, it is a fully licensed bar and is open in the evenings from 5 – late. We also serve breakfast on Sat & Sun from 9 – 11.


text:
Finance Leases
Debt/Loan Structures
CleanFlight Carbon Offset Program
Zürich Office
Inventory Aircraft Sales
Top 10 Business Aviation Events In 2018
As we ring in the New Year, we couldn't help but feel nostalgic. In 2018, the business aviation industry experienced countless changes and developments, but it concluded the year stronger than ever. As we look forward to 2019, we felt compelled to take a trip down memory lane.
From new aircraft model releases (and cancellations), to World Cup side effects and new business aviation offerings in the market, join us as we reflect on the top 10 events that helped shape the business aviation industry in 2018.
Let's recap the highlights:
Dassault Cancels 5X and Releases New 6X Model
In late December 2017, Dassault announced the cancellation of the 5X project, citing problems with the engine supplier Safran. Dassault announces in February 2018 the new Falcon 6X powered by Pratt & Whitney engines. Deliveries are excepted to begin in 2022.
Bombardier Unveils Global 5500 / 6500 Models
Bombardier introduced two new models: the Global 5500 and Global 6500. These aircraft are expected to expand the reach of the current models (Global 5000 and 6000) by around 500 to 600 nm. The new models are on schedule to enter service by 2019.
Global Jet Capital Raises $674 Million
Global Jet Capital, closes its BJETS 2018-2 securitization, raising approximately $674 million. BJETS 2018-2, is the second ABS offering that Global Jet Capital has closed in the last four months, bringing total assets securitized to over $1.5 billion.
France Defeats Croatia in 2018 World Cup
France defeats Croatia 4-2 in the 2018 World Cup, hosted by Russia. With extremely limited aircraft parking, coupled with the high volume of traffic, private jet travelers had limited time and amenities at airports.
G-500 Gets FAA Certification
July 20, 2018 was a landmark date for the Savannah, GA aircraft builder. The G500 earned its type certification and production certification from the FAA. A type certificate validates the airworthiness of the aircraft and the production certificate shows that the production process follows FAA standards. This clean sheet design began delivery in Q4 of 2018.
Vista Jet Acquires US-based Charter Operator XOJet
The parent company to Vista Jet, Vista Global bought the US-based charter operator XOJet. XOJet owns a fleet of Challenger 300's and Citation X's that nicely compliment the Vista Jet fleet of larger cabin global aircraft. This purchase positions Vista Jet as a leader in the on-demand global charter market.
FAA Reauthorized with Long-Term Funding
Bi-partisan legislation passed, reauthorizing the FAA with long-term funding. The bill provides the FAA up to $96.7 billion through 2023.
Embraer Praetor 500/600 is Unveiled at NBAA
NBAA-BACE 2018 marked a day in history for Embraer when they unveiled the new Praetor 500 and 600 models. While still based on the popular Legacy platforms, these two new aircraft types provide longer range, new interior options, and other small upgrades.
Wheels Up Sets Records in 2018
With 5,000+ members and growing, Wheels Up continues to provide high quality service with its fleet of King Airs, Citation XLS and now Citation X's. Projected to continue adding more aircraft as the demand grows with the customer base, Wheels Up is also now employing over 400+ pilots. 2018 set records for Wheels up and 2019 looks to do the same.
JetLinx Expands Its U.S. Reach
The popular on demand, jet card, and aircraft management company Jet Linx continues to grow its franchise-like model with the addition of several new cities around the U.S. this year. Adding Houston, Chicago, New York and Boston positions them to continue delivering the high-quality service their customers have come to expect.
Posted By Justin Gaeta & David Labrecque \ SHARE
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A Buyer's Guide to Business Aviation Aircraft Financing – White Paper
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text:
Das Marinehaus ist ein historisches Gebäude in Berlin, Bezirk Mitte, in der Luisenstadt, Am Köllnischen Park 4/4a / Märkisches Ufer 48/50. Der unter Denkmalschutz stehende Putzbau wurde 1908/1909 nach Plänen des Architekten Otto Liesheim errichtet.

Architektur

Die ursprünglich durch Risalite stark gegliederte und im Stil der Neorenaissance dekorierte Fassade besteht aus hochrechteckig gefassten gereihten Fenster mit Rundbogenöffnungen, die über zwei Etagen reichen. Der Sockelbereich ist rundherum rustifiziert.
Im Inneren des Gebäudes gibt es eine großzügige Treppenanlage, der große Festsaal im Obergeschoss ist ähnlich wie der Hauptraum einer Kirche gestaltet worden. Ein Tonnengewölbe mit kassettierter Oberfläche schließt ihn ab. Eine Empore zieht sich um drei Seiten herum. Dort, wo sich in Kirchen der Chorraum befindet, hat der Architekt eine Bühne einbauen lassen. Darüber ist ein Wandgemälde in Halbrundform gestaltet.

Im Jahr 1984 erfolgten Veränderungen der Bausubstanz durch massive Umbauten, vor allem der markante Turmaufsatz wurde entfernt und die Giebelformen zur Straßenseite hin geändert.
An der eingezogenen Gebäudeecke befindet sich ein Schmuckbrunnen, der seit langem nicht mehr in Betrieb ist.

Geschichte

1908 bis 1945
Das Gebäude wurde für die Berliner Kriegerheim GmbH errichtet und besaß zuerst die Adresse Am Köllnischen Park 9 / Brandenburger Ufer 1. Nachdem aus dem Kriegerverein der Marineverein geworden war, diente das Gebäude bis 1918 als Vereinshaus einer kaiserlichen Marineeinheit. Nach diesem Verein erhielt das Haus seinen Namen.

Während der Novemberrevolution hatte im Jahr 1919 der Stab der Volksmarinedivision im Marinehaus seinen Sitz. Darauf weist eine Gedenktafel am Gebäude hin.

Das Marinehaus wechselte im Verlauf seiner Geschichte mehrfach den Besitzer. Die Berliner Landesversicherungsanstalt als neuer Eigentümer ließ es in den 1920er Jahren zum Bürogebäude mit einer Gaststätte umbauen.

In den 1930er Jahren eröffnete am Märkischen Ufer im Erdgeschoss des Gebäudes eine öffentliche Gaststätte mit dem Namen Marinestube. Inhaber und Eigentümerin der Gaststätte war eine Frau A. Sens.

1945 bis 1989
Ab 1945, nach Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs war das Haus Sitz der Verwaltung der Sozialversicherung der SBZ, später der DDR. Nach der Verstaatlichung der Versicherungen gelangte das Gebäude an den FDGB, der ab 1951 Träger der DDR-Sozialversicherung war.

In der DDR-Zeit betrieb der Konsum die Gaststätte Marinehaus, die mit passenden Dekorationen ausgestaltet wurde. Auch in dieser Zeit führte ein Inhaber die Gaststätte privat weiter.

1989 bis 2011
Nach dem Mauerfall und der deutschen Wiedervereinigung wurde der FDGB aufgelöst und das Haus bis auf die Gaststätte leergezogen, es ging an die Landessozialversicherung zurück. Im Jahr 1993 hatte das Land Berlin das Gebäude gekauft. Es sollte zu Verwaltungszwecken umgebaut werden, woraus jedoch nichts wurde. So erhielt der Liegenschaftsfonds Berlin das Gebäude zum Weiterverkauf, Kaufinteressenten fanden sich allerdings nicht. Schließlich entschied der Senat im Jahr 2007, den nun mehr als 20 Jahre ungenutzten großen Saal in den oberen Etagen als Erweiterungsbau an das Märkische Museum anzuschließen. Es sollte ein Forum Zeitgeschichte beherbergen. Für den Umbau fand im Jahr 2008 ein Architektenwettbewerb statt, den das Londoner Büro Stanton Williams gewonnen hatte.
Die Bausumme für die 5.000–7.000 Quadratmeter große Ausstellungsfläche sollte 23,4 Millionen Euro betragen. Nach Detailplanungen und Maßnahmen zur Entkernung des Gebäudes stellte sich 2011 heraus, dass der Saal im Marinehaus "wider Erwarten nur begrenzte Möglichkeiten für die Umnutzung zum Museum im geforderten Flächen- und Nutzungsprofil" biete. Das Projekt musste deshalb abgesagt werden, obwohl bereits Planungskosten von fast drei Millionen Euro entstanden waren.

Die Gaststätte wurde von Stefan Pfannschmidt und Michael Hartwig gekauft, modernisiert und weiter betrieben.

Seit den 2010er Jahren
2018 wurde ein weiterer Wettbewerb mit dem gleichen Nutzungsziel ausgeschrieben, aus dem das Kopenhagener Architekturbüro Adept als Sieger hervorging. Im September 2017 wurde eine Finanzierungsvereinbarung zwischen der Bundesregierung, dem Senat von Berlin und der Stiftung Deutsche Klassenlotterie Berlin unterzeichnet. Das Marinehaus wird zusammen mit dem Märkischen Museum den Kern eines Museums- und Kreativquartiers am Köllnischen Park bilden und als Zentrum musealer und kultureller Aktivitäten die Angebote des Märkischen Museums ergänzen und erweitern. Die Bauarbeiten sollen 2022 beginnen.

Literatur
 Berliner Architekturwelt, 1910, S. 238 (Abb. und Angabe des Architekten)

Weblinks

 Berliner Architekturwelt, Heft 6, S. 228– (Grundrisse Erdgeschoss und 1. Obergeschoss; Schwarz-Weiß-Fotografien Außen- und Innenansichten)

Einzelnachweise

Baudenkmal in Berlin
Neorenaissancebauwerk in Berlin
Erbaut in den 1910er Jahren
Berlin-Mitte


24 June, 2008: Thomas Cook is predicting strong trading for summer having hedged most of its fuel and foreign currency needs and reports it has 19% fewer holidays left to sell in the UK market compared to this time last year.
The operator unveiled its unaudited results for the six months ending April today and said it was confident that despite an uncertain economic climate, outlook was positive for all major markets.
Pro forma loss from operations has been reduced by 15% to £177.5m while group unaudited reported loss from operations was £163.7m, £15m higher than the period last year but that did not include the £69.6m of seasonal winter losses that came with the purchase of MyTravel.
Thomas Cook also used the financial results to announce the departure of group CFO Ludger Heuberg who is stepping down for family reasons. He will be replaced by Juergen Bueser from July 1.


Ask any pool owner what is the most essential pool accessory to get, and they will all tell you the same thing: a pool cover. Indeed, owning a swimming pool without a pool cover is very much like living in a house without a roof.
In this article, you'll learn essential pool cover basics like, the different pool cover types, and how to care for them.
One of the biggest benefits of getting a pool cover is that it keeps leaves, twigs, dirt, and other types of debris out of your pool. That means that you not only spend a lesser amount of time cleaning your pool, but you will also need to clean your pool less frequently.
The water levels of your swimming pool can still decrease even if you're not using it through a natural process called evaporation. The evaporation rate of your pool's water greatly depends on the humidity, wind speeds, and outside temperature.
To make sure that the water of your pool at just the right level, you will need to replenish the water here on a regular basis. Of course, when you refill the water of your pool so that it's at the right level, that would also mean that your pool's water chemistry will also need to be adjusted to make sure that it's not too concentrated or diluted.
Installing a pool cover when you're not using it can help slow down your pool water's evaporation rate. That means you will need to adjust your pool water's level and chemistry less frequently compared to if your pool is exposed to the elements; so you don't need to spend so much on pool chemicals nor worry about increasing water bills.
Leaving your swimming pool exposed to the elements not only increases the water's evaporation rate, but it also causes the temperature of your pool's water to drop faster.
As the water in your pool evaporates, heat energy is lost. To maintain your pool's water at an ideal temperature, you will need to turn on your pool heater. That means that your electricity bill will spike up if you're using an electric-powered pool heater or consume more fuel.
Covering your pool when you're not using it helps regulate the temperature of your swimming pool's water. As a result, you're able to lower your heating expenses by as much as 50%.
Winter and swimming pools are like oil and water: they don't mix. Covering your pool during the winter season can help protect your swimming pool from damage caused by the freezing temperatures.
According to the US Center Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second leading cause of death among children under the age of 15. Of these, 80% happen in residential swimming pools and spas.
Swimming pool covers are required by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) to be able to withstand at least 485 pounds per 5 square feet. That means that it can easily support your child if he or she accidentally falls into your swimming pool when it's not in use.
Now that you know the benefits of investing in a swimming pool cover, the question is which one should you get?
There are four different kinds of pool covers that you can choose from: solar, thermal, automated, and winter pool covers. Each of these pool covers has its advantages and disadvantages.
Solar swimming pool covers are called as such because they absorb the heat of the sun during the day and keeps this warmth well into the night, helping to regulate your pool water's temperature. These are sometimes called bubble covers because they are made up of light, but durable, material that consists of air bubbles.
Compared to the other types of pool covers, solar pool covers are the least expensive. They can fit any pool size or shape. Solar pool covers are also very efficient in reducing your pool water's evaporation rate.
The biggest advantage that solar pool covers have over the others is that they double up as pool heaters. As it absorbs the heat from the sun's rays during the day, it transfers this heat energy to the water in your swimming pool, causing its temperature to rise by as much as 8 degrees.
Installation and storage are among the biggest challenges that you'll face with solar pool covers. Solar pool covers can be quite difficult to place and take off without a cover roller.Also, because it's extremely lightweight, solar pool covers cannot fully support the weight of a small child on its own, so it doesn't help protect your kids and pets from accidents.
Thermal swimming pool covers are made from a lightweight foam material that helps regulate your pool's water temperature and evaporation rate.
In addition to keeping leaves, dirt, and other kinds of debris away from your pool water, thermal pool covers also block out the sun's rays from reaching your pool's water. A thermal pool cover helps prevent harmful algae and other kinds of bacteria from growing in your pool when you don't use it for an extended period.
Just like solar pool covers, thermal pool covers are economical and can fit any pool size and shape. The downside of thermal pool covers is that you need to hire a professional to install this to your pool. This makes getting a thermal pool cover a bit more expensive than a solar pool cover.
Another disadvantage of getting a thermal pool cover is that while it does an excellent job in preventing heat loss from your pool's water, it is not able to heat up your pool's water. That means that you will need to buy a separate pool heater if you want to keep your pool's water temperature at a certain temperature.
Of the four different types of pool covers, winter pool covers are the most popular choice among pool owners for several reasons.
For one, it is relatively inexpensive and can be used for any pool size, type, and shape. They can also be used all year round, not just during the winter season.
The biggest advantage winter pool covers have over the other kinds of swimming pool covers is that they are extremely safe. Winter pool covers are designed to be stretched on top of your pool and secured by anchors points. That means that they not only keep falling leaves, snow, and other debris out from your swimming pool. They are sturdy enough to support the weight of children and small animals, so you don't have to worry about any unwanted accidents.
Ironically, this benefit can also prove to be a setback for many pool owners using a winter pool cover. Since you need to attach a winter pool cover on these anchor points, it can be quite inconvenient to take on and off if you plan to use your swimming pool regularly.
Winter pool covers are made from either mesh or vinyl fabric. Both of these don't do a good job regulating your pool water's temperature and evaporation rate. These materials also don't help heat your pool's water. That said, you will still need to get a separate water heater to get your pool's water to just the right temperature.
Unlike the first three kinds of swimming pool covers, automatic pool covers are made of interlocking slats that rest on the surface of your pool's water. They are called automatic pool covers because they can easily be installed and taken off at the push of a button.
In addition to being very convenient to use, automatic pool covers are the most secure and the safest to use if you have small children in your home. The interlocking slats used by automatic pool covers are very sturdy that they can support the weight of even adults, so you don't have to worry about any unwanted accidents.
Of course, this convenience and safety don't come without a price. Automatic pool covers can be very expensive, which makes this one of the biggest disadvantages of opting to go for an automatic pool cover.
Most, if not all, automatic pool covers are designed to fit rectangular inground pools. Professional pool cover companies can modify and customize automatic pool covers so that they can cover different pool shapes; they can become rather unattractive since some of the slats can extend beyond your pool's edge. While it can prevent people from falling into the swimming pool, they may cause people to trip along the sides of your pool.
Another disadvantage of getting an automatic pool cover is that it can only help regulate your pool's temperature and evaporation rate. Automatic pool covers cannot heat up your pool's water.
Taking care of your swimming pool cover is just as important as your swimming pool itself. No matter how much care and attention you give to your swimming pool, if you don't take the necessary steps to make sure that it's properly cleaned and stored properly, it can cause it to get damaged and contaminated with mold, algae, and bacteria that could affect the quality of your pool.
Just like with your swimming pool, the first step in caring for your pool cover is to get rid of any visible debris: fallen leaves and twigs, soil, and dirt. Gently scoop all of these out from your pool cover with the help of your pool skimmer or net. Only use a hose or a blower if you're using an automatic pool cover. That's because some of the debris that's on the pool cover may have sharp edges, which can tear and damage other types of pool covers.
If there is a pool of dirty water that accumulated on top of your pool cover, use a pump to remove this before taking off your pool cover. This would make sure that your clean pool water would not get contaminated.
After removing your pool cover, thoroughly wash both sides with water and a mild detergent. Again, make sure that when you're scrubbing your pool cover to do so gently to prevent any scratches and minute tears.
Before storing away your pool cover, make sure that you properly treat this so that it lasts longer.
For thermal, winter and solar pool covers, gently scrub diluted bleach on both sides. This would kill any molds, bacteria, and algae that may have started forming on your pool cover. Allow this to completely dry before storing this away in a cool, dry place.
If you are using an automatic pool cover, use some Teflon-based spray to lubricate your pool cover and its different components to make sure that it keeps running smoothly all year round.


text:
Woman helped sell fake chips to US military
Counterfeits from China and Hong Kong were bought for missile systems, radiation detectors, and radar devices
Robert McMillan (IDG News Service) 23 November, 2010 20:17
A Florida woman has pleaded guilty to charges that she helped her employer sell counterfeit computer chips for use by the U.S. military
Stephanie McCloskey, 38, was an administrator at VisionTech Components, a Clearwater, Florida, company that sold military-grade integrated circuits designed to handle extreme temperatures and the shocks and bumps of battlefield use. McCloskey pleaded guilty Friday to a single conspiracy charge. She faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Prosecutors say that VisionTech did more than $15.8 million in business over a three-year period, doctoring and then selling counterfeit integrated circuits imported from Hong Kong and China.
Company employees would scuff up labels to make it impossible to tell if the devices in the box matched the code on the labels and use "large erasers" to polish up the integrated circuits when they arrived in shoddy condition, McCloskey admitted in a Statement of Offense declaration she signed last week in connection with her guilty plea.
The fake chips were sold to many companies, including subcontractors working with big defense suppliers such as Raytheon Missile Systems, BAE Systems, and Northrop Grumman. They were often destined for use in sensitive areas such as missile programs, radiation detectors, and non-military systems such as high-speed trains, the Department of Justice (DoJ) said in court filings.
Many of the chips were used in situations where a system failure would be disastrous.
In December 2009, for example, an unnamed New York company fulfilling a Northrop Grumman contract allegedly bought 350 fake Cypress Semiconductor chips for use in the development of missile defense systems for the U.S. Navy. They were for an antenna beam steering system used by the U.S. Navy Cobra Judy Replacement Program.
Other orders allegedly delivered counterfeit versions of National Semiconductor chips to be used by the Navy to distinguish friendly from hostile aircraft, Altera chips for hand-held nuclear radiation scanners, Motorola processors for controllers in high-speed trains, and 1,500 counterfeit Intel processors for missile components, used in a classified project.
Reached Monday, a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) spokesman could not immediately comment on the case, but the DoD has previously said that it has not found any cases where counterfeit parts have caused hardware failure or put troops at risk.
But the DoD is struggling to get a handle on the counterfeit parts problem. A March Government Accountability Office report found that while counterfeits "have the potential to seriously disrupt the Department of Defense ... supply chain," the DoD doesn't have adequate processes for spotting and stopping fake components.
More than one counterfeit supplier has popped up in the investigation.
VisionTech did business with a California company called MVP Micro that itself sold thousands of counterfeit chips. A year ago, MVP Micro Operations Manager Neil Felahy pleaded guilty to conspiracy and counterfeiting charges, and he has since been working with the government on its investigation, according to court documents.
Prosecutors say VisionTech purchased close to 60,000 counterfeit chips from its Asian suppliers between Dec. 6, 2006 and Aug. 18, 2010. They cost about $425,000. The company sold fakes versions of chips made by many major chipmakers including Intel, Texas Instruments, Motorola, NEC, National Semiconductor, and others, according to court filings.
McCloskey worked for VisionTech's high-flying owner Shannon Wren, 42, who has also been charged in the case. Wren is a noted builder of customized street-racing cars who was the first man to exceed 200 miles per hour in a Memphis race called the Mid South Shootout, according to an April 2010 profile at Dragzine.com
Authorities seized a number of cars in the case, saying they were the proceeds of criminal activity, including a Mercedes Benz, a Rolls Royce, and a Ferrari Spider 360.
In addition to having signing power on the company's checking account, McCloskey also handled hiring and training of company employees. She was also involved in product returns -- a job that appears to have kept her quite busy. VisionTech handed out more than $1 million in refunds between 2007 and 2009.
In early 2009, when a New York company complained about bad Motorola chips slated for use in an Alstom high-speed train project, Wren wrote back, "Please don't over analyze these parts, anybody can find something wrong with a brand new Ferrari if we look hard enough. Come on guys," according to a grand jury indictment brought against Wren and McCloskey.
No court date has been set for McCloskey's sentencing. Her lawyers did not return messages seeking comment. She has also agreed to forfeit the $166,141 she was paid while working at VisionTech.
No court date has been set in Wren's case either. He and McCloskey were arrested on Sept. 14, but are both now out of jail on bond.
Robert McMillan covers computer security and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Robert on Twitter at @bobmcmillan. Robert's e-mail address is robert_mcmillan@idg.com
Tags legalprocessorsintellectual propertyU.S. Department of JusticeComponentsCriminalU.S. Department of DefenseVisionTech ComponentsMVP Micro
More about AlstomAlteraBAE Systems AustraliaCypress SemiconductorDepartment of JusticeIDGIntelItX GroupMercedes BenzMotorolaMVPNational SemiconductorNECNorthrop GrummanRaytheon AustraliaTexas Instruments Australia


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Fossil preparation using a sandblaster.
I'm glad to find that we all share a conception of scientific objects as theory-laden, even for objects as different as "bones, blood, and brains"! But I wonder if ontology is the most interesting focus to have here. Does it really matter if a fossil preparator actuallyremoves – or creates, for that matter – what today's paleontologists interpret as feather traces? That interpretation and the resulting knowledge claims (i.e., that dinosaurs had feathers) are more important, if you ask me.
As Lukas wrote, "There is a strong intuition that some such material interventions change the object's ontology whereas others leave it intact." Based on my ethnographies of paleontology labs, some changes are considered okay to make to fossils while other changes are not, but these okay and not-okay designations are not universal. Some preparators use super glue to repair fossils, for example, while others are militantly opposed (usually because they only want to make "reversible" changes to specimens, and they deem super glue impossible to fully remove). Fossil preparation, like making blood samples though maybe not like diagnosing a psychiatric patient, is inherently irreversible. You can't put rock back on once it's been chiseled off. So this process of making a specimen visible involves quite a lot of decisions with permanent implications, from choosing tools and research goals to seemingly smaller-scale decisions about which scratches in the rock are scratches and which are feathers.
It makes sense then that we might want to explain changes in specimen preparation by changes in specimen interpretation. As Lukas wrote and Joanna agreed, "I could easily imagine someone preparing this specimen, trying to free the bones from the rock matrix, inadvertently destroying the fossilized traces of feathers." I think today's preparators would agree with you, based on their experience with the difficulty of spotting feather traces and even distinguishing fossil bone from its matrix, in many cases. I might object, however, to blaming the poor unappreciated "invisible technicians" for what was actually an epistemological belief at the time – i.e., that dinosaurs didn't have feathers, so it wouldn't have occurred to anyone to look for them, scientist or technician. As Shapin and others point out, invisible technicians are made visible only when problems happen, and then these workers become convenient places to lay the blame.
Regardless of who gets the "blame" for the effects of now-rejected past beliefs, I think today's science technicians are generally very aware of their responsibility for producing reliable specimens (and experiments too). For example, preparators have a community-wide joke about "making foramina". Foramina are natural holes in bones, such as where blood vessels pass through bone, so this joke centers on the irony of preparators creating holes in fossils with their tools, either by mistake or to please a researcher who may say things like "I want to see foramina in this part of this bone, so that this bone can be identified as belonging to this species…" This joke is common and popular among preparators, but the one time I witnessed researchers hearing the joke, they didn't laugh.
CW: I've had two preparators now tell me about Michelangelo's quote about "The piece is already in the stone".
CW: Have you heard that before?
Based on quotes like these and jokes about making foramina, it's clear that today's preparators are very aware of the problem Lukas suggests for preparators in the past – of missing information that they may not be looking for and also, crucially, of MAKING information that may not be original to the specimen, either inadvertently or on purpose. So whether these kinds of changes actually occur as a result of the work of data preparators, in any field, is less interesting, in my opinion, than what we believe to be "real" and "natural", and thus informative about the world. Data – from specimens, patients, experiments, etc. – are only relevant in that they function as foundations for our knowledge claims. Then these objects' "real"-ness or artifice doesn't matter unless that status influences how they are used to support knowledge claims. I find how we interpret the world to be more interesting than how the world actually "is", since that's impossible to know. What do you think? Should we be studying ontology, or epistemology, or maybe their intersections?
Thanks for reading, and keep up the good blogging!
This entry was posted in Feathered Dinosaurs, Fossil Preparation, Historical Ontology, Ian Hacking on May 2, 2012 by americanscience.
Thanks for the post, Caitlin – you've touched on a lot of the points of contention from our recent Hack-off. One reading of your concluding paragraph is that you hold ontology and epistemology apart from one another–and privilege the latter. As for Kant, so for Caitlin: there *is* a real world but it's inaccessible, so let's talk about interpretation and knowledge instead.
What I read Lukas as wanting to do was bring the two together: how we interpret things and what we deem "real" or "natural" have material (he says ontological) consequences that are interesting to study and that in turn feed back into how we interpret things. It's a version of Hacking's "looping," but one Lukas wants to apply to non-human objects. These aren't *exactly* like "human kinds" – the way non-human objects "interact" with our categories is different from the way human ones do (I think Lukas and Joanna do agree with this) – but it's closer than Hacking wants to allow.
Does that "looping" interest you? How do you see epistemology and ontology interacting? And, finally, do *you* think there's an important difference between whether we (historians/scholars) *do* epistemology or ontology (i.e. make claims about knowledge or reality) or *study* the epistemology or ontology (ie the commitments about knowledge or nature) of others? We seem to flip back and forth between these two in this discussion, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for your post, "Hank"! I see what you mean about human kinds vs object kinds, and how our beliefs produce material effects, which we then treat as ontology and use to construct our epistemology… it'd be great to know if this type of "looping" usually confirms the original epistemologies – e.g., we didn't find feathers on dinosaur fossils which means they didn't have feathers which means we don't look for or, thus, find feathers – and also how "looping" allows for new interpretations too.
The material world is important in constructing our knowledge claims, but this world is always and inevitably interpreted through our lenses of existing belief. Thus I think interpretation reigns supreme over the material world in terms of shaping knowledge, whether interpretation is applied to assessing past beliefs or new material/ontological information. I think it's hard to distinguish between the effects of past beliefs and the effects of interpreting new materials on our knowledge claims, so we as researchers should focus on the process and conclusions of interpretation rather than the input of ontology. I would say – perhaps in a sort of Kantian way – that, since we can't know the world without interpreting it, our interpretation of the world BECOMES ontology. It may be a "social" reality, but because that's how we view the world (as well as the only way we can access the world), it must be the most important thing to study.
The very interesting question of what WE as scholars are doing – describing the reality of society or our interpretation of it – is a major one in sociology. Sociologists often claim to be "scientific" and objective, such as by using methods like triangulation and statistical analyses to argue that their data are indicators of reality. But sociologists also value being "reflexive", by acknowledging and even analyzing their own role in shaping data. Perhaps this emphasis on self-reflection and identifying our own biases is a way to bolster the claim that sociological data are objective, rather than an acknowledgement that these data are the more-or-less unique products of specific individual researchers.
Despite these claims to ontological truth, I think we as sociologists and historians can only study actors' epistemology, and only through the lens of our own epistemology too. But actually I think that understanding both actors' and our own epistemologies is the crucial question about knowledge, rather than how the world may actually work.
Do you think that's too simplified, and that ontology plays a larger role? Or, maybe more importantly, can we as researchers – as observers of both people and nature– access an ontology that we did not first interpret or even create?
this is a good discussion, so thanks for contributing to it!
I certainly agree with you that objects, like observation, are theory-laden. That's a point that was established a long time ago. But could we not also say that theories are object-laden?
One reason many of us have become interested in looking at ontology (which you can often just read as short hand for material culture, instruments, observation, etc.) is that it might represent a way forward. Whereas most of the 20th Century was dominated by epistemology, the 21st might represent a return to ontology.
A simplistic view of this more recent trend would be to say that we are simply asserting that despite all the epistemic issues that were discussed from logical positivism onwards to Kuhn and SSK we should abandon some of our skepticism and simply return to a faith in the world's ability to reveal itself to us more or less directly.
I don't think any of us would subscribe to such a view. But might there not be some more complex and interesting way to bring our material interaction with the world back into how we understand the process of scientific research to proceed? Some way that does not force us simply to abandon those genuine lessons that were learned from the epistemology-centered philosophy of the 20th century? If so, what might that more sophisticated and interesting view look like?
It's this latter question that many of us have been wrestling with.


This is Windfoxj.com, the site of Jamie Sandel, or 'Windfoxj'. I use it as a creative outlet, tool for communication, and more. I'm hoping to expand it further to be a bit more interesting in the future, but for the time being I'll take small victories.
The site interface should be clear--scroll over the icons on the left to see what page of the site they link to. If you want, for some reason, to go back to the first page (index)...type it in the URL bar.
I made the site on Mozilla Composer, a little branch of Mozilla's "suite" program, Seamonky (the next generation of the Mozilla suite). Composer is a simple but useful program which I combined with raw HTML tweakings to create the page.
Mailing list - if you'd like to be periodically informed about significant updates to the site, you can sign up on a mailing list. Just send an email to: mail AT windfoxj DOT com (you know the drill, replace the words with their respective symbols) expressing your interest.