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Today, Harvey Weinstein's wife Georgina Chapman released a statement to People announcing that she is leaving him: "My heart breaks for all the women who have suffered tremendous pain because of these unforgivable actions. I have chosen to leave my husband. Caring for my young children is my first priority and I ask the media for privacy at this time," she told the outlet.


text:
Articles Default Press release
Victory for Pirates: UN Cannabis legislation arrives in 21st century
Brussels, 3rd of December 2020 – Cannabis is no longer considered as dangerous as heroine by the United Nations (UN). On Wednesday 2 December, the UN Commission for Narcotic Drugs voted to remove marijuana for medical use from the list of the world's most risky narcotics, where it was since 1961. The decision is of course way overdue and in line with the European Pirates Delegation (PPEU), who demand a reasonable treatment and discourse about the regulation of drugs in the European Union (EU).
"The change of United Nations policy is a major victory for many Pirate Parties across Europe who campaigned to promote a rational, data-driven approach to the drug policies", says Mikuláš Peksa, Pirate member of the European Parliament and chairman of the European Pirate Party. "I believe this decision will also stop any attempts from the side of European Commission to stigmatize particular substances and open opportunities for establishing European producers on the international markets"
The decision by the Vienna-based UN commission followed a recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is expected to be a kick-starter for the expansion of research on marijuana for medical purposes. Only two weeks after the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that the French ban on the cannabis-derived compound CBD is illegal, this represents another leap towards a factual discussion about substances. CBD has no psychotropic or harmful effect on human health and is widely used for medical purposes.
As outlined in the programme of the European Pirates, the majority of international conventions regarding the preparation, manipulation, and consumption of psychoactive substances is outdated and not based on scientific facts. For example, scientific evidence suggests that legalization of cannabis results in less harm to people and society than prohibition. For the future, policy discussions about drugs need to take into account the following proposal of the PPEU:
Work to change the international conventions regarding psychoactive substances towards a science-based view.
Set up a framework facilitating the scientific approach which among other things should share information and help fund research on psychoactive substances.
Advocate for the legalization and regulation of cannabis in the individual member states as a means of restricting the black market.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Austin bars and clubs take advantage of the city's reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. Perhaps the city would have an argument from New Orleans or Nashville, but it remains true that there is a long and rich tradition of music here. There is also a thriving gay community that is well integrated into all parts of this tolerant city, and numerous gay bars in Austin attract both locals and visitors.
It is undoubtedly the numerous clubs and bars on 6th Street in Austin Texas that are the most well known. This is a compact seven block area near the famous Bat Bridge, and the heart of the city's history. Here are numerous buildings from the late 1800s and early 1900s, including the historic old Driskill Hotel, one of the finest luxury hotels in the city dating to 1861 and exuding a bygone elegance. This is the district where the concerts of the South By Southwest (SXSW) Festival occur in March, and just about all the Austin bars along Sixth Street and its side streets get into the act with special guest performers. The anything goes annual Mardi Gras and Halloween Night events also occur here, often spilling out into the streets New Orleans style. This district is known for its restaurants and cafés offering regional barbecue specialties.
In addition to the Sixth Street Entertainment District, there are other popular entertainment pockets in the city where you can find great Austin blues bars as well as folk music, jazz, country, and just about every other genre. Just to the north, and overlapping the Sixth Street District is the Red River District, with an emerging music scene in what was an area full of crack houses and run down homeless shelters not long ago. This is where you would go to hear the best of the local newcomer bands—bands that may well be discovered and become nationally known at any time.
Just to the west and along the Lake Austin shoreline is the Warehouse District, a bit more upscale than laid back Sixth Street. There is excellent shopping here in a number of galleries, antique stores, and chic boutiques in addition to popular Austin bars offering pricey designer cocktails, gourmet dining, and good music. Some of the best and most famous Austin blues bars are found in this district.
Wherever you find large universities, you are bound to find good bars with cutting edge music traditions, and one of the best Austin blues bars is located on the University of Texas campus just north of the State Capitol. It was at the legendary Cactus Café that music greats like Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith, and Shawn Colvin got their starts. As with most university venues around the country, the music is eclectic, ranging from jazz and blues to folk and rock. It is operated by the university itself, which offers music classes here. Recently, the university made a decision to close it as a way to save money, but music legends from around the country rallied to keep it open. Should budget concerns again threaten it, there are plans to relocate it.
You will find the most predominantly gay bars in Austin concentrated in the Warehouse and Sixth Street Districts. This is not because these are primarily gay areas, but only because these are nightlife and entertainment centers. Though some of these gay bars in Austin cater only to the gay and lesbian communities, those communities are so well integrated into the city as whole that most of the best bars and clubs are popular with people from all walks of life.


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Copyright 2019 Jennie Music Publishing & Recording Company. All rights reserved.


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VN-China relations see positive developments in 2013
The Vietnam-China relationship saw positive developments in 2013, contributing to stability and peace in the region and the world at large, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Nguyen Van Tho has said.
Bilateral ties have recorded progress in various fields since the two countries normalised their relations, Tho told reporters on the sidelines of a recent national external affairs conference in Hanoi.
According to the ambassador, Vietnamese and Chinese high-ranking leaders have reached common perceptions and important agreements on deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two nations.
In 2011 and 2012, some issues emerged in bilateral ties, especially the East Sea dispute. To deal with this complex situation, the two countries' high-ranking leaders reached common perceptions, including an agreement on basic principles guiding the settlement of sea-related issues on the basis of friendship, international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
"As the East Sea issue is defined as complicated, long-term and sensitive, it is a must for both sides to gradually resolve the dispute by friendly negotiations in the light of international law and the 1982 UNCLOS," Tho said.
He said the two neighbours' relations have seen new developments since the beginning of 2013, especially after the phone calls between Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the State visit by President Truong Tan Sang to China, the meeting between the Vietnamese Prime Minister and the Chinese Premier in Nanning, and most recently, the official visit to Vietnam by Premier Li Keqiang.
The two sides have reached important perceptions to develop their cooperation in a stable and healthy manner, he said, adding that they have agreed to set up three working groups on sea, land and financial-monetary issues.
The two sides have pledged to hasten the operations of the three groups to increase the number of Chinese investment projects in Vietnam , especially in transport infrastructure, and increase bilateral financial-monetary cooperation, the diplomat stated.
Regarding marine cooperation, Ambassador Tho said that the two sides were unanimous on finding transitional solutions that are acceptable to both sides. While negotiating for a basic and long-term solution to the East Sea issue, they agreed to not complicate the situation, use force or the threat of force while promoting cooperation in less sensitive issues and accelerating the demarcation of maritime boundaries in the waters off the mouth of the Gulf of Tonkin .
Both sides have also agreed to sit at the negotiation table to soon locate an area where they can cooperate for mutual development in the waters off the mouth of the gulf, he added.
He also stressed that cooperation for mutual development in the East Sea must also be in line with Vietnamese and international laws and the 1982 UNCLOS.
Regarding joint sea patrols between the two armies over the past time, the ambassador affirmed that such activities are very good if they take place regularly, contributing to strengthening the friendship and understanding between the two armies in particular and the two countries in general.
Mentioning two-way trade between Vietnam and China , Tho noted that bilateral trade turnover has grown strongly in recent years, surpassing 40 billion USD in 2012.
He said he believes that the target of 60 billion USD in two-way trade by 2015 set by the two countries' leaders is within reach.
China has been the largest trade partner of Vietnam for many consecutive years and this will remain true in the time to come, he said, adding that two-way trade exchanges bring benefits to both sides as they can create jobs for millions of their people.
However, he noted that Vietnam 's trade deficit with China remains large and is increasing. This issue has been mentioned during meetings between the two countries' leaders.
To reduce the trade deficit, the leaders agreed that the Vietnamese side will actively list products of its strength such as farm produce and seafood, and the Chinese side will facilitate the export of those commodities, he said.-VNA


text:
Obec Chářovice se nachází v okrese Benešov, kraj Středočeský, asi 10 km severozápadně od Benešova. Žije zde  obyvatel.

Historie
První písemná zmínka o obci pochází z roku 1394.

Za druhé světové války se ves stala součástí vojenského cvičiště Zbraní SS Benešov a její obyvatelé se museli 1. dubna 1943 vystěhovat.

Územněsprávní začlenění
Dějiny územněsprávního začleňování zahrnují období od roku 1850 do současnosti. V chronologickém přehledu je uvedena územně administrativní příslušnost obce v roce, kdy ke změně došlo:
 1850 země česká, kraj České Budějovice, politický okres Benešov, soudní okres Neveklov
 1855 země česká, kraj Tábor, soudní okres Neveklov
 1868 země česká, politický okres Benešov, soudní okres Neveklov
 1939 země česká, Oberlandrat Tábor, politický okres Benešov, soudní okres Neveklov
 1942 země česká, Oberlandrat Praha, politický okres Benešov, soudní okres Neveklov
 1945 země česká, správní okres Benešov, soudní okres Neveklov
 1949 Pražský kraj, okres Benešov
 1960 Středočeský kraj, okres Benešov
 2003 Středočeský kraj, okres Benešov, obec s rozšířenou působností Benešov

Rok 1932
Ve vsi Chářovice (přísl. Dunávičky, 200 obyvatel) byly v roce 1932 evidovány tyto živnosti a obchody: 4 hostince, kovář, lom, mlýn, obuvník, obchod se smíšeným zbožím, 2 rolníci, 2 trafiky, zednický mistr.

Doprava
Dopravní síť
 Pozemní komunikace – Do obce vede silnice III. třídy.

 Železnice – Železniční trať ani stanice na území obce nejsou. Nejbližší železniční stanicí je Týnec nad Sázavou ve vzdálenosti 3 km ležící na trati 210 vedoucí z Prahy, Vraného nad Vltavou a Jílového u Prahy do Čerčan.
Veřejná doprava 2012
 Autobusová doprava – Do obce vedly autobusové linky Benešov-Týnec nad Sázavou-Jílové u Prahy (v pracovních dnech 1 spoj z Benešova do Týnce nad Sázavou), Benešov-Neveklov (v pracovních dnech 1 spoj) a Křečovice-Týnec nad Sázavou (v pracovních dnech 1 spoj) . O víkendu byla obec bez dopravní obsluhy.

Turistika
Obcí vede turistická trasa  Týnec nad Sázavou – Chářovice – Chrášťany – Neštětice.

Organizace sídlící v obci
SDH Chářovice –  Nynější členskou základnu SDH Chářovice tvoří 55 členů. V současné době se hasičský sbor zabývá pořádáním kulturních, společenských a sportovních akcí, které probíhají pod záštitou obce Chářovice.

Sbor byl založen v březnu 1928. Více zde: http://sdhcharovice.webnode.cz/o-nas/

Odkazy

Reference

Externí odkazy

Vesnice v okrese Benešov
Obce v okrese Benešov
Mikroregion Týnecko
Sídla v Benešovské pahorkatině
České a moravské obce vysídlené v letech 1940–1945

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Thelegdy Borbála (? – 1616. március 31.) Thelegdy Mihály és Bánffy Zsófia leánya, Rákóczi Zsigmond erdélyi fejedelem harmadik felesége.

Élete
Chapy Kristóf felesége volt, majd 1596-ban férjének régi barátjával, báró Rákóczi Zsigmonddal kötött házasságot. Chapy Kristóftól született kiskorú leányát, Chapy Zsuzsannát hozta magával második házasságába. Rákóczi nagyon megszerette az asszonyt, és élete végéig becsülte. Jó anyja lett a Rákóczi-gyermekeknek. A gyulafehérvári országgyűlés Rákóczit 1607. február 11-én fejedelemmé választotta, azonban már a következő év márciusában lemondott a trónról Báthory Gábor javára, és Felsővadászra vonult vissza, ahol nem sokkal később, december 5-én meg is halt. Végrendeletében bőkezűen gondoskodott feleségéről. Az özvegy Thelegdy Borbála férjének első házasságából született három fiával maradt, akik ekkor még kiskorúak voltak. Az árvák gyámságát rövid ideig apjuk unokaöccse, Rákóczi Lajos látta el. A két idősebb Rákóczi-fiú, György és Zsigmond reformátusok maradtak, míg Pál mostohaanyja hatására a római katolikus vallásra tért át.

Források

 Rákóczi Zsigmond
 Szerencsi hírek
 Thelegdy családfa
 Zubánics László: Perli-e még ezt a hont más?

Erdélyi fejedelemasszonyok
1616-ban elhunyt személyek


Enjoy The Wedding Season With 5 Simple Food Rules	Submitted by josee on Wed, 07/04/2012 - 13:06 Wedding season is certainly upon us. Special gatherings with family, friends, and plenty of food are in order. But if you are trying to watch your waistline, or simply want to make healthier choices at the wedding reception, here are 5 tips to make sure you have a great time without needing to keep track of the calorie count!
1. If faced with a buffet, limit yourself to one plateful.
Choose your options wisely, because one plateful is plenty of food for anyone. Don't forget that you need to leave room for a slice of wedding cake at the end of the meal too!
2. Focus half your intake on delicious nutritious veggies!
Waiting around during cocktail hour? Grab a handful of veggies with a little bit of dip instead of the crackers, breads or deep fried goodies. Faced with a very long buffet of scrumptious options? Half your plate should be filled with greens and vegetables and leave the rest of your plate to indulge on other tasty offerings of your choosing.
Not only do deep fried or creamy dishes have more calories, they are certainly heavy foods and lead to the "Goodness, I ate way too much!" feeling. This isn't great when you want to head onto the dance floor and bust a move! But, if you'd like to have a taste of that deep fried chicken or creamy soup, take a little mini portion and savor it instead of pilling it on your plate.
Breads and rolls can increase your salt and carbohydrate intake. Only choose one from the bread basket (whole wheat or whole grain would be best!) and leave the rest for the others at your table to enjoy.
White or red wine averages 60-70 calories per glass, whereas a 12-ounce bottled beer can be upwards of 200 calories per serving, and mixed drinks can be even higher. Also, red wine in moderation can help decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease! (Moderation equals 1 glass for women or 2 glasses for men a day).
One night of indulgence will likely not pack on the pounds, though your stomach may feel stuffed by the end of the night! Eat lightly the next day and you'll be back on track. And most of all, happy wedding season!


"Elizabeth," ©2017 Oil on Canvas, 56" x 36" and yours truly at the opening - the show will be on view until March 11th! The Monmouth Museum is located at 765 Newman Springs Road in Lincroft, New Jersey. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10AM to 5PM and Sundays from 12 Noon to 5PM.


Will I be able to afford sending my kids to MLS?
People from a wide variety of financial situations send their sons and daughters to MLS. Since we don't want to turn anyone away for financial reasons, there is need-based financial aid available. Check out our financial aid page.
What do dorm students do during their free time?
Our dorm students are rarely bored. Many of our students are involved in multiple extracurricular activities, like football, choir, or theater. If you weren't busy with those activities, you might find yourself playing basketball outside, playing video games or cards inside, or hanging out in the commons. Maybe you might walk down to Fuzzy's, Papa John's, or 7/11 for something to eat. In fact, it's a lot like when you have free time at home, except all of your friends are there too!
What if I don't know if I want to be a pastor or teacher? Can I still come to MLS?
Absolutely! Most of our students aren't totally sure of what they want to do for a career yet. At MLS, we don't require you to become a pastor or teacher, but we will help you see what it's like. We'll give you experiences that help you see what ministry is like. We simply ask that you keep an open mind. In the end, 40-60% of our students attend Martin Luther College to study for the public ministry. No matter what career you choose, MLS will equip you to be a well-rounded Christian who knows and serves God.
What's the food like in the Cafeteria?
Many of our students say that the cafeteria is their favorite place on campus! There are lots of options at every meal. If you were to eat in our dining hall, you'd find two hot food options every day, as well as cereal, various fruits, a salad bar, and a sandwich station. You could grab a glass of chocolate milk, soda, or juice, or fill up a cup of cappuccino after that. Still hungry? Go up and get another plate of food! And don't forget to finish it off with a bowl of ice cream. Don't believe us? Come check it out when you visit!
What do we do if my child needs academic counseling?
Students or parents may talk with the student's faculty adviser, the academic dean, or professors about finding a tutor for your student. Many professors are willing to help students sometime during the day if needed. Student tutors are also available upon request if agreed upon by the professor and advisor.
What happens if my child gets hurt during a sports activity?
An athletic trainer is present at most interscholastic athletic events and many practices. She is also available on a regular basis to assist any student, including non-athletes. The cost of visiting a physician or the hospital is billed directly to parents.
The Nurse is available from 7:00AM-9:30AM. A tutor is always available to take your child to Med-Express or the Emergency room . If your child is sick they are to remain out of school for the entire day.
What happens if my child has to stay in the dorms when they are closed for a holiday or long weekend?
International students are encouraged to spend weekends with their host families as often as possible. Students that live out of state are encouraged to find a friend that lives nearby. A dorm staff member is always available to help find a place for your child to go for the weekend. The dorm staff will notify you as early as possible in order to make plans for your child.
When does my child needs car permission?
Each dorm student has individual car permission granted by their parents. Parents are able to change their child's car permissions at any time by calling or emailing the dorm staff. If a student is leaving at any time from the dorm they must sign out with a tutor in the IDO before they leave and sign back in when they return.
How does my child take a PER (permission)?
Each student is given so many "pers" each term. Students may use a per to get out of a study hall for the night so they may partake in a different activity such as an athletic event, choir practice, or have more free time. The number of pers given is based off of class and GPA.


920 Pages | 40 halftones, 25 line illus.
9. "Christopher Crotchet, Singing Master from Quavertown"
23. Edwin P. Christy, Stephen Foster, and "Ethiopian Minstrelsy"
30. Early Expressions of Cultural Nationalism in the 1850s (Hopkins, Fry, Putnam's Monthly)/31. John S. Dwight Remembers How He and His Circle "Were But Babes in Music"
82. George Gershwin Surveys "Fifty Years of American Music"
85. Ruth Crawford on "Dissonant Music"
86. "River Sirens, Lion Roars, All Music to Varèse"
87. Leopold Stokowski and "Debatable Music"
93. Aaron Copland on the "The Personality of Stravinsky"
98. Zora Neale Hurston on "Spirituals and Neo-Spirituals"
110. Stephen Sondheim on Writing "Theater Lyrics"
111. Muddy Waters Explains "Why It Doesn't Pay to Run from Trouble"
116. Pete Seeger, a TCUSAPSS, "Sings Out!"
122. Charles Reich on The Music of "Consciousness III"
126. George Crumb and Black Angels--"A Quartet in Time of War"
132. Harold Schonberg on "Art and Bunk, Matter and Anti Matter"
136. Tom Johnson--What is Minimalism Really About?
148. Willie Colon on "Conscious Salsa"
Judith Tick is a high-profile music historian who writes about American music, particularly early modernism, and women's history. Among her publications are books and articles about Aaron Copland, Charles Ives, and in particular, the prize-winning biography of the American composer, Ruth Crawford Seeger: A Composer's Search for American Music (OUP 1997). She is an Associate Editor for the journal Musical Quarterly. A faculty member at Northeastern University since 1986, she was named a Matthews Distinguished University Professor in 1999 and elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004.
Paul Beaudoin has received international recognition for his work in composition and music theory. He is a recipient of the Brandeis University Prize Instructorship and the prestigious Excellence in Teaching Award from Northeastern University.


text:
James Common
Words about wildlife & wilderness, in the North East and Beyond
Tales from the Urban Jungle
Follow Common By Nature
Top blogs on nature, wildlife and the environment
Top 10 Facts: Waxwing
Nine nature blogs you all should follow
Top 10 Facts: House Sparrow
Top 10 Facts: Fly Agaric
How to write a nature blog, by Newton Wildsmith
Top 10 Facts: Willow Tit
Declining Hedgehogs: Are Badgers to Blame?
Where to watch wildlife in the North East: Silverlink Biodiversity Park
Top 10 Facts: Yew
Exploring the Fascinating Flora of Lindisfarne
Wonderful Wildflowers at Bishop Middleham Quarry
The Pound Wood 'Fritillary Site' – a place for butterflies and a great deal more, by Ross Gardner
Eye-catching Invertebrates at Gosforth Nature Reserve
Chasing Urban Orchids
A Walk on the North Downs Way, by Frances Jones
Where to watch wildlife in the North East: Jesmond Dene
Excitement in the wildlife garden
Investigating the Prudhoe Spetchells
Follow James on Twitter
What is happening to our hedgehogs?
James Common July 30, 2017 July 7, 2019
It has been over a year since a hedgehog last visited my garden, and longer still since my last chance encounter in the rural surroundings of my hometown. Sadly, it seems that for me at least, the days of hungry hogs sharing supper on the patio or gobbling up slugs on the lawn, have well and truly passed. The glaring decline of hedgehogs here, in my own suburban garden, mirroring a woeful trend observed nationwide. As this much-loved, familiar and endearing species teeters on the brink of extinction in all corners of Britain.
The decline of hedgehogs in British gardens was recently confirmed by a survey conducted by the RSPB. Here, 139,000 properties were surveyed across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, revealing that one quarter of gardens (some 34,000 or so) recorded no sightings of hedgehogs throughout the entire year. With this figure rising to thirty-percent in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Sixty-percent of gardens included in the survey did record hedgehogs, though regardless, this represents a major decline in numbers from decades past. The results of the RSPB survey display worrying likeness to those from an earlier survey conducted by BBC Gardeners World who found only 12% of the 2,600 people surveyed saw a hedgehog regularly during 2016. With 51% of those surveyed not seeing a hedgehog at all during the same period.
During the 1950's, it was estimated that Britain held approximately 36 million hedgehogs: an estimate based on the extrapolation of results showing an average density of 2.5 hogs per hectare in Britain at the time. While some have suggested that this may have been an overestimate due to the limited nature of the data set, it is clear that numbers have decreased monumentally since then. With a more recent (and reliable) census in 1995 estimating numbers at around 1,550,000 animals nationwide. Evidence obtained since the 1995 survey suggests that the decline has continued to the present day, with hedgehog populations falling by approximately five-percent annually in both rural and urban areas. This is thought to be the same rate of decrease observed in tiger populations worldwide, and does not paint a promising picture for the future of our beloved hogs. Indeed, there is sufficient evidence to suggest numbers have plummeted further since the time of the last, large-scale survey, and that now, Britain may hold less than one million hedgehogs.
What is causing the decline of our hedgehogs? Well, it is thought that myriad reason may putting pressure on the species in Britain. Among these, agricultural intensification in rural areas, resulting in the loss of vital hedgerows and field margins, may be a leading cause. While the fragmentation of habitat in urban areas due to an increase in fencing is also restricting the ability of hedgehogs to forage sufficiently. Add to this the impact of roads, pesticides and, perhaps more controversially, depredation by badgers, and it is clear that our remaining hedgehogs are in serious trouble.
On the subject of badgers, some, including author and ecologist Hugh Warwick strongly dispute the suggestion that badgers may be driving hedgehog declines. Although others have suggested that conflict between the two species may be an issue where the insect prey favoured by both species is depleted, and badgers are forced to adapt their diet. Studies clearly show hedgehogs to feature in the diet of badgers; though direct research on the subject is scant and, as such, the debate on this matter will likely continue for some time.
Despite the grim state of Britain's hedgehog population, all is not yet lost, and there is plenty that each of us can do to make life easier for the spiky mammals. Firstly, we can make our gardens more appealing by planting hedgerows, removing fences, providing rough areas for shelter and by forgoing the use of harmful pesticides. While those interested in taking a more proactive approach to hedgehog conservation can involve themselves in regular counts such as the PTES Living with Mammals survey or any of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) counts which also allow for the recording of mammals. Other surveys such as Mammals on Roads also contribute valuable data and are highly recommended, while you also sign-up to the Hedgehog Preservation Society who dedicate themselves to public education, research and conservation centred on our favourite garden visitors.
Conservation, Nature
Hedgehog, Wildlife
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We are lucky enough to get at least three hedgehogs visiting our small garden on a typical crowded housing estate.
There is no need to remove fences, our ones come in via a gap under the gate. There is also space under the fence to next doors garden but I don't think they use it.
Holes can be made in gravel boards and there are a few companies that have hedgehog friendly fencing.
James Common says:
That is great news – you are very lucky! I wasn't aware that hedgehog-friendly fencing was a thing, thank you for updating!
https://www.jacksons-fencing.co.uk/hedgehog-fencing.asp
http://www.quercusfencing.co.uk/hedgehog-friendly-fencing/
Or you can do it yourself as the below link shows
https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/link-your-garden/
Seamus Sweeney says:
Reblogged this on Séamus Sweeney and commented:
Fortunately hedgehogs continue to visit my own garden… difficult to estimate as I have not perhaps been there as much after dark compared to last yet, but certainly a presence.
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SMARTWATCH WEARABLE TECH NEWS
First Windows 10-powered smartwatch is all about business
But don't get too excited...
By Michael Sawh @michaelsawh
By Michael Sawh
@michaelsawh
Yes, you heard us right. A smartwatch that's running Windows 10 is happening, but you might be disappointed to hear that it's not going to be an Apple Watch or Samsung Gear rival.
OEM TrekStor is set to pack Microsoft's operating system into a wearable that's being built for business and commercial uses. Set to run on Windows 10 IoT Core, the smartwatch will be able to run Universal Windows Applications and will be able to connect to the cloud.
Read this: Apple Watch Series 2 v Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45
Specs are slim on the ground at the moment, but it will feature a 1.54-inch display with Gorilla Glass 3 to add a layer of protection, which will be held in a soft casing. It'll support both notifications and voice messages.
On the connectivity front there'll be Bluetooth and Wi-Fi onboard and apparently plenty of storage space, processing power and battery life to perform in a variety of business-related scenarios.
Revealed in a Microsoft blog post, those business uses could include inventory management in retail, automation for guest services in hospitality, industrial automation in manufacturing and patient care in healthcare.
While Microsoft continues to make a push with its mixed reality and VR efforts, the Redmond company has backed away from making other wearables having canned the Microsoft Band in late 2016. The fitness tracker and smartwatch hybrid didn't run on Windows 10 relying on Microsoft's own wearables architecture.
So it's a still a pretty big deal that the operating system that's appeared on a whole heap of other devices including smartphones and laptops, is finally making an appearance on a wearable. It's just a shame we probably won't have much reason to use it.
More details of the TrekStor smartwatch is expected to be revealed over the coming months, so stay tuned to find out if it's worth getting excited about.
Source: Windows Blog
TAGGEDSmartwatchesWearables


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A few days in the Okanagan, 23-25 Jul 2007
23 Jul 2007 12 May 2010 ~ AndyG
How to make a rainy Sunday sunnier
Summer is passing and we haven't had a holiday of any sort since Maria started her job at the end of February. We need a little downtime… And some sunshine as the summer has been kinda crappy up to now. (It's been fine in the week and then rainy at the weekend.) We plump for a trip east into the Okanagan. Sure enough, the Saturday is as wet as any in November and we spend it relaxing and collecting what we need for our trip. Sunday morning, we set off around 11 am and leave the rain behind. A steady drive up the Fraser Valley and into Manning Park and then it's new road! We follow the Similkameen River as it winds its way east out of the park, through Princeton and then diagonally down towards the US border. The route beyond Princeton quickly became one of my favourite drives. Nice quick road, not much traffic, scenic mountains and river.
We were in no hurry and spent a leisurely afternoon drive taking in the surroundings, watching the landscape change from familiar rain forest to drier pine and sage-brush territory. We drove through Keremeos, passing the first of many orchards. Beyond, the Similkameen turned south into the US and the steep valley sides receded to be replaced by more rounded hills. We passed the Spotted Lake (though we didn't know that's what it was at the time) and descended into Osoyoos, pulling in at the Tourist Information Centre.
We got out of the car and the heat hit us. So much warmer than it had been in Vancouver. Suddenly we weren't sure if we wanted to be that hot! We collected a pile of leaflets and headed north through the Okanagan Valley looking for a suitable campground. We had identified a few provincial park campgrounds and decided to check them out in turn to see which one we liked the look of. First up was Inkaneep, a small uninspiring little campground which had space but let's just say that the inmates didn't look like the kind of neighbours we wanted while camping… On then to Vaseux Lake. Much better, right on the lake shore but also right on the main road. We almost stayed there but decided to move on to our last option, Okanagan Falls. We drove into the campground, sandwiched between high rocky bluffs and the Okanagan River and decided to go for the spot by the entrance (admittedly with backing right onto the road, but not much traffic). Within 10 minutes the remaining two spots were occupied! That was good timing…!
With our tent pitched, we cooked dinner and relaxed, taking a wander along the river bank at dusk.
The Monday Forecast: Hot
A sunny morning coaxed us out of our sleeping bags and breakfast. I wandered up the road taking a few photos. Our first stop of the day was the Desert Center back down in Osoyoos (40 km south). We pulled up just before 11 am, paid our admission and joined the tour. The thermometer in the shade read 30 C. And it felt it. Out on the tour there was no shade so we were glad of our hats. An hour later the tour was done and we felt educated about the state of the Okanagan desert landscape. Or what's left of it. Most of it is now irrigated as orchard or vineyard. A number of animals which used to live there are locally extinct because they need large areas to survive. The American badger exemplifies this: they last had a badger on that land a couple of years ago, but it had to wander to find a mate, about 20 miles away in the next valley! With several roads to cross, it's no wonder that these animals are endangered.
By now we were absolutely roasting hot and needed somewhere to cool off, so we headed into Osoyoos and for Haynes Point provincial park to have a dip in the lake. Apparently Osoyoos Lake is the warmest in Canada. I dread to think what the temperature is in the others… It still took some effort on our part to brave the water, but before long we were in happily swimming around. Lunch and then more time sitting around just plain chilling out :-) Much needed. We were roused by the prospect of gelato courtesy of Osoyoos Gelato, before heading across the lake to our second desert experience of the day at the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre. It's pronounced In-ka-meep.
I was a bit wary at the entrance fee, but in the end was really glad we went in, and I would visit it again to catch the bits we missed (it closed at 4 pm). The centre is a celebration of local native history. Highlights included the hummingbird feeder and the rattlesnake. But some of the sculpture used to illustrate the cultural history was excellent, great art work in its own right let alone as props. There was also a short hiking trail to wander around the desert land a bit more and the chance to visit a recreated village setting with teepee and round house. We got back to the visitor centre just as they were closing.
We took a steady drive back to the camp ground and cooked before settling down in the evening to watch a lovely sunset and moonrise.
Sun, Sand and Tuesday
Another warm morning. We headed north towards Penticton, and took the road to Naramata on the east side of Okanagan Lake. Here we grabbed some lunch at the cafe (nice place) and headed to the beach at Manitou Park. We bagged a shady spot at the far end of the beach and plonked ourselves down to take in the view across the lake. We sat and read for a while before the water lured us in for a swim. We managed to get in more quickly than yesterday and spent quite a while swimming around, heading out to the marker buoys at the edge of the designated area and then I swam over to a diving platform covered in small children. The kids were amazing, jumping/falling in, swimming back, and climbing back onto the platform to do it all again. It took me a few minutes to pluck up the courage but eventually I dived in with an almighty splash.
Time for lunch back under our shady spot. We grabbed an iced coffee and then headed out for a hike. We made our way up the hill from Naramata to the Kettle Valley Railway. We pulled on our boots and headed off in search of the Little Tunnel, known as the most romantic place in the Okanagan. Well, with that kind of accolade we just had to find it. From where we parked the car it was just over 4 km along the bed of the old railway to the tunnel. The route was mostly straight and flat, but the views over Okanagan Lake were spectacular, even if we were beginning to wilt in the heat. After about an hour we reached the tunnel and, yes, I suppose that it could be described as a romantic place, especially with its westward views. It would certainly be a good place to watch the sun set.
A steady trog back to the car and then we drove back to Penticton before taking the road along the east side of Skaha Lake. Part of that side of the lake has a wildlife refuge for Bighorn Sheep and we spent a few minutes scanning the hillsides for anything that looked like a sheep. Of course we saw nothing and so we continued our scenic drive back to the tent for dinner. And another beautiful sunset and moonrise…
Our last morning. We re-packed the car and, on the advice of the camp host, we drove up Green Lake road behind the campground, taking the back road towards Penticton. I wanted to drive past the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO), which has its radio telescopes located up in a quiet valley near White Lake and this was the perfect opportunity. The day was clear and sunny again, and we left around 10am.
The road climbed up to the Green Lake winery, with superb views over the Okanagan valley. We will have to return as the wine-tasting here takes place on the balcony, allowing the views to be part of the experience. We passed Green Lake which was beautiful, a truly unreal colour in the otherwise dry and parched landscape. Then we joined a great twisty little road to climb some more before levelling out in the wide-open White Lake valley. We stopped for a moment and got out of the car and heard… nothing. There was little or no wind, and no sound from anything else. Unbelievably quiet! Until a Harley rode by :-)
We continued on to the DRAO, parking at the gate to take a walk onto the grounds to take a look at the telescopes. In addition to the obvious-looking telescopes, the DRAO is (was) the location of the world's largest 22 MHz array, essentially a huge area strung with wire, looking more like a vast washing line complex than a radio telescope! It's no longer used, because human-generated radio interference at such low frequencies swamps the signal from astronomical sources. The main work is done by the 7-element interferometer, which spends most of its time operating at about 1.4 GHz (21 cm). Each telescope is 9 m (30 feet) in diameter. Finally there is the larger 26-m telescope, which is used in conjunction with the smaller dishes of the interferometer to improve the image quality of extended emission. It was fun to wander around and take a few touristy photographs.
We drove on again, joining the main road a few km out of Penticton, then through Penticton, and out to the shores of Okanagan Lake. The first part of the route along the lake shore was right next to the water, the highway bounded on the other side by steep cliffs. We stopped at one of several small provincial parks to have a snack overlooking the lake, before heading in to Summerland to head up to the top of the Giant's Head. Sounds simple, but we drove round for a while looking for directions before taking a road out of town which led all the way around the Giant's Head, eventually leading us to a signposted road to the way up. We hadn't expected to be able to drive all the way up, but the road was closed right at the bottom due to storm damage from heavy rain a few nights earlier (just before we arrived in the Okanagan). So now we had to walk all the way up, along the road (still safe to walk along) in the mid-day sun. Hmmm, more than we had planned.
It was hot, really hot and we doubted our sanity for much of the trek up. It was only a couple of km, but with over 300 m of elevation to gain with no shade it was hard work. Eventually we reached some shade at the car park near the top, stopped for a break before heading on to the top. Only another 5 or 10 minutes later and we were on the summit! And it was suddenly all worth it. The views were amazing. The summit had some odd-looking tubes pointing in different directions, and it took us a minute to work out that they were in fact sighting tubes with labels of what you were looking at! What a great idea! We could see the Little Tunnel on the opposite side of the lake, Naramata, part of the Kettle Valley Railway, and more.
We picked a shady lunch spot and enjoyed a leisurely break with the view before us. Then it was the much quicker walk back down for a cold drink in an air-conditioned cafe. Oh so welcome. Moving on out of Summerland, our next destination was Peachland. We stopped along the way to cool off our feet in the lake one last time, and took a look across the water to the extensive fire damage in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park. Back on the road, we took our detour along the waterfront through Peachland before taking the plunge (so to speak) to get on the road for our final drive home.
And a long peaceful drive it was too. The first stretch of highway drove over the Thompson plateau, with no settlements for 120 km until we reached Merritt. A brief stop at the tourist information centre in Merritt and then on again, another 120 km of unsettled countryside through the Coquihalla pass until Hope. This section is one of the most spectacular drives we've ever done, with massive granite peaks towering above the highway as it descends towards the Fraser Valley. Our hike books have a few hikes listed out that way: I think we'll be coming back!
Another couple of hours and we were home, the car unpacked and the kettle on for a cup of tea. A wonderfully relaxing couple of days. Next time we'll go to taste some wine!
Photos on Flickr.
Posted in 2007, Car camping	Okanagan
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Sports, Recreation, Pets - Team Sports
SOCCER IN CHINA
Data from the mid-2000s suggests that basketball and soccer were roughly tied as China's most popular sport with table tennis in third. Soccer is regarded as the No. 1 spectator sport in China. Large crowds attend live games and large audiences tune in for televised games for both local Chinese teams and famous foreign ones. By one count 3.5 million of China's roughly 600 million soccer fans regularly attend soccer matches at local stadiums. Soccer Boy is one of the country's top comics.
Soccer is the first sport to find some commercial success. The players are highly paid. Many earn over 1 million yuan ($146,000) a year, a considerable sum in China. At home and in restaurants and tea houses, men spend a lot of time sitting around radios or televisions tuning in to soccer matches. The matches themselves can be quite rowdy.
The Chinese claim they invented soccer. Images from the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.) show a game similar to soccer being played with leather ball filled with hair.One man in the Song dynasty is said to have played the game so well that he was eventually appointed prime minister.
China was a participant in the first international soccer game in Asia: a match between China and the Philippines in Manila 1913. The Football Association of the People's Republic of China was founded in 1924. It joined FIFA in 1934, dropped out in 1958 to protest the fact that Taiwan was allowed to play under the name of China and was only readmitted in the 1990s.
Interest in soccer has reportedly dropped off in recent years due to scandals and poor performances by the national team in international competition.
Good Websites and Sources: Wikipedia article on Football Wikipedia ; FIFA page on Chinese Football fifa.com ; Club Football China clubfootball.com.cn
Good Websites and Sources on Sports in China: Wikipedia article Wikipedia ; China Sports Today chinasportstoday.com ; China Daily Sports chinadaily.com.cn ; China Sports Review chinasportsreview.com ; China Sports Blog chinasports.wokpopcorn.com ; South China Morning Post Sports scmp.com ; Sports in Ancient China Chinese Olympic Committee ; Traditional Sports Travel China Guide
Links in this Website: SPORTS, RECREATION, PETS on the Main China Page (Click Sports, Recreation, Pets) factsanddetails.com/china; SPORT IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; TEAM SPORTS IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; SOCCER IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; BASKETBALL IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; NBA IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; CHINESE BASKETBALL IN PLAYERS Factsanddetails.com/China ; YAO MING Factsanddetails.com/China ; OLYMPICS AND CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; 2008 OLYMPICS IN BEIJING Factsanddetails.com/China ; CRICKET FIGHTING AND UNUSUAL SPORTS IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; RECREATION IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; ENTERTAINMENT IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China ; GAMES AND GAMBLING IN CHINA Factsanddetails.com/China
Chinese National Soccer Team
Xu Guoqi, a professor of East Asian Studies at Kalamazoo College, wrote in the Washington Post that all the gold medals won at the Olympics in Beijing meant little to China's real, hardcore sports fans. "The real metric by which China judges itself against the rest of the world isn't the discus or the decathlon. It's not even our record-breaking economic growth or its modern skylines. It's soccer."
In the 1920s and 1930s, the Chinese national team was consistently one of the best in Asia. One brilliant Chinese striker, Li Huitang, was called the "the soccer king of Asia."
The national team has been coached by a succession of foreign coaches: Bobby Houghton (England), Bora Milutinovic (Serbia), Arie Haan (the Netherlands) and Ratomir Dujkovic (Serbia).
China was eliminated from qualifying for the World Cup in 2010 when it lost to Iraq 2-1 in June 2008. Iraq looked strong in the game. After the game the Internet lit up with complaints, frustrations and expressions by Chinese of deeply-felt self-doubt. A newspapers in the northeastern city of Changchun ran only a large, bold black headline, "The National Soccer Team Lost Again. We Have nothing to Say." There was no other text on game in the paper.
In June 2008, angry fans turned on the national team during a 1-0 loss to Qatar, a country with about with about a half million people.
In February 2010, China scored its first ever win against South Korea and they did in convincing 3-0 fashion in the East Asian championship. In 26 previous matches between the two teams China had never won.
Failure of the Chinese National Soccer Team
Xu, the professor at Kalamazoo College, wrote: "When it come to our beloved sport, China is not just the sick man of Asia. It's the sick man of the world. Our soccer tragedy is epic. In the late 1970s, when China resumed international play, after decades of self-imposed isolation, our national men's team has made it to the World Cup only once." The poor performances of the team "have also prompted doubts about Chinese manhood, undermined the country's vaulted can-do spirit and sparked agonized questions about politics, culture and society — even about what it means to be Chinese."
"On a deeper level, many Chinese — especially Chinese men — are unhappy, deeply frustrated and prone to strong, deep-rooted pangs of helplessness and abandonment. And it's all soccer's fault...Millions of Chinese fans link soccer to their national sense of honor. But when your team isn't very good, that linkage between nationalism and sport can mean tumult and even tragedy."
Xu wrote the success of the women's team "only makes matters worse for the country's pouting men. If the Chinese could win and prove their manhood in the 1930s? And why are China's men less impressive on the field than its women?...Some pundits have pontificated that we're going through an era of yin, or femininity, and have wondered what's wrong with our yang."
The Chinese have been lamenting and making jokes about the poor playing of their soccer teams for some time. "Football is my favorite game," Deng Xiaoping said in the 1950s. "But when I watch China play, I feel like I'm suffocating."
Reason of China's Poor Soccer Performance
The poor performance of the national team and match fixing scandals in the Chinese league has turned many Chinese off to soccer and stadiums at games are often nearly empty. Some think that soccer in China will only improve if changes are made in China as a whole: more transparency, the rule of law, less corruption, loosening the Communist Party's grip on power. Others think the team will only improve if individualism is downplayed and there is return to a Confucian sense of collectivism. Some blame the lack of emphasis on sport in schools, the lack of free time children have to play, a state-controlled program that decides which sports children can compete in, a lack of fields or places where children can play, the popularity of basketball, a lack of soccer tradition like that found in Europe and conflicts between commercialized sports and state sport authorities. Some experts blame a lack-of-money-poor-performance cycle. Because the teams are regarded as losers companies don't sponsor them and with no sponsorship money the teams don't get any better.
Sports write He Je told the Los Angeles Times, "China's lack of success in soccer is due to its conflicted approach to developing the sport." He said that worst example of this is the Chinese Football Association, which is a commercial entity overseeing China's professional soccer leagues but is also department in the government, with both of its two systems working against each other. "In China we have so many people and so many resources. If we could stick to one method, we'd succeed," he said]
China also needs more star players to capture the imagination of fans and provide a role model children who might take up the game.
Antipathy Towards the Chinese National Soccer team
Everyone and everything it seem rails on the Chinese national soccer team when they perform poorly: newspapers, television, celebrity sports bloggers and even other athletes and coaches. The Chinese Daily newspapers have featured special boxes for people to insult the team. The team has been so reviled the Central Propaganda Department has issued orders to news organizations to stop criticizing it. According to one Chinese reporter the Propaganda Department "demanded that the press not overly make quips about or sneer at the Chinese men's soccer team."
According to a widely circulated joke in China printed in the New York Times: "There are only two things stopping the Chinese soccer team from going outside Asia to take part in international games: their left feet and their right feet."
Fans often blame corruption in the state-run Chinese Football Association for the team's dismal performance and they particularly dislike the association's leader Xie Yalong, often chanting "Xie Yalong must resign at games. Sometimes the chants have been so loud Xie has left the stadium. Others blame the high salaries earned by players. Some think the money goes to their heads. Players have been caught with drugs and prostitutes.
High expectations are also blamed. One sports commentator told the New York Times, "If they win, we treat them like heroes. If they lose, we say "Go to hell." Other critics site an emphasis on studying at an early age which stymies new talent from developing, the failure of state sports system in training athletes in sports like soccer which require flair and creativity, combined with team work, and the failure of the state to provide the kind of money and incentives necessary to create good soccer.
Some even think hatred towards the national soccer team could trigger a "major revolution."Xu wrote in the Washington Post, "Without the rule of law, corruption will get involved, and nobody is responsible to anyone. If Chinese continue to be obsessed with soccer, they'll definitely demand something dramatic, something political or involving rule of law. It will start with sports and then it will move onto something bigger."
World Cup Soccer and China
The World Cup is widely regarded by Chinese as the world's most important sporting event. In one survey, 68 percent of people asked in a Beijing poll said they watched matches in the 1998 World Cup even though a Chinese team was not present and the games were often on in middle of the night.
China has expressed an interest in hosting the 2018 or 2022 World Cups. More than 700 million Chinese watched the World Cup in 2006.
China qualified for its first World Cup in 2002 under the controversial Serbian coach Bora Milutinovic after defeating Qatar, Uzbekistan, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. China all but secured its spot when it beat Oman 1-0 in October 2001 in Shenyang. Chinese fans regard this as the pinnacle of Chinese soccer. After beating Qatar 3-0 to formally secure the berth, hundreds of thousand of Chinese fans celebrated in Tiananmen square. An estimated 60,000 Chinese made the trip to South Korea to cheer on the team.
China didn't do so well in the World Cup itself. It didn't score any goals and lost all three of its games: 4-0 to Brazil, 3-0 to Turkey and 2-0 to Costa Rica. After the loss to Turkey, the General Secretary of the Asian Football Confederation said that Asian teams could not compete against the "hard-core professionals" in Europe and Latin America.
China didn't even make it to the qualifying round for the World Cup in 2006. They were edged out by Kuwait in the first round. China is in a qualifying group for the 2010 World Cup with Australia, Iraq and Qatar
At the time of the World Cup in 2010, China was ranked 84th in the world just ahead of Mozambique. On China's inability to gain a berth to the 2010 World Cup, a 23-year-old fan told the Los Angeles Times, "We're 1.3 billion people; can't we find at least 11 guys who are good at soccer." What was especially humiliating about the 2010 event is that its rivals Japan and South Korea — and even lowly North Korea — made it. One Chinese fan told the Washington Post, the North Koreans "can't even feed themselves, but they work harder than Chinese athletes." With no home team to root for in World Cup 2010, many of China's hundreds of millions of soccer rooted for North Korea.
In July 2011, China progressed into the third round of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup with a 6-1 victory over Laos.
China Fails to Qualify for World Cup, Again
In November 2011 China was bundled out of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.Benjamin Cost wrote in Shanghaiist, "The Chinese national team's elation from its 4-0 thrashing of Singapore was quickly dampened by news that Iraq had edged out Jordan in Group A, dashing China's hopes of qualifying for the 2014 Brazilian World Cup. [Source: Benjamin Cost, Shanghaiist, November 17, 2011]
China dominated play from the beginning and Yu Hai opened the scoring three minutes from the interval. China played with just 10 players from the 67th minute after Huang Bowen was sent off for taking a swing at Singapore's Mustafic Fahrudin. However, China continued to control the game as defender Zheng Zheng finished the scoring with goals in the 73rd and 82nd minutes.
Team star Zhang Peiliang frustratedly exclaimed, "We lost out on a ticket for the 2014 World Cup even though we have famous Spanish coach Jose Antonio Camacho. The result cannot be accepted by depressed fans. Who knows when the next time will be for China's soccer team to play in the World Cup."
Apparently it will take a lot more than a grizzled Spanish veteran of the game (whose last few coaching seasons have proved less than spectacular, we might add) to breathe life into the ball club's increasingly deflated soccer ball of a dream...We just hope that last month's trouncing of Chinese kids by Russian youths in a friendly soccer match didn't jinx the national team for life.
The country's Deputy Sports Minister Cai Zhenhua blamed the national team's failures on systematic problems. "We were far behind the international level in many aspects including the soccer population, the training regimen and the professional league," he said. Cai headed a recent fact-finding delegation to visit Japanese clubs and officials. While China may be far behind Japan in youth development and football infrastructure, the increasing wealth of its clubs could pose a challenge to the J-League, traditionally the region's wealthiest domestic competition.
Asian Cup Soccer, the Asian Games and China
Shandong Lueng
wins championship
China hosted the Asian Cup soccer tournament in 2004. Key games were played at Workers' Stadium in Beijing. China lost to Japan 3-1 in the finals. Television replays of Japan's key second goal seemed to show that a Japanese player illegally touched the ball with his hand. It was the first time China had ever made it to the finals of the Asian Cup. It beat Iran in a shoot-out in the semifinals.
Asian Cup Violence in 2004, See Soccer Violence Below
China lost 3-0 loss in a much-watched game against Japan in the Asian Games in 2011. Wang Dalei, a highly-rated goalie who has been wooed by Inter Milan and Manchester United, sparked outrage when he called Chinese fans "morons" and "a bunch of dogs after he was criticized for allowing an easy goal to slip past him. Chinese police were placed on alert and came out in numbers for the game but the game passed without incident as about 200 Japanese fans watched from a segregated section of the stadium.
Soccer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
The soccer team was an embarrassment. Fifty-two minutes into the China-Belgium game the Chinese player Tam Wangsing was given a red card after he swung and missed a ball and then buried his foot on the groin of a Belgian player, sending him to the ground writhing in pain. A second red card was issued 12 minutes later when the team captain Zheng Zhi elbowed an opposing player. Afterwards the Internet was full of jokes about the game: "The Chinese just won two red medals"; "Our soccer team just won the gold medal in martial arts."
The Chinese team lost two of its preliminary matches, managed only a 1-1 tie against New Zealand, and lost 3-0 to Brazil, after which one Chinese player admitted the shortcomings of the team saying, "We play soccer like the Brazilians play Ping-Pong" to which the Brazilian table tennis team took offense.
After the loss to Brazil, Chinese fans held a small protest that had to be broken up by police. After the Chinese woman's soccer team beat Argentina 2-0 the team's coach suggested that their strikers play for the men's team.
Club Soccer and China
Teams that did well in the Asian Champions in 2011 were Shandong Luneng, Hangzhou Greentown, Shanghai Shenhua, Tianjin Teda.
The Chinese Professional Football League was launched in 1994. The demand was such that eventuality two professional soccer leagues were created. The average soccer player earns $60,000 a year, a considerable sum in China. Few teams make any money because ticket prices are low and advertising and television revenues are marginal.
Almost every province has at least one team and a wide variety of state-owned and private enterprises sponsor them. The August First team, named after the day of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), is sponsored by the PLA and is underwritten by Nike.
The Wanda Soccer Club from Dalian has traditionally been one of China's top teams. Dalian fans are famous for their boisterousness and obnoxious behavior. They have been shown on nationally televised matches shouting obscenities involving animal genitalia. In 2002, Chinese B-League team Gansu Tianma in Lanzhou hired the famous English soccer player Paul Gasciogne.
Club soccer in China has its share of problems. The pitches are not the best of quality. The integrity of the sport was compromised by the "Black Whistles" scandals involving corruption among referees. See Below
Soccer Players and China
Chinese soccer player Wen Junwu, a former star player with the now defunct Guangzhou-based Apollo Football Club, was sentenced to death with a two year reprieve for a murder connected to a gambling debt. In June 2007, Wen murdered a man he owed $11,700. Death with a two year reprieve is usually commuted to life in prison.
In December 2008, national team player Mao Jiangqing was detained for allegedly assaulting a man in a restaurant brawl. He spent a week in jail and was kicked off his team but, according to the Times of London, "the door was left open a recall to the team if the talented 22-year-old play could reform himself."
Players routinely get yellowed carded and red carded for cheap or deliberate fouls.
Fan Zhiyi, captain of the national team, played for Dundee in Scotland's Premier League and played one season with Crystal Place in England's Premier League before returning to China in 1999. He was voted Asian player of the year in 2001 by the Kuala Lumpur-based Asian Football Confederation.
Fullback Sun Jihai, another star of the World Cup team, played for Manchester City in the English Premier League. His Chinese team was paid a $2.8 million transfer fee, a record for a Chinese player. His salary was $910,000 a year.
Midfielder Li Toe is regarded as one of China's best defensive players. He was voted China's player of the year in 2001. He received offers from Ajax in Amsterdam and Southampton in England's Premier League but turned them down so he could concentrate on preparing for the World Cup in 2002.
Midfielder Ma Mingyu played for Perugia in the Series A, Italy's top professional soccer league. Yan Heng played for Eintracht Frankfurt and midfielder Shao Jiyo played for Energie Vottbus in the German Bundesliga.
Zheng Zhi, a striker the captain of China's national team, led Shandong to the Chinese Super League and Chinese FA Cup titles and played for three years Charton in the English Premier League. He has been named China Soccer League player of the year twice. He now plays for the Scottish team Celtic and has a two-year contract to play with that team until 2011.
Corinthians Sign Brazil's First Chinese Player
In February 2012, Yahoo News reported: "Corinthians, Brazil's second most popular club with an estimated 24 million supporters, are trying to increase that number by signing Chen Zhizhao, a 23-year-old midfielder who will be the Brazilian Serie A's first ever Chinese player. With no international caps and previous stints in the Hong Kong first division and Chinese Super League, Chen — already renamed simply "Zizao" by the Brazilians — might seem a curious signing for Corinthians from a footballing perspective. As the AP reports, the idea to sign him didn't come from the club's scouts or coaches, but the marketing department "hoping he will help the team expand its brand into the Asian country." [Source: Brooks Peck, Yahoo Sports, February 29, 2012]
Pandering to the Chinese market is nothing new for football clubs, though — particularly in Europe, where Premier League and Italian Serie A sides play preseason friendlies and super cups in China and Spain's La Liga even schedules earlier kick-off times to appeal to Chinese viewers.
This isn't the first time Corinthians' marketing department have led the way on a player signing, either. In 2009, they urged the club to sign injury-plagued Brazilian legend Ronaldo, who scored 18 goals in 31 matches and won two trophies with the club before retiring in 2011. And though the business people led the way in bringing Zizao to Corinthians, the clubs assured Globo that they would not have a say in how, when or where he plays.
Zizao previously trained with Portuguese second division side Trofense, so he knows a bit of Portuguese as well as English. More importantly, he has some skills on the pitch and appears to be something of a free kick specialist.
Chinese Soccer Clubs Recruit Nicolas Anelka and Other Big Name Players
In December 2011, Shanghai Shenhua made headlines around the world when it signed Nicolas Anelka from Premier League giant Chelsea. The ex-France international joined the Chinese club in January with a wage exceeding $300,000 a week. Shenhua said it didn't plan to stop its recruiting drive there, either, with reports circulating about a push to sign Anelka's Chelsea teammate Didier Drogba. [Source: AP, December 15, 2011]
AP reported: "Shanghai Shenhua is owned by Chinese businessman Zhu Jun, who made his fortune through online gaming. Zhu is fast catching up to big-spending rival Guangzhou Evergrande which has been splashing cash on players for two years.Guangzhou's riches are more representative of the current situation in Chinese football. The club is backed by the Evergrande real estate firm. In 2011, 13 out of 16 top-tier clubs were owned by similar companies, or those involved to some extent in property or construction, as is the league's sponsor Dalian Wanda.
After building a team full of Chinese internationals and expensive Brazilians, Guangzhou spent more than $10 million in the summer to sign Argentine star Dario Conca from Brazilian side Fluminense. Conca then helped the team to its first title by a margin of 15 points. Coach Lee Jang-soo said he isn't finished spending, and the club has set a target of reaching the quarterfinals at next year's AFC Champions League. "We hope we can add two or three high quality players to the roster before the start of next season," Lee said. "We want to defend our title and perform well in the Asian Champions League next season."
Japan's 2010 World Cup coach Takeshi Okada has reportedly turned down an offer from one of the country's biggest clubs, Urawa Reds, and took over at China's Hangzhou Greentown. He is expected to take Japan midfielder Yasuhito Endo from Gamba Osaka and Omiya Ardija's star Brazilian Rafael with him.
Already there have been worries expressed in South Korea over the possibility of the K-League being sandwiched between two richer competitions. A number of well-known South Korean players are working in China and last season, four of the 16 clubs started with Korean coaches. As yet none of South Korea's biggest stars have been tempted to cross the Yellow Sea, but that could change as Guangzhou has been repeatedly linked with a big-money move for Manchester United star Park Ji-sung.
Big Spending Bypasses China's Grassroots
In December 2011, AP reported: The rise of the Chinese Super League as a lucrative destination for high-profile footballers has done little to stifle concern about the underachieving national team or the grassroots development of the game in the world's most populous country. While Asian Football Confederation director of competitions Tokuaki Suzuki is happy to see the big names introduced to the 2012 AFC Champions League, the continent's flagship club competition, he hopes that equal attention can be given to grassroots development in China. [Source: AP, December 15, 2011]
"We welcome such players to come to Asia to play for domestic leagues, as well as the AFC Champions League which can provide the platform where players showcase their capabilities," Suzuki told The Associated Press. "We expect that such moves will become more common in Asia. "In the short term, it will definitely help promote the game in China, but in the meantime we think that it will be very important to keep investing in grassroots level to ensure the sustainable growth of Chinese football as well as considering the financial balance in the long term."
For the moment, however, China's long-suffering fans are enjoying some excitement after years of watching the national team struggle and its clubs lose to those of Japan and South Korea in the Champions League.AFC acting president Zhang Jilong has welcomed the big spending by clubs in his native China."It is always good to see world-class players signing up for Asian clubs," Zhang said. "Football fans around the world will pay more attention to Asian soccer because of these big signings."
Zhang expects the arrival of big names from Europe will aid the development of the game in Asia, adding that the recent recruiting "also proves that the gap between Asian football and the best of world football is closing fast." "Asia has been an attractive destination now for international football players for some time and this confirms it."
Despite the money being spent at the top level, there are reportedly fewer than 10,000 registered junior players in China compared with more than 300,000 in Japan. Amid the excitement at Anelka's signing, there have been some concerns expressed as to whether the money could be better invested elsewhere. One million yuan (around $160,000) would help fulfill the soccer dreams of 50 boys a year, but it is really a huge number for us," Chen Ze, a youth coach was quoted as saying in the state-run China Daily.
Foreign Soccer Teams and China
The English Premier League now regards China as one its largest international markets, drawing between 100 million and 300 million viewers.
David Beckman plugs Pepsi and Adidas. Ronaldinho is the brand ambassador for Lenovo.
In pick up games you are more likely to see players wearing jerseys for European clubs like Barcelona, Manchester United, AC Milan and Chelsea than those belonging to Chinese teams.
European teams such as Arsenal, A.C. Milan and Sampdoria have played before sold out crowds in China. Chinese fans follow them and teams like Manchester United and Juventus on television. English, Spanish and German league games are shown on CCTV5 and BTV. There is particular interest of European teams that have Chinese players.
Barcelona played before full stadiums in a three city tour in China in the summer of 2007. Ronaldinho is one of the biggest pitchmen in China. His image is on everything from Lenovo computers to a Chinese brand of ice cream.
The English soccer club Chelsea let the Chinese national soccer team use its state of the art training facilities to prepare for the 2008 Olympics.
Corruption and Bribery in Soccer in China
Corruption, match-fixing and referee-bribing are relatively common in Chinese soccer. In January 1998, 12 top Chinese clubs admitted in a newspaper survey that they had offered cash bribes to referees, some of whom took he money. The official New China News Service listed soccer scandals as No. 5 on the list of "top 10 crackdowns in 2009."
Allegations of match-rigging were raised in the fall of 2001, following a 11-2 victory by one team that allowed it move up significantly in the standings; a 6-0 victory with four goals scored in the last eight minutes; and the awarding of a goal to one team by a referee while the opposing team was still taking the field. Later two club owners confessed of their roles in a bribery scheme. The Chinese Soccer Association investigated the matter but took no legal action, claiming it didn't have enough evidence. After public outrage reached a fever point, it finally acted, suspending several players and slapping the teams involved with heavy fines.
Officials, coaches and players have all been accused of game-fixing and gambling. At least 20 people have been arrested, including Nan Yong, the vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association. In August 2010, Shao Menzhong, the head of the commercial arm of China's soccer association — China Football Industrial Development Corp."was detained by police for his involvement in match-fixing scandal.
Song Weiping, the owner of a professional soccer team that investigated the matter, told the Los Angeles Times, "We knew [Chinese soccer] was dirty. But we didn't know it was this dirty. It was only after we got into the business that we realized giving money to referees was standard operating procedure. I can say that nine out of ten referees have been offered bribes or accepted bribes. Even the most conservative estimates put the number at 50 percent."
"The going rate for referees is about $7,300 a game," Song said. a lot of money in China. "At first we refused to do it. But our coach convinced us that if the other team pays up and we don't, the referee would easily lean in their favor."
Chinese Referee Accused of Fixing International Matches
in December 2011, AP reported: "A veteran Chinese referee has admitted in court to taking bribes to fix local and international matches, including making sure a local team won the toss in a friendly involving Manchester United, state media has reported.The case of Huang Junjie, a referee for more than 20 years who has been nominated as one of the country's best, is one of a number of hearings under way following a probe into Chinese football corruption. [Source: Associated Press, December 21st, 2011]
He accepted $245,000 of bribes to fix two international friendlies and taking 20 bribes from six Chinese clubs between 2005 and 2009, Xinhua News Agency reported Tuesday. The international matches included a 2007 exhibition match between the English Premier League's Manchester United and China's Shenzhen. Huang took 100,000 Hong Kong dollars ($13,000) in bribes to let Shenzhen win the coin toss, Xinhua said. Manchester United went on to win the game 6-0.
The other international match was a 2009 fixture between Shanghai Shenhua and Australian club Sydney, which the Chinese club won 2-1. "At no stage during the trip or the match was there anything that would have alerted Sydney FC to the situation that has been raised today," the club said. Coach Vitezslav Lavicka said he remembered nothing suspicious about the match."I remember that game" but there's no point to give it any credit, it's a very strange situation," he said. "I don't remember anything out of ordinary" that's in the past now."
Huang, who was nominated as China's referee of the year in 2009, also took bribes from his colleague, referee Zhou Weixin, to sway results, Xinhua said. Zhou is charged with corruption and bribing civil servants. Their trials in northeast China are part of a crackdown on Chinese football corruption that has implicated players and top officials including the former head of the Chinese Football Association.
China Jails Top Soccer Officials for Corruption
In February 2012, Reuters reported: "A prominent former soccer boss and a referees director were handed long jail terms for bribery and match-fixing in China on Saturday as part of a massive anti-graft drive aimed at cleaning up the corruption-blighted local game. Yang Yimin, a former deputy-chief of the Chinese Football Association, was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison by a Tieling court in China's northeastern Liaoning province, and ordered to pay a 200,000 yuan fine, state media reported. [Source: Reuters, February 18, 2012]
Yang, one of the highest-ranking officials to be swept up in the probe launched over two years ago, had taken bribes totalling 1.25 million yuan on 40 different occasions from domestic clubs and individuals, Xinhua news agency said. Yang would not appeal the sentence, the agency quoted Yang's attorney Wang Shujing as saying. "The punishment isn't harsh," Wang said. "Yang took bribes as a government official and the harshest punishment for taking bribes as a public servant could be the death penalty."
The court also sentenced the CFA's former referees director Zhang Jianqiang to 12 years in jail, with a fine of 250,000 yuan. Zhang, in his capacity as referees director and in other prominent roles in women's and amateur soccer, had taken bribes from a number of clubs in the top-flight domestic competition, the Chinese Super League (CSL), including Shandong Luneng and Shanghai Shenhua. He had taken money from Shenhua to help them win the 2003 league title, Xinhua said. He also did not intend to appeal.
The Tieling court read out trial verdicts and sentences to a total of 39 people, including Du Yunqi, former president of CSL club Qingdao, who received a seven-year sentence. Former Liaoning Guangyuan Club general manager Wang Xin was also sentenced to seven years in prison while former general manager of Shaanxi Guoli Wang Po received a eight-year term.
Soccer fans set off fireworks outside the court to celebrate the rulings, Xinhua said. Chinese soccer has been dogged by match-fixing scandals for years which, along with violence on and off the pitch, has turned fans off the domestic game.Four referees, including Lu Jun, a former World Cup match official once celebrated as China's "Golden Whistle", were handed jail terms of up to seven years on Thursday for match-fixing and corruption-related offences.
Two of the most prominent people caught in the anti-corruption blitz, former CFA heads Nan Yong and Xie Yalong, are yet to go on trial. The verdicts have cast a cloud over the CSL ahead of its March 10 kick-off with administrators facing the embarrassment of a number of scandal-hit teams set to take the field.
Problems with Chinese Soccer Fans
China has a problem with rowdy fans. In the mid 2000s, officials began cracking down on sports fans who yell obscenities at opposing players and referees. One man was banned from matches in Beijing for 12 months. Another was held by police for using the Internet to organize rowdy fans at matches.
A 20 percent rise in facial paralysis in Beijing in 2006 was blamed on fans stressed out by the World Cup. A doctor quoted by the state media said that the he believed the rise was attributed to tension and exhaustion associated with watching the matches, often televised in the wee hours of the morning. The condition, known as Bells palsy or prosopoplegia, is caused by nerve trauma and is temporary. Most victims recovered in a few weeks or months.
One Chinese soccer fan suffered a heart attack after Portugal missed a goal against Angola. He had stayed up three days, drinking heavily and watching World Cup soccer games all night. He survived. His doctor said, "He spent too long continuously watching the games and he drank too much."
In Shanghai, soccer fans were offered free taxi rides home after watching matches during the last World Cup as part of an effort to keep drunk drivers off the roads.
Soccer Violence in China
China has problems with hooliganism and fan violence. Fans sometimes pelt fans from rival clubs with plastic bottles. In March 2002, professional games were temporarily banned in the city of Xian after fans set fire to stadium seats and attacked police followed a controversial tied game.
In 1985, fans in Beijing rioted after China lost a World Cup qualifier to Hong Kong. In May of that year , heavily-favored China played an important game against Hong Kong before 80,000 fans at the Worker's Stadium in Beijing. Had China won it stood a good chance of qualifying for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. But alas it lost. The loss was particularly humiliating in that China was big and anti-imperialist and Hong Kong was a tiny colony made up of Chinese ruled by Britons.
Inside the stadium, fans threw bottles and smashed seats. Outside they damaged buildings and burned cars with plates from foreign embassies. Two thousand police were called in; at least 127 people were arrested. But it didn't stop there. Fans surrounded the residential compounds of the team, singing the Communist Internationale for the world's suffering masses to rise up. The team made a public apology for blowing the match.
In 2002, a riot broke out in the city of Fuzhou when a large screen television was shut off just minutes before the China-Brazil match in the World Cup was about to start. Irate fans there turned over cars and tore down signs. The television was turned off by police because they were trying to disperse a crowd because it was disrupting traffic.
Sometimes it is the players not the fans that make trouble. In February 2007, the Chinese Olympic soccer team was involved in mass brawl in a match against the London club Queens Park Rangers. The fight was so serious that the game was abandoned. The Chinese team was accused by government-supported media of shaming the nation. Many ordinary Chinese felt the team was justified in striking back against a provocation from the English side. In 2008, league games were pulled from the national sports channel after a player on the Tianjin city team chased a referee after a match and pushed him down to the ground.
Anti-Japanese Soccer Violence in China
Anti-Japanese soccer violence was a problem during the Asian Cup soccer tournament in Beijing in 2004. Chinese fans booed the Japanese players and threw garbage, paper cups and plastic bottles at Japanese supporters and shouted things like "May a big sword chop off the Japanese heads!" During the Japanese national anthem Chinese fans hissed and booed despite messages on the scoreboard that read: "Be Civilized Spectators! Show a Civilized Manner!"
Outside the stadium before and after the finals, in which Japan beat China 3-1, Chinese supporters burned the Japanese flag and made anti-Japanese speeches and sang old anti-Japanese songs. One group of Chinese surrounded the car of the Japanese ambassador and smashed the car's windows. Another group scuffled with police and chased the bus with the Japanese team and pelted it with bottles while shouting, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"
In a first round game, between Japan and Thailand, in Chongqing — which had been subjected to fierce Japanese bombing in World War II — two Japanese players were left behind when an angry mob forced the Japanese bus to take off early after a game The angry mob surrounded the bus but didn't throw anything. Throughout the game Chinese fans booed the Japanese team and threw garbage at Japanese fans. The Japanese government criticized the Chinese government for not doing more to protect Japanese players and fans and reign in the violence.
In February 2008, at a game between China and Japan at the East Asian Championships in Chongqing, Chinese spectators robustly booed and jeered the Japanese team and threw bottles and sticks at Japanese supporters when they greeted the team despite public notices to be on good behavior. By contrast Chinese fans stood up and were respectful for the anthem of North Korea. After the game, which China lost, fans threw rubbish at the Chinese team bus.
Women's Soccer in China
The women's team is known as the Iron Roses.
In the finals of the 1999 Women's World Cup, the Chinese women's soccer team was defeated by the United States 5-4 in a penalty kick shoot-out after 90 scoreless minutes of regulation play at two scoreless overtime periods. The game and tournament itself received quite a bit of publicity in the United States. Over 90,000 people showed up to watch the game live at the Rose Bowl, the largest crowd ever for a women's sporting event, and 40 million U.S. viewers watched it on television.
Unable to afford custom-made uniforms, the Chinese team in 1999 wore men's uniforms. They defeated Norway 5-0 in the semifinal. Midlfielder Sun Wen scored two goals. In the finals the United States won after American goal keeper punched away one of the Chinese penalty kicks after wandering far from her line. In Beijing, authorities were worried about anti-American demonstrations. A busload of police was posted at the U.S. Embassy.
The Chinese women's soccer team did not get nearly as much support from their homeland as the American team did. Most Chinese soccer fans prefer men's soccer over women's soccer and feel the success of the women's team only makes the men's team seem worse.
In the 2003 Women's World Cup, China exited in the quarterfinals when they were defeated by Canada 1-0. Some regard the game as one of the biggest upsets ever in women's soccer. Before 2003, Canada had never won a World Cup game. China was ranked forth the world. It was supposed to host the tournament, but it was moved to the United States because of the SARS epidemic.
Top players on the national team can earn more than $25,000 a year. Average players earn around $10,000. Many players save as much of their salary as they can to help their brothers attend university or pay for a proper wedding.
Players on the women's national team wake up at 7:30am and have two slices of bread with butter and an egg, sometimes with a little beef or vegetables for breakfast. After a morning briefing practice begins at 10:00am and ends around noon, followed by a bath, a quick nap and lunch. After lunch there is another briefing and another practice session from 4:00pm to 6:00pm. Then its dinner and a session with massage therapists. There are many rules and regulations, including no cell phones or computers except for a short period in the evening. [Source: Washington Post]
China lost 2-1 to the United States at the Olympics in Atlanta in 1996.
Image Sources: Wikipedia; World Cup soccer; Sinosoc; Soccer fans Hong Kong


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Welcome to the The Incredible Edible Egg™ Eggcyclopedia, where you can access the latest egg information from A-Z. The Eggcyclopedia was developed by the American Egg Board (AEB) on behalf of America's egg farmers who are committed to caring for their hens and producing high-quality eggs for you and your families.
Just click on any letter below to bring up a list of egg terms and their related definitions.
Hard-Boiled / Hard-Cooked Egg
Haugh Unit
Because birds preceded man in the evolutionary chain, both eggs and birds have existed longer than historians. East Indian history indicates that wild jungle fowl were domesticated as early as 3200 BC. Historians also note that the fowl were eaten more often than the eggs, since the eggs were saved to hatch to keep the fowl in supply. Egyptian and Chinese records show that fowl were laying eggs for man in 1400 BC. Chinese described fowl as "the domestic animal who knows time", probably due to the dependability of the rooster's early morning call and the regularity of the hen's egg production.
Although there is some evidence of native fowl in the Americas prior to his arrival, it is believed that Columbus' ships carried to this country the first of the chickens related to those now in egg production. These strains originated in Asia.
While the fowl referred to in the earliest histories could include a vast assortment of avian representatives, most people of the world eat, and all information here refers to, the egg of the chicken (Gallus domesticas). Nearly 200 breeds and varieties of chickens have been established worldwide, but only a few are economically important as egg producers. Most laying hens in the U.S. are Single-Comb White Leghorns.
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Orange Electricity Rates
Commercial Electricity in Orange
^ The average commercial electricity rate in Orange, VA is 7.8¢/kWh.[1]
Residential Electricity in Orange
^ The average residential electricity rate in Orange, VA is 11.04¢/kWh.[1]
Industrial Electricity in Orange
^ The average industrial electricity rate in Orange, VA is 6.24¢/kWh.[1]
Orange, VA Electricity Statistics
Commercial electricity rates in Orange
The average commercial electricity rate in Orange is 7.8¢/kWh.[1]
This average (commercial) electricity rate in Orange is 3.47% less than the Virginia average rate of 8.08¢/kWh.[2]
The average (commercial) electricity rate in Orange is 22.7% less than the national average rate of 10.09¢/kWh. Commercial rates in the U.S. range from 6.86¢/kWh to 34.88¢/kWh.[2]
Residential electricity rates in Orange
The average residential electricity rate in Orange is 11.04¢/kWh.[1]
This average (residential) electricity rate in Orange is 0.36% less than the Virginia average rate of 11.08¢/kWh.[2]
The average (residential) electricity rate in Orange is 7.07% less than the national average rate of 11.88¢/kWh. Residential rates in the U.S. range from 8.37¢/kWh to 37.34¢/kWh.[2]
Industrial electricity rates in Orange
The average industrial electricity rate in Orange is 6.24¢/kWh.[1]
This average (industrial) electricity rate in Orange is 7.14% less than the Virginia average rate of 6.72¢/kWh.[2]
The average (industrial) electricity rate in Orange is 6.45% less than the national average rate of 6.67¢/kWh. Industrial rates in the U.S. range from 4.13¢/kWh to 30.82¢/kWh.[2]
Virginia Electricity Rates & Consumption
Commercial electricity in Virginia
Commercial electricity rates in VA [3]
The average commercial electricity rate in Virginia is 8.08¢/kWh, which ranks 42nd in the nation and is 19.92% less than the national average rate of 10.09¢/kWh.[3]
Commercial electricity consumption in VA [3]
Commercial electricity consumption in Virginia averages 9,298 kWh/month, which ranks 3rd in the nation and is 49.05% greater than the national average of 6,238 kWh/month.
Commercial electricity bills in VA [3]
The average monthly commercial electricity bill in Virginia is $751, which ranks 8th in the nation and is 19.4% greater than the national average of $629.
Learn more about commercial electricity in Virginia
Residential electricity in Virginia
Residential electricity rates in Virginia [3]
The average residential electricity rate in Virginia is 11.08¢/kWh, which ranks 30th in the nation and is 6.73% less than the national average rate of 11.88¢/kWh.
Residential electricity consumption in VA [3]
Residential electricity consumption in Virginia averages 1,117 kWh/month, which ranks 10th in the nation and is 23.7% greater than the national average of 903 kWh/month.
Residential electricity bills in VA [3]
The average monthly residential electricity bill in Virginia is $124, which ranks 8th in the nation and is 15.89% greater than the national average of $107 per month.
Learn more about residential electricity in Virginia
Industrial electricity in Virginia
Industrial electricity rates in Virginia [3]
The average industrial electricity rate in Virginia is 6.72¢/kWh, which ranks 21st in the nation and is 0.75% greater than the national average rate of 6.67¢/kWh.
Industrial electricity consumption in VA [3]
Industrial electricity consumption in Virginia averages 363,196 kWh/month, which ranks 10th in the nation and is 223.83% greater than the national average of 112,158 kWh/month.
Industrial electricity bills in VA [3]
The average monthly industrial electricity bill in Virginia is $24,389, which ranks 10th in the nation and is 225.93% greater than the national average of $7,483.
Learn more about industrial electricity in Virginia
Household Income in Orange, VA
Orange, VA Income Breakdown [4]
Income Summary for Orange, VA
Electric bills: The average residential electricity bill in Virginia is about $124/month, ranking 8th in the U.S. and 15.89% greater than the national average of $107.[5]
Income: Orange vs. Nation [4]
Additional information about Orange
About Orange
Orange is a town located in Orange County in the state of Virginia, and has a population of approximately 4,721.[6]
More about Orange utilities
For more information about Orange electricity, or for additional resources regarding electricity & utilities in your state, visit the Energy Information Administration.
Seven southern states (AL, FL, GA, SC, TN, TX & VA) are often in the top ten in electricity consumption due to high cooling demand.
Additional Cities in VA
Burkeville
Chilhowie
Hallwood
Nickelsville
Onancock
Local Electricity Rates in Orange, VA