British Columbia, Canada - The B.C. government has introduced regulations to make clean technology mandatory in older commercial transport diesel vehicles in order to reduce diesel emissions and protect human health.
To see how Klean Industries is providing environmentally friendly, cost effective clean diesel from waste please click on the following links, Need Klean High Grade Fuel? & Emulsion Technology.
The new regulation will require the mandatory installation of Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) filters, or an equally effective technology, by 2009.
Roughly 2.4 million vehicles in the province emit 1,411 tonnes of PM annually with heavy-duty diesel trucks contributing the largest amount of PM from the on-road fleet of vehicles. On-road heavy-duty diesel vehicle models 1989-1993 are responsible for 6.8 per cent of overall particulate matter pollution, a high proportion given the relatively small number of vehicles. To view charts of vehicle type and particulate emissions, click here (PDF).
DOC filters use a chemical process to break down pollutants in the exhaust stream into less harmful components. Over the past few years, school buses and municipal fleets have been voluntarily installing DOCs with considerable success.
Installation of the DOC units will cost approximately $1,200 to $2,500 each and will affect 7,500 vehicles. DOC filters are one of the clean technology options that are easily installed on most vehicles, require virtually no maintenance, do not have a negative impact on vehicle performance or fuel consumption, and are compatible with biodiesel.
While emission standards for diesel vehicles have been improving, a pre-1994 heavy duty diesel truck can emit 60 times the particulate matter of a newer model, noted Guff Muench, president of Cummins Western Canada. Depending on the type of diesel used and on the engine, DOC filters can reduce those emissions by 25 to 50 percent, he added.
The new regulation will affect only heavy-duty diesel vehicles 5,000 kilograms or more, including on-road commercially licensed diesel vehicles and government-owned fleet vehicles. Recreational vehicles, motor coaches, pickup trucks, construction equipment and unlicensed non-road vehicles will not be affected.
However, once in place, the B.C. government will continue to consult with industry and other stakeholders to incorporate other model years and other sizes of vehicles. British Columbia is the first jurisdiction in North America to make retro-fit technology mandatory, although California is planning to make it mandatory by 2009 as well.
Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most significant air pollution problems in British Columbia. Sources include including residential wood burning, the lumber industry, and vehicles. Particulate matter from diesel-fuelled engines has been identified as a toxic air contaminant and a probable carcinogen.
These particles are complex substances typically consisting of a carbon core with absorbed hydrocarbons, sulphates, water and inorganic materials. Diesel particles are generally less than 2.5 microns in diameter, allowing them to penetrate deep into lungs. Most heavy-duty vehicles operate in areas where people live, exposing other motorists, cyclists and pedestrians to high concentrations of PM. They are easily installed on most vehicles, require virtually no maintenance and do not adversely affect vehicle performance or fuel consumption. Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) filters reduce emissions by at least 25 per cent, and when combined with ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel, DOCs may reach efficiencies of up to 50 per cent. DOCs are compatible with biodiesel, so the increasing use of this fuel will result in even greater reductions of diesel particulate matter.
It is expected that the installation of Diesel Oxidation Catalysts on 1989-93 on-road, heavy-duty diesel vehicles will reduce total PM emissions in British Columbia by 30 to 60 tonnes. This constitutes an overall net reduction of 3.4 per cent of particulate matter.
In consultation with the affected stakeholders, B.C. will inventory the on-road, heavy-duty diesel vehicle fleet in order to identify typical owners and vehicle usages. Representatives of these groups will be consulted and their input will be used to create an implementation plan and to shape any required legislation. Once in place, the regulations will be expanded to include other types of vehicles. Emissions standards for British Columbia will be continuously reviewed and improved.


A great pair of vintage 1970-80s tall engineering boots by Bike Boots. Features heavy vibram soles, buckled strap, and subtle silver hardware. They've been around and have some general scuffing, but the wear really adds to their character.


text:
HomeThe Secret Jewish History of Pi
The Secret Jewish History of Pi
Seth RogovoyMarch 13, 2015Image by Anya Ulinich
Image by Anya Ulinich
In an episode of the original "Star Trek," Mr. Spock — played by the late, great Jewish actor Leonard Nimoy — commands an evil computer that has taken over the life support system of the Starship Enterprise to compute Pi to the last digit. Spock therefore outwitted the murderous cyborg, which wound up self-destructing, because, as Spock explained, "the value of Pi is a transcendental figure without resolution." Being totally logical, Spock wasn't suggesting that Pi had some sort of spiritual quality of transcendence. Rather, transcendental is a math term, and I'm going to spare you the definition in hopes that you keep reading beyond this paragraph. But in spite of Spock and his logic, Pi just may have a spiritual quality of transcendence.
The circumference of a circle is always 3.14 x its diameter. Except 3.14 — what we now call Pi — is only an approximation. The decimals actually keep flowing. Pi is not only an irrational number – it's infinite and ultimately unknowable. Yet while the number itself always evades our grasp, we also know that it's always true and always reliable. Pi always expresses the mathematical relationship between the diameter and the circumference of a circle, no matter how small or how large the circle.
And we know this not from computations of the digital age. The ancients were onto this from the beginning. Every major civilization had its theories of Pi and its mathematicians who tried to explain it. Ancient Egypt and Babylon and India. The Greek Archimedes, the Greco-Roman Ptolemy, the ancient Chinese and Indians — all figured out this ratio, which exists both on paper and, as if by some sort of divine plan, throughout nature.
The relationship between a circle's diameter — a line running straight through cutting it into two equal halves — and its circumference — the distance around the circle – was originally mentioned in the Hebrew Book of Kings in reference to a ritual pool in King Solomon's Temple. The relevant verse (1 Kings 7:23) states that the diameter of the pool was ten cubits and the circumference 30 cubits. In other words, the Bible rounds off Pi to about three, as if to say that's good enough for horseshoes and swimming pools.
Later on, the rabbis of the Mishnah and the Talmud, who knew that the one-third ratio wasn't completely accurate, had a field day with the Bible having played fast and loose with the facts, arguing in their characteristic manner that of course it depended on whether you measured the pool from the inside or the outside of the vessel's wall. They also had fun with some of the Gematria – the numerical value – of the words in the original passage, which when you play around with them a bit indeed come a lot closer to the value of Pi, spelling it out to several decimal points.
The great Maimonides later chimed in on this discussion with what reads almost like a warning not to dig too deeply into the mystery of Pi. "The ratio of the diameter of the circle and its circumference are unknown and can never be discussed with accuracy," he wrote in the 12th century. "This is not a lack of knowledge on our part, as the idiots think, but rather it is that by its nature this thing is unknown, and by virtue of its reality cannot be known, and it is not possible to speak of it … its actual value cannot be perceived." Inscrutable. Unknowable. Unapproachable. Kind of like God. "No man sees my face and lives," as He told Moses.
In his 1998 debut feature, "Pi," filmmaker Darren Aronofsky had some fun with all this when he had a group of Hasidim kidnap his protagonist — a tormented mathematical genius named Max Cohen — in order to help them divine a hidden mathematical code inside the Torah, which they believed would reveal the lost name of God. Instead, Cohen went bonkers and took a power drill to his skull.
Today, Cohen's real-life avatar is Scottish-born mathematician Jonathan Michael Borwein, the world's leading expert on the computation of Pi, which we can now spell out to about 2.7 trillion decimal points. Borwein is the son of the great Jewish mathematician David Borwein, who was born in 1924, in Kaunas, Lithuania. In 1984, Jonathan Michael Borwein and his brother, Peter Borwein, "produced an iterative algorithm that quadruples the number of digits in each step; and in 1987, one that increases the number of digits five times in each step." Don't try that at home.
For a number of years, math geeks have celebrated March 14 – 3/14 – as "Pi Day." In 2009, they even got the United States House of Representatives to officially support the designation of the day as such. (Apparently the U.S. Senate had more important things to deal with at the time.)
Some Massachusetts Institute of Technology types, or math majors at Princeton University, where Albert Einstein taught, get their jollies over the fact that the great mathematician and Jewish thinker was born on March 14. In the town of Princeton, N.J., in addition to pie eating and Pi recitations where contestants compete to see who can correctly spell out Pi to the greatest extent, there is an annual Einstein look-alike contest. MIT has often mailed its application decision letters to prospective students for delivery on March 14.
This year's Pi Day affords a little something extra to those who get goose bumps just thinking about mathematical coincidences. On March 14, at 9:26:53 a.m. and p.m., the date and time will spell out the first 10 digits of Pi (3.141592653). One could even make the case for that same second containing a precise instant corresponding to all of the digits of Pi ad infinitum, but you probably shouldn't think too deeply about that. You may wind up like Max Cohen in "Pi" and take a cordless drill to your skull.
Seth Rogovoy frequently writes about the intersection of popular culture and Jewish themes for the Forward. He flunked high school calculus and writing this article gave him a headache.
Seth Rogovoy
secret Jewish history

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


To place an order in our store, proceed as follows.
1. Select your desired item using the "categories of goods" on the left side of the page.
2. On the right side of the image of the item - click on the button "Add to Cart".
3. In case of need - Repeat steps 1 and 2 to select the desired heading.
4. Upon completion of the selection - the right side of the page you can view and edit the contents of the "Checkout".
5. On the "Cart" at the bottom, click "Next"
6. If you made a purchase earlier in our store - enter your e-mail and password. If you are a new client in the "Create Account", enter your valid e-mail and click "Create Account"
7. Enter your information and click "Register" button. Required fields are marked with an asterisk.
8. Type the delivery address, region, city, address storage carrier, the mobile number. Required fields are marked with an asterisk. After entering the information, click "Save".
9. Check the summary information and click "Next."
10. Choose a comfortable delivery service to you from the list and click "Next."
11. Check your selected products and choose the most convenient payment method.
13. On your mail will receive a letter with the order confirmation. After checking the order manager you will be sent payment details.
If you have additional questions, you can write on e-mail: 7844474s@gmail.com or through the form to the manager.


There is a simple fact in life – it is always summer somewhere in the world. So the next time you're sat looking out of your window at the dreary weather, wishing you could put your flip flops back on and bask in bright sunshine, why not look at jetting way for a bit of winter sun? Alternatively, winter means snow, and that means skiing, and getting cosy and warm in a log cabin.
Put simply, just because its winter, doesn't mean holidays are off the agenda, in fact, quite the opposite.
Let's look at 10 of the best destinations for this winter.
The French capital will always be on lists such as these, because it's one of those timeless destinations that never loses its shine. Wrap up warm and take a romantic stroll along the banks of the River Seine, check out the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre … the list goes on.
Turkey is such a huge summer holiday destination, especially the south coast, that visiting Istanbul during the winter months can show a totally different side to this intoxicating country. Very cultural, very beautiful, and very big, this is the only city in the world that straddles two continents. Reason enough to visit.
There are many ski resorts in Europe, however the Austrian Tyrol shows the best of ski quality, and a great destination for families, with areas for every level of skill. There is also plentiful après ski, night-life, and activities for children.
Arguably the most affordable of all the Caribbean islands, the Dominican Republic offers summer bliss in the height of summer. Punta Cana is especially popular, with all inclusive hotels plentiful, meaning value for money.
Yes, you head me right. Vietnam is an up and coming holiday destinations, and the country is enjoying a much needed increase in tourism. For something a little different, Vietnam could be your perfect winter holiday choice, and add to that fact that the cost of living is ridiculously low, so eating out etc won't break the bank.
A long favourite for pleasant winter temperatures and beach life, The Canaries continue to be on the list. Fuerteventura and its sand dunes, Lanzarote and its lunar-like landscapes, Gran Canaria and its varied night-life, and Tenerife, with its black sand beaches, are all fantastic destinations in both summer and winter, with plenty to do for couples, families, and groups alike.
For a natural, different kind of holiday, in true stunning beauty, The Gambia is an increasingly affordable holiday option, and also enjoys low prices for eating out and entertainment. Whilst it doesn't have the same wildlife options as Kenya, it has beaches just as good, and is a cheaper option for those wanting an African winter holiday.
Cruises overall are hugely popular at the moment, and luckily for us, the cost of cruising the Caribbean is coming down. The end and beginning of the year is the perfect time to explore this stunning part of the world, and the perk is that you get to sample several different islands all within the space of one holiday.
Santa, elves, reindeer, beautiful scenery, and the Northern Lights. Lapland will always be popular, especially over the festive period, and a great idea for a family holiday.
Due to the Winter Olympics, Russia is enjoying a rise in tourism, and the Games' host city, Sochi, is amongst the hot spots. Moscow has the famous fairytale-like buildings, with much history and culture to explore. Just remember to wrap up warm against the cold!


text:
Israel: Convicted Olmert Starts Serving Prison Sentence
February 15, 2016 March 16, 2016 Jaber Ali
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert began serving his 19-month prison sentence at Ramle's Ma'asiyahu Prison Monday, following his condemnation by a court on two separate wrongdoings.
Olmert has been handed in 2014 a 19-month imprisonment sentence over his involvement in bribery and corruption cases in the construction of Jerusalem's massive Holyland residential complex during his tenure as mayor of Jerusalem and his attempt to obstruct legal procedures in various cases against him.
Olmert had led a war of aggression against Lebanon in 2006 after succeeding Ariel Sharon as Israeli's Prime Minister.
Security forces and experts told Israeli media that the former Premier will be put under close watch to insure his safety and prevent any mishap, such as a suicide attempt. Prison officials also point out that Olmert as ex-Prime Minister and privy to state secrets must not be exposed to inmates from organized crime groups or those convicted for national security crimes.
Olmert will join former Israeli President Moshe Katsav, who is five years in to a seven-year term for rape, sexual assault and harassment of a number of female employees during his tenure as Tourism Minister and President.
Olmert is the first Israeli Prime Minister to serve a prison sentence.
In a separate justice decision concerning Israeli public figures, a Jerusalem labor court last week convicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife of abuse of house-keeping staff. The plaintiff, Meni Naftali had sued Sara Netanyahu for abuses and received $42,000 in compensation.
Gulf News, HeadlinesAriel Sharon, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Olmert, Israel, Jerusalem, Lebanon, Meni Naftali, Moshe Katsav, Ramle's Ma'asiyahu Prison, tourism
Written by Jaber Ali
Previous Previous post: Oman Gives Momentum to 25-year Tourism Strategy
Next Next post: Morocco's King on Friendship & Working Visit to France


kids are fascinated by colors. before they are relatively extra to this world, and are exceedingly excited and perceptive, they regard as being each other hue and shade to be exquisite and exceptional, unlike us, who have literary to say yes every the colors in the world for granted, and don't even see twice at any other shade as such, believing it to be just unusual portion of the surrounding environment.
Kids, however, witness and perceive everything, and are always eager to let their knowledge flow to others through various means, verbal and non-verbal. though the verbal means are as well as important, the non-verbal ones are much more fun-oriented. These enlarge various kinds of coloring books and, talking nearly the other generation, release printable coloring pages from the internet.
Coloring pages are a fabulous pretentiousness of allowing your child to atmosphere their ideas, opinions and perspicacity through artistic and creative methods. You will be stunned bearing in mind you see what amazingly lovely masterpieces these puny tiny children can make in the form of curtains coloring pages.
Apart from giving your children a creative habit of long-lasting engaged and passing forgive time, these coloring pages have quite a few additional advantages. They are, for one thing, free to download and print, thus every you compulsion is a computer, an internet connection, and a printer.
Other than this, again, these printable coloring pages will support manufacture your child's finer motor skills, such as eye-hand coordination etc, and will plus support produce their amalgamation and aspiration towards completing a unmovable task in an reasonably usual manner. They will furthermore learn a lot of concepts through the means of these printable coloring pages.
But most of all, you will pay for your children similar to a fun-filled, radiant period of time, which they will enjoy to the fullest extent possible. You will be adept to see the suitability of conceit and triumph in their eyes, which they are bound to mood on the achievement of each of these little projects. Coloring pages are a resolved entertainment package for kids, especially if you find ones which depict their favorite character, season or theme. Some instances are Pokemon coloring pages and Disney coloring pages.
And lastly, aside from every the great amount of happiness, education and satisfaction that these coloring pages will give to your kids, you are determined to consent like I say that they will provide you some amount of mature to lay back and relax, on the other hand of chasing your kid nearly the house for various reasons. They will in addition to help preserve a great, friendly rapport amongst the two of you, and will be a fun excitement altogether, whether on an individual basis, or a collective one.
So go ahead and search for various fun and usual coloring pages for your little one, fill their lives in the same way as happiness, and splash them bearing in mind large quantity of colors – colors of happiness, joy, creativity and learning. permit these toddlers to delve into the deepest ocean of visual effects and color-schemes, and witness your little Picasso grow into an intelligent, sharp, perceptive and of course, creative individual, and a fixed idea package.
Here you are at our site, article above published by zabelyesayan.com. Nowadays we are excited to declare we have discovered an awfully interesting niche to be pointed out. namely, Catgirl Coloring Pages. Some people searching for details about Catgirl Coloring Pages and definitely one of them is you, is not it?
Related Posts of "Catgirl Coloring Pages"


text:
Worker treated for chlorine exposure at city water plant
Sep 24th, 2020 · by Salisbury Independent · Comments: 0
A Salisbury Water Treatment Plant employee was treated at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional after he was exposed to a chlorine leak on Thursday.
City officials said the Water Operator at the Paleo Water Treatment Plant identified a gaseous chlorine leak after he entered the chlorine cylinder room to swap out an empty chlorine cylinder as part of his normal shift operations.
The employee immediately notified the Water Treatment Plant Assistant Superintendent, who contacted the Salisbury Fire Department.
The employee who identified the leak and was exposed to the chlorine was sent to the Salisbury medical center for an evaluation, where he received oxygen and was released.
City and Delmar firefighters responded to the Naylor Mill Road facility and contained the chlorine leak, officials said.
Two members of the Hazmat Response Team capped off the 150-pound cylinder of gaseous chlorine with a leak containment kit. The cylinder, now safely secured, will be transported back to the chlorine distributor.
There were no injuries to humans or the environment and no damage to any property or equipment as a result of this incident, officials said. The Water Treatment Plant has been cleared to return to normal operations.
Salisbury uses gaseous chlorine to disinfect the water as part of the treatment process in controlled and diluted amounts. Gaseous chlorine is poisonous and classified as a pulmonary irritant and can cause acute damage to the upper and lower respiratory tract.
The Paleo Water Treatment Plant is equipped with a large chlorine scrubber that automatically detects and neutralizes chlorine gas in the air as soon as it is leaked in the event of an incident such as this.
Tags:Featured · Fire Department
Subscribe to the Salisbury Independent's weekly email newsletter
As your community newspaper, we are committed to making Salisbury a better place. You can help support our mission by making a voluntary contribution to the newspaper.


What is CanadaSound? - CanadaSound - What is CanadaSound?
We're asking Canadians in every corner of this country to submit their favourite Canadian sounds via video, audio or text, and tell us the story behind that sound.
All of the sounds we gather will be donated to the Department of Canadian Heritage as a sonic representation of Canada in 2017, so when future generations listen back, they'll know exactly what our country sounded like at 150. But that's not all.
We'll take the best of those songs and turn them into a very Canadian compilation, with partial proceeds benefitting MusiCounts, a charity that puts instruments into the hands of Canadian kids.
Along with our CanadaSound partners at SOCAN, the Junos, MusicCounts and CleanSheet Communications, by the end of 2017 we're going to create the greatest Canadian soundbank ever — but only with your help, your sounds and your stories.
CanadaSound: be part of Canada's ultimate soundtrack.


text:
Statement on Myanmar and Human Rights
Human rights is one of London CIV's key engagement themes in 2021 (as detailed in our Stewardship Policy). We believe as institutional investors, we have a duty to safeguard human rights as formalised by the United Nations and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance ("OECA"). In May 2021, we have disclosed our exposure to companies accused of facilitating human rights abuses in Occupied Palestinian Territories ("OTP") and we seek to continue to engage on human rights issues and provide transparency to our stakeholders on other human rights concerns.
Reports from the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner ("OHCHR") have identified the Myanmar military ("Tatmadaw")[1] as committing human rights violations in Kachin, Shan and Rakhine States of Myanmar. The report has identified international companies with economic ties to the Tatmadaw in the form of either through business dealings with the military's principal conglomerate, donations to support the military's "clearance operations" or suppliers of military equipment to Tatmadaw. Our exposures to the companies identified in the OHCHR report are listed on the attached document.
London CIV seeks to engage with the companies in our portfolio that are listed in this report and asks to clarify their action in response to human rights abuse implications. We aim to engage with companies in our portfolio beyond those listed in the OHCHR report with operations in Myanmar to ensure the protection of employees and encourage human rights due diligence to mitigate risks in their supply chain. Our full engagement process is detailed in our Stewardship Policy.
[1] https://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24868&LangID=E
Click on the link to read our full statement, including our company exposure.


The McArthurGlen Discount Village is surrounded by green open spaces in which the maturity of the plant material is apparent.
Beyond the aesthetic function of the above space, a park that was accessible to visitors was created. The plant material was chosen in order to produce an excellent appearance from the opening day.
The park was constructed above the central parking area and was connected to the neighbour «SMART PARK» Commercial Park.
The irrigation system proposed is underground dripping system, from the water of the tertiary biological sewage system.


text:
Balnea Vina Venus
What is it that makes a painting more or less erotic? The subject? The pose? The beauty of the sitter? Surely all three but there are other important elements as well. The "Tepidarium" by Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema, painted in 1881, is made up of a number of elements that would not of themselves be considered particularly erotic.
In this case it is the mix which is perfect: the suffused light, the feeling of heat, the blushing cheeks, the undulating curves of the body lying on its side, the fan which looks set to fall, the strygil in the right hand, even the redness of the azalea lends something to the erotic charge. With his highly detailed pictures the Dutchman Alma-Tadema gave the British an accurately painted, but richly atmospheric vision of the ancient Mediterranean world – a world most cultured Englishmen would have been familiar with from their classical studies, but may not have been able to conjure up visually.
Alma-Tadema, lover of Italy past and present, was a resident of foggy London for most of his adult life.
When I saw Monica at the casting session I thought of her immediately for the Tepidarium. What is more no one else could have interpreted the role better than her, not just for her reddish hair, her profile and and her long legs – though all of them perfect, plenty of other women have these attributes, but for her sensuality which the photo demands.
In The Tepidarium (1881) Alma Tadema
I asked her to bring some personal possession to add to the set. She brought her dancing shoes – her passion is the tango. From this starting point I dressed the rest of the set: the tango CD replaced the feather fan; the telephone with its message "tango tonight!" on the display, the strygil. She also brought some crystals, seen next to the CD player, a small detail that Sir Lawrence would have appreciated – a nod towards her profession of masseuse. A profession that has to do with the subject of the painting – the thermal baths.
The baths played a part in Roman daily life that we can hardly imagine today: a meeting place where both sexes of all classes, even slaves, could mix, talk politics , business and even intrigue: a cross between freemason's hall and health club. The evocative inscription "Balnea, Vina ,Venus" (baths, wine, Venus) has been found in many a Roman ruin, so a bottle of chilled white Trebbiano wine has been set by the bench.
You could also be interested in these:
January 26, 2015 Belle
This Autumn Evening
Oceano di Silenzio
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked.


Facebook Promotion test updated on squeeze page to test.
YOU CAN GET ANY OF THESE PRODUCTS FREE!
With an initial order over $50 you save an additional $7.50 off our wholesale prices. Your $7.50 savings will cover the cost of any of these products.
on EVERY Order. No Minimums!
You'll get instant access to savings of up to 50% on 20,000+ healthy products. We'll send you specials on our most popular products.
You get wholesale prices and free shipping on everything you buy. We plant a tree with every order. Your Free-trial starts with your first order.
You can easily cancel or keep the Membership for just $99.95. We guarantee you'll save more than the cost of your membership, or we'll pay you the difference in shopping credit!
Over 40,000 Trees Already Planted!


text:
Stock Market Conflicting Evidence for a Bottom
Stock-Markets / US Stock Markets Oct 29, 2008 - 11:10 AM GMT
By: Richard_Shaw
The fact is that today's stock markets were extraordinary in their strength. Emerging markets (proxy EEM) up about 20% and the S&P 500 (proxy SPY) up about 11%.
There are important positive facts to consider:
for the past couple of weeks SPY has been trading sideways — that's good.
SPY went up 11% today — that's good (although going up 11% after going down about 41% in the past 52 weeks, puts the index at about 35% down from its starting point).
according to Bloomberg, before today, the MSCI World Index was trading at about 10.5 times trailing earnings — an historically attractive multiple.
according to a table published by dshort.com, today's rise in the S&P 500 was the 7th largest percentage gain since 1928 — that's good (although dshort.com points out that almost all of the really powerful one day rallies in the past were inside bear markets that continued after the rally).
the Fed has begun to buy commercial paper and that has allowed many corporations to borrow again, that being important to inventory build and general business activity — that's very good.
Governments are now accommodative and injecting much liquidity and beginning to coordinate relief — that's good for now (although the long-term price we must pay for today's relief is not clear).
Here are some generally positive thoughts from the press:
New York Times - Oct 28 Even as Dow Soars 11%, Skeptics Lurk
"For me, the best part about today is that the market went up in the wake of what was some really discouraging economic news," said Stuart Schweitzer, global markets strategist at J.P. Morgan Private Bank. "When the markets go up on bad news, it holds out hope that the bad news has been digested." …
"People are feeling much more comfortable that the financial system is stabilizing, and that allows them to focus on fundamental valuations of stocks," said Todd Steinberg, head of equities and commodity derivatives at BNP Paribas-Americas. "The caveat to that is there is still a lot of economic issues to come." …
… some prominent investors like Warren E. Buffett and R. Jeremy Grantham, who had been bearish in the past, have in recent days said that they think stock prices had fallen far enough for them to start buying …
"Circle today as one of those days that the fundamental issues trumped panic and fear," said Robert J. Froehlich, vice chairman and chief investment strategist with DWS Investments. But, he added, he was not ready to declare that stocks would not fall below the closing level on Monday.
Not So Positive Information:
Our concern is how to possibly reconcile the enthusiasm shown today with the really terrible news on other fronts.
We do recognize that when markets rise in the face of bad news, that is a good sign for the market — climbing a wall of worry and all that. However, we have so much to worry about that the wall seems too tall still.
Consider these negative points from today's news and decide for yourself if they can coexist with a reversal from bear to bull in the stock markets.
Financial Times - Oct 28 Wall St gains strongly despite grim data
US equities soared on Tuesday … in spite of a fresh glut of grim economic data.
… swings in the S&P 500 were tightly correlated with moves in the exchange rates of the euro and dollar against the yen. That suggested widespread selling of yen positions had left traders with cash to invest in US stocks.
… The market's late afternoon surge came even after figures showed consumer confidence slumped to a record low in October, which Ian Shepherdson, of High Frequency Economics, described as "extraordinarily awful." Separate data showed prices of single-family homes plunged by a record percentage in August.
Business Week - Oct 28 Corporate bond rates keep rising, portend defaults
The recent decline in bank-to-bank lending rates is having no effect on corporate bonds, which continue to plunge in value — a sign that the market believes more loan defaults and a wave of bankruptcies are ahead for U.S. companies.
… market rates on corporate bonds have continued to rise compared to Treasury yields for nine straight days, said John Atkins, a fixed-income analyst at IDEAGlobal.com. This trend is hitting non-investment grade bonds, or junk bonds, the hardest, but is occurring in investment grade bonds as well.
Bloomberg - Oct 28 Emerging Market Credit Risk Signals Test for IMF's Resources
The cost of default protection on bonds sold by 11 emerging-market nations has surged near distressed levels, triggering speculation the International Monetary Fund's ability to bailout countries may be stretched.
…"The resources of the IMF may not be sufficient for wider bailouts if needed," said Vivek Tawadey, head of credit strategy at BNP Paribas SA in London. "If it can't raise the money, some of the more distressed emerging markets could end up defaulting."
Bloomberg - Oct 28 Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Fell From Year Ago
House prices in 20 U.S. cities declined at the fastest pace on record as foreclosures climbed before the credit crisis deepened this month.
The S&P/Case-Shiller home-price index dropped 16.6 percent in August from a year earlier, as forecast, after a 16.3 percent decline in July. The gauge has fallen every month since January 2007, and year-over-year records began in 2001.
The decrease in property values, which helped boost sales last month to the highest level of the year, will probably intensify in coming months as the latest tightening of credit markets threatens to dry up mortgage financing. Prolonged price declines may push even more houses into foreclosure, weakening consumer spending and the economy.
"There's still quite a bit further for prices to go down, even though the volume has probably bottomed out," William Cheney, chief economist at John Hancock Financial Services Inc. in Boston, said in a Bloomberg Television interview. "Prices will probably find a bottom sometime next year."
Bloomberg - Oct 28 U.S. Economy: Consumer Confidence Drops to Record Low
U.S. consumer confidence fell to the lowest level on record in October as stocks plunged and banks shut off credit, raising the risk spending will collapse.
The Conference Board's confidence index tumbled to 38, lower than forecast and the worst reading since monthly records began in 1967, the New York-based research group said today.
Forbes - Oct 28 IMF Has So Much Umpf
The International Monetary Fund is supposed to be the world's lender of last resort, but disturbing questions were being raised Tuesday about whether it had all the money it needed to help the world's most troubled economies in the wake of the subprime crisis.
The IMF's first deputy managing director, John Lipksy, said on television that if the the world's financial problems continue to grow, "we might think about whether we would need additional resources." He added that the IMF was discussing that possibility with its members. "For now we have record liquidity," he said.
BBC - Oct 28 Hungary to get $25bn rescue deal
Hungary has been granted a multi-billion dollar rescue package by the IMF, the EU and the World Bank.
The deal, worth $25bn (£15.6bn;19.6 euro), is intended to help Hungary cope with the ongoing effects of the world financial crisis.
It follows similar measures taken by the IMF to prop up the economies of Ukraine and Iceland.
Forbes - Oct 28 Pakistan Urged To Take IMF Money
LONDON - Pressure is piling on Pakistan to accept financial help from the International Monetary Fund, or face a financial meltdown.
WSJ - Oct 28 Argentina's Pension Plan Presses On, Driving Down Markets and the Peso
Argentina's leftist government pressed forward with its controversial plan to nationalize private pension funds, laying out investment guidelines for the funds it wants to seize and lobbying Congress to approve the proposal.
Taking over the $30 billion in pension fund assets will ease the cash crunch faced by President Cristina Kirchner's government, but it has jolted investor confidence and triggered a dollar outflow.
Bloomberg - Oct 23 China's Home-Sales Stimulus May Fail to Protect Economic Growth
China's measures to encourage home sales aren't enough to stop a cooling property market from dragging down growth in the world's fourth-largest economy, said Credit Suisse AG and Standard Chartered Bank Plc.
The government yesterday trimmed costs, including mortgage rates, taxes and down-payments, for first-home buyers.
"This is the biggest property rescue package in China's history, but it didn't touch the two most critical areas that are dragging down the property market — property developers' stressed cash flows and consumers' expectations for further price drops," said Tao Dong, chief Asia economist at Credit Suisse in Hong Kong. "The measures won't do the job."
Our Take:
These news items don't include important geopolitical issues relating to countries such as North Korea, Iran, Pakistan, and Venezuela that have the potential to cause market havoc.
This news also does not deal with rising unemployment, a likely weak Christmas retail season, probably poor Q4 earnings reports, and an entirely new team running the US government and the Treasury in January (3 months from now) with unknown and potentially surprising programs.
We certainly could be wrong, but all this doesn't seem like were are ready to resume a sustained rise in market prices. It's commonly said that markets anticipate about six month in advance, but normalization of the situation seems farther than six month away to us.
SPY in October
SPY for 52 weeks
By Richard Shaw
http://www.qvmgroup.com
Richard Shaw leads the QVM team as President of QVM Group. Richard has extensive investment industry experience including serving on the board of directors of two large investment management companies, including Aberdeen Asset Management (listed London Stock Exchange) and as a charter investor and director of Lending Tree ( download short professional profile ). He provides portfolio design and management services to individual and corporate clients. He also edits the QVM investment blog. His writings are generally republished by SeekingAlpha and Reuters and are linked to sites such as Kiplinger and Yahoo Finance and other sites. He is a 1970 graduate of Dartmouth College.
Copyright 2006-2008 by QVM Group LLC All rights reserved.
Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilizing methods believed reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any trading losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Do your own due diligence.
Richard Shaw Archive
06 Jan 09, 22:44 LP
I have to disagree with that last comment...doesn't make sense


text:
Elevated CO2 Levels Directly Affect Human Cognition, New Harvard Study Shows (?)
Just the first part of a new article from the professional Warmists at "Think Progress" below. In my usual pesky way, I went straight back to the first journal article cited below. I append that Abstract. What the academic authors did was to take a 600ppm level of CO2 as the normal indoor level of CO2 and compare it with much higher levels, starting with 1,000 ppm. On their measure of decision making, they found reduced performance at the 1,000 ppm level.
So this finding is completely irrelevant either to the present or to the foreseeable future. The present ambient atmospheric level is around 400 ppm. Even using an improbable straight-line projection, it will be a very long time before we get to an ambient 1,000 ppm level of CO2.
I could look at other evidence on the question. Greenhouse workers, for instance, seem to have no problems working amidst a concentration of around 1,000 ppm and levels of CO2 go up to 8,000ppm in U.S. submarines, but given the dishonest way the article below started out, I am not inclined to waste time looking further
And don't forget: Around two thirds of all published medical and psychological research findings are not replicable -- i.e. wrong. The findings below are good candidates for falling into that category
In an email, Craig Idso comments: "Years ago we took CO2 measurements inside various buildings. I distinctly remember the values we recorded at the local high school, which were well over 1000 ppm from all the human exhalation inside the classrooms from the students. The concerns cited below are an absolute joke and the "scientists'" recitation of them is a disservice to real science.
In a landmark public health finding, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health finds that carbon dioxide (CO2) has a direct and negative impact on human cognition and decision-making. These impacts have been observed at CO2 levels that most Americans — and their children — are routinely exposed to today inside classrooms, offices, homes, planes, and cars.
Carbon dioxide levels are inevitably higher indoors than the baseline set by the outdoor air used for ventilation, a baseline that is rising at an accelerating rate thanks to human activity, especially the burning of fossil fuels. So this seminal research has equally great importance for climate policy, providing an entirely new public health impetus for keeping global CO2 levels as low as possible.
In a series of articles, I will examine the implications for public health both today (indoors) as well as in the future (indoors and out) due to rising CO2 levels. This series is the result of a year-long investigation for Climate Progress and my new Oxford University Press book coming out next week, "Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know." This investigative report is built on dozens of studies and literature reviews as well as exclusive interviews with many of the world's leading experts in public health and indoor air quality, including authors of both studies.
What scientists have discovered about the impact of elevated carbon dioxide levels on the brain
Significantly, the Harvard study confirms the findings of a little-publicized 2012 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) study, "Is CO2 an Indoor Pollutant? Direct Effects of Low-to-Moderate CO2 Concentrations on Human Decision-Making Performance." That study found "statistically significant and meaningful reductions in decision-making performance" in test subjects as CO2 levels rose from a baseline of 600 parts per million (ppm) to 1000 ppm and 2500 ppm.
Both the Harvard and LBNL studies made use of a sophisticated multi-variable assessment of human cognition used by a State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University team, led by Dr. Usha Satish. Both teams raised indoor CO2 levels while leaving all other factors constant. The findings of each team were published in the peer-reviewed open-access journal Environmental Health Perspectives put out by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, a part of NIH.
Is CO2 an Indoor Pollutant? Direct Effects of Low-to-Moderate CO2 Concentrations on Human Decision-Making Performance
Usha Satish et al.
Background: Associations of higher indoor carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations with impaired work performance, increased health symptoms, and poorer perceived air quality have been attributed to correlation of indoor CO2 with concentrations of other indoor air pollutants that are also influenced by rates of outdoor-air ventilation.
Objectives: We assessed direct effects of increased CO2, within the range of indoor concentrations, on decision making.
Methods: Twenty-two participants were exposed to CO2 at 600, 1,000, and 2,500 ppm in an office-like chamber, in six groups. Each group was exposed to these conditions in three 2.5-hr sessions, all on 1 day, with exposure order balanced across groups. At 600 ppm, CO2 came from outdoor air and participants' respiration. Higher concentrations were achieved by injecting ultrapure CO2. Ventilation rate and temperature were constant. Under each condition, participants completed a computer-based test of decision-making performance as well as questionnaires on health symptoms and perceived air quality. Participants and the person administering the decision-making test were blinded to CO2 level. Data were analyzed with analysis of variance models.
Results: Relative to 600 ppm, at 1,000 ppm CO2, moderate and statistically significant decrements occurred in six of nine scales of decision-making performance. At 2,500 ppm, large and statistically significant reductions occurred in seven scales of decision-making performance (raw score ratios, 0.06–0.56), but performance on the focused activity scale increased.
Conclusions: Direct adverse effects of CO2 on human performance may be economically important and may limit energy-saving reductions in outdoor air ventilation per person in buildings. Confirmation of these findings is needed.
Environ Health Perspect; DOI:10.1289/ehp.1104789
U.S. Has Now Gone Record 120 Months Without a Major Hurricane Strike
So much for "extreme weather events"
Even as the remnants of historically powerful Hurricane Patricia dropped heavy rains on Texas on Saturday, the United States marked the completion of a record 120 straight months since the last major hurricane (Category 3 or above) made landfall in the continental United States.
The last major hurricane to make landfall on the continental United States was Hurricane Wilma, which hit Florida on October 24, 2005.
On Friday morning, the National Hurricane Center had reported that Patricia, at that point was "the strongest hurricane on record in the National Hurricane Center's area of responsibility (AOR) which includes the Atlantic and the eastern North Pacific basins."
However, Patricia weakened and dropped below hurricane force after it made landfall on the Pacific Coast of Mexico.
The decade-long major hurricane drought is the longest such hiatus dating back to 1851, according to records kept by NOAA's Hurricane Research Division (HRC).
The 2005 hurricane season was particularly harsh one. That year, "nearly 4,000 people lost their lives and there was nearly $160 billion in damage," NOAA said in a statement marking the 10-year anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, the last major hurricanes to strike the U.S.
Wilma "is the last major hurricane to strike the U.S.--an unprecedented stretch that could unfortunately lead to 'hurricane amnesia' for the destruction such a hurricane can cause," NOAA noted.
According to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, major hurricanes classified as Category 3 or above have sustained wind speeds of more than 111 miles per hour and are capable of causing "devastating" or "catastrophic" damage.
Since 1851, three catastrophic Category 5 hurricanes – defined as having a maximum sustained wind speed of over 157 miles per hour – have made landfall in the U.S.: the 1935 Labor Day hurricane in the Florida Keys, Camille in 1969, and Andrew in 1992.
Hurricanes Become a Ping-Pong Ball in the Climate Debate
By Joe Bastardi
This caught my eye, from USA Today: "Study: Climate change adding billions to U.S. hurricane costs."
Oh really? The study quoted ended in 2005, not factoring in the last 10 years. During that time, by way of the Saffir-Simpson scale, there were no major hurricane hits on the U.S. (On my power and impact scale, there have been three borderline majors.) It's been an amazingly quiet period, meaning the dire ideas that we heard about have been nothing but wrong.
Another USA Today headline from 2006: "New study ties global warming to stronger hurricanes."
There are numerous articles on how global warming (climate change is a redundant focus group-driven term that is now used since there has been no significant warming for nearly 19 years) is causing everything to be worse. Tropical cyclones, since they are awesome to look at and report on, are front and center as examples of how bad things are. But there is a big problem here: They aren't as bad. This chart by National Hurricane Center researchers Eric Blake and Chris Landsea plainly shows the busiest decade for major hits in the last 30 years (2001-2010) is equaled or exceeded by six of the 15 decades in the chart.
I often go after Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse — who lately has been pushing the idea of RICO-like investigations on scientists that do not believe in human-induced global warming — for his pronouncements on hurricanes being worse now than before. It's astounding given he is from a state that was devastated in 1938, 1944, 1954 and 1960 by major hurricanes. But look at the hits of majors. 1871-1880, 1891-1900, 1911-1920, 1931-1940, 1941-1950, 1951-1960 — all were decades equal to or greater than 2001-2010. In addition, the 30-year period from 1931-1960 had 61 hits, or two a year, 27 of which were major (almost one a year). By contrast, the most recent 30 years ending in 2010: 43 hits, 19 majors. Not even close!
The idea that costs are going up is not from increased frequency and intensity of storms. It can't be since the frequency and intensity of landfalling storms has decreased. So we have one side of the debate that is pushing hurricanes as a reason to suspect there is, as they put it, climate change, even though the facts show there are less landfalling storms now than there have been in many years before.
Right off the bat, the immense buildup of coastal development means that storms are going to be much more costly. I will leave it to others to play with inflation figures, but an example could be Hazel in 1954. This is the latest Category 4 storm to hit the U.S., and that it hit on the coastal Carolinas in mid-October is extreme in itself. In 1954 dollars, the storm did $354 million dollars in damage. The government's inflation calculator says it would be 10 times that now, but crucial is the fact that in 1954 there was not near the amount of buildup in the areas Hazel hit (it had hurricane force winds all the way to Toronto!) But that is not climate change or global warming. It's a product of man believing he is in control of the Garden of Eden, as if this is paradise and nothing bad happens. The thumbing of the nose is not CO2 in the air, but buildings on the beach.
My side of the climate debate counters this with what seems to be an intuitive argument about the lack of storms being a sign that there is no global warming. This is a very dangerous tactic. It's one thing to counter, as I did above, the argument that landfalling storms are stronger and more frequent, simply because they aren't. But that is all that means. So what happens if seven majors hit in two years like in 1915 and 1916? And guess what? I am very concerned that we are about to see a major burst of hurricanes between 2016 and 2018. Why? because I have seen this before. If we look at sea surface temperatures for next hurricane season, by next July the El Niño is gone and is reversing to a La Niña! The main development region of the Atlantic is very warm.
Now look at the sea surface temperatures in July of 2005 in the tropical breeding areas.
Very similar to the mega year of 2005! Major bursts of landfalling storms occurred in '95 and '96 after the El Niño of 94,' 98 and '99 after the El Niño of '97, and '03, '04 and '05 after the El Niño of '02. It's natural, it's happened before and it's about to happen again. So I would not be tooting the lack of hurricanes as anything but what it is — a lack of hurricanes. But much more deceitful, in my opinion, is using hurricanes as a sign of global warming. It shows the gall of the people suggesting that. Even with facts staring them in the face, they simply ignore them and say it anyway.
Hurricanes are nature's way of taking heat out of the tropics and redistributing it to the temperate regions. Weather and climate are nature's way of seeking a balance it can never attain because of the very design of the system. Nothing more, nothing less. Attributing such things as hurricanes as a sign of so-called "climate change" is provably wrong. Hurricanes are much more than ping-pong balls for someone's agenda. They are an awesome display of nature, sometimes resulting in terrible consequences, but all part of the natural up and down that is inherent in the system.
SOURCE (See the original for links and graphics)
Obama turns to climate deal
The Obama administration is ramping up its efforts to get the American public behind its goal for a strong global climate change deal in Paris in December.
With weeks to go until negotiators meet to hash out a final international agreement, President Obama worked in recent days to make sure the country knows the importance of United States leadership in getting worldwide buy-in for a strong deal.
Republicans also ratcheted up their efforts to undermine Obama's participation in the climate talks, arguing that the deal will amount to a treaty that requires — and will not receive — Senate ratification to take effect.
The GOP also wants to show world leaders that the Obama administration's pledge for the deal — a 26 percent to 28 percent cut in the United States' greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, compared with 2005 — is not possible, and Obama should not be trusted to live up to his promises.
Though the deal is still being negotiated, it's shaping up to be a collection of individual pledges from countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, steps to increase clean energy production, financing for poor countries and other efforts. Chances are that the deal will not be legally binding, which allows Obama to argue that it is not a treaty that needs Senate ratification.
The stakes are high, both because of the expected effects of climate change and because Obama wants to avoid the mistakes of the 2009 Copenhagen climate talks, which ended with no deal.
The White House set the tone for the week Monday with the news that 81 companies, including some big names like Intel Corp. and Procter & Gamble Co., are on board with Obama's goals for an ambitious, strong, long-lasting agreement in Paris.
"As we look at this major conference that we're going to be having in Paris in just a few months, where we've already mobilized the international community, including China, to participate, I just want everybody to understand that American businesses want this to happen as well," Obama said after meeting with five major CEOs, saying that they need a level playing field to thrive.
"If we're able to establish those kinds of rules and that's the goal that we're setting forth in Paris, I have no doubt that these companies are going to excel," he said. "And that's going to mean jobs, businesses, and opportunity alongside cleaner air and a better environment."
Getting big business buy-in on the Paris deal is an attempt by Obama to increase the legitimacy of his efforts and to show opponents who can benefit from the talks.
Later in the week, a senior administration official laid out the strategy and stakes for the talks.
The official also tried to set expectations for the deal, which is unlikely to achieve the goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
"It's been clear for some time that, given the history of this issue, and the fits and starts of international negotiations, that the most important thing about a Paris agreement was going to be achieving durable, credible and universal agreement that reflected bottom-up country-delivered agreements," the official said.
Republicans are fighting back and asserting what they see as the Senate's rightful place in international treaties.
"Just like the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations framework convention on climate change, any agreement that commits our nation to targets or timetables must go through the process established by the founders in our Constitution," Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said at a hearing he chaired in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee subpanel about the deal. "It must be submitted to the United States Senate for its advice and consent."
"The president has made clear that he doesn't see it that way, as was the case with the Iranian nuclear deal," he said.
Barrasso later said that it's important to tell foreign countries that Obama's promises will not stand.
"The president can make promises, but it doesn't necessarily carry the full force of the United States," he said. "There are still court rulings to come. They may find that a number of things this administration does are not legal."
Elliot Diringer, executive vice president at the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, said Republicans are only reinforcing Obama's strategy to stick with non-binding targets that don't require Senate ratification.
"What came across in the hearing is that binding targets and timetables would require advice and consent from the Senate — and that the administration won't agree to binding targets," Diringer said. "The U.S. isn't alone in that view, and I think the likeliest outcome in Paris is that targets won't be binding.
Republicans' work on the climate deal is far from over. Lawmakers including Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee energy and power subpanel chairman Ed Whitfield (R-Ky.) are considering going to Paris or sending staff to try to influence the talks.
"I don't know if I'll repeat what I've done several times before, which is to go over and be the bad guy, the one-man truth squad, and tell the truth, that they're going to be lied to by the Obama administration," Inhofe said.
Inhofe, a vocal climate change skeptic, has bragged that he traveled to the Copenhagen talks in 2009 and served as a "one-man truth squad" to derail the deal.
Whitfield said he wants to show negotiators that much of Obama's promised emissions goal relies on regulations that Congress could weaken or overturn.
"We may send a group over to Paris, just to let them know that there's another branch of government, in addition to the executive branch, on these issues," he said.
Diringer said that Obama's best bet would be to push for a deal that doesn't require Senate input and is based on United States law, which has been the administration's goal.
Meanwhile, Republicans in both chambers are launching new efforts to overturn the carbon limits for power plants through the Congressional Review Act.
Obama has vowed to veto any efforts to overturn the rule, the centerpiece of his climate change initiative. But even with his veto, the GOP hopes a vote could send a strong signal to the Paris negotiators that Obama's environmental agenda has significant opposition domestically.
Congressional leaders have yet to say when the disapproval resolutions might get votes. But Republicans hope that they would come before or during the Paris talks.
Paris Climate Conference Is Likely to Fail
By S. Fred Singer
COP-21, the 21st Conference of the Parties (to the Global Climate Treaty) is convening in Paris (November 30 to December 11, 2015) to try to impose global restrictions on the emission of the greenhouse (GH) gas carbon dioxide. The usual cast of characters will show up—delegates from nearly 200 nations, who have made a lifetime career out of the climate business, plus some 15,000 hangers-on. We think they will fail to reach an effective international agreement—for a variety of reasons: Important developing countries have other priorities; scandals are brewing and may flare up; and the climate itself is not cooperating. But the media will portray Paris as a huge success, trying to burnish the environmental-climate legacy of President Barack Obama.
Paris will be a big "nothing-burger"
Do you remember Anne Gorsuch, who may have coined this pungent term? She was the first female administrator of EPA, and rather different from both Lisa Jackson and Gina McCarthy. Gorsuch served for a couple of years in the Reagan administration, during which time she managed to cut the EPA budget and slim down the agency. She proved that a determined administrator can do something to rein in the regulatory excesses of the EPA. [Actually, one of the most effective ways of achieving that goal might be to expand the EPA office in Alaska, and then transfer most of the Washington activists to that office.]
Outlook for global agreements
President Obama has been actively pushing nations to make commitments on cutting CO2 emissions, and most have obliged him by making meaningless commitments that will have very little effect on actual levels of carbon dioxide—and even less on the world climate.
China has agreed to peak its emissions in 2030, but do nothing to stem growth in the remaining 15 years. They calculate, apparently, that by then their population and demand for electric power will have stabilized. In other words, their "commitment" involves no real hardships.
Similarly, in a half-hearted commitment, India will also peak its emissions sometime around the middle of the century. However, India's actual plan is to double its domestic coal production in the next 5 years and then continue to use fossil fuels to generate the electricity that is badly needed by its population.
Southeast Asia is another rapidly growing user of fossil fuels to generate electricity. In Europe, eastern nations will continue to build coal-fired power plants. Even Germany is turning to coal, having foolishly decided, after Fukushima, to phase out their well-operating nuclear reactors.
By mid-century, US emissions are likely to be less than 10% of world total and thus of little consequence.
Perversely, Obama has pledged to commit the US to reduce emissions by 28 percent by 2030, compared to 2005 levels, by trying to use EPA's "Clean Power Plan" in his promised "war on coal."
When challenged by Russia on his leadership in the Middle East, Obama replied (on Sixty Minutes, on Oct 11): "My definition of leadership would be leading on climate change, an international accord that potentially we'll get in Paris." Note that Congress has not been consulted on these matters; it is likely that a future White House will simply cancel his US commitments; and the world is aware of this.
Will ShuklaGate play a role in Paris?
Many people think that the leak of Climategate e-mails in Nov 2009 played an important role in scuttling any climate agreement at COP-15 in Copenhagen. The e-mails exposed the sleazy actions of a US-UK group of IPCC scientists and their attempts to suppress any contrary opinions: through misuse of the peer-review of independent research, by bullying editors of scientific journals (often with their connivance), and even by the manhandling of fundamental data ("hide the decline" [of temperature]).
Might history repeat itself? Could Shukla-gate play a role in derailing any Paris agreement? Prof. Jagadish Shukla has been accused of extracting $63 million of US government funds, much of it flowing into his and family members' pockets. His downfall came when he organized a very public campaign against scientific skeptics, accusing them and their financial supporters of bad faith and profiteering. Some ask the question: How do you say 'chutzpah' in Hindi?
This dirty laundry will on full display in Congressional hearings being organized by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), chairman of the House Committee on Science. They may help convince the public, here and abroad, that hyped worries about global warming are mostly driven by money. Other examples come to mind: the promised $100-billion/year subsidy (bribe?) to developing nations (that perversely include China!), Solyndra and a plethora of other 'clean' energy projects, Al Gore's rise to become a centi-millionaire, and many more. Undoubtedly, envy plays a role here—in addition to concern about how tax money is wasted. Why have we spent some $25 billon on climate science just in the past decade if the "science is settled?"
Will the Verdier scandal affect COP-21?
Philippe Verdier, a household name for his nightly TV weather forecasts on France-2, has been taken off air after criticizing the UN-IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). Mr Verdier claims in the book Climat Investigation (Climate Investigation) that leading climatologists and political leaders have "taken the world hostage" with misleading data. Top climate scientists, who often rely on state funding, have been "manipulated and politicized."
He specifically challenges the work of the IPCC, saying they "blatantly erased" data that went against their overall conclusions; he also casts doubt on the accuracy of their climate models, which assert that temperatures could rise by up to 4.8°C if no action is taken to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.
Mr Verdier writes: "We are undoubtedly on a plateau in terms of warming; and the cyclical variability of the climate doesn't allow us to envisage if its natural rhythm will tomorrow lead us towards a fall, a stagnation, or a rise [in temperature]." He added: "We are hostage to a planetary scandal over climate change—a war machine whose aim is to keep us in fear."
His book was criticized as full of "errors" by newspaper Le Monde (the FrenchNY Times): "The models used to predict the average rise in temperatures on the surface of the globe have proved to be rather reliable, with the gap between observations and predictions quite small." But this fanciful claim is quite untrue; while IPCC climate models calculate a steady rise in global average temperature (matching a corresponding rise in atmospheric CO2), the actual observations record no detectable warming trend for almost 20 years—in spite of a CO2 increase of nearly 10%.
Verdier said he decided to write the book in June 2014, when Laurent Fabius, the French foreign minister, summoned the country's main weather presenters and urged them to mention "climate chaos" in their forecasts. "I was horrified by this discourse," Mr Verdier told a magazine. "What's shameful is this pressure placed on us to say that if we don't hurry, it'll be the apocalypse," he added, saying that "climate diplomacy" means leaders are seeking to force changes to suit their own political timetables.
Meanwhile, similar ideas have been advanced in the US. Wikipedia reports: In "Climate Science Is Not Settled," a 2014 essay published in the Wall Street Journal, three years after stepping down as Under-Secretary for Science of DOE, Prof Steven Koonin wrote: "We are very far from the knowledge needed to make good climate policy," and "The impact today of human activity [on climate] appears to be comparable to the intrinsic, natural variability of the climate system itself." Koonin criticized the use of results from climate modeling to support the "scientific consensus" [quotes in original] about climate change, noting that, among other problems, "The models differ in their descriptions of the past century's global average surface temperature by more than three times the entire warming recorded during that time."
Regarding climate sensitivity, Koonin wrote that "Today's best estimate of the sensitivity (between 2.7 and 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit for a doubling of the CO2 level) is no different, and no more certain, than it was 30 years ago. And this is despite a heroic research effort costing billions of dollars."
COP-21 is unlikely to produce results
Notwithstanding the conclusions of the UN-IPCC and the heavily advertized so-called "scientific consensus" about greenhouse warming, the climate itself is not cooperating with costly policies to cut CO2 emissions—though heavily promoted in the lead-up to the COP conference by UN-toadies and even by Pope Francis. But the opposition by developing nations is determined—and assorted scandals are brewing. After all the hype, Paris-2015 may turn out to be a big (and expensive) nothing-burger and mark the end of COP.
Climate change is more important than union corruption?
The Australian Labor Party thinks so -- in a desperate attempt to help their crooked friends
Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese has accused Malcolm Turnbull of playing "wedge" politics over industrial relations reform and declared climate change, not union corruption, should be top of a new bipartisan agenda.
It comes after Bill Shorten yesterday hit back at the Prime Minister's ultimatum that Labor pass laws to curb union corruption and power or face an election campaign waged on industrial relations, lashing out at Mr Turnbull for reheating "Tony Abbott's union-bashing'' exercise.
Mr Turnbull wants Labor to negotiate on industrial relations laws stalled in the Senate - the reintroduction of the Australian Building and Construction Commission, to monitor and promote standards of conduct in the building industry, and the Registered Organisations Bill to impose transparency on union officials.
But Mr Albanese also rejected Mr Turnbull's pledge to put IR at the forefront of the next election unless Labor "comes to its senses".
"That's just a wedge in terms of the union movement," Mr Albanese said on ABC radio.
"When we'll take Malcolm Turnbull more seriously and what he should do, because he does believe in action on climate change, he is serious about that issue and he should be prepared to sit down with the Labor Party and talk about real action on climate change.
"Not the sort of action that (former employment minister) Eric Abetz and the sceptics approve of but doing something real in the interest of … I mean that's the ultimate intergenerational issue."
Mr Albanese, who is the opposition's infrastructure and transport spokesman, said the government wanted the media to be talking about union corruption and the CFMEU rather than the "more important" issue of climate change.
"If Malcolm Turnbull is at all serious about long-term working in a bipartisan way, then that (climate change) has to be at the top of the agenda," he said.
"The other issues that have worked quite well - and to give Tony Abbott credit he certainly tried to work with the opposition about – is reconciliation and advancing the recognition of the First Australians."
The Opposition Leader, his deputy Tanya Plibersek and immigration spokesman Richard Marles will head to the Pacific islands for four days this week in a bid to put climate change back on the political agenda.
Opposition communications spokesman Jason Clare yesterday nominated changes to superannuation tax concessions as the next policy area the government and Labor work on together.
Many many world leaders and the usial hollywood celebeties in paris coming in their eer and gulf stream jets and be chuafered there in their gas guzzling 11 mpg limos in housed in buildings using countless kilowatt hours of electricity and many many galloens of water to come up with new ways to control the people
Lessons From Patricia By Joe Bastardi Failing to...
Ya gotta laugh! The NYT could teach Dr Goebbels a...
Elevated CO2 Levels Directly Affect Human Cognitio...
American Academy of Pediatrics links global warmin...
The Real 'Consensus': Global Warming Causes FEWER ...
Australian Greens panicking over nanoparticles in ...
Sen. Sanders Demands DOJ Go After Exxon For 'Cover...
Scientists confirm that Alaskan wildfires could ma...
Is NASA actually unserious about global warming? ...
The latest non-science from the non-science guy B...
Climate Change and Leftist Hypocrisy Nothing expo...
Scientific crookedness among Warmists It is very ...
Do Warmists believe their own hokum? Not usually, ...
The Warmist hate is really boiling at Salon The ...
The ghostly machine of the Warmist imagination Be...
Now global warming threatens pumpkin pie! Since I...
Global warming behind mysterious kidney disease, s...
Introduction to a Warmist mind I have long pointe...
The latest "threat" from global warming: low birth...
Global warming can alter shape of the planet, as m...
That evil radiation again To the Green/Left any l...
Wildfires: Another wild-eyed prophecy Caution: Ev...
Now it's hamburgers that cause global warming For...
Stored solar power in Spain -- at huge expense Pa...
Giant king crabs the latest threat from global wa...
The latest: Catching sharks causes global warming!...


Year Two: The Macklin Family — Brittany | Hyde | Photography.
Photographing a family two years in a row is really fun for lots of reasons. Photographing a baby-turned-toddler is extra fun. Seeing how much has changed between four months and 16 months is part mind boggling, part exciting, part sweet as can be.
Looking at the shots from last year, Parker's personality was so obviously already shining through - so many giggles for no reason, just so generally happy. Somehow I hadn't seen these guys since that last shoot, the past year getting away from us so quickly that all of a sudden it was October again. We returned to World's End in Hingham, this year not as sunny (actually pretty brisk and grey) but we walked around the other side of the park, admiring how the late fall foliage was still holding on tightly. By far my favorite part of the shoot was watching Parker being held back from running into Hull Harbor (more or less open ocean) - she is a true water baby, one after my own heart!
Laura, Justin & Parker, I just love watching you guys grow as a family, thank you so much for giving me the privilege to do so. Let's not be strangers in 2016!


The origins of Château Ducru-Beaucaillou date back to the early 18th century, when the Bergeron family acquired it in 1720. It rapidly gained a fine reputation in France and abroad, and by the time of the Revolution already received foreign visitors.
The estate has belonged to the Borie family for over sixty years. It is now managed by Bruno-Eugène Borie, the youngest son of Borie family and third generation of Borie, who has a hands-on involvement in making the wine.
Like the best classified growths that stretch along the estuary, starting from Margaux in the south, up to St Estèphe in the north, this property is perched on a magnificent emplacement of the Médoc with an unimpeded view over the Gironde estuary.
The terroir of Saint Julien AOC (800 hectares) is characterized by gravel from the Garonne dating back to the first period (Günz) of the Quaternary era; this layer gradually thins out from east to west, dwindling to fine white gravel and eolian sands at the westernmost end of the appellation.
Ducru-Beaucaillou vineyard stretches out along the eastern side of this vast communal terroir, hugging the river in the area where the quaternary gravels are the deepest. Gravel soil presents many advantages: it drains well, reflects the sun onto the grapes in closely planted vineyards, stores the heat of the day and releases it at night, forms a barrier which prevents the soil from drying out during hot summers… It is because of its soil that Ducru-Beaucaillou is often considered the archetypal Saint-Julien.
The 75 hectares of the Château Ducru-Beaucaillou vineyard are planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot. The average age of the vines is 35 years.
Ducru-Beaucaillou is one of the only Châteaux of the Bordeaux region to be built over its cellars and one of the rare classified growths inhabited by its owners all the year round.
Ducru Beaucaillou is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. This wine is best paired with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon, mushrooms and pasta as well as cheese.
Subtlety, finesse and elegance are the hallmarks of Ducru-Beaucaillou, which has often been described as the quintessential Saint-Julien.
Freshness and accessibility are the hallmarks of this wine. The customary level of density is improved with added grace, elegance, pliability and an upbeat, spicy core of attention seeking fruits. This is not to say that the wine is light. It is to explain that power has been refined with approachability, brighter fruits and exceedingly silky tannins.


At Gothicstone we have skilled experts who will design and build an aesthetically appealing natural stone outdoor fire pit for you. We will, of course, only apply our expertise once we know your tastes, and understand just what you want. Alternatives such as fieldstone, limestone, marble and travertine are available to choose from. If you are not comfortable with the idea of a built-in outdoor fire pit, we also have pre-fabricated options that can be transported and placed wherever you find it most convenient.
If you feel you are ready to take the plunge or even if you need more information before you decide, please contact us. Our representative will be glad to assist you with your dream of a natural stone outdoor fire pit, and we truly hope that we get the opportunity to make that dream a reality!


Bangalore Institute of Technology was established in 1979. It is providing everyone with the quality education. However, providing education in the field of technology, it serves the society. Moreover, this institution is at its peak of excellence in technical education. The staff, students, and the good infrastructure are the reason behind the success of the institute. Moreover, the environment of the campus is conducive to learning and practicing various field of engineering. Overall, the institute gives top priority for the development of its students. Also, in modern technology, this college is always in the lead.
Further, this institute has the credit of introducing the first Computer Science and Engineering degree in Karnataka. Therefore, it has been identifying future growth areas and introduced various courses over the years. Presently, this institute has 9 UG, 10 PG, and Ph.D. courses. Moreover, the intake of the students is more than 4000. Further, the institute offers various engineering courses like Civil, Electrical, and Electronics, Computer Science, Mechanical, Electronics, and Communication, etc. Many collaborative and inter-disciplinary research programs exist between the college and other institutions. Importantly, the institute provides high-quality education in engineering fields from UG level to Doctoral level.
The Bangalore Institute of Technology Admissions provides various disciplines of engineering at UG, PG, and Doctoral levels. Below is the eligibility criteria for UG and PG courses.
Candidates who want admission to the first year of the B.E. degree course should have pass two years of P.U.C. Examinations conducted by the Pre-University Board of Karnataka State or equivalent by the Visveswaraya Technology University. Also, the candidate must obtain a minimum of 45% of marks.
For updates regarding the admission and eligibility criteria candidates can also refer to the University notification on the website (www.vtu.ac.in).
Candidates must pass in all subjects they have appeared in Class 10 (excluding optional subjects).
Also, it is compulsory to pass PUC or other exams recognizable by the Visveswaraya Technology University.
Even the bachelor's degree of VTU or equivalent is must for the admission for PG. This degree must be a minimum of 4 years and also the candidate must obtain 50% aggregate.
Not only in academics, the institute also gives importance to the sports. The students of the institution always take part in various inter-collegiate competitions. The college cricket team is very active and takes part in almost all tournaments. Some of the players have also represented in national level. For students and Staffs, the institute also organizes Annual Athletic Meet. It also provides opportunities in football, basketball, hockey, volleyball etc. Moreover, the college has a sports room with chessboards, carom boards, table tennis etc.
The aim of this library is to be top among other university's libraries. It also aims to accredit the university globally. Moreover, the library incorporates the latest technologies. On another hand, it adopts a user-friendly approach towards the members. Along with that, it develops the collection of documents useful for its members.


text:
Terry Spencer And Kelli Kennedy
Published: July 13, 2021, 1:05 AM
Updated: July 13, 2021, 11:19 AM
Tags: Surfside Building Collapse, Surfside, Miami-Dade County
Searchers recover personal possessions from Surfside collapse rubble
Published: July 13, 2021, 1:05 AM Updated: July 13, 2021, 11:19 AM
In this June 26 file photo, Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, left, talks with Rachel Spiegel, right. Spiegel, who lost her 66-year-old mother, Judy Spiegel, in the collapse, hopes that recovery crews will find her family's mementos. (Lynne Sladky, Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
SURFSIDE, Fla. – When the body of 4-year-old Emma Guara was pulled from the rubble of last month's Florida condominium collapse, she was wearing the silver necklace her mother recently gave her, the pendant shaped like half a heart and inscribed "Little Sis."
When firefighters found her 11-year-old sister, Lucia Guara, she was not wearing her near-matching necklace, the pendant shaped like the other half of the heart and inscribed "Big Sis." Lucia had developed an allergic reaction and had temporarily stopped wearing hers, said their aunt, Digna Rodriguez.
"We would like to get that necklace back," Rodriguez said. "They loved those necklaces."
The girls' parents, Anaely Rodriguez and Marcus Guara, also died in the June 24 collapse of the Champlain Towers South that killed at least 95 people and left 14 unaccounted for. They were among the first recovered from the rubble. The girls were buried in the same coffin last week, Emma wearing her necklace.
As they search through tons of broken concrete and twisted rebar for more remains, authorities are also trying to recover keepsakes for families that have lost relatives and for surviving residents of the building. They have set up a database for people to upload information about missing property.
Each time crews find personal possessions, they take photos and log the location using GPS. They have made a grid of the pile, knowing approximately where each family's condo unit should be. Detectives place the objects into a bin. They are taken to an area to be cataloged and sealed in bags. Then they are placed in a locked and guarded cargo container for later shipment to a warehouse.
For the possessions of the deceased, there will be an "estate process" to claim items to make sure they get to the proper heir, Miami-Dade Police Director Freddy Ramirez said.
Miami-Dade police Sgt. Danny Murillo, a leader of the operation, said the process had to be designed through "trial and error" because the collapse of a residential tower "is not your everyday event." He said it can be emotional when an item like a child's toy is found.
"We are all human," he said.
Rachel Spiegel, who lost her 66-year-old mother, Judy Spiegel, in the collapse, hopes the crews will find her family's mementos. Her mother's remains were recovered Friday.
"All my parents' stuff over a lifetime is gone," Rachel Spiegel said. "Their wedding album is gone. My dad's wine collection is gone, all my mom's jewelry, all my mom's clothes, the dress she wore at my wedding that I wanted to wear one day. All of their belongings are gone. We have nothing."
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett, who has visited the site repeatedly since the collapse, said crews are finding items as small as rings and jewelry in the rubble.
"The work is so delicate that we're even finding unbroken wine bottles," Burkett said. He said because of the information families have provided, search teams often know what to look for in specific parts of the pile. He held up a photo of a ring that was found in the wreckage where searchers believed it would be.
"They're expecting to find these things. And in this case, they did," Burkett said.
Ramirez said special consideration is being taken for religious property. Rabbis have toured the processing area to ensure that religious artifacts are properly stored and handled with care. He said some of the items have enormous significance.
"It could be the smallest little thing that to a common person it just looks like a little container. It really means generations. It's very spiritual, and I'm just so impressed. Our officers are learning so much about culture," he said. "There are just so many dynamics with the sadness and the sorrow."
Kennedy reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.


text:
Raīna (engelska: Raina) är en ort i Grekland.   Den ligger i prefekturen Nomós Aitolías kai Akarnanías och regionen Västra Grekland, i den centrala delen av landet,  km väster om huvudstaden Aten. Raīna ligger  meter över havet och antalet invånare är .

Terrängen runt Raīna är kuperad, och sluttar västerut. Den högsta punkten i närheten är  meter över havet,  km öster om Raīna. Runt Raīna är det tätbefolkat, med  invånare per kvadratkilometer. Närmaste större samhälle är Agrínio,  km söder om Raīna. I omgivningarna runt Raīna

Medelhavsklimat råder i trakten. Årsmedeltemperaturen i trakten är  °C. Den varmaste månaden är augusti, då medeltemperaturen är  °C, och den kallaste är januari, med  °C. Genomsnittlig årsnederbörd är  millimeter. Den regnigaste månaden är december, med i genomsnitt  mm nederbörd, och den torraste är augusti, med  mm nederbörd.

Kommentarer

Källor

Orter i Västra Grekland

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Like many diligent USA mental health professionals, I tuned into ABC Television the other night to watch the premier of "Wonderland", a new nighttime drama set in a psychiatric emergency ward in New York City. This show had managed to offend many mental health advocates even before it had premiered because of the sensationalized ways in which it depicts persons suffering from mental illness. Just how bad could this show be? I wanted to know. One viewing has made it pretty clear, at least to me, that "Wonderland" presents a fairly distorted vision of what psychiatric institutions and mental illnesses are like.
"Wonderland" is set in a fictional New York city psychiatric hospital called Rivervue. It concerns the operation of one ward within that hospital, having to do with forensic emergency triage. For you uninitiated out there, triage refers to a place where assessments can be made regarding what is wrong with people and how to treat them. The word forensic refers to legal, criminal or justice system related stuff. So, basically "Wonderland" is set in an emergency room similar in function to the one on the TV show "ER" , only "Wonderland" is a Psychiatric ER dealing with mental illness only. The unit is further specialized it would seem, in that it deals exclusively (?) with mentally ill persons who are accused of committing crimes.
The "Wonderland" unit is staffed by a bunch of doctors (probably psychiatrists, but this is not made clear), residents, nurses, etc. just like a real psych unit. The doctors we are introduced to are frazzled and have lots of life crises to deal with. We are quickly introduced to a group of disturbed patients who are being treated in various group therapies. Some of these individuals are quite agitated, while others just rock back and forth. Aside from excessive portrayal of agitation on the part of the producers this is not an untypical scene for an inpatient hospital.
The action for the first episode revolves around a major story and two minor stories. The major story has to do with a fellow who is brought into Rivervue after shooting several police officers and civilians in Times Square. He is brought on to the unit where he is assessed. He remains quite agitated through this assessment process. At one point he is able to grab a big needle and stab a pregnant doctor in the belly, harming her fetus. The story continues, showing the pregnant doctor and her husband (also a doctor on the unit) learning that the fetus has sustained an uncertain amount of damage. The two decide they want to have the baby anyway. It comes out that the pregnant doctor had seen the shooter patient several weeks before and had turned him away at that time. We see her (the pregnant doctor) feeling very guilt-ridden at her lack of ability to have stopped this man before he caused all this chaos. The two minor stories lack in detail. The first minor story has to do with the chief doctor on the unit having to go to court for a custody hearing to see if he can retain guardianship of his two young boys. The other minor story has to do with a banker who has attempted suicide after his wife has left him for another man, and who doesn t want to talk about it. In the course of his interview with a doctor, we see his self-inflicted wound from his suicide attempt.
While I didn't see much in "Wonderland" that couldn't happen in real life, I saw a whole lot that was highly stretched, distorted and otherwise isolated from proper context until what was presented was a caricature of the real thing. And given the stigma that is already attached to mental health issues, this level of caricature and distortion is just not good, will only make the problem worse.
Mental Health is already associated with inaccurate stereotypes such as the violent crazy murderous lunatic stereotype featured in the first episode (most people with serious mental illnesses who do not behave in these ways). To the extent that "Wonderland" presents this stereotype as a daily part of the reality of mental health, the stereotype is made stronger and we all lose something. Persons who see the show will be less likely to want to seek appropriate treatment. Persons in need of help will feel more shame and will be less likely to want to seek help. And persons who could help mentally ill persons remain integrated in society will be less likely to do so as well, out of fear.
Sure, mentally ill persons kill people. But so do so-called sane persons. In fact (although I don t have my stats handy to document my claim), proportionally more violent crimes are probably perpetrated by sane persons than by mentally ill persons. Even in a psychiatric inpatient setting, the vast majority of patients are not dangerous (except perhaps to themselves in some cases).
Sure, places serving the function of "Wonderland's" Rivervue hospital do exist. But they are hardly typical of the vast bulk of mental health institutional settings. Most mental health problems are dealt with on an outpatient basis. More serious problems are dealt with in inpatient hospitals. Even amongst the inpatient hospitals, only some units are locked down. Inpatient hospitals do not look like prisons ("Wonderland" s Rivervue Hospital does look like a prison complete with metal bars and gates). Most mentally ill patients are not a danger to themselves or to others. Most mental illness is not as severe as is depicted on "Wonderland". By featuring the most extreme and agitated examples of mental illness, and not even mentioning the vast bulk of less extreme settings, "Wonderland" exaggerates the true nature of mental health treatment.
A key element of the drama in the first "Wonderland" episode is an agitated patient s ability to stab a pregnant doctor in the belly. While I suppose this type of event could happen, the possibility that it would happen is almost zero in an actual institution. Psychiatric hospitals anticipate the possibility of chaos and take steps to make sure it is minimized. No sharp objects would have been near an agitated person. An agitated person (especially one who had just murdered several people) would have been restrained in some form for his own safety and the safety of others. Of course, most viewers of "Wonderland" will not understand that what they see on the show is not how things would actually occur. Rather they will probably conclude that violent attacks occur inside of psychiatric institutions with great frequency. Such an outright misrepresentation creates panic and fear in an unnecessary way.
Anyone viewing the "Wonderland" scene where the pregnant doctor speaks on how she might have prevented the shooter from killing people in Times Square would get the impression that she actually could have helped him if only she had been in a better mood. This is an outright distortion. In my experience, I have never seen a physician make an error of this type. Almost without fail, physicians and clinicians are aware of dangers and desire to treat when it is appropriate. It is usually the lack of insurance coverage, or denial of need by insurance carriers that motivates a lack of treatment (e.g., the doctor may wish to treat, but the insurance carrier declines to pay for unnecessary care , leaving the doctor responsible for the outcome but not able to get the needed care paid for). It is not a good scene. (why don't you dramatize this fact of clinical life "Wonderland"? - this would make more sense). Even if a patient was deemed dangerous or in need of care, it is against the law to hold a patient against his or her will for more than several days (even when they have recently been suicidal or homicidal!) and it is against the law to force a patient who doesn't want treatment to accept it (with rare exceptions). The guilt situation would just never happen as depicted.
Finally, I have to comment on the producer's decision to include a scene where a suicidal banker patient has his wrists unbandanged, and we see the results of his previous suicide attempt - a stitched line on his wrist where he cut himself. It is sheer sensationalism and bad taste to show this grisly scene. Does television really have to teach us how to harm ourselves in order to get ratings?
My fear is that any random person watching "Wonderland" won't have the experience working in a psychiatric hospital or receiving care for a mental health problem to know that what they are seeing is distorted and unrepresentative. A random person is likely to think that the vision of mental illness presented by "Wonderland" is more or less accurate. It is exactly in helping the audience to form a mistaken and exaggerated understanding of what mental illness is like, that "Wonderland" does its worse disservice to the population at large.
I guess I can't complain too much. At least "Wonderland" may put mental health on the map a little better. In America these days, attention is attention. It doesn't seem to matter if it is negative or positive attention. Maybe as a reaction to the show (and other recent events such as the surgeon general's report), public policy makers will take mental health issues more seriously.
Of course, the final judgment as to whether "Wonderland" will survive, will be its ability to generate an audience and sell advertisements (and not on whether it will help or hurt people). Based on this financial criteria, it is not at all certain that the show will survive in its present form.
I'll be the first to say that I know nothing about how the TV industry works. However, I find it a shame that the first prime time show about mental illness needed to be done in this overblown way. Ultimately people tune into shows like "Wonderland" because they want to care about and connect with the characters portrayed on the screen. Yes, cliff hangers and excitement are necessary components of this drama, but I don't believe that excitements are the primary reason for tuning in. Life is dramatic all by itself, and stories of healing and the hard work of finding your way in the world (which is what mentally ill persons, just like anyone else, have to do to get by) can be quite moving all by themselves enough to find an audience. Rather than choosing to focus on the most extreme forms of mental illness and the most extreme criminal actions perpetrated by mentally ill persons, how much more wonderful could "Wonderland" be if it chooses to focus on the quieter but just as dramatic stories of recovery and hope that mental health clinicians see every day. We may never know.
Dombeck, M.J. (Apr 2000). "Wonderland's" Distorted Vision [Online].