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What are you doing the long weekend with the kids, Oct. 6-9
| Filed in: books, children, events, family
The long three-day Columbus Day weekend, and hey, the day before, too, are filled with many things to do with the kids.
Just keep in mind it's Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend. Give yourself a little extra time if you're going anywhere near downtown.
The weather every day will be the standard 90, 91 degrees, sunny with a 10 percent chance of rain. Don't forget your sunscreen and bug spray if you're going outside.
Enjoy these and other family-friendly activities:
Zoe wiebusch, 5 of Austin paints on an mural at Austin Kiddie Limits on the final day of weekend two of the 2016 Austin City Limits Festival at Zilker Park in 2016.
Erika Rich for American-Statesman
Wildflower Center. Movies in the Wild: "Flight of the Butterflies." See the movie outside. $12, free for kids younger than 4. 6-9 p.m. Friday. Sprouts. Hands-on preschool program. 10 a.m. Fridays. Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. wildflower.org
Thinkery. Little Thinkers Club. Get Into Shapes. 9:45 a.m. for 2-year-olds, 10:45 a.m. for 3-year-olds, Fridays through Oct. 27. $20 per class, $140 for the series. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. thinkeryaustin.org
Boo at the Zoo. Dress up and enjoy the zoo with Halloween-themed activities. 6:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays in October. $17.50. Austin Zoo, 10808 Rawhide Trail. austinzoo.org
Pollyanna Theatre Company presents "A Moon of my Own."
Pollyanna Theatre Company presents "A Moon of My Own." A young girl goes on an adventure with the moon. For kids kindergarten through second grade. 9:30 a.m. Friday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $10.50-$13.50. The Long Center, 701 W. Riverside Drive. thelongcenter.org
Austin Kiddie Limits. Hear kids music, plus build things, make art and dance. Free for kids 10 and younger with parent with a wristband. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Zilker Park. aclfestival.com/kids
Friday-Monday
Sweet Berry Farm. Hay rides, corn mazes, pick your own pumpkins and more. 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Monday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday, through Nov. 8. Pay per activity. 1801 FM 1980, Marble Falls. sweetberryfarm.com
Elgin Christmas Tree Farm Fall Farm Fun. Explore a corn maze, hay bale maze and a crazy maze, plus go on a hay ride, visit animals and get a mini pumpkin to decorate. Big pumpkins to purchase. $7. Beginning Friday. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, noon-5:30 p.m. Sunday. Elgin Christmas Tree Farm, 120 Nature's Way, Elgin. elginchristmastreefarm.com
The Texas Teen Book Festival is happening on Saturday at St. Edward's University. Texas Teen Book Festival
Texas Teen Book Festival. See some of your favorite young adult authors. Free. 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. St. Edward's University. texasteenbookfestival.org
Fall Family Fun Days. Enjoy raptor shows, snake shows, sheep shearing, corn shucking, apple cider making, live music, and lots of local vendors selling everything from fresh organic produce, eggs, honey, jam, and bread and more. $9-$3. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays in October. Crowe's Nest Farm, 10300 Taylor Lane. crowesnestfarm.org
First Saturdays at the Carver Museum. Enjoy family events. Free. Noon Saturday. Carver Museum, 1165 Angelina St. austintexas.gov
Baby Bloomers. Learn about fall on the farm. For infant to 3. 9 a.m. Saturday. Special guests throughout the month. $5. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. thinkeryaustin.org
Barnes & Noble Events: Lego Make and Take Ninjago. 4 p.m. Saturday, all locations; 11 a.m. Saturdays story times at all locations: "The Poky Little Puppy," Oct. 7.
BookPeople Story time: Monsters are our Friends, 11:30 a.m. Saturday. BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd. bookpeople.com
Barnes & Noble Events: Lego Make and Take Ninjago. 4 p.m. Saturday, all locations; 11 a.m. Saturdays story times at all locations: "The Poky Little Puppy," Saturday.
Literature Live Presents: "Strega Nona." 10:15 a.m. Saturday, Windsor Park Branch.
Monthly Book Sale. 10 a.m. Saturday, Pleasant Hill Branch.
Boo the Flu. Learn about community health resources, get free flu shots and more. 11 a.m. Saturday, Travis High School.
Austin Children's Choir. 1 p.m. Saturday. Cepeda Branch.
Saturday Family Movie: "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2." 2 p.m.Saturday, Windsor Park Branch.
Toybrary Austin. Date night babysitting. For ages 1-5. $25 first child, $10 siblings. 5-8 p.m. Saturdays. Daddy & Me Story Time. 10:30 a.m. Oct. 7. $7. Toybrary Austin, 2001 Justin Lane. toybraryaustin.com
Wildflower Center. Tracks, Scats & Signs. See how animals have been busy in the garden. $15 adults, $10 children. Noon-2 p.m. Saturday. Nature Play Hour. Play in the Family Garden. 11 a.m. Saturdays. Wildflower Center, 4801 La Crosse Ave. wildflower.org
Barton Hill Farms in Bastrop is open for pumpkin finding and more. Photos: Barton Hill Farms
Evergreen Christmas Tree Farm Pumpkin Hunt. Go hunting pumpkins, launch pumpkins, train ride, maze, mini golf, fishing pond pony rides and bounce house. $2.50 for each activity. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and 1-5 p.m. Sundays in October. 242 Monkey Road. evergreen-farms.com
Emily Ann Theatre presents "Thumbelina." See this classic children's tale on stage. $8-$10. 10 a.m. Saturday, 21; 2 p.m. Sunday. 1101 Ranch Road 2325, Wimberley.
Robinson Family Farm Pumpkin Patch. Go through a corn maze, go on a hay ride, pet the goats and pick a pumpkin. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 29. Free, but pay for activities and pumpkins. 3780 White Owl Lane, Temple. therobinsonfamilyfarm.com
Barton Hill Farms. Corn maze, farm animals and more than 30 activities, plus pumpkin picking. 10 a.m.-8 pm. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays, through Nov. 5. $14, extra for pumpkins and face painting. 1115 FM 969, Bastrop. bartonhillfarms.com
Saturday-Monday
Whisks and Wizards. Make Halloween-themed food. For ages 4 and up. 10:30 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Saturday-Monday. $8. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. thinkeryaustin.org
"Rosita y Conchita" is a bilingual Día de los Muertos play at Scottish Rite Theater.
"Rosita y Conchita." See this bilingual Día de los Muertos play about two sisters who try to reunite. $8-$12. 11 a.m. Sunday. Scottish Rite Theater, 207 W. 18th St. scottishritetheater.org
BookPeople events. Tara Dairman, Jeannie Mobley and Christina Soontornvat read "The Great Hibernation," Bobby Lee Claremont and the Criminal Element" and "In a Dark Land." 2 p.m. Sunday. BookPeople, 603 N. Lamar Blvd. bookpeople.com
Austin Ukestra ukulele group. 1 p.m. Sunday, Recycled Reads Bookstore.
Thinkery. The museum is open, but there will not be Baby Bloomers. The museum does have two special workshops: Monster Masterpieces. 9:30 a.m. 1-year-olds, 10:30 a.m. 2-year-olds, 11:30 a.m. 3-year-olds. Monday. $20. Thinkery, 1830 Simond Ave. thinkeryaustin.org
Crafternoon. 3:30 p.m. Monday, Manchaca Road Branch.
Child safety car seat check. 9 a.m. Monday, CommUnity Care Clinic, 211 Comal St. Register at 512-972-7233. austintexas.gov
Think ahead to summer camp this Columbus Day when kids are out of school
Join the Teal Pumpkin Project to give kids with food allergies Halloween treats
Categories: books, children, events, family


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11 Is Your Home Ready for an Earthquake?
". . . severe and appalling as this great convulsion of the earth unquestionably was, it is a settled conviction with all here that not a person would have been killed or hurt had their houses all been made of wood."
Editorial, Inyo Independent, 1872
after the Owens Valley, California, Earthquake
1. Introduction: How Safe is Safe Enough?
Chances are two out of three that you'll be at home when the next big earthquake strikes, and one out of three that you'll be in bed. So, your home's ability to withstand an earthquake affects not only your pocketbook but also your life and the lives of those who live with you. If you are an owner or even a renter, you can take steps to make your home safer against an earthquake.
But first you need to make some decisions. Sure, you want to be safe, but how much are you willing to spend to protect your home and family against an earthquake that may not strike while you are living there? Is it your goal that you and those around you walk away from your house without serious injury, or that your house survives the earthquake as well? Deciding would be easier if scientists could tell you when the next earthquake will strike. But they can't. You might spend a lot of money protecting against an earthquake that might not strike during your lifetime.
This chapter reviews the steps you can take to protect your home, your valuables, and yourself from earthquake shaking, presented in order of importance. The chapter does not consider damage to your house from liquefaction, landslides, surface rupture, subsidence, or tsunamis. It assumes that the ground on which your house is built will be shaken but not permanently deformed by the earthquake.
It is critical to keep your house from collapsing or from catching on fire, so those preventive steps are presented first. This is followed by discussion of other, less critical prevention measures. Then you can make the decision about how much protection is enough for you.
2. Some Fundamentals: Inertia, Loads, and Ductility
Imagine for a moment that your house is anchored to a flatcar on a moving train. Suddenly the train collides with another train, and the flatcar stops abruptly. What happens to your house? If it's a wood-frame house, as most houses in the Northwest are, it probably would not collapse, although your brick chimney might topple over. If your house is made of brick or concrete block, unreinforced by steel rebar, then the entire house might collapse.
This analogy introduces an important concept. The jolt to your house during the train wreck is analogous to the shocks the house would receive during a large earthquake, except that the earthquake jolts would be more complicated and would last longer. The motion might be sharply back and forth for tens of seconds, combined with ups and downs and sideways motions. The response of the house and its contents (including you) to these jolts follows the principle of inertia.
The principle of inertia says that a stationary object will remain stationary, or an object traveling at a certain speed in a certain direction will continue traveling at that speed and in that direction, unless acted on by some outside force. Because of inertia, your body is pulled to the right when you turn your car sharply left. Inertia is the reason seat belts are necessary. If your car hits a tree and you're not wearing a seat belt, your body's inertia keeps you moving forward at the same rate as the car before it hit the tree, propelling you through the windshield.
Stack some blocks on a towel on a table. Then suddenly pull the towel out from under the blocks and toward you. The blocks will fall away from you, as if they were being propelled by an opposing force. This force is called an inertial force. The inertia of the blocks tends to make them stay where they are, which means that they must fall away from you when you pull the towel toward you.
I saw a graphic illustration of inertia at the Los Angeles County Olive View Medical Center, which was destroyed by the Sylmar Earthquake in February 1971. Upper stories of the hospital seemed to weather the earthquake without damage. (In fact, glasses of water on bedside tables on the top floor weren't even spilled.) But the walls on the ground floor—which had much more open space and, therefore, was much weaker than the upper floors—were tilted in one direction. The ground beneath the hospital had moved suddenly in a horizontal direction, but the inertia of the hospital building caused it to appear to move in the opposite direction (Figure 12-10). The inertial forces were absorbed in the weaker ground floor. (For an illustration of inertial forces affecting a garage, see Figure 11-6.)
Engineers refer to the forces acting on a building as loads. The weight of the building itself is called a dead load. Other forces, such as the weight of the contents of the building—including people, snow on the roof, a wind roaring down the Columbia River gorge, or earthquakes—are called live loads. The building must be designed to support its own weight, and this is standard practice. It also must be designed to support the weight of its contents, and this is also standard practice—although occasionally the news media report the collapse of a gymnasium roof due to a load of snow and ice.
Except for high winds and earthquakes, all the loads mentioned above are vertical loads, commonly accounted for in engineering design. But the wind load is a horizontal load. In designing buildings in a location subject to gale-force winds, horizontal wind loads are indeed taken into account. Earthquake loads are both vertical and horizontal. Massive structures attract more seismic forces; wooden buildings are lighter and respond better to earthquake forces. These forces are very complex, and in contrast to wind loads (except for tornadoes) they are applied suddenly, with high acceleration.
I have already discussed acceleration as a percentage of the attraction of the Earth due to its gravity, or g. During a space shuttle launch, astronauts are subjected to accelerations of several g as they rocket into space. A downhill ride on a roller coaster temporarily counteracts the Earth's gravity to produce zero g, and this accounts for the thrill (and sometimes queasy feeling) we experience. Acceleration during an earthquake is the Earth's answer to a roller-coaster ride. If the shaking is enough to throw objects into the air, the acceleration is said to be greater than one g. High accelerations, particularly high horizontal accelerations, can cause a lot of damage.
The dead weight of a building and its contents can be calculated fairly accurately and can be accounted for in engineering design. These loads are called static loads; they do not change with time. Wind loads and earthquake loads change suddenly and unpredictably; these are called dynamic loads. The engineer must design a structure to withstand dynamic loads that may be highly variable over a very short period of time, a much more difficult task than designing for static loads alone. Because the awareness of the potential for earthquake loads is only a few decades old, many older buildings were not designed to stand up against the dynamic loads caused by earthquakes.
In Chapter 2, rocks of the crust were described as either brittle or ductile. Brittle crust fractures under the accumulated strain of the motion of tectonic plates and produces earthquakes. The underlying warm and pliable ductile crust deforms without earthquakes.
Structural engineers use these terms to refer to buildings. A building that is ductile is able to bend and sway during an earthquake without collapsing. In some cases, the building "bounces back" like a tree swaying in the wind, and it isn't permanently deformed. Deformation is elastic, as described earlier for balloons and boards. In other cases, the building deforms permanently but it still doesn't collapse, so that people inside can escape, although in the Northridge Earthquake, it turned out that the welds connecting steel frames were not ductile, and these welds failed. Wood-frame houses are also ductile. Fortunately, most of us live in wood-frame houses.
In contrast, a brittle structure is unable to deform during an earthquake without collapsing. Brittle buildings include those made of brick or concrete block joined together with mortar but not reinforced with steel rebar. In an earthquake, your wood-frame house might survive, but your chimney, made of brick not reinforced with rebar, might collapse. Your house is ductile, but your chimney is not (Fig. 11-13).
The reinforcing techniques described below are for a house that has already been built; this is called a retrofit. These techniques are also applicable to new construction, in which case they are a lot less expensive. This is immediately apparent in shoring up the foundation. It's the difference between working comfortably on a foundation before the house is built on top of it and working in a confined crawl space.
3. Protecting Your Foundation
If you have a poured-concrete foundation, hit it with a hammer to check on its quality. If the hammer makes a dull thud rather than a sharp ping, or there are throughgoing cracks more than one-eighth inch wide, or the concrete is crumbly, get professional help.
Let's assume that the concrete is okay. The next job is to see if your house is bolted to the foundation and is adequately braced. Otherwise, horizontal inertial forces could slide the foundation out from under the house, which happened to wood-frame houses in northern California during earthquakes in October 1989 and April 1992 (Figure 11-4).
Some houses are built on a concrete slab, or floor. Others have a concrete foundation around the edge of the house. In these, a board called a mudsill is generally found between the house and its foundation. Older houses were not required to be bolted to the foundation through the mudsill. In 1973, the Uniform Building Code began to require that walls be anchored to foundations (Figures 11-1, 11-2, 11-3).
Figure 11-1. Bolt cripple wall (pony wall) to foundation through mudsill, using a sill bolt. (A) Drill hole, using a right-angle drill. (B) Blow powder out of hole, using flexible tubing. (C) Hammer in sill bolt. Tighten nut to expand bolt. From USGS
The standard retrofit technique is to drill a hole through the mudsill and into the foundation with a rotary hammer or a right-angle drill, which can be rented, although you should purchase your own drill bit. Next, using a sledge hammer, drive a sill bolt (oranchor bolt) into the hole you've just drilled, having first cleaned out the hole and made sure that it's deep enough to accommodate the sill bolt. The sill bolt has a washer on top and an expanding metal sleeve at the base that slides up, spreads, and wedges in the concrete. Bolt sizes range from one-half by seven inches to three-quarters by ten inches; a standard size is five-eighths by eight-and-one-half inches. The larger ones give more protection against lateral loads and are preferred if the house has more than one story. If the nut on top of the bolt won't tighten, or the bolt climbs out of the hole as you tighten it, the concrete might be decomposing. If so, you could set the bolt with epoxy cement, if allowed by local building codes.
In new construction, the sill bolt is set when the foundation is poured, a fairly simple operation.
Figure 11-2. Anchor cripple wall to foundation using sill bolts, and to mudsill by hold-down. Cripple wall is further strengthened by plywood shear panel. From Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
The spacing of bolts, in both new construction and in retrofits, is at least one every six feet, and one within twelve inches of the end of any mudsill (Figure 11-3). Placing the bolts midway between the studs (the vertical members that support the walls) makes it easier to work on them.
The next step is stiffening the cripple wall (pony wall), which is made of short studs and sits between the mudsill and the floor joists of the house itself (Figures 11-2, 11-3). The cripple wall bounds the crawl space under the house where you're working. The problem here is that if these vertical studs are not braced, they can tilt over like a set of dominoes due to horizontal inertial forces, so that your house collapses on its crawl space and flops down on its foundation (Fig. 11-4).
Since 1973, the Uniform Building Code has required bracing of cripple walls; the bracing requirements were increased in 1991. If your home was built before those critical dates, you might need to brace the cripple wall yourself. The recommended stiffening technique is to use one-half-inch plywood; five-eighths-inch if you use a nail gun (Figures 11-2, 11-3). Treat the plywood with a preservative prior to installation to prevent rot. Ideally, you should sheathe the entire cripple wall in plywood, but at a minimum, install eight linear feet of plywood from each interior corner of the crawl space for one-story houses; sixteen feet for two-story houses. Anchor the plywood panels with eight-penny nails four inches apart around the edges of each panel and six inches apart on each interior stud. (The nailing pattern is important; one of the most memorable sounds of a house breaking up during an earthquake is the wrenching noise of nails being pulled from the walls.) Drill vent holes one inch in diameter to prevent moisture buildup.
Figure 11-3. Cripple wall between the foundation and house. Wall is bolted to foundation. Plywood contains air holes to disperse moisture.
Plywood sheeting should be at least twice as long as it is tall (Figure 11-3). If it isn't, the sheeting should be reinforced with anchors and hold-downs (Figure 11-2). These anchors bolt into the foundation and into corner posts of the cripple walls, increasing the bracing. Another solution, particularly if the cripple wall is very short or if the floor joists of the house rest directly on the foundation, is quarter-inch structural steel bolted with expansion bolts into the foundation and into the floor joists.
A do-it-yourselfer will spend at least $600 for the materials. However, working in crawl spaces is messy and confined, and you might wish to employ a professional. This will cost you several times as much as doing the job yourself; a contractor might charge as much as twenty-five dollars per installed bolt. But reinforcing the cripple wall and bolting to the foundation are the most important steps you can take to save your house. Cripple-wall failures are shown in Figures 11-4 and 11-5.
Figure 11-4. This Victorian wood-frame house in Ferndale, California, was built on a post-and-pier foundation, but was not bolted to its foundation, so that it slid off during the 1992 Cape Mendocino Earthquake. The floor level of the house was at the same height as the front steps. The house moved to the right and down with respect to the steps. The wooden skirting, formerly part of the outside wall, is now flat on the ground. Left-hand photo is view of house from front, and right-hand photo is view from one side. Photos courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Figure 11-5. This house south of Petrolia, California, shifted off its foundation during the 1992 Petrolia Earthquake because it was not anchored to the foundation, and its cripple wall was not reinforced. The house shifted to the right, as seen by the collapsed wooden skirting. The separation of the house and the small porch is an example of connection failure. Photo courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
As insurance companies in the Pacific Northwest begin to base earthquake-insurance premiums to the details of construction of your house, as they now do in California, reinforcement will almost certainly reduce your premium. You are likely to be denied earthquake insurance if your house is not bolted to its foundation.
4. Soft-story Buildings
A common failure in California's recent earthquakes was the two- or three-car garage with living space overhead. Many condominiums have most of the ground floor devoted to parking, with apartments in the upper floors. The large open space at the garage door means less bracing against horizontal forces than in standard walls, so these open areas are the first to fail in an earthquake (Figure 11-6). A wood-frame apartment building is lighter and fares better than a massive concrete structure like a hospital. Similar problems arise on a smaller scale with large picture windows, sliding-glass patio doors, or double doors.
Figure 11-6. Soft-story failure to three-car garage during 1971 Sylmar, California, Earthquake. The large door opening resulted in inadequate shear resistance to horizontal ground motion. Photo by J. Dewey, USGS
Make sure that the wall around the garage door and the wall in the back of the garage, on the opposite side from the door, are sheathed with half-inch plywood, just as cripple walls are. Because of the limitations for bracing on the garage door itself, bracing the back wall, opposite from the door, will increase the overall resistance of the structure to earthquake ground motion sideways to the door.
Plywood sheathing should completely surround any large picture window or set of double doors. The sheathing should be at least as wide as the opening and extend from bottom to top of the opening. The interior wall is finished in drywall or plaster, so the best time to add sheathing is during initial construction or major remodeling.
5. Utility Lines
One of the greatest dangers in an earthquake is fire. Fire caused much of the loss of life and property in the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and the 1995 Kobe Earthquake, and large fires destroyed property in the Marina District of San Francisco after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. The problem is natural gas.
If gas connections are rigid, they are likely to shear during an earthquake, releasing gas that needs only a spark to start a fire. Gas connections should be flexible. After an earthquake, you must shut off the main gas supply to the house (Figure 11-7). Learn where the gas supply line is and ensure that the shut-off valve is not stuck in place by turning it one-eighth turn (one-quarter turn is the closed position). Your gas company will sell (or give) you an inexpensive wrench (illustrated in Figure 11-7) that should be kept permanently near the valve. Tell all members of the family where the wrench is and how to use it. In the event of a major earthquake, shutting off the gas is a top priority. You won't have time to rummage around a heavily damaged house looking for a wrench.
Figure 11-7. Shut-off valve for the main gas supply line to house. Left: valve in "on" position. Right: Check to be sure valve is not frozen by turning it one-eighth turn. Specialized wrench available from gas company is also shown.
For $400 to $600, you can have an automatic shutoff valve installed on the gas line. This valve, located between the gas meter and the house, is activated by earthquake shaking, which knocks a ball or cylinder off a perch inside the valve into a seat, thereby shutting off the gas. Consider an automatic shutoff valve if you are away from home a lot and are not likely to be around to shut off your gas after an earthquake. A disadvantage of the automatic shutoff valve is that you wouldn't be able to tell easily if you had a gas leak in your house after the valve had shut off the gas. If you're confident that you don't have a gas leak, you should know how to reset the valve yourself, because after a major earthquake, weeks might go by before the gas company or a plumber could get to your house and reset the valve for you. Remember that when the valve is reset, you must immediately relight all the pilot lights in your appliances.
All gas lines and water pipes should be supported at least every four feet. Earthquake vibrations can be strongly exaggerated in unsupported pipe in your basement or crawl space. If pipes are not supported, strap them to floor joists or to walls.
If liquefaction occurs, underground utility lines might be severed, even if your house is anchored below the liquefying layer and doesn't fail. Underground gas lines failed due to liquefaction in the Marina District of San Francisco, triggering many fires.
A generator can supply emergency power, but this should be installed by a licensed contractor. The generator should be installed in a well-ventilated place outside the home or garage, and fuel should be stored according to fire regulations. A generator installed in a closed place in the house could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
6. Strapping the Water Heater and Other Heavy Appliances and Furniture
Figure 11-8. Strap water heater, top and bottom, with metal straps (A) which completely encircle the heater and are attached to studs (B). If the water is heated by gas, the gas supply line (C) should be flexible. In this example, water heater rests against stud. If water heater is against drywall or plaster wall, brace it with a two-by-four so that it does not bang against the wall.
Your water heater is the most unstable appliance in the house. It's heavy, being full of hot water, and it's tall, likely to topple over due to horizontal forces from an earthquake.
Strap the water heater in place, top and bottom, with heavy-gauge metal straps (not plumber's tape, which is too brittle to be effective). Anchor the straps to studs in the wall at both ends (Figure 11-8). Make a complete loop around the water heater (one and a half times) before anchoring it to the studs. This precaution is very easy and inexpensive to do and will not reduce the effectiveness of the water heater at all. Commercial kits are available from Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot; contact Seattle's SDART Program for further information. One company is Hubbard Enterprises at www.holdrite.com, phone 800-321-0316.
If the water heater is right against the wall, brace it against the wall with two-by-fours so that it doesn't bang against the wall during an earthquake. If it's against a concrete wall, install quarter-inch expansion bolts directly into the concrete on both sides of the water heater and run steel cable through the eye screws, again making a complete loop around the heater.
If you have a water cooler, with a large heavy water bottle on top, strap this, too. You will need the water if your water supply is shut off during an earthquake.
Built-in dishwashers, stoves, and ovens might not be braced in place; they may only rest on a trim strip. One homeowner was quoted in Sunset Magazine after the October 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake: "I assumed built-in appliances are fixed in place. NOT SO! Our built-in oven and overhead built-in microwave slid out." Make sure your appliances are securely braced (Figure 11-9). A gas stove might topple over, snapping the gas line and causing a fire. Secure the refrigerator to the wall. Babyproof refrigerator door locks are effective in preventing food in the refrigerator from spilling out on the floor.
Figure 11-9. Damage to contents of the kitchen in a residence in Petrolia, California, as a result of the 1992 Cape Mendocino Earthquake. Appliances shifted several inches away from the wall. All items were shaken off the shelves with considerable glassware breakage. Photo courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Figure 11-10. Bookcases collapsed during 2001 Nisqually Earthquake, showing the necessity of attaching heavy furniture to wall, especially furniture that might land on sleeping children.
Look around your house for tall, top-heavy furniture such as a china cabinet, tall chest of drawers, bookcase, or wardrobe. Attach these to studs in the wall to keep them from falling over (Figure 11-10). There are two concerns. One is the loss of heirloom china in your china cabinet. The other is the possibility of a heavy piece of furniture falling on you or on a small child. For either of these reasons alone, securing these large pieces of furniture to the wall is a good idea. Home computers and flat-screen televisions should be secured in the same way.
7. Safety Glass
A major problem in an earthquake is shattered glass windows, which might flex and essentially blow out, showering those within range with sharp glass fragments. An expensive option is to replace glass in large picture windows or sliding doors with tempered or laminated glass. A much cheaper alternative is safety film, which costs about three to four dollars per square foot, installed. This bonds the glass to a four-mil thick acrylic sheet; the adhesive strengthens the glass and holds it together if it breaks, like the safety glass in a car windshield. You can do this yourself, but it's difficult to prevent air bubbles from being trapped under the film, so consider having it installed professionally.
8. Cabinets
Figure 11-11. Safety latches for earthquakes. The simple hook and eye (A) is inexpensive and secure, but you may not remember to close it each time you use the cabinet because it takes an extra step to do so. Some latches (B, C) mount on the surface of the door; others (D) mount inside the door, hold the door firmly shut, and are opened by being pushed gently inward. A child-proof latch (E) prevents the door from being opened more than an inch or two. They close automatically, but are more trouble to open.
Remember José Nuñez of Molalla, Oregon, who watched his kitchen cabinets blow open during the 1993 Scotts Mills Earthquake, spewing their contents onto the kitchen floor? Magnetic catches often fail. However, inexpensive babyproof catches will keep cabinet doors closed during an earthquake (Figure 11-11). Heavy, spring-loaded latches are advised, especially for cabinets containing valuable dishes.
If small children live in your house, you might already have babyproof catches, but they're probably only on cabinets near the floor, within a child's reach. For earthquake protection, the most important places for babyproof catches are the highest cabinets, particularly those containing heavy, breakable dishes or fragile glassware. Don't forget the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, where prescription medicine could fall on the floor and mix, producing a toxic combination.
Put layers of foam or paper between heirloom plates that are seldom used but are at great risk during an earthquake. Line your shelves with nonskid shelf padding, available at marine- and recreational-vehicle supply houses, because they are also useful to keep items on the shelf during a heavy sea or when your recreational vehicle is traveling down a bumpy road. In a similar vein, consider a rail or plastic strip around open shelves to keep items from falling off (Figure 11-12). Hold-fast putties are small balls that flatten and stick to the bottom of a large vase to keep it from toppling over; these putties will peel off and leave no residue. Lead weights in old socks can be placed in the bottom of vases or table lamps to keep them in place.
You won't be able to take all these precautions. But, considering that a third of your life is spent in bed, lie down on your bed and look around for items that could fall on you during an earthquake. A heavy chest of drawers? A bookcase (Figure 11-10)? A large wall mirror? A ceiling fan? A large headboard? Secure those items that might endanger your life. Then do the same for the beds where other members of your family sleep, particularly small children. (Maybe it's simpler to move the bed than to secure the furniture!)
Renters might be restricted by the landlord from fastening furniture to the wall. A discussion with the landlord might help, particularly if you are willing to patch the holes in the wall when you move.
Figure 11-12. Securing items on open shelves: (Left) Attach counter-top items to wall with bungee cord. (Center) Secure small items with a vertical strip and larger items with a strip and bungee cord. (Right) Large items, like a TV set, can be attached to wall with chain.
9. Bricks, Stonework, and Other Time Bombs
If you live in an old, unreinforced brick house, you are in real danger, and none of the retrofit techniques mentioned above will do much good outside of a major costly reinforcing job. Fortunately, old brick houses in the Pacific Northwest are being phased out of the building inventory; most of us live in wood-frame houses.
But one part of your house is still likely to be unreinforced—your masonry chimney (Figure 11-13). Chimneys collapse by the hundreds during major California earthquakes. Many chimneys were damaged during the Nisqually Earthquake, and one collapsing chimney seriously injured Curtis Johnny inside his apartment. Most commonly, chimneys snap at the roof line. A tall chimney is likely to be set in motion by earthquake waves, resulting in collapse. The taller the chimney, the more likely it is to fall through the roof into your house. Some recent building codes require internal and external bracing of chimneys to make them more likely to survive an earthquake.
Figure 11-13. Brick chimney on this house in Petrolia, California, collapsed during the 1992 Cape Mendocino Earthquake. Photo courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Even if your chimney didn't fall during the earthquake, it might have been damaged, partially or completely blocking the flue. If this happens, gases produced by your furnace, including carbon monoxide, may enter your house, possibly enough to kill you. How do you know you have a problem unless you have a carbon monoxide detector? Your family might become ill in the house. Another clue is water-vapor condensation on your windows, a product of burning natural gas that is not vented properly. Have your chimney checked by a professional, even if it looks okay after the earthquake. Install a detector.
A good rule of thumb is to consider how much of a threat your chimney poses. If someone could be killed or severely injured by a falling chimney, take it down. Prefabricated metal chimneys can be attached to an existing brick firebox so that no brick projects above the roof line.
Inside the house, there's the mantel. The mantel may be field stone—very attractive, but very heavy if it fails, particularly if the mortar has been weakened by a chimney leak. Field stone and brick veneer on the outside of the house may pose a hazard as well. If you want a natural stone appearance, install the lightest-weight material you can.
Freestanding wood-burning stoves are popular in the Pacific Northwest. A study done by Humboldt State University found that more than half the wood-burning stoves in the area near the epicenter of the April 1992 M 7.1 Cape Mendocino Earthquake moved during the earthquake, and several fell over. Fire codes in some states leave stoves unsupported on all four sides, which might cause them to slide or turn over during an earthquake. If a stove tips over and separates from its stovepipe, cinders or sparks can cause a fire.
The following steps are recommended (Figure 11-14). (1) Anchor a stove resting on a brick hearth, attaching the stove legs to the hearth with bolts. Mobile-home-approved stoves have predrilled holes in the legs for anchoring to the floor framing. (2) Anchor a stove resting on a concrete slab directly to the concrete. (3) Anchor the stovepipe to the flue, and tie together each of the stovepipe segments.
Figure 11-14. Anchor a stove built on a brick hearth with three-eighths-inch diameter bolt (A) through half-inch hole to new brick (B). Grout brick to existing hearth with one inch of new grout (C). As an alternative, build an eight-inch-square brick pad with grout pocket (D) at each leg. There should be at least one inch of grout around each leg; fill pocket completely with grout. Provide sheet metal screws (E) at flue exit and between stovepipe sections. Provide a radiation shield with pipe clamp (F) braced to wall, using tension ties attached to wall stud with three-eighths-inch by three-inch lag screws. From Humboldt Earthquake Education Center, Humboldt State University
In the Kobe Earthquake, thousands of people were killed in their beds in wood-frame houses because their roofs were of tile, which made the houses top-heavy and more subject to collapse. Clay tile roofs are the heaviest; composition or wood roofs are lighter. If you reroof your house, add plywood shear panels over the rafters. This is often required in new construction and might be required if you remodel. It strengthens the house.
Figure 11-15. Propane tank. Mount tank on six-inch-thick concrete pad (A) using four half-inch diameter bolts (B) with three-inch minimum embedded into concrete. Provide a flexible hose connection (C) between tank and the rigid supply line. From Humboldt State University
10. Propane Tanks
Above-ground propane tanks can slide, bounce, or topple during an earthquake, causing a fire hazard from a gas leak. You can reduce the fire danger by doing the following (Figure 11-15): (1) Mount the tank on a concrete pad and bolt the four legs of the tank to the pad. (2) Install flexible hose connections between the tank, the supply line, and the entrance to your house. (3) Clear the area around the tank of objects that could fall and rupture the tank or its gas supply line. (4) Tie a wrench near the shut-off valve, and make sure all family members know where it is and how to use it. For large tanks, such as those used commercially or on a farm, install a seismic shut-off valve.
11. Connections
One of my most instructive memories of the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake was a split-level house, where earthquake shaking accentuated the split between the garage with a bedroom over it and the rest of the house (Figure 11-16). A common sight is a porch that has been torn away (Figure 11-5), or a fallen deck or balcony. These connections are the potential weak link in the chain that is your home. Make sure that everything is well connected to everything else so that your house behaves as a unit during shaking.
Figure 11-16. Split-level house in Crestview Tract, San Fernando Valley, showing failure of the connection between the single story (right) and the two-car garage with bedrooms above. Note the difference in height between the front steps and the single story, indicating cripple-wall failure of the single story. Photo by Robert Yeats
12. Mobile Homes and Manufactured Houses
Because these houses must be transported to their destination, they are more likely than an ordinary house to behave as a coherent structural unit during an earthquake. Manufactured houses are built on one or more steel I-beams that provide structural support in the direction of the I-beam. However, mobile homes and manufactured houses are commonly not bolted to a foundation, but instead rest on concrete blocks that are likely to collapse during even low horizontal accelerations (Figures 11-17, 11-18). This would cause the house to flop down onto its foundation, as illustrated earlier for cripple-wall failures. A mobile home is likely to undergo less structural damage than an ordinary house, but is more likely to suffer extensive damage to the contents of the house. The house could be prevented from sliding off its blocks during an earthquake by replacing the blocks with a cripple wall and securing it as described above for ordinary houses. This would make the house insurable against earthquakes.
Figure 11-17. This manufactured home slipped off its supporting piers during an earthquake. This type of failure can be avoided by bolting the house to its foundation, as is required for other houses in most states. From Karl Steinbrugge Collection, University of California at Berkeley
Figure 11-18. Mobile home has slid off its supports during an earthquake. Photo courtesy of California Office of Emergency Services
A double-wide mobile home must be well connected at the join between the two halves (marriage line) so that the two halves do not fail at the join and move independently during strong shaking. Ridge beams should be attached with half-inch carriage bolts spaced at a maximum of forty-eight inches at ninety degrees and three-eighths-inch lag screws, with washers, spaced every twenty-four inches at forty-five degrees maximum angle. Floor connections must use three-eighths-inch lag screws with washers installed diagonally at forty-five degrees or less, with spacing not exceeding thirty-two inches. Even so, it's likely that a double-wide manufactured home will fail at the marriage line if it slips off its concrete block foundation during an earthquake.
13. Okay, So What Retrofitting Are You Really Going to Do?
You probably won't take all of these steps in making your home safer against earthquakes. Doing everything would be costly and might not increase the value of your home, unless it successfully rides out an earthquake. So you might decide to live with some risk.
At least do the following: (1) bolt your house to its foundation, (2) strengthen your cripple wall, (3) install flexible connections on all your gas appliances and make sure the main shut-off valve can be turned off quickly in an emergency, (4) secure your water heater, and (5) make sure that large pieces of furniture or large ceiling fixtures won't collapse on anyone in bed. This protects you against a catastrophic collapse of your house, and against fire or serious injury.
Home retrofit kits are available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the City of Seattle, and the California Office of Emergency Services. With the increasing knowledge about earthquake hazards in the Northwest, some builders now offer their expertise in seismic retrofits. Kits to strap the water heater, fasten cabinets, and anchor heavy furniture are available commercially.
California Office of Emergency Services. An Ounce of Prevention: Strengthening Your Wood Frame House for Earthquake Safety. Video and how-to booklet.
Humboldt Earthquake Information Center. How to survive earthquakes and tsunamis on the north coast. Arcata, CA, Humboldt Earthquake Information Center, Humboldt State University, 23 p.
Lafferty and Associates, Inc. 1989. Earthquake preparedness—for office, home, family and community. P.O. Box 1026, La Canada, CA 91012.
Project Impact. 2002. Home earthquake retrofit series, 3 volumes, available from Federal Emergency Management Agency and City of Seattle.
Seismic Safety Commission (California). 1992. The homeowner's guide to earthquake safety. 28p.
Sunset Magazine. 1990. Quake—2-part series in October and November 1990 issues, available as reprints (Sunset Quake '90 Reprints) from Sunset Publishing Comjpany, 80 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025.
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text:
Contract Red Flag: When a Publisher Claims Copyright on Edits
POSTED BY VICTORIA-STRAUSS FOR WRITER BEWARE® ON MAR 19, 2021 April 28, 2022
This is an updated version of a post I published a couple of years ago.
It's not all that common, but I do see it from time to time in small press publishing contracts that I review: a publisher claiming ownership of the editing and copy editing it provides, or making the claim implicitly by reverting rights only to the original manuscript submitted by the author.
Are there legal grounds for such a claim? One would think that by printing a copyright notice inside a published book, and encouraging the author to register copyright or registering on the author's behalf, publishers are acknowledging that there is not. It's hard to know, though, because the issue doesn't seem to have been tested in the courts. There's not even much discussion. Where you do find people talking about copyright in the context of editing, it's usually related to editors as independent contractors, such as how authors hiring freelancers should make sure they own the editor's work product, or how freelance editors might use a claim of copyright interest as leverage in payment disputes.
In 2011, Romance Writers of America published a brief legal opinion on the copyrightability of editorial input (it's on the RWA website, but unfortunately not accessible by the public), indicating that the claim would probably not prevail in court. But that's the only legal discussion I've been able to find.
The legal ambiguity of a copyright claim on editing is good reason to treat it as a publishing contract red flag. But that's not all.
It's not standard industry practice. No reputable publisher that I know of, large or small, deprives the author of the right to re-publish the final edited version of their book or story, either in its contracts or upon rights reversion. One might argue that in pre-digital days, this wasn't something publishers needed to consider–books and stories, once reverted, were rarely re-published–whereas these days it's common for authors to self-publish or otherwise bring their backlists back into circulation. But publishers haven't been slow to lay claim to the panoply of new rights created by the digital revolution. If there were any advantage to preventing writers from re-publishing their fully-edited works, you can bet it would have become common practice. It hasn't.
Publishers can and do legitimately claim ownership of their own work product, such as cover art, design, and interior formatting. But is editing the publisher's work product? Editing is–or should be–a collaboration between author and editor. The editor makes suggestions; the author implements them. In any fully-edited manuscript, it's likely that most if not all of the actual re-writing and revision will have been done by the author. Why should a publisher be able to claim ownership of that?
Finally, there's the question of benefit or damage. What material benefit does a publisher gain by forbidding an author to re-publish their fully-edited book? How does it damage a publisher if a rights-reverted book is brought back into circulation as originally published? Other than satisfying a misguided and pointless desire for possession or control, none and not at all.
Nevertheless, through ignorance, possessiveness, or simple greed, publishers sometimes do make this claim. As far as I can tell, this is strictly a phenomenon of the small press world; I've never seen it in a contract from a larger publisher. Below are some examples of the kind of language you may encounter (all bolding is mine).
This is from Uncial Press:
Contract may be terminated by either the author or publisher with a 90-day written, certified mail notice or other receipted or traceable delivery service, and all rights to the original, unedited manuscript granted the publisher will revert to Author at the time of the termination.
From Idyll Arbor, Inc.:
An editor will be assigned by Company to prepare the Book for publication. All editorial changes will remain the property of Company.
In this contract from Totally Entwined Group (which also does business as Totally Bound), the publisher appears to be claiming ownership not just of edits, but of the edited book itself. The publisher may not actually intend such a sweeping claim–small presses often don't fully understand the implications of their own contract language. But as written, this clause is seriously problematic.
The Publisher shall own all intellectual property rights in any edited version of the Original Work, including, but not limited to, the Final Edited Version (and the Author hereby unconditionally assigns such rights to the Publisher)
Some publishers use a copyright claim on edits as a way to make a buck as the author goes out the door. This is also Totally Entwined/Totally Bound, from an older version of its contract (the money demand does not appear in the more recent contract quoted above):
Upon expiration of this Agreement, should the Author wish to acquire rights to the final edited version of the Work, the Author agrees to pay the Publisher:
2.5.1 £250.00 for a Novel;
2.5.2 £80.00 Novella;
2.5.3 £40.00 a Short Story.
2.6 In consideration of any payment made according to clause 2.5 or clause 2.7, the Publisher and the editing staff agree to release any and all further claim to payment for the final edited version of the Work.
Storm Moon Press is no longer extant, but it too wanted to retain the right to edits, and authors had to pay if they wanted to use them:
All rights to the original Work as submitted will revert to the Authorwithout prejudice upon expiration of this contract. Should the Author wish to acquire rights to the final formatted and typeset digital files, he or she agrees to compensate Publisher in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200). In consideration of this payment, Publisher agrees to release any and all further claim to compensation for the finished Work.
Ditto for eXtasy Books Inc.:
All rights to the original Work as submitted will revert to Author without prejudice upon expiration of Contract. Should Author wish to acquire rights to the final edited version, he or she agrees to compensate the assigned editor and/or copyeditor in the amount of $500 less royalties received for the editor or $250 less royalties received for the copyeditor. In consideration of this payment, the editor/copyeditor agrees to release any and all further claim to compensation for the finished Work.
Vanity publisher GenZ Publishing doesn't explictly claim copyright on edits, but it does prohibit authors from using them–which is especially obnoxious since it keeps up to $2,500 of authors' royalties to pay for, among other things, editing:
The Author cannot use any version of the book that has GenZ Publishing edits or comments from editors, proofreaders, or other staff associated with GenZ or Zenith Publishing.
Crooked Cat Publishing's contract does not include a copyright claim on editing. However, the publisher makes that demand after the fact, in its reversion notice. Beyond any other legal questions, a publisher has zero standing to demand something that's not in the contract:
We kindly ask that you NOT use the completed final, edited copy of this title to re-submit elsewhere or self-publish. We request that you make changes, however subtle, to the content of the edited, released version, so that it is not an exact re-publication of the version we published.
Claret Press is another publisher that makes extra-contractual claims on editing, using this dubious logic:
At the moment, because you have not paid for…edits, the intellectual property still belongs to [the publisher]. If you do not use any aspect of the edits, then you do not have to pay….If however, when you publish the books, there is any aspect of any piece of your writing that relates to anything in the…edits…then you have violated [the publisher's] ownership of…intellectual property.
Writer Beware, indeed.
For any lawyers reading, I'd be interested to know your thoughts on this issue.
Angela Hoy says:
I wrote about this topic back in 2015. https://writersweekly.com/ask-the-expert/my-publisher-wants-all-rights-to-my-edited-manuscript-that-ill-be-paying-them-to-edit
Judy Penz Sheluk says:
Wow, I can't begin to imagine signing something like this, and as a small publisher of 2 (soon 3) multi-author anthologies, I would dream of doing that. I want my authors to be successful!
Fiona McGier says:
I have some books with Wings Epress, which also has that in the contract. They've made the decision to go exclusively with the big A, and my books are on KU, which means I get jack for royalties.
I was with Whiskey Creek Press for a while, until they were sold years ago. I asked for, and got, my rights back. This verbiage is in their contracts also.
And I've now got some books with eXtasy.
Seems that all of the smaller presses I've worked with do this. I republished 7 of my books on Smashwords–mostly because the big A refused to take down their listing, as a "reader service" just in case anyone wanted to resell a paperback they'd bought there. Which means NO other publisher would touch those books, since they're still listed on the big A. So I self-published them, using the original manuscripts.
I've been published for almost 12 years. Still an unknown, just enjoying writing stories, hoping that someone reads them. I guess being with small publishers is better than self-publishing all of them? Not sure, since none of them provide any promotional help. But a writer's gotta write, right?
But I've never PAID the editors to do their work, so at least I'm not out that money.
Fiona, I've been with 2 small presses ( both went under ) and now have a publishing imprint. That verbiage was never in the other contracts. I'd suggest you don't sign another one like that!
John Floyd says:
Craziest thing I ever heard. Don't EVER sign a contract like this.
jamoche says:
This reminds me of the fuss over Piers Anthony's "But What of Earth?" – Anthony apparently agreed to the usual minor editorial changes, but the purchasing editor hired a copyeditor and told him he was to be a 50-50 collaborator, fully authorized to make major changes. According to Wikipedia it was resolved "under threat of legal action".
~e says:
How is this not a derivative work, owned by original writer?
Tina Haveman says:
Extasy Books had that clause, but it's been removed. We have never enforced it even if an author wanted to leave before the contract's termination date.
Scam Alert: Chapters Media & Advertising / Paper Bytes Marketing Solutions / Blueprint Press Internationale / Quantum Discovery / Beyond Movies
Scammers Taking Big 5 Publishers' Names in Vain: A Growing Trend


Anything I should be aware of when charging the battery? – YI Technologies, Inc.
We suggest charging in environments with 25±5℃ temperature and 45%-85% humidity.
Battery performance might be reduced under low temperature.
Please avoid storing batteries in high temperature environments such as in cars or under direct sunlight.
Can I see infrared light at night?


text:
Q: Point Domain to GitHub Page - Record already in use Error I am trying to point my google domain to my github page but I get an error saying "Record already in use" when I add the IPv4 address. The domain previously pointed to another address but I deleted that address. How do I resolve this?

A: Check if you have any "synthetic records", you'll need to delete them as well.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Less than an hour's drive from Johannesburg, the picturesque town of Parys has become a popular destination for those weekend warriors wishing to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
Situated in the northern Free State, Parys is a town filled with activities for those with a taste for an adventure or even those who prefer more culturally rich experiences.
Parys is one of the towns in South Africa with the highest per capita investment number and has become one of the most exclusive areas for property investments.
The main agricultural industry around Parys is cattle, peanuts, sorghum, sunflowers, and maize. On the berry farm 20 km from Parys you will find South Africa's only black raspberries (swart frambose), amongst the 80 different berry cultivars. Here you can enjoy the unique experience of picking berries straight off the bush during the harvest season between March and November. Frozen berries are available in and out of season.
There is also an exclusive and small distillery for brandy and liquors. You better stay over if you would like to visit the distillery for the traditional South African "mampoer" where you can taste 52 different kinds.
The town acquired a reputation as an arts and antique hub. Many well-known artists, antique dealers, and craftsmen have made Parys their home.


Brian T. Nowak, CLU, CLF®, is the Managing Partner of the Northern Ohio General Office. Brian started his career at New York Life in 1983 as an agent in the Lansing General Office. In 1986, he became a Sales Manager in the Lansing General Office, transferring as a Sales Manager to Rapid City South Dakota to manage the Frontier Sales Office. In 1995 he became Managing Partner of the Fargo General Office. In 1997 he was elected to MPAC and for three consecutive years he earned the Executive Management Trophy for agent retention.
In 2000 Brian assumed the role of Managing Partner of the Toledo General Office and in 2011 he transferred to the Pacific Zone and became the Managing Partner of the Inland Empire General Office.
Prior to New York Life, Brian wrote and sold computer software in the late 70's and early 80's in a company he owned with his brother called, Nowak Research and Investment.
Brian resides in Ohio with his wife and his two daughters.


Here are seven goal-setting questions for you to ask and answer over and over again. I suggest that you take a pad of paper and write out your responses.
This question is intended to help you clarify what is really important to you, and by extension, what is less important, or unimportant. Once you have identified the five most important values in life for you, organise them in order of priority, from number one, the most important, through number five.
This is called the 'quick list' method. When you only have thirty seconds to write down your three most important goals, your subconscious mind sorts out your many goals quickly. Your top three will just pop into your conscious mind. With only thirty seconds, you will be as accurate as if you had thirty minutes.
This is another value questions to help you clarify what is really important to you. When your time is limited, even if only in your imagination, you become aware of who and what you really care about.
How would you change your life? What would you buy? What would you start doing, or stop doing? This is really a question to help you decide what you'd do if you had all the time and money you need, and if you had virtually no fear of failure at all.
This question helps you see more clearly where your fears could be blocking you from doing what you really want to do.
This is another values question that may indicate where you should explore to find your 'heart's desire.' You will always be most happy doing what you most love to do, and what you most love to do is invariably the activity that makes you feel the most alive and fulfilled. The most successful men and women in America are invariably doing what they really enjoy, most of the time.
What one great thing would you dare to dream if you knew you would not fail?
Imagine that a genie appears and grants you one wish. The genie guarantees that you will be absolutely, completely successful in any one thing that you attempt to do, big or small, short or long-term. If you were absolutely guaranteed success in any one thing, what one exciting goal would you set for yourself?
Study the pad of paper that you used to answer these questions. This paper represents your future goals. Look at what you wrote every day and shape your life the way you see it on that paper.
What are your goals, dreams and visions?
The boy with the low I.Q.


text:
Das Castello di Lacore ist die Ruine einer mittelalterlichen Höhenburg auf einem Hügel mit Blick auf den Fluss Ceno in der Nähe des Ortsteils Casanova der Gemeinde Bardi in der italienischen Region Emilia-Romagna.

Geschichte
Die ältesten Zeugnisse über die Existenz einer ländlichen Siedlung in Lacore stammen von 770. Die Siedlung wurde vermutlich von den Langobarden gegründet, wie man an den Namen der Bewohner erkennt, die aus den zeitgenössischen Dokumenten hervorgehen und typisch für ein altes, germanisches Volk sind, sowie dem Toponym, das vermutlich aus dem Langobardischen "lakar" (dt.: Biwak) entstand.

Das Dorf wurde bis 898 als "Casale" (dt.: Siedlung) bezeichnet. In den folgenden Jahren wurde diese wegen ihrer strategisch günstigen Lage auf dem Gipfel eines Hügels über dem Ceno mit entsprechendem Überblick befestigt und in ein "Castellum" (dt.: Heerlager) zur Verteidigung umgebaut, wie es Dokumente von 907 und 917 bezeugen.

Die Burg war bis mindestens zum 11. Jahrhundert bewohnt, wurde dann aber verlassen und verfiel zu einer Ruine, möglicherweise nach dem Bau weiterer Befestigungen in der Gegend und der nach und nach wachsenden Bedeutung des Castello di Bardi für das umgebende Territorium.

Die Ruinen, die im Laufe der Zeit von der Vegetation überwuchert wurden, wurden Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts und Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts teilweise wieder ans Licht gebracht.

Beschreibung
Von der großen, hochmittelalterlichen Burg, die sich über den Gipfel eines Hügels erstreckte, sind die Spuren verschiedener Steinmauern erhalten, halb verdeckt durch eine Eiche am Rande einer Wiese.

Die äußeren Mauern am Fuße eines Hügels sind vorwiegend auf der Nordseite und in der Nähe des alten Eingangstors zum Ceno hin sichtbar. Auf dem Gipfel des Hügels finden sich Ruinen der inneren Umfassungsmauer und zum Fluss hin das Fundament eines Rundturms, der zu einem unbekannten, späteren Zeitpunkt in einen Kalkofen umgewandelt wurde.

Auf der Wiese nördlich des Hügels fand eine Gruppe von Bauern schließlich Anfang des 20. Jahrhunderts die Reste einiger Gräber.

Einzelnachweise

Quellen
 Eleonora Destefanis: Il monastero di Bobbio in età altomedievale. All'Insegna del Giglio, Florenz 2002.

Erbaut im 10. Jahrhundert
Lacore, Castello di
Lacore, Castello di
Bardi (Emilia-Romagna)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Map your user activities and journeys, use a bird's eye view to improve product experience. Invite teammates and collaborate in real-time. Create developer tasks from user steps and ideas.
Create personas upon your needs. Feel free to add categories, comments and even pictures. Space is unlimited, gather all details or keep persona info smart and simple.
Compile crucial milestones in the user journey. Remember your audience mindset changes at every milestone. Add valuable thoughts to cards.
Discover every single step that users make using the product. Follow the narrative flow and you'll never miss a jigsaw piece. Insert cards or rearrange them by drag&drop.
Keep valuable information on the same screen. Add touchpoints, feature ideas into different blocks. Specify cards with additional details, pictures, and even colors.
No matter how many cards you have on the board, collapse needles groups to get more space.
Release management lets you arrange ideas into tangible pieces. Set up the whole release plan by drag & drop.


Function: Administers campaign finance disclosure for state candidates; economic interest disclosure for state and metropolitan public officials, and for local officials in metropolitan governmental units; lobbyist registrations; and public subsidy of state candidates and political party committees.
History: The State Ethics Commission was created in 1974 to administer the Ethics in Government Act which relates to certain elected and appointed officials in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches of government (Laws 1974 c470). The name was changed to the Ethical Practices Board in 1975 (Laws 1975 c271).
The board's goal is to maintain public confidence in the integrity of government through public disclosure of sources of potential influence or conflict of interest and through public financing of candidates for election to public office. Lobbyists appearing before the legislature as well as state agencies are required to file with the board and report their areas of interest and the amount of money spent on various activities while attempting to influence legislation or administrative actions. The board administers the program of public financing of candidates and requires those candidates to file agreements with the board. Candidates and committees who raise money for election purposes must also file reports with the board. The board also is the repository for personal statements of economic interest of persons designated "public official" by law. Moreover, public officials must identify potential conflicts of interest between their public duties and private economic interests and file reports thereon with the board. The statements and reports are open for public inspection. The board investigates complaints of violations in each of the areas noted above, and any individual or association may request an advisory opinion regarding an interpretation of the Ethics in Government Act.
Name changed to Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board, effective 1 July 1997.
Membership: 6 members (1 former state legislator from a major political party different from the governor, 1 former state legislator from the same political party as the governor, 2 members who have not been public officials and have not held party office within three years prior to appointment; no more than 3 members may support the same political party; no member may currently serve as a lobbyist); appointed by governor; house and senate confirmation; 4-year terms; per diem and expenses; members must file with the Ethical Practices Board.


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You may have noticed a bit of chaos around the site this last couple weeks. We had a lot of things happen really fast around here and now seems like a good time to bring you all up to date!
First things first, Jon Wood (Managing Editor) got married and took off on a much deserved vacation/honeymoon. Congrats to Jon and his bride!
Then we had a couple staffing changes. Community Manager Richard Cox has moved on from MMORPG.com. He has taken a new job and I am sure you will hear from him soon in that capacity. A big congrats to Richard on the new gig. Thanks again for all you did these last months and years on the site. You'll be missed.
News Manager Keith Cross has also left the site to pursue other opportunities outside of games. Again, we thank him for his loyal service and hard work.
Naturally, that means some fresh blood around here. I'd like to introduce Michael Bitton, who will be handling aspects of News and Community on the side. You've likely noticed a couple of his news items already, so be gentle while he settles in. We will also be announcing another new hire in a couple weeks.
As if all of that wasn't chaotic enough, Evan Wilkinson (Art Director) and I took off for E3 dead smack in the middle of all this. Unfortunately, the site has been a bit chaotic with all that's gone on, but now that most everyone is back in front of computers, regular service should resume.
We have an absolutely huge pile of E3 content coming your way. Starting tomorrow, you should be able to expect two articles and two companion videos a day from the dozens of games and people we spoke to at the show. Circumstances limited our on the floor coverage to one article (Telara), but we'll make up for what we missed in immediacy with some nice depth and higher quality video offerings (expect much better than the Telara interview).
Anyway, we have lots coming up beyond E3 and thank you all for sticking with us over these chaotic couple weeks. E3 was quite the experience as usual and more will come on that shortly.
I know one big thing that Telara mentioned, was that they were going to try to handle most of the files server side, to allow for more instantanious adjustments to the world (events, etc), reducing the need for HUGE patches. I was wondering if you guys asked them anything about how they plan to do this with the many varying internet speeds out there, and cut down on the obvious lag that would create both pve and pvp headaches?
But honestly, they never fully explained to me how this is different from what any other MMO does. Most MMOs "can" do what they described, they just don't. I am sure there is more to it though and I will be following up with them to get more details.


Jamie Sabau/Getty Images Should Jack Johnson be the next captain of the Blue Jackets?
Blue Ice: Who Will Be the Next Columbus Blue Jackets Captain?
Feb 26, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Nick Foligno (71) against the Montreal Canadiens at Nationwide Arena. The Canadiens 5-2.


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While closely aligned with the United Church of Christ, our over 100-year heritage has deep roots with its predecessors, most notably, the Evangelical and Reformed denomination. Like today's United Church of Christ, we believe human dignity is a right, and we honor each other and the unique gifts each person offers the World. All people are welcome to our communities, and we celebrate each life journey. As part of our faith-based commitment, we're proud members of the Council for Health and Human Service Ministry (CHHSM), an association of health and human service organizations and programs recognized as an expression of the ministry and mission of the United Church of Christ.
We are bound together in service to others, our relationship to the Church and our members.
scope of services or size of organization.
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solutions that confront the human injustices and prejudices of our social systems.
We develop, inspire and support leaders at all levels who are called to serve others.
Our US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and senior living experts offer short-term consulting services to senior and disabled housing organizations in the Midwest and beyond.
Our executive leaders are available to speak as part of the Embrace Living Communities Speaker Bureau Program as well.
How to create respectful team communication.
Replacing employee evaluations to drive employee engagement.
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contact Susan Sinderson, EVP, at ssinderson@embraceliving.org.
The Embrace Living Communities Service Coordinator Program consists of dedicated social service personnel that provide valuable information and referrals to residents and their families regarding supportive services that can maintain resident independence successfully, allowing them to live in their home for as long as possible.
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Our organization has a storied history dating back over 120 years. We've evolved with the times in order to give people a quality and safe place to call home. It hasn't always been easy, but we've always done what is right for those we serve and God.


text:
Q: Generate HTML output using excel variables using excel vba and Notepad or Shell I'm building an excel based application that produces TV wallboard visuals. The business would like to be able to preview new vizzies prior to them going live. The system works via mutliple html templates with associated javascript reading & writing to a sql table. What I would like to do is pick up the new inputs entered into formatted excel sheets & using these inputs generate the html output & write it to notepad so business can test and see preview with full layout and styling intact.
I've attempted the open notepad function and print output and file output using shell but the result has not allowed image file path along with variable image name. If I remove the image entirely not all styling functions either.
Sub htmlstr()

Dim strHTML As String

Dim Heading As String
Dim SubHeading As String
Dim ImageFile As String
Dim TextBox1 As String
Dim TextBox2 As String

Heading = Range("c_Head").Value
SubHeading = Range("c_SubHead").Value
ImageFile = Range("c_img").Value
TextBox1 = Range("c_txtbx1").Value
TextBox2 = Range("c_txtbx2").Value

Dim sFile As String

sFile = ActiveWorkbook.Path & "\WallboardPreview.html"
Close

Open sFile For Output As #1
Print #1, "<!DOCTYPE html>"
Print #1, ""
Print #1, "<meta charset=""UTF-8"">"
Print #1, "<title>Preview</title>"
Print #1, ""
Print #1, ""
Print #1, ""
Print #1, "
" & Heading & "
"
Print #1, "
" & SubHeading & "
"
Print #1, ""
Print #1, "
" & TextBox1 & "
"
Print #1, "
" & TextBox2 & "
"
Print #1, "
Scrolling Message
"
Print #1, ""
Print #1, ""
Print #1, ""
Close
Shell "hh " & vbLf & sFile, vbMaximizedFocus

End Sub

The expected output should be as below:
<!DOCTYPE html>

<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="20">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>Preview</title>

CPC & DCA

Focus on the following information re inbound calls

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