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May 23, 2019 / 11:12 PM / 2 months ago
Procrastinating genius: did da Vinci have attention disorder?
Kate Kelland
LONDON (Reuters) - Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci's litany of exquisite but unfinished work shows he probably had an attention disorder common to modern society.
An illustration provides a 3D graphical representation of the altered connections, visualised with diffusion tractography (yellow tint), that are important for executive functions in people with ADHD, as created with MRI technique pioneered by Professor Marco Catani at King's College London in this handout image obtained by Reuters May 21, 2019. PROFESSOR MARCO CATANI, KING'S COLLEGE LONDON/Handout via Reuters
That is the view of psychiatry professor Marco Catani, who believes Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) explains both da Vinci's chronic procrastination and his creative drive in the arts and sciences.
"I am confident ADHD is the most convincing and scientifically plausible hypothesis to explain Leonardo's difficulty in finishing his works," Catani, of King's College in London, argued in a scientific paper published on Friday.
Even the Italian's most famous work, the Mona Lisa portrait, was not completely finished.
Most commonly recognized in children, ADHD is now increasingly being diagnosed in adults, including people with successful careers. Symptoms include an inability to complete tasks, mind-wandering, and mental and physical restlessness.
Laying out his hypothesis in the scientific journal BRAIN, Catani said historical records show da Vinci's struggles with sticking to tasks were pervasive from childhood.
Accounts from biographers and contemporaries show he was constantly on the go, Catani said, often jumping from task to task. And like many people with ADHD, da Vinci got very little sleep and often worked continuously night-and-day.
Catani, a specialist in ADHD, brain anatomy and Renaissance science, said his analysis found da Vinci spent "excessive time planning projects" but lacked perseverance.
"ADHD could explain aspects of Leonardo's temperament and his strange mercurial genius," he said.
Historical accounts, Catani added, also show Leonardo was left-handed and probably had two other characteristics of people with attention deficit disorder: dyslexia and a linguistic dominance in the right-hand side of his brain.
In a telephone interview, Catani lamented misconceptions that people with ADHD are generally disruptive children of low intelligence and "destined for a troubled life".
He hoped his analysis of da Vinci would combat such stigma and help those affected.
"Leonardo considered himself as someone who had failed in life - which is incredible," he said. "I hope (this case) shows that ADHD is not linked to low IQ or lack of creativity, but rather the difficulty of capitalizing on natural talents."
Reporting by Kate Kelland; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne


Fieldrunners: Hardhat Heroes – another game in the series Fieldrunners. But we do not recommend that you jump to conclusions – it is not like you are well-known titles in this series. Rather, it can be described as Clash of Clans in the universe Fieldrunners. This means that gamers have to build a base to create your own army and capture enemy territory.
Fieldrunners: Hardhat Heroes has not yet been released. File downloads will be available after app comes out.


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news, local-news, United Nations, Wagga, Extinction, Critically endangered
MANY unique species are facing extinction throughout the world and some are found close to home. The United Nations released a report that warned close to one million species are facing extinction around the world. The report has found that of the world's estimated 5.9 million land based species, more than 500,000 have insufficient habitat for long-term survival. Wagga has not escaped the growing reality of extinction with six species listed as critically endangered, 48 as endangered and a further 101 listed as vulnerable. The city has been included in the Southern Western slopes region, which encompasses the towns found from Albury and up to Wellington and Griffth and across to Tumut. The regent honeyeater - known to the Wagga area - has been listed as a critically endangered animal. Among the plants and shrubs on the list are the Bossiaea fragrans and Holly leaf grevillea. A NSW Environment and Heritage spokeswoman said the state government's Saving our Species program has 10 active projects in the Riverina electorate to protect threatened species and ecological communities These include five plants, two birds, one frog, one invertebrate and one ecological community. The spokeswoman said the vulnerable superb parrot was just one of the projects in place. "The beautiful superb parrot is a much-loved threatened woodland bird that has galvanised community action to help protect and re-establish key habitats, particularly large trees with hollows that provide nesting habitat," she said. "The funding (for this project) aims to support farmers and land managers to look after superb parrot habitat." While you're with us, did you know that you can now receive updates straight to you inbox each day at 6am from the Daily Advertiser? To make sure you're up to date with all the Wagga news sign up here.
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May 15 2019 - 11:56AM
Endangered species listed in Southern Western slopes region
Daina Oliver
CRITICAL: A Regent honeyeater and Bossiaea fragrans are two species that are critically endangered. Picture: Picture: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
MANY unique species are facing extinction throughout the world and some are found close to home.
The United Nations released a report that warned close to one million species are facing extinction around the world.
The report has found that of the world's estimated 5.9 million land based species, more than 500,000 have insufficient habitat for long-term survival.
Wagga has not escaped the growing reality of extinction with six species listed as critically endangered, 48 as endangered and a further 101 listed as vulnerable.
Wagga is included in the Southern Western slopes region.
The city has been included in the Southern Western slopes region, which encompasses the towns found from Albury and up to Wellington and Griffth and across to Tumut.
The regent honeyeater - known to the Wagga area - has been listed as a critically endangered animal.
Among the plants and shrubs on the list are the Bossiaea fragrans and Holly leaf grevillea.
VULNERABLE: The Saving our Species program is helping the vulnerable Superb Parrot which is known to the Wagga area. Picture: NSW Office of Environment and Heritage
A NSW Environment and Heritage spokeswoman said the state government's Saving our Species program has 10 active projects in the Riverina electorate to protect threatened species and ecological communities
These include five plants, two birds, one frog, one invertebrate and one ecological community.
The spokeswoman said the vulnerable superb parrot was just one of the projects in place.
"The beautiful superb parrot is a much-loved threatened woodland bird that has galvanised community action to help protect and re-establish key habitats, particularly large trees with hollows that provide nesting habitat," she said.
"The funding (for this project) aims to support farmers and land managers to look after superb parrot habitat."
While you're with us, did you know that you can now receive updates straight to you inbox each day at 6am from the Daily Advertiser? To make sure you're up to date with all the Wagga news sign up here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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"One belt, One road" Movie Week Starts: Dream Partake Cloud publishing, M-Station iterative upgrading
One belt, One road movie week, was launched in the Shanghai international resort in June 13th. The third Shanghai China Film and television science and Technology Innovation Summit was held in June 13th. The launch and release of 5G digital film and television creation cloud at the ceremony will create a digital film and television industry cluster highland with demonstration and leading significance for Pudong.
DREAM PARTAKE CLOUD PUBLISHING, M-STATION ITERATIVE UPGRADING
At the launching ceremony, Mu Deyuan, President of China Society of film and television photographers, Zhou Xinxia, President of China Society of film editing, Tao Jing, vice president of China Association of film recorders, Jiang Haiyang, national first-class director, Fang Hongda, general manager of Huawei cloud in Shanghai, Zhang Yange, Secretary General of China Post Production Alliance, and -Jiang Chuanrong, director of MirrorPictures, jointly launched the Dream Partake Cloud. Attended one belt, one road movie week, Weng Zuliang, member of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and Secretary of the Pudong New Area District Committee, and vice mayor of Shanghai, director of the Shanghai International Resort Management Committee, Chen Tong, and others, and led the scene to witness.
With the development of 5G business, the maturity of cloud computing and the application of digital technology in all aspects of film and television creation, the production mode of the film industry is undergoing major changes. According to the ever-changing technological development trend and industrial situation, the Management Committee of the resort, China Film Science and Technology Research Institute, Huawei cloud computing Co., Ltd. and MirrorPictures have cooperated to develop a digital service platform for film and television production covering the whole process of early creativity, mid-term shooting, post production and development derivation, Through the creation of scene application and industrial ecology on digital content cloud, build 5g digital film and television innovative application demonstration zone.
Under this background, 5G digital film and television cloud has been gradually polished and shaped after a year of intensive industry research, technical demonstration and development, and resource allocation construction. At today's launching ceremony, Niu Xiao, chief technology officer of MirrorPictures, showed the results of the cloud R & D stage of the whole film process on the spot, enabling the industry's senior participants to have a preliminary understanding of the technical strength and unlimited possibilities of 5G digital film and television cloud creation.
At present, 5G digital film and television creation cloud is being deployed in the shared space of M-Station. The 5g digital video creation cloud was officially launched under the witness of the industry, which laid a solid foundation for commercial trial in the second half of the year and industrial application next year. This will boost the film and television commons, a new infrastructure for the integration and innovation of China's film and television industry, realize the digital iteration and upgrading, and help explore the new industrialization path of China's film and television industry.
Last year, one belt, one road movie week launched, M-Station put into operation. As a new infrastructure project of the whole production process of offline film industry and online intelligent management, commons is giving play to the brand effect of education and training, data center, etc., promoting the construction and operation of industry talent management platform and digital asset trading platform, and is becoming a public service platform with integrated functions, excellent equipment and efficient use, At present, a number of films, including the centenary key gift films of the founding of the party, such as "big city building", "Wang Dao", "Li Dazhao", are being produced in M-Station.
Professional content development and brand spillover Film week is getting deeper and deeper
Shanghai science fiction film and television industry base opened at the launching ceremony and settled in the M-Station. The science fiction film and television base aims at "high-tech enabling digital entertainment". Relevant enterprises and institutions, science fiction masters and industry professionals are invited to settle in the base to join the enterprise directory, expert pool and talent pool of the base, so as to jointly create a high-end digital entertainment industry ecosystem.
White Paper of Chinese Digital Film Production Standards, which was prepared with the participation of film and television commons, was also released at the launching ceremony. Film and television commons, together with China Film Editing society, China Film and television post industry alliance and China film sound producers alliance, studies and formulates post production industry standards on the basis of extensive industry research, hoping to promote the efficiency, quality and upgrading of China's film and television production by exploring normative, instructive and operable technologies, processes and collaborative standards.
This year, the third Shanghai China Film and Television Technology Innovation Summit Forum focuses on cloud production and virtual shooting, and discusses the profound changes of new film and television technology to the film and television industry under the digital background. Jiang Haiyang, a national first-class director, Li Shaohong, President of China Film Directors Association, Mu Deyuan, President of China Film and television Photographers Association, Zhou Xinxia, President of China Film Editing Association, Tao Jing, vice president of China Film recorders Association, and Ke Peibin, general manager of Huawei film and Television Cultural Industry of Huawei Cloud Computing Technology Co., Ltd., discussed the development and application prospects of cloud technology in film and television production, In depth sharing with more than 100 industry guests.
Deng Yu, science and technology consultant of China Post Production Alliance, Dingyoudong, vice president of Shanghai Film College of Shanghai University, general manager of Hangzhou time coordinate film and television media Co., Ltd., Chen Yi, CEO of novartia film technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd., and general manager of view picture (Beijing) Digital Technology Co., Ltd. are solemn, and discuss the advantages of virtual production technology Limitations and future application development prospects.
The third China Film and television science and Technology Summit round table forum continued the tradition. The CPPA released the 2021 Shanghai Declaration (discussion draft). Twenty industry heavyweights shared their insights at the forum. While doing a good job in the industry construction, we will continue to make suggestions and suggestions for promoting the healthy and high-quality development of China's film and television industry. Since its establishment in 2019, the China Film and Television Technology Innovation Summit Forum has become an annual important activity for major domestic post production companies to gather in the resort for technical discussion and industrial investment promotion.
In addition, during this year's film week, in line with the development trend of industrial technology, a "film and television virtual production summit" sponsored by the international advanced imaging Association and a "Shanghai science fiction film and television industry forum" sponsored by the Pudong Association for science and technology were added. Through a series of theme professional activities, the professional depth and brand influence of the film week have been expanded, which has accumulated momentum for the development of regional film and television industry. 17 key enterprises in the resort signed contracts at the launching ceremony of the film week, further highlighting the brand spillover effect of the film week.


Originally designed and built as a work station / shop cart for use in our factories, the Rogue Shop 50 Table's compact dimensions and old-school industrial look translate great into any office space, living room, workshop, or man cave.
Each Shop 50 Table features 3x3" 11-gauge steel legs, a 50" x 42" heavy-duty metal top, and arched metal side panels with the Rogue Supply Co. logo laser-cut into two sides.
Because its constructed with top-grade, laser-cut steel, the 200+ pound Rogue Shop 50 Table isn't exactly infant-safe, but it's hardly a table saw either. The smooth table-top offers a clean, level working surface with a protective coating, and casters can be added to the feet* to allow for safe, easy mobility.
A longer 80" Shop Table is also available.
Please Note: All Rogue-manufactured furniture is individually hand-crafted using original industrial components from our warehouse. As a result, products may exhibit small variations in color or finish from one item to the next. These variations and "imperfections" are inherent in the field of hand-made manufacturing, and often help give each piece a distinct character and one-of-a-kind feel not possible with mass-produced, assembly-line products.


With the wedding only a day behind them, Edward and Bella make little effort to remove themselves from their honeymoon bed. Come along as they ponder moments in their lives that lead them to this very moment. AU, AH, OOC. Project Series Part #3.
It's Nessie's first Christmas after she reaches full maturity. As Nessie deals with boy troubles, Bella copes with the fact that her little girl is growing up and struggles trying to find the perfect gift for Nessie. This was my entry for iFic's Canon Christmas Contest.
When Bella Swan sees something she shouldn't she can't help her response, and Edward Cullen can't help but take that response to the next level.
Edward over hears a very juicy secret regarding his younger sister, Alice. The plot to blackmail Alice in order to get closer to her best friend, Bella, forms in his mind, but doesn't exactly pan out the way he wants it to. Rated for Edward's foul mouth and the sprinkles of lemonade with the eventual lemon.
Thank you so much for the banner Selita! You rock my socks!!
michelleab09 from ff.net made me this fantastic banner!!!
michelleab09 is at it again with another lovely banner for the waterfall!!
When Edward is faced with the possibility of losing Bella, he reflects over the past thirty years and the events that led him to fall in love with her in the first place. A Short Story: AH, B/E, Rated NC-17 to be safe.


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William and Janet Griesbach
Major General William Griesbach (1878-1945)
Janet Lauder Griesbach (1877-1950)
Janet & William Griesbach
The figure of Major General Griesbach stands watch over the community named in his honour from atop his steed, perched along the main community entrance.
William Antrobus Griesbach was a lawyer, Edmonton's youngest mayor, a decorated soldier who fought in the Boer War and rose to the rank of Brigadier-General in The Great War, an MP and a Senator. He was also a very accomplished amateur athlete who excelled at boxing, cycling, hockey and soccer.
In the final years of the war, his unit served in many key campaigns, including the Battles of Vimy Ridge, the Battle of Arras, the Third Battle of Ypres, and the liberation of Mons. For his service he received the Distinguished Service Order (twice) and the Victorian Decoration for long service.
In 1906 he married Janet Scott McDonald Lauder. Janet was Edmonton's first telephone operator. Fearless and fiercely attached to her husband, she joined his unit oversees, serving as a nurse, and had a long record of distinguished public service after the war.
A statue of Janet Griesbach is situated at the traffic circle at the north end of Griesbach School. The statue honours the support and importance of military spouses. It was lovingly placed in this spot with a direct site line to her husband's monument. At the feet of her statue is a fox cub. The fox was the mascot of the 19th Alberta Dragoons, and accompanied the unit to Europe.
We are honoured to live in a community named for such an accomplished figure.
Sources: Wikipedia and Find a Grave.
Patricia Park
We look forward to adding more about the various monuments and namesakes around our community in the near future.


There is 1 comment for this phone number. (973) 377-7536 is a landline based telephone number operated by Verizon New Jersey, Inc. and is located in zip code 07940 in the city of Madison, New Jersey, which is in Morris County, and is in the Northeast. It has a Number Planning Area (NPA - also known as an Area Code) of 973, a Network Numbering Exchange (NXX - also known as a prefix) of 377 and a subscriber number of 7536. It has an Operating Company Number (OCN) of 9206. A Common Language Location Identifier (CLLI) of MDSNNJMADS5. As well as a Local access and transport area (LATA) of 224. Zip code 07940 has a population of 17,278 as of the 2010 census.
Did someone call or text you from 973-377-7536 ?


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Box Hill and Ranmore Common
Box Hill, Surrey, UK
Hilly - Race
Box Hill is a summit of the North Downs in Surrey. The hill takes its name from the ancient box woodland found on the steepest west-facing chalk slopes overlooking the River Mole. Box Hill featured prominently on the route of the 2012 Summer Olympics cycling road race events, the men doing nine circuits and the women doing two circuits.
Download FulGaz now and ride Box Hill and Ranmore Common on your home trainer. You'll then feel every change in gradient and see every turn in up to 4K video.


The first experiment to investigate the effects of plasmasphere disturbances on satellite communications will be launched aboard the UK Space Agency's maiden CubeSat mission.
A team from Bath University's Department for Electronic and Electrical Engineering has won one of four places on the 4.5kg UKube-1, which hopes to launch in January 2012.
Bath's TOPCAT project will be one of the most comprehensive investigations into the effects of space weather on communications and will look at both the ionosphere and the less well-studied plasmasphere, which is at a higher altitude.
In recent years there has been increasing awareness about the effect of so-called space weather, which encompasses a range of solar phenomenon, including X-rays, electromagnetic radiation, radiowave bursts, and proton ejections.
These are generally mitigated well before they reach Earth, but because the activity of the sun waxes and wanes according to an 11-year cycle, bursts of energy can knock out GPS satellites and leave reliant systems vulnerable.
'As the radiation comes off the sun it hits the Earth's magnetosphere, which is the wider part of the plasmasphere, and it gets dragged in towards the ionosphere — that's where it has the biggest effects. But actually knowing how the mechanism works, and how [radiation] moves from the plasmasphere to the ionosphere will be really helpful,' said Bath researcher Dr Julian Rose.
The team's device will be based on a specially modified dual-frequency GPS receiver, which will communicate with other satellites to build up an image of the plasmasphere and ionosphere based on the speed of transmissions.
'We gather the data then image the level of electron activity — we'll show bright red colours where there are a lot of electrons, so if you try to receive GPS around this area then the signal will be affected by so many metres, for example. Then it fades to yellow, green, and then blue, which would be an area where there are no problems,' said Rose.
Although the TOPCAT project essentially represents a feasibility study, Rose envisages a fleet of satellites trained on the outer plasmasphere, which could give advanced warning of disturbances.
The other projects on board UKube-1 include a camera that will take images of the Earth using a new generation of imaging sensor; an experiment to demonstrate the feasibility of using cosmic radiation to improve the security of communications satellites; and a payload made up of five experiments that UK students and the public can interact with.
With major constraints in terms of power, space and data storage, the team will use the next six months to streamline its device before it undergoes testing.
TOPCAT is funded by Bath University and the Bath Alumni Fund. It is supported by Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Mullard Space Science Laboratory and UK company Chronos Technology.


Will Governor Walz Call of School Statewide Due to Extreme Cold?
Will Governor Walz Call off School Statewide Due to Extreme Cold?
It's supposed to be absolutely freezing Tuesday through Thursday morning. We could hit -50 with wind chill this week! So when does it get so cold that the Governor decides to call off school for the whole state? Well, it seems to vary based on the Governor.
In 1994 Governor Carlson called off school throughout the state when it was -26, -48 with the wind chill.
He did it again in 1996 when it was -34 degrees and a wind chill of -48, but the day prior it was just as cold and school was still on.
The final time Governor Carlson called off school statewide was in 1997 when the temperature was -8 but the wind chill dropped it to -32.
Then in 2014, Governor Dayton called off school when the high was -12 and a wind chill of -48.
If the predictions are correct, our wind chill for this week will be colder than any of the instances listed above. So will Governor Walz call off school? He says he's thinking about it.


Rome Luxury Suites are a collection of three luxury, boutique hotels located in Rome's historic centre, within minutes of its most popular sites and attractions. Rome Luxury Suites provide you with the opportunity to live life as a Roman in your very own luxury suite. Whether you opt for Mario de'Fioro 37, Babuino 181 or Margutta 54, they each have their own unique histories and character yet all boasting the same beautiful Roman design principles of modern comfort and elegance in stunning Italian style. We chose the luxurious Margutta 54 as our Italian 'home away from home', a stunning collection of converted artist's studios, including that of Picasso.
Margutta 54 is the previous home of famous Italian artists such as Picasso, Puccini and Stravinsky, all whom made the beautiful cobblestoned, arty and exclusive Via Margutta their residence. Margutta 54 offers four varieties of suites including the Junior Suite, Superior Suite, Studio Suite and Margutta Suite. We opted for the incredible Studio Suite averaging a huge 65-73 square metres, it is contemporary and offers the highest levels of quality and comfort for your stay in Rome. The suite accommodates up to three people and can be connected to the Superior Suite, creating a two-bedroom apartment, allowing groups or families travelling together the option to stay together. Sophisticated, light and luxurious the suite features the most stunning of Italian design decor and details.
The enormous open-plan suite boasts a king-size bed with the finest Frette linens, divine living and dining area, plush couch with walk in closets and a beautiful marble bathroom with luxurious toiletries. Modern appliances such as flat screen TV, Nespresso machine, air conditioning, mini bar, iPod Dock and complimentary Wi-Fi ensure everything you could possibly need to feel right at home is provided for you. The simple, elegant colours, wood furnishings and original artworks create the most private and luxurious home.
The staff at Margutta 54 are professional, welcoming and friendly. Margutta 54 and Rome Luxury Suites offer you both the benefits, amenities and services of a hotel whilst also providing the privacy, intimacy and luxury of your own suite. Your luxury suite is located just footsteps off the main streets of vibrant Via Margutta. Wander through the gates and into a historic, private palace courtyard boasting numerous historic artist studios. Margutta 54 treats you to the ultimate in peace, elegance, privacy and independence. One of the finest touches that our suite offered was our own discreet entry doors offering the ultimate in privacy. The staff are available to assist with your every need whilst also ensuring your privacy, relaxation and enjoyment throughout your stay. Fresh juice and crossoints are served in the lobby each morning and staff can also arrange for a breakfast basket to be delivered to your suite upon request.
Margutta 54 has the luxury of being located only moments from the Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo with many other famous attractions nearby. The Roman Forum, Pantheon, Colosseum and Trevi Fountain are all within walking distance, just to name a few! It is also located in Rome's major shopping district, with all the luxury brands you could possibly want at your fingertips!
Fellow Rome Luxury Suite hotel, Babuino 181 is located just around the corner and features a wonderful well-stocked rooftop bar with exciting street views and is the perfect location for your Italian welcome drink!
Margutta 54 was the perfect location for our Roman holiday. Living as a Roman in our private, luxurious and contemporary suite with an incredibly exciting history was undoubtedly the most wonderful way to experience The Eternal City. Rome Luxury Suites truly ensure the highest in quality, service and privacy. I cannot recommend Margutta 54 any higher and urge you to consider them for your next stay in Rome. To book or find out more information visit: http://www.romeluxurysuites.com/ you won't regret it!
The Aussie Flashpacker was welcomed to Margutta 554 Luxury Suites as a guest.


Order online or by phone 01618509696.
This product is installed as applying a standard commercial wallcovering. Please see Specifications tab for details. It can be hung horizontally or vertically, to allow for optimum writing area as required. The Flexi Sheet material should be applied using Flexi sheet adhesive (see related items below).
Flexi Sheet has been fire tested at the Building Research Establishment and classified to Euroclass fire resistance classification EN13501-1.
Install Flexi Sheet dry erase magnetically receptive wall covering with Flexi sheet adhesive.
This is a stock item and normally available for immediate dispatch. If you would like delivery the next working day please ensure you select this option during checkout. The cut off time for next day delivery is strictly 3pm.
Delivery lead times and prices are for delivery to Mainland UK address. Please contact us for shipping costs to Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Scottish Highlands & Islands.
Surface is guaranteed for 2 year limited warranty subject to terms and conditions. For full return details please see our terms & conditions page.


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From the Pile on Fr. Kirk's Desk…
Spider-Man and the Beheading of John the Baptist
Year B, Proper 10, 2015
In celebration of Comic-Con wrapping up today in San Diego, and because of the thought of having to wait until late November for Comic-Con to come to Reno, I have to start this morning by getting my "Geek" on.
One of the great super hero quotes of all time comes from the Marvel comics character Ben Parker, the uncle of Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man. To quickly set the scene, Peter, a high school student, has been bitten by a radioactive spider and has acquired certain spider characteristics, or spider powers.
There is of course a romantic interest, and Peter is trying to earn enough money to buy a car in order to impress the love of his life, Mary Jane Watson. Peter sees an ad in the paper that will pay anyone $3,000 who can last three rounds in the ring with a large and heartless professional wrestler.
Uncle Ben gives Peter a ride to the library, from which Peter would then sneak off to the arena and win the grand prize. Before Peter gets out of the car, Uncle Ben gives Peter some sage coming-of-age advice, in response to Peter having beaten up a bully at school. He tells Peter, "Just because you can beat someone up, it doesn't give you the right to… Remember, with great power comes great responsibility."
Well, Peter won the wrestling match and when he goes to collect his winnings, the promoter only gives him $100.00 because Peter did not last three rounds, he won the match in two rounds. Peter protests for being cheated because he needs the $3,000 and is told by the promoter, "I missed the part where that's my problem." As Peter is leaving the office, an armed robber comes in and steals all the money. Peter lets the bad guy just run out. The promoter says to Peter, "You could have taken that guy apart, and now he is getting away with my money," in which Peter responds, "I missed the part where that's my problem."
Peter's moment of irresponsibility, self-righteousness, and revenge leads to the next scene where Peter finds out that the armed robber he let go, had just shot and killed his Uncle Ben and stole his car.
"With great power comes great responsibility."
Today's Gospel gives us an image that is more in line with the Marvel Comic Daredevil than it is with our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Today, we listen to a story about relationships and power that leads to the gruesome outcome of John the Baptist's head on a platter.
Herod made tons of bad choices, but I sort of feel the need to lift him up and celebrate some of the choices he made that were actually good;… choices that stemmed from his relationship with John the Baptist.
There are things in the scriptures that lead scholars to believe that John and Herod's relationship was not so much political, as it was personal. It does not say that John had been preaching against Herod, it reads, "For John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."" John had been telling Herod. If John had been publicly preaching against Herod, Herod would have had no choice but to publicly execute him.
This would have been about him retaining his imbalance of power.
Some think John had been privately advising Herod, which included John's perspective about Herod's relationship with Herodias. This relationship with John was changing Herod's worldview. This change in Herod made Herodias hate John for fear of losing her own power. Some think that Herod arrested John to keep him alive, to protect him from Herodias. Herod feared (respected) John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, thus Herod protected him. When Herod heard John, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to John." You see John was building a relationship with Herod and beginning to shape Herod's way of thinking.
This threatened Herodias and she wanted John dead. Once Herod publicly announced that Herodias' daughter could have anything she wanted, Herodias knew she had found the way to John's death.
Do you see why I sort of want to celebrate Herod? Well, what I really want to celebrate is the relationship between Herod and John the Baptist. John could have hated Herod, but instead he loved his enemy by reaching out to him and building a relationship which had the potential to change history as we know it.
What a loving example John is for reaching out to the king, and what a surprising example Herod is for actually listening to someone he disagreed with. Herod respected John and wanted to protect him as a righteous and holy man. This is how a society built and honor, shame, and power can be changed; this is what loving your enemy looks like; respect and actually listening. It is unfortunate, not only for John but for the world, that the power structure of being the king could not prevent John's death. In relationships, John knew that with great power came great responsibility and he did what he could to change the unjust society he lived in.
Today's Gospel begins, "King Herod heard of the demons cast out and the many who were anointed and cured, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him." But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised."
When Herod heard of the miraculous powers of Jesus, what he saw was a reflection of John the Baptist. What can we walk away with today, that will help us live as a reflection of our teacher, Jesus Christ?
We don't have to be bitten by a radioactive spider to possess the power of a super hero.
As Christians, our powers were revealed to us through the outward and visible sign of the sacrament of Holy Baptism. When we were sealed and marked as Christ's own forever we could no longer deny that the power of God was in us.
What do we choose to do with this power? How do we responsibly live through it?
As Christians, we need to find a way to shed light on our perspective of the truth in any given situation without being righteous and judgmental. Oh, but it is so easy to be judgmental…and we are so good at it. Being judgmental projects a perceived power over others and does not change the world; it only fans the flames of broken relationships.
For John the Baptist to build a relationship with Herod, he had to be able to take on Herod's perspective. John did not have to agree with Herod's perspective, he just needed to be able to see the world from that perspective. Taking on someone's perspective builds empathy and allows actual conversation and relationships to form.
For me, the #1 element of living into our super power of baptism comes through relationships. No one listens to each other in a world built on "US" verses "THEM". This is the reason the Nicene Creed begins with the word "WE". This is the reason we publicly worship together. This is the reason we share a common meal together and the reason each of us equally belongs here. We are in this together as One Body. We are in a relationship of belonging to God and we have the responsibility to live into that relationship as a reflection of Christ and we must be responsible with the power bestowed upon us.
Relationships are hard, but "With great power comes great responsibility"
I wonder if Jesus can be attributed to this quote? He did tell us in Luke chapter 12,
"From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required;"
Sounds like a super hero quote to me.
(If you have found this to be helpful, feel free to share it.)
Who is my Mother? .... Personal Demons .... Who told you that?


UNIVERSITY PARK, PA, March 10, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A Penn State biological control program that saves apple growers over $1 million in insecticide use each year is being threatened by the expected increase in pesticide use due to a new invasive pest, the brown marmorated stink bug.
Pennsylvania's Integrated Pest Management Program has resulted in apple growers using fewer and safer pesticides. IPM promotes the use of safer and more environmentally compatible pest control practices.
At Lerew Farms, which has about 1,000 acres of fresh market apples and processing tart cherries, Penn State tree fruit entomologist Dr. David Biddinger discovered increasing numbers and diversity of beneficial insects in orchards. These beneficial insects significantly reduce outbreaks of secondary pests, such as mites, aphids and leafminers. According to Biddinger, most striking was the lack of outbreaks by the European red mite, a major target of pesticides in the past. "Most growers were averaging about $150 to $200 per acre in insecticide and miticide costs with about one third being spent just to control mites."
In addition, Dr. Biddinger discovered a new mite predator, Typhlodromus pyri, never before seen in Pennsylvania orchards. Effective biological mite control programs in apple using T. pyri existed in parts of New York, New England and Washington, but never in the Mid-Atlantic States despite several intensive surveys. "It was generally thought that T. pyri is a cool region predator that could not adapt to a warmer climate, but an intensive survey of other Pennsylvania fruit farms found it to be present at lower levels on a number of other farms that were using mostly selective insecticides," Biddinger said.
IPM creates an orchard environment where natural enemies of pests can survive. Unlike other mite predators, T. pyri spends its entire life on the tree so that a toxic insecticide application anytime during the season would wipe out the population. "Because T. pyri never leave the tree, it is a more effective mite predator," Biddinger explains."In addition, T. pyri has the unique ability to feed pollen and fungal spores at times when the pest mite prey were very low. Other mite predators can't do this and only move back into the orchard when pest mite populations are high and already causing significant damage."
Once T. pyri was discovered at the Lerew orchard, researchers transferred branch clippings to other orchards in the spring and fall. "Using Lerew's and the Penn State research orchards as two T. pyri 'seed sites', we quickly established the predator in the majority of Pennsylvania's 22,000 acres of apples," said Biddinger. It is estimated that this conservation biological control program is seasonally reducing miticide use in Pennsylvania apple orchards by almost a ton and saves growers over $1 million a year. Not only was controlling mites with miticides expensive for growers, but also it was non-sustainable since the pest mites developed resistance to all new products within three to five years.
The project was facilitated by financial incentives provided to the growers through USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation programs and through conservation guidelines provided by Penn State. T. pyri from the original Lerew Farms site have now been spread and established in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia through similar USDA-NRCS conservation programs.
Unfortunately, the entire tree fruit IPM system is being threatened by a new pest. In 2010, brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) moved into the mid-Atlantic fruit-growing region and did extensive damage to apple and peach crops. Some growers lost 40 percent or more of their crop. Researchers know very little about managing BSMB since this insect is a recent arrival from China and has just begun to severely affect agriculture. According to Biddinger, fruit growers are faced with a terrible choice: extensively and frequently spraying with broad spectrum insecticides to ensure control of BSMB, or not extensively spraying to preserve the IPM system, but risking yield losses and lower profits from BSMB damage. "In either case the cost of production will rise or the supply of apples will decline maybe resulting in higher prices for the consumer."
Research programs investigating safer and cheaper ways to control BSMB are starting, but scientists have much to learn. "In the meantime, fruit growers will do the best they can to manage pests in a safe way, while hopefully not going out of business," says Biddinger.
"Today, I continued to impress upon UGI the need to conduct a thorough investigation of the tragedy in Allentown and to keep the public informed of the investigation. I also pressed UGI on taking every practicable step to prevent another tragedy from happening. Both the private sector and the public sector need to direct greater resources towards accelerating the replacement of aging pipelines. We can replace pipelines, but we cannot replace lives. Federal and state agencies as well as public utilities also need to perform ongoing, comprehensive inspections and provide information to consumers about pipeline safety.
"I will continue to push for an increased focus on pipeline safety by federal and state authorities and companies. And I will closely monitor the progress of UGI's investigation and its actions to correct problems with gas pipelines.
House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), in a recent speech in Nashville, Tenn., said it was our "moral responsibility" to avoid a government shutdown.
We couldn't agree more. So we are now urging him to take a critical step to help take the threat of a government shutdown off the table.
The Senate last week unanimously passed our legislation that would prevent lawmakers and the president from being paid during a government shutdown. A similar bill has been introduced in the House by Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA).
Now is the time for the speaker to show that he means what he says by bringing this important bill up for a vote in the House.
While we may not agree on everything in this budget, lawmakers from both parties should agree on this: If we cannot fulfill our most basic responsibility to keep the government operating, we should not receive a paycheck.
It's a little-known fact that members of Congress and the president are not treated the same as millions of other federal employees — because we're paid through mandatory spending, rather than annual appropriations. In the event of a government shutdown, we would be among the few to continue receiving paychecks.
It's unfair that members of Congress or the president would be paid while millions of other workers who serve the American people would see their paychecks cut off and have to struggle to pay their bills.
Our bill could fix this inequity. It would also go a step further, saying that lawmakers and the president should not be paid retroactively after a shutdown. The message could not be clearer: No budget, no pay.
Boehner supported this same legislation back in 1995, telling a CNN interviewer, "I'd be happy to sign onto that bill right now." The Boxer-Durbin bill passed the Senate, but was blocked by the House.
The American people have a right to expect that Congress will do its work. That means making sure that essential services are not interrupted because of partisan politics.
Social Security checks should not be delayed. Veterans' benefits should not be disrupted. Passports should continue to be issued. Superfund sites should be cleaned. Oil wells should be inspected. Export licenses should be granted. All this would be threatened in a shutdown.
A government shutdown would be a disaster for our nation and our economy. We must end the threat once and for all — and begin work on a responsible budget that will reduce the deficit without putting our economic recovery at risk. Failing to do so would be an abdication of our most fundamental responsibility.
That's why, in a bipartisan spirit, all Democrats and Republicans joined together to pass our bill in the Senate. Now it is time for Boehner to put this "no budget, no pay" bill on the House floor for a vote without delay.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) is the chairwoman of the Environment and Public Works Committee and chairwoman of the Select Committee on Ethics. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) is the chairman of the Joint Economic Committee.
University Park, Pa. -- Get ready for some mandated changes in lighting, warns an energy expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
Effective Jan. 1, 2012, it will be a federal offense for any company, organization or individual in the United States to manufacture or import 100-watt incandescent light bulbs for general-use lighting. Dennis Buffington, professor of agricultural engineering, said California already has banned the 100-watt incandescent bulbs starting this year. The reason for the ban is the availability of other lighting alternatives today that are considerably more energy-efficient than the incandescent bulbs.
"You can continue using your 100-watt incandescent bulbs next year, and you can replace those bulbs with other 100-watt incandescents that you may have in inventory," Buffington said. "But you will be unable to purchase the bulbs after Jan. 1, 2012. In fact, you may not be able to find them in stores during the last few months of 2011."
Smaller sizes of incandescent bulbs for general use will be banned at later dates. Effective Jan. 1, 2013, 75-watt incandescent bulbs will face a similar ban; the 60-watt and 40-watt incandescents will be banned effective Jan.1, 2014.
"Specialty incandescent bulbs will not be subject to these bans," Buffington said. "Specialty bulbs include three-way bulbs, appliance lights, 'bug lights,' colored bulbs, vibration-service and rough-service bulbs, and bulbs used for marine and mining applications."
When searching for an alternative to incandescent bulbs, Buffington advised, evaluate the lights on the basis of lighting efficiency, expressed as lumens per watt. The wattage rating of a bulb merely indicates the wattage of electricity required for input to the bulb. The light output is measured in lumens. Thus, lighting efficiency is expressed as lumens per watt.
"The compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) produces about four times the amount of light that an incandescent bulb produces on a per-watt basis," Buffington explained. "An additional benefit is that the CFL has a life span of about 10,000 hours versus 1,000 hours for a typical incandescent. A disadvantage of the CFL is that the bulb contains both mercury and lead -- potentially hazardous heavy metals."
Although CFL bulbs contain significantly less mercury and lead than they did a decade ago, the bulbs still must be handled in a responsible manner for disposal, Buffington cautioned. Most "big box" home improvement stores now have drop-off sites for proper disposal of the burned-out CFL bulbs, he pointed out.
CFLs now are available in many different sizes, shapes and colors of light (soft white, cool white, warm glow, etc.). The typical CFL sold today is a coiled tube, although some are available with an outer glass shell that hides the coil. The bulbs with the covered coils look like incandescents but with the efficiency and long life of CFLs.
"CFLs that can be used with dimmer switches now are available," Buffington said. "Be careful though. Only the CFLs that are labeled as dimmable on the packaging will function properly when used with a dimmer switch.
"LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs are even more efficient than the CFL, and the life of an LED is longer than the CFL," he said. "LEDs are free of both mercury and lead. But I do not recommend LEDs today simply because they still are too expensive, although the prices have dropped in recent years. I anticipate significant reductions in the price of LEDs within the next five years or so, and then they may be feasible lighting alternatives."
Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) said the 2011-12 state budget proposal presented by Gov. Tom Corbett on Tuesday is a difficult but important first step toward adopting a fiscally responsible spending plan.
"For the first time in eight years, we will finally cut spending," said Causer, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. "State government has been living beyond its means for far too long; that will finally come to an end this year.
Corbett's $27.3 billion budget proposal represents a spending reduction of 3.1 percent, or $866.3 million, when compared to the current year's budget.
Over the next three weeks, Causer and members of the House Appropriations Committee will question administration officials representing all state departments and agencies about their budget needs in an effort to identify additional cuts or funding needs. Based on the information gathered, a budget bill will be introduced into the state House for debate.
A budget must be passed by the end of the fiscal year, June 30. After eight straight years of late budgets during the Rendell administration, Causer said he and legislative leaders are committed to getting the job done on time.
The Port Allegany Borough Council meeting was lively and well attended, Monday night, as borough residents, business persons and employees were on hand to weigh in on snow removal and related issues.
Lucas Johnson led off the discussion by describing how lack of access for fire fighters and equipment had hampered control of an Arnold Avenue fire, and resulted in damage to his garage, located near the structure where the main blaze was located.
Sue Barnett, who operates the Northern Tier Children's Home thrift shop in the south block of the Main Street business district, described her frustration during the height of the snow accumulation from the resent storm. She said customers were unable to reach the NTCH store, and she had to close it for the day.
PennDOT plows Main Street, which coincides with Route 6 and State Route 155 in the borough. Barnett said she had called PennDOT officials and Assemblyman Marty Causer's office. She saw borough snowplows traveling Main Street but had been told the local crew was not assigned to plow that street or the area in front of her store.
Barnett said she realizes that PennDOT is responsible for the street, but believes the borough could deal with the snow during crisis snowfalls. "If you want to keep business in town," Barnett said, the borough must make sure the streets and sidewalks are passable. They could help out along Main Street "as a courtesy," she suggested. She said the owners of NTCH will close the store if she has more days when it cannot do business. She has two employees in the shop. There are residential tenants on the second floor.
Later borough manager Richard Kallenborn said that he had spoken with PennDOT officials who outrank those who had spoken with Barnett, and contrary to what they had told her, the PennDOT crews will plow in the business section even before finishing the rest of Route 6 in the area. He said it would be a matter of notifying those in charge.
Keith Fortner, CEO of First National Bank of Port Allegany, confirmed that changes in traffic patterns are a factor in worsening snow control. He said persons coming into the community from out of town have commented that the street situation seems worse than in some nearby communities.
Fortner suggested that it might be necessary to allocate more funds for snow and ice control.
Council member Dave Fair commented on the number of hill streets and wondered whether they were plowed as promptly as the level streets, drawing a query from one of the borough crew members present, "Where would you like us to start?", which rankled Fair.
The crew members said the borough has only one truck capable of plowing the hill streets.
The responsibility for owners or tenants to clear snow from the public sidewalks along their properties was mentioned, with regard to enforcement of the local ordinance, and the lack of compliance along the south block of the business section. Most storefronts in that block are vacant.
Mayor Don Carley said he agrees that the snow removal situation is a valid concern. Code enforcement officer Dan Dzubak said he has issued warnings but has not given citations and does not know whether the district magistrate would fine people for such violations.
One crew member, mentioning his own many years of service, said the current borough manager is the best manager he has served, because of his knowledge concerning the borough infrastructure and willingness to work with the crew members. Other employees present said they agree.
Present for the meeting was Claudia Camanite, WalkWorks project coordinator, who described her grant funded program. She distributed maps of the route she said would be used for a health benefitting walking program, and secured agreement by the council to erect flags making the ends of trails.
The University of Pittsburgh Center for Rural Health Practice is in charge of the WalkWorks program, Camanite explained, in a presentation to the council.
Council adopted a resolution approving the disposal of certain municipal records. Fortner noted that the bank has scheduled a visit by a shredding service mobile unit in April and offered to have it handle the borough's document disposal at that time.
Another offer by Fortner was to allow borough officials to use the bank's PortAllegany.com website to post public service announcements. He said borough office personnel could be shown how to handle uploads in short order.
LIBERTY VILLA — Where sewer customers are not also water customers, it can be difficult to shut off service for nonpayment of sewer bills.
That has been the situation in Liberty Township, where there are numerous sewer customers who are not water customers, and a small number of them have fallen behind with sewer bill payment.
Sewer hookups in those parts of the township served by the sewer lines were installed without inspection ports and shutoff valves. This has left the township without the enforcement measures used in Port Allegany Borough, for instance, where water-sewer charges are collected together, and nonpayment can be dealt with by shutting off water service.
Having voted earlier to use a sewer shutoff measure as a last resort, to collect overdue sewer bills, Liberty Township supervisors agreed Tuesday night to have plumbing-heating-electrical contractor Tim "Phe" Baxter perform the service interruptions as necessary.
Baxter will do the necessary digging, will breach and plug the sewer connector at the proper area, and will install an inspection and valve arrangement to enable restoration of service. The customer will be responsible for the costs.
Customers in danger of having a physical shut-off performed at their sewer hook-ups will not be taken by surprise, because all of them will have been warned well in advance.
Supervisors Chuck Safford and Fred Ernst III said that, all told, there are thousands of dollars worth of overdue sewer bills on the books, although only a few customers are involved. Some of those are paying on their arrears, though. Good faith efforts will keep the backhoe away, supervisors said.
A few residents in attendance spoke about the conditions of their roads. One called for ditches to be cleared along open Brook Road, and said he has had to repair his driveway repeatedly because of poor ditch maintenance.
Safford, presiding in the absence of chairman Gary Turner, said that the supervisors have adopted a plan concerning road maintenance, listing and prioritizing all sections of the highway system and scheduling work accordingly.
Ernst, who also works on the road crew, noted that there are many reports of potholes, and he expects that there will be others. The severe winter has taken a toll, supervisors observed.
A request by Chuck Boller for snow plowing service at his home in the township, located just past the end of a Port Allegany Borough street, was denied. Safford said that the residence in question has a private drive that was plowed by Port Allegany Borough crews, in the past, perhaps because snowplows were turned around there. Apparently that is not being done now; but the township cannot plow one private drive and refuse to plow others, supervisors said. Boller was not present.
There was a discussion of meeting minute guidelines, and public access to the tape recordings made by Secretary Cindy Speeth. The upshot was that the tapes are for the secretary's use, to assist her in preparing accurate minutes; that minutes are the official record of the meetings; and that they do not need to be detailed to the point of including full dialog or lengthy quotes, so long as they include all business conducted and mention major topics of discussion.
It was agreed that road bonding by Dawson Geophysical Co. will include a provision for extra maintenance, to cover the expected necessity for virtual replacement of road bed and surface, after the company's use.
SMETHPORT—The McKean County Board of Commissioners covered a full agenda Tuesday morning, with chairman Joe DeMott and commissioner Judy Church handling all the business with unanimous votes, in the absence of commissioner Al Pingie.
One significant decision came at the end of the meeting, being added virtually on the fly to allow for rapid implementation. With the McKean County Jail ready to put its new, detached work release facility into service, freeing up considerable space in the main jail, the commissioners decided to change the approach they had earlier approved for reconfiguring that space.
The new plan is to utilize the former work release cell area in such as way as to create the maximum number of additional cells. Earlier the plan had been to create some new "regular" cells, and two "high security cells" which would have been self-contained and required much more floor space each.
The revised plan will add a net of 20 to the capacity of the main jail. Commissioners said gaining inmate capacity is a greater need than the need for specialized high security cells. So long as so many McKean County prisoners have to be farmed out to facilities in nearby counties, the per-diem charges to the county and transportation and labor costs for getting them back and forth for hearings and trials are a considerable financial and operational burden to the county and its correctional system.
DeMott said the additional cells will save the county about $387,000 a year in "board" costs alone, not counting transportation.
DeMott said the new work release building has its occupancy permit and can go into use any time.
In another addition to the prepared agenda, the commissioners approved a right-of-way grant allowing National Fuel Gas to erect the necessary installation on county-owned land at the site of the new Domestic Relations building near the jail. The installation is needed for gas service to the DomRel facility.
The commissioners agreed to enter into an agreement with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency in connection with a $1,360,000 grant for providing training manuals for conducting hazardous materials planning and training.
Also approved was a maintenance agreement with Karpinski's Office Systems (KOS) of Coudersport, covering fax machines in the prothonotary's office, at an annual cost of $334.80.
Another maintenance agreement approved was with Cleveland Brothers Equipment Company, Inc., covering the generators at the 911 Center and at Prospect, Hedgehog and Gibbs Hill tower sites.
The Borough of Kane's Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance (LERTA) program was approved for renewal, by the adoption of an enabling resolution.
The commissioners agreed to pay Eldred Township $6,854 for their completed liquid fuels fund supported project. They also approved a 2011 county aid allocation of $1,325 to Corydon Township for road base materials for Wolf Run Road, and an allocation of $7,812 to Kane Borough for a paving project.
In two real estate tax exemptions, the commissioners recognized the new status of 1,457.5 acres in Norwich Township and 4,045 acres in Sergeant Township, which had been privately owned but which have been sold to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).
The county received $50,000 in cash to compensate for current tax revenue, and henceforth there will be payments in lieu of taxes to the taxing authorities involved.
The wooded tracts are expected to be timbered under approved programs, and to be utilized to some extent for recreational purposes.
William Gibble, of 211 Main Street, Bradford, was given a 2011 LERTA exemption for the former Hotel Bradford building where the ground floor is being renovated.
Jill Martin Rend of Butler County Community College (BC3 @ Upper Allegheny) gave a presentation concerning the online and face-to-face degree programs being initiated, and their availability to adults and in-school students in McKean County.
Weeks ago an Associated Press (AP) story provoked the Marcellus Shale Coalition's ire. It peppered media and e-mail recipients of its newsletter with strongly worded messages taking issue with the AP story.
Now it's the N.Y. Times, where a series by Ian Urbina has begun running. Urbina's first piece asserts, among other things, that water used in hydrofracking is being inadequately treated before discharge into waterways, and can contaminate drinking water. Regulation and monitoring are dangerously lax, according to the first article in the series.
Predictably, the Coalition is waxing indignant. Other readers are weighing in, too. Senator Bob Casey (D, Pennsylvania) is expressing alarm about radiation and other contamination reaching the public and calling for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) action and legislation to deal with the threat.
Penn State experts are among those utilized by the Coalition in its support of an industry-friendly stance by state and local government and regulatory agencies at all levels. But the local face of Penn State U seen in its Extension and Agriculture services has worn a worried look, and its public education efforts have advocated protection of the aquifer from unintended consequences of exploration and drilling.
Urbina's inaugural piece in the series mentions activities in numerous locations, but focuses on Pennsylvania enough to have the Coalition thoroughly aroused.
"The risks are particularly severe in Pennsylvania, which has seen a sharp increase in drilling, with roughly 71,000 active gas wells, up from about 36,000 in 2000. The level of radioactivity in the wastewater has sometimes been hundreds or even thousands of times the maximum allowed by the federal standard for drinking water. While people clearly do not drink drilling wastewater, the reason to use the drinking-water standard for comparison is that there is no comprehensive federal standard for what constitutes safe levels of radioactivity in drilling wastewater," wrote Urbina.
The head of the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources until recently, John H. Quigley, is quoted as decrying the lack of an adequate plan for dealing with radioactive waste and harmful chemicals brought to the surface in Marcellus shale drilling operations. But a Department of Environmental Protection former chief, John Hanger, has supported the Coalition's debunking efforts.
Urbina states that shale drilling is bringing and will bring greater dangers to environment and health than have been understood, or prepared for, or dealt with in laws and regulations. Unless that situation changes, the Times article emphasizes, drinking water contamination is the likely outcome, and it can be expected to be harmful to our health.
The Times story says it relies on a number of studies, including some that have not been made public. The studies indicate that checks of drinking water supplies and also of wastewater treatment plant output are too infrequent to protect the public, and that treatment methods now in use are not designed, or able, to remove all the classes of contaminants present in shale drilling waste water.
The story depicts EPA as being lax concerning radioactivity levels in drinking water, and failing to require safeguards some studies show to be needed.
And if the risk radioactive contaminants in drinking water are not dangerous as such, to users, the introduction to those contaminants to the food chain is of real significance, the Times story says, and the harmful effect will be cumulative.
In this area, the fact that horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing of gas-bearing shale add up to a whole new way to get at natural gas is widely understood. Everyone has heard of "the Marcellus shale" and that a gas drilling and producing boom is anticipated. The probable effects on the economy and roads have been discussed.
Locals tend to welcome the idea of jobs, and upticks in business and housing demand, and economic development opportunities. At the same time, there is concern about damage to rural roads, bridges and culverts, soon to be trafficked by heavy trucks and machinery rural roads were not designed to carry.
There have been concerns about streams, on the part of such groups as the Upper Allegheny Watershed Association and Trout Unlimited, which have been organizing volunteer monitoring teams.
Those concerns are closer to the ones raised in the Times article. They are about water. After all, the hydro in hydrofracking as about water. The significant difference in this kind of drilling, from the technology used in previous natural gas drilling many area residents are familiar with, is the use of water, injected at high pressure, carrying chemicals and sand with it, breaking up tiny pockets and releasing precious methane.
It isn't just sand pumpings in pits that present a disposal problem. It is millions of gallons of water, regurgitated, recovered, from those far deeper wells, in shale drilling. Where will it go?
The water is reused, sometimes many times, as the Coalition likes to emphasize. Reuse for more fracking doesn't require much but careful storage, reinjection and re-recovery. Recycling means that less water has to be withdrawn from regular water supplies, including area streams. Otherwise, the demand might outstrip what local streams can provide, and lower water levels enough to degrade stream quality and stress associated animal and plant life.
And recycling means less "used" frack water will have to be discharged. If it can be cleaned acceptably, just as other waste water must be (think sewage treatment plants), disposal will be through a treatment plant and out the other side.
Or maybe disposal will be into a well drilled specifically for that purpose, the Times story suggests. But ask Penn State Water Quality specialist Jim Clark, a well-known figure and apostle of aquifer protection, and he will say that isn't a good option. Previous drilling activity already has resulted in creation of much underground storage of drilling "brine." Clark says the state is "Swiss cheese" as it is, due to past gas drilling activities.
Various sources agree that extensive use of underground repositories for used fracking water would have to be so far down, and in such impermeable formations, that it would be impractical to rely heavily on that method.
The demand for water at well sites has been seen as a possible "boon from the boom" for some municipalities. Companies are gearing up to supply water for fracking, and they would be willing to buy effluent from sewage treatment plants. Port Allegany Borough has cooperated with one such company by providing for an alternate discharge from the treatment plant, to storage tanks erected by the company on its land near the plant.
The water would be purchased from the borough and transported in tanker trucks to drilling sites. The borough would receive revenue, the water would be recycled. "It's a win-win," said borough manager Richard Kallenborn in describing the plan to the borough council.
At the time, there was no concern that recovered frack water could be untreatable by the plant, or harmful to the river or a threat to water supply safety even after conventional treatment. Stricter regulations or enforcement, and the addition of testing procedures to measure contaminants not being tested for now, could alter that win-win equation.
Paul McCurdy, environmental specialist for Ridgway Borough's sewage treatment operation, told the Times the Ridgway plant is taking in around 20,000 gallons of drilling waste a day. Currently treatment plants are not required to test for radioactive waste, and not equipped to remove it if it is present.
For that matter, DEP isn't equipped to deal with the volume or the changing profile of waste, an unnamed agency inspector is quoted as admitting. Legislation now being considered would require treatment plants to begin testing for radioactivity in wastewater.
In fact, Governor Tom Corbett has said regulation of the gas industry (under the administration of his predecessor, Governor Ed Rendell) has been too aggressive.
"I will direct the Department of Environmental Protection to serve as a partner with Pennsylvania businesses, communities and local governments," Corbett says on his website.
The Times statement that Pennsylvania is the only state that allows drillers to discharge much of their waste through sewage treatment plants into rivers is followed by a Coalition statement that the vast majority of produced water is reused in drilling operations.
Quoting a source as saying an average of 90 percent of the water that returns to the surface in a drilling operation is reused, the Coalition does not explain how that bears on the discharge of drilling water into rivers, through treatment plants, after reuse.
The DEP performed nearly 5,000 inspections of Marcellus Shale drilling sites last year, about twice as many as in the previous year, the Coalition says.
The Times story's statement that there has been a steep increase in drilling, with 71,000 active gas wells, up from 36,000 in 2000, is juxtaposed by the Coalition with the information that only 2,498 of those wells are horizontal Marcellus wells.
Also, the Coalition complains that Urbina quoted, but did not interview, Hanger, according to a statement on Hanger's blog.
Senator Casey's reaction to the widely discussed Times piece included letters to acting DEP secretary Michael Krancer and EPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson.
Casey is sponsoring the "FRAC" Act, short for Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals, and on-the-job training act to provide grants for training local Marcellus Shale-related jobs, and the FASTER Act, short for Faster Action Safety Team Emergency Response to deal with safety concerns and emergency response at well sites.
Dave Sewak, a field organizer for the Seneca Chapter of Trout Unlimited specializing in Marcellus Shale matters, will present "Marcellus Play in PA" at the Vo-Tech (Seneca Highlands Career and Technology Center) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 23.
The 30-minute presentation will cover hydrofracking, environmental concerns, and TU's activities relating to it.
WalkWorks - Thinking of starting a walking routine? Your timing couldn't be better! The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health has teamed up with the Pennsylvania Department of Health on an important project called WalkWorks.
Identify and mark safe walking routes that are accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
Establish guided community-based walking groups.
Impact policy related to pedestrian transportation in the built environment.
WalkWorks is mapping and marking the trails, letting you know where they are and getting groups together in you community to get out and get walking.
Sign up and get or stay healthy and fit and shed a few pounds just in time for summer.
If you would like to participate either as a group leader or just to go out and have fun with peers Please contact: Claudia Caminite, Coordinator, WalkWorks, (814) 362-5044.
SMETHPORT—Tenants in 216 public housing units operated by the McKean County Housing Authority (MCHA), and 102 more owned by the non-profit affiliate A Partnership In Housing, should be breathing easier since March 1.
That's when a new policy became effective, making all those apartments smoke-free, according to Dusti Dennis, executive director of the MCHA.
The new policy had been under consideration for some time, in keeping with a 2009 recommendation from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department.
Last December the MCHA board of directors voted to make all its properties smoke-free as of March 1, 2011. This followed a period when MCHA tenants had been given a copy of the proposed policy and invited to comment in writing. In the comment period most residents who responded expressed approval of the change. A survey found that come 27 percent of the residents were smokers.
Reasons HUD has given for recommending that local housing agencies implement no-smoking rules include fire safety, second-hand smoke migrating to other residents' air space, and cleaning costs after smoker move-outs as much as double those for non-smokers.
Dennis noted that many tenants in multifamily buildings and elderly housing complexes have respiratory disorders and other health challenges, and some families include young children, with all of those situations representing a need to avoid exposure to tobacco smoke.
Some residents will find it hard to stop smoking, Dennis concedes. MCHA anticipated that, and has worked with the Bradford Regional Medical Center to assist residents in learning about the smoking cessation services offered at the hospital. Dennis hopes some residents will decide to quit smoking, thus benefiting themselves, in addition to the air quality and health benefits that will result throughout the public housing and housing partnership buildings.
Not included in the smoke-free policy are the 240 participants who receive housing subsidies through the Section 8 program. The units they live in are privately owned, and the landlords establish their own policies concerning smoking.
More information is available by calling Dennis at 887-5563.
Recognized - A Unit Citation was presented to (pictured left to right) Lieutenant Lucas Johnson, Captain Alex Johnson, Firefighter Robert Roys, Firefighter Robert Roys and Firefighter Wayne Stambaugh (not pictured) for their actions at an October 2010 fire in which they located and removed an occupant from a fire building. The presentation was made at the Star Hose Co. #1 annual banquet which was the first formal event for the fire company in 2011, the year in which the fire department celebrates their 125th Anniversary. More photos from this event appear on this week's picture page.
STAR HOSE BANQUET - Star Hose Co. #1, Port Allegany Fire Department held their annual Firemen's Banquet on Saturday, March 6. The banquet was the first formal event for the fire company in 2011, the year in which the fire department celebrates their 125th Anniversary.
The program for the evening was provided by McKean county District Attorney Raymond Learn. Mr. Learn spoke about some of the high profile arson cases that have occurred in the county over the past several years.
Following the program, awards were presented to the following: Service Awards went to Dave Lacher, 1 year; Dawn Spencer, 20 years; Brian Evens, Kevin Ernst, Dan Roys, Dave Hobbs, 25 years; Robert Hartle, 30 years; Rod Johnson, 35 years; and Charles Guncheon and Lee Stahlman with 45 years. The Past Chief award was presented to Kevin Ernst for his service as Chief of Department for eight of the past nine years.
The Sig Anderson Training Award was presented to Lucas Johnson for having the highest number of formal training hours of any member.
A Unit Citation was presented to Captain Alex Johnson, Lieutenant Lucas Johnson, Firefighter Nathan Kio, Firefighter Robert Roys, and Firefighter Wayne Stambaugh for their actions at an October 2010 fire in which they located and removed an occupant from the fire building.
Lenten Services Luncheon - The Lenten Luncheons, sponsored by the Port Allegany Ministerium, began Wednesday March 9 at the First Presbyterian Church located on Church Street (behind the former Arby's building). The first speaker was Rev. Laverne Howard of the Sartwell Creek Church. Week two speaker is Rev. John Lapp from the Two Mile Mennonite Church; Week three speaker will be Rev. Daniel Fuller from the Free Methodist Church and the last speaker in March will be Rev. J. T. Madison from the Covenant Church. Services begin at 12:05. A light lunch is served following the service. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Dougherty-Marth Engagement - Howard and Luann Dougherty of Lemoyne are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Erin Lynn to Robert Marth III, the son of Robert, Jr. and Debbie Marth of Jacksonville, FL.
Miss Dougherty graduated from Millersville University with dual degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education. She obtained her Master's degree in Educational Leadership from Wilkes University and is employed as an Emotional Support teacher at the E. T. Richardson Middle School in the Springfield School District in Springfield. She is a resident of Aston. She is the granddaughter of the late Louis and Marjorie Zlobec of Port Allegany.
Also an Aston resident, Mr. Marth graduated from Penn State University College of Engineering with a degree in Computer Engineering. He obtained his master's degree in Applied Statistics from Villanova University and he is the manager of Integrated Distribution Systems in the reimbursement analyst department of Independence Blue Cross in Philadelphia.
A July 16, 2011 wedding is being planned.


text:
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How do I get the cookies from the initial call? I am already using axios-cookiejar-support

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Can scrap iron maintain its status quo?
Commodity Focus // Ferrous
Demolition contractors have enjoyed steady ferrous scrap pricing so far in 2018 but must wait and see if trade disputes rock the boat of the steel industry.
Steelmakers in North America are enjoying healthy industry conditions, which helped keep ferrous scrap prices relatively strong and stable throughout the first eight months of 2018 despite a slight dip in August.
Demolition contractors who want those prices to stay in their current range ($330 to $400 per ton paid by the mill) may need to look at global trading patterns to determine whether their expectations can be met through the end of the year.
The United States' status as a net scrap iron and steel exporter usually means enough scrap has to flow offshore each month for overall demand to meet supply. The current combined domestic and export demand has provided the underpinnings for strong pricing.
If some combination of tariffs, an overly strong U.S. dollar and offshore economic woes in nations such as Turkey and Taiwan spoils the global market for U.S. scrap, steelmakers in the U.S., even if healthy, will be happy to pay less for the secondary raw material.
Prosperity at home
Late July and early August saw a succession of U.S.-based steelmakers announce earnings reports that demonstrated they operated on healthy profit margins from April through June.
Charlotte, North Carolina-based steelmaker Nucor Corp. reported record profits in its second quarter results. The electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaker, which predominantly melts scrap to make its steel, reported in late July what it referred to as "record-setting second quarter profits" and a first half that yielded $1 billion in net income.
John Ferriola, the company's chairman, CEO and president, says, "We have increased our workforce by 18 percent and invested $8 billion since the last cyclical peak in 2008. Now, against the backdrop of a strong market and economy, we are capitalizing on those investments to move up the value chain and profitably grow our company."
About one week later, another EAF steelmaker, Fort Wayne, Indiana-based Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI), reported second quarter net sales of $3.1 billion and net income of $362 million. Those figures topped its first quarter net income of $228 million, representing a 59 percent boost in profits.
Mark Millet, SDI's president and CEO, characterized the U.S. steel market by saying, "Domestic steel demand remained strong from the automotive, construction and energy sectors, while general industrial demand continued to grow."
The combination of stable scrap iron prices and a U.S. economy that has stayed on a growth track since its dismal 2009 performance also has helped the demolition sector generate scrap.
Ventura, California-based Standard Industries engages in both demolition work and scrap processing and shipping activities. From his vantage point in Southern California, the company's trading manager Martin Berkowitz says 2018 has been an active year on the demolition front.
"Demo activity is up significantly," Berkowitz says. He cites a combination of heavy industrial and commercial tear-down work (in preparation for new construction), as well as government-related work, for keeping Standard's demolition business unit busy. Unfortunately, additional work in his part of the country has come in the form of "wildfire recovery," Berkowitz says.
In Winona, Minnesota, Willie Miller of Wm. Miller Scrap Iron and Metal, says his smaller market region is not seeing widespread demolition activity (although a major bridge project over the Mississippi River between Winona and neighboring Wisconsin is one exception). Regarding the stable scrap pricing, Miller says, "If people have a big project that needs to get done, I don't think the [current] scrap pricing would stop them from doing [it]."
The plate and structural (P&S) grade of scrap often harvested from demo work can track closely with the benchmark heavy melting steel (HMS) grades of obsolete scrap.
On the West Coast, Berkowitz says P&S pricing saw "a nice steady increase earlier this year, but that seems to have hit a brick wall—or perhaps—a steel wall." He says, "The spread between HMS versus P&S has typically been $10 to $15 per metric ton, but current spreads are running in the $15 to $20 range."
The positive financial results from U.S.-based steelmakers provide optimism to demolition contractors that scrap iron and steel prices can avoid taking any sudden plunges. However, contractors and recyclers may need to keep their eyes on several other data points to figure out where the market will head toward the end of 2018.
Fraught with freight worries
Secondary aggregates producers and construction and demolition contractors are among the business owners and managers who have been decrying the shortage of available truck drivers in the current labor market. Scrap metal recyclers are bemoaning the same circumstance, saying both hiring drivers and finding freight service solutions has become a critical challenge.
At April's ISRI2018 convention in Las Vegas, which was organized by the Washington-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, the difficult state of booking and paying for freight services was the topic of a special session.
Bill Sullivan, executive vice president for advocacy of the Arlington, Virginia-based American Trucking Associations (ATA), said during the session that addressing such bottlenecks is a priority for customers as well as trucking firms that must pay the drivers' wages and strive to maintain full schedules.
Sullivan said the ATA estimates that there is a truck driver shortage in the United States of 50,000 people. With the average age of drivers currently hovering near 51, the shortage may only worsen. (An update from Sullivan can be found in an essay he authored for the July issue of Recycling Today magazine.)
These problems were summarized in early August by Joel Litman of Dallas-based Texas Recycling. Litman's company has its roots in the cardboard and paper recycling industry, but the firm has expanded into the ferrous scrap sector this decade.
Whether shipping cardboard or scrap iron, Litman says, "Freight continues to plague us." He adds, "Truck availability is tight. There are fewer drivers on the road, and not many younger people are moving into the industry."
Earlier in 2018, a scrap recycler in Minnesota commented that booking trucks was made difficult during the winter because of the number of trucks contracted to haul rock salt to keep the roads clear. In August, another Midwestern recycler decried a different seasonal factor affecting shipping, saying, "Harvest season in the Midwest could make shipping a little more difficult."
What's free and what's fair?
Speaking at a ferrous scrap-related session at the Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) convention in Barcelona in May, Jason Schenker of Austin, Texas-based Prestige Economics pointed to potential damage from Trump administration tariffs as having the ability to cause disruptions in the global steel and ferrous scrap markets. "Tariffs are like cockroaches, there's never just one," Schenker said in the session.
Speaking at the same session, George Adams of Orange, California-based SA Recycling LLC commented upon economic concerns in Turkey, saying, "New steel exports from Turkey decreased in the month of March by more than 15 percent, creating less demand for U.S. scrap." Turkish steelmakers have been "hit hard" by the Section 232 tariffs on imported steel imposed by the Trump administration, according to Adams.
Turkish mills are the largest overseas buyers each year for U.S. ferrous scrap, so the status of the Turkish economy can be an outsized factor in ferrous scrap pricing (compared to most other aspects of the U.S. economy).
The Turkish economy is not providing especially good news for scrap generators, such as demolition contractors, in 2018. Re-elected Turkish President Recep Erdoan is consolidating his power for the long term in the opinions of many observers and, in the process, is enacting policies and making appointments of concern to economic analysts.
In early July, Erdoan replaced an established and experienced chief economic advisor with his son-in-law. The appointment drew a hostile reaction from investors and currency traders, sending both the nation's stock market index and its currency value sharply downward. As of early August, the Turkish lira had dropped 27 percent in value in 2018 against the U.S. dollar.
Media reports began circulating in July that Turkish mills were increasing their scrap buying from domestic sources and from Russia. If the Turkish lira continues to slide against the dollar, it could further disrupt Turkey's purchasing habits in the United States.
The negative sentiment in Turkey could be one reason domestic steel mills in the U.S. tried to offer lower bids for scrap in early July and again in early August. If Turkey's economy hits a rough patch, processors on the East Coast will quickly turn inward to domestic mills if they need to sell their scrap, which would create a supply surplus.
Striking a balance between free and fair trade has been a core issue for the Trump administration. Schenker's prediction about tariffs emerging like cockroaches has proven accurate, particularly in regard to China. China has issued counter-tariffs on scrap materials, including copper and aluminum, which is not especially good news for demolition contractors who yield those materials.
China is not, however, an especially big buyer of ferrous scrap from the U.S. "We haven't shipped ferrous scrap to the PRC [People's Republic of China] in many years," Berkowitz says.
Summarizing the rest of the West Coast export market, Berkowitz says, "Taiwan and Vietnam are regular buyers, and there is increased demand from India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia."
Reading the tea leaves
Where ferrous scrap prices head in the closing months of 2018 will depend on how the aforementioned domestic and global economic (and industry-specific) trade winds blow.
The profits made by scrap-melting steelmakers like Nucor and SDI show their margins are very much intact. Both steelmakers also reported increases in tons produced in the first half of 2018 compared to the first half of 2017.
In SDI's case, there may not be much room for immediate growth. SDI says its mills operated at 99 percent of capacity in the second quarter of 2018, up from 94 percent in the first quarter and 92 percent (on average) in 2017.
The Washington-based American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) measures overall steel output in the United States on a weekly basis. As of early August, AISI reported year-to-date steel output in the U.S. of 55.4 million tons, produced at a mill capacity rate of 76.8 percent.
That output figure is up by 3.5 percent compared to the 53.5 million tons made during the same period in 2017 when the mill capacity rate was 74.4 percent.
AISI also maintains figures on steel imports into the U.S., which seem to be showing that the 2 million tons of increased U.S. output is indeed, as the Trump administration intended, being countered by a decrease in steel imports.
In late July, AISI reported that its review of U.S. Census Bureau data showed that the U.S. imported a total of 2.48 million tons of steel in June, down 15.5 percent compared to the month before.
In the first half of 2018, total and finished steel imports checked in at 17.87 million tons, down 9.3 percent, or 1.8 million tons, compared to the first half of 2017.
The price of iron and steel scrap, however, may not change greatly based on where steel is produced, but rather, on total global steel output.
Again, as of early August, the data points were encouraging. Figures collected by the Brussels-based World Steel Association (WorldSteel) show global steelmakers produced 5.8 percent more steel (an additional 39 million metric tons) in the first six months of 2018 compared to the first half of 2017.
In terms of the global economy, there could be a gray cloud on the horizon regarding how steelmakers in Turkey fare in the second half of 2018. The status of the Chinese economy is also a concern. Although China does not import great amounts of scrap, it does produce nearly one-half of the world's steel.
Should the Chinese economy, which has been growing steadily and, often, rapidly for about three decades finally see a large scaling back of spending on infrastructure and high-rise buildings, a glut of finished and semifinished steel will inevitably hit the global market.
In the U.S., although passenger car sales declined in July, the sale of metals-intensive pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles continued pace—good news for steelmakers.
In terms of the U.S. construction sector, demolition contractors will be among the first to be able to gauge how that industry is faring based on the number of project bids in the pipeline. When construction and demolition activity declines, the sale of steel beams and the price of scrap iron at the scale tend to drop with it.
The author is an editor with the Recycling Today Media Group and can be contacted at btaylor@gie.net.
Nailing the estimate
A step in the right direction


Getting HD footage of recording sessions is now possible with our new line of GoPro cameras. The music enthusiasts at GoPro have done an impressive job making cameras and mounts for us to capture stunning footage of musicians in the studio. We just started shooting footage this month and the sessions we've started editing look amazing. We can capture overhead views of the drums, clamp cameras to the necks of guitars and basses, and mount multiple angles in the vocal booth. Once the edits start getting finished, we'll be posting the videos to our YouTube channel. Bands that want to use the footage for music videos & documentaries can purchase the digital video files. We will also provide video editing at the studio at our regular hourly rate or clients can include it into the flat-rate quote for projects. More details to come soon. Once we have a few videos up for viewing, clients can decide how they'd like to set up the cameras to capture the studio sessions.
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