Author: Serkadis

Article Tags: Edward Lane

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbot recently filed a lawsuit against the federal government regarding global warming a subject that is much discussed when people get together here in Wichita Falls it seems. How does global warming affect people in Wichita Falls? How will any changes in the government’s plans of reducing global warming affect jobs in Wichita Falls if it is determined that it is not man-made?

The national news media has headlined Abbott’s lawsuit as the first of its kind.

What is the basis for this lawsuit?

Abbott is challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s finding that gases blamed for global warming threaten public safety.

More than 500 scientists have published evidence refuting the current man-made global warming scare, according to a new analysis of peer-reviewed literature by the Hudson Institute.

Dennis Avery, a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, said, “Of the 500 scientists who have refuted at least one element of the global warming theory, more than 300 have found evidence that a natural moderate 1,500 climate cycle has produced more than a dozen global warmings similar to the current circumstances since the last Ice Age and that such warnings are linked to variations in the sun’s irradiance.”

Source: examiner.com

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I breastfed all three of my boys for 11-16 mths. I did this because it was the best thing for them, but it seems that under Obamacare the tax payers will also benefit from my three years and five months of nursing…

“…900 lives, in addition to billions of dollars, can be saved if 90 percent of babies born in the United States were breastfed, even if they are nursed for only six months. This conclusion is the result of a recent study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

The findings suggest that breastfeeding can help prevent hundreds of deaths and many costly illnesses each year, including stomach viruses, each infections, asthma, juvenile diabetes, Sudden infant Death Syndrome and even some cancers like childhood leukemia.

In the United States, an estimated 43 percent of U.S. mothers breast feed their babies for six months, but not exclusively. Only 12 percent of babies received breast milk exclusively for six months.

The low breastfeeding rate is estimated to cost $13 billion. ” (Read the entire story)

Left to right: Kathy Sierra (World Bank), Carlos Perez del Castillo (CGIAR), Rudy Rabbinge (CGIAR) and Busani Bafana.

Zimbabwean journalist Busani Bafana is the 2009 recipient of the Award for Excellence in Agricultural Science Journalism, described by CGIAR as”[a] professional who has put his way with words at the service of Africa’s agriculture”.

In a story entitled “A Better Banana for Africa,” which Bafana wrote for Inter Press Service (IPS) Africa, he reports on efforts in Kenya to improve banana yields and health, which are keys to “Africa’s potential banana boom.”

Bafana’s article offers a close-up view of the research, allowing readers to look over scientists’ shoulders, as it were, while they work with skill and commitment to provide farmers with more productive, disease-free plants.

The panelists were impressed by the nominee’s coverage of banana tissue culture to combat the crop’s diseases and improve its yields in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the background information and opinions sought to effectively highlight this issue to the public.

In a letter endorsing Bafana’s nomination, Terna Gyuse, regional editor for IPS Africa, lauded the reporter for his sustained effort to “portray the realities of the agricultural sector, with a particular emphasis on the voices and experiences of the small farmers who are the backbone of the continent’s food security.”

Bafana received the award at a conferment ceremony on March 29, 2010 at the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD 2010) in Montpellier, France.

The winning article can be accessed here “A Better Banana for Africa“.

Disease-free plantations are essential to the production of the five billion dollars of bananas sold annually. Credit: Busani Bafana/IPS

Olha gente, eu me lembro de quando eu era criança, que haviam muitas carcaças de automóveis abandonadas pelas ruas aqui da cidade, e dava dó de ver os carros naquela situação. E nem eram carros super caros, eram modelos simples da época. E até hoje a sensação de dó que tenho é a mesma… A mesma sensação que tive ao ver esse Jaguar XJ220 na situação da foto acima.

Segundo o blog Crank and Piston, o carro estava apenas com 900 Km rodados no hodômetro e foi encontrado no Catar. Apesar de não haverem muitos detalhes sobre o que aconteceu com o carro, parece que ele foi vendido por uma concessionária da Jaguar em Dubai e a última vez que ele foi visto em bom estado foi há seis anos atrás, bonitinho e brilhando. Mas de alguma maneira, o carro apareceu largado, empoeirado e abandonado em alguma rua do Catar.

A pessoa que tirou as fotos, Mick Bramley, mantém um registro fotográfico dos carros que passam por suas mãos, e ele tinha uma foto do 220 em sua época de glória. Sua maior surpresa foi encontrar o mesmo carro nessa situação deprimente, e confirmar que era o mesmo que havia guardado em suas fotos (pois o modelo é o número 132 da série), com toda a sua beleza. Por que não me dão esse carro tomam alguma atitude e tiram o carro de lá?

Imagens do carro abandonado no Catar

Via | Piston Heads

Article Tags: Philip Foster

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Want to know what happens when you increase the liability of third parties for copyright infringement? Stories of shops refusing to print digital photos. We’ve seen it for a while in the US. Five years ago we had stories of photoshops in the US refusing to make prints on photos because of the assumption that they must infringe on someone’s copyrights. Wal-Mart got caught up in the story a few years back when an employee made some clueless statements about copyright in refusing to make prints of certain images — and there was a repeat story just a few months ago.

It appears that a similar story is playing itself out across the pond in the UK, where the popular retailer Boots apparently refused to print one woman’s photos because they were seen as “too good” for her to have taken, and therefore must be infringing on someone’s copyrights (thanks to Dave Michels for sending this in). The woman even got a signed letter, and when that didn’t work, came back with the (pregnant) woman who was in the photos to let the staff know that these photos were, indeed, legit and not covered by someone else’s copyright. The store still said no.

And, of course, this sort of thing only becomes as bigger and bigger issue as amateur photographers improve. Of course, it’s easy to put the blame on Boots or the employees here for being over-zealous (or, as Boots put it, “over-cautious”), but the real issue is what we’ve turned copyright law into these days, where people are taught to fear being involved in anything that might possibly infringe, as it may lead to lawsuits or a loss of an internet connection or whatever. As copyright laws get more ridiculous, we’re teaching people to not move forward if they don’t know for sure — and that can create a massive stifling of creativity and expression.

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The Program Coordinator for SEE is responsible for a very important area of student life at the University of Maryland, College Park. SEE is a dynamic student organization that sponsors small and large-scale concerts, lectures, comedy, and cultural events that educate and entertain.

The Coordinator is a member of the Engagement Team, which is a part of the Campus Programs unit within the Adele H. Stamp Student Union – Center For Campus Life. The team is composed of staff, who advise student organizations and coordinate programs to enhance student engagement opportunities at the University. The Coordinator reports to the Assistant Director of Engagement.

The Coordinator works directly with this area and with over 100 colleagues in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union – Center for Campus Life to create and sustain a student-centered environment that promotes academic success and personal development; serves as a safe and inviting campus center; and is characterized by a strong commitment to multiculturalism, excellence, and a positive work environment.

Primary Advisor to SEE
The Program Coordinator serves as the primary advisor to SEE, the largest student programming board on campus comprised of 22 volunteer Directors and 100+ members, while managing an annual budget in excess of $500,000. Duties include working closely with student leaders to insure a diverse and nationally renowned series of popular concerts, lectures, comedy, film and cultural entertainment events. Strive to enhance both the academic, personal, and co-curricular development of the student population. Serve as primary liaison between SEE and agents, managers, and promoters in negotiation of contractual agreements for performances. Role also includes contract negotiations and corporate sponsorships.

Graduate Student Supervision
Supervise two graduate assistant advisors in translating student development theory into practice.

For more information, contact Alice Bishop at ambishop {at} umd(.)edu

Article Tags: Anthony Watts, ClimateGate, Joe Daleo

After admitting that the United States’ own climate data was worse than the Climategate-tainted University of East Anglia’s, two U.S. Senators are demanding answers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

“In light of recent revelations and scientific reports, we are contacting you regarding our continued concerns with the apparent declining credibility of United States climate data,” wrote Senators John Barraso of Wyoming and Louisiana’s David Vitter in a letter to NASA administrator Charles Bolden. “With almost ten percent unemployment, America cannot afford to base its energy policy on flawed data.”

After a series of scandals and blatant errors largely discredited the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report that warned of disastrous global warming, the letter explains that policymakers turned to American data as a sort of back up. “Unfortunately, it appears that U.S. data is equally flawed and corrupted by questionable scientific practices,” the Senators stated.

The letter refers to information obtained from NASA by the Competitive Enterprise Institute under a Freedom of Information Act request. In the documents, a senior scientist from the space agency advised a reporter that NASA’s climate data is inferior to the Climategate-spoiled records from the UEA’s disgraced Climatic Research Unit — and that NASA’s information is partially derived from the CRU’s flawed data.

Source: TheNewAmerican.com

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Article Tags: Hans Schreuder, Statement, Via Email

Dear All

The attached pdf is my last entry and if you have any chance of giving that some publicity I would be most appreciative.

Having heard all sides of all of the arguments, it is clear that nobody has a clue about how our atmosphere works. You would not believe the nonsensical information that has been thrown into the various arguments.

Ad hominem attacks of the severest nature by fellow so-called skeptics have proven to be as disgraceful as similar attacks by alarmists.

Also, it appears that nobody understands the difference between cause and effect anymore, routinely switching them over.

Best of luck with the fight against the insanity that has taken over the world of politics as well as academia.

Thanks also for your input over the years.

Best regards,

Hans Schreuder

Download PDF file to see last posting from Hans

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File attachment: Radiative_forcing_bogus.pdf
  

Mozilla has some very capable engineers working on its biggest project, the Firefox web browser, and thousands of volunteer contributors from around the world. But it still needs some info and data from the actual users to know on which areas and features to focus development. One way it has been acquiring this data is with the Test Pi… (read more)

	What’s the real cost of new CAFE regulations? Millions, billions, nothing? Take the long view. It looks better.		Report: Writer stands behind story, says Aptera still plans to export 2e from China to U.S. What’s really getting “lost” here?
	EPA responds to CAFE concerns by limiting zero-emission status to first 200,000 vehicles After 2016, electric vehicles will no longer carry a zero-emissions tag.	Other news: Students have some advice for GM on how to sell fuel cells What cars today meet new CAFE regs? More than you might think Report: Mahindra looking to buy stake in Reva?

AutoblogGreen for 04.06.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 05:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There’s no stopping Google’s acquisition bonanza and the Mountain View giant has notched another company to its belt, online video platform Episodic. The startup had only launched its product a few months behind, but Google was impressed with what it saw and acquired the company with employees joining the Google team. The acquisition was announced by Episodic and Google has confirmed it.

“We are thrilled to announce that Episodic has been acquired by Google. The entire Episodic t… (read more)

With the full draft of ACTA leaked, lots of people have been highlighting the various lowlights found in the draft. Andrew Moshirnia, over at the Citizen Media Law Project, has picked up on another one. If you read the draft, it appears to remove due process in revealing anonymous users. While other countries have viewed anonymity differently, in the US, at least, the courts have been very strong defenders of the right to anonymous speech. But the ACTA draft includes this fun tidbit:

Each Party shall enable right holders, who have given effective notification to an online service provider of materials that they claim with valid reasons to be infringing their copyright or related rights, to expeditiously obtain from that provider information on the identity of the relevant subscriber.

In other words, as long as someone makes a copyright claim — bogus or not — ISPs should be required to give up who the user is. Once again, this appears to be contrary to US law. The RIAA made this argument in the US years ago, and Verizon fought back and (eventually) won, as judges noted that ISPs did not just have to hand over information without a lawsuit being filed and an official subpoena issued. So much for ACTA not changing US law, right?

But, an even bigger concern may be how other countries implement this as well. We’ve already noted that China will likely use ACTA as justification for greater censorship, but Moshirnia points out that authoritarian regimes may start (ab)using it to unveil anonymous internet users as well:

Let’s say I am an oppressive regime. One of the very few ways my citizens can reach me is by videotaping and publicizing my brutal methods of silencing protesters (warning, disturbing link). Now, not only can I use bogus takedown requests to pull down those videos (think a global DMCA) but I can also get the private information of the poster.

So why is anyone supporting ACTA again?

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Google’s photo-sharing and -hosting service, Picasa, is one of the most popular and feature-rich out there. Still, it has been suffering from a number of annoying issues and limitations, made even more so by the fact that Google has taken its sweet time fixing them. Luckily for power users, Google has finally listened in and increased … (read more)

General Care

The Daily Mail reports on an Alzheimer’s patient who has been refused free care by the NHS. (Jan 04)

The Daily Telegraph reports US healthcare firm GE will launch its homecare service in the UK to monitor patients at home. (Jan 05)

The BBC reports that Macmillan cancer support has criticised the lack of available after care for cancer patients. (Jan 06)

The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, and the Daily Mail all comment on the treatment of elderly patients and dementia sufferers in care homes. (Jan 07)

The Times reports that Health Secretary Andy Burnham has defended the new Personal Care at Home Bill. (Jan 08)

The Daily Telegraph reports on carers facing the stresses of gaining power of attorney. (Jan 9)

The Guardian has issued a free guide to “Finding and Funding a Care Home”. (Jan 9)

Dementia in the press

The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Guardian, Daily Mail, The Daily Mirror, and the Evening Standard all cover a report by the Royal College of Physicians warning against patients, including dementia sufferes, being tube fed. (Jan 06)

The new SP1500: bigger, better, faster, stronger

– working area of 1500 x 1250 mm (59 x 49″)

– Trotec IPC – Intelligent Path Control

– up to 400 watt laser power

Working Area + Speed + Productivity + Life span = Profitability

The SP1500 to the most profitable laser cutting and engraving system in its class. It combines highest productivity, a working area of a standard acrylic sheet size, highest system life span and lowest maintenance costs.

PREMIUM LINE
SUCCESS: DYNAMICS AND PRECISION.

Eberle PREMIUM band saw blades are characterized by their extreme hardness and durability. They are particularly engineered to saw hard-to-cut materials such as titanium alloys, Inconel or nickel-based alloys. Our PREMIUM band saw blades will enable you to vastly improve cutting performance. Together with Eberle?s establishedbacking material, both our carbide-tipped products, CT-flex 3000 and CT-flex 4000, set an absolute benchmark in bandsaw cutting technology.

Product launch at the EMO in Milan.
CT-flex and nanoflex gained enormous interest at the EMO.

Both innovations, nanoflex in the field of coated metal band saws as well as CT-flex, the new carbide tipped line, were the attractions of the company EBERLE. The international customer base ordered instantaneously these high performance cutting blades.

The customers highly appreciate the production extension in EBERLE’S PREMIUM portfolio, as high performance and efficient processes become more and more important.

duoflex HCP
Carbide tipped band saw blade for high alloyed materials

High cutting speed, outstanding surface finish quality and long operating life with the most quiet operation possible – the results of an innovative and forward-looking development program. EBERLE »HCP« handles hard-to-cut and high-alloy materials with a low cost-per-cut.

The experience accumulated by our technical personnel goes back over 30 years, in Technology Centres and Production Technology, Mechanical and Automatic Design departments. This experience is one our company’s greatest assets.
Over the years we have worked in the food processing machinery sector, and this has enabled us to develop the range of waterjet cutting (WaterCut) and ultrasound cutting (SonicCut) machines.
Metronics will shortly construct the largest waterjet cutting installation in the market for a major food processing company. This system, for Fishblock, is revolutionary in the food processing sector and will enter service in the next few months, placing Fishblock at the sharp end of technology in the sector.

Metronics Technologies S.A.R.L.
2, rue des la Faisanderie
Centre d’Affaires YO
67380 LINGOLSHEIM
T. 00 33 (0)3 88 78 09 24
www.mttec.com

Through design and material selection efforts, Innovative Sensor Technology has developed a platinum thin film RTD to directly replace wire wound technology at half the cost.

Class A Rating From -200°C to +600°C
IST’s new PW and PG series thin film platinum temperature sensors are capable of achieving DIN 60751 class A accuracy in the temperature range of -200°C to +600°C. The PW series features a temperature coefficient of 3850 ppm/K, while the PG series offers a temperature coefficient of 3911 ppm/K. The sensors also feature outstanding hysteresis characteristics.

Wire Wound Performance at Half the Cost
Due to smaller dimensions, the PW and PG series sensors can be manufactured at lower material costs, allowing for the sensors to be offered at half the price of wire wound technology. The smaller thin film dimensions also lead to packaging versatility and much faster response times than those achieved by wire wound sensors.

Innovative Sensor Technology is a world-class manufacturer of thin-film RTD temperature sensors, capacitive humidity sensors, and mass flow sensors. Established in 1991, IST is an ISO 9001 certified company and is headquartered in Wattwil, Switzerland, with subsidiaries in the Czech Republic and USA.