Kate Gridley is accustomed to toiling many hours in her studio to produce some of the most stunning and realistic portraits you will ever lay your eyes upon.
It is usually a solitary endeavor, but Gridley these days has a dozen sets of eyes — of her own creation — that are following her every move. Those eyes are peering our from the portraits of 12 young men and women that Gridley is painting as part of a new exhibit titled, “Twelve: Oil Portraits of Emerging Adults.”
It’s an exhibit featuring a dozen energetic and enterprising young people from disparate backgrounds whose paths all led through Middlebury, en route to promising lives that figure to change the world for the better.
“Ultimately, these are young people who I feel good that the country and the world’s future is in their hands,” Gridley said.
“All of these kids have something interesting to say.”
It was while serving as a volunteer for the presidential campaign of Barack Obama in 2008 in Ohio that Gridley developed the inspiration for what would become “Twelve: Oil Portraits of Emerging Adults.”
“Our (campaign) field bosses were 19, 21, 22 and 23” years old, she recalled. “They were motivated, they had left school, they had left jobs, and they were running this wonderful ship out there … We discovered that we loved working for this motivated, energized group of young people.”
At the same time, Gridley said she and her husband and fellow campaign worker John Barstow realized they were getting older, and that their own children were the same age as their campaign bosses.
“At some point, the mantle gets handed to the next generation, and it felt good,” Gridley said.
Aside from being an election year, 2008 also ushered in a major recession that Gridley anticipated would have a significant impact on artists like herself. She considered the “Emerging Adults” project as an endeavor to sustain her artistically during the lean commission period she believed was coming.
“I thought, ‘Well, we’re going to have to tighten our belts and if I were in the position of having no portraits to paint on commission and if I were just painting them for myself — which is a very different feeling — who would I choose to paint?’” Gridley recalled. “I realized that what I really wanted to do was a set of portraits of young people who are 17 to 23.”
That age bracket now has a name, Gridley noted: “Emerging adults.”
As part of researching her budding project, Gridley connected with Middlebury College Psychology Professor Barbara Hofer, who teaches a course on the subject of emerging adults and their connections to family and technology. The two women chatted about that subject and Gridley’s artistic ideas. Hofer would later join an advisory board that Gridley set up to guide her project, which is gradually taking shape, brush stroke by brush stroke, in Gridley’s workshop. Once completed, the exhibit will consist of a set of 12 large oil portraits (each 30-by-60 inches) of emerging adults — seven males and five females — that Gridley took great care in selecting. Each subject is depicted standing in a three-quarter view to just below the knees.
The portraits will “speak” through digitally recorded testimonials that viewers of the exhibit will be able to access through their cell phones — which happen to be one of the essential networking tools for emerging adults.
Gridley’s 12 subjects are from many varied backgrounds but are all tied together by a common thread — her two sons, Angus and Charles, both of whom also fall into the emerging adults age bracket. The two sons will also be immortalized on canvas, with their portraits posted as the symbolic gateway to the featured 12.
“A lot of really interesting young people have paraded through John’s and my door,” Gridley said. “We know some of them very, very well. I decided to choose young people who had interesting stories to tell who were comfortable enough in their own skins to not be afraid to say what they believe in and say who their hopes are and what their dreams are, and who also have enough spine to get on out in the world and try things.”
Examples of some of her subjects — whom she lists simply by first name to protect their privacy — include:
Kamal, originally from East Harlem, who spent many summers at the Gridley/Barstow household as a Fresh Air Fund child. His family is Muslim. He escaped from a building near the World Trade Center during the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. He is now working his way through college.
Meg, from Cornwall, a lifelong Unitarian Universalist who wants to teach reproductive health in Africa. She is a journalist, actress, singer and activist.
Nathaniel, who left Middlebury to attend the United World College in Mostar, Bosnia. He is passionate about world issues, foreign languages, literature and theater.
Aubrey, a Middlebury College student from Botswana who speaks seven languages and is majoring in economics and theater.
“Each of these emerging adults has a unique voice,” Gridley wrote in her project narrative. “A diversity of religious and cultural beliefs, a range of sexual identities and orientations, socioeconomic status, work and travel experiences, failures and successes, family structures, and health issues are represented in this group.”
All of the subjects have come in to pose for their portraits, attired in casual clothing they would wear every day. And all have agreed to be interviewed, with assistance from National Public Radio Correspondent Anne Garrels and the Middlebury-based Vermont Community Foundation. The youths will speak about their personal aspirations as well as their hopes for society and the world.
Gridley has been tending to her emerging adults as time allows. The economy did not take as heavy a toll on her commissioned work as she had feared, so Gridley has had to multi-task on assignments. Some of those assignments have come in the wake of her being selected to paint former Gov. James Douglas’s official portrait. That portrait now hangs in the Statehouse. She is currently painting a portrait of U.S. District Court Judge William Sessions III, in honor of his work as chairman of the Federal Sentencing Commission. The painting will hang in the Federal Judiciary Building in Washington, D.C.
The goal, Gridley said, is to have the “Twelve” completed by Dec. 30, 2012. The exhibit will then go on tour for lengthy shows at the Wilson Museum of The Southern Vermont Art Center in Manchester and Burlington College, before ending up at the Jackson Gallery in Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater during the fall of 2014.
At the same time, Middlebury College and other local institutions will feature courses and/or parallel exhibits on the topic of emerging adults.
Gridley hopes the exhibit will also tour nationally. After that, the paintings will be for sale.
In the meantime, she continues to work diligently on the “Twelve” and has been writing grant applications to help underwrite her work and supplies. She recently received a $3,000 grant through the Vermont Community Foundation.
2011年12月29日星期四
2011年12月27日星期二
Tattoo shop opens near Lampasas
After months of searching for a location and spending thousands of dollars on renovations, Double Barrel Tattoos recently opened just outside the city limits.
Randy Garcia, manger of the shop, said he wanted to open a tattoo business in the city because "they don't have anything like that here."
"We were just throwing stuff around, ideas of different places to open," he said. "Not Killeen or Austin because they have so many. We finally decided on Lampasas, and people said it would be great; it's what Lampasas needs. People say there's nothing here."
Prior to settling at South U.S. Highway 183, Garcia spent about $10,000 in renovations on a building on Farm-to-Market 580, within the city limits, believing the lease was guaranteed. Then he got a letter from city officials.
denied the shop a special-use permit to open in a noncommercial business location. Several residents attended the council's mid-October meeting, which was held at a school cafeteria to accomodate the crowd interested in the controversial matter.
"We did the floors, the walls; we were ready to open up," said Garcia. "It was a huge setback for us. That was the majority of our budget for opening that shop."
"We heard about (our current location) through a Facebook friend," said Garcia. "I went knocking on doors and found the owner, who lives behind the building. He said a gentleman had been renting it from him, but had gotten sick. After a week he called us back to say the man wouldn't be able to continue paying rent."
Garcia signed a five-year lease within a week of the Facebook tip.
"The rent is perfect. It wasn't in too bad disrepair, so we wouldn't have to spend a whole lot of money on it. It's just perfect," said Garcia. "Mainly, it was location. It's right outside the city limits. The drive-by traffic is going to be great."
Besides acquiring a location, the tattoo shop also met several state standards before opening.
"We had to get a business license, then get a body piercing and tattoo license from the state, which requires following a lot of guidelines in the way the shop is set up," said Garcia. "Once we got the state license, we had to start getting approvals from the city. We had to get into a light industrial area, So we moved right outside the city limits so we didn't have to do City Council meetings."
Securing a state license, including paying the $1,600 fee, was something Garcia had to go through twice.
"It's address-based," he said. "We got our license at the last location, and when we found out we couldn't open there, we had to get a new license. We were trying to tell (the state) that we didn't actually open up there at the (previous) address, and we tried to get some kind of discount, but the state isn't too lenient. They did the best they could."
At the shop's State Highway 183 location, Garcia estimates he's spent about $13,000 on renovations and supplies, including required flooring, chairs and sterilization equipment. The shop will employ five people, including two apprentices. All tattoo artists have been professionally trained.
"A lot of people in Lampasas have been getting tattoos out of friends' garages, and doing it that way is not 100 percent sterile," said Garcia. "The chance of cross-contamination and blood-borne illness is high, and the artists who do it that way don't have a lot of experience. Do it here, and there's a guarantee that we've taken our blood-borne pathogens class. All needles are disposable and thrown away."
Shop staffers intend to take part in activities to benefit the community, after they get settled.
"Right now, we're just trying to open," said Terry Bruce, the shop's owner. "We're going to work with Blue Santa and have a toy collection box; we want to collect food for the local food pantry, too."
Working to help local charities and planning to collaborate with the school to offer face-painting for football games are all in an effort to work with the town and dispel assumptions about the inked-crowd.
"They frowned upon tattoo shops at first, and we're trying to tell them it's not like it was in the '60s and 70s with bikers and drugs," said Bruce. "We're trying to work with the city. If we help them, they'll help us."
Randy Garcia, manger of the shop, said he wanted to open a tattoo business in the city because "they don't have anything like that here."
"We were just throwing stuff around, ideas of different places to open," he said. "Not Killeen or Austin because they have so many. We finally decided on Lampasas, and people said it would be great; it's what Lampasas needs. People say there's nothing here."
Prior to settling at South U.S. Highway 183, Garcia spent about $10,000 in renovations on a building on Farm-to-Market 580, within the city limits, believing the lease was guaranteed. Then he got a letter from city officials.
denied the shop a special-use permit to open in a noncommercial business location. Several residents attended the council's mid-October meeting, which was held at a school cafeteria to accomodate the crowd interested in the controversial matter.
"We did the floors, the walls; we were ready to open up," said Garcia. "It was a huge setback for us. That was the majority of our budget for opening that shop."
"We heard about (our current location) through a Facebook friend," said Garcia. "I went knocking on doors and found the owner, who lives behind the building. He said a gentleman had been renting it from him, but had gotten sick. After a week he called us back to say the man wouldn't be able to continue paying rent."
Garcia signed a five-year lease within a week of the Facebook tip.
"The rent is perfect. It wasn't in too bad disrepair, so we wouldn't have to spend a whole lot of money on it. It's just perfect," said Garcia. "Mainly, it was location. It's right outside the city limits. The drive-by traffic is going to be great."
Besides acquiring a location, the tattoo shop also met several state standards before opening.
"We had to get a business license, then get a body piercing and tattoo license from the state, which requires following a lot of guidelines in the way the shop is set up," said Garcia. "Once we got the state license, we had to start getting approvals from the city. We had to get into a light industrial area, So we moved right outside the city limits so we didn't have to do City Council meetings."
Securing a state license, including paying the $1,600 fee, was something Garcia had to go through twice.
"It's address-based," he said. "We got our license at the last location, and when we found out we couldn't open there, we had to get a new license. We were trying to tell (the state) that we didn't actually open up there at the (previous) address, and we tried to get some kind of discount, but the state isn't too lenient. They did the best they could."
At the shop's State Highway 183 location, Garcia estimates he's spent about $13,000 on renovations and supplies, including required flooring, chairs and sterilization equipment. The shop will employ five people, including two apprentices. All tattoo artists have been professionally trained.
"A lot of people in Lampasas have been getting tattoos out of friends' garages, and doing it that way is not 100 percent sterile," said Garcia. "The chance of cross-contamination and blood-borne illness is high, and the artists who do it that way don't have a lot of experience. Do it here, and there's a guarantee that we've taken our blood-borne pathogens class. All needles are disposable and thrown away."
Shop staffers intend to take part in activities to benefit the community, after they get settled.
"Right now, we're just trying to open," said Terry Bruce, the shop's owner. "We're going to work with Blue Santa and have a toy collection box; we want to collect food for the local food pantry, too."
Working to help local charities and planning to collaborate with the school to offer face-painting for football games are all in an effort to work with the town and dispel assumptions about the inked-crowd.
"They frowned upon tattoo shops at first, and we're trying to tell them it's not like it was in the '60s and 70s with bikers and drugs," said Bruce. "We're trying to work with the city. If we help them, they'll help us."
2011年12月26日星期一
Tidewell Embraces Creativity, Service
Tidewell Hospice offers hospice and end-of-life care in Bradenton and Sarasota, among other locations in the region.
How to help: Tidewell Hospice volunteers offer various types of support, including patient care, writing about legacies, running errands, food shopping and more, said Irene Henderson, administrative director of volunteer services.
"They provide respite for family members so that they can get away and have some time for themselves to recharge or attend special events," said David Glaser, director of Tidewell's communications. Volunteers sit vigil with patients who are actively dying. In short, we couldn’t do what we do without the support of our many dedicated volunteers."
There’s also a complementary services department where volunteers do expressive art projects, she said, which includes making CDs, DVDs, painting, or dictating stories so volunteers can write books or poetry for them.
“At Christmas time, we’ll make Christmas cards to give to their children or help make gifts,” Henderson said.
The program has pet therapy, humor (clowning), music, massage, reiki, horticulture therapy, aroma therapy and expressive arts, Glaser said.
"We have volunteers who help in our offices and provide administrative assistance. Volunteers serve as greeters in all seven of our hospice houses. We have many volunteers who visit patients in their homes, in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospice houses," he said.
All that requires supplies, which is where the need kicks in.
All those supplies — pens, colored pens, pencils, paper — we rely on donations of actual material or money for materials for the patients,” Henderson said. “Anything you can think of, our staff and volunteers can help make projects for our patients.”
These projects help distract patients from the problems they face, she said.
“They can say, ‘I forgot about my pain and nausea that I had for the last hour,’” Henderson said.
Oils and lotions are needed for caring touch and massage, she added.
Tidewell also has Tidewell Honors where the organization hosts pinning ceremonies to recognize veterans who are patients, she said.
For cash/check donations, put “Please donate to Complimentary Services” in the memo line to fund these programs, Henderson said.
Or send donations with attention to Irene Henderson to fund the volunteer programs and supplies. Envelopes are available at each site to submit donations, too.
The Hospice House has a Treasures Thrift Shop in Brandeton’s Pebbles Springs Plaza at 5917 Manatee Ave. W. The store funds Tidewell and patient programs as these extra programs do not receive Medicare or third-party payer funding, she said.
“We’re always looking for donations from dishes to clothes to furniture to books, CDs and jewelry,” she said.
How to help: Tidewell Hospice volunteers offer various types of support, including patient care, writing about legacies, running errands, food shopping and more, said Irene Henderson, administrative director of volunteer services.
"They provide respite for family members so that they can get away and have some time for themselves to recharge or attend special events," said David Glaser, director of Tidewell's communications. Volunteers sit vigil with patients who are actively dying. In short, we couldn’t do what we do without the support of our many dedicated volunteers."
There’s also a complementary services department where volunteers do expressive art projects, she said, which includes making CDs, DVDs, painting, or dictating stories so volunteers can write books or poetry for them.
“At Christmas time, we’ll make Christmas cards to give to their children or help make gifts,” Henderson said.
The program has pet therapy, humor (clowning), music, massage, reiki, horticulture therapy, aroma therapy and expressive arts, Glaser said.
"We have volunteers who help in our offices and provide administrative assistance. Volunteers serve as greeters in all seven of our hospice houses. We have many volunteers who visit patients in their homes, in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospice houses," he said.
All that requires supplies, which is where the need kicks in.
All those supplies — pens, colored pens, pencils, paper — we rely on donations of actual material or money for materials for the patients,” Henderson said. “Anything you can think of, our staff and volunteers can help make projects for our patients.”
These projects help distract patients from the problems they face, she said.
“They can say, ‘I forgot about my pain and nausea that I had for the last hour,’” Henderson said.
Oils and lotions are needed for caring touch and massage, she added.
Tidewell also has Tidewell Honors where the organization hosts pinning ceremonies to recognize veterans who are patients, she said.
For cash/check donations, put “Please donate to Complimentary Services” in the memo line to fund these programs, Henderson said.
Or send donations with attention to Irene Henderson to fund the volunteer programs and supplies. Envelopes are available at each site to submit donations, too.
The Hospice House has a Treasures Thrift Shop in Brandeton’s Pebbles Springs Plaza at 5917 Manatee Ave. W. The store funds Tidewell and patient programs as these extra programs do not receive Medicare or third-party payer funding, she said.
“We’re always looking for donations from dishes to clothes to furniture to books, CDs and jewelry,” she said.
2011年12月25日星期日
What better time for holiday leftovers?
A good time, this lull between Christmas and New Year’s, to tidy up the old email inbox, phone messages, and court summonses and find out what’s on your minds.
First of all, best of the season to all. And, in the spirit of inclusion, I urge this wish with equal feeling upon all my fellow beings, be ye Regular, Oily or Dry and Damaged. I know. That’s large-minded of me but I’ve always been the kind who sees beyond the shampoo category to the human being inside. Oh, here, take my hanky.
Second, thanks to every one of you who has read this column over the past year, even if only to find the secret coded messages that some believe are encrypted in it, possibly holding the answer to the European debt crisis as well as up-to-the-minute traffic updates and chess tips.
Several of you commented on last week’s column about Audrey Traini’s painting, for which I modelled as the Hatter figure in her tea party tableau. It hung in the Louvre in Paris for four days earlier in December.
Among the remarks, John Henley’s taught me something I never knew.
“Now here is the bone of contention,” writes John. “There is NO character called the Mad Hatter.
“Why do I know this? Because I had a company in the U.K. and I wanted to call it Mad Hatter Jokes and Tricks but didn’t want to run afoul of copyright laws so I actually went to an exhibition of Lewis Carroll books and was allowed to look through a first edition of Alice in Wonderland.
“There is the Hatter but absolutely NO Mad Hatter. People have spliced Mad as a Hatter or Mad March Hare onto the original name, but, as a character, the Hatter is just that, the Hatter. So, in the nicest possible way, please accept this email as an update.
“Other than that, Jeff, I love the picture.”
Some of you asked what you could do to help with Robin McKee’s building of a new roof for his friend Maurice Rondeau. I wrote about that in the fall and how Robin arranged the shingles on part of the roof to form a smile.
Well, the SAGE and Main programs at Strathcona School came through big time, donating roofing supplies to Robin and now the job is done. Maurice’s house is dry again.
Congratulations to Martin Hering. You may remember him as the fellow who so faithfully and beautifully restored the Hambly House, a classic example of Streamline Moderne architecture, in Westdale. I wrote about this in the spring. Since then he has received quite a bit of ink and Internet coverage, and in November the Hambly House won a 2011 Urban Design and Architecture Award.
First of all, best of the season to all. And, in the spirit of inclusion, I urge this wish with equal feeling upon all my fellow beings, be ye Regular, Oily or Dry and Damaged. I know. That’s large-minded of me but I’ve always been the kind who sees beyond the shampoo category to the human being inside. Oh, here, take my hanky.
Second, thanks to every one of you who has read this column over the past year, even if only to find the secret coded messages that some believe are encrypted in it, possibly holding the answer to the European debt crisis as well as up-to-the-minute traffic updates and chess tips.
Several of you commented on last week’s column about Audrey Traini’s painting, for which I modelled as the Hatter figure in her tea party tableau. It hung in the Louvre in Paris for four days earlier in December.
Among the remarks, John Henley’s taught me something I never knew.
“Now here is the bone of contention,” writes John. “There is NO character called the Mad Hatter.
“Why do I know this? Because I had a company in the U.K. and I wanted to call it Mad Hatter Jokes and Tricks but didn’t want to run afoul of copyright laws so I actually went to an exhibition of Lewis Carroll books and was allowed to look through a first edition of Alice in Wonderland.
“There is the Hatter but absolutely NO Mad Hatter. People have spliced Mad as a Hatter or Mad March Hare onto the original name, but, as a character, the Hatter is just that, the Hatter. So, in the nicest possible way, please accept this email as an update.
“Other than that, Jeff, I love the picture.”
Some of you asked what you could do to help with Robin McKee’s building of a new roof for his friend Maurice Rondeau. I wrote about that in the fall and how Robin arranged the shingles on part of the roof to form a smile.
Well, the SAGE and Main programs at Strathcona School came through big time, donating roofing supplies to Robin and now the job is done. Maurice’s house is dry again.
Congratulations to Martin Hering. You may remember him as the fellow who so faithfully and beautifully restored the Hambly House, a classic example of Streamline Moderne architecture, in Westdale. I wrote about this in the spring. Since then he has received quite a bit of ink and Internet coverage, and in November the Hambly House won a 2011 Urban Design and Architecture Award.
2011年12月22日星期四
Editorial Review of PD Artist
PD Artist 2 is a program for digital painters. The focus is on brushes, paint media, and special effects. PD Artist ($79) really tries to recreate a feeling of painting on canvas, paper, or any other surface you select, but what it's best at is creating organic and fluid digital art. Unfortunately, it's difficult to learn; you may find comparably-priced programs a better investment of your time.
With PD Artist, you work purely in raster (pixels); there are no preset shapes and forms to manipulate like in vector drawing programs like Adobe Illustrator ($599) or Serif DrawPlus ($99). You choose a brush and get to work.
PD Artist's Brush sets are thorough, and include non-brush tools like Airbrush, Pen, and Pencil, in addition to media such as Oils, Tempera, Pastels, and Watercolor. Just like raster painting program ArtRage Studio Pro ($80), and most other digital painting programs, the brushes aren't so realistic they don't allow you to watercolor over oil paint for example, but for the most part they create surprisingly good results. However, unlike ArtRage, setting the brush style is not intuitive in PD Artist.
The number of brush effects is unlimited, because you can make your own, much like in Adobe Illustrator. PD Artist includes a few hundred to get you started, including Smudge and Smear; Organic effects like grass, leaves, flowers, rocks, and sparkles; styles like Impressionist and dry brush; and odd additions like the brush that piles on photo-realistic rocks and one that paints beautiful wildflowers.
To help you with your painting, PD Artist also includes a multitude of transforming filters, such as Blur, Sharpen, Noise, Artistic, the interesting 3D perceptive and Lighting tools. There's a lot to learn. Unfortunately, just like with real painting, with PD Artist it's difficult for anyone to tell you step by step how to achieve a particular result: There are multiple ways of doing it. This makes it hard to learn PD Artist, even with prior experience using other painting programs. And with no searchable help in PD Artist you can get stuck, even if you are trying to work with one of the many tutorials found online.
If you're used to any other drawing or painting program, layers in PD Artist can be a little confusing to start. They work more like transparent overlays. You can store images and use a swap buffer feature--- essentially a replacement for saving multiple drafts---as if you're taking a fresh piece of paper. The upside of this is that you can go back to a previous snapshot of your work and also merge different images. It's like a combination of Adobe Photoshop's History and Illustrator's Layers, but it takes a while to get the hang of.
PD Artist doesn't have photo manipulation tools. You can open your photos most common image files and turn them into part of your artwork, but if you're interested in adding or removing parts of photographs to incorporate them into your art, you may want to try Paint.NET or RealWorld Paint, both free raster painting programs that are less brush-focused and easier to use.
In PD Artist I found it very difficult to recreate my artwork, an important step when you are learning how to use a program. When I was unhappy with my painting, I could follow the steps involved in creating it, but even keeping tool settings the same, I never got the same result twice. Maybe this is deliberate---like true painting---but I found it made PD Artist frustrating, and there's no work-around other than trying again and again to get the effect you're happy with.
I also had problems with PD Artist not responding while my Intel dual core processor practically melted down, even when doing something mundane like adjusting brush properties.
PD Artist 2 is powered by Project Dogwaffle version 6. Version 1.5 of the Project Dogwaffle software, originally created for Windows XP is still available for free, and installed and ran on both Windows 7 and Vista with no problems and no error messages … which is more than could be said for PD Artist. If you're not an expert in ActiveX controls or fixing things in the command line, you may get stuck before you even start painting with PD Artist.
PD Artist includes some interesting special effects, but if you want to learn to digitally paint, or even if you're a painter and can't afford costly supplies, PD Artist is frustratingly difficult to learn and achieve the effects you envision. Unless you're an avid Project Dogwaffle user, I'd suggest sticking with more intuitive painting programs like ArtRage Studio Pro or Paint.NET.
With PD Artist, you work purely in raster (pixels); there are no preset shapes and forms to manipulate like in vector drawing programs like Adobe Illustrator ($599) or Serif DrawPlus ($99). You choose a brush and get to work.
PD Artist's Brush sets are thorough, and include non-brush tools like Airbrush, Pen, and Pencil, in addition to media such as Oils, Tempera, Pastels, and Watercolor. Just like raster painting program ArtRage Studio Pro ($80), and most other digital painting programs, the brushes aren't so realistic they don't allow you to watercolor over oil paint for example, but for the most part they create surprisingly good results. However, unlike ArtRage, setting the brush style is not intuitive in PD Artist.
The number of brush effects is unlimited, because you can make your own, much like in Adobe Illustrator. PD Artist includes a few hundred to get you started, including Smudge and Smear; Organic effects like grass, leaves, flowers, rocks, and sparkles; styles like Impressionist and dry brush; and odd additions like the brush that piles on photo-realistic rocks and one that paints beautiful wildflowers.
To help you with your painting, PD Artist also includes a multitude of transforming filters, such as Blur, Sharpen, Noise, Artistic, the interesting 3D perceptive and Lighting tools. There's a lot to learn. Unfortunately, just like with real painting, with PD Artist it's difficult for anyone to tell you step by step how to achieve a particular result: There are multiple ways of doing it. This makes it hard to learn PD Artist, even with prior experience using other painting programs. And with no searchable help in PD Artist you can get stuck, even if you are trying to work with one of the many tutorials found online.
If you're used to any other drawing or painting program, layers in PD Artist can be a little confusing to start. They work more like transparent overlays. You can store images and use a swap buffer feature--- essentially a replacement for saving multiple drafts---as if you're taking a fresh piece of paper. The upside of this is that you can go back to a previous snapshot of your work and also merge different images. It's like a combination of Adobe Photoshop's History and Illustrator's Layers, but it takes a while to get the hang of.
PD Artist doesn't have photo manipulation tools. You can open your photos most common image files and turn them into part of your artwork, but if you're interested in adding or removing parts of photographs to incorporate them into your art, you may want to try Paint.NET or RealWorld Paint, both free raster painting programs that are less brush-focused and easier to use.
In PD Artist I found it very difficult to recreate my artwork, an important step when you are learning how to use a program. When I was unhappy with my painting, I could follow the steps involved in creating it, but even keeping tool settings the same, I never got the same result twice. Maybe this is deliberate---like true painting---but I found it made PD Artist frustrating, and there's no work-around other than trying again and again to get the effect you're happy with.
I also had problems with PD Artist not responding while my Intel dual core processor practically melted down, even when doing something mundane like adjusting brush properties.
PD Artist 2 is powered by Project Dogwaffle version 6. Version 1.5 of the Project Dogwaffle software, originally created for Windows XP is still available for free, and installed and ran on both Windows 7 and Vista with no problems and no error messages … which is more than could be said for PD Artist. If you're not an expert in ActiveX controls or fixing things in the command line, you may get stuck before you even start painting with PD Artist.
PD Artist includes some interesting special effects, but if you want to learn to digitally paint, or even if you're a painter and can't afford costly supplies, PD Artist is frustratingly difficult to learn and achieve the effects you envision. Unless you're an avid Project Dogwaffle user, I'd suggest sticking with more intuitive painting programs like ArtRage Studio Pro or Paint.NET.
2011年12月21日星期三
Oil Trades Near Weekly High on U.S. Economy, Shrinking Supplies
Oil traded near its highest in a week in New York on signs that the U.S. economy will be spared a recession and amid growing pressure on Iran to curtail its nuclear program.
Futures were little changed after rising as much as 1.3 percent. The American Petroleum Institute showed crude inventories dropped to the lowest in almost two years. Analysts in a Bloomberg News survey predicted the Energy Department will say today supplies fell 2.13 million barrels. The February contract surged 3.4 percent yesterday on U.S. housing data that beat estimates, unexpected growth in German business confidence and concern that shipments from Iran may be curbed.
“Oil has been strengthening as we get more positive U.S. economic data, such as housing starts, along with a recovery in the euro and the possibility of Iranian reprisals,” said Robert Montefusco, senior broker at Sucden Financial Ltd. in London.
Crude for February delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange was at $97.28 a barrel at 1:32 p.m. London time, up 4 cents, after rising as much as $1.26 to $98.50, the highest since Dec. 14. The contract yesterday climbed $3.19 to $97.24. Front-month futures have risen 6.5 percent this year after gaining 15 percent in 2010.
Brent oil for February settlement on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange was down 23 cents at $106.50 a barrel after rising $1.03, or 1 percent, to $107.76 a barrel. The European benchmark contract was at a premium of $9.27 to New York-traded West Texas Intermediate grade. The spread widened to a record $27.88 on Oct. 14.
The Obama administration and European Union governments are seeking help from Arab and Asian allies to reduce Iran’s oil revenues. EU nations, the U.S. and Asia-Pacific allies discussed possible measures in Rome yesterday and agreed to increase pressure on Iran, the world’s No. 3 crude exporter in 2010, to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons program, according to an Italian Foreign Ministry statement.
U.S. crude inventories fell to 330 million barrels last week, the lowest since the period ended Jan. 22 last year, the industry-funded API said yesterday.
Gasoline stockpiles decreased 394,000 barrels to 213.9 million, based on the API data. The Energy Department report may show supplies probably climbed 1.5 million barrels, according to the median estimate of 12 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. Distillate-fuel stockpiles, including heating oil and diesel, are expected to have declined 750,000 barrels.
The Energy Department will release its weekly report at 10:30 a.m. in Washington today.
Oil in New York has technical resistance along the middle Bollinger Band, around $98.20 a barrel today, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Sell orders tend to be clustered near chart-resistance levels.
Home builders in the U.S. broke ground in November on more houses than at any time in the past 19 months. Housing starts increased 9.3 percent to an annual rate of 685,000, the highest since April 2010, a Commerce Department report showed yesterday. A median 635,000 gain was forecast by 79 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. A report today may show sales of existing homes in the U.S. increased last month.
“Economic data is painting a better global growth scenario, and that’s clearly feeding into firmer oil prices,” said Michael McCarthy, a chief market strategist at CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty in Sydney who predicts New York futures will settle between $99 and $102 a barrel at the end of the year. “We’ll be watching the inventory data tonight following the API.”
Futures were little changed after rising as much as 1.3 percent. The American Petroleum Institute showed crude inventories dropped to the lowest in almost two years. Analysts in a Bloomberg News survey predicted the Energy Department will say today supplies fell 2.13 million barrels. The February contract surged 3.4 percent yesterday on U.S. housing data that beat estimates, unexpected growth in German business confidence and concern that shipments from Iran may be curbed.
“Oil has been strengthening as we get more positive U.S. economic data, such as housing starts, along with a recovery in the euro and the possibility of Iranian reprisals,” said Robert Montefusco, senior broker at Sucden Financial Ltd. in London.
Crude for February delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange was at $97.28 a barrel at 1:32 p.m. London time, up 4 cents, after rising as much as $1.26 to $98.50, the highest since Dec. 14. The contract yesterday climbed $3.19 to $97.24. Front-month futures have risen 6.5 percent this year after gaining 15 percent in 2010.
Brent oil for February settlement on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange was down 23 cents at $106.50 a barrel after rising $1.03, or 1 percent, to $107.76 a barrel. The European benchmark contract was at a premium of $9.27 to New York-traded West Texas Intermediate grade. The spread widened to a record $27.88 on Oct. 14.
The Obama administration and European Union governments are seeking help from Arab and Asian allies to reduce Iran’s oil revenues. EU nations, the U.S. and Asia-Pacific allies discussed possible measures in Rome yesterday and agreed to increase pressure on Iran, the world’s No. 3 crude exporter in 2010, to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons program, according to an Italian Foreign Ministry statement.
U.S. crude inventories fell to 330 million barrels last week, the lowest since the period ended Jan. 22 last year, the industry-funded API said yesterday.
Gasoline stockpiles decreased 394,000 barrels to 213.9 million, based on the API data. The Energy Department report may show supplies probably climbed 1.5 million barrels, according to the median estimate of 12 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. Distillate-fuel stockpiles, including heating oil and diesel, are expected to have declined 750,000 barrels.
The Energy Department will release its weekly report at 10:30 a.m. in Washington today.
Oil in New York has technical resistance along the middle Bollinger Band, around $98.20 a barrel today, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Sell orders tend to be clustered near chart-resistance levels.
Home builders in the U.S. broke ground in November on more houses than at any time in the past 19 months. Housing starts increased 9.3 percent to an annual rate of 685,000, the highest since April 2010, a Commerce Department report showed yesterday. A median 635,000 gain was forecast by 79 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. A report today may show sales of existing homes in the U.S. increased last month.
“Economic data is painting a better global growth scenario, and that’s clearly feeding into firmer oil prices,” said Michael McCarthy, a chief market strategist at CMC Markets Asia Pacific Pty in Sydney who predicts New York futures will settle between $99 and $102 a barrel at the end of the year. “We’ll be watching the inventory data tonight following the API.”
2011年12月20日星期二
National Park Service uses artist’s paintings
Three National Park Service interpretive panels featuring the artwork of Cherokee artist Dorothy Tidwell Sullivan were dedicated on Nov. 5 as part of the Oklahoma Chapter of the Trail of Tears Association’s fall meeting.
The paintings show the aftermath of the forced removal that occurred in 1838-39 when Cherokee people depended on supply depots to provide provisions while they waited for their first harvests and built new homes.
One painting titled “The End of the Journey” shows Cherokee people outside a depot receiving supplies, while the other painting titled “Home in the West” shows a Cherokee family around a campfire cooking.
The NPS and TOTA commissioned Sullivan’s artwork for the panels. She said she received background information from the two organizations for the paintings.
Sullivan said for the paintings she used the likenesses of local Cherokee people. She added that the paintings were given to the Cherokee Heritage Center on permanent loan by the NPS per her request.
“I just thought it would be a nice thing to be able to give them to the museum,” she said.
Sullivan, of Oklahoma City, said she painted the pieces in honor of her Tidwell family, specifically her great-grandmother Versonay Marie Tidwell, grandmother Cellie Lizziebeth Tidwell and her father Harold Tidwell, who lived northwest of Stilwell on allotment land.
She said she thought of her late father while creating the paintings. A Cherokee Nation citizen, she said he was proud of his heritage and would take her and her sister to visit her grandmother’s home site.
The Tidwell family is descended from Young Deer or Indian John Tidwell, who arrived in Indian Territory from Georgia during the forced removal, she said.
In honor of her Tidwell family, Sullivan donated a framed print on canvas of “Home in the West” to the Stilwell Depot Museum.
“I just wanted it go there because that’s where they lived,” she said. “It was my gift to the museum because I think so much of it.”
Sullivan said “Home in the West” was also inspired by the Webber family, an Old Settler family who lived where the Stilwell cemetery is now located. Old Settlers were Cherokees who arrived in the territory in the early 1800s.
The Webbers established a plantation where the cemetery is today, Sullivan said. A supply depot for Cherokee people was set up at the Webber home site.
“It was one of the main ones. More (removal) detachments went to it than the others,” she said.
The NPS created three interpretive markers from Sullivan’s paintings. A marker using the “Home in the West” artwork sits outside the depot museum, while two markers using the “End of the Journey” and “Home in the West” artworks are at the Stilwell cemetery. The markers also provide background on the Trail of Tears and supply depots.
“What I try to do with my paintings is the more you look…the more you learn,” Sullivan said. “I used to be a teacher, so it comes out. I can’t help it.”
Sullivan said she’s been creating Cherokee-themed paintings for more than 20 years, using her love of history and father’s stories. She said she didn’t grow up immersed in the Cherokee culture but researched along the way to add authenticity to her paintings.
The NPS and the TOTA have partnered to promote preservation and awareness of the Trail of Tears. Each state where removal detachments originated, and those through which they traveled, have formed state chapters marking and dedicating trail sites.
The Oklahoma project locates and marks the graves of those who survived the trail. The newest project dedicates the ration depots and places historical marker signs at the sites.
The paintings show the aftermath of the forced removal that occurred in 1838-39 when Cherokee people depended on supply depots to provide provisions while they waited for their first harvests and built new homes.
One painting titled “The End of the Journey” shows Cherokee people outside a depot receiving supplies, while the other painting titled “Home in the West” shows a Cherokee family around a campfire cooking.
The NPS and TOTA commissioned Sullivan’s artwork for the panels. She said she received background information from the two organizations for the paintings.
Sullivan said for the paintings she used the likenesses of local Cherokee people. She added that the paintings were given to the Cherokee Heritage Center on permanent loan by the NPS per her request.
“I just thought it would be a nice thing to be able to give them to the museum,” she said.
Sullivan, of Oklahoma City, said she painted the pieces in honor of her Tidwell family, specifically her great-grandmother Versonay Marie Tidwell, grandmother Cellie Lizziebeth Tidwell and her father Harold Tidwell, who lived northwest of Stilwell on allotment land.
She said she thought of her late father while creating the paintings. A Cherokee Nation citizen, she said he was proud of his heritage and would take her and her sister to visit her grandmother’s home site.
The Tidwell family is descended from Young Deer or Indian John Tidwell, who arrived in Indian Territory from Georgia during the forced removal, she said.
In honor of her Tidwell family, Sullivan donated a framed print on canvas of “Home in the West” to the Stilwell Depot Museum.
“I just wanted it go there because that’s where they lived,” she said. “It was my gift to the museum because I think so much of it.”
Sullivan said “Home in the West” was also inspired by the Webber family, an Old Settler family who lived where the Stilwell cemetery is now located. Old Settlers were Cherokees who arrived in the territory in the early 1800s.
The Webbers established a plantation where the cemetery is today, Sullivan said. A supply depot for Cherokee people was set up at the Webber home site.
“It was one of the main ones. More (removal) detachments went to it than the others,” she said.
The NPS created three interpretive markers from Sullivan’s paintings. A marker using the “Home in the West” artwork sits outside the depot museum, while two markers using the “End of the Journey” and “Home in the West” artworks are at the Stilwell cemetery. The markers also provide background on the Trail of Tears and supply depots.
“What I try to do with my paintings is the more you look…the more you learn,” Sullivan said. “I used to be a teacher, so it comes out. I can’t help it.”
Sullivan said she’s been creating Cherokee-themed paintings for more than 20 years, using her love of history and father’s stories. She said she didn’t grow up immersed in the Cherokee culture but researched along the way to add authenticity to her paintings.
The NPS and the TOTA have partnered to promote preservation and awareness of the Trail of Tears. Each state where removal detachments originated, and those through which they traveled, have formed state chapters marking and dedicating trail sites.
The Oklahoma project locates and marks the graves of those who survived the trail. The newest project dedicates the ration depots and places historical marker signs at the sites.
2011年12月19日星期一
Mythica: Fashion Show Adventures
Creating a fashion event is a huge amount of work. There are so many elements that go into it. So many people. So many places for things to go wrong. When it comes to show time most people in the audience have no idea what the event planner went through to make it all happen. They are just there to have a good time, and look at pretty girls. Then they leave.
Since I have been doing the body painting for some of these events I have noticed some things that seem to be the “norm” for the shows. It seems that several or many models cancelling is an absolute certainty. You never book exactly the number of models you need you book more so you can get the number you need. Another absolute certainty is that something that belongs to the models is going to be stolen. Sometimes it is a wallet, phone, cash, outfits, shoes, or anything else they brought in the door. Somehow it magically disappears by some invisible means by the time they get off the runway.
Everyone is hoping to get their big break. The hairstylist will do shows for free until someone sees how amazing they are and pay them for their artistry. The make-up artists are in the same boat and so are the photographers. And of course the models. So the guest artist event I did last night should have cost the show $500 at a minimum (everyone involved getting ONLY $50, plus paying for supplies). The models should have gotten $100 a piece. The hairdresser normally gets $150 for a photo shoot. I normally get $200 plus supplies. The photographer is normally $250. We also bought pizza since we started at noon and the show finished at 10pm. There was also a run to Walgreens for other supplies. Each of the models also had to buy underwear for the shoot. So in order for everyone to be paid their normal fee, it should have cost somewhere in the ballpark of $900.
Like I said. I think most people have no idea. That was just for two models! I know that before I started doing this I had no idea, which is why I wrote this.
Which brings me to my second point. The assumptions of these events are that stealing is normal, saying you are going to be there, and not showing up, is normal. Not in my world! I want to create events where people participating, in general, aren’t afraid that their things are going to be stolen. I also want everyone to get paid something! This has got to change! Lastly I want the audience to stay and actually talk to everyone! I mean people should get to meet the human beings who put hours of their life together for two to three minutes of runway time! These are artists! The models are NOT just bodies, they are people. We have to start caring, and I want to create special events where everyone WANTS to participate they are treated like real people, they are respected, their things are safe and don’t go missing, they get paid for their time and effort, and everyone stays to talk, dance, and have a good time past the runway show.
How is that possible? Easy. Relationships. You spend time getting to know the people that are on time, show up, do good work, and have awesome attitudes on and off the runway. Drama queens, flakes, lewd audience members and jealous boyfriends can go to other people’s shows. The idea is that the people who do all the bad behavior may want to get into my show, but it requires them to be better than anyone has thought possible of them before.
Since I have been doing the body painting for some of these events I have noticed some things that seem to be the “norm” for the shows. It seems that several or many models cancelling is an absolute certainty. You never book exactly the number of models you need you book more so you can get the number you need. Another absolute certainty is that something that belongs to the models is going to be stolen. Sometimes it is a wallet, phone, cash, outfits, shoes, or anything else they brought in the door. Somehow it magically disappears by some invisible means by the time they get off the runway.
Everyone is hoping to get their big break. The hairstylist will do shows for free until someone sees how amazing they are and pay them for their artistry. The make-up artists are in the same boat and so are the photographers. And of course the models. So the guest artist event I did last night should have cost the show $500 at a minimum (everyone involved getting ONLY $50, plus paying for supplies). The models should have gotten $100 a piece. The hairdresser normally gets $150 for a photo shoot. I normally get $200 plus supplies. The photographer is normally $250. We also bought pizza since we started at noon and the show finished at 10pm. There was also a run to Walgreens for other supplies. Each of the models also had to buy underwear for the shoot. So in order for everyone to be paid their normal fee, it should have cost somewhere in the ballpark of $900.
Like I said. I think most people have no idea. That was just for two models! I know that before I started doing this I had no idea, which is why I wrote this.
Which brings me to my second point. The assumptions of these events are that stealing is normal, saying you are going to be there, and not showing up, is normal. Not in my world! I want to create events where people participating, in general, aren’t afraid that their things are going to be stolen. I also want everyone to get paid something! This has got to change! Lastly I want the audience to stay and actually talk to everyone! I mean people should get to meet the human beings who put hours of their life together for two to three minutes of runway time! These are artists! The models are NOT just bodies, they are people. We have to start caring, and I want to create special events where everyone WANTS to participate they are treated like real people, they are respected, their things are safe and don’t go missing, they get paid for their time and effort, and everyone stays to talk, dance, and have a good time past the runway show.
How is that possible? Easy. Relationships. You spend time getting to know the people that are on time, show up, do good work, and have awesome attitudes on and off the runway. Drama queens, flakes, lewd audience members and jealous boyfriends can go to other people’s shows. The idea is that the people who do all the bad behavior may want to get into my show, but it requires them to be better than anyone has thought possible of them before.
2011年12月15日星期四
Pottery Painting Pops Up in Wilton
Budding Calders and Chilhulys now have a local Wilton studio where they can start their pursuit of artistic expression. Art on Fire, a paint-your-own-pottery studio, has relocated from Ridgefield to a bigger space at 991 Danbury Road, next to Toozy Patza.
Owner Joe Criscuolo is eager to welcome artists of all ages who want to paint, create and be elated with art.
“After five years in Ridgefield, we decided to expand to offer more things. We don’t want to be just a pottery place—we want it to be an art place. We wanted the opportunity for someone to come here and do something and just take it with them in that moment, like mosaics. Mosaics are a lot of fun—you spend 20 minutes to half-an-hour doing a craft and you have something to show for it immediately, and it’s quick turnaround gift giving.”
Perfect for the rapidly approaching holidays, Criscuolo is also offering a stocking-decorating craft as well.
Of course traditional pottery painting will still be a core project at the studio—glancing at the well-stocked shelves customers can choose from platters, mugs, animal figures and a seeming unending array of ceramics on which to unleash creative energy. Art on Fire supplies the paints, tools, kiln firing, expertise and music in the studio.
“Everything is individually priced, per item, and then we apply a one-time, $8 studio fee per painter. It’s not time based or item based. We don’t charge you any more than the $8, you can paint as many items during the time you stay there,” explained Criscuolo.
He noted that Tuesdays will always be “free studio time” and the $8 fee will be waived. “It’s something we do for customers who want to come in and paint regularly.” They’ll also have a Wednesday Holiday incentive, offering 50-percent off a customer’s entire check (ceramics and studio fee combined).
In addition to traditional kids’ birthday parties, Art on Fire hosts other kinds of gatherings.
“Senior citizen residential centers can have an outing here or we can bring things on-site. We do fundraisers in the studio for non-profit groups like the PTA or scout trips—we can put together auction items or donate 50 percent of the net proceeds of an event here. Invite all your friends, we do all the work, they get a check, it’s a no-brainer,” said Criscuolo. “We also do corporate team-building and ladies’ nights, from 7-9p.m: We cater the food, or we can do a wine tasting night, and you come in with everyone; we play some cool music, you chilax for a little bit and paint and have fun.”
The other major focus of the art studio will be after school and toddler enrichment programs, as well as summer camps. Criscuolo said the full schedule of programs for different age groups offers some extras.
“We provide free food and a safe environment and they can paint and socialize and have a great time. We also have a playroom that we’ve expanded so it allows kids to burn off energy if the painting isn’t doing it for them.”
Owner Joe Criscuolo is eager to welcome artists of all ages who want to paint, create and be elated with art.
“After five years in Ridgefield, we decided to expand to offer more things. We don’t want to be just a pottery place—we want it to be an art place. We wanted the opportunity for someone to come here and do something and just take it with them in that moment, like mosaics. Mosaics are a lot of fun—you spend 20 minutes to half-an-hour doing a craft and you have something to show for it immediately, and it’s quick turnaround gift giving.”
Perfect for the rapidly approaching holidays, Criscuolo is also offering a stocking-decorating craft as well.
Of course traditional pottery painting will still be a core project at the studio—glancing at the well-stocked shelves customers can choose from platters, mugs, animal figures and a seeming unending array of ceramics on which to unleash creative energy. Art on Fire supplies the paints, tools, kiln firing, expertise and music in the studio.
“Everything is individually priced, per item, and then we apply a one-time, $8 studio fee per painter. It’s not time based or item based. We don’t charge you any more than the $8, you can paint as many items during the time you stay there,” explained Criscuolo.
He noted that Tuesdays will always be “free studio time” and the $8 fee will be waived. “It’s something we do for customers who want to come in and paint regularly.” They’ll also have a Wednesday Holiday incentive, offering 50-percent off a customer’s entire check (ceramics and studio fee combined).
In addition to traditional kids’ birthday parties, Art on Fire hosts other kinds of gatherings.
“Senior citizen residential centers can have an outing here or we can bring things on-site. We do fundraisers in the studio for non-profit groups like the PTA or scout trips—we can put together auction items or donate 50 percent of the net proceeds of an event here. Invite all your friends, we do all the work, they get a check, it’s a no-brainer,” said Criscuolo. “We also do corporate team-building and ladies’ nights, from 7-9p.m: We cater the food, or we can do a wine tasting night, and you come in with everyone; we play some cool music, you chilax for a little bit and paint and have fun.”
The other major focus of the art studio will be after school and toddler enrichment programs, as well as summer camps. Criscuolo said the full schedule of programs for different age groups offers some extras.
“We provide free food and a safe environment and they can paint and socialize and have a great time. We also have a playroom that we’ve expanded so it allows kids to burn off energy if the painting isn’t doing it for them.”
2011年12月14日星期三
Painting stirs imagination
Unsigned art created by a small South Tampa company with an unassuming name graces many area homes, restaurants and local schools as well as the Glazer Children's Museum and Central Florida's newest theme park, Legoland.
Splat Paint creations prove the small staff does much more than paint some neat work — all without splat.
Detailed murals, custom artistic finishes, decorative metal work, hand-embossed tiles, Venetian plaster, concrete sculptures, gold-leafing and more are on the company's creative palette.
"That's why we've been lucky in this economy — we do everything," said Jeff Monsein, founder of the South Tampa-based company.
Splat Paint works with the Tampa Bay area's major architects, builders, and landscapers; but in the past the creative team has worked in South Florida, Maryland, California, even Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
That Mexican project consumed three weeks and posed unique problems that arose early in the journey.
Unknown to Monsein, Transportation Security Administration agents at Tampa International Airport confiscated all the liquid tints he packed in a trunk of art supplies for the job south of the border.
The loss of the tinting for glaze in the 10-bedroom vacation mansion of a Tampa client left little choice but to seek higher-priced substitutes in the Mexican coastal resort.
"I'm using my best Spanglish possible to try and negotiate with the locals to get enough materials to get the job done," said Monsein, finally able to laugh at the perplexing predicament six years ago.
Most jobs are closer to Monsein's New Suburb Beautiful studio. The company created murals in the media center, cafeteria and teachers' lounge at South Tampa's Woodrow Wilson Middle School and did all murals at Glazer Children's Museum.
The team used 20,000 small pieces of tile to create a 7-foot-high pirate mosaic outside the museum entrance, part of the nonprofit artLOUD project to place more sculpture downtown. Splat's interactive colorful mosaic is designed so visitors can pose behind it — their faces poking through the appropriate openings atop the swashbucklers' bodies.
At Tampa General Hospital, Splat Paint's unique mural in the Jennifer Leigh Muma Neonatal Intensive Care Unit depicts children seemingly swimming along the 20-foot diameter ceiling.
"We painted the ceiling as if you were looking up through the ocean and saw children floating and playing in the water," Monsein said.
The mural extends to the floor via a large pillar painted like a tubular aquarium with a coral reef, colorful fish and more swimming children. The image of a curious young observer on the outside looking in completes the aquatic design.
Months before Legoland's October opening, the Splat team was working on an arcade building at the Polk County theme park, where they applied colored cement to create a look of old plaster and exposed wood.
"It was a really difficult job," working all day in full sun for two weeks, said Monsein. Additionally, the team was required to wear long pants, safety vests and hardhats in the 95-degree heat. "It was miserable."
Monsein was not always a suffering artist. For two decades he owned and operated employment agencies and trade schools in Tampa, all in the auto/diesel mechanics and truck-driver training field. When he sold the businesses he was retired — briefly. In 1990, he likes to say, he "traded diesels for easels," informing his wife, "I'm going to start painting."
He launched the one-man company by distributing door-hanger ads to 100 houses in his New Suburb Beautiful neighborhood. It triggered some jobs. "I had to learn very quickly," he concedes. "I had no art education whatsoever, but I'm pretty crazy about reading and practicing" constantly until able to do whatever the job requires, he said.
To help with the growing workload, two school-trained artists joined Monsein a half-dozen years ago, Kristen Alatorre and Timothy Innamorato. Other local artists help with large projects. Most jobs, including the third philanthropic project Splat recently completed at Alpha House Tampa, begin with the proposed design superimposed on a photo of the area where the design or mural will be painted. "It pretty much shows what you're going to get," Monsein said.
Usually the client has a theme in mind, "and we come up with a creative plan. Most of our clients give us some poetic license to create," Monsein said.
For the Alpha House patio walls, the team proposed a tropical theme and, following approval of a design of hibiscus and tropical leaves, created stencils to facilitate applying those images in colors selected by the client.
"We don't have a particular style," Monsein said. For example, a western-theme mural requested by a client will be unique, unrecognizable as a Splat Paint creation, he said.
The company itself was somewhat anonymous in its early days.
"Originally, there was no name, but I used the Splat logo," Monsein said. "My last name is totally not memorable," so he didn't want to identify the company that way. "Splat is really easy to spell and it's really memorable," he said.
Splat Paint creations prove the small staff does much more than paint some neat work — all without splat.
Detailed murals, custom artistic finishes, decorative metal work, hand-embossed tiles, Venetian plaster, concrete sculptures, gold-leafing and more are on the company's creative palette.
"That's why we've been lucky in this economy — we do everything," said Jeff Monsein, founder of the South Tampa-based company.
Splat Paint works with the Tampa Bay area's major architects, builders, and landscapers; but in the past the creative team has worked in South Florida, Maryland, California, even Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
That Mexican project consumed three weeks and posed unique problems that arose early in the journey.
Unknown to Monsein, Transportation Security Administration agents at Tampa International Airport confiscated all the liquid tints he packed in a trunk of art supplies for the job south of the border.
The loss of the tinting for glaze in the 10-bedroom vacation mansion of a Tampa client left little choice but to seek higher-priced substitutes in the Mexican coastal resort.
"I'm using my best Spanglish possible to try and negotiate with the locals to get enough materials to get the job done," said Monsein, finally able to laugh at the perplexing predicament six years ago.
Most jobs are closer to Monsein's New Suburb Beautiful studio. The company created murals in the media center, cafeteria and teachers' lounge at South Tampa's Woodrow Wilson Middle School and did all murals at Glazer Children's Museum.
The team used 20,000 small pieces of tile to create a 7-foot-high pirate mosaic outside the museum entrance, part of the nonprofit artLOUD project to place more sculpture downtown. Splat's interactive colorful mosaic is designed so visitors can pose behind it — their faces poking through the appropriate openings atop the swashbucklers' bodies.
At Tampa General Hospital, Splat Paint's unique mural in the Jennifer Leigh Muma Neonatal Intensive Care Unit depicts children seemingly swimming along the 20-foot diameter ceiling.
"We painted the ceiling as if you were looking up through the ocean and saw children floating and playing in the water," Monsein said.
The mural extends to the floor via a large pillar painted like a tubular aquarium with a coral reef, colorful fish and more swimming children. The image of a curious young observer on the outside looking in completes the aquatic design.
Months before Legoland's October opening, the Splat team was working on an arcade building at the Polk County theme park, where they applied colored cement to create a look of old plaster and exposed wood.
"It was a really difficult job," working all day in full sun for two weeks, said Monsein. Additionally, the team was required to wear long pants, safety vests and hardhats in the 95-degree heat. "It was miserable."
Monsein was not always a suffering artist. For two decades he owned and operated employment agencies and trade schools in Tampa, all in the auto/diesel mechanics and truck-driver training field. When he sold the businesses he was retired — briefly. In 1990, he likes to say, he "traded diesels for easels," informing his wife, "I'm going to start painting."
He launched the one-man company by distributing door-hanger ads to 100 houses in his New Suburb Beautiful neighborhood. It triggered some jobs. "I had to learn very quickly," he concedes. "I had no art education whatsoever, but I'm pretty crazy about reading and practicing" constantly until able to do whatever the job requires, he said.
To help with the growing workload, two school-trained artists joined Monsein a half-dozen years ago, Kristen Alatorre and Timothy Innamorato. Other local artists help with large projects. Most jobs, including the third philanthropic project Splat recently completed at Alpha House Tampa, begin with the proposed design superimposed on a photo of the area where the design or mural will be painted. "It pretty much shows what you're going to get," Monsein said.
Usually the client has a theme in mind, "and we come up with a creative plan. Most of our clients give us some poetic license to create," Monsein said.
For the Alpha House patio walls, the team proposed a tropical theme and, following approval of a design of hibiscus and tropical leaves, created stencils to facilitate applying those images in colors selected by the client.
"We don't have a particular style," Monsein said. For example, a western-theme mural requested by a client will be unique, unrecognizable as a Splat Paint creation, he said.
The company itself was somewhat anonymous in its early days.
"Originally, there was no name, but I used the Splat logo," Monsein said. "My last name is totally not memorable," so he didn't want to identify the company that way. "Splat is really easy to spell and it's really memorable," he said.
2011年12月13日星期二
Building the enterprise
By the end of June 1960, with Mansel Ramsey's preliminary assurances of June 1 to the effect that we were OK with Oak Ridge National Laboratory policy, we were deep into the business of setting up the company. Enthusiasm had developed in our group -- far beyond what I might have expected.
As I worked on it and looked at it, I got more and more excited about the effort, as did the others involved. Everyone was not only working on his part of the operation -- we were supporting each other and enthusiastically supporting the overall effort. That mutual support, enthusiasm, and the mutual trust we practiced and built increasingly strongly as we went along were without doubt major keys to the ultimate success of the enterprise.
There was a lot to do and we needed to keep track carefully. During capitalization we talked with Joe Guarneri, who had accounting experience and was a member of (I believe) the Finance Division, which assigned and managed the administrative assistants in ORNL's major divisions .
Joe was assigned to the Instrumentation and Controls Division (Cas Borkowski's division), but did not report to Cas. He was enthusiastic to join in with ORTEC and was glad not to be affected by Cas's "blanket ban" on I&C division members' association with ORTEC. Joe agreed to be secretary-treasurer and to keep the books.
ORTEC's first budget was simply a budget for the cash outlays required to get started. Joe was to make the distinctions between expense and balance sheet items and keep the records in accordance with good accounting practices and IRS rules.
We had divided the various areas of work among us, but now we had to deal with actual purchases, work and budgets. We thought it best, for reasons of efficiency, initiative, and accountability, to set up so the guys in charge of an area also had budget responsibility for that area.
We were a group of independent personalities and knew everyone would want to make his own decisions about expenditures. Everyone agreed.
We also agreed if any major account items in the budget were going to be overrun, we would bring it to the board as soon as we knew, discuss it, and decide jointly how to handle it. It was clear budget overruns were serious matters, not to be regarded lightly. We all took budgetary matters as a challenge, and our approach here seemed to add greatly to the rapport we had in setting up the company.
The immediate tasks facing us were practical and each task had its own difficulty. We had a lot to do in the next two to three months in our evening-and-weekend activities.
We needed an attorney to draw up corporate documents, including charter, bylaws, state filing forms, stock subscription agreement, etc. Attorney Elliott Adams did the legal work, but only after we had selected a name and had a corporate address. Recall, the name Oak Ridge Technical Enterprises Corp. (ORTEC) was selected June 15, 1960.
Immediately after we had a company name, we rented a post office box, obtained a telephone number, initial letterhead, and began stationery and brochure design, etc. Jim Johnson was our designer and graphic artist; he came up with a logo.
After we found and arranged for a location (July 7), we needed to clean the rooms and physically set up the facility. This included installing the telephones, lab benches, shelves, cabinets, proper electrical and plumbing connections, painting the walls and surfaces, and insuring cleanliness throughout.
The phones and the electrical and plumbing parts were done by professionals; the rest was done by crews of shareholders who came to the new facility and pitched in with enthusiastic help. A fun atmosphere prevailed while this was going on. Leaders were John Walter and John Neiler, with 10 to 15 shareholders participating at various times.
Probably the single most expensive equipment item we would need was a vacuum evaporator. We would try for a lease-purchase arrangement, but also compare that with outright purchase. A deal was arranged with Consolidated Electrodynamics Corp.
Machined parts for our specific purposes added about another $300 to the purchase price of $1,700. Detector mounts and other machined parts, jigs, etc., had to be designed and made; Jim Johnson and Al Lynch did this.
We needed a multi-channel analyzer for alpha-particle testing of detectors. Dallas Yeager, an instrument sales representative who had joined in as an investor, arranged an agreement with Vern Hartzer, president of RIDL (Radiation Instrument Development Laboratories Inc., an instrumentation company), whereby RIDL furnished us an analyzer as a demonstration unit at no charge.
They required only that we place on each detector test spectrum a label stating that it was taken with an RIDL analyzer. No problem there! This saved us a capital expenditure of $5000 or more. Tom Emmer led this effort along with John Neiler and John Walter.
Yeager also agreed that he and his secretary could answer the ORTEC telephone during workdays while we were at work at ORNL. We arranged with AT&T to install an extension in Yeager's office, several blocks away. This was an enormous help in that they could call any of us if a really urgent call came in. Mostly they would take messages.
We also had to negotiate a supply of n-type, single-crystal silicon. John Walter made sure the specifications were right and talked with the technical people at MERCK & Co., which was known to us as a quality supplier. The quoted price was $1.89 per gram and we needed an ingot section of about 300 grams to start.
We were convinced the technical person at MERCK understood our requirements, but of course his instructions (to ship) came from the sales and/or credit department. The sales/credit guys had a hard time understanding our special requirements and also didn't readily understand who we were or what we were doing.
Finally, I ended up talking with the sales manager for specialty items who said, after being sure that his technical guy understood, "Oh, well, I'll give you a $500 line of credit and we'll ship it to you, whatever it is." They did, and we of course paid the invoice immediately after it arrived.
That started a good relationship through which they provided for our regular needs and provided, as well, ingot sections of rarer high-resistivity silicon as they became available, which was needed later for a number of our customers' applications.
The ingots we received from MERCK had to be sliced, and the slices had to be cut and shaped into the detector shapes we needed. The saw cuts would cause the loss of useful material of course, so we searched for a firm that could cut the ingots with minimum-thickness cuts. We used the firm MERCK technical people recommended, which was Semiconductor Specialties Corp. in New Jersey, which did an excellent job.
We applied for and received a license from the Atomic Energy Commission for handling radioactive materials, so we could procure alpha-particle sources and use them for testing the detectors. We had to work out and understand the procedure for purchasing the sources from ORNL, where we knew good sources, especially 241Am, would be made by Al Chetham-Strode and his group, who had made excellent sources for my work at ORNL. Phil Baker, in the isotopes group at ORNL, helped us, smoothing out the procedural wrinkles.
As I worked on it and looked at it, I got more and more excited about the effort, as did the others involved. Everyone was not only working on his part of the operation -- we were supporting each other and enthusiastically supporting the overall effort. That mutual support, enthusiasm, and the mutual trust we practiced and built increasingly strongly as we went along were without doubt major keys to the ultimate success of the enterprise.
There was a lot to do and we needed to keep track carefully. During capitalization we talked with Joe Guarneri, who had accounting experience and was a member of (I believe) the Finance Division, which assigned and managed the administrative assistants in ORNL's major divisions .
Joe was assigned to the Instrumentation and Controls Division (Cas Borkowski's division), but did not report to Cas. He was enthusiastic to join in with ORTEC and was glad not to be affected by Cas's "blanket ban" on I&C division members' association with ORTEC. Joe agreed to be secretary-treasurer and to keep the books.
ORTEC's first budget was simply a budget for the cash outlays required to get started. Joe was to make the distinctions between expense and balance sheet items and keep the records in accordance with good accounting practices and IRS rules.
We had divided the various areas of work among us, but now we had to deal with actual purchases, work and budgets. We thought it best, for reasons of efficiency, initiative, and accountability, to set up so the guys in charge of an area also had budget responsibility for that area.
We were a group of independent personalities and knew everyone would want to make his own decisions about expenditures. Everyone agreed.
We also agreed if any major account items in the budget were going to be overrun, we would bring it to the board as soon as we knew, discuss it, and decide jointly how to handle it. It was clear budget overruns were serious matters, not to be regarded lightly. We all took budgetary matters as a challenge, and our approach here seemed to add greatly to the rapport we had in setting up the company.
The immediate tasks facing us were practical and each task had its own difficulty. We had a lot to do in the next two to three months in our evening-and-weekend activities.
We needed an attorney to draw up corporate documents, including charter, bylaws, state filing forms, stock subscription agreement, etc. Attorney Elliott Adams did the legal work, but only after we had selected a name and had a corporate address. Recall, the name Oak Ridge Technical Enterprises Corp. (ORTEC) was selected June 15, 1960.
Immediately after we had a company name, we rented a post office box, obtained a telephone number, initial letterhead, and began stationery and brochure design, etc. Jim Johnson was our designer and graphic artist; he came up with a logo.
After we found and arranged for a location (July 7), we needed to clean the rooms and physically set up the facility. This included installing the telephones, lab benches, shelves, cabinets, proper electrical and plumbing connections, painting the walls and surfaces, and insuring cleanliness throughout.
The phones and the electrical and plumbing parts were done by professionals; the rest was done by crews of shareholders who came to the new facility and pitched in with enthusiastic help. A fun atmosphere prevailed while this was going on. Leaders were John Walter and John Neiler, with 10 to 15 shareholders participating at various times.
Probably the single most expensive equipment item we would need was a vacuum evaporator. We would try for a lease-purchase arrangement, but also compare that with outright purchase. A deal was arranged with Consolidated Electrodynamics Corp.
Machined parts for our specific purposes added about another $300 to the purchase price of $1,700. Detector mounts and other machined parts, jigs, etc., had to be designed and made; Jim Johnson and Al Lynch did this.
We needed a multi-channel analyzer for alpha-particle testing of detectors. Dallas Yeager, an instrument sales representative who had joined in as an investor, arranged an agreement with Vern Hartzer, president of RIDL (Radiation Instrument Development Laboratories Inc., an instrumentation company), whereby RIDL furnished us an analyzer as a demonstration unit at no charge.
They required only that we place on each detector test spectrum a label stating that it was taken with an RIDL analyzer. No problem there! This saved us a capital expenditure of $5000 or more. Tom Emmer led this effort along with John Neiler and John Walter.
Yeager also agreed that he and his secretary could answer the ORTEC telephone during workdays while we were at work at ORNL. We arranged with AT&T to install an extension in Yeager's office, several blocks away. This was an enormous help in that they could call any of us if a really urgent call came in. Mostly they would take messages.
We also had to negotiate a supply of n-type, single-crystal silicon. John Walter made sure the specifications were right and talked with the technical people at MERCK & Co., which was known to us as a quality supplier. The quoted price was $1.89 per gram and we needed an ingot section of about 300 grams to start.
We were convinced the technical person at MERCK understood our requirements, but of course his instructions (to ship) came from the sales and/or credit department. The sales/credit guys had a hard time understanding our special requirements and also didn't readily understand who we were or what we were doing.
Finally, I ended up talking with the sales manager for specialty items who said, after being sure that his technical guy understood, "Oh, well, I'll give you a $500 line of credit and we'll ship it to you, whatever it is." They did, and we of course paid the invoice immediately after it arrived.
That started a good relationship through which they provided for our regular needs and provided, as well, ingot sections of rarer high-resistivity silicon as they became available, which was needed later for a number of our customers' applications.
The ingots we received from MERCK had to be sliced, and the slices had to be cut and shaped into the detector shapes we needed. The saw cuts would cause the loss of useful material of course, so we searched for a firm that could cut the ingots with minimum-thickness cuts. We used the firm MERCK technical people recommended, which was Semiconductor Specialties Corp. in New Jersey, which did an excellent job.
We applied for and received a license from the Atomic Energy Commission for handling radioactive materials, so we could procure alpha-particle sources and use them for testing the detectors. We had to work out and understand the procedure for purchasing the sources from ORNL, where we knew good sources, especially 241Am, would be made by Al Chetham-Strode and his group, who had made excellent sources for my work at ORNL. Phil Baker, in the isotopes group at ORNL, helped us, smoothing out the procedural wrinkles.
2011年12月12日星期一
BMW Debuts 2013 6 Series Gran Coupe
Sex appeal and seductive curves are not only for women but are looked upon as sought after characteristics for automobiles. One vehicle segment that has recently elevated the curvy-sex appeal of the automobile is the four-door coupe design commonly found on the Benz CLS, Volkswagen CC, Panamera and the Audi A7. BMW has never had anything to compete in this specialized segment until now.
BMW has officially introduced its new 2012 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe sporting 4-doors with frameless windows, a continuous curved roof-line and exquisite interior luxury appointments. The new 6 Series Gran Coupe does not sway to far from the original BMW’s Gran Coupe Concept introduced last year. The new 2013 6 Series Gran Coupe will first make its debut stateside as a 640i model powered by BMW’s 3.0-liter N55 inline-6 cylinder turbocharged engine. The Gran Coupe’s N55 twin-scroll power unit will have an output of 315 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. A new 650i Gran Coupe variant will be available afterwards offering optional xDrive all-wheel drive and powered by BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 good for 445 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. Both engines direct power through a new ZF eight-speed automatic transmission.
The new 2013 BMW Gran Coupe is much more than a 6 Series coupe stretched about 4.4 inches, it will embody a 4+1 seating configuration allowing a 5th passenger between the two outboard rear seats. All of the tech-gadgetry will be the newest offerings from BMW with the latest iDrive integration, a new generation color Heads-Up display, a trans-reflective Control Display mounted in a freestanding housing, and an optional Bang & Olufsen High-End Surround Sound System.
Look for the introduction of the new 2013 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe to make an appearance in the flesh at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March 2012. Pricing details have not been released as of yet. For other additional information please hit up the official press release below.
BMW has officially introduced its new 2012 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe sporting 4-doors with frameless windows, a continuous curved roof-line and exquisite interior luxury appointments. The new 6 Series Gran Coupe does not sway to far from the original BMW’s Gran Coupe Concept introduced last year. The new 2013 6 Series Gran Coupe will first make its debut stateside as a 640i model powered by BMW’s 3.0-liter N55 inline-6 cylinder turbocharged engine. The Gran Coupe’s N55 twin-scroll power unit will have an output of 315 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque. A new 650i Gran Coupe variant will be available afterwards offering optional xDrive all-wheel drive and powered by BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 good for 445 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. Both engines direct power through a new ZF eight-speed automatic transmission.
The new 2013 BMW Gran Coupe is much more than a 6 Series coupe stretched about 4.4 inches, it will embody a 4+1 seating configuration allowing a 5th passenger between the two outboard rear seats. All of the tech-gadgetry will be the newest offerings from BMW with the latest iDrive integration, a new generation color Heads-Up display, a trans-reflective Control Display mounted in a freestanding housing, and an optional Bang & Olufsen High-End Surround Sound System.
Look for the introduction of the new 2013 BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe to make an appearance in the flesh at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March 2012. Pricing details have not been released as of yet. For other additional information please hit up the official press release below.
2011年12月11日星期日
Paid parking adds to shoppers' Christmas stress
Paid parking at Chermside, after expiry of a time limit, may have made it easier to find a vacant parking space but, in the lead-up to Christmas, it is causing big headaches for shoppers and staff.
Customers who fail to finish their shopping within the free, three-hour window, as well as centre staff who pay to park at their workplace, say they are under increased stress.
Shopping-centre owner Westfield introduced paid parking at Queensland's largest shopping centre two months ago, despite a huge protest from retailers and customers.
Parking rates range from $2 for 3 hours to $20 for more than seven hours. Parking is free for any shopper who stays less than three hours but, according to those who made it out in time last week, the "incredible stress" is "not worth it".
"Just having to keep an eye on the time is a massive pain, I hate it," Grange resident Maria Reggi said. ''I only come here because of the shops and the variety, but I try to stay under the three hours.
"Obviously at Christmas time, that's really difficult to do. You can't even stop and have a cup of coffee any more. Not happy at all, we're going to Brookside where they have free parking."
A Westfield spokesperson said centre management was getting positive letters every day from shoppers happy with the new system.
"[The letters are] expressing that the new managed parking system, including the parking guidance system and Queensland's first valet service, has improved their parking experience and they are returning to Chermside," the spokesperson said.
"Before introducing managed parking, the average customer time was 101 minutes, and 96 per cent of customers shopped [in] under three hours. It is expected, with the introduction of managed parking, that the vast majority will continue to not pay for parking.''
Some customers admitted it had become easier to find parking at Chermside but complained of the time-limit pressure. Cheryl McMurtrie of Bridgeman Downs said she had arrived mid-morning and had no trouble finding a car space.
"I come during the day and there's plenty of parking, but I do have to pay for it, which I hate," she said.
"I went to the hairdresser. That took longer than three hours. If you're coming for a quick shop, the concept is good, but if you're coming for a half or full day to do Christmas shopping, it's a costly exercise."
One elderly couple did not have time to answer questions because they were running to their car to get out in time. "It's horrible, absolutely horrible," they said.
Isabella Reggi, who is employed as a casual staff member in the centre, said it was "obvious" people hated being there with a time restriction. "[Speaking] as staff working in the centre, customers are so riled up about it and it's staff who pay the price," she said.
"We might be trying to gift-wrap something and the customer is there saying, 'Hurry up. I've only got five minutes left.' It's really stressful. Everyone walking around the centre is stressed because they're on a time limit,'' Ms Reggi said.
"People don't need extra stress at this time of the year when Christmas shopping is already so hard."
Food retailers who spoke to The Sun-Herald said business was down. "Our takings are noticeably down and there's no doubt it's because of the paid parking," one man said.
Customers who fail to finish their shopping within the free, three-hour window, as well as centre staff who pay to park at their workplace, say they are under increased stress.
Shopping-centre owner Westfield introduced paid parking at Queensland's largest shopping centre two months ago, despite a huge protest from retailers and customers.
Parking rates range from $2 for 3 hours to $20 for more than seven hours. Parking is free for any shopper who stays less than three hours but, according to those who made it out in time last week, the "incredible stress" is "not worth it".
"Just having to keep an eye on the time is a massive pain, I hate it," Grange resident Maria Reggi said. ''I only come here because of the shops and the variety, but I try to stay under the three hours.
"Obviously at Christmas time, that's really difficult to do. You can't even stop and have a cup of coffee any more. Not happy at all, we're going to Brookside where they have free parking."
A Westfield spokesperson said centre management was getting positive letters every day from shoppers happy with the new system.
"[The letters are] expressing that the new managed parking system, including the parking guidance system and Queensland's first valet service, has improved their parking experience and they are returning to Chermside," the spokesperson said.
"Before introducing managed parking, the average customer time was 101 minutes, and 96 per cent of customers shopped [in] under three hours. It is expected, with the introduction of managed parking, that the vast majority will continue to not pay for parking.''
Some customers admitted it had become easier to find parking at Chermside but complained of the time-limit pressure. Cheryl McMurtrie of Bridgeman Downs said she had arrived mid-morning and had no trouble finding a car space.
"I come during the day and there's plenty of parking, but I do have to pay for it, which I hate," she said.
"I went to the hairdresser. That took longer than three hours. If you're coming for a quick shop, the concept is good, but if you're coming for a half or full day to do Christmas shopping, it's a costly exercise."
One elderly couple did not have time to answer questions because they were running to their car to get out in time. "It's horrible, absolutely horrible," they said.
Isabella Reggi, who is employed as a casual staff member in the centre, said it was "obvious" people hated being there with a time restriction. "[Speaking] as staff working in the centre, customers are so riled up about it and it's staff who pay the price," she said.
"We might be trying to gift-wrap something and the customer is there saying, 'Hurry up. I've only got five minutes left.' It's really stressful. Everyone walking around the centre is stressed because they're on a time limit,'' Ms Reggi said.
"People don't need extra stress at this time of the year when Christmas shopping is already so hard."
Food retailers who spoke to The Sun-Herald said business was down. "Our takings are noticeably down and there's no doubt it's because of the paid parking," one man said.
2011年12月8日星期四
Newspaper Briefing, including 'Mario Draghi under pressure as Europes banks beg for help'
Gilt futures held steady but lagged bunds after a well-bid German debt auction and fears that an agreement to solve the Eurozone debt crisis will not be reached. The March gilt future settled one tick down on the day at 114.33, while the equivalent bund future was 78 ticks higher. In the cash market, the yield on ten-year gilts was two basis points lower at 2.23%.
Deal of the day: Roofing might not be the most interesting work but at least Hightex is going to be doing it in one of the worlds greatest football stadiums. Shares in the group rose 0.35p to 1.97p, after it won a 10 million contract to install the cable and membrane roof structure for Rio de Janeiros Maracaa stadium, where the final of the 2014 World Cup will be played.
Tiddler to watch: Petroceltic added 0.7p to 7.4p, after reporting the best appraisal results to date at its Ain Tsila field in Algeria. Bank of America Merrill Lynch said that the oil flow rate had reassured it of the fields productivity and, as such, its commercial prospects, which would generate greater interest in an upcoming sale of a stake in the project.
Mario Draghi under pressure as Europes banks beg for help: Mario Draghi is expected to announce fresh, ultra-long term loan programmes to help to alleviate the funding gap in the regions banking sector this afternoon. The ECB said that banks had demanded more than $50 billion of cut-rate dollar loans, the most since the aftermath of the Lehman crash, after it joined the Federal Reserve and other central banks in a co-ordinated action last week.
Unions broadside greets George Osborne plan to end national pay bargaining: The Government faced fresh anger from unions after the Chancellor announced plans to end national pay bargaining sooner than expected. Signalling that he was keen to get the ball rolling, George Osborne told the Treasury Select Committee that he had written to pay review bodies about his plans to base public sector wages on local conditions and that he hoped to implement the new rules in the pay year 2013-14.
Protests force Ministers to shelve supermarket opening: The Prime Minister of India was facing humiliation after he was forced to abandon a long-awaited plan to allow foreign chains such as Tesco to open supermarkets in the country. The U-turn, announced by Manmohan Singh in Parliament, followed two weeks of mounting street protests by shopkeepers who feared that the big multinational chains would drive them out of business.
Apple loses latest round of iPad battle: The unfettered rise of Apples iPad has hit an unexpected stumbling block after a court in China rejected the companys claim to the iPad trademark, potentially hitting sales in the worlds largest consumer market. Apple has been in a long dispute with an Asian screens manufacturer over ownership of the iPad trademark.
Market slide takes the shine off Brewin Dolphin earnings: Volatile markets wiped 1 billion off the value of Brewin Dolphins assets under management in the second half. Its assets, managed mainly on behalf of wealthy private clients, fell by 4% between March and the end of September as Brewin felt the effects of sliding equity prices.
Ireland urged to consider selling Nama: Ireland should look into selling the National Asset Management Agency once it has made significant progress in disposing of its toxic loans, a government-commissioned report is expected to say. The agency, which has a 31 billion (26.5 billion) loan book, had previously been expected to dispose of all the assets it could.
Shares may become also-rans as we get older but not bolder: A muted desire for shares among cautious investors in the East and ageing populations in the West will hamper company growth, according to new research. The McKinsey Global Institute calculates that by 2020 an equity gap of $12.3 trillion (7.8 trillion) is likely to open up between household demand for listed shares and corporate requirements for additional equity.
Capital expense for parking your car: Parking spaces in London are so expensive now that buying a home with a private berth for your car costs more than a house in Middlesbrough. Research shows that owning a home in the capital with off-street parking can add an extra 10% to the value of the house, according to ING Direct.
Cost of power line soars to 750 million: The cost of the controversial Beauly-Denny electricity line has more than doubled, to nearly 750 million, because of delays and last-minute landscape improvement measures demanded by the Scottish government. The original estimate of 331 million in 2004 had climbed to 539 million earlier this year.
Britain tops the league for spying on employees: British companies are more likely to carry out surveillance on their staff than their overseas counterparts, a survey has found. One in four workers believes that their e-mails are being monitored, compared with only 28% of workers internationally. Almost half, 48% expect their employers to be monitoring their e-mails within ten years.
Deal of the day: Roofing might not be the most interesting work but at least Hightex is going to be doing it in one of the worlds greatest football stadiums. Shares in the group rose 0.35p to 1.97p, after it won a 10 million contract to install the cable and membrane roof structure for Rio de Janeiros Maracaa stadium, where the final of the 2014 World Cup will be played.
Tiddler to watch: Petroceltic added 0.7p to 7.4p, after reporting the best appraisal results to date at its Ain Tsila field in Algeria. Bank of America Merrill Lynch said that the oil flow rate had reassured it of the fields productivity and, as such, its commercial prospects, which would generate greater interest in an upcoming sale of a stake in the project.
Mario Draghi under pressure as Europes banks beg for help: Mario Draghi is expected to announce fresh, ultra-long term loan programmes to help to alleviate the funding gap in the regions banking sector this afternoon. The ECB said that banks had demanded more than $50 billion of cut-rate dollar loans, the most since the aftermath of the Lehman crash, after it joined the Federal Reserve and other central banks in a co-ordinated action last week.
Unions broadside greets George Osborne plan to end national pay bargaining: The Government faced fresh anger from unions after the Chancellor announced plans to end national pay bargaining sooner than expected. Signalling that he was keen to get the ball rolling, George Osborne told the Treasury Select Committee that he had written to pay review bodies about his plans to base public sector wages on local conditions and that he hoped to implement the new rules in the pay year 2013-14.
Protests force Ministers to shelve supermarket opening: The Prime Minister of India was facing humiliation after he was forced to abandon a long-awaited plan to allow foreign chains such as Tesco to open supermarkets in the country. The U-turn, announced by Manmohan Singh in Parliament, followed two weeks of mounting street protests by shopkeepers who feared that the big multinational chains would drive them out of business.
Apple loses latest round of iPad battle: The unfettered rise of Apples iPad has hit an unexpected stumbling block after a court in China rejected the companys claim to the iPad trademark, potentially hitting sales in the worlds largest consumer market. Apple has been in a long dispute with an Asian screens manufacturer over ownership of the iPad trademark.
Market slide takes the shine off Brewin Dolphin earnings: Volatile markets wiped 1 billion off the value of Brewin Dolphins assets under management in the second half. Its assets, managed mainly on behalf of wealthy private clients, fell by 4% between March and the end of September as Brewin felt the effects of sliding equity prices.
Ireland urged to consider selling Nama: Ireland should look into selling the National Asset Management Agency once it has made significant progress in disposing of its toxic loans, a government-commissioned report is expected to say. The agency, which has a 31 billion (26.5 billion) loan book, had previously been expected to dispose of all the assets it could.
Shares may become also-rans as we get older but not bolder: A muted desire for shares among cautious investors in the East and ageing populations in the West will hamper company growth, according to new research. The McKinsey Global Institute calculates that by 2020 an equity gap of $12.3 trillion (7.8 trillion) is likely to open up between household demand for listed shares and corporate requirements for additional equity.
Capital expense for parking your car: Parking spaces in London are so expensive now that buying a home with a private berth for your car costs more than a house in Middlesbrough. Research shows that owning a home in the capital with off-street parking can add an extra 10% to the value of the house, according to ING Direct.
Cost of power line soars to 750 million: The cost of the controversial Beauly-Denny electricity line has more than doubled, to nearly 750 million, because of delays and last-minute landscape improvement measures demanded by the Scottish government. The original estimate of 331 million in 2004 had climbed to 539 million earlier this year.
Britain tops the league for spying on employees: British companies are more likely to carry out surveillance on their staff than their overseas counterparts, a survey has found. One in four workers believes that their e-mails are being monitored, compared with only 28% of workers internationally. Almost half, 48% expect their employers to be monitoring their e-mails within ten years.
2011年12月6日星期二
Refined ride with a thirst for efficiency
Completely redesigned for the 2011 model year, the 2012 edition of Explorer is the first Ford to offer the new 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine.
Providing V6-like engine power in an eco-friendly, fuel-efficient smaller engine, the EcoBoost technology adds a new dimension to the Explorer’s development.
Last year’s redesign transformed Explorer from being a heavy separate-frame truck chassis utility vehicle into a new lighter, more rigid unibody Explorer. It’s still a full-sized utility vehicle and Ford also added a supple fully-independent suspension, a superb new all-wheel-drive system option and seating for up to seven occupants as standard.
A 3.5-litre Ti-VCT V6 engine is the base power unit and provides 20-per-cent better fuel economy than the previous generation V6. Power output is an impressive 290 horsepower and 255 lbs. -ft of torque and it’s mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Compact, lightweight, fuel-efficient and powerful, the new 2.0-litre EcoBoost is the first in a new series of high-efficiency gasoline engines that come with direct fuel injection, an intercooled turbocharger and dual variable camshaft timing. It can deliver 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 270 lbs.-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm, plus it runs on regular gasoline.
The turbocharger harnesses energy normally wasted in the engine’s exhaust and uses it to pressure air going in to the engine. This significantly increases the engine’s power output per litre and the usual disadvantages of boosting (turbo lag and knock) are essentially eliminated by direct injection and its electronic engine management.
Disappointingly, however, the EcoBoost engine version of Explorer costs $1,000 more than a same trim V6 edition. Even at today’s inflated fuel prices the cost difference
would still pay for well over 700 litres of gasoline.
The new fully-automated optional Terrain Management System (all-wheel-drive) replaces the traditional transfer case drive system with two shift levers. Instead, a simple-to-use large rotary dial allows the driver to select from four different drive settings: normal, sand, mud and snow.
There are three Explorer trim levels: Base, XLT and Limited. My test Explorer was a top trim level Limited Edition with the EcoBoost engine, navigation and luxury seating and technology packages. The extra features increased its price to $48,499.
Compared to the 2010 Explorer, the new 2012 model is 10 cm (four inches) longer, 13 cm (five inches) wider, 45 kg (100 lbs.) lighter and it’s more aerodynamic. Wide and beefy, it’s still nicely proportioned with its short body overhangs giving it a secure stance. New styling features include a clamshell hood and blacked-out roof support pillars. Large headlights blend nicely into the fenders and give it a softer yet still square nose and there’s a flexible lower front air dam (black) under the front bumper. In the rear it has a small lip spoiler on the top of the liftgate and LED tail lights.
The revised MyFord Touch system comes with a colour touch-screen that replaces many of the traditional vehicle switches, knobs and displays. It can also be personalized to an individual driver’s taste. Although now simpler to use, with larger and clearer icons, it’s quite sensitive to touch, which makes it easy to unintentionally change a setting. Also, I don’t understand why a straightforward to use seat-heater switch now has to be accessed through a screen icon. The second and third row seating positions both provide good leg and head room. When cargo space is needed, power folding third row seats and the quick-fold second row seats (that bounce back up with the pull of a lever) are at your disposal. With all the rear seats folded, there’s a whopping 2,288 litres (80.7 cubic feet) of rear cargo space.
Providing V6-like engine power in an eco-friendly, fuel-efficient smaller engine, the EcoBoost technology adds a new dimension to the Explorer’s development.
Last year’s redesign transformed Explorer from being a heavy separate-frame truck chassis utility vehicle into a new lighter, more rigid unibody Explorer. It’s still a full-sized utility vehicle and Ford also added a supple fully-independent suspension, a superb new all-wheel-drive system option and seating for up to seven occupants as standard.
A 3.5-litre Ti-VCT V6 engine is the base power unit and provides 20-per-cent better fuel economy than the previous generation V6. Power output is an impressive 290 horsepower and 255 lbs. -ft of torque and it’s mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Compact, lightweight, fuel-efficient and powerful, the new 2.0-litre EcoBoost is the first in a new series of high-efficiency gasoline engines that come with direct fuel injection, an intercooled turbocharger and dual variable camshaft timing. It can deliver 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 270 lbs.-ft of torque at 3,000 rpm, plus it runs on regular gasoline.
The turbocharger harnesses energy normally wasted in the engine’s exhaust and uses it to pressure air going in to the engine. This significantly increases the engine’s power output per litre and the usual disadvantages of boosting (turbo lag and knock) are essentially eliminated by direct injection and its electronic engine management.
Disappointingly, however, the EcoBoost engine version of Explorer costs $1,000 more than a same trim V6 edition. Even at today’s inflated fuel prices the cost difference
would still pay for well over 700 litres of gasoline.
The new fully-automated optional Terrain Management System (all-wheel-drive) replaces the traditional transfer case drive system with two shift levers. Instead, a simple-to-use large rotary dial allows the driver to select from four different drive settings: normal, sand, mud and snow.
There are three Explorer trim levels: Base, XLT and Limited. My test Explorer was a top trim level Limited Edition with the EcoBoost engine, navigation and luxury seating and technology packages. The extra features increased its price to $48,499.
Compared to the 2010 Explorer, the new 2012 model is 10 cm (four inches) longer, 13 cm (five inches) wider, 45 kg (100 lbs.) lighter and it’s more aerodynamic. Wide and beefy, it’s still nicely proportioned with its short body overhangs giving it a secure stance. New styling features include a clamshell hood and blacked-out roof support pillars. Large headlights blend nicely into the fenders and give it a softer yet still square nose and there’s a flexible lower front air dam (black) under the front bumper. In the rear it has a small lip spoiler on the top of the liftgate and LED tail lights.
The revised MyFord Touch system comes with a colour touch-screen that replaces many of the traditional vehicle switches, knobs and displays. It can also be personalized to an individual driver’s taste. Although now simpler to use, with larger and clearer icons, it’s quite sensitive to touch, which makes it easy to unintentionally change a setting. Also, I don’t understand why a straightforward to use seat-heater switch now has to be accessed through a screen icon. The second and third row seating positions both provide good leg and head room. When cargo space is needed, power folding third row seats and the quick-fold second row seats (that bounce back up with the pull of a lever) are at your disposal. With all the rear seats folded, there’s a whopping 2,288 litres (80.7 cubic feet) of rear cargo space.
2011年12月4日星期日
Mean city streets not for the disabled
Even as the world marked another Disability Day on Saturday, crossing a road, accessing a public office, market or park in the city remain arduous tasks for the disabled.
With hardly any Braille signage for the blind and very few ramps for the wheel chair bound in government offices, the state capital is anything but disabled-friendly.
"I feel insecure while crossing a road. No traffic signal has a voice guidance system or tactile zebra crossing to negotiate the path by a blind person," said Sannyash Behera, coordinator of the Odisha Disabled People's Network, who is visually challenged himself. The railway platforms don't have a cutting edge, which could guide a blind person about the platform end.There is no ramp for changing platforms for the orthopedically-challenged either, he pointed out.
But more than the lack of physical infrastructure, what is worrisome is people's attitude towards the disabled, Behera stressed. "Few would vacate seats reserved for the disabled in city buses. The reserved compartments in trains are occupied either by passengers traveling without ticket or railway employees," he said. Similarly, vehicles rush past a blind man, without bothering to give them a safe passage, he said.
Conceding that there is a huge gap to be bridged to make the city disabled-friendly, government authorities said attempts are being made but changes can't be expected overnight. "I agree the roads are not at all disabled-friendly. However, public offices have appropriate signage and are being made approachable for the disabled by making ramps and wheel chairs available," said Kasturi Mahapatra, commissioner for persons with disability. She stressed on the need to create awareness so that people develop more sensitivity towards the needs of the disabled.
Incidentally, the Directorate of Persons with Disabilities has no ramp to the first floor where the director sits. "No person with loco-motor disability can ever go to the director," said Sannyash Behera of Odisha Disabled People's Network. Town planners nevertheless said approach paths and disabled-friendly toilets are being ensured in all public buildings.
"While making any project plan, its friendliness to disabled persons is always being considered. Even in private buildings, we ensure that they have lifts, signage and approach paths," said Prashant Patnaik, director, town planning.
Real estate developers though said not much thought is being spared for the disabled in private constructions so far, but that they would mull over how best buildings can be made disabled-friendly. "We will take it up at our level as a responsibility to make buildings more disabled-friendly. Though lifts are being made in the highrises, due care can be taken to make the approaches to the buildings and the premises more disabledfriendly. Those possibilities will be explored," said D S Tripathy, president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), Odisha chapter. The disabled in the city should not aspire to have friendlier roads anytime soon.
Though two national highways crisscross the city, the new decongestion plan has nothing for the differently-abled. Though around four underpasses will come up on the highway in the city, none will have ramps. "These will have steps. There is no special consideration for the disabled but the footpaths being developed alongside the NH can be userfriendly to all categories of people," said A K Ray, project director NHAI Orissa. Three foot overbridges being planned by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) at Vani Vihar, Master Canteen and Sriya Square too will be steps, not escalators for the disabled.
As far as city parks are concerned, however, the wheelchair-bound will have reasons to cheer soon. A park will soon come up exclusively for them. Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), BMC and Saheed Nagar Socio-cultural Society (a citizen's group) plans to build the park at an estimated Rs 3 crore in Saheed Nagar through public private partnership.
With hardly any Braille signage for the blind and very few ramps for the wheel chair bound in government offices, the state capital is anything but disabled-friendly.
"I feel insecure while crossing a road. No traffic signal has a voice guidance system or tactile zebra crossing to negotiate the path by a blind person," said Sannyash Behera, coordinator of the Odisha Disabled People's Network, who is visually challenged himself. The railway platforms don't have a cutting edge, which could guide a blind person about the platform end.There is no ramp for changing platforms for the orthopedically-challenged either, he pointed out.
But more than the lack of physical infrastructure, what is worrisome is people's attitude towards the disabled, Behera stressed. "Few would vacate seats reserved for the disabled in city buses. The reserved compartments in trains are occupied either by passengers traveling without ticket or railway employees," he said. Similarly, vehicles rush past a blind man, without bothering to give them a safe passage, he said.
Conceding that there is a huge gap to be bridged to make the city disabled-friendly, government authorities said attempts are being made but changes can't be expected overnight. "I agree the roads are not at all disabled-friendly. However, public offices have appropriate signage and are being made approachable for the disabled by making ramps and wheel chairs available," said Kasturi Mahapatra, commissioner for persons with disability. She stressed on the need to create awareness so that people develop more sensitivity towards the needs of the disabled.
Incidentally, the Directorate of Persons with Disabilities has no ramp to the first floor where the director sits. "No person with loco-motor disability can ever go to the director," said Sannyash Behera of Odisha Disabled People's Network. Town planners nevertheless said approach paths and disabled-friendly toilets are being ensured in all public buildings.
"While making any project plan, its friendliness to disabled persons is always being considered. Even in private buildings, we ensure that they have lifts, signage and approach paths," said Prashant Patnaik, director, town planning.
Real estate developers though said not much thought is being spared for the disabled in private constructions so far, but that they would mull over how best buildings can be made disabled-friendly. "We will take it up at our level as a responsibility to make buildings more disabled-friendly. Though lifts are being made in the highrises, due care can be taken to make the approaches to the buildings and the premises more disabledfriendly. Those possibilities will be explored," said D S Tripathy, president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI), Odisha chapter. The disabled in the city should not aspire to have friendlier roads anytime soon.
Though two national highways crisscross the city, the new decongestion plan has nothing for the differently-abled. Though around four underpasses will come up on the highway in the city, none will have ramps. "These will have steps. There is no special consideration for the disabled but the footpaths being developed alongside the NH can be userfriendly to all categories of people," said A K Ray, project director NHAI Orissa. Three foot overbridges being planned by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) at Vani Vihar, Master Canteen and Sriya Square too will be steps, not escalators for the disabled.
As far as city parks are concerned, however, the wheelchair-bound will have reasons to cheer soon. A park will soon come up exclusively for them. Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP), BMC and Saheed Nagar Socio-cultural Society (a citizen's group) plans to build the park at an estimated Rs 3 crore in Saheed Nagar through public private partnership.
2011年12月1日星期四
Ready for refunds: 84,000 checks to be distributed
Thousands of people will be lining up at three island malls this morning in hopes of getting their past-due tax refund checks.
Government officials anticipate most people whose names are on at least one of the 84,000 checks to be distributed today will be getting their tax refunds.
Officials also wanted to remind people to ensure they have everything they need, from identification to documents, to pick up checks.
"The process will go a lot smoother if people have their valid I.D.s," said Marie Benito, deputy director of Department of Revenue and Taxation. "We're talking about more than 50,000 people total, that's still tens of thousands at each site, so we're just asking that people make a checklist and check it twice before they leave home."
Officials are also asking people to remain civil and to stay patient.
"This is a big day for thousands of people and the men and women of the Guam Police Department are going to be out there helping to make sure that the day goes smoothly, and that it's a good day for everyone," said Officer A.J. Balajadia, GPD spokesman.
Balajadia said police officers and volunteers will be at all the distribution locations at Micronesia Mall, Guam Premier Outlets, and Agana Shopping Center.
Government officials and staffers were at the sites yesterday setting up the areas, lining the floors with blue tape and posting signs so people know where to go.
At the sites, Department of Administration officials will be handing out the checks, while Rev and Tax employees will verify people's identification and names against a department list to ensure that people who are getting in line don't wait for hours just to find out they're not getting a check.
Benita Manglona, DOA director, said the two-day check distribution process is a huge affair for Guam.
"We're getting people the tax refunds that they've been waiting for for years," she said. "Everyone from Adelup, to DOA, to Rev and Tax, and (Guam Economic Development Authority) and all these other agencies worked very hard to get us all to this point."
She said the administration had a mission to get these refunds out and "had to move mountains to make it happen but we did that."
Government officials anticipate most people whose names are on at least one of the 84,000 checks to be distributed today will be getting their tax refunds.
Officials also wanted to remind people to ensure they have everything they need, from identification to documents, to pick up checks.
"The process will go a lot smoother if people have their valid I.D.s," said Marie Benito, deputy director of Department of Revenue and Taxation. "We're talking about more than 50,000 people total, that's still tens of thousands at each site, so we're just asking that people make a checklist and check it twice before they leave home."
Officials are also asking people to remain civil and to stay patient.
"This is a big day for thousands of people and the men and women of the Guam Police Department are going to be out there helping to make sure that the day goes smoothly, and that it's a good day for everyone," said Officer A.J. Balajadia, GPD spokesman.
Balajadia said police officers and volunteers will be at all the distribution locations at Micronesia Mall, Guam Premier Outlets, and Agana Shopping Center.
Government officials and staffers were at the sites yesterday setting up the areas, lining the floors with blue tape and posting signs so people know where to go.
At the sites, Department of Administration officials will be handing out the checks, while Rev and Tax employees will verify people's identification and names against a department list to ensure that people who are getting in line don't wait for hours just to find out they're not getting a check.
Benita Manglona, DOA director, said the two-day check distribution process is a huge affair for Guam.
"We're getting people the tax refunds that they've been waiting for for years," she said. "Everyone from Adelup, to DOA, to Rev and Tax, and (Guam Economic Development Authority) and all these other agencies worked very hard to get us all to this point."
She said the administration had a mission to get these refunds out and "had to move mountains to make it happen but we did that."
2011年11月30日星期三
GE's Discovery IGS 730 takes a different approach to interventional imaging
GE Healthcare has introduced a new interventional X-ray unit that is neither floor-mounted nor ceiling-mounted. Instead, the Discovery IGS 730 uses a mobile motorized gantry with laser-guided navigation, the ability to preset movement parameters and of course, steering and guidance by a user during a procedure.
"We created a totally different class of imaging system," says Hooman Hakami, president and CEO of GE's interventional systems unit. "If you're an interventional radiologist and you're trying to decide between ceiling-mount and floor-mount, you're deciding between, 'Do I want patient access or do I want room, air flow and sterility?' You don't have to make that choice here."
The Discovery IGS 730 features precise positioning, unlimited parking capabilities and nearly two dozen advanced applications. It has a cable management system that is fully expandable and retractable, allowing for full mobility.
The installation time, Hakami estimates, is the same as what it would be for one of GE's existing floor-mounted systems. "We tried to make it so that it wasn't more cumbersome from an install standpoint," he says.
In terms of safety features, the Discover IGS 730-which has gone through the equivalent of a decade's worth of clinical procedures testing-has a mechanism that will automatically stop the machine if it bumps into something - a foot for example.
Although this system is still pending 510(k) approval, it has been generating a lot of excitement among radiologists, according to Hakami. "Interest in it so far has been phenomenal," he says. "Even as a concept, the idea was getting a tremendous amount of feedback. Now that can see it, touch it and see what the capabilities are, the reaction has been just amazing."
"We created a totally different class of imaging system," says Hooman Hakami, president and CEO of GE's interventional systems unit. "If you're an interventional radiologist and you're trying to decide between ceiling-mount and floor-mount, you're deciding between, 'Do I want patient access or do I want room, air flow and sterility?' You don't have to make that choice here."
The Discovery IGS 730 features precise positioning, unlimited parking capabilities and nearly two dozen advanced applications. It has a cable management system that is fully expandable and retractable, allowing for full mobility.
The installation time, Hakami estimates, is the same as what it would be for one of GE's existing floor-mounted systems. "We tried to make it so that it wasn't more cumbersome from an install standpoint," he says.
In terms of safety features, the Discover IGS 730-which has gone through the equivalent of a decade's worth of clinical procedures testing-has a mechanism that will automatically stop the machine if it bumps into something - a foot for example.
Although this system is still pending 510(k) approval, it has been generating a lot of excitement among radiologists, according to Hakami. "Interest in it so far has been phenomenal," he says. "Even as a concept, the idea was getting a tremendous amount of feedback. Now that can see it, touch it and see what the capabilities are, the reaction has been just amazing."
2011年11月29日星期二
Chesterfield Royal Hospital's Timely Reminder From Chief Nurse
Alfonzo Tramontano (pictured left) is reminding staff, patients and visitors that the best and simplest way to stop infection in its tracks is to wash hands with soap and water; and to use the gel dispensers available across the hospital - starting at the temporary front entrance.
"We treat over 60,000 in-patients on our wards every year and we have an excellent record," he comments.
"Year-on-year we have seen hospital acquired infections including Clostridium difficile and MRSA reduce - and we want to ensure we achieve our standards this year - but it is a real challenge.
"With the onset of winter and infections such as Norovirus (winter vomiting disease) and seasonal flu already rife in our communities, it's timely to remind people that cleaning hands really can save lives."
The trust has a high national rating for cleanliness and is regarded as a model of good practice by the Health Protection Agency, but is continually looking at ways to reduce the risk of all avoidable infections.
A case of MRSA recently has seen the trust make some more major changes to clinical practices on wards. Single use blood pressure cuffs are now used in high-risk areas; 200 bladeless Dyson fans have been purchased (MRSA bacteria was found to have survived in some fans at bedsides) and a new style cannula pack is set to be introduced next month.
The trust has also stepped up MRSA checks on hospital staff (about a third of the healthy population carry MRSA harmlessly on their skin or up their nose) and all high-risk patients coming in for surgery and emergency treatment are also swabbed for the infection. There is a simple course of medication that can be given to treat MRSA carried in this way.
"We are confident that we are doing all we can to prevent infection and the spread of infection," says 'Fonz'. "We are asking local people to support us by doing all they can as well - and by working together, we'll be successful."
As well as hand washing, the trust is asking people not to come and visit - or to come for appointments - if they have had any sort of diarrhoea and sickness. Anyone suffering from this type of infection should avoid public places until they have been free of symptoms for 72 hours.
"We treat over 60,000 in-patients on our wards every year and we have an excellent record," he comments.
"Year-on-year we have seen hospital acquired infections including Clostridium difficile and MRSA reduce - and we want to ensure we achieve our standards this year - but it is a real challenge.
"With the onset of winter and infections such as Norovirus (winter vomiting disease) and seasonal flu already rife in our communities, it's timely to remind people that cleaning hands really can save lives."
The trust has a high national rating for cleanliness and is regarded as a model of good practice by the Health Protection Agency, but is continually looking at ways to reduce the risk of all avoidable infections.
A case of MRSA recently has seen the trust make some more major changes to clinical practices on wards. Single use blood pressure cuffs are now used in high-risk areas; 200 bladeless Dyson fans have been purchased (MRSA bacteria was found to have survived in some fans at bedsides) and a new style cannula pack is set to be introduced next month.
The trust has also stepped up MRSA checks on hospital staff (about a third of the healthy population carry MRSA harmlessly on their skin or up their nose) and all high-risk patients coming in for surgery and emergency treatment are also swabbed for the infection. There is a simple course of medication that can be given to treat MRSA carried in this way.
"We are confident that we are doing all we can to prevent infection and the spread of infection," says 'Fonz'. "We are asking local people to support us by doing all they can as well - and by working together, we'll be successful."
As well as hand washing, the trust is asking people not to come and visit - or to come for appointments - if they have had any sort of diarrhoea and sickness. Anyone suffering from this type of infection should avoid public places until they have been free of symptoms for 72 hours.
2011年11月28日星期一
Early 'Hospital Discharge' Advice Aids Care
A new guide helping elderly and vulnerable patients in Chesterfield better plan their hospital stay will improve care and help them make a full and quicker recovery, the health bosses from NHS Derbyshire County say.
Most patients stay in hospital for only a short time. But for those who stay in hospital for lengthier periods they may be unable to leave hospital, or transfer to community hospitals or residential homes simply because their care needs had not been planned earlier.
Now health chiefs from NHS Derbyshire County say the new 'Planning Your Discharge From Hospital' guide - which has been put together in conjunction with Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council - will help medical staff, nursing and social care teams support patients and their families to better prepare to leave hospital or transfer to more suitable care more quickly and safely. It will also help to keep more acute hospital beds available to treat people who are ill and avoid unnecessary hospital readmissions.
Evidence shows that once a patient is well enough, delaying discharge home or transfer, even by a day or so, to a more suitable care setting can hinder a patient's recovery - particularly if their condition has stabilised and they need extra support to begin living life independently again.
Delaying transfer also increases the chances of vulnerable and elderly patients being readmitted to hospital once they are discharged, and their chances of picking up other illnesses.
Jackie Pendleton, Chief Operating Officer for North Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "Making sure patients get the right support when they are medically ready to leave hospital is a top priority and getting the right help at the right time also helps to keep beds free for patients who are severely ill. This new guide ensures that the system works in everyone's interests, so that all patients in Chesterfield get the right care and support at the right time and when they are most likely to benefit.
"It will also make sure that the right conversations take place between medical, nursing and social care staff to make sure patients make the best possible recovery and recuperation, at the right point in their hospital stay."
25,000 copies of the new guide have been printed. These are to be distributed to patients by health and social care staff within Derby and Derbyshire.
No one is discharged or transferred from an acute hospital bed without first being assessed by the medical or social care team in charge of their care.
Once they are medically well enough, patients can return home, or continue receiving rehabilitation treatment or care and support elsewhere.
Most patients stay in hospital for only a short time. But for those who stay in hospital for lengthier periods they may be unable to leave hospital, or transfer to community hospitals or residential homes simply because their care needs had not been planned earlier.
Now health chiefs from NHS Derbyshire County say the new 'Planning Your Discharge From Hospital' guide - which has been put together in conjunction with Derbyshire County Council and Derby City Council - will help medical staff, nursing and social care teams support patients and their families to better prepare to leave hospital or transfer to more suitable care more quickly and safely. It will also help to keep more acute hospital beds available to treat people who are ill and avoid unnecessary hospital readmissions.
Evidence shows that once a patient is well enough, delaying discharge home or transfer, even by a day or so, to a more suitable care setting can hinder a patient's recovery - particularly if their condition has stabilised and they need extra support to begin living life independently again.
Delaying transfer also increases the chances of vulnerable and elderly patients being readmitted to hospital once they are discharged, and their chances of picking up other illnesses.
Jackie Pendleton, Chief Operating Officer for North Derbyshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "Making sure patients get the right support when they are medically ready to leave hospital is a top priority and getting the right help at the right time also helps to keep beds free for patients who are severely ill. This new guide ensures that the system works in everyone's interests, so that all patients in Chesterfield get the right care and support at the right time and when they are most likely to benefit.
"It will also make sure that the right conversations take place between medical, nursing and social care staff to make sure patients make the best possible recovery and recuperation, at the right point in their hospital stay."
25,000 copies of the new guide have been printed. These are to be distributed to patients by health and social care staff within Derby and Derbyshire.
No one is discharged or transferred from an acute hospital bed without first being assessed by the medical or social care team in charge of their care.
Once they are medically well enough, patients can return home, or continue receiving rehabilitation treatment or care and support elsewhere.
2011年11月27日星期日
Garden State Plaza gets OK for parking guidance system
The Garden State Plaza received unanimous approval for the installation of a parking guidance system in its main parking deck, as well as several other minor improvements to the parking lot and entrances
The approval was granted by the Paramus Planning Board at meeting earlier this month.
The system consists of a network of cameras within the garage and a sign outside the entrance, according to civil engineer William Page. The cameras, which are spaced at approximately every other parking space, detect whether nearby spots are occupied. Spaces that are open will have a green light above them, and occupied spots will have a red light.
In addition, the number of open spaces is calculated by the system and displayed on the sign at the garage's entrance, giving motorists up-to-date information on both how much parking is available and where it is located.
"This is what they call real-time sequencing," Page said. "As cars go into parking spaces, that information will be sent to the computer, which will then tell people that are driving into the garage that there are 200 parking spaces on level three or 100 parking spaces on level one."
The primary purpose of the plan is to ease the flow of traffic in and around the garage, according to Page. Drivers currently travel throughout the garage looking for an open space, adding to congestion and increasing the risk of accidents. Once the system is installed, drivers will know exactly where to look for a free space.
"They'll know their chances are better finding a space on level two and they'll drive right to that location instead of circulating around," Page said.
The system is expected to operate half an hour before the mall opens and remain on half an hour after the mall closes for the evening, Page said. The sign itself is designed to prevent glare from the sun, maximizing visibility and minimizing distraction to drivers during the day. The sign's LED lighting will remain visible at night without giving off much light and can be dimmed or intensified as needed.
These signs are new to the area, but Westfield, the company that owns the Garden State Plaza, does have similar signs in other malls and they have proven useful, according to Page. Board member Gary Pucci noted that he has also seen the signs while traveling and agreed that they will ease the circulation of traffic in the Garden State Plaza.
"I'm quite familiar with these systems, as I travel to Germany a lot and I go where they have them. They work quite well," Pucci said. "They are very helpful and will be a good addition for the traffic flow at the Plaza."
The ring road between Old Navy and Macy's is also slated for general improvements, motivated by a desire to improve valet parking, according to Page. Currently, the space for valet parking at the Capital Grill is limited, and has caused a negative impact on nearby traffic.
"What we're trying to do is come with some plans where the valet parking for Capital Grill would work so you wouldn't have cars parked into the ring road and improve circulation in the area," Page said.
To remedy the situation, the space for valet was expanded from 4 feet to 18 feet, enough parking for six cars directly in front of the restaurant, according to Page. The restaurant will retain seven standby spaces located nearby for use as needed.
The entrance curb needs adjustment to accommodate the change, and the ring road itself will be straightened in the vicinity of the changes, according to Page. The road is currently curved at that location, something that has drawn concern from local fire officials. The new layout will make the area both more accessible for emergency vehicles and easier to navigate for everyday motorists.
"We did lose 27 parking spaces, but in reference to what we're doing with safety and circulation and the valet parking for Capital Grill, we think it's a fair tradeoff," Page said.
The approval was granted by the Paramus Planning Board at meeting earlier this month.
The system consists of a network of cameras within the garage and a sign outside the entrance, according to civil engineer William Page. The cameras, which are spaced at approximately every other parking space, detect whether nearby spots are occupied. Spaces that are open will have a green light above them, and occupied spots will have a red light.
In addition, the number of open spaces is calculated by the system and displayed on the sign at the garage's entrance, giving motorists up-to-date information on both how much parking is available and where it is located.
"This is what they call real-time sequencing," Page said. "As cars go into parking spaces, that information will be sent to the computer, which will then tell people that are driving into the garage that there are 200 parking spaces on level three or 100 parking spaces on level one."
The primary purpose of the plan is to ease the flow of traffic in and around the garage, according to Page. Drivers currently travel throughout the garage looking for an open space, adding to congestion and increasing the risk of accidents. Once the system is installed, drivers will know exactly where to look for a free space.
"They'll know their chances are better finding a space on level two and they'll drive right to that location instead of circulating around," Page said.
The system is expected to operate half an hour before the mall opens and remain on half an hour after the mall closes for the evening, Page said. The sign itself is designed to prevent glare from the sun, maximizing visibility and minimizing distraction to drivers during the day. The sign's LED lighting will remain visible at night without giving off much light and can be dimmed or intensified as needed.
These signs are new to the area, but Westfield, the company that owns the Garden State Plaza, does have similar signs in other malls and they have proven useful, according to Page. Board member Gary Pucci noted that he has also seen the signs while traveling and agreed that they will ease the circulation of traffic in the Garden State Plaza.
"I'm quite familiar with these systems, as I travel to Germany a lot and I go where they have them. They work quite well," Pucci said. "They are very helpful and will be a good addition for the traffic flow at the Plaza."
The ring road between Old Navy and Macy's is also slated for general improvements, motivated by a desire to improve valet parking, according to Page. Currently, the space for valet parking at the Capital Grill is limited, and has caused a negative impact on nearby traffic.
"What we're trying to do is come with some plans where the valet parking for Capital Grill would work so you wouldn't have cars parked into the ring road and improve circulation in the area," Page said.
To remedy the situation, the space for valet was expanded from 4 feet to 18 feet, enough parking for six cars directly in front of the restaurant, according to Page. The restaurant will retain seven standby spaces located nearby for use as needed.
The entrance curb needs adjustment to accommodate the change, and the ring road itself will be straightened in the vicinity of the changes, according to Page. The road is currently curved at that location, something that has drawn concern from local fire officials. The new layout will make the area both more accessible for emergency vehicles and easier to navigate for everyday motorists.
"We did lose 27 parking spaces, but in reference to what we're doing with safety and circulation and the valet parking for Capital Grill, we think it's a fair tradeoff," Page said.
2011年11月24日星期四
Commission may reduce 16-unit project
Approve an affordable housing project at a density less than the 16 units proposed for an acre off North Salem Road? Or just deny the Eppoliti Realty application?
“What we’re all struggling with is density on that site,” Joe Fossi told his colleagues on the Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday night. “That’s what it gets down to, for me: I’m not comfortable with that many units.”
He added, “I don’t want to get dragged down the rabbit hole of denying the project, and not having it stand up in court, and spending a lot of the taxpayers’ money.”
After approving a wetlands permit needed by the project, the commission talked itself out on the zoning issues Tuesday night and opted to schedule another meeting next week to discuss it further.
The Eppoliti project will be the subject of a special meeting next Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 in the town annex.
“It’ll be the only item on the agenda,” Chairwoman Rebecca Mucchetti said.
Members were acting as the Inland Wetland Board, separate from their duties at the Planning and Zoning Commission, when they granted a wetlands permit required by the project.
The wetlands approval was for the “alternative” plan proposed by the developer to accommodate concerns raised about harming a wetland on the nearby Christiansen property off New Street. The alternative plan that won approval involves relocating a planned building at the back of the Epploiti site, placing it about 19 feet from the rear property line.
Significantly, the approval included provision for revising the wetlands permit, should the affordable housing project be substantially changed during the Planning and Zoning Commission’s approval process.
The zoning aspect of the Eppoliti project was discussed for more than an hour Tuesday.
The legal constraints the commission has under the state’s affordable housing statute, 8-30g, loomed over the discussion, with commission attorney Tom Beecher in attendance, offering guidance.
Major “health and safety” issues the commission was troubled by included:
Sight lines at the driveway onto North Salem Road, near the “Joe’s corner” intersection of Routes 116 and 35, do not meet state requirements. The state Department of Transportation revoked a permit granted in the mistaken belief the driveway was to serve one house, not a 16-unit complex.
The plan is short of parking space requirements and the commission worries that, with the lot overfilled, access by fire trucks would be difficult — especially if there were piles of plowed snow in the ‘dead end’ lot with only one driveway in and out.
Excessive storm runoff has been documented in the area, and the hours of testimony by competing engineers for the applicant and neighbors left a concern that test holes weren’t dug deep enough to assure that the highly engineered drainage system would work as its supposed to.
There is also concern that the state’s Storm Water Quality Manual recommends that the water infiltration system be located farther from the foundation of one of the proposed buildings than the plan proposes.
Some commissioners seemed interested in an outright denial, but state law tells commissions to modify and approve projects, when possible, rather than simply rejecting them.
Mr. Fossi suggested the commission consider reducing the plan’s density from 16 to perhaps 12 units on the one-acre site, which would make it easier to address many of the other concerns.
“With 12, we solve the parking issue, we solve some of the impervious surface issues, runoff issues,” he said.
Commissioner Phil Mische said the density reduction wouldn’t solve what appears to be the application’s most serious problem: the sight line with the driveway.
“Knowing the potential for danger around this intersection, right there it’s not a down-size, it’s a denial,” he said.
Though still torn as to what they should do with a project they’re clearly not comfortable with, by the end of Tuesday’s meeting commissioners felt they were making progress.
“We’re circling,” Chairwoman Rebecca Mucchetti said. “We’re getting closer.”
“What we’re all struggling with is density on that site,” Joe Fossi told his colleagues on the Planning and Zoning Commission Tuesday night. “That’s what it gets down to, for me: I’m not comfortable with that many units.”
He added, “I don’t want to get dragged down the rabbit hole of denying the project, and not having it stand up in court, and spending a lot of the taxpayers’ money.”
After approving a wetlands permit needed by the project, the commission talked itself out on the zoning issues Tuesday night and opted to schedule another meeting next week to discuss it further.
The Eppoliti project will be the subject of a special meeting next Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 in the town annex.
“It’ll be the only item on the agenda,” Chairwoman Rebecca Mucchetti said.
Members were acting as the Inland Wetland Board, separate from their duties at the Planning and Zoning Commission, when they granted a wetlands permit required by the project.
The wetlands approval was for the “alternative” plan proposed by the developer to accommodate concerns raised about harming a wetland on the nearby Christiansen property off New Street. The alternative plan that won approval involves relocating a planned building at the back of the Epploiti site, placing it about 19 feet from the rear property line.
Significantly, the approval included provision for revising the wetlands permit, should the affordable housing project be substantially changed during the Planning and Zoning Commission’s approval process.
The zoning aspect of the Eppoliti project was discussed for more than an hour Tuesday.
The legal constraints the commission has under the state’s affordable housing statute, 8-30g, loomed over the discussion, with commission attorney Tom Beecher in attendance, offering guidance.
Major “health and safety” issues the commission was troubled by included:
Sight lines at the driveway onto North Salem Road, near the “Joe’s corner” intersection of Routes 116 and 35, do not meet state requirements. The state Department of Transportation revoked a permit granted in the mistaken belief the driveway was to serve one house, not a 16-unit complex.
The plan is short of parking space requirements and the commission worries that, with the lot overfilled, access by fire trucks would be difficult — especially if there were piles of plowed snow in the ‘dead end’ lot with only one driveway in and out.
Excessive storm runoff has been documented in the area, and the hours of testimony by competing engineers for the applicant and neighbors left a concern that test holes weren’t dug deep enough to assure that the highly engineered drainage system would work as its supposed to.
There is also concern that the state’s Storm Water Quality Manual recommends that the water infiltration system be located farther from the foundation of one of the proposed buildings than the plan proposes.
Some commissioners seemed interested in an outright denial, but state law tells commissions to modify and approve projects, when possible, rather than simply rejecting them.
Mr. Fossi suggested the commission consider reducing the plan’s density from 16 to perhaps 12 units on the one-acre site, which would make it easier to address many of the other concerns.
“With 12, we solve the parking issue, we solve some of the impervious surface issues, runoff issues,” he said.
Commissioner Phil Mische said the density reduction wouldn’t solve what appears to be the application’s most serious problem: the sight line with the driveway.
“Knowing the potential for danger around this intersection, right there it’s not a down-size, it’s a denial,” he said.
Though still torn as to what they should do with a project they’re clearly not comfortable with, by the end of Tuesday’s meeting commissioners felt they were making progress.
“We’re circling,” Chairwoman Rebecca Mucchetti said. “We’re getting closer.”
2011年11月23日星期三
Taiwan Wins European Satellite Navigation Competition
The European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC) 2011 announced on November 18 the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) was the champion for the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) Living Lab Award for its creative Geo-coupon App based on the Global Navigation Satellite System. ITRI capacity for research and development thus attracted worldwide attention. A total of 23 countries have participated hosting different regional preliminaries of the creative contest for satellite positioning applications initiated by the European Union. Under guidance of the Department of Industrial Technology of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) for innovation award and prototyping award, ITRI joined and became one of the hosting nations. This year, ITRI strove to host with the topic of "connected vehicle" and solicited entries around the world and the number of teams applied and entries received topped other regional contests. After going through fierce contest, ITRI, Institute for Information Industry (III), and the German Space Center respectively won championships for the Galileo contest and prototyping team in the Taiwan region.
Dr. Sheng-Lin Chou, deputy general director of ITRI's Information and Communications Research Laboratories, pointed out Taiwan's ESNC has entered the fourth session. Differing from creative applications in satellite navigational technology in the past years, this year the ESNC has introduced new elements of creative telematics and concomitantly the first time Taiwan led the world in hosting prototyping contest, a breakthrough to the past contests of emphasizing only on creative ideas. Because of the challenge and fun of the contest and Taiwan's world-renowned ICT (information and communications technology) capability, the contest attracted worldwide attention. The number of applications and entries to the contest in Taiwan topped the world. In 2011, a total of 23 countries including Germany, Spain, Israel, India, the Netherlands, the USA, Ukraine, Sweden, Singapore, Hungary and Finland participated in the Galileo contest with 75 entries received for the Taiwan region (representing 18.7% of 401 entries globally) producing outstanding results in innovation award for the Taiwan region and global prototyping award.
Dr. Jet P. H. Shu, an advisor of the Department of Industrial Technology, MOEA said, through ESNC, Taiwan's creative applications for satellite navigation can be elevated to the world arena and global satellite navigation creative applications also can be introduced to Taiwan, thus creating a new global business of smart vehicles through integration of navigational satellites and telematics. Taiwan has long been a power in ICT while the world-famous automobile manufacturers are mostly in Europe, therefore a contest matching satellite navigation and telematics is of major significance in fostering close relations between Taiwan and the European automobile manufacturers.
In the GNSS special topic category, ITRI team created the Geo-coupon app so that the user, wherever he or she goes, can immediately identify the store through the global navigational satellite system positioning and use the cell phone to directly download the coupon for presentation to the store to obtain a discount price. This creative and practical design stood out among the participants and won the champion award for Taiwan.
Dr. Sheng-Lin Chou, deputy general director of ITRI's Information and Communications Research Laboratories, pointed out Taiwan's ESNC has entered the fourth session. Differing from creative applications in satellite navigational technology in the past years, this year the ESNC has introduced new elements of creative telematics and concomitantly the first time Taiwan led the world in hosting prototyping contest, a breakthrough to the past contests of emphasizing only on creative ideas. Because of the challenge and fun of the contest and Taiwan's world-renowned ICT (information and communications technology) capability, the contest attracted worldwide attention. The number of applications and entries to the contest in Taiwan topped the world. In 2011, a total of 23 countries including Germany, Spain, Israel, India, the Netherlands, the USA, Ukraine, Sweden, Singapore, Hungary and Finland participated in the Galileo contest with 75 entries received for the Taiwan region (representing 18.7% of 401 entries globally) producing outstanding results in innovation award for the Taiwan region and global prototyping award.
Dr. Jet P. H. Shu, an advisor of the Department of Industrial Technology, MOEA said, through ESNC, Taiwan's creative applications for satellite navigation can be elevated to the world arena and global satellite navigation creative applications also can be introduced to Taiwan, thus creating a new global business of smart vehicles through integration of navigational satellites and telematics. Taiwan has long been a power in ICT while the world-famous automobile manufacturers are mostly in Europe, therefore a contest matching satellite navigation and telematics is of major significance in fostering close relations between Taiwan and the European automobile manufacturers.
In the GNSS special topic category, ITRI team created the Geo-coupon app so that the user, wherever he or she goes, can immediately identify the store through the global navigational satellite system positioning and use the cell phone to directly download the coupon for presentation to the store to obtain a discount price. This creative and practical design stood out among the participants and won the champion award for Taiwan.
2011年11月22日星期二
Michelin Guide awards first star to Abtestube
Abtestube, the gourmet restaurant helmed by Chef Roland Schmid at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland, is now the proud owner of its first Michelin star, as awarded by the Michelin Guide on the 15th November 2011.
Michelin stars are bestowed only on those restaurants that deserve a traveller’s special attention. A select group of 11 restaurants were awarded their first star in the Michelin Guide to Switzerland 2012, bringing the countries’ total number of starred restaurants to 96. Switzerland is among the European countries with the most Michelin stars per capita.
The Abtestube is the culinary flagship at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, the five star resort in Switzerland. With a cosy yet sophisticated alpine design, the restaurant seats up to 30 diners in three intimate dining areas. The space housing the restaurant was originally built in 1774 for local abbots, giving rise to the name Abtestube, meaning “abbot’s room“. With simple wooden furnishings and arched ceilings, the space has a welcoming, traditional Swiss feel.
Roland Schmid’s mission is to delight diners with elegant, authentic dishes, with a strong focus on carefully selected, high quality ingredients. Guests might expect “Swiss Prim“ meat sourced from the very best local suppliers, the freshest Zander fished from Lake Constance and regionally grown vegetables to be amongst the highlights of Schmid’s menu. Combining tried and tested techniques with new and innovative concepts, the Chef demonstrates dishes that mix tradition with a touch of the avante-garde, drawing upon both Swiss and international flavours. A starter might be Six Snails from Freiamt, served with snail ravioli, parsley puree and shiitake sabayon, followed by Trianon of “Swiss Prim“ veal, served with truffle and black salsify for main course, and finishing with a Chocolate, Pear and Pumpkin Cube or a selection of cheeses, selected by Matre Fromager Bernard Antony.
“I would like to thank the guests that have visited our restaurant from across the globe, and my dedicated team who work hard to ensure diners experience nothing less than the very best in culinary magic. I am honoured to receive this prestigious award from Michelin and look forward to continue evolving our gourmet cooking at Abtestube and to offering some of the very best cuisine in Switzerland“ commented Roland Schmid.
Michelin stars are bestowed only on those restaurants that deserve a traveller’s special attention. A select group of 11 restaurants were awarded their first star in the Michelin Guide to Switzerland 2012, bringing the countries’ total number of starred restaurants to 96. Switzerland is among the European countries with the most Michelin stars per capita.
The Abtestube is the culinary flagship at Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, the five star resort in Switzerland. With a cosy yet sophisticated alpine design, the restaurant seats up to 30 diners in three intimate dining areas. The space housing the restaurant was originally built in 1774 for local abbots, giving rise to the name Abtestube, meaning “abbot’s room“. With simple wooden furnishings and arched ceilings, the space has a welcoming, traditional Swiss feel.
Roland Schmid’s mission is to delight diners with elegant, authentic dishes, with a strong focus on carefully selected, high quality ingredients. Guests might expect “Swiss Prim“ meat sourced from the very best local suppliers, the freshest Zander fished from Lake Constance and regionally grown vegetables to be amongst the highlights of Schmid’s menu. Combining tried and tested techniques with new and innovative concepts, the Chef demonstrates dishes that mix tradition with a touch of the avante-garde, drawing upon both Swiss and international flavours. A starter might be Six Snails from Freiamt, served with snail ravioli, parsley puree and shiitake sabayon, followed by Trianon of “Swiss Prim“ veal, served with truffle and black salsify for main course, and finishing with a Chocolate, Pear and Pumpkin Cube or a selection of cheeses, selected by Matre Fromager Bernard Antony.
“I would like to thank the guests that have visited our restaurant from across the globe, and my dedicated team who work hard to ensure diners experience nothing less than the very best in culinary magic. I am honoured to receive this prestigious award from Michelin and look forward to continue evolving our gourmet cooking at Abtestube and to offering some of the very best cuisine in Switzerland“ commented Roland Schmid.
2011年11月21日星期一
Superhero Blasts The Bugs At Chesterfield Royal Hospital
Hero Joe (above) has been on Nightingale Ward to help raise awareness of the importance of hand hygiene and how cleaning your hands can protect you from a number of bugs and viruses.
Representing GoJo, who provides the Royal with a variety of hand gels and dispensing machines, the character visited a number of wards at a time of year when the importance of hand hygiene becomes particularly significant.
Rob Nash is the Head of Environmental Risk, he said: "We wanted to bring him down as part of Hand Hygiene Week. As we enter the winter months and see an increase in viruses such as Norovirus, Influenza, coughs and colds we thought it was particularly relevant.
"He's been giving out hand gels as well as information leaflets whilst representatives from GoJo have been speaking to patients, visitors and staff about the important message behind his appearance."
Jane Hill, GOJO's Regional Support Executive, said. "It was an honour to support the hospital in spreading positive hand hygiene during the week. Such a simple procedure, if done correctly, can help stop the spread of germs.
"Hero Joe was very popular with the children and we hope he positively and permanently influences their hand hygiene habits."
His visit comes just a week after Basil Ward was closed following an outbreak of Norovirus and at a time where people are being encouraged to get themselves vaccinated against flu.
The Royal's Senior Matron for Infection Prevention and Control added: "We can't over-emphasise the importance of good hand hygiene in stopping these diseases from spreading. We can't prevent outbreaks but we can all help to limit their impact by encouraging people to wash their hands with soap and warm water, dry them thoroughly and put the paper towels in the bin.
"We have sinks and hand gel dispensers in every bay, sinks at the entrance to every ward spine and two hand gel dispensers on each spine. They are there for a reason and we would urge all visitors and staff members to use them every time they enter and leave a ward."
An information video called 'Save Lives - Clean Hands' that explains when to wash your hands and the correct way to do so can be found on the trust's website and YouTube channel.
Representing GoJo, who provides the Royal with a variety of hand gels and dispensing machines, the character visited a number of wards at a time of year when the importance of hand hygiene becomes particularly significant.
Rob Nash is the Head of Environmental Risk, he said: "We wanted to bring him down as part of Hand Hygiene Week. As we enter the winter months and see an increase in viruses such as Norovirus, Influenza, coughs and colds we thought it was particularly relevant.
"He's been giving out hand gels as well as information leaflets whilst representatives from GoJo have been speaking to patients, visitors and staff about the important message behind his appearance."
Jane Hill, GOJO's Regional Support Executive, said. "It was an honour to support the hospital in spreading positive hand hygiene during the week. Such a simple procedure, if done correctly, can help stop the spread of germs.
"Hero Joe was very popular with the children and we hope he positively and permanently influences their hand hygiene habits."
His visit comes just a week after Basil Ward was closed following an outbreak of Norovirus and at a time where people are being encouraged to get themselves vaccinated against flu.
The Royal's Senior Matron for Infection Prevention and Control added: "We can't over-emphasise the importance of good hand hygiene in stopping these diseases from spreading. We can't prevent outbreaks but we can all help to limit their impact by encouraging people to wash their hands with soap and warm water, dry them thoroughly and put the paper towels in the bin.
"We have sinks and hand gel dispensers in every bay, sinks at the entrance to every ward spine and two hand gel dispensers on each spine. They are there for a reason and we would urge all visitors and staff members to use them every time they enter and leave a ward."
An information video called 'Save Lives - Clean Hands' that explains when to wash your hands and the correct way to do so can be found on the trust's website and YouTube channel.
2011年11月20日星期日
'My aunt fell through cracks in the system'
A midwife who devoted 40 years of her life to the NHS has been let down by the long-term care system.
June Birch now is in advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, living in a nursing home in Lancashire. She may finally be receiving the care she needs, but it has been a costly four-year battle to get there.
In summer 2007, June started to develop signs of dementia and, after a series of distressing incidents, was admitted to Southport Hospital. Discharged in November that year, the local authority told June's family that she could not return to her flat but, instead, required round-the-clock care from an EMI (elderly mentally infirm) home. Daren Birch, June's nephew, began researching local care homes, and placed her in the care of what he was told was a suitable residence.
Over the course of the following year, June became increasingly confused and, as a result, aggressive, frequently lashing out at other residents and staff. Daren noticed the deterioration in her condition and questioned the type of care that she was receiving.
"She lost a considerable amount of weight and it was not very long before she no longer recognised us. She was doubly incontinent and her general health became significantly worse," he said.
During this time, Daren applied to the Court of Protection to gain control of June's estate, while the care-home fees mounted to the tune of 40,000.
June's worsening condition and daunting debts prompted Daren to contact Paladin Advocates, legal specialists in continuing health care. Continuing care patients receive full funding and 24-hour nursing care.
"I had never even heard of continuing care," said Daren. "But once it was explained it became clear that June was eligible."
It was only when Paladin became involved that June underwent an assessment, and it was found that she was not in a care home that met her needs.
"We had stated from the beginning that we wanted an EMI care home – as the hospital had told us to request," said Daren.
"The place we had been told was an EMI establishment was only a residential care home, and did not provide the level of care June required. Luckily, our request was on record so once the mistake was brought to our attention June was moved straight away."
Unfortunately, although June was recommended by the nurses who assessed her as eligible for continuing care, the primary care trust refused to accept the recommendation. Anne Reed of Paladin appealed against the decision on behalf of the Birches and took it to review – twice.
The assessment was finally accepted in August this year, but Ms Reed's plea was reassessed last month. The primary care trust has yet to reach a decision on whether it will accept the recommendation.
Ms Reed is now fighting to have the total cost of June's care repaid, arguing that she should never have had to pay for her care.
"I cannot believe that no one ever thought initially to give June a care assessment. She was clearly eligible for continuing care from November 2007, when she was first discharged from the hospital, yet her first assessment was not until February 2010 – prompted by us," said Ms Reed.
Daren said the emotional costs had been far greater than the financial ones. "I can't understand how she fell through the cracks in the system," he said.
"I can't help thinking that if she had received the correct level of care from the beginning her condition would not have deteriorated so quickly."
June Birch now is in advanced stages of Alzheimer's disease, living in a nursing home in Lancashire. She may finally be receiving the care she needs, but it has been a costly four-year battle to get there.
In summer 2007, June started to develop signs of dementia and, after a series of distressing incidents, was admitted to Southport Hospital. Discharged in November that year, the local authority told June's family that she could not return to her flat but, instead, required round-the-clock care from an EMI (elderly mentally infirm) home. Daren Birch, June's nephew, began researching local care homes, and placed her in the care of what he was told was a suitable residence.
Over the course of the following year, June became increasingly confused and, as a result, aggressive, frequently lashing out at other residents and staff. Daren noticed the deterioration in her condition and questioned the type of care that she was receiving.
"She lost a considerable amount of weight and it was not very long before she no longer recognised us. She was doubly incontinent and her general health became significantly worse," he said.
During this time, Daren applied to the Court of Protection to gain control of June's estate, while the care-home fees mounted to the tune of 40,000.
June's worsening condition and daunting debts prompted Daren to contact Paladin Advocates, legal specialists in continuing health care. Continuing care patients receive full funding and 24-hour nursing care.
"I had never even heard of continuing care," said Daren. "But once it was explained it became clear that June was eligible."
It was only when Paladin became involved that June underwent an assessment, and it was found that she was not in a care home that met her needs.
"We had stated from the beginning that we wanted an EMI care home – as the hospital had told us to request," said Daren.
"The place we had been told was an EMI establishment was only a residential care home, and did not provide the level of care June required. Luckily, our request was on record so once the mistake was brought to our attention June was moved straight away."
Unfortunately, although June was recommended by the nurses who assessed her as eligible for continuing care, the primary care trust refused to accept the recommendation. Anne Reed of Paladin appealed against the decision on behalf of the Birches and took it to review – twice.
The assessment was finally accepted in August this year, but Ms Reed's plea was reassessed last month. The primary care trust has yet to reach a decision on whether it will accept the recommendation.
Ms Reed is now fighting to have the total cost of June's care repaid, arguing that she should never have had to pay for her care.
"I cannot believe that no one ever thought initially to give June a care assessment. She was clearly eligible for continuing care from November 2007, when she was first discharged from the hospital, yet her first assessment was not until February 2010 – prompted by us," said Ms Reed.
Daren said the emotional costs had been far greater than the financial ones. "I can't understand how she fell through the cracks in the system," he said.
"I can't help thinking that if she had received the correct level of care from the beginning her condition would not have deteriorated so quickly."
2011年11月17日星期四
After Referndum, What do the Voters Really Want?
The referendum is behind us. The electorate has spoken loudly; the logical question is - what's next; what do the voters really want? What do citizens that never came forward in Monday night sessions, but voted overwhelmingly in favor of the referendum really want to see?
It is not that hard to figure out. We should be the very best that we can be and need to be. This is what Falls Church citizens have consistently desired throughout the last decade, made clear in referendums, and what we want - going forward - are the very same things that City Council has memorialized in their strategic guidance document but, sadly, has managed to lose sight of over the past two years. The voters want the Council, as elected leaders, to do the things it said it believed in and then promised to do. The citizens of the City of Falls Church want their tax dollars to count for something. They want proper conservative spending. Among the last things they want are elected politicians who levy and increase taxes without any tangible benefit. The path forward for our elected leadership calls into play three principles:
Maintain focus on priorities. We want great schools and recognize that revenue generation is the only way to get them. Voters are properly beyond simply unhappy that property taxes continue to escalate out of control without reason and without improvements to things that matter: obsolete schools, consumer parking, storm-water management, cut-through speeders and lack of commerce in our City. Citizens don't understand the City's position when it refuses to negotiate with developers who propose building less than 100% commercial facilities. We reject coded insinuation that says we want less young families in the city since that will only increase the pressure on our school system. Voters recognize that without school-age children, we cease to have a reason to exist.
We need a new high school. We have many resources already in hand. We have an extension university facility. We have a concrete plant. We have a City maintenance yard and a car storage lot. True leadership would do much with that information. True leadership would not have turned down a combination of Federal earmark funds, State tax credit investments and private equity committed to financing mixed-use commercial affordable housing totaling nearly the entire external capital requirement. A financial institution would have moved its data center and customer service operation into our city if we could have provided affordable housing for its workers.
Recognize opportunities and plan to live in the future. Soon, the Silver line will be operational. What sorts of parking, shuttle services and commercial ventures have we sought, in partnership with our adjoining jurisdictions, to take advantage of the new line to Dulles Airport?
What is proper conservative spending? Stop endless spending on studies that validate what we already know. Numerous studies over the past ten years have concluded that we really have a storm water problem. After spending nearly a million dollars on studies on City Hall, it was concluded that the building is obsolete for its intended purpose and now need to spend another three million just to keep the court contract with Arlington. Let's review what has happened over current and prior councils. The past city council exhibited unprecedented leadership in engaging with the development community. They foresaw that by taking advantage of opportunities and exhibiting far-sighted leadership, our City could diminish the need to finance itself on the backs of the residential tax payer. Prior councils brought about a slew of environmentally-sustainable mixed-use developments conforming to economic prosperity needs and meeting many of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) definitions for buildings that will survive the test of time. These include The Spectrum, the Read Building, Byron's, BJ's, the Hekemian mixed-use rental complex, the Flower Building (USGBC Gold Rating) as well as moving the ball close to the goal line in negotiations for the Gateway, City Center South and Broad Street Hotel projects. Without real estate and sales tax income from these projects, residential taxpayers could expect another four million dollars of taxes each year.
Do the right thing - always. The prior council voted to move elections to November to enable more voters to exercise their franchise as citizens. The current council is considering reducing the number of voting wards from five to three. If successful, this will exacerbate access and will result in further voter restrictions. I remain unalterably opposed to any further activity on this diversionary issue.
Let's hope that the current council is up to the challenge. Now that November balloting has passed by overwhelming assent, we ask our elected leadership to pay attention to what is truly important. Council: Let's be honest with ourselves. The work remains. Please don't make us wait for another November.
It is not that hard to figure out. We should be the very best that we can be and need to be. This is what Falls Church citizens have consistently desired throughout the last decade, made clear in referendums, and what we want - going forward - are the very same things that City Council has memorialized in their strategic guidance document but, sadly, has managed to lose sight of over the past two years. The voters want the Council, as elected leaders, to do the things it said it believed in and then promised to do. The citizens of the City of Falls Church want their tax dollars to count for something. They want proper conservative spending. Among the last things they want are elected politicians who levy and increase taxes without any tangible benefit. The path forward for our elected leadership calls into play three principles:
Maintain focus on priorities. We want great schools and recognize that revenue generation is the only way to get them. Voters are properly beyond simply unhappy that property taxes continue to escalate out of control without reason and without improvements to things that matter: obsolete schools, consumer parking, storm-water management, cut-through speeders and lack of commerce in our City. Citizens don't understand the City's position when it refuses to negotiate with developers who propose building less than 100% commercial facilities. We reject coded insinuation that says we want less young families in the city since that will only increase the pressure on our school system. Voters recognize that without school-age children, we cease to have a reason to exist.
We need a new high school. We have many resources already in hand. We have an extension university facility. We have a concrete plant. We have a City maintenance yard and a car storage lot. True leadership would do much with that information. True leadership would not have turned down a combination of Federal earmark funds, State tax credit investments and private equity committed to financing mixed-use commercial affordable housing totaling nearly the entire external capital requirement. A financial institution would have moved its data center and customer service operation into our city if we could have provided affordable housing for its workers.
Recognize opportunities and plan to live in the future. Soon, the Silver line will be operational. What sorts of parking, shuttle services and commercial ventures have we sought, in partnership with our adjoining jurisdictions, to take advantage of the new line to Dulles Airport?
What is proper conservative spending? Stop endless spending on studies that validate what we already know. Numerous studies over the past ten years have concluded that we really have a storm water problem. After spending nearly a million dollars on studies on City Hall, it was concluded that the building is obsolete for its intended purpose and now need to spend another three million just to keep the court contract with Arlington. Let's review what has happened over current and prior councils. The past city council exhibited unprecedented leadership in engaging with the development community. They foresaw that by taking advantage of opportunities and exhibiting far-sighted leadership, our City could diminish the need to finance itself on the backs of the residential tax payer. Prior councils brought about a slew of environmentally-sustainable mixed-use developments conforming to economic prosperity needs and meeting many of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) definitions for buildings that will survive the test of time. These include The Spectrum, the Read Building, Byron's, BJ's, the Hekemian mixed-use rental complex, the Flower Building (USGBC Gold Rating) as well as moving the ball close to the goal line in negotiations for the Gateway, City Center South and Broad Street Hotel projects. Without real estate and sales tax income from these projects, residential taxpayers could expect another four million dollars of taxes each year.
Do the right thing - always. The prior council voted to move elections to November to enable more voters to exercise their franchise as citizens. The current council is considering reducing the number of voting wards from five to three. If successful, this will exacerbate access and will result in further voter restrictions. I remain unalterably opposed to any further activity on this diversionary issue.
Let's hope that the current council is up to the challenge. Now that November balloting has passed by overwhelming assent, we ask our elected leadership to pay attention to what is truly important. Council: Let's be honest with ourselves. The work remains. Please don't make us wait for another November.
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