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The Great Renewable Energy Rort
Kathy Russell
I thought the message was loud and clear on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) decision: we don't want one! So why is this same logic not being applied to the Renewable Energy Target (RET) legislation? The proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) legislation (which incorporated the ETS) was defeated twice in federal parliament, on August 13 and December 2, 2009. After the Opposition blocked attempts to further debate the legislation in February this year, the government announced on April 27 that the implementation of its proposed CPRS would be delayed until at least 2013.
The ETS aimed to create a price penalty for carbon with the overriding objective being to promote carbon abatement. It was effectively a new tax which would artificially inflate our cost of living and most importantly our manufacturing cost base, reduce any shred of international competitive advantage any industry had in this country and essentially ruin a perfectly good economy for no real gain.
On August 20, 2009, the Renewable Energy Target (RET) legislation was passed, requiring electricity retailers and large industrial users to purchase at least 20 per cent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020.
In much the same way as the ETS created a price penalty for carbon, the RET creates a price penalty for electricity in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) with the same overriding objective being to promote carbon abatement. The RET is effectively a tax, as was the proposed ETS. By creating a political environment which guarantees uptake of inefficient and very expensive energy forms—for example wind energy—again it artificially inflates our cost of living and most importantly our manufacturing cost base and reduces significantly the international competitive advantage any industry has in this country and essentially ruins a perfectly good economy for no real gain.
Worse still, unlike a normal tax which provides revenue into government coffers for the general provision of infrastructure and welfare to the country as a whole, the RET singularly provides benefit to a select few—renewable energy companies. There is no offset for those forced to bear the cost.
So why the "disconnect" between the ETS and the RET? Aren't they the same thing? They both have similar objectives with questionable outcomes. Both create artificial markets and costs. Why does the Opposition reject the ETS yet support the RET?
There was a huge public outcry during the ETS debate which motivated the Opposition to act and block the government's proposed legislation. Is it a lack of public understanding which is allowing the amended RET legislation introduced into parliament in May this year to proceed unhindered? In the interest of greater public awareness, let me expand the concept further with my wind energy example and demonstrate what damage the RET is actually doing in real terms.
Of intermittent nature, wind energy needs 100 per cent backup capacity and the requirement for the market to purchase substitute power when this energy form needs to be shut down due to excessive wind speeds or when the wind dies down. This happens regularly, and details within the live generation data prove it[1]. These "loss of load" incidents have the ability to occur on a grand scale and require intervention from backup facilities at a premium—up to the current market cap of $10,000/MWh. Who pays for the added cost of this unnecessary electricity spot market volatility? Yes—you guessed it—individuals (that is, voters) and industry.
In addition, wind energy cannot be substituted for base load, nor can it be relied upon for peak requirements and is classified as self-dispatching. This wind energy supply has a zero bid price into the market, unlike other generators who must compete via price nomination for the opportunity to supply their product. Wind energy drives out the highest price generators first and, as it doesn't bid into the market, receives the next highest generator's bid. During periods of low demand, some generators bid a negative price in order to guarantee the uptake of their supply (some energy generators can't just be switched off). The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) is looking to introduce a floor price into the market in order to accommodate wind energy in this mix. Wind energy does not compete in a free market environment. Its sale and revenue are guaranteed. Who pays for this artificially high price acting over and above normal market forces? Yes—you guessed it—individuals (that is, voters) and industry.
But wait, there's more. The Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) which go with the RET are like gold. From a high of approximately $46/MWh in March this year, wholesale certificate prices were trading at $38/MWh at the end of May[2]. This is the subsidy component which makes the business plan viable and is received on top of the price paid per MWh in the dispatch market. Current planning approvals and applications for over 2000MWh in western Victoria alone attest to the bonanza to be had. Foreign companies are leading the charge. Profits shift offshore and the underlying cost of the RECs are born by whom? Yes—you guessed it again—individuals (that is, voters) and industry.
Then there are the newly created opportunities to manipulate the electricity market. Destabilise the grid with wind energy and then compensate with fast-acting gas generation at peak prices. Now here's one for the ACCC to watch. Did anyone notice the most recent capital investments of Origin and AGL to place Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGT) in strategic alignment with wind energy investment? Take note of the choice of generator. Combined Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT—0.4 tCO2/MWh) are much more efficient than OCGTs (0.7 tCO2/MWh) from an emissions perspective, but unlike OCGTs, they do not have the ability to ramp up and down as quickly. If their investment strategy was to produce gas-generated electricity with the lowest carbon emissions possible, then CCGT would be the choice. If their investment strategy was to produce gas-generated electricity which could take advantage of opportunities in the market via its flexibility in ramping up and down on demand to satisfy grid instability issues, then OCGT would be the choice. Who pays for this fast-acting, shadowing capacity at peak prices? Yes—you guessed it again—individuals (that is, voters) and industry.
And what about the claim of jobs? Australia's economic recovery on the back of a brave new environmentally friendly world? Construction jobs at the start-up of a wind farm are a given—this is so with the construction of any new plant or industrial facility (including a gas-generating plant) or public infrastructure project. The number of jobs long-term in the wind industry is rather less than ideal. Wind farm control is both electronic/automatic and remotely monitored. Maintenance positions are highly specialised and are not generally filled by local regional communities. Families attached to these specialised technicians don't tend to relocate to these regional communities as they are moved around different wind farm locations on a rotational basis. The Spanish experience has been that each new green job created cost one million euros and caused 2.2 jobs to be lost in power-consuming industries[3]. Net job losses on the back of reduced economic activity from cost increases in the electricity market—no surprise on this one. Who pays for this unnecessary burden to Australia's welfare obligations? Right again—individuals (that is, voters) and industry.
And all this for no tangible benefit. Emissions will not be reduced. Not one coal-fired power station will be switched off. Additional back-up capacity will have to be built. Artificially-based capital development of this scale and nature also has the effect of pushing up the cost of borrowing money. An increase in the cost of living and of the manufacturing cost base sends jobs offshore—to the smart countries who don't entertain fantasies such as RETs and ETSs. Not to mention the vast tracts of land occupied by wind turbines and the destructive effect they have on communities forced to reside with them. This technology type is far from benign. Just ask the communities at Waubra, near Ballarat (and those at Toora, Cape Bridgewater, Capital, Cullerin, Hallet and Crookwell) who are suffering health effects and have started abandoning their homes, creating a new form of epidemic to add to the already struggling health and community support infrastructure. All of this would not be happening if it weren't for the RET.
But don't take my word for it. Take the time to listen to other market participants and commentators.
Origin Energy has been doing its best to blow the whistle on the same issues for years. But at what point do they join the rort, given that no one is listening?
In an important speech to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) in Sydney on April 13, Grant King, the CEO of Origin Energy, predicted massive increases in electricity prices driven
largely by the current policy environment, large amounts of renewables being forced into the system, uncosted charges for those renewables given current policy settings and substantial increases in transmission and distribution costs.[4]
In February 2006, Origin Energy submitted a technical paper to the Victorian government entitled "Driving Investment in Renewable Energy in Victoria—Options for a Victorian market-based measure, Submission by Origin Energy in response to the Issues Paper released by Department of Infrastructure and Department of Sustainability and Environment, December 2005". The reason I mention the detail here rather than in a footnote is because there is a story to tell with regard to this document's mysterious disappearance from the public domain. Submissions were recorded on the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) website for some years. A Google search now using the key words "Origin Driving Investment in Renewable Energy in Victoria" will produce a number of links to the DPI website. But guess what? When you follow these links, the site opens and a message appears stating that this document has been deleted. Sounds like the "Climategate" response to FOI requests: delete the required information.
But all is not lost. Copies were downloaded when the report was first made available. And their contents make for sensational reading. Some incredibly damning statements are made about the technical viability of policies which promote wind energy (because of its industry maturity) ahead of other developing technologies because of their inability to "step up" and be commercially viable within the time frames demanded.
The following excerpts are important because of their relevance to the argument, and important to acknowledge because so many people either ignore these inconvenient truths and irresponsibly plough on regardless or simply aren't aware of these basic limitations in the first place.
Unreliable capacity requires additional generation support. Additional wind capacity will require two forms of generation support because of the intermittent nature of the underlying energy source:
variability outside 5 minute dispatch intervals—gas turbine generation, which can take between 15 and 30 minutes to reach maximum output, is either required to run to adjust for wind generation variability or to stand idle as back up support; and
variability inside 5 minute dispatch intervals—ancillary services generation is required, sometimes at significant extra cost, to cater for wind generation variability. [5]
Keep in mind that grid-supplied electricity is a unique commodity; its production for and consumption from the grid must be matched instantaneously and continuously, day and night. Not averaged out over days, hours or even half-hourly intervals. The grid is not like some large lake into which electricity might be dumped. This is an unchanging law about grid operation.
The Origin document goes on:
The costs of both forms of generation support are ultimately borne by energy consumers. Moreover, these costs are magnified as greater amounts of wind generation are connected to the system and more generation support is required. This is compounded by inter-connector constraints from time to time as more generation support is required from other regions in the NEM … 6
The intermittent nature of wind generation translates into higher electricity spot price volatility. Modelling of the impact of 1000 MW of wind generation on the South Australian electricity market indicates that 1 per cent of the time 250 MW of supply could be lost within the half hour and 390 MW within the hour which, in Origin's view, would significantly increase electricity spot price volatility. Preliminary modelling by Origin indicates that Victorian electricity spot prices could increase by between $2 and $5/MWh (average flat price impact) as a result of a similar level of variability occurring in Victoria. The cost of additional financial risk associated with greater electricity spot price volatility will ultimately be borne by energy consumers. [6]
The fact that wind energy supply can be lost in such a short period is no joke. Commentators who make assertions to the contrary appear blissfully unaware that the performance data of all major wind farms connected to the eastern Australian grid is readily available in the public domain[7].
To demonstrate that a widespread loss of wind generation can and will occur, the night of August 18, 2009, provides a perfect example. Very strong prevailing winds of a weather system covering the Cullerin and Capital wind farms in New South Wales (about 40 kilometres apart) caused the control systems of both wind farms to shut down the wind turbines for their own protection. Each wind farm had been operating near its rated full capacity of approximately 120 MWh combined, which fell to zero within two minutes, starting at 5.19 p.m. This is a very significant loss that had to be replaced immediately.
The Origin document continues in its criticism of policy which promotes renewable energy such as wind over more economic forms of greenhouse gas abatement:
The economic cost of gas-fired generation is lower than wind generation—the combined capital and running costs of a gas-fired power station are approximately half that of a wind turbine (adjusted for the intermittency of wind and including higher running costs of running a gas-fired power station);
Gas-fired generation is a more cost-effective source of greenhouse gas abatement than wind generation—at approximately half the economic cost, a gas-fired power station reduces emissions up to twice as much as a wind turbine, because of the better utilisation of the gas-fired power station and the relatively low emission intensity of gas-fired electricity (which makes gas at least 4 times more cost-effective on a $/tCO2 basis than wind);
Gas-fired generation is more reliable than wind generation which is reliant on the vagaries of nature—gas-fired generation can be turned off and on to meet demand requirements while wind generation is regarded as firm for about only 8 per cent of the time (according to ESIPC in South Australia);
Gas-fired generation can provide much larger increments to generation capacity to satisfy growing demand—a large scale gas-fired power station may be up to 1000MW which is all available to generate on average 95 per cent of the time compared to a 1000MW of wind generation which is available to generate on average 33 per cent of the time; and
Diversity and security of supply are improved by gas-fired generation and diminished by wind generation—gas-fired power stations stimulate gas supply sources (potentially expanding the range of viable gas production in regional Victoria available for other uses) and connect to the transmission system (potentially in more remote areas) without lowering supply security (as would be the case with wind)[8]
Pretty damning isn't it? So why isn't the government listening?
A lack of transparency coupled with an absence of any analysis of live performance data in assessing the effects of policy in real terms from the highest levels down are contributing to these enormous mistakes.
In an effort to combat the lack of transparency and non-availability of live performance data, Andrew Miskelly has, of his own initiative, developed a way to make electricity generation data more freely available and user friendly (see the website). Why has this task been left for unpaid "privateers" to complete?
The electricity provided to the national grid by every connected generator of greater than 30 MWh installed capacity is published daily on its website by the AEMO, the operator of the eastern Australian grid. It is a statutory requirement that the data is made available in the public domain. At www.aemo.com.au there is the statement "under Clause 3.13.4(r) of the National Electricity Rules AEMO is also required to publish such data to Registered Participants, in a daily file covering all intervals of the previous trading day". In fact, the data is supplied to the website as the average output at five-minute intervals for each full day, midnight to midnight, at about 4 a.m. the following morning, every morning. Andrew has created a method which captures this information release.
On the back of this original information breakthrough, Andrew and Dr Tom Quirk teamed up to write a paper which debunked the myth of geographical dispersion[9]—the myth being that wind farms can be a reliable source of electricity if they are dispersed over a sufficiently wide area[10]. The wind will be "blowing somewhere", it is claimed. Given the real production output of wind farms in South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, Andrew and Dr Quirk analysed the data and were able to determine that wind farms in south-eastern Australia are unlikely to supply any significant power output that system operators can rely on. Using five-minute power measurements for the month of June 2009, it was determined that the one benefit of grouping wind farms is that the 90 per cent reliability point is increased from 6 per cent for South Australia, 5 per cent for Victoria, to 10 per cent overall. This figure should be expected to vary from month to month and from year to year as a result of changing weather patterns with no marked improvement as a result of saturation of wind turbines within respective states.
Since the Miskelly/Quirk paper was written, there have been a number of sustained meteorological events which highlight even further the obvious fallacy of geographical dispersion. The period November 1 to 21, 2009, was of particularly low output across the whole eastern Australian grid. More recently, May 13 to 20 paints a terrible output generation picture if you're a wind farmer. The operational data originally posted on the AEMO website for these date ranges is available via Andrew's www.landscapeguardians.org.au/data/aemo database. Also, go to http://windfarmperformance.info/ and alter the "change date" tab and flick through the May date range provided to confirm the graph below.
The above combined wind farm output incorporates all of the wind farms over 30 MWh capacity which are connected to the eastern Australian grid and are listed to the right of this graph. This equates to a total installed capacity of 1611 MWh. If this maximum potential output were to be demonstrated on the above graph, it would appear just above the 1600. As previously mentioned, not a good week if you're a wind farmer. So much for the certainty of geographic dispersion improving wind farm reliability.
Wind farms on the eastern Australian grid have a geographic spread of over 1100 kilometres east-west and over 500 kilometres north-south. This grid has the largest geographic dispersal of any interconnected grid in the world. Weather systems can occupy and influence large if not whole areas within this geographic spread[11]. Further, no matter how many turbines are erected throughout this geographic area, wind energy will always require instantaneous reserves equal to the total installed wind farm capacity to be kept operational at all times. This reserve requirement is in addition to any reserves presently required to cover the loss of any large controllable generation unit, simply because the scenario that a large generation unit (such as a coal power station) might fail remains a separate, independent probability to that of wind farms' frequent "failures".
Furthermore, Andrew's data base provides conclusive evidence that wind farm output does suddenly start and stop on a regular basis, and does so in a totally unpredictable fashion. This data cannot be averaged out for the purpose of analysing wind farm performance and its ability to supply a secure, reliable, efficient energy source into the grid. To do so completely ignores that unchanging law of grid operation, where supply and demand must be matched instantaneously and continuously, all the time. Not averaged out over days, hours or even half hourly intervals. This unpredictability may well have serious impacts on the controllability and stability of the eastern Australian grid.
It is impossible to forecast wind speeds and wind speed variation over timeframes of seconds to minutes, or to provide any sort of accurate estimate of wind speed variation across the meteorological micro-scale of any given wind farm location. It is possible to forecast some sort of regional mean wind speed (that is, average value) over timeframes of hours. But again, averages are not good enough when it comes to managing the grid second by second. Thus the flow-on effects such as market volatility, higher electricity prices, grid instability, security and efficiency issues become an everyday reality if the current RET policy promoting wind energy remains unchallenged.
And how is this totally unacceptable risk being justified by our incumbent governments? At a state level in Victoria I received a letter on the subject from the Office of the Minister for Energy and Resources, signed by the Chief of Staff, Ms Susanne Legana, dated November 17, 2009:
Regarding the intermittency of wind, this is partially mitigated by the installation of multiple wind farms, as together these smooth out individual variability. In 2007, there was a period of only about 4 hours where the combined output of wind farms in Victoria was zero.
God love her! This was November 2009, mind you, and Susanne was quoting 2007 data. Not only this, but Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales were at that exact moment in the grip of extremely calm weather. In the first three weeks of November there was a total of 5.5 hours in which the combined output of wind farms in Victoria was zero or below (important fact: sometimes turbines are net users of electricity because at all times they require energy to initiate and maintain blade spin, cooling of motors, remote monitoring, turning of blades to face the wind, flashing lights, and so on). In addition, for a further 5.67 hours the combined output of wind farms in Victoria in this period was between zero and 1 MWh. This is just as bad. What good is 1 MWh of power from all that capacity? On top of this again, for a further 26.25 hours the combined output of wind farms in Victoria in this same time frame was between 1 and 5 MWh.
That's a total of 37.42 hours of less than 5 MWh Victorian combined wind farm energy generation during a three-week period from a combined maximum generating capacity of 439 MWh. So for a day and a half in a three-week period, all the wind farms in Victoria combined produced less than 1 per cent of their capacity. How is this smoothing out intermittency? How is this energy security? How is this timely analysis of live data? The Office of the Minister for Energy and Resources is two years behind!
In total, the system produced at less than 50 MWh for the equivalent of eight days. It produced at less than 100MWh for the equivalent of thirteen days. The average output for the whole Victorian system for the three-week period was 86.32 MWh. It peaked at 341 MWh at 11.05 a.m. on November 3 during one of two days of elevated activity. I must reiterate that it is very important not to rely on averages alone when analysing this data. Big movements from minute to minute are not the exception, but the rule. On November 3 at 4.10 p.m. the combined system was producing 306.07 MWh; at 4.15 it was producing 290.445 MWh; at 4.20 it was producing 274.28 MWh; at 4.25 it was producing 258.21 MWh. This was a loss of 47.86 MWh within fifteen minutes. This is not an isolated incident.
Now imagine a further 2000 MWh installed capacity within this Victorian system as per approved and planned applications. Assuming a total capacity of 2439 MWh, a variance of 11 per cent capacity in fifteen minutes would translate to a loss of 268 MWh from the system. This type of event will occur regularly.
On the same day at 03:05 a.m., 77.27 MWh was lost in ten minutes; at 4.50 a.m., 80.43 MWh was lost in twenty-five minutes; on a further six instances on the same day 10 per cent or greater capacity was lost within minutes. And this isn't counting the equivalent increases being forced into the grid. Multiply this out against a larger installed capacity as is intended for the state and this is the equivalent of a large gas-fired generator being switched on and off regularly. The operator of a gas-fired generator would be fined hundreds and thousands of dollars if it were to perform in this manner. The wind generators get away with this behaviour.
So can you now see why backup generation must not only be built, but kept running at all times? What's the point of installing two systems when one alone will suffice? Where are the savings?
Frightening isn't it? And the people managing and governing our country are not analysing this data and therefore do not have a clue what effects their policies are having in real terms. The ignorance gets worse. Note the following paragraph from the same letter:
Wind farms are private sector investments which derive income from two sources, the sale of electricity and the sale of Renewable Energy Certificates (REC). Private investors would not continue to develop wind energy projects if they were not commercial in competitive electricity and REC markets.
If the Office of the Minister for Energy and Resources were private enterprise, the Board and the CEO would be sacked. Where is the accountability of the Australian government? Wind energy does not compete in the electricity market. It drops in and takes the next available bid price. And no, the private sector wind farm investor is not happy with the current competitive nature of wind versus solar in the REC market, and that's why they have lobbied Penny Wong, federal Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water so intensively to have their own market in which they do not have to compete. Thus the new RET legislation currently before the parliament. New wind energy gets electricity price plus REC value with no requirement to compete. New gas energy gets electricity price only plus has to compete for opportunity to supply. Hello? Who's driving this bus?
Contrary to the belief of the Minister for Energy and Resources that wind farms would not be built if they weren't able to compete in the electricity and REC market is the unavoidable fact that private investors are applying in their droves for new wind farm developments due to current friendly policy which removes the risk of competition and guarantees cash windfalls. And it's our money the government is using as bait to achieve their political objective of being "seen to be green".
Departments such as the Energy and Resources Department quite clearly do not have a clue. They lack a basic understanding of industry dynamics, with no level of accountability or responsibility, and there is no intelligent, transparent analysis or debate behind their decision making.
A blind faith in RET legislation and an ETS being able to solve all of these issues is driving this madness. A blind faith in a Green utopia which decrees "in theory" (confirmed by computer modelling?) that we must have a generous mix of all energy types with a magical "20 per cent renewable" falling out at the end of the equation. And an even blinder faith which assumes we can acquire all of these different energy types off the shelf and simply plug them into our current electricity grid, ready to use. In Australia, we are not connected to any neighbouring countries which have the luxury of fast-acting secure conventional backup generation capacity (such as nuclear, hydro, gas and coal) as is the European experience. Why are these basic facts being ignored? If the system is going to be forced to work in an inefficient manner for no gain (and that includes little if any carbon abatement), we have a right to know: "At what cost?"
The damage does not end here. Environmental costs of equal if not greater significance must also be included in this analysis. The most significant of all is the human cost.
Human health is an issue of major concern for those forced to reside near turbines and for good reason. I know because I speak and correspond with these people every day. I know because I am invited into their homes and for the relatively brief length of my stay, I experience their symptoms. Luckily for me, I am able to leave, and in doing so my symptoms disappear. Not so lucky the people who can't leave and are forced to endure long-term exposure with significant long-term consequences. Some have been fortunate enough to have the means to leave their homes. The majority are not so lucky, having lost the ability to sell their most valuable asset, their farm or home.
Symptoms range in strength and severity and include sleep disturbance, motion sickness and nausea, inner ear symptoms, headaches and migraines, excessive tiredness, palpitations, high blood pressure, eye symptoms, and cognitive as well as gastrointestinal problems. The residents of some homes experience more problems than others, and sometimes certain family members within these homes are affected more than others. Explanations for these differences include a combination of an individual's physical predisposition, distance from the wind farm and climatic conditions which affect the operation of the turbines at the time.
In a rather clever analogy, a Waubra resident recently compared her experiences of ocean racing with those of living next door to a wind farm. She said in ocean racing, some of those on board the same boat would fall ill to seasickness immediately and be totally incapable of moving for the remainder of the journey, some would be ill yet could still function, while others felt no ill effects at all. Much the same happens around a wind farm, although the biggest concentration of people affected in Australia appears to be at the Waubra wind farm site, north-west of Ballarat. Unlike ocean racing, where a seasickness sufferer is given sympathy and accommodated in their reduced capacity, those suffering wind farm sickness are ridiculed by wind company managing directors[12] and their genuine concerns are ignored by those who are supposed to at the very least initiate investigations, support and protection—the government and its delegated agencies.
Sound familiar? Parallels with the tobacco and asbestos histories come to mind— misrepresenting data, hiring PR firms, attacking the detractors. Remember, there is a great deal of money and green votes at stake here.
In response to a Legislative Council adjournment debate issue raised by Peter Kavanagh MLC in the Victorian parliament on September 2, 2009, in relation to the possible health effects of wind farm generators, on October 14 the Minister for Workcover Tim Holding announced: "WorkSafe has commenced work with the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Environment Protection Authority, and will work with local government and relevant individuals to identify potential hazards related to the issues raised by Mr Kavanagh."
In January, Mr Holding announced the conclusion of his investigation with the finding that after examining both peer reviewed and validated scientific research, no correlation could be found between direct health effects and the operation of wind turbines. However, not one resident who had raised their concerns with the wind company was interviewed or even approached as part of this investigation.
On November 11, I participated in the National Wind Farm Development Guidelines: Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) meeting. The meeting was called to discuss what the working group had planned for the consultation process for the draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines, the timeframe for analysing the public comments and addressing those comments in the final version. It was expected that the SRG would provide a diverse range of views and highlight issues that the Working Group could address during and after the public consultation period. It was an experience to say the least.
Of greatest concern to me was the stated purpose of the guidelines: "to support government renewable energy policy by providing a nationally consistent set of methods for addressing issues that are unique or significant to wind farms"[13] (emphasis added). Beside the fact that the wind companies present at that meeting decreed that they would not follow guidelines which were not a legislative requirement (so what was the point of having a nationally consistent set of guidelines?), there was no mention of health effects in any of the chapters or appendices. As far as I and the hundreds I represented at that meeting were concerned, health was a major subject "unique or significant to wind farms", yet there was no mention or recognition of it, let alone a guideline on the subject. How could potential safeguards be put in place if the problem itself was not recognised? By not acknowledging the problem, were we not condemned to more of the same mistakes?
This was quickly countered with the "no peer-reviewed evidence" excuse during the ensuing debate. But during a subsequent break, the convenors (from the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, DEWHA) approached me and explained that until there was evidence of a conclusive scientific peer-reviewed nature, they couldn't act. But if I was to obtain something of significance, I should provide it to them and I would be assured of the subject's recognition. Yeah, right. Quite clearly, the state and federal governments had no intention of initiating the scientific studies required to investigate the causal links. Given this was a new frontier in scientific research, the cost, resources and expertise required to complete the task were extensive, so how was this the responsibility of ordinary Australians? Wasn't it the government's responsibility to at least send in an assessment team to interview and investigate the people affected?
Rather than rely on the assertions of DEWHA employees, I then moved on to Peter Garrett, federal Minister for the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (the position he held at that time). I was beginning to understand in explicit detail how the pink-batts tragedy had evolved. On February 18, 2010, I met with Mr Garrett and took with me a Waubra resident who was suffering health effects and had been forced to move out of his home. I also took and provided to Mr Garrett a short documentary of the testimonials provided by other Waubra residents who were unable to attend the meeting. We also provided medical evidence and expert advice, some of which was personally addressed to Mr Garrett. On the issue of health and its omission from his National Guidelines, Mr Garrett contended that he had no jurisdiction in this area and it was the responsibility of the states. He stated he had jurisdiction only under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act). When asked why he was writing National Guidelines which included subjects such as noise, shadow flicker, electromagnetic interference, aircraft safety, fire risk, if he had no jurisdiction in these areas, he would not respond.
I then introduced Mr Garrett to the Waubra resident who had been displaced from his home. I took the evidence to him. There was no show of concern on Mr Garrett's behalf, no request for this man to relay his story so that he could at least make his own assessment. Just an assistant next to Mr Garrett pointing out the necessary response in the response book: "there is no peer-reviewed scientific evidence to support the link".
We left Mr Garrett with some very fundamental and damning evidence which at the very least would be grounds to commence an initial assessment. He promised to respond personally. To this date (June 1) we have not received any correspondence, let alone a response to the information we provided. Unlike the pink-batts scandal, he can't say he wasn't warned of the consequences to people's health on the wind farm issue.
Given Mr Garrett's perception that health was a state government responsibility, on March 15 I attended a Victorian State Community Cabinet meeting in Geelong. With me I took a number of other Waubra residents as well as residents from other wind-farm-approved locations who would soon be affected by turbine operation near their homes. We all wanted answers. The ones we got were quite unexpected.
First, the Premier, John Brumby, had no idea that his wind farm policy mandated use of a New Zealand noise standard. Mr Brumby and Mr Batchelor (Minister for Energy and Resources) equally had no idea that any national standards or guidelines, if and when they were released, would have no jurisdictional power in Victoria over their mandated New Zealand standard.
The most telling answer of all was Mr Batchelor's response to Waubra residents when they relayed to him what was happening in their own homes: it was up to them to prove there was an issue with scientific peer-reviewed evidence to back up their claims, because the wind companies had been granted development approval through the proper channels and it was hardly fair that they should have to change their practices just because someone complained. When he was told that it wasn't just one person complaining and an investigation should be the government's responsibility, Mr Batchelor used the same old excuse, "there is no peer-reviewed scientific evidence to support such a study".
How on earth can they make this determination when not one incumbent government minister or their representatives or agencies will even visit Waubra, let alone speak with the residents? After all this (and much more)—you have to ask yourself: Why?
There are only two possible answers to this question. Either it is true that there is no connection between health and wind turbines and the people I have personally surveyed in Waubra and the people making similar claims at other wind farms in Australia and throughout the world are imagining them, or …
… the ramifications of undertaking such a study and finding a connection are too great from the perspective of either litigation (with the potential to destroy the wind industry in Australia and any chance of achieving the RET's 20 per cent renewable target by 2020) or planning scheme adjustments (which would recognise and prevent health issues and thus severely alter the locations at which wind turbines can be placed, again jeopardising the 20 per cent renewable target by 2020).
Either way, there is obviously a great deal at stake here, which the government and the wind industry are keen to keep a lid on. Ultimately a proper study which satisfies the current scientific peer-reviewed criteria is required to determine an outcome either way. The government has a duty of care and it should fulfil this obligation.
On May 20, we met with the state Liberal Opposition leader Ted Baillieu, who had the week before released a wind farm policy in the lead-up to the state election in November. Amongst other things, his policy mandates a two-kilometre setback of turbines from homes (currently there are no planning setback provisions, with homes unwillingly as close as 400 metres in some approved developments). We took this one step further with Mr Baillieu and sought his opinion on the necessity of an approved health study. His opinion was in the affirmative and he later confirmed this affirmation at the media conference on the steps of Parliament House in answer to a direct question on camera. A Ballan resident with turbines proposed within a kilometre of her home who was not part of the earlier meeting but was there to listen to Mr Baillieu speak, burst into tears on hearing this news. Such was her relief. Again I ask the question: "At what cost?" We have a right to know.
From the work I have undertaken on the health issue with experts to date I have a fair idea of what is contributing to the problem from a physical and planning perspective. I don't believe there is a single contributing factor or a single available solution. I do believe that what can't be acknowledged can't be changed. I do believe without a question of doubt that this is an avoidable problem. I do believe without a question of doubt that the same mistakes are being made in current planning approvals via policy which will guarantee the displacement of hundreds more rural residents situated close to turbines through no fault of their own. I don't care if my hypotheses of contributing factors or suggested solutions are wrong, as long as someone determines what they should be and fixes the situation before more innocent rural families are subjected to the same form of torture as those currently suffering.
The moral high ground taken by those in government and those initially in favour of turbines is that they are doing their bit for the environment. People not wanting turbines in close proximity to their properties or homes are considered collateral damage by the very planning process established to protect them. Any risk or resulting damage is not costed in its assessment of "benefits to the greater community". And then these people discover that they are being sacrificed for no real gain—that their loss and harm will not contribute to saving the planet.
This is what the Renewable Energy Target is doing to real people in real terms, right now. Why is anyone of sound mind supporting this legislation?
Kathy Russell, a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, is Vice-President of Australian Landscape Guardians Inc, whose website www.landscapeguardians.org.au contains some of the data referred to in this article. She lives in rural Victoria.
[1] Data available via the Australian Landscape Guardians website; www.landscapeguardians.org.au
[2] Green Energy Markets, www.greenmarkets.com.au
[3] Juan Carlos University, "Study of the effects on employment of public aid to renewable energy sources", March 2009
[4] Terry McCrann, "Your power bills will triple", Herald Sun, 15 April 2010
[5] DRIVING INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY IN VICTORIA – Options for a Victorian market-based measure, Submission by Origin Energy in response to the Issues Paper released by Department of Infrastructure and Department of Sustainability and Environment, February 2006, page 10
[6] "DRIVING INVESTMENT IN RENEWABLE ENERGY IN VICTORIA", by Origin Energy, February 2006, page 11
[9] Miskelly A and Quirk T, "Wind Farming in South Eastern Australia", Energy and Environment, Volume 20 No.8 2009/Volume 21 No.1 2010, Multi Science Publishing Co. Ltd.
[10] Diesendorf M. The Base-Load Fallacy. http://www.sustainabilitycentre.com.au/BaseloadFallacy.pdf
[11] Anon. 2009 State of the Energy Market 2009. Australian Energy Regulator, page 72, available for download at http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml?itemId=904614
[12] Brett Thomas, Managing Director, ACCIONA, letters to the editor, Geelong Advertiser, 14 September 2009.
[13] Draft National Wind Farm Development Guidelines, http://www.ephc.gov.au/taxonomy/term/25, page 7.
Contradictions in the Garnaut Report (ii)
Tim Curtin
Green Myths About Australian Farming
David F. Smith
The Intelligent Voter's Guide to Global Warming (Part II)
Geoffrey Lehmann, Peter Farrell & Dick Warburton
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Beautifully made girls tutu socks by designers Couche Tot.
The socks are plain knit with 'tutu' style ruffled tops and champagne/camel coloured bows to the side. The perfect finishing touch to a little girls christening or special occasion outfit.
Available in sizes 0-2.5 (0-12m), 3-5.5 (12-24m) and 6-8.5 (24-36m).


St. John Bosco (California) has returned to the spot where it began the season in the High School Football America West Top 10. The Braves, who were our preseason #1 in the West Region and nationally, are back in the top spot after beating former #1 Mater Dei 42-28 in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship Saturday.
SJB is followed by Corona Centennial (California) at #2 and Mater Dei, which drops two spots, at #3. De La Salle, which will play Bosco in two weeks for the CIF Open Division title, climbs three spots to #6.
New to the poll this week is Camas, the Washington 4A champs, at #10.


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text:
<?php

namespace yunsong\shop\models;

use Yii;
use yii\base\Model;
use yii\data\ActiveDataProvider;
use yunsong\shop\models\Product;

/**
 * ProductSearch represents the model behind the search form about `yunsong\shop\models\Product`.
 */
class ProductSearch extends Product
{
    /**
     * @inheritdoc
     */
    public function rules()
    {
        return [
            [['id', 'category_id', 'created_at', 'created_by', 'updated_at', 'updated_by'], 'integer'],
            [['title', 'description', 'image', 'shop_name'], 'safe'],
            [['price'], 'number'],
        ];
    }

    /**
     * @inheritdoc
     */
    public function scenarios()
    {
        // bypass scenarios() implementation in the parent class
        return Model::scenarios();
    }

    /**
     * Creates data provider instance with search query applied
     *
     * @param array $params
     *
     * @return ActiveDataProvider
     */
    public function search($params)
    {
        $query = Product::find();

        $dataProvider = new ActiveDataProvider([
            'query' => $query,
        ]);

        $this->load($params);

        if (!$this->validate()) {
            // uncomment the following line if you do not want to any records when validation fails
            // $query->where('0=1');
            return $dataProvider;
        }

        $query->andFilterWhere([
            'id' => $this->id,
            'price' => $this->price,
            'category_id' => $this->category_id,
            'created_at' => $this->created_at,
            'created_by' => $this->created_by,
            'updated_at' => $this->updated_at,
            'updated_by' => $this->updated_by,
        ]);

        $query->andFilterWhere(['like', 'title', $this->title])
            ->andFilterWhere(['like', 'description', $this->description])
            ->andFilterWhere(['like', 'image', $this->image])
            ->andFilterWhere(['like', 'shop_name', $this->shop_name]);

        return $dataProvider;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
ST-A2-6-63. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr. at Children's Party
First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (center, background) and John F. Kennedy, Jr. (center, foreground) attend a children's party on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C. Kennedy family friend, Antoinette Bradlee, sits at left; Kennedy family dog, Charlie, walks at right; White House butler, Robert B. Thompson, Jr., stands at right.
ST-A2-3-63. John F. Kennedy, Jr. at Children's Party
John F. Kennedy, Jr. drinks a bottle of Coca-Cola at a children's party on the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, two unidentified boys, and White House butler, Robert B. Thompson, Jr., are in the background.
ST-A4-82-62. White House Birthday Party for Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr.
Young children arrive in the President's Dining Room (Residence) of the White House, Washington, D.C., for a joint birthday party for Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr.; First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy stands at right. Caroline (mostly hidden by balloon) sits at table in background with Maria Shriver (back to camera) and Avery Hatcher, son of Associate Press Secretary, Andrew T. Hatcher (seated left of Caroline); John, Jr. (holding a bottle of Coca-Cola), walks at right. Also pictured: First Lady's Social Secretary, Letitia Baldrige; White House photographer, Chief Robert L. Knudsen; White House butlers, John W. Ficklin and Robert B. Thompson, Jr.
ST-A4-116-62. White House Birthday Party for Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr.
Young children sit at tables in the President's Dining Room (Residence) of the White House, Washington, D.C., during a joint birthday party for Caroline Kennedy and John F. Kennedy, Jr.; First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (back to camera) stands at center in background. Caroline (right) sits at table in foreground with Maria Shriver (seated in center, holding lollipop) and Avery Hatcher, son of Associate Press Secretary, Andrew T. Hatcher (seated right of Caroline, partially hidden); John, Jr. (left, facing the camera), sits at table in background with Kennedy family friend, Shawn Brittle (seated in front of window). Also pictured: Eunice Kennedy Shriver; White House butler, Robert B. Thompson, Jr.
Kennedy family friends (2)
(-) Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy, 1929-1994 (5)
(-) Thompson, Robert Brycie, 1928-1997 (5)
Hatcher, Avery N., 1957- (2)
Shriver, Maria (Maria Owings), 1955- (2)
Baldrige, Letitia, 1927-2012 (1)
Bradlee, Antoinette Pinchot, 1924-2011 (1)
Brittle, Shawn (1)
Charlie (Dog) (1)
Ficklin, John W. (John Woodson), 1919-1984 (1)
Shriver, Eunice (Eunice Kennedy), 1921-2009 (1)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Humans are the most numerous race on Arrasia, with their numbers in the many millions. Short lived, in comparison to some other races, but full of endeavor, ingenuity and determination, humans are the great enigmas, with the capacity for both great good and immense evil. This dilemma is the lot of all humans, as forged in their making, and the path they follow is either that placed in their heart by Voln, their creator, or that placed their by Shylar, their savior.
Created by Voln as a gift for Kavak, humans were a ruse whose hearts were filled with Voln's evil who would rally to her when she called them and kill Kavak and his beloved dwarves. However, before her evil creations were complete, Shylar came to them and imbued into their hearts goodness, which would challenge the evil upon the calling of Voln. And when men awoke and were called by Voln to her side, to fight as her minions, so the great challenge of all mankind was awoken and while many chose the evil path, so many also chose the good path and there was war amongst them.
Thus was the challenge of men's hearts set, for all eternity; a challenge that every human struggles with all the days of their lives, drawn between the call of Voln's evil and Shylar's goodness.
The Battle of Lima, which saw Dyonicos crush Graxber and destroy the wondrous citadel, saw many dwarves retreat deep into the darkness far below the surface of Arrasia, while the humans who had chosen the path of good, alongside the dwarves who had chosen to remain, took on the might of Dyonicos as his armies smashed through the doors of Lima and set upon their rampage, easily defeating those that opposed them. However, as men fled the battlefield, so they were scattered across the plains of Arrasia and the seeds of their future sowed.
The scattering of men saw the tree of the human race divided into many branches. Taking on nomadic lifestyles and in a constant struggle against the men who had chosen the evil path, as well as all manner of other beasts that now filled Arrasia, different cultures and customs emerged between the tribes of men, as geography, climate and their relationships with other tribes and races saw distinct cultures emerge.
History has seen the waning and waxing of these cultures at different intervals, and some - indeed many - have been lost to time, victims of the harsh world in which they lived. However, those cultures that have survived have played a central role in the development of the nations of men and the world in which they now live.
Humans come in all shapes and sizes and only rarely are two alike. They can be anywhere from 5 feet to 6-1/2 feet tall and can weigh in from a slight 100 pounds through to an impressive 250 pounds, though most average somewhere in the middle. Skin color varies from very dark in the south to very pale in the north and hair varies just as much. Humans speak a wide range of languages and many are multi-lingual.
Human Homelands
Humans are numerous and their ingenuity has seen them adapt to nearly all the challenges they have faced. After the great scattering of humans after the fall of Lima, humans slowly began to settle the land and claim it as their own and nations began to emerge. It has always been in the heart of men to covet that which does not belong to them and the fight land has been amongst the fiercest, with wars common and the rise and fall of great powers stemming from it.
The nations of men come in all shapes and sizes and the people of each nation usually share a common heritage and culture, especially those who can trace their history way back. Many modern nations are amalgams of ancient cultures, long since conquered, but whose culture still lingers on in some fashion, and internal tension is common, as is civil strife. Wars are commonplace between the nations and old allies can quickly become new enemies and vice versa.
The human nations are primarily located around central Arrasia, but have steadily pushed into the wild and barbarian lands as the desire to conquer and settle continues to drive humans further and further into unchartered lands. These border areas are often chaotic places where life is hard and short, but where wealth, power and, of course, land, are the prize. It is the nature of humans to desire all the land and to fight for it when they must, and so it will always be.
Human Politics and Society
With so many diverse human cultures, the way they choose to structure their societies is wide and varied. The dominant political structure of Arrasia is a hereditary monarch who wields absolute power and authority over their people. Most are supported by a system of nobility, who are themselves often descended from the royal line and who execute the monarch's will. Tension and political intrigue are common, especially at the passing of power to a new monarch. However, there are also many other forms of political structures, ranging from dictators in the form of emperors through to partial and universal suffrage.
The lot of the people is almost entirely dependent upon those that rule them. For some, life is harsh and short and they have little value, while for others life is an opportunity and their value in society is high. For those whose lot is hard, it is not uncommon for them to revolt and civil strife erupt as a consequence, though they tend to be violent and short-lived affairs, often with little or no impact. But on occasions revolts have led to political change and the emergence of a new political structure - though not one always for the better!
Human Genealogy
Aramesse: The Aramesse are primarily located in The Great Jungle and in Jerad and Nizhst, where they hunt and forage for their living. Although wild and warrior-like, they are nonetheless an extremely versatile and clever people who live under the glare of the sun and in exceptionally humid conditions. Many of the Aramesse tribes have in recent times been enslaved by Hith and forced west into Hithanon and West Hithanon, where life is harsh and usually short.
Crothurmians: An offshoot of the Thurmian branch, they are paler, taller and stockier, though retain the Thurmian's quick temper. The Crothurmians are mostly wild and nomadic, found across the lands of U'Thol, HuriGhol, Yarasal J'naria, and throughout the south of The Northern Territories. In more recent years, Crothurmians began to settle and cities emerged on the coastlines of U'Thol, causing a rift with their wild ancestors. This settling has been largely curtailed by the rise of Zykerathox and the coming of his armies to that region, however.
Datians: A hardy and intelligent people, the Datians are an offshoot of the Farasians and are scattered throughout the eastern plains of Farashar and Urgolia, where they have long since been subjugated by the Urgolians, and Fenoria, where they remain as nomadic tribes. Datians are generally pale, with wiry hair, high cheekbones and a firmly set square jaw. They are closely related to the Farasians, Teschenians and Urgolians, who are all offshoots from the same branch.
Eppenesse: Within the genealogical tree, the Eppenesse are a young branch, having become distinct enough from the Urilians to be considered a separate and unique people. They dominate much of the Falagrim Peninsula, though are concentrated in Eppen. They can also be found in Palanar and Zaramal. With golden brown skin, light hair and lithe frames, the Eppenesse are an attractive, highly adaptable and clever people who are renown for their calm and thoughtfulness.
Farasians: Once a powerful force in the east, the Farasians have dwindled in number and significance since the coming of the Urgolians, who have both defeated and subjugated them. Primarily found in Farashar and Hagaard, they can also be found in Urgolia and, sparingly, in Teschenia and Fenoria. They are closely related to the Datians, Teschenians and Urgolians, who are all offshoots from the same branch. They mostly resemble the Datians, though their jaws are less pronounced and they are generally taller and stockier.
Karns: Along with the Norvs, the Karns are the most powerful of the human branches. Tall and dark haired, with golden tanned skin, the Karns are a dynamic people, highly organized and determined. Karnish is the spiritual homeland of all Karns, but they can be found all along the south, wherever the Karnish empire extends to, and even amongst the Yads in the lands that once formed the mighty nation of Amman, though not in any great numbers. To the north, The Northern Territories is largely populated with Karns.
Kerians: An ancient people, the Kerians can now only be found in the east of Syrámä, a nation made up of many different and ancient branches of man, but now dominated by the Syrámesse. Short in stature and pale, Kerians have beautiful piercing blue eyes and high brows. Natural hunters and farmers, the Kerians are very social and well known for their constitution and longevity.
Magasoans: An offshoot of the Urilians, the Magasoans are tall and powerfully built. They are found almost solely in Magasoa. They are an aggressive people, well known for their bad temper and the evil that runs through them. They despise the Urilians, Yamites, Eppenesse and Syrámesse, with whom they make constant war. The Magasoans were well-respected allies of the Yad people when Amman reigned supreme over the races of men and were considered amongst their best troops - although not tactically astute, their natural aggression and love of combat make them formidable opponents.
Norvs: The Norvs came to Arrasia with Uther after their escape from Herophet and settled in Norvsond, where they remain to this day. Tall and powerfully built, this fierce people have wild and bushy hair, often brown, and sport ragged and unkempt beards. They are also known for their large noses and generally unattractive appeal. A people of explorers, the Norvs rank as amongst the best seafarers in Arrasia and have populated much of the north. The Norvs can be found in Nÿgamär, Hjothdal, Angor, Elminn, Hardale, Yerad, Adoria, Rysor, Ord and along the coastlines of The North Lands, The Badlands and The Savage Coast.
Nutharians: The wild tribes of the Nutharians are commonly found in the jungles that can be found to the south east of Karnish, but especially in Femmen Thirl. They can also be found in the large expanse of savanna that consumes much of that wild and untamed land. Natural hunters and warriors, the Nutharians live away from the civilizations of men and instead choose to live in the harsh environment of lands largely unknown.
Sárations: Once a mighty people who dominated the peoples of mid-Arrasia in ancient times, the Sárations were crushed by the Yads and are now found almost exclusively in western Syrámä. Taller and more elegant than the Syrámesse, the Sárations are excellent with animals and make exceptional riders. They remain an arrogant breed of people, despite their decline, and tend to look down upon their Syrámesse cousins.
Syrámesse: With long blonde hair, attractive green eyes and well defined features, the Syrámesse are an attractive people, but tend to be physically frail and awkward. However, despite their awkwardness, the Syrámesse are a brave and tough people, not easily scared or driven from their homes. Bright and with a quick eye for a bargain, they make excellent traders and have excelled in the post-Amman era, where trade and opportunity has been key to their rise. They are found throughout Syrámä, which they share with a number of other human branches, and can also be found in Orith, Palanar and Zaramal.
Teschenians: Originating from the same branch as the Datians, Farasians and Urgolians, the Teschenians are tall and powerful, with wiry hair and pronounced cheek bones. They can be found in Hagaard, Farashar, Urgolia and Fenoria, but are primarily concentrated in Teschenia. A generally peaceful people, the Teschenians have fallen under the control of the Urgolians, who dominate the east with their warlike culture.
Thurmians: Tanned and healthy looking, the Thurmians are primarily centered in and around Badathur, including northern Karnish, and what was once Yeod, Ghent, Eastdale and Vidor (all of which are now part of The Fallen Lands), where they are found in their greatest numbers, but they can be found almost anywhere throughout the south. They are an aggressive, warlike people, quick to temper and explode in an outburst of violence. Their lineage can be traced back to when Uther brought peace to the south lands in the ancients days, when they were the dominant people of the south. In more recent years, their numbers have declined since their lands fell to the armies of Zykerathox.
Urgolians: The dominant people of the east, the Urgolians are warlike and aggressive. Tall, powerfully built, with wild ragged hair and beards, they are superb horsemen and instill fear into the heart of their enemies as they thunder by on their magnificent horses. The Urgolians can be found throughout Farashar, Hagaard and Teschenia, but mostly around Urgolia itself. They are closely related to the Datians, Farasians and Teschenians, who are all offshoots from the same branch.
Urilians: The Urilians were once a powerful race of men, but have dwindled over time. However, still numerous in number, they can be found in Yam, their traditional heartland, Orith, Palanar and Zaramal. They can also be found, though not in any great number, in the Falagrim Peninsula and Syrámä.
Yads: Once the most powerful people on Arrasia, the Yads imposed their evil regime under the banner of Amman that, at its height, was the largest empire ever seen. The Yads are a ferocious and extremely aggressive and evil people who are largely centered around Amman and those nations that once formed a part of their evil nation, but have fell under Karnish control after their defeat. They can also be found in Magasoa and Uradun, both of which became places of retreat for the fleeing Yads after the fall of their empire. However, such was the scale of their empire that Yads can be found almost anywhere, though never in great numbers and nearly always as despised outcasts.
Yamites: Cousins to the Urilians, the Yamites have emerged as the dominant people of Yam and Orith, where they live peacefully alongside the Urilians. Some Yamites can also be found in Palanar. Shorter than the Urilians and less aggressive, the Yamites have adapted quickly to the new world, embracing the new opportunities it has to offer. Quick to adapt to every situation, the Yamites have flourished in the post-Amman era.
Yarasians: The Yarasians are predominantly found in the southern lands of the Karnish empire - Fenn, Borodor, Ormex and Yarath. They have also spread as far east as The League of Ordwyn and are numerous in number in Gorind. Dark skinned, tall and athletic, the Yarasians are a proud people who have allowed civil strife to ravage and split them.
select a new race... Dwarves Elves Gnomes Goblins Halflings Humans Keradinn Mongrols Orcs


It's officially cold in NYC, which can easily become an eating disaster. The holidays are behind us and we're feeling full, tired and resenting the fact that it's the first week back at work. All of these factors can lead to a dangerous equation: NYC Delivery + Cold Temperatures = Eating Like Crap to Stay Warm. At least that's an equation that I'm very familiar with. The best way to stay ahead of this vicious cycle is to make big batches of comfort food that you keep in the fridge/freezer and can heat up quickly.
There are so many heavy winter comfort foods that we turn to, but they don't always have to be packed with fat and cream. I can hear a lot of you thinking "What's the point of comfort food if its lean and healthy?" Well, usually those two things don't go hand in hand, but in the case of this recipe, they do.
Chili is easy to make and can act as a whole meal. A great way to make chili healthier is to replace the beef with turkey, the cheese with fresh herbs, and the sour cream with greek yogurt. My turkey chili recipe tastes just as good as beef chili, takes half the time to make and won't leave you feeling like you just ate a double cheeseburger. Make a big batch and stick it in the freezer. It will be there on the coldest days and will heat up faster than seamless can arrive.
Preheat your oven to 375°. Toss the cut squash in a tbs of olive oil and season well with salt. Roast squash until tender, but not browned, about 20 minutes.
While the squash is roasting, start the chili base. Heat 4 tbs of olive oil over medium high heat and add the onions, scallions and chickpeas and sauté until softened and browned slightly but not crispy. Push the onions and chickpeas to the sides of the pot and add the ground turkey to the center of the pot, stirring every few minutes until it's cooked through and slightly browned. It should break up easily into small pieces.
Once the turkey has browned, mix in the onions and scallions from the side of the pot. Add the cumin, paprika, chipotle powder and salt and stir well. Turn the heat to high and add the white wine vinegar. Let this cook down until it has almost completely evaporated. Add the can of tomatoes and chicken stock and mix well. Bring the chili to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer (your heat should be on its lowest setting). Cover the pot loosely so a bit of steam can escape. Let the chili cook, covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom.
Remove the lid and add the roasted squash, stirring gently to incorporate. Taste the chili and add more salt if necessary. Cook over medium low heat for 30 minutes, or until the chili begins to thicken. If the chili thickens too quickly, add more chicken stock (if you have it) or water. Even though this is a quick chili recipe, you still want the flavors to develop as slowly as possible.
If you're enjoying for dinner, I would suggest serving it over rice and topping it with a big dollop of greek yogurt and a few cilantro leaves. If you're freezing the chili, let it come to room temperature before you pack it up. A good idea whenever you freeze anything you make, is to label it and a put a date on it, that way in two months when you look in the freezer you won't say "ick, this looks weird, when did I make this?" and toss it, you'll say "oh right! The delicious chili I made on January 5th." and you'll have dinner in 10.


text:
Advocates fear US weighing climate vs. human rights on China
In this Sept. 13, 2021 photo, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry listens to a speech at the launch of Climate Action and Finance Mobilisation Dialogue (CAFMD) under India-US Agenda 2030 Partnership in New Delhi, India. Kerry's quest to stave off the worst scenarios of global warming is meeting resistance from China, the world's biggest climate polluter, which is adamant that the United States ease confrontation over other matters if it wants Beijing to speed up its climate efforts. Associated Press
FILE - In this Feb. 22, 2021, file photo, a woman wearing a face mask to help curb the spread of the coronavirus sits near a screen showing China and U.S. flags as she listens to a speech by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Lanting Forum on bringing China-U.S. relations back to the right track, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing. U.S. climate envoy John Kerry came to China seeking to press the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases to do more in the global effort to hold down the rise in temperature. What he got was renewed demands for Washington to change its stance toward China on a host of other issues from human rights to Taiwan. Associated Press
FILE - In this Sept. 2, 2021, file photo provided by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry attends a meeting with Yang Jiechi, director of China's Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, via video link in Tianjin, China. Kerry came to China seeking to press the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases to do more in the global effort to hold down the rise in temperature. What he got was renewed demands for Washington to change its stance toward China on a host of other issues from human rights to Taiwan. (U.S. Department of State via AP, File) Associated Press
FILE - In this Wednesday, April 21, 2021 file photo, smoke and steam rise from towers at the coal-fired Urumqi Thermal Power Plant in Urumqi in western China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. A report released on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021 by Climate Action Tracker says only one nation, tiny The Gambia in Africa, has plans in line with limiting warming to the agreed upon goal set by the 2015 Paris agreement. Top carbon emitting nation China and third highest carbon polluting nation India are what the report calls 'œhighly insufficient'� or more in line with 4 degrees Celsius (7.2 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming since pre-industrial times. Associated Press
In this photo provided by the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry attends a meeting with Yang Jiechi, Director of China's Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs via video link in Tianjin, China, Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. (U.S. Department of State via AP) Associated Press
By ELLEN KNICKMEYER
Updated 9/18/2021 7:42 AM
U.S. envoy John Kerry's diplomatic quest to stave off the worst scenarios of global warming is meeting resistance from China, the world's biggest climate polluter, which is adamant that the United States ease confrontation over other matters if it wants Beijing to speed up its climate efforts.
Rights advocates and Republican lawmakers say they see signs, including softer language and talk of heated internal debate among Biden administration officials, that China's pressure is leading the United States to back off on criticism of China's mass detentions, forced sterilization and other abuses of its predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region.
But the White House took a step this past week that could further deepen the U.S.-China divide, forming a security alliance with Britain and Australia that will mean a greater sharing of defense capabilities, including helping equip Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.
President Joe Biden came out strong from the start of his presidency with sanctions over China's abuse of the Uyghurs, and his administration this spring called it genocide. But the U.S. desire for fast climate progress versus China's desire that the U.S. back off on issues such as human rights and religious freedom is creating conflict between two top Biden goals: steering the world away from the climate abyss and tempering China's rising influence.
It would be 'œdisastrous in the long term for the United States government to backtrack, tone down, let the Chinese manipulate the issue," said Nury Turkel, a Uyghur advocate and the vice chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an advisory panel that makes policy recommendations to the White House and Congress.
Chinese leaders repeatedly linked the issue of climate change and their complaints over perceived U.S. confrontation on human rights and other issues during Kerry's most recent China trip this month, Kerry told reporters in a call.
The Chinese complained specifically about sanctions the administration has put on China's globally dominant solar panel industry, which the U.S. and rights groups say runs partly on the forced labor of imprisoned Uyghurs.
"My response to them was, 'Hey, look, climate is not ideological, it's not partisan, it's not a geostrategic weapon or tool, and it's certainly not, you know, day-to-day politics,''' said Kerry. He told reporters in a call after the talks that he could only relay China's complaints about the sanctions to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
China in 2019 pumped out 27% of climate-eroding fossil fuel fumes, more than the rest of the developed world combined. T he United States is the second-worst offender, at 11%.
That makes China central to the world's fast-evaporating hopes of cutting fumes from use of petroleum and coal before catastrophic climate change becomes inevitable and irreversible.
Kerry, the former secretary of state and Biden's global climate envoy, has led repeated calls, online meetings and visits to Chinese officials before November's U.N. climate summit in Scotland. He has urged the Chinese to move faster on steps such as cutting their building, financing and use of dirty-burning coal-fired power plants.
He and others see that summit as a last chance to make significant emissions cuts in time. Climate efforts will also be a theme of leaders at the U.N. General Assembly this coming week.
China under President Xi Jinping has said it will hit peak climate pollution by the end of this decade and then make China climate pollution neutral by 2060, a decade later than the U.S. and other countries have pledged.
As China asserts its economic influence and territorial claims, and tension and competition rise with the United States, Xi and his officials have shown no desire to be seen as following the U.S. line on climate or anything else.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the U.S. diplomat in a video meeting on Kerry's latest China trip that 'œChina-U.S. cooperation on climate change cannot be divorced from the overall situation of China-U.S. relations.''
The U.S. should 'œtake positive actions to bring China-U.S. relations back on track,'� Wang added, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.
'œThe Chinese believe that the U.S. needs cooperation from China more than China needs the United States,'� and like others see the United States as weaker now than in the past, said Bonnie Glaser, an expert on Asia and Asia security matters at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
U.S. global climate objectives in that context are another 'œpoint of leverage, and they are trying to use that to get the United States to back off some policies they find particularly objectionable,'� including U.S. pressure on human rights, Glaser said.
Kerry has said no country is as committed to human rights as the United States and that his climate discussions with China's leaders have been constructive.
But there's talk China's pressure on the human rights-climate front is having effect.
An account circulating in China policy and human rights circles in Washington claimed Kerry had a forceful debate with other administration officials on the matter before his most recent China trip. Some claim administration influence in a bipartisan bill on Uyghur forced labor that stalled in the House after easily passing the Senate.
The State Department declined comment on the two matters.
Uyghur and human rights advocates say they believe administration officials are softening their tone on social media and in other public comments on China and human rights.
They point to a White House statement on a call between Xi and Biden on Sept. 9 that made no mention of human rights.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the United States continues trying to make progress on areas of both shared interest and mutual disputes with China.
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who with Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., is the main author of the Uyghur forced labor bill, said in a statement that administration officials' 'œsingle-minded focus on climate led them to downplay the genocide in Xinjiang."
People 'œworking to end the genocide are horrified at what we observe" in the administration, said Julie Millsap of the Campaign for Uyghurs advocacy group. No one with knowledge of China would expect a one-off "dialogue using human rights issues as leverage for climate change is going to work," she said.
The standoff is an agonizing one for climate advocates.
Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, hesitated when asked about the matter. She wouldn't trade human rights for emission cuts, she said, but 'œthere is a way to do both.'�
Asked how, Clarkson said, 'œI don't tell John Kerry how to do his job. But of course, it's important we hang on to the fundamental principles.'�
Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.


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75th anniversary of Battle of Luzon commemorated
The event was observed in Washington, DC, by WW II veterans and others. Here's the Department of Defense news RELEASE.
Coast Guard rescue swimmer awarded Distinguished Flying Cross
Petty Officer Tyler Gantt was honored for his actions during Hurricane Harvey. What he did was nothing short of incredible, as you'll read in this Military Times ARTICLE.
75th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge observed in Europe
The event was attended by the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in BASTOGNE.
And by SECFEF in LUXEMBOURG.
Tuskegee Airman celebrates 100th birthday - by flying!
Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Charles McGee is a veteran of three wars. Read more HERE.
Hue City Marine Corps vets formally receive their Purple Hearts
They were wounded more than 50 years ago. Here's more about the CEREMONY.
First woman in the Army to receive a Silver Star for valor
Read what Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester did after an ambush in IRAQ
Last known Coast Guard POW laid to rest - UPDATE
The U.S. Coast Guard Ceremonial Honor Guard begins the flag-folding ceremony as part of the full military honors burial for LT Thomas Crotty, a WW II USCG POW, in Buffalo, New York, Nov. 2, His remains were recently identified by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and were brought back to Crotty's hometown for burial. See the full story and more photos HERE. (USCG photo by PO3 Brian McCrum)
And here's a great VIDEO of the ceremony, produced by a member of LT Crotty's family.
Youngest Korean War Ace passes away at 90
Hank Buttelmann was an "adrenaline junkie" pilot who received the Silver Star and four awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross. Read more about him in this Air Force Times ARTICLE.
Last known Iwo Jima Marine Corps Vet dies at 103
John Moon was still vigorous enough at 102 to sing the National Anthem at his alma mater's basketball game. Read about his service and life aftter WW II HERE.
Air Force Academy airfield named for Tuskegee Airmen Commander
The airfield is named for Lieutenant General Benjamin Davis, Jr., the first African American general in the U.S. Air Force and a veteran of WW II. Read DETAILS.


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Alexander Bogomolny (January 4, 1948 July 7, 2018) was a Soviet-born Israeli-American mathematician. He was Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the University of Iowa, and formerly research fellow at the Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics, senior instructor at Hebrew University and software consultant at Ben Gurion University. He wrote extensively about arithmetic, probability, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and mathematical games.

He was known for his contribution to heuristics and mathematics education, creating and maintaining the mathematically themed educational website Cut-the-Knot for the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Online.   He was a pioneer in mathematical education on the internet, having started Cut-the-Knot in  October 1996.

Education and academic career
Bogomolny attended Moscow school No. 444, for gifted children, then entered Moscow State University, where he graduated with a master's degree in mathematics in 1971. From 1971 to 1974 he was a junior research fellow at the Moscow Institute of Electronic Machine Building (MIEM). He emigrated to Israel and became a senior programmer at Lake Kinneret Research Laboratory in Tiberias, Israel (19741977) and a software consultant at Ben Gurion University in Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel (19761977). From 1976 to 1983 he was a senior instructor and researcher at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.  He received his Ph.D. in mathematics at Hebrew University in 1981.  His dissertation is titled, A New Numerical Solution for the Stamp Problem and his thesis advisor was Gregory I. Eskin. From 1981 to 1982 he was also a visiting professor at Ohio State University, where he taught mathematics.

From 1982 to 1987 he was professor of mathematics at the University of Iowa. From August 1987 to August 1991 he was vice president of software development at CompuDoc, Inc.

Cut-the-Knot
Cut-the-Knot (CTK) is a free, advertisement-funded educational website which Bogomolny maintained from 1996 to 2018. It is devoted to popular exposition of various topics in mathematics. The site was designed for teachers, children and parents, and anyone else curious about mathematics, with an eye to educating, encouraging interest, and provoking curiosity. Its name is a reference to the legend of Alexander the Great's solution to the Gordian knot.

CTK won more than 20 awards from scientific and educational publications, including a Scientific American Web Award in 2003, the Encyclopædia Britannicas Internet Guide Award, and Sciences NetWatch award.

The site contains extensive analysis of many of the classic problems in recreational mathematics including the Apollonian gasket, Napoleon's theorem, logarithmic spirals, the "Futurama Theorem" from the episode "The Prisoner of Benda", the Pitot theorem, and the monkey and the coconuts problem. One page includes 122 proofs of the Pythagorean theorem.

Bogomolny wrote a manifesto for CTK in which he said that "Judging Mathematics by its pragmatic value is like judging symphony by the weight of its score." He described the site as "a resource that would help learn, if not math itself, then, at least, ways to appreciate its beauty," and he wondered why it is acceptable among otherwise well-educated people "to confess a dislike and misunderstanding of Mathematics as a whole."

Many mathematical ideas were originally illustrated by Java applets, but most were later replaced by GeoGebra applications, also used for material added later. CTK wiki (powered by PmWiki) extends the main site with additional mathematical content, especially that with more complicated formulae than available on the main site.

Book
 Cut the Knot: Probability Riddles. Champaign, IL: Wolfram Media, 2020.

Published after Bogomolny's death, with a foreword by his friend Nassim Nicholas Taleb, this book of probability riddles is curated to challenge the mind and expand mathematical and logical thinking skills. First housed on cut-the-knot.org, these puzzles and their solutions represent the efforts of great minds around the world. Bogomolny presented these selected riddles by topical progression.

Personal life
Bogomolny had to leave academia because he had an uncorrectable hearing problem and was practically deaf in latter years.

Tribute
Bogomolny's older son David chronicled his yearlong recitation of kaddish in honor of his father, originally on The Times of Israel blogs, in a series titled, "The skeptic's kaddish for the atheist", consisting of traditional Jewish sources, religious text analysis, modern interpretations and expressions of kaddish, philosophy, theology, eschatology, creative writing, and the personal reflections; memories; and experiences of a son in mourning.

References

External links

 Math of all types: The problems of Alexander Bogomolny
 Cut-the-Knot official website

1948 births
2018 deaths
Mathematics popularizers
Recreational mathematicians
20th-century American mathematicians
Soviet mathematicians
Israeli emigrants to the United States
Israeli people of Russian-Jewish descent
Israeli American
Mathematics websites
Science blogs
Moscow State University alumni
University of Iowa faculty
21st-century American mathematicians
Einstein Institute of Mathematics alumni
Scientists from Moscow

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We at School Of Engineering & Technology/HIT(Hindustan Institute Of Technology,Gr. Noida.) impart Knowledge and Technical Skills in a conducive academic ambience to make our young aspirants competent and motivated engineers who intend to take on the challenges of the global world. The Institute promotes freedom of thought, cultivates vision and encourages growth coupled with values and a sense of responsibility to harness them for the welfare of the society. An unfettered spirit of knowledge and exploration, academic integrity and accountability, and promotion of intellectual excellence make us distinct form the rest.
Campus: We at School Of Engineering & Technology/HIT(Hindustan Institute Of Technology,Gr. Noida.) impart Knowledge and Technical Skills in a conducive academic ambience to make our young aspirants competent and motivated engineers who intend to take on the challenges of the global world. The Institute promotes freedom of thought, cultivates vision and encourages growth coupled with values and a sense of responsibility to harness them for the welfare of the society. An unfettered spirit of knowledge and exploration, academic integrity and accountability, and promotion of intellectual excellence make us distinct form the rest.
Hostel: Hostel for boys/girls (capacity of total 1500 students) with mess facilities, common rooms, STD/ PCO and other recreational facilities.


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Who we are >
Our leadership >
Senior leader biographies >
Chief Financial Officer: Philip Lloyd
Senior leader biographies
Our leadership team sets the agency's strategic direction and provides operational oversight. Executive and non-executive directors bring decades of experience and expertise from across policing, government and the private sector.
Philip has been a Fellow of CIMA for 20 years, and brings a wealth of experience of working in the public sector. He started his career in the Civil Service as Finance Director of the Learning and Skills Council and then HM Courts' Service, working closely with Ministers in the Department of Education and Ministry of Justice respectively.
In the last 10 years, he has undertaken interim CFO roles in three governmental regulatory bodies for the Oil and Gas Industry, Renewable Energy (both BEIS) and the Gambling Commission (DCMS). He has also undertaken CFO roles in high profile organisations such as Defence, Equipment and Support (MoD) and for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA).


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Sucker punched in the head
Dave Taylor
Imagine a building where one side is a dark, dreary insane asylum populated by sadistic guards, doctors and attractive female inmates, and the other side is a popular brothel and speakeasy. Sounds like the heart of a B-movie exploitation film, and that's what Sucker Punch, the new computer graphics-filled cinematic graphic novel from Zack Snyder, turns out to be.
Sucker Punch starts out with a dark, moody sequence where late-teen blonde waif Baby Doll (Emily Browning) is trapped in a gothic monstrosity of a house with her scary, leering stepfather (Gerard Plunkett). When she rejects his advances after her mom has passed away, he turns his attentions to her little sister, to which Baby reacts by finding a gun and shooting him. She misfires and her sister ends up killed and his revenge is to have her locked up in the home for the mentally insane.
That's where the movie switches from a delightfully creepy horror film into an incoherent genre mash-up. Baby Doll meets the other babes in distress that become her posse: Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish), Rocket ( Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens) and Amber ( Jamie Chung).
They're all required to act out erotic plays in the speakeasy then entertain individual customers, through which we realize that all the women in Sucker Punch are victims of sadistic men, and that there are no bad women — or good men — in the entire narrative.
The fantastic visuals come from Baby Doll trying to escape the harsh reality of her new existence: she is extolled by the ambiguous Russian psychiatrist/ madam Dr. Gorski (Carla Gugino) that "you create your own reality," and so encounters the Wise Man (Scott Glenn, who was awful in this role) in a strange Last Airbender-inspired Japanese temple that her fevered imagination creates. He explains to her that she needs five things to be able to escape the hell of her existence.
Even in this first fantasy sequence, however, it's mostly a video gamer's wet dream, where 20-foot monster samurai use Gatling guns and rocket launchers to try and defeat Baby Doll. Every gunshot is lovingly shown, every footstep shakes the theater, and when Baby Doll leaps through the air and kills an enemy mid-leap with her katana, she lands in a crouch, sword up, and we can see — and feel — the shock wave of her energy. Subsequent fantasy sequences incorporate her posse of fellow girls, all similarly dressed in what are best described as skanky Halloween costumes.
Subsequent sequences take place in a sort of stylized World War II trench where German soldiers have been reanimated by the Nazis and are now steam-punk zombies. Later, the girls fly an armed military chopper to a castle teeming with demons and guarded by an angry dragon. The last fantasy sequence moves to a more futuristic world where, a la Under Siege, Baby Doll and her gang fight through a train of bad guys to disarm a bomb.
Truthfully, I can't recommend this film to anyone, even fans of Snyder's earlier works, unless you're the kind of guy (I can't imagine many women enjoying this visceral slam-bang actioner) who likes his soft porn and video games mixed to incoherence.
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The return of the virtual Sundance Film Festival


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Hong Kong to halve COVID flight-ban penalty to 7 days
Hong Kong International Airport. Image via hongkongairport.com
HONG KONG — Hong Kong said on Sunday it is shortening the ban on airlines that are found to have carried three or more passengers who test positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) upon arrival, as the number of local cases continues to ease from its peak.
Starting on Friday, the ban on individual airline routes will be halved to seven days as part of an ongoing "flight suspension mechanism," the government said in a statement.
The change comes after the government said last week a ban on flights from nine countries — Canada, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Britain, the United States, France, Australia, and the Philippines — would be lifted on April 1.
If there is at least one positive test and at least one case of non-compliance with pre-departure testing on any single flight, the airline will also be suspended from flying the route for seven days.
Hong Kong reported 8,037 new COVID-19 infections on Sunday and 151 deaths, the second day in a row below 10,000 cases, as its latest wave of infections continues to ease.
The financial hub will relax the social distancing measures in phases starting April 21, allowing restaurant dining after 6 p.m. with tables of four people, up from two currently.
Hong Kong's economy is set to contract in the first quarter, breaking four quarters of recovery streak, as retail sales fell for the first time in 12 months in February and export growth slowed, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said on his blog.
Businesses and the city's economy are reeling from widespread closures, as the government has imposed stringent social distancing rules since January amid a dramatic spike in the Omicron variant.
While the former British colony has officially stuck to a "dynamic zero" coronavirus policy similar to that of mainland China, which seeks to curb all outbreaks, it has been shifting to mitigation strategies as deaths skyrocketed. — Reuters
How to save the Amazon? Brazil company says NFTs are the answer


influence is key to business from his new book Invisible Influence.
what makes someone a good negotiator.
friends and acquaintances into allies.
influence key to reaching the right customers?
talk about and share our message and bring new converts in along the way.
the same preferences as we do can help us avoid going the wrong way.
social influence? What is an example?
they all drive grey BMWs. I bought a blue one.
reward or win the competition might lead people and animals to work harder.
Even the mere presence of others though, can have similar effects.
helps or hurts depends on the nature of the task.