The YMCA of Trumbull County is starting the new year a little brighter as a light replacement program which helps save energy and money while brightening the complex is complete.
Interim YMCA Director Richard Denamen said as part of a green energy program by Ohio Edison, lights were changed in the two gyms, two swimming pool rooms, four locker rooms, wellness center and main lobby.
"The lights are a lot brighter and more energy-efficient. Ohio Edison's goal is to reduce energy consumption," he said.
Denamen said there will be expected savings for the YMCA with electrical bills with a discount provided by Ohio Edison for the installation. He said he is not sure of the exact savings, which should be noticed with the billing in a few months.
During the winter months, the YMCA has been busy with various programs and pool rentals.
The YMCA building is more than 80 years old, and in recent years has undergone renovations which have included in 2008 newly-renovated cardiovascular, wellness center and exercise rooms, which are the most utilized rooms of the YMCA. Prior to that, the last renovation took place in the cardiovascular area in November 1997.
The wellness area received pre-existing paneled walls, new vinyl upholstery for the Nautilus machines, solar energy saving window shades, five flat-screen televisions, improved lighting, added artwork and memorabilia to the walls and rubber flooring.
Banner Engineering has announced a range of energy saving LED work lights of protection categories IP67/IP69K. The robust design allows use in a wide field of application where reliable, bright and even illumination is needed under tough environmental conditions.
The colour temperature lies in daylight range between 5000 and 10 000 Kelvin. The work lights can be connected either via a standardised M12x1-plug connection or directly via open wire ends. The power on/off is carried out either over the connection with the supply voltage or – when there is a constant power supply – over the integrated switch on the LED work light, which is incorporated in some versions.
The lights are available in three different construction groups: as compact spot lights, as line light rails and as square LED lights for flat illuminations. The line light rails are offered in 8 different versions with 3 to 24 LEDs. For more extensive illumination or larger work areas, Banner offers 4 flat lights with 12 to 48 LEDs.
Showing posts with label led lamp. Show all posts
Showing posts with label led lamp. Show all posts
Wednesday, 1 February 2012
Monday, 9 January 2012
Red-Light Camera Proposal Is Revived; Civil Liberties Group Again Opposes It
Public office-holders and citizen activists from New Haven again are pushing to get the Connecticut General Assembly to legalize use of automated cameras to issue traffic tickets to red light violators at intersections.
The effort has failed in past years, most recently in 2011, but supporters re-launched it Monday at a press conference led by New Haven Mayor John DeStefano and state Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven.
As in the past, the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut responded that it "remains steadfast in opposition to traffic light cameras."
Looney said in a press release: "Our friends and family don't need to become another statistic," said Senator Looney. "The use of red light cameras at intersections is critical for ensuring the safety of pedestrians and drivers. Knowing that if you run a red light you will receive a ticket in the mail will be a huge incentive for drivers to slow down and think twice about breaking the law. It will free up police resources and save lives." Supporters said over the last 20 years, on average, more than 5,000 pedestrians are killed across the United States in motor vehicle-related accidents.
With the state legislative session set to begin next month, Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney gathered with Mayor John DeStefano, members of the New Haven delegation, members of the Board of Aldermen and safe streets advocates at the corner of South Frontage Road and York Street to launch a new push to pass legislation authorizing the use of red light cameras to catch dangerous drivers.
Nationally, according to the Federal Highway Commission, red-light running kills 1,000 people and injures 165,000 a year at a cost of $230 billion. Over the last 20 years, on average, more than 5,000 pedestrians are killed across the United States in motor vehicle-related accidents.
"Our friends and family don't need to become another statistic," said Senator Looney. "The use of red light cameras at intersections is critical for ensuring the safety of pedestrians and drivers. Knowing that if you run a red light you will receive a ticket in the mail will be a huge incentive for drivers to slow down and think twice about breaking the law. It will free up police resources and save lives."
New Haven has the highest percentage of residents who walk or bike to work. Tragedies involving pedestrians and cyclists often occur at intersections where traditional traffic enforcement is challenging.
Added Mayor DeStefano, "The fact is that red light cameras save lives, promote civil behavior, grow pedestrian and biker use and most importantly do all this while reserving our police officers time for more urgent citizen needs."
Legislators plan to raise a bill with language similar to a bill raised last session. Under that proposal, municipalities with 60,000 or more residents would have been granted the right, through local ordinance, to install red light cameras at designated intersection.
The proposed billed required municipalities to install advance warning signs along all approaches of the roadways preceding the intersection at which an automated traffic enforcement safety device was located. The advance warning signs would notify motorists of the existence of the automated traffic enforcement safety device.
The effort has failed in past years, most recently in 2011, but supporters re-launched it Monday at a press conference led by New Haven Mayor John DeStefano and state Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven.
As in the past, the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut responded that it "remains steadfast in opposition to traffic light cameras."
Looney said in a press release: "Our friends and family don't need to become another statistic," said Senator Looney. "The use of red light cameras at intersections is critical for ensuring the safety of pedestrians and drivers. Knowing that if you run a red light you will receive a ticket in the mail will be a huge incentive for drivers to slow down and think twice about breaking the law. It will free up police resources and save lives." Supporters said over the last 20 years, on average, more than 5,000 pedestrians are killed across the United States in motor vehicle-related accidents.
With the state legislative session set to begin next month, Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney gathered with Mayor John DeStefano, members of the New Haven delegation, members of the Board of Aldermen and safe streets advocates at the corner of South Frontage Road and York Street to launch a new push to pass legislation authorizing the use of red light cameras to catch dangerous drivers.
Nationally, according to the Federal Highway Commission, red-light running kills 1,000 people and injures 165,000 a year at a cost of $230 billion. Over the last 20 years, on average, more than 5,000 pedestrians are killed across the United States in motor vehicle-related accidents.
"Our friends and family don't need to become another statistic," said Senator Looney. "The use of red light cameras at intersections is critical for ensuring the safety of pedestrians and drivers. Knowing that if you run a red light you will receive a ticket in the mail will be a huge incentive for drivers to slow down and think twice about breaking the law. It will free up police resources and save lives."
New Haven has the highest percentage of residents who walk or bike to work. Tragedies involving pedestrians and cyclists often occur at intersections where traditional traffic enforcement is challenging.
Added Mayor DeStefano, "The fact is that red light cameras save lives, promote civil behavior, grow pedestrian and biker use and most importantly do all this while reserving our police officers time for more urgent citizen needs."
Legislators plan to raise a bill with language similar to a bill raised last session. Under that proposal, municipalities with 60,000 or more residents would have been granted the right, through local ordinance, to install red light cameras at designated intersection.
The proposed billed required municipalities to install advance warning signs along all approaches of the roadways preceding the intersection at which an automated traffic enforcement safety device was located. The advance warning signs would notify motorists of the existence of the automated traffic enforcement safety device.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
New light bulbs save energy, but I don't have to like them
The curtain is going up on 2012, but it may be difficult to see what's happening on the stage in the new year. A new year always brings along with it a sheaf of new laws and regulations. This year, one of those new regulations may dim our vision of the future.
On Jan. 1, the United States began to officially phase out incandescent light bulbs. In California, the phase out started last year, but now the rest of the country will be squinting along with us. The federal law mandating the phase out was signed in 2007, but didn't take effect until now.
With the start of the new year, 100-watt incandescent bulbs can no longer be manufactured or imported. The phase out will continue in 2013 with the 75-watt bulbs and in 2014 with the 60- and 40-watt bulbs. Stores can continue to sell existing inventory, but the great fade out has begun.
Those of us who love the warm, soft light that emanates from incandescent bulbs may soon have to find ways to bootleg our bulbs into the country. I can imagine a time when the TSA will have bulb-sniffing dogs patrolling the terminals at international airports.
Proponents of the ban point to fluorescent and LED technology as a long-lasting, energy-saving alternative. And clearly, Americans are used to fluorescent lights. The long, thin tubes have illuminated offices, stores and schools for decades, but a fluorescent light source at home just feels different.
Not only does it feel different, it looks different. I often jog in the very early morning. Running past the houses in my neighborhood it's instantly apparent who uses incandescent bulbs and who uses fluorescent. The incandescent bulbs give off a warm, yellow-red glow. The fluorescent bulbs a harsher blue color.
Still, due solely to a dwindling lack of options, we've begun to switch some of the bulbs at our house to the curly little fluorescent bulbs. I don't like them. First, they're expensive. Second — and I don't care what anybody says — I can't read as well under their light. They just seem dim.
Proponents admit the compact fluorescent and LED lights are more expensive, but they say their cost over time is less due to the bulb's longevity compared to incandescent bulbs. Well, I know of one incandescent light bulb they'll never outlast.
There is a light bulb in Fire Station 6 in the city of Livermore, Calif. that has been burning for more than 110 years. It is a handblown bulb with a carbon filament. Originally a 60-watt bulb, it now burns at about four watts. But it's still burning.
At four watts it reminds me of the fluorescent bulbs I usually encounter in hotel room bedside lamps. Hotels started making the switch a long time ago, I'm sure in the thought there would be a cost-savings. Well, it doesn't work with me. Hotel rooms are so dimly lit now I turn on absolutely every light in the room trying to brighten the place up a little. And I know one guy who actually travels with his own 100-watt bulb so he's always assured of at least one decent lamp in a hotel room.
On Jan. 1, the United States began to officially phase out incandescent light bulbs. In California, the phase out started last year, but now the rest of the country will be squinting along with us. The federal law mandating the phase out was signed in 2007, but didn't take effect until now.
With the start of the new year, 100-watt incandescent bulbs can no longer be manufactured or imported. The phase out will continue in 2013 with the 75-watt bulbs and in 2014 with the 60- and 40-watt bulbs. Stores can continue to sell existing inventory, but the great fade out has begun.
Those of us who love the warm, soft light that emanates from incandescent bulbs may soon have to find ways to bootleg our bulbs into the country. I can imagine a time when the TSA will have bulb-sniffing dogs patrolling the terminals at international airports.
Proponents of the ban point to fluorescent and LED technology as a long-lasting, energy-saving alternative. And clearly, Americans are used to fluorescent lights. The long, thin tubes have illuminated offices, stores and schools for decades, but a fluorescent light source at home just feels different.
Not only does it feel different, it looks different. I often jog in the very early morning. Running past the houses in my neighborhood it's instantly apparent who uses incandescent bulbs and who uses fluorescent. The incandescent bulbs give off a warm, yellow-red glow. The fluorescent bulbs a harsher blue color.
Still, due solely to a dwindling lack of options, we've begun to switch some of the bulbs at our house to the curly little fluorescent bulbs. I don't like them. First, they're expensive. Second — and I don't care what anybody says — I can't read as well under their light. They just seem dim.
Proponents admit the compact fluorescent and LED lights are more expensive, but they say their cost over time is less due to the bulb's longevity compared to incandescent bulbs. Well, I know of one incandescent light bulb they'll never outlast.
There is a light bulb in Fire Station 6 in the city of Livermore, Calif. that has been burning for more than 110 years. It is a handblown bulb with a carbon filament. Originally a 60-watt bulb, it now burns at about four watts. But it's still burning.
At four watts it reminds me of the fluorescent bulbs I usually encounter in hotel room bedside lamps. Hotels started making the switch a long time ago, I'm sure in the thought there would be a cost-savings. Well, it doesn't work with me. Hotel rooms are so dimly lit now I turn on absolutely every light in the room trying to brighten the place up a little. And I know one guy who actually travels with his own 100-watt bulb so he's always assured of at least one decent lamp in a hotel room.
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Bad Boy Father Figure
Love Never Dies is set ten years after the Phantom's disappearance from the Paris Opera House. He has escaped to a new life in New York, where he lives amongst the screaming joy rides and freak-shows of Coney Island. He lures Christine, who is struggling in an ailing marriage to Raoul, to Coney Island in a final bid to win back her love. The Australian production features a 21-piece orchestra and a 23-strong cast including Ben Lewis as the Phantom and Anna O'Byrne as Christine.
There are over 300 costumes and a magnificent Helpmann Award-winning set illuminated by over 5000 light bulbs. When Lloyd Webber saw the production, he exclaimed: "It's one of the finest productions I've ever seen of my work, anywhere!"
This high praise is not lost on Phillips. "He was amazing actually," he says. "We were pretty nervous by that point about him seeing it for the first time, but he was really thrilled with it."
While nostalgic references to The Phantom of the Opera abound, audiences will be surprised by Love Never Dies, Phillips asserts. "It's ten years later and takes the characters into a different time of their lives, and different realms of concern. Christine is now a mother, so rather than it being a teen fantasy, which the original was – it was the Twilight of its day! – the characters are older and Christine is living this life married to Raoul and not being sure if it was the right choice."
But the powerfully resonant themes of the original prevail. "It's a really sexual story in a not particularly bodice-ripping way," Phillips laughs. "The Twilight analogy is not as frivolous as it might seem, because it's really about the idea of the unattainable and 'the other' having this force of attraction and being frightening, dangerous, out of control and sexy at the same time."
The relationship between the Phantom and Christine has been examined countless times as a metaphor for human relationships; but according to Phillips, if their relationship does reveal anything about us, it's not good.
"It's kind of shameful," he argues, "because the original Phantom is founded on a lot of classic suppositions about sexual attraction – the father figure, the controller, her being the muse, him having his force over her. So it's not really very politically correct! The Phantom combines both bad boy and father figure!"
Phillips recently hung up as boots as Artistic Director of Melbourne Theatre Company, with more than 60 productions under his name, including his swan-song show, The Importance of Being Earnest with Geoffrey Rush. He is no stranger to successful interpretations of big musicals, having directed the Australian and London productions of Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical.
Phillips's next major project is the Australian production of An Officer and A Gentleman, which will have its world premiere in Sydney next year. However he admits he will miss running a theatre company. "I will miss the ability to control my destiny, and more importantly the destiny of some other people. There are many things about running a theatre company that are incredibly difficult, but the nice thing is that you can make things happen."
There are over 300 costumes and a magnificent Helpmann Award-winning set illuminated by over 5000 light bulbs. When Lloyd Webber saw the production, he exclaimed: "It's one of the finest productions I've ever seen of my work, anywhere!"
This high praise is not lost on Phillips. "He was amazing actually," he says. "We were pretty nervous by that point about him seeing it for the first time, but he was really thrilled with it."
While nostalgic references to The Phantom of the Opera abound, audiences will be surprised by Love Never Dies, Phillips asserts. "It's ten years later and takes the characters into a different time of their lives, and different realms of concern. Christine is now a mother, so rather than it being a teen fantasy, which the original was – it was the Twilight of its day! – the characters are older and Christine is living this life married to Raoul and not being sure if it was the right choice."
But the powerfully resonant themes of the original prevail. "It's a really sexual story in a not particularly bodice-ripping way," Phillips laughs. "The Twilight analogy is not as frivolous as it might seem, because it's really about the idea of the unattainable and 'the other' having this force of attraction and being frightening, dangerous, out of control and sexy at the same time."
The relationship between the Phantom and Christine has been examined countless times as a metaphor for human relationships; but according to Phillips, if their relationship does reveal anything about us, it's not good.
"It's kind of shameful," he argues, "because the original Phantom is founded on a lot of classic suppositions about sexual attraction – the father figure, the controller, her being the muse, him having his force over her. So it's not really very politically correct! The Phantom combines both bad boy and father figure!"
Phillips recently hung up as boots as Artistic Director of Melbourne Theatre Company, with more than 60 productions under his name, including his swan-song show, The Importance of Being Earnest with Geoffrey Rush. He is no stranger to successful interpretations of big musicals, having directed the Australian and London productions of Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical.
Phillips's next major project is the Australian production of An Officer and A Gentleman, which will have its world premiere in Sydney next year. However he admits he will miss running a theatre company. "I will miss the ability to control my destiny, and more importantly the destiny of some other people. There are many things about running a theatre company that are incredibly difficult, but the nice thing is that you can make things happen."
Monday, 12 December 2011
GE Brings Green Lights to Life
At GE's historic 90-acre Nela Park in Cleveland--home to America's first industrial park and to GE Lighting--a light bulb revolution is underway that could help solve one of the world's greatest environmental threats: climate change.
Tucked away in a brick lab building of this leafy technology research campus, veteran GE lighting engineer and physicist Gary Allen reviews a chart of global greenhouse gas emissions that points in one direction—up. But, Allen says, there's a simple step we can take to curtail these emissions and change course; screw in a more efficient light bulb.
"The number one thing we can do to cut greenhouse gas emissions is to change our light bulbs....it's the strongest lever we have to get CO2 emissions out of the atmosphere. So if you are going to spend money on anything, spend it on energy efficient lighting."
And there's one more advantage to the light bulb revolution; jobs. Last year, GE invested $60 million to produce energy efficient florescent bulbs at its plant in Bucyrus, OH, creating about 100 new positions in job-hungry Ohio. And there are over 100 jobs posted on GE Lighting's website now.
For the past 24 years, Allen has been a key engineer and physicist at GE's world-renowned lighting research center, where many of the 700 people who work there toil away on the latest lighting product designs and strategies.
All that tinkering in the labs has paid off. Today there are more money saving, energy efficient bulbs on the market than ever before, including advanced incandescents, compact fluorescent and LEDs.
And more are on the way. Industry powerhouses like GE, Sylvania and Philips are all coming out with dozens of new lighting products that will result in huge energy savings—and help save us all from the dire consequences of a rapidly changing climate.
Anyone who still wonders if the threat is real should check out new figures released for greenhouse gas emissions; they jumped to record levels last year during a global recession. Just wait until a global recovery takes hold.
Decorating during the holidays is a tradition for many, a mission for some. But keep in mind those lights can put a dent in your budget if you're not careful.
Dump your old lights. Go with LED lights which use 90-percent less electricity and last 10 times longer than old-style lights. If you have lots of the old, start weening yourself off this year by incorporating new LED lights where you can and using less of the other stuff.
Use timers. You can pick up a timer for about $20 or less, that way you can leave your lights without worrying you will forget and leave them on all night to entertain the neighborhood stray cats.
Go with smart strips. Newer power strips allow you to selectively turn on some fixtures while leaving others off.
Tucked away in a brick lab building of this leafy technology research campus, veteran GE lighting engineer and physicist Gary Allen reviews a chart of global greenhouse gas emissions that points in one direction—up. But, Allen says, there's a simple step we can take to curtail these emissions and change course; screw in a more efficient light bulb.
"The number one thing we can do to cut greenhouse gas emissions is to change our light bulbs....it's the strongest lever we have to get CO2 emissions out of the atmosphere. So if you are going to spend money on anything, spend it on energy efficient lighting."
And there's one more advantage to the light bulb revolution; jobs. Last year, GE invested $60 million to produce energy efficient florescent bulbs at its plant in Bucyrus, OH, creating about 100 new positions in job-hungry Ohio. And there are over 100 jobs posted on GE Lighting's website now.
For the past 24 years, Allen has been a key engineer and physicist at GE's world-renowned lighting research center, where many of the 700 people who work there toil away on the latest lighting product designs and strategies.
All that tinkering in the labs has paid off. Today there are more money saving, energy efficient bulbs on the market than ever before, including advanced incandescents, compact fluorescent and LEDs.
And more are on the way. Industry powerhouses like GE, Sylvania and Philips are all coming out with dozens of new lighting products that will result in huge energy savings—and help save us all from the dire consequences of a rapidly changing climate.
Anyone who still wonders if the threat is real should check out new figures released for greenhouse gas emissions; they jumped to record levels last year during a global recession. Just wait until a global recovery takes hold.
Decorating during the holidays is a tradition for many, a mission for some. But keep in mind those lights can put a dent in your budget if you're not careful.
Dump your old lights. Go with LED lights which use 90-percent less electricity and last 10 times longer than old-style lights. If you have lots of the old, start weening yourself off this year by incorporating new LED lights where you can and using less of the other stuff.
Use timers. You can pick up a timer for about $20 or less, that way you can leave your lights without worrying you will forget and leave them on all night to entertain the neighborhood stray cats.
Go with smart strips. Newer power strips allow you to selectively turn on some fixtures while leaving others off.
Monday, 28 November 2011
Set decorators use decor to flesh out characters
Our rooms speak volumes about us — and set decorators for television shows specialize in knowing what they can say.
Using colors, accessories and telling details, set decorators help flesh out a character, whether it's a working-class stiff in a worn-in apartment or a wealthy doyenne in a slick salon.
For Los Angeles-based set decorator Lynda Burbank, "homey" means vegetable soup. "I love the soup palette of sage green, burnt orange and warm beige — these colors are very soothing and make people feel comfortable in the set," she says.
For the sitcom "Mike and Molly" on CBS, she packs her sets with details: "Mike's mom's house was a delight to do. I found a fabulous blue recliner with a drink holder where she spends a lot of time. She's surrounded by nail polish and various medications. Her house reflects that she reads a lot, mostly romance novels. She's Irish Catholic, so there are statues that reflect that. When the set first appeared, people came up to me and said it reminded them of their Aunt Sally in Wisconsin, and I was so pleased."
In one scene, Mike's mother's boyfriend Dennis was supposed to represent a cautionary warning to Mike about leading too solitary a life. Burbank put Dennis' personal kit from the Vietnam war on the dining room table, as if he'd been sitting and reliving his past. "Also a couple of shirts on the back of the door in plastic bags from the dry cleaners — so impersonal, so lonely," she recalls.
The room was only seen once, but it drove home a plot point: Mike realizes what might be in store for him if he doesn't take a chance on love, with Molly.
For the pilot of the CBS show "Two Broke Girls" (the show is currently decorated by Amy Feldman), Burbank worked with Glenda Rovello on the loft of a young, wealthy woman who has twin babies and not a clue about motherhood. "The set reflected that, with a lamp shaped like a gun, sharp-edged sculpture and other things that weren't child-friendly," Burbank said.
Clutter and collections of things give a room a "lived-in" look, says Archie D'Amico, set decorator for ABC's "Cougar Town." He also has worked on "Ugly Betty" and "NYPD Blue."
Set decorators have hundreds of prop houses and stores in Los Angeles or New York from which to shop. "Very often I'll need something tomorrow, if not sooner," says Laura Richarz, who has decorated sets on "Married with Children," ''Everybody Loves Chris" and "True Blood."
Richarz says she starts by trying to see the room "through the eyes of the characters that live there. What would happen on a daily basis in this set if it were a real home? Who uses it, how old are they, what's their means of support? Do they watch TV, do handcrafts?"
Beth Kushnik, set decorator on CBS' "The Good Wife," notes that while the main character's world was downsized after a divorce, "she still had a comfortable degree of wealth. Her apartment was created as if she'd hired a decorator to give her and her two teenagers a relaxed haven. I used lush fabrics, silk lamp shades and beautiful linens."
Using colors, accessories and telling details, set decorators help flesh out a character, whether it's a working-class stiff in a worn-in apartment or a wealthy doyenne in a slick salon.
For Los Angeles-based set decorator Lynda Burbank, "homey" means vegetable soup. "I love the soup palette of sage green, burnt orange and warm beige — these colors are very soothing and make people feel comfortable in the set," she says.
For the sitcom "Mike and Molly" on CBS, she packs her sets with details: "Mike's mom's house was a delight to do. I found a fabulous blue recliner with a drink holder where she spends a lot of time. She's surrounded by nail polish and various medications. Her house reflects that she reads a lot, mostly romance novels. She's Irish Catholic, so there are statues that reflect that. When the set first appeared, people came up to me and said it reminded them of their Aunt Sally in Wisconsin, and I was so pleased."
In one scene, Mike's mother's boyfriend Dennis was supposed to represent a cautionary warning to Mike about leading too solitary a life. Burbank put Dennis' personal kit from the Vietnam war on the dining room table, as if he'd been sitting and reliving his past. "Also a couple of shirts on the back of the door in plastic bags from the dry cleaners — so impersonal, so lonely," she recalls.
The room was only seen once, but it drove home a plot point: Mike realizes what might be in store for him if he doesn't take a chance on love, with Molly.
For the pilot of the CBS show "Two Broke Girls" (the show is currently decorated by Amy Feldman), Burbank worked with Glenda Rovello on the loft of a young, wealthy woman who has twin babies and not a clue about motherhood. "The set reflected that, with a lamp shaped like a gun, sharp-edged sculpture and other things that weren't child-friendly," Burbank said.
Clutter and collections of things give a room a "lived-in" look, says Archie D'Amico, set decorator for ABC's "Cougar Town." He also has worked on "Ugly Betty" and "NYPD Blue."
Set decorators have hundreds of prop houses and stores in Los Angeles or New York from which to shop. "Very often I'll need something tomorrow, if not sooner," says Laura Richarz, who has decorated sets on "Married with Children," ''Everybody Loves Chris" and "True Blood."
Richarz says she starts by trying to see the room "through the eyes of the characters that live there. What would happen on a daily basis in this set if it were a real home? Who uses it, how old are they, what's their means of support? Do they watch TV, do handcrafts?"
Beth Kushnik, set decorator on CBS' "The Good Wife," notes that while the main character's world was downsized after a divorce, "she still had a comfortable degree of wealth. Her apartment was created as if she'd hired a decorator to give her and her two teenagers a relaxed haven. I used lush fabrics, silk lamp shades and beautiful linens."
Thursday, 24 November 2011
Wyckoff crossing guards earn the spotlight
They were recently equipped with LED blinking signs to better direct motorists at crossings of children heading to and home from the district's five schools.
The township has 16 crossing posts staffed by 23 guards, each of whom received a sign. The signs cost $300 each and their purchase was funded by the township, K-8 district and Wyckoff PTOs.
Police Chief Benjamin Fox unveiled the signs at a Township Committee meeting Monday, Nov. 14, at which time the crossing guards also were honored for their dedication to public safety.
Fox told the governing body that the guards have the "single most dangerous job in municipal government."
He said that in the township, 85 percent of children are driven to school, "resulting in congestion in school zones far beyond what the streets were designed to handle."
China's export on LED lighting products is getting stronger and stronger and has held an extremely large share in the world market. As a leading enterprise in LED lighting, undertaking the mission of "Lighting makes life better", Sunfor always focuses on innovation and has obtained a number of patents, and Sunfor consistently takes quality, low-carbon and pro-environment as their core competitiveness.
He said the signs will improve visibility among drivers in foggy weather and also when there is sun glare., which Fox said is a problem for any motorist traveling east, such as at the intersections of Sicomac Avenue and Terhune Terrace and Hillcrest and Wyckoff avenues.
"It doesn't occur every day, but if you have what you know is a sun glare situation, you have to be extra careful because the approaching vehicles might not be able to see you," Fox said. "LED lights make you stand out more."
Mayor Kevin Rooney thanked the crossing guards and read a proclamation., noting that the police had recently received the 2011 Award of Excellence from the American Automobile Association of North Jersey for its efforts to promote pedestrian safety.
In a separate interview on Nov. 16, Fox described crossing guards, many of whom have been with Wyckoff for years, as the "unknown" township employees.
"They just simply report to their post and leave, but they're town employees and they're out there in lousy weather," Fox said. "I thought it would be really nice to recognize them for their efforts, thank them for their concern and just generally make an evening that was for them for some personal recognition."
The township has 16 crossing posts staffed by 23 guards, each of whom received a sign. The signs cost $300 each and their purchase was funded by the township, K-8 district and Wyckoff PTOs.
Police Chief Benjamin Fox unveiled the signs at a Township Committee meeting Monday, Nov. 14, at which time the crossing guards also were honored for their dedication to public safety.
Fox told the governing body that the guards have the "single most dangerous job in municipal government."
He said that in the township, 85 percent of children are driven to school, "resulting in congestion in school zones far beyond what the streets were designed to handle."
China's export on LED lighting products is getting stronger and stronger and has held an extremely large share in the world market. As a leading enterprise in LED lighting, undertaking the mission of "Lighting makes life better", Sunfor always focuses on innovation and has obtained a number of patents, and Sunfor consistently takes quality, low-carbon and pro-environment as their core competitiveness.
He said the signs will improve visibility among drivers in foggy weather and also when there is sun glare., which Fox said is a problem for any motorist traveling east, such as at the intersections of Sicomac Avenue and Terhune Terrace and Hillcrest and Wyckoff avenues.
"It doesn't occur every day, but if you have what you know is a sun glare situation, you have to be extra careful because the approaching vehicles might not be able to see you," Fox said. "LED lights make you stand out more."
Mayor Kevin Rooney thanked the crossing guards and read a proclamation., noting that the police had recently received the 2011 Award of Excellence from the American Automobile Association of North Jersey for its efforts to promote pedestrian safety.
In a separate interview on Nov. 16, Fox described crossing guards, many of whom have been with Wyckoff for years, as the "unknown" township employees.
"They just simply report to their post and leave, but they're town employees and they're out there in lousy weather," Fox said. "I thought it would be really nice to recognize them for their efforts, thank them for their concern and just generally make an evening that was for them for some personal recognition."
Monday, 10 October 2011
Nordic Center yurts: Rustic in the round
After the birth of our daughter Grace and then son Ezra, we found ourselves backpacking and camping less. The yurt gave us a chance to try our hand at quasi-camping, where we hauled gear in backpacks but did not have to worry about a tent or water. And, we were not alone in this notion: the guests of the other yurt were a young Phoenix couple and their 16-month-old daughter, Sophie.
We also enjoyed the distinct advantage of a woodstove-heated space -- a bonus to the yurt that also helps extend the camping season well into the fall. In fact, the yurts are a year-round offering and a popular overnight retreat for cross-country skiers and snowshoeing enthusiasts.
Like our nights of tent camping, the yurt served primarily as our base of operations to explore. The Nordic Center yurt experience is enhanced by the more than 30 miles of trails. While the trails are there primarily for the cross-country ski season, they also offer hiking opportunities.
Following a dinner that included veggie burgers and roasted corn, my sister-in-law showed off her fire-starting skills by getting a nice blaze going in the fire pit. We basked in the campfire as the dusk went blue and the stars began to show. The woodsmoke, emerging night and mountain air helped us reconnect with all the things we loved about camping.
As we prepared for bed, I found myself fixated on one interesting feature of the yurt: A perfect circle of a skylight about two feet in diameter at the top of the ceiling. During the day, this brings light into the room, along with two windows that can be unclipped and rolled up.
At night, the dome creates a small window into the cosmos.
For the time of our visit, I could see Orion's Belt in the circle. Johnson notes that, during the winter, the Big Dipper is visible in circle, and people who stay overnight can watch it rotate through the night.
In many ways, it reminded me of a crude version of a James Turrell Skyspace, where the minimalist conceptual artist reveals a circle of sky in the center of a room so people can watch and interpret the sky's color and form. To this effect, I watched how dawn faded out the stars and brought different shades of blue in the circle.
The morning brought a robust hike up the Abineau Trail and across a trail known as the Snowslide. While most of the forest remained in shadow, Kendrick Peak to the west was bathed in morning light.
As I pulled the crisp air into my lungs and studied the cool and warm tones of morning and the emerging light, I realized that we needed to refill our summer season with family camping and look to the yurts to help extend the season into the fall and beyond.
We also enjoyed the distinct advantage of a woodstove-heated space -- a bonus to the yurt that also helps extend the camping season well into the fall. In fact, the yurts are a year-round offering and a popular overnight retreat for cross-country skiers and snowshoeing enthusiasts.
Like our nights of tent camping, the yurt served primarily as our base of operations to explore. The Nordic Center yurt experience is enhanced by the more than 30 miles of trails. While the trails are there primarily for the cross-country ski season, they also offer hiking opportunities.
Following a dinner that included veggie burgers and roasted corn, my sister-in-law showed off her fire-starting skills by getting a nice blaze going in the fire pit. We basked in the campfire as the dusk went blue and the stars began to show. The woodsmoke, emerging night and mountain air helped us reconnect with all the things we loved about camping.
As we prepared for bed, I found myself fixated on one interesting feature of the yurt: A perfect circle of a skylight about two feet in diameter at the top of the ceiling. During the day, this brings light into the room, along with two windows that can be unclipped and rolled up.
At night, the dome creates a small window into the cosmos.
For the time of our visit, I could see Orion's Belt in the circle. Johnson notes that, during the winter, the Big Dipper is visible in circle, and people who stay overnight can watch it rotate through the night.
In many ways, it reminded me of a crude version of a James Turrell Skyspace, where the minimalist conceptual artist reveals a circle of sky in the center of a room so people can watch and interpret the sky's color and form. To this effect, I watched how dawn faded out the stars and brought different shades of blue in the circle.
The morning brought a robust hike up the Abineau Trail and across a trail known as the Snowslide. While most of the forest remained in shadow, Kendrick Peak to the west was bathed in morning light.
As I pulled the crisp air into my lungs and studied the cool and warm tones of morning and the emerging light, I realized that we needed to refill our summer season with family camping and look to the yurts to help extend the season into the fall and beyond.
Thursday, 16 June 2011
BUISNESS AS USUAL: Is Nigeria lagging behind in African technology?
In the last few years, the African technology space has received increasing spotlight in the international press. Led by innovations in Kenya such as M-Pesa, the renowned mobile money platform and Ushahidi, the Kenyan crowd-sourcing platform that maps crisis information, the continent has received a slew of positive media spotlighting these technologies. This is welcome given the continent's prior problems with attracting negative press globally. The African ICT space appears to be one of the key sectors leading the rebranding of the continent as a place of opportunity and not solely of war, hunger and misery.
This is exciting and given the steady efforts at expanding broadband access in various countries, these positive ICT stories are likely to continue.
In the evolving narrative in the African ICT sector, certain trends appear to be emerging. As mentioned earlier, Kenya and particularly, Nairobi is becoming a hub for technological innovation. Its early successes appear to have piqued the interest of developers, entrepreneurs and corporations and set off what seems to be a culture of coders, technology entrepreneurs and innovators. Global technology companies like Google, Cisco and Nokia Siemens have set up shop in Nairobi as their continent-wide headquarters and the stage seems set for the churning out of Africa's next technology talents and startups from the city.
Similarly, South Africa appears to have steadily set itself apart as a leading African technology hub. It boasts of success stories such as MXit, a mobile social network that is currently more popular than Facebook among South Africans and upcoming technology platforms such as Motribe, another social network that boasts about 1.5 million users and growing.
However, South Africa's greatest value proposition to both entrepreneurs and corporations alike appears to be not so much its prior history of innovation but its rich intellectual capital. Cities such as Cape Town are home to world-class computer science faculties and have gradually developed an ecosystem of people, ideas and resources. Not surprisingly, Google recognised this rich evolving ecosystem when it set up Umbono, its first technology incubator globally in Cape Town to provide monetary and technical support for entrepreneurs earlier this year.
Collectively, the sorts of competencies that cities like Nairobi and Cape Town are developing are the kinds that matter. Features such as a strong community of innovators and a strong educational foundation that strengthens the quality of human capital ensure that startups that emerge have a greater likelihood of being world-class.
As Africa's leading Internet market (according to some industry reports), it is a bit surprising that Nigeria is not at the forefront of technological innovation on the continent. Though success stories in areas such as the transaction switching and payment processing space through companies such as Interswitch are present, follow up game changing innovations in other areas have been few and far between.
Earlier, the Nigerian Government set up the Abuja Technology Village, reported as modelled after Silicon Valley in the US. Although the technology village has been running since 2009, including its in-house incubation programme for entrepreneurs, called Enspire, it is not clear if the initiative has been able to spur the sort of community and vibrancy needed to position Abuja as a prominent technology hub.
In Lagos, some vision-driven private sector individuals are at the forefront of creating hubs that can foster the sort of community that have been developed in places like South Africa and Kenya. However, infrastructural challenges that significantly increase the cost of running these creative spaces remain an issue. There is also the problem of world-class human capital.
Is Nigeria lagging behind in African tech? Given the evolving trends, it appears we have some catching up to do.
This is exciting and given the steady efforts at expanding broadband access in various countries, these positive ICT stories are likely to continue.
In the evolving narrative in the African ICT sector, certain trends appear to be emerging. As mentioned earlier, Kenya and particularly, Nairobi is becoming a hub for technological innovation. Its early successes appear to have piqued the interest of developers, entrepreneurs and corporations and set off what seems to be a culture of coders, technology entrepreneurs and innovators. Global technology companies like Google, Cisco and Nokia Siemens have set up shop in Nairobi as their continent-wide headquarters and the stage seems set for the churning out of Africa's next technology talents and startups from the city.
Similarly, South Africa appears to have steadily set itself apart as a leading African technology hub. It boasts of success stories such as MXit, a mobile social network that is currently more popular than Facebook among South Africans and upcoming technology platforms such as Motribe, another social network that boasts about 1.5 million users and growing.
However, South Africa's greatest value proposition to both entrepreneurs and corporations alike appears to be not so much its prior history of innovation but its rich intellectual capital. Cities such as Cape Town are home to world-class computer science faculties and have gradually developed an ecosystem of people, ideas and resources. Not surprisingly, Google recognised this rich evolving ecosystem when it set up Umbono, its first technology incubator globally in Cape Town to provide monetary and technical support for entrepreneurs earlier this year.
Collectively, the sorts of competencies that cities like Nairobi and Cape Town are developing are the kinds that matter. Features such as a strong community of innovators and a strong educational foundation that strengthens the quality of human capital ensure that startups that emerge have a greater likelihood of being world-class.
As Africa's leading Internet market (according to some industry reports), it is a bit surprising that Nigeria is not at the forefront of technological innovation on the continent. Though success stories in areas such as the transaction switching and payment processing space through companies such as Interswitch are present, follow up game changing innovations in other areas have been few and far between.
Earlier, the Nigerian Government set up the Abuja Technology Village, reported as modelled after Silicon Valley in the US. Although the technology village has been running since 2009, including its in-house incubation programme for entrepreneurs, called Enspire, it is not clear if the initiative has been able to spur the sort of community and vibrancy needed to position Abuja as a prominent technology hub.
In Lagos, some vision-driven private sector individuals are at the forefront of creating hubs that can foster the sort of community that have been developed in places like South Africa and Kenya. However, infrastructural challenges that significantly increase the cost of running these creative spaces remain an issue. There is also the problem of world-class human capital.
Is Nigeria lagging behind in African tech? Given the evolving trends, it appears we have some catching up to do.
Monday, 13 June 2011
Harvick messes with Kyle Busch; Busch fails post-race inspection
He only led two laps and was never really a major threat to win at Pocono on Sunday, but Kyle Busch nonetheless found himself once again in the spotlight, and once again for all the wrong reasons.
Busch, barely a week removed from his already-infamous fight with Richard Childress, ran into trouble with one of Childress' drivers almost immediately. On Pocono's 3,000-foot-long straightaway, Kevin Harvick took a long, sloping line that forced Busch almost all the way into the infield.
In the ensuing laps, Harvick bumped Busch several times, making it clear he was attempting to rattle the 18's driver and crew. Harvick continued until NASCAR officials told the teams to knock it off, and they raced the rest of the afternoon without incident.
Afterward, Busch noted that it appeared Harvick "was trying to make it awfully difficult on me." Measuring his words carefully, Busch added that "maybe [that style of racing] kind of shows his character and who he is, how he feels he needs to race on the racetrack. But it's not my fight. He's trying to turn it into one."
Harvick, meanwhile, freely admitted he was trying to get into Busch's head. "He knows he has one coming," Harvick said, according to ESPN's David Newton. "I just wanted him to think about it."
After the race, the news got worse for Busch, as NASCAR inspectors found the left front of his car to be too low. NASCAR will take the No. 18 back to its R&D Center for further inspection and, if necessary, issue a penalty later this week. The severity of the penalty will depend on the violation, and since NASCAR has not yet laid out the points breakdown for penalties under the new points system, the exact possible penalties are still a mystery.
So how low was it? "Doesn't matter, it's too low," NASCAR VP of Competition Robin Pemberton said. "Outside the tolerances."
Busch finished third in the Pocono race. This penalty isn't severe enough to strip him of his finish or anything like that; it's more likely he'll be penalized somewhere in the five-to-15-point range, if necessary.
Busch, barely a week removed from his already-infamous fight with Richard Childress, ran into trouble with one of Childress' drivers almost immediately. On Pocono's 3,000-foot-long straightaway, Kevin Harvick took a long, sloping line that forced Busch almost all the way into the infield.
In the ensuing laps, Harvick bumped Busch several times, making it clear he was attempting to rattle the 18's driver and crew. Harvick continued until NASCAR officials told the teams to knock it off, and they raced the rest of the afternoon without incident.
Afterward, Busch noted that it appeared Harvick "was trying to make it awfully difficult on me." Measuring his words carefully, Busch added that "maybe [that style of racing] kind of shows his character and who he is, how he feels he needs to race on the racetrack. But it's not my fight. He's trying to turn it into one."
Harvick, meanwhile, freely admitted he was trying to get into Busch's head. "He knows he has one coming," Harvick said, according to ESPN's David Newton. "I just wanted him to think about it."
After the race, the news got worse for Busch, as NASCAR inspectors found the left front of his car to be too low. NASCAR will take the No. 18 back to its R&D Center for further inspection and, if necessary, issue a penalty later this week. The severity of the penalty will depend on the violation, and since NASCAR has not yet laid out the points breakdown for penalties under the new points system, the exact possible penalties are still a mystery.
So how low was it? "Doesn't matter, it's too low," NASCAR VP of Competition Robin Pemberton said. "Outside the tolerances."
Busch finished third in the Pocono race. This penalty isn't severe enough to strip him of his finish or anything like that; it's more likely he'll be penalized somewhere in the five-to-15-point range, if necessary.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Facebook Turns to Smart Lighting for Data Center
Facebook Turns to Smart Lighting for Data Center
Facebook’s new data center in Oregon has gotten its fair share of attention, both for Facebook’s decision to open up the energy efficient design, and also for Greenpeace’s campaign to try to convince Facebook to stop powering it with coal. But here’s another reason to recognize the data center: Facebook has installed a smart lighting system courtesy of startup Redwood Systems.
Sam Klepper, Chief Marketing Officer for Redwood Systems, tells me that Facebook is currently using Redwood System’s technology to control over 1,000 lights in Facebook’s data center in Oregon, and Facebook plans to add the lighting system to the rest of the buildings at the Oregon data center shortly. Klepper says Redwood Systems is also talking to Facebook about implementing the technology in Facebook’s upcoming data center in North Carolina.
Redwood Systems makes lighting digital, networked and intelligent. The 3-year-old company makes a control and sensor system for LEDs (light emitting diodes) that runs over an optimized version of ethernet cables. Commercial building owners and data center operators can use the LED lighting control and management system to cut the amount of lighting used throughout the building, in some cases up to 70 percent over standard non-networked fluorescent lighting systems. LEDs are more efficient than fluorescents, but Redwood’s management system also monitors the building environment, including temperature and room occupancy, and can dim and manage the lights to help maximize efficiency.
Klepper told me that a typical return on investment in terms of energy savings for the lighting system, is between two to five years after installing the system, depending on different factors. Around 40 percent of Redwood System’s customers right now are in the data center space, said Klepper, who added that that percent will likely grow over the coming months and years. Klepper also said that Facebook is interested in the lighting technology partly because it is combining lighting efficiency with overall building intelligence, and Redwood’s sensors can alert managers when panels for hot/cold aisle containment have been left open, or , say, when there is movement in certain sections of the data center.
Redwood uses its optimized communications cables to send both a digital signal (zeros and ones of information) as well as power, and each LED fixture contains an embedded sensor that can monitor the environment of the room. The LEDs are then connected to the centralized Redwood computing engine.
Dave Leonard, co-founder and CEO of Redwood Systems, left Cisco’s wireless division to start the company. The company is backed by at least $27 million from Index Ventures, Battery Ventures and U.S. Venture Partners. There are a variety of competitors that are offering similar lighting management systems, including Digital Lumens, and Adura Technologies as well as offerings from the building automation companies Honeywell and Johnson Controls.
Smart lighting could be a massive market. The Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) reported that only 7 percent of the U.S. commercial and industrial market have installed lighting control systems of any kind.
Facebook’s new data center in Oregon has gotten its fair share of attention, both for Facebook’s decision to open up the energy efficient design, and also for Greenpeace’s campaign to try to convince Facebook to stop powering it with coal. But here’s another reason to recognize the data center: Facebook has installed a smart lighting system courtesy of startup Redwood Systems.
Sam Klepper, Chief Marketing Officer for Redwood Systems, tells me that Facebook is currently using Redwood System’s technology to control over 1,000 lights in Facebook’s data center in Oregon, and Facebook plans to add the lighting system to the rest of the buildings at the Oregon data center shortly. Klepper says Redwood Systems is also talking to Facebook about implementing the technology in Facebook’s upcoming data center in North Carolina.
Redwood Systems makes lighting digital, networked and intelligent. The 3-year-old company makes a control and sensor system for LEDs (light emitting diodes) that runs over an optimized version of ethernet cables. Commercial building owners and data center operators can use the LED lighting control and management system to cut the amount of lighting used throughout the building, in some cases up to 70 percent over standard non-networked fluorescent lighting systems. LEDs are more efficient than fluorescents, but Redwood’s management system also monitors the building environment, including temperature and room occupancy, and can dim and manage the lights to help maximize efficiency.
Klepper told me that a typical return on investment in terms of energy savings for the lighting system, is between two to five years after installing the system, depending on different factors. Around 40 percent of Redwood System’s customers right now are in the data center space, said Klepper, who added that that percent will likely grow over the coming months and years. Klepper also said that Facebook is interested in the lighting technology partly because it is combining lighting efficiency with overall building intelligence, and Redwood’s sensors can alert managers when panels for hot/cold aisle containment have been left open, or , say, when there is movement in certain sections of the data center.
Redwood uses its optimized communications cables to send both a digital signal (zeros and ones of information) as well as power, and each LED fixture contains an embedded sensor that can monitor the environment of the room. The LEDs are then connected to the centralized Redwood computing engine.
Dave Leonard, co-founder and CEO of Redwood Systems, left Cisco’s wireless division to start the company. The company is backed by at least $27 million from Index Ventures, Battery Ventures and U.S. Venture Partners. There are a variety of competitors that are offering similar lighting management systems, including Digital Lumens, and Adura Technologies as well as offerings from the building automation companies Honeywell and Johnson Controls.
Smart lighting could be a massive market. The Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) reported that only 7 percent of the U.S. commercial and industrial market have installed lighting control systems of any kind.
Monday, 18 April 2011
Tucson team is selected for art project
Ross Avenue underpass to be filled with "Happy Shapes" after Tucson team is selected for art project
"Happy Shapes" - a proposal for colored glowing sculptures in "evocative shapes" -- was selected for a $112,913 public led spotlight art project to turn the Ross Avenue underpass into a gateway between East Dallas and the Dallas Arts District.
The artist team of Joe O'Connell and Blessing Hancock of Tucson, Ariz., proposed 30 sculptures made of translucent polyethylene with internal LED lights to be anchored near the walkways on each side of the highway underpass.
Their proposal uses geometric shapes taken from architecture around the Arts District, but the shapes would be made more intriguing by adding tails, mustaches and other "evocative" features, O'Connell said. They will also be raised up on four legs. "We felt it was important to include real objects," he said. "There's a great popular affection in Dallas for more figurative sculpture - the Pegasus, the steers downtown, and we learned from the Nasher [Scuplture Center] that the exhibits with human or animal forms are more popular than abstracts."
O'Connell said he expects the 30 forms to be something that pedestrians could interact with (they will be able to led spotlight touch a metal feature and change the color), but also visible to motorists as they approach and pass through the intersection. Plus, he expects the glowing sculptures would be visible during the day where 12 lanes of highway darken the road below. "Even at about 11 o'clock on a sunny day it was dark enough in there," said O'Connell, who visited the site a couple times with his partner.
"Happy Shapes" - a proposal for colored glowing sculptures in "evocative shapes" -- was selected for a $112,913 public led spotlight art project to turn the Ross Avenue underpass into a gateway between East Dallas and the Dallas Arts District.
The artist team of Joe O'Connell and Blessing Hancock of Tucson, Ariz., proposed 30 sculptures made of translucent polyethylene with internal LED lights to be anchored near the walkways on each side of the highway underpass.
Their proposal uses geometric shapes taken from architecture around the Arts District, but the shapes would be made more intriguing by adding tails, mustaches and other "evocative" features, O'Connell said. They will also be raised up on four legs. "We felt it was important to include real objects," he said. "There's a great popular affection in Dallas for more figurative sculpture - the Pegasus, the steers downtown, and we learned from the Nasher [Scuplture Center] that the exhibits with human or animal forms are more popular than abstracts."
O'Connell said he expects the 30 forms to be something that pedestrians could interact with (they will be able to led spotlight touch a metal feature and change the color), but also visible to motorists as they approach and pass through the intersection. Plus, he expects the glowing sculptures would be visible during the day where 12 lanes of highway darken the road below. "Even at about 11 o'clock on a sunny day it was dark enough in there," said O'Connell, who visited the site a couple times with his partner.
Solar-powered lights to dazzle city crossings
Get ready to follow solar energy based traffic signals in the city. Solar powered signalling system would be installed at 22 crossroads over next three months. Once completed the crossings will wear a brand new look.
The installation work, traffic officials said, is being done by a Delhi-based firm under public-private-partnership model.
Traffic Inspector Bipin Chandra Pandey told TOI: "As a part of its pilot project, installion work is first taken at Maharana Pratap crossing and would be further taken to other crossings. The work of laying cable lines and setting up booth too is underway."
He added that the work on the solar run traffic light signalling system would be done in a phased manner.
Pandey further added that solar run traffic signalling system has been quite successful in cities like Agra and Bareilly. As far as working of solar run lights are concerned, solar traffic lights original lights are equipped with the latest technology and use photovoltaic cells.
A solar panel located on the top of the pole converts sunlight into electrical power. A solar charger regulates the voltage coming out of the solar panel. The regulated power obtained is used to charge a battery.
Lighting is produced by an array of extra bright LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) that are much brighter than bulbs. LEDs usually last for years and are very energy efficient. LEDs are small in size, but they can produce a significant amount of light. If solar lighting is progressing very fast, it is mainly due to LED technology.
Meanwhile, the authorities concerned have already removed the defunct traffic lights. The officials have also sought public cooperation in the same regard.
A solar run traffic signalling light costs around Rs eight lakh and is an efficient alternative, provided enough energy is stored.
The installation work, traffic officials said, is being done by a Delhi-based firm under public-private-partnership model.
Traffic Inspector Bipin Chandra Pandey told TOI: "As a part of its pilot project, installion work is first taken at Maharana Pratap crossing and would be further taken to other crossings. The work of laying cable lines and setting up booth too is underway."
He added that the work on the solar run traffic light signalling system would be done in a phased manner.
Pandey further added that solar run traffic signalling system has been quite successful in cities like Agra and Bareilly. As far as working of solar run lights are concerned, solar traffic lights original lights are equipped with the latest technology and use photovoltaic cells.
A solar panel located on the top of the pole converts sunlight into electrical power. A solar charger regulates the voltage coming out of the solar panel. The regulated power obtained is used to charge a battery.
Lighting is produced by an array of extra bright LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) that are much brighter than bulbs. LEDs usually last for years and are very energy efficient. LEDs are small in size, but they can produce a significant amount of light. If solar lighting is progressing very fast, it is mainly due to LED technology.
Meanwhile, the authorities concerned have already removed the defunct traffic lights. The officials have also sought public cooperation in the same regard.
A solar run traffic signalling light costs around Rs eight lakh and is an efficient alternative, provided enough energy is stored.
Friday, 15 April 2011
Napping controllers spotlight shift work dangers
A wake-up call. That's one way to describe the recent spate of cases in which air led spotlight traffic controllers working the graveyard shift were caught napping on the job.
"Over the last few weeks we have seen examples of unprofessional conduct on the part of a few individuals that have rightly caused the traveling public to question our ability to ensure their safety," said FAA chief Randy Babbitt.
But the incidents - which led to the suspension of several controllers as well as the resignation of the head of the agency's air traffic organization - may have more to do with human biology than with personnel problems.
It's not clear that the suspended controllers were experiencing this, but people who work nights or who rotate shifts often develop led spotlight sleep problems - insomnia or excessive sleepiness - along with headaches, difficulty concentrating, and other health problems, according to the Cleveland Clinic website.
Doctors have a name for this constellation of symptoms: shift work sleep disorder (SWSD).
The disorder can cause big problems, and not just for the people who have it. In addition to irritability and mood problems, SWSD can lead to work accidents. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine puts the problem in stark terms: "Those who work night shifts are likely to become very tired on the job. They may feel a strong urge to take a nap. They also may not think clearly because of a reduced level of alertness. They are more likely to make mistakes."
No aircraft went down and no injuries were reported in conjunction the spate of sleeping controller cases. But investigators said controller fatigue may have played a role in Kentucky plane crash led spotlight that occurred nearly five years ago. The crash claimed 49 lives.
Lack of sleep is believed to have played a role in other tragedies, including the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Challenger disaster, and the Chernobyl nuclear accident, according to CNN.
What's the remedy for shift work sleep disorder? Avoiding shift change and giving workers regular rest periods and exercise breaks can help, says the academy. In some cases, exposure to bright lights can be helpful.
Can someone please hit the switch?
"Over the last few weeks we have seen examples of unprofessional conduct on the part of a few individuals that have rightly caused the traveling public to question our ability to ensure their safety," said FAA chief Randy Babbitt.
But the incidents - which led to the suspension of several controllers as well as the resignation of the head of the agency's air traffic organization - may have more to do with human biology than with personnel problems.
It's not clear that the suspended controllers were experiencing this, but people who work nights or who rotate shifts often develop led spotlight sleep problems - insomnia or excessive sleepiness - along with headaches, difficulty concentrating, and other health problems, according to the Cleveland Clinic website.
Doctors have a name for this constellation of symptoms: shift work sleep disorder (SWSD).
The disorder can cause big problems, and not just for the people who have it. In addition to irritability and mood problems, SWSD can lead to work accidents. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine puts the problem in stark terms: "Those who work night shifts are likely to become very tired on the job. They may feel a strong urge to take a nap. They also may not think clearly because of a reduced level of alertness. They are more likely to make mistakes."
No aircraft went down and no injuries were reported in conjunction the spate of sleeping controller cases. But investigators said controller fatigue may have played a role in Kentucky plane crash led spotlight that occurred nearly five years ago. The crash claimed 49 lives.
Lack of sleep is believed to have played a role in other tragedies, including the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the Challenger disaster, and the Chernobyl nuclear accident, according to CNN.
What's the remedy for shift work sleep disorder? Avoiding shift change and giving workers regular rest periods and exercise breaks can help, says the academy. In some cases, exposure to bright lights can be helpful.
Can someone please hit the switch?
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Cameron Carpenter: 'The King of Instruments'
Cameron Carpenter: 'The King of Instruments'
Cameron Carpenter rehearsing Wednesday in the Princeton University Chapel.
Staff photos by Ph il McAuliffe
‘ McCarter Theatre will present Cameron Carpenter, “the world’s most visible organist,” at the Princeton University Chapel tonight (Friday, April 1) at 8 p.m., as part of his six American cities Spring Tour, before he travels to Europe and Russia.
Cameron Carpenter — “the most controversial organist alive” (Dallas Morning News) — is “one of the rare musicians who changes the game of his instrument” (The Los Angeles Times) with performances that are “alternatingly dazzling and subtle, and always fired by a profound musical intelligence” (The Wall Street Journal).
Mr. Carpenter challenges the ways in which the organist is promoted and the organ — which Mozart dubbed “the king of instruments” — is played. His repertoire includes the complete organ works of Bach, Franck and Liszt, but he has adapted more than 200 works not for the organ: from the piano music of Liszt and Rachmaninoff to Debussy’s Prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun” and Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, to music from animé and film (“Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Spirited Away,” and scores by John Williams and Bernard Herrmann), and re- imaginings of songs by Kate Bush, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and Annie Lennox.
Bringing increased physicality to the organ as a former dancer, Mr. Carpenter has created supervirtuosic organ transcriptions of Chopin études that have led to comparisons as diverse as Vladimir Horowitz and Fred Astaire.
Mr. Carpenter’s embrace of fashion on the concert stage includes concert wear of his own design. For this concert, his one-of-a-kind artistry will be projected on two screens, treating the audience to an up-close view of his virtuosic fingers and his dancing feet.
A child prodigy who performed Bach’s complete “Well-Tempered Clavier” at age 11, Mr. Carpenter attended The American Boychoir School in Princeton from 1993 to 1995.
“I have the warmest memories of my time there as of friends,” said Mr. Carpenter of his time spent in Princeton. He graduated from the Juilliard School in 2006 and currently lives in Berlin.
Cameron Carpenter rehearsing Wednesday in the Princeton University Chapel.
Staff photos by Ph il McAuliffe
‘ McCarter Theatre will present Cameron Carpenter, “the world’s most visible organist,” at the Princeton University Chapel tonight (Friday, April 1) at 8 p.m., as part of his six American cities Spring Tour, before he travels to Europe and Russia.
Cameron Carpenter — “the most controversial organist alive” (Dallas Morning News) — is “one of the rare musicians who changes the game of his instrument” (The Los Angeles Times) with performances that are “alternatingly dazzling and subtle, and always fired by a profound musical intelligence” (The Wall Street Journal).
Mr. Carpenter challenges the ways in which the organist is promoted and the organ — which Mozart dubbed “the king of instruments” — is played. His repertoire includes the complete organ works of Bach, Franck and Liszt, but he has adapted more than 200 works not for the organ: from the piano music of Liszt and Rachmaninoff to Debussy’s Prelude to “The Afternoon of a Faun” and Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, to music from animé and film (“Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Spirited Away,” and scores by John Williams and Bernard Herrmann), and re- imaginings of songs by Kate Bush, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and Annie Lennox.
Bringing increased physicality to the organ as a former dancer, Mr. Carpenter has created supervirtuosic organ transcriptions of Chopin études that have led to comparisons as diverse as Vladimir Horowitz and Fred Astaire.
Mr. Carpenter’s embrace of fashion on the concert stage includes concert wear of his own design. For this concert, his one-of-a-kind artistry will be projected on two screens, treating the audience to an up-close view of his virtuosic fingers and his dancing feet.
A child prodigy who performed Bach’s complete “Well-Tempered Clavier” at age 11, Mr. Carpenter attended The American Boychoir School in Princeton from 1993 to 1995.
“I have the warmest memories of my time there as of friends,” said Mr. Carpenter of his time spent in Princeton. He graduated from the Juilliard School in 2006 and currently lives in Berlin.
Augusta steals Tiger’s spotlight in PGA Tour 12
Tiger Woods’ name may be on the cover of the latest iteration of Electronic Arts’ PGA Tour series, but the famously troubled golfer isn’t the game’s star. That honour goes to Augusta National, a course widely recognized as one of the finest clubs in the world and which plays host to the prestigious Masters tournament.
Indeed, the game all but revolves around both Augusta and the storied competition that has attracted the globe's best golfers annually since 1934. The primary career mode is organized as a journey through qualifying school and several tours with the grand goal of competing in the Masters. A secondary mode has players trying to recreate some of the tournament’s most memorable performances, such as Gary Player’s blistering final back nine that led him to his third championship in 1978.
The upshot is that you’ll find yourself spending a lot of time on Augusta’s renowned real estate, and you probably won’t be disappointed by what you see. The course is extraordinarily well captured, with famous holes like the short but devilish par three 12th and the round-making (or destroying) par five 15th looking—and playing—just as you’d imagine.
It’s also one of the most difficult courses that Electronic Arts has ever simulated—and not just because of its treacherous greens and sadistically placed hazards. The game automatically removes any clothing or equipment bonuses you may have added when you play in the Masters Moments mode, and when you finally arrive at the tournament proper in the career mode you’ll find yourself prohibited from using some of the game’s most frequently used special abilities, such as power boosts and real time spin control. The upshot is that each green hit is earned, each birdie a satisfying accomplishment.
But we’re not left to face Augusta completely disarmed. The other star of the game (sorry, Tiger, still not you) is a caddy who proudly wears your name on the back of his shirt.
Indeed, the game all but revolves around both Augusta and the storied competition that has attracted the globe's best golfers annually since 1934. The primary career mode is organized as a journey through qualifying school and several tours with the grand goal of competing in the Masters. A secondary mode has players trying to recreate some of the tournament’s most memorable performances, such as Gary Player’s blistering final back nine that led him to his third championship in 1978.
The upshot is that you’ll find yourself spending a lot of time on Augusta’s renowned real estate, and you probably won’t be disappointed by what you see. The course is extraordinarily well captured, with famous holes like the short but devilish par three 12th and the round-making (or destroying) par five 15th looking—and playing—just as you’d imagine.
It’s also one of the most difficult courses that Electronic Arts has ever simulated—and not just because of its treacherous greens and sadistically placed hazards. The game automatically removes any clothing or equipment bonuses you may have added when you play in the Masters Moments mode, and when you finally arrive at the tournament proper in the career mode you’ll find yourself prohibited from using some of the game’s most frequently used special abilities, such as power boosts and real time spin control. The upshot is that each green hit is earned, each birdie a satisfying accomplishment.
But we’re not left to face Augusta completely disarmed. The other star of the game (sorry, Tiger, still not you) is a caddy who proudly wears your name on the back of his shirt.
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Qatar in spotlight in absence of Arab heavies
DUBAI — The conflict in Libya has swept small but wealthy Qatar into the diplomatic and military spotlight in the absence of traditional Arab heavyweights Saudi Arabia and Egypt, analysts said on Wednesday.
Qatar last week became the first Arab state to take part in Western-led military operations against the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
It has since scored another regional first by recognising the transitional council of the rebels battling Gaddafi as legitimate representatives of the Libyan people.
On Tuesday, leaders at an international conference held in London on the Libya crisis appointed gas-rich Qatar to host the first meeting of a follow-up Contact Group.
“This all confirms Qatar’s ambition to play a role as leader of the Arab world in the absence of the region’s traditional heavyweights such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt,” said London-based analyst Abdelwahad BadraKhan.
Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani said in the British capital that the conflict in Libya was an Arab affair in which regional states should become more involved.
Qatar’s high-profile role “shows the determination of its leaders to put their small country on the regional political map,” just like they are on the sporting calendar as host of the 2022 football World Cup, said BadraKhan.
“With a stable regime and reassured by a large US air base in Qatar”, the emir, Hamad bin Hamad Al-Thani, has been taking the initiative “in consultation with” Washington and Riyadh, according to BadraKhan.
And Egypt is only just emerging from the February revolution which toppled its longtime president Hosni Mubarak.
Eclipsed since independence by “big brother” Saudi Arabia, Qatar has turned into a player in its own right, with help from Doha-based news channel Al-Jazeera and its blanket coverage of the so-called “Arab spring” of revolts.
Doha has played the role of mediator in complex regional crises in Lebanon, Yemen and Sudan, with varying degrees of success.
Ibrahim Sharqieh, deputy head of Brookings Doha Center, said a new order was being put in place.
“Qatar has a role to play in all this with its financial muscle, a moderate political vision and opening, and expertise it has gained from being involved in resolving regional crises,” he said.
Sharqieh pointed out the country has good ties with the United States and arch-foe Iran, and has had political contacts as well as trading with Israel.
Mohamed Mesfer, a university lecturer in Doha, said the low profile kept by Syria and Algeria was also serving to boost Qatar, which apart from the United Arab Emirates has been the only Arab state untouched by unrest popping up across the region since January.
On the domestic front, Qatar has lined up legislative elections without being forced to bow to street protests.
Libyan rebels say the Gulf state has signed a contract to market oil from the rebel-held east of the country, and it to host and help launch a rebel television station.
Qatar last week became the first Arab state to take part in Western-led military operations against the regime of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
It has since scored another regional first by recognising the transitional council of the rebels battling Gaddafi as legitimate representatives of the Libyan people.
On Tuesday, leaders at an international conference held in London on the Libya crisis appointed gas-rich Qatar to host the first meeting of a follow-up Contact Group.
“This all confirms Qatar’s ambition to play a role as leader of the Arab world in the absence of the region’s traditional heavyweights such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt,” said London-based analyst Abdelwahad BadraKhan.
Qatari Foreign Minister Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani said in the British capital that the conflict in Libya was an Arab affair in which regional states should become more involved.
Qatar’s high-profile role “shows the determination of its leaders to put their small country on the regional political map,” just like they are on the sporting calendar as host of the 2022 football World Cup, said BadraKhan.
“With a stable regime and reassured by a large US air base in Qatar”, the emir, Hamad bin Hamad Al-Thani, has been taking the initiative “in consultation with” Washington and Riyadh, according to BadraKhan.
And Egypt is only just emerging from the February revolution which toppled its longtime president Hosni Mubarak.
Eclipsed since independence by “big brother” Saudi Arabia, Qatar has turned into a player in its own right, with help from Doha-based news channel Al-Jazeera and its blanket coverage of the so-called “Arab spring” of revolts.
Doha has played the role of mediator in complex regional crises in Lebanon, Yemen and Sudan, with varying degrees of success.
Ibrahim Sharqieh, deputy head of Brookings Doha Center, said a new order was being put in place.
“Qatar has a role to play in all this with its financial muscle, a moderate political vision and opening, and expertise it has gained from being involved in resolving regional crises,” he said.
Sharqieh pointed out the country has good ties with the United States and arch-foe Iran, and has had political contacts as well as trading with Israel.
Mohamed Mesfer, a university lecturer in Doha, said the low profile kept by Syria and Algeria was also serving to boost Qatar, which apart from the United Arab Emirates has been the only Arab state untouched by unrest popping up across the region since January.
On the domestic front, Qatar has lined up legislative elections without being forced to bow to street protests.
Libyan rebels say the Gulf state has signed a contract to market oil from the rebel-held east of the country, and it to host and help launch a rebel television station.
Monday, 28 March 2011
Coronial inquest puts rafting under spotlight
THE language barrier between two Greek tourists and their Australian kayaking guides may have led to a tragic drowning in a treacherous stretch of the Russell River, a coronial inquest has heard.
A police officer who investigated the 2008 death of Georgina Hatzidimitriadis, 50, has alleged the guides did not adequately gauge whether the woman and her nephew understood instructions before allowing them on the water.
The Cairns Coroner’s Court also heard paramedics were sent “nowhere near where the incident occurred” after receiving the emergency call from tour company Foaming Fury on July 30, 2008.
The inquest into Mrs Hatzidimitriadis’ drowning began yesterday and is the second of four to be held examining the deaths of five people on commercial white water rafting tours in the region between July, 2007 and February, 2009.
The court heard Mrs Hatzidimitriadis and her nephew Dimitrios Eremeidis pushed away from the shore out of turn, ignoring or not understanding instructions to wait for a whistle to sound.
Former Babinda police officer Sen-Sgt Kevin Mathieson said witnesses reported Mr Eremeidis became confused after the pair’s two-person kayak drifted off course and he began paddling the wrong way.
The court was told trip leader Dean Priest yelled instructions to Mr Eremeidis, but he continued to paddle backward while Mrs Hatzidimitriadis paddled forward, inhibiting the kayak’s ability to move away from the current.
After the kayak capsized, the force of the water trapped Mrs Hatzidimitriadis underneath the surface on the front of a large rock.
She was found seven to eight minutes later and pulled from the water.
Sen-Sgt Mathieson said paramedics were sent to the wrong section of the river after a “mix-up” with Foaming Fury, but he did not think it contributed to Mrs Hatzidimitriadis’ death.
He said he was more concerned there was no procedure to check tourists’ understanding of instructions given during demonstrations.
Sen-Sgt Mathieson said he did not think the dangers of the Russell River, in particular the section dubbed Three Ways where the tourists were kayaking, were properly explained and the rapids were no place for the inexperienced.
Foaming Fury general manager Alan Carrette told the court the company now had a more rigorous way of assessing tourists’ command of the English language.
A police officer who investigated the 2008 death of Georgina Hatzidimitriadis, 50, has alleged the guides did not adequately gauge whether the woman and her nephew understood instructions before allowing them on the water.
The Cairns Coroner’s Court also heard paramedics were sent “nowhere near where the incident occurred” after receiving the emergency call from tour company Foaming Fury on July 30, 2008.
The inquest into Mrs Hatzidimitriadis’ drowning began yesterday and is the second of four to be held examining the deaths of five people on commercial white water rafting tours in the region between July, 2007 and February, 2009.
The court heard Mrs Hatzidimitriadis and her nephew Dimitrios Eremeidis pushed away from the shore out of turn, ignoring or not understanding instructions to wait for a whistle to sound.
Former Babinda police officer Sen-Sgt Kevin Mathieson said witnesses reported Mr Eremeidis became confused after the pair’s two-person kayak drifted off course and he began paddling the wrong way.
The court was told trip leader Dean Priest yelled instructions to Mr Eremeidis, but he continued to paddle backward while Mrs Hatzidimitriadis paddled forward, inhibiting the kayak’s ability to move away from the current.
After the kayak capsized, the force of the water trapped Mrs Hatzidimitriadis underneath the surface on the front of a large rock.
She was found seven to eight minutes later and pulled from the water.
Sen-Sgt Mathieson said paramedics were sent to the wrong section of the river after a “mix-up” with Foaming Fury, but he did not think it contributed to Mrs Hatzidimitriadis’ death.
He said he was more concerned there was no procedure to check tourists’ understanding of instructions given during demonstrations.
Sen-Sgt Mathieson said he did not think the dangers of the Russell River, in particular the section dubbed Three Ways where the tourists were kayaking, were properly explained and the rapids were no place for the inexperienced.
Foaming Fury general manager Alan Carrette told the court the company now had a more rigorous way of assessing tourists’ command of the English language.
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