Apple releases itunes plus. No DRM!

May 30, 2007 at 10:55 am | In Apple Inc, Laying it the line ;-), Mac Hints | Leave a Comment

I just downloaded itunes 7.2 which will allow purchase of individual tracks of music for $1.29 which will as Playlist says:
“Apple is calling the new music “iTunes Plus,” and plans to offer it alongside the FairPlay-encrypted AAC files it has offered for some time through the iTunes Store. “iTunes Plus” files cost a bit more — $1.29 per track, versus the $0.99 per track for protected files — but have been encoded at a higher bit rate, 256Kbps AAC, instead of 128Kbps AAC, which should yield better audio fidelity.”
I owned one of the first ipods with a 10Gb hard drive. It was about the size of a pack of cigarettes. When I first got it when I would show it to friends and others I would amaze them with the comment’s like “this little box holds 1700 songs” Or ” it contains radio programs”. They would look startled and amazed. It wasn’t until 3 or 4 years later that folks began to “get” it and the ipod took off.
Read the rest of the Playlist article

Gassaway WV High School Grad wins National Medal of Science

May 30, 2007 at 6:26 am | In One-liner, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Lonnie Thompson a former student of mine has had a distinguished career at Ohio State University. He was intensely interested in weather and climate even as a high school student in Gassaway HS in West Virginia.

Here is a paragraph from the Ohio State University press release:

“The award, arguably the highest honor the United States bestows on an American scientist, caps nearly three decades of research by Thompson in some of the world’s most remote regions. Thompson is one of eight researchers who will receive the award later this summer during a formal ceremony at the White House.”
—
“Among the many honors bestowed on Lonnie, this award is both extraordinary and well-deserved. We are truly fortunate to have him on the faculty at Ohio State, where he brings renown to the university and educational benefits to the many students who have had the privilege of working with him and Ellen,” Holbrook said.

As a boy raised in the rural West Virginia railroad mining town of Gassaway, Lonnie awed local residents with his uncanny ability to predict the weather, a knack at forecasting that usually surpassed the professional forecasters in the region.”

Link: Lonnie Thompson

Emmitsburg Town Managers Report April 2007 Commentary

May 26, 2007 at 3:54 pm | In Emmitsburg, Laying it the line ;-), water line | Leave a Comment

NOTE: Comments and questions are in italics.

Town Manager’s Report
April 2007

Prepared by David Haller

Streets:

Staff repaired a number of street and stop signs

Staff has repaired a number of street lights

Staff installed a new bulletin board at 22 East Main Street

Staff cleaned East and West Main Street

Staff cold patched a few streets and pot holes

The Manager should elaborate where these actions were taken or what was accomplished.

Water:

The meters at the water treatment plant were calibrated and they checked-out fine and were accurate. Where is the data to support this? Where is the report and who did it and how much did it cost?

The roughing filters are now being backwashed twice everyday and the DE filters are being done once every week What is being done to reduce the amount of backwash water wasted?

The 500,000 gal. water storage tank was just inspected and is in good shape

Water production and consumption. We produced and purchased an average of 297,806 gpd. We consumed an average of 277,392 gpd.

The difference is “Backwash Water” …(6.9%). We purchased 38,000 gals. of water from MSM this month.

47.27 of this water came from wells

0.425% of this water came from Mt. St. Mary’s

52.303% of this water came from Rainbow Lake

Does well water get filtered by the DE filters? If no; then only 150,000 gallons are causing the waste of 20,000 gallons per day for backwash. Or about 12 per cent of all water produced is wasted on backwash.

Wastewater:

The flow meters at the pumping station and the wastewater treatment plant have been calibrated. Who says and where is the report.

We received about 3.8 inches of precipitation this month (the average is 3.8 inches)

We have exceeded the average precipitation by 3.5″ over the last six months. The average precipitation for the period from November 1 thru April 30 is 21.5″ and we have received 25.0″ for that period

Wastewater Treatment:

We treated an average of 544,000 gpd (consumed 277,392 gpd) which means that 49.0% of the wastewater treated this month was “wild water”
Not true; all 277,000 gallons does not go to the sewer plant due to water leakage of 20%

We experienced no spills of untreated sewerage during the month of April

We exceeded the plant’s design capacity on three days in the Month of April

04/14 934,000 gal.; 04/15 3,289,000 gal.; 04/16 1,053,000 gal;

Trash:

Trash pickup will remain Monday and Thursday for the Month of May, 2007, with the exception of Monday, May 28, 2007

Parks:

Staff worked on the ball fields in Community Park

Staff made standard checks of all parks —trash cans, bathrooms, etc.

Staff worked on the horseshoe pits in all parks

Staff did some painting on the pavilion in Community Park

Meetings Attended:

04/04 Budget meeting with the Mayor

04/05 South Seton Ave. project progress meeting

04/16 Staff Budget meeting

04/16 Meeting with MSM staff to answer some planning issues

04/20 FY2008 Budget meeting

04/23 Meeting with Sheriff and SHA – Commercial traffic

04/30 FY2008 Budget Meetin

Where is the summary of the meetings?

Auctions are Fun (auctionzip.com)

May 26, 2007 at 11:21 am | In Emmitsburg, One-liner | Leave a Comment

Auction in Emmitsburg and everywhere using Auctionzip.com.

Dems speak the Truth; part II

May 24, 2007 at 12:10 pm | In Hold that line!, Laying it the line ;-), One-liner | Leave a Comment

This link tells how the Dems as far back as 1998 were warning about WMD and Saddam. Link:
http://emmitsburg.wordpress.com/2007/01/25/democrats-say-about-iraqca-1998-2003/

Now the Anchoress addresses still more of the disinformation being foisted on the public. Here is her comment.
snip–
“Oh, I think it’s definitely time. Let’s do it – let’s impeach President Bush, let’s have all of this brought forward and get it all investigated and put on the real, actual record, instead of in someone’s book of dreams and opinions or in a convenient, “bumperstickeresqe” meme. Let’s get all the tawdry lists and narratives together and finally get them “on the record and testified to.” We can start with the Gore/Behar list:”

Emmitsburg Water Supply Under Oath

May 22, 2007 at 6:49 am | In Emmitsburg, Laying it the line ;-), water line | Leave a Comment

Question: “Was this enacted by an actual vote by the majority of Commissioners?”

From todays NewsPost

Quote:
“Municipal officials to testify under oath

County wants more information when towns ask for water, sewer hookups

By MEG BERNHARDT
News-Post Staff
mbernhardt@fredericknewspost.com

The Frederick County commissioners will require municipal officials to testify under oath about the water and sewer capabilities of their jurisdictions before the commissioners proceed with a review of the countywide water and sewer plan.
County commissioner John L. Thompson Jr. suggested the requirement during a Monday worksession in order to make local officials accountable for their statements.
The county is supposed to evaluate the sewer and water plan every three years, but has not reviewed it since 2002. The plan dictates the county’s expansion of water and sewer. It also includes the expansion plans of the municipalities.
In the past, Thompson said, municipal officials have not properly researched the capabilities of their systems before proposing new hookups.
He cited recent problems with water or sewer in Emmitsburg, Thurmont, Woodsboro, Frederick, Mount Airy and Brunswick to show municipal officials’ need to do better planning.
As a county commissioner, Thompson said, he has witnessed many municipal officials without enough information asking for bigger systems.
Woodsboro Burgess Donald Trimmer went before the commissioners several years ago to ask for approval of a water system expansion for a new development, Thompson said. The commissioners asked if there was enough water capability. Trimmer said he didn’t know.
That wasn’t acceptable to Thompson, but Trimmer still stands by his answer. Woodsboro depends on groundwater, and he doesn’t know exactly how much is underground.
“I don’t think anybody does,” Trimmer said. “Do you know how much water is in the ground?”
Trimmer has been an elected official for 14 years, and in his experience, the municipal officials around the county have done a good job planning water and sewer. He said Woodsboro uses only half its sewer capacity.
When officials are ignorant or unwilling to plan properly, Thompson said, the Maryland Department of the Environment issues consent orders requiring towns to repair water or sewer systems — at taxpayer expense. He said proper planning would have precluded the water and sewer problems the majority of Frederick municipalities are suffering.
Trimmer said Woodsboro has no consent orders from the MDE, but it did before the new sewer plant was built three years ago.
Mount Airy is under a consent order from MDE, but councilman John Woodhull has said its overuse of water was due to leaky pipes that have since been fixed. The town has decided to launch a $187,000 well exploration project.
The county commissioners will require written statements from leading municipal officials, including a worksheet detailing designed capacity, reserves for public structures, maximum daily demand for service and contractual obligations to provide service not on the system.
If the worksheet does not show enough capacity, then improvement requests should be denied and not included in the countywide plan, Thompson said.
But even requiring that information to be provided under oath may not be enough.
Middletown recently proposed an expansion, and the Maryland Department of the Environment rightly turned it down because there simply isn’t enough water, Thompson said.
“I wouldn’t believe town council if they said anything about water,” Thompson said. “Even under oath.”

Unquote

snip—–

RE: The worksheet mentioned above.

All municipalities should complete a “Water Supply Capacity Management Plan” (WSCMP).
Municipalities under Consent Decrees MUST complete the worksheet in this document every year in November and submit it to the MDE.
Link to pdf: http://www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/water/WaterSupplyCapacityPlansGuidance.pdf

This document allows Municipalities to calculate their ability to serve their present customers and to serve approved development under “worst case conditions” such as the 2002 drought.

It allows them to project just how many excess water taps they have available. This prevents them from approving development in excess of their ability to service present and future customers.

Mayor Ray Nagin to visit Ott House?

May 19, 2007 at 3:12 pm | In Emmitsburg, Hold that line!, Laying it the line ;-), borderlines | Leave a Comment

Here is an excerpt from a blog titled “Moldy City” posted on May 19th 2007

Search google click here

In what may be a first for New Orleans city government, Nagin and most of his high-level aides are heading out of town Sunday for a weeklong Federal Emergency Management Agency-sponsored emergency management training seminar.

The trip to the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Md., which is being paid for by the federal government, offers what FEMA describes on its Web site as a combination of classroom lectures and discussions, small-group planning sessions and practical exercises.

…

Participants in the simulated disaster exercises will be assigned roles similar to their real-life jobs in an effort to help identify potential deficiencies in the city’s emergency planning.

Read it all here

Emmitburg Joint Meeting Commissoners and P & Z

May 18, 2007 at 9:00 am | In Emmitsburg, borderlines | Leave a Comment

Meeting began at 7:30 PM May 16th 2007
(This is a delayed live blog of the meeting; subject of correction and revision. Not a transcript. A prototype of “live blogging” from the meeting room via WiFi or Wi Max.)

Emmitsburg Commissioners and Planning and Zoning (click for Picture)

Joyce Rosensteel
Cliff Sweeney
Bill O’Niel
Chris Staiger, Presiding
Glenn Blanchard Commissoner Liason to P & Z

P & Z
Larry Little, Chairman
Tim O’Donnell
Catherine Forrence
Pat Boyle, Alternate

Attorney David Severan made a presentation:

The law is the way it is because “Law of waste and nuisance” caused law suits between neighbors.
Zoning helps take care of conflict by planning compatable neighboring uses.
Land use is best handled at local level.
Zoning is specific tool to implement plan.
Planning involves review of history, valued resources.

Power to regulate
State has police power. (Health Safety Welfare).
State grants to local jurisdictions local authority
State code allows appointment of P & Z to recommend a Comprehensive Plan to the Town Commissioners.
Zoning is law, planning is a guide.

House Bill 1141

1.. How annexations are done; stringent requirements by county.
2. Water resources element. Water Supply Capacity Management Plan
3. Municipal Growth Element. Where to grow? How far out? School impact.
Comission members can plan;
Pattern of infill, density, public services, vision of growth boundry of municipal boundry.

Preparing a plan:
1. Survey the present.
2.. Prediction of growth
3. Send plan to county who has 30 days to respond.
“The county/municipalality shalluse mediation to decide growth pattern..
They have until Oct 2009 to meet all requirements.

Bill O’Niel asked how to plan for neighboring township growth.
General interaction is ok but they will do what PA laws allow.

Summary: Planning is a vision of how a community can anticipate growth and imagine what will be the boundry of the community in 2030,

Question? Can the P and Z ask for engineering studies et al to help with planning? The answer is yes.

(The preceding is not a complete account of the meeting. Just handwritten notes; not typed on computer)
Send corrections to www.contactify.com/10012

Tony Snow and Love

May 15, 2007 at 7:05 pm | In Hold that line!, Laying it the line ;-), One-liner, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

Catholic University commencement address by Tony Show, White House Press Secretary.

“So resolve to do little things for others. You don’t know where they’re going to lead but then again, you don’t have any idea where your life is going to lead. When I was your age, I had long hair, a beard and thought of myself as a socialist. You are going to pinball all over the place, from experience to experience, job to job. And I want you to remember that you’ve got company. And that if you engage them with heart and mind, with faith and energy, you are going to find yourself on a cresting wave. It’ll carry you forward and it’ll push you under water from time to time. And some day in the dim and distant future, when you’re looking back at it, you’re not going to think about your car or your career or your gold watch. You’ll think about a chewed-up teddy bear you had as a baby or maybe your child’s smile on a special Christmas morning. The only things that are sure to endure are the artifacts of love. So go out and build as many as you can.

And finally this: Wherever you are and whatever you do, never forget at this moment, and every moment forward, you have a precious blessing. You’ve got the breath of life. No matter how lousy things may seem, you’ve got the breath of life. And while God doesn’t promise tomorrow, he does promise eternity.”

Water around the World

May 15, 2007 at 6:58 pm | In Emmitsburg, Laying it the line ;-), One-liner, water line | Leave a Comment

Here is todays water problems from around the world.
6:54 PM
water sewer rates
New water rates may reward conservation, punish waste – Arizona Republic
– New water rates may reward conservation, punish wasteArizona Republic, AZ – 2 hours agoChandler could soon add financial incentives to water conservation and raise water and sewer rates for the first
New water rates may reward conservation, punish waste – Arizona Republic
from water sewer rates

New water rates may reward conservation, punish waste
Arizona Republic, AZ – 2 hours ago
Chandler could soon add financial incentives to water conservation and raise water and sewer rates for the first time since 1994. …
Add starShareEmail (Updated)Mark as readEdit tags:
water
4:36 PM
Google Search: water restrictions
Chatham Co. on Stage II water restrictions – News 14 Carolina
– News 14 CarolinaChatham Co. on Stage II water restrictionsNews 14 Carolina, NC – 5 hours agoCHATHAM COUNTY, NC — Stage II water restrictions are now in place in Chatham County. Officials say water le
4:36 PM
Google Search: water restrictions
Continued drought conditions force new water restrictions – Landscape Management
– Continued drought conditions force new water restrictionsLandscape Management, OH – 5 hours agoThe two southeast coastal counties are the first primarily residential areas to be placed in modified Pha
4:36 PM
Google Search: water restrictions
Mandatory water restrictions for a NC county – Water Technology Online
– Mandatory water restrictions for a NC countyWater Technology Online, NY – 4 hours agoChatham County, NC — Due to dry conditions officials have enforced mandatory water restrictions in northeastern Cha
3:54 PM
water sewer rates
Wilton Council passes first reading to increase water, sewer rates – Muscatine Journal
– Wilton Council passes first reading to increase water, sewer ratesMuscatine Journal, IA – 6 hours agoThe Wilton City Council passed a first reading for new water and sewer rates last night. Under the
3:35 PM
Google Search: water drought
Continued drought conditions force new water restrictions – Landscape Management
– Continued drought conditions force new water restrictionsLandscape Management, OH – 4 hours agoWest Palm Beach, FL — With recent rains doing little to alleviate drought-related conditions across Sout
3:35 PM
Google Search: water drought
Australia drought helped by steel plant’s reuse plan – Water Technology Online
– Australia drought helped by steel plant’s reuse planWater Technology Online, NY – 3 hours agoMELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — A steel factory will use recycled water in a plan that will save about 174 million g
3:34 PM
“water saving”
Surf Coast rates pay for water saving ideas – Geelong Advertiser
– Surf Coast rates pay for water saving ideasGeelong Advertiser, Australia – 4 hours agoCouncillors, at the unveiling of the 2007/08 budget last night, said $54000 raised from increased rates would be
3:34 PM
“water saving”
STATE BUDGET FUNDS FOR WATER SAVINGS AT MAJOR VENUES – Media Newswire (press release)
– STATE BUDGET FUNDS FOR WATER SAVINGS AT MAJOR VENUESMedia Newswire (press release), NY – 5 hours agoThe Beattie Government will allocate $1.95 million in next month’s State Budget for new water saving
2:51 PM
Google Search: water rates drought saving
Surf Coast rates pay for water saving ideas – Geelong Advertiser
– Surf Coast rates pay for water saving ideasGeelong Advertiser, Australia – 4 hours agoCouncillors, at the unveiling of the 2007/08 budget last night, said $54000 raised from increased rates would be s
1:36 PM
Google Search: water restrictions
Chatham Calls for Mandatory Water Restrictions – abc11tv.com
– Chatham Calls for Mandatory Water Restrictionsabc11tv.com, NC – 2 hours agoThe restrictions apply only to the northeastern part of the county because that area is served by the county’s water trea
1:36 PM
Google Search: water restrictions
City faces year-round water restrictions – Burleson-Crowley Connection
– City faces year-round water restrictionsBurleson-Crowley Connection, TX – 6 hours agoThe Fort Worth Water Department requires its customers to conform with the same water restrictions it faces. Fort
12:54 PM
water sewer rates
Water, sewer rates to increase in GH Township – Grand Haven Tribune
– Water, sewer rates to increase in GH TownshipGrand Haven Tribune, MI – 7 hours agoGRAND HAVEN TOWNSHIP — Grand Haven Township residents will likely see a minor increase in their water and sewer costs
12:54 PM
water sewer rates
Growth spurs water, sewer rate hike – News 14 Carolina
- News 14 CarolinaGrowth spurs water, sewer rate hikeNews 14 Carolina, NC – 6 hours agoUtilities officials noted that even with the increase, Winston-Salem will still have some of the lowest water and s
12:54 PM
water sewer rates
City Water Board Approves Rate Hike For Water And Sewage – NY1
– NY1City Water Board Approves Rate Hike For Water And SewageNY1, NY – 7 hours agoOn Monday the city Water Board unanimously voted to adopt an 11.5 percent hike in water and sewer rates beginning in Jul
12:35 PM
Google Search: water drought
China drought threatens water supply for millions – China Daily
– China drought threatens water supply for millionsChina Daily, China – 9 hours agoDrought had damaged or destroyed 11 million hectares of crops and left 4.8 million people and as many cattle short of d
12:35 PM
Google Search: water drought
Flood of burst mains blamed on drought – Advertiser Adelaide
– Flood of burst mains blamed on droughtAdvertiser Adelaide, Australia – 7 hours agoTHE drought is being blamed for an increase in burst water mains repeatedly cutting supplies to dozens of homes acros
12:35 PM
Google Search: water drought
Study Warns Utahns about Drought Danger – BYU Newsnet
– Study Warns Utahns about Drought DangerBYU Newsnet, UT – 7 hours agoLast month the Utah Division of Water Resources released an alarming report detailing the looming danger of drought in Utah. …
12:35 PM
Google Search: water drought
SA water plant not a silver bullet – Advertiser Adelaide
– SA water plant not a silver bulletAdvertiser Adelaide, Australia – 1 hour agoWATER Security Minister Karlene Maywald has warned a desalination plant was “not a solution for today’s drought
12:34 PM
“water saving”
Thornton encourages residents to “Save 10 a Day” – YourHub.com
– Thornton encourages residents to “Save 10 a Day”YourHub.com, CO – 6 hours agoThornton residents can get involved by “taking the pledge” to be water saving champions by saving 10 gallons of w
10:36 AM
Google Search: water restrictions
Briefs: Water restrictions on – Chicago Daily Herald
– Briefs: Water restrictions onChicago Daily Herald, IL – 10 hours agoOutdoor water restrictions for 25000 homes and businesses on the Lake County public works system start today. A Mundelein man who di
9:35 AM
Google Search: water drought
China drought threatens water supply for millions – China Daily
– China drought threatens water supply for millionsChina Daily, China – 22 minutes agoDrought had damaged or destroyed 11 million hectares of crops and left 4.8 million people and as many cattle short o
7:36 AM
Google Search: water restrictions
Water restrictions mandatory in area – Birmingham News
- Water restrictions mandatory in areaBirmingham News, AL – 15 hours agoThe new restrictions allow residents with an even house number to water on Mondays and Thursdays, while residents in odd-numbered
7:36 AM
Google Search: water restrictions
Australian capital faces water – France24
– Australian capital faces waterFrance24, France – 7 hours agoThe gardens gracing Australia’s capital could soon be condemned to death by water restrictions as the country’s worst drought in liv
6:54 AM
water sewer rates
City pays $5.5M judgment SSA borrows $8M, gains autonomy on rates – Scranton Times-Tribune
– City pays $5.5M judgment SSA borrows $8M, gains autonomy on ratesScranton Times-Tribune, PA – 5 hours agoIn 2004, the Sewer Authority terminated the operational agreement and American Water sought arb
6:54 AM
water sewer rates
Morro sewer plant upgrades aired – San Luis Obispo Tribune
– Morro sewer plant upgrades airedSan Luis Obispo Tribune, CA – 6 hours agoMany concerns from the public Monday focused on water pollution, the effects of higher sewer rates on low-income residents and

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