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Thursday, December 6, 2012

Another myth of LED energy savings | SmartPlanet

Then you've never lived in the Arctic! 6" and 8" insulated walls would be the best, but you still have to heat, and continue heating if you don't want your water pipes to freeze in the winter. Heat doesn't get trapped in the insulation - the cold does. Insulation provides a "neutral" barrier between the indoor (heated) portion of the home to the outdoor (unheated) portion of the home. Typically, an attic is considered the "unheated" portion of the home, and the insulation is on THAT side of the vapour barrier - thus, cold.

If I open up my attic right now, it will be -12C in there right now, even though my home temp is +19C right now. My home is programmed to vary between 16 and 20 C depending on time of day. My attic only varies with the outside temperature.

Unfortunately, because so many of our newer homes are so "airtight" due to vapour barriers, tight fitting doors and air-tight 2 and 3 pane windows, manual fresh-air inlets for both the home and for the furnace (combustion air) are mandatory, so cold air is always infiltrating the home, and warm air leaving (bathroom vents, kitchen vents, etc).

Not everyone has a 6-digit income to afford these "hyper efficient" houses that you mention, and I believe that many studies have shown that the money spent on making such "hyper-efficient" homes would not be recouped or realize any energy-savings for several decades, usually longer than the home owner lives there, removing incentives for home-owners to build such homes in the first place.

As well, these over-engineered homes have a back-end price tag: the technologies that control the home's climate cost a lot of money, and require expensive tech-maint/support/care that is above and beyond normal home costs. Where are the $$$ savings?

People would rather have a less-efficient home and money in the pocket for their SUV's gas tank.

Source: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/another-myth-of-led-energy-savings/7368

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'Dr. Phil"s stolen classic Chevy recovered

This photo provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shows a 1957 Chevy Bel Air that belongs to Dr. Phil? McGraw, that was reported stolen on Sunday Dec. 2, 2012. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says in a news release that McGraw was driving the collector car when it broke down and was taken to the RODZ shop in Burbank. The car is worth at least $80,000 and was stolen that night, Sunday. (AP Photo/LA County Sheriff)

FILE - In this July 24, 2007 file photo, Dr. Phil McGraw is shown in Los Angeles. Talk show host McGraw's pristine 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible has been stolen from a Southern California hot rod shop. Los Angeles police say they've recovered a stolen 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible that belongs to talk-show host Phil McGraw. Detective Jess Corral said Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2012 that investigators recovered McGraw's classic car, along with 13 others, after law enforcement began targeting auto theft rings. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles, File)

BURBANK, Calif. (AP) ? Los Angeles police say they've recovered a stolen 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible that belongs to talk-show host Phil McGraw.

Detective Jess Corral said Tuesday that investigators recovered McGraw's classic car, along with 13 others, after law enforcement began targeting auto theft rings.

McGraw is known as television's "Dr. Phil." His car was stolen from the RODZ shop in Burbank in August, and was found with minor damage.

The car is worth at least $80,000.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-12-05-People-Phil%20McGraw/id-3f0f9fe8b0e94c84a405e8260e6f4077

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Harris Corporation Receives $7 Million Order to Provide Falcon ...

7800V app tcm26-12106

Dec. 4, 2012 14:00 UTC

Harris Corporation Receives $7 Million Order to Provide Falcon Tactical Radio Systems to Nation in Central Asia

Highlights
? Providing Falcon? radios to address communication requirements for upcoming international missions.
? Nation transitioning to Harris? most advanced Falcon III? radios.
? Further expands international deployment of Falcon III portfolio of tactical radios.

MELBOURNE, Fla. & ROCHESTER, N.Y. ? Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, has received a $7 million order to deliver Falcon? tactical radios to a nation in Central Asia. The radios will provide interoperable communications to support the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

ASDNews

Firetrench Directory

The Asian country is acquiring radios from across the Falcon portfolio, including the Falcon III? RF-7800S Secure Personal Radio (SPR?), RF-7800M Multiband Networking Radio, Falcon II? RF-5800M handheld and RF-5800H manpack radios. These radios will address battalion requirements for high-frequency, wideband and multiband communications.

?This order highlights the global strength of the Harris Falcon portfolio and our significant investments in tactical radio systems,? said Brendan O?Connell, president, international business, Harris RF Communications. ?This nation previously standardized on Harris equipment and is continuing its transition to our most advanced Falcon III? products. This is a clear vote of confidence in the reliability and effectiveness of the family of Harris Falcon Tactical radios.?

The SPR is a lightweight, secure soldier radio platform that offers full-duplex voice, multiple talk-group capabilities and data rates up to 256 Kbps. The SPR allows simultaneous communication for voice, data and even video with unlimited listeners over a range of more than two kilometers.

The RF-7800M Multiband Networking Radio has been providing a vehicular-based wideband networking solution to the armed forces of more than 30 countries since 2007. The radio establishes a wideband backbone architecture for delivering secure voice and high-speed networked data services, including the use of common applications, across all levels of the battlefield.

The RF-5800H delivers highly reliable and secure beyond-line-of-site terrestrial communications to the most demanding environments, such as mountains or urban areas. The RF-5800M-HH is an advanced, multiband, multimission handheld radio that provides reliable tactical communications through secure voice and data capabilities.

Harris RF Communications is the leading global supplier of secure radio communications and embedded high-grade encryption solutions for military, government and commercial organizations. The company?s Falcon? family of software-defined tactical radio systems encompasses manpack, handheld and vehicular applications. Falcon III is the next generation of radios supporting the U.S. military?s Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) requirements, as well as network-centric operations worldwide. Harris RF Communications is also a leading supplier of assured communications? systems and equipment for public safety, utility and transportation markets ? with products ranging from the most advanced IP voice and data networks to portable and mobile single- and multiband radios.

Source: http://aerospace.firetrench.com/2012/12/harris-corporation-receives-7-million-order-to-provide-falcon-tactical-radio-systems-to-nation-in-central-asia/

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US magician burned in Dominican TV 'stunt'

In this picture released by American magician Wayne Houchin, Houchin's head burns while taping "Closer To The Stars" TV program in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. Houchin, of Chico, California, is receiving treatment for burns after a local television show host, Franklin Barazarte, lit his head on fire with a flammable cologne while taping the TV program. (AP Photo)

In this picture released by American magician Wayne Houchin, Dominican TV presenter Franklin Barazarte, left, watches as Houchin's head burns while taping "Closer To The Stars" TV program in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. Houchin, of Chico, California, is receiving treatment for burns after the incident where Barazarte lit his head on fire with a flammable cologne. (AP Photo)

In this picture released by American magician Wayne Houchin, Houchin looks at the camera in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. Houchin, of Chico, California, is receiving treatment for burns after a local television show host lit his head on fire with a flammable cologne while taping his Nov. 26 appearance on the Dominican Republic's "Closer To The Stars" TV program. (AP Photo)

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) ? A magician from the United States said Monday he is getting medical treatment and pursuing legal action after the host of a TV show in the Dominican Republic set him on fire in an apparent stunt.

Wayne Houchin said he is receiving treatments for burns on his face, scalp and hands that occurred when the guest host of the "Closer to the Stars," program abruptly tossed a fistful of flaming liquid at him during a Nov. 26 taping of the show.

"I am still in a lot of pain but I am recovering," the magician said in an email to The Associated Press.

He has hired lawyers to begin preparing a complaint against host Franklin Barazarte, a necessary first step before authorities can pursue a criminal case in the Caribbean country.

"The attack was intentional. The host didn't trip and accidentally spill it on me. He intended to pour flaming liquid on me," said Houchin, who said he still doesn't know what may have motivated Barazarte.

"The host's intentions will play a role in the severity of his punishment, but that's for a court of law to determine and decide," he said.

Barazarte, who was filling in as a guest host on the astrology and variety show, did not respond to calls from AP. The regular host, Adriana Azzi, also did not respond to a request for a comment. Both were apparently in New York.

Houchin, a 29-year-old from Chico, California who recently finished a season as a host of the Discovery Channel show "Breaking Magic," came to the Dominican Republic with his wife as part of the "Curiosities 2012" tour. He and two other magicians expected to be interviewed and perform magic on the program.

But the host announced that he wanted to give Houchin a "blessing," the American said. Barazarte then told one of the other magicians, BJ Bueno, to hand him a bottle of "Agua de Florida," a cologne that is flammable and used in Santeria rituals.

Barazarte asked Houchin's wife to pour the cologne into his cupped hands and told Bueno to pick up a lighter on the stage and light the fluid.

"At this point none of us hand any idea us had any idea what the host planned to do," Houchin said. "We had no reason to suspect beforehand that he would perform a stunt. ... We were filming a national TV spot ? we assumed the host to be a professional presenter and therefore trusted him."

When the liquid in his cupped hands caught fire, the host poured it on Houchin's head and rubbed it into his face. The show never aired but an Iphone video taken by a member of the magician's crew has circulated widely on the Internet, showing the American writhing in pain on the stage floor.

"The entire studio was in shock," Houchin said. He said his wife, Frania, and fellow magician Bueno are traumatized by the fact that they helped the host perform the stunt without knowing what he would do. "They are angry and devastated that they unknowingly participated in the attack."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-12-03-Dominican-US%20Magician%20Burned/id-6bd958c22b4841a38beb36e0f28e2b73

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Video: Carbon monoxide detectors not required in all schools

>> we'll begin this half hour with a rossen report safety alert tied to an atlanta school where dozens of children were rushed to the building when the building filled with dangerous levels of carbon monoxide . jeff rossen is here with more to it.

>> reporter: there is more to it. this school in atlanta did not have any carbon monoxide detector and in most states, no requirements for schools to have them at all. that means your children could be breathing this poisonous gas in their classroom every day and not even know it. the scene frightening for any parent. young children pulled from school monday and overcome by carbon monoxide .

>> i don't know what happened, and my brother's stomach was hurting and they had to take him to the hospital.

>> some kids, they felt scared. i felt scared, too. 43 students and ten adult at finch elementary in atlanta rushed to the hospital.

>> i just want to know my daughter is okay.

>> reporter: school officials think a faulty furnace caused the leak sending dangerously high levels of the gas into classrooms, and with no c.o. detectors in school no one knew until it became an emergency.

>> as we made entry and started evacuating the school we found that we are extremely, extremely high readings of carbon monoxide .

>> and it's happening across the country. just last month in philadelphia 50 students were sent to the e.r. when a backup generator at school malfunctioned sending carbon monoxide into the air.

>> in baltimore last year, two cases at two different schools in one week. 52 people sent to hospitals, and doctors say children can be hurt even at lower levels, breathing this colorless, odorless gas day after day .

>> lower level exposure, exposure too late to produce acute symptoms can still cause problems, and those problems are learning disabilities in children and possibly cardio vascular problems.

>> problem is. your children may be at risk right now. in many states homes are required to have carbon monoxide detectors , but only two states, maryland and connecticut, mandate them in schools which means in a vast majority of the country schools don't have those life-saving alarms.

>> it's common sense legislation that protects our children.

>> reporter: state legislator jeffrey berger wrote the law in connecticut. some school districts may say, look, it's too expensive and not worth the price of installing all these detectors.

>> that's just crazy to say it's too expensive. the costs are not expensive. $5,000 for a district. the device itself is $50 or less.

>> reporter: what do you say to the 48 states that don't require these detectors?

>> make it happen. they should make that happen. it's so very important to protect the lives of students and administrators.

>> reporter: sometimes it takes a scare to change. in atlanta hours after this emergency the superintendent announced they are now considering detectors in classrooms.

>> they should be required. if homes have to be required schools need to be required as well.

>> reporter: this morning we have some good news to report. most of the students and teachers in atlanta have been released from the hospital and safety experts say it should never come to this. all schools should have these detectors. in the meantime doctors say there are things that you can look for in your child today. if your child feels tired or nauseous at school and then comes home and feels better, that could be a sign of carbon monoxide exposure. by the way, we posted even more safety tips on our website right now at "today".com. check the rossen report. it's all right there

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50068554/

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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Understanding anger, overcoming anxiety

ScienceDaily (Dec. 4, 2012) ? Anger is a powerful emotion with serious health consequences. A new study from Concordia University shows that for millions of individuals around the world who suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), anger is more than an emotion; it's an agent that exacerbates their illness.

Concordia graduate student Sonya Desch?nes investigated the subject after conducting a literature review for her PhD research, supervised by psychology professor Michel Dugas. While some of the studies she came across showed that anger and anxiety were linked, she noticed that this relationship was poorly understood. "This was surprising to me because irritability, which is part of the anger family, is a diagnostic feature of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)," she explains.

GAD is a serious affliction characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry about everyday things. It often interferes with a person's ability to function normally. Individuals suffering from GAD typically anticipate disaster, and are overly concerned about everyday issues, such as health, money, and relationships.

Desch?nes and her colleagues at Concordia and Ryerson University in Toronto looked into how specific components of anger contribute to GAD. They examined hostility, physical and verbal aggression, anger expression and anger control. The team assessed more than 380 participants for GAD symptoms and their tendency to respond to anger-inducing scenarios, by testing responses to such statements as, "I strike out at whatever infuriates me" and "I boil inside, but I don't show it."

The study, which was recently published in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, found that in the 131 participants who exhibited GAD symptoms, higher levels of anger and its various dimensions were associated with worry and anxiety. Furthermore, hostility and internalized anger contributed to the severity of their GAD symptoms.

This suggests not only that anger and anxiety go hand in hand, but also that heightened levels of anger are uniquely related to GAD status. What's more, internalized anger expression -- boiling inside without showing it -- is a stronger predictor of GAD than other forms of anger.

Desch?nes acknowledges that more research is needed to understand why anger and anxiety tend to co-occur -- and she intends for her doctoral research to proceed in this direction. According to Desch?nes, a possible explanation for the link is that, "when a situation is ambiguous, such that the outcome could be good or bad, anxious individuals tend to assume the worst. That often results in heightened anxiety. There is also evidence of that same thought process in individuals who are easily angered. Therefore, anger and GAD may be two manifestations of the same biased thought process."

Desch?nes also argues that symptoms of anger could get in the way of the treatment for anxiety, which can be done with a technique called cognitive-behavioural therapy. "If anger and hostility are contributing to the maintenance of symptoms, and these are not targeted during treatment, these people may not be benefiting as much from that treatment," Desch?nes says. "It's my hope that, by furthering our understanding of the role of anger in GAD, we can improve treatment outcomes for individuals with this disorder."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Concordia University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Sonya S. Desch?nes, Michel J. Dugas, Katie Fracalanza, Naomi Koerner. The Role of Anger in Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 2012; 41 (3): 261 DOI: 10.1080/16506073.2012.666564

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/DDlBTphT5CY/121204145820.htm

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Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Holiday fitness gifts trend from high-tech to basic

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Looking for the perfect holiday present for a fitness fan? Gift offerings this year range from apps that can store a run in the country to be viewed later to gadgets so sophisticated they measure quality of sleep as well as calories burned.

There is also the revival of the humble foam roller, which experts say, like old-time push-ups, squats and planks, has never been more popular.

Anita Golden, fitness manager at a Crunch gym in New York City, said she'll be giving clients a foam roller called the GRID.

"We've always had foam rollers in the club but now more people are using them as a way to ease post-workout muscles, prevent injuries and exercise the core," Golden said.

When it comes to big-ticket items, Colleen Logan of Icon Health and Fitness, which manufactures a number of fitness brands, said the treadmill remains the most popular gift.

"Treadmills continue to lead the industry in terms of home fitness purchases," said Logan.

They account for about 57 percent of fitness purchases, while elliptical trainers and stationary bicycles are a distant second and third place at about 8 percent each.

The average home treadmill costs about $700, said Logan, but the technology revolution has transformed even this stalwart at the high end.

The ultimate splurge, at $4,000, she said, is the Boston Marathon Treadmill, which allows users to adjust speed in 1/10 of a mile per hour increments without touching the console. It also lets users run a virtual Boston Marathon.

For people on a smaller budget, there is the iFit app that lets the iPhone capture a favorite vacation run or bike ride in Hawaii, store it in data centers all over the world which collectively are referred to as the "cloud," and download it to an iFit-enabled treadmill at home.

"You'll view the exact route and experience the same terrain again," Logan explained.

Devices, gadgets and apps proliferate as tech-savvy fitness becomes more accessible, according to Jessica Matthews of the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

"There's a lot of interest in on-body monitoring devices as ways to motivate and track progress," she said. "They run the gamut from basic devices to track hours, steps, and caloric expenditure to full-body tracking."

Nike+ Sportsband has a series of small lights on the wrist band that change from red to green as the runner nears his goal, while the BodyMedia FIT Armband tracks everything from the number of calories burned to the quality and quantity of sleep.

ACE also studied fitness DVDs released for the holidays.

"We evaluated them for quality of instruction, safety, effectiveness and design of workout," Matthews said.

Among the best were "Amy Dixon's Breathless Body Vol.2: The Edge." Matthews called it a challenging cardio workout best suited to those on your list with "an established base of fitness."

"Jessica Smith's 10 Pounds Down Better Body Blast" also got a thumbs up for its well-rounded routine and clarity of instruction.

For people seeking a mind-body approach, Matthews praised "STOTT Pilates Intense Body Blast: Pilates Interval Training: Level I," which she said is accessible for someone new to fitness.

"They do a great job queuing movements and creating flow," she said.

Richard Cotton of the American College of Sports Medicine suggests giving the fitness novice the gift of a personal trainer.

"The best is human assistance," he said. "Another way is a beginner group exercise class."

He also suggests a gift certificate for shoes at a running store equipped with a treadmill.

"You need shoes that fit your gait," he said. "People should always get their gait analyzed."

Golden likes to cite the law of reciprocity to the personal trainers she manages.

"I always tell them to get their clients something," she said.

And what does the personal trainer want for Christmas?

"I like the roller, or a new jump rope," she said. "Fitness people aren't hard to please. Get me a new yoga mat and I'm happy."

(Reporting by Dorene Internicola; editing by Patricia Reaney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/holiday-fitness-gifts-trend-high-tech-basic-101959213.html

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