text:
Working Smarter to Save Workers' Lives
By Diane Lefer
Maria Elena Durazo picketing with hotel workers in October
According to US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, more people die in the American workplace in a single year than have been lost in nine years of war in Iraq. "Each day in America, twelve people go to work and never go home," she told the audience at the Action Summit for Worker Safety and Health held at East Los Angeles Community College on April 26, one of many events leading up to Workers Memorial Day, April 28, an annual date of remembrance for those killed, injured, or sickened on the job.
María Elena Durazo, Executive-Secretary-Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, reported there were 500 work-related deaths in 2011 in California and "Workers are still being fired for speaking out in order to avoid death."
This loss of life and countless serious injuries, continue to occur although the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), intended to protect workers, was signed by Richard Nixon 41 years ago.
Well, what's a law if it's not enforced? DeAnn McEwen, President of the California Nurses Association, quoted pioneering public health nurse and activist Lavinia Dock: "The law sits harmlessly on the shelf, as innocent as a verse from Mother Goose."
For decades, the OSHA law and regulations have indeed appeared harmless. Workers had little reason to believe OSHA or the state agency, Cal OSHA (which receives much of its funding from federal OSHA), had their backs. But Secretary Solis took office in 2009 announcing "There's a new sheriff in town," one who would enforce the law. So, does that make Summit panelists — California Labor Commissioner Julie Su, who enforces wage and hour laws; and California OSHA Chief Ellen Widess in charge of occupational health and safety regulations in the state — her posse?
Less than a year ago, Shirley Alvarado del Aguila, coordinator of the Southern California Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (SoCalCOSH) declared "The system is broken," but she expressed confidence in Widess who had just been confirmed in her post.
So how (and what) are these three powerful women doing? While the Department of Labor has only 1,000 safety inspectors to cover 8 million workplaces in the US. The California Occupational Health and Safety Program is expected to cover 1.3 million sites with a couple of hundred personnel while the Labor Commission has about one field investigator per county. The lack of adequate resources and staff, said Commissioner Su, cannot be "an excuse not to do our jobs. We have to work smarter," and one way they are doing that is by amplifying their effectiveness through partnerships.
Hilda Solis, US Secretary of Labor
With Employers
Solis and Widess made it clear that while they will go after bad employers, in Widess' words, Cal OSHA is dedicated "to helping good employers flourish." Their agencies provide free consultation, assessments, and training upon request, especially to businesses too small to have health and safety expertise, let alone fulltime safety coordinators. In spite of funding cutbacks throughout government, Solis said President Obama has increased funding for this support to small business.
"Punishing the bad guys is the last resort," she said. She'd much rather "help employers do right by their workers before tragedies happen."
With Each Other's Agencies
Last year SoCalCOSH suggested that CalOSHA coordinate enforcement with other agencies because employers who violate OSHA regulations are often in violation of Wage and Hour rules and Workmens Comp rules as well. That's exactly what Widess and Su are doing together now as both focus on particularly hazardous industries and the underground economy that employs mostly immigrant and low-wage workers.
Both agencies went after the logistics industry in the Inland Empire. A common practice was for warehouse operators to shield themselves from responsibility for workers by hiring through temporary staffing agencies. Su's agency was able to pierce the corporate veil and issue million dollar citations against two agencies and then see the workers file a class action lawsuit, with the ultimate result that the workers are now hired directly by the warehouse. The Warehouse Workers Union identified and mapped hazards in the workplace and Cal OSHA investigated and was able to show the warehouse and agency were both exercising supervision and control over employees and therefore both could be charged with violations.
The US Department of Labor and the California Labor Commission have initiated a first of its kind federal/state joint enforcement agreement targeting agriculture, port drivers, warehouses, and the garment industry.
California Labor Commissioner Julie Su
Su has her own agency working smarter. While the Bureau of Field Enforcement has the statutory right to enter a place of employment, this power was wasted in the past. Inspections weren't meaningful as investigators interviewed employees in the presence of the boss. Now, her staff does off-site interviews and surveillance, for example, observing workers reporting to work at 7:00 AM though in front of the boss they back up the employer's claim that they started work at 9:00.
We can't be everywhere," said Widess, "so it is so important that there be a culture of safety." Only so many deaths and accidents can be investigated, but untold numbers can be prevented.
Last year, Cal OSHA launched a program to educate workers and employers about the symptoms of heat illness, including the danger of death; to train in emergency procedures; and to let employers know that the workers' right to water, rest breaks, and shade will be enforced.
The summer heat campaign was so successful in reaching farmworkers, utility workers, road workers, landscapers that Secretary Solis adopted it and took it nationally into fields, airport tarmacs, construction sites and other outdoor workplaces.
Interagency cooperation comes naturally to the women who have crossed paths fighting for California's most vulnerable for decades. Su was lead attorney in 1995 on behalf of Thai immigrant workers who'd been held in virtual slavery in an El Monte sweatshop while Solis held hearings about the case in the California State Senate and worked to hold manufacturers responsible for the wage and hour violations. Widess long record of social justice commitment includes her work during the first Jerry Brown administration to protect farm workers from pesticides.
With Both Criminal and Civil Courts
SoCalCOSH had criticized the slap-on-the-wrist fines assessed for safety violations, sometimes less than $5,000, even in cases where known hazards led to a worker's death.
Widess has referred thirteen of the most egregious cases she's seen to District Attorneys around the state. They accepted eight cases. Charges were eventually filed in seven of them and one owner has already received jail time.
Deann McEwen, President, California Nurses Association
Under Su, the Labor Commission created a criminal investigation unit–believed to be the first in country, staffed with sworn peace officers who'd been through Police Academy training. A 2010 UCLA study reported that $26 million were stolen each week from low-wage workers in CA who were not paid what they had earned. Su intends to make it clear that "it is a crime in the State of California to steal wages from workers."
Su goes after civil penalties as well. Though the law provides for penalties when wages aren't paid in a timely manner, the Labor Commission didn't try to assess these penalties in the past. Now, "if you come before the Labor Commission and you've broken the law, it's gonna cost you something. It's going to cost you more than if you'd done the right thing in the first place."
Ruben Rosalez, Acting Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, Western Region, (who said it was an honor to be in the company of such powerful mujeres), is also ready to go to court, to seek restraining orders against shipping goods until the workers are paid; or to see employers held in contempt of court if consent decrees are violated.
The agencies will seek punitive damages in cases of retaliation against whistleblowers. Solis told of the airline that fired a pilot who reported mechanical problems that affected public safety. The Department saw to it that the airline reinstated the employee and paid $1 million in back wages, interest, and damages.
With Community Groups
Last year, SoCalCOSH called for the hiring of more bilingual and culturally competent inspectors. Unlikely given budget constraints, so Widess addresses the problem with more community involvement and training of community members, more billboards, more bilingual outreach in more languages, now including Punjabi and Mixteco. The agency is enlisting the ethnic media to spread the word.
Another powerful mujer, Deborah Berkowitz, Federal OSHA Chief of Staff, said training materials are now available using international communication standards. For workers who have limited English or low-literacy skills, this doesn't just strengthen the workers right to know. "Now they have the right to understand."
Ellen Widess, Cal OSHA Chief
With Workers' Organizations
Solis chose the Summit to kick off the Labor Department's new campaign aimed at preventing accidental deaths and injuries in the construction industry, providing educational materials about working safely from ladders, scaffolding, and roofs. Over 750 construction workers die on the job every year, about 1/3 from falls, and many more are seriously injured, Solis said, "in workplace accidents that disable our workers, devastate our families and hurt our economy."
David Frelow, Labor Relations Representative for the construction workers represented by the Laborer's International Union of North America (LIUNA), explained that his organization had approached the Labor Department urging the initiative and will play a role in disseminating information and training. He estimated that a complete set of safety equipment, including harnesses, tie-offs and more, costs under $100, but won't save lives if workers aren't trained in how to use the equipment.
The word "Action" in the day's event meant that labor groups in attendance were urged to join in this and other initiatives,
Widess offered examples of workers who have gone beyond addressing individual specific grievances and how their strategic thinking about legislation and standards can "make more lasting change."
Hotel housekeepers suffer a high rate of back and shoulder injuries from repeatedly lifting mattresses that can weigh as much as 100 pounds and knee injuries from cleaning floors on their knees. The housekeepers' union, UNITE HERE, has proposed statewide safety standards that would require hotels to change practice and provide mops and fitted sheets for workers to use.
"The Safe Patient Handling Act passed," in the California legislature, said Widess, "but still has to be implemented. The rulemaking process is going on now," and nurses are using their real-life expertise and taking the lead in proposing those rules.
McEwen of the California Nurses Association noted "we're not all body-builders," but the body-builder governor had previously refused to sign the law. Jerry Brown, a strong supporter of labor rights protection, did. Now she thinks progress in California can spread. Senator Al Franken has introduced Safe Lifting legislation aimed at protecting all workers in the US. California also has Safe Staffing legislation that, for example, mandates that an intensive care nurse can have no more than two patients at a time. "In Texas I talked to an ICU nurse who had seven," putting all seven at increased risk of death. "There's a link between worker safety and patient safety," she said. Now Barbara Boxer in the Senate and Jan Schakowsky of Illinois in the House have introduced legislation that would protect patients (and nurses) throughout the country.
With immigration authorities
This is, in Su's words, "a hard nut to crack." Undocumented workers are often afraid to report injuries or come forward with complaints because they fear deportation. Widess has communicated with ICE to get assurances that no action will be taken against workers who have brought their situations to Cal OSHA. "But that's not the kind of full protection any of us would like. The threat itself is chilling."
"We enforce the law regardless of citizenship status," said Ruben Rosalez. His office will try to certify undocumented workers as a first step to a U-visa which can give lawful status to a noncitizen crime victim who is willing to assist in the investigation.The U-visa, he acknowledged, can be very hard to get.
"Immigration status is irrelevant," Su agreed, "but remedies are inadequate." For example, when workers are fired in retaliation for filing complaints, they have the right to get their jobs back, but "reinstatement doesn't apply if you're undocumented and don't have the right to work in the US to begin with." Still, they can be protected against other forms of retaliation such as having their hours cut or schedule changed to a less desirable shift or location. In spite of the risks involved, she has seen some of the most vulnerable workers come forward. And the agencies can't do much to help workers unless workers feel free to report abuse. Su went on to wonder if employers might be charged with a crime if they held immigration consequences over a worker's head. Impeding an investigation? Tampering with a witness? Obstructing justice?
Last year, SoCalCOSH reported workers (citizens, documented, undocumented) being fired for filing OSHA complaints and then, after filing complaints about retaliation, have waited as long as seven years for a decision. In spite of short-staffing, Su said her agency now investigates immediately if retaliation follows a complaint to either the Labor Commission or to OSHA.
Solis, Widess, and Su have shown it's possible to do a lot with a little, but their work remains under threat in a climate of austerity and the war on regulation.
"Before OSHA," said Solis, "there was no federal law requiring safety shields to prevent amputations, no law requiring a safety harness. If you didn't like it, they told you to quit."
Berkowitz said OSHA recently came under attack for starting to enforce a regulation that had been on the books (like a Mother Goose rhyme?) since 1994.
The rightwing echo chamber insists that OSHA kills jobs while Solis reminds us "OSHA prevents jobs from killing workers."
Without regulation, what price do we pay? Let's echo this: Employment-related death, disability, and illness exact a high toll not only on workers and their families, but on business and the economy as a whole.
Diane Lefer
Posted: Saturday, 28 April 2012
Tags: Cal OSHA, California Labor Commission, California Nurses Association, David Frelow, Deann McEwen, Deborah Berkowitz, Ellen Widess, Fall Prevention, Hilda Solis, ICE, Julie Su, Labor, LIUNA, OSHA, Ruben Rosalez, Safe Lifting, Safe Patient Handling, Safe Staffing, Shirley Alvarado-del-Aguila, SoCalCOSH, Wage and Hour, Water Rest Shade


text:
Low-Sodium Recipes
Beat Pesky Bloat With 14 Low-Sodium Recipes
Beat Pesky Bloat With 14 Low-Sodium Recipes
For celebrity trainers Chris and Heidi Powell, the answer to beating belly bloat in time for Summer is simple: you've got to cut back on salt. Heidi called sodium a "magnet for water," since overconsumption can cause you to retain fluid, which can leave you feeling bloated. According to the couple, when there's too much sodium in your diet, it doesn't matter how many sit-ups you do. There's still a layer of water that's covering up all your hard work.
Beyond debloating for bikini season, a low-sodium diet (less than 1,500 milligrams per day) can decrease your risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and stroke — all important long-term benefits that should not be ignored.
From breakfast to dinner, check out all our tasty, natural recipes that offer less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving, the recommended amount for a low-sodium meal from both the Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association.
Source: Shutterstock

subset: commoncrawl


text:
NJ Injury Guys
NJ Injury Guys Gibbsboro - Personal Injury attorney
The NJ Injury Guys Gibbsboro law firm has experienced personal injury lawyers who work hard for our clients to get justice and compensation. Our local injury lawyers handle many types of cases including dog bites, car accidents and slip and falls, birth injuries, medical malpractice cases and many other personal injuries. Our law firm established the Gibbsboro location to serve clients in: Voorhees Township, NJ, Gibbsboro, NJ, Lindenwold, NJ, Evesham, NJ, Clementon, NJ, Alluvium, NJ, Kirkwood, NJ, Echelon, NJ, Glendale, NJ, Woodcrest Acres, NJ, Kresson, NJ, Runnemede, NJ, West Berlin, NJ, Laurel Springs, NJ, Stratford, NJ, Somerdale, NJ, Marlton, NJ, Berlin Heights, NJ, Hi-Nella, NJ, Magnolia, NJ. Get a free consultation today
Business Name:
NJ Injury Guys
20 Clementon Rd E #100Gibbsboro New Jersey 08026United States
(856) 329-6909
About Gibbsboro
Gibbsboro is a borough in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 2,189, a decrease of 85 (−3.7%) from the 2010 census count of 2,274, which in turn reflected a decline of 161 (−6.6%) from the 2,435 counted in the 2000 census.Gibbsboro was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 8, 1924, from portions of Voorhees Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 11, 1924. The borough was named for the Gibbs family, early settlers from 1706 for whom the area's post office was named when it was established in 1883. == Geography == According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.20 square miles (5.69 km2), including 2.15 square miles (5.57 km2) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.11 km2) of water (1.95%).Gibbsboro borders Lindenwold and Voorhees Township. == Demographics == === 2010 census === The 2010 United States census counted 2,274 people, 786 households, and 626 families in the borough.
Neighborhoods in Gibbsboro, New Jersey
92 Chicken, ACME Markets, Albion, Alluvium, Ashland, Beagle Club, Bel-Air Playground, Boscov's, Brookfield, Brush Hollow, Building Bridges Family Success Center, Burnt Mill Apartment Homes, Centennial Mill, Chanticleer Community Association, Chews
Things to do in Gibbsboro, New Jersey
Our Newest Profiles


text:
The effect of surface roughness on the Seebeck coefficient in the sub-50-nm scale silicon ultra thin films is investigated theoretically using nonequilibrium Green's function formalism. For systematic studies, the surface roughness is modelled by varying thickness periodically with square wave profile characterized by two parameters: amplitude (A0) and wavelength (λ). Since high Seebeck coefficient is obtained if the temperature difference between the ends of device produces higher currents and higher induced voltages, we investigate how the generated current and induced voltage is affected with increasing A0 and λ. The theoretical investigations show that pseudoperiodicity of the device structure gives rise to two effects: firstly the threshold energy at which the transmission of current starts is shifted towards higher energy sides and secondly transmission spectra of current possess pseudobands and pseudogaps. The width of the pseudobands and their occupancies determine the total generated current. It is found that current decreases with increasing A0 but shows a complicated trend with λ. The trends of threshold energy determine the trends of Seebeck voltage with roughness parameters. The increase in threshold energy makes the current flow in higher energy levels. Thus, the Seebeck voltage, i.e. voltage required to nullify this current, increases. Increase in Seebeck voltage results in increase in Seebeck coefficient. We find that threshold energy increases with increasing A0 and frequency (1/λ). Hence, Seebeck voltage and Seebeck coefficient increase vice versa. It is observed that Seebeck coefficient is tuneable with surface roughness parameters.
1. Introduction
It is reported that when the two ends of the thermoelectric material are kept at different temperatures, the voltage is generated [1]. This effect is called as the Seebeck effect. This effect has useful applications as it shows that heat can be converted to electricity and vice versa. In the last few years due to quest for finding, the highly efficient ways to produce and use energy there has been an increased interest in the thermoelectric performance of a device [2]. Moreover, thermoelectric energy conversion paves the way for utilization of waste heat generated in the devices into useful electric power. The extraction of waste heat is an important issue, especially nowadays, when the devices are reaching the sub-50-nm scale. Thus, intensive research has been reported for the effect of dimensionality on the thermoelectric phenomenon [3–5]. As the dimensions reduce down to sub-50-nm scale, the surface roughness plays a crucial role in determining the performance of the device. In this scale, the spatial extent of variations due to roughness is comparable to the device dimensions [6]. Hence, the investigation on the effect of surface roughness is important and crucial [7–9]. In this article, we have made a systematic study of the surface roughness effects on Seebeck coefficient. The surface roughness has been modelled by varying the thickness of the film periodically with a square wave profile as shown in Figure 1. The roughness is characterized by two parameters: amplitude (A0) and wavelength (λ) of the square wave [10]. These parameters are analogous to the root mean square roughness and the roughness autocorrelation length which are commonly used to determine the surface roughness morphology [11]. We study the effect of roughness with increasing A0 and λ on the Seebeck effect. In other words, we investigate how does the induced voltage, VSeebeck, for a fixed temperature difference between the two ends of a device, is affected due to increasing A0 and λ of the surface roughness of the device. To clearly bring the role of surface roughness the electron transport is considered to be coherent inside the device. The phase coherent transport is possible in the devices with the dimensions in the sub-50-nm scale [12].
When the two ends of the device are subjected to a temperature difference, initially, there is a net flow of current Inet from one end of the device to the other as shown in Figure 2a. This is so because, due to temperature difference, there is a different distribution of electrons in different energy states at the two ends. Hence, the number of electrons moving from the cold end to the hot end in an energy level 'ε' is not the same as that of from hot end to cold end. This results in net flow of electrons in an energy level 'ε'. The total current Inet is obtained from adding the contributions from all the energy levels. This net flow of current results in an accumulation of electrons at one end which builds an electric field opposing the incoming electrons as shown in Figure 2b. Further accumulation of charge stops when no more electrons are able to make it due to the building of electric field. The voltage developed due to the electric field is called Seebeck voltage VSeebeck. Seebeck coefficient is obtained by dividing the Seebeck voltage by temperature difference [13]. As shown in Figure 2c, Seebeck voltage can be measured by calculating the amount of voltage required 'Vapplied' to nullify the current 'Inet' due to temperature gradient. In this article, we focus on two important issues: firstly we investigate how does, for the same temperature difference between the two ends, Inet changes with A0 and λ. Secondly, it has been observed that for some roughness parameters, though the Inet decreases but the voltage applied to nullify it, VSeebeck, increases. We investigate the reasons behind this behaviour.
2. Theory
The expression for the current has been calculated using nonequilibrium Green's function formalism (NEGF) [14]. For the devices in the sub-50-nm scale quantum effects become important and quantum transport model is required for description of transport phenomenon. In this regards, NEGF formalism, in which quantum effects are inherent, provides an efficient framework to model the electron transport in thermoelectric devices. A brief description is given below and detailed development can be found in [15].
The isolated channel and its energy levels are described by Schrodinger equation using Hamiltonian H, potential U and energy eigenvalues of the electron ε α
But when the channel gets connected to the contacts it becomes an open system and the electrons can come and go out of the channel. To represent such an open system, two extra terms get introduced in the Schrodinger equation. The Schrodinger equation becomes
∑1 and ∑2, called self-energy, represent the coupling between the channel and the two contacts. ∑'s are a complex quantity. Its imaginary part signifies that the electrons can decay out of the channel.
The real part of ∑'s just lifts up the energy eigenvalues of the channel. The second term that gets introduced in the Schrodinger equation is {S}, it is called the source term and is like an actual source driving the system.
Solution of the Schrodinger equation is given by
[G] is called the Green's function of the system. In the energy domain, Green function gives the energy eigenvalues for the eigenstates that are occupied in response to the applied impulse.
A1(E) and A2(E) represent density of states due to coupling of the channel with contacts 1 and 2, respectively. The probability of filling of these states is determined by the Fermi Dirac distribution function, f1(E) and f2(E), of the contacts 1 and 2, which are at temperature T and T+ ΔT respectively.
Carrier concentration is given by:
The net inflow of current in channel at contact 1 is the same as the net outflow of current at contact 2. Net current flow in channel at contact 1 is the difference between the inflow and outflow of current at contact 1.
If f1(E) = 1 and f2(E) = 0 then T(E) represents the maximum current flow in the channel. For the electron transport in x-direction with confinement present in z-direction, the expression for I(E), after integrating over the energies along y-direction, becomes
where n z is the subband index.
3. Results and discussion
The information about how does Inet, i.e. the current due to the temperature gradient, and, VSeebeck, i.e. the voltage required to nullify it, depend on A0 and λ, is obtained by plotting the current voltage (I-V) characteristics for devices with different surface roughness parameters. Figure 3 gives the I-V characteristics for (a) different amplitudes: A0's = 0.1 nm, 0.3 nm and 0.5 nm and λ = 2.5 nm and (b) different wavelengths: λ's = 2.5 nm, 3.3 nm and 5 nm and A0 = 0.5 nm. The plot for smooth surface is given in Figure 3a for comparison. The temperature gradient of ΔT = 20 K is applied across the device. The graphs are obtained for the devices in the sub-50-nm scale by considering the parameters: length of the channel L c = 10 nm and average thickness T b = 2 nm. As Inet is the current generated only due to temperature gradient with Vapplied = 0, it is given by the intercept with the y-axis. It is observed from Figure 3a, b that Inet decreases with increasing A0 but with λ there is no definite trend. VSeebeck is the voltage applied to make the current due to temperature gradient equal to zero and is obtained by the intercept with the x-axis. It is observed from Figure 3a, b that VSeebeck increases with increasing A0 and 1/λ.
The above trends of Inet and VSeebeck with the roughness A0 and 1/λ can be understood by examining the current flowing through each energy level I(E). As seen from Equation 7, I(E) is given as the product of transmission T(E) and , i.e. difference in the occupancy of cold and hot junctions . The transmission T(E) gives the maximum current through the energy level 'E' and depends on the density of states A(E) and velocity, i.e. rate of flow of electrons in and out of that energy level. As such the geometry of the device does not affect the occupancy and hence but it affects the transmission T(E) of electrons from energy level E through density of states A(E). Thus, the trends of Inet and VSeebeck with A0 and λ can be understood by examining how the transmission gets affected by roughness.
3.1. Effect of roughness on transmission spectra
Figure 4 gives the plots of T(E) for (a) roughness wavelength: λ's = 2.5 nm, 3.3 nm and 5 nm with A0 = 0.5 nm and (b) roughness amplitude: A0's = 0.1 nm, 0.3 nm and 0.5 nm with λ = 2.5 nm. The following trends are observed: (i) threshold energy, i.e. the 'onset' energy at which the transmission starts, increases with increasing A0 and 1/λ. (ii) There are regions of psuedobands and pseudogaps. The width of the pseudobands decreases with increasing A0 and λ. Within the pseudobands, there are peaks in transmission at some energy. The phenomenon of increase in threshold energy has also been observed experimentally in quantum wells with thickness < 4 nm [16]. We would like to mention here that it has been observed only for thicknesses below 4 nm because surface roughness effects become prominent for ultra thin films. The criterion for the thickness below which surface roughness effects become prominent is discussed in [16]. So, our discussions can be experimentally validated only for ultra thin films. We will analyse the implications of the above trends on Inet and VSeebeck but before that we discuss in brief the presence of the above trends.
The increase in threshold energy occurs due to the varying thickness seen by the electron while crossing the channel. The regions of the channel where the thickness is large, the confinement is small and the regions where the thickness is small, the confinement is high as seen from Figure 1. Since the lowest value of ε z , which corresponds to the subband energy, depends on the confinement it alternates with the same periodicity as the thickness as shown in Figure 5. The value of ε z , i.e. subband energy is large for high confinement and vice versa. The subband energy corresponds to the potential energy seen by the electron. The electron crossing the channel experiences this varying potential energy landscape which was not the case when the surface was smooth. As the electron crossing the channel moves from the region of low potential energy to the high potential energy it feels an additional confinement effect which was not present for smooth surface. This additional confinement effect causes the increase in lowest energy which the electron can take. Thus, the threshold energy, which corresponds to the lowest energy eigenvalue, increases. The confinement effect will be more for increasing A0 as the electron while moving from low potential energy to high potential energy region sees higher barrier heights. Thus, the lowest energy eigenvalue, i.e. threshold energy, increases with increasing A0. The increase in threshold energy with increasing 1/λ can be explained on the similar lines. The longer λ with the same A0 corresponds to the wider regions of the low potential energy with the same barrier height. This means the confinement effect reduces with increasing λ. Hence, the threshold energy decreases with increasing λ. In other words threshold energy increases with increasing 1/λ.
The presence of pseudobands and pseudogaps, a feature of only rough surfaces, is also due to alternate regions of low and high potential energy seen by the electron while crossing the channel. The energy eigenvalues for an electron in such a periodic potential energy profile are given by Kronig Penny model. The solution of the Schrodinger equation for such a potential energy profile shows the presence of energy bands and energy gaps. The investigations on the bandwidth (BW) of the pseudobands with respect to roughness parameters is important as the width of the pseudoband determines the area under the transmission curve and play an important role in determining the total current Inet. It is seen from Figure 4a, b that BW of the pseudobands decreases with increasing A0 and λ. These trends of BW on roughness parameters can be understood by looking, again, at the Kronig Penny model. According to Kronig Penny model, if the barrier heights and widths of the periodic potential profile are high, then the BW's are small. This is so because higher barrier heights and widths give smaller tunnelling probability. As the tunnelling probability becomes smaller the BW reduces. Along the same lines increasing A0, which corresponds to higher barrier heights, and increasing λ, which corresponds to larger barrier widths of the pseudoperiodic potential profile, would give rise to smaller BW's. Thus BW decreases with increasing A0 and λ.
3.2. Effect of roughness on total current Inet
As Inet represents the current only due to temperature gradient with Vapplied = 0, it is given by the intercept with the y-axis of I-V characteristics. It is observed from Figure 3a that Inet decreases with increasing amplitude but Figure 3b shows that there is no definite trend with λ. These features can be explained by considering that total current depends on the bandwidth of the pseudobands and their occupancy. For increasing A0 as seen from Figure 4b, threshold energy increases and BW of the pseudobands decreases. The smaller bandwidths along with their presence at higher energy sides result in the decrease in occupancy of these bands. This, in turn, decreases the total no. of carriers contributing to the current. Thus, Inet decreases with increasing A0. The trends of Inet with λ are complicated. As seen from Figure 4a though the pseudobands are present at lower energy sides with increasing λ but their BW decreases. Thus, on one hand their presence at lower energy sides increases the occupancy on the other hand smaller bandwidths decrease the total occupancy which is obtained by summing the occupancy from all energy levels. These two competing features complicate the trends of Inet with λ. Figure 4a shows that BW for λ = 3.3 nm is smaller than λ = 2.5 nm but since the band is present at lower energy sides its occupancy is more. This results in more current for λ = 3.3 nm than for λ = 2.5 nm. For λ = 5 nm the BW is so small that the current is the least.
3.3. Effect of roughness on Seebeck voltage VSeebeckand Seebeck coefficient
As already mentioned VSeebeck increases with increasing A0 and 1/λ. This trend can be understood by examining the circumstances for which Itotal (= Inet) becomes zero. Itotal is the sum of current from all energy levels, i.e. I = ∫I(E)dE. Figure 6c gives I(E) versus E for λ = 2.5 nm and A 0 = 0.5 nm. It is seen that below Enull the current is +ve and above Enull the current is -ve. Hence, the total current obtained by the sum of current from all energy levels is small. We need to check when does it become zero. As seen from Equation (7), I(E) is product of transmission T(E) and , i.e. difference in the occupancy of cold and hot junctions . Since T(E) ≥ 0 for all energies therefore current changes sign whenever changes sign as seen from Figure 6b. For those energy levels in which the number of electrons at the cold side are more than the number of electrons at the hot side, the net current flows from cold to hot and is +ve and I(E) is +ve. These are the energy levels below Enull. It is vice versa for the energy levels above Enull. At Enull, = 0. This Enull is a function of Vapplied as occupancies of energy states at cold side, and hot side, , depend on Vapplied. Enull shifts towards higher energy sides with increasing Vapplied. We apply voltage to shift Enull to such an extent that total current coming from energy levels below Enull balances the total current coming from energy levels above Enull so that the total current becomes zero.
To understand how does Enull shifts towards higher energy states with increasing Vapplied, we observe that as the threshold energy increases the electrons occupy higher energy states and the current contributions come from higher energy levels. The net current Inet, which flows from hot side to cold side is also made of electrons flowing in higher energy levels. We need to apply voltage, VSeebeck, to nullify this current Inet. Thus, we need to increase the potential of the cold side so that electrons at the cold side occupy higher energy states to balance this current. Thus, as the threshold energy increases we need to apply higher VSeebeck to balance the net current. Also, since the occupancy of higher energy states at the cold side increases with increasing VSeebeck the Enull, for which , shifts towards higher energy sides. Since the threshold energy increases with increasing A0 and 1/λ, hence Seebeck voltage VSeebeck increases with the increasing roughness amplitude and frequency. Since Seebeck coefficient is obtained by taking the ratio of VSeebeck with temperature difference ΔT, i.e. S = Vseeback/ΔT, therefore the increase of VSeebeck for fixed ΔT causes the increase in Seebeck coefficient with the similar trends. It is seen from Tables 1 and 2 that Seebeck coefficient increases with increasing A0 and 1/λ. The dependence of Seebeck coefficient on roughness parameters suggest that it can be tailored by choosing the appropriate roughness parameters.
For the devices if A0 is increased at constant λ it is observed that though Inet decreases but still VSeebeck increases. This happens because BW decreases and threshold energy increases. Smaller BW's at higher energy sides reduce occupancy and hence Inet. Though the current reduces, it is made up of electrons present in higher energy levels and as already explained higher voltages are required to nullify the current from higher energy states.
The discussions show that it is the increase in threshold energy which causes the current to flow in the higher energy levels and hence results in increase in Seebeck coefficient. This result implies that any physical geometry whether periodic or aperiodic which results in an increase in threshold energy will show an increase in Seebeck coefficient. It also implies that if the threshold energy dependence on roughness parameters become feeble then Seebeck coefficient will saturate, i.e. it will not change much with the change in roughness parameters. The detailed investigations on the above two implications are in progress.
4. Conclusions
The surface roughness causes the net current Inet, produced due to the temperature gradient, to decrease with increasing roughness A0 but trends with λ are complicated. The voltage VSeebeck, required to nullify this Inet shows a definite trend. It increases with increasing A0 and 1/λ. Increase in VSeebeck results in increase in Seebeck coefficient. The reasons for the above trends have been attributed to the varying periodic thickness seen by the electron crossing the channel. The periodically varying thickness corresponds to varying confinement and hence periodically varying subband energy. The subband energy corresponds to the potential energy seen by the electron. For the electron moving in a pseudoperiodic potential, the transmission spectra shows the following features: (1) The threshold energy at which the transmission of current starts is shifted towards higher energy sides. It increases with increasing A0 and 1/λ. (2) There are regions of pseudobands and pseudogaps. The BW of the pseudobands decreases with increasing A0 and λ.
The above features of transmission spectra result in following trends for Inet and VSeebeck: (1) It is observed that BW decreases and shift towards the higher energy sides for increasing A0. Both these features result in reduced occupancy of the band and hence total carrier concentration. Since Inet depends on the total carrier concentration thus Inet reduces with increasing A0. (2) It is observed that pseudobands are present at lower energy sides with increasing λ but their BW decreases. Thus, on one hand the presence of bands on the lower energy side increases the occupancy and on the other hand the smaller bandwidth reduces the total occupancy. These two competing features give rise to complicated trends of Inet with λ. (3) The trends of threshold energy determine the trends of VSeebeck with roughness parameters. The increase in threshold energy results in the electrons to occupy higher energy states. Thus the net current Inet flowing from hot to cold end is made up from higher energy levels. To nullify this current, the occupancy of higher energy states at the cold end is increased by applying higher voltages. Thus higher threshold energy requires higher applied voltages, VSeebeck, to nullify the current. Since threshold energy increases with increasing A0 and 1/λ, hence VSeebeck and Seebeck coefficient increases vice versa. (4) The dependence of Seebeck coefficient on roughness parameters suggest that it can be tailored by choosing the appropriate roughness parameters.
Jang M, Park Y, Jun M: The characteristics of Seebeck coefficient in silicon nanowires manufactured by CMOS compatible process. Nanoscale Res Lett 2010, 5: 1654–1657. 10.1007/s11671-010-9690-2
Shakouri A: Recent development in semiconductor thermoelectric physics and materials. Annu Rev Mater Res 2011, 41: 399–431. 10.1146/annurev-matsci-062910-100445
Hicks LD, Dresselhaus MS: Effect of quantum-well structure on thermoelectric figure of merit. Phys Rev B 1993, 47: 12727–12731. 10.1103/PhysRevB.47.12727
Kim R, Datta S, Lundstorm MS: Influence of dimensionality on thermoelectric device performance. J Appl Phys 2009, 105: 034506–034511. 10.1063/1.3074347
Demchenko DO, Heinz PD, Lee B: Determining factors of thermoelectric properties of semiconductor nanowires. Nanoscale Res Lett 2011, 6: 502. 10.1186/1556-276X-6-502
Andrei P, Mayergoyz I: Quantum mechanical effects on random oxide thickness and random doping induced fluctuations in ultrasmall semiconductor devices. J Appl Phys 2003, 94: 7163–7172. 10.1063/1.1625084
Markussen T, Jauho AP, Brandbyge M: Surface decorated silicon nanowires: a route to high-ZT thermoelectrics. Phys Rev Lett 2009, 103: 055502–055505.
Hochbaum AI, Chen RK, Delgado RD, Liang WJ, Garnett EC, Najarian M, Majumdar A, Yang PD: Enhanced thermoelectric performance of rough silicon nanowires. Nature 2008, 451: 163–168. 10.1038/nature06381
Zianni X: Eff icient thermoelectric energy conversion on quasi-localized electron states in diameter modulated nanowires. Nanoscale Res Lett 2011, 6: 286. 10.1186/1556-276X-6-286
Low T, Ansari D: Signature of quantum transport through two dimensional structures with correlated and anticorrelated interfaces. Phys Rev B 2008, 78: 165301–165309.
Goodnick SM, Ferry DK, Wilmsen CW, Liliental Z, Fathy D, Krivanek OL: Surface roughness at the Si(100)-SiO2interface. Phys Rev B 1985, 32: 8171–8186. 10.1103/PhysRevB.32.8171
Schliemann A, Worschech L, Forchel A, Curatola G, Iannaccone G: Universal signature of ballistic transport in nanoscale field effect transistors. Tech Dig Int Electron Devices Meet 2004, 1039–1042.
Bulusu A, Walker DG: Quantum modelling of thermoelectric properties of Si/Ge/Si superlattices. IEEE Trans Electron Dev 2008, 55: 423–429.
Wu Y, Childs PA: Conductance of Graphene nanoribbon junctions and the tight binding model. Nanoscale Res Lett 2011, 6: 62.
Datta S: Quantum Transport: Atom to Transistor. New York: Cambridge University Press; 2005.
Uchida K, Watanabe H, Kinoshita A, Koga J, Numata T, Takagi SI: Experimental study on carrier transport mechanism in ultrathin-body SOI n and p-MOSFETs with SOI thickness less than 5 nm. Tech Dig-Int Electron Devices Meet 2002, 47–50.
SN acknowledges the financial support from Department of Atomic Energy, BRNS, Mumbai, India (grant no.2010/34/47/BRNS/2317). MK thanks Prof. Arun Kumar (IIT Delhi) for help and support during the preparation of manuscript.
Additional information
Competing interests
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Authors' contributions
MK carried out the NEGF calculations and implemented the code. AB and SN conceived of the study. AB participated in the NEGF calculations and implementation of the code. SN, with the perspective of designing the device in his lab, participated in the discussions of theoretical results and provided the information of the related experimental works. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Authors' original submitted files for images
Below are the links to the authors' original submitted files for images.
Rights and permissions
Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
About this article
Cite this article
Kumar, M., Bagga, A. & Neeleshwar, S. Tailoring of Seebeck coefficient with surface roughness effects in silicon sub-50-nm films. Nanoscale Res Lett 7, 169 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/1556-276X-7-169
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1556-276X-7-169
- Threshold Energy
- Seebeck Coefficient
- Roughness Parameter
- Schrodinger Equation
- Cold Side


text:
This just in….
When I wrote a piece the other day about a scandal rocking National Public Radio over "inappropriate" comments NPR fundraising executives make on edited hidden-camera footage, I wondered whether raw footage might provide some useful context. I did not know at the time that such raw footage was there to be scrutinized.
Thus, I was pleased to learn that a conservative news site, The Blaze, which might ordinarily be assumed would jump on the NPR-bashing, actually had someone go through and compare the two. Astonishingly, what Blaze found and was willing to report was that many of the edited comments were taken out of context. Why is this astonishing? Because, according to its website, "The Blaze is a news, information and opinion site brought to you by Glenn Beck and a dedicated team of writers, journalists & video producers." Given that the NPR executives were represented in the edited video released by right-wing activists as unapologetic leftists and partisans, and sympathizers with Muslim extremists (with the resulting uproar causing several network officials to resign) it is especially interesting to see what this particular conservative website came up with.
Here's my quick summary of The Blaze's significant findings:
-Edited Video: NPR execs appear to approve of a Muslim Brotherhood connection to the prospective donors. Raw Video: the prospective donors downplay any Muslim Brotherhood connection, and make themselves sound moderate and reasonable.
-Edited Video: Narrator implies that the donors advocate extreme Muslim views (Sharia—associated in many people's minds with brutal acts and behaviors) and the edited version shows an NPR exec reacting to this information with humor. Raw Video: NPR executive is acting jovially about something else: a mix-up in their restaurant reservation. (!)
-Edited Video: Suggests NPR exec is against the GOP. Raw Video: NPR exec also talks about his affinity for the GOP and its traditional values.
-Edited Video: NPR exec appears to be criticizing the Tea Party. Raw Video: NPR exec is quoting two influential longtime Republicans' complaints about how their party has been taken over by extreme elements, then personally agrees.
-Edited Video: NPR exec says liberals are more educated in general than conservatives. Raw Video: other NPR exec goes out of her way to favorably mention friends who watch Fox News.
Why is this information not in the mainstream media—and not on NPR? Why do we have to count on newer news sites—conservative, liberal , or neither— to learn this crucial information?
One hopes this is a sign of better times to come. For our part, at WhoWhatWhy , we're similarly committed to showing, in any given situation, what we think was actually going on— rather than what we think you want to hear.


text:
DENVER – Only about half of Colorado immigrants who have recently been allowed to get a driver's license or identification card regardless of their legal status have managed to get documents during the first two weeks of a new law.
Data from the Colorado Department of Revenue also show that about 10 percent of immigrants who make appointments for licenses or IDs are not showing up.
Immigrant advocates who have been monitoring the five offices around the state where the documents are being issued say applicants have encountered many challenges, including not having a manual in Spanish to study for the written driving test and being confused about what documentation to present.
The Revenue Department has worked on a Spanish manual and posted it on its website Friday. English is the only other language in which the manual is available.
Colorado began issuing licenses or IDs to immigrants, regardless of whether they're here illegally or have temporary legal status, starting Aug. 1. As of Wednesday, there had been 1,395 appointments. Of those, 502 resulted in a driver's license, and 231 resulted in a driving permit or ID card, according to the most recent data available.
Another 523 did not receive any documents. State officials say they're still analyzing the data.
"It's either that certain documents aren't being brought in, or that they're not passing the written test," said Barbara Brohl, the executive director of the Revenue Department, which oversees the Motor Vehicle Division offices. She said she hopes having a foreign-language manual will help immigrants pass the test, which can be taken in Spanish.
Brohl said she's heard from advocates for immigrants that people have been confused about how to cancel appointments online, so officials have changed the state website to make it easier.
The rollout of the law so far has some advocates frustrated. They say the state needs to allow immigrants to get licenses at all 37 MVD offices across the state to meet high demand, instead of only having five offices handling appointments.
The state has scheduled about 9,500 appointments in Denver, Grand Junction, Aurora, Colorado Springs and Fort Collins for the first three months that the law is in effect. Immigrants have complained they've been unable to make appointments because there's been an initial surge, or they've had to make appointments somewhere far from their home.
Traveling long distances, being unfamiliar with the city where they take the driving test and not having a Spanish manual until now, is part of the reason immigrants are failing to get licenses, said Ignacio Ramirez, a volunteer with Driver's Licenses for All, which lobbied for the law's passage last year.
"People are desperate," he said in an interview in Spanish. "The law is not working."
Colorado was among eight states that passed laws last year allowing identification documents for people in the country illegally. New Mexico passed a law granting the documents to immigrants in 2003.
Supporters of such laws say it will lead to safer roads because drivers who get licenses will have a better understanding of the rules, and law enforcement will correctly identify people in traffic stops and accidents.
Brohl said her office has developed a good relationship with most immigrant advocacy groups and is working to address their concerns.
"There are a few that are still not as happy as we would like them to be," she said.


text:
Feds crack down on homeopathic weight loss remedy
Federal regulators are ordering several companies to stop selling an unproven weight loss remedy that uses protein from the human placenta.
The Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to seven companies that sell the protein as drops, pellets or sprays. Human chorionic gonadotropin is produced by the placenta and found in the urine of pregnant women. While it is approved for certain infertility treatments, the FDA says there is no evidence it helps reduce weight.
Many of the products cited in the warning letters claim to change "abnormal eating patterns," and help people lose 20 to 30 pounds in as little as a month when used with a low-calorie diet, usually around 500 calories per day.
Health experts say such restrictive diets can be dangerous.
"These products are marketed with incredible claims and people think that if they're losing weight, HCG must be working," said Elizabeth Miller, of FDA's division for non-prescription drugs and health fraud, in a statement. "But the data simply does not support this - any loss is from severe calorie restriction. Not from the HCG."
The products are advertised as homeopathic remedies, or highly diluted drugs made from natural ingredients and sold with medical claims. Many doctors view homeopathic remedies as ineffective but mostly harmless because the drugs in them are present in such tiny amounts.
But the FDA said the products targeted Tuesday could be dangerous when taken as directed.
Homeopathic treatments are based on principles unverified by mainstream science, and often reference mystical-sounding concepts like "vital force" and "healing energy."
In 1938, Congress passed a law granting homeopathic remedies the same legal status as regular pharmaceuticals. The law's principal author was Sen. Royal Copeland of New York, a trained homeopath.
While regulation of the products is minimal, the FDA maintains a list of approved ingredients that can be used for homeopathic drugs. HCG is not among the approved ingredients.
After decades of declining use, homeopathic remedies have revived in recent decades with the burst of interest in vitamins, herbs and other unconventional treatments.
The companies cited by regulators have 15 days to respond and detail how they intend to remove their products from the market. Failure to do so may result in legal action, including seizure and injunction, or criminal prosecution.


text:
Adoption hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 am. to 3:30 pm as well as Saturdays 10:00 am through 2:30 pm. Before leaving the shelter, dogs are heartworm tested and given heartworm prevention during their stay here, dewormed, altered, and vaccinated for the following: Rabies, DAPPV, K9 Influenza, and Bordetella.
Before leaving the shelter, cats are FELV tested, dewormed, altered, and vaccinated for the following: Rabies, HCP, and Bordetella.
Adoption Fees: CASH ONLY
Resident fees include a dog licenseDOG/PUPPY ADOPTIONResident $90Non-resident $85
60 AND OVERDOG/PUPPY ADOPTIONResident $50Non-resident $45
Compatibility Check - You must bring your dog to see if they get along with a new friend. They can meet on leash in our BAARC in the Park.
Show All Answers
Adoption hours are Monday through Friday 10:00 am to 3:30 pm as well as Saturdays 10:00 am through 2:30 pm. ALL animals adopted from BAARC leave the shelter spayed/neutered and all animals, except those under 6 months of age, receive a one year rabies vaccine. In addition, cats receive a FURVC vaccine and dogs are vaccinated with a four-in-one distemper in addition to Bordetella (Kennel Cough).
Adoption fees vary but in general the following rates apply:
Dogs: Female - $90.00, Male - $80.00
Puppies: Female - $77.50, Male - $67.50
Cats: Female - $62.00, Male - $52.00
Kittens: Female - $50.00, Male - $40.00
Additional information about such services can be found through P.A.W.S. at (631) 539-2014.
You may spend time with your pet immediately before and after the procedure. There is a $65 turn in fee for dogs, $35 for senior citizens and a $35 fee to turn in cats, $15 for senior citizens. All fees are cash only.
BAARC is a humane municipal animal shelter and accepts all stray canines found within the Town's geographic borders. All animals that are adoptable or have medical conditions that are treatable, will stay at the animal shelter until they are adopted as long as there is room. The shelters save rate is about 88% for dogs and 96% for cats. This rate is calculated on the total intake of dogs and cats regardless of age, condition or temperament.


text:
Jonathan Klein, a former president of CNN/U.S., speaks with Brian Stelter about the television industry's uncomfortable dependence on Nielsen.
"Ratings rule television. So, really, it's Nielsen that rules television," Stelter said.
Nielsen ratings are what's called the "currency" for the whole TV industry to buy and sell ads and determine what's popular and what's not.
"Nielsen recently admitted to a glitch, a software bug that affected broadcast ratings for months," Stelter said. While the bug was minor, "the incident just deepened the TV industry's mistrust of the company."
Ratings are the "report card" for TV, Klein said, but when he was running CNN, the data never offered enough insight.
"They were a very narrow snapshot of one type of behavior - how many people are sitting in front of a couch watching TV - when, in fact, we know that it's really a panorama. You know, media consumption is about squeezing [TV] in amidst a lot of other things - tweeting, cooking, reading, putting your kids to bed, waking them up, whatever."
"And so, they never felt reliable," Klein said, "and never told us the most important piece of information which is who is watching, and what else are they watching, and what else are they doing, and where else could we find those people, and that's the advantage of digital media over the old obsolete Nielsen ratings."
Nielsen produces viewership estimates for the entire United States population using a scientific sample of 25,000 homes. The company is confident in its sample: "Today," it says, "the ratings are very reliable for the day-to-day, national networks."
The recent glitch affected "a very small amount of total viewing," according to the company.
But when the ratings were corrected, it changed the outcome of the nightly news ratings race - ABC's "World News Tonight" was thought to have beaten the "NBC Nightly News," but it turned out NBC was still #1 among total viewers.
The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesn't fail me just as much as this one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, nonetheless I really thought you would have something interesting to say. All I hear is a bunch of complaining about something you could fix if you weren't too busy seeking attention.
Good web site you've got here.. It's difficult to find excellent writing like yours these days. I truly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
Excellent post. I will be facing some of these issues as well..
Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Many thanks, However I am encountering problems with your RSS. I don't know the reason why I am unable to join it. Is there anyone else having the same RSS issues? Anyone who knows the solution can you kindly respond? Thanks!!
Saved as a favorite, I really like your website!
An interesting discussion is worth comment. I do think that you ought to write more about this subject matter, it might not be a taboo matter but generally people do not talk about these subjects. To the next! Many thanks!!
Wonderful post! We will be linking to this particularly great content on our website. Keep up the good writing.
You are so cool! I don't suppose I have read a single thing like this before. So great to find someone with original thoughts on this subject. Really.. thanks for starting this up. This site is something that is required on the internet, someone with some originality!
Having read this I believed it was really informative. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this article together. I once again find myself personally spending a significant amount of time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
After looking over a number of the blog articles on your blog, I seriously like your technique of blogging. I book-marked it to my bookmark website list and will be checking back soon. Please check out my web site too and let me know what you think.
Great web site you have here.. It's difficult to find good quality writing like yours these days. I really appreciate people like you! Take care!!
Hi there! I simply wish to offer you a huge thumbs up for your great info you've got right here on this post. I am coming back to your web site for more soon.
I truly love your site.. Very nice colors & theme. Did you develop this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I'm planning to create my very own website and would like to find out where you got this from or what the theme is named. Kudos!
You've made some really good points there. I looked on the web for additional information about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this web site.
chloroquine cvs https://chloroquineorigin.com/ cloraquinn
cialis viagra combination canadian pharmacy https://canadacialisstore.com/ cialis canadian
canadian diet pills https://canadapillstorex.com/ average perscription pills taken by 65 year old canadian?
erectile tissue problems https://canadaerectiledysfunctionpills.com/ which erectile dysfunction drug is best
Good post! We are linking to this great article on our site. Keep up the good writing.
dapoxetine brand name dapoxetine ed
tadalafil online https://elitadalafill.com/ order tadalafil
buy sildenafil viagra https://eunicesildenafilcitrate.com/ sildenafil 25mg tab
Great site you have got here.. It's hard to find excellent writing like yours these days. I honestly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
bookmarked!!, I like your site!
generic viagra shipping from canada https://canadaviagrastore.com/ canada online viagra
canadian generic cialis 20mg https://canadacialisstore.com/ do you need prescription for canadian perscribition of cialis in usa
alprostadil penile suppository price https://alprostadildrugs.com/ alprostadil cost per dose
zithromax for bladder infection https://zithromaxes.com/ zithromax drug class
generic levitra vardenafil https://vegavardenafil.com/ vardenafil grapefruit interaction
Hey There. I found your blog using msn. This is a very well written article. I'll be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I'll definitely return.
alprostadil penile suppository https://alprostadildrugs.com/ alprostadil pellet
sildenafil canada https://eunicesildenafilcitrate.com/ sildenafil canada otc
order tadalafil https://elitadalafill.com/ tadalis sx
buy vardenafil online without presciption https://vegavardenafil.com/ vardenafil 20 mg
Jestem stara, zostalo mi pewnie malo czasu, nie marnuje go wiec na bzdury. Robie tylko to, co mnie interesuje. I wam, mlodszym, radze to samo. – Iris Apfel
Really informative blog post.Really thank you! Much obliged.
Good work there. I must appreciate author as well. http://www.piano.m106.com
I dugg some of you post as I cogitated they were invaluable handy
Zycie jest wspaniale, nalezy tylko spogladac na nie przez wlasciwe okulary. – Aleksander Dumas
I like what you guys are up too. Such clever work and reporting! Keep up the excellent works guys I have incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it'll improve the value of my site :).
Single purpose impressive information sites Ive observed. Thanks a whole lot for preserving the internet fashionable for a change. Youve got type, class, bravado. Come on , man it. Please keep it up because without the internet is definitely low in intelligence.
5g4rv g6hti p4tm
9hevo krvcs llqp
Free links Thanks for the great article indeed...
Branie czegos na serio przez dlugi czas utrudnia zycie. – Andre Gide
I envy your piece of work, regards for all the informative articles . I like this one here
Istnieja tylko dwa sposoby na zycie – zyc tak jakby nic nie bylo cudem lub tak jakby cudem bylo wszystko. – Albert Einstein
Hi Really good post note. God bless, cure,invention You writers... 😉 do You seen ? Webmaster Guide http://www.Webmaster.M106.COM ?
572519 52320Hello DropshipDragon provides dropping for quality, affordable products direct from China to your customers. Perfect for eBay sellers and internet site owners alike! 927503
Tajemnica zycia lezy w poszukiwaniu piekna. – Oscar Wilde
Nic w zyciu nie przychodzi nam latwo. Nie wystarczy w cos wierzyc; trzeba miec sile pokonywac przeszkody i walczyc by wygrac. G. Meir
Zycie jest tylko przechodnim plocieniem, Nedznym aktorem, ktory swa role Przez pare godzin wygrawszy na scenie W nicosc przepada – powiescia idioty, Glosna, wrzaskliwa, a nic nie znaczaca. – William Shakespeare
Cool post very informative I just found your blog and read through a few posts although this is my first comment, ill be including it in my favorites and visit again for sure
Impressive web site, Distinguished feedback that I can tackle. Im moving forward and may apply to my current job as a pet sitter, which is very enjoyable, but I need to additional expand. Regards
you're really a excellent webmaster. The web site
loading pace is amazing. It kind of feels that you are doing any unique trick.
Also, The contents are masterwork. you've performed a great job
in this subject!
Nie mozna zyc szczesliwie, nie zyjac godnie, moralnie i uczciwie. – Epikur
I agree with your thoughts here and I really love your blog! Ive bookmarked it so that I can come back & read more in the future.
Gdyby tak mozna bylo spojrzec na swiat bez zadnej innej ochrony, uczciwie i odwaznie – peklyby nam z pewnocia serducha http://www.xmc.pl
Earn 10000 a Month With Our Passive Income System – Best Autopilot income system 2021
I just added this feed to my bookmarks. I really like reading your posts. Thanks!
Kobiety nie lubia bohaterow, lubia zwyciezcow... Cult of Flawless Victory RUlz. R. Beauvais! POZDRO 600!
Get Our Passive Income System – Step 1: Get our ready made niche websites, Step 2: Setup your Paypal account. Step 3: Run our Unlimited Traffic System from 850 sources of traffic (Approximately 35000 views a day guaranteed). Then just wait and earn your income 100 on autopilot. More info: https://www.k3reviews.com/2020/08/16/monster-mode-700k/
Top softwares and best SEO tools are now FREE TO DOWNLOAD. Best SEO software and Sales Funnel Tools to make your business much easier to grow. Click on profile link for more information.
443254 733944Yeah bookmaking this wasnt a bad decision great post! . 921719
Best Marketing Services – Cheapest on Market. SMM Supreme is the Top 5 Best Social Media Website in the World. Best Quality-Price Ratio on the market with 714,928 orders until now. – Facebook Fan Page Likes for $4.50/1000 – Instagram Followers for $0.78/1000 – Youtube Views: $1.62/1000 – Twitter followers: $2.10/1000 – Paypal Deposit – Bitcoin Deposit – Fast order processing – 1 Hour Delivery (Click on the link in the profile for more details)
Social network traffic Facebook likes Twitter Followers Instagram Followers and much more
Social network traffic Facebook likes Twitter Followers Instagram Followers and much more
In general, how many blog posts have images out of all the blog posts in all blogs?. I'm looking for an average number for the US and worldwide..
It's a shame you don't have a donate button! I'd certainly donate to this brilliant blog! I suppose for now i'll settle for book-marking and adding your RSS feed to my Google account. I look forward to fresh updates and will share this site with my Facebook group. Chat soon!
This is a good posting, I was wondering if I could use this write-up on my website, I will link it back to your website though. If this is a problem please let me know and I will take it down right away
I'm also commenting to let you be aware of of the impressive discovery my daughter had checking your web site. She figured out so many pieces, including what it's like to possess a marvelous giving character to get many more smoothly comprehend specified impossible issues. You undoubtedly did more than people's expectations. I appreciate you for coming up with these practical, safe, revealing and also fun tips about this topic to Ethel.
is a surprisingly transparent way to gain access to more types of.
hey buddy, I ran across this web page from yahoo and start reading several of your other content. They are stunning. Pleasee continue this great work. Cheers,
MONSTERMODE 700K is a cutting-edge funnel-based app that can generate 100 commissions – – 90 Second Set Up – Beta Tested Proven 24-7 AUTOPILOT Income – 100 FREE Multi-Tier Traffic Built In More details: https://bit.ly/2YfQFcC
Czesto szuka sie sensu zycia przy pomocy bezsensownych metod. – Aldous Huxley
HighTicket Hijack PRO Software. 200000 visitors per day! Click on my profile name for more details
detectives privados extremadura
Thank you a lot for providing individuals with such a marvellous opportunity to read in detail from this web site. Its usually very excellent plus jam-packed with a lot of fun for me and my office friends to search your website more than 3 times in a week to see the newest things you have got. And of course, Im also certainly astounded with the eye-popping strategies you give. Selected 4 ideas on this page are definitely the most suitable weve had.
Ive been meaning to read this and just never received a chance. Its an issue that Im extremely interested in, I just started reading and Im glad I did. Youre a good blogger, one of the best that Ive seen. This blog certainly has some info on topic that I just wasnt aware of. Thanks for bringing this things to light.
I would like to address something that was said from 2:20 to 2:45 of the show. First, I currently do not work for Nielsen, though I have in the past been in a Nielsen household (maybe 100$ to for 2 years). I would like to address a small concern with your statements about the poll itself. First, a poll of 25,000 homes is an extremely large sample. The size of the sample alone should make it fairly reliable because of the law of large numbers. Moreover we should expect that Nielsen weights its sample on the Census's Current Population Survey and the most recent Population Census to account for changes in the population that are not captured in changes in the Nielsen sample. They can additionally use previous program viewership to either weight samples for current viewership or as a check on the accuracy of their numbers.
There are some things about the tv industry that could affect the accuracy of the poll. Changing the lineup of programs, the increasing options for programs, and the differences in available programs can have some effect. These are not huge problems and can be accounted for in the data analysis.
Another thing that came to my mind is the fact that the CNN ORC polls that we hear about in this political season are a substantially smaller sample than that you cited in the program (here you have your company's poll with a sample of 1012 ) . It is still an extremely accurate poll on both the topline number and the crosstabs. Nielsen is a larger poll that has a sample in about 1 house for every 1000 houses. It can account for viewership because so much of the population being examined is in the poll.
I can understand questioning how they can make an error but questioning the validity of the poll itself seems to be inaccurate. Its a completely other statement to say that its not answering the questions that matter to cable companies. (what other media are people interacting with when the tv is on? what percentage of tv's that are on a station are being watched?) That's a matter of study design.


text:
While many kids his age huddle over a joystick, trying to reach the next level of the latest video game, 14-year-old Massimo Lucidi can often be found hunched over the handlebars of his carbon fiber racing bike, trying to reach the top of some steep Laguna street.
"When it comes to electronic toys and all that, [Massimo's] not much interested in that. He's interested in gardening and he's interested in cycling," said avid cyclist and family friend Dennis Barcelo.
As a member of Irvine-based Rokform Junior Cycling Team's 13-14 age group, Massimo finished fifth out of 42 riders in the 2012-13 SoCal Cup point standings. He won the Peninsula Hill Climb in Rolling Hills Estates and the Hotter Than Hell Hill Climb, a 15-mile, 10,000-foot trek up Mt. Baldy. He recently signed a contract to compete for Rokform's Junior Elite "B" Racing Team for the 2013-14 season. "For his age and his size, he's an incredible climber," said Jeff Shein, team coordinator.
More than three years ago, Barcelo convinced Massimo's father Richard to enter his son in a time trial on Thanksgiving morning in Corona. It was there that Massimo and his father met Shein, who often attends those events looking to help people "who look lost," he said. The Lucidis fit the bill, and Shein offered the up-and-coming 10-year-old a spot on what was then the Sho-air Junior Cycling Team. "I'm so happy that they joined us," said Shein.
Massimo went on to finish second out of 29 riders in the 2011 SoCal Cup standings. He entered 15 events that season, finishing in the top five in 13 and winning three, including the Mt. Whitney Stage Race, a demanding event that takes riders on brutal climbs of 7,100 and 6,000 feet over two days and 58 miles. "Massimo was up there climbing like crazy," said Shein. "As young as he was and as small as he is, he did great climbing those grades."
On tough climbs Massimo admits, "I sometimes feel like I'm not going to make it." So to keep his focus, "I think about being at the top," he said.
When Barcelo and Massimo first began riding together, "I saw something that was completely different than most kids," said Barcelo, who still marvels at what his diminutive protégé is able to do. "In cycling, the longer your legs are, the stronger your torque is," he said. "So he has to work twice as hard to keep up with everybody else."
But when it comes to climbing, smaller can be better, according to Shein. "The advantage is you have less weight to haul up the mountain," he said. "The disadvantage is you have less muscle mass to propel you up that mountain."
Massimo's leg strength gives him a power-to-weight ratio that allows him to keep up with and beat bigger competitors, an advantage he'll need this season when he moves up to the 15-16 age group. Two-year age groupings for SoCal Cup races are based on calendar year. That means Massimo, who won't be 15 until next December, will have to race against 15 and 16-year-olds for the entire season.
A sympathetic Shein understands the challenges that Massimo faces. "There's one 13-year-old who has like a beard and a mustache," he chuckled.
"They all develop at different rates at this age. You try to make the most of it," said Massimo's father. In the end, "there's a certain balance that ultimately nature is going to provide for you."
In a town of surfers, skateboarders and mountain bikers, the self-driven cyclist usually finds himself alone as he takes on Park Avenue, Nyes Place and Temple Hills every chance he gets. Those local training climbs help Massimo maintain a balance between school and life. "He's far more satisfied the days that he rides," his father said.
"He understands life at a very different level than a child of that age," said Barcelo. "I think he's going to be a very extraordinary kid when he grows up."
Barcelo also thinks the sky's the limit for Massimo the cyclist. "He has an abundance of energy. It's just a matter of him getting his confidence up and this kid can be a superstar."
Whatever the future holds for Massimo in the long term, he hopes to improve his skills enough in the next few years to travel with Shein and a hand-picked group of 17-year-old elite riders to Belgium, where they will compete against the worlds best in the "center of cycling," said Shein. "It's a whole different world over there."
View Our User Comment Policy


text:
The least surprising quote from yesterday came from Georgia's athletic director, whose PR skills never cease to impress.
"Every school advocates for their own desires," McGarity said. "You get in a room and if there are certain things you want to discuss about moving or changing, there are 14 athletic directors that do that. Everybody advocates for their own. The one thing we don't do is talk about those conversations. We follow SEC protocol, which is to talk about it in the room when you're developing schedules.
"There are things we advocate for that nobody ever really knows about. That's the purpose of going through that exercise. You don't talk about in public what we talk to the Commissioner (Greg Sankey) and Mark Womack about regarding scheduling. There have been several times they've helped us with things that are important to our football coaches."
This, of course, is fucking laughable. Schools advocate publicly for scheduling changes all the time. That's what Auburn did in this precise case. LSU's Joe Alleva has bitched and moaned for years about his school's cross-division rivalry with Florida, culminating in an ugly public spat when a hurricane disrupted the timing of their game one season.
McGarity is trying to sell the nobility of his silence as a means of avoiding having to explain to us why he accommodated Auburn's wishes without apparently receiving anything in return. As far as the fan base's unhappiness with being kept in the dark about making a change to a long-standing tradition goes, well, that's on us. All Greg has for us is the back of his hand.
McGarity took umbrage with the notion that he had not advocated on behalf of UGA and that this move was orchestrated by Auburn with only its concerns in mind.
We've got some nerve.


text:
Although there are a lot of similarities, supporting those in an office environment is vastly different than supporting home users. Here are some things to consider when providing support for home users.
I've offered very limited support to home users over the years (or decades), but the past few months has found me providing more and more support help to people in their homes. In fact, I'm beginning to think that there's a huge opportunity in providing support to home users, and it could actually result in a win-win scenario for both parties. What follows are my thoughts on getting the best results – for both the user and the person providing such support.
Be somewhat selective: Without going into a lot of detail (let your imagination run wild), there might be certain types of users who should be avoided. While it might be less practical for a walk-in store or an outfit like Geek Squad to turn down support requests, for someone doing it on his own, it's not only possible, but often times preferable to be selective. You don't want to end up beating your head against the wall, so to speak, dealing with issues that cause nothing but pain, or put yourself in a position to get blamed for every user misstep, or be hounded after a support call, and so on.
Getting compensated (a subset of being selective): And then there's the matter of getting fairly compensated. Two things that would be best to avoid: dealing with those who want to negotiate with your fee, and avoiding those who are a higher risk of failing to pay anything at all.
How can you tactfully evaluate where a person might fall on the selective scale? The answer might be found in the next point.
Start with an initial evaluation: Always start with a predefined initial evaluation, which may or may not include any particular issue or problem the user is having. For a set fee and a specific time commitment (perhaps one-half to one hour), go through a predefined evaluation check list of the user's computer, peripherals, applications, networking devices and speed, and so on, and document (and evaluate) everything as completely and thoroughly as possible. This step alone might possibly identify any problems the user is having anyway. If they're not willing to do this, then it's easy to turn down the support request. If they are willing to do this, then you have the benefit of establishing the basis for providing good future support. The worst case scenario is that you discover a circumstance that you'd rather not take any further, in which case you can spend minimal time and simply walk away and cut your losses. Best case scenario is that you've established a basis and set the stage for providing good support in the future – which is what both parties really want.
Insist on having a backup system in place: One item on my initial evaluation check list is to determine the backup procedures the user has in place. The last thing you want is to lose data – whether it's your fault or not. In most cases for home users, this is probably nothing at all, although some people might have subscribed to an on-line backup service, while others might have a separate backup device, usually an internal or external hard drive or perhaps a few flash drives or floppy disks in a desk drawer. The key is to make sure the user is responsible, in some form, for backing up the data. This is also an opportunity to sell an additional hour, or so, of your time to implement data backup procedures – something that will definitely benefit both parties.
Be prepared to offer an updated computer system: If your initial evaluation discovers that newer application demands are being expected from an older and out-of-date hardware platform, be prepared to sell and install a new system. In the business environment, I always updated my minimum computer requirements every six months, or so, and I had a system specification designed for current demands. This could be somewhat flexible, depending on the home user's specific needs, but to have a basic alternative system to upgrade an outdated one would also be something that could benefit both parties.
Be patient and listen – really listen: Listening to what a person says is one thing, but determining what a person really means, or what that person intends to say, is another. Repeat back what was said, but perhaps in another way. It should go without saying, but being friendly, respectful, polite, and non-judgmental is vital. Establishing a rapport of mutual respect and understanding will go miles and miles towards establishing and maintaining a successful support relationship.
Emphasize that you're not available 24-7-365: This might be a judgment call, but for most home users, I wouldn't want to be at their every beck and call. Responding to e-mail or voice mail support requests (at my convenience) is better than answering my cell phone (at their convenience) any time of day or night.
In short, I believe that there is a huge opportunity in supporting home users. But for one providing the support, being selective and focused is the key to being successful.
Those are a few (but not necessarily all) of my thoughts on supporting the home computer user. Please share your comments, suggestions, and additions.


text:
POPSUGAR Shout Out For July 8, 2014
POPSUGAR Shout Out: Let Them Eat Cake!
- Take a piece of these amazing pool party cakes — Moms
- 25 reasons you should absolutely date a wizard — Love & Sex
- See the hottest ESPN Body Issue pictures from the past — Celebrity & News
- You'll never guess what's back in style — Beauty
- You might be making one of these common yoga mistakes — Fitness
- Figure out that new and very weird TSA rule — Tech
- Find the perfect floral centerpiece for every occasion — Home
- Video: Channel Pretty Little Liars with your bedroom decor! — Home
- Surprise yourself with these facts about Walmart — Smart Living
- Find out what happened to Crumbs Bake Shop — Food
- Read these books before they become hit TV shows! — Entertainment
- Stay sunburn-free with these fashion essentials — Fashion
Source: Instagram


text:
Jetradar compares cheap flights to Los Angeles from 2,500 cities across 728 airlines and hundreds of travel websites from all over the world. We can find the cheapest flights to Los Angeles with no commission or additional cost to you.
The most popular tickets to Los Angeles are in April, June and December. The low season for purchasing tickets is February, October and November.
Los Angeles is served by these airports: Los Angeles International and Van Nuys. Direct flights to Los Angeles are offered by 50 airlines.
Depending on the number of days remaining before departure, the price of airfare for Los Angeles could change by more than 25%.
Jetradar suggest buying flights to Los Angeles in advance in order to choose the conditions for your flight based on your preferences and financial resources.


text:
You didn't think AMD was going to let Intel get all the cool new processor attention with Ivy Bridge, did you? AMD's latest and greatest is now: Trinity. It's runs fast, cool, efficiently, and packs some terrific graphical tricks.
To put it simply, Trinity is about graphics. The chip packs a significant CPU upgrade, of course—by 29 percent, AMD claims—but they say the real muscle comes with the built-in GPU. The Radeon HD 7000, stuffed onto the same silicon, provides GPU acceleration for a huge swath of applications you're probably using every day. This frees up CPU power, and allows CPU and GPU to tag team heavy software to squeeze as much performance out of your laptop as possible. The first batch of Trinity chips will be topped off by the A10-4600M, with four CPU cores, a base clock speed of 2.3 Ghz, and 4 MB of L2 cache. AMD's also dropping a super thin and efficient (you might say ultra) model, the A10-655M, which will power new tinybooks with two cores at 2 Ghz and a 4 MB L2 cache.
AMD's teamed with developers to make sure programs like Photoshop, Handbrake, VLC, WinZip, and every major browser get a swift kick in the ass from Trinity's graphical guts, along with beefed up HD video playback. The GPU acceleration uses an open standard, too, so you can bet AMD is pushing more devs to team up.
It's an interesting approach—AMD is essentially ceding the CPU war to Intel as pointless, with the presumption that GPU acceleration is going to matter more in the long run. A war they can win, having absorbed the Radeon mojo. We'll have to wait until independent benchmarks come in to see whether Trinity delivers what AMD's promising, but it's an exciting way to think about computing, and one it's sort of betting the farm on.


text:
You are being lied to, repeatedly and with purpose, by massive entertainment corporations using a media all too happy to shill for the sake of Hollywood glamour driving traffic numbers.
I've been writing about this truth for almost as long as I've been writing this blog. A series of articles in February – April 2010 ruminated on Avatar and its reception, and I posed one very simple question back then which is even more relevant now: why is it that every blockbuster that's released seems to break a new box-office record?
Summer 2007 was a nadir for sustained mendacity: almost a case of "Shrek 3 has the biggest ever opening weekend, beating the previous record-holder Spider-Man 3, which beat the previous record-holder Pirates of the Caribbean 2". But now we have a new whopper on our hands: The Force Awakens. Back in 2010 I noted that banner headlines about record-breaking opening weekend box-office grosses become hilarious if you do the unthinkable, and adjust the figures for inflation. Titanic is the only film made after 1982 that makes the all-time Top 10 once you adjust for inflation.
Yet right now we are being repeatedly whacked over the head with the notion that The Force Awakens is the most popular film in the history of popularity and film. And thankfully Andrew O'Hehir of Salon.com has weighed into the fray with a truly irrepressible combo of sarcasm and statistics:
If you squint and fudge in just the right light, The Force Awakens is now sorta-kinda the biggest hit in United States history, and has maybe a 50/50 shot of catching Avatar for the No. 1 global spot.
Actually, a further word on Disney's loud crowing this week about SW: TFA having reached the status of Biggest Movie Ever. That word would be "oh no, you don't." If you adjust for inflation — which is, y'know, how actual economic comparisons are done — it's not even close. According to Box Office Mojo's seemingly reasonable calculations, The Force Awakens is now roughly the No. 21 movie of all time, well below such titles as The Lion King, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and The Exorcist. It will certainly climb a fair bit higher, but I'm not convinced it will earn the extra $300 million required to catch Doctor Zhivago at No. 8. And I would bet Donald Trump's bottom dollar that it won't get anywhere near the all-time champ, Gone With the Wind, which made almost $200 million in 1939 dollars, in a nation with less than half our current population where the typical movie ticket cost less than a quarter.
The new Star Wars is a big movie, for sure. But it's not quite as ginormous and culture-dominating and universally beloved as Disney wants us to think it is. The bigness of TFA, or at least the idea of its bigness, is a central element of the Mouse House strategy to spin Star Wars into a marketing, merchandising and entertainment empire.
Since he wrote that piece The Force Awakens has climbed up to reach 11 on the all-time list, but is still nearly 200 million shy of catching Doctor Zhivago. It would need to double its gross to date to topple Gone with the Wind… But what does it all betoken?
O'Hehir sees deep cynicism in The Force Awakens' marketing style of lying constantly about record-breaking popularity. Back in 2010 I wrote that the obsession with opening weekends was a betrayal of proper cultural criticism, never mind the lasting quality of the film feel the quantity of its inflated takings, and was actually lobotomising cinema. 2007's summer of the threequel proved enough eye candy and CGI could, combined with a huge PR push, generate a staggering opening weekend; which word of mouth would then collapse precipitously. I hoped Avatar had firmly thrashed the media and studio obsession with opening weekends by starting slow, not breaking any records, being almost dismissed as a failure for that, but then, when its takings didn't collapse but remained constant week after week, being trumpeted as a phenomenon. But then Shutter Island was hailed as Scorsese's most successful opening weekend, and Tim Burton's Alice the most successful 3-D film opening weekend.
Now I think that nothing is ever going to change this hyperbolic approach, because, even more than the cynicism O'Hehir identifies, I believe it betokens desperation. Adjusting for inflation raises the extremely uncomfortable truth for Hollywood that people are historically uninterested in cinema-going, no matter how many sensational headlines about record box-office business are fed out like so much pigswill.
I called for a ruthless insistence that Avatar's box-office gross be discounted for inflation, because it hadn't even dented the actual all-time Top 10. But now I think the best approach is mockery. The Force Awakens' need to scream from the rooftops how popular is it is no less pathetic than Betamax's plaintive advertisement in the 1980s reminding people it was still in the game. If you were really ginormous, culture-dominating and universally beloved you wouldn't need to tell people you were quite so much.
Cinema is no longer as important as it once was. The archetypal Saturday night movie memorably recounted by Gus Van Sant on the Bret Easton Ellis Podcast, where the entire high school rocked up to the cinema because that's what you did on Saturday night before anything else you might get up to, is long vanished. No amount of hype will bring that world back, just like no amount of fraud can hide the fact you can't buy a house for the same price your parents did because of inflation, and that inflation didn't magically not affect cinema tickets too.
Every time you hear The Force Awakens being trumpeted as uber-successful, so much winning it would make Donald Trump and Charlie Sheen tired of winning, remember you're hearing a desperate plea for relevance rooted in insecurity. And think of this.


text:
WASHINGTON – Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said people should not take her attendance at a White House dinner Sunday night as a suggestion that she and President Barack Obama are now "BFFs."
Brewer, who took heat last year when she skipped a White House dinner that was part of the National Governors Association meeting, made a point of scheduling the dinner this year.
"So now I go today and now it's that we're BFFs," a laughing Brewer said Monday, using Internet shorthand for "best friends forever."
The governor's absence from the 2012 dinner came up at the time on "Meet the Press," when Brewer said the gathering was just "a social thing."
"You know, I am a governor, I've got priorities and I will be there Monday when we all meet and … discuss policy," she said then.
Back in Washington this weekend for the governors' annual meeting, Brewer attended both the Sunday night dinner and a Monday luncheon at the White House with the other governors.
"Last year I had another event that had been scheduled that was very important to the economy in the state of Arizona, so I chose to go to that because I knew I was going to be with the president the next day," Brewer said Monday. "And I got a bum rap on that, that I was being disrespectful or whatever it was.
"My planning (this year) was strategically done so that I could go attend last night and today, and I was pleased that I did," she said Monday.
At this year's dinner, Obama spoke for a few minutes to the assembled governors, touching on the need for the country to work together to rebuild the economy and find solutions to other challenges.
"The task before us is to find smart, common-sense solutions to each of these challenges that we can move forward on. And I'm looking for good partners," Obama said, according to a transcript of the meeting.
He made much the same pitch at a Monday lunch with the governors. Brewer said she understood why Obama would reach out, but it would be a hard sell for Republican governors to take back to their delegations.
Bruce Merrill, senior research fellow with the Morrison Institute for Public Policy, said Brewer's attendance at this year's White House dinner is not likely to have any significant impact politically.
He said Brewer still maintains a strong standing with the Tea Party, stemming from her confrontation with the president on a Phoenix tarmac in January 2012. The picture of her pointing her finger at the president presented an image of someone with the courage to stand up Obama, Merrill said.
"Just the fact that she went to this dinner isn't going to change that," he said.
Merrill said only Brewer knows if she had change of heart or if her decision to attend this year's dinner was politically motivated.
"Without really knowing why she did it, either last year or this year, anybody can prescribe motivations to it, but nobody except her really knows," Merrill said.
For her part, Brewer seems resigned to having her actions interpreted – or misinterpreted.
"It doesn't matter what I do, it's just like it goes someplace else," she said.