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Current StatusView additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.
Bill Number: 2016 Ratification Number: 97 Act Number 62 Introducing Body: House Subject: The writing of professional liability insurance for professionals
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
SECTION 1. The General Assembly declares that there exists the potential for a professional liability insurance crisis for professionals licensed and regulated by the State because of the high cost of liability insurance and a failure of competition. These conditions could result in a situation in which liability insurance would not be available to professionals licensed and regulated by the State.
The public interest requires that a contingency program for providing professional liability insurance be enacted and that the Insurance Commission of South Carolina activate this program upon finding that an emergency exists because insurance is not available through normal channels or is not available on a reasonable basis because of lack of competition or otherwise.
SECTION 2. As used in this act:
(1) "Association" means any joint underwriting association established pursuant to this act.
(2) "Professional liability insurance" means insurance protection against the legal liability of the insured and against loss, damage, or expense incident to a claim arising out of service to or representation of any person as the result of negligence or malpractice in rendering or failing to render a professional service.
(3) "Net direct premiums" means gross direct premiums written on bodily injury liability insurance, other than automobile liability insurance, homeowners liability insurance, and farmowners liability insurance, including the liability component of multiple peril package policies, as computed by the Chief Insurance Commissioner less return premiums or the unused or unabsorbed portions of premium deposits.
JUA insurers
SECTION 3. (A) A joint underwriting association is created, consisting of all insurers authorized to write within this State, on a direct basis, bodily injury liability insurance, other than automobile bodily injury liability insurance, homeowners liability insurance, and farmowners liability insurance, including insurers covering such peril in multiple peril package policies. Every such insurer is and must remain a member of the association as a condition of its authority to continue to transact this kind of insurance in this State.
(B) The purpose of the association is to provide professional liability insurance on a self-supporting basis to the fullest extent possible.
(C) The association is activated when the Commission finds and declares the existence of an emergency because of the unavailability of professional liability insurance or the unavailability of such insurance on a reasonable basis through normal channels.
SECTION 4. The association has the power on behalf of its members to:
(1) issue, or cause to be issued, policies of insurance to applicants including incidental coverages such as, but not limited to, premises or operations liability coverage on the premises where services are rendered, all subject to limits of liability as specified in the plan of operation but not to exceed five million dollars for all claimants under one policy in any one year;
(2) underwrite professional liability insurance and to adjust and pay losses with respect thereto or to appoint service companies to perform those functions;
(3) cede and assume reinsurance.
Creation of JUA by professional association
SECTION 5. (A) Upon application by the members of a professional association seeking creation of a joint underwriting association, the Commissioner shall promulgate a plan of operation consistent with this act. The plan of operation is operative no later than thirty days after the declaration of an emergency by the Commission.
(B) The plan of operation shall provide for economic, fair, and nondiscriminatory administration and for the prompt and efficient provision of professional liability insurance and may contain other provisions including, but not limited to, preliminary assessment of all members for initial expenses necessary to commence operations, establishment of necessary facilities, management of the association, assessment of the members to defray losses and expenses, commission arrangements, reasonable and objective underwriting standards, acceptance and cession of reinsurance, appointment of servicing carriers, and procedures for determining amounts of insurance to be provided by the association.
(C) The plan of operation shall provide that any profit achieved by the association must be added to the reserves of the association or returned to the policyholders as a dividend but under no circumstances whatsoever shall any profit be paid over to or received by an insurer either in currency or any other benefit of any kind.
(D) Amendments to the plan of operation may be made by the directors of the association with the approval of the Commissioner or must be made at the direction of the Commissioner after proper notice and public hearing.
Coverage by the association
SECTION 6. Upon the activation of the plan of operation, any professional licensed in this State is entitled to apply to the association for coverage. The application shall be made on behalf of the applicant by a licensed agent or broker authorized in writing by the applicant.
If the association determines that the applicant meets the underwriting standards of the association as set forth in the approved plan of operation and there is no unpaid, uncontested premium due from the applicant for any prior insurance of the same kind, the association, upon receipt of the premium, or a portion thereof as prescribed by the plan of operation, shall cause to be issued a policy of professional liability insurance for a term of one year.
The rates, rating plans, rating rules, rating classifications, territories, and policy forms applicable to insurance written by the association and the statistical and experience data relating thereto are subject to this act and to those provisions of Chapter 43, Title 38, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, which are not inconsistent with this act.
Costs of professional liability insurance
SECTION 7. The Commissioner shall obtain complete statistical data in respect to professional liability losses and reparation costs as well as all other costs or expenses which underlie or are related to professional liability insurance. The Commissioner shall promulgate any statistical plan he considers necessary for the purpose of gathering data referable to loss and loss adjustment expense experience and other expense experience. When the statistical plan is promulgated all members of the association shall adopt and use it. The Commissioner also shall obtain statistical data in respect to the costs of compensating victims of professional liability. The Commissioner may require from any person obtaining insurance through the association loss, claim, or expense data.
SECTION 8. In structuring rates for professional liability insurance and determining the profit or loss of the association in respect to such insurance, consideration must be given by the Commissioner to all investment income so that investment income is a part of the rate-making and setting process.
SECTION 9. Within a time that the Commissioner directs, the association shall submit, for the Commissioner's approval, an initial filing, in proper form, of policy forms, classifications, rates, rating plans, and rating rules applicable to professional liability insurance to be written by the association. If the Commissioner disapproves the initial filing, in whole or in part, the association shall amend the filing, in whole or in part, in accordance with the direction of the Commissioner. If the Commissioner is unable to approve the filing or amended filing, within the time specified, he shall promulgate the policy forms, classifications, rates, rating plans, and rules to be used by the association in making rates for and writing the insurance.
Insurance policy
SECTION 10. (A) Policy forms and rate structure must be on an occurrence basis and coverage provided by the association only on that basis.
(B) The policy may not contain any limitation in relation to the existing law in tort as provided by the statute of limitations of this State.
(C) The policy form shall not require as a condition precedent to settlement or compromise of any claim the consent or acquiescence of the insured. However, such settlement or compromise is not considered an admission of fault or wrongdoing by the insured.
(D) The premium rate charged for coverage must be at rates established on an actuarially sound basis, including consideration of trends in the frequency and severity of losses and must be calculated to be self-supporting.
Rate increase
SECTION 11. The association may provide a rate increase or assessment subject to the Commissioner's approval.
SECTION 12. Any deficit sustained by the association in any year must be recouped, pursuant to the plan of operation and the rating plan then in effect, by one or both of the following procedures:
(1) an assessment upon the policyholders, which may not exceed one additional annual premium at the then current rate;
(2) a rate increase applicable prospectively.
Rate basis
SECTION 13. After the initial year of operation, rates, rating plans, and rating rules, and any provision for recoupment through policyholder assessment or premium rate increase must be based upon the association's loss and expense experience and investment income, together with any other information based upon this experience and income as the Commissioner considers appropriate. The resultant premium rates must be on an actuarially sound basis and must be calculated to be self-supporting.
If sufficient funds are not available for the sound financial operation of the association, pending recoupment as provided in Section 12 of this act, all members, on a temporary basis, shall contribute to the financial requirements of the association in the manner provided for in Section 14 of this act. Any such contribution must be reimbursed to the members following recoupment as provided in Section 12 of this act.
Insurer's participation
SECTION 14. All insurers which are members of the association shall participate in its writings, expenses, and losses in the proportion that the net direct premiums of each member, excluding that portion of premiums attributable to the operation of the association, written during the preceding calendar year bear to the aggregate net direct premiums written in this State by all members of the association. Each insurer's participation in the association must be determined annually on the basis of the net direct premiums written during the preceding calendar year, as reported in the annual statements and other reports filed by the insurer with the Commissioner. No member may be obligated in any one year to reimburse the association because of its proportionate share in the deficit from operations of the association in that year in excess of one percent of its surplus to policyholders and the aggregate amount not so reimbursed must be reallocated among the remaining members in accordance with the method of determining participation prescribed in this section after excluding from the computation the total net direct premiums of all members not sharing in the excess deficit. If the deficit from operations allocated to all members of the association in any calendar year exceeds one percent of their respective surplus to policyholders, the amount of the deficit must be allocated to each member in accordance with the method of determining participation prescribed in this section.
Member bound
SECTION 15. Every member of the association is bound by the approved plan of operation of the association and the rules of the board of directors of the association.
Termination of an insurer, obligation
SECTION 16. (A) If the authority of an insurer to transact bodily injury liability insurance, other than automobile, homeowners, or farmowners, in this State terminates for any reason, its obligations as a member of the association continue until all its obligations are fulfilled and the Commissioner has so found and certified to the board of directors.
(B) If a member insurer merges into or consolidates with another insurer authorized to transact insurance in this State or another insurer authorized to transact insurance in this State has reinsured the insurer's entire general liability business in this State, both the insurer and its successor or assuming reinsurer, as the case may be, are liable for the insurer's obligations to the association.
(C) Any unsatisfied net liability of any insolvent member of the association must be assumed by and apportioned among the remaining members in the same manner in which assessments or gain and loss are apportioned and the association shall acquire and have all rights and remedies allowed by law in behalf of the remaining members against the estate or funds of the insolvent insurer for funds due the association.
JUA board
SECTION 17. Each joint underwriting association is governed by a board of seven directors, one of whom is appointed by the Governor to represent the general public and four of whom are appointed by the Governor and represent professionals covered under the association. Two directors are the Chairman of the Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee of the House of Representatives or his designee and the Chairman of the Banking and Insurance Committee of the Senate or his designee, both of whom shall serve ex officio. The approved plan of operation of the association may make provision for combining insurers under common ownership or management into groups for voting, assessment, and all other purposes and may provide that not more than one of the officers or employees of such a group may serve as a director at any one time. The Commissioner is chairman of the board of directors, ex officio, and he, or his designee, must preside at all meetings of the board but has no vote except in the case of a tie.
Appeal from ruling
SECTION 18. Any applicant for insurance through the association, any person insured pursuant to this act, or his representative, or any insurer adversely affected, or claiming to be adversely affected, by any ruling, action, or decision by or on behalf of the association, may appeal to the Commission within thirty days after the ruling, action, or decision.
Statements filed
SECTION 19. The association shall file in the office of the Commissioner annually by March first a statement containing information with respect to its transactions, condition, operations, and affairs during the preceding year. The statement shall contain information prescribed by the Commissioner and must be in the form he directs.
The Commissioner, at any reasonable time, may require the association to furnish additional information concerning its transactions, condition, or any matter connected therewith considered to be material and of assistance in evaluating the scope, operations, and experience of the association.
Examination of finances
SECTION 20. The Commissioner shall make an examination into the financial condition and affairs of the association at least annually and shall file a report thereon with the Commission, the Governor, and the General Assembly. The expenses of the examination must be paid by the association.
Time effective
SECTION 21. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.


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1. Ever heard of a traditional groom's cake? Neither had we until we saw this handsome bow-tied gateau—baked up so that single gals can take a piece home to put under their pillows. An old wives tale says they'll marry the one they dream of that night. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
2. Throwing a wedding in a wine region has obvious perks, but some not-so-obvious ones, too: Many wineries will happily donate used wine bottle corks that you can use to make into place card holders. Simply (and carefully) slice off one long side with a sharp knife so the cork will stay upright, then slit the cork across the top and slip in a place card. Find area wineries at lpwines.com or wineriesofoldmission.com. PHOTO BY NORTHERN ART PHOTOGRAPHY
3. Maybe you fell in love licking ice cream cones together while the sun set over Lake Michigan. Or maybe you didn't. Either way, hand-dipped cones are a whimsically simple dessert for a summer wedding. PHOTO BY CORY WEBER PHOTOGRAPHY
4. Proper footwear is required at beachside weddings. Help out your guests by having a bucketful of colorful flip-flops in a range of sizes, sand-side. PHOTO BY NORTHERN ART PHOTOGRAPHY
5. Nobody ever said a perfect pair has to match. Mismatched candlesticks and vases shake up your table décor. PHOTO BY CORY WEBER PHOTOGRAPHY
6. Please pie lovers (and show off Up North's fruit belt) by trading the traditional tiered masterpiece for some good old-fashioned dessert. Whoever said it has to be wedding cake? PHOTO BY CORY WEBER PHOTOGRAPHY
7. Your groomsmen are handsome, funny and smart—and maybe they can even dance. But can they tie a tie? Avoid last minute knotty problems and be ready with tie-tying 101 lesson materials. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
8. The coolest way to get from the chapel to the reception? A bridal party float. (As if you needed reasons to party on a boat.) PHOTO BY CORY WEBER PHOTOGRAPHY
9. Throwing rice at the bride and groom can hurt people and birds; confetti leaves a mess. Blowing bubbles? Sweet. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
10. For an altruistic twist on wedding favors, make a donation to your favorite nonprofit, then create an artful way to let your guests know. PHOTO BY CORY WEBER PHOTOGRAPHY
11. Customize your thank-you notes: Pick a fun spot at your wedding venue, pose with a "thank you" sign and have a friend snap a pic. If you're not the DIY-computer type, head to a copy shop to have the photo imprinted on cards. PHOTO BY NORTHERN ART PHOTOGRAPHY
12. Personalize your table numbers by framing pictures of yourselves imprinted with the table number. PHOTO BY JEN KROLL PHOTOGRAPHY
13. Pose with Big Mac, and the world (or at least everyone who looks at your wedding pics) will know you were married Up North. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
14. Green up your wedding reception by substituting Ball jars for paper cups. Pick up tags at an office supply store, write your guests' names on them, and tie them to the mouth of the jar with ribbon or raffia. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
15. If you want an outdoor wedding but can't give up the heels, better wear your SoleMates. thesolemates.com. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
16. Simple, rustic, hand-painted signs are a charming way to show guests the way to outdoor weddings. PHOTO BY NORTHERN ART PHOTOGRAPHY
17. Your bridesmaids are beautiful—but so are your bridesmaids' dresses. Pose them for a photo before the wedding in a pretty location. PHOTO BY NORTHERN ART PHOTOGRAPHY
18. If the shoe fits you, your wedding will too. Are you as simply elegant as a ballet slipper? … PHOTO BY PARKER PHOTOGRAPHIC
19. Prone to pairin' leather with your lace? … PHOTO BY CORY WEBER PHOTOGRAPHY
20. Oh, yes, you are a princess … . PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
21. Most comfortable in nothing at all. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
22. An idea so simple it's profound: Create an outdoor Northwoods altar using birch logs topped with flowers. Then say your "I do's" between them. PHOTO BY NORTHERN ART PHOTOGRAPHY
23. Hang glass jars from garden shepherd hooks, and you'll instantly dress up any outdoor space you'll use for your wedding. Fill the jars with bouquets during the day. Burn tealights in them at night. PHOTO BY CORY WEBER PHOTOGRAPHY
24. Remember to ask your wedding photographer to record the occasion's artful details. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
25. We can't think of a better way to spell out the romance of an Up North wedding than a love note in the sand. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
26. Cupcakes bake the mess out of slicing up a wedding cake—a particular problem during steamy summer outdoor weddings. It's also a great way to mix up cake and icing flavors. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
27. She's not your bridesmaid (or maybe she is?) but she is your best friend. Don't forget to dress Crumpet for the occasion. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
28. Chances are your wedding photographer will own the print and web rights to your photos. Give your wedding party pocket digital cameras, and you'll be all over Facebook. PHOTO BY NORTHERN ART PHOTOGRAPHY
29. Blast off into your new life with a fireworks grand finale. PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCARLETT
Get Your Copy of MyNorth Wedding 2010
See the colorful feature filled with these wedding ideas in MyNorth Wedding 2010, a gorgeous Northern Michigan wedding magazine pairing beautiful photography with the real nuts and bolts information every bride and groom wants to know about available Northern Michigan venues and suppliers. Buy MyNorth Wedding 2010 now. And get more ideas by buying MyNorth Wedding 2009 as well.
More Wonderful Wedding Ideas and Stories
- Bookmark the MyNorth Weddings Resource Directory for wedding suppliers and venues in Northern Michigan.
- A Northern Michigan Wedding at The Homestead Overlooking Lake Michigan
- A Pavilion Northern Michigan Wedding at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa
- A Fall Northern Michigan Wedding at The Great Wolf Lodge
- Northern Michigan Wedding Amongst the Gardens at Frog Pond Village
- Wildflowers Galore at this Northern Michigan Wedding at Shanty Creek Resort
Find MyNorth Wedding at these Michigan Bridal Shows
MyNorth Wedding is looking forward to a season of bridal shows and wedding expos where you'll also find our latest issue of MyNorth Wedding. We're delighted to be collaborating with producers or exhibitors at these Bridal and Wedding Shows:
- Brides-to-Be, Fairlane Hyatt : 1/2/10
- Bridal World, Lansing: 1/9/10
- Brides-to-Be, Fern Hill CC, Clinton Twp: 1/9/10
- Downtown TC Bridal Show: 1/9/10
- Bridal Celebrations at the Palace at Auburn Hills: 1/17/10
- Big Rapids Bridal Show: 1/17/10
- Winter Bridal Show of WM, Grand Rapids: 1/22-1/23/2010
- Brides-to-Be, Ann Arbor: 1/23/10
- Cadillac Bridal Show: 1/23/10
- Brides-to-Be, St Clair Shores: 1/30/10
- GT Resort Bridal Show: 1/30/10
- TC Bridal Extravaganza: 2/7/10
- Brides-to-Be, Shelby Twp: 2/20/10
- Brides-to-Be, Novi Sheraton: 2/27/10
- Brides-to-Be, Troy: 3/6/10
- Brides-to-Be, Birmingham: 3/20/06
- Brides-to-Be, Clinton Twp: 4/17/06
Join the Northern Michigan Wedding Conversation
Would you like to connect with other couples getting married Up North or get advice from others who've already gotten married in Northern Michigan? Visit the Getting Married Up North group on MyNorth.com's Commnunity.

subset: commoncrawl


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Almost exactly four years ago (crap, seems like yesterday!) Fred wrote about his first experience with Sonos. He summed up the experience pretty well:
[The Sonos system] delivered a premium experience for me and if you are looking for a simple, elegant solution for integrating digital music and music services like Rhapsody and Internet radio into your home audio system, you should give Sonos a really good look.
It rocks.
I remember being intrigued, and a few months later Fred dropped in to say hi to the Sonos team, and talked about what a remarkable group they were.
I don't know why that post stuck with me, but it did. A few months later, Google acquired FeedBurner. I splurged and bought a Sonos bundle, similar to this package that you can buy at Amazon. I wrote about my initial impressions in August of '07, remarking that "I couldn't be happier. If you're a music lover, you need one of these. It's as revolutionary for audio as TiVo was for video."
Two and a half years later, I remain as happy with the purchase as I was then. They released an iPhone app, which made the overall system even more valuable (now both Robin and I could control the Sonos from anywhere, without needing to have a laptop on or be near the Sonos remote). We added a zone, giving us a total of three separate zones (one of which I plugged two sets of speakers into, so technically we have the Sonos delivering music to four zones in the house). From an iPhone (or a computer, or the Sonos remote), we can instantly pull up any of millions of tracks from Rhapsody (we pay a monthly subscription to Rhapsody), or stream any of Pandora's music anywhere in the house, or listen to just about any Internet radio station in the world (including our favorite, WMVY from Martha's Vineyard), or listen to our own MP3s. You get the idea.
Recently, Sonos announced the S5, an all-in-one music device that's a bit different from their usual fare. Unlike the devices I've got (which either connect directly to speakers or to a receiver, which carries the music to the speakers), the S5 is a set of speakers, along with the hardware that connects the device to your network. We used to own a Bose Sounddock, which we would park our iPod into… the S5 has a similar form factor, and invites comparison to that class of product.
Over the last couple years, I've gotten to know Thomas, the guy who manages PR for Sonos. I've sent some suggestions for the Sonos (a few of which have found their way into the product, a few of which he's explained – politely! – why it's unlikely to happen), and he's occasionally given me an early glimpse into upcoming Sonos releases.
A couple weeks ago he pinged me and asked if I'd bought an S5 yet. I told him I was intrigued, but hadn't figured out how to convince my wife that we needed one. To be clear, if there's any technology I've purchased in the last decade that Robin couldn't live without, it'd be the Sonos. It's given us more to listen to, encouraged us to sample music we wouldn't ordinarily sample, and track artists who we'd otherwise miss. But I didn't think I'd get away with adding to the system. Thomas, eager to get my feedback on the unit, put one in the mail. (More on this in a minute.)
I unpacked it last night, and am floored: within a couple minutes (literally – it might have been under two minutes) of plugging the unit in, I was streaming crystal-clear music from Pandora. It's immediately linked to my other Sonos zones (and therefore has access to my credentials for the services I've already configured; new users would have a few minutes of setup to get to that point), and was instantly controllable from my iPhone.
|Sonos S5
The biggest question for any all-in-one device like this is the sound quality. I shouldn't be surprised, given my prior experience with Sonos, but I was still floored at how rich the sound from the unit was. I have decent speakers at the house, so I was prepared to hear a less full (and certainly less bass) sound… and I was completely wrong. I can't come up with anything other than "full" to describe how rich it sounds. Really impressive.
It's hard to imagine why you'd spend several hundred dollars for a higher-end iPod dock when you get so much more from the S5. In addition to your entire music collection(s) (on any hard drive connected to your home network), you get the advantages of all of the Internet-connected services (like Rhapsody, Pandora, and Last.fm) as well as hundreds of streaming radio stations. I can't recommend the S5 highly enough – and unlike the earlier Sonos price points that are $1k for the bundle and $500+ for individual zones (without speakers), the S5 is a great way to jump in at just $399. Bottom line – it's just a perfect example of what a great team can build when they remain laser-focused on the user experience.
Disclosure: As mentioned above, the S5 was sent to me at no cost from Thomas at Sonos. My other 3 Sonos zones are all purchased units.


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Outdoor Lights
If your home is your castle, the area surrounding it is your royal garden. And what would a royal garden be without outdoor lighting? Lights4Living stocks a wide range of outdoor lights because we know how beneficial they are to any property owner or tenant.
Here are just two examples of our many outdoor lights:
Outdoor Porch Lighting – Illuminating your porch is beneficial in two ways. First, it adds an element of safety inasmuch as burglars do not like operating in areas where they can be seen. As for the second benefit, it is one of welcoming your visitors. An illuminated porch tells your visitors you have anticipated their arrival and you are glad they've stopped by.
Outdoor Garden Zone Lights – When you install outdoor lights in your garden, you are making it easier to see as you walk around while also adding beauty through the subtle accents proper lighting provides. You could make the case there is nothing more beautiful than a properly lit garden at night.
Regardless of the size of your outdoor areas, you can benefit by installing outdoor lights for a variety of applications. Whether you are illuminating your paths, your drive, or your home, we have the right outdoor lighting solution for you


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In the midst of the largest scandal to rock the U.S. solar industry, the Department of Energy is plowing ahead with a series of smaller initiatives that could help sun-fueled electricity compete with conventional energy supplies.
The goal of the DOE's SunShot Initiative is to trim the costs of owning and operating solar systems by 75 percent by 2020. This month, just days after California solar firm Solyndra's collapse sparked criticism of President Obama's clean energy push, the department doled out more than $145 million in grants to nearly 70 advanced solar technology projects.
Most of the SunShot projects are focused on developing nascent solar technologies, improving existing ones or finding better ways to connect solar panels to the grid.
But a handful of recipients are also striving for something less tangible: to break down the bureaucratic barriers that keep homeowners, businesses and utilities from going solar.
Obtaining the paperwork needed for building codes, zoning laws and permitting rules can take solar installers and city officials months to complete, often delaying projects and raising costs. Few permits are offered online, and all those back-and-forth trips on foot to the permitting office can drive up the fees that contractors bill to consumers.
Some local governments have already begun finding ways to cut through the red tape. Thanks in part to their efforts, the price of putting up solar systems—excluding the cost of the panels themselves—fell by nearly 20 percent from 2009 to 2010, according to a Sept. 15 report by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which is managed by the University of California and supported by the DOE.
"If the costs and prices [of solar] are coming down, then it makes it more affordable, and that will only help to accelerate deployment," Galen Barbose, who co-authored the report, told InsideClimate News.
Several of the SunShot projects aim to speed up that process by putting the complex piles of paperwork and project site details at the fingertips of solar installers and officials nationwide.
For instance, a key part of Clean Power Finance's SunShot project is to capture local permitting policies and launch them into the internet era, said Nat Kramer, CEO of the San Francisco firm that provided software services to 40 percent of all U.S. residential solar systems last year. The company also offers financing options that solar installers can offer their customers.
Clean Power Finance is using $3 million from the DOE over three years, matched with its own $1 million investment, to create software that enables city authorities and installers to handle paperwork online. Contractors would be able to print an application from the system and submit it to the permitting office. Once the request is processed, the permitting office could upload an approval instantly—not weeks or months later. The installer could print the permit, head straight to the customer's house or project site and get to work. It's a fairly standard concept for businesses by now, but one that many municipalities, juggling multiple permits from various city and state agencies, have struggled to adopt.
Initially, Clean Power Finance will upload the rules and requirements from its vast customer base. It also hopes to gather than information from the 25 major U.S. cities participating in the DOE's Solar America Cities program, which supports federal-local partnerships to enable residents and businesses to install solar systems.
Solar developers will be able to log on to Clean Power Finance's database and pull up information from any jurisdiction before they give their customers a cost and time estimate, saving them the expense and trouble of redesigning proposals if it turns out the city requires more than they first realized. City officials can also use the database to learn from other municipalities.
"This is really about building software and a database that will bring the permitting process into the 21st century, accelerate installation and improve customer service," Kramer said.
The Energy Policy Institute (EPI) at Boise State University also has an innovative database in the works, this one designed for developers of utility-scale solar installations out West. The institute received a $2.8 million SunShot award to duplicate a project-planning tool it had already developed for electricity transmission lines for the solar industry.
The database gathers data from geographic information systems that find potential sites for solar farms based on an area's physical features and ownership—be it federal, state, tribal or private—plus its natural resources and environmental or wildlife constraints.
What sets it apart from existing planning tools is that it will also gauge how local communities might react to utility-scale solar projects—whether they will reject a plan flat out or have preferences or concerns about a project's location.
"Public opinion is definitely one of the most significant factors" in developing a project, said David Solan, the institute's director. "When projects actually don't move forward and there are problems because of public opposition, in some cases the developers seem surprised, which they shouldn't be."
The EPI team is working with the DOE to develop a survey that, with additional funding, could be distributed to a broad range of people nationwide. They'll talk with government officials, developers and environmental groups to find out what held up projects in the past and where residents prefer that projects be located.
The EPI's electricity transmission database currently covers only Idaho but could eventually encompass the rest of the Intermountain West, a region that includes parts of Utah, Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. The institute could initially apply its solar planning tool to that region as well.
"Our [solar] tool is a screening tool that identifies what might be the most optimal sites depending on your criteria, but says 'this particular area of your project might be controversial, so you really need to be working with the public,'" Solan said. "This is sort of helping to speed up the process [early on] and prevent headaches down the road."
Solan said the platform will be offered free to the solar industry and to public officials.
"This is the type of thing that could move solar forward," he said. "We can keep it open for everybody, rather than just benefiting one specific company.
"If we're going to roll out a clean energy economy and increase the amount of electricity we get from renewable energy resources, we really need to take a new look at how infrastructure is sited."


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KEY WEST, Fla.—The third and last Cuban migrant who disappeared while trying to windsurf across the Florida Straits has been found adrift.
Coast Guard officials found the man late Friday afternoon. He was barely able to speak. Coast Guardsman Petty Officer Third Class Alex Davis tells The Key West Citizen (http://bit.ly/1grZjWC ) the man would probably not have made it one more day. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is investigating and will determine whether the men will be taken back to Cuba.
The three migrants left Jibacoa, Cuba, on Tuesday. One made it to Key West more than nine hours later and told authorities that he lost sight of the others about 60 miles south of Key West. A second was found by a boater Thursday.
Information from: The Key West (Fla.) Citizen, http://www.keysnews.com


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So much news passes before our collective eyes every day that we couldn't possibly cover it all. Mostly because much of it isn't worth covering! But here are a some borderline tidbits we passed on, just in case.
Chrome Passes Firefox for the Number Two Browser Spot
To make the browser market share race interesting, picture it as one of those Hanna Barbara Saturday morning cartoon races. IE is Dick Dastardly, natch. [Uber Gizmo]
Auto-Tweeting Cat Nap Thing Is Worst Auto-Tweeting Thing and Worst Cat Thing
Things that tweet every time X does Y are mostly harmless, but my goodness does this bed that tweets every time a cat turns over during a nap make me weep for all things cat and tweets and napping. [Cult of Mac]
Sprint Gives Clearwire a Stay of Irrelevance
Sprint already bought its ticket for the LTE train, but that doesn't mean they're leaving 4G WiMax partner Clearwire out in the cold. At least, not until 2015, which is when the two companies' freshly inked extension expires. At which point Clearwire will have transitioned to LTE themselves, or settled into retirement village. [Clearwire]
Left Behind is our daily collection of chaff we didn't think was quite good enough to post on its own, and why.


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Washington, Bushrod
Washington, Bushrod, 1762–1829, American jurist, b. Westmoreland co., Va.; nephew of George Washington. He was an original member of Phi Beta Kappa at the College of William and Mary, where he was graduated in 1778. Having served (1780–82) in the American Revolution, he was a member of the Virginia house of delegates and of the Virginia convention that adopted (1788) the Constitution. In 1798 he was appointed associate justice of the Supreme Court. He was executor of George Washington's estate and aided John Marshall in writing his biography of Washington. He helped organize the American Colonization Society in 1816.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: U.S. History: Biographies


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Zig Zag Cones
$ 2.49
Zig Zag Cones
- Eliquid contains nicotine (unless 0mg is ordered). Nicotine is addictive and it should not be used by anyone under 18 years old, pregnant women or nursing women.
- Eliquid does contains propylene glycol. Those who are allergic to propylene glycol or with other medical conditions should consult a physician prior to use.tob
- If large amounts are swallowed or excessive or prolonged skin contact please seek medical attention!
- Keep out of reach of children and pets!
- Store in a cool dry place, out of direct sunlight.
- Do not drink or swallow eliquid!
- Use at your own risk!


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The GMRV (Grupo de Modelado y Realidad Virtual) is a group formed by researchers of the University Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) and the University Politécnica de Madrid (UPM). It is composed of 32 researchers (15 phd) and 25 research assistants distributed between both universities and counts with an important set of equipment dedicated to the development of VR applications and high performance computation.
The mission of this group is to create a team able of proposing, planning and developing sophisticated applications and algorithms within the framework of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in these areas:
pursuing a vertical integration of the elements involved: universities, private companies and public institutions.
Since its creation, the group has participated in more than 25 research projects of various kinds, financed by public or private entities. This research has enabled GMRV to achieve a high production of scientific-technical publications.
Technology transfer has been another of the pillars on which the activity of the group has been based, registering 4 patents and establishing solid collaborations with companies (e.g. GMV, NextLimit, ACCIONA, EADS-CASA, Tecnatom, ABADIA, etc.) and organisms or public entities (for instance, Hospital La Paz, Hospital Gregorio Marañón, etc.).
During this period, GMRV has fostered international partnership establishing collaborations of scientific and educative nature with institutions and groups of recognized international prestige.
More recently, GMRV has been incorporated into the Blue Brain project (http://bluebrain.epfl.ch/), focusing their activity towards the extraction, management, visualization and simulation of more complete and accurate models of the morphology and connectivity of neurons that make up the cortex.
Among our teaching activities, is


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The two companies are collaborating on Atom chip manufacturing, IP, and, system-on-a-chip silicon.
Updated at 10:50 a.m. PST with additional information from announcement and Intel-TSMC conference call.
Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. will collaborate on Atom chip production, the companies announced Monday.
For its part, Intel is eying big markets--such as smartphones--where it is currently not a player, but TSMC is. "Many of our customers already had an existing IP (Intellectual Property) infrastructure on TSMC that they would like to take advantage of as they ramp Atom-based products. That's essentially what the agreement is about," said Anand Chandrashekar, senior vice president at Intel, speaking Monday morning in a joint Intel-TSMC conference call. Atom is currently the most widely used processor in Netbooks.
Chips are targeted at end products such as handhelds, Netbooks, and consumer electronics, Chandrashekar said.
"(It's about) enabling Atom on TSMC (and) enabling TSMC to go after these new market segments as well as Intel going after these market segments together," Chandrashekar said.
Under the agreement, Intel would port its Atom processor CPU cores to the TSMC technology platform including processes, IP, libraries, and design flows. TSMC, however, will not market Atom chips as a TSMC product. It will serve solely as a manufacturer of Atom-related silicon, company executives said Monday. All products that emerge from the collaboration will be Intel-branded products.
Collaborating with another manufacturer on chip production is an unusual move for Intel, which prides itself on doing chip manufacturing in-house. It is not unprecedented, however, as Intel has consigned production of select silicon to outside manufacturers in the past. TSMC is the largest contract chip manufacturer in the world.
The upcoming Atom processor code-named Moorestown--due late this year or early next year--will be a system on a chip (SOC) that combines the processor, graphics, memory controller, and video encode/decode into a single chip package. An accompanying chip will provide functions such as wireless, storage, and I/O (input/output).
TSMC already makes SOCs for companies such as Qualcomm and Texas Instruments.
Intel's goal is to get its x86 architecture-based Moorestown SOCs into future cell phones. The chipmaker recently announced a deal with LG Electronics whereby LG will use Intel's Moorestown processor in upcoming smartphones.
The challenge for Intel will be matching the energy frugality of silicon from longtime cell phone silicon suppliers like Qualcomm and Texas Instruments. Toshiba recently disclosed that it is using Qualcomm's Snapdragon chip in a forthcoming phone, and Qualcomm supplied the main processor in the first phone using Google's Android OS.


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I found the perfect commercial use for the Panasonic fz 1000 camera. A client that I just finished shooting 30 beautiful, environmental portraits for followed up the portrait assignment with a request for artistic detail shots of corners of buildings with dramatic skies behind them, abstract urban and construction photographs and other images that would make wonderfully engaging backgrounds for the main pages of their website. Since it's the kind of work I also love to shoot for myself I was very happy with the commission. It sounds to me as if someone just said, "Walk around downtown Austin and shoot anything that catches your eye. Be sure to leave a bit of clean space in the top left corner for our logo treatment."
The only impediment, currently, to full scale fun is the weather. We're having zany weather in Austin this Fall. Lots of cloud cover and lots of on again, off again rain showers. The photographs that the client and I have in mind are more likely to work with some deep blue sky peeking around striations and puffs of clouds. And I very much want direct, slanted sunlight on the buildings to jack the saturation and contrast to the right levels, without having to go nuts in PhotoShop.
I found some great structures over near the state capitol building ( actually, just south) and I shot as much as I could until the gray sky cover rolled back in to douse the sparkle. I looked up the weather report on my phone and it suggested that the clouds might burn off. Since I was near the capitol grounds I strolled on over and planted myself on a bench on the main pedestrian thoroughfare and indulged in some people watching while keeping part of my brain committed to the task of observing the weather.
As the clouds moved around and suggested that more visual opportunities may be nigh I gathered myself together and started walking back toward Congress Ave. and the promise of downtown. Over to my right I spied this little tree and, though I am not a landscape photographer by any means, I decided to give it a shot.
During the course of my first day out shooting the abstractions and buildings I have come to appreciate the true value proposition of the fz 1000 camera and its one inch sensor and gorgeous (for the money) EVF. The camera is fairly light (east to carry) but it's big enough to provide a stable platform that encourages good handholding techniques. The one inch sensor means Panasonic could design a really long and good lens for the camera --- one that's perfect for shooting outside in daylight. I could go from 25mm to 400mm (all equivalent focal lengths based on 35mm) and get the perfect crop for every shot I saw.
While I'm not sure the image stabilization in this camera is quite the equal of the vaunted, Olympus EM5.2 it's no slouch. When I push the shutter button half way down the image in the finder becomes very stable and still. Having examined hundreds and hundreds of stabilized files at this point, from this camera, I can say that I have yet to find a photo that was shot at a reasonable setting which is not tack sharp. Since the lens is well corrected and since these kinds of scenic shots don't call for very narrow depth of field I am happy to leave the lens set at f5.6 for almost everything. Again, looking through the take each afternoon, I am happy with the detail and sharpness of the lens. The only thing it requires in post processing, to be totally competitive with my other cameras is a boost of contrast and a little nudge on the clarity slider in Lightroom. A little correction and the files pop.
So far the camera meter and I agree almost all the time. There are instances where I want my image to be darker and moodier but my thumb falls right on top of the exposure compensation dial and the amount of correction is displayed in the finder. I am certain that (barring camera boredom syndrome) I will be able to handle the whole project quite well with just this Panasonic camera.
And the other attributes speak for themselves: A full range of focal lengths in one. No need to carry any extra accessories or lenses in a bag. I brought along an extra battery in my pocket but even after shooting over the course of three hours yesterday I still did not need to grab that spare. The one accessory I did take with me, attached to the camera at all times, was a circular polarizing filter. It makes the skies more fun.
It was cloudy most of this morning and, while we have a break now, it's supposed to cloud up a bit later on. I'm not concerned, the client understands the nature of this kind of shooting and is the picture of patience. I'll shoot until I have a nice catalog for them, then we'll know when the project is really over.
I'm not saying you personally need one of these amazing bridge cameras but I'm pretty sure if I didn't have an fz 1000 I'd be working harder and not getting anything that would please me more, as far as the files go. An alternative? The little Sony RX10.2. I've been playing around with one and it is at least as nice as the first version I owned. Each camera has its strengths and weaknesses. Right now I'm just appreciating that wonderful reach of the Panasonic's Leica designed zoom lens. It's really well done.
Hope you are having a fun Wednesday. I'm spending the rest of my day retouching portraits. But nice portraits of interesting people... I'll share with you when their site goes live.


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Just 15 years ago hardly anyone had a cellphone ... now almost EVERYONE's got one. And, beyond just talking, people are texting on the go. Here's Kidzworld's guide to sending text messages without having to type out every single word!
All About Acronyms
An acronym is a made-up word where each letter stands for the first letter of another word. For example, LOL stands for Laugh Out Loud. That's an acronym EVERYONE knows about nowadays. In fact, there are lots of acronyms we should all know by heart, since they help make texting so much faster and easier:
- AKA: Also Known As
- ASAP: As Soon As Possible
- BFF: Best Friends Forever
- BRB: Be Right Back
- BTW: By The Way
- IDK: I Don't Know
- ILY: I Love You
- IMHO: In My Honest/Humble Opinion
- IMO: In My Opinion
- JK: Just Kidding
- NP: No Problem
- ROFL: Rolling On Floor Laughing
- TTYL: Talk To You Later
Sometimes acronyms use numbers in place of letters, or letters that stand for the shortcut for another word (like U for "YOU"):
- B4: Before
- B4N: Bye For Now
- CUL: See You Later
- RU: Are You
- UR: You Are
The Long & Short Of It
Rather than typing out an entire word, there are lots of ways to shorten common words – for example, replacing a letter with a number, dropping a vowel here and there or combining two words together to make one – and still get your meaning across on your phone:
- 2day: Today
- 2morro: Tomorrow
- Gonna: Going to
- Gr8: Great
- Thx: Thank you
- Wanna: Want to
E-mazing Emoticons
The great thing about texting is there are lots of ways to express your feeling without saying – or typing – a single word! Emoticons are "faces" that you make out of letters, numbers and different symbols, like:
- :-) = happy
- :-( = sad
- ;-) = wink
- :'-( = crying
- :-p = tongue sticking out
- 8-) = wearing glasses
- :-D = very happy
Most phones have actual simley/frowny faces on them (you know, , , , ), so you don't really need to type it all out like we did above. But it's fun to think up new emoticons anyway, like:
@@@:-) = Marge Simpson
HAVE YOUR SAY: We OBV (obviously) can't list ALL the best texting shortcuts here, so start adding YOUR fave texting terms by leaving a comment below this story. Let's build a complete guide together!


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When it comes to the historically rich region of Mesopotamia, Babylon is arguably the most renowned of all cities. An ancient settlement that harks back to the dominions of Sargon of Akkad (circa 24th century BC), Babylon possibly started out as a small town in the backdrop of mighty cities like Ur, Uruk and Nippur. However by the time of the ascension of Hammurabi the Great (the sixth king of the Amorite dynasty) in 1792 BC, Babylon became the major capital of the city-state of 'Babylonia', known as Mât Akkadî or 'the country of Akkad' in contemporary Akkadian. The very term 'Babylon' is of Greek origin and it is possibly a rough translation of Babillu – which in Semitic pertains to the conjunction of two words Bâb (gate) and ili (gods), thus suggesting the location of Babylon as the 'gate of the Gods'.
As for Hammurabi, while the ruler is known for his famous law-code in our present-times, the king in his contemporary prime was renowned as an exalted conqueror whose empire stretched across the entire region of Mesopotamia. That was a seriously impressive feat considering his initial city-state around Babylon was only around 50 sq km. Consequently, the expansion of the realm heralded the grandeur of Babylon, a city paradoxically admired and despised by different sets of people and cultures.
Now from the perspective of history it should be noted that Babylonia as an empire was soon eclipsed after the death of Hammurabi, with the empire being consequently annexed by the Hittites (who even sacked the city of Babylon in 1595 BC) and then Kassites. Finally the war-hardened Assyrians came to the fore and claimed the city by early 8th century BC. All of these conquests targeted towards the city do however prove the importance of Babylon to the proximate invaders of the region, a pattern aptly demonstrated by the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal of Nineveh, who besieged and took the settlement (after a rebellion) and yet left it unharmed. The king even took the trouble to personally 'purify' Babylon from the evil spirits, thus justifying the royal city's status as a place of culture and learning. Subsequently many Assyrian rulers treated Babylon as a 'cultural' capital, and advocated their inclination towards Babylonian civilization, institutions, and science. That was until king Sennacherib unceremoniously sacked the city in 689 BC, an act that was criticized by many contemporary people, including nobles of his own court.
But like a phoenix rising from its ashes, it was a native soldier named Nabopolassar who was destined to expel his Assyrian overlords and restore the glory of the royal city of Babylon in 626 BC. Thus the Neo-Babylonian empire was founded, and the city reached its architectural peak under Nabopolassar's son – Nebuchadnezzar, who reigned from 605-562 BC. Forever attracting the ire of Biblical writers for his alleged role in destroying Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem (see the 3D reconstruction here), Nebuchadnezzar was also responsible (quite antithetically) for undertaking and renovating massive infrastructural and monumental projects inside the city of Babylon. The capital by then covered 900 hectares (2,200 acres) of land and boasted some the most imposing and majestic structures in all of Mesopotamia.
The architectural list included the completion of the royal palace (supposedly inlaid with 'bronze, gold, silver, rare and precious stones'), an entire stone bridge that connected the two major parts of the city over Euphrates, the famed blue Ištar Gate, and the possible restoration of Etemenanki – a towering ziggurat dedicated to the Babylonian god Marduk (that has often been likened to the Biblical Tower of Babel). In fact, the fully refurbished Etemenanki would have been one of the tallest man-made structures from the ancient times, with its imposing height reaching around 298 ft or 91 m. Intriguing enough, a few ancient authors had also ascribed the construction of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon – one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, to Nebuchadnezzar. However recent studies have revealed how this landscaped masterpiece was perhaps located in the city of Nineveh or just a figment of imaginative writing.
The video below presumably showcases the royal city of Babylon in its architectural peak during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar circa 6th century BC. And while the animation does flaunt a bevy of gorgeous 3D rendering techniques, it SHOULD BE NOTED that the creators have taken some artistic license to demonstrate the grandeur of Babylon. Few of these 'anachronistic' examples would relate to the dressing style of the inhabitants (which seems more akin to later Arab styles) and the portraiture of Achaemenid Persian motifs on some walls.
This fascinating animation (below) with some authentic depictions was made for the Mesopotamia exhibition of the Royal Ontario Museum, by the folks over at kadingirra.com –
The article was originally published in our sister site RealmofHistory.