|
VIEWING 1 - 9 OUT OF 9 BLOGS.
Controller asleep -- but how many did airport need?
DATE: 03/25/2011 04:47:41 / MOOD: Musical
Should jetliners be landing with only a single air traffic controller on duty -- even if he's awake? Federal officials are grappling with that Chemise question following the safe landing of two jetliners this week with no help from the lone air traffic supervisor on duty at Washington's Reagan National Airport.
He's been suspended, and safety investigators say he has acknowledged he was asleep.
The incident comes nearly five years after a fatal crash in Kentucky in which a controller was working alone. Accident investigators said that controller was most likely suffering from fatigue, although they placed responsibility for the crash that took 49 lives on the pilots.
Still, the National Air Traffic Cosplay Costumes Controllers Association warned at the time against putting controllers alone on shifts and assigning tiring work schedules.
The union's president, Paul Rinaldi, made the same point again on Thursday: "One-person shifts are unsafe. Period."
The Reagan National incident, around midnight Tuesday night, has sent administration officials scrambling to assure the public that safety isn't being compromised. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has ordered an examination of controller staffing at airports across the nation, and he directed that two controllers staff the midnight shift in Washington from now on.
Federal Aviation Administration chief Randy Babbitt said he was investigating the incident, but he also said that at "no point was either plane out of radar contact, and our back-up system kicked in to ensure the safe landing of both airplanes."
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened its own investigation, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has added yet another investigation.
The issue is likely to land in Congress' lap next week when the House is expected take up a gladiator sandals Republican-drafted bill that would cut $4 billion over four years from the FAA. The agency says it needs more money, not less.
A House bill already calls for a National Academy of Sciences study of controller staffing. A Senate-passed version of the bill also would require a study.
"The incident at Reagan National Airport is troubling and of great concern," said Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., the senior Democrat on the transportation committee. "We must deal with the immediate safety and security concerns of this critical airspace."
Besides Reagan National, at least two other airports in the Washington region -- in Richmond, Va., and at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland -- are also staffed by a single controller overnight. Among other airports identified by the controllers' union as staffed by one controller overnight were San Diego International and Sacramento International in California, Tucson International in Arizona, Reno-Tahoe International in Nevada and Ft. Lauderdale Executive in Florida.
The Washington controller, who hasn't been identified, was on his fourth straight overnight shift, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., the NTSB said.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., cited this week's incident while pressing LaHood for an increase in the number of fully certified controllers assigned to the tower at Newark's Liberty International Airport. He said the airport is supposed to have 35 to 40 certified controllers, but its tower is currently staffed with 26 certified controllers and eight trainees.
"The last thing airline passengers should have to worry about is whether there is anyone working in the air traffic control tower below," Lautenberg said Thursday.
But some aviation safety experts say perhaps too much is being made of this week's incident.
"It's not outrageous for the agency to avoid putting a second six-figure employee into a tower where they may only work a dozen airplanes in a shift," said Bill Voss, president of the Flight Safety Foundation of Alexandria, Va., and a former air traffic controller.
The airport, in Arlington, Va., just across the Potomac River from Washington, typically has four to five scheduled landings between midnight and 6 a.m. plus a few unscheduled takeoffs or landings, FAA officials said.
Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., the transportation committee chairman, called LaHood's decision to add a second controller to the midnight shift when there is so little traffic "a typical bureaucratic response."
Planes, including smaller airliners, land frequently at small airports where there are no towers and no controllers.
But Greg Elwood of Winchester, Va., who worked 29 years as a controller before retiring last October, said he feels FAA should have two controllers on duty for the same reason airlines put two pilots in cockpits when a single pilot is capable of flying the plane alone -- it's a safety hedge against the unforeseen.
"For sure the work (on an overnight shift) is incredibly easy. It's really not work, you are more of a watchman so to speak," Elwood, 57, said in an interview.
But with a single controller on duty, he said, an airport tower goes unattended every time the controller leaves even to go to the bathroom.
"In the towers where I have worked, you had to walk down a flight of steps to go to the bathroom -- there's no bathroom in the cab (tower workroom)," Elwood said. "It's like the cockpit of an airplane. It's a workplace."
The greatest risk to planes landing at night without controller assistance at a big airport like Washington's is that they might collide with equipment or maintenance workers since most runway maintenance work is performed overnight, Elwood said.
"That's when they're changing the light bulbs and patching the runway," he said. "A pilot can't see the whole runway at night."
View Entry
All Saint’s Day
DATE: 03/25/2011 04:40:18 / MOOD: Musical
When talking about all saint’s day, and most people maybe would thinking about sprit festival of china. However, it is rather different from that festival.In western countries, they vie it very important. They can dress up as different role of some persons. Someone likes to make up to be a Spiderman, and someone may act to be a vampire. While, most people would act some normal roles and wear some masks. I remember that in the first year of my university, we also held a party for all saint’s day. Every one chooses different clothes and roles, and my roommate Candy wore a suit of Cosplay. We all were astonished about her dress. But in the night, she was the most popular girl in the party. Of course, we can enjoy what roles we choose. And the most important of the day is to have funning and enjoy oneself.Nowadays, the time is going far. I have no time and chances to join this kind of party because of my work and study. So I hope, if I will have some similar opportunities, I would try some different roles and enjoy myself really. I hope I can act some characters which I love most.
Today, I find a group purchase website that is http://www.smallworld-us.com/group_buy_pid.html ,I want to share it with you ,there are a lot of products, such as clothes, cell phones, shoes, jewelries, cosplay, car accessories and games for you to choose ,act now ,you will get more surprises.
from: http://moncleronline.blogland.pl/2011/03/25/all-saint%E2%80%99s-day/
View Entry
Proposed kickoff changes would lessen the excitement
DATE: 03/16/2011 18:41:02 / MOOD: Musical
Members of the NFL's competition committee have been in Naples, Fla., for a week, and in talking with some of the members, it was clear that safety is still the driving force of most issues they Sergio Rossi want to address, including one they'll propose at next week's owners meetings in New Orleans: Moving the kickoff up to the 35-yard line and bringing a touchback out to the 25.
When I worked with the New York Jets' special teams in the early '90s, teams kicked off from the 35, but they also started on the 20 if there was a touchback. The new proposal, if adopted, will drive special teams coaches to a different decision in many cases.
Most teams that call for a sideline return want to execute it to their side of the field, and rayban sunglass a ball caught in the far zone has to be returned across the field, which will ensure the coverage team will be down the field. Most return teams call off the sideline return when the ball is caught in the opposite box and take it straight up the field, which means the fastest cover guys need to be on the same side the kick is headed.
It will be easy to kick off with the intention of a touchback, and any ball more than three yards deep in the end zone should be touched back and brought out to the 25. Special teams coaches used to be able to tease the returner to come out when the ball went three yards deep into the end zone, but with coverage people five yards closer and the potential end of even the two-man wedge, we'd see more speed players on the coverage unit. It would be be difficult to get a returner to come out of the end zone.
Kick returners are still going to be on teams. Usually it's the third running back. The idea that teams can neglect having a kick return specialist would assume that kickoffs are all landing in the end zone, which they are not. Back in 1993, when the kickoff was at the 35 yard line, not one of the top 20 returners had a 25-yard average. Clarence Verdin had the most returns (50), and he had a 21-yard average. Whenever a player can take a touchback he will, and that makes it imperative the kicker has charles woodson jersey a four-second hang time and puts the ball right before the goal line.
Last year there were 23 kickoff returns for touchdowns. Back in 1993, when kickoffs went from the 35-yard line, there were four. And in 1992 there were six. Things will be less exciting, but safety on the field should improve.
View Entry
Meltdown may be occurring at nuclear plant, Japanese official says
DATE: 03/12/2011 16:52:37 / MOOD: Musical
A meltdown may be occurring at one of the reactors at an earthquake-damaged nuclear power plant in northeast Japan, a government official told CNN Sunday morning Japan time."There is a possibility, we see the possibility of a meltdown," said Toshihiro Bannai, director of the Zentai Suit international affairs office of Japan's Nuclear and Industrial Safety, in a telephone interview with CNN from the agency's Tokyo headquarters. "At this point, we have still not confirmed that there is an actual meltdown, but there is a possibility."Bannai said engineers have been unable to get close enough to the reactor's core to know what's going on, and that he based his conclusion on radioactive cesium and iodine measured in the air near the plant Saturday night.
"What we have seen is Cosplay only the slight indication from a monitoring post of cesium and iodine," he told CNN. Plant officials have since injected seawater and boron into the plant in an effort to cool its nuclear fuel."We have some confidence, to some extent, to make the situation to be stable status," Bannai said on CNN. "We actually have very good confidence that we will resolve this."But Japan's ambassador to the United States insisted there was no evidence of a nuclear meltdown at the plant."What we have seen is only the slight indication from a monitoring post of cesium and iodine," he told CNN. Plant officials have since injected seawater and boron into the plant in an effort to cool its nuclear fuel."We have some confidence, to Fashion Shoes some extent, to make the situation to be stable status," Bannai said on CNN. "We actually have very good confidence that we will resolve this."But Japan's ambassador to the United States insisted there was no evidence of a nuclear meltdown at the plant.
View Entry
One Missing On California Coast As Tsunami Continues
DATE: 03/11/2011 18:57:53 / MOOD: Musical
One person remains missing and two others were rescued from the surf in Northern California after a tsunami caused by a deadly earthquake in Japan continued to reverberate across the Pacific Ocean.
Three people taking pictures Cosplay of the surf near the mouth of the Klamath River, about 20 miles south of Crescent City, Calif., were surprised by large waves and swept into the water, said Cindy Henderson, emergency services officer for Del Norte County.
Two of the people struggled out of the surf and a male in his 20s is still missing, and is now the focus of a search and rescue operation, said a Coast Guard spokesman.
The tsunami, which has prompted warnings along the west coast and in Hawaii, was created after a 8.9-magnitude earthquake rocked Japan's eastern coast. A 30-foot tsunami hit northern Japan, engulfing buildings and cars. Japanese media reported nearly 200 people had died in the quake--the most powerful to hit the country in at least 300 years--and 700 were missing.
On the west coast, the tsunami has delivered a series of surges that began sweeping ashore by mid-morning and so far peaking at 8.1 feet in the Crescent City area, according to Henderson.
Each surge is preceded by a rapid decrease in water level as the approaching wall of water at sea pulls water away from the shore only to deliver it back in a surge that is both higher and at greater volume.
The powerful draw drained virtually all the water form the Crescent City Harbor, said Henderson, leaving boats sitting on the bottom and then refloating them minutes later in a crashing jumble.
"We've got boats on top boats down there," said Henderson. It's incorrect to say any of the craft sank because the water keeps going away, she said.
Henderson said most of the sexy costumesdocks and about 35 boats have been damaged.
The shallow and open mouth of Crescent City Harbor makes it susceptible to tidal surges. The harbor even experience some tsunami affect from last year's Chilean earthquake, she said.
Most commercial fishing boats based in Crescent City put to sea last night when the tsunami alert was first broadcast. It's easier to ride out big waves at sea than at the dock. Now many of those boats are running low on fuel, but they are unable to return to port while the surges continue, said Chris Renner, owner of C. Renner Petroleum Co. in Crescent City, which serves the fleet.
"I've got customers trying to figure out what's next," said Renner, who has been in radio contact with the skippers, but hasn't been allowed to return to his waterfront facility to assess the damage.
He estimated there were between 11 and 14 vessels outside the harbor waiting for calm. The nearest ports that could service the vessels are Eureka, Calif, about 80 miles south, or Gold Beach, Ore., 50 miles to the north.
Further north, two people watching the surf near Pistol River, Ore., about 50 miles north of Crescent City, were rescued from a tsunami surge estimated to be about six feet.
Don Kendall, emergency services coordinator in the region said onlookers were surprised by waves and pulled from the surf by companions and local fire and rescue touch screen staff. Officials are urging spectators to be cautious and in some communities Kendall has sounded a second tsunami alarm.
"This situation isn't over and people need to be cautious," said Kendall.
Oregon evacuated homes and businesses along its 300-mile coastline. In Lincoln County, in the center of the Oregon coast, evacuations began shortly after 5 a.m. in anticipation of a surge of three feet.
"We've evacuated residences and buildings up to 50 feet above sea level," said Casey Miller, spokesman for the county's emergency management office. Beaches are closed and spotters are keeping an eye on the surf.
Oregon put a tsunami response plan in place along the coast a decade ago, including details down to street signs in many communities that point the way to high ground. Oregon Emergency Management spokeswoman Jenni Chamberlain said there have been no reports of injuries or serious problems since the agency sent its first alert to counties at around 10 p.m. Thursday night.
View Entry
NFL labor committee members return to mediation with NFLPA
DATE: 03/10/2011 16:37:16 / MOOD: Musical
WASHINGTON -- Thursday's mediation session between the NFL and the NFL Players Association has been one of the most well-attended of the 15 held so far.
In addition to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, general counsel Jeff Pash and league outside counsel Bob Batterman, the NFL's group Ray Ban sunglasses included nine of the 10 members of the NFL's labor committee: co-chairs Jerry Richardson, owner of the Carolina Panthers, and Pat Bowlen, owner of the Denver Broncos, as well as Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, New York Giants owner John Mara, Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II, San Diego Chargers president Dean Spanos and Green Bay Packers CEO Mark Murphy.
The 10th member of the labor committee, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, has a previously scheduled commitment in Israel.
Philadelphia Eagles president and Washington Redskins general manager Bruce Allen also were in attendance for the 15th day of mediation at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Building.
The NFLPA's contingent grew to include outside counsel Jeffrey Kessler and numerous members of the NFLPA's executive committee, including designer jewelry Denver Broncos safety Brian Dawkins, Kansas City Chiefs guard Brian Waters, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch, Indianapolis Colts center Jeff Saturday, and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Domonique Foxworth. The union group also included retired players Cornelius Bennett, Pete Kendall, Sean Morey and Jim McFarland.
There has been some moderate interaction between the NFL and the NFLPA, but those talks are on non-economic issues only, league and union sources told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora.
Small groups of representatives from both sides have taken part, but there hasn't been any interaction between the union and the owners Thursday, the sources said.
Both sides spent a good part of the day meeting independently, and talks could pick back up in the evening. The NFLPA designer bags contingent is now in the offices nearby, and the league's group remains in the FMCS with mediators.
The previous day's talks ended with the sides unable to agree on what league financial information should and shouldn't be available to the union, putting the ongoing talks in peril with Friday's expiration of the twice-extended collective bargaining agreement fast approaching.
While leaving Wednesday's meeting at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service building, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith indicated that the league has lowered from $1 billion to $800 million the amount of additional revenues it wants to take off the top of the $9.3 billion business. But Smith said he still considers that lower figure too high because the league isn't offering to turn over enough financial information.
"Just to be absolutely clear, the information that was offered wasn't what we asked for," Smith said to reporters after Wednesday's session, "and, according to our investment bankers and advisers, they told us that information would be meaningless in determining whether to write an $800 million check to the National Football League (in each year of a new CBA).
View Entry
Lakers' Jackson a (mostly) polite guest in Heat's house
DATE: 03/09/2011 16:25:56 / MOOD: Musical
MIAMI -- Phil Jackson, who has taken shots at the Heat all season, was in a more sympathetic mood Wednesday. Instead of poking fun, the Lakers coach offered a friendly pat on the back.
Maybe Jackson Ray ban Sunglasses has said enough already. Or maybe standing on the Heat's home floor before practice offered a kinder, gentler Jackson in enemy territory. The Heat play host to the Lakers on Thursday, and Jackson knows Miami is reeling with a five-game losing streak.
"From what I've heard, this team feels like they're being looked at to lose louboutin shoes or hoped at to lose," Jackson said. "I know locally that can't be true. But nationally, if that's the case, it's a burden to carry."
Jackson helped place the burden on the Heat with earlier comments about what impact LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh playing together would have on coach Erik Spoelstra. In November, when the Heat got off to an 8-7 start, Jackson said Spoelstra's job could be in danger. He called it "the Van Gundy thing" in reference to Pat Riley replacing Stan Van Gundy in 2005-06.
"The scenario that sits kind of behind the scene," said Jackson at the time, "is that eventually these guys that were recruited -- Bosh and James -- by Pat Riley and Micky Arison, the owner, are going to come in and say, 'We feel you [Riley] can do a better job coaching the team. We came here on the hopes that this would work,' and whatever, I don't know. That's kind of my take on it, is that eventually if things don't straighten out here soon, it could be the Van Gundy thing all over again."
Then Tuesday, with the Heat dealing with what had become "Crygate" after Spoelstra said players were crying in the locker room following Sunday's loss to the Bulls, Jackson was at it again.
"This is the NBA. No Boys Allowed. Big boys don't cry," Jackson said. "But, if you're going to do it, do it in the toilet where no one can see."
Lakers forward Ron Artest also had fun at the Heat's expense.
"It's good to cry," Artest wrote on his Twitter page. "Never keep it bottled up. Then it either explodes like soda or comes out in the form of gas. You want tears or a fart?"
Jackson still managed to take a shot at the Heat on Wednesday even with the majority of his comments toned down. He is well aware of the Heat's Big Three starting to become fractured, especially with Bosh saying Tuesday he needs to be more involved on offense and that James and Wade can't carry this team alone. "I think it's about a whole team," Jackson said. "I don't think it's about two people, and I think that might be the problem. It's about a team, and it's about people figuring in. There's a lot of good players on that team."
Bosh said Wednesday he doesn't worry about what the Lakers are saying, or Jackson, either. He said that's how Jackson is, and he hasn't been paying attention to any of the negative comments directed miu miu handbags at the Heat.
"He's a very smart guy," Bosh said. "He tries to get you thinking about things other than basketball."
Speaking of basketball, Bosh said after Tuesday's 105-96 loss to Portland that he needs more touches in the post. He spent extra time after practice Wednesday working on his post moves with reserve forward Juwan Howard.
Bosh struggled against the Trail Blazers: just 3-of-11 shooting for seven points and four rebounds. But he vowed to be more involved on offense.
"I just need to be down there," Bosh said. "I just need to be more aggressive."
View Entry
Chengdu AVT College Selects PTC for Mold Design Project
DATE: 03/08/2011 16:33:03 / MOOD: Musical
BEIJING, China, Mar 7, 2011 - PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC), The Product Development Company, today announced that after much research and discussion, Chengdu Aeronautic Vocational Technical College selected PTC as the exclusive software partner for the Ministry ray ban of Education's (MOE) Department of High Vocational Education's "MOLD DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING TEACHING RESOURCES LIBRARY" Project.
The Project is one of the most important sections of the high vocational education reform and development act according to China MOE. The Designer clothing Project will start with resource libraries (software, curriculum, project-based materials, and training) focusing on 11 majors. The Project will be open to all vocational colleges that teach these subject matters. The Project will reach 400 vocational schools, 1,200 teachers and 400,000 students per year.
As a leading global product lifecycle management solution provider, PTC provides discrete manufacturers with software and services to meet the globalization, time-to-market and operational efficiency objectives of product development. For this Project, PTC will be the sole software partner, and will provide mold related materials and the most advanced technologies required by industries. These resources will also serve as platform to explore more collaboration opportunities with higher vocational schools to enrich students and faculty skill sets.
Prof. Liu Jianchao, head of the project and assistant to the president of Chengdu Aeronautic Vocational Technical College said: "We chose PTC because they have the first-class technology, a world-leading solution, strength in the marketplace and the enthusiasm in supporting China's education. I believe the cooperation of the two parties will be helpful to all the high vocational college and the students."
"China's education is facing a revolution, PTC is glad to participate and contribute," said Mr. Greg Sisk, Senior Director of APAC & Emerging Geographies, PTC Global Education. "We hope more and more teachers and students will enhance their skills through the platform offered by PTC."
Since 1995, PTC has been working closely with China's education market. This Project signifies another major effort by PTC to strengthen cooperation with Chinese educational institutions stemming from its partnership with China's Ministry of Education established in December 2007. PTC's extensive programs for Chinese middle schools, vocational schools and universities have been recognized for contributing to the development of Chinese students' technological literacy and design skills, and the growth of industry talent in China.
About Chengdu Aeronautic Vocational Technical College
The college was founded in 1965, it's the one of the first batch of 28 model vocational colleges in China, additionally, take in charge of the "Mold Design and Manufacturing Teaching Resources Library" Project.
About PTC's Global Education Program
PTC's education program provides teachers and professors with complete learning solutions to prepare a new generation for success in a technological world. From secondary school to the university level, PTC gives students the ultimate in product development education by providing software, training and classroom materials to educators worldwide. PTC's education program is a part of a technological literacy movement that seeks to improve critical thinking and multidimensional problem-solving skills as well as preparing a growing number of students to become engineers.
About PTC
PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC), The Product Development Company, develops, markets and supports product development software solutions and related services that help companies achieve their product development strategies and optimize their processes. Using the louboutin shoes company's tightly integrated CAD and enterprise PLM solutions, organizations are better able to create and manage product information throughout the lifecycle for optimal product development success.
View Entry
The twins looked at each other glumly
DATE: 10/13/2010 00:38:51 / MOOD: Musical
They clucked to their Sergio Rossi horses and rode along in silence for a while, a flush of embarrassment on Stuart’s brown cheeks. Until the previous summer, Stuart had courted India Wilkes with the approbation of both families and the entire County. The County felt that perhaps the cool and contained India Wilkes would have a quieting effect on him. They fervently hoped so, at any rate. And Stuart might have made the match, but Brent had not been satisfied. Brent liked India but he thought her mighty plain and tame, and he simply could not fall in love with her himself to keep Stuart company. That was the first time the twins’ interest had ever diverged, and Brent was resentful of his brother’s attentions to a girl who seemed to him not at all remarkable. Then, last summer at a political speaking in a grove of oak trees at Jonesboro, they both suddenly became aware of Scarlett O’Hara. They had known her for years, and, since their childhood, she had been a favorite playmate, for she could ride horses and climb trees almost as well as they. But now to their amazement she had become a grown-up young lady and quite the most charming one in all the world. They noticed for the first time how her green eyes danced, how deep her dimples were when she laughed, how tiny her hands and feet and what a small waist she had. Their clever remarks sent her into merry peals of laughter and, inspired by the thought that she considered them a remarkable pair, they fairly outdid themselves. It was a memorable day in the All Star mlb life of the twins. Thereafter, when they talked it over, they always wondered just why they had failed to notice Scarlett’s charms before. They never arrived at the correct answer, which was that Scarlett on that day had decided to make them notice. She was constitutionally unable to endure any man being in love with any woman not herself, and the sight of India Wilkes and Stuart at the speaking had been too much for her predatory nature. Not content with Stuart alone, she had set her cap for Brent as well, and with a thoroughness that overwhelmed the two of them. Now they were both in love with her, and India Wilkes and Letty Munroe, from Lovejoy, whom Brent had been half-heartedly courting, were far in the back of their minds. Just what the loser would do, should Scarlett accept either one of them, the twins did not ask. They would cross that bridge when they came to it. For the present they were quite satisfied to be in accord again about one girl, for they had no jealousies between them. It was a situation which interested the neighbors and annoyed their mother, who had no liking for Scarlett. “It will serve you right NFL football jerseys if that sly piece does accept one of you,” she said. “Or maybe she’ll accept both of you, and then you’ll have to move to Utah, if the Mormons’ll have you—which I doubt. ... All that bothers me is that some one of these days you’re both going to get lickered up and jealous of each other about that two-faced, little, green-eyed baggage, and you’ll shoot each other. But that might not be a bad idea either.”
View Entry
|
