A Review of 'Grace'

Grace (Simon & Shuster; Copyright 2008) is a superbly written story by author Richard Paul Evans. It is the first book authored by Evans which I've read but it will not be the last. The main characters of the book are children, Grace is one of them and she is a runaway from an abusive home. She is sheltered in the clubhouse of Eric and his brother. Eric is a boy, a little younger than Grace, who is smart and kind but age appropriately naive. His developing friendship with Grace is well told against a mid-20th century American backdrop. The reader gets a good feel for the times as well as the characters.

The story ends tragically and the pain is felt by the reader in ways that skillful authors have of imparting pathos. But the tragedy is not without the merit of a good accompanying theme about sin, character and redemption. A wonderful book.

Repair Options

Power Control Services offers repair services some companies may not even be considering as options. Yet there are times when that makes financial sense. A listing of some of the repair services performed by the company can be accessed here. Working arrangements can be made with sellers so that costs are made more economical or so that a company can incorporate a repair function within their service options even though that company is unable to perform repairs itself.

A Cap and Trade Analysis

Heritage Analysis of Waxman-Markey Hits Where Others Miss contains a disturbing analysis of the effects of what is known as the Cap and Trade bill. The highlights:

In particular, the Heritage analysis projects that by 2035 the economic impacts (in constant 2009 dollars) of this bill are[1]:

•Gasoline prices will rise 58 percent (or $1.38);
•Natural gas prices will rise 55 percent;
•Heating oil prices will rise 56 percent;
•Electricity prices will rise 90 percent;
•A family of four can expect its per-year energy costs to rise by $1,241;
•Including taxes, a family of four will pay an additional $4,609 per year;
•A family of four will reduce its consumption of goods and services by up to $3,000 per year, as its income and savings fall;
•Aggregate GDP losses will be $9.4 trillion;
•Aggregate cap-and-trade energy taxes will be $5.7 trillion;
•Job losses will be nearly 2.5 million; and
•The national debt will rise an additional $12,803 per person ($51,212 per family of four).

(All of these price and cost increases are above and beyond those expected to occur without the legislation.)

Nanotechnology Standards

ASTM International features a web page referencing documents related to nanotechnology standards. ASTM International was initially known as the American Society for Testing and Materials. It is a large organization engaged in the development of technical standards.

Better Interrogation Approaches?

Spotting Lies: Listen, Don't Look is an NPR website article which questions conventional wisdom about interrogating criminal suspects and identifying cues to assess deception. A different approach emphasizes greater attention to words as opposed to non-verbal signs.

Matching MEMS Sources with Customers

Matchmaker’ portal matches MEMS customers, partners notes a portal of the MEMS Industry Group seeking to match sellers and buyers. MEMS Industry Group is a trade association.

Terminal-block Connectors

Nothing Like Good Connections deals with factors relevant to choosing among different terminal-block connectors. Standard screw clamps, spring clamps and euro connectors for wire and cable connections in machine control systems, are considered.

Beetle Infestation of Honeybee Hives

Beetles' Attack On Bee Hives May Contribute To Colony Collapse Disorder is a Science Daily article describing honey bee problems with a beetle pest. An "alarm chemical" naturally produced within honey bee hives attracts small hive beetles whose infestations may be a contributory factor to the phenomenon that has become known as colony collapse disorder or CCD. European honeybees were bred for docility and behavior that made it easier to work with them. Not surprisingly they have been less able to cope with beetle infestation than their more aggressive African bee cousins.

The combination of small hive beetle and yeast infestations can lead to very messy honeycombs. This in turn can induce honeybees to abandon their hives to beetles which then consume food provided at the cost of honeybee energy. This is beneficial to beetles but not to honeybees. It is hoped that knowledge gained about the process of beetle infestation and hive abandonment will lead to counter measures that protect honeybees. Honeybees greatly enhance agricultural output.

Natural Cleaners

There are cleansers that are natural and generally safe for humans (some should not be ingested) while at the same time effective at getting things clean. Natural Cleaning Kit is an About.com article on Green Living. It lists seven substances that are safe and effective cleaners one can use at home. They are:

Lemon juice (also useful for polishing copper and brass), baking soda, castile soap, boric acid (toxic if ingested- watch for kids), white vinegar (removes mildew and is good with wood floors), washing soda and cornstarch (can be used to shampoo carpets and rugs, removes grease stains and is a great deodorizer).

Preparing Flyers

How do I Create a Free Printable Flyer is an article with advice about precisely that. There are some links to websites having downloadable templates useful for thematic flyer templates. They are: Microsoft and Blue Mountain. Applications like CorelDraw, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop also can be helpful.