Who else is excited about the PA smoke ban?! I can almost smell the fresh air… Thirsty Thursday is going to be a little more pleasant for non-smoking patrons!
Google released a new Internet web browser on Tuesday called Chrome.
My first reaction after downloading, “Holy hell, this is faster than IE or Firefox! This is a win for productivity!” My second reaction, “Where’s the spell check button?”
I’m the literate computer user who gets slowed down because my PC cannot keep up with me or the demand I put on my operating system. My heart fluttered a bit at the speed increase achieved with a simple download. I’m a die-hard Google loyalist. I’ve tried other platforms but I always go back to Google.
The new browser has a minimalist design but claims to make the web “faster, safer and easier.” So far, so good.
One Box For Everything- If you’re a fan of the “Alt + D” shortcut to quickly put your cursor into your browser’s address bar, you can run web searches and web history searches in the same box with suggestions.
New Tab Page- Each time a new tab is opened, you see a “visual sampling” of your most visited sites, search engines, bookmarks and closed tabs.
Dynamic Tabs- This feature allows you to drag tabs out of the new browser to create new windows or gather multiple tabs together. I’m in love!
Application Shortcuts- Without opening your browser, you can configure chrome to load applications.
Crash Protection- I wish IE had this because I crashed my browser three times today when compiling research. Every tab runs independently in the browser so if one application crashes, it won’t take everything down.
There are more features… download the new Chrome and see for yourself.
I’m still learning what Chrome can do but I would love seamless integration with my Google Reader. This includes shared items, starred items, unread items. I would like to see seamless integration with Gmail and GTalk…
Where’s my spell check button from Google Toolbar? I’m missing that. I wonder if there are plug-ins? That could be a deal breaker!
I’ve only seen one bug so far… the browser was confused on what size to maximize the window when I moved my browser to my dual monitor. I could manually re size to fill the whole window but not use the maximize button itself.
Chrome is still a Beta so hopefully, we’ll see new features added soon!
One of the objections to wind power is the perception that migratory birds will signifigantly suffer because of wind turbine blades. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s blog, has some great information about a two year study on bird migratory patterns lead by Ken Otter of the University of Northern British Columbia. Otter was studying the area because of a proposed $500 million, 170 MW wind power plant.
A lot of people make assumptions about wind power’s affect on the environment but was the interest in wind power increases, more data is uncovered. Studies show that for every 1 Megawatt, 1-12 birds are killed per year. Ken Otter was tasked with advising Canadian power companies how to reduce the number of birds that were killed. In one year, one megawatt can supply electricity for 1,000 Americans. Ken studied the wind, migratory patterns using radar. To make the data more meaningful, graduate students on the ground assisted during the study, identifying which birds flew over the proposed wind site. From the post Can We Have Wind Power and Birds too?:
The challenge for wind farms is that migrating birds don’t fly randomly across the landscape - they follow the wind, too, and many fly at night, making it hard to see the rotating blades.
Raptors are especially vulnerable: they soar low along ridge lines, where they catch updrafts from wind deflected up the mountainsides - exactly what the wind turbines are there to do. And even though raptors migrate during daylight hours, Otter said, they don’t always do a great job of looking in front of them. The solution just isn’t as simple as putting wind turbines in places birds don’t travel, it seems.
But after two years of study, Otter found bird movements tended to be fairly predictable. Songbirds tended to fly safely above the height the turbine blades will be when they’re built later this year. Raptors tended to cross the ridge in a predictable zone, and they tended to come through in tight groups over just a few hours or days. By monitoring weather conditions, he said, he can warn the power company that raptors are probably on their way, allowing operators to shut down turbines long enough for the birds to pass by, without making the outage too costly.
This is why preparatory studies are valuable. Even though wind power is a green energy source that we’re right to feel enthusiastic about, it does have a cost that can be minimized. Different settings - shapes of ridge lines, prevailing wind patterns, migratory routes - mean that each new wind farm will present different hazards to birds. But with a little forethought and brain power, we can reduce the costs birds pay to satisfy our own energy demands.
Wind power will never be harmless to birds. After all, radio towers kill birds, and they’re just a latticework of metal bars that’s completely motionless. But climate change and pollution kill birds, too; it’s just harder to measure (or fix). As Otter said at the end of his talk, “I’d like to see these turbines go in, because the alternative is they’re going to build coal plants.”
What are your thoughts on the wind power versus birds debate? Any specific opinions on birds specific to the Erie region?
Today, president hopeful John McCain spoke to about 120 people during a 30-minute town-hall style meeting at Erie’s largest employer. McCain accepted about five questions after a brief speech. One question was asked about McCain’s plans for his first 90 days in office. McCain responded by saying he was going to call up his good friend Tom Ridge. That made some of us speculate, will Ridge be on the November ticket? It was just a hint, not a promise, but perhaps we wanted it to seem like a hint because many Erieites, would like to see the two run together.
I’m not a registered Republican, but it was a privledge to hear leaders( Immelt, Ridge and McCain) address a diverse audience in our hometown.
My post is, on purpose, pretty vague, because I do not blog about certain topics, but you can read more details from CNN as well as GoErie.com.
Just taking a quick moment to write before I have to continue getting ready for work… but presumptive Republican nominee Senator John McCain is in Erie today and I am one of the people invited to hear him speak.
While McCain isn’t my top choice for president, I am excited to hear him address us. When the candidates were coming to Erie (Obama and the Clinton’s), I had to work so I did not get to go see any of them. Now, McCain’s coming to us. It would be pretty neat if they announced a McCain/Ridge ticket while in Erie, but given the location of the town hall meeting (private, not public) I doubt they would make a big announcement like that at a business. We’ll see!
I have transitioned into a new position– I’m now working in the Wind Power Industry.
I’m very excited about this because I am personally passionate about wind power and alternative energy sources. I will be performing in depth market research and intelligence. I will probably be talking more about wind power on my blog because I’m so inspired. If my “little” blog can help inform people of the benefits of wind power, I will feel like I’m contributing to the greater good.
If you’re looking for information on North American wind power, a great resource is AWEA.org. AWEA stands for the American Wind Energy Association. They serve as the hub for the wind energy business, promoting wind power as a learn source of electricity. Their mission is to promote wind power growth through advocacy, communication and education. Their motto, “Wind: Powering a cleaner, stronger America.” That sounds good, doesn’t it?
If any of my fellow band geeks music enthusiasts are interested in going to see DCI on the big screen on August 7th, let me know!
From ErieBlogs.com:
Drum corps and marching band enthusiasts will appreciate this news. Drum Corps International (DCI) will be broadcasting this years DCI World Championship Quarterfinals in more than 340 movie theaters. One of those theaters is Erie’s own Cinemark Tinseltown USA. You can pre-order your tickets to the Thursday, August 7th show online. The event begins at 6 p.m and will go until 11:30. Tickets are $19.00 for 5 hours of live entertainment.
Erie Starbucks patrons can relax. Grande Sugar Free Vanilla Lattes can still be in your future.
No Erie Starbucks locations will be closing. The complete list of store closings has been released.
Northwest Airlines is going to cut 2,500 jobs– what does this mean for the Erie International Airport? Are we going to loose another airline? Is the service we receive going to get worse? It’s hard enough to get into Erie on Northwest without your flight getting canceled– this probably isn’t good for consumers. As prices also raise, I’m sure the service will also suffer. It’s too bad we don’t have a better mass transit infrastructure in Erie.
Northwest cutting jobs, raising fees
Airline blames rising fuel costs for additional charges on luggage, frequent-flier tickets and flight changes
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Northwest Airlines said Wednesday it will be cutting its frontline and management work force by 2,500 people, or a little more than 7% of its total employees, blaming capacity cuts stemming from rising oil prices.
The airline also said it will begin charging $15 for a passenger’s first checked bag and service fees for frequent-flier tickets. It also will boost fees for ticket changes.
Northwest’s rivals have also started cutting jobs and charging extra fees to offset skyrocketing fuel prices. Read More…
What are your thoughts?
Visit GoErie.com to read a new article which gives insight into the exodus of many Erie TV personalities for new markets and new industries. Leaving a market the size of Erie is a norm for motivated TV personalities. Will the loss of many solid TV personalities lead to a bumpy, rough road for stations looking for talent? Will station management take risks and reinvigorate stagnant news casts and traditional formats and segments? Or will the revolving door keep turning and never slowing down to gain momentum and make progress?
TV Turmoil
Revolving door in small news markets part of the biz
In Jennifer Taylor’s broadcast journalism game plan, Erie was always considered a steppingstone — not a destination.
Taylor, 28, recently left her reporter/anchor job at Erie’s WSEE-TV for a new reporting job at WNWO-TV in Toledo, Ohio. In doing so, Taylor joined a growing list of anchors and reporters who have left Erie’s local television news scene since January.
Karla Mullenax.
Pat Van Zandt.
Dan Wells.
Sarah Arbogast.
On-air talent turnover is a frequent fact of life in Erie — the 142nd largest television market in the U.S. out of 210 such markets nationwide. Read More…
A lot of TV people work hard and put in extra effort because they love making news. The pay scale does not reflect their hard work. Often the people working the hardest are making the least (producers, control room, videographers, assignment editors, etc). However, without their support and dedication– news casts would not be as successful. Off air workers deserve major kudos– and a bump in pay– but they seem to be ignored in the Flower’s article (and maybe in the newroom?). I have to question how much NABET really gets done for union members around town. Do members ”sit down and take it” more than going to head-to-head and filing grievances, when appropriate? (Perhaps not, but I felt obligated to ask the question)
The happiness and success of people in the TV industry is impacted by management’s attitudes and initiatives. Some people feel chased away because of the lack of support they feel in lean news rooms. There are a lot of opportunities for increased efficiency in TV. Newer talent should embrace these ideas and push for them. A little imagination and courage could go a long way– and could be a major game changer for local TV ratings.
