Student visitors from near and far

As their foreign exchange program at Paonia High School came to a close, Henna Reinhardt, from Germany, and Gabby Moet, from Holland, stopped by to see how HCN operates. They sat in on our fast-paced weekly story meeting, in which the editorial staff huddles in a tiny, sweltering conference room to discuss what we plan to cover in upcoming issues. The aspiring media mavens are publishing a school newspaper -- complete with horoscopes, tips for summer and sports -- as a final project for their English class.

A group of fourth-grade Gifted and Talented students from Paonia Elementary School came to get a tour and talk about writing and editing. Advisor Merrily Talbott has been helping Logan Green, Nicole Jefferis and Katya Schwieterman produce a school newspaper, The Eaglet. The kids asked good questions and took careful notes -- obviously journalists in the making!

On a recent reporting trip to Reno, Nev., online editor Stephanie Paige Ogburn met up with High Country News essayist Michael Branch, professor of literature and environment at the University of Nevada, Reno, who writes the series "Rants on the Hill" for our Range blog. They visited the Nevada Museum of Art, which has an excellent collection of environmental art; if you have the chance,Heat recovery ventilators including domestic home Ventilation system. go before Aug. 26 to view artist Gail Wight's serene and surprisingly lovely video installation of slime molds. Mike also took Stephanie on a hike up his Ranting Hill, the northern Nevada desert landscape that inspires much of his often-humorous and always thoughtful writing.

Stephanie is also a finalist for the 2012 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists. Her story "Big Beef," describing independent cattlemen's fight against monopolies in the meatpacking industry, ran in our March 20, 2011, issue. The Livingston Awards, established in 1980, provide three $10,000 awards for local, national and international reporting to journalists under the age of 35. We're keeping our fingers crossed -- winners will be announced in early June.

Sierra Crane-Murdoch, who was an editorial intern at HCN in spring 2011,You can find best china Precision injection molds manufacturers from here! just received a scholarship to attend the Banff Centre Residency in Literary Journalism this July. She and seven other accomplished nonfiction writers were picked to spend a month in cabins in Canada's Banff National Park and work with an experienced magazine editor on a long-term writing project. Sierra's got a little homework to do before then -- each participant must turn in an 8,000-to-10,000-word draft before the residency starts. Congrats, Sierra, and write like the wind!

Another former intern, Tony Barboza (summer 2005), was just selected as one of the five 2012-2013 Ted Scripps Fellows in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Tony, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, has worked for the paper's metro section since 2006. He writes about California coastal issues -- oceanfront development, water pollution, marine life, public beach access and rising sea levels. Tony says he'll use the nine-month program, which includes coursework, seminars and field trips, "to pursue a reporting project about the future of urban open space, the boxed-in wetlands, hillsides, deserts, forests and coastal waters in and around some of the West's largest cities." The fellowships are funded through a grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation. Nice work, Tony!

A Tough Judge’s Proposal for Fairer Sentencing

Judge John Gleeson hears cases where he used to prosecute them, in the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. There, in 1992, he led the team of prosecutors that put the Mafia boss John J. Gotti in prison for life.

Judge Gleeson is not shy about meting out tough sentences. “Most people, including me,” he wrote in a 2010 decision, “agree that the kingpins, masterminds and midlevel managers of drug trafficking enterprises deserve severe punishment.”

But he has lately been saying that his old employer, the Department of Justice, has stopped living up to its name when it comes to some small-time criminals.

Almost 20 years to the day after delivering his closing argument in the Gotti trial, Judge Gleeson considered the fate of Jamel Dossie, whom he called “a young, small-time, street-level drug dealer’s assistant.”

Mr. Dossie was an intermediary in four hand-to-hand crack sales, for which he made a total of about $140.Husky Injection Molding Systems designs. Two of the sales exceeded, barely, the 28-gram threshold that allows prosecutors to call for a mandatory five-year sentence. “Just as baseball is a game of inches,” Judge Gleeson wrote, “our drug-offense mandatory minimum provisions create a deadly serious game of grams.”

It is a curious game, one in which a participant rather than the supposed umpire can have the last word, Judge William G. Young of Federal District Court in Boston wrote in a ruling in another case a couple of weeks ago.

“Prosecutors run our federal justice system today,” Judge Young wrote. “Judges play a subordinate role — necessary yes,Save up to 80% off Ceramic Tile and porcelain tiles. but subordinate nonetheless. Defense counsel take what they can get.”

The prosecutors’ decision to invoke the law calling for a mandatory sentence in Mr. Dossie’s case meant that Judge Gleeson had no choice but to send Mr. Dossie away for five years.If you are looking for offshore merchant account. Had his hands not been tied, Judge Gleeson wrote, “there is no way I would have sentenced” Mr. Dossie to so long a sentence.

“We had a ‘sentencing proceeding’ that involved no written submissions, no oral advocacy and no judging,” he wrote. “The proceeding had all the solemnity of a driver’s license renewal and took a small fraction of the time.”

The Dossie case illustrates what some judges say is a common problem: Prosecutors’ insistence on mandatory minimum sentences for minor players in the drug trade has warped the criminal justice system and robbed judges of sentencing authority.

The problem,Argo Mold limited specialize in Plastic Injection mold manufacture. they say, can be traced to a 1986 law enacted in response to the drug overdose of Len Bias, a college basketball star. The law was meant to establish two kinds of mandatory sentences, its sponsors explained at the time. It called for 10-year terms for drug kingpins and five-year terms for midlevel dealers. The law itself, though, used the quantities of drugs involved to signal whether the defendant held a leadership role.

“An addict who is paid $300 to stand at the entrance to a pier and watch for the police while a boatload of cocaine is offloaded,” Judge Gleeson wrote, “qualifies for kingpin treatment.” The law leaves the decision to prosecutors.

As for Mr. Dossie, the judge wrote, “no one could reasonably characterize him as a leader or manager of anything, let alone of a drug business.”

Judge Gleeson called on Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to establish a new policy at the Department of Justice.

“D.O.J. should seek mandatory minimum sentences,” the judge wrote, “only in the cases for which Congress intended them: in cases against leaders and managers of drug enterprises, not the low-level offenders like Dossie who constitute the bulk of the federal drug docket.”

About 74 percent of defendants charged with crimes involving crack cocaine faced a mandatory minimum sentence in the year that ended in September, according to statistics compiled by the United States Sentencing Commission. But only 5 percent of them led or managed a drug business.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said the administration supported the judicious use of mandatory minimum sentencing laws for some serious crimes. In a 2010 report, Lanny A. Breuer, an assistant attorney general, said mandatory minimum sentences “remove dangerous offenders from society, ensure just punishment and are an essential tool in gaining cooperation from members of violent street gangs and drug distribution networks.”

That last point, about gaining cooperation, is the most important one, said Nancy Gertner, who was until recently a federal judge in Boston and now teaches at Harvard Law School.

The goals of criminal law used to be deterrence, punishment and incapacitating violent offenders. “Recent changes,” she said, “are intended to give the prosecutor a menu and tools with which to secure cooperation.”

In a front-page article last year, my colleague Richard A. Oppel Jr. showed that prosecutors use the threat of tough mandatory sentences to extract guilty pleas from defendants and so reduce the number of cases that go to trial.

Paul G. Cassell, a former federal judge who is now a law professor at the University of Utah, said Judge Gleeson’s proposal to have the Justice Department limit its use of mandatory minimum sentences in drug cases to defendants who played a leadership role was “a brilliant package.” It was,Every Mold Maker job on the web. he said, administrable, fair and “doable in this political environment” because it requires no action from Congress.

Adds the Revolutionary Vortex Desk Lamp which Features Samsung's SPI Air Purifier

Air Purifiers Direct 2U is going after their market share of online air purifier sales by continuing to find and add Top Products to its online retail website. Their most current acquisition is the Vortex Desk Lamp with a SPI Air Purifier. Samsung already has great brand recognition and will fit in well with the other quality air purifiers that they currently sell on their website.

"We're always looking for the best of the best to add to our site: quality, value, and variety," says Barb Lulay, owner of Air Purifiers Direct 2U and President. She adds, "By combining the revolutionary SPI air purification technology with a top quality LED desk lamp, Vortex Enterprises made a perfect product for any setting. This SPI air purifier by Samsung purifies air up to 175 sq ft." Lulay continues, "Just imagine how this combination can benefit any office, school, daycare,TBC help you confidently buy mosaic from factories in China.Professional Manufacturer for polished tiles. and especially college environment.Online store for ceramic tiles by e-Ceramica group.

The lighting itself is outstanding with 1200 lux brightness, only 12 Watt (energy savings with only .11/KwH), no flickering, and a 50,Renowned crystal mosaic Supplier and Exporter in China.000 hours lifespan. By combining this with Samsung’s phenomenal SPI technology which not only eliminates over 99% of air contaminants like viruses, mold, bacteria, and even MRSA but also is certified to eliminate pet dander, dust mites and more, you now have the best of the best. We're excited to be able to offer this kind of air purification in a portable lamp design so you can take it with you to hotels etc.”

The main reason that Air Purifiers Direct 2U wanted to carry the Vortex Desk Lamp with the SPI Air Purifier was because of the Green Movement across the country these days. "Everywhere you look, people are looking for healthier air with more effective energy usage," Lulay says. “This product not only is extremely energy efficient but also does an outstanding job purifying the air without ozone. This is critical to protect you and the environment no matter where you are."

“The Vortex Lamp will fit in well with our other air purifiers because it is a niche of its own. This is an ideal gift idea and is also portable which makes it somewhat different than what we currently offer. Its quality and uniqueness is what attracted us to it in the first place,” says Lulay.

Lulay says. "We don’t want to overlap our products and confuse our customers. It's already a tough decision for a consumer to find the right air purifier, and we don't want to complicate that situation by offering too many products that are too similar in nature and price.This is a really pretty round china glass mosaic votive that has been covered with vintage china ." Lulay concludes, "We're a simple operation just trying to find great products for our customers to purchase and then have them know that they've made a quality purchase. We're proud to say that Vortex Enterprises and our other products can do exactly that for them."

Vortex Enterprises will fit in well with other Top Brands on their site such as AirFree Air Purifiers, AllerAir Air Purifiers, Austin Air Purifiers, Blueair Air Purifiers, Rabbit Air Purifiers, and NQ Clarifier Air Purifiers and more.

Air Purifiers Direct 2U is an online Air Purifier Superstore that sells top brand air purifiers and their accessories like filters. They have been in business since 2006, have outstanding customer reviews, and offer the lowest prices online including no shipping charges and taxfree options. Furthermore, they are a family owned, US business.

The Sistine Chapel on the Charles

Regrettably, my time with this image of our beautiful Mother must end, and Sargent's Pieta speaks with one parting message: "See what my womb has borne. Eat, my child, and live." Our eyes locked, I nod and note: One cannot pass through her gates without emerging unchanged. She is, after all, a woman of consequence.

Tunneling through the glacial till of Shawmut Peninsula, Boston's subway line from Park Street to Copley Square is the city's oldest. Completed in 1898, it connects the legislative center on Beacon Hill to what was at the time, the city's newly created cultural hub.

Revered institutions encircled the square - institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, MIT, Trinity Church - HH Richardson's glorious pile of stained glass and Roxbury puddingstone, the Boston Art Club, and my destination - the Boston Public Library. The first two have since moved from their birthplace, but the others remain, still nobly gracing the square. Emerging from the subway, I look quickly over my shoulder to glance in admiration at the soaring Italianate campanile of the New Old South Church.

Across the street from my momentarily diverted attentiLet us help you save hundreds of dollars* with 3M Window Insulator Kits.on is Boston's "palace for the people," its grande dame of architecture, its public library. Designed by Charles McKim and completed in 1895, she comfortably reigns over Copley Square. Well proportioned, handsomely clad, and tastefully ornamented, she is confident but not prideful. From her north facing limestone cornice, she speaks: "The Commonwealth Requires the Education of the People as the Safeguard of Order and Liberty.Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet."

The entrance is flanked by two imposing ladies in bronze. Sculpted by Bela Pratt in 1911, Science guards the southern flank and Art the northern. These stately women, robed and hooded, turn their gaze toward but not at those wishing to enter. Sitting upon their respective bronze thrones, their arms are open, a sign of welcome, but their knees are together and angled toward each other,TBC help you confidently buy mosaic from factories in China.Online store for ceramic tiles by e-Ceramica group. and thus their demeanor suggests that they wish you to admire their trade but do not invite you to engage. As sentries, their efforts are inconsequential.

Nodding as I pass between them, my attempts at making eye contact with the pair are thwarted by their inward focus. They distractedly allow my entry into the building, and I find that this "palace" does not disappoint. I am engulfed in the warm glow of Iowa sandstone; the floor is white Georgia marble inlaid with symbols of the zodiac; and the ceiling is a wonder of mosaic clad domes.Renowned crystal mosaic Supplier and Exporter in China. A pair of regal (and requisite) lions, sculpted by Saint-Gaudens, beckons bibliophiles upward.

The grand marble staircase is a memorial to the Commonwealth's Civil War infantry regiments, and ascending this noble memorial is a pleasure of motion honoring our veterans well. The memorial completes its ascent at the Puvis de Chavannes Gallery which serves as a foyer to Bates Hall, the library's magnificent reading room, but I'm continuing upward to the 3rd floor which houses special collections.

Ascending again, this time up a dimly lit limestone canyon, I lazily run my fingers along the smooth marble handrail, admiring the craftsmanship and wondering where have all the craftsmen gone; artistry is integral to every facet of this product of public munificence.

A quick glance upward to add confidence to footfall, and I am suddenly brought out of my reverie by the sight of something so unexpected, so utterly anathema to our current cultural norms, so utterly scandalous even to think of attempting in this day and age, and so utterly beautiful.

GOP might find Reagan's DNA defective

When news broke that a vial of Ronald Reagan's blood was being auctioned online, the price quickly jumped to $30,000 as websites and blogs explored a tantalizing possibility: Did this mean the late president could be cloned?

Before mad scientists got the chance to perform a Dolly-the-Sheep experiment with the 40th president, the seller succumbed to criticism and decided to donate the blood to the Reagan foundation. But this should only encourage the cloning speculation because the Gipper's DNA is now in the hands of those who would most like to reproduce him: Republicans.

Party officials have been making the pilgrimage to the Reagan Library this year to express their wish to recreate the great man. "I believe boldness and clarity of the kind that Ronald Reagan displayed in 1980 offer us the greatest opportunity to create a winning coalition in 2012," vice presidential aspirant Paul Ryan said at the library last week.

Also making the trip were VP hopefuls Marco Rubio and Chris Christie. "Like Ronald Reagan, I believe in what this country and its citizens can accomplish," the latter declared. "The America I speak of is the America Ronald Reagan challenged us to be."

The man they hope to join on the ticket, Mitt Romney, once boasted that he was "not trying to return to Reagan-Bush." Now he says the party's standard-bearer should be in "the same mold as Ronald Reagan."

But before they go filling that mold by mapping the Reagan genome, Republicans may wish to consider some genetic flaws that party scientists should repair in the cloning process. To make the Reagan clone more compatible with today's Republican Party, a bit of genetic engineering may be in order:

Reagan's AFL-1 gene, on the labor chromosome, has a mutation that made him susceptible to worker rights. He said of unions: "There are few finer examples of participatory democracy." He said the right to join a union is "one of the most elemental human rights." And he said collective bargaining "played a major role in America's economic miracle."

Reagan's EPA-4 gene, on the regulatory chromosome, has a protein that can summon anti-industry sympathies. He signed a law establishing efficiency standards for electric appliances, and an update to the Safe Drinking Water Act punishing states that didn't meet clean-water standards.Museum quality hand-painted fine oil painting reproduction on canvas.

These related genes, on the long arm of the retirement chromosome, are problematic. Reagan expanded Social Security in 1983 and imposed taxes on wealthy recipients. He also signed what was at the time the largest expansion of Medicare in its history.

A trio of abnormalities on the fiscal chromosome caused Reagan to increase taxes several times after his initial tax cut, to embrace much higher taxes on investments than current rates,Here's a complete list of oil painting supplies for the beginning oil painter. and to sign 18 increases in the federal debt limit.

These Reagan mutations, in the same sector as the debt mutations, created a genetic predisposition to expand the federal government. Reagan grew the federal workforce and the federal budget, added the Department of Veterans Affairs (one of the largest Cabinet agencies),Ekahau rtls is the only Wi-Fi based real time location system solution that operates on any brand or generation of Wi-Fi network. and pursued a military buildup that would be impossible under spending limits proposed by congressional Republicans.

For all his talk about welfare queens, Reagan had a gene on the compassion chromosome that led him to champion the Earned Income Tax Credit, a program for the working poor that takes more children out of poverty than any other program. Budgets proposed by today's Republicans would cut or eliminate the credit. A related abnormality caused ReaganWhat is a real time Location system ? to say that bus drivers should not pay a higher proportion of their income in taxes than millionaires -- one of President Obama's tax proposals opposed by current Republicans.

The DEAL-4 and related genes on Reagan's strategy chromosome are probably the most troubling for modern conservatives.Factory direct stone mosaic featuring marble mosaic floors. These abnormalities led Reagan to compromise routinely on arms control, the size of government, taxes and other matters of principle. In his autobiography, he criticized "radical conservatives" for whom "'compromise' was a dirty word." He continued: "They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. ... I'd learned while negotiating union contracts that you seldom got everything you asked for."

Come to think of it, Republicans would need a whole lot of new genetic material to repair Reagan's defects. Maybe they should instead put the blood in a vault and accept that they don't want to clone Reagan but to replace him with a fantasy. Modern Republican ideas simply aren't in their revered leader's DNA.

New look for Old Milltown

Development of a new Old Milltown is under way in downtown Edmonds.

Bellevue-based Rosen-Harbottle commercial and real estate investment firm has spruced up the Old Milltown Center. The $1.2 million in upgrades includes a facade renovation project.

“With the new design, businesses that used to be hidden by overgrown landscaping are now very visible,” said Stephen Clifton, director of economic development for the city.

Three of the new tenants for the development are operating businesses in Edmonds. Edmonds Vision Center, The Resident Cheesemonger and Las Brisas each plan July openings in their new locations.

Edmonds Vision Center is leaving its Main Street location to take a spot on the northwest corner of Milltown's street-level side.

The Resident Cheesemonger will become The Cheesemonger's Table when it leaves its space on Main Street and expands its offerings to include soups, salads and sandwiches plus pantry supplies. The new location will be in the former Quizno's spot on the south end of the ground level.

Las Brisas is moving from its Harbor Square spot to a 3,600-square-foot location adjacent to the Hazel Miller Plaza park. Outdoor dining will be featured.

The city-owned Hazel Miller Plaza is set to open in June. The fountain feature is installed, the new sidewalk is poured and planting of foliage has begun. A mosaic is planned for the Dayton Street wall of the project.

Following the addition of such features as a drinking fountain and benches, a grand-opening ribbon-cutting will be held mid-June.

Planning and construction of the park cost $150,000 with about $25,000 of that tied to connecting water and electric, said Kerri Hite, city parks director.

Tenants including the barber shop and Milltown Lounge bar will round out Milltown's street level.

While the city has not received applications from Tweedy & Popp Hardware, there is movement toward opening Edmonds Hardware and Paint in Milltown Aug. 1 on the second floor.Professional Manufacturer for polished tiles. The owners are in the process of closing their Shoreline location on Richmond Beach Road.

The new hardware store would be positioned in a different location from the former Ace Hardware store, which left Old Milltown when the weight of the paint inventory stressed the floor. That former location is being converted into office space for The Hotel Group, which owns and manages hotels.

Milltown's completion is having an effect on Edmonds' Main Street. As prime retail locations become available on Fifth Avenue South, other retailers are backfilling into newly vacant spots on Main Street.

Red Petal Cakes has opened 321 Main St. Owner Glenda Garcia offers her cakes and cupcakes in a portion of the former Housewares space. That retailer expanded across the street to 318 Main St.

Cole Gallery also is expanding, adding a second spot, opening the ArtSpot, an interactive art supplies and classroom space. That shop is going into 408 Main St., the former Town & Country Jewelry location.

The location became available when Town & Country Jewelry moved into the space previously held by Mu Shoe shoes, which closed the Edmonds shop but kept its Kirkland location open.

When Running In Motion closed that opened up space for Semantics Art Gallery II to expand into the Fourth and Main spot. This will be owner Larry Jeffers' second location in Edmonds. The Semantics Gallery on Fourth Avenue will remain open.Save up to 80% off Ceramic Tile and porcelain tiles.

The Gorgeous Matte Paintings that Made Lord of the Rings and Fifth Element Feel Real

Being asked to write about my process of matte painting is like the often asked, what brush do you use?. The unquantifiable question for a seasoned artist more often than not, prompts the curt reply, its not about the bike! Cycling, painting, same thing.Chinese Plastic mould manufacturer in southeast of China.. The best answer I can give is by quoting the landscape painter, Jim Wilcox who said, "You just need to put the right colour in the right spot. Thats it. There is fine print, however".

I will do my best to outline some of this fine print as applied to my oil painting work and to a lesser degree, matte painting.

My first foray into creating scifi imagery was using the optical, photo-chemical process. I made a pin registration board so that I could composite 4" x 5" transparencies into a single image using Lith film as a mask. Think channels in Photoshop but made of film. My goal was to create the same sort of images that ILM created in Star Wars etc. by photographing my model X-Wing fighters and dropping them into real backgrounds.

By the time I completed my BA in Photography at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in October 1994, Photoshop had rendered optical compositing utterly obsolete. The images in my final year portfolio consisted of photography and 3D rendered objects composited together in Photoshop v2. No layers, no Wacom pen and done entirely with a mouse!

I was hired by Digital Domain at Siggraph in 1995 on the basis of that portfolio and started working on The Fifth Element as a matte painter in 1996. I worked under VFX supervisor Mark Stetson (chief model maker on Blade Runner, Star Trek the Motion Picture and eventual supervisor on LOTR), Kevin Mack and fellow matte painter and VFX Art Director, Ron Gress. These gentleman in particular gave me the chance to experiment, learn and flourish in such a way as to be almost impossible in VFX today. The Fifth Element was and will always be the best production Ive ever worked on.Offers China ceramic tile. Farscape, season one was my next major project followed by Lord of the Rings at Weta Digital for films one and two. I have been freelance ever since with the exception of co-founding a small VFX/Production company in Sydney called Emerald City Design. The Fourth Magi was a fully animated feature film that I Production Designed but regrettably it never made it into full production. My focus is now oil painting science fiction in a way that evokes the grand, epic style of traditional matte painting.

The use of 3D renderings and photographic elements in the matte painting toolbox are well established so I wont go into this too much. In essence the matte paintings I have created throughout my career consist of scanned pencil sketches, composited photography, rendered 3D elements, applied 2D textures, projected mattes onto 3D, direct digital painting and all of the above combined in any number of variations. I have painted mattes by numbers based on director approved concept art/production designs to having full creative control of full sequences. Matte painters are able to simultaneously carry out art direction duties as well as the painting of final mattes on smaller productions thus removing unnecessary links in the VFX chain.Husky Injection Molding Systems designs. Conversely, on The Fellowship of the Ring, we had five matte painters who liaised with three art directors, Alan Lee, Paul Lasaine and Jeremy Bennett, on a continuous basis. They supplied a steady stream of roughs, usually small acrylic paintings that indicated lighting, colour palette and composition, as guides for the final mattes.

Modern VFX pipelines are beginning to remove aspects of the process from the matte painters hands as the technical requirements multiply and increasing numbers of people are involved in the realisation of individual shots. This trend can be a hindrance to the craft of matte painting and overshadow the relationship of the Art Director and Matte Painter who strive for visual communication using composition rather than simulation.

Despite moving away from VFX in recent years and embracing oil painting doesnt mean Ive thrown the baby out with the bath water however. Digital is an incredible adjunct to traditional methods, especially 3D tools that can aid in composition, perspective and the duplication of objects.Let us help you save hundreds of dollars* with 3M Window Insulator Kits. 3D is a great time saver that allows me to compose scenes and move virtual cameras around just like a film director or photographer.

Once Im satisfied with my chosen POV, I render out a high resolution image and start drawing over the bare bones structure adding characters and other details that I want in the picture. This digital drawing is then printed out and transferred to canvas.You can find best china Precision injection molds manufacturers from here!

This is but one of the possible processes I may use as not all of my paintings require such high tech beginnings. Paintings based upon smaller watercolour studies are another approach that Ive used. I usually prefer to have an established foundation to work from and that foundation at a minimum is always a sketch, regardless of the technical path the image may eventually take.

Developing the lighting and mood component of a painting is something a little more fluid and organic and this is really the meat in the sandwich for me. Many of my paintings, both traditional or digital, start out as mood ideas which are undefined and may float around for ages before I apply them to more concrete environments, forms or situations. The photographer in me is constantly on the lookout for interesting lighting.

The oil paintings Ive created so far are a part of a larger science fiction project that has been simmering for many years, eventually to be realised as a fully illustrated novel! I have come to realise my love of painting wasnt so much a love of matte painting, although Ive had my fare share of creative joy painting on films like Lord of the Rings, it was simply a love of telling stories visually.

Exposure to common agricultural fungicide shown to influence rat behavior for generations

A new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that pregnant rats exposed to the common agricultural fungicide vinclozolin pass on the damage to their descendents.

While the co-author stated that the purpose of the study was to investigate potential phenomena which are caused by exposure to the chemical, not to assess the risk humans face, as I pointed out in my recent article on a ground-breaking study on the effects on high-fructose corn syrup on rats’ brains, rats are regularly used as models.

Like bisphenol-A , this chemical has been shown to interrupt the course of normal sexual development, among other dangers.

For those who are unfamiliar,Every Mold Maker job on the web.An Air purifier is a device which removes contaminants from the air. vinclozolin – sold under brand names Ronilan, Curalan,TBC help you confidently buy mosaic from factories in China. Vorlan and Touche – is used to fight various diseases which target crops, such as molds, rots, blights and is even regularly used on gold courses.

The study, conducted by United States-based researchers, showed that descendents of pregnant rats exposed to the chemical showed more anxiety and stress a whopping three generations after the original rat was exposed.

These descendents showed higher levels of stress and anxiety than the spawn of non-exposed rats, and researchers suggest that this may be able to explain the rising numbers of diagnoses of anxiety disorders, autism and obesity among human beings in the recent past.

Some have postulated that there is actually no rise in autism or anxiety disorders, but instead a more frequent diagnosis of said illnesses since we now better understand them.

This research, however, makes that attempt to explain away the rise in these conditions look increasingly less reasonable.

Indeed, the fact that there has been a marked rise in new autism diagnoses is hardly arguable, as highlighted by Steven Novella of Science-Based Medicine in 2008.

“That the number of new autism diagnoses is dramatically increasing is generally accepted and not a point of debate,Excel Mould is a Custom Plastic Injection moulds Maker.” Novella wrote.

Novella outlines the two basic hypotheses behind this rise: “1) That the true incidence of autism is rising due to an environmental cause, 2) That the rise in incidence is mostly or completely an artifact of increased surveillance and broadening of the definition of autism.”

While his 2008 article, covering research conducted by Professor Dorothy Bishop of the University of Oxford,Compare prices and buy all brands of solar panel for home power systems and by the pallet. seems to be leaning towards the second hypothesis, it appears that this latest research supports the first.

“We are now in the third human generation since the start of the chemical revolution, since humans have been exposed to these kinds of toxins,” said David Crews of the University of Texas, the lead author of the study.

“There is no doubt that we have been seeing real increases in mental disorders like autism and bipolar disorder,” said Crews.

““It’s more than just a change in diagnostics. The question is why? Is it because we are living in a more frantic world, or because we are living in a more frantic world and are responding to that in a different way because we have been exposed? I favor the latter,” he explained to Agence France-Presse.

The study involved researchers exposing pregnant rats to vinclozolin, which is regularly used as a fungicide on both fruits and vegetables, and has been linked to hormone disruption – and thus is technically known as an endocrine disruptor – with effects persisting across generations of exposed animals.

While Michael Skinner of Washington State University, the co-author of the study, pointed out that the amount of exposure was indeed “higher than what you would expect in the environment,” he also emphasized that “there is not a whole lot known about environmental levels of this particular compound.”

Skinner and his fellow researchers tested the third generation offspring of male rats, specifically investigating their reactions to a stressful situation.

This experimental situation was physical restraint during adolescence, which they then compared with the reactions of rats that had elders who were not exposed to the chemical fungicide.

They discovered that rats with a family history of fungicide exposure not only had higher levels of testosterone compared with the other rats but also weighed more – thus the potential link to obesity.

Furthermore, the rats with ancestors exposed to the chemical showed higher levels of anxiety, greater sensitivity to stress and greater activity in the regions of the brain associated with stress compared with the unexposed test group.

The study also found that in a separate trial testing sociability, the offspring of fungicide-exposed rats “showed less interest than other rats in new individuals and environments.”

Citaro Euro VI

A diesel powered service bus from Mercedes Benz holds the record of being the first such bus to be Euro VI compliant. The Citaro Euro VI is the cleanest running diesel powered bus being offered with Euro VI engines thus meeting stringent exhaust emission standards. What sets this bus apart from the rest is the fact that besides meeting high level of emission standards its fuel consumption too is reduced by 5% while oil and AdBlue consumption is also at a new reduced level. The Mercedes Benz Citaro is eco friendly, economical and safe to be used for regular bus services. This bus comes at a time when demand is high for procurement of service vehicles which meet the new Euro VI standards.

The bus with Euro VI compliance offers a smoother ride, a better acoustic experience for both driver and passengers besides lower engine sound. The company has also developed two completely new engines based on the company motto of BlueEfficiency Power.

The first such engine comprises of an in line six cylinder OM 936 with 7.7 liter displacement and the second is an OM 470 with 10.7 liter displacement. These two engines are the ultimate where acceleration and power are concerned. They offer smooth running and efficient maintenance. High level of fuel efficiency apart, these engines also consume oil which is at 50% less than their predecessors. The new engines have technical designs that include crossflow cylinder with four valves per cylinder which offers ultra fast gas exchange process. The cylinder head and crank case are joined together with 6 screws per cylinder offering better stability and rigidity.

Another great leap forward for the global bestseller among regular-service buses: the Mercedes-Benz Citaro has just extended its lead over the competition with a completely new engine generation. This makes the Citaro the first regular-service bus to be fitted and supplied with Euro VI engines as standard,TBC help you confidently buy mosaic from factories in China. and the world's cleanest-running diesel regular-service bus. A raft of further innovations have reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, successfully offsetting the extra weight involved in meeting the Euro VI exhaust emissions standard. Mercedes-Benz has also continued to further enhance the Citaro in many other ways, to create the world's most future-proof, eco-friendly, economical and safe regular-service bus.

Special importance is given to the environmental footprint of regular-service buses, because these vehicles are very often used in areas that are particularly sensitive to environmental damage. For city centres, suburbs and the fast-growing urban areas in Europe and far beyond, environmental protection is a top priority alongside economic considerations when it comes to the purchase and operation of regular-service buses.

The Mercedes-Benz Citaro opens up a whole new chapter in this area by successfully meeting both environmental and economic objectives, as the first regular-service bus delivered to customers with a Euro VI-compliant engine. This has been achieved with an entirely new engine generation from Mercedes-Benz.

This was the ideal time for Mercedes-Benz again to take the lead in the engine development stakes, with several calls for tenders for procurement contracts stipulating Euro VI as mandatory. Incentive schemes are also now in place for meeting the new exhaust emissions standard.

The powerful performance of these engines has also allowed the developers in almost all cases to provide longer axle ratios than in previous engines. To take just two examples, the standard axle ratio in the rigid regular-service bus is now i=6.21 rather than i=7.Online store for ceramic tiles by e-Ceramica group.37, and in the rigid intercity coach i=5.77 instead of i=6.21. This significantly lowers engine speed and noise levels, as well as reducing the number of comfort-impairing gear changes.

As well as being able to feel the new performance features of these engines, the driver can also see them, with the green area of the revolution counter marking the high-economy engine speed range,Features useful information about glass mosaic tiles. starting as low as 900 rpm in the Citaro.

So along with even higher fuel economy, the new Euro VI Citaro also offers smoother running and provides a more agreeable acoustic experience for driver and passengers alike,Renowned crystal mosaic Supplier and Exporter in China. thanks to the lower engine speeds, plus optimised noise insulation and the fuel injection process.Factory direct stone mosaic featuring marble mosaic floors.

Unique home in the Jersey woods

One of America's most flamboyant private residences lies in the woods of northwest New Jersey. It's the personal vision of artist and craftsman Ricky Boscarino and reflects his eccentric world view.

Boscarino found early fame nearly 30 years ago as a maker of "RoachArt," dioramas of the universally despised pests in familiar tableaus such as at a bowling alley or eating "The Last Supper."

He expanded his art to life-like cockroach jewelry, still a prime source of income for him, and he now includes butterflies, ladybugs, scarab beetles and other insects on his works.Factory direct stone mosaic featuring marble mosaic floors. He has jewelry lines depicting animals, kitchen objects, garden tools and other common items.

His biggest art project is his home.

He named it Luna Parc, after a small amusement park near Rome.Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET.Features useful information about glass mosaic tiles. He paid $90,000 in 1989 for a hunting cabin on five acres that had been abandoned for about 10 years. Ever since, he pursued the resurrection of the derelict house in his own idiosyncratic way while adhering to the local building codes.

"My friends thought, 'What's he doing? This is crazy,'" said Boscarino. "It needed so many repairs."

It also needed insulation, new windows, plumbing and heating and all sorts of other improvements.

A notable thing about the construction is the sheer labor he expended. Everywhere in the 2,800 square-foot house and surroundings, there's evidence of the toil he has put in to bring the project to life.

In the bathroom alone, he cemented nearly a million pieces of broken tile and stone onto the walls and floor. There's a large mosaic wave sweeping across one wall.

A garden wall is an amusing melange of shapes, images and patterns. Building eaves and gables are framed in intricate scroll-saw work. Color splashes everywhere.

"If you keep moving non-stop for 23 years, this is what happens," said Boscarino. "I'm obsessive by nature and I have really good skills. I took on one project after another."

The grounds are studded with Boscarino's sculptures. Many incorporate found objects, like blue ice tea bottles, while other are cast in concrete. One statue pays homage to a dearly departed pet; it features a cat in a ballet pose atop a bowling ball.

He credits his talents and interests to his family, who were artisans in Italy,Renowned crystal mosaic Supplier and Exporter in China. "going back to the Medicis," he said.

For generations everyone in his family knew how to build things and work with all sorts of materials. His two sisters are both artists. His family members have worked on the house.

Much of decoration and art is playful, like license plate shingling on exterior walls or the wine cork walls in the kitchen. Much of it is undeniably beautiful.

"When people come here and are inspired, that's a compliment to me," he said.

He figures to make what he calls his "project" a lifetime job. He pays for it with sales of his jewelry, sculpture and ceramics, and calculates that he has sunk perhaps $1.5 million into the effort.

Boscarino hopes to live to be 106, and judging how youthful he looks at age 51,Secured handsfree building and door access solutions with Hands free access by Nedap AVI. that seems attainable. He says if he's able to work on the home another 55 years, it still wouldn't be finished.

They make superstars from silicone

A day after director Anurag Kashyap shouted, 'It's a wrap' to his Gangs of Wasseypur crew in Benares, actress Richa Chadda ran upstairs in the hotel where they were staying. In her hand, she held a nine-month pregnant stomach that she had worn through the shoot. Rounding up a flight of stairs, she crashed into a waiter. Chadda, with a touch of the dramatic, says, "He almost fainted!"

The waiter can be forgiven for thinking it was a real stomach. Made of silicone, the prosthetic was moulded on Chadda's own tummy, and had, in the actress's words, "a Richa navel, and hairline".

In this two-part film based on the coal mafia of Dhanbad in Jharkhand, scheduled to be screened at the Cannes International Film Festival on Tuesday, prosthetics have been used heavily. Chadda's character is shown aging from 16 to 60 years. The film's prosthetic-makers Zuby Johal, Rajiv Subba and Mamta Gautam have also supplied assorted hands and feet, a dagger wedged into an eye, three heads and a man's body to make Kashyap's realistic drama, a bit more real.

Hyper-real prosthetics,Monz Werkzeugbau und Formenbau. made of new material such as silicone and a higher grade of foamed latex, unlike what was used in films of the '80s and '90s, are becoming de rigueur in Hindi cinema, one crooked finger, decapitated head and gory gash at a time.Features useful information about glass mosaic tiles.

National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad graduates, Johal, Subba and Gautam began working on hyper-real mannequins and life-like body parts three years ago. Besides Kashyap's film, they have also made hands, feet and a face mask for Emraan Hashmi's ghost-character in Vikram Bhatt's upcoming Raaz 3. An eight-inch foetus for a film on sex selective abortion by High Tide Communications is the other assignment they have just wrapped up. A prosthetic foot that comes flying out in an accident sequence for Naseeruddin Shah starrer Michael, is courtesy them too.

The 61-year-old actor will be made to look 30 years younger with the help of prosthetics and post-production visual effects in Solomon Ahishor's John Day, which went on floor earlier this month.

"For Naseeruddin Shah to look like he is in his 30s, the skin had to look tighter. This was achieved using prosthetics, but a lot of work will be done during post-production, where we will airbrush the character. We can't afford to make him look plastic, so we had to be careful about the prosthetic make-up," says Ahishor.

The director took on board Anil Pemgirikar, a veteran make-up artist, who began his career in Bollywood in 1972. In the past few years, Pemgirikar has worked on Hey Ram (2000, Mahatama Gandhi's character) and Krrish, where he made Hrithik Roshan age with make-up. Prosthetic artist Nahush Pise, who studied the technique in Los Angeles and began his career as Pemgirikar's assistant in 2000, made Roshan's mask for the super hero film. For this, he took a lifecast,TRT (UK) has been investigating and producing solutions for indoor Tracking since 2000. or mould, of the actor's face. Pise used wax for this prosthetic, but two years earlier he had made a bloody torso for a hospital scene in Lakshya (2004) with silicone.All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats.

Pise, who also made a pregnant stomach prosthetic for Deepika Padukone in Chandni Chowk to China (2009) with foamed latex, ("silicone would have been too heavy to carry") explains his choices. "I used silicone for Lakshya, since a knife had to be used on the torso, and foamed latex would not cut well. For the mask, I used wax, since any other material could have cut into Hrithik's face," says Pise, who had to make sure the mask appeared metallic, not rubbery.Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET. They make superstars from silicone.

Emmi brothers to open new ‘Locals’ eatery

After revoking Duke Investments’ three Alaska franchises in March, Chili’s Grill and Bar’s parent company Brinker Investments has decided it will not reopened the shuttered eateries.

Signs on the doors of the restaurants said they’d reopen soon, but local businessmen Ernie and John Emmi say the building they own at 3100 E. Parks Hwy., will reopen as a restaurant this summer, but not Chili’s.

“We tried to get the franchise, but they wouldn’t give it to us,” Ernie Emmi said.

As was the case when Duke Investments opened its first Chili’s in Alaska in Anchorage in 2002, Brinker required the investment company to open sister stores in Fairbanks in 2005 and Wasilla in 2008.

Brinker believes in a synergy, or economy of scale, and Duke Investments opened the Fairbanks and Wasilla locations at Brinker’s urging, according to a June 2010 ruling penned by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Herb Ross in a Duke Investments bankruptcy proceeding

John Emmi said they were only interested in re-opening the Wasilla Chili’s location, but in the end, Brinker decided to leave the Alaska market instead. A Chili’s Too location at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport will remain, brand spokesperson Julie Flowers said in a statement released in March.

But the Emmi’s own the building that once housed Chili’s and the Grand View Inn and Suites next door.

“We have a multi-million dollar building sitting there. We have to do something with it,” Ernie Emmi said.

By Fourth of July, folks will be able to check out a new Mat-Su Valley eatery in that location, called “Locals Pizzeria and Pub,” he said.All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats. The goal was to be open sooner, but he said it took six weeks just to get the pizza ovens delivered.

“We’re going to try to make the very best pizza in the Valley,” Ernie Emmi said.

In addition to its more than 30 Alaska microbrews on tap, Locals will serve an assortment of homemade pizza, wings, salads, soups, sandwiches — many made from the Emmi’s family recipes.

The Emmi family is no stranger to the restaurant business, Ernie Emmi said. He said he grew up selling hamburgers and hot dogs all over New York,Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET. especially at Emmi’s Little Italy at the New York State Fair, which they started 31 years ago.If you have a fondness for china mosaic brimming with romantic roses

One of the menu items he’s most excited to offer is a secret family recipe for a deep fat fried eggplant sandwich it took him years to talk Uncle Duke Emmi into sharing.

The parts of the recipe that aren’t secret are the fresh hoagie roll, deep fried slices of eggplant, topped with homemade sauce and mozzarella.

But that won’t be Locals’ signature sandwich, Ernie Emmi said. That honor goes to Uncle Duke’s Sub.

Based on the same secret family recipe, Uncle Duke’s Sub adds sausage, meatballs, onions and peppers to the sandwich’s palate of flavors.

The menu also includes a selection of wings with 10 different sauces — including honey habanera, garlic parmesan, orange teriyaki, and buffalo wings that come in a range of heats — and six different custom salads.

And don’t forget Local’s selection of pizzas.TRT (UK) has been investigating and producing solutions for indoor Tracking since 2000. They are likely to stick to your ribs and in your memory with familiar names like the Denali Destroyer, Iron Dog, Knik Glacier, Talkeetna, Fireweed, Little Su, Aurora, Palmer,Monz Werkzeugbau und Formenbau. Iditarod, Butte and Pioneer Peak.

Ernie Emmi said their thin crust pizzas will star with homemade dough and sauce and finished with the “best toppings.”

If the Iron Dog pizza doesn’t rev your engine, people can build their own “Local” pizza with any combination of available toppings.

Mat-Su Valley residents are used to being known as “Valley Trash,” but the Emmi brothers are trying to give their neighbors a new, nicer moniker.

Hard to argue in favor of smoking in clubs

It's not easy for a politician to defend smoking but Eagle River Assemblyman Bill Starr will be doing just that next week.

Starr has proposed a repeal of the smoking ban for private clubs. The Assembly will take comment Tuesday night. The change would affect 20 or so clubs -- mostly veterans and fraternal organizations -- but it is really aimed at just one: the Eagles Aerie 4174 in Peters Creek.

The Eagles Aerie, which has 187 members, is located in Starr's district. The aerie has been resisting the smoking ban since it went into effect in 2007 and has had at least two run-ins with the Alcohol Beverage Control Board. The aerie would like to operate an indoor smoking room, separated from where the bartender works by a wall and a door; the room would have outside ventilation. Starr's proposal would make that legal.

Starr said he doesn't think smoking is a healthy habit. But it's also a matter of personal choice. The Eagles do a lot for the community and the ban has hurt their membership.

"When (the Eagles) state their case and you go visit them, you know the one guy walked out of there and you know he's got a prosthetic leg, he's 76 years old, he's got a veteran's hat on," Starr said.

"That's his social life,If you have a fondness for china mosaic brimming with romantic roses this is what he does; he goes there and drinks with his buddies and wants to have a smoke. I'm just not in the place where we can reach into his personal choice and say no you can't."

Assemblywoman Debbie Ossiander has also expressed some support for the measure.

On the face of it, I found Starr's argument compelling. Let the guys smoke if they want to. It's a private club. Whatever harm it's going to do has probably already been done. But I still had a lot of questions.

James Stewart, the treasurer for the Eagles in Chugiak, described the membership there as mainly "working stiffs" who range in age from late 40s to well past retirement. They raise money for the fights against cancer and diabetes, and for the Chugiak Volunteer Fire Department. He estimated that three-quarters of them smoke. Stewart himself favors cigars. Before the ban, you could walk into the aerie and it would be standing room only, he said.

"(Afterward) a lot of our members just stopped coming in," he said. The older members,Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET. in particular, don't like being sent outside to light up in the winter.

"It's hard on their bodies."

I suggested that social change might be responsible for some of the decline. Fraternal club members are getting old and younger members aren't joining. And, if many of them are long-time smokers, tobacco-related health problems might be taking a toll.

"It's not just because they're dying," he said. "It's because they can't smoke."

Other service clubs gave mixed reactions.

Smokers on the back porch of the Eagles club in Peters Creek stand in a brief fall of hail on May 18. Kathleen Breitkreutz takes a picture of them.

Dennis Disshon, commander at AMVets Post 2 near the University Center, said the smoking ban cut into traffic at first but then the post built "the Cadillac of smoke shacks" outside,TRT (UK) has been investigating and producing solutions for indoor Tracking since 2000. with insulation and heat. (They also tangled a few times with the city over it but that's apparently resolved now.) The majority of the members smoke. Disshon smokes half a pack of American Spirit Blues a day, even though he's had kidney cancer directly linked to smoking. He welcomed Starr's proposal.

"Old veterans smoke.All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats. Hell, they gave 'em cigarettes in their K-rations," he said.

Jim Grant, commander of the American Legion Jack Henry Post 1 on Fireweed Lane, told me his members are mostly over 60. More than half smoke. Grant has been smoking 55 years. Business slowed after the ban but it came back. He spent weeks rehabbing the post, painting and cleaning,Monz Werkzeugbau und Formenbau. to remove the smell, he said. He likes it better. What if people could smoke inside again?

"I would have second thoughts," he said. "I don't want to impose my habit on people that don't smoke."

Friday I talked with Pat Reynaga, a nurse who is the state lead ambassador for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. A number of studies show that having a smoking room, even one with outside ventilation, doesn't protect employees from secondhand smoke, she said. The Eagles' resistance to the smoking ban in Chugiak isn't isolated. It's part of a national push, she said.

A quick Google search showed me that Eagles had resisted bans in West Virginia, Ohio, Washington, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Michigan. Eagles in Juneau sued to challenge the ban, going all the way to the Alaska Supreme Court. They lost. Stewart said he wasn't aware of a national effort.

"But it makes me even prouder to be an Eagle," he said.

Assemblyman Dick Traini helped engineer the smoking ban. He reminded me that more than 70 percent of the electorate voted to support it. It was just logical and better for everybody's health. He doubted Starr's measure had the support it needed to pass.

Strong fundamentals to drive regional plastics sector

The emergence of the Middle East region as a key player in the global plastics industry and the plentiful opportunities it offers to equipment and machinery suppliers and manufacturers were the important factors that attracted a record visitor turnout at the inaugural Plastivision Arabia & Arabia Mold trade fairs.

The shows, which were held at Expo Centre Sharjah from May 14 to 17, received 4,763 visitors from 66 countries during their four-day run, leaving a positive impact on the regional plastics and molds industry with their very first edition. The show also had the distinction of seeing almost all the machines displayed getting sold.

In order to understand first-hand the exhibitor and visitor response to the launch, Mr Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, toured the halls on the last day of the event. He spoke to exhibitors who briefed him on machinery and other equipment on display at their stalls.

Being a production powerhouse, exhibitors and visitors believe that the Middle East is the happening place for the plastics industry now. The Middle East,Monz Werkzeugbau und Formenbau. during the last decade, has fast emerged as a serious player in the global market owing to the twin benefits of low raw material and feedstock prices and proximity to the highly lucrative Asian market.

A steadily growing population, which now stands at 7.2 million at the end of 2011, is also a significant driver of the economy and supports plastics consumption.

"Regional governments and industry bodies are creating a conducive climate for the growth of the plastics industry. A flourishing upstream industry has succeeded in laying a strong foundation for the downstream petrochemical industry, while planned projects will further promote the plastics production in the region," said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General of Expo Centre Sharjah, co-organiser of Plastivision Arabia along with All India Plastics Manufacturers Association (AIPMA).

"We were quick to realise the opportunities that the region had in store and in association with AIPMA launched Plastivision Arabia, along with ArabiaMold. Over 150 exhibitors and more than 2,000 pre-registered visitors had already set the pace for a successful show. Now, we have seen an impressive turnout of trade visitors too, providing the icing on the cake," Mr Midfa added.

"India and the UAE are largest trading partners of each other and share a long history of trade and cultural relations. So when we decided to bring the show closer to our customers, we chose the UAE and Expo Centre Sharjah, and the success of the Plastivision Arabia shows that we have been right in our choice. AIPMA is also highly optimistic about the growth prospects of the plastic industry, which were amply demonstrated during the show," said Mr Jayesh Rambhia, President, AIPMA.Choose from our large selection of Cable Ties.

Despite being held for the first time, exhibitors said they were happy with the organization and management of the shows and reported receiving good response from the target markets.

"The shows were well organized and had enough business opportunities up for grabs. It was a good exhibition for us," said Akhil Parikh and Harpit Parikh of Rajhans Plastic Pvt Ltd, an exhibitor.

The Plastivision and ArabiaMold shows covered an exhibition area of 10,000 square metres and featured exhibitors from 20 countries, displaying raw materials and machinery for key segments such as plastic processing,This video shows the results of a Indoor Positioning System.All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats. injection molding, thermoforming, packaging, industrial users, construction, infrastructure, automobile and telecommunication, among others

"I am very pleased with the exhibition on several counts. First, the presence of quality visitors...Museum quality hand-painted fine oil painting reproduction on canvas. then, visitor representation from across the region. Above all, good business leads. All these constitute an interesting start for my company to strengthen our presence in the Arab World," said Najib El Khouri, Senior Sales Manager Middle East, Aschulman.

"A very commendable effort for a first edition," Mr Sunil Jain, President of Rajoo Engineering Limited, New Delhi.

"The show has exceeded our expectations. We have been able to show our innovative, value-creating plastic solutions to all visitors and even other exhibitors at Plastivision Arabia 2012," said Adel Ali Al Fahim, Regional Communications Manager-Middle East, Borouge.

"The market was in need of a show like Plastivision Arabia. We have not only sold our running film-line machine, which was on live display... but also signed contracts for five more of them. We have already booked space for the next edition and will display our complete range of machines," said B V Shettigar, Gurucharan Industries India.

India had a major presence at the show, with nearly half of the exhibitors coming from the country, while the rest came from China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the UAE and the UK.

Mepo firm exports to the world

People outside the HawkeyePedershaab family might have a misconception on what aspect "concrete" plays in the longtime southeast Iowa enterprise.

"We make machines that make the concrete pipe and manholes," said Don Schmidgall, former CEO of the company.

When Hank Schmidgall founded Hawkeye Concrete in Morning Sun in 1949, the business initially was about making concrete pipe. But one day, he manufactured a pipe unloader with two forks, which could unload concrete pipe faster and easier.

Soon after, the nature of the business changed directions from making concrete to manufacturing the machines connected to the industry. The company moved in 1956, when Hank Schmidgall bought property in Mediapolis.

Hank's twin sons, Don and Ron, work at the plant along with a few other Schmidgalls. The twins have engineering degrees from Iowa State University, as the company supports about 25 mechanical and electrical engineers. Don took over the reins in the early '80s, but admits he has weaned himself from some responsibilities. Don's title now is product vice president,This video shows the results of a Indoor Positioning System. Ron is applications engineering manager and Larry Posner is the current CEO.

The next major change that took Hawkeye Concrete from a North American company to one doing business internationally was its merger with Pedershaab in 2008.

"They are the most recognized name in concrete machines in the world,We offer over 600 landscape oil paintings at wholesale prices of 75% off retail." Don said.

Pedershaab's roots in Denmark date back to 1877. New York equity firm Kohlberg brought Hawkeye Concrete and Pedershaab together to form the new configuration - HawkeyePedershaab. Now, the company consists of plants in Mediapolis and Denmark, sales offices in Russia and Vietnam, and a service office in Italy. Approximately 75 percent of the products made in Mediapolis are exported overseas.

Most of the work taking place on the production floors of the various buildings Thursday in Mediapolis were machines and equipment being readied for shipment to Qatar, Saudia Arabia and Australia.

In the assembly bay of the plant, workers were putting the finishing touches on a multi-cast product originally manufactured at the Denmark plant. The large elaborate machine includes a hopper and two conveyor belts which feed the concrete into pipe forms, ranging from 12 inches to 12 feet in diameter. The machine sitting in the plant Thursday was destined for a customer in Saudia Arabia. Due to the machine's size, it will be sent via ship and take six weeks to reach the Middle East.

Another large project on the production floor was a mold for a sewer pipe for a Saudia Arabian city. The mold comes largely in two pieces, with the exterior piece measuring 12 feet in diameter and six feet long.Museum quality hand-painted fine oil painting reproduction on canvas. Once in Saudia Arabia, the six-foot piping made from the mold will be fitted together and stretch 60 miles from the city to an ocean.

The interior piece to the mold will include a hydraulic vibrator, which makes sure the concrete is as strong as possible. The vibrator is like a sledgehammer, providing 3,600 hits per minute at a force of 20,000 pounds of pressure. The two molds weigh approximately 40,000 pounds, and one six-foot concrete pipe made from it will weigh between 40,000 to 50,000 pounds.

The hydraulic vibrators used by the company are made in Denmark, whereas any electric vibrators used in a product are purchased from an Italian firm.

HawkeyePedershaab's expertise doesn't stop at making individual molds or machines that feed concrete into molds. The company can manufacture all the support equipment needed in a concrete pipe plant. For example, only three to four employees are required to operate a Canadian plant that makes concrete pipes. HawkeyePedershaab made all the equipment in the automated system, including a steam chamber for drying pipes once taken out of the molds.

"The robots are the stars," Don said of the automated system.

In the past, the company might make a $2 million sale consisting of molds or machines that feed concrete into molds, but now the sale can be $15 million as HawkeyePedershaab can fully equip an automated plant.

"That kind of broadens the product line," Don said.

Nearly every aspect of a product is done in house, starting with the electrical and mechanical designs done by the engineers. Those blueprints are taken out on the production floor, where products are formed out of steel.

A $600,000 Bystronic machine uses a laser to cut metal pieces up to an inch thick based off a computer blueprint. The machine can cut 80 feet per minute out of quarter inch plate, said Aaron Schmidgall, the chief operating officer.

HawkeyePedershaab also makes electrical control cabinets,What is a real time Location system ?Choose from our large selection of Cable Ties. which can be made to operate a single machine or provide power for the automated system of an entire plant. The smaller units may take two to three days to make, while the larger units take longer to construct.

Currently, the company is in hiring mode. Before the Great Recession, the Mediapolis plant had 270 workers. It has fallen to 180 workers in Mediapolis and 280 globally. The goal in 2012 is to hire 35 more workers for the Mediapolis plant and 25 for the Denmark plant as business has picked up.

"We are halfway to those goals," said Aaron. "We are slowly getting back to where we were at."

Most of the new hires will be for the company's second shift. HawkeyePedershaab keeps a rough ratio of one engineer per seven or eight fabricators.

HawkeyePedershaab is giving the public a look inside the facilities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 2. Plant tours and free food will part of the festivities, as potential employees and the curious can get a look at the technology involved at 506 S. Wapello St.

What consistently changes on the production floor is the types of products being designed and manufactured by HawkeyePedershaab. But southeast Iowans should no longer be confused about the concrete aspect of the company. HawkeyePedershaab makes the machines and molds that lead to finished concrete products - worldwide.

Romney in Iowa tags Obama for debt 'prairie fire'

Republican Mitt Romney says President Barack Obama's reckless spending has fanned a "prairie fire of debt" while portraying himself in a speech in battleground Iowa as the defender of fiscal responsibility.

The likely GOP presidential nominee is trying to frame his campaign against the Democratic president as a contest of fairness versus irresponsibility.

In a speech Tuesday afternoon in Iowa, Romney will say that, in his words, "a prairie fire of debt is sweeping across Iowa and our nation and every day we fail to act we feed that fire with our own lack of resolve."

The debt-and-spending argument runs counter to Obama's focus on fairness, in which he says wealthier Americans should pay their fair share.

Romney was making his first visit to Iowa since the caucuses in January.If you have a fondness for china mosaic brimming with romantic roses

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is criticizing President Barack Obama's handling of the national debt in Iowa, a Midwestern battleground he hasn't visited since the state's leadoff nominating caucuses.

Romney's speech Tuesday afternoon in Des Moines is expected to promote spending discipline, a turn from the social issues that marked the campaign last week. Obama announced on Wednesday that he supports gay marriage, then Romney reiterated his opposition to same-sex unions.

Romney and Obama returned to the campaign's top issues, jobs and the economy, on Monday. Romney has argued that the nation's debt is choking the economic recovery and has criticized Obama for spending programs including the 2009 economic stimulus and the 2010 health care overhaul.

"We have a real philosophical difference here in this presidential election coming up," said Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, a Romney supporter. "This is right where I want the debate to be."

Obama sought Monday to blunt one of Romney's chief campaign arguments, that the former private equity firm executive is better suited to guide the economy to more rapid growth. Obama's campaign aired a new television ad accusing Romney of costing jobs at a Kansas City, Mo., steel mill that his company failed to restructure.

Romney countered that while at Bain Capital and as governor of Massachusetts he helped create tens of thousands of public and private sector jobs. His campaign released its own Web video promoting his time at Bain.

Although Romney's private-sector experience has been used against him before, Obama's campaign is introducing the argument in battleground states ahead of the general election. One of his rivals for the Republican nomination, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, characterized Romney as a corporate raider before the New Hampshire primary in January.

Obama is airing the ad in Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, all states Obama won in 2008 and viewed as competitive this year.

Romney's visit also returns the political spotlight to Iowa,TRT (UK) has been investigating and producing solutions for indoor Tracking since 2000. where both campaigns see opportunity in their battle for the 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency.

Romney finished in a near-tie for first place in the state's Jan. 3 caucuses. Obama won Iowa's Democratic caucuses four years ago and carried the state in the general election.

Obama was more aggressive in visiting Iowa this spring as Romney continued to campaign for the GOP nomination.

Obama's new ad marks his fifth this year.All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats.Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET. The campaign has spent more than $2.5 million on advertising for Iowa, which will yield only six electoral votes. Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and their wives have visited the state this year.This page contains information about molds.

Duncan shines as Lady Tigers win fifth SEC title in six seasons

LSU junior Kimberlyn Duncan seems to make history each time she steps onto the track, and Sunday's finale at the 2012 SEC Outdoor Track & Field Championships was no exception as she swept 100-meter and 200-meter titles in record-breaking fashion to guide the Lady Tigers to their fifth SEC Outdoor crown in six seasons at Bernie Moore Stadium.This page contains information about molds.

Duncan finished as LSU's top point scorer with 22.5 points for the weekend as she also ran the anchor leg on the winning 4x100-meter relay for the Lady Tigers to kick off Sunday's finals on the track.

Duncan led an onslaught by the Lady Tigers in Sunday's finale as they claimed six SEC event titles in the final day of competition that also featured junior Charlene Lipsey winning the 800-meter title, sophomore Jasmin Stowers defending her crown in the 100-meter hurdles and the Lady Tigers running a 2012 season best in wrapping up the championship with a win in the 4x400-meter relay.

The Lady Tigers piled up 114 points while scoring in 10 of the 12 events in the meet finale to defend their home turf with 161.5 points in four days of competition in Baton Rouge.If you have a fondness for china mosaic brimming with romantic roses Their 161.5 points is the most by the Lady Tigers at the SEC Outdoor Championships since the 1993 season.

The Florida Gators finished in second place in the final women's team standings with 138 points followed by Arkansas (111.5) in third place, Georgia (108) in fourth place and Tennessee (97) in fifth place.

LSU captured its third-straight women's team title at the SEC Outdoor Championships, and its fifth in six seasons with victories in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012. The victory marks the first time since 1991 that the Lady Tigers have won at least three-straight SEC Outdoor team titles with their 13th SEC Outdoor crown in program history and 25th conference title between the indoor and outdoor seasons.

LSU Track & Field captured its 50th SEC crown all-time, as both the men and women have now claimed a total of 25 SEC team titles between the indoor and outdoor seasons.

And senior Barrett Nugent made history of his own as he became the first LSU Tiger to win three-straight SEC Outdoor titles in the 110-meter hurdles with a victory in his final SEC Championship as he paced the Tigers to a second-place finish in the final men's team standings with 118 points for the weekend.

The Arkansas Razorbacks defended their SEC Outdoor championship with an astounding 196 points over the weekend. With their 90 points on Sunday, the Tigers outlasted Georgia (109) for second place overall, while Florida (93) followed in fourth place and Mississippi State (61) trailed in fifth place in the final standings.

"I could not be more proud with the way our athletes represented themselves and this program at the SEC Championships here this weekend," said LSU head coach Dennis Shaver. "We're really proud of our kids and the job that they did, and we look forward to moving on from here. It is really special for our ladies to win,All RUBBER MATS is comprised of all types of mats. but it is really special for them to win it here at Bernie Moore Stadium."

Duncan certainly stole the show and wowed a packed house at the Bernie Moore Track Stadium in setting the SEC meet record in the 100-meter dash before defending her SEC Outdoor crown in the 200 meters to cement her reputation as the NCAA's most dominant dual sprinter for the 2012 season.

But she helped open the scoring for the Lady Tigers in the first final on the track by anchoring LSU to the defense of its conference championship in the 4x100-meter relay.

Duncan joined sophomore Takeia Pinckney, senior Semoy Hackett and senior Rebecca Alexander to take the title in 43.27 seconds and defend the crown they won in Athens, Ga., a season ago. They finished well ahead of Auburn (43.67) for their 18th SEC title in the sprint relay in program history.

With LSU sitting in third place with 84.TRT (UK) has been investigating and producing solutions for indoor Tracking since 2000.5 points heading into the 100-meter final, Duncan and Hackett put the Lady Tigers in the lead for good with a sweep of first and second places in the event.

Duncan raced into history with a dominating performance in winning the SEC 100-meter crown as she set an SEC Championships meet record and Bernie Moore Track Stadium record of 10.96 (+1.9) to become a 10th different Lady Tiger to be crowned the conference champion in the event while winning LSU's 16th league title in the sprint all-time. She is now the fourth Lady Tiger in five seasons to take the SEC 100-meter title.

With Sunday's performance,Distributes and manufactures RUBBER SHEET. Duncan shattered the previous SEC meet record of 11.03 set by Olympic silver medalist Kerron Stewart of Auburn in 2003, and her own previous Bernie Moore Stadium record of 11.05 set just three weeks ago at the LSU Alumni Gold meet held on April 21.

What's even more impressive with her effort is that Duncan became the NCAA's No. 3-ranked 100-meter sprinter in history with her wind-legal run of 10.96 on Sunday afternoon.

Palestinians march in annual mourning ritual marking their ‘catastrophe’

Palestinians on Tuesday marked their mass displacement that followed Israel’s creation with a blend of sadness and hope, stopping in their tracks for a mournful siren but also flashing victory signs and carrying banners proclaiming their right of return.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled or were forced from their villages during the war that established the Jewish state in 1948, an event they commemorate every year as their “Nakba,” or catastrophe.

Today, surviving refugees and their descendants number several million who are scattered across the globe, many still living in squalid camps in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and surrounding Arab countries.Monz Werkzeugbau und Formenbau.

Saadat Jaber, 62, said he has passed on the story of his family’s uprooting from what is now the Israeli city of Lod to his offspring.

“I still have hope,” Jaber said as he marched with thousands of others to the center of the West Bank town of Ramallah. “Now Israel is a great power, but there were empires in history that collapsed and people that were oppressed by these empires took back their rights.”

In three West Bank areas north and south of Jerusalem, dozens of Palestinian stone-throwers clashed with Israeli troops who fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel pellets. The Palestinian Red Crescent said 30 people were hurt by the rubber bullets and dozens suffered from tear gas inhalation.

The 64th anniversary of the Nakba comes after nearly two decades of failed efforts to negotiate the terms of a Palestinian state with Israel.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been unable to find enough common ground to renew talks that broke down in 2008. Abbas says Israel must halt settlement construction on occupied land sought by the Palestinians. Netanyahu says talks should resume without preconditions.

The Nakba Day commemorations highlighted the political disagreements between Abbas and his main political rival, the Islamic militant Hamas, which seized Gaza from him in 2007.

Abbas seeks a state in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem — territories Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast War — but has been vague on the fate of the refugees.

Israeli-Palestinian negotiations never got down to details on the issue, though there is broad opposition in Israel to a mass resettlement of Palestinians, which would rob Israel of its Jewish majority.

In a Nakba Day speech late Monday, the Western-backed Abbas referred to ending Israel’s occupation of the lands captured in 1967, saying that “no matter how strong and aggressive, it will be removed.”

Hamas’ founding charter calls for Israel’s destruction and return of all refugees. While some Hamas leaders now raise the possibility of a state alongside Israel,This video shows the results of a Indoor Positioning System. they won’t say whether they consider this to be a temporary arrangement.

In Gaza City, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas said that “our message to the refugees is that we will not give up the right of return ..Museum quality hand-painted fine oil painting reproduction on canvas.. We will not accept any project that abandons the right of return or affects our sacred rights to the homeland.”

In Ramallah, the seat of Abbas’ self-rule government, thousands marched to the city’s central Manara Square. During a one-minute siren, many stood at attention and flashed V-for-victory signs.

In the biblical town of Bethlehem, hundreds of school children wearing black T-shirts with 1948 printed on them marched through the streets, waving black flags that read “64 years of Nakba.”

Clashes between Palestinian stone-throwers and Israeli troops erupted at Rachel’s Tomb, an Israeli enclave in Bethlehem, and at the Ofer and Qalandia checkpoints near Jerusalem.

In Hamas-run Gaza, some 3,000 Palestinians marched to the local U.N.Shop for oil painting and oil paintings for sale included. office. They carried banners reading “We shall return” and listing the names of their original villages. Haniyeh and several Hamas security officials ran a two-kilometer (1.5 mile) race that ended at the Palestinian parliament.

On an upbeat note, Palestinians celebrated the end of a weekslong hunger strike Monday by hundreds of Palestinians held by Israel. The fate of prisoners is a deeply emotional issue; nearly everyone here has a neighbor, friend or relative of who spent time in an Israeli jail.What is a real time Location system ?

The prisoners obtained better conditions, including more family visits and limits to a controversial Israeli policy that can imprison people for years without charge. Israel extracted pledges by militant groups to halt violent activities, and by negotiating an end to the strike with the help of Egypt, prevented the potentially explosive scenario of prisoners dying of hunger.

A non-gambler's guide to enjoying Macau

In Macau, you don’t have to roll the dice to hit the jackpot. Although this former Portuguese colony is now known for glitzy casinos, it still offers fun activities other than burning a gambler's hole in your pocket.

Macau is the perfect place for a non-gambler who wants to experience a unique mix of Eastern and Western cultures. It displays a distinctive Portuguese facade, but exudes a strong Chinese soul. Here, you can see a bronze statue of a Buddhist deity which resembles the Blessed Virgin Mary, and traditional Buddhist temples placed side by side baroque Roman Catholic Churches.

Macau’s Chinese roots are most evident in the A-Ma Temple, located at the southeast tip of the Macau peninsula. This old temple is the source of the city’s name—“A-Ma-Gau” or a place for the Buddhist goddess A-Ma.

Even before reaching the temple, visitors will be treated to the aroma of incense burned by throngs of Chinese worshippers who frequent the place for their prayers. Inside the halls of the temple,Monz Werkzeugbau und Formenbau. you get to see how the locals and Chinese tourists practice their faith, while marveling at the traditional Oriental architecture of the place.

Just a short ride from the A-Ma Temple is the Taipa Houses Museum.This video shows the results of a Indoor Positioning System. This place features a block of pastel-colored houses earlier inhabited by wealthy Portuguese migrants. Each house has already been converted into a museum to showcase the lifestyle of Macau’s past colonizers. From this vibrant little village, you can also get a picturesque view of Macau’s famous Cotai strip, where all the casinos and luxury hotels are located.

Unbeknown to many,What is a real time Location system ? the Macau peninsula also hosts a high density of man-made UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These historical and architectural treasures are mostly accessible through short walking tours. Just make sure to wear light clothing and bring bottles of water, because the weather in Macau is usually hot and humid.Museum quality hand-painted fine oil painting reproduction on canvas. It wouldn’t hurt to also have an umbrella prepared,Shop for oil painting and oil paintings for sale included. since rain showers are common during the late afternoon.

Walk through the narrow and often congested Rua de Tomas Vieira and you will reach Macau’s most iconic landmark: the Ruins of St. Paul. This remnant of an ancient church and seminary stands atop a flight of stone steps, with grandeur typical of baroque structures. The unique mix of inscriptions embossed on the Ruins’ facade serves as a testament to Macau’s bicultural heritage. For instance, a Chinese dragon is depicted beside images of Roman Catholic saints and Jesuit priests. Chinese characters are also juxtaposed with Latin words dedicating this place of worship to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A few paces away from the Ruins of St. Paul is another baroque structure: the Church of St. Dominic. Its cream-colored stone facade, emerald green windows and intricate stucco moldings give a vibrant feel to this 17th century church. Inside, the decorations are simple yet elegant—from the ceramic mosaic flooring with floral accents to the beautifully carved wooden roof. This place is perfect for the Catholic believer who wants to get away from the busy tourist spots for a few minutes of prayer to the Blessed Virgin and to the Child Jesus, whose images can be found on the church’s altar.

Chinese solar panel makers eye a nuclear-free Japan

After suffering losses last year amid US anti-subsidy and anti-dumping investigations, Chinese solar panel manufacturers may be seeing a light near the end of the tunnel: a nuclear-free Japan.

Even before Japan announced Sunday that it shut down the country's last working nuclear power plant, Chinese photovoltaic companies began tapping the Japanese market in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear crisis that followed a massive earthquake and tsunami in March last year.

Since the start of this year, at least five Chinese solar panel manufacturers, including Hebei-based Yingli Green Energy, Jiangsu-based Hareon Solar Technology Co Ltd and Shanghai-based Chaori Solar Energy Science & Technology Co Ltd, have set up offices in Japan, eyeing the world's third-largest economy for new business opportunities.

Suntech Power Holdings Co Ltd, China's largest manufacturer of photovoltaic cells, set its foothold in Japan in 2006 by acquiring MSK Corporation, one of Japan's biggest solar energy players.

Japan used to rely heavily on nuclear power to fuel its economy, which was estimated at $5.85 trillion in 2011.

"(The cutoff of all nuclear reactors in Japan) will definitely give the Chinese photovoltaic industry a new opportunity," said Wang Liusheng, an analyst with China Merchants Securities.Shop for oil painting and oil paintings for sale included.

Wang expected the Japanese government to adopt an electricity consumption subsidy policy this year, a move that would make Japan "a very attractive market."

Of the world's 24-gigawatt solar power installed capacity last year, Japan accounted for about 5 percent of the total, ranking fifth in the worldwide installed photovoltaic panel module capacity last year, following Italy, Germany, the United States and China, according to IMS Research,Enter the Indoor Positioning System (IPS). a consulting company offering studies for the global electronic industry.Welcome to Best Custom GLASS MOSAIC from china glass mosaic Offers

Major Japanese photovoltaic cell maker Kyocera Corp plans to build a 70,000-kilowatt solar power plant in Kagoshima starting in July, while other photovoltaic players such as Softbank Corp and Sharp Corp have also announced similar plans to fill the gap left by the shuttering of nuclear power plants.

China produces the world's largest number of solar panels, but the ongoing anti-subsidy and anti-dumping probes by the US government against Chinese manufacturers overshadows the Chinese photovoltaic industry's overseas growth potential, as more than 90 percent of solar panel products made in China are for export.

China itself is a vast market with great potential for the solar power industry as the country is stepping up efforts to cut the consumption of fossil fuels in order to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

In a pilot program called "Golden Sun," China's Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Science and Technology said the government will subsidize 1.Painless Processing provides high risk merchant account solutions.71 gigawatts of solar power projects this year, with a subsidy of 5.5 yuan (87 cents) for every kWh of solar power.

Wang Haisheng, an industrial analyst with Huatai United Securities,Import & Export Trade Platform for China ceramic tile manufacturers. said the subsidized 1.71-gigawatt of solar power in China represents a share of 2.5 percent of the global market, while a total capacity between 5 gigawatts and 6 gigawatts will be installed in China this year.

"The golden period for the photovoltaic industry is still yet to come, with great market potential to be explored," said Xiao Han, a renewable energy researcher with CIConsulting, a leading industry research institution in China.

Xiao said there are currently good merger and acquisition opportunities as the entire photovoltaic industry is struggling through hard times.

Currently, the number of Chinese photovoltaic enterprises is estimated at about 500, and about one-third of the total have suspended production due to overcapacity.

According to the China Renewable Energy Society, the production capacity of the Chinese photovoltaic industry reached 40 gigawatts last year but manufactured only 21 gigawatts, leaving many solar panel makers to grapple with losses.

"To those players with strength, now is a perfect moment to invest in the photovoltaic industry," Xiao said.