Look for the printed edition later this week!
Monday, July 31, 2017
Friday, July 28, 2017
Roar of the Dandelion
A term once
popularized by a favorite children’s show amphibian star, “It
isn’t easy being green.” applies to this month’s wild food
feature. The ubiquitous, and often cursed, dandelion yields a tasty
and nutritious addition to seasonal diets. This common lawn ornament,
which is classified in the sunflower family, is also known by the
names lion’s paw and blow ball. The leaves are best collected in
the spring before their bitterness overrides the subtle
characteristic of gathered greens. The roots are usually harvested in
early fall when they are at the highest stored nutritive value. The
developing flower buds can be gathered whenever they appear. First
and foremost, the dandelion needs to be accurately identified as one
of the varieties of edible plants. Secondly, the foraged plants need
to be collected from pesticide-free areas.
It is surmised dandelions have been consumed since pre-recorded
history. The plant contains high levels of potassium, calcium and
magnesium as well as vitamins A, B, and C. Purportedly, the dandelion
rivals any cultivated garden plant for its store of vitamin A. All
parts of the plant can be eaten, either raw, sautéed, boiled,
pickled, steeped, dried, baked, or roasted. Recipes abound for this
versatile plant. The dandelion also plays a leading role in
traditional medicine, homeopathic approaches, and natural remedies.
It enjoys the stance as one of the earliest plants recorded for use
as an herbal medicinal to treat a wide variety of body ailments
including congestion, elimination and skin disorders.
Thursday, July 27, 2017
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Albemarle Plantation Woman's Club Generously Invests in Local Students - by Laura Bush Jenkins
While graduation can be a frenzied time, there was a different atmosphere among the (mostly) high school students and their mothers gathered inside Albemarle Plantation's waterfront clubhouse for an elegant luncheon on June 14th.
Energy and anticipation ran high as young ladies prepared to share their ambitions and gratitude with more than 40 supportive women. It brought me back personally to my high school graduation- when as the recipient of a public affairs award from a local women's business group- I too experienced encouragement as multiple generations of women gathered in a spirit of harmony and cooperation.
High school seniors Shykeisha Kee, Toni Woodward, Christin Castro, Taylor Green, Amanda Pulley, and Winter Money were awarded scholarships to further their collegiate education. Each young woman was selected on the merits of her academic aptitude, leadership abilities, and character strength.
What surprised me about students' non-corroborated remarks was their overlapping theme of giving back to the community and a their willingness to continue volunteering despite demanding career choices and clearly packed schedules. Shykeisha Kee and Winter Money both conveyed they would like to establish a scholarship fund of their own one day.
Since 2005, Albemarle Plantation Woman's Club has sponsored a Woman in Transition award for a woman over age 18 demonstrating a concise plan to open a business, enter a new career field, or pursue higher education. This year's award winner is Sarah Brown. Brown- a single mother of four children ages 4-16- works two jobs and takes classes in hotel and restaurant management. Her goal is to open a restaurant in Hertford while involving her family.
Perhaps you or someone you know would like to be part of the opportunity to contribute over $6,250 in scholarships to local students like Sarah. You can speak with a club member as the group gets back in session this fall. Or, you can make a tax-deductible contribution to Albemarle Plantation Women's Club, c/o Phyllis Cavallaro (fundraising chair), 421 Albemarle Blvd, Hertford, NC 27944.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Battery Technology - by Patricia Laddich the Tech Gurl
Earlier
in 2016 the director of ARPA-E,
the U.S. Department of Energy’s advanced research program for
alternate energy, Ellen Williams said and was quoted by the
Guardian "We
have reached some holy grails in batteries.”
The world is on
the cusp of a significant change in alternative energy and electric
vehicles. Car manufacturers and tech companies are pumping money into
battery advancement, and with the increasing pressure for races like
Formula E to improve, battery technology is only going to get better.
In facts, a number of startups are edging closer to producing devices
that are compact, economical, safe, and energy-dense enough to store
energy at the cost of less than $100 a kilowatt-hour. Storing energy
at that price would have a stimulating effect, eliminating the
problem of running a 24 hour grid with renewable energy that’s
available only when the sun shines or the wind blows, and making
electric vehicles less expensive and lighter. The larger the battery
capacity, the lower the cost and the longer electric cars can run;
this translates to less dependence on fossil fuel consumption.
Improvement
in Battery Technology and its implications
Future
developments in battery technology and a growing role for electric
vehicles and alternative energy could be much closer than the market
currently expects. Companies that are fully reliant on old technology
– either companies that rely on fossil fuel power generations or
car companies devoted to the internal combustion engine— will face
substantial challenges. For instance, electric cars will require
considerably minor maintenance because an electric motor has around
half a dozen moving parts, compared to the several moving parts in an
internal combustion engine. Furthermore, the growth in the number of
self-sufficient homes could undermine the role of utility companies;
with solar power catering for the power needs of the homeowners. For
utility companies to stay relevant, they may need to offer
maintenance and management solutions or invest in charging stations
to benefit from the adoption of electric cars.
A
growing body of experts is currently researching battery
constituents, with much emphasis on increasing nickel content on
lithium oxide cathodes and silicon content increasing on the graphite
anodes to enhance the performance and capacity of the battery.
Consider some practical example of battery technology in use -
-
A German project manager at Mobile Storage System in Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is currently working on a new battery that could potentially give electric cars a range of about 620 miles (1,000 km) on a single charge.
-
Tesla’s latest electric car, the Model S 100D has a 100-kilowatt-hour battery pack, which supposedly gives it a range of 335 miles (540 km). The battery pack is bulky, about 6 feet wide, 16 feet long and 4 inches thick. Also, it encloses more than 8,000 lithium-ion battery cells, and each cell is separately wrapped inside a cylinder housing measuring approximately 2-3 inches high and about 0.8 inches across.
-
In 2016 Mercedes started a program in Germany that uses the batteries it developed for electric vehicles, which can tolerate a lot of charging and discharging cycles. Mercedes partnered with utilities and solar companies in Germany to store surplus energy for future use in the home. Customers can install a group of solar cells on their roof, and decide to add up to eight 2.5 kWh batteries. This modular battery system allows the homeowner to store energy depending on how much energy is being expended and captured. The batteries serve as a gridlock if the grid goes down, but they also allow users to make the most of their solar energy. The modular battery system stores energy created during the day for later use in the evening when energy usage is often highest.
Expectations
for the Future
The
battery revolution is under way and you can rightly expect some
changes in the future once the technology has been fully implemented.
You can envision a society that has moved to 100% autonomous driving,
which hypothetically should reduce car accident making the roads much
safer. Developing cost-effective battery storage will allow
nationwide grids to regulate inflows of solar and wind power and
continue to supply electricity on demand even as more dependable
fossil fuel generation is phased out. As a result, renewable energy
will become a much more crucial part of the energy mix. This could be
potentially achieved through ‘flow batteries’, where energy is
stored in the liquid electrolyte, which has the capacity to be
recharged several times more than lithium-ion batteries. Second-hand
batteries from electric vehicles can also be used for Grid-level
storage for a much cheaper storage solution. Fossil fuel will
eventually lose its relevance as wind and solar power becomes cheaper
and bigger proportion of power generation. This scenario could result
in a vicious or virtuous circle (depending on individual’s point of
view) whereby continuous reduction in the capacity utilization for
fossil fuel plants leads to increasing unit costs for fossil fuel
energy, making renewables appear even cheaper. This could further
stimulate greater investment in renewables, cutting down their costs
even further.
So
what is changing now?
Even though most of these
advancements in battery technology are still mainly theoretical,
however there is promise for the future. For instance, the battery’s
energy density has more than doubled over the years which have led to
reduction in the weight of battery within an electric car. In
addition, the cost of electric vehicle battery has fallen by more
than 90% from $1,000 per kWh to $273 and it is projected to fall to
$109 by 2025. The technological advancement highlighted above is
definitely not an exhaustive list of the developments that have been
made, but one thing is for sure; electric vehicles will eventually
become more common as batteries are improved. The impacts of
advancement in battery technology will not only affect the
transportation industry, but will also significantly transform global
energy markets. As batteries are improved in combination with
renewable energy sources, the need for gas, oil and coal will
drastically reduce. So despite the perceived failings of batteries,
the potential global impact that even fairly moderate developments
can have is astonishing and thus must not be ignored.
Monday, July 24, 2017
Tradewinds Radio 10pm - Mysterious Radio - What Happens The Day After You Die
http://carolinatradewindsradio.com
Joining me tonight is the amazing psychic medium Teresa St. Francis . We discuss her book What Happens The Day After-Messages From Adolescent Suicides. We discuss what the dying process is like and what happens to people that commit suicide.
Carolina Tradewinds Radio - 9pm - Three Reasons To Buy A LWRCI Rifle and What I Learned
http://carolinatradewindsradio.com
Three Reasons To Buy A LWRCI Rifle and What I Learned in Cambridge, MD. I got a chance to tour the LWRCI plant in Cambridge, MD on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and learned a lot. I saw some good stuff. Little known American history about Harriet Tubman. Michael J. Woodland on building an AR. Thanks to my special supporters of this show. You can be one too at http://patreon.com/blackmanwithagun Get the free app for the podcast for your phone
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University July 2017
At Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University, our counselors often hear students say things like, “I
hate online classes,” or “I like taking classes online, because I
have more flexibility.” But now more than ever, they’re hearing
things like, “I really like EagleVision Home, because it’s live
with the teacher, but I can attend from home.” EagleVision Home is
a rapidly-growing, online format that allows students to attend live
classes from their laptops virtually anywhere.
Miss a class? Watch it later-- all classes are recorded! Here’s the
thing: how students prefer to attend class has drastically changed
the way students learn… and universities are listening! By adopting
a multi-modality course delivery platform, students can choose the
way they
want to learn!
But what influences student
choice to enroll in one course format over another? We’re not sure,
but there are many theories, and research findings are pouring in.
Studies on the relationship between personality type and course
modality satisfaction and preference are particularly interesting.
First, there’s some evidence
that individuals with high levels of Openness to Experience and
Conscientiousness (Big Five personality traits) are more likely to
experience a greater level of satisfaction with online courses than
those low in these traits1.
Those high in Openness to Experience are intellectually curious, open
to new experiences, and more aware of their feelings. They are not
likely to share the view that classroom lectures offer the best way
to learn. Students scoring high on conscientiousness tend to have a
preference for planned behavior over spontaneous; they’re more
self-disciplined and detail-oriented. These traits leave them
well-prepared for online learning and other self-directed behaviors.
Students with similar
personality characteristics also tend to prefer similar course
delivery modalities (face-to-face, online synchronous, online
asynchronous, or blended). Therefore, we expect those with high
Openness to Experience and Conscientiousness to routinely enroll in
online courses. Alternatively, those low in these traits tend to rely
more on face-to-face courses—and those courses are available! The
takeaway from this is that college-bound students may be more
successful if they choose course formats that agree with their
personality traits, at least during their first year of college.
However, this is not always the case: personality is not the only
factor that impacts choice. Course delivery satisfaction and
preference in some students may be influenced more by their desire to
achieve academically, their belief in their academic potential, and
course topic interest, as well as by external factors like work
schedules, military deployment, and childcare. Find out what your
Big-Five scores are at
http://personality-testing.info/tests/IPIP-BFFM/.
Regardless of the reasons
students choose specific delivery formats, ERAU fully embraces the
multimodality philosophy and can offer course delivery based on
student choice. Active-duty and support personnel attached to the
U.S. Coast Guard base can drop by the Embry-Riddle Campus in Building
62 to learn more. All classes are available online, but most are
available through the EagleVision Home and face-to-face formats, as
well. Preliminary academic evaluations are free and available on a
walk-in basis or via email at elizabethcity@erau.edu.
An academic advisor will evaluate transfer credit for a variety of
degree programs. Embry-Riddle awards college credit for military
rate/rank/service schools/certain national exams & federal
licenses/regionally accredited colleges and universities. Our
students are often surprised by how close they are to degree
completion—and you may be too.
1Cohen,
A., & Baruth, O. (2017). Personality, learning, and satisfaction
in fully online academic courses. Computers
In Human Behavior, 721-12.
doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.02.030
Article
written by Dr. Judy Drago, Campus Director, Elizabeth City Campus
Sunday, July 23, 2017
ORTHODOX CHRISTIANITY July 2017
SAYINGS OF THE DESERT FATHERS:
ABBA JOHN THE DWARF
Abba John the Dwarf was born about 339 AD to poor Christian parents in Basta, in lower Egypt. At the age of eighteen he went with his brother, Daniel, to Scetis of the monks; where John became a disciple of Abba Ammoes. In time, John attracted many disciples to whom he taught his austere way of life. Among these was St. Arsenius the Great. The number of Abba John’s preserved sayings indicates his importance among his disciples. The first passage below references John’s early training as Scetis.
It is said of Abba John the Dwarf that he withdrew and lived in the desert of Scetis with Ammoes, an old man of Thebes. This abba took a piece of dry wood and planted it and said to John, “Water it every day, until it bears fruit.” Now the water was so far away that he had to leave each evening and return the next morning. At the end of three years the wood came to life and bore sweet figs. Then Abba Ammoes took a basket of the fruit to the church, saying to the brethren, “Take and eat of the fruit of obedience and patience.”
Abba John the Dwarf said, “If a king wanted to take possession of his enemy’s city, he would begin by cutting off the water and the food and so his enemies, dying of hunger, would submit to him. It is the same with the passions of the flesh: if a man goes about fasting and hungry the enemies of his soul grow weak.”
Abba John said, “We have put the light burden on one side, that is to say, self-accusation; and we have loaded ourselves with a heavy one, that is to say, self-justification.”
It was said of the same Abba John that when he returned from the harvest or when he had been with some of the old men, he gave himself to prayer, meditation and psalmody until his thoughts were re-established in their previous order.
He also said, “Humility and the fear of God are above all virtues.”
The same abba also said, “It is by warfare that the soul makes progress.”
Inquiries c/o St. George's Orthodox Church, P.O. Box 38, Edenton, NC, 27932. (252) 482-2006
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Huge Sale at Walkers Palms
Huge sale on all Red banana and Gulf hardy banana trees, Cacti, Bamboo, Oleander, Miscanthus and Zebra grass, Crepe Myrtles, Aloes and other bedding plants 30-40% OFF. Sale is for the month of July. Stop by before they're gone!!!
Open 7 days a week. 252-312-9155
178 Nosay Rd South Mills, NC
10am to 5 pm
Friday, July 21, 2017
Tonight on Carolina Tradewinds Radio 9 pm - Mark Thornton Explains Our Fake Economy
Listen in here at 9pm
Dr. Mark Thornton joins Mises Weekends to explain the "business cycle" for what it really is: a series of booms (credit expansion) and busts (debt de-leveraging) engineered by central banks.
There's nothing natural, real, or sustainable about the current Yellen boom—so stay tuned for Mark's explanation of how it can all unravel.
River City Flea Market - Fresh Fruits and Vegetables - and More!
The best deals in Elizabeth City every Saturday!
Every day item deals!
Doggies are welcome!
Plants!
Fresh Eggs!
Fresh Fruits and Veggies!
Plenty of vendors!
Jewelry!
Tomatoes and Cucumbers!
More tomatoes!
More Vendors!
Plants!
More Jewelry!
More stuff than we have room for on this page!
Don't miss out on the deals at River City Flea!
This Saturday!
