#hot water tanker repair

[abawaterheater]

ABA Water Heater

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[hydrodynamic]

Hot Water Storage Tank | Rain Water Harvesting System in Singapore

A hot water storage tank is a device which stores hot water and supplies it to the heating system. It is placed before the boiler, so that when the system needs more heat, it can draw from the tank and not just from the cold mains supply.

A Hot Water Storage Tank is a tank that stores hot water. It is a tank that is used to store hot water from the boiler, or another heating device, for use at a later time. This storage can be for several hours or for days.

Hot water storage tanks are typically made of steel, but can also be made of plastic, fibreglass or other materials.

The capacity of such tanks depends on the type and volume of hot water required by the household at any given time; it also depends on how often the “tank” is emptied and refilled.

The purpose of a tank is to store heat gained from a boiling point and release it when needed at room temperature (approximately 20–25°C).

A hot Water Storage Tank is used to store hot water at a high temperature. The heat from the water is stored in the tank until it is needed, usually at night when energy prices are low.

A hot water storage tank will save you money on your energy bills because they reduce heat loss and also can provide up to 600 hours of continuous hot water without being heated up again.

The Challenger Pressure Vessel was built in the 1960s to carry the U.S. Skylab space station into Earth orbit, and then support one of the three crewmembers during their work inside the station.

It is made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic and designed to take up little space. Its design makes it so that if a rupture occurs, it would lose only 1 psi per minute to maintain pressure integrity as long as possible, which gives time for astronauts in the space station to implement repairs or for additional air tankers from Earth to arrive and provide assistance.

The Challenger pressure vessel is a spherical pressure containment device designed for use on the Saturn V rocket, which was used for NASA’s Apollo program. It was constructed of titanium and had an inner diameter of 108 inches. The Challenger was one of the largest single castings ever made, second only to the 363-inch (9.25 ft) high concrete dome at Pantex nuclear weapons plant in Texas.

It is located inside the second stage and is used to store liquid hydrogen fuel in high pressure form. It also stores helium gas which helps pressurize the liquid hydrogen tank. Pressure within it reaches as high as 550 pounds per square inch (38 MPa). The vessel has two skins: an outer skin which protects it from being pressurized by external objects like ground impact, and an inner skin which keeps fuel inside the tank at a specified temperature range.

The Rain Water Harvesting has been a way of life in Singapore for many years, and rightly so. The country is one of the wettest in the world, with an annual average rainfall of 2,920mm. This natural resource is commonly harvested and used to irrigate gardens or feed fish, but now it has become an important asset in the field of water treatment as well.

There is a need to filter rainwater before consumption because it can contain harmful microorganisms called protozoa and bacteria. Usually, sedimentation tanks are used for this purpose, but this may not be suitable for harvesting rain water from terracotta roofs which contain lots of earth particles, so sand filters are being used instead for all ponds larger than 700 square meters (7135 square feet).

Singapore’s tropical climate makes it difficult for water tanks to maintain its cleanliness. This is exacerbated by the use of detergents and chemical cleaners that leave a residue which accumulates over time and is worsened by heavy rain.

In Singapore, there are many companies that provide professional Water Tank Cleaning services. These water tank cleaning companies are readily available as they do not depend on location, hours or days of operation like other service providers might.

[sandyhookhistory]

“Just Another Day” 80 Years Ago, Today - (Wed) November 11th, 1942: Veterans Day, 1942 passes as just another killing day for the U-Boats. 33 miles northwest of Morawhanna, Guyana, U-160 (IXC) sinks the British steamer “SS City Of Ripon” (Pic 1) 56 Dead, 22 Survivors. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the waters off Gibraltar and North Africa remain a hot spot as Operation Torch unfolds, and hundreds of ships from all nationalities converge in the region. For an enterprising U-Boat skipper, it’s a target rich environment. U-173 (IXC) draws blood on the US Navy in an ambitious attack on Convoy UGF-1, less than 4 miles off Casablanca, Morocco, firing a spread of torpedoes into the cluster of ships. The destroyer USS Hambleton (DD 455, Gleaves-Class, Pic 2) takes a single torpedo to starboard, and promptly heals over 12 degrees. Her crew fights to save her, and she is towed into Casablanca. The damage, while catastrophic (Pics 3-6) is not fatal. Slapping her in drydock, US Navy Seabees chop her in two, remove 40 feet of damage hull, weld her back together, and send her home; under the watchful eye of a tugboat, she reaches Boston in June of 1943 for permanent repairs and is back in the fight 10 months later in April 1944. The USS Joseph Hewes (AP-50, Pic 7), a 9,300 ton troop transport, is not so lucky. A single torpedo mortally wounds her; the calm actions of her skipper, Capt. Robert M Smith, Jr, ensure as safe an evacuation as possible. 258 lives are saved, but 100 Officers and Men – including Capt. Smith – will go with her to the bottom. Her final victim, wounded like Hambleton, is the fleet-oiler USS Winooski (AO 38, T-2 Class, Pic 8). A fleet-oiler is a tanker, but carries fuel to replenish a fleet at sea. Luckily, her flammable cargo does not explode, and she is repaired and returns to service. In the Mediterranean, 2 ships are sunk during Torch: U-380 (VIIC) sinks the massive Dutch troop ship “SS Nieuw Zeeland” (Pic 9) 49 miles north of Al Hoceima, Morocco; 18 Dead, 238 Survivors. Rounding out the field, 52 miles north of Oran, Algeria, U-407 (VIIC) sinks the 19,600 ton British troop transport “SS Viceroy Of India.” (Pic 10) 4 Dead, 450 Survivors. (at Fort Hancock, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck146c5t7_s/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[guruservicegroupsurrey]

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[arcticdementor]

Kyoto, the imperial capital of Japan, spring 1608. A merchant by the name of Suminokura Ryōi is given the contract to supply building materials for the renovation of Hōkō-ji, a temple in central Kyoto designed to rival the famous temples of nearby Nara. The Suminokura family had made a name for themselves in finance, medicine and overseas trade, with offices as far away as distant Annan (the Japanese name of the country today called Vietnam).

Suminokura1 soon realized that transporting goods into Kyoto was a difficult and expensive business. The Kamo river which runs through Kyoto was too irregular for transports, so goods arriving by boat mostly had to be unloaded at Fushimi, a town about ten kilometers south of Kyoto, repacked to ponies and transported on roads through the southern neighborhoods of Kyoto before spreading out to their final destinations. The daily comings and goings of men and animals, more or less non-stop, wasn’t popular with the locals either.

There was an opportunity here. In 1610, the Suminokura family got permission from the government, and using their own money they contracted teams of workers to dig out a canal parallel to the river, connecting the port of Fushimi with central Kyoto, to be lined with stone from local quarries. It was built for a continuous water depth of a mere thirty centimeters, about twice the minimum needed for the boats they wanted to use.

…

For over three hundred years the canal was in daily use and benefited the people of Kyoto, until transport on the canal was finally banned in 1920. During its three centuries it needed virtually no maintenance, it relied on no engines or fuel, no mining, no metals, no chemicals. There was no pollution, the boats could be hand built by any carpenter from most any kind of wood. The canal never broke down or got stuck. It did not cause any emissions or erosion, it saved millions of man hours otherwise spent on maintaining roads and road surfaces. There were no accidents: at walking speed and thirty centimeter depth it was safe enough to have children playing in the middle of it with boats coming and going. It could transport anything right into the heart of the city without noise or smell or toxic fumes and the operating costs were negligible. It helped cool the city down during hot summers. It was even a popular sightseeing spot. People would mention it in poetry. It brought with it neither pests nor weeds.4

It was a perfect piece of infrastructure without unforeseen problems or accumulating debt—paid in full from day one—or waste. Completely human scaled and operating on nothing but gravity or human muscle power.

…

A network of trucks and roads, oil tankers, and the regular application of gun boat diplomacy is probably a system many dozens of times more efficient—if your only metric is the ability to deliver toilet rolls and pallets of cereals to supermarkets—than a system of shallow bottomed canal boats. As long as everything keeps going for the foreseeable future at least some of us should be fine.

But it isn’t sustainable, at all.

And if it is one thing we know, it is that what cannot last, will fall. Maybe not in our generation. But in our children’s, or our grandchildren’s. Why would we wish that kind of catastrophe upon them, just so that we right here right now will be able to—for example—order a tomato salad in the middle of the winter at a fancy downtown lunch restaurant? Do we really need breakfast cereals that badly?

…

At the very least, if we can’t build infrastructure to last we should build infrastructure that can be repaired using materials, energy and skills that are likely to be around when it inevitably fails, at some point in the future. Serious people are seriously doubting whether we will have the oil and energy necessary to maintain existing roads in the coming two decades (let alone expand them to match the never ending growth of our urban sprawl).

We will never run out of cobblestone.

On a more personal level, what about the gadget that controls the ventilation in your modern eco-home, will it be around in twenty years? Or will the lack of spares make your home uninhabitable? Our ancestors at least were never lying awake at night worrying about running out of windows that open. The suburbs and the systems that keep them habitable—the increasingly over worked power, water and sewage grids, all taken together it is nothing but a nation sized ticking time bomb.5

…

What cannot last, will fall, and when that happens it will be too late to regret all the things we did not build, while we had the chance. While the lights were still on and the oil tankers where still arriving on schedule.

[kayla1993-world]

The town of Jasper experienced more power outages on Friday, and it could be weeks before the electrical supply is restored due to the complex challenges of running a community of this size on generators.

Last weekend, the Chetamon wildfire damaged transmission lines to the east of the mountain town, cutting the community off from the power grid.

"As ATCO works to restore power to all segments of the community using generators, the technical complexities and load limitations of the temporary generators have become increasingly apparent," said Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland on Friday.

"The situation is still perilous."

The municipality expects the intermittent outages to continue for the next few weeks, as it has stated in recent days.

Critical services have been impacted by the outages, and Ireland stated that the community and Parks Canada are collaborating on a short to mid-term contingency plan to ensure essential services such as fuel and food and grocery stores remain available.

"To reduce load and provide power to more parts of the community, the municipality has reverted to operating our wastewater treatment plant with its own backup generator capacity."

Everyone was involved in the difficulty of integrating generator power into an extensive utility system like Jasper's.

Generator power is not as reliable as transmission power, and numerous factors can disrupt the system.

The most difficult challenge, according to ATCO, is building a system with equipment from various vendors and getting all of the controls to communicate with each other without tripping the entire thing.

A generator power system would normally require weeks of engineering, design and testing before going live, according to the utility.

The power company said it is unclear how long it will take to repair the transmission lines because crews have not yet been able to inspect them due to the fire, but it could take several weeks depending on the extent of the damage.

ATCO Electrical stated that a more detailed update on the power situation would be provided later Friday.

Crews on the ground and in the air are attacking the fire from all sides, according to Pepin, and it has only grown by about 100 hectares in the last day to 5,600 hectares.

The British Columbia government is providing firefighter assistance, and a crew of 20 arrived on Thursday to assist.

Because of the low winds, Alberta Wildfire air tankers were able to make two successful retardant drops on the north end of the wildfire on Thursday.

"This will allow for safer helicopter operations but may cause smoke along Highway 16," according to a Friday update.

Pepin believes the cooler weather on Thursday and Friday will be ideal for making progress. There is still the possibility of "spotting" and wildfire spreading upstream on the Snaring River.

Outside of town, fire guards have been built and high-volume sprinklers have been installed, which have already been tested and may be tested again on Friday.

"These generate massive amounts of water. When they're running, it's the equivalent of 30 millimetres of rain per hour. This produces a humidity bubble, which may appear to be smoke, but it isn't — it's water, and we're just testing our system."

Pepin stated that crews did not expect to use the sprinklers to protect the town, but they are prepared just in case. No communities are in danger, as has been the case since the fire began a week ago.

Weather forecasts for the weekend predict dry, hot weather with strong winds on Sunday. According to Parks Canada, this could exacerbate fire behaviour and accelerate wildfire growth over the weekend.

Because this combination can make conditions on the fire perimeter dangerous for firefighters, aircraft suppression tactics are the only direct way to slow the spread.

Winds are expected to blow smoke into town, causing the fire to spread south.

Parks Canada said the higher temperatures could lead to more smoky conditions near Highway 16, but Pépin said it would only be closed if absolutely necessary.

While Miette Hot Springs and the Columbia Icefields are unaffected, Parks Canada and the Municipality of Jasper can only provide basic services in the townsite and surrounding areas.

Visitors are being advised to avoid the town for the time being, as has been the case all week.

[argyle-s]

The Shape of Things To Come Chapter 9/38

Rating: Mature

Read at Ao3

Start at the Beginning

Supergirl doesn't cause an environmental disaster, Kara and Alex talk, and Cat gets demanding.

Thanks to @ifourmindbeso for her great work as a beta. Any remaining mistakes are entirely my own.

Chapter 9 - Fighting Fires

Kara turned in mid-air as the missiles closed on her, flying backwards as she hit one of them with a blast of heat vision, causing it to explode.  She turned slightly, focusing on the remaining missile, and blew out a huge blast of freeze breath, encasing the missile in ice.  The freezing temperature caused the fuel pump to seize, which made the missile lose thrust, and pitch downwards.  She watched it fall, her breath having rendered it so cold it shattered on impact.

“Okay,” Alex said over the radio, “come on in.”

Kara laughed, knowing she was being called in because they were now out of missiles.  She twisted slightly, shooting back towards the small command post.  She slowed as she approached, dropping subsonic so she didn’t shatter any of the equipment, and finally pulled up at the last minute, then drifted down to a gentle landing.

“How was that?” she asked J’onn.

“I see you share your cousin’s appetite for wanton destruction, Miss Danvers” J’onn said.

Kara rolled her eyes.  “You are enjoying this entirely too much.”

“I’m trying to make sure you’re going to be an asset.  A novice Superhero can be a liability in the field.  So far, all you’ve proven is you can manage an intelligence asset.  I need to know you can control all of your abilities.  Strength, Stamina, Speed.”

“Well, are you convinced yet?” Kara asked.  “Because I wanna go get some breakfast and if I don’t get something to eat soon, you’re gonna see me not controlling the growling in my stomach and trust me, that’s not pretty.”

“She’s right,” Alex said.  “No one ever comes out of that looking pretty.”

Both Kara and Alex turned around at the sound of a loud chuckle behind them, only to find Vasquez standing there, holding a large bag.

“Are those…?” Kara asked, not bothering to finish her sentence as she took two steps towards Vasquez.

“Breakfast burritos from that grill down the 975,” Vasquez said.  “Extra hot sauce.”

“Oh, Rao Light,” Kara said as Vasquez handed her the bag.  “Marry me?”

Vasquez laughed.  “I think my girlfriend would object.”

Kara sat the bag on one of the work tables and pulled out a burrito, peeling the foil off it.  “Does she cook?  If so, bring her along.  I’ll marry you both.”

“Kara,” Alex said.

Vasquez just laughed harder.  “I do most of the cooking, but she’s the jealous type.”

Kara took a huge bite out of the burrito, chewing quickly, before swallowing.  “If you can cook, I can see why.”  She held up the burrito slightly.  “Thank you.”

“It’s no problem, ma’am.  My girlfriend was one of the agents on the plane with Alex, so I figure I owe you one.”

Kara smiled, and nodded.  “Glad I could help,” she said, before she wolfed down the rest of her burrito, and reached for a second one.

“Are you heading into work today?” Alex asked.

Kara shook her head, mouth too full of food to speak.  She swallowed.  “No.  Cat never works on the weekends she has Carter.  I thought once we were done, I’d do a few runs through the city, rescue some kittens from trees, show the coat of arms.  That sort of thing.”

“You sure that’s a good idea, Kara?  I know you talked to your Aunt but there are still a lot of Fort Rozz escapees out there.”

“Well, if you’d rather, I could take you out to Sanctuary.”

“Really?”

Kara nodded.  “Absolutely.  I’ve got something out there I want you to see anyway.  Something I think would be a huge help-“

“Supergirl.  Come in, Supergirl” Winn’s voice suddenly rang in her ear.

Kara reached up and touched her eat piece.  “Hey, Winn, what’s up?”

“There’s a huge fire raging down at National City port, and it is bad,” Winn said.

“I’m on it,” Kara said.  She turned to Alex.  “Fire down at the port.  Don’t let anyone eat my burritos.”

“Are you sure, Kara?  You’ve been dodging missiles and pushing pretty hard.  Even you have your limits.”

“I know,” Kara said, “but this is just a bit of x-ray vision, some freeze breath.  No big deal.  I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Just… Be careful, okay.”

“I will.  Love you.”  With that, Kara kicked off and shot into the sky, but not without hearing her sister’s answering ‘Love you too’.

***

The fire was as big and as intimidating as she remembered, but this time, as she approached, she spotted the source using her X-ray vision.  One of the pipelines used to pump oil off the tankers was ruptured and feeding the fire, which explained why her freeze breath hadn’t worked the last time.  She spotted the fire chief, and dropped down beside him.

“Chief,” she said.

“Thank God,” he said.  “Can you blow this out?”

“No,” Kara replied.  “Not yet.  There’s a leaking oil line inside the flames.  If I hit it with my freeze breath, it will just spread the fire.”

“Shit,” he said.  “Can you move the tanker?”

“Not unless you have tow chains handy.  If I try to just grab on and drag it, the welds will split open like a rotten banana.  I need to go into the fire, and cut off the fuel supply.  While I do that, move your water line between the flames and the ship, to hold it back.  Buy me five minutes, and I’ll be able to put this out.”

“Okay,” he said.  “Will do.”

Kara nodded and lifted off again as he shifted his men’s focus to pushing the edge of the fire back and controlling the advance instead of trying to put it out.  She dove into the heart of the inferno and grabbed a barrel, tearing it in half and slapped the metal over the tear in the oil pipe.  A careful blast from her heat vision formed a weld which would hold for a while, then she kicked off, rising above the fire, and carefully used her freeze breath to put out the flames, as well as cool off the oil-filled pipes.

Once she was done, she flew back over to the chief.

“Okay, you need to get a repair crew in here as fast as possible.  I’ve welded a piece of steel over the tear in the pipe, but the steel is low quality, and the weld isn’t especially solid since I couldn’t clean or prep the surfaces or get it hot enough to boil out the impurities without risking setting off what was in the pipe.”

The chief nodded.  “Right.  Is it cool enough to go in?”

“Yes,” she said.  “You want me to show you?”

“Please.”

***

“Either I finally managed to get the last of the smell out, or my sense of smell has just given up on me,” Kara said as she came out of the DEO locker room dressed in a black t-shirt, and a black pair of BDU pants that had been tucked away in some storage locker or other, along with a fresh pair of boots and socks.

Alex sniffed, “Definitely the latter,” she said.

Kara reached out and gave her a light shove.  “Shut up,” she said.  “Seriously, that was terrible.”

“Yeah, it was bad enough with a human nose,” Alex said.  “I can’t even imagine with a Kryptonian one.”

“Any progress on the suit?” Kara asked.

“That’s probably going to take more time.”

“Just have them put it in a sealed bag,” Kara said.  “I’ll take care of it at home.”

“How are you going to get home” Alex asked.

“Drive me?”

***

Kara sat the oversized bag of subs down on the counter as Alex locked the door behind them, and reached for a plate for Alex and a serving platter for herself.  She took a moment to fish out Hot Pastrami and the bag of Salt and Vinegar chips and put them on a plate, before carefully arranging her two cheese steaks and two meatball subs on the platter.

“Where do you want this?” Alex asked, holding up the sealed biohazard bag containing Kara’s Supergirl suit.

“Konex,” Kara said, grinning.  “End stealth mode.”

Alex jumped a bit as Konex decloaked.

“How can I be of assistance, Lady Kara?” the robot asked

“Kara,” Alex said, “What is that?”

Kara turned around and opened the refrigerator, pulling out a diet coke for Alex and a two liter of grape soda for herself.  “He’s a Kryptonian tier-four cyber-construct, designed to operate as a personal attendant.”

“Okay,” Alex said.  “And you didn’t think to mention him back when we were growing up?”

Kara laughed.  “Clark has one named Kelex in his stronghold up north.  One of the first things I got from J’onn when we started working together was a crystal containing Konex’s memories.  He was my personal attendant growing up.  Kelex was able to build him a new body last year and download the memories from the crystal.  I would have told you about him, but I couldn’t figure out how to do that without telling you I’d gotten stuff out of my pod.”

Alex frowned.  “Kara, I’ve been all over your pod.  Everything that was in it is catalogued at the DEO.”

“You didn’t know about the hidden compartment behind the seat,” Kara said.  “Konex, this is Alex Danvers.  Scan for identity match, and execute stored order four.”

Kara watched as Konex approached Alex and scanned her briefly.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lady Alex.”

“What just happened?” Alex asked.

“Konex just added your biometrics and genetic profile to the security protocols for his control programs, as well as for those of Sanctuary.  In short, if anything happens to me, the chain of command goes You, Kal-El, J’onn, Diana Prince, Bruce Wayne.  There’s a list of people after that, but honestly, right now, you’re the only person who even knows they are on the list.”

Alex turned to look at her.  “Diana Prince and Bruce Wayne? Why… What…” Alex raised her free hand to cover her face.

Kara took pity on her and walked over, taking the bag with her Supergirl outfit and handing it to Konex.

“Clean that, please,” she said.  “Or, if it’s easier, just recycle it and make a new one.  Also, while you’re working, make me about twenty spares, and fit them all with anti-Kryptonite shields, and spare coms.”

“Yes, Lady Kara.”

She turned back to Alex, carefully prying her hand away from her face.  “I’m sorry,” she said.

Alex shook her head.  “No, I shouldn’t react like this.  It’s just…”

“A week ago, I was your baby sister.  Now, I’m pulling super advanced AI-controlled robots out of thin air and telling you Bruce Wayne is Batman and Diana Prince is Wonder Woman,” Kara said.  “I get it.  Believe me.  I was on the other side of this once, and I did not handle it well.”

“Can we just sit down for a bit?” Alex said.

Kara nodded.  “Go ahead.  I’ll grab the food and be right there.”

Alex walked over and dropped down on the couch.  Kara gathered up their food and made her way over to sit down next to her sister.  They ate in silence, Kara doing her best to eat at a human pace.  She was finished with all four of her subs and about halfway through a family-sized bag of sour cream and onion potato chips when Alex finally spoke up.

“How much more haven’t you told me?” Alex asked.

Kara sat down the bag of chips.  “Big things, or little things?”

“Big things?” Alex asked.

Kara thought about it for a minute, before answering.  “Two,” she said.  “There are two big things I haven’t told you yet.  The first is how I found out about all of this, and believe me when I say that it’s not something I want to keep to myself, but I can’t tell you about the first one without telling you about the second one.  The second one is…”  Kara took a deep breath.  “I’m afraid the second one will make you hate me,” she said.

“Kara,” Alex said, turning towards her, “You’re my sister, and I love you, no matter what.”

Kara nodded.  “I love you too, Alex, but sometimes secrets can drive even the closest people apart.”

“Then why not just tell me?” Alex asked.

“Because you’d die,” Kara said.

“Kara, I’m not-“

“Alex,” Kara said, cutting her off, “I know how good you are.  I would trust you to have my back in any fight.  In fact, I’m pretty sure, if push comes to shove, you could take down a Kryptonian as long as you had time to prepare for the fight.  But if I told you about this, you’d want to do something.  Because you’re good and kind and one of the most loving, caring people I’ve ever met.  But this isn’t a fight you can win.  Not right now.  Not while we’ve got Fort Rozz to deal with.”

“Kara, you’re scaring me,” Alex said.  “Whatever this is, you shouldn’t have to carry it alone.  Please, let me help?”

Kara reached out and took Alex’s hands on hers, squeezing them as she looked at her sister, and remembering the last time they’d had a secret between them.  The fallout from her sister lying about who killed Astra had nearly destroyed National City.  It wasn’t a good memory, and the truth was, it had taken a long time for her to really get over it.  The Red K incident had been proof of that.

The issue wasn’t that she didn’t trust Alex, it was that she knew Alex.  If she told Alex, there was a good chance Alex would do something stupid, like go after Cadmus on her own.  On the other hand, if she didn’t tell anyone, and something happened to her, the timeline could turn out even worse than before.  And there was the simple weight of the secret itself.

“If I tell you, you have to promise you won’t do anything.  Not until we deal with Fort Rozz.”

Alex nodded.  “I get it, Kara.  One threat at a time.”

Kara sighed.  “No, Alex, you don’t.  This isn’t small.  This isn’t like promising Eliza you’d finish your homework before you go surfing.  If you make this promise, you have to keep it, no matter how much it hurts. No matter what.  You have to keep it.  Okay?”

This time it seemed to get the message across.  Alex sat there, and Kara could see her thinking it over, considering it, before she finally nodded.  “Okay.  I promise.  I won’t do anything until we deal with Fort Rozz.”

Kara nodded.  “Have you ever heard of Project Cadmus?”

“Yeah.  Some sort of research project.  We send them samples from any aliens we capture, and if an alien dies, either during capture, or in their cell, we send the remains to Cadmus for study.”

“They don’t just study alien remains,” Kara said.  “Back before J’onn took over the DEO, Hank Henshaw…  The real Hank Henshaw, deliberately killed a lot of aliens and classified the kills as ‘killed resisting capture’ so he could funnel the remains to Cadmus. If you go through the records you’ll also find a lot of aliens who were ‘transferred to other holding facilities’, only they never arrived.  Instead, they wound up in Cadmus.  After J’onn took over and their supply of live aliens dried up, they started their own capture program.  Sam Lane procures for them sometimes too.”

“That’s horrible,” Alex said, “but-“

“They take humans, too,” Kara said.  She took a deep breath.  “This is the part I’ve been afraid to tell you…  Alex, they have Jeremiah.”

“What?” Alex said.  “They…  They have my dad’s body?”

Kara shook her head.  “No.  Not his body.”  Kara could see the exact moment realization struck.  She could see the mixture of hope and fear flooding into Alex.

“He’s…  He’s alive?” she asked.

Kara nodded.

“How long have you known?” Alex asked.

“Alex,” Kara said.  “You promised.”

“How long, Kara?”

Kara let go of Alex’s hands and reached up to grip her shoulders.  “Tell me you won’t do anything, Alex.”

“How long?” Alex asked, and Kara could hear the rage in her voice, but she didn’t answer.  She just waited.  “He’s my father,” Alex said.  “We have to do something.  We have to help him!”  Alex tried to stand up, but Kara held her in place, her grip firm enough that there wasn’t anything Alex could do, but gentle enough that Alex didn’t hurt herself.

“I’m sorry, Alex,” Kara said.  “I’m so sorry.”

“Let me go,” Alex said.

“You promised,” Kara said.

The slap surprised them both.  One moment, Alex was sitting there, struggling, and the next, Kara felt the flat of Alex’s hand slam into the side of her face.  It was so unexpected, she didn’t have time to roll with it, and instead of hurting her, Alex ended up whimpering and cradling her hand.  Kara let her go, moving back a little bit as she looked down, checking with x-ray vision to make sure Alex hadn’t broken her hand.

Alex, for her part, was looking back, and forth between her hand, and Kara’s face.

“I…”

“It’s okay,” Kara said.

Alex shook her head.  “No.  No, it’s not.  I shouldn’t have…”

Kara reached out and took Alex’s injured hand in her own, blowing a very gentle stream of cool air over it.

“It’s okay,” Kara said.  “I’m the one who should be sorry.  It’s my fault Jeremiah was on that mission.  My fault Cadmus has him.  My fault Fort Rozz is here.  My fault Myriad is a threat.  My fault Cadmus even exists.”  She looked up into Alex’s eyes.  “Sometimes, I think it would have been better if I never made it off Krypton,” she said.

The look of horror on Alex’s face wasn’t something Kara expected to see in that moment, but on some level, it was comforting.

“No,” Alex said.  “No.  Kara, you can’t think like that.  Please.  I’m sorry.  You’re right, this is big and I just…” she shrugged, helplessly.

“Please, tell me you’ll keep your promise.  I swear, I have people working on getting your father out.  Clark knows almost everything I do about Cadmus and he’s got Wonder Woman and Batman for backup.  If they can get Jeremiah out, they will.”

Alex nodded.  “Okay,” she said.  “Okay.  But, as soon as Myriad is out of the way-“

“We find Cadmus, and we burn it to the ground,” Kara said.  “Every last bit of it.”

***

The next morning was rough.  Kara didn’t really need sleep, but she and Alex had talked for hours and it had been emotionally exhausting.  Kara had told her everything she could about Cadmus, leaving out only Lillian Luthor, Simon Tycho and Hank Henshaw’s involvement.  She’d told her everything about Astra, too, but it was all hard.  It was like draining an infected wound, only stopping before it was entirely clean, and bandaging it up with half the rot still inside.  There was so much she couldn’t tell her.  She’d wanted to talk about the battle of CatCo plaza, about the Third Army and the war of light, about Darkseid and the anti-life equation.

She couldn’t.  Not yet.  She couldn’t tell Alex until she was ready to tell J’onn, and she couldn’t tell J’onn until she could prove all of it, because it sounded insane.  Sometimes, she wondered if she was insane.  On the other hand, if she got to hug her sister in the morning before she went into work to see Winn and Cat, maybe insanity wasn’t so bad.

Though today was the day Cat demanded an interview with her in the original timeline.  She was wondering if that was still going to happen when the elevator door opened, and she saw Winn waiting for her, holding a large pink box.

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Just a little something Maggie and I chipped in for,” he said, lifting the lid.

“Is that a brownie pizza?” she asked, her face splitting into an enormous smile.

“Yes,” he said.  “We wanted to do a cake, but we thought a ‘Congratulations on your first big disaster’ cake would be a little obvious.”

“Oh!” she squealed as she threw her arms around Winn, hugging him as tightly as she dared.  “Thank you,” she said.  “You have no idea how much I needed something like this this morning.”  She stepped back, still smiling at him as she picked up the envelope containing Cat’s morning mail from the reception desk, before heading over to her own desk.

Winn sat the brownie pizza down on her desk.  “You okay?” he asked.

“Rough weekend,” she said.  “Alex and I had a big fight.  We sorted it out.  And I saw my Aunt.”

“Your Aunt?” Winn asked.  “Like,” he made a wavey motion with his hand Kara assumed was supposed to indicate flying, “that Aunt?”

“Yes.  That probably went as well as could be expected,” she said.

‘Drunk, 9:00 AM.  That’s the last time I have breakfast with Ruth Bader Ginsberg.’

Kara shook her head as she reached for Cat’s coffee.  “She’s here,” she said as she lifted the lid and gave it a quick zap of heat vision.

“At least now I know how you do that,” Winn said as he dropped into his seat and pulled up his goof-off spreadsheet so it would look like he was working.

The door to the elevator opened, and Cat strode out.  Kara put the latte into her hand.

“Your latte, Ms. Grant,” she said.

Cat took a sip and let out a small moan of satisfaction.  “Hot, as always,” she said.  “Content meeting, two minutes.  My office.”

***

“I assume we’re all aware of Supergirl’s latest act of derring-do,” Cat said.

“Walking into a burning oil fire to cut off the fuel supply, then blowing the fire out,” James said.  “Pretty impressive for someone who’s only been on the job a week.”

“Hmmm, yes,” Cat said.  “Our girl has been making quite a showing of herself all over National City.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” James asked.

“It would be, if it weren’t the front-page story on the Daily Planet.  Their fifth, in as many days.  Which annoys me, because they already have their own go-to Superhero, and now they’re trying to steal mine.”

Cat stalked around from behind her desk to stand in front of it.  “Now, when I branded her, there was a certain implicit expectation that she would be gracing the pages of *our* publications.”  Cat turned towards Kara.  “Tell me something, Kara.”

“Hmmm, me?” Kara asked.

“Yes,” Cat answered.  “Do you really think it was coincidence that one of the Planet’s star reporters just happened through these offices last week?”

Kara shrugged.  “I never know with Clark.”

“Uh, huh,” Cat said.  “Well, coincidence or not, the Daily Planet is not taking Supergirl from us.  We are going to take back control of the Supergirl narrative, starting now.”

“How are we going to do that?” Dave asked.

“I want an interview,” Cat said.

“Okay,” Kara said.  “When would you like me to set that up?”

Every eye in the room turned towards her.

“You, Keira?” Cat asked.

“Don’t I usually schedule all your interviews?” she said.

Cat’s eyes narrowed.  “This one might be a little different.”

“Have I ever failed to deliver, Ms. Grant?”

“Do I need to bring up the Justin Bieber incident?”

“I believe there’s an amendment to my contract that prevents either of us from ever speaking of that again,” Kara said, shuddering.

Cat sighed.  “Fine.  Go ahead and see if you can arrange it, but I want a backup plan,” she said, turning to James.  “Do you think your friend in blue could arrange a sit down?”

“It doesn’t really work that way,” James said.

“Mmmm… Well, if Clark Kent, or for that matter, Lois Lane or any of the other hags over at the Planet get this before we do, I’m going to hold you and Keira personally responsible since you’re inviting the enemy into my house.”

“Now, I want a sit down with Supergirl.  A heart-to-heart, girl-to-girl.  By the end of the week.”  Cat waved her hand in a shooing gesture.  “Go get it.”

Kara started to turn around, but Cat’s voice stopped her.

“Not you, Keira,” she said.

Kara turned back to Cat.  “Something else I can do for you, Ms. Grant?”

Cat waited until the entire office was empty.  “You really think you can get me an interview with Supergirl?”

“I do.”

Cat stared at her for a moment, and let out a breath.  “You get me that interview and we’ll have a discussion about your salary, since apparently I’m not paying what other people are offering you.”

“That’s not necessary, Ms. Grant.”

“Yes, it is,” Cat said.  “You’re never going to get ahead if you don’t learn how to demand what you’re due, Keira.”

Kara stared back at Cat for a moment, then nodded.  “Okay,” she said.  “How about we start with you using my real name, since I know you know it.”

Cat smiled.  “Get me the interview, and we’ll talk.”

Kara laughed and shook her head as she turned and left the office, only to find James waiting for her at her desk.

“Are you sure you want to do that interview?” he asked.  The question threw Kara, because in the original timeline, he’d been the one to reassure her when she said she couldn’t do it.

“I don’t see why not,” Kara said.  “My cousin managed to hide right in front of Perry White’s face for eleven years.”

“Yeah, and Lois Lane was fooled for a good five seconds,” James said.

Kara rolled her eyes.  “Yeah, well, Cat Grant isn’t checking out my ass every time I turn my back.”

James shook his head.  “Could have fooled me,” he said, before he headed for his office.

Winn appeared a second later.  “He bothering you?” he asked.

“A little,” Kara said.  “He means well, but he hasn’t gotten it through his head that I don’t need a big brother.”

“Well, if he gets to be a problem let me know.  I’ll get Maggie to rough him up.”

Kara smiled.  “You and Maggie really hit it off, huh?”

“Yeah,” he said.  “She’s like the really butch older sister I never knew I wanted.”

“Oh, please.  She’s a soft futch, at best.”

“She loads her own ammo, Kara.”

“Don’t care,” Kara said.  “If she can’t forge a sword out of a load of iron ore, she’s not butch.”

“Who have you been hanging out with?”

“Wonder Woman,” Kara said.  “Now, the real question is, am I expected to share my brownie pizza?”

Winn laughed.  “Now what kind of friends would we be if we made you share?”

[your-dietician]

Wildfire smoke and your health: Do you need to worry?

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/health/wildfire-smoke-and-your-health-do-you-need-to-worry/

Wildfire smoke and your health: Do you need to worry?

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighters look out over a burning hillside as they fight the Blue Ridge Fire in Yorba Linda, California, on Monday, October 26.

Wildfires burning in the West

A man evacuates his home as flames from the Blue Ridge Fire approach in Chino Hills, California, on Tuesday, October 27.

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighters conduct a backfire operation in Chino Hills on October 27.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter uses a hose as the Silverado Fire approaches near Irvine, California.

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighter Raymond Vasquez battles the Silverado Fire in Irvine on Monday, October 26.

Wildfires burning in the West

Flames rise from mountain ridges near a farmstead as a wildfire burns near Granby, Colorado, on Thursday, October 22.

Wildfires burning in the West

Evacuees drive through a traffic jam exiting Big Thompson Canyon as the East Troublesome Fire forced residents out of Estes Park, Colorado, on October 22.

Wildfires burning in the West

Structures burned by the Cal-Wood Fire are seen in Boulder County, Colorado, on October 18.

Wildfires burning in the West

Flames from the Cameron Peak Fire, the largest wildfire in Colorado history, work their way along a ridge outside Estes Park on October 16.

Wildfires burning in the West

An airplane drops fire retardant on the Bruder Fire in Redlands, California, on October 15.

Wildfires burning in the West

Wildfires burning in the West

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter walks along a path as the Glass Fire burns in Calistoga, California, on October 1.

Wildfires burning in the West

Vehicles burned in the Glass Fire sit outside of a home that survived in Calistoga on September 30.

Wildfires burning in the West

The remains of guest houses smolder at Calistoga Ranch after the Glass Fire passed through on September 30.

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighter Abraham Garcia signals a water truck in Angwin, California, on September 29.

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighters watch the Glass Fire slowly creep across a clearing near Calistoga on September 29.

Wildfires burning in the West

Damaged wine barrels sit stacked at the Fairwinds Estate Winery in Calistoga on September 29.

Wildfires burning in the West

The Glass Fire burns in the background as Josh Asbury, an employee of CableCom, installs fiber-optic cable in Calistoga on September 28.

Wildfires burning in the West

Residents of the Oakmont Gardens senior home are transported to safety as the Shady Fire approaches in Santa Rosa on September 28.

Wildfires burning in the West

Cellar worker Jose Juan Perez extinguishes hotspots at Castello di Amorosa, a Calistoga winery that was damaged in the Glass Fire.

Wildfires burning in the West

An officer with Napa County Animal Control rescues a cat after the Glass Fire passed through Napa Valley, California, on September 28.

Wildfires burning in the West

The Glass Fire burns on a Napa County mountainside on September 28.

Wildfires burning in the West

Flames from the Glass Fire consume the Black Rock Inn in St. Helena, California, on September 27.

Wildfires burning in the West

Embers fly from a tree as the Glass Fire burns in St. Helena on September 27.

Wildfires burning in the West

An air tanker drops fire retardant on the Glass Fire, which was burning near the Davis Estates winery in Calistoga on September 27.

Wildfires burning in the West

Cal Fire Capt. Jesse Campbell works to save the Louis Stralla Water Treatment Plant as the Glass Fire burns in St. Helena.

Wildfires burning in the West

A photograph of Charles Morton, a firefighter killed battling the El Dorado Fire, is displayed at a memorial service in San Bernardino, California, on September 25. Morton, 39, was a 14-year veteran of the US Forest Service and a squad boss with the Big Bear Hotshot Crew of the San Bernardino National Forest.

Wildfires burning in the West

An inmate firefighter takes a break while working to contain the Bear Fire in Oroville, California, on September 24.

Wildfires burning in the West

Inmate firefighters extinguish hot spots while working to contain the Bear Fire on September 24.

Wildfires burning in the West

The Bobcat Fire burns near Cedar Springs, California, on September 21.

Wildfires burning in the West

Wildfire smoke rises in Medicine Bow National Forest in southeastern Wyoming on September 21.

Wildfires burning in the West

A deer looks for food in an area burned by the Bobcat Fire in Pearblossom, California.

Wildfires burning in the West

A woman takes photos as the Bobcat Fire burns in Juniper Hills, California, on September 18.

Wildfires burning in the West

Wind whips embers from Joshua trees burned by the Bobcat Fire in Juniper Hills on September 18.

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighter Kirk McDusky walks past smoke rising from the Brattain Fire in Paisley, Oregon, on September 18.

Wildfires burning in the West

A Juniper Hills home burns during the Bobcat Fire on September 18.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter battles the Bobcat Fire while defending the Mount Wilson observatory in Los Angeles on September 17.

Wildfires burning in the West

Stacey Kahny fixes her hair inside her tent at the evacuation center at the Jackson County Fairgrounds in Central Point, Oregon, on September 16. Kahny lived with her parents at a trailer park in Phoenix, Oregon, that was destroyed by fire.

Wildfires burning in the West

A charred yearbook lies in the debris as Fred Skaff and his son Thomas clean up their home in Phoenix, Oregon, on September 16.

Wildfires burning in the West

In this aerial photo taken with a drone, red fire retardant sits on leveled homes in Talent, Oregon, on September 15.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter works at the scene of the Bobcat Fire burning on hillsides near Monrovia, California, on September 15.

Wildfires burning in the West

President Donald Trump listens as California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks about the wildfires during a briefing on September 14.

Wildfires burning in the West

George Coble walks through his destroyed property in Mill City, Oregon, on September 12.

Wildfires burning in the West

The Bobcat Fire burns in Angeles National Forest, north of Monrovia, California, on September 11.

Wildfires burning in the West

Crystal Sparks kisses her 4-year-old twins, Chance and Ryder Sutton, as they escape the Obenchain Fire in Butte Falls, Oregon, on September 11.

Wildfires burning in the West

North Valley Disaster Group member Kari Zeitler and Butte County Animal Control officer Linda Newman bridle up two donkeys wandering along a roadside in Berry Creek, California, on September 11. The donkeys were displaced by the Bear Fire.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter shoots an incendiary device during a back burn to help control the Dolan Fire in Big Sur, California, on September 11.

Wildfires burning in the West

Dora Negrete is consoled by her son Hector Rocha after seeing their destroyed mobile home in Talent, Oregon, on September 10.

Wildfires burning in the West

This aerial photo shows a destroyed mobile-home park in Phoenix, Oregon, on September 10.

Wildfires burning in the West

A street is shrouded by smoke from wildfires in West Linn, Oregon, on September 10.

Wildfires burning in the West

A tanker jet drops fire retardant to slow the Bobcat Fire in the Angeles National Forest north of Monrovia, California, on September 10.

Wildfires burning in the West

Looking up San Francisco’s Columbus Avenue, the Transamerica Pyramid and Salesforce Tower are covered with smoke from nearby wildfires on September 9. This photo was taken in the late morning.

Wildfires burning in the West

Wildfires burning in the West

Wildfire smoke hangs over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on September 9.

Wildfires burning in the West

Bejhan Razi, a senior building inspector in Mill Valley, California, checks out repairs on a lamp-post clock as the sky is illuminated by nearby wildfires.

Wildfires burning in the West

People stand in Alamo Square Park as smoke hangs over San Francisco on September 9.

Wildfires burning in the West

People stop to take pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge as it is affected from smoke by nearby wildfires on September 9.

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighters cut defensive lines and light backfires to protect structures in Butte County, California, on September 9.

Wildfires burning in the West

Flames shoot from a home in Butte County.

Wildfires burning in the West

A Pacific Gas and Electric worker looks up at the advancing Creek Fire near Alder Springs, California, on September 8.

Wildfires burning in the West

Lisa Theis unloads the last of her 44 alpacas after she evacuated her ranch in North Fork, California.

Wildfires burning in the West

Flames burn at a home leveled by the Creek Fire in Fresno County, California.

Wildfires burning in the West

A slide is melted at a school playground in Fresno County.

Wildfires burning in the West

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighter Nick Grinstead battles the Creek Fire in Shaver Lake, California, on September 7.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter in Jamul, California, battles the Valley Fire on September 6.

Wildfires burning in the West

A fire encroaches Japatul Road in Jamul on September 6.

Wildfires burning in the West

Little League baseball players warm up for a game near Dehesa, California, as the Valley Fire burns on September 6.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter watches the advancing Creek Fire in Shaver Lake.

Wildfires burning in the West

A business owner in Shaver Lake walks next to kayaks he rents as smoke from the Creek Fire fills the sky on September 6.

Wildfires burning in the West

Family members comfort each other as the El Dorado Fire moves closer to their home in Yucaipa, California, on September 6.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter sets a controlled burn with a drip torch while fighting the Creek Fire in Shaver Lake.

Wildfires burning in the West

Dozens of evacuees are airlifted to safety on a California National Guard helicopter on September 5. The Creek Fire had left them stranded in a popular camping area in the Sierra National Forest.

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighters walk in a line in Yucaipa on September 5.

Wildfires burning in the West

Haze and smoke blanket the sky near Naches, Washington, as the Evans Canyon Fire burns on September 3.

Wildfires burning in the West

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, right, listens as Santa Cruz State Park Superintendent Chris Spohrer talks about the fire damage to the Big Basin Redwoods State Park.

Wildfires burning in the West

Randy Hunt packs up his belongings, including his daughter Natasha’s first Pooh bear, left, in case he and his wife Sheli had to evacuate the home they rent in Middletown, California, on August 26.

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighter Juan Chavarin pulls down a burning tree trunk in Guerneville, California, on August 25.

Wildfires burning in the West

A sign reading “Vaca Strong” adorns a charred hillside in Vacaville, California, on August 24.

Wildfires burning in the West

Austin Giannuzzi cries while embracing relatives at the burned remains of their Vacaville home on August 23.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter looks out from a helicopter while battling the LNU Lightning Complex fires in Lake County, California.

Wildfires burning in the West

Flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires leap above Butts Canyon Road in Lake County on August 23.

Wildfires burning in the West

Karol Markowski of the South Pasadena Fire Department hoses down hot spots while battling the CZU Lightning Complex fires in Boulder Creek, California, on August 22.

Wildfires burning in the West

A burned-out vehicle is left in front of a destroyed residence as smoke fills the sky in Boulder Creek on August 22.

Wildfires burning in the West

Smoke hangs low in the air at the Big Basin Redwoods State Park as some redwoods burn in Boulder Creek on August 22.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter watches the LNU Lightning Complex fires spread through the Berryessa Estates neighborhood in Napa County on August 21.

Wildfires burning in the West

Veterinary technician Brianna Jeter comforts a llama injured by a fire in Vacaville on August 21. At right, animal control officer Dae Kim prepares to euthanize the llama.

Wildfires burning in the West

Smoke from nearby wildfires hangs over San Francisco on August 21.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter monitors the advance of a fire in Boulder Creek on August 21.

Wildfires burning in the West

Members of the US Forest Service discuss their next moves to battle the Grizzly Creek Fire near Dotsero, Colorado, on August 21.

Wildfires burning in the West

People pack brown-bag lunches at an evacuation center in Santa Cruz, California, on August 21.

Wildfires burning in the West

A smoke plume from the LNU Lightning Complex fires billows over Healdsburg, California, on August 20.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter battles flames in Santa Cruz County, California, on August 20.

Wildfires burning in the West

Only scorched homes and vehicles remain in the Spanish Flat Mobile Villa in Napa County, California, on August 20.

Wildfires burning in the West

Peter Koleckar reacts after seeing multiple homes burned in his neighborhood in Bonny Doon, California, on August 20.

Wildfires burning in the West

A forest burns in Bonny Doon on August 20.

Wildfires burning in the West

A man looks at a tree blocking his way after a fire ravaged Vacaville, California, on August 20.

Wildfires burning in the West

A melted plastic fence lies on the charred ground after fire swept through Vacaville on August 20.

Wildfires burning in the West

Sarah Hawkins searches through rubble after her Vacaville home was destroyed on August 20.

Wildfires burning in the West

Fire crews maintain a backburn to control the River Fire near the Las Palmas neighborhood in Salinas, California, on August 19.

Wildfires burning in the West

Gina Santos cries in her car after evacuating Vacaville on August 19.

Wildfires burning in the West

People herd cows down Pleasants Valley Road in Vacaville on August 19.

Wildfires burning in the West

Flames consume a home in Napa County, California, on August 19.

Wildfires burning in the West

Embers burn along a hillside above Lake Berryessa as the LNU Lightning Complex fires tear through Napa County on August 18. This image was taken with a long exposure.

Wildfires burning in the West

A resident runs into a home to save a dog while flames from the Hennessy Fire close in near Lake Berryessa on August 18.

Wildfires burning in the West

A home burns as the LNU Lightning Complex fires tear through the Spanish Flat community in Napa County on August 18.

Wildfires burning in the West

An air tanker drops retardant on fires in the Spanish Flat community of Napa County on August 18.

Wildfires burning in the West

Flames from the Hennessy Fire consume a cabin at the Nichelini Family Winery in Napa County on August 18.

Wildfires burning in the West

Tony Leonardini works on a spot fire as thunderstorm winds fan the Hennessy Fire in Napa County on August 17.

Wildfires burning in the West

Smoke from the Grizzly Creek Fire is thick in Glenwood Canyon, near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, on August 16.

Wildfires burning in the West

Kathy Mathison looks at the still-smoldering wildfire on August 16 that, just a day before, came within several feet of her home in Bend, Oregon.

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighters look at smoke and flames rising from the Ranch2 Fire in the San Gabriel Mountains, east of Los Angeles, on August 14.

Wildfires burning in the West

A helicopter makes a water drop over the Ranch2 Fire in Azusa, California, on August 13.

Wildfires burning in the West

A car is charred by the Lake Fire near Lake Hughes, 60 miles north of Los Angeles, on August 13.

Wildfires burning in the West

A couple watches the Ranch2 Fire from a distance on August 13.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter crew works in Lake Hughes on August 13.

Wildfires burning in the West

The Lake Fire burns a home in Angeles National Forest on August 13.

Wildfires burning in the West

Flames and smoke from the Lake Fire rise on Wednesday, August 12.

Wildfires burning in the West

A firefighter works against the Lake Fire on August 12.

Wildfires burning in the West

Firefighters make an escape plan as the Lake Fire burns a hillside on August 12.

Wildfires burning in the West

A tanker makes a drop on the Lake Fire on August 12.

Wildfires burning in the West

A plume of smoke rises from the Lake Fire on August 12.

Wildfires burning in the West

Fire crews battle the Grizzly Creek Fire near Glenwood Springs, Colorado, on August 11.

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[iilssnet]

difference between “Ship” or “Vessel” in law of the sea, LOSC and customary international law

A “ship” or “vessel” is a concrete physical object, but that does not mean we can satisfactorily define it. Here, the difficulty is that the legal contexts in which the word “ship” is used vary so significantly that it may be inappropriate to specify one definition. Drafters and decision makers have struggled with the problem of defining “ship” in national and international law. In a British case involving insurance policy coverage, the lower court had found that a crane floating on pontoons was not a “ship” or “vessel.” On appeal Lord Justice Scrutton was troubled by the lack of a definition of those terms: One might possibly take the position of the gentleman who dealt with the elephant by saying he could not define an elephant, but he knew what it was when he saw one, and it may be that is the foundation of the learned Judge’s judgment , that he cannot define “ship or vessel” but he knows this thing is not a ship or vessel. I should have liked to be able to give a definition here, because … it is rather a pity that the Courts are not able to give a definition of the words which are constantly turning up in a mercantile transaction. But the discussion today … of the various incidents and various kinds of things to which the words “ships or vessels” been applied, has convinced me that it is of no use at present to try to define it, and the only thing I can do in this case is to treat it as a question of fact and to say that I am not satisfied that the learned Judge was wrong. We assuredly can say more about the concept of “ship” or “vessel” than “I know one when I see one,” but it does not necessarily follow that an all-encompassing definition is essential to that end. The ABILA LOS Committee initially proposed the following definition for UNCLOS: “Ship” “vessel” have the same, interchangeable meaning in the English language version of the 1982 LOS Convention. “Ship” is defined as a vessel of any type whatsoever operating in the marine environment, including hydrofoil boats, air-cushion vehicles, submersibles, floating craft and floating platforms. Where, e.g., “ship” or “vessel” is modified by other words, or prefixes or suffixes, as in the Article 29 definition of a warship, those particular definitions apply. I fear that this definition, or any one definition proposed for use in UNCLOS, may be either too broad or too narrow, depending on the context in which it is used. Interpretation of “ship” may well vary from issue to issue, and when we seek a definition that applies to as wide a range of situations and issues as does UNCLOS, it becomes particularly difficult to agree on an acceptable definition. Before I explore my concerns with the proposed definition, let me note that there is much in the definition with which I agree. First, I agree that particular subcategories of ships may need to be addressed separately. This is certainly true of warships, the subject of UNCLOS Article 29. My comments do not address warships. Second, I agree that “ship” is a general term, referring to a variety of different craft. There was a time in the age of sail when “ship” may have had a relatively specific and determinant meaning. A “ship” was “a vessel with three or more masts and fully square-rigged throughout.” A “ship” was thus distinguishable from smaller craft; a “ship” was not a brig, a schooner, or a cutter. Today, however, the connotation of “ship” is not so specific. Third, I agree that the terms “ship” and “vessel” should be equated. As has been noted, the terms were viewed as identical at UNCLOS III. Use of different terms in the UNCLOS English language version came about because two different committees at the Conference worked on different articles; one committee used “ship” in its articles, and the other used “vessel.” This point suggests the need for a technical change in the proposed definition. The word “vessel” in the second sentence should be changed, because if “ship” and “vessel” are synonyms, then the sentence in effect reads, “Vessel is defined as a vessel …” It would be better to substitute a phrase like ‘Ship’ or ‘vessel’ is defined as a device capable of traversing the sea .…” The critical issue, though, is whether we can arrive at any sensible definition capturing all the various types of craft and all the different purposes for which we have international legal rules related to ships. With respect to types of craft, the concern with whether a definition is suitable is likely to occur at the margins. All will agree that an oil tanker, navigating the high seas under its own power and exposed to maritime risks, is a “ship” or “vessel.” But, with respect to various issues, should we include as ships: floating platforms or drilling rigs (with or without engines), temporarily fixed platforms, hydrofoils, seaplanes on the water, amphibious craft, submersibles, very small boats, houseboats or docked hotels like Queen Elizabeth I, boats towed for repairs, abandoned craft, wrecks (capable of being raised or not), craft in drydock for repair or safekeeping, craft under construction (launched or yet to be launched)? If we all could agree on what to include or exclude as a ship or vessel in all cases, drafting challenges arise. For example, the initial proposed definition indicated a preference to exclude fixed platforms from the category of “ship.” Yet the proposed definition, which encompasses “a vessel of any type whatsoever operating in the maritime environment,” may be ambiguous in this regard, unless the word “including” is read as a term of limitation rather than a term of illustration, i.e., is read to mean “including the specified examples and excluding other examples not listed.” Although we can massage the drafting if need be, the difficult question remains: In a general convention, is it appropriate to use the same conception of “ship” for all purposes? Consider the issue of whether to exclude temporarily fixed platforms to illustrate the possibility that the definition should vary depending on the purposes for construing the term. It may be nonsense to consider fixed platforms as vessels if there is a concern with a rule like UNCLOS Article 111 on the right of hot pursuit, which contemplates a vehicle capable of self-propulsion. Yet with respect to other legal rules, e.g., rules related to the duty to rescue or to serious marine pollution, the case for a restrictive definition is not compelling. For example, the MARPOL Convention definition of “ship” is indeed broad, including fixed platforms. That seems appropriate: if important objectives could be damaged by pollution from fixed platforms, or by failing to rescue from fixed platforms, our conception of “ship” should encompass fixed platforms. One might, I suppose, leave the broader definition, which includes fixed platforms, to MARPOL and not construe the meaning of “ship” in UNCLOS so broadly. But is there any good reason to do that? I question whether the fact that UNCLOS contains articles referring to “platforms or other man-made structures at sea” and to “artificial islands, installations, and structures” means that temporary fixed platforms should be excluded from the category of ships when considering the application of rules concerning the protection of life. Even if we focus on UNCLOS and set aside concerns over the compatibility of a definition for UNCLOS with definitions in other oceans treaties, we still should conclude that different definitions of “ship” make sense in different settings. For example, UNCLOS Article 91(2) provides: “Every State shall issue to ships to which it has granted the right to fly its flag documents to that effect.” The problem is that not every State — including States part of the unanimous support in 1956 in the International Law Commission (ILC) for the identically worded predecessor to Article 91(2), High Seas Convention Article 5(2) — issues documents to small boats entitled to fly its flag. Rather than presume such states violate Article 91(2), it seems more sensible, as has been suggested, to construe the term “ship” in this context as not including “small yacht.” Compare, however, Article 91(1), providing that “every State shall fix the conditions for the grant of its nationality to ships,” and that there must be “a genuine link between the State and the ship.” There is no reason to exclude small yachts from those Article 91(1) rules. The dilemma posed by these examples is obvious; one definition cannot at the same time include and exclude small yachts. One could even read “ship” in UNCLOS to refer, at times, to individuals. Article 94(1), setting out every State’s general obligation to “effectively exercise its jurisdiction and control in administrative, technical and social matters over ships flying its flag,” seemingly refers both to the craft and to its master, officers and crew. Subsequent Article 94 paragraphs reinforce this notion; they specify particular obligations that flesh out the general Article 94(1) obligation. Those particular obligations certainly apply both to the craft (e.g., the flag State must maintain ship registers ) and to the master, officers and crew (e.g., the flag State must set crew labor conditions ). A flag State’s general Article 94(1) obligation to exercise jurisdiction “over ships flying its flag” thus appears to encompass an obligation to exercise jurisdiction with respect to those ships’ masters, officers and crew. An attempt to draft a generally applicable definition of “ship” at the International Law Commission in the 1950s was not successful. The special rapporteur for the ILC in its work leading up to the 1958 LOS Conventions proposed this definition: “A ship is a device capable of traversing the sea but not the air space, with the equipment and crew appropriate to the purpose for which it is used.” When the definition came up for discussion, the special rapporteur said he “had doubts as to the necessity of the definition of a ship,” and the ILC unanimously voted to delete the definition from its articles on the high seas in 1955. An observer has suggested that the ILC discussion may have indicated that the definition was not suitable for all purposes. The ILC decided it was preferable not to have a fixed definition. Others have studied in great detail the conception of “ship” in national and international law. They have concluded that international law lacks one general conception of “ship.” Some have also concluded that one definition is undesirable, in light of various situations and rules applying to “ships.” Lazaratos argued that a general definition of “ship” was desirable but noted the “unbridgeable” variety in national law definitions and found no customary international law definition. He also did not specify a text for a proposed definition, although he suggested some features, such as a limitation to ocean-going vessels, that he thought should characterize a “ship” in international law. Lucchini noted the impossibility of using particular treaties to discern characteristics of any common definition of “ship.” He suggested that academic discussion of ships, which recognized the ability to navigate, ability to float, and regular exposure to maritime risks, could help decision makers — not by providing a fixed definition, but by suggesting factors that could be examined case by case in determining what is and what is not a ship. The judge in each case should also assess the purposes for which it is important to determine whether a device is a ship. He concluded that the diversity of vessels and applicable rules made any effort to find one unified conception extraordinarily complex, and that a general definition of “ship” could not be inferred from practice and doctrine. Meyers stressed that an object that cannot float and is not capable of traversing the sea could not be considered a ship but concluded that a uniform definition suitable for all purposes was impossible: There may be good grounds in favour of either very broad or very narrow definitions. It all depends upon what subject-matter is at issue. It would seem quite undesirable to adopt one and the same definition as obtaining for the whole of the law of the sea. … One detailed, allembracing concept: ship, obtaining under all circumstances, does not and cannot exist for all the purposes of international law. In short, “water-tight definitions do not exist.” Because so many different rules apply to ships, because those rules may fulfill so many different purposes, and because those rules might apply to so many different types of objects, I doubt that one all-encompassing definition for UNCLOS would be satisfactory. The definitions of “ship” in national laws and in treaties addressing specific LOS issues certainly vary considerably. This illustrates the difficulty in fashioning a “one size fits all” definition. It is unremarkable in the law that the same term may mean somewhat different things in different contexts. As the International Court of Justice has stated, a word “obtains its meaning from the context in which it is used. If the context requires a meaning which connotes a wide choice, it must be construed accordingly, just as it must be given a restrictive meaning if the context in which it is used so requires.” The ILC decision not to include a definition of “ship” in a general LOS convention was wise. The final ABILA LOS Committee definition of “ship” or “vessel” reads: “Ship” or “vessel” have the same, interchangeable meaning in the UNCLOS English language version. “Ship” is defined as a human-made device, including a submersible vessel, capable of traversing the sea. Where “ship” or “vessel” is modified by other words, prefixes or suffixes in UNCLOS as in its Article 29 definition of “warship,” those particular definitions apply. A narrower definition of “ship” or “vessel,” otherwise unmodified, should be used if a particular rule’s context or purposes indicate a narrower definition is appropriate. This revised definition is an improvement on the initial proposed definition, because it acknowledges the importance of context in construing the meaning of “ship” or “vessel.” Read the full article

[santoshsteel]

What role did Stainless Steel play in Food Processing Industry?

In older plants and equipment were made of carbon steel or aluminum in food processing units. Carbon can easily rust and may cause high replacement cost. Aluminum can be scratched easily as it has soft surface. Both of these can create major issues in Food and beverage production.

Stainless steel will not easily get rust; its main advantage is corrosion resistant and temperature resistant. Stainless steel can withstand high temperature and pressure.

In food manufacturing, cleaning and sanitation are supreme. When it comes to equipment, it is important to understand what materials to use and how selection can affect fabrication design and future care. Stainless steel finds diverse use within the processing of milk and dairy products, beer and winemaking, confectionery, cooked meats, and plenty of more.

Metals, particularly, offer exceptional strength properties necessary for top production volumes. But strength isn't the sole factor to consider. The most effective materials should be as non-corrosive and inert as possible.

The most common grade of stainless-steel used in processing and packaging applications is 316/L, or what many refer to as “food-grade stainless”. Many other stainless alloys like 304/L, 347, 409, and Duplex may also be utilized in machinery and equipment for this industry.

Stainless steels are widely employed in the food industry because of their inherent resistance to corrosion. It is often formed into complex shapes. From tools to surfaces, this metal is extremely suitable for production, processing, and packaging.

Stainless steel will be cleaned and sterilized without deterioration. It also doesn't impart any color and flavor to food, making it ideal for the food industry.

 Benefits of using Stainless Steel in food industry:

Ø It is resistant to varying temperatures:

It is often used easily in both very cold and extremely hot temperatures. This makes it perfect for all aspects of food and beverage production.

Ø Rust-Resistant

It can be washed down in a high-pressure water system without worry about the moisture damaging the equipment’s surface. For people and businesses working within the food processing industry, this benefit is priceless.

Ø Easy Fabrication

As for the fabrication of stainless-steel, there are many various ways in which it may be manipulated. It can be cut, welded, and formed quite easily, especially with more current metal-working techniques. This makes it suitable to create small tools also as large appliances.

Ø Durability and Strength

By nature, steel is one among the foremost durable metals on the market. Not only is it less susceptible to physical damage, but it's also resistant to corrosion, moreover as wear and tear associated with aging. While other metals must be maintained during use, stainless-steel will likely need fewer professional repairs.

Ø It's easy to clean

If you're working with food and beverages, maintaining a clean environment is very crucial. It is easy to clean wipe clean and does not easily breed bacteria.

Application of stainless-steel in food and dairy include:

Ø Austenitic grades are utilized in the manufacturing of cutlery, hollow-ware, and kitchen utensils. Other applications include brewing vessels, milk tankers. Grades containing Molybdenum are resistant particularly to salt-containing food. 316L/1.4404 is named as “food grade” because of its diverse use within the food industry. Similarly, 304L/1.4307 is additionally an awfully popular grade to be used in food industry applications.

Ø Ferritic stainless steel is employed in appliance manufacturing (dishwashers, refrigerators, and ovens). Another advantage of this grade is its affordability. The value of 1.4016 is significantly less than austenitic grades, thus making it a cost-friendly choice. They’re particularly good in highly oxidizing environments (e.g. nitric acid) and offer excellent resistance to stress Corrosion Cracking. However poor formability and weldability limit the utilization.

Ø Martensitic grades have high levels of carbon. This sort of stainless-steel is hard enable by heat treatment. The grade is employed in applications where high wear resistance is desired. 420/1.4021 could be a popular grade for the manufacturing of knife blades. For superior quality knives which retain sharpness even after prolonged use, grade 1.4116 may be used.

Ø Duplex grades are preferred for handling corrosive foodstuffs as they provide high resistance to corrosion caused by saline solutions at high temperatures. This grade is mainly used in custard and vinegar making, manufacturing of sauces, cheese dairies, and fish-canning plants.

Bottom Line

Stainless Steel machinability and other properties make it a greater option for food processing, as well as a multitude of other industries. Selection of metal and alloys used in food and beverages industry is a very crucial decision. Right grade of stainless for right application will help to maintain the overall life cycle cost.

For purchasing best stainless steel pipes & Tubes for your Industry feel free to visit Santosh Steels.

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[lawrencedienerthings]

The Grizzly Creek fire is threatening the Colorado River and water for the entire West

#nationalforest🌄 🔥 🚦 🔥 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 👁

get headlines https://thecherrycreeknews.com

EAGLE — White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams was driving home from vacation on Aug. 10 when he glanced up and saw the plumes billowing out of Glenwood Canyon and knew a historic wildfire was coming.

It wasn’t just that the flames licking up the craggy canyon walls were threatening homes, a railroad, a major highway and a power plant. It’s that the now 25,000-acre-and-growing Grizzly Creek Fire was burning in the municipal water supply of Glenwood Springs and in the headwaters of the Colorado River watershed, which eventually slakes more than 40 million downstream users. 

“I knew we were in trouble,” Fitzwilliams said.

In many ways, the Grizzly Creek Fire — the largest in the history of the White River National Forest — is a public works fire, threatening vital infrastructure for millions of westerners, all wedged into a tiny sliver of steep canyon that pretty much prevents on-the-ground firefighting. 

MORE: Colorado governor bans campfires, fireworks for 30 days to prevent new wildfires

“That watershed and municipal water supply, after people and their homes, has been one of our highest priorities in this fire,” Fitzwilliams said. “I have not been involved in a fire in such a relatively small area where there are so many things going on.”

The Grizzly Creek Fire’s proximity to homes in a challenging and critical watershed is only part of the reason it ranks as the nation’s top firefighting priority.  

“In addition, fire behavior, fuel conditions, critical fire weather forecasts, potential for extreme fire behavior, and resistance to control are also factors” for federal fire agencies when ranking priorities for national firefighting assets like air tankers, helicopters, hot shot crews and smokejumpers, said incident command spokesman Mike Ferris.

A Type-2 helicopter dips water from the Colorado River along I-70 north of Glenwood Springs on Aug. 14, 2020. (William Woody, Special to The Colorado Sun)

The Grizzly Creek wildfire is unique because ground crews are not fighting flames in the precipitous Glenwood Canyon. They can’t even reach them. Firefighters can’t haul their hand tools up the steep canyon walls. They can’t venture into narrow side drainages where flames could trap them. That means this is an airshow, with both air tanker jets and helicopters dumping fire retardant and water to help ground crews above the canyon — along Coffee Pot Road and above the No Name drainage — build lines to corral the fire. 

Firefighters on the Grizzly Creek fire are working toward total suppression, Ferris said, just as they are at the Pine Gulch, Cameron Peak and Williams Fork fires. 

Firefighters are using a variety of strategies in their mission to protect water and watersheds. Those include avoiding retardant drops within 300 feet of water. Helicopters also avoid scooping water from rivers, streams and lakes known to contain invasive species, like zebra mussels or water fleas. Crews are not building bulldozer lines on steep slopes or in identified debris-flow zones and municipal watersheds. Crews also protect plant ecology in different canyons by cleaning equipment before arriving on a scene and using a vehicle-cleaning station at the incident command post in Eagle to remove noxious weeds and other invasive species.

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The National Interagency Fire Center’s Burned Area Emergency Response team — or BAER — typically arrives at a fire after it has been contained to address repair, rehabilitation and restoration of terrain damaged by flames and suppression work. At Grizzly Creek, which is 0% contained, the BAER team joined the initial firefighters in assessing potential impacts. 

The BAER team is studying satellite imagery and fire growth to assess possible debris flows that could clog the Colorado River or block Interstate 70 in a rain storm after the fire. They study topography, geology and geography in burn zones — as well as data from other similar fires — to predict where debris may cause problems as rain scours burn zones.

They’ve been through the drill before. In July 1994, the South Canyon Fire on Storm King Mountain near Glenwood Springs burned nearly 2,000 acres. Two months later, a September rainstorm deposited more than 25 tons of scorched debris onto sections of Interstate 70 spanning more than 3 miles west of the city. And the fire on Storm King, which killed 14 firefighters — was in less steep terrain than the Grizzly Creek Fire.

The BAER team is working with Glenwood Springs to help the city predict potential impacts to its water supply as well as possible disruptions in the flow of the Colorado River, which eventually delivers water to residents in Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California. 

Hydro-electric plant shut down by fire

The Colorado River Conservation District, which spans 15 counties on the Western Slope, is not working with firefighters but it is watching closely for how rainstorms in the fall might impact the watershed. The district has water in its own Wolford Mountain Reservoir upstream of the fire and leased water in Ruedi Reservoir downstream to use if debris causes problems with river health or the needs of its municipal users. 

One issue the district is watching closely is the shutdown of Xcel Energy’s Shoshone hydro-electric power plant inside Glenwood Canyon. That historic power plant has lost transmission lines in the fire and will not quickly return to service after the fire is extinguished. 

The Shoshone Generating Station has one of the largest and oldest water rights on the Colorado River, allowing it to divert 1,250 cubic-feet-per-second of Colorado River water for its non-consumptive use. That water is sucked from a dam in Glenwood Canyon near the Hanging Lake trailhead and funneled through 2 miles of diversion tunnels along the canyon’s northern wall into two penstocks tucked high in the cliffs of the canyon. The water tumbles down to the riverbed and turns two 7.5-megawatt turbines inside the 1909 power plant. Electricity from the plant is distributed across the Western Slope. 

In the middle of the summer, pretty much the entire Colorado River is directed through those tunnels and deposited back into the river at the Shoshone boat ramp, fueling one of the state’s most vibrant rafting economies. (In 2019, more than 65,000 commercial rafters floated through Glenwood Canyon, spending more than $8.8 million.)

The Shoshone plant shut down in February after ice buildup damaged the tunnels. It took months for Xcel to repair equipment and the utility only resumed generating electricity on July 25. The plant shut down again shortly after the Grizzly Creek Fire exploded a few miles downstream. 

An Xcel spokeswoman said in a statement that the company’s crews were working with firefighters to protect the historic power plant. 

Large red containers to mix fire retardant sit in the middle of I-70 near No Name, north of Glenwood Springs. The makeshift helicopter dipping area will aid three different types of firefighting helicopters tasked with dropping retardant on the Grizzly Creek Fire. (William Woody, Special to The Colorado Sun)

When the Shoshone Power Plant is offline, river flows can drop because the plant is not exercising its senior rights for water and users upstream can store and use their junior rights. But a 40-year agreement forged in 2016 between a host of federal, state and regional water managers — called the Shoshone Outage Protocol Agreement — keeps water in the river when the power plant is shut down for repair or maintenance. Without that agreement, the Colorado River would be ankle deep in Glenwood Canyon when the Shoshone plan is shut down as it is now.

Colorado River could have murky sediment for years 

It likely will take five to seven years for the downstream watershed to recover from the burn scar inside Glenwood Canyon, said Kevin Houck, chief of the watershed and flood protection section of the Colorado Water Conservation Board. 

During the next two or three years, the scorched soil won’t absorb even small amounts of rain. Instead, rainwater will flow into the river, carrying ashy soil and soot along with it, he said. 

“We see instances where as little as a quarter- to a third-inch of rain can trigger debris flows,” Houck said.

The fire tearing through Glenwood Canyon reminds Houck of the 2012 fire in Waldo Canyon, which, for years afterward, affected the water flowing in Fountain Creek toward Manitou Springs and Colorado Springs. Grizzly Creek is in some ways more challenging because the sides of Glenwood Canyon are steeper.

The water board, housed within the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, is studying what happens in Glenwood Canyon and has plans to warn residents of the canyon and Glenwood Springs what to expect as the river fills with ash, soil and torched pieces of trees. When the fire is out, water scientists from the department will begin the work of trying to improve the health of the river. 

Houck isn’t worried about increased flooding in the area, mainly just a high amount of sediment that will turn the river silty and muddy. It will affect the water supply, as well as rafting and fishing. The area is already prone to rockslides, and those will increase, he said, perhaps even creating new rapids.

The first few years it will seem almost as if “no recovery is taking place at all,” Houck said. “Boy, I’ll tell you, I think you’re going to see these conditions in Glenwood Canyon for another two summers after this. It’s going to be like that every time you get a thunderstorm running through the canyon.”

The river isn’t expected to stay murky all the way to California, he said. As the Colorado River flows into Glenwood, it’s joined by the Roaring Fork, which will dilute it somewhat, and then further downstream, it’s joined by the Gunnison. 

“I would suspect this is going to be a Colorado problem — we’re not going to see the majority of this sediment flowing to Lake Powell,” he said. 

While Houck, like the rest of Colorado, celebrated the news that the forest surrounding Hanging Lake had been spared, he wasn’t entirely relieved. People should prepare themselves for long-lasting effects that reshape the whole area, including Hanging Lake, one of the state’s most beloved natural lakes. 

“That area is still under a big threat in the coming years,” he said. “It’s going to be under a lot of stress.” 

Hanging Lake near Glenwood Springs. White River National Forest Supervisor Scott Fitzwilliams said much of the lake and surrounding area, including the boardwalk, “are very much intact” after the Grizzly Creek Fire swept through the area. (Photo by Max and Dee Bernt, via Flickr)

Denver Water spent $18 million dredging up sediment after Hayman Fire

The folks responsible for Glenwood Springs’ water supply have already reached out to Denver Water, which has spent more than $30 million in the past decade to help make forests more resilient to wildfire. 

After the Hayman Fire in 2002, Denver Water spent $18.5 million dredging sediment out of the utility’s main source of water, Strontia Springs Reservoir. The water utility spent an additional $9 million on equipment and infrastructure at its treatment plants to get the extra minerals and organic carbons out of the city’s drinking water. 

“We’re still dealing with the impacts today and the costs today,” said Christina Burri, a watershed scientist for Denver Water. 

In 2010, Denver Water began its “From Forests to Faucets” partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, the Colorado State Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The agencies match Denver Water’s contribution, and use the funds to keep forests healthier — all for the purpose of avoiding another major wildfire, like the Hayman Fire, which burned more than 130,000 acres and 133 homes.

“The goal is to reduce the intensity of those fires,” Burri said. “When you have a lot of fuel in the forest, and you have an unhealthy forest, it can create a really hot fire. That changes the soil structure and it causes it to be more erosive. You get accelerated erosion and that all ends up in the reservoirs.”

Glenwood Springs and Denver Water do not share the same watershed, but Denver Water officials plan to share lessons learned from the Hayman Fire as well as the 1996 Buffalo Creek Fire, which caused erosion and massive flooding. Burri also plans to share the state’s post-fire playbook, which helps local governments plan for the aftermath. 

Several other water utilities — including Colorado Springs and Aurora — are working on similar partnerships with forest agencies. 

“Partnering is essential — we have to work together,” Burri said. “We are in a fire-adapted ecosystem so we’re going to have fires, it’s just trying to understand fire behavior and trying to reduce these costly impacts post-fire.”

For years, the 2.3 million-acre White River National Forest was dubbed “the asbestos forest” for its resiliency against large wildfires. But the seven largest fires in the forest have occurred since 2002, which Fitzwilliams says is due to a warming, drier climate. 

“These subtle changes in climate can result in significant changes in fire behavior, and I believe we are seeing exactly that right now,” he said. “Combine it with more development and a ton more people and it just creates the conditions where these large, complex fires are going to be more common moving forward.”

Fitzwilliams said the fire above the canyon is proving ecologically beneficial as it spreads across meadows and groves of dense aspen, scrub oak and piñon. 

“It’s the canyon area and those watersheds that are our biggest concerns,” he said. “Our forest plan emphasizes watershed protection heavily. This fire is stressing that part of our management. We will deal with this for years to come, I’m sure.”

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[pressurewashersconnect]

Automated drive thru truck wash systems- truck wash – Hydro-Chem Systems

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[newstfionline]

Options Limited, North Korea Lit by Flashlights, Creaky Grid

Associated Press, Nov. 11, 2018

PYONGYANG, North Korea--More than 20 years after his father almost bargained them away for a pair of nuclear reactors, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has his nuclear weapons--and a nation still plagued by chronic blackouts.

Even on the clearest days, plumes of smoke from two towering chimneys linger over the center of Pyongyang. The Soviet-era Pyongyang Combined Heat and Power Plant smokestacks are one of the North Korean capital’s most recognizable landmarks.

Possibly more than anything else, this is Kim Jong Un’s Achilles heel as he turns his attention from developing the country’s nuclear weapons arsenal to building its economy.

If stalled nuclear talks with Washington ever get back on track, helping Kim solve his country’s chronic energy deficit could be one of the biggest carrots President Trump has to offer. Washington, Seoul and Tokyo tried that back in the 1990s, and were even ready to pay for and build those two reactors Kim’s father wanted.

Years of intensive sanctions have severely impacted North Korea’s supply of fossil fuels from the outside world, but they also have spurred the country to cobble together a smorgasbord of energy resources, some of them off the grid and some of them flat-out illegal.

Here’s a look at where Kim stands and what he is doing to win his country’s real struggle for power.

The big picture. Among the most iconic images of North Korea are nighttime satellite photos that reveal it as an inky abyss ringed by the bright lights of China, South Korea and Japan.

The whole nation of 25 million people uses about the same amount of electricity each year as Washington alone. It uses as much crude oil in a year as the U.S. consumes in just 12 hours. South Korea has about twice the population of the North, but its electricity consumption in 2014 was about 40 times bigger.

Hydroelectricity, which is subject to seasonal swings, provides about half of the fuel supplied to the national energy grid. Coal accounts for the other half.

The grid is leaky, archaic and badly needing repairs.

That smoke-spewing power plant in the capital, which supplies much of the power and hot water needs for central Pyongyang, dates to the 1960s. Lights in the huge concrete apartment blocks of Tongil Boulevard across town stay lit thanks largely to the East Pyongyang Thermal Power Station--built by the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

What electricity there is is unevenly distributed.

The showcase capital and cities near coal or hydroelectric power plants get the best coverage. Military facilities also take precedence and often have their own supply. So do important party and government operations, some of the higher-profile residences and hotels in the capital and even some restaurants. Lights used to illuminate portraits of the leaders at night never go out.

Still, it’s not uncommon for the power even in many higher status locations to flicker on and off. Dancing beams of flashlights are commonplace on the streets or in otherwise darkened apartments. In rural villages, even that often fades to black.

Keeping the oil flowing ... North Korea must import about 3 million to 4 million barrels of crude oil each year to sustain its economy.

Most of it flows through one pipeline. The China-North Korea “Friendship Oil Pipeline” runs from the border city of Dandong under the Yalu River to a storage facility on the North Korean side about 13 kilometers (10 miles) outside the city of Sinuiju. From there, some is sent across country by truck or rail to the east coast, where it is stored at the port of Munchon. More is transported to Pyongyang for priority recipients such as the military, government departments and state enterprises, and to the port of Nampo, southwest of Pyongyang.

The pipeline--technically there are two, one for crude and the other for refined products--was built between 1974 and 1976.

North Korea used to have two refineries. The pipeline from China terminates at the Ponghwa Chemical Factory, which produces gasoline and diesel. The other refinery was built by the Soviet Union in the north near the Rason Special Economic Zone in the 1970s. It shut down in 1995 with the collapse of the Soviet empire. The pipeline that connected it with Siberia has long been out of use.

Under U.N. sanctions imposed late last year, North Korea can import a maximum 500,000 barrels of refined oil products along with 4 million barrels of crude oil per year.

Along with its Chinese connection, the North has been supplied by Russian tankers that ship oil and petroleum products to Munchon and another east coast port, Hungnam. It has found willing suppliers in the Middle East, or on the open market.

Since the imposition of the import cap, Pyongyang has been implicated in increasingly sophisticated schemes to augment its supplies with hard-to-track transfers of oil by tankers at sea.

Washington’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, told the Security Council in September the United States tracked at least 148 instances of oil tankers delivering refined petroleum products obtained through illegal ship-to-ship transfers in the first eight months of this year. She claimed the amount of illegally transferred oil--about 800,000 barrels--was 160 percent of the annual 500,000 barrel cap.

“In reality, we think they have obtained four times the annual quota in the first eight months of this year,” Haley said.

... And going off the grid. David von Hippel and Peter Hayes of the Nautilus Institute have been following North Korea’s energy issue for years.

Comparing Chinese trade figures from 2000 through 2017, they found explosive growth in North Korea’s imports of passenger cars and trucks that put an additional 107,000 vehicles on its roads. Tractor sales also rose and sales of “electricity propelled” bicycles or scooters, a category that wasn’t even listed until last year, doubled to 128,000.

The truck and tractor sales almost certainly reflect an upgrade to the North’s transportation and agricultural sectors. Being able to get around is a key to doing business in a market-centric economy, and so is having enough spending power to buy things like electric scooters.

Moreover, in a study released this month, Hayes and von Hippel also found that imports of diesel- and gasoline-powered generators, coupled with solar panels that are already ubiquitous in the North, are creating an energy system increasingly independent of the national power grid.

“The data ... reinforces a picture of a DPRK in which a more vibrant, modernizing, increasingly (at least functionally) market-based economy is providing households, business and institutions with the wherewithal to invest in both off-grid electricity supplies and increased transport services,” they wrote, using the acronym for the North’s official name.

Still, keeping the power on often can be an elaborate routine.

Solar panels, the cheapest option, can keep a room lit, a mobile phone working and maybe a TV or another appliance going. When electricity from the grid is actually flowing, it can be used to charge batteries before the next blackout hits.

Those with a little more clout or money use diesel- or gas-powered generators that can power anything from a restaurant to an apartment block.

Or a military installation.

[tuneally21]

How To Clean A Trumpet (Indepth Guide)

The post How To Clean A Trumpet (Indepth Guide) appeared first on TUNEALLY.

This is a full-proof guide to tell you how to clean a trumpet the correct way. It will save your trumpet and keep it as good as new forever.

Every trumpet should be maintained for the best performance. Maintaining requires proper oiling and cleaning regularly. You might find it tricky at first but with the practice, you will get the hang of it.

So, let’s move on to the steps of cleaning a trumpet.

Supplies Needed

A few tools are needed to keep the trumpet clean. Some of the brands giving these tools free but some don’t. Whatever the case is, you can always buy them separately.

Small cleaning brush/pipe cleaner

Valve casing brush

Mouthpiece brush

Dish Soap

Valve oil

Grease

Polishing cloth

Sink

How To Clean A Trumpet?

Cleaning your trumpet is a basic part of maintenance. If you want your instrument sound best and last longer than clean it regularly. We recommend you to clean your horns once every 5-7weeks.

This will take around 30 minutes or more. But, as you get used to the routine the time might decrease. We advise you to prepare your cleaning and assemble all the tools before starting.

Step 1: Remove The Parts

Step 1 Remove The Parts

Here, you have to set the trumpet parts apart, for easy thorough cleaning. You can do this by carrying the following steps.

First, remove the valves slowly, make sure not to drop them while removing. Once removed keep them at a safe place.

Start moving the slides. First remove the first, then second, then third, and at last the main tuning slide.

Make sure that you are slow when removing slides and valves. Don’t apply too much pressure. If there is any stuck valve don’t apply force to remove it instead consult a trumpet professional or go to a trumpet repair station.

Step 2: Clean The Tubes And Slides

Take a big tanker or a tub. Fill it with water and add a few drops of dish soap.

Immerse the slides into the soapy water for good 7-10 minutes. Next, remove the slides clean it from inside using the snake brush. Be gentle, rub on all sides to remove any bacteria or dirt build up.

Rinse, dry them, and then place it on a thick towel.

Now, next soak the entire trumpet in the water for 10 minutes.

Further, take the valve casing brush clean the valves and with the other cleaning brush gently clean the entire trumpet especially the corners.

Make sure to rub the valve casings several times.

At last, rinse the trumpet and dry it with a soft cloth.

Step 3: Clean The Valve Piston

Don’t completely put the valves in water as the felt pads will get wet and lose the shock-absorbing ability.

Use the cleaning brush to clean the valves and rinse them in soap and water.

Make sure don’t be rough while cleaning with the brush as it may cause scratch or dents.

Step 4: Reassemble The Trumpet

Oil the valves and the first and the third slides before putting into the trumpet. The slides and valves should be dried completely before putting the oil.

Next, grease the main tuning slide and the second valve slide for smooth functioning.

Note:

Use warm water. Too hot water can damage the trumpet finish so dip your finger and check it before immersing your trumpet inside the water.

Do not remove the water keys. It is because they are fixed and it becomes difficult to put it back again once removed.

Never try to polish your trumpet on your own in case of scratches. Instead, take it to a repair station and get it done there.

Conclusion

Cleaning a trumpet is not as easy as it sounds. It takes time, patience, and efforts to do so. Pay close attention to all the steps mentioned above. Never try to put force or pressure while removing any part or cleaning it as it may cause dent or scratches.

Make sure you clean your trumpet after every 5 weeks and follow all the steps mentioned above. Believe us, if you carry this cleaning method, your trumpet will last you life long and would look as good as new always.

TUNEALLY - Musical Instrument Reviews, Buying Guide

from WordPress https://tuneally.com/how-to-clean-trumpet/

[hudsonespie]

Wet, Dry and Lucky

The credo of today’s salvor is fairly straightforward: To be successful, you must retain experience and an emergency response posture while also expanding your other services to provide a stable source of income. And even then you need a little luck on your side!

So says Devon Grennan, President of Seattle-based Global Diving & Salvage. There’s tremendous pressure on the salvage industry these days as overall opportunities are at historic lows, which in turn leads to intense competition when cases do arise. “We are seeing competitors accepting significant contractual risk and performing on extremely tight margins,” he says.

Grennan cites International Salvage Union (ISU) statistics showing that industry revenue has dipped since 2017. And while it’s up from the low point of 2016, it’s still well below the levels of several years ago when annual income was typically more than $700 million.

As a result, Global – like many others – has deliberately narrowed its casualty response business. “Although owning marine assets such as tugs and barges may look to be an advantage for some salvage companies in a tight market,” he says, “I expect more nimble salvors who contract resident assets and resources will emerge and continue to drive pricing down.”

According to the ISU, there were 234 “dry” (emergency response) salvages in 2018 and 71 “wet” (wreck-removal) cases. Grennan says most casualty projects over the past few years have resulted in wreck removal rather than a traditional salvage. The opportunity to salve a vessel is becoming increasingly rare.

Unmanned Systems

Global did have one recent case, though, where a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) was used to recover the tug Samantha J four years after she sank off British Columbia. A unique aspect of the salvage was that it was conducted almost exclusively with unmanned intervention techniques. Working from a derrick barge, Global’s ROV team used a Saab Seaeye Cougar to survey the tug, which was resting in 230 feet of water. The crew then used the ROV’s manipulators to rig a three-point bridle around the vessel so she could be raised.

Resolve Marine Group in Fort Lauderdale also notes the key role of ROVs and associated communications technology as contributing factors to the speed with which it completed oil recovery operations from the World War II wreck Coimbra, located in 180 feet of water off Long Island, New York. Conducted in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, both divers and ROVs were tracked electronically on a digital roadmap. Audio and high-definition video were piped to every observation point onboard the support vessel and to decision-makers onshore.

There are estimated to be several thousand such wrecks scattered around the U.S. coast, and Todd Schauer, Director of Operations at Resolve, predicts that completion of such projects will rely more on ROVs in the future – to the point that divers may no longer be required.

Coimbra Project Manager Aaron Jozsef adds that one of the key technologies used was

Resolve’s “Hot Tap” system, which enabled 496,000 gallons of oil to be removed from the decaying vessel's 27 tanks via three- and four-inch pipe in just 87 days. A three-dimensional digital copy of the wreck was made. Ultrasonic testing was used to detect tank thickness, and the “Hot Tap” system enabled fuel sampling through the same port as the eventual removal – with the heavy fuel oil having to be heated prior to pump-out.

“Traditional technology just doesn't get the job done,” he says. “You could be there a year doing it.” The “Hot Tap” system is part of Resolve's emergency kit, and the speed of the operation is key in dry salvage situations.

Bigger Jobs and Stricter Regulations

Ardent's Vice President of Emergency Management, Oliver Timofei, notes that while the number of emergency response incidents has stabilized, the number of bigger, more complex situations requiring a professional salvor is growing. This is partly due to the challenges that come from the increasing size of today’s vessels, he says.

The role of the salvor is also expanding with Ardent increasingly involved in contracts that include the management of the disposal of the wreck and cargo to ensure it conforms with environmental regulations like the Basel Convention, which controls the movement of hazardous waste between nations, and the Hong Kong Convention for safe and environmentally friendly ship recycling.

“In the past, the regulations were not as strict,” Timofei says. “There were more options ten years ago. But the process has become more complex, and proactive owners and insurers are now looking for a one-stop shop to handle the waste management process. We've attended to several container fires this year and had to approach each of them differently. For the more proactive jurisdictions such as the E.U. and Australia, it's no longer possible to find a repair yard based purely on financial benefit.”

Timofei adds that the ISU has been working hard to market the “no cure, no pay” salvage contract, Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF). Under LOF, the salvor receives a proportion of the salved value including the ship, its cargo and bunkers. In 2018 there were 55 LOF projects for ISU members generating income of $104 million, representing 58 percent of all dry salvage revenue and 24 percent of all dry salvage cases.

“It’s still the contract that works best if you look at very complex cases with a lot of stakeholders,” he says. “If you look at a container vessel, the cargo can sometimes generate 60 to 80 percent of the value of the vessel. The ship itself may be just 20 to 40 percent. LOF is still the contract to go for when you have a complex situation because it allows fast decisions to be made to protect the vessel and cargo and minimize the environmental impact.”

Ardent has been working with insurers and large container shipping lines, as well as industry players in the cruise, LNG, tanker and bulker markets, to prepare customers for a potential incident and provide transparency in its contracting – before an incident occurs. The company provides an emergency response manual and puts arrangements in place so that all parties know what to expect. “They have control,” says Timofei. “Therefore they are much more positive about using an LOF with us.”

Timofei also notes the growing use of technology with Ardent's role as a subsea and decommissioning provider to the oil and gas industry being a key advantage. As part of Ardent's diversification strategy, these offshore services now provide around 25 percent of company revenue.

Diversified Offerings

AMIX Group's Director of Sales, Tony Marra, notes the key role of diversification in the Canadian company's success. Using the example of marine pilings, he says AMIX can provide new piling through AMIX Steel & Surplus or Western Concrete; pull out the old pile and install the new one using AMIX Marine Projects and AMIX Marine Services; and then either salvage or recycle the old one through AMIX Marine Salvage.

“Supporting our operations is a fleet of 16 barges, five tugs and eight cranes/crane barges as well as a number of pieces of specialized equipment used for recycling, salvage and heavy lifts,” he explains. “Based at their new location in Campbell River, British Columbia, the assets are readily available for deployment across the entire Pacific Northwest.”

Encompassing all divisions, AMIX Projects acts as a one-stop shop to offer lifting, transporting, storage, transloading and assistance to construction and deconstruction projects. Most recently, AMIX provided shipside support for the Minoan Glory, the bulk carrier that blew a hatch during fumigation of the cargo hold.

AMIX also worked with other industry partners to remove and recycle the crane that collapsed onto a container ship at Vancouver’s Vanterm Terminal in early February. “The Arctic Tuk was on site for about a week,” says Marra, “with our project barge, the NT12000, which has a 15,000-ton capacity. We used specialized recycling equipment, including ‘monster’ shears, to do the final dismantling.”

AMIX Marine Salvage Project Coordinator Chad Carter says the company handles the process of getting a vessel to the stage where it can be recycled by first removing hazardous materials and fluids, then salvaging components of value before ending up with a steel shell that can be recycled, potentially at AMIX’s yard at its new property site in Howe Sound.

Vessels requiring deconstruction come from a variety of sources including the Coast Guard, industry and individuals. However, Carter says, “A very large percent of the vessels of concern and derelict vessels are made of fiberglass or wood and can be found in various states of complete disintegration, offering little salvage value.”

Big Brother to the Rescue

The Canadian Government recently introduced the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act – a move expected to boost activity for salvage companies. ISU statistics show that wreck-removal income has grown during the past decade and remains an important source of revenue for its members. In 2018, 71 operations produced income of $208 million – 51 percent of the year's total income.

Commenting on the statistics, ISU President Charo Coll notes: “There’s fierce competition but professional salvors with their own people, equipment and experience bring an expertise to the most difficult jobs, giving confidence that the operation will be expertly managed, lives saved, the environment protected and the value of property preserved.”

from Storage Containers https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/wet-dry-and-lucky via http://www.rssmix.com/

[indy-diary]

Entry 8 : Superstar Libra (Day 2), First Time Outside Thailand!

20 Mar 2018

I’ve never been out of my country before. This is really my first time. Despite Malaysia and Thailand are right next, it still counts. There are actually many differences between the two countries. This 4-day 3-night cruise has only one stop in Thailand, but two in Malaysia. This is the very day that my feet will touch a different country’s land for the first time...

Morning in Different Land

Sun had risen and the new morning came. The internet and phone signal were gone since an hour after leaving Phuket. Me and my brother slept early and woke up quite early. After we did the morning routines, we went straight to Pool Deck. Mariner’s Buffet was open and there was potato wedges, chicken sausages, Nasi Lemak, soup, bread, cereal, and some other food along with drinks. We sat outside instead of inside due to the number of people and better view and weather here.

(I really love this picture for some reason)

There was water, and more water. My brother and me watched the sea scrolled as we eat our breakfast. We have yet to arrive to the first stop so there wasn’t anything to see yet. But last time we saw the ship position from display screen, we were nearer to Malaysia than Thailand. It was clear that we were no longer in our homeland.

The breakfast was great! They taste really good and I can have as many as I wanted. The cost is included in the ticket and unlimited refill… this is awesome! Another good thing about it was on that morning, no one was noisy. This is a kind of breakfast I don’t often have. Normally at home I eat toast or sausages, and nothing else until lunch. It was so different between the two places.

(First things I picked up. Delicious!)

After that we spent some time walking around, in our rooms watching the TV and the ship position screen. We then learned that there IS internet available. They have cellular wifi available, at some price. 48 Ringgit for 24 hour usage, but there’s actually other packages like social medias only, or whole cruise package. But since we needed it only for two days, we choose 24 hour package, and buy another on next day. To save money, we bought only one package and swap logins when one wants to use because only one device may be logged in at a time.

The interior of Superstar Libra sure looks luxurious and gives off a simply relaxing vibe. It may not be the most luxurious cruise ship ever, but it’s decent and affordable. With most guests being Asians, it didn’t feel so alien on board either. Walking around always made me feel great, and so did staying in the room. Everywhere felt comfortable… except in toilets because they lacked bum gun TwT At least a bidet would be nice but they’ve got neither! :( It’s kind of difficult to not have washing water… or could it be because I’m used to bum guns at home?

Here’s some images before moving on to the next section

(Just a little part of Deck 8 that has great view, and a plant)

(Those sure look comfy, but would feel weird to sit directly in front of elevators and watch people)

A Town Named George Town

Some time have passed since breakfast. My brother and me were in our room when Superstar Libra approaches port. As we came nearer and nearer to the port, other ships start to appear. There was many, but at that time, only one seemed to be passenger ship which was this very Superstar Libra. Other ships I saw was container or oil tanker ships. After a while, Libra stopped moving on her own and a tugboat came. The tugboat dragged her to the port then left.

Libra then arrived at the port and properly docks, then passengers were given some procedures to get down. Those who wish to disembark will collect passport while those who were up for a tour or free strolls have different things to do. Buying a tour has to be paid and registered, but “free and easy” is being on your own, but no charges.

(Many many more small to large ships are around)

(They’re small, but they’re super strong!)

After the gangway gate opened, passengers were allowed to leave the ship. It was near noon, but we ate too much breakfast and didn’t feel hungry at all so we decided we would tour before coming back to eat. With that, we showed our access card to the crew at the gangway gate and they let us onto the land.

Soon, we arrived at the building. The building has signs in Malaysian (and I can’t read them lol). At least there were pictures or English along so it’s more understandable. I actually had never been to Malaysia before and I had no idea what to do. I also never read about Malaysian tourism places so I was completely lost. My brother suggested asking tourist information or something, but this was what we found at the port itself..

(Nice logo, but where did people go??)

On upper floor, all counters were empty. No one was there at all. Not even money exchange or receptionist! Me and my brother looked at each other and followed the crowd. We then came across the tourist map of this town on Penang Island… a town named George Town. (Just how many George Towns are there in the world???)

We took picture of the map and planned our visit. Then we walked some more to go out of the port building. The sunlight outside was harsh, but it was cool in shades, much cooler than shades back in my home region. It just make me wonder why.

(It looks big and we probably don’t have time to visit all that)

Strolling through the town and the lanes of the town, we saw many interesting things. The buildings seem to be made from plaster, and all of them were neat and clean (barring some broken parts). The different style of architecture I don’t see often made me curious about this town. The zebra crossing on the street is also different. They’re mostly located on the corners of intersections instead of being put in frequently used spots like my familiar places. I admit, there’s a lot of things I’ve never seen before, and that includes street vendor-free area. Back in Thai towns, street vendors are very common and can be found at almost any day, any time.

The unfamiliarity of this town made it interesting to a person like me. This is my first time going out of country. I want to visit so much more places in this town, but the skin-hurting sunlight sure limit my endurance.

(It’s so neat and clean)

(I actually like this look of this. It’s just a few meters from the port)

We kept walking around the town, but not too far. Visited some shops and exploring lanes. We got ourselves some snack and interesting things to see everywhere we went. We also visited the 7-11 convenience stores to buy some water. The sun was so strong we tire out extremely quickly and unable to be avoided because shades aren’t everywhere.

The paths under the buildings were quite narrow but weren’t too narrow to walk. It was a bit difficult when someone walk toward us, but wasn’t so much of big deal. There wasn’t much dirtiness or junk to ruin the view and mood either, but something clearly bugs me. Where are all the trash cans??? Up until this point, I have yet to see ANY trash can at all. Where do Malaysians of George Town throw away their garbage when they’re on the streets?

(It’s cool here, cool as in, both great and not hot)

Having finished exploring nearby areas and ended up in a different lane, we opened the map. City Hall was our next destination so we took some more walk and reached there in no time. The City Hall looked beautiful in my eyes. It was so clean and neat. There were also trees near the town hall and places to sit. It was great to take a break from walk right there, thanks to nice shade by trees and cool wind that blows from the sea.

By staying under the tree’s shade, I began to see the birds. It was because they were making noises directly above me, so I noticed their presence. Apparently they were crows, and they make caw caw noises. Then something just came to my mind…. I saw no pigeons. Absolutely no pigeons was seen. It was strange how there wasn’t any, considering it was most common urban birds.

The City Hall wasn’t so far away from a historical site, Fort Cornwallis. My brother wanted to see the British-built fort so we took a little walk there, only to find the surprise… The fort was closed for repairs ;w; It’s sad we can’t see the fort this way.

Disappointed with the fort, we walked off from the barred areas and saw a building. Its design is very familiar to us. It looked like a roof for local food stalls, and we were right. Under the roof there were tables and food stalls. The looks of it look almost identical to the same type of thing in Thailand, but more organized.

(Everything stays under the roof and it’s neatly organized inside too!)

Various stalls were inside, which also means lots of different food to select from. We were hungry and thought of trying out local food for once, so we went in and look through the selection. By that, I mean looking at each stall’s menu. Among the more noticable and memorable stalls, there was local steak, Char Koey Teow, and variety stalls. It felt so much like at home. The atmosphere was also almost identical, yet somewhat different.

Me and my brother wanted to try some local Malaysian food, so we ordered Ayum Nasi Goreng. We initially had no idea what it was, but when it was served… it became clear. It was simply, fried rice! It surprised us so much because we thought it would be some fancy Malaysian traditional food, and even more so when we ate it. That dish of Ayum Nasi Goreng taste very similar to local fried rice at our home. However, we still prefer our Thai style and taste. Perhaps because we’re more used to that too.

(To be honest, it feels like I’m not far from home)

Unexpected Visitor

Satisfied with no longer being hungry, we headed back to the ship. We were actually tired from walking around so we’d want to rest. On the way back, I saw a huge building that wasn’t there before. I pondered myself several times that it wasn’t here before and it’s so large. Only then it came to me… that it is no building, it’s a ship! She was taller than trees and any building around her. I didn’t realize she was a ship until I took a good look at the design and found her funnels!

(Just how big is she???)

Upon getting back to the Superstar Libra, we went to her sun to take a clear look at the other ship. On her stern, her name is printed and it reads Mariner of the Seas. Definitely… a Royal Caribbean International ship! The naming pattern of “X of the Seas” is one of their trademark, and on her funnel, the company’s logo is there.

From Libra’s stern, I felt that Mariner is much much larger. She was taller, wider, and most likely heavier too! Unlike Libra, Mariner has glassed balconies for most of the window rooms. Mariner seemed superior to Libra in every way, but with her ticket price being much higher as well. From what I have read, all ships of Royal Caribbean International’s “Voyager-class” have ice rink inside their ships. Mariner, belonging to that class, probably has it too. Every sight of her makes me imagine the amenities and facilities inside, which I will never know if I will have chance to see it.

(Mariner is just so huge from any angle)

I noticed the clouds and thought it was going to rain. The wind felt wet and it was windier than when we first arrived. Although, my brother said that it won’t rain. The lighting wasn’t so bad during the time, except the cloudy side. I took some more pictures of Mariner along with Libra, and then happened to see something nice up in the sky and snap a photo of it.

(It’s like a clash of darkness and light. My most favorite daytime picture so far)

After getting back to our rooms, we spent some time resting and playing games. During that, I also looked up information of both Superstar Libra and Mariner of the Seas to compare. Libra is 211 meters long while Mariner is 311. The height and gross tonnage are also different so it was clear why Libra looked so small. The level of luxury were also different. Libra was rather basic for a cruise ship, but was good enough for local and short runs. Mariner was totally on another level.

During sunset, Libra left Penang port and we get a clear side view of Mariner. Passengers on Mariner appeared to be watching Libra leave. Meanwhile on Libra, a lot of people came to sun deck to take a look and photos of Mariner. As tugboat dragged Libra out of the port… Mariner looked more distant and smaller each minute. Libra faced her port side to Penang island, which is coincidentally west. The sun was just above the island and gave a pretty backlight image. I took that chance and kept a photo of Penang Island and Mariner of the Seas in backlight before Libra fully left the island and sail the empty seas once more.

(It’s one of the prettiest sight I’ve ever seen)

Night Food & Drinks

We didn’t do much that evening after Libra left the port. Since we ate lunch late, we also ate dinner late. It was almost restaurant close time, but we were lucky to enter before they closed it. We tried Four Seasons and Mariner’s Buffet previously, so this time we’re trying another one that was in the “cost included” list. The final one in the list is named Ocean Palace. We used access card to get in and sit. Unlike the other two, we didn’t get to choose food this time. They serve all food listed in the menu, and most of them were Chinese style food. It wasn’t very satisfying, nevertheless, they taste good.

(I don’t really like the food, but the interior is pretty!)

After we finished eating, went to pool deck. We walked around the sun deck and occasionally stopped to catch wind. At one point, we were asked by another passenger to help take pictures for them. Initially we were facing the sea and the passenger asked us with “excuse me…”. Without hesitation, we turned towards her. Her response was very surprising. She suddenly let out a barrage of Chinese as she saw our faces. We’re not Chinese!! D:<. We politely told her to tell her request in English, and she did so. We happily helped her out, and then faced the sea again. My brother facepalmed and said he wanted to jump the ship. Then we did some more jokes. Still, I don’t think I look very Chinese.. But well, my brother might. He looks a lot like one, in my opinion.

On unrelated topic, I really like the lights on the ship. At some angle of sun deck, the pool deck looked like a little heaven in middle of sea of darkness. The pool deck is brighter than sun deck, probably because aside from railing, sunbath chairs, and some entrance to the ship, there’s nothing there. Pool deck on the other hand, was full of tables and the pools.

(My brother commented that this photo looks like J. J. Abrams movie)

We were rather thirsty, so we went down to pool deck and sat at Captain’s Order bar. They serve mainly alcoholic drink, but I’m legal now so I don’t think it’s a problem. Also, my brother was with me so I don’t really fear much. My brother ordered me a “Cowboy Coolers”, which is a drink consisting mainly of orange juice and syrup. It didn’t even taste like it has alcoholic mix, but I think it probably has. Last time I tried weak alcoholic drink it wasn’t so good like this. My brother himself ordered “Wild Wild West”, a lemonade + vodka drink.

We sat and enjoyed our drinks for a while. It was calm and cool. The wind blew across the ship but not too strong where the bar is. The atmosphere soothe my body and soul. Me and my brother then spent the rest of the time chatting and joking about things until we thought we should return to the room.

(Left : Cowboy Coolers, Right : Wild Wild West)

(Pool deck is probably loveliest deck on Superstar Libra! You’ve got food, drinks, and pool!)

And so… second day spent. It was very fun to be on this ship and I even get to go down and explore Penang. Even though it was just small part of the city, it was a great experience. I get to see new things and try new things. It was also relaxing and full of surprises in the same day. I’m sure there will be more surprises and things to see on the next day!

Anyways I’m sorry that this entry is delayed. I encountered some real life problems and other issues, like temporary writer’s block. I can’t write anything out from my mind, even though my memory of the place was still clear. Anyways thank you for reading! Stay tuned for the next episode!