I went home and I found out that I didn’t have any glue, so what I did is made glue out of flour and water. So here is the procedure.

Materials:

• Any kind of flour
• Water
• A bowl
• Fork
• Whisk
• Your hand

Procedure:

1. Put flour into a bowl, filled half full, or half empty, however you look at it
2. Add some water, but don’t make it full to the top
3. Use your hand to mix the water and the flour
4. Depending on the consistency, you might have to add more water or flour into the bowl
5. The glue should be as thick as yogurt
6. Use the fork to get any air bubbles or separate any clumps of flour from each other
7. Use the whisk to make the glue smooth and easy to use
8. What are you waiting for? Get started!

Warning!

The glue is biodegradable, so don’t be surprised if there are insects or ants around your glue or sculpture! The glue can be kept for no more than 3 days in the fridge and it can’t be left out in the heat for more than 24 hours or else it will really stink!

The Care Factor

What is the most basic expectation of leading a small group?

Some would say it is providing a place for the group to meet. Others would say it has more to do with crafting a riveting lesson with careful attention to interpreting and applying ancient biblical texts. Still others imagine the key component of leading a groupis providing for each and every need that members in the group may have. No wonder we have a leader crisis on our hands! Perhaps the answer is much simpler. My most basic expectation for anyone facilitating any type of group is that leaders should care for their people.

10 GREAT WAYS TO CARE FOR YOUR GROUP MEMBERS

10. Pray for your group members each morning.

9. Meet a group member for coffee.

8. Invite the group over for dinner.

7. Send a note of encouragement.

6. Ask questions.

5. Celebrate with them, literally…birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

4. Notice when they’re absent.

3. Make ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ the most important part of your interactions.

2. Call them out…challenge them in areas where they need to change.

1. Get them serving others.

See Bill Self and www.simplesmallgroups.com for more information.

Sarah Sze is a contemporary artist who lives and works in New York City. Recommended by my tutor,  like Sarah I like to work in spaces and work and build around my college. I finally have learnt to leave my safety zone my studio space and move out of my studio, looking at Sarah’s methods has made me become more courageous in my model building and to become more creative and inventive in my assemblage when it comes to space and use of materials. Sze uses ordinary objects to create strikingly original sculptures and site-specific installations. Her intricate works, each of which she constructs by hand, consist of unexpected and carefully arranged combinations of materials. Sze transforms these everyday objects into gravity-defying works in horizontal and tower-like formations that zigzag into the heights of gallery spaces.

The two above images show how Sze cleverly uses structure even aids to ease the weight of the complex sculpture

I am currently looking at Sarah Sze now as I am suspending hangers in the air all by 4 pieces of fishing line, I want to lose the fishing cut in the forthcoming months and challenge myself with other methods and reinforce my structures I currently using tie clips and twine but i want to be more inventive and am thinking of using skewers and wire. I hope using these materials to reinforce my sculptures will make my work more sturdy and stronger as a whole, so I am able to building on a larger scale and not to worry about the weight of the hangers failing under poor weak materials

A piece I am currently working on in my studio thanks to the high ceiling and lots of drain pipes and beams I am managing to work the  around room and create a sense of movement

Looking at Sarah Sze has made me learn to move out of my studio space and use the college grounds as my working space!

Images sourced from http://www.sarahsze.com/index.html

Sources:

Literary

1.) Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close- Method of embedded visual images without explanation for intuition by reader. Quote, pg 113

Foer, Jonathan S. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. New York: Mariner Books, 2005. Print.

2.) Silko’s Ceremony- Method of intertextual literacy. Not in form of myth as Silko expresses, but through lyrics and quotes.

3.) Two Loves

Douglas, Alfred. “Two Loves.” Poems of Lord Alfred Douglas. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/wilde/poemsofdouglas.htm>.

4.) The Iliad

Homer. Quote Details. The Quotations Page, 700-800 b.c. Web. 6 Sept. 2009. <http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/23937.html>.

Scholarly

1.) Treatment of Homosexuality

Smith, Glenn, Bartlett Annie, and King Michael. “Treatments of Homosexuality Since the 1950s–An Oral History: The Experience of Patients.” BJM, 29 Jan. 2004. Web. 06 Dec. 2009. <http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/bmj;328/7437/427>.

2.) American Psychological Association’s Definition of Homosexuality

“Sexual Orientation, Homosexuality and Bisexuality.” American Psychological Association Help Center, 2007. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.apahelpcenter.org/articles/article.php?id=31>.

3.) Stonewall Riots

“Stonewall Riots.” Wikipedia. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots>.

4.) George Mariority

Williams, Ben. “George Ray Mariority.” The History of Gay Hate Crimes. 23 Feb. 2005. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.glapn.org/sodomylaws/usa/utah/utnews038.htm>.

5.) Leo Laurence

“Gay Liberation.” Wikipedia, 2009. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Liberation>.

6.) Black Cat Tavern

“Black Cat Tavern.” Wikipedia. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Cat_Tavern>.

Culture

1.) A Florida Enchantment

“A Florida Enchantment.” Wikipedia, 12 Oct. 2009. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Florida_Enchantment>.

2.) Sappho and the Isle of Lesbos

“Sappho: Circa 630 B.C.” Isle of Lesbos. Alix North, 2004. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.sappho.com/poetry/sappho.html>.

3.) Shakespeare

“William Shakespeare Quotes.” Brainy Media, 2009. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williamsha104271.html>.

4.) Lord Alfred Douglas

Douglas, Alfred. “Two Loves.” Poems of Lord Alfred Douglas. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/wilde/poemsofdouglas.htm>.

5.) Johann von Goethe

“Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Quotes.” Think Exist. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://thinkexist.com/quotation/if_god_had_wanted_me_otherwise-he_would_have/210053.html>.

6.)Agnes Repplier

Repplier, Agnes. “What is the Definition of Happiness Anyways?” Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.thehappyguy.com/definition-of-happiness.html>.

7.) Homer

Homer. Quotations Book. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://quotationsbook.com/quote/10228/>.

8.) Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson, Ralph W. “Quotations for Yearbooks.” Quote Garden. Web. 6 Sept. 2009. <http://www.quotegarden.com/yearbook.html>.

Multimedia

1.) Sappho

Lahanas, Michael. “Sappho, The Tenth Muse.” Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Live/Writer/Sapho.htm>.

2.) Electroshock

Messman, Terry. “Mad in America: Bad Science and Bad Medicine.” Mindfully.org. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.mindfully.org/Health/2003/Mad-In-AmericaJun03.htm>.

3.) Iris

“Goo Goo Dolls IRIS (live) High Quality.” Youtube, 6 Dec. 2008. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l298vdN7UFI>.

4.) Journal

“Museum Pictures.” Barratt’s Chapel and Museum. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.barrattschapel.org/museum-picts5.html>.

5.) Newspaper Article

“Police Raids and the Stonewall Riots.” Sociological Images. Contexts.org, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://contexts.org/socimages/2009/02/11/police-raids-and-the-stonewall-riots/>.

6.) Antigay Protest

“American Church Ordered to Pay £8 Million Over Anti-Gay Protest at a Military Funeral.” Mail Online, 2 Nov. 2007. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-491083/American-church-ordered-pay-8-million-anti-gay-protest-military-funeral.html>.

7.) A Florida Enchantment

“A Florida Enchantment.” Answers.com, 2009. Web. 6 Dec. 2009. <http://www.answers.com/topic/a-florida-enchantment>.

8.) Manipulated Image

Raise the Gay Flag. Personal photograph by author. 2009.

9.) Personal Photo: Shantel

Shantel and I, Savannah, GA. Personal photograph by author. 2009.

A yarn spun of boron-nitride nanotubes suspends a quarter. (Credit: Image courtesy of DOE/Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility)

Researchers have used lasers to create the first practical macroscopic yarns from boron nitride fibers, opening the door for an array of applications, from radiation-shielded spacecraft to stronger body armor, according to a just-published study.

Researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center, the Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility and the National Institute of Aerospace created a new technique to synthesize high-quality boron-nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). They are highly crystalline and have a small diameter. They also structurally contain few walls and are very long. Boron nitride is the white material found in clown make-up and face powder.

“Before, labs could make really good nanotubes that are are short or really crummy ones that are long. We’ve developed a technique that makes really good ones that are really long,” said Mike Smith, a staff scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center.

The synthesis technique, called the pressurized vapor/condenser (PVC) method, was developed with Jefferson Lab’s Free-Electron Laser and later perfected using a commercial welding laser. In this technique, the laser beam strikes a target inside a chamber filled with nitrogen gas. The beam vaporizes the target, forming a plume of boron gas. A condenser, a cooled metal wire, is inserted into the boron plume. The condenser cools the boron vapor as it passes by, causing liquid boron droplets to form. These droplets combine with the nitrogen to self-assemble into BNNTs.

Researchers used the PVC method to produce the first high-quality BNNTs that are long enough to be spun into macroscopic yarn, in this case centimeters long. A cotton-like mass of nanotubes was finger-twisted into a yarn about one millimeter wide, indicating that the nanotubes themselves are about one millimeter long.

“They’re big and fluffy, textile-like,” said Kevin Jordan, a staff electrical engineer at Jefferson Lab. “This means that you can use commercial textile manufacturing and handling techniques to blend them into things like body armor and solar cells and other applications.”

Transmission electron microscope images show that the nanotubes are very narrow, averaging a few microns in diameter. TEM images also revealed that the BNNTs tended to be few-walled, most commonly with two-five walls, although single-wall nanotubes were also present. Each wall is a layer of material, and fewer-walled nanotubes are the most sought after.

The researchers say the next step is to test the properties of the new boron-nitride nanotubes to determine the best potential uses for the new material. They are also attempting to improve and scale up the production process.

“Theory says these nanotubes have energy applications, medical applications and, obviously, aerospace applications,” said Jordan.

Smith agreed, “Some of these things are going to be dead ends and some are going to be worth pursuing, but we won’t know until we get material in people’s hands.”

The research will be published in the December 16 issue of the journal Nanotechnology. It will also be presented at the 2009 Materials Research Society Fall Meeting on December 3.

The research was supported by the NASA Langley Creativity and Innovation Program, the NASA Subsonic Fixed Wing program, DOE’s Jefferson Lab and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The experiments were hosted at Jefferson Lab.

Story Source:

Adapted from materials provided by DOE/Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.

1. Michael W Smith, Kevin C Jordan, Cheol Park, Jae-Woo Kim, Peter T Lillehei, Roy Crooks and Joycelyn S Harrison. Very long single- and few-walled boron nitride nanotubes via the pressurized vapor/condenser method. Nanotechnology, 2009; 20 (50): 505604 DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/20/50/505604

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091202205634.htm

Badec Bros Deco has manufactured a wide range of impressive Cubedec pots over the past 2 years. We recently combined our stylish Cubedec A pots with inspirational laser-cut slogans. These stylish décor pieces act as interesting and encouraging exterior decorations. Also remember that we can laser-cut your very own address, logo or picture onto any of our Cubedec pots.

Our Cubedec A pots are manufactured from 1,6mm mild steel sheets, which we fold and weld. All our pots are manufactured with a round inner steel bar to support plastic planters, which come standard with all our pots, unless otherwise specified. You can choose between three finishes for your Cubedec pot: rusted, mild steel finish, or powder coating in any colour you can dream of. Our powder coating is SABS approved.

Once the chosen finish has been applied, we seal the pot to protect it from rusting. We can customize these stylish planters to any size and shape and finish them off in a wide range of materials. We can also manufacture these pots from grade 304 stainless steel.

Other decorative options include mosaic cladding and wooden cladding.

Should you wish to have your very own signature Cubedec A pot with inspirational laser-cut slogans, Cubedec pedestal, Cubedec bench with your laser-cut logo, modern pergola, Cubedec steel dustbin, interactive sculpture, Cubedec shelving, Cubedec miniature Zen garden box, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shade, mild steel screen, gabion counter, narration stand, gabion light cage, gabion bollard, gabion water feature, sculptured living wall, sculptured flagpoles, unique pot and drip tray, customized sculpture, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogan, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel mould, Cubedec Pot, hanging sculpture, gabion pot, gabion wall or gabion terrace, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellis, Cubedec water feature, arch, sculpture or trellis, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com  

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit. These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra! We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.

During a late night stroll through Covent Garden, we came across these huge pieces of canvas and felt . About 7 meters long each, just lying outside a theatre. Scrap or no scrap, I ripped a piece off, whilst onlookers witnessed what seemed like ’senseless vandalism’ but actually sensible resourcefulness!

We came back next morning we returned with the tools and took the lot; sheets of canvas, felt and the pieces wood. Turns out the theatre would much rather us take it down for free for our own use, than to pay scrap collectors to take it and dispose of it.

‘One Mans Waste is Another Man’s Soap‘
- MF DOOM, Gazzillion Ear

thanks Abe for the photos =)

Literary:

• Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Foer
• Jazz, Morrison (*I plan to implement this but I haven’t yet)

Scholarly:

• Korea Prevention Act;   http://www.wcwonline.org/pdf/lawcompilation/Korea_PreventionAct-1998.pdf

Cultural:

• Fifteen lyrics; Taylor Swift
• Articles from Seventeen Magazine and CosmoGirl (*I plan to implement this but I haven’t yet)

Multimedia:

• Photo 1; my personal photos
• Photo 2; http://homelesstales.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/domestic-violence.jpg
• Photo 3; http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-set?.out=jpg&id=vPQMs8vP3RGbV7b9vbgx8w&size=l

KULLMANN KLEIN AND DIONEDA

WORKMEN’S COMPENSATION ATTORNEYS

MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS

Duties performed in the Concrete Industry include mixing and pouring concrete, setting, sealing, grading, form work, placement of reinforcement materials, flatwork, precast work, curbs, sidewalks, retaining walls and more.  Concrete buckets, cranes, excavators and other construction equipment can be found at the job site. An Employer’s negligence in failing to implement proper training for Employees can contribute to substantial on-the-job injuries. In addition, failure by the Employer to maintain a safe work environment can result in serious injuries as well as fatalities. 

KULLMANN, KLEIN & DIONEDA   is an experienced law firm that handles Workmen’s Compensation issues.  Call us today to schedule a free consultation at (314) 772-0000.  Home and hospital visits are also available.

“We will protect your rights and help you through the complex legal process.”

Gary Kullmann, Andrew Klein and Steve Dioneda

Three locations to serve you:

St. Louis Office:  (314) 772-0000,

St. Charles Office:  (636) 946-1033

Granite City Office:(618) 931-3000

Free Case Evaluation:  www.kkdpc.com

What are you doing to improve your home depends on what materials you will need to finish the task. With any home improvement task, you will need tools and materials. Some material and tools can be purchased at a cheaper cost, while others must be expensive, since endurance factors into the equation.

One of the definite tools you will need is a building permit, since if you fail to obtain the tool you will are subject to fines and cost. Check with your city ordinance before starting any home improvement task.

If you are working on sub-flooring, you will need adhesive, deck screws, leveler, plywood, lumber, nails and a bucket. On the other hand if you are working on hardwood floor you will need sandpaper, cloth, paste wax, wood restorer, oxalic acid, cleaning tools, rubber gloves, vinegar, wood patches, and for the tools you will need nails, putty knife, buffing machine, hammer, and a vacuum will suffice.

Material precision is important when improving your home. If you do not have the right materials, the job is better off left alone. If you are working on paneling the walls you will need various tools and materials, including putty knife, nail set, caulk gun, flat pry bar, framing square, rubber mallet, hammer, carpentry knife, chisel and wallboard knife for restoring the panel. You will also need replacement paneling, wood fillers, putty stick, finishing nails, panel adhesive, spray paint, nails, finishing nails, and shims to complete your mission.

If the job is outside, such as building a pond you will need garden hose, hammer, spade or trowel, pond liner, leveler, sand, flagstone copingstones, and mortar mix. If you are considering a garden landscape pond, thus this is the most you will need to finish the job, besides the seeds if you intend to plant real vegetables, flowers, et cetera.

Improving or repairing showers require materials, which is obtainable in kits. The kit will include shower flooring, shower walls, curtains, and/or doors. It will also include showerheads and faucet.

You will need your own tools, since the kit may not have the tools included. The tools needed are and 3/8 or ½ inch PVC Pipe, Purple Primer, CPVC Cement, Philips Screwdriver, tubing cutter, liquid nails, and Silicon Sealant. You may need a pipe wrench also.

Drywall materials include following a few simple steps for improving home. You will need a Putty Trial, Tray, sandpaper, and joint putty, scraper.

Tile repairs or replacements are less problematic and only requires a few materials and tools. For the most part your will need adhesive, scraper, caulk, and so forth to repair tile.

Brick patios you will need to find a level area in the region of the backyard, and the region should have a 5cm or 3m slope area. You will need a few basic tools to start the building process, but for the most part, you will not need any expensive equipment or tools. You will need a square-nose shovel, using it to dig a hole in the area for building, digging about 18cm into the soil. The process starts with building the walls first.

You will need wood stakes, sand, plastic edging, steel spikes, and pipe steel. You will also need a wheelbarrow, handsaw, mallet, string, and a few other tools to finish the job.

If you plan to woodwork, the floors are geared up to buy specific tools for the task. You will need ear protectors. You will need goggles to protect the eyes and face area. You will need a flour sander, which you can rent and a belt sander, which can also be rented. In addition, you will need a mask to protect your face, sanding block and sandpaper, paintbrush about three inches, cross peen hammer, and time to finish the work.

Furthermore, you will need a plane, abrasive paper, shave hook, and nails to improve your home with hardwood. Finally, when considering home improvement tasks stay focused on what you need and which tools and materials go with the project to avoid confusion, especially if you are multi-tasking.

“The cross is his chief characteristic; that which distinguishes him from all in heaven and on earth; that which gives him his glory as Mediator on the throne through eternity. If faithfully, fearlessly, sympathetically, we preach Christ crucified, he can make the stumbling block of the cross a stepping stone for the Muslims in to his kingdom.”

The following is taken from Islam and the Cross edited by Roger S. Greenway:

“The cross of Christ is the primal, the supreme, the central, the universal, the eternal symbol of Christianity.” (p. 145)

I have been influenced by many different designers and just other peoples work through the project, which has then help me develop ideas and concepts.

I was going to develop part of a workshop I did with David, with our shoe box collection, by creating a screen print of one of our line drawings. Then I remembered a piece of work I had seen by Helen Musselwhite, created by paper folding.

I had seen it in Creative Review and had also read a bit about how paper folding has become popular. So instead of creating a screen print for this certain piece, I decided to try a bit of paper folding.

Then funny enough just a day or two later I read some more about paper folding in the current issue of CR and there was some beautiful work!

Created for the front cover of Form magazine.

For fashion brand Hermes.

For Starbucks ad.

The three above are by Yulia Brodskaya, a Russian born illustrator. They are so intricate and beautiful. I love it because it is a bit more unusual and still looks so well finished. I definitely want to create another piece using paper folding, with more of this kind of style, for my project. I have a few more letters free to create designs for.

Below Jeff Nishinaka. Paper sculptor, who has been working with the material for many years. Most of his work he creates is in pristine white.

Beautifulllllllllllllllll

10 Questions About Small Groups

Small Groups are where attenders of Eastside can BELONG to a safe environment, BECOME more like Jesus, and BLESS others.  

Here are the top ten questions people ask about Small Groups (SG). (Answers provided by Pastor Virgil, questions as listed in Destination:Community by Rick Howerton.)

1. How much of my time is this going to take?

The get-togethers/meetings are usually a couple of hours long  meeting once a week. Thirty to 45 minutes for snacking, eating, and hanging out. One hour for Bible Study. However, many SG members begin to do life together eating out, playing golf, boating, and even taking vacations together. The Community that is built in a SG can be life-changing. Most groups also have a monthly or quarterly service project in which they serve.

2. What are we going to do with our children during Small Group?

The first hour of the meeting they hang out with the entire group. During Bible Study groups have various answers, i.e. hire a baby sitter for the group, have another home near the host home with a parent keeping them, adults rotate keeping the kids in a bonus room.

3. Will there be homework? If so, how much?

Most SG do not have home work in a book. There may be daily devotionals that are suggested or weekly considerations to which you need to compare you life. A few groups will read a book together then meet to discuss it.

4. Am I going to have to talk or can I just sit and listen during meetings?

SG is like family, sometimes you talk, sometimes you listen. No one is forced to talk or to lead the group. We all move at a different pace and you allowed to do just that.

5. Will I have to pray out loud?

No. Again, you are allowed to move, grow, at your own pace. If the time comes in your life that you feel you need to voice a prayer request, that is well received. If the time comes you would like to lead in prayer, that is also well received.

6. Who else is going to be in the group?

SGs are formed by the leader inviting friends, neighbors or acquaintances to cookout or social. There they will announce and invite people to help start a SG.

7. How much do I have to know about the Bible?

None. SG is about learning the Bible not debating it or being tested on it. At least once a year Eastside conducts a churchwide study where all SGs are studying the same material. During this same time the sermons, worship songs, daily devotionals are on the same subject and scripture. This is where we BECOME more like Christ. This question is one reason you would want to be in a SG.

 8. How many weeks or months is this group going to last?

A Small Group is like family, some of them last for years, others multiply and start new groups in 12 to 18 months. We do ask that an apprentice be enlisted from the start so there is a plan to let others experience community in a Small Group as your group sends out the apprentice family sometime in the first 12-18 months.

 9. If I don’t like it, can I leave without people being mad at me?

Yes, but most people build such community that they do not want to stop being part of the Small Group.

10. What are we going to be doing during the meetings?

Most meetings includes time for social, fellowship, building community, prayer, Bible study, and sharing of life issues where others in your group can help you walk through life and not be alone.

Stained glass: These photos show the two electrodes that make up the color-changing part of an electrochromic window. The clear electrode on the left has has been impregnated with lithium. The dark electrode on the right been drained of ions.   Credit: NREL

Thin, battery-like films change color when the weather changes.

By Katherine Bourzac

Thirty percent of the energy used by buildings in the United States is spent making up for heat loss or gain through windows. That adds up to about $40 billion in electricity costs each year. Windows that change color in response to changes in the weather can help save on electricity costs by absorbing sunlight in the winter and reflecting it in the summer. Such windows have existed for awhile, but they are expensive and not widely used. Now researchers are developing cheap printing methods for making these electrochromic systems, and hope to make electrochromic films that can be cut to fit existing windows.

Electrochromic windows sandwich materials that change color when a small electrical field is applied across them. This change is triggered by changes in light or temperature measured by sensors. “With electrochromic windows, everything happens dynamically–you don’t have to think about it,” says Anne Dillon, senior scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). “The problem is, they’re too expensive.”

This week at the Materials Research Society meeting in Boston, Dillon and research scientist Robert Tenent at NREL presented their new and potentially cheaper method for making electrochromic windows.

Typical electrochromic systems are made up of two electrodes separated by an electrolyte that shuttles ions between them. The electrode materials, usually oxidized metals, change color when an ion such as lithium moves into and out of them.

The NREL systems are based on electrodes made of nickel oxide and tungsten oxide and are the first electrochromic systems to be made by spraying down cheap precursors and then heating them. NREL has tested the systems using a liquid electrolyte, and is currently developing systems that rely on solid ion conductors. When a voltage is applied across the NREL system, lithium ions move out of the nickel oxide and into the electrolyte; on the other side, lithium ions move into the tungsten oxide. The movement of the ions causes the two electrodes to color.

Spraying the films is not only a cheaper alternative, says Tenent, it also provides some advantages in performance. The NREL team found that adding a small amount of lithium to the nickel-oxide ink solution before it’s printed made for a film that changes color much faster and within a wider range. In 29 seconds, as lithium leaves the nickel electrode and it darkens in color, the electrode goes from transmitting 80 percent of incident light to transmitting just 30 percent. Adding a small amount of lithium using conventional manufacturing techniques would be much more difficult, Tenent says.

There are other ways to make color-changing windows–by using materials that undergo a chemical change in response to light, for example. But these materials are prone to degradation. The NREL group is developing the metal-oxide electrodes in the hopes that these materials, which are robust and don’t degrade in response to light, will have long lifetimes.

So far, the NREL system has been tested on glass substrates. To make a truly affordable window coating, the group is working to make electrochromic films based on flexible, transparent plastics. The group is talking to DuPont, which makes plastics, about collaborating to fabricate electrochromic films sandwiched between one of the company’s heat-tolerant polymers. The nickel-oxide precursor must be heated to about 300 ºC in order to form the electrode material, a temperature many plastics can’t tolerate.

http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/24049/

December is here (see the snow?!) and I’m going to spend the month sharing with you some quotable quotes from books on my shelves – pieces that say something interesting and throw a certain angle on important issues. You may not agree with them all and that’s fine.

I’ll put live links to the books but the sentences themselves are the important thing (for me, at least). They give me something to both remember and chew over. Chewing – now that’s very seasonal, don’t you think!

1

Therapist persona
“Today’s child therapist chooses a certain way to behave with a certain child, based on that particular child’s needs. The therapist doesn’t usually develop an entirely new style of acting, but rather accentuates personality traits that are already operational.”
Magical Moments of Change (p34)Lenore Terr

2

Therapist clothing
“Therapists should carefully choose the clothes that they wear when working with adolescents because it can influence the way adolescents initially interact with and perceive the therapist.”
Play Therapy with Adolescents (p124) Gallo-Lopez and Schaefer (eds): Chapter 7, Scott Rivieri on techniques to engage adolescents

3

Therapist response
“While beginning therapists may tend to feel that often they are not responding – whether by reflection or interpretation – at the most appropriate times and that they are missing many situations in which they could have been therapeutic, it does seem that with children, perhaps more so than with adults, one can be permitted a few tactical ‘errors’. Activities and episodes tend to reappear if they are not adequately handled the first time.”
Child Psychotherapy (p259) Mary Howarth (ed): Chapter 13, Howarth on reflections and interpretations.

I’m hoping to bring you a live audio quote from a bang-up-to-date book in the course of the month. Watch this space!

Metal roofing materials and considerations for their use should be taken into account when the time has come to either install new or replacement roofing materials of any sort. For a fact, this extremely durable and very versatile roofing material is making a nice comeback and more people than ever before are looking at it as the preferred material for their roofs these days.

A metal roof isn’t just a recent innovation, which is something that many people may not realize. The famous American president, Thomas Jefferson, had an extensive metal roof installed over his own home, which still exists today. In general, metal roofs have high ratings in terms of being fire retardant and they are pretty much maintenance free.

Additionally, many metal roofs are more energy efficient than their counterpart roofs made of some other material. There have been a number of studies conducted which show that a metal roof on the home can save over 20% when it comes to energy bills. And a metal roof is also made from a majority percentage of recycled metal. Currently, a metal roof consists of up to 65% in recycled metals.

In relative terms, metal roofs also weigh little, meaning that such a roof can be installed directly over an already-existing roof, which means that the old roofing material doesn’t have to end up in a landfill where it will stay around for quite a long time, especially if it is of composition shingling or the like. Currently, the metal roofing known as standing-seam steel case is the most popular roofing today.

In terms of ease of installation, it is not the case that a metal roof is all that easy to install. Laying it down and piecing it together is a bit more than what the typical do-it-yourself person may be able to handle, so it might be a good idea to have a professional do the installation. And it can cost more up front for a metal roof, so keep that in mind.

The above is important to remember in coming up with a cost-benefit analysis when it’s time to put one of these roofs on because, in certain cases where the cause of the roof is spread out over a number of years, it can make more sense to go with the material like composition shingling or other popular choices. Still, metal roofing materials can last an extremely long time, which may be the best benefit of all.