10. Peter the Great
Politics

Peter I’s rule as Czar saw many changes in Russia in the early 1700’s which would extend over the next couple hundred years. Russia was brought into the modern realm under Peter’s hand and went through much reformation to do so. Peter the Great expanded Russia greatly and strengthened their presence in Europe. Because of Peter, Russia was able to grow into the superpower it would eventually become, a superpower which would shape the fabric of world politics greatly.

9. Edward Jenner
Biology

Edward Jenner is the father of immunology and has had a major influence on medical advancements. During his time, small pox was ravaging the population. Jenner developed the vaccine which would hold the bugs at bay and set a whole new path for vaccination and medicine and would also lead to the eradication of small pox worldwide.

8. Maximilien Robespierre
Politics

One of the major events of the twentieth century was the bloody and violent French Revolution, a turning point from the feudal times of old to the fulfillment of the Enlightenment movement. One of the most influential figures in this great revolution was Maximilien Robespierre. Robespierre was unyielding in leading the fight against the monarchy, and his Reign of Terror left an indelible mark upon history.

7. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Music

Mozart is one of the most popular musicians in world history. He was the very definition of a child savant and made huge leaps and bounds in terms of classical music. He was an eccentric character and a celebrity of his time. His impact upon music, one of the great threads of any cultural fabric, is almost incalculable.

6. Leonhard Euler
Mathematics

Mathematicians have had a huge impact on the evolution of science and technology all throughout history. Some of these mathematicians are so important that their names are heard over and over again’ their thoeries and formulas used everywhere in math. Euler is one of those mathematicians. His discoveries in math are far-reaching; from calculus to geometry to graph theory. He is one of the greatest mathematicians in recent centuries.

5. George Washington
Politics

I stated previously that the 18th century is marked by two major events, one of which being the aforementioned French Revolution. The other of course is the American Revolution of the 1770’s where the United States separated from the British Empire. George Washington is the man who commanded the American forces against the British troops and would become the first president of the United States of America. America’s significance would only grow out of the Revolutionary War more and more each decade, and Washington was the man who first and foremost founded this nation which would grow into one of the greatest super powers the world has ever seen.

4. Immanuel Kant
Philosophy

Kant’s ideas in the 18th century are still some of the most powerful and influential ideas today. Kant was a leader of the Enlightenment movement through his ideas on reason and ethics. His ideas would be the basis for the two major revolutions of that time and he created a shift in philosophical thinking, influencing almost all who came after.

3. Thomas Jefferson
Politics

Thomas Jefferson is considered the driving force behind the USA’s Declaration of Independence and one of the fathers of democracy. The United States have become perhaps the most powerful and influential superpowers in history and its ideas of a free society have permeated throughout the world. Jefferson’s legacy, and the legacy of the other founding fathers of America, is still felt every day all around the world, whether it is through the democratic realms of other nations or through opposition of that great ideal.

2. James Watt
Innovation

Watt’s invention f the steam engine is one of those inventions which, quite simply put, change the world. This invention kicked off the Industrial Revolution, which would grow throughout the next century and would dominate the entire world, creating all sorts of population, industry and technological growth at an exponential scale. It could also be argued that the steam engine kicked off the greater accessibility of transportation, leading to the ’shrinking’ of the world which we know today.

1. Adam Smith
Economics

Adam Smith is the father of modern economics. His book The Wealth of Nations has become a road map for economics throughout the industrial revolution all the up until present day. Smith’s ideas about money and how it is used and distributed within our societies are vastly influential as money is usually behind almost everything that we do. For his massive contribution to helping us understand the driving force behind the progress of society, namely the economy, Smith is the most influential person of the 18th century.

Congressman Mel Watt (D-NC) is either a charlatan or ignorant of basic economics.  Either way he is unfit to serve in Congress let alone serve as chairman of the Domestic Monetary Policy and Technology Subcommittee.  This week Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) announced that Watt took the knife to his bill to audit the Federal Reserve – The Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009 (HR 1207).  According to Paul, Watt as chair of the above mentioned committee cut out “just about everything”  in preparing the bill for a full committee vote.

Specifically, Watt eliminated the provisions requiring audits of the Fed’s transactions with foreign banks, its deliberations on monetary policy, the activities of the Open Market Committee, and disclosure of communications between the Federal Reserve Board and reserve banks.  Essentially the bill has become a shell of its original self.  Paul, of course, does intend to attempt to restore the bill to its original form during Financial Services Committee deliberations, but that is not the point.  The point is why has Congressman Watt gutted a bill that has over 300 cosponsors in the House and the support of a large majority of Americans?

It could be because he is repaying the financial industry which has throughout his career in Congress contributed over $890,000 to his campaigns.  That would be only fair given how much they have helped him maintain power and the privileged perks of members of Congress – great healthcare, great salary, and a great pension plan.

But, what is funny and ironic is that the industry that is second in contributions to Watt is organized labor at $873,000.  Big banks and labor unions make strange bedfellows?  You would think their interests are so diametrically opposed that they would not be #1 and #2 in contributions to the same member of Congress.  Labor union support of Watt is also curious given that North Carolina is a Right to Work state and not nearly as unionized as the People’s Republics of Massachusetts and California.   But, not to worry, Congressman Watt has traditionally taken care of unions as well.  He has supported every “entitlement” program that comes down the pike in favor of their leadership.  The list has included minimum wage, the “right” under law to collective bargaining, so-called fair employment practices, social security, socialized medicine – the list goes on and on.

So, if the congressman is so busy serving big banks and labor unions, what has he done for the actual people who elect him every two years?  Well, very little.  You see by supporting the Federal Reserve and bailing out big banks through legislation he is supporting the perpetuation of inflation.  Our dollar has lost 95 percent of its value since the Fed was given control over it by Congress in 1913.  But, most folks don’t understand how the Fed imposes this hidden tax on them by debasing our currency causing prices to rise.  Instead Watt and his ilk blame capitalism for rising prices and offer socialized medicine, minimum wages, and other socialist schemes to combat the higher cost of living for families.  If they would just support sound money in the first place there would be no perceived need for these wasteful programs.

So this is where the charlatan or economic imbecile question comes into play.  Does Watt understand that his support for the banking cartel known as the Federal Reserve System is what actually causes hardship for labor and ordinary Americans in his district?  Does he realize that by gutting HR 1207 he will help to continue the debasement of our currency?  Has it clicked in his head that his support for or at the very least his blind eye toward the reckless monetary policy of the current Fed leadership will be responsible for the future hyperinflation we will experience.  Has he considered his own culpability in the coming collapse of the dollar which will usher in an era of even higher unemployment with a drastically reduced standard of living in America?

Given the bubble mentality around Washington, a reasonable person could conclude that Watt is both a charlatan and an economic imbecile.  He is an economic imbecile because he must believe that economic doom caused by Fed policies is not inevitable otherwise he would not support them in light of the fact that the collapse would also affect him negatively.  He certainly is a charlatan because like many members of Congress Watt has the best of both worlds.  Special interests of all stripes get federal goodies from him which personally cost him nothing.  In return those special interest groups guarantee his reelection every two years with huge cash contributions to his campaigns.  In the meantime, our national debt is grotesquely high, our manufacturing base continues to move overseas, our financial industry is bankrupt, and the dollar is on the brink of collapse.

This is the essence of our problems.  Too many charlatans and imbeciles have been in charge of Washington for far too long.  Unfortunately all good things must come to an end.  The federal gravy train that Congressman Watt and his comrades have built to continually get reelected is about to crash.  When it does they won’t understand it, but they should because it will be caused by the fraud they have perpetuated on America.

Here comes the sun!!!

Source: power4home.com

Detailed analysis of the various energy markets

This section examines the different sectors of the energy market. Each of the energy sectors listed below provides a brief overview of data presented in the Review, along with tables, maps and charts relating to the consumption, production and proved reserves of each fuel type.

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Googleplex solar power production statistics

Je me lance ici dans un exercice  ambitieux : expliquer aux néophytes la signification de ces deux termes,  car en général les médias les échangent avec la plus grande désinvolture, ce qui provoque une confusion conséquente dans le public.

Je me servirai d’un exemple: tout le monde comprend qu’il y a une différence entre la puissance d’une voiture,  exprimée en KW  ( jadis en CV) et la quantité de carburant  qu’elle consomme : élémentaire direz-vous, impossible de confondre la puissance d’une voiture avec sa consommation! En électricité c’est la même chose : la puissance d’un appareil électrique est invariable, qu’il soit en marche ou à l’arrêt et elle est déclarée sur l’étiquette de l’appareil. Lors qu’on l’utilise,  l’appareil, au fil de temps, consomme de l’énergie qui est enregistrée par le compteur EDF de la maison.

On observe que sur l’étiquette  de l’appareil la puissance est exprimée en KW ( 1 KWatt = 1000 Watt), tandis que le compteur EDF comptabilise l’énergie consommée en KWh ( Kilowattheure), c’est à dire la puissance de l’appareil consommateur multiplié par le temps qu’il demeure en fonction.

Un exemple: un radiateur électrique d’une puissance de 1,5 KW  qui fonctionne à plein régime pendant 2 heures consomme en tout 1,5 KW x 2 heures = 3 KWh.

Le prix de l’énergie électrique étant d’environ 12 centimes par KWh, on peut facilement calculer que 2 heures de fonctionnement du radiateur de l’exemple revient à 0,36 €. Chacun peut faire le calcul des consommations de tous les appareils de sa maison, mais attention: la plupart des appareils fonctionnent par intermittence et il faut tenir compte seulement du temps de leur consommation effective.

Donc KW pour la puissance et KWh pour la consommation d’énergie. Pour la production d’électricité c’est pareil: KW pour la puissance des machines de production et KWh pour la quantité d’énergie produite.

Actuellement on entend beaucoup parler de remplacer certaines utilisations d’énergie fossile par celle électrique : la mauvaise connaissance des deux termes  génère des erreurs macroscopiques. Un exemple, une centrale électrique de 10 MW de puissance ( 1 Mégawatt = 1000 KWatt) qui fonctionne à 75% pendant 250 jours par an, produit dans l’année : 10 x 75/100 x 250 x 24 = 45 000 MWh par an, ce qui ne fait pas d’elle une centrale de 45 000 MW de puissance, comme on entend dire parfois par certain(e)s journalistes !

I may young but you boys can still learn from me

Good Friday to you. Sorry for the late post as I was doing a bit of traveling today.

Most would’ve expected Fabianski to keep the keeper’s jersey for this tomorrow’s North London Derby but unfortunately for the Polish custodian, he is again crocked by injury. This time it is his thigh which will sideline him for the next 3 weeks at the least. How he get that injury is beyond me. There was never a single time in which Colin Lewin needed to come onto the pitch to attend to Fabianski during the Liverpool game. So this one baffles me. Where then did Fabianski injured himself? The announcement was made the day after the game when the training hadn’t even started. Pity him though.

This situation worries me a bit. I was quite sure that before the injury occurred, Fabianski would’ve been the first choice to start the derby game. Now, Wenger finds himself in a hole. The decision now remains to choose from either Mannone or Almunia. If the boss chooses the latter, then he will have to retract back on his earlier decision not to restore the Spaniard immediately when he recovered from his chest injury. While I’m quite sure the boss was hesitant to further jeopardies the shattered confidence of Mannone who was at fault for Carlton Cole’s goal at Upton Park. Defenders like to play knowing they have a steady and consistent keeper behind them. Let me tell you, it is no fun trying to get use to different voice every week when a shout to “let go” or “kick it out” will determine whether the opposition forwards gets a chance or not. A department that definitely needs sorting out.

Other than qualification to the next phase of the Carling Cup, the match also brought about the return to fitness of Samir Nasri. His return cannot be underestimated as his flexibility to fit in any of the front 6 positions will be vital to the success of the team. It will take him a few more matches before he starts to click into full gear. Wenger has clearly liked what he sees in the defensive qualities of Nasri and has experimented him in that position towards the back end of last season. It might work given that Nasri has shown his delicate sense of positioning which is obviously vital when playing in the Song role. However I still think that his talent is better serve further up the pitch where his eye for a killer pass and shooting capabilities will come to the fore. Now that Rosicky seemed to be injured once again, Nasri’s return is in fact very timely.

One thing that the players need to learn from the same derby game last season is the good sense to play keep ball during the final minutes of the game when leading. The younger players have shown that they can keep their cool and not just rushed forward when there is a small matter of the clock to run down. Sanchez Watt did that to perfection during the Liverpool game. Already 2-1 up with just less than 2 minutes to go, he won the ball at the edge of Liverpool’s penalty box and went straight for the corner flag. I think most of us would understand if he had tried to take on the defenders and get a goal for himself considering he doesn’t get first team playing oppourtunities very often. But his greater team sense prevailed and time was duly played out. Now, that is something his more esteemed teammates might learn a thing or two from.

More Spurs preview tomorrow. I’m already filled with the excitement and can’t wait for the kickoff to come any sooner.

In my post from September 18, Murals in Rotterdam (http://wp.me/sunIp-murals), I promised to search for old photos of murals or graffitis in Rotterdam. So here it is: again some pictures of wall art of the past. I already knew how  fleeting this form of art is but after some research I found out that my memory is fleeting too… Let me try to explain. Before it was called WATT, there was a club called Nighttown. Off course I remember this, who doesn’t? But who remembers the drawings on the side wall? And who remembers how the club was called before it became Nighttown. For this blog I tried to find out who created mural and why. During my research I found  an old picture from 1988, showing the wall and I found out that the club previously was called Arena. I had forgotten that!

Although grafitti and murals are often temporarily, this particular painting shows us that temporarily does not have to mean a short period of time. I made this photos in January 2006 and I found a photo in a book from 1988. I can’t remember when the mural was removed, but I guess it was in 2008, when WATT first opened it’s doors,  so it has lasted at least for two decades!

On the wall were 100 images. One of the images shows a telephone and a phone number. I Googled the number and found out that it’s the phone  number of Aktiegroep Oude Westen, a neighbourhood organisation, that most likely has commissioned the painting of the wall. (http://www.aktiegroepoudewesten.nl) Because today is Sunday, I can’t ring them to ask them who made it, but if you feel like calling them after reading this blog, feel free to do so!

Bill Sullivan of Suffield Academy, and I, presented this talk yesterday at a CAIS Conference on 21st century learning at Chase Collegiate School in Waterbury, Connecticut.

There’s no audio.  Our speakers’ notes are woefully inadequate: we couldn’t read them during the talk so we extemporized on a theme.  Not all of the slides are credited yet, and should be.  It’s definitely still a work in progress.  But it’s a huge deal for the two of us — we spoke to an audience of about a hundred strangers yesterday, the first time either of us had been involved in giving a keynote.  And we didn’t do too badly.

Enjoy!

(God, I hope this works… )

Update: This presentation has now been viewed by more than twice the number of people online that saw it live. I guess we have to develop the accompanying audio track now.  Please leave a comment if you think Bill and I should do that.

Ouro, ouro negro. Da cor do Kuwait, Afeganistão, Iraque, Nigéria e de tantos outros escravizados pelo imperialismo do desenvolvimento humano. Machucados pela corrida do domínio político e econômico desumano e inconsequente que empobrece e adoenta toda e qualquer sociedade. Os agentes da guerra petrolífera, ao sujarem suas mãos de óleo, sujam-se também de sangue e miséria.

A Primeira revolução industrial, século XVIII, fez com que o mundo mudasse seu rumo completamente. Foi superado o sistema agrícola por um novo que faria surgir uma nova sociedade. Na qual homens, mulheres e crianças trabalhariam nas mais insalubres instalações para que o capitalismo florescesse no seu mais novo modo operante. Além da famosa invenção de Watt, a máquina a vapor, o progresso trouxe a necessidade de se utilizar das fontes de energias naturais para seu desenvolvimento, neste caso seria o carvão o combustível para alavancar a indústria que nascia. Mais tarde o carvão não seria o único a figurar como símbolo do desenvolvimento, já que os homens da grande indústria haviam descoberto outra fonte de energia, o petróleo.

Com o desenvolvimento deste novo mundo, industrializado e promissor, costurado com tecido inglês, desenvolvia-se também a necessidade de lucro cada vez maior. Isso só seria possível com a busca dos novos mercados produtores e que também oferecessem os recursos necessários para a produção. A partilha da África e da Ásia entre potencias imperialistas foi um dos exemplos da insensatez e megalomania humana que teve como consequência a primeira guerra mundial. Depois, Hitler ao violar Versalhes e se militarizar, mostrava que a depressão de 1929 possibilitaria qualquer plano nacionalista com discurso revanchista para também anexar áreas importantes do ponto de vista industrial.

Nos anos 70 a briga pelo petróleo se acirrou, em principal no oriente médio, maior produtor de barris de petróleo no mundo. Países como a Arábia Saudita e Kuwait nacionalizaram suas reservas, e já faziam parte, junto com Venezuela, Irã e Iraque, da OPEP, criada para lutar contra o cartel conhecido como “Sete Irmãs” que controlava a produção e os preços dos barris. A Saga dos Bush começa em 1990 com a Guerra do Golfo e tem seu fim com a invasão do Iraque. Um mesmo inimigo e um único interesse, possuir o controle do petróleo. Esta é a história que permeia a sociedade tão capitalizada e tão desenvolvida.

Brasil

A Petrobrás é a maior responsável pela extração e refino de petróleo brasileiro atualmente. Uma das empresas que mais crescem no mundo, com um lucro, em 2008, aproximados a 36 bilhões de reais. Ao contrário do que muitos dizem, a empresa possui todas as condições para a prospecção no pré-sal. A importância dos novos marcos regulatórios que definirão os direitos sobre o óleo, garantido o monopólio à União pela Constituição Federal, é de extrema importância assim como a paralisação de sua privatização e a criação de um fundo social soberano, para que o dinheiro advindo da venda do petróleo seja revertido à população brasileira na melhoria dos recursos do estado como educação, saúde, trabalho, dentre outros. E isso será capaz mesmo com 62% de suas ações sendo de capital privado, já que o governo possui 51% das ações de voto. Porém, com toda a riqueza que este recurso pode gerar, devemos pensar nas duras consequências ambientais que seu uso trouxe e pode trazer. Já é hora de termos consciência de desenvolver tecnologias que dependam cada vez menos dos recursos fósseis e não renováveis, fontes extremas de poluição e desenvolvimento insustentável. Talvez seja essa a função do Brasil nos próximos anos, desenvolver-se como país mais igualitário e com menos lacunas sociais e procurar caminhos sustentáveis e limpos para a produção de energia, tudo isso com a riqueza do Pré-sal. Será, então, a primeira vez que o petróleo gerará um verdadeiro desenvolvimento.

Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI) mengembangkan energi alternatif bioelektrik dari sampah organik kotoran ternak. LIPI berharap, inovasi ini bisa menjadi solusi tepat untuk mengatasi masalah penerangan dan kebutuhan listrik di daerah terpencil.

“ Potensi pengembangan biogas di Indonesia sangat besar. Salah satunya ditandai banyaknya peternakan yang kotorannya dimanfaatkan untuk bahan bakar bioelektrik, “ kata peneliti di Pusat Penelitian Tenaga Listrik dan mekatronika LIPI Aep Saepudin, di Bandung (14/8).

Aep mengatakan, bioelektrik adalah inovasi teknologi pemanfaatan limbah organik yang sudah dibuat anaerob (kedap udara) menjadi biogas. Biogas diolah kembali menjadi bahan bakar pembangkit listrik. Limbah organik yang cocok menjadi bahan bakar biogas adalah kotoran ternak, seperti babi dan sapi.

Menurut Aep, biogas memiliki potensi dapat dibakar seperti elpiji. Hal ini memberikan harapan biogas bisa menjadi alternatif energi baru. Pemanfaatan biogas juga memiliki keuntungan lain, seperti meminimalkan dampak berbahaya limbah organik hingga memberikan penghasilan tambahan melalui produk kompos.

Aep membuktikan dengan memanfaatkan biogas sebagai pengganti bensin dan solar untuk membangkitkan listrik. Biogas dari kotoran ternak sapi atau babi mampu menggantikan bensin guna membangkitkan mesin tenaga lustrik hingga 4.000 watt.

Adapun pada pembangkit listrik bermesin diesel, meski tidak bisa menggantikan sepenuhnya, biogas mampu mengurangi konsumsi solar hingga 60 persen. Percampuran antara biogas dan solar mampu membangkitkan tenaga listrik hingga 10.000 watt.

Peneliti lain, Yaya Sudrajat Sumama, mengatakan, teknologi ini sudah diterapkan di beberapa daerah, seperti di Jambi, Medan, pekanbaru, Bali, dan Kalimantan Timur. Menurut para pengguna, biogas mampu menghemat Rp 200.000 per hari dibandingkan minyak tanah dan elpiji.

Sumber  :

Bioelektrik Tenaga Sampah Organik – Kompas, 15.08.2009

Da trete ich doch auf meine Terrasse – und was sehe ich? Ja was denn? Seltsame Reihen mit gelben Früchtchen!
Magnetische Strahlung? Außerirdische Muster? Oder einfach nur illegal entsorgte 100-Watt-Birnen? Ich glaube ja an die letztgenannte Möglichkeit. Mensch, da will sich doch keiner mit erwischen lassen. Ab damit in meinen Garten.
Und was soll ich sagen? Sogar während ich aufsammelte, trafen mich zwei der Birnen in den Rücken! So gefährlich sind die.

100 Watt Birnen - wenn nicht noch mehr

Na ja, alles aufgesammelt und Schwamm d’rüber.

Today I will take a look at those who featured in the Carling Cup win and pick the 5 players whom I think have a chance to proceed to a first team place. Those 5 are Wojciech Szczescny, Francis Coquelin, Mark Randall, Sanchez Watt and Nacer Barazite. Two Englishmen, one Pole, one French and one Dutchman.

Wojciech Szczescny

Country : Poland

Position : Goalkeeper

Age : 19

Arsenal since : Aug 1^st 2007

Young goalkeeper who is perhaps most famous for breaking both hands at the same time. It was only revealed by Arsene Wenger this week that the incident occurred during gym training when the weight he was carrying drop on both of his hands. Wenger showed faith in him by picking him for the pre-season tour of Austria and Germany. Like others at Arsenal, he is an excellent shot stopper. However also like others, he is weak when dealing with high balls and crosses. Already emulated his father’s feat by getting called up by Poland in the recent round of international matches but did not feature. With 2 young keepers ahead of him in Fabianski and Mannone, he will have to show all his qualities when the chance presents itself to thrust his credentials to the fore.

Francis Coquelin

Country : France

Position : Defensive Midfielder

Age : 18

Arsenal since : Jul 22^nd 2008

Combative and tigerish midfielder who also possesses wonderful ball control. From the reserves and youth cup games that I’ve seen, he puts himself about and always try to release the ball quickly. He is not particularly tall but have scored a few headers. Probably the highest chance of the 5 to advance to the next stage considering this is the only position where Wenger do not have tonnes of option. After Song there is only Denilson but the Brazilian have always shown himself to be a more forward type of player. Coquelin will need to step up his stamina if he is to maintain his style of play in the Premiership where the pace of the game is quite taxing.

Mark Randall

Country : England

Position : Midfielder

Age : 20

Arsenal since : Jul 1^st 2006

The Englishman has been one of the mainstay of the reserves side for a couple of years now. Made his Arsenal debut in the Carling Cup and has pretty much stayed there ever since. Certainly for Wenger, Randall’s status is a puzzling one. Not quite good enough for the first team and certainly better than the reserves. His major blocking point are those ahead of him. There isin’t another club in the league that has the talents that Arsenal have in midfield. Randall is not a speedy player and do not seem to suite playing on the flanks. Started out as an attacking player but has evolved into a Michael Carrick type of player. Box to box with a wide range of passing. Packs a punch when taking freekicks as well. Toughest task of the 5 and only a dramatic twist of events can propel him to a first team place. Shame really.

Sanchez Watt

Country : England

Position : Winger / Striker

Age : 18

Arsenal since : Jul 31^st 2007

Sanchez Watt was the toast of the Youth team that captured the 08/09 championship. His goals in the final against Liverpool put him immediately in the thoughts of Arsene Wenger. Pacy and quick of the mark, Watt possesses a deadly and powerful left foot. Showed his tenacity in the Emirates Cup earlier in the season when he harried and won the ball of a player who tried to sherperd the ball out of play. He subsequently set up Arshavin for a goal. Looks to be the latest player that Wenger will keep a close eye on his progress. Still relatively young and has plenty of time to mature with his game and build his upper body strength against far stronger opponents in the Premiership.

Nacer Barazite

Country : Holland

Position : Winger / Striker

Age : 19

Arsenal since : Jul 31^st 2006

The Dutchman has scored for Arsenal in consecutive opening pre-season games against Barnet. He is typical of so many of the players that Wenger has brought through. From Thierry Henry to Robin Van Persie, Barazite can operate as a wide player as well as centrally in a striking position. Nifty footwork allows him to skip past players easily. Has grown great upper body strength lately and looks to have matured since his year long loan at Derby County last season. Reminds me a lot of a young Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Again, like Randall, Barazite will struggle to get into the first team considering the players at Wenger’s disposal. An exciting player who can be the difference in those tightly matched game. Magical moments are not unusual for this young fella. Has consistenly appeared for Holland in the age-group competitions as well. Certainly expected to do better than a certain ex Dutch youngster (Quincy Owusu Abeyie)

So that’s it. The 5 that I think would most likely make the breakthrough. There are others who played that night but in my opinion have already put themselves firmly in Wenger’s plan. We already know about Gibbs and Wilshere. How these players will go from here is up to their determination and for some, a certain bit of luck is needed.

Easy peasy wasn’t it. West Brom came to town and duly got dumped out of the Carling Cup competition by a youthful Arsenal side bar the defense. There isin’t much I can tell you now cos there were no screening of this match yesterday, not on live television and not even on stream. I can only tell more once I’ve completed downloading the entire match off Arsenal TV.

From what I can gather off the numerous match reports, it was a fairly even game up until Jerome Thomas’ dismissal towards the end of the first half. A lot have been made out the Jack Wilshere’s reaction but the rules of the game are simple. You can’t lash out at another player with your arm and not expect to be red-carded. The young English lad may have made the most out of the confrontation but the simple fact remained. That said, Wilshere completed another 90 minutes for Arsenal and was at the heart of almost all of the attacking moves. It will be interesting to watch the replay considering he was deployed further back than expected. He started as one of the midfield trio together with Ramsey and Coquelin. No doubt he did more defending and tracking back than he ever needed to do in his short career.

The breakthrough came in the middle of the second half when Sanchez Watt side-footed Vela’s initial shot. Watt was the fastest to react to the rebound and full credit to him for scoring on his debut. Vela replicated Watt’s effort when he reacted to Mark Randall’s chip which strike the top goal bar. Vela and Randall were both introduced midway in the second half and duly justified Wenger’s decision. It was nice to see the young Mexican returning to the side. He has not had a proper run in the first team yet but the signs are definitely encouraging.

Randall is an interesting player. He has already been on the scene for a couple of years but haven’t quite made the breakthrough. Yet somehow he remains in Wenger’s plans. This in it itself is already puzzling considering the fact that Wenger never kept playing fringe players for a long time. I’ll admit that I’ve always like this lad. We’ve seen him on the flanks as well as centrally in midfield like he did during the Carling Cup run last season. He possesses a good touch and with an eye for a pass. He reminds me alot of Michael Carrick with his plays. His Bergkamp-esque chip provided Vela with the chance for the second goal and that itself says alot of Randall’s assured touch. Where he goes from here is anyone’s guess.

Phillipe Senderos enjoyed a winning return to a competitive Arsenal game. His presence alongside the stand-in captain of Silvestre would no doubt have easily kept West Brom at bay. Funny how fast life takes a turn. Two years ago and Senderos would’ve surely worn the captain’s armband ahead of the aging Frenchman. My guess is Wenger do not want to put too much pressure on his return and wants him to play his normal game. With a few more games in his belt, Senderos would be ready to take up the challenge should any of the first choice centerback pairing suffers any injuries.

So that’s it. Will update more once I’ve watched the whole match.

Thanks for your time. Talk to you again tomorrow.

The goal scoring heroes, Vela and Watt

 It is now I think well over 5 years since Arsene started using the youth in this competition. Yesterday the trend continued with 8 teenagers. We can safely that is significantly higher to be singled out so precisely. Of course if you really want to be picky, then as I mentioned before in my previous post, you can count Senderos as a young un as well. Age is just a number after all right?

The old Wengerase (Wenger phrase) ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’ or something similar was put to test again yesterday. Of course had Jerome Thomas not felt the impulsive need to lash out at Wilshere, then things could have been a lot different. Up until then the game was pretty even. West Brom had their chances but surprisingly didn’t take them. I say surprisingly because they were at ease in hitting 5 past Boro in the league on Saturday.

But it was still 0-0 at half time, so the job was still incomplete. Wenger’s introduction of Vela, brought a positive change and he was involved in both goals. Watt scored the first but Vela’s long distance shot gave him the chance to bring him the goal. Vela then acted as poacher when he reacted swiftly to Randall’s exquisite shot. That sealed the win in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup

Three things to notice about that

1. If there was any doubt about Arsenal not shooting from far, then I hope this will reassure you. Both goals were result of long distance shooting to begin with. The first team have already found the net five times from outside the box this season, matching the whole of 2008-09 (courtesy of Orbinho on Twitter).

 2. Fair enough those shots didn’t go in, but Watt and Vela showed great determination and positional awareness to be there in the box to snap up the rebounds.

3. Those two goals were 50% of the shots Arsenal had on target last night. In a game where opportunities are few, it is nice to see such efficiency. Vintage Youth Arsenal it wasn’t but a gritty, hard-fought deserved win it is.

A quick note on Silvestre.

Senior professionals sometimes view training or even playing with the kids as somewhat of a punishment. Earlier this season I read how a Norwich player was offended because his ex-manager made him train with the youth. So a little respect must be given to Silvestre for the way he has handled himself, despite the resentment and jibes for his past connections. Of course the truest professional is Gilberto, who back in 2007, actually went out and said how much he enjoyed playing in the Carling Cup with the young stars. Imagine that a World Cup winner saying that! What a boost it gives to any upcoming star at the Emirates.

Finally, a word on the puns circa Watt. I think they will grow old very, very quickly. You Watt? There.

Metel: dematerializzare il lavoro, ovvero dalla carta al video per snellire costi e procedure

Giorgio Casanova

Parla Giorgio Casanova, direttore commerciale della società.

Ben 79 le aziende che nel 2008 hanno per la prima volta approcciato e definito una collaborazione con Metel al fine di dematerializzare il ciclo dei documenti a partire dall’ordine. Una crescita cospicua rispetto all’anno precedente, segno di un mercato sempre più consapevole e in grado di valutare con precisione i costi di gestione.

Leggi articolo pubblicato su Watt 001-2009 di Teresa Magretti