Salvage plan for Costa Concordia unveiled in Rome

By Dan Askin, Cruise Critic

The plan to remove the massive wreck of?Costa Concordia, which lies half submerged off the Italian island of Giglio after capsizing in January, was revealed today in Rome. At least 30 people died after the ship ran aground.

Reuters

Click to enlarge the image.

In an unprecedented effort, American-owned Titan Salvage is working with Italian firm?Micoperi, and?will use pulling machines connected to a custom-built subsea platform to hoist the hull upright in one piece. The firms won the right to perform the work during a months-long bidding process.

The first step is stabilizing the ship to prevent further slippage down the sloped sea bed on which it rests. That is expected to take about a year, Costa said in a statement.?This will be achieved by attaching "tieback chains" from the submerged part of the ship -- starboard side, closest to shore -- to a structure built nearby.


After Concordia is stabilized, the subsea platform will be built along the port side -- the non-submerged side -- and huge caissons, in essence steel boxes, will be welded to the exposed side of the ship. The caissons will be filled with water. "This gives the ship extra buoyancy," explained Mark Hoddinott, general manager of the International Salvage Union. "Caissons have the effect of making the ship wider, and the water will add mass, which improves the 'turning moment' to bring it upright."

Pulling machines will then be connected to the subsea platform, and two cranes fixed to the platform will pull Concordia upright -- facilitated by the water-filled caissons. The ship will still be flooded, so it won't float; instead it will rest on the platform. When the ship is upright, caissons will be welded to the starboard side of the hull. The caissons on both sides will then be de-ballasted -- after treating and purifying the water to protect the marine environment -- and filled with air.

"This strategy has been used on a smaller scale by both the US and Royal Navy," added Hoddinott. "But no one has removed a ship of this size." Concordia is 950 feet long and weighs 44,612 metric tons (or nearly 100 million pounds), according to Titan-Micoperi.

Once upright, the wreck will be towed to an Italian port and dealt with in accordance with the requirements of Italian authorities. Gianni Onorato, Costa Crociere S.p.A. president, told Cruise Critic in early May that the ship will ultimately be scrapped.

No details on the cost of the project have been officially released, but a Costa spokesman told?CNN?that the figure could exceed $300 million.

According to today's statement from Costa, the "one piece" approach -- rather than slicing the ship up and barging it off bit by bit -- will "minimize environmental impact, protect Giglio's economy and tourism industry, and maximize safety." After the ship is removed, the sea bottom will be cleaned and marine flora replanted.

While the project is ongoing, the operation base will be located on the mainland near Piombino, where equipment and materials will be stored. This will mitigate impact on the island's port activities and leave Giglio's hotels open for tourists during the peak summer season.

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Why Social Media Is Impossible To Ignore For Successful Online ...

Social media marketing is a rapidly increasing concept and is transforming into a huge part of the internet marketing strategy for many online businesses. The main advantages of social marketing include the following:

* Increases the volume of traffic to a company website * Increases exposure of the brand of the business * Helps to create natural links in order to improve search engine rankings for the business

All of the above points should help to increase the overall sales and profitability of a company, which ultimately underpins the long term success of the business.

Social media SEO can be utilised by sites such as Twitter and Facebook. These are two social networking sites that have taken the online world by storm throughout the last few years, with millions of users from all over the globe accessing the sites every day. Twitter SEO can allow businesses to make regular tweets with regards to their work, such as what?s new on their website that day, or perhaps an award they may have recently won. The tweets may then create a great talking point for other Twitter followers, so an on-going discussion may continue. This form of Twitter SEO will help increase the awareness of the brand and the familiarity of the name can help prospective customers feel a loyalty towards the company and might increase overall sales.

By updating their statuses on Twitter and Facebook, businesses could also include links to their website to allow users instant access to their site. This generation of traffic to the website can surely only be a good thing, and is a fast and easy way for companies to promote their goods and services.

Blog posts are another form of social media SEO which is a great way to increase traffic to a website. The posts enable companies to discuss their latest news and developments or maybe what special promotions they may have for that month. Most people enjoy reading blog posts that are interesting, informative and easy to read.

So when revamping your company marketing strategy, make sure you include Twitter SEO, as it is an exciting and efficient strategy for increasing traffic to your website and creating a more effective online exposure of your brand.

To find out more about the benefits of social media SEO why not visit the SEO it Right website where you can learn all about their Twitter SEO.

17

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Posted:

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why Spend money to make Wood Flooring ... - Home Improvement

Did you know the kind of floor coverings in just a residence often produces a difference in how a consumer thinks it? This development begins some time before the possibility purchaser sets foot for the office space. Within the beginning of buying a property, individuals will investigate the properties on the market on-line or perhaps an agent?utes workplace. This gives these to restrict alternatives to people of many awareness before you go over a trip of accessible properties. Flooring type is often concerning these kind of info bedding, together with size of the property, asking price, ages of your structure, and more. Seeing hard wood listed, instead of carpeting or even plastic, right away offers images inside the customer?azines brain. Most of this has to do with stereotyping, which in turn, in this instance, isn?t such a very bad thing. Wooden flooring make the residence appear better looking, far better maintained, and filled with potential. It is often believed that the addition involving wood floorings could improve the recognized price of the property, in the customer?utes eye, by two times just how much paid for to get them placed in the house. Consequently, when the asking price for the floors can be $ten,000, 1 may possibly expect that this home?s worth might boost by simply as much as $something like 20,000. Which is an excellent expenditure simply by any person?s criteria.

Possibly the the majority of alluring purpose to take into account hardwood flooring will be the information that it?ll not have to be replaced. Wood cedar plank floors is made to previous plus it does. Proof of this kind of arises from the belief that numerous historic houses still need the initial hard wood available, containing merely recently been sanded and resealed, from time to time, over a period of many, decades, so that it saves it?s original attractiveness. Floor covering surely can?t compete with in which; not can vinyl fabric, wood flooring, or perhaps tile alternatives. This type of floor can cost a lot more than other kinds, when one views your multitude regarding years it is going to function your home, it?s worthy of which energy production.

In case you nonetheless aren?capital t offered, look at the enormous potential that accompany your simple choice to take into account real wood. Due to significant number of various hard wood trees which increase within this nation as well as beyond, the types of wood flooring on the market seem countless. And, since simply no 2 items of wood are ever before exactly the same, this kind of floors is usually distinctive. Whatever the width of the plank, the wood, along with the color of the particular blemish, brand-new hard wood floors promise to become remarkably lovely morning inside and day trip, for several years to come.

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The Towers at Laguna Woods Village Is Where You Want to Be ...

The Towers at Laguna Woods Village is the premier gated community in Southern California for those 55+. It?s the perfect location to accommodate an active, engaged lifestyle. Tucked away in the rolling hillsides of highly desirable coastal Orange County California, the Towers are literally minutes from sun-warmed beaches and world-class entertainment centers, plus some of the best shopping centers, boutiques, restaurants, and higher education facilities in the country.

Towers residents enjoy daily gourmet meal service in one of two dining rooms. There?s also a comfortable pub, a TV lounge, and several game rooms. The Towers has a well-stocked library, fully equipped meeting rooms, classrooms, card rooms, and learning centers, not to mention fitness centers, free transportation, weekly housekeeping, and on-site maintenance staff. All this is tucked securely behind well-guarded gates enhanced by key card entry systems and manned security service. The Towers even has a 24-hour concierge service, and cable is available in every suite.

Residents can take advantage of a full calendar of activities, including bridge games, art classes, cocktail parties, and dances ? all included with ownership. Plus, located within the master community of Laguna Woods is golf, tennis, swimming, cycling, hiking, wellness classes, music lessons, college lectures, arts programs, social clubs, music concerts, theatre ? all included with ownership at the Towers.

As the residents will happily confirm, the Towers is one of the best lifestyle investments in Southern California. With suites ranging from single-room studios to beautiful penthouses ? all with spectacular views ? there is something for everyone at the Towers!

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Judge holds Mexican generals over for drug probe

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Green cabinets - Green Cabinets -- Environmentally Friendly Furniture


by kimmy shop
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Green cabinets More Details about Green cabinets here.

You may have heard of a recent phenomenon called ?green cabinets', or even ?green kitchens'. Much like an actor's green room, this has nothing to do with colour -- green simply refers to the fact that these cabinets are good for the environment. So what makes a green cabinet, and why are more people using them in their homes? For starters, green cabinets are fashioned from renewable materials, which can be easily replenished once they are used. Bamboo, for example, is an increasingly popular base material for kitchen furnishings, and cabinets in particular. Bamboo is actually a grass, not a tree, which means that it can easily be regrown in a relatively short space of time. Rather than cutting down the entire plant, harvesters use only the bamboo stalks, leaving the bulb in the earth to regrow over a period of three years or so. This means that bamboo supplies are not as easily exhausted as trees, which can take decades to reach maturity and only minutes to cut down. It also means that bamboo is less expensive than many other types of wood. But don't be fooled into thinking that bamboo is a weak material simply because it isn't traditional hard wood. This pliant grass is actually stronger than oak and just as durable. Besides the materials they are made from, ?green' cabinets are also treated with finishing processes (such as veneers and top coats) that are not harmful to the environment. Many cabinets require an adhesive to fit them together and are also treated with a veneer finish to help them last as long as possible. Kitchen cabinet makers and suppliers are starting to conform to certain standards regarding the materials they use to treat the raw wood. CARB compliant plywoods, for example, cut down harmful VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) such as the formaldehyde used in hard wood plywood adhesives. Water based glues and top coats can also help, as harmful air pollutants are found in paint and stain as well as adhesives. The quality is just as high as traditional top coats, in fact, water based coats generally retain paint better and offer a harder finish than finishers containing VOCs. So where can you find ?green' cabinets? While certain suppliers specialise in green cabinets and offer a wide range of styles and sizes, their increasing popularity means they can easily be found in many online stores. Some suppliers offer green solutions for entire rooms as well as single items of furniture, so you can have a kitchen that looks great and is environmentally friendly too!

About Us Domain Cabinets Direct Inc. is a US-based company that makes premium RTA (Ready-To-Assemble) green cabinets kitchen and bathroom cabinets made from solid wood. We work with over 20 kinds of wood including bamboo, maple and mahogany, and all our manufacturing is subject to a uniform quality control process to make sure you get a high quality product. Find out more at http://www.domaincabinetsdirect.com/

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NEWS: National Parks Becoming Free for Military | Marine Corps ...

National Park Service Press Release

For Immediate Release:
May 15, 2012
Contact(s):?? Adam Fetcher (DOI), 202-208-6416
Kathy Kupper (NPS), 202-208-6843

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U.S. Agencies Join Forces with First Lady and Dr. Biden to Honor and Support Military Families

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Department of the Interior-led effort will provide a Military Pass for Free Access to National Parks and Other Public Lands

YORKTOWN, Va. ? As part of the Joining Forces initiative to support our nation?s service members and their families, several U.S. government agencies announced an annual pass to active duty service members and their dependents, granting free access to more than 2,000 national parks, wildlife refuges, national forests, and other public lands around the nation in the coming years.

?First Lady Michelle Obama and I started the Joining Forces initiative last year as a way to honor, recognize and support our veterans and military families,? said Dr. Jill Biden. ?This effort is a wonderful way to give something back, giving our military men and women and their families a chance to reconnect with their loved ones, experience the beauty of this country, and simply have a little fun.?

Beginning on Armed Forces Day on May 19, active duty service men and women ? Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and activated National Guard and Reserves ? can obtain the new military version of the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands Annual Pass. The pass will be accepted at National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps sites that charge entrance or standard amenity fees.

The initiative was announced today during a ceremony at Colonial National Historical Park in Yorktown, Virginia where Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Director of the National Park Service Jonathan B. Jarvis and Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) Jo-Ellen Darcy distributed the first passes to one member from each of the military?s five branches.

?Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to our service men and -women who make great sacrifices and put their lives on the lines to protect our country and preserve our freedom,? Secretary Salazar said. ?In recognition of their contributions and service, we are putting out a welcome mat for these brave men and women and their families at America?s most beautiful and storied sites.?

"Our country's iconic memorials, open spaces, and majestic landscapes provide inspiration for those serving in the military, especially those far from home," said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, whose agency oversees national forests. "In appreciation for their service, we want to encourage these men and women and their families to visit and enjoy America's wondrous lands and waterways."

"Our soldiers, sailors and airmen give so much to this country. The federal family is honored to thank them for their service by offering them an opportunity to visit the natural resources that they defend," said Assistant Secretary Darcy. "The Corps is proud to be participating in the program by accepting the America the Beautiful Military Pass at Corps recreation facilities."

Military members and their dependents can pick up a pass at any national park or wildlife refuge that charges an entrance fee or other selected sites. Members must show a current, valid military identification card to obtain their pass. The pass is also available to dependents of active duty personnel. A list of participating sites is available here.

Today?s announcement complements the Joining Forces Initiative launched by the First Lady and Dr. Biden, a national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to give service members and families the opportunities and support they have earned. In just its first year, Joining Forces has rallied American businesses to hire tens of thousands of veterans and military spouses, schools have improved educational opportunities for military children, and the medical community has vowed better care for military families.

Where there are entrance fees, the pass covers the owner and accompanying passengers in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle at recreation sites that charge per vehicle. At sites where per-person entrance fees are charged, it covers the pass owner and three accompanying adults age 16 and older. There is no entry fee for children 15 and under.

While the pass is not available to veterans and retirees, many of these individuals are eligible for other discounted passes, such as the Senior Pass, granting lifetime access to U.S. citizens over 62 for $10, and the Access Pass granting free lifetime access for permanently disabled U.S. citizens.

For more information on the pass, please visit: http://store.usgs.gov/pass/index.html.>

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About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 397 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.

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Baseball | JM 9-10, Winona 2-3

John Marshall stayed hot, taking a pair of games from Winona in Big Nine Conference baseball.

The Rockets won the first game 9-2, the second 10-3.

Ryan Lakin go the pitching win in Game 1. He allowed six hits and no earned runs.

"Ryan pitched a good game without his best stuff today," JM coach Terry Heiderscheit said. "We hit the ball well and took advantage of everything they gave us."

Kaeleb Stangler had a double and three RBIs for JM.

In the second game, it was Janek Walker getting the pitching win. He worked six innings and struck out seven.

"Janek Walker pitched very well for us in his first start of the season," Heiderscheit said.

JM finished with 12 hits in the second game.

John Marshall 9, Winona 2
First game
John Marshall#022#023#0#?#9#12#1
Winona#000#020#0#?#2#6#2
John Marshall: Jack Kall 2-for-3; Matt Broman 2-for-3, 2 RBIs; Ryan Lakin 2-for-5, 1 2B; Sammy Broman 2-for-3, 2 2B; Kaeleb Stangler 1-for-2, 1 2B, 3 RBIs. WP: Ryan Lakin 7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 K.
Winona: Hunter Kruse 2-for-3, 2 2B.

John Marshall 10, Winona 3
Second game
John Marshall#042#220#x#?#10#12#2
Winona#001#002#x#?#3#4#4
John Marshall: Aaron Grad 2-for-3; Jake Kirsch 2-for-4, 1 2B, 3 RBIs, 1 SB; Matt Broman 2-for-4; Ryan Lakin 2-for-4. WP: Janek Walker 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K.
Winona: LP: Drew Thompson.
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Almanac Online : Tonight: Atherton may act on chief's contract

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By Barbara Wood
Special to the Almanac

Atherton has released a proposed contract with acting Police Chief Ed Flint that would have him continue as chief for at least the next three years at his current salary of $14,500 per month with a housing allowance of an additional $1,200 per month and insurance and paid leave benefits.

The Atherton City Council will consider the contract at its meeting tonight, May 16, in the Council Chambers at 94 Ashfield Road in the Town Center. The contract is on the council's consent calendar, so unless a council member asks to have it discussed separately, it can be approved without discussion, along with the other items on the consent calendar.

Other benefits Chief Flint would receive in the proposed contract include four weeks of vacation per year (with 160 hours credited to start), sick leave at the level given other management employees, starting with 160 hours, and one week a year of administrative leave, with 40 hours credited.

While the contract says the town will give Chief Flint health insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, long-term disability insurance, and retirement benefits, it also says he will provide his own health insurance.

Click here to see the full proposed contract.

Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.

E-mail a friend a link to this story. -->

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