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In this issue:
Raymond L. Orbach to Address Lab Staff Today
People Today: Charles Cline Has Happy Feet
WIS Lecture Today: Guided Meditation
Conservation Tip of the Week

SLAC Today

Wednesday - May 28, 2008

(Photo - Raymond L. Orbach)
Raymond L. Orbach, photographed at the LCLS groundbreaking ceremony. (Image courtesy of Diana Rogers.)

Raymond L. Orbach
to Address Lab Staff Today

Department of Energy Under Secretary for Science Dr. Raymond L. Orbach visits SLAC today. Come join your friends and colleagues at a laboratory-wide meeting to thank Dr. Orbach for his many years of service to the laboratory and to science in the U.S.  The gathering will take place at 1:30 p.m. on SLAC's main lawn (located between the A&E Building and the Linear Café).

The event will include remarks by Persis Drell and Stanford President John Hennessy. All are encouraged to attend this special event, which will be followed by refreshments.

(Weekly Column - Profile)

Charles Cline
Has Happy Feet

Everyone has seen a movie where a crowd swarms around a pair of dancers who burn up the dance floor. Very few have lived it—but Charles Cline has.

The Scientific Computing and Computing Services (SCCS) supervisor has been dancing since he was six years old. For a period of about 10 years, when all of Cline's friends were getting married, a steady flow of wedding invitations continually arrived at his door.

"Some didn't even seem to care if I came to the wedding," he said with a laugh. "It was more that I came to the reception to dance."

At one wedding, Cline met a fellow swing dancer. He started throwing her into the air, swinging her around his back—everyone's eyes were glued to them. Cline and the woman eventually turned the reception into a half-hour swing lesson.

Swing is but one of many dances in which Cline is versed. His mother, who danced competitively, started him in ballet and tap. In college he stepped into the world of ballroom dancing. Today, the type of dancing he does depends largely on his mood.

"Music and dance are mood-based," he said. "I tend to be an upbeat person, so I lean toward the stuff that just lets me go at it, as opposed to more intricate dances."

After picking up some hip-hop moves in clubs, Cline decided to experiment with some classes. He used to teach, but doesn't have the time anymore. Now he attends classes, usually at the Dance Mission Theater in San Francisco, for fun.

"Sometimes I'll talk with people taking a class for the first time, and they feel intimidated," he said. "But once people start moving they see that ultimately it's all about fun."

Cline admits that there is a competitive element at play there as well. One of the Dance Mission Theater teachers, who does everything from old school to new school, was on the first season of "So You Think You Can Dance." People in that class are known to jockey for spots in the front row.

That's why Cline prefers to go to beginner through intermediate classes, where experienced dancers and tenderfoots alike look to learn something new while relieving some work-week stress.

"It really is an awesome stress relief," he said. "There's something about the music and dancing that's like meditation. You just let everything go."

WIS Lecture Today: Guided Meditation

(Clip art)Imagine a leisurely walk, a meadow in bloom, a mountain lake, a ripple. Then imagine yourself on a bike, descending from that tranquil spot high in the Sierra, enjoying the cool breeze.

In this afternoon's Women's Interchange at SLAC (WIS) seminar, Certified Medical Hypnotherapist Mary Horngren will invite attendees to imagine along with her through guided imagery—without even having to move a muscle. .

Join Horngren to learn how guided imagery can strengthen your immune system and safeguard your well-being. The talk, A Lunchtime Mini-Vacation:  Reduce Stress through Guided Imagery, takes place in the Panofsky Auditorium between noon and 1:00 p.m. today.

Everyone is welcome—bring your lunch and a friend! 

Conservation Tip
of the Week:
Pool and Spa Tips

Summertime will bring with it the use of pools and spas. Here are some very fundamental efficiency tips to help reduce their impacts on your energy bill. If you haven't already considered these recommendations, give them a try. You might be pleasantly surprised!

• Lower the pool or spa heater's temperature setting. Install a time clock to pre-set and minimize heating hours.

• Keep your spa or pool covered when not in use. Well-fitted pool and spa covers help prevent heat loss for energy savings of up to 50-70%. Besides helping to minimize night time heat loss, pool covers also help prevent chemical loss and water evaporation.

• Consider purchasing a solar pool cover; it uses the sun to heat the water's surface.

• Reduce pool filtering and keep automatic pool sweep time to a minimum, and schedule it for "off-peak" hours (before noon and after 6:00 p.m.). Check with your pool service technician to determine the minimum number of hours required.

• To help maintain pool heating efficiency, follow a regular program of preventive maintenance, including an annual inspection and de-liming of the heat exchanger.

• Check the accuracy of your spa's thermostat. An inaccurate thermostat can cost you hundreds of dollars each year.

• Heat your spa only when you plan to use it, allowing time for warm-up.

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