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Conservation management of rivers and wetlands under climate change – a synthesisRichard T. Kingsford
Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Australia.Email: email@example.com
Marine and Freshwater Research 62(3) 217-222 https://doi.org/10.1071/MF11029
Submitted: 6 February 2011 Accepted: 20 February 2011 Published: 18 March 2011
Dams, diversion of water, invasive species, overharvesting and pollution are degrading rivers and wetlands. Climate change may exacerbate impacts of these threats through predicted reductions in rainfall and increased temperature, decreasing flow and altering timing and variability of flow regimes. Papers in this special issue identify conservation-management strategies for wetlands and rivers through recovery of flow regimes, alteration of dam operations, protected-area management and improved governance and adaptive management. On most regulated rivers, flow regimes should be recovered by increasing environmental flows. Alteration of dam operations can also improve river health through structures on dams (e.g. fishways, multi-level offtakes), reinstating floodplains and improving flow delivery. Further, time-limited licensing for dams and accompanying regular assessments of safety and of environmental and socioeconomic impacts could improve operations. Protected areas remain the core strategy for conservation, with recent improvements in their identification and management, supported by analytical tools that integrate across large spatial and temporal scales. Finally, effective conservation requires good governance and rigorous adaptive management. Conservation management of rivers and wetlands can be significantly improved by adopting these strategies although considerable challenges remain, given increasing human pressures on freshwater resources, compounded by the impacts of climate change.
Additional keywords: adaptive management, dam operation, environmental flow, protected areas, river regulation.
The world's rivers and wetlands are degrading at an alarming rate, more than other ecosystems (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005), seriously affecting biodiversity (Dudgeon et al. 2006; Vörösmarty et al. 2010) and human-subsistence communities dependent on river flows (Lemly et al. 2000). The causes are well known widespread threats, including habitat loss and degradation, invasive species, overharvesting and pollution (Allan and Flecker 1993; Dudgeon et al. 2006), whose impacts may be altered by climate change, which is predicted to change flow regimes to rivers and wetlands (Milly et al. 2005; Bates et al. 2008; Palmer et al. 2008). Cumulative evidence of degradation, loss of ecosystem services and increasing financial burdens of dealing with ecological freshwater problems (e.g. deteriorating water quality) are forcing communities and governments to consider strategies for conservation management. These are necessarily intertwined with water-management objectives for human requirements, often the cause of degradation.
Conservation-management objectives for freshwater ecosystems, particularly for highly regulated rivers where there is extraction, usually have to compete with a legacy of water-resource development for water supply and hydroelectricity generation from rivers, which continues to dominate decision-making on rivers (Vörösmarty et al. 2000). Inevitably, conservation management of rivers and wetlands needs to extend well beyond the traditional approach of management of protected areas, communities and species, including those with threatened status. It has to deal with protection or recovery of flow regimes, complicated by effects of climate change. Until recently, water management has assumed that rainfall fluctuates within historical limits of variability, an assumption that has demonstrably failed with climate change (Milly et al. 2008). Climate change is projected to alter runoff and water availability by 2050, increasing at high latitudes by 10–40% and decreasing over dry regions by 10–30%, as well as increasing extremes of dry and wet periods (IPCC 2007). This will particularly affect wetlands and rivers predicted to become drier and may also offer opportunities where runoff and water availability are predicted to increase. Regulated river basins are predicted to be affected more than free-flowing river basins (Palmer et al. 2008). Although other threats to freshwater ecosystems can be substantial, modification of flow regimes remains the most widespread problem for rivers and wetlands. In this special issue, 10 papers examine threats facing rivers and wetlands and outline conservation-management strategies, including recovery of flow regimes, alteration of dam operations, management of protected areas, and effective governance and adaptive management. Here, I synthesise the different perspectives on conservation-management strategies for wetlands and rivers, given increasing effects of climate change.
Interaction of climate change and other threats
Temperatures are rising and contributing to a changing climate, altering relationships among rainfall, runoff and flows to surface and groundwater systems and increasing aridity of river basins (Milly et al. 2005; IPCC 2007). Predicted patterns in global rainfall patterns are considerably uncertain (Bates et al. 2008). In Mediterranean rivers, temperatures are increasing whereas rainfall is decreasing (Hermoso and Clavero 2011). The timing, magnitude and frequency of rainfall or snowmelt in many catchments is predicted to change (Bates et al. 2008; Milliman et al. 2008; Klausmeyer and Shaw 2009; Palmer et al. 2009; Viers and Rheinheimer 2011), with increasing temperatures predicted to augment flows early in spring as snowpacks melt and produce flow reductions in summer (Aldous et al. 2011). This inevitably increases availability of aquatic habitat downstream in spring, and reduces this habitat in summer.
Environmental envelopes or niches for biota will change with climate change. High temperatures and changes to hydrologic regimes may exceed tolerances of some aquatic biota (e.g. reduced perenniality, increased water temperatures of mountain streams, Palmer et al. 2009; Turak et al. 2011; Viers and Rheinheimer 2011). With reduced rainfall from climate change, there will be increased drying of rivers and wetlands (Herron et al. 2002), and this will be exacerbated by decreasing durations of flooding caused by rising air temperatures, compounding effects of flow reductions from regulation. Such effects will not be as severe as the impacts of river regulation (Lester et al. 2011). There are already major regime shifts in many aquatic ecosystems from changes to flow produced by river regulation (Gordon et al. 2008). Increased fragmentation provides opportunities for weed invasion. For example, the prostrate-growing plant lippia, Phyla canescens, has invaded and established almost mono-specific stands in parts of the Macquarie Marshes and Gwydir wetlands as a result of reductions in flooding (Whalley et al. 2010).
For coastal rivers and wetlands, sea-level rises are likely to affect freshwater wetland systems, as intruding seawater tips low-lying coastal freshwater wetlands into an alternate state (i.e. from freshwater to estuarine or marine, Turak et al. 2011). Obligate freshwater species will be replaced by more marine-tolerant biota as the sea invades these freshwater ecosystems (Kingsford et al. 2011a). Impacts of pollution are also likely to increase if freshwater flows decrease to rivers and wetlands (Palmer et al. 2009; Hermoso and Clavero 2011). For example, acidity and salinity increased considerably above natural levels on the Ramsar-listed Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth wetland of the Murray–Darling Basin, with reductions in freshwater flows (Kingsford et al. 2011a).
Strategies for conservation management
Conservation management should vary with the nature and scale of threats across a catchment. Effects of invasive species, pollution and overharvesting usually demand a local focus. Protection and rehabilitation of flow regimes represents the greatest challenge for conservation of most rivers and wetlands. Opportunities to protect free-flowing rivers and tributaries should be implemented wherever possible to increase catchment-scale resilience (Palmer et al. 2008; Pittock and Finlayson 2011; Viers and Rheinheimer 2011). Also, with burgeoning human populations and increased dry periods and more-severe flooding with climate change, demands to develop water resources will continue (e.g. Okavango River Basin, Milzow et al. 2009). Environmental impacts should be adequately assessed across ecological and socioeconomic dimensions (e.g. flooding of agricultural land; impacts on fisheries; Gleick 2003). Conservation-management strategies to improve flow regimes include recovery of flow regimes, alteration of dam operations, protected-area management, and governance and adaptive management (Table 1).
Recovery of flow regimes
River regulation by dams and weirs and floodplain earthworks has fragmented hydrological and ecological processes (Nilsson et al. 2005), often severing or restricting connectivity to rivers and wetlands (Lemly et al. 2000; Kingsford et al. 2006). Consequently, recovery of flow regimes has become a key strategy for conservation, partly recovered by increasing environmental flows (Arthington et al. 2006). At their minimum, environmental flows are defined as water remaining in rivers after extraction for human use (e.g. Mediterranean rivers, Hermoso and Clavero 2011); however, there is increasing understanding that most current environmental flows inadequately sustain downstream ecosystems in highly regulated river basins (Aldous et al. 2011; Kingsford et al. 2011a). Legal recognition of environmental flows remains an important first step, albeit not universally recognised (Hermoso and Clavero 2011).
Environmental flows need to be established in all regulated rivers and increased considerably to meet legislated conservation obligations (Table 1). For example, the Murray–Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) estimated that full ecological sustainability of the Murray–Darling Basin rivers would require increased annual environmental flows of an average of 7600 GL; however, MDBA recommended 3000–4000 GL because of the likely socioeconomic impact (MDBA 2010). Given the limited water for environmental flows available in many rivers, environmental flows will need to focus on key ecosystems and processes (Table 1). Sophisticated modelling tools, applicable at large spatial and long temporal scales, will be critical for decision-making, linking hydrology to ecology and socioeconomic indicators (Table 1). Such modelling is often constrained by relatively poor fine-scale climate-prediction models, with few river basins having adequate numerical models (Aldous et al. 2011).
Alteration of dam operations
Conservation-management strategies focussed on alteration of dam operations can improve environmental outcomes for rivers and wetlands (Palmer et al. 2008; Table 1). Flow regimes of regulated rivers are managed, largely through the operation of dam storage and release and downstream weirs, and by reregulating storages. Traditionally, the building of dams and their operation in the catchment have focussed on providing water for human uses and not for the environment. Increasingly, climate change, through predicted increased rainfall variability, intensification and reduction, will require evaluation of dam safety around the world, particularly assessing their ability to cope with increased frequency of large flood events (Bates et al. 2008). This may be a catalyst to re-examination of safety risks of dams, including operating air spaces and pre-releases (Pittock and Hartmann 2011). Many thousands of dams require maintenance each year as they age and lose efficiency and this provides an opportunity to assess whether such structures still meet their purposes through establishment of a relicensing framework (Pittock and Hartmann 2011). The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in the USA operates ~1000 hydropower dams, with time-limited licensing and accompanying socioeconomic and environmental assessment (Pittock and Hartmann 2011; Viers and Rheinheimer 2011), resulting in dam removal and refurbishments to reduce environmental impacts. In the Klamath basin, a proposed restoration agreement provides for removal of four hydroelectric dams (Aldous et al. 2011).
Climatic changes and resulting altered flow regimes can also force re-examination of river operations (Viers and Rheinheimer 2011), including modifying dams with structures to improve biodiversity conservation (Table 1). These can include building multi-level offtakes to overcome thermal pollution downstream (Pittock and Hartmann 2011; Viers and Rheinheimer 2011) and fishways to improve fish passage. Some dams (e.g. Burrendong Dam, Macquarie River, Australia) have limitations on the quantity of environmental flow that can be released, constraining environmental-flow management; this could be rectified by increasing the size of the outlet. Also, different dam and river operations (e.g. linking dams, aquifer storage) can deliver environmental benefits, more closely mimicking natural flow regimes without necessarily affecting allocations of water to consumers and the environment (Watts et al. 2011). Such flows can target geomorphic and ecological processes and aquatic species (Table 1). Reinstating connectivity to wetlands such as natural floodplains can also mitigate effects of floods (Table 1). For example, in the Savannah River (USA), bypassing the city of Augusta in times of high flow events could restructure and rehabilitate floodplain habitats and reduce flood damage (Aldous et al. 2011). Operational changes may require purchase of floodplain easements to allow for periodic flooding.
There may also be opportunities to reregulate flows to mimic the natural flow regime once water has passed through a sequence of dams for hydroelectricity generation, using the most downstream dam to reregulate towards a more natural flow regime (Table 1). Sometimes structural modifications to distributary systems and installation of pumps are required. For example, a large pump on the River Murray transfers water into slightly modified natural channels that deliver environmental flows to Hattah Lakes on the River Murray, whereas changes to weir levels can raise river heights sufficiently to allow inundation of downstream floodplain forests (Aldous et al. 2011).
Protected-area management
Many protected freshwater areas are in decline, failing to meet basic objectives for conservation, largely because of effects of water-resource management (Hermoso and Clavero 2011; Kingsford et al. 2011a; Pittock and Finlayson 2011). Where climate change reduces flows, the problems will be exacerbated (Hermoso and Clavero 2011; Lester et al. 2011). The gazettal of protected areas, often accompanied by listing as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, remains a core conservation strategy, applicable across rivers with flow regimes ranging from free-flowing to highly regulated. The key problem with protected-area management is the lack of control over the flow regime, which underpins a freshwater protected area's resilience. Without protection of flows, resilience of freshwater protected areas will fail as upstream water-resource development increases or flow decreases further with climate change.
Traditionally, conservation management of ecosystems and biota has relied on a protected-area approach; however, there is increasing realisation that mitigation of catchment processes remains the fundamental challenge for effective conservation management of rivers and wetlands. Protected-area status ascribes conservation responsibility to government, usually through its conservation agency, with associated legislative responsibilities. Protected-area gazettal and management often represents the most obvious government commitment to conservation, even though inclusion of freshwater ecosystems may be incidental to scenic or terrestrial landscapes (Kingsford et al. 2011b; Viers and Rheinheimer 2011). After key freshwater habitats are identified, they can be protected formally or become targets for the management of threatening processes and environmental flows. Priorities for protection should be refugia, key habitats and dispersal corridors for aquatic species, given the projected impacts of climate change (Turak et al. 2011). On free-flowing rivers, protected areas can become an important node for assessing impacts of upstream development (Kingsford et al. 1998). Even where threat management is not effective (e.g. as a result of river regulation and extraction upstream), building evidence of degradation of freshwater protected areas can become a powerful incentive for governments to commit resources (e.g. Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth, Kingsford et al. 2011a). Protected wetland systems have become the key focus for increased environmental flows in the Murray–Darling Basin (MDBA 2010; Kingsford et al. 2011a; Pittock and Finlayson 2011) where flow requirements may be defined by flooding requirements of ecosystem components (e.g. good condition of river red gum forests, Aldous et al. 2011; Pittock and Finlayson 2011).
Increasing the number of rivers and wetlands in the protected-area network should be a priority (Table 1), given their under-representation in the protected-area network (Kingsford et al. 2004; Aldous et al. 2011; Hermoso and Clavero 2011). Thus, a key aim must be to produce a comprehensive, adequate, representative and efficient protected-area system where conservation objectives are maximised (Fitzsimons and Robertson 2005; Nel et al. 2009, 2011). Conservation-planning tools exist to determine the effectiveness of current and future protected-area networks in protection of biodiversity; however; increased investment is required to build the biological databases that underpin these quantitative approaches (Table 1). For example, limited data on the spatial and temporal distribution of freshwater biodiversity limit application of conservation planning in Sierra Nevada (Viers and Rheinheimer 2011). Traditionally, divergent scientific and assessment fields have existed for environmental-flow management and protected-area identification and designation; however, conservation-planning algorithms can also link to flow assessments (Nel et al. 2011).
Governance and adaptive management
Ultimately, political will and successful integration of the plethora of legislative tools and responsibilities for river and wetland management will determine whether there is improved conservation management of freshwater ecosystems. Increasingly, governments are engaged in major freshwater-rehabilitation initiatives (e.g. Murray–Darling Basin in Australia (MDBA 2010; Kingsford et al. 2011a; Pittock and Finlayson 2011) and European rivers through the Natura 2000 network (Hermoso and Clavero 2011)). The watershed or catchment scale for management remains the key spatial framework, although some strategies can apply within sub-basins (Table 1). Catchments often transcend political boundaries, increasing the number of institutions and legislative instruments water-management interests, including competing water-resource development and conservation objectives which are seldom resolved (Kingsford et al. 2011a; Hermoso and Clavero 2011; Viers and Rheinheimer 2011). Further, laws and regulations for conservation management of freshwater ecosystems are often badly implemented (Viers and Rheinheimer 2011) or poorly developed (Hermoso and Clavero 2011). For effective conservation management, implementation of existing legislation related to protection of free-flowing rivers, adequate environmental assessment and reduction of impacts of regulatory structures are critical (Table 1). Ultimately, integration of different governance, legislative and regulatory frameworks is essential for effective conservation (Table 1). Strategic adaptive management planning offers some opportunities; however, these have seldom been realised (Poff et al. 2003; Kingsford et al. 2011b).
High-level conservation objectives usually exist for protected areas and some river systems; however, it is often difficult to determine whether these are achieved and so there is a lack of accountability. Strategic adaptive management provides a useful framework that provides for stakeholder engagement and involvement. It links high-level objectives to targets, indicators and thresholds of potential concern to management, promoting transparency and accountability in management, underpinned by ongoing learning (Biggs and Rogers 2003; Kingsford et al. 2011b; Table 1). A key objective for improving conservation is increased cooperation among scientists, managers and other stakeholders (Poff et al. 2003), although performing experiments at the catchment scale remains largely unachievable (Kingsford et al. 2011b). Strategic adaptive management should begin with stakeholders involved in determining the desired condition for a particular river and wetland and then deriving objectives for its long-term planning and management (Kingsford et al. 2011b). Such a framework can also be applied to dam operations (Viers and Rheinheimer 2011; Watts et al. 2011). It also aims to avoid tipping points for alteration of states, potentially by predicting change using available data and models and effecting appropriate management. Effective implementation requires commitment by managing organisations and rigorous application of hierarchical planning, testing of management and reporting on effectiveness by measuring and modelling ecosystem responses to conservation management (Table 1).
There are many factors degrading rivers and wetlands; however, the most pervasive and deleterious is alteration of flow regimes, primarily driven by appropriation of freshwater for human use, considerably exceeding any effects of climate change on flow regimes (Vörösmarty et al. 2000, 2010; Lester et al. 2011). Predicted climate-change impacts offer increased challenges for drying systems and prospects for flow improvements where flows may increase.
Recovery of environmental flows and alteration of dam operations provide clear opportunities for proactive conservation of rivers and wetlands, given the uncertainties around impacts of climate change. Protected-area management will remain a key conservation strategy for influencing conservation management; however, long-term resilience depends ultimately on ensuring that flow regimes are improved or protected. The governance and adaptive management frameworks remain the key mechanism providing the institutional impetus for improving conservation management, accompanied by improved modelling of scenarios. Strategic adaptive management can provide practical mechanisms for implementation involving stakeholders, integrating legislative and policy tools, engaging science and imposing accountability on management. The conservation strategies outlined in this special issue can improve the poor state of the world's rivers and wetlands; however, implementation will require considerable effort and focus.
The genesis of this special issue was a meeting of freshwater scientists at Goolwa, at the mouth of the Murray–Darling Basin, in 2009, supported by the Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre, the Water Initiative at the Australian National University and Australian Government Department of Environment Water, Heritage and the Arts. Participants identified the need for a focussed treatment of the challenges in managing rivers and wetlands, given increasing effects of climate change and the widespread effects of other factors. I thank two anonymous referees for comments on a draft of this manuscript and Andrew Boulton for editorial oversight of this special issue and Leanne Hamilton for ongoing support.
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Wellons Inc is located at 14440 SW Tualatin Sherwood Rd, Sherwood, OR. This location is in the Sherwood - Tualatin North neighborhood. This business specializes in Manufacturing & Industrial Supplies.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tom Hanks
Tyler Hoechlin
Paul Newman
Jude Law
Daniel Craig
Stanley Tucci
Jennifer Jason Leigh
Liam Aiken
Dylan Baker
Kevin Chamberlain
Sam Mendes
|"May you get to Heaven an hour before the Devil knows you're dead."
|Time: 134 mins.
Rating: R
Official Website
Genre: Crime Drama
Won Academy Award for Best Cinematography. Nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Newman), Sound Editing, Sound, Score and Art Direction.
A stunningly orchestrated endeavor that leads to nowhere new. Unless one finds eternal good guy Hanks' switch to the dark side a compelling enough reason to trudge out to the cineplex. Since he is one of the best actors of his generation, I was sure he'd be able to pull off the transformation without much of a problem. The big question everyone in the media is raising is will audiences buy him as a cold-blooded killer? Well, yes. He's not playing Hannibal for God's sake. The film's time and place the winter of 1931 outside Chicago - allows him to hold the job of hired gun, making his actions seem just part of the fabric of everyday life in Prohibition America. His inherent goodness deepens a somewhat limited role, giving Michael Sullivan an edge of honor he would certainly not have had otherwise. Hanks is far from likable here, yet that's to be expected. He ends up being the hero of the piece, as the only man who keeps his word, but that's not saying much. He is a man hardened by the life he led and he lets his guns do the talking. However, by keeping the actual blood and guts to a minimum, the film distances Hanks from the brutality and allows us to not completely hate him.
His measured performance is a joy to behold, yet not enough to save the film as a whole. Though the film is emotionally complex, the story is fairly anemic with no mystery and even less suspense. Sure, there are plenty of gun battles on dark, rain-soaked streets, but the lack of forward momentum causes the film to drag most of the way. What sets the story in motion is a late night rendezvous gone bad in front of the prying eyes of Sullivan's 12-year-old son Michael. He and the boss's son Connor (Craig) were just supposed to talk, but Connor couldn't stop himself from putting a bullet in the head of their business partner. His father John Rooney (Newman), the man who raised Michael Sr. and rules their hometown, is far from pleased with his son's uncontrollable temper, yet does nothing about it. He loves Michael, but his loyalty is to his real son. He believes that Sullivan can keep the boy from talking. However, Conner deals with the situation by taking out the Sullivans without his father's permission. All he gains is a price on his head. One Michael Sullivan is going to stop at nothing to collect.
Forced to run, Sullivan and son race to Chicago in order to appeal to the big men at the top of the organization. They, however, are not willing to help him with his vendetta. Their loyalty is to the Rooneys. They are unwilling to anger a powerful business partner, despite the facts, to placate a hired hand's sense of injustice. They work in a dangerous business that sometimes takes the lives of innocent people. The meeting makes several thing clear to Michael, that he's on his own and is now a hunted man. The only way to protect his son is to eliminate his enemies, one by one. The only way to get the information he seeks where Conner is hiding is to hit them where it hurts in their pockets. His son, who only wanted to learn more about his father, gets his wish in spades. During their 6 weeks on the road, fighting for their future, Michael Jr. comes to understand the man he once feared, even if he doesn't quite respect his choices. All he wants is a simple life, one where he's loved by his father, where they start fresh away from all the death and violence. This wish is not meant to be. Sullivan eventually gets his revenge, but the price turns out to be higher than he hoped.
While grabbing at the heart, the plot just doesn't have enough meat to create a fully gripping picture. The relationships, between Hanks, Hoechlin and Newman, bristle with unstated love and overwhelming regret. It's the quiet scenes, where loyalty comes into play, that pack the most power. The gun battles are well-staged, but lack excitement because we know that Hanks is going to come out the winner. Mendes has proven, once again, that he's a cinematic force to be reckoned with. He manages to not only get the best actors in his films, but coaxes wonderfully nuanced performances from them as well. Not a tough job where Hanks and Newman are concerned, but he gets a great turn from newcomer Hoechlin. If we don't like the kid, the whole film goes down the toilet. We need to hope for his future, that he doesn't turn out just like his father. His character matures as the film progresses and you can see it in his eyes and body language. Hoechlin has a tough job and he nails it. Jude Law steals the show here as the degenerate hit man/corpse photographer sent to take out the Sullivans. A wildly gifted young actor, he seems to care more for the uniqueness of a role than the marquee value. He's a force to be reckoned with that makes every movie he's in, including this one, more interesting by his mere presence. This is a film of men, so don't expect much from Leigh. Her part is window dressing at best. Why she would take it is beyond me.
Despite the good acting, I think the only person who's going to be picking up awards early next year is cinematographer Conrad Hall. His use of light, color and composition is extraordinary, making this rather stale story a work of art. Combined with the production design and direction, this film looks a hell of a lot better than it plays. It's simply gorgeous. Much like O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU?, the film truly captures a sense of time and place that transports you away from the present into a whole different world. Films this stylized are rare these days, which is a horrible shame. This is what the medium is intended to be. Thomas Newman also deserves mention for his haunting, lyrical, pitch-perfect score. He hit all the right notes, adding to the excitement and giving the film an additional layer of complexity. ROAD TO PERDITION is a serious treat for those tired of the usual summer mind candy, but that's mainly due to style more than substance. It has a lot to say about the nature of man, the unconditional love of parents for their children and the ultimate corruption of power, though none of it very original. If you like the actors and genre, this is a decent way to pass the time. However, you won't remember it in the morning.


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|This information is provided free of charge by the Department of Industrial Relations from its web site at www.dir.ca.gov. These regulations are for the convenience of the user and no representation or warranty is made that the information is current or accurate. See full disclaimer at http://www.dir.ca.gov/od_pub/disclaimer.html.
|New Query
In any case that has been regularly assigned to a workers' compensation judge, the judge shall have full power, jurisdiction and authority to hear and determine all issues of fact and law presented and to issue any interim, interlocutory and final orders, findings, decisions and awards as may be necessary to the full adjudication of the case, including the fixing of the amount of the bond required in Labor Code section 3715. Orders, findings, decisions and awards issued by a workers' compensation judge shall be the orders, findings, decisions and awards of the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board unless reconsideration is granted.
A workers' compensation judge or a deputy commissioner may issue writs or summons, warrants of attachment, warrants of commitment and all necessary process in proceedings for direct and hybrid contempt in a like manner and to the same extent as courts of record.
Authority cited: Sections 133 and 5307, Labor Code. Reference: Sections 121, 134, 5309 and 5310, Labor Code.
1. Amendment exempt from OAL review pursuant to Government Code section 11351 filed 12-19-90; operative 1-1-91 (Register 91, No. 7).
2. Amendment of first paragraph filed 12-19-2002; operative 1-1-2003. Submitted
to OAL for printing only pursuant to Government Code section 11351 (Register
2002, No. 51).


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Free Competitions: Win Your Dream Room Worth £10k
If one of the rooms in your house could do with a facelift then enter this competition and it could be transformed into your dream room.
Just enter your details before 30 April 2011.
To go in the room of your dreams you're going to need a brand new 'uber comfy' sofa worth £1000.
Simply fill in the form before 28 February 2011.
Along with your new room and sofa, I'm sure a brand new home entertainment system wouldn't be sniffed at.
Just vote for your favourite game and fill in your details before 14 March 2011 and all of this could be yours: 1x 40"Widescreen TV, 1x Xbox 360 250GB Console, 1x Kinect with Kinect Adventures, 1x Xbox Live Gold 12 Month Subscription, 1x 4200 Xbox LIVE Points Card, 1x Extra Wireless Controller, 1x HDMI Cable, Several top Kinect games and 10x Xbox 360 games.
If Kindles are the new way, then what's going to happen to the 'coffee table' book?? Coffee tables just won't look the same with a single 3G and wifi enabled Kindle sitting on it!
Register and log in, then give the answer - which is Jeff Bridges - all before 21 February 2011.
Thanks to bilbobagenz, David18 and Jedi Master at HUKD
TOPICS: Community Favourites


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|Half Baths
|1,800 sq. ft.
|Property type
|Minimum Stay
|2 - 3 nights
Lower level three bedroom condominium. Located in the Desert Falls Country Club a safe gated community. The country club has 25 swimming pools most that have been refurbished. There is a complete fitness gym, tennis courts and racquetball courts. Desert Falls Country Club has one of the best golf courses in the desert. This 18 hole championship golf course is designed by Ron Frehm. Enjoy the clubhouse to complete your experience.
Located on the bottom floor this newly refurnished condo has fresh paint and new carpet throughout the home. Right out front of the patio is the pool with a beautiful view of the desert mountains. The living room has a brand new 50 inch HD/LCD television.
The master bedroom is spacious with a king size bed and a 32 inch HDTV. With large walk-in closets with custom built ins. The master bathroom has a heated jet tub.
Each separate bedrooms have comfortable beds with cable TV.
Keywords: 3 Bedrooms, spacious, lower floor,
We purchased our condo to have a place to go with our girls to relax. We have 2 daughters that are very involved in sports and school. I'm a stay at home mom that volunteers my time on the PTA and our city league softball board.
Beth & Scott Dalton purchased this condo in 2008
We had a wonderful stay in this property. It was spotless and comfortable with all amenities you might need. The sun shines in all the living areas and master bedroom where there are lovely views of the pool and the mountains off in the distance. The kitchen is well stocked with al the conveniences. The heated pool and spa just steps from the patio seemed like our private pool as so few units shared it. The grassy lawn and grounds are beautifully maintained. We walked every morning on the quiet streets of Desert Falls. Although the property is close to major streets making it very easy to get to restaurants, grocery stores, and shopping, you do not hear traffic. We have stayed at numerous VRBO properties and this is one of the best!
We very much enjoyed our stay in this great condo. The pool was about 15 steps from the patio and was lovely and clean. We enjoyed lunch on the north facing patio every day. I walked every morning within the grounds and golf course and felt very safe and loved looking at the beautiful surroundings. Definitely a great choice for a relaxing sun filled week.
wonderful place with terrific views of the mountains. we absolutely enjoyed our stay in this 3 bedroom condo. it was very clean and comfortable. the area is beautiful and the facilities are abundant. the owners are super friendly and very customer oriented. you cant miss on this one. don't hesitate.
We spent an amazing weekend with family in this spacious condo. The condo had everything we could've possibly needed. The pool and spa were right off the patio and felt like it was for our own private use. The gas bbq was a nice bonus, we were able to relax and enjoy a nice day of bbq'ing and swimming. There was plenty of room for our three families to enjoy watching tv, playing games and hanging out. Everything was so nice and clean, and the property was well maintained. The owner was such a pleasure and very helpful. This condo was so nice, we felt like we were in our own home! We look forward to many more family vacations here.
Our stay here was amazing. Everything was just as it looked on line, if not better. My family came here for a family reunion near by and to spend some time together just hanging out for the weekend. The house is nicely decorated and well stocked with all your needs for having a great vacation. The pool was nice and clean, very quiet and right outside your back door. We cant wait to come back again, thank you so much for letting us use your place to build great memories!
We stayed for 3 weeks in this spacious, comfortable unit. Recently remodeled with a great gas fireplace and big screen TV. It was well stocked and felt just like home. Very conveniently located by the pool and hot tub. Close to shopping and restuarants. Perfect getaway!
|Refundable damage deposit
|Cleaning Fee
|Tax Rate


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Francis Duggan
Valentina's Sixtieth - Poem by Francis Duggan
Valentina's Solodky's sixtieth birthday she surely does not look her age
She is such a wonderful lady the whole World one might say is her stage
She looks more like one in her forties so happy and bright and carefree
She is such a fun loving person and none more engaging than she.
She has a passion for line dancing and she could dance without tiring all night
And so much to like about Valentina at her worst she is cheery and bright
At her best she is blissfully happy the life of every party one might say
Let us drink a toast to Valentina today is her sixtieth birthday.
Today October 29th Valentina is sixty of the occasion she will make the most
And her friends and her relations and her family to her surely will drink a toast
And sing to her a happy birthday she will make the most of her night
The happy go lucky Valentina so cheerful and bubbly and bright.
Today is Valentina's birthday she looks only fifty at most
Her family and her friends and relations to her surely will drink a toast
And she will enjoy her birthday party she surely will line dance and sing
For she is the life of every party since happiness with her she bring
Comments about Valentina's Sixtieth by Francis Duggan
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Francis Duggan's Other Poems
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If You Forget Me
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Caged Bird
Maya Angelou
Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Robert Frost
Rudyard Kipling
I Do Not Love You Except Because I Love You
Pablo Neruda


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Out Youth Program for LGBTQ youth and allies ages 13-18
Our Youth Program is Out Boulder County's social and educational space for LGBTQ youth and their allies ages 13-18. Our goal is to connect LGBTQ youth to each other while we educate each other about LGBTQ history, current events, and larger social issues. We also use art to express our spectrum of identities and explore everything about ourselves, including our identities.
In addition to our weekly and bi-weekly groups, we also offer special events, including the annual LGBTQQ and Allies Youth Dance in May and Night of Noise Youth Summit. These events are coordinated and planned by paid Youth Interns. We also manage Youth and Family Areas at Longmont Pride (June) and Boulder Pride (September).
All Programs are FREE and open to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Allied Youth between the ages of 13 and 18.
Are you an adult interested in leading an arts activity? Email Desi at email@example.com to discuss opportunities.
You can find a full list of our youth programming below:
2nd and 4th Mondays from 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Transgender and Gender Expansive Youth Group (Ages 13 - 18)
Tuesdays from 4:00 to 5:30 PM
Art and Activism LGBTQ Youth Group (Ages 13 - 18)
Tuesdays from 6:00 to 7:30 PM
Queer Creative LGBTQ Group (Ages 18 - 25)
Thursdays from 4:00 to 6:00 PM
Longmont LGBTQ Youth Group (Ages 13 - 18)
Based on the best practices resiliency model, the goal of Out Boulder County's youth programming is to help youth thrive and flourish in their personal lives and in the broader community, now and in the future. Out Youth offers opportunities for leadership, social justice education, advocacy, volunteerism, social events, and special projects.
Our youth program is geneously funded by the Buck Foundation and the City of Boulder's Youth Opportunity Fund.


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Unless you are one of the lucky few, chances are your dog or cat has suffered from fleas. And with fleas seemingly running rampant in the summer months, now is the time to really buckle down on your pet's flea treatment. Not only are flea bites bothersome and itchy for your pet, but they can actually carry disease or cause skin infections due to overzealous scratching. Of course treating fleas is easier said than done, often proving to be a frustrating, uphill battle. However with a little dedication and a few helpful tips, you can get rid of that pesky, unwanted visitor for good.
CoolSavings © 1997 - 2017, All Rights Reserved Site Map


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Luck 'Phenomenal' in Stanford's Victory
STANFORD, Calif. - He was wet and weary. But on this rainy Saturday night, Andrew Luck also was a winner. Of a football game, a traditional game that means as much to him as - maybe more than - the Heisman Trophy he might not win.
Whether Luck helped or hurt his chances for that individual prize is up to the observers and then the voters, but the only thing that concerned him was Stanford beating Cal in the 114th Big Game, if only 31-28, which might be considered a negative for a 17½-point favorite.
Yet there was Luck with his teammates as the trophy in the nation's sixth-oldest collegiate football rivalry, the old fireman's ax now mounted on a plaque, was hauled over to the end zone where the Stanford students stood and cheered.
A week ago, Luck and Stanford took a beating on the same field, run through and over - and intercepted twice - by an Oregon team that seemed unbeatable. Then everything had turned.
Up north in Eugene, USC, perhaps the best team in the West though ineligible for postseason competition, defeated Oregon. And not long after, Stanford beat Cal.
Add that to the losses by Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, and maybe Stanford, now 10-1 with Notre Dame to play next week, could be selected for the BCS Championship Game, or at worst one of the other BCS bowls.
Luck seemed out of luck early, completing only one of his first five passes, one of those passes turning into his third interception in two games. But as he pointed out, interceptions and incompletions are part of football.
Also part of football, when Luck is at quarterback, is production when required.
"You're going to make mistakes,'' said Luck, a man who makes very few, "and better to have them at the beginning than at the end of the game."
Luck was 8-for-15 in the first half. Luck was 8-for-10 for 216 yards and two touchdowns in the third quarter. When it was over, when Stanford and Luck had started a new winning streak, if a modest one-game streak after their 17-gamer was torched by Oregon, Luck was 20 of 30 for 257 yards, the two touchdowns and one pick.
When it was over, Luck and Stanford were satisfied they had effaced the disappointment of a week earlier.
"It was great,'' said Luck. "I guess the best medicine is football."
In the last two seasons, Stanford has lost only twice, if large, both to Oregon. In the last two seasons, Stanford has swept Cal, located across the salty waters of San Francisco Bay. That after losing to the Golden Bears in 2009, when Luck was a redshirt freshman.
"It means a lot to beat Cal,'' said Luck, who surely has played his final game against the Bears. If he doesn't turn pro, and if he isn't the first pick in next April's NFL draft, then those little cable cars don't climb halfway to the stars up the interstate in San Francisco.
Friends but also enemies. Cal and Stanford respect each other, but as Luck, who despite growing up in Germany and then Houston understands the rivalry, said, "But that doesn't mean we have to like each other."
There have been brawls. There have been assaults of the field by students. There was that never-to-be-forgotten 1982 game when Cal's Kevin Moen scored on the five-lateral kickoff return with no time on the clock and crashed into trombone player Gary Player, who along with the Stanford band had marched into the end zone.
This time there was just determined football, Cal, the massive underdog, coming within a field goal of an upset it could not quite earn.
"They played a heck of a game,'' Luck said of the Cal defense. "Give them credit."
First-year Stanford coach David Shaw, the man who replaced Jim Harbaugh, now the rookie coaching genius for the San Francisco 49ers, had no hesitation giving credit to Luck. Not exactly a shock.
"Andrew was phenomenal,'' said Shaw. "Not just in running and throwing the ball, but once again in dictating the plays that we run and that we have."
Which, of course, is what intelligent, skilled quarterbacks do, especially intelligent, skilled quarterbacks whose fathers played in the NFL, administered NFL Europe and became athletic director at West Virginia, as did Andrew's dad, Oliver Luck.
You grow up around the game, within the game, and you learn the nuances, as Peyton and Eli Manning from their father Archie. Maybe it's osmosis. Maybe it's a desire to make the old man proud.
Oliver Luck, as we understand, is very proud. The Stanford community - you should have seen Andrew slapping hands with ball boys, teammates and anyone near him - is very proud.
"It wasn't pretty,'' said David Shaw, "but doggone it, we fought to the end and got the win."
That's all Andrew Luck wanted.


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[atlas] management access...?
Nigel Titley nigel.titley at easynet.com
Mon Dec 16 16:23:25 CET 2013
Speaking with my Board hat on at the moment, I do not want to wake up one morning and read the headline "RIPE NCC deploys world's largest botnet" Keep them simple, keep them safe Nigel -----Original Message----- From: ripe-atlas-bounces at ripe.net [mailto:ripe-atlas-bounces at ripe.net] On Behalf Of Robert Kisteleki Sent: 16 December 2013 15:14 To: Gert Doering Cc: ripe-atlas at ripe.net Subject: Re: [atlas] management access...? Hi Gert, > Better diagnostics at the atlas dashboard would have helped me, too, > but for cases like "I think I have network by my DNS isn't working" or > "I think I have network but can't connect to my controllers" errors, > local data might still be beneficial. This is reasonable, but it leads to a place where probes *do* run services that are open to "all". I guess it's possible to redefine "all" to be "my local network" or "the same /24 or /64 as the probe" or such, but that adds complexity and I'd be reluctant to go that way. What we're trying to do is what you describe above -- based on signals sent by the probe we're trying to give useful clues to the hosts about what's going on. We can look at the current diagnostics and see if we already squeeze out as much diagnostics as possible. We also plan to include IPv6 PMTU problems, broken local resolvers and such in an upcoming iteration. Regards, Robert


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Saracens flanker Jacques Burger named Aviva Premiership Player of the Month
Saracens flanker Jacques Burger has been named Aviva Premiership Player of the Month for September.
Last Updated: 14/10/13 4:19pm
The powerful Namibian has started the season in sparkling form, playing a pivotal role in Sarries almost managing the perfect month.
Mark McCall's side won all four of their Premiership games and only once failed to claim a bonus point as they opened up a six-point lead over Northampton at the top of the table.
Former England scrum-half and Aviva ambassador Austin Healey said: "Jacques has been simply outstanding in September.
"He has played with a hunger that can only be born out of a frustrating 18 months of injury.
"Both he and Saracens should be very proud of sticking through what I'm sure will have been dark times whilst getting back to full fitness."
Saracens remain the only unbeaten side in the top flight and are also the joint-leading try scorers on 14 along with the Saints and Leicester.
Burger claimed the September award ahead of Northampton centre Luther Burrell and Bath outside-half George Ford.


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2011 NFL Patriots Season: Brady Putting Up Huge Yards, Enough to Win Super Bowl?October 6, 2011
Tom Brady is off to his best statistical start in his career, and yet the Patriots are 3-1. In 2007, Brady put up similar numbers, and went 16-0 before losing in the Super Bowl. In 2001, Brady put up sub-average numbers, but the Patriots had a strong run game and defense that propelled them to a Superbowl victory. The same remains true in 2003 and in 2004. Last year, Brady put up huge numbers as well and the Patriots went 14-2 before falling to the Jets in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs.
There should be a visible pattern here. Huge passing seasons do not translate into Super Bowls for the Patriots. After the loss against the Bills, it seemed as if the Patriots realized that. They don't need to put up huge yards to win. They just need to be productive and hold on to the ball.
This all starts with the running game: Against the Raiders, the Patriots began to integrate Steven Ridley into the offense which is seemingly already paying huge dividends. The Patriots easily disposed of the game, and although it wasn't as fun and glamorous as the games against the Dolphins and Chargers, it was the way the Patriots should play football.
Tom Brady shouldn't have to throw for 400+ yards for the Patriots to win a game; he just needs to be efficient. And against the Raiders he was just that. Brady didn't turn the ball over and didn't throw for huge yards. He was what he had to be, which is what the Patriots should accept as their identity: Use him as an efficient quarterback, and allow the running backs to take a lot of the weight off his shoulders.
Just look, Cam Newton has had three games with huge passing yards, and one game with a relatively weak game. The only game they have won has been that one weak game. While the NFL has turned into a passing league, it helps to be great while running the ball. Just take a look at the Jets who have become a run-first team. They have made it to the AFC championship game two years in a row.
The Patriots are doing all the right things, and if they continue to play games like they did against the Raiders they should be able to go far into the playoffs, if not win the Superbowl. We still have a lot of football left to play though.


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Oil & Gas Technology
Founded in 1984, AW Gear Meters developed a comprehensive range of flow meters for the flow control industry - simple, accurate, cost-effective flow meter solutions for everyday use. Anchored by a 25,000 square foot headquarters in Franksville, Wisconsin, AW Gear Meters is an international brand with manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and Germany. Our engineering design labs, state-of-the-art production facilities and NIST-traceable calibration stands demonstrate our commitment to serving our customers with the highest possible quality.
Innovations in flow measurement have been a hallmark of our success, often evolving from custom flow metering project work. From a small basement workspace to today's corporate headquarters that features state-of-the-art equipment for design, manufacturing and calibration, AW Gear Meters has emerged as a leader in the flow measurement industry.
Today our product line includes many different types of flow meters, monitors, sensors, computers and controllers to the fluid control industry. Areas of leadership include onshore & offshore chemical injection, water separation, hydraulic test stands, fiber optic transmitters, intrinsically-safe and explosion-proof sensors and electronics, and in-line optical sensors.
While our business has grown over the years, our focus - satisfying the customer - has remained the same. Let us use our technical expertise and real-world flow measurement experience to respond to your needs today.


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The scars of our youth shape the adults we become.
Craig Boreham's films have been seen in over 200 international festivals including Berlin International Film Festival, Cannes and Palm Springs. His work has received numerous awards and nominations including the Berlinale Teddy Award, Best Film at My Queer Career, Mardi Gras Film Festival, The City of Melbourne Best Short Film Award, MQFF and National Film Sound Archive Orlando Award among others. Craig recently made MTV's list of hot Australian filmmakers to watch and his upcoming feature film Teenage Kicks was billed as a debut not to be missed by Empire Magazine.
Craig is currently developing two feature films with producer Annmaree J Bell.
Internationally acclaimed photographer Samuel Hodge collaborated with film director Craig Boreham to create a series of photographs from the set of the feature film Teenage Kicks producing the monograph Right Through The Night.
"A compelling new voice in queer Australian cinema" ★★★★
"Good young actors and a veteran short director making meaningful, gutsy stuff"
"a fresh, contemporary cinematic voice... authentically captures the complexities of teenage lust and sexuality."
"...an in-your-face, raw look at the issues and struggles these young characters go through when they come crashing toward adulthood."


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(Masterpieces of Women's Literature)
Murdoch, who was a tutor in philosophy at St. Anne's College, Oxford, before she was a published novelist, has always been interested in ideas of ultimate good and evil. Her novels are often based on the struggle between them and thus take on overtones of moral fables. Yet it is hard to classify Murdoch; her novels have been variously called gothic, metaphysical, naturalistic, and realistic. A Fairly Honourable Defeat delights the reader with its carefully appointed settings and droll scenes and character switches, yet Rupert's death at the end shifts the novel from the realm of romantic comedy into tragedy.
Murdoch uses the traditional device of coincidence frequently in her novels, and examples of it abound in A Fairly Honourable Defeat. It is coincidence that Julius happens to invite Simon to visit him on the same evening that Morgan shows up and is locked, naked, in the apartment. It is coincidence that Axel arrives home to find Simon playing dress-up games with Morgan, which rouses Axel to jealousy and disgust. In one sense, Rupert's death is also caused by coincidence. If Hilda had not fallen and broken the telephone at their country cottage, she would have spoken to him in time to prevent his death. If she had been able to start the car and drive back to London, she still could have reached him in time. She had to walk six miles through the rainy countryside, however, to reach the nearest neighbor, and by that time Rupert was floating face down in their swimming pool, beyond help.
In another interpretation, it is apparent that Julius King causes Rupert's death. His affair with Morgan launches the events of the novel and leaves her utterly ambivalent about returning to her husband. He is the one who sends the letters that bring Rupert and Morgan together in a secret, guilty love, and he is the one who makes sure that the secret is brought to Hilda's attention. Julius also makes sure that Peter knows. Peter, in love with Morgan himself, finds out that she is involved with his father, flies into a rage, and tears up the book that Rupert has been working on for eight years. Who is Julius King?
Julius is a cynic,...
(The entire section is 891 words.)


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Environmental Engineering 1
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FRITZ!Box 7490 Service - Knowledge Base
AVM Content
Slow wireless connections according to 802.11ac
The throughput of wireless connections (WiFi) according to the wireless standard 802.11ac is lower than the data rate supported by the wireless standard.
Note:The configuration procedure and notes on functions given in this guide refer to the latest FRITZ!OS for your FRITZ!Box.
Simply proceed as described below. After each measure, check whether the issue persists.
1 Establishing a wireless connection to the 5 GHz frequency band
The maximum data rate can only be reached when the wireless connection is established to the 5 GHz frequency band and the FRITZ!Box uses the wireless standard 802.11ac:
Enabling the 5 GHz frequency band
- Click "Wireless" ("WLAN") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click "Radio Network" in the "Wireless" ("WLAN") menu.
- Enable the option "Wireless radio network enabled" in the "5-GHz Frequency Band" section. If the section is not displayed, enable the Advanced View first.
- Click "Apply" to save the settings.
Configuring the wireless standard "802.11n+ac"
In the factory setting, the wireless standard 802.11ac is configured for the 5 GHz frequency band in the FRITZ!Box. If you changed the FRITZ!Box's wireless settings, configure the following settings:
- Click "Wireless" ("WLAN") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click "Radio Channel" in the "Wireless" ("WLAN") menu.
- Enable the option "Adjust radio channel settings".
- Click "Additional settings".
- Select the wireless standard "802.11n+ac" from the drop-down list "Radio channel in 5-GHz Frequency".
- Click "Apply" to save the settings.
2 Installing the latest FRITZ!OS for the FRITZ!Box
- Install the latest FRITZ!OS on your FRITZ!Box.
3 Installing the latest software for the wireless device
- Install the latest driver for your computer's wireless network adapter or the latest operating system (for example Android, iOS) for the wireless device.
Note:You can find information on updating the wireless network adapter or wireless device in its manual, or consult the manufacturer directly.
You can find the latest drivers for the FRITZ!WLAN Sticks in our download area.
4 Enabling or refreshing the auto channel
If the auto channel is enabled, the FRITZ!Box checks the wireless environment and automatically selects the optimum wireless channel settings. However, the allocation of the frequency bands can change significantly over the course of the day. The FRITZ!Box does not refresh the auto channel as long as wireless devices are still connected with it. You can therefore manually refresh the auto channel at any time:
- Click "Wireless" ("WLAN") in the FRITZ!Box user interface.
- Click "Radio Channel" in the "Wireless" ("WLAN") menu.
- Enable the option "Set radio channel settings automatically (recommended)".
- Click "Apply" to save the settings.
Note:All wireless connections to the FRITZ!Box are cleared and then automatically re-established when you enable or refresh the auto channel.
- Click the "Refresh Auto Channel" button.
5 Finding the ideal location for wireless devices
- If possible, position the FRITZ!Box in a room that is centrally located.
- Do not position the FRITZ!Box directly in the corner of a room.
- Position the FRITZ!Box so that it is as unobstructed as possible, i.e. not directly in back of or under an obstacle such as pieces of furniture or a heater.
- Position the FRITZ!Box as high in the room as possible, for example on a shelf.
- Position the FRITZ!Box so that there are as few obstacles as possible between it and the other wireless devices. In particular, metallic objects or objects containing water (for example a refrigerator, houseplants) significantly reduce the quality of the wireless signal.
- Position the FRITZ!Box so that it is away from other transmitters (for example microwaves, baby monitors, wireless speakers, Bluetooth devices).
- For testing purposes, position the FRITZ!Box and the wireless device as close as possible.
Note:Once you have ruled out all other sources of error, you can increase the distance between the two devices again.
Now the FRITZ!Box and the wireless device are ideally configured. You will now achieve the greatest possible wireless range as well as the highest throughput between your wireless devices and the FRITZ!Box.
Note:If the measures given in this guide do not sufficiently increase the quality of your wireless connection, you can use a FRITZ!WLAN Repeater that supports the wireless standard 802.11ac to extend the range of the wireless network and increase the throughput of your wireless connection.


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(a) If the person whose consent is necessary under this article for HIV-related testing or the authorization of the release of test results is unable to give such consent or authorization because of mental incapacity or incompetency, the consent or authorization shall be obtained from another person in the following order of preference:
(1) A person holding a durable power of attorney for health care decisions;
(2) The person's duly appointed legal guardian;
(3) The person's next-of-kin in the following order of preference: spouse, parent, adult child, sibling, uncle or aunt, and grandparent.
(b) The person's inability to consent shall not be permitted to result in prolonged delay or denial of necessary medical treatment.
(c) The information required to be provided to the patient pursuant to subsections (b) and (d), section two of this article, shall be provided to the person giving substituted consent hereunder.


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Are We Being Flim Flamd and by whom?
I am posting this here with today's date and also as a response to Van Curen's message #543.
Was cruising the forum today and encountered an absurdity posted by one D.G. Van Curen about which I am compelled to comment. Also checked out the Family Tree Maker Family Home Page postings for Van Curen and Gusman. I have read the Van Curen posting # 543 (all of it) and have concluded that Van Curen will go to any length to cover up the magnificent mess he made when he changed Maria Van Siclen in the Certified Copy of the Violetta affidavit to Maria Van Sicklen and Van Siclen's marriage date from 1814 to 1824 and then included the tampered version of the Eastling record into the Van Sicklen lineage on the Van Curen Home Page.
Re: Postings # 542 May 25 by Ed Gusman
Re: Postings # 543 May 25 by D.G. Van Curen
Posting # 542 by Ed Gusman -From the 1907 Violetta Affidavit certified copy of the 1814 Bible entry by Maria Van Siclen about her marriage to Luther Calvin Eastling. "Luther & Maria Van Siclin Eastling was married July 22nd 1814",
Posting # 542 by Ed Gusman- From the 1907 Violetta Affidavit certified copy of the 1814 Bible entry by Maria Van Siclen about her marriage to Luther Calvin Eastling. – "the entry of the birth of "Fanny Hill Eastling" is the tenth-entry of births of children of Luther and Maria Eastling,"
Posting # 543 by Van Curen - From Van Curen – "To the point, Mr Gusman neglected to give us a reason why a couple would marry in 1814, then have their first child in 1825, followed then by births at regular intervals. Until that gap is adequately explained, the 1814 date makes no sense,……." .
Van Curen's 1824 makes no sense to this reader, 1814 was written by the lady who was married and that is good enough. The best example of "no sense" is Van Curen's rationalizing 1824 out of 1814 and removing three children from the Eastling family tree.
Why does Van Curen believe that Mr Gusman must give a reason why Maria had no children between 1814 & 1824. Mr Gusman makes no claim in his postings to being omniscient. Apparently Van Curen believes himself to be omniscient judging by the way he changed the maiden name, the marriage date and eliminated three children birthed by Maria Van Siclen.
I compared the Van Curen and Gusman rendering of the Luther Calvin Eastling & Maria Van Siclen lineage's. Seems to me like Van Curen chose to edit Gusman's version of the Eastling lineage with nothing to support editing by Van Curen except his overactive imagination whereas Gusman appears to have based his version on the Certified copy of Maria's bible entry.
For instance Posting 542 by Ed Gusman – ten children are mention in the Certified copy. The Eastling lineage on Gusman's home page on the Family Tree Maker Web site records a total of ten children with three of them unnamed. Van Curen records only 7 children all with names, the three unnamed children are not recorded.
Why did Van Curen remove the 3 unnamed children from the Eastling lineage mentioned in the certified copy. If Van Curenhad included the three unnamed children, then Maria could not have been married in 1824 as the omniscient Van Curen would have us believe. If Maria married in 1824 then Van Curen would have had 3 illegitimate children born to Maria Van Siclen Eastling between 1815 & 1824. How does Van Curen handle the problem…? After changing Maria's marriage date from 1814 to 1824 Van Curenremoves the three unnamed childrenfrom the Certified copy of Maria's bible entries and intentionaly leaves their births off from the Luther Calvin Eastling & Maria Van Siclen family tree.
Never mind accuracy in genealogical lineaages.Just tamper with the record until if matches whatever the imagined perceptions of the researcher believes the record should be.
Van Curen chooses to ignore the fact that the births of 10 children were recorded by Maria herself into her bible and that the entries were certified in 1907. Van Curen choses to ignore the facts recorded by the birth mother and record only the births of 7 of Maria's children. A pox on that type of researcher.
So who do you believe – a researcher named Van Curen with a rampant imagination who changes a marriage date from 1814 to 1824, changes the surname of Van Siclen to Van Sicklen and who deliberately removes three children from the Eastling family tree because they don't fit the Van Curen perception of events contrived by the "researcher" Van Curen.
Or do you believe the Certified copy of bible entry events written in 1814 by the women who lived the events about which she wrote – her maiden name Van Siclen, her marriage date 1814 and the ten children that she gave birth to.
Point of interest – I have been in communication with Ed Gusman and he told me that a researcher living in Canada, may have within the last two weeks discovered the name of what could be the third birthed child of the unnamed three children of Maria Van Siclen. The child's name is Henry Eastling born in 1820 and is based on an 1851 Oxford County, Province of Ontario Canada Census.
Kind of looks like the Canadian Researcher may have inadvertently placed another nail in the Van Curen version of the Eastling lineage.
I really have no use for researchers who tamper with historical records without first having records available which would support the alteration of historical records.
Which is the reason I have taken this opportunity to critique the Van Curen version of the the Luther Calvin Eastling & Maira Van Siclen entries in the Van Curen authored genealogy.
More Replies:
Re: Are We Being Flim Flamd and by whom?
Douglas Van Curen 8/12/01
Re: Are We Being Flim Flamd and by whom?
Douglas Van Curen 6/16/01
Re: Are We Being Flim Flamd and by whom?


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Joyful time for 2 linked by tragedy
Published 1:23 am, Monday, May 19, 2014
About 17 months ago, Trooper Orlando Mo met Mary Sherlach's family under the worst imaginable circumstances, just a few hours after she had been murdered along with 20 children and five other staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown.
But on Saturday, the 32-year State Police veteran had an opportunity to join the family on a more joyous occasion -- the graduation of Sherlach's daughter, Katy Sherlach, from the doctoral program at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
"It brought tears to my eyes to watch her cross the stage. I wondered what her mom would say," Mo said Sunday, emotion apparent in his voice as he recalled the ceremony. "You want to speak for her, but you don't want to spoil the moment."
In the wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy, Mo, 58, was one of the troopers and local police officers assigned as liaisons to the families of the 26 victims.
Over the next months, Mo and the other liaisons spent countless hours with the families, providing updates about the case, screening visitors, keeping the flood of media at bay and helping provide emotional support.
For the full story, subscribe above.


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FAMOUS NAME won this in 2008 and 2010 and looks to have this in the bag, especially as one of his main rivals looks to be his stablemate Caponata. The selection is a wonderful advertisement for Dermot Weld's skills having won an incredible 20 of his 37 starts, including his first Group 2 when easily beating Born To Sea at the Curragh in August. He's impossible to oppose despite the strength of the opposition in which Chrysanthemum and Barack, who fought out the finish of a Listed event at Cork last week, should provide a test though the former was behind Caponata at the Curragh last month. Alla Speranza ran poorly at Gowran last time but that wasn't her true running and she's better judged on her earlier Group 3 success over this C&D.
Famous Name 2-5fav (9-12) Tracked leaders in 4th, 3rd and progress entering straight, 2nd and challenged from under 2f out, led early final furlong, kept on well, won at Curragh 1m Grp 3 (1) in Sep beating One Spirit (9-4) by 2 3/4l, 8 ran.
Chrysanthemum (IRE) 2-1 (9-8) Tracked leader, on terms into straight, strongly pressed from over 1f out, drifted left inside final furlong, stayed on best, won at Cork 1m Listed stks (1) hvy beating Barack (9-6) by hd, 5 ran.
Barack (IRE) 7-1 (9-6) Slowly into stride, soon raced 4th of the 5, ridden into straight, progress 2f out, challenged and on terms from over 1f out, carried a little left and headed well inside final furlong, not quite match winner, 2nd of 5, hd behind Chrysanthemum (9-8) at Cork 1m Listed stks (1) hvy.
Alla Speranza 10-1 (9-3) Chased leaders, 5th 3f out, soon weakened, last of 10, 20l behind Aloof (9-0) at Gowran Park 1m 1f flls Group 3 stks (1) gd in Sep.
Caponata (USA) 11-8fav (9-0) Held up on outer, 7th 3f out, soon ridden and no impression, 8th of 10, 9l behind Aloof (9-0) at Gowran Park 1m 1f flls Group 3 stks (1) gd in Sep.
Macbeth (IRE) 10-1 (9-3) Soon last of the 5, progress 2f out, no impression under pressure and kept on same pace from 1f out, last of 5, 3 1/2l behind Chrysanthemum (9-8) at Cork 1m Listed stks (1) hvy.
An Saincheann (IRE) 5-1 (9-0) Prominent, keen hold, challenged from 2f out, soon every chance, kept on final furlong without getting there, 2nd of 10, hd behind Vedani (9-5) at Curragh 1m 2f mdn stks sft in Jun.
Colliding Worlds (IRE) 25-1 (9-0) Held up in rear, ridden and no impression over 2f out, 6th 1f out, kept on one pace, 6th of 7, 8l behind Great Heavens (9-0) at Curragh 1m 4f 3yo Fll Grp 1 (1) sft in Jul.
Demurely (IRE) 10-1 (8-11) Tracked leaders in 4th, ridden 2f out, 3rd and no impression final furlong, kept on same pace, 3rd of 7, 5l behind Midnight Soprano (9-7) at Curragh 1m 4f Listed stks (1) hvy.
Euphrasia (IRE) 10-1 (9-0) Led and disputed, quickened clear 2f out, stayed on well from over 1f out, eased 100 yards from finish, won at Curragh 1m 1f fll mdn stks hvy beating Kalaroa (9-0) by 8l, 9 ran.


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Reviewing WCSU's Strategic Vision, Plan and Progress, 2011-2013
Rationale: Since 2005, WCSU has been guided by the strategic vision and plan developed out the "Values and Vision" process. (76 focus groups engaging more than 650 stakeholders). This vision has been adopted and internalized by the university community. It appears in operating procedures, departmental annual reports, performance appraisals, and financial planning. Especially, the six strategic themes of our vision have directed us in the difficult financial decision making we have faced over the past three years.
However, today different realities, both external and internal, shape our development. Since 2005, WCSU's enrollment has increased more than 25%; our physical plant has been altered by four significant capital projects; our economic footprint on the greater Danbury community has grown substantially.
In addition, we face today unprecedented financial challenges; direct state support of higher education has continued to decline and no observer suggests that downward momentum will be reversed. Our faculty are increasingly engaged in scholarly contributions to their fields and the enhancement of the quality of our academic programs is demonstrated by increases in the number of such programs achieving accreditation. The landscape of public higher education governance in Connecticut has also been changing, providing both opportunity and challenge for us in determining and communicating WCSU's comparative advantages relative to other institutions.
These changes mandate that we step back to evaluate our strategic vision and progress. In addition, our upcoming NEASC self study provides an ideal opportunity to tie this evaluation to a broader review of all university operations. These are inherently tied to our strategic intent.
Questions to Consider: Given realities of staffing and institutional will, a complete jettisoning of our current vision and plan is not feasible. In addition, the progress and university-wide consensus on goals WCSU has experienced over the past years suggest that such a total change may not be necessary. However, a serious examination of our progress is in order. To accomplish that, I suggest we focus on the six themes that have already been identified for the NEASC Self-Study. Answering the questions that these themes pose will provide a platform to launch the next phase of Western's strategic direction.
Themes: "To what extent have we adhered to/implemented the goals of the Strategic Plan and how has it driven the progress of the university?
- How real is the university's public/private focus?
- Are we really taking advantage of our location?
- With the number of budget and contractual constraints we face, are we able to attract and retain outstanding faculty?
- How real is the university's student-centered focus?
- Can we measure advances made in delivering quality academic programs?
- How can the university rebalance its financial model to achieve continuing success in times of state budget constraints and continue to deliver value to students?"
Process: Given the demands of the NEASC process and the demanding workloads that many colleagues and departments face, the process for accomplishing this review must be bounded and efficient. Complementarity with the NEASC Standards committees will be essential. Thus I suggest the organization of teams to address each of the six questions above. These teams should be small enough to work together efficiently, but should also be representative of stakeholder groups. These teams will:
- Review past research and organize public conversations/focus groups on each topic. Substantial information exists in surveys and institutional research data that can inform these investigations. Some basic research may be required, and I would expect teams to turn to our Office of Institutional Research for basic help. The public conversations are meant to engage the university community in this endeavor.
- From these investigations, each team will collect impressions and conduct gap analysis to illuminate our progress in achieving strategic directions.
- From this analysis, teams will suggest alternatives/action steps, which might include further research, development of metrics and/or revisions in strategic goals and objectives.
- Develop timetables for implementation of alternatives/action steps.
Personnel: I suggest the Vice Presidents Council identify possible leaders for each team and work with these individuals to staff the groups. One possible source of interest is the roster of members of the Strategic Plan Implementation Teams that have been organized since 2007. These groups should be disbanded, with our thanks, and members invited to join the review teams. Other particular expertise may be relevant to some tasks and membership of external stakeholders at some level should also be considered.
Timetable: This work should proceed in tandem with the NEASC self-study preparation and be completed by the end of FY13. Ideally, teams would be organized during the current semester, begin question framing and information collection during the Spring Semester 2102 and proceed with focus groups/collective conversations no later than the Fall Semester 2012.
James W. Schmotter
September, 29, 2011


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This summer has been completely jam packed with women for me. Not in some kind of pervy way—I haven't become a madame at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch in Nevada or anything like that. (Although we all know I'd be a really good madame and not just because I'd wear a fabulous green leather cape and have a pet panther named Pimpther as protection.) (OMG, somebody trademark that so I can pitch it to Andy Cohen at Bravo!)
Anyway, little did I know back in June when I Stood With Texas Women that almost everything I loved this summer would be laced with estrogen. And I don't mean "laced with estrogen" like those cookies they give you in certain Central American clinics; I mean "laced with estrogen" because the past few months have been full of smart, hilarious female talent that kept the smile on my face when that smile didn't always want to stay.
So allow me to share just a few of the brilliant woman who kept me entertained this summer:
I was super excited when Kacee, who reads my blog but who is still fairly normal and somewhat law abiding, invited me see her perform as Janis Joplin in Austin's "One Night With Janis Joplin" show. I took my friend Maria with me and we were absolutely blown-away by how incredibly talented Kacee is. Blown away. Her voice is amazing and she totally nails all of Janis' songs. (Favorite one: "Cry Baby") We even got to go hang out with Kacee afterwards and I'm sure I was a complete weirdo because I was so in awe of her performance.
One of the best parts the show was when Kacee would drop a few F-bombs as Janis and the mostly white-haired crowd would just stare. Finally the 3rd or 4th time she did it, Maria (who is the most supportive person ever) started feebly clapping and yelling, "Whoooooo! I like swear words!" "One Night With Janis Joplin" is at Austin's Zach Scott until 8/25, then moves to San Jose, CA, so catch Kacee if you can. You will LOVE her.
I've been a fan of the blog In The Powder Room and editor Leslie Marinelli for a few years, so I was thrilled when I found out they included me in their first anthology "You Have Lipstick On Your Teeth." This book has funny, poignant and offbeat stories by 39 women writers, including a few of my talented friends. My own contribution is about how women will always, always tell someone how much their clothes cost whenever someone compliments them on it. ("Ten bucks, TJ Maxx! And it only has three broken zippers and two rat holes!") Buy the paperback book or Kindle edition at Amazon or use this link, then read it and say, "Thanks, Wendi! You're so smart!"
Laurie is one of the authors of the book "Sh*tty Mom" and a staff writer for Conan, but she's best known for being a hilarious stand-up. Chris and I went to see her show in Austin and we were laughing harder than we have in a long, long time. She does a lot of parenting humor, but it's not like most parenting humor in that it's actually funny, sharp and unexpected. Laurie performs around the country, so if she's in your area be sure to go see her. We talked to her after the show and I'm sure I was a complete weirdo because I was so in awe of her performance. (Yes, this is a recurring theme.)
Here's Laurie on Conan:
Some of you may know my Mouthy Housewives and @PaulRyanGosling partners Marinka and Kelcey and maybe you already read their blogs. They're always funny, but this summer they've been in rare form because Kelcey and her hair have moved to Florida with her five children and Marinka's mama is sending her unintentionally hilarious emails from Scandinavia. I love both of these women to death and not just because they send me emails with subject lines like "I hate everybody."
This only-on-Netflix show is pretty much the show of the summer, but with good reason. The story of a privileged white woman going to prison for a year is hilarious, surprising and upsetting and it has some of the best characters I've seen in a very long time. Based on the memoir by Piper Kerman, it was created for television by Jenji Kohan and has brilliant performances by Kate Mulgrew, Taryn Manning and my favorite, Danielle Brookes as "Taystee." I watched the entire season in two days and can't wait to see more.
And if there's one thing I've learned from this show, it's that I'd be much happier spending time with the women in federal prison than with the women in my PTO.
I've read a lot this summer and here are some of my favorites (but none of them are exactly funny—I like my books like I like my undereye circles…dark and pulpy.)
"The Engagements" by J. Courtney Sullivan
"Life After Life" by Kate Atkinson
"Chanel Bonfire" by Wendy Lawless
"The Best of Us" by Sarah Pekkanen (I love Sarah who used to send me funny emails, but now she's busy writing awesome books)
And I also want to mention my friend Robin O'Bryant's book "Ketchup Is A Vegetable" because Robin is a hilarious woman and mother of three in Mississippi who has taken to texting me at all hours of the night to give her thoughts on all five seasons of "The Wire." Stuff like "Omar gonna be popped, you feel me?" and "Those hoppers in danger, yo." Anyway, her book is a good one and she's been making me laugh all summer on the regular like a good woman should.
I love Etta and her strange blonde hair so much and still remember the night that I saw her at the Hollywood Bowl right before I got food poisoning. ("Attt lasssttt! I'm throwing up my taco in the parking lot! My lonely days are over and life is like a BLURGH.") I've been listening to Etta a lot lately, so let's close my summer of women with Miss W-O-M-A-N herself—oh oh oh oh woah:


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ATLANTA — Rodney McGruder stepped to the line in the cavernous Georgia Dome, took a couple of quick breaths, and knocked down four straight foul shots to finish off his career a winner.
ATLANTA — Rodney McGruder stepped to the line in the cavernous Georgia Dome, took a couple of quick breaths, and knocked down four straight foul shots to finish off his career a winner.
Kansas State's guard finished with 11 points, James Ennis of Long Beach State scored 13 and the East team beat the West 87-81 on Friday night in a college all-star game at the Final Four.
Former South Medford standout E.J. Singler of Oregon and Brandon Davies of BYU finished with 12 each for the East team.
The East team, coached by Tennessee's Cuonzo Martin, built a 15-point lead in the second half before squandering nearly all of it. But the West, coached by Iowa State's Fred Hoiberg, couldn't finish the comeback, even though they started fouling down the stretch to extend the game.
Jake Cohen of Davidson made a couple free throws, and McGruder made the final four with less than 20 seconds left in the game to wrap up the victory.
"It was fun, you know? Playing with guys you aren't used to," said McGruder, who led the Wildcats to a share of the Big 12 title this season, before breaking into a smile. "I won my last college game, and it was at the Georgia Dome."
Iowa State's Will Clyburn, playing one last time with his college coach, led the West with 17 points and eight rebounds. Mike Muscala of Bucknell scored 15 points and Notre Dame's Jack Cooley had 13 points and 10 rebounds as both teams struggled to shoot in the converted football stadium.
"It was a great feeling," Clyburn said. "Fun being here in an all-star game."
The game featured 11 seniors on each team, including Baylor guard Pierre Jackson, who led his team to the NIT championship the previous night at Madison Square Garden. He hopped on a plane and made it to Atlanta, but watched the game in warm-ups without ever stepping onto the floor.
The game basically amounted to a scrimmage with both teams hardly having a chance to meet each other, much less practice or even shoot against the blank backdrop of the Georgia Dome.
As you'd expect, there were just about as many air balls as made shots early on — but there were a few dunks, including one by Davies off a feed from Ohio's D.J. Cooper that brought several thousand fans who turned out to watch to their feet, and some nifty ball movement on both sides.