text:
Results 16 to 30 of 60
Day 6
Definitely felt a nice heating sensation today after my dosing along a great mood. I did not do anything but shadowboxing in terms of MMA, but I definitely hit the gym LOL! My androstenone levels were HIGH, I felt real territorial, libido was definitely up today. Definitely got the attention of many women at the gym today.... Today during the workout I sweating like a monster, and had GREAT endurance, strength is def UP since the weights that I normally train with were lighter. I actually went up in weights during the squatting session. I got a euphoria from such a great workout. Another reason that I know my none levels are very high is the fact that today I was major ahole to all those who know me. Metabolism seems to be up a bit as well. I had GREAT vascularity today, even my neighbor who I see on a daily basis told me I looked much more veinier than noramal, so I know it was not just me LOL! I did not want to leave the gym but had to make it to a date with the chick who gave me her number during the week. I don't kiss an tell so don't ask me LOL!
5sets of bench
3 sets of incline bench
2 sets of 25 pull ups with 90lbs of plates
150 pullups without weights
2 sets of 50 with 90lbs dips
5 sets of 50 without weight dips
1500 situps including weighted leg lifts
25 pull-up dips
12 sets of squats
5 real HEAVY squats
3 sets of lunges with barbell
dot drills/agility drills
box jumps
some dumbell shoulder exercises
single leg squats 5 sets of 25
500 push-ups
30 minutes of shadowboxing including sprawls
I had energy after the workout so I did some sprints a Highschool football field
3 30 yrd
2 50 yrd
2 60 yrd
1 100 yrd
As I said I felt like a MONSTER!!!!!!
Meal 1: Organic oatmeal, bowl on the side of Quinoa flakes, 1 banana, 2 scoops of WheyToBuildMuscle chocolate
Meal 2: Sprouted grain bread with Albacore tuna, spinach, 1tbsp EVCO and water
Meal 3: 2 scoops of hydrowhey with 1tbsp of EVOO and 1 green apple, and water
Meal 4: Brown Rice with Red Kidney beans, 2 chicken breasts, mixed greens, EVOO smothered over my food, and water
Meal 5: Almonds with 1 scoop of WheyToBuildMuscle, water
Meal 6: Twix, snicker(almond version), vanilla pudding, skim milk, and water
Body composition 8/10
Sense of well being/mood 10/10
aggression 9/10
endurance 10/10
strength/power output 9/10
Sleep quality 10/10
Libido/sex drive 8.5/10
Drive/Focus 10/10
Training Intensity 9.5/10
Coordination 8/10
Memory N/A
Hunger 7/10
Pheromone release 9/10
Day 7 is an OFF DAY
Still getting a nice warm sensation awhile after taking product X. I definitely urinated today a bit more than usual. Great sense of well being, feeling real Alpha today. No mones issue to report since I stood home all day LMAO.
ATE ALL DAY, don't feel like posting all the nonsense I ate LMAO!
Day 8
So I poped the three caps and about an hour later I started to get the diuretic effect, peeing more frequently, etc. Def getting a nice Alpha great sense well being mood, I am also feeling more vitalized. I think some estrogen is being suppressed because I feel my lower back getting tighter which occurs with AI's, which tells me I need to stretch more while on these supps. Appetite is going strong along metabolism. Today during muay thai I was going strong during the pad session, drive was awesome. When I started to sparr, I was still getting the chase factor, where I just keep bullying the individual whether he lands a good punch or kick, I just keep pressing foward. My takedowns were consistant as well along my clinches, again great stuff in terms of endurance, my second wind has been great! Grappling was smooth as well, had my jiu-jitzu trainer working with me on different angled arm bars, protecting against a kimura from guard and turning it into either a crucifix or armbar. My strength was also prominent today when finishing submissions, strength has been steadily rising from what I have noticed. To show you that I am not pulling placebo, the same occured during lifting. Weights are still feeling lighter than normal, and I decided to go an extra 5 reps on all compound lifts with NO PROBLEM whatsoever! Also I was in such a great mood that I was literally rocking out to my ipod while lifting and not giving a crap what the others around me thought. I had two people ask me what I was taking that I was so energized and I told them I am beta testing a test booster, and they were like well whatever you are on I got to get on LMAO! The pumps were unbearable that I had to shorten my volume on the squats today.
Bench 4 sets Strong
Incline Bench 3 sets STRONG
1500 situps- including weighted leg lifts with 15 more lbs than normal
8 sets of squats, 3 were Heavy but could not go two more due the unbearable pumps, also noticed serious veingage on my quads hehe
7 sets of hamstring curls
5 sets of quad curls
shadowboxing mixed in
5 sets of dot/agility drills
5 sets of dumbells curls
2 sets of hammer curls
2 sets of 5 minute wall sits
2 sets of dumbell lunges
5 sets of 90 lbs weighted dips
5 sets of 90lb weighted pull-ups
On a separate note, I STUNK TODAY BIGTIME, my trainer complained, my mother complained, it was great. Not too mention I knew my nones were wreaking since I could smell myself. Also NOONE wanted to talk with me which was great, I got lots of people asking me questions during MMA training, even though I am not their trainer LOL. See that is the thing I love about testosterone, it leads to androstenone and even though you stink; people still respect you, LOVE IT!
Meal 1: Oatmeal with 1 banana, 2 scoops of WheyToBuildMuscle Chocolate with 2 tbsp of EVCO
Meal 2: Sprouted grain bread with 5 tbsp of natty peanut butter, 1 green apple, 1 scoop of needto whey, and water
Meal 3: Mixed greens with Albacore tuna with EVOO drizzled over it, some grapes, raisins, and water
Meal 4: 2 Scoops of hydro whey with 2 tbsps of EVCO, half of banana, water
Meal 5: Brown rice with Red Kidney beans, mixed greens, 2 chicken breasts, with 3tbsps of EVCO, water
Meal 6: 2 Better Protein Bars, with extra almond butter on the side, water
Body composition 9/10 (vascularity and fullness is coming out nice)
Sense of well being/mood 10/10
aggression 9.5/10 really starting to get out, was letting out some nice grunts
endurance 10/10
strength/power output 9.5/10 and rising
Sleep quality 10/10
Libido/sex drive 9/10
Drive/Focus 10/10
Training Intensity 9.5/10
Coordination 9/10
Memory 9/10 remembering submissions has been noted
Hunger 8/10
Pheromone release 9.5/10
Day 9
So after I took the 3caps today, I noticed about a half one later I started getting a legit hard on but thought nothing of it, mood was still highly elevated. It was not till I started trainin on wrestling/judo and MMA sparring where I realized something was different. My tunnel vision during training was out of this world, I mean kept going and kept going like the energizer bunny and had no problem making grunts to get through each transition. Then when I was sparring I felt real in controlled and kept pressing like a bullshark, and I also was so intense that I caught my training partner in a calf crush and pressed it so hard that he actually yelled across the room. My trainer had to tell me on more than one occassion that I needed to take a down a notch. I also flew through tire hammering which usually takes a little out of me, definitely seeing a big difference in recovery in between sets along HUGE aggression when needed. Nones were definitely up since I could smell myself and people again quite around me except my training partners who kept acting like I was their trainer LMAO. I don't like to give advice since I feel that everyone has different things that work well for them, what I might like may not be appealing at all to someone else. My arms were REAL vascular throughout the whole day, definitely noticing a difference here along my legs, its cool cuz growing I never had vascular legs up until recently, I mean I can see the veins on my legs without even flexing and they are petruding like the vein on a bicep.
1000 situps with leg lifts
1 hour of heavy bag at night as well
30 minutes of shadow boxing
10 minutes of jump roping
100 pullups
150 reverse grip dips
5 suicides at basketball court length give or take
Meal 1: cheerios with skim milk, bowl of quino flakes, 1 banana, 2scoops of WheyToBuildMuscle, water
Meal 2: Raisin filled bagel dipped in EVCO, with 2 scoops of wheytobuild, garapes, water
Meal 3: Sprouted Grain bread with almond butter, 1scoopf of wheytobuild with EVOO, and water
Meal 4: 2 scoops of hydro whey with some EVOO,some spinach, water
Meal 5: Brown Rice with Frijoles, 2 chicken breasts, EVCO drizzled over it, mixed greens, and water
Meal 6: 4 slices of pizza, albacore tuna, some tortilla chips with water
Body composition 9.5/10 LEG VASCULARITY
Sense of well being/mood 10/10
aggression 10/10 It just got real
endurance 10/10 AWESOME
strength/power output 9.5/10 still rising
Sleep quality 10/10
Libido/sex drive 9/10 still on the horizon
Drive/Focus 10/10 GREAT, adrenals up as well
Training Intensity 10/10
Coordination 9/10
Memory 9/10 still strong
Hunger 8.5/10 steadily rising
Pheromone release 9.5/10
Nice work bro, u should try macadamia nut oil for your shakes vs. EVOO less aftertaste that wayConfucius say...
A ripped guy who eats a pizza, then does an hour of cardio is still ripped.
A fat guy who eats a pizza, then does an hour of cardio is still fat.
Day 10
Still getting a nice warm sensation post dose along a GREAT mood, feel real calm and happy LOL! I definitely brought up the training today, I am in bleed mode that is the best way I can sum it up. I keep attacking during sparring, absolute control over my grappling partners. My drive/focus/tunnel vision factor has simply been phenominal. Usually after my first hour I go and get a water break but not today, I went straight two hours without any issues, I am loving the endurance factor to my MMA training. The pumps in the gym are brutal, kinda like what people get while on PH's, I was able to get 5 heavy squats but BARELY! My bench volume went up since the blood flow to my arms and chest was feeling it today. Grunts have been definitely pronouned in the MMA facility up to the gym, grunting like a mad man and loving it. I definitely have the I do give a crap attitude officially, and boy do I LOVE IT LOL! Well I know my androstenone levels are sky high because after training, I went to out for a sec to my car. When I got back I overheard on my training partners complaining to one of my trainers that I stunk so bad it reminded him of " A PIG PEN"! As soon I decided pop by, it got akward lol. So yeah the androstenone levels are wreaking, which tells me TESTOSTERONE LEVELS ARE UP!!! I notice married women love to stare at me when my nones are up, but honestly that irritates me because they sould respect their marriage as should the man....
500 push ups
200 dips with weights
200 pull-ups with 100 being of weighted pullups
1500 situps including weighted leg lifts
7 sets of cable work
7 sets of regular squats with 5 sets of HEAVY squats
5 sets of hamstring curls
5 sets of quad curls
10 sets of leg extensions
5 sets of lunges with weights
3 sets of regular bench 7 sets of heavy bench
8 sets of dumbell exercises with 25 reps per set
oblique based trainnig
shadow boxing in between the sets
Dot drills
3 minutes of forearms pullies
Too much food to list LOL
Body composition 9.5/10 LEG VASCULARITY is VERY PROMINANT, love it!
Sense of well being/mood 10/10
aggression 10/10 UP that is for sure
endurance 10/10 AWESOME!!!!
strength/power output 9.5/10 still rising
Sleep quality 10/10
Libido/sex drive 9/10
Drive/Focus 12/10 NOUGH SAID
Training Intensity 12/10
Coordination 9.5/10
Memory 9/10 still strong
Hunger 8.5/10
Pheromone release 10/10 I stink now yeah lol
Day 11
Felt great post dosage with a nice warming sensation. Great mood all day, however today I was VERY VOLATILE! Someone started complaining to me about something that did not need arguments, so I got up in the person's face and scolded him like no tommorow. Ever since that moment, I was ready to train. I got to the MMA facility and worked on grappling and submission for two hours. The first hour consisted of working on moves and the next was straight up grappling. Not once did I tap and pretty much all my rounds were less than three minutes, I was in BLEED mode. Extremely aggerssive throughout my whole day. I got to the gym and did training but was so aggressive that I started to hit the bags for an hour as well. It's funny cuz I KNOW, my none levels were sky high, most girls were real appaled me, older women who are usually looking for a bang buddy were finding me to be aggorant of some sort. People were real submissisive towards me and asking me questions about MMA, course I was not in the mood for none of it. Appeite was UP today for sure along my metabolism.
Shadow boxing
1000 situps including leg lifts
100 pull ups
back rows
agility drills
leg out put lifts
tricep extensions
heavy bag work
Too much to list in terms of food LMAO
Body composition 9.5/10 LEG VASCULARITY is VERY PROMINANT!
Sense of well being/mood 10/10
aggression 10/10 UP BIGTIME
endurance 10/10 AWESOME as usual
strength/power output 9.5/10 punching was crisp
Sleep quality 10/10 amazing
Libido/sex drive 9/10 seems to be steadily rising
Drive/Focus 12/10 NOUGH SAID
Training Intensity 12/10
Coordination 10/10 def present today
Memory 9/10 still strong
Hunger 9/10
Pheromone release 10/10 BRUTAL
Day 12
Today I still noticed a nice warm sensation post dosing of product X, along a GREAT mood but today again VERY VOLATILE. Anything that hits me wrong brings out the anger in me. Hunger is through the roof, I keep eating. I literally after training had half of Carvel Ice cream Cake, which is a lot of sugar LMAO. I had a lot of none output today for sure. I came across some security guar at BestBuy who was clearly on juice, as soon as I looked at him, he did not know where to put his face LMAO. Had a GREAT training session. I did 1 hour of pure muay thai with rapid pace pad work and sprints here and there along sprawls. Then I did some training on suubmissions for about an hour, and then for another half an hour, I worked on light MMA sparring since my main partner was not present. Again very heads on focus, I just keep pressing at whatever I am training. Great endurance and drive def noted this week. LIBIDO is UP BIG TIME, I keep thinking about pun when bored LOL! Took the day off from training weights.
Body composition 9.5/10 LEG VASCULARITY along should vascularity very prominent!
Sense of well being/mood 10/10 I love myself
aggression 10/10 UPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
endurance 10/10 AWESOME as usual
strength/power output 9.5/10 punches are heavy
Sleep quality 10/10 Still Great
Libido/sex drive 9/10 UP like major hardons
Drive/Focus 12/10 NOUGH SAID
Training Intensity 12/10 YESSIR
Coordination 10/10 def present this week
Memory 9.5/10 STRONG
Hunger 9.5/10 Rising indeed hehe
Pheromone release 10/10 BRUTAL!!!!
Day 13
Def got a NICE warm sensation post dosing, my coordination and adrenals have definitely picked it up a notch, reason I say this is because I was able to pull off this transition without trouble, normally by hand to eye coordination has trouble with it, and today it came real handy. I absolutely dominated my grappling partners in the early hours, I also did sparring, again very bullly approach, I keep coming at my partner. I felt in a GREAT mood today, FUCITOL pill LOL, that is seriously what I am going to call product x from now on LMAO. I feel great, my nones are def wreaking and I am liking how even my sensai has been a lot more meek towards me, a little weird since he is my head trainer LOL. Training quality has been absolutely amazing along power output and recovery. These last 2 days , libido has BEEN OFF THE CHARTS! Women have been getting the vibe that I am hit and quit it guy because any woman who was not ovulating was rolling their eyes at me in disgust, LOVE IT LOL! Hunger has been ridiculous, I finished off the other half of the Carvel IceCream Cake, along other goodies hehe. BTW, this great training day was only on 3 hours of sleep....
Shadow boxing
heavy bag
Dot drills/agility
1000 situps with leg lifts
100 pullups
200 clap pushups
jump roping
Meal 1: 2 scoops of Hydrowhey, water, half of banana
Meal 2: 2 double hamburgers from five guys, with fries, water
Meal 3: Brown Rice with lots of chicken LOL
Meal 4: Carvel cake LOL and water
Meal 5: Macoroni salad, green apple, alabore tuna and water
Meal 6: Cheerios with almond milk, grapes, water
Meal 7: Tortilla chips with 2 scoops of WheyToBuildMuscle chocolate mixed with 2tbsps of EVCO and water
Still eating LMAO
Body composition 9.5/10 LEG VASCULARITY and Arm vascularity is VERY PROMINANT!
Sense of well being/mood 12/10
aggression 10/10 UP BIGTIME and prolly staying there LMAO
endurance 10/10 AWESOME as usual
strength/power output 9.5/10 let see what tommorow has in store for me
Sleep quality 10/10 amazing
Libido/sex drive 10/10
Drive/Focus 12/10 NOUGH SAID
Training Intensity 12/10
Coordination 10/10 DEF LEGIT
Memory 9/10 still strong
Hunger 9.5/10
Pheromone release 10/10 BRUTAL
Day 14
Got a nice warm sensation post dosing, let me say my mood was greatly off the charts. I felt like the dude from the Enzyte commercial, nothing would bother me at all. No MMA training today or 2morrow. Lifting went smooth, lots of endurance today, def more than usual, good strength in between sets, power output is up in the weightroom as well. My nones are stilll high, have many people asking me questions but anything LOL. I had a girl get invited into a conversation I had with a friend of mine and the one thing she had to tell me was my confidence was extremely sexy lol. I was yelling at the top of my lungs when doing squats today, and my muscles were REAL vascular today.
500 puahups 200 pullups with weights
250 dips with weights
4 haeavy sets of bench
1500 situps/leglifts all with weights
7 sets of dumbell exercises
8 HEAVY sets of squats, was killing them today
5 sets of front squats
2 sets of barbell lunges
quad curls
hamstring curls
5 suicides
agility/dot drills
leg extension
some cable work
Body composition 9.5/10 LEG VASCULARITY and Arm vascularity is VERY PROMINANT!
Sense of well being/mood 12/10 all cuddly inside
aggression 10/10 UP BIGTIME and prolly staying there LMAO
endurance 10/10 AWESOME as usual
strength/power output 10/10 SHEET JUST GOT REAL
Sleep quality 10/10 amazing
Libido/sex drive 10/10 WOAZER
Drive/Focus 12/10 NOUGH SAID
Training Intensity 12/10
Coordination 10/10 DEF LEGIT
Memory 9/10 still strong
Hunger 9.5/10
Pheromone release 10/10 BRUTAL
Day 15
OFF day
FELT GREAT TODAY, went to a picnic and had the attention of woman is a nice way of saying it LOL! Overall ate A LOT lol, cheated and relaxed. Took a mid day nap, drank plenty of water and had a good time. Libido, increased body heat and sense of well being def up!
WOW! I am still getting a nice warm sensation post dosing along a phenomonal mood. I felt INVISIBLE today, I mean nothing phased me at all, I had sex written all over me, women were intimidated yet very friskly staring at me. I only got to train pad work for muay thai since people were taking more days off LOL. It was great, LOTS of endurance, and good drive factor. My adrenals were GREAT today during lifting. Strength is definitely up along endurance in between sets, which means more nitrogen retention throughout the body. I am liking that a lot. Even though I got 6 hours of sleep, I felt great.
BlueGrowth is doing a great job in providing me with recovery even though I lack rest, good stuff indeed. My sleepy pills make me oh so happy LOL!
Caloric Intake: easy over 7000 calories
5 sets of Heavy bench
2 sets of Heavy incline bench
1500 situps including leg lifts ALL with weights
10 Squats of Heavy sets
2 sets of heavy hack squats
2 sets of BB lunges of of 100 feet
150 pullups with weights
250 dips with weights
5 sets of quad curls
5 sets of hamstring curls
dot drills
oblique medicine drills
some dumbell exercises
flexibility bandwork
3 sets of cleans
Day 17
Stilll getting a nice warm sensation post dosing along a GREAT mood. I am really loving the NARCISIST mood that this stuff is giving me. I feel invisible or superman like, its greeattt! My skin has been somewhat oily on the forehead but nowhere else. Libido was INSANE today, I literally got over 10 hardons during class today, I could not control myself and for some reason sex was in my head all day till I started training MMA. Nones are pouring out big time, I got 4 numbers from 4 different chicks, 2 from the same class LOL. The one chick was not afraid to display her sexual hunger.... During Muay thai I had intense pad session, followed by pure boxing which went on for another half an hour. Then I went straight to judo and combat sambo for good period of time. Endurance and Drive are all up. My explosion and power output has noticeably increased as my trainers have also commented on that which pleases me. I feel fantastic and again like a MONSTER! I have been grunting in the MMA gym and weight room with no suppression at all, no shame whatsoever.
Meal: PLENTY
30 minutes of shadow boxing
1000 sit ups with leg lifts
trap pulls
100 pull ups
Some light heavy bag work
dot drills
medicine ball drills
sets of an exercise that I don't know the name of for legs
2 5min wallsits
Body composition 9.5/10 LEG VASCULARITY and Arm vascularity is VERY PROMINANT!
Sense of well being/mood 12/10 NARCISIST
aggression 10/10 UP but feeling great with the aggression hehe
endurance 10/10 AWESOME as usual
strength/power output 10/10 Much higher than before
Sleep quality 10/10 amazing
Libido/sex drive 10/10 Killing me lately
Drive/Focus 12/10 NOUGH SAID
Training Intensity 12/10 tremendous
Coordination 10/10 Definitely great as of late
Memory 9/10 still strong
Hunger 10/10 getting expensive
Pheromone release 10/10 Pulling chicks left and right hehe
Day 18
HOLY SMOKES, felt amazing today, sleep was so deep. I still got a nice warm sensation post dosing along a PLEASANT mood. I felt great today and I knew it would be a good day. My assertiveness during sparring was self noted because I did moves that I don't normally try and I don't why because I was real successful with them today. My endurance and drive were great which allowed me to go strong for 10 5 minute rounds of MMA sparring, along Submission wrestling and jiu-jitsu. I dominated completely in every form of training in every round. Talk about a mood booster and great way to boost self mental notation on what I can use for next session. Coordination has been great as well, since switching my stance has been a lot more comfortable for me as of lately. As usual I made a married woman's day by grunting as I was lifting iron LOL. I had a PR on squat reps and on dips reps with weights which was cool. I also noticed my strength has def bumped up a notch along in between set endurance. I also was sweating a bit than normal to the point that the sweat was irritating my eyes. I had a MAJOR euphoria during my weight training session today.
Meal: PLENTY OF FOOD
500 pushups
1500 situps with weighted leg lifts
4 sets of heavy bench
5 sets of weighted dips with a PR
200 pulls up with and without weights
dumbell exercises
Kettle Bell drills
Medicine ball exercises
5 sets of Heavy Squats with a PR
5 sets of Heavy Hack Squats
2 sets of jump squats
quad and Hamstring curls/extensions
cable work
bandwork for shoulders
5 sets of hip thrusts
forearms pulldowns
Body composition 9.5/10 LEG VASCULARITY and Arm vascularity is VERY PROMINANT!
Sense of well being/mood 12/10 NARCISIST
aggression 10/10 Got control my volatile states
endurance 10/10 AWESOME as usual
strength/power output 10/10 Much higher than before
Sleep quality 10/10 DEEP
Libido/sex drive 10/10 pretty annoying lol
Drive/Focus 12/10 NOUGH SAID
Training Intensity 12/10 still amazing
Coordination 10/10 legit
Memory 9/10 good
Hunger 10/10 DEF getting expensive
Pheromone release 10/10
if u are testing a new product shouldnt you use it by itself to gauge it's effects alone? just a observation........


text:
WILLIAMSBURG, February 19, 1779.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS REWARD. LOST out of the subscribers shop, while in Williamsburg, some time in the fall 1777, a gold horizontal watch, made by King. London, No. 193, with a coat of arms engraved upon the outside case. Whoever delivers the said watch to the subscriber, or gives such information so as it may be recovered, shall be entitled to the above reward, and no questions asked. JAMES GEDDY.
Virginia Gazette (Dixon & Nicolson) February 19, 1779
Language notes:
A "horizontal watch" has a horizontal escapement or set of parts (escape wheel, lever, roller) which converts the rotary motion of the train into to-and-fro motion (the balance).

subset: commoncrawl


text:
***The following contains descriptions of a consenting relationship between two male characters. If you find any such material morally or legally questionable in your area, please do not read any further. Additionally if you are under the age of 18 or not of legal age in your area, please leave. This story is a work of fiction, all characters and plot lines are fictional. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. Teens Have Fun and its characters, remain the property of the author. The story or characters may not be reproduced or republished elsewhere without the strict written consent of the author. ***
Darrien and Eliah
In The End
Written By: Angyl
Things settled down. There was no more trouble ahead for the boys. Darrien and Eliah finally decided they would be able to get on with their lives. What they not know at the time, was that Eliah's father was promoted and had to move to Victoria. Eliah got the news when he got home. He was not happy, at all. He would be forced to move. He needed to go and tell Darrien the bad news. It would not be easy on either of them.
Eliah headed over to Darrien's. Thus was the hardest thing he had to do. There was so much more he wanted to do with his lover. Now that would not happen. He played over in his mind how he would tell Darrien. There was no easy way.
Darrien was happy to see Eliah, until he saw how depressed he was.
"Babe what's wrong?" He asked, concernedly.
"Everything that can be is."
For the next two hours Eliah laid it all out. Darrien was distraught over losing his best friend, and lover. They tried to figure out a way to keep Eliah in the city. He could not stay with Darrien. Darrien's mother did not like her only son being gay. He could not stay at Billy's. That was definitely out of the question. There was no way around it. Eliah was going to have to go with his parents. The boy's decided that that would stay together even though they were going to be in different cities. Eliah, also made Darrien, promise that he would not stay celibate. Darrien did not like the idea, but knew in his heart that, it would be worse if he did. They promised to tell each other everything that happened no matter what.
The boys spent all their free time together, and on the day Eliah left, Darrien was at the airport to see him off. Life had again changed for the boys.
Over the next two years, Darrien and Eliah kept in contact. Eliah was able to come for the summer, and be with Darrien. As for Darrien, he had difficulty at first. He felt unfaithful to Eliah.
Eventually he overcame it, and had a relationship of sorts, with Billy. Eliah was elated, and during his visits, it was the three of them, or the two of them. It all depended.
During his second last visit, Darrien noticed a small change in Eliah. He seemed distant, not the same guy Darrien had fallen in love with. Maybe if he had known, things would be different. Darrien did not know that Eliah had started using drugs again, and had hid it from Darrien. Something that Darrien had helped him overcome, when they first met. So the visit was went as normal.
Darrien noticed when they had sex; it was rough, almost violent in nature. It was hard for Darrien to say no to the guy he would always love. He would walk away from their encounters, bruised and battered. He never let on to Eliah how it hurt him the way things were going.
It was during the final time Darrien saw Eliah he finally said something to him. He put his foot down. It was a mistake Darrien would regret later. Eliah had left Darrien's home and returned to Victoria. Darrien did not know that it would be the last time he saw Eliah.
Darrien resumed his life as before. Two weeks later, he got a call from Eliah's parents. Eliah was dead. He had killed himself. They did not know the circumstances, but would let him know, as soon as they knew something. Darrien was beside himself. Darrien cut off all ties with anyone. He could not fathom the loss of Eliah. He pushed everyone who cared about him away. All he could think about was the last visit from Eliah. He had shaken him off. Darrien remembered the stream of obscenities that had come from Eliah as he had walked out of his life. He had blamed himself for everything.
It was during this time that Darrien received a letter from, Eliah's parents. It contained a letter to Darrien. It told everything. Eliah had been diagnosed with HIV. He had not been sexually active, and when he was, he used protection. Then he had put down the truth he had been hiding from Darrien. He had been doing drugs, and had shared a needle with a guy, who he did not know at the time, was HIV+. Not wanting to burden anyone, and not wanting to live with the virus, Eliah did what he thought was best, and ended his life. Darrien burst into tears. He was hurt, because Eliah did not come to him. Plus there was the drug thing. It was Eliah's wish to be buried near Darrien. Darrien made all the arrangements, and sent out the notices, a very hard thing to do. He got through it though. It was also Eliah's wish that Darrien not mourn his loss, but to move on with his life. It was hard for Darrien to do. His friends and family helped him through. With their support, Darrien was able to move on. He would never forget his one true love....Eliah. Even today, Darrien is still trying to find someone to fill that void.
The End
***I just want to put a note in here. This is the last installment of Darrien and Eliah. It is too hard for me to continue this story.


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Le Temps du Crunch
I have not one but two conference deadlines looming at the end of the week, and I'm in full-throttle writing mode. But since I'm officially addicted to the blogosphere, I expect I'll pop up to occasionally post some links in the comments during the week. You're welcome to do the same, and please feel free to chat here about whatever strikes your fancy. I'll be back with a post next week. Keep warm, peoples. Ciao.


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Animal Angles: Life Form X
by Ruth Tenzer Feldman
Since cucumbers and sea cucumbers both get nutrition from the soil, why are cucumbers plants and sea cucumbers animals?
Welcome to taxonomy — the science of classifying living things. Many taxonomists (not all!) sort life forms into five major categories or kingdoms. According to them, kingdom Protista contains single-cell organisms with a nucleus.
Kingdom Monera contains single-cell organisms without a nucleus. Animals are life forms that belong to kingdom Animalia, from the Latin word for "breath" or "soul." They have more than one cell and are heterotrophs, meaning that they are nourished by other life forms. Kingdom Fungi contains multi-celled, heterotrophic life forms, such as mushrooms, which absorb nutrition from decaying organisms. Genetic studies show that mushrooms are more like animals than plants. Life forms in kingdom Plantae are multi-celled autotrophs, meaning that they make their food. Plants are producers; animals and fungi are consumers.
In general, cucumbers are plants because they create nourishment from elements in the soil. Sea cucumbers are animals because they get nourishment from plants and animals in the sediment they swallow. Dirt is just their vehicle for dinner.
People have eaten cucumbers and sea cucumbers for centuries. Cucumbers were probably first cultivated in northern India. The part we eat is actually a fruit, like grapes or melons. Some sea cucumbers go to great lengths not to be eaten. They push their intestines out and "slime" attackers, and then regenerate new intestines. (Pretty gutsy! And disgusting!)
Here's a challenge for taxonomists: Are meat-eating plants such as Venus flytraps really animals? Carnivorous plants thrive when they digest an insect or a lizard now and then. But they can survive without meat, and they have other plant-like characteristics, so they are classified as plants.
Taxonomy can be taxing!
- nucleus: Storehouse of the cell's most important chemical information.
- sediment: Matter that falls to the bottom of a liquid.
- Do you agree or disagree with the way taxonomists have classified the Venus flytrap? Why or why not? Write down your answer.
[anno: Answers will vary.]
- In Lesson 3, you read about the five kingdoms used to classify organisms: monerans, protists, fungi, plants, and animals. Invent an organism that has characteristics from two of the different kingdoms, such as a Venus flytrap. Write a short paragraph describing your organism. Name the two kingdoms in which it could be classified. Describe how your organism gets or makes food, moves (or doesn't move), how big or small it is, and whether it lives in a colony or alone.
[anno: Answers will vary.]


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The Nissan 240SX is a sporty compact that arrived in the 1989 model year. It replaced the 200SX and was made exclusively in Japan, although it sold in many markets. It uses Nissan's S platform and is not actually related to the 240Z from the 70s despite the similarity of their names.
The 240SX's production period presented certain difficulties to Nissan. Especially difficult was the market for entry-level coupes. Many Japanese automakers entered the fray at this time and buyers of this particular class of cars didn't feel the need for loyalty. Such factors created an environment where finding a way to stand out ensured survival. The 240SX stands out from the competition as a rear-wheel drive performance car in a class dominated by front-wheel drive vehicles.
Sales were good through the early years of production, and the 240SX built a following because of the sheer driving entertainment it provided. Quick and agile with a smart weight distribution, this coupe offers a glimpse into the performance future of light cars with small engines that produce decent torque and decent thrills.
The first generation lasted from the model's introduction in 1989 to 1994. These cars are pure performers and even draw comparisons to the Porsche 944. This is groundbreaking praise for an Asian sports car, and driving enthusiasts take note. Changes and updates in 1991 separate the first generation cars into two groups. These cars come in coupe or fastback body styles, and all of the first generation models receive praise for handling, but lack power.
The second generation lasted from 1995 to 1998. For reasons unknown, possibly changing tastes or an over-competitive class, Nissan dubbed this generation of 240SX vehicles an affordable luxury coupe. This model does not emphasize performance, and previous advantages such as the rear-wheel drive and the independent suspension no longer bolster public perception. Maybe the competition caught up. Maybe the change in design ideal and advertising emphasis took a toll. No matter the cause, the last 240SX rolled off the assembly line in 1998 ending the successful sport coupe's production run.
This car gains recognition for its great handling, but it lacks power. At a time when sports cars gained popularity, the 240SX was well-received enough to stand out and sell. By the second generation of production, it lost its way in terms of focus, and the competition ramped up. While it earned praise early on, later models were a disappointment. Now that enough time has passed to allow for historical judgment with all factors and data calculated, the 240SX is relegated to the status of a competent used coupe. Other models of the time such as the Acura Integra, Honda Prelude, or Mitsubishi Eclipse, offer better choices for buyers seeking a low cost, used sports car from this time period.
What began as a design with potential soon fell to the competition and never tuned up or evolved into something that continued to impress. For these reasons the 240SX has an odd reputation as a would-be champion that found its stride and suffered from misguided design choices; failing to follow through on its original intent. The changes from generation to generation in the 240SX caused it to lose its way.
The 240SX is gone but not forgotten. The popular compact still lives on in the used market. Nissan still makes cars of this style and in the same class once occupied by the 240SX. Those buyers interested in this type of vehicle should research the available choices.
The first generation 240SX cars come in coupe and fastback body styles. These models have inline-four engines and a plethora of options available. Changes in 1991 improved horsepower and added more options.
The second-generation cars categorize as luxury coupes and lose the performance focus. These models only come as coupes and changes from year to year involve styling and appearance, with little to no changes in hardware.
1998 Nissan 240SX
Coupe, Sports
The Nissan 240SX bounces around from being a sports coupe to a luxury coupe, depending on the model year.
1997 Nissan 240SX
The 1997 Nissan 240SX is a rear-drive, two-door coupe that has both respectable gas mileage and an attractive appearance.
1996 Nissan 240SX
The 1996 Nissan 240SX uses rear drive and a two-door coupe design that has both respectable gas mileage and an attractive appearance.
1995 Nissan 240SX
The 1995 Nissan 240SX is totally redesigned as it enters its second generation as a coupe only, abandoning the hatchback and convertible versions from the original series.


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Follow us at @WorldSportCNN and like us on Facebook
(CNN) -- The World Cup has been over for just a month, yet the European football season has already begun.
New managers have been appointed, new players have been signed and new storylines are waiting to unfold.
Over the next nine months, great goals will be enjoyed, vital victories will be savored and disappointing defeats will be agonized over.
So sit back, relax and enjoy the show. But first, here are five things you may want to bear in mind along the way.
Can Louis van Gaal restore Man Utd to former glories?
When David Moyes took over from Alex Ferguson at Manchester United last year, those at Old Trafford were preparing to embark on a glorious new era in the club's history.
After 27 years under the guidance of Ferguson that had delivered a bucketload of trophies including 13 English Premier League titles and two European Champions League crowns, the new "Chosen One" was expected to continue that success in one seamless transition.
Few, however, could have predicted what was to unfold over the 2013-14 season, as Moyes was humiliatingly sacked just 10 months into his rein following a disastrous campaign that saw the defending English champions eventually finish an embarrassing seventh, thus missing out on top-tier European football for the first time in 19 years.
The mistake of employing a relatively inexperienced manager in Moyes, though, had now been learned, and those without very, very big resumes need not apply to be his replacement. An SOS was sent out at the beginning of the summer, with the accompanying message to restore the club to its former glories. And fast.
Step forward Louis van Gaal.
A man who has won a European Champions League crown as well as league titles with four different sides, including the mighty Barcelona and Bayern Munich, seems like the perfect fit for a club like United.
And while some may have argued upon his appointment that his better days are well and truly behind him -- that Champions League win with Ajax came 19 years ago -- the Dutchman silenced his critics by leading an average-looking Netherlands squad to third place at the 2014 World Cup.
After the perils of last season, and indeed missing out on the jackpot that Europe's top competition brings with it, one would imagine a third-place finish would be more than welcome at Old Trafford this time around.
The signs so far are looking good. United finished their preseason campaign undefeated, winning the International Champions Cup -- also featuring the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City -- in the process.
As well as fostering an impressive team spirit that was missing last season, Van Gaal has already shown his renowned tactical nous by implementing a 3-4-1-2 system -- similar to the one used by Netherlands in Brazil -- to get the best out of players who have struggled of late, such as Antonio Valencia and forgotten man Ashley Young.
What's more, in true Ferguson style, the new United boss has already demanded the club tear up and build two new training pitches to suit his needs, while also hitting out at its exhaustive preseason schedule of the United States.
In fact, just about every little detail he has attempted to implement has been about as far removed from Moyes' reign as possible. And that can only be a good thing for United.
The future's bright. The future's Oranje.
Read: Manchester United appoint Louis van Gaal
Can Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi and Neymar all play together?
It has been an exciting summer for transfer business in Spain. Once again, the world's best players are heading to La Liga clubs.
Headlining the bill, as ever, are Barcelona and Real Madrid, with both sides seemingly trying to trump the other with each passing transfer -- especially after being upstaged domestically last season by Atletico Madrid.
Barca has spent big on the likes of Luis Suarez, Ivan Rakitic, Jeremy Mathieu and Thomas Vermaelen, while Real has splashed out on World Cup stars Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez.
Suarez's arrival in Catalonia from Liverpool perhaps creates most excitement -- the thought of the Uruguay international lining up alongside Lionel Messi and Neymar is one to take the breath away.
Sadly for Barca fans, they will have to wait some time before this dream becomes a reality. Suarez will not be able to play for his new club -- pending an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport -- until the end of October after biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.
Blaugrana manager Luis Enrique does then, at least, have a couple of months to work out exactly how he is going to fit the striker into his team.
While the prospect of Suarez, Messi and Neymar in full flight together at the Camp Nou is a thrilling one, whether the trio can work in tandem is another question altogether.
Former Barcelona player and manager Johan Cruyff told De Telegraaf last month: "I don't know how they plan to play free-flowing attacking football with Messi, Neymar and Suarez in one team. They are all players who rely on their individual actions."
And perhaps he has a point. Will they get in each other's paths? Will one limit the others? Will egos get in the way? All questions Enrique will no doubt be thinking about, but does he have the answers?
An interchangeable forward line consisting of the trio could be what the Barca boss opts for, with Alexis Sanchez's sale to Arsenal freeing up some space in the team. All three are capable of dropping deep or wide to receive the ball, while they are all clearly devastating in the box.
A half-cooked Messi showed at the World Cup with Argentina that his qualities will still shine through when playing alongside an abundance of attacking talent, while Suarez excelled at Liverpool last season when partnering Daniel Sturridge.
Neymar, though, struggled during his maiden campaign at Barca playing second fiddle to Messi, and seemingly only sparkled for Brazil at the World Cup -- like he did at Santos -- due to being the main man.
Thus, it may well be the Brazilian who needs to up his game if the triumvirate is to prove a success, once he recovers from the back injury that cut short his World Cup.
A good job, then, that he has until the end of October to put in the practice.
Read: Liverpool and Barcelona reach deal on Suarez
Bayern Munich über alles?
Can anybody in Germany stop Bayern Munich?
It is hard enough for the cream of Europe to thwart the Bavarians -- although they were humbled by Real Madrid in last season's Champions League semifinals -- while it seems nigh on impossible for a club in Germany to get in its way.
Yet the equation is a simple one: Finish above Bayern and you win the German Bundesliga.
The last team to do so was Borussia Dortmund in 2012. Since securing the second installment of back-to-back titles -- a first for the club in 15 years -- however, Dortmund has been, domestically at least, in something of a downward spiral.
Often in football, teams can become victims of their own success. They exceed expectations, and as a result, bigger sides soon come along and take their best players.
This is how the story of Dortmund and Bayern reads.
Key players Nuri Sahin and Shinji Kagawa were both sold to the bigger fish of Real Madrid and Manchester United respectively in the summers that followed the title wins in 2011 and 2012, while Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski have both since beaten a retreat for the brighter lights of Bayern.
In that time, to the detriment of Dortmund, Bayern has gone on to reach stratospheric heights. The treble win of 2013 included securing the German Bundesliga by a league record 25 points, while the Bavarians managed to claim the title in record time by March last season.
Dortmund, to their credit, did manage to reach a first Champions League final for 16 years in 2013, only to be defeated by, you guessed it, the arch-nemesis of Bayern.
Dortmund will once again be Bayern's biggest threat in the Bundesliga this season -- having finished second in the previous two campaigns -- yet it is hard to avoid the conclusion that, following the arrival of Lewandowski, Bayern is stronger this time around, while the Pole's departure has weakened Dortmund.
The signing of Italy striker Ciro Immobile softens the blow somewhat, yet unless manager Jurgen Klopp can work miracles -- he has proven in the past that he can -- a second-place finish may be the more likely outcome for Dortmund once again.
That said, a fine 2-0 German Super Cup victory over Bayern showed Dortmund still has the firepower to worry its rivals, a result that will give it enormous hope going into the new campaign.
Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen will start the new campaign feeling as if the title is not completely out of their reach, but given Bayern has finished a whopping 26 points clear of at least one of the sides over the last two seasons, the onus of spoiling the Bavarians' party surely rests solely on Dortmund's shoulders.
Another ray of hope for Dortmund et al, though, is Bayern's loss of Kroos to Real Madrid.
One of the stars of Germany's World Cup-winning side, it will be intriguing to see if, come May, Bayern is made to regret letting the midfielder go.
Read: Bayern clinch title with seven games to go
Can Massimiliano Allegri make it four on the trot for Juve?
May 18, 2014. The latest Italian Serie A season has just come to its conclusion, and Juventus has finished a whopping 17 points ahead of its nearest challenger, Roma, at the top of the table.
Antonio Conte has led a side he has molded into his own image to a third straight Scudetto, and this time with a league record haul of 102 points to boot.
Can anybody stop this Bianconeri express train?
Fast forward nearly three months, however, and Juventus' position at the top of the Italian football pyramid looks slightly less secure.
Star player Arturo Vidal could be on his way to Manchester United, while Conte is already long gone -- officially leaving the club by mutual consent, but amidst talk that he was unhappy at the board's inability to financially back him in his quest to translate Juve's domestic domination onto the European scene.
Succeeding him is Massimiliano Allegri -- a former Serie A-winning coach with AC Milan, but one who was sacked with the team lingering down in 11th position nearly three years later.
A repeat of his triumphant debut Milan campaign this year in Turin, though, and that will be forgotten if he can keep the "Old Lady" of Turin on top.
Standing in Allegri's way, however, will be an ever-improving Roma side. Rudi Garcia took over the Giallorossi reins last year, and in his debut campaign managed to enhance the club's previous points tally by 23, as well as pushing it four places up the table to second.
With the experience of being in last term's title challenge, Garcia's side will be all the stronger for it, and that is without mentioning the smart signings of the likes of Ashley Cole and Juan Iturbe.
Third-placed Napoli will also have learned from the lack of consistency that thwarted its assault on the title last season under Rafael Benitez.
If Juve relinquishes the title, it could mean the end of an era for key players such as Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo, who are 36 and 35 respectively.
Allegri has much to gain, but even more to lose.
Read: Allegri succeeds Conte as Juve coach
Can PSG do it in Europe?
Back at Stamford Bridge in April, Paris Saint-Germain was just a matter of minutes away from reaching a first European Champions League semifinal in 19 years.
The hundreds of millions spent in recent years by the French club's Qatari owners had all been invested in the hope this long-awaited moment would soon come around.
A late scrambled goal from Demba Ba, however, changed all of that. Chelsea went through to the final four instead, while the Ligue 1 champion was sent packing with the knowledge it would have to wait yet another year to realize its lofty dreams.
Another domestic title would follow on at the Parc des Princes a month later -- the first back-to-back success in the club's history.
Yet despite the magnitude of this achievement, it will likely not quite have been enough to satisfy the needs of ambitious owners who have thrown vast sums of money towards building a force to be reckoned with.
When you have spent some $650 million on world-class talent such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani, putting you worlds apart from the fellow teams in your division in the process, securing the domestic championship becomes the bare minimum. European domination is the goal.
PSG kicked off its new league campaign last Friday, stuttering to a 2-2 draw at Stade de Reims.
While clearly not the ideal result for the club, it will take solace from the fact that it also dropped points on the opening days of the last two seasons.
Despite being hit with sanctions by UEFA after breaching financial fair play rules, PSG made David Luiz the world's most expensive defender at a reported cost of $80 million -- which is looking inflated after his performances for Brazil at the World Cup.
PSG's closest rival last year, Monaco, has been weaked by the departure of Colombia star Rodriguez to Real Madrid, while key striker Radamel Falcao has been tipped to follow his compatriot to the Spanish capital.
If PSG does not wrap up a hat-trick of titles this season, then Laurent Blanc and his team will have been adjudged to have failed, and failed badly.
But it is the Champions League that is the real Holy Grail for the club, and that will be the true litmus test for its season.
Read: Chelsea rallies to reach UCL semifinals


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Home Groundhogs Register Travel/Lodging Info
June 23-24, 2010
I-Hotel and Conference Center
1901 S. First St.
Champaign, Illinois
Presenters and participants from academia, government, the IT industry, business, as well as engineering, consulting, and architecture firms will explore the challenges involved in planning, designing, engineering, constructing, and maintaining HPC data centers of the future in this two-day workshop.
Keynote presenter: Michael J. Ellsworth, Jr., P.E.
Michael J. Ellsworth, a Senior Technical Staff Member working in the Advanced Thermal Laboratory in Poughkeepsie, NY, has been with IBM since 1988. He is a recognized expert in electronics thermal management ranging from chip to system to data center. He currently leads the development and implementation of the water cooling system for IBM's next generation large scale compute intensive system, the Power 775. Mike will share his thoughts and expertise on high-density computing in an increasingly energy-conscious world.
Keynote presenter: Christina Page
As Director of Climate and Energy Strategy for Yahoo!, Chris leads the company's corporate environmental strategy. Her recent work includes Yahoo!'s commitment to reducing the carbon intensity of data centers, a partnership with the Department of Energy on green data center design, and the GreenXChange project in cooperation with Creative Commons, Nike, and Best Buy. Chris has over 15 years of experience teaching and advising in the field of sustainability. Her wide-ranging expertise includes energy-related systems analysis, sustainability consulting for businesses, and designing greenhouse gas reduction models. She'll take us through a 360-degree approach to green design, touching on areas you may not have thought of previously.
Other presenters include: Shaun Harris, Microsoft; Kevin McKenna, Clayco, Inc.; Robert Pappas, Nova Corporation; Shawn Mills, Greenhouse Data; Alda Licis, HP Critical Facilities Services, delivered by EYP MCF; Al Kellie, National Center for Atmospheric Research; Brandi Landreth, Allstate Insurance Co.; and Anna Maria Bailey, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
This workshop is sponsored by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, IBM, HP Critical Facilities Services, delivered by EYP MCF, Clayco, and Nova Corporation, Hitec Power Protection.
Space is limited and advance registration is required.
Questions? Contact Barbara Jewett, firstname.lastname@example.com.


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< Earthquake Near Souther Oregon Coast
Feb 28, 2013 07:02
Category: General News
Category: General News
WA Gov Signs First Bill
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Gov. Jay Inslee has signed his first bill into law, a measure that requires homeless or runaway shelters to notify parents, state officials or law enforcement of a youth's location within 72 hours of becoming aware they are missing. Inslee signed the measure yesterday. The law will take effect in July. Shelters have been required to provide notification of a child's whereabouts since 1995, but the time of notification was expanded from eight hours to 72 hours in 2010. Those changes expired last year, but are made permanent under the measure sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jim Hargrove of Hoquiam.


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Wabash men turned out in force across the country Oct. 5 and 6. to serve their communities. Through numerous charitable efforts the great Wabash community lived our mission statement to 'live humanely."
Check out all of the individual reports in the right rail. More will come in over the next few days and we'll update this posting!


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Today's eco fashion options can sometimes seem other-worldly or suggestive of a world that we hope to soon inhabit. The best designs often stem from one's native surroundings and feature eco-friendly textiles that are context sensitive and sustainably considered. Occasionally, though, a designer references far-off horizons, distant galaxies and deep space as away to bring us closer to the fragility and marvels of the universe and its complex workings. Enter Leila Hafzi's stunning collections inspired by the scope of NASA photography with a unique spin on scientific prediction, colorful dreamy space, and enviro-art intuition.
Leila Hafzi's ethical collections are best known in Europe – Norway specifically, although her recent premiere on the cover of Eco Fashion World has definitely captured the attention of eco-savvy fashionistas everywhere. With ethical fair-trade production currently underway in Iran and Nepal, the designer seeks to set the stage for an atelier that wondrously celebrates "cultures in fusion'. Her latest chiffon-like, green gown collection has been capturing the attention of celebrities looking for the next big thing. Not easily lured into the centrifugal pull of shifting trends, the designer has been quoted as saying:
"I was inspired by NASA pictures of black holes and distant galaxies, and it made me think of our own fragile ozone layer and the ozone molecule O3."
Leila Hafzi's designs have also made a big impact at the Ethical Fashion Shows in Paris. In regards to her environmental practices and the incredible colors she alchemizes on fabric, the designer elaborates:
"We use different techniques, everything is hand-made. First, to get the vibrant colors, we premiered AZO Free dyes in Nepal. These are the legal standard dyes in Europe, but most Asian countries don't have that regulation and work with dyes that are extremely harmful to the workers' health… For the paler colors, we are experimenting with herbal Ayurvedic dyes to preserve the purity of the organic materials." – Eco Fashion World
Ayurvedic dyes? I am sold. We love that Hafzi is not afraid to highlight her investigation of nature, global climate change, and astronomical phenomena while also making women look totally out of this world in the process.
+ Interview with Leila Hafzi in Eco Fashion World
Via Feelgood Style


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View the best solar energy companies currently servicing Barnwell, SC
Our 385 reviews of the 41 solar power companies servicing Barnwell in 2019 shows you the best 10 local solar panel installation companies by reputation. Enter your zip code and bill into the solar cost and savings calculator above to also see the cost of installing solar with the best solar companies near you and to get free quotes if you wish.
Firstly, no solar contractors can pay to get listed at the top of our search results.
The order of our list of best solar installers is displayed based on a formula balancing reviews number and reviews score only from the last two years. If a company has a lot of reviews and a higher average reviews score, but is below another company in the list, it is because most of their reviews are old and the company above them has more reviews at a better average reviews score in the last two years (even if overall they have fewer reviews or a lower all time average reviews score).
We show all solar energy contractors that have received reviews of solar panel installation work they have done in Barnwell even if they don't have an office in Barnwell. There are a lot of renewable energy companies in the solar industry in the United States that service areas in which they don't have offices via contract installation teams. Some of these companies receive a lot of complaints (see the big national installers reviews like Vivint Solar, Sunrun and Solar City), but others have really good reviews and so we don't exclude them from our top solar companies lists. They often bring price competition to smaller cities where the local solar companies are so busy they need to put their prices up. It is up to you how much weight you put on a local office when choosing between solar companies.
Services: Energy Monitoring, Storage, Solar Hot Water (Thermal), Commercial Solar Electric, Residential Solar Electric
After becoming interested in solar for my home, My wife and I started researching .. We got quotes from 3 three other companies before deciding to go with Southern Current.. They were quick and responsive to show us the best system for our needs. They are very knowledgeable and professional. Their prices beat all the others we had gotten. They handled the design, the engineering, all the permitting required. It came out a little ahead of schedule and performed a flawless install. They cleaned everything up after themselves and had me running in three days. Since then we've been very satisfied with the performance and the savings that we now get. System has now been online almost 11 months with zero downtime. We closely monitor our system's output by the convenient app... Other than that it's hands off. The only thing that would make this whole process better would be if we had longer days... Lol.. I give southern current and their team to thumbs up and five stars...... read more
Services: Residential Solar Electric, Energy Monitoring, Storage, Commercial Solar Electric
I had South Coast Solar install solar panels on my home in Metairie, LA approximately 4 years ago. Without a doubt, South Coast Solar did a highly professional installation at a very reasonable cost. And, the most important point that I would add is that they have continued to provide outstanding service on a few minor issues. I give this company my highest recommendation because they not only install the very best equipment, but they stand behind their product and service for years after the installation. If i did not already have a solar system, i would use South Coast Solar without any reservation. If you want the best, they are the best!... read more
Services: Commercial Solar Electric, Residential Solar Electric
I have had a great experience with New Star Solar. No stress, always just a phone call away. System up and running! Wish I had done it sooner.
Services: Solar Pool Heating, Commercial Solar Electric, Residential Solar Electric, Energy Monitoring, Storage
Spoke with Tommy from Palmetto SolarPros today. He assuredly is a master in his field. He has a wealth of knowledge and explained everything to me including cost breakdown and eventual savings. Thank you and I look forward to doing business with you in the very near future!
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Services: Residential Solar Electric, Commercial Solar Electric
We needed a new roof; and GES Solar were professional, easy to work with, their price quote was exactly what they charged, and much cheaper than other companies.
Services: Commercial Solar Electric, Residential Solar Electric
Awesome experience from day one! Frank came into our home and presented us with our system. Very easy to talk to and not pressuring at all. Today, we had our install and again the crew was awesome. It had just finished snowing and an ice storm yesterday but that didn't stop this crew! They prepped the roof to remove the snow and ice and got to work. Very friendly and completed the job today (one day)! I would highly recommend Summit Solar to anyone! Thank you for making it so easy!... read more
Jon and Mona are professionals and we are very happy we selected them for our Solar Installation. They spent a lot of time with us upfront explaining the process end-to-end and answering literally dozens of questions I had an were sensitive to our needs regarding aesthetics. Their proposal and plans were very detailed and on-point with what how the install eventually went. They also answered my questions post-install to make sure I was comfortable with how SREC-II and Aggregator would work etc.. I would recommend them for your residential solar install.... read more
Services: Storage, Energy Audits, Commercial Solar Electric, Residential Solar Electric
The crew did a very good job and got the job done very quickly considering its scope. They were friendly and cleaned up nicely after themselves.
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Services: Commercial Solar Electric
Sunshine Solar arrived & completed the job in a very timely manner despite some logistic problems we encountered from the supplier we chose for the job.
Services: Energy Monitoring, Storage, Commercial Solar Electric, Residential Solar Electric
Office location: Austin, TX 78759
1876 Energy was a great company to work with . They were responsive to all of our requests and picked up before they left. Company communication was very good and they even left us a bottle of wine
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The Rosetta Stone software produced by our Endangered Language Program possesses a unique goal. It attempts to portray the people, culture and geography of an endangered language in a way that excites young learners to study their ancestral tongue through novel technology and the accurate representation of their lives and culture.
When we began thinking of images to use in the Rosetta Stone Navajo software, there were some obvious choices — the Navajo Nation tribal offices, Window Rock and the reigning Miss Navajo. These were highly recognizable, but we also wanted to feature ordinary people engaging in every-day activities. And if we could spotlight ordinary people doing something extraordinary, even better!
We spent two whirlwind weeks shooting almost 500 custom photos that will be included in the Rosetta Stone Navajo software, with a one-day stop in Blanding, Utah. Blanding may not be a town populated by high profile celebrities, but the Lickity Split Chocolate Studio and its exceptional proprietors were just the kind of celebrities we were looking for.
The Lickity Split Chocolate Studio began as the pet project of VISTA volunteer Elaine Borgen when she came face to face with the cycle of poverty in the region. Her dream was to help kids gain the necessary skills and assets to run a successful business. With an inspirational synergy fueled by the creativity of budding minds, it soon grew into a full-fledged enterprise with over 30 Native owners, all under the age of 16. Granted, chocolate may not be all that hard to sell, but an energetic 10 year-old marketing manager doesn't hurt! When we visited the shop in June 2009, production was in full swing and in the hands of three capable young girls with no adults in sight. The signature creations of the shop, like the Navajo wedding basket lollipop and Kokopelli-shaped figures, all use themes from Native traditions.
Some of my favorite shots at the shop are of a young owner, standing at the door and bidding her customer "Hágoónee'." Her face shows all the self-assurance of a successful entrepreneur and the pride of a job well done — and I can think of no better representation of Native youth and their potential.
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NJLM takes photographs during its meetings and events for use in advertising, publications, and other promotional materials, whether in print, electronic, or other media, including the NJLM website. By participating in this conference you grant the League the right to use your name and photograph for such purposes.
Show All Answers
NJLM's Annual Conference is held each November, the week before Thanksgiving; Tuesday through Thursday.
Visit the Conference Section of the website for more information/
The Conference is located at the Atlantic City Convention Center, One Convention Boulevard, Atlantic City, NJ 08401.
Phone: 609-449-2000; fax: 609-449-2090. http://meetac.com/meet/directions-maps-and-transportation
The preliminary program can be reviewed on the Conference App after Oct. 4, and will be available to download from the Conference portion of NJSLOM.org in November.
Download the conference app from your device's app store "NJLM 2018."
As a courtesy to presenters and other attendees, we ask that you kindly turn off your mobile phones or set them to vibrate during sessions and keynote presentations. Please quietly exit the room to attend to important phone calls.
Some presentations will be made available at the conference section of NJSLOM.org after the conference.
Elevator access to each level can be found near the center and right side of the atrium.
On the first level, elevators are near the entrance to the parking garage.
On the second level, they are to the left of the Exhibit Hall entrances "A" and "B." Elevators on the third level are near rooms 307 and 310.
The fourth level elevator access is near rooms 407 and 410.For scooter or wheelchair rentals, please call the UPS Business Center (located in the Convention Center Atrium) at 609-449-2480.
For wheelchair-accessible shuttle services, please contact Sherri Carrelli and Academy Bus, 800-709-1339, Ext. 2750.
NJLM does not provide child care services during the conference. Attendees requiring assistance with child care should contact their hotel concierge.
Wearing white staff ribbons on their badges, members of the League staff will be available at the Registration Center, at the League Booth, and at the Information Booth near the registration area on the second level.
Don't hesitate to ask for assistance.
A first aid station is located inside the Exhibit Hall in front of the 100 aisle. In an emergency, either go directly to the first aid station, or alert someone at the Registration Center or League Information Booth.
A restaurant is conveniently located in the 2500 aisle of the Exhibit Hall. It will be serving continental breakfasts, snacks, sandwiches, deli platters, and beverages. In addition, there are two small snack bars with limited menus in the front of the Exhibit Hall (aisles 100 and 1500).
Underground parking is available at the Convention Center for a fee. Also, parking is available at nearby hotel/casinos and public parking lots for a fee.
Jitneys and Taxis Jitneys and taxis will serve the Convention Center throughout the day and require standard cash fare.Shuttle Buses Transportation from official conference hotels to the Convention Center will be provided by Academy Bus Company chartered shuttle service. There will be no need to carry money or bus fare. The shuttle service is paid through a $7 per day, per hotel room fee.Shuttle service will start Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 a.m. and stop at 6:00 p.m. Buses will depart every 20 to 25 minutes on average. Detailed shuttle schedules are available at the League Information Booth and will be posted in the lobby of each hotel.
The coat room is located on the first floor, to the right, behind the big escalator and across from Doors 2 and 3.
Yes there will be a new conference app available Oct. 3 from your device's app stores. Even if you downloaded the app last year, you must download it again for 2018.
The Info Desk is located at the top of the escalator on the second floor, left side.
There is a business center on the first floor, left side, just near the bottom of the escalator.
Yes. #njleague


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Jamary McKinney said he discovered his first love when he started playing baseball at age 5.
McKinney has taken the route of many talented baseball players, starting on his local Little League team with Jackie Robinson West, progressing to elite travel teams as a teen and starting for his high school team at Simeon.
But McKinney, who now plays for Chicago State, says he sometimes feels like an anomaly in the sport he adores.
"Being from the South Side of Chicago, baseball is just not a big sport," said McKinney, 19, who is from Roseland. "It's like being foreign on the South Side of Chicago. I get, 'What sport do you play? You don't look like a baseball...


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Alias: Susie, Redd Foxx, Red Foxxx, Susi
Tattoos: She has a Chinese dragon to the left of her navel.
Melrose Foxxx is a Southern cutie originally from New Orleans. A preacher's daughter, Melrose entered the industry in early 2007 when a male friend introduced her to porn as a quick way to earn tuition money. Melrose, who was at the time earning a degree in Psychology, fell in love with the camera and decided to make porn her full-time career. At the start of her career, Melrose originally wanted to call herself Red Foxx, but thought it wiser to go with something less likely to sound like the late comedian Redd Foxx. Melrose has had a quick rise to fame, appearing in various box covers for some of the industry's top gonzo studios. Her easy-going personality has made her a favorite of directors, who love to pair the petite beauty with big powerful men. She has also done several girl-on-girl scenes and even some foot fetish films. Melrose is open to anything, sexually, as long as it pleases her many fans.


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Cameron, circumstances and priests
Image via WikipediaOne of the points of my previous post on how riots spread is Monkey See, Monkey Do.
Or to put it less simply, we are less rational than we would like to think - we act like those around us and as allowed, persuaded, nudged or otherwise cajoled to do by the circumstances in which we find ourselves (the behaviour of other folk being a very key part of those circumstances).
Now, even our nice Mr Cameron (remember the one, when he first became Tory leader, when he seemed more interested in what is right rather than what is Right), knew that.
As HM Opposition are all of a dither to point out, Cameron himself proclaimed "there are connections between circumstances and behaviour" five years ago...
Damn right. Primed with the right conditions, given the right circumstances - you too are at great risk of behaving in a very irrational way. Once again, I point you at Mark Earl's excellent Herd for more on this.
This is really important because once we understand this is what drives behaviour, then we can start on the business of ascribing blame for that behaviour and (rather more importantly) doing something about it.
It's why I am getting increasingly annoyed at the misdirection the Government PR machine is employed in. First every talking head spouted 'criminality' to focus our attention on the outcome. Now that is being replaced by 'moral collapse'. Both make us focus on the outcome. Which is convenient because it's hard to pin the blame on the Government for outcomes. Circumstances and conditions? Now there some Governmental blame can be laid.
So, I had best demonstrate what can turn even good people bad - to act irrationally - if the conditions are set for them. I best show how it's more the context and circumstances to blame and less the moral fibre of the people concerned...
Take for example the study at Princeton Theological Seminary quoted in Malcolm Gladwell's often-bought-but-rarely-looted Tipping Point.
In the story he tells, each student priest is asked "to prepare a short talk on a given Biblical theme, then walk over to a nearby building to present it."
Along the way to the presentation each student comes across a man slumped head down, eyes closed, and clearly in some distress.
Obviously being good God-fearing folk (with no doubt all the parental support our dear leader would desire) they stop and help, don't they?
Wouldn't you?
Well. The researchers included three variables: background of the subject - whether they had entered seminary as a way of helping people or not, (2) which parable they were to prepare - several were given the Good Samaritan... and (3) a time context, saying either that they were running several minutes late and should hurry up, or that they were early and had some time to spare.
Guess what?
The only thing that impacted how likely our trainee priests were to stop and help our hapless fallen guy was how late they thought they were running.
In other words whether you were planning to help folk as a vocation, and whether or not you had just been hard at it thinking about the Good Samaritan, mattered little. Their attitudes and feelings were instantly over-ridden by subtle clues in the environment - in this case being told whether they were running late or not.
I can't claim to be any better than any of those flawed priests-to-be. I can't claim to be able to resist temptation to act irrationally if the conditions are right - if the circumstances so nudged me. You see, I'm human too. So is David Cameron if the stories of the Bullingdon Club are to be believed.
The good news is I do think there is something your rational selves can do to avoid those contexts.
My guess is many of us would loot in the right (wrong) circumstances. But I'm also pretty sure most of us would employ our rational moments to guide us away from those circumstances.
And that's where the Government - and others bent on behaviour modifying must focus, too.
We can rationally decide to join together with good things in mind - and we can support each other - be good monkeys to be seen and copied, too.
That's how the brooms came out - en masse - for the twitter clean up. We can use social media to find folk thinking positively, too and coordinate and cooperate with them.
Call it rational if you like...


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Can you imagine in the NBA finals with the team holding the home court advantage being allowed to shoot a three-point shot while the other is not? Can you imagine one team in the Super Bowl allowed to go for a two-point conversion while the other is not?
However, Major League Baseball continues on with its inane designated-hitter rule, which is a blatant advantage to the National League. It defines unfairness, and with it also reminds us of some of the issues that takes away from the sport.
Whether you are for the Red Sox or not, you must admit the unfairness of them being denied an aspect of their game that they played with all season.
That's just one more aspect of how MLB devalues its most valuable entity, which is the World Series. Another is the decision to award home field to the league that wins the totally unrelated exhibition otherwise known as the World Series.
For nearly a century home field was determined on a rotating basis. To go away from tradition to boost the sagging interest of the All-Star Game, brought on by the gimmick of interleague play is part of the legacy of Bud Selig's tenure as commissioner.
This is one of the rare seasons when the teams with the best record in each league reached the World Series. Now that they are here, it doesn't seem right a gimmick, a fad, could dictate the winner.
Why leave it to chance? Either both leagues play with the designated hitter or they do not. Stop with the fads and let the best part of your game – the World Series – shine.
And, do it at a time of night that enables tomorrow's fans, and ticket buyers, to stay up to watch. It's a great game and everything should be done to take care of it and show it in its proper light, with none of these detracting issues.


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Coordinate, optimise, and progressively integrate European activities for surface marine observations in support of Numerical Weather Prediction and climate monitoring.
"Surface marine observations globally account for 3.5% of the total error reduction on Day 1 forecasts achieved by all types of observation ingested in real-time by NWP models*."
The tasks
– Procure drifting buoys, arrange deliveries in a few suitable locations, coordinate deployments in the EUMETNET area thanks to voluntary participating ships, and arrange for data processing and delivery.
– Compensate participating members according to their activities in surface marine observations.
– Realize savings in communication costs for conventional VOS ships not equipped with Shipborne-Automatic Weather Station (S-AWS).
– Operate a small fleet of S-AWS to patch coverage gaps in the EUMETNET area.
– Facilitate the exchanges of best practices and technical information between participants.
– Manage the development and implementation of a EUropean common Automatic Weather Station (EUCAWS), procured under common specifications.
– Monitor the availability, timeliness, and quality of the data produced by each component of the service and take appropriate measures to correct the problems.
– Work closely with several task teams from the two international organisations involved in surface marine observations: JCOMM Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) and Ship Observations Team (SOT).
The requirements
– Maintain an operational network of about 100 drifting buoys measuring air pressure and sea surface temperature in the North Atlantic, with data made available in real time onto the Global Telecommunication System of WMO.
– Support financially and technically the operation of 4 moored buoys as a baseline for the calibration and the validation of satellite-derived wind and wave observations.
– Support the activities of Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS) through better coordination and harmonisation of practices, and compensation of participating members for the observations and the communications related to this component.
– Operate a fleet of Shipborne Automated Weather Stations (S-AWS) to patch coverage gaps in the EUMETNET area and facilitate the automation of the observation aboard ships through the development of such stations.
The organisation
The Coordinating Member for this Operational Service is Météo-France and its Manager is Paul Poli. The Data Buoy Manager is Gilbert Emzivat and the VOS Coordinator is Jean-Baptiste Cohuet.
*Estimates are based on ECMWF Operations observation feedback for all observations assimilated between May 2015 and June 2016, considering the first day of each month.
More information
The Operational Service was established during 2003 as an optional element of the EUMETNET Observation Programme (previously called EUCOS), on the basis of a detailed Operational Service proposal.
Supported by 15 countries, it had been initially defined with a period of four years divided into two stages of two years each under the responsibility of Meteo France-France. During stage 1 (2003-2004), a comprehensive design study was carried out and given to the EUMETNET Council. This study was accepted by the EUMETNET Council in September 2004. Stage 2 (2005-2006) mainly consisted in the implementation of the designed network.
In 2006, the Council renewed its confidence in Meteo France to manage the Operational Service during its next phase (2007-2011). Like other Operational Services, this phase was extended to one year (2012).
In November 2012, the EUMETNET EIG Assembly decided to continue the E-SURFMAR Operational Service for 5 years from the 1st January 2013 to the 31st December 2017, under the responsibility of Meteo-France.
Since its creation, the E-SURFMAR Operational Service has seen significant reorganisation in the management of marine observing programmes within Europe:
– the COSNA group (Composite Observing System for the North Atlantic) was disbanded in August 2003;
– a VOS Technical Advisory Group (VOS-TAG) was established in September 2003. Before its forming, no forum or organisation actually existed in Europe to co-ordinate technical and operational strategies for European voluntary observing ships;
– the European Group on Ocean Stations (EGOS) reformed as the Data Buoy Technical Advisory Group (DB-TAG) of the E-SURFMAR Operational Service in January 2005. A Data Buoy manager was appointed by the EUMETNET Council (Meteo France responsibility).
The E-SURFMAR design study was driven by the main EUCOS aim: to improve the quality of numerical and general forecasts over Europe. It showed that the most suitable parameter required by regional Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) which cannot be provided by the space segment, is air pressure.
The recommended was to increase the density of observations for this parameter as a matter of priority. It also showed that this could be achieved through the use of more drifting buoys and Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS) reporting hourly data from sensitive areas: in the North Atlantic (north of 35°N) and in the Mediterranean Sea.
Some parameters measured by satellites, such as Sea Surface Temperature (SST), wind and waves, require calibration and validation. However, reliable in situ SST data are already provided by drifting buoys. So, an increase of these platforms would naturally contribute to improve the quality of satellite data calibration for SST.
For wind and waves, the E-SURFMAR design study recommended the use of four existing moored buoys which would be upgraded to provide directional wave spectra and 10-minutes wind data, and possibly being re-located in more suitable positions.
A considerable amount of work was carried out during the first ten years of the Operational Service. Results include:
– the direct management of a network of about 100 drifting buoys and 26 Shipborne Automated Weather Stations;
– full integration of the former EGOS group activities;
– a significant decrease in costs of observations carried out by automated systems operated by the Operational Service management but also by individual NMSes;
– a significant increase in the volume of observations reported by these systems;
considerable savings on data transmission costs thanks to the use of Iridium and data compression techniques as and when possible;
– improvements in the timeliness of drifting buoy data thanks to the use of Iridium instead of Argos for these platforms;
– the development and the use of a global metadata database for ships;
– the drafting of common technical specifications for a European Shipborne AWS to be used in a EUMETNET call for tender (EUCAWS project);
– the establishment of financial arrangements to compensate national activities that are suitable for the Operational Service;
– co-operations, most of them informal, with third parties: NOAA (US), MSC (Canada), Puertos des Estado (Spain), MOON Community, GHRSST group…;
– the set up of tools available on the Web to monitor all operational surface marine observation networks in the world.
The Operational Service also saw a significant increase in the volume of observations reported by national shipborne S-AWS.
In 2010, ECMWF conducted an OSE study which showed a clear positive impact of buoy data on numerical weather predictions. In the North Atlantic, the present density of additional buoys – compared to the situation before E-SURFMAR started –, has a visible but moderate impact in terms of forecasts scores. The impact of E-SURFMAR contribution was slightly positive on storms Klaus and Xynthia for the 24h forecasts but remarkable for 48h and 96h. ECMWF recommended not to decrease the present density of sea level pressure observations in the North Atlantic.
Since mid-2007, between 90 and 105 drifting buoys fully or partially funded by E-SURFMAR were permanently operating. This number significantly decreased in 2011 due to wrong batches of buoys delivered by the two usual manufacturers. The average number of operational buoys was below 75 buoys till mid-2012.
Since, more than 100 E-SURFMAR drifting buoys are permanently operating in the EUMETNET area. In parallel, about 45 non-project buoys in average – from NOAA, Meteo-France, LOCEAN, Marlin -, are operating in the area. E-SURFMAR monitor their data as it does for those funded by the Operational Service.
Drifting buoys are deployed from different harbours thanks to local partners (e.g. Port Meteorological Officers): Charleston, Fos-sur-Mer, Halifax, Helsingborg, Kirkenes, Le Havre, Liverpool, Norfolk, Rotterdam, Reykjavik, Southampton…
European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation
E-SURFMAR takes part in the European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 (H2020) research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 633211 within the project AtlantOS.
AtlantOS aims to improve and innovate the Atlantic observing by using the Framework of Ocean Observing to obtain an international, more sustainable, more efficient, more integrated, and fit-for-purpose system. AltantOS is a large-scale EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation project that contributes to the Trans-Atlantic Research Alliance and GEO.
The participation of E-SURFMAR in this project is to lead the surface drifter network component. Three axes of enhancement are being explored: enhance the geographical coverage, enrich the variety of variables measured at low cost by drifters, and study whether vertical sampling of the upper ocean layer by drifters would assist in understanding and predictability. In addition, E-SURFMAR is working within this project to improve the general data access and data integration, for all categories of users of surface drifter data.
Started on 1 April 2015, the project is due to last for 4 years. The EU funding in AtlantOS enables annual deployment of 13 drifters measuring currents, sea-surface temperature, and atmospheric surface pressure in the Tropical Atlantic. In addition, a prototype drifter to measure sea-surface salinity at an affordable cost is also being developed by partners.
The operations of four moored buoys are presently compensated by the Operational Service: K-pattern buoys K5, M6 and Lion and SeaWatch buoy Cabo Sillero. The first three are operated by Met Office, Met Eireann – in association with MRI – and Meteo France, respectively. The last one is operated by Puertos del Estado. These buoys were chosen for their theoretical ability to perform accurate wind and wave measurements (spectra).
During a long time, Cabo Silleiro was the only buoy to provide directional wave spectra and Lion buoy was only providing omnidirectional spectra. Since mid-2008 and October 2013 respectively, K5 and Lion moored buoys have also been reporting directional wave spectra. M6 does not measure this parameter yet.
In general, the current quality of moored buoy data is among the best we can get from surface marine stations. For instance, the RMS of air pressure differences with model outputs was 0.7 hPa in 2013 for the 4 moored buoys (against 0.6 hPa for drifting buoys, 0.7 hPa for S-AWS and 1.3 hPa for conventional VOS). For wind data, the RMS of differences with model outputs was 2.6 m/s in 2013 (against 3.9 m/s for S-AWS and 4.5 m/s for conventional VOS).
These four buoys are part of national networks which are also monitored by the Operational Service. The aim is here to get, in real time, as many quality observations as possible.
Besides moored buoy networks operated by E-SURFMAR participating members or historical partners (Puertos del Estado and MRI), other networks exists. The Operational Service seeks for cooperation with the institutes which operate these networks and their closest NMS in order to have their data fed into the GTS in real time. Thus, since mid-2010, the Greek Poseidon network, the Italian Ron network as well as, more recently, moored buoys operated by BSH (Germany), have been fed into the GTS and carefully monitored. The close cooperation between E-SURFMAR and these institutes also allowed to improve the measurements carried out by these buoys which now are close to reach WMO standards.
In 2013, each month about 370 European conventional VOS reported 270 observations per day in average from the EUMETNET area of interest. This is 20% less observations than in 2002 (for 30% less ships), before E-SURFMAR started, but still slightly higher than the target of 250 observations which should not be overpassed. During the same period, each month about 125 European S-AWS reported 1,700 observations per day in average from the EUMETNET area. This is 5 times more than in 2002.
For different reasons, the timeliness of conventional VOS data – 86% of the messages were received within 50 minutes in 2013 -, remained below the target of 90% for the eleventh consecutive year of the Operational Service. At the opposite, the timeliness of S-AWS data climbed well above the target of 90%: 94% in 2010.
Early in the Operational Service, it was noted that the quality of pressure values reported by conventional VOS was below that of automated systems. The most common errors are due to a wrong correction of the height of the barometer above the waterline. Despite the set up of daily updated blacklist, the situation did not change much during the past years. It however must be noticed that a slight improvement appeared in 2013 : the RMS of differences between observations and model outputs was 1.3 hPa (against 0.7 hPa for S-AWS), for a target of 1.0 hPa.
By the end of 2013, 10 BaTos and 18 BaRos AWS funded by the Operational Service were in operation (E-SURFMAR S-AWS fleet). The BaRos is normally a simple (autonomous) system reporting air pressure only (see picture here below). Moreover, three systems out of the 18 have been upgraded in BaRos+ AWS by Meteo France (air temperature, air humidity and wind measurements added). In 2013, several installations were done thanks to MOON members on ships plying in the Mediterranean Sea. The maintenance of this network of AWS is not an easy job. Ships are often changing their programmes and may be sold or de-constructed without any lead time.
A call for tender for the procurement of common S-AWS was issued in 2013. Three prototypes funded by the Operational Service are under construction and should be delivered to three E-SURFMAR participants on mid-2014 for evaluation. Later, series should be purchased by a few NMSs for their own purposes as well as by the Operational Service for E-SURFMAR objectives.
In 2011, KNMI started the implementation of the "half compression" technique, developed by the Operational Service, on their conventional ships. This technique allows significantly savings on communication costs. The GTS data transmission is presently ensured by Meteo France but could be shared with other NMSs. The savings are more significant if all NMSs do the same. DWD and Met Office, which operate the larger conventional VOS fleet, should follow.
An online database was developed within the Operational Service to manage VOS metadata (WMO Pub47 format). It contains all VOS metadata available in the world (permanently updated).
A set of quality control tools was developed by Meteo France to monitor E-SURFMAR observation networks. Mainly based on comparisons with model outputs, they may be actually used to monitor any surface marine observation platform in the world reporting onto the GTS – not only those of the Operational Service.
Every month, the performances of the networks in matter of data availability, timeliness and quality, are assessed and compared to previous months and targets.


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HERSHEY, Pa. (WHP) - As more information is revealed about concussions and the effects they can have long-term, one doctor at Penn State Hershey Medical Center made a discovery about how concussions may soon be treated in the short-term. As it turns out, saliva may be the key.
Just swabbing your cheek for 10 to 15 seconds may give doctors, coaches and parents the opportunity to diagnose a concussion and predict the forthcoming symptoms of a head injury in just a few minutes.
Whether it's soccer, football or any other sport, these days the talk surrounding athletics is all about concussions.
"We see it in every sport. Oddly enough one of the ones we see it the most often is in cheerleading," Red Lion Athletic Director Arnie Fritzius.
Arnie Fritzius is the athletic director for Red Lion School District. He says right now student athletes grades seven and up are tested for concussions with a survey, or what doctors call a SCAT test. But researchers with Penn State Hershey Medical Center hope that's about to change.
"We found pretty quickly that people are hesitant to let you stick a needle in their arm for an experiment. Most people are willing to spit in a cup though, especially kids," said Penn State Hershey Medical Center Pediatrics Assistant Professor Dr. Steve Hicks.
In that saliva, he says, are molecules called micro RNA's that can help diagnose concussions and predict how long someone might experience symptoms from them.
"We found that the original scat scores were about 65% accurate at predicting who would have symptoms a month after their injury," said Dr. Hicks.
But micro RNA's in saliva were about 85% accurate. All it takes is a 10 to 15 second cheek swab and a balance test. He says analysis of the spit takes no longer than 24 hours.
"That would be major because right now we don't really have any concrete way of knowing how the impact of the concussion is going to affect the kids," said Fritzius.
This discovery is in the early stages, and it only included 52 children. But Dr. Hicks hopes with more testing, a simple cheek swab will become commonplace with concussion diagnoses within the next two years.