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The Ecological Benefits of Shade-Grown Coffee The Case for Going Bird Friendly®
By Robert Rice, with assistance from Mauricio Bedoya
Published: September 2010
Executive Summary
The market for organic, shade-grown coffee grown to the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center's Bird Friendly® criteria reached more than $3.5 million in 2008, averaging a 145% annual increase between 2000 and 2008. About 1,400 growers in 8 countries and more than 45 roasters in the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and Japan carr Bird Friendly® coffee imported by 16 companies.
However, until today, no one report had collected the wide-ranging benefits of shade-grown coffee production. By reviewing more than 50 studies on shade-grown coffee farms in regions ranging from Central and South America to Indonesia over the past 15 years, the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) can now make the case that shade-grown coffee production is the next best thing to a natural forest, and put to rest any arguments about the sustainability of a sun-coffee system.
In study after study, habitat on shade-grown coffee farms outshone sun-grown coffee farms with increased numbers and species of birds as well as and improved bird habitat, soil protection/erosion control, carbon sequestration, natural pest control and improved pollination. While sun-grown systems can have higher yields, the shaded farms easily outperform them in sustainability measurements with the trees providing an array of ecological services that offer both direct and indirect "income/payback" to farmers and the environment.
The "hidden yield" in the shade vs. sun comparison is that of the non-coffee products and opportunities coming from the shaded system. In addition to ecotourism on several shade coffee farms, firewood, fruits, building materials and medicinal plants are all resources harvested to varying degrees by shade coffee farmers and used and/or sold by farmers.
Excitingly, some of the studies in Mexico and Costa Rica were supported with funds from royalties remitted to SMBC by roasters involved in the BF program.. Over the past decade, SMBC has given more than $100,000 to researchers looking into the benefits of shade coffee production and other questions related to migratory birds.
Over 95 percent of BF coffee comes from coffee farms in Central and South America with the remainder coming from Africa. The producers manage more than 12,000 acres (5,000 hectares) of BF area and coffee farms in Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela, producing more than 6 million pounds of BF coffee in the 2007-2008 harvest year. Peru ranks first in Bird Friendly coffee production (39 percent), and together, Peru, Guatemala and Mexico account for 77 percent of all production.
The Ecological Benefits of Shade Grown Coffee: The Case for Going Bird Friendly
Since the introduction of the shade-grown coffee concept to the industry by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC) in 1996 at the First Sustainable Coffee Congress it organized and hosted, the concept of shade-grown coffee has garnered attention from importers and roasters looking to capture segmented markets, particularly in the specialty coffee sector. Many coffee producers, of course, have long known the benefits of shade.
Now consumers can be happy to know that the shade-grown coffee they drink has extensive environmental value. And there is evidence that shade improves the taste.
Below is an overview of the ecological benefits of shade-grown coffee production, the result of a review of more than 50 studies on the subject conducted in many producing countries over the past decade. These agroforestry systems—coffee grown in association with a diversity of trees providing shade as well as ecotourism opportunities and useful products such as firewood, fruits, medicinal plants, and construction materials—act, as the name implies, in many ways as forests.
For example, shade coffee trees provide extensive habitat oftentimes in regions wracked by forest destruction and other landscape transformations harmful to natural ecosystems and their functioning. The forest-like conditions of these systems allow for a wealth of ecological dynamics to occur including increased bird habitat, soil protection/erosion control, carbon sequestration, natural pest control, and improved pollination, making such systems vital for conservation initiatives.
While not all shade coffee farms might meet the SMBC's rigorous Bird Friendly® (BF) criteria (developed in 1997 following the Coffee Congress) for what constitutes quality shade in terms of habitat, scientific field work bolsters the notion that having a mix of trees reaching a specific height and foliage density (see the BF criteria at nationalzoo.si.edu/bf) is a positive land management practice that enhances biodiversity.
It is the high species and structural diversity of these shaded systems that creates the forest-like conditions, resulting in agricultural land use with environmental value. Such farms cannot replace natural forest (many animal species require natural areas). However, they support significant numbers of species, create the conditions for ecological processes, and help to maintain landscapes that would otherwise be much poorer in biodiversity.
Strict comparisons between BF certified and non-certified shade farms are few, so the information in this report comes largely from studies done on farms of varying levels of shade, some of which might well qualify as Bird Friendly. Where contrasts can be made with BF farms specifically, we note that. And given that the BF certification is considered by industry experts to be the most rigorous shade certification, any of the benefits of shade presented here will be enhanced where BF farms are found.
Of course, the benefits of shade-grown coffee production only exist for coffee produced beneath a canopy that truly mimics forest conditions. Over the years, some companies have made claims their coffee is shade-grown but have failed to get it certified to any particular criteria, creating what could be dubious or outright false marketing claims. The only way for consumers to know for sure about the shade claims is to look for the seal from a third party independent body that shows the production meets strict standards. The Bird Friendly® logo is such a seal.
With the US market for Bird Friendly coffee witnessing a hundred-fold increase between 2000 and 2008 (with an average 145 percent annual increase) and amounting to at least $3.5 million in 2008, the studies show that the ecological benefits of shade-grown coffee are just as good as the coffee itself.
Below, we address the benefits of shade-grown coffee in terms of habitat, soil conservation, pest control and pollination, and water, carbon storage, and climate change.
Species Diversity and Habitat:
As a general rule, managing more trees as shade cover in coffee provides better habitat and supports a more diverse wildlife community than managing fewer trees. The few head-to-head comparisons between Bird Friendly (BF) and non-Bird Friendly coffee farms that have been conducted reveal that, for maintaining biodiversity, the BF farms provide a better habitat.
- Shade-grown coffee systems in Latin America, Africa and Asia have all been found to harbor high diversity of shade trees
- Taller and more structurally diverse shade tends to have more bird diversity than shorter, more architecturally uniform shade.
- A study in southern Mexico found nearly 60% of forest birds use BF farms, compared to only 40% in non-BF farms.
- Other studies in Mexico show that between 40% and 56% of forest ants were found in BF farms, compared to only 26% to 30% in non-BF farms. Not only is ant diversity an indicator of habitat health, but ants often aid in natural pest control.
- Coffee plantations in southern Mexico (Chiapas) offer habitat for 180 species of birds (46 of them migratory), a richness rivaled only by natural forest habitats in the region.
- BF-quality farms in the Venezuelan Andes were shown to support up to 14 times the density of migratory birds compared to local primary forest (likely due to a greater abundance of bird-dispersed, small-fruit tree and shrub species, as well as more flowering plants that attract insects).
- In a study of shade versus sun coffee comparisons in Guatemala, overall bird abundance and diversity were 30% and 15% greater, respectively, in shaded farms than sun farms.
- As management practices become more intensive (moving away from traditional shade-grown coffee management to monocropping), the diversity of tree, birds and ants all decline.
- Shade-grown coffee areas in a number of countries tend to have a greater variety of tree species than local forest remnants.
- A shaded coffee farm has trees that yield fruits, some of which might be of value to the farmer and animals-and some only useful to animals. Fruit Energy Availability (a measure that combines fruit abundance, fruit size, and fruit caloric value) associated with the shade trees provides a valuable resource for birds and, as one of several variables examined in Costa Rican coffee farms, accounts for more than half (52%) of bird richness (number of bird species) on such.
- Birds wintering on BF-quality farms in Venezuela showed improved body condition (compared to those in forests in the area) during their time there, a critical issue for making the journey north in the spring. This finding is likely a result of the availability of more small-fruited plants useful to birds and plant flowers that attract insects, offering a buffet of resources.
- Trees in shaded coffee systems often harbor epiphytes such as bromeliads and orchids, the presence of which enhances bird diversity—birds like the bush-tanager are five times more likely to emigrate from a shade-grown coffee farm without epiphytes compared to a farm with epiphytes (based on a study in Mexico supported by BF funds). Epiphytes can harbor lots of insects as a food source for birds, as well as provide nesting material for resident birds.
- Up to 65% of cerulean warblers banded one year in Venezuela returned to the same coffee plantations the following year, emphasizing the importance of quality habitat (shade-grown coffee) and site fidelity (repeated use of a habitat in migratory birds).
Soil Conservation:
The presence of a tree cover on what are often very steep mountainous landscapes in high-rainfall areas helps stabilize slopes and minimize soil erosion. The tree roots, leafy canopy cover, and leaf litter on the ground all help do this.
- The mere presence of agroforestry buffers (strips of different tree species) within agricultural fields has been associated with increases in soil carbon, soil nitrogen, and enzyme activity (all of which are important factors for soil fertility and plant health), as well as an increase in the presence of "water stable aggregates" (a soil structure feature that inhibits erosion).
- In an eight year study in Colombia, shade-grown coffee lost 0.24 metric tons of soil per hectare per year, compared to a hay field's 23 metric tons and a corn field's 860 metric tons being lost per hectare per year. Natural forests erosion rates can range between 0.03 and 0.3 metric tons per hectare per year, making shade coffee comparable to these natural systems.
- Sun coffee systems in Venezuela suffer twice the soil loss from erosion compared to shaded systems.
- Trees used in alley cropping (strips alternating with coffee) in Indonesian coffee farms reduced erosion by 64% compared to areas without trees.
- A study in Nicaragua showed that open-sun coffee lost more than 2.5 times the soil lost by a shade-grown coffee on the same hill sides.
- In Nicaragua, carbon content in the soil (an indicator of soil fertility) of shaded coffee was found to be 18% higher than that found in coffee with little or no shade.
- Fertility measurement (expressed at cation exchange capacity) in Nicaraguan shade-grown coffee farms revealed a 19% increase when compared to farms with little or no shade.
- Infiltration rates (important for soil moisture and plant growth) in unshaded coffee systems in Nicaragua decreased by as much as 75% over a time span of 6 to 10 years
- Soil moisture in sun coffee farms can be 42% lower compared to coffee farms that have leafy foliage as canopy.
Pest Control and Pollination:
A widely accepted ecological concept maintains that diversity creates ecological stability. In lay terms, that means a more bio-diverse system such as a shade-grown coffee farm with many species of plants supports more highly diverse fauna. The various animals—including insects and other arthropods, birds, lizards, and more-form complex and dynamic food webs, an important aspect of the overall ecological workings of a healthy environment. Birds display greater predation on insect larvae in more shaded coffee systems. Insects such as bees help to pollinate trees, flowering plants and coffee, and predators keep insect pests that might otherwise harm production in check.
Even though the shade-grown coffee system is a farmer's managed land, the diversity and complexity of the vegetation creates a setting that mimics many of the physical and ecological characteristics of a natural habitat. Of course, it's not nearly so complex or rich as untouched forests, but for an agricultural land use, it can be impressive when we see what such diversity yields.
- Coffee farms in Costa Rica that have flowering plants within their borders have higher bee diversity than those without such flowering resources (nectar and pollen). Bee pollination has been shown to increase yields in coffee.
- Bee species diversity increases fruit set in coffee: in Indonesia, coffee plants visited by 3 species of bees had 60% fruit set; those with 20 species or more had 90% fruit set.
- A study in Guatemala found that birds can reduce herbivorous insect presence on coffee from 64 to 80%--and excluding birds from coffee plants resulted in greater insect damage to coffee leaves.
- Where birds were excluded from coffee plants in a study in Jamaica, researchers saw a 70% increase in the proportion of coffee fruits infested with the Coffee Berry Borer, coffee's most feared insect pest.
- The same study in Jamaica found migratory birds responsible for 73% of the predation incidences (eating) on the Coffee Berry Borer. The primary predators were Black-throated Blue Warblers, American Redstarts and Prairie Warblers-all neotropical migratory birds.
- Keeping birds out of shade-grown coffee areas in Chiapas, Mexico resulted in a 30% and 64% increase in arthropods like caterpillars and other chewing insects (which can damage leaves and reduce photosynthesis or introduce disease) on coffee in the dry and wet season, respectively.
- Biological control by birds acting as predators on the Coffee Berry Borer in Jamaica was calculated to be worth $75/hectare in 2005, averaging $1004 per farm studied. This equals approximately 30% of the per capita gross national income for that time.
- While birds control insects at day, nighttime finds bats to be important arthropod predators in shade-grown coffee. A Chiapas, Mexico study found that arthropod (insects, spiders, mites, etc.) presence in coffee increased by 84% during the wet season when bats were excluded from the coffee plants. Of course, not all arthropods are "bad" in such systems; some are predators themselves on insect pests of coffee.
- In addition, the leaf litter that serves as protective mulch gets incorporated into the soil eventually, adding organic matter that maintains healthy soil structure and recycles nutrients-very similar to a forest situation.
Water, Carbon Storage, and Climate Change:
A study based on 7,000 farmers in Mexico and Central America predicts that global warming trends will shrink coffee area by as much as 30% by 2050. Thus, it is important to take action to mitigate human-based activities resulting in climate change. Some of these changes are predicted to occur in areas of high-quality coffee production, like the Veracruz region of Mexico.
The mere biomass associated with the shade tree component of coffee agroforestry systems can easily be seen as a carbon sink, where carbon is bound up in the trunks, limbs, and leaves (above ground biomass) as well as the roots (below ground biomass). As with natural forests, the carbon sequestered within a shade-grown coffee farm's shade trees will be locked up in the wood (as opposed to being in the atmosphere and adding to global warming) until the trees are removed. Moreover, the soil itself incorporates carbon from the organic matter that accumulates and gets broken down over time. The presence of trees in shade-grown coffee farms, then, can help keep carbon out of the atmosphere, as well as act as a possible buffer to future temperature increases brought on by climatic change. In addition, as with natural forests, the presence of trees can help protect water supplies in both quantity and quality.
- Nitrogen-fixing trees in shade-grown coffee can put up to 100 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare per year into the soil, potentially reducing the amount of fertilizer a farmer would have to apply by 25 to 30%.
- On a per hectare per year basis, leguminous (nitrogen-fixing) trees such as Erythrina spp. can increase the soil nitrogen content by 31% when sun and shade-grown coffee systems are compared (111 kilogram per hectare per year versus 145 kilogram per hectare per year).
- With nitrogen fertilization (a common practice in non-organic coffee production), coffee farms without shade trees leach more nitrate into the ground water supply than shaded farms, contaminating the stored water.
- Shade-grown coffee systems in Indonesia have soil carbon stocks in the upper 30 centimeter soil layer that are equal to 60% of those found in primary forest there, and they show 58% more total carbon stock (soil and biomass) than sun coffee.
- Trees in a coffee agroforestry system greatly influence water cycling via increased rainfall interception, reduced surface runoff, greater retention of water in the soil, and increased infiltration.
- In Sumatra, Indonesia, conversion of sun coffee to shade-grown coffee is credited for the rehabilitation of watershed dynamics, such as improved infiltration (less surface runoff) and recharge of subsurface water resources.
- Long term predictions for carbon sequestration for a shaded coffee system in Costa Rica (commonly not very diverse or dense in terms of shade cover) were calculated at 99 tons of carbon per hectare, compared to only 70 tons per hectare for a pine-oak stand (29% less), 103 tons per hectare for a Norway spruce stand (4% more) and 114 tons per hectare for a Douglas fir-beech stand (14% more). These one and two-species stands, however, are not nearly so diverse as the shade coffee and are managed for eventual and complete removal. Moreover, the general lack of tree diversity and even-age characteristics creates a different (and likely less diverse) habitat overall than does shade coffee.
About Bird Friendly® Coffee
Bird Friendly® Coffee (BFC) carries a seal of approval that assures consumers the coffee has met specific criteria developed by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center (SMBC).
Bird Friendly is certified organic coffee produced on farms with a shade cover that provides a substantial and vital habitat for migratory and resident birds in tropical landscapes, which are increasingly threatened by deforestation globally at an unprecedented rate. The Bird Friendly criteria are the world's most stringent standards for shade-grown coffee production. Migratory birds, including the popular Baltimore Oriole, are not only beautiful with vibrant songs, but are integral to tropical and temperate ecosystems alike, providing flower pollination and seed dispersal, among other roles.
Sales of organic, shade-grown coffee grown to the Bird Friendly standards of the National Zoo's Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center rose to nearly $3.5 million in 2008, according to a report by Dr. Robert Rice, a geographer at the SMBC. According to the report, The Global Market for Bird Friendly Coffee: 2008 (the most recent data available), the majority (61 percent) of all Bird Friendly coffee roasted was consumed in the United States, followed by Japan (36 percent) and Canada (3 percent).
More than 95 percent of Bird Friendly coffee comes from coffee farms in Central and South America with the remainder coming from Africa. Some 1,400 producers manage more than 12,000 acres (5,000 hectares) of Bird Friendly area and coffee farms, and they produced more than 6 million pounds of Bird Friendly coffee in the 2007-2008 harvest year. Peru ranks first in Bird Friendly coffee production (39 percent), and together, Peru, Guatemala and Mexico account for 77 percent of all production.
The volume of Bird Friendly coffee sold in the United States between 2000 and 2008 increased more than a hundredfold (averaging a 145 percent annual increase), from fewer than 2,000 pounds to 200,400 pounds. There are 44 roasters in the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and Japan that carry Bird Friendly coffee imported by 16 companies.
Since 2003/2004, SMBC has given more than $100,000 in grants to scientists and to efforts aimed at educating the public about the concept of BF coffee. The grants have supported projects researching various aspects of coffee's role in biodiversity maintenance, as well as to studies focusing on birds in cacao systems, vineyards in California and agrofuels in the mid-western region of the US. The program, funded by a pennies-on-the-pound royalty fee sent to SMBC by Bird Friendly roasters, will continue to support work that explores the connections between birds and coffee, as well as research on birds in other managed lands. These remittances paid by forward-looking coffee roasters help to fund scientific work that would otherwise not be done.
"Bird Friendly®" Coffee Criteria at a Glance
|Height of canopy
|≥12 meters for the canopy of the stratum made by the "backbone" species
|Foliage cover
|≥40%, measured during dry season after pruning
|Floristic diversity of trees and wood shrubs
|≥10 woody species (in addition to the backbone species). At least 10 of these should represent 1% or more of all individuals sampled, and be dispersed throughout the coffee holding.
|Total floristic diversity
|The sum of all woody and herbaceous species counted in the sampling.
|Structural diversity
|The "architecture" or profile of the coffee farm should show evidence of some layers or strata-preferably three: 1. The layer formed by the backbone species and other trees of that size; 2. The stratum of taller, emergent species, comprised of native trees of the natural forest; 3. The stratum beneath the principal canopy (that of the backbone species), made up of shrubs and small trees or plants, like Musa spp.and citrus. The emergent and understory strata each should ideally account for 20% of the total foliage volume present. The remaining 60% of the foliage volume should be that of the principal canopy (backbone species and trees of the same height as the backbone species).
|Leaf litter
|Should be present; no minimum percentage required, but, together with living ground cover, soil needs protecting (as with organic criteria)
|Should be present; no minimum percentage required.
|Living fences
|Where appropriate and feasible, should be present.
|Buffer zones along waterways
|Should exist and be composed of native vegetation. Along streams they should measure ≥5 meters wide (one each side); for rivers they should be ≥10 meters wide.
|Visual characterization—"gestalt"
|Should qualify at least for the category "Traditional polyculture" (the more diverse category of the polyculture systems)
|Organic certification
|Must have current organic certification by a USDA-accredited certification agency.
Bird Friendly® Coffee Roasters
Balzac's Coffee
9 Community Avenue
Stoney Creek, ON L8E 2X9
Birds and Beans Inc.
2413 Lake Shore Boulevard West
Toronto, ON M8V 1C5
Totem Roasters, Inc.
637 Main Hudson
Czech Republic:
BirdSong Coffee
Radlicka 47
Prague, 150 00
Camel Coffee Co., Ltd.
2-31-8 Daita
Setagaya-ku, Tokyo
Ogawa Coffee Co., Ltd.
75 Kitashozakai-cho
Nishikyogoku, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto 6150802
Andronicas Coffee Co Ltd
91-93 Great Eastern Street
London, EC2A 3HZ
Bewley's Tea and Coffee UK Limited
The Roastery, Bent Ley Industrial Estate
Meltham, Holmfirth, Huddersfield HD9 4EP
Cafeology Ltd
Unit 8, Woodseats Close
Sheffield, South Yorkshire S8 0TB
Lincoln & York, Ltd
Kahawa House, Elsham Wold Industrial Estate
Brigg, North Lincolnshire DN20 0SP
Plantation House Newark Road
Allegro Coffee Company
12799 Claude Court
Thornton, CO 80241
Barrie House Coffee Co., Inc.
4 Warehouse Lane
Elmsford, NY 10523
Beanery Coffee Roasters
1009 1/2 Williams St.
Valdosta, GA 31601
BeanFruit Coffee Company
P.O. Box 320822
Flowood, MS 39232
Birds & Beans LLC
Suite 506 15 River Street
Boston, MA 02108
Black River Roasters
195 Flynn Ave
Burlington, VT 05401
Bohemia Coffee Roasters
P.O. Box 446
Philomont, VA 20131
Caffe Ibis Coffee Roasting Company
52 Federal Avenue
Logan, UT 84321
Gold Country Roasters
78 Scott Street
Murphys, CA 95247
Golden Valley Farms
208 Carter Drive Suite 13B
West Chester, PA 19382
Java Distribution
Boulder, CO
Java Trading Co. (Distant Lands)
801 Houser Way N
Renton, WA 98057
Jim's Organic Coffee
21 Patterson Brook Road
W. Wareham, MA 02576
Lola Savannah, Ltd.
1701 Commerce
Houston, TX 77002
Magnum Coffee
1 Java Boulevard
Nunica, MI 49448
Nantucket Coffee Roasters
15 Teasdale Circle
Nantucket, MA 02554
Northwestern Coffee Mills
20146 Soderlund Rd
Mason, WI 54856
S & D Coffee
300 Concord Parkway South
Concord, NC 28027
Steep & Brew
855 E. Broadway
Madison, WI 53716
Sun Coffee Roasters
45D Northwest Drive
Plainville, CT 06062
Thanksgiving Coffee
19100 S Harbor Dr
Fort Bragg, CA 95437
Bird Friendly® Coffee Importers
Kencaf Importing & Distributing, Inc.
500 Alden Road, Suite 212
Markham, ON l3R 5H5
Allpeco Ltd
Le Faouet
Saint-Thuriau, 56300
Anbassa Sarl
4 rue de Boissettes
Melun, 77000
28 rue Francois Arago
Merignac, ZI du Phare 33700
SC Foods Co. Ltd.
Harumi Triton Square Office Tower
1-8-11, Harumi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8610
CTCS Ltd
Alexander House 39 London Rd
Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1AR
D R Wakefield Ltd
Thompson House 42-44 Dolben St
London, SE1 0UQ
ETICO, Ethical Trading Company
25 Hamilton Gardens
London, NW8 9PU
Freeman Trading Ltd.
Twin Trading
1 Curtain Road
London, EC2A 3LT
Atlantic Specialty Coffee
24301 Southland Drive Suite 600
Hayward, CA 94545
Atlas Coffee Importers, LLC
1402 NW 85th Street
Seattle, WA 98102
Excelco Trading, LP
17 Battery Place, Suite 1711
New York, NY 10004
InterAmerican Coffee
19500 State Highway 249, Suite 225
Houston, TX 77070
4018 NE 112th Ave., Suite D-8
Vancouver, WA 98682
Paragon Coffee Trading Co.
1 North Lexington Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601
REG Trading Company
432 North Canal St., Unit 10
South San Francisco, CA 94080
Royal Coffee
3306 Powell St.
Emeryville, CA 94608
Royal Coffee NY
661 Hadley Rd
South Plainfield, NJ 07080
Serengeti Trading
19100 Hamilton Pool Road
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
80 Cottontail Lane
Somerset, NJ 08873
Zephyr Green Coffee LLC
642 Julia Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Bird Friendly® Coffee Certifying Agencies
Costa Rica:
- Eco-LOGICA
- Control Union Peru
The Netherlands:
- Control Union Indonesia
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Interior designer Taylor Jacobson creates a collected eclectic space for a South Pasadena family
Jacobson and the wife bonded over their mutual love of textile designer Josef Frank. One of his fabrics covers the headboard in the daughter's room and informs the space's design. The rug is from CB2, the lamps are from Anthropologie, the nightstands are from Land of Nod and the lights are West Elm. A Noguchi lamp hangs from the ceiling.
View the discussion thread.

subset: commoncrawl


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Saying good-bye to a little spirit is never an easy thing to do; and today, Beatrix and I had to do just that. Tori, the little Cairn Terrier rescue, whose story we shared here, crossed the Rainbow Bridge today. While I know in my heart she is in a better place - healthy, out of pain and chasing squirrels to her heart's delight - doesn't make it any easier to accept that I won't see her sweet face or hold her in my arms again.
While we knew from the beginning that she had a severe heart condition, it didn't stop my dear friends, the Becks, from adopting her; making the little pup a big part of their family. The Becks live on a farm, all fenced, so Tori was able to run with Missy (their older Cairn rescue) and Bea (my Cairn rescue), all day as a Cairn was meant to do. The Becks opened their hearts and did all they could to make sure that Tori (short for Tornado) lived a life that was rich and full. So, while it was all too short, the little scruffy pup had a wonderful life while she was here on earth.
She will be missed, that's for sure. When I held her on my lap last Tuesday I had a wave of sadness knowing it would be the last time I felt her little heart working so hard. Of course, I cried, because that is what I do. In her infinite wisdom and with a heart of gold, she turned and did what she could to comfort me, kissing my tears away. I know, some would say that she was just a dog, but in my heart and in Bea's and the Becks', Tori was a special spirit who touched our lives in a very special way. She will always be a part of who we are and we are grateful for that.


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Elise - posted on 10/05/2011 ( 60 moms have responded )
My recently turned two year old threw rocks at her teacher. She was not being mean only playing. The teacher first told me she was put in time out for 45 min then when she noticed how upset I was, told me she was exaggerating and it was really 20 min. I believe that twenty min for a two year old is way two long...I also used to be friends with the teacher so she will act different towards me (more laid back) I guess because she thinks I won't mind. I am extremely upset am I over reacting?
- Helpful (4)
- Nice
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The Delta Force Appraoch to Handguns
Richard over at GHAG has a really interesting email posted up about the Delta Force's (Yes, the real honest to goodness ninjas) approach to handguns.
Apparently, those 1911s that they were so famous for were abandoned because they were so high maintenance… including the need for regular X-Rays. Wow! They also are believers in the philosophy of 'put as many shots into the SOB as you can until he stops'.
And we changed the way we shoot. In training Army it was two in the chest and one in skull if needed. Now, if I give you 1 you are getting 2, if I give you 2 your are getting 5, if you get 5 then you get the rest of the mag. Plain and simple I am not going to let you get up and hurt one of my team mates.
And we will put all my shots right across your pelvis and then the shoulder girdle. I don't care if you got a trauma team on hand, 5 shots across the pelvis and you ain't getting up. The enemy is likely to wear some kind of armor now a days just as much as we are. 2 in a 3×5 card ain't cutting it. So there are lots more ammo expended in training, which effects how well the guns hold up also.
As Richard says, they train to where the body armor is not.


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By Katie Byard
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published: March 11, 2014 – 06:16 PM
A grocery customer who uses a walking cane was the father of invention for a cane holder now available at all 15 Acme Fresh Markets.
The customer, who does not want to be identified, uses a motorized cart while shopping, placing his cane in the cart's basket.
"He was concerned that germs [on the bottom of the canes] came into contact with food items," said Doug Flinn, the store director of Acme at 2630 Bailey Road in Cuyahoga Falls.
Also, the customer noted that cane users sometimes forget their canes, leaving them in the baskets. Flinn said he was well aware of that problem. "We'd have five to 10 canes here," at any given time, said Flinn, a 40-year employee of the Acme chain.
Last year, the customer showed up at the Bailey Road store with a simple device to store canes inside the cart, while also making them more visible: a cane holder, made with a length of PVC pipe.
Flinn, intrigued, allowed the customer to attach holders to four of the motorized carts, using sturdy plastic ties. Sometime later, Acme President Steve Albrecht was visiting the store, and Flinn pointed out the cane holders.
Albrecht ran with the idea. He brokered a licensing deal with the customer to allow Acme workers to make holders for the dozens of motorized carts in the chain.
"They're so popular," said Katie Swartz, Acme's director of marketing. The holder "truly did respond to a need."


text: On Thursday, September 7, 2017, The Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament will be held at The Oak Creek Country Club in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. This tournament supports scholarships for students at Prince George's Community College.Download the Golf Registration Form. View Sponsorship Opportunities! On October 19, 2016, The Prince George's Community College Foundation held its biennial Partners for Success Awards Dinner at the Gaylord National Harbor and Conference Center. A very special thank you to the 2016 presenting sponsor: MGM National Harbor.Additional information about our honorees, sponsors, and photographs can be found by clicking here. The Prince George's Community College Alumni Association in conjunction with Educational Systems Federal Credit Union hosted graduation rehearsal refreshments for our nearly 600 graduates at Showplace Arena in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Our graduates have shown themselves to be exceptional representatives that will undoubtedly continue to serve as worthy ambassadors, building upon Prince George's Community College's reputation for excellence.


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Jeremy Brent Cramer, who was accused of murdering his 3-year-old son for no reason he could articulate, has pleaded guilty. The Washington man has confessed to killing his little boy, Broderick, in a field in Montana. Previously, he had pleaded not guilty, but told the judge he decided to plead guilty because his sentence doesn't matter since his son is dead. He chillingly told the court:
I purposely killed my son. After a few months of thinking about it, I'm taking accountability for it. Whether it's 8 years or 80 years, my son's not here. I just want to get this over.
I guess we should at least give this man some "credit" (a very difficult word to use in this scenario) for admitting the truth and saving the taxpayers money for a trial.
The facts in this case are mind-blowing. Jeremy described his son as his "best friend" and was carrying him on his shoulders down a country road after his car ran out of gas when he suddenly and inexplicably decided to stab him and beat him with rocks to death.
Although Jeremy has always contended that the murder just happened, and he "doesn't know why" and has hinted that he was taking too much Adderall at the time -- one wonders why he had a knife on him. But since there will be no trial, we'll never know if the murder was premeditated. Jeremy was also estranged from the boy's mother, though there's no word on whether a revenge motive was ever floated.
All we know is that Jeremy has confessed to the crime. And that he said he felt like Broderick became "like some other kid when he was on my neck," as Jeremy carried him. In a jail house phone call with his father, he reportedly said, "The thing was, it wasn't like I had a few beers or it was like something was up inside. Why did I take all my pills? Did I take all my pills?"
More From The Stir: Mom Kills Son for Potty Training Accident, Then Eats Pizza
It's possible Jeremy had a psychotic break of some kind. It's also possible he's a cold-blooded killer who would sooner see his son dead than have his wife share him. We'll probably never know now unless Jeremy tells us more.
But at least he has faced up to what he did. I'm not sure there is any punishment that could make up for what he did -- an innocent, trusting, loving soul was brutally murdered by his parent, the person who was supposed to protect him.
Jeremy Cramer will live with that knowledge for the rest of his life.
What do you think happened?
Image via Montana Police


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Steven Gerrard says Liverpool have far from given up on their goal of reaching Champions League qualification at the end of the season, even though the Reds have had a disappointing start to their campaign.
The Merseyside club are coming off the back of a hard-fought 3-2 loss to Udinese in the Europa League as they prepare to face Stoke at Anfield on Sunday, and Brendan Rodgers will face a struggle as he attempts to keep all of his players fully match-fit.
But Gerrard refuses to compromise on Liverpool's pre-season goals of finishing in the top four, claiming that he also wants to win at least one trophy during the season.
When asked what his ambitions are this season, the captain told Football Focus: "Top four and a trophy."
He added: We're six games in. The Norwich win will be the catalyst to push us on."
Gerrard insists that Liverpool are still a threat for any team that prepares to face them, despite the side only boasting one win in the league so far this season.
"I think teams will find it really difficult to play against us and I'm confident we can go on a run of winning games," he explained. "They [Liverpool's upcoming fixtures] are good opportunities but they are also tough games. They are games we should be winning, certainly here at home.
"We've being playing well for a number of weeks, so if we can continue that I am sure we can take maximum points in both those games."
Liverpool will play Reading, Everton and Newcastle after Stoke in the league, and the Reds will be planning to take maximum points from the matches as they aim to vastly improve on their current 14th position in the table.
Last season Liverpool had at times said they were aiming for the title, but after a tough start and not picking up over Christmas, the side finished in a disappointing eighth place, behind Everton, with Europa League qualification through their League Cup win a reminder of how close they were and yet so far from Champions League action.
This time around, the side have been much more pragmatic in their ambitions, but Gerrard still believes that the big four can be challenged by Liverpool, particularly as the side starts to gel and get a grip on Brendan Rodgers' style of play.


text: So, I forgot to include this in my post earlier today, and it is my favorite picture in this outfit. No need for a whole new post, right? Somehow, it seemed like less work this way. Also, go to Hyperbole and a Half, Allie has a new post. For those of you who don't know, her blog is about funniness and life. Or turning horrible and depressing life into funniness. And MS Paint.


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Daily Life in Korea
Everything you need to know about living in Korea.
Foreign relations
Foreign embassies in Korea
You can find a list of foreign embassies in South-Korea here (http://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-in/south-korea).
Postal service
Korea Post (http://www.epost.co.kr) is the national postal service of South Korea and in charge of postal service, postal banking and insurance services. It offers basic postal services like handling and delivering mail and parcels, additional postal services like registered mail, customer pickup, sales of local products by mail order and postal errand service, postal savings, money orders and postal giro, as well as postal insurance.
Registration at the Immigration Office
Foreigners staying in South-Korea for more than 90 days have to register themselves at the Immigration Office to obtain a visa and an alien registration card.
Traffic and transportation
The subway in South-Korea is one of the most convenient ways to get around. The Metropolitan Subway in Seoul among others is one of the most heavily used rapid transit systems in the world and extends to Incheon, Gyeonggi-do, northern Chungcheongnam-do, and western Gangwon-do. Fares differ slightly depending on age and distances. Tickets are administered as cards for either a single journey or multiple journeys. Multiple journey ticket cards are called T-Money cards and are conveniently re-chargeable at one of the many multi-lingual ticket automats all around the stations or at the counter of convenience stores. For visitors, there is also the option of obtaining a Metropolitan Pass, or M-Pass in short, allowing passengers a limited number of rides.
Transferring between different trains or lines does not usually require multiple single-journey tickets or the exiting out of security gates. There are, however, stations that do, like Seoul Station, Noryangjin Station and Gyeyang Station.
Busses in South-Korea are another very convenient way to get around the city. The very extensive network ensures that even areas that are not covered by subway are easily reachable by bus.
Enter the bus in the front where you can pay your fare in cash or with your T-Money card. If you pay in cash, however, it is recommended to prepare the exact amount. Shortly before your station, signal the bus driver that you want to get off by pushing the red button found inside the bus and disembark through the back door.
Another convenient way of transportation is hailing a taxi. Common taxis are usually gray or yellow and finding one will not be difficult anywhere at any time in any Korean city. Basic fare hovers around \2.400 and covers the first two kilometers of the ride. The fare increases by increments of \100 depending either on time or distance. Please be aware that between midnight and 4 o'clock a.m. the basic fare of taxis is \2.880.
Deluxe taxis or "mobeom" meanwhile, easily recognizable thanks to their black color and yellow sign on top, offer rides at a basic fare of \4.500 for the first three kilometer and increase by \200. Deluxe Taxi drivers have been specially trained in special customer care and need to have had 10 years accident free experience driving a standard taxi.
Getting around the South-Korean peninsula is likewise convenient by KTX operated by Korail. The top speed for its trains in regular service is currently 305 km/h or 190 mph, though the train systems were originally constructed to reach 350 km/h.
High-technology entertainment systems, vending machines and other amenities inside the trains have all been designed with comfort of the traveler in mind. Traveling with the KTX therefore is convenient and affordable to anyone while able to bring you to your destination in a very short time.
Opening a bank account
To open a bank account, please bring your passport and alien registration card. You will be required to fill out a form, ask for English assistance if needed, the bank will be happy to help you. Opening an account is free, as are maintenance, administration and withdrawal from ATMs of your bank. Additional services, however, like obtaining an ATM card at some banks, will be charged. Account owners will not be able to use ATMs the first three months after opening the account. In the meanwhile, you will receive an account book with which you can manage your banking over the counter. Telephone banking or internet banking need to be applied for separately when opening your account.
Banks in South-Korea
Keep to the big, established banks since they will surely have at least one person who is able to assist you in English. These banks include KBStar (http://www.kbstar.com), Woori Bank (http://www.wooribank.com/), Hana Bank (http://www.hanabank/) and Shinhan Bank (http://www.shinhan.com).
Health care
Hospitals and clinics
There are a number of international hospitals in South-Korea to which you can turn in case of sickness or accidents. While the staff might not speak English the doctors will be able to consult you in English. However, doctors or staff members in many not-international hospitals often also speak sufficient English so do check with your local hospital or clinic.
The National Medical Insurance Plan covers everyone residing in Korea which includes foreigners. It is a co-pay system priced at a percentage of about 5% of one's salary while employer and employee each pay 50% of the premium, which is calculated from the first date of employment and deducted monthly. Benefits for Koreans and foreigners alike is 20% to 50% of the treatment received at a hospital or medical clinic and 30% of the charge for prescription drugs. Enrollment in the National Medical Insurance Plan is also required for those that self-employed. For more information, refer to the website: http://www.nhic.or.kr/english/main.html.
Cell phone
Cell phone rental
You can rent a mobile phone from one of three mobile phone and network providers in Korea, KT, SK and S-roaming, directly when arriving at the airport.
Prepaid and pay-as-you-go
Prepaid SIM cards are available at SK or KTF cell phone stores. You can use them for used or new phones. New phones can, for example, be purchased at the Yongsan Digital Complex or other electronics outlets. Many cell phone stores throughout South-Korea offer used phones for purchase. While receiving calls and text messages is free and sending text messages comes at reasonable pricing, the per-minute call rate can come in quite expensive. LG Telecom also offers an additional pay-as-you-go plan that requires you to recharge your balance as you go. Again, calling rates are steep but this option may be attractive for visitors who do not plan on staying on for long.
Cell phone contract
For visitors deciding to stay in South-Korea for longer, it is possible to sign up for a cell phone contract with the help of a Korean friend acting as co-signer. In this way you are also able to receive a brand new phone for little to no money. You will need a credit card and an alien registration card. The contract will be set up so that the bill will initially be settled through your co-signer's account but you can easily change this so you can settle the bill yourself directly. From then on, the only help you will need from your co-signer is if you want to change service options or cancel the contract because these require his or her ID number.
Electricity and voltage
The standard voltage in South-Korea is 220 volts. Electrical sockets or outlets are one of the two European standard electrical socket types with two round plug holes, "Type C" Europlug and "Type E" and "Type F" Schuko. Plug adapters are available in convenient stores across the country.
Tap water in South-Korea is very clean and generally consumable. It passed in all 145 requirements for good water quality by the World Health Organization which has found zero bacteria, cadmium or lead in its probes in 2009. However, due to the strong smell and taste of the tap water Koreans still prefer purified bottled water.
Showers are normally not sealed, which means that the shower water will flood the entire bathroom floor and leave through a big drain let into it. Bathtubs are not the norm; however, there will be apartments and houses that include one.
While Western style toilets with a toilet bowl to sit on prevail throughout South-Korea you can oftentimes still find traditional style toilets in public places. They will be let into the ground and require you to squat to use. For Western visitors this may be unusual but it actually is more hygienic.
Air conditioning and heating
The summers in South-Korea can get pretty hot while the winters can be very cold. Most apartments and houses, public buildings and transportation are sufficiently equipped with air conditioners. Modern air conditioners also serve as heaters in the winter but many apartments or houses are also equipped with floor heating.
Time zone
The South-Korean Standard time is UTC +9, usually abbreviated as KST. South-Korea does not have a daylight saving time system.


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High-Resolution Research Imaging Facility
The High-Resolution Research Imaging Facility at The Research Institute provides comprehensive research imaging support services to faculty researchers throughout Nationwide Children's Hospital. The facility provides state-of-the-art imaging capabilities that expand our ability to generate and answer difficult research questions and provide an important platform enhancing our translational research programs.
The facility is organized into imaging suites, each loaded with specialty equipment.
Nuclear Imaging Suite
- GE eXplore Locus CT: This high-and-low-resolution CT is capable of revealing bone and hard tissue structure just above cellular level. It includes 3-D reconstruction software, providing an "anatomic map" of both bone and organ structure.
- GE eXplore PET/CT: While this equipment can be used as a low-level CT or as a PET scan, its value lies in its ability to perform PET and CT simultaneously. With this feature, users can get an "anatomic map" of bone and tissue structure, combined with functional metabolic data. Thus, investigators can better detect abnormally functioning tissues and malformations (such as tumors) and pinpoint their exact location in relation in the body.
- GE Workstation: Addressing the need for rapid imaging, the GE Workstation includes hard drive capacity to regenerate, within minutes instead of hours, the images captured by the machines in the Nuclear Imaging Suite.
- Faxitron X-Ray: This 2-D X-ray equipment provides high resolution digital imaging, instead of using standard X-ray film.
Ultrasound Suite
- VisualSonics Vevo 770: This non-invasive ultrasound provides a simple method for viewing and quantifying extremely small physiological structures and for imaging living tissue and blood flow with near-microscopic resolution.
Bioluminescence and Flourescence Suite
- Lightools Pan-A-See: This Lightools version provides outstanding tissue penetrance capability, can process multiple colors simultaneously, instead of one, and has the capability of generating 3-D whole-body fluorescence images.
- Xenogen IVIS Spectrum: This latest and most powerful version of the Xenogen IVIS product contains enhanced cameras and higher registration capabilities. In addition, it can register bioluminescence and fluorescence simultaneously.


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All Networks Voice & Data 3000ft²
By signalbooster
Approved and tested for Voice & 3G/4G on all US cellular providers.*
*Where service is available. Not LTE compatible
The WCS Mini Dual Band Personal Repeater Kit is compatible with all US mobile phone carriers and effectively provides a strong and reliable phone signal in places with poor reception. The kit comes with everything you need to boost coverage in your area! This product is simple to install, comes with 100% free technical support and is posted from the US.
- WCS Dual Band GSM/PCS repeater (Voice & 3G/4G)
- 55dB gain
- Coverage up to 3000 sq ft
- Simple Installation
- Supports 10 simultaneous users
- Works with all US Carriers (please ask a technician if you'd like clarification - we're happy to help.)
- Money Back Guarantee
The WCS Mini Dual Band personal repeater kit is designed for mobile coverage on the go. The Mini enhances signal strength to your mobile phone by capturing the weak signal through an external donor antenna that provides input to a GSM/PCS 850/1900 MHz amplifier compatible with all US mobile carriers. This unit is a low cost solution to provide a reliable phone signal for areas up to 3,000 square feet depending on the antenna input signal.
Installation of the WCS Mini repeater is simple and takes minutes. Just mount the external aerial antenna and connect to the repeater input port. At the output of the repeater connect the indoor coverage antenna then connect the power. For best performance the external aerial should be mounted in the location with the strongest signal strength, facing towards the source of the signal. The effective coverage area of the unit depends on the input signal provided from this antenna.
The Wireless Coverage Solutions Mini repeater kit comes complete with:
- WCS Mini GSM/PCS Repeater Amplifier
- External Dual Band Panel signal antenna
- 30' coax to connect to repeater
- AC/DC power supply
- Easy to follow downloadable installation manual
If you have any questions about this or other Wireless Coverage Solutions products please feel free to Contact Us . For technical specifications on this model please see below.
Gain ( dB) Uplink Gp≥55, Downlink Gp≥60
Pass band ripple ≤5dB
Guard band rejection (BW-60dB)≤42MHz, (BW-70dB)≤45MHz
I/O impedance 50Ω/N connector
I/O return loss ≤-8dB
Export power (Po) ≥23dBm
Intermodulation Attenuation: ≤-40dBc (Po=13dBm)
Transmission Delay ≤0.5μs
Ambient temperature -10℃~50℃
Power supply AC110~220V + - 10%
Connector Mode N/K for both in-out antenna socket
Dimension 9 1/4" x 7" x 1"


text: Sat. Jan. 16: Wicked contract performer jessica drake comes to Stockroom University for a frank, intimate talk about sex education and porn. She talked to us about why she's moved towards sex education and what the proper role of porn is. . . . → Read More: Wicked Pictures Star jessica drake Offers Frank Talk on Porn and Sex Education


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Have you ever run into the situation in which you failed to restore iOS device from iCloud backup after iOS 9.3 updating? iCloud data usually refers to the backup data for your iOS device like iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. You can restore iCloud backup data to the iOS device when you encounter any data loss problem on the device. However, iOS 9.3 update might cause some unexpected problem to iCloud, in which situation you are unable to find any iCloud backup data to restore it to your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. In this situation, how can you recover lost files from iOS device? Is there any way to recover iCloud data lost after updating iOS 9.3?
In normal case, you can restore iPhone from iCloud backup or restore the iCloud backup to other iOS device like iPad, iPod touch by connecting the device to available WiFi. However, you may be unable to transfer and restore the iCloud backup to iPhone SE, 6, 5, 4, iPod touch, iPad mini, etc in following situations:
One possible reason why you want to recover iCloud data is that you lose some important files from iPhone, iPad or iPod touch after iOS 9.3 upgrading. If iCloud restore failed after iOS 9.3 upgrading, you may rely on other methods to recover deleted or lost text messages, contacts, WhatsApp messages & contacts, emails, Calendars, Reminders, etc without iCloud backup:
Method 1: You can retrieve files from iPhone or other iOS device with iTunes backup when there is no iCloud backup available. You can use this method only if you have backed up the iOS device with iTunes in advance before data loss.
Method 2: You can rely on data recovery for iPhone to free rescue data from iOS device without iCloud backup data. You can use this method when there is no backup data for iOS device recovery.
You still want to restore iCloud data lost after updating iOS 9.3? If there is no other backup, you have to use data recovery software to recover iCloud data. Data recovery for iPhone enables you to extract inaccessible files in iCloud or restore deleted iCloud data even after updating iOS 9.3. Therefore, you can run the data recovery for iPhone to scan the iCloud and get back previous lost iCloud data including photos, videos, audio files, office files, SMS messages, chatting history, etc.
1. You had better not back up your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iCloud again before retrieving the lost iCloud data. The new added iCloud backup might overwrite the previous lost iCloud data and make it unrecoverable.
2. You can download iCloud backup to PC before performing iOS 9.3 updating in order to avoid corrupting or deleting the iCloud data during iOS 9.3 update.
Download data recovery for iPhone
Related Articles


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To Base and Back Again
From NeoWiki
This is the "home page" for a series of tutorial articles. The tutorials follow the creation of a database designed to serve as a birder's log, tracking birding field trips, bird sightings, etc. This project is still very much in production. More tutorials will appear over time.
Designing the Database "On Paper" (Thinking through how to organize your data before building the database.)
Creating a Table From a Spreadsheet (Importing data from (not connecting to) a spreadsheet.)
Creating a Table in Design View
Establishing Relationships
Creating a Simple Data Entry Form
Creating A Data Entry Form With A Subform
More On Forms
- Adjusting Form Properties (warning: directions don't work at the moment)
- Using Combo Boxes in a Form
- Adding a Button To Open Another Form
- Setting the Tab Order in a Form
- Adding a Search Control to a Form [1]
Using a Query to Combine Fields From Different Tables
Using the Group Function in a Query (Creating a Query that lists all bird species seen.)


text: It looks like I may just be linking to everything Joel from Joel on Software writes from now on. Yesterday's excellent article explains why it's not a good idea to just throw away your source code and start over, no matter how much you want to. (And believe me, I've been tempted to rewrite all the code on every project I've ever worked on. There's always crufty old code that deserves to be replaced.)


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WASHINGTON --President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Tuesday that any talk of a rift is unfounded. Obama said the U.S.-Israeli bond is "unbreakable."The president praised Israel's recent decision to greatly ease its 3-year blockade of the Gaza Strip as "real progress." And he said he believes Netanyahu "wants peace" with the Palestinians and is serious about resuming the face-to-face Mideast peace talks that broke off in December 2008.
Netanyahu pledged that "we're committed" to peace with the Palestinians. He said reports of the demise of the U.S.-Israel relationship are "flat wrong."
Netanyahu and Obama talked as protesters gathered across the street in Lafayette Park and chanted "No More Aid, End the Blockade," referring to Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.
- It was the 5th meeting for Obama and Netanyahu; Tuesday was a makeup for a scheduled June 1 meeting canceled to deal with fallout from the flotilla raid.
- In their last meeting at The White House, Obama, upset over Israeli policies in disputed East Jerusalem, had Netanyahu to the White House in the evening - and out of sight of all media coverage.
- The two leaders appeared together before reporters in the Oval Office and then went into a lengthy working lunch.


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Apple iPhone 5: What We Got vs. What We Wanted
Apple's big day finally came and went, and we're left with some impressive new products. The star of the show, of course, is the iPhone 5, which largely conformed to many of the more recent leaked photos and videos.
But how does it measure up to what we wanted? Note that this isn't quite a rumor validation story; so many rumors flew back and forth that it would be almost impossible to hit them all anyway. Instead, let's look at what we really wanted to see in the iPhone 5, and then compare it with what we actually got.
Larger screen: This was the big one; we wanted it and got it. After five generations of the iPhone, Apple has finally changed up the size of the touch-screen panel, moving from 3.5 to 4 inches. That's still nowhere near the size of today's gargantuan smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S III and the Nokia Lumia 920. But it's telling that Apple kept the width the same as the earlier models, and instead just made the phone a bit taller, giving the iPhone 5 a 16:9 aspect ratio instead of 4:3 like the iPhone 4S.
Higher screen resolution: In order to accomodate the unusual screen panel size, Apple introduced an unusual screen resolution (1,136-by-640-pixel), which perfectly preserves the iPhone 4S's 326ppi pixel density, and therefore, its Retina display designation. This also conformed to what we expected, although the exact resolution was up for debate. As we said the other day, this shouldn't put much extra pressure on third-party app developers, who using today's advanced APIs shouldn't have much trouble accomodating the new resolution. And any improvements in the A6 processor should help compensate for pushing around the additional pixels, which brings us to...
Faster processor: Although details remain scant at this point, the new A6 processor looks to be exactly what the iPhone 5 needed to keep up with the times. Tellingly, Apple didn't say anything about quad-core graphics, meaning that the A6 SoC likely remains a dual-core CPU and a dual-core GPU. It didn't get the A5x from the iPad, but that's actually not a surprise, because the A5x doesn't have the right size or power consumption specifications for the iPhone to begin with.
New form factor: This was actually our biggest surprise. We expected the larger screen, but we weren't expecting to see a dramatic weight reduction or a much thinner phone. Yet we were wrong, as that's exactly what Apple has accomplished. The new iPhone 5, at 3.95 ounces, is almost a full ounce lighter than the iPhone 4S, and at 0.30 inches deep, it's several tenths thinner than even recent ultra-slim Android handsets like the Galaxy S III. It's still not quite as thin as last year's Motorola Droid Razr, which remains king at 0.28 inches deep. We can't wait to put the iPhone 5 through its paces and see if keeping the width the same was worth the trade-off in possible extra screen resolution.
New dock connector: We expected it, we got it, but we didn't particularly want it. Nonetheless, we understand the rationale behind revamping the connector; Apple had essentially hit the limit in terms of squeezing the old one into thinner and thinner phones. We're still not happy about it, though, as the new connector remains proprietary and doesn't conform to the much more universal microUSB standard.
A more durable design: We obviously won't know this for several months, as various reports begin to trickle in about how the iPhone 5 is holding up for everyone. But as we had hoped, it's pretty clear that the iPhone 5 will do better in this regard than the iPhone 4, thanks to the switch to a metal rear panel instead of the all-glass one on the iPhone 4S. Glass is beautiful, but we'll be happy to see less cracked iPhone 5s over the years. Otherwise, the jury is still out.
4G LTE: Widely expected, and Apple delivered. The iPhone was running on 3G for far too long. Apple talked up a big game in the keynote about power consumption, small size, and light weight, so it will be interesting to pit the iPhone 5's 4G LTE radio against comparable smartphones to see how well it performs, and whether the phone lives up to Apple's claims about battery life. Note that the iPhone 5 also now supports HSPA+ 42 and HSPA+ 21 on AT&T, giving it plenty of room to roll back if it can't find AT&T LTE signal and yet still deliver fast data speeds; the previous iPhone 4S topped out at just HSPA+ 14.4.
New earbuds: We wanted them, we expected them, and we got 'em. The new Apple EarPods look to address the deficiencies of Apple's trademark, venerable white earbuds—which wouldn't be that difficult, since Apple's old earbuds sound terrible. The new EarPods come with the latest iPhone 5 and are also available separately for $29; stay tuned for our full review.
An even better camera: Apple delivered here as we had hoped, even despite the iPhone 4S's already top-notch camera. Of course there's still no optical zoom, because that would be impossible to fit in a 0.30-inch thick phone given today's technology. But the new iPhone 5 includes a panorama mode, improved image stabilization, improved low-light performance and noise reduction, and faster shutter and save speeds. We also finally got the 720p HD FaceTime front camera we've been pining for, although we'll admittedly use it more for self-portraits than anything else.
NFC: We weren't expecting it, and we didn't get it. We've been debating the merits of near-field communication in the office here a lot lately, and it's not particularly surprising that Apple decided to punt on this given the lack of take-up and universal standards here in the States. For now, next year will be the year of mobile payments in the U.S.—just as it has been for the past five years.
A T-Mobile version: Sadly, we knew we wouldn't get one, and we didn't. We still want one.
For more, see Hands On: Apple iPhone 5 (With Video) and the slideshow above.
For more from Jamie, follow him on Twitter @jlendino.


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Welcome to Columbus, Georgia
Fire Prevention is responsible for the enforcement of life safety codes, through annual building inspections of businesses, public assemblies, and other facilities as mandated by the State of Georgia; issuance of 14 life safety related permits (to include but not limited to public assembly permits, burn permits, day care permits, beer and wine permits); plan review for suppression/detection systems and hydrant placement, and provides fire and life safety education classes to the community.
Fire Prevention also investigates fires for cause and origin and responds to customer inquiries and complaints. The division is also involved with numerous fire and life safety initiatives that improve the safety of our citizens. The programs include the following: Free Home Safety Survey, Residential Carbon Monoxide Checks, School Fire Safety Education, Juvenile Fire Setter Program, and free smoke alarms (and installation).
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Monday, November 28, 2016
Celebrate Graduate Student Research! Fall 2016 Convocation ETDs now available in ERA: Education and Research Archive
Sonya Betz Monday, November 28, 2016 collections , era , graduate students , open access No comments :
Twice a year the Library releases some very special digital works into the world: University of Alberta graduates' theses and dissertations! Congratulations to all these graduate students and their supervisors who have convocated in Fall 2016 for all your hard work and perseverance. Over 600 electronic theses and dissertations became available openly on the web on November 15! We would like to celebrate this event by highlighting the value of the unique and important collection of electronic theses and dissertations at University of Alberta Libraries.
The University of Alberta Libraries has always taken its responsibility to preserve theses and dissertations very seriously, as we hold the 'last copy' of all of these works whether in paper format of the past or today's electronic format. As long-term stewards of these unique and precious works, we do everything we can to ensure their long-term survival.
For us, these theses also represent a revolution in open access. Theses used to be accessible only by special request. These works, representing the culmination of many years of graduate student research, and often containing important, original, and cutting edge discoveries, were challenging for other researchers to access, or were only available through subscription electronic databases. Now electronic theses are available openly on the web - a change that has taken place at virtually every major research institution around the world.
In 2009 UAL partnered with the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research to develop the policy and infrastructure necessary to offer students the choice of submitting a traditional paper thesis submitting their thesis electronically. Over 90% of students immediately chose the digital open access option, immediately exceeding all our expectations. In April 2014, FGSR finalized a policy that requires all theses are submitted electronically.
Today, theses are openly shared and preserved digitally in ERA: Education and Research Archive, the University of Alberta's institutional repository. We've also shared over 15,000 digitized theses in ERA, for a total of over 19,000 digital theses available online for the use of researchers, practitioners, legislators, students, and proud families of our grad students worldwide. Of course, we also continue to care for and preserve those theses in print format that are in our collection which are held at the Book and Record Depository - these can be requested and accessed at the Bruce Peel Special Collections Library.
Although we don't have time to read every thesis in our collection, we do see many thesis titles!
Of particular interest this round is Dr. Tracy Bear's dissertation - Dr. Bear received the Governor General's Gold Medal, which is an award that recognizes the doctoral graduate who achieves the highest academic standing/cumulative scholarly achievement at the University of Alberta. You can read Dr. Bear's dissertation, Power in My Blood: Corporeal Sovereignty through the Praxis of an Indigenous Eroticanalysis, available in ERA at this link.
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This is a course for players at the most advanced level, from conservatoire entry standard upwards. Martin will guide participants in all areas of technique and interpretation in friendly, informal masterclasses and private lessons. In addition to the lessons with Martin, Julian Rolton will also be available to rehearse repertoire of your choice for viola and piano. This is an ideal opportunity to work with a pianist who is a recognised specialist in this repertoire. There might also be ensemble work and open discussion, and there will be a session led by a leading practitioner on baroque performance practice. We encourage participants to perform informally with pianist Julian Rolton on the final day and also to collaborate with other courses on campus out of timetabled hours. Don't forget our automatic 25% reduction (excluding supplements) for under 27s.
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This test-authoring program provides a revolutionary new way to test special needs students. How many times have you said "I know he understands this information! He just can't tell me."Test Me Score Me solves this dilemma. Create interactive tests using templates with 31 types of images, animated gifs, WAV and MP3 sound files, Quicktime and AVI video, text, recorded sound, and text-to-speech.
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IoF2020 Online Magazine – Vol.4
We are proud to present the fourth IoF2020 Online Magazine to you. In it, you will find a short retrospect of the IoTWeek in Bilbao, Spain; a report of the Brazilian delegation's visit to our use cases; a foreword by Louis Mahy, our new Research Programme Officer & Co-Project officer for IoF2020 within the European Commission; and an overview of upcoming events on IoT technology.
Would you like to learn about the IoF2020 eco-system building strategy? Find out more about our Open Call? Or get insights on the impact IoT technologies have in practice? Then have a look at the 4th edition of the IoF2020 online magazine!


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Saturday, July 2, 2016
Socrative 101 - Making "Digital Task Cards"
To make my Socrative Assignments more intriguing to the students, I started creating "Digital Task Cards" to go with the questions in my Socrative Assignments. Students love doing math in my Socrative Assignments with "Digital Task Cards". #happyteacher
How To Make "Digital Task Cards"
I use PowerPoint to create my "Digital Task Cards". I made a template to use each time I make a new set. The template has a place for the problem and I can easily change the background on the cards to make each set of task cards unique.
"Digital Task Cards" Template in PowerPoint
Here is a copy of my Socrative "Digital Task Cards" PowerPoint Template. Feel free to download and use. :o) My "Digital Task Cards" PowerPoint Template
To make the "Digital Task Cards", I start by choosing backgrounds for each of the task cards in the set. After I have the backgrounds put in, I add the written part of the problem on the task cards.
Next, I add the math problem to each of the task cards.
After I have completed the set of "Digital Task Cards", I get them ready to put into my Socrative Assignment.
Making the "Digital Task Cards"into Images
The "Digital Task Cards" need to be images to use in Socrative. After you have saved your "Digital Task Cards" as a PowerPoint, click Save As - then Save as Type - click the drop down and choose an image format. Choose save Every Slide. All of the slides will be saved as images in a folder.
Creating the "Digital Task Cards" Assignment in Socrative
Sign into Socrative and go to Manage Quizzes and Create Quiz.
Name your quiz and choose a type of question to add.
This is what the question will look like after the image is added.
Continue this process to complete your Socrative Assignment with "Digital Task Cards".
Making an Answer Key for the "Digital Task Cards"
I make my own math problems so I like to have an answer key. I use my PowerPoint slides to print a blank answer key and work out the problems next to each of the task cards. This also allows me to find mistakes and to make sure the problems will work out.
This is an example of what my blank answer key looks like when it is printed.
This is how it looks when you print out your blank answer key from your "Digital Task Cards".
Click "Print" and you will have a blank answer key for your "Digital Task Cards".
Thanks for stopping by and checking out my blog. I hope that you have been inspired to create your own Socrative Assignments with "Digital Task Cards".
9 comments:
Thank you so much for sharing this! I have copied many of your Socrative quizzes to use and I always wondered how you made them. I can't wait to try my own :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you. I hope you were able to use mine... Let me know if you have any questions if you create your own. :o)Delete
This is Awesome! Thanks so much!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank You... I hope it helps you... :o)Delete
- AnonymousJuly 3, 2016 at 10:07 AM
This makes a lot of sense for math, which has problems with clear right and wrong answers. Any thoughts on whether it's a good program for Reading/ELA? I've been aware of Socrative for a couple of years, but am wondering if it means more work than benefit. I'm curious what you think; even though you don't teach Reading, you clearly have lots of positive experience with the app. Thanks!ReplyDeleteReplies
It could be used with ELA as well. It could easily be used with T/F questions, MC questions and select all that apply questions to check for understanding.Delete
It could also be used in ELA with written response answers. To check for understanding in these type of questions the teacher would have to read the responses.
Hope this helps.... :o)
Hi there--ReplyDelete
I would love to hear more about how you have the students use the Socrative Quizzes independently and in groups. Do you have the quiz as a station? I am fairly new to Socrative and am not really sure how it all works, but would love to have more details about how to use them once the quizzes are created. I love the cards (made on Powerpoint, awesome!) Thank you so much for sharing!Replies
Thanks... If the students do the Socrative Assignment independently, it is done as an iMath Assignment. They follow the directions in Showbie to set up their paper, and then log into Socrative for the Assignment.Delete
If the students do the Socrative Assignment as a Team Task, then the Task Manager reads the Task Expectations to the Team, and then they all sign into Socrative with the same color and complete the task as a Team.
- Andrea AFebruary 18, 2017 at 8:01 PM
I love so much about how structured you are in your classroom. I have looked at your work with Socrative a number of times and tried out one of your tasks. I learned a lot and see so much potential for what Socrative has to offer. I am in the process of building my first set of digital task cards. My kids love traditional task cards, so I'm hoping they will like this as well. Do you get faster at making them? I feel like it's taking me forever for one class period of work! Maybe I'm just slow! :) Thanks for being such an inspiration!!ReplyDelete


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SDCC '13: Marvel INFINITY Panel LIVE! McNiven Joins UNCANNY AVENGERS, More
The heroes of the Marvel Universe have a fresh challenge on their hands this fall as Thanos returns with a new cadre of supporting villains and a plan that threatens the Universe. Join us as we cover the Infinity panel live from Comic-Con International: San Diego 2013 with all the latest on the Avengers line and the next big crossover.
Official Description: It's the Avengers versus their greatest galactic foe, Thanos! Get the lowdown on Jonathan Hickman's six-issue event that pulls in your favorite heroes from all corners of the Marvel Universe. Plus, get the 4-1-1 on all your other favorite Avengers titles! Featuring editor-in-chief Axel Alonso, and writers Sam Humphries (Avengers A.I.), Rick Remender (Uncanny Avengers), Charles Soule (Thunderbolts), and Nick Spencer (Secret Avengers)!
Like the Video Games panel before it, the Infinity panel started with a trailer for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., then Avengers Assemble, and finally a comic book trailer for Infinty itself. Editor Nick Lowe followed-up by introducing the story, which he says spans galaxies and is full of "amazing stuff."
Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso, Thunderbolts writer Charles Soule, Secret Avengers writer Nick Spencer, Avengers AI writer Sam Humphries, Nova writer Zeb Wells, Infinity: The Heist writer Frank Tieri, and editor Steve Wacker filled out the packed panel.
The Avengers are pulled away, and "when the cat's away, the Thanos will play," teased Lowe. The series will take place primarily in its own mini-series, plus Avengers and New Avengers, all three written by Jonathan Hickman. Lowe praised Hickman's writing, saying he has meticulously planned every step of the story.
Charles Soule's Thunderbolts ties into Infinity in October. "The dynamic of the book starting with Issue 14 is that they trade missions. They draw names out of a hat, and Punisher's name comes out first, so Elektra, Red Hulk, Deadpool, are all helping him with a mission: taking out a mob family in New York. That of course brings them to the center of the action."
Nova's new writer Zeb Wells (Paco Medina on art) says "it's a lot of fun to write a character who is still figuring out how to be a superhero, much like i'm still figuring out how to be an adult."
The writer teased that he'll start seeing more of how the Nova Corps fits into the larger Marvel Universe.
Moving to Secret Avengers with Nick Spencer, "A.I.M. has become a major force in the Marvel Universe, and it's only going to be bigger from here." Ed Brisson is writing issues #10 and #11 for the tie-ins, and Spencer said "he is absolutely destroying it."
"Inhumanity" spins out of Infinity, leading to Matt Fraction and Joe Madureira's Inhuman, a new ongoing series starting in January 2014. Axel Alonso says the Inhumans are the "ones to watch" similar to what he said last year about Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova. The series will explore who they are and exactly how they exist in the Marvel Universe.
Rick Remender, also on the dais, talked about Uncanny Avengers and "Ragnarok Now," the current arc. The Apocalypse Twins, from the far future with Kang, and have their own agenda. Steve McNiven was announced as joining the series with issue #14, featuring the promo art you see to your left. The story will feature Red Skull, the Twins, Kang, go through time and space, and will "have a large body count. The heroes will pay with loss of life."
Avengers A.I. has two issues in October from Sam Humphries and Andre Lima Arauio. Currently, a rogue AI named Demetrius has taken over a "discarded suit of armor" of Iron Man's. He is declaring an AI/Robot Revolution.
We'll really "see the world through AI's eyes" in future issues, with Vision going to "the diamond," the home AIs in the Marvel Universe.
Avengers: Endless Wartime by Warren Ellis and Mike McKone (the artist was on the dais) is a new graphic novel featuring Earth's Mightiest Heroes coming in September 2013. McKone said working on it wasn't much different than working on a monthly book aside from having only one deadline.
Frank Tieri's Infinity: Heist is "Ocean's 11 with Iron Man villains. It's Reservoir Dogs, Usual Suspects, not your usual comic book fare." Spymaster brings together a team to pull a heist on Stark Enterprises while Iron Man and the Avengers are off fighting Thanos. "Like all good heist movies, something goes terribly wrong, and things hit the fan from there."
With that, fan Q&A began, to take up the majority of the panel.
Is it ever a concern that the high-profile titles like Avengers aren't accessible for younger readers? Alonso says that the book, and the Marvel NOW! titles in general were meant to be accessible. "Jonathan's demographic is more high school and above, the primary audience for the Avengers movies." Wacker noted that in the 60s, Marvel books were "aiming at a higher audience than DC was" which is what made them break out. "We're not going to aim Avengers at eight year-olds, but I don't know that it ever has been."
What's your process to keep the spirit of the characters intact? Alonso, "We do these summits, three or four times a year, and map out where we're going," bringing together their core writers. He said that it's, in a way, more difficult than TV because of how fast things change, how many things are juggled, and fifty, sixty years of continuity.
Did Avengers the movie have any influence on Infinity? Alonso, "The fact that Thanos showed up was somewhat influential, but not directly. We do what we do, they do what they do. We wanted to get ahead of the curve on Guardians, for example, and we think there are great comic books now ready for when there are new fans from the movie."
What will the focus/layout of Inhuman be? Alonso, "The plan is complex. We want it to unfold slowly. You'll learn the history slowly, be reintroduced to the characters we know and love already. There will be an element of "Game of Thrones" intrigue to this, but that won't come to a boil utnil later." New characters in the series will "allow you to experience being reborn into this world."
A fan asked about Zeb Wells' name, and he said, "It's actually my middle name. It's just Zeb though, I assume it's from the Bible somehow?"
What would you do in the Marvel Universe if there was no oversight, coordination or anything? Wacker: "I'd have Peter Parker marry Mary Jane." Remender: "I'd just kill a ton of characters." Alonso: "Luke Cage would be the number one selling book." Humphries: "I'd make a universe dominated by Rogue." Tieri: "Everything would be written by me." Wells: "Everything would be written by Frank." Spencer: "I've always dreamed of a year where everything is flipped, the good guys go bad, bad guys are good." Soule: "I'd solve the mystery of where Ross's mustache goes when he becomes the Red Hulk." McKone: "I'd design an easier-to-draw Captain America costume." Lowe: "Every cover would have two characters kissing."
A young fan asked about the origins of Infinity, and Lowe said it was partially from the retreats, but mostly just from Hickman and his "crazy notebooks full of charts and connections." The young fan's favorite hero is Thor, and Wacker said, "We'll make some cool moments for Thor in Infinity just for you."
When you're doing this sort of event, how do you decide whether there's a specific ending, or something that leads into more like AvX moved into Consequences? Alonso, "In comics the story is never over. We're mindful that fans want to see a ripple effect. AvX did come to an end, we closed that story, but good stories leave threads, things to be resolved."
A fan asked if Cataclysm and the breaking-down of walls between universes will tie to Infinity and New Avengers at all. Alonso said, "read those two stories. You're making the right kinds of connections. There is something in the air there, it seems."
A fan dressed as Tron Deadpool asked if Uncanny Avengers cast would expand at all, and Remender said just the opposite, "The cast will be getting much smaller actually, at least for a time." Remender did say that he wanted to have Deadpool sneaking into the mansion and pretending to be a butler for them but couldn't make it work.
A fan "underwhelmed" with the ends of events for the last few years asked if Infinity will have a lackluster ending. Alonso said "I loved the response to AvX, Civil War, and others. Age of Ultron has had some controversy, but I loved the ripple effect, and it set up the story of how Angela has been hiding in plain sight in the Marvel Universe for years."
Any old New Warriors showing up in Nova? Wells, "I got your back, my friend, absolutely, we're working on it right now."
The characters that survive Avengers Arena will have new plans soon, promised Alonso.
Remender, asked about how the Uncanny Avengers will move beyond their ideological split of recent issues, said that it will take awhile, "if they get back together, or when."
Where is Doctor Doom right now, and will he be taking on Thanos at all? "He is in play in Fantastic Four, and in the long term," said Alonso. Wacker said "it's hard to talk about because we were JUST discussing his future." Remender offered, "I will give a spoiler: Doom 2099 has a huge part in Uncanny Avengers soon."
When Peter Parker comes back as Spider-Man... Wacker says "there are no plans for undoing Doc Ock as Spider-Man," disagreeing with the premise of the question.
In Avengers A.I. will it be more tech versus tech, or human nature versus how robots feel superior? Humphries, "The answer is yes. It's going to be all the things you said. There will be this explosion of AI in the Marvel Universe and not everyone agrees with what to do with it - both AI characters and Human characters."
Any prior horseman being mentioned/used like Gambit? Remender, "I think his death seed has been ejected, but we don't know, it's a question. Sunfire as well, and he's in the story, it'd be a real bummer if he suddenly turned again as well! The four new horsemen of Death breaks the rules. It's a whole new level of threat. The Death Seed, once it's planted, is supposed to be the heir to Apocalypse, so what happens if you give it to a Human instead of a Mutant? The Death persona takes over the Void persona for Sentry. It's a big part of the story. It goes on for a long time, and we'll get to a lot of it."
Final Question is Who's your favorite superhero and if they were in an old folks home what would their adventures be? Remender said he wants to pitch "GeriatriX where Wolverine poops his pants and thinks Sabretooth is making him do it," before revealing Fantomex is his favorite character. Wacker said "Captain Marvel, and she'd use her walker to beat anyone who looked at her funny." Alonso, "I like the idea of a really frisky Luke Cage." Soule, "Daredevil, and his hearing would start to go, so he'd hear like the rest of us." Wacker, "But his eyesight comes back!" McKone, "Captain Britain, and he wouldn't have nay problems as he gets older because he'd have universal healthcare!"