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Scores of Palestinian refugees rushed to feast their eyes for the first time ever on "our Palestine", as they call it, stretching beyond the barbed wire on Lebanon's border with Israel.
They came from all the refugee camps around Lebanon, where they have been living in miserable conditions since 1948, to this tiny village a few miles away from the Mediterranean coast.
Men, women and children climbed up a hilltop covered with blue thistle and Spanish yellow broom, emanating sweet smells into the air, to reach the barbed wire Sunday.
On the other side, a few miles away, stood their cousins, aunts, uncles and even strangers who seemed so close to their hearts ... Arab Israelis, or, more exactly, Palestinians who had remained in their lands after Israel occupied Palestine in 1948.
Between them, Israeli soldiers patrolled the area, with assault rifles on their shoulders.
The soldiers easily switch from Arabic to address Palestinians in Lebanon to Hebrew to tell those on the Israeli side not to approach the fence as they try to shake hands, clumsily grasp an arm, exchange phone numbers or offer tissues to relatives wanting to wipe sweat from their brows.
"I came to smell the perfume of Palestine. It smells so nice. I am here but my heart is on the other side," said Mahmoud Abu Shebba, who was born and still lives in the refugee camp of Rashidiyeh, near the port city of Tyre.
Abu Shebba's parents were originally from Safad, in northern Israel.
"Since Wednesday, it is the third time that I come here. I can't get enough of it," he said, although the scenery on both sides is nearly identical.
Actually, nobody knows why they all chose to come to this particular border village, and not any other place along the border.
Ahmad Rabah, 70, proudly wears the traditional Keffiyeh checkered headscarf, but hides his tears behind a tree.
For the first time in 50 years, he saw his brother who had called him Saturday to fix a date and a location for them to finally meet.
His wife, carrying the key of the home they were forced to leave behind decades ago in Palestine, asks about relatives still there before recalling her house near Acca.
Their 26-year-old nephew, who was born in the Ain al-Helweh refugee camp on the outskirts of the southern coastal city of Sidon, wears a medallion representing the map of Palestine.
"I am very happy. I finally saw my uncle whom I had long heard of," he said.
The Palestinian refugees are ecstatic about the "liberation of Lebanon" from the Israeli occupation Wednesday because they could not previously approach the borders to see the land they were forced to leave half a century ago.
As long as the Israelis or their allied South Lebanon Army militia controlled the southern region, it was out of question for them to reach the border.
On one side, three women were chatting, laughing and crying. Their physical resemblance was striking.
The one standing on the other side was introducing her husband, a Palestinian from Israel, to her mother and her sister on the Lebanese side.
"I married him 25 years ago and I never had the occasion to introduce him to them," she said.
If most are happy, Tarek Abd, 28, is rather sad.
"It is terrible to live in a country like a refugee, without real rights, and to be here, separated from one's country by this little piece of iron which we can't cross over," said Abd.
Khawla Maqsud, 30, can't stop crying. She came from the Burj al-Shamali camp near Tyre to discover the country that she had long heard of.
She remains ecstatic, vowing that the Palestinians will do the same as the Lebanese and would surely return to Palestine.
But then, she starts crying again and throws a stone on the other side ... at nobody, just in a painful sign of helplessness -- DOUHAIRA, Lebanon (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


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AutoLifeSaver Now Saving Battery Life on Android Phones
[MobilePRwire] – AutoLifeSaver automatically manages the battery-consuming WiFi and Bluetooth radios based on location, providing up to 30% longer battery life on Android phones.
Battery is the #1 concern for Android users – mobile phones often don't survive the workday without recharging. A common problem is caused by WiFi and Bluetooth, which are draining battery even when not in use. Advanced users are saving battery life by manually switching off WiFi and Bluetooth when leaving home. However, this is a rather cumbersome and repetitive task – aren't mobile phones supposed to be "smart"?
With AutoLifeSaver, Android users never again have to manually switch off WiFi or Bluetooth just to save battery life – AutoLifeSaver will do that automatically and improves battery life by up to 30% by managing WiFi and Bluetooth based on location.
Automatic WiFi: AutoLifeSaver automatically manages WiFi based on location. For example, if the user enables WiFi at home, AutoLifeSaver will remember that WiFi should be on at that location. When the user leaves home, WiFi will be switched off automatically to save battery life. When the user comes back home again, WiFi will automatically switch on, ready to connect to the home network.
Automatic Bluetooth: AutoLifeSaver also manages Bluetooth based on location. For example, if the user switches on Bluetooth when getting into the car, AutoLifeSaver remembers that Bluetooth should be on at that location. If the user leaves the car at the airport, Bluetooth will be switched off automatically, and back on when the user returns from the trip, ready to connect to the handsfree in the car.
Unlike other tools, AutoLifeSaver operates completely in the background and remembers locations where WiFi and/or Bluetooth are required. AutoLifeSaver learns automatically – no need for manual configuration.
AutoLifeSaver is available immediately for download from on Google Play for US$ 1.99. A fully functional 7 day trial version is available. After the trial period, users can purchase a license with in-app purchasing or get a free license by promoting the product to 10 friends. More information online at http://www….
AutoLifeSaver Ltd is an innovative software company located in Tunbridge Wells, UK. Founded in 2012, the company is focused on battery-optimization technologies for Smartphones.
AutoLifeSaver Ltd is an innovative software company located in Tunbridge Wells, UK. Founded in 2012, the company is focused on battery-optimization technologies for Smartphones. More info at http://www…
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subset: commoncrawl


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9:00pm - 12:00am / FREE ENTRY | DOORS 6PM | HAPPY HOUR 6 - 8PM | GIG STARTS 9PM
Best known as the guitarist for Cinematic Orchestra, Stuart has toured worldwide with the band and played on and contributed to the writing of the albums, Ma Fleur, Live at the Royal Albert Hall and the award winning Disney soundtrack, The Crimson Wing.
Stuart's latest project, The Breath, released its debut album, Carry Your Kin, on Peter Gabriel's Real World Record label in July 2016. Stuart has also released four solo albums, written commissions for Arts Council England, The British Council and for UK saxophonist, John Surman, as part of the Manchester Jazz Festival.
As well as John Surman, Stuart has performed and recorded with some of the most prominent jazz artists of today, including American drummer Ari Hoenig, Kenny Wheeler, Mike Gibbs, Gwilym Simcock, Tim Garland, French drummer Laurent Robin, French pianist Laurent De Wilde and Austrian hang drum player and Bjork percussionist Manu Delago.
Upcoming releases include, The Space Between, a guitar duo with Mike Walker. Stuart is also featured on the new albums by Cardiff-based electronica band, Slowly Rolling Camera; London-based drummer and producer, Richard Spaven; and Brisbane-based pianist, Sean Foran.
Stuart's music fuses electronica, jazz and folk to create a magical combination of both acoustic and electronic instruments that gives his music such a distinctive sound. Regular musicians at the night include some of Manchester's finest:
Rioghnach Connolly
Armagh born singer and flautist strongly rooted in her trad Sean-nós background, Ríoghnach Connolly also stirs elements of Appalachia, Blues and Jazz into the folk archive. Rioghnach is currently touring the UK with the Afro Celts Sound
System, as well as Manchester's finest ethio-trad, folk-hop band, Honeyfeet.
Luke Flowers
One of Manchester's finest and busiest drummers, Luke has performed worldwide with Corinne Bailey Rae, Cinematic Orchestra, Kandice Springs, James Yorkston, The Haggis Horns, Kathryn Williams and Roots Manuva.
John Ellis
A Manchester music legend, John has been a secret ingredient in albums by The Cinematic Orchestra, Lily Allen, Corinne Bailey Rae, Tom Jones, John Squire (The Stone Roses), DJ Vadim. He currently has a working studio in Manchester called Limefield and continues to produce albums of music with a wide range of artists and musicians. Regular live performances as well as his own trio are with Kirk McElhinney, Honeyfeet and Baked ALaSka.
Jason Singh
Musician, composer, sound artist, creative facilitator, producer and performer. He works across all art forms and his work is an ongoing exploration and collaboration between the voice, body and music technology. As well as being a solo artist, Singh also collaborates with a wide variety of organisations, artists and festivals, some of which include the BBC, V&A Museum, British Council, Tate Britain, BFI, Serious, PRS for music, Aldeburgh Music, Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, Royal Exchange Theatre, ENO, Aberdeen Performing Arts, Sage Gateshead, Nitin Sawhney, Rokia Traore, Aidan O Rourke, Seb Rochford, Scanner, Tim Exile, Arun Ghosh, Soumik Datta, Shabaka Hutchings, Celtic Connections, Glastonbury festival, Jaipur Literature Festival and the Rajasthan International Folk Festival. In 2017 he will be resident artist in Hull as part of the Hull 2017 City of Culture and PRS New Music Biennial.
Fancy booking a table for this gig? It's free!
Just call:
0161 273 5495 (weekdays between 10am - 6pm)
0161 831 7002 (evenings after 6pm)


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By Melissa Westphal
Rockford Register Star
ROCKFORD — Though the challenges have been many, Mike Bacon said he's enjoyed "every minute" of his 43 years in public health service.
Bacon, 67, is retiring May 30 from his post as administrator of the Winnebago County Health Department. He started his career there in the lab, working up to the position of director of environmental health.
He left for 11 years to serve as administrator of the McHenry County Health Department and then returned to lead the Rockford-based department.
During his tenure, Bacon has supported efforts to secure more than $110 million in grant funding. Priorities have included tackling chronic diseases and improving maternal-child health and minority health, including the development of the Black Male Health Program.
The health department also opened a new office at the renovated 555 N. Court St. facility, an initiative that was actually the consolidation of three separate locations into the one facility.
Bacon sat down with the Register Star to discuss his retirement and the challenges ahead for the health department. No successor has been named for Bacon yet, but he will stick around for a bit after retirement to help the new administrator get acclimated.
Question: What made you decide to retire?
Answer: It's really time for some fresh thinking. ... I think the challenges of today are really huge, system-change type issues. It's trying to align with changes that have been developed through health reform and the Affordable Care Act opportunities to increase the contribution that health care brings to the table, in terms of the potential for health improvement by increased access to care.
Many of the contributing factors to good health lie outside our existing health system. They wind up being much more community oriented. So often, the choices that people make are really the choices they have to choose from. And in many of those cases, none of those choices are very healthy. And that's the unfortunate part, and that's where the community part of all of this comes in. Socioeconomic conditions are key underlying factors that relate to health and our environment in general, the integrity of our neighborhoods, the quality of our water supplies. The availability of foods and recreational areas, safe recreational areas, and so forth are all underpinnings of what creates additional opportunities for improved health in a community. So in other words, health is more contributed to by the family we're born into, the neighborhoods we're raised in, the schools we go to, the education we wind up receiving, the jobs we work at, and frankly, the more we recognize health that way, the more opportunities there are to improve it.
Q: What did you learn from working in McHenry County?
A: Their health status is a result of their socioeconomic standing, and it's primarily a whole lot better than our community. So their profile is considerably different. But nevertheless, I think the concept that I've always had in mind is really the health of any community is no better than that segment of the community having the poorest outcomes. ... Improving the health of a community has to be a shared responsibility.
This is all about developing a culture of health. We don't want to miss opportunities to change health for the better because it is so fundamental for the quality of life. The old saying goes that if you don't have your health, you don't have anything. And I think that is unfortunately the challenge we have as a community and being a community that's sort of a microcosm of the state of Illinois. A less healthy community and a less healthy state is not going to be as competitive as a healthier state or a healthier community for those jobs. Employers are able to recognize the additional costs that go along with locating in a community with more health challenges, and that's the cost of doing business. It's no different than moving to a community with strong schools or strong (information technology) infrastructure, or the kind of transportation infrastructure that a given corporation needs. The most fundamental of all of those infrastructure things is your workforce and the health of that workforce.
Q: What are the challenges still to come for the health department?
A: Challenges going forward and where we are right now as a community working off the most recent community health needs assessment relate to the chronic disease epidemic that our nation faces and certainly our community faces. The startling part of that epidemic is that 75 percent of the major causes for this chronic disease epidemic of heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and chronic lower respiratory disease relate to preventable conditions. The conditions relate to the three-legged stool of getting fit, eating healthy and stopping smoking. That's the magic formula. If we were more successful at that as a community, we could really change the health profile of our community.
I think there's one more key ingredient, and that is improved birth outcomes. Early attachment postpartum is so crucial as a leverage point. That has been our priority as a department for a number of years, and that's why we've been so aggressive in going after home-visiting money. The evidence around home visiting both in the prenatal period and the immediate postpartum period is so crucial. That level of intensity can help establish meaningful relationships with that mom and provide the support necessary for that mom to have a greater likelihood of a full-term birth and better likelihood that they'll be more prepared to cope with that newborn's needs. If we can succeed in that, we really can begin to have a much more robust younger population that is ready to learn. If we don't get it right in the first couple of years, it becomes much more challenging, much more remedial in terms of the kinds of interventions that are necessary.
Along with those two categories of interventions ... the third one is: behavioral health-related and the need to do much more as a community to assure we have the kind of service infrastructure necessary to address challenges on the mental illness and substance abuse front that affect large portions of our population.
Melissa Westphal: 815-987-1341; email@example.com; @mlwestphal


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Raymond McClain
Visitors welcomed
Emerald Woods is a challenging 45-hole golf course with five unique nines. "Pine Valley & St. Andrews" course is a championship layout with hills, undulating greens, tight tree lined fairways and water in play on the majority of the holes. The Pine Valley nine is considered one of the toughest in the area. "Audrey's & Heatherstone" course plays more open and is not as demanding. Although, the many sand bunkers and water hazards will keep you challenged. The signature "Island" hole [#16] awaits your donation to Lake Elizabeth. "The Park" is a shorter length [2128 yards] fun course that is great for a quick nine and still let's you utilize all the clubs in the bag. We look forward to seeing you at Emerald Woods! Emerald Woods also offers a newly remodeled Banquet / Party Room for any social gathering you have planned.


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Ten percent of men in New York City who use the geosocial networking application Grindr have never been tested for HIV, according to a recent survey conducted by the Center for HIV Educational Studies & Training (CHEST). Even more alarming, 20 percent of young gay men (age 18-24) reported never having had an HIV test. These numbers are both much higher than the overall New York City average for gay men, which the study reports to be around only 2.6 percent.
About one third of the men who had never received an HIV test reported their HIV status as HIV negative, which one researcher points out, "may mean that men are sharing potentially inaccurate HIV status information with their partners on Grindr." Of those men who had never tested, about one third also claimed to have engaged in condomless anal sex within the past three months.
However, there were some silver linings to the statistics. Seventy percent of the men surveyed had been tested in the past year, whereas only 52 percent of New York City gay men reported receiving an HIV test in the past year. Also, the survey found that the proportion of young gay men of color who had received HIV tests was higher than that of other men in this sample. Jeffrey T. Parsons, Ph.D., who led the study, said, "These findings suggest some prevention messages -- specifically that MSM [men who have sex with men] that engage in unprotected sex should have more frequent HIV testing -- are reaching the intended audience."
Do you use geosocial networking apps for sex? Do these findings disturb you? Do they surprise you? Let us know in the comment section.
Mathew Rodriguez is the editorial project manager for TheBody.com and TheBodyPRO.com.
Follow Mathew on Twitter: @mathewrodriguez.


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Summary Meeting Notes: May 22, 2013 Watershed Health and Environment PEG meeting
Summary Meeting Notes
Watershed Health and Environment PEG - WHE PEG
Meeting Date: May 22, 2013
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: 1900 SW 4th Ave,Portland, Conference Room 7A
Attendees: Claire Carder, Corky Collier, Mike Houck, Maryhelen Kincaid, Noelwah Netusil, Emily Roth, Bob Sallinger, Judy BlueHorse Skelton, Jennifer Thompson, Jeri Williams, Paul Ward. Staff: Mindy Brooks, Sallie Edmunds, Joan Fredericksen, Roberta Jortner, Christina Scarzello, Marie Walkiewicz, Shannon Buono, Nan Stark. Guests: Derek Breniman (student), Pablo Martos (Oregon Department of State Lands & Community Member), Peter and Annie Sallinger, Mary Vogel. Facilitator: Dena Marshall, Solid Ground Consulting, assisted by Kazmiera Taylor
"How do we get from 'let's put 20 houses on the side of a hill and keep them from sliding down' to 'let's not put 20 houses on the side of that hill' and instead put them in a low-income neighborhood where there's no stormwater risk?"
Introductions, Announcements and Updates
Facilitator Dena Marshall and staff lead Sallie Edmunds opened the meeting, with brief introductions and an overview of the upcoming meetings and PEG process. There will be no July WHE PEG meeting.
- BPS District Planners will conduct 8 District Planning Conversations in June 2013. PEG members are encouraged to attend.
- Announcement: Portland voters recently passed a 5-year, $15 million levy to manage and restore natural areas and parks.
Working Draft Part 2 Mapping Exercise
Presenters: Joan Frederiksen (South Portland district liaison), Christina Scarzello (East Portland district liaison), Roberta Jortner, BPS
- District liaisons have started "Community Conversations" to gain familiarity in the neighborhoods and solicit early feedback on key Comp Plan mapping options.
- Goals for this meeting: To elicit PEG feedback on areas where the City is looking to encourage growth and approaches to address development-related issues affecting watershed health.
- Options and choices presented for PEG consideration included potential changes to the Comprehensive Plan map (density and zoning), priority infrastructure projects, future code changes (e.g., impervious area limits) and programs (eg. green infrastructure, code revisions , tree canopy policy updates).
SW Portland
Overview (Joan Fredericksen)
Example #1: Sylvan-Highlands/ArlingtonHeights/SW Hills Stormwater Area of Concern.
- Issues: This area has multiple issues and constraints including steep slopes, lack of infiltration capacity, landslide hazards and unprotected headwater streams. There is also development potential with a mix of residential zoning. Can stormwater and landslide constraints be remedied? It would be prohibitively expensive to develop a stormwater pipe system, like in SE communities, and this approach would also deprive natural resources of the water they need. Some retrofit technologies are available.
- Options discussed: (1) reduce density, especially in areas where infrastructure investment is not warranted (2) waive minimum density (3) update environmental zoning for unprotected resources (regulatory or voluntary) (4) add impervious area limitations (5) design approaches (5) transfer of development rights (6) ecodistrict of a different kind, not focused on intensifying development.
Example #2: West Portland Town Center, Barbur Boulevard/I-5. (see above link)
This is a designated town center in Metro Region 2040 which is an area to focus future growth. It is also designated a high capacity transit corridor.
- Relative lack of natural areas; existing environmental zoning applied to streams is inconsistent. This area already has extensive impervious areas and transportation challenges; there are redevelopment opportunities with potential to increase greenspace.
- Gentrification. This area has more diverse income and racial diversity. If there are infrastructure and other investments to support this area as a town center, gentrification is an issue that needs to be addressed. Comment: "When I was raising my kids in SW in a low-income project, I noticed that all of [the low-income housing was] at the bottom of the hill. I've been working with a lot of Somali communities up off ofBarbur Boulevardthat would love to see multi-generational housing built up there so that they could live together. And transit."
- Streams. Stream headwaters protection is important in this area.
- Socioeconomic impacts. Planners are considering demographic and socioeconomic layers with respect to infrastructure investments and prioritization in certain areas, including access to jobs and nature.
- Redistribution of poverty. Redistribute lower income housing throughout the City.
- Emphasize design standards and resource enhancement improvements.
- Eco-districts. Consider eco-districts where efforts focus on micro-level designs to address local stormwater issues (eg. Lents,Lloyd District).
- Refinement projects to update overlay zones; strengthen Comp Plan language to reflect this principle.
- Effective use of investments. if we're going to focus where investments will pay off then it should be on areas like this that are already disturbed, and where there are opportunities to make a better place.
- Conservation easements and TDR's (transfer of development rights) – explore how this tool could help address stormwater and other watershed issues, while achieving desired development potential.
- A voluntary option - example of Damascus pilot project to protect headwaters to the Clackamas using tax credit incentives. Look at geography and ownership patterns to identify areas where transfers are possible, incentives could be used.
For further consideration:
- How to direct infrastructure investments to improve capacity where development is appropriate and meets equity priorities.
- Explore development / impervious area standards for reducing stormwater runoff.
- How to balance development with protecting headwater streams.
- Place strict design standards on areas with natural hazard constraints and invest in resource enhancement improvements.
East Portland. Note: For policy background see 2007 East Portland Review, East Portland Action Plan.
- Overview (Chris Scarzello).East Portland is experiencing a downward cycle of poverty. "High need population" includes many families with young children. Infrastructure poor: lacking good transit, street connectivity, improved streets. Other major issues include lack of family-wage jobs, lack of commercial zoning in many areas, stormwater and natural resources constraints. Increased crime has come with more density and concentrations of poverty.
- Infrastructure. There are a number of areas with existing stormwater constraints that are not adequately represented on maps of areas along Powell Butte and south of Johnson Creek .
- Constrained rights of way - insufficient sidewalks, bicycle paths – create barriers. Also when there is limited right-of-way, stormwater must be conveyed underground by pipes – a more expensive way.
- City plans to construct bio-swales along 122nd, a creative solution for stormwater management, and to widen rights of way in some areas to accommodate pedestrians. PBOT and BES are working together on this. Important to address some flexibility in standards in order to include ped and bike facilities.
Tree Canopy: Springwater / Powell Boulevard (see above link)
Overview (Roberta Jortner): This area is an example of where existing substantial tree groves that provide important watershed benefits and neighborhood identity are at risk of development. The is considerable development potential, with higher density zoning – an infill area.
- While the new tree codes (when fully funded/implemented) would encourage preservation, development would result in loss or reduction in trees, groves, and overall tree canopy.
- Some options to consider: (1) Amend Comp Plan map to reduce density or modify minimum density requirements; (2) Allow zero front property line setback , (3) Prohibit flag lots, (4) Encourage courtyards and other multi-family housing design options, (5) Tree easements, (6) Encourage willing-seller acquisition / TDRs (Staff will put this on the list).
- See "Out of the Mud" Portland Bureau of Transportation program allows an LID to designate the ability to put in a narrower street.
- Is R2.5 zoning appropriate in this area? If yes, are there alternative design frameworks to avoid loss of trees?
- Explore: Make the street right of ways smaller, make the lots wider. Check with PBOT. Would this allow for tree preservation?
- Comment: The Planning process should prioritize equity issues over tree preservation when considering redevelopment options in East Portland, noting that new trees can be planted. Staff responded that tree canopy is also a key equity issue that was raised by the public during the Citywide Tree Project and the Portland Plan. There are also stormwater management considerations.
- Comment: infrastructure equity includes sidewalks, sewers, water, stormwater—tree canopy is integral to dealing with stormwater issues here.
"What We Heard" Memo from the WH/E PEG
Summary of WHE PEG discussion items and policy considerations on the Draft Comp Plan policies.
- Staff request comments on the draft Memo within two weeks.
- In addition, there will be a summary of public comments collected through workshops, surveys, written comment.
Next WHE PEG meeting is Wednesday June 26, 2013, 3p-6p, 1900 SW 4th Ave, 7th Floor.
- The meeting will begin at 3pm to include an hour with the Networks PEG, followed by the regular 4-6pm WHEPEG meeting. The mapping exercise will continue with overviews and examples from north and northeast Portland. Staff requests PEG members to draft questions for the upcoming meeting with the Networks PEG. Please send any relevant questions to Sallie Edmunds.
For more information, please contact Sallie Edmunds, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, 503-823-6950 or email@example.com, or Dena Marshall, 503-740-7123 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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|Old lady goes to ground.
|Note Mette's resemblance to Emelie Forsberg
|Emelie Forsberg in the Dolomites.
And then there was Thea. Last weekend, we ran a 5k together (the second weekend in a ro). I am 34, she is 17. Note the math. I have at this point been physically forced to sit down on the couch (by my husband) and watch womens' 5000 meter races at least 10 times. Probably 20. I know that if the goal is to win (and not PR), you don't start out fast, you start out smart. It was probably the hottest day of the year here. Already 85 degrees F an hour before the race. Thea ran the entire race about 20 meters behind me. I knew her plan was to speed up at the end, but what she didn't know, was I started out slowly so I could also speed up. And also I knew sprinting against a 17 year old wasn't going to be easy.
|Thea has the right attitude about running, but I wonder how much time she loses by running with her phone. Photo: Jan K Madsen
|Sprint to the finish- owww. Photo Jan K Madsen
|SR knows exactly how to position himself before his sprint to the finish. Torben in front is apparently a 2:35 marathoner.
|A mini Team Salomon outing
|Went out for a 2k trail run with the boys Who knows how much starting them early will decide their future talent and running "fate", or if they'll even care about running at all. At least we had fun.


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Milwaukee, Wis.— A. O. Smith Corporation (NYSE:AOS) will release its second
quarter 2015 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, July 23,
and has scheduled an investor conference call to follow at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Daylight
call can be heard live on the company's web site, www.aosmith.com. An audio replay of the call will be available
on the company's web site after the live event.
To access the archived audio replay, go to the "Investors"
page and select the Second Quarter Conference Call link.
2018 News Archive
2017 News Archive
2016 News Archive
2015 News Archive


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Shining light on elusive dark matter03 April 2013
ESA > Science & Exploration > Human and Robotic Exploration > DAMA mission
Latest News
Shining light on elusive dark matter03 April 2013 The antimatter hunter AMS-02 on the International Space Station is searching for the missing pieces of our Universe. The project's first results published today are hinting at a new phenomenon and revealing more about the invisible 'dark matter'.
Guardians of the antimatter hunter31 July 2012
Guardians of the antimatter hunter31 July 2012 A year ago, the largest and most complex scientific instrument on the International Space Station was delivered to the orbital outpost. Searching for antimatter and the origins of our Universe, it is working flawlessly thanks to the continuous support...
Shuttle STS-134 back from enhancing Space Station01 June 2011 The wheels of Space Shuttle Endeavour touched down at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida this morning at 06:35 GMT (08:35 CEST) after a 16-day mission that added a pioneering experiment to the International Space Station.


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Cathay Dragon has responded quickly to help those affected by natural disasters by participating in fundraising campaigns launched by the Cathay Pacific Group. Such campaigns have included inflight fundraising initiatives and staff fundraising campaigns where the monies raised are matched by the Group.
In addition to cash donations, the airline has given free support for cargo shipments, excess baggage and ticket sponsorship to help various local and overseas charities send relief supplies and rescue teams to affected areas. Major relief efforts to which Cathay Dragon has contributed in recent years include:
2015 Nepal earthquake
2013 Philippines typhoon and Sichuan earthquake
2011 Japan, Yunnan, New Zealand earthquakes and Thailand flooding
2010 Qinghai earthquake, Pakistan flooding and Gansu mudslide
Cathay Dragon also supports a range of community initiatives and charitable causes through various types of in-kind sponsorship, including air tickets.


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Human heart beats using nearly billion-year-old molecular mechanism
Human heart beats using nearly billion-year-old molecular mechanism
We humans have been around for about 2.5 million years, but the beating of our hearts is controlled by something much older than Homo sapiens -- an ancient molecular pathway that, according to Huck Institutes faculty researcher Tim Jegla, may be on the order of 700 million to a billion years old.
The Jegla Lab studies the evolution of the nervous and muscular systems, using model organisms such as the cnidarian Nematostella vectensis -- also known as the starlet sea anemone -- to investigate conserved traits and the molecular pathways and genes that underpin them.
Cnidarians -- comprising an ancient phylum that, in addition to sea anemones, includes animals such as jellyfish and corals -- have nervous systems that allow them to coordinate movement and respond to their surroundings, but do not have a brain or any other analogous organs.
In a study recently published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the Jegla Lab identified in the Nematostella sea anemone the same gene family (Erg) that is responsible for the slow-wave contractions of the human heart. After cloning the genes for further investigation, the researchers found that the ion channel it encodes has retained its function relatively unchanged since the time of humans' and cnidarians' divergence from their common ancestor almost a billion years ago.
"This discovery," says Jegla, "shows that at least some of the molecular mechanisms through which we control electrical activity in things like the heart evolved in some of the earliest animals, long before the existence of hearts or even cardiac tissue."
"This fits a broad pattern we're finding," Jegla continues, "that almost all the major signaling systems used in our brains and muscles evolved hundreds of millions of years ago in an ancestor of bilaterians which seems to have had a very versatile and molecularly complete set of tools for neuronal function that has been conserved throughout subsequent animal evolution and tuned to the specific needs of the major animal phyla. It appears that a lot of the signaling that we do in our complex neuromuscular systems is based on pre-existing programs that are just adapted to our specific physiological needs."
According to Jegla, the starlet sea anemone is in essence an animal that's as evolutionarily far away from humans as possible while still sharing the same neuromuscular signaling systems. Comparisons of humans and cnidarians reveal that only the fundamentally important mechanisms are conserved -- such as those required to make a neuron or, in this case, a neuromuscular signal.
"Basically," he says, "when we compare a human and a sea anemone, we're looking at somewhere between 700 million and a billion years' evolutionary separation. Anything that's not fundamentally critical to life as a mobile, multicellular animal is different. And the things we have in common were there in the nervous system of the animal we both evolved from; they were there in the ancestor of virtually all modern animal life other than sponges and comb jellies. Only the fundamental mechanisms are conserved. And this gives us a window into what things we have in common that are extremely important. It tells us a lot about the history of how animals evolved."
"We make the case in this paper," Jegla continues, "that the properties of the human Erg channel and the ancient Nematostella channel are tuned extremely well to repolarize the long action potentials that you need to get a strong muscular contraction, or a prolonged wave contraction like you have in a heartbeat. What we'd like to do now is to see if this kind of channel is fundamentally required to get that kind of wave contraction in all animals, and, if so, is that what it initially evolved for? If the slow wave contractions of the body wall are the functional orthologues of heart contraction, then have we adapted that whole preexisting program for the heart?
"All the other ion channels we use to regulate heart contraction are there, too, in Nematostella. So when we look at what this channel is doing in the human heart and what we can hypothesize it might be doing in the sea anemone, we can begin to see that maybe this is, in fact, what it evolved for."
Following on this study, Jegla has launched a new collaboration to further investigate the evolution of neuronal structure and signaling with colleague and fellow neurobiologist Melissa Rolls, director of the Huck Institutes' Center for Cellular Dynamics.
"We're collaborating with Melissa Rolls," Jegla says, "to look at not just how the channels and the signaling have evolved, but also how the structure of neurons themselves evolved, and when, why, and how axons and dendrites evolved. The sea anemone is an extremely interesting model organism for doing this, because it doesn't have a centralized nervous system; it has a diffuse nerve net that shows evidence of some bidirectional synapses, which makes it a great model organism for studying fundamental principles of how nerve cells are put together at the level of anatomy and signaling.
"The overall neuroanatomy of the sea anemone is much simpler than in other model organisms, so we think it's going to be much easier to correlate changes in neuronal activity with changes in behaviors and therefore to look into the fundamentally important, evolutionarily conserved cellular and molecular bases of behavior."
Additional contributors to this study include: first author and former Jegla Lab member Ali Martinson; current lab members Sarah Rhodes and Fortunay Diatta; and Damian van Rossum, director of the Huck Institutes' Center for Computational Proteomics.
DNA sequencing services were provided by the Huck Institutes' Genomics Core Facility.
Tim Jegla received support from the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and the Department of Biology at Penn State University and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant R01 NS069842.
Ali Martinson and Fortunay Diatta were supported by an undergraduate research grant from the Eberly College of Science.
Damian van Rossum was supported by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health using Tobacco Settlement Funds.


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Aaron Spelling's widow, Candy, is facing eviction from her Los Angeles condominium over allegations she refused to move out after her lease ended.
The wealthy socialite has been renting a luxury apartment for $28,000 a month while her own penthouse is under construction, but the owner now wants Candy to leave and has asked a judge to force her out of the property.
According to documents filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday, the owner claims Candy should have vacated the unit after her lease ran out on January 31.
Candy has also been asked to pay $933 for every day she continued to live at the address outside of her agreement.
Tori Spelling's mother has hit back in her own legal papers, arguing she extended her lease for six months, and has paid for the entire month of February, reports TMZ.com.


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American Express Women's Golf Month kicks off in June, celebrating golf as a year-long sport and recreation for women. The national promotion seeks to provide people the opportunity to learn, re-learn or play golf in a fun and friendly environment while also attracting and retaining new women golfers.
More than 135,000 people nationwide have been introduced or re-introduced to the game of golf over the past five years during Women's Golf Month, which premiered in 2005 as Women's Golf Week, and statistics have consistently shown that 34 percent of these are beginners.
Held at thousands of golf facilities nationwide, American Express Women's Golf Month offers people 14 years of age and older free golf lessons and clinics and additional golf-related activities customized by each host facility throughout the month of June.
"We are looking forward to a fun-filled month celebrating women and their love for the game of golf," said Anne Lyndrup, Director of Player Development, National Golf Course Owners Association and leader of the Women's Golf Month organizers. "American Express Women's Golf Month provides everyone an opportunity to participate in fun golf activities, to play better golf with instruction from skilled PGA and LPGA Professionals, and also to have fun with friends while doing it."
Consumers can find a complete list of participating facilities, along with details on specific events and online registration, by state on PlayGolfAmerica.com.
PGA and LPGA Professionals are asked to promote women's programs currently offered at their facility and to consider adding new programs such as clinics, leagues, club fitting demonstrations, playing experiences and contests. Also new for 2010, PGA and LPGA Professionals may host or volunteer at a local Play Golf America Day in June or offer Get Golf Ready for Women programs at their facilities.
LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame member Nancy Lopez, PGA/LPGA Professional Suzy Whaley and fitness expert and philanthropist, Donna Richardson Joyner are all supporting American Express Women's Golf Month. They will attend selected women's Play Golf America events throughout the year and share their expertise as well as encourage women from all walks of life to learn and participate in the game of golf.
Whaley, along with PGA/LPGA Professionals from the Midwest PGA Section, will host a national kick-off event to celebrate the beginning of American Express Women's Golf Month at Tiffany Greens Golf Club in Kansas City, Mo., June 2 from 1-5 p.m. Joyner is hosting a golf clinic, June 5, in conjunction with her celebrity golf tournament held at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort and Golf Club in Aventura, Fla., to celebrate American Express Women's Golf Month.
Over the years, through programs such as American Express Women's Golf Month, many people have discovered that the game of golf can be used to foster relationships and encourage personal health. Whether one is spending time with colleagues -- socially or professionally, spending time with family and friends, or exercising while enjoying the beautiful scenery of the golf course, the game of golf provides the tools necessary for success in all aspects of life.
Participants who register on PlayGolfAmerica.com have the opportunity to win a set of Nancy Lopez golf clubs and American Express Gift Cards.
American Express Women's Golf Month is a part of the national Play Golf America campaign. It is coordinated by industry-leading organizations, including the Executive Women's Golf Association (EWGA), the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) and The PGA of America (PGA).
About the Lead Organizations:
Since 1916, The PGA of America's mission has been twofold: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, the Association enables PGA Professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry. By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable golf promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf. Visit www.pga.com or www.PlayGolfAmerica.com to learn more.
Since the EWGA started in 1991, the association has enriched the lives of more than 100,000 women, connecting them to learn, play, and enjoy golf for business and fun. This tax-exempt association delivers a wide range of golf, social and networking activities for both new and experienced golfers at over 125 local chapters throughout the United States and international chapters in Canada. The EWGA is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. For more information about the association and membership, visit www.ewga.com
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is the world's leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950, the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 1,700 members representing 29 different countries. With a Vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women's golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while dedicated LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals (T&CP) directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management. The Duramed FUTURES Tour serves as the official developmental tour of the LPGA, consistently producing a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida. Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via: www.LPGA.com, www.facebook.com/lpga.official, www.twitter.com/lpga, and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo.
The National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) is the leading authority on the business of golf course ownership and management. The Association represents the key decision makers with ultimate responsibility for golf courses throughout the world. Through advocacy, information resources, purchasing programs and networking opportunities, the NGCOA helps golf course owners and operators run more successful businesses.
The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America is a leading golf organization and has as its focus golf course management. Since 1926, GCSAA has been the top professional association for the men and women who manage golf courses in the United States and worldwide. From its headquarters in Lawrence, Kan., the association provides education, information and representation to more than 20,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA's mission is to serve its members, advance their profession and enhance the enjoyment, growth and vitality of the game of golf. The association's philanthropic organization, The Environmental Institute for Golf (//www.eifg.org), works to strengthen the compatibility of golf with the natural environment through research grants, support for education programs and outreach efforts. Visit GCSAA at www.gcsaa.org.
About American Express
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at www.americanexpress.com and connect with us on www.facebook.com/americanexpress, www.twitter.com/americanexpress and www.youtube.com/americanexpress.


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There is a lot of porn on Yahoo's photo-sharing site, Flickr.
It's not just softcore stuff, either.
There's old men with little girls, hardcore stuff, bondage, and feet everywhere.
Some of it is merely gross.
Some of it is plain wrong.
We're not linking to it, but trust us, it is there.
And really – that's bad enough, right?
But it gets worse for Yahoo.
Not only is there all this porn, there are also ads next to lots of it. If you go to the site as an un-logged-in user, you'll see ads for big name brands like Kohl's, General Motors, Dunkin Donuts, and more.
Alerted by an activist, representatives of brands say they had no idea their ads would show up next to pictures of naked people – and sometimes children.
In emails obtained by Business Insider, many of the advertisers say they plan to end their campaigns. The brand manager for Chevrolet calls the issue an "outrage."
That can't be good for Yahoo, which badly whiffed on its display advertising sales in Q2.
We talked to Yahoo PR and Cathryn Weems, policy and abuse manager for Flickr, about the issue.
On the porn itself, Weems said:
Flickr is a photography site. We've got millions of users. A lot of them are using it as a creative outlet and we don't want to censor or judge the varied lifestyles or interest our members have.
We assure that local laws are adhered to. If anyone is not playing by the rules we either warn them or delete their account.
Even if we disallowed all nudity as maybe some other user-generated content sites don't allow it, we would still possibly run up against this issue by people who refuse to adhere to our guidlines. Us allowing nudity on our site is not the cause of this problem.
Every UGC site I'm sure runs up against the problem. I can't imagine anyone would be immune from this because there will be people who don't know the rules or people who are truly not trying to play by the rules. I don't think Flickr is unique in that at all.
The problem with this response is that other "UGC" sites do actually do a better job of policing for porn.
Occasionally, some naked people will find their way onto YouTube. But for a site that used to be loaded with the stuff pre-Google, it's now mostly porn-free.
Yahoo pointed out one video with some naked people in it, but it turns out the clip was from a documentary about the porn industry. Besides, even if it had some bare-chested women in it, it was nothing like the child pornography available on Flickr.
On the mistake of putting ads next to porn, Weem said:
We only serve ads on safe content – content marked safe. If people upload content that is not considered safe, but don't moderate it correctly, we will take action against the user's account. If somebody chooses not to play by the rules, we take action as soon as we are notified.
The problem with this response is that Yahoo thinks this self-policing system works much better than it does.
During our phone conversation, Weems guessed that the porn we found on Flickr had been uploaded only very recently and had maybe two or three pageviews. In fact, the image – in the screen cap above – had been uploaded in October 2009, and viewed 5,235 times. (We told Flickr how to find the image and it has since been removed.)
Yahoo should figure out how IAC video-sharing site Vimeo is solving this problem. Like Flickr, it has an anti-censorship policy, and allows sexy-posing naked people on its site. Unlike Flickr, it only serves in-house ads against the raunchier stuff.
Macro-level, these problems seem like a sign of rot at Yahoo, and Flickr, in particular.
Flickr was hit very hard in Yahoo's April 2009 layoffs.
Since then, Yahoo has entirely missed the wave on iPhone-friendly photo-sharing apps.
Has it also, since then, allowed a once-modest porn problem to grow wildly beyond its control? Seems so.
Update: Yahoo reached us to clarify its position.
Yahoo! has a zero tolerance policy for the posting of illegal images on Flickr. We take the safety of our online community, especially children, extremely seriously. We work closely with state attorneys general, law enforcement agencies, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), and other child safety advocacy organizations in order to continually improve the safety of our product offerings. Flickr is one of the most vibrant and active online communities. We have measures in place to monitor and remove this type of content. In addition, members contribute to maintaining the quality of their community by utilizing tools to report any concerns about content to Yahoo!. If Flickr becomes aware of child abuse images we refer those images to NCMEC for investigation and prosecution by federal state or local law enforcement.
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mookalovesgloop wrote:it seems to me that they're trying to make light of history by blurring the lines and adding irrelevant issues to the FACTS...but maybe it's just me...thoughts?
mookalovesgloop wrote:a homosexual person has the option to discontinue their way of living or even just hide it from general knowledge and their problems are solved
mookalovesgloop wrote:i can't think of a single instance during the jim crow era when one of my coal-black forbears ever had the option to simply stop being a second class citizen by reason of his melanin levels...
mookalovesgloop wrote:by the same token, i've never heard of an afro sporting brown or black skinned person simply "hiding" their blackness from the public eye and being regarded as anything other than a you-know-what back then...
WallShadow wrote:Dear Mooka,
I see where you're coming from and I can tell you honestly, you're being a little judgemental. Now before I start, I want you to note that I am not racist or hateful of any group or ethnicity. I base my opinions of people based on how I perceive them acting, and not by what history tells me.
Now first off, there are reasons that different people became hateful of one another, but those reasons are now very much old. For example, just because Napolean invaded Russia long long ago, its not a reason for Russians to hate the French today. Ages have past, people get over it, it's a new world.mookalovesgloop wrote:it seems to me that they're trying to make light of history by blurring the lines and adding irrelevant issues to the FACTS...but maybe it's just me...thoughts?
The thing is, that in today's society, so many black people use the times of slavery as an excuse to be hateful and racist towards white people. By 'blurring the lines' and forgetting the past, you essentially level the playing field for everyone. If no one remembers the times of slavery, how are blacks supposed to get angry over it? Sure it's history and all, but it was painful back then, and I argue that it's no less painful today. We should really just get over it now.mookalovesgloop wrote:a homosexual person has the option to discontinue their way of living or even just hide it from general knowledge and their problems are solved
That is not entirely true. If that person ever told his friends or family of it, then he is branded gay by them for his life. Sometimes these people might even post such facts on the internet, where it remains for eternity. Also, it is fairly common for gay people to distribute STD's (I forget the statistics, but a very LARGE percentage of HIV carriers are homosexual), which can harm them for ages.mookalovesgloop wrote:i can't think of a single instance during the jim crow era when one of my coal-black forbears ever had the option to simply stop being a second class citizen by reason of his melanin levels...
Fredrick Douglas. but not because of melanin levels, but because of knowledge and wisdom.mookalovesgloop wrote:by the same token, i've never heard of an afro sporting brown or black skinned person simply "hiding" their blackness from the public eye and being regarded as anything other than a you-know-what back then...
I can understand the jim crow era, but come on. Not everyone is hateful of everyone else in this era. I personally never hate anyone until I have gotten to know them well enough to hate them. Although there are white people that curse at black people for being black, always remember that there are also black people that curse at white people for being white.
I know that this is a very difficult part of ethics and has been so for centuries for ages, but it's not wise to poor salt into old wounds.
-WallShadow <3 <3 <3
of course the media outlets pretend that it's a shock and an outrage when these things are brought to the surface but the truth is that by and large the opinions of the western majority towards non-whites <<----note, non-white, not just blacks-- never changed!
my point is that it's unfair to the people who risked brutalization, imprisonment, and humiliation for no reason other than the complexion they were born with to compare what they suffered and strove for to a group of people whose woes are the direct result of a lifestyle that they choose to live and frankly, is becoming more mainstream with each passing day
our crime was that of demanding to be treated like human beings...i've never heard of a single instance of a homosexual being thrown in jail for eating at a particular restaurant, sitting in the front of the bus, or seen them fire hosed and have dogs released on them at a pride rally...
I suspect the problem lies with your interpretation that they choose to be gay that makes it so different. and that they could potentially hide it from strangers
The fact is that homosexuals do not have the same rights as heterosexual people. The most obvious example being the right to marry. While you might say that seems like a very small issue, the same was thought about the right to vote or prettymuch any right that was denied to select groups of people in the past.
mookalovesgloop wrote:simply, plainly--there is *NO* biological basis for homosexuality...there is no way for a gay couple to facilitate the continuity of the human race through normal biological means. and i'm sure it's no surprise to anyone that gay sex, especially between males is...well...hard on the body. there a host of diseases associated with homosexual sexual relations that just aren't found (with any notable recurrence) within the heterosexual community...i'm not talking about AIDS here, a google search using the term "diseases associated with homosexuality" will shed more light on what i'm talking about...
wikipedia wrote:No species has been found in which homosexual behaviour has not been shown to exist, with the exception of species that never have sex at all, such as sea urchins and aphis. Moreover, a part of the animal kingdom is hermaphroditic, truly bisexual. For them, homosexuality is not an issue.(20)
mookalovesgloop wrote:consider the child born into a black family in rural mississippi in 1947 versus a child adopted by a gay family...indeed both children will be harassed, subject to ridicule and all sorts of problems throughout their lives, but the WHY is the determining factor...there can never be an argument posed as to whether blacks are doing something outside of the natural order of life or IMMORAL by being born black or being enslaved/colonized by an oppressor...a group of people who choose to live aberrant lifestyles, well, how upset can you be when you get what you sign up for....
unless of course, you mean to suggest that homosexuals DON'T have a say in whether they will be gay or not...as though it is some kind of disorder (though there is evidence which suggests this may indeed be the case, consider those who have overcome their homosexual desires through self-solicited psychological counseling)
Wikipedia wrote:Male Drosophila melanogaster flies bearing two copies of a mutant allele in the fruitless gene court and attempt to mate exclusively with other males.(18) The genetic basis of animal homosexuality has been studied in the fly Drosophila melanogaster.(84) Here, multiple genes have been identified that can cause homosexual courtship and mating.(85) These genes are thought to control behavior through pheromones as well as altering the structure of the animal's brains.(86)(87) These studies have also investigated the influence of environment on the likelihood of flies displaying homosexual behavior.(88)(89)
mookalovesgloop wrote:you have the opportunity to witness firsthand what a homosexual person's experience is like outside of babylon (the usa)
And isn't that...the point of creating life, to have it somehow be like you.. only better?
So will homosexuals or creators of alternative life forms really have created life?
a virus or worse a baby is something you're stuck with for life
Did you just call an admin a faggot and get away with it? Well played.
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MCAT vocabulary practice test 97 of 99 Vocabulary Workshop
HOW TO PRACTISE: There is a practice question below. Select one of the options and you will immediately see the result. Next, click on the golden "Next Question" button at the bottom of the result. This way questions will appear one after another.
Question 1 of 10: What is the meaning of "vindicate"?
2. MCAT Vocabulary: What is the meaning of "virtuoso"?
(a) a person who is interested in special knowledge or skill in in some fine art, especially playing a musical instrument
(b) a person who has special knowledge or skill in in some fine art, especially playing a musical instrument
(c) a person who created special knowledge or skill in in some fine art, especially playing a musical instrument
(d) a person who lacks special knowledge or skill in in some fine art, especially playing a musical instrument
Answer: B
3. MCAT Vocabulary: What is the meaning of "virulent"?
(a) 1. (of a medicine or poison) extremely rare, expensive, or valuable; precious 2. (of a pathogen, especially a virus) highly infective 3. bitterly hostile or antagonistic; full of hate and violent opposition
(b) 1. (of a snake or germ) slowly infectious, malignant, or poisonous; weak 2. (of a pathogen, especially a virus) slowly infective 3. a bit hostile or antagonistic; full of anger and annoyance
(c) 1. (of a disease or poison) extremely infectious, malignant, or poisonous; deadly 2. (of a pathogen, especially a virus) highly infective 3. bitterly hostile or antagonistic; full of hate and violent opposition
(d) 1. (of a snake or germ) slowly infectious, malignant, or poisonous; painful 2. (of a pathogen, especially a virus) slowly infective 3. a bit hostile or antagonistic; full of anger and annoyance
Answer: C
4. MCAT Vocabulary: What is the meaning of "viscous"?
(a) (of liquids) thick and sticky and does not flow easily
(b) (of liquids) thick and sticky but flows quickly
(c) (of metals) thick and sticky and does not melt easily
(d) (of metals) thick and sticky and does not flow easily
Answer: A
5. MCAT Vocabulary: What is the meaning of "vitriolic"?
(a) 1. full of life and vitality 2. energetic and positive
(b) 1. peaceful or serene 2. relaxing and permitting complete disconnection from the worries of daily life
(c) 1. tired or exhausted 2. unable to continue playing, working, or whatever action one is participating in
(d) 1. cruel and hateful language 2. marked by notable criticism or sarcasm
Answer: D
6. MCAT Vocabulary: What is the meaning of "vociferous"?
(a) 1. hard-working 2. willing and able to dedicate all of one's time to work
(b) 1. highly opinionated and loud about one's beliefs 2. clamorous or offensively loud
(c) 1. shy and restrained in one's expression of one's views 2. quiet and reserved
(d) 1. not opinionated 2. open to all ideas or points of view 3. willing to listen to any idea
Answer: B
7. MCAT Vocabulary: What is the meaning of "voluble"?
(a) 1. talkative; speaking with enthusiasm 2. fluent 3. expressed in many words 4. garrulous
(b) 1. fond of flying or aviation 2. able to fly 3. capable of flight
(c) 1. volatile 2. highly explosive 3. dangerous and ready to burst
(d) 1. great in volume 2. abnormally large 3. bigger than what is preferred
Answer: A
8. MCAT Vocabulary: What is the meaning of "voluminous"?
(a) 1. large in volume 2. bulky 3. great in extent 4. long and detailed; enough to fill volumes (writing)
(b) 1. lazy 2. not willing to work 3. unwilling to participate in any activity that is not mandatory
(c) 1. loud 2. of a high volume 3. disruptive due to its volume
(d) 1. related to the volume of speech or music 2. related to sounds
Answer: A
9. MCAT Vocabulary: What is the meaning of "voracious"?
(a) 1. consuming or eager to consume very large amounts of time 2. very eager in some plan, secret or success
(b) 1. consuming or eager to consume very large amounts of food 2. very eager in some desire, activity or pursuit
(c) 1. consuming or eager to consume very large amounts of energy 2. very greedy for money, properties, gold, and fame
(d) 1. no eagerness to consume any amounts of energy 2. no eagerness in any desire, activity or pursuit
Answer: B
10. MCAT Vocabulary: What is the meaning of "wane"?
(a) 1. to be static and afraid of change 2. to stay in one place and one job throughout one's whole life
(b) 1. to become more powerful 2. to gain strength 3. to approach the end 4. to gather support
(c) 1. to decline in power 2. to lose strength or intensity 3. to approach the end 4. to ebb or dwindle
(d) 1. to move from place to place, constantly changing one's job and domicile 2. to be restless
Answer: C
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English Grammar Exercise Tips
The following simple English grammar tips and tricks will help you to learn and memorize English grammar rules and speak correctly. If you are on this site for English grammar practice, these tips will really help you. Let's start.
Invest your time in learning
It surely takes some time to learn English. There is no shortcut way to learn it. Some websites may say that they will teach you English in seven days or one month. These are false offers. Invest some time in learning and practicing. Your English skills will surely improve.
Speak, speak, and speak!
Try to speak English the same way you write it. Do not worry about grammatical mistakes. The more you practice, the less mistakes you will make and the more fluent you will be. So, practice daily and do not be afraid of grammatical errors.
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Try to get a good bilingual dictionary for better understanding. Besides using a mobile app, you can buy and use a good bilingual dictionary. A good bilingual dictionary is always a good investment for personal improvement.
Learn English idioms and phrasal verbs
Idioms and phrasal verbs are very common in everyday English conversation. If you do not know them, you may fail to understand the correct meaning of what the other person is saying. So, do not ignore them. Try to learn the most common English idioms and phrasal verbs.
Listen to news bulletins
Almost every radio and television channel broadcasts news bulletins. If you have a smartphone, radio or television, you can listen to these English news bulletins. Besides learning the correct pronunciation, you can learn correct English. Listening to these bulletins will also improve your fluency. This is a common technique used by English learners.
Read out loud
How does your English sound? The pronunciation style of some people is very bad. But there is a simple and easy way to fix improve pronunciation. Take a newspaper or any other script written in English and read out loud. This way you can hear and test your own pronunciation. If you are not happy with your own pronunciation, keep practicing and your English pronunciation will surely improve.
Learn new words daily
The more words you learn, the better you can understand English and express yourself. You may be surprised to know that learning only the basic words can help you to speak English that is used in communication everyday.
Learn sentences
Besides learning common words, try learning common sentences used in everyday English communication. This will give you a huge boost in your learning efforts.
Write every day
When you write, do not be shy of your mistakes. Try to write at least a few paragraphs, ideally at least one page. It is a great practice to use your newly learned words and practice grammar. This will also improve your writing skills.
Watch English movies
These movies will help you to learn proper pronunciation and improve your understanding of English. When you see how native English speakers speak English, your mind will automatically start copying the style. You can try to speak like them at home to understand the quality of your pronunciation and fluency.
Language swap
There are several websites where you can find people who are native English speakers and want to help your learn English if you teach them your language. This is free and can be a great way to learn from native speakers. Many learners are using this method and you should give a try.
Go to a mentor
A mentor can help you to guide in the right direction. She can measure your progress and suggest whatever you need to improve. You can regularly discuss about your improvement and weakness with your mentor. Oftentimes, she can help you. Your mentor can be someone who is good at English. She can be your school / college / university teacher, your friend or any person good at English.
Try to correct your mistakes
It is common to make mistakes. Every time you make a mistake, write it in a separate piece of paper. Make a list of mistakes. Check your mistakes from time to time and try not to make these mistakes again when you practice. These mistakes are clear and good indications of your weakness in English.
Give yourself time to think
Whenever you make a mistake, you should think how you can avoid this mistake from next time. Take time and assess your progress and weakness.
Be an advance learner
Try to learn advance English grammatical rules and vocabulary. Never be happy with your progress. The more you learn and practice, the better English skills you achieve.
Start with "Tense"
There are mainly three types of tense - past, present and future. Usually, verbs indicate the correct form of each tense. Besides learning tense, you should memorize some verbs too. Do not worry. It is interesting and easy to learn the necessary verbs.
Learn common pronoun usage
Do you know the difference between the common subject pronouns and object pronouns such as I/me, we/us, he/him, she/her, they/them?
We use subject pronouns such as I, we, he she, they when the subject is doing an action. Usually, we use subject pronouns at the beginning of a sentence. Example: I cannot remember the story.
But we do not start a sentence with object pronouns such as me, us, him, her, them. Example: Call him.
Active voice and passive voice
Many English learning students get confused here. In active voice, the subject performs an action. In passive voice, the subject and the object of a sentence swap to form the correct sentence.
Incorrect: The cinema was gone to by me.
Correct: The cinema was enjoyed by me.
A preposition defines the relationship between an object and its surroundings. Without the proper use of prepositions, your English will sound weird. Luckily, there are only a handful of prepositions and these are easy to learn.
English Vocabulary Exercise Tips
Learning new words can be a matter of fun but you need to follow some effective methods to learn new words faster. Read them all in the list below.
Read, read, and read
You will find many new words that you need to learn in novels and literary works. You will be most benefited if you read classic literary books. You should also read magazines and newspapers because these are also good sources of new words that you need to learn. These sources often use high quality English that often contain both common and advance words.
Vocabulary wordbooks
In the bookshops, you will find vocabulary wordbooks that range from beginner to advance levels. You can buy one or more depending on your requirements. These books make it a lot easier to learn because these books come with a complete list of words that is suitable for your level.
Use a journal
During your learning time, you will surely find new words. Add them in your journal. This list will slowly grow. But this journal will help you to measure your progress and show where you need to improve. The journal can inspire you to learn more and faster if you find that you are going slow.
Learn some new words everyday
It is easier and more realistic to digest some new words everyday. If you are determined to learn some new words everyday, you will be surprised and happy to see your progress after a month. The progress will surely motivate you to keep using this learning method.
Use flashcards
Using flashcards is a common way to learn new words. You maybe know that you can buy flashcards from bookshops. Some learners find it easier to learn new words with flashcards. You should give a try too.
Set a target
Set a target that is achievable and realistic. Whatever happens, try to achieve your target at any cost.
Look up new words
Have you found a new word? Get in the habit of looking up words you do not know and immediately do this. If you leave it for later, you may completely forget about it and miss the chance to learn it. A quick way is to look the words in the dictionary installed or available in your smartphone. Another alternative is — look up the word on a search engine like Google.com and you will find the meaning of your desired word in several high quality websites.
Play some word games
If you search online, you can find several word learning games. Some of these games are developed in such a fun and entertaining way that you will not get bored even if you use them hours after hours. These games are not hard to find out. Vocabulary learners usually learn using crossword puzzles, anagrams, word jumble, Scrabble, and Boggle. You can try one of them or all of them.
Use your newly learned words
Take a piece of paper and make one or more sentences for every word you just learned. This way every word will be more memorable. It can take some time but it definitely has its benefits.
Engage in conversations
When you engage in conversation, use your newly learned vocabulary. It can be interesting because the other person will be surprised to see your improved vocabulary power / skills. Besides, you will be able to express / communicate in a better way.
Take vocabulary tests
There are several websites that give you free access to their website so that you can test your vocabulary. This website also helps you to test your SAT vocabulary, GRE vocabulary, IELTS vocabulary, TOEFL vocabulary, ACT vocabulary, TOEIC vocabulary, GMAT vocabulary, PTE vocabulary, ECPE vocabulary, MELAB vocabulary, MCAT vocabulary, and PCAT vocabulary.


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93 Ossington Ave
at Queen St W, Toronto
416 531 3800
Kitchen and Bar open from 4:30pm Monday, Wednesday to Saturday. 5:30pm Tuesday
We don't accept reservations from the email contact form.
I can`t thank you enough for your assistance and support in making my celebration fabulous!!!! Of course you know that I love the venue. The food was awesome, the wines we landed on - perfect. The timing and flow - also perfect. Most of all, the service was outstanding. And I have to tell you - I am hard a girl to please - not a lot of tolerance for incompetency, but Boehmer is far from that. Really, really great all the way around...................I feel like there are so many things in life that are so hard these days, but the two of you made Friday night easy for me, so thank you, thank you. Please pass on my sincere appreciation to the wait staff who were really good (everyone commented on the excellent service), and also please pass my comments to the chef and to the kitchen - great food, as always, enjoyed by everyone. Also - the cake was beautiful!!!! Really can`t gush enough, and cannot wait to find another excuse for a party or dinner soon.
M. Kadin, January 25, 2014
Happy New Year Boehmer and staff,
My partner Jeff and I attend many functions during the course of a year so I am writing to you with experience (and age). The entire evening was a joy. I know I felt like I could relax and enjoy the event because I wasn't trying to micromanage the process (yes I could be much worse). That meant that the staff and yourself made it seem seamless and easy. My biggest concern was the flip over and I barely noticed it changed over. Congratulations. The food was incredible, the signature drinks fun and tasty, the atmosphere warm and inviting and the staff friendly and cooperative.
Thank you for making it a night to remember and mostly for wanting me to stay up past midnight so I could enjoy and savor every moment.
Much success in 2015.
S. Greenberg, Dec 31, 2014
September 2014 Wedding at Boehmer
..... last night was absolutely magical. The food, the wine, the service, the ambiance- every last detail was perfect. Thank you so much for all your help, for being so delightful and easy to work with. You were really fabulous. Everyone loved the restaurant and I heard several people say they were going to come back. I seriously hope they do- I, for one, can;t wait to come back!!
Thank you for everything!!
K. Aeby, April 2, 2105
March, 2015 Wedding at Beohmer
Venue Toronto Interview with Chef Paul Boehmer
Misha is a Photographer that we love
Our friend Alex and his beautiful Bride Kristen's wedding at Boehmer
I want to thank you for everything! You have been a joy to work with from start to finish!!! Everything has been so easy and seamless. Fridaynight was the perfect way to start off our wedding weekend and you and your staff did an incredible job. The food was amazing the night was just so perfect. The wait, kitchen and bar staff were all great and so easy to deal with. I also want to thank Ian as he was great as well! I hope you can pass this on to your boss as you deserve a major kudos for planning such a great event. I recommend you, the restaurant and the staff without hesitation.
I will let you know when are in town next and will come buy to the restaurant for some dinner!
All the best!
October 2015 Rehearsal Dinner/Cocktail Party
Coverage of our Burgundy wine dinner with Marchand-Tawse. Fantastic lifestyle blog from our friend Val.
Fun review of our weekly Tuesday Buck-a-shuck, $22 lobster and 1/2 price btls of wine. Thanks Daniel!!
Great blog post from inside Toronto. November 24, 2015
Another beautiful wedding at Boehmer
It was a pleasure meeting you and having our event last night in the restaurant. I do have to say this is the BEST event space we have used thus far and your staff is impeccable! I have received SO many wonderful comments on the food, wine, venue, etc I can't begin to tell you how lucky we were to find this restaurant for our big celebration! ............. If I lived in Toronto I would 100% book my wedding (happening this time next year) in this space.....I feel in love with everything and hope you have many others that do as well!
Corporate Event. February, 2016
Jesse and Arlindo's summer wedding
Stunning wedding blog recommendations
Jacqueline Heilman
Dinner - Family
Sunday, January 22, 2017
We hosted our post-wedding dinner in the private back room. They were amazing to work with via email prior to the evening. The food and drinks were such quality and stunning in presentation. It's a relaxed yet nice atmosphere. Would recommend them to anyone looking for a wonderful private dinner.
Winter Wedding Recpetion
Scallops were cooked perfect! and it was not drowned in a heavy sauce, that in my humble opinion, most places do and end up f$%&ing up the already beautiful subtle sweetness. The chunk of lobster on top of the scallop gave it the perfect complimentary flavor and texture. The other standout was the foie gras appetizer...holy s$%t! I should have just ordered 8 of these and called it a meal! Two pieces of foie gras sitting on a crostini soak in real Canadian Maple Syrup. Sounds simple but tasted like smooth tantric sex in my mouth. I just wish it could have lasted longer. Keep doing what you are doing...change and evolve but don't ever change. ;)
Diner who joined us in spring 2017


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The Half-Brothers Mendelssohn
Strange Tree Group
Multiple Dates
Event Details
The Strange Tree Group presents the world premiere of the elaborate time travel comedy THE HALF-BROTHERS MENDELSSOHN by Elizabeth Bagby, directed by Thrisa Hodits, playing June 18 – July 20, 2013 at Signal Ensemble Theatre, 1802 W. Berenice Ave., Chicago, IL. The production features Strange Tree Ensemble members Cory Aiello, Kate Nawrocki, Stuart Ritter and Jenifer Starewich with Audrey Flagel, Andy Hager, Brandon Ruiter and Joe Stearns.
Change the past. Alter the future. Find true love. Bring back the dead. Theo Mendelssohn believes he
can achieve all of these by building a working time machine to blast twenty years into the past and stop his mother from abandoning the family in 1908. But, by doing so will he also prevent his father's second marriage and the birth of his doubly doomed half-brother, Nicholas? Not if Nicholas has anything to say about it! Join The Strange Tree Group as we tumble back through time to set right what once went wrong, fall in love with other people's mothers, cause calamitous train accidents and try desperately to get the piano tuned in Elizabeth Bagby's, THE HALF-BROTHERS MENDELSSOHN.
Lively, inventive, and completely original, for the past 9 years Chicago's Strange Tree Group has playfully toyed with the entire notion of storytelling, featuring a hand-made "twigs and twine" aesthetic replete with bright bursts of magical realism in highly detailed, audience-interactive environments.
Please see www.strangetree.org for more information or send an email to email@example.com.
Signal Ensemble Theatre
1802 W. Berenice Ave.
Multiple Dates
Add to my calendar


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By Jerry McDonald
Staff writer
Owner Mark Davis isn't the only person who has a problem with the way the Raiders have played over the past three weeks.
"Hey, I'm right there with him," Raiders coach Dennis Allen said Monday at his weekly press conference. "I'm frustrated. I'm disappointed. You wake up in the morning and your gut hurts.
"At the same time, when a man gets knocked down he gets up and fights. And that's exactly what we intend to do. I understand his frustration; I can appreciate that. Let me tell you there's nobody that's going to work any harder to get it corrected than I will."
Davis had an impromptu meeting with the press following Sunday's 38-17 loss to New Orleans, saying he was a patient man but unhappy with "regression."
When asked if general manager Reggie McKenzie and Allen received a pass this year because of salary cap issues and injuries, Davis said, "I wouldn't call it a pass. They've got contracts, they're going to be here."
Next up for the Raiders is a visit to Cincinnati on Sunday and with it the twin storylines of Carson Palmer's return to Paul Brown Stadium and former Raiders coach Hue Jackson being on the opposite sideline with the Bengals as an assistant coach.
Beating the Bengals, 5-5, after an unprecedented three-game stretch during which the Raiders have given up 135 points, would brighten the outlook considerably.
"When you lose, it hurts, rips your gut out," Allen said. "A win turns everything around. A win makes everybody feels a lot better. And that's what we need to do. We need to come together as a football team and all make a decision that we're going to do what it takes to win football games."
Allen's message to the team was to stick together and Palmer believes his talk hit the mark.
"His message was really good, spoken from a guy who's been on good teams, been on bad teams and been the middle also," Palmer said. "I think this team will respond very well to his message. We have to stick together. I don't think that's an issue. We know what areas we need to improve on. This is a group that is not going to shy away from that."
The Raiders issues have remained fairly constant since the season began. Offensively, they've had difficulty running the ball, although Marcel Reece had 103 yards on 19 carries against New Orleans. They've had difficulty converting third downs and in the red zone.
Defensively, the Raiders have had periods of being unable to stop both the run and pass, and against New Orleans both problems were in evidence at the same time.
"I think consistency has been our biggest Achilles' heel," Palmer said. "We've put together great plays or a great quarter or a great half on every side of the ball. But consistently doing it — the teams that win consistently in this league play consistently well four quarters of the game."
Defensive tackle Richard Seymour, who has missed the last two games with a hamstring strain, agreed.
"It isn't the most talented teams that win in this league, it's the teams that do everything right over and over and over again," Seymour said. "We've been inconsistent at times, offense, defense and special teams. Any time that happens, the record speaks for itself."
— Allen hopes to see players such as Seymour (hamstring), Darren McFadden (ankle), Mike Goodson (ankle) and Tyvon Branch (neck) back on the practice field, but made it a point to say injuries were no excuse and had no information as to whether any or all could return this week.
— One of the people Allen has sought for counsel is Dan Reeves, the head coach in Atlanta when he had his first NFL job.
— Asked if he has enough good players to turn things around, Allen said, "I firmly believe that. I think of you look at it the other way around that's an excuse, a crutch to say you can't get it done."


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City Hotel Solo Sessions is a standing monthly gig at Foxy. Members of City Hotel rotate monthly performing intimate solo sets at the cafe.
About the band: The City Hotel was born in Savannah in the summer of 2011. The band has emerged as one of the most engaging acts in Savannah, GA. Melding a love of popular and indie rock music with a traditional bluegrass lineup, the band provides an individual, exciting, and eclectic sound. With a combination of covers from treasured influences and unique originals, the City Hotel Band offers an unmatched experience to all audiences. City Hotel was voted Savannah's 'Best Acoustic Band' in 2013 and 'Best Bluegrass Band' and 'Best Folk Band' in 2015.
Jay Rudd: Banjo
Anthony Teixeira: Upright Bass
Cory Chambers: Mandolin
Aaron Zimmer: Guitar


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Main page - New
From PKP Wiki
NOTE: This page is under construction. Real main page is here: Main Page
Welcome! The PKP wiki is a resource for developers, translators, managers and other users to share ideas and work on common problems.
Visit the PKP forums -- look for answers, post a question, answer a question
Come hang out on the #pkp IRC channel on freenode -- New to IRC? Read the IRC Help page.
Come to the PKP Conference 19-21 August in Mexico City
Contribute code
Contribute documentation
Contribute translation work
Post on the PKP forums
PKP Frequently Asked Questions
PKP General Software Milestones -- a guide to upcoming PKP software releases
For PKP Partners -- committee pages


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OIG complaints are intended only for serious allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, or other criminal or serious administrative misconduct. To ensure that the OIG is the most appropriate place to file your complaint, please review the "How to Report Fraud" section below.
For general inquiries, questions, or comments regarding Port Authority facilities, operations, or customer service please see the links to the right.
The OIG receives and handles allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, mismanagement or misconduct affecting Port Authority programs and operations. You may report allegations through the contact information listed on this page. Allegations may be reported by Port Authority employees, contractors, or the general public.
The following are some examples of issues that should be reported to the OIG:
Issues That Should Be Reported
Issues That Should NOT Be Reported
Guidelines for Reporting Fraud
The more information you can provide us with, the better chance we have of determining whether any wrongdoing has been committed; without sufficient information, we may not be able to act on your allegation. If possible, please include:
Confidentiality and Anonymity
Individuals may always contact OIG anonymously.
We encourage complainants to identify themselves, however, in case additional questions arise as the OIG investigates their report.
If you do choose to identify yourself, the OIG will take every precaution to protect your identity. Except in very rare instances (for example, if a case goes to trial and a complainant testifies) your identity will never be known outside of the OIG.
Report Fraud to the OIG
You may report fraud, confidentially, in any of the following ways:
Please include a description of the suspected fraud and where that fraud occurred. All other fields are optional.
Helping employees
maintain a corruption-free environment
Please contact us for more information.
Lost something? Start looking here.
Have something to tell us? Start typing here


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Air Pollution Source Permitting | Ambient Air Monitoring | Asbestos Notification | Emission Inventory | Information/Community Outreach | Mobile Source Emissions | Mobile Source Modeling | Noise Pollution Complaints and Noise Variances | Source Testing Calibrations | Source Testing Consultations | Toxic Air Pollutants
The Air Quality Branch is in place to help ensure that the air is clean and safe for Duval County residents. Most issues we handle involve odors, dust, asbestos problems and illegal burning. Loud noise is also an issue that is handled by our staff.
Open burning is not allowed in Duval County. This applies to all properties, including residential homeowners. The burning of household, yard waste and construction material or waste is illegal. Only land clearing debris resulting from the initial clearing of vegetation on commercial properties may be burned. For land clearing debris, an open burning permit is required.
For questions regarding open burning permits, loud noise or other air quality related issues, please call 630-CITY (2489). General Information on specific air quality topics are found below.
Air Pollution Source Permitting: AQB performs most state air pollution source permitting functions in Duval County, and can assist businesses in Duval County in meeting federal, state and local air pollution permitting requirements. Permit application forms and instructions are available. Permit engineers are available for consultation at (904) 255-7100 and on the Internet.
Asbestos Notification: A ten-working day advance notification is required prior to renovation operations where asbestos may be disturbed. All facility (building) demolitions that remove load bearing structural members require the same notification whether or not asbestos is present. Click here for additional information and the asbestos notification form. Prior to any renovation or demolition operation, an asbestos survey must be performed pursuant to Chapter 469 of the Florida Statutes. FAQs on asbestos in the home.
Emission Inventory: The amount of each pollutant emitted by various air pollution sources in Duval County is maintained by the AQB. Most of this data is compiled from Annual Operating Reports which major industrial sources are required to submit to AQB annually. Other inventory data from small and mobile air pollution sources is compiled collectively. This data is available for use by the general public, news media and industrial sources.
Information/Community Outreach: AQB can often provide speakers or presenters to civic groups, industrial groups or trade associations. Training programs are frequently made for asbestos related contractors. Volunteers are often available for other types of community outreach, including judging school or regional science fairs and city clean-up or beautification projects. You can contact us at (904)255-7100 for a list of available speakers from the agency.
Mobile Source Emissions: AQB has statistical data indicating what pollutants are emitted from motor vehicles and in what quantities, and can answer questions relative to the Motor Vehicle Inspection Program, CFC refrigerants in automobiles and what federal or state rules apply. For information on mobile sources, you may contact us at (904) 255-7100.
Mobile Source Modeling: Information concerning air emissions from automobiles is provided to consultants involved in the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) process. Copies of the modeling program and information on how to run the model is also provided. For all DRI questions you may contact us at (904) 255-7100.
Noise Pollution: The Noise Pollution section investigates citizen complaints of noise. Click here for more information on noise pollution control standards. To lodge a noise complaint, call 630-CITY (2489) or email firstname.lastname@example.com. For general questions about noise activity, please call 255-7100.
Noise Variance: Please review Ordinance Chapter 360.111 to determine if your operation requires a variance from the noise pollution standards as established in Environmental Protection Board Rule 4. If required, the Application for a Variance from the Environmental Protection Board Rules (PDF 5 pgs / 54k) along with the required fee must be submitted.
Source Testing Calibrations: AQB maintains a certified wet test meter, which is available to consultants testing in Duval County, for calibrations of dry gas meters used in source sampling trains. For a contact see source testing above.
Source Testing Consultations: Air pollution source emissions measurement experts are available to regulated industries or testing contractors for consultation. Information is available in person or by telephone concerning measurement methodology, applicable testing regulations and specific operating permit testing conditions. When sources are conducting complex or unusual testing, pretest conferences are encouraged. If you have questions concerning testing or continuous emission monitoring, you can contact us at (904) 255-7100.
Toxic Air Pollutants: The AQB air toxics program conducts ambient air toxics monitoring using a Mobile Air Toxics Monitoring Laboratory and also operates five stationary ambient air toxics monitoring sites. Ambient concentrations are measured for 39 toxic air pollutants. In addition to air toxics monitoring, the AQB calculates emissions inventories of toxic air pollutants from point, area and mobile sources, maintains Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data for facilities operating in Jacksonville, conducts risk assessments and other special projects.
Files on this page are in PDF format. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to view/download these files.