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Battle of the Golden Wood, Chapter 8. New Understandings. Behind Leofwyn a keening wail went up, piercing the lulling songs of the healers with the sound of desolation. She rose and turned, the basin of cold water she had brought to soothe the burnt elf clutched to her chest. By a newly arrived litter one of the ladies of the healers knelt with her arms about the form of a grievously wounded elf who had arrived too late. Even from across the clearing Leofwyn could see his staring, lifeless eyes and the limp roll of his head against the maiden's shoulder. Her hands were tangled in his hair, her own head thrown back as she gave voice to that great cry of denial and loss. At the sound of it Leofwyn's arms shook, so that the water spilled over her bowl, down her skirts, spattering over her feet and her patient and over Oswy who worked by her side. "Mother?" he said, but she could not speak in return. Her hands, that had been so capable, that had washed and arrayed Oshelm for burial and calmly laid the first stone of his cairn, grew nerveless. The bowl fell from them and rolled away. Gytha took one look at her face and scampered after it, thinking she grieved over the dropped basin, "I will get it! Look I have it, here it is!" and the child's lack of understanding was a bitter barb to the pain of Oshelm's death now come on her irresistibly, summoned by the elvish lament. She found herself on her knees, the world gone black around her, only partly aware that her hands were over her face. Her back shuddered but no tears would come. Oswy was at her side, frightened by her weakness, not knowing whether to touch her or not. The sound of lamentation ceased. Leofwyn looked up wildly, wondering who had stopped the note her soul was singing, and met the gaze of the bereaved maiden with a shock of agony and kinship. "They rise in glory like hawks in the morning sky," the elf-woman said, her voice thin from keening, "And our hearts exult at them. And then," she bared her teeth like one in mortal pain, "And then they are gone and we are forever alone... Oh, my Barandir!" She closed her eyes and began to rock, the body in her arms like a restive child she sang to sleep. Aelinoth went to her side, and a tall young elf whose face was all angles leaned down to place a hesitant hand on her shoulder. Oshelm! it was as if something had been unlocked in Leofwyn. At last the tears came like a wash of blood from a poisoned wound, cleansing her even as it made her shake with weakness. Then a hand caught her under her elbow and an arm went about her back. She smelled the marigolds of burn-salve and the earthy greenness of comfrey. "Come, Lady, come away from here and grieve. Others will work. You have been brave long enough." There was a spill of golden hair across her cheek and the press of silk. She looked up and was astonished to see sorrow and sympathy in the eyes of Rian, whom she had all but accused of trying to steal her babe. "Come," Rian said again, gently, "This is no place for you now, let me bring you where you can rest and take wine and weep your fill." She could do no more than nod and rise shakily, leaning on the elf's narrow, strong shoulder. Yet even in her grief she wondered. However separate their fates might be, she could no longer think of these creatures as anything other than fellow women, like herself. Oswy watched the elf-maiden lead his mother away and felt more useless than ever. He had not known what to do or to say. Leofwyn had never wept in his presence before. He had not supposed she needed to, thinking her so strong. He debated following her to give comfort, but she had not asked for him, and so perhaps she wanted to be alone. It was ill, knowing there was nothing he could do to ease her. He liked it not. Nor did he like being left here among the women as though he was a child. Had Oshelm lived, he thought perhaps his father would have fought in this war of elves and orcs. Surely these slender warriors would have been glad of a Man's strength beside them. And Oswy would have been, as he had been before, his father's esquire and banner-bearer. He would have had a place, and known it, and been glad of it. He looked down the long pavilion. It was a strange hospital. A rill of water ran through it, glimmering in its green bed amongst the grass, threading its way past pallets where the injured tossed. Leaves blew in and were allowed to drift where ever they might, when it would be a simple matter to sweep them away. In sick-rooms he had visited with his mother there had always been darkness and that slight odour of old blood, but here was sunlight and the scent of the mallorn-blossom. And though they would not spare labour to clean away the leaves there was always at least one elf with time to spare in singing or playing on the harp. Oswy sighed and knelt down beside Cyn, who was propped on his side, half drowsing, half watching Gytha play with baby Scild. "Even the harpist is treated as though he does some vital task," he said bitterly, "Yet I am fit for nothing. If my father were alive, I would..." Wearily Cyn narrowed his blue eyes and shifted to look up into Oswy's frowning face. "Oshelm is here no longer, Oswy," he said, "What you will do is for you to say. You are Lord now." It was an apt reminder. Chastened by it, Oswy rose and found the bundle of green cloth wherein the elves had wrapped their swords - so trustingly restored to him. Taking Oshelm's sword on his knee he drew it and began to whet it thoughtfully. What should he do, now he was master of his own fate? What could he do, for Rohan and for his own people? Sunlight dappled the canopy over his head and cast a faint warmth on his bent back. The pass of the whetstone over the smooth blade was reassuring and absorbing, so that he did not at first perceive how all movement in the tent had stilled. It was the harpist's silence that made him raise his head to see that the Lord and Lady had entered the pavilion and stood together, the morning sun at the Lady's shoulder turning their bright hair to splendour. "The first attack has been repelled," said the Lord Celeborn, his face expressionless as he looked on the wounded, "We chased Dol Guldur's orcs from one end of our boundaries to the next and sent them howling into Rohan." "We cannot hope that this is victory," Lady Galadriel said, "But it is a reprieve." She smiled gently at both healers and those of the sick who had the strength to look upon her. "There will at least be no more death today, thanks to the valour of our defenders." Then she began to walk among the injured, speaking to each in turn. Lord Celeborn had turned to do the same, but Oswy forestalled him, standing in his way with the naked sword gleaming in his hand. "You sent them into Rohan?!" At Oswy's accusing tone, anger lit in the depths of the elf-Lord's dark eyes. "And if I did, is it for you to question me?" he said coldly, "I recall no alliance between Lorien and Rohan, only ill will and the spreading of worse rumours. Do not stand before me armed and demand I account for my deeds to you, child." Oswy took a step back, daunted. The drawn blade seemed but poor defence against the Lord's displeasure, and he felt both afraid and ashamed. In truth he had forgotten the weapon in his hand. He had reacted like a child, running heedlessly to protest the deeds of the adults. Just was the elf-Lord's rebuke, yet it grieved him strangely from one who had hitherto treated him as a leader of men. He had not known the respect meant anything until it was lost. "I...am sorry," he said, and straightened his back to look up with more honour. "It was not meant as either discourtesy or threat. I was...troubled for my country and spoke rashly." A darkness came over him, and he knew his father's trust in him had been ill founded. Better would Oshelm have done to entrust his people to Leofwyn, rather than me. Nevertheless, inadequate as he was, for Rohan's sake he had to speak. He could not hold Celeborn's gaze for long, but found himself studying the turf once more. "But is there no way," he asked diffidently, "For you to pursue this host into the plain? If Saruman has sent armies against us, and our warriors are pinned elsewhere, I cannot begin to tell the ruin these new orcs might do, unopposed." Fear lengthened the pause into torment, and then Celeborn laughed softly. "No," he said, "We cannot pursue them. But Oswy..." Oswy glanced up and was bewildered by the look of kindness on the Lord's face. The anger had passed, swift as a shooting star, leaving no trace. "I have taken thought for Rohan," said Celeborn gravely. "Already my messengers fly ahead of the orcs to Fangorn where dwells an old ally and friend of mine. I doubt me that a single orc will pass his vigilance, now that his blood is up for war. You need have no fear on that score." Then wonder came over Oswy and his heart was changed towards the elves. Moved by an impulse of valour he had almost despaired of finding in himself he knelt down and lifted up his father's sword with the blade across his upraised hands. "Then receive my sword, Lord," he said, "For you have been a better protector of my people than I, and this is all I have to give in return." Celeborn gazed on him in surprise, and for a moment Oswy was terrified that the elvish lord would deem him but a child, play acting. He did not think he could ever raise his head again in front of his people, or look himself in the face, if that happened, howsoever gently it was done. But then Celeborn leaned down and placed his hands over Oswy's, steel between them. "I take your fealty, Oswy Oshelming. Not in payment of debt, for there is no debt between us, but in common cause. Rise now, warrior of Lorien and await my command." So Oswy rose smiling, and sheathed his sword. And for the first time since Oshelm's death he felt he had a place again, and he was glad of it. It rained. Half the sky was black with clouds and half pricked with stars. The round moon turned the falling water to lines of silver, and sheened the wet leaves. In the cool freshness voices sounded closer and calmer, and the gold and green lanterns of Lorien floated like flowers of Aman, blurred and turned strange by the gleam and patter of the downpour. Galadriel stepped out onto the uncanopied deck of her high talan. Here in the dark sky the water under her bare feet shimmered, so it was as if she danced on Ithil. And for a moment her spirit tore within her as the Sea-Longing fought with her desire to remain until the very end of the earth. I do not remember such beauty in Valinor. Pain puts an edge even on glory. She ducked beneath the awning that circled half of the flet and squeezed the rain out of her long plaits before walking further in. It was warmer here, and the sound of the rain on the fabric roof was lulling. Long spills of water trailed from the eves like pennants of crystal and diamond. Somewhere far off, in a dry nest like this, a nightingale greeted the rain with her own fall of liquid notes and, near at hand, the pure tones of a wooden flute uplifted a song of Nenuil to the midnight hush. Celeborn rose to greet her. He said nothing, but poured hot spiced wine and pressed the cup into her hands. His fingers brushed the cold rain from her cheek gently, and he smiled before turning away and sitting once more with his back to the treetrunk. She sipped the wine, finding her own place, drawing on a cloak of fur and fastening it with a latch made of a single huge pearl. After the day's exertions and grief it was pleasant just to sit and breathe, to feel the movement of the tree in the breeze and hear the small crackle of charcoal in the brazier which lit her face with warmth. It was hard to remember she was angry with her husband, but she made the effort nevertheless. "'Turhael' you have been called - 'wise Lord'," she said, "But I do not see the wisdom of taking on a child as bondsman." "He is not a child to his own people." Crosslegged, Celeborn had laid across his lap an axe as tall as he was. Its grey ash shaft was bound with rings of chased silver, its great head of blued steel was inlaid with Elu Thingol's device of falling stars. It beckoned Galadriel into the paths of memory and she came to kneel beside it, touching the tracery of Daeron's runes that made it look almost dwarvish to her eyes. "Melian's work," she said, feeling the Maia's bright and watchful presence laced through the metal. A great anguish of longing for Valinor lanced through her suddenly, for Melian had returned there many thousands of years ago, and there she remained. Even as Galadriel's parents, and her brothers, and her daughter waited there for her. "Yes," Celeborn sharpened the edge until it shone like the falling rain, "And older than the Sun. For Melian made it when Morgoth returned, and her enchantments are strong on it against his servants." The flash of his smile was fierce. "It has been a faithful servant to me: In the war beneath the stars, before ever your people returned to Middle Earth; in the War of Wrath, when the Noldor remained on the Isle of Balar; in Ost-in-Edhil, when you and I were apart, and too many times between. And every time I hold it I know that Doriath yet endures, if only in me." Thus in this as in all things. To her it was a call to Valinor. To him an affirmation of his ties to Middle Earth. She looked away. "If the Rohirrim spend their children rashly what is that to us?" she asked angrily, "Tell me you will not take this boy into war." "You would have me dishonour him instead?" "I would have you..." she rose and paced to the door. Now that she had grown used to the warmer air within, the night seemed over cool on her face, "I would have you not have made this decision in the first place." She turned, feeling caged, wishing to just walk away as she had in Eregion, so at least she would not have to watchas he put himself in peril. "You know you will be forever looking over your shoulder to be sure the boy is safe, and you cannot afford to be distracted thus. No warrior can." There was silence. Celeborn bent his head and sang over the axe a long soft song in an ancient tongue, strange to her. All their years of togetherness were nothing before it, and in its power he seemed to her, as at times long ago, as alien and remote as the most savage of the Avari. When it was done he raised his head and looked at her askance through the pale waterfall of his hair. "And here was I," he said, grimly, "Thinking you must wish for my death." "I..." she tried for fury and found it beyond her grasp. The night was too cold and her heart too weary. Instead she lifted the axe away and came to sit by his side. "I should hope for it, I suppose," she agreed. "For it would shorten our parting." But she had seen Linnoth, clutching the dead body of her lover to her breast, and the human woman kneeling sobbing by her husband's cairn, and she could not harden herself to willingly endure the same. "But I find I cannot. It would be too mean a victory. I would have you come West because you wished it, not because you had no other choice." He raised both hands and smoothed back the rain-dampened hair from her brow, smiling a slow smile of delight. Then he cast his arms around her and held her close, and the night no longer seemed so chill. "Thank you," he said, "I will take care. I swear it." |
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O/H this Sat 1-3pm. Part of the final release of 5 BRAND NEW homes at Parkside At Royal Bay...an award winning, standard setting subdivision that is now complete! This development truly is in a class of its own. This well thought out home is ready to move into and has 4 beds, a large Den on the main and an open concept floor plan. Features include REAL engineered hardwood floors, Ductless heat pump, upgraded Kitchen Aid Appliances, Double garage, high end cabinetry, custom built-ins in all closets, an HRV system and Vaulted ceilings to name a few. Rent out the LEGAL 1 bedroom suite with its own meter and laundry to supplement the mortgage or retain for family use. Capture distant ocean and mountains views from the the top floor and enjoy the low maintenance, private full fenced and irrigated back yard off the main living area. Close proximity to all amenities, trails, beaches, and schools.

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Last night, my husband and I went to the movies and we saw the trailer for The Legend of Tarzan! I knew the movie was coming out but I hadn't seen any trailers for it yet. It looks so good and now I can't wait to see it. It looks different from the Tarzan that I am used to watching (the cartoon with my kids) so I'm looking forward to seeing it for our next date night movie!
It has been years since the man once known as Tarzan (Skarsgård) left the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, with his beloved wife, Jane (Robbie) at his side. Now, he has been invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian, Captain Leon Rom (Waltz). But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash.
From Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures comes the action adventure "The Legend of Tarzan," starring Alexander Skarsgård (HBO's "True Blood") as the legendary character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
The film also stars Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson ("Pulp Fiction," the "Captain America" films), Margot Robbie ("The Wolf of Wall Street"), Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou ("Blood Diamond," "Gladiator"), Oscar nominee John Hurt ("The Elephant Man," the "Harry Potter" films), with Oscar winner Jim Broadbent ("Iris"), and two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz ("Inglourious Basterds," "Django Unchained").
Watch the Trailer
- Visit the Official Site
- Like 'The Legend of Tarzan' on Facebook
- Follow on Twitter and Instagram


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July 2013
Onward. A few months ago, for no particular reason, I decided to read Thomas Pynchon's latest novel, a sort of hippie-noir mystery called Inherent Vice, which is now apparently being made into a movie. I'm not an expert on Pynchon, but it's the only one of his novels I can even remotely imagine being made into a film, and it's still a stretch. I really wish they wouldn't try, but I also wish Steven Spielberg weren't working on an "update" of The Grapes of Wrath. Anyway, I also read The Crying of Lot 49 many years ago, and had started reading his much longer Vineland when it came out in 1990 but lost the thread for some reason. So I went back to it and am glad I did. Here's an energetic review by Salman Rushdie.
Having apparently contracted Pynchon Fever, I'm currently a few hundred pages into the mammoth Gravity's Rainbow, which is quite a different kettle of fish, and definitely one of the strangest books I've ever read. It won the National Book Award in 1974, and was also chosen by the jury for the Pulitzer Prize in Fiction that year, but the Pulitzer Board blocked the award. According to the New York Times, "… Other members of the 14-member board, which makes recommendations on the 18 Pulitzer Prize categories … had described the Pynchon novel during their private debate as 'unreadable,' 'turgid,' 'overwritten,' and in parts 'obscene.' One member editor said he had tried hard but had only gotten a third of the way through the 760-page book." There must be something wrong with me, because I find it addictive.
Meanwhile, back at Vineland, the story is set in 1984 in Northern California, and deals with the fallout of the government repression of the 1960s and 70s antiwar movement and its surrounding counterculture. The "arch-baddie" in the book, as Rushdie notes in his review, is "Brock Vond, Federal prosecutor and psychopath," who has seamlessly transitioned from harassing political radicals for the Nixon administration to spearheading the Reagan-era Federales' anti-pot "CAMP" (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) raids in Vineland (a fictionalized Humboldt County). Hijinks ensue, as they say. It's a fun book; Godzilla (or a close relative) makes a brief appearance, and some of the characters are Thanatoids, technically dead but not quite gone yet.
I was just a little ways into Vineland when it dawned on me that Brock Vond is not just a great, twisted character. He is, or was, a real person, and I'm surprised that some reviewer didn't pick up on this when the book came out. Vond is pretty clearly based at least in part on Guy Goodwin, a US Attorney who in the late 60s and early 70s roamed the country convening grand juries and using byzantine conspiracy laws to twist the antiwar movement into knots of fear and mutual distrust.
Goodwin himself was said by his friends to be a liberal Democrat opposed to the war in Vietnam, but he sure had a funny way of showing it. He eventually jumped the rails by reacting to criticism of his methods from a fellow US attorney by dragging the guy (drum roll) in front of a special grand jury. That was a bit too Orwellian even for the widely-syndicated columnist Jack Anderson, up until then a Goodwin supporter, who wrote a column suggesting that Goodwin should chill out. And that was that.
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It's no secret that we loved the Korg monotron. The pocket-sized analogue synth was an instant hit on its release last summer, offering classic MS-20 inspired sounds at an absolute bargain price.
At the time, many of us suspected that the Japanese synth giants were testing the waters for bigger and better analogue products - after a three-decade hiatus, it always seemed unlikely that Korg would resume development of analogue technology for the sole purpose of selling a £50 pocket synth.
Nearly a year later, our suspicions were confirmed at the recent Frankfurt Musikmesse with the announcement of the monotribe, a brand new analogue groovebox loosely based on the monotron sound engine.
What is it?
As the name suggests, the monotribe falls somewhere in between the monotron and Korg's Electribe range of groove sequencers.
Korg describe it as an analogue Electribe or a ribbon station, but you could also think of it as a beefed up monotron with a drum section and a built-in sequencer.
The synth section of the monotribe retains all of the monotron's key features, but adds a few excellent new twists to make the sound more versatile.
The rhythm section consists of three fully analogue drum sounds - kick, snare and hi-hat - which can also be programmed using the 808-style push-button sequencer.
Pulling the UK's very first monotribe from its packaging, the first thing that's apparent is that this is truly a portable device, easily small and light enough to throw in a rucksack and carry around just in case you get the urge for an impromptu acid jam.
An optional DC power adapter can be used but the unit is designed to run from six AA batteries, while the built-in speaker means you can get instant results without any other hardware.
Thankfully, separate headphone and line out connectors are also included for higher quality monitoring and studio use. Just like the monotron, the monotribe's headphone output is disappointingly noisy. Thankfully the main line out is much cleaner, making it much more usable for serious studio work.
Monotron legacy
From the ribbon controller to the synth section, it's obvious that a large chunk of the monotribe is derived from the monotron. However, there's a lot more to the monotribe's synth engine than you'll fi nd in its little brother.
The low-pass filter, based on the legendary MS-10 design, is still present, but the monotribe VCO features triangle and square waves in addition to the monotron's sawtooth. A noise source is also included, while the monotron's fiddly continuous pitch range knob is replaced by a rotary detent switch.
As we found with the monotron, a continuous ribbon controller can make it difficult to play with perfect tuning. Switch the monotribe's ribbon from the standard 'narrow' mode to the chromatic 'key' setting and your finger position is automatically quantised to the nearest whole note, with the auto-tune feature ensuring that the VCO is perfectly in tune every time. Melodies can now be played with ease.
Alternatively, 'wide' mode spreads the full six octaves across the ribbon, allowing dramatic FX and pitch sweeps to be achieved with the flick of a finger.
Rather than a fully adjustable envelope generator, the dynamics of the monotribe's synth output are controlled using a three-way switch to select from pre-defined VCA envelopes.
The 'decay' setting ramps down from full volume, 'gate' remains at full volume as long as the note is held, while 'attack' slowly ramps up from nothing.
It's a seriously basic setup but it in this context works remarkably well.
Modulation station
As with the VCA, there isn't a dedicated envelope generator for the filter, but the monotribe's LFO offers a surprisingly capable range of modulation options.
Whereas the monotron offered a very basic sawtooth LFO, the monotribe offers sawtooth, triangle and square waves which can be routed to VCO pitch, VCF cutoff or both, with an intensity control to determine how much modulation should be applied.
The range of the rate control can be adjusted using the mode selector switch, with slow mode offering 0.05-18Hz, while fast mode stretches all the way from 1Hz to 5kHz for dramatic audio rate modulation effects.
In one-shot mode, only the first half-cycle of the LFO signal is used to modulate the VCF or VCO, creating a basic but effective filter envelope effect.
In fast and one-shot modes, the LFO re-triggers with each new note, meaning that it can effectively sync to the clock tempo with the sequencer running - great news for all the Dubstep heads looking to create perfectly timed wobble basslines.
In slow mode, the LFO is a free-running wave, with small amounts of modulation creating subtly shifting timbres. The only modulation feature we miss from the monotron is the visual LFO rate indicator, omitted this time round in favour of a standard knob.
In flux
The monotribe workfl ow is based around the step sequencer, with drums programmed using the step buttons while synth parts are played live in record mode and then automatically looped.
On the surface, the sequencer appears to be very basic, but a few clever features make it much more versatile than it might initially seem.
On the synth side, Flux mode is the main option, allowing the sequencer to play back a continuous, gliding synth note. With Flux mode off, one note plays for each step, with the pitch sampled and held throughout.
For drum programming, the sequencer offers half steps in between each of the main eight, edited by holding down each drum part button and offering a total of 16 steps per bar.
The Active Step button also allows individual beats to be skipped altogether, creating odd time signatures or allowing cool effects by re-arranging your groove on the fly.
Recorded synth notes can also be deactivated and reactivated during playback in much the same way as drum beats, albeit without the half steps. Holding down the Gate Time button allows the duration of each note to be adjusted from 1.4% to 100% of the step, with the synth signal (plus external audio input) gated after the filter.
A further neat touch is that synth notes triggered by the ribbon controller always have priority over the sequencer, so you can play back a sequenced loop then jam using the ribbon.
The sequenced note is effectively cut each time you play a note, but we found it surprisingly effective at creating the illusion of two completely separate synth parts.
Given the versatility of the sequencer, it's a shame that the drum synth section is so limited. The kick drum, snare and hi-hat sounds are all perfectly usable, but there are absolutely no adjustment options for any of the (admittedly excellent and analogue) three sounds. The sounds can't even be run through the filter for processing.
We're assured that the drums are 100% analogue and we strongly suspect that the circuit bending community will be able to unlock a few settings, but why not let us tweak the drums without having to reach for a soldering iron?
What's not to love?
With the street price starting somewhere around £169 the workflow and sheer fun factor of the monotribe make it worth a look.
Like the monotron we predict that many will be sold purely by virtue of being able to filter your own external sounds with that famous MS-10/MS-20 filter. It really does sound very sweet indeed.
Compared to the monotron, the monotribe just takes things to the next level. The synth section is a genuine all-rounder, capable of everything from monstrous bass to subtle string sounds via FX.
As simple as the envelope modes and LFO options might be, they create a huge range of sounds. Despite the shortcomings of the drum section, the sequencer and tempo sync feature make the Monotribe genuinely useful live or in the studio.
Put simply, if you liked the monotron then you're going to love the monotribe.
For audio samples of the Korg monotribe, head to the Future Music website.


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Apidura Expedition Saddle Pack
The Expedition Saddle Pack is lightweight, waterproof, and provides a spacious compartment under the saddle, eliminating the need for a rear rack. It's designed to hold clothes and equipment on long distance rides.
Built from a lightweight laminate developed specifically for Apidura, the Pack is highly resistant to abrasions and tears. The seams have been welded together, creating a waterproof seal that ensures contents always stay dry, even in sustained rain.
A three-point attachment system with Hypalon-reinforced Velcro straps allows the Pack to hug the seat post, increasing stability and cutting down on lateral movement. Additional Hypalon on the Pack's body keeps frames in good condition.
The roll-down compression and closure system means the Pack's volume can be tailored precisely to fit a range of packing needs.
The Expedition Saddle Pack is cut from a three-layer laminate fabric that was developed specifically for us. The material is lightweight, and is highly resistant to tears and abrasion. Notably, it's welded together at the seams, creating a watertight seal that ensures complete waterproofing.
The Pack's attachment points are reinforced with Hypalon, a rubberized nylon used to provide extra protection against friction and abrasion. For the straps, Woojin buckles have been chosen for their strength and reliability.
Finally, a lightweight moulded section of HDPE thermoplastic sits in the Pack's lower section to reinforce its structure.


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Atlantic Ocean Current Shifts Climate
SEATTLE – WEATHER – Researchers at the University of Washington say, "Following rapid warming in the late 20th century, this century has so far seen surprisingly little increase in the average temperature at the Earth's surface. At first this was a blip, then a trend, then a puzzle for the climate science community".
More than a dozen theories have now been proposed for the so-called global warming hiatus, ranging from air pollution to volcanoes to sunspots. New research from the University of Washington shows that the heat absent from the surface is plunging deep in the north and south Atlantic Ocean, and is part of a naturally occurring cycle. The study is published Aug. 22 in Science.
Subsurface warming in the ocean explains why global average air temperatures have flatlined since 1999, despite greenhouse gases trapping more solar heat at the Earth's surface.
"Every week there's a new explanation of the hiatus," said corresponding author Ka-Kit Tung, a UW professor of applied mathematics and adjunct faculty member in atmospheric sciences. "Many of the earlier papers had necessarily focused on symptoms at the surface of the Earth, where we see many different and related phenomena. We looked at observations in the ocean to try to find the underlying cause."
The results show that a slow-moving current in the Atlantic, which carries heat between the two poles, sped up earlier this century to draw heat down almost a mile (1,500 meters). Most of the previous studies focused on shorter-term variability or particles that could block incoming sunlight, but they could not explain the massive amount of heat missing for more than a decade.
Ocean Research Changes
"The finding is a surprise, since the current theories had pointed to the Pacific Ocean as the culprit for hiding heat," Tung said. "But the data are quite convincing and they show otherwise."
Tung and co-author Xianyao Chen of the Ocean University of China, who was a UW visiting professor last year, used recent observations of deep-sea temperatures from Argo floats that sample the water down to 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) depth. The data show an increase in heat sinking around 1999, when the rapid warming of the 20th century stopped.
"There are recurrent cycles that are salinity-driven that can store heat deep in the Atlantic and Southern oceans," Tung said. "After 30 years of rapid warming in the warm phase, now it's time for the cool phase."
Rapid warming in the last three decades of the 20th century, they found, was roughly half due to global warming and half to the natural Atlantic Ocean cycle that kept more heat near the surface. When observations show the ocean cycle flipped, around the year 2000, the current began to draw heat deeper into the ocean, working to counteract human-driven warming.
The cycle starts when saltier, denser water at the surface northern part of the Atlantic, near Iceland, causes the water to sink. This changes the speed of the huge current in the Atlantic Ocean that circulates heat throughout the planet.
"When it's heavy water on top of light water, it just plunges very fast and takes heat with it," Tung said. Recent observations at the surface in the North Atlantic show record-high saltiness, Tung said, while at the same time, deeper water in the North Atlantic shows increasing amounts of heat.
The authors dug up historical data to show that the cooling in the three decades between 1945 to 1975 – which caused people to worry about the start of an Ice Age – was during a cooling phase. (It was thought to be caused by air pollution.) Earlier records in Central England show the 40- to 70-year cycle goes back centuries, and other records show it has existed for millennia.
Changes in Atlantic Ocean circulation historically meant roughly 30 warmer years followed by 30 cooler years. Now that it is happening on top of global warming, however, the trend looks more like a staircase.
The temperature oscillations have a natural switch. During the warm period, faster currents cause more tropical water to travel to the North Atlantic, warming both the surface and the deep water. At the surface this warming melts ice. This eventually makes the surface water there less dense and after a few decades puts the brakes on the circulation, setting off a 30-year cooling phase.
This explanation implies that the current slowdown in global warming could last for another decade, or longer, and then rapid warming will return. But Tung emphasizes it's hard to predict what will happen next.
A pool of freshwater from melting ice, now sitting in the Arctic Ocean, could overflow into the North Atlantic to upset the cycle."We are not talking about a normal situation because there are so many other things happening due to climate change," Tung said.


text:
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text:
Topic: Out of Flyover Land
I have to say this is a refreshing change,
Link LGF
to Link The Political Teen
(Hat tip: Instapundit)
"You are stuck on stupid, I'm not going to answer that question"
- - General Honore to reporter."
Transcript and audio HERE
at Radioblogger.
Don't get stuck on stupid, reporters. We are moving forward. And don't confuse the people please. You are part of the public message. So help us get the message straight. And if you don't understand, maybe you'll confuse it to the people
Male reporter: General, a little bit more about why that's happening this time, though, and did not have that last time...
Honore: You are stuck on stupid. I'm not going to answer that question. We are going to deal with Rita
Lot of "Stuck on Stupid" going around these days.
Do check the links for the video AND the full text of the transcript.
Mind you this is not the ONLY time the Press has gotten chewed out by this man.
"That's B.S. It's B.S.," Honore raged.
"I can tell you that is B.S. We have got 300 helicopters and some of the finest EMS workers in the world down there.
"You need to get on the streets of New Orleans, you can't sit back here and say what you hear from someone else."
Read more here
'John Wayne dude' general blasts Katrina complaints as 'B.S.'
BATON ROUGE, United States (AFP) - Lieutenant General Russel Honore lived up to his 'John Wayne dude' nickname, blasting complaints that red tape or poor security were snarling relief efforts as "B.S."
and see the press conference
| Post Comment | View Comments (2) | Permalink | Share This Post
Updated: Sunday, 3 June 2007 7:21 AM CDT


text:
The Story of Sinuhe
The Prince, Count, Governor of the domains of the sovereign in the lands of the Asiatics, true and beloved Friend of the King, the Attendant Sinuhe, says:
I was an attendant who attended his lord, a servant of the royal harem, waiting on the Princess, the highly praised Royal Wife of King Sesostris in Khenemsut, the daughter of King Amenemhet in Kanefru, Nefru, the revered.
Year 30, third month of the inundation, day 7: the god ascended to his horizon. The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Sehetepibre, flew to heaven and united with the sun-disk, the divine body merging with its maker. Then the residence was hushed; hearts grieved; the great portals were shut; the courtiers were head-on-knee; the people moaned.
His majesty, however, had despatched an army to the land of the Tjemeh, with his eldest son as its commander, the good god Sesostris. He had been sent to smite the foreign lands and to punish those of Tjehenu. Now he was returning, bringing captives of the Tjehenu and cattle of all kinds beyond number.The officials of the palace sent to the western border to let the king's son know the event that had occurred at the court. The messengers met him on the road, reaching him at night. Not a moment did he delay. The falcon flew with his attendants, without letting his army know it.
But the royal sons who had been with him on this expedition had also been sent for. One of them was summoned while I was standing there. I heard his voice, as he spoke, while I was in the near distance. My heart fluttered, my arms spread out, a trembling befell all my limbs. I removed myself in leaps, to seek a hiding place. I put myself between two bushes, so as to leave the road to its traveler.
I set out southward. I did not plan to go to the residence. I believed there would be turmoil and did not expect to survive it. I crossed Maaty near Sycamore; I reached Isle-of-Snefru. I spent the day there at the edge of the cultivation. Departing at dawn I encountered a man who stood on the road. He saluted me while I was afraid of him. At dinner time I reached "Cattle-Quay." I crossed in a barge without a rudder, by the force of the westwind. I passed to the east of the quarry, at the height of "Mistress of the Red Mountain." Then I made my way northward. I reached the "Walls of the Ruler," which were made to repel the Asiatics and to crush the Sand-farers. I crouched in a bush for fear of being seen by the guard on duty upon the wall.
I set out at night. At dawn I reached Peten. I halted at "Isle-of-Kem-Wer." An attack of thirst overtook me; I was parched, my throat burned. I said, "This is the taste of death." I raised my heart and collected myself when I heard the lowing sound of cattle and saw Asiatics. One of their leaders, who had been in Egypt, recognized me. He gave me water and boiled milk for me. I went with him to his tribe. What they did for me was good.
Land gave me to land.I traveled to Byblos; I returned to Qedem. I spent a year and a half there. Then Ammunenshi, the ruler of Upper Retenu, took me to him, saying to me: "You will be happy with me; you will hear the language of Egypt." He said this because he knew my character and had heard of my skill, Egyptians who were with him having borne witness for me. He said to me: "Why have you come here? Has something happened at the residence?" I said to him: "King Sehetepibre departed to the horizon, and one did not know the circumstances." But I spoke in half-truths: "When I returned from the expedition to the land of the Tjemeh, it was reported to me and my heart grew faint. It carried me away on the path of flight, though I had not been talked about; no one had spat in my face; I had not heard a reproach; my name had not been heard in the mouth of the herald. I do not know what brought me to this country; it is as if planned by god. As if a Delta-man saw himself in Yebu, a marsh-man in Nubia."
Then he said to me: "How then is that land without that excellent god, fear of whom was throughout the lands like Sakhmet in a year of plague?" I said to him in reply: "Of course his son has entered into the palace, having taken his father's heritage.
He is a god without peer,
No other comes before him;
He is lord of knowledge, wise planner, skilled leader,
One goes and comes by his will.
He was the smiter of foreign lands,
While his father stayed in the palace,
He reported to him on commands carried out.
He is a champion who acts with his arm,
A fighter who has no equal,
When seen engaged in archery,
When joining the melee.
Horn-curber who makes hands turn weak,
His foes can not close ranks;
Keen-sighted he smashes foreheads,
None can withstand his presence.
Wide-striding he smites the fleeing,
No retreat for him who turns him his back;
Steadfast in time of attack,
He makes turn back and turns not his back.
Stouthearted when he sees the mass,
He lets not slackness fill his heart;
Eager at the sight of combat,
Joyful when he works his bow.
Clasping his shield he treads under foot,
No second blow needed to kill;
None can escape his arrow,
None turn aside his bow.
The Bowmen flee before him,
As before the might of the goddess;
As he fights he plans the goal,
Unconcerned about all else.
Lord of grace, rich in kindness,
He has conquered through affection;
His city loves him more than itself,
Acclaims him more than its own god.
Men outdo women in hailing him,
Now that he is king;
Victor while yet in the egg,
Set to be ruler since his birth.
Augmenter of those born with him,
He is unique, god-given;
Happy the land that he rules!
Enlarger of frontiers,
He will conquer southern lands,
While ignoring northern lands,
Though made to smite Asiatics and tread on Sand-farers!
"Send to him! Let him know your name as one who inquires while being far from his majesty. He will not fail to do good to a land that will be loyal to him."
He said to me: "Well then, Egypt is happy knowing that he is strong. But you are here. You shall stay with me. What I shall do for you is good."
He set me at the head of his children. He married me to his eldest daughter. He let me choose for myself of his land, of the best that was his, on his border with another land. It was a good land called Yaa. Figs were in it and grapes. It had more wine than water. Abundant was its honey, plentiful its oil. All kinds of fruit were on its trees. Barley was there and emmer, and no end of cattle of all kinds.Much also came to me because of the love of me; for he had made me chief of a tribe in the best part of his land. Loaves were made for me daily, and wine as daily fare, cooked meat, roast fowl, as well as desert game. For they snared for me and laid it before me, in addition to the catch of my hounds. Many sweets were made for me, and milk dishes of all kinds.
I passed many years, my children becoming strong men, each a master of his tribe. The envoy who came north or went south to the residence stayed with me. I let everyone stay with me. I gave water to the thirsty; I showed the way to him who had strayed; I rescued him who had been robbed. When Asiatics conspired to attack the Rulers of Hill-Countries, I opposed their movements. For this ruler of Retenu made me carry out numerous missions as commander of his troops. Every hill tribe against which I marched I vanquished, so that it was driven from the pasture of its wells. I plundered its cattle, carried off its families, seized their food, and killed people by my strong arm, by my bow, by my movements and my skillful plans. I won his heart and he loved me, for he recognized my valor. He set me at the head of his children, for he saw the strength of my arms.
There came a hero of Retenu,
To challenge me in my tent.
A champion was he without peer,
He had subdued it all.
He said he would fight with me,
He planned to plunder me,
He meant to seize my cattle
At the behest of his tribe.
The ruler conferred with me and I said: "I do not know him; I am not his ally, that I could walk about in his camp. Have I ever opened his back rooms or climbed over his fence? It is envy, because he sees me doing your commissions. I am indeed like a stray bull in a strange herd, whom the bull of the herd charges, whom the longhorn attacks. Is an inferior beloved when he becomes a superior? No Asiatic makes friends with a Delta-man. And what would make papyrus cleave to the mountain? If a bull loves combat, should a champion bull retreat for fear of being equaled? If he wishes to fight, let him declare his wish. Is there a god who does not know what he has ordained, and a man who knows how it will be?"
At night I strung my bow,sorted my arrows, practiced with my dagger, polished my weapons. When it dawned Retenu came. It had assembled its tribes; it had gathered its neighboring peoples; it was intent on this combat.
He came toward me while I waited, having placed myself near him. Every heart burned for me; the women jabbered. All hearts ached for me thinking: "Is there another champion who could fight him?" He raised his battle-axe and shields while his armful of missiles fell toward me. When I had made his weapons attack me, I let his arrows pass me by without effect, one following the other. Then, when he charged me, I shot him, my arrow sticking in his neck. He screamed; he fell on his nose; I slew him with his axe. I raised my war cry over his back, while every Asiatic shouted. I gave praise to Mont, while his people mourned him. The ruler Ammunenshi took me in his arms.
Then I carried off his goods; I plundered his cattle. What he had meant to do to me I did to him. I took what was in his tent; I stripped his camp. Thus I became great, wealthy in goods, rich in herds. It was the god who acted, so as to show mercy to one with whom he had been angry, whom he had made stray abroad. For today his heart is appeased.
A fugitive fled his surroundings---
I am famed at home.
A laggard lagged from hunger---
I give bread to my neighbor.
A man left his land in nakedness---
I have bright clothes, fine linen.
A man ran for lack of one to send---
I am rich in servants.
My house is fine, my dwelling spacious---
My thoughts are at the palace!
Whichever god decreed this flight, have mercy, bring me home! Surely you will let me see the place in which my heart dwells! What is more important than that my corpse be buried in the land in which I was born! Come to my aid! What if the happy event should occur! May god pity me! May he act so as to make happy the end of one whom he punished! May his heart ache for one whom he forced to live abroad! If he is truly appeased today, may he hearken to the prayer of one far away! May he return one whom he made roam the earth to the place from which he carried him off!
May Egypt's king have mercy on me, that I may live by his mercy! May I greet the mistress of the land who is in the palace! May I hear the commands of her children! Would that my body were young again! For old age has come; feebleness has overtaken me. My eyes are heavy, my arms weak; my legs fail to follow. The heart is weary; death is near. May I be conducted to the city of eternity! May I serve the Mistress of AII! May she speak well of me to her children; may she spend eternity above me!
Now when the majesty of King Kheperkare was told of the condition in which I was, his majesty sent word to me with royal gifts, in order to gladden the heart of this servant like that of a foreign ruler. And the royal children who were in his palace sent me their messages. Copy of the decree brought to this servant concerning his return to Egypt:
Horus: Living in Births; the Two Ladies: Living in Births; the King of Upper and Lower Egypt: Kheperkare; the Son of Re: Sesostris who lives forever. Royal decree to the Attendant Sinuhe:
This decree of the King if brought to you to let you know: That you circled the foreign countries, going from Qedem to Retenu, land giving you to land, was the counsel of your own heart. What had you done that one should act against you? You had not cursed, so that your speech would be reproved. You had not spoken against the counsel of the nobles, that your words should have been rejected. This matter---it carried away your heart. It was not in my heart against you. This your heaven in the palace lives and prospers to this day. Her head is adorned with the kingship of the land; her children are in the palace. You will store riches which they give you; you will live on their bounty. Come back to Egypt! See the residence in which you lived! Kiss the ground at the great portals, mingle with the courtiers! For today you have begun to age. You have lost a man's strength. Think of the day of burial, the passing into reveredness.
A night is made for you with ointments and wrappings from the hand of Tait. A funeral procession is made for you on the day of burial; the mummy case is of gold, its head of lapis lazuli. The sky is above you as you lie in the hearse, oxen drawing you, musicians going before you. The dance of the mww-dancers is done at the door of your tomb; the offering-list is read to you; sacrifice is made before your offering-stone. Your tomb-pillars, made of white stone, are among those of the royal children. You shall not die abroad! Not shall Asiatics inter you. You shall not be wrapped in the skin of a ram to serve as your coffin. Too long a roaming of the earth! Think of your corpse, come back!
This decree reached me while I was standing in the midst of my tribe. When it had been read to me, I threw myself on my belly. Having touched the soil, I spread it on my chest. I strode around my camp shouting: "What compares with this which is done to a servant whom his heart led astray to alien lands? Truly good is the kindness that saves me from death! Your ka will grant me to reach my end, my body being at home!"
Copy of the reply to this decree:
The servant of the Palace, Sinuhe, says: In very good peace! Regarding the matter of this flight which this servant did in his ignorance. It is your ka, O good god, lord of the Two Lands, which Re loves and which Mont lord of Thebes favors; and Amun lord of Thrones-of-the-Two-Lands, and Sobk-Re lord of Sumenu, and Horus, Hathor, Atum with his Ennead, and Sopdu-Neferbau-Semseru the Eastern Horus, and the Lady of Yemet---may she enfold your head---and the conclave upon the flood, and Min-Horus of the hill-countries, and Wereret lady of Punt, Nut, Haroeris-Re, and all the gods of Egypt and the isles of the sea---may they give life and joy to your nostrils, may they endue you with their bounty, may they give you eternity without limit, infinity without bounds! May the fear of you resound in lowlands and highlands, for you have subdued all that the sun encircles! This is the prayer of this servant for his lord who saves from the West.
The lord of knowledge who knows people knew in the majesty of the palace that this servant was afraid to say it. It is like a thing too great to repeat. The great god, the peer of Re, knows the heart of one who has served him willingly. This servant is in the hand of one who thinks about him. He is placed under his care. Your Majesty is the conquering Horus; your arms vanquish all lands. May then your Majesty command to have brought to you the prince of Meki from Qedem, the mountain chiefs from Keshu, and the prince of Menus from the lands of the Fenkhu. They are rulers of renown who have grown up in the love of you. I do not mention Retenu---it belongs to you like your hounds.
Lo, this flight which the servant made---I did not plan it. It was not in my heart; I did not devise it. I do not know what removed me from my place. It was like a dream. As if a Delta-man saw himself in Yebu, a marsh-man in Nubia. I was not afraid; no one ran after me. I had not heard a reproach; my name was not heard in the mouth of the herald. Yet my flesh crept, my feet hurried, my heart drove me; the god who had willed this flight dragged me away. Nor am I a haughty man. He who knows his land respects men. Re has set the fear of you throughout the land, the dread of you in every foreign country. Whether I am at the residence, whether I am in this place, it is you who covers this horizon. The sun rises at your pleasure. The water in the river is drunk when you wish. The air of heaven is breathed at your bidding. This servant will hand over to the brood which this servant begot in this place. This servant has been sent for! Your Majesty will do as he wishes! One lives by the breath which you give. As Re, Horus, and Hathor love your august nose, may Mont lord of Thebes wish it to live forever!
I was allowed to spend one more day in Yaa, handing over my possessions to my children, my eldest son taking charge of my tribe; all my possessions became his---my serfs, my herds, my fruit, my fruit trees. This servant departed southward. I halted at Horusways. The commander in charge of the garrison sent a message to the residence to let it be known. Then his majesty sent a trusted overseer of the royal domains with whom were loaded ships, bearing royal gifts for the Asiatics who had come with me to escort me to Horusways. I called each one by his name, while every butler was at his task. When I had started and set sail, there was kneading and straining beside me, until I reached the city of ltj-tawy.
When it dawned, very early, they came to summon me. Ten men came and ten men went to usher me into the palace. My forehead touched the ground between the sphinxes, and the royal children stood in the gateway to meet me. The courtiers who usher through the forecourt set me on the way to the audience-hall. I found his majesty on the great throne in a kiosk of gold. Stretched out on my belly, I did not know myself before him, while this god greeted me pleasantly. I was like a man seized by darkness. My ba was gone, my limbs trembled; my heart was not in my body, I did not know life from death.
His majesty said to one of the courtiers: "Lift him up, let him speak to me." Then his majesty said: "Now you have come, after having roamed foreign lands. Flight has taken its toll of you. You have aged, have reached old age. It is no small matter that your corpse will be interred without being escorted by Bowmen. But don't act thus, don't act thus, speechless though your name was called!" Fearful of punishments I answered with the answer of a frightened man: "What has my lord said to me, that I might answer it? It is not disrespect to the god! It is the terror which is in my body, like that which caused the fateful flight! Here I am before you. Life is yours. May your Majesty do as he wishes!"
Then the royal daughters were brought in, and his majesty said to the queen: "Here is Sinuhe, come as an Asiatic, a product of nomads!" She uttered a very great cry, and the royal daughters shrieked all together. They said to his majesty: "Is it really he, O king, our lord?" Said his majesty: "It is really he!" Now having brought with them their necklaces, rattles, and sistra, they held them out to his majesty:
Your hands upon the radiance, eternal king,
Jewels of heaven's mistress!
The Gold gives life to your nostrils,
The Lady of Stars enfolds you!
Southcrown fared north, northcrown south,
Joined, united by your majesty's word.
While the Cobra decks your brow,
You deliver the poor from harm.
Peace to you from Re, Lord of Lands!
Hail to you and the Mistress of All!
Slacken your bow, lay down your arrow,
Give breath to him who gasps for breathe!
Give us our good gift on this good day,
Grant us the son of northwind,
Bowman born in Egypt!
He made the flight in fear of you,
He left the land in dread of you!
A face that sees you shall not pale,
Eyes that see you shall not fear!
His majesty said: "He shall not fear, he shall not dread!" He shall be a Companion among the nobles. He shall be among the courtiers. Proceed to the robing-room to wait on him!"
I left the audience-hall, the royal daughters giving me their hands. We went through the great portals, and I was put in the house of a prince. In it were luxuries: a bathroom and mirrors. In it were riches from the treasury; clothes of royal linen, myrrh, and the choice perfume of the king and of his favorite courtiers were in every room. Every servant was at his task. Years were removed from my body. I was shaved; my hair was combed. Thus was my squalor returned to the foreign land, my dress to the Sand-farers. I was clothed in fine linen; I was anointed with fine oil. I slept on a bed. I had returned the sand to those who dwell in it, the tree-oil to those who grease themselves with it.
I was given a house and garden that had belonged to a courtier. Many craftsmen rebuilt it, and all its woodwork was made anew. Meals were brought to me from the palace three times, four times a day, apart from what the royal children gave without a moment's pause. A stone pyramid was built for me in the midst of the pyramids. The masons who build tombs constructed it. A master draughtsman designed in it. A master sculptor carved in it. The overseers of construction in the necropolis busied themselves with it. All the equipment that is placed in a tomb-shaft was supplied. Mortuary priests were given me. A funerary domain was made for me. It had fields and a garden in the right place, as is done for a Companion of the first rank. My statue was oveflaid with gold, its skirt with electrum. It was his majesty who ordered it made. There is no commoner for whom the like has been done. I was in the favor of the king, until the day of landing came.
Source: M. Lichtheim, Ancient Egyptian Literature, Volume I (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1973), pp. 223-33.


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text:
To commemorate the 50th World Environment Day, UNICEF and Elixir Foundation, in partnership with the Department of Climate Change and Press Information Bureau organized Gujarat's first-ever Climate Action Summit on 4 June 2023 in Ahmedabad. The Summit served as a unique platform to foster collaboration and innovation around climate action.
In his keynote address, Mr Amit Thaker, Hon'ble MLA said, "Amidst the challenges posed by climate change, we must not overlook the wisdom and resilience embedded within our older traditions and culture. Our ancestors lived in harmony with nature, understanding the delicate balance between human existence and the environment. By reviving and embracing these time-honored practices, we have the opportunity to rediscover sustainable solutions that can help mitigate the climate change issue. Let us draw inspiration from our rich heritage, merging traditional wisdom with modern innovation, and pave a path towards a greener and more sustainable future."
During the Summit, the Gujarat Climate Champions Forum (GCCF) was launched as a critical initiative aimed at addressing the challenges of climate change and promoting sustainability in the State. The GCCF has been set up and convened by UNICEF as one of the recommendations of the Climate Champions Meet organized on 10 April 2023 in collaboration with the Climate Change Department, Government of Gujarat and Elixir Foundation. A letter of support was received from Shri Mukesh Patel, Hon'ble Minister of State for Forest and Environment, Climate Change, Water Resources and Water Supply, Government of Gujarat who appreciated the effort put into organising the Climate Action Summit and the launch of the Gujarat Climate Action Summit.
Speaking during the inaugural session, Ms. Moira Dawa, Communication, Advocacy and Partnership Specialist at UNICEF said, "The GCCF aims to raise awareness, build capacity, foster collaboration, advocate for policies, promote innovation, empower youth and mobilize action to address climate change challenges, promote sustainability, and build resilience in Gujarat. We believe that by mobilizing leaders from different sectors and amplifying their efforts we can create a groundswell of momentum towards a sustainable and resilient future for the children who are at highest risk of Climate Change."
With a focus on Mission LiFE, the summit provided a platform for participants to present concrete and realistic plans that align with the goals of Mission LiFE. The solutions and recommendations from the Summit highlighted the transformative impact of climate action on people's lives and emphasised the need for systemic change. It also fostered a sense of responsibility and ownership among the young minds, our next generation of leaders, by empowering them to become advocates for climate action.
Through a series of workshops, training programs, and collaborative projects, the GCCF will equip young champions with the necessary skills, knowledge, and resources to make a significant impact in the coming days.
Mr. Mayur Parmar, Deputy Collector, Panchmahal while sharing his ideas at the Climate Action Summit said that "Nature has bestowed upon us its unparalleled beauty, and we have been privileged to witness its wonders firsthand. But with this privilege comes an even greater responsibility – to safeguard the treasures that lie within our forests and flow within the waves of our oceans. It is our duty to ensure that future generations are not left bereft of the awe-inspiring miracles of nature. Let us rise together, hand in hand, and take bold and decisive action to protect and preserve our planet for the sake of those who will inherit it from us."
Mr. Unmesh Dixit, Executive Director of Ahmedabad Management Association stressed that "Saving the environment is not solely the responsibility of governments or large organizations. It begins with each and every one of us, taking small steps and individual actions that collectively create a powerful impact. Our choices matter, whether it's reducing waste, conserving energy, or embracing sustainable practices in our daily lives. By recognizing the significance of our individual actions, we can ignite a ripple effect of positive change and inspire others to join us on this crucial journey to protect and preserve our planet for future generations."
The Climate action summit also featured a dynamic panel discussions on "Mission LiFE and role of Young People" which shed light on the pivotal role of young people in driving Mission LiFE forward. The discussions explored innovative ideas, empowering young individuals to take ownership and actively contribute to climate action. Together, the panel members recognized that when young voices are amplified, and their actions are supported, they have the power to shape the destiny of our planet. The panel members were Mr. Nagesh Patidar (WASH Specialist, UNICEF), Mr. Lokendra Balasaria (Founder, Treewalk) and Ms. Anjali Mehta (Founder, Project Amdavad)
The panel was followed by research and poster presentation by the students of Adani Vidhya Mandir, Solutions Cafe and special talk on "Individual Environment Responsibility" by Wing Commander Dharmendra Sharma.
The Climate Action Summit was attended by over 150 change makers including the GCCF partners – American Corner, British Deputy High Commission, EarthDay Network, Student for Development, ARC Foundation, Treewalk Community, MultiTasking Mommies, World Around You, Greenstraw Foundation, Project Amdavad, Curtail and Sustain, among others.
# # #
For Media Queries:
Moira Dawa, Communication, Advocacy & Partnership Specialist, UNICEF
9771 411 859 | [email protected]
Krunal Shah, Program Manager, Elixir Foundation
9409 113 007 | [email protected]


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2019 certificate received!
Emdoneni Lodge is SATSA bonded.
SATSA – Official
More about SATSA:
The Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) is a member-driven association that offers inbound tourism services companies the highest level of quality in the tourism industry.
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Source credit: www.satsa.com


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EU rejects French scientist report linking GM corn to cancer
The European Food Safety Authority said Thursday it cannot accept an "inadequate" report by a French scientist on a link between cancer and genetically modified corn.
The EFSA said an initial review showed that the "design, reporting and analysis of the study ... are inadequate," meaning it could not "regard the authors' conclusions as scientifically sound."
Given these shortcomings, the EFSA called on the author of the study, French scientist Gilles-Eric Seralini, to provide additional information before a second, final review is completed by the end of this month.
Seralini's team at France's University of Caen found that rats develop tumours when fed US agribusiness giant Monsanto's NK603 corn, or when exposed to one of the company's weedkillers used with it, containing glyphosate.
The scientist insisted Thursday he would not give the EFSA any additional information until it first detailed the basis of its own assessment.
"It is absolutely scandalous that (EFSA) keeps secret the information on which they based their evaluation" of NK603 and the pesticide, he said.
"In any event, we will not give them anything. We will put the information in the public domain when they do," Seralini told AFP.
NK603 was developed by Monsanto to make it resistant to the Monsanto herbicide Roundup, enabling farmers to use the weedkiller just once in the crop's life-cycle, enabling substantial savings.
Seralini and his team say their experiment in GM food is the first to follow rats through their lifespan, as opposed to just 90 days, but other experts have also questioned its methodology, results and relevance to humans.
EFSA, which reviews the use and authorisation of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms), said that "based on the information published by the authors ... it does not see a need to re-examine its previous safety evaluation of maize NK603 nor to consider these findings in the ongoing assessment of glyphosate."
In May, the EFSA said a temporary French ban on another Monsanto corn, MON810, was not properly based on scientific evidence.
"Based on the documentation submitted by France, there is no specific scientific evidence, in terms of risk to human and animal health or the environment," EFSA said of the French position.
France, like many EU countries, has a long record of opposition to GM foods but the pressures on farmers in terms of cost are immense, driving their increasing use, especially in emerging economies such as China and Brazil.
EFSA listed a series of concerns it had with Seralini's findings, among them that the type of rat used "in the two-year study is prone to developing tumours during their life expectancy of approximately two years.
"This means the observed frequency of tumours is influenced by the natural incidence of tumours typical of this strain, regardless of any treatment. This is neither taken into account nor discussed by the authors."
Environmental groups attacked the EFSA action, saying it was not doing enough on its own to test GM foods while condemning the work of others.
The "EFSA fails to convince us that they are putting public safety before the interests of agribusiness biotech industry," said Mute Schimpf of Friends of the Earth.
"Instead of dismissing peer-reviewed independent research they should be asking themselves why they don't demand long term safety tests for genetically modified foods," Schimpf said.
(c) 2012 AFP


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Resource Library Search
Type any text into the search box. Narrow your search using the dropdown boxes or the filters in the sidebar. If there are no results, try using fewer filters or broder dropdown options.
Biomass Distribution Among Tropical Tree Species Grown Under Differing Regional ClimatesbackgroundThis study presents results from species selection trials in Panama as part of the PRORENA project, which examined the most effective species and methods for Panamanian government-supported reforestation projects. Open access copy available |


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The Chronicle provides the public with the service of factual and up-to-date information that other news sources fear. Under the umbrella of Lebal Drocer, we are provided with an endless supply of capital. However, we are facing a desperate shortage of GTFO.
I'm writing this today to beg of you, please, do your part. Without more GTFO, Chronicle.SU will simply be unable to feed the internet hate-machine.
Without GTFO, we might be stuck with hours' – or even days' – worth of your unwanted presence, wasting bandwidth and hogging up all the truth so others can't have any. Share the truth. GTFO.
Without GTFO, we can not be bothered to produce the counterculture propaganda you couldn't possibly think up for yourselves. You need us, and we need you, to GTFO.
The dual nature of GTFO is the driving force of the Chronicle.SU. Without GTFO, there can be nothing out of which to GTF.
That is because there is a whole world outside. In order to fully understand and appreciate the Chronicle, you must GTFO: experience the outside world, watch FOX News, or at least shop at Kroger. Then come back to the Chronicle, and bring with you, please, your generous contribution of GTFO.
We welcome small donations as well!
This message has been brought to you by recursion, and Lebal Drocer, Inc.


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Is Quinoa Paleo?
So we know that grains aren't Paleo, but what about the pseudo grains such as quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") chia seeds and buckwheat? Are they considered acceptable for a paleo diet? The answer is no, and here's the reason why…
Pseudo grains are actually seeds, not grains, but are loaded with anti nutrients and carb heavy. If it looks and acts like a grain – it's a grain! Quinoa seems to be a really fashionable "health food" at the moment – but do you really need it?
Just like other grains, quinoa contains anti nutrients like phytic acid, lectins and saponins – substances not tolerated well – and not good for gut health and permeability. Phytic acid binds to minerals preventing you from absorbing them – it can even leach minerals from your body for this purpose. Lectins and saponins are culperates in gut permeability which can lead to leaky gut.
Whilst properly preparing grains by soaking and sprouting can help to minimise the amounts of anti nutrients in the grains, it won't get rid of them entirely.
Quinoa is popular because it's high in protein, yet many paleo foods such as grass-fed meat and leafy green vegetables are actually far better sources of protein.
Before you can eat grains like quinoa, a lot of processes need to happen – which is why it is a "modern" food. Pseudo grains need to be ground, separated, roasted and rinsed. Would you do all that work yourself just to add in a small about of quinoa to you lunch?
Whilst some people may tolerate properly prepared grains,if you are in any doubt, it's surely best to avoid them altogether. There are so many paleo friendly alternatives, such as cauliflower rice, zuchinni noodles or spaghetti squash.
Do you avoid all grains, or do you eat some in moderation? How do you prepare them? I'd love to hear what you think about pseudo grains like quinoa, in the comments below.


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Even James Franco isn't quite sure what's up with Shia LaBeouf.
In a new op-ed piece for the New York Times, Franco draws on his own experience as an actor and fan of performance art to analyze LaBeouf's "recent erratic behavior." And though he endorses performance art as an outlet for frustrated celebs, he's not certain that what's going on is in fact a work of art or, if it is indeed art, that it's being done all that well.
In case you missed it: LaBeouf's controversies were set off in December, when he apologized for not crediting the inspiration for his short film; later, it was discovered that his apology was also lifted from another source — and that it wasn't the first time he had apologized for plagiarism with another act of plagiarism, something he's been doing for about a year now. In the last two months, he's said on Twitter that the plagiarism and subsequent apologies were an act of performance art, and, after wearing a paper bag with the words "I am not famous anymore" over his head to the premiere of his movie Nymphomaniac: Volume 1, LaBeouf launched a gallery project that involved participants sitting across from him as he wore that paper bag and apologized for stuff. (Jerry O'Connell subsequently plagiarized that in a spoof exhibition.)
In the op-ed, Franco mentions his own decision to appear on General Hospital as "an effort to jar expectations of what a film actor does." LaBeouf's project, Franco writes, might be a similar effort to exert control over the distance between his private self and his persona by messing with the "feedback loop" of negative publicity:
Participating in this call and response is a kind of critique, a way to show up the media by allowing their oversize responses to essentially trivial actions to reveal the emptiness of their raison d'être. Believe me, this game of peek-a-boo can be very addictive.
He concludes by warning his fellow artist that it's also important to be careful that you don't use up the public's goodwill. Franco implies that being "erratic" rather than clear in your intentions can make people stop thinking about what you have to say — and start speculating as to whether you're just having a nervous breakdown.
(MORE: Shia LaBeouf Isn't a Very Good Plagiarist, Says the Plagiarist He's Been Plagiarizing)
But Franco's not the only one who's unclear about LaBeouf's intentions: "I don't understand what Shia LaBeouf is doing," says Jennifer Doyle, a professor of contemporary art and performance at the University of California, Riverside. And for his part, Franco's not much better.
"If Shia LaBeouf and James Franco get a bit of an eyeroll from the performance art community," says Doyle, "it's because they're not doing anything new."
Doyle points to Dave Chappelle as a counterpoint: when he walked away from his TV show, she says, he didn't say it was a performance — but in rethinking his "performance practice," he truly alienated the mainstream media. If Franco and LaBeouf did the same, Doyle says, they might damage their careers but it would be more compelling as art; instead, both are so focused on the meaning and implications of celebrity that their work exists inside a media bubble. (Franco, she acknowledges, has at least educated himself about the history and theory of performance.) In her view, rather than bringing avant-garde art practices to the mainstream, they're merely imposing mainstream celebrity on the contemporary art world.
In short: While experimenting with performance art might be a nice way for them to deal with their own feelings about celebrity while entertaining their fans, it's not yet worth examining as art for art's sake.
And if all they're doing is talking about what it's like to be famous, Doyle has lots of other places to look for that. As she puts it, "I don't think they've said anything about celebrity that's more interesting that anything Britney Spears has said about celebrity."


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Want to time travel? Visit Haveli Dharampura
If you have ever read Enid Blyton's "The Faraway tree" series, you would remember how a different land used to come on top of the tree every time the trio of lead characters visited the tree top..and they would have fun, be mesmerised with the magic and then come back to their own land. How cool would it be if you knew some place where if you open the door you enter a different world, you partake, you enjoy and then you go back to your own world. Well now there IS one such place. Let me introduce you to Haveli dharampura.
Set in the bylanes of chandni chowk, ensconced in gali guliyan, where the lanes are so narrow, you can only walk – lies an old world land. As you enter the haveli's heavy set doors you step into a different world. The world of squalor, grime and zillion electric cables tied in to precarious knots is left behind on the outside. What you face is a glimpse of the way nobles and courtiers used to live in Delhi, not so long back. The architecture is a pleasing and unique mix of Hindu, Mughal and colonial influences. You first encounter a verandah with a fountain in the centre, as is typical of many Indian havelis.. a central courtyard with a garden or fountain which used to cool the entire house built around it. The three storeyed haveli can be seen fully from here and well.. from all floors as well. Beyond the varandah is the Baithak or drawing room which now hosts the restaurant – Lakhori. Named after the bricks that the haveli is built with, it serves a cuisine with Mughal and Jain influences.. The same which evolved into the Chandni chowk food that everyone rushes to grab a bite of every now and then.
The day I visited this old world gem, I met Vidyun Goel the hostess and was treated to a sumptuous collection of dishes from an elaborate menu. Here are some of them. In ascending order of appearance these are – cucumber chaat canapes, palak patta chaat, murg ke paarche, golgappe, galouti kabab, kadak roomali masala, dahi bhalla, Berry's delight, aloo gobhi mattar deconstructed, kadai chicken (served in a roti), mutton korma, paneer parantha with kashiphal kee sabji, makhane kee kheer, mango kulfi and paan kulfi both wrapped in a chocolate shell .. There was so much more to nibble at that somewhere I quite forgot to take pics and just immersed myself in the gastronomic experience.
The three storeys of the haveli above the ground floor, have 13 fully furnished rooms – the 14th was converted into a spa. These rooms are divided into Jharokha Rooms, Diwan E Khas Rooms, and Shahjahan Suites. If I am not wrong they are named after various gates of Delhi – the old city. The rooms have the vintage old world feel but are fully equipped with all modern amenities and most importantly, well, modern bathrooms :). As dear readers may note, one may live in this land for a while before retreating to one's own world. But it wasn't always like that. Built around 1887 AD, the haveli rooms were divided and subdivided by their owners into nearly 64 rooms! The restoration that took about 8 years, 45 lakhs, 50 specialised masons and labourers was a slow and painful journey with no precedent. Finally we see it restored to its old world glory and the ambience quickly takes us back to an era we haven't actually ever seen. The credit of all this goes to heritage lover & MP Mr. Vijay Goel, his son Siddhant Goel & their entire family. I hope that other havelis in that area follow suit and somehow manage to do the same because the government is also offering them restoration assistance funds.
Apparently the previous owners had a dream that there was a safe in the basement under the ground.. they dug up that precise spot and lo and behold! There indeed WAS a safe under the ground! They claim that it was empty but then who knows what *really* happened when this tijori was opened 🙂 . I wish my dreams told me about buried treasures!
Here's a look at the views from the top floor .. you can see all the floors from every floor. Makes me miss the old world architecture where you could see all the family members and talk across floors. You can also see Jama masjid from the terrace. There's another rooftop restaurant at the terrace called the "baradari". The terrace has a new piece of architecture built into it borrowed from the Rajasthan havelis. The panorama shows the view from the absolute top with Vidyun also in the picture.
Apart from being a heritage hotel the Dharampura haveli also has a lot of exciting things for its guests. It houses a tiny art gallery with images from the olden times of Chandni chowk. It will perhaps showcase exhibitions of modern artists too. Apart from this they also have a tiny library section with a cosy seating area next to it. They have a shisha room as well and of course there's the spa. And did I mention that they also have an elevator? It sure is much needed.
The magic of the old world would not be complete without the kathak performances that have been started now. They are organised every Friday, Saturday, Sunday along with a fixed dinner menu. Unfortunately I haven't witnessed any, but can only imagine how breathtaking it would look. There are other activities for the guests, like Kabootar baazi (pigeon flying) and patangbaazi (Kite flying).
A view of the balcony at the haveli and the narrow lane and a different world it looks upon.
Here's a glimpse of the "Now an Then" provided by the folks at Haveli Dharampura
There are just a handful of heritage hotels in Delhi but all of them are from the colonial era from what I know. Haveli Dharampura has, by far the oldest heritage in Delhi! Being in the heart of THE delhi, it has a unique advantage for travellers, who want to explore Delhi and don't want to be located very far from the centre of attraction. These walls have seen lot of centuries, exchanged hands with a lot of owners and under all that plaster and paint lies the soul of a haveli that lives on and has been witness to many stories. You must go and have a conversation with it some evening.
Contact info:
2293, Gali Guliyan, Dharampura, Delhi-6
Tel.: 011-23261000, 011-23263000
E-mail: email@example.com