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Week 1 Bristol in COP21 Paris: blogs from Cabot Institute
30th November 2015
Cabot Institute Director Professor Rich Pancost will be attending COP21 in Paris as part of the Bristol city-wide team, including the Mayor of Bristol, representatives from Bristol City Council and the Bristol Green Capital Partnership. He will be writing blogs during COP21, reflecting on what is happening in Paris, especially in the Paris and Bristol co-hosted Cities and Regions Pavilion, and also on the conclusion to Bristol's year as the European Green Capital.
These blogs are by Prof Rich Pancost, Director of the Cabot Institute at the University of Bristol and are re-posted from http://cabot-institute.blogspot.co.uk/
COP21 Daily report: Friday 4th December
The first several days of COP21 have seen a flurry of announcements, propositions and commitments. Just within the Bristol/Paris/ICLEI tent, numerous new ideas have emerged as city after city has stepped forward and proposed its Transformative Action Plans. Despite the diversity of propositions, the key themes are emerging: Leaders must be brave and adventurous; we must all work together in new and innovative partnerships built on trust; and engagement with the next generation is crucial.
These are not terribly surprising!
The challenge for leaders to be brave was the key message from the Mayors of the past and future European Green Capitals. Speaking after the panel, Katarina Luhr, Vice Mayor from Stockholm, said:
"My message to the politicians negotiating at COP21 is to look to the future and be brave."
I could not agree with this more. Going ahead, as we face increasingly difficult challenges, navigate contentious compromise, or try something new and unknown, this bravery will become even more important… and more complicated. Populations will have to empower leaders to be bold and leaders will have to earn that right by building trust.
The Cabot Institute has been discussing this with our colleagues and partners (including the University's new Brigstowe Institute) over the past year – and we are certainly not alone in this. We will report more on these issues in the coming months, but one emerging theme is how trust can be built through partnership. (See my blogs on the importance of University of Bristol partnerships here and here).
Few challenges, whether it be tackling climate change, resolving inequality or building a sustainable health service as our population ages, can be solved by a single agent acting alone. Appropriately, George Ferguson and Cllr Daniella Radice, Assistant Mayor for Neighbourhoods, including Environment, emphasised partnership as they opened the discussion on the first day of the Cities and Regions Pavilion. And of course, the Pavilion itself is the product of partnership between Bristol, Paris and ICLEI, itself a partnership of >1000 local and sub-national organisations.
Partnership is necessary. Diverse contributors with diverse perspectives and expertise must work together to solve the climate change crisis.
And partnership is hard. It requires a deep and long-term commitment and a willingness to share, compromise and trust. It is at the heart of the University of Bristol's ambitions , including how we work with our city, but we also recognise that that requires long term commitment. We're trying but we're not going to pretend we have it cracked.
One great example of successful partnership is Bristol is Open, a joint venture between the University of Bristol and Bristol City Council but designed in a way to be open to a variety of new partners from business and civil society. BIO is a combination of state-of-the-art, publicly owned fibre-optic infrastructure, environmental sensors, 5G wireless technology, the university's high performance computing and programmable city models. It could enable a new type of smart city in which traffic, flood, emergency, and energy services are managed in real time to achieve efficiency, sustainability and resilience.
But that is the future of BIO. What it is now is a city-wide laboratory that will be open for experimentation and innovation. It is an invitation to partnership. And one of the first steps in that invitation was the 18 November Festival of the Future City launch of the Data Dome, the UK's first 3D, interactive dome for data visualisation at At-Bristol. The purpose and value of the smart, programmable city can be difficult to grasp – it was for me! The Data Dome, similar to the Playable City initiative, is a way to share and explore the potential of this technology while learning about our city. [And the Bristol Brain, one of Bristol's Transformative Action Plan propositions discussed on Tuesday, will also be central to this.]
Another truly exciting arena for partnership is the recently announced UKCRIC programme, led in Bristol by Professor Colin Taylor, also the theme leader for the Cabot Institute's Future cities and communities research theme. We will be discussing this
much more in the future, especially as we launch the Collaboratory component of it, which will bring investment to the centre of Bristol to support even further collaboration and innovation.
Of course, one of the most exciting and successful examples of partnership that I have seen in Bristol or any other city is the Bristol Green Capital Partnership (BGCP), which was key to winning the European Green Capital award and remains dedicated to building momentum for climate action. Gary Topp, Development Director for the Partnership and Honorary Fellow in the University of Bristol, was part of the team showcasing Bristol's ambition on Tuesday in Paris, where he outlined its work involving over 850 organisations committed to creating 'a low carbon city with a high quality of life for all'. For other Green Capitals, creating a partnership was a major success; we started with one. And it is now the largest of its kind in the world.
One of the things I am most proud of in the Cabot Institute has been our support of and work with the BGCP (which predates my current role by several years). Our Manager Philippa Bayley was the directly elected co-Director of the Partnership in 2014 (with the amazing Liz Zeidler of Happy City, about which I could write a whole extra blog!), and we have several ongoing projects. The Partnership is now gearing up to be a central and sustainable part of the 2015 legacy, serving as a uniting, empowering and vocal participant in the future of our city. On 26 November 2015, working with Crowdfunder UK, they launched their most recent initiative, the Better Bristol campaign to find new ways to support exciting and potentially transformative
projects. The largest such partnership in the world, the BGCP will play an essential role in ensuring that Bristol continues to be a place where grass roots projects thrive.
Mayor George Ferguson emphasised this principle in his concluding comments, noting that while targets and technology were important, the European Green Capital award was about people and partnerships among civil society, with schools, businesses and other cities. "Recognising that we cannot work in isolation," he added, "is absolutely vital. We need to shape our cities in partnership, finding common links to suit everybody, provide confidence to deal with the unknown and take control of our destinies."
A final example of this Partnership came later in the day, when our former Cabot Institute colleague Professor Andy Gouldson (now at Leeds) shared his research in investment in a sustainable future for Bristol. It revealed that over the next decade, such investment could save Bristol up to £300 million on its energy bills and create up to 10,000 jobs. The report 'The Economics of Low Carbon Cities: a Mini-Stern Review for the City of Bristol, was commissioned by the Cabot Institute and funded by the University, and uses a robust model to assess the costs and benefits of low carbon projects to accelerate Bristol's progress. A similar initiative, STEEP, involving Cabot Institute academic Mike Yearworth, showed how Systems approaches could also bring about city-scale energy efficiencies. Both are underpinning Bristol's consultation around its Climate and Energy Security.
So enough patting ourselves on the back. These are some nice emerging success stories. But we can do better.
Partnerships work best when everyone benefits, but we must put more effort into building deeper and more powerful trust so that partnerships create room for compromise. Or even temporary sacrifice. Perhaps more importantly, we recognise that many people do not feel included in these 'partnerships'. This requires more thought and reflection than a few paragraphs in a single blog. Therefore, allow me to simply note this challenge and trust me to return to it; and I will finish by focussing on one of our most important partners.
The youth of our city and our planet
As an educational institution, we must make a strong commitment to prepare the next generation. Our offer should be imaginative, distinctive and innovative – and it should prepare our students to be global citizens, committed to a sustainable and just future, and inspired to be creative and enterprising. These concepts are intrinsic to our ongoing Strategic Review, being led by our new Vice-Chancellor Hugh Brady.
They are also being embedded at an earlier age through one of Bristol 2015's flagship successes. On 24 Nov, the city launched the Sustainable Learning programme, shared with thousands of Bristol children and underpinned by the award-winning Shaun the Sheep app.
We must prepare the next generation to live in a more volatile and unpredictable world. The University of Bristol is committed to that.
We must also prepare the world for them. This is not about solving all the problems for them; nor is it just about giving them the education to solve problems. It is also about creating the social, economic, legal and infrastructure framework that leaves room for them and their ideas and their creativity. I think all policies, regulations and treaties (or their removal) should be tested against a central rule: does this create options for future generations or take them away. The next generation must inherit a world where creativity and innovation are allowed to thrive. The Cabot Institute is committed to that.
But we must be equally committed to working with them now.
George Ferguson emphasised this in Paris: "We all recognised the importance of putting our young people first and foremost; involving them in how we plan for their future… those young people often come up with ideas and solutions that are better than those of their older counterparts. Building cities for the future cannot just be for youth, it has to be with them".
I have written (and tweeted) about how deeply impressed I am by our Youth Council and our Youth Mayors, several of whom were just nominated by RIFE Magazine as 24 Influential People under 24. They are brave! And smart and informed and passionate. They have ambition for themselves and ambition to make the world a better place and we would be fools to simply wait for them to become future leaders. They have much to offer now.
But that involves more than just inviting them to the meeting; it means letting them set the agenda.
Are we brave enough to do that?
COP21 Daily report: Thursday 3rd December
Thursday's blog is written by Cabot Institute member Professor David Gordon. Prof Gordon studied environmental and climatic change for his PhD research and has worked at Bristol for 25 years in the School for Policy Studies. He is the Director of the Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research and was the editor of the European Journal of Social Quality for two years.
The Climate Change (COP21) conference in Paris is one of the most important gatherings of politicians, civil servants, academic experts, journalists, business and civil society representatives of the 21st Century – over 50,000 people are expected to attend. The need to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions is clear as in 2015 global temperatures may rise to an average of 1oC above the pre-industrial level and atmospheric Carbon Dioxide (CO2) levels rose above 400 ppm for the first time in the past 800,000 years. Some climate model results show that if greenhouse gas emission were stabilised, which would require a 60% reduction in global emissions immediately, then the World's climate would still warm up to 1.6oC above the average pre-industrial level.
The natural sciences have made huge efforts to investigate the problem of climate change; unfortunately, the social sciences have not been so active. This lamentable situation needs to change, so under the auspices of the IASQ (International Association on Social Quality) over 200 social scientists from around the world have signed the Sustainability Manifesto which argues that;
"one-dimensional solutions cannot address multidimensional problems like those we currently face….. environmental change is still viewed primarily in physical science terms, whereby the (interrelationships of) socio-environmental, socio-economic, socio-political and socio-cultural dimensions of sustainability receive insufficient attention".
Interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary research is needed particularly to fill the current knowledge gaps about socio-political and socio-cultural aspects of sustainability. A lot is now known about the environmental and economic aspects of climate change but this has not been sufficient to persuade many politicians or some sections of the public that major actions are required which may affect their lifestyles. Research is needed into how best to overcome these socio-cultural and socio-political barriers to sustainability.
The Sustainability Manifesto has received the unanimous backing of the executive committee of the International Social Science Council (the World's governing body for the social sciences under the auspices of UNESCO) and the ISSC president, Alberto Martinelli, has called on all "scientists and colleagues all around the world to support the Initiative". I have helped to draft the Sustainability Manifesto and have signed it on behalf of the University of Bristol.
COP21 Daily report: Wednesday 2nd December
Bristol's presence at COP21 started with a bang, with some of its most important contributions being showcased as it opened the Bristol/Paris/ICLEI Cities and Regions Pavilion. There is a lot to digest from that and that will be the focus of tomorrow's or Friday's blog. Today, however, I am going to take a step back and revisit the climate science that is the basis for the political, entrepreneurial and social actions currently being discussed in Paris.
When I started by PhD in 1992, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere was about 355 ppm and already a huge source of concern to climate scientists.
About one year ago, depending on the station or the season, CO2 levels passed 400 ppm for the first time in human history. And for the first time in ice core history, extending back nearly 1 million years. And – based on our recent work using chemical proxies to reconstruct atmospheric carbon dioxide – probably for the first time in about 3 million years.
If we continue burning fossil fuel, even with reduced emissions, we will reach 550 to 700 ppm by the end of this century. Our work and that of others reveals that these are values that the Earth has not experienced for at least 10 million and maybe even 30 million years.
This is causing the Earth to warm. That relationship is derived from fundamental physics and first articulated by Svante Arrhenius over a century ago. Our climate models elaborate and clarify this relationship. Earth history validates and confirms it – when CO2 was higher, the planet was warmer. And consistent with that, this year is on track to be the warmest in recorded history, with human-induced warming now thought to have warmed our planet by 1C.
This is half of our agreed limit of 2C; and due to the slow response of the climate system, more warming will come.
These are some of the truly eye-opening facts surrounding climate change, the challenge we face and the need for this week's negotiations.
There are many who will argue that the science of climate change is too uncertain to act upon. The observations listed above, and many others, reveal that to be a manipulative half-truth. There is an astonishing amount of knowledge about climate change – and global warming in particular.
Moreover, as Steve Lewandowksy (and Tim Ballard and myself) discussed in an article in the Guardian yesterday, the uncertainty that does exist in our understanding of climate change impacts is cause for mitigative action not complacency. This was based on our recent volume in the Proceedings of the Royal Society, in which a great diversity of researchers highlight the impact of uncertainty on the economy, cooperation, action and creativity.
This has long been a focus of the Cabot Institute; Living with Environmental Uncertainty is a central tenet of our mission. ]We have hosted consultations and workshops on understanding, constraining and communicating uncertainty; advised decision makers and leaders; produced papers, reports and even handbooks. This year as part of the Green Capital, we framed much of our own activity, as well as our contributions to the Summits, Arts Programme and Festivals, around this theme: The Uncertain World.
A great example of this research is that of the Bristol Glaciology Centre. Tony Payne was a Lead Author on the IPCC report on ice sheets and sea level rise. Glacial biogeochemists, Martyn Tranter, Jemma Wadham and Alex Anesio, are studying how surface melting can create dark patches of algal growth which could absorb light and accelerate melting. Jonathan Bamber led a fascinating expert elicitation study which suggested a wider range of potential sea level rise than previously thought.
All in all, this work is consistent with the most recent IPCC report that sea level rise will likely range from 0.7 to 1.1 m by the end of the century. However, that range belies deeper and more frightening uncertainty. Professor Bamber spoke about this yesterday at COP21 as part of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative and Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research session on Irreversible Impacts of Climate Change on Antarctica. Their presentation highlighted that the IPCC range of potential sea level rise is largely a function of the 2100 time frame applied. Longer timescales reveal the true magnitude of this threat. The projected ~1m of sea level rise is probably already inevitable. It will be even higher – perhaps several metres higher – if we warm our planet by 2C, and even more so if it warms by the 2.7C that current Paris commitments yield. The geological record suggests even more dramatic potential for sea level rise: 3 million years ago, when CO2 concentrations were last ~400 ppm, sea level might have been 20 m higher. These changes almost certainly would take place over hundreds of years rather than by 2100. But their consequences will be vast and irreversible.
This uncertainty is not limited to warming and sea level rise. Uncertainty is deeply dependent in rainfall forecasts for a warmer world; we know that warmer air can hold more water such that rainfall events are likely to become more extreme. However, how will that change regionally? Which areas will become wetter and which drier? How will that affect food production? Or soil erosion?
Of course, climate change is about more than just warming, sea level rise and extreme weather. It is also about the chemistry of our atmosphere, soils and oceans. Again profound concern and uncertainty is associated with the impact of coastal hypoxia and ocean acidification on marine ecosystems. In fact, it is the biological response to climate change, especially when coupled with all of the other ways we impact nature, that is most uncertain. Unfortunately, Earth history is less useful here. Even the most rapid global warming events of the past seem to have occurred over thousands of years, far far slower than the change occurring now, a point that emerges again and again in our research and frequently emphasised by the Head of our Global Change Theme Dani Schmidt.
What is happening today appears to be unprecedented in Earth history.
We are creating an Uncertain – but also volatile, extreme and largely unknown world. Some of that is inevitable. But much of it is not. How much will be largely decided in Paris.
But not just by nations. Also by mayors and councils and LEPs, NGOs, citizens, businesses and other innovation and transformation leaders. This is why the actions being proposed in the Cities and Regions Pavilion, not just by Bristol but by hundreds of cities and local authorities across the globe, are so very exciting.
COP21 Daily report: Tuesday 01 December
On Monday, the Bristol Team arrived in Paris for the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference (COP21). The Bristol cohort includes not just the Mayor and Bristol City Council, but also representatives from the Green Capital Partnership and an independent group from Love the Future (15 stalwarts who cycled from Bristol to Paris through typically British November weather). I'll be joining them on Sunday… but some of the most exciting activity will happen today.
Passing #bristol manifesto for change to mayor @GeorgeFergusonx & assistant mayor @GreenDaniella #COPCrusade #cop21 pic.twitter.com/fubonQbTZo
— Love The Future (@welovethefuture) November 30, 2015
Bristol's primary engagement with COP21 will be via the Cities and Regions Pavilion, hosted by Paris and Bristol and facilitated by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, with support from over 40 partners. It is testimony to the stature of Bristol as 2015 Green Capital that it is able to share this venue with Paris. Moreover, the Pavilion is a fantastic opportunity for Bristol to share, connect with and learn from hundreds of cities from across the globe.
Bristol is one of 88 cities and regions in 42 countries to present innovative projects aimed at placing local and regional governments at the heart of positive and long-term climate action. These Transformative Action Plans (TAPs) represent a 10-year initiative that aims to transform the lives of their citizens. They arise from ICLEI's recognition that local entities must take the lead in delivering but also extending the commitments emerging from the national-scale negotiations. Bristol is pitching two projects, one on energy efficiency and one on smarter future planning of cities. The University of Bristol, including its Cabot Institute, has been closely involved with the development of both and former Bristol Professor Andy Gouldson will be sharing the stage with Mayor George Ferguson today.
George Ferguson, Mayor of Bristol, said:
"Bristol's innovative plans, boosted by our year as European Green Capital, have been rated amongst the very best across cities and regions around the world thanks to their potential to transform the lives of our citizens. We're proud to be among the world's pioneering sustainable thinkers at COP21 and we look forward to bridging the gap ahead of the expected 2020 agreement with immediate actions that help reduce emissions, tackle poverty, improve lives and create new jobs through investment in low carbon projects."
The first proposal, entitled 'Energy efficiency for everyone' (or Bristol Billion), is for a $1B (or £700m) investment to make Bristol's buildings more energy efficient, thereby achieving significant carbon, energy, economic and even health savings. It will involve refurbishing 56,000 homes in Bristol – 30% of the city – and crucially it will not only make our city more sustainable but it will lift these homes out of fuel poverty and reduce health costs. This proposal is based in part on a Cabot Institute-commissioned report that has also been released to the public today: The Economics of Low Carbon Cities: A mini-Stern Review for Bristol. This research shows that Bristol can achieve marked reductions in its emissions while saving money; in fact, the whole project could pay for itself in under a decade. However, such a bold endeavour requires bold financing and hence the Bristol Billion proposition.
The Bristol Billion should achieve the energy efficiency gains necessary for the city to meet its 2015 to 2025 emissions reductions targets, but Bristol must also establish a foundation for the more challenging emission reductions to occur beyond 2025 and especially 2030. Whether it be transforming the South West energy supply chain via the Bristol Energy Company or transforming its transport system, these changes will be more challenging and controversial. And that is the basis for the second project, the 'Bristol Brain', which seeks to reimagine how citizens and planners can work together to shape a sustainable future for the city. The Bristol Brain is 'a physical and digital city model, on top of which, real-time data and sophisticated analytics can be projected and visualised, creating environments that can be explored through virtual and augmented reality. This will allow different scenarios for future developments to be explored as if they are real, and for the impact on energy, transport, air quality and other factors, to be fully understood.'
The Bristol Brain could facilitate city-scale planning decisions ranging from emergency services, road maintenance, and new public works. It could allow the social and economic impacts of major investments to be assessed and justified. Most importantly, it is a tool for testing and thereby empowering the radical reimagining of Bristol. It is the type of tool that citizens can use to justify maintenance of the M32… or its conversion into a bus-exclusive route… or even closing it and turning it into a city-scale garden.
This type of creative imagining is vital. Professor Colin Taylor, the head of the Cabot Institute's Future Cities research theme, has argued that robust future city planning requires a city emulator so that we can truly explore the potential costs and benefits of truly transformative change. Crucially, the Bristol Brain would also support the more real-time interactive experiments that will be enabled by Bristol is Open and ensure that Bristol remains at the cutting edge of creative technology.
There remain challenges. According to Bristol City Council, 'The critical next step is to ensure these projects receive adequate financial resources to address urgent and evolving local needs to create a sustainable future.'
Another challenge is ensuring that such projects, especially the Bristol Brain, create an open and inclusive conversation about Bristol's future. The University is committed to supporting these efforts. If the Bristol Brain were to be made available to the public, perhaps via an allotment of the University's High Performance Computing facility, then it becomes not just a resource for planning and consultation but for citizen-led propositions and inclusive innovation.
The COP21 ambition, expressed by national governments via their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), is very likely to fall short of the global target of 2 degrees C warming. As such, it is crucial that other actors, including cities, take the lead in driving a more ambitious emissions reduction agenda. Moreover, they must work with universities, industry and civil society to stimulate, incubate and test new innovations.
Bristol recognises that it can do more than follow an emissions path set by others. It can be a Laboratory for Change.
Note: This blog is based partly on and includes text from a Bristol City Council press release.
COP21 Daily report: Monday 30 November
I started pondering this opening blog, the first in our Bristol at COP21 series, on Friday morning, while walking from the St Werburgh's Community Centre back to the University.
It was a reflective walk. The previous evening, Bristol's COP21 team met at Brunel House to talk logistics, covering everything from travel, to security, to the main messages Bristol would want to share with the rest of the world. All of this had come at the end of a whirlwind month of events and announcements. In November, we had already hosted George Marshall and Jonathan Porritt (with the National Union of Journalists and Festival of Ideas), celebrated our fifth birthday, and discussed what we will achieve in the next five years with our new VC and in a rapidly transforming university. The previous week had seen the Festival of the Future City, at which we presented some of our findings from the year on Bristol's climate challenges, its future resiliency, its nature and connection to the countryside, and the new governance and financial structures needed to achieve transformative change.
And despite all of these announcements and achievements, the year feels incomplete. The meeting in St Werburgh's, co-sponsored by ourselves and some great partners, thoughtfully examined whether the Green Capital project had really engaged all of our citizens, from all perspectives and all walks of life. The answer to that was complex and we will be exploring that more during 2016 as the conversation continues. But there was an overall consensus that much had been achieved but much more could have been achieved. It seems a common opinion as 2015 races towards its conclusion in Paris. The interactive Bristol Data Dome had opened on 18 Nov, the first in the UK and part of the rollout of Bristol Is Open. The City's Sustainable Education programme launched, and the Shawn the Sheep app that underpins it won the 'App with a Purpose' prize. Bristol City Council launched its own Energy Company, only the second in the UK. George Ferguson gave his annual lecture in the Wills Memorial Building, at which he announced his ambition for an up to £1 billion investment in a citywide urban retrofit to increase energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty (a plan partially based on our mini-Stern review of Bristol as a Low Carbon City). And of course, we are headed to COP21, where Bristol will co-host the Cities and Regions Pavilion with Paris.
I've seen this tension between satisfaction and ambition exemplified on a large scale by Andrew Garrad, co-founder of Garrad Hassan now part of DNV-GL, Chair of the Bristol 2015 Company and member of the Cabot Institute's Advisory Board. He has spent 35 years in the wind industry; in one sentence he can celebrate the success of UK renewables, which in 20 years have become central to the UK's energy mix, and then pivot to regret that he has not been able to push even further.
This is something that sometimes frustrates me about my adopted city but that ultimately I love – and is perhaps what I love most about it. No matter how much we achieve, we argue about how we could have done better. Or more. Or faster.
Bristol is the least complacent place I have ever lived, sometimes exhausting but always exhilarating.
.@cabotinstitute team enjoying the rendition of 'let it go'… #ClimateMarch @rpancost @TheRiskExchange pic.twitter.com/nDgeMFCVfb
— Keri Facer (@Kerileef) November 29, 2015
I am concluding this first blog on Sunday night, having just returned from the Climate March, which drew thousands of people on a cold, wet and windy day. And at which people sang songs, chanted, cheered – but also debated and argued and demanded more innovation and more action. My abiding memory of the Climate March will be listening to the smart, informed and passionate debates among members of the Bristol Youth Council about the future of their party.
That edginess and ambition is exactly what the whole planet needs as we tackle the profound challenges not just of climate change but the sustainable use of the resources on which we depend. No matter what happens in Paris, complacency must not be accepted and it will not be accepted in Bristol.
Bristol was awarded the European Green Capital in part because we are 'the City with a sense of fun'. And Bristol is fun – and quirky and odd and artistic and brilliant. But it is also edgy and passionate and often proudly unsatisfied. We do not have all of the solutions, but we will never stop looking. That is the Bristol I will be taking with me to Paris.


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MOSCOW, May 24. /TASS/. The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the crash of flight MH17 in Donbass in 2014 has ignored data gathered by Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
"We point out that sizable amounts of information Russia handed over to the JIT were ignored in materials shown at a news conference," the ministry said. "The authors of the presentation forgot to mention that we had received in Moscow Dutch experts and investigators from the prosecutor's office, unclassified and passed to investigators technical and design data on the Buk missiles, provided the results of a full-scale experiment carried out by the producer of this type of air defense weapons - Almaz-Antey Air and Space Defense Corporation," the ministry said.
- No Russian air defense missile systems crossed Russia-Ukraine border — top brass
- Lavrov says Russia's materials on MH17 crash over Donbass ignored
- Dutch-led investigators: Missile downing flight MH17 could be invisible for Russian radars
- Manufacturer rejects reports that MH17 missile could be invisible to Russian radars
The Joint Investigation Team's theory on reason for the flight MH17 crash lacks in evidence and causes regret, the ministry said.
"The theory the Joint Investigation Team announced at the May 24 press conference, claiming that the Buk missile system used to down the aircraft had been brought to Ukraine from Russia and originated from the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile brigade, causes us regret," the statement reads. "It is nothing but an allegation aimed at tarnishing our country's image on the international stage," the ministry added.
"No evidence has been presented except for a colorful video based on information fabricated by bloggers from the Bellingcat agency, who were earlier caught distorting facts to prove Russia's alleged involvement in the MH17 crash," the statement says.
The ministry added that the Joint Investigation Team had ignored data provided by Russia.
"Nothing was said about our assistance in the investigation," the statement says. "The presentation's authors forgot to mention that we had received in Moscow Dutch experts and investigators from the prosecutor's office, unclassified technical and design data concerning the Buk missiles and passed it to investigators, as well as provided them with the results of a field experiment carried out by the Almaz-Antey Air and Space Defense Corporation that produces this kind of weapons," the ministry said.
The ministry also said that Moscow had provided to the Netherlands "primary data received by a radar station operating in the area in question." "This information is crucial as it is fully objective and can be neither falsified nor changed," the statement points out.
"Under these circumstances" Russia "has the right to ask questions about the true reason behind JIT's decision to make its preliminary conclusion public." "However, we will continue to assist the investigation seeking to establish the cause of the MH17 crash and ensure that those responsible face a just punishment," the Russian Foreign Ministry concluded.
Earlier on Thursday, the Joint Investigation Team looking into the MH17 crash gave an update of the state of affairs in the criminal investigation. According to JIT, "the BUK-TELAR that was used to down MH17, originates from the 53rd Anti Aircraft Missile brigade (hereinafter 53rd brigade), a unit of the Russian army from Kursk in the Russian Federation.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
While Demos sat,
Poor losers, glum,
Trump spoke to make
The nation one.
While Demos sat,
Poor losers, glum,
Trump spoke to make
The nation one.
The most damaging piece of information from
#ReleaseTheMemo will be irrefutable proof that the #MuellerInvestigation is based on the fake #FusionGPS dossier, meaning indictments all around. #DemocratsDoomsday #ReleaseTheMemo #TickTock
#SOTU has exposed the Democrats for what they are. They just booed the parents of a murdered child & they sat on their butts for the portion of the speech about respecting the National Anthem. Unreal.
A polymath (Greek: πολυμαθής, polymathēs, "having learned much")[1], sometimes referred to as a Renaissance man, is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas. In less formal terms, a polymath (or polymathic person) may simply be someone who is very knowledgeable. Most ancient scientists were polymaths by today's standards.[2] The term was first used in the seventeenth century but the related term, polyhistor, is an ancient term with similar meaning.
The common term Renaissance man has been used historically to describe polymaths or persons who aspired to be polymaths.[3] The concept emerged from the numerous great thinkers of that era who excelled in multiple fields of the arts and science, includingLeonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Galileo Galilei, Nicolaus Copernicus, Michael Servetus[4]and Francis Bacon. The emergence of these thinkers was attributed to the then rising notion in Renaissance Italy expressed by one of its most accomplished representatives, Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472): that "a man can do all things if he will." [5] His concept embodied the basic tenets of Renaissance humanism, which considered humans empowered and limitless in their capacities for development, and it led to the notion that people should embrace all knowledge and develop their capacities as fully as possible. The term applies to the gifted people of the Renaissance who sought to develop skills in all areas of knowledge, in physical development, in social accomplishments, and in the arts, while overlooking that the vast majority of people of that age were not well educated. This temporarily limited term entered the lexicon during the twentieth century and has been applied oddly, to great thinkers living before and after the Renaissance such as Aristotle, Avicenna, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Isaac Newton. Terms such as polyhistor, polymath or even universal genius are sometimes employed as synonyms to the term.
A different term for the secondary meaning of polymath is Renaissance man or woman (a term first recorded in written English in the early 20th century).[6]Other similar terms also in use are Homo Universalis (Latin) and Uomo Universale (Italian), which translate to "universal person" or "universal man". These expressions derived from the ideal in Renaissance Humanism that it was possible to acquire a universal learning[7] in order to develop one's potential, (covering both the arts and the sciences[8] and without necessarily restricting this farewell learning to be the academic fields). When someone is called aRenaissance man or woman today, it is meant that they do not have only broad interests or a superficial knowledge of several fields, but rather that their knowledge is profound and often that they also have proficiency or accomplishments in at least some of these fields and in some cases even at a level comparable to the proficiency or the accomplishments of an expert.[9] The related term Generalist is used to contrast this general approach to knowledge to that of the specialist. The expression Renaissance person today commonly implies only intellectual or scholastic proficiency and knowledge and not necessarily the more universal sense of "learning" implied by Renaissance humanism. Note, however, that some dictionaries use the term "Renaissance man" as roughly synonymous with polymath in the first meaning, to describe someone versatile with many interests or talents,[10] while others recognize a meaning restricted to the Renaissance era and more closely related to Renaissance ideals.
Hildegard of Bingen, a medieval polymath, shown dictating to her scribe in an illumination from Liber Scivias
A more colloquial term for such a person would be a jack of all trades, though this often refers to skill and not necessarily knowledge. The term "jack of all trades" also occasionally has negative connotation (see, for instance, jack of all trades, master of none); such a person may be labeled as a dilettante, while "polymath" typically has a positive connotation.
The term Universal Genius is also used, taking Leonardo da Vinci as a prime example again. The term seems to be used especially when a Renaissance man has made historical or lasting contributions in at least one of the fields in which he was actively involved, and when he had a universality of approach. Despite the existence of this term, a polymath may not necessarily be classed as a genius; and certainly a genius may not display the breadth of knowledge to qualify as a polymath.
Many notable polymaths lived during the Renaissance period, a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. They had a rounded approach to educationthat was typical of the ideals of the humanists of the time. A gentleman or courtier of that era was expected to speak several languages, play a musical instrument, write poetry, and so on, thus fulfilling the Renaissance ideal. The idea of a universal education was pivotal to achieving polymath ability, hence the worduniversity was used to describe a seat of learning. At this time universities did not specialize in specific areas, but rather trained their students in a broad array of science, philosophy and theology. This universal education, as such, gave them a grounding from which they could continue into apprenticeship to a Master of a specific field. It is important to note that a university education was highly regarded. A person was not considered to need this broad knowledge to apprentice as a carpenter, but to apprentice in the sciences or philosophy it contributed hugely to their being able to comprehend the universe as it was understood at the time. During the Renaissance, Baldassare Castiglione, in his guide The Book of the Courtier, wrote about how an ideal courtier should have polymathic traits.[11]
"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."
Castiglione's guide stressed the kind of attitude that should accompany the many talents of a polymath, an attitude he called "sprezzatura". A courtier should have a detached, cool, nonchalant attitude, and speak well, sing, recite poetry, have proper bearing, be athletic, know the humanities and classics, paint and draw and possess many other skills, always without showy or boastful behavior, in short, with "sprezzatura". The many talents of the polymath should appear to others to be performed without effort, in an unstrained way, almost without thought. In some ways, the gentlemanly requirements of Castiglione recall the Chinese sage,Confucius, who far earlier depicted the courtly behavior, piety and obligations of service required of a gentleman. The easy facility in difficult tasks also resembles the effortlessness inculcated by Zen, such as in archery where no conscious attention, but pure spontaneity, produces better and more noble skill. For Castiglione, the attitude of apparent effortlessness should accompany great skill in many separate fields. In word or deed the courtier should "avoid affectation … (and) … practice … a certain sprezzatura … conceal all art and make whatever is done or said appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it".[11][12]
This Renaissance ideal differed slightly from the "polymath" in that it involved more than just intellectual advancement. Historically (roughly 1450–1600) it represented a person who endeavored to "develop his capacities as fully as possible" (Britannica, "Renaissance Man") both mentally and physically, and, as Castiglione suggests, without "affectation".[11] For example, being an accomplished athlete was considered integral and not separate from education and learning of the highest order. Leon Battista Alberti, who was a Roman Catholic priest, architect, painter, poet, scientist, mathematician, inventor, and sculptor, was in addition a skilled horseman and archer.[citation needed]
Robert Goforth The list above provides examples of notable polymaths (in the secondary meaning only, that is, Renaissance men). Caution is necessary when interpreting the word polymath (in the second meaning or any of its synonyms) in a source, since there is always ambiguity of what the word denotes. Also, when a list of subjects in relation to the polymath is given, such lists often seem to imply that the notable polymath was reputable in all fields, but the most common case is that the polymath made his reputation in one or two main fields where he had widely recognized achievements, and that he was merely proficient or actively involved in other fields, but, once again, not necessarily with achievements comparable to those of renowned experts of his time in these fields. The list does not attempt to be comprehensive or authoritative in any way. The list also includes the Hakeem of the Islamic Golden Age(also known as the "Islamic Renaissance"), and other polymaths from other parts of the world.
Many dictionaries of word origins, list these words as synonyms or, as words with very similar meanings. Thomas Moore took the words as corresponding to similarly erudite "polys" in one of his poems titled The Devil Among Scholars:[13]
Off I fly, careering far
In chase of Pollys, prettier far
Than any of their namesakes are
—The Polymaths and Polyhistors,
Polyglots and all their sisters.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the words mean practically the same; "the classical Latin word polyhistorwas used exclusively, and the Greek word frequently, of Alexander Polyhistor", but polymathist appeared later, and then polymath. Thus today, regardless of any differentiation they may have had when originally coined, they are often taken to mean the same thing.
The root terms histor and math have similar meanings in their etymological antecedents (to learn, learned, knowledge), though with some initial and ancillarily added differing qualities. Innate in historíā (Greek and Latin) is that the learning takes place via inquiry and narrative. Hístōr also implies that the polyhistor displays erudition and wisdom. From Proto-Indo-European it shares a root with the word "wit". Inquiry and narrative are specific sets of pedagogical and research heuristics.
Polyhistoric is the corresponding adjective. The word polyhistory (meaning varied learning), when used, is often derogatory.
A number of people have been described as "polymaths" by reliable sources, fulfilling theprimary definition of the term, although there may not be expert consensus that each is aprime example in the secondary meaning, as "Renaissance men" and "universal geniuses" (see the list of renaissance men above for prime examples of "renaissance men" or "universal geniuses").
In Britain, phrases such as "polymath sportsman", "sporting polymath", or simply "polymath" are occasionally used in a restricted sense to refer to athletes who have performed at a high level in several very different sports, rather than to those gifted in many fields of study. One whose accomplishments are limited to athletics would not be considered a "polymath" in the usual sense of the word. Examples would include:
The term can also be used loosely in other curious ways, for example, Rolf Harris (whose fame has come as a popular artist, television presenter, and singer) has also been described by the Daily Mail as "the People's Polymath".[16]
Polymath is also a character trait in Scott Westerfeld's Midnighters trilogy.
January Update to Sealed Indictments: 4,311 new from 12/26/17 thru 1/26/18 13,605 new sealed indictments entered from 10/30/17 thru 1/26/18. Link to back-up files: https://tinyurl.com/yd5vn9ou How many are normal? 1,077 per 2009 report: https://tinyurl.com/y97q9w4g
The Trump Administration is actively dealing with serious crimes. The Storm is Coming.
Destroying the Illusion (Jordan Sather): Interviewing Liz Crokin on The Storm, QAnon, Pedogate, & Twitter Feuds (Jan 2, 2018)
Why did Obama spend $65K on hot dogs when outside food isn't allowed in the White House?
#Qanon #Pizzagate #Pedogate #TheGreatAwakening
Consider a qui tam lawsuit.
Party affiliation is irrelevant. If someone is active in child sex trafficking, they should go to prison for a long time.
Best case scenario. During the speech, Trump whips out an unedited copy of the memo & reads it out loud for the entire nation to hear while ICE agents swoop in & arrest all of the "Dreamers" who were brought in by the Democrats.
#SOTU #ReleaseTheMemo
BREAKING: Obama's FBI FINALLY Gets WORST News Possible After MURDERING LaVoy Finicum https://youtu.be/xUnwfsxd7po via


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In the only existing photo of Virginia "Virgie" Christian, a mug shot taken during her arrest for the murder of her abusive employer in the spring of 1912, she gazes longingly into the camera, her expression vulnerable and entreating, as if hoping the truth of her story will one day be told. She was 16 years old, black, and soon to be the first and only female juvenile to die in Virginia's electric chair.
Her mournful face graces the cover of "Forsaken," Ross Howell Jr.'s unforgettable debut novel that blends fiction with real-life court records, letters, newspaper stories and personal accounts to recreate the events of the most sensational murder trial of the day.
Charlie Mears, the rookie reporter assigned to cover the case, runs headlong into a story much bigger and more far-reaching than Christian's crime: the stranglehold of Hampton, Va.'s oppressive Jim Crow laws, reinforced by the segregationist policies of newly elected president Woodrow Wilson.
"I like to believe I'm telling the truth," says Mears. But when he comes across a poisonous network determined that no African American in Hampton will ever get a fair trial, he learns that "the truth hides somewhere in the shadows of what happens."
An 18-year-old orphan with a troubled past, Mears' closest relationship has been with a college friend who committed suicide. His religious upbringing sets him apart from the other newsmen, who tease him for his piety and inexperience. Like many a young loner, he's drawn to others weaker than himself, and his sympathy for the underdog — he befriends Virgie, bringing her chocolate and picture books — extends to the victim's orphaned daughters, 13-year-old Harriet and 8-year-old Sadie, as well as an abused pit bull he rescues and tames.
Howell portrays Virgie as a naive, illiterate girl who has no idea that a violent fight with her abusive elderly employer left the woman dead, let alone that there will be consequences. "You see my daddy," she tells Mears during his first visit, "you tell him come fetch me." Later, forlorn but surprisingly resilient and resigned to her fate, she chides Mears for his hopeful outlook: "For an educated white boy, you don't know much."
But it's chiefly through Mears' idealistic eyes that Howell channels the events that have confined Virgie to a jail cell: the network of white male leaders and politicians impatient to see justice served, the professed concern with potential racial violence that justifies a speedy trial, the history of Hampton's intolerance and bigotry, and the sympathetic advocates who come to Virgie's aid only to meet with the adamant resistance of William Mann, "the last Confederate veteran to serve as governor."
A Charleston, S.C., native, Howell captures the atmosphere of early 20th-century Hampton, from courthouse to countryside, as vividly as he does its seething, racial inequities. He has a keen eye for period details: Sitting on the iron steps to his rented room, Mears watches as "miller moths spun about the gaslight," and "the blue spark of the last trolley lit the new leaves on the limbs hanging over the line." His boardinghouse meals are mouth-wateringly faithful to Southern cooking of the era: Of a basket of ham biscuits, Mears notes that the cook "sprinkled a little brown sugar and black peppercorns on her ham when she fried it."
Mears' interviews with the historical figures in Christian's trial bring them to life just as believably, capturing their lingering memories of slavery, emancipation, Reconstruction and its aftermath. George W. Fields, Virgie's black lawyer and a former slave, recalls brutal beatings from antebellum days that underscore the racial hatred still gripping the town, and gives a detailed account of his family's liberation by Union troops in 1863. The town coroner draws on his memory of a doomed interracial marriage to warn Mears about making enemies of "men in high places" — especially an influential champion of the new science of eugenics and its usefulness in purifying the races.
Convicted of first-degree murder within 30 minutes by a jury of her "peers" — 12 white men — Virgie goes to her death despite significant protests on her behalf: "letters from colored and white politicians, schoolteachers, businessmen, suffragettes, children's welfare groups, pastors, temperance society leaders, Chicago newspaper editors," including a plea from the head of the National Association of Colored Women's Clubs.
Her execution leaves Mears as her proxy, enduring the inevitable vigilantism in store for Virgie had she been granted her rights. After losing his job at the white newspaper and moving to Norfolk to join an all-black paper, Mears can finally write without oversight about the miscarriage of justice in the case of Virginia Christian — though not without repercussions.
From there on, "Forsaken" tracks Mears' fate as the target of local bigots and Klan members intent on silencing his public outcry, an invisible group of vengeful citizens that includes the well-connected, ruthless brother of the murdered woman. Warnings come in the form of anonymous notes, burned crosses and, finally, a grisly, surrealistic echo of the plight of Charlie's college friend.
A story unearthed from old newspapers, a searching look at the facts, eloquent testimony and behind-the-scenes evidence: "Forsaken" is the fair trial Virginia Christian never had, in which the innocent are justly treated, the guilty finally charged. The last question we the jury are asked to consider, in light of today's murderous headlines, is whether the old racial hatred and oppression have returned, hidden in the same shadows Mears noted over a hundred years ago.
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!! History Commons Alert, Exciting News
Four far-right "nativists" speak against immigration at a presentation that takes place at Washington's National Press Club, in an event sponsored by a group called American Cause. The four include Marcus Epstein, the head of American Cause; Bay Buchanan, the sister of MSNBC contributor and American Cause founder Pat Buchanan, and the head of an anti-immigrant political action committee, Team America PAC; Fox News contributor James Pinkerton; and Peter Brimelow, an outspoken white supremacist who founded the racist VDare.com. Epstein is a young activist with ties to racist and white supremacist groups (see October 8, 2007). The presentation is, according to a press release, about "how immigration control is vital to future Republican success." The release states, "Despite media reports to the contrary, every defeated GOP Congressional candidate supported amnesty or open border policies for illegal aliens—or had Democratic contenders who took tough stands on illegal immigration, according to a new study to be released at a symposium next Thursday." The study is an American Cause production written by Epstein entitled "Immigration and the 2008 Republican Defeat," and is, the release says, "a detailed analysis of every single Republican seat lost in the 2008 House race, that shows in virtually every race the Republican supported amnesty or the Democrat supported tough border security." The release accuses Republicans of "pandering" to Hispanics to secure their votes, without success; argues that Hispanics care little about immigration issues; claims that "[w]hatever gains, if any, pandering to Hispanics gives is greatly outweighed by loss of the White vote, which is more important"; says recent "[d]emographic changes made by mass immigration have been disastrous to Republicans and fatal if not halted"; and says that when Republicans take strong stands for increased border security, "national sovereignty, and immigration control," they win elections. [The American Cause, 1/30/2009; New York Times, 1/31/2009] The New York Times will call the claims about immigration stances affecting Republican success at the polls "nonsense," and will state, "In House and Senate races in 2008 and 2006, 'anti-amnesty' hard-liners consistently lost to candidates who proposed comprehensive reform solutions" (see January 31, 2009). [New York Times, 1/31/2009] A blog hosted by the pro-immigration American Immigration Council (AIC) will claim that the turnout for the presentation is "scant," and will observe that the poor turnout "is a hopeful sign that this type of intolerant, out-of-touch rhetoric is no longer mainstream and that the real leaders of the GOP have learned a hard lesson—that alienating and demonizing the largest growing segment of the American electorate is not a winning campaign strategy—and are looking for a new way forward." [Wendy Sefsaf, 1/30/2009]
Entity Tags: The American Cause, Marcus Epstein, James Pinkerton, Bay Buchanan, American Immigration Council, New York Times, Patrick Buchanan, National Press Club
Timeline Tags: Domestic Propaganda
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The Great White Shark
The Great White Shark - Carcharodon carcharias
The great white shark belongs to the Lamnidae (Mackerel sharks) family and Carcharodon (White sharks) genus. The Latin name of the species is Carcharodon carcharias, but people often call it differently. White death, man-eater, white shark - are the most common epithets.
The habitat of the great white shark - is the coastal waters of almost all the world oceans. The only exception is the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean.
Despite the name, the only white part of the shark is the lower half of the body, while the upper half is dark. The line that is separating two halves is uneven and slurred.
The white shark is considered to be the largest carnivorous fish that have survived down to the present day. It often reaches 23 feet in length and can weight more than 3 tons. Of course, whale and basking sharks can be even larger, but since they eat plankton - they are not predators.
Such a huge predator acquired the darkest reputation very soon. Especially since the cases of white shark attacks on divers, swimmers or surfers have been repeatedly documented. To add, the possibility of survival after a large shark attack is very low. You are more likely to survive under the truck wheels, rather than in carcharodon jaws.
Mighty jaws with large and sharp teeth, strong and fast body and great tenacity in the prey pursuit make a meeting with a hungry white shark extremely dangerous.
White shark is currently the only member of the carcharodon genus, which is under a threat of extinction. According to scientists, the white sharks population includes about 3,500 individuals and continues to shrink.
For the first time the great white shark has been classified by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 as Squalus carcharias. But, in 1833, she was given a generic name - carcharodon, which is still used. The name comes from the Greek words: "karcharos", which means "sharp" and "odous", which means "tooth". The final version of the name that appeared in 1873 - carcharodon carcharias - was the result of combining of two names, one that was given by Linnaeus and the generic name given by Smith.
The Mackerel Shark family (Lamnidae), to which carcharodon belongs, consists of four species: Atlantic porbeagle (Lamna nasus), Pacific salmon shark (Lamna ditropis), longfin mako shark (Isurus paucus) and mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus).
Because of the large size and similar teeth structure there was a popular theory of the relationship between the modern carcharodon and the giant extinct megalodon. By the way, the full scientific name of Megalodon is Carcharodon Megalodon - a direct consequence of this hypothesis.
The results of recent researches show that great white shark is closer to mako shark, and the most likely ancestor of carcharodon is Isurus hastalis. Megalodon and white shark are just distant relatives, since they both belong to the Lamnidae family. Megalodons are related to Carcharocles genus, which includes the extinct Otodus obliquus.
The habitat of the great white shark
The great white shark inhabits in coastal seas of the continental shelf of tropical and temperate latitudes. They prefer water which temperature is between 12 and 24 degrees. They almost never appear in colder waters.
White sharks cannot be found in less salted seas as well. In particular, they do not come to the Black Sea, where the water is not salty enough. It would be difficult for the predator to find a food there, as well.
You can meet a great white shark in almost any coastal waters and in warm and temperate seas. In the southern hemisphere they cannot be found to the south from South Africa coast and Australian southern coast. It is believed that the best place to see the great white shark is the area off the California coast, near the Mexican island of Isla Guadalupe in the Pacific Ocean. There are some white sharks in the Mediterranean as well. Particularly in central part of Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas. White shark is a protected species off the New Zealand's coast.
It is worth noting that the great white sharks often form small flocks. For example, there is a large population in the Dyer Island waters, that is off the coast of South Africa. Many scientific researches, related to that kind of sharks, are held there.
It is not rare to meet a white shark near the Caribbean Sea islands and the Gulf of Mexico islands. There are a number of them near Madagascar, Seychelles, off the Kenyan coast and along the Australian coast.
White sharks mostly appear in those waters, where a lot of marine mammals such as sea lions, seals or whales, sharks and other species of large fish can be found.
Carcharodon is considered to be the king of the oceans, a super predator that stays on the top of the food chain. Probably the only serious opponent for the white shark is a large whale, except man of course.
Great white sharks can dive on a really significant depth, up to 1300 meters (4200 feet). Carcharodons do not spend their entire lives at one coast. They migrate for thousands of kilometers. For example, according to recent researches, white sharks move from California shores to Hawaii, to the place called "White Shark Cafe". They spend up to 100 days a year there. Moreover scientists still cannot understand the reason why do white sharks spend so much time in that "cafe". After all, there is not enough food for them in these waters.
It should be noted that carcharodons are moving slowly and dive to a depth of one kilometer during their migration. After sharks get to the coastal waters, their diving depth decreases to 300 meters (1000 feet).
Tracking of the white shark, tagged off the South Africa coast, revealed some interesting facts. Every year this shark was swimming to the southern coast of Australia and back. The total length of migration route was about 20 thousand kilometers (12 thousand miles). It was taking less than 9 months for the shark.
Thus, the white shark is not a coastal predator, as scientists believed. Generally speaking, the way of life of white sharks and their habits are quite poorly studied. In particular, the sharks migration objectives and reasons are still unclear. Perhaps it is related to mating games of white sharks or to hunt seasonality. There are several theories, though no confirmed ones.
Recently, it became clear to scientists that white sharks from different populations do not live in isolation, but regularly contact each other during migration.
The internal structure and appearance of white sharks
Like most of shark's bodies the body of a great white shark resembles a spindle. Large head, in the form of a cone, eyes, a pair of nostrils and a mouth on it. To increase the flow rate of water going to the nostrils, they are surrounded by small grooves, thanks to what carcharodon has a good sense of smell.
Huge mouth is equipped with serrated triangular teeth that shark uses to cut off large pieces of meat easily. The jaw pressure of the big white shark can reach 18,000 Newtons. It should be noted that this result was obtained by a computer simulation.
The teeth are arranged in several rows: white shark usually has 5. The total number of teeth - about 280-300. The teeth are getting regularly changed. It takes about 3 months for a young white shark to completely change the first row of its teeth. Process goes slower for adult sharks - about 8 months.
Five gill slits are located behind the white shark's head.
Carcharodon has a protective coloration that is typical for fish that lives in the water. Shark has an off-white belly and a dark gray back, with impurities of green, blue or brown. Such coloration makes shark barely noticeable and allows it get close to its prey.
The largest fins are - two pectoral fins and a front dorsal fin. Second dorsal, pelvic and anal fins are much smaller and are not so meaty. The tail fin is large, its upper and lower blades are the same size, what is typical for this sharks family.
Well-developed circulatory system is an interesting feature of white sharks. Because of it carcharodon is able to warm up the muscles very quick and to demonstrate a high speed and mobility.
Sharks have no swim bladder, and the white shark is not an exception. As a result, it has negative buoyancy and has to constantly swim in order not to sink. Considering that sharks live on Earth for millions of years, the lack of a swim bladder causes no problems to them.
Size of the great white shark
Size of the great white shark is a highly debated topic. An ordinary adult white shark is about 4-5,3m (13-16 feet) big and weighs up to a ton. Females are usually a little bit larger than males.
As for the maximum size of the shark it is common to indicate 8 meters (26 feet) and a weight of 3.5 tons. However, some researchers believe that carcharodon can reach more significant size - up to 10-12 meters (33-39 feet).
For a long time the largest great white sharks considered to be: the fish caught in 70-ies of the XIX century on the Australian coast near Port Fairy, which had a length of 10.9 meters (36 feet), and another one, caught in 1930 by a hearing trap near the dam of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, which had a length of 11.3 meters (37 feet). This information was presented by both popular entertainment publications and scientific literature. The rest caught white sharks were not bigger than 6.5-7 meters (21-23 feet).
Nowadays the plausibility of the posts about caught sharks-champions is being questioned. First of all, there is a big difference between these sharks and ones that were seen by the scientists. Secondly, both of these sharks were not measured by scientists. The message about the shark from New Brunswick came from the fishermen who may have really seen a giant shark instead of white. They have a similar body shape, but belong to completely different species.
As for the shark from Port Fairy, the research of its jaw made by ??D.I. Reynolds in 1970, 100 years after the capture of the shark, made a lot of things clear. According to his calculations, the jaws from the Port Fairy could belong to a great white shark that was no longer than 6 meters (20 feet). Some excess of its size was probably caused by the desire to create a sensation.
The largest great white shark, which was reliably measured by scientists, had a length of 6.4 meters (21 feet). It was caught in 1945 off the Cuba coast. Researches and measurements were documented, but even in this case there were experts who argued that the Cuban white shark was actually a few feet shorter. That shark weighted 3270 kg (7200 lbs), but in spite of measurement accuracy, it was not documented, so that there is no proof.
The diet of the great white shark
Young white sharks eat relatively small sea fish, mammals and animals. While growing up, carcharodons expand their diet by including adult seals and sea lions, cephalopods, large fish and other marine feed. White sharks are often hunting and eating other smaller sharks. Sometimes white sharks gnaw dead whale carcasses.
Great white shark coloring works great as a camouflage, helping to sneak up to a prey at a distance of an effective attack. Due to high body temperature, carcharodon can reach high speed. In addition, a good blood supply of the brain grants the great white shark a quite high "intelligence".
Thanks to that, the set of tactics they use during the hunt is very diverse and hunting methods are quite smart. Combined with an impressive physical data, it ensures a hunting success for the white shark, no matter what kind of prey it is chasing.
White sharks need a fat rich food to maintain energy balance at the proper level. A lot of calories are spent to warm up the muscle tissue. As a result, carcharodons love to eat marine mammals, because of their fatty meat. Fatty mammals include seals, sea lions, dolphins and even small whales.
When hunting a seal white shark can just move in the water like it is not noticing the mammal. Right under the seal the shark abruptly changes its direction and move straight up, accelerating up to 40 km/h (25 mi/h) and above. It happens often that white shark completely jumps out of the water while using this attack method.
Sometimes shark does not kill the seal during the attack, but cause serious wounds with its jaws by striking it with a head or grabbing and throwing it. Then it quietly swims up to a wounded or stunned prey and start to eat.
Considering the love of white sharks to marine mammals, it becomes clear why sharks attack divers or surfers sometimes. At a distance, a man, especially in flippers and a diving suit, look like a seal. Shark mistakes him for its favorite prey and attack. It realizes it was wrong only when grabbing a skinny and a rubber smelling man. By the way, that explains why sometimes a shark bites a man, and does not devour it but swims away instead. White shark may eat unusual and less nutritious food only because of starvation.
Great white sharks reproduction
It is believed that no one still have seen the mating process of great white sharks. As well as the birth of the baby. Like almost all sharks, carcharodons are ovoviviparous.
Pregnancy lasts about 11 months, after what the female gives birth to one or two cubs. Intrauterine cannibalism is quite typical for great white sharks. The strongest and most physically developed babies eat weaker sisters and brothers before they get born. Only the strongest and healthiest individuals are able to come into the world.
Small sharks can start to hunt on their own right after the birth. They have a well-developed body and teeth, though they are much smaller than adult sharks.
White sharks grow slowly and reach their sexual maturity only at age of 12-15. Low fertility and prolonged puberty are some of the reasons for population reduction. While anthropogenic factor is still the main cause.
Great white sharks population in the Mediterranean Sea
The largest shark that lives nowadays is Carcharodon carcharias or great white shark. It is the only species of the Carcharodon genus that has survived down to the present day and earned the "white death" nickname. There are almost no worthy opponents for a white shark at sea, except for large whale that is a grave threat for it.
White sharks live mostly in the coastal waters of the continental shelf, but some populations prefer Mediterranean Sea.
It is believed that Mediterranean Sea is the safest place for people to swim in, but how is it possible if there are so many large predators living there? Let's try to find this out.
Population of white sharks in the Mediterranean Sea was currently declined for almost three times. Despite the fact that some states specifically prohibit trapping and killing these predators, the unregulated white sharks fishing continues. The reason is an extremely high cost of trophies, shark jaws and teeth. You can sell shark fins, its liver and fat, which are used to prepare delicacies, at a good price.
Mediterranean carcharodons are on the verge of extinction. Their complete disappearance may cause a local ecological disaster. Fortunately, nowadays, there is an increase of the migration of white sharks from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. Thus the population decline is getting compensated at least for a little bit.
What are the chances for vacationers to be attacked by a white shark, while bathing at Mediterranean beaches? It turns out that in terms of shark's eating habits, man is too bony and sinewy, while sharks love fat food. They would prefer tuna or seal instead of man.
Therefore, most of the shark's attacks in the Mediterranean Sea had been provoked by people themselves. Fishermen are often getting attacked, while trying to catch a big fish. Same for divers, who imprudently approach to the predator.
It is common for the Mediterranean shark to attack and seize the human with its teeth, and then suddenly to let him go and swim away. In many other regions, this attack can end lethal for a man, because the shark will eat it, despite its unpleasant taste.
Probably one of the reasons for such behavior is the plenty of forage for carcharodon in the Mediterranean. There are a lot of fish species and more than 45 other shark species in local waters. They all can become a food for the great white shark. That's why carcharodon refuses to eat the nasty-tasting and not too nutritious Homo sapiens.
The white shark becomes truly dangerous to humans only when its food supply is getting exhausted. It is worth noting that there has been an increase of the number of the man and carcharodon contacts along the coast during the last years, whereas before these sharks have been rarely approaching the shore.
Such contacts do not always end with an aggression, but in any case, when great white sharks approach for more than 100 meters to the coast, the beaches are getting closed. It is funny that sometimes quite harmless dolphins get mistaken for predators.
Fear of the white shark is more based on movies and media information rather than on actual cases. Isolated incidents are getting transformed into something enormous.
Of course, the white shark is a large and dangerous predator and you shouldn't approach it in any case, or even more so, to touch its fins. Oddly enough, there are still too self-confident divers who violate this simple rule. The result of such a reckless action can be very disappointing.
For example, when a known Italian director died in the teeth of a great white shark, almost no one paid an attention to the fact that he have decided to participate in sport fishing and was actually trying to catch the carcharodon. He even caught a great white shark, but fell into the sea, where he was bitten in half by the enraged trophy.
Although the Mediterranean is no longer an active fishing zone, white sharks are getting permanently exterminated in this area. Not for their meat, but for the delicacies and souvenirs for tourists. They cook a fin soup that can cost up to 100 dollars in some restaurants. They make souvenirs from bones and teeth.
Sometimes they catch a shark, cut off its fins and let it go then. It is obvious that such a cripple won't be able to live for a long time. Most likely, it will be eaten by other large sharks.
There are not a lot of white sharks in the Mediterranean, and they are much less aggressive than other populations of this species. Carcharodon plays an important role in the marine ecosystem. And experience shows that there are no unnecessary components in the ecosystem.
In some regions, white sharks are protected by law, particularly in the Australian exclusive economic zone in the waters of South Africa, in Israel, Malta, Namibia, and in the coastal zone of Florida and California. But it does not stop those who want to earn good money.
The complete extermination of the Mediterranean white sharks will inevitably lead to a serious disruption of the ecosystem balance. And the only reason why this can happen is a human greed and senseless cruelty.
Unfortunately, this is not the only species under the threat of extinction, which man is causing. Black pages of the Red Book that are full of extinct species are the evidence.


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DURAL DIAMONDGLOBE Sol Silver
Item #329795
The DIAMONDGLOBE silver DURAL PREMIUM-LINE profile tile trim is created to detail your space with luxurious edging, detailing and decorating. Each of these DURAL profile pieces is uniquely crafted with brass and plated in silver. The bordering crystals are original genuine Swarovski elements, confirmed by the included certificate of authenticity. An adhesive was specially developed to guarantee the crystals stay secure and never stop sparkling.
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Work Experience
Work experience is a great opportunity to boost your workplace skills and build your industry knowledge. At Grantham College, every student aged 16-18 at enrolment completes at least 30 hours on a placement with a local employer whose business is relevant to the student's course.
Although it's not paid, work experience is nevertheless invaluable: it enables students to enhance their CV and obtain a reference – really useful when applying for jobs. Many students who impress their host employer secure paid part-time work as a result and some students are recruited full time once they've achieved their qualifications.
We encourage students to find their own placements so that they can practice the skills needed when seeking and applying for full time jobs, however our Work Experience Team can offer support and guidance if needed. In addition, Employability lessons will teach you about CV writing and interviews, so you'll feel prepared and confident as you search for a host company.
Have a read below of some success stories!
"The highest compliment I can give is that if they maintain their standard when they complete their degrees, then I would seriously look at offering them roles in our department." - Business students
"The student was amazing, we were all very impressed with her. We had 2 very busy days and she coped extremely well, was very willing and capable and we valued her help. She spent time in the ticket office and helped with the workshops. All the staff and volunteers that she worked with said how great she was so if she ever wants to come back, she would be most welcome." - Travel & Tourism student
"The student has been a pleasure to work with. She is pleasant and helpful at all times. Throughout the week she has completed a variety of tasks both quickly & efficiently, always being willing to move on to the next task. Please thank her for her contribution this week." - Business student
"I just wanted to let you know how brilliant they were... The customer service was outstanding." - Animal Care students


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Spring Fling
Date, Start Time
April 01, 2017 11:00 AM
Date, End Time
April 01, 2017 03:00 PM
Happy Valley Day Lodge
Come and celebrate the Spring in style!
Spring has sprung at Big White and we are having an Outdoor Family Festival and BBQ to celebrate.
Join us at the Happy Valley Skating Rink from 11am for an Outdoor BBQ, FREE Kids Carnival, Beach Volleyball and great spring vibes! We will also have live entertainment from 12pm until 2pm.
For more information about this event please contact the Concierge Desk at 250.491.6111 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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According to studies done at the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in Massachusetts and at Colorado State University, secondhand smoke can cause lung and nasal cancer in dogs, malignant lymphoma in cats and allergy and respiratory problems in both animals.
A report from Global News stated that one of the leading causes of death in cats is lymphoma and the research conducted at Tufts shows that, over time, exposure to smoke doubles a cat's chance of getting cancer. If a cat is living with a smoker for more than five years, the risk increases fourfold. Secondhand smoke can also cause mouth cancer in animals.
According to Morris Animal foundation, a Denver-based company which has been funding pet research since the 60s, cancer kills more dogs and cats than any other disease.
And don't think that e-cigarettes are any safer. The nicotine cartridges can be harmful to animals, so be sure to dispose of them safely and not just in the trash, says Dr. Liz Rozanski, Tufts veterinarian.
Worried about your furry friend? Symptoms of cancer in pets include coughing, trouble breathing, weight loss, trouble eating, nasal discharge, bleeding and sneezing.
-Jessica Harding, associate web editor


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James and his sister Marisa want to have a forever family that has a dog, goes on family outings, and can allow them to be the only kids in the home. James likes baseball, riding his bike, and taco pie (we like him already!). He struggles with self-control and anger, and he is afraid of the dark. Marisa likes reading, music, dancing, and desserts, but she does deal with some occasional anger and defiance. These kids need a forever mom and dad with patience and understanding. Are you the forever family they are longing for? Inquire below for more information on James and Marisa.
Age: 12, 15
Out of state home studies are not being considered at this time. Arkansas residents may inquire.


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Lost Pet Recovery Service
1 in 3 pets goes missing during its lifetime, and 90% of those without proper ID never return home. Let Pet Assure return them home safe and sound with our Lost Pet Recovery Service, included in your membership!
1. Attach ID Tags
You'll receive a tag for each of your pets that contains a unique ID number and the toll-free number of our 24/7 Lost Pet Recovery Service. Secure the tag to your pet's collar.
2. Your Pet Is Found
If your pet is ever lost, the finder can call the toll-free, 24/7 Lost Pet Recovery Service line and provide the ID number on your pet's tag.
3. We Contact You Immediately
Our operators will look up your pet using the ID number and go right to work calling you and the emergency contacts you provided, until they find someone who knows your pet.
Home at Last!
Pet Assure will arrange a safe and convenient pick-up to ensure
that your pet is reunited with you as soon as possible.


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When Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen clinched his first Ryder Cup bid last week, it prompted a raucous celebration. In mid-August, however, his mood was decidedly darker. Twice in the span of 10 days, his air carrier lost a set of his clubs. Two different sets of clubs — poof, gone. Credit Olesen for making the most of a bad situation. When his first bag eventually reappeared, he gifted it to a Twitter follower.
Tour pros aren't the only golfers to experience the headache (and sometimes heartache) of airlines misplacing their clubs. The problem is just as likely to afflict, well … you.
So, how best to proceed when your clubs go MIA?
First, don't panic. "Submit your claim without ranting. Most luggage is just delayed, not lost," says Gordon Dalgleish, president of PerryGolf, one of the industry's leading custom travel service companies. "Follow the process described by the airline for tracking luggage. While tempting to call the airline/airport, that will change little. Most airlines update status online. Keep your receipts for all expenses as a result of the delay and be reasonable about costs."
As long as you file notice of claim within 24 hours, the airline will reimburse you for the actual value of the lost property (less any applicable depreciation) determined by the documented original purchase price, so keep your receipts for whatever items filled your travel bag. For U.S. domestic flights, the maximum reimbursement is $3,500; for international flights, the figures are $9.07 per pound, up to $640 per bag, between destinations where the Warsaw Convention applies.
If your clubs are in "delayed" mode, most airlines will compensate you for the costs of rental clubs, one or two sleeves of balls, a glove, and rental shoes — or possibly a new pair of shoes, provided you show receipts and that the costs are reasonable.
However, the definition of "reasonable" is, at best, elastic and, at worst, inexplicably fuzzy. If you're a status flyer or someone who flew first-class or business, and you were on your way to an important client function, it's a lot likelier you'll have your PXG rentals and new $300 Foot-Joys greenlighted for reimbursement than would if you were sitting in a middle seat at the back of the plane on a once-a-year visit to your in-laws with a golf game or two on tap.
Should you protect your clubs by taking out pre-trip insurance that would guard against their loss in transit? "It's not necessary," Dalgleish says. "Your homeowners' or renters' insurance will usually take care of that. Of course, you can't double dip from your homeowners' insurance and from the airlines. Trip insurance makes sense when it comes to a delay or cancellation of the trip itself, not so much for your golf clubs."
There are a few precautionary measures you can take to minimize the chance that your clubs go missing — to begin with, book direct flights (or, better yet, fly private!) and make sure your travel bag has your name, phone number and address clearly marked on it — but largely when you travel you're at the mercy of the golf gods. Stuff happens. So try to remain positive and don't let the mix-up sour your trip.
Indeed, there's really only one way to guarantee your clubs arrive with you: buy them a seat next to you.


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Whether your clients' higher-education bills are a year or two away, or just arrived in the mail, you can calm even the most panicked family by informing them that there are more ways to meet the expense than just by writing a big, fat check.
Here are most of the methods clients can use to pay their kids' education expenses, presented in the order of most to least optimal for the situations of most families.
1. Grants
Grants are generally awarded via the school's financial aid office and usually require the family to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, available at fafsa.ed.gov.
2. Scholarships
High school students should contact their school's guidance counselor for regional or specialized academic opportunities. The intended college or university's financial aid office can also help, as can sites like Fastweb.com and MyScholly.com.
3. Direct Subsidized Federal Student Loans
Families who haven't fully saved for college costs should get direct federal loans as soon as they can, while they can, for as much as they can. The rates are low, generally no credit check is required, and several repayment and eventual forgiveness plans may come in handy down the road. There are annual and lifetime limits on the amount of money that can be borrowed.
Read Entire Article: http://www.wealthmanagement.com/college-planning/twenty-ways-pay-college


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Question: "How do I overcome the dreaded 'overqualified' objection?"
Few employment-related issues aggravate job hunters as much as the notion that an employer might really like them, and be impressed with their credentials, but neglect to move forward with a formal offer due to the concern that they (the candidate) might be "overqualified" for the opportunity at hand.
In these situations, which are of course much more common among older, more experienced professionals, is there any chance that the job hunter can change the employer's mind? Is there any type of tactic or technique that can effectively neutralize this objection and get the hiring manager to see things differently?
Honestly, the answer is probably "no" in the majority of cases. This is not only because the objection tends to surface at the very end of the interview process, when the employer's impression of the candidate is already fairly well-formed, but also because the overqualified objection is also not likely the real issue in the majority of cases. Telling somebody that they are "overqualified" is often a lot safer, and more comfortable, than telling somebody that they might not be getting a job due to other factors such as age, salary level, lack of education, sloppy appearance, or poor interviewing skills. One can argue (or sue) over the other reasons, if they are expressed, but it's tough to fight an employer's subjective decision that a person might be overqualified, and therefore not challenged by a particular work assignment, if that's the excuse offered for a no-hire decision. And boy, do employers know it!
This isn't to say, however ,that a properly-prepared job hunter can't substantially diminish an employer's perception that they may be overqualified, especially if they assess this potential threat to their candidacy right from the outset. As with most interview objections, the key is to hunt for the quasi-legitimate grain of truth behind the negative stereotype or perception. Simply put, in cases where employers truly believe a candidate is overly experienced for a given role, their fears are usually that a) the candidate will be bored and jump ship at the first opportunity for a more challenging assignment; b) the candidate will end up asking for too much money; or c) the candidate will be so experienced that they will be tough to manage, as well as as a potential threat to the job security of their boss.
It's difficult for job seekers to admit the likelihood of these perceptions being accurate, I realize, especially when a senior-level person is under the gun to get back to work and generate some cash flow. As one of our clients recently put it, however, he was saying all the right words in the interview, but knew deep down it was way too junior of an opportunity to consider given his background. In fact, after responding to this objection in a recent interview, he reported "I didn't even convince myself, in my own mind, that I wasn't grossly overqualified for the role." The result? The odds of his convincing the employer to this effect were almost nil.
In the event, however, that you do face a legitimate situation where you think the employer is missing the boat, and that you could be sincerely happy with a given assignment despite your experience level, your best bet is to tackle the issue early on in the process, using disarming honesty. You might say:
"I can completely understand why you might think I'm overqualified for this position, but honestly, I don't view this assignment as 'settling' in any way, shape, or form in terms of my current goals. I've done a lot of soul-searching around the type of ideal opportunity and organization I want to pursue, and this position you're discussing is right in my sweet spot because of (insert reasons). So while you're right, I might be a bit more experienced than some of the other folks you're considering, you'd ultimately be hiring an employee who knows exactly what he wants — and would be going into this position with eyes wide open in terms of what to expect. Ironically, this is probably a more important contributing factor to retention than just about any other element, wouldn't you say? Somebody who knows what they want and won't be surprised to find out what the job really entails?"
Again, whether using this script or any other, you certainly can't expect to win 'em all. But if you can inject this kind of dialogue into the discussion right from the opening gate, in appropriate situations, you'll have the best odds of heading off the "overqualified" objection at the pass — and minimizing the chances of the employer holding your years of experience against you!


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183 Farnborough Rd, Yeppoon QLD, 4703
Request a Quote!
0419 891 405
Equipment Hire
Prefab shed kits to garage doors
Prefab Shed Kit Sets
Available in timber or steel.
Steel stud frame kits available
Beat the summer head with Insulbubble™. A reflective foil that includes layers of polypropylene weave which is laminated to be fire retardant and provide thermal insulation. Australian made.
Garage remotes
Discover the convenience of being able to open your garage door at the touch of a button.
Automatic garage door openers
Gone are the days where one had to get out of the car and hoist open a manual roller door. Ask us for a competitive quote on automating your garage door.
Garage doors
Has your garage door seen better days? Perhaps your kids have dented it beyond recognition or there've been a few nudges with the front of the car. We have a wide range of roller doors that can be automated for ease of use.
Automatic gates
Secure your property from unwanted visitors with the addition of an automatic gate.
Flooring systems
Talk to us today about the different floors we can install in existing or new builds.
Screen doors
Keep bugs and intruders out with the addition of screen doors. Call us for more information.
Water Tanks
Local suppliers of The National Poly industries tank.
Find out more about the products we stock.
Discuss your requirements
with our team today.


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Package box
The Book Series «ABOUT truttl-fruttl»
The series «ABOUT» corresponds to stories about all the things in the whole world. Each book is performed using special technique by sole author but all of them have common format and get-up elements. The whole set of books is packed in single box. These small books with round window invite kids to make acquaintance with animals, dive to sea bed, walk around a city, visit garden and space.
We'd most like if the project books are different ant its content integrates cognitive, game and artistic features. The artists narrate with sincerity and fantasy about environment wondering together with looker.
Ivan Alexandrov «ABOUT SWALLOWS»


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When customers taste their first piece of Black Mountain Chocolate, owner Brent Peters likes to watch their faces. As 70 percent pure dark chocolate melts in their mouths, the taste evolves with natural flavors — cherry, nuts, sometimes even tobacco — eliciting expressions of surprise and delight. "It never gets old," Peters says.
Picture windows provide a peek into the "visible factory," where cocoa beans from the Dominican Republic become chocolate bars and gelato, espresso brownies and salted caramel tarts.
From March to November, visitors can take a tour or try a guided tasting. Peters thrives on discovery, too, experimenting with truffle flavors like wildflower-honey and lavender-chamomile. "I get to come in here and play with my food," he says. "I'm always trying to match things up and see what new combinations I can discover."
Black Mountain Chocolate
732 Trade Street Northwest
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 293-4698


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When: Thu., Feb. 16, 8-11:45 p.m. 2017
Dark Star Orchestra offers much more than the sound of the Grateful Dead, they truly encapsulate the energy and the experience. It's about a sense of familiarity. It's about a feeling that grabs listeners and takes over. It's about that contagious energy... in short, it's about the complete experience and consistent quality show that the fan receives when attending a Dark Star Orchestra show.
Price: $32.50