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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Anthony Ervin is beyond the comeback stage. Now, he's just trying to be the man to beat in swimming's most chaotic race.
The two-time Olympian knocked off an impressive field in the 50-meter freestyle at the Arena Grand Prix in Charlotte, tearing through the one-lap dash with a blistering in-season time of 22.01 seconds Saturday night.
He knocked off fellow Olympians Cullen Jones, Tyler McGill, Ricky Berens and Britain's Adam Brown.
"Did it catch me off guard? Yeah!" Ervin said. "Training's been so hard that feeling good and feeling fast has been sparse -- real, real sparse. Being that I flew in last night, I wasn't expecting to be that fast. I'm relieved. It feels good. This definitely gives me a confidence boost."
Jones finished third at 22.16, just behind Brazil's Marcelo Chierighini at 22.09. McGill was fifth (22.77) and Berens settled for seventh (22.97), both competing in events that aren't part of their normal program. Berens said it was the first time he's raced the 50 in four years.
Still, it was an impressive performance by Ervin, who left the sport for eight years after winning gold at the 2000 Sydney Games. The 31-year-old returned to swimming in 2011, made the U.S. team for the London Games, and finished fifth in the 50 free.
Having recaptured his love for the sport, he shows no signs of slowing down with the world championships approaching this summer in Barcelona.
"I know I'm definitely, like, top 10 in the world," Ervin said. "I don't consider myself quite yet a tier-one sprinter. But hopefully by the end of the summer, I will be."
That's certainly a change from last summer, when he was just glad to make it to London. These days, he's setting much higher goals.
"I was just so excited and thrilled to be part of (the Olympics). I really didn't have anything to do other than just do my best. It was like a whole new thing," Ervin said. "That was great for last year. This year, I feel like I have something to prove. I have goals that kind of reach beyond what I was doing last year."
Jessica Hardy picked up her third victory of the meet in the women's 50 free, topping another strong field. She won with a time of 25.09, edging Madison Kennedy and Megan Romano, who tied for second in 25.12. Olympian Dana Vollmer was fourth (25.80), while two other members of last year's U.S. team were farther back -- Amanda Weir took sixth (25.88), followed by Lia Neal (25.89).
Mike Alexandrov joined Hardy as a three-time winner in Charlotte, winning the 200 breaststroke in 2 minutes, 13.60 second. Annie Zhu claimed the women's 200 breast in 2:27.16.
In the 100 backstroke, Romano made up for her runner-up finish in the 50 free by winning in 1:00.83. Andrew teDuits claimed the men's 100 back in 54.43.
The women's 400 free went to Chloe Sutton, who held off Gillian Ryan by six-tenths of a second with a time of 4:09.10. Connor Jaeger was the men's winner in 3:48.77, blowing away the field by a full 2 seconds.
In the 200 butterfly, Singapore's Joseph Schooling took the men's race in 1:57.79 for his second victory of the meet, while Andreina Pinto of Venezuela claimed the women's race in 2:12.40.
Vollmer came back to easily win the 50 butterfly in 26.18. Chierighini, the 50 free runner-up, was the men's winner in 23.72.
Ryan Lochte swam in only one event on the night. He was sixth in the 100 back, more than a second behind teDuits.
"The time was good for where I'm at," said Lochte, who only resumed full-time training in the past two weeks after wrapping his reality TV show. "The place (stunk)."
Lochte has already gotten a reality check from his coach, Gregg Troy.
"He yelled at me. He gave it to me good," Lochte said. "He was like, `You know what? You've been messing up this whole year. If you don't watch it, you're not going to make worlds.' I trust him with my life. He's the world's best coach. I'm going to listen to him. It's my time to get in gear."
But Lochte acknowledged there's no way he'll be in the same condition he was last summer, when he won two golds, two silvers and a bronze in what was actually considered a bit of a disappointing Olympic performance.
"I don't really know what to expect," Lochte said. "I'm not going to be in top peak shape. I just haven't done it this year. But the times and the effort I've been putting in are getting up there."
He'll compete at two more meets -- a Canadian event, then the Grand Prix stop in Santa Clara -- before the U.S. world team trials in June.
"A month ago, I was a little nervous," Lochte said. "But now, I'm feeling better. The past two weeks have been really good. It's given me my confidence back."
Ervin is taking his career on a year-to-year basis, though he concedes the idea of competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics is appealing.
So far, so good.
"We're so happy to see him back in the pool," Berens said. "He's one of the guys we looked up to, so seeing him come back and put up times like that, it's awesome."
Berens has no doubt that Ervin will keep right on swimming through the Rio Games.
"He's going to be Dara Torres' age," quipped Berens, referring to the five-time Olympian who competed into her 40s. "In 2012, he was just excited about being back in the pool. Now, it's turned into, how fast can I go? He's like an age-grouper right now, just enjoying everything he's doing. I wouldn't put it past him to swim another four years."
Ervin has no regrets about his long layoff from swimming, or a flinch at the start of last year's Olympic final that might've cost him a medal.
"It's always about looking forward," he said. "I'm not really holding onto anything in the past. That really doesn't do me any good. When I say I have something to prove, it's not to prove I can beat everybody else. It's something I have to prove to myself, what I can do with my own training and my own times."
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Pop quiz: What's the fastest-growing group of food shelf clients?
A) Homeless
B) Unemployed
C) None of the above
Correct answer: C.
The fastest-growing group of food shelf clients is the working poor. Forty-seven percent of households using food shelves in our area report the family's major source of income is paid employment.
Need is growing, which is why Warners' Stellian partnered with Minnesota home remodeler New Spaces to collect food donations to benefit hunger-relief organization Second Harvest Heartland.
From Saturday, Dec. 5-12, you can drop off nonperishable food donations to any Warners' Stellian location in the Twin Cities. New Spaces will hold an open house at its Burnsville office from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 5 and Saturday Dec. 12 to collect nonperishable food donations. New Spaces will offer refreshments and a tour of their product showroom during the open house.
Second Harvest Heartland distributes more than 48 million pounds of food and grocery products annually to 960 food shelves, soup kitchens, shelters and programs in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin. In the fight against hunger, every donation counts.
However, the most needed items include:
- Meats, fish and protein—canned tuna, ham or chicken, beef stew, chili, peanut butter,canned/dried beans
- Fruits and Vegetables—100% fruit juice, canned fruits & veggies, fruit preserves
- Complete meals—pasta & sauce, boxed meals, hearty soups
- Cleaning supplies—laundry detergent, paper towels, kitchen/bathroom cleaners
Please help us support those greatest in need!


text:
PBS documentary focuses on "Latino Americans"
Benjamin Bratt (son of a Peruvian mother) will narrate a six-hour documentary series called "Latino Americans," slated for fall 2013 on PBS.
The producers aim to document "the evolution of a new "Latino American" identity from the 1500s to the present day, with interviews with close to 100 Latinos from the worlds of politics, business and pop culture." That means the familiar Rita Moreno to Gloria Estefan span, as far as entertainment history is concerned.
Cuban-born Adriana Bosch (who previously produced the excellent "Latin Music U.S.A." for "American Experience") leads the team of filmmakers. Word is the production crew is largely Hispanic as well.


text:
Candy Baskets in Alice TX. Ph 800-757-1840
Candy Delivery in Alice TX, and Same Day Candy Basket Delivery in Alice TX. Order by Noon for Same Day Delivery. We also feature flowers balloons, roses, teddy bears and more.
Alice Texas 78332
Ph: 800-757-1840
To View our selection of Candy Baskets in Alice TX, CLICK HERE, or call our Flower Shop at 800-757-1840
We offer Same Day Candy Basket Delivery in Alice TX. Our Candy Baskets in Alice TX are perfect gifts for Any occasion where you want to send something tasty and you know that it will be appreciated. Whether it be for a Childs Birthday, Your Husband, wife, son or daughters Birthday, A Friends Birthday or Anniversary, a Congratulations gift, or an occasion you want a same day gift delivered in Alice TX. We also deliver Easter Candy Baskets in Alice TX, call us at 800-757-1840.
We can ad additional items to any Candy Basket in Alice TX to personalize it such as Balloons, Teddy Bears, Stuffed Animals or Flowers. Same Day Delivery Candy Baskets in Alice TX are great gifts. When ordering a candy basket, Just be sure to place your order prior to Noon for same day delivery.
To place an order, click on the above highlighted link in yellow, call us at 800-757-1840, or go to our website www.absolutelyflowers.com
Absolutely Flowers. Same Day Delivery Candy Baskets in Alice TX, The Perfect Gift.


text:
Mediterannean Beach Property for Sale
Which type of property ?
Where on the French Coast ?
Recently Sold
Garage Port Leucate
22 800 €
Living by the sea
Port Leucate Immobilier is a real estate agency based in Port Leucate, near the Mediterranean sea, in South of France.
We offer you rare opportunities to own a flat, an apartment or a house near the sea, in the wonderful area of Leucate and Barcarès, in Languedoc-Roussillon and Occitanie.
Our French waterfront and seaview properties really have to be seen to be appreciated. If you are seeking an affordable beach property for sale, don't miss our special portfolio. You can also take advantage of our holidays rentals to enjoy the picturesque beauty of stunning beaches and french fishing villages.
Our Real Estate Agency in Port Leucate
Beach Houses for sale in France and Vacation Rentals
Looking for a nice coastal property for sale in South of France ? A beach house near the sea ? Or seeking a beautiful french house or apartment by the sea, for your vacation in Port Leucate, Port Barcarès or surroundings ? Our real estate agency, Port Leucate Immobilier, specialises in the sale and vacation rental of beach properties in Languedoc-Roussillon and Occitanie, two wonderful coastal areas of South of France.
We aim to offer the sort of service we would all like to receive if we were buying or renting the house of our dreams with seaview or located on the waterside. Our portfolio of properties for sale by the sea includes homes not just in Port Leucate but also in the surrounding friendly towns, which have a long maritime and touristic history. Every type of watery experience can be had in our wonderful region full of french fishing villages : from sailing to paddling, including swimming and riding by the sea.
1 Rue du Veyret BP 24 Centre commercial du Port
11370 Port Leucate
Phone : 04-68-40-78-78
Contact details
Life Estate
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162 000 €
1 Rue du Veyret BP 24 Centre commercial du Port
11370 Port Leucate
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See the map
3 rooms - 41 m²
94 000 €
2 rooms - 32 m²
173 600 €
3 rooms - 37 m²
185 000 €
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Coastal houses for sale
Seaside flats for sale
Looking for a beach house for sale in South of France ? We hand-select stunning villas and houses for sale next to the sea in South of France, not far from the French Riviera (Languedoc-Roussillon and Occitanie coastal areas). Don't miss our cheap apartments for sale near the beach !
Beach Properties for Sale
Looking for the perfect holiday villa / home to rent in South of France, next to the sea, with swimming-pool and furniture ? Don't miss our beautiful holiday rentals in South of France !
Beach Holiday Rentals


text:
1) Script Title:
Disable Text Selection script
2) Script URL (on DD): http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex9/noselect.htm
3) Describe problem:
I am attempting to disable text selection in MSIE and Mozilla (firefox).
I have tried the script referenced above to no avail...
I am interested in disallowing both Click Select (mousedown) to select text AND Select All from the top menu and/or right click menu.
I have located a script that will disallow both Click Select (mousedown) AND Select All in MSIE, and disallow Click Select (mousedown) in Firefox, but does allow Select All either from the top menu or right click menu (in Firefox).
Here is the script:
<script language="JavaScript1.2">
function disableselect(e){
return false
function reEnable(){
return true
//if IE4+
document.onselectstart=new Function ("return false")
//if NS6
if (window.sidebar){
I would greatly appreciate if anyone can correct the script to also disallow the Select All feature in Firefox.


text:
Mango Lassi (Indian Yogurt Drink)
Every mango lassi recipe you'll find always has the same list of ingredients. Milk, yogurt, mango (fresh or canned), sugar and some crushed ice are always present, though the proportions may differ. To these, I added cardamom extract, saffron (for color) and a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor of the mango.
There's something magical about mango lassi (Indian-style smoothie). It has the richness of a milkshake without the calories. On top of that, it's ultra easy to make at home. You don't have to wait for your next trip to the local Indian restaurant to enjoy a tall glass of mango-ey goodness.
Yields: 6 glasses1-1/4 cups mango pulp (see tips)
2 cups plain yogurt
2/3 cup milk (I used evaporated milk)
1/4 cup superfine sugar, to taste
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups crushed ice
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads (optional)
1/8 teaspoon cardamom extract (optional)
In a mortar and pestle, grind the saffron threads (if used). Add about 1/4 cup of milk.
Combine the mango purée, yogurt, saffron milk (if used), the rest of the milk, superfine sugar, salt and crushed ice in a blender. Blend all the ingredients for about 2 minutes. While the mixture is blending, add the cardamom extract (if used). The consistency of the smoothie should be smooth and creamy.
Pour into 6 small glasses. Wasn't it easy?
You can decorate the top of the glasses with crushed nuts (slivered almonds, pistachios or cashews), just as it's done for other Indian drinks, such as sharbat.
I prefer using canned mango pulp because the mangoes are picked at the peak of ripeness, which guarantees a consistent result. I get it at the Indian store but you can also get it online. I prefer the Kesar mango variety, which is much smaller than the Alphonso kind and much sweeter.
I prefer using superfine sugar. It's a fine-grained sugar and it dissolves much more quickly than regular sugar.
I made my own yogurt last summer. It's easier that you imagine; making homemade yogurt doesn't even require a yogurt maker. You can click on the link for the recipe.
If you don't have cardamom extract (I buy mine at an Indian store), you can grind cardamom seeds** into a fine powder, using a mortar and pestle. Crush all the nits and gather about 1 teaspoon.
** It's very easy to extract the seeds from a cardamom pod with a mortar and pestle. Pound the pod several times and the pod will release its seeds. Pick the shell and discard it.
I use the Vitamix blender. It's rather expensive but so worth it. I got it as a wedding gift, and it's really powerful. It crushes ice into sno-cones almost instantaneously. It's perfect for smoothies. Just make sure there is some amount of liquid so that the motor does not burn. Vitamix also carries an additional container just for dry ingredients.
Saffron is quite expensive; I usually get it at a more reasonable price at an Indian market. It gives the drink a yellow hue and a nice aroma.
Published By: on December 14, 2009.


text:
0.0/0.0/0.0/0.0 annual percentage rate financing on new 2019 Avalon (Non-Hybrid) with respective terms of 36/48/60/72 months. This offer applies to well-qualified buyers and requires approved credit and financing through Southeast Toyota Finance. Not all buyers will qualify for these rates. Payments may be deferred for the first 90 days; interest accrues from inception. Monthly payment for every $1,000 financed is 0.0% - 36 months = $27.78; 0.0% - 48 months = $20.83; 0.0% - 60 months = $16.67; 0.0% - 72 months = $13.89. No down payment required. Excludes tax, tag, registration, title and dealer fees. Dealer fees vary by dealer. May not be combined with certain other offers. Must complete retail sale and take delivery between 09/04/19 and 09/30/19.
ToyotaCare no cost maintenance covers 2 years or 25K miles, whichever comes first. See Toyota dealer for details and exclusions. Valid only in the continental U.S. and Alaska.
For well-qualified lessees with approved credit through Southeast Toyota Finance. Not all lessees will qualify for this payment amount. Closed-end lease on new 2019 Avalon (Non-Hybrid) model # 3544 with automatic transmission and select equipment. Adding options increases payment. $339.00 per month for 36 months. $3,638 due at signing includes $3,299 down payment and first month's payment. No security deposit required. $32,510 Adjusted Capitalized Cost is based on down payment; excludes tax, tag, registration, title and dealer fees. Dealer fees vary by dealer. Monthly payments do not include applicable taxes. Lessee pays the remainder of maintenance after ToyotaCare expires, excess wear and use, and $0.18 per mile over 12,000 miles per year. Lease payments total $12,204. Disposition Fee of $350 due at lease-end. May not be combined with certain other offers. Must take delivery between 09/04/19 and 09/30/19.
Your ZIP code 20147 is outside the region supported by this site. Click Leave to be redirected to the appropriate site for your location, or Stay to continue using this site.


text:
Washington DC Nano News - NNI Reauthorization, Round 2
authored by Margaret Glass, ASTC
After getting stalled in a Senate committee last summer, H.R. 5940 (the NNI Amendments Act) languished as the failing economy took front page. The only "new" news about the NNI was the relatively dour National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report of December, 2008. Now, in the early days of the 111th Congress, the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2009 has been introduced by the House Science and Technology Committee. Will this be smooth sailing for the NNI through Congress?
It's probably safe to assume that this bill will make through the House in record time – it passed by a comfortable margin last time (407 to 6). And the new bill, H.R. 554appears to be identical to the old one, minus some fiscal year adjustments. The Senate has also had its own version ready for months: S. 3274. So what's left? Primarily word-smithing, and ironing out any differences between the two bills, as far as I can tell. Although the NNI originally represented a substantial investment (the 2009 budget originally provided $1.5 billion for the NNI), that once lofty sum pales in comparison to the ever-growing stimulus packet looming on the horizon. Nanotech may just represent the right combination of technological innovation, job stimulus, and rejuvenation to help ease us out of the economic doldrums. But are all the research pieces in place to do this safely? Are the responsible agencies enabled to monitor new products and applications as they arrive on the market? Are there any venture capitalists left to finance innovative manufacturing? Most importantly: Is there growing awareness within the public(s) about what nano is? Another national study that has not gotten as much press and distribution just appeared within the last week. The National Research Council (NRC) released a highly anticipated report on learning in informal settings, which emphasizes the effectiveness and importance of places like science museums. If you ever doubted that your museum work represents a significant form of science learning, read this report. Do the publics that visit our museums understand nano any better? I don't know, but I'm willing to keep pushing good programs and activities in the hopes that they soon will.


text:
DENVER -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney would end an Obama administration policy allowing some young illegal immigrants to stay in the country and work, though anyone already granted a reprieve from possible deportation wouldn't see that permission revoked.
Romney told The Denver Post on Monday that people who are able to earn the two-year reprieves to stay and work wouldn't be in danger of deportation if he is elected. His campaign later clarified that while Romney would honor permission to stay as granted under President Barack Obama, a Romney administration wouldn't grant such permission.
Obama announced in June that he would prevent deportation for some people brought to the United States illegally as children. Applicants must not have a serious criminal record and must meet other requirements, such as graduating from high school or serving in the U.S. military. At the time, Romney criticized Obama for circumventing Congress and changing the policy a few months before the presidential election.
The Obama campaign criticized Romney as "extreme." Spokeswoman Gabriela Domenzain said Romney "is against any sensible solution to fix our broken immigration system."
Romney's campaign clarified his position ahead of Wednesday's presidential debates and in the wake of the Republican's Monday interview with the Post.
"The people who have received the special visa that the president has put in place, which is a two-year visa, should expect that the visa would continue to be valid. I'm not going to take something that they've purchased," Romney said, promising to put a comprehensive immigration reform plan into place before those visas expire.
Throughout the Republican primary, Romney took an aggressive tack on immigration, saying in debates that he approved of "self-deportation," in which undocumented workers would choose to leave on their own because they were unable to find work in the U.S. He assailed rival Rick Perry, the Texas governor, for allowing illegal immigrants to attend Texas state colleges and universities at in-state tuition rates.
Romney also said he would veto the so-called DREAM Act, legislation that would have allowed a path to citizenship for non-American-born children of illegal immigrants if they meet certain education or service requirements. Romney has always said he supports a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants who serve in the military.
After rival Rick Santorum dropped out of the primary, leaving Romney the presumptive Republican nominee, the former Massachusetts governor indicated he would review potential legislation from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., that would have allowed some young illegal immigrants a way to stay in the country. To date, Rubio has not offered such legislation in the Senate.


text: Just a quick Q, what is the accurate size of the collar studs? i've just got my mlc armour (excellent BTW) but the studs look a bit small! they are probably accurate they may just seem small compared to my old set. \r\nIs there a general consensus regarding bolt size :D\r\n\r\nFett-UK


text:
The way to get the Ports of Auckland back on track is for the Auckland City Council to step back, change its expectations and take the long view. As it stands, two key assumptions about the port are dragging it down
All the detail and distraction in the Ports of Auckland dispute make it look like a complicated industrial mess. And on one level, it is. Depending on your point of view, it's all about who controls the port, or work-life balance or bad faith bargaining. But the two central points for me come back to the Auckland Council's ownership of the port.
Ports of Auckland Ltd (POAL) is 100% owned by the council via Auckland Council Investments and those owners have made two assumptions that lay at the heart of this dispute; assumptions that are questionable at best and foolish at worst.
First, the Council last year told POAL that it wanted it to double its return on equity within five years, from 6.3% currently to 12%.
Was that a reasonable expectation? We put this issue front and centre on Q+A this Sunday, and it's prompted a battle of the spreadsheets.
The union says it's a ridiculous expectation. Over the past five years - according to the CTU's numbers and based on what it says is the Council's unusual ROE measure - POAL has never done better than 7.4%. What's more, the Australasian average ROE since 2007 is 6.3%.
In fact, only two ports in Australasia have hit 12% in the past five years - Lyttleton in 2007, due to a large tax credit, and Freemantle in 2008. Since 2007, Melbourne's average ROE is 3.1%, Otago's is 4.7%, Sydney's 6.7% and the much-lauded Tauranga's is 6.8%.
So where on earth does the 12% figure come from? Is it just pulled out of the air?
The Council has finally answered that this morning, through a press release. I'm going to take a decent chunk out of it, because it's quite a statement:
"Each year between 1999 and 2003 POAL earned an ROE of between 13.2 per cent and 17.8 per cent, excluding extraordinary items," says Auckland Council Investments Limited Chief Executive Gary Swift. "Even in 2007, PoAL earned 11 per cent and this was after excluding the gain on the sale of the Wynyard Quarter.
"On that basis, claims that the ports cannot earn a return on equity of 12 per cent are absolute nonsense. Auckland Council accepted the target based on advice from both ACIL and PoAL. It is challenging but achievable."
Mr Swift said the target is not based on benchmarking against other ports as each company is quite different and such comparisons are not valid. He also noted that the target is a return on equity and is not a dividend return, return on assets or a return on investment.
The PoAL board identified four key strategies to boost the ROE; increasing revenue earned per container, labour flexibility, the review of all operating processes, and freeze on non-essential capital expenditure. After implementing these strategies, the ROE is targeted to reach 12 per cent by 30 June 2016.
First NZ Capital figures show a number of companies expecting to achieve ROE higher than 12 per cent, including Briscoe Group 19.5 per cent, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare 19.3 per cent, Freightways 20.3 per cent, Mainfreight 18.5 per cent, Restaurant Brands 29.4 per cent, Sky City 18.1 per cent and Telecom 18 per cent.
"The target was set to drive performance, and is not a forecast or estimate...
"It is also incorrect to say that the 12 per cent target has caused the current labour dispute. The target was set last year in the months before the recent labour dispute at the port."
Which raises a number of important points.
- 1999-2003 are all boom years well before the credit crunch and the worst global recession since the Great Depression. Even now, Europe is a mess, the US is well below par and even China and Australia are cutting growth expectations. It seems to me the union's more recent comparisons are much more useful when determining expectations and if Auckland Investments Ltd can't see that glaringly obvious point, you've got to wonder about their business nous. Assuming they're not idiots, this can only be spin.
- Mr Swift says it is "not valid" to compare POAL's performance with other ports. Yet two paragraphs later he attempts to justify the 12% target by comparing it against seven other companies, all of them blue chip firms and none of them in even remotely the same business. Which seems hypocritical and, well, daft.
- Mr Swift says the POAL identified "labour flexibility" as one of four key strategies to raise the port's ROE; the very "labour flexibility" at the heart of the current dispute. Then later in the statement he claims that the 12% has not caused the dispute, because it was set months beforehand. Except that, as the port keeps saying, the dispute began last August. And, at the risk of stating the obvious, if the port was using "labour flexibility" to meet its Council-imposed targets, er, doesn't the evidence in this very release suggest the 12% does have some bearing on the dispute?
- Mr Swift says "recent" labour dispute - past tense. Which is optimistic thinking, surely. Has he not noticed the picket? Or the fact the mayor, his political boss, is still offering mediation?
- POAL Chair Richard Pearson said on Q+A that the 12% figure was "aspirational". Swift says it is not a forecast or estimate. So it seems either the council's not made its expectations clear or POAL is not listening.
- Oh dear.
The best that can be said is that the 1999-2003 figures give a fuller picture. They also make the point that 12% returns can be made with a unionised workforce, something I'm sure the unions will make (even though they too could then be accused of ignoring the fact that the world has changed post-2007.).
If you consider all those numbers - plus the Ministry of Transport's Productivity Report, which spelled out that Auckland is doing ok, if not brilliantly, in terms of its unloading and loading rates - the sense you get is that there's no great problem, no crisis, here. At least, not until the Council demanded more.
Was the POAL planning to take on the union anyway? Don't know. Did the union over-reach at the beginning when it rejected a roll-over of the old contract plus 2.5% in an attempt to win back four driving jobs that had been contracted out? Perhaps. Certainly, if I was a wharfie I'd rather have had that deal than no job.
But the point is that as of last year we Aucklanders owned a productive, profitable port. It's only real concern was a loss of market-share to Tauranga and Northport.
Which gets me to the second big point: So what? Maybe losing market share was inevitable, even a good thing. The other ports much more land for expansion, both are closer to our rural production base and both have the potential for more rail.
From what I've been told, I don't think there's any doubt that demand justifies three ports in the top half of the North Island. It seems natural that Auckland will remain the key import port for New Zealand, given importers will want their goods dropped off on the doorstep of over a million people.
But why not let the other ports grow and grow? We don't want POAL to take, or create, any more waterfront land. So why not let Auckland become a niche port?
The answer, of course, is that the port is a cash cow for a Council under immense pressure to keep rates and debt down. So it's looking to make its assets work harder.
That's understandable, but as it turns out the pain is greater than the gain, both financially and politically. The money is tempting, but a better decision for Auckland would be for the Council to back off its demands for more from the port, give it a new, down-sized mandate, and find other ways to compensate for less revenue.
That's not just a response to the industrial dispute, it's the right thing to do for Auckland and the world class city it's trying to become. It's a big picture strategy decision that only councillors can make. So it's over to them now to learn from this and show the leadership required.


text:
Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.
What: Shares of Universal Display (NASDAQ:OLED) popped today by as much as 18%, after the company was discussed at Columbia's Value Investing Conference.
So what: Universal Display was framed as a possible best idea pick at the conference, which is particularly notable, because most investors would consider UDC as anything but a value stock. Shares trade at 147 times earnings and 17.5 times sales, well into growth territory.
Now what: The discussion led to hopes that UDC could become the "Qualcomm of OLED," with its broad patent portfolio, much like how Qualcomm extracts royalties on virtually every smartphone sold. The portfolio could be undervalued at current prices. Presentations at investing conferences have been known to move stocks in the past, and that was the case today for Universal Display, even though there was no official news out from the company.
Interested in more info on Universal Display? Add it to your watchlist by clicking here.


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The Shape of Forests to Come
The Shape of Forests To Come?
At the turn of the last century, nearly one out of every four trees in the eastern deciduous forests of the United States was an American chestnut. Averaging 30 meters tall and 2 meters wide, these majestic beauties ranged from Maine down through the Appalachian mountains and west to Michigan. The fast-growing and naturally rot-resistant chestnut was an important part of early American life, its timber widely used for log cabins, posts, and railroad ties and its abundant nut crop sustaining wildlife as well as livestock.
But within 40 years, a fungal blight had spread throughout the tree's range, felling virtually every chestnut it touched-some 3.5 billion in all. Brought in by a New York nurseryman on imported Asian chestnut seedlings that were then sent all over the country, the blight moved stealthily from tree to tree, entering through a break in the bark and producing an acid that lowered the tree's pH to toxic levels. Because it attacks new shoots before they can mature, the fungus has reduced the once dominant chestnut to little more than a short-lived shrub.
Ever since chestnut blight was first described at the Bronx Zoo in 1904, scientists have been struggling to defeat it. One of several efforts is going on in the labs of Chuck Maynard and Bill Powell, directors of New York State's American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project. The two scientists have been working since the late 1980s to genetically engineer a blight-resistant American chestnut. In the fall of 2004, they made a major breakthrough: shoots finally appeared on a handful of blight-resistant chestnut embryos in petri dishes in Maynard's lab. Each of the tiny embryos had a gene from wheat to give it an extra enzyme, oxalate oxidase, which neutralizes the oxalic acid produced by the blight.
Genetically engineering the chestnut (or any other plant) involves not only inserting foreign DNA into its cells but getting the altered, or "transformed," cells to regenerate into a whole plant. This is particularly difficult with chestnut, because unlike species such as poplar, it won't regenerate from leaf tissue. So Maynard and Powell had to work with immature embryo tissue, which is much more difficult. Unlike the natural transformation a tree seed undergoes in the forest, the method plant biotechnologists use-somatic embryogenesis-is a multi-step, highly sterile, precision operation. It demands vigilant monitoring, special chemical solutions, and filtering equipment to prevent contamination of the fledgling embryos and coax them into seedlings that can survive outside the lab.
Barring unforeseen problems, Maynard and Powell hope to have potted plants by this summer, to begin field tests in either the fall or spring, and then to do three years of field trials. If all goes smoothly, they expect to begin deploying genetically modified (GM) American chestnut seedlings to forests in the United States in about four years. Because their goal is to reestablish this tree in its natural range, the two scientists want the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the branch of the U.S. agriculture department that regulates biotech plants, to allow their transgenic chestnut genes to spread as far and mix with as many chestnut stump sprouts as possible. In fact, they propose that transgenes from any GM tree in a forest restoration or disease eradication project be granted such regulatory freedom. (In addition to the chestnut, they've engineered transgenic elm seedlings to fight Dutch elm disease, field tested GM hybrid poplars, and identified other pathogens that affect butternut, white pine, beech, dogwood, and oak.)
But it's impossible to know in advance what kind of impacts transgenic trees will have on wild forests. Maynard and Powell see only a minuscule risk of ecological disruption (if any) with their GM chestnut, since it will contain just three or four foreign genes-the target trait plus a few others needed for the desired transformation. The scientists say greater unknowns exist with the conventionally bred and backcrossed American chestnut, which draws one-sixteenth of its genes from its naturally blight-resistant relative, the Chinese chestnut.
Others, however, aren't convinced that ecological safety depends merely on how many foreign genes a transgenic organism contains, particularly when GM organisms may include genes that didn't evolve together and have never existed in nature. Faith Thompson Campbell, a former advocate with American Lands who is now at The Nature Conservancy, summarized the views of many skeptics in her 2000 report "Genetically Engineered Trees: Questions Without Answers." Here, she warns that GM trees planted near large populations of wild relatives will inevitably spread their genes and alter the genomes (the full complement of an organism's genetic material) of wild trees, including those in national parks, wilderness areas, and other reserves. Since the introduced genes have not evolved with those of wild trees, they could have unpredicted impacts and be unstable over the long lifespan of a tree. Moreover, trees modified to exhibit desired traits such as drought or pest resistance may be able to outcompete native vegetation and spread as weeds in wild forests. As a result, Thompson Campbell argues, changing the genetic codes of some trees could have significant impacts on the ecological functioning of an entire forest.
At the same time, large gaps in scientific understanding of forest ecosystems make it difficult to predict, or even recognize, the wider impact of engineered trees. Two leading proponents of GM trees reaffirmed this at a biotech tree conference in North Carolina in November 2004. After describing the monumental effort of sequencing the genes in the Nisqually poplar, Jerry Tuskan, a senior scientist at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, said, "So I stand here looking at the poplar genome data set and realize we know nothing about how trees grow." Later, on a panel discussing current knowledge gaps, Ron Sederoff, co-director of the Forest Biotechnology Group at North Carolina State University-and one of the most outspoken advocates for GM trees-admitted, "We don't know a few important things.... We don't know what a genome really is.... We don't know how many genes there are, because we don't know what a gene really is. We don't know the extent of something that I call epigenomics-the non-genetic changes that occur in genomes that are unstable."
Plant pathologist Doug Gurian-Sherman, a former scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who now works at the International Center for Technology Assessment, explains some of the complexities. He notes that trees, and plants in general, produce an array of compounds whose primary purpose appears to be warding off pathogens and harmful insects. This occurs through a sophisticated system of biochemical and metabolic pathways-functions that aren't fully understood by plant physiologists who specialize in the subject, let alone by the molecular biologists manipulating tree DNA. "As biologists, we have to be a little humble and say 'Look, these are complex interactions,'" Gurian-Sherman says. "Frankly, we can't predict how they're all going to play out."
Like many, Gurian-Sherman sees the appeal of wanting to restore the dominant tree in eastern forests. He says there's even a reasonable chance that Maynard and Powell's transgenic chestnuts won't cause harm in the wild because the target trait-the enzyme that neutralizes oxalic acid-is not as obviously disruptive as, say, inserting an insecticide like Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which could kill large numbers of non-target insects. But the only way to really know GM chestnuts won't cause harm, he notes, is to study in a controlled setting how different forest animals, birds, insects, and microorganisms respond over several generations of the tree's lifetime. Different growth cycles in the tree, environmental and climatic changes, and numerous other factors could trigger unintended impacts over time. Avoiding such mistakes is important because, once released, it won't be possible to recall the GM chestnut trees back to the lab.
So far, however, there's no indication that federal regulators will require the GM chestnut to undergo the kind of full environmental risk assessment Gurian-Sherman is calling for, and he's concerned this will set a dangerous precedent. He also predicts the biotech industry will use the example of the transgenic chestnut to say that all genetically engineered trees are safe. "But different transgenes will have very different impacts," he says. "It's like doing a crash test with a Volvo that passed with flying colors. That tells you nothing about how a little Kia will perform in the same test."
Gurian-Sherman's suspicions appear well placed. At the North Carolina biotech meeting in November, forest industry veteran Scott Wallinger, who recently retired from paper giant MeadWestvaco, was one of many speakers who acknowledged the public relations value of the blight-resistant GM chestnut: "This pathway can begin to provide the public with a much more personal sense of the value of forest biotechnology and receptivity to other aspects of genetic engineering."
Skinhead Earth?
Like their colleagues in agriculture, proponents of forestry biotech use the rationale of looming scarcity and environmental preservation to argue their cause. In a 2000 Foreign Affairs article widely quoted in forestry circles, David Victor and Jesse Ausubel offer two visions for the future. In one, "quaint and inefficient agriculture and forestry" lead to a "Skinhead Earth" scenario, where the planet's forest cover shrinks by 200 million hectares by 2050, and lumberjacks regularly shave 40 percent of what remains. Alternatively, "efficient farmers and foresters" who grow "more food and fiber in ever-smaller areas" herald a "Great Restoration" that adds 200 million hectares of forest by 2050 and requires cutting only 12 percent of the world's woodlands to meet global demand for forest products.
Genetically engineered trees grown in intensively managed plantations, or "fast forests," fit into the latter scenario. Today, forest plantations produce one quarter of the world's industrial wood. Though still a tiny percentage of the Earth's nearly 4 billion hectares of forests, they are expanding rapidly, especially in Asia and South America. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, between 1990 and 2000, plantations increased 51 percent from 124 million hectares to 187 million hectares. At current rates of planting, they are projected to produce one billion cubic meters of wood-half of the world's supply-by 2050.
The American South, the nation's wood basket since the late 1980s, produces 15 percent of the world's pulp and paper products, primarily from 13 million hectares of intensively managed loblolly pine plantations. Timber companies have invested up to $1 billion for each of the pulp and paper mills that pump out reams of paper, newsprint, and cardboard, says Conner Bailey, a rural sociologist at Auburn University who studies the timber industry. Yet mounting competition from low-cost pulp and paper producers in places like Indonesia and Brazil is putting these investments at risk, because the mills aren't easily converted to other uses. The industry's solution to safeguarding their profits? Increase efficiency through technological innovation, including by genetically engineering the raw material.
High on the pulp and paper industry's wish-list is a tree with reduced lignin, the cellular glue that holds wood fibers together and gives a tree its structure. Lignin, which accounts for about 30 percent of the dry weight of a tree trunk, is good for lumber, but removing it for papermaking is messy, toxic, and costly. Engineering trees with less lignin could mean significant cost savings for paper manufacturers.
Unresolved issues remain, however. Former MeadWestvaco executive Wallinger points out that in the U.S. South, paper mills buy about one-third of their fiber from private forest owners who typically grow some trees for pulp and others for saw timber. Gene flow from low-lignin transgenics could alter the timber trees, which are about four times as valuable. On the manufacturing side, separate processing lines for the two would have to be set up, requiring yet more capital investment. Meanwhile, studies have linked high lignin content with greater resistance to diseases and pests, suggesting that weakening this trait could make trees more vulnerable to these threats.
Big Stumps of Wood
Scientists are testing genetically engineered trees with several other traits of interest to forestry companies, including faster growth, tolerance to drought and salty environments, herbicide resistance, insect resistance (primarily Bt), and altered flowering. More complicated-and more financially risky-traits include straighter-grained and knotless pines, and cold-tolerant eucalyptus trees for plantations in the United States and other places too cold for eucalypts. One of the stranger visions comes from University of Washington molecular biologist Toby Bradshaw, a leading proponent of transgenic trees, who told Science in 2002 that trees could one day be "rearchitected" to be, basically, big stumps of wood-"short, wide, almost branchless organisms without extensive root systems" that could pack super-intensive tree plantations.
Experience with GM crops-from Bt corn to Roundup Ready canola-has proven that transgenes spread widely in the environment. But key differences between annual agricultural crops and forest trees make the risks of transgenic contamination in forests even greater. Because of the size of trees, the amount of seeds and pollen they produce, and the updrafts that occur in forests and tree plantations, the scale of gene flow among trees is "unprecedented" compared to food crops, says Claire Williams, a forest geneticist at Duke University. And while most annual agricultural crops cannot survive outside the comparatively simple ecosystem of a farm field, long-lived trees are designed to exist in complex, but poorly understood, wild environments.
Tom Whitham, an ecologist at Northern Arizona University, works with other scientists to document how certain genetic traits affect relationships between trees, understory plants, insects, animals, and micro-organisms. His research shows that genes in individual organisms and populations have "extended phenotypes"-identifiable effects on an ecosystem beyond the organism. Extended phenotypes are particularly important when they occur in dominant plants and keystone species like trees, he says, because they can affect as many as a thousand other species. In addition, traits that may be beneficial under one set of circumstances can become problematic under another. For example, in ongoing research of pinyon pine ecology, Whitman's team discovered that some of the trees are naturally resistant to the stem-boring moth, an insect that eats away at the woody stems. In the first 19 years of their study, the insect-resistant trees did much better. But in a record drought in the twentieth year, about 70 percent of the insect-resistant trees died, while 80 percent of the non-resistant trees survived. "That was a real shock," he says.
In a survey of hundreds of published studies, Whitham found that the more factors a study considered, the greater the likelihood of observing such "ecosystem reversals." He says this is important because changes (including those likely to be induced by genetic engineering) that ignore interactions over time, space, and numbers of species run a high risk of having the opposite effect from what was intended.
Tree biotechnologists acknowledge that GM trees could threaten native forests. But they believe they can solve the problem by making the seeds and pollen sterile, so they cannot reproduce and spread transgenic traits. Yet there is no guarantee a transgenic tree will remain sterile throughout its life. Moreover, many trees, like the American chestnut, also reproduce by sending suckers up from their roots or by re-growing from broken twigs.
Future Prospects
So far, GM trees have not been released commercially, except in China, where more than one million Bt poplars are reported to have been planted nationwide. The reforestation is part of the Chinese government's plan to cover 44 million hectares with trees by 2012 to prevent flooding, droughts, and the spread of deserts. Meanwhile, hundreds of field trials have taken place in the open environment-mostly in the United States, but also in Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Japan, and a handful of other countries-though researchers in most places are currently required to cut down any GM trees before they flower.
Despite their enthusiasm, tree biotechnologists face some challenges before transgenic trees march across the American landscape. The large investments required over long periods are a tough sell in a world where time is money. (Forestry veteran Scott Wallinger laments that the first biotech tree products from 20 years ago are still being tested.) Changing trends in timberland ownership are adding further uncertainty. Investment companies are buying up large tracts of land from forestry corporations, and their commitment to the technology, or even how long they'll own the land, is unknown. After witnessing public resistance to agricultural biotech, GM tree proponents are also very concerned about how the public will react to their plans.
Nevertheless, GM forestry is likely to get a substantial boost from a decision in December 2003 by parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the international treaty aimed at reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Under the convention's Kyoto Protocol, which sets specific targets for these reductions and entered into force this February, countries will be allowed to offset their carbon emissions by planting tracts of GM trees, which would absorb and store atmospheric carbon. According to Heidi Bachram of the Transnational Institute, millions of dollars in public subsidies are being used as incentives to establish such plantations, despite the questionable benefit of establishing them in lieu of forcing polluters to reduce their emissions up front. Moreover, in order to keep the stored carbon from entering the atmosphere, the plantations would have to be prevented from burning, being destroyed by pests or diseases, or being cut down.
Meanwhile, the USDA's APHIS, which oversees field tests and grants permits for the unrestricted commercial release of transgenic plants, is revamping its biotech regulations. In 2003, a National Academy of Sciences study faulted the agency for not having the resources, staff, or expertise to adequately assess the environmental impact of GM releases, especially as the technology progresses. According to Lee Handley, who works for the Risk Assessment Branch of APHIS's Biotechnology Regulatory Services, the agency is considering scrapping the current system of notifications and permits in favor of a new multi-tiered system, where the regulations for a particular GM plant (including both trees and crops) would depend on the environmental risk the agency thought it posed. For example, insect resistant trees might be required to be sterile, while GM trees with other traits might not. APHIS is also considering adding a category of "conditional release" that would require additional data to be collected on a given planting over time.
The proposed rules are expected sometime in 2005, and final regulations will come out following the agency's review of comments. Handley, a forest industry veteran, has strongly urged industry members to make their voices heard by participating in the public comment period. At the North Carolina conference he warned participants that GM trees "are definitely on the radar screen" of environmental groups, which are "very well organized and sophisticated"-which suggests just how nervous biotech tree proponents are, since most mainstream environmental groups have not addressed this issue, and very few people know genetically engineered trees even exist.
In their Foreign Affairs piece, David Victor and Jesse Ausubel remind us that "forests matter": they host much of the planet's biodiversity, protect watersheds and provide clean drinking water, and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. "Forests count-not just for their ecological and industrial services but also for the sake of order and beauty," they write. A key question as we consider genetically engineered forests is what to do to preserve wild forests, and who gets to decide.
Karen Charman is an independent investigative journalist specializing in environmental issues. She is also the managing editor of the journal Capitalism Nature Socialism.


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Editor's note: Today's blog comes to us from John Stubbing of the Houston Orchid Society.
Have you ever thought of growing your own orchid corsage? There are plenty of reasons to take up growing these exotic and beautiful plants as a hobby. Not only do many species have large and colorful flowers, but many orchids are also fragrant!
For example, many of the large-flowered Cattleya types (the ones typically used in corsages) have wonderful, sweet fragrances that can fill a house — so romantic. Unfortunately, the blooms lose their fragrance when cut, so the recipient of a corsage doesn't experience the full joy of these flowers.
Some 80 years ago, in the middle half of the 20th century, these corsage flowers were cut mostly from species orchids. Collectors harvested entire orchid plants from the wild in the rainforests of Central and South America, where Cattleyas are native, and shipped them to the United States and Europe.
Cattleya percivaliana normally blooms in December or January, so is called the Christmas Orchid
There, commercial growers would cultivate the plants until they flowered. Once the flowers were cut and sent to the florist, the plants would be discarded.
Starting in the 1930s, growers began to experiment with "man-made" hybrid orchids to use in the cut flower trade. Not only were they able to create unusual flower shapes and colors, growers also learned to regulate the flowering time of both species and hybrids to match florists' needs.
For example, a large crop of flowers in perfect condition for sale a week after Mother's Day or Easter would be a disaster for the grower. Manipulating the orchids' bloom time gave growers the ability to provide cut flowers to the florist trade for all the major holidays throughout the year.
Cattleya lawrenceana blooms in spring
Cattleya intermedia alba blooms March through May
For over nearly two centuries, growers have hybridized Cattleya species with other orchid genera to increase the number of flowers and widen the color range. Now we have Cattleya-type flowers ranging from blue to yellow to green to red, in addition to the traditional whites, pinks and lavenders. Many of these complex hybrids bloom several times per year, whereas most of the original large flowered corsage types bloom only once a year.
Many Cattleya orchids, whether species or hybrids, can be grown outdoors in medium-bright sun in Houston, when temperatures are above 40 degrees. At lower temperatures, they need to be moved inside. They also can be grown indoors year-round in bright windows or under bright lights. Depending on the species make-up, the large-flowered Cattleya types will usually bloom the same month each year. The plants can be moved into the house to enjoy the flowers and then returned outside for better growth.
You can obtain additional care instructions at the Houston Orchid Society meetings held monthly at the Houston Garden Center. Also, written care sheets are available on the American Orchid Society page here.
Several of the Cattleya varieties pictured above, along with many other types of orchid, will be on exhibit and available for purchase at the Houston Orchid Society's Annual Show and Sale. This lavish event will take place April 20 and 21 in the Grand Hall at the Museum of Natural Science. Admission is free (except for the orchids you take home with you!)
Cattleya Nancy Off 'Linwood' AM/AOS, with 6-inch flowers, usually blooms in the spring.


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Compare cheap flights to Lisbon
When is the cheapest time to fly to Lisbon?
What to do in Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital of Portugal, and it's a city filled with rich history, culture, natural sights, manmade wonders, and so much more. Lisbon charms travellers from all over the world with its white limestone buildings, intimate alleyways, vibrant trams, and easy-going way of life.
Be transported to San Francisco when you see the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge over Tagus River. Watch the sunrise or sunset and marvel at the sight of the Ponte Vasco de Gama bridge too.
Another fantastic spot to view the river is the beautiful plaza of Praca do Comercio. Get a unique vertical view of the Baixa streets by hopping on the Santa Justa Lift. For panoramic views of the city, just visit the garden of Miradouro Sao Pedro de Alcantara.
Lisbon also has some amazing museums in the different districts of the city. Feast your eyes on the National Museum of Ancient Art, the Roman Theatre Museum, Maritime Museum, National Coach Museum, Museu Colecao Berardo, and the National Tile Museum. There are plenty more in the city for the culture vulture in you.
Enjoy the best food in Lisbon too, before you continue exploring the city. Marvel at the sight and architecture of the Igreja do Carmo ruins. Bring your camera next to St George's Castle, where you'll also get amazing views of the city.
You can't miss the Belem district for the impressive Belem Tower, Jeronimos Monastery, and Monument to the Discoveries. Don't forget to add a touch of nature to your pictures at the Ajuda Botanical Gardens and from the beaches of Costa da Caparica and Troia.
Get a sneak peak of what you can expect in the city by checking out this list of 33 reasons to love about Lisbon.
When to visit Lisbon
The best time to visit Lisbon is from March to May and September to October, when you can enjoy warm weather and fewer tourists in the city. But if you want to score cheaper airfare, book your flights for November when it's cheapest time to fly to Lisbon.
You can fly to Portugal and visit Lisbon whenever you want, because Australians can travel around the country visa-free for up to 90 days. Just check if your passport is valid for at least six months when you fly back to Australia. Visit Smartraveller for more travel info.
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You will be flying in through the Lisbon Portela Airport, where you can reach the city centre by metro, bus, or taxi. Start touring the city and travel around Lisbon by tram, metro, bus, ferry, hop-on hop-off bus, funicular, bicycle, and on foot.
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The 2010 target set by governments to reduce biodiversity loss may not have been reached but the thousands of actions taken by partners to IUCN's 'Countdown 2010' initiative are an important step towards the improved status of biodiversity and increased public awareness.
The Seaflower Marine Protected Area (MPA) was created in 2005 thanks to the leadership of IUCN Member, Coralina—the Corporation for the Sustainable Development of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Old Providence and Santa Catalina, a department of Colombia in the Caribbean and the support of the local and national governments.
Seaflower is the largest MPA in the Great Caribbean and one of the largest on the planet. Important financial resources from the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank have been allocated to implement the MPA Management Plan, and ensure its sustainability. Seaflower has been nominated to become a World Heritage Site.
Coralina's action focuses on environmental planning, management and research, and conservation in the Archipelago. It has implemented the first phase of the recovery plan for the queen conch (Strombus gigas), which is threatened by commercialization in the Caribbean and has protected a vast territory which includes deep waters that are ecologically important. The agency also works to raise local awareness of the conservation and sustainable use of coastal marine resources and to engage local communities and institutions in their co-management.
Since the 1950s the archipelago of Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina had suffered from a gradual loss of biodiversity, including its coastal marine resources. The biodiversity of the islands has been affected by several threats such as invasive species, over-exploitation of fisheries and deterioration of important habitats such as tropical dry-forests, sea-grass, mangroves and coral reefs—unique habitats in the Caribbean Region.
More than 200,000 hectares of corals, mangroves and sea-grasses in the Archipelago are now protected. Coralina has the ensured protection, conservation and sustainable use of more than 400 fish species and many other marine species including corals, jellyfish, reptiles, cetaceans, birds, sea-grasses and mangroves. Several reproductive colonies of marine birds and the largest diversity of soft corals in the Western Caribbean are now preserved.
This is one of 20 success stories from Countdown 2010 partners around the world which have helped to make a difference for biodiversity, highlighted in a new publication Made in Countdown 2010. At the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, one Countdown 2010 partner from those included in this publication will receive the Countdown 2010 Biodiversity Award. The prize aims to reward the best action for biodiversity within the Countdown 2010 network. All success stories and information can be found at: www.countdown2010.net/made-in-countdown.


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As Scott Morrison and other Coalition ministers attend church this Easter, Adelaide's Anglican Archbishop Jeffrey Driver says he has a message he hopes reaches them.
Reflecting on the Abbott government's asylum seeker policies, particularly the detention of children, the archbishop said: "I would remind them that Jesus did say, 'Let the little children come to me'."
Archbishop Driver, the convener of the Anglican Refugee Network, has been protesting with other church leaders against the government's asylum-seeker policies. He says he has written to Mr Morrison – a devout Pentecostal – but has not heard back. In recent weeks, Christian groups have done "sit in" protests in the offices of Mr Morrison and Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.
The archbishop, who signed a joint statement with other Anglican leaders condemning the government's mandatory detention of children, has spent this Easter week reinforcing the message. He hopes an Easter appeal might sway Coalition ministers, particularly those of faith.
Other Christian groups have joined in the protests in recent months. The Association of Baptist Churches has repeatedly expressed concern about the "morally bankrupt" asylum-seeker policies under both Labor and the Coalition. Uniting Church leaders have led services "of lament" to pray for asylum seekers. The Catholic Church has not been as vocal, but the Jesuit Refugee Service has publicly condemned Mr Abbott's use of the word "illegal" to describe asylum seekers arriving by boat.
"I don't want to reflect on the individual integrity of certain ministers," Archbishop Driver said. "I would like to believe they are acting in what they believe to be the best interests. [But] a child should only be detained as a measure of last resort."
Asked about the Christian protests, Mr Morrison said: "People are entitled to voice their opinions in an open society and need to do so in accordance with the law."


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Silicone molds for beautifully dimensional goodies to embellish your décor and craft projects. They play well with so many many types of media: paper clay, air dry clay, polymer clay, earthen clay, hot glue, even chocolate (food safe rated)! Practically any molding medium.
Mould sheet size: 15 cm. to 10 cm. (6" - 4").
Prima - Decor Mould - Wings and Locket
- Brand: Prima Marketing
- Product Code: 655350599409
- Availability: Out Of Stock
- Ex Tax: 10.16€


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Does Protein Deserve the 'Health Halo Effect?'
Consumers are going gaga for protein as food companies race to slap the nutrient on packaging. WSJ's Sarah Nassauer joins Lunch Break to explain why this move is part of a larger trend of consumers demanding to know more about the benefits of the food they eat. Photo: AP.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... seen a few ... more Americans are scouring ... the shelves for feeds both seem to be high in protein but ... not all realize exactly what that can add to that daily caloric intake Sarah Nassauer Wall Street Journal who beat up on this ... she's Joinus now skinny ... say that so please forget about high salt high fiber is everywhere I turn McD's cereals and milk soda boasting extra ... protein is there really extra protein in ... there and spent a lot of soy protein isolate them working type of soul a ... pet food companies are putting protein into wind and high landing and packages on the block and lots of things right now ... and that's because they say it's Monday so ... funny ingredients that everyone sees slightly differently but everyone thinks is healthy and good and so they are taking advantage of that and and putting into practice on the psychology behind it means is that you know some people might want to build muscles some people might just think it helps them lose weight but you ... can't look at losing weight because ... he actually came to Dhaka ... to the Texas Tech yet McInerney it's ... more than enough protein ... more than they need ... and Axis adds to carry Asus not unsettling at first I am but he knows people that the issue on a UN anti no bubble is deepening too much in this country so that that that ... came to how this would seem to me and said beyond daily basis whether the recommendations of the Nifty fifty grams enough for the average adult I've ever been a long warned that an inevitability nowhere twenty There's in this country so we generally eat ... more than that of daily basis ... that said ... what some people and I think the concert a few of us only protein ... it does make you feel full longer Many inside than without ... aam they can give you an edgy and Noah's of the benefits that consumers are responding to and why they're you know looking for serial morning that has protein ... he uses the FTA really any of these protein claims like how much protein you can see you know like a brand that this as you know this is so in some violent protein now couldn't have said ... to have a certain mountain and ... found ... the net can be that anything ... that the FDA gets involved when they're making a specific false claim or Sanette has an amount to know like high protein if I get to tax the front and ... then the FDA to give up so I guess that made a cautionary note would be you just need to do this in moderation because it has some people can have proper problems processing extra protein ... aam they could be like and respect in your liver disorders that you just can't keep everything in moderation but it's the end to an email ... be be the sensible to think that if you're eating a lot of food you not Guinea get skinny ... it's like this and that is art Europe with the truth


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Still on the fence about whether or not you should get an iPhone 5?
While most people would say "yes" to everything Apple and hail the iPhone 5 as the king of smartphones (including us!), we're gonna play devil's advocate and find reasons against buying a new iPhone 5.
We already showed you how glitch-prone the iPhone 5's camera can be, and if you want another reason to not buy the iPhone 5 -- try Apple Maps.
Produced By William Wei
And Don't Miss...
Nokia's Lumia 920 Is An Absolute Brick [VIDEO REVIEW]
You've Never Seen Anything Like This Toshiba Laptop-Tablet Hybrid


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Action Licensing School Information Seminar
04-11-18Wed, 11 Apr 2018 17:00:00 +0000 5:00 pm - 04-11-18Wed, 11 Apr 2018 17:40:00 +0000 5:40 pm
Action Real Estate School
Address: 2799 Temple Ave., Signal Hill, CA 90755
Come join us to learn how easy it is to get licensed and start living the life of your dreams! We will give you the ins and outs on what it takes to get your Real Estate License and build a successful Real Estate career!
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20% off membership to the Discount Cycling Network
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5 Dollars in Turkish Liras
End of today The pair is going bellow 5.
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