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A. von LIEVEN, J. F. QUACK, and K. RYHOLT, Hieractic Texts from the Collection
The Carlsberg Papyri 7 (CNI 30) is mainly dedicated to hieratic manuscripts from the Tebtunis temple library and contains contributions by Alexandra von Lieven, J. F. Quack, and Kim Ryholt.
The Tebtunis temple library is the only ancient Egyptian temple library of which substantial remains are preserved, and the immense material - estimated at several hundred manuscripts - makes it by far the richest, single source of Egyptian literary texts.
The present volume is introduced by a survey of the hieratic and hieroglyphic manuscripts from the temple library. The main genres are discussed and conclusions are drawn concerning the sort of compositions transmitted in hieratic as well as the cultural values which lie behind the choices.
The survey is followed by full editions of a series of religious texts: an Osiris liturgy (with red dots and crosses which seem to represent a kind of rudimentary musical notation), the Ritual of Bringing Sokar out of the Shetit (previously known only from monumental hieroglyphic versions from temples and manuscripts for funerary use), the Votive Cubit (otherwise known essentially from fragments of the original stone cubits), the Nine-Headed Bes (a parallel to the famous illustrated Brooklyn papyrus but with a fuller description of how the practitioner should proceed), and the Ritual of Opening the Mouth (one version written for Sobek, lord of Tebtunis, the others for Sokar-Osiris). The volume further includes a slip of papyrus with four book-titles, a papyrus with a colored drawing of an offering scene, and a decorated band for tying up a papyrus roll.
With contributions by:
Alexandra von Lieven: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin am Ägyptologischen Seminar der Freien Universität Berlin
J. F. Quack: Professur für Ägyptologie, Universität Heidelberg
Kim Ryholt: Associate Professor in Egyptology at the University of Copenhagen and in charge of the Papyrus Carlsberg Collection.
Source: WorldCat


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Marty Keough was the first Keough to make the majors, debuting in 1956. The outfielder-first baseman played for six teams during the course of his eleven year career. He finished with the Chicago Cubs in 1966.
Marty's brother Joe Keough debuted in 1968 with the Oakland A's. Mostly an outfielder, Joe played six seasons, ending his career with the Chicago White Sox.
Marty's son Matt Keough made his debut in 1977 as a pitcher with the Oakland A's. He pitched mostly for the A's, although he also pitched for the Yankees, Cardinals, Cubs and Astros. He deserved better than his record of 58-84 would indicate.
Several years ago, I sent a baseball to Marty Keough, asking him to sign it. I mentioned that I planned on sending it to Joe and Matt in the future in an effort to have all three on the ball. Much to my surprise, Marty did the work for me, getting Joe and Matt to sign the ball before he returned it to me. How very cool of all of them.
I always take special interest in family ties within sports. Much like with the LaRoche family, I was very happy to add the Keough family ball to my collection.
Matt Keough
Marty Keough
Joe Keough

subset: commoncrawl


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Guitar Chords
If you're wanting to learn the basic guitar chords, you've come to the right place. Although there's thousands of chord positions, I'm only going to show you the basic chords to need to start with. In certain kinds of music, such as as bluegrass, Appalachian, folk, gospel, country and blues, these chords are pretty much all you'll ever need.
Important Tip: When you're making your chords, it's ESSENTIAL that you go to the chord all-at-once, not one finger at a time. Landing on the chord all-at-once will guarantee that you'll be able to make your chords quickly and efficiently.
Here's how you learn to play your guitar chords all-at-once. Go to a chord (like a D, for example) any way you can. Pick up all of your fingers off the chord about a half an inch, while still keeping your fingers in the shape of the chord. Then POUNCE on the D chord all-at-once. Do this excerise every day on all the chords, and you'll soon have it nailed.
Here is a chart of the guitar chords. The numbers underneath each chord are the bass notes you hit before you strum the entire chord.
Check out my article on Tuning a Guitar.
If you're a novice, a beginner, or even a more advanced guitar player, I highly recommend my newest book, Flatpicking Guitar for the Complete Ignoramus! Here's what you'll learn from this fun book: How to Tune, How to Hold Your Pick, How to Do the Rest Stroke, How to Play Solid Rhythm, How to Play Back-Up Chords to 30 Old-Time Fiddle Tunes, How to Understand Painless Music Theory, How to Improvise, How to Fight the Fear of Scales and How to Play by Ear.
You'll learn to pick these tunes: Amazing Grace, Angelina Baker, Arkansas Traveler, Bill Monroe's Shady Grove, Boogie Woogie, Bury Me Beneath the Willow, Cluck Old Hen, Cotton-Eyed Joe, Cuckoo, Darling Corey, Deer Lake Polka, Don't Let Your Deal Go Down, Down the Road, Flatpicker's Blues, Goin' Across the Sea, House of the Rising Sun, In the Pines, Keep on the Sunny Side of Life, Little Maggie, Little Rosewood Casket, Little Sadie, Little Willie, Man of Constant Sorrow, Muley's Daughter, On Top of Old Smoky, Poor Wayfaring Stranger, Rain and Snow, Red River Valley, Shady Grove, Shortenin' Bread, Soldier's Joy, Swannanoa Tunnel, Tater Patch, Train 45, Where the Soul Never Dies, Whiskey Before Breakfast, Wild Bill Jones, Wildwood Flower, Will the Circle Be Unbroken?


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I picked up a set of their Political Scandals eye shadows which is part of their Scandal Eyes collection. It's one of their permanent collections so no worries on having to snatch these up before they disappear!
I love how soft these colors are. I think the formulas for these are a bit better than some of the other Meow eye shadows I've come across. Sometimes, their colors will come out patchy when swatching/during regular use and tend to be a bit hard to blend. These colors were NOT like that.
My favorite colors are Mata H. and Paula J.
Have you tried out anything from this collection? If so, what have your experiences been? Favorite colors?


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Last weekend the Norfolk Brawds were invited by the Urban Decay counter at House of Fraser to come down and enjoy personalised makeovers based on our skate names.
An unusual way to spend Mothers Day, but pretty good fun nonetheless!
In return all we had to do was hang around on skates for a few hours handing out flyers for Sur5al and persuading people to go along to a free make up class for the launch of the new super bright electric palette.
Make overs included mermaid like greens and turquoises for Slammin' Siren and some pretty amazing leopard print for Jenny Wreck, possibly based more on her earrings than her skate name, but who's checking?


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Referral Links
I've always been an avid online shopper, it's so much easier for me to find what I need online and have it shipped to my door. I discovered Ebates in November 2011 and have been using it ever since to get cash back on purchases I make online.
Now you might be thinking this sounds too good to be true it has to be a scam! Nope Ebates is not a scam they really do give you cash back on purchases you make at their affiliates online. Ebates is a leader in online cash back, rebates, and coupons and the site I trust most. They are Better Business Bureau accredited with an A+ rating and have been since 2000.
My next cash back payment or big fat check as they call it, is already around $200.00 and I'm sure will grow with my upcoming holiday purchases. Now that amount might also reveal that I have a bit of a shopping problem... but I don't feel so bad because in the end I'm saving money and who doesn't like saving money?! You can have your cash back sent to you in check form or have it deposited directly into your PayPal account. Cash Back is paid out to you after 60 days on the following dates: February 15th, May 15th, August 15th, and November 15th.
So you might be wondering how exactly does Ebates work? Just start your shopping adventure at Ebates by looking up the store you want to shop at. If your store is part of the cash back program click thru to the site. This opens a tracking ticket for your purchase, now all you have to do is complete your purchase and bam you get cash back! Cash back will show up in your account 1-5 days after your purchase.
Ebates also offers a cash back button that you can install to your browser so you never miss out on getting cash back! This is what I use and it's been so helpful to me, now I never miss out on getting cash back for my online purchases.
Ebates is FREE and you can start saving on your online purchases right now! So what are you waiting for head over to Ebates and get started on your saving journey. If you have any questions please let me know and I'll do my best to answer them or send you in the direction of where you can get an answer.


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I decided to set up a local CentOS mirror. Having never done so before, I searched for some examples, and then tweaked things to fit my needs. The basis of the script below was borrowed from here
#!/bin/bash VERSIONS="6 7" LOCKFILE=/var/lock/subsys/centos_mirror MIRROR=[public mirror] DESTINATION=[destination] # Make sure rsync isn't already running # not the best method, but should prevent cron from starting multiple copies if [ -f $LOCKFILE ] && kill -0 `cat $LOCKFILE`; then echo "CentOS mirror sync is currently running" exit 1 fi # Write current pid to lock file echo $$ > $LOCKFILE # Build rsync filter for desired versions filter="--exclude \"isos\" --exclude \"local*\" " for version in $VERSIONS; do filter="$filter --include \"$version*/***\"" filter="$filter --include \"$version\"" done filter="$filter --exclude \"*\"" # Start rsync # eval is needed because there are quotes in the 'filter' variable eval /bin/rsync -aqSH --partial --timeout=300 --delete $filter $MIRROR::centos $DESTINATION # Remove lock /bin/rm -f $LOCKFILE
This should also capture the major version symlinks, so you can setup your local CentOS machines with the proper repo url, as opposed to a specific minor version. Make sure your web server is configured to properly serve symlinked files/directories.


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Our new publication, Helsinki Beyond Dreams will celebrate a New York launch tomorrow at the New Finnish Design CITY Lounge / Wanted Design fair. During May 19-21 the CITY Lounge showcases Finnish product and service design, and calls attention to the emerging forms of urban culture in Helsinki. The lounge also acts as a stage for a discussion series and case study presentations exploring (post)materiality in 21st century design.
Helsinki Beyond Dreams book launch at CITY Lounge with editor Hella Hernberg (Urban Dream Management) and one of the contributors Bryan Boyer (Helsinki Design Lab, Sitra – The Finnish Innovation Fund)
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Wanted Design
269 11th Avenue
New York, NY 10001
We'll be selling Helsinki Beyond Dreams in the event for a discount price of 35 USD (cash only).
Admission is free with invitation or appropriate business card, general admission 25 USD.


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Nicki Minaj Performs 'Super Bass' With YouTube Star Sophia Grace: Watch
After announcing the nominations for the 2011 American Music Awards with Pitbull yesterday (Oct. 11), Nicki Minaj stopped by "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to surprise budding YouTube stars Sophia Grace Brownlee, age 8, and her cousin, Rosie, age 5.
Nicki Minaj said Sophia and Rosie's YouTube performance of her Hot 100 top 5 hit "Super Bass" "blew her away." "Within five seconds of seeing this video I was calling everyone I knew, and I was also receiving a billion emails. Everyone was like, 'you have to see this little girl,'" Minaj told DeGeneres. Watch the girls' stunning original video below.
Sophia Grace joins the small group of female singers (Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez) who have performed killer renditions of "Super Bass." After stopping by Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" tour to perform her hit with the Billboard Woman of the Year, Nicki credited the success of "Super Bass" to T-Swift. "I want to publicly say again that Taylor Swift really launched that single into another stratosphere, with just tweeting about it and rapping it and stuff," she said. "I performed it with Taylor, and she's so cute, and she's like a big bowl of ice cream!"
Taylor Swift Named Billboard Woman of the Year


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Former deputy police chief denies he asked officer to lie at Oland trial
Chris Morris, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Published Thursday, January 10, 2019 10:14AM AST
Last Updated Thursday, January 10, 2019 7:26PM AST
SAINT JOHN, N.B. -- The former deputy chief of the Saint John police force has told the Dennis Oland murder trial he did not ask an officer to lie about his visits to the bloody crime scene where Richard Oland's body was found.
Retired deputy chief Glen McCloskey was on the stand Thursday, day 17 of the Oland trial, where he firmly denied the allegation that he asked a fellow officer to conceal the fact McCloskey made two entries to the crime scene, one out of nothing more than "professional curiosity."
The amount of foot traffic going in and out of the small Saint John office where the bludgeoned body of multi-millionaire Richard Oland was found on July 7, 2011, is a key issue for defence lawyers.
"Isn't it possible you could have stepped on a small piece of evidence, something you did not see, while you were in the office?" asked defence lawyer Alan Gold.
"You are correct," McCloskey answered, admitting he was not wearing protective clothing during his two visits to the scene.
Dennis Oland, 50, is on trial for the second-degree murder of his father on July 6, 2011. This is a retrial. Oland was convicted by a jury in 2015 but the verdict was set aside on appeal and a new trial ordered.
Earlier this week, retired Staff/Sgt. Mike King repeated an allegation he made during the first trial that McCloskey asked him not to reveal his visits to the crime scene.
"I haven't lied on the stand in 32 years whether it was a murder or a traffic ticket," King said, recalling his answer to McCloskey. "I'm not about to start now."
McCloskey was firm in his answers to both Crown prosecutors and defence lawyers on Thursday -- he said he did not try to influence King's testimony.
"I would never ever ask anybody to lie or change their testimony," he said.
McCloskey had a different recollection of his routes in and out of the crime scene compared to an account earlier this week by Sgt. Greg Oram, who said the former deputy chief was half-sitting on a table in the office, with one leg dangling, casually observing the scene.
McCloskey said he did not sit or lean on anything in the crime scene.
"Everyone's memory is different," he said when asked how he could explain the discrepancy.
There also may be a problem with false memory.
During his testimony on Thursday, former lead investigator Rick Russell, now retired from the force, said he remembered talking to another officer about a back door exit located near Oland's office.
Russell said Const. Stephen Davidson told him he had checked the back door and found it locked. However, both the prosecution and the defence say the two were never together at the crime scene and that conversation could not have happened.
"Could it just be wishful thinking?"asked Gold, noting the exit is a bone of contention since police paid little attention to it.
"Obviously I am mistaken," Russell said. "I apologize to the court."
Conflicting testimony from police officers is adding to questions about the conduct of the force during the investigation of the high-profile murder. Earlier this week and during the preliminary hearing, defence lawyers raised the possibility that police had "tunnel vision" and discounted all other possibilities after quickly deciding Oland was the killer.
The trial has heard that police identified Oland as the prime suspect within hours of his father's body being found. He is the last known person to have seen Richard Oland alive.
McCloskey, who was an inspector with criminal investigations in 2011, told the trial he should not have made repeated visits to the crime scene. He said the force tightened up procedures after the mistakes made during the Oland investigation came to light.
McCloskey retired before the allegations made against him could be fully considered by the New Brunswick Police Commission. He said he retired because he was tired of the "unprincipled" Police Act investigation, he had health issues and his son died suddenly in 2017.


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James Senior Lothian
See CAMERON WALKER in action at the 2017 Cowal Gathering, wearing James Senior Lothian pumps.
A straight and arched lasted Ghillie, popular with Highland Dancers who are looking for additional arch support. Extensive size range from Child 9 to Adult 10 in half sizes. Due to arched lasting Highland dancers may require a half or whole size less than normal.
Scottish Country dancers should refer to our Sizing and Fit guide.
All shoes are fitted with in-built Poron Shock Absorber technology as standard.
Price changes at size 2.
VAT is applicable from size 6 upwards to UK/EU purchases and will be added, where appropriate, at the checkout.
- Straight-lasted shoe which fits either foot when new
- Arched-lasted for greater support and shape
- Front toe loop
- Front central seam
- Side ankle eyelets to ensure a close fit
- Black upper
- Black laces and eyelets
- Narrow flexible soft pearl chrome suede sole
- In-built shock absorber


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Today you can save up to 35% on Bic pens, pencils, highlighters, and more
Jot that down.
Today only, Amazon is offering up to 35% off a wide variety of Bic writing supplies. Your options range from pens to Wite-Out to dry erase markers and basically everywhere in between.
Note that most of these deals are Prime member exclusives. If you don't already have an Amazon Prime membership, now's the perfect time to get a free 30-day trial, since it grants you access to Prime Day as well.
These deals are perfect for any student or teacher, since the school year is just around the corner. Several of these products are at the best prices they've ever been, and a few even have extra Subscribe & Save discounts.
Some standout deals include:
- 12-count Soft Feel Ball Pens – $3.58 (was $7)
- 12-count Magic Marker Dry Erase Markers – $6.21 (was $16)
- Xtra-Sparkle 24-Count Mechanical Pencils – $5.10 (was $13)
See at Amazon


text: Dasha Rush has now been running her label Fullpanda Records for a full decade. The Russian-born artist and record label creator can safely be counted among the pioneers of the post-millenium experimental techno composers who already in mid 2000 began to wed industrial robustness with ambient textures and minimalism attitudes, and as a result newly defined the functionality of techno's concept. Dasha celebrates the addition of a zero to her label's years with a special edition of her Tresor night "All you need is ears". The entire club complex, from the underground Tresor level, through the Globus Floor and the upper level +4Bar, will be partitioned into three distinct spaces, each one reflecting Fullpanda's affinity: first off is the Techno Madness Space, headed on by the live/DJ hybrid talent of author and techno genius Donato Dozzy, as well as a live set by Dasha herself, supported by Fullpanda artists Yuka, Stephanie Sykes and Pulse One; followed by the Dub Techno Space in Globus with Dadub, Cio D'Or, Dasha's LADA colleague Lars Hemmerling and RYBA; and an excellent +4Bar floor with 100% live sonic pleasure in the Trippy Ambient Downtempo Space featuring Fjäder, Material Object and Rasmus Hedlund. Tresor congratulates Dasha, Fullpanda Records and all the label artists for ten years of techno history and we wish them the best for the next coming decade!


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The Hobart Showground is the number one choice in Hobart for retail sales.
Our various facilities cater for all needs.
Hobart Showground is instantly recognisable and familiar with the Tasmanian public.
Whether you are touring Australia with your brand, looking to promote your business with a one off sale or looking to shed some unwanted stock, the Hobart Showground and our experienced staff can make it happen!
Other things to consider when choosing the Hobart Showground:
- It is situated on the cross road between major greater Hobart populations.
- City of Clarence 60,000+ 10 minutes to CBD
- City of Hobart 70,000+ 10 minutes to CBD
- City of Glenorchy 50,000+ 5 minutes to CBD
- The Venue is situated on the major arterial route from North to South with over 60,000 vehicles passing each day.
- We offer pre-sale banner space on our fence facing the major arterial route.
- We can offer digital board advertising of your event as well as website and Facebook notifications.
- We can accommodate storage of large containers on site.
- We offer table, chair and display unit hire.
- Access to a wide range of audio visual, media specialists, and wide range of event specialists.
- Areas protected by a 24/7 alarm and security response unit.
The Hobart Showground is home to the Hobart Showground Motor Home Park and the Sunday Market which attracts about 4,000 visitors to the site every week.
For further information please contact us through the enquiry form or give our helpful staff a call on 03 6272 6812.


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I just found this song online and wanted to dedicated it to all my friends who are survivors of child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence -- who have dedicated their lives in make the world a better place.
The Awareness Center closed. We operated from April 30, 1999 - April 30, 2014. This site is being provided for educational & historical purposes. We were the international Jewish Coalition Against Sexual Abuse/Assault (JCASA); and were dedicated to ending sexual violence in Jewish communities globally. We did our best to operate as the make a wish foundation for Jewish survivors of sex crimes. In the past we offered a clearinghouse of information, resources, support and advocacy.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Dedicated to those who advocate for others
Posted by Vicki Polin at 2/22/2011 08:56:00 AM
Labels: advocating, Alex Britti, domestic violence, Joe Cocker and Pavarotti, sexual abuse, sexual assault
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In his second year for the Matadors, Marty Bowen earned All-Big West Second Team honors after finishing with a team-high .320 batting average ... started 46 games this season and appeared in a total of 52, collecting 55 hits and 23 RBI in 172 at-bats ... hit five doubles, one home run and scored 16 times, also threw out 12 runners on the basepaths from behind the plate in 2011 ... had 13 multiple hit games, including four-hit days against Valparaiso (2/28) and Bakersfield (4/9), and five multiple RBI contests ... started behind the plate and had a hit, RBI and run scored vs. Seattle University (2/19 Gm. 2) ... went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI vs. Valparaiso (2/28) ... hit in seven-straight games vs. Seattle University, Valparaiso, New Mexico State, Lamar and San Francisco (2/19 - 3/5) ... rebounded from a hitting slump by going 3-for-4 with an RBI against Lafayette (3/13) ... went 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored at UC Irvine (4/2) and hit 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored at UNLV (4/5) ... went 4-for-5 with two RBI at Bakersfield (4/9) for his second four-hit game of the year ... went 3-for-4 with two RBI in the victory over Pacific (4/21) ... had three hits and two RBI in the series at UC Davis (4/29 - 5/1) ... went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, his first of the season, against UC Santa Barbara (5/7) ... had three hits and one double in the series at Long Beach State (5/20 - 5/22) ... went 1-for-4 with a two-run double (5/27) and 2-for-4 with a double and run scored (5/29) against No. 9 Cal State Fullerton.
Marty Bowen caught 27 games for the Matadors during his debut season, and was named to the starting line-up on 14 of those occasions ... in his 59 at-bats, Bowen scored four times, had 16 hits, hit four doubles, belted a home run vs. Connecticut (3/7) in his first career start as a Matador, and drove in 11 runs ... had two multiple RBI games, and built a seven game hit streak at one point of the season ... batted 2-for-4 with three RBIs and hit a home run in his first career start as a Matadors vs. Connecticut (3/7) ... was the first Matador since Brett Blumenthal (1/27/06 at Arizona State) to hit a home run in his first career start as a Matador ... batted 2-for-4 and drove in another three runs the following day vs. Connecticut (3/8) ... went 2-for-4 in back-to-back games at LMU (3/12) and vs. LMU (3/14) ... hit a double in back-to-back-to-back games vs. UNLV (3/16) and at Seattle (3/19, 3/20, Gm. 1) ... drove in a run in back-to-back games vs. UNLV (3/16) and at Seattle (3/19) ... hit a double and drove in one run vs. Albany (3/29) ... hit a single in his only at-bat as a pinch hitter vs. UC Davis (5/1) ... was hit by a pitch at UNLV (5/18) ... finished with two hits and drove in a run vs. San Diego (5/24)
Graduated in 2009 with a 3.0 GPA ... competed for coach Joe Gonzales all four years as a catcher for the El Camino baseball team from 2006-'09 ... in 2007, Bowen earned team MVP and Second Team All-Avocado League accolades ... named team MVP and earned a spot on the First Team All-Avocado League team in 2008 ... finished his senior season earning a number of honors and accolades including First Team All-Palomar League, team MVP, Second Team All-San Diego CIF, Union-Tribune All-Academic Team Honor Roll, and was named one of the top-ten players in the San Diego Section by the Union-Tribune as he finished his senior season with a .402 batting average, eight home runs, 29 RBI's, and 36 hits.
Born December 30, 1990 to Linda and Martin Bowen ... visited the University of Oregon, UC Riverside, LMU, and Cal State Long Beach before choosing to attend CSUN ... the San Diego Padres is his favorite professional team ... considers Babe Ruth his favorite athlete ... Heath Ledger is his favorite actor ... enjoys watching "SportsCenter" and the movie "Taken" ... enjoys his mother's cooking, especially her meatloaf ... does not like eating sushi/raw fish ... Lil' Wayne and the Rolling Stones are his favorite solo artist and band ... decided to attend CSUN due to the coaching staff, teammates, and location of the campus ... his greatest sports moment took place when the Padres went to the World Series in 1998 ... Johnny Hoffman, a member of the baseball team at Indiana University is his closest friend from another college team ... his favorite pre-game ritual is to listen to music ... whenever he has time to relax, he likes to sleep or hang out with his friends ... superstitions include listening to music and tucking in his shirt perfectly ... once met Tony Gwynn ... the one person he would have loved to have met is Babe Ruth ... if he had a million dollars he would move to the Bahamas ... cannot imagine going a week without his phone ... his parents are the one thing that always makes him smile ... currently majoring in Recreation and Tourism Management.


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Self-interest motivates everyone to do what they do. Immature men make life tough, but the mature woman has the natural expertise to overcome.
She fears abandonment. She fears losing him above all else, whether killed, incapacitated, or a walk out. Abandonment strikes her ego as well as her heart.
She expects him to overextend himself, as necessary, to provide reassurances. The devoted husband sacrifices to avoid torturing his loveable wife with continual fears that weaken her appreciation for him.
He fears insignificance, and her eyes reflect it first. Her lack of respect and gratefulness makes his sense of significance decay. Wounding his spirit can be terminal.
Even slight decay can jumpstart motivational forces in him. He seeks to restore his sense of manliness—more independence, expensive toys, trophy woman, or just walk out. Mid-life crisis worsens whatever he chooses to do.
He doesn't necessarily expect it, but 'smart wife' becomes head cheerleader for who he is and what he does. She also adds each child to the cheerleading squad.


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These rooms have a terrace with a relax area and bamboo closures. Wooden floors and delicate fabrics offer a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere. Natural stone bathrooms, with double vanity sinks, are intimate and peaceful.
Located on the 3rd floor. Occupancy max. 2 people. Baby Anima services and baby cot free of charge.
In-room Services
- Nespresso coffee machine
- Free Wifi
- Smoke Free Area
- Complimentary bottle of water
- Complimentary kettle and herbal teas
- Satellite TV and VOS channels
- Bluetooth speakers
- Molton Brown toiletries
- Bathrobe and slippers
- Hair dryer
- Ligthed make-up/shaving mirror
- Full-length Mirror
- In-room massage menu
- Minibar
- Safe deposit box
- Pet friendly room – Animals program
- Bed size: king bed or twin beds
- Room size: 41 sqm


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order by popularity | order by alphabet
Related Information for Cimmerian Path The Cimmerian Path is a Lebanese 'Symphonic Black Metal' band that rose up in the late '90s from the ashes of Doom Metal band 'Dogma'. They recorded and self-released their first and only album, the self-produced Into the Depths of Ruthless Excellency in 2001, with the title-track already signalling the more Grindcore direction that the band would be taking. After a few concerts in Lebanon and abroad, the band split without having released any new material, and.. read more


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ALVR at Maastricht/TEFAF reported by Blouin Art Info
New-York based art and antique gallery A La Vieille Russie (ALVR) is preparing to exhibit a cross-section of its inventory at the world-renowned European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) in the Netherlands.
Among the works to be shown will be is a selection of unique pieces by Fabergé including a 19th century presentation charger, a range of jewelry created for the Romanov family, and a collection of miniature hardstone carvings of animals and insects crafted from semi-precious stones.
Click here for the accompanying slideshow.


text: I do not see a wifi connection I have a LW3000EV with MyQ on the side of it. When I press the learn button 3 times, I never get anything on wi-fi. The adjustment butt... Kayle Keys, 1 year ago Last reply: emmoly, 9 months ago 2 2 me toos 1 1 reply Question


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Home Improvement was an American TV collection along with 8 seasons, 204 episodes that aired from 1991 to 1999. It was an American sitcom created by Matt Williams, Carmen Finestra, and David MacFadzean. The show, which is about the improvement of one's life along with family, friends, work and school, along along with the physical improvement of houses, was one of the most watched sitcoms in the US. Aside from popularity among viewers, the sitcom bagged several nominations and awards during its time.
The collection centered around the lives of the main characters Tim Taylor, Jillian "Jill" Patterson Taylor, Bradley "Brad" Michael Taylor, Randall "Randy" William Taylor, Marcus Jason Taylor, Al Borland, Heidi Keppert and Wilson Wilson Jr. The House Improvement casts that played these characters are Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, Zachery Ty Bryan, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Taran Noah Smith, Richard Karn, Debbe Dunning and Earl Hindman respectively.
ABC's sitcom House Improvement revolves around the life of the Taylor family headed by father Tim. Together along with his wife Jill, their three children Brad, Randy, and Mark, they live in the suburban setting of Detroit, Michigan. There, the story of their partnership along with each other, and the humor in each problem they face are entailed in each episode.
It is often said that this collection is responsible for launching the occupation of Tim Allen as a comedian. For almost an entire decade, this show was one of the highest-rated sitcoms. Another Hollywood celebrity who claimed fame through the show was Pamela Anderson. Though she was not part of the main House Improvement cast, the start of her television occupation was attributed to her recurring role in the first two seasons as Lisa.
Other recurring House Improvement cast includes William O'Leary, Blake Clark, Jimmy Labriola, Sherry Hursey, Mickey Jones, Gary McGurk, Casey Sander, Charles Robinson, Shirley Prestia, Betsy Randle, Jessica Wesson, Al Fann, Tudi Roche, Polly Holliday, Thom Sharp, Keith Lehman, Bonnie Bartlett, Kristen Clayton, Courtney Peldon, China Kantner, and Megan Cavanagh.


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Services on Demand
Related links
- Cited by Google
- Similars in SciELO
- Similars in Google
- uBio
Brazilian Journal of Biology
Print version ISSN 1519-6984On-line version ISSN 1678-4375
Braz. J. Biol. vol.69 no.3 São Carlos Aug. 2009
Seed predation by rodents and safe sites for large-seeded trees in a fragment of the Brazilian Atlantic forest
Predação de sementes por roedores e sítios seguros para árvores com grandes sementes em um fragmento de floresta Atlântica brasileira
Pinto, SRR.; Santos, AMM.; Tabarelli, M.*
Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua Moraes Rego, s/n, CDU, CEP 50670-901, Recife, PE, Brazil
Seed predation by small rodents is an emerging theme in the ecology of modified landscapes. Here we investigate the role played by the small rodent Oryzomys oniscus as a seed predator of large-seeded trees in a large remnant of the Atlantic forest - the Coimbra forest (3,500 ha), Alagoas state, northeastern Brazil. O. oniscus was captured and identified by setting twenty 500 m long transects, each one composed of 25 traps 20 m apart. This procedure resulted in 483 trap-nights set during a 20-mo period. We used 692 seeds (>15 mm length) from ten local large-seeded tree species for the seed predation trials that basically consisted of three treatments: one seed on the ground freely accessed by vertebrates (unprotected seed), one seed totally protected by an exclosure, and one partially-protected seed (exclosure just for medium-sized and large vertebrates). O. oniscus was captured throughout the Coimbra forest including forest edges (76 captures) and interior areas (67), and this small rodent was responsible for all seed predation visually documented inside exclosures. A 24 hours period of seed exposition permitted elevated rates of seed removal and predation. Seeds were much more removed/predated beneath fruiting trees, but rates varied according to the level of seed protection - 26.3% of predation among partially-protected versus 19.2% among unprotected seeds. Seeds suffered higher levels of seed predation/removal at the forest edge as well (up to 90%). In both habitats, most seeds (>84%) remained intact beneath trees without fruits, regardless of the level of seed protection. Our results suggest that O. oniscus may operate as an effective large-seed predator in forest fragments, in which adult trees without fruits constitute low resource spots and thereby provide, at least temporarily, safe sites for large seeds.
Keywords: frugivory, Janzen-Connell model, Oryzomys oniscus, seed dispersal, tropical forest.
Predação de sementes por pequenos roedores é um tema emergente na ecologia de paisagens modificadas. Nesse estudo foi investigado o papel desempenhado pelo pequeno roedor Oryzomys oniscus como predador de grandes sementes de árvores em um grande fragmento de floresta Atlântica - mata de Coimbra (3.500 ha), Estado de Alagoas, Nordeste do Brasil. O. oniscus foi capturado e identificado usando-se 20 transectos com 500 m de comprimento, cada um composto por 25 armadilhas espaçadas a cada 20 m. Esse procedimento resultou em um esforço total de captura de 483 armadilhas-noites, durante um período de 20 meses. Foram utilizadas 692 grandes sementes (>15 mm de comprimento), provenientes de dez espécies de árvores para as sessões de predação, as quais consistiram basicamente de três tratamentos: uma semente no solo com acesso livre para vertebrados (semente desprotegida), uma semente totalmente protegida e uma semente parcialmente protegida (exclusão apenas para médios e grandes vertebrados). O. oniscus foi capturado em todo o fragmento de Coimbra, incluindo bordas de floresta (76 capturas) e áreas de interior (67 capturas). Além disso, esse pequeno roedor foi responsável por toda a predação de sementes visualmente documentada dentro das gaiolas de proteção de sementes. Um período de 24 horas de exposição das sementes permitiu elevadas taxas de remoção e predação. Sementes foram muito mais predadas/removidas debaixo de árvores frutificando, mas as taxas variaram de acordo com o nível de proteção das sementes - 26,3% de predação entre as parcialmente protegidas versus 19,2% entre sementes não protegidas. Sementes sofreram altos níveis de predação/remoção nas bordas de florestas (até 90%). Em ambos os hábitats, muitas sementes (>84%) permaneceram intactas debaixo de árvores sem frutos, independente do nível de proteção. Os resultados do estudo sugerem que O. oniscus pode agir como um predador efetivo de grandes sementes em fragmentos de floresta. Árvores adultas, sem a presença de frutos, parecem constituir locais de baixa disponibilidade de recurso e, portanto, podem prover, pelo menos temporariamente, sítios seguros para grandes sementes.
Palavras-chave: dispersão de sementes, floresta tropical, frugivoria, modelo Janzen-Connell, Oryzomys oniscus.
1. Introduction
Successful seedling recruitment represents a bottleneck for tropical trees (Whitmore, 1996) and recruitment greatly benefits from effective seed dispersal (Janzen, 1970; Levey et al., 2002; Forget and Janzen, 2007). Briefly, seed dispersal represents seed removal and discarding away from parental plants (Terborgh, 1990) and, in fact, it has been recognised as one of the most important factors affecting plant recruitment, spatial distribution, and long term persistence of plant populations (Terborgh and Nuñez-Iturri, 2006; Nuñez-Iturri and Howe, 2007). Benefits of seed dispersal include reduced seed predation and seedling mortality - escape hypothesis sensu Howe and Smallwood (1982); colonisation of new habitats (Redford, 1992; Corlett and Turner, 1997); seed release from fruits (Asquith et al., 1997); seed discarding in microhabitats suitable for seed germination (Howe and Smallwood, 1982; Hoch and Adler, 1997); seed burial (Forget, 1990); and enhanced seed-mediated gene flow (Jordano et al., 2007). A classic example from a Neotropical forest tree is the strict dependence of Bertholletia excelsa large-seeds, which must be released from an extremely hard pixidium and buried by agoutis in order to have higher chances of germination and successful recruitment (see Peres et al., 1997).
The escape hypothesis derives greatly from the Janzen-Connell model (Janzen, 1970; Connell, 1971), which correlates the rate of recruitment of tropical trees with distance from parents. Seeds and seedlings beneath or close to parents usually achieve higher densities and consequently they are more susceptible to predators and pathogens that respond positively to resource spatial aggregation (Janzen, 1970; 1971). In fact, escape from predation and mortality beneath parents has been proposed as the main selective force leading to the emergence of a large array of adaptations for seed dispersal among tropical trees, including devices that permit seed dispersal by abiotic vectors (such as wind and water) or mediated by animals such as ants, bats, birds, rodents and monkeys (Whitmore, 1991; Richards, 1996). However, plant recruitment does not exclusively result from mortality driven by density-dependent factors, as recruitment is expected to occur where seed/seedling face suitable conditions in terms of soil nutrients, water supply and light availability as well (Turner, 2001).
This "ideal place" for recruitment has been referred to in the literature as safe sites (sensu Harper, 1994), and in the case of tropical large-seeded trees (seeds >1.5 cm length), it is expected to occur where seeds escape the immense predation pressure driven by a myriad of species. Large seeds can contain high levels of protein, lipids and/or carbohydrates and because of this they represent an import nutrient source in the diet of insects, such as bruchid beetles (e.g., Caryobruchus, Pachymerus, Speciomerus species), which have in the large seeds a crucial resource for larval development and are able to impact crops and plant fitness (Wilson and Janzen, 1972; Henderson, 2002). But vertebrates represent a pervasive source of tree seed predation as well (Asquith et al., 1997; Wright and Duber, 2001). In the Neotropical forests, a plethora of primate species (Cintra and Horna, 1997), birds (Reis, 1995), ungulates (Kiltie, 1981; Fragoso, 1998) and rodents (Smythe, 1989; Silva and Tabarelli, 2001) feed on tree seeds. Rodents are the most diverse group of terrestrial mammals in neotropical forests (Guimarães et al., 2005) and particularly the medium-bodied, scatter-hoarding species (Proechimys, Sciurus, Dasyprocta) appear to play an essential role as both seed predators and dispersers of medium- and large-seeded trees (DeMattia et al., 2004; Pimentel and Tabarelli, 2004; Fleury and Galetti, 2006; Galetti et al., 2006).
However, several studies have provided both experimental and empirical evidence that even small rodents (<150 g, e.g., Heteromys, Oryzomys, Oecomys, Rhipidomys species) may represent an expressive source of seed predation, including large seeds (Adler, 1995; DeMattia et al., 2004). It is particularly true for heavily defaunated forest fragments or predator-free patches with their distorted vertebrate communities in which small rodents tend to be overabundant (see Terborgh et al., 2001; Dirzo and Mendoza, 2007; Lopez and Terborgh, 2007). Currently, the role played by small rodent communities as seed predators remains neglected (i.e., few studies); and unclear since rodent abundance, as well as rates of seed harvesting, dispersal and predation by rodents are greatly affected by a myriad of factors such as seed size (Lopez and Terborgh, 2007), fruit pulp availability (Guimarães et al., 2005) nest site availability (Briani et al., 2001), habitat features (Talamoni and Dias, 1999; Fleury and Galetti, 2006), season (DeMattia et al., 2004), abundance of rodent predators (Dirzo and Mendoza, 2007), patch size and hunting pressure (Galetti et al., 2006). Here we investigate the role played by the small rodent Oryzomys oniscus as a large-seed predator in a remnant of the Atlantic forest, northeast Brazil. First, we present capture rates for this small rodent within different forest habitats. Secondly, rates of seed predation for ten large-seeded tree species are offered and we analyse variation on seed fate in response to habitat, resource availability and level of seed protection. Finally, we address possible implications for the uncovered patterns in terms of safe sites for large-seeded trees.
2. Material and Methods
2.1. Study site
The study was carried out in a 3,500 ha, Atlantic forest fragment (the Coimbra forest) at Usina Serra Grande, a large, private sugar company located in the State of Alagoas, northeastern Brazil (8º 30' S and 35º 50' W; Figure 1). The Serra Grande landscape is located on a low-altitude plateau (300-400 m above sea level) containing two similar classes of dystrophic soils with high clay fractions: yellow-red latosols and yellow-red podzols, according to the Brazilian soil classification system (IBGE, 1985). Annual rainfall is ~2,000 mm, with a 3-month dry season (<60 mm/month) from November to January. The predominantly lowland terra firme forest included two physiognomic subtypes: evergreen and semi-deciduous forests (Veloso et al., 1991). On a regional scale, the Leguminosae, Lauraceae, Sapotaceae, Chrysobalanaceae and Lecythidaceae account for most tree species (Grillo et al., 2006).
The Coimbra forest is the largest and best preserved forest patch in the region. Coimbra still retains a full complement of plants typical of vast undisturbed tracts of Atlantic forest, such as large-seeded trees (Silva and Tabarelli, 2000; Tabarelli and Peres, 2002). Additionally, it houses residual populations of small- and medium-sized vertebrates that act as both seed dispersers and predators (e.g., Oryzomys oniscus, Oecomys concolor, Sciurus aestuans, Agouti paca, Dasyprocta prymnolopha, Didelphis albiventris), but lack larger species e.g., Tapirus terrestris, Tayassu species and the howler monkey Alouatta belzebul (Fernandes, 2003; Pimental and Tabarelli, 2004). Pôrto et al. (2006) offer a comprehensive list of trees, mammals and bird species inhabiting the Serra Grande landscape.
2.2. Oryzomys oniscus
Oryzomys oniscus Thomas, 1904 (Muridae) has been recorded in the Atlantic forest region and it is locally and popularly called "forest rat" (Oliveira and Langguth, 2004). The genus Oryzomys ranges from the southeastern United States through Central and South America to northern Chile and Argentina. Species within this genus are highly variable in size, color, and tail length, but adults generally weigh <150 g (Eisenberg and Redford, 1999). Oryzomys species inhabiting tropical forests usually live on the ground (see Briani et al., 2001; Grelle, 2003), where they feed on seeds (mainly small seeds), fruit pulp, arthropods and arbuscular fungi (Mangan and Adler, 2000; Bergallo and Magnusson, 2002; Vieira et al., 2003). The small-bodied Oryzomys species are more specialised in their seed consumption and are mainly seed eaters instead of seed dispersers (see Henry, 1997; DeMattia et al., 2004). O. oniscus recorded on the Coimbra forest was identified by Dr. Alfredo Langguth and some specimens are available in the mammal collection of the Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB vouchers no. 5247, 5248).
2.3. Rodents and seed predation trials
In order to confirm that O. oniscus is the main small rodent living on the ground of Coimbra forest, we set twenty 500 m long transects, which were composed of 25 traps 20 m apart. Traps consisted of wire cages 15 × 15 × 25 cm (mash net 10 mm of aperture), and we used a mix of ripe fruits (banana and pineapple) as bait. Transects started in the first metre of forest vegetation, perpendicular to the margin of the fragment, and penetrated 500 m into forest. Transects were set haphazardly, preserving a minimum between-transect distance of 50 m, one per night and remained in the field from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM (a 12 hours period of capture). This procedure totalised a capture effort of 483 trap-nights during a 20-mo period (January 2003/October 2004). The nearest tree (DBH > 10 cm) of each trap was assigned as a fruiting or a non-reproductive tree. By these procedures, we did not intend to estimate any rodent population attribute (e.g., rodent density) as it would require a capture-recapture effort beyond our operational possibilities.
Seed removal and predation was investigated based on ten large-seeded tree species (seeds 15-110 mm length) as follows: Attalea oleifera (Palmae), Byrsonima stipulacea (Malpighiaceae), Cordia nodosa (Boraginaceae), Euterpe edulis (Palmae), Virola gardneri (Myristicaceae), Hymenaea courbaril (Leguminosae), Lecythis lurida and Lecythis pisonis (Lecythidaceae), Tovomita mangle (Clusiaceae) and Licania kunthiana (Chrysobalanaceae). Voucher specimens are available at UFP Herbarium, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (Serra Grande collection, vouchers nº 34,445-38,904). This set of species was selected in order to cover a large range of seed size within the group of the large-seeded tree species, as both fruit and seed size largely influence the assemblage of species operating as dispersers/predators (Howe and Smallwood, 1982; Turner, 2001).
Seed fate trials consisted of three basic treatments disposed on the ground: 1) protected seed - one intact, fresh seed totally protected by a vertebrate exclosure (wire cages 8 × 8 × 8 cm; mash net 10 mm of aperture); 2) partially-protected seed - one intact, fresh seed partially protected by a vertebrate exclosure with a single small aperture of 25 cm2 in order to permit seed access by small rodents; and 3) unprotected seed - one intact, fresh seed with free access to any vertebrate species.
Each seed fate trial consisted of these three treatments, which were disposed 5 m apart beneath the crown of an adult tree from any of the ten seed species addressed in this study (i.e., a trial = three seeds beneath one adult tree). Adult trees included both fruiting individuals and individuals without fruit. By this procedure we guaranteed that all sets of seed species had seeds exposed beneath adults of their own species as well as beneath adults from the other species used in the study. Trials were repeated at least 20 times for each seed species by using different and independent adult trees (at least 50 m apart); which totalised 692 exposed seeds (plus one seed discarded further due to injury) beneath 231 adult trees in the whole experiment. Trials were always set haphazardly in the Coimbra forest at 6:00 AM and checked after 24 hours, and at the end of this period, seeds were assigned within one of three categories of seed fate: still intact, predated (i.e., partially or totally eaten) or removed (i.e., disappeared). Trials were conducted at the forest edge (<100 m) and forest interior (>100 m).
Seed fate trials were carried out during eight months, from March 2004 up to October 2004 in order to guarantee independence among seed trials. March to October usually covers the rainy season in the study region (IBGE, 1985), and this trial period corresponded, partially or completely, to the fruiting season of the seed species addressed; we always used fresh and intact seeds for treatments. Finally, in order to record vertebrate species acting as seed predators on seed trials, we spent over 120 hours of focal observation, including observations for the complete set of seed species addressed in the study. Seed trials were monitored early in the morning, at dusk and at night (by using binoculars), with observers positioned 10 to 15 m from adult trees (see Tabarelli and Pimentel, 2004). We previously collected and taxidermied O. oniscus specimens to facilitate visual identification on seed trials.
2.4. Data analysis
Differences on the proportion of rodent captures and seeds within categories of seed fate were analysed by G tests (Sokal and Rohlf, 1995). In order to identify the factors driving seed predation and removal, we run a log-linear model using habitat (edge and interior forest), resource availability (fruiting trees and trees without fruit), and level of seed protection (protected, partially protected, unprotected) as factors to explain seed fate, which consisted of three mutually exclusive categories: predated, removed and intact. The initial model consisted of a saturated or complete model with all main effects and interactions. The most parsimonious model was then achieved after successive exclusions of no-significant terms. The final model consisted of the minimal fitted model with only significant interactions as proposed by Sokal and Rohlf (1995).
3. Results
O. oniscus was captured throughout the Coimbra forest including forest edges (76 captures, 29% of capture success) and interior areas (67 captures, 30.3%). However, this rodent was much more captured close or beneath fruiting trees - 45% (55 captures from 118 efforts) versus 25% (88/365) close to trees without fruits (G = 20.59, d.f. = 1, p < 0.001). Traps also captured a small number of common opossums (Didelphis albiventris). A 24 hours period of seed exposition permitted elevated rates of seed removal and predation among partially-protected and unprotected seeds. Roughly, 50% of those seeds were either removed or predated regardless of their taxonomic identity, and protected seeds remained practically intact despite the fact that few of these seeds were predated or removed after vertebrates destroyed the exclosures. Precisely, seed predation by any vertebrate (unprotected seeds, Figure 2a) varied from 3.5% (L. lurida) to 13.6% (V. gardneri), whereas predation by small rodents (partially-protected seeds, Figure 2b) varied between 4.7% (H. courbaril) and 26.6% (L. lurida). These figures represented an elevated rate of predation for a 24-hour period of seed exposition, and during the 120 hours of focal observation, only O. oniscus was visually recorded as a seed predator (as rodents consumed seeds partially or completely), including seed predation within the exclosures for medium-sized and large vertebrates (i.e., partially-protected seeds). Seed dispersal by O. oniscus was not visually recorded.
The log-linear model revealed significant contributions of habitat, resource availability and seed protection on the seed fate, including several interactions among factors (Table 1). Seeds were much more removed and predated beneath fruiting trees (Figure 3), but rates varied according to the level of seed protection - seed predation reached 26.3% among those partially-protected versus 19.2% of those unprotected. Moreover, a large proportion of partially protected (87%) and unprotected seeds (71%) remained intact after a 24 hours of exposition beneath trees without fruits. Seeds suffered higher levels of seed predation/removal at the forest edge (up to 90%), and rates were higher beneath fruiting trees (Figure 4). In both habitats, most seeds (>84%) remained intact beneath trees without fruits, regardless of the level of seed protection, and few seeds were effectively predated.
4. Discussion
Our results suggest that large-seeded tree species face elevated rates of seed predation in the Coimbra forest, particularly on forest edges, as 25% of all seeds beneath fruiting trees in this habitat were predated within a 24 hours period of seed exposition- overall 90% of them were predated or removed in this extremely short period. The small rodent O. oniscus appears to represent a substantial source of predation for large seeds in the aftermath of seed disposal on the ground as we did not visually record other species predating seeds inside the exclosures (partially-protected seeds), as well as those unprotected. Moreover, O. oniscus was recorded at all transects and fed on seeds from all species addressed in the experiment, except the very hard pyrenes of A. oleifera (just pulp consumption). These findings suggest that this rodent is abundant, at least in certain periods of time, and a generalist large-seed predator in the Coimbra forest. Finally, we documented a relatively low rate of seed predation and removal beneath the crowns of trees without fruits (<30%). Apparently, foraging activity by seed predators is focused on fruiting trees (as indicated by rodent capture) and seeds spatially concentrated on the ground (i.e., high levels of resource availability). It implies that large seeds discarded around non-reproductive trees face a lower chance of being predated and consequently, such areas consist of safe sites for the recruitment of large-seeded trees.
Our findings, however, do not exclude the possibility that other rodent species are operating as active seed predators at the study site as previously documented by Pimentel and Tabarelli (2004) for Attalea oleifera large seeds. Many seeds that disappeared from seed trials may have been completely consumed while we were not visually monitoring the experiment. Currently, there is a great debate about the process affecting long-term persistence of tree species in fragmented forest landscapes, including seed predation by rodents (see Fleury and Galetti, 2006; Santos et al., 2008). Several studies have proposed that small rodents and leaf-cutting ants tend to suffer ecological release in small forest patches as their predators become extinct in response to habitat loss (Terborgh et al., 2001). Additionally, large and medium-sized vertebrates that act as both seed predators and dispersers are eliminated at local and landscape level by over-hunting (Wright, 2003; Jordano et al., 2006; Wright et al., 2007). Greatly elevated densities of small rodents and lack of some medium-to-large-bodied mammals originate distorted vertebrate communities that may produce tangible impacts on plant recruitment. Empirical and experimental evidence from tropical forests in Central America suggest that small rodents prey preferentially on small seeds and it has been proposed to be the process driving abundant recruitment of large-seed trees in Los Tuxtlas, despite the hyper-abundance of the small rodent Heteromys desmarestianus (Dirzo and Mendoza, 2007). Conversely, Lopez and Terborgh (2007) did not detect disrupted seed removal/predation by overabundant rodents on predator-free artificial islands. These authors argued that seedling herbivory by leaf-cutting ants may exceed the negative impact promoted by rodents regarding seed predation and plant recruitment.
Our study did not intend to address a possible ecological release of small rodents in the Coimbra forest but we were able to document rapid and elevated rates of large-seed predation and removal. In fact, O. oniscus was able to prey a significant number of large seeds beneath several tree species despite any preference in terms of seed size. Similar findings have been reported elsewhere. O. talamancae, for instance, was identified as one of the most important seed predators for 11 tree species in a tropical forest site in Costa Rica (Corcovado National Park), including ten large-seeded species (DeMattia et al., 2004). For some tree species, such as Virola koshnyi (seeds 17.8 ± 1.57 mm length), predation by small rodents represented over 70% of the seeds destroyed in the seed-predation trials. Moreover, O. talamancae was by far the most abundant small rodent species; namely it reached over 150 individuals per hectare in particular months. Another finding by DeMattia et al. (2004) was that small rodent abundance and consequently the role played by the whole rodent community as seed predator consistently varied across months and years. Other Oryzomys species, however, may present a different pattern of fruit/seed consumption. To give one example, O. russatus was recorded to feed preferentially on pulp and small seeds (<15 mm length), and it left large seeds intact in a fragment of the Atlantic forest (Vieira et al., 2003).
The findings described above are consistent with the notion that over long periods, small rodents are able to play a detectable role on seed predation, demography and long-term persistence of small-seeded trees in both continuous (DeMattia et al., 2004; 2006) and fragmented landscapes (see Dirzo and Mendoza, 2007). More recent evidence, including our findings, suggests that seed predation by small rodents may be important for large-seeded trees as well. Habitat use, feeding behaviour and long-term demography of small rodents may thus impose ecological filters for tree species recruitment and largely determine safe sites for particular groups of species such large-seeded trees. Although seeds must be discarded far from parental plants in order to face reduced seed predation and increased recruitment (Janzen-Connell model), we have just found that seeds discarded beneath any fruiting tree (including non parental or co-specific individuals) face higher chances of being predated by generalists such as O. oniscus, particularly at the forest edge. There is large body of empirical evidence supporting the notion that food search by rodents is targeted on high-resource spots. Peres et al. (1997) argued that differential rates of Brazil-nut seed removal by agoutis is driven by a cognition-based foraging effort focused on reproductive trees. It is reasonable to predict that small rodents, such as Oryzomys species, with their small home ranges may temporally reside around fruiting trees, and consequently predate opportunistically a large array of large-seeds dropped on the ground. This behaviour may be particularly impacting on forest edges since this habitat is believed to produce (autochthonous seed rain) and receive (allochthonous seed rain) a small supply of large-seeds (Melo et al., 2006). In the Coimbra forest, adult trees without fruits appear to constitute low resource spots and provide, at least temporarily, safe sites for large-seeded trees.
In synthesis, the role played by small rodents as ecological filters for tree establishment is an emerging theme in the ecology of tropical modified landscapes, and remains largely controversial. According to DeMattia et al. (2004), as tropical forests become increasingly fragmented, the negative interactions between small rodents and seeds tend to drive seedling recruitment, tree species persistence and, consequently, the nature of tree assemblages. The Atlantic forest of northeast Brazil is now reduced to less than 6% of its original cover and the remaining forest is largely composed of small fragments (Ranta et al., 1998). Silva and Tabarelli (2000) predicted that over one third of large-seeded trees would face extinction in this region due to lack of effective seed dispersal. Would seed-predation by rodents represent an additional threat? Further studies must address the generality of the patterns described here and properly investigate possible impacts on demography of large-seeded trees resulting from small rodent seed predation in the fragmented landscapes of the Atlantic forest.
Acknowledgements - CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brasil) and Conservação Internacional do Brasil supported this study. Thanks to A. Langguth for rodent specimen identification, and to Mr. Heleno, an authentic field man, for the help with plant species identification and for his kindly presence. Two anonymous reviewers offered useful criticisms on the manuscript.
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HARPER, JL., 1994. Population biology of plants. New York: Academic Press. 892 p. [ Links ]
HENDERSON, A., 2002. Evolution and ecology of palms. New York: The New York Botanical Garden Press. 388 p. [ Links ]
HENRY, O., 1997. The influence of sex and reproductive state on diet preference in four terrestrial mammals of the French Guianan rain forest. Canadian Journal of Zoology, vol. 75, no. 6, p. 929-935. [ Links ]
HOCH, GA. and ADLER, GH., 1997. Removal of black palm (Astrcaryum standleyanum) seeds by spiny rats (Proechimys semispinosus). Journal of Tropical Ecology, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 51-58. [ Links ]
HOWE, HF. and SMALLWOOD, J., 1982. Ecology of seed dispersal. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics vol. 13, p. 201-228. [ Links ]
Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística - IBGE., 1985. Atlas Nacional do Brasil: Região Nordeste. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE. 1950-1968. [ Links ]
JANZEN, DH., 1970. Herbivores and the number of tree species in tropical forest. The American Naturalist, vol. 104, no. 904, p. 501-528. [ Links ]
______, 1971. Seed predation by animals. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, vol. 2, no. 26, p. 465-492. [ Links ]
JORDANO, P., GALETTI, M., PIZO, MA. and SILVA, WR., 2006. Ligando frugivoria e dispersão de sementes à biologia da conservação. In ROCHA, CFD., BERGALLO, HG., Van SLUYS, M. and ALVES, MAS. (Ed.). Biologia da conservação: essências. São Carlos: Rima. p. 411-458. [ Links ]
JORDANO, P., GARCIA, C., GODOY, JA. and GARCIA-CASTAÑO, JL., 2007. Differential contribution of frugivores to complex seed dispersal patterns. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 104, no. 9, p. 3278-3282. [ Links ]
KILTIE, RA., 1981. Distribution of palm fruits on a rain forest floor: why white-lipped peccaries forage near objects? Biotropica, vol. 13, no. 2, p. 141-145. [ Links ]
LEVEY, DJ., SILVA, WR. and GALETTI, M., 2002. Seed dispersal and frugivory: ecology, evolution and conservation. Oxford: CABI International. 536 p. [ Links ]
LOPEZ, L. and TERBORGH, J., 2007. Seed predation and seedling herbivory as factors in tree recruitment failure on predator-free forested islands. Journal of Tropical Ecology, vol. 23, no. 2, p. 129-137. [ Links ]
MANGAN, SA. and ADLER, GH., 2000. Consuption of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi by terrestrial and arboreal small mammals in a Panamanian cloud forest. Mammalia, vol. 81, no. 2, p. 563-570. [ Links ]
MELO, FPL., DIRZO, R. and TABARELLI, M., 2006. Biased seed rain in forest edges: evidence from the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Biological Conservation, vol. 132, no. 1, p. 50-60. [ Links ]
NUÑEZ-ITURRI, G. and HOWE, HF., 2007. Bushmeat and the fate of trees with seeds dispersed by large primates in a lowland rain forest in Western Amazonia. Biotropica, vol. 39, no. 3, p. 348-354. [ Links ]
OLIVEIRA, FF. and LANGGUTH, A., 2004. Pequenos mamíferos (Didelphimorphia e Rodentia) de Paraíba e Pernambuco. Revista Nordestina de Biologia, vol. 18, no. 8, p. 19-86. [ Links ]
PERES, CA., SCHIESARI, LC. and DIAS-LEME, CL., 1997. Vertebrate predation of Brazil-nut, an agouti-dispersed Amazonian seed crop (Bertholletia excelsa, Lecythidaceae): a test of the escape hypothesis. Journal of Tropical Ecology, vol. 13, no. 1, p. 69-79. [ Links ]
PIMENTEL, DS. and TABARELLI, M., 2004. Seed dispersal of the palm Attalea oleifera in a remnant of the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Biotropica, vol. 36, no. 1, p. 74-84. [ Links ]
PÔRTO, C., ALMEIDA-CORTEZ, JS. and TABARELLI, M., 2006. Diversidade biológica e conservação da floresta Atlântica ao norte do Rio São Francisco. Brasília: Ministério do Meio Ambiente. 363 p. Série Biodiversidade no. 14. [ Links ]
RANTA, P., BLOM, T., NIEMELÃ, J., JOENSUU, E. and SIITONEN, M., 1998. The fragmented Atlantic forest of Brazil: size, shape and distribution of forest fragments. Biodiversity and Conservation, vol. 7, no. 3, p. 385-403. [ Links ]
REDFORD, KH., 1992. The empty forest. Bioscience, vol. 42, no. 6, p. 412-422. [ Links ]
REIS, A., 1995. Dispersão de sementes de Euterpe edulis Martius (Palmae) em uma floresta ombrófila densa montana de encosta Atlântica em Blumenau. Campinas: UNICAMP. [Dissertação de Mestrado] [ Links ].
RICHARDS, PW., 1996. The tropical rain forest. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 574 p. [ Links ]
SANTOS, BA., PERES, CA., OLIVEIRA, MA., GRILLO, A., ALVES-COSTA, CP. and TABARELLI, M., 2008. Drastic erosion in functional attributes of tree assemblages in Atlantic forest fragments of northeastern Brazil. Biodiversity and Conservation. No prelo. [ Links ]
SILVA, GM. and TABARELLI, M., 2001. Seed dispersal, plant recruitment and spatial distribution of Bactris acanthocarpa Martius (Arecaceae) in a remnant of Atlantic Forest in northeast Brazil. Acta Oecologica, vol. 22, no. 5-6, p. 259-268. [ Links ]
______, 2000. Tree species impoverishment and the future flora of the Atlantic forest of northeast Brazil. Nature, vol. 404, no. 6773, p. 72-74. [ Links ]
SMYTHE, N., 1989. Seed survival in the palm Astrocaryum standleiuanum: evidence for dependence upon its seed dispersers. Biotropica, vol. 21, no. 1, p. 50-56. [ Links ]
SOKAL, RR. and ROHLF, FJ., 1995. Biometry. New York: WH. Freeman and Company. 859 p. [ Links ]
TABARELLI, M. and PERES, CA., 2002. Abiotic and vertebrate seed dispersal in the Brazilian Atlantic forest: implications for forest regeneration. Biodiversity and Conservation, vol. 106, no. 2, p. 165-176. [ Links ]
TALAMONI, SA. and DIAS, MM., 1999. Population and community ecology of small mammals in southeastern Brazil. Mammalia, vol. 63, no. 2, p. 167-181. [ Links ]
TERBORGH, J., 1990. Seed and fruit dispersal commentary. In BAWA, KS. and HADLEY, M. (Ed.). Reproductive ecology of tropical forest plants. Paris: UNESCO and The Parthenon Publishing Group. p. 181-190. [ Links ]
TERBORGH J., LOPEZ L., NUNEZ P., RAO M., SHAHABUDDIN G., ORIHUELA G., RIVEROS M., ASCANIO R., ADLER G.H., LAMBERT TD. and BALBAS L. 2001. Ecological meltdown in predator-free forest fragments. Science, vol. 294, no. 5548, p. 1923-1925. [ Links ]
TERBORGH, J. and NUÑEZ-ITURRI, G. 2006. Disperser-free tropical forests await an unhappy fate. In LAURANCE, WF. and PERES, CA. (Ed.). Emerging threats to tropical forests. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. p. 241-252. [ Links ]
TURNER, IM., 2001. The ecology of trees in the tropical rain forest. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 312 p. [ Links ]
VELOSO, HP., RANGEL-FILHO, ALR. and LIMA, JCA., 1991. Classificação da vegetação brasileira adaptada a um sistema universal. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE. 82 p. [ Links ]
VIEIRA, EM., PIZO, MA. and IZAR, P., 2003. Fruit and seed exploitation by small rodents of the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Mammalia, vol. 67, no. 4, p. 533-539. [ Links ]
WHITMORE, TC. 1991. An introduction to tropical rain forests. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 226 p. [ Links ]
______, 1996. A review of some aspects of tropical rain forest seedling ecology with suggestions for further enquiry. In SWAINE, MD. (Ed.). The ecology of tropical tree seedlings. Paris: UNESCO and the Parthenon Publishing Group. p. 3-40. [ Links ]
WILSON, DE. and JANZEN, DH., 1972. Predation on Scheelea palm seeds by bruchid beetles: seed density and distance from the parental palm. Ecology, vol. 5, no. 53, p. 954-959. [ Links ]
WRIGHT, SJ., 2003. The myriad consequences of hunting for vertebrates and plants in tropical forests. Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution and Systematics, vol. 6, no. 1-2, p. 73-86. [ Links ]
WRIGHT, SJ. and DUBER, HC., 2001. Poachers and forest fragmentation alter seed dispersal, seed survival, and seedling recruitment in the palm Attalea butyracea, with implications for tropical tree diversity. Biotropica, vol. 33, no. 4, p. 583-595. [ Links ]
WRIGHT, SJ., HERNANDÉZ, A. and CONDIT, R., 2007. The bushmeat harvest alters seedling banks by favoring lianas, large seeds, and seeds dispersed by bats, birds, and wind. Biotropica, vol. 39, no. 3, p. 363-371. [ Links ]
Received July 31, 2007
Accepted November 12, 2007
Distributed August 31, 2009 (With 4 figures)
* e-mail: email@example.com


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The 03:55 just rolled by and the the borrowed from previous tenants upstairs/end/corner room at the Red Roof shook as she blew through Westward to the docks of San Pedro where I was just last night…."It will folllow the concrete banks of the LA River" I thought….fitting.
She is dying inside me like one of my molars did….a good twinge that takes you to your knees in less frequent intervals, less intensity, shorter duration but still capable of profound pain and audible cries only given as the locomotive passed by in an attempt to stifle them….fuck…gotta wait another hour till the next one I think to myself.
The sun will be coming up shortly after that one…out there over Indio I suppose. Days fly by like the used Kleenex she used to collect on her nightstand. That used to drive me insane as I now wish I had one to dry these tears that come when I think of them…and her. Did she fall asleep in the bath again? I wonder if she's up and if so, is she alone?
Think I'll shave today…maybe even eat. Most days I just don't see the point….but it's time to get busy livin because dying will come along soon enough.


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We have a web project that the 90% of the data it's taken from an outer domain. As the client forced us to make the queries directly to the other domain, we decided to use flXHR.
"flXHR is a *client-based* cross-browser, XHR-compatible tool for cross-domain Ajax (Flash) communication."
As we used jquery for build the tables, the right solution seems to use the flXHR jQuery plugin. And all seems right while we were testing in firefox and IE 8, but when we began to test it in IE7 we saw that "sometimes" after the refresh of the page... we had the CPU up to 100% and the IE7 blocked.
After a refactorization and finally a total simplification of the page, we saw that the only way to use safely flXHR was putting the include of the flXHR.js file at the end of the page, or at least the last one of all the js includes of the page.
The next simple example ends with 100% CPU if you refresh the page quickly so many times (source):


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Project development in London: Kilburn High Road commercial building redesigned into 16 luxury apartments and 3 retail units
Quality and efficiency
We work to create sustainable living and solid opportunities for smart investing. How? Through efficient and professional work.
Modern urban investments
Property development is changing, with emphasis on smart urban growth. BOK creates the ideal investments conditions.
Timely delivery - every single time
One of our main purposes is to deliver the final product on time and with no delays.
Keeping track of the project's development
We keep our investors informed about the project's development.
Highly trained workers and specialists
BOK working teams will expand a building opportunity into a solid success. They know how to deliver perfection during all tasks.
Immaculate developments
Respecting a project's particularities sets the foundation of a success story. BOK works with respect and integrity on all construction projects.
Project development in London: Kilburn High Road commercial building redesigned into 16 luxury apartments and 3 retail units
New development project Caledonian Road; 2 luxury apartments and one retail unit
9 Colchester Road development project in London, sold with 25 % more than other area properties


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How to get your kids to part with their toys before the holidays
Categories: Getting Organized
Laura is a wife and mother to three great kids, lives in Alberta, Canada and is an addict of all things organizing, especially containers. She is addicted to the high that comes with living a life of order and simplicity and is always looking for her next "fix". You can find her blogging regularly and sharing her passion over at I'm an Organizing Junkie, and her organizing book, Clutter Rehab: 101 Organizing Tips & Tricks to Become an Organization Junkie and Love It!, will hit bookstore shelves in December 2010.
This post isn't so much about how to organize and contain your kid's toys before Christmas but rather how to get your kids to part with their toys before new ones invade their space. Think it's impossible? Are you ready to just grab a garbage bag and head on in to their rooms while their at school to get it done yourself. Not quite so fast. My experience has taught me that the only thing that teaches your children is not to trust you. Let me assure you that the more you involve your children in the process of organizing (and purging!) the more they'll acquire the necessary skills to make it an ongoing habit that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
So as we prepare for the upcoming holiday festivities set aside a couple of hours one morning to work with your children armed with the following tips in hand and watch the magic happen.
First thing you need to do is collect all toys along with all the bits and pieces that belong to the those toys from around the house into one area. Sort everything into piles so that all like toys are together in one pile. Kids love sorting so this step in the process typically goes pretty quickly. The next step which involves letting some of those prize possessions go is a little trickier especially when you are first starting out.
Organizing is about making decisions and the younger children learn to flex this "decision making muscle" the easier it will be for them to execute on a regular basis. Presenting them with choices is an excellent way to do this.
Here are a few questions to help them decide:
When did you play with this last?
Why is this so important to you?
Rather than this toy sitting here neglected do you think another child might like to play with it now? (this is a particularly good one at this time of year)
Give them a choice between two things and ask them which one is their most favourite? I see you have two stuffed horses, would you like to keep this one or this one?
Your Lego container is full and you don't have any room to add more. We need to make room in case you get some more for Christmas. Let's go through the box and decide which ones we can part with so the box isn't so full.
When you first start out with this process and having them to make their own tough choices, you will more than likely be met with resistance. Expect it but stay firm. I promise you this step get easier and easier with practice. You might not always agree with what they want to keep but remember your favourites don't need to be their favourites.
You empower them to make these decisions themselves alleviating potential power struggles. It's your boundaries and limits but their choice what stays and what goes within those boundaries.
Do you struggle with getting your kids to part with their toys? How have you handled it in your house?
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Housing associations are experiencing dramatic changes. Faced with new legislation in the Housing and Planning Bill, which allows tenants to buy their homes at a discount of up to £73,000, as well as an annual reduction of 1% in social rents in England for the next four years, they could be forgiven for concentrating their focus on budgets rather than their employees. Our work with eight of the G-15 housing associations shows that this isn't the case, and combined with our experience in other industries, we know that in times of crisis and change, it's your people that will get you through. Employee engagement is important to housing associations, now more than ever. According to Engage for Success, organisations in the top quartile of engagement scores demonstrated revenue growth 2.5 times higher than those in the bottom quartile. Equally, organisations in the top quartile had 18% higher productivity than those in the bottom quartile. With these facts in mind, it is quite apparent that a highly engaged workforce is essential for housing associations in the coming years if they are to be successful.
The work that we have undertaken with Radian over the past five years is a prime example of a Housing Association reaping the benefits of an engaged workforce. When we began working with Radian in 2010 their engagement score was 58% and in 2015 this figure had risen to 84%. As a result of the employee survey that Radian rolled out on annual basis, we were able to highlight the key themes that were driving engagement throughout the organisation. This enabled Radian to focus their action planning in a way that maximised their return on investment and focused on the things that mattered most to their employees. Lindsay Todd, former chief executive at Radian, said: "We focus on staff engagement because we know it delivers business improvement like nothing else. We've saved costs, increased value for money and innovation, reduced staff sickness and turnover and, most importantly, improved customer satisfaction". Planning is now underway for Radian's 2016 survey and despite the seemingly difficult times ahead for the housing sector they have continued to focus on their engagement strategy.
As a result of our extensive work in the housing sector, we have designed an employee survey specifically for housing associations, which emphasises cost-effectiveness and benchmarking. This toolkit is designed to help housing associations gather feedback on all areas of the employee experience so that they can increase employee engagement and ultimately increase business performance. After all, the difference between thriving and surviving in the next few years for housing associations could well come down to how engaged your employees are. It has long been suggested that the most valuable asset for any organisation are its employees and this has never been truer for Housing Associations in the current climate.
We will be exhibiting at the National Housing Federation's HR in Housing Conference on the 14th April in London and we look forward to sharing some of our latest employee engagement research with you on the day.


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MINECON is coming!!!Hey Minecrafters, hope you are having a good Friday! We here at Minecraftserver.net are excited for 2 reasons.


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30" x 22" Watercolour on 140 Lb. Arches
Saturday, August 16, 2014
And so it begins....
I collected Cockle-bur or Burdock leaves from my Dads orchard in Cashmere WA. These "weeds" are used to make initial marks on paper with watercolours. You never really know what will happen, what the magic of the watercolour will leave behind. I call these pieces "starts". I use the beautiful marks left by the veins on the leaves and develop them into a finished piece.
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Engage or Perish: Analysis of Social Media Publishing for Authors in Traditional Media is now available as a Kindle Book. It is free today, and will be a dollar starting tomorrow. Get a copy now.
Matt Briggs delivered a talk a panel about social media for old and young writers organized by Priscilla Long and presented at the Associated Writing Conference, Thursday March 1, 2012. Publishing in social media requires a fundamental re-imagining of your practice as a writer. This book explains the framework and points to some specific tools for creating a social media writing practice.


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Mackerel & egg kedgeree
- 10-30 minutes to prepare
- 10-30 minutes to cook
- Makes 2-3 portions
- Ingredients
- How to make
1 small onion
½ tsp mild curry powder
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 fillet of cooked mackerel
64g (a handful) of baby spinach leaves
1 egg
80g white rice
2 cardamom pods
How to make
Step 1
Dice the onion and wash the spinach leaves
Step 2
Hard boil the egg - chop into about 8 pieces once cooked
Step 3
Cook the rice in simmering water with the cardamom pods until the rice is tender
Step 4
Melt the butter in a large pan and add the onion and sauté over a low heat for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft and has absorbed the butter
Step 5
Add the curry powder and continue to sauté for another minute
Step 6
Add the spinach and allow it to wilt, before adding the rice (make sure the cardamom pods have been removed) and stir until the rice is a nice yellow colour
Step 7
Remove the skin of the mackerel and flake with a fork
Step 8
Add the mackerel, give it all a good stir and then serve with the pieces of chopped egg on top. If your little one isn't quite ready for the texture of this recipe, you can blend or mash down to suit them.
- Dairy ingredients
- Eggs
Recipe notes
Why not let your little ones explore the textures with their fingers or try a spoon or fork.


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Before USC hired Central Florida coach Caryl Smith-Gilbert, we hear the job was turned down by coaches from Florida, TCU and Kentucky. And Smith-Gilbert turned down an offer from Clemson to accept the USC job.
UPDATED: A USC spokesperson said the job was never offered to anyone else other than Smith-Gilbert.


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I like to send home occasional family projects in my classroom. I love the collaboration among parents, students, and siblings! In fact, just a few days ago a mysterious letter fell from the sky prompting us to get ready for our November family project! So that afternoon, I sent home a blank turkey template and a letter to parents. I instructed students to bring their disguised turkeys back by November 15th so we could display and enjoy them the last week before Thanksgiving break!
The students were sooooooooooo excited! Here are some past projects students have turned in:
Of course my personal favorite of all time was this one:
We read some fabulous stories during our Turkey in Disguise project. Here are some of my favorites:
And we integrate some reading response and opinion writing into our unit!
Grab my Turkey in Disguise project pack on TPT on SALE this week only!
Be sure to grab this FREEBIE while you're there:
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Subscribe to my newsletter and get access to a FREE resource library!


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Burning Isles
Just a note that My Dad has made a new post (clicky there) on his blog. Thought I'd note that here because they don't blog too often due to busyness in their missionary roles in PNG. Feel free to leave a comment on their blog, I don't think anyone has yet and he's been blogging for most of this year!
Pic: My Dad, Trevor Burns with my nephew Malachi.


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"Mike Pence is Pat Patterson," Episode 77, May 11, 2018
A podcast about the intersections of the worlds of professional wresting and presidential politics hosted by Chris Kelly and Brandon Wetherbee.
We all knew The Donald is Vince. Now we know Mike Pence is Pat Patterson.
Buy The Donald: How Trump Turned Presidential Politics Into Pro Wrestling for only $3.16! Since writing the book, nothing has shocked us. Nothing.


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May 17, 2013 – Alex Song Slapped Gerard Pique As Barca Celebrate La Liga Victory
2 Barcelona Football club stars, Alex Song & Gerard Pique appeared to have been fighting on top of the FC's double-decker bus as they celebrate their La Liga victory.
In this bizarre photos, the former Arsenal FC midfielder, Alex Song and Gerard Pique looked as if they're fighting as the bus tours Catalan City.
In the end, the club's captain Carlos Puyol and the goalkeeper Victor Valdes appeared to be peacemaking the fight.


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I have to admit I'm experiencing no small amount of schadenfreude at watching the pro-Kremlin "political analysts" and "geopolitical experts" squirm and sweat more and more as the Russian economy continues its meltdown. Up till the last few months of 2014, these guys had it easy. Many of Russia's economic woes were more or less unknown to anyone who wasn't specifically looking for them. Perhaps even some of these Western-based "experts" were or perhaps still are unaware of Russia's underlying economic problems, which were stewing long before 2014, the sanctions, the plummeting price of oil, and the collapse of the ruble. This meant that at worst, their predictions about the abandonment of the dollar as the world's reserve currency, its subsequent collapse into worthless paper, and the meteoric rise of a new Russian superpower at the head of an anti-American BRICS alliance simply hadn't yet come to fruition. They could always throw out some random figures and say that the rapture would come next year.
Now those days are long past, gone for the foreseeable future. It's clear to everyone the world over that Russia's economy is fucked. Even president Putin himself implicitly admitted this in his 2014 year-end press conference. At the end of December it was, "The ruble should remain stable so long as the oil price doesn't continue to fall." A couple weeks later and it…continued to fall, taking the ruble down with it. Every year these people told us that the collapse of the dollar was immanent, and then the ruble collapsed instead. Russia was supposed to be ascendant, while the US was on the verge of economic ruin. Now even a superficial look at both countries reveals quite clearly which one is currently on the brink of financial ruin and crisis.
I cannot stress enough how badly these people have fucked up. You make a prediction; it doesn't come true. Fine, maybe it will come true later. Fortune tellers bank on that all the time. But it's a very different story when you make a prediction and then the opposite happens. In other words- This isn't like predicting the rapture and then seeing the appointed day pass without incident. This is predicting the rapture, and then being publicly visited by a physical manifestation of Odin or perhaps Quetzalcoatl, informing you and your followers that Christianity is the wrong religion.
As it becomes more and more difficult to deny Russia's rapidly deteriorating condition, there has been a significant shift in tone from Team Russia's cheerleaders in the West. They continue to harp on any negative news they get out of the US or EU, but when it comes to Russia they're suddenly talking more and more about China and India. Oddly enough they aren't ditching Russia for China, which would actually be a very logical choice given the circumstances. No, instead of picking a winner they are busy swallowing the Kremlin's line about how China, India, Turkey, and perhaps in the future Botswana, Turkmenistan, and Burkina Faso will all save Russia. Yes, you foolish dupes of the Western media! This is all part of Putin's brilliant gambit! He's playing the long game! His masterful, Machiavellian plan involves getting Russia into unequal agreements with much more powerful economies that continue to carry on massive trade with the West! He'll bide his time and then…spring the trap! You'll see! You'll all see! You fools! This is all part of the plan! You fell for Putin's clever ruse!
Seriously though, don't expect these people to disappear any time soon, especially those who work for publications or websites that are backed with Kremlin money. For one thing, most of these people continue to support the narrative because in spite of their formal education or their age, they still know very little about how the world works or the countries they are supposedly "analyzing." This is why some of them seem to have fallen for the Russian media's implication that China or India's agreements with Russia somehow represent those two countries' turn away from the West. These countries still carry on lucrative trade with the US and Europe, and that plus Western investment is worth far too much to them to throw it all away in favor of making Putin's dream of a Russian empire come true. They also continue to pay for their Russian energy in dollars, in spite of Russian pleas to use local currencies which go back for years. These "geopolitical experts" and "analysts" never see any of that. They look at a map like it's the board game Risk, and when Putin pays a visit to China or India they imagine these countries are now in one camp.
Another reason why these people will not disappear is because there are certain factors which make it possible to continually make incorrect predictions without getting caught. In his book The Faith Healers, former "conjurer" James Randi, the bane of psychics, frauds, faith healers, quacks, and parapsychologists the world over, explained why alternative medicine quacks and faith healers can have long, lucrative careers no matter how many patients fail to recover or even die. Without getting into too much detail, he explains how many conditions, including terminal ones, often have ups and downs until the patient either gets better or dies. This means that depending on when the healer or quack initiates the treatment, they can use several explanations to demonstrate the efficacy of their methods. They are as follows:
Healer initiates treatment, patient recovers: "The treatment works!"
Healer initiates the treatment, patient's condition doesn't change: "The treatment has stabilized the condition."
Healer initiates treatment, patient gets worse: We may have applied the treatment too late to save the patient.
Team Russia's Western cheerleading squad have a set of similar variables. I can already see how the Russian media and some of the Kremlin's astroturf movements on the net celebrate every tiny increase in the ruble's value, every little uptick in the price of oil, all in spite of the general downward trend of both. Expect this kind of off-and-on celebration from the geopolitical wonks from now on, seeing as how their sources all ultimately lead back to the Russian press. If exchange rates and the price of oil remain more or less the same for 48 hours, they'll tell us that the situation has stabilized. What is more, unlike the faith healers and alternative medicine quacks, these people can also fall back on other excuses, such as "The CIA's behind it," "You must work for the State Department," and "Do you think the dollar will last forever?!"
Truth be told, many of these people won't stop because they are simply too invested in the fantasy, which in some cases is a part of their identity. They need Russia to be that ally that supposedly stands up to their own government. Some of them actually moved to Russia and they need to justify betting on that horse. The mental heuristic in this case resembles that which causes PC users to tangle with Mac users, and Xbox fans to fight it out with Playstation partisans. We make certain decisions, often for unknown and emotional reasons, then we've got to justify those decisions after the fact. The more you've invested into that choice, the more stubbornly you will defend it.
Since they're not going anywhere in the mean time, we might as well amuse ourselves as they go through their mental gymnastics, explaining how each new fall for the ruble is merely a "tactical retreat," and how every state visit Putin makes means another country ripped out of the "Anglo-American" sphere of influence and seated firmly in Russia's camp of allies. At the same time every piece of bad economic news from the US or European Union, no matter how insignificant, will be portrayed as the harbinger of the economic apocalypse. When you point out Russia's failures, expect them to start talking about China versus the United States, as though China is somehow a substitute for Russia or that China's success somehow negates Russia's disaster. Push them a little more and they'll most likely start blabbering about Zionist conspiracies, gold, and freemasons. It's going to be hilarious.