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The Bure
It is an early Thursday morning and I am on the banks of The Bure in Norfolk. Three Environment Agency staff are sweeping across a windy stretch of river; two with electro-fishing rods, another pushing a boat behind them. Sometimes they sing (despite their waders the water is cold and spirits need to be kept high) and every few seconds a quick flick of a hand net transfers a momentarily knocked out fish into a bucket on the boat - these fish will be passed to us and on the bank we will weigh, measure and 'gut-flush' certain fish before all are returned to the river alive and well.
I am with Murray Thompson, a PhD student at the Natural History Museum studying the effect of woody debris on life in rivers. He tells me that last year; they only pulled 31 trout out of this particular stretch of river compared to 56 this year, a sign that in the Bure, trout are prospering from the presence of trees. Also included in the haul were: 11 stone loach, 3 three-spined stickleback, 1 roach and, rather wonderfully, 1 eel. Murray wants to find out whether recreating natural tree-fall in rivers creates better environments for the various levels of life in a river, something that ultimately benefits top predators like the trout.
Many of the rivers he works on have been straightened and had any woody debris removed. All of the rivers are fished and although potential hook snags like fallen trees are an obstacle for fishermen, Murray hopes that by showing that mixed and complex environments ultimately benefit the fish, those who own the rivers (and the rites to fish on them) will be more inclined to leave rivers in a more natural state.
'Gut-flushing' a trout
It is important to know what the fish in a river are eating and to do this without killing them we 'gut-flushed' a few of each species sampled:
After being measured and weighed the fish to be gut-flushed are placed in a bucket of river water to which we add a few drops of sedative. In just a few minutes the fish are subdued at which point they can be 'gut-flushed'. River water is gently pumped into the stomach of the fish and the contents of the stomach are regurgitated. These stomach contents are then collected in carefully labeled test tubes to be brought back to the museum and analyzed in the lab. The 'gut-flushed' fish is then placed in a bucket with aerated river water and after just a few minutes will be fit for release back into the river.
This process is repeated at various sites along the river; some have natural pieces of woody debris - namely fallen trees not yet removed, some have nothing and some are sites to which Murray has carefully added woody debris or fallen trees. This process is also repeated in another 4 rivers in an attempt to find common trends within the vast array of ecological variability encountered across the country. The results from these different sites will hopefully provide Murray with evidence for the effectiveness of 'Re-wilding Britain's rivers'.
Thanks to National Trust Head Warden Dave Brady for devising the restorations, Murray Thompson, Charlie Hanison, Jon Clarke, Tom Howard, and Nick Beardmore from the Environment Agency.


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Game Club in Birmingham
Like Board games? Come and join in the fun at Forbidden Planet Birmingham!
We will be demonstrating games such as Fluxx, Gloom and Munchkin every Saturday. So whether you are a long time player or a newcomer, we will have a game for you. Learn to play for free and meet like-minded players in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
If you own a game you think others would like to try, bring it along, share the fun! Please contact the store for more details.
Check out our full range on our Game Page!
Event Locations & Times
- Birmingham Megastore
- From to

subset: commoncrawl


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ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — One Atlantic City casino reopened Friday within two hours of getting permission from Gov. Chris Christie and at least one other was scheduled to do so later in the day.
Christie announced the order to allow reopening at 10 a.m. Friday and said it was effective immediately. He also allowed roads to the seaside resort, which was subject to a mandatory evacuation, to reopen.
An hour and a half later, Golden Nugget Atlantic City was open. The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa was preparing to open at 4 p.m.
It wasn't clear when others would open.
Tropicana Casino and Resort President Tony Rodio, who also heads the Casino Association of New Jersey, said the casinos are working on the logistics.
State regulators are giving final approval for reopening plans individually.
Getting workers in place at the businesses could be a challenge. The city has been shut down since Sunday. And now that it's reopening, traffic congestion could be a major problem.
The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa was scrambling to arrange to bring employees to the building Friday morning.
The casinos were closed Sunday as Sandy bore down on New Jersey's coast. It was only the fourth time in New Jersey's 34-year history of legal casino gambling that the industry was shut down.
The storm made landfall with hurricane force winds just a few miles from Atlantic City on Monday.
The city was flooded and an old section of its famous boardwalk — the nation's first — was wrecked in the storm, though other parts of New Jersey's coast were hit even harder.
Last year, casinos were closed when Tropical Storm Irene hit the coast. That three-day shutdown, which came on a busy summer weekend, cost the city $45 million in lost business.
The only other closures were for Hurricane Gloria in 1985 and a state government shutdown in 2006.
The casinos have been on a losing streak over the last several years during a sour economy and because of increased competition from neighboring states.
Mulvihill reported from Trenton.


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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The U.S. government is urging a federal judge to deny a Hobby Lobby Stores request to block the enforcement of a new health care law that requires employers to give staff insurance coverage for the morning-after pill and similar drugs.
Last month, the arts and crafts supply chain filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma City that alleges the mandate is unconstitutional. The company wants an injunction to prohibit the law's enforcement. The Oklahoma City-based store says the mandate will force its owners to violate deeply held religious beliefs under threat of heavy fines.
Government attorneys say Hobby Lobby cannot claim to exercise religion in an effort to avoid laws designed to regulate commercial activity.
A hearing is set on Nov. 1 before U.S District Judge Joe Heaton.


text: The Lexettes, Hayden Synchronized Skating's Junior Level Team, just won the 2013 World Junior Team Selection Competition at the Mid-America Championships in Fraser, Michigan this past weekend. The Lexettes will be Team USA 1 at the Junior World Championships in Helsinki, Finland March 8-9. On Friday night, The Lexettes were in 2nd place after the Short Program. On Saturday night, they won the Long Program and the overall competition. This is the first time that the Lexettes have qualified for the Junior World Championships. The team is based in Lexingtion, Mass. There are 20 skaters on the team that come from 4 different states. Three of the girls live in Connecticut (West Hartford, East Granby, and Farmington). One of the girls comes from Finland, and the head coach comes from Finland. They will be returning "home" for the Junior World Championships.


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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – This past weekend, nationally-ranked No. 15 MIT hosted the Hatch Brown Trophy and also sent sailors to the Mrs. Hurst Bowl and the FJ Invitational. The Engineers secured ninth place in their home event while placing 12th at the Mrs. Hurst Bowl and second and ninth at the FJ Invitational.
Seniors Philip Crain (Houston, Texas) and Taylor Burfield (Naples, Fla.) were runner-ups in the B Division of the Hatch Brown Trophy as they capitalized on eight top-five finishes through 15 races. The pair won the second and fifth rounds, placed third in the fourth rotation, and finished fourth in the 10th, 11th, and 13th races. Seniors Andrew Sommer (Duxbury, Mass.), Kelden Pehr (Seabrook, Texas), and Mark Van de Loo (Eau Claire, Wis.) produced six top-10 placements to rank 10th out of 18 teams in the A Division. The trio won the second to last rotation, ranked fourth in the ninth race, and was fifth in the 13th round. Freshman David Larson (San Diego, Calif.) collaborated with senior Eben Freeman (Zurich, Switzerland) to finish 14th in the C Division. The duo cracked the top 10 on seven occasions, highlighted by a fourth-place performance in the 14th round and fifth place in the 11th rotation.
At the Mrs. Hurst Bowl, sophomore Chloe Lepert (Belmont, Calif.) and junior Iris Xu (Madison, Wis.) generated seven top-10 finishes en route to 10th place out of 22 teams in the A Division. In addition to a victory in the third round, the tandem was third in 12th round, seventh in the seventh race, and eighth in the second rotation of the competition. Junior Hanna Vincent (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Brooke Winslow were 13th in the B Division as they registered six top-10 performances, including third place in the seventh of 12 rounds.
MIT had two entries in the FJ Invitational, with the "Engineers" earning the runner-up spot while the "Angry Beavers" claimed ninth place out of 13 squads. Sophomore Laura Dunphy (Shelburne, Vt.) and junior Keren Gu (Bowie, Md.) captured the top three spots in three of six races to finish second in the A Division. Meanwhile, freshman Cali Warner (Dartmouth, Mass.) and junior Grace Krusell (Newington, Conn.) entered the top three on four occasions as they ranked third overall in the B Division. Freshman Rosalind Lesh (Everson, Wash.) and sophomore Samantha Albright (Madison, Conn.) led the "Angry Beavers" to sixth place in the A Division courtesy of one fourth-place and two second-place finishes. Junior Sarah Mountjoy (Melbourne, Australia) produced a ranking of 11th for the B boat as its top performances were eighth and ninth place.
MIT will spend next weekend on the road as it will compete at the Hood Trophy, the New England Match Race Championship, the St. Mary's Intersectional, and the Regis Trophy.


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Read our use cases for best practices in Campaign.


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In this Issue:
Inside the FBI's bomb lab. The future of food. Popular Science is the world's largest science and technology magazine. Discovery and innovation are reshaping the world around us, and Popular Science makes even the most complex ideas entertaining and accessible. By taking an upbeat, solutions-oriented look at today's most audacious science and revolutionary technology, we forecast what tomorrow will be like. Popular Science delivers a look at the future now. It's the ultimate guide to what's new and what's next! Take a look for yourself.
Get every issue of Popular Science Magazine and unlimited access to over 150 top magazines in one app, including back issues. Try Free at NextIssue.com
About Popular Science Magazine:
The Popular Science Magazine makes it a point to make complex ideas fun and interesting. Find solution-based approach to problems, unravel the latest developments in science and revolution, technology and more! The latest Popular Science digital magazine issue is now available on the Next Issue Magazine App for iPad, iPhone, Android tablets and smartphones as well as Windows 8 devices.
Also try other popular digital magazines like Smithsonian, Shutterbug in our Science and Tech Magazines section.
About Next Issue:
Next Issue allows you to access to over 150 of the world best digital magazines. Get unlimited access to your favorite magazines including back issues anytime, anywhere using our app.


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The Farm King brand name from Buhler returns on a high-clearance sprayer. The Farm King 1200 pull-type sprayer is the first sprayer model to come out of a licensing agreement between Buhler and Redball.
The sprayer is available with either an 800- or 1,200-gal. tank with a sloped design. The 1200 model also features an axle that adjusts in width from 80 to 120 ft. The booms with Henschen boom suspension are available in widths of 60, 80 or 90 ft.
Suggested retail price: $42,000. Contact Farm King, Dept. FIN, 301 Mountain St. S., Morden, Manitoba R6M 1X7, Canada, 888/524-1004, www.buhler.com.
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This week in Island history
The news of 10 and 15 years ago is from the Jamestown Press. The news of 100 years ago came from the collection of the Newport Historical Society.
100 years ago From the Newport Daily News, December 17, 1908
The Whatsoever Circle of King's Daughters, whose work for the sick and needy has been a blessing to the island, are again at work preparing their Christmas "Sunshine" work of remembering the "shut-ins."
From the Newport Daily News, December 18, 1908
Cattle Commissioner W. K. Boyd was in town today to inspect a herd of cows.
75 years ago From the Newport Daily News, December 16, 1933
There was a good attendance at the Republican club headquarters Friday evening, R. G. Sparks, first vice president presided, and introduced Public Aid Officer Thomas Sheehan, who outlined the different relief programs now being carried on in town, including the State Relief and the CWA, and cleared up many of the misunderstandings in regard to this work.
From the Newport Daily News, December 18, 1933
The Jamestown Town Team, which was defeated last week by Ruth's Pets, came to the fore in their second game of the season to nose out Joe and VI team, 45-28, at the Holy Ghost Hall, Sunday afternoon.
From the Newport Daily News, December 19, 1933
(At the Board of Trade meeting) Mr. Clarke reported on the New Year greeting cards to be sent to the Jamestown summer guests, and said nearly 1,000 cards had been prepared … Circulars for the advertising of Jamestown in 1934 was discussed. … The Information Booth at Ferry Wharf, which had a successful season, was discussed.
50 years ago From the Newport Daily News, December 18, 1958
A protest against any increase in Jamestown ferry rates and a plea "to all parties concerned" to reduce rates were contained in a resolution adopted by the (Newport) Council last night. … A traffic engineering firm in a report to the state Public Works Department this week recommended raising the auto fare from $1.50 to $2. The former Jamestown Ferry Authority was eliminated last spring and the ferry operation turned over to the state Public Works Department on the basis that it could operate more economically the system as a part of the state highway system.
From the Newport Daily News, December 19, 1958
Fred Caswell's pupils of grade 6-W presented a play today for assembly titled "The Best Part of Christmas."
25 years ago From the Newport Daily News, December 14, 1983
Ceremonies at the East Ferry Block Tuesday marked completion of the first phase of the renovation project. The "topping out" of the structure's frame with a Christmas tree was done in the tradition of barn-raising days. … (All residential (three) units and two stores have been sold in the oceanfront complex. The remaining four stores are being offered for lease.
From the Newport Daily News, December 16, 1983
The report (on traffic on the Newport and Mount Hope bridges) showed that traffic on the Newport Bridge increased from 292,077 vehicles during November 1982 to 319,318 vehicles last month.
The School Committee adopted a budget of $2,101,871 for 1984-85 in a five-hour session that ended early this morning. … The budget is $141,201 higher than last year which is a 7.7 percent hike.
From the Newport Daily News, December 19, 1983
The Jamestown Bridge replacement project will receive $40 million from the federal bridge discretionary fund, U.S. Sen. John Chafee said today.
15 years ago From the Jamestown Press, December 16, 1993
A new contract raising Jamestown's teachers' salaries some 9 percent over the next three years was signed last week during a special meeting of the Jamestown School Committee.
The Jamestown Housing Authority will resume management of Pemberton Apartments and has named Leroy T. Mills as its executive director. Mills' first task will be to directing the renovation of the 35-unit apartment complex.
10 years ago From the Jamestown Press, December 17, 1998
Residents from the north end of the island continue to voice concerns about the status of the town's former landfi ll located at the transfer station and closed 16 years ago. They are part of a group that has protested the relocation of the highway garage to adjacent lot 47, a virgin parcel purchased by the town three years ago at a tax sale.
On Christmas Eve, Jamestown's 24th annual Christmas Pageant will be presented on the Shoreby Hill green, and everybody is invited.


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Greif PackH2O™ Backpack Receives Popular Science 2012 Best of What's New Award
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Greif PackH2O™ Backpack Receives Popular Science 2012 Best of What's New Award
NEWSROOM: Greif, Inc.
CONTENT: Press Release
DELAWARE, Ohio, Nov. 14, 2012 /3BL Media/PRNewswire/ - A water backpack designed by global industrial packaging leader Greif, Inc., (NYSE: GEF, GEF.B), has been honored with a 2012 Best of What's New Award from Popular Science magazine. The PackH2O™ backpack was created specifically for the human transport of water in water-stressed regions and disaster zones.
"For 25 years, Popular Science has honored the innovations that surprise and amaze us − those that make a positive impact on our world today and challenge our view of what's possible in the future," said Jacob Ward, editor-in-chief of Popular Science. "The Best of What's New Award is the magazine's top honor, and each of the 100 winners − chosen from among thousands of entrants − is a revolution in its field."
Up to 2.4 billion people live in water-stressed areas. UNICEF estimates that women and children in developing nations spend 200 million hours daily collecting water, often from distant sources, and then carrying it home in discarded jerry cans and buckets that were often originally used to contain lubricants, agrichemicals or fuel oils. Furthermore, in almost all cases studied, the discarded containers harbored harmful bacteria. Numerous organizations around the world have generously invested in the much-needed activities of drilling wells, purifying water and filtering it. Yet no one has addressed easing the burden of carrying heavy water, or the "Achilles' heel" of putting clean water in dirty containers. This water backpack was designed to do that ... and more.
Simple Idea, Purposeful Design
The water backpack is part of the company's work with the Clinton Global Initiative and its commitment to CGI to improve water transport in some of the world's poorest regions. On a trip to Haiti to help install a rain catchment system in a rural village, Greif President & CEO David Fischer observed women carrying water in containers on their heads, and children lugging home dirty jerry cans and buckets full of water. (The water in a typical 20 liter container alone weighs 44 pounds.) Having carried such heavy containers himself, seeing the ingrained filth inside the plastic containers and recognizing that the containers being used were likely chemically contaminated, Fischer knew there was a better way and challenged the company to find it. The result is the PackH2O backpack that alleviates the physical and safety challenges of getting water home.
The company tested the water backpack with prospective users in different and diverse communities, watching how they were used and listening to comments. They would then take the feedback to the design team, which would incorporate the suggestions through several finely tuned iterations.
Fischer said, "Watching this water backpack take shape and change the lives of women and children in Haiti and other impoverished regions has been rewarding in and of itself. The Best of What's New Award couldn't be a better affirmation of our efforts to make a real difference in the lives of millions of people around the world."
The PackH2O backpack takes the painful burden off the wearer's head and neck and places it ergonomically on the back with the weight evenly distributed, making it easier to carry over any terrain – from flatlands to mountains – while leaving the user's hands free.
Seven times lighter than a jerry can, it has the same 20 liter capacity. Its compact size allows for fast, high-volume emergency relief shipments at a smaller per-unit freight cost than a rigid container; folded, it requires less storage space than a rigid container.
The water backpack is made of industrial-grade polypropylene fabric that makes it durable and able to withstand the daily demands of carrying water. Its roll-top closure protects the water during transport and diminishes water loss due to spillage and evaporation.
Broad, soft but sturdy adjustable straps allow individualized comfort. The sturdy base allows the water backpack to stand on its own while being filled or emptied, while the material is flexible for use in streams and tight spaces. The wide mouth is ideal for fast filling, reducing wait time and exposure to danger at the water source. In a study conducted with Partners in Health in Haiti, more than 60 percent of the users said they were spending less time carrying water, citing the faster filling time and the ability to carry more water with less water loss during transit. This allowed them to spend more time on other matters.
The wide mouth also gives easy access to the sanitary, replaceable inside liner for cleaning or removal. The clear liner can be disinfected by exposure to sunlight via a process known as SODIS (solar water disinfection), which will help clean the liner of water-borne pathogens for its next use.
Reflective strips sewn onto the water backpack add an element of safety during transport in the dark. An integrated loop enables hanging on a wall. The protected spigot has been engineered for optimal flow of water into a glass or pot without splashing or trickling.
Because children should carry much less weight than an adult, Greif has also designed a smaller, 5-liter unit with the same features as the 20-liter water backpack, yet scaled to a child's smaller size.
Made to Last
Keeping costs low was a major consideration during the design. A water backpack can be purchased and donated for $10 at the web site PackH2O, www.packh20.com, and can be custom-printed for bulk orders.
"We designed sustainability into the water backpack and into our business model as well," said Fischer. "We took care to minimize its carbon footprint as much as possible. We also made the water backpack self-supporting, setting the price to cover costs and enable distribution. This way, we can remain committed to production and innovation of the water backpack long into the future, until the day they're not needed anymore."
Since November 2011, tens of thousands of PackH2O backpacks have been distributed in Haiti, Guatemala, Kenya and Uganda, with plans to add geographies as soon as they can be supported with distribution and training. The goal is to deliver the needed millions of water backpacks to women, children and men in the underdeveloped regions of the world, and have them ready for deployment in emergencies.
The water backpack is also available in kits that are optimally priced to be sewn, distributed and sold by women creating small business networks in developing markets with minimal capital and training. The intention is for the water backpacks to ultimately create needed local jobs in the economically disadvantaged communities.
"We want to make lives better in these regions," Fischer said. "We believe that this wonderful recognition by Popular Science with its Best of What's New Award will help us do exactly that."
About Greif, Inc.
Greif, Inc., a leading global industrial packaging manufacturer, has a long-term commitment to creating and engaging in sustainable business practices and supporting humanitarian relief efforts. Greif has invested in manufacturing process improvements that reduce waste, energy and water use. For information about Greif's sustainability achievements, see www.greif.com/sustainability.
NEWSROOM: Greif, Inc.
CONTENT: Press Release


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For lack of $10, woman's car is towed and shift at work is lostStaff Report
February 06. 2014 10:56PM
MANCHESTER — With her car on a tow truck Thursday, a Manchester woman couldn't get the driver to drop the car and leave it at her Elmwood Gardens parking lot. The issue: she was $10 short of the full towing fee.
The result — a lost shift at her $9-an-hour janitorial job, a $110 tow fee, and angry words for Manchester Housing and Redevelopment Authority, an agency that she wished would have intervened on her behalf.
"I said 'I'm going to work, please make them put my car down,'" said Awur Bok, a 45-year-old single mother of two. "He wouldn't do anything," she said of the tow truck opertator.
She tells a tale of a public housing resident caught between an unyielding tow truck driver and public housing officials who say they do the best they can to avoid towing, but will send in the tow trucks if they must.
"We're very patient because we know it's a significant amount charged by towing companies," said Dick Dunfey, executive director of the housing authority. Before lots are plowed, the housing authority honks horns to let residents know they have to clear lots, Dunfey said. On occasion, residents will even knock on the doors of fellow tenants to tell them to clear the lot, he said.
"It's always done. No one would ever get towed without a warning."
Bok said she's lived at Elmwood Gardens for about 14 years and has had her car towed twice before. She said it's impossible to hear a horn from inside. She's used to having someone knock on her door. The only knock she had Thursday was from a neighbor to tell her car was being towed.
She said she was just waking up; she sleeps late because she works a second shift. She also said she didn't think her lot would have to be plowed because a portion was cleared when she came home late Wednesday night.
Dressed in her bathrobe, she offered the driver all she had — $100, she said.
Rick Slyvia, general manager of Performance Towing, confirmed the $100 offer. But he said "there were some words" between the resident and the driver. He said the proper fee is $110, and the driver would have dropped the car if she had the entire fee.
As for a lower amount, it's up to the driver. "They're decent, they're good people, I'd probably do it," he said.
Bok's biggest criticism is with Elmwood Gardens management. The manager was on hand but didn't stop the driver despite her pleadings. Dunfey said the housing does a lot to avoid towing, but managers won't get between a car owner and a driver.
"You never know how it's going to play out," he said. "Sometimes, people get angry."
Bok said she missed a shift cleaning Central High School. Later in the afternoon, she picked up her car.
"They should understand there are poor people here," she said. They need a car to go to work so they can afford medicine and food for their children. "If they come and take the car, what do they do?"
Public Safety Human Interest Social issues Manchester Top Section Stories


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text:
Playful Breakfasts: Pancake Molds to Make You Smile
Sure, they're kind of a kitchen uni-tasker, but who doesn't love a nice heart-shaped pancake for breakfast? Or how about a cow? A space alien, perhaps? There are so many fun pancake molds these days, it's hard to choose!
And we suppose they're not entirely a unitasker! We can also use them as molds for eggs, english muffins, or any kind of dropped biscuit made on the stove top. But we all know the real reason for pancake molds is for a little breakfast fun - and there's nothing wrong with that!
Here are a few molds that we've been drawn to:
• Outer Space Pancake Molds, $18 for a set of 3 from Williams Sonoma
• Truck and Plane Pancake Molds, $11.99 for a set of 2 from Bed Bath & Beyond
• Butterfly and Flower Pancake Molds, $5.95 each from Crate & Barrel
• Nopro Heart-Shaped Pancake Molds, $7 from Amazon.com
• Farm Animal Pancake Molds, $5.95 for 2 from War Eagle Mill
If you're feeling crafty, you could also try making your own pancake mold following this basic tutorial for making cookie cutters!
Do you have a favorite pancake mold in your house?


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CBS analyst Phil Simms had positive things to say about Kevin Kolb during a radio interview earlier this month.
But Simms doesn't think the Eagles are playoff-bound in 2010. Instead, he predicts the Cowboys to take the division and go to the Super Bowl. He also has the Giants as in as a wild-card team.
CBS released Simms' predictions via e-mail. He announced them on TV last week. In the NFC, he's got the Saints, Vikings and 49ers as the other division winners. And Simms predicts that the Packers win the other wild-card spot.
In the AFC, he's got the Jets, Bengals, Colts and Chargers as the division winners, with the Patriots and Ravens earning wild-card berths. Simms has the Colts meeting the Cowboys in the Super Bowl.
Interesting look at league-wide injuries from our friend Bill Barnwell over at Football Outsiders. Barnwell takes a look at injury reports from 2007 to 2009 to determine which teams under-report injuries and which teams over-report injuries.
The Eagles play the guys on their injury report 3.8 percent more than the league average. In other words, they slightly over-report injuries, according to this study.
Only six teams in the league played the guys on their injury report more frequently than the Eagles: the Jets (13.4%), the Falcons (8.1%), the Browns (6.7%), the Chargers (6.7%), the Bucs (4.9%) and the Cardinals (4.0%).
The Chiefs, Colts and Seahawks played the guys on their injury report the least over the three-year span.
At least one national columnist thinks it's about time Donovan McNabb stuck up for himself. Referencing comments McNabb made to GQ last week, Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com writes that the former Eagles quarterback should have stuck up for himself earlier:
Finally, after so many years of biting his tongue, of playing the polite politician, of being afraid to offend anyone, of fearing telling some Philly fan where to stuff his cheesesteak, Donovan McNabb has finally and forcefully defended himself. Thank you, Donovan. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It's about time.
I took a detailed look at Kevin Kolb's performance against the Chiefs in a new weekly feature: What about Kolb?
I also have today's video report up, with clips from Mike McGlynn and Trent Cole.
You can follow Moving the Chains on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.
And download the 2010 MTC app from the ITunes store.


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Kellie Pickler, "The Woman I Am" (Black River Entertainment)
Kellie Picker, on her new album "The Woman I Am," merges the tradition-minded sound of her previous album with contemporary country touches in a manner that proves how well the two can blend and still speak to the modern world.
Continuing to mature into a top-class country singer, the former "American Idol" competitor has grown from a competent interpreter of others' songs into an artist with her own vision and style. As a songwriter and vocalist, she's held onto the charm of her back-country personality while growing into a confident stylist who can adapt to the glossy entertainment world that sometimes has tried to push her aside.
The title song references Patsy Cline as a salve for difficult nights, then cites all the personal weaknesses, quirks and strengths that make her who she is. She leans on current themes in country music in "Closer To Nowhere," about drinking with a friend and disappearing into a rural hideout, but makes it believable.
She's at her best on sensitive ballads ("Tough All Over," ''Someone Somewhere Tonight," ''I Forgive You") yet nicely handles roots-rich stompers like "Selma Drye" (about her grandmother), "Buzzin'" and "Ring For Sale."
Add Pickler's name to the list of women making outstanding albums in a year where men dominate country radio and the media.


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This content has been marked as final. Show 4 replies
1. Re: Counting empty text fieldsGeorge_Johnson Apr 25, 2012 9:21 AM (in response to nypumrider)
What type of fields do you want to check, exactly? Checking for an unchecked check box or radio button is done differently than checking for a blank text field, which is different than an apparently blank combobox/dropdown.
2. Re: Counting empty text fieldsnypumrider Apr 25, 2012 10:12 AM (in response to George_Johnson)
It is a simple text field where the user has the option of entering a numerical value, or not. It is not a combobox or dropdown. When the user does not enter a number, that empty field needs to be counted.
3. Re: Counting empty text fieldsGeorge_Johnson Apr 25, 2012 10:57 AM (in response to nypumrider)
OK, here's a simple custom calculate script for a text field that displays the number of blank text fields that are named "num.1" - "num.10":
// Custom Calculate script (function () { // Initialize sum of blank fields var sum = 0; // Count how many fields are blank for (var i = 1; i < 11; i += 1) { if (!getField("num." + i).valueAsString) sum += 1; } // Set this field value to the sum event.value = sum; })();
4. Re: Counting empty text fieldsnypumrider Apr 25, 2012 11:06 AM (in response to George_Johnson)
Worked! Thanks so much.


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In the town of Aubervilliers, Rabbi Levi Garelik of Crown Heights came to the Lubavitch community for a visit. Rabbi Garelik gave a few Shiurim and held a Farbrengen late into the night Photos
Tags: France, Levi Garelik
Baby boy to Mendy & Slava Oster – Crown Heights
Yaakov Zaetz – Crown Heights to Chaya Cohen – Crown Heights
Moshe Block – Westfield, NJ to Chani Tauber – Five Towns, NY
Moshe Dahan – Montreal, Canada to Bracha Rosenberg – Montreal, Canada
L'Chaim: Tonight, Thursday, at Lubavitch Yeshiva
Baby boy to boy Shmulik & Chaiky (nee Hertzel) Levin – Crown Heights
Levi Serebryanski – Melbourne, Australia to Rochel Ulanosky – Queensland/Melbourne, Australia
Mendel Schmerling – Melbourne, Australia to Rochel Berkowitz – Kensington, NY
Baby boy to Yaakov Yosef & Chaya (nee Vaisfiche) Raskin – Huntington Village, NY
Thousands of Anash, Bochurim and guests who spent the holiest day of the year, Yom Kippur, with the Rebbe in 770, concluded the fast with Havdala and a lavish breakfast organized by R' Nochum Markowitz of Crown Heights. Photos by ChabadInfo photographer Chaim Tuito • Photos
Just hours after the fast ended, the building process for the Rebbe's Sukkah began, and was completed in a short amount of time. The walls were unloaded, erected, and assembled by a team of capable Bochurim. Photos by ChabadInfo photographer Yinon Suissa • Photos
Erev Yom Kippur in Crown Heights is not your typical day. Between the Davening, Malkus, Tzedakah, various Mikvah goings, receiving Lekach, two meals and a longer Mincha, the Yom Kippur feeling is in the air. Photos by Chaim Tuito • Photos
Mara De'asra and member of the Crown Heights Beis Din, Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun, spent many hours ensuring that the whole process of the Shchita for Kapparos was done properly. Photos by ChabadInfo photographer Yinon Suissa • Photos


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We offer daily scheduled tours or private tours to the most beautiful attractions around the northern end of Moreton Island. Our 4wd's will take you along endless stretches of beaches surrounded by crystal clear blue waters and scenic sand tracks or take an adrenaline filled sand boarding adventure.
Our camp is assembled for 10-120 people in the Comboyuro Campgrounds in Moreton Island's National Park. With the ease of your camp being set up when you arrive and no packup, you will have more time to enjoy the clear waters and the beach directly in front of the camp and all the adventures Moreton Island has to offer.
We offer a 4wd transfer service on Moreton Island, based at Bulwer. Our vehicles can carry you to your choice of destinations anywhere on Moreton Island for a picnic, fishing or day trip or transfer to your accommodation We can transport parties of 1 to 100 persons, and all their camping equipment or luggage.
We offer all these services on Moreton Island with our local knowledge and experience of over 30 years as Moreton Island residents.


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We live in an analog/digital world. We move from low-tech to hi-tech everyday, from analog to digital, from notebook to smartphone. Most of us use multiple sources and platforms for collecting thoughts, ideas, to do lists, etc. Unfortunately paper and digital don't usually speak to each other. Moleskine and Evernote have collaborated to re-imagine how individuals keep their best ideas with them wherever they sit along the analog-digital continuum.
The new Evernote Smart Notebook designed by Moleskine uses Evernote's Page Camera feature to capture the pages of your notebook with your smartphone or tablet.
Evernote Page Camera is available for the current iOS release for iPhone and iPad.
The Evernote Smart Notebook features unique ""Evernote ruled"" and ""Evernote squared"" page styles with dotted lines designed to ensure a clean image when digitally capturing your notebook. Smart Stickers introduce Evernote-ready analog-digital tagging into your workflow. Ideas and memories are safe, secure, and shareable wherever you are in the analog or digital world.
Evernote Premium subscription included to be redeemed by December 31st, 2019.
Sync Paper to Digital
1. Jot down your thoughts on paper
Write, sketch, or draw in the specially designed Evernote Smart Notebook by Moleskine.
2. Make it digital
Take a photo of any page in this book with the Evernote Page Camera and it instantly becomes digital so that you can save it, search it and share it with the world.
3. Find things fast
Once in Evernote, you can search for your handwritten notes by keyword, tag, or just visually browse.
Introducing "Evernote ruled"" and ""Evernote squared"" page styles
The ""Evernote ruled"" and ""Evernote squared"" page style are unique to the Special Edition Notebooks Moleskine has created with Evernote. These page styles feature dotted lines that ensure a clean image when digitally capturing pages in your notebook with the Evernote Page Camera feature.
Introducing Evernote-ready Smart Stickers
The Smart Stickers introduce Smart Tagging into your workflow. Sticker-tag the pages of your notebook with the Smart Sticker of your choice. When you capture a page with Evernote, the Smart Sticker icons become searchable, digital tags that make it easy to keep your ideas organized and to keep your digital and analog workspaces synced.
Available for pre-order in:
Europe on Moleskine Store
US on MoleskineUs
Japan on Moleskine Japan
Asia on Moleskine Asia
Australia and New Zealand on Notemaker


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Meet thousands of Grand View singles through one of the best Grand View online dating sites. Matchmaker.com has great instant messenger and live video Grand View chat service for our members. Grand View dating has never been easier with our show interest feature that will allow you to break the ice with attractive local singles.
Matchmaker.com has some great services for Grand View singles looking for a longer term relationship. Besides our great Grand View chat product with live video matchmaker users can send email messages to people in the area. The Grand View dating scene can be hard to find the right person at times; however, we are here to help and our Grand View online dating service is free to register.
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Try our Grand View dating service today. Matchmaker.com is one of the oldest Grand View online dating services on the Internet and has brought thousands of couples together from the area. Test drive our Grand View Chat room with one of the best online communities for the Grand View single person. Also, keep in mind that we have a huge member base of Grand View singles and that we also cater to members of the many backgrounds.
Still not convinced that matchmaker is the free Grand View dating service for you? Once you've filled out the quick registration process you will be to see full size photos and profiles of thousands of Grand View singles. Did you know that free Grand View dating is a few clicks away? Find love and romance in Grand View at matchmaker today!


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What is a landing page in the keyword stats?
This is very useful in the keyword stats. With the StatCounter code you can insert it on every page of your website. Of course you don't just get visitors coming into your website from just the homepage. They can find your website from any page.
The landing page column in the keyword stats shows this nicely - it will show the keyword they typed in the search engine as well as the page they 'landed on' when they visited your website first.
Answers to the majority of questions we receive can be found here in the knowledge base.


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SOURCE: Industrial Info Resources
February 15, 2013 06:30 ET
SUGAR LAND, TX--(Marketwire - Feb 15, 2013) - Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- In the largest Food and Beverage Industry transaction on record, H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE:HNZ) (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) has agreed to be acquired by Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRK-A) (Omaha, Nebraska) and 3G Capital Management for $28 billion, including debt. Industrial Info is currently tracking nearly $20 million in capital expenditures at Heinz facilities.
Other companies featured: General Electric (NYSE:GE)
For details, view the entire article by subscribing to Industrial Info's Premium Industry News at http://www.industrialinfo.com/showAbstract.jsp?newsitemID=233571&refer=mw, or browse other breaking industrial news stories at www.industrialinfo.com.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. To contact an office in your area, visit the www.industrialinfo.com "Contact Us" page.
Joe Govreau
Joe Govreau
See all RSS Newsfeeds


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The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced on Monday that it has obtained a federal court order requiring MBF Clearing Corp. (MBF) to pay a $650,000 civil monetary penalty for violating the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and CFTC regulations concerning the segregation of customer funds, and for supervision failures.
The CFTC filed a complaint against MBF in March charging that from September 2008 through March 2010, it routinely held between $30 million and $90 million in customer funds in a non-compliant account. The complaint stated, "that MBF held customer funds in an improperly titled non-segregated money market fund account, which did not carry a legal obligation to make the funds available in one business day, and that because these funds were not properly considered as customer segregated funds, MBF had segregated customer fund deficiencies for more than one year."
The complaint also charged that MBF failed to obtain and/or keep written acknowledgments for at least six additional accounts that held MBF customer funds, and with supervision failures.
At the time the action was filed MBF noted that it invested customer funds in the JPMorgan account to protect those funds during the 2008 financial crisis and while the CFTC alleged that the account did not meet its requirements for a customer segregated account, MBF was informed by JP Morgan on the actual account statements that JP Morgan sent to MBF, that the account was a "Commodity Customer Segregated Bank Account."
It also noted that as soon as MBF was notified by the CFTC that the JP Morgan account might not qualify for segregation, MBF moved all of the customer funds out and reported what had occurred to CME Group, its designated self-regulatory organization.
MBF stated at the time, "We are disappointed that the CFTC has chosen to address this matter through an enforcement proceeding, particularly since MBF and its customers were, like many others, victims of the failure of MF Global to the tune of millions of dollars."
The CFTC release notes, "The consent order resolves the charges against MBF."
David Meister, the Director of the CFTC's Division of Enforcement stated, "As was evident from the filing of this case in court earlier this year, we expect strict compliance with the CFTC segregated account requirements. When it comes to protecting customer funds, T's must be crossed and I's dotted. We will not tolerate less."
As of press time MBF has not responded to the order but stands by its earlier release.


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z4mod is another lagfix for Samsung Galaxy S. This one is a bit different from existing lagfixes though:
- Differences from OCLF: Uses native EXT/JFS instead of loopback mounts. Loopback mounts in linux can be a bit flakey at times, especially when they're on RFS. So this is generally better.
- Differences from lagfix kernels such as voodoo or sztupy's: These types of lagfixes are kernels compiled from GPL sources for specific devices. This can cause a number of issues, such as losing out on bug fixes in later Samsung kernels released after the GPL code, or differences in devices such as the I9000B, etc. z4mod also has (imo) a nicer design, in that it uses /etc/fstab for filesystem mounting, as well as keeping the convert scripts outside the kernel. It should also work across ALL (or many?) Samsung devices without changes!
What's New in This Release:
· Critical: Upload kernel now passes binary MIME type to prevent corrupt kernels
· Fixes for text in conversion screen.
· Fix for 'mmcblk0p2' always being chosen for /data, even on devices that use 'mmcblk0p1'
· Bug fixes for UI


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Dayton to Sign Hospital Nurse Staffing Study
ST. PAUL (AP) — The truce between hospitals and a nurses union over staffing levels has been sent in legislative form to Gov. Mark Dayton's desk.
The House voted 76-56 on Monday for a bill seeking regular reporting and a study of care personnel levels in hospital units. A spokeswoman for Dayton says he intends to sign the bill.
Each hospital would be required to develop, publish and update a core staffing plan. That data would likely feed into a Department of Health study that will aim to determine if there is a correlation between staffing and patient outcomes.
The bill is a compromise that averts mandatory staffing levels in law, as the Minnesota Nurses Association first sought. Hospital officials argued that statutory ratios are cumbersome and would put small facilities at risk.


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Learn how to view the transit of Venus on June 5/6.
The upcoming transit of Venus is one of those rare and momentous spectacles in observational astronomy that you absolutely don't want to miss. Unless you expect to live until December 10, 2117, or plan to travel to some other place in the solar system, this will be your last chance to see our sister planet cross the Sun's disk in your lifetime. Read below about what you can expect to see when Venus transits the Sun.
|More transit coverage:
Like most people, you probably live in an area with uncertain weather prospects for early June. I strongly recommend that you frequently check weather forecasts several days in advance of June 5th (North and Central America) or June 6th (Asia, Australia, most of Europe, and eastern parts of Africa). If the forecast is looking bad for where you're planning to observe the transit, be prepared to travel to give yourself the best shot at clear skies. At least parts of the transit are visible from most of the world, so this is not like the narrow centerline of a total solar eclipse. Hotels in specific areas won't be booked up years in advance because of the transit.
A transit of Venus is a naked-eye event, meaning people with normal vision can see Venus's disk in front of the Sun without using binoculars or telescopes. (Learn how to safely view the transit.) But for the rest of this article, I'm assuming that you'll be using a telescope for detailed views of the transit, either through direct viewing or by projecting an image of the Sun.For me and many other observers from 2004, by far the most exciting part of the event was the beginning and end, technically known as ingress and egress. My most vivid recollection is the moment of first contact. In this context I'm not referring to initial human contact with aliens, but rather the moment when Venus's disk first touched the Sun's outer edge (the limb). I remember being the first in our group to see first contact, and shouting it out for all to hear. Get precise timing predictions for your site, so you're well prepared.
Over the next 18 minutes of ingress, Venus's black silhouette will slowly but dramatically cross the solar limb, until the moment of second contact, when it's entirely inside. Ingress is the part of the transit you really don't want to miss, especially if you live in most of North America and thus can't see the latter stages of the transit. As Venus is entering the solar disk, see if you can spot a ring of light around the edge of Venus. This aureole is due to sunlight refracting through Venus's upper atmosphere.Around the time of second contact, look closely for the black-drop effect. If you're a careful observer and have good viewing conditions, there's a good chance that you'll see the black-drop effect. Although the black-drop effect is notorious in astronomy history for preventing precise timing measurements of past Venus transits (which would have yielded a precise distance to the Sun), it's a really cool thing to see in a telescope. For about a minute or so, it will appear as if a narrow bridge of darkness is connecting Venus's limb to the Sun's limb. The effect is caused by telescope optics, the blurring from Earth's atmosphere, and the fact that the Sun gets slightly darker near its edge (an effect known as limb darkening).
Trust me, you don't want to miss the first 20 to 30 minutes of the transit. But in all honesty, the next several hours will be nowhere near as exciting. Venus will basically creep slowly across the Sun, and not much will change from one minute to the next. During the 2004 transit in Iran, the day was so hellishly hot (over 100 degrees F) that I took frequent breaks in a nearby air-conditioned bus, and believe me, I was not alone on the bus. Still, you should frequently check Venus's progress.But… and this is a big but, you won't want to miss Venus if it comes anywhere near a sunspot. Unlike June 2004, the Sun is quite active right now, so this is not a particularly unlikely event. Check SpaceWeather.com a day or two before the transit to see if there are any large spots on the northern portion of the Sun, near where Venus will pass on transit day. If Venus's silhouette comes anywhere near a sunspot, this will be a perfect opportunity for you to prove to yourself and your friends that sunspots are not really all that dark. Because we see Venus in silhouette during a transit, it will be pitch black. But even the dark center of a sunspot, known as an umbra, only looks dark in comparison to the bright visible surface of the Sun. The contrast between Venus and sunspots should be a stunning sight in a telescope, especially at high magnification.
For those of you who will be viewing the Sun in parts of the world that will see the entire transit, or the final stages, you won't want to miss third and fourth contacts. Basically, egress is a mirror image of ingress, so you should look for the black-drop effect a minute or two before third contact and the aureole around third and fourth contact. If clouds ruined your view of ingress, egress gives you a second chance to study these interesting phenomena.
And this brings me to another important point. Most people will view the transit through a white-light solar filter. But for those of you using telescopes equipped with a hydrogen-alpha filter, you will probably be able to see Venus's silhouette before first contact or after fourth contact if the planet happens to cross in front of a large solar prominence. Views in hydrogen-alpha will also enable you to compare Venus's pitch-black color with dark filaments and other structures on the Sun.If you just can't get to a spot to witness the upcoming transit of Venus, you can still see more planetary transits in your lifetime. Mercury transits the Sun an average of 13.4 times per century, and the next one takes place less than three years from now: on May 9, 2016. Viewers in North America will be perfectly positioned to see the entire event. But because Mercury is smaller and farther away than Venus, it presents a much smaller disk, and thus transits of Mercury offer considerably less drama and they require binoculars or telescopes.
I also want to encourage you to try to precisely time the contact points, and to submit your timings to organizations that are collecting data from around the world to re-create the experiments from the 1761, 1769, 1874, and 1882 transits of Venus to measure the distance to the Sun using triangulation. If you own an Apple or Droid mobile device, you can download the free Transit of Venus app, which makes this process incredibly easy. Yes, we already know the distance to the Sun from other methods, but it will be fun and interesting to see if amateurs using modern telescopes and timing equipment can outperform the intrepid professionals of yesteryear.
This is it, folks. Unless medical science comes up with an incredible breakthrough, this will be the last transit of Venus visible from Earth in our lifetimes. I wish you safe travels, clear skies, and an unforgettable viewing experience!


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Carrie Underwood, winner of season five American Idol will be performing at the finale between Kris Allen and Adam Lambert. Underwood will be returning to the stage where it all started just a few years ago. Underwood has won four grammies and is not slowing down anytime soon. In addition, she has graced the cover of several magazine. Her representatives say, she will be singing this year's farewell song, a cover of Motley Crue's metal ballad "Home Sweet Home," . Proceeds from the digital single to benefit the humane society of the United States for abused and abandoned animals. In march, Underwood made a guest appearance with country star and idol, Randy Travis. Both stars performed that night wooing the audience.
In the 8th season of American Idol, Adam Lambert faces off against Kris Allen. What's really exciting is that both artist are unique and have different music styles. Most people seems to think that Lambert will out sing Allen. What do you think, we wanted to hear from you? I know Idol lovers can't wait to witness who will be the next American idol? Stay tuned next week.


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Ileia wrote:I have a question and I'm not sure if it's been addressed yet or not, but I have one of those .org email addresses that were given out years ago. Will the redesign do away with that? I use it daily and I'd really like to not lose it. D:
Gee, I sure hope not. That's a major contact point for me. I don't even know if you can kill off google groups accounts, or what would happen if you did.


text: Student Profiles Claudia Marroquin '06 Claudia Marroquin '06 Hometown: Los Angeles, California Major: Art History, with a minor in Government and Legal Studies Why did you choose to come to Bowdoin? When looking at schools, I figured that my college years would be the perfect opportunity to live in a place completely different from Los Angeles all while enjoying the amenities that college has to offer. So, when I visited Bowdoin during the Spring Invitational I was sold. Not only was the campus beautiful, but the people were also friendly, there appeared to be tons and tons of activities, and the weather didn't seem so bad. In addition, I was the only person from my high school who had even heard of Bowdoin. I wanted to be adventurous. Why did you choose you major? I took one art history course during high school at a community college and loved it so much I had my eyes set on the major. During orientation, I remember meeting Associate Professor of Art Linda Docherty and one of the teaching assistants for Art History 101. After taking Prof. Docherty's course, I was hooked. Art history was an incredible way for me to fuse my interests in history, social criticism, art, identity issues, and, at times, politics. I now walk around identifying architectural styles of buildings and love to walk through a museum and actually know what I'm looking at rather than just gazing at the pretty pictures. What has been your favorite course at Bowdoin? That's a close one. It would have to be between Prof. Docherty's "Photography and Identity" and Prof. Mary Hunter's "Music of the Arab World." In Prof. Docherty's class, we examined photography as both a social document and a work of art. My final research paper allowed me to study the photographs taken during the Los Angeles riot, an event I remember vividly, and exploring the different biases that the photographs portrayed. In Prof. Hunter's music class, I was able to begin to chip away at the theories and practices of Arabic music, a genre I thoroughly enjoy listening to during my spare time. In addition, the class was very interactive since we all learned the different iqa'at (drum beats) that are the foundation for the pieces. Professional Arabic musicians came to class and allowed us to get a sense of the amount of improvisation that Arabic musicians employ. On our last day of class, we all participated in three different styles of Arabic dancing -- a martial arts type of choreography, trance-inducing movements, and a community dance. It was great! What extracurricular or work experiences have you had at Bowdoin? What haven't I done? I have been a member of the Women's Intercollegiate Rugby team throughout my four years. It's been one of the best experiences since it has allowed me to clear my head of my stressful classes all while hanging out with some awesome girls, getting in shape, and venting my frustrations in a constructive way. I've also been involved in Obvious (a hip-hop/breakdancing group), Anokha (a South Asian performance group), and Belly Dance to satisfy my urge to dance and perform. During my sophomore and junior years I worked at the payroll office processing all the student timesheets. So, I guess you could hold me accountable for any mistakes that you had on your checks. SORRY! For the past two years I have been working at the Convenience Store, the computer labs, and driving the safe ride van. I'm sure I have seen everyone on this campus at one time or another while working these jobs. Lastly, I mentored a child through the Big Brother/Big Sister Program once a week and played numerous board games all while giving a child in need of one-on-one time with a adult a space to speak openly about her concerns. Did you study abroad during your time at Bowdoin? While I did not study abroad, I did travel to Guatemala, my mother country, on an Alternative Spring Break trip to volunteer at a non-profit organization providing an education and a safe space to the children who reside near the city dump. My junior year, I went with the women's rugby team on tour to England, where we played in exhibition games against women who have grown up with rugby. While we didn't win any games, we came close and did give those teams a run for their money. It was also great to see professional rugby games and to play rugby in a country where the sport is appreciated nationally. What is your best Bowdoin memory? I must say that I truly enjoyed Ivies Weekend sophomore year. My sister was visiting from Los Angeles, [the hip-hop group] Dilated Peoples were performing on the Museum steps, the weather was beautiful, and everyone was enjoying their time together. I was hanging out with my favorite people and not worrying about upcoming finals. What are your plans for after graduation? I am moving to Boston and starting a job at EF Education, an educational travel company in Cambridge. Eventually, I plan on going to grad school and specializing in something. What that something is ... I'm not quite sure yet. What advice would you give to a prospective student or first-year about the Bowdoin experience? First, explore, explore, explore. There are so many hidden secrets at Bowdoin. There are endless research, volunteer, internship, and extracurricular activities of which you can take advantage! Don't let them go to waste. As I sit in my room contemplating graduation in a week, I would have to tell first years to appreciate Bowdoin. It's such a great place where you can meet some of the most amazing and interesting people, you shouldn't just concentrate on school work. Get out there and enjoy the Bowdoin experience. Story posted on July 24, 2006 « Back | More Student Profiles | Go to News Home


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Long-term social memory is important, because it is an ecologically relevant test of cognitive capacity, it helps us understand which social relationships are remembered and it relates two seemingly disparate disciplines: cognition and sociality. For dolphins, long-term memory for conspecifics could help assess social threats as well as potential social or hunting alliances in a very fluid and complex fission–fusion social system, yet we have no idea how long dolphins can remember each other. Through a playback study conducted within a multi-institution dolphin breeding consortium (where animals are moved between different facilities), recognition of unfamiliar versus familiar signature whistles of former tank mates was assessed. This research shows that dolphins have the potential for lifelong memory for each other regardless of relatedness, sex or duration of association. This is, to my knowledge, the first study to show that social recognition can last for at least 20 years in a non-human species and the first large-scale study to address long-term memory in a cetacean. These results, paired with evidence from elephants and humans, provide suggestive evidence that sociality and cognition could be related, as a good memory is necessary in a fluid social system.
1. Introduction
Long-term social recognition (LTSR) provides specific survival benefits to the organisms shown to possess it [1–3]. The recognition of kin or potentially aggressive conspecifics can, among other things, help identify whom to give resources in acts of reciprocal altruism and whom to avoid [4], as well as help in the maintenance of social hierarchies in complex social environments [5] and avoid inbreeding [6]. When patterns of association become fluid and complex, it is the retention of social memories over long periods of time that potentially confers survival and reproductive advantages, as memories of past interactions are essential for the maintenance of reciprocal altruism as well as social threat assessment [7]. Many studies have focused on social recognition [8–10], but very few have addressed how long conspecifics are remembered in the absence of ongoing associations.
LTSR is important as an ecologically relevant test of cognitive capacity, which is useful in comparative study. With research across multiple taxa and various types of social systems, one can determine how sociality might play a role in the evolution of cognitive traits, hypothesizing that complex social systems might lead to better social memory just as dispersal patterns of offspring may lead to strong mother–offspring social memory, as a mechanism to avoid inbreeding [11,12].
(a) The possible role of sociality in cognition
LTSR is not precisely defined in terms of a set time or percentage of lifespan, but it is possible that animals, which have a social system characterized by frequent associations bookmarked by unpredictably long periods of separation, as in a fission–fusion system, remember unrelated conspecifics at least in the order of years. For fission–fusion species most likely to have persistent kin-independent social memories, relatively few species have been examined. Systematic studies have been conducted on corvids [3,13], monkeys (Macaca fuscata [14] and Cercopithecus campbelli [15,16]) humans [17], and there are anecdotal observations on elephants [18,19] and spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) [20] (3 years for corvids and Japanese monkeys, possibly 4 years for Campbell's monkeys, 40+ years for humans, 10+ years for elephants and at least 1 year for hyenas), but there is no information for non-human apes, parrots or dolphins. Currently, kin-independent social memory studies are restricted to fission–fusion species, but they should be extended to non-fission-fusion species as well to further examine the potential relationship between sociality and LTSR.
From the limited information available, it appears that fission–fusion species are good candidates for the study of LTSR, but this is not to say that only socially complex species may possess excellent social memory. At least two otariid species (fur seals and Australian sea lions) and one species of tamarin (Saguinus oedipus) are known to have long memories for offspring or other kin [12,21–23], and male warblers have surprisingly long social memories (at least eight months) for conspecific rivals bordering their territory [24]. Although, in the case of male warblers (Wilsonia citrina), migration to Central America during winter and from the breeding territories in North Carolina causes the breakup and reformation of social partners, so the natural behaviour approximates fission–fusion [25]. However, it is clear that factors potentially unrelated to the cognitive social demands of fission–fusion sociality, such as inbreeding avoidance and the reduction of territorial hostilities, can also factor towards the evolution of LTSR.
(b) Bottlenose dolphins
Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus; hereafter referred to as 'dolphins') are an intelligent, long-lived species shown to have complex fission–fusion social patterns, individual recognition capabilities [10,26–30] and procedural memories that last for years [31]. Females tend to stay within a pod, whereas males typically leave at 1–3 years of age and sometimes form bachelor pods of two to three individuals, which compete for access to females [32,33]. Their mating system is principally defined as hierarchical promiscuous, meaning there are no strong pair bonds between individuals and mating is determined by dominance [29]. Despite the fact that so much is known about bottlenose dolphin sociality, they have not previously been shown to have LTSR, even though by comparative standards they are good candidates for it.
(c) Long-term social recognition: a relevant test of memory
Investigating LTSR provides a unique, ecologically relevant test of memory. There is some information on dolphin procedural and working memory capacity from studies done on relatively few individual animals under human care [28]. However, there has been no large-scale evaluation of cetacean long-term memory [27]. Bottlenose dolphins experience complex patterns of association that may warrant sophisticated LTSR [29]. Using the relationships of 56 animals (43 of which were subjects) moved between facilities in a six-institution breeding programme (including the Brookfield Zoo, Indianapolis Zoo, Minnesota Zoo, Dolphin Quest: Bermuda, Texas State Aquarium and The Seas at Walt Disney World) as well as archived recordings of 20 additional individuals collected by researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the 1980s and 1990s, I tested how long dolphins can recall familiar signature whistles. Signature whistles are individual-specific contact calls given by dolphins most often during periods of separation [34]. Using multiple methods (see the electronic supplementary material), I was able to determine the signature whistle for each animal in this study. I also tested long-term recognition of whistles based on sex, age, kinship and length of association. This study not only represented, to my knowledge, the first test of LTSR in a cetacean, but is also the first to systematically test decades-long social memory in a non-human animal. Ultimately, this study was focused on determining whether dolphins as a study species support the prediction that complex social patterns co-occur with extensive (even lifelong) kin-independent LTSR.
2. Material and methods
(a) Subjects
Dolphins (n = 43) ranged in age from four months to 47 years and had a sex ratio of 1 : 1.15. Age classes were defined as calf (under 1 year), juvenile (1–6 years) and adult (over 6 years). Animals were group housed for as little as three months to as much as 18.5 years before relocation and were housed at different facilities for as little as six months to as much as 20.5 years before playback presentation. The average duration of group housing was approximately 4 years, the average length of time the animals were separated from one another before testing was 6 years, and animals were moved on average 1.48 times in their lives. Pairs of animals were defined as kin if their coefficient of relatedness was greater than or equal to 0.25 (mostly included parents and siblings). After their relocation and prior to any playbacks for this study, the dolphins were not exposed to other human-facilitated presentations of former tank mates' calls.
(b) Experimental design
A modified version of a habituation–dishabituation design using signature whistle playbacks (fundamental frequency 800 Hz–28.5 kHz [35]) was used to assess response differences to familiar and unfamiliar calls (see the electronic supplementary material for recording methods). All vocalizations were presented singly (consisting of one presentation of the contour if the shape was repeated or 'looped', usually no longer than 1 s [34,35]) with a Lubell Labs (Columbus, Ohio; model LL9816) underwater speaker (range: 0.2–20 kHz). Calls were triggered after the focal dolphin swam past the submerged speaker (head within 1 m; see the electronic supplementary material for diagram). All playbacks were spaced 5 min apart and the observation continued until the animals stopped responding for 30 continuous seconds. Each playback session was defined as having a habituation phase followed by a test whistle, then a second habituation phase followed by a second test whistle. Each whistle in the habituation phase was unique and unfamiliar to the listener (each from a different dolphin). Presentations of unfamiliar habituation whistles from different dolphins would persist until the animals stopped responding to them. This mechanism was effective for removing whistle novelty as a motivation for responses to test whistles (see the electronic supplementary material for more detail). Therefore, the first habituation process of the session ended when the respondent ignored an unfamiliar playback, after which the animal was presented with the first test whistle (from a familiar or unfamiliar dolphin). Five minutes after the first test whistle, dolphins were again presented with different habituation whistles until they no longer responded, receiving the second test whistle after habituation. If the first test whistle presented in the session was familiar, then the second test whistle presented in the same session was unfamiliar (matched in age and sex to the familiar) and vice versa. If the dolphins showed a response, then their behaviour was classified into one of four levels (see the electronic supplementary material for scoring method).
(c) Response levels
Dolphin playback response levels included: (i) head turned towards the speaker but no approach, (ii) approached the speaker but maintained 1 m proximity for less than 2 s, (iii) approached the speaker and maintained 1 m proximity for more than 2 s, and (iv) either made forceful contact with gate protecting the speaker or engaged in rapid swimming behaviours (see the electronic supplementary material). For a response to be measured, dolphins needed to respond within 2 s of the playback. For all dolphins (even those less than 1 year of age), efforts were taken to trigger playbacks when the animals were self-separated to mitigate the effects of social facilitation (see the electronic supplementary material).
(d) Statistical analysis
With R v. 2.14.0, I used a generalized linear mixed-effects model (GLMM) to test how dolphins' responses to playback calls were affected by the call's familiarity, the length of separation between the caller and the subject and the subject's age category. Calls were either familiar or unfamiliar to the subject, and separation time was broken into four categories: 0–4.75 years, 5–9.75 years, 10–14.75 years, and 15 or more years of separation, and subjects were assigned to calf, juvenile or adult age categories (for model details see the electronic supplementary material). These data represent over 250 different sessions (including those with no responses to either the familiar or unfamiliar caller) from over 1200 total playbacks (adding habituation and test whistles).
3. Results
Overall, dolphins showed significantly higher response scores to familiar whistles than to unfamiliar ones (mean response score: familiar = 2.185 ± 0.285, unfamiliar = 0.307 ± 0.115, z = 6.377, p < 0.001). There was no significant effect of time separated on response scores (model test , p = 0.288), even after 15 or more years (up to 20 years; figure 1). The interaction between familiarity and separation time was also not significant (model test , p = 0.276). The interaction between familiarity and dolphin age was significant (model test , p < 0.001; figure 2), with calves showing a weaker response difference than adults (mean response score of calves: familiar = 1.623 ± 0.720, unfamiliar = 0.754 ± 1.195, z = 3.079, p = 0.002) and juveniles showing a stronger response difference than adults (mean response score of juveniles: familiar = 2.478 ± 0.750, unfamiliar = 0.036 ± 0.122, z = −2.223, p = 0.026). Male subjects had marginally higher mean responses than those of females (mean response score = 2.649 ± 0.698, z = 1.734, p = 0.083). None of the other effects were significant, including kinship (z = 1.61, p = 0.107), the sexes of caller and respondent interaction (z = −1.530, p = 0.126), or the number of years that the animals were housed together (z = 0.367, p = 0.714).
4. Discussion
(a) The extent of long-term social recognition in dolphins
In this study, I sought to determine the extent of common bottlenose dolphin LTSR. Specifically, I predicted that given the highly social nature of bottlenose dolphins, LTSR would not only be present, but also persistent. The results have matched this expectation, as I have shown that dolphins were capable of remembering each other's whistles for 15 or more years (up to 20) with no decay (figure 1). Duration of association did not affect recognition, meaning long periods of association were not required for long-term recognition. Interestingly, calves of less than 1 year are behaviourally less discriminating than adults or juveniles (figure 2).
(b) Sex and kinship differences
Sex (both respondent and caller) and kinship status did not affect recognition. This is expected given that both males and females inhabit socially complex groups, and both kin and non-kin would need to be remembered in networks of at least 60–70 individuals with whom they cooperatively hunt and engage in predation defence [29,30]. In elephants, females are the repositories of social knowledge, and therefore they seem to be better at LTSR [2]. But male bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay live in an open social network (with overlapping ranges comprised males and females) and exhibit social complexity on the magnitude of two to three levels of shifting alliances involving 14 or more animals (a level of complexity not seen outside of humans) [26,30]. Furthermore, mixed sex philopatry is common to the two most-studied dolphin populations in the world (Sarasota Bay and Shark Bay) indicating that both kin and non-kin are part of an individual dolphin's association matrix [29,36]. There is an overall marginal increase in male responses to signature whistles (both familiar and unfamiliar), which could be related to territory defence [37].
(c) Extreme stability and longevity in dolphin recognition systems
For LTSR to be useful to dolphins, signature whistles must be stable. Sayigh et al. [38] demonstrated through spectrographic analyses that signature whistles are acoustically stable for more than 12 years. My results would probably not be possible without whistle stability, and given this lack of change and the fact that dolphins remember each other's signature whistles, this system may be the longest-lasting recognition system in nature (in contrast to human faces, bodies and voices that change over time [39]). It is possible that free-living dolphins may experience long separations [29], and my data show that they would be capable of remembering each other after a delay that would amount to at least 75%–100% of their average total lifespan [40].
(d) Sociality and cognition
Systematically, humans and dolphins (and possibly elephants) have been shown to have both decades–long social recognition and complex sociality [1,17,18]. In addition, there is some comparative evidence that extensive social networks correlate with and could promote cognitive development [30,41]. With further evidence from more species (differing in degrees of social complexity and recognition capacity), the trait of LTSR may highlight directly how the evolution of memory is advanced by an animal's social system, similar to how food caching is shown to enhance spatial abilities [42]. For example, testing LTSR in animals without fission–fusion dynamics will help us understand whether complex sociality (either in extant animals or in the ancestors of animals who are now socially less complex) is necessary to drive cognitive development. However, social complexity may not need to be the only selective pressure in operation and is not mutually exclusive with other factors, for example inbreeding avoidance. Fission–fusion dynamics would not be necessary for the development of the trait in this case [11,12,21], which is why kin-independent LTSR should be a particular focus for this type of research. These results are by no means definitive proof of the link between complex sociality and advanced cognitive abilities. Instead, this study is only a data point in a larger picture, and it should hopefully motivate further research in other species with varying degrees of social complexity with the goal of elucidating the potential connections between sociality and cognition.
(e) Early development of dolphin recognition systems
In general, calf responses seem to be less organized and less focused than adult or juvenile responses, but I would not be surprised if calves were capable of discrimination of signature whistles based on familiarity. Calves do show adult and juvenile-like responses to familiar callers. However, calves are also much more interested in unfamiliar whistles than the other age classes (figure 2). One should consider that this pattern in young dolphins may serve a function in whistle learning and development, which could have adaptive value for calves formulating their own signature whistles [43].
(f) Candidate species for long-term social recognition based on comparative sociality
This study was conducted in zoos and aquariums, but it is likely that these abilities exist in free-living animals, as both groups share complex social traits [44], and the animals in this study have a social environment that approximates fission–fusion owing to movement between facilities for breeding–separating and reuniting social partners throughout life. It is possible that reduced social partners in human-care facilities might improve social memory, because there are fewer dolphins to remember which reduces cognitive load. Therefore, despite the methodological difficulties, a study looking at LTSR in free-living animals could confirm that social memories are virtually lifelong in dolphins.
Bottlenose dolphins' social recognition has implications for other relatively long-lived, large-brained, socially complex systems for which long-term social memory has not been systematically studied, including chimpanzees (and other ape species), hyenas and elephants (for which only anecdotal evidence exists for long-term social memory [18–20]) and birds (including parrot species). We need to further address animal long-term memory to see whether non-social information will also show the same level of resilience or whether social content is more salient and therefore more resistant to decay. The broad implications of this work, however, suggest that at least social memory in non-human animals is perhaps more resilient than previously thought, as no systematic study so far to my knowledge has shown such long retention of information in a species outside of humans.
This study was approved by the IACUCs of the Chicago Zoological Society, Disney's Animals, Science and Environment, Indianapolis Zoological Society, Minnesota Zoo, Texas State Aquarium and Dolphin Quest: Bermuda.
Funding statement
Funding was provided by grants from the University of Chicago divisions of Social and Natural Sciences.
I thank B. Taft for assistance in statistical analysis and J. Mateo, M. McClintock, S. Pruett-Jones, L. Sayigh, J. Watters, R. Stacey-Vondra, M. Pruett-Jones, W. Fellner, M. A. Stamper, M. Campbell, N. O'Donnell, H. LaRock, D. Fusco, D. Merritt, J. Baker, M. Heintz, C. Loomis, C. Dodge, P. Tyack, R. Wells, V. Janik, A. Kuczynski, M. Wirthlin, J. Cacciopio, B. Tang, T. Jachimczak, D. Guilloton, H. Williams, A. Hribar, A. Samuels and D. Hill. I also thank the staff and administrators of Brookfield Zoo, Disney's Animals, Science and Environment, Indianapolis Zoo, Minnesota Zoo, Texas State Aquarium and Dolphin Quest: Bermuda.
- Received July 4, 2013.
- Accepted July 15, 2013.
- © 2013 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.


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The (non)idiot's guide to energy
We all know what a carbon footprint is. But for those ready to go beyond Global Warming 101, energy specialist Carol Sue Tombari has condensed our national conversation about energy decisions into a mercifully compact and readable book called Power of the People: America's New Electricity Choices. Tombari, the manager of stakeholder relations at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., writes from what might be called the Amory Lovins school: She extols the easy gains of energy efficiencies and the strong potential of alternative energy sources.
Buildings can already be designed and constructed with potential energy efficiencies of 60 percent, she notes, and solar power is likely to become cheaper than coal- or gas-fired in the near to mid-term. Once transmission lines are built, wind-generated electricity from remote locations can provide more power to the cities.
So what's holding us back? We don't act because we're not charged the full cost of burning fossil fuels, what economists call the "externalities." Those greenhouse gases and other costs to our environment need to be taken fully into account. The marketplace is imperfect, Tombari says, hindered by government regulations that tilt the playing field toward carbon sources. "Anyone who tells you there's a free market of energy is either fibbing or has been duped by the self-serving babble of the entrenched energy industries that avoid competition by barring others from market entry," she writes.
She saves her tartest observations for the electrical utilities. Their sheer size - the largest industry in the United States - and technological complexity have made them opaque to normal scrutiny. She calls upon government regulators to induce a broad change. Because utilities' earnings are based on the sale of electricity, they constantly seek to ramp up their generation of electricity - and burn yet more coal and gas. Instead, utility profits should be linked to the delivery of energy services. If it's 100 degrees in the shade, we want to be cooled, and most consumers don't really care if that's accomplished by running an electric-powered air conditioner or by tapping the earth's constant 56-degree temperature.
Tombari's tone is hopeful but also slightly angry in her call for "urgent evolution." If we have no silver bullets in our energy arsenal, she says, we have plenty of silver, maybe even platinum, buckshot. What are we waiting for?