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It's not necessarily eternally unprovable or unfalsifiable, any more than consciousness itself is unprovable or unfalsifiable.
I don't think that science should be about convincing ourselves of anything, right or wrong,
Immediacracy already admitted a long time ago that his ideas are not scientific.
Instead he has a semi-philosophical position about the universe that "could be true", but cannot be verified nor falsified and has no practical application.
One of the things that Immediacracy cannot grasp is that understanding that a beautiful flower is composed of individual cells and atoms and that beauty can come from the arrangement of those cells and atoms.
Because beauty is assigned to a flower by a human observer, he thinks that the human consciousness should be part of every scientific theory out there.
He cannot see that this is nonsense. I tried to explain this numerous times, but apparently I cannot persuade him, just as he cannot persuade me that what he is saying makes any sense. Fair enough.
Instead, because of this thread I watched some Richard Feynman videos yesterday. This guy can explain these things much better than I can do, so I'll let him do the explaining (his view about science and the beautiful flower starts at 25 sec in the video).
Discussion with Immediacracy doesn't make much sense to me. He will keep on saying that his theories make sense, but there is only no means to verify it, while all others will maintain he is a crank. Stalemate, I guess. Instead, I advise to watch the rest of those Feynman videos. They are really good and insightful.
I'm pretty sure that's not true. I don't categorize my ideas, but I would say they are philosophical and scientific in the sense of 'science' as a search for understanding regardless of where the path leads, (but not in the sense of conforming to the assumptions of contemporary laboratory physics). I see that as just a matter of different theories requiring different methods to test.
Nobody knows if they can be verified or have any practical application yet. That's for others to work out...not my specialty. The discovery of quorum sensing and it's application to saving humanity's antibiotic exhaustion may very well be the most practical discovery of science since penicillin. Seems like reason enough to allow some curiosity in this direction.
Of course I can grasp that. My whole point is that the Cosmos is made of pattern - arrangements - sense. Can you grasp that the exact same arrangements of sand and bricks of sand will produce not produce a flower? That's because an atom isn't just a grain of inert sand, an atom is a proto-living process with the potential to produce arrangements which are beautiful and which respond to beauty.
Human consciousness already is part of every scientific theory out there, I just think it's possible that some occasions warrant admitting it - like when you are trying to explain the Cosmos. It has nothing to do with beauty or flowers.
I'm not trying to persuade anyone. I'm just trying to effectively communicate my ideas. I know they aren't nonsense because they make sense to me, and nobody has been able to give me a specific counterexample of my idea so far. (Even if someone does, it wouldn't make my ideas 'nonsense', just discarded hypotheses.
I remember the first time I saw a laser in elementary school (this was 1978 so, not a red diode pointer, but a lab instrument in a briefcase) how surprised I was that there was no beam. The beam had to be sort of hinted at by spraying something in the air. Why no laser beam?
Penkie makes perfect sense to me, he is capable of good scientific reasoning but rather than use that to explain his own ideas about what I've laid out, he is compelled to use it to explain that ideas which contradict the established conventions of recent science must be nonsense, and that anyone who dares express such an idea is automatically disqualified.
This is what my OMM vs ACME model predicts - that empirical, objective reasoning can become as prejudiced and intolerant as religious, subjective dogma.
I am surprised he considers it a stalemate, so maybe his Feynman-like curiosity still has veto authority over his Randi-like certainty.
If they are wrong it's because there is some observation to be made which proves a different, more reasonable truth, and that's all I'm looking for. Now I'm gonna watch more Feynman YouTubes too.
Wondering where dark matter fits into your ideas about light and the ACME/OMM model. I think it is said that about 90 percent of everything does not emit/reflect light? I don't know what I am talking about. I've only started watching youubes on cosmology yesterday.I attended a lecture by Arthur M Shallow co-inventor of the laser. He started off by asking someone to turn off the light. He says, "All work on light must be done in the dark."
...I watched some Richard Feynman videos yesterday. This guy can explain these things much better than I can do, so I'll let him do the explaining (his view about science and the beautiful flower starts at 25 sec in the video....
Which assumptions do you mean?
Science is describing nature as it is, by interpreting nature phenomena that are not yet understood. Also science is using the language of nature, mathematics.
As far as I can tell, your ideas don't describe an phenomenon that is not understood, nor did I see a specific description, i.e. using math or some other formal framework.
Anyway, I didn't really see any way your ideas qualify as engineering...That probably leaves philosophy...
I have seen sand sculptures of flowers that were also quite beautiful. But that doesn't say anything. So what that we think that some arrangement is beautiful and another is not...
Most scientific theories out there have nothing to do with human consciousness. What has gravity to do with consciousness?
Depends on your definition of nonsense. I don't see a theory that relates to measurements, nor can explain any specific element of reality and I don't see any logic in claiming that science should be broadened. For me that sounds as nonsense.
These methods evolved because they are the only way to make sense of reality, because they work.
Also, truth cannot be more reasonable than it is. It is what it is.
Quote from: penkie on August 13, 2010, 10:17:44 AMAnyway, I didn't really see any way your ideas qualify as engineering...That probably leaves philosophy...Why does it matter at all what name to give my ideas? Why do they have to fit into these imaginary verbal categories?

subset: commoncrawl


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AfriGeneas Genealogy and History Forum Archive
Re: success story:had to tell somebody
In Response To: success story:had to tell somebody ()
Congrats on finding your family! More blacks than you might think owned slaves - for a variety of reasons. See Carter Woodson's book on black slave owners:
Some owned their own wives, husbands and children because they legally couldn't free them. Other's did so because that was the prevailing mode of production at that time in history in the south and they took care of their own economic self-interest, and other's because they inherited slaves from black - white relationships. The history of FPOC in LA is particularly complex - and the 3 tiered racial classifications and status of "mulattos" has a long history there. You might get a better understanding by reading "White by Definition: Social Classification in Creole Louisiana" by Virginia R. Dominguez.
I understand you feelings of un-ease - my cousin found out his ancestor had married a slave and never freed him -and when he hit her one day (after fathering many children with her) - she sold him to slave traders and he was shipped south.
We are not responsible for our ancestors - of any color. We are only responsible for uncovering and documenting their histories.
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Bill, you aren't the only one. Cross Synergy has been returning a 404 error for me since Mar 26, too.
I've had Across Lite installed for years, so that's not the problem. My issue continues to be with CrossSynergy. This is what I get when I click its link here on Cruciverb: A blank page with :áACROSS&DOWN�ÚK´›`»G1.2c��������5'|>'|L��� at the top. I'm running Firefox. Any ideas???


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Gator Mania owner Jenice Bushnell said the season has led to an improvement in sales over last year but the economy is still holding people back from historic levels.
Lauren Tileston slowly wove her way among displays full of orange and blue Florida Gators items, stopping to look at shirts, decorations, kitchenware and all manner of apparel in the Gator Mania store in The Oaks Mall on Tuesday evening.
The 21-year-old Alachua woman left after spending nearly $50 on a Christmas present for her father, with plans to come back for items for her boyfriend and brother.
Gator fans and the people who love them are buying more team-licensed merchandise this fall as excitement has built over the football team's turnaround season — even while remaining budget-conscious about their purchases, retailers say.
Gator Mania owner Jenice Bushnell said the season has led to an improvement in sales over last year but the economy is still holding people back from historic levels. She said sales were up 20 percent in October but she did not yet have November numbers.
Gator Mania has a store and an expansive kiosk in the mall and last December purchased the former Gator Fever location in Butler Plaza near Walmart.
Gators Plus at 1620 W. University Ave. has had its best football season in three or four years as fans have a more positive attitude, said owner Bill Olander, estimating that sales were up about 30 percent in October.
With Saturday's win at Florida State, the team is 11-1 this year after finishing 7-6 last year.
Sales through Jacksonville-based sports merchandiser Fanatics.com are up 30 percent so far this football season over 2011 and up 15 percent over 2010 when the Gators were 8-5.
For November, sales are up 44 percent so far and increased 32 percent overnight following the FSU game, according to spokeswoman Anne Lacey Whitaker. She said Florida is their fifth best selling college team this year, with Notre Dame being their top seller.
Olander said Christmas season is always good for sales, with students buying Christmas presents to take home. Plus, an earlier Thanksgiving this year meant more sales days.
The outlook is even better this December with the Gators' likely selection for one of the major Bowl Championship Series bowl games in January. Olander said he has pre-ordered bowl-bound merchandise from Nike, which is expected to arrive late next week following Sunday's bowl selections.
The Gators are projected to be selected for the Sugar Bowl, giving retailers through Jan. 2 to make sales.
Even with enthusiasm returning to Gator football fans, they are not spending as freely as they have in the past.
Olander said instead of buying a $26 shirt with a tri-blend fabric, more shoppers go for the $16 T-shirt.
Bushnell said people are buying new clothes after keeping what they already had last year, but will buy one shirt when they used to buy two or will buy a shirt they can wear anytime instead of a game-day shirt specific to the team they are playing.
"The customers are not buying in the quantities that they used to," she said.
After 29 years in business, Olander said his best season was still the football team's first national championship in 1996.
"The January after we won the Sugar Bowl, that was our largest month ever and we've never come close to that," he said. "They always say you never forget your first time."
During championship seasons, Bushnell said they would see customers who didn't follow the Gators, but that is not happening this season.
"I don't see it bringing out a greater fan base than we already had," she said.
That is the case with Tileston, who said she also bought Gator merchandise last Christmas for the hardcore fans in her life.
Likewise for Thomas Hopkins, who bought a window decal Tuesday for a co-worker. The 31-year-old Adel, Ga., man said he buys Gator clothes for his stepdaughter every time he's in Gainesville to visit his sister.
"That's all my stepdaughter wears," he said.
T-shirts are still the hottest-selling items, while Bushnell said flat-billed hats now outsell other hats.
Olander said cooler weather lately has improved sales of heavier and higher-priced items such as jackets and sweatshirts.


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FEDERAL WAY, Wash. (AP) — A man fatally shot his live-in girlfriend at an apartment south of Seattle then killed three men, including a neighbor who told others to call 911 and retreated inside his unit before the gunman blasted open the door with a shotgun and opened fire, authorities said Monday.
The 27-year-old suspect was later shot and killed in a parking lot by responding officers.
"We believe this is a domestic-violence homicide," Federal Way Police Chief Brian Wilson said at a news conference.
Wilson said investigators believe the shooter may also have been trying to kill witnesses, KOMO-TV reported.
Police encountered a chaotic situation in Federal Way on Sunday night when they responded to reports of gunshots.
The suspect confronted arriving officers with a shotgun in a stairwell then fled to the parking lot after officers fired at him, Wilson said.
He was killed on the ground while reaching for a handgun, Wilson said.
"This is one of the most dangerous ... calls for law enforcement to respond to," Wilson said of the active shooter situation.
A King County medical examiner's spokeswoman said Monday that the identities of the dead were not expected to be released until Tuesday afternoon.
Wilson said the victims included the suspect's 25-year-old girlfriend, and three men, including the 62-year-old neighbor. The other men were 24 and 46.
Police were still piecing together information but believe the suspect shot his girlfriend in their apartment, then killed the two younger men after he left the unit.
Wilson said the 62-year-old heard the commotion from another apartment, went outside to investigate and urged others to call authorities. The man returned to his residence before he was shot and killed, the chief said.
Police said the gunman used the shotgun to fire on the man's door to gain entry. It did not appear that the older man knew the shooter, police said.
Authorities received the first reports of suspicious circumstances about 9:35 p.m. Sunday.
"When officers arrived there were still shots being fired," said police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock.
Officers swarmed and searched the large apartment complex off Interstate 5 before saying they were confident there were no more casualties.
By dawn, a medical examiner's office truck had arrived to pick up bodies while crime scene investigators kept working. One officer was seen carrying books and a gun to what appeared to be an evidence van.
A total of eight officers fired their weapons, Schrock said. All have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard policy in such situations, as the investigation continues.
Wilson said the suspect, who had a valid concealed weapons permit, had no criminal history. However, he had been involved in two prior domestic violence calls in Federal Way and Seattle, Wilson said.
Both incidents were verbal in nature and no arrests were made, Wilson said.
Federal Way is about 20 miles south of Seattle.


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NEW YORK — World War II service shaped the lives and careers of authors Norman Mailer and Kurt Vonnegut, and in turn their works were profoundly influential in the Vietnam era.
Vonnegut turned his ordeal as a POW during the 1945 allied firebombing of Dresden, Germany, into his 1969 novel "Slaughterhouse-Five." Its surrealistic approach made it a hit with young readers who were questioning the Vietnam War.
Mailer made his name with the postwar novel "The Naked and the Dead," drawing on his war service. Two decades later his 1968 account of Vietnam protesters' march on the Pentagon, "The Armies of the Night," won a Pulitzer.
They were two of the artists, entertainers and pop culture figures who died in 2007.
Through such masterpieces as "The Seventh Seal," director Ingmar Bergman combined startling imagery and a deep understanding of human nature. Michelangelo Antonioni, who died the same day as Bergman, explored alienation in films such as "L'Avventura." Ousmane Sembene of Senegal gained worldwide honors through such films as "Moolaade."
Along with their artistry on the opera stage, Luciano Pavarotti and Beverly Sills had star personalities that brought them millions of fans who saw them only on television. Drummer Max Roach was remembered as a genius in the jazz world. Igor Moiseyev brought his Russian folk dance troupe to audiences worldwide, even during the Cold War, while Marcel Marceau kept the art of pantomime alive.
Many entertainers who died in 2007 predated the era when blue jeans and brutal candor became the norm for celebrities young and old.
Slideshow: The year in entertainment Scottish-born Deborah Kerr epitomized elegance when she danced in 19th century finery in "The King and I." A smooth baritone in a tuxedo didn't go out of style if the voice belonged to the likes of Robert Goulet. Rhinestone suits were the proper attire for country star Porter Wagoner.
Oscar-winner Jane Wyman's old-fashioned class showed when she maintained silence about her failed marriage to Ronald Reagan. ("It's bad taste to talk about ex-husbands and ex-wives," she said.)
Also in 2007, the world of fashion said goodbye to American Liz Claiborne, who dressed the burgeoning ranks of career women in the 1970s, and Italian Gianfranco Ferre, who designed structured, sculpted shapes.
Television greats who died included impresarios Merv Griffin and Roger M. King, talk show host Tom Snyder and comic actor Tom Poston. Pop music lost Hawaiian entertainer Don Ho; Mamas and Papas member Denny Doherty; and 1950s hitmakers Frankie Laine and Teresa Brewer.
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Liz Renay and Anna Nicole Smith both gained notice in their youth as Marilyn Monroe lookalikes. One starred in some cult films, got mixed up with mobsters and lived to be 80; the other starred in advertisements and reality TV, got mixed up with drugs and lived less than half as long.
Slideshow: Celebrity Curtain Calls Some notables were known for just one, quirky thing: Bobby "Boris" Pickett did "The Monster Mash," Dick Wilson starred in "don't squeeze the Charmin" ads, and Calvert DeForest was David Letterman's eccentric nebbish.
Here, a roll call of some of the notables in the arts and popular culture who died in 2007. (Cause of death cited for younger people if available.)
- A.I. Bezzerides, 98. Film noir screenwriter ("Kiss Me Deadly.") Jan. 1.
- Del Reeves, 74. Grand Ole Opry star ("Girl on the Billboard.") Jan. 1.
- Tillie Olsen, 94. Influential feminist author ("Tell Me a Riddle.") Jan. 1.
- Vincent Sardi Jr., 91. Consummate host of Broadway watering hole Sardi's. Jan. 4.
- Pete Kleinow, 72. Ace steel guitar player with the Flying Burrito Brothers. Jan. 6.
- Yvonne De Carlo, 84. The vampire mom on "The Munsters." Jan. 8.
- Iwao Takamoto, 81. Animator who created Scooby-Doo. Jan. 8.
- Carlo Ponti, 94. Italian producer who discovered _ and married _ Sophia Loren. Jan. 9.
- Robert Anton Wilson, 74. Co-author of science fiction cult classic "The Illuminatus! Trilogy." Jan. 11.
- Michael Brecker, 57. Versatile tenor saxophonist; won 11 Grammys. Jan. 13.
- Darlene Conley, 72. Actress; feisty fashion mogul Sally Spectra on "The Bold and the Beautiful." Jan. 14.
- Betty Trezza, 81. Player in World War II-era women's baseball league immortalized in "A League of Their Own." Jan. 16.
- Pookie Hudson, 72. Lead singer for Spaniels doo wop group ("Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight.") Jan. 16.
- Ron Carey, 71. Played cocky, height-challenged policeman on "Barney Miller." Jan. 16.
- Art Buchwald, 81. Pulitzer-winning Washington humorist; battled Hollywood over movie "Coming to America." Jan. 17.
- Denny Doherty, 66. Member of 1960s folk-rock group the Mamas and the Papas ("California Dreamin'.") Jan. 19.
- Liz Renay, 80. Colorful cult movie actress (John Waters' "Desperate Living.") Jan. 22.
- Danny Finegood, 52. Prankster known for creative alterations of the Hollywood sign (Hollyweed, Ollywood, etc.) Jan. 22. Multiple myeloma.
- Peter Tompkins, 87. Wrote best-sellers such as "The Secret Life of Plants." Jan. 24.
- Bob Carroll Jr., 87. TV writer for Lucille Ball's shows. Jan. 27.
- Tige Andrews, 86. Emmy-nominated actor; the captain in charge of "The Mod Squad." Jan. 27.
- Sidney Sheldon, 89. Stage, screen writer turned best-selling novelist ("The Other Side of Midnight.") Jan. 30.
- Molly Ivins, 62. Best-selling author and columnist, a sharp-witted liberal who referred to President Bush as "Shrub." Jan. 31.
- Gian Carlo Menotti, 95. Pulitzer-winning Italian composer ("The Consul," "Amahl and the Night Visitors"); founded Spoleto arts festivals. Feb. 1.
- Joe Hunter, 79. Motown's first bandleader; three-time Grammy winner with the Funk Brothers. Feb. 2.
- Eric von Schmidt, 75. A mainstay of the blues and folk scene in the 1950s and 1960s who influenced Bob Dylan. Feb. 2.
- Billy Henderson, 67. Member of the Spinners ("Could It Be I'm Falling in Love.") Feb. 2.
- Barbara McNair, 72. Pioneering black singer-actress; had her own TV variety show. Feb. 4.
- Frankie Laine, 93. Big-voiced singer; one of the most popular entertainers of the 1950s ("That Lucky Old Sun.") Feb. 6.
- Anna Nicole Smith, 39. Model and sometime actress. Feb. 8. Accidental overdose of medication.
- Ian Richardson, 72. Actor; played Jean-Paul Marat in "Marat/Sade" on Broadway and the screen. Feb. 9.
- Marianne Fredriksson, 79. One of Sweden's most admired writers ("Hanna's Daughters.") Feb. 11.
- Ellen Hanley, 80. Played Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia's first wife in the Pulitzer-winning musical "Fiorello!" Feb. 12.
- Robert Adler, 93. Co-inventor of the TV remote, the 1956 Zenith Space Command. Feb. 15.
- Walker Edmiston, 81. The voice of Ernie the Keebler elf in TV commercials. Feb. 15.
- Ray Evans, 92. Oscar-winning songwriter ("Mona Lisa," "Buttons and Bows.") Feb. 15.
- Janet Blair, 85. Vivacious Hollywood actress in 1940s musicals and comedies ("My Sister Eileen.") Feb. 19
- Fons Rademakers, 86. Dutch film director whose 1986 "De Aanslag" ("The Assault") won Oscar as best foreign language film. Feb. 22.
- Lothar-Guenther Buchheim, 89. German author; wrote autobiographical novel "Das Boot." Feb. 22.
- Mark Spoelstra, 66. Singer who was an important figure in the folk music renaissance of the 1960s. Feb. 25.
- Bobby Rosengarden, 82. Jazz drummer; bandleader for "The Dick Cavett Show." Feb. 27.
- Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., 89. Pulitzer-winning historian; Kennedy administration "court philosopher." Feb. 28.
- Henri Troyat, 95. One of France's most prolific and respected authors. March 2.
- Marjabelle Young Stewart, 82. Etiquette authority; co-wrote "White Gloves and Party Manners." March 3.
- Andy Sidaris, 76. Emmy-winning director of "Wide World of Sports." March 7.
- Brad Delp, 55. Lead singer for the band Boston ("More Than a Feeling.") March 9. Suicide.
- Richard Jeni, 49. Standup comedian, frequently "Tonight Show" guest. March 10. Apparent suicide.
- Betty Hutton, 86. Singer-actress who brought brassy vitality to Hollywood musicals ("Annie Get Your Gun.") March 11.
- Vilma Ebsen, 96. She danced in "Broadway Melody of 1936" with her brother Buddy. March 12.
- Stuart Rosenberg, 79. TV, film director ("Cool Hand Luke.") March 15.
- Charles Harrelson, 69. Actor Woody Harrelson's father, sentenced to life for killing a federal judge. March 15.
- Carol Richards, 84. Singer; teamed with Bing Crosby on "Silver Bells." March 16.
- Luther Ingram, 69. R&B singer and songwriter known for "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right)." March 19.
- Calvert DeForest, 85. Played bespectacled nebbish Larry "Bud" Melman on David Letterman's shows. March 19.
- Walter Turnbull, 62. Founded the acclaimed Boys Choir of Harlem. March 23.
- Robert E. Petersen, 80. Publisher whose Hot Rod, Motor Trend magazines helped shape car culture. March 23.
- Henson Cargill, 66. Country singer ("Skip a Rope.") March 24.
- Calvin Lockhart, 72. Played underworld figures in 1970s blaxploitation films. March 29.
- Tom Moore, 88. Helped ABC Television Network become competitive. March 31.
Slideshow: Newsmaker Farewells April:
- Danny Barcelona, 77. Drummer with Louis Armstrong. April 1.
- Bob Clark, 67. Film director known for holiday classic "A Christmas Story." April 4.
- Edward Mallory, 76. Portrayed angst-ridden Dr. Bill Horton on soap opera "Days of Our Lives." April 4.
- Stan Daniels, 72. Emmy-winning TV writer and producer ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Taxi.")
- George Jenkins, 98. Art director; won Oscar for "All the President's Men." April 6.
- Barry Nelson, 89. MGM contract player; later first actor to play James Bond on screen. April 7.
- Johnny Hart, 76. Cartoonist whose "B.C." showed the humorous side of the Stone Age. April 7.
- Sol LeWitt, 78. Influential abstract painter, sculptor. April 8.
- Kurt Vonnegut, 84. Novelist who captured the absurdity of the world in darkly humorous works such as "Slaughterhouse-Five." April 11.
- Roscoe Lee Browne, 81. Emmy-winning actor known for rich voice, dignified bearing. April 11.
- Don Ho, 76. Hawaiian crooner ("Tiny Bubbles"); entertained tourists for decades. April 14.
- Brant Parker, 86. Illustrated "The Wizard of Id" comic strip. April 15.
- James B. Davis Sr., 90. Founded gospel group the Dixie Hummingbirds. April 17.
- Kitty Carlisle Hart, 96. Singer-actress; long career spanned Broadway, opera, television and film ("A Night at the Opera.") April 17.
- Andrew Hill, 75. Jazz pianist, composer known for complex post-bop style. April 20.
- Anne Pitoniak, 85. Tony-nominated actress ("`night, Mother.") April 22.
- David Halberstam, 73. Journalist whose acclaimed books included towering study of Vietnam War, poignant portrait of aging baseball stars. April 23.
- Bobby "Boris" Pickett, 69. Did his dead-on Boris Karloff impression in the novelty hit "Monster Mash." April 25.
- Jack Valenti, 85. Film industry lobbyist; instituted movie ratings system. April 26.
- Mstislav Rostropovich, 80. The ebullient master cellist who fought for the rights of Soviet-era dissidents. April 27.
- Dabbs Greer, 90. Character actor; played minister in "Little House on the Prairie." April 28.
- Tommy Newsom, 78. "The Tonight Show" musician whose "Mr. Excitement" nickname was a running joke for Johnny Carson. April 28.
- Tom Poston, 85. The tall, pasty-faced TV comic whose characters were clueless. ("Newhart.") April 30.
- Zola Taylor, 69. Singer with the Platters ("The Great Pretender.") April 30.
- Isabella Blow, 48. Vibrant guru of British fashion scene. May 7.
- Bernard Gordon, 88. Screenwriter, blacklisted in the 1950s. ("55 Days at Peking.") May 11.
- Lloyd Alexander, 83. Children's book author ("The Chronicles of Prydain.") May 17.
- Carl Wright, 75. Tap dancer turned actor ("Barbershop," "Big Momma's House.") May 19.
- Charles Nelson Reilly, 76. Tony Award winner; later known for ribald TV game show appearances. May 25.
- Gretchen Wyler, 75. Broadway actress ("Silk Stockings.") May 27.
- Mark Harris, 84. Novelist ("Bang the Drum Slowly.") May 30.
- William Meredith, 88. Pulitzer Prize-winning poet ("Partial Accounts: New and Selected Poems.") May 30.
- Nellie Lutcher, 93. Jazz vocalist ("He's a Real Gone Guy.") June 8.
- Sembene Ousmane, 84. The father of Senegalese cinema and one of the pioneers of the art in Africa. June 9.
- Mala Powers, 75. Actress; played Roxanne to Jose Ferrer's "Cyrano de Bergerac." June 11.
- Don Herbert, 89. Television's "Mr. Wizard." June 12.
- Thommie Walsh, 57. Tony-winning choreographer ("A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine.") June 16. Lymphoma.
- Gianfranco Ferre, 62. Italian designer known as "architect of fashion." June 17.
- Hank Medress, 68. Singer with the doo wop group the Tokens ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight.") June 18.
- Antonio Aguilar, 88. Mariachi singer, actor during Mexican cinema's Golden Era. June 19.
- Nazek al-Malaika, 85. Iraqi poet; used free verse rather than classical rhyme. June 20.
- J.B. Handelsman, 85. New Yorker cartoonist; used dry wit to deflate human folly, injustice. June 20.
- Chris Benoit, 40. World Wrestling Entertainment star. Found June 25; apparent suicide after killing wife, 7-year-old son.
- Liz Claiborne, 78. Designer whose styles became a cornerstone of career women's wardrobes. June 26.
- Joel Siegel, 63. Longtime "Good Morning America" movie critic. June 29.
- Fred T. Saberhagen, 77. Science fiction and fantasy writer ("Berserker" series.) June 29.
- Edward Yang, 59. Taiwan fim director; "Yi Yi (A One and a Two)," honored at Cannes in 2000. June 29.
- George McCorkle, 60. Marshall Tucker Band member; wrote "Fire on the Mountain." June 29. Cancer.
- Beverly Sills, 78. Opera diva with a dazzling voice, bubbly personality. July 2.
- Hy Zaret, 99. Wrote haunting lyrics to "Unchained Melody." July 2.
- Buck Brown, 71. Cartoonist; created Playboy's naughty "Granny." July 2.
- Boots Randolph, 80. His spirited saxophone made "Yakety Sax" a hit. July 3.
- Regine Crespin, 80. French opera great. July 5.
- Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, 68. Pioneer of modern historical romance novel ("The Flame and the Flower.") July 6.
- Charles Lane, 102. Prolific character actor whose face was recognizable to generations of moviegoers. July 9.
- Doug Marlette, 57. Pulitzer-winning editorial cartoonist, creator of comic strip "Kudzu." July 10. Car accident.
- John Graham, 80. Children's book author ("I Love You, Mouse.") July 16.
- Teresa Stich-Randall, 79. American soprano; became a leading opera singer in Austria. July 17.
- Jerry Hadley, 55. Tenor known for his agile voice. July 18. Apparent suicide.
- Sekou Sundiata, 58. Poet, recording artist ("The Blue Oneness of Dreams"). July 18.
- Bill Flemming, 80. Longtime ABC Sports broadcaster. July 20.
- Tammy Faye Messner, 65. Helped then-husband Jim Bakker build an evangelism empire that later collapsed; reality TV performer. July 20.
- Laszlo Kovacs, 74. Cinematographer whose stylistic inventions transformed cinema ("Easy Rider," "Five Easy Pieces.") July 22.
- Ulrich Muehe, 54. German actor acclaimed for role in Oscar-winning "The Lives of Others." July 22. Stomach cancer.
- Ron Miller, 74. Songwriter ("For Once in My Life.") July 23.
- George Tabori, 93. Avant-garde playwright-director in postwar Germany ("Goldberg Variations.") July 23.
- William J. Tuttle, 95. Oscar-winning movie makeup artist. July 27.
- Michel Serrault, 79. French actor; "La Cage aux Folles" made him internationally known. July 29.
- Tom Snyder, 71. Late-late night TV talk show host with a robust laugh, trademark cloud of cigarette smoke. July 29.
- Art Davis, 73. Renowned jazz bassist. July 29.
- Ingmar Bergman, 87. Swedish filmmaker; one of the greatest artists in cinema history ("The Seventh Seal," "Cries and Whispers.") July 30.
- Michelangelo Antonioni, 94. Italian filmmaker whose depiction of modern-day malaise made him a symbol of art-house cinema ("Blow-Up," "L'Avventura.") July 30.
- Tommy Makem, 74. Irish singer; starred with the Clancy Brothers during the folk music boom. Aug. 1.
- Frank Rosenfelt, 85. MGM chief who helped green-light "Network," "Doctor Zhivago." Aug. 2.
- Lee Hazlewood, 78. Singer, songwriter; produced Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'." Aug. 4.
- Stanley Myron Handelman, 77. Comic known for subtle humor, trademark oversized glasses. Aug. 5.
- Mel Shavelson, 90. Screenwriter-director twice nominated for best-screenplay Oscars ("The Seven Little Foys," "Houseboat.") Aug. 8.
- Merv Griffin, 82. Singer turned TV host turned impresario who parlayed game shows into a multimillion-dollar empire. Aug. 12.
- Brooke Astor, 105. Philanthropist who gave millions to New York City arts institutions. Aug. 13.
- Max Roach, 83. Jazz drummer whose rhythmic innovations defined bebop. Aug. 15.
- Grace Paley, 84. Acclaimed poet and short story writer. Aug. 22.
- Edward Seidensticker, 86. Scholar of Japanese literature; translated the epic "Tale of Genji." Aug. 26.
- Hilly Kristal, 75. His Manhattan club CBGB was birthplace of punk rock. Aug. 28.
- Miyoshi Umeki, 78. Oscar-winning actress ("Sayonara.") Aug. 28.
- Marcia Mae Jones, 83. Child actress; Shirley Temple's pal in "Heidi." Sept. 2.
- Janis Martin, 67. Rockabilly pioneer billed as "The Female Elvis." ("Will You Willyum.") Sept. 3.
- Luciano Pavarotti, 71. Opera superstar hailed as "king of the high C's." Sept. 6.
- Madeleine L'Engle, 88. Author who captivated schoolchildren with "A Wrinkle in Time." Sept. 6.
- Percy Rodrigues, 89. Pioneering black actor; played a neurosurgeon on "Peyton Place." Sept. 6.
- Jane Wyman, 90. Won Oscar as deaf rape victim in "Johnny Belinda"; later in TV's "Falcon Crest." Ronald Reagan's ex-wife. Sept. 10.
- Joe Zawinul, 75. Jazz keyboardist; one of the creators of jazz-rock fusion with Weather Report ("Birdland.") Sept 11.
- Bobby Byrd, 73. Longtime James Brown collaborator; co-founder of Famous Flames. Sept. 12.
- Brett Somers, 83. Actress-comedian; amused "Match Game" viewers in the 1970s. Sept. 15.
- Robert Jordan, 58. Author of "Wheel of Time" fantasy novels. Sept. 16. Blood disease.
- Alice Ghostley, 81. Tony-winning actress ("The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window.") Sept. 21.
- Marcel Marceau, 84. French master of pantomime who transformed silence into poetry. Sept. 22.
- Charles Griffith, 77. Wrote screenplay for "Little Shop of Horrors." Sept. 28.
- Martin Manulis, 92. Producer of the TV classic "Playhouse 90." Sept. 28.
- Lois Maxwell, 80. Miss Moneypenny in 14 James Bond movies. Sept. 29.
- Ned Sherrin, 76. British broadcaster; directed influential news satire show "That Was The Week That Was." Oct. 1.
- George Grizzard, 79. Tony-winning Broadway actor ("A Delicate Balance.") Oct. 2.
- Enrico Banducci, 85. His San Francisco nightclub, the hungry i, hosted comedians such as Mort Sahl. Oct. 9.
- Carol Bruce, 87. Tony-nominated actress ("Do I Hear a Waltz?") Oct. 9.
- Werner von Trapp, 91. Member of singing family made famous by "The Sound of Music." Oct. 11.
- Sri Chinmoy, 76. Indian-born spiritual leader; inspired followers to perform various athletic feats. Oct. 11.
- Ernest Withers, 85. Photographer who documented black history from Beale Street blues to the civil rights movement. Oct. 15.
- Deborah Kerr, 86. Actress who kissed Burt Lancaster on a beach in "From Here to Eternity," danced with Yul Brynner in "The King and I." Oct. 16.
- Barbara West Dainton, 96. Englishwoman believed to be one of the last two survivors from the Titanic. Oct. 16.
- Joey Bishop, 89. Stone-faced TV and nightclub comedian; last of the Rat Pack. Oct. 17.
- Teresa Brewer, 76. She topped the charts in the 1950s ("Till I Waltz Again With You.") Oct. 17.
- Lucky Dube, 43. South African reggae star. Oct. 18. Shot in apparent carjacking attempt.
- Vincent DeDomenico, 92. Co-inventor of Rice-A-Roni, famed for catchy TV jingle. Oct. 18.
- Peg Bracken, 89. Wrote hugely popular "I Hate to Cook Book." Oct. 20.
- R.B. Kitaj, 74. A key figure in the British Pop Art movement. Oct. 21.
- Lowell Smith, 56. Dance Theater of Harlem member known for forceful but fluid body movements. Oct. 22. Lung cancer.
- Friedman Paul Erhardt, 63. Television's "Chef Tell." Oct. 26.
- Porter Wagoner, 80. Rhinestone-clad Grand Ole Opry star who helped launch the career of Dolly Parton. Oct. 28.
- Robert Goulet, 73. Baritone made Broadway debut in "Camelot;" won Tony in 1968 for "The Happy Time." Oct. 30.
- Igor Moiseyev, 101. Choreographer who transformed folk dance into a legitimate art, showcasing Russian culture worldwide. Nov. 2.
- George Osmond, 90. Patriarch of singing Osmond family. Nov. 6.
- Hank Thompson, 82. Country singer, bandleader ("The Wild Side of Life.") Nov. 6.
- Fred W. McDarrah, 81. Village Voice photographer who chronicled New York's cultural, political events. Nov. 6.
- Norman Mailer, 84. The pugnacious prince of American letters. Nov. 10.
- Donda West, 58. Mother of Kanye West. Nov. 10, after undergoing plastic surgery.
- Laraine Day, 87. Actress in nearly 50 films including Hitchcock thriller "Foreign Correspondent." Nov. 10.
- Delbert Mann, 87. Directed "Marty," classic lonely-guy teleplay that became multiple Oscar-winning film. Nov. 11.
- Ira Levin, 78. Best-selling novelist ("Rosemary's Baby," "The Boys From Brazil.") Nov. 12.
- Peter Zinner, 88. Film editor on "The Godfather"; won Oscar for "The Deer Hunter." Nov. 13.
- Ronnie Burns, 72. George Burns and Gracie Allen's son; played himself on their TV show. Nov. 14.
- Hy Lit, 73. One of Philadelphia's hottest DJs during heyday of rock 'n' roll. Nov. 17.
- Paul Wasserman, 73. Celebrity publicist; clients included Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Jack Lemmon. Nov. 18.
- Dick Wilson, 91. Played the fussy, mustachioed grocer who begged customers "Please, don't squeeze the Charmin." Nov. 19.
- Fernando Fernan Gomez, 86. Actor-director; one of Spain's most beloved entertainers. Nov. 21.
- Maurice Bejart, 80. Avant-garde French choreographer. Nov. 22.
- Kevin Dubrow, 52. Lead singer for heavy metal band Quiet Riot ("Cum on Feel the Noize"). Died of accidental cocaine overdose. Found Nov. 25.
- Mel Tolkin, 94. Head writer for Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows." Nov. 26.
- Roger B. Smith, 82. As General Motors chief, was the subject of Michael Moore's documentary "Roger & Me." Nov. 29.
- Evel Knievel, 69. Motorcycle daredevil known for spectacular jumps and bone-crushing crashes. Nov. 30.
- Elizabeth Hardwick, 91. Leading intellectual author ("Sleepless Nights") and critic. Dec. 2.
- Pimp C, 33. Rapper with the Texas hip-hop group Underground Kingz ("Super Tight.") Found Dec. 4.
- Karlheinz Stockhausen, 79. Avant-garde German composer; pioneer of electronic music. Dec. 5.
- Roger M. King, 63. CBS and King World Productions executive who helped bring such stars as Oprah Winfrey to television. Dec. 8.
© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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The Colomb Art Gallery, London is a fine art gallery to buy traditional fine art and contemporary fine art from British and internationally established artists. Buy art online ranging from original oil paintings to limited edition prints and sculpture. Gallery services include: Art Sourcing and Consultants, Painting Restoration, Art Exhibitions, Wedding List, Office Art, Gift Vouchers, Portrait Commissions.
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TUNIS, Tunisia – A street vendor has set himself on fire in Tunisia's capital, reviving memories of the self-immolation that helped spark the Arab Spring uprisings. A witness says the man said he was jobless and desperate.
Burns center director Imed Touibi said the 27-year-old cigarette vendor, from a poor town in northwestern Tunisia, set himself ablaze Tuesday and is in a coma with 90 percent burns.
A woman who witnessed the incident told The Associated Press that the vendor complained of the challenges for young job-seekers as he doused himself with gasoline. She spoke on condition of anonymity, saying she was shaken by the scene.
The 2010 self-immolation of another Tunisian vendor prompted protests that led to the ouster of the longtime dictator, and provoked similar uprisings around the Arab world.


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Nice work! Enjoy the show!
Link Copied!
Charities refuse Epstein's money amid sex case
Opening Sequence
China hits back at U.S. for military sanctions
Kavanaugh accuser willing to testify if terms are 'fair'
VERBATIM: Trump rallies behind Brett Kavanaugh
Dow, S&P brush off trade wars and hit new highs
Four dead in Maryland shooting, including suspect
More than 100 dead in Tanzania ferry sinking
Express rail brings Chinese law to Hong Kong
Apple embraces China with a unique iPhone XS
11-year-old Sofia gets new heart and famous friend
World in Pictures
Closing Sequence


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Main Site - :: Why Won't God Heal Amputees? ::
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POTISKUM, Nigeria (AP) — Islamic militants attacked a boarding school in northeast Nigeria before dawn Saturday, killing 29 students and one teacher. Some of the pupils were burned alive in the latest school attack blamed on a radical terror group, survivors said.Parents screamed in anguish as they tried to identify the charred and gunshot victims.Farmer Malam Abdullahi found the bodies of two of his sons, a 10-year-old shot in the back as he apparently tried to run away, and a 12-year-old shot in the chest."That's it, I'm taking my other boys out of school," he told The Associated Press as he wept over the two corpses. He said he had three younger children in a nearby school."It's not safe," he said. "The gunmen are attacking schools and there is no protection for students despite all the soldiers."Survivors at the Potiskum General Hospital and its mortuary said gunmen attacked Government Secondary School in Mamudo village, 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Potiskum town at about 3 a.m. Saturday. The gunmen are believed to be from the Boko Haram sect whose name means "Western education is sacrilege."
Eyewitnesses said some of the victims were burned alive in the attack, in Mamudo town, Yobe state.Dozens of schools have been burned in attacks by Islamists since 2010.
Religions need books because they don't have gods.
This is a duplicate thread.http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/forums/index.php/topic,25150.msg561738.html#msg561738


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Simbols like 'strsm_' and 'sgemm_' I should find blas/lapack library like mkl ? (correct me if I'm wrong).
Also, in file ztsqrt_gpu on line 141 visual studio compiler complains about not being to cast, so I have replaced this:
- Code: Select all
work[0] = (cuDoubleComplex) lwkopt;
with this:
- Code: Select all
work[0] = make_cuDoubleComplex(lwkopt,0);
(also - correct me if I'm wrong).
Thansk for help!


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First Committee of Experts on Disability Rights Convention ElectedToday, the first Conference of States Parties on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) elected the new Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which will be in charge of monitoring the implementation of the CRPD. The Committee comprises seven men and five women, of which nine are persons with disabilities. The twelve Committee members elected are: From IDA CRPD Forum, November 03, 2008
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 is a Proposed RecommendationThe Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Working Group has published the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 as a Proposed Recommendation, and published updated Working Drafts of Understanding WCAG 2.0, Techniques for WCAG 2.0, and How to Meet WCAG 2.0. WCAG defines how to make Web sites, Web applications, and other Web content accessible to people with disabilities.From W3C WAI, November 03, 2008
Burton Blatt Institute Creates Public Learning Campaign to Challenge Perceptions toward Individuals with DisabilitiesPeter Blanck, chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University, has announced the creation of a public learning campaign to challenge negative perceptions about the ability of individuals with disabilities. "It is our intention to bring together expertise from various colleges at Syracuse University, working in partnership with BBI to design a public learning campaign that would lead to fundamental and positive attitude changes concerning people with disabilities," Blanck says. "This will be accomplished by developing face-to-face and Web-based programs at a high school in Onondaga County."
From Syracuse University News, October 22, 2008
Ericsson to Bring Digital-Health to AfricaEricsson's experience in Bangladesh and India shows that people with even an average income of $ 1.25 per day can have access to medical care with the help of mobile connectivity.
From itnewsafrica.com, October 17, 2008
State Focuses on Disability Job MarketIn tough economic times, people with disabilities face even more challenges finding employment.
Measures are taken annually to prepare those with disabilities for the workplace and educate the public on their contributions.
From Jacksonsun.com, October 10, 2008
United States: Congress Expands Scope of Federal Disability Discrimination LawOn September 25, 2008, President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (the "ADAAA" or the "Act"). The bill (S. 3406) was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on September 17, 2008, after receiving unanimous approval in the Senate the previous week. The ADAAA will take effect on January 1, 2009. This client alert reviews the major changes being made to federal disabilities law under the ADAAA.
From Mondaq, October 08, 2008
International Day of Persons with Disabilities – December 3rd"Dignity and justice for all of us" is the theme of this year's International Day for Persons with Disabilities, as well as for the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3rd, aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities.From Press Information Bureau - Govt of India, October 08, 2008
Human Element Key in Design, Development of Assistive DevicesWhen Robbie R. Stanfield made a meal or fixed a snack, opening a jar of pickles or peanut butter was a daunting and frustrating task. "I'd take the jar and hit it on the floor, but sometimes it broke," says Stanfield, who was born with no left hand and has carpal tunnel syndrome in her right. "Or, I'd use one of those rubber things and try to twist the cap by holding the jar in the pit of my left arm. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't."
From UB Reporter, October 08, 2008
Making the Workplace AccessibleTim Vaughan, director of worldwide marketing for document imaging at Eastman Kodak, was concerned he would not get sheltered parking at the company's new suburban facility in upstate New York. From Diversity Inc., October 07, 2008
UW Creates A Computer Mouse Driven by SoundSay "ahh" and the cursor zips toward the northeast corner of the computer screen. "Ooo" sends it shooting straight south. Want it to head southeast? Say "ohh." To make the cursor do a circle or figure 8, let vowel sounds bleed into one another, like eee into ahh into aww and so on. You can make it hurry or slow by regulating the volume of your voice. To open a link, make a soft clicking sound.
From The Seattle Times, October 06, 2008


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After spending some time looking at SQL Server 2012 CTP3, it appears as if Transactional Publication with Updatable Subscriptions will officially be removed in SQL Server 2012. According to Books Online, Microsoft is recommending that users switch to Peer-to-Peer Replication instead. This is a shame considering Peer-to-Peer is an Enterprise-only feature and will cost significantly more than Standard Edition. On the other hand, we will still be able to achieve updatable subscriptions in Standard Edition via Merge Replication.
Here are the screenshots comparing the SQL Server 2008 R2 New Publication Wizard with the SQL Denali CTP3 New Publication Wizard:
Hopefully Microsoft will still provide a way to implement Bidirectional Transactional Replication in SQL Server 2012 for all the little guys out there. Although at this point, I'm unsure if that will be the case. I'll be sure to update this post when I know more.


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The ESL Charitable Foundation has provided $5,000 to The Strong to support the Play Therapy Access Program, which offers more than 500 therapists from across Monroe County the opportunity for free admission to the National Museum of Play at The Strong for therapy sessions with their child clients and their adult caregivers.
The Strong developed the Play Therapy Access Program to provide free museum access to therapists who provide Early Intervention Services and Education of Children with Disabilities (EI/ECD) including speech therapy, special education, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and services for children who are hearing impaired. During each visit, with the guidance of their therapists, children can explore the museum's dynamic, hands-on exhibits and play at their own pace among other museum guests. The program is administered in collaboration with Monroe County's Early Intervention Program.


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Cloud computing (in the sense that Cider is using it has been around forever) Surf Control, Web Sense anybody?
Remote access to applications and software.. Hum let me think.. Yes, yes... I seem to remember I was M$ certified on Windows NT4 Terminal server edition. Oh and CITRIX certified.
The major change that started all this "Cloud SHI7" was the Amazon and RackSpace architecture. Which I love btw. I have a Rackspace account. I run windows 2008 server, M$ SQL 2008 and SharePoint 2010. I am thinking about adding communication server.
Since I am running M$ SQL it cost's me $1.87 per hour to run. The ISP routs all connections through MX Logic (recently purchased by Mcafee - or the other way around) So antivirus is on the proverbial gateway.
I can add memory, processors, disk space as needed when needed. I'm not sure how much storage space I am limited to. There are too many zeros and I don't know what comes after TeraByte. Best thing is I can turn the whole thing off when not in use. I can use the site 6 hours every 3 months or 24X7 They don't care. Pay as you go is the best way for me.
Major applications, Oracle, Microsoft are all "cloud ready" Like I said nothing new, just a new way of doing it. RDP over HTTP for instance.
So for the love of Mike, PLEASE PEOPLE - IT'S THE INTERNET. Clouds are the things floating above us in the sky. Sometimes they're white, sometimes they're not, but they are NEVER, NEVER COMBUTER BASED!


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We document the rapid transformation of one of the Earth's last remaining Arctic refugia, a change that is being driven by global warming. In stark contrast to the amplified warming observed throughout much of the Arctic, the Hudson Bay Lowlands (HBL) of subarctic Canada has maintained cool temperatures, largely due to the counteracting effects of persistent sea ice. However, since the mid-1990s, climate of the HBL has passed a tipping point, the pace and magnitude of which is exceptional even by Arctic standards, exceeding the range of regional long-term variability. Using high-resolution, palaeolimnological records of algal remains in dated lake sediment cores, we report that, within this short period of intense warming, striking biological changes have occurred in the region's freshwater ecosystems. The delayed and intense warming in this remote region provides a natural observatory for testing ecosystem resilience under a rapidly changing climate, in the absence of direct anthropogenic influences. The environmental repercussions of this climate change are of global significance, influencing the huge store of carbon in the region's extensive peatlands, the world's southern-most polar bear population that depends upon Hudson Bay sea ice and permafrost for survival, and native communities who rely on this landscape for sustenance.
1. Introduction
Until recently, Canada's Hudson Bay region has remained one of the planet's last Arctic refugia from global warming, largely because of the moderating role of Hudson Bay sea ice resulting in a negative feedback on regional climate [1]. In stark contrast to the rest of the Arctic, the lack of twentieth century warming in this region [2,3] resulted in relatively stable palaeolimnological records. For example, minimal biological change has been observed in numerous well-dated sediment cores including shorter profiles representing the past approximately 200 years [4–6] as well as over the past approximately 1500 years in longer term Holocene records [7,8]. These multi-proxy (e.g. diatoms, chironomids and chrysophytes) palaeolimnological studies, together with dendrochronological records [9], have consistently concluded that stable and relatively cool temperatures have been maintained since the onset of regional neoglacial cooling approximately 1500 years BP. Unlike the typically pronounced and prolonged warming trend reported throughout the circum-Arctic commencing post mid-1800s [4,10], the eastern Canadian Arctic region (that includes Hudson Bay) was not characterized by a discernible nineteenth century warming trend [7,8], and at most, underwent minimal and unsustained increases in air temperature [9]. In the mid-1990s, however, detailed climate studies, based on instrumental records, clearly indicate that this region crossed a climate tipping point [3,11–13] with globally important consequences for carbon storage in the region's vast peatlands and for the survival of top predators like the world's southern-most population of polar bears [12].
Almost all circum-Arctic regions have warmed substantially relative to the rest of the world, with striking consequences for freshwater biota [14]. In the subpolar Hudson Bay region, the recent switch to a warmer climate with increased air and sea surface temperatures (SSTs), reductions in Hudson Bay sea ice extent and changes in sea ice phenology, has further amplified this recent warming trend [3,11]. The rapid transition of this remote subarctic region from an area that has long maintained relatively cool and stable temperatures [1,2] to one of intense warming provides a rare, natural observatory for identifying the effects of global climate change in the absence of direct anthropogenic influences. We anticipate that the abrupt shift towards a warmer climate in the Hudson Bay Lowlands (HBL) may result in appreciable ecological repercussions in lakes and ponds as a consequence of the sharp interface between boreal and Arctic environments. There are early signs that the recent HBL warming is affecting river systems with observable negative consequences on fish populations during particularly warm years. For example, abnormally high summer air temperatures in 2001 produced unusually warm conditions in the Sutton River and its headwater lake (Hawley Lake), causing mass mortality of anadromous brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis) from thermal stress [15]. Such events, extremely rare in northern environments, will probably occur more frequently if rapid warming continues, with dire consequences for aquatic ecosystems on which native communities depend.
Our detailed algal records from dated sediment cores collected in multiple lakes have high temporal resolution (approx. 1–3 years) that enable us to pinpoint the timing of aquatic threshold responses to recent regional warming and to make robust comparisons to instrumental climate records. Given the recent and abrupt nature of temperature increases in the HBL and, owing to the lack of long-term monitoring data for these remote regions, the ecological effects of these striking climate changes on freshwater systems remain largely unknown. In this paper, we use palaeolimnological methods to determine whether the algal communities of lakes in the HBL have responded to the abrupt recent warming trend recorded for this region, and if so, whether these changes were similar to climate-related algal shifts reported in the nineteenth to early twentieth century in other circum-Arctic regions [4]. In addition to recent climate change, we briefly explore potential alternative or synergistic effects of long-range atmospheric nitrogen deposition [16,17] as a possible explanation for the recent algal changes observed in the lakes from this remote subarctic region.
Diatoms (Class Bacillariophyceae) are among the world's most important primary producers [18]. Many diatom taxa have well-defined preferences for a given microhabitat type (e.g. benthic, epiphytic and planktonic) and respond rapidly to environmental changes. This makes diatoms robust environmental indicators that can be used to track climate-induced aquatic changes [19]. Longer and warmer ice-free seasons affect fundamental water column properties (e.g. light, nutrient distribution, thermal stability, and mixing strength and depth) that favour the development of more complex and diverse diatom assemblages, particularly in Arctic systems [4,20], and the growth of planktonic diatoms in lakes throughout the Northern Hemisphere [21]. In addition to diatom compositional changes, neo- and palaeolimnological studies are reporting that planktonic diatom cell size is decreasing with warming in lakes [22] and in oceans [23]. In agreement with palaeolimnological trends, an empirical model derived from long-term historical data found that small-celled and fast-growing Cyclotella and Discostella species were favoured with warming as they are able to compete well and expand under longer open water periods and/or intensified stratification [22]. Distinct compositional shifts in diatom community structure, such as the increase in planktonic diatoms at the expense of benthic fragilarioid taxa and/or large, filamentous Aulacoseira species, were found to lack coherence among broad-scale ecozones (i.e. Arctic, alpine and temperate) as lower latitude aquatic ecosystems recorded increases in planktonic diatoms approximately 100 years later than in Arctic lakes [21]. This is consistent with the asynchronous nature of climate warming, particularly across the very different temperate and Arctic ecoregions.
The timing of the diatom shifts reported in many Northern Hemisphere lakes, however, overlaps the onset of a variety of environmental stressors (e.g. acidification, eutrophication and chemical contamination), often making it difficult to identify climate warming as the primary driver [24]. Moreover, atmospheric nitrogen deposition has increased in the mid-twentieth century following mass synthesis of ammonia through the Haber–Bosch process [25]. In remote high-latitude and high-altitude regions, long-distance atmospheric deposition of nitrogen has been explored as an alternative or synergistic mechanism to warming for these observed diatom community shifts [16,17]. The remoteness of the HBL in the eastern Canadian subarctic, together with the late onset of recent warming in the region, makes this an ideal, natural test area to examine the potential trigger driving recent widespread algal shifts reported throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
2. Material and methods
Sediment cores were retrieved from the deepest parts of Hawley, North Raft and Spruce lakes in August 2009 and from Aquatuk Lake in August 2010 using a Glew [26] gravity corer (diameter 7.62 cm). (See the electronic supplementary material for details on sample collection.) Cores were dated using gamma spectrometry techniques [27] by measuring activities of radioisotopes in selected intervals from each core. 210Pb dates were estimated for the past approximately 150 years using the constant rate of supply model ([28]; electronic supplementary material, figure S1). Whole-lake production was assessed using visible reflectance spectroscopy that enables quantitative inferences of sedimentary chlorophyll a, including primary chlorophyll a and all its isomers and phaeopigments [29]. Sediment spectra were obtained using a FOSS NIRSystems Model 6500 series Rapid Content Analyzer (Tidestone Technologies Inc.), operating over the range of 400–2500 nm. Sediment chlorophyll a concentrations were inferred using the published algorithm [29].
Diatom samples were prepared for contiguous (0.25 cm) sediment intervals (32–50 samples per core) following standard procedures [30]. A heavy liquid separation technique using sodium polytungstate removed excessive clastic material and concentrated the diatom valves on microscope slides, enabling a minimum count of 350 diatom valves per sediment interval (expressed as per cent relative abundance). Species diversity using Hill's N2 [31] was calculated on the relative abundance data following square-root transformation.
Climate data (1943–2011) from Churchill (Manitoba) provide the closest, continuous temperature record for the western HBL, and were obtained from Environment Canada (http://www.cccma.ec.gc.ca/hccd/). The Winisk (Ontario) climate station, located closer to the Sutton River region, was not used because it was missing a decade of data as a consequence of flooding of the settlement and its subsequent relocation further inland to Peawanuck. Strong correlations between the available data from the Winisk/Peawanuck and Churchill climate stations (annual and seasonal temperature; electronic supplementary material, figure S2) indicate that Churchill temperature trends are representative of the region. SST data from a Hudson Bay location near the Sutton River (85°37′ E, 58°35′ N) were obtained from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) extended reconstruction SSTs (ERSST3b: http://nomads.ncdc.noaa.gov/las/getUI.do).
Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to summarize the diatom data using the default options available in the program Canowin, v. 4.5 [32]. The critical value (i.e. breakpoint) at which an ecological threshold is exceeded [33] was identified using a two-segment, piecewise linear regression [34]. Breakpoint analyses were applied to our time-series data for the Churchill temperature record, the SST records, as well as the algal records (species diversity, main taxonomic groups, PCA diatom summaries and sedimentary chlorophyll a) to estimate the timing of threshold responses.
3. Results and discussion
To determine whether the recent and abrupt shift in the regional climate regime of the HBL has altered freshwater ecosystems, we examined long-term environmental trends using biological information preserved in lake sediments. Our regional palaeolimnological records were based on high-resolution algal analyses in four sediment cores (see the electronic supplementary material, figure S3) retrieved from subarctic lakes in the remote Sutton River region of northern Ontario, Canada (figure 1 and electronic supplementary material, table S1). These lakes are situated approximately 100 km inland from the western shoreline of Hudson Bay on discontinuous permafrost at a relatively high elevation (120 m above the surrounding lowlands) near the Sutton Ridges, an outcrop of Precambrian Shield bedrock within an otherwise limestone-dominated region. The study region is approximately 400 km north of the nearest road system, and thus is not impacted by regional anthropogenic disturbances (e.g. roads, towns, agriculture, etc.). These lakes are relatively deep, slightly alkaline, relatively low in water column nutrients (e.g. total phosphorus and nitrate; electronic supplementary material, table S1), and were weakly to moderately thermally stratified at the time of sampling, although stable stratification was observed at Hawley Lake in August 2001 [15]. Radiometric dating of 0.25 cm sediment intervals yielded high temporal resolution (1–3 years per sedimentary interval) for all four diatom records (see the electronic supplementary material, figure S1), allowing us to establish the timing of changes with accuracy and enabling robust (i.e. high number of palaeolimnological samples) comparisons to regional temperature trends.
Air temperature data (1943–2011) from Churchill (Manitoba) recorded a marked warming trend in the annual (figure 2a) and seasonal data, but the trend was most pronounced in autumn and winter (see the electronic supplementary material, figure S4). Likewise, SST data from a Hudson Bay location near the Sutton River, and from the same time period, displayed distinct warming trends in the annual record and during the open water season (summer and autumn; figure 2b). Applying a two-segment, piecewise linear regression to the regional air temperature and SST data identified a threshold change to higher mean temperatures in the early 1990s (figure 2a,b and electronic supplementary material, figure S4).
One of the most compelling trends in our HBL palaeolimnological profiles is the synchrony between algal shifts across lakes and regional increases in temperature (figure 3) which is observed in all of our study lakes (see the electronic supplementary material, figure S5). It is important to note that diatoms do not track air temperature changes directly but respond to the effects that warming has on lake properties such as an increase in the ice-free season, changes in thermal structure, diversification of aquatic habitat availability and, in turn, all of the consequent effects that these changes impose on lake water properties, including the distribution and availability of nutrients. Because lakes respond indirectly to temperature trends, it is unrealistic to expect diatoms to respond to warming in a linear fashion. Nonetheless, there are clear threshold-type responses in planktonic diatoms to regional climate warming in HBL lakes (figure 3b and electronic supplementary material, figure S5) as observed in diatom records throughout the circum-Arctic [4,24] and the Northern Hemisphere [21]. When taking into account errors associated with estimated 210Pb dates, differences in the sensitivity of a given lake in response to the onset of warming (discussed in Smol & Douglas [24] and further below), and the indirect response of diatoms to climate, a 'perfect' match between recorded temperatures and diatom taxa would not be expected. What is clearly evident is that, despite the uncertainties inherent in palaeolimnological analyses with variations in sediment quality across lakes, differences in sedimentation rates and dating errors, the timing of change among the study lakes is strikingly similar, as are the relationships between our HBL algal trends and regional instrumental records (figure 3 and electronic supplementary material, figure S5).
An increase in species diversity and the first occurrence and expansion of planktonic diatoms was a common trend in all of our study lakes (figure 3a,b and electronic supplementary material, figure S3), with the predicted variability in the magnitude and nature of the diatom shifts observed across the four HBL lakes (i.e. diatom changes were not expected to be identical in terms of the amount of change and in assemblage composition; electronic supplementary material, figure S3). This variability in diatom responses is to be expected given the site-specific differences in lake morphometry including depth (reviewed in Smol & Douglas [24]). Nonetheless, it is the similarities in the general nature and particularly in the timing of the algal responses across sites that are most notable. For example, comparable in timing to Churchill temperature breakpoints, significant threshold responses (piecewise linear regression) were observed in all of our algal records, both for individual lakes (see the electronic supplementary material, figure S5), as well as the composite trends of the four lakes (standardized using z-scores; figure 3). Declines in epilithic (i.e. attached to rocks) fragilarioid taxa in the early 1980s, which dominated the earlier diatom assemblages of all lakes, were synchronous with the expansion of an assortment of benthic taxa that are characteristic of littoral habitat diversification [24] (see the electronic supplementary material, figure S3) and were similar in timing to an increase in regional summer air temperature in the late 1970s (figure 3c). Benthic fragilarioid taxa are common to many Arctic aquatic systems because they compete well under light-limited, ice-covered conditions with short growing seasons [24,36]. The appearance and increased importance of planktonic diatoms (mainly Discostella pseudostelligera and Fragilaria tenera) in our four HBL lakes in the 1990s occurred concurrently with a regional shift to substantially warmer temperatures in winter and autumn (represented by mean annual temperature) and lagged the benthic fragilarioid decline by an average of approximately 10 years (figure 3b,c and electronic supplementary material, figures S3 and S5).
The lag observed between the shifts in planktonic and benthic taxa is consistent with diatom species responses to changing climate [37], and the seasonal progression of ice cover decline on a given lake [19]. Warmer and longer growing seasons in summer lead to the expansion of periphytic taxa that compete with benthic fragilarioid taxa [24,36]. For example, in North Raft Lake, a switch from dominance by epilithic fragilarioid taxa to a greater diversity of benthic diatom species approximately 1974 ± 2 years, most notably small Navicula taxa, is close in timing to the regional summer air temperature breakpoint (1978 ± 2.2 years). As rising temperatures crossed climate thresholds in winter and autumn during the early 1990s, conditions became favourable for the establishment of planktonic diatom growth, including a variety of pennate planktonic taxa (most notably F. tenera), as well as several centric planktonic Cyclotella and Discostella taxa. Once more, using North Raft Lake as an example, a sustained increase of at least 2% above background levels (i.e. 0.5% from approx. 1940s to approx. 1990s) in planktonic D. pseudostelligera was observed at approximately 1993 ± 2 years and again is close in timing to the much larger magnitude winter warming with a breakpoint identified at 1992 ± 1.5 years, as well as autumn warming with a breakpoint of 1991 ± 0.6 years (see the electronic supplementary material, figure S4). D. pseudostelligera and Cyclotella comensis have been known to bloom in autumn in Arctic and alpine lakes, often at the breakdown of summer stratification [37,38]. Substantially warmer winter temperatures have appreciable effects on reducing ice thickness and advancing ice phenology [39] that, in turn, increase lake thermal stability and reduce mixing leading to conditions that are advantageous for planktonic diatom growth [40]. Considering the high temporal resolution of our algal records (rarely seen in high-latitude lakes), we are probably tracking diatom assemblage changes that include seasonal differences in temperature changes in the HBL, adding an interesting facet to this recent threshold response.
In addition to the observed post-1990 taxon-specific diatom compositional changes, a breakpoint analyses applied to the PCA (axis one and two scores) summaries of the assemblage-scale diatom shifts for all lakes likewise indicated that the greatest change occurred in the last few decades (see the electronic supplementary material, figure S5). All lakes showed a notable increase in species richness (between 10% and 48% increase in number of species), and a distinct shift to higher species diversity in the modern sediments (figure 3a) that is particularly well expressed in Aquatuk Lake (electronic supplementary material, figure S3a). Concurrent with the observed diatom shifts, all lakes underwent pronounced increases in whole-lake primary production (inferred from sedimentary chlorophyll a and its diagenetic products), following comparatively low values in the earlier sedimentary intervals of these naturally unproductive lakes (figure 3d). These recent increases in lake primary production are consistent with increases observed in other regions of the Arctic that have been linked to warming with decreased ice cover, longer algal growing seasons and new habitat availability [29].
A warmer climate, shorter duration of lake ice cover and changes in ice phenology often lead to fundamental changes to water column properties that are important for phytoplankton growth [41]. As noted earlier, it is well documented that algae respond indirectly to temperature changes through mechanisms such as the physical and chemical changes in lake water properties as a result of warming (e.g. longer open water season and changes in thermal structure including increased stability and weakened mixing, changes in light habitat, changes in nutrient availability and distribution; [24,42]). Differences among lakes in terms of, for example, lake morphometry and physical setting will lead to variation in the magnitude and character of changes in lake water properties in response to warming, and therefore identical diatom responses among lakes would not be anticipated [21] (see the electronic supplementary material, figure S3). Nevertheless, all lakes share a concurrent increase in primary production and increase in species diversity that includes a shift to assemblages characteristic of a more planktonic life strategy from an almost exclusively epilithic fragilarioid diatom assemblage. We note that thermal stratification (although it can be important) is not necessarily required to initiate a change in the diatom communities [24]. However, a lake that has rarely or never experienced thermal stratification for prolonged time periods can produce a pronounced response by the diatoms with the onset of warming and the development of a thermally stratified water column [43,44]. The lakes of the HBL may only be starting to show responses to warming, but these changes are nevertheless clearly expressed in the sedimentary records.
The recent abrupt and coherent changes in the algal communities of these remote lakes are consistent with a response to the warmer climate regime and are the focus of our paper. Nevertheless, diatom summaries (PCA scores) suggest that subtle and gradual changes occur among the diatoms in the earlier parts of the lake records (see the electronic supplementary material, figure S5). These early and gradual trends may suggest that there is a complex response to regional environmental change prior to the crossing of the climate threshold in the last few decades. These gradual diatom trends are more difficult to interpret because the earlier diatom assemblages were dominated by several species and varieties of small benthic fragilarioid taxa, and early changes in PCA axes scores reflect subtle fluctuations among these taxa. Deciphering meaningful ecological differences among this group of fragilarioid taxa has always been a challenge [45–47], making palaeolimnological inferences based on changes among these taxa difficult. In the absence of additional monitoring data or regional stressor information in this remote region, we cannot draw definitive conclusions as to the underlying mechanism for these subtle fluctuations among benthic diatoms, but they probably reflect catchment-scale disturbances or natural variability.
In remote regions, where direct anthropogenic influences are minimal, long-range transport of contaminants provides a potential source of pollution to freshwater systems. For example, industrial-scale mass synthesis of ammonia was made possible by the development of the Haber–Bosch process in the 1930s and its subsequent application as synthetic fertilizers worldwide [48]. Increased atmospheric nitrogen deposition has been proposed as a possible alternative or synergistic explanation to climate change for recent diatom shifts observed in remote lakes [16,49]. Nitrogen deposition rates for regions north of 60° N latitude are poorly known [50] and direct measurements for the HBL do not exist. However, global-scale overviews estimate that atmospheric nitrogen deposition rates in the HBL region are extremely low at approximately 1 kg N ha−1 y−1 [51]. Moreover, streams and rivers draining into Hudson Bay north of 52° N latitude are estimated to have among the world's lowest fluxes of total nitrogen [52] and low total inorganic nitrogen [50]. It is also well understood that the delivery of atmospheric nitrogen to lakes will, in part, be moderated by watershed characteristics. As a consequence, nitrogen retention in the terrestrial system and nitrate export to a lake or stream may vary considerably between catchments [53]. For example, Sphagnum peat provides a natural trap for inorganic nitrogen (and the removal of nitrogen through denitrification), effectively reducing nitrogen inputs into freshwater systems [50,54,55].
Although measured data on atmospheric nitrogen deposition and export are lacking for the HBL (as they are in almost all Arctic regions), it is certainly a region that experiences low concentrations of atmospheric nitrogen deposition [51] as well as low fluxes of nitrogen to regional freshwater lotic systems [50,52]. Furthermore, the diatom species changes (both the subtle, gradual fluctuations of benthic fragilarioid taxa in the earlier part of the records and the distinct, abrupt increases in planktonic diatoms in the past few decades) that we record do not suggest a response to increases in nitrogen. These diatom taxa are not known to be nitrogen-sensitive, and the timing of these changes postdate the onset and height of atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Based on the available measurements, these lakes would not be considered to be nitrogen-limited (see the electronic supplementary material, table S1), although we acknowledge that we only have 3 years of discrete nutrient measurements at mid-summer. The low primary production (i.e. sedimentary chlorophyll a), together with the compositional changes evident in the diatom assemblages, clearly show that diatoms in our palaeolimnological records are not changing in response to additions of nitrogen. Moreover, the coherency of the diatom responses would not be expected if changes were due to indirect climate/nutrient effects (e.g. release of nitrogen from catchments with warming) because the amount of nitrogen delivered to a lake would be dependent upon a variety of specific watershed characteristics including hydrological pathways and drainage ratios that vary among the study lakes.
4. Conclusion
The timing and nature of the algal changes from the HBL palaeolimnological records are consistent with abrupt regional climate warming in the mid-1990s. The recent algal changes that accompanied these warmer conditions are similar to those reported from many other Arctic regions, where the onset of modern warming occurred decades earlier. This provides strong reinforcement that the previously published assemblage shifts were also primarily driven by warming, and not nitrogen deposition or other environmental factors.
The biological threshold responses reported in our study highlight the disappearance of one of the planet's last remaining Arctic refugia as a consequence of warming and provide evidence that we are witnessing the transformation of the Arctic at an exceptional pace. It is likely that lakes in the HBL region are currently experiencing the very beginning stages of warming-induced ecosystem change that are, nevertheless, clearly expressed in the lake sediment records and is unprecedented in the past approximately 1500 years. Continued warming at the rate and magnitude currently underway will undoubtedly lead to more pronounced, directional ecosystem responses with repercussions cascading throughout this subarctic region.
Funding statement
This work was supported by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment through the Climate Change and Multiple Stressor Research Program, Laurentian University, and by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (to J.P.S.).
We thank Albert and Gilbert Chookomolin who provided valuable traditional knowledge and insights into the Hudson Bay Lowlands region and superb guidance in our fieldwork; Chris Jones for fieldwork assistance; Hearst Air pilots Georges and Mike Veilleux for their excellent air transport service in this remote region; the staff at the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's Dorset Environmental Science Centre for chemical analyses and database support. We thank two anonymous reviewers for improving the quality of the manuscript. This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr Klaus Hochheim, whose dedication and passion for understanding the effects of climate change on Arctic sea ice, particularly in the Hudson Bay region, will be missed. All authors were involved in writing the paper, K.R., A.P., W.K. and J.P.S. designed the project, K.R. performed the diatom analyses and the radioisotopic dating, K.R. and A.P. performed the statistical tests, N.M. performed the chlorophyll a analyses and interpretations and A.P. and W.K. were involved with the logistics and fieldwork that enabled the lake core and water chemistry collection.
- Received July 19, 2013.
- Accepted September 17, 2013.
- © 2013 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.