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DUBLIN (AP) — A paralyzed Irish woman who wants to die cannot legally commit suicide with her partner's help, Ireland's Supreme Court ruled Monday in a case that moved some in the courtroom to tears.
The seven-judge court said nothing in the country's Catholic-influenced 1937 constitution could authorize the deliberate taking of a life on humanitarian grounds. It said lawmakers could pass such a law to permit 59-year-old Marie Fleming to die at a time of her choosing, but no such statute existed yet.
Fleming, a former University College Dublin lecturer who is unable to move from the neck down because of advanced multiple sclerosis, testified that her life had been reduced to irreversible agony and that she feared choking to death because she couldn't swallow.
Her lawyers argued that suicide was not a crime in Ireland, therefore a disabled person unable to end his or her own life should receive that help to be equal under the law. They also contended that Fleming's right to personal autonomy under the European Convention on Human Rights was being violated.
But Chief Justice Susan Denham said EU law permits nations to set their own policies on euthanasia, and the Irish constitution contains "no explicit right to commit suicide or to determine the time of one's own death."
As Denham read the judgment, Fleming's partner, Tom Curran, and the couple's three adult children cried and held hands. Fleming herself could not come to the courthouse because, Curran said, she was battling a chest infection that itself might prove lethal.
Outside afterward, Curran said he would help his partner die regardless of criminal penalties if she decided to proceed. After telephoning her to say the verdict was as they both had expected, Curran said the couple was determined to end her life at their home in County Wicklow south of Dublin. If charged and convicted of assisting suicide, Curran would face a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
"It's very difficult to understand how a person with a disability can be deprived of something that's legally available to everybody else. For that not to be discriminatory under the constitution, that's something we fail to understand. The constitution is there to protect people like Marie and to give them solace that they will be looked after," Curran said.
"We will now go back to Wicklow and live our lives until such time as Marie makes up her mind that she's had enough. And in that case, the court will have an opportunity to decide on my future," he said.
The family's lawyers say they could appeal their case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. But Curran said that might prove to be too great an ordeal for his partner.
Most of the world, like Ireland, has not legalized assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland have legalized the practice as have the U.S. states of Montana, Oregon and Washington, all under restricted circumstances.
When Fleming testified in court in December — she still can speak, though this ability is fading, with life-threatening choking episodes common — she said she contracted multiple sclerosis 24 years ago and gradually lost her ability to move. The incurable disease attacks the central nervous system and often proves fatal. Fleming said doctors told her she would eventually become mute and most likely die from asphyxiation.
She said she had seriously considered killing herself three years ago, when she could have done this on her own because her arms still had movement, but Curran persuaded her to desist. She said she now regrets that decision.
When she testified, the judges left their benches to sit beside her, because her voice was so frail. She described a daily regimen involving seven caregivers, having to be slapped in the back to stop sudden struggles against suffocation, and 2 ½-hour daily efforts to be showered that left her exhausted. She described recurring sensations of pain so searing that, she said, "I'm afraid my head will split open."
"When you have to be showered, toileted and fed, you start to feel like a nobody," she testified. "I want to go peacefully, in my own home, with the people I love around me."
The government-appointed Irish Human Rights Commission testified in support of her claim, while the government itself opposed her bid. And Catholic conservatives, opposed to euthanasia, welcomed the verdict.
"It's very important that we don't create a right to assisted suicide, because of the signal it sends out. We might normalize suicide," said David Quinn, director of a Catholic think tank in Dublin called the Iona Institute.


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William J. Knaus, trucking company owner
Oct. 3, 1922 – April 23, 2013
William J. Knaus, of Hamburg, a trucking company owner, died Tuesday at Hospice Buffalo, Cheektowaga, after a short struggle with cancer.
He was 89.
Born in Buffalo, he attended Ebenezer High School and served with the Army in Europe during World War II.
Returning from the service, Mr. Knaus drove trucks for his uncle, then founded his own company, Skyway Trucking, which he operated for more than 50 years.
He also was president of Transportes Azteca International after acquiring the company.
He never retired and continued driving until last year.
He was a member of Buffalo Court 22, Royal Order of Jesters, and the Ismailia Shrine.
Surviving are a son, Larry; a daughter, Mary; and a brother, Charles.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday in Hoy Funeral Home, 3855 Seneca St., West Seneca.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pinot Grigio enjoying its moment in the spotlight
Pinot Grigio is having its day.
According to Nielsen data, Pinot Grigio has toppled Sauvignon Blanc in retail sales, snatching the title of America's third most popular grape (after Chardonnay and Cabernet).
Ross' ChoicePinot Grigio
Livio Felluga
Collio, Friuli, Italy
Ÿ Suggested retail and availability: About $25 at wine boutiques and wine and spirits shops (distributed by Southern Wine and Spirits, Bolingbrook)
While very decent Pinot Grigio is produced with minimum effort for maximum profit, Felluga invests fine growing sites, painstaking production and the expertise of his family's five generations as winegrowers to produce this elegant and complex wine. After ripening on Collio's marl and sandstone hillsides, grapes macerate with the skins, for copper color and enhanced flavor. The new wine rests six months with the lees (spent yeast cells) for creamy texture, followed by a further two-month rest in bottle. The finished wine offers jasmine, tree fruit and mineral aromas and flavors, a complex palate and long satisfying finish. Serve as an elegant cocktail and complement to lighter dishes including mollusks, risotto, or orzotti (the Friuli orzo specialty).
The feat is remarkable, especially from a grape that as recently as 1980, few wine drinkers in the U.S. -- or anywhere else for that matter -- had even heard of.
Pinot Grigio is the gray-skinned member of the Pinot family, cousin to black-skinned Pinot Noir. Generally associated with northern Italy, it actually originated in France and was carried to Italy in the 1800s and looked down upon as a weak comparison to classic Italian varieties such as Tocai Friulano and Verdicchio. (Cognoscenti caring little for Italy's GDP still turn up their nose at Pinot Grigio.)
Pinot Grigio had grown in France for centuries under the moniker Tokay. Not until the 2007 vintage bottling has the European Union required a name change to Pinot Gris.
In 1979, Pinot Grigio's sun came onto the horizon when Chicago-based importer Anthony J. Terlato introduced Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio. Wine drinkers opted out of the oaky and painfully priced California Chardonnay of the era, choosing Pinot Grigio's light-bodied, lemony refreshment.
Nowadays, Italian Pinot Grigio is available in a wide range of price and quality. Ask your wine merchant for recommendations or look for these Pinot Grigios to pair with lighter dishes, especially when prepared or served with lemon, such as salads, light seafood and poultry, the lightest meats and appetizers, such as deviled eggs!
MezzaCorona: Italy's largest wine cooperative consistently offers clean, brisk refreshment, widely available for about $7.99.
Bollini: Produced in contact with the grape's gray skin, Bollini is darker in color and richer in flavor without sacrificing bright acidity for about $11.99. Serve with
richer, light dishes -- i.e., grilled shrimp instead of steamed, bone-in poultry instead of boneless.
In France, Pinot Gris ripens in the Alsace region's warm, dry climate and rocky soil to richer texture and flavors ranging from lemon curd and pear, to brown spice and mushroom, a sturdy companion to recipes incorporating truffles, mushrooms and the noble pig in many forms -- bacon, sausage, chops and pork pie. Look for producers including Trimbach, Hügel and Schlumberger, under $20.
In the late 1900s, Pinot Gris followed Pinot Noir to Oregon, becoming a cause celebre for groundbreaking winegrowers including Eyrie, Adelsheim, and Ponzi. With ripe stone fruit flavors, firm acidity and rich mouthfeel, Oregon Pinot Gris makes a luscious cocktail and complement to many cuisines, my favorites being sushi and the growing assortment of Peruvian options in city and suburbs. Recommended Oregon Pinot Gris include the originals above, along with:
Lange Estate "Willamette" Pinot Gris: Aromas of stone fruits and lemon zest and flint, with flavors white peach and vanilla, accented with and lemon-lime acidity. (New to market, distributed by Eagle Eye Imports, $19.99)
Big Fire from R. Stuart: Rich mango and ripe pear flavors with a snap of ginger accents, texturous mouthfeel, about $12.99.
Pinot Grigio's profit engine couldn't chug along without California and Australia jumping abroad. While they pack retail shelves and wine lists, this palate has not experienced a warm climate Pinot Grigio or Gris that expresses the grape's vivacity, freshness or interest.
Pinot Grigio's success recalls Merlot, another once-unknown grape. Popularity triggered overproduction and diminished quality. From its peak in 2004, all it took was one line in one movie to trigger an avalanche in sales, from which Merlot has not recovered. While beautifully crafted Merlot is produced around the world, nobody's buying. Analysts call it "The Sideways Effect."
Pinot Grigio is having its day. I hope for the sake of fine Pinot Grigio/Gris producers, that tomorrow the world doesn't wake up and say, "I will NOT drink any @#$%! Pinot Grigio!"
• Write to Advanced Sommelier and Certified Wine Educator Mary Ross at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: I connected two computers by a hub. One computer has win2000 pro and the other has winme on it. when I tried to access win2000 from winme, it showed me some information like: \\computer\ipc$ and asked password. what is the password and how to take that password off, I didn't set any password. anyone please give me some suggestion? thanks.


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PITTSBURGH (AP) — People in a Pittsburgh neighborhood can't keep their eyes off an egg that has hatched in a bald eagle nest.
The nest is in the city's Hays neighborhood along the Monongahela River and has two more eggs in it. A live video stream of the nest has become popular locally.
The female bald eagle in the nest previously fought off a raccoon that tried to raid her eggs.
Experts say it's too soon to say whether the new chick is male or female.
The live-stream camera showing the nest is provided by Murrysville-based PixController Inc., which is working with the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Bald eagle pairs are active on two additional sites in Allegheny County. More than 200 nests have been reported in Pennsylvania.
Online: http://www.pixcontroller.com/eagles/


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When making sorbet, you can use fresh puree, fresh juice, or commercially prepared frozen puree. No matter which you use, you need simple syrup. When using fruit, it is often necessary to slightly vary the amount of simple syrup to balance the sweetness.
A refractometer is a piece of equipment used by wine makers to determine the amount of sugar in grapes. It is also used to measure the sugar content in sorbet. It works by measuring light as it is reflected off the sugar crystals contained in the sorbet mix.
Most ice cream machines work in the same way. The cold source comes from the outside of the container. The ice cream machine blade continually scrapes the sides of the container where the mix has frozen and mixes the frozen particles throughout. The continuous motion of the blade keeps the ice crystals small. If properly spun, sorbet and ice cream should not be icy. The motion of the blade also traps air in the mix as it thickens and gains volume.
The PACOJET?Y allows you to mix, freeze, and spin the exact number of portions needed. This is a versatile, although expensive, machine that makes great ice creams, sorbets, soups, mousses and purees.
Make the simple syrup: Combine the sugar and water in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. All the sugar crystals should completely dissolve. Remove from the heat and pour into a clean medium-size bowl. Let cool completely before using. Simple syrup can be stored in the refrigerator indefinitely if kept in an airtight container.
The technique for the orange or pineapple sorbet is exactly the same. Use a refractometer to balance the sugar in the fruit juice. It may not be necessary to add very much simple syrup to the fruit juice if using commercially prepared fruit juice. It is often very sweet. The fruit juice and simple syrup combination should balance to a measure of 24 to 26 degrees Brix on the refractometer.
Pour the fruit juice and syrup combination into the PACOJET?Y beaker and freeze until completely frozen. When frozen, remove from the freezer and place the beaker in the PACOJET?Y container. Insert and spin as many servings as you would like to make. The sorbet is ready to serve.
Refractometer: Beryls
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by Byron Martin · February 25, 2013
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When asked to sum me up some of the words that normally pops into conversation is spontaneous, innovative, helpful, passionate, humorous and with a broad view of interests. I am an extrovert both online and offline and I regularly engage in thrill seeking activities and adventures both in the digital and real world.
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No. 1E Liberty faces No. 4W Cal tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. at Liberty Field Hockey Field.
The NorPac Field Hockey Conference will descend upon Liberty Mountain this week, as the Liberty Lady Flames field hockey squad serves as the host of the 2013 NorPac Championship. Ten games are scheduled to be played over the course of the three-day tournament at Liberty Field Hockey Field. Play begins on Thursday with the quarterfinals and concludes on Saturday with the title match at 1:30 p.m. After posting a perfect 8-0 record in conference play and a 14-4 overall mark, Liberty garnered the No. 1 seed from the East Division and will square off against fourth-seeded Cal from the West Division. The contest is slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, with the winner advancing to the semifinals on Friday afternoon.
How to Follow the Tournament Live stats and live video will be available for Thursday's game through links on LibertyFlames.com. Live stats and live video streams for the remaining games of the tournament will be available on the NorPac Championship Central page on LibertyFlames.com. Fans can also follow the Lady Flames through periodic Twitter updates from @libertyflames and @libertyFH.
2012 NorPac Championship Revisted Competing in its first-ever NorPac Championship in 2012, Liberty made a historic run through the tournament, becoming just the second team from the East Division to ever reach the title game. The Lady Flames collected wins against Pacific (2-1 OT), and Davidson (3-1) in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Liberty's bid to win the title fell short in the championship match against 12th ranked Stanford, 3-0. Natalie Barr and Erin Dombach were both named to the All-Tournament team.
Series History versus Cal Earlier this season on Sept. 8, Cal defeated Liberty 1-0 in Berkeley, Calif., in the lone matchup between the two squads. The Golden Bears held the Lady Flames to their lowest shot total of the season (3) and surrendered just two penalty corners.
Liberty at a Glance The Lady Flames (14-4, 8-0 NorPac) enter the NorPac Championship riding a program-record nine-game winning streak. Liberty's last defeat came on Sept. 29 versus No. 4 Virginia, 2-0. During their current winning streak, the Lady Flames have outscored their opponents, 46-7, and have posted four consecutive shutouts.
Natalie Barr tops the squad with 44 points (17 goals, 10 assists). The sophomore leads Liberty's high-octane offense which ranks first in the NorPac and fourth nationally in goals per game (3.94), points per game (10.67), scoring average (3.94) and scoring margin (2.94). Ashlee Krulock (10 goals, 3 assists) and Serena Barr (8 goals, 7 assists) are tied for second on the squad with 23 points each. Reigning NorPac East Offensive Player of the Week Bethany Barr is the team-leader in assists with 11. In total, Liberty has had 19 players register a point this season.
Liberty's defense has been equally as strong this season. Led by goalkeeper Ann Jefferis and the back line of Helen Doolittle, Serena Barr, Hannah Jones and Megan Johnson, the Lady Flames rank third nationally in goals-against average (1.00) and seventh in shutouts per game (0.39). Jefferis has started all but one game this season in the cage and holds a 0.97 goals-against average and a .758 save percentage.
Two-for-Two The Lady Flames' 6-0 victory over Appalachian State on Oct. 27 clinched the NorPac East Division title. Liberty has now won back-to-back division championships in its first two years of competition in the league. The Lady Flames are a combined 15-1 in NorPac East matchups during the past two seasons, including 14 consecutive wins.
Lady Flames Among NorPac and NCAA Leaders NorPac (as of 11/3/13) Shots: Natalie Barr (1st/94), Serena Barr (T-5th/39) Points: Natalie Barr (1st/44), Serena Barr (T-3rd/23), Ashlee Krulock (T-3rd/23), Hannah Jones (6th/19), Bethany Barr (9th/17) Goals: Natalie Barr (1st/17), Ashlee Krulock (3rd/10), Serena Barr (T-4th/8), Hannah Jones (T-6th/7) Assists: Bethany Barr (1st/11), Natalie Barr (2nd/10), Serena Barr (T-3rd/7), Hannah Jones (T-7th/5) Game-Winning Goals: Natalie Barr (1st/4), Ashlee Krulock (T-5th/2), Serena Barr (T-5th/2), Hannah Jones (T-5th/2) Defensive Saves: Natalie Barr (T-7th/2) Saves: Ann Jefferis (9th/50) Goals Against Average: Ann Jefferis (2nd/0.97) Save Percentage: Ann Jefferis (3rd/.758) Shutouts: Ann Jefferis (2nd/6)
NCAA (as of 11/3/13) Assists Per Game: Bethany Barr (11th/0.61), Natalie Barr (23rd/0.56) Goals Per Game: Natalie Barr (9th/0.94) Points Per Game: Natalie Barr (5th/2.44) Goalie Win-Loss Percentage: Ann Jefferis (11th/.765) Goals Against Average: Ann Jefferis (3rd/0.97) Save Percentage: Ann Jefferis (21st/.758)
Cal at a Glance The Golden Bears enter the tournament with a 6-11 overall record and a 2-4 NorPac mark. Cal posted a 2-8 record in contests played away from home. The Golden Bears' schedule featured six matches against nationally ranked opponents. In those games, Cal went 0-6.
Cal is led offensively by Lara Kruggel and Andrea Earle, who paced the squad with 15 (7 goals, 1 assist) and 10 (4 goals, 2 assists) points, respectively. Kruggel is tied for sixth in the conference in goals, while Shannon Elmitt is tied for seventh in the league with five assists. As a team, the Golden Bears rank seventh in the NorPac in goals scored per game (1.18) and assists per game (1.06).
On defense, Cal is led by redshirt junior goalkeeper Courtney Hendrickson. The three-time NorPac West Defensive Player of the Week ranks second in the conference in saves (130), third in goals-against average (1.81) and second in save percentage (.798). Michaela Swensen has four defensive saves this season, ranking her fourth in the NorPac and 21st in the nation. The Golden Bears' defense is surrendering 1.94 goals per game, which is good for third in the league.
Looking Ahead The winner of the Liberty versus Cal game advances to play in one of two semifinal contests on Friday against either No. 2W UC Davis or No. 3E Radford. The semifinal match is scheduled for 1:30 p.m., while the losers of the two games will meet in a consolation game at 11 a.m. on Friday.
NorPac Tournament Participant Capsules #1W Stanford (14-4, 5-1 NorPac) Coach (Record at Stanford/Career Record): Tara Danielson (68-34/62-21) Goal Leader: Hope Burke (8) Assist Leader: Kelsey Harbin (6) 2013 Record Versus Common Opponents with Liberty: 6-1 Liberty's Record Versus Same Opponents: 2-2 Last Season's NorPac Tournament Result: Won title game over Liberty, 3-0 All-Time Record vs. Liberty: 1-0
#2W UC Davis (5-12, 3-3 NorPac) Coach (Record at UC Davis/Career Record): Austin Pile (5-12/Same) Goal Leader: Jamie Garcia (5), Cloey LemMon (5), Danielle Koehne (5) Assist Leader: Jamie Garcia (6) 2013 Record Versus Common Opponents with Liberty: 1-1 Liberty's Record Versus Same Opponents: 0-1 Last Season's NorPac Tournament Result: Lost in Quarterfinals to Davidson, 2-1 All-Time Record vs. Liberty: 0-1
#3W Pacific (4-13, 2-4 NorPac) Coach (Record at Pacific/Career Record: Andy Smith (4-13/same) Goal Leader: Emily Tregoning (7) Assist Leader: Emily Tregoning (4), Nicole Laskosky (4) and Katelyn Tatar (4) 2013 Record Versus Common Opponents with Liberty: 4-3 Liberty's Record Versus Same Opponents: 3-2 Last Season's NorPac Tournament Result: Lost in Quarterfinals to Liberty, 2-1 (OT) All-Time Record vs. Liberty: 0-1
#4W California (6-11, 2-4 NorPac) Coach (Record at California/Career Record): Shellie Onstead (217-134/Same) Goal Leader: Laura Krugel (7) Assist Leader: Shannon Elmitt (5) 2013 Record Versus Common Opponents with Liberty: 1-1 Liberty's Record Versus Same Opponents: 1-0 Last Season's NorPac Tournament Result: Lost in Semifinals to Stanford, 6-2 All-Time Record vs. Liberty: 1-0
#2E Longwood (8-11, 6-2 NorPac) Coach (Record at Longwood/Career Record): Iain Byers (57-69/Same) Goal Leader: Stacey de Grandhomme (12) Assist Leader: Jennifer Burris (5) 2013 Record Versus Common Opponents with Liberty: 8-0 Liberty's Record Versus Same Opponents: 8-0 Last Season's NorPac Tournament Result: Lost in Quarterfinals to California, 5-1 All-Time Record vs. Liberty: 2-3
#3E Radford (5-14, 3-5 NorPac) Coach (Record at Radford/Career Record): Jeff Woods (216-345-7/Same) Goal Leader: Marianna Parker (7) Assist Leader: Ashton Cox (3) 2013 Record Versus Common Opponents with Liberty: 4-6 Liberty's Record Versus Same Opponents: 8-2 Last Season's NorPac Tournament Result: Lost in Quarterfinals to Stanford, 2-0 All-Time Record vs. Liberty: 1-4
#4E Davidson (6-12, 2-6 NorPac) Coach (Record at Davidson/Career Record): Ginny Turner (65-78/Same) Goal Leader: Melissa Funsten (7) Assist Leader: Tyler McFayden (7) 2013 Record Versus Common Opponents with Liberty: 3-6 Liberty's Record Versus Same Opponents: 8-1 Last Season's NorPac Tournament Result: Lost in Semifinals to Liberty, 3-1 All-Time Record vs. Liberty: 1-5
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Originally posted by bearsfan_51
Having that said, I think he's overrated in a sense that he could be even better than he is, IF he only had a brain (duh duhadada [lame attempt at singing the Wizard of Oz]).
Urlacher does not call the plays, line up his teammates or call defensive audibles. I believe Mike Brown holds those responsibilities. I could be wrong though, and if I am, heck, Urlacher still doesn't do a good job at it. He is not a cerebral type linebacker. He gets by too much on his pure athleticism. I see him take the wrong angle many times, but he just happens to save himself and make an "incredible" play by thrusting his body back into the proper area and making a play. Thats all fine and dandy now, but he won't have that forever, and he will fall off HARD when he loses it. He has all the physical tools, but he has no brains to go with it.
I think Vilma can overtake him in a couple of years easily. He has the instincts and the brain. But Urlacher will fall off just like Ray Lewis. But unlike Lewis, his dropoff will be even worse because he won't have any instincts to fall back on.


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Suspect in Jays beer can tossing case no longer works for Postmedia
A man who was charged after allegedly tossing a beer can towards a Baltimore outfielder during a high-intensity Blue Jays playoff game is no longer employed Postmedia Network Inc.
Ken Pagan was charged with mischief earlier this month after surrendering at a police detachment in downtown Toronto.
He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 24.
The 41-year-old Hamilton man worked for Postmedia as a sports editor.
Postmedia spokesman Georgia Sourtzis confirmed Monday that Pagan had left the company.
She would not elaborate on the circumstances of Pagan's departure, but the company had said earlier that it was conducting an internal investigation following the beer-tossing incident.
Postmedia is the parent company of the Toronto Sun.
A can thrown from the stands at a Jays game on Oct. 4 narrowly missed Baltimore Orioles player Hyun Soo Kim as he made a catch.
The toss triggered a social media frenzy as many analysed photographs and video footage from the game to figure out where the can had come from.


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If the Fort Lewis College womens basketball teams goal Friday was to make a statement as it started the stretch run, mission accomplished.
The Skyhawks used crisp ball movement and terrific pressure defense to keep CSU-Pueblo on its heels, leading the ThunderWolves by as many as 21 points before winning 78-64 on Friday at Whalen Gymnasium.
It was one of the Skyhawks most complete performances of the year. Five players scored in double-figures, and Katerina Garcia and Alex Easterbrook both narrowly missed triple-doubles. Garcia had 12 points, seven assists and six rebounds, while Easterbrook contributed seven points, eight assists and nine boards.
Obviously that helps our transition if those guys are coming down and getting rebounds right off the bat, then we can start our transition quicker than normal, FLC head coach Jason Flores said.
Mary Brinton was the offensive catalyst off the bench, scoring 13 points, while Ashley Kuchar scored 12. Christie Groh scored 13, and Erika Richards also had 11 points and seven rebounds as the Skyhawks topped CSU-Pueblo by 14 points after falling by 15 in Pueblo, good for a 29-point turnaround.
Brinton had 17 points and nine rebounds last weekend in a win over Western New Mexico.
Im just working hard in practice; its paid off now, said Brinton, a Pagosa Springs High School alumna. I figured that out. Coach said that we had to prove ourselves in practice, and I finally figured it out, so its nice.
Perhaps the biggest key was pace. Garcia, Easterbrook and Erin Curry pushed the tempo offensively, while the defense seemed to force the ThunderWolves to move faster than theyre accustomed.
I thought we did a really good job of just finding their other shooters and making sure their shots were rushed, making sure that we run out at them and making things a little hectic for them, Richards said. And I thought Kat did a really good job of pushing tempo, and Erin as well.
Laurel Kearsley finished with a stellar 30 points, but Caiti Forrester was the only other CSU-Pueblo player in double figures with 10.
The victory provided FLC with a signature win as the Skyhawks look to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for a sixth consecutive year. It also brings FLC even with the ThunderWolves at 12-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
First of all, it was a great turnaround. ... That shows you weve come a long way as a team from the beginning of the season, and I couldnt be more proud of the players for that, Flores said. As far as the postseason goes, we talked about that. That will take care of itself if we continue to play well and win games.
After an even start, FLC (13-8) used a 24-6 run to go ahead 28-12 before leading 38-27 at halftime. The big key for the Skyhawks was cutting CSU-Pueblos momentum to open the second half. The ThunderWolves (15-6) trimmed the lead to seven at 38-31, but a pair of 3s by Kuchar and Garcia pushed the lead back out to 44-31 in short order, and FLC would lead by double-digits the rest of the way, eventually going up as much as 73-52 with 6 minutes, 24 seconds to play.
FLC has another opportunity for a key RMAC win when UC-Colorado Springs hits town at 5:30 p.m. today, the second game of its four-game homestand.


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Slow Performance with the Dell Universal Auto/Air Laptop Adapter
You may notice slow performance and receive the following message when using the Dell Universal Auto/Air Laptop Adapter portable power adapter:
65W AC power adapter being detected preventing optimal system performance
The Dell Universal Auto/Air Laptop Adapter is a 65-watt power adapter. Dell recommends that you use a 90-watt adapter with your portable system. Using a 65-watt power adapter will not harm your system, but will cause slower performance.
Check your owner's manual for the wattage requirements for your portable.
Visit the Dell Community Forum for More Information
Visit the Dell Community Forums to find out what others in the Dell user community are saying. The Dell Community Forums provide a place for Dell users to discuss support topics, to learn, and to help each other. Use the message boards to post questions and answers.
ID de l'article : SLN32152
Date de la dernière modification : 03/10/2015 03:26 PM
Merci pour vos commentaires.


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Includes music program;]]>
Drawings on the front cover; includes toasts and music program; Erard's pianos exclusively used; Chairman: W. H. Cullen, Esquire]]>
Also includes a list of previous governors general of India and viceroys of Canada. Menu printed with Berger & Wirth inks. All three honored persons were Eaton alumni.]]>
Handwritten menu;]]>
Includes photographs of prestentation cup given to Field Marshal the Right Honourable Earl Roberts of Kandahar and Pretoria.]]>
Drawing on the front cover. Portion of menu handwritten.]]>
Chairman: T. Donaldson, Esq.]]>
Illustrations of various Spiers & Pond's properties on cover. "Erard's pianos exclusively used."]]>
Last Frontier Village was a facsimile of a Western pioneer town built adjacent to the Last Frontier Hotel;]]>
Bound with red ribbons; Scalloped borders.]]>
Includes music program; menu with scalloped borders; back cover contains table plan and room dimensions]]>
Erard's pianos exclusively used;]]>
Chair to be taken by Friar W. P. Treloar, Sheriff of London. "Friar Montagu, fecit [artist]" at bottom of cover illustration.]]>
Date handwritten in ink on menu front cover; Last Frontier Village was a facsimile of a Western pioneer town built adjacent to the Last Frontier Hotel;]]>
The emblem presented on the menu seems to refer to Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee (1837-1897). It depicts the young and old Queen Victoria head busts.]]>
Handwritten menu;]]>
Handwritten menu]]>
Illustrations of various Spiers & Pond properties on cover. "P.D., 2667. 200" at lower right of page 3.]]>
Menu lists saloon show times; designed to be mailed;]]>
Includes wine list;]]>
Includes wine list;]]>
Shows the Masonic emblem on the front page;]]>


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As you may know, we will be moving to another apartment later this month, and I've been going through our stuff sorting and packing like CRAZY. One thing I needed to do something about was our scary, scary freezer. I have a habit of making extras of things and then packing up meals and labeling them to be stored in the freezer. It's great to be able to pull out a homemade loaf (or even a slice) of gluten-free bread and have it right away, or to have tofu meatballs at the spur of the moment with no prep time at all. One of my most precious goodies in the freezer is the small batches I store of Bette Hagman's wonderful bean flour pasta, and the last time I went through the freezer I found a precious, precious sealed bag with sheets of homemade GF lasagna. I put it on my menu for early July, and made a lasagna that turned out better than I ever expected. I found halfway through the process that I didn't have any prepared pasta sauce, so I ended up making a classic pasta sauce from scratch (well, starting with canned tomatoes and tomato paste), and I was surprised at how much I liked it, especially with the fresh herbs I added from my garden. I had made a bunch of grilled pattypan squash for another recipe but had lots left over, so I decided to make it a spinach-grilled pattypan squash lasagna. You know what? Even though DH doesn't like squash much, and hates spinach, he ate every bite and snuck off to the kitchen for seconds. Apparently the cheese makes all the difference. For those of you who can't tolerate dairy, I recommend
my pine nut cheese recipe
a tofu vegan ricotta recipe
as excellent substitutes- I think the recipe would be just as good with un-cheese! If you can, do make homemade pasta, because in my opinion, that's what takes this dish from tasty to sublime. Somehow homemade silky soft, tender gluten-free pasta just sings on the tongue with the other ingredients, and even though it's a little bit of trouble, it's well worth it in the end.
Want more pattypan recipes?
Try my grilled pattypan on tortillas recipe
my Soy-free Fried Rice with Petit Pan grilled squash recipe.
Gluten Free Vegetarian Grilled Vegetable Lasagna Recipe
Tomato Sauce:
2 14 oz cans chopped, unseasoned tomato
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tbsp. GOOD olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves
fresh oregano, thyme, and basil
Italian seasonings
1 tsp sugar or honey
freshly ground pepper
Grilled Pattypan Squash:
Gluten-Free Lasagna noodles (homemade or purchased, Tinkyada or Debolles)
Tomato Sauce:
Combine 1 whole can of chopped tomato in a blender, including pieces and juice. Strain tomato pieces from other can and reserve, discarding juice of second can.
Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan or dutch oven. Sautee chopped onion and garlic until transluscent. Add fresh herbs and italian seasonings and combine. Add your blended can of tomato and stir. Throw in your strained tomato pieces from the second can and let simmer. Add sugar or other sweetener to taste. Let simmer while you get the rest of your ingredients ready.
If needed, boil your GF lasagna noodles. (No-bake GF lasagna won't need to be boiled.)
Clean and slice your pattypan squash horizontally so you have circles of squash. baste with a little sesame oil (or your favorite oil) and season generously with your seasoning blend. Grill on a REAL GRILL if possible until marked on both sides with grill marks. When done you can cut into bite sized quarters or leave as is.
Now, layer your lasagna in a pan with 1/4 of your tomato sauce, pasta, grilled squash, cheese, and fresh, clean spinach leaves. Repeat until all ingredients have been used, ending with pasta, any extra veggies, tomato sauce and ending with cheese.
Bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, covered in aluminum foil. Remove foil after thirty minutes and bake for another 15 minutes or until top is golden brown. (If you use no-boil GF lasagna like debolles, follow directions- usually 1 hr. covered).


text:
Cedrus atlantica
|Scope: Global
Language: English
|Scientific Name:
|Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière
Common Name(s):
Cedrus libani A.Rich. var. atlantica Endl.
|Taxonomic Source(s):
|Farjon, A. 2010. A Handbook of the World's Conifers. Koninklijke Brill, Leiden.
|Red List Category & Criteria:
|Endangered A2cd ver 3.1
|Year Published:
|Date Assessed:
|Thomas, P.
|Farjon, A. & Gardner, M.
Cedrus atlantica has an estimated extent of occurrence greater than 20,000 km2. Its total actual area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be between 1,300 and 1,500 km2 (Terrab et al. 2008, Linares et al. 2011) and there are seven main locations. Range wide declines of up to 75% in area of occupancy are estimated to have occurred between 1940 and 1982. Recent droughts have led to further declines in many parts of its range and it is likely that they will continue if the regional climate continues to become more arid. Outbreaks of pests and diseases have exacerbated the situation. Without proper control measures in place these negative effects are likely to continue. The decline over the last 50 years is sufficient to warrant an assessment of Endangered under the criteria for A2 (three generations is 90 years).
|Previously published Red List assessments:
|Range Description:
|The Atlas Cedar forests are distributed in Morocco (Rif, Middle Atlas, and northeastern High Atlas) and Algeria (Aurès, Belezma, Hodna, Djbel Babor, Djurdjura, Blida and Ouarsenis). The Middle Atlas (northern Morocco) contains about 80% of the Atlas Cedar forest surface area (ca. 100,000 ha). The total area of occupancy in Algeria and Morocco is estimated to be between 1,300 and 1,500 km2 (Terrab et al. 2008, Linares et al. 2011). The extent of occurrence is more than 20,000 km2 and there are seven locations.
|Countries occurrence:
Native:Algeria; Morocco
|Additional data:
|Range Map:
|Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
|Recent genetic analysis have indicated that two major subpopulations exist: one in the Rif and Middle Atlas mountains in Morocco and the other through the Algerian Tell Atlas and Aurès mountains (Terab et al. 2008). Stands within these subpopulations are relatively localized and fragmented.
|Current Population Trend:
|Additional data:
|Habitat and Ecology:
|Atlas Cedar occurs at elevations of 1,300 to 2,600 m a.s.l., where the amount of annual rainfall ranges from 500 to 2,000 mm and the minimum temperature of the coldest month ranges between −1 and −8 °C [35,46]. The Middle Atlas (northern Morocco) contains about 80% of the Atlas cedar forest surface area (ca. 100,000 ha). Middle Atlas Cedar forests contain several evergreen (Holm Oak, Quercus rotundifolia Lam.; Prickly Juniper, Juniperus oxycedrus L.; European holly, Ilex aquifolium L.) and deciduous (Acer opalus Mill., Crataegus laciniata Ucria) tree and shrub species. Taxus baccata also occurs in the Algerian forests (Bentouati 2008).
|Continuing decline in area, extent and/or quality of habitat:
|Generation Length (years):
|Use and Trade:
|Heavily exploited over several centuries for its strong durable timber. Essential oils are also distilled from the timber and foliage. It is widely cultivated in Europe.
|Major Threat(s):
|Atlas Cedar forests have been exploited for their timber for several centuries. In addition they have been subject to overgrazing and repeated burning. Exploitation has increased over the last 50 years: range wide declines of up to 75% are estimated to have occurred between 1940 and 1982 (Benabid and Fennane 1994 cited in Terab et al. 2008). Since the 1980s a series of droughts have led to further decline, especially in areas closest to the Saharan desert (Bentouati 2008, Linares 2011). Crown defoliation by processionary caterpillars(Thaumetopoea bonjeani and T. pityocampa), cedar bark stripping by Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus), and damage by cedar bark beetles (Phaenops marmottani) seem to have exacerbated the recent decline (Allen 2010). Recent dendroclimatological studies (Touchan 2011) have indicated that the current series of droughts are at least as intense as any that have occurred in the last thousand years. Projections for future climate change indicate a continued decrease in precipitation (Touchan 2011)
|Conservation Actions:
|Many stands are located within National Parks and receive some protection from overgrazing and logging. Programmes to monitor the extent and severity of recent die-back are in place.
|Thomas, P. 2013. Cedrus atlantica. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013: e.T42303A2970716. . Downloaded on 20 September 2018.
|To make use of this information, please check the <Terms of Use>.
|If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please provide us with feedback so that we can correct or extend the information provided


text:
Before Current TV, the struggling progressive media network founded by Al Gore, sold themselves to al-Jazeera for a hefty $500 million, they rejected an offer from Glenn Beck's media company, TheBlaze.
Beck tweeted Wednesday:
Before Al-Jazeera bought Current TV, TheBlaze looked into buying it but we were rejected by progressive owners.glennbeck.com/2013/01/02/did… WG— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) January 3, 2013
If you have a hard time believing that a conservative commentator would actually want a company partly owned by environmental activist and former vice president Gore, one source told The Wall Street Journal that TheBlaze actually did approach Current Media last year.
"Glenn Beck's The Blaze approached Current about buying the channel last year, but was told that 'the legacy of who the network goes to is important to us and we are sensitive to networks not aligned with our point of view,' according to a person familiar with the negotiations," reported The Wall Street Journal (via The Atlantic).
But al-Jazeera does, according to Current co-founder Joel Hyatt, who explained in a letter to employees that the Qatar-owned Arab news network shared their company's mission "to give voice to those whose voices are not typically heard" and "to speak truth to power."


text:
It's make or break time for the company formerly known as Research in Motion, the maker of the once-ubiquitous Blackberry phones.
The Canadian company on Wednesday debuted the next generation of its mobile phones in hopes the new hardware and software that operates them will turn the failing company around.
"We definitely have been in a journey of transformation," said President and CEO Thorsten Heins.
Heins unveiled the BlackBerry Z10, a full 4.3-inch touchscreen phone, and the BlackBerry Q10, a touchscreen phone that also includes a physical keyboard. Both new handsets are powered by a completely new operating system called BlackBerry 10 that allows the user to move between applications seamlessly. Wednesday's announcement was made in New York and simulcast in London, Dubai, Toronto, Paris and Johannesburg.
RIM is promising a speedier device, a superb typing experience and the ability to keep work and personal identities separate on the same phone.
The Z10 will be available in March through all four major U.S. cell carriers Sprint, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. It will cost about $200 with a two-year contract, but individual carriers will determine the final pricing. No release dates or cost information were announced for the Q10 phone.
Most analysts consider a BlackBerry 10 success to be crucial for the company's long-term viability. "We'll see if they can reclaim their glory. My sense is that it will be a phone that everyone says good things about but not as many people buy," said BGC Financial analyst Colin Gillis.
As part of the company's overall makeover, Heins also announced that Research in Motion will officially be called BlackBerry. It will have the ticker symbol "BBRY" on the Nasdaq Stock Market. He said that Grammy-winning artist Alicia Keys would be Global Creative Director for BlackBerry, a role in which she'll work with app developers and entrepreneurs to help lead the direction of the BlackBerry 10 platform.
At one time, RIM, like Nokia, was a leader in mobile phones, the favored handsets of business people and government employees for the security of RIM's BlackBerry Messenger email service.
But RIM lost cell phone market share to Apple and Android handsets in the past five years as those manufacturers began innovating with touchscreen phones and operating systems. RIM initially said BlackBerry 10 would come by early 2012, but then the company changed that to late 2012. A few months later, that date was pushed further, to early 2013, missing the lucrative holiday season. The holdup helped wipe out more than $70 billion in shareholder wealth and 5,000 jobs.
RIM's stock remains down about 5.2 percent, at $14.85, in midday trading. The stock has traded in the range of $6.22 to $18.32 in the past 52 weeks.
But BlackBerry fans or "crackberry" addicts, as they are known - have been clinging to the idea that BlackBerry could return to greatness with the new set of phones and operating system.
Previews of the BlackBerry 10 software have gotten favorable reviews on blogs. Financial analysts are starting to see some slight room for a comeback. With smartphone sales growing, the BlackBerry 10 can succeed without iPhone and Android users switching.
The new BlackBerry models tout features that allow users to multitask and move from application to application without shutting down an app. BlackBerry Peek, as the name implies, enables users to peek at another application, say email, without completely leaving the app they're using.
The company also introduced a gesture-based touchscreen keyboard for the Z10 with which users can go from one language to another or correct misspellings with just a single swipe of the thumb. And the BlackBerry Balance feature separates personal information from work information. Users can switch profiles with just the push of an onscreen button, and data from both can be integrated.
Also included are new features for the BlackBerry Messenger service, which is said to have 60 million subscribers. One allows separate users to share screen information in real time so they can review documents, presentations or photos.
The phones also have a new camera feature called Timeshift that allows users to capture a multisecond moment of a scene instead of just one picture so they can choose the right pose for the final photo. Built into the phone is a new app, Story Maker, which can automatically edit photos, videos and songs into a presentation.
Regardless of BlackBerry 10's advances, though, the new system will face a key shortcoming. It won't have as many apps written by outside companies and individuals as the iPhone and Android. The company claims that the phone will have 70,000 applications available, although not all at the product's launch. Some of the most-wanted apps, including Skype, Facebook and Foursquare, are being developed for the platform.
The number of apps available could be a serious sticking point to lure new users when rival Apple boasts more than 775,000 and Android claims more than 700,000.
BlackBerry also announced a music and movie store, BlackBerry World, that will include multimedia content that can be purchased for the phones.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
Google+: +Vincent Horiuchi
Comparison of smartphone, tablet shipments
BlackBerry devices have been losing market share to rivals. Here are details on the number of devices RIM and Apple shipped in recent quarters, with percentage change from the same period a year earlier.
Research in Motion
Quarter ending Dec. 1, 2012: 6.9 million BlackBerry smartphones (down 51 percent), 255,000 PlayBook tablets (up 70 percent)
Quarter ending Sept. 1, 2012: 7.4 million BlackBerrys (down 30 percent), 130,000 PlayBooks (down 35 percent)
Quarter ending June 2, 2012: 7.8 million BlackBerrys (down 41 percent), 260,000 PlayBooks (down 48 percent)
Quarter ending March 3, 2012: 11.1 million BlackBerrys (down 26 percent), 500,000 PlayBooks (not on sale previous year)
Quarter ending Nov. 26, 2011: 14.1 million BlackBerrys (down 1 percent), 150,000 PlayBooks (not on sale previous year)
Quarter ending Dec. 29, 2012: 47.8 million iPhones (up 29 percent), 22.9 million iPads (up 49 percent)
Quarter ending Sept. 29, 2012: 26.9 million iPhones (up 58 percent), 14.0 million iPads (up 26 percent)
Quarter ending June 30, 2012: 26.0 million iPhones (up 28 percent), 17.0 million iPads (up 84 percent)
Quarter ending March 31, 2012: 35.1 million iPhones (up 88 percent), 11.8 million iPads (increase of 2.5 times)
Quarter ending Dec. 31, 2011: 37 million iPhones (more than double), 15.4 million iPads (more than double)
Key features, dates for new BlackBerry
Z10 phone will have a touch-screen keyboard
Q10 phone will have a physical keyboard, as well
Both phones sport a new BlackBerry 10 operating system with new features
Z10 will be released in the U.K. and Canada within the week, but not in the U.S. until March.
Price for the Z10 will be about $200 with two-year contract in the U.S., but carriers will set individual pricing
Q10 won't be available in the U.S. until at least April
Maker Research in Motion, based in Ontario, is changing the company's name to BlackBerry


text:
After a week off, "Revenge" is back tonight and it sounds like Emily will be teaching a few of the folks on her Hamptons hit list about "Loyalty."
Here's what ABC has to say about the episode: Emily (Emily VanCamp) questions Nolan's (Gabriel Mann) loyalty when she discovers a secret of his, but eventually uses it to her advantage in her battle against Tyler (Ashton Holmes). Unfortunately, it sets in motion a chain of events that prove just how dangerous Tyler is. Meanwhile, Amanda (Margarita Levieva) makes herself more comfortable in the Hamptons as word of her presence spreads. Victoria (Madeleine Stowe) regains some power, and things get very ugly between her and Conrad (Henry Czerny).
It appears Emily's Mr. Miyagi, Satoshi Takeda (Hiroyuki Sanada), comes by to give her another lesson. And I don't think "wax on, wax off" is part of it.
"Loyalty" premieres at 9 p.m. Dec. 7 on ABC.


text:
Competency evaluation sought for man accused of beating momBy KIMBERLY HOUGHTON
Union Leader Correspondent
December 04. 2012 4:06PM
MERRIMACK -- A Nashua man accused of severely beating his mother last week was back in court Tuesday, and his competency is already being questioned.
Attorneys for Thomas Foden, 39, of 57 Tyler St., Apt. 409, Nashua, filed a motion seeking a competency evaluation for their client, who is charged with burglary and three felony counts of second-degree assault.
Police say Foden allegedly pushed his mother's face into a glass cabinet and inserted his finger into her eye on Nov. 25 at her Merrimack home. The assault caused a serious head laceration to Foden's mother, Alicia J. Flanders, 66, as well as a severed ear and ruptured eye socket. Foden's mental health was immediately brought to light during his arraignment last week at the 9th Circuit Court, Merrimack District Division. More concerns were raised Tuesday.
"He was found to be dangerous," Judge Clifford Kinghorn said during Tuesday's probable cause hearing.
After his arrest, Foden was sent to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center for a mental evaluation, at which time he was found to be dangerous and an emergency admission to the New Hampshire Hospital was deemed appropriate, according to court testimony.
However, Attorney Amanda Steenhuis told the judge that the state psychiatric hospital will not accept Foden.
"They refused to take him, as I understand it," she told the court, explaining the hospital was concerned with the severity of the charges and the high amount of bail set at $150,000 cash.
Foden has been held at the Valley Street jail since his arrest the night of the attack. Kinghorn said it is unusual for the hospital to reject someone, adding it may be the first time he has heard of the New Hampshire Hospital refusing a patient.
"It raised some eyebrows in my office," agreed Attorney Edward Cross, who is also representing Foden. The motion seeking a competency evaluation has been sealed under Cross' recommendation. However, it was previously stated in court that Foden has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and has ongoing mental health issues.
Foden, who called police while he was still at the crime scene, admitted to authorities that he assaulted Flanders, according to a police affidavit on file in court. It will likely take about 60 days for the competency evaluation to be completed. Foden will next appear in court on Feb. 5.


text:
- Description
DetailsCurvy and compelling, the modern-looking Star Trac Pro Treadmill offers an array of user-friendly features that will make your time on the tread more enjoyable. Designed in conjunction with DesignWorks USA, a BMW affiliated company, this treadmill creates an intuitive atmosphere to run in that is truly advanced. To begin with, Star Trac Pro utilizes the Soft Trac® suspension system, with three cushions instead of two, which is a step forward from the Impact Absorption System. It offers dual-cushioned arm supports and an AeroBar, not found on most commercial-quality treadmills. The display console is likewise intuitive, automatically eliminating unnecessary data during the program, which only slows you down as you work. There are diamond-plated foot-plates on each side of the treadmill, which provide body-weight data if desired. And you won't overheat, as the Star Trac Pro has two personal fans mounted on the display and a dynamic iPulse™ System, which keeps you in your specified training zone. Not content to workout on your own but can't afford a personal trainer? The Star Trac Pro offers several Workout Partner options –Athletic Partner, Climbing Partner, or Weight Management Partner. In addition, up to 50 different personal trainers can input their own programs into the machine with the Personal Trainer Studio option. You'll really know you're using up-to-the-minute technology when you engage the Pro Partner feature, which beams data from your workout directly into any device compatible with a Palm OS, such as a PDA. There are multiple pre-programmed courses to choose from on the Star Trac Pro, including 5 and 10k challenges, progressive hill workouts, and a varied-profile program. In fact, you can mix these options up to produce up to 250 different challenges.
Electrical Requirements
Technical Specifications
- Dimensions: 85.5" x 34" x 65"
- Weight: 310lbs
- Motor: 5.0 HP AC
- Belt Width: 20"
- User Capacity: 350 lbs
- Speed: 0.5 - 12.5 mph
- Incline: 0% - 15%
- Heart Rate: Contact Heart Rate | Polar® Compatible
- Deck: Soft Trac® Triple Cell Shock Absorption System
- Programs: 11 Workouts
- TV: Optional add-on LCD for additional cost
- Heart Rate: Contact Heart Rate | Polar® Compatible
- Deck: Soft Trac® Triple Cell Shock Absorption System
- Programs: 11 Workouts
- Additional Features: 2 Personal Cooling Fans built into Console
- Display Readouts: Time, Calories Expended, Distance Travelled, Incline, Average Speed, Calories Remaining, Laps Completed, Minutes per Mile, METS, Watts,
- Heart Rate
- Additional Information:
Additional Information
Name Star Trac 7600 Elite Treadmill - Premium Certified Pre-Owned condition used Brand startrac Warranty
Warranty supplied by Star Trac: 3 Months Parts & Labor from Star Trac
Extended Warranties Available Direct from Star Trac:
1 Year Parts and Labor + 299 (Total Coverage of 1 Year and 6 Months)
3 Year Parts and Labor + 699 (Total Coverage of 3 Years and 6 Months)
5 Year Parts and Lifetime Labor + 1299 (Total Coverage of 5 Years and 6 Months Parts and Lifetime Labor)
No Sales Tax*, Free Shipping, Buy With Confidence! Call 866-203-5770 Now!
- Reviews


text:
Published by: Thorp Wilson
Resolution: 1200x1200px
Category: Chair, More >>
Published at: Tuesday, February 06 2018 14:53:45
In any home, you can see a cheap accent chairs. They are important pieces of brown leather accent chairs both in your home and in the office. The most common type are white leather accent chair with accent arm chairs and lounge chair with ottoman. You can sit on them to relax when reading a book or doing work. However, each contemporary lounge chairs has its own purpose, and you need to get the correct chair to serve the correct purpose. For example, you cannot use an wine barrel chairs for an office chair.
The Lazyboy recliners have a very adjustable reclining mechanism so that the user can position the chair in the way they find most comfortable. The numerous styles and designs of Lazyboys now available means there is Lazyboy furniture to fit into any surrounding. The Lazyboy big man recliner is ideal for individuals who are taller or larger than average. With adjustable seat heights and high back rests this model is excellent. In addition, storage armrests can hold refreshments or accessories like television remote controls.


text:
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text:
Jacksonville's Mayport Naval Station gets a safety net
Posted 8/28/2012
Updated 6 yearss ago
Over the past 25 years, Jacksonville's Mayport Naval Station has shrunk from two aircraft carriers, 28 combat ships and nearly 30,000 sailors to 19 ships and 5,000 sailors. The Mayport-based USS John F. Kennedy, the last conventional-powered aircraft carrier built in the U.S., was decommissioned in 2007.
Another 11 frigates home-ported in Mayport, with more than 200 sailors each, are scheduled to leave by 2015, with newer ships to replace them not arriving before 2016.
For the small businesses around the base, from ship-repair companies to suppliers, the future has looked increasingly dark. "We could see where we were going to fall off a cliff," says J. Michael McGrath, executive director of the Jacksonville Area Ship Repair Association and a former Navy captain.
In 2009, spirits were buoyed when the Navy announced that it would house a nuclear aircraft carrier at Mayport. But five-year naval budgets released this February contained no funding for the planning and infrastructure work required to ready Mayport for the nuclear carrier. Tightened defense spending — along with political and civic uproar over the plans in Norfolk, Va., home to the entire Atlantic fleet of five nuclear carriers — have put the project on indefinite hold.
This summer, the Navy unfurled a safety net, announcing it will move up relocation of a fleet known as an Amphibious Ready Group from Norfolk to Mayport. The USS New York will move in 2013, and the USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort McHenry in 2014, with some 2,000 sailors and their families expected in Mayport. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus says the move "underscores just how important Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport are to national defense and how committed we are to strategic dispersal on the east coast."
For Mayport, the new fleet won't carry the same heft as a nuclear aircraft carrier, which would bring 5,000 sailors and their families to town, plus new types of contractor positions, for an estimated $200 million a year in economic impact. Florida's congressional delegation remains optimistic that the nuclear carrier will still come to Mayport. But it is no longer a given, especially amid efforts to cleave $500 billion from the defense budget over the next decade.
Nonetheless, McGrath says, there's enormous relief among local businesses that they are no longer "staring into a black hole. We can see the light."


text:
(Reuters) - A tanker carrying light crude oil down the Hudson River briefly ran aground south of Albany, New York, but showed no evidence of a spill, the Coast Guard said on Thursday.
The Stena Primorsk, a 600-foot (182-metre) motor tanker, lost control of its steering on Thursday morning and hit land near Stuyvesant, New York, about 20 miles downriver from Albany, the Coast Guard said. The vessel was later at anchor.
There was no evidence of pollution from the crash, though emergency responders were sent to the site to investigate, the Coast Guard said.
Oil market sources said the vessel was carrying light shale crude from the Bakken prospect in North Dakota destined for a Canadian refinery.
(Reporting by Peter Rudegeair and Selam Gebrekidan; Editing by Nick Zieminski)


text:
For years, flexography was considered a relatively poor alternative to offset and gravure.
However, that perception has changed dramatically during recent years. Thanks to the efforts of suppliers across the board, including ink manufacturers, and promotion by flexography trade groups, flexo has now made gains in quality that many people say puts it on equal footing with offset and gravure. With that, flexo's share of the overall printing market is also continuing to grow.
Bill Dowdell, president of the Flexographic Technical Association (FTA), estimated that flexo has had an 8 to 10 percent growth rate annually through the decade. Of the packaging industry, which is estimated at $100 billion, Mr. Dowdell said flexo has about 65 percent of the market. In the publishing sector, flexo has a strong hold in a few segments, such as envelopes, and is used by 48 newspapers.
According to industry estimates, flexographic inks are now a more than $850 million a year business, and will continue to show above-average growth in the near future.
"In general, flexo printing appears to be growing as evidenced by converters having larger backlogs and investing in new and upgraded presses," Flint Ink officials said. "Enhanced competitiveness due to faster speeds, and improved quality with more complex graphics, are the primary drivers."
"The product is light years ahead of where it was a few years ago," said Mike Rasmussen, general manager, fluid ink division, Handschy Industries. "We see customers who are moving jobs from sheetfed to flexo and gravure to flexo."
Quality Gains
Many people in the industry believe that the gains in quality that flexo has made have put it on a par with gravure and offset. "The improvements in flexo have been geometric during the past 10 years," said John Bankson, president of Label Technology, an award-winning designer, printer and converter of pressure sensitive roll labels. "The progress has been unbelievable. It's gone from rubber-based plates and solvent inks to highly sophisticated water-based and UV inks, along with improvements in the digital plate making process that allow us to very efficiently compete with offset."
"Because of the improvement of the materials, such as the inks, backings, plates and aniloxes, the print quality is much better than it was 10 years ago. It's pretty close to rotogravure now," said Kent Shah, vice president and technical director of Color Converting Industries. ]
"From our own experience, we see a lot of renewed interest and growth in flexo," said Rick Gloeckler, vice president of Environmental Inks & Coatings. "The quality issue has been answered, and the end user has seen the quality revolution."
"Flexo is ahead of gravure," said Dr. David Fishman, president of Fishman Incorporated. "More flexo ink is sold; it crossed over four years ago. The quality now is the same."
"There are people who would argue that flexo has exceeded gravure, which continues to be the more expensive process," said Sam Gilbert, technical marketing director for liquid inks for Sun Chemical.
One of the area flexo excels in is shorter runs, where customers want to target specific markets. Gravure is much less able to provide the changes that many advertisers want.
"We have a member who is an ice-cream manufacturer, whose average run length is 800 feet," Mr. Dowdell said.
"With flexo, you can make changes in copy, and historically it doesn't cost as much," Mr. Gloeckler said. "It's been more cost-effective in the short- and mid-range market."
Quality gains made throughout the industry have spurred the advancements in flexo. Manufacturers across the board, from ink to anilox rolls, plates to presses, have made improvements that have changed the face of flexo.
One reason that these improvements have occurred is the cooperation and communication between the different supplier branches.
"I think this is one of the industries where the people are more open to sharing information and promoting what they are doing technically in order to succeed," said Mr. Dowdell. "It's kind of refreshing. They really look at it as a total process.
They recognize that communications flow is so important to the process." "The quality improvements are leading to the growth," said Mr. Gilbert. "I think one leads from the other. I think there are more quality improvements to come. You've really got improvements going on in all facets."
"Every year it gets a little better," Mr. Gloeckler said. "We're able to do strong solids and fine vignettes off the same plate. We can make inks stronger, and the anilox makers have made cylinders with finer volumes. Increasingly fine anilox volumes in conjunction with stronger printing inks enable printers to do more things.
"Flexo has a lot of potential," said Mr. Shah. "There is a lot of things flexo is doing in prepress and digitally that are helping people minimize time. Prepress is now more automated, so it cuts down on printing time and makes the print more accurate.
"There is more understanding of plate and backing material," Mr. Shah continued. "Printers will put on a particular backing which will give you the ultimate printing quality. If you have the wrong plate and backing material, the print quality won't be as good.
"There's a tremendous amount of work being done in flexographic printing," Mr. Shah added. "Ink suppliers are trying to get the press color match time reduced, so printers don't have to run scrap material."
"There's more dialogue between anilox and plate people and the ink makers," said George Sickinger, vice president and general manager, Borden Chemical. "Another big part is the prepress – there's a lot more attention to doing color separations. The biggest improvement is in corrugated is the jobs are now being planned properly, and it shows in the finished products. They've done a lot of work in the shape of the cell to facilitate the release of ink and to not hold dried ink.
"Corrugated has been obvious, but it's also steadily improving in flexible packaging," Mr. Sickinger said. "Gravure hasn't solved the problem of cost for cylinders. The quality gap has been closed by flexo significantly."
"The plates and aniloxes are getting finer, and they are running much fewer screens, so you're getting much finer prints," said Mike Hines, director of liquid ink R&D for INX International. "Ink makers have had to adapt their inks to adjust to the drying plates required by such thin films, and you have to have much greater color strength."
"I think the anilox rolls have led the way, and in the pressrooms, there's been the recognition that there has to be discipline," said Mr. Rasmussen. "You've also got some bigger presses and suppliers providing better goods."
Improvements in anilox rolls have been a critical aspect of flexo's growth. "Up until 1990, the standards were 330 and 440 linescreen," said Steve Tucker, technical service manager of Harper, a leading manufacturer of anilox rolls. "Today, the industry standard is 800 linescreen, but we're going as far as 1,000 and 1,6000 linescreen.
"It helps provide more detail, but what really has happened is that we've reduced cell volume, which reduces the thickness of printing ink on film or substrate," Mr. Tucker said.
"The growth of flexo has really been spearheaded by a number of things," said James Austin, product marketing manager, DuPont Cyrel. "All of the suppliers have worked to improve their products. We feel the quality of our digital plates is equal to that of offset plates; quality is no longer an issue. The whole process is becoming faster and higher quality. Our process can put an aqueous water-wash plate in place in an hour."
"Prepress through computerized technology has really been improved," said Roy Webb, national sales manager of Mark Andy, a leading manufacturer of narrow web flexo printing presses.
"We now have laser-engraved ceramic anilox rolls, which are like ink keys. It allows us to lighten and darken the inks, control your ink film, and reverse angle doctor blades shear the surface of the roll so that the amount of ink is uniform," Mr. Webb said. "The inks themselves are greatly improved. All of this combined has allowed flexo to become very competitive with offset.
"What has made these presses really attractive is that the capital outlay is substantially less than a sheetfed offset press," Mr. Webb said. "These are roll-fed presses, printing then die cutting. It can be put on the press and conveyed off to the customer in a relatively short time, with labor for one pass."
Ink has been a major area of improvement for flexo. "Ink developments are critical to these improvements," Flint Ink officials observed. "Faster drying, but resoluable, inks enable the speed to increase, and stronger inks, compatible with the finer anilox rolls, enable the quality to improve. UV inks, for example, print cleaner since they do not dry on the rolls or plate, and hold sharper dots."
Areas of Growth
Flexo is very strong in many areas, particularly within packaging and narrow web. There are also major opportunities where flexo can expand.
Flint Ink officials said that UV flexo printing is one specific growth segment, and that in news flexo, slow growth in the number of accounts printing flexo continues, but current users are expanding into insert printing.
"UV's role is increasing, driven by the quality improvements mentioned above, and the fact that it is an alternative to water-based inks, in resolving environmental issues with solvent-based inks," Flint Ink officials noted. "One limitation is the need to train printers on the use and handling of UV inks."
"In terms of UV, narrow web is definitely converting," said Mr. Shah. "Wide web is slow to convert, mainly due to economics."
"The use of UV inks in the narrow web segment is gaining share in the marketplace," Mr. Dowdell said. "Narrow web people are more familiar with UV inks, and are transferring technology right away. Many customers can't tell the difference between offset and UV flexo inks."
Mr. Webb sees tangible evidence of UV's growth in press manufacturing. "Out of every 10 presses, eight have at least one UV station," Mr. Webb said.
UV is also making gains in the flexo folding carton market, according to Liz Zinnbauer, marketing communications for Akzo Nobel Inks.
"There are a number of advantages to UV flexo: improved physical properties; it cures instantly; color consistency; faster production speeds; less cleanup; and practically zero VOCs (volatile organic compounds)," said Ms. Zinnbauer.
Wide web remains solvent-based, with only a few converters trying UV. "There's been some spectacular packaging done with UV in wide web, but it's such a turnabout on how they've done business," Mr. Dowdell noted.
Industry members all agree that one key to the growth of flexo is the active efforts of the FTA and the Foundation of the FTA (FFTA), the educational arm of the organization.
Overall, the FTA and FFTA provide members with the education, training and support needed to continue to improve flexo's quality.
"Training is still our number one thrust, and will be so for many years to come. If flexo has a weakness, it is that it has grown as a craft, and the idea of formal training has not been completely understood, with rare exceptions," said Mr. Dowdell.
"Right now, the FFTA is focusing on two areas: The National Council for Skill Standards in Graphic Communications, which will establish criteria for expert pressmen; and offering training tools so people can earn their certification, including interactive CD programs, such as a pressroom simulator," Mr. Dowdell said. "We need to embrace this whole conceptual course of training." To that end, the FFTA will offer regional and in-plant seminars.
Flexo's Future
For the present, flexo looks to continue to grow as it steadily makes gains in quality.
"It'll be double-digit growth," said Mr. Bankson. "It's certainly a growth industry, and the inks, systems and processes are getting better all the time. Improvements in the formulations of different UV and water-based inks have been a major factor."
"People are doing some really nice work. You have people who have developed a paradigm of continuous improvement, willing to look at new ideas, which is the key to pushing that envelope," Mr. Rasmussen concluded.
Photos courtesty of Mark Andy and Novaflex, Inc.


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text:
Bolbometopon muricatum
|Scope: Global
Language: English
|Scientific Name:
|Bolbometopon muricatum (Valenciennes, 1840)
Common Name(s):
Bolbometopon muricatus (Valenciennes, 1840) [orth. error]
Callyodon muricatus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Scarus muricatus (Valenciennes, 1840)
|Red List Category & Criteria:
|Vulnerable A2d ver 3.1
|Year Published:
|Date Assessed:
Needs updating
|Chan, T., Sadovy, Y. & Donaldson, T.J.
|Choat, J.H., Dulvy, N. & Hamilton, R.
|Raynal, M.
Donaldson and Dulvy (2004) stated that B. muricatum was common or abundant throughout much of its range historically. This species is now considered rare globally, with local densities negatively correlated with fishing pressure across six Indo-Pacific locations, and with suspected local extinctions at some localities (Dulvy and Polunin 2004). Underwater surveys across its range in suitable habitats, even at remote localities, have either failed to detect this species or have detected only rare individuals (Dulvy and Polunin 2004, T.J. Donaldson unpublished data of timed "long-swim"/gps transects). Otherwise, it is abundant only on the Great Barrier Reef and at Rowley Shoals in northwestern Australia; juvenile B. muricatum appear to be very rare in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Bellwood and Choat 1989) but adults achieve their highest abundance on the Great Barrier Reef (mean = 31 fish per hectare) over the recorded range of this species (J.H. Choat pers. comm.). Based on rapid visual census from a series of transects of 50x5 m at depth of 12 m on individual reefs at Coringa-Herald National Nature Reserve (located east of Cairns, Australia), the abundance of B. muricatum was estimated to range from 1 to 25 fish in northeast and southwest Herald (Oxley et al. 2003).
Elsewhere, it is relatively abundant in the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and a few other oceanic islands, and is common locally at Samoa, Sipidan Island (Malaysia), Wake Island, the Red Sea and New Caledonia. Choat and Randall (1986) described B. muricatum as widely distributed in West Indian and Pacific Oceans, and was most commonly observed on reef fronts, reef crests and flats. At other locations, it is now uncommon or rare, and is virtually extinct in Guam, Marshall Islands, parts of Fiji and East Africa, and is declining rapidly in Palau (Myers 1991, Donaldson and Dulvy 2004, Dulvy and Polunin 2004, Donaldson unpubl. data). This species is naturally rare in some parts of its range (e.g., Christmas Island, Amirantes and Farqhuar Atoll, Seychelles, and elsewhere in the Indian Ocean), a fact which cannot be attributed to over-fishing.(J.H. Choat pers. comm.). B. muricatum was rare around most the US Pacific Islands and was seen typically only at 1 or 2 islands of a region (e.g., US Line Islands, US Phoenix Islands, Marianas Archipelago, or American Samoan Islands) (R.H. Schroeder, Coral Reef Ecosystem Division of the NOAA, pers. comms. on 14th Aug 2006; 23rd and 29th Dec 2006).
See the Supplementary Material for the fishery-independent data. No fishery-dependent data are available either regionally or by country.
Donaldson and Dulvy (2004) showed that the large-sized, long-lived B. muricatum, but with low replacement rates and high vulnerability to fishing pressure, appears to be of considerable functional importance (as a major bioeroder on coral reefs and maintain ecosystem resilience) which should be protected.
Hamilton (2003) pointed out that the introduction of simple but new technologies coupled with small scale economic restructuring (from the mid 1970s till the end of 1980s, there were no cash markets for B. muricatum; greater financial development in late 1980s ended up in the development of fisheries projects; by the mid 1990s, fillets of B. muricatum were bought at a higher price than any other fish - commercialization) of the B. muricatum fishery in Solomon Islands has overexploited its stock which is in need of management.
As parrotfish are the only fish group capable of consuming reef carbonate, Bellwood et al. (2003) indicated that B. muricatum plays a crucial role in reef ecosystem processes, and its absence highlights the potential for marked changes in ecosystem function (shifting from steady-state reef calcification to carbonate accumulation).
Dulvy and Polunin (2004) revealed that informal methods of inferring whether a species is naturally rare or has declined or disappeared as a result of human activity could aid efforts to provide a more accurate estimate of the contemporary marine extinction rate in such data-poor situations.
In the Solomon Islands, Aswani and Hamilton (2004) stated that protection of the highly fecund large females would enhance the sustainability of the Roviana fishery.
Donaldson and Dulvy (2004) recommended (1) implementing a moratorium on commercial fishing and export; (2) educating stakeholders and the general public on the importance of conserving B. muricatum; (3) creating and enforcing larger marine reserves that incorporate key habitat; and (4) carrying further research on its population ecology and behaviour.
D. Fenner (pers. comm., 22nd Oct 2006) suggested that it is important to protect and monitor B. muricatum, a coral predator, because its removal might have effects on coral reef ecosystem with unknown consequences.
Gillett and Moy (2006) suggested that B. muricatum (a species that is inherently not very resilient to fishing pressure) should be a conceptual issue for consideration on the control of the fishing gear selectivity (especially selectivity of spearfishing).
Russ and Alcala (1998) suggested that the small size of most marine protected areas in heavily fished regions would show little positive effects on reef-bioeroding parrotfish abundances.
G.R. Allen (pers. comm. 16 January 2007) recommended blanket protection of this species, offering the "chance for the numerous immature fish to grow and form the nucleus of the globally exceptional concentration" of this giant reef fish.
For this historically abundant species, more information on its present abundance, biology, age-and-growth and management practices is recommended before it disappears due to unsustainable exploitation.
Given all the above information it seems reasonable to infer at least a 30% population reduction of the Humphead Parrotfish in the last three generations (the last 30 years) due to over-exploitation in parts of its range.
|Previously published Red List assessments:
|Range Description:
|Recorded from the Red Sea east to the Line Islands and Tuamotu Archipelago (French Polynesia), north to Taiwan, the Yaeyama Islands (Japan), and Wake Island (United States Minor Outlying Islands), south to northwest Australia, the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia (Randall et al. 1990, Myers 1999).
|Countries occurrence:
Native:American Samoa; Australia; Christmas Island; Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Egypt; French Polynesia (Society Is., Tuamotu); Guam; Indonesia; Japan (Nansei-shoto); Kenya; Kiribati; Madagascar; Malaysia; Maldives; Mauritius; Micronesia, Federated States of ; Mozambique; Myanmar; New Caledonia; Niue; Northern Mariana Islands; Palau; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Samoa; Seychelles; Solomon Islands; Somalia; Taiwan, Province of China; Tanzania, United Republic of; Tonga; United States Minor Outlying Islands (Wake Is.); Vanuatu; Yemen (Socotra)
|FAO Marine Fishing Areas:
Indian Ocean – western; Indian Ocean – eastern; Pacific – western central; Pacific – northwest; Pacific – eastern central
|Additional data:
|Range Map:
|Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
|B. muricatum are locally patchily distributed, adults always found in small shoals (<= 40 individuals) (Donaldson and Dulvy 2004).
Choat and Randall (1986) stated B. muricatum does not display sex-associated patterns of colour change, maintaining a uniform body colouration in adult females and males. Juvenile shows a distinct colour pattern.
Hamilton (2003) described B. muricatum is the largest of all parrotfish, reaching over 50 kg and living to an age of at least 40 years.
Gladstone (1986) revealed that B. muricatum individuals usually occur as part of schools containing 20 to almost 100 fish which often move into shallow waters during feeding around Lizard Island in Great Barrier Reef.
Based on a histological analysis of gonad collected from 169 females in Solomon Islands in 2000-2001, the size of maturity was found to be 620 mm FL, in which some specimens as small as 610 mm FL showed significant gonad development (Hamilton 2003).
Hamilton and Adams (unpubl. data) showed that 100% female maturity occurs at 650 mm SL.
FishBase 2006 (www.fishbase.org) estimates that the minimum population doubling time ranges from 4.5 to 14 years; this estimate is derived from a formula that utilizes length and infinity (Linf), length at maximum yield (Lopt), time at length "0" (t0) and K (= 0.10), and may need to be recalculated given the maximum age of this species (J.H. Choat, pers. comm., 18 September 2006). FishBase (2006) calculates that the decline threshold equals 0.85; this species is vulnerable to extinction if this threshold value is exceeded over the longer of 10 years or three generations.
Sex composition
Information not available
Length-age relationship
Information not available.
|Current Population Trend:
|Additional data:
|Habitat and Ecology:
|This species is gregarious and occurs in aggregations of up to several (> 75) individuals on seaward and clear outer lagoon reefs at depths of 1 to 30m; also enters outer reef flats at low tide to forage. Pelagic spawning on a lunar cycle; utilises resident spawning aggregations sites (Johannes 1981, Gladstone 1986). Eggs and larvae are pelagic. Primarily a corallivore, but also feeds upon benthic algae; this species uses its large gibbus head to ram corals and break them into pieces that are more easily ingested. Aggregations of this species are important producers of coral sand on reefs and may be important in the maintenance of ecosystem resilience (Bellwood et al. 2003). Reportedly wary on reefs near human settlement or use. This species sleeps in large groups, thus rendering them highly vulnerable to exploitation by spearfishers (mainly in the Pacific region) and netters at night (Myers 1999).
Additional notes, as follows:
Exposed reef crests are the primary habitat of B. muricatum (J.H. Choat, pers. comm. on 4th Jan 2007).
In unfished areas, B. muricatum may enter outer reef flats at depths of 1 to at least 30 m (Myers 1991).
Lieske and Myers (1994) observed that juveniles can be found in lagoons, while adults are in clear outer lagoon and seaward reefs at depths of at least 30 m.
Very small individuals are restricted to the shallow inner lagoon in Solomon Islands (Aswani and Hamilton 2004).
At Roviana Lagoon, Solomon Islands, juveniles are limited to the shallow inner lagoon environment, while larger individuals occur predominantly in passages (Hamilton 2004).
B. muricatum feeds substantially on live coral (Gladstone 1986, Myers 1991, Bellwood et al. 2003) and benthic algae (Randall et al 1990).
Gladstone (1986) described B. muricatum as generally timid and difficult to approach.
Bellwood et al (2003) reported that B. muricatum produces significant bioerosion in the Indo-Pacific. Based on 132 timed transects (20-min long, 5 m wide) at 9 reefs in the Great Barrier Reef, schools of 30 to 50 huge (up to 120 cm TL) specimens with each individual removing 2.33 m³ or 5.69 tonnes of structural reef carbonate each year.
Spawning behaviour in a tightly packed school of about 100 individuals (pair spawning activities among this mobile group) was observed from the seafloor (15 m deep) to about 2 m below the surface on the morning of January 15, 1985 in Great Barrier Reef (Gladstone 1986). None of the B. muricatum in the spawning school was smaller than about 60 cm TL (Gladstone 1986). Choat and Randall (1986) recorded a group spawning (40 to 50 fish) on the outer face of Yonge reef in Great Barrier Reef during December 1983.
Sexual Pattern
Randall and Bruce (1983) had suggested sex inversion occurs in B. muricatum. J.H. Choat, pers. comm., 18 September 2006) stated that this species does not appear to be diandric; there is an extended prereproductive period of sexual differentiation from which males are produced.
Fecundity and Recruitment
Information not available
|Movement patterns:
|Full Migrant
|Use and Trade:
This species is consumed as food. Aswani and Hamilton (2004) reported that divers in Roviana Lagoon, Solomon Islands would selectively target the largest individuals among a school of resting B. muricatum so as to let the remaining fish to flee. By the mid 1990s, fillets of B. muricatum were bought at a higher price than any other fish in Solomon Islands (Hamilton 2003).
With not much market interest for B. muricatum in Palau now (Y. Sadovy pers. comm.; source: unpublished interviews done by the Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations).
Lieske and Myers (1994) described B. muricatum to be vulnerable to overfishing. The habit of sleeping in large groups making B. muricatum highly vulnerable to be caught by commercial spearfishermen (Myers 1991).
|Major Threat(s):
B. muricatum forms mixed sized schools and is extremely vulnerable to overfishing (Hamilton 2003).
Shoaling and group resting behaviour render B. muricatum highly vulnerable to spearfishing, particularly at night-time (Donaldson and Dulvy 2004) and mainly in the Pacific region (J.H. Choat pers. comm.). Spearfishing at night has reduced the numbers of B. muricatum (Gladstone 1986, D. Fenner pers. comm. on 27th July 2006).
In Roviana Lagoon (Solomon Islands), artisanal spear fishers use their sophisticated indigenous knowledge of the spawning behaviour and ecology of B. muricatum to catch as many fish as possible in a night (Hamilton 2003).
The belief that B. muricatum predominantly aggregate at night around the new moon period and that catch rates are far greater during the new moon was not supported by field survey done in 2000-2001 (Aswani and Hamilton 2004).
Dulvy and Polunin (2004) suggested that the decline of B. muricatum in the Lau Group in Fiji was mainly due its nocturnal aggregative behaviour in shallow lagoon water or in reef caves and the daytime foraging of shoals in depth accessible by spearfishermen.
B. muricatum was often captured for ceremonial events, indicating this species has a high cultural significant value in the Lau Island group, Fiji (Dulvy and Polunin 2004).
Low priority to enforcing legislation related to spearfishing in Fiji (Gillett and Moy 2006).
In 2001, the Samoa Fisheries Projected reported that SCUBA spearfishing activities at night had been increased rapidly in the past 12 months, in which B. muricatum was one of the target species (Gillett and Moy 2006).
Gillett and Moy (2006) pointed out that sleeping B. muricatum was one of the three main types of fish to be targeted by spearfishing.
Parrotfishes show varying degrees of habitat preference and utilization of coral reef habitats, with some species spending the majority of their life stages on coral reefs, while others primarily utilize seagrass beds, mangroves, algal beds, and /or rocky reefs. Although the majority of the parrotfishes occur in mixed habitat (primarily inhabiting seagrass beds, mangroves, and rocky reefs) approximately 78% of these mixed habitat species are experiencing greater than 30% loss of coral reef area and habitat quality across their distributions. Of those species that occur exclusively in coral reef habitat, more than 80% are experiencing a greater than 30% of coral reef loss and degradation across their distributions. However, more research is needed to understand the long-term effects of habitat loss and degradation on these species populations. Widespread coral reef loss and declining habitat conditions are particularly worrying for species that depend on live coral reefs for food and shelter especially as studies have shown that protection of pristine habitats facilitate the persistence of adult populations in species that have spatially separated adult and juvenile habitats. Furthermore, coral reef loss and declining habitat conditions are particularly worrying for some corallivorous excavating parrotfishes that play major roles in reef dynamics and sedimentation (Comeros-Raynal et al. 2012).
|Conservation Actions:
Two marine protected areas (MPAs) ["no-take" zones] were established in Baraulu Village and Nusa Hope Village, Solomon Islands in 2002 to protect B. muricatum and other lagoon species (Aswani and Hamilton 2004).
There are no direct protective practices for B. muricatum.
The Fisheries (Restrictions on Use of Breathing (Apparatus) Regulations, 1997 ban the use of underwater breathing apparatus to "collect, take, or dive for fish", except for those with appointment from the Permanent Secretary or any person appointed by him in writing. And the Sixth Schedule of the Fisheries Regulation establishes minimum sizes for 21 tpes of fish, including many that are often caught by spearfishing (Gillett and Moy 2006).
Besides, traditional fisheries rules (e.g,. a ban on night diving, and a ban on the use of SCUBA for fishing) in most of the 410 traditional fishing areas in Fiji have their own local fishing rules and many of those are applicable to spearfishing (Gillett and Moy 2006).
The Fishing (Scuba Fishing) Regulations 2003 states no person shall scuba fish without a license (Gillett and Moy 2006).
Many different types of traditional rules (e.g., establishing small protected areas, minimun size limits, and restricting the use of underwater torches for spearfishing at night) governing fisheries exist in the 324 villages of Samoa (Gillett and Moy 2006).
Solomon Islands
Regulations 29 of the Fisheries Act, which enacted in January 2004, states "any person using under-water breathing apparatus for the purpose of harvesting any marine resource shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars or six months imprisonment or both such fine and imprisonment" (Gillett and Moy 2006).
Many villages regulate spearfishing (e.g. bans on night diving) by themselves (Gillett and Moy 2006).
Although traditional leader's ability to manage marine resource was found to be effective in some of the tribes in Solomon Islands, the existence of non-member (e.g., institutional context) and enforcement of harvest restriction rules are crucial so as to enhance management and minimize the public contest over natural resources (Aswani and Hamilton 2004).
Russ and Alcala (1998) suggested that the small size of most marine protected areas in heavily fished regions would show little positive effects on parrotfish abundances.
Aswani and Hamilton (2004) suggested that the prohibition on spearfishing within passage habitats in Roviana Lagoon, Solomon Islands, would provide a measure of protection the remaining important spawning stocks of B. muricatum in the Indo Pacific region.
Aswani and Hamilton (2004) recommended that any lunar ban on spearfishing should focus at late full moon quarter during which B. muricatum spawns.
|Chan, T., Sadovy, Y. & Donaldson, T.J. 2012. Bolbometopon muricatum. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2012: e.T63571A17894276. . Downloaded on 24 September 2018.
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