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InVEST 3.5.0.post40+h83fb188b7d2c documentation
The objective of the InVEST nutrient delivery model is to map nutrient sources from watersheds and their transport to the stream. This spatial information can be used to assess the service of nutrient retention by natural vegetation. The retention service is of particular interest for surface water quality issues and can be valued in economic or social terms (e.g. avoided treatment costs, improved water security through access to clean drinking water).
Land use change, and in particular the conversion to agricultural lands, dramatically modifies the natural nutrient cycle. Anthropogenic nutrient sources include point sources, e.g. industrial effluent or water treatment plant discharges, and non-point sources, e.g. fertilizer used in agriculture and residential areas. When it rains or snows, water flows over the landscape carrying pollutants from these surfaces into streams, rivers, lakes, and the ocean. This has consequences for people, directly affecting their health or well-being (Keeler et al., 2012), and for aquatic ecosystems that have a limited capacity to adapt to these nutrient loads.
One way to reduce non-point source pollution is to reduce the amount of anthropogenic inputs (i.e. fertilizer management). When this option fails, ecosystems can provide a purification service by retaining or degrading pollutants before they enter the stream. For instance, vegetation can remove pollutants by storing them in tissue or releasing them back to the environment in another form. Soils can also store and trap some soluble pollutants. Wetlands can slow flow long enough for pollutants to be taken up by vegetation. Riparian vegetation is particularly important in this regard, often serving as a last barrier before pollutants enter a stream.
Land-use planners from government agencies to environmental groups need information regarding the contribution of ecosystems to mitigating water pollution. Specifically, they require spatial information on nutrient export and areas with highest filtration. The nutrient delivery and retention model provides this information for non-point source pollutants. The model was designed for nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous), but its structure can be used for other contaminants (persistent organics, pathogens etc.) if data are available on the loading rates and filtration rates of the pollutant of interest.
The model uses a mass balance approach, describing the movement of mass of nutrient through space. Unlike more sophisticated nutrient models, the model does not represent the details of the nutrient cycle but rather represents the long-term, steady-state flow of nutrients through empirical relationships. Sources of nutrient across the landscape, also called nutrient loads, are determined based on the LULC map and associated loading rates. Nutrient loads can then be divided into sediment-bound and dissolved parts, which will be transported through surface and subsurface flow, respectively. Note that this step is optional; the user can choose to model surface flow only. In a second step, delivery factors are computed for each pixel based on the properties of pixels belonging to the same flow path (in particular their slope and retention efficiency of the land use). At the watershed/subwatershed outlet, the nutrient export is computed as the sum of the pixel-level contributions.
Loads are the sources of nutrients associated to each pixel of the landscape. Consistent with the export coefficient literature (California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Coast Region, 2013; Reckhow et al., 1980), load values for each LULC are derived from empirical measures of nutrient export (e.g. nutrient export running off urban areas, crops, etc.). If information is available on the amount of nutrient applied (e.g. fertilizer, livestock waste, atmospheric deposition), it is possible to use it by estimating the on-pixel nutrient use (and apply this correction factor to obtain the load parameters).
Next, each pixel's load is modified to account for the local runoff potential. The LULC-based loads defined above are averages for the region, but each pixel's contribution will depend on the amount of runoff transporting nutrients (Endreny and Wood, 2003; Heathwaite et al., 2005). As a simple approximation, the loads can be modified as follows:
where \(RPI_i\) is the runoff potential index on pixel \(i\). It is defined as: \(RPI_i = RP_i/RP_av\) , where \(RP_i\) is the nutrient runoff proxy for runoff on pixel \(i\), and \(RP_av\) is the average \(RP\) over the raster. This approach is similar to that developed by Endreny and Wood (2003). In practice, the raster RP is defined either as a quickflow index (e.g. from the InVEST seasonal water yield model) or as precipitation.
For each pixel, modified loads can be divided into sediment-bound and dissolved nutrient portions. Conceptually, the former represents nutrients that are transported by surface or shallow subsurface runoff, while the latter represent nutrients transported by groundwater. Because phosphorus particle are in majority sediment bound and less likely to be transported via subsurface flow, the modle uses the subsurface option only for nitrogen (\(_n\)) The ratio between these two types of nutrient sources is given by the parameter \(proportion_subsurface_n\) which quantifies the ratio of dissolved nutrients over the total amount of nutrients. For a pixel i:
In case no information is available on the partitioning between the two types, the recommended default value of \(load\_subsurface_n\) is 0, meaning that all nutrients are reaching the stream via surface flow. (Note that surface flow can, conceptually, include or shallow subsurface flow). However, users should explore the model's sensitivity to this value to characterize the uncertainty introduced by this assumption.
Nutrient delivery is based on the concept of nutrient delivery ratio (NDR), an approach inspired by the peer-reviewed concept of sediment delivery ratio (see InVEST sediment model user's guide and Vigiak et al., 2012). The concept is similar to the risk-based index approaches that are popular for nutrient modeling (Drewry et al., 2011), although it provides quantitative values of sediment export (e.g. the proportion of the nutrient load that will reach the stream). Two delivery ratios are computed, one for nutrient transported by surface flow, the other for subsurface flow.
The surface NDR is the product of a delivery factor, representing the ability of downstream pixels to transport nutrient without retention, and a topographic index, representing the position on the landscape. For a pixel i:
where \(IC_0\) and \(k\) are calibration parameters, IC_i is a topographic index, and \(NDR_{0,i}\) is the proportion of nutrient that is not retained by downstream pixels (irrespective of the position of the pixel on the landscape). Below we provide details on the computation of each factor.
\(NDR_{0,i}\) is based on the maximum retention efficiency of the land between a pixel and the stream (downslope path, in Figure 1):
Moving along a flow path, the algorithm computes the additional retention provided by each pixel, taking into account the total distance traveled across each LULC type. Each additional pixel from the same LULC type will contribute a smaller value to the total retention, until the maximum retention efficiency for the given LULC is reached (Figure 2). The total retention is capped by the maximum retention value that LULC types along the flow path can provide, \(eff_{LULC_i}\).
In mathematical terms:
- \(eff'_{down_i}\) is the effective downstream retention on the pixel directly downstream from \(i\),
- \(eff_{LULC_i}\) is the maximum retention efficiency that LULC type \(i\) can reach, and
- \(s_i\) is the step factor defined as:
- \(\ell_{i_{down}}\) is the length of the flow path from pixel \(i\) to its downstream neighbor
- \(\ell_{LULC_i}\) is the LULC retention length of the landcover type on pixel \(i\)
Since \(eff'_i\) is dependent on the pixels downstream, calculation proceeds recursively starting at pixels that flow directly into streams before upstream pixels can be calculated.
In equation [6], the factor 5 is based on the assumption that maximum efficiency is reached when 99% of its value is reached (assumption due to the exponential form of the efficiency function, which implies that the maximum value cannot be reached with a finite flow path length).
IC, the index of connectivity, represents the hydrological connectivity, i.e. how likely nutrient on a pixel is likely to reach the stream. In this model, IC is a function of topography only (Figure 3):
- \(D_{up} = \overline{S}\sqrt{A}\) and,
- \(D_{dn} = \sum_i \frac{d_i}{S_i}\)
where \(D_{up} = \overline{S}\) is the average slope gradient of the upslope contributing area (m/m), A is the upslope contributing area (\(m^2\)); \(d_i\) is the length of the flow path along the ith cell according to the steepest downslope direction (m) (see details in sediment model), and \(S_i\) is the slope gradient of the ith cell, respectively.
Note: The upslope contributing area and downslope flow path are delineated with the D-infinity flow algorithm (Tarboton, 1997). To avoid infinite values for IC, slope values S are forced to a minimum of 0.005 m/m if they occur to be less than this threshold, based on the DEM (Cavalli et al., 2013).
The value of \(IC_0\) is set to \(IC_0 = \frac{IC_{max}+IC_{min}}{2}\). This imposes that the sigmoid function relating NDR to IC is centered on the median of the IC distribution, hence that the maximum IC value gives \(NDR=NDR_{max}\). \(k\) is set to a default value of 2 (cf. SDR model theory); it is an empirical factor that represents local topography.
The expression for the subsurface NDR is a simple exponential decay with distance to stream, plateauing at the value corresponding to the user-defined maximum subsurface nutrient retention:
- \(eff_{subs}\) is the maximum nutrient retention efficiency that can be reached through subsurface flow (i.e. retention due to biochemical degradation in soils),
- \(\ell_{subs}\) is the subsurface flow retention length, i.e. the distance after which it can be assumed that soil retains nutrient at its maximum capacity,
- \(\ell_i\) is the distance from the pixel to the stream.
Nutrient export from each pixel i is calculated as the product of the load and the NDR:
Total nutrient at the outlet of each user-defined watershed is the sum of the contributions from all pixels within that watershed:
The model has a small number of parameters and outputs generally show a high sensitivity to inputs. This implies that errors in the empirical load parameter values will have a large effect on predictions. Similarly, the retention efficiency values are based on empirical studies, and factors affecting these values (like slope or intra-annual variability) are averaged. These values implicitly incorporate information about the dominant nutrient dynamics, influenced by climate and soils. Finally, the effect of grid resolution on the NDR formulation has not been well studied.
Sensitivity analyses are recommended to investigate how the confidence intervals in input parameters affect the study conclusions (Hamel et al., 2015).
Also see the "Biophysical model interpretation" section for further details on model uncertainties.
Nutrient export predictions can be used for quantitative valuation of the nutrient retention service. For example, scenario comparison can serve to evaluate the change in purification service between landscapes. The total nutrient load can be used as a reference point, assuming that the landscape has 0 retention. Comparing the current scenario export to the total nutrient load provides a quantitative measure of the retention service of the current landscape.
This section outlines the data used by the model. Refer to the appendix for detailed information on data sources and pre-processing. For all raster inputs, the projection should be defined and the projection's linear units should be in meters.
- lucode (Land use code): Unique integer for each LULC class (e.g., 1 for forest, 3 for grassland, etc.), must match the LULC raster above.
- LULC_desc: Descriptive name of land use/land cover class (optional)
- load_n (and/or load_p): The nutrient loading for each land use, given as decimal values with units of kg. ha-1 yr -1. Suffix _n stands for nitrogen, and _p for phosphorus, and the two compounds can be modeled at the same time or separately.
Note 1: Loads are the sources of nutrients associated with each LULC. If the user wants to represent different level of fertilizer application, he/she needs to create different LULC.
Note 2: Load values may be expressed either as the amount of nutrient applied (e.g. fertilizer, livestock waste, atmospheric deposition); or as "extensive" measures of contaminants, which are empirical values representing the contribution of a parcel to the nutrient budget (e.g. nutrient export running off urban areas, crops, etc.) In the latter case, the load should be corrected for the nutrient retention from downstream pixels of the same LULC. For example, if the measured (or empirically derived) export value for forest is 3 kg.ha-1.yr-1 and the retention efficiency is 0.8, users should enter 15(kg.ha-1.yr-1) in the n_load column of the biophysical table; the model will calculate the nutrient running off the forest pixel (n_export) as 15*(1-0.8) = 3 kg.ha-1.yr-1.
- eff_n (and/or eff_p): The maximum retention efficiency for each LULC class, varying between zero and 1. The nutrient retention capacity for a given vegetation is expressed as a proportion of the amount of nutrient from upstream. For example, high values (0.6 to 0.8) may be assigned to all natural vegetation types (such as forests, natural pastures, wetlands, or prairie), indicating that 60-80% of nutrient is retained. Like above, suffix _n stands for nitrogen, and _p for phosphorus, and the two compounds can be modeled at the same time or separately.
- crit_len_n (and/or crit_len_p) (in meter): the distance after which it is assumed that a patch of LULC retains nutrient at its maximum capacity. If nutrients travel a distance smaller than the retention length, the retention efficiency will be less than the maximum value eff_x, following an exponential decay (see Nutrient transport section)
- proportion_subsurface_n (optional): the proportion of dissolved nutrients over the total amount of nutrients, expressed as ratio between 0 and 1. By default, this value should be set to 0, indicating that all nutrients are delivered via surface flow.
lucode LULC_desc load_n eff_n crit_len_n proportion_subsurface_n 1 Agriculture 100 0.5 25 0.5 2 Grass 8 0.75 150 0 3 Forest 2.8 0.8 300 0 4 Wetland 2.8 0.8 10 0 5 Urban 10 0.05 10 0
To launch the nutrient model navigate to the Windows Start Menu -> All Programs -> InVEST 3.5.0.post40+h83fb188b7d2c -> Nutrient delivery and retention. The interface does not require a GIS desktop, although the results will need to be explored with any GIS tool including ArcGIS, QGIS, and others.
The following is a short description of each of the outputs from the standalone Nutrient Delivery and retention model. These results are found within the model's workspace specified in the user interface.
Parameter log: Each time the model is run, a text (.txt) file will appear in the Output folder. The file will list the parameter values for that run and will be named according to the service, the date and time, and the suffix.
Output folder:
outputx_export_suffix.shp: This is a shapefile which aggregates the nutrient model results per watershed, with x being n for nitrogen, and p for phosphorus. The .dbf table contains the following information for each watershed:
- x_load_tot: \(\mathrm{kg.yr^{-1}}\): total nutrient loads (sources) in the watershed, i.e. the sum of the nutrient contribution from all LULC without filtering from the landscape.
- x_exp_tot: \(\mathrm{kg.yr^{-1}}\): total nutrient export from the watershed
outputx_export.tif : (kg/pixel) A pixel level map showing how much load from each pixel eventually reaches the stream.
Intermediate folder:
- crit_len_x: map of retention length values, crit_len, found in the biophysical table
- d_dn: downslope factor of the index of connectivity (Eq. 5)
- d_up: distance from a pixel to the stream (following the D-infinity algorithm, see RouteDEM documentation for details)
- d_up: map of the retention efficiencies, eff_x, found in the biophysical table
- effective_retention_x: map of the effective retention provided by the downslope flow path for each pixel (Eq. 3)
- ic_factor: map of the index of connectivity (Eq. 5)
- load_n: map of loads (for surface transport) per pixel (kg,yr-1)
- ndr_x: map of NDR values
- s_accumulation.s_bar: slope parameters for IC equation found in the Nutrient transport section
- stream: stream network computed by the RouteDEM algorithm (with 0s representing land pixels, and 1s representing stream pixels)
- sub_crit_len_n: map of the critical distance value for subsurface transport of nitrogen (constant over the landscape)
- sub_eff_n: map of the subsurface retention efficiency for nitrogen (constant over the landscape)
- *sub_effective_retention_n: map of the subsurface effective retention for nitrogen (Eq. 7)
- sub_load_n: map of nitrogen loads for subsurface transport, per pixel (kg,yr-1)
- sub_ndr_n: map of subsurface nitrogen NDR values
Prepared_data folder: Contains low-level hydrological routing outputs from the RouteDEM module including flow direction, flow accumulation, and slope.
Some valuation approaches, e.g. those relying on the changes in water quality for a treatment plant, are very sensitive to the model absolute predictions. Therefore, it is important to consider the uncertainties associated with the use of InVEST as a predictive tool and minimize their effect on the valuation step.
Uncertainties in input parameters can be characterized during the literature review (e.g. examining the distribution of values from different studies). One option to assess the impact of parameter uncertainties is to conduct local or global sensitivity analyses, with the ranges obtained from the literature (Hamel et al., 2015).
The InVEST model computes a nutrient mass balance over a watershed, subtracting nutrient losses (conceptually represented by the retention coefficients), from the total nutrient sources. Where relevant, it is possible to distinguish between surface and subsurface flow paths, adding three parameters to the model. In the absence of empirical knowledge, modelers can assume that the surface load and retention parameters represent both transport process. Testing and calibration of the model is encouraged, acknowledging the main two challenges:
- knowledge gaps in nutrient transport: although there is strong evidence of the impact of land use change on nutrient export, modeling of the watershed scale dynamics remains challenging (Breuer et al., 2008; Scanlon et al., 2007). Calibration is therefore difficult and not recommended without in-depth analyses that would provide confidence in model process representation (Hamel et al., 2015)
- Potential contribution from point source pollution: domestic and industrial waste are often part of the nutrient budget and should be accounted for during calibration (for example, by adding point-source nutrient loads to modeled nutrient export, then comparing the sum to observed data).
Despite the above uncertainties, the InVEST model provides a first-order assessment of the processes of nutrient retention and may be compared with observations. Time series of nutrient concentration used for model validation should span over a reasonably long period to attenuate the effect of interannual variability. Time series should also be relatively complete throughout a year (without significant seasonal data gaps) to ensure comparison with total annual loads. If the observed data is expressed as a time series of nutrient concentration, they need to be converted to annual loads (LOADEST and FLUX32 are two software facilitating this conversion). Additional details on methods and model performance for relative predictions can be found in the study of Hamel et al. (in prep).
This is a non-exhaustive list of data sources and suggestions about finding, compiling, and formatting data. It is updated as new data sources and methods become available.
In general, the FAO Geonetwork can be a valuable data source for different GIS layers for users outside the United States: http://www.fao.org/geonetwork/srv/en/main.home.
DEM data is available for any area of the world, although at varying resolutions. A list of free global DEMs are available at http://vterrain.org/Elevation/global.html.
- Free raw global DEM data is available from:
- the World Wildlife Fund - http://worldwildlife.org/pages/hydrosheds
- NASA: http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gdem-wist.asp (30m resolution)
- USGS: http://eros.usgs.gov/elevation-products and http://hydrosheds.cr.usgs.gov/.
Alternatively, it may be purchased relatively inexpensively at sites such as MapMart (www.mapmart.com).
The DEM resolution may be a very important parameter depending on the project's goals. For example, if decision makers need information about impacts of roads on ecosystem services then fine resolution is needed. The hydrological aspects of the DEM used in the model must be correct. Because the model requires that all pixels have a flow direction (according to the D-infinity flow algorithm (Tarboton, 1997)), the DEM may need to be filled to remove sinks. Multiple passes of the ArcGis Fill tool, or Qgis Wang&Liu Fill algorithm (SAGA library) have shown good results.
A key component for all water models is a spatially continuous landuse / land cover raster grid. That is, within a watershed, all landuse / land cover categories should be defined. Gaps in data will create errors. Unknown data gaps should be approximated. Global land use data is available from:
- the University of Maryland's Global Land Cover Facility: http://glcf.umd.edu/data/landcover/ (data available in 1 degree, 8km and 1km resolutions).
- NASA: https://lpdaac.usgs.gov/products/modis_products_table/mcd12q1 (MODIS multi-year global landcover data provided in several classifications)
- the European Space Agency: http://due.esrin.esa.int/globcover/ (landcover maps for 2005 and 2009)
Data for the U.S. for 1992, 2001 and 2011 is available as the National Land Cover Data product, produced by the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) Consortium (a partnership of federal agencies): http://www.mrlc.gov
The simplest categorization of LULCs on the landscape involves delineation by land cover only (e.g., cropland, temperate conifer forest, prairie). Several global and regional land cover classifications are available (e.g., Anderson et al. 1976), and often detailed land cover classification has been done for the landscape of interest.
A slightly more sophisticated LULC classification involves breaking relevant LULC types into more model-relevant types. For example, agricultural land classes could be broken up into different crop types or forest could be broken up into specific species. The categorization of land use types depends on the model and how much data is available for each of the land types. Users should only break up a land use type if it will provide more accuracy in modeling. For instance, for the sediment model the user should only break up "crops" into different crop types if they have information on the difference in soil characteristics between crop management values.
The categorization of land use types depends on the model and how much data is available for each of the land types. The user should only break up a land use type if it will provide more accuracy in modeling. For instance, for the Nutrient delivery and Retention model the user should only break up 'crops' into different crop types if they have information on the difference in nutrient loading between crops. Along the same lines, the user should only break the forest land type into specific species for the water supply model if information is available on the root depth and evapotranspiration coefficients for the different species.
Either the quickflow index e.g. from the InVEST seasonal water yield model or average annual precipitation. Average annual precipitation may be interpolated from existing rain gages, and global data sets from remote sensing models to account for remote areas. If field data are not available, you can use coarse data from the freely available global data set developed by the Climatic Research Unit (http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk).
Watersheds outlets should correspond to reservoirs or other points of interest. This ensures that the sediment loads predicted by the model can be compared to observed data at these points. If known watershed maps exist, they should be used. Otherwise, watersheds and subwatersheds can be generated in ArcMap or QGIS based on the digital elevation model (see section on DEM for use of Fill tools to correct flow paths).
Exact locations of specific structures, such as reservoirs, should be obtained from the managing entity or may be obtained on the web at sites such as the National Inventory of Dams (http://geo.usace.army.mil/pgis/f?p=397:1:0). Global collections of dam locations and information include the Global Reservoir and Dam (GRanD) Database (http://www.gwsp.org/products/grand-database.html) and the World Water Development Report II dam database (http://wwdrii.sr.unh.edu/download.html.)
For all water quality parameter (nutrient load, retention efficiency, and retention length), local literature should be consulted to derive site-specific values. The NatCap database provides a non-exhaustive list of local references for nutrient loads and retention efficiencies. Parn et al. (2012) and Harmel et al. (2007) provide a good review for agricultural land in temperate climate.
Examples of export coefficients ("extensive" measures, see Data needs) for the US can be found in the EPA PLOAD User's Manual and in a review by Lin (2004)[http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/elpubs/pdf/tnwrap04-3.pdf]. Note that the examples in the EPA guide are in lbs/ac/yr and would need to be converted to kg/ha/yr.
This value represents, conceptually, the maximum nutrient retention that can be expected from a given LULC. Natural vegetation LULC types (such as forests, natural pastures, wetlands, or prairie) are assigned high values (>0.8). A review of the local literature and consultation with hydrologists is recommended to select the most relevant values for this parameter. Parn et al. provide a useful review for temperate climates. Reviews of riparian buffers efficiency, although a particular case of LULC retention, can also be used as a starting point (Mayer et al., 2007; Zhang et al., 2009).
This value represents the typical distance necessary to reach the maximum retention efficiency. It was introduced in the model to remove any sensitivity to the resolution of the LULC raster. The literature on riparian buffer removal efficiency suggests that retention lengths range from 10 to 300 m (Mayer et al., 2007; Zhang et al., 2009). In the absence of local data for land uses that are not forest or grass, one can simply set the retention length constant, equal to the pixel size: this will result in the maximum retention efficiency being reached within a distance of one pixel only.
These values are used for advanced analyses and should be selected in consultation with hydrologists. Parn et al. (2012) provide average values for the partitioning of N loads between leaching and surface runoff. From Mayer et al. (2007), a global average of 200m for the retention length, and 80% for retention efficiency can be assumed for vegetated buffers.
Breuer, L., Vaché, K.B., Julich, S., Frede, H.-G., 2008. Current concepts in nitrogen dynamics for mesoscale catchments. Hydrol. Sci. J. 53, 1059–1074.
California Regional Water Quality Control Board Central Coast Region, 2013. Total Maximum Daily Loads for Nitrogen Compounds and Orthophosphate for the Lower Salinas River and Reclamation Canal Basin , and the Moro Cojo Slough Subwatershed , Monterey County, CA. Appendix F. Available at: http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/centralcoast/water_issues/programs/tmdl/docs/salinas/nutrients/index.shtml
Endreny, T.A., Wood, E.F., 2003. Watershed weighting of export coefficients to map critical phosphorous loading areas. J. Am. Water Resour. Assoc. 08544, 165–181.
Hamel, P., Chaplin-Kramer, R., Sim, S., Mueller, C., 2015. A new approach to modeling the sediment retention service (InVEST 3.0): Case study of the Cape Fear catchment, North Carolina, USA. Sci. Total Environ. 166–177.
Harmel, D., Potter, S., Casebolt, P., Reckhow, K., 2007. Compilation of measured nutrient load data for agricultural land uses in the United States 76502, 1163–1178.
Heathwaite, A.L., Quinn, P.F., Hewett, C.J.M., 2005. Modelling and managing critical source areas of diffuse pollution from agricultural land using flow connectivity simulation. J. Hydrol. 304, 446–461.
Keeler, B.L., Polasky, S., Brauman, K.A., Johnson, K.A., Finlay, J.C., Neill, A.O., 2012. Linking water quality and well-being for improved assessment and valuation of ecosystem services 109, 18629–18624.
Lin, J.., 2004. Review of published export coefficient and event mean concentration (EMC) data, WRAP Technical Notes Collection (ERDC TN-WRAP-04-3). Vicksburg, MS.
Mayer, P.M., Reynolds, S.K., Mccutchen, M.D., Canfield, T.J., 2007. Meta-Analysis of Nitrogen Removal in Riparian Buffers 1172–1180.
Pärn, J., Pinay, G., Mander, Ü., 2012. Indicators of nutrients transport from agricultural catchments under temperate climate: A review. Ecol. Indic. 22, 4–15.
Reckhow, K.H., Beaulac, M.N., Simpson, J.T., 1980. Modeling Phosphorus loading and lake response under uncertainty: A manual and compilation of export coefficients. EPA 440/5-80-011. US-EPA, Washington, DC.
Scanlon, B.R., Jolly, I., Sophocleous, M., Zhang, L., 2007. Global impacts of conversions from natural to agricultural ecosystems on water resources: Quantity versus quality. Water Resour. Res. 43.
Tarboton, D., 1997. A new method for the determination of flow directions and upslope areas in grid digital elevation models. Water Resour. Res. 33, 309–319.
Vigiak, O., Borselli, L., Newham, L.T.H., Mcinnes, J., Roberts, A.M., 2012. Comparison of conceptual landscape metrics to define hillslope-scale sediment delivery ratio. Geomorphology 138, 74–88.
Zhang, X., Liu, X., Zhang, M., Dahlgren, R. a, Eitzel, M., 2009. A review of vegetated buffers and a meta-analysis of their mitigation efficacy in reducing nonpoint source pollution. J. Environ. Qual. 39, 76–84.


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The Week in Pictures | August 27 – September 2, 2012
Each week we bring you the very best in visual journalism. Hurricane Isaac pounded the Gulf Coast this week, downing trees, causing widespread power outages and leaving parts... View Post»
Darwin, Calif., seeks to evolve from dial-up Internet
Darwin is a former mining town cloistered in the high desert mountains between Death Valley National Park and the China Lake naval weapons testing center. Finding it isn't... View Post»
The Week in Pictures | June 20-26, 2011
The Glastonbury Music Festival, now in its fifth decade, is well underway in England. The event has grown from a modest gathering on a dairy farm in 1970 with tickets costing... View Post»
Pictures in the News | May 18, 2011
Wednesday's Pictures in the News begins in South Africa, where millions of voters headed to the polls. The ruling African National Congress party expected to lose ground to the... View Post»

subset: commoncrawl


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Government drone by day and book lover and geek girl by night!
So Ruth Ware keeps doing this. She has an interesting idea that she can't quite get off the ground floor when it comes for the full book. "The Lying Game" is about a group of four friends who used to play a game that involved lying with rules.
Rule 1: Tell a Lie
Rule 2: Stick To Your Story
Rule 3: Don't Get Caught
Rule 4: Never Lie to Each Other
Rule 5: Know When to Stop Lying
Ware divides up the book with parts around these rules. Too bad that's pretty much the only interesting thing about the book. I thought we would get a book showing a group of teens and how they played this game. You don't get to see that. It's referred to and you hear about how the girls were considered outsiders by the boarding school girls they loved with. And honestly who would blame people. They keep to to themselves and told huge lies about people. If Ware was trying for sympathy it didn't work.
Told in the first person, we follow Isa Wilde who befriends two girls on the train heading to a place called Salten. Meeting Kate and Thea she ends up telling a lie soon after she meets them so they allow her to join their weird twosome. Isa's new roommate Fatima is included too cause she backs up Isa's lie.
Ware does not do a good job of developing Isa or anyone else. Isa comes across as mean and just not very bright. She starts taking things out on her partner Owen and man if Ware was going for readers to sympathize with Isa it didn't work.
It also doesn't seem believable that a group of women who have not spoken in a decade or longer would come running when one of them texts. Ware should have shown more of them as teens hanging out and being close to each other. Instead we don't get much dialogue between them as teens. Just Isa describing events and feelings. She gets into her crush on Isa's brother Luc and it didn't even seem believable. It felt like they barely spoke in this book.
Isa as an adult also doesn't seem smart. She has a baby (6 month old Freya) who she is overly fixated on. Hope you enjoy reading about her breast feeding every two seconds. Freya didn't do much but scream the whole book. But Isa later on keeps taking her daughter with her to stay in house that's sinking, leaves her with a babysitter she doesn't know, takes her back to a house that maybe a murderer is at, etc. But she treats her partner Owen like an interloper when he finally starts calling her on lying to him.
There is a long winding road before you even figure out what event led to this group of teens to be separated. What did they lie about which haunts them still. The reveal to that was a letdown and oh so stupid. I am going to chalk it up to teen logic, but now I feel bad, cause most teens would not be this stupid.
The writing was repetitive and not great. The town the girls were at for a year which is dealing with a downturn that may push the long time residents out was the only piece I found myself caring about.
The only reason why I gave this two stars is that the idea behind "The Lying Game" sounded cool, it's just Ware couldn't pull it off. When we get reveal after reveal nothing really had a chance to sink in yet. And the ending with Isa and her nonsense didn't make it any better.


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Over the initial stages of the past century a printing association was established which had its own finger marks on the Lebanese printing community. It is one of the leading associations in terms of prestige and quality. This effort was reached when the grandparents picked up the right track and the grandchildren continued followed the path. Read more
About Us (عربي)


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"There is growing recognition among medical professionals that cancer screening is a double-edged sword," the authors write in background information to the study. "While some individuals may benefit from early detection, others may only be diagnosed and treated for cancer unnecessarily. ... the public needs access to balanced information about its [cancer screening] potential benefits and harms."
Lisa M. Schwartz, M.D., M.S., from the VA Outcomes Group, White River Junction, Vt., and colleagues conducted a national telephone survey of 500 adults during 2001 and 2002 to learn about adults' experience with a broad range of screening tests. The survey included 360 women aged 40 years or older and 140 men aged 50 years or older without a history of cancer. The survey included questions about the value of early detection; and four cancer screening tests: Papanicolaou (Pap) test; mammography; prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test; and sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.
"Most adults (87 percent) living in the United States believe routine cancer screening is 'almost always a good idea,'" the authors found. "Seventy-four percent believe that finding cancer early saves lives 'most' or 'all of the time'. Fifty-three percent believe screening usually reduces the amount of treatment needed when cancer is found."
"Less than one third believe there will be a time when they will stop undergoing routine screening," the authors report. "A substantial proportion believe that an 80-year-old who chose not to be tested was irresponsible: ranging from 41 percent with regard to mammography to 32 percent for colonoscopy. Thirty-eight percent of respondents had experienced at least one false-positive screening test; more than 40 percent of these individuals characterized that experience as 'very scary' or the 'scariest time of my life.'" But, the researchers write that 98 percent of those respondents were glad they had the initial screening test. Most of the respondents had a strong desire to know about the presence of a cancer, regardless of its implications: two-thirds said they would want to be tested for a cancer even if nothing could be done; and 56 percent would want to be tested for pseudodisease, which are cancers growing so slowly that they would never cause problems during the persons lifetime even if untreated. And the researchers report there is great interest in the total body computed tomographic (CT) screening, even though there are no data to support its benefit or safety, and it is not endorsed by any professional medical organization. Almost 75 percent of the respondents would choose a total body CT scan over receiving $1,000 in cash.
"Some clinicians will see our results as welcome evidence of the success of public health campaigns for widely recommended cancer screening tests," the authors write. "Others will have quite a different take. They will see disturbing evidence that these same campaigns have communicated a misleadingly simple and one-sided message - a message that discourages meaningful discussions about the use of these tests in settings when the recommendations are less clear (e.g., screening at younger ages, at advanced age, or for individuals with multiple comorbidities [illnesses]." The authors suggest that the public is primed to believe that there is value in having any test that is marketed as being able to find early cancer. In conclusion the authors write, "The challenge now is to balance messages and reduce the public's risk for overtesting and overtreatment."
The authors note that their findings are limited because they do not know whether the public's enthusiasm for early detection would change if the potential benefits and harms of screening were fully communicated and understood.
(JAMA. 2004; 291:71-78. Available post-embargo at JAMA.com)
Editor's Note: Drs. Woloshin and Schwartz are supported by Veterans Affairs Career Development Awards in Health Services Research and Development and by Robert Wood Johnson Generalist Faculty Scholar Awards. This study was supported by a grant from the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program and a grant from the National Cancer Institute.


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The Arab people of Saba is a most reserved and notoriously eerie people. Living in the south of Arabia they are protected by the unrelenting desert to the north. Moving amongst the environment like ghosts they befuddle any army foolish enough to enter their domain with their vast expertise on desert warfare and ambushes. With the Kushites and Rich Egypt only a hop over short waters they can mount a full invasion without fearing for the protection of their homes.
Their armies utilize the powerful and tall camels in the front line rather than in the baggage train. The distinctive smell frightens cavalry and lets Saba's camelry cut to shreds any opposing horsemen. Their fierce warriors hardened by years of scavenging and hunting in the brutal desert environment will not flee easily. And their archers can loose a devastating volley in the cruelest of desert winds. Saba is not a state to be trifled with.
However the fertile lands of Arabia cannot maintain an empire for long, and if Saba has international aspirations they must seek to find new and more fertile lands. The soldiers of the desert will emerge from the fires of their harsh lives to devastate the luxurious towns of the urban civilizations. Their hearts forged in adversity will triumph over the decadence of the old empires!


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Top 5 Picks to Break!
It's hard nowadays to get new singles in the marketplace when you are coming off a major hit such as Cage The Elephant's "Trouble." The celebrated #1 track is still inside the Top 10 at Modern Rock in its 37th week of being released. It's time for a new one as "Cold Cold Cold" impacts next week. Check it out!


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The Islamic State (ISIS), during President Barack Obama's 2 terms in the White House, has grown in size and power. They have inflicted deadly attacks on Western countries, as we saw in Paris and Brussels. Their followers even attacked America during the deadly Islamic terror attacks in San Bernardino, California.
Now, this summer, ISIS could be ready to head to the beach! Dressed like tourists, the attacks will come and vacationers on the beaches of Europe will die. This is horrible:
After the arrest of an Islamic State fighter in Mallorca, authorities worry the group may target European beaches and bathers over the summer in new terror attacks.
According to the Madrid Ministry of the Interior authorities on the island of Mallorca arrested a 26-year-old who is said to have been in close contact with the leadership of the Islamic State in Syria. The young man used internet forums to recruit new fighters for the group and offered assistance to would-be fighters who wanted to make the trip to Syria.
From his home in Palma the suspected terrorist also advocated new attacks and called upon others to commit acts of terror in Spain and elsewhere reports Kurier.
The arrest comes at a time when media in Italy and Germany have both reported a heightened security alert on European beaches. According to information obtained from police chief, captain Pouye Seck, from the African nation of Senegal, ISIS fighters may target beach goers in Spain, Southern France and Italy.
The attacks would be similar to the mass shooting of tourists that occurred in Tunisia and led to the deaths of 39 people.
We are dealing with an enemy that follows no rules of war, and doesn't dress in uniform. Apparently, ISIS is ready to "disguise themselves as t-shirt and sunglasses street vendors and sneak in automatic weapons or high explosives to then go on a rampage."
This is why America needs a real leader in the White House. It is time to wipe ISIS off the face of the Earth, forever!
This is a breaking news story. We will most more details as they become available.


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Volunteer Review: Lisa V., Patois in Jamaica
As a recent college graduate, I decided that after completing my "institutional" learning it was time to do some learning for my own personal growth. I decided that one of the things I wanted to learn was how to speak Jamaican Patois, the creole-type language that is spoken by Jamaicans. As someone who already had strong ties in Jamaica and cultural understanding that only comes with experience, I knew I needed to find a program in Jamaica that would be foreigner-friendly, but still let me have freedom to do my own thing.
I started searching online for a program that would allow me to be in the country I love for several weeks, allow me to expand my Patois skills and have some freedom to travel. This is when I found Projects Abroad. There are dozens of 'volunteer-abroad-have-a-good-experience programs' out there and many of them had opportunities in Jamaica. But after extensive search, I found that what makes Projects Abroad special is that they are the only program to offer formal Patois lessons.
I then found out that I was the first person to ever take them up on their offer of Patois lessons. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only foreigner to ever come to Jamaica and formally learn Patois outside of the Peace Corps. It's nice to feel special, but I want other people such as myself, who have strong ties in Jamaica and plan to spend much of their life there, to be aware that this opportunity is out there.
Living in Mandeville, Jamaica
First off, I want to speak to the value of having Projects Abroad headquarters in a place like Mandeville. Mandeville is one of the major cities in Jamaica and it is completely lacking in tourist appeal. If you are looking to have an authentic Jamaican experience, outside of the lovely beaches and all of that, Mandeville will give you a look at what life is like for the average Jamaican living in an urban area.
It is located in Manchester, the only area in Jamaica that doesn't have a beach. This is not much of a selling point, but that is what your weekends are for! On the weekends, you can travel to touristy areas like Ocho Rios and Negril and Montego Bay. When the time comes to leave for you weekend trip, you'll be glad you're starting in Mandeville because Mandeville is a highly functional hub of transportation to the entire island. You have multiple options for easy public transportation to anywhere in Jamaica, all from within walking distance of the Projects Abroad office.
I was able to make more obscure day-trips in the afternoon, such as the largely unknown Treasure Beach, or to Rasta camps. If you're hoping for an authentic Jamaican experience during the work week, and to be able to see the finer things on the weekend, Mandeville is an ideal setting.
Learning Patois
As the first person to take these lessons, I was the guinea pig because it was my teacher's first time teaching Patois. Her name was Brenda and she was a wonderful person who I cherished spending several hours with each day. On the first day, she asked me questions to determine my level of comprehension and concluded that I was slightly above the beginner's level.
She taught me some basic phrases that people use in everyday conversation, answered my questions about Patois that could only be answered by a professional, instead of a common native speaker, and we laid a foundation for what would be useful for me to learn in the coming weeks.
With my lessons being one-on-one, I really got to know Brenda and count her as the closest friend I made during my time in Mandeville. She went above and beyond the call of duty. She would take me around to speak to locals, in the marketplaces and visiting her friends who work nearby. Several visits were made to visit a friend, where I sat in her office and listened to them speak, eavesdropping to build my listening skills and contributing to the conversation with friendly people who wouldn't cater to my English-speaking habits. This was such a unique and hands-on way to learn the language.
While we were in the classroom, things were more conventional – she would write lessons on the board I would ask questions, practice speaking and take notes. My notes from this class are still useful for me to look back on. She would have me write a summary of where I travelled on the weekend and correct my mistakes. We would watch YouTube videos of Jamaican plays, TV shows and interviews to build my listening skills and my favorite lessons involved watching Reggae music videos and interpreting the lyrics!
We would read poems and short stories written in Patois and she would have me call my (Jamaican) boyfriend on the phone and critique me speaking in Patois to someone in my everyday life back home. She even helped me to write love letters to him! My favorite learning experience within the classroom involved reading a limited-edition Patois translation of the New Testament. To make sure that I was maintaining what I was learning, Brenda would also give me print-outs of vocabulary and a test each week on the new material.
I am proud to say that because of my lessons with Brenda through Projects Abroad, I am now able to eavesdrop on my Jamaican neighbors, carry on a conversation and know what is going on both grammatically and conversationally. And to me, that is invaluable! I travel to Jamaica often and love being able to use my refined Patois skills both at home and while in Jamaica.
Lisa V.
This is a personal account of one volunteer's experience on the project and is a snapshot in time. Your experience may be different, as our projects are constantly adapting to local needs and building on accomplishments. Seasonal weather changes can also have a big impact. Find out more about what you can expect from this project, or speak to one of our friendly Program Advisors.


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Concrete Pier
I developed the MMC Concrete Quantity & Cost Calculator after looking around online and noticing that the free concrete calculators available definitely could be improved upon. The advantages of the MMC Calculator are: with one click on the above link, it can be freely, instantly and securely...
Platforms: Windows, Mac, Other, Pocket PC, Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod, iTouch, Palm
|License: Freeware
|Size: 60 KB
|Download (44): MMC Concrete Calculator Download
Insulated concrete forms screen saver with commerical and residential buildings. Images of ICF construction projects for contractors and architects to view concrete homes and icf buildings. Gallery pictures include multiunit dwellings, single family homes, and commercial buildings utilizing...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Freeware
|Size: 1.58 MB
|Download (28): Insulated Concrete Forms Download
Quick and easy way to estimate bags of concrete needed for the home job with handy concrete estimator
Platforms: Windows, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Server
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $4.95 USD
|Size: 3.45 MB
|Download (530): Handy Concrete Estimator Download
Build accurate insurance concrete construction estimates while saving time and money. Designed specifically for concrete, general and building contractors. ConcreteCOST Estimator contains extensive industry standard user-modifiable unit cost data for all cost categories covering concrete...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $89.00 USD
|Size: 4.49 MB
|Download (253): ConcreteCost Estimator for Excel Download
RetainWall is a software mainly developed for the purpose of designing a concrete or masonry retaining wall. The wall may retain soil or other granular material. It analyses the stability of the wall based on the loads and resistances, and results in bearing pressure, sliding, overturning and...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Freeware
|Size: 3.5 MB
|Download (68): RetainWall Download
LeanWall is a software mainly designed for the purpose of designing a concrete or masonry leaning wall. The wall may lean on rock or soil and may retain soil or other granular material. It analyses the stability of the wall based on the loads and the resulting base pressure, sliding, anchor...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Freeware
|Size: 2.2 MB
|Download (55): LeanWall Download
Free version of MasterKey Concrete Beam Designer for the analysis and design of cantilever, simple, fixed and partialy fixed single span beams to BS 8110 and EuroCode 2. The degree of integration, simplicity of input and speed of design make MasterBeam Concrete Beam Designer the ideal tool for...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Freeware
|Size: 233.62 MB
|Download (42): MasterBeam: Concrete Beam Designer Download
The old pier is well preserved. Here are beautiful boats. Many of them also for many years. We suggest you make a walk in the local area. You will learn many new and interesting. Let's start right now.
Platforms: Windows, Edition 2005,Edition 2005
|License: Freeware
|Size: 6.28 MB
|Download (27): Old Pier Screensaver Download
Civil Engineering pavement design calculation software - covers calculations for traffic, road geometry, surveying, earthwork, asphalt pavement, concrete pavement, concrete floors on grade and unit conversions. Supports 32 bit,( x86) and 64 bit (x64) architecture for Windows Operating Systems....
Platforms: Windows
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $75.00 USD
|Size: 9.54 MB
|Download (112): CE CALC - Pavement Calculator Download
A function for carbonation depth measurement out of an image of phenolphthalein sprayed fresh fracture of concrete beam.The algorithm can be easily adopted for similar proposes, like chloride penetration.a description of the algorithm can be found in:2nd International RILEM Workshop on Concrete...
Platforms: Matlab
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $0.00 USD
|Size: 10 KB
|Download (18): Carbonation Depth Measurement by Image Analysis Download
365 Concrete calculator lets you easily calculate your volume needs for the common filling requirements in any combinations of the following units: - Metres - Centimetres - Feet - Inches - Your boot length (for a bit of fun) Ask Reg (who runs the company and has been in the business for 38...
Platforms: iOS
|License: Freeware
|Size: 15.1 MB
|Download (8): 365 Concrete Calculator Download
PANOPLIA preprocessor is part of a sophisticated software system intended for the design and analysis of earthquake resistant reinforced concrete buildings, called PANOPLIA.Using PANOPLIA preprocessor the user has all the appropriate tools to model the building's framework in a rapid and...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $93.00 USD
|Size: 124.31 MB
|Download (166): Panoplia Preprocessor Download
In a difference from the Google-like global searching systems, "Light Web Searcher" provides only local information searches in concrete sites. The main advantage is that Light Web Searcher searches for a data directly in the pages of site (downloading and keeping them at user's computer),...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Freeware
|Size: 1014 KB
|Download (75): Light Web Searcher Download
If you are living in the concrete jungles and working in crammed dull offices, what you need is to break out and escape to the beautiful place you dreamed of when you were a child. You will find the place where trees whisper and a small stream slowly flows playing with rays of sun. This is the...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $12.95 USD
|Size: 8.77 MB
|Download (72): Watermill 3D Photo Screensaver Download
IP-Country 1.0 is a simple utility to know more about the users who visit your web because from a concrete IP it gives you the country of origin. You can then export the obtained results to Excel.
Platforms: Windows
|License: Freeware
|Size: 2 KB
|Download (107): IP-Country Download
WinContig is a simple, independent defrag tool, that doesn`t create any installation directory nor leave any entries on the Windows Registry. It rapidly defrags concrete files, without needing to defrag the whole hard drive.Both the defrag and the analysis engine are based on Microsoft`s API...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Freeware
|Size: 1024 B
|Download (136): WinContig Download
Eiffel Software offers development tools that make a concrete and immediate difference in how companies produce software. The companys flagship product, EiffelStudio, is available under Dual Licensing: choose between Open Source and commercial.. Home page for object technology, Eiffel, software...
Platforms: *nix
|License: Freeware
|Download (116): EiffelStudio Download
If you often work with a PC, then you must have sometimes done a screen capture using the Print Screen command, and later used a heavy and complicated graphic editor to get the fragment you wanted.This is what Windows Snapshot Maker 2.0.7 avoids, letting you make screen captures not only of the...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Freeware
|Size: 4 KB
|Download (346): Windows Snapshot Maker Download
There are still nostalgic people who use and work in MSDOS, and for them this small program has been designed: DOSname 1.0. It gives you the route or name of a concrete file in MSDOS format, making it considerably easier to access it from that setting.
Platforms: Windows
|License: Freeware
|Size: 6 KB
|Download (106): DOSname Download
FEM analysis and design of reinforced concrete slabs according to Eurocode 2. The program uses enhanced user interface for the geometry and load input. The load is organised in actions (load groups) which are combined in load cases. No special care is needed for mesh, since the mesh is...
Platforms: Windows
|License: Shareware
|Cost: $760.00 USD
|Size: 2.03 KB
|Download (122): AMSES Plate Download


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Potty Racers 2
You can play Potty Racers 2 free online truck games at fogames. It has tags: Adventure,. It has 1605 total plays and has been rated 97.1% (141 like and 20 dislike), find the fun and happy day. If you want to play more truck games, we find some of the game: Potty Racers 4, Potty Racers 3, Paintball Racers and Potty Racers. To play other games, go to the adventure games page, the games page, or just check out the new games or best games page.


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Vector Blocks is an engaging new physics based puzzle game. Guide the silver ball from its source to the goal tile by strategic placement of four types of vector blocks. These nudge the ball up, down, left or right.
Avoid going off the edge of the screen or hitting the solid tiles. Other types of tiles will help or hinder your progress. These currently include friction tiles, which slow the ball down, and bouncer tiles, which push the ball away.
Work your way through over 40 levels - some simple, some maddeningly frustrating, but all can be done, so dont give up!


text: High quality fiber optic cable is 3 feet long and is terminated with a toslink plug on each end. Core diameter of fiber is 0.98mm and outer jacket is 7.0mm in diameter (cable has 3 jackets total). This has less than 1.5dB loss at 650nm. These are brand new in manufacture bags. Each toslink plug has a clear removable protective sleeve. Sorry, no other data available. Check out our blowout price!


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When a company gets into financial trouble and is unable to pay its debts, an administrator or administrative receiver may be appointed. The main goal of an administrator is to rescue the company as a going concern. If this isn't possible, the administrator will try to get a better result for the creditors - by rescuing parts of the business - than would be possible if the company was wound up. If this fails, the administrator will sell the company's assets to make at least a partial payment to creditors.
Black swan
An event that is extremely hard to predict. Generally associated with Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book, The Black Swan. Black swan events are typically random and unexpected, and some think the current financial crisis is a black swan. Before the discovery of Australia, it was assumed that all swans were white because nobody had seen one of a different shade. Markets tend to work on the basis that black swans either don't exist or appear with such irregularity that they are not worth worrying about.
Capital ratio
Capital ratios are a measure of a bank's capital strength used by regulatory agencies. Tier 1 (core) capital, the more important of the two, consists largely of shareholders' equity. This is the amount paid to originally purchase the shares of the bank and retained profits (minus losses). Put simply, if the original stockholders paid £100 to buy their stock and the bank has made £10 in profits each year since, paid out no dividends and made no losses, after 10 years the bank's tier one capital would be £200. National regulators now allow several other instruments other than common shares to count in tier one capital, which are commonly referred to as upper tier one capital.
Tier 2 capital is also known as supplementary capital. In the Basel I accord, it is categorised as undisclosed reserves, revaluation reserves, general provisions, hybrid instruments and subordinated term debt.
Collateralised debt obligations - toxic financial instruments at the heart of the credit crunch. Banks embraced them as a way of shifting debt off their balance sheets, enabling them to lend more. The first CDO is said to have been issued in 1987 by bankers at the now defunct Drexel Burnham Lambert. In 20 years, the size of the market is estimated to have reached $2 trillion, and boomed between 2004 and 2007.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11 is a chapter of the US bankruptcy code that gives a company an opportunity to reorganise and emerge from bankruptcy. Chapter 11 bankruptcy is a form of corporate financial reorganisation in which a company's assets gets sold off to pay creditors. In some cases, Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows companies to continue to function. Creditors must vote to approve the reorganisation plan. If a plan cannot be agreed, the court can either convert the case to a liquidation under Chapter 7 or, if this is in the interest of creditors, return the business to the status quo before bankruptcy. Individuals may also be able to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Credit crunch
The current global financial crisis is commonly known as the credit crunch, as lending between banks has all but frozen, and credit made available to consumers and businesses is being squeezed.
Credit default swaps
Credit default swaps (CDS) are instruments bought by investors to insure against defaults on corporate and other bonds. The contract involves a buyer paying a series of settlements to a seller; in exchange, the buyer receives the right to a payoff if a credit instrument goes into default.
The CDS market has been largely unregulated and last year was valued at twice that of the US Stock Exchange. The lack of transparency has meant exposures to bad debt is unknown.
Banks and other institutions have used credit default swaps to cover the risk of default in mortgage and other debt securities they hold. Many credit default swaps have sunk in value as the mortgage-backed securities they support have imploded.
If sellers of CDS outweigh buyers in the Lehman Brothers' auction, as some are expecting, then losses could hit 90% of insurance sold.
The auction will be one of the largest settlements of contracts in the $55 trillion market, with about $400bn in contract volumes estimated on Lehman's debt.
Dead cat bounce
A term used by traders to describe a pattern wherein a spectacular decline in share prices is immediately followed by a moderate and temporary rise before resuming its downward movement. While a dead cat will bounce if you drop it from a high building, that doesn't mean it's alive.
Hedge funds
After the woes of HBOS, hedge fund bosses, including the New York billionaire John Paulson , have come under fire for short-selling UK bank shares.
London interbank offer rate - the interest rate that banks charge each other for loans up to one year. The short-term international interbank market allows banks with liquidity requirements to borrow quickly from other banks with surpluses, enabling banks to avoid holding excessively large amounts of their asset base as liquid assets. Libor is officially fixed once a day at around 11.45am by a small group of large London banks, but the rate changes throughout the day.
Naked shorts
Naked short-selling, or naked-shorting, is the illegal practice of selling a stock short without first borrowing the shares or ensuring that the shares can be borrowed, as is done in a conventional short sale. When the seller does not obtain the shares within the required time frame, the result is known as a "fail to deliver". However, the transaction generally remains open until the shares are acquired by the seller or the seller's broker, allowing a trade to occur when the order is filled.
National Economic Council
The 19-strong National Economic Council, chaired by the prime minister, was set up on October 3. It meets twice weekly to coordinate government action to tackle the banking crisis. The new committee has been dubbed an economic version of the exisiting Cobra emergency committee. A network of business ambassadors, including former BP boss Lord Browne and Lloyds TSB chairman Sir Victor Blank, has also been established to support the government overseas.
Permanent interest-bearing shares - effectively, a form of subordinated debt issued by building societies which they can count towards their capital for capical adequacy calculations. The need arises because mutual institutions do not have the option of raising funds in the stockmarket.
Preference shares
Shares in a company which pay a fixed dividend but which do not usually carry voting rights. If the company is wound up, preference shares are usually repayable at par value, and rank above the claims of ordinary shareholders (but behind banks and other creditors).
Quantitative easing
Quantitative easing is what non-economists call 'turning on the printing press'. In extreme circumstances, governments flood the financial system with money, easing pressure on banks by giving them extra capital. Ben Bernanke, the chairman of the Fed, won the nickname 'helicopter Ben' when he floated just such an idea earlier this decade. US economist Milton Friedman had originally said it would be theoretically possible for governments to drop large amounts of cash out of helicopters for the public to pick up and spend.
Short-selling involves selling borrowed shares in the hope that the price will fall and they can be bought back at a profit later on.
The Financial Services Authority rushed in emergency rules to ban short-selling in bank shares, and ordered speculators to close down all short positions in bank shares, or have their names made public.
Special investment vehicle - SIVs have become a problem during the credit crunch. They are spun off from banks to borrow money cheaply and then buy securities such as mortgage-backed bonds and more complex instruments such as collateralised debt obligations that pay higher rates of interest. During the credit crunch, the value of the securities in SIVs has dropped.
Sterling overnight interbank average rate - a proxy for the market's interest rate expectations. The rate is an index that tracks sterling overnight funding rates for trades that occur in off hours.
Special liquidity scheme
Launched by the Bank of England in April to encourage banks to lend to each other, the special liquidity scheme was extended in September. The Bank has doubled the size of the scheme - which allows banks to swap mortgage-backed securities for cash - to £200bn. The scheme allows banks to swap assets that they cannot trade on the markets for nine-month government bonds that are more liquid and more attractive to other banks. The swaps are essentially loans of taxpayer assets and the Bank hopes they will get the paralysed money markets moving again.
Troubled asset rescue programme - the US government's controversial $700bn bail-out package for the financial industry which allows the US Treasury to buy toxic mortgage debts from banks. It failed to get through the House of Representatives the first time round, but a revised bill was passed a few days later. The UK government followed suit with its own momentous £500bn-rescue of Britain's banking sector.
Write down, write off
Many major banks have been writing down the value of mortgage-backed assets because they are no longer worth the figures at which they are shown in the books. Write offs are more severe than write downs - the whole of the value of the asset is deducted.
Zero interest rates
Central banks around the world have been slashing interest rates in a desperate attempt to get people and businesses spending again. In the US and Japan, rates are now close to zero, and the Bank of England has hinted that rates could fall to near zero in Britain too. In Japan, which suffered a prolonged period of deflation, interest rates were stuck at zero for six years until July 2006.


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The Broken Seal is a special location in quadrant F8 of the Forbidden Lands, and the final save shrine. The small area can only be accessed after defeating 15 colossi, and it is necessary to go through this area to get to the sixteenth. The Broken Seal is one of the only locations in the game that has a save shrine in close proximity to the colossus. Upon entering The Broken Seal, the player will see the save shrine to the right and a set of stairs to the left
The area gets its name from the means by which Wander is finally able to access it. Wander must open a gigantic door that previously blocked off the area by shining the Ancient Sword's light onto a great seal. Doing so will trigger a short cutscene of the door opening. Since Malus is obviously the only colossus in that direction from the door (and since the colossi must be encountered in order), the area is inaccessible until all other colossi have been killed.
There is another reason the area is closed off. Beyond the final save shrine lies a dangerous bridge that will collapse when the slightest bit pressure is exerted on it. Wander cannot cross it in time on his own; he must ride Agro across. Agro, unfortunately, cannot cross in time, and must throw Wander the remaining distance.
The Broken Seal is the only location in Shadow of the Colossus in which the player will experience weather change and change in wind direction. The final battle with Malus takes place in a thunderstorm and is the only instance other than the opening cutscene and the end credits in which rain and thunder are seen.


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Another recent discovery on the internet is a Serbian language video examining the famous Jerome Gambit game Amateur - Blackburne, London, 1885.
Having shown the first moves of the game - 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+ Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ the presenter takes an aside to look at 6...Ke6, before continuing with Blackburne's 6...g6. There, White executes a checkmate in 17 moves - ah, well, but, anyhow, back to Blackburne...
I had to chuckle. Knowingly or not, the chess player had just shown the game Ghandybh - ishahir, Chess.com, 2009, presented on this blog in the post "Teach / Learn" about 5 1/2 years ago.
For that matter, there had been updates in "Jerome Gambit on YouTube!?" (the game Ghandybh - ishahir, Chess.com, 2009) and "Jerome Gambit: Winning Strategy #1".
But what really shocked me about the Serbian video was the reference to the opening as the Jerome Gambit, or the Zeromov Gambit.
I had not heard that one before. Looks like I have more research ahead of me!


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Actor | Director | Writer
Son-in-law of Tom Tripplehorn.
Plays neurotic characters
Leland Jones Orser
San Francisco, California, USA
Candice Patton divulges how her "Flash" character still saves the day — even without superpowers — and how a contest in college jump-started her acting career.
See what the IMDb editors are excited to watch in October, check out our guide to Fall TV, video games, and more.


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- ValerieBee03
- 5 years ago
DISCLAIMER: I am not, nor have ever been, pregnant but I thought you lovely bees would be interested in this.
It was unclear (or maybe just because I skimmed) how familiar this man was to her to begin with.
In short:
Man gives pregnant woman a hug, then rubs her belly. She pushes him away and he leaves.
Now she is suing for harrassment.
So ladies vent your frustrations! Does it bother you when people, friends, strangers, rub your belly without asking? (Or even with)
Would you go as far as to sue someone? Personally, I'd just slap them! LOL but then I'd probably get sued…
Edited to add a poll!


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(Proudly cross-posted at Clintonistas for Obama)
He's one of the biggest celebrities in Washington, DC. He's beloved by the Beltway Insider establishment. He'd rather schmooze with big media than connect with us regular people on the major issues.
Beware: This DC celebrity is dangerous. He's even more shallow than Paris Hilton.
I'm sure you've seen this by now:
And come on, you know it's true. McCain comes from a party known to promote empty-headed celebrities. Mccain always craves complete media attention on him. McCain even has celebrity anger management problems!
McCain may be trying now to make us ignore his own celebrity status as he attacks Barack Obama's "celebrity fame", but let's not fall into that trap. McCain's the real celebrity elitist. McCain's the real media darling. McCain's the one who's actually out of touch with working-class Americans.
So let's not forget about the real facts on McCain. Let's spread the word on these real facts. Oh yes, and let's make sure Obama has enough resources to continue getting the truth out.


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|Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Arts and Sciences
|Undergraduate Research
|One-three-six semester hours.
|This course enables undergraduate students to actively participate in the process of scholarly inquiry. The research topic is chosen by the student with the approval of the supervising professor prior to registration. This course may be repeated but not to exceed 12 semester hours. These hours do not count towards the student's major degree plan. Prerequisite: SOCI 3305 or permission of instructor and department chair.
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Wallabies coach Cheika tells All Blacks to 'bring it on'
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika said on Monday he is looking forward to finally beating the All Blacks in New Zealand this weekend, declaring "bring it on".
Australia is out to end a demoralising 15-year, 19-Test sequence without a win over the world champions in New Zealand in Saturday's third and final Bledisloe Cup Test.
The series is already decided after the All Blacks thumped the Wallabies 42-8 in Sydney and 29-9 in Wellington in Tests doubling as Rugby Championship encounters.
Australia's coach Michael Cheika watches his players warm up ahead of their Rugby Championship Int'l Test match against Argentina, at Twickenham stadium in London, on October 8, 2016 ©Glyn Kirk (AFP/File)
The Wallabies will also have to confront the grim statistic of not having won at Auckland's Eden Park -- the venue for Saturday's Test -- in 30 years.
Their last victory at Eden Park was 17 Test encounters ago when they prevailed 22-9 over the All Blacks in 1986.
The all-conquering All Blacks, who earlier this month clinched the Rugby Championship with home and away wins over South Africa, Australia and Argentina, are also trying to smash the world record for the most consecutive Test wins with an 18th straight victory.
Amid all this Cheika is unbowed about Australia's chances of causing a major boilover this weekend.
"It's obviously proven to be a tough place for us to go and play, but I'm old fashioned," Cheika told reporters.
"I look forward to it. Bring it on. It's a great opportunity."
Hooker and captain Stephen Moore was equally enthused: "This is what you play for, these type of games, these opportunities to go and play the best teams."
Cheika said he was looking at making an early call on the fitness of injured back rowers David Pocock (hand) and Sean McMahon (ankle) ahead of this week's game.
"We'll have a handle on where they are at today in training and then we'll get stuck into it tomorrow and see who can do what and base our decisions from there," Cheika said.
The Wallabies have not won at Auckland's Eden Park in 30 years ©Franck Fife (AFP/File)
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The inaugural Toyota University Cricket Championship has finally come to an end, the final of which saw the Southern Champs, Jain University, Bangalore snatch the trophy from the clutches of Jamia Milia Islamia, under the inspirational leadership of their captain, Kaunain Abbas.
The tournament has brought to the forefront many talented cricketers. But Kaunain stands out from the rest. And of course, no prizes for guessing, he's bagged the Player of the Tournament award for his consistent performance throughout the tournament. Averaging over 104 and scoring runs at a strike rate of 134.91, he has managed to score 313 from the 5 matches that he has played. No wonder then, the second highest run scorer in the tournament, Mumbai's Kevin D'Almeida, is more than 100 runs behind him.
What's most impressive about this young lad is that he is a thinking cricketer. He uses his brawn as well his brain quite maturely. A die hard fan of Mr. Dependable Rahul Dravid, Kaunain, himself, has picked up a thing or two from the cricketing icon he idolizes. In this all important final against Jamia, when they had lost the top 3 wickets even before opening their account, he shunned his normal attacking style of cricket and played a mature innings along with his partner, Shreyas Gopal, putting together 98 runs for the 4th wicket. He eventually got out at 33 of 45 deliveries, after having played at a pace unlike him. Defending a low total of just 122 runs and playing at Jamia's home ground where a capacity crowd of over 20K+ were all rooting for Jamia, Kaunain maintained his cool and his spirit rubbed on to his team mates as well. The Bangalore team had some pretty good bowlers and Kaunain used them to perfection. He rotated the bowlers and made the changes in the field pretty well which did pay its dividends. He kept the pressure on the batsmen and didn't let the match slip away. Ultimately, the boys from Jamia crumbled under the pressure and the match ended with a thrilling win by 2 runs in favour of the Bangalorians.
His most impressive performance has been against the Eastern Eagles, when he scored a brilliant 128* of just 65 balls, hitting the bowlers ruthlessly all over the park. This was also the tournament's first century by any player.
TUCC has had a great opening and players like Kaunain have shown what young University cricketers are capable of. Don't be surprised if you find Abbas being roped in by any IPL team one month from now. Wishing this young lad success in all his endeavours. Hoping to see him donning the Indian colours soon!
To know more about Kaunain and TUCC, follow this link


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The Best Chicken Curry in A Hurry
I love curry of any kind, be it Thai or Indian. Real curries can be extremely laborious, as they involve using many different spices, some of which need to be ground, and all of which you may not necessarily have in your spice cabinet. Given the time, I could happily spend all day in the kitchen making curry. I rarely have that time though, so when I am in the mood for a bit of spicy curry, I fall back on a very simple dish that I owe a debt of cooking gratitude to my sister Jill for. (If you've read many of my hubs, you'll find that I owe this to her quite a bit.) I was visiting her in California several years ago, my flight was late, and she said, "I'm going to fix us some quick curry". In her frig, she had tubs of "Mae Ploy" curry paste in every conceivable curry flavor: red, green, yellow, masuman, and my very favorite, panang. She cooked it with chicken, green beans and mushrooms, but you can substitute, beef, pork, shrimp or scallops and use any combination of vegetables that you like. I serve it over either basmati or jasmine rice which I make in my rice cooker (the one piece of cooking equipment I would take with me if my house was burning down). The following is my go to chicken curry in a hurry!
Serves Four
2 c. basmati or jasmine rice (cook in rice cooker or on the stovetop)
1 can lite coconut milk
½ c. chicken stock or water
Curry paste to taste (usually about 1-2 Tablespoons)
2 c. mushrooms halved
2 c. green beans trimmed
12 oz. chicken breast slivered
Heat coconut milk and stock (or water) over medium. Slowly stir in curry paste until completely dissolved. Start slowly with the curry paste…if you put in too much to start with (heatwise) add more coconut milk. Add vegetables and continue to cook over medium, covering pan. When vegetables have cooked for 2-3 minutes, add chicken. Cook until chicken is tender and serve over rice. Cilantro or scallions are good garnishes. May also be served w/chutney.
This dish has hundreds of variations. With the yellow curry you might try carrots, potatoes and broccoli. With the Panang, gold and red peppers, asparagus and squash. The combinations are endless.
looks yummy to eat and easy to make. Would give it a try soon
Wow, I know how to cook this. It is really yummy.
I am seriously going to try your recipe. I am a huge curry lover and this just sounds great.
Super recipe! I love curried chicken! I stayed on campus at the University of Miami, Florida (back in the 70s). We lived in apartments, three levels. My apartment was on the second level and the student in the apartment above mine was a Chinese Jamaican and he was always cooking curried chicken. The aroma made me hate having to eat the food at the cafeteria. I'm sharing this recipe with my network on Facebook.
Great hub! I use the Thai yellow curry paste to make a chicken curry dish at least twice a month. You're right, it does make a very quick easy and delicious meal! Thanks for sharing this, voted UP!
You have one great memory! I do love the Mae Ploy, its one of the best pre-made curry pastes that resembles homemade and it lasts for months in the fridge. You can even freeze it. I think we'll have some curry tonight. I concur with criticcritic that lime juice is a great addition.
Add some fish sauce, lime juice and real coconut milk and it's even better! But maybe not quicker.
I have not tried the paste, but it sure sounds yummy
This sounds good. I love my rice cooker too.
I have not tried the paste but I will look for it the next time I go to our Asian grocery.


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In 2004 Rem Koolhaas and Ellen van Loon from the Office for Metropolitan Architecture where the winners of the competition to redesign the Mercati Generali, a mammoth structure where one of Rome's biggest fruit and vegetable markets has resided for decades. The 87, 000 sq m site on the Via Ostiense offers a strategic location on the fringe of the familiar Rome, only a few blocks from the ancient city walls.
Working with a historical site, almost a given in Rome, implies abiding to strict rules of intervention that are heavily prescriptive and severely limit the implantation of the new. As OMA discovered, in the case of the Ex Mercati Generali the task becomes more so challenging given the relative youth of the structure (by Roman standards): built from the early to mid 1900's, in its current state of 'limited' decay with 'substantial' historical documentation, the site poses the challenge of practicing an industrial archaeology of great meticulousness offering minimal leeway.
In its current plan the redevelopment will comprise of a theatre, cinema, restaurants, a central market plaza and retail spaces.
OMA are in the process of re-designing aspects of the project and renderings are expected to be unveiled soon. Local expectations are high and the project has already been dubbed "the city of youth".
Qatar National Library
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In 2016, The Global Startup Ecosystem launched digital accelerators across 7 regions- Caribbean, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, and America. Within 6 months, 300 companies graduated from the innovative program and 700 more will continue with the network in 2017.
Out of 100 companies, 3 per region are selected per region to demo their innovations at both the Digital Summit on April 1, 2017 and the Haiti Tech Summit on June 6-7, 2017.
The goal of the Haiti Tech Summit is to showcase the entrepreneurial innovations that will tackle the SDG goals via agriculture, construction, energy, e-commerce, IOT, and more.
Buy Tickets
The Haiti Tech Summit brings together thousands of entrepreneurs, investors, digital marketers and creatives under one roof together to address humanity's grandest challenges. Join the largest gathering of innovators transforming humanity via entrepreneurship.
Annual Summit Objectives
- Innovation: Provide a central annual gathering point for tech innovators, influencers, and entrepreneurs addressing humanities grandest challenges.
- Tech: Provide a central platform for showcasing humanity's advances in internet of things, exponential technologies (Ai, Drones, Robotics, etc) and space.
- Impact: Provide an annual partnership exchange that furthers global objectives that achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Annual Summit Agenda:
Day 1: Leveraging Entrepreneurship to Challenge the State of Humanity
- 17 Sustainable Goals
- Startup Showcase
- Partner boot camps, workshops, sessions
Day 2: Leveraging Entrepreneurship to Progress the Future of Humanity
- Entrepreneurship (Startups, Capital, Ecosystems)
- Internet of Things & Smart Cities
- Exponential Technologies (Ai, VR, Drones, Robotics, Nano Technologies)
- Space & Humanity
Summit Numbers
- 21 Tracks- covering tech, entrepreneurship, innovation and more!
- 80 global reporters and media partners: Tech Crunch, Inc Magazine, Huffington Post, CNN, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Fortune Magazine, and more!
- 100 speakers: Flying from the top startup capitals of the world-Silicon Valley, Dubai, New York, London and more!
- 500 global companies: SME, startups, and corporations.
- 1000 attendees: Influencers, investors, entrepreneurs, government members and more!


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I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful! We went to dinner at our eldest son's home. The last 4 or 5 years they have had us over. Our daughter-in-love's family comes down, we go over and we all of us have a wonderful time. What a blessing to enjoy the families our children married into.
We were on for drinks and a veggie tray. So sodas and juice were the drinks of choice.
And then of course yummy veggies. Our granddaughters love fresh vegetables. What a great thing that is!
Well it wasn't on my list but I had a longing for cheesecake so I made a
Salted Caramel Pretzel Cheesecake
recipe HERE
It is an easy recipe and delicious!
Today I decided I better get the Advent Calendars done for the girls.
Thankfully the envelopes had all been folded and numbers adhered prior too as it took a good amount of time filling and tying them together. But I think the girls will enjoy counting down to Christmas.
fun goodies and little toys
There are four of these - one for each girl.
DH trimmed some branches from the apple tree. They needed to be pruned so it worked for both of us. The envelopes are pockets folded to hold the little treats.
They will open one a day December 1st - 24th.
After that we ran to pick-up a few items. We didn't get to the store until 5:00ish so most of the major 'black Friday' crowds were gone. ;-)
Again I hope your day was lovely and as Advent begins you too turn your heart toward the real meaning of the season.
a little bird


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Victoria student scores feature film role
20 August 2014
Victoria student scores feature film role
Victoria University of Wellington theatre student George Fenn has scored something many students only dream about—in November, he will walk straight from his classes into a leading role in a feature film.
George has been cast as a key character in The Great Maiden's Blush, a feature which will be filmed in Wellington later this year. It is the latest production from independent film makers Andrea Bosshard and Shane Loader whose previous movies include Taking the Waewae Express and Hook, Line & Sinker.
George, a third year theatre studies student, will play a 17-year-old mute boy called Luke who, says George, "has perfect pitch but no voice". Luke lives with his blind uncle, who is a piano tuner. The overarching themes of the film, which follows a growing friendship between two first-time single mothers sharing a room in a post-natal ward after the birth of their babies, are forgiveness and the redemptive power of truth.
"It's an amazing opportunity," says George. "I am nervous as it's my first time in film acting and but I'm also inspired by the directors I will be working under.
"Being mute means the role will really bring out my acting skills—I can't rely on the words. The exciting part is that it gives me a lot of space to develop my character through how I react to others."
Despite being a film novice, George is no stranger to the acting profession. He took part in theatre sports as a high school student in Christchurch and his theatre studies at Victoria have given him experience in devising productions, performing in them and various stage management roles. He has also appeared in performances at Wellington's Bats Theatre and been part of the Long Cloud Youth Theatre.
A feature of Andrea and Shane's filmmaking is to work with the core cast in a three week rehearsal before filming starts. They are bringing over Australia-based film director Robert Marchand to guide the character-based improvisation George and other members of the cast will take part in during September.
Andrea, who taught film production at Victoria University in 2011 and 2012, says having rehearsals for a film shoot is unusual, but fundamental to the way she and Shane work.
"It allows us and our actors to explore who and what has shaped the characters' lives away from the pressure of the actual shoot." The process also underpins Andrea and Shane's reputation for creating great performances and believable, complex characters.
George says one of the differences with film acting is the time it takes for an audience to see the work.
"When you're performing live on stage, the feedback and response is immediate. With this project, we'll be waiting quite some time to find out what audiences think."
George's part of the film will be shot in Wellington in November.
Torchlight Films, the company making The Great Maiden's Blush, is using crowd funding to finance the rehearsal process for the movie. Find out more about their campaign at: http://www.boosted.org.nz/projects/the-great-maiden's-blush


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Search the National Gallery Archive containing records of the Gallery's activities from its foundation in 1824 to the present day. Find out more about the National Gallery Archive.
Record NG24/1958/14
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Press cuttings
|May-Dec 1958
Building: the Hampton Site and the Sunday Times competition regarding the gallery extension.
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