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Polar ecosystem, complex of living organisms in polar regions such as polar barrens and tundra.
Polar barrens and tundra are found at high latitudes on land surfaces not covered by perpetual ice and snow. These areas lying beyond the tree line comprise more than 10 percent of the Earth's land surface. Most are in the Arctic and subarctic, as little land area in the Antarctic is ever free of snow and ice (seefigure). The Arctic can be divided into the Low Arctic and High Arctic, according to various environmental and biological characteristics. Tundras are most common in the Low Arctic, and polar barrens are dominant in the High Arctic.
The Russian term "tundra" is derived from the Finnish word tunturi, meaning treeless heights. Tundra is now used in a general sense to describe any cold-climate landscape having vegetation without trees, which includes both mountainous areas (alpine tundra) and areas in the Arctic, subarctic, and Antarctic. In a more restricted sense, tundra denotes a special type of vegetation association. The tundra zones of the polar regions are distinct from the polar barrens, which are sparsely vegetated. (For more information on Arctic and Antarctic lands, see the articles Arctic and Antarctica.)
Origin of the flora and fauna of the polar regions
The Arctic and subarctic regions
Compared with other biomes, the tundra biome is relatively young, having its origin in the Pleistocene (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago). Individual plant and animal species of the tundra, however, probably first appeared in the late Miocene (13.8 million to 5.3 million years ago) or early Pliocene (5.3 million to 3.6 million years ago). Coniferous forests were present on Ellesmere Island and in northern Greenland, the northernmost land areas, in the mid-Pliocene (3.6 million years ago). Most paleoecologists believe that tundra flora evolved from plants of the coniferous forests and alpine areas as continents drifted into higher and cooler latitudes during the Miocene (23 million to 5.3 million years ago).
The Antarctic region
Antarctica has been isolated from other continental landmasses by broad expanses of ocean since early in the Paleogene Period, about 60 to 40 million years ago. Prior to its separation it existed, along with Australia, South America, peninsular India, and Africa, as part of the landmass known as Gondwanaland. This long separation has impeded the establishment and development of land-based flora and fauna in the Antarctic. Other significant factors that have hampered terrestrial biotic evolution are the harsh climate, the ice cover that completely engulfed the continent during the Pleistocene glaciations, and the present limited number of ice-free land areas, which are restricted primarily to the coastal fringes and nunataks (mountain peaks surrounded by the ice cap). As a consequence, the terrestrial flora and fauna of Antarctica are few. The Antarctic Peninsula, which extends to 63° S, is the location of virtually all floral development of the Antarctic.
The Antarctic, however, encompasses not only the continent itself but also those islands lying within the Antarctic Convergence, where northward-flowing cold surface waters meet warmer subantarctic waters. Most Antarctic islands, because of their position beyond the seasonal pack ice, are under much stronger maritime influence than comparable Arctic islands. The flora and fauna of these islands are poorly developed, largely because of their isolation from potential sources of terrestrial biota. South Georgia, the largest of these islands, lies 2,000 kilometres (1,240 miles) east of Tierra del Fuego at 54° to 55° S and encompasses an area of 3,756 square kilometres (1,450 square miles). Heavy precipitation and high mountains account for perennial snow cover at higher elevations and extensive glaciers. Nevertheless, near sea level where soil formation has been possible, a unique Antarctic tundra vegetation has developed, dominated by tussock-forming grasses and mosses. Only 26 species of vascular plants are present, and there are no native land mammals, although reindeer introduced by Norwegian whalers in the early 1900s have established feral populations. Grazing by reindeer has altered plant communities by reduction or local elimination of the most preferred species.
Polar environments
Characteristics of polar environments—the climate, substrates, elevation above sea level, slope, exposure, and proximity to other landmasses—determine the complex of plant and animal life present in the polar regions. It is the interplay of these factors during summer that determines whether temperatures are warm enough and moisture is sufficient to allow plants to grow. The High Arctic is distinguished from the Low Arctic based on ecological criteria, which include a shorter growing season, cooler summers, and a marked reduction in species of flora and fauna.
The southern limit of the tundra zone in the Northern Hemisphere may extend from 55° N at the southern tip of Hudson Bay in Canada along the northern Bering Sea coast of Alaska and the Russian Far East to above 70° N on the lower Mackenzie River of Canada, along the Khatanga River of central Siberia, and across northern Scandinavia. This limit generally coincides with the isoline of annual net solar radiation of 75 to 80 kilojoules per square centimetre, which closely parallels the 10° C (50° F) July isotherm. However, local variation in this boundary occurs in North America and Eurasia where influences of mountain ranges or warm ocean currents allow forests to penetrate northward to areas with as little as 67 kilojoules per square centimetre of radiation.
Daily summer temperatures may average only 2° to 5° C (35° to 41° F) in typical tundra and polar barrens, and the plant growth season is usually less than 100 days. Although summers are brief at high latitudes, the days of summer are long. At latitudes above the Arctic Circle (66°33′ N) for at least a portion of the summer the Sun is above the horizon for 24 hours each day. This constant sunlight enables plants to optimize photosynthesis without the usual nighttime cost of respiration.
Total annual precipitation is low in the tundra and polar barrens, generally ranging between 100 and 1,000 millimetres (4 to 40 inches) per year. Precipitation is usually greatest near the coasts and at high altitudes. For example, in Greenland and Antarctica and at higher elevations on the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, permanent ice caps form. The low precipitation characteristic of tundra regions is comparable to that of deserts at lower latitudes; however, these regions are unlike true deserts in that the low temperatures in both winter and summer limit evaporation. Thus, a greater portion of the limited moisture from snowmelt and summer rains is available for plant growth. In addition, most tundra and polar barrens are underlain by soils that are permanently frozen (permafrost) except for a thin surface zone (active layer) that thaws each summer. The permafrost limits drainage and retains moisture for plant growth within the active layer. This can result in wetland formation, as occurs in level areas of the coastal plains of the Arctic, which contain extensive wetlands that are home to aquatic vegetation, invertebrate fauna, waterfowl, and shorebirds.
Circulation of air masses around the Earth transports industrial pollutants from temperate regions into the Arctic and Antarctic. Pollutants are becoming concentrated in these regions, and concern is growing over the possible consequences for life at high latitudes. Thinning of the ozone layer in the polar regions resulting from the industrial release of chlorofluorocarbons into the atmosphere may have long-term consequences for plant and animal life. Ultraviolet radiation, previously intercepted by the ozone layer, is detrimental to most life because it inhibits photosynthesis and increases mutation rates in DNA and damages epidermal tissues in plants and animals.
Biota of tundra and polar barrens
Biota of the Arctic
A transition zone exists at the northern limit of trees where coniferous forest interdigitates with treeless tundra vegetation. In North America, white and black spruce (Picea glauca and P. mariana) interface with tundra, whereas in Siberia and northern Europe larch (Larix) is the primary tree line species. Cottonwoods (Populus species) often penetrate the tundra landscape in the Low Arctic along major rivers. Major vegetation types of the Low Arctic include low-shrub tundra, dominated by species of willow (Salix) and dwarf birch (Betula); tall-shrub tundra, dominated by species of willow, shrub birch, and alder (Alnus); and combinations of sedges and dwarf shrubs, such as species of Labrador tea (Ledum), blueberry and cranberry (Vaccinium), crowberry (Empetrum), and Arctic heather (Cassiope), in wetter sites. Cushion plants (Dryas and Saxifraga species) are common on windswept uplands. Lichens and mosses are important components of the ground cover in some areas. In the Low Arctic, most land surfaces are fully vegetated, with the exception of rock outcrops, dry ridge tops, river gravel bars, and scree slopes (those slopes that have an accumulation of rocky debris at the angle of repose).
The vegetation of the High Arctic is less rich than that of the Low Arctic, containing only about half the vascular plant species found in the Low Arctic. For example, more than 600 species of plants are found in the Low Arctic of North America, but in the extreme High Arctic of northern Ellesmere Island and Greenland—north of 83° N—fewer than 100 species of vascular plants grow. The shorter growing season, cooler summers, and drier conditions, as well as the distance of these landmasses from continental flora, account for this difference. More than 40 percent of vascular plant species of the Arctic are circumpolar in distribution. Mosses increase in importance in High Arctic plant communities, and shrub species decrease markedly, with only a few prostrate willows, dwarf birch, and other dwarf shrubs remaining. Prostrate willows, however, remain important components of plant communities that retain some winter snow cover, even in the northernmost land areas. Sedge-moss meadows occur on limited wet sites in valley bottoms watered by melting snows. Upland sites are drier and have a more sparse ground cover that merges into polar desert at higher elevations or where insufficient moisture is available for plant growth. Grasses, occasional prostrate willows, and mat-forming dryas occur in patches in the uplands and are the dominant vegetation in the polar barrens.
The true polar desert generally occurs on coastal areas fringing the Arctic Ocean and on areas of a few hundred metres elevation in the extreme High Arctic where soils have not developed and the frost-free period and soil moisture are insufficient for most plant growth. The occasional plants growing there often become established in frost cracks that capture blowing snow and finer windblown soil material. Plants adapted to these conditions include species of the Arctic poppy (Papaver), some rushes (Juncus), small saxifrages (Saxifraga), and a few other rosette-forming herbaceous species. The Arctic poppy and a few of the other flowering herbs adapted to the High Arctic have flowers that are solartropic (turning in response to the Sun). Their parabolic-shaped blossoms track daily movements of the Sun, thereby concentrating solar heat on the developing ovary, warming pollinating insects that land there, and speeding the growth of embryonic seeds.
Arctic ecosystems lack the diversity and richness of species that characterize temperate and tropical ecosystems. Animal as well as plant species decline in number with increasing latitude in both polar regions. Vertebrate species of the Arctic tundra and polar barrens are limited to mammals and birds; no amphibians or reptiles occur there. About 20 species of mammals and more than 100 species of birds are present throughout the Arctic. Most are circumpolar in their distribution as single species or closely related species; for example, the caribou of North America and the domestic and wild reindeer of Eurasia belong to the same species, Rangifer tarandus, whereas the lemmings of the Eurasian Arctic are a closely related but distinct species from those of northern North America and Greenland. This similarity in Arctic mammalian fauna is a result of the lower sea levels of the Pleistocene glaciations, when a broad land connection, known as the Bering Land Bridge, connected present-day Alaska and Siberia.
Some Arctic mammalian fauna—primarily herbivores such as caribou and reindeer, muskox (Ovibos moschatus; see photograph), and Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus; see photograph), and species of Arctic hare (Lepus) and collared and brown lemmings (Dicrostonyx and Lemmus)—rarely occur outside the Arctic and are adapted to life in this environment. Other fauna such as species of ground squirrel (Spermophilus), vole (Microtus), shrew (family Soricidae), and red fox (Vulpes), as well as ermine (Mustela erminea), wolverine (Gulo gulo; see photograph), wolf (Canis lupus), and brown bear (Ursus arctos; see photograph) are common to other ecosystems but are distributed widely throughout the Arctic. A few other typical temperate species have penetrated northward into the Low Arctic where suitable habitat is available. The moose (Alces alces) and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) in North America are examples, and their movement into the Low Arctic may be a consequence of a warming climate and an increase of willows and other shrubs, especially in riparian habitats. Where mountain ranges in boreal forest regions continue into the Arctic—as they do in northwestern North America and Siberia—species of mountain sheep (Ovis) and marmots (Marmota), typical of the alpine zone, have extended their distribution into the Arctic.
On land areas of the extreme High Arctic, above 80° N, which include only parts of Axel Heiberg and Ellesmere islands in the Canadian Arctic, northernmost Greenland, northern portions of Svalbard, and Franz Josef Land, only a few mammal species are able to maintain viable populations. In the Canadian High Arctic the musk ox, Peary caribou, Arctic hare, and collared lemming are the only mammalian herbivores, and their predators, the wolf, Arctic fox, wolverine, and ermine, are also present. In northern Greenland these same species are found, with caribou and possibly the wolverine being absent in historical times. Only caribou and the Arctic fox are native to Svalbard, and only the Arctic fox is present on Franz Josef Land. In all these High Arctic areas the polar bear (Ursus maritimus; see photograph), a creature of the sea ice that preys largely on seals, may occasionally be found on land, where females den to bear young or where they graze (rarely) the vegetation or prey on land mammals or nesting birds.
Terrestrial avian fauna of the Arctic includes only a few resident species, among them the ptarmigan (Lagopus species), snowy owl (Nyctea scandiaca), gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), and raven (Corvus corax); the remainingspecies are present in the Arctic only in summer to breed and rear young, migrating to temperate, tropical, or maritime areas of more southern latitudes during winter. Although the ability to fly has allowed birds to occupy isolated and insular habitats within the Arctic that have been largely inaccessible to mammals, their distribution throughout the Arctic has been tied closely to the location of their wintering areas and annual migration routes. These migration routes, especially those of shorebirds and waterfowl, often follow the coastlines of continents; however, some species cross extensive bodies of water. Nevertheless, the North Atlantic Ocean offers a partial barrier to the circumpolar mixing of species, and thus there is greater similarity between the avian fauna of the Arctic of western North America and eastern Eurasia than there is among the species of the Arctic areas of Europe, eastern North America, and Greenland.
Shorebirds, waterfowl, and passerine species of the family Fringillidae (finches, buntings, and sparrows) are the most abundant species nesting in the Arctic. Wet sedge meadows often associated with lake margins, estuaries, and seacoasts are favoured nesting habitats of shorebirds and waterfowl. Nesting densities of passerine species are highest in shrub communities at the southern margins of the tundra and in riparian habitats; they decline rapidly in the High Arctic. Only the redpoll (Acanthis species) and snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) among this group extend their range to the northernmost land areas.
In addition to resident species, raptorial birds that commonly nest in the Arctic include the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus; see photograph), rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus), short-eared owl (Asio flammeus), and, in mountainous terrain, the golden eagle (Aguila chrysaetos; see photograph) in North America and the white-tailed eagle (Italiacetus albicilla) in Greenland and Eurasia. The jaegers (Stercorarius species), which spend the major part of their lives at sea during most of the year, nest in tundra and polar barrens and prey on lemmings and eggs and nestlings of other birds during the breeding season. Marine birds of the Procellariidae (fulmars), Laridae (gulls and terns), and Alcidae (puffins, murres, dovkies, and auklets) that are dependent on a marine food base often nest colonially on coastal cliffs in the Arctic. These nesting colonies are usually found adjacent to upwelling currents in the sea where invertebrates and fish that the birds feed on are most abundant. In the High Arctic, upwelling currents result in open water areas within the pack ice called polynya; these enable seabirds to feed and nest at latitudes above 75° N.
Biota of Antarctica
The flora of Antarctica consists mainly of soil and freshwater algae, lichens, mosses, fungi, and only two native species of vascular plants. The terrestrial fauna consists of a few invertebrate species of protozoans, rotifers, nematodes, tardigrades, collembola (primitive wingless insects), and a species of mite. These life-forms are restricted mainly to moist beds of moss. The diversity of marine mammals and birds in the coastal areas and associated pack ice is dependent on marine food chains in the adjacent seas.
In Antarctica unique endolithic (stone-dwelling) forms of life (cyanobacteria) occur within and just below the surface of porous rocks. These cyanobacteria can be found in dry valleys of southern Victoria Land, where they are adapted to remain dormant for extended periods until rare occasions when melting snow provides the moisture necessary for life processes. Although this is an extreme cold-desert environment, similar forms of life occur within rocks in hot deserts. (For information on the biota of the Antarctic islands see above Origin of the flora and fauna of the polar regions: The Antarctic region.)
Development and structure of populations and communities
The low species diversity of both plants and animals in polar regions contributes to the lack of complexity that characterizes Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems. The short summer season during which plants can grow and insects and other invertebrates can be active contributes to the lower productivity and relative simplicity of these ecosystems. In addition, the cooler temperatures limit the rate at which soil nutrients essential for plant growth are released through decomposition of organic material, breakdown of the parent rock, and fixation of nitrogen by soil microbes.
A consequence of ecosystem simplicity is a lack of stability. Animals tend to undergo wide population fluctuations in the tundra and polar barrens. These fluctuations are stimulated by periodic extremes of weather and imbalances in herbivore-plant and predator-prey relationships. Each species plays a much more dominant role in the trophic dynamics of ecosystems in the Arctic than do species in the highly complex temperate and tropical ecosystems. The extreme abundance of lemmings during the peak of their population cycle (as many as 200 per hectare) is accompanied by high reproductive success and rapid increase of their predators—Arctic foxes, ermines, snowy owls, and other species. Conversely, when lemming numbers are low (fewer than 1 per hectare) breeding among their predators ceases and predator populations plummet.
In the High Arctic, animal populations live close to their biological limitations. Peary caribou or musk oxen may be so affected by periods of extreme weather that they become locally extinct. Reestablishment of the species may not occur until favourable conditions allow adjacent populations to build up, an event that may take decades. Indeed, in northernmost Greenland, although caribou have not been present in recent history, antlers and bones indicate their periodic presence at least 7,000 years ago.
Snow plays an important role in determining the characteristics and distribution of plant and animal communities in tundra and polar barrens. Winters are long, and the limited snow that falls usually accumulates without melting throughout the entire season. The snow cover, however, is not stable. The strong winds that characterize these treeless landscapes redistribute the snow, removing it from landscape convexities and depositing it as drifts in concavities, in patches of shrubs, or leeward of ridge tops and boulders. The wind also compacts snow, increasing its density, thus enabling animals to move more easily over its surface while hampering their ability to dig through to find food below. Snow, therefore, influences the location, food selection, and energy expenditure of large herbivores that must move across the winter landscape to feed. Areas of deeper snow cover appeal to small rodents who feed and construct winter nests at the ground's surface under the insulating layer of snow.
The pattern of distribution of snow on the tundra and polar barrens is also a major determinant in the distribution of vegetation. Most plants require snow cover to protect them from the extreme cold and drying conditions of winter. Areas in which the snow cover has been blown away are the first to initiate plant growth in summer, whereas those in which snowbanks are slow to melt support only those plants adapted to the shorter snow-free season. The winter accumulation of snow, however, is often the primary source of moisture for the summer growth of plants. Consequently, windy exposures with little snow cover often suffer summer drought that limits plant growth, whereas snow-bed plant communities are well watered throughout summer.
Biological productivity
In the Low Arctic, vegetation covers 80 to 100 percent of the land area. The rapid growth of vascular plants under the continuous daylight of the brief Arctic summer is the basis for the relatively high productivity of these plant communities at such high altitudes. Because all aboveground productivity of plants is close to ground level in the tundra in contrast to forest biomes, it is readily available to vertebrate herbivores. As a consequence large concentrations of caribou and geese graze locally in the Low Arctic in summer but migrate out of the Arctic to winter when the quality of forage declines and its availability is limited by the wind-packed snow cover. Although tundra systems experience a burst of plant and animal productivity during the brief Arctic summer, only a few animal species remain active in the Arctic throughout the long winter. Herbivores are dependent on plant production of the previous summer, and carnivores depend on their herbivore prey. Total annual productivity in the tundra and polar barrens is several orders of magnitude less than it is in most temperate or tropical ecosystems. (For further information on productivity see biosphere: The organism and the environment: Resources of the biosphere: The flow of energy.)
Vertebrate herbivory may result in changes in tundra vegetation through selective feeding on preferred plant species, trampling, and recycling of soil nutrients through excretion. Where caribou, musk oxen, lemmings, and geese concentrate their grazing activity they may actually increase production of tundra vegetation. This results from removal of much of the annual vegetative growth, exposing the underlying new growth of plants to the rays of the sun and the soil to increased heating, and from speeding up the recycling of organic material through digestion and excretion that releases nutrients to the soil.David R. Klein
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
Tundra, a major zone of treeless level or rolling ground found in cold regions, mostly north of the Arctic Circle (Arctic tundra) or above the timberline on high mountains (alpine tundra). Tundra is known for large stretches of bare ground and rock and for patchy mantles of low vegetation such…
Arctic, northernmost region of the Earth, centred on the North Pole and characterized by distinctively polar conditions of climate, plant and animal life, and other physical features. The term is derived from the Greek arktos("bear"), referring to the northern constellation of the Bear. It has sometimes been used to…
Antarctica, fifth in size among the world's continents. Its landmass is almost wholly covered by a vast ice sheet. Lying almost concentrically around the South Pole, Antarctica—the…


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Jhanjhar Bhaidia, the veteran leader of the Adivasi Morcha Sangathan then got up and asked them why they had now come to the conclusion that electoral politics was the key to people's emancipation. He said that even if it was the policy of the Adivasi Morcha Sangathan to be indifferent to all elections from the lowest Panchayat to the highest Lok Sabha it allowed its members to fight elections or support political parties on their own. Consequently members of the AMS have fought at the Panchayat and Assembly election levels and supported some party or other at the Lok Sabha level. During the assembly elections of 2008 Versingh Davar of the AMS had contested and a big contingent of the Sangathan had taken part in the rallies organised by the NBA in Khandwa. However, when Versingh and Jhanjhar had asked the NBA to support Versingh in the elections then the NBA had taken the stand that they do not take part in elections and neither do they support any party considering the whole electoral process to be corrupt. Jhanjhar asked Alok as to why had the NBA now changed its stand when it had refused to support Versingh earlier.
Alok had no answer to this apart from repeating that by becoming part of the AAP phenomenon it had now become possible to win elections. In the same breath he said that since the NBA was a people's movement it did not have the resources of political parties and thus it required the support of the AMS. Then, I intervened and said that organising people's movements and electoral politics are two different ball games altogether. The AAP had performed well in the Delhi elections by mobilising huge resources from all over India and abroad both in terms of finances and voluntary human power. On an average Rupees 25 lakhs had been spent per assembly constituency and hundreds of volunteers had given their time and skills to the electoral campaign. This had created a mass upsurge in its favour through a publicity blitz involving door to door campaigning, hoardings, radio advertisements and the like. Thus, if Alok wanted to win the elections he would have to mobilise similar resources which in the case of a large Lok Sabha constituency like Khandwa meant Rs 2 crores at least. Given the fact the AAP's centralised resource mobilisation had mustered only about Rs 10 crores so far, there was little possibility of any support coming from the central kitty for Alok's campaign and so he would have to mobilise resources on his own. Therefore, in addition to appealing for support from the AMS, he would have to more importantly mobilise resources for a publicity blitz to cover the whole of Bagli assembly constituency because even at its best the AMS could mobilise only about 10000 votes which is not sufficient.
Later on we had a long discussion about electoral politics. People said that electoral politics had become extremely vitiated with money power and it was unlikely that it could be cleansed on the strength of idealism. Unlike many of our Adivasi activists in Alirajpur, the veterans here did not appear to be impressed at all by the AAP's Delhi performance!!! Deepsingh, another veteran of the organisation said that the farther we stayed away from elections the better it was and he broached the subject of the annual Gatha celebration to commemorate the martyrs on April 2nd instead.
Alok is not the only activist but there are many others of the people's movements, notably people like Medha Patkar, who have now jumped into the electoral fray enthused by the AAP's performance in Delhi. However, none of these activists seem to have given a thought to the crucial resource mobilisation aspect which was the main factor behind AAP's electoral success. Both door to door campaigning to cover each and every household in a constituency and a publicity blitz through hoardings, posters and vehicle rallies will cost a huge packet and without this it won't be possible for a candidate to convey to the electorate that she is a winning proposition.
And here lies the most important problem. People who have money, not only the upper class but even the middle class, do not go along with the views about development that people like Alok and Medha espouse. Arvind Kejriwal was clever enough to target only corruption and promise freebies but he took care to not fundamentally challenge the present development pattern and that is how he has managed to raise resources. In fact faced with the daunting prospect of raising resources at a much greater level for the Lok Sabha elections he even went and held forth to the Conference of Indian Industry that he was in favour of capitalism and only against cronyism. Nevertheless the daily contributions to the AAP rarely cross Rupees 10 lakhs these days and that is woefully short of the huge requirements of fighting a nationwide election. Thus, if Medha, Alok and many other activists have to garner funds then they have to give up some of the central tenets of their development philosophy. There is no way in which Adivasi Self Rule or decentralised sustainable agriculture can be accommodated in the resource extractive development paradigm that holds sway at present. Even if Alok and Medha do declare like Arvind that they are for capitalism they are unlikely to be believed by those who hold the purse strings.
Even if we grant for the sake of argument that the activists of people's movements will be able to garner the necessary financial resources, the fight for a more decentralised system is unlikely to be won through winning elections with such huge expenditures. Winning the elections in this manner will require a jettisoning of the ideals for which the people's movements have been fighting. A lot more thought should be expended on how to take forward people's movements in an era of near complete capitalist domination instead of getting carried away by the AAP's victory in Delhi. Personally as an anarchist I find this rush of stalwarts of the people's movements across the country to join the electoral bandwagon of the AAP a little disconcerting!! Anyway the forthcoming elections will provide a reality check to all and sundry!!

subset: commoncrawl


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The theme for the Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas graduation was one of pride and celebration for the 2013 graduates.
The theme for the Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas graduation was one of pride and celebration for the 2013 graduates. A total of 97 graduates totaled the Arkansas County list for Associate of Arts degrees, Associate of Science degrees, Associates of Applied Science degrees and Technical Certificates.
"We believe in every student, every student can learn … and we celebrate tonight," Dr. Steven Murray, chancellor, said.
The pride comes from the graduates as well as pride in the college. This is the third year that the graduation was held in the Grand Prairie Center, Jane Rogers, board of trustees chair, said. PCCUA was the first community college in the state of Arkansas, beginning in 1965. The college became a part of the U of A system in 1996 with campuses in West Helena, DeWitt and Stuttgart.
"We are very proud of all of you in earning your degree," Rogers said. "You should be proud in yourself, and your family should be proud of your accomplishments. Congratulations."
PCCUA President Dr. Donald Bobbit told the graduates sitting before him that the degrees unlock possibilities to their future.
"Education is the key to prosperity," Bobbit, who was a graduate 33 years ago, said.
Lynn Boone, vice chancellor for student services and registrar, gave the commencement address talking directly to the graduates. He spoke about his humble upbringings and how some will allow that to hold them back. He explained how he made it through elementary and high school and changed from being a student that sought attention by being a "bad kid" to seeking attention for doing work, working hard and getting noticed through good grades.
He went to college, a feat that he didn't think was a possibility once. He began to tutor other students and learned about his future.
"That day I helped those students word got back to my professor," he said. "That day I realized I have a gift."
He said now, "It is a privilege to go to work and get paid for what I do."
"Continue your education graduates," he ended with.
Candidates for Associate of Arts degrees are Katy Alderman of England, Sammie Bohnert of DeWitt, Christy Bowen of Clarendon, Whitney Bradley of Stuttgart, Margaret Brantley of Humphrey, Chelsee Brinton of DeWitt, Sherry Brown of Humnoke, Tess Brown of Tichnor, Jessica Carver of Almyra, Cortney Caviness of North Little Rock, Michael Clemons of Almyra, Skyler Connell of Stuttgart, Ashley Cothren of England, Rhonda Cunningham of Stuttgart, Sable Deniz of England, Christian Duke of Brinkley, Tronika Earls of Humphrey, Chambliss Eldridge of Stuttgart, Ashley Endres of Stuttgart, Nicole Fegley of Hazen, Cortney Fisher of Hazen, Tosha Gray of St. Charles, Lillian Heinmiller of Hazen, Raymond Hobbs of Stuttgart, Hunter James of DeWitt, Ralph Karkur of Stuttgart, Meagan Kerr of Stuttgart, Garrett Kibble of Stuttgart, Misti Krisell Garrison of Stuttgart (awarded posthumously), Tiara Ladd of Holly Grove, Maud London of Stuttgart, Tasha Lowe of Stuttgart, Brooke Mack of Pine Bluff, Angela Mannis of DeWitt, Zachary Mulherin of Stuttgart, Lindsey Jordan Murphy of DeWitt (awarded posthumously), Alfonso Olvera of England, Jessica Padgett of DeWitt, Adam Perry of Almyra, Michelle Reed of Stuttgart, Ny'Toria Reed of Stuttgart, Leah Ruh of England, Derek Scott of England, Brent Shepherd of DeWitt, Lindsey Shook of DeWitt, Joshua Simpson of Stuttgart, Lauren Smith of DeWitt, Tiffany Smith of Clarendon, Christopher Stone of Stuttgart, Michelle Tolbert of DeWitt, Richard Wilson of Stuttgart and Cortez Wofford of Stuttgart.
The Associate of Science candidate is Courtney Gaither of Stuttgart.
Associate of Applied Science candidates are Alexandra Adams of Gillett, Jennifer Black of DeWitt, Carriell Brown of Stuttgart, Darnisha Brown of Stuttgart, Simone Burnett of Stuttgart, Tameka Canada of Dumas, Marsha Carr of Stuttgart, Quarttaus Cobbs of Dumas, Hilda Corcoles-Chavez of Monticello, Joseph Early of Stuttgart, Ricky Fletcher of Stuttgart, Tiffany Groves of Brinkley, Elaine Hornbeck of DeWitt, Ron Isbell of Stuttgart, Annette Jones of Stuttgart, Lara Jones of Dumas, Sylvia Jones of Stuttgart, Brandi Knowlton of Stuttgart, Jennie Lloyd of Almyra, Comuneci O'Neal of Stuttgart, William Parker of Stuttgart, Amber Pudy of DeWitt, Chrishanna Rice of Stuttgart, Sherry Spears of Hazen, Kristen Staton of Stuttgart, Maria Storey of DeWitt, Sarah Storey of DeWitt, Myeshia Turner of Stuttgart, Haley Watkins of DeWitt, Kristina Whitling of Gillett and Virginia Wilson-Nedoroscik of Humphrey.
Techinical Certificates went to Simone Burnett of Stuttgart, Quarttaus Cobbs of Dumas, Dustin Danner of DeWitt, Joseph Early of Stuttgart, Caitlin Foot of DeValls Bluff, Ashley Goodnight of Tichnor, Kenyatta Horner of Stuttgart, Cerae Howard of Gillett, Lara Jones of Dumas, Samantha Kerns of DeWitt, Shonnie Lee of Dumas, Vicky Price of Almyra, Crystal Ray of Stuttgart, Elizabeth Stephens of DeWitt, Brenda Sullivan-Lee of Stuttgart, Phillip Watkins of Humphrey, Jody West of DeWitt and Sheila Wittner of Stuttgart.


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Barnard's annual Family Weekend is a wonderful opportunity for families to visit the campus, meet some of the people who make the College such a special place, and, of course, spend time with their Barnard students.
October 22 and 23, 2010, saw parents and students enjoying open houses in chemistry, psychology, and biology; the last one taking place in the Arthur Ross Greenhouse. Other events included tours of the new, state-of-the-art Diana Center, the Deans' Reception, and student dance and theatre performances. Families were also invited to discussions about student internships and study abroad. In addition to opportunities to meet President Spar and faculty members, all were free to explore the city that is Barnard's extended classroom.
-Asiya Khaki '09


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Easter Cupcake Recipes
Pumpkin Banana Cupcake Recipe
Little Aria asked to see one of her favorite classmates, Colin, on a playdate. Aria can be very detail-oriented and asked if we could prepare mini cupcakes for the occasion. To make the sweet treat a lot more playful for the children, I topped the cupcakes with icing and sugar cookie letters.
The cake part is made with mashed bananas and pumpkin and I used an alphabet cookie cutter set. Aria helped out all through the baking process and she loved it. Colin loved the cupcakes too, and I was amazed to see he knew his alphabet as well. Isn't it impressive at only the tender age of three? It was so precious to watch them have so much fun!
I'm planning to bake the same larger-version cupcakes on Thursday
Full Recipe...
Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Baking banana cupcakes is my way of using the ripe bananas that have been sitting in our fruit bowl. Our family eats a lot of bananas but I think this week we went a little over-board, so we had some leftover that were turning black. I mashed the bananas with a little lemon juice and used it as a flavoring for cupcakes. I added crème fraîche (you could use sour cream) so the cake batter was very moist.
I frosted the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and decorated them with sprinkles I recently bought at Target. Easter is coming soon, so why not prepare some cute sweet treats!
Full Recipe...


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Anyone from Poco able to put my mind at rest?
I spent a while looking at this program before deciding to purchase. What appealed to me was
1) its ease to use
2) regular builds being issued to fix bugs.
Needless to say since I bought my copy last November there has been just one minor update in April 2006.
Since then, nothing.
I and many others have posted up problems we have encountered - my main source of irritation is that address books are fully opened when you click on To / Cc / Bcc which makes finding an address a total nightmare.
No fix.
Not a word from the team.
Do I assume that this program is no longer being developed? It certainly seems like that judging by the last 6 months of inactivity.
Can anyone confirm if the known bugs are going to be addressed soon or not please.
~ Moved from PocoMail ... Eric ~


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0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
I would argue against a champion like Katarina being counted as 'old'. Sure she was one of the originals... But she got a recently significant change to her skills for the most part, including a completely new skill that replaced one of her old ones.
I'm loving Thresh.... his E is taking some getting used too... That and I've not played support in months. The lantern though... People still haven't figured out to click on it, so I'm getting blamed when they die. That ult in a team fight is hit or miss, I mostly use it to either block for an escaping ally or to trap the squish enemy... But the lantern thing still pisses me off.
You have basically read my mind on my experiences so far. I have had to actually remind people before the game starts about the lantern because no one will click on it. His E does take getting used to. I miss with it half the time, but other than that, I like the skill.
cant wait till he's 6300 next week ^_^
I bought him with cash. I couldn't wait, and I'm glad I did.
"You smell like... burning! Heeheehee!
"Come out, come out, wherever you aaaare!" and "Ashes! Ashes! They all fall down!" are my favorite quotes from her.I tried mundo recently and decided that I like him. He's a wall of HP that gives no fucks.
Playing league while extremely intoxicated - Thoughts? gogoogogogogogogogogo.,
I believe I'm XXXX on league. Feel free to add me. (This isn't a public forum right?)
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Atmospheric Sciences & Global Change
Research Highlights
April 2014
Uncovering Global Effects of Clouds on Climate
Multi-scale model provides global view of Asian pollution impacts on Pacific storm track
The Pacific storm track affects weather and climate around the world. The simulation image is courtesy of NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory. Enlarge Image.
Results: Scientists from Texas A&M University and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provided a first-time global perspective of the impacts of Asian pollution on the Pacific storm track and subsequent weather. They found that a unique modeling technique allowed them to understand the global scale effect of tiny pollution particles to strengthen storm clouds and rain. Developed at PNNL, the technique is essential to revealing the small-scale effects of clouds in a large-scale model. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), was reported in the online Early Edition April 14.
"The higher resolution improved the cloud simulations," said Dr. Minghuai Wang, PNNL climate scientist. "Conventional global scale models usually show a decrease in precipitation in response to man-made aerosols, but we see the increase that we know happens in real life."
Why It Matters: Man-made pollution particles, also called aerosols, can affect the climate by altering cloud formations. Until now, their effects on storm cloud systems were either missing or crudely represented in global models used to understand climate trends or possible future climate scenarios. This research allows a way to include the aerosol effects on storm cloud systems—the small-scale details—in global models that are at large-scale resolutions.
Methods: In this study, the researchers used a multi-scale global aerosol-climate model that embeds a two-dimensional cloud-resolving model, explicitly simulating aerosol effects on deep clouds to examine aerosol effects on the Pacific storm track. They compared results from the multi-scale aerosol-climate model to a conventional aerosol-climate model and showed that increased activity in the Pacific storm track is due to man-made aerosol particles. Unlike conventional climate model results without the cloud-resolving detail, their findings are consistent with observations.
For more, see PNNL news release, "Researchers reconstruct Pacific storm track in climate model"
What's Next? The researchers will expand the unique capability of the multi-scale aerosol-climate model to examine aerosol effects on hydrological cycles, such as the Asia monsoon.
Sponsors: The research was supported by a NASA Graduate Student Fellowship in Earth System Science; the Ministry of Science and Technology of China; the NASA Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences, Enhancing the Capabilities of Computational Earth System Models and NASA Data for Operation and Assessment program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Biological & Environmental Research's Earth System Modeling and Regional & Global Climate Modeling programs for the Decadal and Regional Climate Prediction using Earth System Models (EaSM) project. This research used computing resources at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, supported by DOE's Office of Science.
Research Team: Minghuai Wang and Steve Ghan, PNNL; Yuan Wang, Renyi Zhang, Yun Lin, Jiaxi Hu, Bowen Pan and Misti Levy, Texas A&M University; Jonathan H. Jiang, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology; and Mario J. Molina, University of California San Diego.
Research Area: Climate & Earth Systems Science
Reference: Wang Y, M Wang, R Zhang, S Ghan, Y Lin, J Hu, B Pan, M Levy, J Jiang, M Molina. 2014. "Assessing the impact of anthropogenic aerosols on Pacific storm track using a multi-scale global climate model." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, early online. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1403364111


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Telescopic Antenna's
Some people have a misconception that a telescopic antenna needs to be fully extended to receive the best reception. This is not so.
Basically every frequency has a resonant point. However there is no need to have a antenna for each point just as long as the antenna is the right length for the band. Example being the centre of the civil air band is 127.000mhz so using the formula 234 divided by 127 (the optimum freq) you get 1.8 feet. Times that by 12 and it gives you 22.1 inch's. There for a vertical antenna for civil air band needs to be 22 inch's roughly.
So if you are using a telescopic antenna and you want to it optimised for Civil air it needs to be around 22 inchs.
Like wise if you wanted to use the same antenna to now listen to the Mil air band at 22 inch's it wouldn't be as efficient and so that is why they are expandable ! so you can make it shorter so going on the same principle middle of the Mil air band is say 325mhz (225 to 400mhz is the band) so 234 divided by 325 gives you 0.72 feet now times that by 12 and you get 8.64 inch's so to listen to the Mil band with the same ant you need to reduce it to around 9 inch's.
So not trying to teach anyone to suck eggs but if you are using a telescopic (which work great by the way) use the formula to ensure the antenna is optimised for the freq your listening to.
Sadly the manufactures fail to explain this as it would mean them putting a scale on the antenna i guess and that costs money.


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Reviewed by R.H. (age 8)
I enjoyed reading this book. One reason why is because it made me feel like solving a riddle. I wanted to solve the mystery because it was fun. Another reason why I enjoyed reading this book is because it was funny. I laughed when Annie and the dolphins were kissing through the window on the mini-sub. Additionally, the story was very adventurous because they rode in a mini-sub. I enjoyed reading this book because it made me feel like solving a riddle, it was funny, and adventurous.
My favorite part of the book was when Jack and Annie rode on the dolphins. One reason why is because I love dolphins. Dolphins are cool because they are harmless and you can swim with them. This part was also my favorite because I thought that I might find out the answer to the riddle. I hoped I would because I would like to know the answer. Another reason why I liked that part is because it was exciting. It is exciting because riding dolphins sounds like a lot of fun. Jack and Annie had no shoes or socks on so their shoes wouldn't get wet. They moved quickly through the water. I'd really like to do that!
I enjoyed the illustrations in this book. One reason why is because they helped tell the story. They helped when I didn't understand some of the writing. Another reason why is because the cover was colorful. The cover was so colorful that it helped me get the main idea of the story without me even reading it! The pictures were creative. When the illustrator drew the water, he made it look real!
This book is for everyone in the world. It is funny and interesting. This book is good to read when you get bored. If you like or love dolphins, then you will definitely enjoy this book. Have fun reading this book everyone!


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CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – For the first time since 2007, MIT sat atop the final standings at the MIT Women's Volleyball Invitational which concluded on Saturday afternoon. The Engineers swept Bates College (25-16, 25-20, 25-17) and Roger Williams University (25-20, 25-23, 25-16) on Friday and then closed out the weekend with wins over Brandeis University (22-25, 25-17, 25-11, 26-24) and Tufts University (25-14, 25-20, 25-13) on Saturday. The undefeated performance was also matched by Springfield College and Wellesley College therefore sets won-lost broke the tie as MIT had a ledger of 12-1, followed by the Pride's 12-2 outing and the Blue's record of 12-3. Senior Alyssa Rothman (Plainview, N.Y.) was named the tournament MVP while fellow classmate Katie Spielbauer (Lakeview, Mich.) earned all-tournament honors.
In the opener with Bates, junior Tatiana Berger (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) paced the Cardinal and Gray's balanced attack with eight kills and two blocks while sophomore Morgan Stewart (Powell, Ohio) added six kills. Sophomore Jenny Astrachan (Austin, Texas) registered five kills and five digs as junior Sharon Hao (San Jose, Calif.) and freshman Ada Taylor (Durham, N.C.) both posted four kills. Junior Kristine Bunker (Falmouth, Mass.) bolstered the blocking corps with two stops while Spielbauer collected 19 digs followed by seven from freshman Lindsey Wang (Cupertino, Calif.). Rothman dished out 25 assists in the first two sets as sophomore Nicole Gagnier (Atlanta, Ga.) closed out the match with 11 assists.
Senior Trinity Leonard (Mill Valley, Calif.) registered a double-double courtesy of 13 kills and 12 digs versus Roger Williams. Taylor notched nine kills and three blocks while Bunker had seven kills. Wang paced the squad with 15 digs as Spielbauer totaled 12 digs and two aces. Hao chipped in 10 digs while Astrachan contributed two blocks. Rothman finished the night with 32 assists, 10 digs, and two aces.
On Saturday, Leonard picked up right where she left off as she compiled 17 digs, 14 kills, and two aces against Brandeis. Bunker produced 13 kills and two blocks while junior Rachel Hunt (Arlington Heights, Ill.) and Taylor both recorded nine kills and two blocks. Spielbauer generated 15 digs and six aces as Wang recorded 12 digs and two aces. Rothman amassed 45 assists, eight digs, and five aces while Hao rounded out the squad with 10 digs.
In the finale with Tufts, Leonard logged her third straight double-double on 11 digs and 10 kills. Hunt followed with nine kills as Berger, Bunker, and Taylor each earned seven kills. Taylor and Berger had three and two blocks, respectively, while Bunker picked up four aces. Spielbauer amassed 17 digs and four aces as Wang recorded eight digs and two aces. Rothman tallied 33 assists, eight digs, and two aces while Hao tacked on six digs.
MIT (14-2) returns to NEWMAC play on Tuesday, Sept. 25 with a home match against the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.


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New draft cybersecurity law: US Senate hits ctrl-alt-del, reboot
If at first you don't succeed, try turning it off and back on again
The US Senate has started circulating a revised draft cyber-security law following failed attempts to pass a similar bill last term.
The proposed dictum, produced by the committee for commerce, science and transportation and backed by committee head Jay Rockefeller (D, W Va) and ranking member John Thune (R, SD), is another try at setting up voluntary computer security standards for critical industries.
Specifically, the paperwork calls on the president to "[enhance] the security and resiliency of public and private communications and information networks against cyber attack by nation-states, terrorists, and cyber criminals". It also demands more research and development in computer security defences, more sharing of software vulnerability information, more done to tackle identity theft, and you get the gist.
Rockefeller is expecting the draft act to be debated by the committee later this month, sources told The Hill blog and Reuters.
The proposed cyber-law follows President Obama's executive order last year that compelled federal agencies to develop guidelines for safeguarding power, water and other critical infrastructure from hackers. The new bill asks the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to come up with a similar set of voluntary standards and best practices.
Previous iterations of the bill were held up by Senate Republicans, who didn't like a provision that would have given the Department of Homeland Security the authority to enforce mandatory electronic security standards. Rockefeller and other backers said making the standards mandatory was necessary to thwart hackers, but the Republicans saw it as unnecessary overregulation.
Rockefeller's bill is part of a raft of legislation that's moving through various government bodies in different parts, after the single comprehensive bill brought to the Senate in Obama's previous term failed to get through. ®


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Budget Battles
A Bipartisan Plan to Lower Health Costs, End Surprise Bills
Chart of the Day: The High Cost of Employer Health Coverage
Chart of the Day: Health Insurance Inflation Hits 5-Year High
Fact Check: Trump's Talk On Preexisting Conditions Doesn't Match His Administration's Actions
It's Not Just Prescription Drugs: Why Hospital Prices Are a Big Problem, Too
Trump Calls for an End to Surprise Medical Bills
Trump's Big, Uncertain Step to Lower Drug Prices, Explained
What Do Maine and Florida Have in Common? Lots of Social Security RecipientsBy Michael Rainey
More than 17% of Maine residents received Social Security retiree benefits in 2018, Bloomberg's Marie Patino reports , the highest proportion in the country. Other states with a high percentage of...
Dem Economists Push Back Against Debt WorriesBy Michael Rainey
Just how worried should we be about the rapidly rising national debt? Last week we told you about a budget watchdog group's effort to raise the alarm over "debt denialism" that has taken hold in some...
3 New Plans to Fix Social SecurityBy Michael Rainey
According to the annual trustees' report released Monday , the combined trust funds for Social Security, currently valued at $2.9 trillion, will be exhausted by 2035 (see the chart from CQ Roll Call...
Social Security's Costs Will Exceed Its Income Starting Next Year, Trustees Say
Without congressional action, Social Security's costs will exceed its income starting in 2020 — and they'll stay that way indefinitely, forcing the program to fall back on its nearly $3 trillion...
Sen. Mike Enzi: Senate Budget Is a First Step to Strengthen America's FutureBy Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY)
This week the Senate Budget Committee will consider a budget plan that will reduce deficits by half a trillion dollars over the next five years. The budget does not presume to solve all of our fiscal...
The US in Decline: What Americans Fear for the Future
A Pew Research Center report published Thursday shows how staggeringly pessimistic Americans are about where the country is heading. "When Americans peer 30 years into the future, they see a country...
Anxious and Suspicious, Citizens in Wealthy Countries Want Stronger Safety NetsBy Michael Rainey
People living in some of the wealthiest countries in the world are worried about their economic futures and don't trust government programs to provide much help if and when they need it, according to...
What Americans Want to Do with Money Raised by Taxing the Rich
Voters support higher taxes on the rich. But what do they want done with the revenue those taxes would raise? A new Morning Consult-Politico poll asked about a range of options. First, we should note...
How Old Is Old?By Michael Rainey
The average age of the U.S. population is rising as the baby boomers sail into their golden years, but a statistically older population may not be as problematic as some experts think. According to a...
Chart of the Day: High Tax, High ServiceBy Michael Rainey
Can the U.S. afford to dramatically increase public spending on a whole host of new programs, potentially including Medicare for All, expanded Social Security and a massive Green New Deal? That...
House Democrats Introduce Bill to Expand Social SecurityBy Michael Rainey
Backed by more than 200 House Democrats, Reps. John Larson (D-CT), Conor Lamb (D-PA) and Jahana Hayes (D-CT) introduced a bill Wednesday that would increase Social Security benefits. The bill would...
'Greatest Threat' to the US? Two Top Democratic Economists Aren't So Worried About the DebtBy Michael Rainey
Starbucks founder Howard Schultz told "60 Minutes" Sunday that he is considering a run for president in 2020, possibly as a "centrist independent," and one of his top issues is the growing national...
CBO Offers 121 Ways to Shrink the DeficitBy The Fiscal Times Staff
The Congressional Budget Office has released a 326-page guide that describes dozens of ways the federal government could reduce its large and growing budget deficit. The 121 policy options included...
Moody's Warns of Declining US Fiscal StrengthBy The Fiscal Times Staff
Trump's tax cuts combined with a slowing economy will diminish the United States' "fiscal strength" over the next 10 years, Moody's Investor Service said Wednesday. The gradual decline could pressure...
3 Ideas for Fixing Social Security
Social Security's trustees reported earlier this year that the program will spend more than it collects in 2018 , requiring it to tap into its $2.9 trillion trust fund to cover benefit payments. It's...
Social Security Directory
- (-) Remove The Conversation filter The Conversation


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According to today's Guardian, Fabio Capello's brainwave for pre-match motivation was to make the England squad watch fellow-Italian Gillo Pontecorvo's classic film Battle of Algiers (I kid you not).
After that, they had no chance - after all, if torture by French paratroopers couldn't break the Algerians' spirit, what chance did a bunch of English footballers have?
Full marks to Fabio for his cultural taste, but surely he'd have been better off showing them Zulu or something like that.


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Ok, the following senior portrait is a combination of me joking around during the senior portrait shoot and then having the senior thinking it would be a cool idea!
This is a another shot of a senior from the Winona High School student who is also a very talented musician that plays the drums. While he was drumming, I had him create some movement while he played and started to play some hardcore beats. We're not talking Sinatra here, we're talking more like Korn, Rage Against the Machine or Slipknot. So as he thrashed on the drums, I snapped a number of photos.
As I checked the end results, the movement of his head created a surreal look – almost like he could be breathing fire or something along those lines. I mentioned this to him as I showed him the photo in the camera and he said, "Do it!" Well, myself having a few Photoshop tricks up my sleeve, I did. Here's the end result:
Now I know that this isn't for everyone, but it was right up this high school senior's alley. This was his favorite photo I created for him. I look forward to creating more custom portraits for my future senior portrait clients! With or without the fire!


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Carmel is growing up at Jasper Animal Rescue Mission and is so in need of his own home. He will brighten the lives of anyone who adopts him. For more information on Carmel, please call 843-726-7799 and go to www.JARMission.org.
Dreamer came to us from another rescue. She is a beautiful red Retriever mix. She loves water and loves people and other dogs. She is dreaming of a forever home where she can join in all the fun. Dreamer was adopted from HHHA but her new family could not keep her. She is still a sweet girl who loves everyone. She would probably do well with older children. For more information on Dreamer or any of the animals at the Hilton Head Humane Association, please call 681-8686 or go to www.hhhumane.org.
Endora has eyes that would melt even the coldest heart. Scoop her up in your arms and feel her gentle purr. To adopt, visit Brooke's Haven Animal Rescue or call 757-7387.
Tucker with his gentle presence and sensitive nature would make a wonderful addition to any family. He is just seven-months-old so he has much to learn and much more to look forward to. To adopt, visit Brooke's Haven Animal Rescue or call 757-7387.
Little Rollie is a male terrier-dachsund mix, six-months old, crate-trained and very cuddly. For details, call Maranatha Farm at 816-6676 or go to www.maranathafarm.org.
Meet Dietz. Dietz is a hound mix and approximately seven-months-old. He loves going outside and being around people. Dietz is neutered, micro-chipped and current on vaccinations. You can meet Dietz Monday through Saturday from noon-7 p.m. at the Palmetto Animal League Adoption Center in Riverwalk Business Park. For more information please call 645-1725 or go to www.palmettoanimalleague.org.
Meet Yoda. Yoda is a four-year-old, longhair male who loves to sit in your lap. Yoda is neutered, micro-chipped and current on vaccinations. You can meet Yoda Monday through Saturday from noon-7 p.m. at the Palmetto Animal League Adoption Center in Riverwalk Business Park. For more information please call 645-1725 or go to www.palmettoanimalleague.org.
Paw-metto Pooches salon attends expo
The grooming staff at Paw-metto Pooches Pet Salon in Bluffton recently attended the 27th annual National Dog Groomers Association of America's "Fun in the Sun" Pet Grooming Expo held in Orlando.
They participated in a three-day series of educational seminars and demonstrations given by world renown groomers and veterinarians. Topics covered were animal dermatology and skin care, pet first aid, pet nutrition, creative grooming and handstripping techniques.
Each member of the staff received a certificate from the NDGAA recognizing achievements for continuing education in the pet grooming industry.
Paw-metto Pooches is open Monday through Saturday. Call 837-3647 for an appointment.
Palmetto Animal League charity golf tournament
Palmetto Animal League's Putt for PAL charity golf tournament will be held at noon Dec. 3 at Belfair's Fazio West Course.
The $150 fee includes a buffet lunch, golf, prizes and appetizers/wine/beer after play. The format will be a four-person shamble.
All proceeds will be used to fund programs at PAL's Adoption Center in the Riverwalk Business Park.
Register online to play or to purchase a hole sponsorship "in memory of" a beloved pet at www.palgolf.golfreg.com, email firstname.lastname@example.com, or call Wendy Schlegel at 843-815-3011 or Bob Elliott at 843-706-9015.
For more information on Palmetto Animal League, go to its website at www.palmettoanimalleague.org or visit its Facebook page.
PAL Thrift store needs volunteers
Palmetto Animal League Thrift supports the animals waiting for homes at the PAL Adoption Center in Okatie. The PAL Thrift is recruiting volunteers to manage inventory, cashier, merchandising and assisting customers.
PAL Thrift is open six days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. PAL Thrift is always in need of donations. Call for your furniture pick-up. To volunteer or for more information, contact the store at 837-6369.


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In March 2011, students from two classes were offered an alternative spring break experience in Costa Rica. A reflective research project following their experience abroad also was required to complete the class. Three of the students who took part were inspired by what they learned about fair trade practices in Costa Rica and have organized a Fair Trade Awareness event from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on April 18, in room 135 at the campus in Center Valley.
"While we were in Costa Rica studying various subjects at the La Selva Biological Station, we visited a small coffee farm that was Fair Trade certified. Many people are unaware of the business practices that take place for a cup of coffee or a bunch of bananas. Because of what we witnessed, we have chosen to study and spread the word about the Fair Trade Movement," said students Nick Accordino, Vinod Jeyaretenam and Patrick Hullihen in a letter to the campus about the event.
The event will highlight Fair Trade products and feature informative videos, refreshments and pictures from the trip. The students have encouraged faculty and students from various academic disciplines to learn more.
"This event can help many different classes in that it touches upon various subjects: international relations, economics, ethics, social diversity, environmental science, biology, history and supply chain," said the students.
For more information, contact University Relations at 610-285-5067 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Here's something for Chementhy stitch enthusiasts. This is a slight variation of the original chementhy stitch stitched in such a way as to look like a flower. "Chementhy" means chrysanthemum and the work generally looks best when stitched with yellow and white on a dark background.In case you've missed the tutorial of the chementhy work,click here . What you see below is stitched in the same way,except for variation of the length of the stitches.
I know the stitching is bad and the color too dull-The idea came to me all of a sudden and I had to try it out immediately.The pic is that of my first trial.The flower will look good with a brighter color .
Do I need to explain how this was stitched? The pic should give you a rough idea.Just vary the length of the stitches to form petals.Leave me a comment in case you've not got it .I'll try to help.


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The Cashiers Check Scam is famous for ripping people off,
but in the interest of the public there is now a website bearing its name.
Since the Nigerian counterfeit cashier's check scam is known by several
different names, each has a website explaining how the scam works:
Nigeria Counterfeit Cashiers Check Scam = NigeriaCounterfeitCashiersCheckScam.com
Nigerian Counterfeit Cashiers Check Scam = NigerianCounterfeitCashiersCheckScam.com
Counterfeit Cashiers Check Scam = CounterfeitCashiersCheckScam.com
Cashiers Check Scam = CashiersCheckScam.com
Updated July 10, 2015 - LinkedAds.com, LLC, the operator of 200 classified ad websites (see LinkedAds.com), has developed this scam advisory website to provide information about the Nigerian Counterfeit Cashiers Check Scam. If you buy or sell anything on the Internet, if you have placed a classified ad on the Internet, or if someone is requesting you to wire them back some money for an alleged overpayment from a cashier's check, you need to be aware of this scam involving the use of "counterfeit cashier's checks" ........ If you are asked to wire money back to anyone (especially from overseas) as a result of a money order or cashier's check overpayment ..... Beware! It is a SCAM! If you are to receive a cashier's check from someone you don't know from overseas (no matter how trusting they may seem) ..... Beware! It is almost certain to be a SCAM! Also, do not give anyone your bank account information (including for making inbound wire transfers to you from overseas for an alleged payment of an item), because supposedly scammers can debit and drain your bank account! A lot of scams originate from "overseas" emails, so a good rule of thumb is to sell to someone only within your own country. That means if you are from the United States, sell to someone only in the United States. If you are scammed by someone from overseas (outside your own country), your legal options are few if any.
Please note: There are perhaps thousands of variations of the Nigerian Counterfeit Cashier's Check Scam. In addition to the scam affecting websites that feature classified ads and online auctions (whereby the scammer will send the seller a counterfeit cashier's check or counterfeit money order and wants the seller to send them back an alleged overpayment by wire transfer), another variation of the scam involves two people who become friends through online chats and email communication. For example, if a man has been chatting to a woman (overseas) for perhaps two months (he is slowly gaining her trust), eventually the woman will say that she wants to come to the country where the man resides. She wants the man to get her an apartment, and of course she sends him a counterfeit cashier's check of perhaps $15,000 and then asks him to wire back to her any remaining overpayment. (Please continue reading below to understand how the scam works with the use of counterfeit cashiers checks and money orders).
Please note if you are selling, renting, or leasing real estate: Thanks to feedback received from our HousesForSale.com website, we would like for you to be aware of another variation of the Counterfeit Cashier's Check Scam. If you are selling, renting, or leasing a home or property, be extremely cautious of anyone "overseas" wanting you to accept a "partial payment" (usually a cashiers check) as a down payment on your house, home, or property. As an example, if your house price is $250,000, the scammer may say they want to buy your house, and is prepared to send you a cashiers check in the amount of $40,000 for the down payment, and upon receipt you should wire $8,000 back to their property inspector so they can travel to the United States to inspect your home or property. (Please continue reading below to understand how the scam works with the use of counterfeit cashiers checks and money orders).
The Nigeria Counterfeit Cashier's Check Scam has targeted hundreds (perhaps thousands) of websites across the Internet that feature classified ads (or online auctions) for automobiles, motorcycles, farm equipment, horses, dogs, etc. If you have received an email that mentions that they want to pay you for an item by a cashiers check (usually through a colleague) and they want to send you "extra money" while requesting you to wire them back the remaining difference, it is a scam!
Again, there are many, many variations of the Nigerian Counterfeit Cashiers Check Scam, and one of the most common versions of the scam involves a person from overseas posing as a potential buyer of an item (such as a motorcycle or an automobile). Initially the overseas person may request some additional photos of the item being sold (this lets the seller think the person is a serious buyer). In a later email the overseas person tells the seller that they are overseas, but have a colleague in the United States who owes them money (such as $10,000), and they will instruct their colleague to send the seller a cashier's check for the sum of $10,000. The overseas person informs the seller to deduct the cost of the item and to send (wire) whatever balance remains to him (so if the seller has something for sale for $5,500, then they will wire the overseas person the $4,500 difference). The overseas person indicates in an email that he has already made shipping arrangements, and tells the seller that when the check is cashed, he will inform his shipping agent to pick up the item. The overseas person also requests a name and address to where the check should be sent, saying that they will send the check immediately (and believe it or not, the cashier's check does arrive quickly…..it often comes by Fed Ex). Typically the seller will receive between 2 and 5 emails before the overseas person requests an address for mailing a check.
After the seller receives the cashier's check and deposits it to their bank account, the bank will let the seller (the banks customer) know that the funds are available usually within 24 hours. Some people wait a week though just to make sure everything seems fine for the cashiers check, and with the funds still showing in their bank account, the seller sends the remaining balance of money to the overseas persons' designated account (often the money is sent via Western Union or Money Gram). Several days later the bank will determine that the cashiers check is counterfeit, and will remove (deduct) the cashiers check amount from their customers account. The seller has now just become a scam victim, having lost every penny that they wired to the overseas person. It seems the overseas person (scammer) is not interested at all in picking up the item that the seller had for sale……he only wanted the seller to make a wire transfer to him. Ironically, the scammer sometimes makes more money on the lower cost items, because if a person has received a check for $10,000 for an item that was only $4,000, then the scammer would make $6,000. If the item was $7,000, the scammer would only make $3,000. Usually though the scammer adds between $2,000 and $7,000 to the actual selling price, so if a person has something for sale for $9,000, then the scammer will probably send the seller a cashier's check for perhaps $11,000 to $16,000. Recently there seem to be more and more scam emails that are targeting lower value items, such as household items that are for sale. For example, if a woodburning stove, refrigerator, or sofa is for sale for $200, the scammer may send only $1,000, and wants the owner to wire them back $800.
Unfortunately, many banks will say the cashier's check funds are available within 24 hours, but this does not mean that the cashier's check is good. It may take two or three weeks to know if the check is good or not, but by then it is too late for the victim (during this time they have already wired the money to the overseas person, and they can't get the money back).
There are several different versions and twists to this scam, and some emails indicate that the shipping costs or crating costs can also be deducted from the cashier's check sum. There are also several different locations mentioned in various emails, some saying the person is from London, and some mention traveling in South Africa, Nigeria, Africa, and we have even seen an email that mentions Canada. (Some emails do not mention a country). The reality is, it doesn't matter what country they say...the fact is that the wired money does go overseas, and most often you can't get your money back. There is even speculation that the money could be funding some terrorist activities. There are probably many cells of these scammers in many countries, including in the United States.
If you would like to search for different versions of the scam, please use any of the commonly used search engines and enter search strings such as:
scam + cashier + London
According to several websites and message boards, many people have been a victim of this scam (it seems to be very widespread across many classified ad websites, and recent feedback from our website viewers indicates the scammers are also targeting sellers on online auction websites).
Points to Ponder: If law enforcement really wanted to shut down the Nigerian Counterfeit Cashier's Check Scam, shouldn't it be relatively easy? Since there seems to be just a handful of wire transfer companies used in the wiring of the money overseas, if "all" of the wire transfer companies were required to make a person read a piece of paper explaining how the scam worked at the time of the wire transfer, then a person likely wouldn't send the money to the overseas scammers, would they? Is it fair that a wire transfer company profits (if they do indeed profit) from the wire transfer even though a person becomes a scam victim?
For comments / questions
about the CashiersCheckScam.com website
or the InternetScamAlert.com website, or
if you are with any news media that would like to do a story about our
efforts in alerting others about the Nigerian Counterfeit Cashier's
Check Scam, please contact:
Copyright © 2004 - 2015 LinkedAds.com, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
All logos, trademarks, banners, and photos are property of their respective owners.
This website has detailed information about the Nigerian Counterfeit Cashiers Check Scam.
Although an effort is made to ensure accuracy, we are not responsible for errors, omissions, or typographical errors,
and this website does not contain any legal advice. For questions regarding this website, please call (304) 273-1020.


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US Sends Top Africa Diplomat for Congo Peace Talks
(WASHINGTON) -- White House and State Department officials confirmed that the Obama administration has dispatched the top U.S. diplomat for Africa, Johnny Carson, to Central Africa this weekend to help negotiate an end the latest crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"I can tell you that Assistant Secretary Carson is in the region working on this issue," White House spokesperson Jay Carney told reporters. "The president is updated through the Presidential Daily Briefing on the developments there in the Congo and is obviously very concerned about the violence and the loss of life."
Last week the rebel force M23 seized Eastern Congo's financial capital, Goma, throwing the country and the region into chaos and uncertainty. For months the group has been advancing on the eastern part of the country, exchanging fire with the Congolese army and committing atrocities such as rape and murder in its campaign. With evidence of involvement from regional neighbors Rwanda and Uganda, the crisis is threatening to turn into a war, similar to the last Congolese war, which lasted over a decade and killed more than an estimated three million people.
Aid organizations such as Oxfam and UNICEF say the latest crisis with M23 has already caused nearly 100,000 people to flee their homes. Other humanitarian groups are struggling to get supplies and food in to help the nearly half a million Congolese who were already living in camps in the area, displaced from decades of violence.
The Obama administration has come under fire for what some have called a lack of engagement on the issue. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did meet with Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Congo President Joseph Kabila at the U.N. General Assembly Meeting in New York in September to urge them to find a peaceful solution to not only M23, but the underlying issues that were fueling the rebel group. The administration also suspended $200,000 in military aid to Rwanda, the staunch U.S. ally, who United Nations investigators say is funding the rebel group. But human rights groups say last week's actions by M23 are proof that not enough has been done diplomatically.
"The US government's silence on Rwandan military support to the M23 rebels can no longer be justified given the overwhelming evidence of Rwanda's role and the imminent threat to civilians around Goma," said Tom Malinowski, the Washington director of Human Rights Watch, in a statement. "The US government should support urgent sanctions against Rwandan officials who are backing M23 fighters responsible for serious abuses."
The Rwandan government continues to deny it is supporting the rebel group. State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland confirmed that Carson will meet with President Kagame while in the region, but she declined to explicitly name Rwandan as a supporter of the militia.
"We've been very clear that we want to see all outside support for M23, for any of these groups, come to an end," said Nuland, who also said Secretary Carson is working with leaders from Rwanda, Congo and Uganda to negotiate a ceasefire and withdrawal of the rebels before the violence escalates.
"We want to see a ceasefire. We want to see a pullback to July lines," said Nuland. "We want to see a sustainable process of negotiation and discussion of the status of the eastern Congo with all the stakeholders."
Actor Ben Affleck, who founded the Eastern Congo Initiative, a humanitarian organization working in Eastern Congo with local leaders for peaceful, long-term solutions to the country's problems, told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week that the administration could be applying more pressure to all the parties involved to bring peace to the region.
"We have a lot of levers there. We can engage in the kind of high-level, shuttle diplomacy that you saw be so effective in Gaza," said Affleck, who pointed out that the United States contributes hundreds of millions of dollars to the 17,000 U.N. peacekeeping force in the country. "With the United States, when we had issues that were important to us, we sent John Kerry to Sudan, we sent Bill Richardson, we sent — I think it was North Korea — General Powell, folks like that. That's a level of engagement that I think we need to step up to."
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio