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November 13, 2018
Mark S. Laska, Ph.D., Founder and President of Great Ecology, along with Gregory R. Biddinger, Ph.D., Managing Director and Principal Scientist at Natural Land Management, LLC presented at the Wildlife Habitat Council's Conservation Conference 2018 earlier today. The name of their session was The Future is Green: Conservation Strategies to Achieve Success.
Dr. Biddinger discussed strategies to incorporate conservation practices throughout the life cycle of a corporate project, describing the triple bottom line benefits of this approach. Dr. Laska followed up with natural land management case studies, using examples from Great Ecology's 17-year history as ecological consultants. His portion of the session introduced strategies to optimize the value of corporate land assets, and described Great Ecology's process to evaluate a corporate site based on its ecological potential, the regional ecosystem marketplace, and the regulatory framework.
If you're at the Wildlife Habitat Council's Conservation Conference this year, we hope you'll stop by our table and say hello! You can also learn about Dr. Laska's work with Tellurium Partners and Ecology Landwatch, two of Great Ecology's sister companies.Leave a comment
October 1, 2018
Great Ecology is thrilled to announce that we have won an Environmental Excellence award from the Colorado Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers (CASFM) for our work on the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program. Vice President of Technical Services, Randy Mandel, received this award on behalf of the company at the 2018 Annual CASFM Conference in Snowmass, CO.Leave a comment
October 1, 2018
We are so proud of the work produced through these projects and honored to have been a finalist. Learn more about the AEP.Leave a comment
September 27, 2018
By Liz Clift
Historically, conservation groups were responsible for saving the whales. The earliest of these groups was the American Cetacean Society, which was founded in 1967. More groups focused on whale conservation, education, and research formed soon after and include the Center for Whale Research which has been performing orca surveys since 1976[1]. The Center for Whale Research has specifically focused on the study and conservation of the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW; Orcinus orca), which make the Salish Sea their home.
The SRKW made news earlier this year, when a grieving mother orca (J35 aka Tahlequah, b. 1998) carried her calf—which died half an hour after it was born—for 17 days. This mourning period is unprecedented among orcas (although a mourning period, in general, is fairly common). At the same time a young orca (J50 aka Scarlet, b. 2014 to a different mother in the J-pod) was, starving to death
The SRKW population totals only 74—a number that puts their population at risk. The death of J35/Tahlequah's baby brought this into stark relief because no babies have been born—and survived—in any of the three pods that make up the SRKW in the three years. Stress factors attributed to the SRKW plight include: toxic pollutants, vessel noise, and lack of salmon (their primary food).
Drastic measures were taken by multiple agencies, scientists, and researchers from the US, Canada, and the Lummi Nation, who provided chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) for J50/Scarlet to eat. The team administered an antibiotic injection to J50/Scarlet and as of late August, she'd been spotted socializing with other members of her pod. As of this publication J50 is presumed dead.
SRKW are unique among orcas. They spend their life in the Salish Sea and eat primarily chinook, which has earned them the nickname "fish-eating orcas." These whales were also heavily impacted by the marine mammal trade for marine park exhibition. Between 1965 and 1975, 13 SRKW died and 45 were delivered to marine parks around the world[2]. In addition to the hardships faced by whales in marine parks, whales were historically killed as part of the commercial whaling industry. Commercial whaling ended in 1986.
While this may (or may not) tug at your heart-strings, protecting whales means increasing the resiliency of marine ecosystems. "Whales," as Asha de Vos states in her TED Talk Why You Should Care about Whale Poop, "are ecosystem engineers. They help maintain the stability and health of the oceans, and even provide services to human society."
Whales help cycle nutrients from deeper in the ocean—which stimulates the growth of phytoplankton (which forms the base of all marine ecosystems), help move carbon from the surface of the water into the deeper ocean and provide a meal for up to 400 different species when they die. They're also an apex predator, which helps keep their prey populations in check. Whales feed on a variety food ranging from plankton and krill to sharks—and it's through this feeding (and their fecal plumes) that whales are able to sink carbon.
But even with the moratorium on commercial whale fishing, whale populations continue to remain well below their historic levels. To help our ocean ecosystems, we must continue to make steps toward helping whales. The specific steps needed to protect whales varies from species to species—and location to location—so from here, I'll return my focus to the SRKW. The three major stressors impacting the SRKW are degraded habitats (including those of their prey species) and contaminants within those habitats, prey population, and disturbance from vessels.
Habitat Restoration & Contaminants
SRKW depend on chinook populations—but damming rivers and commercial fishing both impact chinook populations. The average adult SRKW needs to eat 18 – 25 adult chinook a day. Chinook can weigh up to 100 pounds, but average about 30 pounds as adults. And, in recent years, very large chinook are becoming rarer.
Dam removal projects, such as the Elwha dam removal, can help restore connectivity between the ocean and salmon spawning grounds—and improve overall forest and watershed health (which are linked to improved ocean health). The Columbia River and the Snake River have been identified key rivers to restore.
The waters of the Salish Sea—as well as adjacent upland areas—should also be the focus of a restoration effort with the goal of reducing the number of contaminants entering the food chain. Since the SRKW are apex predators, they consume contaminants consumed in all the lower trophic levels, through bioaccumulation. This may lead to lower rates of fertility, increased calf mortality, and other problems with the whales. In addition, these contaminants can impact populations of fish (known as forage fish) that chinook rely on, thus also reducing prey populations for the SRKW.
In addition, continuing efforts to restore seagrass in the Salish Sea is critical to improving salmon habitat. Seagrass provides habitat for juvenile fish of many species, including salmon and increases in seagrass meadows could lead to higher overall fish populations as well as Chinook populations.
Prey Populations
In addition to habitat restoration activities that can help restore overall salmon populations, as well as populations of forage fish, daily bag limits on chinook can help ensure more fish make it to their spawning grounds. Recently, some Washington restaurants made the decision to stop serving chinook for the foreseeable future, in order to support the SRKW population. Although not many restaurants are currently choosing this route, if enough do elect to stop serving chinook, it could begin to force changes on commercial fisherman.
It isn't just human salmon catches that have raised concerns. Recently, discussions have begun anew on reducing the number of other ocean-dwelling predators that eat salmon, including harbor seals and sea lions. The thought behind this is that if these competing predators are killed, more salmon would be available for the whales. But predator-control efforts often don't result as intended and are focused on a top-down management view (i.e. – fewer predators equals more prey instead of more prey equaling more food for predators—as thus allowing target predator populations to expand [in the case of the SRKW]).
Noise Pollution and Vessel Disturbance
Noise within the Salish Sea has been cited as another problem impacting the SRKW. The Salish Sea is a popular shipping channel, contains numerous port cities, and is traversed by ferries taking people from the mainland to the populated islands off the Washington coast, as well as whale watching and fishing boats. In 2008, regulations were put in place to require boaters to steer clear of orcas, which can help reduce noise and general disturbance from these boats. In addition, a voluntary "no-go" zone has been established at one of the SRKW forage and socialization sites.
All of these are helpful measures; however, noise from these boats can impair the orcas ability to hunt—as well as limit their ability to communicate with the rest of their pod to stay safe or find mates. In 2017, some ships participated in a voluntary slow down near one of the SRKW popular feeding grounds west of San Juan Island. The hope was that slower ships would decrease underwater noise—and hopefully have a positive impact on the whales. The preliminary analysis indicated that this experiment was a success, with underwater noise levels falling by nearly half.
In short, there's no easy answer. But Washington state governor, Jay Inslee signed Executive Order 18-02 in March 2018 designating state agencies establish a Task Force and take other immediate action to benefit the SRKW, with a goal of developing longer term recommendations for SRKW recovery and sustainability. A full draft of the recommendations was released earlier this month and a final set of recommendations is due by November 2018. A second report, which will outline progress made, lessons learned, and unmet needs will be developed by October 1, 2019.
Steps recommended by the Task Force, along with steps already being taken by those who have dedicated their lives (or free time) to ecological restoration, improved fisheries, whale conservation, and marine science, among other fields will hopefully lead to healthier and more vibrant whale populations—as well as healthier marine ecosystems, overall.
[1] In this blog, I'll use whale to refer to both baleen and toothed whales, including orcas. Orcas are the largest member of the dolphin family.
[2] Free Willy provides a fictionalized glance (Keiko was not an SRKW) into what happened to whales who were captured for marine parks (Freeing Willy provides a 12 minute long look into what happened to Keiko, the whale who played Willy, after the movie was filmed)—and the movie Blackfish highlights the living conditions of whales in these marine parks.Leave a comment
September 5, 2018
Vice President of Technical Services, Randy Mandel, has been invited to present the Bioengineering Manual he coauthored for the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) Program as well as Riparian Restoration Matrix, also developed for EWP, at the September Army Corps International Natural and Nature-Based Features Symposium at UC Santa Cruz. His presentation will occur on September 20.
US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) initiated a collaborative project to develop, publish, and promote guidelines on the development of Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF). NNBF support engineering functions in the context of the overall sustainability and resilience of coasts, bays, and estuaries. The workshop at which Mr. Mandel will present is part of a series of workshops that relate to USACE's multi-agency effort to develop guidance describing how to implement, monitor, and evaluate NNBF projects.Leave a comment
August 30, 2018
By David J. Yozzo, PhD
Climate change is impacting the health and biological integrity of marine and estuarine waters throughout the United States, and globally. Rising average air and water temperatures, more frequent and extreme weather events, and steadily rising sea levels are changing baseline environmental conditions, and may alter the distributions and life history patterns of marine/estuarine organisms, including fish, invertebrates, sea birds, sea turtles and marine mammals. The magnitude of these ecological changes is expected to increase in the future, with important implications for strategic, effective management of marine and coastal resources, including sustainable fisheries and swimmable waters. One especially widespread (global) indicator of the effects of climate change (specifically increased sea surface temperatures) on marine resources is the increasing magnitude of change in the distribution of marine and estuarine fish species. (Roessig et al. 2004, Nye et al. 2009, Koenigstein et al. 2016). For example:
However, discerning climate-driven changes in marine fish distributions is challenging – the signal from climatic effects may be confounded by other factors such as forage availability, changes in inshore habitat structure and commercial overharvesting. In addition, marine fish populations can undergo cyclic patterns of abundance associated with multi-decadal natural changes in oceanic currents, such as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) (Crozier and Hutchings 2014). Even under nearly constant environmental conditions, fish distributions are not static. Fish populations occupy optimal habitats under low abundances, but also disperse into less optimal habitats at high abundances (Sinclair 1988, MacCall 1990). This means that species that are only rarely or periodically seen in temperate estuaries may be driven there in response to higher densities/competition for resources in more tropical waters and not necessarily because of favorable temperatures.
Many aquatic and marine species are sensitive to temperatures just a few degrees higher than those they are generally adapted to in nature (Kennedy et al. 2002). Oceanic warming simultaneously reduces the total amount of dissolved oxygen that can be held in water and increases demand for oxygen in cold blooded aquatic animals. Even modest increases in ocean temperatures may affect growth/metabolism, determine behavior and alter distribution patterns. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2014) has documented an average global temperature increase among land and ocean surfaces of 0.85 °C (1.53 °F) between 1880 and 2012. The upper ocean (0 to 75 m) has, on average, warmed by 0.11 °C (0.20 °F) every decade since the early 1970s.
Increased surface water temperature, along with changing patterns of precipitation and riverine hydrology may alter the timing and magnitude of phytoplankton production in estuaries, favoring production by species known to form harmful algal blooms (HABs) (Pyke et al. 2008)—such as the notorious "red tides" currently occupying a large expanse of the southwestern Florida coastline, resulting in massive fish kills, and respiratory distress to humans on beaches. Toxic effects of HABs vary; some forms may exhibit toxicity to fish and aquatic biota even at low cell concentrations, while others may be essentially non-toxic but present a nuisance through high biomass production – they interfere with grazing by zooplankton and alter patterns of nutrient supply and elemental recycling (Gobler et al. 2017).
Along the U.S. Atlantic coast, warm-temperate fish species fish assemblages may benefit from climate changes that are impacting cooler-water species, by expansion of their range to more northern estuaries. One of the most compelling examples of this phenomenon is Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Nye et al. (2009) documented changes in the abundance and latitudinal distribution for several bottom-dwelling species, which were historically abundant and characteristic of the Narragansett Bay winter fish community, including red hake (Urophycis chuss), and silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis). Simultaneously, the abundance of warm water species that migrate into the Bay during summer such as butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus) and scup (Stenotomus chrysops) increased. These changes coincided with a 90% decline in winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) abundance in the Bay (Oviatt 2004, Jefferies et al. 2011). Winter flounder spawn in estuaries at temperatures ranging from 1 to 10 °C, with optimal spawning conditions at 2 to 5 °C. The evolution of cold water spawning in winter flounder is a mechanism for avoiding predation on newly emerged/metamorphosing larvae, principally by sand shrimp (Crangon septemspinosa). Winter flounder eggs hatch when sand shrimp have historically been absent or dormant in the Bay. However, as winter water temperatures increased, sand shrimp remained active and consumed flounder larvae (Taylor and Collie 2003). Warmer waters are also associated with greater egg mortality rates, reduced larval growth rates, and diminished larval condition (Keller and Klein-McPhee 2000). Winter flounder have historically exhibited long-term cyclical abundance patterns; however, abundance peaks have diminished in recent decades.
Further south, faunal shifts have also been documented for the Hudson-Raritan Estuary, including the extirpation of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax). Smelt abundance in Hudson River tributaries began to decline during the 1970s, and the last recorded specimen from the Hudson drainage was collected in 1998 (Waldman 2006). Another cold-water species, Atlantic tomcod (Microgadus tomcod), has also diminished in the lower Hudson River; a contributing factor may be the species' naturally short lifespan at this extreme southern portion of their distributional range (most Hudson River tomcod only live one year compared to 3 to 4 years in the northern reaches of their range). It is expected that the Hudson River population will further diminish, and perhaps become extirpated entirely in the coming decades (Waldman 2014).
In contrast, gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), historically rare north of Sandy Hook, New Jersey, colonized the Hudson River during the 1970s and has become established as far north as the Merrimack River, Massachusetts. Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), another species most often associated with aquatic habitats (including large coastal river basins) to the south of the Hudson drainage, became increasingly abundant in the tidal Hudson river during the mid- to late-1990s (Daniels et al. 2005). Another recent faunal shift in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary is the increasing presence of species in the drum family (Sciaenidae), including Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus), spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), and red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus). These species are most often associated with estuaries to the south such as Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay, and Albemarle-Pamlico Sound (Waldman 2014).
The coastal management community is paying close attention to changes in the distribution and abundance of marine and estuarine biota, as well as other climate-related impacts on coastal habitats, water quality, and recreation. Future climate projections and vulnerability may require re-assessing present-day federal, state, and local water quality (e.g., temperature and dissolved oxygen) standards for estuaries and coastal waters. For example, meeting existing thermal standards may represent an increasing challenge for electrical power generating facilities and other industries which discharge heated effluent into estuaries and coastal bays. Maintaining compliance will likely require the development of newer, more efficient technology and operational procedures, especially if regulators were to adopt more stringent (protective) criteria to protect coastal resources.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Estuary Program (NEP) has identified projected Increases in ocean surface temperature as a key vulnerability of its program to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance. EPA's Climate Ready Estuaries Program (https://www.epa.gov/cre) provides resources to support individual NEP component programs, and the coastal management community, in identifying climate vulnerabilities, developing adaptation measures/strategies and educating and engaging local stakeholders affected by climate change impacts in coastal areas throughout the U.S.
Literature Cited
Araujo, F.G., T.P. Teixeira, A.P.P. Guedes, M. C. C. de Azevedo and A.L.M. Pessanha. 2018. Shifts in the abundance and distribution of shallow water fish fauna on the southeastern Brazilian coast: a response to climate change. Hydrobiologia 814: 205-218.
Crozier, L.G. and J.A. Hutchings. 2014. Plastic and evolutionary responses to climate change in fish. Evolutionary Applications 7:68-87.
Daniels, R.A., K.E. Limburg, R.E. Schmidt, D.L. Strayer and R.C. Chambers. 2005. Changes in Fish Assemblages in the Tidal Hudson River, New York. American Fisheries Society Symposium 45:471–503.
Gobler, C. J., O.M. Doherty, T.K. Hattenrath-Lehmann, A.W. Griffith, Y. Kang and R.W. Litaker. 2017. Ocean warming since 1982 has expanded the niche of toxic algal blooms in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114: 4975-4980.
IPCC 2014. Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 1132 pp.
James, N.C., L. van Niekerk, A.K. Whitfield, W.M. Potts, A. Gotz and A.W. Paterson. 2013. Effects of climate change on South African estuaries and associated fish species. Climate Research 57: 233–248.
Jeffries, H.P., A. Keller and S.Hale. 2011. Predicting Winter Flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) Catches by Time Series Analysis. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 46:650-659.
Keller, A.A. and G. Klein-MacPhee. 2000. Impact of elevated temperature on the growth, survival, and trophic dynamics of winter flounder larvae: a mesocosm study. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 57: 2382-2392.
Koenigstein, S., F.C. Mark, S. Gofsling-Reisemann, H. Reuter and H. Poertner. 2016. Modelling climate change impacts on marine fish populations: process-based integration of ocean warming, acidification and other environmental drivers. Fish and Fisheries 17: 972–1004.
MacCall, A.D. 1990. Dynamic Geography of Marine Fish Populations. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
Nicolas, D., A. Chaalali, J. Drouineau, J. Lobry, A. Uriarte, A. Borja and P. Boet. 2011. Impact of global warming on European tidal estuaries: some evidence of northward migration of estuarine fish species. Regional Environmental Change Journal 11:639–649.
Nye, J.A., J.S. Link, J.A. Hare and W.J. Overholtz. 2009. Changing spatial distribution of fish stocks in relation to climate and population size on the Northeast United States continental shelf. Marine Ecology Progress Series 393: 111-129.
Oviatt, C.A. 2004. The changing ecology of temperate coastal waters during a warming trend. Estuaries 27:895–904.
Pyke, C. R., R. G. Najjar, M. B. Adams, D. Breitburg, M. Kemp, C. Hershner, R. Howarth, M. Mulholland, M. Paolisso, D. Secor, K. Sellner, D. Wardrop, and R. Wood. 2008. Climate Change and the Chesapeake Bay: State-of-the-Science Review and Recommendations. A Report from the Chesapeake Bay Program Science and Technical Advisory Committee (STAC), Annapolis, MD. 59 pp.
Roessig, J.M., C. M. Woodley, J.J. Cech, Jr. and L.J. Hansen. 2004. Effects of Global Climate Change on Marine and Estuarine Fishes and Fisheries. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 14: 251–275.
Sinclair, M. 1988. Marine Populations: an Essay on Population Regulation and Speciation. University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA.
Taylor D.L. and J.S. Collie. 2003. Effect of temperature on the functional response and foraging behavior of the sand shrimp Crangon septemspinosa preying on juvenile winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus. Marine Ecology Progress Series 263:217–234.
Vinagre, C., F.D. Santos, H.N. Cabral and M.J. Costa. 2009. Impact of climate and hydrology on juvenile fish recruitment towards estuarine nursery grounds in the context of climate change. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 85:479-486.
Waldman, J.R. 2006. The diadromous fish fauna of the Hudson River: life histories, conservation concerns, and research avenues. Chapter 13, pp. 171-188 in: J.S. Levinton and J.R. Waldman, (Eds.) the Hudson River Estuary. Cambridge University Press, New York.
Waldman, J. 2014. Climate change: a cool-eyed look at fishing in our warmer waters. The Fisherman, March 2014: 4-7.Leave a comment
August 29, 2018
Great Ecology is proud to announce that our blog was selected as one of the top 40 ecology blogs of 2018 by Feedspot (we're number 18, and in good company with folks like The Prairie Ecologist, Sonoma Ecology Center, and The Applied Ecologist's Blog, just to name a few!). We strive to make complex research accessible, keep on the forefront of the latest trends in ecological science, and highlight innovations, designs, policies, and ideas that are important to our field.Leave a comment
August 23, 2018
By Amber Jackson
If someone asks you to describe spring or summer, you might talk about new life, with pops of color flowering in open spaces and on trees, and a seemingly endless soundtrack of bird songs. The land, however, is not the only place where life is replenished in the spring and summer months. The ocean, with its seemingly unchanging surface, is also privy to the productivity of these seasons, especially off the coast of California, where the winds and deep underwater canyons provide the perfect conditions for upwelling. These coastal upwelling regions are relatively rare, accounting for less than 1% of the ocean surface, however, they are incredibly productive regions and contribute roughly 50% of the world's fishing landings.
But before we dive below the surface, imagine the feel of a breeze across your skin. Winds create a powerful and direct effect on oceans and are an important force in creating currents. From the global circulation of entire ocean systems to small eddies nearshore, winds move water and its resident animals and plants in complex and interesting patterns.
In the spring and summer months, warm winds from the north blow parallel to the coastline towards southern California. When this occurs, an intriguing and biologically important event takes places. Affected by the rotation of the earth, these winds move water at right angles to the direction the wind is blowing, a phenomenon known as the Coriolis effect. Along the California coastline, winds that blow from the north drive surface waters offshore. As surface waters are pushed offshore, water is drawn from below to replace them. The upward movement of this deep, colder water is called upwelling.
Upwelling brings cold, nutrient-rich waters to the surface, which encourages the growth of large blooms of phytoplankton. The phytoplankton blooms form the ultimate energy base for large animal populations higher in the food chain, such as tuna, seabass, and even large marine mammals, like whales. Although an impressive biological event, this is not the only major consequence of upwelling because upwelling also affects animal movement. Upwelling moves nearshore surface water offshore and takes with it whatever is floating in the water column, such as larval young produced by most marine fish and invertebrates. These larvae are tiny, ranging from microscopic to the size of a potato chip, and they spend the first few weeks or months of life adrift in the water column. Upwelling that moves surface water offshore can potentially move drifting larvae long distances away from their natural habitat, to shelters such as a nearby oil and gas platform.
This past spring, I experienced the plethora of larval young swarming around California's offshore oil and gas platforms. Although my dive partners and I focused our cameras on the anemone-covered beams, and the sea lion curiously swimming by, when we revisited our footage after the dive we found that many of the photos had been "photobombed" by a larva that landed on the lens! Even, when we exited the water, we noticed that our wetsuits were crawling with life. It was quite a shock to see thousands of tiny white shrimp and other larvae contrasted against our black wetsuits.
Offshore oil and gas platforms don't cause upwelling but act as a landing site for those larvae displaced by upwelling. In fact, the vertical platform structures may cause a slight shift in current direction that mixes the surrounding ocean nutrients. This mixing, although small, provides the distribution of an important foundational food source for other, larger fish that call offshore oil and gas platforms home—which contributes to these offshore platforms being an important fisheries resource that can be disrupted if the platform is completely removed after it is decommissioned.Leave a comment
July 12, 2018
by Jared Huennekens
When I stepped into the Village Nurseries' Horticulture Encounter, 'Plants with a Purpose,' at the Miramar Landscape Center and Growing Grounds, my senses felt bombarded with incoming stimulus. Like an owl who's spotted a nest of mice, my head flew in circles absorbing an array of aromatic and beautiful plants.
The Encounter, curated by Suzie Wiest, a one stop shop for all your horticulture questions, boasts a robust collection of plants highlighting relevant landscape topics within San Diego county: fire resistance, edible flowers, fillers, deer and rabbit tolerance, pollination, pairings, and plants that promote well-being (health, productivity, and happiness). The San Diego office of Great Ecology (and the office dogs!) had the pleasure to learn and engage in a productive dialogue concerning these plants and the plants we use in our own projects and homes. Wiest has over 20 years of experience of experience in wholesale industry and her ability to navigate landscaping issues, pollination, native versus non-native species, and water resiliency was impressive to say the least.
For Great Ecology, the fire resistance collection titled 'Blaze Battlers' poses particular relevance to upcoming projects such as trail routing at Camp Ramah because of the recent wildfires in Southern California. Wiest developed a phenomenal collection to address our wildfire outbreaks and increase the ecological health of impacted spaces.
This collection was of particular interest to us, not only for large landscaping projects conducted at Great Ecology, but the yards and canyons in our neighborhoods. For me, this collection could mean a difference in the way my friends and family experience wildfires. At four years old, I was forced to evacuate my home because of wildfires in our area. Over the next 15 years, three major wildfires have occurred in my area burning down a few of my friends homes and favorite natural environments.
Many plants within the collection deserve mention on the merit of their beauty, aroma, and potential value as a sustainable solution (not specific to California). An exceptional succulent, the hybrid Aloe 'Always Red,' blooms masses of stark, blood-red blooms ten months of the year. Light frost, rain, and drought pose no threat for this South African native known as a magnet for droves of hummingbirds. The needle-like red and white bloom on the evergreen shrub Grevillea hybrid 'Kings Celebration' stood apart along with the Verbena lilacina 'De La Mina,' a fragrant purple bloom that attracts hosts of butterflies and bees. My personal favorite, the 'Meerlo' Lavender, displays an unassuming, untraditional cream, pale green color, but its aroma permeates my mind to this day, a week later.
Unfortunately, describing the beauty and smell of these plants is akin to a food critic describing a 12 course meal at Noma or google searching the Northern Lights. Nothing compares to the real thing.
The Great Ecology team enjoyed our visit and would like to thank Suzie Wiest along with the Village Nursery for allowing us to escape the routine of the work day, spend time outside learning about plants that influence our ecological works, and letting us take home a few plants free of charge!
Leave a comment
July 11, 2018
The Public Notice for the South San Diego Bay Wetland Mitigation Bank (Bank) Prospectus has been released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for public comment. Great Ecology led the development of the Prospectus on behalf of the Bank Sponsor, the Port of San Diego (Port), and its release is the culmination of three years of collaboration between the Port and the Great Ecology team. The proposed 80-acre wetland mitigation bank is located within an 83.5-acre parcel owned by the Port, and if approved, will include the establishment, re-establishment, and rehabilitation of tidal wetland and upland transitional habitats. Tidal wetlands, and their associated buffers, provide important ecosystem services, support nursery habitat for fisheries of ecological and commercial importance, and act as key feeding and breeding grounds for coastal and migratory bird species. Great Ecology's team includes ESA and RECON who provided engineering, hydrological, and restoration biology design.
The Bank Site is located within a former salt pond in San Diego. Historically, this salt pond was part of the Western Salt Work Company and served as a part of a network of condensation and crystallization salt evaporator ponds. Today, the Bank Site is largely upland and surrounded by large earthen berms, which isolates the interior of the site from tidal flows and prevents it from being a tidal wetland. The proposed project will restore tidal wetlands to the site by reducing the overall site elevation and breaching the surrounding berm to allow tidal flows to enter the site.
The completed project will include subtidal eelgrass, mudflat, transition zone, and upland habitats. The majority of the site's historic perimeter berms will remain to provide a hydrological buffer around the site.
The Port and Great Ecology team are focusing on the next steps of the project planning, permitting, and bank entitlement process.Leave a comment


text:
Pipestone story 1
1986 - 94
Guns at the Sacred Quarries
Photos from 2009
site redesigned
September 2009updated 2011
Gloria Hazell
1997 - 2013
All Rights Reserved.
of Chuck Derby, (Running Elk) February 1941 - August 2010
Derby was born in Pipestone Indian School hospital, Minnesota
to Ethel (nee Crow) and Harvey in February, 1941 and he
continued to live there for the rest of his life. According to tradition,
as the family's first born son he inherited the name Chaske.
Which has since been mutated to Chuck or Charlie.
After attending Pipestone High school, and Haskell Institute
(a post-graduate vocational school for native Americans,)
in Lawrence, Kansas, Mr Derby worked in general construction
and natural gas pipeline construction before he began working
for the Pipestone National Monument as a general laborer in
1963. He was promoted to Maintenance Supervisor in 1967 and
continued in that position until he retired in 1994. Many
people thought of him as the Caretaker of the Quarries while
he worked there.
In his personal life Chuck has been working in the quarries
since his father first took him there as a small child. He
often says that he thought he was playing when he filled his
little buckets up with dirt, when he was about five, and it
wasnt until the buckets got bigger and heavier that he realized
that this was not playing, but something much harder. He has
also been pipemaking for 40 years, another skill passed down
to him from his father. By continuing the quarrying and pipemaking
he followed in the footsteps of his father, grandfather,
and ancestors, who quarried prior to the 1860's.
Mr Derby was a lifelong adherent to traditional values,
and had served on many Native American committees and Boards,
dealing with various things regarding historical and traditional
Native American issues. Not least of these issues involved
the quarries, pipemaking and ceremonials. He had been to Washington
DC to testify to Congress on behalf of the Native Americans
who use the Pipe. In recent years Chuck served as the
elected spokesperson for the Original Pipestone Dakota Tiospaye.
In the 1970's Chuck appeared in the film, 'Hiawatha Pioneer
Trail' demonstrating both quarrying and pipemaking. His most
recent movie experiences included 'Minnesota
River and Fields' in August 2009. Among other venues Chuck
participated in was the Festival of Nations in Minnepolis,
where many countries exhibited their own unique crafts. He
has exhibited in the Minnesota Historical Society at the State
Capitol in St Paul and also at the Iowa State Fair in Des
Moines, in the 70's where over 60,000 people visited his exhibit.
In 1972 he again demonstrated his work at the Second World
Conference on National Parks, where over 90 countries were
represented, and at the Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha.
At the request of Native American elders, Chuck was given
the honor of carving an exact replica of the original pipe
of the respected Oglala Lakota, Crazy Horse, which was to
be used for special purposes at the Crazy Horse Monument in
the Black Hills, where he had participated in a Pipe ceremony
with Arvol Looking Horse, Charles and Godfrey Chips, Ruth
Ziolkowski, (the wife of sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski,) and
others. Sadly he didn't live long enough to make that Pipe.
Through the years of working with pipestone and making ceremonial
pipes Chuck associated with many Native American elders,
spiritual leaders and medicine men, in 1998 he was adopted
by the now late, Lakota Spiritual leader Joseph Flying Bye
as his son, which was a great honor. He was taught many things
by Grandpa Joe as well as the spiritual leader, the late Amos
Owens. By knowing these people and others he learned a
lot of cultural and spiritual lessons. Due to these ancient
teachings he was able to incorporate traditions into
his everyday life, just as his ancestors did many years ago.
recent years Chuck concentrated on the educational aspects
of quarrying, pipe making and cultural awareness and had been
presenting the unique cultural educational program Beads
& Buckskins in both the States and Europe with his wife, life
and working partner, Gloria since 1994*.
Both followed the traditional ways. Chuck had in the past few
years filmed three DVD's one on Pipemaking, one on the history
of the Pipestone area and the Pipe, and another that is being
edited at the moment of quarrying. All of these DVD's were
available at the Center.
In this new millennium Chuck continued to be a humble,
passive, proletarian quietly working for Native American rights
both in Pipestone and elsewhere. Sadly in April 2010 Chuck was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and passed away in August 2010 in his beloved Pipestone,
surrounded by his wife, daughter, sisters, family and friends. He is sadly missed by us all.
Neither Chuck or Gloria pretend to be a Medicine Person or spiritual
they were just presenters of these cultural ways of life which
could die if they are not perpetuated. This program was started NOT
to show you how to pray or how to perform ceremonies, it was NOT
a so-called 'Shamans' course either. Chuck and Gloria did
NOT advocate that the participants copy these ways.
Although they do both believe that everyone has to be true to
their own calling and spiritual path. They ask that everyone
is respectful to one anothers path and belief system.
with his daughter Diana, son-in-law Richard and Kevin Costner,
September 2009
and Gloria September 2008
and Wyatt at the Sundance quarry, September 2009
of Chuck's Great, Great Grandfather that we found last week
in Sisseton.
He was a scout in the 1860's.
site designed by
Dragonfly Dezignz
Graphics by Gloria Hazell 1997 - 2009
the feather bar)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Pretty much PERFECT! From the sidewalk to the golf course. Enjoy the circular drive as well as side facing 3 car garage. NEW ROOF 2018. Quaint courtyard garden area is the perfect stage for you to show off your green thumb and personality. The Courtyard sets this home apart with 'off the charts' curb appeal with high end brick pillar, iron fencing and iron walk gate. As you enter the home, you can enjoy a true foyer open to formal living and formal dining and immediately get to appreciate the golf course view. Impressive moldings throughout home include heavy crown, chair rail, wainscoting and coffer ceiling. Open Kitchen/Breakfast/ Great Room. Updated and Upgraded kitchen with white cabinets that are solid wood, with raised panel. A select few glass front cabinets provide a perfect spot for displaying items. Wind storage cabinet, pantry, stainless steel appliances and built in oven/micro. Marble backsplash, 5 burner gas cooktop and under counter lighting in kitchen. Counter height bar area gives you an abundance of counter space. Loads of solid wood floors seamlessly flow throughout home including hallways, master bedroom, formal dining, kitchen and great room. Great room has space for all your furniture with arched top, solid wood built ins to display your personality and give you storage. Windows with transoms and plantation shutters across the back allows you to appreciate the golf course view in every room. 3 bedrooms including master on first floor, split bedroom plan, 2 oversized bedrooms plus large bonus upstairs. Master Bedroom w/ French doors that led to raised brick courtyard in back yard, plus large fenced backyard. Screen Porch, sprinkler system, Fairhope Schools all nestled in highly sought after Golf Couse Community…Rock Creek.
Listing courtesy of Coldwell Banker Reehl Properties Daphne.
© Baldwin County Association of Realtors, Inc. Information deemed to be reliable but not guaranteed. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Broker Reciprocitysm Program. Listing broker has attempted to offer accurate data, but buyers are advised to confirm all items. Information last updated on .


text:
Pocket Notebook Cover in Lite QTAN Bridle Outside and Standard QTAN Bridle pockets with Beige Thread
The Pocket Size cover is designed for 3.5" x 5.5" notebooks like Field Notes, Word, Story Supply, Doane Paper, Flight books and more.
This cover has Lite QTAN Bridle for the outside of the cover with the darker, Standard QTAN Bridle for the inside pockets to give it a unique look.
Item details:
- Leather: Lite QTAN Bridle and Standard QTAN Bridle
- Thickness: 5-6 oz
- Thread: Beige
- Edges: Burnished


text:
Content Count12
Last visited
Total Plectrums3 Neutral
About Daz39
- Birthday August 24
Daz39 started following Fender Crayolacaster and Cardboardcaster, Tele Tuesday, Hello BC members Who Also Play Guitar! and and 7 others
Tele Tuesday
Daz39 replied to ezbass's topic in General DiscussionGah - keep missing this. Must remember to post my Tele!
Hello BC members Who Also Play Guitar!
Daz39 replied to Bassassin's topic in IntroductionsHah. Guilty pleasures. Do we even have different stage names as guitarists? Do we suddenly forget how to hear the other band members and convince ourselves the Amp is not loud enough?
The delay and reverb threadI currently just have a cheapo Yellow Fall delay (mooer?) - but love the reviews of the Nemesis and Ventris (love SA products; I used to have the Orbital Modulator and Dimension Reverb, but I needed to free up funds and was never getting full use of them.)
On Guitar... Lenny Kaye
Daz39 replied to ezbass's topic in General DiscussionI loved all 3, all different, all interesting.
barefaced guitar cab
Daz39 replied to Skinnyman's topic in Amps and CabsNo - do you have a link? I hope, sincerely hope, that threads on it and future BF guitar cabs don't degenerate into the same passive-aggressive posturing we see on Basschat. It's frankly embarrassing.
New fangled solid body acoustic hybrid from Fender.
Daz39 replied to Cato's topic in General DiscussionIt's 'interesting' - seems it should satisfy the Venn grouping of people who say 'Fender are dull and never release anything actually NEW,' and those who say 'Urgh, the Dimension Bass? What were Fender thinking? Go back to what you know.'
Zero tolerance, Pat Metheny
Daz39 replied to Skinnyman's topic in General DiscussionI listened to one Pat Metheny album; I can't remember which one: but I would like to hear more - what would you recommend (Obvs there might be a best of on Spotify.)
Favourite Guitarists.
Daz39 replied to ezbass's topic in General DiscussionAbove: Billy is a brilliant player, daft as a box of frogs obviously, just like the other two, but very good. There are some amazing bits of gnarly, twisty playing (not forgetting the trademark pinch harmonics) across the ZZ catalogue. The player that made me ask for a guitar for my 18th was Dave Gilmour. Other geetarists of whom I am in favour: John Petrucci, Alex Lifeson, Paul Gilbert.
Where are all my plectrums?
Daz39 replied to dlloyd's topic in General DiscussionSame place all the teaspoons at work go?
Fender Crayolacaster and Cardboardcaster
Daz39 replied to Chiliwailer's topic in GuitarsLove the creativity and skill. Do not read the comments. It's the usual saddos (who would say Jaco only needed 4 strings, in a Bass thread.)
Resurfacing Basschatter
Daz39 replied to Deep Thought's topic in IntroductionsHi - fellow Basschatter here too!
Sophie Lloyd
Daz39 replied to Skinnyman's topic in General DiscussionCrikey can she play. *mutter. grumble, unfair..*


text:
Failed merger: Failed corporate governance?
Post on 11-Jun-2016
213 views
1 download
As we begin a newyear, we have theopportunity tolook back on somevery large recentmergers and acquisi-tions (M&As) that canbe considered failuresand try to identify the causes ofthose failures. The fifth mergerwave in the second half of the1990s provides a fertile groundfor such critical examination. Inthat period, we saw not onlysome of the largest mergers andacquisitions of all time, but alsosome of the greatest failures.While not all these mega-fail-ures can be attributed to thesame cause, failed corporategovernance clearly played animportant role in many of them.In order to examine the role ofcorporate governance, we willbriefly discuss how companiesare governed and managed. Indoing so, we will seek to estab-lish what the proper corporategovernance process is and howit can fail when it comes todeal making. Lastly, we willdiscuss some of the leadingfailures of the recent mergerperiod and see to what extentfailed governance played a rolein their difficulties.
The ultimate owners of cor-porations are shareholders.Shareholders elect directors torepresent their interests. Direc-tors, in turn, select managers torun the company on a day-to-day basis. The typical boardhas, on average, ten directors,and of this group, approximate-ly three are insiders, while theremainder are outside directors.Outside directors are those whoare unaffiliated with the compa-ny, while insiders are membersof management. Some directorsare what are called grey direc-tors, as they have some affilia-tion with the company, such asa consulting contract, but arenot employees. In many cases,the CEO sits on the board andmay even be the boards chair-man. It is usually believed thatboards work better when insid-ers have less influence andwhen the board is not dominat-ed by the CEO. The market
tends to prefer suchindependent boards.This has been con-firmed by researchstudies that show, forexample, positivestock price reactionsto appointments of
outside directors. Such researchalso implies that smaller boardsmay be more effective at disci-plining management than largerboards. Other studies haveshown that for companies thathave been performing poorlyand have become the target oftender offers, board sizes tendto shrink after failed tenderoffers. This implies that whenpoorly performing companiesdodge a bullet, they some-times try to get their acttogether, and this oftenincludes getting the board downto a size that is more effectiveat governance. The fact thatsmaller boards do corporategovernance better than largeones is an intuitive result, as itmay be easier for a CEO todominate a larger board, whereeach board member may haveless overall influence and clear-ly has lower voting controlwhen there are more boardvotes. Smaller boards, on the
The last wave of mergers also produced some ofthe greatest merger failures of all time. Howmany were due to failed corporate governance?
2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Patrick A. Gaughan
Failed Merger: Failed CorporateGovernance?
3 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jcaf.20081
other hand, allow each boardmember to potentially havegreater influence.
Increasingly, large U.S. com-panies are owned by institutionalshareholders, which includemutual funds, pension funds, andinsurance companies. It is typi-cal that the majority of share-holders in any given large, pub-licly held company areinstitutions. These institutionshave become somewhat moreactivist over the last 1015years. The California PublicEmployees Retirement System(CALPERS), for example, is amajor institutional investor thathas become more activist andoccasionally has takenstrong positions opposingmanagement proposalswhen they see they are notin the best interest ofshareholders. However,while such actions tend todraw attention in themedia, they do so partly dueto the fact that they are not thatcommon an occurrence. Moretypically, institutional investorsare not very active in monitoringany one firm, as each companyin their portfolio may be a rela-tively small percentage of theirtotal holdings and may not war-rant close attention. When insti-tutional investors are dissatisfiedby the performance of a compa-ny in their portfolio, it usually iseasier to sell the holding than totry to influence management.Only when they have a largeholding and/or are reluctant tosell for a loss will they considerother options.
While corporate governancehas gotten more attention inrecent years, the role that suchgovernance plays in merger andacquisition strategy has notattracted such attention. Much ofthe recent public attention oncorporate governance has been
focused on corporate accountingscandals and their prevention.Legal remedies such as Sar-banes-Oxley and better industryself-policing have gotten themost attention. Corporate gover-nance and merger strategy, how-ever, has not been the focus. Oneof the reasons why this is thecase is that it is difficult topolice poor merger strategy.CEOs have been pursuing manybad mergers and acquisitions,which have cost shareholdersmany billions of dollars, yetthere has been little call forchanges to remedy the problem.When a CEO or CFO engages inaccounting fraud and other
manipulations, it is easy to seethat this is wrong and requireremedies and punishment. It ismuch less clear when a mergerturns sour and shareholders losevalue in their investment that weneed to alter the corporate gov-ernance process so that sucherrors are prevented in thefuture. In the section that fol-lows, we will discuss some lead-ing merger blunders that havecost shareholders billions of dol-lars and for which the corporategovernance movement has putforward no solutions.
One classic case of a mergerstrategy gone wrong was World-Com. This was a company builtby growth-oriented CEO BernieEbbers, who took it from a smallMississippi-based telecommuni-cations reseller to one of the
leading telecommunicationscompanies in the world. It wasbuilt through a series of mergersand acquisitions that culminatedwith the 1998 $40 billion mergerwith MCI. Not content to standstill, Ebbers then tried to mergewith Sprint, but his merger planran into resistance from the Jus-tice Department, which opposedit on antitrust grounds. Ebberswas great at building a companythrough mergers and acquisi-tions. However, his strength wasin doing deals, not managingcompanies. Reports of hismicromanagement tendencies,which ranged from counting cof-fee bags and filters to monitor-
ing smoker breaks of work-ers, have provided someamusement for the businessmedia. WorldComs boardlet him stay in place evenas the days for growththrough mergers shouldhave come to an end.WorldCom had reached an
efficient size, if not grownbeyond that, and it was time forthe board to ask him to stepaside and bring in a better man-ager. Unfortunately, this was notdone until the company washeaded to bankruptcy.
The case of DaimlerChrysler is different yet, in someways, is similar. Both WorldComand Daimler were run by strongCEOs who seemed to dominatethe board. Daimler had a lesssuccessful M&A track record, asthe company had done manydeals that it was forced to undo.For example, it had pursed adiversification program that itwas forced to unwind. Many ofits investments, such as a largeholding in Japanese automakerMitsubishi, proved to be ill-con-ceived drains on the company.However, Daimler CEO JurgenSchrempps biggest mistake washis merger with Chrysler. The
4 The Journal of Corporate Accounting & Finance
2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Much of the recent public attentionon corporate governance has beenfocused on corporate accountingscandals and their prevention.
deal was called a merger ofequals, but many consider it sim-ply an acquisition of the thirdlargest American company bythe German luxury automaker.Schrempp dreamed of buildingan international auto companythat was to be unparalleled. Hewas not content to run the lead-ing luxury car manufacturer inthe world. Schrempps hubris-filled merger strategy generatedlarge losses for shareholders and,as of the end of 2004, showedfew signs of turning around.Once again, where was the boardwhen Schrempp proposed hisgrandiose takeover scheme?Why did they not question it inlight of Daimlers priorM&A mishaps?
The second largest dealof all time, and perhaps thebiggest merger flop ofthem all, was the January2002 AOL and Time Warn-er merger. This deal, whichwas valued at $166 billion,was supposed to be a synergy-filled marriage of content (TimeWarner) and distribution (AOL).Instead of realizing synergies,however, the merger causedTime Warner shareholders toincur great losses with theirmerger with AOL, which used itsovervalued shares to gain atTime Warner shareholdersexpense. One of the most funda-mental flaws of this deal wasthat its strategy and goals werepoorly defined. Years after thetransaction has been completed,it is difficult to see any syner-gies. It never was clear howTime Warner would gain fromits association with AOL. Admit-tedly, Time Warner tried to pur-sue Internet-based activities andlost hundreds of millions of dol-lars. Gerald Levin, Time Warn-ers CEO, thought the Internetwas key to Time Warners futureand forced his shareholders to
pay a heavy price for his failedgamble. Time Warner boardmembers will have a difficulttime providing reasons why theyapproved this deal. One of thelessons of this disaster is that ifyou have trouble seeing how thesynergies will manifest them-selves, it is likely that they neverwill. Synergies are hard enoughto realize when their path hasbeen clearly defined. When it isdifficult to see how they willoccur, odds are pretty good thatthey never will. This seems to bemore of a case of a board rub-ber-stamping a deal proposed bythe CEO without raising enoughquestions. When the CEO
becomes too strong, he or shetends to overpower the board.Strong CEOs need to be opposedby strong boards. In fact, thestronger the CEO, the strongerthe board has to be. One com-mon theme that we see in manyfailed deals is that we have adeal-making, strong-willed CEOand a compliant board that rub-ber-stamps the CEOs grandioseempire-building schemes.
Perhaps the company withthe worst merger and acquisitiontrack record is AT&T. This com-pany has a knack for doingmega-merger flops, and few cancompete with it. One of the hall-marks of AT&Ts merger historyis that the company is undauntedby prior billion-dollar mergerfailures. New CEOs come and
go and do not seem to learnfrom the mega-failures of theirpredecessors. After giving up theboring regional phone compa-nies for the right to enter thehighly competitive computerindustry, AT&T found that itcould not succeed in that busi-ness. Rather than cut its losses,the company engaged in a hos-tile takeover of NCR, which ithoped would solve its computerindustry woes. AT&T paid ahigh price for NCR, which resis-ted the telecom giants overtures.The deal was a money-losingflop, and the market put suchpressure on AT&Ts stock that ithad to restructure the entire
company and separate theequipment and computerbusinesses while survivingas a smaller, but morefocused, long-distancetelecommunications com-pany. However, AT&T wascontinually losing marketshare to more aggressive
rivals. Rather than focus onbeing better at the core business,AT&T CEO Michael Armstrongdecided to enter the cable andwireless telephone business.AT&T paid $52 billion toacquire TCI in 1998 and then$43 billion to acquire MediaOne less than a year later. Itspoorly conceived strategy ofacquiring cable companies so asto allow it to offer telephone ser-vice over cable lines directly tocustomers was flawed. It wasalso a pretty humorous strategy,as AT&T was already well estab-lished in that market when itowned the regional telephonecompaniesbut AT&T did notsee the value in these businessesand pursued more exciting pas-tures in the risky computer field.This adventure brought themnothing but red ink. Now it waspursuing another even biggergamble, and this one would be
January/February 2005 5
2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
One of the hallmarks of AT&Tsmerger history is that the companyis undaunted by prior billion-dollarmerger failures.
equally as bad. The cable lines itacquired could not handle thetelecom needs of AT&T andneeded major investments toupgrade them. Rivals continuedto attack the company in everymarket it was in. The stock mar-ket greatly questioned the com-panys strategy, and pressuremounted for the company torestructure once again.
AT&T is a company that hasmade merger blunders on such ascale that it should be barredfrom ever doing a deal again.Where was AT&Ts board whenits CEO proposed his $100 bil-lion acquisition program? Whydid they allow him to move soquickly to complete hisdeals without requiringhim to do his homework?Why was the market slowto register its concernsabout the companys acqui-sition strategy? Clearly,AT&Ts board did not doits job, and shareholderslost as a result.
Still another case of failedcorporate governance as itrelates to a merger and acquisi-tion strategy was Vivendi Uni-versals acquisition strategy. Thecompanys board allowed itsflamboyant CEO, Jean-MarieMessier, to transform it from aFrench water utility into an inter-national entertainment company.For Messier, movies and musicwere obviously much moreexciting than a boring water util-ity business. Apparently theboard did not have a problemwith acquisitions across theglobe that were in fields farremoved from the companyscore focus. They allowed him topile up debt while doing deals hefound exciting. They did notquestion his strategy seriouslyuntil the company faced severedebt-service pressures and hadbecome a company with a very
confused assemblage of compa-nies in highly diverse fields andwith little in common with eachother. As with so many of theother merger failures we haveconsidered, the board was slowto act and passively stood bywhile the CEO wasted share-holders capital.
The cases of a board standingup to a CEOs empire-buildingplans are few and far between.However, one prominent exampleoccurred in November 2001when Coca-Colas board rejecteda $15.75 billion takeover proposalfor Quaker Oats. In this case, theCEO was new and lacked theleverage of some of the other
CEOs whose deals we have dis-cussed. In some ways, the syner-gies of the deal Cokes boardrejected were clearer than insome of the other deals we havequestioned. Quaker Oats had var-ious products, such as the popularGatorade line, that matched wellwith Cokes other soft drink prod-ucts. Gatorade commanded over80 percent of the sports drinkmarket, whereas Cokes ownPowerade brand accounted forjust over 10 percent of the mar-ket. However, the board tookissue with the dilutive effects thedeal would have on its sharehold-ers and it put their interest aheadof the CEOs feelings and ambi-tious plans. The board wanted tokeep Coca-Cola focused on itsmain soft drinks business, andworried about straying too farinto areas in which it did notbelieve the company had strongcomparative advantages. In this
instance, the board wanted to seethe CEO follow its strategy,rather than change to fit a newCEOs ambitious plans.
When the board is not suffi-ciently diligent and does notkeep an acquisitive-minded CEOin check, the market sometimessteps in to correct the errors inthe corporate governanceprocess. The way this sometimesoccurs is that the market regis-ters its concern about a failedmerger strategy by lowering thestock price. This can make a
company vulnerable to ahostile takeover, as thecompanies that may havebeen acquired in error maybe easily resold and theirvalue may not fully beincorporated into theacquired companys marketvalue. The more such
acquisitions a company does, themore vulnerable to a takeover itbecomes. When these badacquirers are taken over, theprior failed acquisitions can besold off and the company canpursue a more focused strategy.Companies that eventually real-ize the vulnerable position theymay be in may head off thetakeover process by selling offthe prior acquisitions them-selves. When they do this, themarket tends to quickly registerits approval, and shareholderstypically gain as a result. This isan after-the-fact solution to aproblem, however, that can easi-ly be prevented by better corpo-rate governance.
When we consider severalof the major merger failures of
6 The Journal of Corporate Accounting & Finance
2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The cases of a board standing up toa CEOs empire-building plans are fewand far between.
recent years, we see that a com-mon theme they share is poorcorporate governance. In eachinstance, the board failed tostand up to its CEO when heproposed a deal that was not inthe shareholders interest. Theyrubber-stamped the CEOsgrand plans, and shareholdersended up paying for their pas-siveness. As we focus on bettercorporate governance as it
applies to accounting fraud andfinancial reporting, we need tobe mindful that corporate gov-ernance needs to also be vigi-lant in monitoring managementstrategy and merger and acqui-sition plans. Boards need toindependently evaluate CEO-proposed deals and not merelyrubber-stamp them. Boards thatare largely independent andgenerally smaller are often bet-
ter positioned to accomplishthis. If boards can focus on thistask, they may be able to pre-vent future merger failures.Now that we have gone a longway to achieving greater accu-racy in financial reporting, per-haps the next area where wecan sharpen the corporate gov-ernance focus is on strategy,especially merger and acquisi-tion strategy.
January/February 2005 7
2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Patrick A. Gaughan, PhD, is president of Economatrix Research Associates, Inc., which is an economicand financial consulting firm specializing in analysis of economic damages in litigation and valuation ofbusinesses, with offices in Newark, New Jersey, and New York City. He is also a tenured full professor atthe graduate level in the College of Business at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dr. Gaughan has authoredtwo of the three textbooks in the field of mergers and acquisitions, including the award-winning Mergers,Acquisitions, & Corporate Restructuring (Wiley, 1999, 2nd ed.). He has also authored numerous other booksand journal articles.


text:
This summer at Idiom you can explore interesting and unusual wines through the prism of macarons, the dainty confection that shares an Italian heritage with the celebrated Helderberg winery which overlooks False Bay.
It is not widely known that macarons have been produced in Venetian monasteries since the 8th century AD. Only during the Renaissance period, when Catherine de Medici of Florence married Henry II and became Queen of France, did they become more famous when her personal team of Italian pastry chefs made them for her at the French Royal Court.
Likewise, the Bottega Family, owners of Idiom, have a proud Italian heritage. This identity is showcased at their popular Italian Festival held annually at Idiom during the first weekend of March. In addition to producing a number of Idiom wines from Italian grape varieties grown on their property, the family also import and distribute an extensive collection of wines from Italy, which is now on display and for sale downstairs at Idiom in the Vinotria wine library.
The macarons are made by the pastry team at Idiom, with ingredients that showcase the character of the wines being paired.
The first wine in the pairing line-up is an imported Prosecco called Romeo and Juliet, a bubbly sensation from the Veneto region that has been paired with a chamomile macaron. It is followed by Idiom's Imperium White Gold, an elegant late harvest viognier served with a lemon macaron. The Idiom Imperium Black Gold Hailstorm is the dramatic conclusion made from Merlot grapes pairs with a beautiful flower-decorated blueberry macaron of dark chocolate ganache, violet jelly, blueberry gel and dried blueberry raisins.
The exquisite Idiom Wine & Macaron Experience affords visitors the opportunity to not only sample the wares of true vinous and culinary craft, but also to enjoy spectacular bay views.
The Exquisite new summer pairing delights will be available from November 2018 till end of February 2018.


text:
> Currently there are Unix versions of kinemage. I am running
> Mage on a SGI indy under IRIX 5.3 . And also starting
> this Mage from Netscape works fine. I have compiled my Mage
> from the sources which are available from since the
> compiled version ( from
> http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/PPS2/technology/kinemage.html) is very
> old and do not run under IRIX 5.3 .
The complied version pointed to from above URL is MAGE 4.2, dated
18-6-95, which *does* run under IRIX 5.3
> I have compiled Mage from the sources which are available from
> (http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/PPS/kin/mage.tar), since the compiled
> version (from http://www.cryst.bbk.ac.uk/~ubcgs7l/pps/SGImage_binary.gz or
> from some other sites) are very old and do not run under IRIX 5.3 .
The URL above is the link made from the Technology Page that Robin
Stephenson put together for last year's PPS course. I decided to retain a
link to it as it contains a number of useful links, although its possible
that some of them are now getting a bit dated. Apologies if this has
caused any confusion.


text: Oppenheimer Believes Waste Management (WM) Still Has Room to Grow Ryan Adist-February 15, 2019, 6:15 AM EDT SHARE ON: In a report released today, Noah Kaye from Oppenheimer maintained a Buy rating on Waste Management (WM), with a price target of $108. The company's shares closed yesterday at $98.84, close to its 52-week high of $100. Kaye said: "Shares were up modestly Thursday after WM solidly beat 4Q18 EPS consensus and guided FY19 adj. EBITDA in line/EPS 3pct below consensus. Management continues to see broad-based strength in solid waste, including growthier segments (e.g., C&D tons, commercial volumes), reflecting an outlook for 4pct yield plus volume growth. While implied margins are flattish, underlying solid waste operating margins are expected to see 50bps expansion; the delta is a $100M step-up in SG&A, primarily for technology investments in areas such as customer-facing tools and fleet ADAS that we believe will likely have strong ROI. In view of improving baseline FCF growth, we raise our PT to $108 (from $95)." According to TipRanks.com, Kaye is a 4-star analyst with an average return of 6.4% and a 56.6% success rate. Kaye covers the Industrial Goods sector, focusing on stocks such as Rockwell Automation Inc, Caterpillar, and BorgWarner. The word on The Street in general, suggests a Strong Buy analyst consensus rating for Waste Management with a $103.67 average price target, which is a 4.9% upside from current levels. In a report issued on February 5, Raymond James also maintained a Buy rating on the stock with a $101 price target. See today's analyst top recommended stocks >> The company has a one-year high of $100 and a one-year low of $79.96. Currently, Waste Management has an average volume of 2.02M. TipRanks has tracked 36,000 company insiders and found that a few of them are better than others when it comes to timing their transactions. See which 3 stocks are most likely to make moves following their insider activities. Waste Management, Inc. engages in provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following business segments: Tier 1. Tier 2 and Tier 3. The Tier 1 segment comprises exclusively of areas in the Southern United States. The Tier 2 segment comprises predominately of areas located in the Midwest and Northeast United States.


text:
Good morning, here's the news.
Use your iPhone all you want, and never worry about running out of power. Just remember to drink lots of water. "Scientists have successfully generated electricity from human urine, enough to partially power a mobile phone."
China Mobile's CEO said his firm wants to carry the iPhone, but that technological challenges remain.
For the first time, Microsoft is building its own processors based on in-house designs. It's building them for the Kinect.
Microsoft has also combined the motion-sensing Kinect with projectors. That means you can turn any flat surface into a touchscreen.
Final piece of Microsoft news: The company hired an executive from online game store Steam to run its gaming-for-Windows division, signaling renewed interest in PC games.
A cofounder of Bleacher Report raised $US6.5 million to launch a new publication for women yesterday. He immediately got tons of blow-back.
New Zynga CEO Don Mattrick shaking up the company's executive ranks. The COO, CTO, and HR boss are out.
Google Ventures created a 5-day rapid prototyping process for the 170 startups in its portfolio.
App.net, the ad-free alternative to Twitter, has raised another $US2.5 million from Andreessen Horowitz.
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For that rationalization because of you can lay one's hands on dilapidated more pleasing tickets to divide up the jackpot prize.
Google. At one of the latest tricks of making affluence on the web is to the core offshoot marketing. The closing progress b increase is deciding on how you see fit hook boodle from your blog.
Why do Laci's videos always have the most inappropriate adverts next to them? The Pubic Hair video has an advert for male hair removal 0_o


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Volume 7 · Issue 12 · December 2002
Page 3
TS 16949:2002 Requirements Make Suppliers "Look Inward"
In the sixth entry in their series examining 15 key challenges
for automotive suppliers that plan to transition QS-9000:1998
to ISO/TS 16949:2002, Chad Kymal and David Watkins write that
three clauses/subclauses of ISO 9001:2000 and ISO/TS 16949:2002
contain "new" requirements that are a call for organizations,
including automotive suppliers, to "look inward"
so that they will better meet and exceed the needs and expectations
of customers. Kymal and Watkins explore Subclause 5.5.3, Internal
Communication, Clause 6.1, Provision of Resources and Clause
6.2, Human Resources, which represent those elements of your
QMS that ensure your processes are effective and efficient
and that you have the structures in place to support those
Media Room Careers in Quality Advertising & Sponsorship Customer Service Contact Us
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Ultimate Date Night Giveaway! {$390 Value}
The ModernFamilyExpo is launching in North Vancouver on Sunday, February 23, 2014 at the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier. It will showcase eco-friendly, healthy, active solutions for the whole family – giving families simple tools to live greener, healthier lives.
With over 65 booths, this show will have a strong focus on healthy food & beverage sampling, an Active Living Zone featuring prenatal yoga classes and mom & baby boxing, a Par-T-Perfect Kid Zone complete with bouncy castles, face painting, eco-friendly crafts, Gymboree play space, a Whole Foods Market "play with your food" interactive experience, and a UsedVancouver.com Family Lounge full of comfortable furniture, baby change tables and a quiet breastfeeding area.
There will also be over $10,000 in grand prize packages awarded to some lucky families! Tickets to the expo are $8 online, $10 cash at the door and kids under 12 are free.
WIN The Ultimate Date Night! ($390 Value)
- One night accommodation at the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier (Harbourview Room)
- Dinner for 2 in the Lobby Restaurant at the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier
- $100 gift certificate for services at Avita Health & Massage Therapy Centre
- 4 Adult Tickets to the ModernFamilyExpo in North Vancouver
Good Luck!
Angela V
Latest posts by Angela V (see all)
- Local Find: Como Taperia - May 21, 2019
- Spider-Man Far From Home Prize-Pack {Giveaway $130 value!} - May 20, 2019
- Giving Feels Good, Here is How You Can Help - May 8, 2019


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Latinos LOVE Rubbing Alcohol. Alcohol serves many purposes for us. I dare say we love it as much if not more than what we love BENGAY and Vicks VapoRub. Rubbing Alcohol cures all of our troubles. Headache? High Fever? Cuts? Aches and pains? No problem! Rubbing Alcohol to the rescue!
I have to admit it is a great disinfectant and does somewhat alleviate most pains. It isn't morphine, but it does the job. It has a rather strong unpleasant smell, but it instantly opens up your nasal airways especially when one is congested. I am more than sure that 9 out of 10 Latino households have a bottle of green or clear rubbing alcohol in their medicine cabinet.


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Tim Fischer book: Former deputy prime minister talks trains
Overhead Line Electrification for Railways
Volume 6 of Diesel Diary HD is now available
The Guinness Brewery Railways, Dublin
Book Review: John Minnis; Britain's Lost Railways – A Commemoration of our Finest Railway Architecture
The Bere Alston to Callington Branch
Book Review: Canadian Pacific Railway
Talking Headways Podcast: Personal Relationships and Place
A Large Wonder
Holding the line: wartime memories from women railway workers
One of the joys of the festive season is receiving new books and having time to read them.
Assuming they are average size books it's a reasonable ambition to get through them before going back to work - but the one I was given is very far from average.
Little Giants is a weighty publication in every sense of the phrase.
I've only managed to get through a couple of chapters, as far in the story as the introduction of the Small England engines, but already I am hugely impressed.
It's clear that a tremendous amount of research has been done by a the authors with lots of new information collated and reinterpreted.
What's struck me most is the way they are giving us the big picture and not confining themselves to a dry and purely technical history of the locomotives.
This book also delves into the social history surrounding the railway and the personalities behind it - I had no idea that Robert Francis Fairlie was such a cad or the machinations of the very Victorian George England.
The book is not cheap, and it weighs a ton, but it is a very impressive piece of work and comes highly recommended.
This article first appeared on bronhebog.blogspot.com
Railway Preservation
Railway Publications
Railway Preservation
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Emma Scherer
Virgil Grissom High
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There is an eeriness about Shrule Castle when you learn of the massacre that took place there in 1642 – a group of English settlers seeking safety in Galway, killed by their escort. The towering De Burgo walls, with their four great bartizans, look on towards the Black River still, watching as the waters speed by and the memory of her lands with it.
Copyright © 2017 Claire Loader. All Rights Reserved.


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Used INFINITI SUV for Sale in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Interested in a luxury SUV for less? Don't settle for anything other than a used INFINITI SUV, and luckily for West Palm Beach drivers, there are plenty of options near Miami within the used SUV inventory at Florida Auto Imports! Look for the INFINITI QX60, or the larger INFINITI QX80. No matter which you select, you can rely on the dealership to set you up with competitive pricing and service! Connect with our team today!
We appreciate your interest in our inventory, and apologize we do not have model details displaying on the website at this time. Please fill the form out below and our team will quickly respond, or, please call us at 954-982-2866 for more information.
Benefits of INFINITI SUV Used Models
What are the benefits of INFINITI SUV used models? In addition to lower pricing than a brand-new vehicle, especially if you trade in your current car, Boca Raton drivers will have access to a greater variety of options from many model years, even some that are more recent that boast the latest technology. If an SUV isn't your style, consider the selection of used convertibles available at Florida Auto Imports instead!


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Regular urination is one more thing noticed by the patients with migraines. It is one of the factors that may predict when the next attack will take place. It is then possible to prevent the severe form of a migraine. In fact, frequent urination is not a common symptom but is still worthy of your attention. It sometimes forecasts an attack. In something like 2 days, the person may have a migraine attack.
It is a common belief that a migraine occurs once the weather changes significantly, and it is absolutely right. Having too high or, vice versa, too low temperatures influence people who suffer from migraines negatively. Usually, the fluctuations in climate are followed by the severe headaches, one of the major symptoms of a migraine. Except for the temperatures, barometric pressures can also predetermine a migraine. A corresponding treatment in advance may be the clue.


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Visit the Smithsonian American Art Museum
Hours and Location
Open Daily 11:30 A.M.–7:00 P.M.
Free Admission
8th and F Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20004
Planning Your Visit
SAAM is located at Eighth and F streets N.W., above the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail station and is accessible from Green, Yellow, and Red metro lines. At SAAM, ramps are located on both sides of the 8th and G Streets NW entrance.
There is limited on-street parking at meters; several paid parking garages are available in the neighborhood.
Exhibitions at SAAM
Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975March 15, 2019–August 18, 2019Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F Streets, NW)
Artists Respond: American Art and the Vietnam War, 1965-1975 makes vivid an era in which artists endeavored to respond to the turbulent times and openly questioned issues central to American civic life.
Tiffany Chung: Vietnam, Past Is PrologueMarch 15, 2019–September 2, 2019Smithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F Streets, NW)Through maps, videos, and paintings that highlight the voices and stories of former Vietnamese refugees, Tiffany Chung probes the legacies of the Vietnam War and its aftermath.
Galleries for Folk and Self-Taught ArtOn View IndefinitelySmithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F Streets, NW)
SAAM's collection of folk and self-taught art represents the powerful vision of America's untrained and vernacular artists. Represented in the museum's collection are pieces that draw on tradition—such as quilts—as well as artworks that reveal a more personal vision.
Direct CarvingOn View IndefinitelySmithsonian American Art Museum (8th and F Streets, NW)
Spontaneous! Truthful! Liberating! Direct carvers often used such words to describe their unconventional method of sculpting, in which an artist works directly on a piece of stone or wood as opposed to with a model, cast, or preconceived design.
Today's Events
Smithsonian American Art Museum Highlights TourWednesday, May 22, 2019, 12:30 – 1:30pm EDT
Free; walk-in
Joint SAAM/NPG Highlights TourWednesday, May 22, 2019, 1 – 2pm EDT
SAAM Fellows LecturesWednesday, May 22, 2019, 1:30 – 5pm EDT
Free; Walk-In
Smithsonian American Art Museum Highlights TourWednesday, May 22, 2019, 2 – 3pm EDT
Free; walk-in
Conservation Conversation: Preserving SAAM's CollectionWednesday, May 22, 2019, 3pm EDT
Visiting with Young Children
For activities for all ages, see Family Activities. There are elevators and ramps throughout the museum to accomodate strollers. Changing stations are available in all of the museum's restrooms.
The museum café has a limited children's menu. The museum store has a variety of educational toys, children's books, and supplies for young artists.
Barrier-free access and restrooms are available at both buildings. At SAAM, ramps are located on both sides of the 8th and G Streets NW entrance. Service animals are welcome. The Nan Tucker McEvoy Auditorium contains wheelchair spaces available during performances and lectures, and the auditorium is equipped with an induction hearing loop and T-coil infrared assistive listening system. If you are using MetroAccess Paratransit, please use 800 G Street NW as the address for our building. More information on accessibility at the museums
Telephone Numbers
Museum Information (recorded): (202) 633-7970
General Smithsonian Visitor Information: (202) 633-1000


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ETHAN: the Evolutionary Trees and Natural History Ontology
Links to Fileshttps://ebiquity.umbc.edu/paper/html/id/332/ETHAN-the-Evolutionary-Trees-and-Natural-History-Ontology
Permanent Linkhttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/12161
MetadataShow full item record
Type of Work18 pages
technical Reports
RightsThis item is likely protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Unless on a Creative Commons license, for uses protected by Copyright Law, contact the copyright holder or the author.
Large-scale ecological modeling and evolutionary studies often rely on scoring taxon-level characteristics of a wide variety of organisms. Compiling such data is laborious and may involve finding and reformatting data tables in original literature, or personally exchanging spreadsheets or ASCII files with researchers. Compiled taxon-level data is beginning to be shared digitally and efforts to support wide data sharing in ecology and evolution should make even more compiled data available in forms useful to scientists. However, retrieval, integration, transformation, and validation of shared data in traditional archives remain difficult and largely manual processes. Discovery of new insights from such data is therefore delayed if it is even possible. Our interest in natural history information stems from our work on a suite of tools to support invasive species biologists. Though food web structure has been recognized to play a role in the success or failure of potential species invasions, and their impacts few ecosystems have been the subjects of empirical food web studies. Thus response teams are typically unable to get quick answers to questions like "what are likely prey and predator species of the invader in the new environment?" We have developed a food web constructor which currently uses an algorithm relying on taxonomic or phylogenetic relationships to model ecological interactions. Future algorithmic developments will use similarity in life history, natural history, or behavior to inform link predictions.


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Regalia - Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center
The clock is ticking, the dancers are sweating, the choreographers are frantically creating, and…you and your guests are partying! It must be the soiree of the year, RDT's annual fundraiser that asks the audience to award a commission based on works created in just 4 hours. The evening culminates with a lively shindig and dancing on stage to live big band music.
Run time: TBA
Recommended for ages 8 and up. No babes-in-arms. All patrons must have a ticket regardless of age.
Organization:Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center
138 West 300 SouthSalt Lake City, UT, 84101
United States
See map: Google Maps
Contact name:
Art Tix Box Office
Email address:
The event has already taken a place at this date:
8:00pm Cocktail party begins at 6:00pm
TBA, see website
Ages6-8 years 9-12 years Teenagers Adults & kids together Adults without kids
Web Service


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Shelton police have charged a Southington woman with stealing jewelry last month.
Kelly Savage, 39, was charged Tuesday with second-degree larceny. She was held on $87,000 bond.
Late last month, police received a complaint that several pieces of jewelry were missing from a woman's room. At the time, the woman was being assisted daily by home health care workers, according to police.
Police said they linked Savage to the theft and recovered the missing jewelry.
She was taken into custody Tuesday when she was stopped by officers in Groton and was turned over to Shelton police. Savage was also charged on two outstanding warrants for failure to appear in court.
— Bryan Lipiner
Read more articles like this and help support local journalism by subscribing to the Record Journal.


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Sarah Vandella Stars in Adult Time's Girlcore Volume 3
Award-winning blonde bombshell MILF Sarah Vandella is one of the stars of Adult Times' Girlcore Volume 3 available this week on DVD and VOD platforms.
Award-winning blonde bombshell MILF Sarah Vandella is one of the stars of Adult Times' Girlcore Volume 3 available this week on DVD and VOD platforms.
Nurse Holly Michaels is just giving a guy an average checkup. Then something strange happens. In the middle of her mundane questions, Keiran Lee starts rubbing Holly's boobs from behind. In seconds he rips open her scrubs and stars massaging those magnificent orbs in front of the patient.
Zero Tolerance and Mick Blue are proud to announce the release of Busty Nurses 3 this week. The latest installment features a gorgeous assortment of top-heavy nurses including Lana Rhoades, Jaclyn Taylor, Aleksa Nicole, and Luna Star getting their juicy jugs generously juggled by professional pussy pounders John Strong and two-time AVN Male Performer of the Year Mick Blue.
In this collection from Brazzers, we learn that teens love anal. OK, some of these girls aren't exactly teens, but they are all pretty good looking and all of them do dig it in the dirt hole. The set ups are fun and sexy, but it's the down and dirty action that really makes this DVD worth having. The first scene just happens to be the hottest. Valentina Nappi is perfect from head to toe.
This is Asa Akira's official Wicked Pictures coming out party. For the past few years she has been the adult industry's hottest star. Now she is Wicked's newest contract star and Brad Armstrong puts her through her paces here.
This follow up to Digital Playground's hit Nurses brings all of their contract star back for another sexy ramp through the halls of the happiest hospital on the planet. Jesse Jane, Riley Evans and Kayden Krossi4xLjcwMDIxNzguMC4wLjA" target="_new">Riley Steele head up this fantastic cast.
Who doesn't love nurses? The outfits are hot and they take care of us. OK sometimes they stick things into us and that isn't so fun (Hey, to each his own) but they still make for a universally hot fantasy. The women in this movie have uniforms that are more stripper than nurse, but they are close enough. The house call angle is also played up during the actual sex. The women run to assist patients and then end up fucking them. Hey, it works for me.
Otto Bauer has taken over the Barely Legal series and is doing a very good job with it. The themes stray somewhat from the classic volumes but the sex is much hotter. This volume seems to be medically themed, though that tie in isn't always done very well.
In yet another movie that would seem to make for an unusual porn parody, Jim Powers takes us on a twisted journey through the English countryside. Over the years, Jim has given us plenty of fun in creepy masks so this would seem to be a good fit. Interesting enough, the cast is filed with relatively unknown performers.
This is the first 3D porn from Digital Playground. As a company that is always on the cutting edge of technology, you can expect something special. It's an interesting feature about a porn director with one weakness, women. Each and every one o them cheats on him and breaks his heart. It jumps around a bit, but allows us to see a bunch of different girls in different sets.
Otto Bauer has a nice class of A List busty stars for this Hustler movie. If you're looking strictly for big tit footage though, it falls a little short. Don't get me wrong. The movie is really good. Some of the sex scenes are fantastic. It just isn't as boob oriented as some of the other titles in this series. If it is boobs you want, then there are two scenes that stand out. Nikki Benz opens the movie doing a private dance for Otto Bauer.
This is the latest Extreme Comixxx creation and my first thought is that it is probably the best so far. As much as I loved the Wonder Woman blow bang in Justice League and the busty Alana Rae as Supergirl, this movie tops them both. It has a good story, an outstanding action sequence and a great cast.
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Emocije u kontekstu dimenzija individualizma i kolektivizma
Emotions in the Context of Individualism and Collectivism Dimensions
Subject(s): Social Sciences
Published by: Institut društvenih znanosti Ivo Pilar
Keywords: emotion; disposition; individualism; collectivism
Summary/Abstract: Cross-cultural studies point at differences in emotional experience of people from different cultures. The major part of these differences can be explained by cultural syndromes, among which individualism and collectivism are mostly highlighted. Besides the cultural level of analysis, dimensions of individualism and collectivism can be studied at the level of individual differences. So, it is possible to explore these dimensions within the culture. The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of the relations between emotional experience, on the one side, and individualism and collectivism personality dispositions, on the other side. The participants were 415 students from the University of Zagreb. Instruments for measuring emotional experience and personality dispositions of individualism and collectivism were administered. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that emotions of serenity, compassion, fear, suspense, enthusiasm and jealousy significantly predict the individualism disposition, while amity, jealousy, anger, fear and boredom significantly predict the collectivism disposition. The directions of these associations are compatible to the specific pattern of emotional experience found in individualistic and collectivistic cultures.
Journal: Društvena istraživanja - Časopis za opća društvena pitanja
- Issue Year: 18/2009
- Issue No: 104
- Page Range: 1089-1105
- Page Count: 17
- Language: Croatian


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If there is something I miss since switching to a Paleo way of eating, it was fig newton store bought cookies. I was determined to come up with a fig cookie recipe that satisfy that craving and these fig thumbprint cookies way exceeded my expectations, they are seriously delicious, mmm.
Fig Thumbprint Cookies
These Fig Thumbprint Cookies are a delicious homemade twist on Fig Newtons, the best part is that they are healthy too. Paleo, refined sugar free and gluten free – oh yum!
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 12 minutes
- Yield: 45 cookies 1x
- Category: Paleo
- Cookies:
- 2 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour (or tapioca starch)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp pink Himalayan salt
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup applesauce (or another 1/4 cup coconut oil)
- Filling:
- 1/2 cup chopped figs
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 1/3 cup juice from an orange
- 1 drop of doTerra wild orange essential oil (optional)
- Soak the chopped figs in the hot water and orange juice and set aside for a 1-3 hours. Add the maple syrup and wild orange essential oil. Blend mixture in a vitamix or mix until it has a thick jam consistency.
- Preheat oven to 375.
- For the cookies, mix together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir till well combined.
- Use a tsp amount of dough to roll small balls of dough and place on parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Use your thumb or small spoon to make a thumbprint type indent in each cookie. Fill each indent with the prepared fig mixture. Bake at 375 for 12 -13 minutes.
- Cookies will last in a sealed container for about 5 days, if they don't get eaten before then.
You can purchase doTerra wild orange essential oil here.
Looking for other fig recipes? Try this Fig Blue Cheese Apple Pizza.
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I may not know much, but what I do know is how to explore Europe efficiently. Here's everything I learned throughout 8+ years of frequent of travel to the Old Continent. http://toeuropeandbeyond.com/essential-europe-travel-tips/ #travel #Europe
You might also like:
50 Random But Essential Europe Travel Tips
BBrating: 57
Checking In: 22 Jaw-Dropping & Iconic Airbnbs In Europe
BBrating: 13


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We can help. You can overcome drug addiction and have a better life than you ever thought possible!
There are numerous drug and alcohol treatment programs possibilities to people residing in the Steubenville area. You will need to recognize each of the varieties of treatment options that are available in Steubenville, AB., so that you can pick the appropriate rehabilitation approach for yourself or a family member. Choosing the proper alcohol and drug rehab facility in Steubenville is an essential element in the treatment of drug abuse, addiction and alcoholism. The following information will assist you to fully grasp your various rehabilitation choices allowing you to have the maximum possibility of an ideal outcome.
Let's examine the different drug rehab programs in Steubenville, Ohio choices that correlate with the condition of the person seeking rehabilitation.
Inpatient drug and alcohol treatment in Steubenville, AB. is often a rehab option ideal in case you will need health-related treatment throughout rehab or clients with substantial substance abuse histories. Men and women can develop physical and mental dependence to drugs and alcohol even after a short period of time, so inpatient drug and alcohol treatment in Steubenville is considered the best rehabilitation possibility in the majority of cases. As a result of substance abuse and addiction, men and women will usually not be able to make a full recovery with the minimal services provided by outpatient treatment facilities in Steubenville, Ohio where drugs are still easily available when they depart the outpatient program. Likewise, individuals in rehab who take part in outpatient rehab as an alternative to inpatient drug and alcohol treatment in Steubenville continue to be susceptible to damaging influences and circumstances which might cut across their recovery process. If an individual resides with an abusive partner or maintains associations which involve drug use, any treatment endeavours in outpatient treatment will be in vain. For this reason in-patient drug rehabilitation in Steubenville, AB. is going to generate more beneficial outcomes which will prove long lasting unlike an outpatient drug rehab facility where benefits are often very limited and acute.
In Steubenville there's both short-term and long-term inpatient drug treatment. Short-term is a 30-day program, while long-term inpatient drug and alcohol rehabilitation in Steubenville, Ohio is a lot more in depth and treatment lasts 3 to 6 months generally speaking. This is an excellent environment for clients as it is a safe and secure drug free environment where they're able to heal both mentally and physically without interruptions. Ideally, men and women proceed within a long-term in-patient drug treatment center in Steubenville for the maximum time period allowed, in order to handle anything that might cut across their sobriety once they depart rehabilitation. Because of the fact that detoxing and becoming physically stable can take a couple weeks alone, the three to six months in long-term in-patient drug and alcohol rehab in Steubenville is going to be time spent well and a lot more efficient than short-term programs.
The most important aspect of all if you or a loved one has a drug abuse or addiction issue is to do something about it, call someone and talk to trained addiction specialists and have an evaluation and rehabilitation options to guarantee the best chance for a recovery.
Drug Rehab Exact Match:
We can help! You can overcome addiction and have a better life than you ever thought possible.
500 Market Street
Steubenville, OH. 43952
525 North 4th Street
Steubenville, OH. 43952
525 North 4th Street
Steubenville, OH. 43952
380 Summit Avenue
Steubenville, OH. 43952
380 Summit Avenue
Steubenville, OH. 43952
3200 Main Street
Weirton, WV. 26062
Counselors available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.1-800-405-8409
We have addiction treatment specialists available 24/7, ready to help you find the right treatment choice that meets your financial ability.addictionca.com