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Recently I was asked to give a speech at the local Rotary Club about Relay For Life. This was the text that I prepared.
I have been asked to tell you a bit about Relay For Life. Relay For life is about people making a difference. Here is a story that shows how one person can make a difference.
The idea that became Relay For Life, began in Tacoma, Washington. In the mid-1980s, Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma surgeon, wanted to enhance the income of his local American Cancer Society office and to show support for all of his patients who had battled cancer. He decided to personally raise money for the fight by doing something he enjoyed – running marathons.
In May 1985, Dr. Klatt spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at Baker Stadium at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. He ran for more than 83 miles. That first year, nearly 300 of Dr. Klatt's friends, family, and patients watched as he ran and walked the course. Throughout the night, friends donated $25 to run or walk with Dr. Klatt for 30 minutes. His efforts raised $27,000 to fight cancer.
While circling the track those 24 hours, Dr. Klatt thought about how others could take part in his mission to fight cancer. He envisioned a 24-hour team relay event that could raise more money to fight cancer. Over the next few months, he pulled together a small committee to plan the first team relay event, known as the City of Destiny Classic 24-Hour Run Against Cancer.
In 1986, 19 teams took part in what was the first team relay event, and raised $33,000. An indescribable spirit prevailed at the track and in the tents that dotted the infield. What started as one man's dream is now an event taking place in over five thousand communities across America as well as in many other countries.
So what exactly is Relay For Life? It is much more than a walk around a track, Relay is a time to celebrate those who have battled cancer, remember those lost and get inspired to fight back. Those who have shared the same experience find common ground, hope and healing at Relay.
If you have been into local banks, the hospital, and many other places around town you know that fund raising is what Relay for Life is about. It is true that Relay For Life is the main form of fundraising for the American Cancer Society. Every dollar raised makes a difference to people in our community whose lives are touched by cancer. The Society has contributed to almost every major discovery in cancer research. Millions of lives have been saved as a result, including people you may know. For those people and countless others, the research the Society has funded is resulting in better ways to prevent, detect, and treat cancer.
One of the first things that people ask, and rightly so, is how is the money raised by Relay used. One of the uses is for Cancer research, but as important as that is it is sometimes hard for people to really grasp that idea. There are many services that the American Cancer Society provides to people right here in Polk County. When cancer affects you or someone you love, the American Cancer Society can lessen your fears and provide inspiration through their many programs and services - all free of charge and made possible through Relay For Life donations. Your donations give those touched by cancer answers to their questions and offer places to turn for help in their community through the Society's Web site, http://www.cancer.org/ or their 24-hour toll-free number, 1-800-ACS-2345.
Tuesday evening my wife and I spoke at the Cancer Support Group that meets at RMCC. We learned of very positive experiences people had calling the toll free number.
To give you a bit of an idea of what the money is used for, here are the largest categories. Patient Support 20%; Prevention 20%; Detection and Treatment 16%; Research 14%.
But Relay For Life has another side besides fund raising. Relay brings people together and empowers them. We have a slogan. Celebrate - Remember - Fight Back.
A cancer survivor's recovery involves much more than medical treatments - it takes hope to heal. By participating in the Relay For Life, those touched by cancer can feel empowered to fight back against this disease.
To give you an idea of how Relay helps empower those touched by cancer, let me tell you my wife's story. Her mother died of cancer when Gina was just 21 years old. Her father had colon cancer, and all three of her sisters have had breast cancer. She is the only person in her immediate family that is cancer free.
Several years ago, Gina's sister Roberta got involved with Relay For Life in Enumclaw, Washington. For a number of years, Gina would travel to Enumclaw to be a part of Relay For Life there. Two years ago, she learned that Polk County was going to have a Relay. She got involved in the 2007 Relay, and have been involved ever since. Relay helps her to celebrate her family that are cancer survivors, it gives her a positive way to remember her parents, and it gives her a way to fight back. Because she is such a fighter, she is passionate about Relay For Life. She is Fighting Back.
What is happening right here in Polk County this year? 28 teams are busy raising funds and cancer awareness. These are teams that represent businesses, churches, families, schools, professional organizations, clubs, and community organizations. 350 participants have signed up on our local Relay For Life website. Over 17,000 dollars have been raised. Last year local Relay For Life team members raised over $60,000.00. This year our goal is $64,000.00. Right now these teams are fundraising, but the big event is April 17th and 18th at Janssen Park.
What is going to happen that night? The teams will set up at the park with fundraisng ideas. There will be plenty of food, and lots of other fun activities. The entire community is invited to come to the park and help celebrate. The evening kicks off with the Survivor Lap. Relay is a big celebration to celebrate our cancer survivors. Over 100 have signed up with us to walk in that opening Survivor lap. We also honor Caregivers. To be the physical and emotional support for a cancer patient is a tough but very important job, and we honor those individuals. After these special laps around the park, the teams start walking with the goal of keeping at least one person from each team on the track at all times. Relay starts at 6:00 P.M. and continues until Saturday morning with the closing ceremonies starting at 10:00 A.M. We go through the night because cancer never sleeps. All evening there are lots of activities. There will be live music with a great program being put together by Richie Owens.
Highlighting the evening is a luminaria Ceremony of Hope held after dark to honor cancer survivors and to remember loved ones lost to cancer. The luminaria candles line the track and are left burning throughout the night. If you were at last years relay you know what an awesome sight that was. After the quiet reflective time of the luminaria ceremony, the celebration resumes with karaoke and other fun activities lasting all through the night.
At the closing ceremonies there will be drawings for the many items that are being given as prizes by the various teams.
We hope to have lots of people from the community join in the celebration that is Relay For Life.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Rotary Club Speech
Posted by Richard Lawry at 3:29 PM 1 comments
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Adam Bender
Adam Bender slips a chest protector over his Astros jersey, buckles a shinguard to his right leg, positions a mask atop his head, grabs his catcher's mitt and hops out of the dugout.
Adam has his game face on. Or at least what passes as a game face for an 8-year-old. His eyes are serious. His freckled nose is crinkled with determination.
It is a cool, breezy Saturday morning at Veterans Park, which is already buzzing with activity. Baseball games are being played on three diamonds within a pop-up of each other. Parents are clustered in and around the stands, chatting and cheering. Players of all ages, wearing uniforms or team T-shirts, swarm the place.
Hardly anybody gives a second glance to the catcher in the Southeastern rookie league deftly playing on one leg.
Adam Bender is just another kid playing ball, which is exactly how his parents, Michelle and Chris, want it.
"I was a little hesitant when we first brought him up here for baseball," Michelle said. "I thought his spirit might be crushed if he got out every time. Then I thought, who am I to micromanage his feelings? He's going to have to learn how to deal with this stuff.
"The more I shelter him, the more he'll think, 'I'm fragile.' I don't think I'll ever tell him he can't do something."
Adam is amazing to watch. He takes his position behind the plate, resting on his right knee.
When a runner rounds third looking to score, Adam jumps up and holds his ground.
He suffered a mild concussion on one collision and missed a practice or two. But he recovered and was ready for action in the next game. At one point this season he led the rookie league in put-outs at home.
At bat, his athletic skill and balance allow him to take a full swing, and he usually makes contact. He hops to first base as quickly as he can. If he's safe, he uses crutches to run the bases. When he gets thrown out, he hops dejectedly back to the dugout.
He's a competitor, and not just in baseball.
Adam, who lost his left leg to cancer when he was 1, has played soccer for a couple of years. He uses crutches, and is a whirlwind on the field in Centenary United Methodist's "I Am Third" league.
He played YMCA flag football last fall for Bruce Rector, who has coached against Adam's baseball team.
At first, Rector wasn't sure if Adam could play football. "Then I slept on it. Having seen him play baseball, I knew he'd find a way to make it work," Rector said. "Sure enough, we put him at quarterback (using no crutches) and used a shotgun snap. He threw a lot of touchdown passes."
Adam lobbied to line up at receiver at least once so he could have a chance to score. On a conversion play, Adam hopped 5 yards down the field and made a diving catch in the end zone despite being double-covered.
"That's what I mean when I say if you turn him loose, he'll find a way," Rector said.
Adam shyly deflects question about himself. He admits that he "loves baseball" and "loves catching," but he doesn't think he's doing anything out of the ordinary.
Astros coach Dan Wyse said he went out of his way to get Adam on his team "because he's a good kid, a good catcher, and what he brings attitude-wise, he's an inspiration to everybody."
Michelle Bender appreciates the effect her son has on people young and old.
"Adam has helped other kids see that a person with a disability can be fun to hang out with, and play with, and they can still be a part of a community or part of a team. It's developed the kids' compassion.
"And if he can inspire even one family to allow their kid to try something they normally might not try, that's great."
Adam tried using a prosthesis but didn't like it because he felt it slowed him down. He is adamant about not using a wheelchair.
"He wants to play ball like everybody else," Michelle said. "He's always had that 'nobody's going to stop me' attitude."
Chris Bender thinks his son's "attitude and energy" channel naturally into sports. "He pops out of bed at 60 miles an hour and doesn't quit until he collapses at the end of the day. He's always wanted to do everything."
Doing everything that his older brother Steven and younger sister Morgan do is what pleases Adam's dad the most.
"The best thing about it is the normalcy," Chris said. "There will come a day when Adam will no longer be able to keep up. But he's had some measure of childhood where he's just like everybody else.
"He doesn't have to sit and watch his brother and sister play. He's out there playing with them."
And teaching a life lesson to everybody who's watching.
Rector does motivational speaking and leadership training, and he regularly relates Adam's inspirational story to adults.
"The lesson he teaches is that you need to let talented people with great heart get out there and do their thing," Rector said. "There's no such thing as an insurmountable obstacle for Adam. He's a winner."
Posted by Richard Lawry at 7:39 AM 0 comments
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thank You
Thursday night is our regular Relay For Life planning meeting. Our turnout was good considering the inclement weather. We finalized our sponsors and are ready to send the information to the t-shirt printer. Each sponsor has their name or logo printed on the back of the Relay For Life t-shirts that each participant receives. Even though the economy is much worse than it was a year ago, we have more sponsors than we did last year.
It is very refreshing that even in tough economic times so many people and businesses are willing to donate to a cause that gives others such hope. To all of the sponsors, team members, committee members, and everyone who donates to the Relay For Life: Thank You!!
Posted by Richard Lawry at 9:20 AM 1 comments
Monday, March 9, 2009
Colon Cancer Myths
Five Myths About Colon Cancer
Many times, colorectal cancer can be prevented. Still, it's one of the 5 most common cancers in men and women in the United States. Colorectal cancer is also one of the leading causes of cancer death in the United.States. Don't let these 5 common myths stop you from getting the lifesaving tests you need, when you need them.
Myth: Colorectal cancer is a man's disease.
Truth: Colorectal cancer is just as common among women as men. Each year, about 150,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and more than 50,000 die from the disease.
Myth: Colorectal cancer cannot be prevented.
Truth: In many cases colorectal cancer can be prevented. Colorectal cancer almost always starts with a small growth called a polyp. If the polyp is found early, doctors can remove it and stop colorectal cancer before it starts. These tests can find polyps : double contrast barium enema, flexible sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, or CT colonography (virtual colonoscopy).
To help lower your chances of getting colorectal cancer:
* get to and stay at a healthy weight
* be physically active
* limit the amount of alcohol you drink
* eat a diet with a lot of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and less red or processed meat .
Myth: African Americans are not at risk for colorectal cancer.
Truth: African-American men and women are diagnosed with and die from colorectal cancer at higher rates than men and women of any other US. racial or ethnic group.
Myth: Age doesn't matter when it comes to getting colorectal cancer.
Truth: More than 90% of colorectal cancer cases are in people age 50 and older. For this reason, the American Cancer Society recommends you start getting tested for the disease at age 50. People who are at a higher risk for colorectal cancer -- for example, those who have colon or rectal cancer in their families -- may need to begin testing at a younger age. Talk to your doctor about when you should start getting tested.
Myth: It's better not to get tested for colorectal cancer because it's deadly anyway.
Truth: Colorectal cancer is often highly treatable. If it is found and treated early, the 5-year survival rate is about 90%. But because many people are not getting tested, only about 4 out of 10 are diagnosed at this early stage when treatment is most likely to be successful.
Posted by Richard Lawry at 12:47 PM 0 comments
Labels: colon cancer


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|Home >> Course Descriptions >> College of Arts and Sciences
|Young Adult Literature
|Three semester hours. (FL/SP)
|This course covers the literature written for adolescents and includes generic (poetry, drama, fiction) and thematic considerations as well as a historical perspective. Prerequisite: Three hours sophomore literature or consent of instructor.
Home - General Information - Student Services -
Academic Undergraduate Regulations -
Undergraduate Degrees - Academic Graduate Regulations -
Graduate Degrees - Course Descriptions - Faculty -
Appendix A - Appendix B - Appendix C - Appendix D

subset: commoncrawl


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|First the image is carved on a block of wood and ink is rolled over that image.
|Next, the paper is pressed onto the image and hung to dry.
|Last, the print is signed, numbered, matted and shipped directly to you!
These are limited edition hand carved linoleum / vinyl block prints. Each print comes from a hand carved block of vinyl inked and then pressed against beautiful chinese rice paper. All art is signed, numbered, and named by the artist. Only 20 prints are made from each block, and then the block is kept, sold or destroyed.
Justin Kempton has been creating and distributing art all his life. Beginning with a desire to spread the joy of art and inspiration he started selling his work on the internet over 2 years ago. His prints seek that which is timeless, to bring something of inspiration, their goal is to bring joy for years and years.
Each print is mounted with black satin toned mat-board (or framed at your request). The art is placed inside a sheer poly envelope, double wrapped and backed with cardboard to prevent damage during shipping. Once opened you can either display the print as is or place in your frame of choice.
Selling prints online since 2003!


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Spatially Speaking is a new opportunity to communicate monthly with participants of the FGDC and is designed to provide updates on the activities of the FGDC. Subcommittees, workgroups, and other FGDC participants are asked to prepare brief updates monthly and submit content on activities, decisions, opportunities, and actions no later than the 20th of each month to Alison Dishman, firstname.lastname@example.com.
View the May 2007 update here.


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Thursday, 17 September 2009
Illamasqua Dystopia review part 1
I got the three individual shadows (you can also get these in the pre-made palettes, but I find their packaging a bit bulky)
Synth-white base with lots of pink iridescence
Machine- a matte black base with silver glitter.
Matter –smoky intense gray
I really like all these shades and wore them all together today. I had heard that Machine was lacking in pigment but this is not the case for me, I can use it as a intense black liner or in the crease applied gingerly with a blender brush to give a charcoal. The glitter is quite subtle in the shade. Here is a close up of Matter
As Synth is one of the shimmer shadow formulas it is sheer at first so if I want to move it up a notch I just use it over one of Illamasqua's cream shadows or use a MAC #214. Matter is perfect for a smoky eye and it does not have any strange blue tones like some grays do.
I got some more items from the collection, but I'll do that in a separate post.
7 comments:
I found the Dystopia eye shadows dissapointing, the pigmentation is poor and I cannot get them to go on smooth, did yours feel different?ReplyDelete
I had a similar problem with the 2 pigments, they are far too soft on the color payoff and that's is with using a base. I'm so dissapointed.
I am wearing Synth over an Illamasqua cream shadow today! Snap!ReplyDelete
It is lighter than I expected but I still like it and it is nice as a highlighter too.
Hi Pinksparkle84,ReplyDelete
Oh, thats not good. Synth is sheer on but other than that I don't have a problem with them unlike some shades (feint,dizzy for example). I use them over TF shadow insurance, so not sure if that makes a differance ?
I've got the two pigments as well but haven't used them much yet but from what you say that doesn't sound good.
Hello Helen,
Well we must have the same great taste :) I'll have to try it as a highlighter as well. Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for the pictures and reviews! Now I need to add these to my wishlist. I held back and didn't order them when Dystopia was avail. I really want Synth but it's not available for me to order since I am out of Europe :(.ReplyDelete
Hello Miss Zoe,ReplyDelete
Is it to do with ingredients why some items are not able to ship out of Europe ?
I do like Synth, but I am sure a lot of people will find it too sheer, if that helps at all :)
Thanks for visiting my blog x
Hi - great pictures. I find I need to work hard with Synth to get colour payoff - I need to layer it over a cream as well. It is a very pretty shade though.ReplyDelete
Hi Grace,ReplyDelete
Thanks. It does seem to be that the shimmer shades can be a bit lacking in the pigment department :)


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So here we are in Sussex. I am not especially touched by the number of you telling me to merrily enjoy my holiday and not to bother posting. So I might write a hugely long and boring thing (what's new?) to punish you all.
If only because I know next-eldest sister subscribes to this via email and what with three children under 5 I know she's got nothing better to do than read my old cack for 2,000 words.
Here she is:
(That's Kitty, rather than one of hers. Although hers are sweet, you should see them. You know next-eldest sister from previous posts such as "Ginger Cake" and "Aunty Hannah's Courgette Thing". Adrian Gill once talked to me for an entire starter course about how "pretty" her nose is. This is not the first time that's happened to me. So I think that's all you need to know about her.)
Kitty is entirely recovered, you'll be relieved to know. I paid a private GP £8,000 to come to my house and tell me that she needed antibiotics, because no NHS doctor in a million years will tell you anything needs antibiotics even if it is livid with bacteria. Anyway Dr Abelman gave me some amoxycillin without batting an eyelid and Kitty was on the mend within hours.
(And he ALSO, as those of you who follow me on Twitter will know, gave me painkiller suppositories for Kitty. A lifeline with an infant throat infection, which menas they won't swallow the wretched fucking Calpol. He gave me some Nurofen ones he found in Tel Aviv but I went straight out and bought 2 packs of paracetamol ones at £18 a throw. I would now launch into a very long thing about how completely insane it is that infant painkillers aren't available in suppository form wider and more cheaply in this country, but I fear I would bore you. Further. And also elicit awful tedious jokes about suppositories and the French, which I don't want to hear. I no longer think suppositories are remotely funny.)
Sussex is very nice. I chose the house on the basis that it has WiFi and a tumble drier. The only downer is that I think the woman who owns it used to interrogate people for the Stasi because the lighting concept is absolutely fucking terrible! 100 watt horrors shining right in your eyes or hideous energy savers. Brrr.
The house is also close to Cowdray Park Farm shop, which is like Waitrose with only the top 5% of the poshest things available and you can buy things like REN skincare and really delicious takeaway quiche for £5. But in all seriousness, the butcher there is first-rate and my husband is practically hysterical with relief because although he claims to be all folksy and down to earth he is terrified of the dark English countryside where there is only a Spar and local boys tear around on dirt bikes.
The weather has turned slightly and it is very sunny but really quite cold. My packing has let me down a bit, although I have learned from past mistakes and now abide by these packing rules:
1 Do not pack things you never wear at home because you think you might wear them because you're away. You're away but you're still YOU.
2 Do not pack your shittiest clothes because you're away and so it doesn't matter
3 Allow for one very cold day
4 Allow for one very hot day
5 Allow for one very wet day
6 Pack your entire medicine cabinet
7 and the iPad
I did all that but I didn't quite pack enough warm clothes. I'm not one of those people who always anticipates being freezing and packs fleeces and UGG boots because I am not a sticky fashion person who is always cold because they are so THIN living as they do off handfuls of bombay mix and miso paste. But now I do miss my UGG boots. (Although they are not UGG boots, they are called Celt Boots and they are the most marvellous rip off and available here: http://www.celtic-sheepskin.co.uk/) I also miss my Crocs. Why didn't I bring them. I fucking love my Crocs. I won't hear a word against them.
Where was I? Oh yes, the butcher at Cowdray Park. The other day, in the third hour of some pretty heroic childcare, my husband made, while Kitty crashed around the kitchen in her walker, a stew from some featherblade, which is a kind of steak cut from the shoulder. I think. I'm never quite sure about cuts. Anyway the butcher said to cook it for 4 hours, which is the kind of instruction we like in this family, so that's what we did.
And it was terrific and very simple.
Giles's featherblade stew
for 2
2 featherblade steaks
1 medium white onion, quartered (which is just a normal onion, rather than a shallot or whatever)1 carrot, halved
1 fennel bulb, quartered (leave this out if you don't like fennel)
1 kohlrabi, quartered (this tastes like turnip)
1 large strip of orange peel
1 strip of lemon peel
3 bay leaves
5 peppercorns
1 stick of rosemary
some stock - about 150ml
1 glass red wine
Preheat the oven to 150
1 Brown off the steaks in some veg oil for about 5 minutes until brown all over
2 Put in a pot with a lid with all the other ingredients
3 Cook in the oven for 4 hours with the lid on


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Join It – Jigsaw Puzzle by d-Studio, Ltd.
by via_web on
December 22, 2010
Filed under App DB, Games, Photography, iPad Apps
Join It gives you a chance to experience feeling of vivid Jigsaw Puzzle. Absolutely natural control with unique set of gestures makes the game on-screen even better than on the real table!
The game has different difficulty levels that will suit all age categories. In the same time playing Join It is very comfortable both on Easy and on Insane difficulty level.
The best thing about this app is that user can manipulate puzzles in the same way as in real life.
Developer Website: http://joinitpuzzle.com


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The Tafoya Signature Mallets use very high quality bamboo shafts that are slightly shorter and thinner than our Artist's Choice bamboo mallets. The dimensions are 15″ length x approx 7/16″ diameter. The bamboo is finished using an amino flat finish that is both easy to grip and protects the bamboo from the elements. All shafts are hand-paired by weight, color and feel to ensure proper balance.
Quality wool felts are hand-sewn over radial wood cores that provide a perfect balance of sonic "attack" and "body". The "inverted" layering of the felt is used so that extra clarity is produced across a very wide dynamic spectrum.
Designed in collaboration with renowned timpanist John Tafoya. "These mallets have been designed to deliver a super clear sound over a huge dynamic range. The bamboo is excellent and each mallet contains a custom rounded core. These terrific mallets are PERFECT for auditions!" – John Tafoya.


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I think the other strong award with them is for use on Qatar. For instance, biz class to Middle East or India for 70K miles, to Africa for 75K miles (including all the way down to Jo'berg). Qatar Air flies to Doha from a bunch of US cities, and their biz class product is supposed to be very good, especially on the A350s, which fly out of Boston, JFK, and Philly. Starting this Summer, they're going to start rolling out a new biz class product which is supposed to be industry leading.Drew777 wrote:It's pretty much impossible to use them for flights to Australia, or to Europe without flying BA and paying huge fuel surcharges. Well, not impossible, but for the average person who doesn't know all the tricks it's essentially impossible. There is plenty of availability to Asia though, and South America is decent. If you book far enough in advance domestic flights are usually possible as well.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/grantmarti ... 5ac75066ab
But still, I generally concur that AA miles stink. Star Alliance really seems to be where it's at these days.


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Eric Jaffe
Eric Jaffe is the former New York bureau chief for CityLab. He is the author of A Curious Madness and The King's Best Highway.
When you ask the people of San Diego what they want in a transportation system, the answer is usually balance. In a 2009 survey [PDF] by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California, 75 percent of San Diego residents thought the region should complement its existing highway system by expanding the transit network and implementing programs like congestion pricing. The feeling is more than an abstraction: In 1987 San Diego voters approved a half cent sales tax to finance long-term transportation improvements, with a third of that money dedicated to transit, and when the tax came up for extension in 2004, two-thirds of voters agreed to support it for another 40 years [PDF].
In late October, metro San Diego leaders adopted a long-term transportation plan that seemed to reflect this balanced mission. The 2050 Regional Transportation Plan is the result of years of effort by the San Diego Association of Governments, or SANDAG, a coalition of local leaders entrusted with crafting the region's transport policies. SANDAG's ambitious, $214 billion plan boasted an "integrated, multimodal transportation system by mid-century." About a third of the plan's funding in its first decade will go toward transit projects, with that share rising to 57 percent in the final 10 years of the plan. To some the plan felt too focused on mass transit at the expense of highways, including the editors of the North County Times of San Diego, who "disagreed heartily" with it on those grounds.
Not everyone sees a balanced transportation network in the plan's details. Instead some see a highway-heavy blueprint that fails to embrace the tenets of smart growth or to address the problems of climate change. Two environmental groups have sued SANDAG in the hopes it will reconsider the plan. In a joint lawsuit [PDF] filed in late November, the Cleveland National Forest Foundation and the Center for Biological Diversity claim that the 2050 plan "will inevitably spur sprawling growth throughout the region." Meanwhile the state Attorney General considers the plan "inconsistent" with California's environmental goals, according to a letter issued to SANDAG from that office [PDF].
These critics charge that the 2050 Regional Transportation is front-loaded with highway projects and defers major transit efforts until the later years. By that time, they fear, the San Diego region will be locked into an auto-centric transportation network that encourages unsustainable types of development and ignores the transportation needs of its cities. According to SANDAG's own estimates, both greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle-miles traveled increase toward the end of the plan, they point out.
"What the San Diego plan really does is, instead of shifting toward transit and reducing vehicle miles traveled, it continues dependence on freeway expansion — envisioning sprawl type development, extending further out into hinterlands," says Kevin Bundy, senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity. "When you increase freeway access you make it easier for development to continue moving further and further and further out from urban cores, moving further away from transit corridors."
• • • • •
Without question the San Diego 2050 plan makes room for transit projects. Of the estimated $214 billion in spending outlined by the plan (in year-end dollars), nearly $107 billion is dedicated to public transportation. Meanwhile the regional highway network receives just $49 billion, while local roads get $37 billion, with land use and other efforts making up the difference. Compared with previous regional plans, the area "that expanded the most would be our transit plan," says Charles "Muggs" Stoll, director of land use and transportation planning at SANDAG.
The transit project list itself is substantial. The plan provides money to double-track the COASTER, San Diego's commuter rail, as well as the SPRINTER, its light rail system. It allocates funding to both improve and expand the San Diego Trolley system, including a new line stretching from San Diego State University to the downtown area. It emphasizes bus-rapid transit and other bus-related services, including transit-signal priority at intersections. It sets aside $700 million to upgrade pedestrian passages to transit facilities, and will implement the $419 million, 500-some mile San Diego Regional Bicycle Plan [PDF].
The upshot of these efforts, according to SANDAG's 2050 plan, will be compact, transit-oriented urban development. Whereas some 45 percent of all people in the region live within a half mile of transit right now, that figure will rise to 64 percent by 2050. To accommodate the population growth in urban areas, the plan forecasts a "dramatic" rise in dense housing, particularly for areas with more than 20 dwelling units per acre. All told, the system is designed to give San Diego residents "alternatives to driving alone."
"For well over a decade our region's been moving toward more development in the already urbanized areas," says Stoll. "Because of that, probably over a decade ago we started focusing on moving away from investing in the highways that reach out into those more rural areas of the county and focusing more of the investments in the existing urbanized areas. In this plan, which goes out 40 years … we definitely continue that."
The source of the contention is not so much which transit investments are made but when they get implemented. Critics of the plan contend that too many major transit projects are deferred toward the middle and end of the timeline: double-tracking of the SPRINTER, for instance, is delayed until 2030, as are 11 of the 13 trolley projects. Even the first decade of the plan is misleading in the eyes of critics. Though funding is relatively even — $10.3 billion for transit to $9.7 billion to highways — only a couple big rail projects are scheduled (amid a cluster of bus upgrades). Meanwhile the plan calls for multiple highway widening efforts over that same span: new lanes on Interstates 5, 15, and 805; expansions of a number of state routes; and an all new corridor in the two-mile toll highway State Route 11.
This early disparity in project focus, if not spending, will perpetuate an automobile culture and encourage sprawling land use practices, says Duncan McFetridge, executive director of the Cleveland National Forest Foundation. (That's Cleveland as in Grover Cleveland, the president who established nature reserves in Southern California, not Cleveland, Ohio.) As evidence of this eventual trend, he points to the plan's estimates for vehicle miles traveled. Although car mileage drops 12 percent from recent totals by 2020, it actually gets a bit worse over the long-term life of the plan — bumping up to a total 7 percent decline by 2050. Waiting to pursue transit projects also increases the chance that funding for those efforts will fall through.
"The metro area that we've established has a prime need for transit infrastructure, and the polls show that people want transit for the metro area," McFetridge says. "People want transit. Why would you promote freeways that are obviously not going to serve the metro urban area?"
• • • • •
The Cleveland Foundation believes SANDAG's decision to pursue highway expansion projects rests in part on "fatally flawed," "useless" modeling of San Diego transit ridership. According to a March 2011 report [PDF] commissioned by the foundation, prepared by the consulting firm Smart Mobility, SANDAG predicts that just 4 percent of "high" income residents — those making more than $60,000 a year — will commute by transit in 2050. That figure fails to consider that ridership levels tend to increase with system quality; after all, in San Francisco, nearly 30 percent of "high" income residents commute by transit.
SANDAG's plan may also be influenced by a false assumption made about land use developments, according to the Smart Mobility report. Whereas most transportation experts recognize that transit and highway investments create different types of land use, SANDAG modeling suggests the region's 2050 development will look pretty much the same "regardless of whether the region chooses to invest in highways or transit," the analysis concludes. "This assumption belies common sense and is simply wrong."
"This is an outrageous planning failure," says McFetridge. "We'd like to see the outcome [of the lawsuit] as a proper analysis that would require building and funding transit-first — but the [SANDAG] document has to be done properly in the first place."
As an alternative, the Cleveland Foundation proposes what it calls a 50-10 Transit Plan. The idea is to pack transit investment into the first ten years and to halt new freeway construction (aside from safety improvements) until the transit system is fully operational. That would make transit competitive with auto travel in and around the urban core, and lead to dense, transit-oriented development, according to the plan. The result will be shorter commuters, lower vehicle miles traveled, and less congestion for everyone, it says. "To delay implementing a transit-first policy is tantamount to not acting at all," the 50-10 plan concludes.
"We tend to think of these freeway projects as normal and necessary, and I think we just haven't seen the kind of real investment in transit that will really change the paradigm," says Bundy, the attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, the foundation's partner in the lawsuit. "Now we're trying to add transit back into cities that were really just planning around the car. It's very hard to deal with reversing that infrastructure once you get it in place."
The realities of securing federal transit funding make a 50-10 plan implausible, counters Stoll. For one thing, the Department of Transportation doles out highway and transit money through two separate administrations; passing up highway dollars wouldn't increase transit funding, it would leave free money for San Diego on the table, he says. (In early December both the Federal Highway and the Federal Transit administrations completed a satisfactory review of the SANDAG 2050 plan.)
In addition, says Stoll, it's important to understand that very few of SANDAG's road projects will result in traditional highway expansion. On the contrary, most of the regional road work will lay the foundation for transit improvements by creating a system of "managed lanes" — free-flowing, "flexible" lanes that can be used interchangeably for bus-rapid transit, high-occupancy vehicles, or congestion pricing efforts like high-occupancy tolls. Without those improvements, the transit options in those corridors won't be competitive with car travel, says Stoll, so calling them "highway expansion" projects is misleading.
"I think some of the folks saying that would prefer that zero dollars be spent on highways and all dollars be spent on transit," he says.
• • • • •
With the adoption of the 2050 plan, San Diego became the first major metro area in California to comply with the state's new climate change law. That law, known as S.B. 375, requires long-term transportation plans to meet targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. San Diego's plan estimated emissions reductions of 13 percent by 2020 and 14 percent by 2035 — meeting the respective goals of 7 and 13 percent established by the California Air Resources Board [PDF]. But by 2050, according to SANDAG's estimates, emissions reductions will be just 10 percent below current levels under the plan. That amounts to a relative rise in carbon pollution over the years.
"It sort of looks like exactly the opposite of what S.B. 375 was supposed to do," says Bundy. "That really indicates that there's something seriously wrong with this plan. It's not actually going to achieve the long-term reductions that people were hoping to see come out of S.B. 375, and that are really necessary for California to do its part in heading off the worst impacts of climate change."
While the 2050 emissions figure isn't legally mandated like the S.B. 375 targets for 2020 and 2035, it runs counter to an executive order passed when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was in office a few years back, which recommended 2050 emissions levels that were 80 percent below 1990 levels. That led state Attorney General Kamala Harris to draft a letter to SANDAG in September expressing disappointment with the 2050 plan. "[T]he suite of strategies relied on by SANDAG, which include a heavy reliance on roadway expansion projects, does not deliver GHG [greenhouse gas] reductions that are sustainable in the long term," Harris's office wrote.
SANDAG explains the emissions rise, in part, as the result of transit investments made during the early years of the plan. It also points out that the targets established by the Air Resources Board date to 2005, when driving and emissions levels were higher than they were during the recession. That made it easier to beat the target in the short-term but harder as the economy improves "and more residents are driving to jobs," in the words of the SANDAG plan. Last, SANDAG assumes that toward the end of the plan urban areas will reach peak development, and settlement will naturally leak out toward remote areas accessible primarily by car.
For the time being, the regional 2050 plan will proceed on schedule, even as the lawsuit does the same. Both environmental groups would be happy with a revised plan that emphasizes transit first and pushes hard for emissions to decline consistently throughout the duration of the plan. Stoll says SANDAG isn't about to back down from what it feels is a plan that will benefit residents of San Diego county for years to come.
"We believe it's a very good and balanced plan for our region," he says. "So to the extent that somebody wants to challenge it, we're prepared to defend it."
Top photo credit: Flickr user Chris Ostermann
Boosted by big sustainability wins, Mayor Anne Hidalgo is pitching bold plans to make the city center "100 percent bicycle" and turn office space into housing.
Drawing on his time as New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg proposes handing power and money to urban leaders as part of his Democratic presidential bid.
The hardest thing about living in an eco-friendly master-planned utopia? Meeting your neighbors.
As bed-in-a-box startup Casper files for an IPO, the buzzy mattress seller is betting that the next big thing in sleep is brick-and-mortar retail outlets.
A handy reference for navigating an emerging industry.


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North Korea's sentencing on Thursday of a US citizen to 15 years of hard labor could be a ploy by leader Kim Jong-un to get a high-profile American visit and burnish his leadership standing.
But there may be another explanation for what is the toughest sentence ever handed to an American by a North Korean court, some North Asia analysts say. Kenneth Bae, the Korean-American arrested in November 2012 and accused of attempting to overthrow the government, is a devout Christian.
"The regime is scared to death of Christianity," says Michael Green, a former senior director forAsia on the National Security Council.
Mr. Bae, a tour operator from Washington state who was living in a Chinese city near North Korea, was charged with carrying out "hostile acts" against the state that included having unspecified materials in his possession that prompted the accusations of planning the overthrow.
Was Bae carrying a Bible when he was arrested? The North Korean regime is particularly harsh with anyone found with a Bible, says Mr. Green, now the senior vice president for Asia at theCenter for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Friends of Bae have speculated that he may have taken pictures of starving North Korean children or even of executions – neither of which would please North Korean authorities. Bae reportedly was living in the Chinese city of Dalian and frequently crossed the border to take food to orphans, according to friends. But the scant information released by the North Korean government left unclear exactly what Bae had done.
"Kenneth Bae had no access to a lawyer. It is not even known what he was charged with,"Amnesty International said in a statement Thursday.
The State Department, meanwhile, called for Bae's "immediate release." In a statement, spokesman Patrick Ventrell said the US had "longstanding concerns" about the lack of transparency and due process in the North's judicial system. But he added that "now that [Bae] has gone through a legal process we urge the DPRK [the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea] to grant him amnesty and immediate release."
Bae's sentencing prompted speculation that Mr. Kim, the North's young new ruler, could be angling for a news-grabbing visit from an American dignitary to try to win clemency. Bae is at least the sixth American to be found guilty of some unspecified crime against the North Korean state. Earlier cases have led to visits from two former presidents – Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton – and from Bill Richardson, the former US ambassador to the UN.
President Clinton won the release of two American women journalists, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, in 2009 while his wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton, was secretary of state. President Carter undertook a similarly successful mission in 2010 on behalf of Aijalon Mahli Gomes, an American who, like Bae, was said to be a devout Christian.
After a flurry or reports out of South Korea that Carter was about to undertake a trip to Pyongyangon Bae's behalf, the former president's press secretary told Reuters that Carter "has not had an invitation to visit North Korea and has no plans to visit."
Earlier this week the State Department had issued a statement calling on North Korea to release Bae "on humanitarian grounds."
Already-tense US-North Korea relations have deteriorated further in recent months after Pyongyang conducted a third nuclear test in February and the US carried out annual joint exercises with the South Korean military. Kim managed to place himself on US and international front pages by threatening to "incinerate" US cities.
The heated rhetoric has cooled, although tensions could flare anew if the North conducts a ballistic missile test soon, as some experts anticipate.
But Bae's sentencing may represent a renewed effort to put the North and Kim in the international spotlight at what for Kim maybe a critical moment, some regional experts say.
Their reasoning? South Korea's new president, Park Geun-hye, will visit the US next week on a multicity tour that will feature a White House dinner and a speech to a joint session of Congress. President Park will be dominating headlines that Kim may feel should be his.


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Simple jammy biscuits
Nutrition and extra info
Nutrition: per biscuit
- kcal170
- fat8g
- saturates5g
- carbs25g
- sugars13g
- fibre0.5g
- protein2g
- salt0.3g
- 200g self-raising flour
- 100g caster sugar
- 100g butter
Butter is made when lactic-acid producing bacteria are added to cream and churned to make an…
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
The ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition, packed with protein and a…
- 4 tbsp strawberry jam
Once available in Britain for just a brief period during the summer, strawberries are now a year…
Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Rub the flour, sugar and butter together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you can do this in the food processor. Add enough egg to bring the mixture together to form a stiff dough.
Flour your hands and shape the dough into a tube, about 5cm in diameter. Cut into 2cm-thick slices and place on a large baking sheet. Space them out as the mixture will spread when baking.
Make a small indentation in the middle of each slice with the end of a wooden spoon, and drop a tsp of jam in the centre. Bake for 10-15 mins until slightly risen and just golden. Cool on a wire rack.


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Another great article by Jakob Nielsen and a must read for those of you working or planning a new website.
Aspects of Design Quality
Usability scores for 51 websites shows some correlation between navigation, content, and feature quality, but no connections to other usability areas.
Some user interfaces are good, some are bad; we all know that. But why do designs differ in usability?
The easy answer is that some design teams have good designers, listen to their usability specialists, and comply with documented guidelines; other teams have bad designers, either do no usability or ignore the findings, and prefer their own pet theories to established best practices.
But this easy answer just begs a second question: Why are some teams more focused on the quality of the user experience than others? Thanks to a new dataset I just collected, we can now analyze this question statistically.
It's extremely rare to have data about the usability outcomes of numerous design projects that are all focused on the same problem. Even when we do competitive usability research for our consulting clients, we test only 3–4 competing sites in the same industry because that's all we need to derive strategic usability recommendations. Testing additional competing sites would result in severely diminishing returns; it's better to spend that money testing additional iterations of the company's own design.
But we now have usability scores for 51 similar websites, thanks to a study sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts in which we evaluated the usability of the voter information websites from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Because voting laws differ between states, the sites are not literally identical. However, they are similar enough that it's fair to compare them. For example, states have different deadlines for requesting absentee ballots, but all states must inform their residents about absentee ballot rules — including the relevant deadlines — and offer voters a way to request the ballots.
Distribution of Usability Scores
The following histogram shows the distribution of usability scores for the 51 voter sites. The possible score range was from 0% to 100%, with higher numbers being better.
Note that a perfect score wouldn't indicate a site with perfect usability. A score of 100% would simply indicate that the site got full marks with respect to the current state of the art in all the usability aspects we evaluated. In actuality, the highest-scoring site in our study got a rating of only 77%, showing how far voter sites have to go relative to the best commercial websites. (E-commerce sites tend to have particularly good usability because they go out of business if people can't shop there. Although government sites also benefit from usability, it's rarely a matter of organizational survival.)
Histogram: The number of state voting sites scoring at different level of usability.
Histogram of usability scores for 51 voter information websites.
The histogram shows a fairly normal distribution of usability: most states have middling usability. There are a few states with decent usability, with 3 sites scoring above 70%. Sadly, there are more states with low usability, with 8 sites scoring below 40%. But at least there are no sites with horrendous usability. The lowest-scoring site came in at 29%, which — while truly bad — would still allow the most determined and skilled users to complete tasks on the site.
Core Usability Aspects
You'd think that if a design team were good at one aspect of usability, it would be good at all the other aspects as well. Not so.
Our data indicates that there's rarely a relationship between the quality levels achieved for different usability questions. Statistically, such relationships are determined as correlations, and many correlations are so close to zero as to be completely insignificant.
In other words, if a design team is good at one area of usability, its strength or weakness in another area is completely random. Maybe it's good; maybe it's not.
There are two exceptions to this finding:
* There is a positive correlation of .54 between the quality of the navigation and information architecture and the quality of content usability.
* There is a positive correlation of .40 between the quality of the navigation and information architecture and the quality of the site tools.
(As a reminder, correlations range from -1 to +1. Zero indicates no relationship between two variables. Positive correlations mean that the two variables move in tandem — the more so, the closer the correlation is to one. Conversely, negative correlations mean that the two variables move in opposite directions, so that one gets bigger as the other gets smaller.)
The following scatterplot shows the relationship between navigation quality and content quality:
Scatterplot: usability scores for navigation (on x-axis) vs. content (on y-axis). Each dot is one of the state voting sites.
In the above chart, each dot represents one website. (Because some sites got identical scores on the two usability aspects, those dots are plotted in the exact same spot and only one dot is visible. That's why the diagram looks like it has fewer than 51 dots. However, I computed the trendline from all 51 dots, visible or not.)
This correlation is highly significant at p<0.001. (The correlation between navigation and site tools is also significant at p<0.01. This second scatterplot is not shown.) This finding indicates that there are core usability areas that sites do try to cover: how users get around, the content they'll find, and the features offered. All very good; these are indeed important issues. Some teams have a clue about these core areas, whereas others seem to be throwing darts at Dreamweaver, constructing randomly organized websites with poor information and useless features. Still, even the correlations between the core usability aspects aren't that strong: correlations around .5 indicate that only 1/4 of the variability in one aspect is explained by another, leaving 3/4 to be determined by chance. So being good at one thing still leaves the majority of the other core usability issues uncovered. Neglected Usability Aspects According to our statistical analysis, many usability aspects are completely disconnected from the usability core. These aspects include: * Homepage usability * Search * Accessibility * Web presence (that is, how users get to content from outside the site, or "usability-in-the-large") The correlations between these important quality aspects are low (and sometimes even negative), and they're not highly correlated with the core areas either. For example, there's a negative correlation of r=-.1 between homepage usability and accessibility. This negative correlation certainly doesn't mean that accessibility stands in opposition to a good homepage design. Remember: We evaluated the homepages' usability, not whether they had a particularly glamorous appearance or featured intricate Flash animations. (The latter usually reduce both usability and accessibility, because sites typically use them wrong.) Rather, the negative correlation indicates that designers aren't treating accessibility as a component of user experience quality. Most likely, government agencies are focused on complying with legalistic accessibility regulations instead of trying to make the sites easy for people with disabilities to use. My interpretation of the low or negative correlations is that many important usability areas are inadequately prioritized in design projects. Whether a site ends up good or bad for areas beyond the usability core is therefore random. By "random," I don't mean that the design is determined by a coin toss. Rather, I mean that it's a coincidence when a design team includes a person who happens to know the key guidelines for delivering a quality user experience in areas outside the bounds of core usability. A site that does well on the basics might therefore completely neglect many other aspects of Web usability. And, conversely, a site that's horrible on the basics might be lucky enough to have a designer who happens to understand another usability aspect and succeed in boosting the site in that one area. The following histogram of homepage quality across the 51 websites shows a much broader distribution than we saw for overall usability. Some sites have completely miserable homepages, whereas others are close to achieving all of the current best practices. Histogram: The number of state voting sites at different level of scores for homepage usability. Histogram of homepage scores for 51 voter information websites. As the correlations show, doing well or poorly on this score is disconnected from a site's quality in other ways. This is why overall usability ratings are typically middle-of-the-road: They comprise great scores and horrible scores across the various usability aspects. So, most sites have something they do very well and some area where they totally let users down. Objectivity, this often averages out to a mid-level usability performance. For users, however, the mix of good and bad design on the same site feels sloppy and like the site doesn't try hard enough to serve them. Good User Experience Requires an Integrated View There's a reason that we have a "total user experience" concept to encompass everything that users encounter. It's not enough to have a great design for part of the user interface. Good navigation, say, is certainly a necessity for a great user experience, but it's not sufficient. Offer a bad homepage, and users might turn away before they even start navigating. We can liken a website's user experience to the metaphorical chain that's no stronger than its weakest link. If any one usability attribute fails, the overall user experience is compromised and many users will fail. How can you ensure the quality of the total user experience? You need an integrated view of usability, from the user's perspective, and you need to develop the site through user-centered design. We often have prospective clients call us up to request help with one element of their site or intranet. For example, they often want to improve their IA. This is indeed a worthy cause, and would help most sites. But is it the weakness causing the most lost business value? Maybe. Or maybe not. The only way to find out is to start from first principles and assess the overall user experience. Don't overly focus on one aspect of user experience, no matter how important. Take the integrated view rather than let key aspects drift in the wind.


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The two companies, which are already cooperating in a joint bid for up to 200MW of photovoltaic power being tendered at Kom Ombo, Egypt will form a consortium to explore possibilities in Egypt and the wider region.
"We are looking to gain more experience in the field of renewable energy, a sector that will actively contribute to eradicating the power cuts that Egypt has experienced in recent years," said Pakinam Kafafy, managing director of TAQA Arabia, which is active in the Middle East and North Africa.
Neoen, which recently opened an office in Cairo, aims to have an operating renewables portfolio of 1GW in 2016 and is targeting markets "with a strong potential" outside Europe. It also has offices in Lisbon, Mexico and Sydney.
Egyptian potential
Wind power development was among the many casualties of the 2011 Arab Spring, although Egypt, the region's biggest market, has sprung back with requests for offers to add 850MW to its existing 550MW of online wind capacity.
In March 2013, Egypt's state-run New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) resumed an international contest for wind prospecting concessions at six sites in the Gabal El Zeit area of the Gulf of Suez, each earmarked for up to 100MW of development.


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Pictured: Senior co-captain Kathryn Farni had a goal and
three assists against McGill.
Photo courtesy: David Silverman Photography
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Kathryn Farni scored a goal and assisted on three other tallies, while Kate Buesser notched two goals of her own to guide the No. 9 Harvard women's hockey team to a 4-1 win against McGill in an exhibition Saturday afternoon at Bright Hockey Center. Christina Kessler made the start in net for the Crimson, making 22 saves.
Farni opened the scoring for the Crimson with a shorthanded goal at 4:55 of the first period. Farni backhanded a shot on a breakaway that snuck under Taylor Salisbury's left pad and into the back of the net. Later in the opening frame, Buesser added a goal for Harvard at 12:30, as Farni and Jillian Dempsey earned assists on the play. In the second period, Buesser and Farni once again teamed up for a Harvard goal, as Buesser buried a shot at 6:21.
After McGill got on the scoreboard with a goal by Vanessa Davidson with 6:36 remaining in the second, Harvard capitalized on a power-play chance in the closing seconds of the period. With the Crimson setting up in the McGill zone, Hilary Hayssen and Farni passed the puck before finding Katharine Chute open in front for Harvard's fourth goal of the contest at 19:59.
Harvard finished the game 1-for-5 on its power plays, while posting a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill. The Crimson also led in shots, 33-23, including a 16-6 margin in the second half. Harvard opens the regular season with a trip to Colgate and Cornell Oct. 30-31. Harvard will face the Raiders Friday at 3:30 p.m.
Farni's Four-Point Effort Paces No. 9 Harvard in 4-1 Win over McGill
Pictured: Senior co-captain Kathryn Farni had a goal and
three assists against McGill.


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Below are the answers for the first level of Close Up Pics. If you are stuck on any others be sure to ask a question!
Close Up Pics by Mediaflex Games is a puzzle game that contains a close up image of an object and it is up to you to guess what it is. See the video below for a full set of Close up Pics Answers for Level 23:


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NEW YORK -- Millions of visitors travel to the New York City area each year for a variety of reasons. Some seek nightlife and fine dining, while others look to experience world-class culture, museums and entertainment. However, for several of the area's most recent -- and largest -- visitors, the bright lights of Broadway aren't what's brought them to town.
In what has become somewhat of an annual tradition, humpback whales have been spotted in the waters surrounding New York City this summer. Ranging from the New York Harbor and Lower Hudson River in the west, to the Long Island Sound and coastal Connecticut in the east, whales have be spotted in areas not traditionally known for such wildlife. However, according to John Cronin, senior fellow at Pace University's Institute for Sustainability and the Environment, the appearance of these apex species shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.
"These whales should be in the harbor," said Cronin. "If you read colonial accounts of the area ecosystem, they are fairly amazing." Records show Dutch settlers complaining of countless noisy waterfowl keeping them awake at night, and marveling at the plentiful oysters, crabs and fish available in the waters surrounding Manhattan.
"New York was once a coastal paradise of intricate marshes and estuarine ecosystems," he said. "The whales' natural inclination is to wander back to where they belong."
However, much has changed since the days of Henry Hudson and Adrian Block.
"We conveniently partition the ecosystems of the East and Hudson Rivers, New York Harbor and Long Island Sound along manmade boundaries, but if you follow the animals you'll see it's just one big habitat to them," said Cronin. And while the return of whales to the region is a positive sign for overall environmental health, he cautions against thinking cleanup work is done. "The health of an ecosystem isn't only determined by the appearance of a superstar species like a humpback whale," he said. "Rather, it starts from the bottom up." In this case, the bottom begins with filter feeders such as oysters and other shellfish and continues up the food chain to menhaden, an oily bait fish and veritable buffet for whales.
"There is an abundance of food this time of year in the lower Hudson and Long Island Sound," said Cronin. "The whales are feeding off animals that have spawned here, and are integral to the ecosystem." Like many species, the humpbacks will hang around only as long as food is readily available. "Whales have a chemical sense of where they've migrated before and will return to feeding grounds unless they link up with food elsewhere in their trip," he said.
As summer slowly winds down and water temperatures begin to cool, many whales will begin their trip south to the waters off Bermuda, sometimes traveling more than 3,000 miles round trip. There, pods will spawn and spend the winter. Come springtime, the whales -- following the food back north -- should reappear off New York and Connecticut once again.
"As you're standing on the banks of the Hudson River in Manhattan or the shores of the Sound, you have to remember that whales aren't looking at asphalt and buildings," said Cronin. "To them they're in the wilderness. Why wouldn't they be here?"
For more information on Cronin and the work being done by Pace University's Dyson College Institute for Sustainability and the Environment, click here.


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Assessment |
Biopsychology |
Comparative |
Cognitive |
Developmental |
Language |
Individual differences |
Personality |
Philosophy |
Social |
Methods | Statistics | Clinical | Educational | Industrial | Professional items | World psychology |
Clinical: Approaches · Group therapy · Techniques · Types of problem · Areas of specialism · Taxonomies · Therapeutic issues · Modes of delivery · Model translation project · Personal experiences ·
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is considered by many to be the psychological treatment of choice for major depression
- Overview
- The role of emotions
- Therapeutic relationship
- Treatment protocols
- Initial assessment interview
- The course of therapy
- Application of behavioral techniques
- Cognitive techniques
- Team working considerations
- Specific techniques for the suicidal patient
- Depressogenic assumptions
- Integrating homework into therapy
- Termination
- Relapse and relapse prevention
- Outcome studies
- Followup
- Technical problems
See alsoEdit
Key Texts – BooksEdit
- Burns, David D. Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. Revised Edition. Avon, 1999. ISBN 0-380-81033-6
- McCullough Jr., James P. Treatment for Chronic Depression: Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP). Guilford Press, 2003. ISBN 1-57230-965-2
- Tanner, Susan and Ball, Jillian. Beating the Blues: a Self-help Approach to Overcoming Depression. 1989/2001. ISBN 064636622X
Additional material – BooksEdit
- Rehm, L (1980) Behavior Therapy for Depression: Present Status and Future Directions. Elsevier. ISBN 0125858809
- Teasdale JD (1995) Affect, Cognition and Change: Re-modelling Depressive Thought. Psychology Press.ISBN 0863773729
Key Texts – PapersEdit
Butler, A. C. & Beck, A. T. (1995). Cognitive therapy for depression. The Clinical Psychologist, 48(3), 3-5. Full text
Additional material - PapersEdit
Beck, A.T. (1967). Depression: Clinical, experimental, and theoretical aspects. New York: Hoeber. Republished as Depression: Causes and treatment. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press).
Blackburn, I.M. Eunson, K.M. & Bishop, S. (1986). A two-year naturalistic follow-up of depressed patients treated with cognitive therapy, pharmacotherapy, and a combination of both. Journal of Affective Disorders, 10, 67-75.
Blackburn, I. M., Bishop, S., Glen, A.I.M., Whalley, L.J., & Christie, J.E. (1981). The efficacy of cognitive therapy in depression: A treatment trial using cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy, each alone and in combination. British Journal of Psychiatry, 139, 181-189.
Dobson, K.S. (1989). A meta-analysis of the efficacy of cognitive therapy for depression. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 57, 3, 414-419.
Elkin, I., Shea, M.T., Watkins, J.T., Imber, S.D., Sotsky, S.M., Collins, J.F., Glass, D.R., Pilkonis, P.A., Leber, W.R., Docherty, J.P., Fiester, S.J., & Parloff, M.B. (1989). National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program: General effectiveness of treatments. Archives of General Psychiatry, 46, 971-982.
Evans, M.D., Hollon, S.D., DeRubeis, R. J., Piasecki, J.M., Grove, W.M., Garey, M.J., & Tuason, V. B., (1992). Differential relapse following cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy for depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 49, 802-808.
Hollon, S.D., DeRubeis, R .J., Evan, M.D., Wiemer, M.J., Garvey, M.J., Grove, W.M., & Tuason, V. B., (1992). Cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy for depression: Singly and in combination. Archives of General Psychiatry, 49, 774-781.
Kovacs, M., Rush, A.J., Beck, A.T., & Hollon, S.D., (1981). Depressed outpatients treated with cognitive therapy or pharmacotherapy. Archives of General Psychiatry, 38, 33-39.
Murphy, G .E., Simons, A. D., Wetzel, R .D., & Lustman, P. L. (1984). Cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy, singly and together in the treatment of depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 41, 33-41.
Shea, M. T., Elkin, I., Imber, S.D., Sotsky, S. M., Watkins, J. T., Collins, J.F., Pilkonis, P.A., Beckman, E., Glass, D. R., Dolan, R.T., & Parloff, M .B., (1992). Course of depressive symptoms over follow-up: Findings from the National Institute of Mental Health Treatment of Depression Collaborative Research Program. Archives of General Psychiatry, 49, 782-787.
Simons, A .D., Murphy, G. E., Levine, J. L., & Wetzel, R. D. (1986). Cognitive therapy and pharmacotherapy for depression: Sustained improvement over one year. Archives of General Psychiatry, 43, 43-48.


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Kudos & Kindness: Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra serves the community
The Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra, an annual Adopt A Day of Nourishment sponsor, hosted the Jan. 14 Bread & Broth Mexican theme dinner at St. Theresa Church Hall. "Kiwanis is about helping people and we are happy to be able to serve," one volunteer wrote. "It is unfortunate that these meals are needed but since they are, Bread & Broth is always here to help people who are in need."In kind, Bread & Broth every year has always been able to count on the Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra to make a $250 monetary sponsor donation and send a crew of community service-minded club members to assist Bread & Broth volunteers. The Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra was represented by Richard and Susan Dart, Mike and Marie Foster, Eric Schafer and Pat Frega. The hardworking Kiwanis volunteer sponsor crew bagged and handed out baked goods, vegetables and desserts donated by local grocery and retail stores, served dinner and stayed to help with cleanup.Bread & Broth and the community of South Lake Tahoe is very fortunate to have organizations like the Kiwanis Club of Tahoe Sierra who see a need and act to improve the lives of those in need. B&B is very grateful for the generous and continuous support of the Kiwanis Club in providing Monday evening meals. Carol GerardBread & Broth


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God knew what He was doing when He ordered periods of rest for His people
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
- 1 John 5:11


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Mario Osava, IPS senior correspondent in Brazil, has been reporting for many years about the country's development projects, their effect in communities, on the environment and for the economy.
Mott Foundation describes Osava's recent work in the story Brazil's development: Is it sustainable for people and planet?
More stories by Osava are available at "Letter from Brazil".
Follow Osava on twitter at @MarioOsava.
More about: Globalization and the South, Latin America, Projects, Providing news and content, Sustainable development


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let me help you find your lost item
If you lost an item that can be found with a metal detector give me a call ASAP so we can find it in good time. It doesnt matter if its been years or hours we can do a search to help you get that item back. Same day service if possible so that no one sees your item before we find it. IF ITS THERE….I WILL FIND IT!!!!!!!!


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Hire Circus Entertainment in Hatfield
Submit your event details to see a personalised list of Circus Entertainers in Hatfield available to book instantly.
133 Circus Entertainers in Hatfield to request a quote from
Are you looking for a circus entertainer in Hatfield, Hertfordshire? We've selected more than 133 circus entertainment suppliers available for hire in Hatfield.
Rachel Phoenix
Recent review: "Rachel was fantastic. We've had great feedback from the young people and also the adults Weather was testing but she put on a great performance Thanks"
Bezerkaz Circus
Recent review: Amazing performance Thank you very much Came on time And very friendly.
Laura Kenyon
Recent review: Hi Candi was very good & friendly She did very well,before she arriving my party was dead and no Soulless,, but when she comes it's get very nice every one dancing and happy,, thank you very much to make my party beautiful,,,xxxxxxxxxx
Recent review: both the helpers were punctual, extremely helpful and carried out their duties to my satisfaction!
Minnie The Clown Parties
Recent review: They are the best my daughter been very please with them Thank you
GR Presents
Recent review: What a wonderful show. The show kept us all entertained throughout the night and excited for each act. The acts where all different and very entertaining. My friends and I had such a wonderful evening full of laughs and smiles. The venue held a wonderful atmosphere full of creative individuals with smiles all round :) Would highly recommend the show to others and will be coming back to watch again :) A great night to remember.
Fun Fortune Teller
About: Fun Fortune Teller is a unique mix-and-mingle event entertainer, specialising in fun, light-hearted and positive psychic readings at corporate / media events, parties and weddings. With more tha...
Jared Gale - UK Illusions - Kids Illusions
Recent review: Very good, all ages entertained! Engaged with the children very well.
High Voltage Events
Recent review: Hannah went down an absolute storm. Will definitely be rebooking. Thanks for being so amazing. Best Linda
Candi Belly Dancer
Recent review: She is amazing ,she did very well, before she coming we was just take a sit around the table and talking, it was dead but she arrived every one gets so excited, they started to dance & plaudits , I'm so happy, she is very friendly as well, thanks a lot Candi
Showtime Circus
About: Showtime Circus is a Circus School based in Hertfordshire, we can provide interactive circa workshops at any event.
Divine Company
Recent review: Good lead up communication and service. Dancer arrived on time and was pleasant and keen to please. We were a little underwhelmed by her performance, she did more stepping around in her Vegas showgirl outfit than dancing so it was a little unexciting for my guests. Not value for money unfortunately.
Burnside's Amusements
About: We offer both adult and children's entertainment. rest assured we have something for everyone. We are able to travel anywhere in the country. We will brighten up any event. Having been in the busin...
Bendy Bendini
About: Bendini, began stretching at a young age after seeking medical advice for back pain he was given a few stretches. Around the same time he had a chance encounter with a contortionist and yoga teache...
Austin Talent
Recent review: "Luisa Omielan transformed the audience at our client event from FS corporates to dancing, laughing, crying friends. She is a hilarious and thought provoking act that takes the idea of female comedy to a fundamentally new and exciting level. There is nothing like this out there!"
Flamewater Circus
About: Flamewater Circus is the World's Premier Fire Performers Group We know that you need the very best entertainment for your event, and that is why Flamewater Circus is here; to provide the very be...
Circus Sensible
Recent review: "Hi Clive Thank you so much for taking part in Shadwelly Fest! You are a fantastically professional, talented and likeable bunch. The kids were enthralled each time you performed and engaged excitedly with the workshops. Your set up is fab and quick and painless. I'm sure the kids would love to see you again in the future. - Amy Paterson, Shadwelly Fest, Leeds"
Richie Rich
Recent review: Richard, thank you, thank you, thank you for an AMAZING party for Netanel Zvi! He and his friends absolutely LOVED it (as did all the adults present!). We all were blown away by the magic and the kids also had a blast with the juggling, diabolo and plate-spinning - and how you managed to control 30-odd 9 year old boisterous boys is beyond me!!! Pleeeeeeeese, sir, can we have some more?
Just Talent Entertainment
About: Award winning Just Talent Entertainment delivers immersive, memorable event experiences for high profile brands, festivals, corporate clients, SME's, venues direct, and private clients around the g...
Party Entertainers
About: **Can provide FOUR **TALKING** MASCOTS FOR FREE!! (terms & conditions apply, ask me about this) Hello Parents Planning a party for your children? Then read on... **Can provide FREE **TALK...
Michal Triska
Recent review: Michal was very courteous, fun and engaging. Would highly recommend.
Norvil & Josephine
Recent review: I have had so many positive comments from my colleagues. The show was action-packed, lively, energetic and fun! Everyone thought the act was fabulous!
Gypsy Disco Circus
About: Gypsy Disco is a circus and events production company where for the past 5 years, they has been curating unusual and invigorating experiences for thrill seekers at venues, festivals and quirky spac...
Lex Milczarek
About: I am Lex Milczarek, A Professional Multi Skilled Performer based in London. My Skills include: Technically trained Dancer and Hip-Hop specialist Dance/Breakdance on Roller Skater Cyr Wheel ...
Arena Aerial
About: Multiskilled aerialist specialising in aerial hoop, dance trapeze, rope, spanish web (spinning rope), aerial fabrics (silks), straps, doubles acts also available. Bespoke act created available on r...
Sally Miller
About: Sally is a talented, experienced, and professional handstand and contortion artist. She is able to perform complex one arm balances as well as extreme flexibility handstands. She has performed all...
Paint Me Glitz Me!
Recent review: "We had the girls come out to Amsterdam for our Hen weekend to paint us and they were fabulous! They really made our weekend special, We felt amazing with our body paint and I really recommend them"
Ruby Moon Entertainment
Recent review: The Forest themed stilt walkers supplied for my event where great! Exceptional services and lovely to deal with.
About: Uni Cyclists for entertaining guests
About: Across the oceans from South Korea, a country where magic is a serious business (so much so they even have their own magic colleges and universities), comes Jisu Park. A young man who blends classi...


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How do I get copies of my medical records?
There are two ways to obtain your medical records. You may call Health Information Management at 479-968-2841 and follow the instructions, or you may visit our office in the hospital. If you visit you will need to bring your government-issued photo identification and sign a release. You will then receive your records within 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays.


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What I love about this video is that there is absolutely nothing in these images that say "drive here!" Nothing. It's all thick jungle or a bubbling stream. There's nothing even like a road. And yet there's this battered Fusca that comes out of the brush like a wild boar and just plunges into the water.
I don't know the whole story here, and I'm hoping a Portuguese-speaker will kindly provide some translation for the few words said, because I'd love to know what's going on. Are those people hanging around there out hunting wild Volkswagen Type I? After the video was shot, was an arrow loosed and people feasted on roasted fender?
I really like that thud and pause as the Bug noses into the water and sticks there for a moment, almost vertical, before the driver just mashes the accelerator and drives right into a freaking stream like it was an on-ramp.
No matter why this happened, it's a pretty incredible scene, and stuff like this is a big part of my Beetle obsession.


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Access to gas transmissions system2019/2020, 2018/2019, 2017/2018, 2016/2017 network access conditions / fees
Consultation of network users according to article 4 (2) commission regulation (EU) 2015/703 (network code on interoperability and data exchange rules) on proposed update of the interconnection agreement.
Open Grid Europe GmbH is obliged to consult the network users on the update of the interconnection agreement Ellund. Please see the enclosed document. If applicable please provide your comments by 06 February 2019.
for the yearly auction 2017Capacity demand at the North-Entries (H-Gas)
A major task of the natural gas industry is to provide a secure and reliable supply to end consumers.Gas crisis preparedness
Find out about the technical requirements that apply to network connections.Network connections
Transmission system network operators are obligated to publish by 15 November each year the capacity data on internal orders placed by network operators located directly downstream of network operators with entry-exit systems as set out in Sec. 11 (9) of the Cooperation Agreement (CoA). In accordance with Sec. 11 (2) CoA, such capacity data will be made available per network connection point or exit zone on our website specifying the names of the relevant downstream network operators.
As set out in the CoA, the data will be published on the basis of the information status of the ongoing order procedure and the information communicated by the relevant downstream network operators. An intra-year capacity adjustment during the ongoing order year pursuant to Sec. 15 CoA does not involve updating of the information published.Internal order capacity data
Conversion date for metering point designations on the OGE gridMetering point designations & L-H-gas conversion (market area conversion)


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Thought I'd share some fine tuning I've had to do when making rolling stock items using the adjustable chassis with a 3D printed shell placed over the top.
I make the shells to fit over the cut down adjustable chassis...and I make them a nice snug fit. I design in a "shelf" in the inside of each end for the chassis to sit on so the bottom of the shell is flush with the bottom of the chassis. Here's a photo to show what I mean:
When testing the finished (in this case) carriage, it tended to derail on curves and I noticed that one of the bogies was catching very slightly on something when rotated gently. On investigation, I found it was catching on a minute burr on the edge of the chassis. When I checked more bogies, I found one or two tended to catch on the underside of the shell that was a fraction of a mm too low!
To cure both of these issues, I attacked the bogies and chassis with a brand new scalpel blade....and took a sliver off the corners of the edges of the underside of the chassis, and the outside top edges of the bogie frames. See the photo below. The burr was at point A, and one of the edges of the bogie frame is marked B.
A re-test after these mods resulted in no derailments!


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Get your FREE Knitting Industry membership todaySign me up!
Première Vision leads for 2020/21
Trends at Première Vision covered a wider scope than usual.
ISPO roadmaps future for industry
Jana Bukolovska
Focus on responsible production at Première Vision Paris
Janet Prescott
Job Vacancy: Stoll Flat Knitting TechnicianRajinder pal singh 21st April 2018, 12:14PM
Designing, technician and all type stoll machines opreting +918837555171
Tae Young launches new machine with toe linking devicenmk 6th April 2018, 14:30PM
simple is a best
Tae Young launches new machine with toe linking devicenmk 6th April 2018, 14:10PM
is a best for the world
JOB VACANCY: Experienced Shima Seiki technician-programmer, MelbourneJagraj Singh 6th April 2018, 05:48AM
Hi i am shima sheiki knitting Programmer from India. Phone no. 9914285060
JOB VACANCY: Shima Seiki APEX3 programmer/technician, Scotland[email protected] 6th April 2018, 04:10AM
I m interested to work in scotland. I m interested shima sheiki APEX3 Programmer.


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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
If one of these scenarios occurs, keep the computer turned off in order
to preserve any evidence for future law enforcement use. Unless directed
to do so by the law enforcement agency, you should not attempt to copy
any of the images and/or text found on the computer.


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It is my honor to join the team at Birds and Blooms as your Northeast Regional Reporter, and I'm excited about getting to know all of you 🙂
My specialty is creating welcoming habitats for wildlife so that you will attract more birds, butterflies, pollinators, frogs, bats, and other wildlife. I'm really looking forward to seeing your wildlife gardens and the success you've had in attracting different species to your yards.
The Northeast region covers:
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
And habitats ranging from the Atlantic coastal plain, salt marsh, Piedmont, mountain, woodland, farmland, forest, and more, with soils ranging from sand, to rock, to heavy clay.
My approach is to plan gardens that use the plants that have the most benefit to wildlife as well as plants that also provide food, shelter, and safe places to bear and raise newborns. Each plant in my garden serves multiple uses for different species of wildlife.
I travel quite a bit for various speaking engagements, so I'll be sharing various garden discoveries with you from these trips. I'm always so excited to see what other wildlife gardeners have accomplished in their gardens, and to meet other gardeners from around the country.
So let's get to know each other. What questions do you have about attracting wildlife to your garden? What's your favorite bird visitor? What butterflies make their home in your yard? Please leave your comments below, describing your wildlife garden for us.
And take a moment to visit the Birds and Blooms Facebook page and click "Like" so that you don't miss any of the fun!


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Texas has big steers, big SUVs, big McMansions, big butts, big DQ's, big BBQ. They also have big wind and now Austin has big solar, too.
Texas is famous for having the biggest of everything, from the biggest capitol in the nation, to the largest population of livestock cattle. And while one may not immediately think of Texas as a green state, that will soon change, as Gemini Solar Development has been selected by Austin Energy to install the United States' largest solar power facility. A green Texas? Why not!
The array will be owned by San Francisco-based company Gemini Solar evelopment, which will lease the plant to Austin Energy. 30 megawatts is the amount of power that will be produced by the United States' largest solar array - enough power for about 5,000 homes, and around double the output of the current largest solar array in the US. The array will be located in a 300 acre site at Webberville, which is owned by Austin Energy, the city's electric company.
The plant is being installed as part of the city's plan to increase its use of renewables by 30 percent in the year 2030.
- Brewskie


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Saint Agatha of Sicily
- Agatha of Catania
- Agatha of Palermo
- Águeda…
We have little reliable information about this martyr, who has been honoured since ancient times, and whose name is included in the canon of the Mass. Young, beautiful and rich, Agatha lived a life consecrated to God. When Decius announced the edicts against Christians, the magistrate Quinctianus tried to profit by Agatha's sanctity; he planned to blackmail her into sex in exchange for not charging her. Handed over to a brothel, she refused to accept customers. After rejecting Quinctianus's advances, she was beaten, imprisoned, tortured, her breasts were crushed and cut off. She told the judge, "Cruel man, have you forgotten your mother and the breast that nourished you, that you dare to mutilate me this way?" One version has it that Saint Peter healed her. She was then imprisoned again, then rolled on live coals; when she was near death, an earthquake stuck. In the destruction that followed, a friend of the magistrate was crushed, and the magistrate fled. Agatha thanked God for an end to her pain, and died.
Legend says that carrying her veil, taken from her tomb in Catania, in procession has averted eruptions of Mount Etna. Her intercession is reported to have saved Malta from Turkish invasion in 1551.
- against breast cancer
- against breast disease
- against earthquakes
- against eruptions of Mount Etna
- against fire
- against natural disasters
- against sterility
- against volcanic eruptions
- bell-founders
- fire prevention
- jewelers
- martyrs
- nurses
- rape victims
- single laywomen
- torture victims
- wet-nurses
- —
- Malta
- San Marino
- Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Belgium
- Sainte Agathe des Monts, Quebec, Canada
- Blanzey, France
- Gundolsheim, France
- Le Fournet, France
- Maillane in Provenza, France
- Montchavin-Les Coches, France
- Plaine des Palmistes nell'Isola de La Réunion, France
- Rumilly, France
- Saint-Pierre-d'Albigny, France
- Sulignat, France
- Agathaberg, Germany
- Aschaffenburg, Germany
- Ali, Sicily, Italy
- Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Belgium
- Asciano, Italy
- Besenello, Italy
- Campogialli, Italy
- Capua, Italy
- Catania, Sicily, Italy
- Fossalunga, Italy
- Gallipoli, Italy
- Marcignago, Italy
- Martinengo, Italy
- Montemaggiore Belsito, Italy
- Ornago, Italy
- Palermo, Sicily, Italy
- Prossedi, Italy
- Radicofani, Italy
- Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy
- Sant'Agata Feltria, Italy
- Sant'Agata Fossili, Italy
- Sant'Agata de' Goti, Italy
- Sant'Agata del Bianco, Italy
- Sant'Agata di Esaro, Italy
- Sant'Agata di Militello, Italy
- Sant'Agata di Puglia, Italy
- Sant'Agata sul Santerno, Italy
- Santhià, Italy
- Tovo di Sant'Agata, Italy
- Tremenico, Italy
- Trescore Cremasco, Italy
- Beverwijk e Leidschendam, Netherlands
- Alsasua in Navarra, Spain
- Baracaldo e Castrejana in Biscaglia, Spain
- Benicàssim, Spain
- Castrejón de la Peña, Spain
- Catral, Spain
- Echo in Aragona, Spain
- El Molar, Spain
- Gorbea, Spain
- Jérica, Spain
- Lagata, Spain
- Paesi Baschi, Spain
- Peñalba de San Esteban, Spain
- Pinarejo, Spain
- Santa Cruz de la Palma, Spain
- Sencelles, Spain
- Sorihuela del Guadalimar, Spain
- Torres de Berrellén, Spain
- Veganzones, Spain
- Villalba del Alcor, Spain
- Xilxes, Spain
- Zaidìn, Spain
- Zamarramala, Spain
- breasts on a dish
- crown of flowers
- embers
- knife
- loaves of bread on a dish
- pincers
- shears
- tongs
- veil
- virgin martyr wearing a veil and bearing her severed breasts on a silver platter
- palm
Jesus Christ, Lord of all things! You see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am – you alone. I am your sheep; make me worthy to overcome the devil. – Saint Agatha
Lord, my creator, you have protected me since I was in the cradle. You have taken me from the love of the world and given me patience to suffer. Now receive my spirit. – Saint Agatha
My fellow Christians, our annual celebration of a martyr's feast has brought us together. Agatha achieved renown in the early Church for her noble victory. For her, Christ's death was recent, his blood was still moist. Her robe is the mark of her faithful witness to Christ. Agatha, the name of our saint, means "good." She was truly good, for she lived as a child of God. Agatha, her goodness coincides with her name and her way of life. She won a good name by her noble deeds, and by her name she points to the nobility of those deeds. Agatha, her mere name wins all men over to her company. She teaches them by her example to hasten with her to the true Good, God alone. – from a homily on Saint Agatha by Saint Methodius of Sicily
- "Saint Agatha of Sicily". CatholicSaints.Info. 18 January 2020. Web. 24 January 2020. <>


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Coming from other C-derived languages (like Java or C#) to C++, it is at first very confusing that C++ has three ways to refer to members of a class:
a.b, and
a->b. When do I use which one of these operators?
(Note: This is meant to be an entry to Stack Overflow's C++ FAQ. If you want to critique the idea of providing an FAQ in this form, then the posting on meta that started all this would be the place to do that. Answers to that question are monitored in the C++ chatroom, where the FAQ idea started out in the first place, so your answer is very likely to get read by those who came up with the idea.)