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Product Description
1618 AD: The Thirty Years War began. The small German states are divided into Catholic and Protestant camps. But for political rather than religious reasons, foreign powers are moved to intervene. There are Wallenstein, called the Emperor's General, the Count of Pappenheim, and also the Swedish king, Gustav Adolf. All of them would happily join in the conflict. No matter which camp they belong to, each one is looking out for his own best interests. Nevertheless, you must protect your land and thus you need sufficient troops at the right places. But the conquering of land is merely a means to an end. The actual aim is to increase the value of your lands by constructing the most impressive buildings. The people have to eat and the army and buildings need to be financed, but you must work with very limited taxation so that the farmers will not rebel. There's lots to do all over the place, but in each area you may only do one of 10 actions each season. Try to overcome all obstacles in order to be the strongest power when a new order in Europe is settled due to the Westfaeali Peace in 1648.
Product Awards
Best Strategy Game Nominee (special award), 2003
Best Advanced Strategy Game Runner-Up, 2003
Product Information
Dirk Henn
Queen, Asmodee North America
Year: 2002
Players: 3 - 5
Time: 90 - 120 minutes
Ages: 12 and up
Weight: 1,855 grams
Product Reviews
Average Rating: 4.5 in 4 reviews
Great Euro/Wargame from Queen. Wallenstein is a beautiful game with fantastic production value, including the much talked about 'Battle Tower'. It is not, however, a historical simulation of Wallenstein's various campaigns. In fact, it is a bit like Risk, but much much deeper. I just wish I could find people to play it. Many people are scared off because it looks complicated.
Recently, Ive been reviewing light games, ones that are good especially for children. However, I do like good, meaty games quite often, and some of them are in my top ten games. I like a lot of games, but the top ten are the games that Ill play anytime, anywhere; and its very rare that a new game makes it up to this esteemed (for me, anyway) list. But, such is the case of Wallenstein (Queen Games, 2002 - Dirk Henn). I had initially heard good things about the game from those who played it. The inclusion of the cube tower that was in Im Zeichen des Kruezes - one of my favorite game components ever - made it that much more interesting to me. Once I opened the box, however, I was a little overwhelmed with the pieces, boards etc. - and the fact that everything was in a different language. So I downloaded some English paste-ups for the cards and some English rules, and proceeded to play the game.
And the end result was that Wallenstein shot up into my top ten games immediately, with every subsequent playing confirming this choice. It has some features of a light war game, with the stunningly cool dice tower, mixed with the strategic play of a euro game - and the mix works amazingly well! Ive found that the game goes over with those who like war games, and equally so with those who like German mechanics, such as area control. The game is huge, and looks fantastic on the table - and the game play matches the mechanics. There are few games that I recommend higher than Wallenstein, it is in fact third on my all time gaming list.
A huge game board is set in the middle of the table, representing Germany during the Thirty-Years War. The board is split into five regions, each a different color, split into nine countries. Each player is given an individual player board in their color (representing one of the leaders during this time), all the small cubes of that color, and several blank land cards. One cube for each player is placed on a grain track on the side of the main board - at zero - representing how much grain their faction has. Depending on how many players are in the game (3-5), each player receives chests worth a certain amount of gold. The cube tower is then set up, and seven armies from each player, along with ten green (neutral) armies, are thrown into the cube tower. Any cubes that fall out at the bottom are returned to those players, but some cubes will stay in the tower. A stack of event cards is shuffled and placed on the board.
Each player then picks their territories. The players can decide to either follow a suggested placement included in the rules, or pick their own territories. If they pick the latter, the land cards (one for each territory) are shuffled, and two are placed face up next to the pile. At the top of each players boards are nine squares with numbers in them (5,4,4,3,3,2,2,2,2) - each to be filled with the appropriate number of armies (cubes). Starting with one player, each player can either take one of the face-up cards, or the top card from the pile - then place all the armies from one of their squares into that country. The game is then ready to begin. Each game consists of two years - each year being formed of four seasons (although the winter season is really only a scoring phase).
At the start of each of the two years, four event cards are drawn and laid on four spaces on the board. These cards show events that will happen after each season and how much grain will be consumed during the winter. At the beginning of the second turn, players will also set their grain counters to zero. Spring season starts with summer and autumn turns following the exact same pattern.
The first thing that is done each turn is that ten action cards are shuffled and placed in ten action spaces at the bottom of the main board. On the first five spaces, the action cards are placed face-up, on the last five, face-down. Each player then plans their actions. On their player boards, they have ten spaces for cards - each representing one of the ten possible actions. On each of these spaces, they place face-down one of the cards in their hand. They can place any of the country cards that they control, or one of the blank cards (in the beginning of the game, they wont have enough country cards, so they will be forced to play at least some of the blank cards.) A card representing each player is then shuffled, and placed face up on the board - showing turn order. One of the four event cards at the top of the board is selected randomly, and the event on the card occurs during this season (restrictions on movement, etc.). Of course, there are only three event cards for summer to choose from, and two for autumn. Then starting with action one, players execute the actions in turn order. The player reveals the country card they have on that action, and executes the action in that country. The actions that can occur are:
- Gold: Each country produces a certain amount of gold. If the player chooses a country for gold, they receive chests equal to the output of that country, then place a revolt marker on that country. If a player puts a revolt marker in a country that already has one, a revolt breaks out, which is handled similar to a battle - but the player fights neutral armies according to how bad the revolt is.
- Grain: This is handled the same way as gold, except that the grain marker is moved rather than the player receiving chests.
- Movement/Battle: There are two of these cards, one marked A, and the other B. They allow players to move armies from one territory into an adjacent country, and if it is a neutral or opponents territory, attack it. Battles are fun, using the cube tower, and Ill simplify them by just saying that the more cubes that fall out of the tower of your color - the better you do! (Theres more to it than that.)
- Building: Three of the cards allow the player to build a building on a city in their territory. One card allows a trading firm, the other a church, the other a palace, all costing 1, 2, or 3 chests. Each country has one to three cities, and each city can only have one building tile on it - and each country can only have one of each type.
- Supply: The remaining three actions involve supplies. Two of them allow players to reinforce the countries with armies, for a price. This allows them to reinforce a country, and then move armies from that country to a neighboring friendly country.
After all actions have been completed, the next season is started, which is carried out in the exact same way, except for the winter season. In the winter, the last event card is looked at, but instead of the event on it, the number shows (0 -7) - which corresponds to the grain loss that winter. Each player must subtract that amount from their grain scale, as well as one grain for each country they control. If the player runs out of grain, revolts occur in certain territories, according to a chart printed on the table. Players then score victory points - one for each country and building they control. Each of the five large regions is also scored - the player with the most palaces in each scores three points, most churches score two points, and most trading firms score one point. All revolt markers are removed from the board, and the next year begins - if it is the first year, otherwise the game ends. At game end, the player with the most points is the winner!
Some comments on the game...
1.) Components: The components for the game are excellent, and even in a huge box, they barely fit in. Of course, a lot of this has to do with the huge cube tower - but it is a central piece of the game, and I cant imagine Wallenstein without it. The cubes are small, but they are bright and rattle through the tower well. I really enjoyed using the wooden chests for money - the orange for five gold, and the tan for one gold. They were not confused with the cubes, being a much different size - and were easier to handle than coins. The cards were nice, but the massive amount of German text, especially on the event cards, caused me to print out some card paste-ups from the net, which worked exceedingly well. The tiles for the buildings are of a nice thickness, and are - gasp - doubled sided! The board is HUGE, but absolutely beautiful, and the colors and territory divisions are clearly marked - we never had an argument over what went where. Everything fits well in plastic inserts in the box - although because I have a fetish about bagging everything - so the bags didnt fit in the game quite as well.
2.) Tower: Wow - its a fantastic addition to the game. Ive always liked dice towers, and this one is so much more fun. I enjoyed throwing the armies into the tower to see which ones fall out and which stay in. The same odds could probably be calculated with dice and charts, but the tower is so much more fun. One thing that we did, however, was to designate a Tower Table. Leaving the tower at the main table could cause cubes to fall from it when it was jostled - leaving players irritated at the jostler. So we put the tower at another table, and since battles arent that common (a player can only initiate twelve a game - and probably wont), it makes the battles more unique and exciting. And, no one knocks it over. The tower, made of cardboard and plastic parts, is a very cool centerpiece to the whole game.
3.) Rules: The rules, like the cards, are printed in German, but I was fortunate to find an exact English translation on the internet that included color illustrations and examples. This was helpful and quite nice, but I really didnt like how the rules were laid out. Game setup was in the middle, and the rest of the rules seemed to be listed in a slightly haphazard order, rather than in a more flowing fashion. Also, for the amount of pages of rules - only seven - coupled with the large illustrations on each page - made it so the rules were stated only once, and not everything was emphasized. I read the rules several times, but still wasnt quite confident with them - but once the game was taught to me, I understood it easily. I found that the game isnt too difficult to teach, although many people dont get it until the first years scoring, which is often too late. Many of my new games last three years - a practice year, and then the real game.
4.) Theme: Im not an expert on the Thirty-Years War, but I did appreciate the amount of detail the game represented. There was even a small book talking about the characters in the game (faithfully translated on the web.) The game was slightly fascinating from that aspect, and the real chaos from these years made the game that much more thematic.
5.) Randomness and Strategy: The game really throws in a bit of randomness with the cube tower. This is not like it first appears, however. First of all, battles are rare, and only are usually fought when the attacker has overwhelming odds. Secondly, the strategy in the game almost ensures that the best player will win. The player who best allocates the actions amongst their countries will win, and the game has a very fun tactical feel, as players adjust to the different order of players and actions each turn. Getting a lot of buildings is important, although Ive seen many players miss this on their first game (thus the reason we usually play a practice year.) The game is not so deep that teenagers cant understand it; on the contrary, they seem to adapt well. But the strategies involved are very intriguing to people, who like deeper games; and I enjoyed this part of the game a lot. The entire action card allocation is one of the best mechanics I have ever seen in a game.
6.) Time and Players: The game seems to scale well from three to five players, but I most enjoy it with five, as I like to see the alliances shift in a group of that number. The game can take up to about two hours, but once players get the hang of the game, it can be shorter than that.
7.) Fun Factor: I really enjoyed this game. It took a lot of the Huzzah factor from other light war games of this type, and mixed them with some serious German mechanics. It reminded me of El Grande a bit - and while not as elegant as that wonderful game (another in my top ten), I found it a little more fun. Much of this, of course, has to do with the cube tower, but just as much has to do with figuring out where to put my country cards on the action board. Every time Ive played this game Ive enjoyed it immensely, and I dont see it getting old anytime soon.
Well, its obvious from above that I adore this game - it packs much of what I like into one (big) box. The theme is good, the components are great, there is luck involved, a cool game part- the cube tower, and excellent mechanics. Everyone Ive introduced the game to has enjoyed it - and even war gamers arent too put out by the game. Its a hybrid, bringing war gamers and Euro gamers to one table - and usually all enjoying the game (rather than merely tolerating it). If I had to get rid of my game collection, this would be one of the last games I get rid of. Im not sure of its appeal to casual gamers, but to anyone looking for a game that has (mostly) it all - this is a solid bet!
Tom Vasel
Played Wallenstein with a couple of friends some days ago. I turned out to be a great, engrossing game that consumes a lot of time without even noticing it. The game itself has no real negative points. What I like is the fact that the game isn't realy focused on fighting battles but rewards carefuly planning and good thinking. The battle tower is a great idea and gives a nice touch to the game. But make sure that it is placed on a seperate table to avoid 'tower pushing'.
The only thing why this game loses one point in my rating is the fact that the rules are sometimes very confusing. The use of the armies of the farmers (use of the unrest markers when resolving a gold/grain revolution)is explained not very good. We had to surch at the internet to find answers for this problem (and found them), but I think clear rules for a game are always a must.
Buy this game, you won't regret it!
Show all 4 reviews >
Dirk Henn and Queen obviously have a good relationship, since Queen has remade several of Henn's self-produced games including Showmanager / Atlantic Star (were Premiere), Stimmt So (was Al Capone), and Metro (was Iron Horse). Wallenstein was never produced as a private db-Spiele label game, and to my knowledge it is the first Henn game to go straight to the big time. This is encouraging since, as much as db-Spiele's productions are well done, Dirk Henn has enough credibility to get notice from the big boys.
Wallenstein is as close to a war game as you see come from Germany today, but if that scares you off, keep reading since it fits right at home next to the likes of El Grande. It also uses the exact same cube tower first featured in Im Zeichen des Kreuzes, a game that has received generally poor reviews despite the novel new mechanism. It's almost as if Queen had a bunch of these towers left and looked for a design that could make good use of them. For the uninitiated, the tower is a 3-D structure with a series of baffles inside that can trap small wooden cubes. When you dump a set of cubes into the tower, not all of them will emerge from the bottom but some that were previously stuck will be freed.
The scene is the thirty-year war, but thankfully the game finishes after just two 'years'. Each player represents a leader from the era and attempts to control as many of the 45 small countries as possible, while having regional dominance in religion, trading, and politics. The countries are occupied by armies of wooden cubes in the player's color, and each country has a fixed number of spots for one of three building types (churches, trade houses, and palaces). Each leader begins with control of up to nine countries using an interesting initial country assignment with a card-selection mechanism similar to Web of Power.
Each of the two years consists of four seasons. In spring, summer, and fall, the normal actions are taken. In winter, no actions are taken but the troops must be fed lest revolts occur. The actions for each season are determined in advance on individual player mats. The order that the actions will be executed, however, is determined by a set of cards laid out at the season's beginning with the first five showing and the last five covered. As the first action is taken by all, the sixth action is revealed, and so on, just as it is done in Doge.
Country cards and the action mat make the heart of the decisions process. The action mat shows ten separate actions, broken down into four types:
- Building Actions: three spaces, one each for building a church, trading house, or palace. Building costs money.
- Gold and Grain Actions: two spaces, one each for earning money and taking grain. Grain is needed to feed the armies in the winter, and money is used to buy buildings and hire armies.
- Supply Actions: three spaces, each allowing a different number of armies to be deployed into a single country. Deploying armies costs money.
- Battle Actions: two spaces, each of which allows you to attack a neighboring country.
Each country has a card associated with it that shows three things: the country name, an amount of gold, and an amount of grain. Like Henn's Yukon Company, the cards have multiple uses. At the beginning of each season, every player fills their action card by placing their country cards face down on their action mat, planning their strategy for the season based in part on the partially-revealed order of execution. On all but the Gold and Grain spaces, the card placed determines where the action will take place. For example, if I control the Breisgau country (and thus hold the Breisgau card), I would play it face down on the Palace Building spot to declare that I want to build a palace there. When the Palace Building action comes up in the action order, everyone reveals the card they played on this spot and then builds a palace by paying the appropriate amount of gold.
Similarly, playing country cards on the supply spots indicates the areas where one will deploy new armies. Playing a card on the Gold or Grain spots means that the Gold or Grain indicator on the card is used; the country is irrelevant. Playing a card on the battle spots indicates the country from which you will attack. You don't have to decide which neighboring country will get attacked until you execute this action. Thus, the order of the actions is very influential since battle choices can swing greatly if army deployments happen first. Also, you may not have the money to buy your buildings or armies if the Money Action comes late in the sequence.
Battles use the cube tower in a similar way to Im Zeichen des Kreuzes. The attacking player's pieces, along with as many armies as the defense has available and wishes to use, are dumped into the tower together. Whoever has more of their color expelled from the tower wins, but the winner loses as many armies as the loser. Thus, if I attack you with five against three in defense, and four of my armies come through against two of yours, I will return two in victory to the country and take control of the country card. If this card is still unused on your action mat, you will lose that action since the card is turned over at the time of victory. Since battles are won in whole and armies can only be deployed by using the country card, it should be obvious that only one army controls a country at any given time.
The cube tower is unpredictable of course. At the beginning of the game, some of each player's pieces are 'seeded' into the tower along with neutral 'farmer army' pieces. As cubes are tossed in, some stick and others are freed to drop. It is possible, thus, to toss in a significant majority and still lose, or to end up with more armies than you started with in a country. It helps to keep count of how many armies you and your opponent have lodged in the tower. Armies not participating in the battle that emerge from the tower are left in the cup at the bottom, but with each toss all of the armies in the cup are added to the fighting mix. This has the effect of making each toss more volatile.
When attacking an uncontrolled country, the player is fighting the local farmers and thus must emerge with more cubes of their color than the green farmer armies. When attacking a controlled country, the farmers will generally side with the defenders (the devil you know is better than the one you don't, I guess), so the attacker must consider the farmer armies in the odds estimation.
Revolts add to the fun and must be considered. A revolt marker is placed in a country if it is attacked when neutral (the farmers revolt against their attackers), or if the land is used to extract money or grain. Multiple revolt markers will lose the defenders their farmer support, and also add to the number of farmer armies tossed into the tower if a revolt occurs. Revolts occur in the winter if all of the deployed armies cannot be fed. Grain for each player is tracked on a table on the board, and any shortfall in need determines the number of countries that will revolt and the number of extra farmer armies that will fight. Revolt markers placed during the first three seasons add further to this total.
In addition to the cards mentioned, the game includes a set of event cards. For each of the two years, four event cards are chosen, and for the most part they modify one or more of the actions. For example, one card makes army deployment less effective, while another will add to the gold earned in a specific region. Each event card shows the event itself, and also shows a grain number. As the season begins, the event cards remaining are shuffled and one is chosen for the season. For the first three seasons, the event is implemented. In winter, the grain number only is used and this is the amount that each player must reduce from their grain supply before determining if they've met the food needs for their armies. Thus, knowing which event cards are still available helps to determine how much grain you may need. The game includes many more event cards than are needed so it is will be rare to end up with the same events over multiple games.
The decisions in Wallenstein are significant, as each of the actions have their uses and yet can be taken in only one country per season. With only six 'acting' seasons, this puts a limit in how much building can be done and how many armies can be deployed. Using a country card for money or grain, both of which are essential, makes it impossible to develop or build up that country in that season. Since ten actions must be planned but it is very possible to control fewer than ten countries, each player also has blank cards available. Thus deciding which actions not to take, and which actions your opponent's may pass on, also adds some tension.
Victory points are earned for countries controlled, buildings owned, and dominance within building type for each of the six regions. Scoring happens at the end of each year, with each country and building worth one, and majority of building type by region worth three, two, or one depending on the type of building. As the seasons progress, then, players are trying to control more countries, build the right buildings to earn the dominance bonuses, and keep enough armies alive to survive the erratic tower. As buildings are constructed, they belong to the country. Thus as control of the country changes, so does control of the buildings that have been constructed there. As a result, building early helps ensure that others will be attacking you, but waiting too long to build can result in lost points.
A lot goes on in this game and there is plenty of interaction. I simply do not like the tower, however, as it adds an element that is far too random for an otherwise excellent set of mechanics. Planning a strategy while taking into account each country's geographic and wealth attributes (some countries generate more gold or grain, for example) and considering the action order justifies a more logical and consistent battle mechanism. While battle randomness is not necessarily bad, it is possible to have many of your pieces stuck in the tower which then creates an imbalance for future fights. This can be considered a balancing mechanism, but in practice it creates odd results more often than not.
Wallenstein is a beautifully produced game with a big colorful board, nice cards, and plenty of wooden bits. Oddly, however, Queen did not include a victory point track along the border so despite the large box and wealth of components, you must keep a pencil and paper nearby. Dirk Henn's skill with card use, interesting interlocking mechanisms, and familiar-feeling yet unique ideas are all apparent in Wallenstein, and it is unfortunate that the cube tower creates such a weak link. The games is still well worth playing, however, as you may be less bothered by the tower or find it less erratic. Either way, the ideas and decisions in and around the battles are all first rate.
Five German states with 45 Counties, all ripe for the conquering, make this game irresistible. You begin with control of a set of Counties, occupied by troops (cubes) in your color. Each round, the 10 Action Cards are laid in random order with the first five faceup. Players secretly choose a County in which they will execute each Action: acquire the County's gold or grain, buy armies or buildings, or attack a neighbor. To fight, you throw the contenders' troops into the novel Combat Tower. The dominant color that emerges prevails, and the successful attacker usurps control of the County. Players in turn execute each facedown Action, which is revealed as it is reached. The player with the most points--from Counties owned and buildings constructed therein--wins after eight rounds. With only one Action per round permitted in a County, and the fearfully uncertain order of the facedown Actions, this interactive game promises decades of challenging choices.


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Today was the last day of the first year of Brightworks. It is a blur, so more pictures and details will come, as soon as I wrap my head around these days, weeks, months; these people: kids, parents, fellow staff; these arcs; what we've done.
Because the best thing about it is that we did it. The hurtles, the triumphs, the things that crumbled and fell and the ones that sang out and brought smiles and joy in the learning and doing.
We did it. This is Brightworks.

subset: commoncrawl


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Ferguson: Rooney is an easy target
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Sir Alex Ferguson believes Wayne Rooney is saddled with the curse of Paul Gascoigne and every flaw in his character will be used against him.
At the end of a tumultuous weekend, which began with reports of a split with his manager so great United were contemplating selling him during the present transfer window, Rooney was the two-goal hero in United's 3-2 FA Cup triumph over 10-man Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
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Planning your play area
Before choosing your setup, make sure that you have enough space.
Room-scale setup needs a minimum play area of 2 m x 1.5 m (6 ft 6 in x 5 ft). Examples of room-scale setup:
Seated and standing experiences do not have space requirements. Examples of seated/standing setup:


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Carbone Subaru of Troy
Service Technician
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The Service Technician is responsible for performing automotive repairs and service in accordance with store and factory standards. This individual utilizes his skills to diagnose and resolve the different sources of automotive problems swiftly and accurately. The Service Technician works with all Service personnel and management to ensure the satisfaction of our customers.
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We are a member of an exciting, dynamic, and highly successful team and (LAD) a member of NYSE. We continue to grow and expand our footprint through acquisitions of new dealerships in many US markets. We are big community supporters and provide a fun, exciting, and collaborative work place where growth and advancement opportunities abound.
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Carbone Auto Group is an equal opportunity employer and a drug free work place. A criminal history background check and pre-employment drug screen will be conducted on the final candidate prior to beginning employment.
Service Technician - Automotive Technician
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The job market, one of the strongest pillars of the US economy, is starting to deteriorate.
Employers in almost all sectors are postponing or canceling plans to hire new workers. If the hiring downturn continues, the ramifications for the economy could be major:
•Many analysts say a paucity of jobs will push America's economy into a recession, if it isn't there already.
•Consumer confidence – running at a low point – could continue to fall as Americans become discouraged about their job prospects.
•The Federal Reserve, which meets March 18 to decide interest-rate policy, will be under pressure for significant rate cuts – perhaps as much as another three-quarters of a percentage point.
"This could be a big turning point in the economy," says Mark Vitner, senior economist at Wachovia Securities in Charlotte, N.C. "It's clear that we are losing momentum, and weakness in the economy is broadening."
The latest indication of weakness in the job market came Friday, when the Labor Department reported that the economy shed 63,000 jobs last month. This follows a loss of 22,000 jobs in January. Although the actual unemployment rate went from 4.9 percent to 4.8 percent, economists say a more telling number is some 644,000 individuals who in January gave up looking for work and dropped out of the labor force altogether.
"The increase in disappointed workers, the most since 2003, is consistent with across-the-board reluctance to hire," says Andrew Stettner, an analyst at the National Employment Law Project in New York.
Problems in the job market come against a backdrop of yet more turmoil in the credit markets. Banks are asking hedge funds to meet margin calls as the hedge funds' financial assets fall in value.
In addition, the stock and bond markets reacted badly to an announcement last week by Ambac Financial Group, an insurer of financial assets, that it would try to raise $1.5 billion by issuing new stock. Ambac is trying to maintain its AAA credit rating.
On Friday morning, in an attempt to shore up the credit markets, the Fed announced that it would expand a special funding facility for banks. This would make it easier for them to borrow money.
"The whole point of the funding is they need to get some normalcy to return to the banking system," says Bob Brusca, an economist with Fact & Opinion Economics in New York.
Many in the credit markets are convinced that the Fed will drop interest rates sharply when it meets March 18.
"I expect a half-a-point drop, but the bond market is already pricing in a three-quarter-of-a-point drop," says Richard DeKaser, Washington-based chief economist at National City Corp., a Cleveland bank. "There is even a small possibility of a full percentage-point drop."
Even the prospect of a significant decline in interest rates has done little to help Wall Street. For the week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 372.70 points to 11893.69. The Dow is down more than 1150 points for the year.
Despite the prospect of declining demand for petroleum products in the United States as the economy slows, the price of oil has continued to march higher. On Friday, it closed at $105.15 a barrel.
"There is no question high energy prices are an additional drag on the economy," says Mr. Vitner.
A close look at labor numbers seems to indicate that the downturn in hiring is hitting younger Americans the hardest. Over the past year, workers between the ages of 35 and 44 have seen their employment drop 2.1 percent, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) in Washington. Even younger workers fared worse, as those between ages 20 and 24 saw their employment drop 3.5 percent. Teenage employment fell 6.2 percent.
"Layoffs are usually based on reverse seniority, so maybe someone who has held a job for 10 to 15 years holds on to their job when younger workers don't," says Dean Baker, codirector of CEPR.
Last month, layoffs spread beyond the housing sector and financial institutions. The durable-goods business lost 40,000 jobs. In the auto industry, 12,900 jobs disappeared. In the past year, employment in that industry shrank by some 75,500 jobs.
Short-term prospects for the auto industry are not good, since a strike is under way at Detroit-based American Axle & Manufacturing, Vitner says. The strike, which started on Feb. 26, is affecting 20 plants. Last Thursday, for example, General Motors said it would reduce work at eight facilities.
"The strike is putting more pressure on the auto companies," Vitner says.
Jobs in the retail sector are also being eliminated. Last month, 34,100 jobs were shed. The losses have been particularly noticeable for clothing stores, which have reduced employment by 29,500 jobs since October.
The drop in retail jobs may reflect a drop in consumer spending, after adjusting for inflation.
"With energy prices high, there has been a real drain on discretionary income," Mr. DeKaser says.
The loss of jobs won't alleviate problems in the housing sector. Until recently, a strong labor market was a main factor driving up incomes. Now, a rising tide of layoffs could exacerbate mortgage problems, DeKaser worries. "The labor market was the last bulwark on foreclosures," he says. "Increasingly, those on the margin will find the lack of jobs makes it all the more difficult to keep up with their house payments."


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ArchaeologyIntroduced in Cataclysm
Archaeologists search the world - and places beyond - for mysterious remnants of the past. Their digs unearth all manner of artifacts, and a persistent archaeologist will research commonplace historical items alongside rare and powerful relics.
Artifacts provide invaluable insight into the history of the world, but some collectors are more than willing to assign a monetary value to them. After documenting finds in their journal, archaeologists can sell the items they retrieve to vendors and museum curators for extra money.
Archaeology is a secondary profession - anyone can learn to investigate and assemble the ruins of the past, no matter how many other professions they've devoted themselves to.
All archaeologists begin by surveying maps of Azeroth to find the locations of promising dig sites, and then investigating those sites on foot along with survey tools in an attempt to narrow down the location of the most precious historical fragments in that area. Different locations provide different types of historical artifacts - and different rewards.
Archaeologists who hone their craft over time recover increasingly more valuable and rare items, and their knowledge about the world and past of Azeroth grows alongside their collection of relics.
Step 1
After you've acquired the archaeology skill, you'll see the location of viable dig sites on your map. Each site is represented by a shovel icon. To find your dig, start by traveling to a shovel icon on your map.
Step 2
When you arrive at the dig site, your map will show the general location that you should dig in. Travel to any spot in that area, and choose 'survey' from your professions menu.
Step 3
Your telescope and monitoring device will appear, showing a color (red = far, yellow = closer, green = very close) to indicate how far away you are from the dig spot. The telescope will always point in the direction of the dig spot, and the distance monitor will help you determine how close you are.
Step 4
Keep moving, and keep surveying. When you're really close to the dig site, surveying will unearth it, and you'll get fragments of the relics you've come to find. Dig sites regularly have more than one find.
Step 5
As you uncover more fragments, you'll get closer to reconstructing an artifact. When you're able to completely reconstruct an artifact, you'll get a reward, and the item's history will be reflected in the archaeology section of your professions menu.


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COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's been quite an experience
over the past several years for the senior members of the Tennessee
Tech men's and women's golf programs.
In the coming week, unless either team wins the conference tournament and advances to the NCAA, seven seniors will complete their playing careers for the Golden Eagles at the Ohio Valley Conference women's and men's tournaments. For those players, the end will be quite different than wheat they expected when they embarked upon their careers.
Recruited by Hall of Fame coach Bobby Nichols, who died in March 2008, the women will wrap up their careers for first-year coach Brandy Stout. For the men's team, this season has been under the direction of first-year coach Craig King.
"I can't believe it's been four years," said Ashley Spangler, a senior from Soddy Daisy, Tenn. "I have so many great memories from our trips. I couldn't imagine college without golf.
"Things are different than we thought they'd be. I thought my entire career would be played under coach Nichols. His death was something we all had to deal with. I think we've all coped with his loss in our own personal ways, and we've come out stronger. We all miss him very much, but this year has just been a different experience, and we're all making the most of it," she said.
For Spangler, Maegan Sullivan, Carla Hazelwood and Madison Denman, the final scheduled match of 2009 is this Thursday through Saturday at the OVC Women's Tournament at the Crooked Creek Golf Course in London, Ky.
A couple days later, the men's team will compete Monday through Wednesday at The Shoals, a course on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. It's the final week of play for Greyson Painter, who will play in the event, along with Calvin Clark and Dylan Richards, who will continue their development in practice rounds.
The women's team will look to regain the form they used to win the APSU Intercollegiate tournament earlier this season. The women have also finished in second place, twice in third places and once in fourth place this season.
"We want to win," Spangler said. "I've been thinking of this tournament all day, every day this year."
Spangler finished 12th last year to lead Tech at the 2008 OVC Championship, firing a hole-in-one on the final hole of the final day. This season she has the second-best average on the Tech squad at 79.2 and one all-tournament selection. The team leader this spring has been Bradford, a junior Jackson, Tenn., with a 77.1 average and three all-tournament honors.
The Tech men's team will look to maintain its recent momentum after a third-place finish in the Big Blue Invitational earlier this month in Nashville. The men's team also has another third place finish, as well as a fourth and sixth place showing this season.
Painter, a fifth-year senior from Carthage, Tenn., is the leading scorer on the 2009 men's squad, averaging 73.8 strokes with one all-tournament honor.
"I can look back and say that I persevered," Painter said. "I'll be able to reflect back on golf and know that I can use these experiences later in life."
Clark, a senior from Clarkrange, Tenn., has been a regular in the Tech lineup all four years of his career. This season he carries an 81.1 stroke average.
"Each of us has experienced ups and downs, but through everything the leadership, direction and concern for us by our coaches has been constant," Clark said. "Coach Nichols was a real inspiration, and now coach King is carrying on that tradition. Their friendship is something I will always cherish."
Neither team has played their respective conference tournament site this season, so both coaches will call upon their seniors for leadership heading into the conference tournaments.
"I want to do really well," said Denman, a senior from Riverwatch, Tenn. "I've been trying hard not to think about it too much. You always have to think positive."
Sullivan is a fifth-year senior from Gleason, Tenn.
"The memories of these past five years are something I can never replace," Sullivan said. "First, for coach Nichols, and this year under coach Stout. Both of them always looked out for the players, and did whatever they could to help us improve. They were always concerned about us, not just as golfers, but as students and in our lives."
As the number of holes dwindles on the careers of Tech's seniors, the long walk up the final fairway becomes a rite of passage, before that last putt sinks into the bottom of the hole.
"I'll miss the traveling to tournaments, being a part of the team," said Hazelwood, a senior from Bolivar, Tenn. "It's been really great; the team becomes a part of your family."
Paying for Tech has been a rewarding experience for those who qualified to play nearly every tournament, as well as the seniors who saw little tournament action.
"My experience at Tech was incredible," said Richards, a senior from Grimsley, Tenn., who was on the roster for three seasons but has played in only two tournaments. "The camaraderie of the team is one of the greatest memories of my golf career. Golf has been my life. Going out to the course, practicing every day, it's all I would think about."
While it's an ending for the senior players, the 2009-10 campaign has been only the beginning for Stout and King.
"This has been a very challenging but rewarding year," Stout said. "I could not ask for a better group of girls, especially the seniors. They have all shown such great leadership and I wish them the best life has to offer. I know they will excel in all they do."
Seniors prepare to finish careers as Tech golf teams head to OVC Tourneys
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It's been quite an experience
over the past several years for the senior members of the Tennessee
Tech men's and women's golf programs.


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GOP preps as Christie stumbles
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio spent the past year getting battered over immigration reform — and building a presidential-level political operation with heavy investments in digital and data analytics. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has already visited New York City four times this year, pushing into big-money turf once dominated by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor, has gamed out his 2016 options with a small team of longtime advisers, while Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has met with prominent conservatives, urging him to consider the race.
The Republican presidential field is aflutter with behind-the-scenes activity even at this preliminary stage, giving early shape to a race that has been defined in public by a handful of outsized media personalities, including Christie, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Story Continued Below
Christie's "Bridgegate" stumbles have now thrown the race wide open: Strategists for likely and potential candidates all see the Garden State Republican as deeply and perhaps fatally compromised. Reform-minded Republican governors are eyeing the race more eagerly, thanks to the void opened by the Fort Lee traffic scandal. Others in the field, like Rubio, could find their nuts-and-bolts preparatory work all the more valuable in view of Christie's woes.
( Launching April 9 – Campaign Pro: Your guide to the permanent campaign)
There is no shortage of ideological and strategic fault lines in the Republican lineup, but the most important developing division may be the one separating these two groups of candidates: the prepared and the unprepared.
In 2012, Mitt Romney survived a savage primary contest, largely because of his financial and organizational dominance. With 2016 looming closer, several presumptive candidates, including Rubio and Jindal, have already moved ahead of the pack in what might be called the infrastructure primary; other promising hopefuls, like Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, look powerful on paper but have done little to capitalize on their promise.
Experienced GOP presidential hands have so far taken a "let a thousand flowers bloom" approach to the 2016 maneuvering. "While each is following a unique strategy to ramp up their operations, I'm particularly struck by Bobby Jindal's aggressive outreach and early organizing, Rand Paul's smart messaging on privacy and organizational strength and Marco Rubio's discipline at playing the long game," said Jim Merrill, Mitt Romney's former New Hampshire strategist.
( PHOTOS: Republican 2016 contenders)
Romney's Iowa campaign chief, David Kochel, said the flurry of Republican activity contrasts with the minimal movement on the Democratic side. "Whether it's Jeb Bush on education, or Marco Rubio on foreign policy, or Rand Paul on NSA, they're looking for and finding opportunities to grow the base," he said.
Here's a closer look at the first stages of the invisible primary — POLITICO's guide to the organized, the partially organized and the just plain disorganized Republicans of 2016.
Staffed up and ready to go
If the 2016 starter's pistol fired tomorrow, at least a few contenders would be able to jump into action almost immediately. Marco Rubio, now halfway through his first Senate term, has surrounded himself with presidential-level strategists and policy advisers from the outset. His political operation is run by South Carolina operative Terry Sullivan, while the Rubio PAC Reclaim America brought on former Bush-Cheney and Fred Thompson fundraiser Dorinda Moss to manage the money flow.
A closer look at Rubio's finance reports reveal an even more sophisticated operation at work. In addition to several vendors long associated with Rubio — the TV firm Something Else Strategies and the pollsters at North Star Opinion Research — Rubio has paid hefty sums to more specialized political consultants, including $150,000 to the Republican data analytics firm 0ptimus. Also working for Rubio is digital consultant Mike Harinstein, a former Americans for Prosperity digital guru now at the firm Core Focus Consulting.
( PHOTOS: 8 cities that could host the GOP convention)
And Rubio's political machine isn't just waiting for the "go" order. Reclaim America ran TV ads last year for Arkansas Senate candidate Tom Cotton and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, while his pollster was paid for multiple surveys. If Rubio runs, he'll have plenty more hiring to do — especially in the early states — but the core of his national operation is perhaps the strongest in the field.
Giving Rubio an early run for his organizational money is Bobby Jindal, who has formed two independent groups to push his national message: a federal PAC, dubbed Stand up to Washington, and the policy nonprofit America Next.
Like Rubio, he has a core set of consultants experienced in presidential politics. They include the pollsters and ad men at OnMessage Inc., a Virginia-based firm that has worked for Jindal for a decade and employs former Jindal campaign manager Timmy Teepell.
And the Louisiana governor has been aggressively courting national finance types, making four trips to New York City in this calendar year to compete on turf where Christie was once the overwhelming favorite, as well as trips to other major cities, like Chicago.
Neither Rubio nor Jindal has caught fire in the earliest rounds of horse-race polling, a reality that supporters say counts for little this far out.
Not that long ago, the third man with an almost-turnkey 2016 operation would have been Chris Christie — the high-profile Republican Governors Association chairman with multiple former Romney 2012 advisers in his kitchen cabinet, Rudy Giuliani's former campaign manager, Mike DuHaime, as his top strategist and a pack of donors pounding on the door to pay respects. When the Fort Lee traffic scandal erupted — prompting Christie to sever ties with his former campaign manager, Bill Stepien — any 2016 preparations were essentially frozen in time.
( PHOTOS: Who's who in the Christie bridge flap)
Christie continues to tour the country in his RGA capacity. He has been to Florida and Michigan, and later this month he is slated to attend a major donor event in Deer Park, Utah, according to a source familiar with the planning. But if events like these give Christie the chance to make the case for his own relevance, strategists privately wonder whether the bloom is permanently off the rose. ("He's lost the thing that made him special," said one veteran GOP hand. "He's lost the authenticity.")


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Muntzenheim (Alsace, France)
Muntzenheim is a village near Colmar, Upper Alsace, France, formerly the seat of a Mennonite congregation, now extinct, the remaining members having joined the Colmar congregation. At Muntzenheim a preachers' conference was held in 1896, which was the beginning of new conference activity in Alsace.
|Nanne van der Zijpp
|Date Published
Cite This Article
MLA style
Zijpp, Nanne van der. "Muntzenheim (Alsace, France)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1957. Web. 20 Sep 2019. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Muntzenheim_(Alsace,_France)&oldid=108932.
APA style
Zijpp, Nanne van der. (1957). Muntzenheim (Alsace, France). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 20 September 2019, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Muntzenheim_(Alsace,_France)&oldid=108932.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 3, p. 784. All rights reserved.
©1996-2019 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.


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Hi, and welcome to my new "blog" section, devoted to the more "beginner" players out there. I certainly hope you gain a lot of insight from both my new lessons, as well as these blogs!
Today, we start with the simple or not-so-simpletask of choosing the right guitar for you. Keep in mind that if you're not really playing yet at all, buying a guitar is a vast, uncharted frontier to navigate! The first thing you'll always be attracted to is how the instrument "looks," since how it actually plays and sounds is barely of consequence to you; and even if it was, you wouldn't have the tools to really check it out properly for yourself yet. I know that I always look forward to helping my beginner students get their first instruments, as I take great pride in making sure the right guitar is in their hands! There's nothing like a clean slate with which to work, and the new guitar is a wonderful experience that goes hand in hand with the new learning. For god's sake, I can still remember how my first couple of guitars' cases smelled when I opened them up! Come to think of it…I can recall how every guitar's case smelled that I've ever owned! But I digress…
Anyway, many times you may get a really good salesman who will take the time with you to make sure that you really get the right guitar for you, as opposed to just getting what you're most attracted to.
Of course, the physical attraction must be there as well. It's kind of like buying a car; no matter what we really care and feel about in terms of safety, gas mileage, reliability etc., it still has to totally look cool to us, and suit our personalities. This is very true of guitars, as well, and if we like the way it looks, it's already saying a lot about us. Don't worry, there'll be plenty of time to start collecting later on, and realizing that there can never be enough guitars that we think look or sound cool! As our music becomes more complex and eclectic, so shall our taste in guitars, as we will find all kinds of excuses as to why we may need "just one more"!
But first, make sure that your introductory instrument is something that doesn't fight you, plays easily, fits your hands well, isn't too heavy, and of course, is attractive to you. We never want something that makes us not want to pick it up, but we always want something that makes us have to pick it up! It'll only make us better players, and faster learners, too! Happy guitar hunting! Stay tuned for more advice!


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Yohimbine (Yohimbine Hcl)
Sorry, we currently do not carry this product.
Yohimbine Hcl Information
YOHIMBINE (yoh HIM been) is used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) in men.
This medicine may be used for other purposes; ask your health care provider or pharmacist if you have questions.
They need to know if you have any of these conditions: -depression or other mental problems -heart disease, angina, high blood pressure, a history of heart attack, or other heart problems -if you are female (this medicine is not for use in women) -kidney disease -liver disease -stomach disease -an unusual or allergic reaction to yohimbine, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
Take this medicine by mouth with a glass of water. Follow the directions on the prescription label. Take your doses at regular intervals. Do not take your medicine more often than directed. This medicine is not for use in children.
Overdosage: If you think you have taken too much of this medicine contact a poison control center or emergency room at once. NOTE: This medicine is only for you. Do not share this medicine with others.
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you can. If it is almost time for your next dose, take only that dose. Do not take double or extra doses.
Do not take this medicine with any of the following medications: -MAOIs like Carbex, Eldepryl, Marplan, Nardil, and Parnate This medicine may also interact with the following: -ephedra, Ma huang -green tea -medicines for depression, anxiety, or psychotic disturbances -medicines for high blood pressure
This list may not describe all possible interactions. Give your health care provider a list of all the medicines, herbs, non-prescription drugs, or dietary supplements you use. Also tell them if you smoke, drink alcohol, or use illegal drugs. Some items may interact with your medicine.
If you feel this medicine is not working for you, do not change the dose. Talk to your doctor or health care professional. If you experience symptoms of nausea, dizziness, chest pain or arm pain during sexual activity after taking this medicine, you should refrain from further activity and call your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible. This medicine can interact with certain foods that contain tyramine to produce severe headaches, a rise in blood pressure, or irregular heart beat. Foods that contain significant amounts of tyramine include aged cheeses; meats like liver, pepperoni, salami or other sausages; beer and ale (including alcohol-free beer); red wine; sherry; hard liquor or liqueurs; and fava or broad bean pods. Ask your doctor or health care professional, pharmacist, or nutritionist for a complete listing of tyramine-containing foods.
Side effects that you should report to your doctor or health care professional as soon as possible: -anxiety or agitation -chest pain or palpitations -increased blood pressure -increased heart rate -vomiting Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your doctor or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome): -dizziness -flushing -headache -irritability -nausea -nervousness or restlessness -sweating -tremor
This list may not describe all possible side effects. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Keep out of reach of children. Store at room temperature between 15 and 30 degrees C (59 and 86 degrees F). Throw away any unused medicine after the expiration date.
NOTE: This sheet is a summary. It may not cover all possible information. If you have questions about this medicine, talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider.
Yohimbine Hydrochloride Oral tablet


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As part of national Road Safety Week (23-29 November) Autoline Insurance Group has launched its extended '2 Young 2 Die' Road Education programme in partnership with the road safety charity Brake.
In addition to the interactive workshops, the new campaign features a car crash simulator to help drive home the grim reality of careless driving.
The car, a specially modified Ford Focus, comes with hi-tech equipment that simulates a car crash. It uses a high quality sound system, hydraulics, smoke and lights to recreate a true incident which resulted in multiple fatalities and a prison sentence for the 17-year old driver. It is only one of a handful of simulators in use across the UK.
Newry-based Autoline has been Brake's corporate ambassador in Northern Ireland for three years. Since then more than 2,000 young people have taken part in its '2 Young 2 Die' programme which aims to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on local roads.
Launching the first school programme to feature the new simulator car at Kilkeel High School, Michael Blaney, CEO of Autoline said:
"In 2014 79 people were killed on Northern Ireland's roads, a worrying 38% increase on the year before. So far this year 63 people have been killed, a third of whom were aged under 25-years.
"That's an appalling statistic and Autoline is dedicated to doing what it can to improve road safety awareness, particularly amongst young drivers. The workshops already have a powerful impact upon students, but we know that the new simulator car will really impress upon people that just a few seconds of carelessness behind the wheel can ruin a lifetime."
The '2 Young 2 Die' workshops are presented by an award-winning, former Road Education Officer, Tracey Doherty, who has almost 30-years' experience. In addition to the simulator car, the workshop includes real life case studies, videos, statistics and discussion-based activities.
Tracey Doherty, Autoline's '2 Young 2 Die' co-presenter said:"In the last three years we've used the workshops as a starting point to have a conversation with young people, helping them think about issues such as speed, alcohol, rural roads and drugs, and the irreversible consequences that a car crash has upon victims, family and friends.
"We also want young people to understand the dangers involved when travelling with a driver who takes unnecessary risks.
"The simulator car is a very sobering and vivid experience which uses hi-tech equipment to reinforce the issues we discuss and drive home the message that careless driving ruins lives."
Victor Coert, Principal of Kilkeel High School said:
"Road safety is a major issue for both pupils and parents, particularly for young drivers getting behind the wheel for the first time.
"Autoline's '2 Young 2 Die' session and simulator crash car have made a very powerful impression on our students, giving them invaluable insight into the stark realities of a car crash and advice on how to keep safe on the roads."
Autoline has also recently launched ChilliDrive, a sophisticated telematics app that turns smart phones into an in-car 'mentor' that accurately measures driving skills by analysing speed, acceleration, braking and cornering. Safe drivers are rewarded through lower premiums.
As part of Road Safety Week Autoline is holding an education event for staff at its Newry headquarters and will be hosting a '2 Young 2 Die' workshop at St Louis, Kilkeel. A further 16 workshops with schools across Northern Ireland have already been booked.
For further information about how your school or organisation can participate in the Road Safety Education programme please contact Suzanne Curtis at Autoline Insurance Group on 028 302 59178.


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This article was originally published by InformIT and can be viewed on their site. It is reproduced here with kind permission.
Part 1 of this series examined the explosion of mobile and embedded devices that characterize our future, explored the challenges posed by these changes, and considered a methodology for reliable innovation in this environment and the technology enablers required to support that approach. In part 2, we look at what types of strategies are likely to be effective in this new world.
Visionary Strategies
Once you have a reliable methodology in place for fostering innovation and engaging the market, supported by the technology enablers mentioned in part 1, you are finally ready to start growing and developing visionary strategies to help you capitalize on the emerging world of ambient computing.
The big question becomes, "What should our vision and strategy be?" Unfortunately, there's no stock answer I can prescribe (though I'll be happy to help you figure it out), but I do have some pointers toward directions you should be considering.
The growing ubiquity of computing and omnipresent interfaces points to opportunities such as "any customer, anywhere," and the explosion of profiling data opens up services based on the idea that "we know what you're about to think." The key is not what your exact vision is, but how you validate it and course-correct based on that feedback. This in itself is the strategy of rapid product evolution for which part 1 of this article attempted to lay out the foundations.
Continue reading "Beyond Mobile, Part 2: Thriving in the Shattered Future"


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Hilaire Francis Nollette
IRC Handle: GeekSquid email: firstname.lastname@example.com facebook: hilaire.nollette
Do Be Done[edit]
So I am offering my services as a Network Technology Integration Specialist and Broadcast Engineer...
What can we do? Lots needs to be done to make everything work, some has already been done... Information regarding everything is scattered among various servers, wiki's, SVN's and ETC's... Allow me to get this stuff together and see what I can make work.
I am a big picture kind of guy, so I see things in systems that others sometimes don't. I'd like to play around with the infrastructure to see if I can improve upon what is already online.
When I first read about NB a couple of years ago, I was really amazed at the infrastructure that had been documented, now: much of that infrastructure has either failed, been deprecated, or just plain broke. I am totally willing to do the legwork in the space as my schedule allows for this, let's improve NB, contact me.
This is a do-ocracy, Please DO!
ssh public key[edit]
ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABAQC6Vux9p5PNn/cgDJN9gk7SeGSagXUhgX+YhB/+vi1gozMMgcI4zu7iEySeLd7RF4eTFyWPnc0fjCIbTXWcXn+Ej88Rp/ayoWb3Dz4ejPoyVXx892POmKDutWFPJ7ke4XgzMzVXAzRBuu6WRUpEOSWyBzmgtz+Vu+/B8wIODGYnZaiUxjxsfyZh2eSYFLtIk2gUGQ5LtKfRC2VDekBwUbl0HQSJ86B9AOrO0zyifRBrwi72wGwPmSKctV/KySBieAfLZm3SNkOpDsZxybL+Qo3vmQ4HgajXX7bZy8kbj5sqFymY3GefvXpdCqkEZxdnpEGO47mQQx7Mrk7frGyX5yYR threedee@threedee-precise
/etc/passwd entry[edit]
% sudo adduser --uid 8472 --gecos 'Threedee' threedee@threedee-precise


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Items where Author / Artist / Editor is "Zhu, Xiao-Yan"
|See full list of headings
Group by: Item Type | No Grouping
Jump to: Article
Number of items: 1.
Li, Yang, Yang, Hong-Ji, Cheng, Xiaochun and Zhu, Xiao-Yan (2005) Programming style based program partition. International Journal of Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering (IJSEKE)., 15 (6). pp. 1027-1062. ISSN 0218-1940


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Byte Plant Phone Number Validation API - Followers
Byte Plant provides email processing and management services and offers both software and services. International Phone Number Validation API allows users to check Status: Valid or invalid, Line type: Fixed line, mobile, VoIP, pager etc., Geolocation: Region and city, Phone number correction and re-formatting according to national and international standards. The service uses REST calls, returns JSON, and uses both SSL and API Keys for authentication.


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Arthritis - Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a very common degenerative joint disease and a leading cause of disability. Affecting over 20 million in the U.S. alone, this progressive disease is characterized by structural damage and functional impairment within joints (CDC 2012; NIH MedlinePlus 2012; Mayo Clinic 2012; Seed 2011; Lawrence 2008; Lane 2011).
Many interrelated factors – such as obesity and oxidative stress – work together in osteoarthritis to cause progressive, degenerative changes in weight-bearing joints including the knees, neck, lumbar spine, and hips, as well as the hands. A multifactorial approach is best when targeting osteoarthritis management (Ziskoven 2011; Busija 2010).
Conventional medical treatment focuses upon reducing load (e.g. weight loss) and improving joint support (i.e. enhancing muscle strength), as well as treating the pain and stiffness of osteoarthritis with acetaminophen and other NSAID drugs.
However, these drugs expose arthritis sufferers to the risks of liver and kidney damage (Woodcock 2009). In addition, these drugs often offer only incomplete/ partial relief (Vista 2011; Bijlsma 2011), and treatment with acetaminophen and NSAIDs fails to help the body rebuild damaged joint cartilage (Kapoor 2011).
On the other hand, natural compounds like undenatured type-II collagen and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) modulate fundamental aspects of osteoarthritis pathology, while others such as krill oil and Boswellia serrata target novel inflammatory pathways that can contribute to pain, swelling and joint degradation (Min 2006; Wang 2004; Palmieri 2010; Gregory 2008; Deutsch 2007; Sengupta 2010; Sengupta 2011).
Upon reading this protocol, you will learn about the critical medical factors of osteoarthritis, as well as learn about some underappreciated, yet potentially dangerous side effects of drugs often used to treat osteoarthritis pain. Additionally, you will discover several natural treatment strategies that have been shown to help support joint structure and function to provide more than just pain relief.


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Jump to navigation
On Sunday 6th July, the Grassroots Centre in Luton will launch the Near Neighbours programme at an event attended by Stephen Williams MP, Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Communities and local Government.
It will be held at the Holy Ghost Parish Centre on Westbourne Road, Luton; starting at 3.15pm with refreshments.
If you wish to attend please RSVP by Tuesday 1st July, 2014: 01582 416946 / 07930601640 / email@example.com
3.15pm: refreshments
3.45pm - 4.45pm: Launch Event
Sunday 6th July 2014
...........Executive Lounge Holy Ghost Parish Centre 33 Westbourne Road Luton, LU4 8JD
Author: Andrew Mathews
Date: 26 June 2014
|A quote for you today. https://t.co/bSEJ2xq2YN — 2 years 7 months ago
|RT @WahidaShaffi: Filming with @Pareshsolanki for @nearneighbours West Yorkshire UNESCO Big Screen take over on March 8th International Wom… — 2 years 7 months ago
|RT @RuthBurgessBCNN: This week I am visiting projects and seeing work in action! Today was a good one, cooking class @caldmorecgarden #yumm… — 2 years 7 months ago
|RT @RuthBurgessBCNN: Yesterday I visited Mata da Mandir #Dudley for yoga class run by #CitizenEngagemnt to bring local women together, fund… — 2 years 7 months ago
|RT @BavingtonSharon: Zumba at UK Butterfly's, Lifeline & Women's Aid 'Day of Dance', haven't moved like that in a while! @nearneighbours ht… — 2 years 7 months ago
|Find out how Bhavesh and Barbara became good friends! https://t.co/8mYryuqXWj Photography: Dharmendra Patel, Outros… https://t.co/UCNcIG6bJX — 2 years 7 months ago
|RT @WahidaShaffi: Good to see Pasha this morning & reminisce about his catalyst experience last year @nearneighbours @ https://t.co/LqkdjR0… — 2 years 7 months ago
|RT @WahidaShaffi: Last years photograph in the @Bradford_TandA with some of the local projects @nearneighbours funded https://t.co/L1ayA6yd… — 2 years 7 months ago
|RT @SotezC: Great bunch of participants in the first day of the Catalyst Youth Leadership programme @nearneighbours @CommunitiesUK @Heythro… — 2 years 7 months ago
|The Common Good Fund is already making a difference within communities! Find out more about The Common Good Fund:… https://t.co/KyHaaSohze — 2 years 7 months ago


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Transform into the legendary 80s super hero with this Bananaman Costume. Bananaman originally featured as a comic book strip in the early 80's. A little while later the popular cartoon series was created and he is now one of the most iconic characters remembered by the child of the 80's. This is an official licensed Bananaman fancy dress costume capturing the characters unique banana-based superhero attire.
This Bananaman costume includes a blue long-sleeve top with foam padded chest, deltoids, bicep and forearm muscles. The chest boasts stitching to form the shape of the abdomen muscles. There are ties at the base of the neck for easier fitting. The top benefits from professional hem finishing and an attached yellow foam belt that ties at the rear.
The coordinating straight-cut blue pyjama trousers come with an elasticated waist, are a slim fit and come with complete hem finishing.
The banana yellow cape comes with rear slit, an attached blue foam headpiece with large eye holes, foam ears and ties that fasten beneath the chin.
Finishing touches include one pair of yellow gauntlet gloves with large foam cuffs and also one set of banana yellow foam shoe covers that are worn over your regular shoes and held in place with elastic straps.
Perfect costume for a 80's themed fancy dress party. We think this Bananaman costume is simply the best of the bunch.
Sizes for this costume are:
Really good costume and loads of fun
Absolutely excellent. Very well made fits great can't wait to wear it .thank you joker masquerade 10/10
If your thinking about this item buy it. Timely delivery, good quality for the price and for me the best bit. It's a two piece costume which mean using the bathroom while partying is easy, I laugh in the face of Batman.
Brilliant value for money delivered quickly
Great costume and great value for money, customer service was fantastic! pleasure to do business,
Happy with the costume and the service. Costume was delivered quicker than expected.
Great outfit, the padded chest that flatters even a large waist line. Good quality and fit.
This bananaman costume was exactly what was described. Great fit and looks and feels great. We chose it for a charity do for mental health. Everyone loved my costume and we all had great fun as well as raising some money for a good cause. I would recommend your costumes to anyone, good value for money, thanks.
Good quality costume. Excellent prompt service and good value for money!
Excellent in every way! Fast delivery and product very good quality, we had an fantastic time too, thanks.
This costume is for my husband and he was absolutely delighted with it. It's really well finished and is just as good as it looked online. The service was brilliant right from ordering through to delivery, emails keeping me updated at every step. Would definitely use this company again.
The product is very good. Perfect sizing, costume was delivered promptly, the phone sales were spot on and I definitely recommend them to my friends.
The banana man costume I bought was awesome and it came very quickly, was very impressed all round
Brilliant costumer, bought for a race night as we had to dress up as superheroes, very detailed for the price I thought, very satisfied.
Arrived as described perfect fit and top quality design hope I can run a half marathon in it
A cool costume that did the trick for our stag on his stag do. Soft padding made it easy for him to move about and it all fitted pretty well.
Good quality costume bought for a new years party. Customer service was first class will definitely use Jokers again
Very good fit and very good material, would recommened
It was a comfy suit although quite warm so only wear shorts and a thin t-shirt underneath
Purchased this costume to run a half marathon for charity. Looks impressive is a good fit and is well manufactured. Would recommend it.
Bought 18 of these for all my mates for our annual trip to the Reading Beer Festival. Great costume and well worth the price. The only problem was the 22 degree heat, as the costumes were rather warm. However, can't fault the costume or Jokers Masquerade.
Such an amazing costume, the detail is outstanding, at first I thought the cape was ripped down the middle, but it turned out that it was actually two peels of banana! It is durable as I wore it snowboarding one of the days of my holiday and it stood the test of time on the slopes. One thing I did notice however is that the white stringy padding for the muscles, which at first is not visible, does begin to come through the costume. But it is not that obvious and still deserves 5 stars. It comes with feet that still accommodate the wearing of shoes underneath. No pockets, but the blue trousers are stretchy enough such that shorts/jeans can be worn underneath. People were thoroughly impressed with the costume even if they didn't know who Bananaman is.
Brilliant costume that went down well Very comfortable and had pockets which was handy
The Dandy may be no more (in print at least) but Bananaman lives on! Great fit and quality and looks great! Highly recommended!
Amazing costume perfect fit, excellent for any budding superheros on a night out!! got loads of attention when out on Halloween..
The costume was the normal great Smiffy quality. It fitted well and stood up to a great mad and lively party. I would recommend this outfit to anyone who wanted to be a comic super hero. THX Jokers :)
Great costume, perfect fit, fabulous quality, certainly got some fantastic comments whilst wearing it. We wore it for a bungee jump and got loads of attention!
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2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited X
EPA Fuel Economy
Scores and Savings
- Five year savings compared to the average vehicle
- $-4,750
Regular Gasoline
- Combined MPG
- 16
- Annual fuel consumption
- 20.60 barrels
- City MPG
- 14
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,450
- Highway MPG
- 18
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this listing, some of the information this page was sourced from a third party rather than being entered by us as the sellers of this vehicle. Especially since this vehicle is used and could have been modified by a previous owner, it may not include the features or components listed on this page. Please verify all statements and features with your sales representative before buying this vehicle.


text: When you combine vintage style with a reclaimed look you get the Geneva Hills collection. Beautifully crafted from acacia veneers and solids, this complete dining room and accent table collection will provide you with all the trending style and elegance you could hope for. The design features a traditional cottage charm with a rustic warmth and a matte-like finish that varies in intensity as though it were carefully rubbed for detailed beauty. Collection details include a linen-inspired upholstery covering, dentil moulding and nail head trim. This collection is comprised of dining room tables, chairs and storage pieces with pieces that are sized to fit in large or compact spaces.


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The Screen Rant editorial team is back with episode ninety-two of the Screen Rant Underground podcast.
Join host Ben Kendrick fellow SR editors Rob Keyes, Anthony Ocasio, Kofi Outlaw and special guest Vic Holtreman as we review Star Trek Into Darkness followed by a spoiler-filled conversation with writer and executive producer Roberto Orci.
Screen Rant Underground is available on the iTunes Music Store, Stitcher Radio, or the Windows Phone Marketplace but if you're not near your home computer, check out our ninety-second episode in the player below.
Also, Screen Rant Underground is an EXPLICIT podcast. We don't go out of our way to say controversial things or use explicit language but it does happen - so use discretion when playing the podcast at work and around young, or sensitive, ears.
Screen Rant Underground: Episode 92 - 'Star Trek Into Darkness'
We review Star Trek Into Darkness followed by a spoiler-filled conversation with writer and executive producer Roberto Orci.
[0:00] Review: Star Trek Into Darkness (read our full written review)
[39:32] Star Trek Into Darkness SPOILERS conversation (check out our full spoilers discussion)
[1:30:28] Interview [SPOILERS]: Star Trek Into Darkness writer and executive producer Roberto Orci.
[1:57:06] Twitter Handles and Contact Information.
Hosts: Ben Kendrick, Rob Keyes, Anthony Ocasio, and Kofi Outlaw - with special guest Vic Holtreman.
Next Week's Review: Fast and Furious 6
Last Week's Official Box Office Battle Reader Winner (The Great Gatsby opening): Sal reports that Tyler A and the TheDurrr ties with perfect 15's - but Tyler A also nailed the tiebreaker!
Opening in theaters this week (Wide):
- Epic - 3,800
- Fast & Furious 6 - 3,600+
- The Hangover Part III - 3,450+
Opening this Week in Theaters (Limited):
Use the comment section below to continue our various discussions by weighing in with your own thoughts - or just to let us know what you think of the show.
Also, don't forget to vote in our weekly Screen Rant Underground poll:
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We release one episode a week every Monday and while host Ben Kendrick as well as Rob Keyes, Anthony Ocasio, and Kofi Outlaw are standard fare on the podcast, we've lined-up plenty of guests for future episodes.
Subscribe to the Screen Rant Underground at your online digital store of choice:
If you don't use iTunes, Stitcher Radio, or the Windows Phone Marketplace you can still say up to date with new releases by bookmarking the Underground RSS feed - or keep an eye on the site for future Underground episode posts.
Follow 3/4 of the Screen Rant Underground team @benkendrick, @rob_keyes, and @anthonyocasio. Also, feel free to contact us with questions and other insights at firstname.lastname@example.com, by adding #SRUnderground to your tweets, or leave a message on the SR Underground voicemail line at (323) 522-5455.
Music by Omarie B. Williams (@OmarieWilliams)
Make sure to check out ScreenRant.com and GameRant.com for entertainment news, reviews, and editorials.


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Artist's description:
Having been shooting portraits almost exclusively in black and white, often in cluttered and messy environments for over 10 years now I have been hankering for a change and a return to something with a little colour and no less character.
Up Against the Wall marks a new project of minimal colour portraits against the simplistic white wall of my bedroom, each image limited to a single edition with 25 images in each set featuring models from all walks of life.
I had been shooting with the stunning Lyssa as part of my Time Stands Still project at my home (no other location was available for this one) and made use of the sofa and white wall to capture some portraits rather differently than my usual work with models, the results speak for themselves but to me it is a welcome return to close up colour portraits and having so much negative space in images is hugely refreshing.
The images are a single edition of one, each print will be unique and signed as 1 of 1 on the back of the print.
Printed onto premium quality archival matte paper sized A2 (420x594mm) using K3 pigment inks with a life span over over a century. Full edge to edge bleed on the images.
Framed in a deep mountless black box frame approximately A2 in size and gallery sealed, supplied ready to hang.
Materials used:
250gsm Archival Matte
Raquel - Up Against the Wall #20 (2014)
Photograph by Henry Clayton
- Photograph on Paper
- From a limited edition of 1
- Size: 23.39 x 33.11 x 1.18 in (framed) / 16.54 x 23.39 x 0.04 in (unframed) / 16.54 x 23.39 in (actual image size)
- Framed and ready to hang
- Signed and numbered on the front
- Style: Photorealistic
- Hurry only 1 left in stock
This artwork is sold by Henry Clayton from United Kingdom


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HOSCHTON - Ruby Thornhill, 86, died Friday, December 7, 2012.
She was the daughter of the late Henry and Lizzie Mae Everett Hawkins. She was preceded in death by her husband, M.J. Thornhill on December 1, 2005. Mrs. Thornhill was a member of Bethabra Baptist Church and was a homemaker.
Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Darlene Thornhill, Hoschton; grandchildren, Anthony Welchel and Angela Holder; great-grandchildren, Mary Welchel, Anna Holder and Gavan Welchel.
Funeral services were held Sunday, December 9, from the chapel of Carter Funeral Home with the Revs. Ronnie Coley and Landon Frymire officiating. Interment was in Bethabra Baptist Church Cemetery.
Carter Funeral Home of Winder was in charge of arrangements.
Ruby Thornhill (12-7-12)
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Lessons from a peace rally
Students at Vergennes Union High School learned a lot more than just how to speak in public and how to organize an event around an issue during this year's Peace One Day rally. They also learned the meaning of public activism. Most importantly, they learned how to do it well.By "well," we mean their general approach to the issue of peace. "We may not be able to control what other states or countries are doing, but we can control the world around us or at least our part in it," said Kelly Burkett in today's issue of the Addison Independent. (See story Page 3A.) The comment reflects the students' emphasis on support of peace at all levels or society, rather than a protest against America's involvement in the war in Iraq.VUHS Principal Ed Webbley, an advocate of the Peace One Day rallies that have been held at the school for the past three years, has supported the program because it is not a protest and it is organized and run entirely by the students. His response to this year's rally reflects well on the VUHS student body. Said Webbley: "I've never seen a peace rally where I've seen more patriotism. The kids were super positive about our troops. Nobody took any cheap political shots. It was just a bunch of kids who were truly focused on peace. From the halls of the school to international politics, the positive focus was truly breathtaking."In encouraging messages, students spoke of peace and kindnesses on the home front as well as on the international stage: "Just for one day can we really stop all the violence, all the arguments and all the hateful looks and gestures," asked junior Sarah Lucia. "Maybe. One person can start it by helping someone else … carrying their things, or even just telling them they look nice. If everyone on the planet could do one nice thing for someone else, wouldn't we be that much closer to our ultimate goal?"Adults could learn much from these students.In addition to these broader lessons of peace, the students also learned about the power of public rallies. Such street power hit its zenith in the late 1960s and early 1970s during the civil rights marches, the women's rights movement and as the Vietnam War became increasingly unpopular. Because the national news covered the events, those causes garnered the nation's attention and staged on center stage. In today's world of the Internet too much of the political activism goes unseen. The Internet works well to make like-minded citizens aware of important issues, but in most cases these messages are preaching to the choir. It's not until people take to the streets — the rallies around the Jena Six in Louisiana last week is a recent example, and even the global warming march held last Labor Day weekend that began in Ripton and ended in Burlington with a 1,000-plus marchers — that the broader audience (those who may have no interest in the issue and therefore are out of the Internet loop) realizes how many residents are upset about the issue and are advocating for change.One lesson the VUHS students have learned is that it's not necessary to demonize a foe to make a point — a particularly good lesson to practice when the setting is an institution representing people with many differing views. The other lesson learned, hopefully, is the positive feedback students and activists receive when they espouse messages of hope in a respectful way and the ability of that message to affect change.VUHS deserves high marks for encouraging its students to participate in the Peace One Day rally and serves as a model for other schools in the county and throughout the state.Angelo S. Lynn


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Exquisite collection of furniture and lighting with the perfect mix of classic form and pared-down contemporary sensibility. World - class luxury and comfort from Triboa Bay.
Triboa Bay has an exhaustive collection of tables and counter top furniture. Whether you prefer the minimalist designs or the sturdy, hard wood furniture, we bring you classic forms blended with contemporary sensibility. Our collection of wooden tables ranges across dining, study, coffee tables and more. We specialize in wood work that brings utility, function, earthiness and warmth to your home. Our wide range of wooden tables have been created in their basic, elegant forms; reduced to the purity of thought so that your home looks organized and decluttered with a resort-like ambience.
Triboa Bay
Triboa Bay Living is a furniture and lighting brand that mixes classic forms with a pared-down contemporary sensibility. Wood is the primary material in raw finishes that evoke a warm, casual and resort-like ambiance. Triboa Bay Living is sold to resort contractors, furniture retailers and interior decorators from Europe, Africa, Australia, South America, and Asia.


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Photo: Gage Skidmore via Flikr
Presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney called for increased transparency at the Federal Reserve Monday, voicing his strongest support yet for an audit of the country's central banking system. "The answer is yes to that, very plain and simple," Romney responded, when asked by a supporter at a New Hampshire town hall whether it was time to audit the Fed. "The Federal Reserve should be accountable. We should see what they're doing."
The mark aligns Romney with a growing cadre of conservatives championing an audit of the Federal Reserve, a group led by Romney's primary opponent Ron Paul and his acolytes. Earlier this month, Paul's "Audit The Fed" bill passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming bipartisan support.
After taking a more measured stance on the issue during the Republican primaries, Romney has slowly moved to embrace a Federal Reserve audit as support for the issue grows with voters across the political spectrum. Romney's new running mate, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, has been a vocal critic of the central banking system, and is listed as one of 268 co-sponsors of Paul's bill.
Romney's position on auditing the Federal Reserve is mirrored by broadening support for the issue within the Republican Party at large. GOP platform committee chairman Bob McDonnell told reporters today that language calling for an annual Fed audit is included in the party platform, confirming an earlier report from Business Insider.
This weaving of the Paul's hallmark position into the Republican Party's ideological fabric represents a significant victory for the Texas Congressman, as he prepares to hand the torch to a new generation of libertarian Republican gadflies led by his son, U.S. Senator Rand Paul.
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Conservatories, once the glass-walled playgrounds of wealthy plant collectors, now serve a more urgent function. The changing global climate has spotlighted the role these specialized greenhouses play in preserving plant diversity.
Like zoos for endangered animals, climate-controlled conservatories may well be the only places some plants can survive, allowing scientists to educate the public, including gardeners, about the environmental threats to many species.
Glasshouses, as they are also known, are often the first stop on visitors' tours of public botanic gardens. These structures hint at the research going on behind the scenes, such as the development of seed banks and collections of endangered plants. Conservatories also cost a good deal to operate, and so they stand at the forefront of efforts to use fuel more efficiently.
Kayri Havens, director of plant science and conservation at the Chicago Botanic Garden, says that scientists began viewing species conservation as a primary function of conservatories only about 50 years ago, when they recognized that such threats as habitat destruction, pollution, even overcollecting were endangering plants around the world.
Dr. Havens is among the scientists at botanical gardens who call climate change "an imminent threat to biodiversity." A decade ago, she says, botanists didn't see it as an urgent problem. Today, "Most of my colleagues and I think that we need to complete a concerted seed-bank effort within a decade – two, at most – to capture species while there still is genetic diversity," she says.
The urgency arises from the varying rates at which plant species reproduce, which determines how quickly they can adapt. "We're particularly worried about species such as trees, which take a long time to reproduce," Havens says.
Memo to Noah: Two is not enough
"The prevailing wisdom is that it's better to conserve seeds, when possible, than living plants in a glasshouse," says Havens, because living plants can become genetically impoverished due to inbreeding, succumb to disease, or fail to grow in a greenhouse. "In order to build a conservation collection" – as opposed to a display collection – "it's necessary to have big numbers to capture genetic diversity. A couple of oaks from Russia doesn't make for a conservation collection, but 1,500-plus seeds in a bank does."
As the US coordinator for native seed banking, Havens heads a team that will contribute 30 million seeds, including 1,500 kinds of endangered native tall-grass prairie seeds, to the international Millennium Seed Bank Project and to a similar national project, Seeds of Success. She notes that dried, frozen seeds in airtight envelopes can stay viable for 200 years.
Jan Salick, senior curator of ethnobotany at the Missouri Botanical Garden, studies how Tibetan people use high-alpine plants on the eastern edge of the Himalayas, where temperatures are rising quickly. The region is experiencing the fastest glacial retreats in the world and dramatic increases in rainfall. High-alpine meadows, rich in biodiversity, contain rare plants. Dr. Salick's field research shows that as temperatures climb, so do plants – they migrate uphill. The ones migrating fastest are not those endemic to the region, but widespread species that reproduce quickly, outcompeting slower-maturing alpine plants.
The snow lotus, for example, which Tibetans regard as an important medicinal plant, takes 10 years to reproduce and must be pollinated by high-alpine bumblebees. Salick has watched this plant diminish in both size and numbers. "Not until after the fact do you get to see the effect of changes in plant communities on such things as the bumblebees and other long-coevolved, intricate relationships with animal species," she says.
Making 'greener' greenhouses
As the climate changes, Salick and others foresee changes in the form and content of conservatories. Tomasz Anisko, curator of plants at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa., says the institution, which focuses primarily on horticultural display, renovated its east conservatory in 2006, in part to improve energy efficiency. With each renovation of Longwood's 1920s-era buildings, the heating systems have been updated to heat soil at the root zone and concentrate hot air immediately around the plants, instead of heating the whole space.
Energy use has also influenced which species to display. "In the past, we exhibited mainly exotic tropical plants that required high temperatures, and we've been replacing them with subtropical and Mediterranean plants that can grow in more moderate temperatures," Anisko says, and visitors approve. "That's an important point: You can still design attractive displays and achieve energy savings."
Educating visitors is something Anisko and others believe is a significant opportunity for conservatories. "People don't come to see seeds in the freezer, but to see beautiful plants," Havens observes.
Salick recalls the success story of educating people about the destruction of tropical rain forests. "Public awareness of that issue is amazing," she says. "Kindergartners will ask me about it."
Todd Forrest, vice president for horticulture and living collections at the New York Botanical Garden, says they are targeting average gardeners through an educational program called Gardening in a Changing Climate. "It's important to keep people gardening and give them hope," he says. "Gardens and green spaces are part of the solution to climate change. They provide cool spots, and they store carbon. The more of these we have, the better off our environment will be."
How gardeners adjust to a changing climate
"Climatologists tell us that climate change is not as simple as just getting warmer weather," says Todd Forrest, vice president for horticulture and living collections at the New York Botanical Garden. "They predict that it will become warmer year-round, significantly so in winter, but there will also be great variety in precipitation, increased drought, and more frequent extreme precipitation events. This means we have to take a broad approach to keeping gardens healthy."
While it is relatively easy to avoid pesticides, gardeners may have a harder time figuring out how to reduce gardening practices that contribute to climate change – and perhaps more worrisome, how climate change is affecting their gardens. Mr. Forrest, who has launched an educational program called Gardening in a Changing Climate, offers guidance in the face of climbing temperatures and "weather weirding" – sudden, often violent, shifts in temperature, wind, and precipitation.
Much of what horticulturists at the New York Botanical Garden have learned from these ventures runs true to the good-gardening practices that have been evolving since the first Earth Day in 1970: "We teach people how to use fuels more efficiently, to choose plants adapted to the local climate, that are drought-tolerant, that aren't prone to insects and diseases," he says. "It's also important to design gardens that take advantage of the natural topography, instead of fighting it." Rain gardens, for instance, can store water collected on site for use in a later drought.
Unpredictable snowfall, combined with sudden drops in temperature, can mean uncovered plants damaged from freezing, sunburn, and windburn more often than in the past. "We may need to bundle up more of our shrubs in burlap," he says, to make up for the lack of insulating blankets of snow.
At the New York Botanical Garden, Forrest says, "We are removing pavement where we can and looking at permeable pavements and the overall impact of what we do. It's not just about temperature, but about the whole landscape."
Forrest's most comforting guidance relates to "gardening as a spiritual act" during a confusing and distressing age: "Gardening keeps people in touch with nature. Some say we've always been learning to adapt to changing weather, and we can teach others to do the same thing. Good gardening practices are good for the environment. At first blush, everything we do – whether drive or use electric lights – is part of the problem. But gardens are part of the solution. So we should garden wisely by being as efficient as we can, but we should never feel bad about gardening."
For more information, visit www.nybg.org