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As we speed down the Tigris River under a brilliant sun in a fiberglass skiff, Iraq almost seems like Vacationland–but only for a moment. Soon we're dodging the half-submerged barges and ferries sunk in last year's bombing. Then two Black Hawk helicopters dash low overhead, their menacing door gunners fully visible.
Farther on, there are more bad signs. A strange column of dark smoke rises from a lush palm grove. And suddenly, huge nauseating plumes of raw sewage spill from pipes at Baghdad's southern edge.
Not far from these fetid torrents are several major water-intake stations and a handful of fishermen setting long gill nets from wooden boats. Several of the fishermen, their vessels tucked in the shade of reed patches waiting for the nets to fill, say the catch is in decline. "Sometimes the fish tastes and smells like sewage," explains one. Downriver, millions of people in cities like Basra draw their water from the Tigris.
The sorry state of this river is just one piece of Iraq's failed reconstruction. Throughout the country, vital systems, from water and power to healthcare and education, are in woeful disrepair. The World Bank estimates that bringing Iraq back to its 1991 level of development will cost $55 billion and take at least four years.
In the past seventeen months, US taxpayers have set aside a total of $24 billion to rebuild Iraq. Most of that sum has not been spent, though billions of dollars of poorly accounted for Iraqi oil revenues have been expended, or at least allocated to foreign (mostly American) contractors.
Humanitarians see reconstruction as a moral obligation: a form of reparations for two US-led wars and thirteen years of brutal sanctions. From a military standpoint, reconstruction is central to the US counterinsurgency effort. The occupation's star officers, like Maj. Gen. David Petraeus, readily acknowledge that a broken economy means more violence. But seen up close, reconstruction in Iraq looks less like a mission of mercy or a sophisticated pacification program and more like a criminal racket.
At the Rustimiyah South sewage-treatment plant, all is quiet except for a few mourning doves in the eucalyptus trees and a handful of Iraqi construction workers building a brick shed to house a new generator. This plant and its sister facility, Rustimiyah North, have been sitting dry–waiting for Bechtel, the largest US construction company and one of the lead contractors in occupied Iraq.
As soon as Baghdad fell, Bechtel was in Iraq making deals with USAID, the government agency tasked with overseeing reconstruction. In total, the firm now has more than $2.8 billion in Iraq reconstruction jobs. As the "primary" contractor on much of Iraq's water system, as well as key parts of its power grid and some of the healthcare infrastructure, Bechtel's responsibilities are quite broad. Its initial April 2003 contract stated:


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Principal Investigator(s):
Natural communities may consist of hundreds of species. How do all these species coexist and why do some regions support more species than others? Where there is competition for limited resources, such as food, theory predicts that strong competitors will tend to displace competitively inferior species.However, through the evolution of traits that allow initially similar organisms to focus on different food items, competition between species may be reduced, and the numbers of species coexisting in any one area can be increased. This project aims to address two questions. First, which biological traits are important in allowing species coexistence? In particular, the research will focus on traits that might be important in detecting differences in food-use, for example dentition. Second, does coexistence drive evolutionary divergence in biological traits, or does evolutionary divergence in traits allow later coexistence?
Assembling information on the evolution, geography and biology of the world's carnivores and primates, this research will provide the first global analysis of species coexistence and divergence across multiple communities. This work will help us to understand the distribution of species richness, and the diversity of form and function found in the natural world.
Interview with Jonathan Davies November 10, 2009, Jai Ranganathan's Voyage of the Beagle podcast - Can We Predict the Location of Future Epidemics in Humans and Wildlife

subset: commoncrawl


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|5' 6"
|Adamstown, Australia
|Wake Forest University
Fall 2005: Had a 9-7 fall record in singles...was paired with Volobueva in doubles and together the duo amassed a 4-5 record...had wins over Wake Forest, Virginia, and Davidson.
2004-05: In her first full season at ETSU, Knight was an ITA scholar athlete and an All-SoCon selection...held a 23-12 singles record and was named the team MVP...in doubles Knight was 1-0 with Gemma Halim, 2-0 with Muriel Sherwood, and 24-6 with Elena Volobueva...the duo played at the number two spot for ETSU in doubles...in fall tournament play she recorded 6-6 singles and 7-2 doubles record...faced No. 69 ranked Barbara Orlay of North Carolina State, in the main draw of the Wilson ITA Southeast Reginoal Indoors and battled to a tough 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 loss...co-champion of her singles bracket at the ETSU Fall Collegiate Classic and champion of the doubles bracket with teammate Elena Volobueva...also was runner-up at USC...is currently ranked first in doubles single season wins at ETSU and sixth in single season wins.
Prior to ETSU: Played for two years at Wake Forest ... compiled a 15-7 singles season record in 2004.
Prep: Ranked No. 1 in U-18 in Australia ... undefeated in singles for six years at Newcastle High School and served as the team's captain all six years ... captained her regional team in 1999 and 2000 ... played on the state team two years and won the 2001 National Championship ... captained New South Wale's(NSW) All School's Tennis Team in 2001, which went undefeated and was a semifinalist at the 2001 Australian National Singles Championship ... earned the NSW Combined High Schools State Blue for Tennis (the highest school sporting award in Australia)... achieved honor-roll status every semester.
Personal: Born on Oct. 14, 1983 in Newcastle, Australia ... major is undecided ... daughter of Margaret and Steve Knight ... is the niece of Peter Doohan, the current World 40�s Doubles Champion. Doohan played at Arkansas from 1979-82 and won the NCAA Championships in singles and doubles, before going on to reach top 50 singles and top 10 doubles on the ATP Tour, defeating Boris Becker at Wimbledon in 1987, as well as winning matches against Andre Agassi and Goran Ivanisevic.


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As of August 26, 2011 Citizens Energy Group will assume responsibility for the water and wastewater utilities. Citizens pledged to operate the utilities for community benefit and create operating efficiencies that would lower costs. Combining the City's water and wastewater systems with Citizens' natural gas, steam and chilled water utilities will help to reduce the future utility rate increases by 25 percent than currently projected. Citizens also committed to assume $1.5 billion in debt, and the utility transfer will provide the City approximately $400 million to fix streets, sidewalks and bridges and to take down abandoned homes. These infrastructure improvements are part of the City's RebuildIndy program.
As the City transitions these responsibilities to Citizens, information regarding water and wastewater in Indianapolis can now be found at www.citizenswater.com.


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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — We see them on TV, braving tornadoes and hurricanes and flooding.
Delivering the weather has put a whole new group of celebrities on the national radar: meteorologists. But what path did they take to become so well known? For some, it was a childhood obsession with storms; for others, it was a fortuitous but unpredictable turn of events
With the Atlantic hurricane season opening Sunday, here are three of the nation's most well-known meteorologists and how they reached the top of their field:
A self-described "Vermont boy," Cantore grew up shoveling snow. Today he's just as likely to be covering a major blizzard as a hurricane or tornado, one of the undisputed stars of The Weather Channel.
When Cantore was a senior in high school, his father told him to "study the weather" because the teen would linger in the barn, fascinated as he watched the snow falling. "When you wake up in the morning, you'd better love what you do," his father advised him.
Cantore, who is now 50, attended Lyndon State College, a small school in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, studying in its well-known meteorology program.
After graduation, he went home to White River Junction to paint houses for the summer and send out demo tapes of his college weather forecasts. He expected to land a job at a TV station and never dreamed he would one day be deemed a "hurricane hunk" by fans on the internet.
"I knew about snow, I knew about coastal lows. I didn't know anything about tropical meteorology," Cantore said
One day that summer his brother walked up to him. "Hey Jim, the Weather Channel called," his brother said. They liked his tape and hired him.
At that time — 1986 — The Weather Channel was 4 years old. It was in 22 million homes then, and according to Cantore, in about 101 million homes now.
Cantore's first hurricane was Andrew, in 1992. He reported live from Louisiana.
In 1996, Cantore was in Wilmington, North Carolina, reporting on Hurricane Fran. During a live shot, producers told him that there were "too many people" behind him — hundreds in all.
"'Wow, this is pretty cool,' I thought," Cantore said. "I never thought as a meteorologist I'd have rock star status."
Norcross took a less traditional path into meteorology, but he also made it to The Weather Channel.
He began his career as a radio DJ, then was a TV news director and producer. He was running a news department for a TV station in Louisville, Kentucky, when he decided he wanted to "try and do the weather."
"Doing the weather was the intersection of science and broadcasting," Norcross said.
It intrigued him so much that he ended up going back to school. He earned his master's degree from Florida State University in meteorology, then took a job as a forecaster in Tallahassee. From there, he was CNN's first weekend weather forecaster and took a job in Miami at WPLG in 1983.
"At that time, hurricanes weren't on people's minds," he said, adding the last big storm to hit South Florida had been Betsy in 1965.
Norcross became interested in South Florida history and its previous storms. He wondered what would happen if a big storm hit the area. In 1990, Norcross went to WTVJ and he suggested that the station raise the profile of the weather during the newscasts, and suggested calling it "The Storm Center." He broadcast specials about past storms.
Then Andrew hit in 1992. The Category 5 storm devastated Homestead, a town south of Miami. "That really was a confluence of a set of circumstances that happened to come together that allowed us to be prepared like no TV station had ever been," he recalls.
In 2010, Norcross went to work for The Weather Channel.
"I think of myself as being in disaster communications," said the 63-year-old. "It's a bigger thing than understanding meteorology — it's about explaining what the meteorology means and how it translates into a threat."
Unlike Cantore and Norcross, Mayfield didn't have a dream of being on TV — quite the opposite. But then came Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when Mayfield became a household name as director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Today he's one of the best in the business at forecasting hurricanes, a specialist at WPLG in Miami.
"When you take the Myers Briggs test, I'm off the scale on the introvert side of things," the 65-year-old Mayfield laughs. Now, Mayfield is one of the answers on the TV quiz show "Jeopardy," and it's all because of hurricanes.
Born in Oklahoma, Mayfield was always interested in tornadoes. As an Air Force ROTC student at the University of Oklahoma, Mayfield wanted to be a pilot, but his vision was poor. So he focused on meteorology instead.
He landed a job in 1972 with the National Hurricane Center in Miami and stayed there for about 35 years. In 2000, he became the center's director, but it wasn't until the hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005 that Mayfield became a household name.
For years, Mayfield had constantly worried that people weren't taking hurricane forecasts — or the threats of storm surge — seriously.
He and his forecasters predicted on Aug. 26 that Hurricane Katrina would hit the bayous of Louisiana.
Mayfield was a constant presence on national television during Katrina, and personally called the governors of Mississippi and Louisiana and the mayor of New Orleans on Aug. 27. The next day, he even talked about the force of Katrina during a video conference call with President George W. Bush at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.
"I just wanted to be able to go to sleep that night knowing that I did all I could do," Mayfield said.
The storm hit on Aug. 29, just 18 miles from where Mayfield and his team had forecast landfall three days earlier.
Mayfield retired from the hurricane center in 2007 and then headed over to WPLG.
He still worries about how best to communicate the dangers of hurricanes to the public and spends some of his free time giving talks to civic and tourism groups about storm surge.
"A major hurricane is extremely unusual, and a large, strong hurricane with storm surge, it doesn't happen that often," he said. "But when it does, it kills hundreds if not thousands of people."
Follow Tamara Lush on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tamaralush


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A timely thread. I will pick up some Torpedo on my next trip to the 'store'.Does anyone know where I can get some Fat Tire around Boston? People keep telling me about this and I just HAVE to try some!
Thanks Benny.According to the site, the closest I could find Fat Tire is around RRG; Lexington, Cincin, etc. Road trip!
oooohhhh speaking of Dogfish... another favorite of mine but to high ABV to drink more than one or two a night, the "Palo Santo"http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/10099/33832They sell this in 4-packs at the various discount bev. stores around the valley but Discount Bev II has the best price, $9.99 I believe.Careful, this stuff is 12% but it masks it well...
Dale's is a CO beer that only comes in cans so you can bring it to the climbs.
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Friday Style Icon: Michelle Williams
This week's Friday Style Icon is pretty straight forward: Michelle Williams is a really talented actress and a fashion risk-taker with good taste. She wears a refined palette of metallics and neutrals, knows what looks good on her (she loves a fitted bodice and a full skirt) and sticks to her guns (she will wear all the lace dresses). She's partial to Chanel, Balenciaga, and Erdem and her trademark look is a mix of ladylike, mod and nonchalant. Although sometimes she comes up short, for the most part Williams is a lovely presence on red carpets who makes unconventional, intelligent fashion decisions and occasionally just kills it (we all remember her yellow Vera Wang from the Oscars). Let's see some of her hits.
(Main photo via Getty)


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By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With just two days remaining until the third edition of the head coach Steve Payne's Tennessee Tech basketball team kicks off the 2013-14 season, the Golden Eagles are eager to get out on the court and prove their doubters wrong.
Tech welcomes a plethora of new faces to the mix for the 2013-14 season, including seven newcomers and two redshirt players, to a veteran group of seven returnees. The Golden Eagles will look to take that mixture of players and get off to a hot start as the team travels south for an opening night contest at South Florida.
"They have a tremendous amount of size and athleticism across their front line," said Payne. "I totally expect them to come with pressure and trap and use their length, size, and athleticism to bother us from a defensive standpoint, and we'll have to withstand that to stand a chance. We gotta finish around the rim.
"It's exciting because it's our first game and it's exciting because it's against a high-major program," added Payne. "We've got some new pieces to our team and we're trying to blend them in. If we can get everybody healthy, I think we can have a fantastic year."
With a 6 p.m. CT game slated for Saturday, the Golden Eagles will face off against an American Athletic Conference member for the first time in the league's brief history.
Tennessee Tech (0-0) at South Florida (0-0)
Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013
6 p.m. CT
Sun Dome (10,000) - Tampa, Fla.
The Broadcasts
Radio: 106.1 The Eagle (Kevin Bostian)
Webcast: none
Setting the Stage
Tech will hit the road for to begin the year, the first time the Golden Eagles have opened a season away from Cookeville since the 2011-12 campaign. The season opener that year was also in southern Florida as Tech took on Miami in a tight, 69-58 loss.
The trip to Tampa will mark the third contest against the Bulls in team history, and the first since 1975 (back when USF was known as the Golden Brahman). And if history has anything to say about Saturday's game, this one will be a nail-biter as the two contests between these teams have been decided by a total of seven points.
The Bulls are looking to bounce back after a down season in it's final year as a member of the Big East. USF finished the 2012-13 campaign 12-19 overall, with a tough 3-15 mark in league play. South Florida returns Victor Rudd Jr., the team's leading scorer from last season. The senior averaged 10.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Fresh Faces
There are plenty of new faces expected to make their Golden Eagle debuts over the weekend. For starters, multiple guards will look to make an impact right off the bat. JUCO transfers Ty Allen, Kevin Eaglin, and Jordan Johnson all bring something different to the table. Allen was a 20-point scorer at Lamar State College-Port Arthur last season, ranking 12th in the nation with his ability to get to the basket and create shots.
Johnson led the NJCAA in 3-pointers made in 2012-13, dropping 122 for East Georgia State College on his way to averaging 19.2 points per contest. He ranked seventh in the nation in 3-point percentage, connecting on a staggering 48.2 percent of his attempts. Eaglin, who did not play basketball in 2012-13, last played for Anne Arundel C.C. in 2011-12. He was a NJCAA Division III All-American, averaging 20.2 points per game.
"We had to have to scoring," explained Payne. "We struggled to shoot the ball last year. We have two junior college guards in Ty Allen and Jordan Johnson. They're different, but they both have an ability to score the basketball. I don't know that either of them have quite gotten comfortable here yet, but it will come.
"Ty has certainly showed some flashes of putting up some numbers in our scrimmages," said Payne, "and Jordan, you have to make shoot it right now, but I think he has a chance to have some big games offensively. We need it from them. And they're both getting better defensively every day."
Also expected to impact the team with guard play are freshman Shirmane Thomas, redshirt freshman DeOndre Haynes, and redshirt sophomore Josiah Moore. Haynes, a top-150 recruit in 2012, returns to the Tech lineup after suffering a season-ending foot injury in his rookie season. The Calera, Ala. native played in two contests before finally being shutdown in December of last year due to the injury.
Moore sat out the 2012-13 season due to NCAA transfer rules after coming to Tech from the University of Nebraska. Thomas, a true freshman, is expected to play a role as a point guard after graduating from Prime Prep Academy.
"Shirmane Thomas is a high school kid we brought in who we thought could play a lot right away," said Payne. "He hasn't disappointed us. I think he's going to have a fantastic career here. He's a point guard for us. He's big, he's long and he competes hard. He makes freshman mistakes still and we have to live with those for now as he grows and gets better for conference play."
In the front court, the Golden Eagles have added some size with additions of JUCO transfers Ladon Carter and Dwan Caldwell, and freshman Mason Ramsey. Carter, a 6-6, 224-pound forward who displayed his unique athleticism at Tech's annual Purple Palooza in October, winning the dunk contest and lighting up the highlight reel with impressive dunks in the scrimmage.
"Inside we've added some size," Payne explained. "We had three returners we felt pretty good about, but we added Ladon Carter who is a great athlete. He's learning to play physical and hard every day and stretch his minutes of physical play. He's got a good basketball IQ. There are some things he doesn't do great, but when he's right and playing hard and getting on the glass and making steals and deflections, he makes a big impact on our game. We just have to stretch those moments with him and get him to be more consistent."
Caldwell will look to make an imediate impact in the frontcourt as the team's primary big man. Standing at 6-8, 245 pounds, the center brings great leadership to the table after transfering from Antelope Valley College.
"Dwan Caldwell has been injured for two weeks so I haven't seen much of him since our scrimmage at Little Rock," said Payne. "I think when healthy, he'll be a go-to guy in the post for us. I think he'll produce points for us around the basket with his body and size and hands. But we've got to get him healthy. He's a good leader and good worker and we're looking for him to make a big impact on our team."
Ramsey is a true freshman from Livingston Academy who can scrap in the post as well as jump outside and hit the 3-pointer. He earned Region 4-AA MVP all four years at LA while leading his team to three state tournament appearances.
The Returnees
Seven players from last season's squad return for another go at it, including starting point guard Jeremiah Samarrippas. An Ohio Valley Conference all-newcomer honoree in 2012-13, Samarrippas led the Golden Eagles in both assists and steals in his first season after transferring from SMU. The senior also ranked third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.5 points per game.
"Jeremiah being healthy is a key," explained Payne. "He's a different level guy when he's healthy. He played all last year with injuries and after the Christmas break, he never was healthy. As coaches we've got to do a better job of keeping him fresh and in a healthy state."
Just missing out on all-OVC honors, senior Dennis Ogbe returns to the Tech front court, poised to improve upon his already solid numbers from last season. A native of Munich, Germany, he averaged 10.8 points per game while grabbing 5.4 rebounds and blocking 1.0 shots per contest. A natural leader on the court, the forward has also excelled in the classroom, leading to his candidacy for the Senior Class Award and his earning the 2013 OVC Scholar-Athlete Award.
Also back in the post for the Golden Eagles is sophomore Anthony Morse, a 6-9 forward with a knack for blocking shots. Morse led the team and finished seventh in the OVC with 1.1 blocks per contest.
Junior Javon McKay will provide great defensive skills for the Golden Eagles in 2013-14 and will look to get back to his freshman season when he played a bigger role in the offense.
"Javon McKay had a tough sophomore year offensively," said Payne. "He did not play as well offensively as we though he would. I think he'll have a better junior year. As a freshman, he showed flashes on a good team and we think he'll get back to that. He's really been playing well."
Adding more depth will be senior forward Matt Marseille. The forward will look to provide sound rebounding skills and a solid in-and-out shooting game for the Golden Eagles, all while trying to stay on the floor while continuing to recover from knee injury.
"And the same goes for Matt Marseille," added Payne while talking about keeping players healthy. "On last year's team when Matt was healthy, we played well. When you look back, our best games were when Matt was healthy. He gave us another scorer and rebounder and toughness."


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I am searching for the families of Robert Armour Nixon DOB 1873, son of Robert Nixon and Margaret (?) Harper and his wife Katherine Ann Crawford DOB 1857, daughter of Thomas Crawford and Elizabeth Jones.
I am the New Zealand branch of this family.Any info gratefully received as I'm stuck.
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Hoosier Park Grabs 3 " Best Of" Awards
Recent Article in The Herald Bulletin-
Those at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino have always considered themselves the best of a variety of things and Madison County residents agreed, voting it the best buffet, live music venue and place for entertainment.
"We look at Hoosier Park as having many facets for entertainment," said Grant D. Scharton, Hoosier Park's director of public relations. "Of course there is the casino, but there is also the great racing product, a variety of dining options and then the concerts. It is centrally located and offers a wide variety of entertainment options — multiple ways to win big, socialize with friends and have a thrilling night out. There are entertainment options for everybody."
Scharton said that variety is why he thinks Hoosier Park was chosen for the third year in a row for the best place for entertainment in the awards.
Hoosier Park consistently brings in some of the greatest names in entertainment, he said, for both the summer music track concert series and the concerts in the Terrace Showroom including upcoming Air Supply and Wilson Phillips, Scharton said. He said information about the upcoming summer concert series will be available in the next month on the website at www.hoosierpark.com.
During last year's summer series, more than 30,000 people came to Hoosier Park for the shows and the facility received more than 3.5 million visits.
The Prime Harvest Buffet stands out because of not only the quality product offered but also the friendly service of the staff.
Rudy McMillan, director of food and beverage at Hoosier Park, said the quality of the product has remained high and prices low. The seafood nights — Friday and Saturday — and Sunday brunch offer a variety of different items including crab, prime rib, fresh sushi and a chocolate fountain.
"You could have all the quality food in the world, but if you don't have the great quality staff you can't go any further," he said.
Scharton said the combination of good quality food and a great team makes the buffet a star.
With more than 300,000 visitors to the buffet in 2011, assistant director of food and beverage Amy Whitler said a "great, smiling team" is key.
In addition to the $5.95 lunch buffet offered, Hoosier Park offered its club members 55 and over a 55-cent buffet and had 1,650 take advantage of that special offer, Scharton said.


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"American Horror Story: Coven" is getting more than Stevie Nicks music. The legendary rocker is set to guest star on the FX show, series creator Ryan Murphy tweeted Tuesday.
"Guess who's visiting to the Coven? The legendary Stevie Nicks!" Murphy wrote. The "Glee" co-creator has said in the past that ha has been a Nicks fan for years; he paid tribute to her music with Fleetwood Mac in a 2011 "Glee" episode.
Speculation about an appearance by the one-time Fleetwood Mac singer started when one of the show's characters, necromancing loner Misty Day (Lily Rabe), voiced her love for "the white witch" in an early episode. Murphy told Entertainment Weekly that when came up with the Misty character, he thought about how she'd probably be a Nicks fan, too.
"So I called Stevie Nicks and first I said, 'I want to use you in the show.' But she was very resistant because from the beginning of her career people who are in the Wiccan community had given her a hard time thinking she was a witch and she got a lot of scary fan letters," he told EW. "She didn't like the darkness of that, and I explained to her the part and she's like, 'Aw f—, let's just do it. OK, I love it.'"
The date of Nicks' appearance has not yet been announced.
Want more? Discuss this article and others on Show Patrol's Facebook page.


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"I am afraid the ship's on fire." These fateful words were uttered by the Captain of the Brig Helen on 6th August 1852, which was sailing from South America to London, as a fire broke out in the ship's hold. The dramatic events of the fire and subsequent rescue of the ship's crew and passengers are recorded in a letter from the great Victorian naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913), who had spent the previous four years travelling through the Amazon, to his friend Richard Spruce (1817-1893).
(Right) Page one of the eight page letter to Spruce
© Natural History Museum
The letter was written from the Brig Jordeson on 19th September 1852, the vessel that saved the stricken survivors after they had endured ten harrowing days and nights in a small row boat, 200 miles from the nearest land, with water seeping into the boat from numerous holes. Wallace describes how he was "scorched by the sun, [his] hands nose and ears being completely skinned, and [was] drenched every day by the seas and spray". They finally anchored ship at Deal, Kent, on 1st October with Wallace rejoicing to Spruce "Oh! Glorious day! Here we are on shore at Deal where the ship is at anchor. Such a dinner! Oh! Beef steaks and damson tart, a paradise for hungry sinners." The joy at being back on dry land in England is clear to see, made even more poignant by the terrible storms they had to endure in the English Channel the night before they anchored; storms, in which "many vessels were lost".
Alfred Russel Wallace was born in Usk, Monmouthshire on 8th January 1823, the eighth of nine children. Leaving school at 14 due to his family's financial constraints, he trained as a land-surveyor, working with his brother William until 1843, when, owing to a down-turn in work, he lost his job. This turn of fate led him to meet budding young amateur naturalist Henry Walter Bates (1825-1892) in Leicester, Bate's hometown, after Wallace accepted a job at the Collegiate School there. Wallace moved to Neath, Wales in 1845, but kept in regular contact with Bates, and it was this friendship that first stirred in Wallace an interest in entomology.
A seed was sown in Wallace's mind after reading William Henry Edward's book A Voyage up the River Amazon, and early in 1848 he began making plans with Bates for their own voyage to South America. This idea came to fruition as the two young, eager friends set sail from Liverpool on 26th April 1848 bound for Pará (Belém).
For Wallace the aim of their Amazon trip was two-fold. Firstly, they were to go and collect specimens of birds, insects and other animals not only for their private collections, but also to sell to collectors and museums across Europe. Secondly, Wallace went with the aim of attempting to discover the mechanism of evolution. Having read the controversial Vestiges of Natural History of Creation by Robert Chambers in 1845, he became convinced of the reality of evolution, which was then known by the term of transmutation. Indeed, in a letter to Bates in 1847, he asserted that he sought to "take one family, to study thoroughly- principally with a view to the theory of the origin of species".
(Left) Alfred Russel Wallace, 1848. © Natural History Museum
Wallace and Bates parted company whilst there to focus on different areas, with Wallace travelling around the Amazon basin and Rio Negro. It was here he made beautifully intricate drawings of fish species he found on the Rio Negro, and also used his land surveying skills to create a wonderfully detailed map of the Rio Negro; so detailed and accurate that it became the standard map of the river for many years.
Wallace decided to leave the Amazon in 1852 after becoming quite poorly. He sadly lost his brother, Edward, in June 1851 to yellow fever, after Edward had joined Wallace and Bates early on the expedition. Wallace boarded the brig Helen on 12th July, sailing for 26 days before disaster struck.Wallace describes very candidly in his letter to Spruce the frantic moments after the discovery of the fire and the realisation that they would need to abandon ship. He managed to run back to his cabin and collect some items together in a small tin box. He tells Spruce he felt "foolish" in saving his watch and money. However, once aboard the life-boat his regrets at not having "saved some new shoes, cloth coat and trousers" are clear to see. Tragically, Wallace lost all of his natural history specimens, so painstakingly collected over the previous two years; the specimens he collected during the first two years having been successfully posted back to his agent, and he recounts this tragedy to Spruce in the letter:
(Below) One of the intricate fish drawings Wallace was able to save before abandoning the Brig Helen © Natural History Museum
"My collections however were in the hold and were irrevocably lost. And now I begin to think, that almost all the reward of my four years of privation and danger were lost. What I had hitherto sent home had little more than paid my expenses and what I had in the "Helen" I calculated would realise near £500 (around £30,000 in today's money). But even all this might have gone with little regret had not far the richest part of my own private collection gone also. All my private collection of insects and birds since I left Pará was with me, and contained hundreds of new and beautiful species which would have rendered (I had fondly hoped) my cabinet, as far regards American species, one of the finest in Europe"
A few gems from this trip, however, do survive, and are preserved by us here at the Museum, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and The Linnean Society. When in his cabin, frantically trying to fit as much as he could in his tin box, Wallace scooped up the drawings he had made of the fishes of the Rio Negro and of Amazonian palms. The Library's Special Collections now hold the four volumes of fish drawings, with the palm drawings held by the Linnean. The specimens of palms collected, which are now housed in Kew's Herbarium were sent back during the first two years of the expedition.
At the end of his letter to Spruce, written from London on 8th October, Wallace muses about his next trip. He mentions the Andes or the Philippines as possible destinations for his next collecting expedition. However, Wallace, in 1854, headed out to explore the islands of the Malay Archipelago (Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia), spending eight years there and finally realising his aim of uncovering the mechanism of evolution – a theory that came to him as he was recovering from fever in Ternate in early 1858. An essay followed; one that was sent to Charles Darwin, received in June 1858, and which was read on 1st July at the Linnean Society in London, alongside Darwin's own paper on the subject, and which led to the "Darwin-Wallace Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection". The rest they say, is history.
This letter caught my imagination as soon as I read it, as it highlights the real danger faced by those who travelled to far flung corners of the world in the hope of advancing our understanding of the natural world, in sometimes dangerous and harsh conditions. I also really feel for Wallace having lost the fruits of his hard fought labour. However, every story has a silver lining and Wallace's Malay Archipelago trip certainly must have helped heal the wounds of the lost Amazon collections. The result of eight years hard work in south-east Asia was an unrivalled collection of 110,000 insects, 7,500 shells, 8,050 bird skins, and 410 mammal and reptile specimens, including well over a thousand species new to science. His book The Malay Archipelago, first published in 1869, is the most celebrated travel book of that region and has not been out of print since it was first published.
The letter to Spruce forms part of the Wallace Collection held in the NHM Library & Archives, and is included in the Wallace Correspondence Project, a three year project based in the Library & Archives, which aims to create a catalogue of all known surviving correspondence to and from Wallace and to make the catalogue available online. You can find out more about the project here Wallace Correspondence Project and look out for the catalogue of correspondence which will be launching this autumn on the Museum's website.


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This time of year, recent high school graduates are shopping for supplies, packing their bags and perusing brochures and course listings from their selected college or university.
Freshman orientation is just around the corner. It makes me wonder how many, like my younger self, are considering careers in primary-care medicine?
To be sure, the practice of medicine faces some interesting challenges, ranging from political to scientific to socioeconomic. Yet there has perhaps been no better time to consider a career in medicine.
It is yet unclear exactly what effect recent health-care reform efforts will have on the medical workforce. However, the combination of expanded Medicaid coverage in many states (including Colorado) and the requirement for most Americans to carry health insurance starting in 2014 will certainly increase demand on the health-care system.
Add to this the fact that the aging baby-boom generation is adding millions of new Medicare enrollees each year. As our population ages, the demand for medical care will continue to increase.
The argument for a robust system of primary care is strong. Many professional organizations, including physician and hospital groups, advocate the importance of a "medical home" model of health care.
With increasing specialization, in some respects our health-care system has become more fragmented. Maintaining ties with a primary-care medical home helps patients to navigate our complex health system. This has the potential to enhance continuity and quality of care and hopefully contribute to better patient satisfaction.
An analysis published last month by the Association of American Medical Colleges draws attention to the gap between demand for qualified physicians and the number of new students entering the medical field. It cites not only the aging American population and addition of 32 million new insurance enrollees under the Affordable Care Act but also an aging physician workforce as factors in the projected shortfall.
It is estimated that by 2020, the physician workforce demand will exceed the national supply of qualified physicians by more than 91,000 providers. More than half of this shortfall will be in primary-care medical specialties.
To address this need, enrollment in accredited U.S. medical schools is increasing and is already up 18 percent since 2002. Medical school enrollment is projected to increase 30 percent by the 2017-18 academic year (the class for which today's entering college freshmen would be applying to medical school).
In an uncertain economy, many young college graduates are struggling to find work. Medicine offers a measure of job and financial security. Moreover, medical science is on the cutting edge of innovation and provides a wealth of intellectual stimulation.
The practice of primary-care medicine offers opportunities to build rewarding relationships with individual patients and with communities. The effect of a health-care provider's work on a daily basis is often palpable.
There are many exciting opportunities for those preparing to enter college. I encourage more young people to consider a career in primary-care medicine.
Dr. Matthew A. Clark is a board-certified physician in internal medicine and pediatrics practicing at the Ute Mountain Ute Health Center in Towaoc.


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SEATTLE (AP) — Courtroom audio reveals that Washington state prosecutors asked a judge to hold future Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis on $25,000 bail after he was arrested for malicious mischief in Seattle in 2004.
Alexis was arrested after he shot out the tire of a construction worker's vehicle next door to his home in Seattle. Despite the bail request, King County Superior Court Judge Mariane Spearman released him from custody on two conditions: that he not possess guns, and that he have no contact with the construction worker.
In a brief exchange, Alexis told the judge he could agree to the conditions, which were in force for 72 hours from the time of his arrest.
Alexis was never charged in the Seattle shooting, and it remains unclear why.


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Well before we break this down, let's take a little peek at the numbers. Here they are:
We need to know how they got these numbers and what they mean before we analyze them. Here is how the experiment was carried out:
Four plants from each of the five super hot strains were selected at random. 25 pods from each of these plants were picked, dried, and ground. This leaves four samples of each strain, each containing the dried powder from 25 peppers. Each sample was divided up and analyzed at three different labs. One sample of the Trinidad Scorpion Morouga Blend tested at around 2 million SHU at one of the labs. To better understand what's happening here, I created a sample graph showing the results of the experiment. I estimated the data points based on the given max, min, and mean values, as well as past known results. This graph is only for the TSMB plants.
I want you to note a few things from this graph:
1. Each plant has three data points, one from each lab (estimated). They are 100 SHU apart for a total spread of 200 SHU.
2. This graph goes from 0-2M SHU. Note how incredibly far apart all of these data values are, and how little 100,000 SHU looks like on the graph! This data is ALL OVER THE PLACE.
3. There are two means on the graph. The top (red) one is for the TSMB mean, and the bottom is the Chocolate 7 mean. Note how close they are together in comparison to the rest of the data points.
Based on these data points we can come to ONLY ONE conclusion, and a weak one at that:
The TSMB has produced the hottest chili sample ever tested by HPLC.
That's it. Nothing more. All of the other results are inconclusive, but they are fun to look at. The CPI took four samples, and used three labs to clarify the SHU reading of each one. This reduces the amount of error that they can have by using four standardized SHU measurements, but they still failed to use enough samples to make their results look worthwhile. Simply put, they accounted for the error of the HPLC measurements, but did NOT account for the large standard deviation of pepper heat between plants/pods.
What happens to our means if we add a fifth sample? All we need to drop the mean of the TSMB measurement down below the Chocolate 7 mean is one perfectly reasonable new data point. In fact, if a new sample of TSMB came in at 900,000 SHU (average from each lab) and all of the other means stayed the same, the Chocolate 7 would have the new highest mean.
With only four samples, who's to say that if they tested 10 more plants that the Chocolate 7 wouldn't have tested 2.1M in one sample? Frankly, with a standard deviation this high we can't say anything about which one is hotter and which one can create hotter pods. However, this test study does give us a good idea of how hot these pods are. The data isn't useless. I would say that we can say with relative certainty that the Bhut Jolokia, 7 pot, and possibly even Trinidad Scorpion are not the hottest pepper in the world. I wouldn't say that we can be 100% certain, but we can at least have a decent amount of confidence. There's always the possibility that the lowest sample of the TSMB was a fluke and it in fact averages much higher and CAN be called the hottest in the world. Of course we will have to wait for future testing to see that.
For future tests, I would recommend a data set containing samples from at LEAST a dozen plants, with tests done on the Chocolate 7, TSMB, Trinidad Scorpion, and the Douglah. There should also be testing done confirming that the Brain Strain and TSMB are the same strain, otherwise the Brain Strain should be tested as well. This will give us a MUCH better picture of which pepper can in fact be called the hottest in the world. Once we have tested enough samples we can form a bell curve for each of the hottest strains and more accurately describe the range and average heat a chili plant will produce under a given set of conditions. It's a nice thought, but a lot of work.
Hopefully this helps you guys understand this study and helps you in finding the hottest chilies for yourselves. Quite frankly there are a lot at the top and we can't call any one pod the hottest at the moment. The only way to see what you like for heat and flavor is to try your own.
Edited by mrz1988, 08 February 2012 - 10:58 PM.


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Investments in the data center, both for physical and cloud infrastructures, continued to rise in 2011 as customers looked for ways to increase the efficiency of their IT operations.
That investment came in the form of more efficient IT equipment that can help cut power and cooling costs while making data centers ready for increased migration of IT operations to cloud computing. However, that investment also caused shifts in the way IT vendors jostle for mind share as customers looked at their strategic options. Those options included the choices of which suppliers best suit their IT needs, and whether they even need to purchase new equipment going forward. Clouds, cloudbursts, consolidation and containers all contributed to changes in the way customers and suppliers approached the data center in 2011.
The following are 10 reasons why the channel remains focused on the data center.


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PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Officials in the third-largest county in Pennsylvania have agreed to issue same-sex marriage licenses, despite a state law that bans the practice.
D. Bruce Hanes, the register of wills in Montgomery County in southeast Pennsylvania, said he wants to come down "on the right side of history and the law." He agreed to issue a license Tuesday to two women who contacted him last week.
The women changed their minds, however, after a Tuesday morning discussion with the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania, which has a pending lawsuit challenging the state law.
Their attorney Michael Diamondstein said the couple, two doctors in their 40s, decided "today is not the day" because of fears the marriage would be overturned. He said they still hope to marry in Pennsylvania.


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A child with a respiratory allergy may have a stuffy and/or runny nose, sneezing, itchy skin and eyes, and/or red, watery eyes. Needless to say, it can be very uncomfortable. Whether the condition is seasonal or chronic depends on the particular allergen involved. Seasonal allergies tend to be caused by pollen, so symptoms recur at about the same time every year, usually when the offending plant is in bloom. Hay fever is an example of a seasonal allergy. Spring hay fever is most often due to pollens from grass and trees, while hay fever in later summer and early fall is usually caused by sensitivity to ragweed pollen and molds.
Ongoing or chronic allergies are usually caused by factors that are present
in the environment year-round, such as animal fur, dust, or feathers.
Allergic rhinitis is a chronic inflammation of the mucous membrane lining
the nasal passages that is caused by an allergic reaction. It is characterized
by a stuffy, runny nose, frequent sneezing, and a tendency to breathe through the mouth A child's eyes may be red and watery. Headache, itchiness, nosebleeds, and fatigue may be secondary complications. Dark circles under the eyes (called "allergic shiners"), along with a puffy look to the face, are frequently seen. Infants with chronic rhinitis are frequently allergic to food, most often cow's milk Older children with constantly runny noses are often reacting to wool, molds, feathers, dust, animal dander, and/or pollen. In some cases, a chronic runny nose may not be the result of an allergic reaction, however, and should be distinguished from a more serious underlying illness, such as chronic sinusitis. This is a task best performed by a health care professional.
Whether symptoms occur seasonally or chronically, there is often a family history of allergies; many times a parent or grandparent of an allergy sufferer also had allergies. In the presence of an allergen, a child's immune system releases histamines and similar chemicals to fight what it perceives as an invader. These chemicals cause a string of reactions, including the swelling and congestion of nasal passages and increased mucus production. This is essentially a hypersensitive or overactive response by a child's body to an external stimulus. A growing child becomes more capable of fighting off infections as his immune system matures, and he may also outgrow allergies.
Allergies can also contribute to other chronic health problems, such as acne, asthma, bedwetting, chronic ear infections, eczema, irritability, and even difficulty maintaining concentration. Allergic reactions can occur immediately after exposure to the offending substance, or take days to surface. A delayed allergic reaction can make it more difficult to pinpoint the allergen.
Conventional Treatment
Treatment for an allergy often begins with identifying the allergens that are causing the problem. There are several tests your physician may recommend to identify the particular allergens that are making your child's life miserable:
Once testing has been completed, treatment may be recommended. Antihistamines are the medications most commonly used for respiratory allergies. Antihistamines work by blocking the action of chemicals called histamines, which are produced by the body in reaction to the presence of an allergen. Histamines cause swelling and congestion of nasal passages and increased mucus production. By blocking their action, antihistamines diminish allergic symptoms. Brompheniramine (in Allerhist and Dimetane, among others), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) are common over-the-counter antihistamines suggested for respiratory allergies. Prescription antihistamines include azatadine (Optimine, Trinalin), clemastine (Tavist), astemizole (Hismanal), promethazine (Phenergan), and terfenadine (Seldane). Terfenadine and astemizole are relatively new medications that have the benefit of not causing the drowsiness that other antihistamines do. Check with your doctor before giving your child an antihistamine. Some of these medicines are not recommended for children under two years of age.
Cromolyn sodium (Intel or Nasalcrom) is a prescription medication that can be taken as a nasal spray to prevent the symptoms of respiratory allergies. It works by coating the membranes of the nose and stabilizing the white blood cells so that they do not react to foreign substances. In some cases this drug can cause gastrointestinal upset or throat and nose irritation, but it usually produces few side effects and is generally considered safe because it is minimally absorbed into the bloodstream. Its major drawback is that it must be used consistently, six times a day, for at least two weeks before it begins to take effect.
Decongestants decrease nasal congestion and swelling by constricting the blood vessels in the nasal membranes, thus allowing the mucus to drain more effectively. Decongestants are available as pills, nasal drops, and nasal sprays. These include oxymetazoline (in Afrin, Dristan, Neo-Synephrine 12 Hour, Sinex, and others), phenylephrine (in Alconefrin, Allerest, Coricidin Decongestant Nasal Mist, Neo-Synephrine, and Vacon), phenylpropanolamine (found in many common over-the-counter formulas, including Bayer Children's Cold Tablets, Contac, Coricidin D, Ornex, Sine-Off, Sinutab, St. Joseph Cold Tablets for Children, and Triaminic), and pseudoephedrine (Cenafed, Neo-Fed, Novafed, Sudafed, or Sudrin). These medications have a number of common side effects, including restlessness and insomnia. Also, if a spray or drop form is used for more than three or four days in a row, it creates a dependency that results in a rebound—or worsening of symptoms--when the medicine is stopped. Check with your doctor before giving your child a decongestant. Some of these medicines are not recommended for children under two years of age.
An increasing trend has been to use steroid inhalant sprays such as triamcinolone (Nasacort) and beclomethasone (Beclovent, VanceriL Vancenase, or Be conase). They are especially useful for older children who suffer from chronic allergic rhinitis. These are powerful anti-innammatories, and decrease swelling and mucus production as well as the oral antihistamines do, without causing sedation. When used as nasal sprays, steroids tend to be well tolerated and safe, and they can be very effective. By contrast, nasal decongestant sprays (such as Afrin, Neo-Synephrine, and others), while highly effective for a few days, will rapidly produce dependency and should be avoided.
When antihistamines offer no relief, desensitization is sometimes recommended for the relief of allergies. This involves the injection of gradually increasing amounts of allergen into the body over a period of time. However, the procedure is complicated and costly, requires careful supervision by a physician, and is not always effective. It should be tried only in cases where no other form of treatment affords any relief.
Dietary Guidelines
Eliminate dairy foods from your child's diet. Dairy foods can thicken mucus and stimulate an increase in mucus production. If your child's allergies are seasonal, it may also be helpful to avoid whole wheat during the allergy season, as many children are sensitive to this food.
A child who has respiratory allergies may also be allergic to certain foods. In addition to dairy products and wheat, common culprits include eggs, chocolate, nuts, seafood, and citrus fruits and juices. Try eliminating one of these foods for a few weeks and watch for an improvement. Use an elimination or rotation diet to discover and work with food allergies (see
Elimination Diet or Rotation Diet).
Or keep a diary recording your child's symptoms and the foods eaten.
Encourage your child to drink lots of water to thin secretions and ease expectoration.
Cut out cooked fats and oils. When your child's body is under any type of stress, including the stress of an allergic reaction, the digestive system is not as strong as usual, and fats—which are difficult to digest at the best of times—can put a strain on the digestive system. Also, undigested fats contribute to mucus production and foster a toxic internal environment.
Nutritional Supplements
For age-appropriate dosages of nutritional supplements, see Dosage Guidelines for Herbs and Nutritional Supplements.
Beta-carotene is used by the body to make vitamin A. It also heals and soothes irritated mucous membranes. If your child's allergies are chronic, try giving him one dose of beta-carotene, twice a day, for two to three months. If his allergies are seasonal, give your child one dose of beta-carotene a day during the allergy season.
Bioflavonoids are potent anti-inflammatories with specific antiallergenic effects. They are chemically related to cromolyn sodium (discussed on page 90, under Conventional Treatment). They are best taken with vitamin C. Give your child one dose, three times a day, for two weeks.
Calcium and magnesium are important nutrients for the allergy sufferer. They help to relax an overreactive nervous system. Give your child one dose of a supplement containing 250 milligrams of calcium to 125 milligrams of magnesium, twice a day, while symptoms are acute. Then give the same dosage, once a day, for two months.
Essential fatty acids, such as those found in evening primrose, borage, black currant, and flaxseed oils, help to regulate the inflammatory response. You can give your child one or more of these oils either in capsule form or mixed into food such as salad dressing or butter. Follow dosage directions on the product label and give your child one dose of evening primrose oil, borage oil, black currant oil, or flaxseed oil, three times a day, for two weeks. Then give your child the same dose, once a day, for one month.
Note: Evening primrose oil should not be given to a child who has a fever.


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Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) Forfattere "Schneider, Cédric"
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Schneider, Cédric (København, 2007)[Flere oplysninger][Færre oplysninger]
Resume: The aim of this paper is to study the determinants of the outcomes of patent applications (withdrawal, refusal or grant). The application process at the European Patent O¢ ce is modelled in three stages, using a Trivariate Probit model with double selectivity correction in order to test whether the applicants patenting history has an eect on the outcome of the current application. I investigate the behavior of the applicant after the patent o¢ ce has established the "state of the art", a precondition to an invention being patentable. The main results are (i) rms with large patents portfolios act following a "trial and error" strategy, by applying for large numbers of patents and thereafter waiting for the patent o¢ ce s nal decision when the expected probability of grant is high, (ii) the technological importance of a patent is a crucial determinant of a successful application grant, (iii) a withdrawal is to be regarded as an expected refusal, since applicants tend to withdraw their applications when there is evidence that the inventions cannot be considered to be novel or to involve an inventive step. patents, intellectual property rights URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7693
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Kean University 75
Farmingdale State 65
Kean University (15-11) defeated Farmingdale State (20-9) 75-65 in tonight's ECAC first round game of the Division III Metro Men's Basketball Tournament. The Rams took the first lead early and held Kean until the 7-minute mark before Bryan Keller (Piscataway, NJ/Piscataway) knocked down a three-pointer to put the Cougars ahead 23-21 to start a 15-0 run by Kean. The Cougars led 39-28 at the half and would not see their lead diminish until the six-minute mark of the second as the Rams went on a 13-2 run to go up by one. But Kean battled back and took the final lead of the game, moving onto the semifinal round against #2 seeded Lehman College on Friday, March 4th.
Kean's Keller led the team in scoring with 16 points, shooting 3-for-4 from behind the arc. BJ Hamby (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) and Tan Kesler (Istanbul, Turkey/Paksoy Lisesi) both finished with 13 points for the Cougars. Armet Coles (Staten Island, NY/St. Peter's) scored 12 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.
Farmingdale's Kenny McMillan (Bronx, NY/All Hallows) finished with a game-high 19 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Brandon Nieves (Harlem, NY/All Hallows) totaled 13 points and four steals.


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Franconia Notch chamber opposes Northern PassUnion Leader staff
July 22. 2013 9:32PM
The Franconia Notch Regional Chamber of Commerce is the latest North Country chamber to go on record as opposed to the Northern Pass hydroelectric project.
In a recent statement, the chamber cited impact on the tourism industry as a major concern, and expressed the view that the project "may not contribute in any meaningful way to the region's long-term economic health, reducing both tourism, local property values, and our renowned quality of life in New Hampshire's North Country."
Local power producers and future renewable energy projects could be put at a competitive disadvantage to benefit a foreign utility, the statement claimed, adding, "There are no guarantees that the imported power will lower electric power costs in New Hampshire or the North Country once added to the New England regional grid."
"We firmly believe that Economic Impact Studies performed have over-estimated the Northern Pass project's short- and long-term benefits and underestimated the negative effects on the North Country economy," the chamber stated. "The Franconia Notch Regional Chamber of Commerce is a pro-business organization, but we do not feel that the Northern Pass as proposed or amended will benefit the North Country, its businesses, communities or citizens in any economic, financial or civic way."
The project calls for 1,200-megawatt power lines to transport hydroelectric power from Quebec into the New England grid, via New Hampshire.
Chambers in the heavily developed southern tier of the state have come out in support of the project, while North Country chambers have been opposed. The Franconia Notch chamber joins chambers in Colebrook, Plymouth and Littleton in voting against the Northern Pass, while chambers in Nashua, Manchester and Rochester have endorsed it.
PSNH, a main developer of the project, recently presented a new route through the North Country that calls for buying about eight miles of the line.
The regulated utility, a subsidiary or Northeast Utilities, has scheduled a series of informational luncheons for state lawmakers from Aug. 7 to Sept. 13, starting at the Puritan Conference Center in Manchester and ending at the Portsmouth Sheraton.Other stops along the way include Nashua, Keene, Berlin, Laconia and Concord.
All 424 state legislators have been invited to attend one of the legislative outreach sessions, according to Northern Pass spokesperson Mike Skelton. "We've scheduled multiple sessions in different parts of the state and legislators are able to attend whichever one fits with their schedule," he said.
The costs associated with these events, or any other costs related to Northern Pass, are paid for by Northeast Utilities shareholders, not PSNH customers, Skelton said.
"We've listened and improved our route from our original proposal and continue to solicit feedback from residents and legislators on how we can address additional concerns going forward," Skelton said.


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The Hood River City Police Department has kicked off the new year with a program to bring new hope to struggling families -- and invites the community to join that effort.
The municipality has launched a Sunshine Division fundraising drive to give area residents a one-time boost toward overcoming financial obstacles.
"This is a program that everyone can have ownership in, the only thing that limits our ability to give to those in need is the community's willingness to give," said Lieutenant Jerry Brown.
He said containers depicting the Sunshine Division's "Ray of Hope" logo are being set up in area businesses. All monies collected in those canisters will be placed into a special fund and used by two new resource officers to help fill in the gaps that prevent hard-working individuals from achieving a life goal.
"People might be too proud to ask for help but now we'll be able to identify that need and provide them with assistance," said Community Resource Officer Aaron Jubitz.
He and School Resource Officer Tiffany Hicks were hired with special federal grant funds last July to help strengthen the working relationship between city police and local communities.
During the past five months, Hicks and Jubitz have repeatedly observed that many area children and adults are struggling to better their lives in spite of daunting economic challenges.
"Some of the kids need just a little incentive to succeed in their classes," said Tiffany, who plans to use her share of the cash to reward academic achievement and help some youth pay extracurricular activity fees.
Brown said the money will be given confidentially to individuals of all ages who are already seeking to better their quality of life.
"Sometimes people have a much harder row to hoe because they won't ask for help but now we'll have a way to give them that help and let them know that we recognize and support the efforts they are making," said Brown.
Last March, city and county law enforcement officers began examining the services they provided to rural citizens to seek potential funding sources that would help meet any identified needs. Then the agencies went after grant dollars to hire extra officers that could customize a program for each area community.
Hicks is currently working with educators at Hood River and Wy'east middle schools and Cascade Locks High School to assist educators and administrators in their efforts to make the educational experience safe and more rewarding for students. As part of her work, Hicks said she has negotiated "contracts" with some disadvantaged students that sets up a reward system for good class attendance and work performance.
Jubitz has spent the last five months establishing 71 "neighborhood zones" within the City of Hood River. These areas have been linked by traffic flow, population density, location and criminal activity. He is now reviewing about 4,800 reports filed during the past three years to determine the law-enforcement need in each zone. Once that work is completed this spring Jubitz will meet with area service organizations, business leaders, and citizens to set up a strategy with citizens that will help law enforcement officials battle against specific safety or property threats.
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#student online games
Free Typing Games – Improve Your Typing Speed!
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For younger students its important to practice the correct typing rhythm. There is now a new music related Dance Mat Typing Game that generates simple variation of home row keys ( SDF JKL ) according to the selected song. Student can play the fun music game and practice rhythmic keyboarding even without thinking its learning process going on.
Free typing games have become one of the most popular ways to develop keyboarding skills in the classroom through both the level of interaction they allow and also the variety of students which they appeal to. While playing with keyboard, students are also learning hand eye coordination and muscle memory. These are two most important elements of mastering touch typing.
Free Typing Web Course has proven to be effective for learning how to quickly pick up a new skill. Students are challenged more and more at just the right times and rewarded upon completion. The idea of completing a challenge in exchange for a reward whether it is a certificate of completion or a name on the high score list is often enough to make the good experience for students.
Fun to Type Online Lessons
A great way to make typing web lessons fun is to turn each lesson into a game by encouraging your students to type as fast as possible. A keyboarding test will help students practice their keyboarding skills by challenging them to work hard to reach a goal. A wpm test should be age appropriate and attainable for students based on their ability. For younger kids, try setting a timer for a period of 30 seconds and make the goal small so it is easy to accomplish. For older children you can make the time period of the test to be at least a minute long. They key to encouraging students to participate is to offer positive feedback and give them several chances to try to beat their highest wpm.
Reaching the Goals
Children generally will feel some sort of accomplishment when they are able to reach goals. Younger kids will benefit from a simple sticker chart that shows their progress at the end of each class. Older children may like bar graphs or more formal charting.
In conclusion, keyboarding classes do not have to be boring. You can make them fun by utilizing these tips. By doing so you will encourage kids to want to learn how to type and keyboarding will become the highlight of their week. Just remember to change up your lessons often as well as to offer continuous praise in order to for your students to successfully meet the goal of learning how to type proficiently.
Kids are familiar with video gaming and over 90 per cent of school kids play them. Keyboarding games tap into the interactive aspect of the way students learn that are the core of this process. Through typing master games, students interact with the computer and their classmates to achieve both higher accuracy and speed.
Educational typing web games allow kids to interact on both a personal and classroom level. This happens by having goals that the student must meet or exceed. On the classroom level, they might compete for prizes based on their performance or by beating a high score set by another student.
Keyboarding is a Core Skill
TypingMaster has made a keyboarding blog in addition to typing software for giving some ideas about keyboarding skills to teachers. TypingMaster also has arranged some webinars in web, in October 2014 webinar we had some great discussion and would like to feature the slides as well as some of the highlights of that day in the blog.
For many students, learning touch type skills can be a frustrating task. It is not a suprise, considering there are so many new skills to learn at the same time: using all ten fingers, new finger movements, the idea of home keys, learning letter positions and typing without peeking at the keyboard.
Most Jobs Require Good Keyboarding Skills
Most jobs nowadays require at least the most basic computer skills, even jobs that 10 or 15 years ago did not. In fact, many employers are requiring candidates to be able to type at least a minimum of 35 wpm just for the sake of productivity. There are now even pre-employment typing test web sites for recruitment testing such as TypingTestPro.com. There are a variety of reasons that employers are looking for people with above average keyboarding skills. There are many important benefits that honing keyboard skills can give you. It is not just about making yourself attractive to potential employers, learning a skill such as touch-typing can help you get ahead in a number of ways.


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Xabi Alonso has stressed that it would be unfair to blame Cristiano Ronaldo for Real Madrid's Champions League elimination at the hands of Borussia Dortmund.
The Spaniards recorded a 2-0 win in the second leg of the semi-final tie at the Santiago Bernabeu after previously losing the first leg 4-1, yet the Portuguese failed to impress in Tuesday's encounter, missing a host of chances.
Nevertheless, Alonso feels it would be unjust to focus on the former Manchester United man's relatively poor display as he points out that other players missed good opportunities as well.
"There is no need to focus on Cristiano, everyone up front had chances," Alonso was quoted as saying on the official Madrid website.
"Ronaldo has been key for us this season and scored lots of goals. We are very happy with him and it was a shame that he didn't score."
The prolific attacker has netted 51 goals in as many appearances this season.


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BUFFALO -- Flyers goalie Brian Boucher will start Game 3 in Buffalo, and Michael Leighton will be his backup.
Sergei Bobrovsky will be in the press box.
The series is tied at one game each.
Injured winger Andreas Nodl will be replaced by Nik Zherdev.
Buffalo will get a boost as defenseman Jordan Leopold returns from a broken hand. He is about a week ahead of schedule.
Also today, Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren strongly denied an NBC report that Chris Pronger suffered a second break in his right hand a few weeks ago. Pronger took some wrist shots at today's practice in Buffalo but will not play.
Get exclusive videos and analysis in our new app for iPhone and Android. Download it here.


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18526-2.jpg was last modified: July 5th, 2018 by
18526-2.jpg was last modified: July 5th, 2018 by
Newswise — Wine, you may already know, is very big business in California. The state is the world's fourth-leading producer after France, Italy and Spain, and domestic sales of California wine reached a record retail value of $34.1 billion in 2016. Faculty...read more
It's a new year, which means manufacturers, retailers and consumers alike are on the lookout for the latest trends within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) space. And wine is a category to keep an eye on in the search for growth opportunities. When it...read more
I saw one of our editors working on this list of wine trends for an issue of The Patriot-News next week and decided to borrow it for my blog. At the same time, it makes me think about assembling a list of regional trends heading into 2014. Fred Tasker...read more


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xbay wrote:The reason he was suspended was because he didn't take back his racist views and said no apology about it. Bada is of Jewish decent, and although he's not one of those extremely religious Jews, the fact that sf brought up Hitler's views as acceptable ones was extremely intolerable. And the fact he didn't take it back was another.
If he's going to come back, he better apologize for his actions. If you all actually saw and witnessed what happened between Bada and Bigs in a talk with sf in the chat, you'd understand.
Exactly, man............that was the worst of all of it, I tried to copy some of it as proof but it didnt work.
You guys have to understand that the reason I am the most adament about him not being allowed back here is because I was closest to him, and was exposed to his disgusting views more than anyone............by far............I was so glad that Bada was in that chat to witness it all.


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Youzhny reaches Zagreb semis
Zagreb, Croatia – Reigning champion Mikhail Youzhny was an easy quarterfinal winner Friday at the Zagreb Indoors tennis event.
The third-seeded Russian drilled 2011 Zagreb titlist Ivan Dodig of Croatia, 6-3, 6-2, at Dom Sportova.
Youzhny beat Slovak Lukas Lacko in last year's finale here.
Also in the round of eight, fourth-seeded veteran Austrian left-hander Jurgen Melzer topped big-serving Czech Lukas Rosol 6-4, 6-4 and Dutchman Robin Haase snuck past German qualifier Philipp Petzschner 6-4, 3-6, 6-0. Melzer and Haase will square off in Saturday's semifinals.


text: In this brief outline for a sermon based on Romans 12:2, Dr. King asserts that Christians are citizens of two worlds, those of time and eternity. They are in the world, but not of it. In a generation of the mass mind, they are called to live differently – to make history not be made by history. But nonconformity in itself is not good; there must be a mental transformation. The world is on the brink of moral and physical destruction and the need of the hour is for nonconformists to materialism, nationalism and militarism.


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Havana goes West
Conservative Western Republicans embrace the Cuban cause
Among the countless mementos Fidel Castro collected during his many years as president of Cuba is a signed sketch of a little salmon swimming upstream. Idaho Gov. C. L. "Butch" Otter scribbled the diagram during one of his four lengthy meetings with Castro, in response to a detailed question about salmon and dams in the West.
Otter is one of a motley crew of conservative Western Republicans who object to U.S. policy toward Cuba. They say it's an insult to their notions of freedom and democracy, not to mention a barrier to the free flow of Western agricultural goods.
"It wasn't up until I became a member of Congress that I finally realized it wasn't a law of Cuba against United States citizens," Otter said last spring during a bus tour of Ernest Hemingway's old stomping grounds on the Caribbean island. "It was the United States government against United States citizens."
The 46-year-old U.S. embargo against Cuba, which bars most trade with and travel to the island, has been tightened under the Bush administration. Otter says it is anti-family and anti-individual. "How would you like it if your government said you can only see your mother once every three years?" he says. "That's what they're telling Cubans who live in the United States."
Not that many of those Cuban-Americans live in Idaho. Or Arizona. Or Wyoming. But the few who do have captured politicians' ears.
Manuel Lopez, one of just a handful of Cubans in Wyoming, runs a hotel in Jackson. He knew Dick Cheney before Cheney became vice president to the brother of the Florida governor and a Cuba hardliner; Cheney's daughter, Elizabeth, held a reception at Lopez's hotel after her 1993 marriage.
The Wyoming Cubans also include a rock climber in Jackson whose parents are Cuban, a woman who's lived in Casper since 1952, the guy who runs the mental hospital in Evanston and a Cubana who is married to a cowboy in Pinedale.
Lopez has two kids, though he does not consider them really Cuban. Before his parents died, the family visited them in Cuba every year; now, he is barred by the embargo from traveling there. "The majority of us - we feel very different than the politicians in Miami," Lopez told me. "I go with more of the common-sense approach than the angry approach."
Lopez and others have convinced Wyoming Republican Sen. Mike Enzi that the long-standing embargo is not effective and is particularly hard on Cuban-Americans with family on the island. Last year, Enzi introduced a bipartisan bill to open up travel to Cuba. He's been a leading advocate of ending the trade embargo, and sees the current policy as absurd. "If we allow travel to Cuba, if we increase trade and dialogue, we take away the Cuban government's ability to blame the hardships of the Cuban people on the United States," Enzi wrote in an e-mail. "In a very real sense, the more we work to improve the lives of the Cuban people, the more we will reduce the level and the tone of the rhetoric used against us by the Cuban government."
Rep. Jeff Flake, an Arizona Republican with libertarian leanings, puts it even more bluntly: "It's an issue of freedom," he says, "and I think that kind of speaks to Western members who are a little more individualist and don't think our government should tell us where we can and can't travel."
Robert Muse, an attorney who represents companies with claims against Cuba, says free travel and trade are part of the Western American ethos. And the iconography of the Cuban revolution - the guns and cigars - appeals to a Western ideal of undiluted masculinity, he says. Also, Westerners are suckers for a fair fight (the little island is still there), and for a quick buck.
"There is a kind of pragmatic mercantilism that has always been a factor in states that export primary commodities," says Muse.
In 2000, Congress allowed limited sales of food and medicine to Cuba. More than half of the states have since sent delegations to the island to explore trade. Even the Navajo Nation has inked a deal with the Cuban food import agency for pinto and black beans.
Agricultural exports to Cuba peaked at less than $400 million a few years ago, with most U.S. exports shipped through a half-dozen large commodity companies like Cargill, Riceland or Tyson. Still, the state delegations have become a key propaganda tool for the Cubans, and for anti-embargo politicians like Flake and Otter.
When Otter went to Cuba last April with a group of Idaho farmers and academics, the delegation came away with promises to buy $100,000 in boneless pork legs. But international trade aside, the Idahoans were impressed by Cuban schools and hospitals and wined and dined by Cuban officials, who lamented the effects of the embargo. Otter says he brought the group to Cuba partly to educate them about U.S.-Cuba policy.
Not every Western visitor has been embraced by Cuba, however.
During a 1998 visit, Armando Menocal, a second-generation Cuban-American from Jackson, "discovered" some great rock. "I found all these great limestone walls and I was back within two months. I was back with a climbing team," he says. Menocal launched what has become a rapidly growing climbing scene on the island. But the Cuban government, unsure of how to deal with the sport, banned him from returning.
"They haven't authorized climbing yet and until they authorize it you're not supposed to be doing it," says Menocal, who has been profiled in climbing magazines and in the Wall Street Journal. Still, he remains enthusiastic. "I think Cuba would be a great adventure-sport destination place," he says.
And if Otter, Flake and Enzi get their way, he'll likely be back - one of many Westerners arriving in Havana's old harbor, fly rods, mountain bikes and carabineers at the ready.
Nathaniel Hoffman is an independent reporter in Boise, Idaho. He edits PaleoMedia.org


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Word Worship's passionate and powerful vocalist, Meredith Andrews' newly released tune, "Not For A Moment (After All)," is available for purchase today at online retailers (iTunes link: http://smarturl.it/meredithandrews). The single, which is the...
Mark your calendars!!
Chris August will be joining everyone for a live chat on Wednesday, August 1 at 4:30 PM CST.
You'll be able to tune in HERE!
2010 Dove Award winners for "Best New Artist," Sidewalk Prophets, join forces with K-LOVE for Sidewalk Concert Series. During the week of July 13-20, K-LOVE listeners submitted invitations they created with sidewalk chalk inviting the band over. While on the road July 23-27, Dave from Sidewalk...
It's Christmas In July!! And we're celebrating with 25% off all t-shirts in the online store all this week.
CLICK HERE to go to the online store....
The wait is over!! Watch the official "He Said" music video (featuring Chris August) now. Be sure to let us know what you think!
Leading hip-hop sensation, Group 1 Crew, to release new album, Fearless, on Fervent Records September 10. The duo, comprised of Blanca Callahan and Manwell Reyes, had a hand in writing or co-writing all of the 13 tracks on the album. Their first single from the album, "He Said (featuring Chris...
Watch the preview for Group 1 Crew with Chris August's music video for "He Said". Stay tuned for the full-length video coming soon!
We are celebrating our new season of Girls of Grace: The Beautiful Truth by offering 25% off all tickets, this week only! As a gift of our appreciation, we would like for you to be a part of a Girls of Grace Conference for an incredible price.
Hot new duo, for KING & COUNTRY, release, "The Proof Of Your Love (The Monologue Mix)," digitally to fans on June 12. The new version of the single, which includes a monologue from 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, jumped into the Top 5 on iTunes immediately upon release while climbing to No. 19 on...
Have you heard "The Proof Of Your Love" on the radio with the 1 Corinthians monologue? Download it on iTunes today!
CLICK HERE to download on iTunes.


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El33tonline writes:
"If you've logged into Xbox LIVE very recently, you would have been met with a request to download a new system update, but what does this mysterious update do exactly?"
News these days, they don't even bother digging enuff
added new dashboard style, other security updates. Anti-Piracy 3.0, XGD 4.5 Challenge responses has been updated
update most likely due to Gears leak yesterday on internet :)
Thank you MS for continually improving the xbox live experience and reliability. This is why we continue to pay instead of use the sub-par free options available.
Again, thanks!!!
I suspect given the trend on the internets the last two weeks, I will get the most agrees if I offer that this update is designed to enhance the xbox's ability to ruthlessly murder babies, puppies and kittens.
It should be free. It offers nothing. My experience with xboxlive has made me understand that my PS3 has a better service. I've played all the COD's up until Black Ops 2. I decided to buy it on the PS3. I have had less interuptions and lag problems on the PN then Live. Hell, even the Netflix streaming looks way better on the PS3. So what service are we talking about on xboxlive that's so great. I really like both systems, but Xboxlive doesn't offer really much that I can't get for free on the PS3.
Sounds pretty insignificant to me.
"Xbox LIVE System update out today. No big changes just an update to default settings that will only be visible to certain users in the EU" -Major Nelson


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I found this today, I wonder if they thought "I wonder where the old filter went"
Oh ya they weren't even the right size lol
They were trying to make it a "high efficiency filter"!
Something or someone was high I'd say lol
Is that one of the units that came with the U shaped filter material in the blower compartment?
I used to run into that a lot, people just start stuffing filters everywhere!
It has a regular return air drop. Part of the problem was they were Puting 20" instead of 25" filters in so they must disappear
Why do old NUGK's seem to attract this sort of thing? I swear I find more junk in the bottom of those than anything else.
Maybe it's because they're all ancient and only still installed in ****holes.
Filter shims
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
Better than no filter, unless it's a restriction.
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