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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, July 27, 2015
Media Contact:
Dr. Joan Najita
Deputy Press Officer
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
950 N Cherry Ave
Tucson AZ 85719 USA
+1 520-318-8416
E-mail: email@example.com
Fig 1: Two ultra-dense galaxies (insets) have been discovered orbiting larger host galaxies. The compact systems are thought to be the remnants of once normal galaxies that were swallowed by the host, a process that removed the fluffy outer parts of the systems, leaving the dense centers behind. Image credit: A. Romanowsky (SJSU), Subaru, Hubble Legacy Archive
Fig 2: Artist's depiction of the night sky as seen from a planet at the heart of an ultracompact galaxy. More than a million stars are visible with the naked eye, in contrast to the few thousand visible from Earth. Image credit: NASA, ESA, G. Bacon (STScI) and P. van Dokkum (Yale University)
Fig 3. Reconstructed spectrum of light from the ultracompact galaxies M59-UCD3, as seen by the SOAR telescope (top) and M85-HCC1, as seen by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (bottom). Dark bands are the fingerprints of atoms and molecules in the atmospheres of the stars in the galaxy. These bands reveal the compositions and ages of the stars as well as the velocities of the galaxies.
Fig 4. Computer animated movie showing the formation of an ultra-dense galaxy: the giant host galaxy disrupts the smaller galaxy, removing its fluffy outer parts, and the dense center is left behind. The animation then zooms in to a possible embedded planet and supermassive black hole. Click for the full version. Credit: M. Sandoval, A. Romanowsky (SJSU).
Science Contact
Dr. Aaron Romanowsky
Department of Physics and Astronomy
San José State University
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA 95192 USA
E-mail: email@example.com
NOAO: Hiding in Plain Sight: Undergraduates Discover the Densest Galaxies Known
Two undergraduates at San José State University have discovered two galaxies that are the densest known. Similar to ordinary globular star clusters but a hundred to a thousand times brighter, the new systems have properties intermediate in size and luminosity between galaxies and star clusters.
The first system discovered by the investigators, M59-UCD3, has a width two hundred times smaller than our own Milky Way Galaxy and a stellar density 10,000 times larger than that in the neighborhood of the Sun. For an observer in the core of M59-UCD3, the night sky would be a dazzling display, lit up by a million stars. The stellar density of the second system, M85-HCC1, is higher still: about a million times that of the Solar neighborhood. Both systems belong to the new class of galaxies known as ultracompact dwarfs (UCDs).
The study, led by undergraduates Michael Sandoval and Richard Vo, used imaging data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Subaru Telescope, and Hubble Space Telescope, as well as spectroscopy from the Goodman Spectrograph on the Southern Astrophysical Research Telescope (SOAR), located on the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory site. The National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) is a SOAR partner. The SOAR spectrum was used to show that M59-UCD3 is associated with a larger host galaxy, M59, and to measure the age and elemental abundances of the galaxy's stars.
"Ultracompact stellar systems like these are easy to find once you know what to look for. However, they were overlooked for decades because no one imagined such objects existed: they were hiding in plain sight", said Richard Vo. "When we discovered one UCD serendipitously, we realized there must be others, and we set out to find them."
The students were motivated by the idea that all it takes to initiate a discovery is a good idea, archival data, and dedication. The last element was critical, because the students worked on the project on their own time. Aaron Romanowsky, the faculty mentor and coauthor on the study, explained, "The combination of these elements and the use of national facilities for follow up spectroscopy is a great way to engage undergraduates in frontline astronomical research, especially for teaching universities like San José State that lack large research budgets and their own astronomical facilities."
The nature and origins of UCDs are mysterious – are they the remnant nuclei of tidally stripped dwarf galaxies, merged stellar super-clusters, or genuine compact dwarf galaxies formed in the smallest peaks of primordial dark matter fluctuations?
Michael Sandoval favors the tidally stripped hypothesis. "One of the best clues is that some UCDs host overweight supermassive black holes. This suggests that UCDs were originally much bigger galaxies with normal supermassive black holes, whose fluffy outer parts were stripped away, leaving their dense centers behind. This is plausible because the known UCDs are found near massive galaxies that could have done the stripping."
An additional line of evidence is the high abundance of heavy elements such as iron in UCDs. Because large galaxies are more efficient factories to make these metals, a high metal content may indicate that the galaxy used to be much larger.
To test this hypothesis, the team will investigate the motions of stars in the center of M59-UCD3 to look for a supermassive black hole. They are also on the hunt for more UCDs, to understand how commonly they occur and how diverse they are.
"Hiding in plain sight: record-breaking compact stellar systems in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey," Michael A. Sandoval, Richard P. Vo, Aaron J. Romanowsky et al. 2015, Astrophysical Journal Letters, 808, L32. (Preprint: http://arxiv.org/abs/1506.08828)
NOAO is operated by Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc. (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.


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Second annual Freshkills Park haiku contest
National Poetry Month is coming to a close. For the second year in a row, we've invited people to share ideas, impressions, experiences, and thoughts of Freshkills Park in Haiku form. A Haiku is a type of poem written in three lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables, for a total of 17 syllables. Here is one of our winners from last year:
a park in my mind
landfill scarred islanders' hearts
reclaimed, restored land
Submitted entries will be judged by three terrific poets: Melissa Broder, Nancy Hechinger and Donna Masini. Online glory and limited edition Freshkills Park hats will be awarded to winning entries. We've had some great submissions so far, and we welcome more in the remaining few days of April. To enter, email your haiku, along with your name and age to firstname.lastname@example.com by Friday, April 30th, at 5 pm.
A study in contrasts
More photos from our March photographers' tour of the Freshkills Park site: Richard Levine has taken some beautiful shots not only this year (the first half of this slideshow), but also while the site was still open as a landfill, more than nine years ago (the second half).
A site viewed through many lenses
Last month's professional photographers' tour of the Freshkills Park site yielded some beautiful results. We've posted a selection of photos by Linda Jaquez, Vincent Verdi and Michael Bonanno in our flickr stream; photographs by Jarred Sutton are posted on his website.
We'll be hosting a Staten Island-centered talk and slideshow by Nathan Kensinger, another photographer who has joined us on a photographers' tour (and who gave our March Freshkills Park Talk in downtown Brooklyn), on Tuesday, May 18th at 6:30pm at Cargo Cafe on Staten Island, near the Ferry Terminal. Nathan will be talking about and showing his terrific photos of forgotten Staten Island sites and buildings, from chewing gum factories to color works to the Freshkills Park site, itself.
Our next tour for professional photographers is in June. If you're a professional photographer interested in participating, feel free to be in touch.
Birds, bats help protect forests and grasslands
If you're not a biologist or a wildlife hobbyist, it can be hard to understand what the big deal is about birds, bats and other creatures at the Freshkills Park site—why are our birding tours always booked months in advance? Why so much concern—huge sections of environmental review documents, regulatory review on issues of habitat fragmentation—for the welfare of populations of small animals, when the site is so big?
A new Smithsonian study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences helps to address these questions by offering a role played by animals in the middle of the food pyramid—insect-eating birds, bats and lizards, specifically: protecting and encouraging the growth of grasslands and forests. The study, drawing from more than 100 studies of insect predation by birds, bats or lizards from four continents, found that by eating herbivores and their insect predators, birds, bats and lizards reduced damage to plants by 40 percent, which resulted in a 14 percent increase in plant biomass.
Grassland habitat, which is abundant at the Freshkills Park site, is in rare supply in the New York City area. These middle-pyramid animal species will play an important role in encouraging park development through the establishment of new woodland and the restoration of native grassland.
(via Treehugger)
South Park design public presentation tonight!
We're very excited to present our most recent phase of design work, in South Park, tonight at the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island. The Freshkills Park development team and park designers from James Corner Field Operations will be there to virtually guide the gathered crowd the first phase of South Park, which will host softball fields, hiking and biking paths, play areas, a parking lot and flexible event spaces. This phase will also be the first project allowing public access to the top of one of the mounds—the smaller of the two mounds in South Park—with its amazing views of Staten Island and the larger region. It's a really dynamic and interesting design that's responded to a host of needs and requests from the local communities and still holds strong to the ideals of the 2006 Freshkills Park Draft Master Plan. Hope you can come and check it out tonight!
Wednesday, April 7th, 7-9pm
at the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island
Joan & Alan Bernikow Building
1466 Manor Road, Staten Island NY
Welcome back, feathered friends
Last Sunday's bird-watching tour at the Freshkills Park site was eventful. Not only did we catch a glimpse of a snow goose fishing around the storm water basin on East Mound, we also noticed this osprey sitting in a nest atop the tall perch in Main Creek. This is the same nest that housed a family of osprey last year–our public tours witnessed the laying, hatching and fledging of two osprey chicks between May and August. (We also featured osprey in our winter newsletter.) We only spotted one adult in the nest on Sunday, but we were happy to welcome him and hope he's the ambassador of a continued osprey presence onsite.
Our next bird-watching tour will be May 23rd. Registration for that tour will be open in mid-April. Add yourself to our newsgroup to be alerted–these tours fill up quickly!
Next Freshkills Park Talk: Tuesday, March 30th
The Freshkills Park Talks lecture series continues on Tuesday with a talk and slideshow by Nathan Kensinger, a photographer and filmmaker whose work focuses on the abandoned and post-industrial edges of New York City. He'll be sharing stories of sites along the Gowanus Canal, inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and at Fresh Kills, among others, while walking us through his beautiful images. Nathan's photos have been featured in the New York Times, the New York Post, New York Magazine, The Staten Island Advance, and other outlets and are currently on display as part of an exhibit titled "The Gentrification of Brooklyn" at Brooklyn's Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts.
The talk will be co-hosted by the Metropolitan Exchange, an architecture, urban planning and research cooperative in downtown Brooklyn.
Tuesday, March 30, 6:30 p.m. @ the Metropolitan Exchange
33 Flatbush Avenue, 6th floor, Brooklyn
No RSVP is necessary
Utopias, art and Freshkills Park at Snug Harbor
Currently on view at the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art at Snug Harbor in Staten Island is Hope-A-Holic, a group exhibition of 21 artists exploring Utopian ideas in contemporary work. The show features installation, drawing, painting, video, performance and interactive works.
The Freshkills Park team will take part in a program in conjunction with Hope-A-Holic called Trash to Treasure, this Tuesday, February 23rd at 6pm. Trash to Treasure will feature a presentation about the Freshkills Park project, including a history of the site, details about the park's master plan and our current projects and programs. This presentation will be followed by a workshop given by the Staten Island Compost Project outlining the simple steps involved in composting at home.
Trash to Treasure
Tuesday, February 23rd, 6pm
FREE | to RSVP, please email firstname.lastname@example.com or call (718) 425-3557.
Hope-A-Holic will run until April 4th. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors and students and free for kids 12 and under.
Another take on best architecture of the decade
Architecture and urbanism blog mammoth has compiled its review of the best architecture of the past decade. It's a refreshing list because of its inclusion of projects that stretch outside of what is typically considered 'architecture'–the Large Hadron Collider, Orange County's Groundwater Replenishment System, the MIT Media Lab's City Car, the iPhone.
[T]he items on this list have been selected to represent some of the most hopeful trends which impinge upon the territory of architecture (and, occasionally, landscape architecture, as the constant and intentional conflation of the two disciplines which is a mammoth trademark continues). You'll discover that our criticism of boring lists consists primarily in their being confined to (a) buildings and (b) things built by architects, though our list includes both buildings and things built by architects. In fact, "favorite" might be a better way to describe this list than "best", but we've stuck with "best" because it's more fun, as you can't argue about "favorites".
Field Operations' design of Freshkills Park also ranks within the list.
Birdwatching tour in New York Times
This past Sunday's birdwatching tour at the Freshkills Park site is featured in today's New York Times (and also on the City Room blog, where you can read and post comments). The sky was overcast and hazy, but we still spotted a dozen or more red-tailed hawks and several northern harriers in addition to meadowlarks, buffleheads, hooded mergansers and great black backed gulls. We've been operating these four-season tours in conjunction with the Staten Island Museum for the last year; our next birdwatching tour is at the end of March, just before the April relaunch of the general public tour season. If you're not already on our e-mail newsgroup list, you can sign up to receive biweekly updates on upcoming public programs and RSVP-only opportunities, including the next birdwatching tour.

subset: commoncrawl


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Many anglers hang up their waders and fly rods when the weather starts to take a turn for the colder spells of Winter. I won't lie, I've had times when that cold, frigid air of Winter makes me shudder as I'm wrapped up in a warm blanket in front of the fire. It's cold. But that doesn't mean the fish don't still eat. All you need to know are a few simple Winter Fly Fishing Tips to get you out and catching more fish in those Winter months. [Read more…]
Archives for January 2015
Top 5 Winter Fly Fishing Tips
January 16, 2015 by 1 Comment


text: It has Been LEGAL to Unlock Your Cell Phone Since November 2006! The "300" Workout. Never give up! Never surrender! The best feature of Vista that you never knew about! Photographer Captures Fleeing Hit-And-Run Suspect with Zoom Lens. Girls suspended over "Vagina Monologues." Meet EZTV, The Leading TV-torrent Distribution Group. And a special BONUS!! After the credits, clips from the Diggnation Temecula screening courtesy www.viraltheshow.com.


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PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas -- Jessica Korda took the second-round lead in the season-opening Bahamas LPGA Classic, birdieing four of her last seven holes in high wind Friday for a 7-under 66.
The 20-year-old Korda had an 11-under 135 total on Atlantis Resort's Ocean Club course. She won the 2012 Women's Australian Open for her lone LPGA Tour title.
Paula Creamer, playing alongside Korda, was a stroke back after a 65.
"Feeding off Paula was good," Korda said. "She made four birdies in a row after (starting with a double bogey), and it wasn't like she wasn't giving herself opportunities. It was birdie after birdie. It was awesome to play with somebody like that because they really do push you and keep making you try harder."
CREATIVE COURSE PHOTOS: Bride drives it right down the fairway
Creamer drove well left on the first hole and three-putted from 7 feet.
"After that, I said, `Let's go make some birdies." And I did," said Creamer, winless since the 2010 U.S. Women's Open.
"I love playing in windy conditions. I always have. The more difficult, the better. You have to be kind of a feel player out in these kind of situations and trust what you're doing and committing to your shots, and that's something that I really worked hard on in the offseason and it paid off today."
Michelle Wie and Monday qualifier Jenny Suh were tied for third at 9 under. Wie had a 65, and Suh shot 66.
Suh failed to gain fully exempt status on the tour when she lost a playoff at Q-school.
"I know what the weekend could do and what it could hold for me, but I'm just going to keep enjoying myself and try to make as many birdies as possible," Suh said.
THURSDAY'S RECAP: Ko gets off to great start in first start as LPGA member
Lydia Ko, the 16-year-old New Zealander who shared the first-round lead with Meena Lee, was three strokes behind at 8 under after a 70. The fourth-ranked Ko is making her first start as an LPGA Tour member. She won the Canadian Women's Open the last two years as an amateur and closed last season with a victory in a non-tour event in Taiwan in her second pro start.
Na Yeon Choi (68), Christel Boeljon (67) and P.K. Kongkraphan (69) also were 8 under.
Third-ranked Stacy Lewis was 6 under after a 71.
Lee had a 76 to drop to 2 under.
Experts on the business and game of golf. The best coaching tips and latest golf news delivered straight to you. Sign Up to get the latest.


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Archives stating that marijuana plants have been used in herbal medicine are found in Ancient Egyptian documents from the time of 1,550 BC. On clay slabs made by the Sumerians at the time of 3,000 years BC also obtained complete records of the benefits of cannabis plants.
Cannabis plants have active substances that have been shown to have medicinal properties, namely tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a substance known to make the wearer 'high'.
According to Mahmoud ElSohly, Ph.D., researcher of cannabis plants, if used in the right formula and dose according medical dispensary, THC is an effective medicine. The marijuana plant consists of 500 chemicals. The majority are cannabinoids, which bind to receptors in the body and affect the immune system and brain.
"Research shows, THC and cannabidiol or CBD, have many benefits. The main difference between these two substances is that the CBD does not cause us to be 'high'," ElSholy said in an interview with Mens Health magazine.
The problem is, when exposed to high temperatures when burned to be smoked, 500 chemicals in the cannabis plant will produce by-products that are mostly carcinogenic or cause cancer. Research shows, cannabis cigarettes contain 70{ba601f4eef6dcf29d4bac3f598dd469f673e7fd3da074874c4f69300aea6539e} more carcinogens than tobacco cigarettes. In addition, experts believe that regular use of marijuana has a toxic effect on the maturation of the brain structure.
The 2012 study also concluded that people who smoked marijuana before the age of 18 experienced a decrease in intelligence and IQ, compared to people who started sucking in adulthood.
"Low doses of THC have a positive effect, but at high doses, the effect is the opposite. People who use it at the right dose will be calm and happy," ElSohly said.
In the right dose, this plant also treats diseases. Unfortunately, if the dose is excessive, the effect is on dangerous mental conditions, even psychotic. These negative effects cause marijuana to date is still considered as illicit goods in many countries. Its use is prone to abuse.
Health Minister Nila Moeloek also stressed that Indonesia had not planned to conduct research on cannabis plants, even though there were proposals from a number of circles. Nila says, the possibility of marijuana's effects is the same as morphine, which is pain relief and not cures.
Even the use of morphine continued Nila, cannot be done carelessly. There is still supervision from the doctor so that its use is not excessive. Because, if not according to the prescribed dose, it will make the patient become addicted. For licensed marijuana producers, you can visit the licensed producers Canada.


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Advantages of the Hitachi Magic Wand Massager1539085
The Hitachi magic wand vibrator, also recognized as the Hitachi magic wand massager is a device that has been appreciated by a number of people around the globe. A large mass of people have been purchasing these vibrators for the past 30 years. There are a number of advantages associated with the Hitachi magic wand vibrator.
- The cost is not exorbitant and as soon as you invest in it, you can use the device for at least 6-7 years. Correct handling further lengthens the life of the device
- The Hitachi magic wand vibrator assists soothes the physique muscles and eliminates pains in the back, neck and the shoulders. The vibrations trigger the regeneration of dead tissues and also stimulate the growth of physique tissues.
- The vibration speed can be adjusted to a low speed of five,000 rpm and a higher speed of 6,000 rpm
- The device is simple to use and can be used on physique parts that are hard to reach. The long handle and the flexible head attain these physique components that are not easily accessible to hands. The head is 2.five inches in diameter and the handle is 9 inches long.
- The magic wand vibrator is extensively used as a sex toy. When the head is placed against the genitals and the erogenous zones in the human body, the vibration causes stimulation of sensitive tissues thus sexually arousing a individual. Women enjoy increased and much more orgasms during sexual intercourse while men enjoy elongated erection periods. The vibrator has enhanced effects in ladies and clitoral stimulation in them.
- Old individuals can use this device to reduce the discomfort intensity in the concerned physique components. The use of the vibrator against the body parts improves blood circulation simply because of the vibrations produced by the device.
- The magic wand vibrators are easily accessible in the stores and can also be ordered online on various sites on the web.
- These vibrators are extremely portable and can be carried around with out much difficulty.
Hitachi magic wand vibrators have been on the block for a long time now and the sales of these vibrators have doubled in the final two years. The vibrator is becoming used by individuals of all ages as per their specifications. The massager saves you the time of going to a masseur and getting a massage each weekend. You can sit back and use the massager on your personal.
There are numerous attachments that can be used with the magic wand vibrator. G-spotter and the wonder wand attachments are the two most well-liked attachments that can be utilized in conjunction with the device. The cord of the device is as long as 6 feet and hence can be effortlessly plugged in to a wall socket.


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Man in custody after firing shots at Walmart, Orange County deputies say
No one injured in Orlando shooting
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County deputies on Monday are trying to figure out why a man fired a gun at a Walmart.
Deputies said they responded to 911 calls after shots were fired Sunday at the Walmart at 8101 South John Young Parkway.
Deputies confirmed with Local 6 that shots were fired, but no one was hit by the bullets.
Deputies said when they arrived on scene they found a man on the ground near the entrance of the store with his arms and legs spread.
Deputies said the man was pointed out by witnesses as the shooter.
Deputies said the man, 43-year-old Rodney Summers, made claims that someone had stolen his bike and he was trying to get it back.
Deputies said Summers approached three victims and produced a firearm then started firing one or two rounds into the ground and possibly one round in the air.
Witnesses inside the Walmart say they were shocked and scared.
"I was standing in the lobby and I heard a popping sound," said Alexis Ross. "I looked around and didn't see anything and then I heard the second [gunshot] and I looked up and there's a guy walking along the front of the store with a gun in the air, just shooting," she said.
"It could have been anybody. The bullet could have hit any one of us," said shopper Joyce Milton.
Deputies said Summers was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm, reckless display of a firearm, and aggravated assault and taken to the Orange County Jail.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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=By= Dady Chery
Cholera follows UN Peacekeepers placement around the globe.
Like the plantain weed, Plantago major, which so reliably matched the movements of European settlers through North America that it became known as "the white man's footprint," the cholera epidemics of the last 15 years have closely followed the growth and trajectories of United Nations troops.
Haitians have been infected not once, but at least twice with cholera from the UN. As of this writing, Haiti is smarting from a resurgence of cholera that began in September 2015. The infections are probably not due to the Nepalese strain of cholera that caused the October 2010 epidemic, but to newly introduced cholera from Bangladesh. Before I go into the details of this new epidemic, let us look more broadly at the UN peacekeepers' role as a new vector of disease in the world.
The UN currently runs 16 military occupations, with guidance and funds from major world powers and the so-called emerging powers. Multinational armies of blue helmets prey on various countries, especially in west and central Africa, mainly to safeguard the colonial interests of France and the United States. Emerging powers like Canada, Brazil, India, and South Korea tag along, salivating for seats on the UN Security Council, cheap labor, and contracts for lucrative projects such as mining, peacekeeper training, construction, hydropower, and textiles.
Altogether, the military occupation missions cost more than $8 billion per year. Their names are confusing interchangeable acronyms like MINUSCA, MINUSMA, MINUSTAH, UNMIL, and UNMISS, and it is quite appropriate that this should be so, because, everywhere the blue helmets go, their activities and atrocities are the same. These include assaults, rapes, arms trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution, and even murder. Except in Lebanon, where the actions of Hezbollah have kept the UN troops in check, cholera epidemics have flared up in every country where these troops have had a major presence since 1999 (Table).
|Mission year
|Cholera year
|Congo (DRC)
|South Sudan
|Central African Republic
|Cote d'Ivoire
|Abyei (Sudan)
The above table suggests that, although Haiti's 2010 cholera was the most scandalous and best-studied case of the UN's introduction of an epidemic of disease into a country, it was probably not the first such infection nor the last. The reason for these infections is simple: the introduction of UN troops into countries represents a heavy burden on their infrastructure. The sanitation on UN bases is usually shoddy, and the untreated wastes of UN troops are routinely dumped into rivers. Furthermore, the largest contingents of UN troops come from Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, all of which are South Asian countries where cholera is endemic.
Having closely monitored Haiti's epidemic and examined the others, it is evident that they follow a predictable pattern. The citizens of the invaded countries are left to live under appalling conditions, usually near to stagnant water and uncollected rubbish, while the UN and their associated medical non-governmental organizations (NGO) settle into the best living spaces and incessantly predict that the filth elsewhere will lead to a cholera epidemic for the native population. Simultaneously, contingents of UN troops are allowed to take leaves in their countries at the height of cholera epidemics, and they are subsequently reinserted, with little medical oversight, into the naïve countries. Whether or not this practice is deliberately intended to trigger epidemics, it does so as surely as an injection of a growing bacterial culture leads to an explosion of exponential bacterial growth in a previously sterile broth. In the end, the victims are blamed for their poor hygiene. The UN, which has caused the infection, not only gets away with it but recasts itself as a savior: a provider of oral cholera vaccines, which just happen to benefit its friends in academia with financial interests in the vaccines. It hardly matters that the vaccines are useless.
One country, multiple infections
Recent research in Haiti has showed that, when some Haitian cholera patients excrete the cholera bacteria in their stools, these bacteria are accompanied by a virus (or phage) called ICP2, whose DNA sequence closely matches that of a virus from Bangladeshi patients. It is certain that the Bangladeshi virus got into Haiti on Bangladeshi strains of cholera bacteria excreted by Bangladeshi peacekeepers. According to Andrew Camilli and his colleagues at Tufts University, who first sequenced the genomes of these viruses: "these phages also travel with V. cholerae into the human host and are shed at appreciable amounts by infected patients, where like V. cholerae they could be spread to others via fecal-oral transmission." Bacterial hosts of the ICP2 virus include not only Vibrio cholerae O1 but also V. cholerae O139, which originates from Bangladesh.
This infection of Haiti with cholera from Bangladesh is terrible news, because the strains of V. cholera O1 and O139 from Bangladesh are notoriously pathogenic, usually carry multiple antibiotic resistances, and have strong epidemic and pandemic potential. Even after the epidemic brought from Nepal in 2010, Haitians were naïve to the Bangladeshi cholerae and only became exposed to these more harmful bacteria, starting in 2012, when the UN began to introduce female Bangladeshi peacekeepers into Haiti as a sort of gimmick.
According to the American researchers, a cocktail of three Bangladeshi cholera viruses (ICP1, ICP2, and ICP3) protects baby mice from becoming ill after they are deliberately infected with cholera. The researchers suggest that this viral cocktail might prevent infections in the human relatives of cholera patients. On the other hand it might not, and instead make them very sick or even kill them. After all, humans aren't the same as baby mice. In any case, such research that might potentially harm apparently healthy people would be highly unethical. Who will prevent it from being done on Haitians? Surely not the "Haitian National Ethics Committee" that has so far approved the work of the US researchers. And who will expel the UN once and for all and put an end to the continued infection of Haitians with new strains of cholera?
The World Health Organization (WHO), which is part of the UN, reported in 2015 that there are 1.4 to 4.3 million cases of cholera and 28,000 to 142,000 deaths yearly due to cholera infections. These numbers will surely continue to climb, proportionately with the 'peacekeeping' budgets. The WHO offers as its main solution the stockpiling of a large number of doses of oral cholera vaccines. Suppose for a moment that such vaccines should work — which they do not — would the UN then advocate universal cholera vaccination for the world's poor so that they might safely drink water that has been fecally contaminated by their invaders? The UN has never been the highly ethical organization it was envisioned to become, but its enthusiastic advocacy of oral cholera vaccines does represent a new low.
Sources: Haiti Chery | UN Factsheet | Photographs are from UN Photo, Teseum, Hukuzatuna, and MediaHacker | Dady Chery is a Haitian-born writer and the author of We Have Dared to be Free: Haiti's Struggle Against Occupation.
Copyright © 2016 by Dady Chery.
Dady Chery is the Editor of Haiti Chery and the author of We Have Dared to Be Free: Haiti's Struggle Against Occupation. In addition to being an associate professor in the biological sciences, Chery is Haitian-born journalist, playwright, essayist, and poet who writes in English, French, and her native Kreyol. She writes extensively about Haiti and world issues such as climate change. Her many contributions to Haitian news include the first proposal that Haiti's cholera had been imported into the country by the United Nations, and the first description of Haiti's mineral wealth.Source
Lead Graphic: Children in UN camp in Juba, Haiti. UN. (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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Microsoft Windows XP – the operating system that will not go away is now getting a third lease on a life and could be extended even further.Microsoft is finding itself between a rock and a hard place when it comes to Windows XP and its life expectancy. The company had planned on dumping XP and forcing the masses into using their latest flagship operating system known as Vista.
But a strange thing happened. Thanks to Asus and their popular Eee mini-laptops, Microsoft had to adjust how their Windows XP was to be deployed in order to counter Linux from being installed on these pint size laptop offerings. Not only did Asus get the ball rolling, but now other manufactures, including Dell, are entering into this new explosive market place.
Originally Microsoft had set the parameters for using Windows XP on the new netbooks as:
Originally, Microsoft set the screen size limit at 10.2 inches and the storage capacity at 80GB to be able to run Windows XP.
The software giant now has changed the parameters to include the following systems:
The new limitations on netbooks and other computers running Windows XP will be a screen size of 14.1 inches and a storage capacity of 160GB.
The only restriction Microsoft is keeping in place is that the systems can only use a single core processor and limit the systems to 1G of RAM. But with Intel stating they will be introducing a dual-core Atom processor for the mini-laptops, this also could change in the very near future.
Which makes one wonder. Will Microsoft be able to trim down the next version of Windows 7 to run on these little guys, or will Windows XP be around into the next decade? 🙂
Comments welcome.


text: Print Page Page Image October 15, 2015 Vol. 70 No. 18 Back to Bulletin Main Page The EU Trademark Reform: What Will it Change for Trademark Owners and Practitioners? INTAByline On October 1, 2015, 233 participants (among them INTA members, non-members and government officials around the globe) attended an INTA webinar to learn more about the impact of the upcoming EU trademark reform on the registration, use and enforcement of both Community trade marks (CTMs) and national trademarks in EU Member States. The webinar featured speakers who were well suited to explain the changes that the reform will bring for trademark users, including Tomas Eichenberg, Policy Officer-Legal Adviser at the European Commission, who was in charge of drafting the original proposed texts; Stephen Rowan, Director, Trade Marks and Designs Division at the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO), who was closely involved in the legislative process; and Dimitris Botis, Deputy Director for Legal Affairs, Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM). The webinar was moderated by Michael Hawkins (Noerr Alicante IP, S.L., Spain), Chair of INTA's Legislation and Regulation Committee, Europe and Central Asia Subcommittee. The speakers began the webinar by explaining when, how and what the reform will change for trademark owners and practitioners. Mr. Eichenberg listed the most important developments that trademark users need to anticipate. New jargon is also foreseen: one will no longer refer to "OHIM" but to the "EUIPO" (the European Union Intellectual Property Office) and no longer to "Community trade marks" or "CTM" but to "European Union trademarks" or "EUTM." Mr. Eichenberg clarified where to find the new rules: most of them will be in the new CTM Regulation, which is expected to enter into force in late March 2016, and in the new Trade Marks Directive, which will be implemented by most EU Member States within three years. However, some rules will be inserted in an additional implementing regulation to be adopted at a later stage. Mr. Botis detailed some of the novelties that trademark users will face when interacting with OHIM in the future, especially regarding the registration and opposition processes. OHIM has estimated that 500 tasks are necessary to implement the reform, and will issue some new guidelines in March 2016 after consulting with trademark users. Mr. Rowan spoke on the modifications that UKIPO will have to introduce following the reform, especially in terms of the application procedure with new fees and new requirements. He also explained how and when the UK will proceed to change its trademark legislation so that trademark users can better anticipate some necessary actions related to their rights. Afterwards, attendees received practical tips from speakers regarding several major anticipated changes, such as classification of goods and services, counterfeit goods in transit, administrative procedures for oppositions, revocations and invalidity and absolute and relative grounds. The webinar concluded with a lively Q&A session. Attendees were able to have their questions answered live by the speakers or via e-mail afterwards. To learn what to expect and how to prepare for the implementation of the EU trademark reform, you can purchase the archived version of the webinar. Find out more about the EU trademark reform here. Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of items in the INTA Bulletin, readers are urged to check independently on matters of specific concern or interest. © 2015 International Trademark Association


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"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." - Robert A. Heinlein
My dad was over in the UK visiting my grandma. Check her out:
Pretty good shape for 93! Still imbibing too. You go, granny!
Posted 11:56 AM


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Opening Date?:
Due to extreme saturation, the golf course and driving range will remain closed until further notice. The original opening date for the golf course may have to be backed up from Thursday, May 10 however, for now, we will remain optimistic and will reevaluate the playing conditions daily.
Course conditions:
Tees: Some tees have considerable winter kill and will be aerated and overseeded once the weather permits.
Fairways: The majority of fairways winter very well and we are very happy.
Greens: We have 1 dead green (hole #7). The remaining greens are a mixed bag or good and bad. The greens that didn't winter very well are holes 7, 8, 15, 17. Dave will begin the aeration and overseeding process as soon as the weather permits.
All in all, we are happy with the condition of the golf course considering the winter and spring that it had to face this year.
Thank you to everyone who has been in to register for their 2018 golf membership. It is a 5-minute process and we ask all returning members and new members who have yet to register to please do so prior to opening day.
Common questions regarding men's night at Mountain Woods Golf Club:
1. Do you have to be a member of the club to join men's night?
Yes, our men's night is almost at capacity and therefore it will remain to be a member only offering.
2. Format?
Two-player teams play against another two-player team in a net best ball 9 hole match weekly. Points are given for a win (2) a loss results in (0) points and should a match be determined prior to the 9th hole the remaining holes will be worth 1/4 point each.
3. Cost:
$40 per player.
There are also some additional options such as toonie shootout and the steak dinner night
Toonie shootout $20 for the season. Your team must birdie one par 3 and 1 par 5 on any given men's night to win a professional shop gift card.
Steak Dinner Night: Approximatley half way through men's night we have a bbq steak night after your round. The cost is $15 tax and gratuity included.
4. Information: Draws and results will be posted on the website under the men's night tab.
MOUNTAINWOODS GOLF CLUB COPYRIGHT © 2019 | Website by Eastwood Design


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Terry G is balling like a bola, and wants us to know it. Here he is flossing big time, and showing up largestacks of dollar bills. We're guessing it's in the region of 10Gs or maybe even more.
Enjoy my brother! Too much money! It's allowed.
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Announced back in July, the pin set the US Club Nintendo is giving free to its platinum members this year was met with the usual round of griping and complaining. One of our readers just received his and, you know, it's actually a pretty decent gift.
For starters, the display box is pretty big, as reader Jon A. notes by using his Wiimote to note its scale. It's made up of six rectangular boxes that can be rotated to create one of three different images. You get 25 pins in all, and the case looks like one of those Advent calendars with the trap doors that reveal a surprise.
So, good job, Nintendo. But your gold member reward still sucks.


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This Christmas advent is totally different than anything I have ever seen and I like it, no I love it! I love the wooden swedish feel it gives the mantle.
This candle holder could be used down the centre of a table or across a coffee table. It is elegant and beautiful all at the same time.
You are going to need a hole saw and some giant wood beads to complete it. For those that are wondering, you light the candles every 5 days.


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Event Zero
Fear is the most dangerous disease. When her father is framed for a biological terror attack on Sydney, suspended Federal cop Leyla Nassar is set on a mission to clear her father's name and uncover the truth behind the attack.
MRC Members & Mercury Subscribers are welcome to join us on the 1st of September for a special event which includes a Q&A with Event Zero director, Enzo Tedeschi.
If you're an MRC or Mercury Subscriber book your tickets here.


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Paul Goble
Baku, March 1 – Ninety-six percent of the population of the Russian Federation will live in cities in 2025, a UN projection that if it proves to be true will leave large parts of that country without any population, make Russia more rather than less dependent on food imports, and reduce Moscow's ability to reverse the country's demographic decline.
The United Nations report projects that by 2025, Russia's population will decline to 128.2 million, far less than today, and that only four percent of them will live in rural areas, far less than now. (The report is at http://esa.un.org/unup/p2k0data.asp. For comment, see http://www.vedomosti.ru/newsline/index.shtml?2008/02/27/553400).
Not surprisingly, this report whose findings are consistent with other projections, including those by Russian demographers, has sparked both a debate among politicians about its meaning and accuracy and renewed efforts by officials in rural areas and smaller cities to attract government help to retain their populations.
Vladimir Gusev, a member of the Federation Council, acknowledged that "the depopulation of the [Russian] villages is really taking place, but he suggested that it could be stopped if Moscow were to make the kinds of investments in rural infrastructure that the Soviet government did (http://www.rusk.ru/newsdata.php?idar=175826).
The country needs the village, he continued, in order to produce enough food for the cities and enough children for the future. "Russia is an agrarian country," Gusev argued, "we have more than 130 million hectares of agricultural land. It would be impermissible to lose such wealth."
Sergei Lisovsky, another member of the Federation Council agreed. He said that Russia needed to preserve the village in order not to depend on foreigners for food. He called on abrogating the Russian-American protocol on food imports for the period 2005-2009 as a first step.
Moscow signed that document in the hopes that it would get into the World Trade Organization in 2007, he suggested, but "the Americans deceived us. And why then must we fulfill the terms of this agreement unilaterally," especially if we need to boost food production at home?
But a third senator, Gennady Gorbunov dismissed the UN report. Its figure of 96 percent urbanization by 2025 is "mythical, something completely fantastic," he insisted. The government is spending more money on rural areas, and people there will not want to come to the cities in such numbers.
And keeping Russians in the village is critical for the country's demographic future, he said, because "village residents always have more children" than their urban counterparts. If the villagers move to the cities, the country's overall birthrate would decline further.
Despite Gorbunov's confidence that Moscow has found a way to prevent the UN predictions from being realized, the leaders in many Russian regions face the prospect that rural residents and even those in smaller cities will depart and leave much of the country without any population at all.
One region whose leaders are most concerned about that is the Russian Far East, where younger and more educated people are leaving in droves, harming the economy, undermining social cohesion, and making China appear that much more of a threat (http://deita.ru/?news,,,,106216)
But despite claims Moscow will provide the funds to change these trends, most regional officials feel themselves largely abandoned. And in despair, some have been reduced to appealing to the local patriotism of a generation whose members increasingly look to Moscow or abroad for their future (http://www.aifvs.ru/nomer/562/16-3.shtml).
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Window on Eurasia: Russia in 2025 – An Archipelago of Cities in an Empty Countryside
Posted by Paul Goble at 3:00 AM
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If you keep up to date on my blog and social media, you will remember the period of me falling completely and utterly in love with Billy Elliot when it premiered the UK tour in Plymouth back in February. I saw the show five times during its run in Plymouth, including its dress rehearsal, press night and closing night- as you can see, I quickly became super attached to this production. Check out my first review of the tour here.
Myself and one of my favourite fellow theatre blogging friends, Megan, experienced real post- show blues once the tour moved on from Plymouth. Being the theatre nerds we are, we decided that the only cure would be to book tickets to see the show again. :)
On Saturday 2nd July we hopped onto a train to Cardiff, Wales to catch the matinee performance! I have visited Cardiff a brief couple of times in the past, but it was so nice to properly explore this time around. Me and Megan fell in love with the idyllic Cardiff Bay where the gorgeous Wales Millennium Centre theatre was situated across the road from the harbour.
|Credit to Megan Hilling
It was really interesting to compare the production from its first ever performance to being on the road for a good five months. Its obvious that it has definitely found its feet now; everything about it is slick and the actors seem completely comfortable and at home in their roles. Its stronger than ever before.
There were a few tiny changes that I noticed since its first run; including slight random costume changes for a few ballerinas and miners and possibly a few minor orchestral changes I noticed too.
Matthew Lyons played Billy at this performance. I couldn't get over how much he has improved since first seeing him perform back in February. He seems so comfortable in the role now, strolling effortlessly through the long show. I noticed that his vocals in particular have improved massively, his rendition of 'Electricity' bought me to tears. He is full of cheeky charisma and outstanding talent, making the perfect Billy.
Bradley Mayfield has only very recently joined the cast as Billy's bold and hilariously camp friend, Michael. He has settled into the role amazingly well, giving such an impressive performance. Bradley lights up the stage with perfect comedic timing and his tap skills during 'Expressing Yourself' are particularly outstanding.
Italia Ross plays a hilarious Debbie and is accompanied by the rest of a fantastic young ensemble of ballet girls.
|Credit to Billy Elliot Musical Facebook page.
A stand- out performance of the whole show for me is Scott Garnham as Tony, Billy's older brother and face of the miner's strike. I've seen Scott in this role all six times I have watched this production now and each time his performance truly blows me away. I couldn't think of an actor more suited to this role. Before, I had never been a fan of the character of Tony as he was usually played so aggressively, a somewhat 2D character who seemed almost dead behind the eyes to me. However Scott's portrayal changed my whole opinion of Tony; he brings so many new sides to the character- he is not just an aggressive miner anymore, he is full of passion, humour, charm and heart. He is a fantastic example of a triple threat performer as he shows his slick skills in acting, singing and dancing throughout the show. Tony's character development is one of my favourites in the show as he progresses from an angry, aggressive, downhearted miner to a supportive big brother and son with a whole lot of heart. A truly impressive performance from Scott Garnham.
|Credit to Billy Elliot Musical Facebook page.
Annette McLaughlin never fails to bring me to tears with her performance as Mrs Wilkinson. Starting the show with a fabulous explosion of energy with her performance of 'Shine', she develops the character with great humour and passion and ends with a heart- wrenching, tender moment between her character and Billy. She portrays this dynamic character perfectly.
|Credit to Billy Elliot Musical Facebook page.
It is no doubt that the ensemble cast is what makes this show what it is. This ensemble is the best I've seen in a long time, helping to develop this poignant story as miners, policemen, parents, 'scabs', and even dancing dresses. Each member brings energy and personality to the stage, not to mention the outstanding vocals and dance performances. 'Solidarity' is one of my favourite theatrical routines ever, and this is fueled by the fantastic performances of the ensemble.
|Credit to Billy Elliot Musical Facebook page.
Other creative aspects of the show tie everything together perfectly.
Nicky Gillibrand provides fantastic costumes, staying very true to the 80s inspired fashions including leg warmers, dance leotards, suit skirts and of course lots of miner's all-in-ones. Each costume is individually constructed to outwardly express the character's personality- "Who the hell cares if you put on a dress..?!"
Rick Fisher provides some of the very best lighting design that I've seen in theatre. A full variety of lighting is used throughout the production, ranging from glitzy, colourful lights in 'Expressing Yourself' to beautifully simple use of shadows during Billy's tender moments of contemporary dance. The lighting is used to its full potential to effectively portray the full spectrum of emotions and situations of the narrative.
Ian Macneil has created the iconic set, providing a simple yet beautiful array of backdrops to the story. The attention to detail is amazing, with use of exact replicas of contemporary props such as 80s kitchen products and magazines to portray the era effectively and believably.
|Credit to Billy Elliot Musical Facebook page.
Of course, Elton John's music is utterly stunning and is the icing on the cake to this loved production. From the very first note of 'The Stars Look Down' to the end of the finale, I am covered in goosebumps as the score is so emotive and touches me every time I hear it. The amazing pit band, under the direction of Patrick Hurley, convey this beautiful score perfectly in this touring production.
One of the main aspects of this show is obviously the dance and the choreography (originally by Peter Darling and tour associates Ellen Kane, Alison Levenberg and Glenn Wilkinson) is revolutionary for theatre. It encompasses ballet, tap, hip hop, jazz, acrobatics, and even folk dancing. Everything about this show comes down to the choreography and it is nailed down to a T.
|Credit to Billy Elliot Musical Facebook page.
As you can see, I could probably talk about this production all day. I've become hugely attached to it, from watching it grow from its production and rehearsal stage to its touring life. Its quickly become one of my favourite shows of all time as it portrays a beautifully emotive story that I can completely resonate with, full to the brim with outstandingly talented performances. I obviously give this production a perfect ★★★★★.
Make sure you catch Billy Elliot on its national tour all around the UK. Its currently showing in Cardiff, with its next stop in Dublin later this month. Check out billyelliotthemusical.com for more details.
Have you seen Billy Elliot the musical? Let me know what you think by commenting below or tweeting me @LittleEllieMae :)
Ellie Mae x
Disclaimer: All opinions and thoughts are my own. Photos are credited.


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SCOM 2012 – Network Monitoring No response Ping
Nice those new network monitoring featues. Unfortunately sometimes it just doesn't work. I did a discovery for some network devices today and found that they where in pending management saying No response ping. I can ping the devices from my management server and i am sure that i am using the right Community String. Thanks to Bob Cornelissen it turned out to be the firewall settings on the management server. Some rules are disabeled that prevent the discovery:
I enabled the rules and run the discovery again. The devices where discovered properly.
Leave a Comment


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Latest Posts
Making things too complicated...
A couple of years ago I thought I would be clever and get my blog so that I could publish things quickly from my phone.
I did this in a way that in retrospect was quite complex and not as stable as I had hoped. Using an old server at home to check for markdown files in a certain dropbox folder which would then trigger the publishing process.
It turns out this was a stupid idea because I haven't been able to publish anything for a while because I disabled dropbox on that server.
Anyway things should be working again, if this post turns up on the site.
I am also all HTTPS now too ;-)
Through a Different Lens, a book of Stanley Kubrick's photography ➲
There is much to admire in how Stanley Kubrick's movies are constructed, but the director's keen compositional eye is perhaps the most noticeable. Before becoming a filmmaker, Kubrick honed his observational skills as a photographer in NYC. Look magazine hired him when he was just 17 years old to fill the pages of the publication with photos of life in the city. A new book, Stanley Kubrick Photographs: Through a Different Lens, celebrates Kubrick's photography, showcasing how that youthful talent would eventually translate into a great filmmaking career.
Some great photos here.
Book Review: On her Majesty's Sercet Service
At the point of completing this book it was my favourite Bond book so far, it is one of the best of the series along with Casino Royale and Thunderball.
Great, simple and not too far fetched plot, a really enjoyable read.
I really enjoyed the ski chase scene, but always had the back of my head Eddie Izzard's comment about why there are no car chases in books1.
If you only ever read one Bond book make sure it is this or one of the other greats…
'There are no car chases in books, are there? (mimes reading from book) "He looked up in the mirror. Behind him, the man was driving. He looked in the mirror and then he was driving. Oh, they drove faster, faster, driving fast and looking in the mirror. The other guy was pulling a face and driving fast, and then there was a terrible crash." Just doesn't fucking work, does it?' transcript ↩
The Teen Brain "Shuts Down" When It Hears Mom's Criticism | WIRED ➲
It will be a while yet until these problems are ones I have deal with,but an interesting finding non the less and helps me reflect on my teenage years…
These caveats and cautions aside, the researchers conclude with the bold claim that their results offer clues to better parenting: "Parents may benefit from understanding that when they criticize their adolescents, adolescents may experience strong negative emotional reaction, may have difficulty cognitively controlling this emotion and may also find it challenging to understand the parent's perspective or mental state." I think we knew that, but now we know it neuroscientifically. Bonus.
The Science of Why We Don't Believe Science | Mother Jones ➲
Details of why people who believe things that go against the majority of proof cannot be persuaded by arguments based on facts.
That undercuts the standard notion that the way to persuade people is via evidence and argument. In fact, head-on attempts to persuade can sometimes trigger a backfire effect, where people not only fail to change their minds when confronted with the facts—they may hold their wrong views more tenaciously than ever.
BBC - Future - The strange world inside cheese ➲
A really interesting short read, with all too tempting links for more information about what exactly cheese is and how it is made.
In fact, talking about cheese is right up there with talking about wine – there's a whole lexicon for professionals. In this 2001 paper, researchers tasted a panel of 240 Cheddars and devised a set of 27 words for describing Cheddar, including: catty, for describing a smell like tom-cat urine, and cowy, for a barnyard tang, along with nutty, brothy, and fruity.
Would be nice to have the time and space to experiment how to make milk become cheese. Maybe in 20 years when I retire….
Book Review : The Son
I have just finished reading The Son by Jo Nesbo and I wanted to publish a review mostly just to spread the word and get others to read it.
I have read a lot of Jo Nesbo's books before, mostly from the Harry Hole series, and have throughly enjoyed all of them.
To give you the blurb from the book:
Sonny is a model prisoner He listens to the confessions of other inmates at Oslo jail, and absolves them of their sins. Some people even whisper that Sonny is serving time for someone else: that he doesn't just listen, he confesses to their crimes.
Inspector Simon Kefas is a dedicated police officer Simon has worked for the Oslo police force for years. He's just been assigned a new murder investigation and a new partner, all on the same day.
Both of them knew Sonny's father To Sonny he was the man he idolised, to Simon he was his best friend. Both were left devastated when his corruption was revealed.
But neither of them knew the truth
I was skeptical of a plot without my favourite Oslo detective, but as the book unfolded it was clear the plot would not have worked so well with Harry Hole. After so many journeys with Harry, the reader knows his flaws and guiding values well. So It was refreshing to follow a different, yet equally flawed detective, around the streets of Oslo instead, and be on edge about how he would push the investigation forward.
Another thing that I noticed was that the translator for this book (Charlotte Barslund) was not the same one who translated the Harry Hole series (Don Bartlett). I have often wondered if Don's translating might be an important part of why I enjoy Jo Nesbo books, and was interested to see if I would miss his work. I can say that I did not miss Don's voice, and I was equally as gripped by this book, and at times even more so than with the Harry Hole books. The last 3rd of the book was completed in a 4.5 hour session as I could not put down the book and get the sleep I really needed yesterday.
So please do get a copy you will not regret it.
If you do, please get in contact and tell me your thoughts.
The disabled children locked up in cages - BBC News ➲
It was after these incidents that management of the centre decided that the staffing levels made it impossible to protect the children from harm. Their solution was to have the cages custom built for the residents. However the ombudsman's report concluded that the cages and any practices employing long-term restraints "are clearly illegal and are in direct contradiction with the obligation for respect and protection of the human rights of the residents," and he urged the Greek government to take immediate steps to rectify the situation. But after almost five years the only changes are superficial.
What Do You Do When You Think You Have a Murderer in the Family? | VICE | United Kingdom ➲
Bizarre story, that I can't say I fully understand.
But here's the thing: You don't want to believe your grandmother is poisoning you. You know that she loves you—there's no doubt of that—and she's so marvelously grandmotherly and charming. And you know that she would never want to poison you. So despite your better judgment, you eat the food until you've passed out so many times that you can't keep doubting yourself. Eventually, we would arrive for holidays at Grandma's with groceries and takeout, and she'd seem relieved that we wouldn't let her touch our plates. By then, her eyesight was starting to go, so she wouldn't notice the layer of crystalline powder atop that fancy lox she was giving you.
A Birth Story | Longreads Blog ➲
Put some time aside and have a good read of this long, funny and eye opening yet brutally honest account of one woman's child birth experience.
If there's anything I'd take back from labor it would have been the fact that I let two people fish around in my vagina for their own benefit.
I'd been "checked" before. This is what they call it. They want to "check you." You means your cervix. You are your cervix. "Check" means stick a hand inside of "you"—your vagina—and measure how open your cervix is. They do this with their fingertips, because that is where we're at with science in 2014: We use fingertips as a unit of measurement. Then you are pronounced whatever number of fingertips wide the gap in your cervix is. You are your cervix.
"I'm a three," means your cervix is dilated three fingertips. You get checked, typically, at your last few OB appointments. "I" had been found to be closed. Or "soft and closed" or "high and tight." "Low and soft and closed." It's all fucking subjective, obviously, and also means almost nothing. You feel as if you are failing some made-up game you don't want to be playing in the first place.


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Policy - Harassment
Harassment Policy
The College has a commitment to provide a work and learning environment free of harassment, bullying and victimisation. Harassment is behaviour directed at another person that is uninvited and unwelcome and includes offensive and/or intimidating behaviour based on a person's sex, pregnancy, marital status, race, colour or ethnic background, physical appearance, age, sexual preferences or disability.
Complaints about harassment whether from staff or students that cannot be resolved informally through your tutor/trainer or class supervisor, should be put in writing with the letter addressed to the College Principal. Your correspondence will be acknowledged within two working days. Counselling and disciplining of staff will be provided if deemed appropriate in accordance with other College policies and procedures. Counselling and exclusion from class of offending students may also be appropriate.
Policy last reviewed: August 2016


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The strongest forest carbon sinks in eastern forests are within landscapes not completely dominated by forests. Using a new framework for forest carbon accounting, a team of USDA Forest Service scientists found that landscapes with 50-60 percent forest land use had statistically the same sink strength as landscapes with 90-100 percent forest.
"Monitoring Network Confirms Land Use Change is a Substantial Component of the Forest Carbon Sink in the Eastern United States," a study by Forest Service scientists and collaborators, describes land use change as a substantial part of a strong forest carbon sink in the Eastern United States.


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Press Releases
- Press Release January 2014
Old Salem Farm Purchases Grand Central Farm
Old Salem Farm Finalizes – Buy Paul Greenwood Horse Land
Horse Farm Prices Take a Tumble
Greenwood horse farm changes hands
- American Gold Cup Old Salem Farm 2012
- REAL ESTATE | April 15, 2012
- Press Release February 2011
- Press Release March 2010
In the Region | Westchester: The Non-Hamptons
Vie for Renters As temperatures heat up, so has the demand for summer homes in Bedford, Pound Ridge and other semirural northern Westchester towns and villages with open space and greenery.
By ELSA BRENNER
Ghylaine Manning selected to join innovative International Real Estate Network
Vincent & Whittemore, the premier real estate firm serving Westchester County proudly announced the launch of its newly enhanced website.
Open House NY
View Broadcast
By NBC NY


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Finally heading home after nearly a week away. It's been such a good weekend and lovely to see so many special people, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight.
Finally heading home after nearly a week away. It's been such a good weekend and lovely to see so many special people, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight.
A quick pit stop catch up that turned into most of the evening with this special chap. We don't meet up that often for one reason or another but when we do time seems to stop still and we chatter so much there is never enough tea to drink (mainly because one or both of us is spilling it over ourselves or the table).
The back story to our friendship is a long one now, and each time we meet more time has passed and more chapters to both our stories have been written. Our paths keep taking different directions (Me: "A CALENDAR?" <shakes head in amusement> D: "Yes, I know" <shame face palm>. D:"Cycling in Chile?" Me: "Yep" D: "Be careful" Me: <rolls eyes slightly>) and we delight in hearing what each other has been up to.
Ours is not a normal 'what have you been up to' type of catch up though; it's a bit more deep and meaningful than that. When we both met we were setting off to chase our dreams, and facing the reality of then living the dream is something we now do every day. And living a dream does not mean beds of roses and skipping unicorns. It means hard work, sacrifice and sometimes unhappiness. It can mean losing or gaining a sense of self. It can mean constantly battling against comfort or familiarity.
Life is never just about an end goal. You know the, "if I just do this then I'll be happy. I'll try that once X is sorted. If I start doing this job etc then it will be great."
Life is about the moment. Doing things you want to do, trying things to see what happens. No matter about success or failure, that's not the important bit. Life changes, things change every single second. What you set out to do is probably not what will happen. Opportunities will present themselves, or life might take a different turn, all you have to be is open to the opportunities. Sometimes you can't think too long term – you have no idea what will happen. Don't overthink things either. Just go with the flow. Take a chance – it could be amazing.
If you asked either of us a few years ago how life would look in 2016, it wouldn't be what it is now, that's for sure. Not a bad thing; we both acknowledge we've changed massively and any challenges have only been part of life. I'm just glad for that accidentally-snotty email I sent back in 2011-ish to the colleges and schools liaison manager, for it started a polka-dotted fudge-filled email trail of joy 🙂
My own family squishy hug day came in the form of our early Christmas Day because we're not all around next month. Not quite the whole hog; there was no tree or crackers, and we don't do presents (except for my niece) but we do do Christmas music and dancing, food (bangers and mash) and just having a day together.
And an afternoon nap after food for the oldies (including my brother).
Spent the day with this special family. I love them all to bits and even though I spent some of the day with about 30 6 years olds all screaming and shouting (!!) I wouldn't have rather been anywhere else.
We go way back but don't get to meet up that often. When we do though it's like no time has passed at all. We laugh and reminisce about boozy nights, those New Years Eve parties, the watch incident, the hen party cat poo and catch up on life stuff like work, kids (theirs) and holidays.
I get to join in family life for a day, fitting in like an old comfy slipper and catching up with parents/grandparents kids and friends. I don't have this on a day to day basis. My own family are hundreds of miles away, so to spend a day enveloped in warmth and love of everyday family life is pretty special, I don't think people realise that sometimes. Us crazy busy people running around all over the place just sometimes want a big squishy hug. Which I got. Thank you ❤
We made like old skool tonight and blasted out the 90's chooons while getting ready for a night out (including Laura plaiting my hair – which is *not* like old times because a) I never had hair this long back then and b) she didn't have a daughter who always wants her hair plaiting hence the practice). Sadly Friday nights in Horncastle are not like they used to be and the final stop in the Black Swan was less fighting the crowds to the toilet and more taking the piss out of the landlord (sorry Adrian) and wondering why everyone looks 12.
Nipped into town at lunch (in beaut sunshine) to go pick up lunch from Tanya's tea room (ham baguette and cake, usual order) and got chatted up by the guy who sells cards on the market.
Got to Horncastle tonight in time to have a cuddle with my niece who then promptly fell asleep on me on the sofa.
I got to 10pm today with no photo. There's been nothing remotely interesting or relevant today so far, mainly because I've either spent today in my car or in the office; late finish meant I didn't get home until nearly 8.30pm. Faffing around cooking tea (nothing photo-worthy, a fishfinger wrap) and packing a bag for going away for the weekend is not what I'd call photo a day material.
So after more time falling into the social media black hole and watching some videos of cats and lip reading NFL players <makes mental note to try to download some kind of productivity extension for my Chromebook> I thought I'd go see what I took a picture of this day when I originally did photo a day in 2012 and see if I was more exciting 4 years ago.
And yep, it was. 4 years ago Film Club was watching porn and eating popcorn. And recreating *that* car crash scene. I miss Film Club. I had to walk about 10 metres to Karl's house round the corner where it would pretty much be the only time I watched a film (not much has changed in that regard) and they'd patiently humour me in recreating a scene while fannying around with the camera timer. I miss the after work cup o tea ritual too. And the crystal maze.
2012 feels like a different life now. My photo a day back then was different. Back then there was a lot more writing and a lot more depth to the reasons I took photos. It wasn't just a photo to show what I was doing or to sum up the day; it was a kind of self therapy in a year of discovery. Life felt a bit more simple back then, even though it probably wasn't. Always easy to look back and see things a bit differently though. I do remember that year fondly though. My first single year, living alone and saying yes to everything. Rocking out at running. Lots of partying. Life after The Guy At Work and before The Marine. Friday Club and After Work Beers.
Happy days but I wouldn't go back. Life is always changing, no point in looking backwards. It's been and gone. Time to enjoy the moment now.
Today was a cooking fail day. Normally if I'm at home for breakfast I have porridge. Fancied something different today so decided on banana, berry and egg muffins. Well, originally it was going to be banana, berry and egg pancakes but no, I thought I'd make muffins instead. SHOULD HAVE HAD PANCAKES.
Top: what they should look like
Bottom: what mine looked like
They tasted kind of OK though. Kind of.
Then I managed to burn a wrap. How the hell do you burn a wrap? FFS. Probably should just not eat for the rest of the day.
Today was a lazy day. It looked cold and wet and dark outside. Before I'd even got out of bed I was having a conversation with someone about how it was a day not to leave the house.
Sam and I had made plans for a bike ride. We spent a considerable amount of time message piggy-in-the-middle-ing about whether we were actually going to go or not. In the end Sam made the decision for both of us by deciding to be a Domestic God for the day and spend it in the kitchen. Win for me, especially as my legs were feeling pretty weary today after a fairly active week exercise-wise.
This let me off! No plans and nowhere to be left me with a whole day to spend inside as I liked. A pottering day! Sounds like an Enid Blyton book; Five go Pottering. Sorting photos, some admin, laundry and netflix and a big furry blanket. Bliss.
However, I also like to be outside and today I did actually want to do something. But jeez, it was hard to get the motivation. Yes, even people who love exercise/running/cycling and normally have high motivation still struggle sometimes (a lot) of the time. It took me from 7am when I woke up until 4pm to actually make it out the house, so yep, I'd pretty much spent the day debating with myself and figuring out how to actually drag myself out.
At 4 o'clock I just got into my running gear and Got The Fuck Out, promising myself I'd cook my tea when I got back. Yes, I basically bribed myself with food. And not even treat food, just with salmon and leftover vegetables. Just Food. Incredible it actually worked really.
But of course, it's the times where it's SO hard to get going that are the best runs. I thought I'd struggle round to do a quick 5km but I actually ended up doing 10.7 glorious kms feeling good and with strong legs. I could have kept going for a bit more but was getting hungry and also I want to run again tomorrow so just keeping it light.
It's a struggle people, but sometimes we win.


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Although carbon emissions cannot be completely avoided in the printing process, they can be offset elsewhere. We are aware of this ecological responsibility. In cooperation with the climate specialist ClimatePartner, we have, therefore, expanded our commitment for climate protection by providing the possibility to print in a carbon neutral manner.
How do I achieve carbon neutral printing?
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What do I get out of it?
With carbon neutral printing, you actively take on responsibility for our nature and make an effective contribution to environmental protection. And you can actually show it to your customers, employees or partners: After completing the order, you can download an individual PDF certificate with your name, information on the order and the amount of carbon offset, which clearly proves your contribution to climate protection. In addition, our label generator creates your individual climate protection label with a unique identification number which you can integrate into your print data prior to the upload - upon request even with QR code. The label will be provided to you as PDF or EPS file free of charge.
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Friday, April 24, 2009
Well after that I never saw or heard a peep about the actual ad.
Which given the nature of it is hardly surprising. It looks pretty dull, and is effectively a feature list.
I don't think it is the best use of Monsiour Cantona, but he does make it work. The exaggeration of the selling just about comes through, and the play on his personality is pretty nice.
Nothing amazing, but its a damn site better than what Renault have done recently. I hope they keep improving though, as this only worked because of good casting.
6 comments:
- Jam said...
Cantona makes the ad... I just wish the ad would make more of him.
- 3:23 pm
hello again. i m writing this in a box. again ;)
anyway... the ad... i personally cannot stand any literal 'efficiency' claims any longer. just the word alone bores the crap out of me. maybe this is why i find the whole thing boring.
- 10:24 pm
- themadcatholic said...
Could have done with a simpler script.
- 6:01 pm
- Rob Mortimer (aka Famous Rob) said...
Jam: Indeed
Peggy: Buzzwords never die, they just get ignored...
TMC: Yes, it certainly could, as Jam says; Cantona makes it work, but it doesn't make the best of him.
- 9:50 am
- Robert said...
Maybe the reason Cantona stood out is because the rest of the footballers out there are about as interesting as magnolia paint.
Just like Mr Branson owes some of his success to having some charisma in a sea of grey suits ... Cantona owes much of his charm to a World inhabited by Neil Lennon's so advertisers get fooled into thinking he's charismatic when he's just charismatic compared to his World of bland. Who would buy a Renault car.
- 1:51 am
- john p woods said...
"Just one finger" to this ad. I preferred le king on the Eurostar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM7TZs69hXo
- 12:58 pm


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According to a 2015 report by Akamai, Latvia's internet speeds are the 7th fastest in the world—making the nation one of the best-connected in the EU. It's therefore no surprise that tech innovation abounds in this country of 2 million.
As such, if following worldwide trends, tech news, and hot startups, you've certainly come across Latvia—if not, the following products and services should set you off on the right foot. These are 9 Latvian tech startups you need to know about in 2016.
9. Infogr.am
Bloggers and journalists will certainly find infogr.am handy for making data and numbers visually compelling. You can choose various templates, add images or videos, and any kind of text. In 4 years the startup has garnered $2.8 million in venture capital. Furthermore, they have received many awards and are currently collaborating and expanding globally.
8. BranchTrack
BranchTrack is an learning platform for training new customer service and sales staff. This solution won the Most Innovative Learning Product award at E-learning 2015.
7. Finch
Finch is an offering targeting small online shops and businesses that enables easy website editing directly in the browser—no programming or IT skills required.
6. Edurio
Edurio is a web-based toolkit for gathering fast, valuable feedback from students and parents. Users can design their own surveys, get regular feedback, and view results in a structured, actionable summary.
5. AirDog
AirDog is one of the more prominent Latvian startup success stories: garnering more than $1.3 million and winning the "Best Drone or Robot" award at CES 2015, the auto-follow video drone for extreme sports has quickly become a respected name in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
4. Skylar
Skylar is a virtual assistant that lives in your Slack and messaging platforms, amongst your business partners and employees. From making reservations, taking lunch orders, and mail forwarding, the solution free you from mundane tasks, helping you stay on track and be more productive throughout the day.
3. Firp
Firp is a tool that takes budgeting to a whole new level: create income and expenditure items, add reports, follow your money flow—even synchronize with your family members and friends.
2. Flirtr
Keep an eye out for funny, life-hacking apps like Flirtr coming out of Latvia. The app is a personal flirt advisor for building up self-confidence. The community is invite only and—with its support—you can become a real-life flirting machine.
1. Later
There are a plethora of reminder apps, but most contain questionable features or distractions. Less is more, and Later certainly follows suit: 2 taps and your reminder is set. Fast, simple , and easy.
These are only 9 innovative upstarts out of many from Latvia, a small country that has no shortage of big ideas. And despite its size, a remarkable number of creative innovators are find solutions to make every day life easier and more productive.
- https://infogr.am/
- https://www.branchtrack.com/
- https://finch.io/
- https://edurio.com/
- https://www.airdog.com/
- https://skylar.ai/
- https://inbudget.net/
- http://flirtrapp.com/
- http://laterapp.co/faq/
- http://www.swissnexbrazil.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2014/08/startup-3.jpg
- https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/airdog/airdog-worlds-first-auto-follow-action-sportsdron/description


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Prosecutor Jason Simmons changed what the False Accuser had testified in court.
Enumclaw Detective Grant McCall knew exactly the lies and actions that Prosecutor Dan Satterberg would be happy about and along with Athena Dean Holtz set into motion to abuse the legal system.
As a reward for the dirty legal tricks Athena Dean Holtz and Jessica Gambill, mother of the false accuser, held a hate-crime party day. In broad daylight without any fear from Dan Satterberg that their hate crime would be stopped. While not pictured here pictures of the False accuser at the party can be expected.


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Announcement of Cash CreditsHi BSers
Today I am going to announce cash credits for the members' contributions in different sections of Biharspider.
1.Prize name - Hot prize for contributions in Pictures and Videos Sections
Winner name - Gyandeep Kaushal(Cash Credits-Rs.30)
2.Prize name - Resource Contest - Get extra cash credits on your resources
Winner name - Gyandeep Kaushal(Cash Credits-Rs.40)
So, Members let Congratulate Gyandeep for getting these awards. I thanks him for his best contributions in Biharspider.


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Pakistan's Pres - Mr 10% - Benazir's widower - Asif Ali Zardari caved to pressure and sign off to surrender Pakistani sovereignity to mohmmedist jurisprudence and signed the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation into law today after a majority of the Pakistani Parliament passed the bill.
The regulation allows for the establishment of sharia courts in the Malakand Division, an administrative region that encompasses more than one-third of the Northwest Frontier Province and includes the districts of Malakand, Swat, Shangla, Buner, Dir, Chitral, and Kohistan.
Taliban have repeatedly violated the ceasefire in Swat. Taliban forces have attacked military convoys and captured soldiers and government officials. Most recently, on April 11, a Taliban force wounded three security personnel after ambushing a convoy in Swat.
Meanwhile, the Swat Taliban have advanced on neighboring Buner and are now in full control of the district, which is just 60 miles from the capital of Islamabad.


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A2 Stippling
These are fullsized M&P basepads which ONLY fit the fullsized .45. These do NOT fit other fullsized or compact guns.
These come in either Black or FDE.
New from S&W - stippled design of your choosing - #4 small dots in a wavy patter, #6 lines, or #8 big and small dots.


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UPDATED: Student charged with making 'Newtown' threat had history of behavior problems
The 18-year-old student at Cooperative Educational Services who allegedly threatened a Newtown-like shooting had a history of behavioral problems at the school, according to Trumbull Police.
James Patrick Ryan, of Stratford, attended the Oakview Drive school that provides services to a range of special needs students. The school has programs for students with problems ranging from emotional and behavioral to speech and psychological needs.
According to Deputy Chief Michael Harry, Ryan, who turns 19 next month, was told Friday morning, Jan. 18, that he could no longer attend the school. His mother went to pick him up, and as they were leaving Ryan made a threat referencing the recent school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in which 20 children and six adults were killed.
Specifically, the police report quoted Ryan as saying he "was going to go Sandy Hook on this school."
Trumbull police immediately stationed officers outside the two locations of Cooperative Educational Services, while detectives were granted an arrest warrant for Ryan and a search warrant for any weapons in his home. Stratford Police executed the warrants and took Ryan into custody without incident.
The search at 1181 South Avenue in Stratford turned up several shotgun shells. Police said Ryan's father owns a shotgun, but the gun is stored in Vermont and was not seized.
Ryan was charged with second-degree threatening and second-degree breach of peace. Bond was $25,000 for court Jan. 28.


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Turkish voters approved a new constitution this weekend, greeted in Brussels – if not Paris and Berlin – as a key step on the road to EU membership.
But recent commentary and headlines – particularly in the US – have claimed Turkey is turning its back on the West as the rift between Turkey and Israel deepened following the killing of 9 Turkish citizens by Israeli forces when they raided a Turkish ship trying to run the blockade of Gaza in May.
Turkey is an ally of the US and a staunch member of NATO, it has also been trying to get into the EU for more than twenty years, so why are some commentators saying Ankara is turning away from the West?
A new poll from the German Marshall Fund published today suggests Turks are cooling in their attitude towards the EU and NATO and are distinctly less concerned about Iran than the public in Turkey's NATO allies.
And over the past 8 years, under the leadership of the AK Party, which is rooted in political islam, Turkey has changed.
In the domestic arena, it has reduced the power and influence of the armed forces which see themselves as the guardians of the secular legacy of the Turkish Republic's founder Kemal Ataturk.
But AK has also made its mark in foreign policy. It has accelerated Turkey's negotiations to enter the EU, even if Cypriot blocking tactics and the lack of enthusiasm in France and Germany for Turkish entry have undermined the momentum of those talks.
But Foreign Minister, Professor Ahmet Davutoglu, who is a respected political scientist rather than a career politician, has articulated a clear vision of Turkey's international role – and it doesn't involve turning its back on NATO and the EU.
Professor Davutoglu espouses a policy of 'zero problems with neighbours', others have called it 'neo-Ottomanism', which has seen Ankara reaching out to its neighbours to the north, east and south. This has seen the Turks return to the Middle East as mediators between Israel and Syria and to the Balkans where they have recently tried to ease relations between Serbia and Bosnia. It has also seen booming trade with Russia and Iran.
And it is with Iran that American commentators and, seemingly, the Obama administration, have the most problem with Turkey's changing foreign policy.
Turkey, along with Brazil, attempted to revive talks over Iran's nuclear programme in May, when Prime Minister Racep Tayyip Erdogan and President Lula went to Tehran and got President Ahmedinejad to agree to send some nuclear material abroad for reprocessing as a confidence building measure. According to the Brazilians, the initiative was coordinated closely with the US and the Iranians agreed to the three conditions the US had insisted on. But following the announcement of the agreement, the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, rejected it out of hand.
Brazil and Turkey were not best pleased and responded by voting against the stronger sanctions against Iran in the UN Security Council.
President George W Bush's response to the September 11th attacks was to tell the world "you're either with us, or you are with the terrorists".
Some American commentators' response to Turkey's dispute with Israel and attempt to negotiate with Iran, has been reminiscent of this zero-sum approach by arguing that if Turkey adopts foreign policies the US doesn't agree with, then it is turning against the West.
Turkey is an emerging power – sometimes bracketed along with the BRIC countries. It's a member of the G20 with an economy expected to grow more than 5% this year. It sees a new role for itself as a regional power, but it does not seem to see that as being incompatible with remaining a member of NATO and continuing talks to join the EU.
As a senior AK MP, Ozlem Turkone, told the World Tonight's Paul Moss, in an interview to be broadcast tonight "of course Turkey is still an ally of the West and the US, but the world is no longer a bi-polar world. New regional powers are increasing and Turkey can play as a regional power"
The reaction in government and think-tank circles in Washington to Ankara asserting a more independent foreign policy illustrates the difficulty the US seems to be having adjusting to the changing distribution of power in the world, particularly in the Middle East where it asserts stong national interests of its own.
The World Tonight is broadcast at 22.00 UK time on BBC Radio 4 and online


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The Rocketeer (2010)
Reviewed by Ken Tucker | Jan 20, 2010
EW's GRADEA
DETAILSRelease Date: Jan 13, 2010; Writer: Dave Stevens; Genres: Comic Books/Graphic Novels, Fiction; Publisher: IDW Publishing
The Rocketeer: The Complete Collection by Dave Stevens
Dave Stevens, who died of leukemia at 52 in 2008, was a craftsman, a comics legend. His 1980s Rocketeer comics — a throwback to 1930s pulp adventure tales — weren't big sellers, but they were an extraordinary evocation of a bygone era, full of erotica and élan. He also drew storyboards for everything from Raiders of the Lost Ark to Michael Jackson's ''Thriller'' video, and was single-handedly responsible for the rediscovery of '50s pinup model Bettie Page, the inspiration for Rocketeer Cliff Secord's curvy crush Betty. These gorgeous color reproductions of Stevens' meticulous work serve as a fine testament to his artistry. A


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Meerkat Encounter
Come and join our meerkat gang inside their enclosure and see how they become your best friend at feeding time. Our animal team will be on hand to give you an insight into the life of a meerkat and answer any questions you may have about these adorable creatures.
Minimum age 10 years
Experience duration approximately 20-30 minutes
Price per person £45
Please note following your online purchase you will need to call: 01386 833083 to book your time and availability. Thank you.