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FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR SHARE IT (not just "Like It IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, PLEASE") ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event.
ALERT: This Saturday night, Feb. 2, at 8 p.m. in Mills Hall, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Pro Arte Quartet performs a FREE concert. The program offers the String Quartet in D Major, Op. 50, No. 6, "The Frog" by Franz Joseph Haydn; the String Quartet No. 9 in E-flat Major by Dmitri Shostakovich; and the String Quartet in A Major, Op. 41, No. 3, by Robert Schumann. For more about the unusual history of the critically acclaimed Pro Arte Quartet, go to: https://www.music.wisc.edu/event/pro-arte-quartet-2/
By Jacob Stockinger
This Saturday, Feb. 2, the seventh production of this season's "Metropolitan Opera Live in HD" series is Georges Bizet's lusty, sultry and violent "Carmen," one of the most popular operas ever composed.
Its successful world premiere was in Paris in 1875, which Bizet did not live to see. But Bizet's masterpiece of the gypsy seductress who lives by her own rules has had an impact far beyond the opera house.
The opera's beautiful melodies are as irresistible as the title character herself, a force of nature who has become a defining female cultural figure. (You can hear one of Carmen's signature arias– "Love Is a Wild Bird" — in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
"Carmen" was a scandal at its premiere but soon after became a triumphal success and has remained one of the most frequently staged operas in the world.
French mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine reprises her acclaimed portrayal of opera's ultimate temptress, a triumph in her 2017 debut performances.
Opposite her is the impassioned tenor Roberto Alagna (below right, in a photo by Karen Almond for The Met) as her lover, Don José.
French native Louis Langrée (below, in a photo by Jennifer Taylor), who heads the Mostly Mozart Festival and is the artistic director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, will conduct Sir Richard Eyre's production, a Met favorite since its 2009 premiere.
The hi-definition broadcast of the live performance from the Metropolitan Opera (below) in New York City starts at 11:55 a.m. and runs until 3:45 p.m. with two intermissions. (It will also air at noon on Wisconsin Public Radio.)
There will be encore HD showings next Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. ("Carmen" is so popular that some cities will also host a second encore showing on Saturday, Feb. 9.)
The opera will be sung in French with supertitles in English, German, Spanish and Italian.
Tickets for Saturday broadcasts are $24 for adults, and $22 for seniors and children under 13. For encore showings, all tickets are $18.
The cinemas where the opera can be seen are two Marcus Cinemas: the Point Cinema on the west side of Madison (608 833-3980) and the Palace Cinema (608 242-2100) in Sun Prairie.
Here is a link to the Marcus Theaters website for addresses and more information. You can also use them to purchase tickets:
Here is a link to the Metropolitan Opera's website where you can find the titles, dates, casts, production information and video clips of all Met productions this season:
Here is a link to a synopsis and cast list:
Here is a link to other information about the production of "Carmen," including photos and audiovisual clips:
And here is a Wikipedia history of the broadcast series that gives you more information about how many cinemas it uses, the enormous size of the worldwide audience – now including Russia, China and Israel — and how much money it makes for The Met.
IF YOU LIKE A CERTAIN BLOG POST, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD A LINK TO IT OR, SHARE or TAG IT (not just "Like" it) ON FACEBOOK. Performers can use the extra exposure to draw potential audience members to an event.
By Jacob Stockinger
Restaurants, food banks, retail stores and other organizations have responded with compassion and generosity to victims of the ongoing partial shutdown of the U.S. government.
Here is an announcement of a timely move that The Ear thinks is terrific news for budget-strapped workers who have to cut back on entertainment or discretionary expenses. It should be a model for other local groups as well as statewide, regional and national arts presenters.
The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (below) is offering free tickets to furloughed federal workers for the Masterworks performance on Friday, Jan. 25, featuring the young cello prodigy and sensation, Miriam K. Smith.
Fresh from performances with the Cincinnati and Louisville symphonies, Smith (below) will perform the Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor by Camille Saint-Saëns. (You can hear her perform a violin and cello duet by George Frideric Handel and Johan Halvorsen in the YouTube video at the bottom.)
If you want to know more about Smith, go to her website: https://miriamksmith.com
A forgotten gem by Domenico Cimarosa, Overture to The Secret Marriage, will open the concert, and the performance concludes with Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 8, the sunniest of his even-numbered symphonies.
The concert, under the baton of WCO music director Andrew Sewell, will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Capitol Theater at the Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State St.
If you are a furloughed federal employee, you can call the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra offices at (608) 257-0638, and mention your place of employment. Best available tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets are limited to two per person.
Others who want to attend this concert can find information about the soloist, the program and tickets at: https://wisconsinchamberorchestra.org/performances/masterworks-i-4/


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BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson directed two scoring drives during a limited appearance, had an impressive touchdown run erased by a penalty and sparked the Baltimore Ravens to a 26-13 victory over the Green Bay Packers, who played Thursday night without quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers developed back stiffness and was a late scratch , a move the team labeled as a "precaution." After being held out of Green Bay's first preseason game against Houston, the seven-time Pro Bowl star was slated to start for the first time under rookie head coach Matt LaFleur.
Instead, DeShone Kizer, Tim Boyle and Manny Wilkins struggled against a defense that last year was ranked No. 1 in the NFL.
Coming off a rookie season in which he didn't start until mid-November, Jackson is seeking to master a new playbook devised by first-year coordinator Greg Roman. Jackson started and played three series last week in a 29-0 rout of Jacksonville. This time, the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner stuck around for two possessions, both of which ended with field goals. He completed 6 of 10 passes for 58 yards and ran twice for 14 yards.
The Ravens have won 15 straight preseason games, 34 of the last 43 and 19 of the last 22 at home.
ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Ryan and Sam Darnold both appear ready for the regular season.
Ryan looked sharp in his preseason debut for Atlanta, completing nine straight passes, and Darnold led New York on another scoring drive.
After sitting out the first two exhibition games, Ryan played most of the first half. He completed 10 of 14 passes for 118 yards, a performance that was even more impressive considering Brian Hill and Justin Hardy dropped back-to-back passes in the back of the end zone that should have been touchdowns, sparking boos from the meager crowd.
The Jets are certainly pleased with Darnold, who followed up a marvelous drive in the preseason opener by completing 5 of 7 passes for 46 yards. He guided New York on a 66-yard touchdown drive to start the game, capped by Ty Montgomery's 1-yard scoring run.
Le'Veon Bell sat out again for the Jets. He could make his New York debut next week.
Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 His work can be found at https://apnews.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Philadelphia third-string quarterback Cody Kessler was knocked out of the team's win on the opening drive. Defensive end Datone Jones came unblocked off the edge and walloped Kessler in the back.
Kessler was escorted to the sideline, evaluated for a head injury in the locker room and then placed in the concussion protocol. The team already was without backup Nate Sudfeld, who broke his left wrist in the team's preseason opener against Tennessee. Starter Carson Wentz rested for the second straight game. He watched from the sideline in uniform, but without pads and a helmet.
Rookie Clayton Thorson, the only other QB on the roster, played three-plus quarters and completed a 38-yard touchdown pass to former college quarterback and Alliance of American Football receiver Greg Ward on fourth down in the second quarter.
Thorson beat the blitz by lofting a deep ball toward the left sideline. Ward was a couple of steps behind safety C.J. Reavis, made an acrobatic catch and then outran two defenders to the end zone. It was another big play in the past three weeks for the 5-foot-11 wideout who threw for 8,704 yards and accounted for 91 touchdowns in four years at Houston.
The Eagles rested tight end Zach Ertz, defensive tackle Tim Jernigan, running back Darren Sproles, center Jason Kelce, receivers DeSean Jackson and Nelson Agholor and others.
The Jaguars sat 31 guys, including quarterback Nick Foles, cornerback Jalen Ramsey, running back Leonard Fournette, linebacker Myles Jack and defensive ends Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell.
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Washington first-round pick Dwayne Haskins made strong throws and his share of mistakes, and fellow rookie Ryan Finley continued to make his case to be Cincinnati's backup quarterback.
Haskins threw a 55-yard TD pass to camp standout Robert Davis and was 7 of 14 for 114 yards with a fumble. The 15th overall pick took two sacks but showed poise under pressure and was more effective than veteran Case Keenum, who played the first three drives and was 3 of 7 for 52 yards.
Keenum, Haskins and longtime backup Colt McCoy are competing to be the Redskins' Week 1 starter. McCoy has yet to play in the preseason while he deals with lingering pain from a broken leg last year.
After already passing Jeff Driskell on Cincinnati's depth chart, Finley again showed why he's now the favorite to back up Andy Dalton. The fourth-round pick out of N.C. State completed his first nine passes and was 20 of 26 for 150 yards with two TD passes.
The first six plays of the game featured seven flags, and the penalty parade continued all night. The Bengals and Redskins combined for 22 penalties that added up to 195 yards.
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kyler Murray's second outing as an NFL quarterback didn't go nearly as well as his first, and the Raiders moved the ball with ease on the Cardinals' top defensive units.
Murray, the first overall pick in this year's NFL draft who looked sharp in his debut last Thursday against the Los Angeles Chargers, finished 3 of 8 for 12 yards. He also ran once for 4 yards, and the Cardinals went three-and-out on two of his four series.
Raiders backup Mike Glennon completed 11 of 14 passes for 175 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and the Oakland defense tackled Murray in the end zone for a safety to lead the Raiders to their second preseason win.
Derek Carr, the Raiders' No. 1 quarterback, played one series and led a touchdown drive, going 2 for 2 for 40 yards in his preseason debut. Carr threw 13 yards to Ryan Grant for a touchdown on the game's opening drive, and former Cardinal Glennon picked up where Carr left off.
Raiders star wide receiver Antonio Brown came out for pregame warmups in full uniform and pads — and a helmet — and caught passes. He didn't play in the game.
More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL

subset: commoncrawl


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Senegal's Casamance region: The next hot place to go on hols?Posted: May 7, 2014 Filed under: Senegal | Tags: Casamance, ceasefire, Dakar, Macky Sall, MFDC, Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance, Salif Sadio, Senegal Leave a comment
A ceasefire gives hope to a violent and neglected part of the country
ITS travel-brochure beaches, endless tracts of mangrove and lagoon, and a sedentary pace of life once made Casamance an understated tourist destination. Then rebellion and banditry turned this slim spit of land, which belongs to Senegal but is sandwiched between Gambia and Guinea Bissau, into yet another west African troublespot. Since 1982 an insurgency has flared with varying intensity, most notably between 1993 and 1998 when fighting left over 1,000 people dead. Instead of securing the region's independence, violence has left it isolated and underdeveloped. Read the rest of this entry »


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Today I was very fortunate to have gotten a tour of Facebook's new datacenter up in Prineville, Oregon (map). This datacenter is the most energy efficient in the world and only a handful of press got a look. We'll have a video up after editing it, but here's a look at the datacenter in photos. I shot all of these photos on an unmodified iPhone 4 with Instagram, that just got an update today. For the panoramic photos I was using Occipital's 360 app.
Here's the sight that we saw on arriving. Keep in mind this building is HUGE and there's a sizable solar array out front (here's a panoramic photo from inside that solar array), which doesn't really power much of the datacenter, but powers some of the buildings around the site. Photos don't really do it justice, but think about three average Walmarts put end-to-end :
Facebook is so big that it has its own flag:
Walking in, yes, we are in the right place:
Just past the Facebook sign is a monitor in the lobby that shows you the state of the datacenter and how well the cooling systems are working:
Inside the security door the local community made these quilts, which is their interpretation of what a social network looks like:
Walking in Thomas Furlong, director of site operations at Facebook, brought us into a huge series of rooms which "process" the air. First room filters the air. Second room filters it further.
Here's Thomas showing us one of the huge walls of filters (these filters are similar to the ones in my home heating system, except here Facebook has a wall of them).
Here's a better shot of just how massive this filtering room is:
Then the air goes into a third room, one where the air is mixed to control humidity and temperature (if it's cold outside, as it was today, they bring some heat up from inside the datacenter and mix it here) and on the other side, there's a huge array of fans, each of which has a five horsepower motor (today the fans were moving at 1/3 speed, which makes them more efficient).
Here you can see the back sides of one of the huge banks of filters:
Here Thomas stands in front of the fans:
Here's a closeup look at one of the fans that forces air through the datacenter and through the filtering/processing rooms:
Finally, the air moves through one final step before going downstairs into the datacenter. In this final step small jets spray micro-packets of water into the air. As the water evaporates, which it does very rapidly, it cools the air. One room I didn't take photos in was filled with pumps and reverse osmosis filters, which makes the water super pure so it works better when using it to cool in this way. One final set of filters makes sure no water gets into the datacenter. Here's a closer look at the array of water jets:
Here you can see the scale of the room that sprays that water:
Here's a closeup of one of the jets of cooling water:
Finally we got to follow the air down into the datacenter where there was a huge floor with dozens of rows. Each row had rack after rack of servers.
Here Thomas stands in front of just one of those racks:
This 180-degree view gives you a look down the main corridor (on the side you can see is only half the datacenter — these are the newer "Open Compute" servers, the other half they asked us not to take pictures of, and that contained their older server technology).
If you click here you can see a panoramic photo of one of these rows.
What does this all mean? Well, for one, it brings jobs to Prineville, which is a small town with about 10,000 residents in a very rural county (we drove about half an hour through mostly farmland just to get to Prineville). But listen to Prineville's mayor to hear what it means for her community.
Which brought up the question: why Prineville. The execs who showed me around today said they chose the site based on an exhaustive search for the perfect combination of low-seismic risks, cooler and mostly dry weather, access to power and Internet trunk lines (Prineville is an old railroad community, and fiber lines run under the railroads here) and a variety of other factors including low tax rates and friendly climate to business, etc.
Anyway, it's not often that you get to see inside a modern datacenter. You'll be reading more about this tour, since there were other journalists there as well, hope you enjoyed these early pictures.
By the way, why did Rackspace send me there? For those who don't know, I'm a full-time employee of Rackspace which is the world's biggest web hosting company.
Because we're already building a datacenter based on the "Open Compute" plans that Facebook made and put into Open Source (the datacenter as well as the specs for the machines is all in open source now). More on Open Compute here. Plus we're datacenter geeks so love seeing how other companies do it so we can learn from what they've done.


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Please note that each order will take 3-8 business days to fill and ship. This means we only ship items Monday-Friday; Holidays, Saturdays and Sundays are not included in shipping
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 613 is headquartered in Atlanta, and has a massive jurisdiction spanning 58 counties in two states - Georgia and Alabama. Our Local union membership includes men and women who work in the construction and manufacturing industries.
In a time when safety for our members and family is of the utmost importance, we have launched an online store for our IBEW Local 613 merchandise. Please, stay safe and shop with confidence.


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Typical indecisive liberal Libran, I'm all in a silly tizz. I just can't make my mind up about the Government's marriage equality law. Just for the record, the proposal is to legalise same sex civil marriage (a good thing) but will enshrine in the Law the notion that religious marriage is only between a man and a women (a bad thing). Presumably, this is a typically British fudge to placate the lofty preachy men who've got their cassocks in a twist. One minute I think I just can't support this daft nonsense that will introduce a kind of marriage apartheid. The next minute I think that this is a step in the right direction. Maybe it won't matter as the Government seem to be running scared of the blue-rinse brigade and getting cold feet anyway. The proposed Act has been kicked into the long grass by being dropped from this year's Queen's Speech which sets out the Government's legislative agenda for the coming Parliamentary session. This smacks of political cowardice. It will be left to the Scots (as usual) to lead the equalities charge.
The law may eventually pass and, if it does, I suspect the dust will settle and people will wonder what all the fuss was about. Perhaps an amendment will then be carried to remove the discriminatory religious marriage clause and allow all those religious organisations who wish to conduct ceremonies for same sex couples to do so. Maybe then the preachy men will turn their attention to something more worthwhile like world peace and eradicating child abuse.
Interestingly, in Turkey, a Muslim majority country, religious marriage is not recognised by the State. As a secular republic, anyone wishing to marry (that's opposite sex couples only, obviously) must do so in a State registry office. Those who are religious have their union blessed by an imam, priest, rabbi, etc.
While the debate rages on, take a look at the video of men in uniforms.
You might also like:
Goodbye to the Turkish Living Forum


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A Boston Biotech Watch Book Review
By Steve Dickman, CEO, CBT Advisors
Jeffrey Bussgang's new book Mastering the VC Game: A Venture Capital Insider Reveals How to Get from Start-up to IPO on Your Terms is a welcome contribution to the literature surrounding venture capital and entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs of all stripes, whether in healthcare or information technology or cleantech, stand to benefit from Bussgang's highly personal and articulate look at the process of raising venture money.
Part how-to, part memoir and part reportage, Bussgang's book offers a folksy stroll through the gardens and thickets of the venture funding process. What's more, Bussgang, a general partner at Boston-based Flybridge Capital Partners adds transparency and rationality to many seemingly impenetrable aspects of it.
This is no small feat. To some entrepreneurs, VCs may sound like politicians and football coaches, using words without saying anything. Many entrepreneurs, especially after their business plans have been turned down a few times, see VCs as masters of the universe who talk in zen koans or SilValSpeak. Worse, they see VCs as vapid schemers afloat on oceans of "other people's money" who will never understand businesses as well as those who run them.
Therefore, the rare VC who, like Bussgang, has actually been a successful entrepreneur may come to enjoy a special place in the entrepreneur's heart. "He's been where I am" is the basis for what an entrepreneur hopes is the beginning of a beautiful business relationship. In my experience, this is a reasonable expectation. My VC office became a more fair-minded and understanding place when a seasoned entrepreneur joined the team.
Bussgang writes with passion and conviction about how to build a company as much as he does about how to fund one. He comes to authorship having worked with not one but two highly successful startups – first Open Market and then Upromise. Both had great exits (Bussgang writes that he was a "paper millionaire" by the age of 26) and Upromise is still on the scene, albeit as part of Sallie Mae, which acquired it in 2006. Bussgang had an early role in both, especially in Upromise. When he was there, he writes, he and his colleague nervously pitched to the legendary VC John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins. The company went on to win the investment.
It is Bussgang's crossover history as well as his knack for reporting on the work of others that allows the book to overcome its largest obvious potential flaw: how can Bussgang consider himself a "master" when as an investor he has apparently had only one or two exits?
Bussgang succeeds because he is a savvy reporter and scores fresh material from some key people in both life sciences and information technology e.g. LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman; Constant Contact's Gail Goodman; Sirtris' Christoph Westphal; because he is not afraid to address tough issues, such as differences between a CEO and his or her board of directors; and because he displays an infectious ebullience in relating the ups and downs of both entrepreneurship and investing.
The book owes its existence to some extent to blogging; VC-bloggers are an unusual species, now growing in number, and Bussgang joined their ranks early with his blog Seeing Both Sides: VC Perspectives From a Former Enterpreneur. There, he found satisfaction in sharing some of the steps he took to make his companies successful in both of his careers. The book was a natural next step. Readers can expect pithy and readable answers to questions such as:
1). Should I raise angel money or VC money for my fledgling company? (Bussgang's checklist is very helpful – I've put it to use already in my practice).
2). If I decide to take VC money, how do I approach VCs, by cold call or warm introduction? (The question gives away the answer…)
3). Several VCs are interested in my company; what criteria do I use to choose among them? (It's not always about the money.)
4). What are the keys to getting along with the VCs who have already invested in my company? (One well-known entrepreneur quoted here called VCs "the hire I could never fire.")
5). How up-front should I be with information about my company that might be damaging to the company should it fall into the wrong hands? (In my own experience, the answer is to err on the side of saying too much. Being too secretive is one of the worst mistakes I have seen entrepreneurs make.)
Book reviewers are notorious for airing their quibbles so here goes, but I hope they are taken not as a criticism but as a call to action for Bussgang and other VC bloggers everywhere:
It's good that the book contains a "blog roll"; too bad that it does not go on to cite Twitter feeds about VC and entrepreneurship. The book makes no mention of web-based tools for tracking or understanding the VC industry ("TheFunded.com" comes to mind). There is no chapter – or even a quick aside – on how VC is likely to change (or has already changed) in response to the financial crisis of 2007-2008, a topic obsessing more than a few portfolio companies not to mention would-be entrepreneurs.
I don't want to spoil it by saying too much more (though a 40-page chunk of the book is available free on Bussgang's web site. What I will say is that, as an avid reader of the literature about VC (for a list of my previous faves, see below), I find Bussgang's book to be a welcome addition. By both staying away from technical jargon and avoiding the temptation to reduce his advice to over-general sound bites, Bussgang threads the needle and we all benefit.
# # #
Steve Dickman's favorite books on VC and entrepreneurship
The First $20 Million is Always the Hardest: A Novel by Po Bronson (1995) – Too sad to be funny and too funny to be sad, Bronson's fictional tale of a 1990s computing startup rings true and should make the reader immediately pick up Bronson's other books Nudist on the Late Shift and Bombardiers.
Startup: A Silicon Valley Adventure by Jerry Kaplan (1994) – A self-deprecating and illuminating account of Kaplan's first venture, a Kleiner Perkins-backed "pentop computing" company that never turned a profit. In a New Yorker interview published after the book came out, Kleiner general partner and former company board member John Doerr said, "[The book] should have been called 'Screw-Up.'"
Done Deals: Venture Capitalists Tell Their Stories by Udayan Gupta (ed.) (2000) – Like Bussgang's book, this little-known and somewhat out-of-date work delivers real lessons from real VCs in their own words.)
Venture Capital and Private Equity: A Casebook by Josh Lerner, Felda Hardymon & Ann Leamon – Lerner, an excellent researcher and writer, is "the source" in academia on VC topics. This book is in the "case" format used at Harvard Business School, where Lerner teaches. The top-listed Amazon reviewer called it "perhaps the only book available on the subject matter." It is more VC-focused than entrepreneur-focused.
eBoys: The True Story of the Six Tall Men Who Backed eBay, Webvan and Other Billion-dollar Start-ups
by Randall Stross (2000) – An at times informative, at times adulatory look at life inside Benchmark Capital, one of the most financially successful venture funds of the 1995-2000 era. The anecdotes about funding eBay and WebVan are worth the price of the book.
Burn Rate: How I Survived the Gold Rush Years on the Internet by Michael Wolff (1998) – A hilarious and witty romp through the bubble-era world of revenue-free Silicon Alley media startups – Wolff, a long-time columnist for New York magazine, names names and the reader benefits.


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Paul warns Texas could turn blue
HOUSTON — Sen. Rand Paul on Saturday predicted that Texas would turn blue within a decade if the Republican Party doesn't become more inclusive.
"What I do believe is Texas is going to be a Democrat state within 10 years if we don't change," Paul (R-Ky.), who grew up in Texas, said at a dinner held by the Harris County GOP. "That means we evolve, it doesn't mean we give up on what we believe in, but it means we have to be a welcoming party."
Paul, who is heavily weighing a presidential bid, noted that his assessment was shared by the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas. The Lone Star state, currently the largest Republican bastion in the country, is nearly 40 percent Hispanic — a demographic that has overwhelmingly supported Democrats in recent elections.
( PHOTOS: Wendy Davis's filibuster)
The senator, whose father was a longtime congressman from Texas, acknowledged that immigration reform is a "touchy" subject before offering his vision for people who want to come to the United States.
"We won't all agree on it," he said. "But I'll tell you, what I will say and what I'll continue to say, and it's not an exact policy prescription … but if you want to work and you want a job and you want to be part of America, we'll find a place for you."
There was some quiet applause in the massive hotel ballroom, in which hundreds of Republicans — a mix of high-dollar donors, activists and state officials — were gathered. But Paul remarked that the response was "kind of tepid."
( PHOTOS: Highlights from Rand Paul's filibuster)
"Doesn't mean I don't believe in securing the border first, doesn't mean I don't believe it's important we have a secure country," he said. "But it does mean we have to have a different attitude."
More people applauded when he quoted his colleague, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah): "Immigrants are assets, not liabilities. We were all immigrants once."
In his 25-minute address, Paul also offered up some 2016 red meat: He went after Hillary Clinton, a likely Democratic presidential contender, over Benghazi.
"We're talking about six months of ignoring repeated, one-after-another requests for security," he said, referring to the months leading up to the September 2012 attacks on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. He added that the issue that "should limit Hillary Clinton from ever holding high office, when she was asked for reinforcements, she turned down reinforcements, and we should never, ever have a commander-in-chief who won't send reinforcements."
( QUIZ: Do you know Rand Paul?)
A spokesman for Clinton didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. "With specific security requests they didn't come to me. I had no knowledge of them," Clinton said during congressional testimony last year.
Paul was introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who praised his Kentucky colleague for pushing to expand the party.
"I've been particularly impressed with Rand's efforts to broaden the base and appeal of our party without sacrificing our principles," said Cornyn, who is in the midst of a primary contest of his own. "To me, that's the most important challenge our party faces."


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BiharWatch is an initiative of the East India Research Council (EIRC) which focuses on public policy, public finance, law making and justice besides nature, philosophy, science, art and literature. It attempts to keep an eye on poems, unalloyed truth, unsound business, paid news, courts, central and state legislatures, central and state governments, courts, district and block administrations, mayors, mukhiyas, sarpanchs, police stations, jails, the migrants from earliest times and neighbors.


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That's Castle Island, above, beyond Gaelic Lord Finnin O'Mahony's dilapidated realm at the entrance to Rossbrin Cove, in Roaringwater Bay. In the fifteenth century there would have been a hive of activity at Rossbrin: quays alive with fishing activity, boats being repaired and prepared, houses, stores and cellars – all full. Castle Island itself would also have been inhabited in those days, as were many of Carbery's Hundred Isles. Skeam West – to the east of Castle, and roughly in the centre of all the islands of Roaringwater Bay, has the remnants of a church said to date from the ninth century (Fahy – Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, Volume 67, 1962).
Upper – Castle island with its close neighbours in Roaringwater Bay; lower – the ancient church on nearby Skeam West, drawn by Fahy in 1962 (courtesy Cork Historical and Archaeological Society). Fahy suggested a ninth century date for this structure, although other commentators have suggested an earlier origin, possibly even before St Patrick's time
We set foot on Castle Island for the first time in August of last year – during a reprieve in the Covid lockdown measures. Those days seem halcyon now, compared to our current scourge and severe restrictions. We have not been able to return, but I am setting out to bring my reporting a bit more up to date, as I have been provided with further information from a range of sources.
Approaching Castle Island in 2020: upper – view of the island from the shore in Rossbrin townland; centre – proceeding to the island from Rossbrin Cove; lower – the quay on Castle Island, reportedly built in the early 20th century by the Congested Districts Board: "…the beach that it is laid upon was the best natural landing point on the island, well sheltered from the Atlantic swell …" (Mark Wycliff Samuel – The Tower House of West Cork, UCL 1998)
The history of the population of Castle Island is enigmatic and somewhat contradictory. Here is a quotation copied from the Ireland Byways site but uncredited and undated; I can find no other link containing the same information, but it must originally have been written when the island was still inhabited:
. . . Castle Island (Meadhon Inis – "middle island") lies about 2km offshore, east of the mouth of Schull Harbour on the Mizen Peninsula. The island derives its English name from a ruined C14th Tower House, one of 12 built by the powerful O'Mahony clan in the area. The 1837 census recorded 89 people living on the island. At present there are fewer than 30 permanent residents, who make their living from farming . . .quoted by ireland byways.co.uk
You will find some accounts which suggest that Castle Island was inhabited only up to the 1870s. These are incorrect: there is no doubt that the island was the home to a number of families in the 1890s as they suffered evictions then. It also seems questionable that the expense of constructing a substantial pier could have been justified only for the benefit of those who might run their cattle and sheep on a deserted island (as happens today). It is possible, therefore, that regular population of the island continued into the early years of the 20th century.
The remains of substantial houses exist on Castle island today: some do not seem to be as ruinous as would be expected if they had been unoccupied for well over 100 years
Recently, my attention was drawn to a Land Register folio recording the title for one of the parcels of land comprising Castle Island: " . . . a burden, dated April 14, 1904, indicates that the property was transferred at that time subject to the right of . . . Jeremiah Regan to be supported clothed and maintained in the dwellinghouse on the said lands . . . " That would imply, for sure, that there was at least one person who had the right to live on the island in the twentieth century.
Details from the ruined houses at the settlement of Wester, Castle Island: upper – brick and render chimney stack in reasonable condition; centre – elements from timber window frames still in existence; lower – traces of paint on an internal rendered wall
Accounts of the evictions which occurred on Castle Island have been well summarised in a Mizen Journal article by Liam O'Regan in Volume 6, 1998. The article is much too long to be included here, but it's worth anyone's while ferreting it out to get a vividly descriptive picture of the island in the 1890s.
Here's a brief summary of the eviction story: the villain is on the left, above – he is Thomas Henry Marmion JP, principle landlord of Castle Island. He lived from 1839 to 1921 and – incidentally – his father (who had the same name) was said to have been responsible for providing the 'soup kitchen' at the Steam Mill, Skibbereen during the Great Famine of the 1840s. Notwithstanding this, recorded history does not have much that's good to say about the Marmions, who in the eighteenth century had been land agents for the Bechers and Townsends. At the beginning of March 1890 (as reported, somewhat floridly, in the Cork County Eagle):
. . . A few days ago, the sheriff's officer from Skibbereen made his appearance in Schull, surrounded by a force of police, on an evicting expedition. After a short delay, they proceeded to the water's edge where their galleys were found to await them and the sheriff's representative having secured himself in one of the crafts, the whole party proceeded to sea for a distance of some three miles when they landed on Castle island. This wild and sea-washed home of a few small farmers and fishermen is the property of Mr Thomas Henry Marmion . . . whose interest in recent years appears more of an incumberance or embarrassment than any advantage as the poor creatures who live in it (misnamed farmers) and on the many islands surrounding it, have to live chiefly on the profits of the sea. The fortification of Jerry Nugent was the first laid siege by the invading army, Jerry's offence being that he owed a few years' rent which he found impossible to pay and he was, therefore, sent adrift on the sea-washed rocks where he had a full view of the passing emigrant ships which will probably bear him away to seek out a livelihood in the land of the stranger . . .Cork County Eagle, march 7th, 1890
There's much more – and it's a harrowing story – not untypical, of course, of what was happening all over Ireland during the nineteenth century. In the portrait gallery, above, the figure in the middle is a 'hero': he is William O'Brien MP, a founder of the National League who, in September 1890 visited West Cork and held a meeting on Middle Calf island to support the case of tenants evicted from Castle Island and the Calves. On the right is James Gilhooly, MP, Bantry, who was chairman of the 'All for Ireland League' and who strongly supported the Castle Island tenants and attended many official meetings on their behalf. Matters rumbled on laboriously into the mid 1890s: eventually, it seems that the introduction of new land purchase acts (benefitting tenants), enabled six tenants to return to, and continue to occupy, Castle Island. As yet I have found no further records to help us establish how long occupation of this sparse rocky outcrop in Roaringwater Bay continued into the twentieth century.
The Mizen Journal, Volume 5 1997, has published a study by Anthony Beese of the place-names on Castle Island. I have been unable to locate this article online, but here is Anthony's excellent map, above.
When we visited the island on a brooding August day we sensed its many ghosts, perhaps including those who returned over a hundred years ago and, possibly, lived out their working lives there. I have called this post 'Facts and Fictions' . . . You have had the facts. After I wrote my first post, last year, I received a communication from a writer: William Wall. I was delighted to learn that he had written a book – Grace's Day – published in 2018, part of which is set on Castle Island. I obtained the book and read it avidly: it has opened up for me a new dimension in the story of the island – and it's thoroughly believable.
. . . A long time ago I had two sisters and we lived on an island. There was me and Jeannie and Em. They called me Grace, but I have never had much of that. I was an awkward child. I still am all these years later. Our house had two doors, one to the south, one to the north. Its garden looked towards the setting sun. It was a garden of apple trees and fuchsia and everything in it leaned away from the wind. Dry stone walls encircled it and sheep and children broke them down. My mother lived there with us. Boats came and went bringing food and sometimes sheep, and there were times when we lived by catching fish and rabbits, though we were not so good at either . . .Grace's Day – a novel by William Wall, published by new island books 2018
William Wall is familiar with West Cork: he has stayed here many times, and has visited Castle Island. It's not just the island, but the whole story of 1960s West Cork that has been his inspiration. Readers of this Journal will be aware of my own interest in the days when Ballydehob became the hub of an artists' community: I have helped to set up the Ballydehob Arts Museum, which has celebrated this era and is now in 'suspended animation' due to the Covid outbreak. I also look after a website for the Museum. Grace's Day is set in this era, and follows the unconventional lives of a family who is 'getting away from it all' and trying to survive following the then prevalent bible of self-sufficiency. It's perfectly feasible that an abandoned island in Roaringwater Bay could be the setting for such a romantic pursuit of ideals. I won't give away any spoilers, but one more extract could help to persuade you that this book is for you. You should find it in all good bookshops: please support them in these tricky times.
. . . One day on our island my sister Jeannie ran in to say that she had seen a whale in the sound and I ran out after her, my mother calling me: Grace, it's your day, take Em. But I was too excited. And there were three fin whales making their way into the rising tide. We heard their breathing. It carried perfectly in the still grey air, reflected back at us now by the low cloud. The sea was still and burnished. We ran along the rocks watching for their breaching. We decided it was a mother, a father and a calf. They were in no hurry. When we reached the beacon, a small unlit concrete marker indicating the western edge of the island, we watched them breaching and diving into the distance until we could see them no more. But they left behind their calmness and the unhurried but forceful sound of their blows . . .GRACE'S DAY – A NOVEL BY WILLIAM WALL, PUBLISHED BY NEW ISLAND BOOKS 2018


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Cupcakes became sort of food craze over the past couple of years, with several "cutesy" bakeshops opening up all over the country in a very short period of time. But but very few of these bake shops have managed to survive into 2013 because their ridiculously over-priced, miniature offerings, were just trendy items and not actually quality desserts. Felix's Caketeria on the other hand, is going strong and even expanding because they are a phenomenal bakery that has mastered the art of exquisite cakes. Fortunately, for consumers like myself, they offer their indulgent cakes in miniature sizes (dare I call them cupcakes?!) to be enjoyed on days that aren't specialty occasions. No birthday, no problem!
Doesn't mean you can't sneak a cupcake on your lunch break!
My personal favorite is the Chocolate Salty Caramel, which is a chocolate cake filled with salty caramel, topped with chocolate buttercream and a caramel drizzle.
I also love the traditional Carrot Cake, which is made with pineapple, coconut, pecans and topped with a cream cheese icing.
The only thing that you must remember is that Felix's Caketeria uses REAL buttercream to frost their cupcakes, so the cupcake MUST be brought up to room temperature before they are enjoyed. If your impatience gets the best of you, you will be eating a rock hard cupcake and you won't get the most of your miniature cake experience.
Ohh, and one last cupcake special that they occasionally have is the Eclair Cupcake, shown below:


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IDRC Tri-State Nationals
Auto Trader Magazine IDRC Championship Drag Racing
Turning Up The Heat In AtcoImport drag racers turned up the summer heat at Atco, N.J. August 24, as spectators were treated to fast racing action. This event was a turning point for some competitors pining for the IDRC year-end points championship. Close competition, smoky burnouts, and cheering fans-it doesn't get much better than this.
Import Drag.com All-Motor class presented by Import Tuner Magazine
The Honda Civics came to play in the All-Motor Class, hoping to take home a win. However, with IDRC points leader Erick Aguilar missing in action, the door was open for other competitors flying the Honda colors to step up. But it would be a struggle for anyone owning a Honda as Number One qualifier and VW Bug driver, Daniel Rodriguez, was making quick work of the Honda field. Even in the semis, Rodriguez was able to come back from a poor start against the '92 Civic of Charles Lore and cross the finish line first.
Volkswagen Corrado driver, Nate Romero, was also putting Honda drivers to shame, beating the '92 Civic of Terry Chung in the quarter finals and taking home an easy win in the semis when Jeremy Allen, driving the Inline Pro Civic, red lighted. This pitted the "old school" Bug of Daniel Rodriguez against the "new school" Corrado of Nate Romero in the All-Motor money race. This was a historic showdown; the first all VW All Motor final on the East Coast for the IDRC.
When the tree lit green, both competitors left, with a slight lead going to Romero. It was anybody's guess who would cross the finish first, but fortunately for Romero, Daniel Rodriguez was running slightly off his qualifying pace, letting Romero win by a fender. Watercooled, 1; aircooled, 0.
BFG tires Street Class presented by Sport Compact Car Magazine.It's looking like the once RX-7 and Diamond Star dominated Street Class is getting shaken up this year with high-horsepower Supra teams like that of Paul Efantis. And while his Number One qualifying run of 9.142 at 157mph should have been enough to take him to the winners circle, Paul was eliminated in the first round when a faulty nitrous system caused the car to bog. It was also anti-climactic in the first round as rivals Ari Yallon and John Shepherd found themselves matched against each other, but what has been close racing in the past was not to be, as Shepherd had engine problems.
It was clear RX-7s would rule the day as the Peter Farrell-sponsored '93 RX-7 of Ray Wilson was the guy to beat. Running mid to high 9s in the first two rounds, Wilson was able to beat N.J. local, Jeff Hill, in the quarterfinals and crush the Supra of James Farrer in the semis.
Ari Yallon advanced into the finals, making it a FD vs. FD run for the cash. It could have been anybody's race with both RX-7s clocking similar e.t.s throughout the comeptition passes. However, Wilson couldn't keep his RX-7 running at full steam in the final round against Yallon. Not only did this give Yallon the IDRC event win, Yallon earned enough points to move into first place in the national points race by 55 points.
ImportDrag.com Turbo High Tech & Performance Magazine Quick ClassIt is looking like the dominating force of Sav Leone and his IMPOPerformance Civic is getting a challenge from the Inline Pro team and new driver Matthew Keller. Leone has been leading the IDRC points race all the way but Keller was fast enough in qualifying to take the Number One spot and make people take notice.
Ex-inline Pro driver Jennifer Williams was trying out a new Acura Integra that was literally thrown together in only two weeks. Rightly deemed "Project Midnight," Jennifer managed to capture the third spot in qualifying, despite running with a stock B16A. She made it into the semis against Sav Leone. However, horsepower is usually king and Leone made it into the finals, beating Williams by more than half a second.
While this could have been Mathew Keller's day, as he easily beat Zachary Visconti in the first round, Keller found that racing has its woes while matched against the Honda CRX of Jason Hunt. When the light turned green, Keller's engine died and Hunt was charging to the finish. In fact, by the time Keller got the engine running again, Hunt was just crossing the finish line, thus proving a small glitch can take you out in a heartbeat.
However, Hunt would not be lucky twice in a row when matched against Leone in the finals. Hunt did manage to run a low 10-second pass, but Leone was on his game and blasted a 9.416 at 155 mph, beating Hunt by almost a second. This gave Leone the IDRC national points boost he needed to nearly lock up the 2002 IDRC national championship.
APEX Integration Outlaw Class presented by Import Racer magazineThe Outlaw Class was jam packed, sporting a full 16-car field headed by local favorite Carlos Montano and his Pepe Loco '71 Datsun featuring rotary power. One other name we haven't heard of much this year is Brent Rau. Why should we be hearing that name in the Outlaw Class? It seems Rau has been working feverishly on a new project. Brent brought out his new back-halved Eclipse that was so new, the paint was still soft and there were no stickers to be seen. In fact, word has it the only real testing this car has seen was on the street in front of his shop in Minnesota. New car or not, Rau's competitive spirit kept his foot to the floor in the first two rounds, moving him into the semis against Carlos Montano.
Montano made it easily into the semis as in his first two rounds, both competitors broke. In fact, that seemed to be common as the people who actually made it into the semis were the ones that could keep their cars together. But Montano knew he would have his hands full against Brent Rau. Rau caught a superb .468 reaction, getting a great start on Montano, but Montano was fast on his heels and gaining. It wasn't until the very end when Montano's lane lit up with an 8.449 to Rau's 8.636 that you knew who would move into the finals.
Jose Mendez was moving through the rounds as well with his 1980 Toyota Corolla. His consistent reaction times, as well as fairly low 9-second e.t.s, were enough to move him into the finals. Looking at all of the eliminations, it was consistency that brought Carlos Montano and Jose Mendez together in the finals. But a consistent mid 8 beats a consistent low 9. And with both competitors leaving the line at the same time, it was a matter of Montano having more horsepower and crossing the finish first, clinching the IDRC Tri-State win.
Drag Sport Magazine Pro ClassWith only two competitors in the field, there wasn't much racing going on, but that's not to say what little racing there was wasn't exciting. David Buschur, driving his tube frame Eagle Talon, was laying down the rubber in qualifying, posting his best time to date with a 7.894 at 171 mph-not bad for a four-banger!
Carlos Torres and his 1990 Nissan Sentra wanted to show Buschur he was up to the task. And with Buschur sleeping at the light, Torres just might have taken home the dough, but Buschur knew what his car could do. By half-track, Buschur's Talon was passing Torres, giving the IDRC Pro class win to David Buschur.
Rumor has it Buschur may be changing to a stand-alone computer system and running methanol. There is no doubt he has a good shot at winning the 2002 IDRC points championship.
The IDRC is entering the home stretch of its 2002 season and there are a number of classes still undecided. Also, the IDRC is offering regional championships to keep racer costs down. For more on the season championship races, check out importdrag.com.
|Nate Romero
|Daniel Rodriguez
|Ari Yallon
|Ray Wilson
|Sav Leone
|Jason Hunt
|Carlos Montano
|Jose Mendez
|David Buschur
|Carlos Torres
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If you look carefully at who's visiting your flowers in the spring and summer, you'll soon spot a range of subtly different and equally beautiful bees alongside the industrious honeybees and the avuncular bumblebees. We have 250 species of 'solitary bees' in the UK – far more than the social species combined and a number of these can be encouraged to nest in your garden through provision of pollen, nectar and a place to stay!
Who can you expect to see?
A number of different species can be found using bee hotels. One of the most common, and most widely provided for, is the red mason bee. These rusty coloured bees, around the size of a honey bee, are on the wing from March to July and will readily take up residence in a well constructed bee hotel. The females visit 'mud mines' where they gather up balls of soft mud to line and seal the individual cells within the nest tubes. They are a welcome visitor to any garden, especially if you have fruit trees, as they are a prolific pollinator, estimated to be over a hundred times more efficent than the honey bee. A number of the other Osmia (mason bee) species are also likely to pay a visit if the conditions are right.
The photograph below shows a red mason bee feeding on green alkanet – a great source of early-season nectar for spring bees.
As the year progresses, leafcutter bees emerge in the summer. These are so named for their habit of cutting circles of leaf from species such as roses which they use in a similar way to the mason bees – to line their nests and segregate the cells. A good garden can provide the leaves they need to line their nests; the nest tubes themselves; and a good source of pollen and nectar for the adult bees to feed on.
The photograph below shows a brown-footed leafcutter – Megachile versicolor – visiting our bee hotel last year with a section of leaf ready to line its nest.
Alongside the charismatic species such as bees, you might also get some less charming but equally intriguing species. Last year, one of the nest tubes in our bee hotel was used by a willow mason wasp who hunted and paralysed beetle larvae to bring back to its nest.
The bee hotel takes all kinds of residents – this is a willow mason wasp with a paralysed beetle larvae to provision it's egg! #slowmo pic.twitter.com/j3bb7jBUGo
— Grantham Ecologist (@GranthamEcology) July 2, 2017
But a word of warning: don't expect the hotel to be free of uninvited guests. The life history of bees is a complex one – they have 'enemies' including other bees (often named cuckoo bees), flies and wasps which will parasitise and exploit them. This is all part of the ecosystem which has developed and whilst you might feel protective towards your bees, you should bear in mind that the parasitic species is generally rarer than its prey!
The photograph below shows a wasp using its long ovipositor to inject its eggs into the nest tube of one of the solitary bees in our garden bee hotel.
How to make a bee hotel
It's worth bearing in mind before you begin, just what you are aiming to do in creating a bee hotel. The species who are most likely to be attracted to the hotel are those which nest in cavities naturally; these include dead plant stems, holes in decaying wood often bored by beetles, and holes in brickwork. What you are seeking to do is replicate and ideally perfect these conditions for your garden visitors.
Whilst there are many purpose-built boxes on the market these days, the nesting opportunities are easy to make yourself and understanding what you are tying to achieve can open up lots of opportunities to be creative. You could create the features within existing woodwork in your garden, say a fence post in a sunny spot or an old sleeper. Similarly you could create several small hotels of just the right size and shape to fit in with your existing materials in different locations around the garden. The additional advantage of multiple small hotels is that you are avoiding a dense congregation of nests, which may be more susceptible to parasites and 'enemies' and thereby maximise the chances of your bees successfully rearing broods.
Firstly: the materials.
You can use lots of different materials, but do remember that wood treated with chemicals may be harmful to bees so certainly avoid anything freshly treated. Offcuts of old wood can be good though, along with logs, bamboo canes and other similar materials. You need your materials to be a minimum of around 8 inches deep, but some variation can be fine.
Secondly: the structure.
We have had bees happily nesting in holes in fence posts where old screws have come out, but if you are making a bee hotel from scratch, you should aim to ward off any potential hazards. Aim to make your structure rain-proof – this often means constructing a simple box within which to place the nest tubes and put on a sloping roof which overlaps the top. This will allow the rain to drain off and keep the nest tubes dry. A box also helps to hold your tubes together and give them stability. I used a back board as well, which could be used to affix the different blocks of wood and keep the whole thing stable.
Thirdly: the nest tubes
One way to achieve the nest tubes is to use a drill and create various sized holes in the pieces of wood. These should be up-to 7 inches deep and vary in size between 2mm and 10mm. Different bee species like different sizes of holes, and producing a variety will maximise the chances of the hotel being used by a number of species. Larger holes, around 8mm, seem to be favoured by the leafcutter bees with smaller holes used by smaller mason bees and species such as the delightful harebell carpenter bee. It's important to make the entrances to the holes smooth, by sanding or otherwise removing rough wood and splinters asd these could damage the wings of the bees.
Another option is to use bamboo canes cut to the correct lengths – again taking care to avoid splintered edges. A variety of different sizes will similarly work for a range of species.
Dead plant stems, especially those robust enough to maintain their structure such as hogweed, reed or nettle, can provide a 'natural' nest tube. These can be bundled together length-ways to create a tempting array of opportunities.
With the box illustrated below, I opted for a combination of all of these materials which creates a pleasing arrangement – an important consideration if you are going to site this somewhere prominantly in your garden – as well as providing a diverse range of nesting opportunities.
Fourthly – the position
The bee hotel should be placed somewhere south facing, in full sun if possible. The key requirement is sun in the morning to allow the bees to warm up and start their day – like all invertebrates, they are cold blooded. You should also ensure that they are not shaded too much by vegetation, for the same reason.
The video below is a selectively-speeded clip, taken over 15 minutes in realtime, of bees emerging tentatively as the sun warms the bee hotel in the morning.
Finally – the management
Whilst you can fit and forget, many will advocate that an element of management is in the best interests of the bees to secure the long-term value of the bee hotel. Whilst parasites and enemies are a natural part of the bee's life history, the creation of durable, artificial nesting habitat with higher densities of nests than would occur naturally can affect the balance of parasite and host and result in the bees failing to successfully hatch out a new generation.
I am no expert in this area and will defer to others for this advice. This website is a great resource for further and more detailed reading on how to make a bee hotel, and how to manage it. Some sources talk of bees vs. pests when discussing management and this is, to my mind, an unhelpful distinction. Where your provision of nest boxes is not significantly upsetting the balance between the bees and their parasites/predators, then the loss of some eggs and indeed some broods to species of parasitic wasp and flies which depend upon them for their own survival is entirely to be expected. A wild garden should have space for these as well as the bees – creating a habitat invites an ecosystem rather than a species in isolation. However creating a 'sink' for bees which are drawn to the nest box and then fail to raise a brood because of the density of paratises or the impacts of fungal attacks is not a desirable outcome. In this instance, the bees may have been better served by not creating the bee hotel in the first place. Cleaning out holes in wood; swapping bamboo tubes; and replacing dead stems is recommended by some, but you need to be careful in your timings and approach to ensure that your actions are not inadvertantly removing the eggs and larvae before they hatched.
One obvious way to minimise some of the risks would be the creation of multiple, small bee hotels around your garden if possible, as this addresses many of the density issues and reduces the risk of entire broods failing in a given year!
Find out more…
For more information about solitary bees – Ryan Clark has put together an excellent introduction to the species native to the UK in this Wildlife Trusts article. If you're looking to identify solitary bees in your garden, this is a great place to start. If you begin to delve deeper, it won't be long before you reach the work of Steve Falk who has produced the Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland – an indispensible book if you are looking to further your knowledge of our native species.


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Who Won Survivor: Philippines?
Former Facts of Life star Lisa Whelchel went up against returning contestant Michael Skupin, sex therapist Denise Stapley and bartender Malcolm Freburg in Sunday's finale of Survivor: Philippines, but only one was crowned the sole survivor of the show's 25th season. Who was it?
After two challenges, Michael won immunity for the first tribal council and Malcolm was voted out after Denise abandoned her alliance with him and decided to vote with Lisa and Michael. The final three then toasted themselves with a decadent breakfast that included mimosas, sausages, croissants.
Fall TV: What's renewed/canceled?
During the last tribal council, each of the finalists spoke to the eight-member jury of contestants who had previously been voted out. Denise, who voted against her former ally Malcolm to earn the spot, said she refused to apologize for doing so; Lisa and Michael both also said they felt they deserved the victory.
Each juror was given the opportunity to address the finalists, providing for exchanges that were often awkward and/or testy given that, as host Jeff Probst helpfully pointed out, "they have a shot at a million dollars, and you don't." And Jonathan Penner used his time to reveal to the other jurors Whelchel's history as a child TV star - information she hadn't publicized throughout the competition. "You guys deserve to know that" before voting on whether to award her the million-dollar prize, he told them.
Perhaps that played into the jury's vote, because Denise was named the winner when the results were read live from the CBS Studios in Hollywood Sunday night.
What do you think? Did Denise deserve the victory? And did Lisa's past, and the fact that she tried to hide it from the other contestants, influence the vote?
View original Who Won Survivor: Philippines? at TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com


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INDIANAPOLIS – After suffering back-to-back losses for the first time in seven years, Carlos Condit admits his back is against the wall. But "The Natural Born Killer" isn't overwhelmed by the situation. In fact, he'd love to visit those fights once again.
"I have my back against the wall," Condit admitted at Monday's UFC Fight Night 27 open workout session. "Those fights, both of them were close in different ways. I almost had Georges St-Pierre finished, and then I lost a real close position to Johny Hendricks. Having victory slip through my fingers like that really gives me some fire to make sure I finish this fight."
Condit (28-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) returns to action at Wednesday night's "UFC Fight Night 27: Condit vs. Kampmann 2" event, where he headlines the card in a rematch with the only other man to beat him in the past seven years, Martin Kampmann (20-6 MMA, 11-5 UFC). The event takes place at Indianapolis' Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and the main card airs on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on FOX Sports 2 and Facebook.
Despite the back-to-back defeats, Condit said he jumped at the opportunity to book the rematch.
"I was excited," Condit told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "This is a fight that I've been looking forward to for a long time, and I jumped at the opportunity."
Kampmann has gone 5-4 since the 2009 win over Condit, though he's picked up "Fight of the Night," "Submission of the Night" and "Knockout of the Night" bonuses along the way. Meanwhile, Condit has gone 5-2 since the original meeting, picking up the UFC's interim welterweight title along the way, though he lost it in an attempt to unify the belt with champion St-Pierre.
Still, nearly four years after the original meeting, Condit believes fans will actually see a better version of both fighters.
"I'm a better fighter," Condit said. "I've grown quite a bit as a person. I've had these really tough fights against high-level opponents. I think that's going to show. But he's improved, too. This is Condit vs. Kampmann 2.0. This is going to be a better version of both of us – both hungry, both coming off losses looking to get back in the win column.
"Particularly his striking is better, I think. He's always been well-versed in striking, but it's gotten better. He looks sharper. He's more dangerous on his feet. I'm sure he's improved all around, but that's what stands out to me."
The battle for both fighters is imperative in their ability to remain relevant in the 170-pound title picture. Condit is currently ranked No. 4 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com welterweight MMA rankings. Kampmann sits in the No. 8 slot.
Condit knows how important a victory is for his title chances.
"A win over Kampmann puts me back in the title mix," Condit said. "But first things first, and I've got to take care of this guy. Martin is super tough. He's improved quite a bit since our last fight, and I definitely have my hands full."
But should Condit survive his latest test, he's already got a few more in mind. If he's getting the chance to avenge one negative outcome, why not another? He wouldn't mind starting with Hendricks.
"I would request a five-round fight with him," Condit said. "I feel like I was getting stronger as the fight went on. That last round, I had him in trouble, and had the fight gone any longer, I think I would have come away with a win. But I'm not looking back. I'm not crying about the decision or anything like that.
"I'm going to get an opportunity to rematch a guy I lost to on Wednesday, and then I'm going to look forward to maybe avenging that loss and maybe getting another big fight."
And Condit isn't ruling out a possible rematch against a fighter he beat, either. Should Nick Diaz finally break his retirement, Condit wouldn't be opposed to visiting that fight again, either.
"When I fought Diaz, it was a controversial decision, and I said, 'I can see how some people think he won,'" Condit said. "I'm not ego-tripping out here. I'm just out here trying to fight to the best of my ability, and if we don't finish the fight and it ends up in the judges' hands, it gets kind of weird sometimes."
For more on UFC Fight Night 27, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.


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Yes its early,
Its both early in the morning and very early in the beta testing. As was so eloquently pointed out we have somewhere in the neighborhood of 4 months before WotLK finds its way into live servers and until then (indeed even after) everything is subject to change without notice.
The proposed changes to hunter pets are for the most part welcome. I think the whole Talent tree thing is a particularly great idea, but I sincerely hope that the respeccing cost of a pet is either free or nearly so. Am I being greedy? Wanting it all? Hardly, read on.
One of the other proposed changes is removing pet loyalty. Pet loyalty was always a bit of a nuisance, especially at higher levels it would take forever to get to be "best friend" to your pet. It really did need to be reworked, however I would have liked it to stay in the game in some form.
While I think both of these are good changes in their own way, I think I may see a bit of a issue in how they would interact both with each other together with minimal stable slots open to hunters. I think can already see the dawn of the "disposable pet". Not a temporary pet you grab to go learn a skill but a full fledged throwaway pet.
Lets assume that there is available in the game a level 80 cat of some sort. I would say that is a safe assumption, but that's all it is. Why tie up a stable slot with one? Why pay to re-spec? If you need a cat go grab a cat. Tame complete *bam* instant best friend. Spec for what you want to do and throw it away when you are done. There is even the possibility with a little planning of using "Tame beast" as a form of crowd control in instances, similar to the way enslave or mind control is used to pull one enemy from a group and have it fight for you. The difference would be that It won't wear off.
Everything I see can in fact be used as an advantage. I am not really complaining just thinking out loud. I am pondering weather taking away pet loyalty to the hunter coupled with a lack of stable slots serves to take away the hunters loyalty to the pet, and if so how I feel about that.
I suppose I can keep two pets that I actually needed to put a few levels on in the stables and keep one slot open for the pet of the day. I could but I don't think I will. My pets are not throw aways to be used up and discarded. I am not a Warlock.
Something to ponder as I watch the calendar slide past towards release day.
Filed under: World of Warcraft | Tagged: hunter, pets, WotLk |


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12 Days of Christmas: Day 7 – Create Margin
…my blogger friends gave to me: The permission to Breathe
Do you ever feel overwhelmed by life? Whatever your work/family situation is, do you ever feel like you're juggling too many activities/responsibilities/roles? And let's face it, although technology can simplify our lives, it usually reminds us via social media that we can be doing so much more, or at the very least do what we're already doing with a lot more style.
So today, we give you permission to just breathe. What's that you say? You don't have the time to stop and breathe? Or your living space is so cluttered that you can't find a place to sit down long enough to enjoy breathing? Well, here are some resources that may help you find the time and physical space to do just that.
Corie Clark's "The Simplicity Project" is aptly named. Her approach to simplifying our over-complicated lives is exactly that – simple. She doesn't try to push a multi-step program . Nor does she just focus on the physical decluttering that our lives need. She addresses the need to tend to our spiritual health, physical health, physical spaces, finances, and time management. Her approach to simplifying is not only doable, but grace infused, which makes it more likely for recovering perfectionists to complete the project.
While "The Simplicity Project" touches on learning how to say yes and no wisely, Lysa TerKeurst's "The Best Yes" really gets to the heart of the matter – people pleasing. Too many "Oh, snap!" moments in the book to get into here. If you can relate to any of the quotes from the front of her book {I dread saying yes but feel powerless to say no. I hope there's more to life than my to-do list. I'm a little overwhelmed and a lot worn out. I'm drowning int he regrets of too many commitments.}, grab a copy.
This last book, "Finding Spiritual Whitespace" by Bonnie Gray, comes highly recommended from a God friend. Since it's on the "Read in 2015" list, you can read her write-up of it here.


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Nothing to Add | Pastor Sjhana Greenwood | Influencers Church
Manage episode 325279921 series 2360027
A message from Pastor Sjhana Greenwood, Lead Pastor - Influencers Church.
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🔔 Make sure to subscribe and turn on the notification bell to receive more messages and other videos.
Our heart as a church is to see people know Jesus Christ, connect with others, and live a life filled with love, purpose, and hope. This is the vision of Influencers Church, led by Pastors Ashley and Jane Evans. Influencers Church Australia is based in South Australia, Australia with multiple other locations across the USA and now in Indonesia.
#influencers #influencerschurch #onlinechurch #churchonline #jesus #sunday #christian #online
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Brian Cox's Wonders of Life
Explore the majesty of nature in breath-taking 3D with Professor Brian Cox as your personal tour guide.
The follow-up to multi-award winning Wonders of the Universe gives you:
► Over 30 3D creatures and habitats
► Over 2 hours of HD video (wifi connection required for streaming)
► More than 1000 crisply high-res images accompanied by expert commentary
► And it's all set against a soundtrack that will blow your socks off
► Additional bonus content can be accessed by signing in. (Completely optional! Press "Skip" or "No Thanks" to continue after the Introduction.)
From the vast networks of subterranean freshwater caverns of the Yucatan peninsula to the Great White Sharks haunting the South Neptune Islands, from the Hermit Crabs of Christmas Island to the Red Kangaroo of Western Australia, this app will help you uncover the secrets of life in the most unexpected locations and in the most stunning detail.
Explore the vision of the Kangaroo, the DNA of the Chameleon or the hearing of the Mohave Desert Sand Scorpion in its natural habitat in scintillating 3D detail, delving deep down variously into the detail of microbial life, the inner eye, the second law of thermodynamics, and more.
Along the way you'll learn how everything on Earth, from the smallest microbe to the largest giraffe, is constructed from the same fundamental building blocks and is subject to the same laws of nature.
Professor Cox and BBC Head of Science Andrew Cohen underpin the experience with over 80 articles delving into intricacies of the natural world and the laws which bind it, alongside over 2 hours of footage from the series and 30 mind-blowing 3D models, all optimised for the iPad's retina display and set in an interface designed bespoke for IOS 7.
The app seamlessly complements the Wonders of the Universe app (chosen by Apple as one of the best apps of 2012), adding in a tranche of additional information to Brian's compendium of information on our solar system.
Praise for Wonders of Life:
"Brian Cox's Wonders of Life has the professor's skillful and engaging commentary alongside amazing video and graphics that explain the science and intricacy of life on Earth."
– New York Times
"Wonders of Life really is a treat of an app."
– The Next Web
"Wonders of Life is not only an amazing achievement, it's modern media done right. More like this, please."
– Rene Ritchie, iMore
"We have to say – it's pretty special."
– The Next Web
|Brian Cox's Wonders of Life
|Compatible with iOS devices.
Just added to AASL's Best Apps


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So, I've finally had a chance to see at least one serial of all eleven doctors in Doctor Who. I understand that this post will be completely subjective, but honestly, this is my blog, so isn't it all completely subjective any way? Well, here goes, my list of favorite actors who have portrayed the time-traveling Time Lord simply known as "The Doctor" from 1963 all the way up to last Saturday night:
11. Colin Baker – 1984-86 – Doctor #6
I'm so sorry, Colin. He always gets a bad rap and, to be fair, there was a lot of pressure against the show during this time and some of the worst scripts as well. Even still, however, something about (this) Baker's portrayal of the Doctor just rubs you wrong. Compared to many of the other Doctors, he was brash, (more) arrogant and sometimes just downright mean to his companions. Not to mention, what the hell was he wearing!?! Most of the Doctor's outfits over the years, though eccentric, have still been pretty cool. This rainbow infested disaster, however, wouldn't even make the "cool" ranking of a four year old. Again, Colin, I'm sorry, you seem like a great guy in real life, but as the Doctor, I just couldn't dig your interpretation.
10. William Hartnell – 1963-66 – Doctor #1
I know, some of you are going to berate me for putting the original Doctor this low on the list. It's true, he provided the groundwork that all the other Doctors elaborated upon, not to mention he made the show famous from the beginning episodes. This crotchety grandfather-like figure as the Doctor just doesn't have enough fun though! I like Doctors that know how to be serious, but also have that ridiculously zany element we've all come to know and love. Hartnell's first Doctor also seemed too absent-minded and feeble for me to completely enjoy. In fact, unfortunately due to his poor health near his final episodes as the character, Hartnell would flub lines, so some of the idiosyncrasies of the character can't wholly be deduced to acting. It's a shame he was so ill near the end and God bless the man for continuing to do what he loved for as long as he could. A salute to you, sir, for your original portrayal and I dug the Victorian costume, but my favorite Doctors lie ahead.
9. Tom Baker – 1974-81 – Doctor #4
O.K., so I'm sure most of you expected to see the second Baker a bit higher on the list. I've given him a fair shake by watching several serials, but just can't put him any higher than this lowly position of number 9. During his run, which was the longest of any Doctor to date, he epitomized the character with his off-the-wall elusive behavior, wild hair and elongated scarf. In my opinion, however, I just couldn't buy into it. His delivery at times seems stilted and his inability to take charge of the situation was just too distracting for me to fully ingest his portrayal of the Doctor. So, for you upset over this choice, would you like a Jelly Baby?
8. Peter Davison – 1981-84 – Doctor #5
From this point in our list on are Doctors that I really liked. Not until our 5th entry do we get to the Doctors that I loved, but the next few entries at least get my one thumb up approval. Davison, when cast, was the youngest Doctor to date. In fact, he is still the second youngest even 30 years later. With an outfit that looked like a mix of tennis court yuppie and panama jack, not to mention the curious piece of celery, this Doctor ushered us into the 1980s. He was young, spirited and actually took great care in listening to his companions. I really enjoyed Davison as the Doctor and think he did a wonderful job, even despite the fact that some of his episodes weren't the best written. His final episode, The Caves of Androzani (a bit overrated in my opinion, but still great), continues to top lists of the best episodes ever for the series.
7. Christopher Eccleston – 2005 – Doctor #9
I began the series with the 2005 reboot, so this was essentially my first Doctor (though not MY Doctor as many people state). I have to give him some credit for engaging me in the program and helping bring me into the world of Whovians. Though, in reality, he has been my least favorite of the rebooted Doctors. He switched back and forth between quirky and crazy to intensely serious on the drop of a hat. This element alone is enough to make you ask exactly what type of emotions is going through this war-born Time Lord. I wish he would have picked a side, one way or the other, but other than that – nice run Eccleston!
6. – Sylvester McCoy – 1987-89, 1996 – Doctor #7
I know a lot of people hate McCoy. I know, it was with his Doctor that the series sank to all-time lows and initiated a nearly 16 year hiatus (of course, outside of the Doctor Who Movie in 1996). To further clarify my placement of McCoy, I have only seen serials from his latter tenure which included companion Ace. From what I have seen from these later episodes, which have consistently been rated much higher than his earlier episodes, I have really enjoyed him. He has a dark demeanor and is very much a Sherlock Holmes-like Doctor. Not to mention, his interactions with Ace are some of the best Doctor/Companion interactions I think I've seen on the show outside of Rose and the 10th Doctor. And, trust me, that's saying a lot!
5. Paul McGann – 1996 – Doctor #8
Outside of audio stories, McGann only had one chance on television to grace us with his portrayal of the Doctor. Though the movie wasn't amazing, I liked it. What I loved, however, was Paul McGann's awesome performance. He was witty, eccentric, yet very much in control and concerned with saving the world. His outfit was completely bad-ass as well! A Victorian Buffalo Bill mixture that is elegant, yet weird. I wish we could have seen Paul McGann grow the character onscreen a bit more. I immediately enjoyed his portrayal, and everyone knows it usually takes several episodes before you start to warm up to a new Doctor. If he'd had the chance, I think he could have been one of the best yet.
4. Matt Smith – 2010-present – Doctor #11
Our current Doctor, Matt Smith. At first, I was not sure what to think of him, but he has proven himself quite well. He is definitely eccentric and on the weird side of Doctor characterizations, but he also knows how to take control and fight back when the situation calls for it. Furthermore, with Stephen Moffatt behind him as the creative force, his stories are becoming some of the best yet. Smith has also single-handedly made bow ties quite cool once again! Who knows, in time, I may move Smith up even higher on my list, but for now, he will stand at the still admirable number 4 position. Geronimo!
3. Jon Pertwee – 1970-74 – Doctor #3
Dare I say, our most adventurous Doctor? With cape and dashing personality to match, Pertwee was the James Bond of Doctors. He was cool, conservative and sometimes overly confident. Forced for most of his tenure to assist U.N.I.T. on Earth, Pertwee had a great relationship with his companion, fellow researcher Jo. Out of all the serious incarnations of the Doctor, who had little time for zaniness, Pertwee is my favorite. Don't get me wrong though, his witty and cynical remarks born from his ego are some of the funniest lines from this era of the series. I can't wait to continue working my way through Pertwee's tenure as the Doctor, and remember, to always reverse the polarity of the neutron flow.
2. Patrick Troughton – 1966-69 – Doctor #2
Unfortunately, many of Troughton's episodes no longer exist due to the BBC's clearing policy in the late 1960s and early 1970s. However, what is left is testament to his amazing portrayal of the character. He was the first Doctor to not be so serious all the time, a "Cosmic Hobo" if you will. Despite his goofy antics and somewhat aloof personality, this Doctor could be extremely effective and usually knew what was going on well before his stumped companions. One of the subtlest actors in the role, this flute playing, Chaplinesque Doctor is one of my absolute favorite. Now, if I can just scour the Earth for the rest of his lost episodes…
1. David Tennant – 2005-2010 – Doctor #10
This is it, the end of our list. Here we come to MY doctor, David Tennant. When he first arrived on the scene, I had no idea what to think of him. As time progressed, however, Tennant's portrayal of the Doctor as a goofy, caffeine-induced super hero, complete with maroon chucks and brown duster, became my favorite. I don't know whether I'll ever like an actor in the role as much as I enjoyed Tennant. He will definitely be a hard act to follow and whenever I think of the Doctor, this is who comes to my mind first. Well, there you have it, my countdown of the actors who have portrayed the Doctor. Until next time, Allons Y!!!


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Primer is an unfinished surface that will require a final sanding prior to painting. Primer is a great option for those looking to customize and/or paint the parts themselves or have a body shop handle the paint. Primer is not intended to be installed as is on a vehicle. There are no UV stabilizers in the primer coating and will, therefore, degrade over time when exposed to sunlight
Satin Black:
Satin Black is a matte black color that is dull in appearance similar to the OEM front grill of your 5th gen. It is a painted-on surface so it is smooth and easy to maintain.


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Twirling your pasta around a fork is an artform. Some people twirl it on the side of the bowl, other use spoons and people who are lazy and unimaginative cut their pasta up. And now, from Japan, a new option.
Twitter Is Shifting Right | Future Tech
This crazy fork has a "thumb" of sorts to snag your past and keep it from falling off. It also has some bumps on the other side of unclear utility. Also, did I mention that two of these forks will set you back $44? Yes, that is a $22 pasta fork you're looking at.
But really, if I could get just one of these for like $5 to use just when I ate pasta, I would do it. Because come on, look at it! [Japan Trend Shop via Book of Joe]


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Toby Grey – Konibaje ft. 9ice & Skales. Greynation first lady Toby Grey releases the much anticipated Visuals of her Wave making single Konibaje which features Living thing Crooner 9ice and Skales a.k.a the Never say Never guy.
The video which was produced by Wole Ogundare of Blaze Productionz and Directed by Oludare of OMG Films was shot at the Large House Studios n Lagos Nigeria.
Konibaje song which talks about the importance of the blessings of God in our everyday hustles and bustle was produced by Young D, mixed and mastered by Vtek the Awesome.
Watch and Enjoy the visuals of TOBY GREY – KONIBAJE ft 9ICE AND SKALES
The post Toby Grey – Konibaje ft. 9ice & Skales [New Video] appeared first on tooXclusive.


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Crop circles are so 1990s. Nowadays, my favorite mysterious, creative phenomenon is snow art. Did aliens make it? Does it indicate some old druid structure hidden beneath the snow? Or is it just down to some insanely creative artist?
Caleb McLaughlin Wants to Play Static Shock
Err, yeah, you guessed it: it's the last one. In fact, these abstract images in the snow are inspired by crop circles, and are produced by Simon Beck. On his Facebook page, he explains that he manages to "create [them] by walking in the snow wearing briquettes (snowshoes)."
It sounds like hard work. The worst part seems to me the lack of permanence—but then, maybe that makes it all the more poetic. Either way, keep at is Simon: we love it. [Simon Beck]


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Laura Nielsen for Frontier Scientists
The Bering Sea region hosts over 90% of seabirds breeding in the continental United States. Most of those birds are hardy migrators, breeding on Alaska's coast in the warm season and then departing south, chased away by the cold weather. One group which remains is Guillemots, a type of seabird species which belongs to the auks — the family includes murres, murrelets, auklets and puffins.
Guillemots are special. They don't migrate to far southern latitudes but fly only as far south as they must to find cracks in the ice revealing open water for fishing, usually no further south than the Bering Sea. As average temperatures in the Arctic warm, they've been able to overwinter in the winter pack ice that populates the Chukchi and Beaufort seas. From June to September they take advantage of the snowmelt to breed.
Because Guillemots remain in the Arctic they are an ideal indicator species. Scientists know that any behavioral or population changes they experience are due to changes in the Arctic environment, and not changes applied by non-local conditions. The Arctic marine ecosystem is undergoing shifts due to climate change, and those shifts affect the seabird populations.
Average temperatures in Alaska have risen at least 4 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1950s. At first it seemed that warming average temperatures were helping Guillemots. The birds require a minimum of 80 snow-free summer days to secure a nesting site, copulate, lay eggs, incubate and hatch chicks, then feed their young until the chicks can fledge. Before the 1960s, a summer with 80 snow-free days was hard to find in northern Alaska. As the north warmed, though, snow-free days arrived earlier and earlier every June, and the birds' natural biological response was to push further north and to begin nesting earlier, taking advantage of the warm weather. The Guillemots population thrived.
Climate change is complex, though, and while earlier summers proved a boon, retreating sea ice has proven detrimental.
Black Guillemots like to hunt near arctic sea ice. The ice provides a sanctuary for plankton which are fed on by small fish like the Arctic Cod, the Guillemots' favored food source. Zooplankton and Arctic Cod are links in the food chain which feeds fish, birds, seals, polar bears, and even whales. Sea ice: hosts prey, grants protection from predators, and provides a nursery for the fish, keeping Arctic Cod nearby. When the ice melts and retreats north, far from nesting grounds on shore, the Guillemots, whose foraging range is typically less than 15 km, cannot catch Arctic Cod to sustain themselves and their hatchlings.
"The edge of the Arctic pack ice melted away northwards, leaving a bigger expanse of sea between the land and the ice. The birds find their favourite prey at the ice edge, so this took it out of their reach. I began to see the young starving and dying in their nests. … I have known some of these birds for more than 20 years and have seen them raise young every year. I used to end the season with maybe 200 chicks fledged. In 2009, one chick survived." –George Divoky*
George Divoky is a Research Associate at the Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks. He studies Black Guillemots on Cooper Island, a remote barrier island 25 miles from Barrow (the northernmost town in the United States), and has done so every summer since 1975. You can read more about his work at Cooper Island at Friends of Cooper Island, and even sponsor a nest.
Seabirds like the Guillemots which feed on marine organisms are so strongly affected by climate factors like heightened temperatures and altered sea ice extent that they serve as a sort of weathervane. Understanding the effects of climate change on seabirds helps us better predict future trends facing the Arctic ecosystem, which is fragile and already facing drastic changes.
Human consumption of fossil fuels has added carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere. Even a tiny shift can cause higher-than-average temperatures in the Arctic. High temperatures lead to ice melting. Melting glaciers add fresh water to the oceans, changing their salinity. Melting pack ice denies animals specifically adapted to the floes their habitat, while also reducing the amount of reflective surface area in the Arctic. Instead of reflecting back into space, sunlight soaks into the exposed dark-colored land and sea, which in turn warms the region still more. Permafrost melts, releasing yet more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. These effects form a positive feedback loop.
Of course the global climate is complex. The Guillemots should know; while earlier snow melt allows them to begin nesting sooner in the season, it also threatens their growing chicks. Melting snow and ice engorges the air with moisture, leading to heavy September snowfalls. If the snows come too early, those heavy snows can trap the Guillemot chicks in the nooks and crannies which their parents chose as nesting sites to help conceal the chicks from predators. The birds face other threats too. Polar bears, bereft of the thick ice where they normally hunt seals, sometimes swim to land where the Guillemots are nesting and go after the chicks. Oil spills like the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill are catastrophic; dead arctic seabirds were collected after the Exxon Valdez spill, and the toll topped 36,000 birds.
Guillemots help climate scientists understand Arctic trends, a blueprint that can and will be applied to changes the globe over. Among what we know now is that the Arctic sea ice has receded at a rate of 3 percent per decade since the 1970s. Climate models predict that the Arctic Ocean will have completely ice-free summers by the end of the century. The realities we face will be profound, for us, and even more so for the birds.
Find much more on Arctic Birds, Modeling Arctic Waters, Climate Change, and other Arctic science at Frontier Scientists
* Arctic loner: My life as a climate-change drama http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20927975.500-arctic-loner-my-life-as-a-climatechange-drama.html by Alun Anderson in New Scientist issue 2797, February 02 2011
Friends of Cooper Island : Monitoring Climate Change With Arctic Seabirds http://www.cooperisland.org/blackguillemots/blackguillemots.htm Accessed Nov 20, 2012
Canary in a Coal Mine, from PBS' Scientific American Frontiers broadcast: Hot Times in Alaska http://www.pbs.org/saf/1404/segments/1404-1.htm June 15, 2004
Arctic Newcomer, an Alaska Sea Grant Arctic Science Journey radio script http://seagrant.uaf.edu/news/96ASJ/11.10.96_ArcticNewcomer.html Produced by the Alaska Sea Grant College Program and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1996
Implications of Climate Change for Alaska's Seabirds http://www.besis.uaf.edu/besis-oct98-report/Seabirds.pdf Bering Sea Impact Study, Oct 1998 report