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By Aimee Miles, staff writer
Some scientists are voicing doubts about the accuracy of an Aug. 4 intergovernmental agency report asserting that just 26 percent of the estimated 4.9 million barrels of oil released from BP's ruptured wellhead remains to be dealt with onshore and at sea.
The highly publicized report, trumpeted on the Aug. 4 front page of the New York Times and unveiled later that day by NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco in a White House ceremony attended by Deepwater Horizon incident commander Thad Allen and White House energy adviser Carol Browner, was hailed as a sign of remarkable progress in the Gulf, and led many to question the severity of the spill altogether.
But the report hasn't marinated well during the past two weeks, attracting increasing criticism from scientists for its dubious conclusiveness and lack of substantiation.
Written by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in conjunction with the U.S. Geological Survey, the five-page report includes a pie chart that describes the fate of the oil, broken into seven categories. According to the chart, roughly one-third of the oil that gushed from the wellhead is definitely gone: recovered directly or eliminated by burning, skimming, or chemical dispersion operations.
While that represents roughly 19 percent of the oil removed from the water by response teams, the report reads as if natural processes have eliminated more than twice that amount through evaporation, dissolution or natural dispersion.
Some scientists suspect the figure for oil remaining in the water is much higher than the report's estimates, and complain that federal officials have refused to reveal the algorithms used to derive the calculations that relied on measurements and estimates provided by Gulf response teams in daily operational reports.
The dearth of supporting data has led to grumbling from environmental scientists, who say they'll reserve judgment until they can verify the math.
Accusations of obfuscation
A congressional investigator, who asked not to be named, said his repeated requests to NOAA for specific formulas and calculations have gone unmet. The level of obfuscation surrounding the origins of the figures, he said, would never be accepted if the report were presented for publication in an academic journal.
Kerry St. Pe, director of the Barataria Terrebone National Estuary Program, has no confidence in the figures, despite their being reported "as gospel." Federal scientists can't determine exactly how much oil has even entered the Gulf, let alone calculate with accuracy what has happened to it since, St. Pe said.
A group of scientists under the Georgia Sea Grant program, part of a NOAA-sponsored university network of ocean and coastal researchers, released an alternative report on Tuesday that addresses what they see as faulty conclusions in the federal report.
Their report claims that most of the oil that leaked into the Gulf is still present. They concede that much of it is dissolved or in the form of dispersed micro-droplets, but caution that oil in that state isn't harmless. According to the Georgia report, between 70 percent and 79 percent of the oil remains in the ecosystem.
Other scientists are also dubious of the specifics in the NOAA report.
"Some members of the scientific community are putting more credibility into what these figures mean than what was meant," St. Pe said. "They're just estimates ... to give the public a general idea of the fate of the oil and not with any precision."
'A ballpark number'
Ed Overton, an LSU environmental scientist who specializes in the chemistry of oil spills, estimates the margin of error in the federal report could be as high as 30 percent. The amount of oil that remains, he said, could be anywhere between a quarter and one-half of the spill's total volume -- a volume that itself is not precisely defined.
Overton, one of 11 independent scientists that NOAA consulted for analysis, said he was contacted by the agency a couple of months ago to provide comments on "significant figures" in early versions of the report. Other scientists consulted included faculty from the University of Calgary and the University of California, San Diego, as well as the chairman of Exxon Mobil's research and engineering department and BP's consultant on dispersants and controlled burns, Alan Allen.
Overton said the seeming precision of the Aug. 4 report gave the illusion that federal scientists knew more than they do.
"Models will only give you a ballpark number," he said. "If you say 24 (percent), you are implying it's not 23 and it's not 25."
The problem, Overton said, is that scientists are using a finite number of variables to model an environmental system that is infinitely complex. That introduces a large margin of error.
Both Overton and St. Pe said the greatest potential for error is contained in the amount of oil said to have evaporated or dissolved. The federal report's estimate was roughly 1.2 million barrels, or about 30 percent of the oil that entered the Gulf.
'Your best guess'
Scientists agree that the oil in the Gulf is prone to rapid biodegradation. They believe that because the oil is buoyant, it's likely to remain closer to the water's surface, where it may evaporate, disperse or dissolve, or provide food for crude-eating microbes.
But the rates of those natural processes depend on water temperature, weather conditions, currents, and the depth and molecular content of the oil -- all of which can be difficult to quantify. "When push coves to shove," said Overton, "a lot of times you have to put parameters into the model, and sometimes those parameters are your best guess."
Those best guesses draw upon existing scientific literature from previous spills and from laboratory simulations, which don't necessarily match Gulf conditions, Overton said. He believes NOAA's estimate for evaporative losses may actually be conservative, and that the actual amount may be as high as 50 percent.
"I know there's questions about (the report's) accuracy, but I think at this point in time it's the most accurate compilation ... that's available," said Jay Grimes, a marine microbiologist at the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.
Grimes also believes the most inconclusive variable is the amount of oil that decomposed at sea.
Functional information
Bill Lehr, the lead scientist on the report, said changes in environmental conditions were taken into account. Although conditions at sea changed from day to day, Lehr said averaging the numbers would smooth out differences. He said NOAA's figures were consistent with experiments performed in Canada and Norway.
"The unusual feature of this was the spill being a mile deep and therefore we would have some components that would normally evaporate dissolved in the water column," Lehr said.
For that reason, the report groups evaporation and dissolution into a single category.
Lehr believes the budget's greatest uncertainties are not in its evaporation and dissolution rates, as other scientists have claimed, but in the rates of dispersion.
Parts of the oil-gas mixture that exited the wellhead dispersed naturally, Lehr said, but the fluid dispersal rate is a calculated estimate, and not a measurement. Lehr said other sources have suggested that the dispersants may be more effective than what NOAA presumed, which could mean the report is also conservative in this aspect. But as oil emulsifies at the water's surface, it becomes stickier, which also renders dispersants less effective, he acknowledged.
Other questions persist.
While the report said only 3 percent of the oil spilled was picked up by skimmers, that number is likely high, Lehr said, because skimmers' measurements include both oil and water.
Lehr said the federal report, whose figures have been widely discussed by the media, was meant to provide functional information to the incident command, not to stand up to rigorous academic evaluation.
He expects a more detailed report on the oil budget will soon be released, one that contains data, assumptions, references, and comments from peer reviewers.
"It'll be what people are used to seeing in terms of a scientific report," Lehr promised.
Aimee Miles can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 504.826.3318.


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Upcoming Events
Tom Watson will host an online chat at Philanthropy.com (Tues, Dec 16) on the subject of, "Using Online Tools for Activism."
TakingItGlobal will host a launch party in Toronto (Tues, Dec 16) for the launch of its version 6.
George McCully will speak at the Ethos Roundtable in Harvard Square (Tues, Dec 16) on the subject of, "Philanthropy Reconsidered in the Internet Age."
ChristmasFuture will launch (Tues, Dec 16) its first TweetsmasFuture campaign.
Kiva will host (Wed, Dec 17) its first community conference call for lenders.
News Roundup for Week of Dec 8-14, 2008
Amazee released a white paper on Social Collaboration.
Firstgiving hosted fundraising pages for the 8th annual Santa Speedo Run in Boston.
Zazengo launched its Impact Challenge game on Facebook.
Katya Andresen blogged about a free campaign planning tool.
Pew Internet and American Life Project released a report entitled, "The Future of the Internet III."
Craig Newmark offered his reflections on the development of a "Craigslist for Service."
Chez Pim launched its fifth annual and highly successful Menu for Hope micro-philanthropy campaign.
Squidoo launched $30,000 Twitterdrive for Charity.
Social Innovation Camp posted a report from the recent get together in London.
David Weinberger presented at Le Web on the subject of Leadership Based on the Wisdom of Crowds.
From Poverty to Power blog linked to two collections of case studies on the effectiveness of grassroots activism.
MicroVolunteerism launched Twitter-based volunteering initiative.
Paul Brest of The Hewlett Foundation responded to Nathaniel Whittemore's question, "What is the one thing you need to know before you donate to charity…"
Amy Sample Ward asked friends, family and the nptech community to contribute to her 26th Birthday Cause in support of Free Geek.
JD Lasica posted a review of Tom Watson's CausedWired.
Ning Network Creators posted a tutorial on creating The Perfect Social Network.
Recent Discoveries
Can the Internet Save the Planet? Environmentalism 2.0 Slideshow
100 of the Most Essential Green Web Resources
Zoombala: Social network for social entrepreneurs
Facebook Ads 101: How to Set up and Track Facebook Ads
Social Actions News
The Social Actions fundraiser has raised $6,564 from 38 contributors. Thank you!
Social Actions launched its first official press release, "Online Competition Aims to Change the World by Changing the Web."
Peter Deitz announced eight new action sources: CanadaHelps, Changents, DoSomething, KnightPulse, NGO Post, PolicyP….
Joe Solomon welcomed Romina Oliverio as the Change the Web Volunteer Coordinator.
Romina Oliverio and Joe Solomon launched the Change the Web Volunteer Wiki.
EarthFirst added Social Actions' Related Ways to Take Action WordPress plugin

subset: commoncrawl


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Restoring Tourism Assets in Charleston, South Carolina after Hurricane Hugo Case Study
Well known for its Southern charm and hospitality, Charleston, SC has a large tourism industry, which accounts for a major part of the regional economy. The aftermath of Hurricane Hugo in 1989 left 50,000 individuals homeless and caused a total of $2.8 billion in damage, of which three-fourths of the historic downtown's 3,500 buildings were damaged. Community, historic preservation and tourism leaders pursued strategies to build back the community in a more resilient fashion while preserving the area's historic charm as well as implementing a creative and aggressive marketing campaign to attract back visitors.


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Hey NBC, His Name Is David Krejci
NBC Sports didn't even mention David Krejci in their cute little pregame show before Game 1. Yet they showed a highlight reel of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin scoring goals.
Going into the game, Krejci was leading the entire NHL in playoff scoring and he ended up with two goals in the game. NBC Sports look like real dicks right now. The fact that they are treating him like he's the red headed step child is unacceptable.
If they don't mention David Krejci before Game 2, I am going to go apeshit and urge every Masshole on the planet to write NBC Sports and demand they get their heads out of their asses. This bullshit has to stop.
Follow @MassholeSports
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As the days get closer to ending the 2016, I can't say that things are winding down smoothly. Disappointments pour left and right, not only to me, but me as a disapointment to others (sheepishly, I ask forgiveness please). I hope I don't receive a lot of hate for my shortcomings hehe.
I am proud to say though that I am still very thankful because I have been given girlfriends - both close and apart - who have been sources of courage at times and sounding boards for most. Other than my family, they were the ones who were willing to lift me up and encourage me to keep trying even when I was so bitter and dark. Special mention goes to my besty, Lorraine, blog pal (personally considered blog guru), Diane and "ate" Didith.
As a simple gesture of gratitude, I wish to make my girlfriends happy and send them a few cute stuffs - making use of my skills in art. For my ate, being within arms reach, a personalised coffee cup, a personalised charm and a funny book about girl talk.
|The cup bearing her signature motto: she believed she could so she did!
For besty and Diane who are miles away from me, an old school post with mini surprises inside. I love letters! Besides, I have been wanting to actually use this cute customized wraparound label. Believe - in keeping the LOVE burning for it is our best defense against every trials and problems.
This is a sneak peek... It's should be almost complete but not quite as I have yet to write the main letter but I'm getting there. Hopefully, I would be able to write about what's inside afterwards :)
To inspire me, my "ate" also gave me this lovely drink coaster -
Now, every time I take my tea and coffee breaks, I shall always be positively charged. :)


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|The Hairy Bikers website
I've had this post in draft for months, and only remembered about it when I saw Dave Myers dancing on the new series of Strictly Come Dancing at the weekend.
Awww, you've got to love Dave - he's not the world's most natural dancer by any means, but my God he's having a go and by all accounts he's having a great time too. Who cares what the judges say: vote for Dave!
Anyway, here's the link of him with his partner Karen Hauer strutting his stuff on Strictly last weekend. Bless.
Go on, who do you have a secret crush on?


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The comeback is a time machine. An alchemical instrument that, when used as directed, enables you to return to a halcyon moment of possibility with clear eyes and an unlined forehead. And there, refashioned to surmount all past failings, triumph. And not only triumph but shimmy in a glimmering Haltson mini-dress (that is now back in style), and stick it to all the naysayers by being in fine voice and showing some thigh in a two hour cabaret act with a 12 piece orchestra, and 5 costume changes.
Liza Minnelli has this magic device. And she's at the Palace this month. The sacred bloody Palace Theater, shrine of guilded Vaudeville with boards trod by Sophie Tucker and Fanny Brice, and the scene of many of her mother's comebacks. At the beginning of 2008, I said that I wanted to see Liza Minnelli live and now I've seen her twice and for free.
I love Liza irrationally. I love her vulnerability, her ebulliance. She could fill an oil tanker with her energy. I even love her even when she can't do it all.
When I saw her last summer at Coney Island last summer, with Spartacus and Spartacus' boyfriend, Ms. Minnelli, alas, was not at her best. Okay, that's putting it mildly. Frankly, she was drunk. We were white-knuckling it through her signature numbers where she paused to cough dramatically before attempting the higher notes. But we loved her nonetheless, all 3,000 or so of us. Every now and then someone in the crowd would shout: We love you, Liza! "And I love you too," she replied sinisterly, "more than you know."
But here she is now, a mere 6 months later, cream of the crop at the top of the heap. Though her voice has changed over the years, becoming deeper and more textured, she's still got the power and the phrasing. True, the band came in loud to help her over some hurdles, we cannot deny that. But Ms. Minnelli was on her feet dancing almost the whole time. It was a love fest with a standing ovation for almost every song. What I love most about Liza is that she inhabits each song and finds a character to portray. With a few simple gestures, she transformed herself into a drag queen for a rendition of Charles Aznavour's "What Makes a Man a Man?". The second set was devoted to her godmother, Kay Thompson, and her snappy cabaret act from the 50s. Some genius had the idea to give Liza two handsome guys who sing back-up and dance with her. Not only were her boys able to do the more energetic dancing, they could also prop her up when she faltered. Liza is still kicking for sure, just not so high. But then, my high kicks are pretty low to the ground these days.
I wasn't there for opening night. What I saw was actually her dress rehearsal. The audience was packed to the rafters, and full of celebrities, most of whom I didn't recognize. I really needed Spartacus there, he's the one who notices when Anna Wintour is standing next to us at MOMA (she is so skinny), or when Ethan Hawke is schlepping along 7th Avenue with his kids. But there was only one golden ticket at the last minute from someone who knows someone. I got one of those phone calls that starts with: How quickly can you get to Times Square?
On my way home, I was accosted by a frozen comedian. "Hey, Gilda Radner!" she shouted. I think she was trying to insult me, but we ended up having a lovely exchange about the original SNL star. (In my town comedians are camped out on corners everywhere cajoling people into nearby comedy clubs. Shivering in the winter and shvitzing in the summer. Just to prove that comedians are even more exploited than dancers, they don't get stage time unless they bring in a quota of paying customers, hence the anger and desperation.) Do you know what this means, goslings? My Jewfro is returning! Markedly diminished from its former Radneresque glory, yes, but returning slowly. I have little tufts along my hairline. And when the wind blows, the tufts dance.
The date here is deceptive. I am actually posting this on August 27, 2009. Where the hell have I been? Well, that's a good question...
Labels: comebacks, Gilda Radner, Jewfro, Life is a Cabaret, Liza with a Z, magic, tufts


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[more more more]
December 14, 2008 at 2:01 am Leave a comment
leaving nothing, freely speed up
landing, stepping, jumping jumper.
Hello! Nosukii here. I'm really really really sorry I haven't been updating. ;_; ALOT of things came up and blogging was unfortunately the last thing on my mind. But, I've made some time right now so….Let's get started! Also, this is going to be an EXTREMELY long post because it contains a Tenimyu review. So if you'd prefer not to read it then skip down to the tl;dr version, ok?
{b e g i n}
– Katou Ryousuke will be in the stage play [K]. Which also has Ookawa Genki, TAKUYA, and Hayashi Shuji.
– At the beginning of 2009, a new play entitled "Ayakashi Kitan" will begin! This is a production by Daiki of *pnish* if I'm not mistaken. Katou Ryousuke will be in this. As for the rest of the cast…I have no idea(yet lol).
– Shiozaki Airu will be in a stage play called "Harutoo(?) Karazu". I'm not too sure on the title, sorry.
– Ookawa Genki will be in a program called [Panic 4 Rooms] I'm not too sure on what this is about but from what the picture on the OHP is…Genki has the lead. Link here: http://www.p4r.jp/
– Beat Rock ★Love! Here's a new awesome picture of Araki:
Holyshit! Everytime I see Araki all dolled up like a jrocker, I can't help but fangirl a little! He pulls it off so well!
– There will be a CD release in Feb.2009 of Beat Rock ★Love's leading guys' band [LOVE DIVING]. The DVD for this movie is also rumored to be released in March of 2009. (Fuck I must have them both XD)
{e n d}
Subject change! Okaay! Well, I was planning on posting a review on 'Musical Tennis no Oujisama: The Imperial Presence Hyoutei Gakuen feat. Higachuu' way back when, but I posted about '<<a>>symmetry' instead and it got crazy long. So here's my kind-of wonky review on Hyouteimyu. XD
Well… 4th cast is 4th cast. Hyoutei Cast A though. Mm, I wasn't expecting anything great. I mean, Hyoutei's first cast(original forevvverrr) was the best yet. But, I was pretty surprised. Half the cast was still the same(Jirou, Gakuto, Kabaji, Hiyoshi and Shishido). The new guys, Kubota Yuki(Atobe), Shintarou Akiyama(Oshitari), and Seto Yuusuke(Choutarou) were all pretty..good.
Kubota Yuki…Baby, you need to eat a sammich. Face on, he looks fine. But from the side his cheeks are so…I don't know what to call it. Like he needs to puff out his cheeks or something. BUT, looks aside, his singing is pretty good. Not as awesome as Kazuki's but it's good. I LOVE LOVE LOVE his song "Koori no Sekai". It's just…so good. Shintarou…Hm, where should I start. His movements…are a bit stiff. You can tell during his song "Poker Face Fighter/Active Volcano". Hi singing is good too, though his voice doesn't really fit Oshitari's deep Kansai accented voice. Lol Yuusuke…Mm…Kouji will always be the best. Yuusuke doesn't really have…the innocent look? But his singing is good. He just doesn't really fit Chouta's part.
I absolutely loved Fuji's song "Heavy Rain". Yuuta sings it well. Extremely well. Unfortunately, as much as I love Aibacchi…He doesn't. -cough- I heard his version of "Heavy Rain" and..Well, I wasn't very pleased with it. And also, in this song Atobe sings parts of it. In B Cast version…Jesus fuck, what the hell? B-Cast Atobe = what. His voice. djhksdghksl I cannot stand it at ALL. Not only does he not have the looks…His voice is just…off. D: I'm sorry, but that's what I think. "Koori no Sekai", "Ore wa Moeru", and "Tie Break" = LOVE. I liked those 3 songs and how they all came after each other. 😀 I thought Shougo(Ryoma) was a bit stiff in the beginning when 4th cast Seigaku first debuted but he's really improved since then. ;D "Sekkachi" <333 Love love love this song! SO MUCH. Especially since Ryuunosuke is in it. lol Best Hiyoshi ever. I like how upbeat the song is. Makes you wanna dance..or something.
As for the rest of the songs, they're all really good too! All new songs apart from F.G.K.S.
Subject change! …Again. Haha, well recently I saw capsule perform 'Jumper' on TV…and I really liked it. So I went and found the entire album entitled 'MORE!MORE!MORE!'. Needless to say..It was really good. My favorites from the CD are "More More More", "Jumper", "The Mutations of Life", "Adventure", and "e.d.i.t.". ;D I suggest giving them a try. Good electro/picopop stuff. Here's the PV for Jumper, just in case one of you readers wanna give them a try:
And with that, I'll take my leave. Actually, here's a quick update on what I'M doing:
– LOLOLOL I BOUGHT A YUKKURI SHITE ITE NE PLUSHIE(when it first got released so it was cheaper~).
– I am currently playing:
+Tennis no Oujisama : Driving Smash! Side King
+Tennis no Oujisama : Driving Smash! Side Genius
+Hiiro no Kakera
+Hoshizora no Comic Garden
…That's all. If you wanna know anything about those games, drop a comment and I'll…I don't know, review it for you or something. XD
tl;dr – I do my usual updates, talk about Hyouteimyu, capsule's new CD, and a few updates on myself.
Until next time,
Entry filed under: Uncategorized. Tags: ayakashi kitan, beat rock love, capsule, katou ryousuke, more!more!more!, musical tennis no oujisama the imperial presence hyoute, ookawa genki, shiozaki airu, vidyagaems, yukkuri shiteite ne.
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text: Hi all, I'm not much of a techie but I know a thing or two about sleep and lifestyle. I am very worried that Elon's lifestyle is too pressured. I worry that he's not getting enough sleep, not getting enough downtime (if any), not getting enough exercise (though I have no clue if this is true). These are important first and foremost for himself and his family, and secondarily for the future of the world. As you get older, it becomes more evident that you have to take care of your health. When that goes, you realize you've lost something essential you've taken for granted. You have to actively work on health - not just on exercise as most people might think, but you need to actively seek out relaxation, actively protect your sleep time and so on. I do not mean to pry into his personal life. I just want to put it out there, that though we're huge fans of Tesla here, and some of us of SpaceX, some are shareholders etc., even though we're all rooting for the success of all these ventures, we also really really want Elon to take care of himself. I'd like him to hear this from us, and hopefully from a large group.


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Pyramid Lake Fishing Report – March 29th 2016
Midge Time!
Yes, that's our fish. Nick was fishing with our guide John Fochetti when the beastly twenty four pound trout was caught and released.
We've seen a shift over the last few weeks to almost all midge with the spawn ready to go. The return of bad weather has helped to slow it slightly, which should keep productive fishing around into May. Cruising fish are in the shallows and will only increase in numbers as spring arrives with higher water temps. Many are reporting double digits every three out of four days out on the water. This is my absolute favorite time of the year. When aggressive fish in the shallows can be stalked all by sight fishing. To try it…… About sunrise, find a beach with no one on it, stand way back off the ledge careful to not be seen, cast only a leader over the fish with a small midge on, twitch and watch them eat it on occasion. Find a friend and have them sight for you to double the fun.
As we warm up the fishing is going to shift away from afternoons to more of a morning and night game with the midge under an indicator. When wind and waves are present, fish the larger midge patterns and balanced flies for the really big fish. The Balanced Baitfish in Tui Chub continues to find big fish while the Balanced Leech in Peacock or Canadian Olive #6 seem to work better for numbers. When it's calm and sunny, don't be afraid to try lighter tippet than normal and smaller flies for more grabs. Keep in mind the small flies need to be on extra strong hooks if you want to land the thirty. Look for a few new midge dropping in the shop over the next few weeks that won't go straight on you. Effective midge at the moment include the Mahalo Midge in Black or Albino Wino #12, Spark Plug in Blue or Wine #8, and Holographic Midge in Blue or Bomber #10
The Pyramid Lake Fishing Report from Mimic Fly Fishing.


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Over the last few decades, Imagos Plastic Surgery, Dr. Perez-Gurri and Dr. Garcia have attracted patients from all over the world. Regarded as a highly accomplished Miami plastic surgeon, Dr. Perez-Gurri and Dr. Garcia draws patients from the United States, South America and throughout the world.
In order to deliver the best possible results, Dr. Perez-Gurri and Dr. Garcia creates a unique treatment plan for each patient that reflects the patient's aesthetic needs, desires and preferences.
Dr. Perez-Gurri's and Garcia pre-operative consultation process is designed to allow out-of-town patients to receive answers to their surgical questions and complete the pre-operative process prior to traveling. This approach saves the patients time and money because they are able to come to Miami only one or two days prior to the surgery date. Patients are required to have another person available to care for them following their surgery. To assist with this task, Imagos Plastic Surgery can provide a list of licensed, trusted nursing care companies.
We will ask you to send us photos of you taken at specific angles and depicting particular body or facial areas. Dr. Perez-Gurri and Dr. Garcia will carefully analyze these photos, ask follow-up questions if needed, and recommend the most appropriate procedures for you.
After you decide which procedures you would like to pursue, we will ask you to fill out various patient information forms, and to provide additional information about your health and previous surgeries, if needed. We will work with you to schedule the surgery date and make all of the necessary medical arrangements.
Imagos Plastic Surgery is located only 15 minutes from Miami International Airport (MIA). The team of Imagos is available to assist you with all your travel needs, including arranging accommodations at the nearby luxury hotels. Some of the hotel choices are listed below.
Aloft Miami Dadeland (2 miles)
7600 North Kendall Drive (SW 88 Street)
Miami, Florida 33176
This hotel is within 10 miles of Miami International Airport and within 2 miles of our office. Indigo Hotel features 156 oversized guest rooms, located in the upscale suburb of Kendall adjacent to Dadeland Mall and within close proximity to Baptist Hospital. All rooms are equipped with complimentary internet access. This boutique hotel also features a restaurant on the premises and offers free shuttle to Dadeland Mall, one of Florida's premium shopping centers, with over 185 specialty stores.
Holiday Inn Express Kendall East (2 miles)
11520 SW 88 Street (Kendall Drive)
Miami, Florida 33176
This is an all-suite, 100% non-smoking hotel located ¼ mile off the Florida Turnpike and SW 88 Street. Our office is located 2 miles from this hotel and 15 miles from Miami International Airport. Kendall Town and Country Shopping Center is just across the street, and numerous restaurants are within a walking distance. Free express breakfast buffet is included, and all rooms provide free high-speed internet access.
Miami Marriott Dadeland (2 miles)
9090 S Dadeland Boulevard
Miami, Florida 33156
This is a 300 room hotel located in the heart of Kendall, just off the 826 (Palmetto) Expressway. Our office is 3 minutes from this hotel, and the Miami International Airport is within 10 miles. Complimentary airport shuttle is provided. This hotel offers wireless internet and a business center. Dadeland Mall, one of Florida's premium shopping centers, with over 185 specialty stores, is within ½ mile of this beautiful hotel.
Other luxury hotels located within 11 miles of our office:
Hampton Inn Miami Dadeland (1.8 miles)
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson (3.2 miles)
Comfort Suites Miami – Kendall ( 3.7 miles)
The Biltmore Hotel- Coral Gables – (8 miles)
The Mayfair Hotel and Spa Coconut Grove (pet friendly) – (10 miles)
The Ritz-Carlton – Coconut Grove – (11 miles)
Airbnb is an American company which hosts an online marketplace and hospitality service, for people to lease or rent short-term lodging including vacation rentals, apartment rentals, homestays, hostel beds, or hotel rooms.
Find more information in https://www.airbnb.com


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Summer Sugar Cookies
The Summer season officially started last week. Here are a few photos of the cookies I made for a Summer BBQ. Happy Summer!
The beach balls and watermelons were both made with round cookie cutters. To make watermelon cookies, use a round cookie cutter and then slice each circle of dough in half before baking.
Source: Watermelon cookies inspiration; Beach ball cookie inspiration


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Answered By: Nazlin Bhimani Last Updated: Jul 18, 2017 Views: 49
Answered By: Nazlin Bhimani
Last Updated: Jul 18, 2017 Views: 49
We have a LibGuide on AV Resources Online which points to some of the freely available online AV resources on the Web.
If you are a student at the Institute of Education, London, you are entitled to use the resources at Senate House Library. Through Senate House, you can access ArtStor, which is a digital image library.
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You can now text your enquiry to +44 (0)20 3322 1810 or click on
Alternatively, you can chat with us. Please note that LibAnswers and LibChat operate at the same time as the Enquiry Desk opening hours.


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Count the bases
How much do the Americans (or Australians, for that matter) know about their military presence worldwide? Let Chalmers Johnson tell you a few facts of life:
As a continuation of my own analytical odyssey, I then began doing research on the network of 737 American military bases we maintained around the world (according to the Pentagon's own 2005 official inventory). Not including the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, we now station over half a million U.S. troops, spies, contractors, dependents, and others on military bases located in more than 130 countries, many of them presided over by dictatorial regimes that have given their citizens no say in the decision to let us in.
Still unsure why imperial America is despised the world over?


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Camera, CAT5 and Wall mounting bracket - EVI-D100
The WallVIEW 100 PTZ is a complete Wall-Mounted pan/tilt/zoom Camera System. The system includes a Sony EVI-1000 PTZ camera, a thin profile wall-mount bracket for the camera and the Vaddio EZCamera Cabling System. The EZCamera Cabling System allows the installer to use Cat. 5 cabling to run power, video and camera control. Also included is Vaddio's PowerRite™ Power Supply. The PowerRite system regulates the right amount of power needed for the camera over Cat. 5 cabling.
- Sony EVI-D100 Standard Definition PTZ Camera
- 1CCD Image Device
- 10x lens, NTSC/PAL
- EZCamera Cable System for video, power and control over Cat. 5 cabling
- Thin profile wall mount bracket and power supply


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Welcome to Magnetic Autocontrol Group, an economically sound and strong company operating in the high growth market of "vehicle and pedestrian access control." The US subsidiary is located in Rockledge, FL.
You experience our products every day: by driving into car parks, by entering public buildings like museums or offices or by using public transportation including airports. In short: our products are used wherever people or companies have the need for a secure and regulated access control.
We regularly define the benchmark for security solutions in the field of vehicle and pedestrian access control. Our core competence is drive and control technology as well as conceptual work and project management. We do not only offer highest quality and reliability but also comprehensive consulting and assistance services.
Check back regularly for the latest press releases, new product information, brochures, tradeshow updates and more.
For other information that you may have missed or come across in the past, please feel free to contact us.


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The Datto Linux Agent kills the OS debate. Period.
This round goes to Linux with the recent launch of the Datto Linux Agent.
For well over a decade, techies have pondered the big question: Windows or Linux? Factors like cost, user experience, business software as well as your IT guy's personal preference all play a role when it comes to selecting an operating system for your business (hey, we all have an opinion). And, there are certainly pros and cons to both. Today, however, is not about arguing one operating system versus the other. This is about the facts and Linux just got major points with an announcement made by one of Forbes' closely watched tech companies, Datto Inc. Meet the Datto Linux Agent!
Datto has been making waves within the business continuity field since 2007, allowing lost data and downed servers to be restored quickly and painlessly through proprietary imaged-based backup technology and 24/7, US-based support. That said, while many businesses have seen Datto solutions as a welcomed alternative to incumbents like Axcient, Veeam and Unitrends, it was only available for Windows. Now, that has changed.
Last week at the Datto Partner Conference in New Orleans, the Datto Linux Agent was unveiled and it offers a quality of service that surpasses any other backup and recovery option for the operating system. Unlike competing solutions, the Datto Linux Agent features persistent incremental backups, integrated storage as well as cloud replication. In addition, individual file restores and instant local virtualization are provided, features that were unavailable with Linux. Now, even if you aren't on Windows, you can be up and running within minutes after experiencing any type of data loss—big or small.
The Linux vs. Windows debate will likely continue for years to come, with the grand champion yet to be crowned. However, for today, we will put that aside and acknowledge the big win for companies utilizing the Linux operating system. Click to learn more about the Datto Linux Agent for SIRIS.
Ebook: Backup & Recovery for Small Business
Download this FREE Ebook to find out what's new in backup systems, and how to select the right solution for your business.


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Business Developer - MOXY Hotels (based in London)
- 804-834 Bath Rd, Hounslow TW5 9UH, UK
- Full-time
Company Description
MOXY Hotels is Marriott's newest brand, which opened the first hotel in Milan, Italy, September 2014. MOXY HOTELS are designed to capture the rapidly emerging next-generation traveler. The brand combines contemporary, stylish design, approachable service, latest technology and, most importantly, an affordable price. It's the new way of travelling!
Job Description
Belvar would like to welcome YOU to the exciting world of MOXY!
We search for energetic, motivated, creative people to join our fun and spirited central team. Together with Marriott International we offer you the opportunity to work with the leading hospitality company in the world with great opportunities for training and career development.
For our UK hotels we are looking for a BUSINESS DEVELOPER.
The position is accountable for proactively soliciting and handling sales opportunities for the UK Moxy London Heathrow and will expand to cover other UK properties within 8 months to a year in the role. Focusing on the transient segment including special corporate, leisure, airline and groups for the hotel. Working with the Global Sales Organization and Individual company's procurement departments as well as with wholesale partners, airlines and intermediaries. Assists in leading all day-to-day activities related to sales with a focus on building long-term, value-based customer relationships that enable achievement of sales objectives. Achieves personal sales goals.
Building Successful Relationships that Generate Sales Opportunities
- Works collaboratively with off-property sales channels to ensure sales efforts are coordinated, complementary and not duplicative.
- Builds and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers.
- Manages and develops relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
Managing Sales Activities
- Participates in activities to acquire new business and/or close on business.
- Preparation for solicitation of local companies.
- Activities include: Sales Blitzing, Solicitation Calling, Appointments, Site Visits, Entertainment, FAM trips, trade shows, etc.
- Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence).
Using Knowledge of Market Trends and Target Customer Information to Maximize Revenue
- Identifies new business to achieve personal and location revenue goals.
- Understands the overall market - competitors' strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand etc. and knows how to sell against them.
- Closes the best opportunities for the location based on market conditions and location needs.
Providing Exceptional Customer Service
- Supports the company's service and relationship strategy, driving customer loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer experience.
- Services our customers in order to grow share of the account.
- Executes and supports the company's customer service standards.
- Provides excellent customer service consistent with the daily service basics of the company.
- Sets a positive example for guest relations.
- Interacts with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels.
- Relevant degree, in a sales or hospitality / business discipline
- Fluent command in English written and spoken
- Team player and entrepreneurial.
- Affection with Moxy DIY Concept and next generation travelers.
Additional Information
Moxy Sales Officer - BELVAR
Estimated travel 30-40%
Belvar is a hotel management and development Company. Belvar operates hotels in franchise agreement with Marriott International. Our team consists of experienced hoteliers, which support our real estate partner (VASTINT) within the entire process of founding and operating a brand new hotel chain called MOXY Hotels. Our goal is to achieve long-term success to every single project.
Marriott International, Inc. is a global leading lodging company with more than 4,200 properties in 79 countries and territories. Marriott International reported revenues of nearly $14 billion in fiscal year 2014. Founded by J. Willard and Alice Marriott and guided by Marriott family leadership for nearly 90 years, the company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.


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The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord. God reminds us to trust and love him in humility. Our thirst for the Divine is life-giving. As we draw close to God we discover a fortress of safety, an island of peace, a center in our spiritual universe.
1 Samuel 12:24 But you must fear the Lord and worship him faithfully with your whole heart; keep in mind the great things he has done among you.
2 Chronicles 19:9 You shall act faithfully and wholeheartedly in the fear of the Lord.
Psalm 86:11 Teach me, O Lord, your way that I may walk in your truth; direct my heart that it may fear your name.
Sirach 2:17 Those who fear the Lord prepare their hearts and humble themselves before him.
Philippians 4:6–7 Dismiss all anxiety from your minds. Present your needs to God in every form of prayer and in petitions full of gratitude. Then God's own peace, which is beyond all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.


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Pakistan Supports Afghan Peace Process
ISLAMABAD (AP) -- Pakistan's Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has assured visiting British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond that Islamabad is still supporting a fragile peace process in neighboring Afghanistan.
His comments on Tuesday came days after the Taliban announced that they would not participate in proposed peace talks with the Afghan government until foreign forces stop attacking their positions and leave the country. The Taliban announcement was seen as a setback to efforts made by Pakistan, Washington and Beijing to arrange face-to-face talks this month between Kabul and the Taliban in Islamabad.
A government statement says Khan made his comments Tuesday during a meeting with Hammond, who arrived here after holding talks with the Afghan leadership.


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Crawley Town fans trooped off home disappointed again by another defeat but mostly frustrated by knowing that the result could have been so much better.
Overall this season has been a great improvement on its predecessor but that frustration has come about because of the many things that haven't changed.
Several times recently manager Harry Kewell has expressed his concerns about defensive errors; shortcomings in attack and poor officiating.
All those things remained apparent with the visit of Crewe Alexandra but I wonder if the manager has had thoughts about another factor.
The managerial pairing of Harry Kewell and Warren Feeney is a new one and just like the players, they have needed time to blend and ensure their ideas are taken on board.
Everybody seems happy that they are all now singing from the same song sheet but possibly the techniques that have been coached have not been learned so well.
Or, dare I say it; perhaps the coaching has not yet achieved the desired level.
Whatever the reasons, the players know, just as well as the fans, that they have let themselves down on occasions.
I felt the linesman took some unnecessary stick for not flagging offside for Perry Ng's opener but Jimmy Smith's quick headed equaliser showed textbook finishing.
Every child is told "keep your toe down" and professional footballers should not need reminding so own up, Jimmy, that first half effort that troubled air traffic control was far more significant than the one that hit the crossbar.
We wondered why Lewis Young ignored the obvious pass to the wing but instead went for the other option that was cut out by their marker and led straight to the clinching goal for the Alex.
Though it stemmed from an error, Crewe capitalised cleverly and set up a fine strike by Harry Pickering.
At times we strung together brilliant short passes, often all the way from the back, yet almost inevitably we fluffed the final ball or picked out a man who was not brave enough to take a shot.
Yes, I know I've said it before, but the same shortcomings remain to niggle away at the small but loyal band of supporters.
It wasn't Crewe's fault. They simply stuck to the task in hand and executed everything that little bit better than we did. Reds were left to rue what might have been and not for the first time this season.
Our fine weather supporters perhaps should recognise their role in the more disappointing results this season.
There are simply not enough of us and those that do attend hardly make themselves heard.
Although managers often refer to the home crowd as their '12th man,' I am afraid that at Crawley Town 'We only sing when we're winning.'
It wasn't like that when we were in the Conference and so we only have ourselves to blame.


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The E-SAFE team launched the Youth Online Safety Campaign with the hashtag, '#SafeUpWhatsApp', informing teens how they can stay safe on social media
It takes intruders just 30 seconds to gain access into a smartphone's instant messaging services such as WhatsApp, the UAE-based non-profit online safety organisation, Emirates Safer Internet Society (E-SAFE) has warned.
E-SAFE Emirati youth champion, Hussain Adel Al Hashmi, a student of Al Ittihad National Private School, provided a live demo during a Press conference held in Dubai on Sunday on how a user could be tricked by intruders to gain access to their instant messaging apps.
The E-SAFE team launched the Youth Online Safety Campaign with the hashtag, '#SafeUpWhatsApp', informing teens how they can stay safe on social media.
The team said a survey conducted by Kaspersky Lab with B2B International in 2015 showed that despite the UAE's relatively small population, it is the second most attacked country online in the Middle East.
The Dubai Police's Al Ameen Service received nearly 300 calls from blackmail victims between 2013 and 2014. Various cases of trauma and attempted suicides have been reported by victims of online sextortions and blackmailing. In a noteworthy case from a neighbouring country, a man blackmailed 60 children and published 45 indecent photos of them online when they refused to give in to his blackmail.
In a new dipstick survey undertaken by E-SAFE in the region to determine the level of security practised by WhatsApp users, 42 per cent of respondents said they use the app 'extensively', while over 50 per cent use the app 'moderately'.
The survey also found that 88 per cent of WhatsApp users would allow immediate family members to access their phone unattended, while 22 per cent said they allow friends to go through their phone.
Also, 70 per cent of the participants said they never log out of WhatsApp Web – an option which allows individuals access to their WhatsApp account from a PC or other devices.
Following the discovery of the potential misuse of the app's web feature, E-SAFE has reached out to WhatsApp Inc. to urge it to introduce a safety notification feature that informs users whenever their WhatsApp account is accessed from a web device.


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Legally Speaking…
- Adventures in Caring is a nonprofit, 501(c)3, health and human services organization, based in Santa Barbara, California.
- Our programs receive no government funding, they are supported entirely by private donations and private grants, plus sales of our publications.
- One hundred percent of all donations goes directly into supporting the programs that teach and deliver compassion.
- Information given to us such as names and email is not shared with any other organizations.
- User names are included with story-submissions, unless requested otherwise.
- By signing up for memberships, users agree to receive email notices of new blogs, articles and special announcements from Adventures in Caring.


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Interactive Radar Location Map
Reports, Facts, and Accomplishments
USFWS National
Impacts of Wind on Wildlife
How to Make Wind Power More Wildlife Friendly
Wind Power Basics
Wind turbines are large structures that often stand around 125 m (410 ft) tall with generally 3 turbine blades extending out 75 m (246 ft) from the central nacelle. This brings the approximate total height of the structure to 200 m (656 ft). There are much larger turbines in Europe and in development that extend even higher. These turbine blades are pushed by the wind and generate electricity, up to 8 MW for some turbines at peak performance. That is enough to power around 8,000 homes. The airspace through which the turbine blades spin is called the rotor swept zone (RSZ). The RSZ is generally the heights from 50-200 m but depends on the actual size of the turbines. Spinning turbine blades can reach speeds of almost 200 mph at the tips and the area spanned by the blades can cover an area that exceeds the size of a football field (1.5 acres). Wind farms may have hundreds of turbines placed 0.5 - 1 km apart, potentially affecting a large area of the landscape.
Prothonotary warbler. Photo by USFWS
Wind Power and Migrants
As they migrate, birds and bats can be killed by impacts with the spinning turbine blades. Estimates of bird fatalities from impacts with wind turbines range from 140,000 to 573,000 birds annually (Loss et al. 2013, Smallwood 2013). Birds killed range in size from small warblers to large eagles and vultures and include many endangered species. In the Great Lakes, endangered species that may be threatened by wind power include the Kirtland's warbler (Steophaga kirtlandii) and the piping plover (Charadrius melodus) as well as the federally protected bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) and golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). Additionally, many bird species are protected by federal law under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (1918). Many bird fatalities occur in large events on single nights due to environmental conditions like rain or fog, often coupled with lighting on the facilities accidentally left on, or other factors.
When siting a wind energy facility, areas with high sustained wind speeds are usually preferred. However, these areas are also where birds and bats have evolved to migrate though, often using the high wind speeds to assist with their migration. Migrants will adjust their flight heights to match the most favorable wind speeds and directions and may wait for favorable conditions to occur before migrating at all. Favorable wind conditions may not exist everywhere and could lead to concentrating migrants in an area, such as along the shorelines of the lakes. These maps examine the current national and global wind conditions.
It is estimated that more than 600,000 bats were killed by wind turbines in 2012 (Hayes 2013, Smallwood 2013). The majority (approx. 75%) of these fatalities were in the handful of long distance migrant species like the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus), silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans), and the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) (Kunz et al. 2007, Cryan 2011). Short distance migrants, including endangered species such as the Indiana bat (Myotis sodalis),
Indiana bat. Photo by USFWS
are also impacted. Bats tend to fly at lower altitudes than birds when migrating, possibly because they feed while they are migrating. They also may be attracted to the turbines or attracted to the insects that are drawn to the turbines or turbine lighting. For these reasons, bats have tended to be affected more by wind turbines than birds have been, with a higher number of fatalities spread among a smaller number of species. Recent research has also indicated that the impacts from wind energy alone could have major long-term effects on hoary bat populations (Frick et al. 2017).
Some eastern North American bats have recently been affected by White Nose Syndrome, a fungal disease that has caused a vast reduction in hibernating bat populations. In some cases, mortality of up to 95% in hibernacula has been recorded. This has led to several species being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. With the threat to hibernating bats from White Nose Syndrome, and the vast majority of bats killed by wind turbines being migratory bats, bats are being threatened on two fronts. Losing this group of animals would result in large increases in crop pests and biting insects like mosquitoes that spread disease, as bats eat tons of these insects every night.
Increase in Wind Energy Development
Wind energy has risen as a provider of energy for Americans in the recent years, increasing the development pressure around the Great Lakes. The images below show the change in pressure from 1994 through 2014.
Future Increases in Wind Energy Development
In 2012, over 60 GW of power was generated by wind facilities across the United States. The Department of Energy is calling for an increase in wind power to represent 20% of the power generated across the United States by 2030. That represents about a five-fold increase to over 300 GW. Some individual states have even higher goals for renewable energy, such as California, Hawaii, and Colorado.
An increase in bird and bat fatalities will likely accompany such an increase in wind power generation if we do not take steps to reduce the impact of wind facilities on wildlife (Loss et al. 2013). These fatalities combined with increasing habitat loss, disease, and climate change may put many more species at risk of extinction than we already have listed under the Endangered Species Act. Gaining the benefits of reduced greenhouse gases from the renewable energy source of wind does not mean that turbines are entirely environmentally friendly. However, we now have the opportunity proactively to reduce the impact that turbines will have on wildlife for present and future generations as we pursue cleaner energy sources. A map of over 47,000 onshore wind turbine sites in the U.S. (as of July, 2013) is available from USGS, including details on the height and type of turbines.
Ways to Reduce Impact on Wildlife
USFWS Personnel with Acoustic Monitor. Photo by Andrew Horton/USFWS
Many wind facilities have very low impacts to birds and bats, but there are some that can have very high fatality rates. Determining what factors are different between areas with high fatality rates and low fatality rates can help us to install wind facilities in areas where they will have the least impact while still gaining the benefits of wind energy. One way to try and determine if an area may have a high risk to birds and bats is to study how many are migrating through an area before the turbines are built. If there are high numbers in an area, that would seem to indicate a higher potential risk of fatalities. One of the main goals of the Avian Radar Project is to find these areas that have high concentrations of migrants and inform the wind industry of the risks of building in those areas. By informing decisions about the impact to wildlife a wind farm might have in an area before turbines are built, a great deal of time, money, and lives of wildlife can be saved.
In some cases, and for wind facilities that are already built, placing turbines in another area may not be feasible. In that case, there are methods that can be used to reduce the impact of a wind farm on migrants. One example would be to turn off the turbines during the entire migration season. Migrants are usually moving through for over two months each spring and fall, so this may be too long of a period to be acceptable to the wind facility operator.
USFWS Personnel Conducting Bird Survey. Photo by Becky Horton/USFWS
Another option is to use wind cut-in speeds. This is a wind speed above which the turbine is operational and below which it is stopped. Our study has shown that when the wind speed is above 6.9 m/s (~15 mph), over 99% of bat activity has stopped in some locations. This allows for the wind facility to generate power at times when bats are likely not flying. Additional research is being looked into with a temperature cut-in level, where below a certain temperature bats are not likely to be active. Other research is looking into the use of deterrents which might be useful for reducing fatalities at new and existing wind facilities.
By using some of these methods, impacts to migrants can be reduced and we can still achieve the benefits of generating power from the wind. By combining the migration season dates with the cut-in speeds in some cases, the reduction in mortality of bats can be over 90% with a loss in power output only around 1% (Arnett et al. 2011).
For birds, limiting lighting on and around wind turbines and buildings seems to be helpful for reducing fatalities. Following the USFWS Voluntary Land-based Wind Energy Guidelines may help to prevent large-scale fatalities in birds.
Results from our project may also help inform ways to help reduce impacts to wildlife.
References to third party products or services are provided by DOI to inform users of the origin of certain information or transactions on this site. DOI does not endorse any commercial products, services, or applications.


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Whether Kei Igawa can live up to Boston's Japanese ace, Daisuke Matsuzaka, will be one of the interesting subplots of the 2007 season. But if not, what about matching Carl Pavano, Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina?
The first three Yankee starters were three different shades of crummy, so the club really needs a big start today from Igawa, their 27-year-old overseas acquisition.
Igawa will make his major-league debut this afternoon at Yankee Stadium against Baltimore. Matsuzaka struck out 10 in his major-league debut in Kansas City on Thursday, allowing one run on six hits and a walk. He reached 95 mph on the radar gun.
"For his skills, that's normal for him," Igawa said through a translator before the Yankees' 6-4 loss to the Orioles last night.
What will be normal for Igawa?
"I don't know until I play," he answered after a brief chuckle.
Hopefully normal is better than the Yankees' first three starting efforts. Mussina allowed eight hits and six earned runs over four innings last night. Pavano went 41/3 innings and allowed six hits and five runs (four earned) on Opening Day, and Pettitte allowed six hits, three walks and four runs (two earned) over four frames in Thursday's 7-6 loss.
Last offseason, Seibu, Matsuzaka's club in Japan, received a mind-blowing posting fee of $51,111,111 from the Red Sox for the right-hander, who signed a six-year, $52 million pact with Boston. Igawa signed a five-year, $20 million contract after the Yankees paid a $26 million posting fee to his team, Hanshin.
And today, Igawa will take the mound at Yankee Stadium for the first time.
"I'm looking forward to it," Igawa said. "I'm very excited.
"No, I'm not nervous."
Yesterday, Torre praised Igawa's industriousness and personality and acknowledged he's probably a better fit on the club than Hideki Irabu, another Japanese import, was from 1997-1999.
"I think Kei's personality is different," Torre said. "It sort of fit into what the team personality was. Irabu was a little bit different; he didn't have the same work ethic."
Igawa made six spring starts, going 2-0 with a 3.13 ERA. Opponents batted .226 against him, less than all of the Yankees starters but Pettitte.
"He throws a heavy ball, and he's sneaky," catcher Wil Nieves said. "He's not throwing 95 [mph], but he will get on you."
Igawa had to adjust to a new baseball and mounds and at times had problems finishing off his delivery and left pitches up. Although he walked 12 men in 23 spring innings, he whiffed a team-best 22.
"They didn't take good swings off him," Torre said.


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Victory Over Japan
By Ellen Gilchrist
Original Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Current Publisher: Back Bay Books (Hachette Book Group)
Elinor Lipman writes:
Jonathan Yardley has recently written in the Washington Post that he and his fellow judges, Laurie Colwin and Leonard Michaels--whom he'd chosen for what he hoped were "literary tastes diametrically opposed to my own"--agreed "immediately and unanimously" to award the 1984 prize to Ellen Gilchrist for her second story collection. Their choice said, in effect, we recognize the art of high wit and dark humor, the audacious charms of characters whose eccentricities are original and whose proclivities tilt toward the racy and the illicit. In praise of "Victory Over Japan," Beverly Lowry wrote in the New York Times that "nerve urges a fiction writer to go ahead and shoot whatever moon is it he has been given to aim at, without caution or respect for current fashion."
"Nerve" in Gilchrist's work is not a narrow thread. It is present in her unadorned sentences, her unfailing ear, her clear and unsentimental gaze and in the attention paid to lust. In these fourteen stories, rash behaviors make for bold characterizations: The danger zones into which these deliciously flawed southern women trespass are ruled by money, passion, and the disappointments delivered by mothers, marriage, and men.
Almost every opening line is a plain declarative sentence alive with ambition, such as, "Rhoda was fourteen years old the summer her father dragged her off to Clay County, Kentucky, to make her stop smoking and acting like a movie star." Or, "Nora Jane Whittington was going to have a baby." Nothing behind her words is safe or predictable. Happiness, when visited, is offbeat and off-kilter.
How fitting that Gilchrist begins "Traceleen's Telling a Story Called 'A Bad Year'" with what might be a good set of questions for a panel of fiction judges: "What's a story of this type for? What's any story for? To make us laugh I guess..." Elsewhere she writes of Nora Jane's "miraculous voice." It is praise that fits every page of this collection, a hymn to Gilchrist's economy, originality, poignancy, and chutzpah.
Elinor Lipman is the author of ten works of fiction, including The Inn at Lake Devine, Then She Found Me and The Family Man. She was a National Book Awards Fiction judge in 2008.
Terry Quinn writes:
In Victory Over Japan, as in so much of her fiction, Ellen Gilchrist displays a genius for letting her irony take root in the fertile distance between the sensibilities she is confident of sharing with her reader, and those possessed by a character like her Rhoda: "Now the radio was bringing important news to Seymour, Indiana, strange, confused, hush-hush news that said we had a bomb bigger than any bomb ever made and we had already dropped it on Japan and half of Japan was sinking into the sea. Now the Japs had to surrender. Now they couldn't come to Indiana and stick bamboo up our fingernails. Now it would all be over and my father would come home."
The author first acquaints us with an adult narrator looking back on her younger self. ("When I was in the third grade I knew a boy who had to have fourteen shots in the stomach as the result of a squirrel bite.") Then she swiftly banishes that wiser presence and lets us see and hear the world just the way Rhoda does. And what gloriously quirky things that character sees her mother do: "She was sitting on the back steps putting liquid hose on her legs," or hear her father say to his befuddled wife: "What do you mean, you can't teach her? Hit her with a broom. Hit her with a table. Hit her with a chair. But, for God's sake, Ariane, don't let her talk to you that way."
Another delight is how Gilchrist's characters often hop from one story in the volume into another, at times showing up in an altered form. Whether it's Rhoda, Nora Jane, Miss Crystal, or the latter's little blister of a son, King, Gilchrist will catch that figure at a different age, present him or her with a brand-new set of conflicts, and radically shift the narrative perspective.
In the title story, for example, the protagonist is eight years old. We enjoy a short fictional memoir told in the first person as grown-up Rhoda recalls the innocence of her wartime youth: "I was dreaming I was at the wheel of an airplane carrying the bomb to Japan. Hit 'em, I was yelling. Hit 'em with a mountain. Hit 'em with a table. Hit 'em with a chair." How artfully the child is made to identify with her parental aggressor and sublimate her fury in an excess of patriotism.
But in "Music," a much longer, more complex story – and, in my estimation, the strongest of the lot – Rhoda is a nicotine-crazed 14-year-old at loggerheads with her loving yet feckless father. This time a fairly distanced third-person narrator is in charge of the storytelling, and the girl's escapades are far from innocent. She lies. She takes advantage of one of her father's less astute employees and commandeers a Jeep to get her forbidden smokes. She takes an immediate liking, too, to a young man whose very gait seems sufficient to seduce her: "He walked with a precise, balanced sort of cockiness, as if he knew he could walk any way he wanted but had carefully chosen this particular walk as his own."
And when he lures her to the woods and deflowers her, she doesn't mind much at all. She's out in the world at last, dazzled by its wonders and making things happen. Alone in bed that night Rhoda has a momentary qualm, then: "She moved her hands along her thighs, trying to remember exactly what it was they had done, trying to remember the details, wondering where she could find him in the morning." Which, of course, she won't.
At the start of the next tale, Rhoda is married, yet merrily dreaming of "crushing the skulls of Jody's sheepdogs ... " (We haven't heard word-one of Jody yet in this book, nor does that matter.) " ... Or else she was crushing Jody's skull. Jody was the husband she was leaving. Crunch, crunch, crunch went the skulls between her hands, beneath her heels." And so things go in the piquant wilds of Ellen Gilchrist's 192-page book. The method she uses to trace Rhoda's careening path she'll use as well with Lady Margaret, Nora Jean, Miss Crystal, and that highly unstable woman's long-suffering husbands, sociopathic son and domineering brother – all of whose small triumphs and fiascos are riotously reported on by the family maid, Traceleen.
It's tasteful, highly sophisticated Southern Gothic. It's smart and it touches the heart. Above all, it's a scream.
Terry Quinn is a novelist, poet, and playwright whose work has been published by Little, Brown and St. Martin's Press, among others and whose plays have been produced in the United States and Europe. He teaches at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, NY. www.TerryQuinn.com
Fiction Finalists that Year:
- Alison Lurie for Foreign Affairs
- Philip Roth for The Anatomy Lesson
Fiction Judges that Year: Jonathan Yardley, Laurie Colwin, Leonard Michaels
The Year in Literature:
- Ironweed by William Kennedy won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
- Jaroslav Seifertwon the Nobel Prize for Literature.
More Information:
- Ellen Gilchrist earned a BA degree in philosophy and studied creative writing, especially the work of Eudora Welty, at Millsaps College.
- Later in life, Gilchrist enrolled in the Creative Writing program at the University of Arkansas but never earned her MFA.
- Gilchrist has also won awards for her poetry, although she is best known for her short stories.
Selected Links:
- Ellen Gilchrist's OleMiss Webpage
- A Splendid Irreverence: Ellen Gilchrist
Millsaps Magazine
Fall-Winter 2000
by Jon Parrish Peede
- Ellen Gilchrist's Wikipedia Entry
Buy the Book:


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Angelenos have been on a first-name basis with Angelyne since the 1980s, when the diva of indeterminate age made her debut as the 50-foot woman plastered on billboards and buildings on Sunset Boulevard. These days, she's more likely...


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Leamington C&AC veteran Sue Harrison has been selected to represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the IAU World 100k Championships in the Netherlands on September 12.
Harrison, a bronze medallist at the IAU European 100km Championships in 2013, suffered an injury ravaged 2014 but confirmed her return to fitness with a sub-3hr run at the Rotary Shakespeare Marathon in April.
"She took the Facebook to express her delight, saying: "Proud and honoured to be representing my country again and to be part of such a great team. Three months of hard work ahead now."
Harrison will be joined in the women's team by last year's world 100k bronze medallist Jo Zakrzewski and Holly Rush.


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Green Ronin's Freeport setting is one of the more famous "recurring characters" in gaming. They've lovingly developed it for various game systems over the years, and set it up wonderfully to be dropped into any campaign ongoing. It also makes a fantastic place to start a new campaign.
This latest presentation – designed specifically for Pathfinder – is massive and thoroughly updated –
Clocking in at a massive 544 pages, Freeport: The City of Adventure lovingly details a metropolis that mixes fantasy tropes, piracy, and Lovecraftian horror into an action packed setting for your RPG campaign. The city is now more detailed than ever, with added locations, characters, hooks, and a brand new, full-length adventure. The book, featuring a cover by fan favorite artist Wayne Reynolds and a fold-out map of the city, also includes full rules support for the Pathfinder RPG: new classes, archetypes, feats, and magic items. As always you can use Freeport on its own or drop it into your campaign setting of choice. So set sail for Freeport, mateys! Come for the pirates, stay for the cosmic horror!


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|Lynx Software Technologies, Inc.
|OS family
|Unix-like real-time operating system
|Working state
|Source model
|Closed source
|Initial release
|Latest release
|7.0[1] / June 5, 2013
|Marketing target
|Embedded systems
|Motorola 68010, Intel 80386, ARM architecture, PowerPC
|Kernel type
|Dynamic Extendable
|Default user interface
|Command line interface
|Official website
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The LynxOS RTOS is a Unix-like real-time operating system from Lynx Software Technologies (formerly "LynuxWorks"). Sometimes known as the Lynx Operating System, LynxOS features full POSIX conformance and, more recently, Linux compatibility. LynxOS is mostly used in real-time embedded systems, in applications for avionics, aerospace, the military,[2] industrial process control and telecommunications. As such, it is compatible with military-grade security protocol such as wolfSSL, a popular TLS/SSL library.
The first versions of LynxOS were written in 1986 in Dallas, Texas, by Mitchell Bunnell and targeted at a custom-built Motorola 68010-based computer. The first platform LynxOS ever ran on was an Atari 1040ST with cross development done on an Integrated Solutions UNIX machine. In 1988-1989, LynxOS was ported to the Intel 80386 architecture. Around 1989, ABI compatibility with System V.3 was added. Compatibility with other operating systems, including Linux, followed.
Full Memory Management Unit support has been included in the kernel since 1989, for the reliability of protected memory and the performance advantages of virtual addresses. The PowerPC architecture is also supported, and in February 2015 Lynx announced planned support for the ARM Cortex A-family.[3]
LynxOS components are designed for absolute determinism (hard real-time performance), which means that they respond within a known period of time. Predictable response times are ensured even in the presence of heavy I/O due to the kernel's unique threading model, which allows interrupt routines to be extremely short and fast.
Lynx holds an expired patent on the technology that LynxOS uses to maintain hard real-time performance. U.S. Patent 5,469,571 was granted to Lynx November 21, 1995: "Operating System Architecture using Multiple Priority Light Weight kernel Task-based Interrupt Handling."
In 2003, Lynx introduced a specialized version of LynxOS called LynxOS-178, especially for use in avionics applications that require certification to industry standards such as DO-178B.
The Usenet newsgroup comp.os.lynx is devoted to discussion of LynxOS.
External links[edit]
- Lynx real-time operating systems (RTOS)
- Patent #5,469,571: LynuxWorks' "Operating System Architecture using Multiple Priority Light Weight kernel Task-based Interrupt Handling."
- Whitepaper: Using the Microprocessor MMU for Software Protection in Real-Time Systems
- Applications using LynxOS and other Lynx operating systems


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For the ninth day of my (now reduced to 12) Advent column looking at my favourite characters of 2014, I turn my attention to the cancelled CW series Nikita's two main characters, the titular star Nikita (Maggie Q) and Alex (Lyndsy Fonseca).
Once again, the rules for this column:
"As you've probably noticed from above, this is a new blog series dedicated to showcasing my favourite characters from 2014. I will draw from a wide variety of sources but the conditions are simple – I have to have either first encountered that character in 2014, (or a different iteration of that character in 2014, for example, If I were to use, Steven Moffat's Sherlock Holmes, I would be allowed to as even though I discovered the character before the year of me writing the Advent list, I did not discover Moffat's take on the character until 2014. Of course, I watched BBC's Sherlock before 2014, but that's just a standard example). I can also refer to groups of characters, for example, on a variation of a list last year, I used the Clone Club from Orphan Black, and the main cast from Stargate Atlantis. This will be used multiple times this year when talking about TV show characters – as they are generally better as an ensemble piece as opposed to an individual group.
And also, as is evident from the first character that I have used this year, Raylan Givens, I am allowed to pick characters from previous years as long as I have discovered them in this year. By discovered, that obviously means I have to have watched the first episode of the TV series in 2014, or alternatively, I am also allowed to include characters who I have become more attached to in this year that I weren't necessarily so keen on before, for example, If a character did something awesome this year to raise their game and turn him or her into a new fan favourite than these characters would be allowed to be included."
The CW is a network with a bit of a reputation in America for being largely teen orientated and not much else, but over the past few years they have been stepping up both quality and talent and producing some excellent series that fail to disappoint. More recently we've had The Flash, Arrow, The 100 and The Originals, all of which have been awesome shows, but there's also been the likes of Nikita and Supernatural going further back, and one of those two series I finally got around to checking out this year, and even though I am only six episodes in at this point, I'm in love with it. It doesn't deal with the standard CW tropes of love triangles (although there was one previously hinted at and there could eventually be one – this is the CW after all), and focuses on the spy action making it perfect for fans of James Bond and Jason Bourne who perhaps want a female lead star in a spy thriller.
And the lead characters certainly don't disappoint. Maggie Q's Nikita is a fantastic lead and really delivers as the titular series star, as a renegade who has turned against a group called "Division", an elite mercenary secret organization that previously worked for the Government before going rogue. Division now wants Nikita dead, but Nikita not only is doing her best to foil the operations of the organization, she also has a mole in the inside, in the form of a former drug-addict teenager named Alex. So far at least, Alex has successfully maintained her cover and both characters have been working together incredibly well, allowing us to explore the interior of Division through Alex's fellow group of new recruits, as well as explore what life is like on the run from Division and follow Nikita's quest to bring them down.
There hasn't been a bad episode of Nikita so far out of the six I've seen. They're all tense, action packed and incredibly strong. Standing at four seasons (three seasons at over 20 hour long episodes each and Season 4 at a reduced 6 episodes) the show itself is great. It's well directed and has a fantastic high concept storyline. If you're looking for a show with some good well developed female protagonists, then you can't go far wrong with Nikita. The CW seems to be particularly good with this sort of thing as well – I'd also point you in the direction of The 100 as another good example of a show with some good female lead characters who continue to grow and develop over the course of the season.
Inspired by La Femme Nikita, the 1997 TV series, the show borrows the same characters' names but you don't have to be familiar with the original to enjoy what's going on, because I certainly haven't seen it. It's just been great to see how newcomer friendly Nikita was, and with the past of the characters being explored in the flashbacks (something that is again, a CW trope – The Originals, Arrow and The Flash all use this method of narrative and I'm fairly sure that The Vampire Diaries does as well), it really fleshes it out well and provides some much needed depth. There's a clear difference in the characters so you can see how much they have progressed over time as well, proving that Nikita can handle the action and character development pretty well indeed.
So yeah, basically, if you're not familiar with this show already then I strongly encourage you to go and watch it ASAP. It's smart, compelling, unpredictable and engaging. If you like a good spy drama then you won't want to miss it.
· Day 1: Raylan Givens (Justified)
· Day 2: The Mikealson Family (The Originals)
· Day 3: Nolan and Irisa (Defiance)
· Day 4: Godzilla (Gareth Edwards' Godzilla)
· Day 5: The 99th Precinct (Brooklyn Nine-Nine)
· Day 6: The All New X-Factor (Peter David's All New X-Factor)
· Day 7: Bluebird & Spoiler (Batman Eternal)
· Day 8: Korra (The Legend of Korra)
· Day 9: Nikita & Alex (Nikita)


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|Asphodels is a Scrabble word. Scrabble point value for asphodels: 15 points.
|Asphodels is a Words with Friends word. Words with Friends point value for asphodels: 15 points.
Above are the results of unscrambling asphodels. Using the word generator and word unscrambler for the letters A S P H O D E L S, we unscrambled the letters to create a list of all the words found in Scrabble, Words with Friends, and Text Twist. We found a total of 424 words by unscrambling the letters in asphodels. Click these words to find out how many points they are worth, their definitions, and all the other words that can be made by unscrambling the letters from these words. If one or more words can be unscrambled with all the letters entered plus one new letter, then they will also be displayed.
|Definition of "asphodels" found in the Merriam Webster dictionary
|Definition of "asphodels" from The Free Dictionary
|Definition of "asphodels" from Dictionary.com
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C# .Net Developer - Financial Services - Romford, Up to £45K
Our client is a FTSE 250 enterprise with a revenue of £3.6billion that is going through a large transformation and as such is an exciting time to join the business. They have a 20/20 vision where they are looking to double their personnel by 2020.
We are seeking an experienced C# Developer or will consider a graduate with 1 years + experience with the drive to develop quickly. Salary will be dependent on level of experience.
Technical Knowledge:
- Experience with C# .Net
- Object oriented design experience
- Knowledge of Desktop development (WPF)
- Visual Studio 2013 or later
- Knowledge of SQL Server
- Complete user support requests (includes liaising with users).
- Fault finding / problem solving in all applications including fixing / testing.
- Create design and technical specifications for system amendments / enhancements to remove re-occurring user support requests and software faults
- Code system amendments / enhancements as per specifications (modules / user interface / reports / web services / windows services).
- Test system amendments / enhancements made by self and others.
- Documenting of system amendments / enhancements.
- Ad-hoc reporting and data extraction.
If this C# .Net Developer role is of interest, then please respond with an up to date CV.