text:
Alias Hook
I like retellings of Peter Pan, the way they get at the motives of different Neverlandish groups. I love the stage play and the Disney movie, and I like Hook and Finding Neverland and even Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, Peter and the Starcatchers, and Return to Neverland. So when I first saw it, I signed up right away for a giveaway of Alias Hook, by Lisa Jensen, over at Reading the End. And then I won a copy of the book! I was so excited to read it that I made time in my all-work-and-no-play semester.
Since Annalee Newitz at io9 brought it up, I've been waiting to see Nathan Fillion as Hook. But Lisa Jensen has managed to make Peter Pan a bad guy. She has Captain Hook tell the story:
"Every child knows how the story ends. The wicked pirate captain is flung overboard, caught in the jaws of the monster crocodile that drags him down to a watery grave. Who could guess that below the water, the great beast would spew me out with a belch and a wink of its horned, livid eye? It was not yet my time to die, not then nor any other time. It's my fate to be trapped here forever, in a nightmare of childhood fancy with that infernal, eternal boy."
Hook's crew are former Lost Boys who have made their way back to Neverland, only to be killed in the battles.
"Are they sorry to call Pan their enemy? Certainly not. None of them remembers exactly that they were ever his creatures. They've simply been bred to follow a leader, and any leader will do, so long as their thinking is done for them."
Hook himself, formerly an eighteenth-century nobleman named James Hookbridge, has been sent to Neverland by the spell of an Obeah woman. His big adventure begins when an adult woman named Stella turns up in Neverland. They argue about Peter Pan:
"'What is the fascination for Pan in your world?'
'He is youth and joy and innocence, all the things my world now craves,' she rhapsodizes.
'He is sorrow, guile, death,' say I. 'You venerate a phantom.'
She peers at me quizzically. 'No,' she insists, 'an ideal.'"
For a while, neither of them is sure how she got to Neverland, and whether Peter knows about her or not. One of Hook's guesses is that "the Scotch boy" might have sent her.
"He got it all wrong, of course, wrote about Pan as if he were a product of his own era, newly run off to the Neverland, although this place is eternal and Pan has been here so much longer than that. Always trumpeting about that he would never grow up, the Scotch boy, that he would never forget."
They do mention the name "Barrie" in the course of their conversation, in case anyone should miss that he is the "Scotch boy."
The real horror of Hook's situation is brought home to Stella, and to the reader, by hearing his version of what happened when he tried to escape Neverland by inviting Pan to join his "company of brigands." Pan figures out that he wants to escape and calls his boys to hold him down:
"Half of them fell on my flailing arm as I roared for my men. Pan had a grip on my other hand; he'd shaken out the quill and was waving my hand like a prize.
'By this hand you would have sworn falsely to me!' he cried. 'You would have tricked me out there, made me grow big, made me grow up! But I will never live in the grown-up world.' He drew a raspy breath, and I saw more malice in his glittering eyes than I'd ever seen in any pirate. 'And neither will you! Never ever! And this is so you won't forget!'
Three of the little beggars pinned my hand to the barrelhead, while another who'd been flitting all over the deck brought something back to the Pan. I couldn't see what it was, for all the boys shrieking in my ears and cuffing me about the face as I tried to duck and bob. It wasn't until he brandished it over his head that I recognized one of our boarding axes.
It took both his hands to manage it. I saw the downward course of the heavy blade and I struggled desperately, lunging and writhing, but my limbs were sandbagged with squirming bodies, and I could not twist away.
The pain was exquisite, a perfection of white-hot agony so consuming, I couldn't hear my own shriek for the thundering in my head. The children were all shrieking too, giddy in their triumph and whooping as the axe came down again. Of course, he couldn't do it all at once. Flesh and bone are more resistant than you think; the blade was old, and he was not experienced. It took several good whacks to break down the skin and pulp and sever the bone within.
….The shock of it was not so much that I had been overmatched by little boys….No, it was the glee with which they did it, the jeering, jabbering Lost Boys. We were not in a battle. No lives were at stake. They mutilated me for the sport of it. For the fun.'"
Hook protects Stella from his own men, from Peter and his boys, and from all of the other inhabitants of Neverland, and they begin to tell each other about their worlds.
"In the stories, you know, when Captain Hook swears, it's always ' and she affects a basso profundo comic opera voice, 'Brimstone and gall! Hammer and tongs!'
May harpies rip out my liver did I ever utter such nonsense,' I reply and nod her back to her seat. 'They are entirely fabrications of the Scotch boy. In real life I am no stranger to oaths….in my day it was considered quite reckless to refer to God's hooks or God's wounds.'
'Gadzooks!' she titters. 'Zounds!'
My mouth twitches. 'Aye, it loses a little something with age,' I agree. 'To actually name the deity or any part of his anatomy was a terrible blasphemy, and the more intimate, the better.'
'God's gallstones!' she chirps.
'By God's putrid bile,' I counter.
'God's cods and tackles!' she cries."
Eventually Hook and Stella tell each other all of their stories. Stella reveals that she lost her husband to WWII and her baby to an early labor brought on by the news of his death. After that, she says, she began to dream of Neverland, "a haven of childhood innocence, a place undefiled by war and poverty and hatred, where children might need a mother, where I might finally do somebody some good." Telling the stories makes her realize that Neverland is not the ideal place she imagined and him understand that boys can grow up and learn compassion.
After that, of course, all it takes is faith and trust, a little bit of fairy dust, and Stella's feint at kissing Peter Pan for them to get the chance to grow old together, free of the Neverland but not of the dreams they engendered there. It's a decent retelling for those of us who have already grown up.
Fostering International Student Success in Higher Education
It seems appropriate that since my part-time job has turned into a work-full-time-but-get-paid-for-half-time job this fall, I should tell you about one of the books I've read for work. I know it's terrible how I've been letting work cut into my time for writing about books. I've been trying to post at least once a week and I have hopes of re-establishing a better part-time-work/life balance in the future, but any mother of two college students thinks twice before backing off from paying work.
I heard about Fostering International Student Success in Higher Education because one of the authors, Shawna Shapiro, participates in discussions on my e-mail list for selective liberal arts college writing program administrators. When I heard about the book, I asked her for a copy, and she obliged, even though I told her that the most likely venue for a review was here.
My small college has an increasing number of international students (77 out of about 1,600), so part of my job is to give the students–peer editors–who work for me guidance on how to provide the kind of specialized writing help the international students need. We had a staff meeting today, and I handed out copies of two pages from the book, one a discussion of the "dialogic approach" that we take in the Writing Center (because peer editors should be engaging in dialogue with writers rather than telling them what to do) and another a chart showing the ten most common grammatical issues in the work of second-language writers, in order of "severity" or how much they interfere with a reader's understanding. I found those two pages to be the most specific about what to do in order to give the most help to international students on their writing.
Because, as the book points out, a U.S. student's cultural frame of reference can be very different from an international student's, I arranged for two students come to the staff meeting and talk about a few of the cultural expectations they've faced. The Nigerian student pointed out that citation is more important in the U.S. than in her home country because we have free access to more sources, and the Palestinian student admitted that he was so overwhelmed with information about intellectual ownership and how to avoid plagiarism (or what the book calls "unconventional source use") when he first came to college that he had nightmares about it.
One of the interesting things about the chapter entitled "The Role of Culture," by the way, is that it introduces the subject by way of a metaphor which has a very specific place in Kenyon culture, since David Foster Wallace used it in his "This is Water" commencement speech in 2005. This is the metaphor: "A frog sitting on the bank of a river sees a fish swim by and asks 'How's the water?' The fish looks up and replies, 'What water?'" When you're submerged in it, you're not aware of it.
The two students at my meeting mentioned cultural issues that the book brings up, such as "arriving to class on time, keeping oral presentations short and succinct, and being concise in written work." In particular, being expected to present the main idea at the beginning of an academic paper was a stumbling block for the Palestinian student early in his U.S. academic career, as he remembers being told he had to explain more up front and thinking "what, are they stupid?"
We talked about learning strategies for writing by English language learners, mostly those identified in the book as "'metacognition,' or awareness of one's own thinking and learning" and about "self-mediation," which can be like talking to yourself or can be prompted by someone else's questions in a writing center (for instance, asking "how do you know that?").
The Nigerian student mentioned how helpful rubrics have been to her, and to her friends from other countries; the book has a section on rubrics, with guidelines for creating and using them.
Although the book is addressed primarily to instructors, I found it useful for organizing some of the issues for the students who work for me, those who are often on the front lines of international student education. Like all books of its kind, the more specific it gets, the more helpful it can be. That the specific is most helpful, of course, also applies to the broad category of "international students." As a student from Cameroon once said to Ron, gratified that he could name a specific city in that country, "some Americans think all of Africa is one small village." What works for a student from Nigeria may not work as well for another from Beijing. I think working in the writing center, however, is an advantage, since most of the discussion takes place one-on-one and can therefore be tailored to an individual.
The specifics mean little without a general overview, however, and this book provides that. I thank Shawna especially for sending it to as general a reader as me to share with even more general readers like you. That's why, despite the aggravations, I work at a liberal arts college—I like trying to learn (and pass on) a little bit about everything.
What did you learn today?
Acts of God
When I first read them I loved Ellen Gilchrist's stories in Victory Over Japan—especially the stories about Rhoda and Nora Jane—and the stories set in and around New Orleans, In the Land of Dreamy Dreams.
As even the New York Times reviewer said in 1984, "If we're lucky, there will be yet another, with yet more overlapping tales, of Rhoda at 50 and Nora Jane in a new wig; of new and old versions of Lady Margaret Sarpie and Devoie and of King Mallison and Crystal." And yet, now that I've gotten older myself and read about Rhoda at 67, she's not half as much fun as I thought she would be. Instead of the antics of Crystal and Traceleen, in Gilchrist's new collection of stories we get Louise Hand, the niece of a character in one of Gilchrist's novels, stuck at an airport with her rich friends.
Most of the characters in Gilchrist's new story collection, Acts of God, are old, and many of them are dying, although on their own terms. There are small delights, like the 80-year-old-couple telling their daughter they do not want a hired woman watching what they do all day because "we do not deserve this unkindness" and "who would have such a job, watching old people to keep them from driving their car?" But, as with old age, the delights are outnumbered by the tedium.
There are a few stories about New Orleans, from the point of view of characters who were there during Katrina and afterwards, and there's a little of Gilchrist's characteristic abrupt monologue, but it sounds more preachy than quirky now:
"most of my conversations are with people who work for me one way or the other. I have two houses, and a lodge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I spend half my time talking to housekeepers, plumbers, roofers, painters, drapery hangers, window-blind installers, lawyers, or certified public accountants. I like them. I like people who work better than I like people like myself, which is why I do volunteer work. It's better than not working at all, which is the most boring thing in the world and why old people become morose."
None of the old people in these stories are morose. In addition to the couple who object to having a watcher, there's Cecilia and Jimmy, who are both aware that Jimmy would rather kill himself than succumb the way his fatal illness would dictate. Cecilia says to him
"if you get it into your head to go to the deadening and kill yourself with a gun or hang yourself like Mr. Allen did on Hopedale, then I will kill myself the next day, too, without bothering to bury you or burn you up in the cremator's oven or do a thing to help your children or grandchildren cope with losing you. That's a promise, Jimmy, so you can believe it. So be sure and get all those papers right for them."
Jimmy's response is to think that "he had to think of a way to do it that really seemed like an accident, or maybe murder. It was going to be hard as hell to do because she was on the scent."
Then there's Philipa, who in a story titled "The Dissolution of the Myelin Sheath," jumps off of a cruise ship rather than wait to die of her illness. Her daughter Caroline later asks her psychiatrist "how will I ever die in peace when my own mother couldn't do it?" and the doctor "sighed, wanted so much to leave the room. No one dies in peace, he wanted to say, unless they are on morphine, which is not that much better than jumping off a boat."
Although I tend to agree with the notion that it's better to die on one's own terms, I'm no longer quite so charmed by Gilchrist's trademark wacky off-handedness about, for instance, whether when people die they could be "walking around heaven either thinking about things or hungry or not hungry or busy watching us to see what we are doing."
Crystal's off-hand remarks, the fierceness of Rhoda, and the daring of Nora Jane might have come to more than this.
The More Loving One
Starting in September during Walker's first year of college, Ron sent both children and me a daily e-mail entitled "This Day in Middle Earth," to tell us what was going on in the story that day and sometimes to fill us in on details that we could appreciate particularly in light of where the fellowship was or what kinds of battles they were fighting. Today those days ended with the shire being restored and the mallorn seed planted.
I feel that a lot of days are ending. It gets dark early now, as it does in the Reynolds Price play and the story "Araby." Whatever my endeavor, I always seem to end up like the boy talking to Mangan's sister as dark falls on the street, longing to go to Araby and promising to bring her something. She doesn't care that much whether he brings her anything or not, which makes his ardency that much more ridiculous.
In the past few months I've become too ardent about everything, trying to find something to settle on. From the outside, I know, it appears ridiculous. Walker laughs at the way my stories get reduced to the gist, the part I have zeroed in on with pinpoint intensity, so that the bigger sense of the story is lost. Eleanor rightly points out that even though I can often put my finger on what is missing from a story, I'm not enough of a creative writer to suggest what should be there. My friends share a long conversation with me, but the breadth of it has narrowed because their paying work is so interesting and they are so essential.
I am not essential. When I walk through the college campus in the later afternoon, on my way to see that the student service I run gets off to a good start and to meet anyone who might have a question, I feel like the boy appearing at the bazaar:
"Nearly all the stalls were closed and the greater part of the hall was in darkness. I recognized a silence like that which pervades a church after a service. I walked into the centre of the bazaar timidly. A few people were gathered about the stalls which were still open. Before a curtain, over which the words Café Chantant were written in coloured lamps, two men were counting money on a salver. I listened to the fall of the coins."
What is the purpose of lingering to overhear the conversations? My attempts at kindness at work and nurturing at home come to whatever such attempts usually come to, at best a lessening of some of the cruelties that the college-aged necessarily suffer.
Only W.H. Auden can sum up the ridiculousness of such a position.
The More Loving One
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well
That, for all they care, I can go to hell.
But on earth indifference is the least
We have to dread from man or beast.
How should we like it were stars to burn
With a passion for us we could not return?
If equal affection cannot be,
Let the more loving one be me.
Admirer as I think I am
Of stars that do not give a damn,
I cannot, now I see them, say
I missed one terribly all day.
Were all stars to disappear or die,
I should learn to look at an empty sky
And feel its total dark sublime
Though this might take me a little time.
If you can't be a star, learn to put their importance in perspective, I guess. Let yourself be ridiculous in your regard for something that has no discernible affect on anyone's life. This is what I get out of this poem, but it hardly seems enough to be going on with.
A young person gaily trooping off to seek his fortune asks the mother he leaves behind "why don't you write a book or get a dog?" Because all the interesting stuff has happened already; all she has to work with are memories and the habits of kindness. Unless there's some other possibility for what can happen after the happy ending.
Texts from Jane Eyre
I got a copy of Mallory Ortberg's Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters from Henry Holt and Company last Saturday, and I immediately opened it up to sample one or two, maybe the title one, about Jane Eyre. Later that day I picked it up again, thinking I would read another one or two, and before I knew it I had giggled my way through the entire book.
Among my favorites were Achilles and Hamlet sounding like teenagers. Someone standing outside the tent of Achilles says "what's this about, buddy?" and this is the ensuing exchange:
"he took that girl I liked"
"who did"
"that guy
I can't say his name
the guy with the long name and the sun helmet"
"yeah that guy
he took that girl I like"
"which girl?"
what is this
name remembering day"
Hamlet, similarly, is in his room and his mother is asking if he wants to come down to dinner. When he indicates that he is not coming out of his room, his mother offers to bring him a sandwich, which initiates the response "I wish I was dead." She persists, though:
"okay honey
but do you want a sandwich first"
"what kind of sandwich?"
"we're having tuna fish"
"okay you still want to die?
or okay you want me to bring you a tuna fish sandwich?"
you don't get it"
The texts from Lord Byron also have an adolescent feel:
nothing's any good"
"what's the matter"
do you realize I'm never going to be able to have sex with the rain"
Because, as I've said before, I'm not a fan of Jo marrying Mr. Baer at the end of Little Women, I enjoyed the text exchange between Jo and Laurie when she tells him her decision:
"his mustache is enormous
bushy and gray and covered in crumbs
all of him is covered in crumbs
he's filthy haha"
"well that's just"
"oh and he just hates my writing
criticizes my work unceasingly"
"I see"
"I really cannot overemphasize
how much he disapproves of my voice as a writer
wants me to change everything about it"
how can I compete with that"
please don't blame yourself"
Like the texts from Hamlet, there are texts about Daisy Miller sprinkled throughout the book, each one from someone else who disapproves of Daisy's polite responses to invitations. The Daisy Miller texts begin with:
there's a castle just up the hill I want you to see
it's absolutely beautiful this time of year
please say you'll come
we'll walk the ramparts together and find lilac growing in the walls"
"oh how lovely
I'd be so pleased to come"
"oh my god
you were really going to do it
you were going to go to a castle alone with me"
"I don't understand"
"you wouldn't
you slut"
and the Daisy Miller texts end with:
"look have you seen Daisy
I need to talk to her"
"oh my god
you haven't heard"
"heard what"
"that Daisy diiied"
"oh my god
what happened"
"she went for a walk outside
with an Italian
at night
under the MOON"
"oh god of course"
One of the best exchanges in the volume is from William Blake. This is a small part of a much larger whole:
"I drew you something"
"oh wow
is it horrifying?"
"do you promise?
do you promise me that it's not horrifying?"
"I drew you something"
you know what I mean"
"what do you mean by horrifying"
"is anyone being
flayed alive in it
or committing suicide
or does something have eyes that shouldn't have eyes
you know what I mean
"never mind
sorry I bothered you"
it isn't that
you know I like your drawings"
"I know"
"I just already have so many watercolors of flayings already
I wouldn't know where to put another one"
The best part of the whole book, at least for me, is an exchange in the middle of a long series of texts between Cathy and Heathcliff, from Wuthering Heights:
"I love you so much
let's break each other's hearts"
"oh my god let's
I love you so much I'm going to marry edgar"
"I love you so much I'm going to run away"
"I love you so much I'm going to make myself sick"
good that's so much love"
"I love you so much I'm going to get sick again
just out of spite
i'll forget how to breathe"
"I'll be your slave"
"I'll pinch your heart and hand it back to you dead"
"I'll lie down with my soul already in its grave"
"I'll damn myself with your tears"
"I love you so much i'll come back and marry your sister-in-law"
"god yes"
"and i'll bankroll your brother's alcoholism"
"i always hoped you would"
This exchange goes on to even greater heights of passion, and surely you want to read the rest.
I didn't even mention the all-cap texts from Sherlock Holmes or the lines from Emily Dickinson as she is declining to come out. The whole book is a joy; it brightened up a dark November day.
Aubade in Autumn
The end of October in Ohio brings dark skies and quiet mornings. The last of the cicadas have died. Geese sometimes fly over, a chorus of honking that makes the silence afterwards more noticeable. More and more often I have to close the windows and the only sound is the furnace.
Both Eleanor and Walker have gone back to college after their October breaks. The house is quiet. The deaf cat stalks around for a few minutes, howling to see where I've gone, and then finds me and curls up to sleep beside my desk. I am listening to the music in my head, the Mendelssohn we've been playing at symphony rehearsal.
I'm thinking about an aubade and find one new to me, Peter Everwine's "Aubade in Autumn." It makes me aware of what I'm listening for, alone in a quiet house.
My grandmother used to hum the hymn "Rock of ages, cleft for me" as she made her way through the house each morning, from her double bed spread with chenille, to the bathroom sink, through the pine-panelled room with bookshelves and sofa, and into the sunny, white-curtained kitchen.
My mother always knows at least one more verse of a song than anyone else. Years ago, when we were sitting in her yard after dark on the fourth of July, singing every patriotric song we could think of, she led my father through more verses of "Remember Pearl Harbor" than anyone else knew existed.
My father sang "Ain't She Sweet" when he was happy, the chorus of "Bali Ha'i" when he vacuumed, and "Blue Skies" when he was hoping for good weather (inside and out).
My brother and I gleefully sang the disco cookie song from Sesame Street Fever over and over throughout our childhood.
Ron and I sang about 50 verses of "Froggie went A Courtin'" to Eleanor and Walker when they were babies.
Walker sang "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin and Eleanor sang "Take Me or Leave Me" from Rent when they were practicing for auditions for high school musicals. (Walker sings even more beautifully now, but his baritone isn't suited to "Corner of the Sky" the way his voice was before it began to change.)
Those are the songs I'm listening for.
Aubade in Autumn
This morning, from under the floorboards
of the room in which I write,
Lawrence the handyman is singing the blues
in a soft falsetto as he works, the words
unclear, though surely one of them is love
lugging its shadow of sadness into song.
I don't want to think about sadness;
there's never a lack of it.
I want to sit quietly for a while
and listen to my father making
a joyful sound unto his mirror
as he shaves—slap of razor
against the strop, the familiar rasp of his voice
singing his favorite hymn, but faint now,
coming from so far back in time:
Oh come to the church in the wildwood…
my father, who had no faith, but loved
how the long ascending syllable of wild
echoed from the walls in celebration
as the morning opened around him…
as now it opens around me, the light shifting
in the leaf-fall of the pear tree and across
the bedraggled back-yard roses
that I have been careless of
but brighten the air, nevertheless.
Who am I, if not one who listens
for words to stir from the silences they keep?
Love is the ground note; we cannot do
without it or the sorrow of its changes.
Come to the wildwood, love,
Oh to the wiiildwood, as the morning deepens,
and from a branch in the cedar tree a small bird
quickens his song into the blue reaches of heaven—
hey sweetie sweetie hey.
When I was at Hendrix College, we used to clap when a flock of grackles passed overhead, for fear of bird poop on the head and the fun of watching them disperse for a moment. I think of the whimsy of that, applauding for birds, at the end of the aubade, in the silence.
What songs are you listening for?
Prism, by Roland Allnach, is a collection of short stories that have appeared in various literary magazines, one a Pushcart Prize nominee. I thought the collection sounded interesting when TLC Book Tours brought it to my attention, so they sent me a copy. True to the title's promise, each story is visible through a different genre lens, and turning that lens on the characters reveals sides of them that they might not have meant to show.
The Pushcart Prize-nominated story, "Creep," is quite short, about a little boy whose mouth is dry with fear going on the journey from his bed to the bathroom to get a drink, only to find, on his triumphant return to the bed, that his mouth is as dry as ever. Young enough to suck his thumb, the narrator is simultaneously old enough to realize that "it's just his imagination, yet his imagination comes from him. He knows enough to be sure he can't deny it, can't separate it, from himself. The monsters may be everywhere, but they come from him."
While some of the stories, like that one, have literary themes, others have a heroic fantasy turn, like "After the Empire" and the long story of "Titalis" and his sword-wielding enemies, led by a female character referred to as "She of the Plains." The volume also includes an epic poem, "Of Typhon and Aerina," and a four-page poem in rhyming couplets entitled "Tumbleweed, or An Ode to a Well Endowed Gunslinger."
I was intrigued by the amnesiac-seeming opening of what turns out to be an alternate reality story called "Return," in which a man decides not to follow the white light but to return to his body, which has been severely injured in a car accident.
My favorite of the volume, in a totally creepy way, is "Flowers for Colleen," a story about two serial killers initially sizing each other up as victims but then meeting each other as something like professional colleagues:
"He flipped the lid up. Two severed legs rested on a sheet of plastic in her trunk.
Instinct drove him down, just as the tire iron whistled over his head. He had no time to contemplate how his killer's instinct just served to save his life; rather, he moved on her, grabbing the iron in one head [sic] and whipping his handgun free with the other.
Her eyes locked on the simple plastic cylinder of his gun. The open trunk, with the severed limbs, lingered in his peripheral vision. They stared at each other, both befuddled in the realization that dawned between them.
She forced herself to swallow as rain dripped from her hair.
He tipped his head. 'You should cauterize the stumps, Blade patterns. They won't be able to identify them.'"
There's a Walter Mitty-type story about a kid picking his nose, a story about the discovery of alien life and who the discoverer rushes to tell, a lost city story that initially reminds me of the beginning of a Jack McDevitt novel but ends up exposing the secrets of its creators (unlike McDevitt's usual m.o.). Each story is a bit unsettling—always for the readers, sometimes for the teller, and often for the characters who are being examined closely from one side of the lens or another.


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The Top 10 In Action Sports
01From Cycling The World To Rowing The Arctic... We Talk Adventure With Mark Beaumont
02Four Mini Adventures That Are Closer Than You Know
03This Odyssey Vancouver Edit Will Give You The BMX Fix You Desperately Need
04This Stunning Footage Will Make You Want To See The Northern Lights
05Did Dan Atherton And Red Bull Just Create The Toughest Downhill Track Ever?
065 Action Sports You Should Try On Your Gap Year
07The Drone Footage Of This Abandoned City Will Leave You Absolutely Stunned
08Want To Be A Better Skater? These Scientific Secrets Will Help You On Your Way
09This Hollywood Stuntman Just Dropped An Air Bag Edit That's Flippin' Mad
10This Ken Block Gymkhana Parody Is The Best Thing We've Seen In Weeks
Dudes Down Under: Dudes on target
A Kitesurfing video by keltron - 5,000 views
After a week of pumping swell the surf got small we had to go searsching for new spots that would pick up some waves. Here is some shots on Ben wilson doing some airs!!
Photo and edit Gus Hallèn riders Ben wilson and Arild Kristiansen.
Follow the dudes on dudesdownunder.wordpress.com
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Well – the newest DOA has gone beyond the realms of what anyone can call 'realistic' physics for certain parts of the female anatomy. It's like a self parody now. I'd hate to break it to all of those fanboys that those digital ladies aren't real though!
- Indie Rock: GAME OF THE YEAR 420BLAZEIT
- Assassin's Creed: Rogue – Where To Find The Tablets?
- Breaking A World Record – The Liveblog
- Guinness World Record FIFA 15 Marathon Attempt This Wednesday
- Indie Rock: Return of the Obra Dinn
- Retroreflection – Nintendo/Squaresoft Gems of a Generation
- Indie (Grim)Rock: Legend Of Grimrock 2
Sexy Dreamfall – The Results
- Updated: 4th Apr, 2007
I ran a poll recently, asking if two video clips from Dreamfall were provocative, realistic or none of the above. Here are the results:
How sexy is Zoe?
- Provocative – and I like it that way: 3 (12%)
- Provocative – inappropriately so: 1 (4%)
- Sexy yet realistic: 10 (41%)
- Not sexy/boring and realistic: 7 (29%)
- Just boring: 3 (12%)
- Total votes: 24
Thanks to everyone who actually watched the videos and voted. Also to Blogpolling, for the free polling.
The post that inspired this survey was Matt Barton's review of Dreamfall on Armchair Arcade. He said:
And speaking of travesties, I must also wonder how many idiots were responsible for the "bra and panties" scene that takes place right near the beginning of the game. I realize that "T&A" probably sells more games to sex depraved teenage boys than a rich storyline, but please, this was too much. Do we really need to see Zoe's breasts and hips bouncing in her nightie to invest ourselves in this game? I think not, and furthermore, I think this nonsense probably turned off many female gamers who would have otherwise loved this game.
Matt Barton: Review: FunCom's "Dreamfall: The Longest Journey"
I think Matt was a little over-the-top on this. I still don't see the bouncing T&A. Don't get me wrong. I'm not accusing Matt of being some kind of pixel-perve. It was probably more a case of surprise leading to false memory. Or all that Dead or Alive playing really has rendered me immune to the image of bouncing breasts. Then again, looks like most of you are with me in the "realistic" camp with a few bored by the clip and an almost equal number who found it provocative. It would have been nice to know the male/female orientation breakdown and how it corresponds to the answers but hey, free poll.


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Jackson Bend (22-1), a Nick Zito-trained horse, has finished first or second in all nine of his career starts.
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Clariant is an internationally active specialty chemical company, based in Muttenz near Basel. The group owns over 100 companies worldwide and employed 21 202 employees at the end of 2012. In the financial year 2012, Clariant produced a turnover of CHF 6 billion. Clariant is divided into seven business units: Additives; Catalysts; Function Minerals, Industrial & Consumer ...
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Richard Chamberlain and Brooke Shields attend the world premiere opening of "The Exorcist" at the Geffen Playhouse on Wednesday July 11, 2012 in Westwood, California. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision for the Geffen Playhouse/AP Images) at Brooke Shields, Richard Chamberlain and More at THE EXORCIST Opening Night Party!
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Publications (30)38.98 Total impact
Article: The impact of reclamation cover depth on the performance of reclaimed shale overburden at an oil sands mine in Northern Alberta, Canada[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Multilayer covers are widely accepted reclamation designs in the oil sands region of northern Alberta, Canada, with an ultimate goal of revegetating to species characteristic of predisturbance native plant communities. To determine the optimal depth of reclamation material required to reclaim overburden shale from an oil sands mine, an evaluation was made of the long-term performance of six reclamation soil cover depths all placed over overburden. The measured soil water contents from different cover thicknesses at South Bison Hills located at the Syncrude Mine site north of Fort McMurray, Alberta were used to calibrate and validate a dual-porosity model in HYDRUS-1D. The calibrated and validated model was then used to evaluate the influence of cover thickness and climatic variability on plant available water for forest growth. The frequency distributions of actual transpiration (Tr) for six cover treatments with a range of leaf area index (LAI) cases were developed. These Tr frequency distributions were then modified by coupling Tr and LAI. The modified frequency distributions for annual Tr for the six simulated cover thickness highlight the strong non-linearity between the distribution of Tr over a long-term (60 year) climate cycle in that incremental increases in cover thickness do not produce proportional increases in Tr. The results indicated that, once the cover thickness exceeds 100 cm, there is little incremental increase in the median value of Tr over the 60 year climate cycle. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Hydrological Processes 04/2014; · 2.50 Impact Factor
- Soil Science 09/2013; 178(9):496-504. · 1.05 Impact Factor
Dataset: The differences of water balance components of Caragana korshinkii grown in homogeneous and layered soils in the deserteLoess Plateau transition zone[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: a b s t r a c t Soil texture greatly influences soil water movement, thus may affect the water balance and vegetation growth in the deserteLoess Plateau transition zone. This study is to determine if the water balance differs in homogeneous and layered soils with Caragana korshinkii stands in semiarid region. Soil water measure-ments up to 500-cm depth were taken in 2006 and 2007 on homogeneous sandy soil, homogeneous silt loam soil, and layered soil with sand overlying silt loam. HYDRUS-1D was used to simulate the soil water balance. The results indicated the annual water balance components were greatly affected by soil layering. The ratio of average actual evapotranspiration (ET a) to precipitation (P) during the two years in the layered soil was slightly lower than that in homogeneous soils. The ratios of annual actual transpiration (T r) to evapotranspiration were 50.9%, 41.2% and 30.6% in layered soil, homogeneous sandy soil, and homogeneous silt loam soil, respectively. C. korshinkii grown in layered soil had deeper soil water recharge and higher T r / ET a ratio, thus had more available water for transpiration than that in homogeneous soils. This study suggested the layered soil with sand overlying silt loam is more favorable to C. korshinkii growth in terms of water use than homogeneous soils in the deserteLoess Plateau transition zone.
Article: The impact of soil moisture availability on forest growth indices for variably layered coarse-textured soils[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The reestablishment of productive forests over mining waste and overburden is a primary reclamation goal in oil sands mining in Northern Alberta, Canada. Soil water conditions in coarse-textured soils can be limiting to forest growth. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect that textural variability may have on plant-available water and concomitant forest productivity on coarse-textured reclamation soils. The ecophysiological and biogeochemical processes model, Biome-BGC (Thornton et al., Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 113: 185–222, 2002), was employed to simulate forest dynamics. The water flow sub-model in Biome-BGC was replaced by a field-validated physically based formulation for transient unsaturated water flow. The modified model was assessed using validated physiological parameters, and model predictions were compared with measurements of aboveground biomass dynamics for jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb), white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss], and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.). The modified Biome-BGC model was then used to evaluate the response of leaf area index and net primary production to available water holding capacity on texturally variable, coarse-textured soils. The results indicate that textural variability could increase the available water holding capacity within a 1-m profile of coarse-textured soil by 8 to 16 mm. This enhanced available water holding capacity could increase forest leaf area index by 0·3 to 0·8 and net primary production by 14–30% depending on the specific soil texture and tree species. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Ecohydrology 04/2013; 6(2). · 2.78 Impact Factor
Article: The differences of water balance components of Caragana korshinkii grown in homogeneous and layered soils in the deserteLoess Plateau transition zoneJournal of Arid Environments 01/2013; 98:10-19. · 1.77 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A series of revegetation practices have been implemented to improve the environmental quality and to reduce water and soil losses in the wind and water erosion transitional belt of China's Loess Plateau. An incompatibility exists between the limited water availability and the extensive plant coverage needed to protect the soil from accelerated erosion. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between plant coverage and soil water to determine the optimal plant coverage for the two dominant shrubs (Caragana korshinkii Kom and Salix psammophila) in this area. Experiments were performed with four coverage treatments (T0, T1, T2, and T3) for each shrub during the growing seasons of 2008, 2009 and 2010. Soil water content was measured with a neutron probe. The Simultaneous Heat and Water Transfer (SHAW) model was used to simulate soil water content variations for a critical climatic year, i.e. the one-in-ten dry year. The soil and plant parameters of the SHAW model were calibrated using the measured soil water content in the 0–200 cm soil layer of the T2 coverage for each species. The calibrated model was verified using measurements for T0, T1, and T3 plant coverages. The results indicated that soil water storage in the 0–200 cm soil layer decreased with increasing plant coverage. Soil desiccation occurred at various depths in the 0–200 cm soil layer for the different plant coverages. The degree of soil desiccation was greater for the two shrubs when plant coverage was more extensive. The SHAW model, calibrated for soil and plant parameters, accurately simulated soil water variations in the 0–200 cm profile under different plant coverages. During the verification phase, the root mean square error (RMSE) between the measured and simulated soil water contents ranged from 0.022 to 0.033 cm3 cm− 3 and the relative root mean square error (RRMSE) ranged from 14.4% to 24.6%. Based on the observed and modeled interactions of soil water depletion and plant growth, the optimal plant coverage corresponds to a maximum LAI of 1.27 for C. korshinkii and 0.70 for S. psammophila.Geoderma 03/2012; s 173–174:134–144. · 2.35 Impact Factor
Conference Paper: Field air permeability testing to characterize the hydraulic conductivity of coarse textured reclamation covers over uranium mine wasteGeoManitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba; 01/2012
- Canadian Journal of Soil Science 05/2011; 91:133. · 0.91 Impact Factor
Article: Evaluation of Global Daily Reference ET Using Oklahoma's Environmental Monitoring Network—MESONET[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential utility of the USGS Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) 1-degree, daily reference Evapotranspiration (ET0) products by comparing them with observed Oklahoma mesonet daily ET0 over a 2year period (2005–2006). The comparison showed a close match between the two independent ET0 products, with bias within a range of 10% for most of the sites and the overall bias of − 2.80%. The temporal patterns are strongly correlated, with a correlation coefficient above 0.9 for all groups. In summary, we conclude that (1) the consistent low bias shows the original GDAS ET0 products have high potentials to be used in land surface modeling; (2) the high temporal correlations demonstrate the capability of GDAS ET0 to represent the major atmospheric processes that control the daily variation of surface hydrology; (3) The temporal and spatial correspondences in trend between independent datasets (GDAS and MESONET) were good. The finding in Oklahoma, a different hydro-climate region from a similar regional study conducted in California by Senay et al. (J Am Water Res Assoc 44(4):969–979, 2008), reconfirms the reliability and potential of using GDAS reference ET for regional energy balance and water resources management in many parts of the world. KeywordsEvapotranspiration (ET)–Reference ET–GDAS–Oklahoma MESONETWater Resources Management 01/2011; 25(6):1601-1613. · 2.46 Impact Factor
Article: Transpirational response to water availability for winter wheat as affected by soil textures[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Soil texture and evaporative demand have been reported to be the main factors which influence the transpirational response to soil water deficits. However, experimental evidences are not enough. The objective of this study was to investigate the transpirational response to soil water availability in soils of different textures under different evaporative demand levels. The three main soils of the Loess Plateau of China (loamy clay, clay loam and sandy loam) were selected and six constant soil water treatments were applied for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown in pots. In order to reduce the influence of environmental conditions and plant factors, a normalized daily transpiration rate was used to develop the relationships with volumetric soil water content and soil water suction. Results showed that, under various levels of evaporative demand, a linear-plateau function with a critical value could be used to describe the dynamic change of the normalized transpiration rate with soil drying. Soil texture significantly influenced both the critical and the slope values of the linear-plateau equations, however, evaporative demand significantly affected the critical values of volumetric soil water content and soil suction for the loamy clay and clay loam only. Therefore, for saving water, different strategies are needed for these three soils.Agricultural Water Management 01/2011; 98(4):569-576. · 2.33 Impact Factor
Article: Growth and transpiration of maize and winter wheat in response to water deficits in pots and plots[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Pots used for experiments conducted on plants grown in them create rooting environments that are affected by limited soil volume, which can affect various physiological processes, including transpiration, and plant growth. However, the applicability of results from pot experiments to the field has received limited attention. The objective of this study was to compare the growth and transpiration of maize (Zea mays L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) when grown in pots and field plots under various constant water deficits. The experiments were conducted under similar environmental conditions for both pots and plots. Transpirational responses at both transient (RTTr) and daily (RDTr) time scales to a decreasing fraction of available soil water (FASW) were analyzed. For a comparable FASW, there was a significant reduction in shoot dry weight and total transpiration for plants in pots compared to those in plots. A parabolic relationship between shoot dry weight and total transpiration existed and was not influenced by soil volume or crop type. The plot experiment data for both crops was consistent with pot data for the response of RDTr and RTTr to changes in FASW, which was represented by a linear-plateau function. However, the threshold values were significantly different for the two time scales. The threshold values and slopes of the linear-plateau function for maize and wheat were not significantly different in the response of RTTr to FASW, but were significantly different in the response of RDTr to FASW. Therefore, the transpirational responses of the selected maize and winter wheat hybrids to soil drought were different at the daily and transient time scales.Environmental and Experimental Botany - ENVIRON EXP BOT. 01/2011; 71(1):65-71.
Article: Soil carbon dioxide (CO 2) efflux of two shrubs in response to plant density in the northern Loess Plateau of China[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Although plant density should affect soil carbon dioxide (CO 2) efflux and carbon cycling in semi-arid regions, the effects of plant density on soil CO 2 efflux are not well known. This study was performed to investigate the responses of soil CO 2 efflux of two dominant shrubs (Caragana korshinkii and Salix psammophila) to plant density in the northern Loess Plateau of China. Two plant density treatments, low and high, were included for C. korshinkii (average 20,000 plants ha -1 and average 66,667 plants ha -1) and S. psammophila (average 9,583 plants ha -1 and average 31,250 plants ha -1). Soil CO 2 efflux was measured every other day with an Ultra-light portable photosynthesis system (CI-340, CID Inc., USA) from July to October 2009. Soil CO 2 efflux with high plant density was significantly larger than that with low plant density for both shrub species. Plant density did not change the temporal pattern of CO 2 efflux during the study period. Our results indicated that root biomass and aboveground biomass were the significant biotic factors mediating the response of soil CO 2 efflux to plant density for the two shrubs. Moreover, both soil water contents in the 0 -6 cm soil layer and in deeper soil layer partly regulated the responses of soil CO 2 efflux to the shrub density treatments in the semi-arid region.AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY 11/2010; 9:6916-6926. · 0.57 Impact Factor
Article: Actual evapotranspiration estimation for different land use and land cover in urban regions using Landsat 5 data[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Evapotranspiration (ET) is deemed critical for water resources management. Even in the same climatic and meteorological conditions, actual ET (ETa) may exhibit remarkable spatial variability across different vegetation covers, agricultural land use practices, and differing types of urban land development. The main objectives of this study are (1) to evaluate the possible closure of the heat balance equation using Oklahoma's unique environmental monitoring network; and (2) to estimate ETa and determine the variation with regards to varying types of land use and land cover in urban settings. In this study, a Surface-Energy-Balance ET algorithm was implemented to estimate ETa at a higher spatial resolution using Landsat 5 satellite images while the Oklahoma Mesonet observations can be used as our ground truth data. Accuracy of the estimated ETa was assessed using latent heat flux measurements provided by AmeriFlux towers. The associated bias ratios of daily mean ETa with respect to both burn and control sites are -0.92%, and -8.86% with a correlation of 0.83 and 0.81, respectively. Additionally, estimated ETa from a water balance budget analysis and the remotely sensed ETa are cross-validated with a low bias ratio of 5.2%, and a correlation coefficient of 0.7 at the catchment scale. The lowest ETa was observed for developed urban areas and highest for open water bodies. The ETa difference is also demonstrated from two contrasting counties. The results show Garfield County (agricultural) has higher ETa values than Oklahoma County (urban) for all land cover types except open water bodies.Journal of Applied Remote Sensing. 11/2010; 4(1).
Article: Responses of plant available water and forest productivity to variably layered coarse textured soils[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Reforestation is a primary end use for reconstructed soils following oil sands mining in northern Alberta, Canada. Limited soil water conditions strongly restrict plant growth. Previous research has shown that layering of sandy soils can produce enhanced water availability for plant growth; however, the effect of gradation on these enhancements is not well defined. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of soil texture (gradation and layering) on plant available water and consequently on forest productivity for reclaimed coarse textured soils. A previously validated system dynamics (SD) model of soil moisture dynamics was coupled with ecophysiological and biogeochemical processes model, Biome-BGC-SD, to simulate forest dynamics for different soil profiles. These profiles included contrasting 50 cm textural layers of finer sand overlying coarser sand in which the sand layers had either a well graded or uniform soil texture. These profiles were compared to uniform profiles of the same sands. Three tree species of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), white spruce (Picea glauce Voss.), and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) were simulated using a 50 year climatic data base from northern Alberta. Available water holding capacity (AWHC) was used to identify soil moisture regime, and leaf area index (LAI) and net primary production (NPP) were used as indices of forest productivity. Published physiological parameters were used in the Biome-BGC-SD model. Relative productivity was assessed by comparing model predictions to the measured above-ground biomass dynamics for the three tree species, and was then used to study the responses of forest leaf area index and potential productivity to AWHC on different soil profiles. Simulated results indicated soil layering could significantly increase AWHC in the 1-m profile for coarse textured soils. This enhanced AWHC could result in an increase in forest LAI and NPP. The increased extent varied with soil textures and vegetative types. The simulated results showed that the presence of 50 cm of coarser graded sand overlying 50 cm of finer graded sand is the most effective reclaimed prescription to increase AWHC and forest productivity among the studied soil profiles.05/2010;
Article: Statistical Assessment of the Impact of Conservation Measures on Streamflow Responses in a Watershed of the Loess Plateau, China[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to examine the trends of changes in streamflow in a watershed of the Loess Plateau, where a series of soil conservation measures were implemented since the late 1950s. Both parametric and non-parametric Mann–Kendall test were used to identify the trends in hydrologic variables over the last 50years, and it showed significant downward trends in annual runoff, surface runoff and baseflow. The Pettitt's test was used to detect the change points of runoff, which occurred in 1973, and the whole 50-year records could be divided into contrast (from 1957 to 1973) and treated (from 1974 to 2006) periods. It was observed that the average annual runoff during treated period reduced by 60%, surface runoff and baseflow reduced by 65% and 55%, respectively in comparing with the contrast period. But the proportion of baseflow to total runoff showed a significant increasing from 0.57 to 0.63. Seasonal runoff also showed decreased trend with the highest reduction occurring in summer and lowest in winter. Annual precipitation in whole period showed no significant trend, so the changes in hydrologic variables were induced by conservation measures. Comparison of the flow duration curves for the two periods showed that reductions in high and low flows varied greatly. Results showed that conservation measures have resulted obvious changes in the hydrologic variables in a watershed of Loess Plateau.Water Resources Management 01/2009; 23(10):1935-1949. · 2.46 Impact Factor
Article: A comparison of fine root distribution and water consumption of mature Caragana korshinkii Kom grown in two soils in a semiarid region, China[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Water is a key limiting factor for vegetation restoration in the semi-arid areas of China. Caragana korshinkii Kom is a shrub that is widely planted in this region to control soil erosion and land desertification. The objective of this study was to investigate the fine root distribution of mature C. korshinkii and its water consumption, when grown in either silt loam or sandy soils, in order to understand differences between the water cycles of two such soils found in the transition zone between fertile loess hills and desert of the Northern Loess Plateau. Fine root distributions were measured using the trench-profile method. Soil water dynamics were monitored with a neutron probe during two growing seasons. The results showed that fine root area density (FRAD) declined with increasing soil depth in both soils, with 70.7% and 96.6% of the total fine roots being concentrated in the upper 1-m layer of the silt loam and sandy soils, respectively. Water consumption by C. korshinkii in the silt loam was close to that in the sandy soil. Most water consumption in both soil types was from the upper 1-m layer. Little variation in plant available water (PAW) occurred in the 3–6m soil layer during the whole study period. However, in this layer, the PAW was significantly lower in the silt loam soil than in the sandy soil. Total actual evapotranspiration (ETa) was slightly higher from the sandy soil plots than from those of the silt loam soil during both growing seasons. Our study indicated that mature C. korshinkii effectively uses about the same amount of water from either the silt loam or sandy soils, but that more soil water at depth was extracted from silt loam soil than from sandy soil.Plant and Soil 01/2009; 315(1):149-161. · 3.24 Impact Factor
Article: Pasture yield and soil water depletion of continuous growing alfalfa in the Loess Plateau of China[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: For improving soil and water conservation and developing livestock production, an alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and crop rotation practice has been widely employed in the dryland region of the Loess Plateau in China. This system typically involves establishing alfalfa for 2–10 years, and then removing it by cutting and returning to a cropping rotation for 2–7 years. The length of alfalfa phase is essential for attaining high pasture yield and remaining enough soil water for subsequent crops. To determine the optimal length of alfalfa phase, one continuous growing alfalfa treatment and nine other treatments, including eight alfalfa/crop rotations and a crop/crop rotation, were studied at the Changwu Agri-ecological Station of the Loess Plateau in China from 1985 to 2001. Results showed that alfalfa yield decreased with time at a rate of 0.629 t ha−1 year−1 and soil water storage in the 0–500 cm profile by 33.5 mm year−1. After alfalfa grew for >8 years, its yield responded very vigorously to seasonal precipitation variations, and the yield age coefficient (YAC), which reflects the effects of alfalfa growing age and soil water deficit on pasture yield, was less than 1.0. Our analysis also showed that the average soil water content within the profile from 300 to 1000 cm was less than 0.18 cm3 cm−3, this was determined to be a threshold value for creating a strong water stress to alfalfa growth. Considering all the factors, this study recommends that the optimal length of alfalfa phase in the alfalfa/crop rotation system should not more than 8 years.Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 01/2008;
- [Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Soil erosion is the most significant threat to land productivity and environmental quality on the Loess Plateau of China. The annual total sediment load of the Yellow River is 1.6 billion tons, with about 90 percent coming from soil erosion from the Loess Plateau. To reduce soil erosion from the Loess Plateau, conservation practices, including tree planting, ridge construction between fields and around gullies, terrace and ditch construction perpendicular to the main slope, and dam construction are being implemented. An evaluation of these conservation practices is required before they are implemented at the large scale. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of conservation practices to control runoff and sediment yield from paired watersheds in the hilly gully region of the Loess Plateau. The advantage of the paired watershed approach is its sensibility in detecting differences in runoff and sediment transport by monitoring both watersheds during two periods, an initial period with no conservation practices and a treatment period with only one watershed subjected to conservation practices. Implementation of the conservation practices resulted in (1) cumulative runoff and sediment yield that were, respectively, 25 and 38 percent less from the treatment watershed than from the control, (2) a decrease in the number of rainfall events producing runoff and sediment transport (94 in the control versus 63 in treatment), and (3) a reduction in the maximum discharge and maximum suspended sediment concentration.JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association 06/2007; 39(5):1197 - 1207. · 1.96 Impact Factor
Article: Use of soil moisture data and curve number method for estimating runoff in the Loess Plateau of China[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The Soil Conservation Service curve number (CN) method commonly uses three discrete levels of soil antecedent moisture condition (AMC), defined by the 5-day antecedent rainfall depth, to describe soil moisture prior to a runoff event. However, this way may not adequately represent soil water conditions of fields and watersheds in the Loess Plateau of China. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the effective soil moisture depth to which the CN is most related; (2) to evaluate a discrete and a linear relationship between AMC and soil moisture; and (3) to develop an equation between CN and soil moisture to predict runoff better for the climatic and soil conditions of the Loess Plateau of China. The dataset consisted of 10 years of rainfall, runoff and soil moisture measurements from four experimental plots cropped with millet, pasture and potatoes. Results indicate that the standard CN method underestimated runoff depths for 85 of the 98 observed plot-runoff events, with a model efficiency E of only 0·243. For our experimental conditions, the discrete and linear approaches improved runoff estimation, but still underestimated most runoff events, with E values of 0·428 and 0·445 respectively. Based on the measured CN values and soil moisture values in the top 15 cm of the soil, a non-linear equation was developed that predicted runoff better with an E value of 0·779. This modified CN equation was the most appropriate for runoff prediction in the study area, but may need adjustments for local conditions in the Loess Plateau of China. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Hydrological Processes 05/2007; 21(11):1471 - 1481. · 2.50 Impact Factor
Article: A modification to the Soil Conservation Service curve number method for steep slopes in the Loess Plateau of China[Show abstract] [Hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The Soil Conservation Service curve number (CN) method is widely used for predicting direct runoff from rainfall. However, despite the extent of cultivation on hillslope areas, very few attempts have been made to incorporate a slope factor into the CN method. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate existing approaches integrating slope in the CN method, and (2) to develop an equation incorporating a slope factor into the CN method for application in the steep slope areas of the Loess Plateau of China. The dataset consisted of 11 years of rainfall and runoff measurements from two experimental sites with slopes ranging from 14 to 140%. The results indicated that the standard CN method underestimated large runoff events and overestimated small events. For our experimental conditions, the optimized and non-optimized forms of the slope-modified CN method of the Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator model improved runoff prediction for steep slopes, but large runoff events were still underestimated and small ones overpredicted. Based on relationships between slope and the observed and theoretical CN values, an equation was developed that better predicted runoff depths with an R2 of 0·822 and a linear regression slope of 0·807. This slope-adjusted CN equation appears to be the most appropriate for runoff prediction in the steep areas of the Loess Plateau of China. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Hydrological Processes 02/2006; 20(3):579 - 589. · 2.50 Impact Factor
Top Journals
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Laval UniversityQuébec, Quebec, Canada
Chinese Academy of SciencesPeping, Beijing, China
Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology
Beijing, Beijing Shi, China
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation


text: Ben Shapiro Follow Share This: Print Latest News 5 Ways to Stop the Executive Dictatorship On Friday, George Will – hardly the most militant of conservatives – issued a column lamenting the "lawless president." He wrote that the threat of executive power is now greater than "at any time since the Founders, having rebelled against George III's unfettered exercise of 'royal prerogative,' stipulated that presidents 'shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed.'" Jun 23, 2014 8:30 AM PT 7 Top Lies of Jay Carney Carney explained that he, like George Washington cutting down the cherry tree, had never told a lie. Asked whether he had ever lied to the media, Carney stated, "The answer is no." That, of course, was a lie. Jun 20, 2014 6:39 AM PT Four Ways to End The Illegal Immigration Crisis A constant refrain from those who insist on comprehensive immigration reform – read: amnesty – rather than closing the border as a first step toward dealing with the immigration issue is that the border cannot be closed. Jun 20, 2014 6:23 AM PT Hillary Clinton's Criminality in Benghazi Rather than trotting around the book circuit claiming the mantle of White House frontrunner thanks to her inaction and malfeasance in Benghazi, Hillary Clinton should be sitting in the defendant's chair in a court of law. Jun 17, 2014 8:24 AM PT Obama Funds Kidnappers of American Citizen Naftali Frankel On Friday, State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said the United States was "very concerned" about the kidnapping of three Israeli boys, including American citizen Naftali Frankel, 16, by terrorist group Hamas. "We are working with the government of Israel and with the Palestinian Authority to try to ensure the situation is resolved quickly, and that the three teenagers are safely reunited with their families." Jun 16, 2014 7:47 AM PT 6 Reasons Obama Lost Iraq As hundreds of thousands flee before the onrushing Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist army, media defenders of the Obama administration are rushing to prop up the ailing Obama foreign policy. Jun 13, 2014 11:40 AM PT 5 Times Obama Abandoned US Allies In October 2011, President Obama stated that the last American troops would leave Iraq by the end of the year. "Today," he chortled, "I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year." He celebrated "another season of homecomings," stating, "Our troops will definitely be home for the holidays." Jun 13, 2014 7:01 AM PT The Top 8 Consequences of Cantor's Defeat On Tuesday night, one of the most stunning upsets in Congressional primary history took place, with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) losing his primary to economics professor Dave Brat. Brat campaigned on the platform that Cantor was a backer of amnesty legislation; heavy conservative media coverage of the thousands of illegal immigrant youths pouring across our inundated southern border contributed to a sense of urgency. Jun 10, 2014 7:39 PM PT Obama's Criminal Activity on Immigration With the wave of illegal immigrants crossing America's southern border thanks to the Obama administration's policy of non-enforcement, more and more Americans are rightfully anxious about the new and unprecedented use of executive power by President Obama. In December, US District Judge Andrew Hanen of Brownsville, Texas, wrote, "[The government] has simply chosen not to enforce the United States' border security laws." Jun 10, 2014 2:40 PM PT 5 Obama Officials Who Lied, Then Lied About Lying Last week, National Security Advisor Susan Rice appeared on the Sunday shows to do what she does best: lie. She told the American public that Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, for whom President Obama had exchanged five top Taliban commanders, had served with "honor and distinction." Jun 7, 2014 12:49 PM PT 168 Times Released Gitmo Detainees Returned to Terror Over the weekend, the Obama White House announced that it had made the worst trade since Ernie Broglio for Lou Brock: five senior Taliban commanders for apparent deserter Bowe Bergdahl. This will not work out well. Jun 2, 2014 11:57 AM PT Hillary Clinton: I'm the Real Victim of Benghazi Hillary Clinton may not be much at administering the State Department, but she's certainly a pro when it comes to expressing outrage at her own persecution. For the woman who is supposedly the world's most powerful feminist, her sense of victimhood remains surprisingly strong. That's never been more true than in her new book, Hard Choices, which points out that she – not the four men who died in Benghazi, Libya, on the night of September 11, 2012 – is the victim. May 30, 2014 9:46 AM PT 5 Reasons Michelle Obama's School Lunch Program Is a Giant Fail On Thursday, Michelle Obama declared that Republicans were playing politics with children's health by seeking to cut funding for her failed school lunch initiative, which has cost taxpayers billions of dollars without making kids healthier. May 30, 2014 9:34 AM PT Isla Vista Shooter's Relationship with Parents Complicated Whenever a young person engages in a mass shooting, media scrutiny immediately falls on the parents – particularly when, as with Elliott Rodger, there was a long history of mental illness. In this case, a checkered family history marked by consistent but sporadic attempts to find help ended in tragedy. Here is what we know about the shooter's relationship with his parents. May 27, 2014 9:02 PM PT 5 Times the Obama Admin Leaked Crucial National Security Information On Sunday, President Barack Obama traveled to Afghanistan to do a photo op with the troops amid fallout from the burgeoning Veterans Administration scandal. Announcing his visit, the White House promptly released a list of guests, including the name of the top CIA officer in Afghanistan. Oops. May 27, 2014 3:35 PM PT Previous 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Next


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Farm Radio International
Farm Radio International
A Canadian not-for-profit organization working in partnership with 460+ radio partners in 38 African countries.
arusha, Tanzania
13 Nov 2013
Opportunity has expired
Online Community Developer
Wordpress Wizard needed for all expenses paid "dream" volunteer position in Arusha, Tanzania. 4-6 months.
arusha, Tanzania
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Our ideal Online Community Developer is a Wordpress Wizard (buddypress too), as this is the platform we have built the majority of our web based presence on top of. The person will be comfortable working on both front end and back end development as well as understands and enjoys making online communities and social networks "tick".
Our online community is http://barza.fm/
Roles and responsibilities:
Oversee the development and functionality of features for the Barza online community
Work with other volunteer developers to create innovate ways that voice / SMS and Android apps can plug more users into Barza
Work with online community manager to maximize user participation on Barza
Maintain plugins and themes
Advise on strategies to expand reach of network/online community
Integrate services from partners (UNESCO, FAO, AMARC and other regional radio networks) to consolidate their online resources into Barza platform
Migrate other Farm Radio products (Radio scripts, Farm Radio Weekly and Blog) and integrate into Barza
Explore possibility of using Barza as a Learning Management System for FRI's online courses
Oversee development of mobile version of Barza
- Seek creative ways of making Barza a sustainable platform
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For jobs to be designed and produced through the Fox School Marketing & Communications Department. Once the form is submitted, you will be contacted by a Marketing & Communications staff member.
Fox School departments can work directly with an approved vendor on the design and production of program booklets, postcards, posters and banners. Design templates are provided on each of the forms below.
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text:
You can now get your university ID card! It's easy, safe, and fun!
If you have spent any time wandering around campus, you've undoubtedly noticed the imposing bulk of the Regenstein Library (often referred to in the Uof C vernacular as "The Reg"). You know, the enormous blocks of stacked concrete beside the much better looking glass spheroid building on 57th. Appearances notwithstanding, the Regenstein Library is a wonderful place, and it is where you go to obtain your university ID card.


text:
Railway traffic jam is causing problems
Having jobs in public and private sectors can reduce social security
Join the NASDAQ Community today and get free, instant access to portfolios, stock ratings, real-time alerts, and more!
On Dec 13, 2013, we reiterated our long-term Neutral
recommendation on real estate investment trust (REIT),
Boston Properties Inc.
). This was based on the company's fundamentals, decent
third-quarter results and the recent dividend announcement.
However, adequate space availability remains a concern and
prevents us from harboring a completely positive outlook on the
Why the Reiteration?
Late in October, Boston Properties came up with encouraging
results. The company reported third-quarter 2013 funds from
operations (FFO) per share of $1.29, which was a penny ahead of
the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Moreover, it was 12.2% higher than
the year-ago quarter figure of $1.15 per share. The results were
aided by increased revenues and improved core operations.
In a major boost to shareholders' confidence, Boston Properties
recently declared a special cash dividend of $2.25 per share,
which will be paid on Jan 29, 2014 to stockholders of record as
of Dec 31, 2013.
Notably, the disposition of 45% stake in the company's Time
Square Tower property in Oct 2013 primarily facilitated the
special dividend. Boston Properties also declared a regular
quarterly cash dividend of 65 cents per share for third-quarter
2013. This dividend is also payable on Jan 29, 2014 to
shareholders of record as of the close of business on Dec 31,
Boston Properties has been successful in maintaining a strong
grip on high barrier-to-entry geographic markets in the U.S
through notable portfolio enhancement activity. Also, the
company has a strong balance sheet position with adequate
liquidity to fund further portfolio related initiatives.
Moreover, the declaration of a special cash dividend was
commendable as it helped raise shareholders' spirits.
However, Boston Properties generates a significant amount of
revenues from its office portfolio. Notably, the demand for
office properties is highly correlated to job growth. Currently,
sluggish growth in jobs and persistent office space efficiency
trends are limiting growth momentum of the office sector
fundamentals, thereby affecting the company's top-line growth.
Over the last 7 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for both 2013
and 2014 remained stable at $4.88 and $5.38 per share,
respectively. Hence, the stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3
Other Stocks to Consider
Some better-ranked stocks in the REIT sector include
Getty Realty Corp.
Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc.
) and
Winthrop Realty Trust
). All these carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
FFO, a widely accepted and reported measure of the
performance of REITs is derived by adding depreciation,
amortization and other non-cash expenses to net income.
Enter up to 25 symbols separated by commas or spaces in the text box below. These symbols will be available during your session for use on applicable pages.
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text:
If so, it will definitely not approve of my oogling the SportsBetting.com girl to the left.
wait... seriously?
If so, it will definitely not approve of my oogling the SportsBetting.com girl to the left.
MGoBlog likes to get a little freaky every now and then.
No kidding. I remember coming home one Sunday after golfing with some dudes. Usually, golfing on Sunday instead of going with her to bed bath and beyond results in the only action I get that night being watching Family Guy with my pants off. But this night was different. I came home, and all she wanted was some peanut butter jelly time.
But clearly it's the best title. EVER.
And yes, yes she is. And she is one saucy bitch.
with any of these posts!
Love is blind.
that MGoBlog is my secret girlfriend!
Mgoblog is my work wife. The Pam to my Jim. It's a good escape from the people and work surrounding me M-F.
Ads: Top=Chicago Cubs hats, Left=Insuance. Guess it's telling me to find a backup plan when watching MLB. Not a bad idea the way 2010 is going.
both my gals want me to go on a cruise....
with the number of Nieman Marcus ads I'm getting, apparently MGoBlog thinks I'm its girlfriend. Since I'm not female, this could be awkward.
... she is NOT East Lansing.
... and is NOT negotiable!
She's very sexist--I'm seeing ads for that gagtastic greeting card company, Current. I suppose next up is Tupperware and laser hair removal. Or is your girlfriend going to be diplomatic about my little 'stache problem?
Wants me to bang 18 year old sluts in my area.
Who am I to argue?
is just looking for an excuse to dump you.
I wonder how many users on here have been dumped because of MGoBlog.
When the blog complains that I don't load the washing machine correctly, I use the wrong heat setting on the dryer, I fold her clothes incorrectly, I load the dishwasher incorrectly, I put the dishes away in the wrong spots, I put the groceries away incorrectly, I use MY space in the closet inefficiently, I don't know how to vacuum, my friends suck, her friends suck, every person that ever waits on us is rude, makes me want to pull over and throw the keys at her every time I am driving us somewhere, complains about every single person she works with, calls every girl skinnier than her a slut, doesn't pay attention to movies and asks questions and gets pissed at me because I get annoyed, pees with the door open so I know what she is doing when it is closed and lastly, asks me what outfit I think she looks better in only to wear something else every time, she will be my girlfriend. Until then, this blog is the fantasy girl I want to bang.
One, grow a pair and tell that girl all that.
Two, marry her.
It's gotta be one or the other.
Firefox (with adblock plus) blocks all banner ads, so I am missing my MGoRelationship :.(
MGoBlog puts out??
Now make me some goddamn blueberry panckaes!
now that you mention it, my facebook says i'm in a relationship with MGoBlog. And I don't remember doing it either. It's possible MGoBlog is insane?


text:
- Purchase by: 2013.11.12
- Departure period: 2014.11.29-2014.02.28
- Return period: 2014.11.29-2014.03.28
* Subject to taxes and fuel surcharge.
Autumn Special for October flights
¥ 45,000~*
More flight offers
- Purchase by: 2013.10.31
- Departure period: 2014.12.06-2014.01.13
- Return period: 2014.12.06-2014.02.03
* Subject to taxes and fuel surcharge.
* Subject to taxes, fuel surcharge and ticket service charge. Fares may change without advance notice.
- Purchase by: 2015.03.17
- Departure period: 2014.12.13-2015.03.31
- Return period: 2014.12.13-2016.03.31
* Subject to taxes and fuel surcharge.
* Taxes, fuel surcharge and ticket service charge included.
* Ticket service charge included.
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text:
|My Floradora dress. I wore this to death this summer!
I am a confessed pattern hoarder. Truly. Before I sold off or donated a huge chunk of my hoarded collection earlier this year, I had - no word of a lie - 6 drawers full of patterns! Whoa. How could I possibly choose what to sew with such an overwhelming volume? Truth was, I couldn't, which stymied my sewing to no end. So I stuck to my TNTs and sewed them again and again, turning out items I love and wear but was a bit chicken to blog about as I felt it wasn't interesting or new.
In truth, what I really sew are multiple versions of core patterns. I find when I stick to my favourites, I turn out garments that I wear often and feel good wearing. I am not a 'try every new pattern released' kind of seamstress and it's taken me a while to be OK with that. I hate overly tailored garments and run away from complex fitting issues. They're just not why I sew.
I do sometimes feel a strange sense of obligation to my favourite pattern designers to purchase and make ALL THE THINGS from their latest releases, partly because they work so incredibly hard to turn out fabulous designs for us, and partly because being a good seamstress means I can.
|My Muse Francaise top. I love the hip tie and added it to several other versions.
When life gets busy or stressful, as it does, sewing is where I gravitate to release negative energy and refocus. Pair that with a distinct style change this year, from fit and flare to simple and relaxed, the last thing I want to do is try out a new pattern when I'm picking up scissors and cloth to destress. I've been dealing with pretty serious joint pain of late, so my inclination to invest both time and money in a new pattern isn't really there. The last few new to me patterns I have tried turned out fine, from a construction and design perspective, but fell flat in the pleasing department. I've learned to stick with what soothes my sewing soul.
|My Granny Rose Laurel made for FESA 2014.
That doesn't mean that I haven't been creating! Sadly, knitting has taken a back seat as it aggravates my hands and wrists too much but sewing is still doable. My favourite dress patterns are Laurel, Washi, and Lady Skater. I feel especially clever that I was able to sew Laurel in a way that doesn't require a zipper! Their silhouettes are ideal and the fact that I can pop them on, layer up and look and feel presentable is a huge plus for me.
|My Secret Garden Sorbetto and my grey Meringue skirt made for FESA 2014.
I have loved the Sorbetto since it was released. It's such an easy to wear and easy to make pattern. The possibilities for variations are endless and every season of my handmade wardrobe has at least 3 Sorbettos in them. Over time, I have modified the construction of my Sorbettos to fit me and my style. I eliminated the bust darts after way to much fiddling (I detest fiddly fitting!) and sew it with a 3/8" seam allowance. I have several sleeve lengths for my Sorbettos, but I currently love the Washi sleeve and Jasmine cuff with mine.
|My denim Meringue skirt. I wear it weekly.
If you don't own a copy of The Colette Sewing Handbook yet, then get thyself to their website and buy one! Even if you don't fancy all of the patterns in the book, I guarantee the Meringue Skirt will become your best friend. It's slight A-line shape (much less than Ginger) and simple construction have made it a staple in my wardrobe. The scalloped hem is such a pretty detail and, I swear, every time I wear my denim one, I get compliments. An instant mood booster!
|My charcoal Renfrew cowl top made for FESA 2014 and my Butterick 2507 pants.
As I said before, I was a knit scaredey cat for ages! Every time I ventured into Jersey Land, I ended up with wadders and a lot of frustration. Until the Renfrew. This gorgeous pattern was love at first stitch (sorry for stealing your title, Tilly!). It was simple to cut out, rolled edges notwithstanding, and went together easily. It fit beautifully, too. I loved the clean finishes and the ladylike silhouette. I know have at least 8 Renfrews in my wardrobe and plan on making many more, especially the chic cowl neck version. It's warm and cozy, made with fabric that feels like you're wearing pajamas, but looks well put together. NINJA SHIRT!
|My navy Pants of Perfection made with the only Vogue pattern I own.
I have always had a love-hate relationship with pants. I can't even tell you how many RTW versions I've owned and tossed (evil low rise pants - I hate you!!!), as well as sewn and wadded. In my sewing experience, these have been the absolute worst to make work. I even gave up on making them and wearing them for a time, but really missed having cigarette pants in my wardrobe. (Hey, Gap! Can you please bring back your skinny fit ankle length pants? Thankyouverymuch.)
After MUCH trial and error, Butterick 4552 and Vogue 2128 are my TNTs for wide legged trousers and vintage Butterick 2507 (my copy is sadly disintegrating) and vintage Butterick 9805 are TNTs for my cigarette trousers. I tend to shy away from modern cigarette trouser patterns as they have way too much ease.
So, that's my sewing pattern quiver, in essence. As much as I want to jump in and SEW ALL THE PATTERNS, I really can't. The poor things just end up looking sad and lost in my closet as they don't get worn, which really defeats the purpose of sewing. My core patterns are what I wear and what I love to sew. It's what I need to remind myself to be brave enough to blog about, even if it is my 10th Sorbetto and my zillionth Laurel dress.


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