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Wickedly original and smartly entertaining, The Guard stars beefy Irishman Brendan Gleeson as the kind of anti-super-hero we just want more of: he may not be able to leap even very small things in a single bound, but he'll drop a bad guy with a withering one-liner or a profane comment that lies somewhere between cunning and innocence. Written and directed by John Michael McDonagh, the film comes alive through Gleeson's inspired performance as a small town policeman who knows enough about life – in a very laissez-faire kind of way – to handle anything that comes his direction.
Gleeson plays Gerry Boyle, the sort of cop who doesn't really go in for buddies. He lives alone in a lonely place – a small town on the remote west coast of Ireland – and regularly visits his mum who's terminally ill. His ambition has shrunk to enjoying himself once a week with a couple of playful hookers, and there's not really much in the way of crime to worry about in County Galway. That is until a gang of international drug smugglers hits town, leaving some unexplained dead bodies lying around. In his own laconic way Boyle starts working out what's going on when elite American FBI Agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) arrives to take over proceedings. The interaction and banter between the two men will make you want to watch the film twice and, as their friendship develops, you get to realise that there's a lot more to Boyle than meets the eye. When Gleeson is not on screen, the collection of criminals (headed by Mark Strong) are more than hilarious enough to compensate.
Everyone is making comparisons with In Bruges (which also starred Gleeson and which was written by McDonagh's brother Martin), but this is rougher around the edges in its directing and cinematography, and makes little attempt to hide the way the plot is clearly heading. But with McDonagh's sharp writing and the collection of wildly unorthodox characters in play there's plenty to entertain. The film is topped off with a fresh and cheeky design, complete with lurid interior colours, Western-style opening credits and some excellent music from Indie-folk rock band Calexico.
But really this film belongs to Gleeson – he seems to have effortlessly conjured up a complex and charismatic mix of world-weariness and caring, all wrapped up in that enigmatic Irish charm.


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Cancer Survivors Find Support
Source: Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal has published an article on support groups and other wellness programs for cancer survivors. As more and more people are surviving cancer, there is concern that doctors and other medical professionals are not doing enough to support the psychological health of the survivors. Study after study has shown that support groups offer survivors the psychological support they need to return to their everyday lives. Because of these findings, cancer-advocacy groups, major cancer centers, insurance companies and oncology medical societies are all exploring expanded programs to better meet the total needs of patients and survivors. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has developed a series of models and screening mechanisms to enable health-care providers to better understand the psychological states of their patients. Because oncologists are rarely trained in the non-medical aspects of treatment, the IOM hopes its models will enable a more open dialogue between a doctor and his or her patient.
In all cases, it's clear that treating cancer isn't just treating the biological aspects of the disease. Treating patients means being attuned to their total needs. While the medical aspects of treatment are certainly the most important, doctors and care providers should also be motivated to help patients find the social and psychological support they crave as well.

subset: commoncrawl


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Zion Oil Releases New Exploration Map
April 9, 2011 by admin · 5 Comments
Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. released an updated map of it's current and applied for exploration area. Updates include splitting Zion's former 'Issachar-Zebulun' permit area into two new (applied for) areas – the 'Zebulun Permit' and the 'Jordan Valley' license. Surprisingly, Zion has also applied for an exploration license near the Dead Sea in the same area where Ginko/Lapidoth discovered oil in 2006.
According to Israel's Petroleum Law, an exploration permit cannot exceed 18 months and allows the permit holder to conduct preliminary investigations, but not drill in the permit area. An exploration license is granted for three years and can be extended another four years. Licensees are required to drill test wells in the license area. An exploration license may not exceed 400,000 dunams (approximately 100,000 acres) in area.
Dead Sea Well Approved for Drilling
January 31, 2011 by sspillman · 2 Comments
Shahar prospect gets nod for drilling
The well, due to begin drilling in the second quarter, is targeting oil-bearing strata at a depth of 3,300 meters.
Globes 31 January 11 12:22, Yael Gruntman
The Southern Regional Planning and Building Commission has approved the drilling of the Shahar 1 well, scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2010. The well will drill to deep oil-bearing target strata.
Ginko Oil Exploration LP, which fully owns the license, has two positive opinions about the amount about the amount of oil in the license area: one by Dr. Haim Fliegelman, who estimates 260 million barrels of oil, and a second by UK consultancy firm Simco Petroleum (Management) Ltd., which estimates 9-138 million barrels of oil in the target strata.
At the current price of oil of $90 per barrel, the high-end estimate of 260 million barrels of oil is worth $23.4 billion, and the mid-range estimate of 41 million barrels of oil is worth $3.69 billion. Either way, the field has huge potential.
The Shahar license covers 389,000 dunam (97,250 acres) south of the Arava junction at the southern end of the Dead Sea valley. The Shahar 1 well will drill to 3,300 meters at a cost of $9 million. Lapidoth Israel Oil Prospectors Corporation Ltd. (TASE: LAPD) will probably be the well contractor.
Ginko, which owns the Shahar license, is in the final stages of merging with stock market shell Simcha Urieli & Sons Engineering & Construction Co, Ltd. (TASE: UREL), after Urieli's shareholders approved the merger agreement last week.
A Biblical Treasure Hunt Part 2
April 15, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
By Philip Mandelker
(installment two of a series, for installment one click here)
Notwithstanding the desertion of the large international oil and gas companies following the establishment of the State, exploration continued in Israel over the ensuing 50 years, albeit in fits and starts, led by Israeli and a number of smaller American and Canadian companies. Among these companies have been at least seven, which have drilled or participated in the drilling of at least 11 exploratory wells, the founders of which were directly inspired by Biblical references they and many of their supporters interpreted as pointing to the existence of oil and gas reservoirs in particular areas in the Land of Israel. An eighth company, Hoshana Oil, directly inspired by Biblical references, acquired an exploration license, but never drilled a well. – A detailed listing of the companies, their founders and their activities is set out in the Appendix.
Interestingly, with the exception of one company, Ness Energy, founded by Texas oilman Harold "Hayseed" Stephens who, inspired by the stories in Genesis concerning the Cities of the Plain, was drawn to and active in the southwestern corner of the Dead Sea, all of the biblically inspired wildcatters have been drawn to areas in the Sharon Plain and on and around Mt. Carmel, just to its north.
Six of the wells drilled over the years by four companies (Asher Oil, Moriah Exploration, Camberly Exploration, Ness Energy) have been relatively shallow, drilled to targets in rocks of Jurassic age (150 million years old) and into younger rocks of Pliocene and Cretaceous age between 650 and 2,682 meters (2,136 and 8,800 feet) deep. These were all dry holes. Five of the wells drilled by another group of companies (Energy Exploration, Givot Olam Oil Exploration and Zion Oil & Gas) have been drilled to much deeper targets, between 3,500 and 6,531 meters (11,484 and 21,428 feet), into older rocks of Triassic age (200 to 250 million years ago). All these deeper wells – the Atlit #1 (known also as the Asher-Atlit well), the Meged #2, Meged #3, Meged #4 and the Ma'anit #1 (re-entry) – have had strong petroleum shows. Projects responsible for the drilling of four of these wells, the three Meged wells and the Ma'anit #1 well (re-entry) are in early 2006 still active: – the Meged wells drilled by Givot Olam, an Israeli public limited partnership, were recognized in 2004 by the Israeli Petroleum Commissioner as having resulted in a discovery although production has not yet been established; and the Ma'anit #1 (re-entry) well, drilled by Zion Oil & Gas, an American company, is undergoing appraisal and analysis.
What is it in the Bible that inspired the founders of these companies, mostly Christian evangelicals, but also a Jewish Habad Hasid, to spend years of their life and a good part of their personal fortunes on these activities? The founders of the companies that drilled the wells both on and at the foot of Mt. Carmel were generally inspired both by the story of Elijah's sacrifice described in I Kings 18:30-40, believing that the water poured on Elijah's offering was oil from oil seeps in the area – and also by the Blessing of Asher in Deuteronomy 33:24. The founders of the three companies who drilled and are drilling the deep wells in the central and northern parts of the Sharon Plain and on the Mediterranean coast north of the Plain of Sharon and west of Mt. Carmel were and continue to be inspired primarily by the Blessings of Joseph and Asher in Genesis 49:22-26 and Deuteronomy 33:13-17 and 24. The founder of Hoshana Oil, who was interested in the area just south and east of Mt. Carmel, was inspired by Blessings of Asher and Zebulon and Issachar in Deuteronomy 33:18-19 and 24.
(for a PDF Download of Philip Mandelker's entire study go to: http://www.oilinisrael.net/resources/biblical-treasure-hunt-free-pdf)
A Biblical Treasure Hunt Part 1
April 8, 2010 by admin · 2 Comments
By Philip Mandelker
(installment one of a series)
The Bible has been the principal source of inspiration to hundreds of millions of people through the ages. Many Jews and Christians believe the Bible to be the absolute Word of God and strive to derive significance from every word of the text. For these individuals, the Land of Israel, within whose borders most of the events told of in the Bible unfold is the Holy Land – ארץ הקודש – the Promised Land – and, as such, has been and continues to be a source of wonder and fascination.
In the second half of the nineteenth century, the Land of Israel again became readily accessible to European and American Christians and Jews. Jews began to return to the Land, then called Palestine, to resettle it, first in small bands of Zionist pioneers and then in larger and larger groups of immigrants. Christians came mostly as pilgrims to visit and pray at the Holy Sites, but also as scholars. Others came to settle as the Templars; and still others simply as tourists to explore and wonder – who can forget Mark Twain and his Innocents Abroad. But they all came with Bible in hand as their guidebook eager to uncover the Land's past and present secrets. The scholars established learned societies – the British Palestine Exploration Fund, the American School of Oriental Research, the German Deutscher Verein zur Erforschung Palaestinas. They came as archaeologists, as geographers, as ethnographers, as geologists, as agriculturalists; others came as seekers of fortune, as artists, as poets, as mystics. Some, inspired and guided by the words of the Bible, came to explore for oil.
Oil?! What have the Bible and the Land of Israel to do with oil? Israel may be the Land of Milk and Honey, a land even of olive oil – but petroleum? Everyone has heard of the famous quip that, when coming out of Sinai, Moses mistakenly turned left to Canaan (Israel), the only land in the Middle East without oil, when he should have turned right to Midian (modern Saudi Arabia). Yet there have been oil and gas discoveries in Israel. The Heletz oil field was discovered in 1955 and is still producing, if only marginally, today some 50 years later. The Zohar gas field was discovered near Arad in 1958 and is still in marginal production. Major world class gas discoveries (with estimated reserves of over 3 trillion cubic feet) were made in 1999 and 2000 in the Mediterranean Sea off the coasts of Israel and Gaza.
Indeed, hydrocarbons in the form of tars and asphalts have been known and mined in the Dead Sea region of the Land of Israel since Neolithic times 11-12,000 years ago (Mithen, S., After the Ice, [Phoenix, London, 2003], at pp. 74-75). The Bible in Genesis 14:10 refers to wells of tar or slime as the basis for the wealth of the Cities of the Plain, including Sodom and Gomorrah. Strabo the famous Greek geographer writing at the beginning of the 1st Century of the Common Era (C.E. = A.D.) extensively describes the tar and asphalt seeps in the Dead Sea and the surrounding canyons. (Strabo, Geography, vol. XVI, Chap. 2, paras 42-45.) Josephus in The Jewish War, writing towards the end of the 1st Century of the Common Era discusses the Dead Sea asphalts towards the end of Excursus V.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that in the 1830s, the Austrian mining engineer, Josef von Russeger, conducting a geological survey for the Egyptian government, should report on asphalt seeps from rocks on the southeastern shores of the Dead Sea. The German traveler Rothe describes asphalt seeps and small oil impregnated pools in the Nahal Arnon canyon on the southeastern shore of the Dead Sea in 1874. Similar sightings were made by various geologists and travelers in the late 19th Century and early years of the 20th Century in canyons along the southwestern shore of the Dead Sea (particularly in Nahal Heimar, where tar seeps can be seen even today) and at various other sites in the rift valley from the Dead Sea in the south to the Yarmuk River Valley just south of the Sea of Galilee in the north. (See Lavi, B., Ha'zahav Ha'shachor b'Eretz Yisrael (Black Gold in the Land of Israel) [Carmel, Jerusalem, 1999] ["Black Gold in Israel"], at pp. 24-27 and the sources cited there.)
Serious commercial interest in petroleum exploration in the Land of Israel goes back to the beginning of the 20th century. The Socony Vacuum Company, predecessor of Mobil Oil, received exploration licenses in the years preceding World War I, though the first well was not commenced until 1947 by the British-dominated Iraqi Petroleum Company which had discovered the major oil fields in northern Iraq. This first well, known as the Huleikhat Well, was abandoned shortly after its commencement as a result of increasing violence in the area preceding Israel's independence. The well (renamed the Heletz #1 and still in marginal production) was reentered by two small Israeli oil exploration companies in 1955 and led to the Heletz field discovery. Regrettably though, essentially for geo-political reasons, following Israel's independence, the large international oil and gas companies which had been involved in the area since before World War I withdrew from Israel and have since steered clear of the Land and refused to participate in oil and gas exploration activities there, preferring to protect their interests in the Arab and Islamic world.[1]
[1] At the end of the 1990s, following the discovery of the Mari field by the Israeli-American Yam Tethys (the Delek group and Noble Energy) consortium, British Gas, a large multinational natural gas company extensively involved in Egypt, got involved in off-shore exploration in the Mediterranean Sea off the Israeli coast. In early 2005, British Gas, after failing over a period of several years to interest other international oil and gas companies to participate in the project, returned almost all its rights to the Israeli government for a combination of geo-political and commercial reasons while retaining its Palestinian and Egyptian interests.
(for a PDF Download of Philip Mandelker's entire study go to: http://www.oilinisrael.net/resources/biblical-treasure-hunt-free-pdf)
Israel's Biblical Oil Explorers
March 27, 2010 by admin · 3 Comments
By Philip Mandelker
1. Company: Asher Oil Company
Founder: Wesley Hancock. California based. A family company was active in oil and gas exploration in the United States.
Scriptural Basis: Blessing of Asher in Deuteronomy and story of Elijah's sacrifice in I Kings.
Period of Activity: Early-middle 1960s.
Area of Activity: North-east flank of Mt. Carmel overlooking the plain of the Kishon Stream.
Primary Activity: Drilling of two wells:
(i) Asher #1: 1963 – drilled to 2,391 meters (7,845 ft) to a target in the Middle Jurassic. Results: Dry.
(ii) Asher #2: 1965 – drilled to 1,314 meters (4,311 ft) to a target in the Middle Jurassic. Results: Dry
Related Non-Scripturally Inspired Drilling:
In 1975, Sonol, a major Israeli gasoline marketing company reentered the Asher #2 well and deepened it to 2,596 meters (8,517 ft) to a target in the Early Jurassic. In 1980, OEL, an Israeli-government exploration company drilled the Asher #3 near the first two Asher wells to 574 meters (1,883 ft) to a Cretaceous target. Both these wells were dry.
2. Company: Energy Exploration Inc.
Founder: Andy Sorelle. Texas based petroleum engineer and wildcatter.
Scriptural Basis: Blessing of Asher in Deuteronomy
Period of Activity: First half of 1980s.
Area of Activity: Coastal plain between Mt. Carmel and the Mediterranean Sea, specifically in the area of the town of Atlit.
Primary Activity: Drilling of one well in two stages:
(i) Atlit #1: 1981 – drilled to 5,273 meters (17,301 ft) to a target in the Early Jurassic. Results: Dry
(ii) Atlit #1 Deep: 1982-1983 – deepened the Atlit #1 to 6,531 meters (21,428 ft) to target in Late Triassic. Results: asphalt and then light oil shows in cuttings before well was lost for technical reasons.
3. Company: Moriah Exploration
Founder: Gilman Hill. Colorado based geoscientist active in oil and gas exploration and developer of exploration technology.
Scriptural Basis: Story of Elijah's sacrifice in I Kings and the Blessing of Asher in Deuteronomy.
Period of Activity: Early and mid-1980s.
Area of Activity: Mt. Carmel near the traditional site of the Elijah sacrifice.
Primary Activity: Drilling of two wells in 1980 and 1986:
(i) Elijah #1: 1980 – drilled to 2,682 meters (8,800 ft) to a target in the Middle Jurassic. Results: Dry.
(ii) Elijah #2: 1986 – drilled to 651 meters (2,136 ft) to a target in the Cenomanian. Results: Dry.
4. Company: Ness Energy
Founder: Harold "Hayseed" Stephens. A Texas oil and gas explorationist and operator.
Scriptural Basis: Genesis stories of Sodom and Gomorrah and a long series of scriptural references in various books of the Old Testament.
Period of Activity: 1980s and late 1990s-2001.
Area of Activity: Area surrounding the southwest quadrant of the Dead Sea and adjacent areas.
Primary Activity: Participation in drilling of one well in 1985; acquisition of certain exploration licenses in the late 1990s. The well, the Har Sedom #1 was targeted to be drilled to about 3,500 meters about 11,500 ft), but was lost for technical reasons at 1,818 meters (5,965 ft) in the Pliocene. The exploration licenses were lost following the failure of Ness to meet its obligations under the licenses to commence the drilling of wells on the license areas.
Related Non-Scripturally Inspired Drilling Activity
The Har Sedom #1 project and well were developed and operated by an Israeli commercial oil exploration company, Seismica. Ness Energy held a minority working interest (about 15%) in the well.
5. Company: Hoshana Oil Company
Founder: Bernard Coffindaffer. West Virginia based evangelical minister and missionary.
Scriptural Basis: Blessings of Asher, Zebulon and Issachar in Deuteronomy
Period of Activity: Early 1990s
Area of Activity: Southern flank of Mt. Carmel and the Valley of Jezreel just east of the South-eastern flank of Mt. Carmel.
Primary Activity: Acquisition of an exploration license and reprocessing and analysis of seismic data. License lapsed with no progress made towards drilling of well.
6. Company: Camberly Exploration
Founder: Lyle Harron. Canadian oil and gas explorationist.
Scriptural Basis: Blessings of Asher in Deuteronomy
Period of Activity: Early-middle 1990s.
Area of Activity: Coastal plain between Mt. Carmel and the Mediterranean Sea.
Primary Activity: Drilling of one well:
(i) Atlit #2: 1996 – drilled to 1,633 meters (5,388 ft) to a target in the Early Cretaceous. Results: Dry.
7. Company: Givot Olam Oil Exploration
Founder: Tovia Luskin. Russian born and educated geophysicist, active in oil and gas exploration in Canada and Australia, before moving to Israel.
Scriptural Basis: The Blessings of Joseph in Genesis and Deuteronomy
Period of Activity: 1990s to date
Area of Activity: Eastern portion of Sharon Plain between Netanya and Modiin
Primary Activity: Drilling of three wells commencing in 1994:
(i) Meged #2: 1994 – drilled to 5,200 meters (17,061 ft) to a target in the Triassic. Results: 400 API Silurian aged oil recovered from the Middle Triassic.
(ii) Meged #3: 2000 – drilled to 4,742 meters (15,683 ft) to a target in the Triassic. Results: Oil and gas shows in the Middle Triassic, but reservoir of very poor quality (very low porosity and permeability.)
(iii) Meged #4: 2002/3 – drilled to 4,919 meters (16,139 ft) to a target in the Triassic. Results: 360 API Silurian aged oil recovered from the Middle Triassic. Attempts in 2005 to drill a horizontal bore-hole in the well in an attempt to recover the oil which is located in tight reservoir rock failed apparently for technical reasons, with the well abandoned following loss of equipment in the horizontal bore.
Plans underway to drill another Meged well and attempt to develop the Meged field discovery, which was recognized by the Israel Petroleum Commissioner in 2004.
8. Company: Zion Oil & Gas, Inc.
Founder: John Brown. Michigan and Texas based businessman with roots in the machine-tool industry and active in building contracting sectors.
Scriptural Basis: The Blessings of Joseph in Genesis and Deuteronomy.
Period of Activity: 1990s to date.
Area of Activity: Manasseh hills and Sharon plain from the southern flanks of Mt. Carmel to Netanya.
Primary Activity: Drilling of a well in 2005:
(i) Ma'anit #1: (Re-entry) 2005 – deepening of previously abandoned Ma'anit #1 from 2,335 meters (7,661 ft) to 4,719 meters (15,483 ft) to targets in the Middle and Early Triassic. Results: The company announced that during drilling and completion operations, the well had numerous significant oil and gas shows in a 2,100-foot interval.
Analysis of the results of the well is continuing and future activity, including designing comprehensive completion procedure and drilling of an appraisal well being considered.
Related Non-Scripturally Inspired Drilling Activity:
The Ma'anit #1 was originally drilled to 2,335 meters (7,661 ft) in 1995 by an Israeli commercial oil exploration company, Sdot Neft. Though originally targeted to 4,500 meters (14,765 ft), it was abandoned as a dry hole after Sdot Neft ran out of money
(for a PDF Download of Philip Mandelker's entire study go to: http://www.oilinisrael.net/resources/biblical-treasure-hunt-free-pdf)
Zerah and Ginko get Negev gas exploration license
February 18, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
The Orly prospect is north of Arad.
Globes Online: Mira Awwad 16 Feb 10 17:46
The Orly license covers a 102,400 (50,600-acre) area in the southern Judean Desert, above the Dead Sea.
Under the terms of the license, Zerah and Ginko will conduct a 2D seismic survey of the prospect by mid-October 2010, analyze the results and submit a drilling proposal by mid-February 2011. They will begin drilling a 2,000-meter well by mid-October 2011, and submit a report for further operations at the well within four months of the completion of the well.
Last week, Zerah obtained the offshore Gulliver license.
Oil Discovered Near Dead Sea
January 25, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
JERUSALEM, Jan 24 (Reuters) – An Israeli oil exploration group said on Sunday it has found indications of oil in drilling near the Dead Sea.
But the group said it was not yet clear if there were commercial quantities of oil at the Tzuk Tamrur 4 site.
"A preliminary analysis found the target with oil-bearing sandstone," it said in a statement to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange.
The site was drilled to a depth of 2,040 metres and the group plans to drill further to 2,150 metres.
When drilling is complete the group will then decide whether it was viable to pursue production tests, it said.
Zerah Oil and Gas Exploration (ZRAHp.TA) owns half of the exploration group, with Delek Drilling (DEDRp.TA) and Avner Oil Exploration (AVNRp.TA) owning 25 percent each. Delek and Avner are units of conglomerate Delek Group (DELKG.TA).
Zerah's shares were up 14.7 percent in afternoon trading. Delek Drilling's shares were 0.2 percent lower and Avner's shares were down 1 percent, compared with losses of 2.3 percent on the broader Tel Aviv bourse. (Reporting by Steven Scheer; Editing by Greg Mahlich)
Zerah teams with Delek to expand Dead Sea oil exploration
October 28, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
Thu. October 15, 2009
Zerah teams with Delek to expand Dead Sea oil exploration: In 1995, a 2,000-meter well was drilled in the Halamish section, which found oil and gas.
Zerah Oil And Gas Explorations LP (TASE: ZRAH) is expanding its activity in the Dead Sea. The company has bought the 335-square kilometer Zurim license from Fore Group Ltd. subsidiary Ginko Oil Exploration Ltd., which abuts Zerah's license. Delek Group Ltd. (TASE: DLEKG) units owns half of a 35 square kilometer section of the Zurim License, known as the Halamish section through Delek Drilling LP (TASE: DEDR.L) and Avner Oil and Gas LP (TASE: AVNR.L).
Zerah will pay for the Zurim license out of future revenue from oil or gas production, if any. Zerah will pay Ginko a 2.5 percent royalty of revenue and provide it a $2 million grant, provided that an independent expert determines that the oil and gas reserves in the license are worth at least $250 million. In addition, the Supervisor of Oil at the Ministry of National Infrastructures will have to declare a discovery at the license, and the partnerships' revenue from a discovery at the Zurim license will exceed $100 million.
In 1995, a 2,000-meter well was drilled in the Halamish section, which found oil and gas. However, no production was carried out because the price of oil at the time rendered the discovery uneconomical.
The Halamish partners intend to drill a new well at the site, which is about five kilometers from Tzuk Tamrur 4 site, where Zerah and Delek are due to begin drilling a well this month. The 2,000-meter well will cost $4-5 million. A seismic study of the structure found a closed structure with 6.6 million barrels of good-quality oil, currently worth a gross value of $470 million.
Israeli Group to Start Drilling for Dead Sea Oil
September 10, 2009 by admin · 6 Comments
An Israeli consortium that includes a group largely responsible for the recent discovery of natural gas deposits off the country's Mediterranean coast plans to begin exploratory drilling for oil at the Dead Sea next month.
The Delek Group headed by Yitzhak Tshuva previously headed the consortium that found billions of dollars worth of natural gas just 50 miles off the coast of the northern Israel city of Haifa. Tshuva is convinced that other sources of energy exist in the country, including oil deposits worth at least half a billion dollars under and around the Dead Sea.
Following his consortium's natural gas find earlier this year, Tshuva said he believed Israel would very soon become energy independent, and even start exporting natural gas, leading to a major economic revolution in the country.
But Tshuva won't be alone in his search for oil in Israel. Texas-based, Christian-run Zion Oil & Gas has been searching for oil in Israel since 2000. Founder John Brown says the Bible makes it clear Israel will be energy independent in the last days. The company's two exploratory drillings have so far given inconclusive results, but have sparked enough optimism for Zion Oil & Gas to continue its operations.
Zion's Search for Oil in Israel on French TV
August 18, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
French news agency AFP recently filmed a short news piece on the biblical search for oil in Israel featuring John Brown of Zion Oil & Gas, Inc. and Ginko Oil Exploration in the Dead Sea region of Israel.


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This event has been canceled and rescheduled for May 28. Please visit the new event page to register.
RFF First Wednesday Seminar
DateFebruary 5, 201412:45 - 2:00 p.m. EST
A light lunch will be provided starting at 12:30 p.m.
LocationRFF First Floor Conference Center1616 P St. NWWashington, DC 20036
Registration for in-person attendance is required. To RSVP for this event, please visit RFF's event registration page.
This event will also be webcast live starting at 12:45 p.m. Join the webcast at rff.org/live.Have a question for the panel while watching the live webcast? Simply tweet your question of 140 characters or less and include the hashtag #AskRFF. Watch the Q&A at the end of the event to see if it is selected.
Demographers emphasize that the population growth rate has steadily declined over the last four decades and is expected to continue declining at a rapid rate. What does this demographic phenomenon signify for demands on natural resources and ecological systems? What other factors may concurrently come into play? This moderated panel discussion will draw on the emerging insight that humankind may be in the era of the "Anthropocene," prompting us to reconsider interrelationships among people, resources, ecology, and the way public policies shape these linkages. Jack Bobo will discuss some of the key demographic trends. Erle Ellis, who has developed the still more recent concept of the "anthrome," will discuss implications for ecological systems, including whether the potential to conserve biodiversity may, paradoxically, be increased by rapid urbanization and more intensive use of agricultural land. Roger Sedjo and Joel Darmstadter will emphasize the joint influence of markets and policy intervention, particularly in the cases of forests, agriculture, and energy.
Jack Bobo, Senior Advisor for Biotechnology, US Department of State
Joel Darmstadter, Senior Fellow, Resources for the Future
Erle Ellis, Associate Professor, Geography and Environmental Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; and Visiting Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, Graduate School of Design, Harvard University
Roger Sedjo, Senior Fellow and Director, Forest Economics and Policy Program, RFF
Molly Macauley, Vice President for Research and Senior Fellow, RFF


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PINE BLUFF, Ark. -
UALR tennis (10-5) got back to its winning ways with a 6-0 win over
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Friday afternoon (March 8).
UALR started hot with a sweep at doubles. The duo of
sophomore Michaela McShane and
senior Veronique Luksich (6-4) cruised
to an 8-3 win at first doubles. At second doubles, senior Yana Kakovkina and junior Viktoriya
Plyuta (6-7) claimed an 8-2 win. Sophomore Dané Vorster and freshman Kamilla
Galieva (6-4) won by default at third doubles.
The Trojans did not even drop a set in claiming five singles
wins. Freshman Christel Amsallem (4-4)
won every game en route to a 6-0, 6-0 win at fifth singles. Luksich (9-4) at
first singles and McShane (9-3) at fourth singles both claimed 6-0, 6-2 victories. Plyuta (7-7) won 6-2, 6-1 at third
singles. Galieva (11-4), who recently moved up to second singles, comfortably won
6-3, 6-2.
UALR makes the quick turnaround when it returns to action
tomorrow (March 9) when it takes on 75th-ranked ULM. Match time in
Monroe, La. is set for 2 p.m.


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noun clunk·er \ˈkləŋ-kər\
: an old car or machine that does not work well
: something that is a complete failure
Full Definition of CLUNKER
: an old or badly working piece of machinery; especially : a dilapidated automobile
: someone or something notably unsuccessful <told a joke that was a real clunker>
See clunker defined for English-language learners
Examples of CLUNKER
- My first car was an old clunker that kept breaking down.
- That joke was a real clunker.
- The director's recent films have all been clunkers.
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Subchap. Rule
The provisions of this Chapter 899 issued under sections 6, 306, 405, 1003, 11011103 of The Fiscal Code (72 P. S. § § 6, 306, 405, 1003 and 11011103); amended under section 10 of the act of May 20, 1937 (P. L. 728, No. 193) (72 P. S. § 4651-10), unless otherwise noted.
The provisions of this Chapter 899 adopted November 21, 1975, effective November 22, 1975, 5 Pa.B. 3026; amended June 27, 1997, effective July 28, 1997, 27 Pa.B. 3046, unless otherwise noted.
Editors Note: This chapter was renumbered from Chapter 851 at 22 Pa.B. 3064 (June 20, 1992).
Rule 899.1899.12. [Reserved].
The provisions of these Rules 899.1899.12 reserved June 27, 1997, effective July 28, 1997, 27 Pa.B. 3046. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (215883) to (215888).
Notes of Decisions
Confiscation of items from prison cell was not consensual, and therefore, the mutual consent necessary for the formation of a contractual relationship was absent. Board lacked jurisdiction in that claim was not based on an express, implied or quasi-contract with the Commonwealth. Department of Revenue v. Board of Claims, 580 A.2d 923 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1990).
The Board of Claims exceeded its equity jurisdiction by reforming a lease agreement between the Department of General Services and a real estate agency when a valid contract existed. Department of General Services v. Lhormer Real Estate Agency, Inc., 549 A.2d 1008 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1988); appeal denied 575 A.2d 118 (Pa. 1990).
Since a Memorandum of Understanding with a first level supervisory unit is not a binding contract, the existence of such memorandum did not deprive the Board of Claims of its exclusive jurisdiction under section 4 of the act of May 20, 1937 (P. L. 728) (72 P. S. § 4651-4), to hear and determine claims previously acted upon by the Auditor General and State Treasurer under Article X of the Fiscal Code (72 P. S. § § 10011004). Liquor Control Board v. Clark, 509 A.2d 928 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1986).
Were the Board of Claims to accept claimants implied contract theory, as an alternative to his claim under a Memorandum of Understanding, the Board of Claims could have jurisdiction even though the Memorandum of Understanding contained an arbitration clause. Shaffer v. Liquor Control Board, 500 A.2d 917 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1985).
Since a Memorandum of Understanding arrived at through the meet and discuss provisions of the Public Employee Relations Act (43 P. S. § 1101.704), is neither a collective bargaining agreement nor a contract, a dispute arising under the Memorandum is not precluded from Board of Claims jurisdiction under the rule of Kapil v. Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Facilities, 504 Pa. 92, 470 A.2d 482 (1983) and Liquor Control Board v. Shulin, 471 A.2d 599 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1984). Shaffer v. Liquor Control Board, 500 A.2d 917 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1985).
Where the claim accrued before there was an unequivocal denial of responsibility by defendant and more than 6 months before the claim was filed, the Board of Claims properly determined that the statute of limitations had been exceeded. Darien Capital Management, Inc. v. Public School Employes Retirement System, 668 A.2d 210 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1995).
Appellant cannot clarify a statement that did not appear in the notice of appeal. It is undisputed that the appellants notice of appeal contained no statement of objections to the order of the Board of Claims. Thus, the appellants petition for review has added, rather than clarified, objections to the order of the Board of Claims. Shovel Transfer & Storage, Inc. v. Liquor Control Board, 666 A.2d 395 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1995).
In order for a party to properly preserve an issue for appellate review pursuant to Chapter 15 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Appellate Procedure, a petition for review which complies with the rules, particularly Pa.R.A.P. 1513, must be filed within the applicable appeal period or the appeal may be quashed. It is the responsibility of parties seeking review of governmental determinations to familiarize themselves with and thereafter to comply with, the governing rules of appellate procedure. Shovel Transfer & Storage, Inc. v. Liquor Control Board, 666 A.2d 395 (Pa. Cmwlth. 1995).
Subchapter A. PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
899.101. Title and citation of rules.
899.102. Scope of rules.
899.103. Definitions.
899.104. Principles of interpretation.
899.105. Jurisdiction of the Board.
899.106. Representation by counsel.
899.107. Entry of appearance.
899.108. Service of legal papers other than the claim.
899.109. Copy fees.
Rule 899.101. Title and citation of rules.
This chapter shall be known as the Board of Claims Rules of Procedure and may be cited as BOC R.P.
Rule 899.102. Scope of rules.
(a) This chapter and the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure (Pa.R.C.P.) govern all matters before the Board. If a discrepancy between this chapter and the Pa.R.C.P. arises, this chapter applies.
(b) When circumstances arise in individual cases when the application of any Board rule is impractical or inequitable, the Board, on its own motion or upon the request of a party and after notice to the parties, may prescribe other procedures as may be required by the circumstances in the particular case.
Rule 899.103. Definitions.
In addition to the definitions in Pa.R.C.P. No. 76, the following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
BoardThe Board of Claims of the Commonwealth.
ClaimThe statement of facts describing the furnishing of goods or services, or both, to the Commonwealth, actions or inactions by Commonwealth employes which give rise to a demand for payment, and refusal by the Commonwealth to make payment.
RuleA rule adopted by the Board.
Rule 899.104. Principles of interpretation.
The principles of interpretation and rules of construction embodied in Pa.R.C.P. Nos. 101153 apply to this chapter.
Rule 899.105. Jurisdiction of the Board.
The Board has jurisdiction to hear and determine the following:
(1) Claims against the Commonwealth arising from contracts entered into with the Commonwealth when the amount in controversy is $300 or more.
(2) Claims against the Commonwealth for actions or inactions by its employes giving rise to implied contracts.
(3) Claims against the Commonwealth for goods or services, or both, furnished to the Commonwealth but not within the terms of valid, existing contracts.
Rule 899.106. Representation by counsel.
(a) A person may be represented before the Board by an attorney who is admitted to practice and is in good standing before the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
(b) Parties represented by counsel not admitted to practice in this Commonwealth shall associate counsel qualified under subsection (a).
Rule 899.107. Entry of appearance.
When counsel for plaintiff files a claim and counsel for defendant files a response, their appearances are deemed entered before the Board. Thereafter, a counsels appearance for a party may not be withdrawn without leave of the Chief Administrative Judge, unless another lawyer has previously entered or simultaneously enters an appearance for the party.
Rule 899.108. Service of legal papers other than the claim.
Except for the claim and any amended claim, pleadings and other documents filed with the Board shall be served upon all parties to the action. A certificate of service shall be attached to all filings with the Board.
Rule 899.109. Copy fees.
The fee for copying is 25¢ per page for opinions, pleadings, briefs and exhibits, and $1 per page for docket sheets. The fee for certifying a document is $5.
Subchapter B. PLEADINGS
899.201. Statement of claim.
899.202. Copies of written contracts.
899.203. Oral contracts.
899.204. Response to claim.
899.205. Preliminary objections.
899.206. Amendment of pleadings.
Rule 899.201. Statement of claim.
(a) A plaintiff shall prepare a concise and specific written statement of the claim, signed and verified by the plaintiff. The caption of the claim shall contain the full names of all parties to the claim. Each claim shall contain the name, address, telephone number and Supreme Court Identification Number of counsel for the plaintiff.
(b) The plaintiff shall file an original and three copies of the claim with the Board, accompanied by a $50 check made payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
(c) Service of the claim and any amended claim will be made by the Board. The Board will serve one copy of the claim and any amended claim to the defendant involved, and one copy to the Attorney General.
The provisions of this Rule 899.201 amended May 11, 2001, effective June 11, 2001, 31 Pa.B. 2474. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (232226).
Rule 899.202. Copies of written contracts.
When the contract on which the claim is based is in writing, in whole, or in part, the plaintiff shall attach copies of the contract or relevant portions of the contract as an exhibit to all copies of the claim, unless one of the following exists:
(1) The plaintiff avers in the claim that all copies of the contract are in the possession of the defendant.
(2) The Chief Administrative Judge directs that the contract or relevant portions not be attached.
Rule 899.203. Oral contracts.
When the contract on which the claim is based is oral, in whole or in part, the plaintiff shall plead the terms and details of the contract with particularity, and shall identify all agents who are alleged to have contracted on behalf of the defendant.
Rule 899.204. Response to claim.
Within 30 days of service of the claim, the defendant shall file an original and two copies of its answer or other response with the Board. The answer, or other response, shall contain the name, address, telephone number and Supreme Court Identification Number of counsel for the defendant. The defendant or its counsel shall sign and verify the answer or other response.
Rule 899.205. Preliminary objections.
(a) Preliminary objections shall be filed with the Board and served upon the adverse parties or their counsel. Preliminary objections shall be accompanied by a supporting brief. Failure to file a brief may result in automatic dismissal of the preliminary objections.
(b) Within 30 days after service of the preliminary objections, the adverse parties or their counsel shall file a response and a responsive brief with the Board and serve it upon the opposing parties or counsel.
Rule 899.206. Amendment of pleadings.
(a) Form of amended pleading. An amended pleading, whether filed under Pa.R.C.P., by the agreement of the parties or by leave of the Board, shall be entirely restated and comply with the form of the original pleading, except an amendment allowed in the course of a hearing.
(b) Allowance by Board.
(1) If the amended pleading requires leave of the Board before a hearing, the party seeking the amendment shall give 5 days notice to all parties of the intended application, enclosing a copy of the proposed amended pleading. The Board may allow the amendment or order the issue for argument.
(2) If the request for an amendment to a pleading is made at the hearing, the Board will dispose of the request at its discretion. If a continuance is granted by the Board, the party in whose favor the amendment is allowed shall file the amended pleading within 20 days after allowance by the Board, unless otherwise ordered.
Subchapter C. MOTIONS
899.301. Motions and petitions.
899.302. Form of briefs.
Rule 899.301. Motions and petitions.
(a) Each motion or petition shall be deemed contested unless certified to the contrary by the moving party. Except as provided in subsection (c) and Rule 899.402(b) (relating to discovery motions), a brief shall accompany each motion or petition. A motion or petition not accompanied by a brief may be dismissed by the Board.
(b) Each answering party shall file its response with the Board within 30 days of the date of service of the moving partys motion or petition. A response shall be accompanied by a supporting brief.
(c) If the moving party certifies that the motion or petition is uncontested, no brief is required.
Cross References
This section cited in 61 Pa. Code Rule 899.401 (relating to discovery); 61 Pa. Code Rule 899.402 (relating to discovery motions); and 61 Pa. Code Rule 899.403 (relating to limitation on discovery).
Rule 899.302. Form of briefs.
A brief shall contain a statement of the pertinent facts of the case, the questions involved and the argument. The statement of questions involved shall be drawn so that the Board may quickly determine all the legal questions requiring determination. The argument shall be divided into as many parts as there are questions involved.
Subchapter D. DISCOVERY
899.401. Discovery.
899.402. Discovery motions.
899.403. Limitation on discovery.
Rule 899.401. Discovery.
(a) Except when required under subsection (c) or (d), discovery material may not be filed with the Board. The party serving the discovery material or taking the deposition shall retain the original and be custodian of it.
(b) If a part of discovery material is used as evidence in connection with a motion, the relevant part shall be set forth, verbatim, in the motion or response. If discovery material is used as evidence at the hearing, the party offering it shall read it into the record or, if directed to do so by the Board, offer it as an exhibit.
(c) The Board will resolve a dispute concerning the accuracy of a quotation of discovery material used as provided in subsection (b) and may require production of the original paper or transcript.
(d) The Board, on its own motion, on the motion of a party or on an application by a nonparty, may require the filing of original discovery material. The parties may provide for the filing by stipulation.
(e) A party serving a request for discovery including depositions by oral examination, and a party filing written responses thereto shall file with the Board and serve upon all other parties or their counsel a notice of service substantially in the form prescribed in subsection (f). A party which files a motion or petition under Rule 899.301 or Rule 899.402 (relating to motions and petitions; and discovery motions) in response to a discovery request or a discovery response is not required to file and serve a notice of service in addition thereto.
(f) The notice of service required by subsection (e) shall be substantially in the following form:
Notice of Service
You are hereby notified that on the
day of
, 19
, (identify discovery request or response) was served upon the following parties or their counsel via United States Mail, first class, postage prepaid, and addressed as follows:
(names and addresses to whom discovery request or response were directed)
Supreme Court I. D. No.
Attorneys for
Rule 899.402. Discovery motions.
(a) A discovery motion shall be prepared in accordance with Rule 899.301 (relating to motions and petitions).
(b) A moving party filing a motion to compel answers to interrogatories or production of documents need not file a brief with the motion, if the motion avers only that a response or objection has not been timely served. The Pa.R.C.P. which are relied upon shall be cited in the motion. The Board may grant or deny the motion without waiting for a response.
Cross References
This section cited in 61 Pa. Code Rule 899.301 (relating to motions and petitions); and Rule 899.401 (relating to discovery).
Rule 899.403. Limitation on discovery.
(a) During the pendency of an action, a party may not serve on another party more than 60 interrogatories, including all subparts and requests for admission.
(b) If the party files a motion showing good cause, the Chief Administrative Judge may allow a party to exceed the limit in subsection (a). The motion shall be prepared in accordance with Rule 899.301 (relating to motions and petitions).
Subchapter E. PREHEARING
899.501. Prehearing procedure.
Rule 899.501. Prehearing procedure.
(a) Status conference.
(1) At the discretion of the Chief Administrative Judge, a status conference may be held within 120 days after the filing of the claim. The conference may be by telephone or in person. Matters to be considered at the conference include:
(i) Jurisdictional defects.
(ii) Prospects of amicable settlement.
(iii) Establishing a schedule for remaining prehearing proceedings including discovery deadlines and prehearing memoranda filings.
(2) A scheduling order will be issued as soon as practical after the conference.
(b) Prehearing memoranda. Prehearing memoranda shall be filed and served as directed by the Chief Administrative Judge in the scheduling order. Unless the scheduling order directs otherwise, the prehearing memorandum of each party shall include:
(1) A statement of the issues in the case.
(2) The identification and numbering of exhibits.
(3) A stipulation of facts not in dispute to be prepared jointly by the parties, which may include qualification of expert witnesses and admission of exhibits.
(4) Identification of witnesses who will appear at the hearing and a short summary of the testimony expected from each witness.
(5) Copies of expert witnesses final reports.
(c) Prehearing conferences and settlement conferences.
(1) The Chief Administrative Judge will determine the necessity for the scheduling of, and the procedures for, a prehearing or settlement conference. Notice of a conference will be given to counsel or unrepresented parties.
(2) The Chief Administrative Judge may dismiss the case, or enter judgment against a party for failing to participate in a prehearing conference or failing to provide the required memorandum.
(3) The Board may refuse to allow a party to call witnesses or offer evidence not disclosed at the prehearing conference or in the prehearing memorandum.
Subchapter F. HEARINGS
899.601. Place of hearings.
Rule 899.601. Place of hearings.
Unless the Board directs another location, proceedings before the Board and its panels will be held in Harrisburg.
Subchapter G. SETTLEMENT
899.701. Notice of proposed settlement.
899.702. Termination of case by settlement.
Rule 899.701. Notice of proposed settlement.
If during the pendency of an action before the Board the parties agree upon a proposed settlement, the parties shall immediately notify the Board.
Rule 899.702. Termination of case by settlement.
Within 10 days after the conclusion of the settlement, the parties shall notify the Board in writing. The Board will mark its record of the case settled.
Subchapter H. POSTHEARING
899.801. No posthearing motions.
Rule 899.801. No posthearing motions.
After hearing and the issuance by the Board of its findings of fact, conclusions of law, opinion and order, posthearing motions may not be filed. The findings of fact, conclusions of law, opinion and order are a final appealable order.
The provisions of this Rule 899.801 adopted May 11, 2001, effective June 11, 2001, 31 Pa.B. 2474.
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For Labor, Race, and Liberty George Edwin Taylor, His Historic Run for the White House, and the Making of Independent Black Politics (Paperback)
|Author: Bruce L. Mouser
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|*Author: Mouser, Bruce L. *Subtitle: George Edwin Taylor, His Historic Run for the White House, and the Making of Independent Black Politics *Publication Date: 2011/01/21 *Number of Pages: 253 *Binding Type: Paperback *Language: English *Depth: 0.75 *Width: 6.00 *Height: 9.25
From the Publisher:
More than one hundred years before Barack Obama, George Edwin Taylor made presidential history. Born in the antebellum South to a slave and a freed woman, Taylor became the first African American ticketed as a political party's nominee for president of the United States, running against Theodore Roosevelt in 1904.| Orphaned as a child at the peak of the Civil War, Taylor spent several years homeless before boarding a Mississippi riverboat that dropped him in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Taken in by an African American farm family, Taylor attended a private school and eventually rose to prominence as the owner/editor of a labor newspaper and as a vocal leader in Wisconsin's People's Party. At a time when many African Americans felt allegiance to the Republican Party for its support of abolition, Taylor's sympathy with the labor cause drew him first to the national Democratic Party and then to an African American party, the newly formed National Liberty Party, which in 1904 named him its presidential candidate. Bruce L. Mouser follows Taylor's life and career in Arkansas, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Florida, giving life to a figure representing a generation of African American idealists whose initial post-slavery belief in political and social equality in America gave way to the despair of the Jim Crow decades that followed.


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IOWA CITY, Iowa --The cost of prescription drugs in Iowa's prisons has increased by more than one million dollars over the past decade. Data from a state review of prison costs shows the state spent $4.1 million in prescription drugs for prisoners in 2003. Today that number has climbed to $5.4 million, according to Greg Ort, deputy warden at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center.
The 2003 review also indicated the state had seen a significant increase of $3.7 million dollars in prescription drug costs between 1993-2003.
Prison officials have also noted a shift in offender age for incoming prisoners.
"We are seeing older and more sick offenders coming into the prison," said Chris Gesie, nursing administrator at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center.
Ort said the age increase of new offenders correlates with the overall aging population of Iowa.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa News, Sports, and Weather
Drug Costs, Age Rising For Iowa's Prisoners
By Mark Carlson, Reporter
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Environmental Studies & Sustainability
Learning constructive solutions to environmental problems
"By its very nature, ecological literacy demands expansive, synthetic inquiry rather than narrow specialization – a searching for connections and wholes, rather than isolated parts."
The Environmental Studies and Sustainability Program centers on education in natural systems and processes of the Earth, and on the role of humans who both depend on and influence these systems and processes. The aim is to develop compassionate, informed, and responsible citizens who are prepared to offer constructive solutions to environmental problems, and to help heal relationships between people and nature.
The Program advances understanding across many disciplines, including the biological, physical, and social sciences and the humanities. Students use these insights to illuminate the interrelationships between human and non-human realms, meanwhile learning specific skills in critical thinking, in field and laboratory methods, and in oral and written communication. Faculty encourage students to develop a philosophical understanding of, and ethical stance regarding, human-nature interactions and relationships. Students develop the ability to apply their knowledge to real-world situations to prepare them for further education and meaningful employment.
Ecological literacy forms an essential part of the foundation of any Environmental Studies and Sustainability Competence – indeed, for all studies at Prescott College. It is the understanding of interrelatedness of all life – human and non-human – in multiple contexts: evolution, ecology, and thermodynamics, along with history, politics, and cultural perspectives. By its very nature, ecological literacy demands expansive, synthetic inquiry rather than narrow specialization – a searching for connections and wholes, rather than isolated parts. Ecology weaves together the earth and life sciences, providing vocabulary for studies of human society and human nature, as well as many of the concepts these studies address (or need to address).
Program courses offer one way to develop ecological literacy. Through activities inside and outside of the classroom, and through direct experience with nature, informed by reading and interaction with others, students advance their literacy throughout their time at the College.
Environmental Studies and Sustainability Competences
We offer one Competence, "Environmental Studies and Sustainability." Although it is not required, you may choose an emphasis within your ESS Competence. Whether you do a general Environmental Studies and Sustainability Competence, choose to follow the guidelines of one of the emphases, or create your own competence (possibly interdisciplinary), the same level of rigor applies. The most common emphases in ESS are:
- Agroecology
- Conservation Biology
- Earth Science
- Ecological Design
- Environmental Education
- Marine Studies
Natural History and Ecology
(includes research-based field biology and field ecology as well as interpretation)
Bridging Environmental Studies and Sustainability with Other Program Areas
Students can consider formulating competences that bridge Environmental Studies and Sustainability with other realms of study. In some cases, formalized bridges already exist (ESS and Adventure Education); in others it is up to the student and the Individual Graduation Committee to develop a coherent, meaningful program. For example, students often bridge ESS and Cultural and Regional Studies (as in natural and cultural studies of a particular country or region, or emphasis in Human Ecology) or Arts & Letters (for example, interpreting landscapes with art, photography, or writing).
Ecological Literacy
Ecological literacy is an essential part of the foundation on which any Environmental Studies and Sustainability Competence should be built. Ecological literacy is the understanding of interrelatedness of all life—human and non-human—in the context of evolution, ecology, and thermodynamics, as well as in the context of historical, political, and cultural perspectives.
By its very nature, ecological literacy demands expansive, synthetic inquiry rather than narrow specialization--a searching for connections and wholes, rather than isolated parts.
Ecology weaves together the earth sciences and the life sciences and provides vocabulary and many of the concepts that are addressed or need addressing in studies of human society and human nature. It is important to emphasize that taking courses is only one way of developing literacy—we expect you to continue developing your ecological literacy through many activities both inside and outside of the classroom throughout your time at Prescott College. Direct experience with nature, informed by reading and interaction with others, can also enhance ecological literacy.
As one of the first steps in developing ecological literacy, students must take an appropriate course in ecology. For some ESS emphases, the 8-credit Natural History and Ecology of the Southwest course (or equivalent) is recommended. For other emphases, either the 8-credit course or Concepts of Ecology may be taken. Consult with your IGC to ascertain which course best fits your study plan.
Faculty teaching Environmental Studies and Sustainability Courses are a diverse and dedicated group of colleagues, each contributing to the mission of the program and the college through active engagement in some combination of teaching, fieldwork, research, the arts, writing, community outreach, and educational administration. Students develop close relationships with their professors and have unparalleled opportunities to participate in professional-level environmental studies work.
Graduation Requirements
Graduation Requirements
Graduation requirements
To obtain a Competence in Environmental Studies and Sustainability, you must satisfy your Independent Graduation Committee (IGC) that you have a coherent, balanced program with sufficient depth and breadth to prepare you for professional work in your field. You should fulfill the following minimum requirements:
- Complete at least one course in each of the four distribution areas
- Take one ecology course, either the 4-credit Concepts of Ecology course or the 8-credit Natural History and Ecology of the Southwest course (see specific emphases for recommendations).
- Complete 16 courses in the competence area, with a minimum of 8 Upper Division courses, including a Senior Project.
- Complete the College-wide Writing Certification requirements.
- Complete the College-wide Mathematics Certification
- Demonstrate, through your course work and experience, a foundation in the philosophies, theories, methods, and history of your area of study.
- Demonstrate skills in oral communication.
- Demonstrate skills in computer use and in acquiring and evaluating resources/reference materials.
- Demonstrate cultural sensitivity through experience or by taking courses with multi-cultural perspectives.
Balancing experience – Distribution courses
Nature recognizes no hard boundaries between systems or neatly packaged academic disciplines. Nevertheless, we can usefully divide our educational explorations into four areas:
- Life Sciences
- Earth and Physical Sciences
- Social Systems
- Personal Values
When seeking a Competence in Environmental Studies and Sustainability, we require you to design a program that includes all four areas and examines the interactions among them. As a starting point for pursuing a balanced Environmental Studies and Sustainability competence, you take at least one course from each of the following four areas (referred to as distribution courses). The courses listed below are examples only; others may suffice if approved by your IGC. Note that the distribution courses may also fulfill a focus area requirement (for example, in the Earth Sciences emphasis, one of the required six Earth Sciences Core Courses will cover the Earth Sciences distribution requirement).
Examples of Environmental Studies Distribution Courses
Earth and Physical Sciences
Earth Sciences, Introduction to (LD)
Geology of Arizona (LD)
Geologic Evolution of the Southwest (LD)
Geomorphology, Topics in (UD)
Soil Sciences, Introduction to (LD)
Weather and Climate (LD)
Life Science
Animal Behavior (UD)
Animal Biology (LD)
Biological Principles (LD)
Botany (LD)
Herpetology (LD)
Human Ecology, Introduction to (LD)
Marine Biology I (LD)
Organic Evolution (UD)
Ornithology, Introduction to (LD)
Personal Values
Environmental Ethics (UD)
Ecopsychology, Introduction to (LD)
Environmental Education: Theory (LD)
Nature and Psyche (UD)
New Religious Paradigms (LD)
Philosophies of Interpretive Naturalists (UD)
Philosophy: Making Ethical Decisions (LD)
Women's Wisdom and Nature (LD)
World Religions I or II (LD)
Social Systems
American Government: The Political Game (LD)
Anthropology (LD)
Changing World Order (LD)
Ecological Economics, Principles of (LD)
Environmental Policy, Topics in (UD)
Environmental Politics (UD)
Global Development Issues and Energy Economics (LD)
Human Rights Seminar (LD)
Integrating Social and Ecological Perspectives (UD)
Land Stewards (LD/UD)
Law and Social Change (LD)
Marine Conservation III (UD)
Peace Systems (LD)
Agroecology, a cross-disciplinary field emerging over the last ... Learn more >
Conservation Biology
This interdisciplinary field developed rapidly to respond to a ... Learn more >
Earth Science
Earth Science focuses on study of the physical aspects of the natural ... Learn more >
The Eco League
The Eco League student exchange gives students access to study in ... Learn more >
Ecological Design
The Ecological Design curriculum integrates knowledge and skills ... Learn more >
Environmental Education
Environmental Education encourages the discovery and ... Learn more >
Telemark University College
The exchange program with Telemark University College in Norway ... Learn more >
Kino Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies
The Kino Bay Center is Prescott College's field station on the shores ... Learn more >
Marine Studies
Marine Studies focuses on ecology of the marine environment ... Learn more >
Natural History and Ecology
This emphasis area focuses on courses in the natural and physical ... Learn more >
River Studies & Leadership Certificate
Prescott College has partnered with the River Management Society ... Learn more >
The Natural History Institute
The Natural History Institute at Prescott College is dedicated to ... Learn more >
Emily Rolando
Emily graduated with a B.A. in Psychology with an emphasis in leadership and outdoor programming. She holds a minor in business. After ... Learn more >
Wanda Peters 1980
Do what you are passionate about, take the time to figure out what gives you the most joy and satisfaction, and do work that is in line with what ... Learn more >
Josephine Arader
Josephine Arader, no doubt, took inspiration from her father Graham's devotion to the art of the natural world. ... Learn more >
Dillon Metcalfe (Kelly Megan Stack Scholarship Recipient)
Kelly Megan Stack Scholar, Dillon Metcalfe finished high school in2004 and decided to take a break to examine his interests in and ... Learn more >
David Meeks
Several years ago David and his siblings visited the Prescott College Kino Bay Center for Cultural and Ecological Studies on the Gulf Coast of ... Learn more >


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Human Rights and the Environment
Tom Kerns, North Seattle Community College
Selecting one environmental situation students will learn about some basic human rights norms and then analyze that environmental situation in terms of those human rights norms.
Detox Me: How To Reduce Your Exposure To Toxins Found In Everyday Products
Surya Tewari, Bellevue Community College
I use the topic when I am discussing cancer in either nutrition or biology class. Talking about genetic and environmental factors that can increase the incidence of cancer, and the homework, helps students understand how adjusting their environment can help reduce their risk for developing cancer.


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Seven international magic masters will provide the "WOW" factor for Hong Kong audiences next month (March) in two "International WOW Magic on Earth II" shows.
Comprising six mysterious pieces from the magicians - "Escape from Reality" by Sue Anne Webster and Tim Ellis (Australia), "Story of High Heel" by Juan Mayoral (Spain), "'He' is in a Bar" by Kenji Minerura (Japan), "Music Fans" by Han Seol Hui (Korea), "Maple Romance" by Jane Huang (China) and "Moments with Mr. Magic" by Albert Tam (Hong Kong) - the star-studded magic shows will be held at 8pm on March 20 (Saturday), at the Auditorium, Tuen Mun Town Hall, and 8pm on March 21 (Sunday), at the Auditorium, Yuen Long Theatre.
"International WOW Magic on Earth II" is one of the entertaining programmes in "Family Fiesta" presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. Tickets priced at $100, $140 and $170 are now available at URBTIX outlets. Senior citizens aged 60 or above, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients may have 50% off (limited quotas for CSSA recipients on a first-come, first-served basis). A maximum discount of 20% is offered for group booking and "Family Fiesta Series" schemes. Please refer to the programme leaflet for details.
Other attractions of the series include "Concert by The Hong Kong YWCA Chinese Orchestra" (March 13, 21 and 27), "Far-out Physical Fun" by The Tweaksters (March 19-21), "Letter's End" by Wolfe Bowart, Spoon Tree Productions (April 2-5), "Melodious Piano Moments Concert" by Hong Kong Children's Symphony Orchestra (April 10 and 11), "Concert by the Hong Kong Music Lover Chinese Orchestra" (April 11, 17 and 24), "Seasons of the Sweet Gum" by Fantasy Puppet Theatre (April 16-18), "A Musical Zoo" by Made in Hong Kong@Four Gig Heads (April 24 and 28) and "The Magical Forest Concert" by Toy Magic Orchestra (May 1 and 2).
For details of the programme, please call 2268 7323 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/cp. Ticketing enquiries and reservations can be made on 2734 9009 and credit card telephone bookings on 2111 5999. Tickets can also be booked online on www.urbtix.hk.
Ends/Thursday, February 18, 2010


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Hornheads, saxophonist Mike Tomaro headline 21st ISU Jazz Fest Feb. 6-7
Posted January 7, 2009
The 21st annual Idaho State University Jazz Fest will be held Feb. 6-7 in the L.E. and Thelma E. Stephens Performing Arts Center's Joseph C. and Cheryl H. Jensen Grand Concert Hall.
The music begins Friday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m. with some horn playing by the five-piece band The Hornheads. This band is made up of tenor and baritone saxophonists, two trumpeters and a trombonist.
"This a cappella group brings their distinctive flair to jazz and funk music, combining virtuosic improvisation with sizzling ensemble work to create a truly unique music experience," said Patrick Brooks, ISU director of bands and event organizer. "They delight audiences with their artistry, versatility, musicality and precision, covering American masters from Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk, to Leonard Bernstein, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Stevie Wonder, while completing their repertoire with dynamic Hornheads originals."
Tickets for The Hornheads concert are $10 for general public, $5 for ISU faculty and staff, $3 for pre-college students and free to all ISU students with valid Bengal Cards.
The Jazz Fest's Saturday, Feb. 7, concert at 7:30 p.m. will feature saxophonist Mike Tomaro playing with the ISU Jazz I Big Band. Tomaro, formerly saxophonist with and director of the Army Blues Jazz Ensemble, is currently director of the Duquense University Jazz Studies Program in Pittsburgh.
Tomaro has performed with Rosemary Clooney, Ray Charles, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Mathis, Terence Blanchard, Dizzy Gillespie Tribute Big Band, New York Voices, Woody Herman Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and many other professional musical organizations. An outstanding jazz educator, Tomaro has many of his compositions and arrangements published by Kendor Music.
Admission for the Feb. 7 concert is $6 for adults, $4 for ISU faculty and staff, $2 for pre-college students and free for ISU students with valid Bengal cards.
For more information contact Dr. Patrick Brooks at 282-3147, or at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Intellectual Property, News - Written by Renai LeMay on Friday, April 27, 2012 15:30 - 13 Comments
NRL, AFL win appeal in Optus TV Now case
news The full bench of the Federal Court has ruled that Optus's TV Now online television recording service is in breach of the Copyright Act, in the next stage of a closely watched lawsuit seeing the National Rugby League (and eventually the AFL and Telstra) pitted against the telco for its attempt to make TV broadcasts more readily available to customers online.
The Optus TV Now service allows customers to have free to air television programs recorded when broadcast, using Optus' centralised systems, and then played back at the time of a customers' choosing on their Optus mobile device or PC. This technique is known as "time-shifting", and attracted the legal ire of the NRL and other groups such as the Australian Football League, which had granted Optus rival Telstra an exclusive licence to make their broadcasts available online.
Late in 2011, Justice Steven Rares of the Federal Court had found in Optus' favour in the case which the telco had filed against the NRL (later joined by Telstra and the AFL), stating that Optus' technology was similar to recording a TV show using a video recorder in a loungeroom. However, in a new judgement after an appeal, the full Federal Court found today that Optus' technology could not come under the auspices of the Copyright Act.
In its judgement, available online here, the Federal Court wrote that there were two issues at the heart of the case — who recorded the TV shows, and if Optus' act in recording the device constitutd an infringement of the copyright of the NRL, AFL or Telstra, could Optus invoke the "private and domestic use" defence under Section 111 of the Copyright Act, which allows limited recording of content for personal use.
The initial judgement had found that customers made the recording. "Ours is a different conclusion," wrote the full Federal Court. "The maker was Optus or, in the alternative, it was Optus and the subscriber. It is unnecessary for present purposes to express a definitive view as between the two. Optus could be said to be the maker in that the service it offered to, and did, supply a subscriber was to make and to make available to that person a recording of the football match he or she selected."
"Alternatively Optus and the subscriber could be said to be the maker for Copyright Act purposes as they acted in concert for the purpose of making a recording of the particular broadcast which the subscriber required to be made and of which he or she initiated the automated process by which copies were produced. In other words, they were jointly and severally responsible for the act of copying. That is our preferred view."
Following on from this determination, the court found that Optus could not use the Section 111 defence under the Copyright Act.
The case has been viewed as a test of such services in Australia. However, the Federal Court warned against taking its implications too broadly. "We should emphasise that our concerns here have been limited to the particular service provider-subscriber relationship of Optus and its subscribers to the TV Now Service and to the nature and operation of the particular technology used to provide the service in question," it wrote. "We accept that different relationships and differing technologies may well yield different conclusions to the "who makes the copy" question."
Optus has reportedly suspended the TV Now app. It is unclear yet whether the telco will appeal the issue.
The weight of public opinion (at least in the technology community of which I am a part of) appears to be clearly behind Optus on this one. People want more options to view the content that they love and all Optus was doing in this case was giving them these options. Why should we be locked in to using a Telstra connection if we want to use the Internet to watch NRL or AFL games? The answer: Ideally, we shouldn't.
However, as far as I can see, the Federal Court made the right decision here, on the basis of the information which it had and the available legal structure currently in place.
The reason I feel this way is that it would be much, much more efficiently technologically if Optus didn't record every free to air broadcast that each of its consumers requested, but instead simply recorded all free to air broadcasts by default and then provided them on-demand style to consumers. I'm sure this is the way the Optus TV Now system would end up working, if it doesn't already. You don't want to record every AFL game ten thousand times for ten thousand consumers. You want to record it once and then provide that copy to each consumer.
This style of system goes beyond the personal use doctrines in the Copyright Act, because it becomes a systematised method for Optus to make money using other people's content. And that, I think, is what the Court has found today, accurately. It's not a bad thing to record a few shows for personal consumption. But when a major corporation starts recording, eventually, thousands of shows it doesn't own and providing them on-demand to subscribers, that goes too far — even if the ads are still included.
What I would like to see, which I don't think we have seen yet in Australia, is some deeper thinking around what copyright could and should look like in 2012 and beyond. Clearly Optus is trying to provide a service which consumers want, and just as clearly, legislation is prohibiting it from doing so. Innovation is being stifled here, by the law. And that's never a good situation.
We have a good chance to do just this through the review currently under way into the digital sections of the Copyright Act. Let's hope we get some good submissions and some good deep thinking in that process. And, above all, let's hope that the Attorney-General's Department steers Australia through the right path in that vein.
Image credit: Flying Cloud, Creative Commons
13 Comments
I am not a lawyer and am just another mug who finds the internet a great source of information, entertainment and communication.
The Optus case and the iiNet case if nothing else demonstrate to my mind that the current copyright system is a bit of a mess.
My understanding of what copyright law is intended to achieve is to allow a person who produces intellectual property to be rewarded for their efforts and not have that material used by others for profit without them still receiving their just reward. In this sense it is a means of recognising that artists, authors, etc., are entitled to "a fair days pay for a fair days work".
However there are things that exist in the current copyright arrangements that I find very puzzling and consider that they are not designed for the benefit of the person who produced the intellectual property or the final consumer.
Why should copyright be exclusive to one particular access device?
Why should copyright be restricted to a particular geographical location?
Why should copyright last beyond the lifetime of the creator of the property?
Why should I be restricted in providing my friends or family, at no cost, with my copy of a copyrighted work?
Why should rights holders be able to buy the outright copyright in a work cheaply and then manipulate its distribution to maximise their profits?
Why doesn't the copyright in a hard copy book I have purchased also extend to having it on an e-reader?
Both the iiNet case and the Optus case were about the rights of middlemen in the copyright equation to wring as much profit as possible out of the copyright they have bought to my way of thinking. Neither case considered or needed to consider the rights of the consumers or those who created the content. A pretty strange thing this copyright law.
I think I might just copy and paste my comment post from ZDNet on whether this was a good or bad decision, covers my opinion pretty well.
"Bad, the full ruling means that cloud based recording of free to air broadcast media (not talking TV Now specifically, but generally for anyone who wants to provide a service like that) is against the copyright act. This is going to stifle innovation especially moving into an "NBN World" where the benefits of being able to record something and then play it back wherever you are on whatever device would have been a key benefit.
A far better solution would have been either to enforce a blackout on cloud based services being able to record events already covered by a specific broadcast agreement, or to enforce that the event must be recorded and watched on delay once the recording is complete. Yes these would require an amendment to the copyright act, but at least it wouldn't put hold a genuinally beneficial product idea."
The copyright system was built and intended to do one thing, and only one thing: protect an entity's Intellectual Property.
It does not matter that thousands of people want to view/listen to/watch that IP. If they want to be involved, they pay for the privilege to some organisation (A) which provides the means of involvement.
But if some other organisation (B) then forwards that content to the masses at B's profit without remunerating A, then THAT is theft.
I am not one of Telstra's admirers. But it sealed a deal with the NRL and AFL and deserve to receive the benefit for which it paid. How much was Optus paying Telstra? Anything? How much does Optus give the NRL and AFL? Anything?
The Full Bench's decision is the right decision.
Did Telstra sign a deal for the recording and subsequent streaming of "every" program broadcast on free to air television? Because that is what the decision ultimately covers.
You can argue all you want about the how this great for the AFL, NRL, etc, and ultimately I will agree with you, but I won't agree that the benefit gain there outweighs the cost by making this type of service (that being an online PVR) a breach of copyright and making it illegal across the board.
"Did Telstra sign a deal …? Because that is what the decision ultimately covers."
You have to do better than that. "Every program…"? Even those broadcast by 7? Or 9? Or…
Whatever I write is there ultimately to be challeged by others if they disagree. But, detail.
BTW, what does the acronym "PVR" mean?
Yes, every program on every free to air channel. Go read the full decision, it's all I'm there.
PVR = Personal Video Recorder
OK Tezz, I had it wrong.
The Full Bench's decision is the WRONG decision.
I was not aware of the "global" nature of TV Now, that it was intended as a "cloud"-based recording repository rather than simply a delayed re-broadcast mechanism.
It is interesting that the appellants are not recorded in the judgement as having their own "time-shift" technology — which is the primary reason for recording a broadcast in the first place.
Para 4 of the Reasons For Judgement–>Introduction is particularly scary. If Optus is held to be co-liable with the subscriber, then an extension of this judgement could spell the end of all personal recording of any streamed content, and/or a successful assault on entertainment downloads via any form of P2P networking by holding the maufacturer or provider of recording equipment co-liable.
Such an extension would be in line with and to the same extent as the Bench's interpretation of the Optus TV Now process outlined in Para 51 of Reasons For Judgement–>Appeal Issues by using the last sentence of Para 51.
Para 51 supports Para 4, which is directly informed by Paras 89 through 93 of Reasons For Judgement–>Appeal Issues. These seven paragraphs can in my mind be used (most likely) to force ISPs to deliver up any of their subscribers who are detected using P2P for downloading copyrighted material.
Their Honours have given AFACT the victory it missed out on in the iiNet court battle.
"But if some other organisation (B) then forwards that content to the masses at B's profit without remunerating A, then THAT is theft."
Its not considered theft if the organization you stole from still has, and always had what you are accused of stealing. It cant legally be considered theft unless the process was transitive.
What you describe is called copyright infringement.
"…is called copyright infringement."
The unclothed King is till the King, no matter how ridiculous he appears.
Maybe the broadcast networks should chase the AFL for diminishing the Value of their broadcast rights by being involved in this case. After all less people watch their broadcast and their advertising reduces the value of the rights.
The main issue a number of people have with copyright is the seeming disconnect between the people who actually produce the content, the people who benefit from copyright and the audience.
"let's hope that the Attorney-General's Department steers Australia through the right path in that vein"
I dunno Renai, they appear to be steering us into the arms of TPP et al, which will effectively pass the buck for any independent decision making by the government about copyright and hand our butts to the yankee corporate minders… it always was a bit hard for the pollies to make calls there… given the 'contributions' the rights holders make to them.
This is the completely wrong decision and it's unlikely the High Court will uphold it based on the decision of more superior courts in o/s jurisdictions that settled this argument years ago (US and Singapore). Even the US government (DOJ) agreed cloud PVRs are within the realm of fair use.
Essentially, they found that moving a hard drive from your living room to a cloud server was a logical extension of the PVR concept.
This just further demonstrates the immaturity of our judicial system in understanding technology, and fortunately the High Court isn't populated with luddites…
The judgement is right if you want major sports to be funded through broadcasting rights contracts.
No one like Fox or Telstra is going to pay millions, if Optus can show the same content a few minutes later without paying for it.
If Optus believe they are serving the consumer, then we need to find a new funding model for professional sports.
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Super funds close to dumping $250m IT revamp
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Geordie Shore
Vicky: "I've Always Wanted To Get Married"
The 'Geordie Shore' Star Spills On Her And Ricci's Wedding Plans…
Here at MTV Australia, we're still on cloud nine over Vicky and Ricci's surprise engagement!
And now 'Geordie Shore's' beloved bride-to-be has dished the deets on her co-star's romantic proposal, their fairytale love affair and plans for their upcoming wedding!
"I've never felt as loved as I do with Ricci, he makes me feel confident and treasured," Vicky gushed to Closer Magazine.
"The others tease us a bit, but underneath it all they're happy for us."
The 24-year-old, who's been dating the self-confessed 'King Of Newcastle' for seven months, admits she fell for him as soon as he entered the Geordie Shore house in Season 2.
"There was an instant attraction there," she said.
"I just thought, 'This one's trouble.' And then he took his top off and it was game over!"
And while the former ladiesman may have been fully dressed when he popped the question on the last night of filming Season 3 in Cancun, he went all out for the perfect proposal!
"He kept saying, "Please turn around" and when I did, I looked up to the sky where a plane had flown by with the message, "Vicky, will you marry me?'"
And now with a stunning platinum and diamond ring on her finger, Vicky says she "can't wait" to tie the knot!
"I've always wanted to get married and it feels like it's all fallen into place.
"Will I play the devoted wife? Hell, no! But I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him."
Don't miss 'Geordie Shore' Season 3 when it premieres on MTV Australia - Tuesday July 3 @ 8.30pm!
Written by Sophie Barnett