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Subaru Rally Team USA driver Travis Pastrana clawed into the lead in the final stages of the Lake Superior Performance Rally to take the win and his second consecutive Rally America National Championship Series title.
"Winning the Rally America championship last year for the first time was fantastic, but this year it feels much more special because we had to overcome tougher competition as well as battle back from some poor results earlier in the season," said Pastrana. "To win the championship by winning the final event with such a close and fierce battle is just so gratifying."
Entering the Michigan season finale, it would be winner take all as Pastrana and his Subaru Rally Team USA teammate Ken Block were tied in the overall championship standings, four points behind RockStar Energy Drink Rally Team driver Andrew Pinker.
When Block and co-driver Alex Gelsomino were forced out of the contest on Day 1 after an off-road incident that damaged the front end of their car, the championship hopes of the Subaru factory team rested with Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom.
Equally determined were the fiercely competitive Pinker and co-driver Robbie Durant, and their RockStar Energy Drink teammates Tanner Foust and co-driver Chrissie Beavis, the X Games gold medalists.
While Pinker – who had never competed on the challenging and changeable roads of Michigan's Upper Peninsula – suffered due to a lack of power on Day 1, Foust set blistering times early on.
Although Pinker rebounded with a stage win on Day 2, the effort wasn't enough to catch Pastrana, and victory slipped away from Foust in the final stages when he suffered a flat tire. In the end, Foust was second, just 3.5 seconds behind Pastrana. Pinker finished third.
"It was close, but no cigar," said Pinker, who nonetheless claimed second overall in the driver's championship in only his first full season of Rally America competition. "We'll get it next year."
Despite transmission trouble, Matt Johnson and co-driver Jeremy Wimpey put in a strong performance to win the Production GT class and secure the class championship.
In two-wheel drive competition, Doug Shepherd and co-driver Karen Wagner led the LSPR field to finish first in their Group 5 2003 Dodge SRT 4.
Tom and Don Burress took the Group 2 event win in their Volkswagen Rabbit, while Arkadiusz Gruszka and Grzegorz Dorman finished first in Group N. Production class went to the sibling team of Jan and Jody Zedril in their Mitsubishi Lancer.
The 2008 Rally America National Championship season begins Jan. 25-26 with the Sno*Drift rally in Atlanta, Mich.
About Rally America
Based in Golden Valley, Minn., Rally America sanctions the premier rally racing series in the United States, the Rally America National Championship Series. In 2007, Rally America will conduct nine National Championship events at venues across the country, from Olympia, Wash., to Bethel, Maine. Rally America competitors reach speeds well over 100 mph in modified street cars on natural-terrain courses of gravel, dirt or snow. All Rally America National Championship events are broadcast on ESPN2 from July to November in 2007. Additionally, through a partnership with ESPN, qualifying Rally America drivers are invited to compete in the Summer X Games, the annual leading action-sport event that is broadcast live on ABC and ESPN. For more information, visit www.rally-america.com.
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User talk:RojAdrik
From WikiFur, the furry encyclopedia.
Please do not remove large amounts of text from an article. That will almost always cause your changes to be reverted by another user. If you disagree with the content of an article, please explain your concerns on the article's talk page so that others may have a chance to discuss the article. If you have any further questions, feel free to visit out help section or contact an administrator for further assistance. Thanks! --Douglas Muth 19:04, 25 July 2006 (UTC)

subset: commoncrawl


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Did you know? Although escorting is legal in Amsterdam, escorts and agencies are required to be registered in order to work, which means some escorts may, in fact, be working illegally.
We also offer specialised escort services, such as Girlfriend Experience (GFE), A-Level (Anal), Erotic Massage, and more.


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Research Project
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
The purpose of this project was to get basic resources in order to reconstruct and integrate of teaching subjects inelementary schools. We surveyed teachers' consciousness against the theme and actual conditions of some schools and considered directions of the reconstruction and the unification.The result of the research is summarized as follows :(1)Most of teachers think that there are many problems in present school curricular, such as contents and numbers of hours each subject.(2)Most of teachers of elementary schools think that reconstruction of teaching subjects is necessary in some way. A half of teachers of secondary schools think so.(3)Their are three was to reconstruction and unifty of teaching subject, that is to unify some contemprary subjects. to set a core subject such as "integrated study" and to reconstruction subject with different idea. from present one.
Published: 1997-03-31
Modified: 2016-04-21
User Guide
Terms of Use
Attribution of KAKENHI


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"Work… work.. work… I am exhausted with this now. I don't have a time to spend with my family and friends now. But I cannot give up my professional life either as it is the only way of my survival. True, most of us stuck with it because we have a considerable amount of commitments to attend and payoff. Among all this tight up schedules, can I ever think about a time to do some exercises?"
With our packed up schedules we miss lot of great opportunities in our life. Mostly the good times we can spend with our friends and family, but can you compromise your happiness all the time? You should come up with a good solution to streamline your stuff. Managing your precious time is the best method to achieve all your objectives. Your professional life is always important too. Basically it has a particular period of time for a day, which requires your presence in the office cubicle. So dedicate plenty of time for it and use the remaining time for other things you miss, such as gatherings with your loved ones, shopping and etc. With a cheap 24 hour gym now you don't need to stress yourself anymore. It is open whole day. What an amazing concept which has been created to address a current issue.
Yes if you can find a cheap 24 hour gym, now you don't need to sacrifice your personal life anymore. Work, enjoy and also do some workouts too. See. With this you can achieve everything you need without a big fuss.
As it opens throughout the day, you can finish up your priority list first, and then attend the other pending matters like paying a visit to the gym. Do you know that, there comes a time this continuously functioning body can reach its optimum level? Just imagine when you speed up machine to its maximum level of performance every time. Repairs and breakdowns will become so common. Same applies to our human body as well. Visit this link http://www.outfit24.com.au/content/lynbrook for more details about the gym in Lynbrook.
That is why you have to take this matter seriously, because a machine, you can replace with spare parts or give it a way for disposal, but what about a valuable human body? So never take chances with these kind of dangerous situations. Safety measures will always rescue from unwanted risk and uncertainty. Enjoy the beauty of life, while achieving everything you desire.
For a trouble free and stress free life, you need a balanced body and mind. Think of this. A balanced body can bring you down so much of beautiful things.


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Diploma 2013: ""Against the Grain" by Håvard Tveito
- turning potential into action
Student: Håvard Tveito
Tutors: APP Andre Fontes, DAV Thomas Wiesner
The old industrial silo lies there at Stoltzeneset in Sandviken, created as a part machine, part building. The concrete which once covered a system of machinery is now stripped of its functions. The uncovering slowly revealed a set of new potentials, before hidden in its use bound by necessity. Today housing Bergen School of architecture, but the landscape around it is also changing creating new conditions, new life and activities are little by little finding its way into its surroundings.
When the building is removed from its function the space has to be re read and re apropriated.
The project deals with a process of re-appropriation already in motion, when Bergen school of architecture started the transformation of the factory in 1996, it started a process of unveiling.
The Silo is a part a network of re-appropriated industrial buildings in Bergen. Having a independent approach to culture in common. Ranging from the scene and cultural collective Verftet at Nordnes, Bergen Kjøtt and Bontelabo in Skuteviken, to the design studios and offices at Hegreneset in the outer part of Sandviken. The Silo at Stoltzeneset will be closer connected to this network with the proposed lightrail running through Sandviken and act as a counterpoint to the expansion of housing along the sea.
The removal of the machinery in the silo constituted a removal of functions which opened up for a new set of possibilities but also a need for a re reading of the space. The space revealed a enormous and warm acoustic quality with a reverberation time of over 7 seconds. Giving the space a feeling of being a room within a room. The Silo with its unique qualities becomes the generator for a further unveiling of the building. After a series of investigations and exhibitions in the space the organization, BAS-lab, has been established to develop the space as an arena for multidisciplinary work and display.
The Silo space has raised an interest for the building within an international scene of musicians and artists, the interest in the space gives BAS an opportunity to expand their multidisciplinary work which has been an interest of the school. The silo needs a spatial constitution to facilitate both short and long term investigations and display. Interconnecting the school, the artist and the public.
The silo space becomes generator for a the further unveiling of the structure. Looking at the building as an orchestra the project is arranged in three parts: The Plaza, the Tower and the Silo cathedral.
All photos: Håvard Tveito
Diplom-prosjektet omhandler Bygget som huser Bergen arkitekthøgskole. Diplomen vises i silokjelleren som er starten for konsert og visningsrommet i prosjektet.
Bildet viser inngangen til utstillingen samt trapp til tilhørende sjakt. Sjakten inneholder projeksjon av lyd tatt opp sammen med en gruppe musikere i siloen. Opptakene ble gjort under de tidlige undersøkelsene av silokjelleren.
Bildet viser også en håndtegning av Bygget direkte på siloveggen. Samt begynnelsen av visningen av modellene og de grafiske arbeidene.
Bilde av landskapsmodell samt grafiske arbeider. Studiene er arrangert etter skala.
Hovedmodell samt snitt og plan
Hovedmodell samt grafiske arbeid.
Undersøkende snittmodell av silosjaktene. Lyssatt gipsmodell som diskuterer hvordan de skulpturelle kvalitetene i betongsiloen kan utvikles i forhold til lys og akustikk.


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Over five years ago, in 2012, Barack Obama was running for a second term. The U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, had been attacked by Islamic terrorists. United States Ambassador Chris Stevens, IMO Sean Smith, and CIA Contractors and former Navy SEALS Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were all killed in the attack. Yet, the White House and State Department, under the lead of Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, lied repeatedly about the nature and cause of the attack.
Americans were discouraged and mourning the loss of life. Conservatives were discouraged, wondering if our sound, life-giving principles would ever again rule the day and undergird the policies of our nation's capital.
In that backdrop I wrote an article, "The Great MSM End-Run" in an attempt to awaken conservatives, Christians, to the tools we had available for messaging and coalescing. It was quite evident years and years ago that the Progressive hordes had effectively taken over media, broadcasting, Hollywood, and academia. How could we possibly win elections, let alone hearts and minds if there were no means of dissemination at our disposal?
But the truth was and is, we do have the means and the tools if we are wise enough and disciplined enough to use them. As I wrote just prior to Election 2012:
Why then so much palpable discouragement when real polls that are scientific show it's a neck and neck race? Why do so many solid conservatives judge the election to be already lost? Because those downcast Americans are not engaging. Consider the Right has the team, we have knowledgeable coaches, we have an ace quarterback and a receiver with great hands and unstoppable wheels. But we're only playing prevent defense and there's no one cheering in the stands. Sometimes momentum is everything.
We learned this the hard way in 2008 as Obama excited the young voters, utilized new media, and won the election. This time around, 4 years later, that same youth vote is not as energized, and many voting blocks are polling with lower percentages favoring Obama. The Right needs a new play, an end run…an Elisha moment. The story of this Old Testament battle comes to mind: the king of Israel was surrounded by the enemy and paralyzed by fear. Elisha spoke in 2 Kings chapter 6:
16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
17 And Elisha prayed, "Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see." Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
That's where new SOCIAL media, especially Twitter, which is instantaneous and real-time, comes into play. We may all have credible, powerful information, but without unity and action despondency overcomes good intentions. However, if on a daily basis, conservatives are connecting with thousands of other right-minded folks, hope is renewed and the MSM thwarted in their game plan of overwhelming discouragement.
At about the same time, urged by friends across the nation, I wrote two Twitter tutorials that went viral. I encouraged Conservatives:
Contrary to popular opinion, twitter is not a mere megaphone for narcissists: it can be a cyber bully pulpit for enduring ideas and urgent announcements.
. . .
Twitter at first blush is a mere amusing past-time, and may even seem like a "time drain". Oh it can be fun–absolutely!
But Twitter can also be a powerful media application, which used to good effect, can span the world with life altering news. I say we use it as though our values and Republic depend on it…and so they do.
Keep in mind, in 2008 when I first began using Twitter and social media to connect with my conservative, Christian friends across the nation, almost no one understood what in the world Twitter was or how to use it. News and other TV shows did not have Twitter accounts and did not ask people to "tweet" during their shows.
Now that has changed and we understand the dire stakes: our nation is floundering in sea of lies and immorality and desperately needs our message of hope and life.
That's where the Illinois Family Institute comes into play. As written at the IFI website:
The Illinois Family Institute (IFI) is an independent 501c(3) non-profit ministry dedicated to upholding and re-affirming marriage, family, life and liberty in Illinois.
. . .
IFI works within the state of Illinois to promote and defend biblical truths to foster an environment where families can thrive and reach their full God-given potential to serve and glorify Him–making the most of the opportunities afforded to each of us by His gift of life and liberty.
Illinois Family Institute works hard to disseminate those biblical truths via any and all possible communication mediums.
You can connect with IFI, read articles, share articles, plan to attend IFI events, and get involved in being salt and light.
If you're reading this, you already know about the Illinois Family Institute website. But there's more — much more!
Follow and tweet with IFI on Twitter , watch and share their videos on Youtube, interact via the Illinois Family App for Android or iPhone , listen to the weekly Illinois Family Institute podcast, and sign up for Text Alerts — an SOS for critical information and alerts.
Wise King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 29: "Where there is no vision, the people perish."
The Apostle Peter wrote 2,000 years ago:
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
Those inspired words are as true today as they were all those millennia ago. Illinois Family Institute is doing their level best to be salt and light, to share God's vision, and to help all of you equip yourselves with the answers for the hope that is in you.
Join us in this great venture, using the latest iteration of the Gutenberg press — digital and social media — to shine the light, to touch hearts and minds.
The Illinois Family Institute is completely dependent on voluntary contributions of individuals just like you. Without you, we would be unable to fulfill our mission. Please consider a donation to support our efforts!
To make a credit card donation over the phone, call the IFI office at (708) 781-9328.
Twitter: @tamij ...


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If you've ever wanted to owe a little piece of Royal history then now is your chance with the news that the Queen's personal car is to be sold.
The Jaguar Daimler V8, which only has 14,000 on the clock was used by the Queen between 2001 and 2004 and will be sold by memorabilia dealer Peter Ratcliffe. And before you ask 'eh? I've never seen Lizzy nipping down to Tescos for her weekly shop', the Queen only used the car to drive around her Windsor estate, as you do. Interesting customised features include an in car telephone that phones directly to the Prime Minister (sadly no longer in use) and a pull-out handbag holder to keep the Queen's handbag upright whilst travelling. Another excellent piece of pub ammo is that the Queen is the only person in the UK who drivers a car and doesn't posses a drivers license. So there.
The Jag is expected to go for approximately £65,000.


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We're right at the heart of a multi-million pound change programme that will revolutionise the way we serve our members and enhance how our people carry out their roles.
We're on a huge journey of transformation that will give us the right technology to remain competitive in the digital age and help us control our operating costs. It will also give us the ability to quickly respond to regulatory changes in the future, as well as the evolving needs of our members.
Our IT teams include Service Operations, Development, Architecture and Testing. We're focussed on positive change – so you'll be given the freedom to develop and contribute to our success from day one. As well as being an exceptional and innovative IT professional, naturally, we're looking for strong people skills too. It's just as important that you know how to work effectively with other colleagues, can use your initiative to add value on business critical projects and know how to share your technical expertise across the Society.
Whether you're just starting out in your career or you already have existing skills and experience, join our expanding, dynamic IT function and we'll give you the support you need to grow.
I have worked at the Society for many years, during which I have seen an incredible amount of change both from a broader Society perspective and also from an IT point of view. It's that change that has kept me engaged and motivated to keep progressing my career here.
I actually started in a trainee Cashier in one of our Branches and my journey with the Coventry has seen me play a pivotal part in developing the IT analysis team within the IT Architecture function. Every day in IT we have the opportunity to make a difference, as we play a key role in helping our colleagues across the whole of the organisation. I work with great people and I love the 'techy' side of IT and seeing how doing the right things in the IT function can have a positive impact on our members and our people.
I genuinely feel as if exactly the right challenges have come at the exactly the right time for me. Whether that be pushing my IT career to the next level to agreeing a flexible working arrangement, doing a job I love, whilst having my children. The Society has provided support in those defining moments. The Society's values are carried through not just in the way we treat our members but in the way we work with each other.
I am now lucky enough to be on the senior leadership team for IT, really driving our transformation agenda. There is never a dull moment here and I am looking forward to what the future holds!
Sarah - IT
I started working for the Society as a Saturday Customer Service Assistant, in one of our Coventry branches, and I continued this role on a part-time basis while I studied law at Durham University.
After completing my degree, I did some work experience in the Legal team and was then lucky enough to secure a permanent Paralegal role.
I always knew I wanted to continue with my legal career, so I asked if the Society would support me through my Legal Practice Course and they agreed. I spent a year going to London twice a week for evening lectures – it was hard work, but I qualified in July 2016.
I now work on the lending and property side of the Legal team, looking after mortgage-related queries, policy changes and project work, as well as helping to review the lease renewals for the Society's properties. I am also involved in reviewing our mortgage conditions and legal documentation, in conjunction with external solicitors and barristers. These documents protect both the Society and its members so it's important that they are accurate and are clearly communicated.
I also love being able to get involved with the Society's community work, I'm one of our Reading Partners and help the children at a local Primary School improve their reading and spelling. It's one of the most rewarding parts of my week.
It's a great place to work and I really feel the Society looks after us.
Amy - Legal
I'd heard from friends and family (who didn't even work for the Society!) that Coventry Building Society was a great place to work and when I saw the graduate programme advertised I was excited to apply.
I successfully gained a place on the Technology graduate programme and having studied Business and Computer Science I was excited about the exposure that this would give me to the IT function as a whole. So far I have not been disappointed; I have been given exposure to PMO, IT Analysis, Technical Solutions and IT Architecture. With Development, Test and Project Management to come, I know that I will be able to gain a great understanding of how technology supports and empowers our business as well as being able to develop a diverse skill set.
I don't spend my time shadowing team members; I am given real responsibility and I am required to work closely with my colleagues in order to deliver meaningful work that has an impact on the Society as a whole. I'm always impressed by the support I get from my managers and colleagues, they're always welcoming when I embark on a new placement and they encourage me to ask questions, making it easy for me to quickly get up to speed and start adding value straight away.
As well as the learning I get from my rotations, the Society's development days give me the chance to develop other valuable skills such as relationship building and holding influential conversations. These are attended by graduates from other programmes and as a result of this we're able to share our specialist knowledge and learn from each other in order to deliver on a range of projects for the Society and our local community.
I'm really enjoying the programme and know that my learning won't stop when I take my next step!
Kurt - IT
I joined the Society as a Resourcing Advisor on a six-month contract, three days after finishing my degree in Management Sciences at Loughborough University.
After a couple of months, I was offered a permanent role and I was supported to complete my Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD) qualification. It was hard balancing work with study, but well worth it in order to progress my career in HR.
I then moved into the HR Business Partnering team, as a HR Advisor dedicated to supporting a specific area of the Society. The HR Advisor role is really varied and touches lots of areas. We get involved with everything from developing new polices to organisational design.
I have recently progressed into a role focussing on Employee Experience – we're the team who drive forward key strategic initiatives for the Society such as Diversity, Inclusion, Engagement and Wellbeing.
It's a very supportive culture with a focus on communication and encouragement. It's a great environment to work in.
Clare - HR Advisor
I've worked in a number of different departments including the Branch Network, Intermediary Development, Financial Crime and I'm now in our Compliance team.
Regulatory changes can have a big impact on the business. It's part of my job to track those changes and keep the business informed.
I get to work with lots of different teams – Product Design, Marketing, Customer Experience, Legal and Business Change to name a few. Every day really is different!
There are numerous opportunities for development and progression if you choose to take them. Ultimately, you drive your own future.
This kind of culture doesn't just happen overnight – it comes from the top and it's been a pivotal part of the organisation for many years.
Emma - Compliance
I started working at the Coventry as a Saturday Customer Service Assistant, I'm now a Customer Service Specialist and I've just started on the Management Development Programme, which is designed to help enhance my leadership skills.
Every day is different. I come to work smiling and I leave smiling. Making a difference to our members motivates me to come to work each morning. I'm helping people and I get so much satisfaction out of it, whether I'm opening an account for a customer or supporting them with a complex transaction, our members really appreciate us.
We are so invested in community work too. In our branch alone, we've raised almost £20,000 for our community partner. We have the most amazing customer base. They're so generous – they're as passionate about the charity as we are.
Jess - Branch Network
Starting out in our Savings Operations team, I quickly progressed in to our Quality Assurance team, then into Customer Relations.
I studied Accountancy at University and always wanted to work in Finance, so when a role came up I knew I wanted to apply…now I'm a Cost and Management Accountant.
My job is so varied. If I was talking to someone about a career here, I'd say... "you'll definitely find an area you enjoy".
I was offered study support so I could gain my professional finance qualification. It was hard work, it was worth it though! They're really supportive of people studying, training and going through exams. I came joint tenth overall in the world and now I'm qualified. Not only that, I've got brilliant experience from the ground up so I wouldn't have it any other way.
What excites me about my role is that we're so engaged with the whole Society and we're looking to the future, rather than just dealing with historical numbers. I love asking questions like... Will this project benefit our members? What will the business benefits be? Will it make us more cost-efficient?
Karan - Finance
I've been with Coventry Building Society for most of my career, my background is actually in Finance and whilst in this team, I was intrigued by the part that Change payed in shaping the Society and I felt that it would be an interesting career move. After completing a secondment in Change, I took on a Trainee Business Analyst role and now I'm training to be a Project Manager.
The Coventry makes a big investment in delivering a fantastic customer experience and understanding the wider impact each project has is critical. Getting things right for our members is the most important thing.
Working in Change has taught me so much and helped me develop transferrable skills, such as analysis and decision making, project management, report writing and managing stakeholders. These are all qualities I feel I could take to any part of our business.
I know I still have a lot to learn but I'm focussed on becoming a fully-fledged Project Manager and I know Coventry Building Society will support me to get there.
Scott - Change
Coventry Building Society is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority (firm reference number 150892 www.fca.org.uk). Coventry Building Society. Principal Office: Economic House, PO Box 9, High Street, Coventry CV1 5QN.


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There are 3 types of people: the ones who like «Star Wars», the ones who enjoy «Star Trek» and the ones who are into both these epic movie pieces. Let's talk about Star Trek, as «The Star Trek: Beyond» hit the cinemas all around the world a few days ago. The fans have been anticipating this day for long three years, since the previous ST film has been released. And now Captain Kirk, Commander Spock and the rest of the crew are back!
If you are really digging ST, prepare to die during the first 30 mins of the movie! They will crash 'Enterprise'. Again. And it is epic!!!
While being in progress of completing its 5 year mission, starship Enterprise has been attacked by the alien warrior race. The starship is destructed and has to land on the distant planet Altamid, where the base of aliens is located. Will the crew make it through this tough time? (Spoiler alert: they sure will! :)) After all these blockbusters that Hollywood fed us with during past months, «Beyond» is like a breath of fresh air. It's not a remake or «reload», not a super-pathetic self-called «Number_One_film_of_the_year». It's just a new exciting adventure of space explorers,who fight for the happy future of the Universe.
First of all, it's worth saying that scattering crew members apart was a great idea. Though Captain Kirk is still the main figure, each member of the crew gets the possibility to «shine» and show themselves, acting as individuals, not as parts of one coordinated organism, instead of what they usually are when being on board of Enterprise.
Commander Spock, the most famous Vulcan of all times, experiences 'earthy' troubles understanding how relationships should work. And we also find out, that Spock is magnificent in making presents. (Ok, no more spoilers, I promise!))
The main antagonist in "Star Trek: Beyond" is Krall, or Captain Balthazar Edison (Balthazar… wait, where could I have heard this name? I'd say at least 3 other TV series). During the film he evolves in our eyes from vicious warlord, who attacks Enterprise, to complex character, who is guided by revenge and hatred for the new peaceful lifestyle of Federation. We could be positive about the fact that there will be a stand-off between Kirk and Krall at the end of the movie. And the good will prevail the evil (oops, there goes another spoiler!))
As usually, there there's someone who helps the crew to defeat evil. And here comes Jaylah, the scavenger, who is not native to Krall's planet. She lives in the wrecked starship, knows how to make traps and she sure knows how to fight! Jaylah somehow reminds me of Rey from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. These two share much in common, beside the obvious fact that they both are strong female characters.
At the beginning of the film both Kirk and Spock feel uncertain about staying a part of the Enterprise crew. But (lucky us!) overcoming difficulties force them to rethink their resignation. So, we may be pretty sure that sooner or later we are going to witness the "Enterprise" crew's new exciting adventures at the final frontier.
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Plait Wedding Hairstyles – If there's one day when women really worry about their hairdo, it's on their own wedding day. Almost universally, brides tend to want a hairdo that is not their everyday hair style. Not only is this one of a woman's most formal occasions, it's also one of the most photographed.
A lot of women have their hair done by someone else for their wedding. Frequently this is a professional hairdresser or stylist, but especially with the way the economy is going and given how expensive wedding are anyway, more often moms, aunts, sisters, daughters and friends are getting called upon to lend their hair styling skills and know-how.
It is my hope that this lens helps you find something beautiful to do with your hair, something you (or you and a friend) can do and skip the expensive salon or stylist. That way you can feel beautiful, relax and enjoy your special day just a little bit more.
A Ponytail is when all the hair is gathered together at one point on the head, fastened at that point and then let to fall freely from there. A Bun refers to when the hair is wound up into a small, compact knot or twist and then fastened so that none of it falls free or sticks out.
A Chignon refers to a specific type of bun hairdo. The hair is first gathered into a ponytail. Then the ponytail is wound clockwise around the fastening, and the ends are tucked under the bun that forms. This shape is then pinned in place with hair pins or hair sticks.
Plait Wedding Hairstyles


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|Find the best dive sites
Mochima National Park (Parque Nacional Mochima) is a Venezuelan national park in the state of Sucre, Venezuela.
Named after the town of Mochima, it is just one of a number of national parks along Venezuela's northeast Caribbean coastline. Created in 1973 it was the second marine park in Venezuela and encompasses the entire shoreline between Puerto La Cruz and Cumaná plus 32 islands just offshore.
The waters around Puerto La Cruz rarely have strong currents. We have many dive sites to choose from: deep and shallow reefs, caverns (can always see the entrance), wrecks, even bubbles and thermal waters! The three different island groups give us varied diving.
Venezuela is still an unknown to many divers, but that only makes it more special. With the waters of the Orinoco River emptying in front of the Island of Trinidad, and west of us a very deep part of the ocean which brings an upwelling of cold water and nutrients, the waters of Mochima National Park are a breeding place for all kinds of fish. Species are still being discovered here!
Usually our boat will be the only one at a dive site!
Water temperature: July-November 23º-29º December-March, 21°-25° ; April-June, 22°-28°. At 5-8 meters the temperature drops 1-2 degrees.
Visibility is best during the warmer part of the year, although the changing world climate seems to be bringing better visibility to us! It can also change from one part of the park to the other. July to November, 2-3 stars; December-March, 1-2 stars; April to June, 1-3 stars.
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Quasiresonant amplification of planetary waves and recent Northern Hemisphere weather extremes
Contributed by Hans Joachim Schellnhuber, January 16, 2013 (sent for review June 15, 2012)
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In recent years, the Northern Hemisphere has suffered several devastating regional summer weather extremes, such as the European heat wave in 2003, the Russian heat wave and the Indus river flood in Pakistan in 2010, and the heat wave in the United States in 2011. Here, we propose a common mechanism for the generation of persistent longitudinal planetary-scale high-amplitude patterns of the atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere midlatitudes. Those patterns—with zonal wave numbers m = 6, 7, or 8—are characteristic of the above extremes. We show that these patterns might result from trapping within midlatitude waveguides of free synoptic waves with zonal wave numbers k ≈ m. Usually, the quasistationary dynamical response with the above wave numbers m to climatological mean thermal and orographic forcing is weak. Such midlatitude waveguides, however, may favor a strong magnification of that response through quasiresonance.
The summer of 2003 was highly exceptional in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) (1⇓⇓–4). Its remarkable feature was a persistent "blocked" circulation pattern over Europe (1⇓⇓–4). Anomalous heat reigned for much of the summer over a large part of Europe, reaching the highest temperature anomalies in Switzerland, northwestern France, and southern Germany. Schär and colleagues (2004) (3) proposed that the observed climatic warming trend (i) shifted the probability distribution of summer temperatures toward warmer values and (ii) widened this probability distribution so that extreme values become much more likely, possibly as the result of a positive feedback between temperature and soil dryness. We note that a shift and widening of the probability distribution due to global warming almost certainly will lead to a marked increase in the frequency of extreme warm-season events (5⇓–7). However, even when the warming trend found in the data is fully taken into account, and if an increase in SD of 50% is assumed, the extreme temperatures and duration of the summer 2003 heat wave still would be highly unlikely. For example, a return period of 100 y was estimated by Luterbacher et al. (2) for the European region. In the meantime, several other unusually strong regional summer extremes already have occurred in recent years that make it questionable that only a purely stochastic mechanism of extremes is at work (8). The global observations attest that these extremes, such as the Russian heat wave in 2010 and the record heat wave in the United States in 2011, persisted over nearly the whole summer— which is not inherent in ordinary blockings with a characteristic e-folding time of about 5–7 d—and were in fact of hemispheric scale: a stable anomalous atmospheric circulation pattern enveloped the whole NH (4, 9⇓⇓⇓⇓-14).
Here, based on daily National Centers for Environmental Prediction–National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP–NCAR) (15) reanalysis data, we highlight that the NH midlatitude quasistationary meridional velocity during the aforementioned regional summer extremes was characterized by unusual high-amplitude wave patterns with zonal wave numbers , , or . The latter might result from trapping of quasistationary free waves with zonal wave numbers within midlatitude waveguides, leading to a quasiresonant amplification of the above wave numbers as described in sections I and II.
I. Quasiresonance Hypothesis
Generally the large-scale midlatitude atmospheric circulation is characterized by (i) traveling free synoptic-scale Rossby waves with zonal wave numbers propagating predominantly in the longitudinal direction with the phase speed m/s, and (ii) quasistationary planetary-scale Rossby waves with , frequency , and various zonal wave numbers as a response of atmospheric circulation to quasistationary (e.g., climatological mean) spatially inhomogeneous diabatic sources/sinks and orography (16⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓⇓–28). The quasistationary component of midlatitude free synoptic-scale waves with normally is weak, with the magnitude of the meridional velocity less than (1.5–2) m/s (26, 27). Below, and will denote the zonal wave numbers, respectively, of free synoptic waves and quasistationary planetary-scale Rossby waves mentioned above. Our hypothesis is that during the extreme summer events considered, certain persistent high-amplitude wave structures evolved in the field of the large-scale midlatitude atmospheric meridional velocity (hereafter, ) to which the quasistationary component of free synoptic waves with made an exceptionally large contribution. These structures may arise from changes in the midlatitude zonal mean state. Namely, when the indicated changes lead to latitudinal trapping within the midlatitude waveguides of quasistationary free synoptic waves with , the usually weak midlatitude response of wave numbers , and to quasistationary thermal and orographic sources/sinks may be strongly magnified through quasiresonance.
II. Methods: Planetary Wave Quasiresonance Theory
In our study, we use a linearized nonstationary, nondivergent, barotropic vorticity equation on a sphere (23) at the equivalent barotropic level (EBL). Taking into account the assumed height [500–300 hPa, (20, 24)] of the EBL, we write this equation in a quasigeostrophic approximation as follows (see also Eq. S1a):
In Eq. 1, t is time; is longitude; is latitude; and a are the earth's rotational angular velocity and radius, respectively; is a constant reference temperature; is the horizontal Laplace operator on a unit sphere; is the atmospheric circulation index, where is the zonally averaged zonal wind at the EBL; is the large-scale orography height, , where is the zonal wind at the zonally averaged orography height (17, 24); is the stream function at the EBL; and is the midtroposphere azonal temperature describing, in the general case, stationary and nonstationary components of thermal forcing and intrinsic natural variability of this atmospheric variable; whereas, kh and kz are the horizontal and vertical coefficients of "eddy viscosity," respectively, and H is the atmospheric density scale height. Although the atmosphere generally is a baroclinic environment, in our study we apply the barotropic atmospheric vorticity Eq. 1 at the EBL. The quasibarotropic character of the midlatitude atmospheric circulation in the troposphere during the considered extremes, with weak shift in height of geographic position of respective maxima and minima, is demonstrated clearly by the corresponding distribution of at different pressure levels (700 hPa, 500 hPa, and 300 hPa) for the European summer 2003 and the Russian 2010 heat waves (Fig. S1), as well as for the heat wave in the US summer of 2011 and the Great European Flood of 1997 (Fig. S2). Notably, for the quasiresonance mechanism to occur, as proposed in our paper, the waves have to be arrested within the troposphere, thus preventing an escape of the wave energy to the stratosphere. This condition is fulfilled for the waves with zonal wave numbers 6–8 (25).
Eq. 1 is a wave equation, and we first calculate the latitudinal distribution of the dimensional meridional wave number for an arbitrary quasistationary (i.e., with and ) free plane wave with a given as a Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) solution (19, 20) to a stationary version of Eq. 1 with a zero right-hand side. This yields (see also Eq. S5):
Eq. 2 describes as a function of . may change sign at some latitudes, the so-called turning points (TPs) (19⇓⇓–22), so that may be a real or purely imaginary number. If also vanishes at a TP, the latter represents the so-called critical point (CP) (19⇓⇓–22). According to ref. 19, the energy of the considered free wave experiences a strong damping at the CP. At a TP with , a strong reflection of this wave occurs (21). Eq. 2 is not valid in the immediate vicinity of any TP (20), and the latitudinal dependence of the quasistationary free wave energy is described there by a square of the Airy function (20), which is wavelike for and evanescent otherwise (20). The above analysis implies that in a particular case in which two midlatitude TPs are present for a quasistationary free synoptic wave with , the latter wave may become a high-amplitude free wave trapped within the latitudinal range (waveguide), , confined between the two TPs. This is because only a near-zero leakage and absorption at the lateral boundaries of the waveguide of the wave energy for such a free wave can take place in that case, provided that (i) , within the waveguide, and , outside but in the vicinity of the waveguide. As far as Eq. 2 is derived in the WKB approximation (20), two more requirements are imposed (29⇓–31): (ii) within the waveguide's internal part (interior), , implying that the change in the meridional wavelength for the trapped free wave over a distance is small there compared with , and (iii) the total width of the waveguide exceeds the characteristic scale of the relevant Airy function (29⇓–31) for the considered trapped free wave (SI Text, section A.4).
Usually, the midlatitude solutions with zonal wave numbers , and to the fully fledged stationary Eq. 1 have low amplitudes (see e.g., refs. 20, 26, and 27). However, if conditions i–iii are satisfied, there may be occasions when those amplitudes become much stronger. This may happen if zonal mean conditions change in such a way as to trap a quasistationary free synoptic wave with in the midlatitude waveguide. Then, a solution to the fully fledged stationary Eq. 1 for results in the following equation for the corresponding amplitude of , within the interior of the waveguide for the trapped free synoptic wave, in the case of (see also Eq. S15):
provided that (iv) the meridional wave number of this free synoptic wave falls into the range, , of the meridional wave numbers which gives a dominant contribution within to the combined amplitude of the quasistationary orographic and thermal terms in the right side of Eq. 1 (SI Text, section A.3). In Eq. 3, and are accordingly the characteristic Rossby radius and Rossby number for the eddies governing the values of and in the friction term in Eq. 1 (SI Text, section A.3), , and is the central latitude in . On the strength of Eq. 3, may reach a high quasiresonant value for wave number in the case of . We refer below to the wave patterns with an exceptionally large contribution from the quasiresonant wave numbers , and as wave 6, wave 7, and wave 8, respectively, thus extending the concept of planetary Rossby wave resonance (32) to the case of latitudinally dependent .
III. Processing of Observational Data
To test the validity of our hypothesis, we start by plotting maps of the NH midlatitude at 300 hPa for the above-mentioned regional European summer extremes of 2003, 2010, and 1997 (Fig. 1) using daily NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data (15). These patterns appear to be wave 6, wave 7, and wave 8, as demonstrated by Fig. 2, which plots the fields of for a latitude strip around the globe for the same summer extremes, as well as for the heat wave in the United States in the 2011 summer. Fig. 3 shows the year-to-year time series for the amplitudes of monthly mean (July and August) Fourier components of for (Fig. 3A), (Fig. 3B), and (Fig. 3C) at 300 hPa, averaged over the (37.5–57.5)°N latitudinal range (see also movies 1 and 2 in ref. 33). These time series are derived from the same daily reanalysis data (15) for the most reliable interval, 1980–2011, for observational and reanalysis data (34). The component was very strong (amplitude greater than 4m/s at 300 hPa) during the extreme month with the devastating Russian heat wave and Indus river flood (the month from July 15 to August 15, 2010, hereafter referred to as July 2010, for brevity) and the heat wave in the United States in July 2011, as well as in August 1983, August 1984, July 1994, and August 1997 (Fig. 3A). In the extreme August 2003 and July 2010, the amplitude of the component with also was markedly larger than usual (about 4m/s at 300 hPa, Fig. 3B). A similar situation with respect to the component with occurred in July 1983, July 1989, August 1997, July 2000, late July/early August 2004 and July 2009 (Fig. 3B). Finally, the component (Fig. 3C) had a high amplitude (about 2.5m/s at 300 hPa) in July 2011, July 2006, August 2004, and August 1987. All the months listed above exhibit amplitudes of monthly Fourier components for , or that are about 1.5 SD from the 1980–2011 monthly climatology of for the corresponding (Fig. 3 A–C). All these months feature record-breaking regional extremes in terms of the near-surface temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture (SI Text, section A.6). Hence, they may be referred to as extreme months based on their being in the highest 10th percentile regarding the above regional climate parameters. The inclined dotted straight lines in Fig. 3 A–C display, respectively, the linear regression for the wave numbers , and over the 1980–2011 time span. As seen in Fig. 3A–C, the corresponding linear trend in the amplitude of wave number 6 is close to zero for July and August, whereas wave numbers 7 and 8 exhibit moderate positive linear trends for both months.
IV. Midlatitude Waveguides and Quasiresonant Wave 6, Wave 7, and Wave 8 Patterns
As discussed above, the wave 6, wave 7, and wave 8 patterns might be related to trapping of quasistationary free synoptic Rossby waves with within the midlatitude waveguides. This is illustrated in Fig. 4, which plots the "stationary wave number" (left y axis), where is the meridional gradient of the absolute vorticity (19, 20) at 300 hPa, for the most destructive episodes of the European summer 2003 heat wave (highest temperatures in Switzerland and France between July 31 and August 14) and the Elbe and Danube floods of 2002 (torrential rains in the region between August 4 and 13). Also in Fig. 4, the analogous curve is shown for the nonresonant (in terms of the amplitudes of quasistationary zonal wave numbers , and ) period of August 1–15, 1993. Based on Eq. 2, the difference between the values of and just gives for a given . A nonlinear scale for in the right-hand y axis in Fig. 4 is such that the abscisses of the points of intersection of the curves with horizontal lines give the latitudinal positions of the TPs for the waves with zonal wave numbers . In the case of two points of intersection in Fig. 4 of the curve with the horizontal line, the abscisses of these points mark the latitudinal boundaries (TPs) of the waveguide within which the free wave may be trapped. According to Eq. 3, a quasiresonant amplification of wave number may occur within the waveguide's interior if conditions i–iv are met between the corresponding two TPs for a given .
The results shown in Fig. 4 suggest that conditions i–iv were satisfied within the relevant waveguide's interior during the considered extreme episodes of August 2003 and August 2002, respectively, for the free synoptic waves with and . This favored the occurrence of a wave 7 pattern with the amplitude in August 2003, and wave 6 and wave 7 patterns with and in August 2002. are the result of the respective averaging, over the (37.5–57.5)°N belt and the above-mentioned extreme episodes, of the amplitudes of the Fourier components of represented by the solution to Eq. 3 for realistic values of L and Ro (35) within , and by the Airy function outside this latitudinal range (SI Text, sections A.3 and A.4). The amplitude of the combined forcing on the right-hand side of Eq. 3 was computed using the appropriate observational data for surface orography and temperature at 300 hPa (SI Text, sections A.3 and A.4). The above amplitudes and are found to be in a good agreement to an accuracy about with those calculated directly from daily NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data on at 300 hPa (15) averaged over the corresponding episodes of the extremes and the (37.5–57.5)°N latitudinal range (SI Text, section A.3). According to Eq. 2, quasiresonance conditions i–iv held also for the synoptic wave numbers during the most destructive phases of all other regional summer extremes mentioned in section III, within appropriate waveguides (SI Text, section A.3). By contrast, based on Eq. 2, only one TP existed in the midlatitudes of the NH for the free synoptic waves with during the period of August 1–15, 1993 (Fig. 4), thus preventing the occurrence of waveguides for these and, by this means, violating quasiresonance conditions i–iii.
Similar calculations using Eq. 2 suggest that all extreme months discussed in section III (as well as June and July 2012, Fig. S3) with the amplitude of monthly component , or about 1.5 SD (Fig. 3 A–C) meet the quasiresonance conditions i–iv within the relevant midlatitude waveguides. The respective monthly quasiresonant Fourier amplitudes computed using the same procedure described for calculation of are in agreement to within with the monthly amplitudes marked by squares in Fig. 3 A–C (SI Text, section A.3). [We recall that the latter were calculated directly from monthly NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data (15) on at 300 hPa, averaged over the (37.5–57.5)° N latitudinal range.]
Requirements i–iii correspond to a condition of negligibly small dispersion and absorption of the wave energy at the waveguide's lateral boundaries. This implies that Eq. 3 and its solutions and for the considered free waves are valid only within rather narrow waveguides (channels) and in their close vicinity mentioned above. Hence, these solutions do not hold for the quasistationary free synoptic components with only one midlatitude TP, because of a pronounced meridional dispersion of the wave energy and absorption/reflection at a CP (19⇓⇓⇓–23). Observational data and numerical solutions to Eq. 1 (see, e.g., refs. 18, 20, 26, and 27) suggest that, in this case, the midlatitude amplitudes of quasistationary wave number 6 do not exceed , whereas wave numbers 7 and 8 possess even lower amplitudes there. On the other hand, our calculations of using Eq. 2 testify that most (about 70% of) Julys and Augusts with low to intermediate amplitudes for all three wave numbers , and 8 (44 mo altogether) exhibit only one midlatitude TP for , thus violating quasiresonance conditions i–iii. In this regard, the above-mentioned August 1993 depicted in Fig. 4 is a representative example for 31 of 44 mo. For the remainder of the above-specified set of months (13 members), conditions i–iii are satisfied and, hence, two midlatitude TPs exist. Requirement iv fails, however, rendering the quasiresonance Eq. 3 and its solutions and not applicable to those months.
V. Comparative Assessment of Contribution from Intrinsic Natural Variability and Quasiresonance to the Amplitudes of Wave 6, Wave 7, and Wave 8 Patterns
An important question is what role the change of on the right-hand side of Eq. 3, due to intrinsic natural year-to-year variability, plays in comparison with the role of quasiresonant amplification. Might this variability be a reason for the large amplitude of the studied wave numbers during the extreme months? Our calculations attest that the magnitude, , of the year-to-year variability of normalized by its 1980–2011 climatology, , was for all , and in the °N belt less than 20% and 17% in most Julys and Augusts, respectively (SI Text, section A.5 and Fig. S4). All the quasiresonant Julys listed in sections III and IV (Fig. 3 A–C) are within this majority of months, and only one quasiresonant August, 1984, does not enter the above majority of Augusts, for . This means that the main contribution to the strong amplification (by a factor of 3–4) of the amplitudes of the above wave numbers during the months with regional extremes, except perhaps August 1984, does not result from intrinsic natural variability, but rather from the considered quasiresonance mechanism. This implies, in particular, that we can estimate the values of for extreme months in Eq. 3, with the aforementioned accuracy using the climatological value of on the right-hand side.
VI. Quasiresonance and Deceleration of Synoptic-Scale Free Waves
As mentioned above, Eqs. 2 and 3 and their solutions are valid only in the case of quasistationary free synoptic waves with low values of the frequency and longitudinal phase speed , where is the central latitude of the considered midlatitude belt. To check the applicability of this quasistationary approximation to the observed slow components of wave numbers 6, 7, and 8 (monthly mean and 15-d running means), we created movie 4 shown in ref. 33. This movie demonstrates the 15-d running means, , of (in radian per day) for the longitudinal phase of the Fourier components of the meridional average over (37.5–57.5)°N of the meridional velocity at 300 hPa with zonal wave numbers for June to August of each year within the 1980–2011 interval, based on daily NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data (15). Movie 4 reveals that the above 15-d running means for Julys and Augusts are rather small (less than 0.4 rad/d in magnitude) and vacillate in close vicinity to zero for all years. The corresponding magnitudes of the phase speed, , are less than 3 m/s, which is inherent in quasistationary planetary waves (27). Hence, the above-mentioned assumption of quasistationarity of the 15-d running means of free waves with is valid for all Julys and Augusts in the 1980–2011 period. However, the quasiresonance months with extreme character might show lower values of the magnitude compared with nonresonance months. This would attest that additional deceleration of the studied waves in the extreme months had to occur to put the quasiresonance mechanism into operation. To check whether this is the case, we performed a t test of the null hypothesis regarding the difference between time averages over 1980–2011 of the above time series of 15-d running means for quasiresonance and nonresonance months, respectively. The test showed that at the 90% confidence level, the null hypothesis cannot be rejected (i.e., these time series are indistinguishable in the sense of their averages) for and , whereas it fails for . We note in this connection that the above difference between averages did not exceed 0.025 rad/d (0.2 m/s in terms of ) for all three . We additionally created a movie for nonsmoothed daily values, , of for waves 5, 6, 7, and 8 (movie 5 in ref. 33), using the same data source (15), with contributions from all fast and slow components of the studied waves accounted for. The analogous t test shows that the corresponding resonant and nonresonant time series are indistinguishable at the 90% confidence level for all .
VII. Branstator's Mechanism of Circumglobal Teleconnection and the Quasiresonance Mechanism
The observational evidence for the important role of a strong subtropical jet in winter as a source of circumglobal longitudinal teleconnections, due to large-scale quasistationary Rossby waves with , was first described by Branstator (2002) (16). Branstator's mechanism (16) subsequently was applied to the explanation of recent summer extremes in several papers (e.g., refs. 10 and 14). The important element that our paper contributes is to recognize that because the zonally averaged state varies from month to month and year to year, the properties of midlatitude quasistationary free synoptic waves with also vary so that whether they will be trapped varies with time. Therefore, whether these waves will contribute to quasiresonant amplification of quasistationary wave numbers , or is time dependent. Also, as distinct from Branstator's mechanism, the action of the quasiresonance mechanism essentially depends on the shape rather than the magnitude of the circumglobal jets.
VIII. Discussion
Our calculations of using Eq. 2 reveal that the occurrence of a steep and narrow subtropical jet, as well as a deep midlatitude minimum and a subpolar maximum in the latitudinal distribution of , is the primary precursor of the occurrence of two midlatitude TPs for quasistationary free synoptic waves with . This peculiarity of results in a change of sign of the right-hand side of Eq. 2 from negative to positive and then back to negative in the extratropical latitudes for these wave numbers. This brings about the occurrence of a pair of midlatitude TPs as the necessary precondition for trapping the above waves in midlatitude waveguides. Based on the NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data (15), the discussed specific feature of the distribution is inherent in all the extreme months considered. This is illustrated by Fig. 5A for extreme August 2003, July 2010, July 2000, and July 1993. On the other hand, 31 mo with low to intermediate amplitudes for all three wave numbers , and 8 possess only one midlatitude TP. Accordingly, such months do not exhibit the indicated peculiarity of as exemplified by July 1981, August 1993, and August 2001, as well as the 1980–2011 climatology, shown in Fig. 5A. We note that the latitudinal distribution of at 300 hPa depicted in Fig. 5A is highly consistent with that for the corresponding lower-troposphere temperature, on the strength of the thermal wind relation (TWR) (Fig. 5B).
The 32-y period analyzed in our paper is too short to draw firm conclusions as to the frequency of the studied quasiresonant extreme events in the future. However, there exist some indications for more favorable conditions for the occurrence of the above peculiarity in the shape of in recent decades. The ongoing inhomogeneous process of global warming, mostly the result of anthropogenic forcing, causes the so-called Arctic amplification induced by the reduction of snow and polar sea ice cover (36). By virtue of the TWR, the corresponding decrease in the temperature gradients within the (45–65)°N latitudinal range results in reduced-strength midlatitude westerlies (37). This, in turn, favors a steeper and narrower distribution of in the northern flank of the subtropical jet. According to Eq. 2, the combined effect of reduction of midlatitude westerlies and steepening of the northern flank of the subtropical jet may lead to a more frequent appearance of the northern TP for the free waves with . The shape of also is steeper and more narrow in recent years in the southern flank of the subtropical jet in the (30–45)°N range, which may be attributed to an ongoing trend in the lower-troposphere temperature in these latitudes (38). In accordance with Eq. 2, this may bring about a more frequent occurrence of the second, southern, TP for the free waves with . As mentioned above in this section, the described peculiarity in the shape of is observed in all the extreme months studied. Their number experiences a noticeable increase over the last 11-y period, i.e., 2002–2012 (eight extreme months of the considered type, including July and August 2012) compared with the previous two periods, i.e., 1991–2001 and 1980–1990, with four extreme months in each of them (Fig. 3 A–C and SI Text, section A.6). On the other hand, according to Eq. 2, the number of months with weak to intermediate wave numbers , and and one midlatitude TP for all decreased from 14 in 1980–1990 to 10 in 1991–2001, and further to 7 in 2002–2011. An overall positive linear trend in the wave 8 amplitude for August during the 32-y period studied also is found (Fig. 3C). Using the Student t test, we show that this trend is statistically significant at the 90% confidence level (33). At the same time, we cannot exclude the possibility that a substantial component of recently observed trends, e.g., of the surface air temperature on spatial scales smaller than continental, may result from intrinsic natural variability (39) and not just from the process of global warming mostly due to anthropogenic forcing that we discussed above. Moreover, the considered quasiresonance is not the only possible mechanism for amplification of zonal wave numbers . In the nonresonant July 1991, for instance, the component reveals a noticeable monthly amplitude (Fig. 3C), and conditions i–iii are satisfied (so two TPs exist) for . However, according to Eq. 2, the values of for all are outside (although very close to) the range of the meridional wave numbers with dominant contribution to , thus invoking failure of condition iv. The same observation applies to the nonresonant July 1983, July 1985, and August 1994 with relatively high amplitudes for (Fig. 3A). Also, in July 1984 with high amplitudes for (Fig. 3A) and (Fig. 3B), as well as in August 2000 with a pronounced amplitude for (Fig. 3B), conditions i–iii fail for all , so only one midlatitude TP occurs for these waves. Note that July 1985 (together with August 2000) and July 1991 (along with August 1994) were the months with a very strong summer La Niña and El Niño, respectively. As for July 1984, the occurrence of high-magnitude waves 6 and 7 in that nonresonance month with a weak summer La Niña and low positive summer North Atlantic Oscillation needs further investigation.
IX. Conclusions
We find a strong contribution from persistent high-amplitude zonal wave numbers , , and to several recent severe regional summer extremes. These wave structures may result from trapping of quasistationary free synoptic waves with zonal wave numbers within relevant midlatitude waveguides. The waveguides favor a subsequent strong quasiresonant amplification of the usually weak quasistationary response of wave numbers , 7, and to climatological mean thermal and orographic forcing. An important point is that these wave structures may arise from changes in the wave propagation properties of midlatitudes, caused by changes in the zonal mean climate state, in terms of the lower-troposphere temperature and zonal wind at the EBL. If the observed increasing number of summer months with high-amplitude wave numbers , 7, and indeed is the result of ongoing global warming, then we have described a possible dynamical mechanism for how global warming might contribute to future extreme summer events. This complements earlier results by Stott et al. (2004) (40) and Rahmstorf and Coumou (2011) (7). However, there are important differences. Stott et al. (40) compare the magnitudes of natural and anthropogenic forcing, but do not provide a physical mechanism for the occurrence of extreme summers. Rahmstorf and Coumou (7) analyze whether events break a record, but not by what margin. In contrast, the atmospheric wave quasiresonance described here as a mechanism for weather extremes can explain the exceptional magnitude of several recent extremes: a particular quasistationary free synoptic wave with becomes trapped as soon as the two midlatitude TPs for this wave appear, favoring the possibility of a strong dynamical response to climatological mean diabatic and orographic forcing with zonal wave numbers . The data and results we present suggest that atmospheric conditions already might have changed to the extent that the considered quasiresonant wave amplification may occur rather frequently. The most recent example might be the destructive heat waves in the United States and southern Europe accompanied by catastrophic floods in China and Japan in June–July 2012. Wave numbers 6 and 7 were observed for much of that time over the NH midlatitudes (Fig. S3).
- ↵1To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail: john{at}pik-potsdam.de or petukhov{at}pik-potsdam.de.
Author contributions: V.P. designed research; V.P., S.R., S.P., and H.J.S. performed research; S.P. and H.J.S. analyzed data; and V.P., S.R., S.P., and H.J.S. wrote the paper.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
See Commentary on page 5281.
This article contains supporting information online at www.pnas.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1073/pnas.1222000110/-/DCSupplemental.
Freely available online through the PNAS open access option.
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- I. Quasiresonance Hypothesis
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- IV. Midlatitude Waveguides and Quasiresonant Wave 6, Wave 7, and Wave 8 Patterns
- V. Comparative Assessment of Contribution from Intrinsic Natural Variability and Quasiresonance to the Amplitudes of Wave 6, Wave 7, and Wave 8 Patterns
- VI. Quasiresonance and Deceleration of Synoptic-Scale Free Waves
- VII. Branstator's Mechanism of Circumglobal Teleconnection and the Quasiresonance Mechanism
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Beachfront Villas For Sale in Bali
Bali Island offers many dream beachfront villas for sale. The beauty and expanse of the island guarantees there are many beachfront villas for sale in Bali, all of which encompasses its rich rice terraces, unique culture and exotic picturesque backdrop that makes it an undisputed paradise on earth.
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Finding the right property in an area that offers captivating and enormous range of accommodation options can be challenging. The real estate market and beachfront villas for sale in Bali may also seem complex and confusing. Working with an established and professional beach villa expert in Bali that is up-to-date on the market trends, with a great team of partners and a track record of excellent service will go a long way in assuring you and your family that your experience and outcome will be positive.
Our property collection features a wide array of options for everyone to find whatever they are looking for. From luxurious apartments that outdo five star hotels to affordable properties that has the homely feel you are looking for; our catalog is certain to have something for you. Explore NusaDua, Uluwatu, Singaraja, Karangasem, Gianyar, Lovina, Tabanan and other billionaire row beach front villas for sale in Bali.
What are your desires? Looking for a beachfront villa for sale in Bali situated among the lush, tropical gardens exotically dotted along the beachfront where you can enjoy unlimited ocean view or do you want the perfect property with unparalleled serenity, sunrise and moonlit ambiance that is perfect for losing yourself in the embrace of your lover, we have the right property for you.
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Oh god poly disaster. Remember, other people are not your relationship toys. Also, if you believe in hierarchical relationships, you are probably doing it wrong. I've been married to my husband for five years, and in a relationship with him … Continue reading
September 30, 2015
by sarcozona
0 comments


text: Woody Morcott '60 of Hobe Sound, Fla., has provided a remarkable boost to the Vance Athletic Center Challenge currently underway at Davidson College. His gift of $900,000, when matched by the challenge, adds $1.8 million to the project's funding, making the current fundraising total just over $9 million. "This generous gift from Mr. Morcott builds Read More


text: Contact Insider Xploreo is a new company and is in the process of building its network of insiders. In addition to ensuring that the insider on this page gets contacted, we would also like to get more information on your interests so that we can go out and find other insiders that might be of interest to you. Name* First Last Email* PhoneWhich of the following are you interested in?* Language Tutorial Volunteer Placement Internship Homestay Teach in China Which countries are you interested in going to?*Please select all that apply.AustraliaChinaCosta RicaFranceIndiaItalyJapanMexicoPeruSouth AfricaSpainThailandU.K.U.S.How did you find out about Xploreo?GoogleFacebookInstagramPinterestStudyAbroad.comFriendTeacherAdditional Info:Please leave us with any additional info that would help us match you with an insider who can provide exactly the kind of international learning experience you are looking for. This iframe contains the logic required to handle Ajax powered Gravity Forms.


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Washington (CNN) -- Attention, all drug runners. Your days of using caltrops to avoid apprehension are over -- at least in Texas.
Caltrops -- more commonly known as road spikes -- are small spiky objects like those used in the game of jacks. When tossed on roadways, they always point up and have a devastating impact on tires. Drug runners have increasingly used the devices when fleeing from law enforcement officers, officials say.
Beginning Thursday, caltrops are illegal in the Lone Star State.
State Rep. Aaron Pena crafted the caltrop ban at the behest of the U.S. Border Patrol, whose tires have borne the caltrops' trademark slashes.
"There's a portion of my district which goes right up to the border, the (Rio Grande) river," Pena said. "And caltrops are used there probably more than any other location in the United States."
Almost all reported cases of caltrop use can be found in a 20-mile stretch of the border west of McAllen, Texas, authorities said.
"The first time we were exposed to this was 2008 when we had one incident," said Rosendo Hinojosa, chief of the Border Patrol's Rio Grande Valley Sector. In 2009, there were 12 incidents, with 13 last year.
The homemade caltrops found in Pena's district probably are made in Mexico. Typically, they are little nails that are welded together. They are cheap, easy to deploy and, Pena says, very effective. "If you run over a caltrop, your tires will deflate," he said.
Caltrops also are indiscriminate. Those that do not puncture the tires of pursuing police cars sometimes puncture the tires of citizens' cars. No one spoke in opposition to the ban at a hearing, Pena said.
Hinojosa said while caltrops are effective, the Border Patrol has a countermeasure. "They can't spike our helicopters," he said.
But caltrops are hardly a new idea. There are numerous references throughout history to caltrops being used to puncture the feet of enemy soldiers or the hooves of their horses. The notorious bank robber John Dillinger, employing a similar tactic, is alleged to have tossed nails behind his car to defeat pursuing police officers following a heist.
The Dillinger gang "actually did it several times. It became part of their robbery technique," said Tony Stewart, author of "Dillinger: The Hidden Truth - Re-loaded."
The new Texas law prohibits the possession, manufacture, transportation, repair or sale of caltrops. But it exempts tire puncture strips that are designed to puncture tires when driven in a specific direction, such as those at car rental facilities, and caltrops used as curios, such as those in museums, or on display in Pena's office.
Will the ban stop drug runners from using caltrops?
"No," Pena conceded. "No, it won't. But it is a small measure that taken with other small measures will add up to an effective response."


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With Easter right around the corner, you may be looking for Easter Gift Ideas For Teenagers. When the kids were young, it was easy to grab a Littlest Pet Shop and a Thomas train. Easter For Teenagers can still be fun but the challenge is real. Check out these Easter gift ideas for the teenagers in your life!
Easter Gift Ideas For Teenagers
We've always given the kids a gift we know they will use in lieu of the commercialized Easter Basket full of throw away toys and yet another stuffed animal. I like to think of things we would be buying for them this time of year anyway.
This post contains affiliate links. Read our disclosure for more information!
What a perfect gift for Easter! My son's hardcover Bible has seen better days. Perhaps it's time for a lovely Teen Study Bible!
Season Pass
Is there an amusement park or water park nearby? This could be an excellent choice for summer time fun! It's the gift that keeps on giving.
How about a CityPass for a city nearby? Play tourists in your very own city!
iTunes Gift Card
Because what teenager doesn't like music? Of course, an iTunes gift card can also be used for movies, books, and apps. There's something for everyone!
A book would be an excellent idea for a long lazy afternoon! My daughter has shared some book ideas on Gift Ideas For 14 Year Old Girls.
Something for an Upcoming Trip
Do you have a vacation planned for summer? How about their very own rolling suitcase as a 'basket' filled with things they might need for the trip. Sunscreen, bathing suit, flip flops, summer clothes, a magazine and, of course, snacks would all be excellent choices! Another super cool, yet useful Easter basket idea can be found here. I LOVE the idea, just not sure my two teenagers would actually USE it. You know, the same teenagers that won't even wear a coat when it's 32 degrees.
How about a new pair of shoes? I have to say, I love Converse and bought myself a pair of these Converse slip ons in navy blue. Guess what? My daughter wears the same size and she has claimed them as her own. It's been tough keeping my son in shoes and jeans that actually fit this year. The boy is growing like a weed! I just might use Easter as an excuse to buy him a second pair of shoes.
Your teenagers will look stylish wearing these aviator sunglasses!
We were headed to the pool with friends not long ago and my son couldn't find his swim trunks anywhere. He wore his PE shorts instead but, when we got to the pool, we discovered his friend was wearing his swim trunks. Ha! Jack had apparently left them at his friends house. We didn't want to embarrass his friend so we didn't say a word. My fourteen year old son insists on wearing a swim shirt. Why not make it a sun safe one? I love Coolibar, a company that sells sun safe clothing!
Goggles always seem to disappear! Your teenagers will be thankful they have them when it's time to jump in the pool!
Sun Protective Clothing
A new summer outfit would be a very practical yet festive gift to give. Because I've had melanoma, sunblock or sun protective clothing is a must not only for me, but for the teenagers too!
Sun Hat
A sun hat or baseball cap not only gives sun protection but helps your eyes out too!
Spring Pajamas
Soon, very soon, the weather will turn warm and our fleece pajamas will no longer do. How about Spring pajamas?
Don't forget to throw a few of your teen's favorite treats out on Easter morning! Let's face it, even though our teenagers KNOW who the Easter bunny is, they still enjoy waking up to a treat and a few eggs Easter morning! These Easter Gift Ideas For Teenagers will set your teenagers up for a Spring full of fun!
More Easter Gift Ideas For Teens
More Easter Ideas For Teenagers
Easter Scavenger Hunt For Teenagers Who Drive
How To Make A Paper Easter Basket


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3 reasons why DataOps is essential for big data success
Developers once wrote application code and just "threw it over the wall" to IT operations, which then had to ensure that those applications performed well in the production environment. This was always a less-than-optimal approach, but it became untenable as the business began to depend more and more on lots of fresh code getting rolled out into production quickly and with a high degree confidence. So IT organizations are now embracing a set of best practices known as DevOps that improve coordination between development and operations.
A similar challenge now exists with big data. Instead of developers writing application code, however, we now have data scientists designing analytic models for extracting actionable insight from large volumes of diverse, rapidly changing data sets. The problem is that no matter how awesome those analytic models may be, they don't do anyone any good if they can't be quickly executed in the production environment.
DataOps, the set of best practices that improve coordination between data science and operations, has therefore become a critical discipline for any IT organization that wants to survive and thrive in a world where real-time business intelligence is a competitive necessity.
- Reason 1: Speed counts. Business opportunities often have short shelf-lives. In many cases, they may be as fleeting as a website visit or a phone call. So, for all practical purposes, slow results can be no results.
Also, business intelligence is increasingly being delivered in the form of mobile apps that salespeople, marketers and executive decision-makers are consuming in real time as they head into meetings or hop onto planes. Their need and expectation is that if Google can give them answers in a fraction of a second, their BI apps should be able to do so as well.
- Reason 2: The Cloud Is Not a Panacea. It's awesome that lots of relatively inexpensive processing capacity is available on-demand from cloud service providers. But not every big data performance issue can be solved by spinning up a bunch of Hadoop VMs.
In fact, big data performance bottlenecks are often caused by front-end data intake and transformation issues. All the cloud-based analytic processing capacity in the universe won't help you with these bottlenecks.
- Reason 3: Big Data Workloads are Diverse. Big data is not just one single thing. One day, it's predictive analytics. The next day, it's mobile data serving. The day after that, it's transaction processing.
If your infrastructure can't handle all these different types of workloads reliably, and in real time, you won't be able to able to give your business (and your customers) what they need, when they need it. Only by embracing DataOps can you keep your infrastructure tightly aligned with your data ingest-and-output needs.
Yes, data science is an exceptionally important discipline today. But that data science is only useful insofar as it can be efficiently and reliably executed. And for that to happen, you need DataOps.
To learn more, watch the webcast "Is Your Database Really Ready for Big Data," on on demand and available now: http://ubm.io/1yb571i


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SULLIVAN — Two new programs that tie training with real jobs in residential construction and as medical administrative assistants are being offered by Regional School Unit 24.
"Local businesses have expressed their need for dedicated employees with good work ethic," said Adult Education Director Ander Thébaud. "It's about building a local work force."
She said the two-day-a-week, 12-week programs will begin the first week of February. The targeted enrollment is 15 students per program.
Scholarships are available for the $800 tuition as well as possible help with mileage to attend the classes and internships, Thébaud said.
"We're trying to do a low- or no-cost training program," she said.
The programs are funded with an Integrated Education and Training grant from the Department of Labor.
The Regional School Unit 24 program is one of five funded in the state.
Thébaud said students who enroll could have the goal of continuing on to further their education, whether high school credentials or college.
Each curriculum will include a "Work Ready" component to help students prepare resumes, serve as interns, meet with employers, learn about using data bases as well as other basic computer skills and tips on answering the telephone in a business setting.
Thébaud said students who enroll in the residential construction program will gain hands-on experience with local contractors and likely will build something — such as a garden shed or ice shack — that can be donated or auctioned.
Those enrolled will gain OSHA and potentially National Center for Construction Education and Research certifications.
Students who complete the program also could emerge with up to 17 Eastern Maine Community College credits that could be transferred to the school's Building Construction and Technology Program.
Contractor Tobin Peacock of Peacock Builders in Bar Harbor, consulted with Thébaud on what is needed in the construction world.
Carpentry, he said, can be a very rewarding, creative and stable career path.
"The problem contractors are facing is there is plenty of good work out there, but not enough of a qualified work force," he said.
"We need more people to be interested in entering the trades and programs that provide some base level carpentry training and workforce skills to help create a stronger employee base," Peacock said.
Mount Desert Island Hospital helped shape the medical administrative assistant program, which will include, among other classes, billing and coding and medical terminology.
Joanne Harris, director of human resources at MDI Hospital, said finding more trained medical administrative assistants to work hand-in-hand with doctors and other practitioners is at the top of her list.
"They set the patient up so that when the provider comes in they're ready," Harris said. "The chart is there, the blood pressure has been taken and whatever other preparatory work that needs to occur. We just don't have enough people in our immediate labor market to fill the need."
She said medical administrative assistants can advance in the health field.
"It's a great starting point for people who have an interest in the medical field," Harris said.
She said an entry level medical administrative assistant could expect to be paid $11.91 per hour. If certified, the entry level pay is usually $15.07 per hour.
Participants in the adult education training will be prepared to take the Certified Medical Administrative Assistant exam.
"Our payors, like Medicare and commercial insurers, are requiring that medical assistants really have the knowledge equivalent to a certified medical assistant," Harris said. "This is not just nice to have, but it's what we need as we go forward."
"Every once in a while you get a program that actually works," she said of the "Assist and Build" program. "It's a good start and a good job."
For more information, call Thébaud at 422-4794.