text:
Заглавная страница Избранные статьи Случайная статья Познавательные статьи Новые добавления Обратная связь
Влияние общества на человека
Приготовление дезинфицирующих растворов различной концентрации
Практические работы по географии для 6 класса
Организация работы процедурного кабинета
Обработка изделий медицинского назначения многократного применения
Изменения в неживой природе осенью
Уборка процедурного кабинета
Сольфеджио. Все правила по сольфеджио
Балочные системы. Определение реакций опор и моментов защемления
⇐ ПредыдущаяСтр 18 из 32Следующая ⇒
Sound interchange may be defined as an opposition in which words or word forms are differentiated due to an alternation in the phonemic composition of the root. The change may affect the root vowel, as in food n : : feed v; or root consonant as in speak v : : speech n; or both, as for instance in life n : : live v. It may also be combined with affixation: strong a : : strength n; or with affixation and shift of stress as in 'democrat : : de'mocracy.
The process is not active in the language at present, and oppositions like those listed above survive in the vocabulary only as remnants of previous stages. Synchronically sound interchange should not be considered as a method of word-building at all, but rather as a basis for contrasting words belonging to the same word-family and different parts of speech or different lexico-grammatical groups.
И. В. Арнольд 145
The causes of sound interchange are twofold and one should learn to differentiate them from the historical point of view. Some of them are due to ablaut or vowel gradation characteristic of Indo-European languages and consisting in a change from one to another vowel accompanying a change of stress. The phenomenon is best known as a series of relations between vowels by which the stems of strong verbs are differentiated in grammar (drink — drank — drunk and the like). However, it is also of great importance in lexicology, because ablaut furnishes distinctive features for differentiating words. The examples are: abide v : : abode n; bear v : : burden n; bite v : : bit n; ride v : : road n; strike v : : stroke n.
The other group of cases is due to an assimilation process conditioned by the phonemic environment. One of these is vowel mutation, otherwise called umlaut, a feature characteristic of Germanic languages, and consisting in a partial assimilation to a succeeding sound, as for example the fronting or raising of a back vowel or a low vowel caused by an [i] or [j] originally standing in the following syllable but now either altered or lost. This accounts for such oppositions as full a : : fill v; whole a : : heal v; knot n : : knit v; tale n : : tell v. The process will be clear if we follow the development of the second element in each pair. ModE fill<OE fyllan; heal < hælan <*hailjan cognate to the OE hal; tell<OE tellan<*tallian; knit<OE cnyttan is especially interesting, as OE cnotta is akin to ON knūtr, knot, knötr 'ball' and to the Russian кнут which is 'a lash of knotted things'.
The consonant interchange was also caused by phonetic surroundings. Thus, the oppositions speak v : : speech n; bake v : : batch n; or wake v : : watch n are due to the fact that the palatal OE [k] very early became [tS] but was retained in verbs because of the position before the consonants [s] and [θ] in the second and third persons singular.
A voiced consonant in verbs contrasting with an unvoiced one in nouns results from the fact that in ME verbs this final of the stem occurred in intervocalic positions which made it voiced, whereas in nouns it ended the word or was followed by a consonant ending. After the loss of endings the voicedness was retained and grew into a distinctive feature. There is a long series of cognate verbs and nouns and also some adjectives differing in this way. Observe, for example, the opposition of voiced and unvoiced consonants in the following: advise v : : advice n; bathe v : : bath n; believe v : : belief n; clothe v : : cloth n; glaze v : : glass n; halve v : : half n; live v : : life n; loathe v : : loath n and a; lose v : : loss n, loose a; prove v : : proof nand a; serve v : : serf n; shelve v : : shelf n; wreathe v : : wreath n.
As to the difference in the root vowels of these verbs and nouns, it is caused by the fact that the root syllable in verbs was open, whereas in nouns it was closed. Observe the analogy between plurals in [-vz] correlated with singulars in [-f] and verbs in [-v] correlated with nouns in [-f ]: shelf n sing. — shelves n pl. — shelve v.1
1 O. Jespersen in "A Modern English Grammar on Historical Principles" (pt. VI, p. 200) points out that if the plural of a noun ends in -fs, a derived verb never has a voiced final consonant: dwarf n — dwarf v; roof n —roof v.
It will be recalled in this connection that the systematic character of the language may manifest itself in the analogy between word-building processes and word inflection. It is worthy of note that not only are these processes similar, but they also develop simultaneously. Thus, if some method is no longer productive in expressing grammatical categories, we shall also observe a parallel loss of productivity in expressing lexical meaning. This is precisely the case with root inflection. Instances of root inflection in the formation of the plural of nouns (goose — geese, foot — feet, tooth—teeth) or the Past Indefinite and Participle II of verbs (sing — sang — sung, drive — drove — driven, tear — tore — torn) exist in the language as the relics of past stages; and although in the case of verbs the number of ablaut forms is still very great, no new verbs are inflected on this pattern.
The same may be said about word-building by sound interchange. The type is not productive. No new words are formed in this way, yet sound interchange still stays in the language serving to distinguish one long-established word from another.
Synchronically, it differentiated parts of speech, i.e. it may signal the non-identity of words belonging to different parts of speech: full a : : fill v; food n : : feed v; or to different lexico-grammatical sets within the same part of speech: fall intransitive v : : fell causative v; compare also lie : : lay, sit : : set, rise : : raise.
Derivation often involves phonological changes of vowel or consonant: strong sl : : strength n; heal v : : health n; steal v : : stealth n; long a : : length n; deep a : : depth n.
Major derivative alternations involving changes of vowel and /or consonant and sometimes stress shift in borrowed words are as follows: delicacy n : : delicate a; piracy n : : pirate n; democracy n : : democrat n; decency n : : decent a; vacancy n : : vacant a; creation n : : create v; edify v : : edification n; organise v : : organisation n; agnostic a : : agnosticism n.
Some long vowels are retained in quality and quantity; others are shortened, and there seems to be no fixed rule, e.g. [a:] tends to be retained: artist n : : artistic а; [э:] is regularly shortened: 'permit n : : per'mit v.
Some otherwise homographic, mostly disyllabic nouns and verbs of Romanic origin have a distinctive stress pattern. Thus, 'conduct n 'behaviour' is forestressed, whereas con'duct v 'to lead or guide (in a formal way)' has a stress on the second syllable. Other examples are: accent, affix, asphalt, compact (impact),1 compound, compress (impress), conflict, contest, contract (extract), contrast, convict, digest, essay, export (import, transport), increase, insult, object (subject, project), perfume, permit, present, produce, progress, protest, rebel, record, survey, torment, transfer.2 Examples of words of more than two syllables are very few:
1 Words of the same root are given in brackets.
2 There are some meanings in which the verb is also forestressed.
10* 147
'attribute n : : a'ttribute v. Historically this is probably explained by the fact that these words were borrowed from French where the original stress was on the last syllable. Thus, ac'cent comes through French from Latin ac'centus. Verbs retained this stress all the more easily as many native disyllabic verbs were also stressed in this way: be come, be'lieve, for'bid, for'get, for'give. The native nouns, however, were forestressed, and in the process of assimilation many loan nouns came to be stressed on the first syllable.
A similar phenomenon is observed in some homographic pairs of adjectives and verbs, e.g. 'absent a : : ab'sent v; 'frequent a : : fre'quent v; 'perfect a : : per'fect v; 'abstract a : : ab'stract v. Other patterns with difference in stress are also possible, such as arithmetic [э'riθ-mэtik] n : : arithmetical) [эпθ'metik(эl)] a. The fact that in the verb the second syllable is stressed involves a phonemic change of the vowels as well: [э/ае] and [э/i].
This stress distinction is, however, neither productive nor regular. There are many denominal verbs that are forestressed and thus homonymous with the corresponding nouns. For example, both the noun and the verb comment are forestressed, and so are the following words: exile, figure, preface, quarrel, focus, process, program, triumph, rivet and others.
There is a large group of disyllabic loan words that retain the stress on the second syllable both in verbs and nouns: accord, account, advance, amount, approach, attack, attempt, concern, defeat, distress, escape, exclaim, research, etc.
A separate group is formed by compounds where the corresponding combination of words has double stress and the compound noun is forestressed so that the stress acquires a word-building force: 'black 'board : : 'blackboard and 'draw'back : : 'drawback.
It is worth noting that stress alone, unaccompanied by any other differentiating factor, does not seem to provide a very effective means of distinguishing words. And this is, probably, the reason why oppositions of this kind are neither regular nor productive.
The great majority of motivated words in present-day language are motivated by reference to other words in the language, to the morphemes that go to compose them and to their arrangement. Therefore, even if one hears the noun wage-earner for the first time, one understands it, knowing the meaning of the words wage and earn and the structural pattern noun stem + verbal stem+ -eras in bread-winner, skyscraper, strike-breaker. Sound imitating or onomatopoeic words are on the contrary motivated with reference to extra-linguistic reality, they are echoes of natural sounds (e. g. lullaby, twang, whiz.) Sound imitation (onomatopoeia or echoism) is consequently the naming of an action or thing by a more or less exact reproduction of a sound
associated with it. For instance words naming sounds and movement of water: babble, blob, bubble, flush, gurgle, gush, splash, etc.
The term onomatopoeia is from Greek onoma 'name, word' and poiein 'to make1 → 'the making of words (in imitation of sounds)'.
It would, however, be wrong to think that onomatopoeic words reflect the real sounds directly, irrespective of the laws of the language, because the same sounds are represented differently in different languages. Onomatopoeic words adopt the phonetic features of English and fall into the combinations peculiar to it. This becomes obvious when one compares onomatopoeic words crow and twitter and the words flow and glitter with which they are rhymed in the following poem:
The cock is crowing,
The stream is flowing.
The small birds twitter,
The lake does glitter,
The green fields sleep in the sun (Wordsworth).
The majority of onomatopoeic words serve to name sounds or movements. Most of them are verbs easily turned into nouns: bang, boom, bump, hum, rustle, smack, thud, etc.
They are very expressive and sometimes it is difficult to tell a noun from an interjection. Consider the following: Thum — crash! "Six o'clock, Nurse," — crash] as the door shut again. Whoever it was had given me the shock of my life (M. Dickens).
Sound-imitative words form a considerable part of interjections. Сf . bang! hush! pooh!
Semantically, according to the source of sound, onomatopoeic words fall into a few very definite groups. Many verbs denote sounds produced by human beings in the process of communication or in expressing their feelings: babble, chatter, giggle, grunt, grumble, murmur, mutter, titter, whine, whisper and many more. Then there are sounds produced by animals, birds and insects, e.g. buzz, cackle, croak, crow, hiss, honk, howl, moo, mew, neigh, purr, roar and others. Some birds are named after the sound they make, these are the crow, the cuckoo, the whippoor-will and a few others. Besides the verbs imitating the sound of water such as bubble or splash, there are others imitating the noise of metallic things: clink, tinkle, or forceful motion: clash, crash, whack, whip, whisk, etc.
The combining possibilities of onomatopoeic words are limited by usage. Thus, a contented cat purrs, while a similarly sounding verb whirr is used about wings. A gun bangs and a bow twangs.
R. Southey's poem "How Does the Water Come Down at Lodore" is a classical example of the stylistic possibilities offered by onomatopoeia: the words in it sound an echo of what the poet sees and describes.
Here it comes sparkling, And there it flies darkling ... Eddying and whisking,
Spouting and frisking, ...
And whizzing and hissing, ...
And rattling and battling, ...
And guggling and struggling, ...
And bubbling and troubling and doubling,
And rushing and flushing and brushing and gushing,
And flapping and rapping and clapping and slapping ...
And thumping and pumping and bumping and jumping,
And dashing and flashing and splashing and clashing ...
And at once and all o'er, with a mighty uproar,
And this way the water comes down at Lodore.
Once being coined, onomatopoeic words lend themselves easily to further word-building and to semantic development. They readily develop figurative meanings. Croak, for instance, means 'to make a deep harsh sound'. In its direct meaning the verb is used about frogs or ravens. Metaphorically it may be used about a hoarse human voice. A further transfer makes the verb synonymous to such expressions as 'to protest dismally', 'to grumble dourly', 'to predict evil'.
Back-formation (also called reversion) is a term borrowed from diachronic linguistics. It denotes the derivation of new words by subtracting a real or supposed affix from existing words through misinterpretation of their structure. The phenomenon was already introduced in § 6.4.3 when discussing compound verbs.
The process is based on analogy. The words beggar, butler, cobbler, or typewriter look very much like agent nouns with the suffix -er/-or, such as actor or painter. Their last syllable is therefore taken for a suffix and subtracted from the word leaving what is understood as a verbal stem. In this way the verb butle 'to act or serve as a butler' is derived by subtraction of -erfrom a supposedly verbal stem in the noun butler. Butler (ME buteler, boteler from OFr bouteillier 'bottle bearer') has widened its meaning. Originally it meant 'the man-servant having charge of the wine'. It means at present 'the chief servant of a rich household who is in charge of other servants, receives guests and directs the serving of meals'.
These examples are sufficient to show how structural changes taking place in back-formation became possible because of semantic changes that preceded them. In the above cases these changes were favoured by contextual environment. The change of meaning resulted in demotivation, and this paved the way for phonic changes, i.e. assimilation, loss of sound and the like, which in their turn led to morphemic alternations that became meaningful. Semantic changes often influence the morphological structure by
modifying the relations between stems and derivational affixes. Structural changes, in their turn, depend on the combined effect of demotivation and analogy conditioned by a higher frequency of occurrence of the pattern that serves as model. Provided all other conditions are equal, words following less frequent structural patterns are readily subjected to changes on the analogy of more frequent patterns.
The very high frequency of the pattern verbstem+-er (or its equivalents) is a matter of common knowledge. Nothing more natural therefore than the prominent part this pattern plays in back-formation. Alongside the examples already cited above are burgle v<burglar n; cobble v<cobbler n; sculpt v<sculptor n. This phenomenon is conveniently explained on the basis of proportional lexical oppositions. If
teacher = painter = butler teach paint x
then x = butle, and to butle must mean 'to act as butler'.
The process of back-formation has only diachronic relevance. For synchronic approach butler : : butle is equivalent to painter : : paint, so that the present-day speaker may not feel any difference between these relationships. The fact that butle is derived from butler through misinterpretation is synchronically of no importance. Some modern examples of back-formation are lase v — a verb used about the functioning of the apparatus called laser (see p. 143), escalate from escalator on the analogy of elevate — elevator. Cf. also the verbs aggress, automate, enthuse, obsolesce and reminisce.
Back-formation may be also based on the analogy of inflectional forms as testified by the singular nouns pea and cherry. Pea (the plural of which is peas and also pease) is from ME pese<OE pise, peose<Lat pisa, pl. of pesum. The ending -s being the most frequent mark of the plural in English, English speakers thought that sweet peas(e) was a plural and turned the combination peas(e) soup into pea soup. Cherry is from OFr cerise, and the -se was dropped for exactly the same reason.
The most productive type of back-formation in present-day English is derivation of verbs (see p. 126) from compounds that have either -er or -ing as their last element. The type will be clear from the following examples: thought-read v<thought-reader n<thought-reading n; air-condition v<air-conditioner n < air-conditioning n; turbo-supercharge v < turbo-supercharger n. Other examples of back-formations from compounds are the verbs baby-sit, beachcomb, house-break, house-clean, house-keep, red-bait, tape-record and many others.
The semantic relationship between the prototype and the derivative is regular. Baby-sit, for example, means to act or become employed as a baby-sitter', that is to take care of children for short periods of time while the parents are away from home. Similarly, beachcomb is 'to live or act as a beachcomber'; the noun is a slightly ironical word de-
The degree of substantivation may be different. Alongside with complete substantivation of the type already mentioned (the private, the private's, the privates), there exists partial substantivation. In this last case a substantivised adjective or participle denotes a group or a class of people: the blind, the dead, the English, the poor, the rich, the accused, the condemned, the living, the unemployed, the wounded, the lower-paid.
We call these words partially substantivised, because they undergo no morphological changes, i.e. do not acquire a new paradigm and are only used with the definite article and a collective meaning. Besides they keep some properties of adjectives. They can, for instance, be modified by adverbs. E.g.: Success is the necessary misfortune of human life, but it is only to the very unfortunate that it comes early (Trollope). It was the suspicious and realistic, I thought, who were most easy to reassure. It was the same in love: the extravagantly jealous sometimes needed only a single word to be transported into absolute trust (Snow).
Besides the substantivised adjectives denoting human beings there is a considerable group of abstract nouns, as is well illustrated by such grammatical terms as: the Singular, the Plural, the Present, the Past, the Future, and also: the evil, the good, the impossible. For instance: "One should never struggle against the inevitable," he said (Christie)/
It is thus evident that substantivation has been the object of much controversy. Some of those, who do not accept substantivation of adjectives as a variant of conversion, consider conversion as a process limited to the formation of verbs from nouns and nouns from verbs. But this point of view is far from being universally accepted.
Последнее изменение этой страницы: 2016-08-16; Нарушение авторского права страницы
infopedia.su Все материалы представленные на сайте исключительно с целью ознакомления читателями и не преследуют коммерческих целей или нарушение авторских прав. Обратная связь - 18.104.22.168 (0.016 с.)


text:
The sluggish global economy will continue to bite this year, with manufacturing companies bearing the brunt of the downturn, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) said yesterday.
Weaknesses have also shown up in the labour market, which will remain tight this year.
Unionised firms told NTUC that in the first three months this year, 234 workers - mostly from the manufacturing sector - may be laid off, a 31 per cent increase from the figure in the same period last year.
The cuts are partly due to restructuring efforts, NTUC assistant secretary-general Cham Hui Fong said in an annual press briefing on the outlook for the unionised sector.
"We have some new numbers but they are not too alarming. The economy continues to be quite subdued, hence this trend is not unexpected," she said, noting that the trend "could be cyclical" and "turn over quite quickly".
Mr Lam Joon Khoi, secretary- general of the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF), said his industry is being "adversely affected by various factors, such as the manufacturing slowdown in China, high business costs and intense competition".
A better gauge of the employment situation will come after Chinese New Year, Ms Cham said.
Firms typically refrain from breaking bad news to their employees during the festive period.
But, so far, NTUC has not received "any notifications of any impending retrenchment".
Last year, 2,512 workers from unionised companies lost their jobs, up 12 per cent from 2,246 in 2014. About 93 per cent of the displaced workers were from the manufacturing sector.
Bank of America Merrill Lynch economist Chua Hak Bin said: "The job market will likely weaken, given the global slowdown. Employment growth was already tepid last year, compared with 2014.
"Manufacturing remains in recession. Services growth has been holding up but may start to slip, as China's slowdown weighs on Singapore's economy."
The electronics, construction and logistics sectors predicted a mixed to weak outlook this year.
Only four of 19 listed sectors - healthcare, security, air transport and pharmaceutical - expect to perform well.
Ms Cham said employment benefits took a slight hit last year. Despite the tight labour market, employees in unionised firms on average took home an annual pay increment of 4 per cent, a drop of 0.3 percentage points from 2014.
When it comes to bonus payouts, companies are expected to give an average of 2.98 months, up from 2.89 for 2014. For 2013, workers received a 4.63 per cent salary rise and 3.16 months' bonus.
To cope with the downturn, companies have adopted measures such as shorter work weeks and passive hiring.
"Some organisations may just be hiring to replace the numbers they lost," said Ms Cham.
Last year, 2,098 employees from nine companies went on shorter work weeks, up from 1,323 from five companies the year before.
Productivity remains a problem that the SMF wants to fix, with a new business-model innovation centre. Mr Lam said: "(Companies) must transform and focus on creating value."
Ms Cham said: "Restructuring is not taking place at the pace we would like to see. If there is no U-turn in the foreign worker policy, we hope that it will add more pressure on employers to further streamline their operations."
This article was first published on January 23, 2016. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
For expert advice call us today
Service Department/Aerial & Satellite Installers: 01948 840 272
Products Store: 01939 234 094
Within a 25 mile radius
of our Wem Store
Professional Installations
Removal & Recycling
of products
Reliable and Friendly
Customer Service
All Products Sold As
Agent Of Euronics Ltd
As well as stocking a range of Televisions and Audio Equipment through our buying group Euronics, we're also independent dealers for Panasonic.
See some of our range here. Please don't hesitate to contact our product store in Wem regarding pricing and availability.
E302B Series:
FS352 Series:
FS500B Series:
FS503B Series:
FX550B Series:
FX650B Series:
FX700B Series:
FX750B Series:
FZ802 Series:
FZ952 Series:


text:
FORMER Kiwi Buster Brady confirmed his tag as Victoria's Country Cups "King" with a spellbinding win in the $60,000 Group 2 Horsham Cup.
The gelding is known for switching off at times in his races, but also for his staggering will to win.
He showed plenty of both, but rallied courageously when it mattered to snatch a 1.5m win over talented pair Jilliby Chevy and Cant Refuse. Both had easier runs than him.
Today's Horsham Cup win followed other country cup wins at Maryborough, Echuca, Cobram and Geelong.
The gelding has been a revelation for owners the Stokie Group and Kima Frenning, who is trying her hand for the first time as a trainer with Buster Brady.
It was a stirring contest today, especially when Cant Refuse's trainer-driver Matty Craven showed aggression in the middle stages, posted Buster Brady three-wide then eventually worked to the front and Buster Brady outside him.
Cant Refuse pinched a break coming to the home turn and Buster Brady looked spent, while Jilliby Chevy surged through along the sprint lane.
Just when it seemed Jilliby Chevy had Cant Refuse beaten and was home, Buster Brady lifted remarkably, surged and snatched the an epic win in a 1min58.7sec mile rate for the long 2700m trip.
Another former Kiwi, Monty Python, made light of a 10m handicap courtesy of a superb Chris Alford drive to win the $25,000 Group 3 Horsham Trotters' Cup.
Andy Gath's latest Kiwi import, Il Pirata, was the heavily backed favourite, but did some midrace work, trotted roughly and hung in the last 300m and was just fair in third spot.
THERE is a real sense of timing about Major Trojan's WA Derby campaign.
In fact, barriers pending, Gary Hall Sr's latest star has next Friday night's Group 1 feature at his mercy.
That became clear when, after three placings from his only three previous WA runs, Major Trojan finally draw well, led and thrashed his rivals in the Derby Prelude at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
It was an armchair drive for Gary Hall Jr, who dictated through a dawdling 62sec middle half then zipped home in 56.2 and 27.3sec to win by 10.6m in a comfortable 1min58.1sec mile rate for 2130m.
"All his runs have been fantastic and we knew he was building fitness. When he drew well this time, we knew he had the speed to use the draw and expected to him to win," Hall Sr said.
"Gaz said he did that easily and he's right where we want him going into next week."
The main rival looks to be Kyle Harper's exciting Franco Edward, who actually beat home Major Trojan (third) when second to Eloquent Mach at Gloucester Park two week's back.
Franco Edward stormed home from last and also looks to be building nicely.
His owner Rob Watson shocked many recently when he said Franco Edward was potentially the best horse he'd had, remembering Watson also bred and races the outstanding Soho Tribeca.
THIS is shaping as one heck of a juvenile crop in Australia.
Jilliby Nitro grab top seeding with his mesmerizing Gold Crown win at Bathurst last Friday.
But we've been hearing for weeks now Be Happy Mach is the next young star out of Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin's barn.
Be Happy Mach made the most of a lovely run to win his second race from as many starts and beat some exciting youngsters in the process in last night's $24,000 Shakamaker Classic (1720m) at Melton.
After trailing the leader and using the sprint lane, Chris Alford nursed him to a 2.9m win over the eye-catching Sanday for Andy and Kate Gath charging home for second and Kiwi-bred Hes Goneski tiring after leading for third.
The only buzz youngster in the race, Soho Hamilton, was far from disgraced in fourth spot after drawing wide, being three and four wide early then doing the work outside the leader.
Be Happy Mach and Jilliby Nitro are headed towards an Australian Gold showdown.
LOVEABLE young mare Miss Sangrial gave Team Brennan and stable driver Michael Grantham not only one of their biggest, but most rewarding wins at Gloucester Park last Friday night.
Blowing punters away as a $51 shot, Miss Sangrial snatched a half-head win over classy former Kiwi mare Our Alfie Romeo with Lady De La Renta third and hot favourite Eden Franco fourth in the $50,000 Group 2 Empress Stakes (2536m).
"This is as good as it gets," trainer Michael "Mouse" Brennan said. "We've always had a good opinion of this mare, she's a stable favourite, and to share the big win with Mickey (Grantham) is fantastic."
Another popular win on the came from Vultan Tin, who returned to form in the free-for-all for trainer Phil Costello and driver Chris Voak.
The seven-year-old snatched a half-head win over Brennan's evergreen The Bucket List with favourite Handsnwheels third in a 1min56.8sec mile rate for 2536m.
LAST season's star three-year-old trotter Stress Factor will need to lift to snare a Harness Jewels invite.
The Trotters' Derby and Breeders Crown winner was moderate at best when fifth to Claudys Prince at Maryborough last Friday.
He's yet to show anything like his best form this term, casting in serious doubt a planned Kiwi raid by trainer Brent Lilley.
AS well as a Melton treble, top trainer Emma Stewart also won the feature race at Globe Derby last night.
Stewart's filly Celebrity Chef did the work outside the leader and dug deep to win the $15,000 Botra Fillies' Classic with Jaimie-Lee King aboard for her first race start.
Adam Hamilton


text:
Philip Pullman waited 17 years before allowing readers back into the world of Lyra Belacqua, Joseph Heller took 33 to return to Catch-22, and George RR Martin is still keeping fans hanging for his version of the final struggle for the Iron Throne. The eight years readers have been waiting since the second volume of Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy may not seem much in comparison. But for Mantel, they have been the most demanding years of her career.
The first part of Mantel's tale of Cromwell at the court of Henry VIII, Wolf Hall, appeared in 2009, winning her the Booker prize and catapulting her to global bestseller status. Bring Up the Bodies followed in 2012, netting her a second Booker and taking worldwide sales for the series above 5m copies. The concluding volume, The Mirror and the Light, was originally expected in 2014. But the novel has been repeatedly delayed, and Mantel has spoken about the pressure she has felt to get it right. "The third book is particularly taxing, it needs all my ingenuity," she told the FT in 2017. "If I think about the totality of it, it seems impossible. If I stick to the scene-by-scene, it does seem possible."
Announcing this week that The Mirror and the Light would be published next March, Mantel called it "the greatest challenge of my writing life, and the most rewarding", adding: "I hope and trust my readers will find it has been worth the wait."
Pullman published the last volume of His Dark Materials in 2000, and waited 17 years before returning to his alternative vision of Oxford in La Belle Sauvage. With the second volume of his Book of Dust trilogy, The Secret Commonwealth, due in October, the author is unconcerned by his fans' hunger for more.
"The only problem with pressure from readers is when you take any notice of it," Pullman says. "Maybe I'm thick-skinned but I've always felt that what I do when I'm writing is none of the readers' business. Or the critics' business, or even the publishers' business. Any pressure I've felt when coming towards the end of a trilogy or a novel is entirely self-generated, and it takes the form (as always) of wanting to discover what the story is and then tell it as clearly as I can."
Until the book is published, there's nothing readers can do but wait, he continues. "When it is out in the bookshops, they can say what they like, read it in any way they like, make any interpretations they like. If they're interesting, I'm happy to talk about the matter, because I, too, have read the book. But from publication onwards my view of what it means, or says, has no more authority than the readers'. It's a political difference, in a way: writing is despotic, reading is democratic."
Fantasy author Martin has always been less sanguine about reader demand – or what he described in 2009 as a "rising tide of venom" about the wait for the fifth book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series, on which Game of Thrones was based.
"As some of you like to point out in your emails, I am 60 years old and fat, and you don't want me to 'pull a Robert Jordan' on you and deny you your book. OK, I've got the message. You don't want me doing anything except A Song of Ice and Fire. Ever. (Well, maybe it's OK if I take a leak once in a while?)" he wrote. Martin published A Dance with Dragons two years later, and appeared to hint to fans this week that the long-awaited Winds of Winter would be done by next summer.
Anne Rice is another author who understands the strain of reader expectation. After publishing a series of novels set in the world of Interview With the Vampire between 1976 and 2003, it was 11 years before she returned with the novel Prince Lestat. Rice admits that she had been under great pressure from fans to write about the character again – but she couldn't do it until his story came alive.
"[It] was a matter of inviting that character to come back to me, to check in as if he were a real living being, and let me know what he'd been doing and how his existence had been going," she says. "It was a pleasure, really, to know readers cared and wanted this – but I knew it simply couldn't happen unless Lestat became real again, and started talking to me. There were a few false starts. I was trying to contact him and it wasn't working. Then I heard his voice. Then I felt his presence. Then I slipped into the state of mind in which he could be fully real, fully vibrant and fully surprising, and he talked on and on and simply wouldn't shut up. It was marvellous."


text:
Slacker and Steve - OPP: My Naked Mom (Audio)
January 2, 2018
Allison's mom was just in town for the holidays and something strange happened. On New Year's Eve her mom had too much to drink and went to bed just after midnight. Allison woke up at 3 a.m. to find her husband and her mother playing strip poker. Her mom had already lost her bra. Allison and her husband have a pretty open relationship but she feels this crosses the line. Who should she be mad at? Who does she talk to first? What advice do you have for Allison?


text:
Date of Award
Document Type
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College of Education
First Advisor
James Therrell, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Jeannette Amayo, Ed.D.
Third Advisor
Donna Eastabrooks, Ph.D.
New teachers rarely come to their first years of teaching with the expertise of a veteran teacher. Because teachers need to deliver impactful instruction, the education community has expanded induction initiatives that support new teachers. Understanding how induction mentors develop expertise in feedback and reflection can guide efforts to foster the development of mentor practice. This qualitative case study focused on the use of video and self-reflection to support mentor development practices within a regional induction program in Southern California. The study explored the experience of induction mentors who used both video-aided self-reflection and video-aided peer feedback during the 2017-2018 school year. Data collection methods included key documents, interviews, and observations. In researching the impact of video-aided reflection and feedback on mentor practice, the results of this study demonstrate and link the potential of video to impact new teacher practices. In addition, the study presents details of the observed changes in mentor practice. These findings provide preliminary support for an alternative model for developing educative mentors, including suggested recommendations to the educator preparation community as induction program leaders work toward developing mentor expertise.


text:
I use the Suzuki Violin Method for my students. It is a proven, effective curriculum that has allowed guided many students to instrument mastery. Violin instructors worldwide have widely used this curriculum for over 50 years.
Thought it is excellent instructional material, I do supplement the Suzuki curriculum on certain topics, such as note-naming and bowing technique.


text:
You may have heard the term 'travel incentive' before, but it might leave you wondering—who creates these programs, anyway? There are many companies, particularly travel agencies, who offer to plan group travel, and some of these companies also use the phrase 'travel incentives.' This might lead you to believe that such travel agencies offer the same services as a travel incentive company. However, there's a difference between an agency that can book group travel and a company specifically devoted to travel incentive programs. Here are a few of the ways travel incentive companies are distinct:
Travel Incentive Companies Have Your Business in Mind
Travel incentive companies know how to help your business flourish. They know how to create a program that drives long-term behaviors such as improving productivity and morale. Additionally travel incentive companies not only offer a memorable experience, but they ensure that the trip is worthwhile for both attendees as well as your business.
Pro tip:
To ensure that your travel incentive program provides you with the most value, be sure to ask the following questions:
- While cost-savings is important to us, what are the things that your program brings to us that provide extra value?
- How does the value translate into savings for us (e.g. time, money, risk avoided, etc.)?
Travel Incentive Companies Help Create Your Program
Implementing a travel incentive program from concept to completion is a complicated task. It's far more complex than selecting destination and generating a few marketing emails to get the most out of the incentive campaign. An effective and efficient program is one that motivates participants and helps you accomplish your goals, which is exactly where an experienced travel incentive company will excel.
A travel incentive company will work with you to craft a full incentive program suited to your specific needs and goals. They can even create kick-off announcements and promotional campaigns as well as provide onsite support during the event to ensure your program goes smoothly.
Pro Tip:
Experienced travel incentive companies will want to know much more than your destination, budget and number of travelers. Some questions to ask:
- Given our audience (e.g. travelers) do you believe this is the best destination, or should we consider another option? If so, what might be better one and why?
- When considering this destination, do you have relationships with local vendors who can provide us with more custom or unique experience?
- Can you provide additional support such as helping us with ideas for the promotion of as well as marketing during the course of the incentive program?
How much manpower will be available to us during the event itself and what will be the roles of those individuals?
Travel Incentive Companies Arrange Much More Than Travel
One of the biggest advantages of opting for a travel incentive company is that they will work to meet all of your needs, not just a few. While they are experts in destination travel and can help you arrange transportation, secure lodging and meeting places, as well as find recreational opportunities and dining hot spots, they also do a whole lot more.
Much goes into a travel incentive program behind the scenes and experienced travel incentive companies understand the complexity. They streamline the process for you to make your decision-making easier and help your program run smoothly.
Pro Tip:
Travel incentives offer a significant amount of value that is often overlooked. To uncover the true value to your organization be sure to ask the following questions:
- Will you help us with event budgeting?
- Selecting the right venue is a concern and can take time; do you provide venue scouting as part of your program?
- Can you help us locate, review and select vendors?
- Will you be able to help us with any kind of technology options for participant check-ins, agendas, etc.?
- How can you help us with risk management? Do you provide crisis plans for our travelers? What about contract review looking for clauses that could impact us later?
- How will you ensure that the event goes smoothly? Will you provide onsite event management?
Travel Incentive Companies Specialize in Customization and Flexibility
A good travel incentive company allows you to customize your program, destination, and activities planned for the trip. Customization is a priority—they will work with your budget, business goals, and attendee demographics to figure out the perfect program, destination, and recreational activities for your group. Not only that, the people you work with at a travel incentive company know how to be flexible, and will not allow unforeseen misfortune to derail your entire trip.
Pro Tip:
To truly gain the most customization from your travel incentive, the following questions are always relevant:
- Can we create options for activities that allow individualized experiences based upon interests such as cooking, exploring, relaxing, shopping, etc.?
- Is there an option which accommodates those with disabilities such as wheelchairs or difficulty walking, hearing impaired, etc.?
- How do you address and handle dietary restrictions or needs such as low sodium or sugar, Kosher, shellfish or nut allergies, etc.?
- Is there a crisis plan should there be a problem as simple as a power outage or as large as a need to help a traveler be medically transported?
Are there contingency plans should a venue suddenly become unavailable (e.g. act of God, unforeseen construction, etc.)?
|Take a look at this case study to see Gavel International's flexibility and expertise put on display in the midst of unexpected obstacles: http://www.gavelintl.com/case-studies/executing-automotive-product-launch-unprecedented-acclaim/
Travel Incentive Companies Stay Involved
A travel incentive company will stick with you every step of the way, from start to finish, striving to ensure that you and your attendees have the best experience possible. They will answer any questions you have—at any point—and have staff onsite to ensure your trip runs smoothly.
Pro Tip:
When the event is completed, it may be easy to assume that the work is done. But for experienced travel incentive companies, the work is far from complete. To understand exactly what kind of value they bring, ask the following questions early in the process:
- Would you be able to help us collect and gather feedback from travelers as well as participants in the incentive program?
- Can you help us with auditing after the event to ensure that our payments were accurate and that line item accounting is correct?
- Will you be able to work with us to see how this program impacts participants long-term (e.g. reassess morale, productivity, etc. in 3 or 6 months?)
Travel incentive companies provide significant value to organizations which goes far beyond cost reduction or containment. An industry professional can help organizations leverage a budget to ensure that travelers not only have a memorable experience, but that the planning, execution and follow-up align with business objectives.
Do you want an unforgettable travel incentive program created and executed by industry professionals? Contact Gavel International for more information.
- How to Effectively Manage Workplace Stress During a Pandemic - May 14, 2020
- Fill a Heart 4 Kids - January 8, 2020
- Gavel International's 2019 Toys for Tots Drive - January 8, 2020


text:
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum species) are popular for their 6 to 10 inch trumpet shaped flowers that are born on 1 to 2 foot stalks (scapes). Although red and scarlet are the most popular colors, the flowers may be pink, white, salmon, apricot, rose, bicolor or picotee (petals with a different edge color) and in both single and double forms. They are prized for the color they add to the indoor landscapes during winter, and are often given and received as gifts.
When growing amaryllis from bulbs, careful selection of the bulbs is important because the plant's performance is influenced by both the size and condition of the bulb. It is best to select the largest bulbs available as they will produce more stalks and blooms the first year. The bulbs should be firm and dry with no signs of mold, decay or injury. Next, select a container that is deep enough to allow adequate room for good root development and has provisions for drainage. The diameter of the pot should be about one inch larger than that of the bulb. Although this may seem small, amaryllis bulbs prefer a smaller container. Select a potting medium that has a high organic matter, but drains well. The bulb should be positioned so that at least one-third, preferably one-half, of the bulb is above the surface of the potting medium. Firm the potting medium around the bulb, water it thoroughly and place the container in a warm, sunny spot. Do not fertilize the bulb until it begins to grow. After growth appears, it is essential to fertilize the plants regularly with a fertilizer that has high phosphorus content. Move the plant out of direct sunlight when the flower buds have begun to show color.
The secret to successfully growing amaryllis is to keep the plants actively growing after they have finished blooming. After the flowers have faded, cut them off to prevent seed formation. Do not remove the flower stalk until it has turned yellow; since it will help manufacture food that will be stored in the bulb. If the bulb does not produce a flowering stalk the next blooming period, it has not stored enough nutrients during the post-blooming period. It is important that amaryllis receive plenty of bright sunlight after they have finished blooming so place it in the brightest possible location indoors. Water the plant from the top of the container thoroughly whenever the top 2 inches of the soil is dry to the touch. Empty any excess water that drains from the pot as wet soil will promote root and bulb rot.
When all danger of frost is past, acclimate the plant to the outdoors by first placing it in indirect light. Gradually move it to a bright spot in your garden where it will receive full sun for at least 6 hours daily. Sink the pot into the soil and fertilize as you would any other perennial. Amaryllis plants should be brought indoors before the first frost in the fall. Amaryllis do not require a resting period, however, blooming time can be controlled by allowing the bulb to go through a resting period. After bringing the potted plants indoors, store them in a dark place like a basement or cool closet (above freezing) and do not water. Do not remove the foliage until it has become dry and shriveled. The bulbs can be forced into bloom again after resting for 8 to 12 weeks. Inspect the bulbs periodically and bring them into light if new growth appears. If no new growth appears, they can be forced to bloom by bringing them into bright light and watering the soil thoroughly. Usually one or more flower stalks appear first, but occasionally they are preceded by leaves. Flowers usually develop in about 4-6 weeks from dormant bulbs, so they can be timed to flower for the holidays.
Amaryllis require some care and attention throughout the year, but those beautiful trumpet
shaped flowers are a great reward in the long months of winter.


text:
Airside Access Forms
All airside forms are to be emailed through to: [email protected]
Parafield Airport Vehicle Control Handbook 2019
Security Access Application (SAC)
- The Security Access Cards are valid for 2 years or will hold an expiry date to match your ASIC.
- If you do hold an ASIC you will need to supply a PDF photo copy when sending through the paperwork.
- If you do not use your card within a 90-day period the card will disable for security reasons. If this is the case, we will easily be able enable your card as long as it's still within its expiry date.
- If your card has expired, you will need to complete a new SAC form and have it signed off by a company delegate.
- Once the form is returned via email you will be notified when the card is ready for collection.
Authority to Drive Airside (ADA)
- ADAs are valid for 2 years.
- You will be required to provide a copy of your current state drivers licence when sending through the paperwork.
- This application form is to be completed if you require to drive airside for business purposes only.
- The ADA form will need to be signed off by a company delegate.
- Once you have sent through the paperwork we will arrange a time and day to complete the theory and practical tests.
- The theory test consists of 13 questions, the first 8 must all be correct before proceeding. If you have failed the first 8 mandatory questions you will need to wait 2 working days (Mon- Fri) before you can re-sit the test.
- If you pass the theory test you will then complete a practical driving assessment with an Airport Operations team member. You will then be issued an ADA licence once you are successful in both the theory and practical tests.
- If your ADA has expired, you will need to complete the paperwork again along with a copy of your current state drivers licence and re-sit the testing.
Authority to Use Airside (AUA)
- This application form is to be completed if your vehicle is required to drive airside for business purposes only.
- The AUA form will need to be signed off by a company delegate.
- It is a requirement that you provide a copy of your insurance certificate for the vehicle you wish to take airside which must have a minimum cover of $20 million.
- The expiry date on your insurance certificate will be the expiry date of your AUA.
- Once you have provided the completed paperwork and the insurance policy you will be issued an AUA sticker that is to be displayed visibly on your vehicle windshield at all times while driving airside. We will notify you of when you can collect the sticker.
- If your AUA has expired and you wish to renew the permit, you will need to provide an updated insurance certificate and complete the paperwork again
Deed of Indemnity
- This form is a legal document and is to be completed if you are requesting vehicle airside access at Parafield Airport for the first time. Please submit this form in full along with your AUA.
Company Authorised Signature Form
- This form is to be sent through when applying for an AUA, ADA or a SAC. The nominated Company Authorised Signatures confirm that the employee's details are correct and you agree to abide by the Terms and Conditions and approve an employee application for SAC, ADA, and an AUA.


text:
Archive for January 2017
Linking Farmers & Tourists to Solve Development Challenges in SIDS
Developing the link between agriculture and tourism could be a significant opportunity for small island developing states. Already an expanding sector in several Pacific and Caribbean islands, agritourism can address a range of development challenges – among them low agricultural productivity, high food imports and loss of tourism revenue, poor public health and youth unemployment.…Read More
Feeding the Appetite for Sustainable Tourism
For the tourist hoping to experience authentic local cuisine on one of our famous golden beaches, they may be disappointed to know that only a small fraction of food in our hotels is provided by local farmers and fishermen, with the majority being imported from areas outside the Caribbean basin. Unfortunately, inconsistencies in quality and…Read More
Agricultural economist: Work harder to reduce food imports
Government must work harder to create a policy that will reduce the import bill and give the country food security, says agricultural economist and consultant Omardath Maharaj. "In the current and anticipated economic circumstances facing T&T, we cannot deny the fact that the cost of living and economic hardship is on the rise. It is…Read More
S.Pellegrino Young Chef Returns
S.Pellegrino announces the next edition of its international competition recognizing rising culinary talent from across the globe, now enriched with a broader scouting range and an extended duration. New Zealand, January 16, 2017 – S.Pellegrino announces the much-anticipated return of S.Pellegrino Young Chef, a global competition recognizing leading young culinary talent from across the world.…Read More
A Conversation With Chef David Destinoble
Chef David Destinoble is one of the more prominent Haitian chefs in the industry. As one of the founders of the Haitian Culinary Alliance, Destinoble has been influential in bring Haitian cuisine to the forefront of the culinary arts industry. The Johnson and Wales trained chef boasts an impressive resume that includes personal chef to former Haitian…Read More
SLHTA to Host National Culinary Competition in preparation for CHTA Taste of the Caribbean 2017
All is set for one of the Saint Lucia Hotel and Tourism Association's most anticipated events on its calendar, CHTA Taste of the Caribbean Competition. Every year the National Culinary Team looks forward to the region's most sought after event in the Culinary Industry. As part of preparations for the culinary event which is hosted…Read More
St. Lucia Native and 'Top Chef' Runner-up Nabs New Orleans' Restaurant of the Year for 2016
Saint Lucia joyously celebrates with Chef Nina Compton as her restaurant, Compere Lapin, has been named New Orleans' Restaurant of the Year for 2016 by The Times-Picayune. The Saint Lucia Culinary Ambassador and "Top Chef" runner-up also was the first to be presented the award by renowned Times-Picayune dining critic Brett Anderson. "The fact that…Read More
University of Bahamas Students Gain Work Experience at Resorts World Bimini
A pilot partnership project between the University of The Bahamas (UB) and Resorts World Bimini (RWB) – which resulted in six students gaining work experience at the four-star resort during the holidays – has been deemed a success, so much so that it could potentially lead to a viable program and future employment opportunities. The…Read More
Jamaica: Ones To Watch For 2017
The Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett is determined to drive tourism numbers through gastronomy. Those responsible for what visitors to our shores eat and, indeed, how they perceive our cuisine must now re-evaluate the offerings of each plate. Thursday Life starts the big reveal at Sandals Resorts where the luxurious setting is rivalled only by…Read More
Fiji: Retreat promotes local cuisine to visitors
A BUSINESS operating as a retreat situated in the lush tropical highlands of Namosi is working with its neighbouring village communities to promote iTaukei cuisine through the use of traditional and locally grown food. Namosi Eco Retreat, a traditional iTaukei-inspired retreat, has engaged with its nearby local communities to directly buy crops and other items…Read More


text:
2013 National Stationery Show – Kids' Crafts
NSS kid coverage continues with Kids' Crafts (say that ten times fast). There were a number of vendors offering fun craft kits and supplies for the small fry. Here are just a few of them…
Box Play for Kids was a first-time exhibitor, introducing its fun, eco-friendly stickers to the Show. From tissue boxes to egg cartons to TP tubes, Box Play for Kids' sticker products transform trash to toys (and teach kids about conservation and recycling along the way).
These beautiful letterpressed woodland animal masks—designed for kids (or grown-ups) to color in—come from Pistachio Press.
What could be more fun than these ninja and robot craft kits from Paper Source for Waste Not Paper? (Suggestion for caregivers: you could challenge your kids to complete the ninja ones in absolutely stealth-mode silence, then go have a cup of tea and savor the quiet time.)
If there is a kid in your life who's into crafts—wait, let me rephrase. If there is a kid in your life at ALL, they would have walked into the Eeboo booth and refused to leave. Seriously, they probably would have volunteered to be shipped with the booth back to Eeboo headquarters. Eeboo's booth was so jam-packed with an expanding crafts line, it was practically overflowing into the aisles (so much so, that I never really got past the craft stuff, and into the stationery and toy part of the booth—whoops!).
Clockwise from top: Eeboo's booth; a cool selection of colored pencil sets; retro-feel, holiday-themed paper chain kits; and their new fancy papers, including corrugate and glitter papers.
Eeboo's pipe cleaners come in a rainbow of drool-worthy colors and can be made into all sorts of cool stuff (check out the spouting whale!), and their glitter glues are just as varied and beautiful, with a punch of "spahkle."
Pom pom crafts were well-represented in the Eeboo booth. Featured, here: their pom pom maker kit and the finished product from their pom pom necklace kit (modeled by Angelica Zambetti, who was good enough to show me around the booth—thanks, Angelica!).
That does it for kids' crafts at the Show—well, it really doesn't. There was so much more, but in the interest of time, I'm moving on. So, next stop on the NSS kiddo express: kids' books and miscellaneous.
In the meantime, enjoy your weekend, everyone!
Please note: the image labels I've used are not official product names/titles. For more information on any of the products in my posts, please contact the wonderful people who've created them.


text:
The Price Is Not Always Right.
"The higher the price, the better the offer." Do not let yourself be fooled by this popular misconception. Price is not always the determining factor when accepting an offer for several important reasons: the initial offer is usually not final, and there are a number of terms and conditions that may influence the final outcome of a price. You can trust our professionals to help you thoroughly evaluate every proposal without compromising your marketing position.
Negotiating The Right Way.
We take the ethical responsibility of fairly negotiating contractual terms very seriously. It is our job to find a win-win agreement that is beneficial to all parties involved. You may even have to deal with multiple offers before ratifying the one you judge to be the most suitable for you – and as your agents, we will guarantee a thorough and objective assessment of each offer to help you make the right choice.
The Initial Agreement and Deposit.
An effective agreement is a legal arrangement between a potential purchaser and the property's seller. Laws vary from state to state, but in order to be a legally, binding agreement, the agreement may require consideration. This consideration (initial and additional deposit) is to be held in the closing agent's escrow account pending the fulfillment of conditions or contingencies in the effective agreement.
Some important tips to keep in mind to streamline the process even further:
- Keep written records of everything.
For the sake of clarity, it will be extremely useful to transcribe all verbal agreements including counter-offers and addendums, and convert them to written agreements to be signed by both parties. We will assist you in drafting all the paperwork for your sale and make sure that you have copies of everything.
- Stick to the schedule.
Now that you have chosen your offer, you and the buyer will be given a timeline to mark every stage in the process of closing the real estate contract. Meeting the requirements on time ensures a smoother flow of negotiations and also ensures that each party involved is not in breach of their agreements. During the process we will keep you constantly updated so you will always be prepared for the next step.
Service Area
Call us today for a free, no risk, no obligation, no pressure consultation. Leave your information below to get a FREE, detailed report showing what your neighbor's homes have sold for recently. Our sales guarantee, your home is guaranteed to be sold within the listing period or our commission will be cut in half. (Terms & Conditions apply). We look forward to working with you!


text:
- Low Estimate: $500.00
- High Estimate: $600.00
- More Information:
For more information on this or any other item, email us at: email@example.com
- Share this:
Large French white porcelain urn with hand painted decoration depicting lovers on one side and picnic meadow scene on the other, with additional scrolling gilt decoration. Scrolling gilt bronze mounted handles and gilt bronze foliate footed base. 25 1/4" H. Late 19th/Early 20th century. CONDITION: Overall good condition with general wear.


text:
It's not news to anyone that we're all too busy, we're time poor, we're too sedentary, we don't get enough exercise and many of us don't get enough sleep or eat well. We're constantly bombarded with information about what we should and need to do to improve our wellbeing and health but for some reason we're not doing it.
What is even more interesting to me is that despite the recent reports from PwC and Australian Psychological Society, that clearly indicate the strong financial return on mental health, corporate health and workplace wellbeing programs, employers are still slow on the uptake to make changes in their businesses and make the sound investment of backing their most valuable asset - their people.
The Australian Psychological Society's Stress and Wellbeing Survey 2013 indicated that Australian workers had significantly lower levels of wellbeing and significantly higher levels of stress and distress, and depressive and anxiety symptoms than in previous years. More than seven in ten Australians reported that their stress impacts their physical health and working Australians reported significantly lower levels of job satisfaction and interest in their jobs.
PwC's report 'Creating a Mentally Healthy Workplace' shows that for every $1.00 spent towards improving employee mental health, a company receives on average $2.30 in benefits. Its hard to understand why more companies, especially those where their employees are in high stress roles, are so hesitant to change their culture and to start creating the kind of workplaces that foster health and wellbeing for their employees and in return a better bottom line on the Profit and Loss.
Not only are companies missing out on the return of investing in their people, they're also exposed to high attrition rates, increased recruitment costs and workplace accidents and injuries that result from workplace stress and unhealthy employees. Medibank Private reports that each employee is absent a total of 3.2 days per year as a result of workplace stress and unhealthy employees are estimated to take on average 9 days more sick leave compared to healthy employees.
I recently approached a major industry body with the idea of providing a short corporate wellness session, that would occur within a 'Wellness Lunch' event that they were organising. Their event was hosting several high profile speakers who were talking about wellbeing, the stressful nature of the industry and, I quote how to bring about 'paradigms shifts, strategies and coping mechanisms and more' in respect to wellness in the Property Management industry.
Interestingly my idea wasn't embraced with open arms as I anticipated. I had thought an industry event advocating wellness would be the perfect opportunity to practice what they were preaching, to walk the talk…so to speak. The feedback I received was that they didn't want to make anyone 'feel uncomfortable' or place anyone 'outside their comfort zone' by presenting a session that may be seen as unconventional or unusual. I wasn't proposing that we all stand on our heads or break out yoga mats and take to Warrior 1, my sessions bring Mindfulness and Movement together, based on Qigong and Tai chi, combining slow stretches and gentle flowing movements, all of which can comfortably be done in business attire from a standing position. I was informed that the idea of asking everyone to stand and to raise their arms above their heads would be seen as too 'alternative' and that they (the industry body) were worried about how they would be perceived and the potential repercussions of advocating something 'different' like what I was suggesting.
This would be laughable if it wasn't so sad. What we need is for industry bodies and people in leadership positions to help to lead the way to wellness, by not only advocating for it and talking about it, but by participating and being willing to pioneer new activities, practices and models into the workplace. It is rudimentary to simply talk about wellness, wellness comes from behaviour change and active participation. We need to start thinking about wellness as a verb not just some buzz word to throw around and have high profile speakers talk about at over indulgent lunches.
On a brighter note there are some organisations empowering their employees and teams from a grassroots level. There are self organising groups at Telstra that gather regularly to practice Mindfulness Meditation and corporate giant Ericsson have just partnered with Vimcore, a corporate wellness benefits tool that enables employees to seek wellbeing advice and find healthy local services.
We are spending more time than ever at work and the expectations and demands of our jobs and careers are now taking up the majority of our time. Studies show that bringing health and wellbeing practices into the workplace gives employees a better sense of work/life balance, better equips them to handle stress and helps them to better connect with their colleagues and clients. If companies want to get the best out of their most valuable asset its time to do away with the archaic model of all work and no play in the workday and begin bringing life and health into the everyday workday through approaching wellness as a verb.
When an important situation or event is happening in our lives it can be overwhelming… It might be something that is really super exciting, like the anticipation of a great holiday you're jetting off on tomorrow or a big day for you, like your wedding or graduation.
Sometimes that overwhelming feeling is filled with anxiety, tension and stress. Maybe you're waiting to find out if you got that job you really want, passed that exam or maybe its the 2 week wait that Rebecca Hopkins talks about in her 2WW Survival Guide. I can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to make it through those two weeks where you're waiting to find out if your IVF round was successful and you're pregnant!
Being overwhelmed shows up in many forms; excitement, anxiety, sadness, stress, tiredness, depression, even joy. Sometimes I'm so excited by the work I'm doing and the projects and people I'm involved with that I find it difficult to wind down at bedtime, or I'm awake really early and ready for action (not so much a bad thing!).
Whether the sense of being overwhelmed relates to positive or negative emotions, finding a way to disconnect, a way to unpack and release those overwhelming feelings is essential to our personal growth and our sanity. Your self talk can drive you nuts - 'what if' this and 'what if' that, our minds become like a washing machine whirring constantly and in turn feeding our emotional fires. Finding a way to quieten the incessant flatmate in your head that won't shut up can be challenging even for the most relaxed of us.
So how can we deal? When we don't know which way is up, when we are overwhelmed by our work or family commitments, when we're crazy excited about what tomorrow will bring or we're enduring a two week wait. How can we regain our equilibrium and a sense of relaxed calmness despite what is happening around us?
Here are my top 3 tips to get you on your way:
1. Embrace a practice
My life has been completely transformed through embracing a practice, by bringing some daily rituals into my life. For me it is practicing Mindful Movement (qigong, tai chi and breathwork) and meditation.
2. Make it a daily ritual
Every morning before breakfast I dedicate some time to these practices, sometimes its a few minutes, sometimes its an hour. I find when I start the day from a relaxed and centred place its easier to deal with the challenges that arise and my practice equips me with go-to during my day if things do get overwhelming. Bringing a 'practice' or some 'rituals' into your life that help you to maintain or to regain your equilibrium, despite what is going on around you will revolutionise your life. It might be hard at first, to be disciplined, to make the commitment, but it will soon become your saviour.
3. Make it your 'Go-to'
Having a practice to turn to when you're feeling overwhelmed is a way to release stress and anxiety and to bring calm and centred energy into your life - instantly. When I get too busy, when worry creeps in or I'm feeling confused I take a mini-break and put my Mindful Movement practice to work. A few minutes later I'm feeling calm, clearer and filled with renewed energy.
The Qigong Show - Whole Living Magazine
Click the image to check out some easy movements
While we advocate embracing something into your daily life, a practice doesn't have to be daily, it just needs to be a go-to for you when you're feeling overwhelmed. Maybe its going for a run, maybe its journalling, maybe its a minute of deep breathing. Your practice can be anything, all it needs to be is something that calms and relaxes you, and something that is accessible to you at any time, in any place, when you're feeling shaken and stirred.
If you're interested in learning a short Mindful Movement routine that you can adopt as your go-to when you're feeling overwhelmed, join our next introductory workshop on April 27th.
want abundant energy? do it already.
It's amazing how much energy you have when you're really excited and passionate about what you do. Last night I was on such a high from holding my first workshop and from discussing some new and wonderful upcoming projects that I just couldn't go to sleep. I then woke up around 4:00am and my excitement hadn't dissipated so I spent an hour or so lying awake thinking about the great things to come! At 7:00am I sprang out of bed with gutso and immediately went to work on my to-do list.
Since I've started consciously creating and living more aligned with my values and the things I bring joy to, my entire life has changed. It doesn't matter to me what time of the day it is, or which day of the week, work doesn't feel like work and I can happily pour hours into growing my business, programming classes and workshops and teaching people Mindful Movement and meditation.
Through consciously creating a life I love I've realised that my 'work' doesn't have to be limited to one area. I don't need to only teach Mindful Movement, I don't only need to be a Holistic Health Coach, I can create my life so that I work and receive an income through being involved in projects that excite me. A portfolio career! All that is really necessary is that I bring joy to and feel excited about what I putting my energy into, and through that my energy becomes boundless and abundant.
Your only 'job' in this life is to be in service. To share your gifts with others. To create and live a life you love, to feel excited when you wake up and to feel thankful you've been blessed with another day. If you're not feeling this way about your life then it might be time to create some space, work out why and make some changes.
I was lucky enough that I could create an extended amount of uninterrupted space in my life that gave me a head start on creating a life I love. Not many people have this luxury, there are family responsibilities, financial commitments, schedules, work and a multitude of other demands on our time.
If you can't just take off for a few months and leave it all behind a good place to start is by consciously creating a little space in your day to day life. Embrace a life practice; here are some ideas to get you on the path to consciously creating a life you love…
The only thing stopping you from creating and living a life you really love, a life you feel passionate about and excited by is you. Do it already.
February 24th, 2014
There is an old Chinese saying; 'Health is like water in a well: the importance of the water can never be realised until the well is dry'. Propelled by modern lifestyle, career expectations, family commitments, we rush through our constantly busy lives, many of us chronically worried, unable to focus, feeling tired, overworked, stressed and unhappy.
It is said that we prioritise what we value most. Do we value our careers, our smartphones and iPads, our possessions and our relationships more than our own health and wellbeing? Shawn Phillips puts it perfectly:
'Your body, the only one you will ever have, is the foundation of your life. And its either the anchor limiting your freedom and potential or a source of radiant energy, vitality and joy, elevating your life and the lives of those around you'.
The key to enjoyment of life, excelling in your career and having harmony in your relationships is to keep the well full of water. The way to keep the well full of water is to engage in practices and activities that positively affect both your physical and mental wellbeing and to make them a priority, a habit, a focus.
So you hate the gym, thats fine, exercise is optional, movement however is essential. Take a walk, that is movement in its simplest form, do it regularly, make it a habit. You don't believe in the hippy guff like meditation, thats fine too. Lets call it a minute or 5 of mindfulness, simple, wherever you are focus all of your attention on one thing, choose anything, just do it and do it every day, create a habit. There are a multitude of practises and activities you can engage in to increase your health and wellbeing, to fill up the well, to forge strength and enable your body to provide an abundant and energetic contribution to your life.
When you do these things you will improve your health and you will feel happier. You have more enthusiasm and you will feel motivated to accomplish more in your life, to achieve more at work and in your career, and you will have more energy and enjoyment in your relationships and to share with your family.
Modern lifestyle and technology has led us to choosing the wrong priorities and an inability to stay focused. Its time to put your iPhone away, leave work on time, take a lunch-break, turn off the television, stop playing candy crush and choose your health and wellbeing as a priority and make a commitment to yourself.
We have the to ability to create health and wellbeing in our lives, we can train our bodies with physical exercise and movement and we can train our minds with focus, concentration and mindfulness. Developing the skill of mindfulness increases gray matter leading to more positive emotions, emotional stability and heightened focus. When our bodies and minds are aware and conscious we are able to engage with people and tasks effectively, we can increase our productivity, creativity, compassion and memory and reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
So how about making a 100% commitment to yourself? A commitment to create a tiny habit. A tiny habit that will change your life. Where we put our hearts, minds and focus is what ends up defining us and defining the lives we live. Make a commitment to prioritising your health and wellbeing.
Nicole L Betts
Nicole Betts is an internationally accredited Qigong & Meditation Teacher, Fitness Instructor and Holistic Health Coach.
June 2015


text:
Nortel Networks has fired its president and chief executive officer (CEO), replacing Frank Dunn with William Owens, and has also delayed the release of its financial results for the first quarter of the year.
Nortel had been involved in an ongoing independent review of the circumstances leading to the reissuing of its financial statements for 2000, 2001 and 2002 and for the first and second quarters of 2003, the company said.
As a result of those investigations, Dunn was "terminated for cause", Nortel said.
Former CEO, Douglas Beatty, and former controller, Michael Gollogly, has also been terminated for cause, Nortel said.
"Yesterday was a very long day for the board and its advisors," chairman of the board, Lynton (Red) Wilson, said. "These actions are an important step in the process of restoring confidence in the company's leadership and financial reporting."
The telecommunications equipment maker is currently the subject of investigations by both the US Securities and Exchange Commission and by Canada's top securities regulator, the Ontario Securities Commission.
"We are cooperating with all of the regulation authorities and we will continue to do so," Wilson said. "This is about the accountability for financial reporting. The investigations are ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment further."
In March, Nortel placed its chief financial officer (CFO) and its controller on paid leaves of absence due to questions over the company's 2003 financial results. At the time, the company appointed William Kerr as CFO and Mary Anne Pahapill as controller on an interim basis. It has now made those appointments permanent.
Owens, who has served as a director on Nortel's board since February 2002, was until this appointment, the chairman and CEO of the satellite communications company Teledesic.
He has been with the company since August 1999 and Teledesic's CEO since June 2003.
Owens' resume also includes stints as the president, chief operating officer and vice-chairman of Science Applications International, as well as a military career that included serving as vice-chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and as the Commander of the US Sixth Fleet during Operation Desert Storm.
He was quick to try and reassure Nortel's customers and shareholders.
"To our customers I say: We will not let this distract us," Owens said. "To our shareholders: We're committed to getting this right."
Problems with its accounting practices came to light in October when Nortel announced it would restate financial results for 2000, 2001, 2002 and the first two quarters of 2003 as part of an ongoing review of its assets and liabilities. Then, on March 10, Nortel said its would likely restate results for the second time and would delay filing required financial documents with US regulators.
Kerr said that as part of its restated results it expected a 50 per cent reduction in 2003 net earnings. "It's fair to say that all areas will be effected [when it comes to the restatement of its financial numbers]," Kerr said.


text:
- Home
- Featured Shops
- Team Shop
- MLB Licensed Clothing and Accessories
- New York Mets
- New York Mets Cat Collar
New York Mets Cat Collar
Product Description
Let your kitten cheer on their favorite team by wearing one of our New York Mets Cat Collars!
Each collar features the team name for some team spirit! Includes a jingly bell!
Product Reviews
Write Review


text:
Legal Resources | Education Code | EC 22512
Membership in PERS under 22510
If a member elects membership in the Public Employees' Retirement System under Section 22510, this election shall not be counted as a break in service if employment is continuous.
(Repealed and added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 893, Sec. 1 and 2.)
Education Code 22510


text:
|Year Established
|Price Range
|Over € 1.000.000,00
|Service Areas
French Riviera
Michaël Zingraf Real Estate has remained for over three decades, synonym of trust, integrity, discretion and excellence. Over the years, the group has kept satisfying the requirements and demands of 85% international clientele, proposing exceptional, unique and spectacular valuable properties both for sale and seasonal rent. An ever-greater know-how acquired over the time in addition with professionalism implemented for each client, Michaël Zingraf has become a reference name in luxury real estate. Christie's International Real Estate network confirmed it in choosing Michaël Zingraf Real Estate as its exclusive affiliate in the south east of France. This newly opened page in the history of the group is once again marked with the stamp of excellence. The group comforts its presence in the Hexagone, with its 10 agencies located in the most emblematic towns of Provence and French Riviera. Thanks to the network provided by Christie's International Real Estate, Michaël Zingraf now enjoys a significant international position in some of the most remarkable destinations on our planet (Saint-Barth, the Canaries, Marrakech, Switzerland, Austria, Bali, Thailand, Tuscany, South Africa, etc.). Discover our locations : Michaël Zingraf Real Estate Cannes http://www.michaelzingraf.com/en/frenchriviera/cannes/ Michaël Zingraf Real Estate Mougins http://www.michaelzingraf.com/en/frenchriviera/mougins/ Michaël Zingraf Real Estate Opio http://www.michaelzingraf.com/en/frenchriviera/opio/ Michaël Zingraf Real Estate Saint-Paul-de-Vence http://www.michaelzingraf.com/en/frenchriviera/saint-paul-de-vence/ Michaël Zingraf Real Estate Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat http://www.michaelzingraf.com/en/frenchriviera/saint-jean-cap-ferrat/ Michaël Zingraf Real Estate Cap d'Antibes http://www.michaelzingraf.com/en/frenchriviera/cap-d-antibes/ Michaël Zingraf Real Estate Saint-Tropez http://www.michaelzingraf.com/en/frenchriviera/saint-tropez/ Michaël Zingraf Real Estate Gordes http://www.michaelzingraf.com/en/provence/gordes/ Michaël Zingraf Real Estate Lourmarin http://www.michaelzingraf.com/en/provence/lourmarin/ Michaël Zingraf Real Estate Saint-Remy-de-Provence http://www.michaelzingraf.com/en/provence/saint-r%C3%A9my-de-provence/ Michaël Zingraf Real Estate International http://www.michaelzingraf.com/en/international/ In addition to our luxury real estate expertise, Michaël Zingraf Real Estate offers a large panel of services to its clientele : MZ Prestige Michaël Zingraf is constantly adapting to its clients' needs, MZ Prestige has been set up to accompany high-end luxury property owners and purchasers. MZ Gestion Michaël Zingraf will be your preferential contact for all questions regarding property and non-property management. In addition to a large range of rental services, the group also takes on everyday property management such as caretakers, monitoring of works, maintenance, and staff employment. MZ Gestion also deals with comprehensive conciergerie services. MZ Finance Michaël Zingraf Real Estate offers its clientele brokerage services through its MZ Finance branch. For an assessment and optimisation of property assets, it will establish contact between clients and any private and business bank in London, Luxemburg, Geneva, and Monaco. MZ Finance also handles wealth management and insurance. MZ Yachting Since 2010, Michaël Zingraf Real Estate has developed a new yachting branch, which comprises services in chartering, sales and yacht management. Understanding your needs, fulfilling your requirements, guiding you through the realisation of your project, such are the objectives of this service that, with its extensive and diverse fleet, will prove to be your ideal partner.


text:
Skip to 0 minutes and 8 seconds Lindsey, let's talk about next week. Yes, we're going to be talking about something that is so important when we think about student learning. Yeah, because really this is the one thing that really helps them to improve. Yes. And I know that you have a theory that doing it online is much more effective than face-to-face. Well, I think it can be if you have a group of students because you have the chat box where you can talk to individual learners and actually provide a more personalised form of this particular thing, something that would be more difficult to do in class, I think so, yes. That should hopefully be very interesting for you.
What's on next week?
Here's a taste of what we'll cover next week.
Watch the video. What do you think Lindsay and Marie Therese are talking about? Share your ideas in the comments.
See you next week, when you'll find out if your ideas are correct.
Get extra benefits, upgrade your course
You can now get extra benefits by upgrading this course, including:
Unlimited access to the course: Go at your own pace with unlimited access to the course for as long as it exists on FutureLearn.
Access to tests: Ensure you've mastered the material with access to tests on the course.
A Certificate of Achievement: To help you demonstrate your learning we'll send you a Certificate of Achievement when you become eligible.


text:
I am a Sophomore at the University of South Florida, studying Business Analytics. and a member of Kappa Delta Sorority. I was dual-enrolled at HCC while in high school, so I am more than happy to help your children with their homework!
My experience with children began as both a babysitter and coach. I played indoor and beach volleyball for 12 years, as well as coached it for 2 years. Through this time I have gained experience with children of all ages including infants.
My hobbies include cooking, playing sports, shopping, and being outdoors.
Fun Fact: I was a Girl Scout for 6 years and have played in the Junior Olympics!


text:
King v. Epps et al
|Mack Arthur King
|Christopher Epps and Jim Hood
|Case Number:
|January 15, 2010
|US District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi
|Eastern Division Office
|Presiding Judge:
|Sharion Aycock
|Nature of Suit:
|Death Penalty - Habeas Corpus
|Cause of Action:
|28:2254 Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus (State)
|Jury Demanded By:
Available Case Documents
The following documents for this case are available for you to view or download:
|Date Filed
|Document Text
|March 26, 2013
|Filing 103 MEMORANDUM OPINION re 102 Order on Motion for Writ of Habeas Corpus. Signed by District Judge Sharion Aycock on 3/26/2013. (psk)
Use the links below to access additional information about this case on the US Court's PACER system. A subscription to PACER is required.
Access this case on the Mississippi Northern District Court's Electronic Court Filings (ECF) System
- Search for Party Aliases
- Associated Cases
- Attorneys
- Case File Location
- Case Summary
- Docket Report
- History/Documents
- Parties
- Related Transactions
- Check Status
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.


text:
"Here's my card." The Dark Knight (2:30)[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8PPh-C9pRU[/youtube]
I may be in the minority, but I am excited for the movie.
I think Heath is going to be absolutely amazing.
One thing I'm not sure about re: the plot is whether Harvey Dent is a good guy or bad guy.
I didn't see one element of 'Heath' or 'Ennis.'
I'm simultaneously excited about seeing TDK and apprehensive about it. I feel like dealing with this film in the wake of Heath's passing will be particularly difficult for me at least... even with the trailers that I've started to see more and more on TV, etc. I have this simultaneous reaction of excitement and nervous-apprehension.


text: Paul DeWitt is now the sole owner of Absolute Car Service, formerly known as Ken Hunter/Paul DeWitt Automotive Inc.We have been servicing the area for over 17 years, with quality that is second to none. We work on all passenger makes and models, and specialize in Asian import passenger vehicles. Our information manuals are supplied by All Data, and cover virtually all makes and models since 1992.


text:
Modifying LDAP queries
You can modify an existing LDAP query.
To modify an LDAP query
- Open the RBAC Manager folder, select LDAP Synchronization > LDAP Queries, and select an existing LDAP query.
- Do any of the following:
- To modify information defining terms of the LDAP query, right-click the LDAP query and select Open. The content editor displays a tab showing details for this LDAP query. For more information about these options, see LDAP Connection - General.
- Select the Properties, Permissions, or Audit Trail tab group to see or modify any of properties, permissions, or audit trail information that apply to this LDAP query.
Was this page helpful? Yes No Submitting... Thank you


text:
Using FruitLook data
The cultivation of table grapes requires a hot, dry climate with water supplied through irrigation. At the same time, water shortages can lead to direct reductions in table grape yield. Especially during certain developmental stages, table grapes are vulnerable for yield losses due to water deficits. Sufficient irrigation is critical for the commercial cultivation of table grapes and as a consequence the table grape industry is a large consumer of fresh water resources.
In the Hexriver Valley table grapes are the most common crop. Hexriver Valley is an ideal location for examining the possibilities of the FruitLook datasets in evaluating agricultural water consumption in larger areas. Seasonal actual evapotranspiration and seasonal biomass water use efficiency was extracted from the FruitLook dataset for the 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons on a field by field basis. The pixel based data was simplified to field level for this analysis. The actual evapotranspiration (in mm) is the actual quantity of water lost from the land surface through evaporation of water from the soil and transpiration through plants. The biomass water use efficiency (WUE) signifies the total amount of biomass produced (in kg/ha) per cubic meter of water lost through evapotranspiration. A higher WUE value means the farmer is more efficient in using available water resources, implying efficient irrigation water use throughout the growth season, since rainfall is minimal in summer.
The examples provided in this article include: 1) determination of spatial patterns of water use in the Hexriver area, 2) comparison of data from multiple seasons, and 3) evaluation of crop varieties in terms of biomass water use efficiency.
1. Spatial distribution of water use
In Figure 1 the evapotranspiration data is congregated to zones. These zones represent areas with similar crop types. From Figure 1 it is clear that large variation exists within the Hexriver Valley. Figure 3 shows the distribution of water lost through evapotranspiration per field in the Hexriver Valley in 2012/13. In the western part of the valley, seasonal actual ET is higher than on the eastern part. This can be related to the convergence of the Hexriver and Amandel River in the western part. Furthermore, in the fields closer to the Hexriver, the actual evapotranspiration from the table grapes is mostly higher in comparison with fields more uphill. In 2011/12 (not depicted) the same distribution of water consumption is visible. From these observations it can be assumed that taking measures for lowering the water use in the western part of the valley will have more impact compared to the same measures taken for the eastern part of the valley.
In Figure 4 the distribution of seasonal biomass WUE is depicted per zone. The zones are similar to the zones depicted in Figure 1. The distribution of biomass WUE in the Hexriver Valley does not necessarily correspond to the distribution of actual evapotranspiration, i.e. high usage of water through evapotranspiration does not necessarily correspond to a low biomass WUE and vice versa. It does show there is a large variation within biomass WUE present within one crop type under similar climatic conditions, which can be illustrative for occurring over and under irrigation within an area. For example, a low biomass WUE in combination with high seasonal actual evapotranspiration is a strong indication for over irrigation. By combining crop evapotranspiration and biomass WUE a first evaluation can be made of efficient water use, per field or per zone, within the valley.
2. Seasonal variation in crop water use
The histogram distribution of actual evapotranspiration and average biomass water use efficiency in 2011/12 and 2012/13 per field in the Hexriver area is depicted in Figure 5. It is clear that during 2012/13 more water was lost through evapotranspiration by table grapes in Hexriver Valley. The biomass WUE is higher on average in 2011/12. The average in 2011/12 is 3.7 kg/ha/m3 biomass produced per water lost through evapotranspiration. In 2012/13 this was lower at 3.6 kg/ha/m3.
Higher seasonal accumulated evapotranspiration can be caused by climatic differences between the seasons. According to meteorological station data from the Hexriver area, precipitation amounts in the winter, before and during the beginning of the 2012/13 season, were higher than during the 2011/12 season. This could imply the water supplies stored during the winter and thus needed for irrigation during the summer months were substantially lower before the start of the 2012/13 season, and the farmers could irrigate consequently. Evapotranspiration in 2012/13 was further enhanced through higher air temperatures especially in the beginning of the growth season.
Through evaluation of multiple seasons of data, the biomass water use efficiency could be used to determine per block, whether the available water is used efficiently. A benchmark value could be determined to assess efficient irrigation water use by the table grape farmers. According to the biomass WUE histograms in Figure 5, it could for example be stated that a biomass WUE >4.0kg/ha for table grapes is good. This corresponds to the best ±30% of all table grape blocks in the Hexriver Valley in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 growth seasons.
3. Cultivar biomass water use efficiency evaluation
In Figure 6 the average seasonal biomass WUE (kg/m3) for various table grape cultivars in the Hexriver Valley is depicted. Only cultivars which are grown on more than 50 fields in the Hexriver Valley are taken into account. In this figure it can be seen that Crimson is (actually by far) the most biomass water efficient table grape according to the FruitLook data of both 2011/12 and 2012/13. Thompson is the most water efficient white table grape cultivar. According to the data Dauphine, Sultana and Victoria table grapes are less water efficient.
In literature Crimson is renowned for its vigour which corresponds to the results derived from the FruitLook dataset showing Crimson as the most vigorous table grape cultivar in the Hexriver Valley area. Crimson produces the most biomass per consumed unit of water. It must be understood that biomass does not equal yield. The biomass production encompasses dry matter growth of roots, shoots, fruits and all in between. Thus, while the Crimson table grape cultivar might be the most efficient producer of biomass it does not necessarily mean it produces the highest yields with the least amount of water. Having access to actual grape production data, will allow the estimation of the water productivity in terms of yields.
Conclusive remarks
In this article the Hexriver area table grape cultivation has been evaluated for the 2011/12 and the 2012/13 seasons. The article gives an indication of the versatility and applicability of the FruitLook data in providing information on water use for larger areas. Of course many other statistical methods and ways of visualisation can be adopted to gain information from the FruitLook dataset. This can include, but is certainly not limited to, linking crop growth/water use to soil type, slope aspect and weather conditions.
The new Fruitlook 2014/15 season starts on 1 October on www.fruitlook.co.za. For more information please visit the website or contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Ruben Goudriaan1, Caren Jarmain2 & Andre Roux3
1 eLEAF, email@example.com
2 University of KwaZulu Natal, email@example.com
3 Department of Agriculture, email@example.com