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The Theme - the EITA-New Agriculture Workshop
"The Future of Agriculture (Agriculture 4.0): Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Directions"
"By 2050 the earth's population will likely reach 9.5 billion people, requiring an 80% increase in agricultural production. Achieving this will require innovative technologies to make agriculture more efficient and optimize existing inputs." -- (MIT) Along with an increasing population, the world faces climate change, rising fossil fuel prices, ecosystem degradation, and water and land scarcity -- all of which are making today's food production methods increasingly unsustainable. Agriculture will soon need to become more manufacturing-like in order to feed the world's growing population. Crops will soon need to become more drought resistant in order to effectively grow in uncertain climates. Farms will soon need to learn how to harvest more with less water. If farms are to continue to feed the world's population they will have to do so in manners both independent of, and accommodating to, the planet's changing and highly variable climes. That necessitates the smart application of both proven and cutting-edge technology. Advances in technology are key to the future of agriculture as farmers strive to feed the world with limited natural resources.
Agriculture 4.0: The Future of Farming Technology
Technology is changing the world, and farming is catching up. The introduction of everything from automated farm equipment to a wide array of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors that measure soil moisture and drones that keep track of crops have changed the business of agriculture. Some experts even call this movement Agriculture 4.0.
Agriculture 4.0, securing agriculture's digital future through inter-operable solutions and digital technologies, is a farming management model based upon observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops. The goals of agriculture 4.0 are mainly increasing the productivity of the crops while ensuring a higher environmental sustainability. In plain words: to produce more and better with less. And for that there are several tools, techniques and technologies.
Agricultural Biotechnology
A bio-based revolution is underway worldwide, and it is fundamentally changing how the world produces and consumes food, feed, fiber, materials, chemicals, fuel, and energy. Food may benefit directly from genetic tailoring and potentially from producing meat directly in a lab (or In vitro meat). Biotechnology is already part of the agriculture industry's efforts to improve crop yields. Genetic modification has led to crops varieties that better (potential benefits) tolerate drought, pests, and herbicides, and are fast growing, increased supply with reduced cost and longer shelf life, among others. Genetically engineered foods have had foreign genes (genes from other plants or animals) inserted into their genetic codes. Genetic engineering can be done with plants, animals, or bacteria and other microorganisms. It allows scientists to speed this process up by moving desired genes from one plant into another, or even from an animal to a plant or vice versa. Today, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, corn, and soybeans have been genetically altered through biotechnology. Many more foods contain engineered ingredients and more are being developed.
According to NIH, we have been genetically engineering plants since the 1990s. Potential risks of genetically engineered foods include: modified plants or animals may have genetic changes that are unexpected and harmful. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) may interbreed with natural organisms. This could lead to the extinction of the original organism or to other unpredictable environmental effects. Genetically Modified (or GM) plants may be less resistant to some pests and more susceptible to others.
Synthetic biology (or "synbio"), the next stage of genetic engineering, which allows efficiently reprogramming unicellular life to make fuels, byproducts accessible from organic chemistry and smart devices, is an extreme form of genetic engineering. It is an emerging technology that is developing rapidly and entering the marketplace. In essence, synthetic biology is about designing and building workhorse organisms that can make things more efficiently than nature (or make things we might need that nature doesn't make at all). Generally, genetically engineered foods take desired genes from one organism and cut and paste them into another organism. Synthetic biology instead treats genes like computer code, remixing DNA sequences to create foods (and medicines and biofuels and lots of other things) that are not seen in nature. There's lots of contention around GMOs, and similar issues surround synbio. The products of synthetic biology are virtually unregulated, have not been assessed adequately for impacts on our health or environment, and are not required to be labeled. Synthetic biology could have serious impacts on the health of people and ecosystems, on our planet's biodiversity.
Digitization for the Future of Agroecology and Smart Agriculture
Digital technologies, from GPS-based and sensor-driven work machines, drone applications to robotics, agriculture is becoming a digital industry. Digital technologies can support farmers in providing safe, sustainable and quality food. Not only do they help farmers "produce more with less", but they can also contribute to fighting climate change. Existing and new technologies such as the Internet of things (IoT), blockchain technology, artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotics, cloud, and big data can contribute to making processes more efficient and can lead to the creation of new products and services. Digitization can also play a role in creating a better life in rural areas.
Crops experience some environmental stresses which include drought, water logging, salinity, extremes of temperature, insects, birds, other pests, weeds, pathogens (viruses and other microbes), etc.. The ability to tolerate these stresses is a very multifaceted phenomenon. In addition, the inability to do so which renders the crops susceptible is again the result of various exogenous and endogenous interactions in the ecosystem.
Modern agriculture, food production and distribution are major contributors of greenhouse gases. Agroecology is the study of ecological processes that operate in agricultural systems that are productive but also resource conserving. It links ecology, culture, economics, and society to sustain agricultural production, healthy environments, and viable food and farming communities. For example, fertilizers such as nitrogen often end up in water sources, and contribute to the acidification of soil. They also cause global warming, causing soil microbes to emit unexpectedly high levels of nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas with 300 times as much heat-trapping power as carbon dioxide. In today's changing society and globalized world, public awareness about ensuring safety and security in the food systems, global climate change and environmental sustainability, and the fiscal and ecological costs of our growing material and energy needs have increased dramatically.
Solar radiation, temperature, and precipitation are the main drivers of crop growth; therefore agriculture has always been highly dependent on climate patterns and variations. USDA's framework for Climate Smart Agriculture and Forestry, to help farmers, ranchers, and forest land owners in their response to climate change, spans a range of technologies and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon storage, and generate clean renewable energy. As a matter of fact, renewable energy and farming are a winning combination. Wind, solar, and biomass energy can be harvested forever, providing farmers with a long-term source of income. Renewable energy can be used on the farm to replace other fuels or sold as a "cash crop."
Modern agriculture aims for the production of high quality food and animal feed as well as raw materials in sufficient quantity for a wide variety of industrial applications. Further objectives consist of preservation of resources and protection of the environment. In order to successfully meet these challenges scientists have to understand the various aspects of environmental stresses in view of the current development from molecules to ecosystems (contemporary crop stress research). Emerging agriculture technologies that give farmers ways to make precise, targeted responses to crop stresses are expected to figure prominently in the efforts to make farming more efficient, sustainable and of high quality.
Shaping the Future of Food Security and Agriculture
Urbanization will continue at an accelerated pace. By 2050, it is expected that approximately 70% of the world's population will be living in urban areas.. Income levels will be many multiples of what they are now. To keep up with rising populations and income growth, global food production must increase by 70 percent in order to be able to feed the world. At the same time, water supplies will come under increasing pressure as the population rises. The answer to that daunting challenge lies in the use of robotic machines (Autonomous Farming), UAVs, geomatics or 3S (Remote Sensing/RS, Geographic Information System/GIS, and Global Positioning System/GPS) services (Satellite-guided Farming), the Internet of Things, sensors technology and big data analytics, wireless sensor network (WSN), RFID, cloud computing, etc. to conserve water and improve crop yields. More specifically, the means to achieve these goals are to use Precision Agriculture (or Smart Farming), an application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Agriculture (or e-Agriculture), to collect and act on copious amounts of real-time data (Big Data) on weather, soil and air quality, crop maturity and even equipment and labor costs and availability.
For example, Instead of prescribing field fertilization before application, high-resolution crop sensors inform application equipment of correct amounts needed. Optical sensors or UAVs are able to identify crop health across the field (for example, by using infra-red light). Predictive analytics (machine learning) can be used to make smarter decisions, to maximize food production, minimize environmental impact and reduce cost. Livestock biometrics, collars with GPS and RFID, can automatically identify and relay vital information about the livestock in real time. Equipment telematics allows mechanical devices such as tractors to warn mechanics that a failure is likely to occur soon. Intra-tractor communication can be used as a rudimentary "farm swarm" platform.
As our metropolitan areas start to sprawl out into the countryside the sustainability of traditional farming methods is seriously coming into question. It is estimated that the US loses at least 1.5 million acres of productive farmland to urbanization every year. But what kind of alternatives are being produced to satisfy our rapidly increasing demand for sustenance? Increasing urbanization and the high environmental and monetary costs of delivering power, water, and food to cities, suggest that a low impact form of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is becoming more and more widespread in urban settings. Farming has migrated from the fields to the cities and moved into the developed environment. CEA involves a combination of engineering, plant science and computer-managed facility control technologies used to optimize plant growing systems, plant quality and production efficiency while optimizing resources including water, energy, space, capital and labor. Environmental impacts of urban CEA can be aggressively reduced through carbon neutral energy supply, water recapture and recycling, and siting on pre-existing or underutilized structures.
Vertical Farming (Urban Agriculture)
Vertical Farming is a revolutionary approach to producing high quantities of nutritious and quality fresh food all year round, without relying on skilled labour, favourable weather, high soil fertility or high water usage. It is fully enclosed and climate controlled, completely removing external environment factors such as disease, pest or predator attacks.
With state-of-the-art, clean technology (Photonics in agriculture) utilizing specialized Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and a totally controlled growing environment without sun or soil (i.e., sensor-controlled hydroponic and aeroponic agriculture systems.), vertical (and rooftop) farming or urban agriculture would cultivate plant or animal life within dedicated or mixed-use skyscrapers in urban settings. Instead of having a single layer of crops over a large land area, vertical farming have stacks of crops going upwards in existing underutilized warehouses or multi-story buildings.
Next-generation LED grow lights provide artificial light used for plant growth. They offer low power, high-efficiency, uniform light pattern, homogenous light distribution at precisely the right wavelengths and color ratios needed for superior photosynthetic response. Plant light has photons from the blue to red (400–700 nm) part of the spectrum. This is called growth light. Plant growth is a function of photosynthesis. One simple example is in horticulture where synthetic blue and red light from low-cost light emitting diodes (LEDs) are programmed for efficiently controlling the growth rate and color of vegetables, flowers, ornamental plants, and fruits.
Profitability in commercial horticulture requires the ability to cost-effectively and consistently provide plants with optimum growing conditions from germination through to harvest. Today's vertical farming monitors and controls the levels of air, water and nutrition to provide optimum growing requirements with a fully integrated intelligent computer management system.
The advantages of vertical farms are numerous, including year-round crop production, faster harvest cycles, predictable results, protection from weather, use much less water than traditional farming, superior food safety and less environmental impact, support urban food autonomy and reduced transport costs. Vertical farms are a new, environmentally friendly way to provide the huge amounts of fruits and vegetables demanded by cities across the globe.
Powering the IoT Ecosystem
The main phases of the agriculture industry include crop cultivation, water management, fertilizer application, fertigation, pest management, harvesting, post-harvest handling, transport of food products, packaging, food preservation, food processing/value addition, quality management, food safety, food storage, food traceability (from farm to smartphone to table), and food marketing. All stakeholders of agriculture industry need information and knowledge about these phases to manage them efficiently.
E-Agriculture, an emerging field focusing on the enhancement of agricultural and rural development through improved ICT processes, involves the conceptualization, design, development, evaluation and application of innovative ways to use ICT in the rural domain, with a primary focus on connected agriculture.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a worldwide network of intercommunicating devices. It integrates the ubiquitous communications, pervasive computing, and ambient intelligence. IoT may have a bigger impact on farming than perhaps any other industry. IoT sensors allow farmers to track crop yields, soil nutrition. rainfall, etc. with a previously unheard of level of precision. The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming the agriculture industry and enabling farmers to contend with the enormous challenges they face. The agriculture industry must overcome increasing water shortages, limited availability of lands, difficult to manage costs, while meeting the increasing consumption needs of a global population. It is forecasted that by the year 2050, the Agricultural Internet of Things will increase food production by 70% and be feeding up to 9.6 billion people.
The IoT applications in agriculture (the Agricultural Internet of Things) include water supply management, integrated pest management or control (IPM/C), food production and safety, livestock management, soil and plant monitoring, precision agriculture, greenhouse environment monitoring and control systems, monitoring of food supply chain, etc. With the Internet of Things (IoT), farmers may be able to deliver the crops directly to the consumers not only in a small region like in direct marketing or shops but in a wider area. This will change the whole supply chain which is mainly in the hand of large companies, now, but can change to a more direct, shorter chain between producers and consumers.
IoT devices can sense vital information to ensure food is delivered efficiently and safely. Cloud computing would enable corporate sector to provide all the necessary services at affordable cost to farmers in rural areas. Through e-Agriculture, farmers stand to benefit from more efficient farm management, fewer inputs, reduced leaching and, therefore, less damage to the environment. Farmers have adopted the smartphone, which has proven invaluable in enabling them to access market information and deal with everyday problems that threaten their crops and livestock. Wireless payment software enables farmers to electronically process sales at the market, while also catering to online buyers in the restaurant or grocery sector.
Farm Management Systems for Precision Farming
Precision agriculture is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops. The farmer's and/or researcher's ability to locate a precise position in a field lets him create maps of the spatial variability of as many variables as can be measured (e.g. crop yield, soil pH, soil moisture, soil depth, soil type, soil texture, terrain features/topography, pest populations, nutrient levels, organic matter content, etc. ). These variables are at the heart of precision agriculture and are key to defining amendment strategies, or 'recipe maps.' The reason precision agriculture can be an effective practice is it defines more accurately the needs of specific locations of individual fields. To implement precision agriculture for efficient crop management, farmers need to know the status of crop and soil throughout the crop production periods from planting to harvesting. Once the crop status is known, farmers can make correct management decisions, so that they can save time, labor, and money and thereby increase yield and profit. Precision farming has become possible due to the convergence of three groups of modern technologies: information and (wireless) communication technologies, monitoring and measuring technologies (including remote sensing and GIS, yield monitoring and GPS), and automated process control technology.
Precision agriculture technologies and autonomous farming offer many exciting opportunities for more profitable and environmentally compatible farming. Once adapted to farm conditions, these technologies (wireless, cloud-connected systems) will provide a completely new level of accuracy in measuring plant growth, in monitoring on farm growing conditions and in operating farm equipment (sensory-enabled farming). Sensors help agriculture by enabling real-time traceability and diagnosis of crop, livestock and farm machine states. Automated processes (agricultural robots) will replace routine, labour-intensive agricultural work, such as harvesting, fruit picking, ploughing, soil maintenance, weeding, planting, irrigation, etc.. Irrigation on a farm land, for example, will involve linking sprinkler systems to plant sensors, soil sensors and nearby weather stations. The technology will ensure that exactly the right amount of water reaches the growing plants as and when needed.
Big Data, Cloud, and the Future Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Agriculture
The global population is expected to reach 9.5 billion people by 2050, which means double agricultural production in order to meet food demands. Factors such as climate change, population growth and food security concerns have propelled the agricultural industry into seeking more innovative approaches to protecting and improving crop yield. Farm enterprises require new and innovative technologies to face and overcome these challenges. As a result, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is steadily emerging as part of the industry's technological evolution.
The agricultural community wants to use big data to help farmers make decisions that will increase yields and deliver safe, nutritious food to communities around the world. Researchers and farmers use predictive modeling to identify best management practices for getting the best crop and livestock performance under various environmental conditions. To make the most accurate predictions, models based on even the most advanced machine learning algorithms must be rooted in comprehensive datasets. Such datasets often include numerous weather and soil measurements as well as corresponding plant or animal performance assessments under multiple management regimes over multiple years.
The rise of digital agriculture and its related technologies has opened a wealth of new data opportunities. Remote sensors, satellites, and drones can gather information 24 hours per day over an entire field. These can monitor plant health, soil condition, temperature, humidity, etc. The amount of data these sensors can generate is overwhelming, and the significance of the numbers is hidden in the avalanche of that data. Companies are leveraging computer vision and deep-learning algorithms to process data captured by drones and/or software-based technology to monitor crop and soil health. Machine learning models are being developed to track and predict various environmental impacts on crop yield such as weather changes.
Robotics, Drones, and the Future Of Precision Agriculture
Artificial intelligence robotics is one of new and innovative technologies that promises to provide a solution for the future of farming. An increasing number of farmbots are being developed that are capable of complex tasks that have not been possible with the large-scale agricultural machinery in the past.
Automation will help agriculture via large-scale robotic and microrobots to check and maintain crops at the plant level. Robotic farm swarms, the hypothetical combination of dozens or hundreds of agricultural robots (small, autonomous robots) with thousands of microscopic sensors, which together would monitor, predict, cultivate and extract crops from the land with practically no human intervention. Farmers could control everything remotely from a tablet. Drones are transforming agriculture - giving farmers new tools to supervise crops and check on fields from the air. The drone flies a path preset by the farmer and captures images of the ground. Users then upload the images to the cloud where a software tool creates a map revealing areas of crop distress and variability. This enables farmers to quickly identify problems and take action fairly inexpensively. You literally push a couple of buttons, the drones flies the field like a lawnmower, collects the data, and processes the data. By making agriculture more data-driven, farms should see greater productivity and yields.
With drones, robots and intelligent monitoring systems now successfully being used in research and field trials, artificial intelligence, or machine learning, is set to revolutionize the future of farming as the next phase of 'ultra-precision' agriculture is on the horizon. Artificial intelligence (AI) advances to make farming smarter. AI is driving efficiency in our current farming methods to increase production and reduce wastage without adversely affecting the environment. As sensors proliferate on farms and drones capture real-time images of the condition of vast amounts of farmland, AI machines will be able to help farmers foresee what their crops and farms are going to need potentially over a year in advance, giving them more time to react to adverse conditions.
Precision Agriculture therefore can help bring in the next green revolution and can produce tremendous wealth in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way (Biomimicry).
5G Mobile Wireless and the Future of Farming
The term "5G" refers to the fifth-generation wireless broadband technology that will transcend smartphones and connect anything from cars, machines and home appliances at speeds 50-to-100 times faster than 4G, with low-latency wireless up to 1GB/s. The 5G wireless technology could bring reliable, high bandwidth speeds to areas that typically lack coverage, and in turn, enable new precision agriculture capabilities on farm equipment leveraging real-time connectivity. The idea is to have farm equipment that's able to communicate with other machines on the field by streaming data from vehicle to cloud and back down to machine operators in the shortest time possible.
The 5G wireless technology will pave the way for a new generation of robots, some free to roam controlled via wireless rather than wired communications links and exploiting the vast computing and data storage resources of the cloud. Armed with these capabilities, robots can be precisely controlled dynamically in near real time, and be connected to people and machines locally and globally. In short, 5G will fully enable applications such as the "factory of the future" and many, many others that were previously beyond the capabilities of both cellular and robotics technologies.
Rural agricultural communities are demanding high-capacity, low-latency network services to support bandwidth-intensive applications used in various operations, including water supply management, precision agriculture and food production. However, 5G wireless will likely struggle in rural areas, particularly ones with lots of trees and foliage, and could encounter other issues due to low population density. We see two possible solutions for this issue. First, network service providers can deploy fiber in strategic positions closer to rural areas, delivering the necessary backhaul connectivity for 5G technology enablement and small cell deployment throughout agricultural communities. The second solution is to deploy fixed wireless combined with 5G. Either solution will pave the way and enable rural areas to get the data speeds they need, even where communities are small. We're still years from realizing the true potential of rural 5G.
<updated by hhw: 11/23/18>


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BSO Passport
Exclusively for ages 21-40! Get nearly unlimited access to BSO concerts all season long for just $75!
- Nearly unlimited access to Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's incredible performances all season long
- Bring a friend for $25
- Invitations to exclusive events
- Insider access and updates on innovative happenings at the BSO
- Make a one-time payment of $75 and create a login
- Passport tickets are made available at least two months in advance of each concert date. On the first of each month, we will update the available concerts for two months out so you can plan ahead!
- When you're ready to reserve your ticket, login to select the concert data and seat(s) you would like and we'll see you there!
Please note: You will be able to select your first two months of concerts beginning September 1. Please allow 24 hours for your BSO Passport to activate.

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By the time Linda discovered she had breast cancer, it was stage IV. After a valiant battle, she succumbed to the disease just a year and half later at 51 years old. For her daughter, Sherri, the loss was devastating.
"Besides being family, my mom and I were best friends and business partners. When she died, I felt my world had come to an end," says Sherri. "My pain was all-consuming."
Make a difference as a hospice volunteer
For Sherri, voluntariado became the best medicine for her grief. "My pink passion really began when my mom was alive. We were going to conquer breast cancer and spread the message about early detection and yearly screenings, something we had not put into practice, ultimately leading to my mom finding her cancer at such a late stage," recalls Sherri.
"After her passing, I became even further committed to try and help others to not have to experience her pain or mine. I began a barrage of pink events, made breast cancer awareness part of the culture of our wholesale beauty supply business and became a volunteer with Susan G. Komen Miami-Ft. Lauderdale."
That was 11 years ago. Today, Sherri speaks to local communities on behalf of the Komen organization about the resources they have available to those diagnosed with breast cancer. She gives 16 hours a week to the organization as well as hosting yearly fundraising events. Three years ago, she was asked to become president of the board of Susan G. Komen Miami-Ft. Lauderdale and is this year's Race for the Cure committee chair.
"Each role I have played has helped me feel I am truly helping others with their fight against this disease," says Sherri.
And while Sherri is helping others, volunteering is helping Sherri. "Volunteering is truly 'chicken soup' for me," says Sherri. "Volunteering has helped me keep a positive perspective on my pérdida. It has helped me not focus on my pain. I still hurt each and every day but I find comfort in helping others."
For those who are thinking about volunteering after the loss of a loved one, Sherri says, "Life shifts after you lose someone you love, so it's important not to dwell on the past but to be 'forward-focused.' Find something you're passionate about, find out as much as you can about that and volunteer. By paying it forward, it helps you to cope."
Studies have shown that volunteering your time to a good cause can improve mental well-being and overall happiness. In a study commissioned by the UnitedHealth Group, the majority of survey participants reported feeling both physically and mentally healthier after a volunteer experience. Most of the participants cited mood improvement, lower stress levels, an enriched sense of purpose and just feeling healthier as a result of volunteering.¹
In its study, The Health Benefits of Volunteering, the Corporation for National Community Service revealed that volunteering improves self-esteem, reduces high blood pressure, increases endorphin production and enhances the immune system. ²
Volunteering has become a way for Sherri to honor her mother. "I feel my mom's giving spirit lives in the way I have chosen to honor her life by helping others," explains Sherri. "She was an inspiration to me. It allows me to help others and also tell her story to so many. I can think of no greater honor than to be able to give back."
If you're looking for a way to make a difference in your life and the lives of others, or a special way to honor a loved one, VITAS Healthcare has volunteer opportunities available.
¹ http://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/~/media/UHG/PDF/2013/UNH-Health-Volunteering-Study.ashx
² http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/07_0506_hbr.pdf
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Transformers Bumblebee and Bulkhead Costume Photo 3 of 3
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This homemade costume for boys entered our 2013 Halloween Costume Contest.
A word from Kevin, the 'Bumblebee and Bulkhead Transformers' costume creator:
My 10 year old son is a huge Transformers fan, and he asked me if he could be a Transformer for Halloween....BUT..."I'd really like the costume to transform, dad." I thought that this was a... Read more »


text: Motor Coach Partners Please find information and links to a few of our home-based transportation and guiding providers. Discover Banff Tours Discover Banff Tours is one of the premier tour, activity and transportation providers in the Canadian Rockies. This year-round transportation company caters to every visitor including family-friendly tours, awe-inspiring locations and professional corporate services. From private tours to simple transfers, Discover Banff Tours can assist with your clients with their transportation needs! Types of charters include: Sightseeing Tours (summer and winter) Guided Activities (summer and winter) Dinner Transfers Airport Pick-up and Drop-off Off-site Transportation Multiple vehicles sizes to choose from More info SunDog Tours Besides providing top notch shared winter airport shuttles with our Mountain Connector service, SunDog Tour Co. also provides year round charter services with luxury vehicles and professional drivers and guides throughout Western Canada. More info Golden Arrow Golden Arrow Coaches has been in continuous service throughout Western Canada for over 30 years. We are a leading motor coach company in this area, with a modern fleet of about 40 coaches and complete maintenance facilities. Being based in Edmonton provides us with opportunities to travel to many extraordinary destinations. With easy access to the Canadian Rockies, to British Columbia, to the Yukon and Alaska, and to the U.S Pacific Northwest, we are ideally located for many tour needs. More info Traxx Coachlines TRAXX Coachlines possesses one of the largest, youngest motor coach fleets in Western Canada including the new Double-Door 56-seat Van Hool Motor Coach - a first for Canada, allowing faster time boarding and disembarking the coach. Attracting some of the biggest inbound group tour operators from around the world, TRAXX clearly has defined itself as the premium motor coach operator with the average age of a coach being less than three-years old. Keeping to our core principles; Safe, Comfortable, Reliable; TRAXX preserves the highest standards in customer service and true professionalism. More info


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Hager three phase consumer units at UK Electrical Supplies. Browse our 3 phase consumer unit range today. If you have any questions about the below products then get in touch with our customer support team. Please note that when buying a Hager three phase consumer unit you should only use Hager MCBs and RCBOs.
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Newton Tree Conservancy
Invitation to Apply for 2014 (Spring & Fall) Community Tree Plantings
Are there empty spaces on the berms in your neighborhood where street trees formerly provided shade and beauty? Would you like to work with your neighbors and the Newton Tree Conservancy (NTC) to plant new trees? The NTC is now accepting applications for our 2014 spring and fall Community Tree Plantings.
Grants from Newton Community Pride's Stella and Leo Levi Tree Endowment Fund and contributions from the community have enabled the NTC to plant more than 250 trees over the past four years.
We have available funding and logistical capability to plant another 100 trees in 2014. We are inviting applications for 2014 Fall plantings now, with an application deadline of June 1, 2014.
General Information
Projected Timeline
Late March (after ground thaws) - Testing for gas leaks at planting sites.
GIS work/Tree Inventory
An inventory of street trees is the single biggest key in determining the condition and management needs of Newton's street trees. Without the knowledge that an inventory provides, Newton cannot accurately address these needs or plan for the associated costs. There are several methods for conducting a street tree inventory, ranging from precisely focused to broad and fully encompassing.
Inventories are only useful when they are managed and updated on a regular basis. Information that was collected as few as five years ago may not provide an accurate picture of existing conditions. Newton's inventory has not been substantially updated in over ten years. To effectively manage the City of Newton's tree inventory, the data must be updated.
A two-pronged approach is recommended for gaining information on Newton's urban forest. The first aspect is to conduct a random sample survey of the trees in Newton. This relatively inexpensive and rapid method will allow the mangers of the urban forest to understand the current overall status of Newton's trees. This information will be used to better allocate existing resources and make more responsible fiscal decisions. Over the long term the City's ultimate goal is to inventory each tree in the urban forest. This process can be costly and time consuming. The benefits will be an extremely accurate picture of the needs of the urban forest and the necessary resources that will be needed to properly care for the trees as outlined in this manual.
Any inventory in the City of Newton is to be recorded in a computer management system specifically designed for trees. This system will include a component linked directly to a Geographic Information System (GIS). Once collected, this information will be used to develop certain conclusions. Firm action plans will be developed for the maintenance of Newton's tree population. Comparisons will be made against the data that was collected in 1991 to determine the effectiveness the Newton's urban forestry program. It will illustrate trends and areas requiring the most attention.
Programs for care-taking and monitoring of the City's tree population will involve private participants as well as schools and schoolchildren. Details of these programs will be announced as they are developed.
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Logitech Wireless Touchpad severs cable connection
I would say that when we talk about the 21st century as well as towards the end of the 1990s, many people were optimistic that we would soon move into a true blue wireless and paperless age, but judging by what I see at the moment, it seems as though that is not going to happen anytime soon. Why, you ask? Well, paper is still an indispensable part of life, and it is far easier to access something you've written on a note than to pull out your notebook or smartphone, turn it on, and boot up a particular note taking program.
As for going wireless, that is far more practical – although it has not really caught on as I originally thought it would. Logitech intends to push the wireless envelope with their latest product, the $49.99 Logitech Wireless Touchpad. Yup, the introduction of touchpads on notebooks, netbooks and even an optical trackpad on a smartphone did open up a whole new way of interacting with the digital world. Let's see what Logitech has in store for us with their Logitech Wireless Touchpad after the jump.
This device was specially designed to work with the Windows 7 operating system, where it will boast multi-touch navigation and gesture-based controls, making it a whole lot easier to point, scroll and swipe your way to an intended file or shortcut, where even surfing the Internet now is so much easier to do. Since this device comes with a large touch surface, it ought to deliver a fair amount of room for your fingertips to stretch in they very own way without getting cramped, especially after spending the whole day in front of the computer.
Setting it up is a snap – just plug the diminutive Logitech Unifying receiver into a USB port, place the touchpad at an area where you're comfortable with, and you're good to go. The included receiver is able to simultaneously supports up to five more compatible devices.


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The Superyacht UK Young Designer Award 2016 has been announced at the 62nd annual London Boat Show.
Dastinas Steponenas, a final year student of Coventry University, was awarded the prize after 10 students from universities across the UK created entries from scratch over a 36-hour period, live at the London Boat Show.
After being presented with his award at the show's theatre by leading couture designer, Nicholas Oakwell, Dastinas said, "It's an absolute honour to win this prestigious award. I've had a passion for fine art from a very young age and am really excited about completing my four-week internship at Pendennis Shipyard in Falmouth."
The Superyacht UK Young Designer Award aims to raise the profile of essential hand-drawing skills, while also increasing awareness of the marine industry as a potential career option for emerging designers. The judging consisted of three representatives from various well-known British yacht design and naval architecture companies. They were Peter Brown from Burgess, Bill Dixon from Dixon Yacht Design, and Justin Olesinski from Olesinski.
Richard Selby, international development manager for British Marine and Superyacht UK commented, "On behalf of Superyacht UK and our judges, may I pass on our congratulations to Dastinas.
"His award is a true reflection of the hard work that he has put into his studies and we're thrilled to be able to offer him the opportunity to be recognised by the industry and gain invaluable work experience and contacts. There is such incredible design talent in Britain, and it was a real privilege to be a part of this fantastic competition."
Mike Carr, joint MD of Pendennis Shipyard and chairman of Superyacht UK (SYUK) added, "Pendennis is delighted to once again support the Superyacht UK Young Designer annual award. We have been impressed by the extremely high level of skill and imagination shown by the competitors.
"When Pendennis was founded 27 years ago, the industry was dominated by hand-drawn designs and production schematics. It is refreshing to be part of a competition that embraces traditional creativity – skills that are just as important to our industry as using modern technology. We are very much looking forward to welcoming Dastinas to Pendennis for his internship later this year."


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Create your own unique style with the Rocket Dog Jolissa casual shoes. This style features a fabric upper with three buckle strap accents that you can adjust to your personal fit. This style has a frayed collar and tongue for a distressed look.
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The Dr. Pat Show: Talk Radio to Thrive By!: Initiatory Journey to Egypts Temples of Light with Dr. Friedemann Schaub
08/06/2009 08:00 am PST
Dr. Friedemann Schaub and Danielle Rama Hoffman offer transformational, initiatory tours to Egypt. Explore the mysteries of ancient Egypt, expand your consciousness and create wholeness and balance for your mind body and spirit. The next magical journey to Egypt will be May 9-23, 2010
Dr. Pat Baccili
Dr. Pat Baccili helps individuals and organizations break through their limiting Crust so they can reach their unlimited potential. Her specialty is assisting people face t...Find out more »
Dr. Friedemann Schaub
Friedemann Schaub MD., Ph.D.is the award-winning author of "The Fear and Anxiety Solution" and founder of Cellular Wisdom, a Personal Break-through and Empowerment program,...Find out more »
Danielle Rama Hoffman
Danielle Rama Hoffman is a leader in the shift into Unity consciousness, an award-winning author of The Council of Light and the creator of http://divinetran...Find out more »


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Note: This ended up being in three parts. Part II is here and Part III is here.
There are a number of ways to be near water in Seattle. Until this week it was starting to seem that all you had to do was walk outside and let it fall on you. But even when the rainclouds mosey on over the mountains and the sun comes out again, there is still plenty of water about. Lakes and waterways abound, and last time I looked (which was at lunch) the Puget Sound was out there, a vast inland saltwater sea that those with wide anthropological perspective and those given to causing trouble call the Salish Sea.
Water actually gets in our way and, when bridges fail, it imperils our collective bustling around from here to there. And our bridges do fail — the floating ones float away and sink in storms (Hood Canal, 1979; Lacey V. Murrow, 1990), the high and gracefully arched ones fall into the deep channels that separate the twisting islands and peninsulae of the Sound (Tacoma Narrows, a.k.a. "Galloping Gertie", 1940) and the drawbridges get stuck open when ships crash into them (Spokane Street Bridge No. 1, 1978, and what a sorry tale THAT turned out to be).
Hey, we're a port city. Water water everywhere, sure. But there's a different water experience that some of us seek out, and that's the babble, chortle and roar of water splashing around in fountains and other man-made cascades solely for our serenity and refreshment. Water not on its way somewhere, water just circling.
I've been collecting these "water features" around town in recent weeks in order to present them to you here. I don't often go and sit by them for long periods, simply because my impulse in the middle of the day is to get my blood circulating. If I had more time I would.
Nevertheless, here are several places downtown where you can go and be near water in feckless, frolicking motion. The list is not exhaustive, I'm sure, but it's big enough that I've had to break it into two parts (I set out thinking I'd find nine or ten, but I'm up to fifteen already) and includes one fountain that's been dry since the last millennium. Let me know of other ones you've discovered! First off, we'll explore places west of Third Avenue toward the bay, then later we'll range further up the old slope.
First and Union
We'll start at the point where Union Street ends abruptly in the driveway of the new Four Seasons Hotel. I see from satellite imagery that the hotel has a pool on the roof for paying guests, but for working stiffs like you and me shuffling around at street level, this little bench fountain will have to do. I've walked by this installation a million times and even probably sat on it, but I didn't realize that water was trickling over the back side of it until I was out with my camera specifically looking for water trickling over the back sides of things. The view directly across this man's pad thai from him is really a nice one. The ferries from Winslow and Bremerton shuttle in and away again as your eye muscles practice looking into unobstructed distance.
Sound quality: Almost imperceptible
Sittability: Excellent
Best time to go: Morning, when the sun is on the Olympic Mountains and the bay is really blue.
First and University
University Street used to "go right through", to repeat Woody's phrase from three posts ago, from the waterfront up to Capitol Hill. In the late 1990s the old buildings on both sides of University between First and Western avenues — buildings which I assume were derelict — were razed to make way for Stimson Bullitt's pet project, the Harbor Steps development (if you sniff around, you can find some stone arches from one of the original buildings' facade that have been preserved). I can't imagine the political power one would have had to wield to get a street closed off but the prince of the King Broadcasting dynasty had just that kind of clout. Well, what's one less steep hill to drive up in Seattle; we've got loads of 'em. What we got in exchange, besides four mixed-use towers of apartments and ground-level retail, is a long and wide set of public stairs with fountains at several levels and space midway up for musical performers to play for a populace that loves to sit outside whenever it isn't raining.
Sound quality: Varied and soothing
Sittability: Excellent
Best time to go: Fridays in summer, when there's free music.
Second and University
Further up University, on Second, Benaroya Hall reposes like…like…well, it's there if you care to go see it. It's a nice symphony hall, built as a structure within a structure, the first sitting on giant springs inside the second to keep the building from shaking the horn section offstage when trains pass through the downtown tunnel in the bedrock directly beneath the hall. The Garden of Remembrance at the Benaroya's southwest corner honors our war dead, the names of fallen local veterans carved in the thousands in giant blocks of what I believe is basalt. Next to these monuments, water cascades over rough walls of the same stone. It gets hot on this corner if the sun's out, so this one is ideal for springtime.
Sound quality: Soothing
Sittability: Good, but you will be in the way of people making a beeline for the bus tunnel
Best time to go: Springtime, or mornings in summertime
Nextdoor to the Benaroya in the lower courtyard of the WaMu/Chase Tower, water just pours out of tubes into a pool as from any old gutter spout, but the environs, which I've written about before, are very pleasant.
Sound quality: A little "ploppy", but okay
Sittability: Good, but smokers own this plaza
Best time to go: Before or after WaMu becomes Chase
Third and Yesler
I found no water here, but I encountered something even better so I'm including this old fountain. Heading south via Third Avenue we pause, as the gentleman named Duke pictured here has paused, at the corner of Third and Yesler. The site supposedly (and coincidentally, and even ironically) corresponds pretty well to the site of the first Seattle home of Monsignor François Xavier Préfontaine, who was a missionary in the city's early days and who bequeathed the City $5,000 to be used for a fountain in a public square, although the City didn't get around to building it until 1925, sixteen years after his death. I've never seen the fountain with water in it, and I think a lot of drug deals and other unsavory hookups take place here. Duke, who was born in Seattle and raised in Seattle and Tacoma, was on his way up the hill to the hospital when he stopped for a rest. He says the fountain hasn't been turned on in about 15 years. He says it used to have goldfish in it and everything. According to Duke, "some fella got drunk and fell into it and drowned hisself, so they turned it off". I told Duke I was born and raised across the water in Bellevue. "A whistle-stop," Duke declared. "I remember when Bellevue wadn't nothin' but a whistle-stop." When I asked if I could take his picture in front of the fountain, he said "sure, if you can get the fountain in it with me sitting right where I am."
Sound quality: NA
Sittability: Excellent
Best time to go: 1925
Second and Main
Here's one you may not ever have seen because it's easy to miss. On the corner of Second and Main, just east of Occidental Square in the Pioneer Square neighborhood, is a bona fide waterfall. It's inside a miniscule park surrounded by high walls on the site of the offices — now gone — of a little company once called American Messenger Service, which became United Parcel Service. Jim Casey, one of the founders of the company, also started the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the philanthropic outfit that commissioned Waterfall Park in 1977. Bring a sack lunch or some take-out and sit at the tables and chairs. This one is good during the heat of the day because of the cooling mist. And unless you see a jet fly over, there will be nothing to remind you that you are in the heart of one of the West Coast's biggest metropolissesses.
Sound quality: Loud but soothing because the rocks fracture the sound into higher frequencies (my theory)
Sittability: Excellent (tables with chairs always available)
Best time to go: Whenever you can
Alaskan Way at Yesler
I kept thinking, didn't there used to be a fountain at the Ferry Terminal before they remodeled its entrance? I zimbered over there recently and found this vintage fountain which I'm almost sure is by native Seattlite George Tsutakawa. It looks a lot like another one that I know to be his creation that we'll look at in Part II when we head for higher ground. My very unreliable (yet native!) memory tells me this fountain was originally at the bottom of a long, silly ramp that led up into the fairy terminal, apparently before elevators and escalators. In fact, I'm sure it was there, which means that two of Tsutakawa's fountains that I know about are in locations other than where they started out. This one's been reinstalled a good scoot to the south, right next to where all the cars pour into the ferry ticket booth lines. Consequently, it's hard to get photos of this fountain that really make it sing. I've posted two, one putting forward its best foot — even though its shape rather gets lost in the bushes — and another facing south to show you the proximity not only of the rush of island- and peninsula-bound traffic two feet beyond the fountain, but also of the industrial (Port of Seattle) neighborhood beginning a few doors south. And I didn't even include the one with that damned Tyrannosaurus Viaductus in the background.
Sound quality: Soothing, almost drowns out the viaduct
Sittability: Good (you can sit on the edge, benches a few yards away)
Best time to go: Morning, I'd say, since it's out in the open and there are no trees around. Avoid baking hot days and evening rush hour.
Alaskan Way at Union
Moving north along the waterfront we come to an installation given to the city by the daughter, and in memory, of Edward M. and Margaret J. Harrington. A plaque there notes that they "loved this city". The fountain, which stands in the Waterfront Park next to the Aquarium, was started by sculptor James Fitzgerald and finished in 1974 by his wife Margaret Tomkins after he died. I prefer fountains that are not so square and industrial-looking, but you can sit next to this fountain and go completely deaf to the racket of the Alaskan Way Viaduct across the street. You can also get henna tattoos by KK. Paul Dorpat has written about the people behind (figuratively) this fountain here: http://pauldorpat.com/seattle-now-and-then/seattle-now-then-waterfront-park-fountain/.
Sound quality: Deafeningly loud.
Sittability: Okay. The low narrow curb is not comfortable, but there are benches nearby.
Best time to go: If you like bumping elbows with tourists, go anytime in summer.
Alaskan Way at Broad Street
We finish at the waterfront's northern end, below this gentleman's…er…southern end. You saw this fountain a week or so ago when I was gushing thankfulness that the sun had come out. Here I and my nuke are enjoying an after dinner walk with friends. The trick about Louise Bourgeois' "Father and Son", the sculpture that stands literally in the midst of this fountain at the southern end of Olympic Sculpture Park, is that the water jets change pattern every so often, so that either the son is visible and the father is hidden by water, or vice versa, or they are both visible. (It's about the difficulties in intrafamilial male relationships and what I would call "unavailability"). I don't know what the interval is, but I think I once heard that it's on the hour, and that makes sense, but guess what: for all the times I've walked past this fountain, and stood next to it, and stared at it while we ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory across the street, I've never seen it change. It always just suddenly is changed the next time I look up. It happened last week. I walked by it at lunch when the boy was visible, turned around a hundred yards later, and came back to find the man visible. I looked at my timepiece (okay, phone) and saw that a clock hour had ended during that few minutes.
Sound quality: Loud but not obnoxious.
Sittability: Excellent.
Best time to go: Any time you can spare 61 minutes in a row.


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Have been really busy again, and hence did not have the time to blog about quite a number of things that I have done recently. We did a guided walk today at Semakau, and here are some quick highlights of the things we saw.
My most exiting sighting today would be this Nautilus shell (Nautilus sp.) that was also spotted by Casey last weekend! Related to octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, nautiluses are the only cephalopods with a hard external shell. They usually live at depths of several hundred metres, but usually rise to shallower waters to feed at night. Empty shells, like the one above, are sometimes washed up on beaches. This shell appeared to be in rather good condition, which could mean that the animal might have died recently!
Another nice sighting for me would be this Tomato Clownfish (Amphiprion frenatus). While I had seen this animal several times already, this was the first time I encounter such a friendly one and managed to get a shot of the entire fish! Unfortunately, the Bulb Tentacle Sea Anemone (Entamacea quadricolor) appeared to be rather bleached. Many of our corals and other cnidarians appeared to be bleaching recently, a rather worrying sign. Hopefully they will recover soon.
I also chanced upon the population of Knobbly Sea Stars (Protoreaster nodosus). I didn't stop to properly count how many were there, but in this photo alone there were more than 10 of them. Would say there were probably close to or more than a hundred of them around this area!
Here's a closer look at one of the Knobbly Sea Stars.
We also saw this mature Cushion Star (Culcita novaeguineae), which was about 20cm across.
And once again, we spotted this juvenile cushion star, which was only about 10cm wide. We first saw this particular individual in May last year, when it's much smaller, flatter and was greenish in colour. The colour slowly changed to yellowish, and now it's getting more bloated, looking more and more like a cushion!
I saw this clam which has lots of spines on it, but not sure what species it is.
As usual, we saw the resident Fluted Giant Clam (Tridacna squamosa).
I chanced upon this pretty Heart Cockle (Corculum cardissa). Unfortunately, due to its nice shape, it was often collected to be sold at souvenir shops in the region.
The Ovum Cowrie (Cypraea ovum) has a nice and smooth shell, which it protects with its mantle. The bumpy mantle also helps to camouflage the animals.
I saw 2 Noble Volutes (Cymbiola nobilis) today. These snails feeds on other shelled mollusc by wrapping their strong feet over the prey to suffocate them.
Here's another fierce predator of snails and clams - the Moon Snail (Polinices mammilla). It can secrete an acid to soften the shell of its prey before drilling a hole through it to feed on the meat inside, with a tongue-like structure called a radula.
I saw this cute little octopus stranded in a small pool of water while heading back to check on the groups.
This Bohol's Nudibranch (Discodoris boholiensis) is often mistaken to be a flatworm, as it's really flat!
The name "nudibranch" means "naked gills", referring to the the flower-like gills on the back of most species, such as this Funeral Nudibranch (Jorunna funebris).
Not sure why, but there were many Dragonfish Sea Cucumbers (Stichopus horrens) today. I probably saw like almost 10 of them.
We only found 1 Sandfish Sea Cucumber (Holothuria scabra) though. This is the species that is found in Chinese restaurants. Note that they must be probably processed to remove the toxins in them before they can be eaten though.
The Stonefish Sea Cucumber (Actinopyga lecanora) got its name from the fact that it's commonly found sandwiched between rocks, appearing just like a stone!
And here's one master of camouflage that's really hard to spot. It's a Spotted-tail Frogfish (Lophiocharon trisignatus).
This female Tigertail Seahorse (Hippocampus comes) appeared a little fatter than usual. Wonder if it had eggs in its belly, ready to be transferred to the male?
I spotted several Adhesive Sea Anemone (Cryptodendrum adhaesivum), which appeared to be rather bleached too.
There were a lot more other things that we saw, as today was an exceptionally good day. In fact, our walk today over-run quite a bit because of that. Hopefully all the participants had enjoyed themselves! :)
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Semakau Walk on 17 Jun 2010
Have been really busy again, and hence did not have the time to blog about quite a number of things that I have done recently. We did a guided walk today at Semakau, and here are some quick highlights of the things we saw.
Posted by Ron Yeo at 10:53 PM
Labels: Intertidal, Semakau


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They say life is stranger than fiction but some of the stuff that's happening in South Armagh, is straght out of the Murphy's Law, textbook. A year ago today, one of Willie's Frazer's cult followers, was minding his own business, when one of Murphy's Sin Fein councillors brought his attention to two Irish tricolour flags, that were also minding their own business, in trees at the edge of lake in Bessbrook. Murphy's councillor brought Oswald Bradley's attention to the flags and said the Irish tricolours should come down. Sin Fein made the following statement at the time, calling for their removal, saying they were "overtly sectarian, intimidating and threatening," Well Willie Frazer's cult follower became enraged and emboldened by Sin Fein rhetoric, he started to have some very strong feelings about the presence of the Irish flags on the island on Mill Pond. So being a Willie Frazer man, he put a Union Jack flag in his pocket and started to swim out to replace the flags with the Union Jack, as Sin Fein had advised, when the poor man, got into trouble while swimming across to the flags.
Oswald Bradley, a stout Orangeman in his 70s, entered the water at Bessbrook Mill Pond at 5pm and after getting into fierce difficulties, was pulled by the Orange Order and Sin Fein from the water. Despite all sorts of mouth to mouth resusitation to revive him, poor Oswald could not be saved and kicked the bucket. After the tragedy Sin Fein representatives arranged for a canoeist to go out in the lake and retrieve the Union Jack flag which was floating on the pond. Sin Fein also removed the two tricolours, which were doing nobody any harm at all, from trees on the pond island.
Now you would think by the law of averages, that would be that for a while, but this is South Armagh Occupied Ireland and last week, Murphy sent another crew to remove something, that was offending them, up a pole that promptly exploded and blew Murphy's man back down again, giving him a pair of black eyes and a very bloody nose. There was fierce weeping and gnashing of teeth about it altogether and Murphy took off to London to get away from it all, all expenses paid by Her Majesty the Queen of England of course.
So a couple of nights ago, some republican stalwarts in Bessbrook, who hadn't forgotten about the Sin Fein removal of their tricolour a year previously, decided to erect a new tricolour and keep watch with camera on what would happen. Well last night a pickup came down the road crawling. It's not clear if it was one of Willie Frazers or Murphy's mob, with the intention to remove the tricolour. As they watched from an upstairs window, camer in hand, they could see one of their young fellows climb up the pole to remove it, when all of a sudden, there was an almighty blast and a bang, that blew him back down the pole again.
His brethern came to his rescue, gave him mouth to mouth resusitation and put him in the back of the pick-up and drove off again. Now none of the media are covering the matter, so there appears to be a cover-up about the incident, because of embarrassment following events just a week earlier. The republicans being the gentlemen that they are, decided to remove the tricolour for dry cleaning, to prevent further cruelty to the eyes of South Armagh, at least for the time being.
Now all of this takes me back to when Provisional Sinn Fein first participated in Assembly elections in South Armagh in 1982, and we were intending to drive through the mixed village of Bessbrook, in a motorcade through the village. Taxi Hughes from Newry and myself were to head the motorcade, with a tricolour, in a pickup not too different from the one last night. We weren't the owners, the Murphys would know who owned it. Of course the Newry lads had to do the dirty work and lead the motorcade, with the tricolour. The Murphys were way back, being soldiers of the rearguard.
Well the sectarian RUC stopped us and apparently they regarded the Irish Flag, as cruelty to both their eyes and to some residents of Bessbrook. So Taxi and myself, bought as much time as we could, delaying the issue as best we could, until we got some support from the Murphy's behind. Well into the proceeding, I looked behind for the support but Lo and Behold! there wasn't a sign of the Murphy's. Well the two of us were well outnumbered by numerous angry RUC men, we held our ground as best we could but we couldn't breach their ranks, as our backs weren't covered. The lesson I learned that day, was always remember to have your back covered, by people you can definitely trust. Now of course the Murphy's will deny this but if you don't believe me, you can go into Newry and ask Taxi Hughes, a dacent man who did time for his country, who stood by the Irish Triolour.
Come all ye bold teetotallers and list' to me a while,
And if you close attention pay I'll cause you to smile;
No story of Grecian queen, nor tale of Trojan say
But a tale of woe that happened so with whiskey in me tay.
I was a bold teetotaller for three long years and more,
The neighbours all respected me and decent clothes I wore,
My family were fond of me till one unlucky day
Just like a child I was beguiled with whiskey in me tay.
I only took the smallest sup when up the ructions rose,
I saw that I was put upon and slaughtered friends and foes,
A Polisman surrounded me and hauled me up next day,
The charge was read and duly pled, 'twas whiskey in me tay.
From Carrickmacross to Crossmaglen the polisman(?) did vow
There are more rogues than honest men as any will allow,
It isn't rogues or honest men the Justice then did say,
We deal with now, but a drunken row from whiskey in his tay.
This man he was a sober man for three long years or more
The neighbours all respected him and decent clothes he wore,
The story is an ancient one the justice did say,
He'll pay up bail or go to gaol for whiskey in his tay.
So all bold teetotalers if sober you would be
Be careful of your company and mind what happened to me,
It wasn't the lads from Shercock or the boys from Ballybay,
But the dealing men from Crossmaglen put whiskey in me tay.
Letter from the Craigavon Two
An open letter written by miscarriage of justice victims Brendan McConville and John-Paul Wootton, followed by a recent synopsis of the case.
We acknowledge with interest the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Barra McGrory, to investigate the circumstances surrounding the murder of Michael Tighe by the RUC in 1982.This was clearly a case of injustice in which vital evidence (a recording device) was destroyed to cover the realities of an RUC shoot-to-kill policy.
It would be difficult to ignore the glaring parallels that exist between this case and our own with regard to the destruction of key evidence. This is especially so given the conclusion reached by a director of the company responsible for manufacturing the device which contributed to our wrongful convictions. At the trial he stated that the wiping of data "would not have been something that could have happened purely accidentally".
The question must now be asked: how can Mr McGrory attach such significance to the wiping of evidence in the Tighe case while at the same time ignoring similar misconduct in our case?
Mr McGrory's expressed concern that the case of Michael Tighe could potentially undermine the credibility of the Public Prosecution Service could equally apply to our case.
In denying the truth Mr McGrory's predecessors withheld justice from the family of Michael Tighe for more than 30 years. Does he intent to mimick what he now condemns and wait for his successor to address his current wrongs or is he now prepared to accept that justice was similarly perverted in a case in which he continues to be instrumental?
Injustice and the Craigavon 2 (by Thomas G Maher)
In 2012, John Paul Wooten and Brendan McConville were convicted of the 2009 killing of PSNI Constable Steven Carroll in Craigavon, County Armagh. Both men have maintained their innocence since the day of their arrest and interrogation by the PSNI.
John Paul Wooten was 17 at the time of his arrest and imprisoned at Maghaberry Prison, which is the adult committal prison for male prisoners in Northern Ireland. Brendan McConville at the time of his arrest was 38 years old and had previously served his community by being elected to Craigavon Borough Council.
The trial was placed under the jurisdiction of the juryless court system in Northern Ireland, formerly known as "Diplock Courts". A jury-less court in NI is established under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (Act of British Parliament) and can try a case with a single judge presiding and hearing evidence.
The evidence which the prosecution brought before the court was, as many legal experts have described, insufficient to be admissible as evidence, evidence was insufficient to carry a conviction and that the security services doctored the evidence. The evidence given by "Witness M" was only presented to the PSNI 11 months after the date of the murder. This witness placed Brenden McConville at the scene, however has admitted he (Witness M) was "intoxicated at the time". However since then a family member of witness M, has come forward and given a statement questioning the statement of witness M and his ability to identify Brenden on the night of the murder. Since coming forward witness M has benefitted financially and has been placed into the witness protection programme. Witness M gave his testimony over tv link to the court.
At the time of the murder John Paul Wooten had been under surveillance by the British Army and a tracking device had been affixed to John Paul's car. After the arrest of both men on the same night, the tracking device was then removed from the car and brought back to an army base and the data on the device was retrieved and then the device was wiped clean of all data. This happened six days after the date of arrest which has been questioned by the defence as unacceptable to be admissible as evidence to court. Questions have also been raised as to the device's ability to give accurate readings in GPS format and that it has been proven data has gone missing from the device which the defence argues should never of been allowed to be presented to court.
These two pieces of evidence were the basis of the prosecutions case. It placed both suspects at the scene; made use of the corroborated evidence rule (requiring 2 pieces of evidence to be presented before any evidence is deemed to be admissible); both Brenden and John Paul were involved in republicanism (also covered by the "Hearsay rule" in English Law).
The use of the juryless court system has been called into question by Amnesty International, the Irish Human Rights Council and by previously and current serving members of the Dail, Stormont and Westminster.
To be tried under a juryless court is to be denied the very basic right under criminal law, to be tried by a jury of your peers. This right is the right of any person charged with a criminal offence and designed to give a fair balance of justice regarding the power of the state and allows for the person charged to be judge by the tested standards of the public and not that of the legal profession or the security services.
In our society a miscarriage of justice is deemed to be the failing of the law to protect the rights of the individual under the legal system and therefore any conviction or sentence can be defined in law as "invalid". This case has many parallels in The Republic of Ireland, most notably Ian Bailey, where the State's agents and by definition the State, allegedly doctored evidence, perverted the course of justice and committed perjury in court by corroborating the evidence which is presented in court.
At the very heart of this case is the juryless court system and its ability to give a fair and balanced trial. The Craigavon 2 have had their basic human rights under criminal law denied to them by the state, have been given life sentences based on questionable evidence and have had the appeal by the Court of Appeal in Belfast reserved with the convictions and sentences upheld.
The next step for Brenden and John Paul is the Supreme Court in London.
For more information on the Craigavon 2 go to https://www.facebook.com/JFTC2


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How we do it
We help tell your story via the creation of video for
- Product launch, promotion or video media release
- An event video showcasing your product or capabilities
- Complex communications challenge (multifaceted media, documentary, TV series, webisodes, multimedia iPhone/ iPad / tablet app).
Xorigin was an early adopter of game-changing technologies like web-streaming and HD video. From the start we have been using DSLRs like the Canon 5DMk2 and the 5DMk3. This allows us to produce high-production-value video, with greater flexibility at a fraction of the cost of legacy technology.
We are also developing a tablet/ smartphone video sharing platform. We continually work with the smartest hot-young-practitioners in video, graphics, design, music and editing and visual effects. It is our people and vision that give your video a creative, innovative edge.


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Finka Pe is a web-documentary pilot created by Storia na Lugar, an experimental multidisciplinary analysis and documentation platform addressing socio-spatial processes/dynamics.
In 2015, the former bath house building and community space of Lém-Ferreira, one of the oldest neighborhoods of Paia, the capital city of Cabo Verde, was occupied and named Finka Pe (meaning putting down one's feet in defiance). This occupation, following two previous ones, was carried out in a joint effort between Korrenti di Ativistas (a group of activists) and a group of former gang members from one of the most feared gangs of the city, who transformed it into a community organization.
This web-doc aims to understand the social dynamics, various processes in the production of space and the strategies of urban and community problem solving in Lem-Ferreira through the actions of Finka Pe.


text: I'm your bitchy dream come true.. I'm a no nonsense kinda girl. I love collecting filthy pigs as pets.. training you to obey me.. to obey my orders.. Punishing you makes my clit swell up… and makes my cunt drip down these sexy thighs of mine. Disobey me? Try me. Extreme phone sex is what I enjoy..


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Let there be laughter.
"At times the world may seem an unfriendly and sinister place,
but believe that there is much more good in it than bad.
All you have to do is look hard enough, and what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events
may in fact be the first steps of a journey."
Lemony Snicket
we live life out loud.
My children grew up with Pokemon so I'm very familiar with it. I've decided to ignore any negative publicity because let's face it, we'll never ever escape negativity in life. But, you should see our lunchroom at work which is buzzing with positive vibes, laughter and lots of Gotcha! Among other lighthearted things. (Way better than the recent weeks of rehashing horrid shootings around the world.)
Not that they aren't important, but folks have been going far overboard through it all.
Now for the reasons I like the game.
The one main feature that holds me captive is all
Yes, there are things on Pokemon that aren't presented on Google Earth.
But there isn't any sign that describes the meaning behind this statue. Now instead of searching long periods on Google, I click on the statue in the game and presto, the photo pops up with information regarding it.


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Do you have a stash of drawings, paintings and art pieces? Why not enjoy them and use them to inspire a memorable story.
Today we are sharing five different artworks, or creations we have used for storytelling (a further five ideas will be posted in the next blog post).
1. Using Wax resist paintings to create a shadow puppet box.
This was one of those happy accidental discoveries. My children had created a bunch of wax resist paintings. We started hanging a few up on the window and admired how the light shining through them created such a beautiful effect. This got me thinking and experimenting with light and torches. The happy and enjoyable result was the shadow puppet box. I wrote about the process for producing this background where we used the same technique to recycle some rather worn fairy wings. The link to this blog post can be found here.
The only difference between the fairy/ dragon wings we created and the shadow puppet box pictured above is the technique used to iron and melt the crayon shavings. For the shadow puppet box, I glided the iron over the crayon shavings (covered in wax paper). For the fairy/dragon wings I "dabbed" the iron over the crayon shavings to melt them.
Once the wax resist paintings have been created you need a box. We used shoe boxes.
Cut a slit across one side of the box so that the wax resist painting can be inserted. The painting on the right is the painting in the first photo. Isn't it amazing how some light behind it makes it look spectacular?
The view from the back:
We attached some puppets (some fairy cut outs we already had as well as some I made) to straws. You could also use foam stickers to create puppets. Place them behind the wax resist painting with a torch shining onto them.
These wax resist paintings make a gorgeous backdrop. In this case the paintings were used to create a fairy land scene. They could be used to set the scene in outer space, underwater or wherever your imagination takes you.
2. Shadow puppets.
As the sun is setting earlier, it's the perfect time to take advantage of the longer nights with some shadow puppets. These are simple to make and can involve basic shapes. The puppets come to life with crazy voices and wonderful personalities.
Halloween often sees us create puppets for story telling.
3. Storytelling outside with a fairy garden.
Several years ago we were very blessed with a beautiful gift from my mum and dad. They created (as well as purchased) many pieces for our cherubs to create fairy gardens. This was (and still is) a wonderful activity that my cherubs love to do.
The beauty of this gift is that it can be set up a different way every time it is used, creating a completely unique experience each time.
Once the fairy garden is set up, it is time for the adventures and storytelling to begin.
Creating and enjoying:
One of the fairy chairs Mum and Dad created:
All of my children like the colour yellow, so Mum and Dad made sure they made some yellow furniture too.
4. Painting Rocks
Creating pet rocks and painting rocks is one of those memorable childhood experiences. Why not paint some rocks to create colourful characters to include in some of your stories.
See our rock characters under the paper plate structure?
5. Play Dough Creations
Use play dough to create the setting and characters to inspire a story.
Combine some 3D art pieces (the painted boxes on the left and right towards the back) and some personalised photo puppets (photos on a popsicle stick) with a play dough scene to create a few key elements for a magical story.
Sometimes the time of year inspires play dough creations which we use to tell stories. For example, Halloween inspired the creations below. The whole family was in on creating the scene featured below.
The invitation to create was the "haunted house" – a shoe box covered in purple paper. After brainstorming some characters, we came up with the scene above. There were plenty of laughs as we used some of the characters to tell stories about Halloween parties (of the non scary kind).
Christmas time also tends to inspire lots of festive creativity, including the play dough decorations (featured below) that my older two children created for a doll house. Add some characters and you have a wonderful setting for a Christmas story.
Finally, one more Christmas inspired play dough creation that we used to create a Christmas story and could be adapted for story telling. Instead of Santa's house featured below (a shoe box covered in red paper and decorated with some play dough), another house, such as a house from a fairy tale, a fairy house, a magical rainbow house, or a tree house could be decorated with play dough and some play dough characters created.
Stay tuned for the next blog post which will share five more ways to incorporate children's artwork and creations into story telling.


text: The group Dimeiwe was formed in September of 2004. Luis Gimenez, after five years in London, made the decision to return to Villena – his home town in Spain. After his period away he returned with a wealth of inspiration from various musical styles to implement in new compositions. During his time in London, Luis was awarded a BA in music from SOAS ( School of Oriental and African Studies). Whilst studying for his degree he was a "concertista" of contemporary guitar, dedicating time to song-writing and regularly performing Bossa nova gigs in the Terrace Hotel in London. Besides regular performances with his band (Dimeiwe) , Luis Gimenez has collaborated with numerous World Music maestros- great performers and artists such Ahmed Muktar (Iraq), Chartwell Dutiro (Zimbabwe), Stella Chiweshe (Zimbabwe), Linos Wengara ( Zimbabwe), Andre Oliveira (Brazil), "The Kurdish percussionist of Iran" and Safar Gnawa (Morrocco). Dimeiwe take musical influences from the typical cyclical-entrancing African music of musicians such as Thomas Maphumo and Fela Kuti, moulding these themes with a typical Latin flavour to give an original upbeat fusion . The group has a unique and original formula of composing that is continually developing and maturing to accommodate new styles and influences. Luis appreciates that many other musicians subscribe to the theme of "music fusion" , however Dimeiwe are determined in their quest to produce music that doesn't necessarily conform to commercial aspirations but rooted in an authentic spirituality. This is evident in two new albums Luis has produced in 2006 and his manifestation of Dimeiwe..s innovative approach to music creativity. The groups first performances in various locations in Spain were based on traditional "Chimurenga" ( Zimbawean revolutionary ) music. Chimurenga is itself based on traditional mbira ( Zimabawean instrument) melodies . Later on other influences such as Reggae, Afrobeat , Congolese Rumba, Cuban son, samba,mande,malagasy,etc, were included into an every encompassing repertoire. The quest to experiment with various musical styles and influences doesn't stop here . In 2004 Luis and some members of the band travelled to the Saharaui refugee camps in Tinduf (Algeria) to learn and document the musical and cultural practices of the Saharaui people. That work has been summarised in a combined book and documentary– "The seas of the Desert". Influences of this scarcely appreciated Arabic music are evident in Dimeiwe..s latest compositions. In November of 2006 Luis also did a musical ressearch in Mali with Adama Drame( ex-guitar player of Omou Sangare and Zani Diabate from "Jata Band").He explored the different musical styles in this country,from Tamashek( touareg) passing through griot music, shonrai( Ali Farka Toure), dogon,wassoulou, etc. A cocktail of melodic and rhythmic influences can be appreciated in two new albums (thirty themes in total) . In December of 2007 the third album "Desapego" was released with a new approach of this original band. In 2008 after presenting the new album decided to stop for a while.At the moment,Luis Gimenez created some other projets releasing albums with Demachena "cést fou" and Banda de saba "noche wassoulou


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This week involved reading sweet books. The Hampton Mystery Books are sweet...well...other than a few off color words and one or two sort of innocent sexy situations but we have to give Antonia a break! Plus she needs a little non sleuthing action in her life. And...she eats way too many cookies and scones. She needs exercise!
The Vanderbeekers are sweet...OMG...I am loving this book. The author is Karina Yan Glaser and in addition to being an author she contributes to Book Riot. This book is appealing for so many reasons. There are five Vanderbeeker children...their family is biracial...there are 4 girls...Isa and her twin Jessie, Hyacinth and Laney and Oliver...the only boy. Their landlord...whom they have never seen and who lives on the top floor of their brownhouse...won't renew their lease. So they are trying to come up with a multitude of plans that will change his mind.
There are sketches explaining all kinds of things throughout the book. The Vanderbeeker kids love their house and their block. They bake cookies for the postman to give to the dogs on his route! See what I mean by sweet? Plus they can be crabby and irritating and annoying like every other kid. Not so sweet when they are yelling at each other but very readable...
I love this book!
This book would have been a lovely read aloud in my classroom...just after lunch and recess.
Our area is sort of abuzz this week by an awful crime committed in a lovely area called New Hope. It's a town filled with shops and inns and restaurants. And 4 young men have been missing since last Wednesday. It's even made national news. Den is back volunteering today...the girls and I are going to binge watch more Poirot just because I love seeing his plastic mustache!
So that's it...I made healthy bowls for dinner and a quick blueberry oatmeal bread. We had pasta one night but for me pasta is a healthy bowl.
We had takeaway from a new restaurant and it was delicious...fresh poached tuna salads and gazpacho and sardine toasts...so yummy!
That's it!
See you on Monday!


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This past Monday, we had a record breaking chat on the state of women owned businesses.
Roseann Duran, the Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer of Web.com and Diane Tomb, President and CEO of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO®) were our guest experts.
We got a sneak peek at a recent survey conducted jointly by both organizations on women owned businesses as well as sharing great tips with us.
As an example, when asked how the struggles of women business owners differ from those of male business owners, Diane Tomb shared the following statistic, which rang true with the audience.
WBOs have more difficulty accessing capital. Dept of Commerce survey shows they start with 64% of the capital as male firms #wgbiz #WBOchat
— NAWBO (@NAWBONational) February 11, 2013
Earlier, we asked Roseann Duran for some common mistakes made in networking, especially early on in one's career. She gave some great advice:
A1c: Common misstep: Not treating everyone with respect, regardless of their position. #wgbiz
— Web.com (@webdotcom) February 11, 2013
How record-breaking was our "Women Business Owner" chat?
This is, by far, the most successful Twitter chat we've ever had in the history of our publication. Each time I think our community couldn't possibly produce a busier chat session, people who haven't been around in months show up to participate and support each other.
If we did any better this week, we would have been a trending topic. Because this Twitter chat didn't just break some of our records.
It broke ALL of the records.
We typically range from 100- 200 participants, producing 300 – 500 tweets, reaching between 750,000 and one million people, generating about 1.5 to 2 million impressions. Occasionally we break that mold and our numbers are much higher – but not like this.
This time our 301 participants produced 942 tweets, reached 1,928,346 people with 11,401,757 impressions.
You can get a PDF, Excel or print copy of the chat from its archive page on Tweetreach. As you peruse it, remember to follow other people you remember from past chats. Half the fun of the Twitter chats are the conversations that lead to new friendships.
Attend the Next Women Grow Business Chat, Live
Can we break this last chat's record? You tell me, at the next one!
Every second Monday of the month at noon, the Women Grow Business community has a Twitter chat. We usually have a guest expert, announced on our blog prior to the chat.
You can subscribe to our blog, our Facebook or Twitter page using the links in the upper right corner of the page, to get the announcement of our next guest delivered to you.
To be get an email reminder of when the chat is approaching, you can also sign up for free on our Eventbrite page. I've entered the date for all the chats to come, if you'd just like to mark your calendar.
Not sure what to do in a Twitter chat? We've got that covered too. By far the easiest way to follow it, if you're not familiar with Twitter, is to go to our #wgbiz Twitter chat room on Tweetchat at noon on the second Monday of the month.
But participating is even more fun!
How do you follow The #WgBiz Twitter chats?
- Log into Twitter, Tweetchat, Tweetgrid, Tweetdeck, or any other Twitter tool that lets you isolate a hashtag. You don't NEED a Twitter account to attend, but it sure is handy for the ability to ask questions.
- Follow our Twitter hashtag #wgbiz. (In Twitter you can use the search at the top of the screen, in Tweetchat or Tweetgrid, you'll see an area for you to enter the hashtag at the top of the screen – with Tweetchat you don't even need to log in. In Tweetdeck, you can create a column that searches for that hashtag)
- Arrive as early as 11:45 a.m. to introduce yourself, send us a link to your site, and share your latest project, as well as to meet the other chatters.
- Make sure you're following the host, in this case me (@wgbiz is the official channel, while @Tinu is my personal handle), and then featured guest(s). This way, you can easily follow the conversation, send questions during the chat, or follow up later.
- Have fun – chat with others, answer questions and participate! Our free twitter chats are meant to be educational, sure, but also lighter fare than a teleconference or webinar.


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There was a water stain on the ceiling tile, and someone was talking about the mystery of God.
I looked at that stain and saw the process of the water, slowly seeping into the cracks and seams…seeping until some sort of shape formed.
So it seems to be with God, who slowly pours Himself into our pores until a shape takes form, until we see Him as something beautiful, yet still unknown. Mystery.
What is the shape of God? What form is found in His blessing?
A few nights ago Trav and I received an unexpected dinner date.
Eliot stayed with Suzan, and we sat there with juicy burgers on our plates, a basket of fries between us.
Isaiah slept the entire time, and I said out loud, "I'm thanking God for this, right now."
We ate slowly and savored every bite of food and every bit of conversation.
The shape of the blessing, unique for that moment.
Yesterday I sat at ONYX and watched friends pass Isaiah around while I sipped my latte.
There was a creamed tulip on top and a Celtic book of prayers at my side.
Be at the dawning of our life, and oh! at the dark'ning of our day, amen.
At the dark'ning of the day, He is the lit candles on the table, my reminder that Lent is the season of grace flooding my heart.
He is the flame, the bright hope-light.
And we are safe in our beds and full in our bellies, overflowing with blessing upon blessing.
It's just hard to see the shape sometimes.
When I was pregnant with Eliot, I waited and waited for my belly to grow big, because I wanted to see the shape of my boy. I wanted to see him grow and see him make his appearance. So it grew and grew, and the mystery of who he was became clearer and clearer, the beauty of the blessing becoming brighter and brighter.
The shape of the blessing, the shape of the Mystery.
Look around you and see it. Look up at ceiling tiles and let your ears hear the voices of truth. They are all the blessing, and they are all the mystery, water of life seeping into our veins day by day, in the dawn and in the dark'ning.


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Suvi Koponen in Prada Vogue Korea April 2014
Top Model Suvi Koponen poses in Prada for the cover of Vogue Korea's April 2014 edition captured by fashion photographer Benny Horne. In charge of styling was Ye Young Kim, with hair by Marki Shkreli and makeup by Tyron Machhausen. Set design by Heath Mattioli.
Website: www.vogue.co.kr