text:
Sven-Ivan Mella, who grows shiitake mushrooms in a disused office in an iron ore mine in Kiruna, Sweden, harvests fresh fungi off a log of alder wood. I visited the mine in May 2007.
© 2016 text and photos, except where noted. All rights reserved.
Reading “Deep Down Dark,” about the rescue of the 33 miners in the Chilean desert in 2010 (see August 29 post), got me thinking about the mines that I’ve visited on my travels, one in particular.
In May 2007, I flew from Stockholm to Kiruna, Sweden, to visit the LKAB mine, the largest underground iron ore mine in the world. It’s owned by the Swedish government. Much of the Kiruna mine’s high-grade processed iron ore is used in steelmaking, and is exported to markets in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
In reality, the Swedish and Chilean mines don’t have much in common other than the obvious: They both are sources of a metal. In the San José Mine in the Atacama desert, copper and some gold were extracted. The San José Mine has been closed since the 33 miners were rescued and it is unlikely to ever open again.
The LKAB mine in far north Sweden has a good safety record and it’s expected to continue producing for several more decades.
My trip to Sweden started with several days spent visiting friends who live in a Stockholm suburb. But when I planned my itinerary, I knew I also wanted to go north, about 90 miles above the Arctic Circle, to see the area that is part of the traditional homeland of the indigenous Sami people, to check out the mine and learn more about why the central section of Kiruna was being relocated.
This two-week trip also included several days on the gorgeous island of Gotland, to walk along the medieval walls that encompass Visby, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and undertake a lengthy self-guided ramble.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where I worked at the time, ran my extensive stories and photos in the June 17, 2007, Travel section.
When I arrived, spring hadn’t, as the temperature was hovering in the 30s during the day and snow was scattered on the ground in many places. The sun did eventually come out, but not for long, and I remember more overcast sky and cold than anything approaching a change of season.
There is an official LKAB mine tour, which can be booked through Kiruna’s tourism office. But I sought out a more informal, three-hour one, led by a retired electrician and software writer, Sven-Ivan Mella, who had worked at the mine for decades. I’d come across his name in several guidebooks, noting that his current specialty was growing shiitake mushrooms in a disused office in the mine.
He picked me up at my hotel in a minivan and provided a lot of background information about Kiruna, the Sami, and the mine’s founding before we actually drove in.
At the time of my visit, the mine had 248 miles of paved road. That number has likely increased as the downward digging into the magnetite ore has continued.
The company’s website says the Kiruna “ore body” is about 2.5 miles long and about 1.25 miles deep. More than 1 billion tons have been mined since the late 19th century. Twenty-first century drilling has reached a level of about 4,478 feet, and LKAB officials expect the ore body to hold out for another 20 to 30 years of excavation.
Not surprisingly, the roads in the mine were pitch black. The only illumination was the reflectors on the walls, and vehicle headlights. Fresh water is brought in via pipes, air is circulated by fans, and cables run for miles allowing all interior functions to be executed from banks of computers in state-of-the-art control rooms.
Mella drove me to what looked like a workshop, where an enormous three-hole borer took up a great deal of space — and dwarfed everything around it. I even had a chance to climb into the cab and have Mella snap a photo of me in a white hard hat, with my hands on the controls. He said that this machine, too, was run by remote control, though a driver positioned it before someone pushing buttons from a distance took over.
So how did the idea of growing shiitake mushrooms in the mine blossom?
In 1988, Mella was part of a group at a symposium in Takikawa, Japan, on the island of Hokkaido. The topic of discussion was how LKAB and Kiruna’s workers had dealt with a round of wide-ranging job loss.
His hosts showed Mella their shiitake mushroom farm, and a scheme was born.
Back in Kiruna, it didn’t take much to persuade mine officials that a shiitake farm could be a success. Darkness: check. Water source: check. Surplus manpower: check. Secure the necessary start-up components: check.
Using alder wood from a Finnish source, spawn and technical advice, Mella was on his way. In about six months he had his first crop, and at one point was harvesting more than 220 pounds of mushrooms a week.
He said one of his proudest moments was having his shiitakes served as part of the 1992 Nobel Prize banquet in Stockholm.
Since my visit, Kiruna’s railway has been rerouted and a new main sewer line is now operating. New apartment construction is under way, with some families already in residence.
In 2001, Kiruna’s church was voted as Sweden’s most beautiful building. The red wooden exterior is in stark contrast to the overcast sky in May 2007 . The architect was Gustav Wickman. Completed in 1912, it was donated to the people of Kiruna by LKAB Mining.
Over the next 20 years, about 6,000 people in Kiruna (current population is about 23,000) will relocate as a total of 3,000 new housing units are constructed, in addition to a commercial center and new public buildings. Historic buildings, such as the church that resembles a Sami hut and which dates to 1912, will be disassembled and reconstructed.
The target date for completion is 2035.
Souvenir iron ore pellets from the mine in Kiruna are smaller than the average marble.
I came away from Kiruna with three unusual souvenirs: 3.5 ounces of fresh shiitake mushrooms, a recipe for cream of shiitake mushroom soup and seven gray-blue pellets of iron ore. My friends and I enjoyed the soup on my last night with them in Stockholm.
The pellets sit in a small porcelain dish I bought at a market in Tokyo, on the same sideboard as my amezaiku bunny (see August 22 post).
If you’re going all the way to Kiruna, check out the many seasonal outdoor activities available listed on the tourism website: http://www.kirunalapland.se. I wasn’t able to find any current contact information on Mella’s mushrooms, but check with tourism officials to see if he’s still growing them and if his tour is available.
The tourism site also has links to dozens of beautiful photographs. Click on “press” at the bottom of the page.
I make Holiday Apple Cake in the early fall, but it’s delicious any time of year.
Every year at about this time, I make a gorgeous apple cake. The apple harvest, usually beginning in September, helps to signal that the hot and humid days of summer are nearly over, and that the beautiful colors of fall are on the way.
The recipe itself isn’t difficult, but there are several steps and the prep is lengthy. Read through the recipe twice to make sure you understand the assembly. Unfortunately, I don’t recall the original source of the recipe, except that I photocopied it out of a book.
I always use Granny Smith apples because their tartness offsets the sweet batter, and their firm flesh doesn’t turn to mush during baking. Making the cake a day or two in advance allows time for the flavors to mingle, while the crumb stays moist. You’ll also need the advance time to let the cake cool completely. If you get impatient and accelerate this step, the glaze won’t cascade down the sides properly.
For presentation, choose a wide plate, platter or platform that will support the weight of this dense cake. Use both hands to carry the plate when bringing it to the table to serve.
It is also important to have a well-constructed bundt pan. This is one of those instances where spending the money for the best equipment pays off. My sister bought me a fluted bundt pan more than 25 years ago. It’s the one I still use. It’s also splendid for pound cakes.
Below is the Nordic Ware link to the cast-aluminum pan that is closest to the pan that I have. This cake makes a lot of batter, so make sure the pan accommodates 10 to 15 cups. It’s sometimes referred to as a 10-inch pan. You may be able to find it cheaper on another site, but make sure what you purchase is a heavy-duty pan, not a lightweight one. The heavier weight helps the cake to bake uniformly.
The Nordic Ware site also shows other bundt-pan shapes and includes recipes.
This cake is guaranteed to bring compliments, and likely a request for the recipe.
An assembly line is an efficient way to construct the layers. The first layer of batter and the first layer of apples are in the fluted bundt pan.
Wrapped tightly, the cake will keep for four to five days. Leftovers can also be frozen. Wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap, then encase in aluminum foil. That said, the cake is best when fresh.
To prep the apples: Peel and core apples. Cut apples into quarters and then slice apples into pieces about 1/2-inch thick. In a large mixing bowl, combine apple slices, cinnamon and 5 tablespoons granulated sugar. Mix well; set aside. The apples will give up some of their juice while resting.
To make the batter: In a very large mixing bowl (or the large bowl of a stand mixer), combine margarine or butter and 2 cups granulated sugar. Cream at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. In a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to batter about 1 cup at a time and mix until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add orange juice and vanilla and almond extracts. Continue mixing until batter is smooth (it will be thick).
This is the third and last layer of apples.
Grease and flour a 10- to 15-cup bundt or tube pan. Shake out extra flour. Place a small amount of batter in the prepared pan. Arrange a layer of apple slices in a circle on top of the batter. Repeat layers until you have 7 total (batter, apples, batter, apples, batter, apples, batter). The bundt pan will be about three-fourths full. When it bakes, cake will rise almost to the top. If you’re worried about it overflowing, place bundt pan on a rimmed baking sheet before putting it in the oven.
This is the fourth and last layer of batter, and the cake is ready for the oven.
Preheat over to 350 degrees. Bake 1 1/2 hours or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack 15-30 minutes, then carefully invert on a large plate or serving dish. Cool completely before drizzling with White Glaze.
Notes: You will have leftover apples. After making this cake for many years, I’ve cut back to 4 the number that I prep, and I still have leftovers. So enjoy eating them later.
It will take some practice to get the ratio correct when layering the batter over the apples. Cover the apples completely on each batter layer, but not overly thick or you’ll run out of batter for the last layer. If this happens, don’t panic or give up. Remember that you’ll be inverting the cake and may be able to disguise the shortcoming.
The most important step: Grease and flour the pan well. If not, it won’t come out in one beautiful piece. The glaze isn’t thick enough to disguise where you’ve tried to put it back together. That said, I’ve never had that happen. I repeat: Grease and flour the pan well.
The fully cooled cake is ready for glazing.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar and dash of salt. Add enough liquid to form an icing of spreading consistency. Liquid choices can include water, milk, nondairy creamer, orange juice, lemon juice, brandy or liqueur. Add vanilla extract.
If icing is too thin or runny, add more sugar and mix again. If icing is too thick, add liquid a little bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
Using a spoon, drizzle a small amount at a time over cake, beginning at the crown. Icing will roll down sides and puddle on serving dish. If you’d rather not have a puddle, place wax paper pieces around the bottom of the cake stand or plate before putting the cake on it. Glaze the cake. When glaze is set, carefully remove the pieces of wax paper.
An overhead view of the glazed cake. For this version, I mixed orange juice with confectioners’ sugar for a slightly off-white glaze.
© 2016 text and letter. All rights reserved.
It is September 2, 1945. At four minutes past 9 a.m., aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Japan’s Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu, pen in hand, is leaning over a green cloth-covered crew mess table. On deck, surrounded by other Japanese representatives, military men, the Missouri’s crew and a bank of photographers and reporters, he formally signs the eight-paragraph Instrument of Surrender, marking the official end of World War II.
His signature is followed by that of General Yoshijiro Umezu, who had wanted Japan to fight on even after the two atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki the previous month. Umezu is at the ceremony under direct orders from Japanese Emperor Hirohito.
The third and fourth paragraphs of the document, prepared by the U.S. War Department and approved by President Harry S. Truman, read: “We hereby command all Japanese forces wherever situated and the Japanese people to cease hostilities forthwith, to preserve and save from damage all ships, aircraft, and military and civil property and to comply with all requirements which may be imposed by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers or by agencies of the Japanese Government at his direction.
Also signing for the United States is Admiral Chester Nimitz, and eight Allied representatives. The ceremony takes about 30 minutes.
President Truman (right) displays the Instrument of Surrender on September 7, 1945. From left: Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, Secretary of War Henry Stimson and General George C. Marshall. Photo courtesy of the United States Navy and the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum.
The crew and others on board this day also receive a souvenir, a small card with a red Japanese rising sun background, “certifying the presence of (NAME typed in) at the formal surrender of the Japanese Forces to the Allied Powers” aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945.
USS Missouri Captain Stuart S. Murray, later an admiral, has the cards printed aboard ship. The cards also feature the signatures of MacArthur, Nimitz and Admiral William Halsey, commander of the Third Fleet.
Another historical item of note is also present: The American flag that flew atop Commodore Matthew Perry’s ship when he sailed into Edo Bay (as it was then called) in 1853, marking the beginning of Japan’s opening to the West. That flag contained 31 stars and was flown out specially in its glass case from the Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland.
This is the last letter Lois Simon receives as a single woman from her Army Air Corps sweetheart, Elliot Gordon. The next one is addressed to Mrs. E. Gordon. With the war over, Elliot and Lois married on September 12, 1945.
Thousands of miles away, at Aloe Army Air Field in Victoria, Texas, Corporal Elliot Gordon is writing to Lois Simon, his teenage sweetheart.
They have been corresponding for about 18 months at this point, as I’ve detailed in my unpublished manuscript, “Fondly with All My Affection: A World War II Love Story,” based in part on my parents’ letters.
After meeting at a party in late 1943 — before Elliot is inducted into the service and Lois is still in high school — the pair exchanges more than 1,200 letters, cards and notes during the war. And dozens of photographs, too.
With the war over, he has many decisions to make, among them, whether to remain in the military. And in the back of his mind, he seems to be trying to resolve Lois’s role in his life going forward.
“Good morning darling,” 20-year-old Elliot writes to 17-year-old Lois, at home in Passaic, New Jersey, on Sunday morning, September 2, 1945.
“Received your very blue letter darling; that coupled with a very grave and important decision still pending has caused untold confusion in my mind. There are few things I really want darling, few objectives I hold in life and now I’m on the threshold of a rather grave decision, a choice of either of two paths that threatens permanently or temporarily the few objectives I have. One of my aims darling is to be with you as soon as possible and for the longest period of time; primary as this wish may be, we both realize that it must be relegated to a secondary position when I consider my choice of courses. How I wish I never had to choose.
Just days after writing this letter, Elliot is unexpectedly in New Jersey on furlough. While there, he does settle one matter: In a judge’s chambers in New York City, Elliot and Lois marry on September 12.

lowercased:
sven-ivan mella, who grows shiitake mushrooms in a disused office in an iron ore mine in kiruna, sweden, harvests fresh fungi off a log of alder wood. i visited the mine in may 2007.
© 2016 text and photos, except where noted. all rights reserved.
reading “deep down dark,” about the rescue of the 33 miners in the chilean desert in 2010 (see august 29 post), got me thinking about the mines that i’ve visited on my travels, one in particular.
in may 2007, i flew from stockholm to kiruna, sweden, to visit the lkab mine, the largest underground iron ore mine in the world. it’s owned by the swedish government. much of the kiruna mine’s high-grade processed iron ore is used in steelmaking, and is exported to markets in europe, africa, the middle east and southeast asia.
in reality, the swedish and chilean mines don’t have much in common other than the obvious: they both are sources of a metal. in the san josé mine in the atacama desert, copper and some gold were extracted. the san josé mine has been closed since the 33 miners were rescued and it is unlikely to ever open again.
the lkab mine in far north sweden has a good safety record and it’s expected to continue producing for several more decades.
my trip to sweden started with several days spent visiting friends who live in a stockholm suburb. but when i planned my itinerary, i knew i also wanted to go north, about 90 miles above the arctic circle, to see the area that is part of the traditional homeland of the indigenous sami people, to check out the mine and learn more about why the central section of kiruna was being relocated.
this two-week trip also included several days on the gorgeous island of gotland, to walk along the medieval walls that encompass visby, a unesco world heritage site, and undertake a lengthy self-guided ramble.
the atlanta journal-constitution, where i worked at the time, ran my extensive stories and photos in the june 17, 2007, travel section.
when i arrived, spring hadn’t, as the temperature was hovering in the 30s during the day and snow was scattered on the ground in many places. the sun did eventually come out, but not for long, and i remember more overcast sky and cold than anything approaching a change of season.
there is an official lkab mine tour, which can be booked through kiruna’s tourism office. but i sought out a more informal, three-hour one, led by a retired electrician and software writer, sven-ivan mella, who had worked at the mine for decades. i’d come across his name in several guidebooks, noting that his current specialty was growing shiitake mushrooms in a disused office in the mine.
he picked me up at my hotel in a minivan and provided a lot of background information about kiruna, the sami, and the mine’s founding before we actually drove in.
at the time of my visit, the mine had 248 miles of paved road. that number has likely increased as the downward digging into the magnetite ore has continued.
the company’s website says the kiruna “ore body” is about 2.5 miles long and about 1.25 miles deep. more than 1 billion tons have been mined since the late 19th century. twenty-first century drilling has reached a level of about 4,478 feet, and lkab officials expect the ore body to hold out for another 20 to 30 years of excavation.
not surprisingly, the roads in the mine were pitch black. the only illumination was the reflectors on the walls, and vehicle headlights. fresh water is brought in via pipes, air is circulated by fans, and cables run for miles allowing all interior functions to be executed from banks of computers in state-of-the-art control rooms.
mella drove me to what looked like a workshop, where an enormous three-hole borer took up a great deal of space — and dwarfed everything around it. i even had a chance to climb into the cab and have mella snap a photo of me in a white hard hat, with my hands on the controls. he said that this machine, too, was run by remote control, though a driver positioned it before someone pushing buttons from a distance took over.
so how did the idea of growing shiitake mushrooms in the mine blossom?
in 1988, mella was part of a group at a symposium in takikawa, japan, on the island of hokkaido. the topic of discussion was how lkab and kiruna’s workers had dealt with a round of wide-ranging job loss.
his hosts showed mella their shiitake mushroom farm, and a scheme was born.
back in kiruna, it didn’t take much to persuade mine officials that a shiitake farm could be a success. darkness: check. water source: check. surplus manpower: check. secure the necessary start-up components: check.
using alder wood from a finnish source, spawn and technical advice, mella was on his way. in about six months he had his first crop, and at one point was harvesting more than 220 pounds of mushrooms a week.
he said one of his proudest moments was having his shiitakes served as part of the 1992 nobel prize banquet in stockholm.
since my visit, kiruna’s railway has been rerouted and a new main sewer line is now operating. new apartment construction is under way, with some families already in residence.
in 2001, kiruna’s church was voted as sweden’s most beautiful building. the red wooden exterior is in stark contrast to the overcast sky in may 2007 . the architect was gustav wickman. completed in 1912, it was donated to the people of kiruna by lkab mining.
over the next 20 years, about 6,000 people in kiruna (current population is about 23,000) will relocate as a total of 3,000 new housing units are constructed, in addition to a commercial center and new public buildings. historic buildings, such as the church that resembles a sami hut and which dates to 1912, will be disassembled and reconstructed.
the target date for completion is 2035.
souvenir iron ore pellets from the mine in kiruna are smaller than the average marble.
i came away from kiruna with three unusual souvenirs: 3.5 ounces of fresh shiitake mushrooms, a recipe for cream of shiitake mushroom soup and seven gray-blue pellets of iron ore. my friends and i enjoyed the soup on my last night with them in stockholm.
the pellets sit in a small porcelain dish i bought at a market in tokyo, on the same sideboard as my amezaiku bunny (see august 22 post).
if you’re going all the way to kiruna, check out the many seasonal outdoor activities available listed on the tourism website: http://www.kirunalapland.se. i wasn’t able to find any current contact information on mella’s mushrooms, but check with tourism officials to see if he’s still growing them and if his tour is available.
the tourism site also has links to dozens of beautiful photographs. click on “press” at the bottom of the page.
i make holiday apple cake in the early fall, but it’s delicious any time of year.
every year at about this time, i make a gorgeous apple cake. the apple harvest, usually beginning in september, helps to signal that the hot and humid days of summer are nearly over, and that the beautiful colors of fall are on the way.
the recipe itself isn’t difficult, but there are several steps and the prep is lengthy. read through the recipe twice to make sure you understand the assembly. unfortunately, i don’t recall the original source of the recipe, except that i photocopied it out of a book.
i always use granny smith apples because their tartness offsets the sweet batter, and their firm flesh doesn’t turn to mush during baking. making the cake a day or two in advance allows time for the flavors to mingle, while the crumb stays moist. you’ll also need the advance time to let the cake cool completely. if you get impatient and accelerate this step, the glaze won’t cascade down the sides properly.
for presentation, choose a wide plate, platter or platform that will support the weight of this dense cake. use both hands to carry the plate when bringing it to the table to serve.
it is also important to have a well-constructed bundt pan. this is one of those instances where spending the money for the best equipment pays off. my sister bought me a fluted bundt pan more than 25 years ago. it’s the one i still use. it’s also splendid for pound cakes.
below is the nordic ware link to the cast-aluminum pan that is closest to the pan that i have. this cake makes a lot of batter, so make sure the pan accommodates 10 to 15 cups. it’s sometimes referred to as a 10-inch pan. you may be able to find it cheaper on another site, but make sure what you purchase is a heavy-duty pan, not a lightweight one. the heavier weight helps the cake to bake uniformly.
the nordic ware site also shows other bundt-pan shapes and includes recipes.
this cake is guaranteed to bring compliments, and likely a request for the recipe.
an assembly line is an efficient way to construct the layers. the first layer of batter and the first layer of apples are in the fluted bundt pan.
wrapped tightly, the cake will keep for four to five days. leftovers can also be frozen. wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap, then encase in aluminum foil. that said, the cake is best when fresh.
to prep the apples: peel and core apples. cut apples into quarters and then slice apples into pieces about 1/2-inch thick. in a large mixing bowl, combine apple slices, cinnamon and 5 tablespoons granulated sugar. mix well; set aside. the apples will give up some of their juice while resting.
to make the batter: in a very large mixing bowl (or the large bowl of a stand mixer), combine margarine or butter and 2 cups granulated sugar. cream at medium speed until fluffy. add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. in a large bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt together. add to batter about 1 cup at a time and mix until combined. scrape down sides of bowl as needed. add orange juice and vanilla and almond extracts. continue mixing until batter is smooth (it will be thick).
this is the third and last layer of apples.
grease and flour a 10- to 15-cup bundt or tube pan. shake out extra flour. place a small amount of batter in the prepared pan. arrange a layer of apple slices in a circle on top of the batter. repeat layers until you have 7 total (batter, apples, batter, apples, batter, apples, batter). the bundt pan will be about three-fourths full. when it bakes, cake will rise almost to the top. if you’re worried about it overflowing, place bundt pan on a rimmed baking sheet before putting it in the oven.
this is the fourth and last layer of batter, and the cake is ready for the oven.
preheat over to 350 degrees. bake 1 1/2 hours or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. cool on a wire rack 15-30 minutes, then carefully invert on a large plate or serving dish. cool completely before drizzling with white glaze.
notes: you will have leftover apples. after making this cake for many years, i’ve cut back to 4 the number that i prep, and i still have leftovers. so enjoy eating them later.
it will take some practice to get the ratio correct when layering the batter over the apples. cover the apples completely on each batter layer, but not overly thick or you’ll run out of batter for the last layer. if this happens, don’t panic or give up. remember that you’ll be inverting the cake and may be able to disguise the shortcoming.
the most important step: grease and flour the pan well. if not, it won’t come out in one beautiful piece. the glaze isn’t thick enough to disguise where you’ve tried to put it back together. that said, i’ve never had that happen. i repeat: grease and flour the pan well.
the fully cooled cake is ready for glazing.
in a medium mixing bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar and dash of salt. add enough liquid to form an icing of spreading consistency. liquid choices can include water, milk, nondairy creamer, orange juice, lemon juice, brandy or liqueur. add vanilla extract.
if icing is too thin or runny, add more sugar and mix again. if icing is too thick, add liquid a little bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
using a spoon, drizzle a small amount at a time over cake, beginning at the crown. icing will roll down sides and puddle on serving dish. if you’d rather not have a puddle, place wax paper pieces around the bottom of the cake stand or plate before putting the cake on it. glaze the cake. when glaze is set, carefully remove the pieces of wax paper.
an overhead view of the glazed cake. for this version, i mixed orange juice with confectioners’ sugar for a slightly off-white glaze.
© 2016 text and letter. all rights reserved.
it is september 2, 1945. at four minutes past 9 a.m., aboard the battleship uss missouri in tokyo bay, japan’s foreign minister mamoru shigemitsu, pen in hand, is leaning over a green cloth-covered crew mess table. on deck, surrounded by other japanese representatives, military men, the missouri’s crew and a bank of photographers and reporters, he formally signs the eight-paragraph instrument of surrender, marking the official end of world war ii.
his signature is followed by that of general yoshijiro umezu, who had wanted japan to fight on even after the two atomic bombs were dropped on hiroshima and nagasaki the previous month. umezu is at the ceremony under direct orders from japanese emperor hirohito.
the third and fourth paragraphs of the document, prepared by the u.s. war department and approved by president harry s. truman, read: “we hereby command all japanese forces wherever situated and the japanese people to cease hostilities forthwith, to preserve and save from damage all ships, aircraft, and military and civil property and to comply with all requirements which may be imposed by the supreme commander for the allied powers or by agencies of the japanese government at his direction.
also signing for the united states is admiral chester nimitz, and eight allied representatives. the ceremony takes about 30 minutes.
president truman (right) displays the instrument of surrender on september 7, 1945. from left: secretary of the navy james forrestal, secretary of war henry stimson and general george c. marshall. photo courtesy of the united states navy and the harry s. truman library and museum.
the crew and others on board this day also receive a souvenir, a small card with a red japanese rising sun background, “certifying the presence of (name typed in) at the formal surrender of the japanese forces to the allied powers” aboard the uss missouri in tokyo bay, september 2, 1945.
uss missouri captain stuart s. murray, later an admiral, has the cards printed aboard ship. the cards also feature the signatures of macarthur, nimitz and admiral william halsey, commander of the third fleet.
another historical item of note is also present: the american flag that flew atop commodore matthew perry’s ship when he sailed into edo bay (as it was then called) in 1853, marking the beginning of japan’s opening to the west. that flag contained 31 stars and was flown out specially in its glass case from the naval academy museum in annapolis, maryland.
this is the last letter lois simon receives as a single woman from her army air corps sweetheart, elliot gordon. the next one is addressed to mrs. e. gordon. with the war over, elliot and lois married on september 12, 1945.
thousands of miles away, at aloe army air field in victoria, texas, corporal elliot gordon is writing to lois simon, his teenage sweetheart.
they have been corresponding for about 18 months at this point, as i’ve detailed in my unpublished manuscript, “fondly with all my affection: a world war ii love story,” based in part on my parents’ letters.
after meeting at a party in late 1943 — before elliot is inducted into the service and lois is still in high school — the pair exchanges more than 1,200 letters, cards and notes during the war. and dozens of photographs, too.
with the war over, he has many decisions to make, among them, whether to remain in the military. and in the back of his mind, he seems to be trying to resolve lois’s role in his life going forward.
“good morning darling,” 20-year-old elliot writes to 17-year-old lois, at home in passaic, new jersey, on sunday morning, september 2, 1945.
“received your very blue letter darling; that coupled with a very grave and important decision still pending has caused untold confusion in my mind. there are few things i really want darling, few objectives i hold in life and now i’m on the threshold of a rather grave decision, a choice of either of two paths that threatens permanently or temporarily the few objectives i have. one of my aims darling is to be with you as soon as possible and for the longest period of time; primary as this wish may be, we both realize that it must be relegated to a secondary position when i consider my choice of courses. how i wish i never had to choose.
just days after writing this letter, elliot is unexpectedly in new jersey on furlough. while there, he does settle one matter: in a judge’s chambers in new york city, elliot and lois marry on september 12.


text:
Big Kahuna Reef lets you go Hawaiian in this gorgeous underwater adventure! Discover amazing aquatic life as you search for the Mask of the Tiki in this classic puzzle game. Match groups of sea life to break open boxes and release the fish within. Then, watch your fish swim in the stunning 'My Fish' area. Using the revolutionary Mouse Party, you can play with multiple players on the same computer through an almost infinite number of levels.
Lead on Big Kahuna - your quest awaits!

lowercased:
big kahuna reef lets you go hawaiian in this gorgeous underwater adventure! discover amazing aquatic life as you search for the mask of the tiki in this classic puzzle game. match groups of sea life to break open boxes and release the fish within. then, watch your fish swim in the stunning 'my fish' area. using the revolutionary mouse party, you can play with multiple players on the same computer through an almost infinite number of levels.
lead on big kahuna - your quest awaits!


text:
So, pushing laws that are so bad that not even CA DOJ knows how to implement them is what it takes to be considered "The 'Greatest Leader' on gun control today".
On Friday Gabby Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, endorsed Gavin Newsom as the “greatest leader” on gun control today.
Newsom pushed Prop 63 through in 2016 to ban “high capacity” ammunition. On June 29, 2017, the ban was ruled unconstitutional and its implementation stopped by U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez.
On October 21, 2017, Breitbart News reported that Newsom asked Benitez to lift his order so the ban could take effect, but Benitez took no action. To date, Newsom’s ban remains blocked.
Nevertheless, Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly view Newsom as gun control’s “greatest leader.” The Los Angeles Times reports that Giffords said, “Stopping gun violence takes courage, the courage to do what’s right, the courage of new ideas.” She did not explain how pushing to ban “high capacity” magazines, like Bill Clinton did in 1994, is a new idea.

lowercased:
so, pushing laws that are so bad that not even ca doj knows how to implement them is what it takes to be considered "the 'greatest leader' on gun control today".
on friday gabby giffords and her husband, mark kelly, endorsed gavin newsom as the “greatest leader” on gun control today.
newsom pushed prop 63 through in 2016 to ban “high capacity” ammunition. on june 29, 2017, the ban was ruled unconstitutional and its implementation stopped by u.s. district judge roger benitez.
on october 21, 2017, breitbart news reported that newsom asked benitez to lift his order so the ban could take effect, but benitez took no action. to date, newsom’s ban remains blocked.
nevertheless, gabby giffords and mark kelly view newsom as gun control’s “greatest leader.” the los angeles times reports that giffords said, “stopping gun violence takes courage, the courage to do what’s right, the courage of new ideas.” she did not explain how pushing to ban “high capacity” magazines, like bill clinton did in 1994, is a new idea.


text: When a body is found at an isolated garage, Inspector Meredith is drawn into a complex investigation where every clue leads to another puzzle: was this a suicide, or something more sinister? Why was the dead man planning to flee the country? And how is this connected to the shady business dealings of the garage? This classic mystery novel is set amidst the stunning scenery of a small village in the Lake District. It is now republished for the first time since the 1930s with an introduction by the award-winning crime writer Martin Edwards.

lowercased: when a body is found at an isolated garage, inspector meredith is drawn into a complex investigation where every clue leads to another puzzle: was this a suicide, or something more sinister? why was the dead man planning to flee the country? and how is this connected to the shady business dealings of the garage? this classic mystery novel is set amidst the stunning scenery of a small village in the lake district. it is now republished for the first time since the 1930s with an introduction by the award-winning crime writer martin edwards.


text:
In this study, the comparative advantage of medicinal plants production in tropical regions of Iran was investigated using Advantage comparative index and policy analysis matrix (PAM) in 2015.The result, based on the comparative advantage indices, indicate that has a comparative advantage in the production of Carla, Ajowan, Cumin, Anise, Licorice , Dill and has not comparative advantage in Plantago production. Based on comparative advantage indices crops of Carla, Licorice, Anise, Ajowan, Dill and Cumin respectively ranked first to sixth. The amount of nominal protection coefficient on output (NPC), indicated that there is an indirect subsidy on the producer of Cumin, Anise, Plantago and Dill; means that government policies support the domestic production. And also indirect taxation on outputs Carla, Ajowan and Licorice. Amount of nominal protection coefficient on input (NPI) represented the indirect subsidy on tradable inputs of all crops, which means that the government policies supported the supply of production inputs. Effective protection coefficient index (EPC) for Cumin, Anise, Plantago and Dill was more than 1, showed that the government's policies support production process. Net social profit (NSP) for all crops was positive and indicating social profitable of crops in area. Social Cost Benefit (SCB) showed that this area in production and trade of all crops except Plantago have comparative advantage.
Zahra Ghaffari Moghadam, Zaynab Mohkami & Hossein BadihBarzin, «Analysis Economic of Medicinal Plants production in tropical Area», Bulletin de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liège [En ligne], Volume 85 - Année 2016, Actes de colloques, Special edition, 1308 - 1315 URL : https://popups.uliege.be:443/0037-9565/index.php?id=6070.

lowercased:
in this study, the comparative advantage of medicinal plants production in tropical regions of iran was investigated using advantage comparative index and policy analysis matrix (pam) in 2015.the result, based on the comparative advantage indices, indicate that has a comparative advantage in the production of carla, ajowan, cumin, anise, licorice , dill and has not comparative advantage in plantago production. based on comparative advantage indices crops of carla, licorice, anise, ajowan, dill and cumin respectively ranked first to sixth. the amount of nominal protection coefficient on output (npc), indicated that there is an indirect subsidy on the producer of cumin, anise, plantago and dill; means that government policies support the domestic production. and also indirect taxation on outputs carla, ajowan and licorice. amount of nominal protection coefficient on input (npi) represented the indirect subsidy on tradable inputs of all crops, which means that the government policies supported the supply of production inputs. effective protection coefficient index (epc) for cumin, anise, plantago and dill was more than 1, showed that the government's policies support production process. net social profit (nsp) for all crops was positive and indicating social profitable of crops in area. social cost benefit (scb) showed that this area in production and trade of all crops except plantago have comparative advantage.
zahra ghaffari moghadam, zaynab mohkami & hossein badihbarzin, «analysis economic of medicinal plants production in tropical area», bulletin de la société royale des sciences de liège [en ligne], volume 85 - année 2016, actes de colloques, special edition, 1308 - 1315 url : https://popups.uliege.be:443/0037-9565/index.php?id=6070.


text:
need a pro sales person to engage with general public and hand out flyers to interested people. Appropriately 100 -200 flyers...over 2-3 hrs. Must be well presented, outspoken and a good sales person with the ability to small chat with randoms.
I just need a computer desk picked up from a house in cannon hill and delivered to my house in algester.
I have 7 x garbage bags of clothes I need to get from Brisbane to Newcastle as soon as possible. Would suit someone with a large car or van already making this trip in the next week or two.
I need 4 x 2m pieces of split bamboo picked up in Byron Bay tomorrow morning and delivered to Brisbane , I can pick them up from anywhere within 10 Kms of CBD is anyone already doing a trip , apart from being 2mt long they weigh very little.
Hello, we have a large boxed item at Bunnings Cannon Hill which needs pickup from Bunnings and delivery to Hawthorne, and then build the timber kennel.
Thanks Tim. Polite, helpful and put it together in no time at all. Would recommend/ would hire again.
I need four 2m peices of split bamboo picked up from Byron Bay and delivered to brisbane before monday, I can pick them up from anywhere within 10km of the cbd if anyone is already doing the drive from byron to brisbane. They weigh very little.
I have 2 flat packs, a counter top, and an extendable leg that needs collecting from ikea logan and delivered to cannon hill. Would also appreciate some help getting it up to my apartment. Will book collection once i have someone as i will need some of your information to give for collection. FYI: the counter top is 2.5m long and pretty heavy.
Quick, reliable and efficient. Thanks again Michael!

lowercased:
need a pro sales person to engage with general public and hand out flyers to interested people. appropriately 100 -200 flyers...over 2-3 hrs. must be well presented, outspoken and a good sales person with the ability to small chat with randoms.
i just need a computer desk picked up from a house in cannon hill and delivered to my house in algester.
i have 7 x garbage bags of clothes i need to get from brisbane to newcastle as soon as possible. would suit someone with a large car or van already making this trip in the next week or two.
i need 4 x 2m pieces of split bamboo picked up in byron bay tomorrow morning and delivered to brisbane , i can pick them up from anywhere within 10 kms of cbd is anyone already doing a trip , apart from being 2mt long they weigh very little.
hello, we have a large boxed item at bunnings cannon hill which needs pickup from bunnings and delivery to hawthorne, and then build the timber kennel.
thanks tim. polite, helpful and put it together in no time at all. would recommend/ would hire again.
i need four 2m peices of split bamboo picked up from byron bay and delivered to brisbane before monday, i can pick them up from anywhere within 10km of the cbd if anyone is already doing the drive from byron to brisbane. they weigh very little.
i have 2 flat packs, a counter top, and an extendable leg that needs collecting from ikea logan and delivered to cannon hill. would also appreciate some help getting it up to my apartment. will book collection once i have someone as i will need some of your information to give for collection. fyi: the counter top is 2.5m long and pretty heavy.
quick, reliable and efficient. thanks again michael!


text:
How rich is Melissa? For this question we spent 24 hours on research (Wikipedia, Youtube, we read books in libraries, etc) to review the post.
:How tall is Melissa – 1,81m.
Melissa is a given name for a female child. The name comes from the Greek word ??????? (melissa), honey bee, which in turn comes from ???? (meli), honey. In Ireland it is sometimes used as a feminine form of the Gaelic male name MaoilГosa, which means servant of Jesus. Melissa also refers to the plant Melissa officinalis (Lamiaceae family ), known as lemon balm.In Hittite melit signifies honey According to Greek mythology, perhaps reflecting Minoan culture, making her the daughter of a Cretan king Melissos, whose -issos ending is pre-Greek, Melissa was a nymph who discovered and taught the use of honey and from whom bees were believed to have received their name. She was one of the nymph nurses of Zeus, sister to Amaltheia, but rather than feeding the baby milk, Melissa, appropriately for her name, fed him honey. Or, alternatively, the bees brought honey straight to his mouth. Because of her, Melissa became the name of all the nymphs who cared for the patriarch god as a baby.

lowercased:
how rich is melissa? for this question we spent 24 hours on research (wikipedia, youtube, we read books in libraries, etc) to review the post.
:how tall is melissa – 1,81m.
melissa is a given name for a female child. the name comes from the greek word ??????? (melissa), honey bee, which in turn comes from ???? (meli), honey. in ireland it is sometimes used as a feminine form of the gaelic male name maoilгosa, which means servant of jesus. melissa also refers to the plant melissa officinalis (lamiaceae family ), known as lemon balm.in hittite melit signifies honey according to greek mythology, perhaps reflecting minoan culture, making her the daughter of a cretan king melissos, whose -issos ending is pre-greek, melissa was a nymph who discovered and taught the use of honey and from whom bees were believed to have received their name. she was one of the nymph nurses of zeus, sister to amaltheia, but rather than feeding the baby milk, melissa, appropriately for her name, fed him honey. or, alternatively, the bees brought honey straight to his mouth. because of her, melissa became the name of all the nymphs who cared for the patriarch god as a baby.


text:
Wedding Ring, Heart Shaped Diamond Wedding Ring was posted February 21, 2018 at 8:30 am by evamaude.co . More over Heart Shaped Diamond Wedding Ring has viewed by 624 visitor.
Wedding Ring, Sapphire Diamond Wedding Ring was posted October 18, 2017 at 9:39 pm by evamaude.co . More over Sapphire Diamond Wedding Ring has viewed by 364 visitor.
Wedding Ring, Wonder Woman Wedding Ring was posted December 9, 2016 at 6:06 pm by evamaude.co . More over Wonder Woman Wedding Ring has viewed by 284 visitor.
Wedding Ring, 3 Stone Wedding Ring was posted December 17, 2017 at 8:27 am by evamaude.co . More over 3 Stone Wedding Ring has viewed by 587 visitor.
Wedding Ring, Cheap Camo Wedding Ring Sets was posted June 16, 2018 at 5:53 pm by evamaude.co . More over Cheap Camo Wedding Ring Sets has viewed by 537 visitor.
Wedding Ring, Rose Gold Wedding Band With White Gold Engagement Ring was posted August 6, 2018 at 7:06 am by evamaude.co . More over Rose Gold Wedding Band With White Gold Engagement Ring has viewed by 1540 visitor.
Wedding Ring, Titanium Wedding Ring Sets was posted January 17, 2018 at 5:24 am by evamaude.co . More over Titanium Wedding Ring Sets has viewed by 323 visitor.
Wedding Ring, Marquise Engagement Ring With Wedding Band was posted October 19, 2016 at 3:03 am by evamaude.co . More over Marquise Engagement Ring With Wedding Band has viewed by 735 visitor.
Wedding Ring, Wedding Band For Three Stone Ring was posted September 2, 2018 at 7:28 pm by evamaude.co . More over Wedding Band For Three Stone Ring has viewed by 687 visitor.
Wedding Ring, Mens Gold Diamond Wedding Ring was posted July 24, 2016 at 2:21 pm by evamaude.co . More over Mens Gold Diamond Wedding Ring has viewed by 626 visitor.

lowercased:
wedding ring, heart shaped diamond wedding ring was posted february 21, 2018 at 8:30 am by evamaude.co . more over heart shaped diamond wedding ring has viewed by 624 visitor.
wedding ring, sapphire diamond wedding ring was posted october 18, 2017 at 9:39 pm by evamaude.co . more over sapphire diamond wedding ring has viewed by 364 visitor.
wedding ring, wonder woman wedding ring was posted december 9, 2016 at 6:06 pm by evamaude.co . more over wonder woman wedding ring has viewed by 284 visitor.
wedding ring, 3 stone wedding ring was posted december 17, 2017 at 8:27 am by evamaude.co . more over 3 stone wedding ring has viewed by 587 visitor.
wedding ring, cheap camo wedding ring sets was posted june 16, 2018 at 5:53 pm by evamaude.co . more over cheap camo wedding ring sets has viewed by 537 visitor.
wedding ring, rose gold wedding band with white gold engagement ring was posted august 6, 2018 at 7:06 am by evamaude.co . more over rose gold wedding band with white gold engagement ring has viewed by 1540 visitor.
wedding ring, titanium wedding ring sets was posted january 17, 2018 at 5:24 am by evamaude.co . more over titanium wedding ring sets has viewed by 323 visitor.
wedding ring, marquise engagement ring with wedding band was posted october 19, 2016 at 3:03 am by evamaude.co . more over marquise engagement ring with wedding band has viewed by 735 visitor.
wedding ring, wedding band for three stone ring was posted september 2, 2018 at 7:28 pm by evamaude.co . more over wedding band for three stone ring has viewed by 687 visitor.
wedding ring, mens gold diamond wedding ring was posted july 24, 2016 at 2:21 pm by evamaude.co . more over mens gold diamond wedding ring has viewed by 626 visitor.


text: Want to see how a fan can skateboard too? You are in the right place. watch and use this genius idea now.

lowercased: want to see how a fan can skateboard too? you are in the right place. watch and use this genius idea now.


text:
The Alabama Bookstop isn't even cold in its grave yet and it's getting ready for a reincarnation. And it's a reincarnation back to its movie-house roots.
The Houston Cinema Arts Society is putting together its first film festival, and as part of it there will be....well, something that sounds very arty and modern, but it's movie-related and it's going into the Alabama space.
Part art gallery, part cinema, a state-of-the-art device called H BOX featuring video and short films by 10 artists, arrives Wednesday, October 21, 2009 as part of the Houston Cinema Arts Society's 2009 Cinema Arts Festival Houston.
The Festival, a vibrant multimedia arts event breaking out of the confines of the movie theater through live music and film performances, outdoor projections, interactive video installations and more, is set for November 11-15 at cultural locales throughout Houston.
H BOX, the portable screening room designed by Portuguese artist/architect Dider Fiuza Faustino and sponsored by the Hermès Foundation, will be stationed at the historic Alabama Theatre through the close of the Festival on November 15.
And what is this "H Box"? The H has nothing to do with Houston, if that's what you're thinking.
Consisting of collapsible aluminum and acrylic glass modules that can be assembled, disassembled and transported easily, H BOX is literally made up of moving parts. These parts, together with the commissions shown within it, suggest the fluidity of video while also harkening back to the older, stationary camera obscura. H BOX is characteristic of the work of designer Didier Fiuza Faustino in that it crosses a wide range of activities including architecture, performance, installation and film.
It's been displayed, or whatever the word would be, throughout Europe.
"There really could not be a piece more perfect than H BOX to be stationed at our Festival headquarters," says Richard Herskowitz, who is curating the festival. "The video artists collected here are expanding the range of video as an audio-visual art form, and they have been celebrated for this at major museums and art biennials. We want our Festival to expose people not only to such fine media art, but also to new ways, beyond traditional theaters, of engaging with innovative media."
After the festival, the H Box will be transformed into yet another soulless Barnes & Noble which will include a Starbucks and be located within 100 yards of two other Starbucks. Or at least it will if Weingarten Realty gets its hands on it.

lowercased:
the alabama bookstop isn't even cold in its grave yet and it's getting ready for a reincarnation. and it's a reincarnation back to its movie-house roots.
the houston cinema arts society is putting together its first film festival, and as part of it there will be....well, something that sounds very arty and modern, but it's movie-related and it's going into the alabama space.
part art gallery, part cinema, a state-of-the-art device called h box featuring video and short films by 10 artists, arrives wednesday, october 21, 2009 as part of the houston cinema arts society's 2009 cinema arts festival houston.
the festival, a vibrant multimedia arts event breaking out of the confines of the movie theater through live music and film performances, outdoor projections, interactive video installations and more, is set for november 11-15 at cultural locales throughout houston.
h box, the portable screening room designed by portuguese artist/architect dider fiuza faustino and sponsored by the hermès foundation, will be stationed at the historic alabama theatre through the close of the festival on november 15.
and what is this "h box"? the h has nothing to do with houston, if that's what you're thinking.
consisting of collapsible aluminum and acrylic glass modules that can be assembled, disassembled and transported easily, h box is literally made up of moving parts. these parts, together with the commissions shown within it, suggest the fluidity of video while also harkening back to the older, stationary camera obscura. h box is characteristic of the work of designer didier fiuza faustino in that it crosses a wide range of activities including architecture, performance, installation and film.
it's been displayed, or whatever the word would be, throughout europe.
"there really could not be a piece more perfect than h box to be stationed at our festival headquarters," says richard herskowitz, who is curating the festival. "the video artists collected here are expanding the range of video as an audio-visual art form, and they have been celebrated for this at major museums and art biennials. we want our festival to expose people not only to such fine media art, but also to new ways, beyond traditional theaters, of engaging with innovative media."
after the festival, the h box will be transformed into yet another soulless barnes & noble which will include a starbucks and be located within 100 yards of two other starbucks. or at least it will if weingarten realty gets its hands on it.


text: Good blog you have got here.. It’s hard to find excellent writing like yours these days. I truly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!

lowercased: good blog you have got here.. it’s hard to find excellent writing like yours these days. i truly appreciate individuals like you! take care!!


text:
From traditional fine dining venues to animated brasseries, London’s French restaurants cater for all diners with a taste for Gallic cuisine. Here’s our pick of the best French restaurants in Prague. Prague.TV - Dining Like a Local!
An authentic French eatery in Letná.

lowercased:
from traditional fine dining venues to animated brasseries, london’s french restaurants cater for all diners with a taste for gallic cuisine. here’s our pick of the best french restaurants in prague. prague.tv - dining like a local!
an authentic french eatery in letná.


text:
When levels of precipitation exceed the capacity of the stormwater system, surface flooding occurs. During periods of high rainfall, rainwater may collect in low lying areas where the capacity of the stormwater system has already been reached.
WaReg can be used to ensure that the stormwater system does not reach its point of overload diverting excess water to attenuation ponds or tanks. The flow out of the attenuation tank should be regulated in order to achieve an optimised and stable flow in the stormwater system.
Surface water flooding can occur when a stormwater outfall becomes inundated with backflow from rivers or lakes due to rising water levels. This can lead to low lying areas becoming flooded on a dry sunny day, and can cause extensive flooding on rainy days. When outfalls experience backflow and water starts to pond during times of high rainfall, their storage capacity is eliminated and surrounding areas, homes, sports grounds and other assets can be flooded.
Backflow into the stormwater outfall pipes can be completely stopped by using a WaStop inline check valve. WaStop maintains the storage capacity of the stormwater system during high water levels in rivers of lakes. Surface flooding and ponding is thereby stopped.

lowercased:
when levels of precipitation exceed the capacity of the stormwater system, surface flooding occurs. during periods of high rainfall, rainwater may collect in low lying areas where the capacity of the stormwater system has already been reached.
wareg can be used to ensure that the stormwater system does not reach its point of overload diverting excess water to attenuation ponds or tanks. the flow out of the attenuation tank should be regulated in order to achieve an optimised and stable flow in the stormwater system.
surface water flooding can occur when a stormwater outfall becomes inundated with backflow from rivers or lakes due to rising water levels. this can lead to low lying areas becoming flooded on a dry sunny day, and can cause extensive flooding on rainy days. when outfalls experience backflow and water starts to pond during times of high rainfall, their storage capacity is eliminated and surrounding areas, homes, sports grounds and other assets can be flooded.
backflow into the stormwater outfall pipes can be completely stopped by using a wastop inline check valve. wastop maintains the storage capacity of the stormwater system during high water levels in rivers of lakes. surface flooding and ponding is thereby stopped.


text:
Unprecedented back-to-back annual coral bleaching events have affected two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef, with this year's event already leading to mortality of half the corals in some key tourist tracts, scientists say.
Record-breaking warm waters along the Queensland coast has triggered widespread bleaching over 1500 kilometres of the World-Heritage-listed reef over the two summers, said Terry Hughes, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.
Professor Hughes and his team completed aerial surveys last Wednesday after scoring about 800 separate reefs. The 8000km journey closely followed the path of the 2016 survey that found the northern regions of the Great Barrier Reef most affected.
"It's been a huge blow to the reef after last year the northern third was hit and now this year's it's the middle third," Professor Hughes said.
Corals bleach when temperatures exceed tolerance levels for too long, prompting them to expel the algae that supply most of their energy and the brilliant colours. Not all bleached corals die but as much as two-thirds of north corals have succumbed.
"The mortality in the central region will continue to unfold over coming months," Professor Hughes said. "We've already seen substantial mortality, up to 50 per cent on some central reefs in the past six weeks."
Bleaching has returned even to some of the regions hard hit last year, such as Cape York's Princess Charlotte Bay.
Some 30 reefs in the north had no score as they "effectively have ceased to exist at least in the shallow sections as coral reefs", said James Kerry, a marine biologist from James Cook University who also took part in the survey.
While this year's event is not expected to result in as much coral mortality as in 2016, there are worrying signs corals bleached at lower temperatures than a year earlier. That result may point to more bleaching next summer if conditions are again relatively warm.
"It seemed like the bleaching happened more quickly this year, which may suggest they are in a weakened, more stressed state following last year's event," Dr Kerry said.
Mark Read, manager of operations support at the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, said "2017 has shaped up to be a pretty nasty year when it comes to coral bleaching".
"The corals didn't get any respite at all," Dr Read said.
Bleaching, though, was patchy. The authority was already in talks with tour operators to redirect visitors to "refugia" where they can still enjoy "a high-quality experience", he said.
Such areas are likely to be harder to find in the Whitsunday region near Mackay where Cyclone Debbie carved a swathe about 100km wide through the reefs.
"The one area that was actually doing pretty good was the one that bore the brunt of the category 4 cyclone," Dr Read said. "A lot of those massive corals are now lying on the beach in those locations. They've simply been snapped and rolled up onto the beach."
Temperatures are showing signs of easing back to more typical levels for this time of year, such as the Davies Reef off Townsville.
But the area had been remarkably warm even in a non-El Nino year, such as during the previous 2015-16 summer.
In March, for instance, large areas of Queensland reported their hottest mean temperatures on record. These included the coastal region of the state's north adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef.
Professor Hughes said some corals may regain their colour in the next three to six months, but it would take longer to see if they recovered their reproductive health and began a fuller recovery.
The faster growing branch corals and some other rapidly growing "weedy" species of corals could rebuild the reefs but the process would take years or even a decade. The loss of boulder corals would take much longer to recover from the bleaching.
Rising temperatures from global warming means the corals are likely to enjoy ever shorter stints between mass bleaching events, the scientists said.
"It's highly unlikely we'll have a period of calm for 10 or 20 years that will allow these reefs to re-establish to the point that they might be recognisable as they were," Dr Kerry said.
Dr Kerry said he was surprised the severity of the bleaching had not provoked more of a public response: "I don't really know what else the reef needs to do to signify that it's in serious trouble."

lowercased:
unprecedented back-to-back annual coral bleaching events have affected two-thirds of the great barrier reef, with this year's event already leading to mortality of half the corals in some key tourist tracts, scientists say.
record-breaking warm waters along the queensland coast has triggered widespread bleaching over 1500 kilometres of the world-heritage-listed reef over the two summers, said terry hughes, director of the arc centre of excellence for coral reef studies.
professor hughes and his team completed aerial surveys last wednesday after scoring about 800 separate reefs. the 8000km journey closely followed the path of the 2016 survey that found the northern regions of the great barrier reef most affected.
"it's been a huge blow to the reef after last year the northern third was hit and now this year's it's the middle third," professor hughes said.
corals bleach when temperatures exceed tolerance levels for too long, prompting them to expel the algae that supply most of their energy and the brilliant colours. not all bleached corals die but as much as two-thirds of north corals have succumbed.
"the mortality in the central region will continue to unfold over coming months," professor hughes said. "we've already seen substantial mortality, up to 50 per cent on some central reefs in the past six weeks."
bleaching has returned even to some of the regions hard hit last year, such as cape york's princess charlotte bay.
some 30 reefs in the north had no score as they "effectively have ceased to exist at least in the shallow sections as coral reefs", said james kerry, a marine biologist from james cook university who also took part in the survey.
while this year's event is not expected to result in as much coral mortality as in 2016, there are worrying signs corals bleached at lower temperatures than a year earlier. that result may point to more bleaching next summer if conditions are again relatively warm.
"it seemed like the bleaching happened more quickly this year, which may suggest they are in a weakened, more stressed state following last year's event," dr kerry said.
mark read, manager of operations support at the great barrier reef marine park authority, said "2017 has shaped up to be a pretty nasty year when it comes to coral bleaching".
"the corals didn't get any respite at all," dr read said.
bleaching, though, was patchy. the authority was already in talks with tour operators to redirect visitors to "refugia" where they can still enjoy "a high-quality experience", he said.
such areas are likely to be harder to find in the whitsunday region near mackay where cyclone debbie carved a swathe about 100km wide through the reefs.
"the one area that was actually doing pretty good was the one that bore the brunt of the category 4 cyclone," dr read said. "a lot of those massive corals are now lying on the beach in those locations. they've simply been snapped and rolled up onto the beach."
temperatures are showing signs of easing back to more typical levels for this time of year, such as the davies reef off townsville.
but the area had been remarkably warm even in a non-el nino year, such as during the previous 2015-16 summer.
in march, for instance, large areas of queensland reported their hottest mean temperatures on record. these included the coastal region of the state's north adjacent to the great barrier reef.
professor hughes said some corals may regain their colour in the next three to six months, but it would take longer to see if they recovered their reproductive health and began a fuller recovery.
the faster growing branch corals and some other rapidly growing "weedy" species of corals could rebuild the reefs but the process would take years or even a decade. the loss of boulder corals would take much longer to recover from the bleaching.
rising temperatures from global warming means the corals are likely to enjoy ever shorter stints between mass bleaching events, the scientists said.
"it's highly unlikely we'll have a period of calm for 10 or 20 years that will allow these reefs to re-establish to the point that they might be recognisable as they were," dr kerry said.
dr kerry said he was surprised the severity of the bleaching had not provoked more of a public response: "i don't really know what else the reef needs to do to signify that it's in serious trouble."


text:
Editor’s Note: A few weeks ago, we ran a provocative piece by Stephen Watts and Sean Mann in which they argued that in both its politics and in its development, Afghanistan is doing better than is commonly believed. Gary Owen, a civilian development worker who has spent the last several years working on the ground in Afghanistan, begs to differ. He paints a far gloomier picture of Afghanistan, arguing that the country and U.S. policy have a long way to go.
Many Americans are surprisingly bullish on Afghanistan, and this perspective showed up in a July Lawfare post on “Afghanistan After the Drawdown” by RAND analysts Stephen Watts and Sean Mann. Although the two authors offer some valid points, they miss many of the country’s problems and, in so doing, are wrongly optimistic about where Afghanistan is going.
After a decade and more of U.S. intervention, it can be difficult to pin down how things are going in Afghanistan. By some measures, things in Afghanistan are better: There are more children in school than there were under the Taliban, more Afghans have access to basic healthcare than before the 2001 invasion, and Internet access means more connections to the outside world than was ever possible during the time of the black turbans. Watts and Mann cite those cases as reasons to be optimistic about the country, and rightly so. Where they go wrong is in three key areas: relations with Pakistan, the current government as a symbol of Afghan unity, and the abilities of Afghan security forces.
Pakistan’s got plenty to worry about when it comes to sanctuaries within its own borders, a grim point made by last year’s school shooting in Peshawar. And recent revelations that Mullah Omar died in Pakistan, and his whereabouts were known to the ISI for years, don’t paint a picture of Afghanistan being used as a base to launch operations against Pakistan. Instead it speaks to Pakistan’s harboring of the Taliban with the government’s knowledge, something Islamabad is scrambling to correct as they look ahead to peace talks with the Taliban.
Or it’s just a case of Afghanistan following the American lead.
In the fall of 2014, after another runoff election threatened to bring the country’s democratic future to a grinding halt, Secretary of State John Kerry addressed a group made up of Abdullah’s leadership team. According to an administration official, Kerry told the group, “I have to emphasize to you that if you do not have an agreement, if you do not move to a unity government, the United States will not be able to support Afghanistan.” Aimed squarely at those who supported Abdullah to the point that they might take up arms in his name, Kerry’s statement was an offer neither Ghani nor Abdullah could possibly refuse. The current government isn’t a triumph of consensus so much as it is a case study in diplomatic extortion, and its survival is doubtful if the Americans stick with the current timeline for complete withdrawal by the end of 2016.
The current government isn’t a triumph of consensus so much as it is a case study in diplomatic extortion, and its survival is doubtful if the Americans stick with the current timeline for complete withdrawal by the end of 2016.
Thanks to advances by the Taliban in Faryab and Kunduz, influential politicians like Rashid Dostum (currently Ghani’s vice president) and Atta Noor (the powerful governor of Balkh province) have been pretty vocal in their thinking that Afghan forces alone can’t get the job done; that to tip the balance means more troops from somewhere—either the Americans (not out of the question completely, but unlikely), or some kind of militia. Since today’s anti-Taliban militia could be tomorrow’s coup attempt, it lays some troubling groundwork for widening existing divides in the country that the United States had hoped the Ghani/Abdullah deal would help bridge. Unless they can manage to bring the security situation that’s deteriorating faster than Iggy Azalea’s career back under control, Afghan troops could have some new bosses very soon. Their current performance doesn’t inspire much hope.
Actually, it’s pretty clear how those forces will perform. In a word? Badly.
Since the Afghans assumed control of the country’s security in 2014, more civilians have been killed, more soldiers have died, more Afghan troops have deserted than ever before, and security forces are still torturing one-third of their detainees. This is the force Watts and Mann describe as “passably capable” and “resilient.” If by “passably capable” they mean “doesn’t torture too many people,” then sure, I suppose they are “passably capable,” but I think we might want to aim just a bit higher.
According to the Americans, civilian casualties as a result of ground engagements between the Afghans and insurgents were up eight percent for the first three months of 2015 when compared to the same period in 2014. In June, Afghan Chief of Army Staff Gen. Qadam Shah Shaheem told his troops that using artillery and conducting night raids against the insurgents was just fine, and no one would be prosecuted as a result. Since most engagements occur among the population when one is countering an insurgency, this change in the rules of engagement means more innocent civilians are going to die as the result of actions by Afghan security forces. That’s borne out by the latest report on civilian casualties from UNAMA, which found that throughout the first half of 2015, Afghan forces caused more civilian casualties than the Taliban did.
And when they’re not busy leveling villages, Afghan forces are dying in record numbers. Throughout the first five months of 2015, security forces casualties were up 70 percent from the same period in 2014. Some of that’s attributable to increasing activity by the insurgents, but a “capable” force doesn’t see that kind of casualty increase unless its capabilities are less than optimal. Even so, the biggest cause of attrition for Afghan troops isn’t being killed in action (KIA). According to a June report by the Americans to Congress, the largest source for attrition is “dropped from rolls” (wherein a soldier stops showing up for work for more than a month so he’s no longer counted), and KIA is the smallest source for Afghan force attrition.
But when they do manage to not die and to show up for work, Afghan forces like to spend some quality time with their detainees. A February report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) found that while torture is on the decrease, around 35 percent of all detainees surveyed reported being tortured in detention. Much of that alleged torture was at the hands of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), which is similar to the FBI, except that the FBI has better windbreakers and isn’t prone to hooking people up to car batteries unnecessarily. That probably explains why the Americans made it clear in June that no U.S. funds were going to the NDS, even though nearly every other aspect of Afghan defense operations comes directly from American coffers and internal defense is vital for the success of the counterinsurgency.
In an alternate-reality Afghanistan, civilians aren’t dying in greater numbers, the government isn’t on the verge of collapse, and the return on foreign investment is staggering. The Afghans would love it—because that’s the country the Americans promised them.
An American solution to Afghanistan’s problems faces the struggles of a dwindling security force to keep the Taliban at bay as they strike from sanctuaries in Pakistan, a government on the verge of collapse, and large numbers of civilians being victimized by their own government. And that’s without the growing threat of the Islamic State. In an alternate-reality Afghanistan, civilians aren’t dying in greater numbers, the government isn’t on the verge of collapse, and the return on foreign investment is staggering. The Afghans would love it—because that’s the country the Americans promised them.
The reality is that that Afghanistan’s future, while grim, is still better than it was. There is cause for cautious optimism. That does not mean that we shouldn’t be painfully honest about what’s happening in Afghanistan. Given the sacrifices made since 9/11, it’s tempting to do otherwise. But doing so means ignoring challenges the country faces, and the decisions about its future the Americans still need to make.

lowercased:
editor’s note: a few weeks ago, we ran a provocative piece by stephen watts and sean mann in which they argued that in both its politics and in its development, afghanistan is doing better than is commonly believed. gary owen, a civilian development worker who has spent the last several years working on the ground in afghanistan, begs to differ. he paints a far gloomier picture of afghanistan, arguing that the country and u.s. policy have a long way to go.
many americans are surprisingly bullish on afghanistan, and this perspective showed up in a july lawfare post on “afghanistan after the drawdown” by rand analysts stephen watts and sean mann. although the two authors offer some valid points, they miss many of the country’s problems and, in so doing, are wrongly optimistic about where afghanistan is going.
after a decade and more of u.s. intervention, it can be difficult to pin down how things are going in afghanistan. by some measures, things in afghanistan are better: there are more children in school than there were under the taliban, more afghans have access to basic healthcare than before the 2001 invasion, and internet access means more connections to the outside world than was ever possible during the time of the black turbans. watts and mann cite those cases as reasons to be optimistic about the country, and rightly so. where they go wrong is in three key areas: relations with pakistan, the current government as a symbol of afghan unity, and the abilities of afghan security forces.
pakistan’s got plenty to worry about when it comes to sanctuaries within its own borders, a grim point made by last year’s school shooting in peshawar. and recent revelations that mullah omar died in pakistan, and his whereabouts were known to the isi for years, don’t paint a picture of afghanistan being used as a base to launch operations against pakistan. instead it speaks to pakistan’s harboring of the taliban with the government’s knowledge, something islamabad is scrambling to correct as they look ahead to peace talks with the taliban.
or it’s just a case of afghanistan following the american lead.
in the fall of 2014, after another runoff election threatened to bring the country’s democratic future to a grinding halt, secretary of state john kerry addressed a group made up of abdullah’s leadership team. according to an administration official, kerry told the group, “i have to emphasize to you that if you do not have an agreement, if you do not move to a unity government, the united states will not be able to support afghanistan.” aimed squarely at those who supported abdullah to the point that they might take up arms in his name, kerry’s statement was an offer neither ghani nor abdullah could possibly refuse. the current government isn’t a triumph of consensus so much as it is a case study in diplomatic extortion, and its survival is doubtful if the americans stick with the current timeline for complete withdrawal by the end of 2016.
the current government isn’t a triumph of consensus so much as it is a case study in diplomatic extortion, and its survival is doubtful if the americans stick with the current timeline for complete withdrawal by the end of 2016.
thanks to advances by the taliban in faryab and kunduz, influential politicians like rashid dostum (currently ghani’s vice president) and atta noor (the powerful governor of balkh province) have been pretty vocal in their thinking that afghan forces alone can’t get the job done; that to tip the balance means more troops from somewhere—either the americans (not out of the question completely, but unlikely), or some kind of militia. since today’s anti-taliban militia could be tomorrow’s coup attempt, it lays some troubling groundwork for widening existing divides in the country that the united states had hoped the ghani/abdullah deal would help bridge. unless they can manage to bring the security situation that’s deteriorating faster than iggy azalea’s career back under control, afghan troops could have some new bosses very soon. their current performance doesn’t inspire much hope.
actually, it’s pretty clear how those forces will perform. in a word? badly.
since the afghans assumed control of the country’s security in 2014, more civilians have been killed, more soldiers have died, more afghan troops have deserted than ever before, and security forces are still torturing one-third of their detainees. this is the force watts and mann describe as “passably capable” and “resilient.” if by “passably capable” they mean “doesn’t torture too many people,” then sure, i suppose they are “passably capable,” but i think we might want to aim just a bit higher.
according to the americans, civilian casualties as a result of ground engagements between the afghans and insurgents were up eight percent for the first three months of 2015 when compared to the same period in 2014. in june, afghan chief of army staff gen. qadam shah shaheem told his troops that using artillery and conducting night raids against the insurgents was just fine, and no one would be prosecuted as a result. since most engagements occur among the population when one is countering an insurgency, this change in the rules of engagement means more innocent civilians are going to die as the result of actions by afghan security forces. that’s borne out by the latest report on civilian casualties from unama, which found that throughout the first half of 2015, afghan forces caused more civilian casualties than the taliban did.
and when they’re not busy leveling villages, afghan forces are dying in record numbers. throughout the first five months of 2015, security forces casualties were up 70 percent from the same period in 2014. some of that’s attributable to increasing activity by the insurgents, but a “capable” force doesn’t see that kind of casualty increase unless its capabilities are less than optimal. even so, the biggest cause of attrition for afghan troops isn’t being killed in action (kia). according to a june report by the americans to congress, the largest source for attrition is “dropped from rolls” (wherein a soldier stops showing up for work for more than a month so he’s no longer counted), and kia is the smallest source for afghan force attrition.
but when they do manage to not die and to show up for work, afghan forces like to spend some quality time with their detainees. a february report by the united nations assistance mission in afghanistan (unama) found that while torture is on the decrease, around 35 percent of all detainees surveyed reported being tortured in detention. much of that alleged torture was at the hands of the national directorate of security (nds), which is similar to the fbi, except that the fbi has better windbreakers and isn’t prone to hooking people up to car batteries unnecessarily. that probably explains why the americans made it clear in june that no u.s. funds were going to the nds, even though nearly every other aspect of afghan defense operations comes directly from american coffers and internal defense is vital for the success of the counterinsurgency.
in an alternate-reality afghanistan, civilians aren’t dying in greater numbers, the government isn’t on the verge of collapse, and the return on foreign investment is staggering. the afghans would love it—because that’s the country the americans promised them.
an american solution to afghanistan’s problems faces the struggles of a dwindling security force to keep the taliban at bay as they strike from sanctuaries in pakistan, a government on the verge of collapse, and large numbers of civilians being victimized by their own government. and that’s without the growing threat of the islamic state. in an alternate-reality afghanistan, civilians aren’t dying in greater numbers, the government isn’t on the verge of collapse, and the return on foreign investment is staggering. the afghans would love it—because that’s the country the americans promised them.
the reality is that that afghanistan’s future, while grim, is still better than it was. there is cause for cautious optimism. that does not mean that we shouldn’t be painfully honest about what’s happening in afghanistan. given the sacrifices made since 9/11, it’s tempting to do otherwise. but doing so means ignoring challenges the country faces, and the decisions about its future the americans still need to make.


text:
Boiler Treatment Chemicals - Detroit, Michigan; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Atlanta, Georgia.
What are boiler treatment chemicals?
ChemWorld 1287 is an "All-In-One" (without Amine) Boiler Treatment Chemicals in a one drum boiler water treatment chemical with a concentrated sulfite based formulation and carboxylated organic copolymer specifically designed for use in your boiler water and steam boiler. The product is formulated for use in Vapor Modulatic boilers but has also found considerable application in other systems having softened water makeup and low condensate returns. ChemWorld 1287 provides one of the most effective copolymers for higher heat transfer boilers. This makes this one of our most popular Boiler Treatment Chemicals. If you require an amine, please refer to the amine all in one.
How much chemical do I feed?
Approximate use is 1/4 to 1/2 gallon per week for each 25 boiler hp. If you do not have a good deaerator, you may choose to also use a supplemental sulfite feed to reduce the amount of chemical use.
This product ships from Detroit, Michigan; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Atlanta, Georgia.
How do you feed this chemical?
ChemWorld 1287 is normally fed continuously to the feedwater heater or deaerator and injected into the center of the water with an injectiuon quill. However, shot feeding may be satisfactory in some circumstances. The product may be fed neat but is most often mixed in a chemical feed tank with the other materials required to complete the program. Normal materials of construction are satisfactory for the feed system. However, copper, copper alloys and aluminum materials must be avoided on direct feed components.
ChemWorld 1287 is controlled by a sulfite test kit in the boiler water. The specific control ranges vary depending upon system operating conditions and will be specified by the technical representative servicing the facility. If you have any questions in regards to your Boiler Treatment Chemicals please contact us direct.

lowercased:
boiler treatment chemicals - detroit, michigan; salt lake city, utah; and atlanta, georgia.
what are boiler treatment chemicals?
chemworld 1287 is an "all-in-one" (without amine) boiler treatment chemicals in a one drum boiler water treatment chemical with a concentrated sulfite based formulation and carboxylated organic copolymer specifically designed for use in your boiler water and steam boiler. the product is formulated for use in vapor modulatic boilers but has also found considerable application in other systems having softened water makeup and low condensate returns. chemworld 1287 provides one of the most effective copolymers for higher heat transfer boilers. this makes this one of our most popular boiler treatment chemicals. if you require an amine, please refer to the amine all in one.
how much chemical do i feed?
approximate use is 1/4 to 1/2 gallon per week for each 25 boiler hp. if you do not have a good deaerator, you may choose to also use a supplemental sulfite feed to reduce the amount of chemical use.
this product ships from detroit, michigan; salt lake city, utah; and atlanta, georgia.
how do you feed this chemical?
chemworld 1287 is normally fed continuously to the feedwater heater or deaerator and injected into the center of the water with an injectiuon quill. however, shot feeding may be satisfactory in some circumstances. the product may be fed neat but is most often mixed in a chemical feed tank with the other materials required to complete the program. normal materials of construction are satisfactory for the feed system. however, copper, copper alloys and aluminum materials must be avoided on direct feed components.
chemworld 1287 is controlled by a sulfite test kit in the boiler water. the specific control ranges vary depending upon system operating conditions and will be specified by the technical representative servicing the facility. if you have any questions in regards to your boiler treatment chemicals please contact us direct.


text:
This refined home in desirable Cow Hollow has a stately façade and shingled roofline that belie the tasteful contemporary style of its spacious multilevel interiors, all recently updated. Spanning four levels and offering five bedrooms, three and a half baths, the home blends San Francisco classicism with modern fixtures and amenities, creating a uniquely appealing home.
Upon entering the main level, one immediately appreciates the delicate balance between preserving historical architectural details and creating a contemporary atmosphere. A highlight of the home is the chic living/dining room, which boasts a regal arched entryway, handsome hardwood floors, classical moldings, a wall of windows, and marble fireplace flanked by plentiful built-in bookshelves. Beyond the central gallery landing is the elegant family room, with its hardwood floors and French doors that lead to a private deck, allowing for a great flow between indoor and outdoor living. The adjoining kitchen has been expertly outfitted with white Carrera marble counters, white subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances including a 6-burner gas range, white shaker cabinetry, and great storage. The adjacent bay-windowed breakfast area features built-in seating and glorious natural light with direct access through a series of french doors to a private deck, perfect for enjoying meals, coffee, or cocktails alfresco. A powder room is conveniently tucked below the stairs.
The third level of the home hosts three bedrooms and two baths, including the spacious master suite. The sophisticated and serene master suite has incredible scale and enjoys a tranquil sitting area nestled in a sun-dappled bay window. En suite is a luxurious bath with a soaking tub, glass-enclosed shower, and dual sinks – all appointed with timeless finishes, including white Carrera marble and subway tiles. A thoughtfully appointed walk-in closet and a series of built-ins complete the master suite.
The guest and master bedrooms are separated for privacy by the grand stairway hall and a convenient laundry room. Two restful guest bedrooms share a bath with timeless fixtures. The south bedroom is a stylish space with hardwood floors and a light-filled bay window. The north bedroom enjoys access to the enviable roof terrace, perfect for relaxation with its whimsical astroturf and views of the Golden Gate Bridge. Completing the top floor of the residence is a built-in window bench with serene outlooks.
On the entry level of the home, beyond the formal main entry and past the stairway, rests the office. The home office, which could also serve as a family room, is a cool, quiet, stylish space with a bay window and a series of built-ins. A peaceful bedroom with plentiful windows and a nearby bath are secluded on the rear of the home. A discreet rear stairway affords access from the entry level to the breakfast nook above.
An additional bedroom, an office/lounge space, and extra storage are located on the home’s lowest level, accessible via the rear stairway. The incredibly private rear garden, accessed from the lower level, is surrounded by mature landscaping, including a wall of hydrangeas, and enjoys a built-in spa and seating bench, creating a serene garden oasis.
The garage accommodates two vehicles and includes built-in shelving for storage and direct access into the home.
3041 Divisadero St is located on the western side of Cow Hollow and is perfectly positioned near the restaurants and shops along Chestnut St and the Presidio National Park.

lowercased:
this refined home in desirable cow hollow has a stately façade and shingled roofline that belie the tasteful contemporary style of its spacious multilevel interiors, all recently updated. spanning four levels and offering five bedrooms, three and a half baths, the home blends san francisco classicism with modern fixtures and amenities, creating a uniquely appealing home.
upon entering the main level, one immediately appreciates the delicate balance between preserving historical architectural details and creating a contemporary atmosphere. a highlight of the home is the chic living/dining room, which boasts a regal arched entryway, handsome hardwood floors, classical moldings, a wall of windows, and marble fireplace flanked by plentiful built-in bookshelves. beyond the central gallery landing is the elegant family room, with its hardwood floors and french doors that lead to a private deck, allowing for a great flow between indoor and outdoor living. the adjoining kitchen has been expertly outfitted with white carrera marble counters, white subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances including a 6-burner gas range, white shaker cabinetry, and great storage. the adjacent bay-windowed breakfast area features built-in seating and glorious natural light with direct access through a series of french doors to a private deck, perfect for enjoying meals, coffee, or cocktails alfresco. a powder room is conveniently tucked below the stairs.
the third level of the home hosts three bedrooms and two baths, including the spacious master suite. the sophisticated and serene master suite has incredible scale and enjoys a tranquil sitting area nestled in a sun-dappled bay window. en suite is a luxurious bath with a soaking tub, glass-enclosed shower, and dual sinks – all appointed with timeless finishes, including white carrera marble and subway tiles. a thoughtfully appointed walk-in closet and a series of built-ins complete the master suite.
the guest and master bedrooms are separated for privacy by the grand stairway hall and a convenient laundry room. two restful guest bedrooms share a bath with timeless fixtures. the south bedroom is a stylish space with hardwood floors and a light-filled bay window. the north bedroom enjoys access to the enviable roof terrace, perfect for relaxation with its whimsical astroturf and views of the golden gate bridge. completing the top floor of the residence is a built-in window bench with serene outlooks.
on the entry level of the home, beyond the formal main entry and past the stairway, rests the office. the home office, which could also serve as a family room, is a cool, quiet, stylish space with a bay window and a series of built-ins. a peaceful bedroom with plentiful windows and a nearby bath are secluded on the rear of the home. a discreet rear stairway affords access from the entry level to the breakfast nook above.
an additional bedroom, an office/lounge space, and extra storage are located on the home’s lowest level, accessible via the rear stairway. the incredibly private rear garden, accessed from the lower level, is surrounded by mature landscaping, including a wall of hydrangeas, and enjoys a built-in spa and seating bench, creating a serene garden oasis.
the garage accommodates two vehicles and includes built-in shelving for storage and direct access into the home.
3041 divisadero st is located on the western side of cow hollow and is perfectly positioned near the restaurants and shops along chestnut st and the presidio national park.


text:
Last week my parents and I planned an impromptu trip to Kentucky, and it happened that the Ark Encounter opened in time for us to go. If you get a chance to see this magnificent reproduction of Noah’s ark, you should!
The ark is built according to the size specifications God gave Noah in the Bible. Once we were inside, we enjoyed many educational displays that anticipate logistical questions about animals and the actual building process that I’d never considered. There is also plenty of information that explains how scientific evidence supports a catastrophic, world-wide flood as described in the Bible.
One display that stood out to me contained a plethora of children’s books that depict Noah’s ark in a cartoon-like fashion. The idea is that such portrayals actually mislead people into believing that Noah’s story is simply a myth. I’d never considered that perspective and appreciated the challenge to my thinking.
My favorite part of the ark was the living quarters. The artists took some creative license when developing this area, but it was fun to see how Noah and his family might have lived.
During my visit, I ran into a fellow writer friend, Elizabeth Van Tassel, who was visiting with her husband and sons. Elizabeth created a YouTube video of her experience at the ark, and you can check it out here.
Emzara’s Kitchen is an affordable place for families to eat, so it’s worth including in your plans.
It was special seeing you there Marissa! I agree about the living quarters, which really brought Noah and his family to life.
It was fun to see you too!

lowercased:
last week my parents and i planned an impromptu trip to kentucky, and it happened that the ark encounter opened in time for us to go. if you get a chance to see this magnificent reproduction of noah’s ark, you should!
the ark is built according to the size specifications god gave noah in the bible. once we were inside, we enjoyed many educational displays that anticipate logistical questions about animals and the actual building process that i’d never considered. there is also plenty of information that explains how scientific evidence supports a catastrophic, world-wide flood as described in the bible.
one display that stood out to me contained a plethora of children’s books that depict noah’s ark in a cartoon-like fashion. the idea is that such portrayals actually mislead people into believing that noah’s story is simply a myth. i’d never considered that perspective and appreciated the challenge to my thinking.
my favorite part of the ark was the living quarters. the artists took some creative license when developing this area, but it was fun to see how noah and his family might have lived.
during my visit, i ran into a fellow writer friend, elizabeth van tassel, who was visiting with her husband and sons. elizabeth created a youtube video of her experience at the ark, and you can check it out here.
emzara’s kitchen is an affordable place for families to eat, so it’s worth including in your plans.
it was special seeing you there marissa! i agree about the living quarters, which really brought noah and his family to life.
it was fun to see you too!