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Calibration of the DSCOVR EPIC visible and NIR channels using MODIS Terra and Aqua data and EPIC lunar observations
- 1Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics, Columbia University/NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, New York, NY 10025, USA
- 2NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, 20771, USA
Correspondence: Igor Geogdzhayev (firstname.lastname@example.org)
The unique position of the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) at the Lagrange 1 point makes an important addition to the data from currently operating low Earth orbit observing instruments. EPIC instrument does not have an onboard calibration facility. One approach to its calibration is to compare EPIC observations to the measurements from polar-orbiting radiometers. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is a natural choice for such comparison due to its well-established calibration record and wide use in remote sensing. We use MODIS Aqua and Terra L1B 1 km reflectances to infer calibration coefficients for four EPIC visible and NIR channels: 443, 551, 680 and 780 nm. MODIS and EPIC measurements made between June 2015 and 2016 are employed for comparison. We first identify favorable MODIS pixels with scattering angle matching temporarily collocated EPIC observations. Each EPIC pixel is then spatially collocated to a subset of the favorable MODIS pixels within 25 km radius. Standard deviation of the selected MODIS pixels as well as of the adjacent EPIC pixels is used to find the most homogeneous scenes. These scenes are then used to determine calibration coefficients using a linear regression between EPIC counts s−1 and reflectances in the close MODIS spectral channels. We present thus inferred EPIC calibration coefficients and discuss sources of uncertainties. The lunar EPIC observations are used to calibrate EPIC O2 absorbing channels (688 and 764 nm), assuming that there is a small difference between moon reflectances separated by ∼ 10 nm in wavelength and provided the calibration factors of the red (680 nm) and NIR (780 nm) are known from comparison between EPIC and MODIS.
The Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) occupies a unique location among Earth-observing instruments in the Lagrange point L1 between the Sun and the Earth at about 1.5 million km from Earth. The spacecraft actively maintains itself in a Lissajous orbit around L1. This position allows DSCOVR Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) to view Earth's entire sunlit hemisphere (Fig. 1, right panel). Since the launch in June 2015 EPIC provided regular Earth images in 10 narrow spectral channels ranging from UV to near infrared (NIR). The Earth-observing geometry of the EPIC instrument is characterized by nearly constant scattering angle between 168.5 and 175.5∘ and the distance from Earth between 1.4 and 1.6 million km (Fig. 2). In that EPIC's viewing geometry differs significantly from instruments on sun-synchronous orbits, which rarely view Earth at such large scattering angles. For comparison, depending on the season, latitude and scan view angle, the scattering angle for MODIS is typically in a wide range between 110 and 175∘. The Suomi NPP Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument, due to its wider range, covers an even larger range of angle including the whole backscattering region. The almost back-scattering EPIC observations are a direct consequence of its position at L1.
The large scattering angle of EPIC observations is a significant difference compared to the observations from low Earth orbit (LEO) instruments. The large scattering angles may present challenges for some retrievals. However, they may also be desirable for other applications. For example, the position of the water surface glint in the center of the sunlit hemisphere allows better coverage where LEO instruments often see glint. Also of note is the lack of shadows for vertically extended scenes. Measurements in the backscattering region allow observations and characterizations of the glint caused by oriented ice crystals in clouds (Marshak et al., 2017). Availability of these measurements also allows better vegetation monitoring (Marshak and Knyazikhin, 2017). Using the back-scattering radiation it is possible to estimate the total leaf area index and its sunlit portion separately (Yang et al., 2017); this is important because direct and diffusely illuminated leaves have different photosynthetic rates. Thanks to its position and viewing geometry, the EPIC instrument offers an improved temporal sampling compared to instruments on the sun-synchronous orbit. It samples the entire sunlit hemisphere 10–20 times per day. Compared to other instruments on a geostationary orbit, EPIC provides improved coverage in high-latitude hemispheres. It thus has the potential to augment remote sensing observations in such applications as aerosol, cloud, sulfur dioxide and ozone amounts as well as vegetation properties (Marshak et al., 2017). EPIC data are used for the remote sensing of clouds (Yang et al., 2013) and dust plumes with oxygen A and B bands (Xu et al., 2017); it also provides multispectral UV SO2 measurements of the sunlit Earth disk (Carn et al., 2016). EPIC observations are also used to measure ozone, cloud reflectivity and erythemal irradiance (Herman et al., 2018).
Radiometric calibration of the measurements is a required first step for many of the above applications. The EPIC instrument does not have in-flight calibration capabilities, making determining the calibration coefficients and monitoring their stability by means of vicarious calibration efforts a necessity. One approach to its calibration is to compare EPIC observations to the measurements from polar-orbiting radiometers. Another is to use the images of the moon regularly observed by the instrument.
Haney et al. (2016) investigated the calibration of EPIC Version 1 data using MODIS and VIIRS using the data aggregated on a 5×5∘ grid with matching viewing geometry. They found that a navigation correction reduced the uncertainties in the calibration gain. The stray light correction was found to reduce the fit offsets and gains for all considered channel pairs.
Yu and Wu (2016) investigated the intercalibration between Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) in a geostationary orbit and VIIRS. They found strong linear relationship between the paired bands. The radiometric calibration between the two instruments was shown to agree within 5 %.
In this study we use Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS; King et al., 2003) Level 1b reflectances and collocated EPIC measurements to derive the calibration coefficients in four EPIC visible and NIR channels. EPIC UV channels (317.5, 325, 340 and 388 nm) are calibrated using LEO instruments Aura/OMI and Suomi NPP/OMPS (Herman et al., 2018). We derive calibration gains for the initial (Version 1) and Version 2 releases of the EPIC database on all available contemporaneous MODIS Aqua and Terra data. The key difference between versions 1 and 2 data is the applied stray light correction together with flat-fielding that made bright pixels brighter and dark pixels darker (Marshak et al., 2017). MODIS data are a natural choice for such comparison due to their well-established calibration record and wide use in remote sensing applications.
EPIC L1B data were obtained from NASA Langley Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC). The EPIC sampling size at nadir (at the center of the image) is about 8×8 km2 (it is 10×10 km2 when the EPIC point spread function is applied) and increases towards the edges. The radiometric resolution of EPIC data is 12 bits per pixel. To reduce the amount of data transmitted from DSCOVR, for all but the blue channel (443 nm), four pixels are averaged on board the spacecraft resulting in the effective spatial resolution at nadir of approximately 18 km.
We use MODIS Aqua and Terra L1B Collection 6 1 km reflectances obtained from the Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive & Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). Note that the MODIS reflectance, as well as EPIC, is the true reflectance multiplied by the solar zenith angle (MODIS Level 1B Product User's Guide, 2006). We will refer to this quantity as simply “reflectance”. MODIS data have radiometric resolution of 12 bits per pixel and the calibration design requirements of 2 % for reflectance and 5 % for radiance in the solar bands (Toller et al. 2013). MODIS channels number 3, 4, 1 and 2 are matched with for four EPIC visible and NIR channels: 443, 551, 680 and 780 nm, respectively, as shown in Table 1. Figure 3 shows normalized filter functions for the corresponding channels. As one can see from the figure, EPIC channels are significantly narrower compared to MODIS. The best spectral match is for the overlapping green channels, while the largest spectral difference of about 80 nm is observed between the NIR channels of the two instruments.
Two versions of EPIC data are used in this study. The initial release that covers the period between June 2015 and September 2016 will be referred as Version 1. The data from the second release (Version 2) cover the period from June 2015 and March 2017. Version 2 data include refined geolocation, flat-fielding and stray light correction algorithm (Marshak et al., 2017). These differences require the derivation of separate sets of calibration coefficients for each of the two versions. This is discussed in more details in Sect. 4 below.
To derive EPIC calibration coefficients we first identify favorable MODIS pixels. For each EPIC image we find MODIS pixels that match the EPIC scattering angle to within 0.5∘ and are temporarily collocated to within 10 min. EPIC exposure time varies between 0.046 s for the 443 nm channel and 0.025 s for the 780 nm channel. During these times the Earth rotates less than 20 m. Compared to many low-orbit radiometers that perform cross-track scans to create an image, EPIC filter-wheel design means that image acquisition is nearly instantaneous. There is a time lag in the data (Marshak et al., 2017) acquisition between different EPIC spectral channels associated with the rotation of the filter wheels: ∼ 3 min difference between blue (443 nm) and green (551 nm) and ∼ 4 min between blue and red (680 nm). In 4 min a point on the Equator will rotate 1∘ or approximately 110 km. The geolocation algorithm ensures the spatial collocation of the spectral channels for each pixel. Because of the time lag the temporal collocation is done separately for each spectral channel. We limit the solar zenith angle of both EPIC and MODIS pixels to be no more than 60∘ to avoid scenes with low illumination and scenes where the curvature of the Earth may play a significant role potentially complicating the comparison. Depending on the season such favorable pixels typically occur between 30∘ S and 30∘ N. We ignore the EPIC pixels that are affected by specular component (Marshak et al., 2017). We then select EPIC pixels that have a minimum of 40 MODIS pixels within 25 km radius. Relative standard deviation (defined as the ratio of the absolute standard deviation to the mean) is then calculated for the matching MODIS and EPIC pixels. In the latter case, 5×5 pixel neighborhood are used to calculate the standard deviation. The value of the relative standard deviation is used to select the most homogeneous scenes.
To determine the calibration coefficients two independent methods are used: the first is based on calculating the linear regression between EPIC counts s−1 and MODIS reflectances in the closest MODIS spectral channel for the most homogeneous scenes. The second is based on finding the mean MODIS / EPIC (M / E) ratio for bright (MODIS reflectance is greater than 0.6) homogeneous scenes.
To calculate the linear regressions we use the most uniform collocated scenes with the relative standard deviations smaller than a threshold value. Because of the time delays in data acquisition between different EPIC channels and occasional gaps in data transmission, the number of matching MODIS pixels may differ for each regression. The threshold standard deviation is selected separately for each channel. It is reduced until the correlation coefficient of the resulting regression stops increasing or the number of matching points falls below a certain value. The resulting regressions for Version 2 data are shown in Fig. 4. The relative standard deviation of MODIS and EPIC points included in the regressions was between 0.5 and 1 % depending on the channel. In this approach the spatial homogeneity threshold was the greatest limiting factor to the number of EPIC and MODIS pairs.
The second approach to deriving the regression coefficients that we employed is based on calculating the ratio of MODIS reflectance to EPIC count for all available matching scenes with high reflectance and relative standard deviation less than 10 %. We then select the pixels for which the MODIS reflectance is greater than 0.6. Such pixels represent between 10 % and 15 % of the total. Note that the reflectance threshold is only applied to the matching MODIS pixels, which are assumed to be well calibrated and stable. These scenes are binned according to the relative standard deviation of the MODIS reflectance and the mean M / E ratio is calculated for each bin. The mean bin values are then extrapolated to the ideal case of a completely uniform scene (zero standard deviation) using a linear regression. The extrapolated value is then taken to be the calibration coefficient. Because EPIC observations are made in the backscattering region the sunglint usually occurs in the center of the image. Bright sunglint can exceed 0.6 reflectance, but such scenes are not spatially homogeneous and are screened out by the relative standard deviation requirement.
This approach assumes zero intercept value. Because the number of points contributing to the M / E ratio calculations at least 3 orders of magnitude greater than the number of points selected for the regression method, the two may be considered to be essentially independent. The four panels of Fig. 5 illustrate the M / E analysis for the four EPIC channels. The squares and whiskers show, respectively, the mean and the standard variation of the ratios in each bin. Straight lines show linear regressions. One can see that for the relative standard deviation below 10 % the mean M / E values are similar for every bin, so that the extrapolated value does not differ from the mean by more than 1 %. The differences in the gain coefficients calculated using the two methods are given in Table 2, which shows the officially published gain coefficients for the two dataset versions. These coefficients are also publicly available at https://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/project/dscovr/DSCOVR_EPIC_Calibration_Factors_V02.pdf. When comparing the gain coefficients from the two methods below we do not force the regression through zero. Doing so would reduce the independence of the two approaches, as it would effectively ignore the contribution of the dark scenes to the regression.
For Version 1 data the differences between the two calibration methods are between approximately 3 % for the 443 nm channel and less than 0.5 % for the 780 nm channel. An improved agreement is observed for the Version 2 data, for which the differences range between 0.1 and 1.4 %. A dependence of the M / E ratio on the relative standard deviation of the MODIS pixels may potentially exist because of the different effect of the scene's cloud or surface inhomogeneity on the two instruments due to different viewing geometry. However, this approach does not assume its existence, as the gain coefficients are obtained from the extrapolation to the “ideal” case of a completely uniform scene, thus accounting for any potential systematic behavior. If the relation to the standard deviation is completely random, the resulting coefficients will be similar to what one would obtain by simply calculating the mean M / E ratio. An improved agreement between the two methods for Version 2 data may partially be attributed to more accurate geolocation algorithm (Marshak et al., 2017). Other factors such as the stray light correction and spectral correction are discussed in the following sections.
Compared to the initial release of the EPIC data (Version 1) the second release (Version 2) includes a number of changes such as refined data geolocation for each filter and flat-fielding (correcting for CCD irregularities). In addition, a stray light correction algorithm (based on laboratory measurements and in-flight lunar observations) is used. Stray light refers to the illumination of multiple CCD pixels by a point light source. The main causes of stray light are the diffraction and ghosting (reflections between the CCD and filter surfaces). The magnitude of the effect is different for each spectral channels and is stronger in the visible compared to the UV primarily because of the larger dynamic range in the visible. The stray light correction has a two-fold effect on the EPIC counts: it decreases the count value for dark scenes and increases it for bright scenes within an EPIC image as the total radiant energy must remain constant. These changes result in a smaller intercept and gain of the linear regression compared to the case with no stray light correction. A schematic illustration of the effect of the stray light correction is shown in Fig. 6.
Version 1 data (no stray light correction) and Version 2 data, which include stray light corrected data, can be used to evaluate the effect. The regression analysis and the M / E ratio method described above were applied to both sets. The analysis shows a 4–9 % reduction in the gain coefficients for the new data compared to the initial release. Consistent with expectations the reduction is smaller for the blue and green channels compared to the red and NIR ones. This reduction is observed for gain coefficients calculated by the two methods and is consistent with the expected effect of the stray light correction. Note that in order to make the two sets comparable, the spectral correction (see next section) was not applied to the Version 2 data.
Similarly, we compared the regression offsets for the two datasets. Absolute reductions of the offset coefficients are observed for all channels, consistent with the expectations. The reductions range between 1.5 and 3.7 times, as illustrated in Fig. 7.
The differences in the position and spectral width of the corresponding EPIC and MODIS channels may result in discrepancies when scenes with different spectral signatures are observed by the two instruments (Chander, 2013). In Version 2 calibration, to compensate for these differences we employed spectral band adjustment factors (SBAFs) which convert MODIS reflectance values to equivalent EPIC reflectance for various surface types. These factors in the form of linear regression coefficients were obtained from http://www-angler.larc.nasa.gov/SBAF; they are based on the analysis of the SCIAMACHY hyperspectral data for various surface targets to account for the differences in MODIS and EPIC spectral response functions (Scarino et al., 2016).
In addition, the minimum and maximum reflectance values were identified based on the same source. MODIS pixels were spectrally adjusted if the reflectance was within these limits using the SBAFs for the appropriate land cover type. Deep convection clouds spectral corrections were applied to scenes with reflectance higher than 0.6. To identify the land cover type for each matching EPIC pixel we use a dataset developed by Channan et al. (2014). The dataset is a 5×5∘ reprojected version of the Global Mosaics of the standard MODIS land cover type data product (MCD12Q1) in the IGBP Land Cover Type Classification. Separate adjustment factors were used for MODIS Aqua and MODIS Terra data. One may assume that bright pixels mostly represent cloudy scenes, dark pixels represent water and intermediate values represent deserts. However, it would be impossible to classify the pixels with certainty within the framework of the crude approach, where SBAFs for clouds are assumed for bright scenes with reflectance greater 0.6 and a fixed surface classification map is used. This represents a limitation of the current approach and may be responsible for some spread in the regressions.
Table 3 shows the effect of spectral adjustment on calibration gains found using M / E ratio and regression methods. The effect is different for the two methods because of the different scenes used. Bright scenes, assumed to be clouds, were used for the M / E ratio analysis. The regression analysis included dark scenes and scenes of intermediate brightness as well. Overall accounting for the spectral differences of the matched channels results in changes in the gains coefficients of about 1 %. The strongest effect of the spectral correction of 6 % in the red channel is due to the larger SBAFs of 10–15 % for the scenes of intermediate brightness. Note that, while spectral correction was not used for the Version 1 data, these scenes were excluded from the analysis and did not have an effect on the Version 1 calibration coefficients. Figure 7 shows the absolute values of the regression offsets for versions 1 and 2 data with and without spectral correction. The closeness of the offset values to the ideal case of zero offset can be interpreted as an improvement. One can see that the implementation of the stray light correction in Version 2 reduces the offset values for all channels. In addition, spectral correction in Version 2 further reduces offsets, thus increasing our confidence in the utility of the spectral correction.
The length of the available EPIC dataset allowed us to evaluate the magnitude of any possible temporal change in the derived calibration coefficients. Such a change may potentially be due to two distinct factors: seasonal dependence of the calibration method itself or the degradation of the EPIC instrument. With the data covering only one full seasonal cycle it may be difficult to reveal a seasonal dependence of the calibration procedure and thus separate the two factors. However, observing no or small temporal change would be an encouraging sign of both the stability of the instrument and the robustness of the calibration method. To evaluate the temporal changes we calculated M / E ratios separately for 3-month periods between September 2015 and February 2017. Only data points with MODIS reflectance greater than 0.6 and EPIC and MODIS relative standard deviation less than 5 % are included.
The resulting seasonal dependence is shown on Fig. 8. One can see that there is no noticeable trend in the data and the observed differences are within the range of variation of the ratios. The seasonal variability of the gain coefficients calculated from the data in Fig. 8 is generally less than 1 % (0.9 % for 443 nm channel, 0.6 for the 551 nm, 0.4 % for 680 nm and 0.6 % for 780 nm). We also found that the seasonal variability tends to become smaller for more homogeneous scenes. Thus for higher standard deviation value of 10 % the seasonal variability is approximately 2–2.5 % compared to the above values of less than 1 % for standard deviation of 5 %.
In general EPIC instrument observes the moon every 2–3 months. Several images may be acquired for each observation, each containing several hundred individual moon pixels.
Moon reflectance Rλ increases slowly with wavelength λ; in most cases (e.g., Ohtake et al., 2010, 2013), a 10 nm difference in wavelength leads to a difference in reflectance in the range of 0.0006–0.0013 or 0.8–1.2 %. Based on this, the difference in moon reflectance between the O2 B band (688 nm) and the “red” (680 nm) channels as well as between the O2 A band (764 nm) and the NIR (780 nm) channels will be within 1.6 %. We use the moon reflectance ratios and . Since the calibration factors for 680 and 780 nm channels are known from comparisons between EPIC Earth observations and the measurements from polar-orbiting radiometers, we can obtain the calibration factors for the O2 absorbing channels at 688 and 764 nm. Indeed, the ratio F(λ1,λ2) of the moon reflectance values measured in counts s−1 at two neighboring channels λ1 and λ2 is very stable (Fig. 9); it is 0.466±0.002 for the 688 over 680 nm ratio and 0.591±0.002 for the 764 over 780 nm one. To avoid the effects of libration the edges of the disk were ignored. Thus, the calibration factor K for 688 nm can be approximated as
Similar to 688 nm the calibration factor for 764 nm can be estimated as K(764)≈0.984 . Here Rλ and are the values of calibrated reflectance and measured counts s−1 at wavelength λ, respectively; K(λ) is the multiplicative calibration coefficient expressed as a conversion from counts s−1 to reflectance at wavelength λ and the ratio F(λ1, . Using this technique we obtained the following calibration coefficients: and .
Note that while both absorbing and non-absorbing channel reflectance change substantially stray light corrections (up to 10 %), their ratios F(λ1, λ2) are very stable: the difference between stray light corrected data and with no correction is less than 1.5 %. Also note that to calculate the ratios we used both full moon and new moon data separately. The ratios for different moon phases were very close.
The Robotic Lunar Observatory (ROLO) run by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) provides radiometric calibration and sensor stability monitoring for space-based remote sensing instruments using the moon as a reference source (Kieffer and Stone, 2005). Using the technique of the minimization of residuals between 16 EPIC moon observations from 29 August 2015, 21 April 2016, 19 July 2016 and 14 October 2016 and the reference ROLO data, an independent set of calibration coefficients was developed for all 10 EPIC channels form UV to NIR (Tom Stone, personal communication, 2017).
Figure 10 presents the comparison of the six EPIC channels gain coefficients developed in this study (see second column of the Version 2 part of Table 2 and the two gain values for the absorbing channels from the previous section) with the lunar-derived values. The absolute coefficients derived by the two methods agree to within approximately 10 %, with ROLO coefficients being systematically lower. In absolute terms the gain coefficients for four non-absorbing channels are in a better agreement compared to the two O2 absorbing channels.
The difference with the ROLO coefficients is noticeably greater than the two methods reported in the previous sections and greater than the seasonal variability we observed. However, the two calibration sets are in a much better agreement in relative spectral terms. When the gains are normalized by the green channel gain, the ratios agree to about 3 %. Further research is needed to account for these differences. One potential source of uncertainty is the solar spectral flux value used to convert the original ROLO radiance calibration factors to reflectance factor. Our future plans include deriving the EPIC calibration from VIIRS data. This work may contribute to the resolution of the systematic difference.
We derived calibration coefficients for four EPIC visible and NIR channels by two independent methods using collocated MODIS Aqua and Terra scenes. The methods were applied to the initial (Version 1) and recent (Version 2) releases of the data. The gain coefficients calculated using the regression method and the MODIS / EPIC ratios method agree to within between 0.1 % and 1.4 %, respectively. The effects of the stray light corrections were tested using the two EPIC data versions and were shown to be consistent with expectations. In addition spectral correction for comparison of the close EPIC and MODIS channels was implemented for the Version 2 data. Overall the application of the stray light and spectral corrections result in the successive reductions of the regression offset values in all channels increasing the confidence in the consistency of the calibration coefficients derivation.
Seasonal variability was estimated from a 1-year-long data record. It was found to be less than 1 % with no discernible trend.
Using EPIC moon observations we calculated calibration coefficients for the B-band (688 nm) and the A-band (764 nm) channels. We assumed that there is a small difference between moon reflectances separated by 10 nm in wavelength and the gain coefficients in the adjacent red (680 nm) and NIR (780 nm) were used for this purpose. The values are therefore consistent and may be recommended for use together with the MODIS-derived coefficients for the non-absorbing channels (Table 2).
The gain coefficients developed in this study were found to agree to about 10 % with those independently derived from EPIC moon views using ROLO moon observations. The agreement improves to about 3 % if the relative spectral gains normalized by the green channel value.
DSCOVR EPIC Level 1b data and Level 2 products can be obtained from the Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) of the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) by following this link: https://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/project/dscovr/dscovr_epic_l1b_2 (DSCOVR Earth Sensors science team, 2018).
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
The DSCOVR EPIC datasets were acquired from the DSCOVR project science team.
The Terra and Aqua MODIS L1b data were acquired from the Level-1 and
Atmosphere Archive & Distribution System (LAADS) Distributed Active
Archive Center (DAAC), located in the Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Maryland (https://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/). We are grateful to
Thomas Stone for providing the ROLO-derived calibration coefficients for
EPIC and for the help in preparing the EPIC data for the use with ROLO
model. We would like to thank Matt Kowalewski and Marshall Sutton for help
with EPIC lunar observations. In addition, we would also like to thank Karin
Blank for her help with EPIC image geolocation and Alexander Cede for his
help with EPIC stray light correction.
Edited by: Brian Kahn
Reviewed by: two anonymous referees
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Users should beware of a new virus which experts say could be more destructive than the deadly Love Bug.
The polymorphic worm virus, yet another variant of the Love Bug, also uses Microsoft's Outlook to spread itself as an attachment. However, the virus randomly chooses a subject line, making it particularly difficult to detect.
Antivirus software vendor Symantec said the worm sends a mutated version of itself to all addresses in the computer user's Outlook address book, causing mail servers to clog. Additionally, once the attachment is opened, the virus overwrites numerous files and renders the computer inoperable.
The virus also randomly chooses a recently opened file from the Start/Document folder in the Microsoft Start menu and attaches it to the email as a .vbs file, said Symantec. Each time the virus spreads, it mutates itself to evade detection. This affects both local and network drives, including mapped network drives where the user has access rights.
Symantec have classed the virus as a "category four" alert, which is a "dangerous threat type that is difficult to contain". The company has five virus classifications, with one being the least severe and five being the most dangerous.
A spokesman for antivirus company F-Secure said that so far the virus does not appear to have spread as quickly as the original Love Bug, which crippled thousands of companies across the globe last month and cost businesses millions of pounds. He said this may be because people are now more wary about opening emails with attachments.
Geoengineering on the sea floor near glaciers would form a new ice shelf to prevent melting
Alterations in capillary blood flow can be caused by body position change
Curiosity rover is in 'normal mode' but not transmitting scientific data back to base
NatWest outage comes a day after Barclays' IT systems shut out customers and staff


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Soon there will be only three open Kmart stores in the US
The Kmart store in Avenel, New Jersey, 15 miles south of New York City, is the latest store scheduled to permanently close on April 16.
SB360 Capital Partners is managing the store closing sale, according to the liquidation firm’s website.
Once it shutters, the number of Kmarts in the US – once well over 2,000 – will be down to three last holdouts, according to multiple reports, in a retail world now dominated by Walmart, Target and Amazon.
For now, Kmart stores continue to operate in Westwood, New Jersey; Bridgehampton, on New York’s Long Island; and Miami, Florida.
WALMART TRUCK DRIVER PAY:Walmart starting pay range for new truck drivers is between $95,000 and $110,000 after wage increase
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Transformco, which owns Kmart and Sears, did not respond to an email seeking comment and a phone number listed for the company was not taking messages, the Associated Press reported Monday.
the Kmart store locator website still listed locations that have already shuttered as of Monday.
Final days for Kmart and Sears?
Both Sears and Kmart were owned by Sears Holdings, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2018 and narrowly escaped liquidation in early 2019. They were sold to their longtime investor and CEO, Eddie Lampert, who has kept them alive on a shoestring budget under the company name Transformco.
Together, Sears and Kmart have closed more than 3,500 stores and cut about 250,000 jobs in the past 15 years.
Kmart’s decline has been slow but steady, brought about by years of falling sales, changes in shopping habits and the looming shadow of Walmart, which coincidentally began its life within months of Kmart’s founding in 1962.
“Kmart was part of America,” said Michael Lisicky, a Baltimore-based author who has written several books on US retail history. “Everybody went to Kmart, whether you liked it or not. They had everything. You had toys. You had sporting goods. You had candy. You had stationery. It was something for everyone. This was almost as much of a social visit as it was a shopping visit. You could spend hours here. And these just dotted the American landscape over the years.”
In that January release, Transformco said its “go-forward store strategy for Sears and Kmart is to operate a diversified portfolio consisting of a small number of larger, premier stores with a larger number of small format stores – combined with its Shop Your Way rewards.” program, online marketplace and buy online, pick up in store capabilities.”
The statement said the company also “will continue to explore both Hometown Stores and Home & Life stores in cities and towns that previously had larger format stores.”
Kmart stores still open in 2022
The following are the three remaining Kmart locations after the Avenel, New Jersey Kmart is slated to close April 16.
Florida’s last Kmart store
- Miami: 14091 SW 88th St.
New Jersey Kmart stores, one closing
- Avenel: 1550 St George Ave. (Closing April 16)
- Westwood: 700 Broadway
Last New York Kmart store
- Bridgehampton: 2044 Montauk Highway
Contributing: Associated Press
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism

domain: economics


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Chelsea 0-2 Brentford: Ethan Pinnock and Bryan Mbeumo scored goals to confirm a third successive win for the Bees at Stamford Bridge
Brentford defeated Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League for the third consecutive season on Saturday, with to second-half goals from Ethan Pinnock and Bryan Mbeumo.
The Blues had recently shown indications of progress, going four games undefeated, with victories against Brighton, Fulham, and Burnley, as well as a 2-2 tie with Arsenal. But all of their deficiencies surfaced again against the Bees, as their offensive difficulties reappeared as Brentford completed a hat-trick of Premier League victories.
In the 58th minute, Pinnock headed in a cross from Bryan Mbeumo against the run of play, before Mbeumo added the second in the fifth minute of stoppage time, tapping into an empty net at the end of a fast break with Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez having gone up for a corner.
The first half was lopsided, with Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer creating chances for Noni Madueke, Marc Cucurella, and Raheem Sterling. They were all wasted, with Madueke’s shot missing the crossbar.
Brentford was a constant danger on the counterattack, and both goals were scored that way.
Chelsea also lost to its London rival last season (2-0) and the year before (4-1), when Brentford was in the Premier League for the first time.
With emotions between the two benches boiling over, Pochettino’s assistant Jesus Perez was sent out, and it got much worse for the home side with Mbeumo’s tap-in and the end of Chelsea’s mini-revival.
Chelsea has only won one of its six league games at home this season, against promoted Luton Town, with Pochettino’s squad unable to break down defensively prepared opponents.
Brentford won their second game in a row after going eight games without a win in all competitions.

domain: news


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- By b.tempt'd by Wacoal; imported.


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When we talk about farms, we refer to spaces created by men in rural areas to produce different food items or raising animals.
The extent of land and the size of the farm structure will depend on the use or purposes for which it is built. There are small farms operated by families that are worked by their members, and there are also large farms made for commercial purposes.
The construction of a farm responds to its needs in order to meet the objectives for which it was designed.
These are some of the best farm buildings in 2020
- Farm for the cultivation of land: built to serve as a settlement for the owners and workers of the land for the cultivation of corn mainly. It also has silos to store the harvest.
- Country house: this style of farmhouse has a double purpose since besides having the goal to work the land it is also a rest house that is used to receive visitors and host them for vacation periods.
- Family settlement: this is a type of small farm, generally composed of a single-family which works the land to grow and produce food, but also raises the livestock necessary for sustenance.
- Rural colonies: these large and quite solid constructions are the establishment of farm owners and can house large numbers of employees inside and outside the farm. Typically, several families remain in the colony who work for the farm.
- Rural estancia: although it is small, it has everything necessary for the rural life of farmers who seek to store and keep their production in a safe place once harvested in order to supply themselves, their animals, and to regrow food. It is a cycle for which the construction of the house has a clear objective.
- Barn: this is a space for storing bulk food and grass for animals. Another much larger farm style that is not part of the house but rather the large cellar aligned to the house.
- Sheds: building this type of sheds to work with animal husbandry is in trend right now; they are practical, easy to clean and they adapt to pens and large or small houses. For instance, these sheds are very functional for poultry farms.
- A beautiful outdoor home: Living outdoors, raising animals, and cultivating the land are the main tasks of this lifestyle. However, the house where you are going to live can range from the most basic to the most sophisticated and beautiful place. This style is lovely and also fulfills what you need for farm work.
- Rural ranch: this type of construction is typical of hamlets that are formed around large farms, or for people settling on new lands for the first time.
- Typical farm construction: it is a large house with a shed and a barn that includes other spaces typical of country life to carry out day-to-day work.
Are you interested in building a farm?
Then, find the style that suits you best right now, we can help you crystallize your project and make your life’s dream come true.
At Dream Home Builders and Remodelers we are committed to making your project ours and giving you all the necessary support through our expert workforce and qualified personnel.

domain: agronomy


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Peaches are everyone’s favorite in summer. So why not make a dessert out of it? You need these five simple ingredients to start with this Easiest Peach Cobbler Recipe. And currently, you most likely have everything you need in the kitchen to prepare this easiest peach cobbler! Let’s start.
What Is Cobbler Crust Made Of?
The crust of cobbler is mostly fruit filling topped with a biscuit dough. The crust is usually very crispy.
Is Cobbler Supposed To Be Crispy?
This easiest peach cobbler can be made with a light and crispy topping.All you need to do is make the flour biscuit dough really flaky and rich.Although some like their cobbler crispy others like it a little squishy it all varies in texture according to dough.
- 1 cup Self Rising Flour
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Milk
- 8 tbsp Butter, Melted
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 can Peach Pie Filling
- Cinnamon for garnish
How To Make Easiest Cobbler
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the melted butter to a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, milk, sugar and vanilla.
- Pour the mixture over the butter in the dish, but do not mix the two together.
- Sprinkle the peach pie filling over the mixture.
- Bake for 45 minutes and garnish with cinnamon before serving.

domain: food


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pmd - My fave pre
Think I'll take one if you have any left. Thanks
Lak 5502Dx2~DJ5x2~Carvin BX500x2~Aggie GS112x2~Bergie HT115x2
"Even though I've written books, I learned to play by listening to records and learning by ear" - Gary Willis, BP mag Sept 03'
Last edited by funkboy5 : 03-11-2013 at 02:36 PM.

domain: hobby


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Wallpaper is a great way to add color, texture and style to a room. One of the lines we are pleased to carry at Panoply Interior Design is Wallquest, a company whose heritage dates to the 1820s and the Lafoy family of Lyon, France. In 1938, Henry Lafoy founded a wallpaper business, and he introduced rotogravure printing and paper-backed vinyl to wallpaper. Today, that line of wallcoverings has become part of the Wallquest line, and the family owned and operated company makes its wallpapers in the US and sells these coverings in more than 60 countries.
In 2008, Wallquest introduced its Eco Chic wallpapers. These wallpapers are designed to have as little impact on the shared eco-system as possible. The process begins with selecting sources of paper from suppliers who use only pulp from well-managed renewable resource forests or recycled resources.
Wallquest design collections currently include such series as Bella Casa, Savannah House, Nouveau, Chinoiserie, Vintage Textiles, Simplicity and Villa Toscana II. The Alessandria paper above is from the Villa Toscana II collection and is an acrylic-coated, pre-trimmed, washable and strippable paper. This Eco Chic wallpaper is packaged in 11-yard rolls and has a 21-inch pattern repeat.
We have a variety of Wallquest pattern books available in our Resource Library at Knox and Panoply, so please let us know if you’d like to learn more about this great line of wallpapers.

domain: design


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© Reuters. The Standard Chartered bank logo is seen at their headquarters in London, Britain, July 26, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/file photo
By Selena Li
HONG KONG (Reuters) -Standard Chartered has suspended new subscriptions by its clients in China into offshore products via a quota-based channel since last week, the Asia-focused bank said in a statement to Reuters.
The London-headquartered bank cited “commercial reasons” as its explanation for the suspension of new investments under the qualified domestic institutional investor (QDII) programme. It did not elaborate.
StanChart’s move comes amid Beijing’s efforts to stem capital outflows as weaker yuan and a slowing economy have driven savers to move assets offshore.
Launched in 2006, QDII is one of the few outbound investment channels qualified domestic and foreign institutions use to help Chinese wealth and corporate clients invest in offshore funds, bonds and other structured products.
has faced renewed depreciation pressure in 2024, weighed down by the dollar’s resurgence in light of market bets the Federal Reserve could wait longer than previously expected to begin cutting interest rates.
The yuan has lost about 1.4% against the dollar so far this year.
Since 2006, StanChart has been awarded a total QDII quota of $2.8 billion, the third largest among foreign banks only behind HSBC’s $4.73 billion and Citigroup’s $3.5 billion, according to the latest data from China’s foreign exchange regulator.
It has not publicly disclosed how much of the quotas have been utilised.

domain: finance


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My first new article on Byline Times reveals the reason why the government is sticking to shield only those in their 70s rather than follow World Health Organisation guidelines to shield the over 60s. It is because the UK thinks this should only be applied to developing nations.
This disputed by WHO who point out that 95 per cent on the deaths in Europe are among the over 60s with France, Italy and Spain responsible for the vast majority of European deaths.
The article highlights the plight of people in their 60s – most of them still working because of the rise in the pension age – with some left with no money as jobs collapse and others working in the NHS where the risk of Covid- 19 is at its highest.
Read the full story on Byline Times here

domain: sociology


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Neurostimulation – An Effective Treatment for Depression?
By Jacob Bourne
Neurostimulation broadly refers to using technological devices to deliver electrical pulses to the brain in order to treat patients for ailments such as depression, Parkinson’s, chronic pain and movement disorders, among many others. It’s estimated that over 300 million people suffer from depression globally across many demographics, and often times these individuals don’t respond favorably to the standard interventions of medication and psychotherapy. Now, there’s a new form of neurostimulation that can help.

domain: medical


The successor of Vivo X5Max, dubbed as Vivo X5Max S has been spotted at Tenna China. It is 7.29mm in thickness and is powered by a 4,150mAh battery unlike its X5Max variant which has only 2,300mAh battery.
The Vivo X5Max S comes with double tone metal and is equipped with a 5.5-inch screen with a pixels resolution of 1080×1920. It bosts an octa-core 1.7GHz processor, coupled with 2GB of RAM. The built-in 16GB on-board storage is further expandable up to 128GB through microSD slot.
The Vivo X5Max S offers dual SIM with dual standby functionality and runs Android 4.4.4 KitKat OS. It houses an 8-megapixel rear camera and also a 5 megapixel selfie shooter at the front. Its whole dimensions are 153.90×78×7.29mm and weighs 191g.
The X5Max S supports 4G LTE connectivity too.
Via | Source


Muswellbrook Shire Council would like to thank those groups and individuals that gave up their time on Sunday morning to participate in Clean Up Australia Day despite the weather. This year the focus was on litter and participants targeted hot spots such as both skate parks in Denman and Muswellbrook, local fast food outlets as well as main streets in both towns.
Council’s Sustainability Officer, Tracy Ward said: “It was a rainy start to the day but 50 people still turned up in Muswellbrook and Denman to clean up. I’d like to thank our Scout and Girl Guide groups that participate every year as well as those individuals that show up year in, year out. This year also saw the Red Door Community Kitchen get a group together to help out”
Council would also like to acknowledge council staff and councillors as well as local businesses that got in and helped out including Cummins South Pacific, Muswellbrook McDonalds, Final Form Regen and Stan Ray.
Council is dedicated to the environment and has actively participated in Clean Up Australia Day for twenty seven years. Council not only encourages residents to participate in Clean Up Australia Day but to take pride in our Shire and keep it clean every day.


REMET RS – Type 403
The type 403 is a unique, kneadable, alloy-reinforced and corrosion-resistant polymer composite material supplied in stick form. It is regarded as the ideal emergency repair system. The necessary quantity is cut off the stick, kneaded in the hand and pressed onto the point to be repaired.
For the fast repair of cracks in metal housings, worn keyways, heating and cooling systems, oil sumps, transformers, batteries, stripped threads, damaged hydraulic pistons and much more besides.
The type 403 is fully cured after two hours. After that it can be machined like metal.


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30 hand picked films. A new one every day
Frankly, I think the story of how a man who must have been born profoundly hard of hearing ended up a piano instructor would have been much more interesting than the story that was told here.
I found this film very touching and I really liked it.
the final dialogue was not very convincing.

domain: entertainment


Then there's moral responsibility, civic responsibility, fiduciary responsibility. Don't you just want to say "screw responsibility" some times? Those times were made for drinking.
Read Whole Story
Success--will we ever really understand it? Probably not, but as long as we're on the topic, it wouldn't kill you to put on a pair of pants.
A recent report suggests that as little as one extra glass of wine, beer or hard liquor a day can increase a woman's odds of developing of breast cancer.
Vegetables give you gas and require vitamin supplementation. Cannibalism is illegal. And I'm too self-conscious to take my jiggling torso to a public gym.
Following in the footsteps of Franklin Roosevelt, many states are now advocating an end to what many boozers and businessmen alike deem antiquated puritanical pap. The Christian Right is not amused.
Mr. Nakagawa may be Japan's worst Finance Minister ever, but that doesn't stop me from taking a moment as he leaves the world stage to bow my head in empathy.
Phelps's DUI arrest was a non-issue for the corporations who clamored to have his name and likeness all over their products. Now those same sponsors suddenly have some standards.
In down times, there isn't a leveling effect across the market but instead a weeding out of the weaker players, where the fittest not only survive but sometimes thrive.
Honestly, I had no idea who Mahmut Ayg�n was or that there even was a "Kebab King," yet now I mourn his death tremendously. After all, this is the man who invented the "doner kebab."
I have come up with a simple, celebratory drinking game to help ease the pain of what may very well be a day that will live in infamy: the day that keeps haunting us, the day we lowered the bar on change.
During that most momentous of speeches, drink once for each: celebrity-in-audience sighting. Double up if his/her seat is bad. If you spot Alec Baldwin, pour a scotch. "Sip" heavily.
How much is less than 1-2 drinks? Maybe put a touch of alcohol on your tongue every other day with an eye dropper -- no cheating and putting two drops while we're not looking!
President-Elect Barack Obama is under pressure from all sides to create exactly the right kind of economic stimulus package -- some want it green, som...
How sober we are today. American Christmases used to be intemperate. Where are the stolen kisses, the bluesy music and the feeling of anything goes (as Cole Porter wrote)?
At my neighbor's 87th birthday, we practiced harm reduction. None of us got stinking drunk. Furthermore, the birthday boy and I each only had to stagger back out across the hallway-no steps!
The whole thing about suicides peaking over the holidays may well be a myth, but there's no disputing that when it comes to painful mornings-after, th...
With slightly less than a month and a half to go before Barack Obama's inauguration, Washington, D.C. has officially reached the "freakout" point on the Richter scale of event planning.
That more women are drinking, yes--more than 48 percent acknowledge having had at least one drink in the past month (up from 42 percent in 1992). But ...
LONDON — Britain is considering a ban on "happy hour" discounts at bars and restaurants to curb drinking, a spokesman said Saturday, as health a...
Should I just get a soda? What if the client wants a scotch? Take a deep breath. Here are some tips on handling alcohol in business as well as social situations.
Look, people, Obama is gonna win this thing and win it big. To aid in this moment, we've cooked up a little something to help the cause -- a celebratory cocktail.
Look at the news. We may all be getting to a point where walking around sober is a lot more dangerous than the alternative.
Sometimes I send messages I shouldn't send. Like the time I told that girl I had a crush on her over text message. Or the time I sent that late night ...
How a little hooch helps your heart, brain, and even your weight.
The pillars of good health: diet, exercise, and raspberry daiquiris. OK, maybe not....
It's Fall, and already there's a hint of wintry chill in the air—especially down on Wall Street, where it looks like there won't be as many wads...
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Vegetarian Mediterranean recipes differ in different countries and cities, each country has a distinct flavor in its food, customs, and food traditions because cooking is a kind of arts and sciences, so the feeling of food when you taste it is in itself a taste for and enjoyment of life.
Despite the great diversity in vegetarian Mediterranean recipes, the countries of the Mediterranean basin share a culture or art of food, unlike other cultural features. The characteristics of this cuisine have their own features and foods that are known to be healthy and beneficial to humans.
Because of the nature of the Mediterranean civilizations’ interconnection with each other, the process of preparing food between them has been greatly affected, and they have similar methods of cooking. This cuisine is characterized by its great variety, there is an abundance of vegetarian Mediterranean recipes, its flexibility in preparation, and the wide variety of ingredients that come from different regions.
Mediterranean cuisine, or Mediterranean cuisine, includes foods that are used in areas around the Mediterranean basin, where the term Mediterranean basin or Mediterranean basin refers to the lands surrounding this sea, which are lands that follow each of the continents of the ancient world, Africa and Europe And West Asia and Anatolia.
Recent studies have proven the many benefits of Mediterranean food for human health, as it protects it from many diseases – because its elements are healthy in the first place from its reliance on vegetables, fruits, and olive oil – such as heart disease, forgetfulness, or stroke, and it also maintains rates of Natural sugar and thus prevention of diabetes. And other benefits that prevent human infection with various diseases and disorders.
read more: Vegetarian eggs
Traits of vegetarian Mediterranean recipes:
Features of the diet in general in these regions include high amounts of olive oil, legumes, grains, fruits, and vegetables with moderate amounts of dairy products and fish. The eastern Mediterranean is a region rich in many foods rich in ingredients and unique foods.
read more: Vegetarian tapa
Mediterranean cuisine and its benefits for human health:
When eating Mediterranean food, this means eating fresh vegetables, delicious grains, fish, or beans and olive oil, and a number of various herbs with the addition of spices, nuts, etc.
These are the main elements of the traditional diet, which relies heavily on plants for the peoples of the countries bordering the Mediterranean… It is primarily a healthy food because it protects against heart disease, and from many chronic diseases such as diabetes, as monounsaturated fats in Olive oil and fish have anti-inflammatory effects, which may help prevent heart disease and many other diseases.
Also, continuing to follow the Mediterranean diet – according to what studies have indicated – leads to a significant reduction in weight compared to a low-fat diet. It also reduces levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
Research has also found that dependence on vegetarian Mediterranean recipes
It improves rheumatoid joint pain, reduces the risk of pulmonary embolism, and reduces the risk of colon cancer returning.
The fiber, which is present in the nutrients of this diet, creates a feeling of fullness, a feeling that reduces appetite and thus does not gain weight.
Mediterranean cuisine reduces the risk of aging diseases since this diet depends on healthy elements of olive oil, vegetables, fish, and nuts, it maintains the stability of the chromosomal structure, whose efficiency decreases with age in humans, which in turn reduces the risk of aging diseases.
read more: American Vegetarian café
Selections from vegetarian Mediterranean recipes
Vegetarian Mediterranean recipes: Stuffed Peppers (Greek style)
- 2 cups of short-grain rice, washed and drained
- 12 bell peppers (green – red – yellow-orange)
- 1 cup olive oil
- 4 onions, chopped
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1 cup minced mint
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- ¼ cup of toasted almonds and pine nuts
- Salt and spices
- Prepare the oven at 180 degrees.
- Cut off the tops of the peppers and save them for later use, then remove the seeds from the inside of the peppers.
- Pour two cups of water into a large bowl and mix in it rice, onion, parsley, mint, tomato sauce, olive oil, and roasted nuts. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper, and mix the ingredients well.
- Fill the peppers from the rice mixture, leaving some empty space at the top of the pepper, then close it with the tops you kept in the first step.
- Grease a large oven tray with olive oil and put the stuffed peppers in it and cook in the oven for a full hour until the filling is fully cooked and the peppers become puffed. Serve hot.
read more: Maoz Vegetarian
Vegetarian Mediterranean recipes: Stuffed cabbage
- 1 cup short-grain rice
- 1 green cabbage
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup chopped thyme
- 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons of vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons crushed sweet red pepper
- 1 tablespoon of sugar
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- Put the rice with two cups of water and a teaspoon of salt in a large saucepan and cook it over a high temperature until it boils, then reduce the heat and cover the saucepan and cook the rice for 20 minutes or until the rice becomes soft and absorbs all the water. Turn off the heat and set the rice aside.
- Gently chop the leaves from the head of cabbage and rinse well with water.
- Add 4 cups of water in a different saucepan along with a teaspoon of salt. When the water starts to boil, put the cabbage leaves in the saucepan and cook for 10 minutes, then empty the water from the saucepan, rinse the cabbage leaves with cold water and leave them until they are completely dry.
- Heat the oil in a clean saucepan and fry the onion and garlic with some salt and pepper for 4-5 minutes, until they become soft.
- Add the tomato sauce, sweet paprika, sugar, and vinegar and continue to cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes.
- Add the rice with and thyme and cook the mixture with stirring for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the mixture until it cools.
- Put the rest of the filling in an oven tray, put the stuffed cabbage leaves in it, and cook in the oven at 230 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Pour the resulting sauce into a plate, add stuffed cabbage, decorate with thyme, then serve hot.
read more: protein-rich vegetarian food


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What is eating the leaves on my Papaya tree?
Something is eating my papaya leaves
We recommend speaking to your local Agriculture body to identify the Papaya Pests and Diseases. There are a number of handy guides that will help you identify what is attacking your tree. Do you have any possums or flying foxes in your area? Yates has a wonderful new product available - Yates Possum Repellent Spray helps protect your precious plants by deterring possums from browsing on sprayed plants.
Contains a special combination of ingredients that help reduce possums browsing on plants.
Lasts for up to 7 days or more with regular re-treatment.
Can be used on ornamental and edible plants and has only a 1 day withholding period.
The formulation was developed by Professor Lynne Selwood and is protected by a patent granted to the University of Melbourne.
Something to consider is if it might be Papaya ringspot disease (caused by Papaya ringspot virus) this can be a devastating pest of papaya/papaw (Carica spp.), Originally found in south-east Queensland in 1991. There are 2 papaya ringspot biosecurity zones with retrictions on movement on the plants to minimise the spread of the virus. the earliest symptoms are yellowing and vein-clearing of young leaves distinctive ringspot patterns on fruit consisting of concentric rings and spots, or c-shaped markings - these markings persist during ripening and can darken to become orange-brown rings as the fruit matures. Conspicuous yellow mottling of the leaves - sometimes followed by severe blistering and leaf distortion dark green streaks and sometimes rings on the leaf stalks and stems depending on the age of the plant when infected, fruit set is usually reduced and plant vigour declines fruit quality, particularly flavour, is adversely affected.
This is worst case scenario, we believe its best to send some further information or describe the symptomsbetter so we cab help us identify the problem, or point you to the agencies that can. Thanks.
Answered: 18 Jun, 2012


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Best home insurance in companies in Wyoming
We chose the best Wyoming homeowners insurance companies by analyzing how each company performed with independent rating companies such as J.D. Power & Associates, which evaluates customer satisfaction, and AM Best, which analyzes a company’s financial stability. We also looked at such things as cost, add-ons and discount options.
|Home insurance company||Average annual premium for $250K liability||J.D. Power customer satisfaction score|
Allstate received an above-average score from J.D. Power, which means its customer service and satisfaction is about what you would expect with a large scale insurance provider. However, Allstate shines with its discounts and add-on options like identity theft restoration to help pay for legal fees and lost wages if your identity is stolen, electronic data recovery to restore lost files like photos and videos, sports equipment for expensive sports items like golf clubs. There is even yard and garden coverage to increase the financial protection for things like trees and gardening equipment.
Learn more: Allstate Insurance Review
Nationwide began selling insurance for farms and cars in 1926. It is now a leading insurance provider. As a large home insurer, Nationwide offers coverage for all types of situations including standard coverage options and unique options such as earthquake insurance in certain areas, credit card coverage and ordinance or law insurance to help pay if it will cost more to get your home to current building codes during a repair or rebuild. Homeowners may further save on Nationwide home insurance by applying any of its long list of discounts like Multi-policy, home purchase, roof ratings and more.
Learn more: Nationwide Insurance Review
State Farm gets the highest marks possible from AM Best. This means it is likely to be able to pay claims efficiently and reliably if a disaster happens. State Farm offers some discounts that you can see if you are qualified for to save money. These include having eligible home alert protection devices and certain approved roofing materials.
Learn more: State Farm Insurance Review
USAA is for military personnel, retired service members and eligible military family members. This provider is known for excellent customer service and dedication to military-specific needs. It also has some helpful options such as earthquake coverage in certain areas, home sharing coverage if you use your home on a service like AirBnB and identify theft coverage. It doesn’t have a wide range of discounts, but the rates are often among the lowest for people who are eligible.
Learn more: USAA Insurance Review
How much is homeowners insurance in Wyoming?
Homeowners can expect to pay a little less for home insurance in Wyoming. The average cost of homeowners insurance in Wyoming is $805. Compared to the national average of $1,312 for home insurance, Wyoming is about $500 cheaper. However, this can be more or less, depending on your area code, type of home you have and your background.
Wyoming may be cheaper compared to other states in home insurance because it is not a coastal state that experiences a lot of weather-related hazards like hurricanes. Additionally, the average crime rate is quite low, with Wyoming reporting less concerns about safety than most of the country.
Home insurance in Wyoming
Based on the geographical factors of Wyoming, there are multiple causes of loss in home insurance. Although Wyoming is generally a safe state, it is prone to heavy snow falls at about 60 to 70 inches annually, in the lower elevated areas.
Common causes of loss in Wyoming
Wyoming is one of the most beautiful states in the country, but it does come with a cost as it is host to numerous natural disasters each year. Located in the Northwestern region of the U.S., Wyoming is prone to heavy snow falls which can cause flooding. It is also prone to the following natural disasters:
- Flooding: Much of Wyoming is subject to floods. That means many claims each year revolve around water damage from severe storms or melting ice and snow.
- Earthquakes: Wyoming also has a lot of earthquakes each year because of numerous fault lines in the state. On average, the state gets about 2,500 tremors each year. Some of them are severe.
- Wildfires: Wyoming averages about 700 wildfires each year. Though the state gets a lot of rainfall, it does undergo periods of drought as well. It is one reason why wildfires are so constant.
- Tornadoes and severe storms: Wyoming does not get much in regards to hurricanes, but it does get about 19 tornadoes each year. There are also numerous winter, spring and summer severe storms. In fact, Wyoming averages about 99 days a year of precipitation.
- Sinkholes and landslides: Lastly, Wyoming is also subject to sinkholes and landslides because of its unique geology. Much of the state is quite hilly and there are a lot of fault lines throughout. That makes it a state that is constantly in a state of change.
Home insurance coverage options in Wyoming
As a homeowner in Wyoming, you may want to consider protecting your home from some of the weather related damages above, as some of these perils are not automatically covered in a standard homeowner policy. While you should consider your personal situation when choosing the right coverage for your needs, these are coverage options that are generally recommended by some insurance experts to protect yourself from common hazards in the state:
- Flood insurance: Flood insurance is offered through the U.S. government via the National Flood Insurance Program. The federal government determines coverages and rating criteria, but the policies are sold through private insurance companies.
- Earthquake insurance: In some high-risk areas, earthquake insurance may have to be purchased as a separate policy; however, many homeowners insurance companies also offer it as an endorsement that can be added to your home policy. Considering that most of Wyoming is on one fault line or another, many customers choose to purchase this coverage.
- Sinkhole insurance: Similar to earthquake insurance, sinkhole insurance may be purchased as a stand-alone policy or as an endorsement/ add-on that you can add to an existing policy. Sinkholes occur randomly throughout much of Wyoming, and this coverage can vary widely depending on where you live and the insurance company you choose, so if this coverage is important to you, you should examine your policy closely.
- Increased other structures: Other structures’ coverage is automatically included in a standard homeowner’s policy, usually at 10% limit of the dwelling amount. However, if you have a shed, garage, greenhouse, barn or even some nice fencing valued greater than your policy limit, you may consider increasing this coverage. Any wildfire that might damage your home may also damage other buildings or structures you have on your property.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best homeowners insurance in Wyoming?
The company that is best for you may depend on your circumstances. Get several quotes and compare options to find the best fit.
How do I get homeowners insurance in Wyoming?
The best thing to do is to call around and compare rates and coverage options. Companies offer different premiums because they weigh criteria differently. For example, one company may weigh your credit score a lot more than another. Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, look at coverage options and exclusions. You’ll likely end up with a few that are similar and then can choose which meets your needs best.
Do I need flood insurance if I live in Wyoming?
Floods may be more or less of a risk depending on where you live. The FEMA flood map can show you if your home is in a known risk area. Even if they don’t live in a flood risk area, some people feel more comfortable having this coverage, so individuals make the decision to purchase or not purchase flood insurance based on their risk tolerance and location.
Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2021 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quoted rates are based on 40-year-old male and female homeowners with a clean claim history, good credit and the following coverage limits:
- Coverage A, Dwelling: $250,000
- Coverage B, Other Structures: $25,000
- Coverage C, Personal Property: $125,000
- Coverage D, Loss of Use: $50,000
- Coverage E, Liability: $300,000
- Coverage F, Medical Payments: $1,000
The homeowners also have a $1,000 deductible and a separate wind and hail deductible (if required).
These are sample rates and should be used for comparative purposes only. Your quotes will differ.


At a recent GPS technology fair in Italy, Acer announced that it will replace its N35 PDA with the C510 and C530 PDAs in Europe. The two new models are nearly identical: Powered by 300MHz Samsung processors and Windows Mobile 5.0, they will feature 2.8-inch QVGA screens, 64MB RAM and 128MB ROM, GPS using SiRFstar III chipsets, Bluetooth, SD slot, miniUSB port and built-in MP3 player. The C530 will also include Wi-Fi capabilities. Both models will also come with ALK Copilot 6 navigation software, including maps of France on a 256MB SD card.
The new models are expected to go on sale in November with an expected price of 350€ for the C510 and somewhat higher for the C530.
Source: Pocket PC Thoughts


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The tree of my mind
- Emna Zghal
The book explores connections trees have with words and meanings, also their use as metaphors for human beings. The text is comprised of quotes from diverse sources ranging from Qur’an to poetry, French chansons and more.
Book Price: $800
Shipping: $75 (S/H + insurance)

domain: artistic


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I had the same problem for years and a buddy gave me a very simple recipe for grilling venison steaks. I use the cubed steaks which are tenderized for chicken frying and soak them in your basic italian dressing for 1/2 hour or so...then with the dressing still on the meat, coat them with your favorite rub or seasoning, add salt to taste and grill. I use Grillmasters Mesquite which is available at just about any grocery store. I've used other dry rubs and they all work well. The oils in the italian dressing keep the meat moist and the combination of the herbs in the dressing coupled with the rub turns out very nice. Don't over cook and I think you'll like it. By the way, I don't have to soak the meat prior to cooking other than in the italian dressing which really helps on time.
Give it a try and let me know what you think.


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Swedish researchers have found that the body is capable of manufacturing its own antibiotic from within, that guard against urinary tract infection.
It was thought that the very act of passing urine is a cleansing mechanism, which prevented bacteria from forming in the membranes, but, researchers at the Department of Microbiology, Tumour and Cell Biology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm have proved otherwise. They discovered that the body generates an antibacterial peptide, called LL-37 that safeguards against urinary tract infections (UTIs).
Research leader and Professor Annelie Brauner said 'Urinary tract infection is not only painful for the patient but also an economical burden to the individual and society. Our findings point to a new way to prevent the development of urinary tract infection by boosting the antibacterial peptide LL-37. For patients suffering from recurrent urinary tract infection, attack would quite simply be the best form of defense.'


In the next 5 to 7 years, the French FASTLITE project is attempting to take 200 kg (440 lb) out of vehicle weight. FASTLITE is subsidized by the French government, and involves Renault, PSA Peugeot Citroen, a dozen suppliers, research labs and universities.
A PSA Materials Expert was quoted as saying that carbon fiber is too expensive for mass production even when considering lifetime fuel savings. However, SMC (sheet molding compound) becomes more economical, since the lower lifetime fuel costs can outweigh the additional costs associated with manufacturing. In addition, he says that “We are not sure that the materials needed are existing today … We need modeling tools, automation, numeric tools; and our teams need to learn how to design composite parts.”
The article describes a presentation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology comparing extra costs of different materials with the possible weight savings. High-strength steel adds €1 to €2 ($1.33 to $1.66) per 2.2 lbs. (1 kg) and saves 5% to 20% of mass, while carbon fiber adds €10 to €16 ($13.30 to $21.25) in manufacturing cost to save 40% to 60% in mass.
- Now Writing For MetalForming Magazine! December 22, 2017
- As Materials and Technologies Change, Your Workforce Requires Different Skills and More Adaptability October 16, 2017
- What Caused Job Losses in the Steel Industry? August 8, 2016
- New Press Hardening Steels with Hot Dipped Galvanized Coating May 5, 2016
- Nissan to Use 1.2GPa Steel to Reduce Vehicle Weight March 13, 2013
- Industrial Design and Sheet Metal Forming March 1, 2013
- Acura RLX will have Multi-Metal Doors: Aluminum Skins and Steel Inners February 28, 2013
- Deformation Modes in Sheet Metal Forming February 26, 2013
- Supplies and Suppliers Limited Chrysler Sales in 2012 February 25, 2013
Tweets by @DannyEQSMy Tweets


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Check out these wonderful books on Spirituality!
THE PRIEST WHO LEFT HIS RELIGION
John Shields was destined to become priest from an early age. Many thought he would become the first North American Pope. So why did he leave the Priest Hood?
St Augustine lived 500 years after Christ and invented the concept of the original sin, which would lead to controlling the people for centuries to come. A God of peace and love was replaced with a revengeful and fearful God. The church needed people to believe that the first parent’s sin against God infected all humanity so along came Adam and Eve.
Pope John XX111 called upon the church to reform by allowing the truth about the bible to be brought forward. He formed a council which replaced a four hundred year old theology in favor of a vibrant and contemporary Christian faith and a God of love. The truth was finally to be spoken. The people accepted and loved this new change.
After the death of Pope John XX111 the head of the church was Pope Paul V1. This new Pope originally agreed with his predecessor and the new council to bring truth and reform to the church. Very soon after with pressure from the Bishops he allowed the church to return to its original beliefs written at a time when people believed the world was flat, that heaven was above us and hell was beneath us and again we have a fearful God that lead armies to fight wars.
John Shields life’s passion as a priest was shattered; he could not possibly preach something that he believed was false and so did the unbelievable for a priest, he walked away. John led an interesting life and I give him credit for taking such a bold stand on such a contentious issue by writing the truth. John’s life with his many accomplishments is a book in itself.

domain: library


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The Las Cruces Space Festival is bringing virtual art shows to audiences starting Saturday, May 23rd at 2pm MST with the film premiere of “We Choose To Go To The Moon” followed by the opening of the “Dawn of Discovery” online art exhibition.
“We choose to go to the Moon” is the result of a unique, joint film collaboration between the Las Cruces Space Festival and Shine, the art/science initiative of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews, Scotland.
Beginning life as a temporary art intervention in the desert of southern New Mexico, “We choose to go to the Moon” takes its cue from the 50 year anniversary of the Apollo 12 Moon mission in 1969. Prior to the launch in November 1969 the Apollo 12 crew were sent on a training mission to a large crater in the New Mexico desert known as Kilbourne Hole. Exactly 50 years later this would become the location of the art intervention.
From the documentary film footage of the public art event the two artists of Tim Fitzpatrick and Jeff Erwin, began to see very striking possibilities of this mission to the Moon as a road movie: the audience as the crew, the bus as the rocket and the bus driver as the mission commander!
Commissioned by the Las Cruces Space Festival in 2019, the resulting 16 minute film is brought to life by a highly original soundtrack composed by Andrew Knight-Hill in a collaboration with trumpeter Bede Williams.
Hosted by the Las Cruces Space Festival this live-streaming event with a Q and A session at the end will take place on the 23rd of May at 2.00 pm MST by following the link https://youtu.be/JjUxY4Apf8U. After the premiere we invite you to join artists Tim Fitzpatrick, Jeff Erwin, Bede Williams and Andrew Knight-Hill to discuss the art film. –
Topic: We Choose To Go To The Moon
Time: May 23, 2020 02:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 726 7886 0961
The “Dawn of Discovery” art show is a multi-media exhibit featuring international and local artists portraying the beauty of the Universe and the excitement of space exploration with sculptures, paintings, astrophotography and much more.
The third-annual Las Cruces Space Festival was postponed in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Festival team are still hoping to bring events back in the fall of 2020, but have decided to release some online content to enjoy during this period of uncertainty. We are thankful to all those that have contributed to our virtual art shows and have worked tirelessly to make this happen.
The Las Cruces Space Festival mission is ‘Making Space for Everyone’. The Festival is free to participate in, and open to all, with the cost of activities, presentations, displays, and exhibits all covered by sponsors. We work with many partner organizations across the community – ranging from the public schools, local universities and colleges, space industry, arts, and cultural groups, and many others – to provide an event for people of all ages and interests.
If you or your company are interested in sponsoring the 2020 Las Cruces Space Festival, our Executive Team would be happy to meet with you to discuss our sponsorship packages.
‘Dawn of Discovery’ is a multi-media exhibit featuring international and local artists portraying the beauty of the Universe and the excitement of space exploration. Brought to you by the Las Cruces Space Festival and local partners NMCO Media and the Dona Ana Arts Council. All artwork and content is legally protected by U.S. & International copyright laws.


The gay dating app, MISTER has just introduced Smart Bear, a cuddly gay bear cub, in a cute and sexy video titled “Bear Talk”. MISTER is targeted towards men who are 30+ that “value strength, integrity and masculinity”.
In the following video, Smart Bear has his first encounter with MISTER (played by Doug Repetti). Bearomance ensues. Woof indeed. The style of the video is sort of like an Apple commercial if Apple was trying to target gay bears. I love it.
To give you a bit more background on the app, their press release explains that “contrary to popular belief, men in their 30s don’t want to be 20 again. Men 30+ are confident, grounded and tired of dating apps dominated by the young – and horny. They need an app that’s as direct, manly and versatile as they are – without games, name calling and gay drama.” There are so many dating apps these days so there’s something for everyone! Enjoy the videos below!
MISTER App: The Story Begins (NSFW)
For more information on MISTER, visit their site here: http://www.misterapp.com/


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Well, it’s been quite awhile since I’ve taken time to sit down and write a post to our Blog. It has been a busy winter/early spring for us and although we have continued to add recipes to our Blog, I just haven’t gotten a post written for awhile! Today, however, I was inspired by a photo that our friend, Deanna sent me. She and her husband are traveling in the southwest and stopped by one of our favorite places in the southwest…The beautifully restored LaPosada Hotel in Winslow, Arizona. Now, I know that what we usually write about is delicious food…and trust me…you will not be disappointed!
La Posada Hotel, the “last great railroad hotel,” offers a unique cultural experience for Southwest travelers. Built in 1929 for the Santa Fe Railway, La Posada is truly one of America’s treasures.
La Posada embodies the visions of both Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, the hotel’s renowned architect, and Allan Affeldt, its current owner. But the story really begins with Fred Harvey, who “civilized the west” by introducing linen, silverware, china, crystal, and impeccable service to railroad travel. (He was so legendary that MGM made a movie called The Harvey Girls starring Judy Garland.) Harvey developed and ran all the hotels and restaurants of the Santa Fe Railway, eventually controlling a hospitality empire that spanned the continent.
In the 1920s, Harvey decided to build a major hotel in the center of northern Arizona. “La Posada”—the Resting Place—was to be the finest in the Southwest. Construction costs alone exceeded $1 million in 1929. Total budget with grounds and furnishings was rumored at $2 million (about $40 million in today’s dollars). They chose Winslow, then (as now) the Arizona headquarters for the Santa Fe Railway. Winslow was ideally situated for a resort hotel since everything to see and do in northern Arizona is a comfortable day’s drive. They asked Colter to design the new hotel.
Colter worked for the Fred Harvey Company from 1905 until her retirement in the 1950s. Although famous for her magnificent buildings at the Grand Canyon, she considered La Posada her masterpiece. Here she was able to design or select everything from the structures to the landscape, furniture, maids’ costumes, and dinner china. Many people consider this the most important and most beautiful building in the Southwest.
La Posada was selected as one of the best places to stay in the world by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler. Originally built for railroad passengers, this Arts and Crafts hotel near Route 66 “is the destination—skip the town.” Guest rooms, named for onetime patrons like John Wayne, “are comfortable but not fancy.” With a menu of Southwestern cuisine based on Navajo and Hopi crops, the Turquoise Room is “a true oasis in the desert.” “Staff are hands-on, and it shows.”
For delicious southwestern cuisine… don’t miss The Turquoise Room…
T.he Turquoise Room is an original restaurant incorporating some authentic Arizona food. Considered by many to be the finest restaurant in the Four Corners region, the Turquoise Room opened in 2000 under the direction of renowned Chef John Sharpe, who oversees every detail of the preparation and service. According to Sharpe,
“We bake and cook everything from scratch, using only the finest and freshest ingredients. We buy all our fish from ports in New Orleans, Boston, and Nilinchic, Alaska. During the summer, we use fresh herbs and vegetables from growers in the Verde Valley, Chino Valley, and right here in Winslow. In winter, much of our produce comes from Crooked Sky Farms of Glendale, Arizona.”
Chef John Sharpe was nominated for the James Beard Award in 2011.
Rated as one of the top three restaurants in the U.S. in the 2009 Conde Naste Gold List.
You can see why we love to stop at this unique,historic hotel! There are discoveries to be made around every corner…huge, original artwork by current hotel co-owner, Tina Noir, are presented around every corner…the gardens are beautiful no matter what time of year you visit, and the food in the Turquoise Room, is delicious. If you’re ever traveling through Arizona, be sure to make the La Posada Hotel in Winslow a destination for your trip!
As promised, our focus comes back to delicious foods… Here is the recipe for the Turquoise Room’s Signature Soup, Black Bean & Corn Soup. Presented side by side with a gorgeous Red Pepper Ribbon garnish. Enjoy!
LaPosada Hotel Signature Black Bean Soup
1 lb washed black beans (soak for 12 hours)
1/2 Tbsp. New Mexico mild chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1 small bay leaf
1/2 cup diced onion
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp fresh garlic
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 qt. water
Wash and soak the beans in cold water and leave to soak overnight. Place in a large thick bottom pot with all the ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 1/2 hours til the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Place the beans in a blender until smooth. Dilute with water as needed. The soup can be made one day ahead and reheated.
Cream of Corn Soup
2 lb cut fresh yellow corn off the cob
12 oz sliced white onion
2 oz butter
3 cups heavy cream
2 cup water
1 level teaspoon salt
Find the freshest corn you can and cut it off the cob making sure you scrape the cob to extract all of the milk. This is the sweetest part of the corn. Saute the onions in a thick bottomed pan until soft but not brown. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove from the heat. Place in a blender and puree till smooth. If the corn is not sweet you may add a little sugar to taste. This may be done ahead of time and kept warm in a double boiler.
Serve both soups side by side in a large, flat bowl…Garnish both soups with a Red Pepper Stripe
Red Pepper Stripe
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, peeled and seeded.
Canned pimentos may be used
1 tsp chipotle puree
Salt and pepper to taste
It is important for both soups to be the same consistency so that when they are placed in the bowl they stay separate. You may adjust them with hot water at the time of service. Due to the starches in both soups they will thicken as they sit. Have the soups hot and side by side. Garnish with Red Pepper Stripe.
Delicious served with Cornbread and a Salad.
We would love to hear
about your favorite places to stay or where you like to go for a great meal!
Please email Vicki at firstname.lastname@example.org
118 N. Main
Buhler, KS 67522

domain: geography


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Stats for this track
In 1 Set
- artwork10 Tracks, 31.32
Produced by Jayson DeZuzio and Oh No Not Stereo.
Music/Lyrics written by Mykul Lee and Skyler Nielsen.
Instrumentation by S. Nielsen/M. Lee/J. Karvinen/R. Williams.
Recorded in Hollywood, Ca. @ SoundFactory, The Fortress, Kingsize SoundLabs, and Eagle Eye Studios.
Mixed by Jayson DeZuzio @ Stained Glass Studios in NJ.
Mastered by Ted Jensen @ Sterling Sound in NYC.
©2011. All Rights Reserved. Party.
Artwork and photography by Shawn Harris and Kirsti Urpa.
Album design by Danielle DeFrances and Jake Hernandez.
Released by: Oh No Not Stereo LLC
Release/catalogue number: ONNS-005
Release date: Oct 11, 2011


In a key political development from Madhya Pradesh, three MLAs from the opposition parties joined the ruling BJP on Tuesday. MLAs including one each from the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party jumped ships along with an independent legislator to join sides with the BJP ahead of the upcoming presidential election. The MLAs were welcomed by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Madhya Pradesh BJP president VD Sharma on Tuesday informed that BSP's Sanjeev Singh Kushwaha (from Bhind) and SP's Rajesh Kumar Shukla (from Bijawar seat) joined the BJP. Independent MLA Vikram Singh Rana from Susner also joined the BJP in the presence of CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and VD Sharma in Bhopal.
CM Chauhan took to his Twitter handle to welcome the new leaders to the party, writing, “I heartily welcome MLA Shri Sanjeev Kushwaha ji, MLA Shri Rajesh Shukla ji and MLA Shri Rana Vikram Singh ji to the Bharatiya Janata Party family, who joined today.” Meanwhile, state party chief VD Sharma also lauded the leaders and said that the BJP is proud to make the announcement.
आज @BJP4India में आज सम्मिलित हुए विधायक श्री संजीव कुशवाह जी, विधायक श्री राजेश शुक्ला जी और विधायक श्री राणा विक्रम सिंह जी का भारतीय जनता पार्टी परिवार में हृदय से स्वागत करता हूं। @BJP4MP pic.twitter.com/M682Lja7qp— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) June 14, 2022
“We are proud that today, BJP MP family has included three such strong and powerful people's representatives, who are constantly active for the development of their area and the welfare of the society,” Sharma tweeted. “I have full faith that Bijawar, Bhind and Susner Vidhan Sabha will move ahead at a faster pace with the three MLAs joining the BJP family. Hearty congratulations to all three MLAs,” he added.
आज भिंड विधायक श्री संजीव कुशवाह, बिजावर विधायक श्री राजेश शुक्ला व सुसनेर विधायक श्री राणा विक्रम सिंह ने पीएम श्री @narendramodi जी एवं सीएम श्री @ChouhanShivraj के नेतृत्व में संचालित जनकल्याणकारी नीतियों और संगठन की कार्यशैली से प्रभावित होकर @BJP4MP की सदस्यता ग्रहण की। pic.twitter.com/L63Mli17xG— VD Sharma (@vdsharmabjp) June 14, 2022
It is pertinent to note that the MLAs' switch comes ahead of the forthcoming presidential polls. The polls for electing the next President of India will be held on July 18, 2022. During the polls, 4,809 electors comprising MPs and MLAs will vote to decide on the successor to incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind, whose term ends on July 24. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has informed that the notification for the election will be issued on June 15 and the last date for nomination will be June 29. The voting will be carried out on July 18 and the counting of the votes will be held on July 21.


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The Toomer’s corner trees have had a rough couple of years.
First there was the time Harvey Updyke poisoned the trees after in 2011. Then earlier this year, someone lit the trees on fire following Auburn’s win over LSU. It was reported that the trees will likely die because of the fire.
And now an Ole Miss fan has piled on, asking Auburn fans to pick their poison, referencing both the positioning of the trees and the time they were set on fire.
— WarBlogle.com (@WarBlogle) October 29, 2016
Auburn and Ole Miss kickoff at 7:15 p.m. ET on SEC Network. Auburn did win the last time these two teams met in Oxford, Miss. The Tigers have won four games in a row and are ranked No. 15 in the country.

domain: sports


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This card was for the Verve Mojo Monday sketch #75. I flipped the sketch vertically because I wanted it to fit the sentiment I chose, which is from Verve's Meditations stamp set. I made this for a co-worker whose brother unexpectedly passed away. Those who know me know how close I am with my brother, so to me that is one of the worst things I can imagine. There's not much I can do to comfort her, but hopefully this card brought a quick second of calm to her.
The main image panel features the butterfly and part of the large swirly vine from PTI's With Sympathy. I have to say, I'm loving this set! And not just for sympathy cards - I've made 3 or 4 cards with it just since it arrived last week, and this is the only one that's actually a sympathy card! The vine is stamped in Spring Moss and the butterfly is in Lemon Tart. I pulled my color scheme from the patterned paper, which is from PTI's Polka Dot Parade Collection. This card took me a while because it's more layers than I'm used to doing on layouts I design myself, but I liked stepping out of the box. Having so many components to a sketch forces me to use more of my supplies too! The 7 dots beneath the image are 1/4" circles punched out of Aqua Mist cardstock with a clear gemstone adhered to each of them. I pierced both pieces of Spring Moss cardstock to frame the image and the sentiment and stamped the scallops with my SU punch.