When it comes to healthcare apparel, comfort, durability, and functionality are crucial factors. In recent years, scrub tees have emerged as a popular alternative to traditional scrubs, offering healthcare professionals a blend of style and performance like never before. Whether you’re a nurse, doctor, or medical student, this comprehensive guide will take you on a journey through the world of scrub tees, exploring their unique features, benefits, and how they can revolutionize your work wardrobe.
In this article, we will delve into the different aspects of scrub tees, including their fabric composition, design options, and practicality in the healthcare setting. We will also discuss the advantages of incorporating scrub tees into your daily work attire, such as enhanced mobility, breathability, and versatility. By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear understanding of why scrub tees have become a game-changer in the medical industry.
The Evolution of Scrub Tees: A Brief History
In the ever-evolving world of healthcare fashion, scrub tees have emerged as a revolutionary garment. While traditional scrubs were once the standard attire for healthcare professionals, scrub tees have quickly gained popularity due to their comfort and versatility. The history of scrub tees dates back to the need for healthcare workers to have functional and practical attire that allowed them to perform their duties efficiently.
Initially, scrubs were simple garments made from cotton to provide comfort and easy mobility. However, as the medical industry progressed, so did the demands for more specialized attire. Healthcare providers required clothing that not only met their functional needs but also reflected their professionalism. This led to the development of scrub tees, which combined the comfort of traditional scrubs with the style and design elements of modern fashion.
The Rise of Scrub Tees
The popularity of scrub tees began to soar as healthcare professionals realized the benefits they offered. Scrub tees not only provided the comfort and practicality of traditional scrubs but also incorporated design elements that met the demands of the modern healthcare setting. With features such as multiple pockets, ID badge loops, and side slits for enhanced mobility, scrub tees quickly became the go-to choice for healthcare professionals seeking both functionality and style.
A New Era of Healthcare Apparel
Scrub tees marked a new era in healthcare apparel, challenging the traditional notion of scrubs. These garments not only offered superior comfort and functionality but also allowed healthcare professionals to express their individuality and personal style. The evolution of scrub tees paved the way for customization and branding options, making them an essential part of a healthcare professional’s wardrobe.
Fabric Choices: Finding the Perfect Blend
Choosing the right fabric for your scrub tees is crucial for achieving ultimate comfort and ensuring longevity. The fabric composition of scrub tees plays a significant role in their overall performance, including breathability, durability, and ease of care. Understanding the different fabric options available will help you make an informed decision based on your specific needs and preferences.
Cotton: The Classic Choice
Cotton has long been a favorite fabric for scrubs and scrub tees due to its softness and breathability. It allows for better air circulation, keeping healthcare professionals cool and comfortable during long shifts. Cotton fabric is also known for its moisture-wicking properties, which help absorb sweat and keep the body dry. Additionally, cotton is easy to care for, making it a convenient choice for busy healthcare professionals.
Polyester: The Durable Performer
Polyester is a popular fabric choice for scrub tees due to its durability and resistance to wrinkles and shrinking. It offers excellent color retention and can withstand frequent washing, making it ideal for healthcare settings where cleanliness and hygiene are paramount. Polyester fabric also dries quickly, ensuring that healthcare professionals stay comfortable and dry throughout their shifts.
Blends: The Best of Both Worlds
Blended fabrics, such as cotton-polyester blends, combine the benefits of both cotton and polyester. These blends offer the comfort and breathability of cotton, along with the durability and wrinkle resistance of polyester. By mixing different fabrics, scrub tees can provide a balance between comfort and functionality, catering to the specific needs of healthcare professionals.
Design Elements: Style Meets Functionality
Scrub tees are not just about comfort; they also offer a range of design features that meet the demands of healthcare professionals. These design elements enhance functionality, allowing healthcare professionals to carry essential items, maintain a professional appearance, and move with ease throughout their workday.
Multiple Pockets for Easy Access
One of the key design elements of scrub tees is the incorporation of multiple pockets. These pockets offer healthcare professionals easy access to essential tools and personal items, such as pens, notepads, and stethoscopes. The strategic placement of pockets ensures that healthcare professionals can carry their necessities without compromising mobility or comfort.
ID Badge Loops for Convenience
Another practical design feature found in many scrub tees is the inclusion of ID badge loops. These loops provide a convenient and secure way for healthcare professionals to display their identification badges. By having the ID badge easily accessible, healthcare professionals can save time and streamline their workflow.
Side Slits for Enhanced Mobility
Mobility is crucial for healthcare professionals who need to move quickly and efficiently throughout their work environment. Scrub tees often feature side slits, allowing for increased flexibility and ease of movement. These slits not only enhance mobility but also contribute to the overall comfort of the garment.
Personalization and Branding: Making a Statement
While functionality and comfort are paramount in healthcare attire, expressing personal style and branding are equally important. Scrub tees offer healthcare professionals the opportunity to customize their garments, making a statement while maintaining professionalism.
Embroidery and Logos
Many scrub tees can be personalized with embroidery, allowing healthcare professionals to add their names, titles, or hospital logos to their garments. Embroidery provides a professional and polished look while helping to identify healthcare professionals in a busy work environment. Logos can also be added to scrub tees, showcasing the branding of healthcare institutions and fostering a sense of unity and pride among staff.
Color and Pattern Choices
Scrub tees come in a wide range of colors and patterns, offering healthcare professionals the opportunity to express their individuality while adhering to dress code regulations. From vibrant hues to subtle tones, the color choices allow healthcare professionals to stand out or blend in, depending on their preferences and workplace requirements. Patterns, such as floral or geometric designs, can add a touch of personality to the scrub tees, making them visually appealing and unique.
Scrub Tees vs. Traditional Scrubs: Examining the Differences
While traditional scrubs have been the go-to choice for healthcare professionals for decades, scrub tees offer a fresh perspective. Understanding the differences between the two options will help healthcare professionals make an informed decision about which garment best suits their needs and preferences.
Comfort and Mobility
Scrub tees excel in terms of comfort and mobility due to their fabric composition and design elements. The softness and breathability of scrub tees, along with features like side slits and stretchable fabric, allow for greater ease of movement. Traditional scrubs, while comfortable, may not offer the same level of mobility and flexibility.
Style and Individuality
Scrub tees offer healthcare professionals the opportunity to showcase their personal style and individuality through color choices, patterns, and customization options. Traditional scrubs, on the other hand, often come in limited color options and lack the personalization features that scrub tees provide.
Functionality and Practicality
Both scrub tees and traditional scrubs are designed with functionality and practicality in mind. However, scrub tees have evolved to incorporate additional design elements such as multiple pockets and ID badge loops, making them more versatile and convenient for healthcare professionals. Traditional scrubs may have fewer pockets or lack specific features that enhance functionality.
Caring for Your Scrub Tees: Tips for Longevity
Proper care and maintenance are essential to ensure that your scrub tees remain in optimal condition over time. By following a few simple guidelines, you can extend the lifespan of your scrub tees and keep them looking and feeling their best.
When washing your scrub tees, it is recommended to follow the care instructions provided by the manufacturer. In general, using a mild detergent and washing them in cold or lukewarm water is ideal. Avoid using bleach or harsh chemicals, as they can damage the fabric and colors. It is also advisable to wash your scrub tees separately or with similar colors to prevent color bleeding.
In a healthcare environment, stains are inevitable. To remove stains from your scrub tees, it is best to treat them as soon as possible. Pre-treating stains with a stain remover or a mild detergent can help break down the stain before washing. For tough stains, you can let your scrub tees soak in a solution of water and detergent for a few hours before washing.
Drying and Ironing
Drying and Ironing
After washing, it is recommended to air dry your scrub tees to preserve their shape and prevent shrinkage. Hanging them on a clothesline or laying them flat is preferable to using a dryer. If you prefer using a dryer, set it to a low heat setting to avoid damaging the fabric. Once dry, you can lightly iron your scrub tees on a low temperature if necessary, ensuring that you follow the fabric care instructions to avoid any potential damage.
Proper storage is essential to keep your scrub tees in good condition between wears. It is best to fold them neatly and store them in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Avoid overcrowding your storage area to prevent wrinkling and creasing. Additionally, keeping your scrub tees separate from other garments, especially those with zippers or Velcro, can help prevent snags and damage.
Finding the Perfect Fit: Sizing and Recommendations
Getting the right fit is crucial for both comfort and a professional appearance. When choosing scrub tees, it’s important to consider the sizing options available and find the perfect fit for your body type. Here are some tips and recommendations to help you make the best decision:
Understanding Sizing Charts
Most scrub tee brands provide sizing charts that can help you determine the best size for your body. These charts typically include measurements for chest, waist, and hip circumference, as well as length measurements. Take accurate measurements of your body and refer to the brand’s sizing chart to find the size that corresponds to your measurements.
Consider Body Type and Preferences
Body types vary, and what may be the perfect fit for one person may not be the same for another. Consider your body type and any specific preferences you may have when choosing the size of your scrub tees. Some individuals prefer a looser fit for added comfort, while others prefer a more fitted look. Take these factors into account when making your decision.
Read Customer Reviews
Reading customer reviews can provide valuable insights into the fit and sizing of specific scrub tee brands. Look for reviews from individuals who have a similar body type to yours and see if they mention any sizing discrepancies or provide recommendations. This can help you make a more informed decision and avoid any potential sizing issues.
Try Before You Buy
If possible, try on scrub tees before making a purchase. Visit a local store that carries the brand you are interested in and try on different sizes to determine the best fit for you. This allows you to assess the comfort and fit firsthand and make any necessary adjustments to your sizing choice.
While personal preference plays a significant role in choosing the right scrub tee brand, there are a few reputable brands that consistently receive positive feedback from healthcare professionals. Some popular brands known for their quality, fit, and durability include Grey’s Anatomy, Cherokee, WonderWink, and Barco. These brands offer a wide range of sizes and styles to cater to different body types and preferences.
In conclusion, scrub tees have revolutionized the way healthcare professionals approach their work attire. With their blend of comfort, style, and functionality, scrub tees offer a refreshing alternative to traditional scrubs. By exploring the evolution, fabric choices, design elements, personalization options, and comparing them to traditional scrubs, you can make an informed decision about incorporating scrub tees into your wardrobe. Embrace the comfort and style of scrub tees and experience a new paradigm in healthcare apparel.


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Development of oral bioaccessibility tests
Development of automated systems for the detection and evaluation of the bioaccessible fraction of heavy metals and organic contaminants in solid environmental samples and food commodities with application in the analysis of human exposure risks.
The soluble or bioaccessible fraction of metals and persistent organic pollutants under environmental or human physiologically relevant conditions is considered the most potentially hazardous fraction, since it has the ability to penetrate and accumulate within a living organism, either through digestive, dermal or inhalation. A research group from the UIB have developed an automated system that allows to evaluate in real time the bioaccesible fraction of heavy metals (such as lead) and emerging contaminants (such as antimicrobials and plasticizers), therefore, to analyze environmental contamination in soils and sediments in a fast and effective way. These analyses are important in the field of environmental impact studies and in the remediation of degraded spaces by industrial activities or used as landfill.
A research group of the Chemistry Department from the UIB, in collaboration with the University of Porto, have developed a chemical model that imitates/reproduces the digestion conditions of the gastrointestinal tract system, allowing an in vitro evaluation of heavy metals bioavailability in soils, without in vivo analysis with animal models. For each analyzed soil, the chemical system automatically obtains extracts through a membrane of microdialysis that mimics the absorption process that takes place at the human intestinal epithelium. Each extract is analyzed to know the magnitude of the contaminating substance leached from the soil during digestion and what the permeation rate through simulated biological membranes is. Simulated membranes serve as indicators of contaminant bioavailability and, therefore, of the possibility to reach the bloodstream of the individual that has ingested the contaminated soil.
Liposomes are vesicles that simulate the lipid bilayer of cell membranes and which, due to their characteristics, can be used as carriers of substances, such as drugs or cosmetics, inside the body. A multidisciplinary research group from the Department of Chemistry of the UIB has proposed to use them to predict the effect of emerging contaminants, such as parabens and triclosan, which are used as preservatives in daily hygiene products. Specifically, researchers from the UIB have analyzed the bioavailability of these pollutants, that is, their ability to penetrate and interact with lipid components, as a bioindicator of toxicity, through the liposomes, equivalent to the way they penetrate through cell membranes.

domain: chemistry


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Hong Kong to see higher growth amid signs of recovery
Hong Kong's government said it will look to boost growth and employment after the territory expanded at its slowest pace since 2009.
Financial Secretary, John Tsang, unveiled relief measures as part of his budget proposal for the 2013-2014 year.
He added that he expects the economy to grow by 1.5% to 3.5% in 2013.
Hong Kong, and the rest of Asia, saw global demand fall during Europe's debt crisis, although there have recently been some signs of recovery.
Hong Kong saw growth slow to 1.4% in 2012 compared to the previous year, lower than the average over the past 10 years according to Mr Tsang.
He warned of risk factors in the global economy that could weigh on Hong Kong's open economy including a trade slowdown and possible currency war.
"The intricate external environment will remain unstable in the year ahead," he said.
The budget offered a variety of measures to help the poor and elderly, as well as for small businesses.
However, he offered no major new moves to bring down soaring property prices, something that Hong Kong residents have long complained about.
Mr Tsang promised only to continue trying to boost the supply of land and find potential new areas for land reclamation.
The city, and others in Asia, have seen property prices rise partly because of money flowing in from countries where monetary policy is being loosened.
Last week the government announced measures to cool property prices including higher stamp duties because of concerns that an asset bubble is being created.
There have been some signs that the overall economy is improving in recent months, however.
The city saw growth of 2.5% in the three months to December from a year earlier, data showed. That is up from 1.4% in the third quarter.
Mr Tsang said that his package of measures will stimulate the economy by 1.3 percentage points, but did not provide details.
He added that the government will look to grow its logistics and fund-management industries to support long-term economic growth.

domain: economics


There are seven native types of swallows found in North America. Swallows are common throughout the continent, the Barn Swallow, Bank Swallow, Cliff Swallow and Tree Swallow can be seen from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast and into Northern Canada and Alaska. The Northern Rough-winged Swallow is seen throughout the USA and all of the southern provinces of Canada.
The Violet-green Swallow has a range on the western coast, from Alaska to Mexico and along the Rocky Mountains. The Cave Swallow has the smallest range and can be found along the southern perimeters of New Mexico and Texas, with a small colony in southern Florida. The Bahama Swallow is a vagrant swallow and is sometimes seen in the southern regions of Florida.
Cliff swallows and barn swallows are slender, sleek birds that spend their spring and summers in North America. Swallows are very territorial and will return to the same nesting site over and over. Building eaves and other structures often replace cliffs these days to build their distinctive mud pellet nests (see photo at right). Swallows have brownish red faces and throats with steel blue coats and light colored bellies. Cliff swallows have squared off tails, but barn swallows have long forked tails (see top photo). Young swallows have similar coloring, but lighter.
Swallows feed on insects and catch their prey as they maneuver through the air. They are mostly found near water and most swallow species build their nests from mud. This means that often swallows are attracted to gutters, that obviously have a build-up of water and accumulate mud over years of not being cleaned. This can be avoided by cleaning your gutters with Clean Pro Gutter Cleaning Lexington, which leaves swallows no choice but to look elsewhere for a nesting ground. The exception to this is the Bank Swallow, who prefers to burrow into the sides of sandbanks and the Tree Swallow and Violet-green Swallow, prefer to nest in the cavities of trees and posts and they use man-made bird houses, when given the opportunity.
Swallows are attractive backyard birds for several reasons. Their graceful, aerobatic, energetic flight can be a joy to watch as they swoop about, and their glossy plumage glitters in the sunlight. They are relatively quiet species and while their song is typically musical and chirping, they are less vocal than species such as thrushes or mockingbirds – perfect for backyard birders who prefer a quieter landscape. The most desirable characteristic of swallows, swifts and martins, however, is their voracious appetites. These insectivorous birds can consume hundreds of insects every day, and inviting a family of them into the backyard can provide exceptional (and free!) pest control.


The Microsoft Lumia 940 and 940 XL – which have already been the subject of many leaks and rumors – will probably cost more than Apple’s iPhone 6 as well as the Samsung Galaxy S6, says the Dutch website MyWindows.nl according to a trusted source.
The rumor also says that unlike Samsung’s and Apple’s devices, both the Microsoft flagship smartphones will me made of polycarbonate, a strong and tough material that some its grades are optically transparent. This is particularly interesting given that most premium handsets today are made of composite metal, which is costly as compared to polycarbonate.
Specs-wise, the report says that the Lumia 940 will be powered by a Snapdragon 808 SoC, and will be equipped with a 5.2 inch (1920 × 1080 pixels) full HD display. It will come with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory expandable via microSD. In terms of camera, the device will feature a 20 MP rear unit and a 5 MP webcam. There will also be an iris scanner, a technology released only on few smartphones.
On the other hand, the 940 XL is expected to be powered with a Snapdragon 810 chipset and a 5.7 inch Quad HD (2560 × 1440) screen. An excellent rear camera with a resolution of 17 MP and maybe even more and a 3300 mAh battery. Rest of its specifications are said to be same as its twin, including the iris scanner.
Both flagships are expected to be released the next November.


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Disgusting raw sewage flowing down a Donegal housing estate has horrified residents and frightened parents who have had to keep their children indoors.
Residents of Beechwood Park in Convoy at the weekend had to avoid the raw sewage that ran down the footpath and into a nearby river.
Children played around the estate on Sunday evening as the disgusting flow seeped its way into the Deele river.
Local mothers Lorraine Parker and Sinead Breen told Donegal Daily how the ‘bogging’ water represents a bigger problem in the area.
The mess was finally cleared up on Monday evening but residents remain frustrated by the quality of their water supply.
“We have a lot of problems in the estate and the sewers getting backed up is a big issue,” said Lorraine Parker.
“The area has a lot of children who use the road and the footpath for going to school. It’s a busy enough road.
“At the very end of the path, you could see this all seeping out all over, running down the hill and going straight into the water.
“It was pretty bad now.”
Ms Parker has been living in Beechwood for five years and says other residents in the estate have complained of a foul stench emanating from the sewers.
“The sewer system isn’t capable and it’s a big problem for the area,” Ms Parker said.
“There is a new treatment plant going into Convoy. Liam Doherty (County Council) was onto Irish Water and the Council. It was cleaned up on Monday, but we’re just worried this will happen again.”
Sinead Breen has been in Beechwood for 12 years and says the water supply is ‘diabolical’.
“Our biggest gripe here is that it isn’t safe to wash our children in,” she said.
“The water is filthy. It was all grand before Irish Water took over about two or two-and-a-half years ago.”
The supply comes from a reservoir outside Ballybofey but by the time it gets to Beechwood in Convoy it is, says Ms Breen ‘bogging’.
“When we call Irish water, they don’t know, or don’t want to know about us,” she said.
“For a day and a half there, raw sewage was on our footpaths. That isn’t good enough. They haven’t said what cause it, but it’s ridiculous.
“It was seeping into the river and you could see it plainly.”
Ms Breen believes that the planning of the estate should be called into question.
She said: “Planning permission was granted willy nilly. The sewerage hasn’t been right since the estate was built.
“There was obviously something more serious at the weekend that caused this stuff all to bubble out.”

domain: news


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Medicinal plant compound reduces mycotoxins and sporulation
Economic losses due to mycotoxins in the United States are estimated to be between $0.5 and $1.5 billion annually. Fungicides are only partially effective against mycotoxin-producing fungi because such fungi are naturally tolerant to many fungicides, and because when stressed by fungicide applications, fungi can respond by producing more of the mycotoxin. Durable host plant resistance is not available, despite many years of intensive breeding. An alternative to these solutions would be a compound or compounds that block mycotoxin biosynthesis, especially when mycotoxin levels can be high, even in asymptomatic nuts and grains. A medicinal plant extract shows promise in safely replacing synthetic pesticides for prevention of aflatoxin contamination in stored grains and nuts Diospyros species root powder, root powder extracts, and purified DQ and 3-HDQ compounds all effectively inhibit aflatoxin production. DQ and 3-HDQ also block spore formation by Aspergillus.
This technology is compositions useful for blocking mycotoxin production and spore production by fungi that contaminate grains and nuts, thereby stabilizing the quality of stored grains and nuts. This reduces post-harvest losses due to mycotoxin contamination. The compositions may also be used to treat crop plants pre-harvest. Compositions include Diospyros root powder, root powder extracts, and the active compounds DQ and 3-HDQ.
- Reduces aflatoxin accumulation
- Natural products
- Readily available
- Food crops: storage or pre-harvest application
- Animal feed: storage or pre-harvest application
Licensing Rights Available
Full licensing rights available
Inventors: Gale M. Strasburg, Juma A. Mmongoyo, John E. Linz, Felicia Wu, Jovin K. Mugula Amila A. Dissanayake, Chuan-Rui Zhang, Josephine M. Wee, Muraleedharan G. Nair
Tech ID: 2017-0033
For Information, Contact:
Michigan State University


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VITALYST HEALTH FOUNDATION AWARDS INNOVATION GRANTS TOTALING $500,000 TO FOUR ARIZONA NONPROFITS
Innovative projects will help build healthy communities
PHOENIX (May 7, 2018) —Vitalyst Health Foundation has partnered with the Arizona Community Foundation, the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona and The NARBHA Institute to award Innovation Grants totaling $500,000 to four Arizona nonprofits. These grants will fund projects that have a direct impact on building healthy communities around the state.
“Vitalyst’s Innovation Grants are awarded each year to support projects that use breakthrough approaches to address community issues,” said Suzanne Pfister, president and CEO of Vitalyst Health Foundation. “And while the projects we’re funding are extremely unique, they all have one unifying factor — they address the health of a community by impacting the social determinants of health.”
2018 Innovation Grants were awarded to the following Arizona nonprofits:
White Mountain Apache Tribe – Ndee Bikiyaa (The People’s Farm) received a $125,000 grant in partnership with The NARBHA Institute for the Ndee (Apache) Community Food Pipeline Project. The project will create a tribal food safety policy that reinvigorates the community’s capacity to produce, package and sell wild-harvested and traditionally-farmed foods. Creating new opportunities for tribal economic growth and re-establishing traditional food access is a key step towards healthier lives among approximately 12,000 tribal members.
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) received a $125,000 grant in partnership with the Arizona Community Foundation to advance the Demand2Learn work to transform disciplinary policies that disproportionately affect people of color. ACLU will be partnering with Black Mothers Forum, Morning Star Leaders, Inc., and Rising Youth Theatre to become peers and co-leaders in the movement to keep kids in schools, improve students’ physical and mental health and ultimately provide for greater economic stability.
Flowers and Bullets Collective received a grant for $125,000 in partnership with the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona to transform a vacant 10-acre school property into a sustainable, culturally relevant food production hub. Flowers and Bullets Collective will partner with the University of Arizona Community and School Garden Program and the YWCA to decrease diet- and environment-related health disparities. The community-designed and operated hub will help propel the Barrio Centro neighborhood toward a more resilient, sustainable and hopeful future.
Sonoran Prevention Works received a $125,000 grant to support advocacy and education for syringe access programs – a proven harm reduction strategy in response to the opioid crisis and rising hepatitis-C and HIV infection rates. Sonoran Prevention Works will partner with the University of Arizona College of Medicine Tucson and Creosote Partners to destigmatize syringe access programs and understand the comprehensive needs of people who inject drugs. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office will also work with Sonoran Prevention Works to implement a needlestick prevention program and to educate law enforcement on injection drug use. These partnerships will work to support policy change that treats substance use as a public health issue.
About Vitalyst Health Foundation
Vitalyst Health Foundation is on a mission to connect, support and inform efforts to improve the health of individuals and communities in Arizona. Established following the sale of the St. Luke’s Hospital System to a for-profit corporation in 1996, the foundation operated as St. Luke’s Charitable Health Trust (1996-1999) and St. Luke’s Health Initiatives (2000-2016). Today, Vitalyst is an independent, non-partisan public foundation dedicated to improving access to care and coverage throughout Arizona; advancing policies and practices that result in healthy communities that are accessible to all; increasing the capacity and effectiveness of community-based leaders, organizations and coalitions; cultivating collaborations and innovations that leverage the elements of a healthy community; and increasing civic participation for inclusive decision-making to advance health equity. Over its history, the foundation has invested more than $100 million and established itself as a key thought leader, convener and catalyst of key initiatives – ranging from statewide health policy and systems to development of local community gardens. More information is available at http://vitalysthealth.org/.


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Nestled in Old Montréal, our craft boutique is a beautiful, timeless destination that’s worth the trip. Here, clean lines, exquisite displays, impeccable taste and inimitable cachet combine to make shopping a memorable experience. You’ll also find qualified sales staff who are more than happy to guide you through the array of products to help you find that rare pearl.
Over the years, our store has become a byword for fine handcrafted items. From jewellery to fashions, toys and games, ceramics, tableware and more, each product is unique, original, stunningly contemporary and 100% made-in-Québec. Having artists on hand to discuss their work also contributes to L’Empreinte’s special character. Since 1974, the work of some 500 Québec craftspeople, artists and designers has graced our shelves. Today, we present the creations of our 23 member artists and 70 guest artists.

domain: artistic


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Karachi. Half forgotten, yet cherished like a mother. From where I am now, she feels so distant, a far away city. Most of my memories, good and bad, are all part of this vast metropolis. I took this photo from the rooftop of my office building a few years ago. It was merely the eleventh floor, but most of the city’s rooftops were clearly visible. There are no skyscrapers in Karachi, and it is hard to get a bird’s eye view of the scattered mess of streets and buildings from most rooftops. A privilege. Sometimes I felt rewarded for drawing my gaze out among the maze of buildings, identifying a landmark. The old Imperial Bank building, the high rising cranes near the port or the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam, the nation’s founder.
Most days, like everybody else, I would be lost in the thick of things, unable to ingest Karachi in her entirety. Sometimes, when my mind became clogged and jammed with work, I would often come upstairs for a few minutes to get some fresh air. To refocus. The rooftop was mostly empty except a few employees taking a smoke break by the stairwell. A hint of Karachi’s sea-ward breeze was always stronger up here, always a great help in the hot summers. Whenever I heard the mad chaos of traffic in the streets of Saddar nearby, I felt grateful for being stuck working past the rush hour. Life made it difficult to look past oneself. And so it has been for most of Karachi’s citizens. For most of us.
I think it was those little trips upstairs that helped me get some of that greater focus back. In a way, I learned to observe Karachi in my last year in a way I had never looked at it growing up. A broken city often plagued by civil unrest, and yet diverse in cuisine, culture and home to over twenty million people who made it through their day. Day by day. Every day. She was the perfect fit under the definition “Rising Asia.”


Bullwhip Effect Causes And Solutions. Communication among each link in the supply chain is vital for efficiency. Including inventory, changes in customer demand directly.
It is known as communication is the key to success for excellence in supply chain management. These companies are avoiding excess stocks and try to foresee the future product demand to cope with the market. The expression “bullwhip effect” was termed by executives of p&g, the company that.
In Supply Chain This Effect Occurs When There Is A Constant Fluctuation In The Demand.
It arises from coordination and communication issues between the individual supply chain stages and intensifies as one moves further up the supply chain from end customer to manufacturer. Barriers in cooperation/causes of the bullwhip effect barriers in causes of the bullwhip effect cooperation barriers due to local optimization inconsistent different initiatives of functions or initiative of sales partners in the staff chain barriers in the demand bases denied access to information on the orders and full information processing not on the. The bullwhip effect is a phenomenon where demand changes at the end of a supply chain lead to inventory fluctuations along the chain.
If You Can Keep The Bullwhip Effect To A Minimum, You Can Ensure More Predictable And Profitable Supply Chain Management.
Failure to effectively communicate can cause the bullwhip effect. It is known as communication is the key to success for excellence in supply chain management. This case study discusses the bullwhip effect, what it is, and why it is considered a problem.
Bullwhip Effect Is An Inevitable Phenomenon In Supply Chain Management, Because Of Its Objective Existence.
This phenomenon is very common and harmful to make the operating costs of enterprises. Errors in forecasting lead to miscalculations that are magnified as they move up the supply chain. The bullwhip effect is caused by demand forecast updating, order batching, price fluctuation, and rationing and gaming.
Including Inventory, Changes In Customer Demand Directly.
Lack of communication can cause bullwhip effect as due to lack of effective communication each part of supply chain ends up with different quantity of order. These companies are avoiding excess stocks and try to foresee the future product demand to cope with the market. Causes of the bullwhip effect may stem from many different reasons.
Bullwhip Effect In Supply Chains Refers To The Large Variability In The Number Of Orders Which Affect Companies.
At every stage of the supply chain, there are possible fluctuations and disruptions, which influence the huge supplier orders. Its causes, effects and solutions. Here are some tips on how to reduce the bullwhip effect.


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ECGs Made Easy - Book and Pocket Reference - Pageburst E-Book on VitalSource, 3rd Edition
Take your understanding to a whole new level with Pageburst digital books on VitalSource! Easy-to-use, interactive features let you make highlights, share notes, run instant topic searches, and so much more. Best of all, with Pageburst, you get flexible online, offline, and mobile access to all your digital books. Written in a more conversational style, this popular text offers clear, straightforward explanations plus practice exercises that make it easier than ever to understand and interpret basic dysrhythmias. This edition features more practice ECG strips, expanded Stop and Review exercises, and a new companion CD-ROM with video clips and additional ECG strips. This package also includes a handy Pocket Reference and a heart rate calculator ruler.
New to This Edition
- Rewritten in conversational style to improve readability.
- Expanded Stop and Review section at the end of each chapter includes matching, short answer, multiple choice, true/false questions, crossword puzzles, and practice ECG tracings.
- Over 100 new illustrations visually support the text.
- ECG Pearl boxes give helpful hints for interpreting ECGs.
- Drug Pearl boxes highlight various medications used to treat dysrhythmias.
- Expanded to include even more practice ECG strips.
- Expanded 12-lead ECG chapter.
- Description of each dysrhythmia's characteristics is presented along with causes, possible clinical significance, and recommended interventions.
- Contains chapter objectives and key terms.
- The Introduction to the 12-Lead ECG chapter provides all the basics for this advanced skill, including determining electrical axis, ECG changes associated with myocardial ischemia and infarction, bundle branch block, and miscellaneous conditions.
- A comprehensive post-test is provided at the end of the book in chapter 10.
By Barbara Aehlert, RN, BSPA, Southwest EMS Education Inc., Phoenix, AZ and Pursley, TX, USA

domain: library


In July in Yuma County, Arizona, Dave Sharp's alfalfa crops, like every other living thing in the 105°F (40°C), dry desert heat, get thirsty.
All that keeps them alive, and indeed keeps these fields and the hundreds of thousands of acres surrounding them in Yuma County from going fallow, is the Colorado River, diverted one last time through the Yuma Project before flowing across the border into Mexico.
The same can be said of California's Imperial Valley, across the river and about 60 miles (97 kilometers) to the west, which was essentially uninhabitable before the Imperial Canal first drew Colorado River water there in 1901, and then the All-American Canal brought more in 1940.
These complex irrigation systems, through an even more complex system of laws, treaties, compacts, court orders, and agreements drawn up over the past century, deliver a very specific volume of water to the hundreds of farms throughout Yuma County and the Imperial Valley.
Sharp and his brother, third-generation Arizona farmers, count themselves among the lucky rights holders of some Colorado River water, which they use to irrigate their Lyreedale Farm. Every few weeks, they release a carefully calculated bit of their allotment of the Colorado over their 2,400 acres.
Half of Lyreedale's fields are planted with alfalfa, a legume that most people recognize as a type of hay. There are actually dozens of varieties of hay, including grasses, but alfalfa is one of the most popular. Alfalfa is a livestock forage crop that is most often fed to dairy cows. It has deep taproots that suck up water, although scorching summer heat kicks transpiration into overdrive.
Alfalfa grows fast, so every month or so, a harvester will cut the crop, which will then be packed into tight bales; trucked to Long Beach, California; and loaded on a tanker bound for China or Japan or the United Arab Emirates.
All across the lower Colorado River Basin—and especially in Yuma County, the Imperial Valley, and the Green River area in Utah—scenes like this are playing out with increasing regularity. What was once a reliable and local, if relatively low-value, crop has become a global commodity. But the fact that the Colorado River is fueling the export boom has some western water advocates worried.
Virtual Water Exports
When Robert Glennon, a water policy expert at the University of Arizona and author of the book Unquenchable: America's Water Crisis and What to Do About It, first learned that the U.S. was exporting alfalfa crops that had been grown with the very limited western irrigation water, his reaction was "utter disbelief."
Glennon crunched some numbers and figured that in 2012, roughly 50 billion gallons of western water—enough to supply the annual household needs of half a million families—were exported to China. Not literally bottled up and shipped, but embedded in alfalfa crops grown with irrigation water. And that's just to China, which still trails Japan and the United Arab Emirates as a top destination for American alfalfa.
The concept of exporting "virtual water" is not new. And for decades the United States has exported trillions of gallons of it.
According to a UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education report published in 2011, the United States exports more than twice as much virtual water, about 82 trillion gallons, as any other country. That's largely because American farms feed the whole world.
Of course, given all the foreign products that Americans buy, the United States is also the largest importer of virtual water, with roughly 62 trillion gallons coming into the country in the form of T-shirts and iPods and other products.
"We get a lot of criticism for how much water is going overseas in the form of alfalfa," said Sharp, the Arizona farmer, "but alfalfa is exported far less than wheat or rice."
Glennon agrees. "We do it in the form of wheat, soybeans, and corn," he said. "The midsection of the country has traditionally used millions of tons of water to grow crops that are shipped by rail to ports and shipped all over the world."
But what troubles Glennon, and others who obsess over the West's water woes, is the growing trend of shipping hay overseas. "What's new here is that hay is a forage crop, and the exports are coming from the West, where water is scarce."
Daniel Putnam is quick to defend alfalfa and other forage crops, which he studies carefully as an agronomist at the University of California, Davis's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. "Alfalfa has become a whipping boy because people don't understand it, and undervalue it," said Putnam. Alfalfa may sell for cheap, he said, but people don't consider the value it provides by supporting the local dairy industry; by supplying a regular, year-round income as a "cash crop" for farmers; and by contributing to wildlife, since alfalfa fields are favored by migratory birds.
"People like to pick on alfalfa," said Putnam, "yet it receives no subsidies at all, has low sales value, but is still the largest acreage crop in California and Arizona. So how does it survive? It supports the biggest industry in California, which is dairy."
Critics argue that the water itself, available to farmers at a fraction of true market value, is a form of indirect subsidy.
Alfalfa's image problem also stems from the fact that exports of the highly irrigated crop are growing fast at a time when persistent drought has put the West's water struggles front and center in the public consciousness.
These exports are a relatively new phenomenon. For centuries, according to Putnam, hay was typically fed to cows close to where it was cut. What changed?
First, explains Putnam, is that demand for dairy is growing in the Middle East and much of Asia, particularly China, and these countries either can't or choose not to irrigate water to grow hay. Putnam points to a 2008 decision in the United Arab Emirates that the nation would not use its very limited water supply to grow forage crops like alfalfa.
Japan, with established dairy demand and little land to produce hay, has been the largest importer of alfalfa from the U.S. for decades, but China and the United Arab Emirates are fast gaining ground.
On top of the demand spike, a staggering trade imbalance between China and the U.S. creates an incredible advantage for any American producer to ship anything at all to China, even bulky, heavy bales of hay. For every two container ships that bring those iPods and T-shirts to California ports from China, one goes back empty.
As a result, "it costs less today to ship a ton of alfalfa from Long Beach to Beijing than it does to ship it from the Imperial Valley in California to the Central Valley," explains Glennon.
All of this leads to alfalfa and hay exports that have more than doubled since 1999 and increased by 60 percent since 2007, with the biggest increases by far being in shipments to China and the United Arab Emirates. For instance, in 2007, China imported just 2,400 metric tons of hay. By 2012, that had increased over 200 times to more than 485,000 metric tons. And in a paper Putnam presented earlier this month, he predicts another 50 percent growth over the previous year's volume in 2013.
Putnam also anticipates that Saudi Arabia will soon, like the U.A.E., restrict alfalfa growth, which would cause another big spike in overseas demand.
Today, at least 12.5 percent of alfalfa grown in western states is exported, and in some areas like California's Imperial Valley—just across the Colorado River from Yuma County—that figure grows to a full 50 percent.
Alfalfa and Water on the Farm
Nowhere is the complicated—and increasingly controversial—relationship between a limited water supply and rising hay exports more relevant than in the Lower Colorado River Basin, particularly the fertile fields of the Imperial Valley and Yuma County.
Every day, the Sharp brothers make careful, cautious decisions about how to best use their limited supply of the Colorado River.
"We have a very vital resource that has been entrusted to us, and we are stewards of it," says Sharp. "We know what can happen, that things are cyclical, that it can come and go."
Alfalfa, he explains, is part of a regular rotation on his fields that responds to the seasons and helps sustain the soils.
"Over 90 percent of produce consumed in winter months in the U.S. comes from Yuma," said Sharp, a staggering figure that was confirmed by Putnam. And though Sharp could make a lot more profit selling high-value produce, "we can't grow lettuce [all the time]. Diseases would wipe us out. We have to do rotation, and alfalfa is a key rotation crop."
Sharp added that he typically rotates in alfalfa on a field every three years. And when it comes time to move the finished crop, Sharp emphasizes that exports are just a small part of the picture. "There's lots of demand for alfalfa in Arizona and California from dairies and feedlots," he said.
"We're businessmen first, so we look for the best market and what will generate the most revenue," Sharp added. "There are times of year when it's most advantageous for us to sell to local dairies. And there are times of year when it's most advantageous to us to go to export."
However, elsewhere in Yuma, and particularly in the Imperial Valley, the export of alfalfa is becoming a business unto itself. Some large-scale industrialized hay operations have sprung up in recent years, with foreign markets at the core of the business model.
For his part, Glennon has no problem at all with an alfalfa crop that feeds into a higher-value domestic industry like dairy. And he is quick to point out that farmers, whom he calls "savvy business people who take advantage of commodity price spikes and shipping prices," shouldn't bear the brunt of any criticism for what is essentially a policy problem.
"I'm not villainizing farmers or alfalfa," says Glennon. "But I want to expand the market for people who have the rights to this water to sell it."
He has some ideas for how to create a better alternative for farmers than exporting hay and all the water used to produce it.
One fix, though not at all an easy one to implement, would be to rework the laws and restrictions that discourage or even prohibit farmers from selling or leasing their rights to irrigation water.
"The Imperial Valley uses Colorado River water," explains Glennon. "Las Vegas and the Southern Nevada Water Authority would pay dearly for a small percentage of the water used to grow that alfalfa, and that deal is all but impossible to pull off."
When growers hear talk of expanding water markets, they immediately fear the outright loss of their rights. According to Sharp, the Yuma Irrigation District holds the primary rights, and his family's contract is with the district. If the district were allowed to negotiate sales with municipalities, it could in theory sell the Sharps' allotment—along with all his neighbors' in Yuma—to, say, the city of Phoenix, which could pay more than the farmers ever could.
"San Diego, Phoenix, and Las Vegas can all pay more for water than any agricultural operation could ever compete with," warns Putnam. "When you start to talk about markets allocating water, you have to ask some hard questions. Do you really want to dry up the Imperial Valley?"
Glennon insists that the right policies could protect farmers and keep places like Yuma and the Imperial Valley wet and productive, without sending Colorado River water overseas.
He points to research done by Mike Ottman of the University of Arizona, which shows that alfalfa farmers are actually getting less product in the summer months for the same amount of water spent.
Ottman explains that the typical alfalfa farms in the Southwest have eight cuttings, or harvests, a year, and that the last four of these, during the scorching summer months, yield about half as much product. But alfalfa is incredibly resilient, and the perennial crop survives just fine if it isn't watered for a few months. Putnam has researched this practice, as well as so-called "deficit irrigation"—where the crops get less water than they'd need for maximum growth—and the crops fare just fine in the long term after a dry spell.
This has Glennon thinking of some creative conservation and efficiency solutions. "There's a lot of water being wasted growing alfalfa in the summer," he said. "The farmers do it because they don't have anything else to do with the water, and because they fear they'll lose their rights to it if they don't keep using it. That's a rule that could be changed."
Glennon proposes a "temporary suspension of summertime irrigation of alfalfa," combined with changes in policy that would encourage farmers to sell limited volumes of their righted water to the highest bidder, probably cities or industries.
The legal trick is ensuring that farmers don't lose their rights if they don't use their water and lease it out instead. In theory, the Sharp brothers could let their alfalfa fields go dormant for the summer months, after harvesting the first four cuttings during the wetter part of the year. They would miss out on the four summer cuttings, but they could make more than enough money to compensate for that by selling their water to Phoenix or Las Vegas or a company like Intel. If they ever decided they wanted to use all their allotted water on the farm again, they'd be welcome to do it.
Glennon is confident that opening up the water market would effectively curtail exports; no ban or change in trade policy would be necessary.
"It's really a win-win," says Glennon. Farmers stay in business and make their own decisions about which fields to leave fallow and which to harvest. Growers could even use the new water revenue to pay for more efficient irrigation systems, thereby saving even more water, the rights for which could be leased. "They grow as much product as they already do, with less water, and infrastructure improvements on the farm are paid for by the municipal and industrial sector," he said.
Glennon adds that this is just one idea, and that there are many smart policy shifts that would allow farmers to keep their water rights, make more money, and keep the Colorado River doing more productive work within the United States. "The only thing that limits us is our imagination," he says.
To get involved in helping restore the Colorado River Basin, join Change the Course, a campaign from National Geographic, Participant Media, and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. (You can also text "River" to 77177. Don't worry, it won't cost you anything.)
Funding for this article was generously provided by the Walton Family Foundation.


Have you written to the city about interim regulations yet?
Now is a great time to contact our City Council Members and advocate for putting these regulations in place as soon as possible.
On Wednesday, October 4, the Planning Commission is expected to review and finalize their recommendations to the City Council regarding the interim regulations that could potentially stop any new fossil fuel facilities from being built during the subarea planning process.
Feeling like you need a little more background information first? Please take a look at this post about interim regulations in Tacoma.
While we don’t yet know what the Planning Commission will recommend after receiving 81 verbal and approximately 200 written comments (pg 70 of agenda), the city staff have outlined their recommendations which can be read in great detail in the meeting agenda packet. The outline of the proposed interim regulations, quoted directly from page 73 of the packet (and with page numbers indicated by us for additional detail), is the following:
- Expanded notification for heavy industrial uses city-wide that require a SEPA determination or discretionary permit; (see page 43)
- Pausing certain new non-industrial uses within the Port of Tacoma MIC and placing limitations on expansion of existing uses during the interim period; (see pages 47 – 54)
- Pausing new residential platting and subdivision of land along Marine View Drive and pausing new residential development in the S-11 Shoreline District and C-1 and C-2 Commercial districts along Marine View Drive during the interim period; (pages 37, 44 and 64)
- Pausing certain new heavy industrial uses city-wide and placing limitations on expansion of existing uses during the interim period. (page 55)
Point 4 concerns the fossil fuel facilities we would like to see banned.
The city staff recommends including all of these categories (from page 55 of the agenda):
- Coal terminals or bulk storage facilities
- Oil, or other liquefied or gaseous fossil fuel terminals, bulk storage, manufacturing, production, processing or refining of oil or other liquefied or gaseous fossil fuels
- Chemical production, processing, or bulk storage
- Mining and quarrying
- Animal slaughter
- Iron and Steel works
- Metal recycling
- Pulp, paper and paperboard mills
- Grain terminals and bulk storage
Unfortunately, despite the requests made by so many at the public hearing, the city staff have not included a complete ban on expansion of currently existing fossil fuel facilities – they have instead proposed limiting expansion to 10% over the entire duration of the interim regulations. (pg 55)
Feel free to attend the meeting if you wish to stay informed, however public comments on this topic are not allowed.
Wednesday, October 4
Tacoma Municipal Building
1st Floor 747 Market Street
Tacoma, WA 98402
So now is a good time to keep emailing our City Council Members about the importance of implementing the interim regulations as soon as possible and with no expansion of fossil fuel facilities allowed.
Mayor Marilyn Strickland, email@example.com
Council Member Anders Ibsen, firstname.lastname@example.org
Council Member Robert Thoms, email@example.com
Council Member Keith Blocker, firstname.lastname@example.org
Council Member Marty Campbell, email@example.com
Council Member Joe Lonergan, firstname.lastname@example.org
Council Member Lauren Walker Lee, email@example.com
Council Member Conor McCarthy, firstname.lastname@example.org
Council Member Ryan Mello, email@example.com


text:
Recent guidance from the U.S. Treasury may alter the pace of cryptoasset adoption by financial institutions like none to precede it.
In December, Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, announced the decentralized fundraising (Initial Coin Offering) of a new, state-run cryptocurrency called “Petro” - the value of which is said to be tied to the price of domestic petroleum. Maduro later reported that the raise had garnered up to $5bn in unmonitored, international investment, an obvious concern for countries with sanctions against Venezuela.
On March 19th, the White House released an Executive Order banning all U.S. persons from participating in the Petro token sale and demanding those already involved to freeze their investments. The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) immediately issued guidance: published FAQs stating that cryptocurrency “addresses associated with blocked persons” will be added to its database of Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs), a list of people, organizations, and entities with whom U.S. persons are forbidden to transact.
OFAC has fined U.S. and international firms billions of dollars for violating sanctions laws in recent years. While it is unclear exactly how and when cryptocurrency information will be represented on the SDN list, the FAQ publication is evidence that the office has its eyes on entities using cryptocurrencies and will use its authority to punish those who violate its sanctions. Clarity from OFAC on this topic is relief for many businesses prepared to handle the office’s new stipulations, but a wake up call for others. Financial institutions with exposure to cryptocurrencies must take active measures in understanding their connection to entities on OFAC’s SDN list, while also installing adequate levers to measure and mitigate the subsequent risk.

domain: finance


text:
A carbon paw-print. Read more. Battling Arctic invaders may sound like a game, but it's one of the biggest threats to our environment. Efforts to control invasive species face a list of significant issues over the next two decades, say ecologists.
“Environmental, biotechnological, and sociopolitical trends are transforming risks of invasion worldwide. We have identified some potential game-changers,” says McGill University professor Anthony Ricciardi, who led the study in Trends in Ecology and Evolution. Here are five of the major risks the group identified: 1. Arctic invaders Until now, the Arctic has been among the least accessible regions on the planet, escaping extensive and devastating alien species invasions like those that have struck temperate and tropical areas of the world. But the rapid loss of sea ice is opening the region to shipping, oil, and mineral extraction, fishing, tourism, and shoreline development—all of which facilitate introductions of alien species. 2. How invasive species are like drunk people walking 3. 4.
Human history tells us we’re an invasive species 5. Source: McGill University. I don't think this is good. *****'Climate departure' Map: These are the cities that climate change will hit first. By Max Fisher By Max Fisher October 9, 2013 Climate scientists sometimes talk about something called "climate departure" as a way of measuring when climate change has really changed things.
It's the moment when average temperatures, either in a specific location or worldwide, become so impacted by climate change that the old climate is left behind. It's a sort of tipping point. And a lot of cities are scheduled to hit one very soon. Sundaland: Coastlines of the Ice Age. This map shows how the terrain may have appeared during the Last Glacial Maximum, around 21,000 years ago, when sea levels were approximately 125 meters (410 feet) below present.
This map does not include any lakes of this time period. *****Bioluminescence: Tasmania's coastline glows in the dark as plankton turn blue. The waters along Tasmania’s north-west coastline have taken on a bizarre, glowing appearance in recent days.
Photographs taken off Preservation Bay and Rocky Cape showcase bioluminescent waters caused by Noctiluca scintillans (AKA sea sparkle), tiny plankton emitting blue light in self-defence. The phenomenon, which is best seen in calm, warm seas, is foreboding. *****SEA-LEVEL RISE: Gentrification fears grow as high ground becomes hot property. MIAMI — One of the first sea-level rise maps Broadway Harewood saw was a few years back, when climate activists gathered in his neighborhood to talk about how global warming would affect people in less-affluent South Florida communities.
Harewood had a realization, one that he illustrates with his hands. One hand represents the city of Miami Beach. The opposite hand, moving like the incoming tide, demonstrates how the seas will eventually rise, potentially bringing the coastline of South Florida closer to Miami's historically black neighborhoods — properties like his investments in Liberty City that sit on comparatively higher ground. *****Failure at seed vault not too bad. A failure at a fail-safe vault.
The irony is delicious, but that’s not the whole story. *****"Fail safe" Arctic vault protecting world’s seeds flooded after #climatechange melts permafrost by me. *****Arctic stronghold of world’s seeds flooded after permafrost melts (seedbank) It was designed as an impregnable deep-freeze to protect the world’s most precious seeds from any global disaster and ensure humanity’s food supply forever.
But the Global Seed Vault, buried in a mountain deep inside the Arctic circle, has been breached after global warming produced extraordinary temperatures over the winter, sending meltwater gushing into the entrance tunnel. *****Visualizing the melting of Antarctica. MT @phiski Climate change impacts on methane hydrates @CECHR_UoD @Profiainstewart. Rapid greening of Antarctic Peninsula driven by climate change - Science News - ABC News. The Antarctic Peninsula is not only getting warmer, it's getting dramatically greener with a sharp increase in plant growth over the past 50 years.
Key points Antarctica Key points The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming places on EarthUK scientists studied moss cores from sites along the Antarctic PeninsulaThey found a sharp increase in plant growth and microbial activity since the 1950sFindings indicate major changes in the biology and landscape will occur with future warming. Irreversible ocean warming threatens the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf. By the second half of this century, rising air temperatures above the Weddell Sea could set off a self-amplifying meltwater feedback cycle under the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf, ultimately causing the second-largest ice shelf in the Antarctic to shrink dramatically.
*****Gorgeous #infographic shows how sea level rise might impact cities around the globe (climate change) 'Our country will vanish': Pacific islanders bring desperate message to Australia. “Like a drop of water in a bucket, on its own is small, but if there are many, many drops, soon it is overflowing.”
Erietera Aram’s water analogy is apposite. His country faces being lost under the waves of the Pacific Ocean. The i-Kiribati man is in Australia delivering his message about the reality of climate change in his country, and of its immediacy. Each discussion, he says, is like a drop of water, adding to the one before it, slowly building understanding of the existential threat to his people and place. Yesterday the Lincoln Sea ice arch disintegrated. Oldest, thickest ice in Arctic is now v. vulnerable and likely to be rapidly swept south. US Glacier national park losing its glaciers with just 26 of 150 left. It’s now “inevitable” that the contiguous United States will lose all of its glaciers within a matter of decades, according to scientists who have revealed the precipitous shrinkage of dozens of glaciers in Montana. Warming temperatures have rapidly reduced the size of 39 named glaciers in Montana since 1966, according to comparisons released by the US Geological Survey (USGS) and Portland State University.
The Doomsday Glacier - Rolling Stone. In the farthest reaches of Antarctica, a nightmare scenario of crumbling ice – and rapidly rising seas – could spell disaster for a warming planet. Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is so remote that only 28 human beings have ever set foot on it. Knut Christianson, a 33-year-old glaciologist at the University of Washington, has been there twice.
A few years ago, Christianson and a team of seven scientists traveled more than 1,000 miles from McMurdo Station, the main research base in Antarctica, to spend six weeks on Thwaites, traversing along the flat, featureless prairie of snow and ice in six snowmobiles and two Tucker Sno-Cats. "You feel very alone out there," Christianson says.
*****How climate change may change coastlines (video clip) As if climate change wasn't scary enough... RHS Gardening in a Changing Climate report. *****What the World Would Look Like if All the Ice Melted. This story appears in the September 2013 issue of National Geographic magazine. The maps here show the world as it is now, with only one difference: All the ice on land has melted and drained into the sea, raising it 216 feet and creating new shorelines for our continents and inland seas. There are more than five million cubic miles of ice on Earth, and some scientists say it would take more than 5,000 years to melt it all. If we continue adding carbon to the atmosphere, we’ll very likely create an ice-free planet, with an average temperature of perhaps 80 degrees Fahrenheit instead of the current 58.
North America. Life on Earth is getting a major redistribution, and the consequences are serious. Last year in Paris, for the very first time, English sparkling wine beat champagne in a blind tasting event. Well established French Champagne houses have started buying fields in Britain to grow grapes, and even the royal family is investing in this new venture. At the same time, coffee-growing regions are shrinking and shifting. Farmers are being forced to move to higher altitudes, as the band in which to grow tasty coffee moves up the mountain. *****Increased hail, wind damage, tornadoes: Severe weather reports tally 5,000+ so far in 2017, more than double the average to date. As coral on Great Barrier Reef bleaches for second year in a row, a reminder of sea temperature trends in the region. Huge fleet of icebergs hits North Atlantic shipping lanes. More than 400 icebergs have drifted into the North Atlantic shipping lanes over the past week in an unusually large swarm for this early in the season, forcing vessels to slow to a crawl or take detours of hundreds of kilometres.
Experts are attributing it to uncommonly strong counter-clockwise winds that are drawing the icebergs south, and perhaps also global warming, which is accelerating the process by which chunks of the Greenland ice sheet break off and float away. As of Monday, there were about 450 icebergs near the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, up from 37 a week earlier, according to the US Coast Guard’s international ice patrol in New London, Connecticut. Those kinds of numbers are usually not seen until late May or early June. *****Cartoma - Map Design & Spatial Analysis. *****#Map visualises scenario were all sea ice melted and #Europe was flooded dramatically. Cleverly tilted map. via. The world in 120m lower sea level vs an 80m rise... Plane flies along Antarctica's giant Larsen crack. 16 February 1962. Flooding in coastal areas of West Germany caused the deaths of 315 people and destroyed 60,000 homes. Supermarkets ration lettuces after poor weather hits growers.
Shoppers afflicted by the “courgette crisis” are facing further privation, as supermarket chains Morrisons and Tesco imposed restrictions on the number of lettuces that can be bought by each customer. Tesco has introduced a three-lettuce limit on icebergs while rival Morrisons has imposed a two-lettuce limit and banned shoppers from buying more than three heads of broccoli. The UK’s largest retailer posted signs on its salad sections which stated: “Due to continued weather problems in Spain, there is a shortage on iceberg lettuce. To protect the availability for all our customers, we are limiting bulk purchases to three per person. Antarctic bottom waters freshening at unexpected rate: Shift could disturb ocean circulation and hasten sea level rise, researchers say. Can #climatechange be noticed locally? Common Sense Climate Index (CSCI) looked at that in '98 and updated for 2017.
What the World Would Look Like if All the Ice Melted. ***Global warming's "triple whammy" effects on Arctic coastlines. By @davepetley at #AGUblogs. Global sea ice extent 2016 (red) versus all previous years since 1979 (black) by Grant Foster. *Map of US flood risk changes. Global 'greening' has slowed rise of CO2 in the atmosphere, study finds. Philippines investigates Shell and Exxon over climate change. Murmansk's silver lining: Arctic city expects renaissance with ice melt. It’s noon in Murmansk, but the sky is dark. Chunky silhouettes can just be made out scurrying along Lenin Street, swaddled in furs. This is a polar night, and it will be more than a month before anyone here sees the sun again. When the Soviet Union collapsed, this city – by far the world’s largest settlement within the Arctic Circle – went into steep decline, its population tumbling from nearly half a million to barely 300,000.
Ignoring climate scientists' forecasts about sea level rise could prove 'disastrous', experts warn. Ignoring climate models which predict sea levels could rise by an average of more than two metres by 2100 could prove “disastrous”, two leading US scientists have warned. Writing in the prestigious journal Science, Professor Michael Oppenheimer, of Princeton University, and Professor Richard Alley, of Pennsylvania State University, said building flood defences could take decades so there was a need to prepare.
Climate change hotspots: what they are and why they matter. Log In. Rising Sea Levels Could Cause Staggering Damage To These Cities. Shrinking glaciers cause state-of-emergency drought in Bolivia. Shrinking glaciers cause state-of-emergency drought in Bolivia. Thunderstorm asthma claims fifth life in Melbourne, with six in intensive care. Future of New York City. When Sea Levels Attack! — Information is Beautiful. What will the world actually look like at 1.5°C of warming? U.S. ignored rising-sea warnings at radar site. Record Low Arctic Sea Ice Extent. *Climate Risk Index. CC and TGS cause huge acceleration in erosion of England's white cliffs. Cities at risk of sea level rise due to #climatechange. Once measured by human cost, once by financial cost. Different picture emerges.
Yearly Arctic Sea Ice Age (1984-2016) Arctic Cities Crumble as Climate Change Thaws Permafrost. Climate change in the Arctic. Exposed land around the UK due to sea level fall during the ice ages. Lennox Island, Canada Is Being Swallowed Up by the Sea and Climate Change Is the Reason. Lennox Island residents may be the first climate change refugees in Canada. Anthrax outbreak triggered by climate change kills boy in Arctic Circle. Global sea levels are rising fast, so where does that leave the cities most at risk? How climate change triggers earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes. Slow-motion wrecks: how thawing permafrost is destroying Arctic cities. Uncharted waters: Mega-cruise ships sail the Arctic. Melting arctic ice allows luxury cruise ship to travel Northwest Passage for the first time.
Global Warming Has Opened the Famed Northwest Passage to Navigation. Permafrost melting: Extinct smallpox virus could be resurrected by global warming. What the Earth would look like if all the ice melted. How Bangladesh's population fits into United States. Survival of the highest - You little hillock: rising sea levels take mountains down a peg. Tehran bug infestation threatens mulberry trees. Permafrost - Vanishing Arctic: how warming climate leaves remote permafrost islands on the precipice. BBC Radio 4 - Costing the Earth, The Growing Season. Arctic ice melt is killing birds and will leave caribou stranded. Climate change will be costly: Too hot to work? What climate change means for the economy. Besieged Russian scientists drive away polar bears. Military experts say climate change poses 'significant risk' to security.
A New View of the Arctic. A new Titanic? US and Canada prepare for worst as luxury Arctic cruise sets sail. World set to use more energy for cooling than heating. Inside the permafrost 'time tunnel' - BBC News. Melting Arctic enables new tourist routes. Blue Cut fire scorches 9,000 acres and forces evacuation of 80,000 in California. Pacific islander dances to raise climate change awareness #Kiribati #Olympics. Pacific islands losing a way of life to climate change #Kiribati #MarshallIslands. Alaskan community will vote to stay or relocate due to climate change #sealavelrise. Unable to Endure Rising Seas Alaskan Villages Stuck in Limbo #Catch22 #climate. What is the marine heatwave - the so-called 'blob' - that is causing global climate chaos? The Third Pole: what it is and how it could affect the lives of a billion people. Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts. Surging Seas: Risk Zone Map.
Global warming and the race for the White House. Climate change could have a major impact on future Olympic Games. This is why. Sea level rise London Tube map. Climate change impacts (exc article in theconversation)

domain: geography


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Very pleased how this turned out. I wanted to display their marriage lic. without the usual way of stuffing it in a pocket, so I printed it off on vellum; I slightly faded the text before printing. I then tore the edges and inked with DI Vintage Photo. Did the same with the journaling.
After I printed off their photo, I inked slightly with DI Vintage Photo. Flowers are Prima. Some bits and bobs from Tim's, Michaels. The doily the large flower is on is Cheery Lynn French Pastry Doily. Leaves are MS. The paper pad used is one of my fav's! Basis Grey Cappella.
Entering this LO in:
The Stamp Man: Vellum Challenge
Almost to the weekend! Have a fabulous day, and thanks for stopping by!
Very excited! This LO made Top 5 in The Stamp Man Vellum Challenge! Thank you so much!


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With two main ingredients – pureed chick peas and sesame seeds (also known as garbanzos and tahini, respectively) – a magical union of flavor and texture is created, rendering this Mediterranean staple both satisfying and downright tasty. Once the lemon juice, garlic and various other spices and flavorings are added – ohh, you know what I’m talkin’ about – it is soon. Who needs pita bread and vegetables when you have a perfectly good naked spoon? Hummus is a bean-seed spread with a somewhat funky name but a whole lot of flavor and quite a nutritional punch, too.
As absolutely fantastic and diet-friendly as this delightful taste sensation is, every now and again, it’s fun to shake things up, which is why we’re rolling out the big guns with the following six unique recipes. No, really. They’re a little left-of-center, which you’ll find is actually quite a good thing. So, the next time you think to yourself, ‘Yawn… do I really want hummus again?’ a light bulb will go off in your brain, instead reminding you to shout from the highest rooftop, “Yeee haaa! I’m making some funky-cool hummus!” (You might even find it a little difficult to share with your bestie, but you really should…)
For the greatest oomph of fresh pumpkin seed flavor, it’s ideal to roast the innards scooped out of your Jack O Lantern-to-be, but if you can’t wait until Halloween (and for the time being, sourcing a fresh pumpkin in your neck of the woods is an exercise in futility), pre-roasted seeds from the bulk supply section of a natural grocer will also work in a pinch. Add them to food processor along with 16 ounces of chickpeas, ¼ cup of olive oil, 3 garlic cloves, fresh lemon juice, and a dash of smoked paprika and you’ll have a party in your mouth before you know it!
The difference between this recipe and the previous one is the simple addition of that bright orange, antioxidant rich tuber that makes holiday meals all warm and fuzzy. With their incredibly low glycemic index and complex nutritional profile, sweet potatoes deserve to be a regular part of our dietary plan, especially when steamed to perfection and whizzed in a blender along with the old reliable hummus ingredients that we all know and love. You can thank Martha for this one!
From the Organic Authority Files
What’s this, you say? Chili-garlic roasted broccoli pulsed in a blender along with tahini, the usual seasoning suspects and… white beans? Okay, I’m intrigued. Even more appealing, a recent nutritional study found that incorporating pureed vegetables into meals facilitates better nutrition and weight loss, which means that this recipe is quite possibly the greatest thing since, well, hummus. Try it… you’ll like it!
Everyone’s favorite creamy fruit – normally relegated to guacamole recipes – does an equally smashing job of making taste buds do the Samba, and we have its heart healthy fat to thank. There’s so much to love about avocados but the short story is that ounce per ounce, they contain more beta carotene, vitamins and minerals than any other fruit, plus higher levels of potassium than a banana. Additionally, they contain super-turbo concentrations of three key amino acid antioxidants that are directly linked to a ‘decreased risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer’. This recipe romances pureed avocado with green peas, garlic, lime juice and salt – simple but absolutely delicious.
None of us bat an eyelash at the notion of slathering peanut butter all over a slice of bread and then crowning it with fruit preserves, nor do we think twice about mixing chili powder and garlic into a peanut butter base and drizzling it all over our Asian pot stickers. So, why should peanut butter, pureed chick peas (or white beans) and a bunch of additional sweet-tooth-satisfying ingredients be so freaky? Chocolate brownies are often made more nutritionally angelic by boosting them with black bean puree, so come on... try this recipe out and spread the good beany word!
You know that comforting feeling you get when the air outside is crisp and you tuck into a bowl of homemade split pea soup? Who says you have to wait until Autumn to get your warm-and-fuzzy on? This inspired blend of slow-cooked legumes, garlic, herbs and crumbled crispity-good bacon will make you forget that you ever missed the actual hummus part of the formula, at least until you gobble it all up and are left with an empty bowl. Now, if you’re like me, you’ll follow this recipe at least once line by line, and then next time, throw in the tahini and chick peas just for the heck of it.
For more juicy green goodness, follow Elizah via Twitter: @elizahleigh

domain: food


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New album officially released and I am looking for musicians to join the project. The live performance is the goal here. Many musicians I find are more metal genre, which is cool, but I'm seeking for more soul/funk r&b types. I realize that musicians out there have their own to bring to the table, and I encourage it for the improvisation on stage, but I seek players who can play the part I have written. Name's jesse, I'm 27, and have a lot of energy to put on a stage. Serious players looking for a career between the ages of 21 and 35 is preferred. I dont have a place to rehearse so that's an obstacle. Please email me if you're on board or if you know anyone who would be. Check out the music and let me know.
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On Tuesday (30 April), a Thai woman named Chamnikrai Auraiporn was sentenced to four months’ jail and fined S$3,750 after she confessed to helping to manage a brothel, receiving a woman obtained as a prostitute and living on the earnings of prostitute.
However, it appears that Auraiporn was conned into receiving this job as she initially applied to an online advertisement for a housekeeping job in Singapore.
After successfully applying for the advertised housekeeping job, on 23 January, the woman got in touch with the contact person and paid an agent fee of 5,000 Thai Baht (S$213) for a work permit and travelling expenses. For the job, she was offered a salary of 30,000 Baht (S$1,278).
However, after a week of arriving in Singapore, Auraiporn found out that she would be working for an illegal prostitution syndicate.
When she met the boss of the syndicate, Mr Unicorn, on 2 February, he briefed her on her job roles which include keeping the brothel clean, washing laundry, cooking for the prostitutes and preparing lubricants and condoms for them.
Besides that, she was also asked to collect earnings from prostitutes and transport new girls to the brothel.
It was reported that the Thai woman began working on 6 February and ran away only three days later as she didn’t receive her work permit and wasn’t being paid.
After that, she survived by the earnings collected from two prostitutes until 12 February, when she was arrested.
Although the prosecution said that Auraiporn was not the mastermind of the syndicate, she still played a role in the business.
As such, Deputy Public Prosecutor Jean Goh requested for a jail term of four to five months and a fine of S$3,750, the same amount she had taken from the prostitutes’ earnings.
Though a translator, the Thai lady said that she was sorry for her actions and missed her three young children. She also revealed that she sent some of her money back to her children and spent the rest on personal expenses.
However, upon reading her sentences, many online users opined on Yahoo Singapore Facebook page that she was unfairly treated as she shouldn’t be given such a harsh punishment. They also questioned how the police could let the mastermind behind the syndicate, Mr Unicorn, to be left off the hook.
Others pointed that the law only punishes the poor and her employer, who is rich, was not prosecuted at all. If that is not all, they also pitied her situation as she was conned into accepting the job and now will have to serve jail term and fork out more money to pay her fine.
Some even ridiculed the law as someone who has committed a more serious crime like Nicholas Lim, who filmed a female student (Monica Baey) while showering in NUS was only given 12-month conditional warning, whereas this Thai woman was sentenced to jail and asked to pay a fine.


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Official Website of Author D.L. Miles
Snag your own copy of Love Notes to Nightmares from this Goodreads giveaway!
100 copies available to US entrants.
The Monarchy series
Originally published under Emerson Fray, this scifi series is now available once more! Begin the journey with Ren as she's thrust into leading a planet that vanished centuries ago.
The Gifts of Hannah Best
Originally published under Natalia Hale,
these two stories are now available together
in The Gifts of Hannah Best! A psychological
suspense, recommended for 18+.
Now on Youtube!
Watch book trailers on D.L. Miles's official
CHECK IT OUT

domain: literature


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Hello, my name is sarah. My baby's name is Mayhem, May for short. She is a rescue kitty. I found her 3 years ago in a park so tiny and covered in fleas, so I took her home. Now she is a spoiled little princess and my world.
1.1 MB Views: 230

domain: pet


Gizmodo and Lifehacker are popular names in Gadgets and Technology media on web. They are owned by Gawker media, a well known online media company with blogs network serving millions of pageviews a month. Few days ago, the company redesigned almost all the sites owned by them including Gizmodo and Lifehacker and it seems that the new design caused traffic collapse on these sites. Other online reports are also highlighting the same thing about traffic decrease on these sites.
Alexa rank of Gizmodo came to 2,000 (for yesterday) from 547 (for 3 months) and the traffic graph is also showing collapse in traffic. Here is the screenshot of Alexa page of Gizmodo US. You can see the drop in traffic from search as well that means, the new design is not working well in terms of search engine optimization. These sites used to get huge traffic from Facebook, but after the design changes, people are not able to share the posts on Facebook. When you will try to do so, you will get an error saying “The message could not be posted to this wall”. I think it is happening because of the hash tag appearing in the middle of the URL of any post on these sites. So their traffic from social network like Facebook is definitely at low.
[ad id=’15’ style=’margin:10px 0;’]
Similarly, Lifehacker’s Alexa came to 1,500 from 615 (for 3 months). Lifehacker is no doubt having thousands of good posts related to technology, software, tips, lifestyle etc. but their traffic went down because of the design changes.
What went wrong with Gizmodo and Lifehacker? Why their traffic collapsed after design changes? Is this happening because of redesign or something else is causing this pain?
[ad id=’9′ style=’float:left;margin:10px 10px 10px 0′]These questions are very important for designers as well as online media company owners and bloggers. I think this traffic collapse is happening because of the design changes only, as they are not facing any penalty from search engines or they didn’t do something wrong in terms of their content update. In the new design, they have provided option to scroll down and read more content by using mouse scroll in different static boxes. their design is such that, if you are scrolling mouse in left side, only content will scroll and the right sidebar will remain static. And when you will scroll mouse on right sidebar, then content in left sidebar will remain static. This kind of static scroll may cause issue with the visitors and they may find problem in reading more content on the same page.
The previous design of these sites were bit simple and visitors used to find more content while scrolling the page. It was easier to find related content and tags as well. That’s why it seems that Gizmodo, Lifehacker and other Gawker’s sites are facing less views/visits and that’s why this traffic collapse is happening on these sites.
Gawker founder Nick Denton is seeing this traffic decrease as transition time when visitors are getting used to the new design, but it seems that they are not comfortable with this new design at all. What is your take on their new design and layout? Share your views through comments.


Hopes of an order from the US military have sparked a 50% surge in the shares of Metal Storm, the Australian maker of the world's fastest gun.
The Metal Storm prototype can fire a million rounds per minute
The five-day rally has prompted probes at the Nasdaq and Australian Stock Exchanges where the company is listed.
But the firm's general manager, Ian Gillespie, said excitement had been fuelled by a recent US and UK roadshow.
The US Defense Department is scouting for weaponry suppliers for a new breed of unmanned aircraft.
Thinking about tomorrow
The company sees its prototype gun playing a role in the next generation of electronic battlefield equipment.
Firing at up to a million rounds a minute, the gun's only moving parts are its bullets, propelled by electronic impulses rather than traditional mechanical firing mechanisms.
The company also expects to demonstrate a prototype unmanned helicopter to US defence chiefs later this year, AFP news agency reported.
"It will assist them for the first time to undertake small-scale strikes to support ground troops, escort convoys and retaliate against mobile man-launched ordnance such as those used in Iraq recently," AFP quoted Metal Storm chief executive Charles Vehlow as saying.
Metal Storm has 51 technology patents in the US, and is eyeing the vast opportunities to be had in US defence procurement: last year, America spent $450bn (£249bn) on the military.
Boeing tests drone
The technology chimes with US plans to develop remote-controlled vehicles, possibly for use in Iraq.
On Sunday, US aviation and defence giant Boeing tested a prototype X-45 robotic aircraft in California.
The company said the plane was able to take off, drop a bomb on target and land, without a human pilot.
Boeing hopes to receive orders for hundreds of the planes, which would cost $10m-15m each, AP news agency reported.


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CHRIS BILLAM-SMITH hopes that a rematch against Richard Riakporhe takes place at the same venue where he suffered his only defeat to date.
On July 20, 2019, Riakporhe got the nod over 10 rounds on the undercard of Dillian Whyte’s win over Oscar Rivas at the O2 Arena in London.
Billam-Smith and Riakporhe, both promoted by Boxxer, are closing in on a return bout five years later which would see the former defending his WBO world cruiserweight title against his now mandatory challenger.
The 33-year-old champion won the belt in an ugly encounter against friend and former gym-mate Lawerence Okolie last May. While the fight was one to forget the night was a memorable one for Billam-Smith who won in front of his home fans outdoors at AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium. “The Gentleman” returned to the ring in December defeating Mateusz Masternak in a hard-fought contest which ended when the Pole retired in the eighth round due to a rib injury.
Riakporhe, meanwhile, is yet to taste defeat in 17 fights and has looked dominant in his last five wins where each opponent has been stopped or knocked out.
Boxing News caught up with Billam-Smith last night at the O2 Arena after a crowd of over 10,000 watched a British heavyweight title classic between Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke.
“We’re just waiting for a venue I believe,” he said of the Riakporhe rematch.
“I want to do it here [the O2 Arena]. This is the place of the first fight. It makes sense, the history is there. We can’t do AFC Bournemouth, which is a shame. The time of year, they can’t do the pitch. But let’s do it back here. What a venue it is for a big event. It’ll be another big event like it was tonight. I just want to get it signed, delivered, announced. I’m in training anyway. I’m excited for that fight.”
Earlier that evening, Billam-Smith’s gym-mate Adam Azim faced off against Harlem Eubank ahead of their proposed super-lightweight clash. While there was no official announcement Azim’s trainer Shane McGuigan confirmed to BN that the fight had been signed and will take place.


Halo Infinite has made a number of changes to the beloved series, but one alteration, in particular, has caught the attention of many of the game’s players: the grunts. Specifically, their outlandish behavior, which has not been typical in past titles. Those who have been a part of the Halo universe for a while will remember when these little guys were nothing but cowards. Apparently, the last few years have done something to give these pawns the confidence they needed all along.
Lead narrative designer Aaron Linde recently gave some details regarding this massive change. “One thing that I’m really glad to see people noticing is the higher degree of confidence in the grunts. We wanted to convey a sense of meaningful change for them as part of the slightly-more-egalitarian Banished, where they have more equity—or at least more than they did in the Covenant, where they had none—and more philosophical buy-in on their part as a result. They’re still cowards, and still treated terribly by their peers, but they’re on more even footing with the others, even if only constitutionally. And you’ll hear that reflected by the other species from time to time as well, particularly the Elites (‘go, tiny warrior!’),” he stated.
Players are calling Infinite the funniest Halo title to date, and Linde couldn’t be happier. “For a comedy writer this is about as gratifying as a game launch could be, so I’m deeply grateful to our audience for sharing their favorite moments and all the kind words they’ve slung at us. It’s been overwhelming in the best of ways,” he said.
Halo Infinite was released on December 8, 2021. The title is available to play on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S and on Xbox Game Pass. The title’s multiplayer mode broke the record for Xbox Game Studios on Steam with over 270,000 concurrent players upon release. Currently, Halo Infinite is hosting the Winter Contingency event until January 3, 2022.


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Both heart-wrenching and funny, Geoffrey Nauffts’s play “Next Fall” brings its audience into the living room of two gay lovers questioning faith and existence: is it acceptable for a gay Christian to sin in love if he believes in Christ? Continuing Speakeasy Stage Company’s tradition of putting on shows that delve into philosophical questions about human nature, “Next Fall”—playing at the Boston Center for the Arts through October 15—presents a fresh perspective on the lives of gay couples through biting humor and hauntingly realistic drama.
The play opens with the spotlight on two characters standing on opposite sides of the stage. Luke (Dan Roach) and Adam (Will McGarrahan) are illuminated in an almost heavenly glow. Luke recites a passage from the Bible in a sincere trance, and then the stage plunges into darkness, only to be relit on a jarringly different scene: the waiting room of a hospital. What ensues is banter reminiscent of Woody Allen’s wit as the characters make small talk, each seeming to know the other only vaguely. We are left wondering what could have possibly brought these characters together.
When the scene ends, the actors again scramble in darkness, rearrange themselves, and reenact memories from five years prior. With the help of musical interlude, different lighting, and fluid set changes, the actors accomplish the difficult task of switching between two portrayals of reality. Each character shifts between present and past, changing outfits with a frantic determination, as though it is his or her responsibility to relay an important message. The result is a production that, though visually inconstant and often chronologically skewed, maintains a remarkable coherence throughout.
Will McGarrahan and Deb Martin (Holly, a friend of Adam’s) project an enormous amount of energy in the show, working off each other’s quirky witticisms expertly. Their repartee make the inherently funny premise of the show—Adam dating a devout believer and working with Holly in a candle and “tchotchke” shop—even more uproarious. McGarrahan portrays Adam as a twitchy, paranoid, gay, Jewish atheist who endlessly taunts the Christians around him. Just after Adam and Luke have their first night together, Adam catches Luke praying, and asks, “Where did you go just then?” Luke responds that he was praying, and after a pause, Adam says, “Praying to whom?” Such tension over religious belief manifests itself in small actions—Luke attempting to take the mezuzah hanging in their New York apartment off the doorway—and in statements of finality—Adam tells Luke at one point, “I want you to love me more than Him.”
The actors, script, lighting, and director work together extremely well and everything in the play seems to have a purpose. A set of chairs, a couch, and industrial hanging lamps make up most of the scenery. The easy set transformation from hospital to home happens not so much by rearranging furniture as by using the props in a different way. The director, Scott Edmiston, has had much experience dealing with risky shows—at the Speakeasy, he has directed “In the Next Room (or the vibrator play)” and “Reckless,” and his experience shows clearly. There is no break between the prop-driven humor—a stuffed elf falls out of a closet, to much laughter—and emotional honesty, when Arelene (Amelia Broome) admits to her struggles with motherhood and drug use.
Geoffrey Nauffts intends for his play to pose questions not usually considered in everyday life. A homosexual and religious person may go through great confusion and anxiety with regards to his or her faith, but ultimately the play is about love and two people who must make compromises if they want to make it work. This is something universal, presented in a new light.
What is Cheating?Who can define cheating at Harvard? Many students admit they can’t pinpoint the meaning of the term. Does a blowjob
Notice.CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION. - Regular meeting tonight at 6.45 in Holden Chapel. Subject: The necessity of the religious spirit in philanthropic
IVY FANTASY HOOPS: Kevdog's Ballers (Kevin Reyes)Kevdog's Ballers has most of its eggs in one basket: the blue and white one marked Yale. Reyes' team has
Some Undergrads Tie the Knot in the Ivory TowerUndergraduates bemoaning their singledom this Valentine’s Day perhaps should read no further. The following young couples, married or engaged, have
Undergrad Pulls Off Green FeatsToilet paper might not be the first thing one associates with environmental activism, but for Elizabeth R. Shope ’09, the


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बलुचिस्तानमध्ये पाकविरोधी नारेSep 11, 2019, 08:39 PM IST
People in Balochistan raised slogans against Pakistan and demanded independence. Anger against Pakistan administration is growing. Leaders and activists of the Baloch movement claim that the Pak army and administration is committing genocide and human rights violation in Baluchistan. Killing of innocents and human rights violation in Baluchistan were raised in the United Nations by Baloch representatives on Tuesday.


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The Spanish renewables market is gearing up for a bumper... Read more →
NextPower III takes total commitments to USD 622m
NextEnergy Capital has taken total commitments raised for its NextPower III fund to USD 622m with Golding Capital having come onboard as a new LP.
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