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City breaks down sewer work
The city of Bucyrus has begun moving forward on a major infrastructure project that will take years to complete, costing the city millions of dollars in the process. Some of that will be paid for through higher water bills for residents.
At Tuesday’s full City Council meeting, members heard a report from a special joint meeting of the council’s service and finance committees this week that concerned the city’s combined sewer overflow long-term control plan.
“We can do it on our own, or they’re going to tell us how to do it,” council member William O’Rourke said, referring to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which is requiring the work.
Service-Safety Director Jeff Wagner noted that federal regulators are now allowing the city to approach the project with a seven-year plan instead of one encompassing 20 years.
“That’s so much better than what they were talking about three or four years ago,” Council president Sis Love said. “We’re going to take it in little bites, not all at once. Otherwise, we couldn’t travel through town.”
First up will be Plymouth Street, which will see 3,565 feet of new storm sewer line installed, beginning with the removal of trees this summer; ODOT also will do some work on the street at that time. The Plymouth Street project will cost the city $717,000 for the sewer work and $600,000 to cover engineering work and the moving of sidewalks and utility poles.
Up after that will be three Buffalo Run sanitary trunk sewers, in the areas of Woodlawn, Oakwood and Southern avenues, which are projected to cost the city at least $8.4 million.
City Council will consider a fixed monthly fee for residents of $7.20 per customer, locked in through 2021, and a 3 percent rate increase beginning in July, contingent on the U.S. EPA accepting the city’s seven-year sewer plan.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, members set salaries for the mayor, law director, auditor, council president and council members, effective in 2016.
The mayor will earn $50,000 next year, rising to $54,636 in 2019. The law director and auditor will earn $44,824 next year, rising to $48,981 in 2019. The council president and council members will earn $6,179 in 2016 and again in 2017.
In his annual report for 2014, City Law Director Rob Ratliff said the city condemned seven structures for demolition last year.
“Once you condemn, that’s where things fall apart because someone has to pay for it,” he said.
Ratliff said the Municipal Court saw a significant increase in convictions last year, totaling 1,155, including 467 that were tax-related.
“We’re starting to see the impact of more police on the streets,” he said.
This past January alone, 460 new tax cases were handed over to the court, nearly as many as in all of 2014.
“Some officers apparently took it as a personal challenge to issue as many summons as possible,” the law director said.


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domain: economics


text:
Hamas on Thursday announced men are banned from working in women's hair salons.The Hamas Interior Ministry says those violating the new ban face legal consequences, but would not elaborate.
Islamic tradition forbids women from showing their hair to men who are not their husbands or blood relatives. Still, until now allowances were made for male hairdressers working in women's salons in Gaza City.
Thursday's announcement comes amid a Hamas campaign to impose Islamic customs on Gaza's 1.5 million people.
seizing Gaza in 2007, Hamas has taken gradual steps in that direction
while avoiding a frontal assault on secularism. However, the movement
is under growing pressure from more radical Islamist groups to prove
its fundamentalist credentials.
Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. Click here>>

domain: news


text:
In contrast to implicit solvent models, explicit-solvent, all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations do not rely on extreme, simplifying assumptions and so, in principal, provide the level of detail necessary to describe membrane anisotropy (Figure 1). The development of MD-based models of small molecule membrane permeability through explicit biologic lipid bilayers was initiated with the pioneering work of Bassolino-Klimas et al. (33), who simulated benzene diffusion through a dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) lipid bilayer. Complementary efforts by Bemporad and Essex showed that these methods were able to correctly rank-order the permeability rates for a set of eight organic solute molecules, but that the absolute permeabilities were an order of magnitude larger than experiment, which the authors attributed to insufficient sampling, ligand parameters inappropriately suited to the bilayer, and subtle issues surrounding ensemble choice (34). Since then, a number of studies have been carried out utilizing similar approaches, most recently (34–39), and we explore these methods in more methodological detail below.
To determine whether the more detailed models are sufficiently accurate to capture the origins underlying permeability differences among a diverse small molecule set, exploratory molecular dynamics umbrella sampling simulations (40) were used to estimate the passive permeability of the 11 small molecules shown in Figure 2. To carry out the MD simulations, DMPC bilayers were modeled with 36 lipids per leaflet and a 20-Å pad of water was positioned on either side of the membrane. TIP3P water (41) and CHARMM 36 parameters (42) were used. Following the minimization, 10 ns of NPT equilibration, with an anisotropic barostat at 1 atm and a Langevin thermostat at 310.15 K, were performed in the NAMD molecular dynamics program (43). A more detailed description of the simulation protocol can be found in the Supporting information. The ‘health’ of the lipid bilayer models was determined by comparison with available experimental parameters, such as area per lipid headgroup, tail order parameters, and surface tension (data not shown).
Thermodynamic influences: constructing potentials of mean force
Formally, the potential of mean force at z, or W(z), is the free energy at z relative to some arbitrary reference state, and it is directly connected to the local probability density, or ρ(z), through eqn 4. The PMF gives rise to a mean force that causes the basins of the PMF to be more populated than other regions. It is this mean force, and the underlying PMF, which result in the equilibrium tendency of a molecule to partition to various depths within the lipid bilayer, facilitating the transport process. Additionally, coupling the PMF with an atomic-level description of the entire system entails the spatial entropic dependence that is neglected in the implicit solvent models, resulting in a more physically accurate model of the passive transport process.
Umbrella sampling simulations are the most established technique to determine PMF values along a reaction coordinate in a biased fashion. Umbrella sampling is a straightforward approach that confines the solute of interest to discretized sections along the reaction coordinate, a.k.a. ‘windows,’ using a harmonic biasing potential. Done properly, this stratification procedure enables effective and sufficient sampling over every region along the reaction coordinate and results in a set of overlapping, biased probability distributions. Using either the weighted histogram analysis method (WHAM) (44) or the multistate Bennett acceptance ratio (MBAR) method (45), these distributions can be unweighted and combined to minimize statistical error, resulting in unbiased probability distribution, which gives the PMF according to eqn 4.
Following membrane equilibration, umbrella simulations for each of the molecules shown in Figure 2 were prepared. Small molecule parameters were assigned using the CHARMM general force field (CGenFF) (46) using the match program (47). Small molecules were oriented along each of their three principal axes and displaced in 32 1 Å increments from the bilayer center to the bulk solvent, along one leaflet, resulting in a total of 96 umbrella windows. Umbrella simulations were carried out for 3 ns in each window; simulations of propranolol, terbutaline, and verapamil were extended to 10 ns in each window to test convergence properties. The PMF along the membrane normal was estimated independently using the WHAM equations (44) for each of the three small molecule orientations. Averages were calculated across the three simulations, and standard errors were estimated using the standard deviations determined across the three simulations. A more detailed description of the umbrella simulation protocol and standard error calculation can be found in the Supporting information.
Results for propranolol, terbutaline, and verapamil are shown for 3 and 10 ns of sampling per window (Figure 3). While the general shapes of the PMFs are reasonably converged after 3 ns of sampling per window, additional simulation time makes basins more pronounced and changes barrier heights, indicating that more than 10 ns of sampling per window may be necessary to properly average over the long-time conformational relaxation of the lipid tails and other slow system reorganization. To gain a better understanding of the accuracy of the PMF curves, we used them to estimate each small molecule’s water–DMPC membrane partition coefficient (38) and compared them with the experimental water–octanol partition coefficients. This comparison gave a correlation coefficient of 0.59, and both the experimental and predicted values spanned roughly the same orders of magnitude. Octanol has long been taken as an experimental proxy for lipid bilayers; however, as it is not an exact surrogate for a DMPC bilayer, perfect correlation cannot be expected due to fundamental structural and physicochemical differences between the environments (48). A correlation of 0.59 suggests that the estimated PMF curves reasonably describe the fundamental thermodynamics of small molecule membrane partitioning. Nevertheless, lack of stronger correlation may hint at deeper force field deficiencies.
Figure 3. Influence of sampling on PMF curves. (A–C) Three nanoseconds of sampling per window is shown on the left, while 10 ns per window is on the right. The membrane center is positioned at 0 Å, and the standard error is reported. (A) Propranolol. (B) Terbutaline. (C) Verapamil.
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Traditionally, biophysical simulations are carried out in aqueous solutions. Consistent with this, current state-of-the-art fixed-charge force fields are parameterized to implicitly capture the polarization induced by a high-dielectric solvent (49,50). Such a parameterization strategy may lead to inappropriate interactions with apolar solvents such as the greasy region of the membrane bilayer. A strategy to optimize atomic partial charges to better reproduce experimental free energy differences between octanol and water may improve permeability accuracy estimates. Alternatively, polarizable force fields (51) may better capture multibody interactions whose description might be fundamentally important to model the thermodynamics and kinetics governing the passive transport process.
While umbrella simulations are the most widely used technique to estimate PMF curves, other, more contemporary, methods have also been advanced and may prove more efficient. For example, in the adaptive biasing force (ABF) method (52–55), an instantaneous biasing force that opposes the force acting on the solute along the reaction coordinate is estimated and applied. The estimate of this force improves with simulation length, and its application allows the system to diffuse along the reaction coordinate. Averaging the applied forces gives an estimate of the mean force, which can then be integrated along the reaction coordinate to yield the PMF. Other promising methods have also been developed (56) and may be applied. However, the most efficient methods for permeability estimates will yield not only a PMF but also a local diffusion coefficient, which is discussed in the next section.
Enter kinetics: estimating the local diffusion coefficient
While the PMF describes the propensity for a compound to partition from water into the membrane at a given depth, it is purely a thermodynamic quantity and says nothing about the rate of the process. Permeability is a transport process, and equilibrium thermodynamics must be integrated with a kinetic rate description. For example, if the diffusion constant is known along the reaction coordinate, then the mean first passage time can be estimated as a diffusive barrier crossing process (57). While monitoring the mean-square displacement of a compound readily yields diffusion coefficients in the absence of substantial free energy barriers, it is impractical to estimate diffusion profiles along a rough free energy landscape. Instead, a variety of contemporary biased simulations can be paired with different diffusion estimators to arrive at a position-dependent diffusion profile when substantial free energy barriers exist along a reaction coordinate, as for a compound moving through a lipid bilayer. For example, Marrink and Berendsen (23) carried out equilibrium-constrained simulations and a diffusion estimator that relates the autocorrelation of the constraint force to the local diffusion coefficient through the fluctuation–dissipation theorem. Extending work by Straub et al. (58), Woolf and Roux (59) have applied an estimator that calculates a local diffusion coefficient from the velocity autocorrelation function extracted from a harmonically biased simulation, although it has not been applied to permeability predictions. More recently, Hummer extended the work of Wolfe and Roux to derive an estimator based on positional autocorrelation (60), whose use is reported here and described in greater detail below. Within non-equilibrium regimes, such as in steered molecular dynamics (SMD), Kosztin et al. (61) have posited that one can use the slope of the mean dissipative work curve to estimate the local diffusion constant. Yet, this last method has been largely untested. Despite the variety of diffusion estimators, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, a detailed comparison of their performance has not been carried out, and selecting one estimator over another is still, unfortunately, driven by convenience. For example, when using a constrained simulation to calculate the PMF, the most convenient way to estimate the diffusion profile is through the autocorrelation of the constraint force, following the work of Marrink and Berendsen.
During harmonically restrained simulations, as for umbrella sampling PMF reconstruction, position-dependent diffusion coefficients can be estimated within each window using theory formally derived by Hummer (60). If Di(Z) is the local diffusion constant at the position of the harmonic potential minimum used to construct the ith window, its value can be estimated using eqn 5:
where is the mean-square fluctuation of the center of mass of the small molecule along the membrane normal from the ith umbrella window. Similarly, the autocorrelation time of the mean-square fluctuation of the center of mass of the small molecule from the ith umbrella window is given τi. The autocorrelation time is calculated by integrating the autocorrelation function of the mean fluctuations of the center of mass of the molecule along the membrane normal according to eqn 6:
Unlike the PMF estimates, the diffusion profiles determined are noisy (Figure 4). Extending the simulation time modestly improves the results, as indicated by the position-dependent diffusion profiles for 3 and 10 ns of sampling per window for propranolol, terbutaline, and verapamil (Figure 4). All of the diffusion profiles are similarly shaped with slightly higher diffusivity at the bilayer center and lower diffusivity in hydrophobic tail region of the leaflets. While the estimated order of magnitude for the local diffusion profile agrees with values others have estimated for similarly sized molecules (37), the similarity and noisiness of the profiles may be insufficient to discriminate among structurally related small molecules as would be important in a lead optimization setting.
Figure 4. Diffusion profiles at 3 and 10 ns of sampling per window. (A–C) Three nanoseconds of sampling per window is shown on the left, while 10 ns per window is on the right. The membrane center is positioned at 0 Å, and the standard error is reported. (A) Propranolol. (B) Terbutaline. (C) Verapamil.
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Looking forward prospectively, the validity of the estimators, as well as the affects of the biased simulation, needs to be considered. For example, eqn 5 assumes over-damped Langevin solute dynamics (23,34,59), which implies that the solute undergoes Brownian motion (62). The extent to which this assumption holds at various points throughout the transport process has not been probed in detail. Additionally, simple unbiased positive controls have yet to be compared with estimates from biased simulations in regions where these comparisons are practical, for example, at the membrane interface and in bulk water. While there are likely other outstanding issues that have not been mentioned here, careful study of the two issues raised may lead to long-term improvements in the accuracy of position-dependent diffusion estimation. Such improvement will positively impact the reliability of transport process rate estimates.
Uniting thermodynamics and kinetics to estimate passive membrane permeability
Equation 7 is then integrated across the bilayer and inverted to yield a permeability estimate. Regions where the PMF is much larger than RT, or the average thermal energy available to move the solute over the barrier, contribute exponentially to transport resistivity, while resistivity falls inversely with increasing diffusivity. Consequently, a solute is more likely to get ‘stuck’ in a region bounded by large PMF barriers than a region bounded by low diffusivity. Figure 5 shows the predicted resistivity profiles for propranolol, terbutaline, and verapamil after 3 and 10 ns of sampling per window. Standard errors are reported and were calculated across the three simulations corresponding to each solute starting orientation. Similar to the PMF estimates, the general shape of the resistivity curves is roughly converged after only 3 ns/window. While additional sampling decreases resistivity barrier heights and standard error, it has a modest effect on the estimated permeability (Table 1)
Figure 5. Resistivity profiles at 3 and 10 ns of sampling per window. In figures (A–C), 3 ns of sampling per window is shown on the left, while 10 ns per window is on the right. The membrane center is positioned at 0 Å, and the standard error is reported. (A) Propranolol. (B) Terbutaline. (C) Verapamil.
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Table 1. The effect of simulation length on permeability estimates
|Compound||Log(P): 3 ns/window||Log(P): 10 ns/window||Log(P): experiment|
The transport of propranolol and verapamil is most hindered at the membrane–water interface, whereas terbutaline passage is significantly slowed at the center of the bilayer. This may be partly explained by considering the fraction of hydrophilic surface area for each compounda. At roughly 31%, the hydrophilic component of the surface area of terbutaline is much larger than that of propranolol (8%) and verapamil (5%). The larger hydrophilic surface area reduces the equilibrium tendency to partition into the hydrophobic center of the bilayer, as indicated by the roughly 5 kcal/mol PMF barrier for terbutaline (Figure 3B). The diffusion profile of terbutaline, on the other hand, is reasonably flat (Figure 4B). Consequently, the terbutaline resistivity barrier is largely a thermodynamic effect. This brief analysis speaks to the potential power of all-atom permeability estimates. Macroscopically observable transport properties can be explained using a microscopic statistical mechanical description, which can be tied to physical molecular descriptors, like solvent-accessible surface area. As physical molecular descriptors are systematically varied during lead optimization, QSPR can be mechanistically rationalized on a microscopic basis using accurate all-atom permeability estimates, information that may prove invaluable during rational drug design efforts. A similar strategy was recently proposed to integrate information from implicit solvent models in reference (32).
How accurate are all-atom permeability estimates? To answer this, in Figure 6, the computationally predicted permeability, determined with 3 ns of sampling per window, is plotted as a function of the experimental permeability for the set of small molecules shown in Figure 2. Using error propagation techniques, standard errors of the logged permeability estimates were calculated across the three simulations (see Supporting information), corresponding to each solute starting orientation, and are shown as vertical error bars. Standard errors of the experimental permeabilities are shown as horizontal error bars and were calculated from (63). The experimental and computational values used to create the plot are provided in Table S1. While the trend is promising, the coefficient of determination is 0.45, and the predicted values span only 1.5 orders of magnitude, while the experimental values range over eight orders of magnitude. Although this is a modest improvement over a simple ‘null’ model, which plots experimental permeability estimates versus molecular weight and gives a coefficient of determination of 0.33, stronger correlation is desirable. Table 1 shows that while increasing simulation time by more than 300% increases the estimated permeability rate by nearly an order of magnitude, estimates are still confined to a narrow range, relative to experiment. It may be that still more sampling is required. For example, when umbrella sampling with membrane-embedded leucine and arginine side-chain analogs was carried out for over 200 ns/window, the bilayer surface depressed or protruded to accommodate the side-chain analog, leading to improved accuracy of the estimated water–membrane partition coefficient (38). However, because bilayer reorganization properties were different in harmonically restrained and unrestrained simulations, the relevance of the membrane structural reorganization observed during the restrained simulations is questionable (38). It may prove that non-equilibrium methods, such as SMD, carried out with a stiff spring and slow pulling speed (64–66), provide a better model of the naturally occurring transport process. Alternatively, promising emerging new methods, such as ABF, discussed in section Implicit solvent models, which would allow the solute to freely diffuse along the membrane normal, may prove more suitable.
Figure 6. Computationally predicted versus experimentally measured permeability values. Experimental values were measured in a parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA)a and are shown along the horizontal axis. Computationally predicted values were calculated using eqn 7 and are shown along the vertical axis. Reported estimates used 3 ns of sampling per window. Standard errors of the computed estimates are shown as vertical error bars, while standard errors of the experimental values are shown as horizontal error bars. Reported experimental standard errors were scaled by a factor of three to enhance their visibility. Data points are labeled with the corresponding three-letter compound name abbreviations included in Figure 2. The coefficient of determination, R2, is reported.
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Neglect of alternative ligand protonation and tautomerization states are additional simplifying assumptions that may significantly impact the accuracy of passive membrane permeability estimates. For example, different tautomerization states may be thermodynamically favored and can have higher or lower diffusivity, at different depths in the membrane, appreciably contributing to the experimental permeability measurement. Alternative protonation states, on the other hand, while seemingly more impactful because of larger coulombic effects, may be less problematic, in some cases, than alternative tautomers. In part, this is because experimental permeability is often reported as an ‘intrinsic’ permeability, or the permeability of the uncharged species alone (63), which was the case of the 11 compounds considered in this work. Additionally, charged species are less likely to dissolve to a significant extent in the greasy bilayer, so considering only electrically neutral compounds may be sufficient. However, charged compounds can be partially hydrated in the bilayer (67) and simply discounting their contribution might result in inaccurate permeability estimates.

domain: chemistry


text:
Cosmic visionary, teacher, poet, author, administrator, publisher, liberator, humanitarian, these are some of the titles ascribed to Ruth E. Norman, Uriel.Â Through her example and teachings she has helped thousands of individuals to overcome their physical and emotional problems by applying the principles of a new science of life.
This documentary highlights the life and accomplishments of Uriel, including her association with the Moderator Ernest L. Norman, Raphiel, in the early years of the Unarius mission. Uriel's greatest accomplishment was the healing of the fallen angel Lucifer, for this made the healing of planet Earth possible.
combined with -
Preparation for the Landing
iPOD / MP4 $5 (on disk)

domain: literature


text:
Does Batam belong to Singapore?
Table of Contents
It is the closest part of Indonesia to Singapore, at a minimum land distance of 5.8 km. During the 2010 national census, Batam was the fastest-growing municipality in Indonesia the decade prior, with a population growth rate of 11% per year.
How do you get to Batam Indonesia?
Those traveling by sea, then ferries are the best way to go. There are frequent daily fast and convenient ferries connecting Singapore’s Tanah Merah port with Batam as well as between Johor Bahru, Malaysia, and Batam. The journey from Singapore takes about 40 minutes, while from Johor Bahru it is around 90 minutes.
Is Batam bigger than Singapore?
Batam is a free trade zone, part of the Indonesia–Malaysia–Singapore Growth Triangle, located 20 km (12 mi) off Singapore’s south coast. The 715 km² (276 miles²) island, almost identical in size to Singapore, is the core part of the municipality.
What is the meaning of Batam?
Batam is an industrial boomtown, an emerging transport hub, and part of a free trade zone in the Indonesia–Malaysia–Singapore Growth Triangle, located 20 km (12 mi) off Singapore’s south coast and also part of the Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand Growth Triangle.
Does Batam have casino?
Luxury Casino Hotels and Resorts in Batam Live like a high-roller and reserve a room at a luxury casino hotel in Batam. Some of our favorite 4-star hotels and 5-star hotels in Batam with casinos are Banyan Tree Bintan, Oasia Hotel Novena, Singapore, and Goodwood Park Hotel.
How long is the ferry ride from Singapore to Batam?
45 to 70 minutes
It is a mere 45 to 70 minutes ferry ride from Singapore to Batam and vice versa, with daily departures to Batam Centre, Sekupang, HarbourBay and NongsaPura in Pulau Batam. The regular ferry service provides foreigners and Indonesians ease of travel to and fro Batam via Singapore.
How close is Batam to the equator?
Batam is only about 120 kilometers from the equator and is therefore warm throughout the year.

domain: travel


Aftershocks strike off Solomon Islands
ABCUpdated February 2, 2013, 4:36 pm
: Weather bureau summer concern
Six aftershocks have been recorded off the coast of the Solomon islands following a powerful earthquake earlier on Saturday.
The magnitude 6.6 quake was centred out to sea about 70 kilometres southwest of Lata in the Santa Cruz islands.
Geoscience Australia says the quake was extremely shallow.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre says there is no widespread tsunami threat based on historical earthquake and tsunami data.
The US Geological Survey puts the quake’s magnitude at 6.7.
It was followed by a series of smaller aftershocks, including a magnitude 5.6 quake which struck 82 kilometres southwest of Lata with a depth of nearly 30 kilometres.
Two smaller magnitude 4.9 tremors struck the same region at a depth of nearly 20 kilometres and 35 kilometres.


text: In order to control the development of urban space, it is important to explore scientific methods to provide a reference for regional territorial space planning. On the basis of the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and the cellular automaton (CA)-Markov model, we constructed a new technical method for delineating urban development boundaries, exploring the temporal and spatial distribution characteristic of land use in Wuhan from 2010 to 2020 through nighttime and remote sensing images, and simulating the urban development boundaries of Wuhan from 2025 to 2035. The results show that: (1) the scales of Wuhan City’s built-up areas in 2010, 2015, and 2020 were 500 km2, 566.13 km2, and 885.11 km2, respectively, and the trends of expansion run to the east and southeast, and (2) on the basis of the MCR model, the urban development boundary scale of Wuhan City in 2025, 2030, and 2035 from the perspective of actual supply will be 903.52 km2, 937.48 km2, and 1021.44 km2, respectively, and based on the CA-Markov model, the urban development boundary scales of Wuhan City in 2025, 2030, and 2035 from the perspective of ideal land demand will be 912.75 km2, 946.40 km2, and 1041.91 km2, respectively. By combining the results of the two methods, we determined areas of 901.62 km2, 944.39 km2, and 1015.36 km2 as the urban development boundaries of Wuhan City in 2025, 2030, and 2035, respectively. According to the principle of supply–demand balance, the urban development boundary delineated by the integration of the MCR model and CA-Markov model, which is in line with the spatial expansion trend of growing cities, could optimize the urban development pattern; solve the contradiction between urban development, farmland protection, and ecological protection; and provide a methodological reference and decision-making basis for planning practice.


Published on 07/12/2017 in News
Although the GDPR is high on the list of priorities for Belgian companies (with more than 50 employees), 32% of Belgian IT Professionals don’t know the new restrictions. 18% say their company is making little or no effort ahead of the implementation, while 19% are unsure if their company is preparing. No less than 16% has never even heard of GDPR.
49% United Kingdom
39% the Netherlands
In comparison with other companies from European countries, Belgian companies are lagging behind.
Source: Kaspersky GDPR Report 18/05/17


Sunday, February 03, 2013
National liars federation?
They call themselves the National Wildlife federation but it doesn't take much to catch them in a lie. Just note the brief excerpt below and try to square it with the story following. How long does cooling have to go on before they deign to notice? They had their little period of global warming in the '80s and 90's and are forever stuck on that. They talk as if nothing had changed since then. The one thing they cannot face is that climate CHANGES!
The climate crisis is already changing the playing field for wildlife and urgent action is needed to preserve America’s conservation legacy, according to a new report released today by the National Wildlife Federation. Wildlife in a Warming World: Confronting the Climate Crisis examines case studies from across the country illustrating how global warming is altering wildlife habitats. It recommends solutions to protect both wildlife and communities across America from the growing climate-fueled threats such as extreme weather, sea level rise and wildfires.
Alaska has warmed about twice as much as the continental United States and warming is severely altering the Arctic landscape including melting permafrost. In the face of this unprecedented warming, many uniquely polar habitats—like the sea ice that polar bears, seals, and walrus require to hunt —are shrinking fast.
Forget global warming, Alaska is headed for an ice age
The 49th state has long been labeled one of the fastest-warming spots on the planet. But that's so 20th Century.
In the first decade since 2000, the 49th state cooled 2.4 degrees Fahrenheit. That's a "large value for a decade," the Alaska Climate Research Center at the University of Alaska Fairbanks said in "The First Decade of the New Century: A Cooling Trend for Most of Alaska."
The cooling is widespread -- holding true for 19 of the 20 National Weather Service stations sprinkled from one corner of Alaska to the other, the paper notes. It's most significant in Western Alaska, where King Salmon on the Alaska Peninsula saw temperatures drop most sharply, a significant 4.5 degrees for the decade, the report says.
The new nippiness began with a vengeance in 2005, after more than a century that saw temperatures generally veer warmer in Alaska, the report says. With lots of ice to lose, the state had heated up about twice as fast as the rest of the planet, in line with rising global greenhouse gas emissions, note the Alaska Climate Center researchers, Gerd Wendler, L. Chen and Blake Moore. After a "sudden temperature increase" in Alaska starting in 1977, the warmest decade on record occurred in the 1980s, followed by another jump in the 1990s, they note. The third warmest decade was the 1920s, by the way..
Will Alaska’s frigid spell last long? The researchers don't know. The report notes, however, that Alaska endured three decades of relative cold starting in the mid-1940s.
Alaska’s cold trend may even be strengthening this winter. National Weather Service meteorologist Shaun Baines reported Saturday that as of Dec. 21, Anchorage had already spent 10 days below zero this month. The city's average temperature this December is just 5.3 degrees, nearly 8 degrees shy of the December average of 13.2 degrees. Even though warmer air is due by Christmas Day, Anchorage was already enroute to the coldest winter since 1982.
Could it warm up a bit during the second half of Alaska’s winter? Anything is possible, but the National Weather Service in Anchorage recently completed its 90-day forecast and calls for colder-than-normal temperatures at least through the end of March, said meteorologist Dave Strickland.
New Research Blows Climate Science Wide Open
THE world’s great forests have long been recognised as the lungs of the earth, but the science establishment has been rocked by claims that trees may also be the heart of its climate. Not only do trees fix carbon and produce oxygen; a new and controversial paper says they collectively unleash forces powerful enough to drive global wind patterns and are a core feature in the circulation of the climate system.
If the theory proves correct, the peer-reviewed international paper co-authored by Australian scientist Douglas Sheil will overturn two centuries of conventional wisdom about what makes wind. And it will undermine key principles of every model on which climate predictions are based.
The paper, Where do winds come from? A new theory on how water vapour condensation influences atmospheric pressure and dynamics, is not designed to challenge the orthodox view on climate science. But Sheil, a professor of forest ecology and conservation at Southern Cross University’s School of Environment, Science and Engineering, says he is not surprised that is how the paper has been received internationally.
Boiled down, he says, bad science is protecting shoddy climate models.
The paper, lead authored by Anastasia Makarieva, sparked a long-running and furious debate about whether it should be published at all. At the end of a bruising assessment process the editorial panel of the prestigious journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics chose to publish and be damned.
In an accompanying statement the journal editorial board said: “The paper is highly controversial, proposing a fundamentally new view that seems to be in contradiction to common textbook knowledge. The majority of reviewers and experts in the field seem to disagree, whereas some colleagues provide support, and the handling editor (and the executive committee) are not convinced that the new view presented in the controversial paper is wrong.
“The handling editor (and the executive committee) concluded to allow final publication of the manuscript in ACP in order to facilitate further development of the presented arguments, which may lead to disproof or validation by the scientific community.”
Sheil says the key finding is that atmospheric pressure changes from moisture condensation are orders of magnitude greater than previously recognised. The paper concludes “condensation and evaporation merit attention as major, if previously overlooked, factors in driving atmospheric dynamics”.
“Climate scientists generally believe that they already understand the main principles determining how the world’s climate works,” says Sheil. “However, if our hypothesis is true then the way winds are driven and the way rain falls has been misunderstood. What our theory suggests is that forests are the heart of the earth, driving atmospheric pressure, pumping wind and moving rain.”
In a blistering assessment of the paper, international climate scientist Isaac Held of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA are Warmist evangelists] recommended that publication be rejected.
“The authors make an extraordinary claim that a term that is traditionally considered to be small, to the point that it is sometimes neglected in atmospheric models and, even when not neglected, rarely commented on, is in fact dominant in driving atmospheric circulations,” Held said. “A claim of this sort naturally has to pass a high bar to be publishable, given the accumulated evidence, implicit as well as explicit, that argues against it. I am afraid that this paper does not approach the level required.
“I have done my best to keep an open mind, but do not see any cogent arguments that overturn the conventional wisdom.”
In reply, the authors claimed Held’s logic was bad for science.
“A higher bar for unconventional ideas automatically implies a lower bar for conventional ones,” they said. “Introducing a positive feedback – relating the height of the higher bar to the number of studies that have passed the lower bar – in time, if this continues, a once-vibrating scientific community can be trapped in dogma.”
Shiel says he is not surprised at the resistance from within the climate science establishment. “These guys are under a barrage of claims every day and we are just another one,” he says. “But we are serious scientists, we have serious reasons for looking at this and if you can show us where our analysis is wrong, that’s fine, that’s how science works.
“Accepting our theory would basically mean the climate models are wrong. It wouldn’t mean that theories about carbon dioxide and greenhouse gasses are wrong.
“The basic physical issues are still there. Winds are still caused to some degree by temperature differences, global warming will still be potentially caused by greenhouse gasses. But what we are saying is one of the major reasons that air moves around the surface of the globe, and one of the main reasons that rain falls where it does, is to do with these patterns of moisture evaporation and condensation.”
For Sheil, who returned last year from working at the Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation based in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda, the significance of the findings goes way beyond climate-change politics.
It could have dramatic consequences for how vegetation is considered and managed. And it could have ramifications for securing future rainfall for some of the world’s most impoverished regions.
“Our theory also explains how declines in both rainfall and rainfall reliability can result from forest loss elsewhere,” Sheil says. “Such patterns have been observed in various parts of the world and are clearly of major importance for many people – for example, those who are suffering from the increasingly irregular monsoon rains in West Africa.
“I would have said Australia is a desert because of the global climate cycles, but if you do the calculations, a forest across the surface of Australia would produce forces strong enough to water it and you wouldn’t need to irrigate.
“When we look at the Amazon and ask, is the forest there because there is a lot of rain, we are saying, no, it is the other way around: the rain is there because there is a lot of forest.
“It may sound strange – forests causing wind, forests causing rain – but the physics is quite convincing.”
Climate scientists, however, still say the significance is not as great as has been claimed.
“It has now gone from a discussion about mechanism to a discussion about magnitude,” Sheil says, adding that a key objective of his work is to make climate models more reliable.
“At present the models are incorrect,” he says, “because they are missing one the key mechanisms of how the global climate works. I know it does sound amazing to say this, but once you look at these models they are not as detailed and not as smart as you would think.
“A lot of it is, they are calibrated to fit. There is a little bit of people hiding the problems, and that is bad science.
More environmental extremism
David Attenborough has made a good living out of wildlife but it is now clear that he is driven by a dislike of people rather than by a love of nature. If he were really a lover of nature he would be living somewhere like New Zealand's unspoilt Southland rather than in London. The scenery is famous, the water is trustworthy, they all speak English (with a funny accent) and internet access is good in the Southland
A recent report out of England is a perfect illustration of the thesis that a major component of the modern environmentalist movement consists of religious worshipers of a decidedly peculiar pagan proclivity, to wit, worshipers of Thanatos, the god of death.
The story is about the famous BBC broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough, brother of the famous British actor Richard Attenborough. Sir David is a fixture of British TV, hosting various nature shows, including the acclaimed series Life on Earth.
Sir David has just put forward the simply lovely view that human beings are a disease afflicting the planet. He is greatly perturbed by the bête-noirs of the environmental movement: global warming and overpopulation. “We are plague on the Earth,” he cried piteously, adding, “It’s coming home to roost over the next 50 years or so. It’s not just climate change; it’s sheer space, places to grow food for this enormous horde. Either we limit our population growth or the natural world will do it for us, and the natural world is doing it for us right now.”
Need I add that Sir David is a big supporter of the Optimum Population Trust, an NGO devoted to curtailing growth of the population?
With folks like him, Thanatos is God and Malthus was His Prophet.
Citing as an example Ethiopia, the “compassionate” Sir David averred, “We keep putting on programmes about famine in Ethiopia; that’s what’s happening. Too many people there. They can’t support themselves — and that’s not an inhuman thing to say.”
No, Sir David, it isn’t an inhuman thing to say — just a stunningly simplistic thing to say. The endemic famine in Ethiopia — like all famines in the last century — is mainly the consequence of a bad government and economic system, merely triggered by natural calamity. In the case of Ethiopia, it was most recently a drought, a natural weather cycle that has happened throughout recorded history. In fact, as the brilliant Bjorn Lomborg noted just recently, there hasn’t been any significant increase in drought worldwide over the last 60 years. There has been more drought in southern Europe and western Africa, true enough, but there has been less in northwestern Australia and central North America.
And by the way, if you do want to limit population growth, what you need to do is limit government and promote free enterprise, which invariably results in higher living standards. As the middle class increases, population growth declines. Depend on it.
The very flexible "sustainability" concept
Activist sustainability concepts don’t meet environmental, humanitarian or sustainability tests
Companies everywhere extol their sustainable development programs and goals. Sustainability drives UN programs like Agenda 21, EU and US green energy initiatives, and myriad manufacturing, agricultural, forestry and other efforts. But what is sustainability? What is – or isn’t – sustainable?
Former Prime Minister of Norway Gro Harlem Brundtland said sustainability means we may develop … and meet the needs of current generations … only to the extent that doing so “will not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”
At first blush, that sounds logical, perhaps even ethical. But on closer examination, it is neither. It’s right out of Alice’s encounter with an anthropomorphic egg in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass.
“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in a rather scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean, neither more nor less.”
“The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.”
“The question is,” Humpty Dumpty replied, “who is to be master. That’s all.”
Obama presidential science advisor John Holdren has said we cannot talk about sustainability without talking about politics, power and control. That troubling reality is at the core of growing debates about Washington, DC central power versus state federalism, individual rights and liberties, United Nations and European Union attempts to make decisions for sovereign nations, and the growing power and influence of activist nongovernmental organizations on energy, environmental, economic and other matters.
Because those who define the terms of debate increasingly determine public policies, they also determine who is to be master: those who must live with the consequences of their personal choices, or unaccountable mandarins who impose policies, regulations, decisions and consequences on others.
Putting that vital discussion aside for another day, one can discern three kinds of sustainability.
The public relations variety promotes corporate images and inspires flattering ads and press releases, but is largely devoid of real substance. A favorite example is a consulting company’s annual sustainability report, which boasted of having reduced the number of – paper cuts among employees.
Real sustainability seeks constantly improving technologies and practices: conserve energy, be more efficient, cut costs, to keep companies profitable and employees employed; tune up cars, keep tires inflated, and improve traffic light sequencing, to move traffic along, increase gas mileage and reduce pollution; use high yield farming to get the most crops per acre, reduce water use and improve nutrition.
This is tikun olam (repair of the world); the precept that you are not obligated to complete the task, but neither are you free to abandon it; the Boy Scout prescription that we must leave our world better than we found it; the Judeo-Christian principle of stewardship of creation: or Robert Kennedy’s declaration: I dream things that never were and say, Why not?
This brings us back to sustainability á la Gro Brundtland, the UN, Rio+20 and environmental activists: We may meet the needs of current generations only to the extent that doing so “will not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs.” The concept it inherently unworkable and inequitable.
No one predicted, certainly not years in advance, that the Hearthstone House in Appleton, Wisconsin would suddenly be lit with hydroelectric power, or that electricity would safeguard and enhance our lives and economy in the numerous ways it does today. No one foresaw widespread natural gas use for electricity generation and home heating, ubiquitous laptop computers, flash drives, fiber optic cables replacing copper, or little mobile phones with far more power than a 1990 desktop computer.
Today, the pace of technological change has become mind-numbing. And yet, under sustainability dogma, we are supposed to predict future technologies – and ensure that today’s development activities will somehow not compromise those technologies’ unpredictable energy and raw material requirements.
Sustainability dogma also demands that we base policy decisions on knowing how many years energy, metal or other resource deposits will last, and to determine whether developing and using them will be sustainable. But what if new technologies let us find and develop new deposits, or make existing deposits last decades or centuries longer: 3-D and HD seismic, deepwater drilling and production, instant metallic mineral analysis gear in a backpack, or horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, for instance? How long must those expanded reserves last, before using them won’t be sustainable? And who decides?
How can politicians, regulators and environmental activists decree that oil and gas are not sustainable – even as seismic, fracking, drilling and other technologies unlock a century of new deposits? And then insist that corn ethanol is sustainable, even though this year’s US ethanol quota requires 40% of our corn crop, on an area the size of Iowa, billions of gallons of water, huge quantities of hydrocarbon-based pesticides, fertilizers and tractor fuel, vast amounts of natural gas to run the distilleries, and perpetual subsidies … to produce a fuel that drives up food prices and gets one-third less mileage per gallon than gasoline?
How can they decree that wind energy is sustainable, despite killing millions of birds and bats every year?
How is it sustainable, ethical or “environmental justice” for the United States to use so many of the world’s oil, gas, rare earth, platinum, gold and other resources – because we refuse to allow exploration and development of our own vast energy, metallic and other deposits right here in the United States?
How is it ethical to safeguard the needs of future generations, even if it means ignoring or compromising the needs of current generations – including the needs, aspirations, health and welfare of the most impoverished, energy-deprived, malnourished, politically powerless people on Earth? How much longer must 700 million Africans, 400 million Indians and another 300 million people in other countries continue to live without electricity and all its countless blessings, because eco-activists obsess about global warming, insist on wind and solar, and oppose coal, gas, nuclear and hydroelectric power plants?
How long must billions of people remain destitute, diseased and malnourished, because environmental activists and UN bureaucrats don’t like economic development, insecticides or biotechnology, either?
Does anyone suppose human ingenuity, creativity and innovation (what Julian Simon called our ultimate resource) will suddenly stop functioning? Assuming there is no government restriction on or confiscation of our God-given rights to innovate, create, invest and build – will human beings ever stop doing so?
The fundamental problem with UN/activist/EPA “sustainability” is that it is infinitely elastic and malleable. No one can really know what it means, and it’s the perfect weapon in the hands of anti-hydrocarbon, anti-development activists. Whatever they support is sustainable. Whatever they oppose is unsustainable.
To the extent that their agendas foster “social justice” and “poverty eradication,” they will do so only in the context of climate protection, biodiversity, green growth, renewable energy, and an end to “unsustainable patterns of consumption and production” – as defined, evaluated and implemented by UN or EPA-approved scientists, regulators and activists, assisted largely by assumption-laden, agenda-driven computer models.
Worst of all, this UN/activist/EPA version of sustainable development gives unelected regulators increasing control over energy use, economic growth, wealth redistribution, and people’s lives, living standards, health and well-being. And they get control without the essential safeguards, checks and balances of robust science, independent courts, democracy, transparency, honesty and accountability.
We should and must always strive to conserve energy, water and other resources, reduce dangerous air and water pollutants – and be sustainable. But we cannot afford to let “sustainable development” become just one more pretext for ceding more power to unelected, non-transparent, unaccountable overseers.
Received via email from Paul Driessen [firstname.lastname@example.org]
Climate signals uncertain in Australia
Australia is a big place (MUCH bigger than Texas) so tends to have both droughts and floods at roughly the same time (in different parts of the country) so it takes a Warmist to extract any generalizations from that. Even they are growing hesitant, however, as we see below
For Australia, 2013 looks like being a "year of living extremely" if January is anything to go by. The Bureau of Meteorology says January was the hottest ever month in just over a century of records. Nationwide, the January average maximum temperature anomaly was 2.28 degrees, "a substantial increase" on the previous record of 2.17 degrees set in 1932. [And it was similarly hot way back in 1790]
And, thanks to the unusual scale of the massive heatwave that dominated the first half of January, all states and territories posted above-average temperatures, the bureau said
This week's floods, of course, added to the extremes. The Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman, warned damage to the state's economy was $2.4 billion and rising, eclipsing the $2.388 billion bill from the huge flooding of 2011. Insurers don't think it will be that bad for them.
Add in record low rainfall for much of southern Australia, a flurry of bushfires and it looks a lot like climate change is kicking in - or does it?
Professor John McAneney, the director of Risk Frontiers, an independent research group funded mostly by the insurance industry, says that based on a database of natural hazard events in Australia, including some dating back to 1803, "there has been no increase in the frequency of natural hazard events since 1950".
But what of the spiralling insurance claims in the wake of hailstorms, floods, cyclones (think Yasi at $1.4 billion) and bushfires ($4 billion for Victoria's Black Saturday firestorms)?
"What we can see very clearly is that when this dataset … is corrected for the increases in numbers of buildings at risk and their value, no long term trend remains," Professor McAneney said.
"It is indisputable that the rising toll of natural disasters is due to more people and assets at risk."
He said US hurricane modelling to identify a signal climate change is contributing to storm strength suggests it could be a while before the data is definitive. Averaging 18 different climate models, "it's going to take 260 years", he said.
"This whole thing about climate change being responsible for an increase in extreme weather, or natural disasters, is just a fiction really."
Cue howls of protests from climatologists and cries of "gotcha" from climate change doubters? Not quite.
Some climate change signals are clearer than others, and there is no reason to ignore the direction most indicators are clearly pointed, said Andrew Ash, director of the climate adaptation flagship at the CSIRO. "It doesn't mean all extremes are changing," Mr Ash said.
Take temperature, for instance. The weather bureau notes that during 2001-11, the frequency of record high temperatures in Australia was 2.8 times (for maximum temperatures) and 5.2 times for minimums than the rate of record low temperatures.
Sea temperatures are also increasing, with waters in the Australian region [Only in the Australian region? Sounds like a local phenomenon, not a global one] about 0.6-0.7 degrees warmer than they were in 1900, said Neil Plummer, assistant director of the weather bureau's climate information services.
Add a warmer atmosphere - with temperatures about 1 degree higher than pre-industrial levels [i.e. over 150 years!] and rising - there is little doubt more moisture can be held and then dumped in the form of more severe rain deluges.
A peer-reviewed report for the American Meteorological Society's Journal of Climate by researchers including Seth Westra, a hydrologist at the University of Adelaide, bears that out. The report found statistically significant increasing trends globally of annual maximum daily precipitation, using a dataset of 8326 high quality observing sites with more than 30 years of records. [Yet Warmists contantly tell us that it is drought that proves global warming!]
The median intensity of extreme precipitation increases "in proportion with changes in global mean temperature at a rate of between 5.9 per cent and 7.7 per cent per degree, depending on the method of analysis," the report found.
The big wet, when it comes, is getting wetter. But what of Australia? The weather bureau says it depends where you look.
The annual number of days with more than 30 millimetres of rain from 1950-2012 has decreased in the southern and eastern parts of the country but increased in the north.
And as for the frequency of disasters, such as cyclones, the answer is complex because there aren't many instances in the record to count.
"Because you're dealing with a very small number of very extreme events … the size of the signal you would need to have before it was statistically significant is detectable is quite big," said Blair Trewin, a senior climatologist at the bureau.
"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."
For more postings from me, see DISSECTING LEFTISM, TONGUE-TIED, EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH, FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS, IMMIGRATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL and EYE ON BRITAIN. My Home Pages are here or here or here. Email me (John Ray) here.
Preserving the graphics: Graphics hotlinked to this site sometimes have only a short life and if I host graphics with blogspot, the graphics sometimes get shrunk down to illegibility. From January 2011 on, therefore, I have posted a monthly copy of everything on this blog to a separate site where I can host text and graphics together -- which should make the graphics available even if they are no longer coming up on this site. See here and here
Posted by JR at 3:00 PM


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Actress Nicole Kidman has confirmed she will marry country singer Keith Urban in Australia following the couple's arrival in Sydney on Monday.
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman were both raised in Australia
"We are very happy to be back in Australia," the couple, both 38, said in a joint statement.
"We have come home to celebrate our wedding with our family and friends." Reports suggest the couple will marry in a church in the city on Sunday.
The couple met in January 2005 at an awards dinner in Los Angeles.
Kidman was married to Hollywood actor Tom Cruise for a decade and adopted two children, Connor and Isabelle, with him.
This will be Urban's first marriage. The couple confirmed their engagement in May after months of speculation.
The actress was born in Hawaii while Urban was born in New Zealand. Both were brought up in Australia.
Earlier this week, Kidman said she had moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where Urban is based.
The actress won an Oscar in 2003 for her role as Virginia Woolf in The Hours. Recent projects include Fur, in which she plays photographer Diane Arbus, and thriller The Visiting.
Country star Urban won a Grammy Award for best male country vocal performance last year.

domain: entertainment


DCO's double bill of Mendelssohn
Derby Concert Orchestra begin their 2016-2017 season with a performance on Saturday, October 15, from, 7pm.
The venue will be St Peter’s Church, Littleover, Derby, and conductor Jonathan Trout and DCO will perform four works.
These are Beethoven’s Egmont Overture, Grieg’s Holberg Suite, Mendelssohn’s Scherzo and Nocturne from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the same composer’s Third Symphony, the ‘Scottish’. See www.derbyconcertorchestra.co.uk for more.


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Published on December 19th, 2011 | by octaneblue0
Free DLC Skin for Batman: Arkham City
As a special thanks to the fans that have supported Batman: Arkham City, developer Rocksteady Studios will release a free Batman, Inc. Batsuit DLC skin, pictured below.
The free DLC skin will be available for PlayStation Network, Xbox LIVE Marketplace, and Games for Windows Marketplace on Wednesday, December 21st. You can read their post about the free DLC here.
Also noted in the above link is a code that you can input to start the main game with a DLC skin of your choice; previously, one would have to complete the main game in order to do this.


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Feb 05, 2020, By: Barb Shellian
2020 on the calendar—it still sounds awkward to say it. There is an air about 2020 that makes a person think that something momentous and extraordinary should be happening. Well, indeed, something is—this is the year for nursing! I want to share some of what’s happening so that you can make your plans!
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife, in honour of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth. The year 2020 is significant for WHO in the context of nursing and strengthening midwifery for universal health coverage.
There are many resources and other information about this initiative on the WHO website: a campaign toolkit and news about what is happening in other countries (see Additional Resources, below). In April 2020, the State of the World’s Nursing report will be released, and many celebrations will be held at the World Heath Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, in May.
The International Council of Nurses is also opening a 2020 International Year of the Nurse and Midwife portal, bringing the global nursing community together to make a major impact in 2020.
The Canadian Nurses Association has implemented the focus of the Year of the Nurse and Midwife to target Nursing Week activities, as well as the theme of its biennial convention in Ottawa this June. Your jurisdictional nursing associations are also involved in planning activities for this special year.
Now you must be thinking that the Year of the Nurse is well looked after! But you’re not getting off the hook so easily. The Year of the Nurse is a one-time career opportunity for all of us to do things—to engage, to highlight the contribution of nursing to global health. Make plans and do stuff, my friends!
Our participation may involve activities of the professional associations, but nurses can also do things individually. Here are some suggestions (borrowed from the WHO campaign kit):
- Organize recognition awards and certificates. Initiate recognition for nurses in your local or national health care facilities in appreciation of their contribution to the community.
- Display campaign posters. Produce and display International Year of the Nurse posters at strategic locations—supermarkets, bus stops, schools, local health facilities, and elsewhere.
- Engage local leaders and celebrities. Ask your health care leaders to promote the Year of Nurse in their speeches and on social media, websites, and television and radio interviews.
- Work with artists. Approach artists to create artwork or music for health workers, with a focus on nursing.
- Become active on social media. Get in on the drum roll and participate in social media campaigns on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Share photos and video testimonials of and from nurses, patients, health leaders, influencers, and advocates—explaining why this vital workforce is essential, and why we need greater investment in the health workforce.
I have plans. I know that I will add more during the year, but these are some things that are in the Shellian Year of the Nurse plan:
- Add four more nurses to my mentorship list.
- Participate as a presenter in podcasts and conferences related to advocacy.
- Complete two seminars for nursing students on advocacy.
- Write a letter to the mayor of my home town to formally recognize Nursing Week in my community.
- Be part of the Nightingale Challenge in my home province.
- Stay connected with my professional associations and jump in with their plans.
- Tweet, tweet, tweet: #Nurses2020
- Continue to pester folks in my editorials for the digital Canadian Nurse.
I’ll be contemplating more as time goes by, keeping my eyes open for possibilities.
As nurses, we chose our profession because we know that the work has meaning, and that our contribution to people, our country, and the world is worthwhile and valuable. This is a year to, as they say in the Prairies, “make hay while the sun shines”: take the opportunity that has been given to us as a profession and make a plan for 2020—big or small. Right now.
WHO Year of the Nurse and the Midwife 2020
ICN 2020: International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife
2020 Profiles in Nursing
Canadian Nurse is looking for your nominations for the upcoming series “2020 Profiles in Nursing.” Over the next year, we will publish the stories of Canadian nurses who have had impact, either recently or historically. We welcome your ideas about whom to profile and how they have contributed to their field. Fill out a nomination form here.
Editor-in-chief Barb Shellian is a registered nurse committed to nursing practice, health care reform, and people. She is the immediate past president of the Canadian Nurses Association. She is also Director of Rural Health, Alberta Health Services—Calgary Zone and lives and works in Canmore, AB.

domain: medical


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domain: health


Argentina’s new government faces challenge with energy subsidies
ARGENTINE President Mauricio Macri must cope with an energy sector in dire straits. Policy over the past decade has been inconsistent and often counterproductive. Subsidies weigh heavily on public finances. However, reforming the hydrocarbon extraction and refining industries should prove far easier politically than solving the country’s challenges in electricity production and distribution, writes World Review expert Noel Maurer.
When President Macri took office in December 2015, he inherited an energy policy that strongly favored oil companies, compensating them for restrictive regulations with public subsidies. Low oil prices give his new government an opportunity to eliminate both the restrictions and the subsidies at minimal political cost.
The power industry, on the other hand, will be far more difficult to fix. Subsidies have grown to massive levels – 8 percent of all federal spending in 2014 – and continue to rise. Prices for end users of electricity need to increase dramatically, but the political cost will be steep. Mr. Macri will have to tread carefully.
Electricity prices have been administratively controlled since Argentina’s 2002 crisis. The government authorized a 72 percent price increase in 2013, but that still left average retail rates at about $0.01 per kilowatt-hour. At that level, the only way to keep the lights on has been to subsidize generators and distributors. The fiscal burden is rising fast: in 2014, power sector subsidies totaled $9.9 billion, up from $8.8 billion in 2013. All told, government payments to the power industry last year were equivalent to 3.6 percent of gross domestic product, accounting for the lion’s share of the country’s budget deficit of 4.9 percent of GDP.
Even with the subsidies, Argentina’s electricity distributors are having trouble meeting peak demand. Edesur, which serves southern Buenos Aires, and Edenor, the distributor in northern Buenos Aires, both posted millions of dollars in losses for 2014. Both companies have been forced to engage in power cuts during times of peak demand, imposing voltage reductions in selected parts of the city.
Almost immediately upon taking office, President Macri declared a state of emergency in the sector, authorizing Energy Minister Juan Jose Aranguren (the former president of Shell Argentina) to take the measures he believes are necessary to safeguard it.
Mr. Aranguren has moved quickly to unwind the complex system of hydrocarbon controls and subsidies. On January 5, 2016 he cut the domestic price of crude oil from $77 to $67.50 – still well above prices on global markets, but a windfall to refiners. In addition, he raised the retail price of gasoline by 6 percent, from $3.86 per gallon to $4.10. Some of the more burdensome regulations have been scrapped and it is likely that direct subsidies will be next, although this will require Congressional approval.
The new government has taken more tentative steps in the electric power sector. Mr. Aranguren has announced that electricity prices will rise. According to a plan announced on January 25, peak rates for small-scale users will rise by a factor of 3.3 – from 0.7¢ (U.S.) to 2.3¢ per kilowatt-hour. That would still leave prices about 40 percent below average producer costs. In addition, the first 150 kilowatt-hours used by households each month would be free, in order to reduce the impact of higher tariffs on low-income families. The government said it will review electricity prices again in six months, with a very real possibility of further rises.
The electricity tariff hikes pose two risks for Mr. Macri: street protests and a potentially recessionary effect as bigger electricity bills force consumers to cut back spending


Hymns Of EASE Release
Announcing my upcoming November 2022 Hymns of EASE Release! I grew up on both piano and organ benches playing hymns from elementary school age. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that the worship movement began to shift away from hymns, choruses, and music notation to the chord charts that are commonly standard in the current worship circles. Bob Sorge’s 2021 book release, Next Wave: Worship in a New Era, is an excellent resource detailing the history of modern worship. I have literally lived many of its pages.
Music Reading to Chord Charts to Sound Therapy
My grandmother Helen, who passed from this life far too young, used to sit and listen for hours while I practiced hymns for church. A Piano Performance degree and a Master’s Degree in Music proved invaluable through all the years of playing in church and music ministry. My dream, however, was to become a professional accompanist, along with continuing to lead worship.
I sense that is why the Lord shifted me into the recording and Sound Therapy fields. He desires that I continue to use all the years and hours I invested into the practice and study of my instrument on behalf of others connecting intimately with His glorious healing Presence. He purposed for me to accompany Holy Spirit on a most profound journey of playing the NOW and the new song of Heaven over individuals and nations as only He can synthesize and conduct.
All of my original compositions, album releases, and music I record for holistic health practitioners and clients draw upon my intimate relationship with Holy Spirit. They also require all my Heavenly Father has orchestrated in directing my path throughout all the years of hymn playing, music reading, piano performance, and extensive musical studies. My Hymns of EASE Release birthed in the midst of this journey.
Hymns of EASE Album Assignment
Many hymns are rich in Scriptural truths the church needs to once again embrace. It has always been in my spirit to record an album of favorite hymns. I utilized the past several years of global shaking and shifting to be obedient in recording very strategic and specific holistic sound therapy album assignments. The time has officially arrived to announce that one of those recent assignments is my upcoming November 2022 Hymns of EASE Release!
Holistic Hymns of EASE
My Hymns of EASE Release is a holistic Sound Therapy album. Each hymn is recorded in strategic and intentional holistic tuning, frequencies, and settings. Because the hymns are public domain, this album will not generate any streaming revenue. Therefore, I pray many will purchase the full downloads (or purchase a hard copy from this website/from me) for their own devotional and intimate time with Holy Spirit, enjoying the richness of worship music that has stood the test of time. I know I thoroughly enjoyed the recording process with this album assignment. I am also abundantly thankful to my husband, Kevan, who applied his gift of sound to produce the piano pieces on this album.
My Hymns of EASE Release will be available on this website under SHOP PRODUCTS and at tammysorenson.com beginning November 1, 2022. It will also be available wherever digital distribution is sold. This album is dedicated to my grandmother, Helen Brusven. I also dedicate this album to my parents, Milton and DeAnna Luchsinger, who ensured I had the instruments and the teachers throughout my K-12 years to arrive at this juncture in His Story. Being able to share the gifts and skills my Heavenly Father placed within me, online all around the world, with and for whomever Holy Spirit would lead to listen, manifests in immeasurable thankfulness, gratefulness, humbleness, and honor beyond words.


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Idle hands are the Devils workshop...so, to keep his hands from being idle, and to ward of any possible fidgeting and bouts of insanity, due to a lack of internet, KiLaKeV put his skilz to good use! These skilz come from creating content for Call of Duty and Medal of Honor, which he has been doing for some time!
Twin Islands Night comes to you as two islands with a bridge connecting them, and to throw a bit of challenge into the mix, this map takes place in the dead of night. Although there is not much real estate on either island, the bridge will add to the difficulty of staying alive! You will find an abundance of objects to provide cover for those moments of intensity, or to set up an ambush...depending on the type of gamer that you are. Don't become like the night...dead. To spread the action out some, KiLaKeV has included a buggy and a single boat on each side; This map has action all through it, especially if you find yourself on the bridge!
Enjoy the detail, but don't spend a lot of time doing it, or you'll pay the price...
Refer to the readme for more information.
Installation: (Windows Vista) put the "Twin Island Night.fc2map" file into your C:Users<yourname>DocumentsMy GamesFar Cry 2user maps (for Xp users I dont know exactly where the folder is...) Please don't edit the map without permission - KiLaKeV
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domain: hobby


My New Computer Desk
I wanted to have a new computer desk for my lair but I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for. I decided to make my new computer desk because it is one more thing you can make with a cnc router. I wanted a desk that was more functional than the $39 computer cart I had been using. I looked around at all sorts of desks to find one that met my needs. Since I had two computers that I wanted to work on and have access to at the same time, I knew needed a large desk. I needed a desk with space for three monitors, a laser printer, a scanner, a 3D printer as well as a microphone and an Ipad. I also wanted some room for shelves, with storage and to make it upgradable as my needs changed.
It seemed like allot to expect from an inexpensive off the shelf computer desk and in fact it was too much to expect. Well, during my search for a suitable desk I found one company that has a designed desks which are functional and beautiful. Their product are flat pack furniture made from sustainable woods like bamboo and designed to assemble without the need for tools. I watched several of their Youtube videos about their products and I really liked their work. I just couldn’t afford $1000 to purchase all the parts I would need to make my dream desk. So what’s a maker to do? Why Make of course.
I decides to reverse engineer the project and come up with a similar desk to meet my desires. I took my handy CAD package and drew up a desk that is similar to the great stuff they made. I had to figure out how their sliding tab joints worked and roughly how large the desk I wanted was going to be. I checked out what they had to offer and realized that an extension table would also be needed to fit all my stuff. They made tables that were long enough but they didn’t appeal to me. But I did like the look of their Peninsula tables with the big round curves. So I decide that instead of just copying what already existed I would create an extension table that fit my exact needs. So I drew up a straight desk with a Peninsula bump on one end and then a gradual curve to mate up with the corner desk. This increased the length of the table from 31″ to 46″ which was a good size and would just fit in the area I had available.
So next I took the 2D drawings I created and turned them all onto 3D parts so that I could check the fit of each part in the assembly. I used Alibre Design to do that and it is a good thing I did because some of the parts needed adjustments. Alibre generated new 2D drawings based on the corrections I made. I then took the corrected drawing intoVectric Aspire CAM software ( I could have used the much less expensive Cut2D also from Vectric to do the same job but I already had Aspire). In Aspire, I generated all the tool paths for the project and produced the G-code needed to drive my CNC router table.
I began looking around to find some bamboo plywood and discovered that it was extremely expensive compared to conventional plywood and way out of my budget at $200 a sheet. I decided instead to use Luan plywood because I liked the grain pattern. The Luan ply was about $50 a sheet from a wholesale cabinet place, expect to pay more in discount centers. The choice of plywood is really up to the Maker.
I cut the parts out on my home made CNC Router table over the course of two evenings but could have done it much quicker if I wanted to. I spent the first night double checking the fit of the parts and rounding the edges of the parts to make all the tabs and slots fit together nicely. I used tricks that I learned that first night to speed up the process on the second night.
I waited a few months to finish the project because I got side tracked and because the weather wasn’t suitable for applying the finish to the desks. I used Cabot Polystain, a water based Polyurethane and Stain all in one. The application is simple and fast. You may have trouble finding the Cabot stain because it is not a popular product. Because the stain and Poly are all being applied at the same time it is hard to darken a project once the first coat goes on. Anyway, I liked the results I got.
I realize not everyone will have their own CNC router table at home to make a project like this but I figured folks might be interested in what you can accomplish if you do have the proper equipment. I will not be sharing the files I used to create this a desk, so don’t ask. I will not be creating these desk commercially either. I simply liked the companies design and so I made something similar for my own use and still keep within my budget.
My desks aren’t perfect and there are a few details I got wrong. But I had fun making the desks and I really like working at a desk with plenty of room. I also didn’t bust my budget because I spent around $200 and built 3 desks Two for me and one for my son. Having a CNC router table give me the freedom to Make whatever I can think of. I have made signs, fixtures, toys, stage props, dog dishes and clamps so far. My new computer desk is just one more thing I can make with a CNC Router. What will you make?


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Buhari Slams Judges, Lawyers for killing Fight Against Corruption
LAGOS JULY 19TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has accused Judges and lawyers of killing his war against corruption by using all manner of tactics to either delay or free suspects.
Voicing his disappointment at the way the judiciary and lawyers approach his avowed fight against corruption in the country, Buhari challenged them to remove all cogs in the wheel and swiftly prosecute offenders.
In his words: “I am worried that the expectation of the public is yet to be met by the judiciary with regard to the removal of delay and the toleration of delay tactics by lawyers.”
President Buhari at an International Workshop On The Role Of The Judiciary In The Fight Against Corruption, July 18, 2016 At The National Judicial Institute, Abuja, called on all stake holders to join him in the fight against corruption.
Buhari who called the participants “stakeholders in this national fight against corruption in Nigeria” stated that it is critically important that the sacred duty of the judiciary to ensure that criminal justice administration is not delayed.
“When cases are not concluded the negative impression is given that crime pays. So far, the corruption cases filed by government are not progressing as speedily as they should in spite of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2015 essentially because the courts allow some lawyers to frustrate the reforms introduced by law. This certainly needs to change if we are to make success in our collective effort in the fight against corruption.”
President Buhari stated that he has “made the fight against corruption one of the top priorities of my administration in the hope of restoring the economy and build a new Nigeria. In the face of dwindling revenues and in a bid at repositioning ?Nigeria’s economy, it became obligatory to swiftly tackle two ills; waste and corruption.”
“The eradication of corruption is a joint task involving not only judges and members of the legal profession, but literally all stakeholders, including all branches of Government, the media and the civil society. The challenge is to come up with an integrated approach that balances process
and substance, promote clarity to ensure a coherent and realistic formulation of objectives.
“To this end, the Judiciary is under a duty to keep its house in order and to ensure that the public, which it serves, sees this. Thus, we cannot expect to make any gains in the war against corruption in our society when the judiciary is seen as being distant from the crusade. This will not augur well and its negative effect will impact all sectors of society. The judiciary must fight delay of cases in court as well as it fights corruption in its own ranks, perceived or otherwise. We expect to see less tolerance to delay tactics used by defense lawyers or even the prosecution
in taking cases to conclusion.”
President Buhari commended the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, the National Judicial Institute, the United Nation’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Commonwealth Secretariat for conceiving “such an important and timely workshop and making it happen”.
He stated that the “workshop is important and timely not only because far-reaching reforms of the judiciary remains one of the key priorities of this administration but also because it offers us a unique opportunity to interact and agree on the basic tenets and guiding principles that will
make our efforts acceptable to all right thinking people.”
While recognizing the efforts of the judiciary’s fight against corruption, Buhari however stated that, “the responsibility of the judiciary in a democratic society such as ours is a critical one. It is one of the three pillars of the modern democratic nation state and is essential to the process of checks and balances, which is so fundamental to the way societies such as ours are meant to operate and function. This apparent function that the Judiciary plays is undeniably one of the cornerstones of any effective strategy against corruption.”
He admitted “that corruption is a global phenomenon occurring in almost all countries in the world”, but “the problem is much more pronounced in some countries than others but more complicated in developing countries. It has now become clear that corruption is one of the main obstacles to peace, stability, sustainable development, democracy, and human rights
around the globe.”
“A corrupt judicial system not only violates the basic right to equality before the law but also deny procedural rights guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.
“Where judicial corruption occurs, the damage can be pervasive and extremely difficult to reverse. It undermines citizens’ morale, violates their human rights, harms national development and depletes the quality of governance”, Buhari stated.

domain: sociology


text:
If you were at my house today, I may have gone out into the garden, picked us a bowl of ripe Cherry Tomatoes, and chopped us up this beautiful Tomato Salad.
A bowl of organic Cherry Tomatoes freshly picked out of the garden
About 6 leaves of organic fresh Basil
A clove of Garlic
Two Green Onions/Scallions
Fresh Squeezed Lemon
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
A pinch of dried Basil
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Chop each of the cherry tomatoes into halves or quarters.
Put into a nice salad bowl.
Chop up the fresh basil.
Chop up the garlic.
Slice up the green onions.
Add all of that to the tomatoes.
Sprinkle the veg with the salt, pepper and the pinch of dried basil.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Drizzle with balsamic vinegar – be careful not to use too much.
Slice the lemon in half and squeeze one half over the salad.
Add a handful of Parmesan cheese.
Sprinkle with pine nuts – pine nuts can be either raw or roasted.
Taste and adjust.
Serve with a baguette.
Pasta Tomato Salad
To make a filling lunch, mix the Tomato Salad with cooked pasta that has been cooled to at least room temperature – Farfalle, Orzo, Rotini, any bite size pasta will do.

domain: food


The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons has condemned all acts of discrimination against internally displaced person’s at all levels of the society.
The commission noted that it was joining its voices with others to condemn and identify with the concerns of refugees around the world.
Delivering his speech at the 2020 World Refugee Day Celebration in Abuja, the Federal Commissioner for Refugees Migrant and Internally Displaced Persons, Senator Basheer Mohammed, said as an agency that was responsible and dedicated to the empowerment, rehabilitation and livelihood support for refugees in Nigeria, “we make a strong statement today that we recognize you, we stand with you and will continue to support to a place of improved dignity and prosperity.”
Mohammed in a statement by the Commission, hinted that more than 20 years ago the United Nations declared World Refugee Day as an annual celebration.
He said, “on this day we identify with the concerns of refugees around the world. Your strength, your courage, and your resilience are remarkable. Many of you have left your countries in response to threats based on religion, race, membership of a particular social group, and in some cases due to war in various parts of the world.
“But, we want you to know, today more than ever, the Nigerian Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari is fully behind you and will continue to protect you.”
According to him, the establishment of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons itself is a testimony to the country’s commitment to the plight of Refugees, Migrants as well as Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs.
The Commissioner stated further that even with the global pandemic caused by the Coronavirus, the efforts of its office in supporting the needs of Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons have not slowed down, as he hinted that the Commission’s offices were open in line with the Federal Government’s protocol and “we have also reached out to all camps and host communities with protective supplies, such as hand sanitizers, buckets and face masks.“
While thanking its partner, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Nigeria, in the role it has played so far, the Commissioner said; “this year’s theme, Everyone Can Make a Difference, Every Action Counts, is befitting, even as he reassured the Refugees, Migrants, and IDPs that they were the Commission’s primary concern.”
Speaking further he said, “for those of you here with us today, as leaders of various communities, you have taken a bold step to be the “change-makers.
“And thus we appreciate you. No matter who you are or where you came from, pandemic or not, everyone can make a difference. Every action counts and ours are in an inclusive world.”
He commended the UNHCR Country’s Representative, Ms. Chansa Kapaya for its support, adding that the partnership of the Commission with UNHCR is stronger.