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A review of Forests of the Gods: Shinto, Nature, and Sacred Space in Contemporary Japan, by Aike P. Rots
Aike Rots’ thesis expands our understanding and offers a critical account of the continuous reinterpretations of religious practice in response to contemporary world issues and associated social movements, namely, in this case, environmentalism. Indeed, together with, for example, the re-discovery of shamanism as “indigenous ecocentrism” (Thomas Karl Alberts, 2015, Shamanism, Discourse, Modernity, Surrey: Ashgate, p. 130), the growing global concern with ecology in the 1980s seems to have also influenced the re-imagining of another so-called “indigenous” religion, Shinto. Rots argues that in addition to the various conceptualizations of Shinto that exist today (more about this in Chapter 5 of the thesis), we should now also count a “Shinto environmentalist paradigm,” which he defines as “the conceptualization of Shinto as an ancient tradition of nature worship, containing important ecological knowledge and solutions for overcoming contemporary environmental problems” (p. 38). A core term in this paradigm is the notion of chinju no mori, or (sacred) shrine forest, which should be familiar to scholars of Japan as it has been used increasingly since the 1990s in relation to not only shrines, but also forest management, landscape conservation, spirituality and even Japanese national identity (p. 253). Rots shows that, perhaps similarly to what has happened with “spirituality” (supirichuariti), another term popular in Japan since the 1990s, chinju no mori’s unclear boundaries and absence of authoritative definition allowed it to be appropriated by different actors (academics, environmentalists, Shinto priests, local community leaders and volunteers) for different purposes (to claim for the uninterrupted ecological continuity of a forest, to identify the allegedly typical landscape of Japan, or to criticize the technological and economic progress of the country), leading to a disparate movement whose promotion of an environmentally-friendly Shinto can tell us a lot about notions of nature and sacred space in contemporary Japan.
The thesis is composed of eleven chapters, divided into four parts, and is accompanied by a 9-page glossary of terms, which I found particularly useful when I needed to remind myself of the names of trees mentioned throughout the text. In addition, a map of Japan marking the 41 shrines mentioned throughout the text allows the reader to keep track of the geographical spread of the chinju no mori movement in the country. The first part is composed of three introductory chapters and sets the tone for the rest of Rots’ work. I was immediately taken in by the author’s clear and concise explanations showing full awareness of his stance and knowledge about how to tackle the fundamental issues that all PhD authors need to grapple with: positionality, methodology, and the definition of the core-concepts employed in the thesis. A few examples should suffice to demonstrate the above argument.
Noting the essential transdisciplinarity of his background in both Japanese Studies and Religious Studies, Rots uses a combination of historical discourse analysis (informed by Kocku Von Stuckard’s discursive study of religion) and ethnographic field research to approach his data, and sounds particularly convincing (especially to the ears of fellow Japanese Studies specialists like me) when he writes that “transdisciplinarity lies not in the choice of the subject matter, but in the interpretation of that subject matter” (p. 34). The subject matter are, of course, the shrine forests mentioned earlier, but Rots’ transdisciplinary reasoning allows him from the beginning to critically question the use of basic concepts in his study. He agrees, for example, with Timothy Fitzerald and Russel McCutcheon that ‘religion’ is an ideologically charged concept, but follows Peter Beyer in noting that the concept “figures prominently in the contemporary world, if only as an ‘emic’ category” (p.45), deciding thus to use the term, but with caution. Similarly, for “Japan” he notes the problems of essentialization of Japanese culture by scholars writing about Japan (and most famously criticized by Harry Harootunian), but draws from Tessa Morris-Suzuki to argue that Japanese Studies will still have a place in academia as long as scholars conceive of “Japan” as a second-order, historically constructed category (p.48). Finally, in the last section of Chapter 2, Rots draws from his previous arguments to offer a critique of the secularization debate in Japan, focusing particularly on Ian Reader’s thesis (see the special issue of first volume of the Journal of Religion in Japan), which he rejects for being based on observations not related to the decline of religion, but rather to changing political and socio-cultural circumstances that only show that some institutions such as temple Buddhism have not been able to adapt to these changes, whereas others have, such as pilgrimage practices rebranding themselves as “cultural heritage.” Rots thus agrees with the other authors of the first issue of JRJ, namely John Nelson and Mark Mullins, who argue, respectively, that there exist multiple, culturally-specific secularities in contemporary Japan, and that, as N.J. Demerath has also pointed out, these co-exist with processes of sacralization in Japan, which have taken the form of deprivatization, or the “return of rituals and sacred symbols to the public sphere” (p. 65). This type of secularization will become particularly relevant in the last part of the thesis where the author demonstrates how some of the cultural activities of sacred forest conservation projects consist of a religious socialization in disguise.
In the final chapter of the first part of the thesis, the author moves to a discussion of “space” and “sacred space,” two notions to which the concept of chinju no mori undoubtedly alludes. For the notion of space, Rots returns to the work of Henri Lefebvre (Henri Lefebvre, 1991 , The Production of Space, Translated by Donald Nicholson-Smith, Malden: Blackwell Publishing), from which he draws four implications: 1) that today “nature” has become a product reproduced in conservation practices, tourist destinations, and advertisements; 2) that spatial practices acquire meaning discursively, while narratives may simultaneously have spatial aspects; 3) that spaces embody and are part of ideologies; 4) that spaces have genealogies and are made of multiple historical layers. Rots then moves on to a review of the notion of “sacred space,” where he notes that Kim Knott (Kim Knott, 2005, The Location of Religion: A Spatial Analysis, London: Equinox Publishing) was the first to have applied Lefebvre’s theory of space to the study of religion (p. 85) to argue that sacred space is contested, while it is also perceived as non-negotiable by those whose discourse sacralizes it. Rots argues that Japanese sacred places have been undergoing two concurrent processes: 1) the heritagisation of worship traditions, by which “sacred” buildings or objects are redefined as “cultural heritage” (prominent examples being those of the World Heritage Site Kumano Sanzan and, as we will later find, the sacred forests of the Grand Shrine of Ise); and 2) the (re)sacralisation of worship places, as demonstrated by the “powerspot boom,” which has seen shrines, temples, and other “sacred places” reframed as places with significant “spiritual power” by mainly non-clergy outsiders such as journalists, local authorities and popular authors.
The second part of the thesis, composed of four chapters, offers a description of what the author has called the Shinto environmentalist paradigm (Chapter 6), preceded by critical discussions of the alleged Japanese “love of nature” in Chapter 4, and of the various ahistorical interpretations (i.e. paradigms) of Shinto in Chapter 5, before examining the reasons behind shrine-related environmental advocacy in Chapter 7. Drawing on Anna Tsing’s work (Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing, 2005, Friction: An Ethnography of Global Connection, Princeton: Princeton University Press), Rots notes that, like “God,” “nature” is another universal concept which has often escaped historically and politically-sensitive analysis, even though in Japan “shizen is similar to shūkyō: an existing Chinese concept that was rediscovered and reemployed as a translation of a modern epistemic category in Meiji-period Japan” (p. 105). The author shows that it was in the work of 18th century nativist scholar Motoori Norinaga that we first find the association of an appreciation of nature’s beauty and harmony with nationalist assertions of Japanese divine superiority (p. 109), a claim of Japanese uniqueness that was to be further perpetuated in the works of modern thinkers, such as philosopher Watsuji Tetsurō. What is particularly interesting in this string of thought, however, is that it was reinforced by postwar discourse stemming from an influential 1967 Science article by Lynn White, Jr. (“The Historical Roots of our Ecological Crisis”), which claims that “Christianity, in absolute contrast to ancient paganism and Asia’s religions … not only established a dualism of a man and nature but also insisted that it is God’s will that man exploit nature for his proper ends” (quoted on p. 118). This religious environmental paradigm, as named by anthropologist Poul Pedersen and discussed from a Japanese perspective by Arne Kalland (Kalland, 2008, ‘Det religiøse miljøparadigmet og de Andre’, Norsk Antropologish Tidsskrift 19 (2-3): 94-107), explains a key-opposition in the Shinto environmentalist paradigm, that is “Shinto is reimagined as, essentially, both: a primitive indigenous tradition of ancient ecological knowledge … and a sophisticated holistic Asian wisdom tradition, diametrically opposed to ‘Western’ Christianity” (p. 120-121).
The different, overlapping, and sometimes competing re-imaginations of Shinto, which Rots aptly summarizes in Chapter 5 under the five essentialist paradigms (namely imperial, ethnic, universal, local, and spiritual), have indeed occupied much of recent work, and therefore perhaps need not be further discussed in this review (see John Breen and Mark Teeuwen, 2010, A New History of Shinto, Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell ). Rots’ succinct description of each of these narratives that put forward Shinto as more than the historical construct that it is, however, informs the background ideology of many of the contributors to the creation of the sixth paradigm, environmentalist, which may, the author insightfully argues, present the capacity of uniting actors of very different ideologies, precisely because “‘[n]ature and ‘the environment’ are depoliticized, ‘neutral’ topics that provide a common ground on which various Shinto institutions, priests and scholars can find each other—at least when it comes to abstract theory and symbolism” (p. 159).
In Chapter 6 we learn that from the 1980s onwards two concurrent scholarly trends significantly contributed to the development of the Shinto environmentalist paradigm. One of the trends is represented by the so-called “spiritual intellectuals,” such as Kamata Tōji, Umehara Takeshi, or Yasuda Yoshinori (previously discussed in the works of Susumu Shimazono, Inken Prohl, and Lisette Gebhardt), who popularized the notion that Shinto is primarily a tradition of nature worship. The second scholarly trend is represented by a mixture of scientists, intellectuals and Shinto priests, who insisted on the association of Shinto with specifically sacred shrines forests and nature conservation. Prominent members of this second trend are architect and urban planner Ueda Atsushi whose 1984 work Chinju no mori can be considered “one of the movement’s foundational texts” (p. 166); ecologist Miyawaki Akira, who promoted the planting of native tree species in the weekly shrine newspaper of the Association of Shinto Shrines (Jinja Honchō) from as early as 1982; Ueda Masaaki, historian specializing in prehistorical East Asia and head of Obata shrine in Kyoto prefecture; and Sonoda Minoru, a scholar of religion and head priest of Chichibu shrine in Saitama prefecture who in 2002 went on to found, with Ueda Masaaki and Ueda Atsushi, the Shasō Gakkai, an “academic-religious non-profit organization that has actively contributed to the establishment of the Shinto environmentalist paradigm” (p. 169). Rots’ critical analysis does not stop with the Japanese scholarly discourse, however, because he reminds readers of Anglophone literature that non-Japanese academics such as Carmen Blacker, John Clammer, Thomas Kasulis and Stuart Picken have all contributed in various degrees to promoting Shinto as “nature spirituality.” This image has been further reinforced among Western audiences by films of Hayao Miyazaki, who in My Neighbor Totoro, depicts a chinju no mori “as the dwelling places of deities, who are strongly connected to (and, for that matter, dependent on) their particular locales” (p. 188). But have these concerns for the preservation of sacred forests been reflected in real advocacy movements?
Rots’s transdisciplinary review of the literature reveals that pre-modern preservation responses of shrines forests were not due to an alleged Japanese awareness of any intrinsic sacredness, but instead to increasing deforestation by the authorities and corresponding natural disasters. A similar phenomenon occurred in the early twentieth century when shrine merger policies nearly halved the total number of shrines. Today, Rots duly notes that Jinja Honchō’s expressions of environmentalism are significantly more pronounced in English- than in Japanese-language publications (p. 198), and they often reduce environmental problems to problems of moral and cultural decline (p. 200), rather than to technological and scientific advancements. It becomes interesting, therefore, to know that most of the environmental advocacy efforts are very much localized within certain shrines and dependent “on the involvement and engagement of a handful of active volunteers, not all of whom necessarily identify with Shinto” (p. 204). As in past examples, advocacy today may be too strong of a word for describing actual practices related to the Shinto environmentalist paradigm, but Rots suggests that this may change due to calls for alternative energy following the 2011 nuclear crisis.
In the third part of the thesis, Rots delves further into the forest trope, discussing how and why, like in Finland, Germany, and the United States, a discourse claiming an intimate connection between forests and nationhood has arisen in Japan. In Chapter 8, we read that geographer and former president of the International Research Center for Japanese Studies Yasuda Yoshinori argues that “Japanese animism (which he claims is the essence of Japanese religion), is said to have emerged spontaneously out of the forest landscape and monsoon climate of the Japanese isles, whereas the Judeo-Christian ‘monotheistic’ tradition stems from the inhospitable dry climate of the Middle East” (p. 217). These claims, supported by other intellectuals of the Shinto environmentalist paradigm such as Umehara Takeshi and Sonoda Minoru, usually rely on an ecological romanticism focusing on the Jōmon (c.14,000–300 BCE) and Yayoi periods (c. 300 BCE–250 CE), which are seen as the foundational periods of Japanese culture and politics—and, of course, of Shinto (p. 235). To support their arguments, they often refer to what they see as a prime example of prehistoric Japanese religion: Ōmiwa shrine in Nara prefecture, whose sacred object (shintai) is not housed in a honden (central hall) as in the majority of shrines, but consists of Mount Miwa itself, lying just behind the shrine and constituting a sacred shrine forest (chinju no mori). Yet this just seems to be a convenient example (if not even correct: the earliest document to call Mount Miwa a sacred object dates only from 1871), because another shrine, Saitama’s Chichibu shrine, located next to Mount Bukō, also a sacred mountain, has not managed to prevent the mountain from being mined for limestone.
Following these contradictions between intellectual theory and the reality of what are considered to be sacred shrine forests (chinju no mori), Rots uses Chapter 9 to discuss the term chinju no mori itself, noting through the examples of the forests of the Grand Shrine of Ise, of Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, and of the island of Awaji, that even within the same institution (such as Ise), officials may interpret the term differently, from using it to refer to any kind of forest associated with a Shinto shrine to limiting its use to talk of small “natural” forests, where no logging takes place (p. 246). Consequently, as with the Shinto environmental paradigm, Rots argues that the concept of chinju no mori can be employed by different actors for different purposes, as it “carries profound symbolic capital because of its commonly shared discursive connotations” (p. 250). Nevertheless, based on an analysis of a definition of the term, the author shows that chinju no mori usually refers to five core themes: “primordiality and old age; ecological balance and biodiversity; ritual purity and the importance of matsuri (festivals, ritual ceremonies); sacred qualities and divine presence; and continuity with the ancestral past” (p. 259).
In the last section of the dissertation, titled “Shrine Forest Stories,” Rots visits and discusses eight case studies of chinju no mori projects, four of which primarily focus on nature conservation itself (Chapter 10), and four of which use the trope of nature conservation to promote the revitalization of cultural practices and/or the nation as a whole (Chapter 11). The projects that the author visits in Chapter 10 are the Tadasu no Mori Foundation entrusted with the conservation of the forest of the same name, owned by UNESCO heritage site, the Shimogamo shrine (Kyoto prefecture); the previously mentioned Shasō Gakkai, founded by prominent intellectuals of the Shinto environmentalist movement, and which organizes a yearly symposium and has published extensively on chinju no mori in various formats; the Sennen no Mori no Kai, founded by the head of Gosho Komataki shrine (Ibaraki prefecture) and “a pioneer in shrine-based environmental activism” (p. 297), whose conservationism goes beyond the forest of the shrine to raise awareness of the local river, warn against overconsumption, and promote rice-planting or traditional charcoal-making activities; the Mori-zukuri Kaigi, a small volunteer group (10 active members) which does forest maintenance work for Shiroyama Hachimangū (Aichi prefecture), but which is not allowed to enter the forested area behind the sanctuary because they are non-clergy. From these case studies several interesting realities arise: we learn that only the wealthiest shrines, such as Shimogamo shrine, can afford to permanently hire people for forest maintenance, while the majority of shrine forests are ignored due to lack of funds (p. 302). Moreover, there seems to be no consensus on the ground about what an ideal shrine forest should look like and what sort of maintenance activities should or should not take place (p. 307), possibly because the existence of a “local community” is imaginary, and in reality, “permanent community involvement is difficult to achieve” (p.310).
In Chapter 11, Rots moves on to larger projects, starting with the NPO Hibiki, which organizes its activities in the large forest (160,000 trees) surrounding Meiji shrine in central Tokyo. This forest is described as “the ultimate naturalization project: a politically embedded historical construction and the site of (potentially) contested memories, the shrine was literally dehistoricised by creating an ‘eternal’ and ‘natural’ forest at its site” (p. 315). The author shows how the shrine has been involving a massive number of citizens (as well as non-Japanese) in planting trees in the same way that it asked volunteers from around the nation to plant the trees of the Meiji shrine forest in the early 1900s. The activities of a shrine dedicated to the Meiji emperor and his wife could be conceived as following “a political strategy for socializing participants into the imperial ritual-ideological system, which ultimately served to legitimize the ruling powers” (p. 318). A more contemporary example of cultural education, “religious socialization in disguise” (p. 336), was also observed by the author at another shrine, Kamigamo shrine (Kyoto prefecture), where children invited to participate in a “traditional food culture” event organized by the shrine-associated AFUHI project, had to ritually offer food to the gods, learn about shrine mythology and gratitude to the deities before being allowed to eat.
In the final two cases, Rots moves to even larger projects. The first, the shikinen sengū, or the regular (every 20 years) ritualized reconstruction and replacement of all shrine buildings of the Grand Shrine of Ise, has become redefined in the light of contemporary environmentalist discourse as an ecologically sustainable tradition, even though objective reality seems to allude to the contrary: current architectural techniques lead to the quick decay of building materials, and as a result the ritual requires a significant amount of timber to be imported from production forests in Nagano and Gifu prefectures due to the deforestation of the Ise forest itself (p. 343). The consequent cost of this exercise has led the Association of Shinto Shrines to ask member-shrines to buy protective talismans to fund the shikinen sengū, a matter that has drawn some controversy in recent years. Similar costly endeavors are described in the very last section of the dissertation, which deals with reconstruction projects following the triple March 2011 disaster in Northeastern Japan (Tōhoku). One of these projects was set up by the previously mentioned ecologist Miyawaki Akira, whose plan to build a “Great Forest Wall” along 300 kilometers of Tōhoku coast requires the planting of 90 million trees. In this and other projects, Rots demonstrates, with characteristic transdisciplinary zeal, the multiple ways in which intellectuals of the chinju no mori movement “who have praised ‘Great Nature’ (daishizen) for its mysterious benevolence, and Shinto for its unique sense of harmony with and gratitude for nature … find ways to reconcile these idealized notions with the reality of earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons causing havoc” (p. 362). He optimistically argues that the focus on chinju no mori is possibly only now starting to impact new generations of priests and volunteers who would like to contribute to further improving their local environment beyond cultural-essentialist discourse and grand millenarian schemes. Here, therefore, lies probably the ultimate demonstration of Rots’ argument that a discussion of the sacredness of space needs to take into account the historicity of space (p. 371), one which for Tōhoku has undoubtedly changed dramatically since 2011.
The strength of Rots’ dissertation stems, as mentioned above, from the logical reasoning that his transdisciplinary approach offers to his analyses. Rots makes use of a vast amount of sources without getting lost, and consistently knowing what to pick up from which primary resource, interview, or scholarly text. This ability allows him to draw a fascinating picture of the multiple interpretations of concepts such as “sacred forest” or “nature” which make up the core of the discourses that the author has convincingly labeled “Shinto environmentalism.” His study demonstrates how religions react upon, are influenced by, and impact on contemporary social and scientific concerns, thus opening the door to possibly new forms of religious engagement in secular societies, only visible to a transdisciplinary scholarly eye.
Center for International Research and Education
Sonoda Minoru. 薗田稔. 1998. Dare demo no shintō: Shūkyō no Nihonteki kanōsei誰でもの神道―宗教の日本的可能性. Tokyo: Kōbundō.
Miyawaki Akira宮脇昭. 2000. Chinju no mori鎮守の森. Tokyo: Shinchōsha.
Ueda Masaaki上田正昭, and Ueda Atsushi上田篤, eds. 2001. Chinju no mori wa yomigaeru: Shasōgaku koto hajime鎮守の森は甦る―社叢学事始. Kyoto: Shibunkaku shuppan.
Ueda Masaaki上田正昭, ed. 2004. Tankyū ‘chinju no mori’: Shasōgaku e no shōtai探求「鎮守の森」―社叢学への招待. Tokyo: Heibonsha.
Umehara Takeshi梅原猛. 1995 . Mori no shisō ga jinrui o sukuu森の思想が人類を救う. Tokyo: Shōgakukan.
University of Oslo. 2013. 416pp. Supervisors: Mark Teeuwen and Terje Stordalen.
Image: Tadasu no Mori, the forest of Shimogamo Shrine, Kyoto.


WASHINGTON – The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is using a high-risk acquisition approach to bolster its arsenal of ground-based interceptors and counter growing threats from North Korea, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
"To achieve its current fielding goal, MDA is relying on a highly optimistic, aggressive schedule," the Feb. 17 report said. As a result, the agency is "compromising interceptor reliability and extending risk to the warfighter."
The Defense Department announced in March 2013 a new strategy to offset threats from North Korea that would add 14 interceptors to ground-based missile defense sites in California and Alaska. [The Most Destructive Space Weapons Concepts]
Currently the MDA has a total of 30 interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and in Fort Greely, Alaska.
To meet the White House's goals, Navy Vice Adm. James Syring, the head of the MDA, said in January the agency plans to have 37 interceptors in place by the end of the year and 44 by the end of 2017.
But the GAO pointed to two areas where they said the agency needed to do more testing before deploying additional interceptors.
First, the congressional watchdog chided MDA for beginning production of a new version of the kill vehicle, known as the Capability Enhancement-2 Block 1, before it has performed its first intercept test.
"This approach runs counter to best practices for DOD's weapon system acquisition process, which state that the demonstration flight test should be conducted before starting production," the report said.
Syring said during a Feb. 9 press briefing that the new version of the interceptor will be part of a flight test later this year. Deliveries of the CE-2 Block 1 are expected to begin in fiscal year 2017, the GAO report said.
Boeing is the prime contractor on the ground-based midcourse defense system and Raytheon builds the kill vehicle.
Second, the GAO is worried that MDA does not have a rigorous enough testing schedule for new alternate divert thrusters (ADT) on its kill vehicles. The primary purpose of a Jan. 28 flight test was to gather more data about the kill vehicle's divert and attitude control system, which helps steer the kill vehicle into its target. But GAO investigators said reduced testing during production of the kill vehicle "increases the risk of workmanship errors going undetected and failures being discovered during flight."
"Although each ADT produced is to undergo some functional and environmental testing, MDA does not intend to 'hot-fire' each ADT before integration —a test that verifies proper performance and workmanship," the report said. "As a result, the first time the ADT will be fired is in flight."
The report also echoed longstanding claims about the missile defense system's effectiveness.
The GAO cited two recent reports from the Pentagon's chief weapons tester that the system has "a partial capability against small numbers of simple ballistic missile threats launched from North Korea and Iran" but that there had been insufficient testing to demonstrate whether an "operationally useful defense capability exists."
Specifically, the GAO said the agency's ground-based midcourse defense system has not demonstrated that it can intercept an intercontinental ballistic missile or perform what's known as a salvo intercept, where two or more interceptors chase the same target, a likely scenario during an attack.
"MDA has not demonstrated through flight testing that it can defend the U.S. homeland against the current missile defense threat," the report said.
The Defense Department has planned those tests for the near-term.
During a January speech here at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Syring said the first intercept test using an ICBM target is planned for the end of this year and the first salvo intercept test of the ground-based midcourse defense system is planned for late 2017.
This story was provided by SpaceNews, dedicated to covering all aspects of the space industry.
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Mike Gruss is a veteran defense reporter and Editor-in-Chief of Sightline Media Group, which includes Army Times, Air Force Times, Dense News, Military Times and Navy Times. From 2013 to 2016, Mike served as a Senior Staff Writer for SpaceNews covering national security space programs and military space policy in the U.S. Congress. Mike earned a bachelor's degree in English and American Studies from Miami University and has previously wrote for the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana and the Virginian-Pilot in Virginia before joining SpaceNews. Prior to joining Sightline in 2017, he was a senior editor of FedTech magazine covering technology in federal government. You can see Mike's latest project on Twitter.


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The Minister of Industry takes part in a roundtable on the economic crisis in the Basque Country
Bernabe Unda sees the current economic crisis as an "opportunity to establish a foothold in international markets" such as Russia, Brazil, India and China.
The Minister was taking part in a seminar entitled "What is the state of preparedness of the Basque Economy to get out of the financial crisis?". During the seminar, Unda underlined the importance of innovation in order to improve the competitiveness of Basque companies.
The Minister of Industry, Commerce, Innovation and Tourism, Bernabe Unda, saw the current crisis as an "opportunity". He declared that in order to get out of the current economic situation, "Basque companies must focus their attention" on countries that have not been affected by the economic crisis, such as Russia, Brazil, India and China.
The Minister was taking part in a roundtable entitled "What is the state of preparedness of the Basque Economy to get out of the financial crisis?", held at the Palacio Euskalduna in Bilbao and organised by Xupera and the Business School. In addition to the Minister, the seminar was attended by the President of Adegi, Eduardo Zubiaurre, the managing director of Euskaltel, Alberto García Erauskin and the President of Innobasque, Guillermo Ulacia. All the guest speakers took part in a debate on five aspects of the economic crisis in the Basque Country.
The first of the subjects tackled was the current situation. As the Minister pointed out, current indicators forecast a "slight increase in economic growth" over the next six months. Moreover, Unda was optimistic in his appraisal of the possibilities of the Basque Country to get out of the negative economic situation as he declared that "all economies end up by re-establishing themselves after a period of crisis".
The second matter dealt with at the roundtable concerned the lessons learnt from the economic situation at an economic and social level. The Industry Minister highlighted the "opportunities" afforded by the current situation in order to "concentrate on those countries that have not been affected by the crisis". According to Unda, examples of the countries to which Basque companies should pay special attention include Brazil, China, India and Russia.
Innovation was another of the subjects dealt with during the seminar, which was attended by a large number of businessmen and women. In the words of the Minister, innovation "is something that has to be fostered", not only in products, but also in "the dimensions of every company" and added that innovation must form an "obligatory part" of the work of governments and institutions.
The fourth subject discussed at the seminar was the dependence of the Basque market on the Spanish and international markets. In this sense, the head of the Industry Department of the Basque Government affirmed that Basque companies "must establish footholds in new markets within the framework of internationalisation". Likewise, he declared that "the Basque Country will not generate employment until Spain gets out of the crisis" and spoke of the importance of doing business on markets, such as Germany, that "are already seeing an end" to the negative economic situation.
Lastly, delegates concentrated on the relationship between politics, the crisis and changes in labour laws. The Minister, Bernabe Unda, supported the idea of reaching an agreement "acceptable to everyone involved" in order to resolve the problems that have arisen as a result of the crisis and concluded that "this is the moment for change and consensus in the Basque Country, both at a political and economic level; the key question is co-responsibility".

domain: news


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The Mouria tavern in Paleo Faliro offers Greek cuisine in a beautiful, traditional space. The family tradition of the tavern begins in 1954 with its establishment by Babis and Angeliki. Today their children continue the tradition with passion and love for good, homemade food. At the Mouria tavern you will enjoy fine grilled meats, traditional stews, cool salads and appetizers. Try delicious shrimp pasta, beef fillet stewed with cognac & sauce from 5 different varieties of pepper, brisket skewer with bacon, milk lamb and juicy ribs. If you are looking for delicious traditional food in Paleo Faliro, the Mouria tavern is a good choice. Make your reservation for free via e-table and take advantage of offers and privileges.
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domain: food


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Modern day telecommuting, however, received a fillip to counter the effects of the OPEC oil embargo of the late 1970s. In 1979, Frank Schiff, Vice President of the Committee for Economic Development coined the term “flexiplace" and published his article “Working at Home Can Save Gasoline." Many federal agencies such as the GSA, Air Force, EPA, Army, Department of Labor, and others started experimenting with flexiwork, and these experiments later culminated in the President’s Council on Management Improvement commissioning a government-wide telework pilot project for federal agencies in 1989.
In 1985, Patrika Mokhtarian, transportation planner of the Southern California Association of Governments established a telecommuting task force in the City of Los Angeles. In 1987, this evolved into the Telecommuting Advisory Council, and later became the precursor to the International Telework Association and Council (ITAC).
During this time, Europe witnessed a mushrooming of telecenters, or neighborhood hubs with reliable communication facilities from where employees could connect to their office. The California Department of Transportation and US Federal Highway Association followed along and funded the Neighborhood Telecenter project in 1992 to establish 15 telecenters in California. Further developments in technology that made computers and Internet access affordable, simple, and easily available in individual homes, however, made such telecenters obsolete, and they have since declined in popularity.

domain: economics


Charlotte Douglas International Airport is set to go ahead with a $35-million plan to buy land south of its newest runway, according to reports.
The airport’s advisory committee gave the proposals to buy homes close to the airport the green light this week.
The committee voted unanimously to endorse the plan to buy a total of 470 acres.
Up to 75 percent of the $35 million expenditure would be eligible to federal reimbursement, the Charlotte Observer reported.
Homeowners affected by airport noise will be approached to sell their property voluntarily.
The land will be added to the airport’s existing 6,000 acres and will be used for facilities to support a new rail yard.


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Bangaon: The residents of Uttarpara village under Swarupnagar Vidhan Sabha have taught the political parties a lesson. Around 200 villagers refused to cast their vote on Friday. A bamboo bridge connecting the locality has become a dangerous to walk on. The locals had demanded a re-construction of it and also a concrete bridge for many years.
The villagers said, although political parties made promises prior to election they forget to fulfill them once the elections are over.
Leaders from various political parties rushed to the village after news spread but the villagers staunchly refused to cast their vote.

domain: politics


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When I was very young, we attended a small Baptist church in Spencer Mountain, NC. The congregation was often full and the choir was exceptionally large for a church of that size. I remember the choir specials being plenteous and the sound, heavenly. The choir often sang songs within the “Convention Style” genre of Southern Gospel music. This style usually features all four parts (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass) going in all sorts of counterpoint-style directions in a sort of folksy fugue. This, of course, ended in all of the parts coming back together at the end of the chorus before an elaborate piano turn-around led back into another verse. I really can’t remember the congregational singing that much. When I think back and try very hard to remember, I find it difficult to even recall singing from a hymnbook or otherwise as a congregation. The “talent” in the loft was so massive and so angelic-sounding, all else seems to fade from memory.
Fast-forward to any present-day evangelical church and what you will more than likely find is a stage-like concept usually featuring a rock or pop band ensemble complete with multiple guitars and a drum set, large vocal or “praise teams,” and perhaps the remnant of what used to be a choir. The service usually features several “sets” of “worship” songs before the message. Each of these songs vary in volume, dynamics, and mood.
Now on the face of it, I may leave you scratching your heads when I say that these two services have much in common; but they do.
In the case of the former church, boisterous choirs and a plethora of “special music” overshadowed the importance of congregational singing; so much so that the choir singing and special music is literally all I remember of the music in that place (glorious as it was).
In the case of the latter church (not one specific church, but the typical, modern evangelical church), while choirs may have gone by the wayside, the congregational singing is still overshadowed by what is taking place on the platform. Large speakers and insanely expensive sound systems ensure that all the guitars will be blaring while the hefty subs make the bass boom right up into your large intestine. The large vocal teams and multiple worship leaders use microphones with any number of effects (reverb, echo, etc.) that propel their voices through the ear canal like a spit-wad through a straw at the McDonald’s. In this instance, I would offer you money (or a small candy bar) to remember the last time you heard your neighbor singing (not to mention yourself).
The Sacred Harp
There’s a uniquely American singing tradition that was born in the church called, “Sacred Harp singing.” While I won’t get into the details of this style, it will suffice to examine the chosen name for this style of singing.
Long before God put it in man’s mind to invent pipes, stringed instruments, pianos, drums, and the like; He created the most holy and sacred of all instruments, the human voice. With a few simple vocal “folds,” or “cords,” we make all of the sound necessary for creating beautiful music. Is it any wonder why the fore-bearers of Sacred Harp singing would choose such a fitting name for the human larynx: “the sacred harp“?
Check out the vocal folds in action here (Warning: features tubes going through noses and insidey parts).
What I do not mean by this is that man-made instruments such as guitars, drums, pianos, etc., are innately sinful or useless within corporate worship. By all means, God purposefully created man with imaginative and creative abilities whereby various musical instruments might be created in order to bring him yet more praise and glory. These are also more than appropriate within the church meeting, just read the Psalms if you doubt that.
What I am aiming at here is that the corporate worship service must go beyond a performance. STOP THERE. I hear all the worship leaders in the room immediately saying, “O, it’s not a performance.” Now what they mean by that is, “we don’t intend for it to be a performance.” Those are two different things and we must be honest enough to acknowledge the difference. It’s not enough to simply tell our people, “this is not a show,” when everything about signals that it is.
From that marvelous choir in that small mountain church to the talented “praise bands” that dot evangelical church stages, we must be careful when anything we do continually overshadows the reason we sing together in the first place. Paul says that the direction of our singing is “to one another,” and that its purpose is to “teach and admonish one another” (Col. 3:16). How then shall this be accomplished when we can’t even hear ourselves singing over the racket (albeit talented) coming from the “stage”? Most congregations are more or less being sung at than being encouraged to “sing to one another.”
My wife Jessica read a very interesting article recently concerning the decline of congregational singing. The article is titled, “Why They Don’t Sing on Sunday Anymore.” While I will not recount the entire article for you (you may read it via the link above), I will provide the author’s four main points”
Spectator set-up. Increasingly, the church has constructed the worship service as a spectator event. Everyone expects the people on stage to perform while the pew-sitters fulfill the expectation of any good audience–file in, be still, be quiet, don’t question, don’t contribute (except to the offering plate), and watch the spotlighted musicians deliver their well-rehearsed concerts.
Professionalism. It seems it’s paramount for church music to be more professional than participatory. The people in the pews know they pale in comparison to the loud voices at the microphones. Quality is worshipped. So the worshippers balk at defiling the quality with their crude crooning. It’s better to just fake it with a little lip syncing.
Blare. The musicians’ volume is cranked up so high that congregants can’t hear their own voices, or the voices of those around them, even if they would sing. So they don’t sing. What would it add? The overwhelming, amplified sound blares from big speakers, obliterating any chance for the sound of robust congregational singing.
Music choice. Sometimes people refrain from singing because the songs are unfamiliar, hard to sing, or just cheesy. Sometimes worship leaders choose a song that may thematically tie into the day’s sermon topic, but it’s unsingable. Sometimes worship leaders choose lame songs written by their favorite songwriters–themselves.
Facing the Problem
Much like the famed 12-step programs encourage, it’s time for some of us to take our music ministry to the mirror and acknowledge our problem.
In the way of assessing your music ministry’s place in all of this, here are a few questions you can ask about your setting.
1. Do you ever hear complaints from the congregation in which terms like “show,” and “performance” are used? Sure, there’s always going to be some of this; but at some point, we must acknowledge, “where there’s smoke, there’s a fire.”
2. How often do you feature the congregation by themselves? By this I mean full-on acapella singing. This requires familiar songs, accessible keys, and low to no instrumentation.
3. Do you make it a point to be able to hear the congregation singing?
4. Do you overpower congregational singing with loud bands, vocal teams, and excessive vocalizing?
It’s not too late to turn around.
A few shifts of thinking concerning your worship and music philosophy, a few shifts on the sound board, a few key shifts down, and a few well-placed congregational features will begin to send your people a message: “We want you to sing!”
Think of ways your ministry can encourage and strengthen people to view their very own throats as a divine instrument with which to praise and glorify God, “the sacred harp.”

domain: artistic


At Peace Autos we provide expert car repair and maintenance service. We maintain hundreds of vehicles on monthly basis to enhance vehicle ‘s life.
Preventive maintenance includes vehicle safety checks as part of service.
While you’re there, let us perform a Courtesy Check, which includes a visual check of the following items:
Oil change near me? The next time you ask this question, just look for your neighborhood Car Repair Service.


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Petit Futé's opinion on CAFÉ CENTRAL
A pleasant café a stone's throw from the old town, in the student district of Kröpeliner-Tor-Vorstadt, next to Doberaner Platz. The coffee is always lively. Soft price. Young and student atmosphere.
Book your trip !
- Book a ferry
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Activities & Visits
Opening time and information on CAFÉ CENTRAL
Open every day from 9am to 2am. From Frühstück to French goulash, price around 5 €.

domain: travel


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Mark Teixeira told Ian Begley of ESPN New York today that through text messages with Andy Pettitte, he feels the veteran left-hander is leaning towards retirement.
“I think, like everyone else [thinks], if he’s leaning one way, he’s probably leaning towards retiring,” Teixeira said on Tuesday at a press conference to kick off Thursday’s Pinstripe Bowl game at Yankee Stadium. “I think that’s what he’s publicly said. It’s no secret right now. That’s probably where he’s leaning. But in a month and a half, a lot can happen.”
I haven’t talked to Andy Pettitte in well, ever, actually, and I can also tell you that he is leaning towards retirement. Why? Because Pettitte said so himself in November and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said almost exactly the same thing as Teixeira just one week ago.
I’m already seeing this story all over the place, but much like those who are snowed in their homes in the northeast part of the country, we’re still in the same place we were yesterday.
You may recall that, back in May, Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor got into a fight with Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista. Bautista slid late into second base, with which Odor took issue, so he punched Bautista in the face. That earned him a seven-game suspension.
With one out in the fifth inning of Thursday’s game against the Indians, Odor reached on a fielding error by first baseman Mike Napoli. Jonathan Lucroy then hit into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Odor slid hard into Jason Kipnis covering second base.
Kipnis, hearkening back to the Bautista fight, backed up as if he were afraid Odor would punch him. Odor got a good chuckle out of it, but it was the Rangers’ bench which perhaps enjoyed the joke most. The Rangers’ broadcast showing Adrian Beltre cracking up and telling his other teammates what had happened.
Rangers outfielder Carlos Gomez made his debut with his new team on Thursday night after a brief stint with Triple-A Round Rock. He started in left field and was inserted into the number eight spot in the Rangers’ batting order.
The Rangers made two quick outs in the bottom of the second inning, with Adrian Beltre grounding out and Rougned Odor striking out. But the inning was kept alive as Jonathan Lucroy singled and advanced to second base on a wild pitch, and then Mitch Moreland walked to bring up Gomez.
Gomez took a first-pitch cutter from Josh Tomlin for a ball, then jumped on another cut fastball, drilling it for a no-doubt three-run home run into the seats in left field at Globe Life Park in Arlington (#29 out of 30 in Craig’s ballpark name rankings).
Here’s the video.

domain: sports


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When growing flowers, you can pour fermented banana peel water for flowers that like acidic soil. Still, only the water from fermented banana peels can be used for flowers. Unfermented banana peel water is insufficient in nutrients.
What is banana peel water good for?
Banana peels contain minerals and nutrients that may be used to fertilize crops. Potassium (K), a macronutrient found in banana peel water, aids plants in developing resistance to stress and pests. It also promotes healthy plant development.
However, the number of times watering the flowers with banana peel water should not be too frequent. It is best to dilute it with an appropriate amount of water every time you water the flowers with banana peel water to prevent the concentration from being too high.
Banana peel water is suitable for watering flowers
Some people use banana peel water to water flowers when growing flowers. Banana peel water is suitable for watering those plants. Usually, banana peel water can be used for watering flowers that prefer acidic soil, such as camellia, Milanese, and radish.
Usually, you cannot directly use banana peel water to water flowers. You need to ferment banana peels before watering flowers. Unfermented banana peel water has insufficient nutrients and will feel no different than regular watering.
Fermenting banana peels
When fermenting the banana peel water, put the banana peel in a sealed container.
If you want the banana peel water to ferment quickly, you can add some yogurt to the water before fermentation. Fermented banana peel water is rich in nutrients, so watering is very beneficial to plant growth.
Still, you need to dilute the fertilizer with an appropriate amount of water before each watering.
The root system of flowers is generally very fragile, and the plants cannot absorb fertilizers well if the concentration is increased directly; besides that, fertilizer damage is easy to occur.
For a normal fertilizing process, you need to choose the best method depending on the plant’s characteristics. You wouldn’t want to blind fertilize your lovely flowers.
In daily life, in addition to watering the flowers with banana peel water, you can also water the flowers with rice washing water. Still, no matter what water you pour on the flowers, you should not pour too much water each time.
When growing flowers that love acidic soil, you can water the plants with rice and banana peel water. When you grow flowers that prefer alkaline soil, it is best to water the plants with ordinary fertilizer.
Is banana peel water good for ALL plants?
Not for all the plants. Adding banana water to your plants may potentially be harmful to them. The macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are required by the majority of plants, and this requires a balanced fertilizer.
If you just use banana water as a fertilizer, your plants will get the tiniest quantity of potassium and none of the other nutrients.
Is banana peel acidic or alkaline?
When used in high enough amounts, banana peels may alter the pH of soils due to their acidic pH of 9.91.
How often do you water tomatoes with banana water?
Use banana water to fertilize your tomatoes around once a week. It’s better to wait at least a week before doing it again to prevent overdosing.
Benefits of Potassium on Plants
An electrolyte and a mineral, potassium, carry electrical signals in the human body. This electrolyte transports water and carbohydrates in plants in a similar manner.
A macronutrient is one that plants consume in considerable amounts throughout their life cycle.
Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) are two more macronutrients that plants utilize (P). These three are the most important nutrients for plants, and they constitute the foundation of fertilizer manufacturing (NPK).
This is why, when purchasing fertilizer, each letter of the alphabet has a number attached to it that indicates how much of the nutrient is contained in the fertilizer.
(X-N, X-P, X-K)
Potassium helps Plants fight Pests and Diseases
With the aid of potassium, plants may become more resilient to the stresses of changing weather.
Drought, excess water, and extreme heat are more easily stomped out of the plants with depleted potassium levels. Nematode assaults, pests, and illnesses they are less able to withstand.
A plant’s resistance to fungal gnats, bacteria, and root rot may be improved by applying potassium to it.
Basically, it may increase a plant’s capacity to cope with over-watered situations, which can lead to the aforementioned issues.
Image credit: Youtube

domain: agronomy


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This Is Why Kitchen area Utensils Is So Famous!
A cooking area utensil, put simply, is a little hand held instrument made use of for food preparation. Common cooking area tasks involve cutting food items for usage, food preparation, boiling, grating, blending, boiling, grinding, and also considering; different tools are created for each and every job. You’ll additionally find other utensils used for cleaning and washing meals. These cooking area tools come in many shapes and sizes.
One of the most previously owned kitchen area utensils around is the frying pan or skillet. The word “frying” in this circumstances refers particularly to the action of cooking, where food is fried in oil. A fry pan, as its name indicates, is made use of specifically for frying food. Some cooking equipment brand names that you might intend to take into consideration are Waring, Calphalon, Cuisinart, Fina, Kenwood, as well as OXO. These brand names are recognized for their top quality as well as durable stand-by.
Spatulas or cooking area spoons are round, level things with a long take care of. They are utilized to stir, defeat, or mix sauces and also soups. Their long takes care of give you the possibility to get to things that may be or else challenging to grab. Additionally, they are not usually utilized to scoop components. They are really functional, being typically integrated with various other kitchen area tools like ladles, stirring spoons as well as spatulas.
Mixers and frying pans are some of the various other kitchen tools utilized generally. A mixer, as the name suggests, is a machine that can be used to blend components. Frying pans are comparable but usually have a spoon or a paddle integrated into the layout, to make mixing and also other food preparation tasks easier.
Rolling pins are cooking area tools that make preparing dough a snap. They come in a variety of dimensions, styles, and functions. One of the most prominent kinds is the non-stick rolling pin, which lets you utilize butter, sugar as well as other components without preparing them via or making use of any other cooking tool. There are also a variety of various kinds of rolling pins. One of the most common ones are made out of plastic and attribute a minimum of one steel blade.
The different cooking area components pointed out above can make preparing recipes much easier. In addition to having even more utensils to utilize while cooking, cooking areas with these tools additionally have a tendency to smell cleaner and also a lot more welcoming. If you are searching for a more welcoming and also healthy and balanced setting to invest your time in, take into consideration investing in a few of the more functional kitchen fixtures.
Spoons are possibly a few of the most previously owned kitchen utensils around. Lots of people either hate spoons (as they are really hard to tidy) or love them dearly (they are one of minority food preparation utensils that I can eat). Therefore, I advise acquiring top quality wood spoons, which can be found at your nearby lumberyard. Wooden spoons often have engravings or styles etched right into their surface area, giving them a much more personal touch.
An additional product that makes up a wonderful section of every cooking area tool set is the cutting board. Cutting boards can be found in all sizes and shapes and can be made of various products. One of the most typically made use of product for reducing boards is paperboard, which is also frequently made use of as a tabletop or floor covering product. When acquiring a reducing board, keep in mind the variety of cuts you will be making. A multi-purpose board is best if you are operating in a cooking area that has lots of various other jobs that you might want to quickly execute, such as cutting and also slicing (when it comes to cutting and chopping, two knives are normally far better than one).
A kitchen area utensil is simply a little hand held instrument made use of for cooking referred to as a tool. Common kitchen area jobs performed with a cooking area utensil consist of slicing food to desired dimension, food preparation food in an open flame, baking, grating, grinding, stirring, as well as also measuring; each tool is made for every details task. These types of kitchen tools can be found in a selection of sizes, forms, products, as well as designs.
The Slicer: A slicer is largely made use of to cut components, yet can additionally be used for slicing and also for quick bread production. A serrated knife is mainly used for slim pieces as well as is considered a more exceptional selection than a blade design slicer. When looking for cooking area tools be sure to discover a high quality knife; they should be durable, durable, as well as strong enough to deal with the job you require them for. Folding spatulas and flat spoons are also good options for cutting as well as for usage in creating mix french fries.
Flat Spatula: These kitchen tools come in a range of dimensions and also designs. The flat spatula is frequently coupled with a portable grater. The grater is made use of for grinding or toasting food things. When looking for kitchen area tools make certain to select the appropriate dimension, shape, and style for the designated function. Additionally, it is very important to pick the best type of product along with a good quality blade.
Slicers as well as Eating Tables: Commonly combined together, these kitchen fixtures are among the most secondhand kitchen tools. Experienced cooks and restaurants utilize multiple collections of recipes, offering plates, as well as various other consuming tools. To create an organized and tidy look, many homes have two or three sets of offering meals and various other utensils to produce uniformity and ease.
Ovens and Frying pans: These sorts of kitchen utensils are considered the core of the cooking procedure. The majority of families have a couple of ovens to cook a variety of foods. The size of the stove depends upon the dimension of the home as well as how many member of the family commonly cook. If you have greater than two members in your family, a stove can be a good option too. Skillets are little food preparation tools that allow you to prepare a selection of dishes. BasenjimomsKitchen blog
Various other food preparation tools consist of frying pan, skillets, bakeware, toasting pans, as well as extra. If you look around, you can discover all kinds of kitchen equipment at budget friendly prices. There are lots of brands and also designs to select from and also each brand has its own unique design that makes it appropriate for any type of house.


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This just in….
Seriously, why would the Russians want Trump when Hillary Clinton had already been bought and paid for with the Clinton Crime Foundation where, those who donated were treated to U.S. secrets when Hillary was Secretary of State?
Feinstein would have been correct had Hillary and her progressive cabal won the election.
Feinstein is a pathetic dowager who should hang up her boots before she is laughed out-of-town.
There is no information that is credible that Russian hacking effected the outcome of the 2016 election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. (Source)
© Getty Images


Malawi Congress Party (MCP) member and former legislator Rhino Chiphiko has apologized for claiming that Minister of Mining Rashid Gaffar has died purportedly of Covid-19.
“Minister on Mining, Rashy Gaffar no more. Dziko lavuta” Chiphiko posted this morning on Facebook.
He has deleted the post and replaced it with an apology, saying he trusted Fake News.
“Deepest apologies. Got misinformed. Post withdrawn with regret”, he shared.
Gaffar is yet to comment on his alleged demise.
Malawi has lost 2 cabinet ministers to Covid-19. They are Sidik Mia who served as MCP’s deputy president and Minister of Transport, and Minister of Local Government Lingson Belekanyama.
Malawi has lost 300 people to Covid-19. Since January this year, the country has registered over 5,000 confirmed cases.


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“Vibrant Echoes,” Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s final chamber concert of the season, April 27 at Tougaloo College’s Woodworth Chapel, celebrates the rhythmic thread of Black musical traditions and influences in America, from the late 19th century clear through to contemporary times. Its relevant setting, at the historically Black college that played a key role in America’s civil rights struggle, enhances the resonance.
Author: Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
Joel Thompson’s Seven Last Words of the Unarmed is a searing reach into the human heart and a powerful cry for social justice. The Atlanta-based composer’s choral work is the centerpiece for MSO’s “Symphony in the Community” spring concert, 3 p.m. Sunday, April 21, at Cade Chapel M.B. Church in Jackson. Giving it voice is the 55-member-strong Mississippi Valley State University Choir, led by MVSU Director of Choral Activities Brandon Cash.
Dannel Espinoza was just a tyke when he started the path that would become his forte. His parents offered the option of karate, baseball or piano when he was 3 1/2 or 4. “I decided to take up piano,” he said. The instrument became a staple of his south Florida childhood, until he reached school band age, took after his older brother, and took up the saxophone.
When Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Principal Clarinet Ken Graves steps into the solo spotlight in Bravo-IV’s “Alluvial Soundscapes” March 9 concert, he’ll deliver an Aaron Copland concerto that’s among the instrument’s greatest hits.
Mississippi Symphony Orchestra Principal Timpanist Bud Berthold is the centerpiece of MSO’s February 24 “Striking Surprises” concert, 7:30 p.m. at St. James’ Episcopal Church, in Jackson.
Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s “Heart Beats” Pops concert February 10 ramps up the romance with a lineup that celebrates love in all its richness, rapture, pang and promise.
A bright gaze ahead and a poignant look back — local composer James Sclater’s new concerto celebrating Shellie Brown Kemp’s rise to concertmaster with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra ties past with present in a stirring tribute.
Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s “Mozart & Friends by Candlelight” concert, January 13 at Belhaven University Center for Arts, widens the spotlight to shine on the composer’s contemporaries as well, bringing in a fresh take for this popular annual chamber concert.
The rhythm, the lyricism and the gamut of emotion that great poetry evokes are the very characteristics that make verse a great partner in music performance, and Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s upcoming “American Constellation” Bravo Series concert sets a sterling example, on November 4 at Thalia Mara Hall.
MSO’s 79th season sees its Matinee Series occupying a more formal spot on the 2023-24 lineup, with fall and spring “Symphony in the Community” concerts that reach directly into Cade Chapel’s west Jackson neighborhood and forge ties with Jackson artists and the music they create right here in the capital city.


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In a marathon Howard County Zoning Board meeting that ended at 4:08 a.m. yesterday, the Rouse Co. made some concessions in its request to add a few thousand residents to downtown Columbia.
Expecting the hearing, which began about 8:30 p.m. Monday, to be the last on the development company's petition to add more than 2,100 residential units to Columbia, Chairman Ken Ulman pledged that the board was willing to stay as long as necessary.
"After eight straight hours on a zoning case ... we are adjourned," Ulman told a tired crowd of about a dozen residents at the end of the meeting.
The board will schedule a session to vote on the petition. Hearings on the matter began in July, and the long session was the eighth.
One of the company's key changes was the voluntary move to increase the number of moderately priced housing units from 5 percent to 10 percent. That would lead to at least 160 affordable units in Town Center and 54 affordable housing units set aside for the other villages.
The move was cheered by the county's Interfaith Coalition for Affordable Housing, which had lobbied Rouse to increase the amount of affordable housing.
"It is no longer just the poorest that cannot afford quality, decent housing," the group wrote in a statement released yesterday, applauding Rouse's proffer. "Soaring housing costs are far beyond the reach of police officers, teachers, nurses, secretaries and janitors that serve the community."
If the board - which is made up of the five members of the County Council - approves the petition to increase Columbia's density, the majority of the additional units would be developed in the 60-acre, crescent-shaped property behind Symphony Woods in Town Center. Those units, about 1,600, are estimated to add 2,352 residents to Town Center, which now has a population of 4,265. The remaining units would be reserved for Columbia's other nine villages on a first-come, first-served basis.
Rouse is expecting that the proposed development will create an active urban core, with the additional residents and mid- or high-rise mixed-use buildings with 400,000 square feet of office space and 100,000 square feet each for big-box stores and other retail.
Responding to a unanimous request from the board, the company also agreed to separate from the petition the 150 units dedicated for Oakland Mills, allowing the board to approve the project apart from the overall petition. Those units likely would go toward a proposed senior apartment building on a vacant 1.7-acre lot owned by Exxon Mobil Corp. in Oakland Mills Village Center. The project is supported by the Oakland Mills Village Board, which hopes the additional residents will help revitalize its struggling village center.
"All this does is signify it's our intention to approve the Oakland Mills portion of this as soon as possible," said Ulman, a west Columbia Democrat.
In addressing Ulman's concern that the proposed retail in Town Center might compete with Columbia's village centers, Rouse granted that grocery stores larger than 20,000 square feet would not be built as part of the new development.
In a matter that was not raised during the past seven hearings, board member David A. Rakes, an east Columbia Democrat, requested that the company lift covenants tied to the land on which Grandfather's Nursery in Long Reach is built. The covenants are causing the owner difficulty in selling the land.
Dennis Miller, Rouse vice president and general manager of Columbia, appeared baffled at the link between the nursery and the company's petition, but he did say that if the Long Reach Village Board indicates it wants residential units to be built on that site, "I'm OK with that."
Miller, however, would not satisfy a concern that has been important to Ulman - committing money to creating a Central Park-type atmosphere in Symphony Woods, which is managed by the Columbia Association.
Ulman said the park in its current state - a stand of trees where residents rarely venture - is a "complete barrier to this project adding to the vibrancy of downtown."
But Miller said he is not comfortable making any commitment to land owned by the Columbia Association, which has not indicated it wants the area changed.
Board member Guy Guzzone, a North Laurel-Savage Democrat, asked that Rouse create a "fully integrated pedestrian plan" in Town Center that the company would fund. He was also concerned about parking for Merriweather Post Pavilion, which Rouse plans to convert into a year-round enclosed venue while relying on parking decks near The Mall in Columbia. Guzzone asked that the company provide sufficient parking without making residents cross Little Patuxent Parkway.
Miller did not agree to either request, explaining that the pedestrian access would be sufficient, and that parking for the pavilion would meet necessary requirements.
In the midst of the board members' requests, Vice Chairman Allan H. Kittleman, a western county Republican, said he was bothered by the indication that Rouse had to agree to all of the members' requests or the petition would not be approved.
"I have a problem with this board basically saying, 'We really want you to do this,' wink, wink," he said.
Ulman said he was not trying to dictate aspects of the plan, but he is concerned about whether the proposed development will create a vibrant urban area, as Rouse proposes.
"I can't support this without some additional commitments," he said. "If these [requests] are met, then I'll support it. And if they're not, then I won't."
In closing arguments, which began about 3 a.m., Rouse lawyer James D. Lano assured the board that the downtown area's infrastructure is suitable for extra residents, explaining that a sufficient road network exists and the development will meet the requirements for schools.
"Town Center is a Smart Growth area," he said. "It's already preserviced to accommodate this development."
Lano also said the development would "more than pay for itself." According to an economic impact study prepared for Rouse by Tischler & Associates Inc., if the land is developed with 10 percent of affordable housing units and 10 percent of age-restricted units, the county would receive $75.5 million by 2017, the estimated first year after build-out.
But E. Alexander Adams, a Glenwood attorney who has been one of the primary opponents in the case, called the economic study "so flawed, I can't believe you would give it any weight at all."
Adams, in his closing argument, warned the board that if it allowed Rouse to sell the units to developers - as the company has indicated - it would create a "horrible precedent ... a chilling effect on any redevelopment in villages."
But earlier in the morning, Miller had claimed that charging for the units would help guarantee quality construction and architecture.
"We definitely believe that the units have some leverage to ensure you get a better product," he said.


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All about people…..
As long as it’s a photograph of a person, you’re good to go!
Studio, on location, natural light, environmental, the choice is yours. We are obviously looking for striking and engaging portraits, so go wild and let those creative juices flow.
As with all categories, other than the Digital Art category, minimal image processing is the rule. Heavily manipulated high fashion portraits are not what we’re looking for. Think natural, think real.
Thank you, and good luck!
You can enter as many times, in as many categories, as you wish.
More entry options are available over on our Patreon site. Save time, and money, with monthly subscriptions!
THESE ARE THE RULES! - Please read carefully, as you may have your photographs rejected without notification.


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“We’re not going to lose any money,” Stern said. “I’m not going to be commissioner of a league that is comfortable [losing money]. Because I don’t have a group of owners who find it acceptable for me to have that conversation with them.
“You don’t have $4 billion worth of revenue and pay out over $2 billion in salary and benefits to lose money. It’s something that we have sort of gotten used to as the revenues have gone up … but the world has changed about the prospect for all franchises, the world has changed for a lot of reasons – and economically – and now people who make investments in buildings and things expect not to lose money.”
Nobody, not even the players, thinks the owners should have to lose money. But the issue is more complex — the league said before that 22 teams will lose a combined $300 million this year. But, the 8 teams making money have almost no revenue sharing. Put simply, the Lakers are about to make nearly $200 million a year in local television revenue and the Kings make $11 million and the Lakers do not have to share currently. It’s not a simple matter of just controlling costs.
But the owners have gone through a recession and seen revenues dip. More importantly, the value of franchises has dipped. Ten years ago you could count on the value of the franchise going up to cover any losses. (Think of it this way: If you bought a franchise for $100 million, lost $5 million a year for 10 years, then sold the team for $200 million, you would have made $50 million and those losses were really just an investment. Those days of the franchise value bailing owners out on paper are gone.)
The owners want fundamental changes to the system and Stern is clearly standing his ground. The players are pretty good with the system as is and are not moving right now either.
So, we are headed for a lockout. Enjoy these playoffs.
Kevin Love drips snot all over his face, maybe into his mouth (video)
NEW YORK (AP) — Derrick Rose is missing the New York Knicks’ game against Cleveland because of lower back pain.
Rose left the Knicks’ victory over Miami on Tuesday in the third quarter with back spasms. Coach Jeff Hornacek says Rose still felt sore on Wednesday when he came in and met with team doctors, so they sent him for an MRI exam to make sure there was no structural damage.
Rose is averaging 16.7 points and this is the first game he’s missed this season.
Matt Barnes and DeMarcus Cousins have just been SUED over the nightclub brawl at Avenue in NYC this week … with the alleged victims claiming they were brutalized by the NBA stars.
According to the lawsuit filed in NYC, Jasmine Besiso and Myrone Powell claim they were innocently hanging out when Barnes approached Jasmine and began to choke her.
In the suit, Powell says he saw the attack and tried to intervene but that’s when Cousins stepped in and punched him in the face.
At that point, Barnes allegedly released Jasmine’s neck and elbowed her in the face — knocking her unconscious. Myrone claims he was taken to the ground and Barnes and Cousins proceeded to kick and punch him in the head and body.
A rep for the alleged victims calls the incident a “vicious and unprovoked attack” And says Cousins’ initial blow was a “blindside punch.”
The rep also says the two were transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital where they were treated for “serious injuries.”
It’s important to remember there’s no burden of proof for filing a lawsuit. This is not an indication of Barnes’ and Cousins’ liability or guilt. As of last update, police are still investigating, and Barnes’ attorney has said his client was cooperating.

domain: finance


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Moving briskly toward a settlement of a landmark antitrust case, the federal government and three states suspended their lawsuit today to block BP Amoco's $30 billion acquisition of ARCO.
The announcement by the Federal Trade Commission and the three states on the West Coast came less than a week before a hearing on the matter was set to begin in a federal court in San Francisco. It also came the same day that the companies formally announced that once the acquisition was completed, BP Amoco would sell one of the crown jewels of the deal -- ARCO's large oil holdings in Alaska -- to Phillips Petroleum for $7 billion.
Issuing a one-sentence statement this morning, the top staff antitrust official at the commission suggested that the talks had yielded significant progress.
''In light of the substantial and constructive proposals made by the defendants, all parties have agreed to seek adjournment of the federal court proceedings in F.T.C. v. BP Amoco and Atlantic Richfield Company in order to conduct negotiations,'' Richard G. Parker, director of the F.T.C.'s competition bureau, said in a statement referring to ARCO's incorporated name. Late last year, the competition bureau recommended blocking the deal.
In not setting any deadline for the completion of the talks, the lawyers also sent a clear signal that many of the most difficult issues of the case had been resolved in principle. Lawyers for the government and the companies were exchanging drafts of proposed consent decrees today that would clear the way for BP Amoco to close the deal, and there was wide expectation that a settlement could be announced in the next few weeks after a review and vote by the agency's five commissioners.
Executives at BP Amoco and ARCO were ebullient about the progress being made in talks that had, for months, been bitter and fruitless.
''After months of uncertainty for staff and customers of BP Amoco and ARCO, and the states and communities where we operate, we are pleased to be in discussions with the F.T.C.,'' said Sir John Browne, chief executive of BP Amoco, and Mike R. Bowlin, chairman of ARCO.
The move to sell ARCO's Alaskan assets to Phillips holds the promise of resolving the government's biggest objection to the acquisition of ARCO by BP Amoco and would signal a new entry in Alaska after years of consolidation, layoffs and declining production.
Phillips would pick up ARCO's 21.9 percent interest in the Prudhoe Bay oil rim, its 55 percent interest in the greater Kuparuk area and a 78 percent stake in the Alpine field. ARCO would also sell 1.1 million exploration acres on the North Slope, a 22.3 percent interest in the Trans-Alaska pipeline and a crude oil shipping fleet of six tankers in service and three under construction.
The proposed acquisition that BP Amoco and ARCO announced nearly a year ago would have initially given the newly combined entity control over about 70 percent of the oil produced in Alaska.
An agreement with the state's governor reduced that to 55 percent, but failed to satisfy the concerns of the major consumers of Alaskan crude in California, Washington and Oregon, as well as the federal government. Higher than average gasoline prices on the West Coast have long been a volatile political issue. As the cost of gasoline at the pump has soared around the nation in recent months, it has once again risen as an election-year topic on the West Coast.
Surging gasoline prices have not been the only problem for BP Amoco and ARCO as the review of their deal dragged on.


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domain: design


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domain: literature


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Investigators: Moscow School Shooter ‘Straight-A Student’
Russian investigators revealed that the student who opened fire at a Moscow school Monday morning was a model pupil, and had no conflicts with any classmates or teachers.
"The teenager was a straight-A student, and it is very likely that he had some kind of nervous breakdown. Circumstances of the incident and motives of the student will be investigated", noted the spokesman of the Investigative Committee, quoted by ITAR-TASS.
The high-school student shot dead a police officer and a teacher at the #263 school in Moscow, Monday morning. He held hostage over 20 students before being neutralized by the authorities.
The attacker had been carrying 2 rifles, both registered to his father's name. He had laid down his arms after his father had arrived at the scene and persuaded his son to surrender.
- » EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn to Visit Macedonia Tuesday
- » False Bomb Threat Fails to Disrupt FIFA Congress
- » Serbian PM Expresses Readiness to Reduce Country's Dependence on Russian Gas
- » Macedonia's Crisis Affecting Entire Region, Zaev Tells Bulgaria PM
- » Cyprus Talks Mark Progress as Presidents Agree to Open Two New Crossings
- » India Heats Death Toll Surpasses 2,000 People


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[RC5] Cracking 40 bits in realtime
clyons at concentric.net
Fri Jan 2 14:46:09 EST 1998
On Fri, 02 Jan 98 09:02:10 -0500, "Roy Wilson" <emperor at slic.com>
> I'm all for showing how weak the various commercial
>encryption packages are. Offering decryption services is a
>whole 'nother ball of string.
Agreed. Perhaps we could set some sort of system where people write a
message, encrypt it with a program that produces a random key, and
submits it to the distributed computing system.
Christopher M. Lyons Clyons at concentric.net
PGP Public Key avaiable from my homepage.
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text:
City Council’s Zeal for Affordable Housing Crumbles If It Means Less Parking
On Tuesday, members of the City Council hammered the de Blasio administration for not guaranteeing enough housing units for low-income New Yorkers in new construction. But yesterday, when the topic turned to building more affordable housing by reducing parking requirements, several Council members lost their zeal for housing and worried more about car storage.
The hearing yesterday was about the City Hall proposal called “Zoning for Quality and Affordability,” or ZQA for short. One exciting aspect of ZQA is that it would reduce mandatory parking minimums for subsidized housing in a large swath of the city — freeing up space and resources to house people instead of cars. It’s not as exciting as eliminating all parking minimums everywhere, but it’s the single largest reform proposed for the city’s parking requirements in a long time.
Yesterday, Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Vicki Been and City Planning Commission Chair Carl Weisbrod answered questions from council members about ZQA. The same chamber that the day before was so passionate about providing sufficient housing for less affluent New Yorkers suddenly seemed willing to compromise the construction of affordable residences in order to preserve the guaranteed construction of parking.
Following the lead of community boards, most council members who spoke yesterday seemed convinced that reducing parking requirements would be a burden on their constituents. Several of them wanted to keep their districts out of the “transit zone,” the area where parking requirements would no longer apply to subsidized housing. They often cited the inadequacy of transit in their districts as a reason to oppose the parking reforms, even though parking requirements make surface transit worse by pumping more traffic onto the streets.
Been and Weisbrod repeatedly emphasized that the overwhelming majority of parking spots in subsidized housing developments are unused. “We’re not saying that, in a given area, a housing provider can’t provide parking to its residents,” Weisbrod said. “We’re simply saying that we shouldn’t require it when we know and they know that it wouldn’t be utilized and those funds could better be used for other purposes — for affordable housing and, even more importantly, the space could be used for either affordable housing or open space or other community amenities.”
A major question going forward is whether City Hall and the council will water down the parking reforms before a vote on ZQA. If that happens, there will be no vote and no public record of council members’ positions on the proposal as it exists today. So here’s a record of what City Council members said about parking minimums at the hearing.
Zoning and Franchises Committee Chair Donovan Richards (Southeast Queens)
“In Queens you can get to Florida by plane just as quickly as you can get to Manhattan,” said Richards. While questioning Been and Weisbrod, he suggested that some neighborhoods in the transit zones did not have “reliable” transportation options. “Certainly there would be some adverse impacts on some of the particular transit zones you’ve presented,” he said. “So this is a continuous conversation but we’re certainly hoping that you’re open to refining some of the transit zones as we move forward.”
Land Use Committee Chair David Greenfield (Midwood)
Greenfield argued that higher-income residents of affordable housing would want to own cars. “I trust that most seniors don’t have cars and certainly it’s a better use on senior affordable housing to build units then it is to build parking spots,” Greenfield said. “[Families in development catering to higher adjusted median incomes] will have cars, you’re not building parking spots for these families, which means that we’re going to have more cars in the streets and more competition for cars.”
Public Advocate Letitia James
James implied that the area where parking reforms would apply should shrink. “I believe that the transit zones should be adjusted to take into account local conditions in each particular district,” she said. She also said that instead of letting projects proceed without parking, “each and every application would have to go to the community board not for approval but for review.”
Antonio Reynoso (North Brooklyn)
Reynoso told Been that he understands the impetus behind the elimination of parking requirements, but that it would be a tough sell to his constituents in Williamsburg and Bushwick, which he said are not “transit rich.” “It’s extremely difficult for me to make the argument against parking when the transportation infrastructure is in dire need of repair,” Reynoso said. “You can’t win the parking argument when hundreds of thousands of new residents are coming into the neighborhood and the transportation infrastructure that we currently have is unchanged.” He called on Been to “help me make the argument against that.”
Mark Treyger (Southern Brooklyn)
Treyger was emphatic in his opposition to the current transit zone and shifted the conversation to various transit-related slights against his district.
“This is a neighborhood that lost the F express,” he said. “That lost X28 on Saturdays, that lost the X29, was left out of the mayor’s ferry plan, was left out of the fancy streetcar plan, and quite frankly we are in a transportation desert in many cases in southern Brooklyn. How do you move masses of people around?”
Andrew Cohen (Northwest Bronx)
Cohen’s district is almost entirely outside of the transit zone, but he opposed the map anyway “because it’s not a process locally generated.” He equated the elimination of parking mandates with stranding elderly residents. “Asking seniors to use the subway more often in my district where I have an elevated train that’s inaccessible,” he said. “I have one elevator on the whole 1 line in the Bronx. It’s not a practical solution, so lumping this into a transit zone makes no sense and I think if you have come to the community board they would have told you that in advance before we got this far.”
Vanessa Gibson (Morrisania, Highbridge, Melrose)
Gibson said she had met with affordable housing developers in her Bronx district who had shifted her perspective on the elimination of parking minimums. She nevertheless challenged the extent of the transit zone and the reduction in parking mandates. “I’m not as opposed to it,” she said, “But I do think for those new units, especially of mixed-income, I certainly think we should provide some incentive to provide parking. I don’t think any of us realized how expensive it is to build parking across our city and looking at the transit zones — we’ve talked a lot about that, the low car ownership, the unused spaces — certainly we want to maximize on the number of units.” She said allowing car-free developments up to half a mile from high-frequency transit was too wide a radius. Gibson added: “I don’t want to assume just because you’re in an affordable unit, you may not be able to buy a car in the future. We want you to be able to purchase a car at some point.”
Margaret Chin (Lower Manhattan)
Chin, whose district already has no parking minimums, was one of the few council members to support the reforms. “The people in our city deserve to know that they can grow old here, in the neighborhood that they helped to build,” she said. “And I believe strongly in the stated goals of ZQA to make building affordable units and senior facilities easier by providing a flexible building envelope and reducing parking requirements.”
Peter Koo (Flushing)
Koo said the plan was “too ambitious” and questioned the logic of the parking reforms. “Although downtown Flushing is considered a transit zone, public transportation [there] is not enough,” he told Weisbrod and Been. “Buses are overcrowded and the 7 train constantly has service disruptions. Seniors who have visited my office cannot walk one block without assistance, let alone half a mile which is the distance of a transit zone.” Weisbrod said he understood Koo’s concerns, and emphasized that the majority of Koo’s district except for downtown Flushing is outside of the transit zone.
Brad Lander (Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Borough Park)
Lander commended the affordable housing developer LiveOn NY for its work at the Bishop Boardman senior apartments in Park Slope. He pointed out that the parking lot serving the apartments is always empty and should be repurposed for more housing.
“We really want new senior housing and we want it soon and we’d like to build it and that parking lot is empty most of the time,” Lander said. “So please keep 8th Avenue and 16th Street in the transit zone however it is defined or changed.”


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Last article of "Analyses"
Divorce has a significant impact on family income, the British Marriage Foundation declared in a recent study. A family that stays together can have the same positive effect on income as having a university degree, they found. “The negative effect on income of paying for two households, additional transport and...read more
Articles from "Analyses"
An international coalition of pro-life and pro-family organizations has strongly criticized the mid-way report on the Synod on the Family, calling it a “betrayal” of Catholic parents …read more
According to an official Vatican press briefing on Tuesday, Oct. 7, the discussion at the Synod over proposals for communion for divorced and remarried persons has shifted to “gradualness.” …read more
Current events in the Middle East have drawn attention to the plight of Christians and other groups but there are many other countries in the world where religious freedom is sorely lacking. …read more
The lead-up to the synod has been dominated by the theme of ‘mercy’ and especially by consideration of how that might apply to the situation of the divorced and ‘remarried’. It is on the …read more
Do you remember that toy called Sock ‘Em Robots in which two plastic robot boxers bashed each other while two kids were controlling their left hooks, blocks and body blows? It came to mind …read more


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DeSantis announces a new Florida State Guard and the retired Marine who will lead it
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday announced the reestablishment of the Florida State Guard.
Speaking in Madeira Beach, DeSantis said Florida joins 22 other states and territories with state-level defense forces.
He said the guard will be able to more quickly help residents in times of disaster.
"The Florida State Guard will be comprised of Floridians, and it will be designed to assist and help only Floridians,” Desantis said.
“It will not be subject to be mobilized by the federal government. And the federal government cannot impose policies or penalties on the Florida State Guard.”
The state will add 400 Florida State Guard members to respond to a projected active hurricane season.
DeSantis said more than 1,200 people have already expressed interest in joining.
The Florida Legislature has allocated $10 million toward the Florida State Guard.
Desantis said the National Florida Guard numbers haven't kept up with the state's population.
"We're 53 out of 54 amongst U.S. states and territories for guard to citizen ratio," DeSantis said. "And so I think we used to have like 5 million people in the state. Now we have 22 million people plus and many more visit. And yet our guard hasn't kept up on that."
Retired Marine Corps. Lt. Col. Chris Graham was tapped to lead the organization as its new director.
“I think this unit has a particularly important mission. As Floridians, you guys knew the last hurricane’s behind us, the next hurricane’s on the horizon,” Graham said.
“Anything we can do to help, I want to help as this functions as a state defense force also. I want to build in whatever capabilities are constructive and helpful in that regard, too.”
For more information, visit flsg.myflorida.com.
Copyright 2022 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7. To see more, visit WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7.


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Articles and Fact Sheets for Map@Syst
Learning Lessons and Education
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Frank Wideman is a Natural Resources Engineering Specialist with the University of Missouri Extension. He specializes in natural resource management, water...
This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, New Technologies for Ag Extension project.


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