text:
Data from: The energetics of life on the deep seafloor
Craig R. McClain, Andrew P. Allen, Derek P. Tittensor & Michael A. Rex
Dataset published via Dryad
With frigid temperatures and virtually no in situ productivity, the deep oceans, Earth's largest ecosystem, are especially energy-deprived systems. Our knowledge of the effects of this energy limitation on all levels of biological organization is very incomplete. Here we use the Metabolic Theory of Ecology to examine the relative roles of carbon flux and temperature in influencing metabolic rate, growth rate, lifespan, body size, abundance, biomass, and biodiversity for life on the deep seafloor. We...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.78nt1 Cite
Data from: Noise pollution alters ecological services: enhanced pollination and disrupted seed dispersal
Clinton D. Francis, Nathan J. Kleist, Catherine P. Ortega & Alexander Cruz
Noise pollution is a novel, widespread environmental force that has recently been shown to alter the behavior and distribution of birds and other vertebrates, yet whether noise has cumulative, community-level consequences by changing critical ecological services is unknown. Herein, we examined the effects of noise pollution on pollination and seed dispersal and seedling establishment within a study system that isolated the effects of noise from confounding stimuli common to human-altered landscapes. Using observations, vegetation surveys...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6d2ps7s7 Cite
Data from: Increased energy promotes size-based niche availability in marine mollusks
Craig R. McClain, Taylor Gullet, Justine Jackson-Ricketts & Peter J. Unmack
Variation in chemical energy, i.e., food, availability is posited to cause variation in body size. However, examinations of the relationship are rare and primarily limited to amniotes and zooplankton. Moreover, the relationship between body size and chemical energy may be impacted by phylogenetic history, clade specific ecology, and heterogeneity of chemical energy in space and time. Considerable work remains to both document patterns in body size over gradients in food availability and understanding the processes...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7jq72gr4 Cite
Data from: Molecular phylogeny and phylogeography of the Australian freshwater fish genus Galaxiella, with an emphasis on dwarf Galaxias (G. pusilla)
Peter J. Unmack, Justin C. Bagley, Mark Adams, Michael P. Hammer & Jerald B. Johnson
The freshwater fauna of Southern Australia is primarily restricted to the southwestern and southeastern corners of the continent, and is separated by a large, arid region that is inhospitable to this biota. This geographic phenomenon has attracted considerable interest from biogeographers looking to explain evolutionary diversification in this region. Here, we employed phylogenetic and phylogeographic approaches to evaluate the effect of this barrier on a group of four galaxiid fish species (Galaxiella) endemic to temperate...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.c3g8h Cite
Data from: The Teleost Anatomy Ontology: anatomical representation for the genomics age
Wasila M. Dahdul, John G. Lundberg, Peter E. Midford, James P. Balhoff, Hilmar Lapp, Todd J. Vision, Melissa A. Haendel, Monte Westerfield & Paula M. Mabee
The rich knowledge of morphological variation among organisms reported in the systematic literature has remained in free-text format, impractical for use in large-scale synthetic phylogenetic work. This noncomputable format has also precluded linkage to the large knowledgebase of genomic, genetic, developmental, and phenotype data in model organism databases. We have undertaken an effort to prototype a curated, ontology-based evolutionary morphology database that maps to these genetic databases (http://kb.phenoscape.org) to facilitate investigation into the mechanistic basis...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.112dg Cite
Data from: A unified anatomy ontology of the vertebrate skeletal system
Wasila M. Dahdul, James P. Balhoff, David C. Blackburn, Alexander D. Diehl, Melissa A. Haendel, Brian K. Hall, Hilmar Lapp, John G. Lundberg, Christopher J. Mungall, Martin Ringwald, Erik Segerdell, Ceri E. Van Slyke, Matthew K. Vickaryous, Monte Westerfield & Paula M. Mabee
The skeleton is of fundamental importance in research in comparative vertebrate morphology, paleontology, biomechanics, developmental biology, and systematics. Motivated by research questions that require computational access to and comparative reasoning across the diverse skeletal phenotypes of vertebrates, we developed a module of anatomical concepts for the skeletal system, the Vertebrate Skeletal Anatomy Ontology (VSAO), to accommodate and unify the existing skeletal terminologies for the species-specific (mouse, the frog Xenopus, zebrafish) and multispecies (teleost, amphibian) vertebrate...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6bt92 Cite
Data from: Environmental variability and acoustic signals: A multilevel approach in songbirds
Iliana Medina & Clinton D. Francis
Among songbirds, growing evidence suggests that acoustic adaptation of song traits occurs in response to habitat features. Despite extensive study, most research supporting acoustic adaptation has only considered acoustic traits averaged for species or populations, overlooking intraindividual variation of song traits, which may facilitate effective communication in heterogeneous and variable environments. Fewer studies have explicitly incorporated sexual selection, which, if strong, may favour variation across environments. Here, we evaluate the prevalence of acoustic adaptation among...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.cj27s Cite
Data from: Unraveling the determinants of insular body size shifts
Craig R. McClain, Paul A. P. Durst, Alison G. Boyer & Clinton D. Francis
The island rule, a pattern of size shifts on islands, is an oft-cited but little understood phenomenon of evolutionary biology. Here we explore the evolutionary mechanisms behind the rule in 184 mammal species, testing climatic, ecological, and phylogenetic hypotheses in a robust quantitative framework. Our findings confirm the importance of species' ecological traits in determining both the strength and the direction of body size changes on islands. Although the island rule pattern appears relatively weak...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1b736 Cite
Data from: The role of continental shelf width in determining freshwater phylogeographic patterns in southeastern Australian pygmy perches (Teleostei: Percichthyidae)
Peter J. Unmack, Michael P. Hammer, Mark Adams, Jerald B. Johnson & Thomas E. Dowling
Biogeographic patterns displayed by obligate freshwater organisms are intimately related to the nature and extent of connectivity between suitable habitats. Two of the more significant barriers to freshwater connections are seawater and major drainage divides. South-eastern Australia provides a contrast between these barriers as it has discrete areas that are likely influenced to a greater or lesser extent by each barrier type. We use continental shelf width as a proxy for the potential degree of...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9v852 Cite
Data from: Marine-freshwater transitions are associated with the evolution of dietary diversification in terapontid grunters (Teleostei: Terapontidae)
Aaron M. Davis, Peter J. Unmack, Bradley J. Pusey, Richard G. Pearson & Jerry B. Johnson
The ecological opportunities associated with transitions across the marine-freshwater interface are regarded as an important catalyst of diversification in a range of aquatic taxa. Here, we examined the role of these major habitat transitions and trophic diversification in a radiation of Australasian fishes using a new molecular phylogeny incorporating 37 Terapontidae species. A combined mitochondrial and nuclear gene analysis yielded a well supported tree with most nodes resolved. Ancestral terapontids appear to have been euryhaline...
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.4r7b7hg1 Cite
National Evolutionary Synthesis Center
University of South Dakota
South Australian Museum

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I went to the library on Saturday, looking for short books that would help me make up some ground on my Goodreads Challenge--where I was 10 books behind. I picked up a Stephen King novella, knowing it would be a quick read, and The Haunting of Maddy Clare. I chose The Haunting because it was a) relatively short and b) set in post-World War I England, one of my favorite settings. I read the King novella first and started The Haunting of Maddy Clare Sunday afternoon. It swept me away. I stayed up late Sunday night reading it and made sure I got up early enough Monday morning to finish it before I started work.
My library had the book classified as horror, but I didn't find it all that scary. (Perhaps a tolerance I've developed as a lifelong Stephen King reader?) Yes, there is a ghost--a rather violent one--but the story was more like a mystery, driven by the pursuit of answers to two questions: Who was Maddy Clare? What happened to her?
And Maddy doesn't do the only haunting in the story. World War I is just as vivid a specter, having left both physical and psychological scars on the two male leads, scars that inform their interactions with each other, with Maddy Clare, and with the main character: Sarah Piper. And, as is fitting for an England where war has decimated the male population, the story is populated by female characters, with the men often playing supporting roles.
Ultimately, it was the interaction among the three "ghost hunters"--Sarah, Alistair, and Matthew--that drew me in, grabbed me, and held my attention. This is certainly not a story for the faint of heart, but Susanna Kearsley's cover blurb was accurate: it was spellbinding.


text:
package com.rockwellcollins.atc.agree.analysis.realtime;

import org.eclipse.emf.ecore.EObject;

import jkind.lustre.Expr;
import jkind.lustre.IdExpr;

public class AgreePeriodicPattern extends AgreeRealtimePattern {

	public AgreePeriodicPattern(String string, EObject reference, IdExpr event, Expr period, Expr jitter) {
		super(string, reference, event, period, jitter);
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Rishi Sunak will face an "ungovernable" Tory party, warns a Johnson supporter
Rishi Sunak's hopes of a gradual rise to power took a hit after Boris Johnson's supporters warned he would face an "ungovernable" conservative parliamentary party, while Penny Mordaunt's campaign insisted he stay in. race.
The former chancellor could be appointed successor to Liz Truss as party leader, and therefore prime minister, as early as 2pm on Monday if Mordaunt, the leader of the municipalities, fails to collect the necessary 100 nominations from parliamentarians.
Sunak, who has more than 160 nominations, became the very likely winner after Johnson announced Sunday night that he would not be running. The former prime minister said he had more than 100 MPs supporting him, but others were skeptical.
Christopher Chope, the Christchurch MP and Johnson's supporter, warned on Monday that Sunak was seen as undermining Johnson and Truss, and therefore could not expect loyalty from Conservative MPs. To get a mandate, Chope said, Sunak had to hold a general election.
"We have a parliamentary party that is completely torn apart and is ungovernable," Chope told BBC Radio 4's Today program. to guarantee him his support in the event that he is elected leader of the party and of the country.
"Unless we can have someone as our leader in parliament who demands the support and respect of the parliamentary party, we are in fact ungovernable.
Watch: Boris Johnson withdraws from the race for 10 Downing Street
"Unlike Boris, who had a mandate, we now have the prospect of having a Conservative party leader who does not have a mandate from the country and will not even have a mandate from the members."
Asked if he would support Sunak if we won, Chope replied: "I supported Boris Johnson and I supported Liz Truss, and I saw before my eyes their authority undermined by the people who now wish to take control and inherit the crown.
"Respect is a mutual thing. If the people who are now seeking the crown want to have the respect that comes with having a mandate, then what I'm saying is that the best way to get that respect is to win a mandate with people, which is why I think a ' general election is essentially the only answer.
"Otherwise we will go from bad to worse. We will have constant rebellions as we try to change policies ".
Related: "Such a Disappointment of Democracy": Uproar over UK Early General Elections
Mordaunt is stuck on around 30 publicly declared MP nominations, though her team hopes to be encouraged by some Johnson supporters moving in with her.
Mordaunt supporters on Sunday swore she was still in the running and on Monday morning they released details of a poll which they claimed showed she was the best placed candidate to unite the nation.
The Deltapoll poll of 4,000 voters found that Mordaunt was more attractive to voters in the seats earned by the Tories in 2019 than Sunak or Johnson. She also found that she was considered more trustworthy, "pointing out that she is the only candidate who can unite the country and restore confidence in the government," she claimed in her campaign.
Owen Farrell in doubt about clash with Argentina due to concussion protocols
Japan steps up its push to gain public membership of digital IDs
Athena Strand's mother says her 'princess' was kidnapped by a 'cruel monster'
Martin Lewis demonstrates a quick trick to check if your phone is out of contract
Oat milk producers accused of hypocrisy for selling by-products as animal feed


text:
Latour-de-Carol (in catalano La Tor de Querol) è un comune francese di 438 abitanti situato nel dipartimento dei Pirenei Orientali nella regione dell'Occitania. Vi si trova la Stazione di Latour-de-Carol - Enveitg.

Geografia fisica

Fa parte della regione storica nota come Cerdagna.

Società

Evoluzione demografica

Note

Altri progetti

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Complaints about Dr Who rise
Written by Sir Geoffroy Cockface
The story you are trying to access may cause offense, may be in poor taste, or may contain subject matter of a graphic nature. This story was written as a satire or parody. It is entirely fictitious.
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In the new series, the police box has been renamed the Retardis, to match its viewers' IQ
This weekend, the new Dr Who, Jodie Whittaker, began her role as the famous sci-fi character. However, there are many people who are unhappy that a woman is playing the part for the first time.
The character of Dr Who "regenerates" regularly, allowing a new actor to take over the role every few years, and allowing the BBC to milk the same story for over 50 years.
Geoff Tardis was disgusted at the idea of a woman playing Dr Who. He said, "I can tolerate a time lord being able to travel to any place and time throughout the universe, and to regenerate his body and change his face, appearance and personality. But growing tits? That's just ridiculous."
Arse Trumpton had a similar misogynistic view. "There are too many women on TV already," he moaned. "What next? Are they going to read the news?"
Other viewers had a different complaint about the female Doctor, in that, she was too sexy. Joff O'Rection argued, "I can't watch Dr Who anymore now. She turns me on so much, but I can't have a wank when there's Daleks in sight, it's just wrong!"
People of other persuasions had their own reasons for hating the new Doctor. Gef Homo is a gayer, and said, "I used to enjoy watching Terry Grizzle, the elderly clown doctor from the 80s. With the last few Doctors, I can just close my eyes and imagine it's still him, but I can't do that anymore. I'll have to go back to wanking over the Antiques Roadshow."
Doctor WhoMisogynyTardis
Internet goes into meltdown after Identity of new Doctor Who monster leaked online 21 September 2018
Restored Spitfire proof that "Made in Britain" could still be best! 11 March 2017
Trump's Chief Says Hard Not To Throw Nazi Salute 01 December 2016
President-elect Trump to Become Honorary Scoutmaster 14 November 2016
Fans in uproar as Dr Who is suspended by General Medical Council for "touching a Dalek's wand" 16 November 2014
Apple Announces Female Egg Bank 12 November 2014
Study shows Men secretly Resent Women's Phatness 05 May 2014
Pope Fans Hope Retiring Pope Benedict XVI Will Regenerate Into Body Of Matt Smith 14 February 2013


text:
Government Settles With Researcher Put on Watch List For Supporting Bradley Manning
By Ryan Gallagher
May 30, 20135:41 PM
David House, a founding member of the Bradley Manning Support Network
Photo by PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP/Getty Images
Back in 2010, MIT researcher David House was working to raise legal funds for WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning. For his efforts, it seems that House's name was placed on a watch list database alongside suspected terrorists and criminals.
After returning from a vacation in Mexico in late 2010, House arrived at a Chicago airport to board a flight back to Boston. But the then 23-year-old activist, who helped set up the Bradley Manning Support Network, was detained by Homeland Security officials who, without a warrant, confiscated his laptop, video camera, cellphone, and USB drive. House was interrogated about whether he had any connection to WikiLeaks and quizzed about his relationship with Manning, the Army private accused of leaking thousands of classified government documents.
The incident prompted House to launch legal action in the district court against the government for violations of his constitutional rights. He alleged that he had been specifically targeted for his political beliefs and activism, accusing the DHS of violating both the First and Fourth Amendments by confiscating his laptop and other devices, which were held by the authorities for 49 days before they were returned by mail. The government countered in a motion to dismiss that there were no "factual allegations" showing that House had been targeted because of his work with the Manning support group. Furthermore, the government said, performing a "routine search" of his electronic devices without a warrant should not be a problem because doing so wouldn't "impede the future activities" of the Bradley Manning Support Network.
Last week, however, House won a significant victory in the case. With the help of the ACLU, he reached a settlement with the government, which agreed to destroy all of the data it obtained from his laptop and other devices when they were first confiscated. Notably, the government also acknowledged as part of the settlement that House was on a Homeland Security watch list database called "TECS Lookout." According to government guidance, the lookout system is supposed to flag people who enter the United States who are deemed of law enforcement interest. It features the names of drug smugglers, criminals, and suspected terrorists—reportedly among them until recently was Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the deceased Boston Marathon bombings suspect.
That House's name appeared on this database, in all likelihood as a direct result of his lawful political activism, is a stark illustration of the extreme nature of the U.S. government's aggressive pursuit of anyone remotely associated to WikiLeaks—and comes at a time when even President Obama has expressed concern about the potential "over reach" of leak investigations. House's appearance on the TECS list also discredits the government's previous attempts to play down and dismiss the suggestion that he was specifically targeted for his politics and role with the Manning support group. If there were any other, legitimate reason for monitoring him, the government would almost certainly have disclosed it during the case.
As part of the settlement, the government agreed that it would make sure House's name would no longer be "routinely accessible to customs officers" on the watch list. But it also made sure to inform him that he "may continue to be subject to lawful searches and inspections" and said that the settlement was not "an admission or presumption of wrongdoing." House, of course, doesn't agree—and he's celebrating a triumph.
"The government's surrender of this data is a victory through vital action not only for the citizens put at risk," he said in a statement, "but also for anyone who believes that Americans should be free to support political causes without fearing retaliation from Washington."
Terrorism WikiLeaks


text:
UAE's Federal Tax…
UAE's Federal Tax Authority conduct 9,948 inspections in H1-2022
Finance Featured News Regional
The UAE's Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has expanded its efforts in collaboration with various government departments, ministries and authorities to protect consumers from non-compliant products, combat tax evasion, and ensure compliance with tax legislations and procedures.
During the first half of this year, the FTA carried out 9,948 inspection visits in local markets across the country in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security and various departments of Economic Development across the country.
Inspections conducted in the first half of 2022 increased by 104% compared to 4,878 inspections conducted in 2021 during the same period. The total value of tax liabilities seized during these inspection visits amounted to more than $35.50 million.
In a statement on Friday, the FTA confirmed that the campaigns aim to strengthen market control through intensified market inspections across all the emirates. The FTA's plans aim to ensure laws, legislation and tax procedures are followed to guarantee the protection of the national economy, provide the highest levels of protection for consumers, combat commercial fraud and prevent the trade of inferior and counterfeit products that harm the public health and the national economy.
The FTA explained that the control efforts resulted in the seizure and confiscation of nearly 5.5 million pieces of tobacco products that did not conform to specifications and do not carry "digital tax stamps," in addition to the seizure of nearly 1.07 million packages violating other selective goods, which include soft drinks, energy drinks and sweetened drinks.
These inspections resulted in the seizure of 5.5 million packages of tobacco products not bearing "Digital Tax Stamps". A further 1.07 million packages of selected goods, including soft drinks, sweetened beverages, and energy drinks, were valued at $35.50 m,illion in tax liabilities.
The FTA indicated that the effective control of the markets contributed to the detection of facilities violating tax laws, as 1,213 violations were issued during the field inspection visits carried out in the first half of 2022, while 404 notice of non-registration were sent to violating entities.
The FTA reaffirmed that the implementation of the Excise tax had achieved remarkable success over the nearly five years since its application.
The Excise tax has contributed positively to achieving social targets, reducing the consumption of harmful products by the public and improving the environment. In addition, the tax has played a considerable role in increasing the government's financial resources to support endeavours toward serving the public and enhancing the quality of life.
Tags: Business Citizenship Compliance Customs Digital Tax Stamps Economy Emirates Excise Taxes Federal Tax Authority Finance Global Business Magazine globalbizmag.com Identity Port Security Tax evasion United Arab Emirates
UAE's GDP growth to exceed 5% in 2022
Abu Dhabi's real estate market with $6.1 billion…


We offer workshops for CSD students currently registered in Kindies in Motion level and up (ages 4 and up). Participating students will learn a piece of group choreography to be performed in the show. This is an exciting performance opportunity for our dancers! The workshops will be offered Monday, December 10th through Friday, December 14th at CSD studios and will include various levels and dance styles for different age groups. Workshop fees are $15.00. Deadline for workshop registration is Saturday, November 17th. We hope you can participate in this fun holiday show!
Costumes are kept simple, so there is no costume cost! Participants must also be available on Saturday, December 15th for rehearsals in the morning & afternoon as well as the 4pm performance. For more information about show day rehearsals, please see the Performance Newsletter below!
Tickets for the performance are $17.50 each and will be available online through www.onstagedirect.com/Contemporary starting Saturday, December 1st, 8:00am. Tickets will also be available at the door one hour prior to performance (while supplies last, cash only at the door). Tickets are general admission. Please note that this performance is usually SOLD OUT! We encourage you to get your tickets early!
Please note that there is no photography or videography permitted during the performance. Dancers will be able to view or download the show through their DanceBUG account.


If you need a roofing contractor in Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz, TX, count on the one that has consistently supplied excellent workmanship ever since its development in 2004. The secrets to our growth and accomplishment are clear: we supply superior workmanship, and unite it with stellar customer service. Furthermore, we will not advise extra service simply to pad our profits, and stay dedicated to the welfare of every client. Whether you need commercial roofing services, we are your nearby leaders. Every roofing task we take on benefits immensely from our expertise, reliability, and transparency.
We put a special emphasis on our projects as commercial roofers. We complete thorough work and remain committed to our clients, unlike many roofers who desire solely to move on to the subsequent project. We seek to promote a long-term relationship with each of our customers. We pursue forthrightness in our communication, reliability in our service, and dedicate ourselves wholly to the growth of client partnerships. We are masters in the install and repair of a extensive selection of roofing materials, and stand ready to serve for fixes, installations, and more. We are additionally there for you when you require us more than ever, as we offer emergency roofing system service. To find out additional information about our work as a commercial roofing contractor in Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz, TX, call us whenever you'd like at (512) 520-0523.
Every business can benefit from our commercial work, for which we offer a full variety of roof coating applications. To provide for the total maintenance of your business, we can apply long-lasting roof coatings. So as to provide excellent value across all of our services, we always put an emphasis on committed and reliable workmanship.
Silicone Roof Coating Coats of silicone infuse your roofing with exceptional water resistance.
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Our roof restoration services will take care of every contingency. Performed as an alternate to replacement, roof restoration represents a method to preserve money and lengthen the lifespan of your roof. Unlike some contractors, we consistently explore the viability of roof restoration. If your roofing system has seen better days, give our team your first call. To improve your chances for restoration, be certain to call us right away, as roofing systems can decay past the likelihood of its viability.
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Modified Bitumen If you desire an economical roof material with longevity and resilience, go with modified bitumen.
Green Roofing This type of roofing can refer to all-around eco-friendly qualities, or a comprehensive covering of plants.
Commercial Roof Installation To understand the complete capabilities of your roofing system, go with a skilled company for installation.
Commercial Roof Replacement Commercial property owners benefit a a lot from our efficiency with roof replacement.
Commercial Roof Consultant Should you feel stressed about a looming roofing project, our team will help.
Steel Roofing A zinc coating leaves steel roofs resilient against deterioration.
Aluminum Roofing The positives of aluminum become most obvious in places that get a lot of rainfall.
Stone Coated Steel Stone coated steel can emulate the aesthetic of other types of roofing.
Corrugated Metal Enhancements to corrugated metal have made it an attractive selection for roofs for any sorts of roofing.
Metal Shingles Metal shingles offer one more option for those who do not like the aesthetic of metal.
Commercial Metal Roofing Metal roofing will stand up to a good amount of wear and tear, which makes it perfect for commercial use.
Standard services aside, we are additionally the nearby company for commercial roof inspections and consultations to help with endeavors into large roofing projects. If a storm has inflicted damage to your building an inspection can go a long way in fixing any and all issues. For any job that may appear, we are the local roof professional to trust for professional inspections and consulting.
To discover more in regards to our company or work offerings, call our team whenever at (512) 520-0523. As a trusted roofing contractor in Encantada-Ranchito-El Calaboz, TX, we wish to become your top option for installations and repairs.


Mon., January 22, 2001 12:00 a.m. | Monday, January 22, 2001 12:00 a.m.
Because he plays for one of the top scoring teams in the PIHL, Greensburg Central Catholic defenseman A.J. Wassenaar often gets overlooked.
The Class AA coaches didn't fall into that trap.
Wassenaar, along with teammates Tom Ward, Matt Shipley and Paul Jonnet, will represent the Centurions at the PIHL Class AA All-Star game on Feb. 11 at 3:30 p.m. at the Bladerunners Ice Complex in Warrendale.
The Class A game begins the All-Star festivities at 1 p.m., and the Class AAA game follows the Class AA tilt at 6 p.m. Each game will consist of three twenty minute periods.
Greensburg Central Catholic had the most all-stars of any local team. Other than the four regulars, Tim Baldwin is the alternate in goal.
Ward, Shipley and Jonnet are among the top scorers in Class AA. Ward leads the team with 21 goals and 37 points, with Shipley (32 points) and Jonnet (30 points) not far behind.
Centurions coach Butch Marietta will be on the bench as an assistant coach under Indiana's Ron Hellen.
Coaches from each team selected the players from their respective conferences. Each team nominated at least one player.
Franklin Regional, Norwin, Greensburg Salem and Hempfield Area will each be represented by two players.
For the second consecutive year, the Gallagher brothers, Sean and Matt, will take part in the Class AAA game.
Sean Gallagher leads the Panthers with 18 goals and 36 points.
Ryan Silvis earned his second Class AA All-Star nod for Greensburg Salem.
Silvis, who plays winger, leads the Golden Lions with 22 points after a three-point performance in a 3-3 tie with Keystone Oaks Thursday.
Greensburg Salem defenseman Matt Mattei was named as an alternate for the Northeast Conference team. He will practice with the team and be at the game, but will not play unless a player is injured or suspended prior to the game.
'Matt is one of the most solid defenseman around here that I have seen,' Crimboli said. 'He's a stay-at-home, physical defenseman.
Hempfield Area's Ty Musa was selected as a Class AAA All-Star, while teammate Cody Downes was tabbed as an alternate. Norwin had two players – forward Nathan Slafka and defenseman Jake Kovac – chosen to the Class AA Northeast Conference team. The Knights' coach, Joe Dykta, will serve as an assistant.
Greater Latrobe's K.C. Hahey was named to the Class AA Northeast Conference squad.
Other notable players include: Somerset's Brandon Brant, the PIHL's leading scorer with 67 points, Beaver's Dan and Doug Miller, who are Class AA's top two scorers and Class AAA points leader Andrew Dealy of Allderdice.


text:
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UCI and promoter
Press release 12/45
On 24 October 2012, the CSSF published Circular CSSF 12/546 (the "Circular") on the authorisation and organisation of the Luxembourg management companies subject to Chapter 15 of the Law of 17 December 2010 relating to undertakings for collective investment (the "2010 Law"), as well as to investment companies which have not designated a management company within the meaning of Article 27 of the 2010 Law (hereafter "SIAG").
The CSSF considers that the concept of promoter is no longer necessary for UCITS having taken the form of a SIAG or having designated a management company where these meet the requirements of the Circular. Indeed, the objective of maintaining a high level of investor protection is fulfilled by the fact that the requirements of the Circular are met.
Thus, the CSSF adopts the following approach with respect to Luxembourg UCITS:
I. Fonds commun de placement and investment firm with a management company subject to Chapter 15 of the 2010 Law
Every management company subject to Chapter 15 of the 2010 Law existing at the time of the entry into force of the Circular has until 30 June 2013 at the latest to comply with the requirements of the Circular. It must submit to the CSSF, until 15 April 2013 at the latest, a file containing the information allowing the CSSF to check its compliance with the Circular by 30 June 2013.
Management companies that manage one or more UCITS the promoter of which wishes to formally terminate its promoter status before 30 June 2013 must submit to the CSSF a file containing the information demonstrating their compliance with the Circular. After 30 June, such formal termination will no longer be necessary, the high level of investor protection being achieved through the compliance with the provisions of the Circular.
The CSSF will analyse whether the management company of the UCITS concerned meets the requirements of the Circular.
If the CSSF concludes that the management company of the UCITS complies with the Circular, it will so inform the management company. From the date of this compliance notice, the UCITS managed by this management company are no longer bound by the concept of promoter.
Any new UCITS whose date of authorisation falls between the publication date of the Circular (i.e. 24 October 2012) and 1 July 2013 must either designate a management company subject to Chapter 15 of the 2010 Law which meets the requirements of the Circular, or have a promoter according to the usual terms.
II. SIAG
For SIAGs the approach described in point I. above applies mutatis mutandis.
III. UCI subject to Part II of the 2010 Law
For self-managed SICAVs subject to Part II of the 2010 Law and for FCPs and SICAVs subject to Part II of the 2010 Law managed by a management company subject to Chapter 16 of the 2010 Law, the requirements as regards the promoter remain applicable according to the usual terms.
For FCPs and SICAVs subject to Part II of the 2010 Law managed by a management company subject to Chapter 15 of that Law, the approach described in point I. above applies mutatis mutandis.
The situation of these UCIs will be revised after the transposition into Luxembourg law of Directive 2011/61/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2011 on Alternative Investment Fund Managers.
17 December 2010 - Updated on 1 January 2021 Law of 17 December 2010 (coordinated version)
relating to undertakings for collective investment
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PDF (770.63Kb)
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24 October 2012 - Archived since 23 August 2018 Circular CSSF 12/546 (as amended by Circular CSSF 15/633) repealed by Circular CSSF 18/698
Circular CSSF
Relevant for
Undertakings for collective investment (UCI)
Undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS)
Copyright © Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier, Luxembourg


Graduate student and postdoctoral GSA members are eligible to apply for this award to support travel costs for national and international meetings and laboratory courses. The award is named for long-time GSA member and National Science Foundation Program Director in Eukaryotic Genetics, DeLill Nasser. It is given in recognition of the critical role she played in research and for her love of genetics. Visit the award website for more information. The application deadline has passed.
Awards will be given for the best poster presentations by GSA student members. If you are a Genetics Society of America member, the first AND presenting author on the abstract, and an undergraduate or graduate student you may nominate your poster for an award. Both scientific merit and clarity of presentation will be taken into account. Winners will be announced at the conference. PIs and Postdocs who are GSA members can indicate when they register if they would like to help with judging.
GSA Undergraduate Travel Awards are available to promote excellence in undergraduate research and education. This award will provide travel support to undergraduate GSA members who will be presenting research findings at a GSA conference, including the International C. elegans conference. The application deadline has passed.
Funds will be available to support the participation of students (including undergraduates) and others who might otherwise be unable to attend. Presenting authors are given first priority when determining awards. Describe your need in the online travel award application. You are not guaranteed that you will receive the amount you ask for on the application. No more than two people from the same lab will be eligible for travel awards. Checks will be disbursed at the conference registration desk.


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#### Original name
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· Sustainability report writing for Sembcorp Industries.
· Re-development of Agenda for Corporate Social Responsibility in Scotland website. (Please note that the new material is not yet online).
· A systematic review of the evidence for the relationship between CSR and financial performance.
· Socially responsible investment research for Calvert Inc, the largest manager of screened assets in the USA.
· Report on the state of CSR in Malaysia for Insite Consulting.
· Systematic Review of the literature on the impact of community animal health services on poor farmers. Funded by DFID's Animal Health Programme.
· Research on the use of participatory rural appraisal methods in the study of ethnoveterinary medicine, conducted in Nigeria, 1996.


Ten years ago, ocean acidification was a phenomenon only known to small group of ocean scientists. It's now recognised as the hidden partner of climate change, prompting calls for an urgent, substantial reduction in carbon emissions to reduce future impacts.
The 'Impacts of Ocean Acidification' report presented by the European Science Foundation on 20 May for European Maritime Day 2010 gives a comprehensive view of current research. Prepared by leading scientists from Europe and the USA, it highlights the need for a concerted, integrated effort internationally to research and monitor the effects of ocean acidification on marine environments and human communities.
The seas and oceans, which absorb almost a third of the greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, are rapidly becoming more acidic due to increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from burning fossil fuels. Carbon dioxide produces carbonic acid when it dissolves in seawater and up to now, the oceans have buffered the effects of global warming by absorbing almost a third of the carbon dioxide emitted from human fossil fuel use. Today the oceans are more acidic than they have ever been for at least 20 million years. This chemical change could cause significant consequences to marine ecosystems and the goods and services that they provide.
For example, coastal zones such as in the Mediterranean and North Seas are rich in calcifying organisms such as shell fish that may be particularly sensitive to large changes in carbon chemistry. Molluscs make their shells by extracting dissolved calcium carbonate from seawater and using it to form two minerals, calcite and aragonite. Corals use the same process to make their external skeletons. As water becomes more acidic, the concentration of calcium carbonate falls so that eventually there is so little that shells or skeletons cannot form.
Integrated research on the impacts of ocean acidification is still a very new field – the full implications of these changes are unclear for marine ecosystems and fisheries resources, including fish stocks, shellfish and coral reefs. Economic research on systems for managing marine resources is essential to understand the impacts on fisheries and the human communities that rely on them.
Current European and national programmes are relatively small compared to the combined challenges posed by ocean acidification and global warming. Existing research has mainly been initiated by individual researchers or teams, with limited overall coordination. Two years ago the European Project on Ocean Acidification was funded by the EU and within the last year Germany and the UK have funded national ocean acidification programmes - BIOACID and the UK Ocean Acidification Research Programme respectively. As others emerge they need to be brought together through a large-scale research initiative taking full advantage of the combined scientific expertise across the European countries and internationally. One of the first steps toward integration is to develop a specific database building on the national research activities in ocean acidification.
Two contributing authors of the report, Dr Carol Turley and Professor Katrin Rehdanz will present it on 20 May 2010, 14.30 – 18.30 in the session "Climate Change in coastal and marine areas: from science to policy".


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Kent Town Residents Association > Projects > Greening and Heritage > Greening > Climate Change at Kent Town
Kent Town & Climate Change
SA Country Women's Association
Summary of Conference Proceedings
Attached are the Conference Agenda and the Speakers' Presentation Slides. Click to download a copy. All files are PDFs and can be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader or equivalent software
Click here to download the Reader for free.
Thirty people attended the Conference.
The KTRA President, David Baker, welcomed attendees acknowledging City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters (NPSP) Councillors (Scott Sims, Fay Patterson, Kester Moorhouse, Sue Worthington), President of the Norwood Residents Association, Chris Francis, the Committee members of the Kent Town Residents Association (KTRA) Rochelle Woodley-Baker, Mike Connolly, David Shores, and Andrew Fergusson (Website Administrator, KTRA).
Apologies were noted.
David acknowledged and thanked local businesses and residents:
SA Country Women's Association for their kind hosting of the Conference, hosting the KTRA's activities involving mapping of trees in Kent Town, and hosting the proposed Kent Town Community Garden,
Rodeo Design for the design of the Conference Flyer,
Peacock Design/Print for the printing of the flyer,
Dan Murphy's St Peters for their donation towards the cost of the wine, and
KTRA committee member David Shores for the food for the networking after-party.
The speakers were introduced to the Conference:
Naomi Prunckun (City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters (NPSP) is an environment and sustainability professional. She is passionate about environmental management as she sees this is an industry where she can make the greatest impact in improving human pressures on the world. Naomi has worked for State and Local Governments, private businesses and not-for-profits in a range of roles.
She found her passion in local government as it has a close connection to community and practical action.
Naomi has worked for Renmark Paringa Council as their Environmental Officer, Adelaide Plains Council as a Coastal Conservation Officer, and the City of Prospect as Environmental Sustainability Officer before her current role at the City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters (NPSP) as Sustainability Officer.
Naomi was a Coastal Ambassador in 2018 and Community Leader in Sustainability, a finalist for the Young Achiever Award and Young Landcare Leader Award in 2017.
Maddie Sarre (Australian Youth Climate Coalition) is a young climate activist. She became involved with taking action on climate change while in high school as she was concerned about the increase in bushfires in her local area in the Adelaide Hills.
She has volunteered for many years on campaigns to stop new fossil fuel projects and transition Australia to 100% renewable energy. In 2015 she attended the UN Climate Talks in Paris to lobby the Australian government to make serious commitments for the climate.
Currently she is living in Hackney and is focusing on being part of a growing grassroots movement to combat the climate crisis.
Tim Kelly has been the Co-ordinator of the Resilient East Project since 2017 before which he coordinated Adapting Northern Adelaide (Playford, Salisbury) between 2015 and 2017.
Tim was the Chief Executive of the Conservation Council from 2010 to 2013, before which he was the Principal Climate Change Advisor with SA Water. His background includes 18 years in the water industry in trade and technical roles and he has been a Country Fire Service (CFS) volunteer since 1983.
The following discussions followed the attached Presentation Slides. The Agenda is detailed on Slide 1.
Tim Kelly opened the presentations, setting the scene and referred to the climate change effects citing examples from the coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef, the fish kills in the Murray-Darling river system, the drought in NSW, the decline in Arctic and Antarctic ice, the extending Fire Seasons and in places which haven't normally experienced bushfires and the threat of extinction to many species (slides 2-10) and he referred to the mobilisations world-wide about climate change, referring to Extinction Rebellion.
He referred (slide 9) to the Climate Emergency Declarations across Councils in SA (and world-wide) and the subsequent discussion involving the Councillors pointed out that NPSP Council had not similarly passed the same Declaration. Slide 29 on the attached is the Declaration that the Council did adopt. In Naomi Prunckun's subsequent discussion about the Council's amended motion, Cr Moorhouse commented that the original motion, passed by other Councils, was amended and "toned down". He stated that other members of Council are looking to see what other actions can be taken.
Naomi Prunckun followed and referred to the values of the NPSP (slides 12-19) and then addressed how climate change affects us, through discussing the extreme changes to temperatures, rainfall, and days of extreme fire risk and she addressed the threats that these changes are expected to have on people, landscapes and other aspects and how these will challenge Councils (slides 20-27).
She outlined what Council is doing to adapt to Climate Change (slides 28-33).
Tim Kelly then explained what Resilient East is doing.
Resilient East is an initiative between the Campbelltown City Council, the cities of Adelaide, Burnside, Norwood Payneham & St Peters, Prospect, Tea Tree Gully, Unley and the Town of Walkerville, to deliver a coordinated response to climate change and by sharing information, resources, responsibilities and actions achieve a Resilient East. He stated that Resilient East is one of 12 regions to prepare Climate Change Adaptation Plans.
He summarised what has been done and what is planned (slides 36-38). He pointed out what some Councils are doing individually (slides 39-46) and cooperatively (slide 47).
He discussed themes of water management and use (water sensitive urban design WSUB), and across Government collaboration promoting the use of spatial data (slides 48-52).
He addressed the question, "Our climate is changing. What can we do to get ready?", discussing cooler roads and infrastructure and trees, and discussed Resilient East's 2019-20 goals (slides 53-56). He mentioned that the SA Government has required all Councils to achieve a 20% increase in canopy cover by 2045.
Naomi Prunckun then discussed Local Government action, and citing statistics, about trees, ground surfaces, heat maps, temperatures, on both public and private land (slides 57-81). She addressed what communities and individuals can do including such things as water use management, verge gardening, cooling the spaces around homes and businesses, waste and recycling, and addressing how we use transport (slides 73-81).
Maddie Sarre brought the presentations together addressing the importance of mobilising for urgent action to address mitigation of and adaptation to climate change and its effects and to focus on renewable forms of energy production.
She explained how she had become involved in climate action initially through her concerns about bushfires, then on further exploration realised that climate change is about much more.
She stated that it is important to take action, however small and individual or in cooperation with others, such as she has with her active membership of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. She discussed her involvement in action in Australia and overseas, networking with other young people about climate change awareness and action and the impacts on communities across the globe. Maddie referred to her particular concerns about the fossil fuel industry, especially the proposed development of the Adani coal project and the funding by the Commonwealth Bank and her and her other activists' role in the Bank withdrawing from funding the project.
She addressed the roles that we can play as constituents, eg voting and directly voicing concerns to elected representatives; as community members, eg being involved in our community and sharing views; or activists, eg being prepared to take a stand on what we believe, especially actions about climate change and she concluded with a slide (86) listing a non-exhaustive list of climate groups in Adelaide.
Points made during questions and answers:
The point was made that Kent Town has the least amount of tree canopy cover of the 21 suburbs within the 6 wards of the City of Norwood Payneham and St Peters (NPSP). The tree and verge mapping initiatives of the Kent Town Residents Association (KTRA) was explained and the opportunities this offers to Council was pointed out.
Naomi addressed the report of the i-tree canopy analysis, (Martinez A., Bachar Z and Ruby Wake (2018). Quantifying tree canopy cover change within the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters). The report surveyed changes in amounts of hard surfaces and plantable surfaces from 1997, 2007, and 2017 across six suburbs and the entire municipality.
The report stated that 69.5% is private land, and 30.5% is public land. It concluded the following (I have added the comparative Kent Town numbers in bolded type):
2.1 Tree canopy cover on both public and private land combined, of the entire municipality, remained at approximately 25%. In Kent Town it decreased from 20% to 16%.
2.2 Tree canopy cover on private land, over the entire municipality, decreased from 23% to 21%. In Kent Town it decreased at a greater rate, from 19% to 15%.
2.3 Tree canopy cover on public land, over the entire municipality, increased from 30% to 34%. In Kent Town, however it conversely decreased from 22% to 20%.
2.4 Hard surfaces on both public and private land combined, over the entire municipality, increased from 57% to 61%. In Kent Town it increased at a greater rate, from 70% to 77%.
2.5 Hard surfaces on private land, over the entire municipality, increased from 58% to 64%. In Kent Town it increased similarly from 68% to 75%.
2.6 Hard surfaces on public land, over the entire municipality, decreased from 55% to 54%. In Kent Town it conversely increased from 74% to 78%.
2.7 Felixstow showed the highest tree canopy cover increase (23% – 28%) due mostly to the canopy growth of existing trees. Yet conversely in Kent Town it decreased from 20% to 16%.
2.8 Kent Town showed the highest hard surface increase from 70% to 77%, "due mostly to urban infill."
2.9 Plantable public land (grass/bare ground, over the entire municipality) decreased from 12% to 9%. In Kent Town, total plantable ground decreased at a greater rate, from 10% to 7%.
In summary, the numbers indicate that Kent Town has fared poorly, comparatively and absolutely, on 8 of the above 9 factors with all other suburbs and the entire municipality. It is less able to adapt to the effects and challenges of Climate Change than its neighbours in the municipality. As the Report indicates,
"Overall, for each suburb and each period, the dominant land cover is hard surface. The trend is for hard surfaces to increase. The trend is for grass/bare ground i.e. plantable surface to decrease" (pp.5-9)…and that urban infill is a major contributor to these changes (p.6).
In conclusion, Kent Town is faced with a great number of urban infill developments which will contribute to these negative effects unless action is taken now to address them.
A discussion ensued about Verge Gardens including removing and disposing of the dolomite hard surfaces, the best way of economically achieving this, and the schemes provided differently across Councils, with favourable mention about Unley.
Discussion addressed the increased plantings of trees by Councils, various species to avoid in new plantings and ways to deal with less preferred existing trees, eg Cr Fay Patterson explained the Council's policies in regard to Queensland Box trees.
In response to a question, Maddie addressed the multiple reasons for increased number and intensities of bushfires and pointed to climate science evidence which indicates the increasing incidence and intensity of fires around the globe, despite various policies being implemented, eg back-burning and clearance of undergrowth fuel.
Tim explained the meanings of the climate-related terms of mitigation and adaptation. He cited actions such as reducing carbon emissions and actions to prevent things getting worse as examples of mitigation, and explained adaption as adjusting to the impacts, such as through reforms to economies, fire management strategies, and energy generation and the sources, such as moving from burning of fossil fuels to alternative sources of energy generation.
Tim addressed the issue of water usage policies and the benefits that can be attained through Councils' greater use of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUB) policies and how these can have long term benefits to address the effects of climate change through supporting the growth of trees.
Tim addressed a question about green walls in buildings to address the effects of climate change, saying that with urban consolidation we need to look at green walls, roof gardens, increased tree canopy cover, and the proposed new Planning and Design Code could address incentives for developers to include these kinds of innovations in their designs and buildings.
The Conference concluded with drinks and nibbles and much networking for the next hour or two.


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Additional Bay
Additional Ocean
Additional Freshwater
License & Regulations
Known as Rockfish here in Maryland (a name given to the fish for hunting above the Chesapeake Bay's rocky oyster beds), striped bass are a sought-after trophy fish up and down the Atlantic seaboard. As Maryland's official State Fish, we love our Rockfish. The Chesapeake Bay is a spawning ground for the Atlantic Ocean's striped bass, bringing in some of the biggest trophy fish during their yearly run. Schools of world-class striped bass inundate the estuary each spring, bringing with them some of the world's best fishermen to the spring tournaments. However impressive the spring spawning season may be, rockfish are year-round residents. If you're looking for a fish that will put up a good fight and please your taste buds at the end of the day, Maryland's Rockfish are what you're after.
Striped bass are silvery fish that get their name from the seven or eight dark, continuous stripes along the side of their bodies. The body is compressed, and the dorsal fins are well separated. The caudal fin is forked, olive green, blue, or black dorsally. On the Atlantic coast, striped bass range from the St. Lawrence River in Canada all the way to the St. Johns River in Florida – although they are most prevalent from Maine to North Carolina. Striped bass tend to move north to near shore waters of the New England coast during the summer and south to the North Carolina/Virginia Capes during the winter. The east coast migratory population is composed of three major stocks – Hudson, Chesapeake, and Roanoke. The striped bass stock within the Chesapeake Bay is composed of pre-migratory fish, primarily ages ten and younger, and coastal migratory striped bass ranging in age from two to more than thirty years old. Mature resident and migratory striped bass move into tidal freshwater in early spring to spawn. After spawning, migratory fish return to the coast. Most spend the summer and early fall months in middle New England near shore waters. During the late fall and early winter, coastal striped bass migrate south to winter off the North Carolina/Virginia Capes.
The recreational record for Chesapeake Bay striped bass is 67 pounds, 8 ounces, though the largest recorded striped bass was a 125 pound female caught on the North Carolina coast in 1891. The current Maryland Chesapeake Bay record striped bass is 67 lbs., 8 oz. Striped bass tagged in the Chesapeake Bay have been recaptured in Canadian waters over 1,000 miles away.
Looking for the perfect fishing spot? Access Maryland DNR's Public Fishing Access Map.
There is a winter, spring, summer, and fall season for striped bass in Maryland where fish can be harvested (as long as they are of legal size). Though they can be fished year-round, fishermen must abide by the catch-and-release policy if caught out of harvest season. The main seasons – and the biggest bites – come during the spring and fall.
For information on seasons, sizes and limits click HERE.
From offshore to inland reservoirs, there are plenty of options to choose from when going after striped bass in Maryland. Bring your own boat and spend the weekend fighting Rockfish with family or friends in the Chesapeake Bay; stay on land shore surf-fishing on the beach; or cast off a jetty in Point Lookout State Park in Scotland, MD. Maryland also has landlocked striped bass populations in Liberty, Piney Run, Triadelphia, and Rocky Gorge Reservoirs. Whether you're a novice or an avid angler, Maryland's striped bass opportunities offer a little something for everyone.
Don't have a boat but want to get the real Chesapeake Bay striped bass fishing experience? There are tons of charters to choose from with knowledgeable, experienced captains happy to get you out chasing Rockfish. With all the gear and necessities provided for you – and no license required to fish – climbing aboard a charter boat is the perfect way for fishing buddies, or families, to get out and fish on the Bay.
Getting a fishing license in Maryland couldn't be easier. Download DNR's app on your smartphone (MD DNR), click Apply for License, and enroll. From here, you can register any catches, post photos, and check for regulations updates. Simple, quick, and at the palm of your hand, DNR's app is the easiest way to get your Maryland fishing license. Or, you can apply for a license through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' website.
There are a few instances where registering for a license may not be necessary; visit the Maryland DNR for a full list of these exceptions. For more information on fishing without a license – and locations where licenses are not required – visit http://dnr.maryland.gov/Fisheries/Pages/Free-Fishing.aspx.
Visit the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for a complete list of Maryland's Fishing Regulations.
Money generated from the sale of licenses goes directly to the conservation, protection, and preservation of Maryland's natural habitat and cherished wildlife. Maryland DNR works tirelessly to maintain a healthy population of fish and game, and the regulations needed to sustain fishing and hunting in Maryland. Changes in regulations, dates, and requirements vary year-to-year. Please check with DNR frequently for the most up-to-date information.
More About Striped Bass
My Birthday Rockfish Trip
FHMD, December 19, 2018
This summer I wanted to catch a big rockfish. So this summer, me and my dad learned how to catch them. Our first two times we did not catch any rockfish. But then we figured it out and started to get the hang of it and started catching them. So during the summer my dad and I had a blast. But I still hadn't caught a big one yet. I asked if I
Blue Catfish with Captain Mike Starrett
Captain Mike Starrett has been guiding anglers on the tidal Potomac River for almost 30 years. He
Chasing Snakehead in Maryland
There's a little-known fish gaining attention in Maryland's waterways these days: the northern
Fishing Charters & Guides
Capt. Dave Schwenk
Capt. Mike Smolek
Capt. Mark Edward Galasso
Bolger Center
Motel 6-Frederick
Double G RV Park
Outdoor Retailers
Molly's Place
Precision Tackle
Dick's Sporting Goods – Gambrills
View All Retailers
Download the DNR App
Our official app provides direct links to license purchase, hunting season information by date, and a digital Trophy Case.
Get A License!
DNR's online portal - COMPASS, provides access to Hunting Licenses, Stamps, and Permits. Get your license now.


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Krystal Goodman, Alabama softball shut down Georgia State
By Justin SmithSpecial to The Tuscaloosa News
Alabama softball bounced back from back-to-back losses with a 5-1 win against Georgia State on Wednesday at Rhoads Stadium.
Krystal Goodman allowed just one run on two hits and walked one in the complete-game victory. It was her seventh win of the season and she remains undefeated. Goodman said she felt the Alabama offense was more aggressive in Wednesday's game than in the two previous losses to South Carolina last weekend.
"We were a lot more determined to put runs on the board," Goodman said. "We did not do that as well against South Carolina. Tonight we did."
Determined is an understatement. The Tide (39-4) went through the entire batting order in the first inning. A Claire Jenkins' RBI single got the scoring started. Freshman Skylar Wallace extended the Alabama lead with a two-run single to put Alabama up 3-0.
Kaylee Tow scored the last run in the explosive first inning to give the Tide the 4-0 lead.
The Panthers remained scoreless through two innings and the Tide capitalized off defensive mistakes in the second. Elissa Brown scored her second run of the game of a Georgia State error. Brown went 2-for-3 with one stolen base.
"I have been keeping everything short," Brown said. "I have been keeping my hands on the bat and making sure I am popping the ball and making sure I put it where I want it to be."
Both teams went scoreless in the third, but thanks to some sloppy play by Alabama, the Panthers got on the board in the fourth on a Tide error.
Right fielder KB Sides left the game in the fourth inning with an injury after colliding with Wallace for a fly ball. Alabama head coach Patrick Murphy said he wasn't sure of the extent of the injury.
Alabama scored the final run in the fifth and Brown was once again involved. Her single scored Wallace for the 5-1 advantage.
The Tide will jump back into SEC play Saturday when they take on the Georgia Bulldogs at 11 a.m. at Rhoads Stadium in the first of a thee-game weekend series. Murphy said taking care of business at home will be valuable to his team going forward.
"We really need to take care of our home turf for the rest of the year," Murphy said. "That is our emphasis right now, take care of the Rhoads House."


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Now your phone can become a robot that does the boring work
Written by Kayla Wiles
West Lafayette, Indiana - If any factory worker could program low-cost robots, then more factories could actually use robotics to increase worker productivity.
This is because workers would be able to shift to taking on more varied and higher-level tasks, and factories could produce a greater variety of products.
That's the idea behind a prototype smartphone app Purdue University researchers have developed that allows a user to easily program any robot to perform a mundane activity, such as picking up parts from one area and delivering them to another.
Purdue researchers present their research on the embedded app, called VRa, on June 23 at DIS 2019 in San Diego. The platform is patented through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization, with plans to make it available for commercial use.
"Smaller companies can't afford software programmers or expensive mobile robots," said Karthik Ramani, Purdue's Donald W. Feddersen Professor of Mechanical Engineering. "We've made it to where they can do the programming themselves, dramatically bringing down the costs of building and programming mobile robots," he said.
Using augmented reality, the app allows the user to either walk out where the robot should go to perform its tasks, or draw out a workflow directly into real space. The app offers options for how those tasks can be performed, such as under a certain time limit, on repeat or after a machine has done its job.
After programming, the user drops the phone into a dock attached to the robot. While the phone needs to be familiar with the type of robot it's "becoming" to perform tasks, the dock can be wirelessly connected to the robot's basic controls and motor.
The phone is both the eyes and brain for the robot, controlling its navigation and tasks.
"As long as the phone is in the docking station, it is the robot," Ramani said. "Whatever you move about and do is what the robot will do."
To get the robot to execute a task that involves wirelessly interacting with another object or machine, the user simply scans the QR code of that object or machine while programming, effectively creating a network of so-called "Internet of Things." Once docked, the phone (as the robot) uses information from the QR code to work with the objects.
The researchers demonstrated this with robots watering a plant, vacuuming and transporting objects. The user can also monitor the robot remotely through the app and make it start or stop a task, such as to go charge its battery or begin a 3D-printing job. The app provides an option to automatically record video when the phone is docked, so that the user can play it back and evaluate a workflow.
Ramani's lab made it possible for the app to know how to navigate and interact with its environment according to what the user specifies through building upon so-called "simultaneous localization and mapping." These types of algorithms are also used in self-driving cars and drones.
A YouTube video is available at
"We don't undervalue the human. Our goal is for everyone to be able to program robots, and for humans and robots to collaborate with each other," Ramani said.
Since creating the prototype, Ramani's lab has been testing it in real factory settings to evaluate user-driven applications. Ultimately, the app is a step toward creating future "smart" factories, powered by artificial intelligence and augmented reality, that complement and increase worker productivity rather than replacing them, Ramani said.
The work aligns with Purdue's Giant Leaps celebration, acknowledging the university's global advancements made in artificial intelligence as part of Purdue's 150th anniversary. This is one of the four themes of the yearlong celebration's Ideas Festival, designed to showcase Purdue as an intellectual center solving real-world issues.
A grant from the National Science Foundation's Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier program is supporting the lab's continued research in enabling humans to more easily create, program and collaborate with robots.


text:
//
//   Copyright 2018  SenX S.A.S.
//
//   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
//   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
//   You may obtain a copy of the License at
//
//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
//
//   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
//   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
//   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
//   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
//   limitations under the License.
//

package io.warp10.script.mapper;

/**
 * Triangular kernel
 *
 * @see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernel_%28statistics%29
 */
public class MapperKernelTriangular extends MapperKernel {

  public MapperKernelTriangular(String name) {
    super(name);
  }

  @Override
  double[] getWeights(long step, int width) {
    double[] weights = new double[1 + (width >>> 1)];

    for (int i = 0; i < weights.length; i++) {
      weights[i] = 1.0D - i / (weights.length - 1.0D);
    }

    return weights;
  }
}


text:
Orion Twp. man arraigned in fatal stabbing of mother, uncle's assault
Amy Huschka
The 29-year-old man who allegedly strangled his mother to death and stabbed his uncle at a home in Orion Township has been arraigned, according to the Oakland County Sheriff's Office.
Garrett Roberts appeared in 52-3 District Court in front of Judge Nancy Carniak on charges of first-degree murder and assault with intent to commit a murder.
Roberts was denied bond. He will next appear in court Nov. 4 for a probable cause hearing, and a preliminary examination is scheduled for Nov. 12. He does not have an attorney.
More:Man who allegedly strangled mom, stabbed uncle is charged with murder
Garrett Roberts' uncle told deputies the incident happened early Sunday morning when he woke up to the sound of his nephew attacking his sister, 59-year-old Delora Roberts. He went into the living room to see Roberts strangling her. The uncle pulled his nephew away, but the younger man went into the kitchen and got a knife. The two struggled before the nephew stabbed his uncle in the shoulder multiple times.
The uncle was able to get the knife away from Roberts and ran to a neighbor's house to call 911. Meanwhile, the 60-year-old uncle could still hear his sister screaming next door as her son attacked her.
Roberts has a criminal past, police said. In 2013, he was charged in Nashville with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Following that incident, he has had four other run-ins with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office beginning in 2014. The charges included malicious destruction of property, felony invasion of privacy, felony sex offense and felony obstructing police.
Micah Walker contributed to this story.
Contact Amy Huschka: ahuschka@freepress.com or follow her on Twitter (@aetmanshuschka).
Follow Detroit Free Press on Twitter (@freep), Instagram (@detroitfreepress) and like us on Facebook (@detroitfreepress).


When electronic acts are made to list their musical influences, Tangerine Dream is a name that'll crop up time and time again. Widely considered the godfathers of cosmic and ambient music, they are a hallowed name within electronica. With a giant discography comprising over 100 albums, the persistent group was founded in 1967 in its Berlin base by Edgar Froese, and since then have gone through many mutations and evolutions, while still continuing to put music out into the world. Having reformed in 2015 following a hiatus due to the death of Froese, the group released their 'Quantum Gate/ Quantum Key' earlier this year.
Ahead of their appearance at this year's MIRA festival in Barcelona, where the group will be performing a live A/V set, the group's Thorsten Quaeschning outlines the ten best ambient electronic works below.
Tangerine Dream play a live A/V performance at MIRA Festival, which takes place on the 8th-10th November. More information and tickets can be found here.


Looking 50 years into the future, what will sustainable infrastructure look like? "It looks different in a number of important ways. It does a lot for its communities," explained Harriet Tregoning, director of economic resilience at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It's clear that the impact of climate change means many more stresses on our infrastructure.
To prepare for that world of tomorrow, the interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities was formed. In the second part of the interview on Sustainable Communities in the ASCE Interchange video series, Casey Dinges sat down with Harriet, Carlos Monje, counselor to Transportation Secretary Anthony Fox, and Joel Beauvais, associate administrator for policy at the Environmental Protection Agency to discuss their coordinated efforts and how engineers can contribute to creating more sustainable communities.
Civil engineers now have a way to measure the sustainability of infrastructure projects with Envision™, the sustainable infrastructure rating system created by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure which was co-founded by ASCE. It provides metrics that are important to decision makers and helps them decide does "this infrastructure make sense, not only in terms of cost effectiveness, but that it's also supporting local economic resiliency and self-sufficiency," noted Beauvais. These kind of standards help provide political cover for legislators as well.
What projects supported by the interagency partnership have you seen in your community? Were they successful and why?
Creating Sustainable Communities: How Can Engineers Help?


A snoring partner can keep you up all night and prevent you from having a good night's sleep. The number one cause of this irritating problem is a disorder called sleep apnea, which causes two problems. Firstly, it can cause sufferers to stop breathing altogether for short periods while they sleep. Secondly, it can encourage their breathing to become much shallower than it typically would be when they are awake. Both issues result in the narrowing of the airways, which in turn leads to snoring. Most people don't realize they have the condition because they are able to breathe normally during waking hours.
An estimated 12 million people in the USA have sleep apnea. If you think your partner might be suffering from sleep apnea, speak to a doctor and consider visiting a sleep clinic together. The condition is most commonly cured with a ventilator called a continuous positive airway pressure, which pumps air into the mouth and nose with a mask.
If your partner doesn't have sleep apnea, they are snoring for other reasons. The chart below helps you determine what kind of snorer they are and gives you tips to help stop their snoring.


Expletives can tell a reader a lot about a character and a story. Use them wisely, and they can strengthen the overall depth and impact of your tale. Use them poorly, and they can turn off readers more quickly than improper semicolon-use. Here are three things to remember when dealing with expletives.
If you go 75k words without swearing and then suddenly drop an F-bomb, your reader will react. If that's what you want, perfect! If not, sprinkle some more curse words throughout the narrative to soften the blow.
Pay attention to cursing within narration.
This is especially true for stories written in third person. Expletives outside of dialogue are particularly noticeable and particularly strong. Depending on the context, they may have a negative impact on the way the work is read. So just check them out, put yourself in the reader's frame of mind, and decide whether they evoke the emotional response you're going for.
Use expletives to define your characters.
What is your protagonist's expletive of choice? What does she scream when she stubs her toe? What about when he gets angry? Maybe your character doesn't cuss at all. (Good gravy!) Either way, the reader learns something about your character.
How do you use expletives to strengthen your work (or do you)?
I rarely you cuss words when writing.
However, as I'm doing a first person POV, of a character that is a rough tough guy, who carries guns, and kills people for a living,(ONly when shot at first) I have taken to being a little more free with the words. They are usually done as internal thoughts, or feeling. Some actual swearing in dialog.
I don't have any rule against using expletives in my writing. I'll use whatever words I need to to tell my story. However, it typically works out that using some other word or turn of phrase does a better job than a conventional expletive.
Interesting. It really just depends on the story for me.
Funny, but for me it depends on what the character wants to say. If they say it I have to write it down. Cussing is never planned, just recorded.
Thanks for the post! Like so many things in creative efforts, a deliberate decision for well-thought out reasons seems to be the best approach. Your advice on that makes perfect sense to me. I'm pondering an f-bomb my character uses when she's in the midst of a mom-guilt moment. The more I think about her, the word happens early in the manuscript, but never again. I think that fits with your thought of underscoring just how bad the moment is. What are your thoughts?
What about genres? Is it ever a great idea to use curse words in YA?
The language in my novel "The Fraternity" is cleaner than reality just because otherwise it would have been distracting. (Accurately capturing all the F's in fraternity-house dialogue probably would have added ten pages to the book.) "Trombone Answers" is set in the main character's high school years, and the f-bombs are dropped rarely but (I believe) effectively.


You can use pre-defined themes, which means that you can focus on the content and not worry about the aesthetics.
The results are usually clean and organized.
By changing a single word in the code you can completely change the look in a second (see the figure below).
Your figures and tables can be linked to graphical output from, e.g., R.
People will sense that something is different from what they know, but won't be able to quite place it -- something unusually neat about how the poster fits together.
You need to be comfortable with the idea of markup language, e.g. LaTeX. It can have a steeper learning curve for someone new to it.
For my poster, which I am going to present next week at EU Macro in Copenhagen, I used LaTeX package Tickzposter by Pascal Richter, Elena Botoeva, Richard Barnard and Dirk Surmann. The package comes with nice templates and plenty of helpful stuff -- it is all in their downloads section.
Here is my final poster that I am sending to print.
Here is the source code of the poster (feel free to recycle).
Here is the whole repo with figures and all that.
And below are three versions of the poster that I made just by changing a single \usetheme argument (click to enlarge).


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Marcus Porcius Cato Salonianus (auch Salonius) ist der Name folgender Personen:

 Marcus Porcius Cato Salonianus der Ältere (* 154 v. Chr.), römischer Prätor
 Marcus Porcius Cato Salonianus der Jüngere, römischer Prätor


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APIR and Objective Keystone Align Ahead of Target Market Determinations
Objective Keystone and APIR systems have entered into an integration partnership allowing mutual clients to pass through TMD information
Financial services utility, APIR Systems, and listed software solutions provider, Objective Keystone, have entered into an integration partnership allowing product issuers to disseminate Target Market Determination (TMD) data and the final TMD PDF through a secure API.
Objective Keystone has some of Australia's largest financial product issuers using its technology to create a range of their disclosure documents, including TMDs. The initial development facilitates the dissemination of TMD information into APIR's centralised TMD repository.
According to APIR Systems chief executive, Chris Donohoe, the integration between the partners is now complete, with Objective Keystone clients now able to take advantage of APIRs functionality.
"The partnership means our mutual clients will be able to pass through the TMD information any time it is updated, resulting in significant time and administration efficiencies for them.
"The process of integrating TMDs from Objective Keystone's system with our repository has been a smooth one. The engagement has been constructive and we are confident it will further simplify product issuers connectivity with distributors," Mr Donohoe said.
Objective Keystone chief executive officer, Tony Walls, said: "We have been impressed with the seamless integration and have successfully uploaded a number of test TMDs to APIR's infrastructure. We're looking forward to building the relationship further as the legislation takes effect.
"We need our clients to be able to upload TMDs quickly and efficiently, and combining this with APIRs system is a win for the industry and its participants."
The DDO legislation, which is being overseen by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, will impact issuers and distributors of financial products.
The TMD is one of several new design obligations for product issuers and distributors under the Design and Distribution Obligations legislation scheduled to come into effect from 5 October 2021. The TMD requirement will place the onus of responsibility on product issuers and platform providers to ensure products are suitable for the market being distributed to.
About APIR Systems
APIR Systems Limited (APIR), LEI code 261700K5E45DJCF5Z735, is an independent, privately owned utility that provides a critical component of the wealth management industry's infrastructure.
Since 1993, APIR has been identifying, coding and managing reference data for unlisted financial products. During that time, we have identified over 30,000 unlisted financial products of which nearly 15,000 are actively trading in today's market.
The "APIR Code" is universal across the Australian wealth management industry, being used by all the distribution platforms, custodians and fund administrators. Our supporting data services are used by leading research houses, data houses, major software developers and financial planning desktops.
APIR is also the issuer of ISIN (International Securities Identification Numbers) for unlisted managed investment schemes and superannuation funds in Australia.
Additionally, in partnership with RapidLEI, the world's fastest growing issuer of LEIs, we are the leading Australian based GLEIF approved Registration Agent. Through our partnership we have assisted thousands of Australian companies, SMSFs, trusts and funds efficiently register, renew and maintain their LEI and reference data.
Objective Corporation (ASX:OCL) creates software to make a difference.
Using Objective software, thousands of public sector organisations are developing policies with impact, accelerating processes and delivering innovative services. We help organisations shift to being completely digital. Where our customers can work from anywhere; with access to information, governance guaranteed, and security assured. Innovation is our lifeblood. We invest significantly in the ongoing development of our products to deliver outstanding solutions to the public sector and regulated industries. The result - stronger outcomes for communities and accountability that builds trust in government.
Joanne Powell
Objective Corporation
Email: joanne.powell@objective.com


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Home / movies
Richard Brake Meets The Firefly Clan In New 3 From Hell Photo
By David Pountain 1 year ago
We're less than a month away from the release of 3 From Hell, and while director Rob Zombie has been generous with the behind-the-scenes material for the past year-plus, this last week has seen a definite escalation in the film's promotion.
Just a few days ago, we got the first official images from the Devil's Rejects sequel, and now, USA Today has brought us one more photo to add to the collection. This one features series newcomer Richard Brake in the role of Winslow Foxworth "Foxy" Coltrane alongside Bill Moseley and Sheri Moon Zombie, who serve as two parts of the film's titular trio.
While Moseley and Moon reprise their respective roles as Otis B. Driftwood and Baby Firefly, Sid Haig returns as killer clown Captain Spaulding. The last time we saw these three psychos, they were being shot full of holes in the final moments of 2005's The Devil's Rejects. For a long time, viewers assumed that their story ended there, but apparently, the murderous threesome managed to survive their barrage of bullets, and according to Zombie, 3 From Hell will pick up right where Rejects left off.
As it stands, the movie still has no official synopsis, and the trailer gave us only vague hints of what to expect in the plot department. For what it's worth though, it looks like Otis, Baby and Spaulding are all under arrest, though that apparently won't stop them from enacting plenty more carnage.
Seeing how filming wrapped back in April of last year, 3 From Hell has certainly been a long time coming, but you can judge for yourself if the wait was worth it when the flick hits theaters on September 16th.
Tags: 3 From Hell


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art by Melissa Mead
The Witch's Cat
by Kalisa Ann Lessnau
Kalisa Lessnau is determined to write fantasy genre stories despite living in the science fiction setting of Huntsville, Alabama. Her previously published story, "Orbium," can be found in the Triangulation: Morning After anthology and her website is kalisalessnau.wordpress.com. She lives with her husband and their two cats.
We knew the witch was dead when her cat showed up on our doorstep. Mom found him sitting patiently beside the morning's milk delivery, like he was waiting for his share of the cream. She only called to Dad, but the tone of her voice got us both up from the breakfast table until we all stood in the entryway to stare at the cat.
"You poor thing," Mom said, wrapping both the cat and his former mistress up in one expression of pity. "Won't you come in?" The cat took the invitation and stepped over the threshold of our house, weaving between Mom's ankles in a figure eight of appreciation. My father leaned down to pet him, and I heard the murmur of his voice as he spoke to the cat. Whatever he said seemed to satisfy the cat, who then made his way to me. I reached down and ran my hand along his back, which struck up a low, deep purr from his chest. Mom gathered up the milk bottles, Dad closed the front door, and the two of them shared a look.
"Your mother and I are going to have to make some calls," said Dad. "Can you keep yourself busy? Out of the house?"
I had made plans to spend the rest of the day watching cartoons and eating cereal straight from the box, but Dad's expression let me know there was little room for negotiation. "Okay," I said.
"And take the cat with you."
The cat's name was Sampson. He was small with the black, velvety fur that you'd hope a witch's cat would have. I knew his name because everybody in town knew Sampson; he was always at the witch's side when she made house visits and was her herald when she ran errands at the library or hardware store. He would perch on her shoulder like a parrot or curl himself up in the basket of vegetables she bought at the farmer's market, cramming himself between the carrots and bundles of fresh herbs like he was meant to be there. Even if you were new in town you'd know his name because the witch had embroidered it onto his collar. I didn't think that a creature owned by a witch should tolerate wearing a collar, but he never seemed to mind the jingle of the metal tags that proved he had all his shots.
I wandered around the neighborhood and tried to think of how to spend the day. Sampson was happy to walk along with me, occasionally darting into a yard to terrorize the local squirrel population before trotting back to my side. It occurred to me that he probably hadn't been fed yet and must be hungry, so I decided to head down to the grocery store. Once we got away from the houses and closer to Main Street, Sampson walked in front of me with his tail held high, like the drum major of his own one-cat, one-kid parade. We started to run into other people who caught sight of the cat before they noticed me.
"Isn't that the witch's cat?" They'd ask.
"Was," I'd answer. Then whoever asked would kneel down to give Sampson a pat and say something to him that I couldn't catch before they excused themselves and rushed off. Sampson took the attention in stride, even to where he'd let people snatch him up in their arms and give him a tight hug.
We made our way to the grocery store where I found a few tins of cat food. When we reached the checkout, Sampson jumped up on the counter so the lady running the register could scratch under his chin and whisper into his ear. I tried to pay for the cat food, but the lady waved away my money and called for her shift supervisor, who called for the store manager, who went and got the butcher. The butcher hardly caught sight of Sampson before he ran back to his department and returned with steaks and fresh ground meat. Sampson purred as he tore into the meat, and the butcher watched him closely as he ate. When he leaned in to say what he had to say, I was already standing close enough to listen in without being noticed.
"Your witch saved our little boy," the butcher said. "We won't forget that, and we won't forget her."
When the butcher stepped away, another person stepped up to say something, and soon we had the whole store around us. It seemed like everyone had something to say to Sampson, and I realized that I probably ought to make sure everyone got their chance.
I spent the rest of the day taking Sampson around town. Wherever we went, there were people who recognized him and had to say something to him. By lunchtime, Sampson had started lagging behind me as we walked, so I started carrying him to make it easier on the little creature. We stopped so that I could feed him a tin of the cat food and that seemed to do him some good.
We made it to the courthouse, the school, the pharmacy, and anywhere else that had a door for me to open. Once we were through with the old folks home, it seemed like Sampson was worn out for the day. He fell asleep as I carried him between places and only stirred himself when he heard a new voice nearby.
"Let's go home," I said to Sampson. "We'll get you some rest and maybe tomorrow--"
Sampson did not let me finish, instead he dug every claw he owned into my skin so that I knew exactly how he felt about my suggestion.
"Fine," I said. "I'll keep going as long as you will."
After that, we went to the post office and the florists. People pressed their mouths to the cat's ears and I held him still so they could have their turn before we moved on. Sampson mewled up at me, like a kitten might, and I took a moment to sit on the curb and comfort him before we headed on our way.
"One last place," I told him. "You know where it is."
I walked up the only hill in town to where the witch had lived. Her home was a small cottage that had been built by the town, with a set of flowerbeds beneath the front windows that was tended by a local bridge club. To my surprise, I was not alone. Dozens of people milled around the house, waiting near what looked like a huge pile of kindling. Sampson cuddled against my neck as I walked up to the scene.
"What's happening?" I asked the question to no one in particular. There was a wave of motion in the crowd and I saw my mother push her way towards me.
"You're just in time," she said. When she saw my blank face, she continued, "We're all here to honor our witch, and we each brought something special to give to her as thanks. Think of this as a tribute to her life."
"I don't have anything," I said. I stepped closer to the pile of kindling and saw that it was made up of hundreds of little trinkets: jewelry, flowers, sealed envelopes, pictures and news clippings, and all the charms that the witch had made over the years. The charms wore out after a while, once they were no longer needed, but people kept them anyways. My Mom had one of her own that had been made for me when I was born too early. I imagined it now, lost in the rest of the offerings meant to show gratitude to the witch.
"You did your part by letting everyone know," Mom said. "Your father and I are so proud."
"What about Sampson?" I asked and gripped him tight.
"Oh, sweetheart, he's just a cat. He can watch if he wants," she said. I nodded and stepped away so we could have a clear view while Mom went back into the crowd. I moved Sampson so that I cradled him like a baby, to make sure he could see everything that went on. His eyes didn't seem to focus on anything now and his breath had grown quick and shallow. By the time I looked up from him to ask for help, someone had lit the bonfire.
I was struck by the beauty of the fire, as its flames had more colors than any fire could make on its own. I didn't know the witch well, but as I watched the fire burn, I remembered her for when she broke the fever of my friend Beverly and how she ran to haul Joseph Meyer out of the frozen lake when he had gone out across the thin ice on a dare. We all stood so close to the fire that I felt like we might burn up with it, but the heat was warm, comforting. The tributes broke down as they burned and soon became one mass of white-hot ash.
My thoughts splintered when Sampson jumped out of my arms and into the fire. I screamed, and the people around me could hardly keep me from trying to follow him in a rescue attempt. He shouldn't have had the strength left to make the leap but he had pushed against my chest like a springboard and burst out of my grip. A gasp rippled through the crowd as Sampson dove into the ashes, the force of his impact sending a spray of sparks into the sky as he disappeared. We heard no howl of pain, we saw no attempt to escape. He was just gone.
After that, it took both of my parents to haul me back home and a doctor to convince me to fall asleep.
A few weeks later, when the newspaper was done running stories about her, I went back to the witch's house. The place felt empty and lonely without her presence. For as long as I could remember there had always been at least a car or two parked out front or the smell of something cooking coming up from the chimney. I walked up to the house with the hope of finding Sampson's collar among what was left of the tribute's ashes. I wanted something to remember him by.
I kicked around in the ashes, lifting up little else but clouds of dust. Everything that had gone into the pile of tributes had been burnt completely. Disappointed, I sat down on the edge of one of flowerbeds and put my head in my hands. I stayed like that for a while and let the afternoon sun soak into my skin. When I lifted my head again, I found that I was not alone.
A cat, more a kitten, had sat itself down at my feet. My heart twisted as I expected to see a bundle of black fur, but this kitten had a coat that was gray like a rain cloud or the shade of wet cement.
Or gray like the color of ashes. I offered the kitten my hand and it responded with a testing nip. I picked it up and, by the time I lifted it to my chest, it had worked itself into a purr.
"I bet you're hungry," I said. The kitten mewled back at me, and I was not surprised to find that I recognized its voice. By the time I stood up, the little thing was already lulled asleep by the warmth of my hands.
I figured the walk back home would give me enough time to think up a new name.
This story was first published on Thursday, September 5th, 2013
"The Witch's Cat" explores what happens when a magical creation survives its master. I feel that the witch and Sampson, so closely bound in life, would never let something as inconsequential as death separate them. This is my second story dealing with what happens to magical creations that survive their masters. I hope one day to find an answer that satisfies me so that I may write about something else for a change.
Credit for the build and behavior of Sampson must be given to my own black cat, Higgs. This story was inspired during one of his afternoon naps on my chest. Higgs' brother, a tabby named Cave Johnson, has yet to share any of his stories with me.
- Kalisa Ann Lessnau
We hope you're enjoying The Witch's Cat by Kalisa Ann Lessnau.
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Today I conclude this 3-post series about bookkeeping and technology. In true Eric fashion, I have managed to take a simple idea and turn it into thousands of words.
This final post is going to take a sharp 180. The first post talked about my initial foray into running my own online business. The second post talked about other bits of tech that I use in my day to day operations. I'd like to finish up with deciding if technology has actually made life any easier.
No...I don't think it has.
Someone emailed me the other day with (what I thought was) a simple question. To paraphrase, they wanted to know how technology has changed the way I do my business. That's a no-brainer, right? I'm a guy who loves to geek out over the latest and greatest gadgets. I'm constantly testing out new things, and my business has been completely transformed over the past decade with the help of technology.