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Resources for teaching statistics: Datasets
2.11, 3.12 Te Tirohanga i te Kōrerotanga o te Reo Rangatira i Roto i ngā Kainga Maori me ngā Rohe
By Dr Richard Benton, NZCER
Survey of Language Use in Māori Households and Communities 1973-1978 NZCER
Over 30,000 people from nearly 6,500 whānau were surveyed
In 1973 Dr Richard Benton began a sociolinguistic survey of te reo Māori that led to turning point in the fate of the language. The survey was the first project undertaken by NZCER's newly-established Māori Research Unit, Te Wāhanga Kaupapa Māori. The survey became known as the Benton report, and continues to be a reference point for sociolinguistic researchers. Dr Benton wanted to know the place of te reo Māori in schools and communities, and how the education system could ensure that it flourished. The survey was designed to answer two questions: who can speak Māori, and who does speak Māori?
The survey gathered information from 33,338 individuals in 6,470 whānau throughout the North Island. The interviews were done kanohi-ki-te-kanohi (face-to-face) and with no dedicated funding, it was a lean operation. Over the six years of data gathering, more than 10 public and private sector organisations gave grants that enabled it to continue region by region. No funding was ever secured for the overview report, but the team honoured its commitment to report back to the communities and produced the 143 booklets that are now available online.
Te Wāhanga continues to focus on te reo Māori
In 2016 Te Taura Whiri I te Reo Māori commissioned Te Wāhanga to do research that would identify progress, barriers, and opportunities that bring about the regeneration of te reo Māori. That project revisited some of the communities that Dr Benton's team had surveyed some 40 years before. Their reports, gathered as Te Ahu o te Reo, paint a more positive picture of the language.
Keywords: Sociolinguistic, Survey, te Reo Māori


This is a legal lien sale of Abandoned Property. All will be sold to the highest bidder. Bidder can take what they want and leave the rest. There will be a 15% buyers premium added to purchase peice as well as sales tax. Removal same day as auction.


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Should You Pay for Premium Services Without a Guarantee?
Author: Jared Fisher | January 04, 2021
Guarantees for premium services used to be a given for shippers who work with FedEx and UPS. But things have changed in 2020.
What Do UPS and FedEx Guarantee for Premium Services?
Most services, with the exception of parcel hybrids, come with time and transit guarantees. That includes a promise from UPS and FedEx to refund your money for a package if they deliver it late.
As we know, of course, that doesn't happen automatically. It's the shipper's responsibility to file for late shipments.
But if I wanted to ship a package from here in Southern California to New York next-day-air, for example, that would come with a guarantee. In other words, delivery is guaranteed by a certain time. If FedEx and/or UPS don't meet that time-in-transit commitment, shippers can file for a refund on that particular late package.
Suspended Service Guarantees in 2020
This year has been a little bit of an anomaly, to say the least. And on Monday, March 23rd, FedEx announced that they were suspending their service guarantees and their promise to issue refunds for shipments that were delivered late. The very next day, Tuesday, March 24th, UPS made the exact same announcement.
The carriers used COVID as the reason for that decision. The increase in package volume, an inability to deliver due to businesses closing down, and other issues were related to COVID and everything that happened in March.
We had a lot of unknowns at the time. Businesses were closing down, people were going from working in offices to working from home, and there was a lot of chaos. So it was their response to COVID. There was some speculation at the time that it was an opportunistic move by the carriers, but it all happened quickly as things were escalating around the COVID situation.
It's typical for the carriers to play off of each other like that since two players control such a massive share of the small parcel industry. It doesn't necessarily take both of them sitting down at the table together to make decisions that affect the entire industry. Oftentimes, we see one carrier make a change and the other carrier will follow suit shortly thereafter.
We typically see this every year with the general price increase. FedEx will make their announcement, UPS will match that announcement, and so on. It's extremely common in the industry.
Are Shippers Still Paying for Premium Services Without Guarantees?
When that happened, a lot of shippers started to question whether they should pay for more expensive expedited services without a guarantee.
That's logical, of course, if you're shipping something. You're making a decision on behalf of your business. Why would you pay for something expensive if you don't have any assurance that you'll get what you paid for? And if the carrier doesn't meet that expected or anticipated time and transit commitment, there's no recourse.
Further, we're seeing a degradation of service within our client base. In other words, companies aren't shipping as much next-day-air. Because if it doesn't come with a time guarantee, they might as well pay a little bit less. They're choosing to ship their parcels next-day-air with an estimated delivery commitment in the afternoon.
That said, some shippers still attempt to rely on the expected or anticipated time and transit commitment that comes with a next-day-air or a two-day-air shipment. Just because the guarantee is gone doesn't mean they aren't shooting for the delivery time -- there's just no recourse if they don't hit it.
This is definitely an opportunity for shippers to look at the expedited services they're using and ask which parcels need to go out next-day-air or two-day-air. Can some go out via ground shipping instead, for example? In some cases, depending on the zone, a ground package can actually get there quicker. A two-day shipment might be slower if that package going somewhere nearby.
Remember, you can still select a more expensive expedited service for your parcel. But if it doesn't get delivered within the time and transit commitment that you expect, there's no recourse. And you're paying extra for something that doesn't come with a guarantee or a promise to refund the cost of the shipment if it's delivered late.
Service-Level Breakdowns in Monthly Invoices
Now, we know service guarantees will be set aside for at least a couple of months. So it's fair to ask if FedEx or UPS provide service-level breakdowns in the monthly invoices that they send to shippers. Shippers may not know how to see their service level usage very easily, for example, and relying on a carrier to provide that information can be difficult.
That's one of the advantages of using a technology platform like Lojistic. We're able to pull in that information and provide it to shippers in a format that makes sense. Otherwise, shippers who rely on getting information directly from their carrier oftentimes get it in Excel spreadsheets. Data in that form can be hard to work with and hard to understand.
One of the great things about a technology platform like Lojistic is that shippers can connect their UPS and FedEx accounts to that for free. All of that information is pulled and consolidated and presented back to the shipper in a way that makes sense.
Even if you love Excel and going through mountains of data, seeing simplified metrics is better for making business decisions.
Will Guarantees for Premium Services Return?
Now that service guarantees have been off for several months, it's hard to say when carriers are expected to reinstate them.
Typically, because of high package volumes, the carriers suspend their service guarantees from around Thanksgiving through the end of December. So it might make sense for the carriers to just ride it out through the end of the year. And the longer they ride that out, the more money the carrier gets to keep in the form of late shipment refund credits that would otherwise go back to their clients.
It behooves the carriers to keep the service guarantee restrictions in effect as long as possible. It's probably safe for shippers to expect that guarantees aren't coming back until after the new year.
There's even been some speculation that it may never come back. There may come a day where the carriers take away that guarantee altogether. That's also a possibility that shippers need to consider. There is a chance that guarantees for premium services never come back. Packages are no longer guaranteed, and the carriers have had a very lucrative year this year.
Click here to contact Lojistic about maximizing your shipping costs now!
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Can King Abdullah stop Israel's annexation of Jordan Valley and potential Palestinian takeover of Jordan?
Follow Naomi Litvin on twitter
King Abdullah can huff and puff but can he blow down the house of Israel when Israel annexes East Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria? I don't think so. Besides putting the United States of America in an uncomfortable position, King Abdullah is currently a bad actor, being an illegal arms dealer to the rebel faction in Libya, General Haftar. The United Nations and USA support the Libya Government of National Accord (GNA) currently in a full blown war with Haftar.
King Abdullah with General Haftar
Regarding Israel, Abdullah has worried since Donald Trump became President of the United States, as Barack Obama was more simpatico with his view of Israel and the Palestinians. And current Secretary Pompeo has been adament on his continued support of Israel. No treaty exists between the USA and Jordan, yet Jordan receives tremendous aid from us. For a country with no natural resources, Jordan depends on charity and arms sales to other terrorists in his region for its sustenance.
"The United States is Jordan's single largest provider of bilateral assistance, providing over $1.7 billion in 2017, including $1.3 billion in bilateral foreign assistance and over $200 million in Department of Defense (DoD) support. In addition to bilateral foreign assistance, the United States has provided nearly $1.1 billion in humanitarian assistance to support Syrian refugees in Jordan."
But what is King Abdullah really afraid of?
Amihai is a young man from Haifa, Israeli and a friend on Twitter who will soon enter the Israeli Defense Forces. He states the widely held Israeli opionion.
#Jordan's king is afraid that such situation can cause another #Palestinian revolt against the Hashemite kingdom, similar to the Black September events in 1970, which will put Abdullah's regime in high risk.
Abdullah is also afraid from what is known in #Israel as the "alternative homeland" solution, where #Jordan, with 70% of its population being #Palestinian, will be seen as the Palestinian country.
If such solution gains any Int' support, that may be the end of Abdullah's regime.
Below I have posted the names of the towns, cities, and communities to be annexed by Israel in East Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria
Judea and Samaria Area
Labels: Blogs, Conversations


The Board of Neath Football Club recognises the pivotal role that we can play in relation to the local community. Similarly, the Football Association of Wales encourages clubs to engage in a variety of activity aimed at strengthening the relationship between the club and the local community.
Research suggests that clubs are continually involved in community activity although they often fail to advertise or promote this. Consequently, Neath Football Club appreciates the advantages for our club to promote this activity and have subsequently, formalised a Club Strategy. This has been demonstrated in the business sector where community activity and its promotion are designed to meet both financial objectives and social objectives. Creating a strategy with measurable goals as well as a means to promote this activity will benefit not only the club but also the community as a whole.
To establish links with local youth clubs and assist these clubs with coaching and also providing the use of facilities and equipment for football festivals etc.
To set up clubs with local youths, but not necessarily football clubs, to promote and develop the role of the club in the community and to set appropriate examples of behaviour.
To set up clubs with the disabled and disadvantaged youth and adult groups in the community and to use the facilities and the equipment of the club and also its personnel.
To utilise the playing and coaching personnel to address various social and equity issues including drug awareness issues and healthy lifestyle, etc.
To utilise the facilities of the club in conjunction with multi-media training for anybody who wishes to learn.
To undertake any services within the local community to the benefit of the community and ultimately the club.
To be aware of the clubs Anti-Discrimination Policy and Equal Opportunities Policy at all times when dealing with the Community.
This strategy should also be linked to the club's Business Strategy.
This strategy was written for the Season 2007/2008 and will be reviewed and renewed where appropriate at the start of every season.
Neath Football Club would welcome any suggestions or questions regarding this strategy. Should you wish to do so, please contact: T Melding, Club Secretary- Neath FC, 15 Bosworth Road, Skewen, Neath, SA10 6BU.
This Policy was written in conjunction with the Football Association of Wales Welfare Policy.
Neath Football Club would like to thank the Association for their help and guidance with this document.


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Cannabis Vape Border States Hold Joint Summit
Curator October 20, 2019 Cannabis Vape Border States Hold Joint Summit2019-10-20T09:58:59-05:00 Man Made & Natural Disasters
Green Cross Strong news New York, NY: NY Governor's Office reports Governors, Joined by Officials and Legislative Leaders from New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Massachusetts, Discuss Outlines of Joint Regional Approach to Cannabis and Vaping Policies Governors Reach Set of Core Principles on Issues Related to Market Regulation and Empowerment; Public Health; Public Safety and Enforcement; and Vaping Best Practices Governor Phil Murphy speaks at the Regional Joint Summit on Marijuana and Vaping with Governor Andrew Cuomo, Governor Ned Lamont, and Governor Tom Wolf in Manhattan on Thursday, October 17, 2019 (Edwin J. Torres/ Governor's Office) New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf…
DEA to accept electronic vaping devices and cartridges as part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Curator October 18, 2019 DEA to accept electronic vaping devices and cartridges as part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day2019-10-18T10:46:01-05:00 Man Made & Natural Disasters
WASHINGTON – With robust public participation over the course of 17 prior events, the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative continues to remove ever-higher amounts of opioids and other medicines from the nation's homes, where they are vulnerable to misuse, theft or abuse by family members and visitors, including children and Saturday, October 26, in continuation of this effort, DEA and its national, tribal and community partners will hold the 18th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day across the country. The service is free and the first time, DEA will now accept vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop off locations during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. It is important to note that DEA cannot accept devices…
First-in-Nation – NJ Attorney General Grewal Hosts "Resiliency Summit" to Train Officers & Shine Spotlight on Vital Issue of Mental Well-Being of Police Officers.
Curator October 10, 2019 First-in-Nation – NJ Attorney General Grewal Hosts "Resiliency Summit" to Train Officers & Shine Spotlight on Vital Issue of Mental Well-Being of Police Officers.2019-10-10T23:34:46-05:00 AWARENESS - PREPAREDNESS - RESILIENCY. Man Made and Natural Disasters. HEALTH
Two-Day Summit Will Train Officers to Implement AG Directive Establishing First-in-Nation Statewide Resiliency Program for Law Enforcement NEW JERSEY STRONG news - Trenton, NJ: NJ OAG reports Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today addressed more than 1,300 members of law enforcement, relatives of fallen officers, mental health experts, chaplains, and other stakeholders as he opened a two-day "Resiliency Summit" organized to address the vital issue of helping officers cope with the emotional, mental and physical stress they endure on a daily basis to protect the residents of New Jersey. In addition to shining a spotlight on the critical goals of promoting officer well-being and preventing officer suicides, the summit is providing initial basic training to Resiliency Program Officers ("RPOs") from…
Governor Murphy Outlines Comprehensive Statewide Plan to Address Lead Exposure in New Jersey
Curator October 10, 2019 Governor Murphy Outlines Comprehensive Statewide Plan to Address Lead Exposure in New Jersey2019-12-30T21:34:12-05:00 AWARENESS - PREPAREDNESS - RESILIENCY. Man Made and Natural Disasters. HEALTH
New Jersey Strong news -Trenton,NJ: Office of the Governor reports Governor Murphy Outlines Comprehensive Statewide Plan to Address Lead Exposure in New Jersey Strategy Includes Multi-Pronged Approach and Collaboration Across State Departments to Address Lead Remediation and Abatement TRENTON – Governor Phil Murphy today unveiled his comprehensive statewide plan to address lead exposure in New Jersey to protect all residents, especially children, from the dangers of lead. The plan identifies policy actions across multiple state departments and agencies to comprehensively address lead exposure due to lead-based paint, lead service lines and plumbing, and contaminated ; "Our country's deteriorating water infrastructure has sparked a national conversation regarding the best path forward to protect our communities from the dangers of lead exposure," said Governor…
WATER DISASTERS – Non Lead Trenton Flow Runs Through Suburbs linking Flu Like Symptoms, Legionella, Cancer, as it Mixes with Varying Local Fertilizer Insecticide Radium High Aqua Wells
Curator October 10, 2019 WATER DISASTERS – Non Lead Trenton Flow Runs Through Suburbs linking Flu Like Symptoms, Legionella, Cancer, as it Mixes with Varying Local Fertilizer Insecticide Radium High Aqua Wells2019-10-10T10:12:49-05:00 AWARENESS - PREPAREDNESS - RESILIENCY. Man Made and Natural Disasters. HEALTH
Is Your Coffee, Restaurant, Bar, Drive Through, Public Building, Office or Home Filtering Drinking, cooking Water, and Ice Supply ? Legionnaires Disease, a form of atypical pneumonia caused by any type of Legionella bacteria. Signs and symptoms include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, muscle pains, and headaches. Capital County Hamilton NJ Mayor Demands Answers, Information from State Officials and Trenton Water Works on Chlorine Levels, Legionnaire's ; Capital County Hamilton Hospital adds Capacity – Local Medical Infusion Center Operational. HAMILTON HEADLINES news Hamilton, NJ: Office of the Mayor reports Hamilton Mayor Kelly Yaede is demanding answers and more information from Governor Murphy, State officials and Trenton Water Works concerning reported low chlorine levels from Trenton Water Works and possible…
WATER DISASTERS – New Efforts Announced to Ensure New Jersey Schools Have Access to Clean Water
Curator October 8, 2019 WATER DISASTERS – New Efforts Announced to Ensure New Jersey Schools Have Access to Clean Water2019-10-08T10:33:15-05:00 Awareness
New Jersey Strong news - Trenton, NJ: Office of the Governor reports Efforts Include a Three-Pronged Approach to Enhance Lead Testing and RemediationBERGENFIELD – Governor Phil Murphy and Congressman Josh Gottheimer today announced several initiatives to strengthen the State's response to lead testing and the remediation of elevated lead levels in drinking water in New Jersey schools to ensure all students have access to clean, safe Administration will implement a three-pronged approach to enhance key lead testing and remediation regulations and policies. The New Jersey Department of Education will strengthen its Safe Drinking Water regulations to require schools to test for lead every three years, rather than every six years, in order to ensure timely detection of elevated lead levels. These…
Water Disasters – INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS CLEAR BACTERIA IN YOUR TAP WATER
Curator October 6, 2019 Water Disasters – INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS CLEAR BACTERIA IN YOUR TAP WATER2019-10-06T21:10:14-05:00 NEWS newjerseystrong.com
Bacteria monitoring easier and cheaper in engineered water systems from affiliate Boston Strong news Boston, MA: Northeastern University Emily Arntsen reports With every glass of crystal clear tap water, it's perfectly normal to consume thousands of ; "If drinking water doesn't have bacteria in it, there's something wrong," says Ameet Pinto, a Northeastern assistant professor of civil and environmental ; So when it comes to filtering water, the question isn't whether bacteria is present, but rather how much and what kind. Right now, deciphering the type and amount of bacteria in filtered water is extremely expensive and ; To simplify that process, Pinto's lab is developing a low-cost microscope and easy-to-follow procedures that will help regulate how water quality is monitored.…
Water Disasters – Passage of Federal Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act
Curator October 6, 2019 Water Disasters – Passage of Federal Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act2019-10-06T08:19:49-05:00 Man Made & Natural Disasters
New Jersey Strong news Trenton, NJ: Office of the Governor reports Statement by Governor Murphy - "Senator Cory Booker has been a steadfast leader in the fight for access to clean drinking water. His authorship of the Water Infrastructure Funding Transfer Act, which was signed into law today, is a monumental step toward achieving that goal in New Jersey and across the nation. As our infrastructure ages, it is critical to have federal partners who will stand with our communities in pursuit of clean drinking water, a vital part in protecting the health and safety of all Americans. My Administration will continue to fight for clean, safe water in New Jersey, and I thank our congressional delegation for their commitment…
NJOHSP Director Maples Testifies Before Congress on Efforts to Protect New Jersey's Schools
Curator September 30, 2019 NJOHSP Director Maples Testifies Before Congress on Efforts to Protect New Jersey's Schools2019-10-01T10:54:02-05:00 AWARENESS - PREPAREDNESS - RESILIENCY. Man Made and Natural Disasters. HEALTH
NEW JERSEY STRONG news - NJOHSP reports WASHINGTON, DC – Director Jared M. Maples of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) testified before the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery in Washington, DC, on September 26 to discuss progress in State efforts to secure schools. The hearing, "Engaging the Community: Perspectives on School Security," provided updates on a variety of measures and initiatives by NJOHSP and its partners to protect students and staff throughout New Jersey. "Like many Americans, I am heartbroken by the alarming cycle of violent acts taking place in our nation's schools. My subcommittee's hearing was an opportunity for stakeholders, like the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security…
New Jersey Strong Water Disasters – AQUA NOT ALERTING CONSUMERS of Toxic Trenton Water Works Flow into Toxic Aqua System
Curator September 28, 2019 New Jersey Strong Water Disasters – AQUA NOT ALERTING CONSUMERS of Toxic Trenton Water Works Flow into Toxic Aqua System2019-09-28T16:49:00-05:00 Awareness
HEALTH CANCER WARNING AQUA Hamilton Square Well Contamination Volatile Organic Compounds & Radionuclides Cancer Causing Gas before Trenton Water is added. Hamilton Headlines news – NJ DEP reports Toxic Trenton Water mixes into Aqua Hamilton service without notice. See PDF here regarding Aqua ; NJ DEP reports Source Water Assessment Summary – A State Review of Potential Contamination Sources Near Your Drinking Water The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has conducted an assessment of the water sources that supply each public water system in the state, including yours. The goal of this assessment was to measure each system's susceptibility to contamination, not actual (if any) contamination measured in a water supply system. The assessment of your water system, the Aqua NJ – Hamilton Square System, involved: Identifying the…
Industrial Opioid Disaster – Federal Health Care Fraud Takedown In Northeastern U.S.
Curator September 27, 2019 Industrial Opioid Disaster – Federal Health Care Fraud Takedown In Northeastern U.S.2019-09-27T20:06:26-05:00 NEWS newjerseystrong.com
New Jersey Strong news - Newark, NJ: US Dept of Justice NJ reports Additional New Jersey Case Announced The Justice Department today announced a coordinated health care fraud enforcement action across seven federal districts in the Northeastern United States, involving more than $800 million in losses and the distribution of over million pills of opioids in "pill mill" clinics and doctors' offices. The takedown includes new charges and convictions by guilty plea against 54 defendants for their roles in submitting nearly $800 million in fraudulent claims made to federal payers, including 15 doctors or medical professionals, and 24 defendants are charged for their roles in diverting opioids. Attorney for the United States Rachael A. Honig said the cases prosecuted by…
ICE FIELD INTERFERENCE – NJ AG Grewal Blocks ICE From Deputizing Local Law Enforcement to Perform Federal Criminal Enforcement
Curator September 27, 2019 ICE FIELD INTERFERENCE – NJ AG Grewal Blocks ICE From Deputizing Local Law Enforcement to Perform Federal Criminal Enforcement2019-09-27T20:01:19-05:00 Man Made & Natural Disasters
New Jersey Strong news - Trenton, NJ: NJ Attorney General reports Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today issued a directive to all state, county and local law enforcement agencies in New Jersey ending the use of so-called "287(g) agreements," which allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to deputize local law enforcement officers to perform federal civil immigration duties. NJ Attorney General Gurbir Grewal The order, which revises the "Immigrant Trust Directive" that Attorney General Grewal issued in November 2018, will have the practical effect of terminating the two 287(g) agreements still in effect in New Jersey, namely, those involving the Sheriff's Offices in Monmouth and Cape May Counties. In issuing the revised Directive, Attorney General Grewal made clear that 287(g)…
ICE FIELDS – 54 in NJ arrested during a week-long enforcement action targeting at-large criminal aliens released into the community
Curator September 27, 2019 ICE FIELDS – 54 in NJ arrested during a week-long enforcement action targeting at-large criminal aliens released into the community2019-10-10T10:49:45-05:00 Awareness
ICE does not conduct sweeps or raids that arrest aliens indiscriminately. New Jersey Strong news Newark, NJ: ICE reports Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) arrested 54 individuals throughout New Jersey during a weeklong action targeting public safety threats who were released from local law enforcement custody into the community instead of being transferred to ICE. They hail from 12 countries – Mexico (21), Jamaica (1), Ecuador (2), Honduras (4), Dominican Republic (3), El Salvador (9), Guatemala (3), Guyana (1), Brazil (7), Costa Rica (1), Georgia (1) and Pakistan (1). Even with these arrests, there are still public safety threats in the community. Luciano Trejo-Dominguez, 33, was arrested Aug. 12 by the Vineland Police Department for…
Water Disasters – Trenton Water Issues Boil Water Advisory 9-27
Curator September 27, 2019 Water Disasters – Trenton Water Issues Boil Water Advisory 9-272019-09-27T10:49:52-05:00 Awareness
New Jersey Strong news - Trenton, NJ: Trenton Water Works has issued a boil water advisory for Toxic Chlorine Failure. NOTE: During past press conferences, Trenton water stated that boiling water concentrates toxins in water. City of Trenton Trenton Water Works reports Trenton Water Works is advising residents in Trenton, Hamilton Township, Ewing Township, and Lawrence Township to boil your water until further notice. Chlorination levels (a water disinfection process) are too low due to an equipment malfunction in TWW's water-distribution system. TWW personnel are working to rectify the ; As a precaution, TWW is implementing a Boil Water Advisory until testing of the water supply is deemed satisfactory. Effective immediately and until further notice residents in Trenton, Hamilton Township, Ewing Township, and Lawrence…
Water Disasters – PRELIMINARY LEAD FILTER TESTING RESULTS FROM PEQUANNOCK WATER SERVICE AREA NEWARK
Curator September 25, 2019 Water Disasters – PRELIMINARY LEAD FILTER TESTING RESULTS FROM PEQUANNOCK WATER SERVICE AREA NEWARK2019-09-25T10:32:58-05:00 Awareness
NEW JERSEY STRONG news - Newark, NJ: Office of the Mayor reports Governor Phil Murphy, Lieutenant Governor Sheila Oliver, City of Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr., and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine McCabe today announced preliminary filter testing results in Newark's Pequannock water service area. The study team – a partnership between the City of Newark, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and the Environmental Protection Agency – collected over 1,700 samples from hundreds of homes. The preliminary results show that over 97 percent of PUR filters issued by the City reduce lead below 10 parts-per-billion, which is below the EPA action level of 15 parts-per-billion. When used in combination…
NEW JERSEY STRONG WATER DISASTERS – HOW NEWARK IS GETTING THE LEAD OUT
Curator September 25, 2019 NEW JERSEY STRONG WATER DISASTERS – HOW NEWARK IS GETTING THE LEAD OUT2019-09-25T10:20:02-05:00 Awareness
New Jersey Strong news - Newark, NJ: City of Newark Office of the Mayor reports - Mark Robertson was both worried and relieved. Mr. Robertson, a Newark native and real estate entrepreneur here, was standing on his home's front lawn at 631-633 Sanford Avenue today, watching a work crew from Pacific Construction, replace his lead service water line with a new copper one. All across Newark, teams from three contractors – two of them city-based – are replacing privately-owned lead service lines that provide water from city water mains to private homes, five days a week, first going through the list of applications that were made as early as April 2018, methodically performing the tasks a house at a time,…
New Jersey Man Indicted for Terrorist Activities on Behalf of Hizballah's Islamic Jihad Organization
Curator September 19, 2019 New Jersey Man Indicted for Terrorist Activities on Behalf of Hizballah's Islamic Jihad Organization2019-09-19T18:24:20-05:00 AWARENESS - PREPAREDNESS - RESILIENCY. Man Made and Natural Disasters. HEALTH
New Jersey Strong news - US DOJ reports Alexei Saab Allegedly Was Trained by Hizballah's External Terrorist Operations Component in Bomb-Making and Conducted Intelligence-Gathering in New York City and Elsewhere in Support of Hizballah's Attack-Planning Efforts The Department of Justice today announced that Alexei Saab, 42, of Morristown, New Jersey, also known as Ali Hassan Saab, Alex Saab, or Rachid, was charged today in a nine-count indictment for offenses related to his support for Hizballah and separate marriage-fraud ; The case is assigned to District Judge Paul G. Gardephe. "According to the allegations, while living in the United States, Saab served as an operative of Hizballah and conducted surveillance of possible target locations in order to help the foreign terrorist…
SURF ZONE IMPACTS…Very strong rip currents. Atlantic Strong RIP Currents Remain in Effect
Curator September 18, 2019 SURF ZONE IMPACTS…Very strong rip currents. Atlantic Strong RIP Currents Remain in Effect2019-09-18T13:38:49-05:00 Awareness
Rip Current Statement issued September 18 at 3:23AM EDT until September 18 at 11:00PM EDT by NWS September 18, RIP CURRENT RISK REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS * New Jersey, Coastal Ocean, Atlantic Coastal Cape May, Eastern Monmouth and Coastal Atlantic. In Delaware, Delaware Beaches. * this evening. * SURF ZONE strong rip currents will be dangerous


Predictive analytics in the workers' compensation space is having an evolutionary moment.
Dean Foods, a food and beverage company, first developed an analytical model for its return-to-work program back in 2010.
"The model was very simple at that time. It was basically an indicator of lost time or no lost time," said Kevin Lutzke, director of risk management at Dean Foods.
The company's TPA uploaded daily updates to a data warehouse, where return-to-work coordinators could see which claims were indicated as possible lost-time claims and required their attention.
That early model, built in-house by a company actuary, yielded an 80 percent accuracy rate, and "moved the needle" on the company's transitional duty program, getting more injured workers back in the game faster.
Three years later, Dean Foods implemented an updated version with third party administrator Helmsman Management Services, which factors in a wider variety of details about each case, including the worker's age, type of injury, classification as surgical or non-surgical, and comorbidities.
It also asks for input on social factors, such as the worker's family situation, personal finances, and the status of his or her relationship with the employer.
Those elements may indicate tendencies to depression and isolation, which would prolong recovery, or that the worker might purposely lengthen the time away from work.
The more detailed model also allows Dean Foods to expand its applications from a simple lost time indicator. The company now uses its output to measure reserve levels against what it typically spends on a claim of a particular severity — a figure based on Helmsman's database and book of business.
The evolution of the food company's predictive model and its applications reflects an industrywide trend. Less than a decade ago, modeling programs for workers' comp simply spit out a score on a scale of one to 10, ranking a claim's likelihood of becoming long-term and expensive based on a few factors specific to the injury in question. Standard metrics have traditionally included type of injury, body part injured, age of the worker, gender and comorbidities.
But models include a much wider scope of demographic variables that can impact an injured worker's path to full recovery, such as the worker's ZIP code, the average income of that area and the level of access to health care institutions.
Some models also incorporate information about prescribers — what type of pain medication they dispense, their general prescribing patterns and who refers patients to that prescriber.
Companies can adapt a predictive model's various functions to address more specific areas of interest and pinpoint trouble spots.
For some, a model might highlight chronic overspend on pharmacy costs, while for others it might indicate a need for a better way to triage claims up-front and get the right resources on the case more quickly. Models exist to determine which claims would benefit from nurse case management and which might be subject to subrogation.
Helios, for example, launched a pilot predictive analytics program in 2011 that identified claims likely to result in high pharmacy costs, which would then be targeted with specific interventions. Measured against a control group that received no interventions, the pilot group saw a 26 percent total cost reduction, as well as a shorter duration of pharmacy utilization.
"We know there are some prescribers who, if an injured worker with a higher level of severity goes to see them, there's a correlation with higher long term pharmacy costs and longer claim duration," said Joe Anderson, director of analytics at Helios.
In a situation where an injured worker has several prescriptions for opioids, Helios launches a fairly non-invasive intervention: sending a letter to the prescribers to alert them of possible drug abuse.
That model has also been enhanced several times.
"Over the past few years, we've had an expanded data set with more customers, which gives us opportunities to fill in gaps of information and measure things we weren't previously able to measure," Anderson said.
Other models help detect fraud, said Scott Henck, senior vice president and actuary, claim actuarial and advanced analytics, at Chubb Insurance.
Some claims are flagged for potential "soft fraud" if there are indicators that the worker is malingering and simply not progressing at the rate the model predicts he or she should.
Medical codes on the claim bill can also tip off an adjuster when a worker may be taking advantage of workers' comp care to get treatment for a separate, unrelated injury or illness.
"Codes for significant but unrelated conditions might give us reason to investigate further," Henck said.
Chubb's original model hit the market in 2008, and has since undergone several updates. Currently, the insurer sees average cost savings in the 5 percent to 10 percent range, which stems from identifying fraud early as well as more effectively directing the right resources toward potentially risky claims.
"Sometimes it's very obvious which claims are high or low severity. It's more about identifying which claims are likely to develop in their severity and address it early to mitigate the exposure," Henck said.
Developing targeted strategies early in the claim life cycle is a key benefit, said Stephen Allen, managing director of commercial insurance services at Crystal & Company.
"The strength of modeling is that you know early on that a claim has the potential to be dangerous, and can get a senior adjuster involved to make sure more resources are used for high risk, high severity claims," Allen said.
"Any time you can get earlier involvement, there's a much higher likelihood you get a worker back to work quickly," he said.
Of course, a model is only as good as the data fed into it. The length and richness of claim history varies from provider to provider, but larger TPAs and insurers with developed tools typically have a large data set with 10 to 15 years' worth of history.
"The customization and client-specificity are very important in determining what's predictive and relevant," said Chris Flatt, leader of Marsh's workers' compensation center of excellence.
Origami Risk's analytics combine data sets from multiple sources: its own aggregate data, the client's data including claims history, and third-party information such as evidence-based disability guidelines, said Aaron Shapiro, executive vice president of Origami Risk.
Henck said that data sources could even expand to include information gleaned from social media.
Expansion of data sources "should be able to increase the depth and precision of solutions as well as open up possibilities for new solutions," he said.
One challenge that remains in predictive analytical models is making the data output easily consumable and actionable by a broad-spectrum consumer base comprising claims adjusters, insurers, data scientists and risk managers.
"We present metrics on the individual claim that indicate how quickly a particular injured worker should be back to work," Shapiro said. "We also produce trend lines based on an aggregate of claims so that an individual case can be compared to the average claim duration and cost for a particular injury." That allows users to identify outliers and intervention opportunities.
"We present metrics on the individual claim that indicate how quickly a particular injured worker should be back to work." — Aaron Shapiro, executive vice president of Origami Risk.
Interventions implemented based on a model's output might involve deciding who would benefit from nurse case management, sending a letter or otherwise intervening in the treatment plan set forth by a prescriber, or adjusting reserve levels.
"Analytics is still a very complex subject and there's still a lot of confusion in the marketplace, due to different terms being used in different ways," Helios' Anderson said.
The varied availability of data and many ways analytics can be used likely add to the confusion. Savings can also be hard to determine because that involves estimating costs that are never actually incurred.
But given the pace at which companies have developed analytical programs, the role of predictive analytics in workers' comp seems bound to grow.


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Browsing: Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou
The Primacy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
By Webmaster on January 27, 2014 Governance & Unity News, Governance Top Stories
Source: MYSTAGOGY By His Eminence Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou At times, as in our days, there arises the issue of the privilege of honor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the so-called Primacy, which is not just an honor of politeness, but it has specific canonical responsibilities. It is known that the primacy of honor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is safeguarded by the Ecumenical Synods. In the 3rd Canon of the Second Ecumenical Synod it was ruled: "The Bishop of Constantinople, however, shall have the primacy of honor after the Bishop of Rome; because Constantinople is New Rome." Canon…


text:
Hanged, Drawn, and Quartered
Hello and welcome to 2020 and part two in our series of the history of state executions. To start 2020 off on a truly odd note, I thought it would be interesting to explore arguably the most grotesque public spectacle in English history, the act of hanging, drawing, and quartering. HDQ was a state-sponsored execution that was held for the only the most grievous of offenses, treason, specifically treason against the crown. Dating back to the reign of Edward Longshanks in the 13th century, the practice lasted until the Irish Rebellion of the early 19th century.
Photo Used under share and share alike
When I teach my sixth and seventh graders about public executions, I always get some awesome reactions when I describe HDQ, because it defies understanding to our modern sensibilities. In our world today, we debate about even putting people to death by the most humane ways imaginable, but for the crowned heads of England, the spectacle was the point. Capitol punishment meant nothing to these Kings if it wasn't carried out in front of a large audience because the purpose was to fortify standing and declare dominance. The crime was almost always treason, and the King would parade the accused through the streets before the process began.
The accused it tied to the back legs of a horse and is dragged from the holding cell to the public square where the execution is to take place.
The accused is hanged in the public square, but not until dead; they are effectively strangled until near death. As the accused is still alive, the stomach is cut open and the intestines are spilled out in front of the accused and the entire crowd.
As the intestines are spilling out, sometimes these guts are set afire, but always the testicles and penis are cut off, all the while the person is still alive and feels everything.
Sweet relief, the head is cut off, the body is sliced into four quarters and the head and body sections are spread throughout England and put on public display to show everyone what a traitor gets.
There were many men who met this fate, but the two most famous were the first man, Dafydd ap Gruffydd, the last independent ruler of Wales that was executed by Edward Longshanks. The second is the most famous, William Wallace, the Scot freedom fighter who was executed as a traitor by the crown.
About TheOddPast by Matthew A. Perry
Writer, teacher, broadcaster, and podcaster from West Virginia. I write about and discuss the wacky and weird side of history on my website www.theoddpast.com and my podcast "The Odd Past Podcast" available everywhere
Executions Part 1: Riding the Lightning


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Week in Review|Where Whites Draw the Line
Week in Review | Color Test
Where Whites Draw the Line
By MARCUS MABRY JUNE 8, 2008
How black is too black?
Millions of African-Americans celebrated Barack Obama's historic victory, seeing in it a reflection — sudden and shocking — of their own expanded horizons. But whether Mr. Obama captures the White House in November will depend on how he is seen by white Americans. Indeed, some people argue that one of the reasons Mr. Obama was able to defeat Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was that a large number of white voters saw him as "postracial."
In other words, Mr. Obama was black, but not too black.
But where is the line? Does it change over time? And if it is definable, then how black can Mr. Obama be before he alienates white voters? Or, to pose the question more cynically, how black do the Republicans have to make him to win?
Social observers say a common hallmark of African-Americans who have achieved the greatest success, whether in business, entertainment or politics — Oprah Winfrey, Magic Johnson and Mr. Obama — is that they do not convey a sense of black grievance.
Clearly, Mr. Obama understands this. Until his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, forced race into the political debate, Mr. Obama rarely dwelt on it. He gave his groundbreaking speech on race only in response to the Wright controversy.
Indeed, after he effectively won the Democratic nomination on Tuesday, he left it to the media to point out the racial accomplishment, and the relative he thanked most emotively was the woman who raised him: his white grandmother.
There is a reason for this. Race is one of the most contentious issues in American society, and, as with many contentious issues, Americans like to choose the middle path between perceived extremes. "In many ways, Obama is an ideal middle way person — he is just as white as he is black," said Alan Wolfe, a political science professor at Boston College.
John McWhorter, who is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, put it more bluntly: "White people are weary of the kinds of black people who are dedicated to indicting whites as racists. So, to be 'too black' is to carry an air about you that whites have something to answer for."
That was the root of Mr. Obama's Jeremiah Wright problem. Mr. Wright spewed exactly the kind of angry racial repudiation that many whites associate with black leaders.
Orlando Patterson, a professor of sociology at Harvard, argues that the one arena where black grievance is acceptable is in music, particularly in hip-hop, where an estimated 70 percent of listeners are white. But the generation exposed to hip-hop, mostly under 40, are part of what Mr. Patterson calls a growing "ecumenical" American culture that is unselfconsciously multiracial.
This Obama Generation came of age in the post-civil-rights age when color, though still relevant, had less impact on what one read, listened to or watched. It was the common crucible of popular culture, he said, that forged a truly American identity, rather than the "salad bowl" analogy cherished by diversity advocates.
Mr. Obama's campaign so de-emphasized race that for most of the 17-month nomination contest much of the news media became obsessed with the question of whether he was "black enough" to win black votes.
Credit The Heads of State
Most African-American Democrats were for Hillary Clinton early on, until voters in Iowa proved to them that whites would support a black candidate.
Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. said that Mr. Obama, unlike the immediate successors of Martin Luther King Jr., understood the importance of language and the need to frame social debate in a way less likely to alienate whites.
"In the absence of Martin Luther King," he said, "I think the void was filled by Stokely Carmichael, James Bevel and Jesse Jackson," who did not use language as well. "With all respect to my father, 40 years later, this is the first time we have gotten back to a very thoughtful and careful approach to language."
But a crucial difference between Dr. King and Mr. Obama, said the King biographer Taylor Branch, was that Dr. King sought to point out hypocrisy and shame white people into changing the system.
It was not simply framing and language choice that has helped Mr. Obama reach white people. He is genuinely of a different place and time than the generation of black leaders forged in the civil rights struggle. His story is, in part, an immigrant's story, devoid of the particular wounds that descendants of American slaves carry.
His father was a black Kenyan and his mother a white American. His mixed-race heritage is less discomfiting to whites, Mr. McWhorter said, than the more common source of black Americans' mixed-race blood: the miscegenation of slavery.
Mr. Obama's generation of black political leaders have benefited from the gains of the civil rights movement, and are now attempting to broaden them. They include Cory Booker, the mayor of Newark; Adrian Fenty, the mayor of Washington; Deval Patrick, the governor of Massachusetts; and former Representative Harold Ford Jr. from Tennessee. They attended top schools, often in the Ivy League and often law school as well, and began their public-service careers in community organizing rather than in national civil rights organizations.
So far, only Mr. Obama and Mr. Patrick have won offices that required large numbers of white voters to support them.
Mr. Ford made a run for the United States Senate, but fell short  thanks,in part, to suggestive ads by the Republican National Committee thatfeatured a white actress.
The smaller and older generation of black Republicans who could aspire to high office seem to generate less white suspicion. The approval ratings of Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice — each the most popular members of George W. Bush's cabinet during their respective tenures — suggest they would be among the most popular black candidates with non-black voters.
Patrick J. Buchanan, conservative commentator and former aspirant to the Republican presidential nomination, said it was Mr. Powell's military credentials that made him appealing to whites.
Beginnings Barack Obama with his mother, Ann Dunham. Credit Obama Presidential Campaign, via Associated Press
"Barack Obama's got problems — in central Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky — that Colin Powell wouldn't have," Mr. Buchanan said. "Colin Powell did his duty in Vietnam, he's a soldier, a general."
(Mr. Obama was too young for Vietnam.)
For decades, pollsters have found that one of the prejudices white Americans commonly hold about African-Americans is a belief that blacks are less patriotic, despite serving in the armed forces in greater proportion than their share of the population.
Ms. Rice, who grew up in segregated Birmingham, sounded as if she were refuting that very prejudice when she was asked for her reaction to Mr. Obama's race speech.
"What I would like understood as a black American is that black Americans loved and had faith in this country even when this country didn't love and have faith in them, and that's our legacy," she told The Washington Times editorial board.
A rising generation of black leaders has opened up new possibilities. But so have the increasing levels of white tolerance. What is impossible to know, today, is how far that tolerance will extend.
For instance, Mr. Patterson said research consistently showed that roughly one in five whites continues to hold racist views. Indeed, a poll by the Pew Research Center in March found that 20 percent of white Democrats over the age of 44 found interracial dating unacceptable; only 3 percent of white Democrats under 44 felt that way.
Mr. Buchanan said Mr. Obama's monolithic support among blacks was likely to stoke such white animosity.
"There's a sense among some folks that if African-Americans are voting 90 percent for 'one of us;' then you're going to vote for 'one of us,' " he said. When Norm Kagan, a white 62-year-old supporter of Mrs. Clinton's, was asked in St. Paul, Minn., if white voters in the state would support a black man, he immediately raised the specter of crime, as if the mere mention of blacks brought it to mind. "We've all had our problems," he said. "Every now and then someone gets mugged or robbed. The most economically challenged — which are mostly black — are most often the criminals and not to be trusted."
Some Republicans have used such associations to defeat Democrats. But political analysts point to signs that the culture-war tactics are losing steam. They note the Republican loss in 2006 of both houses of Congress, and the recent Democratic victories in traditionally Republican districts in special Congressional elections in Mississippi and Louisiana.
Rick Perlstein, author of "Nixonland," about the G.O.P.'s political strategy since the 1960's, said many of the issues like crime that allowed Republicans to divide and conquer no longer exist.
One of the biggest issues this year is the economic downturn. Shared distress may trump racial divisions, he said.
Democrats shouldn't think that things will always be the way they have been, said Mr. Perlstein, a liberal. "Change does happen," he said. "And it happens overnight."
Correction: June 15, 2008
An article last Sunday about the attitudes of white people toward black leaders misidentified the source of suggestive ads attacking Harold Ford Jr. of Tennessee in his run for the United States Senate in 2006. They were produced by the Republican National Committee — not his opponent, Bob Corker.
A version of this article appears in print on , on Page WK1 of the New York edition with the headline: Where Whites Draw the Line. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
Obama Clinches Nomination; First Black Candidate to Lead a Major Party Ticket JUNE 4, 2008


text:
Genus Tamarindus L.
Edited by Ho Dinh Hai
Long An - Vietnam
1- Introduction to the Genus Tamarindus
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Tribe: Detarieae
Genus: Tamarindus L.
1.2- Genus Tamarindus - Tamarin
The genus Tamarindus is in the tribe Detarieae, in subfamily Caesalpinioideae of the plant family Fabaceae (the family which includes the legumes).
The genus Tamarindus is a monotypic taxon, having only a single species:
Tamarindus indica L. - Tamarind.
2- Species Tamarindus indica - Tamarind
Species Tamarindus indica L. - Tamarind (from Arabic, romanized tamar hindi, "Indian date") is a leguminous tree in the family Fabaceae indigenous to tropical Africa.
The tamarind tree produces edible, pod-like fruit which is used extensively in cuisines around the world. Other uses include traditional medicine and metal polish. The wood can be used in carpentry. Because of the tamarind's many uses, cultivation has spread around the world in tropical and subtropical zones.
 2.2- Origin
Tamarindus indica is probably indigenous to tropical Africa, but has been cultivated for so long on the Indian subcontinent that it is sometimes also reported to be indigenous there. It grows wild in Africa in locales as diverse as Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria and Tanzania. In Arabia, it is found growing wild in Oman, especiallyDhofar, where it grows on the sea-facing slopes of mountains. It reached South Asia likely through human transportation and cultivation several thousand years prior to the Common Era. It is widely distributed throughout the tropical belt, from Africa to South Asia, Northern Australia, and throughout Oceania, Southeast Asia, Taiwan and China.
In the 16th century, it was heavily introduced to Mexico, and to a lesser degree to South America, by Spanish and Portuguese colonists, to the degree that it became a staple ingredient in the region's cuisine.
Today, India is the largest producer of tamarind. The consumption of tamarind is widespread due to its central role in the cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, South East Asia and America, particularly in Mexico.
2.3- Cultivation
Seeds can be scarified or briefly boiled to enhance germination. They retain germination capability after several months if kept dry.
The tamarind has also long been naturalized in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the Pacific Islands. Thailand has the largest plantations of the ASEAN nations, followed by Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines. The pulp is marketed in northern Malaya. It is cultivated all over India, especially in the South Indian states of Karnataka,Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Extensive tamarindorchards in India produce 275,500 tons (250,000 MT) annually. Commercial plantations throughout tropical Latin America include Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
In the United States, it is a large-scale crop introduced for commercial use, second in net production quantity to India, in the mainly Southern states due to tropical and semitropical climes, notably South Florida, and as a shade and fruit tree, along roadsides and in dooryards and parks.
2.4- Culinary uses
The fruit pulp is edible. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is considered by many to be too sour, but is often used as a component of savory dishes, as a pickling agent or as a means of making certain poisonous yams in Ghana safe for human consumption.
The ripened fruit is considered the more palatable, as it becomes sweeter and less sour (acidic) as it matures. It is used in desserts as a jam, blended into juices or sweetened drinks, sorbets, ice creams and other snacks. In Western cuisine, it is found in Worcestershire sauce. In most parts of India, tamarind extract is used to flavor foods ranging from meals to snacks. Across the Middle East, from the Levant to Iran, tamarind is used in savory dishes, notable meat-based stews, and often combined with dried fruits to achieve a sweet-sour tang.
A traditional food plant in Africa, tamarind has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.
In Madagascar, its fruits and leaves are a well-known favorite of the ring-tailed lemurs, providing as much as 50% of their food resources during the year if available.
Source: Tamarind - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamarind .
9- http://www.britannica.com/plant/Fabaceae
10- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caesalpinioideae
11- http://www.self.gutenberg.org/articles/caesalpiniaceae
12- http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/caesalpini.htm
13- http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/research-data/resources/legumes-of-the-world/tribe/caesalpinieae
14- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detarieae
15- http://theworldwidevegetables.weebly.com/genus-tamarindus.html
16- http://theworldwidevegetables.weebly.com/tamarindus-indica-tamarind.html
17- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamarind .
See Video about: Tamarind (Tamarindus indica)
See Video about: Growing Tamarinds From Seeds - Updated at 1 year and 9 months


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text:
Summary: Inquiry into the Mangawhai community wastewater scheme
Part 4: Building and implementing the wastewater scheme (2007 to 2012)
Part 1: Introduction
Part 2: How the wastewater project began (1996 to 2002)
Part 3: Difficulties getting the wastewater project under way (2003 to 2007)
Part 5: The accountability system for local authorities
Part 6: Our overall conclusions
Part 4: Building and implementing the wastewater scheme (2007 to 2012) Summary: Inquiry into the Mangawhai community wastewater scheme. https://oag.govt.nz/2013/summary-mangawhai/part4 https://oag.govt.nz/@@site-logo/controller_ag_international_400x37.png
Summary: Inquiry into the Mangawhai community wastewater scheme.
How construction was to be managed
We looked at what the contract documents set out for how the construction process was to be managed, including the tools that were available to KDC to oversee the construction work. We then considered how KDC ensured that the tools that it had were used on its behalf.
We found no evidence that KDC monitored how the tools in the contract to manage its risks were being used while the project proceeded. KDC does not appear to have:
received the information it needed to assure itself that the design was appropriate for its needs before construction began (so it could not be certain that what was to be built and paid for was suitable); or
received the monthly monitoring reports from the Project Director in EPS (so it had no way of monitoring the progress of construction or of understanding whether modifications would lead to additional financing costs).
We also found that the contract documents did not cover all the works to be carried out, which was to have financial consequences for KDC. We discuss this further below.
Events during construction
Construction of the wastewater scheme officially began with a ground-breaking ceremony and open day on 14 January 2008. The construction phase ended with the official opening of the system on 16 January 2010.
There were very few documents in KDC's files about the construction of the scheme. The construction of the scheme was under the control of the Project Director, in EPS. We did not have access to EPS' files in Australia, so were unable to assess how that role was carried out during the construction period. Our findings about how well KDC managed its responsibilities are based on the information in KDC's files, the files that we were able to review at Beca, and the information provided to us by EarthTech.
We considered how the work carried out during the construction was managed, including how well KDC controlled what was being built, and whether EarthTech built what it was contracted to build. We looked at the process that was used for making modifications to what was agreed to be built under the contract documents, and how information on those modifications and their cost effects were provided to Council. We also looked at how the work to connect residences to the scheme was carried out and the quality of the community liaison during the construction period.
We conclude that:
KDC had very weak control over the construction and what was built. It appears that what has been built is not the same as what is in the Project Plan in the contract.
Modifications to the scope of the works were agreed to by EarthTech and the Project Director, but it is not clear that the Council knew about, or agreed to, these modifications.
KDC tried hard to communicate with residents about the scheme, but the communication was not particularly effective.
Funding and financing changes during construction
During this period Council made further changes to the level of rates and developments contributions it proposed to use to fund the project. KDC also decided to use interest rate swaps to manage its interest rate risk during construction. Because of the changes that were made to what was to be built after the contract documents had been signed in December 2007, the timetable for construction could not be met. This meant that the financing arrangements, which were dependent on that timetable also needed to change. In addition, a swap that had been used to manage Council's interest rate risk during the period up until the end of construction needed to be broken.
We reviewed the changes to the funding for the project that Council agreed to make, and the changes that were made to the financing for the project during the construction period.
In summary, we concluded that the Council managed the financing of the project very poorly. The Council took no steps to get any independent advice about whether the debt financing was appropriate and competitive with what was available in the market. The Council's understanding of the financing arrangements was so poor that it failed to appreciate that changes to the scope of works would have financial consequences. The Council should have had much stronger oversight of the funding for the project, including the debt financing.
We have not discussed the issues that KDC had with the rates that it levied in this period. Clearly, there were problems with the rates levied for the wastewater scheme, and the rates were defective. We have not discussed these issues in this report because they are discussed in detail in the Validation Bill being considered by Parliament and are also the subject of judicial review proceedings in the High Court.
The Council takes possession of the assets
KDC took possession of the wastewater scheme after construction. The Project Deed set out a process that was to take place before Council took possession. This process was to check that the scheme had been constructed in accordance with the Project Deed and was capable of being operated for its purpose and in accordance with all consents. We refer to this process as the "commercial acceptance process". The commercial acceptance process was an important mechanism that KDC had to ensure that when it paid for the scheme, the scheme had been built as intended by the parties and was fit for purpose. We looked at what the Project Deed required for the commercial acceptance process, and then compared this to what happened.
The Project Deed provided that commercial acceptance was to occur in two stages. That is, KDC would take ownership of part of the scheme once construction of that part was completed. It would then take ownership of the other part of the scheme at a later date, once construction of that part had been completed. KDC had agreed to this because it had been told that it would save money on the financing costs. Because of the delays to the construction timetable caused by the additional work on the modifications, commercial acceptance did not occur in two stages. Instead, it occurred on a single date.
We found that:
Commercial acceptance was given by the Project Director on KDC's behalf even though significant elements of the wastewater scheme were not complete and the scheme had not been proven to work. There was no evidence that KDC was told this before it paid the purchase price.
The changes to the dates for commercial acceptance did not save KDC money. Rather, they ended up costing KDC significantly more than it would have saved. Modifications appear to have been agreed without regard for the effect that they would have on the dates for commercial acceptance.
How the wastewater scheme is operating now
We looked at how the wastewater scheme is operating now, and received assistance from two engineers, including a wastewater engineer to carry out this part of the work. We looked at what the Project Deed says about how the scheme is to be operated, and how KDC is managing the contract. We also considered what the monitoring by NRC showed about how the scheme is operating. One of the issues we considered was the operation of the disposal site and whether it would have capacity to take all projected flows of wastewater.
We found that the wastewater scheme is now operating effectively. However:
KDC did not actively manage the contract until very recently.
Part of the disinfection process in the wastewater treatment plant has failed to work. This has resulted in changes to the operation of the plant and has required EarthTech and KDC to get the resource consents amended.
The farm does not have enough land to dispose of all future flows of treated wastewater. KDC needs to assess how it will dispose of the treated wastewater in the future.
Our overall comments on construction and implementation
The Mangawhai community now has a reticulated wastewater system that is operating effectively. After initial "teething problems", any practical problems appear to be occasional and relatively minor. The treatment plant is big enough to cope with expected population growth.
Northland Regional Council has not been able to provide us with any data to show whether the water quality in the Mangawhai Harbour is improving yet. It may take some time for water quality to improve. KDC needs to work with Northland Regional Council to ensure that this monitoring is done, so that the community gets information about whether the scheme has achieved its purpose.
However, it is clear that KDC did not monitor and manage the construction process adequately.
We were very concerned to see how loose the contract monitoring and management were and how little attention KDC paid to the steps built into the contract to protect the Council from the risk that the scheme would not be constructed properly or would fail to operate as intended. It is largely because of the quality of EarthTech's work that the scheme operates well and has had few performance issues in the last four years of operation, rather than contractual processes designed to protect KDC.
We also have significant concerns about the way in which funding and financing matters were dealt with. In KDC's files, we found no systematic monitoring and reporting of the overall costs of the project against a budget. We are also very concerned about the way in which KDC entered into swaps and transactions.
The relevant parties were clearly all working hard to construct the scheme but made little effort to be clear about exactly what was being built and at what cost. This type of approach is not acceptable for a major public sector project. The PPP context did not remove the need for the Council to be in control of the overall project and for it to be able to publicly account for what was being done.
Given the level of community concern about the project and its affordability, the need to account to the community for exactly what the money was being spent on and why should have been a priority for the Council and its advisers. The poor records and informal decision-making show that this was not so. We did not anticipate that we would effectively have to reconstruct many of the records of financial transactions and other decisions from scratch while we carried out this inquiry. In our view, the information held by KDC was totally inadequate.
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This is an edited version of a presentation given at the Photography and Crime symposium, CCP, Melbourne in 2011.
That configuration of eyes, nose and mouth stuck to the front of the head connects one person to another in a relationship, because when two faces face each other, each demands something from the other, even if it is only recognition. For Emmanuel Levinas the face is the place of authentic encounter between self and other: 'The face opens the primordial discourse whose first word is obligation'.
In order to perform this social function the face has to be abstracted away from the body so that it can enter into a system of semiotic exchange. For Deleuze and Guattari 'faciality' is a process that over-codes the organism of the body with other strata of signification and subjectification. In their words the face is an abstract machine of 'black holes in a white wall'. It is a technology increasingly becoming enmeshed with other technologies.
Fig 1. Lavater plate 29
John Caspar Lavater's popular Essays in Physiognomy from the 1770s began this process. Lavater defined his new science of physiognomy as the 'correspondence between the external and the internal man'. He established that correspondence by either visual analogy, where a simian-looking person must exhibit simian characteristics; or by biometric algorithms, where the slope of a brow, for instance, indexed cranial capacity and thus intelligence. (Fig. 1 & 2)
Fig 3. Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin's 1872 book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals homed in on the mechanics of the face and established that human facial expression was an instinctual animal behaviour. He demonstrated the automatic mechanics of expression by artificially decoupling the hydraulics of the facial muscles from their usual inner, instinctual motivations. He juxtaposed a photograph of the acting out of the expression of 'horror and agony', with a photograph of the muscles being twitched into the same expression by externally applied galvanic currents. (Fig. 3) Lavater's physiognomic analogs and algorithms, and Darwin's muscular decoupling, had the effect of conceptually delaminating the face from the body. But it was photography that then put the face into social circulation.
The greatest celebrity of Victorian England was the royal courtesan, partygoer, actress, beauty, and endorser of Pears Soap, Lillie Langtry. (Fig. 4) Through photography her face left the realm of her body and entered other media spaces. In Victorian England the most lubricious place where newly mobilised images bumped up against each other was the stationer's shop window, and Lillie's photographs were right in the middle of every window, disturbing the pre-existing social order. A writer at the time commented on: 'that democratic disregard of rank which prevails in our National Portrait Gallery of the present day — the stationer's shop window — where such discordant elements of the social fabric as Lord Napier and Lillie Langtry' … rub shoulders jarringly. [Face: the new photographic portrait, William Ewing, London, Thames & Hudson, 2008]
Fig 4. Lillie Langtry
Langtry was also the very first person in the world to find herself in a photographic feedback loop, that is, to feel the effects of her photographed face as it circulated though Victorian visual culture reflecting back on to her actual body. She recalled:
'Photography was now making great strides, and pictures of well-known people had begun to be exhibited for sale. The photographers, one and all, besought me to sit. Presently, my portraits were in every shop-window, with trying results, for they made the public so familiar with my features that wherever I went — to theatres, picture galleries, shops — I was actually mobbed. Thus the photographs gave fresh stimulus to a condition which I had unconsciously created. One night, at a large reception at Lady Jersey's, many of the guests stood on chairs to obtain a better view of me, and I could not help but hear their audible comments on my appearance as I passed down the drawing-room. Itinerant vendors sold cards about the streets with my portrait ingeniously concealed, shouting 'The Jersey Lily, the puzzle is to find her'.' The Days I Knew, Lillie Langtry, 1925, p40.
In the subsequent 130 years, of course, the velocity of that photographic circulation has only increased in speed and brutality. And now it is not just the mega-famous who find themselves caught up in photographic feedback loops. Erno Nussenzweig is the poster boy for the ever-present possibility that any of us can become an accidental celebrity. One day in 2000 he innocently emerged onto the sidewalk from a subway at Times Square. It wasn't until five years later that he discovered that at that decisive moment he had been photographed by Philip-Lorca diCorcia who had exhibited, published, and sold his photograph to great acclaim. Erno unsuccessfully sued for 1.6 million dollars claiming the photographer had used his face for purposes of trade. His lawyer put it best: 'It's a beautiful picture. But why should this guy make money off of your face?'
Fig 5. Iran protest in France
Or consider the case of Neda Soltan. In 2009 she was videoed by the mobile phones of three separate pro-democracy demonstrators in Iran as she lay dying from a government-sniper's bullet. After the videos went viral on the internet her face was turned into a mask and worn by pro-democracy demonstrators at a protest in Paris.
Or put yourself in the shoes of Nicole McCabe, an Australian citizen living in Jerusalem and pregnant with her first child. Last year her identity was stolen by the Israeli Government in order to assassinate a Hamas official. When the story broke and the passports the Israeli's had forged were printed in newspapers, complete with their actual passport numbers, Nicole McCabe decided she did not want to talk to Australian journalists, or be photographed by them. But after having the door slammed on them by McCabe's angry husband, the journalists simply sourced photographs of her from Facebook, where friends had posted her wedding photographs. (fig 6) Nicole said she felt:
'sick, angry, embarrassed and upset … even if Facebook is public, they have no right to take what they want without asking. I was more determined than ever not to let anyone take a photo of me.'¹
Or consider the fate of the footballer Sonny Bill Williams. In 2007 he embarked on an afternoon drinking session at the Clovelly Hotel with his teammates and a group of football groupies that included celebrity iron woman Candice Falzon. Later that night one Clovelly local got a message on his phone. The local reported: "It said Candice Falzon had followed Sonny Bill into the toilets upstairs at the pub and everyone knew about it. The next message I got was an … um … action shot." The shot was soon being widely circulated amongst the mobile phones of Clovelly, and when it was eventually published on The Daily Telegraph's website it attracted a record number of hits. Although the person who took the photograph could have been liable for two years jail under the summary offences act for taking lewd photographs in toilets and change rooms, the newspaper itself could not be successfully prosecuted for posting the photograph once it was taken. (Fig 7)
Fig 7. Sonny Bill
Incidents such as this show that faces don't just have features, they also have velocities. The more famous you are the more recognizable you are to more people, but also the faster your face is circulated in the media.
Fig 8. Lara Bingle
While some have felt themselves suddenly swept up into these currents of facial velocity, others have attempted, with mixed success, to ride the currents to even greater fame. Consider the career of Lara Bingle. Once an ordinary bikini model, her celebrity stocks rose in 2006 when she was chosen for a tourism campaign. The men's magazine Zoo Weekly then published revealing photographs of her, which had been taken eleven months earlier before she was chosen to be the wholesome face of Australia. She sued the magazine for defamation. She won the case when the judge accepted that the magazine was smutty and had implied that she had willingly consented to pose for the sexual titillation of its readers. However by the end of 2006 the tourism campaign had flopped, and Bingle was having an illicit affair with the married footballer Brendan Fevola. But by 2008 her stocks had risen again, she was engaged to the cricketer Michael Clark, and they were one of Sydney's foremost celebrity couples, even endorsing an energy drink. In early 2010 she even signed up with celebrity agent Mark Marxson. But then a mobile phone photograph Brendan Fevola had taken of her in the shower back in 2006, which his football mates had been circulating between their mobile phones for some time, was published by Woman's Day. (Fig.8 ) Her engagement with Michael Clark broke down and the energy drink company dropped them. Bingle's stocks in the celebrity marketplace plummeted, and they have only recently, after a period of careful career management including charity work, family-friendly television appearances, and the avoidance of footballers, begun to rise again.
These examples indicate the high speed of facial velocity, but what of facial vectorization? The terrain of the face continues to be the site of scientific research that updates Lavater's and Darwin's pioneering efforts and re-affirms the centrality of the face's muscular mechanics to our humanity — although now not by indexing some immutable inner person, but through their intrinsic role within language comprehension. Contemporary cognitive psychologists are researching the ways that facial muscle-movements directly feedback to the brain. For example experiments have shown that if you are smiling you can read sentences about emotions quicker than if you are frowning; and if you have had Botox you have more difficulty interpreting photographic portraits of emotions because in conversation your facial muscles subtly enter into a feedback loop of micro-mimicry with your interlocutor, which Botox decouples. Other experiments suggest that if you are in the presence of the representation of a face your moral standards are higher.
Fig 9. Angelina Jolie
While the face as a concept remains central to discourses of the human, individual faces are also increasingly caught up in ever-finer meshes of delamination, vectorization, and mobilization. Plastic surgery is increasingly re-mapping faces, and recalibrating the vectoral angles between eyes, noses and chins in order to shift their owners up in scales of beauty. (Fig. 9)
The facial structure itself can be morphed, or in some instances the facial pixel maps representing the person can be smeared. Consider the case of Christopher Paul Neil who liked to post pictures of himself sexually abusing Vietnamese and Cambodian children on paedophile websites. He applied a swirl filter to his face to disguise his identity, but Interpol wrote an algorithm to unswirl the pattern and reveal his face. (Fig. 10)
Fig 10. Pedophile
They then posted the image on their website where he was recognised and identified. Eventually his face was captured on a security camera at Bangkok airport and he was arrested. Neil was recognised by a human being reviewing the footage, but the technological possibility exists that eventually his face could have been recognised by a machine.
Facial recognition software applies algorithms to the same sets of vectors between eyes, nose and mouth that Lavater originally identified. You'll be comforted to know that Australia is at the forefront of facial recognition research. We have not only already introduced 'Smart Gates' at our airports to match our facial algorithms with a database, but National ICT Australia (NICTA) received 1.5 million dollars from the Cabinet to research what it describes as the 'holy grail' of surveillance: 'real-time face-in-the-crowd recognition technology'. Concurrent with these Australian research projects, international protocols are also being developed. For instance the US Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology hosted the Face Recognition Grand Challenge open to entrants from industry, universities and research institutes. This means, according to NICTA, that:
The surveillance industry is currently undergoing the same revolutionary changes that shook up the computer industry when internet use took off in the 1990s. Instead of each supplier providing a unique product, the sector will soon be dominated by standards and interoperability. Surveillance will eventually merge into a virtually seamless multimedia network embracing social media, location services, mobile devices, maps, and 3D models. ['All-seeing eye: the future of surveillance and social media', The Conversation, 27 May 2011]
However, even though technology is yet to actually deliver on its promise, the idea of facial recognition and facial manipulation has already become almost domesticated in the media. For several years it has been something we can all indulge in as a kind of game. For instance in 2008 we were able to calculate how much we looked like various cricketers using the Weetbix Facial Recognition software.
Fig 11. Weetbix packet, 2008
We can also apply face recognition algorithms to the vast reservoirs of faces on the internet, or on Facebook, or in our iPhoto libraries, to locate friends we are looking for, even when the metadata tags aren't available; or to look for celebrities; or to calculate how much we look like a celebrity; or to calculate which of our children most looks like us.
In a way of thinking about the face that is very similar to Lavater's and Darwin's, the frontier of contemporary 3D computer animation is the mapping of actual micro-muscular movements onto animated wire-frames. The most developed example of this so far has occurred in the movie Avatar, where actors wore head-rigs which filmed the movement of motion-tracking markers on their faces. This digital information was then 'peeled' off the actor's face and re-applied to a 3D wire-frame. Significantly, this technology has also become domesticated in on-line games such as Macdonald's website Avartize Yourself. Other games take forensic 'age progression' software used by missing-persons bureaus, and turn them into games such as the iPhone app Hourface.
Why am I obsessing over tabloid trash and silly on-line games? I think they, as much as high-end cutting-edge research, are the symptoms of two new tendencies in the valency of the face. Firstly, we are all becoming celebrities, at least potentially. The velocity of our own faces can suddenly speed up when we least expect it. Secondly, our faces are all part of what NICTA calls a 'virtually seamless multimedia environment'. This is not just analogical space, the bit-mapping and comparison of appearances, but algorithmic space, where faces are vectorised and turned into equations that can instantly interact with a myriad of other equations. I claim that the pervasiveness of celebrity culture, combined with the explosion of algorithmic biometrics within merging media and data spaces, has had a profound effect upon the ways in which every one of us regards our own face. The face is congealing as a bastion from which to advance privacy rights and proclaim property rights.
There has been a consistent and inexorable drift in legal opinion in Australia towards a tort of privacy — which we currently do not have — focussed on protecting the human face. Way back in 2001Justice Dowd was able to confidently claim that a person 'does not have a right not to be photographed'. But by 2008 the Australian Law Reform Commission said that it consistently heard strong support for a tort of privacy. And last year the NSW Law Reform Commission released draft laws that state that an invasion of privacy should exist where a person 'has a reasonable expectation of privacy', which could potentially even include a public place.
So, why this paradox? Why, when our personal information is flowing more freely than ever before, when 80% of people want CCTV cameras in their public spaces, and when the vast majority of Facebook users are happy to use its default settings where there is no privacy at all, why are we getting increasingly paranoid about our faces? I think it is because the face is caught up in a wider transformation. It is swimming against the tide that is pulling the private into the public because it is part of a stronger current, from signification to possession. Those of us feeling the effects of both celebrity culture and algorithmic data-media are regarding privacy less as a singular inherent right, and more as a fungible personal commodity which can be exchanged in a market place. For instance Nicole McCabe knew her participation in Facebook was not free, she knew she had 'sold' it some of her privacy in order to enjoy its benefits, but suddenly and unexpectedly she came to realize that perhaps she had 'traded off' too much of her privacy. This mercantile logic is also beginning to pervade other environments of facial interaction, such as public places. Within our concept of the face the receding sense of the private, in the sense of the 'the discreet', is being overtaken by an encroaching sense of the privatised, in the sense of 'the owned'.
Celebrities are merely at the vanguard of this transformation. Celebrities believe they are their own commodity. They believe that their face is the result of their labour and their talent. It is their capital, their brand, their corporate logo. They believe they therefore have a proprietary right in it. In America their faces are even protected by a common law 'right of publicity' which grants them, in the words of one key judgement, 'the exclusive right to control the commercial value and exploitation of [their] name, picture, likeness or personality.' And, just like them, we ordinary people are also believing that our own faces are also becoming more monologic, less a window or an interface, and more a logo for 'Brand Me'. We all increasingly agree implicitly with Nussenzweig's lawyer: 'why should this guy make money off of your face?'
The abstraction, delamination and mobilization of the face has led to its reification. The face is closing down on the sense of mutual obligation that, in Levinas's terms, once arose when one face faced another. This reification is intensified by the way that all faces, even our own, can be peeled away from bodies to enter new virtual spaces.
¹ Media Watch Episode 05, 8 March 2010
DR MARTYN JOLLY is an artist and a writer as well as the the head of the Photography and Media Arts department at the Australian National University's School of Art. He completed his PhD on fake photographs and photographic affect at the University of Sydney in 2003. His book Faces of the Living Dead: The Belief in Spirit Photography was published in the UK, US and Australia in 2006. His work is held in the collections of the National Gallery of Australia and the National Gallery of Victoria. In 2006 he was one of three artists commissioned to design and build the ACT Bushfire Memorial in Canberra.
Dr Jolly is currently exhibiting at the National Gallery of Victoria in the exhibition Ten Ways to Look at the Past, and at the Canberra Museum and Gallery in the exhibition Imitation of Life. Earlier this year he undertook a Scholars and Artist in Residence Fellowship at the National Film and Sound Archive researching their collection of magic lantern glass slides, as well as a Harold White Fellowship at the National Library of Australia researching 1960s Australian photography as it was used on the printed page. He delivered a paper at a seminar on contemporary Australian photography at the Art Gallery of New South Wales on 9 April, as well as a paper on 1980s Australian tableau photography at a seminar at the National Gallery of Australia on 21 May, and gave a floor talk on the National Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery on 13 April. He was a folio reviewer at the Ballarat International Foto Biennale in August.


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A new, narrowly distributed, and critically endangered species of spiny-throated reed frog (Anura: Hyperoliidae) from a highly threatened coastal forest reserve in Tanzania
Barratt, Christopher D. and Lawson, Lucinda P. and Bittencourt-Silva, Gabriela B. and Goggart, Nike and Morgan-Brown, Theron and Nagel, Peter and Loader, Simon P.. (2017) A new, narrowly distributed, and critically endangered species of spiny-throated reed frog (Anura: Hyperoliidae) from a highly threatened coastal forest reserve in Tanzania. Herpetological Journal, 27 (1). pp. 13-24.
Amphibians are in decline globally due to increasing anthropogenic changes, and many species are at risk of extinctioeven before they are formally recognised. The Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa is a hotspot of amphibian diversity but is threatened by recent land use changes. Based on specimens collected in 2001 we identiy a new species from the coastal forests of Tanzania. The new species belongs to the spiny-throated reed frog complex that comprises a number of morphologically similar species with highly fragmented population across the Eastern Afromontane Region, an adjacent biodiversity hotspot comprising of numerous isolated montane forests. The new species is the fist coastal forest member of this otherwise montane clade. We formally describe this species, assess its distributionand conservationthreat, and provide a revised key to species of the spiny-throated reed frog complex. We highlight the most important characters distinguishingthe new species from the other similar reed frog species. Recent surveys at the type locality and also more broadly across the region failed to findthis new species. The conservationthreat of this species is critial as the only known locality (Ruvu South Forest Reserve) is currently subjected to devastating land use chanes.
05 Faculty of Science > Departement Umweltwissenschaften > Ehemalige Einheiten Umweltwissenschaften > Biogeographie (Nagel)
Barratt, Christopher and Bittencourt, Gabriela and Loader, Simon Paul and Nagel, Peter