My friend that also went on the retreat back in February pointed out that I make all these cosmetic bags, yet mine were in one of those free-with-purchase "gifts" from a department store cosmetic brand. She quipped about the "shoemaker's children" and how I should get around to making myself one. I still haven't made a cosmetic bag, but I did finish up another UFO for myself.
Back in November, I mentioned paper piecing a small block to go on a bag for my EPP and other handwork projects. I made the bag exterior, and let it languish on my shelf for… eight months now. So, this weekend, I decided to UFO bust and dragged out the bag.
The problem with letting a project that you dreamed up and didn't write any notes down about languish for months on end is that you have no idea where you were going with it or what the measurements were. Somehow, I managed to cut out a lining of the right size, and managed to sew it in without too much trouble.
I even made a zipper bag and two Velcro pouches with leftover fabric—great for keeping bits of fabric separate, and to act as thread catchers, etc. The largest scrap I now have of the hedgehog print is a 2.5″ square—talk about efficient cutting (completely by luck)!
The outside has a few pockets, and a small needle/pin section.
And the inside has a pocket as well, with an elastic top to help keep things inside.
I don't know what I was thinking with the handle, but without the strap where it is, the front is too long for the bag. I added a hook that keeps the flap connected to the top of the front by way of a button-hole, while still allowing access to the pockets, but I may rip off the strap and affix it to the sides at a later date.
For now, I just need to load it up and see how it works. It's large enough to carry around my iPad and notebook, so it may work as a purse, too.
Have you managed to finish any UFOs or WIPs recently?
As a gift giver for Carl, I'm kind of lame: I usually get him things he needs but doesn't want to spend his own money on (like jeans, sandals, etc…). For his birthday this year, I decided to supplement that with yet another item he maybe needs: a bag for his cycling stuff so that he doesn't have to use our reusable grocery bags. This way he has a dedicated bag that won't get co-opted for other uses.
Bijou Lovely has a great tutorial for a market tote that I based his bag on. Her instructions are clear, she has plenty of photos to illustrate what she's talking about, and the result is a very roomy, practical, quick tote. For most purposes, it needs no changes.
That said, it is a little feminine and has no pockets, which were two cons for my purposes. But both were easily modified.


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[ARCHIVED] Holly Springs intern conducts street tree inventory
Though the saying goes, "one can't see the forest for the trees," this summer, Town Planning Intern John Meece helped Holly Springs staff and elected officials begin to see both. A student of forestry at NC State University, Meece inventoried 6,518 trees in 17 out of 30 Holly Springs neighborhoods that contain street trees during the three months of his internship.
"The partial inventory that John completed marks the beginning of an effort that Planning staff will work on completing, possibly next summer with another intern, to provide an overarching look at the condition of street trees in Holly Springs," said Gina Clapp, director of Planning & Zoning. "The inventory, at this point, is raw data that staff will continue to collect and study before drawing conclusions and providing recommendations to the Town Council within the year."
Street trees are those within the right-of-way or within the first 5-10 feet of residents' front yards. Street trees are seen as being beneficial because they absorb carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, provide cooling through shade, reduce glare and noise, offer habitat for animals and birds, help maintain and raise home values, and contribute to the natural beauty and aesthetics of the community.
"I really appreciate street trees because they produce the image of being out in the wild and help us connect with the earth," Meece said.
In addition to documenting street tree locations with GPS technology, Meece noted the trees' health, age and variety. He also documented if a tree posed any safety issue to vehicles or pedestrians.
"The Town of Holly Springs wanted to identify public safety issues and document what trees were out there," Meece said.
Meece said the vast majority – 90 percent – of the street trees he inventoried were healthy. Also, the majority of the trees he documented were between 10-20 years old. However, 62 percent were in need of roadside pruning and 8 percent in need of sidewalk pruning.
While the Town requires developers to plant street trees in subdivisions, Meece's inventory was the first time the Town methodically compared what variety of trees developers planned to plant against what variety actually was planted.
"We wanted to see if there were discrepancies between what developers said and what was actually out there," Meece said.
Discrepancies were found. For example, while 35 percent of street trees were supposed to be red maples, Meece found red maples comprised 50 percent of the Town's street trees.
Red maples are fine street trees, Meece said. But if a disease that targeted that particular variety of trees was to spread, it could have a far-reaching effect in Holly Springs with so many red maples in Town.
"We, as a Town, strive for a diverse amount of species," Meece said.
Town Planner Laura Holloman said Holly Springs Planning & Zoning staff will finish Meece's study. In addition to continuing with the inventory of existing neighborhoods with street trees, she said staff will be inventorying the street trees developers plant as new neighborhoods are built. She said staff also will use data from the study to recommend tree varieties to developers, ensuring a diversity of tree varieties in Town.
"John laid an excellent groundwork for us as we continue to work to educate the public on street tree management," Holloman said. "This inventory will be a forever evolving tool that staff can use to keep accurate information on all of our street trees in town as we will continue to inventory street tree neighborhoods. This will no doubt ensure a positive future for our urban tree canopy."
Meece expects to graduate in May with a degree in Forest Management. He hopes to become a park ranger in the western United States. He said the internship with the Town of Holly Springs may help him in pursuit of that career.
"Urban forestry is very similar to a park-type forestry," he said.
He explained that singular trees in parks often are highlighted instead of the entire forest. One example, Meece said, is the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park.
"My internship also involved some public outreach, teaching people about trees and what to do with them," Meece said.
Click here to see Meece's presentation from the Aug. 4 Holly Springs Town Council meeting.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Bloc Party kept their audience on tenterhooks for the release of 'A Weekend in the City'. Not only had their debut, 'Silent Alarm' blown away music critics and fans alike, but was also nominated for the highly prestigious Mercury Music Prize. So, all eyes were on them as they released the 'difficult' second album. And boy, did they deliver.
Creating a fantastic second album is always difficult for a band with as much initial success that Bloc Party had in 2005. But Bloc Party proved themselves to be more than just a one-album wonder, and threw themselves in with gusto. The album seems to produce hit after hit with no signs of filler. Each track is as beautifully mastered as the last and leaves you nodding your head with approval along the way.
Although all the signs of a traditional Bloc Party record are there, it's the little differences that cause this album to stand out from the first. They have matured lyrically for one. Modelling the songs around more identifiable topics. 'Hunting for Witches' deals with the despair and anxiety surrounding the 7/7 bombings, on 'Waiting for the 7:18' we hear the nostalgic memories of an unfulfilled commuter and even making a deal with God in order to pull at a night-club ('The Prayer'). It's these day-to-day musings that almost take you out of the album and into your own head. I found myself thinking about my first love during 'I Still Remember' until I realised and had to start playing it again. And now it's impossible for me to think about that moment without hearing Bloc Party playing in the background.
But to me the stand out track has to be the opener 'Song for Clay (Disappear Here)'. I wouldn't be surprised if this had made it to the first track of a live set. It starts slow with broken guitar chords and a truly tortured singing voice Jeff Buckley would have been proud of. Until out of no-where, pounding drums build up to a ferociously aggressive riff that left me with the hairs on my necks vertical. Once the chorus had come in, it was clear that Bloc Party hadn't lost their edge. In fact, it had been sharpened.
Most would call this a return to form, but in my opinion, it's much more than that. It shows more heart, more musical technicality and a new beginning for Bloc Party. This is not just another band trying to write another record. This is a band with a drive to better themselves at every hurdle and a 'difficult' second album was nothing they couldn't handle.


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Zhao Yingyun (; born June 1963) is a former Chinese politician who spent his entire career in his home-province Hunan. He was investigated by China's top anti-graft agency in July 2022. He served as mayor of Huaihua from 2014 to 2017, mayor of Yongzhou from 2017 to 2019, and Communist Party Secretary of  from 2019 to 2022.

He was a delegate to the 13th National People's Congress.

Biography
Zhao was born in Shaodong County (now Shaodong), Hunan, in June 1963. He received his master's degree in law from Central China Normal University in 1993 and doctor's degree in philosophy from Hunan Normal University in 2003, respectively.

Zhao taught at Shaodong No. 6 High School from July 1983 to September 1990 and worked as an editor and journalist at  from June 1993 to January 1997.

Zhao joined the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in March 1994, and got involved in politics in January 1997, when he was transferred to the Publicity Department of the CCP Hunan Provincial Committee. He was appointed party secretary of Zhongfang County in November 2008 and was admitted to member of the Standing Committee of the CCP Huaihua Municipal Committee, the city's top authority. In September 2011, he became a member of the Standing Committee of the CCP Changde Municipal Committee, in addition to serving as secretary of Discipline Inspection Commission. In May 2013, he was named acting vice mayor of Changde, confirmed in the following month. In June 2014, he was transferred back to Huaihua and appointed deputy party secretary. He was made acting mayor in July 2014, and was installed in December of that same year. In December 2017, he was chosen as deputy party secretary and acting mayor of Yongzhou, confirmed in January 2018. He became party secretary of  in February 2019, and served until January 2022.

Investigation
On 27 July 2022, he has been placed under investigation for "serious violations of laws and regulations" by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the party's internal disciplinary body, and the National Supervisory Commission, the highest anti-corruption agency of China.

References

1963 births
Living people
People from Shaodong
Central China Normal University alumni
Hunan Normal University alumni
People's Republic of China politicians from Hunan
Chinese Communist Party politicians from Hunan
Mayors of Huaihua
Mayors of Yongzhou
Delegates to the 13th National People's Congress

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


When was the last time you walked away from a Tenerife bar, having just bought your round, with a grin on your face as wide as the crater?
For me, it was Sunday at the fiestas of San Antonio Abad in La Matanza where we took our friend Bob along for the ride.
We found a pavement to park on (not just acceptable at these affairs but positively de rigeur) and set off up a street that, were it ever to snow here, would prove a good practice ground for the down hill ski slalom; picking our way over evidence that much of the livestock had also used this route.
Why can't you just have a cat like everyone else?
We wondered through row upon row of horses from Shetlands to pure bred Arabs and Andalusians tethered alongside donkeys and mules that looked like they'd arrived at the party and no-one had told them it was formal wear.
Then it was over the road, past the pens of goats where tiny, fluffy kids were busy redefining the cute scale, to the stalls where mighty oxen were tethered, drooled over by butchers.
We lined the small street of San Antonio opposite the church and watched as the livestock paraded its way to the trophy table and locals wondered past with their various pets which they'd brought along for the San Antonio blessing. You have to hand it to these people, when it comes to choice of pets they're not tied by convention. As we stood there we spotted pet iguanas, snakes, chinchilla rabbits (on leads) and a couple of eagles.
An hour or so into the proceedings it was time for some liquid refreshment and I fought my way through the farmers and musicians to the bar of a chiringuito and ordered three red wines. The barman asked if I wanted a quarter or half litre and as it was the first of the day I plumped for the quarter.
He reached into the large fridge and pulled out a chilled ¼ litre carafe into which he siphoned some home produced vino del país and, grabbing 3 small plastic glasses on the way back, he placed them on the bar and said " €1.50 please".
The grin remained on our faces as we sat on the wall in the sunshine and made very short work of the immensely quaffable ¼ litre. In fact, we made very short work of the next 2 carafes too – well, everyone has to get their round in, it's only polite.
Feeling very mellow by this time we decided it was probably sensible to get something to eat and set off in search of some pinchos. Unfortunately, every bar we went to had run out of pinchos and was only offering carne fiesta (spicy pork chunks – come to think of it, not unlike pinchos). Eventually we were forced to declare at the final and largest of the chiringuitos that carne fiesta would suffice nicely, especially as this particular establishment was peppering the dishes liberally with home made chips.
Squashed onto a narrow pavement bordering the main thoroughfare for the livestock, Jack ordered the food and the wine, which arrived in a Pepsi bottle – not as classy as the last place.
As we devoured the savoury pork chunks and drank our wine a steady procession of caballeros pranced and stamped their way to the spot right in front of us. One of the barmen was dispensing large glasses of wine to each rider, many of whom we recognised as fellow imbibers from the other chiringuito. Where they'd been positively unsteady on their feet, they now looked perfectly at home in the saddle and drained every glass in one.
There were one or two very nervous moments as horse buttocks backed close to Bob's toes while he was trying to photograph a particularly attractive female rider – the words "serve" and "right" come to mind – bringing an exciting and dangerous finale to the afternoon's proceedings.
If Guardia Civil had thought to get the breath tests out along the La Matanza to Puerto road on Sunday they'd have financed their next three fiestas – assuming they have jurisdiction over four legged vehicles.


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The 1994 North Korea Crisis: Military Force a Bad Idea Then (and a Worse One Now)
April 18, 2017 Topic: Security Region: Asia Blog Brand: The Skeptics Tags: WorldMilitaryTechnologyNorth KoreaU.S.Kim Jong-un
The United States should avoid any military action that could lead to a conflagration on the Korean Peninsula.
by Ted Galen Carpenter
A sense of alarm is rising throughout East Asia as North Korea ramps up its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. The failed missile launch on April 15 is just the latest evidence that Pyongyang is not backing away from pursuing those efforts. Kim Jong-un's behavior crosses several red lines that the Trump administration and previous U.S. presidents had drawn. Since taking office, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster and President Donald Trump have emphasized that all options, including military force, are on the table to prevent North Korea from becoming a full-fledged ballistic missile and nuclear weapons power. To back up those threats, Washington, DC dispatched a carrier strike group to waters near the Korean Peninsula.
This is not the first time that American officials contemplated using military force to deal with Pyongyang's disruptive behavior. In early 1994, Bill Clinton's administration pondered that option as North Korea blocked international inspectors who were tasked with certifying Pyongyang's adherence to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. There was growing evidence that the North Koreans were processing plutonium from a reactor at Yongbyon and had possibly extracted enough fissile material to build two bombs.
In his memoirs, Clinton described his administration's reaction to those developments. "I was determined to prevent North Korea from developing a nuclear arsenal, even at the risk of war." He had former Secretary of Defense William Perry convey that message in the strongest terms in comments to newspaper reporters and editors. Clinton added: "In order to make absolutely certain that the North Koreans knew we were serious, Perry continued the tough talk over the next three days, even saying we would not rule out a preemptive military strike."
The administration was not making idle threats. Perry later confirmed that the administration seriously considered conducting "surgical strikes" against North Korea's nuclear installations. The world was perilously close to witnessing another armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula.
Fortunately, such a tragedy was averted at the last minute. President Jimmy Carter contacted Clinton and indicated that he wanted to go to Pyongyang to try to resolve the growing nuclear issue. Clinton was hesitant to endorse such a mission, but after consulting Vice President Al Gore and members of the national security team he eventually told Carter that he "had no objection" to him going to North Korea so long as he conveyed a laundry list of U.S. demands to dictator Kim Il-sung. That was something less than an enthusiastic endorsement, but it was enough for Carter to negotiate provisions that became the basis for the Agreed Framework that froze North Korea's plutonium program.
Clinton admitted that one reason he held back from approving air strikes was that he had received "a sobering estimate of the staggering losses both sides would suffer if war broke out." One hopes that President Trump and his advisers appreciate the same dangers. There is little doubt that the United States could execute the necessary blows to take out North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile installations—at least the ones it knows about. But such a victory could come at a horrific human cost. The huge Seoul metropolitan area is located barely thirty miles from the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two Koreas. North Korea has thousands of artillery batteries within range of Seoul. U.S. airpower would undoubtedly eliminate some of those installations, but even multiple MOABs (Mother of All Bombs) could not destroy all of them. Only nuclear strikes might do that, but even President Trump probably is not reckless enough to adopt that option. Resorting to even tactical nuclear weapons would have monumentally negative implications for international order. Among other effects, it would fatally compromise what is left of global nuclear proliferation policy. Current or potential U.S. adversaries would have a powerful incentive to obtain a nuclear deterrent as quickly as possible.
Even without the prospect of a nuclear scenario, there are growing worries in East Asia that Washington may be serious about attacking North Korea. China, in particular, seems agitated about U.S. intentions. Beijing has cautioned both sides to exercise restraint, and Chinese officials have emphasized that no one would benefit from the outbreak of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula. In addition, there appears to have been an increase of troop movements in northeastern China, suggesting a hedging strategy in case Washington resorts to force. Among other problems, China has to worry about a massive flow of refugees from North Korea if a war occurs.
There is no easy solution to the problem that North Korea's behavior poses. On other occasions, I have suggested that the United States incentivize China to become much more proactive to rein in its rogue ally. The incentives would have to be quite appealing for Beijing to incur the risks inherent in a more hardline strategy. In his summit meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping, Trump made an initial offer—diluting his protectionist trade demands. But far more concessions likely would be needed in the security and economic arenas.
Another option would be for the United States to engage in serious talks with Pyongyang, perhaps even to conclude a "grand bargain." The latter would require Washington to offer a peace treaty that formally ends the Korean War, gives diplomatic recognition to the North Korean government, allows for an exchange of ambassadors, ends annual military exercises with South Korean forces and lifts nearly all economic sanctions. In exchange, Pyongyang would have to relinquish its nuclear program and at least greatly limit its ballistic missile program.
Proposing such a bargain might end North Korea's menacing behavior and give the regime a stake in maintaining the peace and stability of the East Asia region. Making that offer also would increase China's incentive to get tough with Pyongyang if Kim's regime spurned the offer. One of Beijing's recurring complaints is that Washington refuses to negotiate seriously with North Korea.
It is entirely possible that such alternative policies might not work and that North Korea is hopelessly incorrigible. But almost anything is better than taking military action that could lead to a conflagration on the Korean Peninsula. The Clinton administration recognized the dangers and wisely backed away from the military option in 1994. The risks are at least as great today. One can only hope that President Trump acts as prudently as Clinton ultimately did.
Ted Galen Carpenter, a senior fellow in defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute and a contributing editor at the National Interest, is the author or coauthor of ten books on international affairs, including The Korean Conundrum: America's Troubled Relations with North and South Korea.
Image: Flickr/UNC-CFC-USFK


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Kenya and Jordan in Joint Anti-Terror War
NAIROBI, Kenya — President Uhuru Kenyatta and King Abdullah II have said Kenya and Jordan will forge stronger military ties to combat emerging security threats.
The two leaders made the commitment in Nairobi where King Abdullah joined the Kenyan leader to witness joint exercises conducted by elite units from the Kenya Defence Forces and the Royal Jordanian Armed Forces. King Abdullah is on his first official visit to Kenya since he became King. The Exercise Swift Eagle, conducted at the Embakasi Garrison in Nairobi simulated threats posed by terrorism and how to destroy them.
Two elite units from KDF – Special Forces and Range Regiment – were joined by the Quick Reaction Force from the Jordanian military in displaying tactics to deal with conventional and asymmetric war threats. President Kenyatta said the joint exercises were aimed at creating and improving interoperability between Kenyan and Jordanian forces.
"I am convinced that now our forces are ready for real problems in either of our countries, or elsewhere, should the need arise to tackle either conventional or asymmetric threats," said President Kenyatta.
The Kenyan Head of State thanked Jordan for its military cooperation with Kenya that has seen more than 60 Kenya Air Force officers trained by the Jordanian military. Another 38 will have trained by February next year. The trainings are part of a Mutual Defence Cooperation agreement between Kenya and the Jordanian Kingdom.
"I would also like to register our appreciation of the assistance the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has extended to our Defence Forces, enhancing our Air Force and Air Crew capacity through a training program covering diverse skills," said the President while speaking at the end of the exercise, which has been running for the last eight days.
On his part, King Abdullah said Jordan stands shoulder to shoulder with Kenya in confronting the threats of terrorism. "We stand shoulder to shoulder with you against the threats of today. It is a threat we did not ask for but are willing to fight," said the King.
He said the aim of the joint military exercise was to achieve greater coordination between Kenyan and Jordanian forces, an aim that has been achieved. "We have started a new chapter in our partnership of friendship. It is a new beginning for Kenya and Jordan," said King Abdullah.
Kenyan Defence Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omama said partnership was essential for maintaining global peace. The Kenya Chief of Defence Forces Gen Samson Mwathethe said the set goal of the joint military exercise has been successfully achieved. Later at State House, President Kenyatta and the King held talks focusing on wider bilateral issues including ways to expand trade between Kenya and Jordan.
(Reporting by Richard Mbaya; Editing by Omar Nor & Robyn Hunter)
09/27/2016 Kenya / Hashemite Kingdom, Jordan, KDF, Kenya, King Abdullah II, Uhuru Kenyatta


California Trustees have a lot of duties and responsibilities, but none are more important than the top three Trustee duties discussed in course 2 of our video series. You can find an in-depth written discussion of this topic here.
In this video we discuss a basic factual scenario that we will use in the next two videos.
In this video, partner Stewart Albertson gives his professional opinion on Trustee duties.
In this video, partners Stewart Albertson and Keith A. Davidson give their views on Trustee duties.


Below are some frequently asked questions, tips and techniques for using our Tracheostomy products. If you have a question that is not listed here, please contact our Customer Service Team at 800.217.0025. We are here to help!


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Francis Higbee Case (December 9, 1896June 22, 1962) was an American journalist and politician who served for 25 years as a member of the United States Congress from South Dakota. He was a Republican.

Biography
Case was born in Everly, Iowa, the son of Mary Ellen (née Grannis) and the Reverend Herbert Llywellen Case. He moved with his parents to Sturgis, South Dakota at the age of 13. After graduating from the public schools he attended Dakota Wesleyan University and Northwestern University graduating in 1920. During World War I he served in the United States Marine Corps, and subsequently he served in United States Army Reserve and the Marine Corps Reserve.

Immediately after finishing college he began a 15-year career as a newspaper editor. Until 1922 he was the assistant editor of the Epworth Herald in Chicago. From 1922 to 1925 he was the telegraph writer and editorial writer for the Daily Journal in Rapid City, South Dakota. From 1925 to 1931 he was the editor and publisher of the Hot Springs Star in Hot Springs, South Dakota. Finally from 1931 until he entered Congress he was the editor and publisher of the Custer Chronicle in Custer, South Dakota.

U.S. House of Representatives (1937–1951)
Case entered politics in 1934 when he ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives but lost. In 1936, however, he was elected to the U.S. House and served in it for seven terms. Before the United States entered World War II he was a moderate supporter of isolationism. In 1947–8, he served on the Herter Committee.   Case left the House in 1951 when he became a senator.

U.S. Senate (1951–1962)
Case decided to run for the Senate in the 1950 election, and defeated the incumbent John Chandler Gurney in the Republican primary. In the general election he easily defeated Democrat John A. Engel receiving 63% of the vote. In his first term in the Senate he served as chairman of the United States Senate Committee on the District of Columbia from 1953 to 1955, and was a supporter of greater self-rule in the district. In 1954 he served on a committee to investigate censuring Senator Joseph McCarthy. Case was reelected to the Senate in 1956, in a very close race against Democrat Kenneth Holum receiving 50.8% of the vote.

Case was known as a moderate Senator whose main goals were to expand America's road and waterway infrastructure, particularly in South Dakota. Lake Francis Case, along the Missouri River, is named after him, as is a bridge on I-395 in Washington, D.C. Case voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960, but did not vote on the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Case served in the Senate from 1951 until his death. He died of a heart attack at the Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland, on June 22, 1962. His death occurred several months before the expiration of his second term in the Senate. he was buried at Black Hills National Cemetery in Sturgis.

Honors
 South Dakota Highway 44 over the Missouri River in South Dakota has been dedicated as the Francis Case Memorial Bridge, crossing the Lake Francis Case

See also

 List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99)
 List of members of the House Un-American Activities Committee

References

 Retrieved on 2009-02-16

External links

Francis Higbee Case at Political Graveyard

1896 births
1962 deaths
United States Marine Corps personnel of World War I
American newspaper editors
Dakota Wesleyan University alumni
Northwestern University alumni
Politicians from Rapid City, South Dakota
United States Marines
United States Marine Corps reservists
Republican Party United States senators from South Dakota
People from Custer, South Dakota
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota
Burials in South Dakota
Journalists from South Dakota
20th-century American politicians
Military personnel from Iowa
People from Clay County, Iowa
People from Sturgis, South Dakota
20th-century American journalists
American male journalists


Endurance Technologies Ltd IPO Allotment Status is now available online.
Endurance Technologies Ltd is in the business of manufacturing two-wheeler and three-wheeler automotive component. Endurance Tech also manufacture specified components for four-wheeler passenger vehicles, light commercial vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles.
The Initial Public Offer of Endurance Technologies subscribed 43.84 times (2.69 times in retail). Public Issue of Endurance Technologies was closed for subscription on Oct 07, 2016.


Shawn Cheng is currently a Partner at ConsenSys Labs, and co-leads the company's tiered venturing strategy which includes the incubator, accelerator and ventures teams. The Labs team manages all founder relationships and actively leads companies successful outcomes.
Prior to ConsenSys, Shawn started a $25M Seed fund with Gary Vaynerchuk and Stephen Ross called Vayner/RSE. As a Principal, his focus was on frontier technologies like blockchain, virtual and augmented reality, voice, esports, AI and consumer technologies for three years. He initially joined VaynerMedia as a VP to help scale the social media agency from 200 to 1,000 employees.
Shawn spent the first decade of his career building fortune 500 global brands like GE, Foot Locker, Lowe's, HBO, and Red Cross through performance marketing, digital strategy and social media. At BBDO Worldwide, he helped to establish their first Digital Strategy department while running their innovation hub: The Digital Lab, pairing startups with big brands. At Razorfish, he drove Search, Paid Media and Emerging Tech initiatives for Victoria's Secret ecommerce, Starwood Hotels and Charity: Water.
Originally from Los Gatos, California, he now lives in Brooklyn and is passionate about seeing technology used to create a society that is more sustainable, equitable, and just. In his free time, he invests through his angel syndicate TOG Angels and is looking to reach 15,000 check-ins exploring new cities on Swarm.
Shawn Cheng is a Partner at ConsenSys Labs, and co-leads the company's tiered venturing strategy which includes the incubator, accelerator and ventures teams. Prior to ConsenSys, Shawn started a $25M Seed fund with Gary Vaynerchuk and Stephen Ross called Vayner/RSE, with a focus on frontier technologies like blockchain, virtual and augmented reality, voice, esports, AI and consumer technologies.
Peter Crysdale helps corporations thrive in the new digital order. As a Partner and Cofounder of Recorp, Peter works on the bleeding edge of corporate transformation by integrating the knowledge and experience of the world's best startup founders. Recorp's network of successful high-growth business creators enables rapid ideation and deployment in short cycles.


text:
NewsCovering Kentucky
Proposed Regulation Would Prohibit The Tattooing Of Scarred Skin
(LEX 18)– A tattoo artist says that a proposed regulation prohibiting the tattooing of scarred skin will be troubling for cancer survivors and others who use tattoos to cover scars.
Louisa Kleinert is a Louisville tattoo artist who specializes in making scars beautiful again.
"I work with trauma victims of all types," said Kleinert.
Her customers vary from breast cancer survivors to people scarred in accidents or by their own accord.
"I've seen a lot of burned victims who have lost their eyebrows or eyelashes due to other trauma. I could talk about this for hours," she said.
Her passion is personal. She said she watched her mother beat breast cancer and knows why some want to cover a bad memory. That's why she does a wide variety of work.
"That covers concealment, meaning skin toned like colors to camouflage a scar, or to recreate a nipple for breast cancer survivors who lost their natural born nipple," she said.
Kleinert took to Facebook when she learned about the proposed regulation that would prohibit tattooing scarred skin.
"If they are going to regulate this, they need to regulate it with the health and wellness of people in mind, and not try to ban it entirely," said Kleinert.
A spokesman from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services sent LEX 18 a statement.
"Regulations in this area have not been updated for about 15 years. The Department for Public Health (DPH) filed the proposed new regs this month. Public comments are being accepted through the end of May. A public hearing is also scheduled for May 28 at the Cabinet. DPH will review and analyze all comments and then determine what changes, if any, need to be made to the regulations. Comments can be directed to Chase Coffey, Executive Administrative Assistant, Office of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs, 275 East Main Street 5 W-A, Frankfort, KY 40621; Phone: 502-564-6746; Fax: 502-564-7091; CHFSregs@ky.gov."
Kleinert said that she hopes people will speak up.
In this photo taken Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2014, tattoo artist Ashley Neumann tattoos over a scar on breast cancer survivor Mari Jankowski in West Allis, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)


Meet Philip Williams he is the Operations Manager for the firm.
Zanes Law announces that Philip Williams has joined its team as operations manager (non-attorney). Williams brings two decades of executive operations experience to Zanes Law.
"We are beyond excited for, Phil, to be a part of the Zanes Law. It's evident that he cares deeply about the people on his team and the growth and success of any company he is a part of," Zanes said.


why wasn't bin laden captured alive ???
provided much needed military intelligence not otherwise obtained.
convoluted (basement-armchair )security analysts .
those who seek to define, like an difficult metaphor , an authors true intent ,or meaning, context, more often than not, steering political debate that can result in tragic unpredictable actions/results.
I think our military leadership had a failure to communicate ,on the tactical side- for not explaining the benefits( strategic) wisdom , of capturing high value targets alive.
shed light on the location of where some of his command structure is residing.
the resistance was minimal . no heavy weapons , and easily dispatched.
because it does, but it's hideously inhumane , barbaric , and against the law. we can expect nothing less from our enemies. mild techniques/ stress conditions no distinction. it's torture. these methods should fall under the same restrictions.
commanders ,whom had seen war , up close and personal ,will endorse such behavior, nor tolerate it.
his location was w/ out a doubt , in my opinion , an collaborative effort from many agencies and persons. some , not in the chain of command or structure.


On the 18th & 19th May Street Level began the training of 28 new Street Level Community Organisers. The training journey was modelled on the national training of 500 paid COs.
All completed the residential and committed to achieving their level 3 in Community Organising (OCN), with the practical work being done in Sneinton (listening, supporting volunteers and projects).
This model has been adopted by Locality and will be reproduced in 15 cities around the country.
Around 6 new volunteers that the team has found since the residential will be offered a place on a residential in another city, and access to the qualification in September.
The two days was designed to get everyone on the same page starting their training journey as a Street Level Community Organiser. By having the overnight stay, people were able to really focus and really get to know about what they were getting themselves into and to bond and network with others.
This was possible thanks to Locality who funded the hotel and the time of Naomi and two successful Community Organisers acting as co-facilitators.
The feedback was really positive from the trainees with some of the highlights being Naomi's talk about the history of Community Work in this country going back to the victorian era. Also the listening training. Many thought they were good listeners, but listening can be more than we all usually imagine.


text:
June 27, 2018 by Native Instruments
Watch: Hip hop beat making with Figub Brazlevic
The German hip hop producer takes us behind the studio process in making his 'dope drum sound'.
The German rap scene is huge. In fact, it's the second biggest in the world next to the US. At the heart of the German scene is DJ, producer, and beatmaker Figub Brazlevic. Having produced for the likes of German oldschool legend MC Rene, SSIO, and London's Teknical Development — in addition to appearing at Bars, the Berlin edition of Native Sessions — Native Instruments went behind the scenes of Brazlevic's production process, and checked our how he makes his trademark "dope drum sound".
Not being one for short-lived trends Figub Brazlevic, a.k.a. Berlin based Mario Radzom, established his own trademark sound heavily inspired by 90s boom-bap, mixed with a modern low-end bump. With countless collaborations and releases with MCs and singers alike, he has become one of the city's go-to producers in the scene. More recently, Figub Brazlevic teamed up with Teknical Development from London to produce the Strictly 4 All LP, with a release date set for August '18. Besides his daily studio workouts, the producer set up his own label Kreʞрek Records in 2010, along with a concert and live-event series entitled East-West-Sessions.
Brazlevic sees the part of mixing and EQing as being equally creative, describing his work as being more of a sound designer, than just a producer. Breaking down his workflow process, while writing what ended up as the title track for his new LP, Figub Brazlevic shows he uses DRUM LAB in combination with MASCHINE, to add rhythmic nuances to his drum sounds. He also shows how KOMPLETE, MASSIVE, and GUITAR RIG can be powerful sources of inspiration.
Strictly 4 All is available for pre-order here.
Video by: Sense Media
Photos by: Camille Blake


text:
#TBT: Prepaid Power Contracts
Posted in Blog article
This post is part of an occasional series highlighting a project finance article or news item from the past. It is often interesting and thought provoking to look back on these items with the perspective of months, years or decades of further experience.
With this installment, we turn to a Special Update that was published in the September 2012 issue of the Project Finance NewsWire written by Chadbourne partner and co-head of the Project Finance Group, Keith Martin.
Prepaid Power Contracts
Developers are taking another look at prepaid power contracts as a way of reducing the cost of capital for utility-scale renewable energy projects.
The concept is simple and is not necessarily limited to use in the United States. The developer asks the utility that has signed a long-term contract to buy electricity from the project to prepay for a portion of the electricity in exchange for a discount on the electricity price.
Chances are the utility has a lower cost of capital than the project has. The prepayment is economically equivalent to a loan to the project by the utility that the project repays in kind by delivering the prepaid electricity. However, it is "soft" debt without all the tight default triggers that one normally finds in project debt. If there is a shortfall in electricity delivered compared to what was promised, the project can have as many as three years to make up the shortfall before there is a default, and its penalty after that is simply to pay the cost of replacement power.
At least four large wind farms with prepaid power contracts have been financed to date. In three of the projects, the prepayments raised roughly 50% of the capital cost of the project. Most of the remaining capital was raised in the US tax equity market. In one project, the prepayment was closer to 87% of the project cost.
The utilities in the four large transactions to date were municipal utilities or electric cooperatives. However, the strategy can also be used in projects that sell to investor-owned utilities and in large inside-the-fence projects.
Precedents
Municipal gas utilities have used prepaid gas contracts since at least the 1990s to make advance purchases of multi-year quantities of natural gas. The utilities issue tax-exempt bonds to raise the money for the prepayments. They see the transactions as a form of hedging to lock in long-term gas supplies at low prices during periods when gas prices are expected to rise.
At least 33 gas prepayment bonds worth $23 billion have been issued since 2003 when the Internal Revenue Service made an exception to arbitrage restrictions that were an impediment to such bond issuances. The tax-exempt bond market is supposed to be limited to financing of roads, schools, hospitals and other public facilities. A municipality cannot borrow in the bond market at tax-exempt rates and then invest the bond proceeds in a way that earns a higher return, as that would increase bond volume and push up rates to finance public facilities. US tax regulations define impermissible arbitrage as including borrowing to purchase commodities. However, in 2003, the IRS made an exception in the arbitrage rules to permit prepaid gas and electricity transactions.
Under the IRS regulations, no arbitrage profit will be found where a municipal utility prepays for electricity as long as the municipal utility uses at least 90% of the electricity to supply retail customers in its historic service territory or to make wholesale sales to other municipal utilities that use the power to supply their own retail loads. A utility's historic service territory is the area it served at all times during the five years leading up to when the tax-exempt bonds were issued.
In August 2005, Congress wrote a slightly different version of the exception for prepaid gas deals directly into the US tax code as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The statutory exemption only covers gas; Congress was silent about electricity. A Treasury official told Chadbourne at the time that he did not believe there was an intention to rule out prepaid electricity transactions and they can still be done under the exception in the IRS regulations.
Prepaid gas transactions are centered around the municipal bond offering. The gas supplier is usually a commodity unit of a large bank or investment bank that guarantees performance by the supplier, allowing the bonds to have the same credit rating as the bank or investment bank providing the guarantee. Credit downgrades for 15 banks in June 2012 led to a cut in ratings on 24 gas prepayment bonds worth about $19 billion.
Three electricity prepayment deals were done during the period 2003 through 2007 patterned on the gas model. Of these, the longest was a $1.4 billion purchase of six years' of electricity by Memphis, Light, Gas & Water from the Tennessee Valley Authority in December 2003. Fayetteville, North Carolina entered into a two-year deal in November 2005. American Municipal Power-Ohio signed a six-year deal with J. Aron, a Goldman Sachs subsidiary, as the supplier in 2007.
In transactions using the gas model, the municipal utility pays in advance for all the gas or electricity it will be delivered over time.
The first prepaid electricity deal involving a wind farm closed in December 2006. The offtakers were two public utility districts and two electric cooperatives. No municipal bonds were issued to finance the prepayment. Such bonds were issued in the next three transactions, but unlike the gas model, they were not a central focus.
PPA Terms
Under the structure as adapted for use by independent generators, the utility prepays for only a portion of the electricity to be delivered.
The structure works as follows.
The utility enters into a long-term contract to buy electricity. It pays at closing on the permanent financing for electricity to be delivered over the full term of the contract. The contract has a schedule showing the quantity of prepaid electricity each year. For example, the schedule might show a fixed annual quantity of megawatt hours of electricity for which the utility has paid in advance. The utility must pay on a current basis for any "excess" electricity the project delivers above the prepaid quantity as well as for any renewable energy credits, carbon credits and other intangibles. It can only prepay for electricity; thus, in contracts with both energy and capacity payments, the capacity payments could not be paid in advance. Sometimes the prepayment is merely a deposit against the future cost of the prepaid electricity, and an additional payment must be made as the prepaid electricity is delivered.
In most transactions, the utility receives a discount on the prepaid quantity for having paid in advance.
The utility has a first lien allowing it foreclose on the project in the event the project defaults on the obligation to deliver the prepaid electricity. However, the project usually has three years to make up any shortfall before it is considered in breach and even then it is required to pay a cost of cover before the situation turns into a default.
The utility usually has an option to purchase the project at year 10 and again at the end of the power contract for fair market value determined upon exercise. The value is whatever the parties agree at the time or, failing agreement, what an appraiser concludes is the value. The value at year 10 is calculated by assuming the project will continue to benefit from or remain burdened by the remaining term of the power contract so as not to create any economic compulsion for the utility to exercise the option.
Limit on Prepayment
There is a limit on the size of the prepayment.
It is important that the developer not have to report the full prepayment as taxable income upon receipt. Companies must normally report cash payments from customers as taxable income no later than when the amounts are received. However, the IRS regulations have a special rule for advance payments to manufacturers of "goods." Advance payments may be reported as the goods are delivered, provided the manufacturer reports them no more rapidly "for purposes of all his reports (including consolidated financial statements) to shareholders, partners, beneficiaries, other proprietors, and for credit purposes."
In the case of "inventoriable goods," a two-year clock begins to run on when the remaining advance payment must be reported as taxable income when two things are true. One is the manufacturer has on hand through inventory or available through his normal sources of supply the remaining quantity of goods for which the customer has prepaid. The other is the manufacturer has received a "substantial" advance payment. An advance payment is "substantial" when it equals or exceeds the expected cost to supply the goods.
The IRS treats electricity as "inventoriable goods." Thus, the two-year clock has the potential to be triggered.
It is unclear whether an independent power project will be viewed as having available to it at inception — or at any time in the future — through normal sources of supply all of the electricity that was prepaid under the power contract. There is a spot market in electricity. The project can buy at some price the full output promised over the full term of the power contract. However, that cannot be what the IRS intended by this trigger. The reason for starting a two-year clock to run is that the IRS thought it inappropriate in certain situations to tax manufacturers fully on advance payments at time of receipt, but it did not want to let manufacturers play games with timing by spreading out income when they have all the inventory needed to supply an order either sitting in the warehouse or readily accessible by picking up a phone. The typical long-term power contract calls for scheduled deliveries over a particular time period. Electricity cannot be stored. Under the IRS regulations, the two-year clock does not start to run until the producer "[h]as on hand (or available to him in each year through his normal source of supply) goods of substantially similar kind or in sufficient quantity to satisfy the agreement in such year." It would not satisfy the agreement for the project to supply the utility on day one with the full amount of electricity the utility requires over 20 years. The utility would bring a claim for breach of contract.
Two things must be true for the two-year clock to start to run. The other is that the advance payment must be "substantial." It is substantial when it equals or exceeds the expected cost to supply the electricity. The logic behind this trigger is that the United States taxes businesses on income and, until the project has received a large enough payment to lock in a profit on the electricity that has been presold, it does not yet have any income to tax.
This has a bearing on how large a prepayment can be made. The expected cost to supply the electricity includes depreciation on the power plant. The expected costs to supply electricity should be allocated among all of the output. The test whether the prepayment is substantial should be applied by comparing the prepayment only to the costs that are allocated to the prepaid electricity.
If the remaining advance payment must be reported in full as income because of the two-year clock, then the project would have to report only the net amount after subtracting its expected cost to supply the remaining prepaid electricity.
The special IRS rules for advance payments have an interesting history. Section 452 of the US tax code — since repealed — allowed accrual taxpayers to elect to report prepaid income over the period it is earned. The section was enacted as part of the US tax code in 1954, but was retroactively repealed in June 1955 after Congress decided that the revenue loss would be many times greater than what was originally projected by the Treasury Department. The repeal was interpreted by the IRS and the courts as a direction from Congress that deferral of prepaid income would no longer be allowed. Three subsequent Supreme Court decisions during the period 1957 through 1961 — two involving automobile clubs and one a dance studio — confirmed that prepaid income had to be reported by an accrual taxpayer when it is received.
The Supreme Court cases dealt with payments for services, but created uncertainty about the effect of prepayments for goods. Some taxpayers worried that the decisions would require advance payments for goods to be reported immediately as income while the cost of goods sold would not be deductible until a future year.
In 1970, a presidential task force on business taxation recommended that the Treasury use its administrative authority to try to achieve greater conformity between taxable income and book income reported under US generally accepted accounting principles or GAAP. The IRS proposed the special rule for advance payments the same year. In February 1971, the IRS released a technical memorandum responding to comments that had been received from the public about the proposed advance payment rules. The memorandum said the accelerated inclusion rule for inventoriable goods was included "to prevent manipulation (lengthening the deferral period) by failure to deliver goods when the taxpayer has received substantial advance payments and has sufficient goods on hand to satisfy the agreement." It said abuses of this kind were unlikely to involve goods that are not inventory. Presumably the problem with inventoriable goods is their fungibility invites manipulation by a factory with lots of orders to fill. The regulations were republished in final form the following month.
The reason for waiting to start the two-year clock until advance payments exceed the expected cost to supply the goods is that the tax laws tax income. Until that point, the manufacturer has a loss — not income. After that point, any further payments received are income.
IRS regulations require that the remaining advance payments be reported as income if the company that owns the project "ceases to exist" or if its liability under the power contract otherwise ends. Therefore, the unamortized portion of the prepayment would have to be reported as income if the purchase option is exercised by the utility before the term of the power contract ends. There is also a risk of accelerated reporting if the project company is a partnership for tax purposes and it terminates for tax purposes because of a sale of 50% of more of the profits and capital interests in the partnership.
In order to qualify as an advance payment, the power contract should require that the unamortized portion of the prepayment be returned if the contract terminates due to fault of the project company. The contract should include a schedule showing the quantity of electricity that has been prepaid each year. Because tax deferral is allowed only for advance payments for "goods," the prepayment should only be for electricity. Any renewable energy credits, environmental allowances or other intangibles that will convey to the utility should be paid for as they are delivered.
The IRS is studying the tax treatment of prepaid forward contracts and may have more to say in the future about the timing for reporting the prepayment. In January 2008, the agency issued a revenue ruling analyzing the tax treatment of a forward contract for which the holder paid $100 on January 1, 2007, at a time when $100 was worth €75, requiring delivery to the holder of €75 plus a return three years later on January 1, 2010. The instrument paid the holder the dollar equivalent of €75 plus a compound stated rate of return, with conversion into dollars occurring at the exchange rate on January 1, 2010. The IRS said the instrument was in substance a euro-denominated loan by the holder to the issuer. The IRS said in a separate notice the same day that it is studying the tax treatment of prepaid forward contracts and it asked for comments on a list of questions, including whether the seller under a prepaid forward contract that is in fact a forward sale, rather than a loan, should be required to accrue income during the term of the forward contract and, if so, how the amount of income each year should be calculated.
Foot Faults
Extra care must be taken in most prepaid power contracts to ensure that the contract will be treated by the US tax authorities as a true power contract rather than a lease or installment sale of the power plant or a partnership with the utility. The problem if the contract is not a power contract not only in form, but also in substance, is that tax benefits on the project could be lost to the developer. The US government provides tax subsidies to wind, solar and other renewable energy projects worth at least 56¢ per dollar of capital cost.
The power contract should say the parties intend it to be a "service contract within the meaning of section 7701(e)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code." It should also be drafted to avoid four "foot faults."
The four foot faults are as follows. First, neither the utility nor any of its affiliates can operate the project. Second, the utility cannot bear any "significant financial burden" if the project fails to perform (other than for reasons beyond the control of the project owner). This means basically that the utility should not be required to pay for electricity it does not receive. Third, it cannot receive "any significant financial benefit if the operating costs . . . are less than the standards of performance or operation under the contract." This means the project cannot share any savings it achieves through introduction of technological or operating efficiencies with the utility. Finally, neither the utility nor any of its affiliates can have an option to buy the project at a "fixed and determinable price (other than for fair market value)."
Many US renewable energy projects are financed in the tax equity market. Such projects need to set the option price in practice at market value but not less than the amount the tax equity investor requires to reach its target yield. This may require referring to a termination value schedule. In one transaction with tax equity investors worried about violating the purchase option foot fault, the option for the utility to buy the project at the 10-year point in the contract was structured as an option to buy at fair market value, but the project owner could refuse to sell if market value was not at least the amount required to reach the tax equity yield. In the event of a refusal, the option would roll over to the next year, and so on, until the option either goes unexercised in a year or the market value is the higher of the two amounts. However, this is more complicated than is required. One utility has insisted on symmetry: if the option price has a floor, then it wants a cap. Such a "collar" raises questions whether the price is too close to a fixed price. Tax counsel have gotten comfortable by concluding that the ceiling and floor prices are so far out of the money that neither is expected to come into play in practice. The wider the band is above and below the option price, the better.
Another practical issue in deals is whether any of the operating costs of the project can be passed through to the utility under the contract. A straight pass through of all operating costs raises issues whether the utility will bear a financial burden if the project fails to perform or will benefit if operating costs are reduced. Most tax counsel are fine with a pass through of such things as property taxes and insurance premiums that are not tied to output.
Failure to avoid the foot faults is not the end of the world. Avoiding them ensures that a power contract to sell output from a cogeneration or alternative energy facility will be treated for tax purposes as a power contract rather than a lease of the project to the utility. It may still be possible to prove by other means. However, most tax equity investors prefer to play it safe.
Use of a prepaid power contract will make tax equity more expensive. Tax equity investors have tended to view the prepayment in tax equity transactions structured as partnership flips as equivalent to debt and required a yield premium. The premium runs to 700 basis points in the current market. It was 250 to 300 basis point before the economy crashed in late 2008.
Tags: Wind Keith Martin ThrowbackThursday developers prepaid power contracts utility-scale renewable
The Project Finance blog reports on new developments affecting the power sector, gas pipelines, LNG terminals, energy storage facilities, energy efficiency, biofuels, gasification, water, toll roads, bridges, ports, stadiums and other infrastructure.
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text:
Q: How to fix an "each" loop that doesn't work I have a file:
{
  "total": 0,
  "subtotal": 807,
  "page": 1,
  "per_page": 1000,
  "search": "hostname",
  "sort": {
    "by": null,
    "order": null
  },
  "results": {
    "aaa-test01.myname.com":{
      "hostname":"aaa-test01",
      "networking":"{\"hostname\"=>\"aaa-test01\", \"mtu\"=>1500, \"netmask\"=>\"255.255.255.224\", \"primary\"=>\"eth0\"}"
      },
    "osilek":{
      "networking":"{\"hostname\"=>\"osilek.myname.com\", \"mtu\"=>1500, \"netmask\"=>\"255.255.255.128\", \"netmask6\"=>\"ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff::\",\"primary\"=>\"eth1\"}"
    }
  }
}

I want to have a hash like this:
g = {"aaa_test01.myname.com"=> "aaa-test01", "osilek.myname.com" => "osilek"}

The keys in this hash must be the same as the keys in results, values must be the same as the values of hostname from the results.
I have this code:
#!/usr/bin/ruby

require 'rubygems'
require 'json'

data = JSON.load File.new("any.txt")
results = data["results"]

results.each do |key, hash|
         hash.select! {|k,v| k == "networking"}
end
results.each do |key, h|
    h.each do |key, hash|
        #puts hash.select! {|k,v| k == "hostname"}
        hash = JSON.parse hash.gsub('=>', ':')
        hash.select! {|k,v| k == "hostname"}
        new_h = h.inject({}) {|new_h, (k,v)| new_h.merge(key => hash.values)}
        puts g = results.inject({}) {|g, (key, new_h)| g.merge(key => new_h.values)}
    end
end

In
new_h = h.inject({}) {|new_h, (k,v)| new_h.merge(key => hash.values)}

everything looks ok, and I get
new_h = {{"networking"=>["aaa-test01"]}, {"networking"=>["osilek"]}}

But in the next step instead of the g hash I get the results hash before entering the loop. The loop doesn't work well and I don't know why.

A: Another way:
data['results'].inject({}) do |hash, (k, v)|
  fallback = JSON.parse(v['networking'].gsub('=>', ':'))['hostname']
  hash.merge("#{k}": v['hostname'] || fallback)
end

# {:"aaa-test01.myname.com"=>"aaa-test01", :osilek=>"osilek.myname.com"}

A: I don't know where the problem is in your code, but you can do it like this:
any.txt:
{
  "total": 0,
  "subtotal": 807,
  "page": 1,
  "per_page": 1000,
  "search": "hostname",
  "sort": {
    "by": null,
    "order": null
  },
  "results": {"aaa-test01.myname.com":{"hostname":"aaa-test01","networking":"{\"hostname\"=>\"aaa-test01\", \"mtu\"=>1500, \"netmask\"=>\"255.255.255.224\", \"primary\"=>\"eth0\"}"}, "osilek":{"networking":"{\"hostname\"=>\"osilek.myname.com\", \"mtu\"=>1500, \"netmask\"=>\"255.255.255.128\", \"netmask6\"=>\"ffff:ffff:ffff:ffff::\",\"primary\"=>\"eth1\"}"}}
 }

process.rb:
require 'json'

json = JSON.load(File.new("any.txt"))

export = json['results'].each_with_object({}) do |(k, h), exp|
  next unless h['networking']
  network = JSON.parse(h['networking'].gsub('=>', ':'))
  exp[k] = network['hostname'] unless network['hostname'].to_s.strip.empty?
end

p export
# {"aaa-test01.myname.com"=>"aaa-test01", "osilek"=>"osilek.myname.com"}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


PrimeX Painting founder Frank Legacy began his love affair with the painting trade at age 16 when he painted a local high school with his father in his hometown of Campbellton, New Brunswick.
In the summer of 2001, he established his painting company in Moncton following his graduation from Dalhousie University. He thought it would be a great way to combine his business and painting skills.
That first summer job, which started with no crew, no tools and no vehicle, was enormously successful. It steadily grew into a company with several employees, enjoying annual sales of roughly 1/2 million.
Frank credits his company's success to providing a timely, consistent product, delivered by an organized and well-trained team. PrimeX employees are great people who share the founder's passion for paint.
PrimeX serves both commercial and residential customers with proficiency, courtesy and professionalism. They work in all forms of residential re-paint (both interior and exterior), new construction and other unique buildings with specialized needs, such as churches.
Now celebrating 10 years in business, the company recently expanded its services to Calgary, Alberta, an exciting city that provides plenty of new opportunities for team members to work and play.
PrimeX prides itself on building and maintaining past friendly relationships with its clients and looks forward to building new ones in the great city of Calgary and beyond.
Are you ready to challenge us with your painting project?
When having to do touch ups on a previously painted surface (no matter how much time has expired), it is important to use the same tool to do the touch up that was used to paint the wall originally. If, for example, you use a brush to touch up a wall that has been rolled, the touch up will be quite apparent.


text:
Covid-19 interview with Northeastern University Student
bbab9e5ff58d9d3811b3ca1d4fbbb340cebd1024.mp3
Title (Dublin Core)
Northwestern University Student Oral History 2020/12/03
Description (Dublin Core)
This is an interview with a classmate. In the interview we discuss the handling of the pandemic and we also discuss previous pandemics as well as what we can learn from them going forward.
Recording Date (Dublin Core)
Creator (Dublin Core)
Jahaan Saini
Northwestern University Studnet
Type (Dublin Core)
Controlled Vocabulary (Dublin Core)
English Conflict
English Education--Universities
English Public Health & Hospitals
English Politics
Curator's Tags (Omeka Classic)
past pandemic
Contributor's Tags (a true folksonomy) (Friend of a Friend)
Date Submitted (Dublin Core)
Date Modified (Dublin Core)
Date Created (Dublin Core)
Interviewer (Bibliographic Ontology)
Interviewee (Bibliographic Ontology)
Northeastern University Student
Format (Dublin Core)
Coverage (Dublin Core)
Language (Dublin Core)
Duration (Omeka Classic)
00h.06m.52s
abstract (Bibliographic Ontology)
December 2020 interview with a Northwestern University student, discussing the pandemic, past pandemics, and what they learned during a class regarding pandemics.
Transcription (Omeka Classic)
Interviewer: Jahann
Interviewee: Northwestern University Student
Jahann 0:00
Hello all, this is Jahann. And tonight I will be interviewing [inaudible] for the COVID-19 archive project part two. Hi, how are you today?
Northeastern University Student 0:10
Hello, I'm good. How are you?
I'm good. So before starting the interview, I just wanted to say the time and the date. It is 7:09pm. And it is the third of December. And I also wanted to ask for your consent before we started recording.
Oh, yeah, I do give my consent to interview.
Perfect. So let's get started. My first question to you would be, do you think we were prepared for the current pandemic?
Um, to be honest, I think it really depends on like, which countries but like, socially and considering, like how the people are acting, I don't think we were prepared. The healthcare system, the remote working, and like general, the general public, we were just not prepared for this kind of pandemic in our life. And we were just, we just didn't know and didn't expect anything in this measure of seriousness. So and politically also, we were not prepare. So is unfortunately, we are kind of panicking. Everyone is panicking, and it's not. We're not in a great like time, I don't think, definitely.
My second question to you is, has learning from past pandemics allowed you to broaden your knowledge about the current pandemic?
Um, yeah, definitely. I learned a lot through this class, about through like learning from the past that how the development and the advancement of responses like we advanced, like throughout and through different pandemics. And also I learned that how they are really, those responses and those experience really affect how we're doing in the current pandemic. And it's really interesting, but like, how I also learn that we... there are like existing discriminations that are so reflective, like with the responses and with how we are dealing, dealing and handling the pandemic. So that was really, that really broadened my perspective and learning about it.
Yeah, definitely. Um, my third question to you is, has your perception about the virus change now from what it was a few months ago? Based on what we've learned in this class regarding pandemics and its effects on society right now?
Definitely, yes. It's changed quite a bit, actually. So in the beginning, I think I mentioned in like in the previous interview, that I thought that this COVID-19 and Coronavirus is going to be just like a little more contagious flu virus. Right? But now learning and having all these lessons and topics we talked about, and just like seeing all the news like the past, I don't know how long, like nine or eight months. Now I am starting... now I am I really realizing that this is a disease that although it's not as deadly as other diseases, but it is still as dangerous to us. And it will be something that will totally change our life and society. And I think it'll be the event of our generation. And also, yeah, and also like outside of like, just like the health issues is like, the time I think the Coronavirus is really triggering us to change like socially and culturally. So it's like different issues are being brought up. So I'm just the precession of fires and the health issues really changed is affecting our basis, standard of life and just our everyday life and everything.
For sure, I also think that it's just so refreshing to get all this information from like different sources that are provided to us instead of like, the media and everything we're exposed to that we're not really sure what is true and what's not. So it's really nice to have like a refined list of material to go through and read knowing that we're actually reading the truth and we're reading different perspectives. So yeah, I totally agree with you there.
So my last and final question for you is what do you think has been a learning moment for humanity from the past pandemics
So I think from the past, we really learned that international cooperation and communication is the key and is the is what is like one of the critical thing that we really have to focus on. Because like, since the past, like we have learned and seen that there were no communication and which led to more widespread and harsh impact. So I think we really have to focus on that. And I think the health it's really something that we are so connected now. And since the past, so just being ignorant of something happening on the other side of the world doesn't help us at all. Just like ignoring of it and thinking is not going to affect this doesn't work anymore. And I think we really learn quicker the action, the better for our life and the betterment of us.
For sure. I remember when back in February, everybody was talking about being something that was just so far away, and it would never get to us or even if it would get to us it wouldn't be as drastic. And look at us now. So yeah, definitely I agree with the with that aspect that you brought up. So those were all of my questions. Thank you so much for answering all of my questions. It was very interesting to hear your perspective and know that you have gotten a lot out of this class and the material that we've gone through just because we I guess we can ever stop learning. So yeah, thank you. Thank you.
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Item: Covid-19 interview with Northeastern University Student


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George Michael - Photo by Ros O'Gorman
George Michael Populates Australian Chart
by Paul Cashmere on December 31, 2016
The death of George Michael has prompted his music to re-enter the Australian chart.
Michael's Wham Christmas hit 'Last Christmas' re-entered the ARIA singles chart at number 23 while his solo hit 'Faith' is back at number 50.
On the ARIA album chart the compilation albums 'Twenty Five' and 'Ladies and Gentlemen The Best Of' are at numbers 11 and 14.
The iTunes chart is showing equal love for George. 'Twenty Five' is at number 4, 'Ladies & Gentlemen' is at number 5, 'Older' is at number 69 and Wham 'The Final' is at 141.
The single 'Faith' is also at number 34 on the iTunes singles chart. 'Freedom 90' is at number 68 and the George Michael and Elton John duet 'Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me' is at number 80. Wham's 'Wake Me Up Before You Go Go' is at 95, 'Last Christmas' is at 98 and his solo track 'Too Funky' is number 99 today.
Noise11.com
The X Studio
Tagged as: 80s, George Michael, pop, UK
Apple To Produce Beastie Boys Biopic
Apple today announced that it has acquired "Beastie Boys Story," a new nonfiction film from Grammy Award-winning Beastie Boys members Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz and Academy Award-winning director Spike Jonze.
R.E.M. Investigate Legal Ways To Stop Their Music Being Used At Trump Rallies
R.E.M. are determined to stop U.S. President Donald Trump from using their songs at his campaign rallies.
Cold Chisel Produce Chisel Branded Rural Fire Service T-Shirt
Cold Chisel have produced a special Cold Chisel and Rural Fire Service Association co-branded t-shirt to sell at merch at the rest of their shows.
Former Heartbreaker Mike Campbell Presents The Dirty Knobs For 2020
Former Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell will be concentrating on his own band The Dirty Knobs in 2020.
Randy Newman Cancels Australian Tour
Randy Newman has canceled his Australia and New Zealand tour due to start in just a few weeks.
Dale Ryder Is Open To New Music From Boom Crash Opera
While there is no new Boom Crash Opera music currently in the works, returned frontman Dale Ryder says he is open to making some.
Richard Clapton's First Melbourne Show Of 2020 Is At Memo Music Hall
Richard Clapton will perform his first Melbourne show of the year at Memo Music Hall in St Kilda. It will also be Richard's first ever Memo Music Hall show on Friday, January 24.


This bag was originally designed for storing baby carriers it. It's made with a thick laminated polyester canvas and measures 6.5" x 6.5" x 11". You can store baby carriers, cloth diapers, shoes, a change of clothes or almost anything you can imagine. Made in the USA.


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I made my version from a loosely-woven lace I found at Mood Fabrics, and then finished the edges with a double-fold bias tape. The great thing about this tutorial is that you can really make it from any lightweight fabric that drapes well (you don't want too much bulk in the front for the draped neckline.) To see the how-to and discover tons more, head over to Bernina's WeAllSew blog.


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The application aims to develop Interactive Lessons for students through which they can learn, understand, practice and evaluate themselves. It provides flexibility of studying anytime, anywhere, and at one's own pace. The application is named 'myPoint' which also works as an aid in teaching. It enables taking assignments, conducting inbuilt tests by teachers. It also provides functionalities which help students to explore respective lesson beyond the scope of textbook.


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The Census reports:
The nation's 65-and-older population is projected to reach 83.7 million in the year 2050, almost double in size from the 2012 level of 43.1 million, according to two reports released today from the U.S. Census Bureau. A large part of this growth is due to the aging of baby boomers (individuals born in the United States between mid-1946 and mid-1964), who began turning 65 in 2011 and are now driving growth at the older ages of the population.
The first new report, An Aging Nation: The Older Population in the United States, looks at the demographic changes to the 65-and-older population that will comprise 21 percent of the U.S. population in 2050 and the impact that these changes will have on the composition of the total population. A second report, The Baby Boom Cohort in the United States: 2012 to 2060, focuses on the shifting size and structure of the baby boom population. These briefs use data from the 2012 national projections of the U.S. population.
"The United States is projected to age significantly over this period, with 20 percent of its population age 65 and over by 2030," said Jennifer Ortman, chief of the Census Bureau's Population Projections Branch. "Changes in the age structure of the U.S. population will have implications for health care services and providers, national and local policymakers, and businesses seeking to anticipate the influence that this population may have on their services, family structure and the American landscape."
Census Bureau statistics have already shown growth in health care-related industries. In 2011, the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns statistics showed the health care and social assistance sector as one of the largest in the U.S. with about 819,000 establishments. This sector includes home and health care services, community care facilities for the older population, and continuing care retirement communities, which all showed an increase of 20 percent or more in their number of employees between 2007 and 2011. New 2012 County Business Patterns statistics will be available by the end of May.
Other findings include:
In 2012, there were 22 people 65 and older for every 100 working-age people in the U.S. By comparison, in 2030, there will be 35 people 65 and older for every 100 working-age people. This means there will be approximately three working-age people for every person 65 and older.
After 2030, the number of people 65 and older for every 100 working-age people in the U.S continues to increase slightly to 36 by 2050.
The proportion of the total population 65 and older is projected to increase in all developed countries between 2012 and 2030.Although the United States is projected to age over this period, it will remain one of the younger developed countries with only 20 percent of its population 65 and over in 2030.
Labels: baby boom, demographics, government, health care, international perspectives, political science, politics, senior citizens, social welfare policy


There are eleven archival institutions operating in Macedonia. The number of registered archive items is 5,552, while there are 490 personal and family holdings and 105 collections.
Of great importance for the development of the archives are the agreements the Archives of Macedonia have signed with the corresponding state archives of Turkey related to the period of rule of the Ottoman Empire in this region, and also with the archives of Russia, Bulgaria and Albania.
The second important element concerning new investigations and knowledge of Macedonia's history is that some other archive holdings, primarily those connected with the Versailles (1919) and Paris Peace Conferences (1946) as well as the archives of the Great Powers, have passed their security term of non-availability. Macedonian archivists and historians could rarely research such archives in the past or did so only indirectly.
There are 21 museums in Skopje and 14 in other towns. They have nearly 36,000 exhibits as a whole and receive between 300,000 and 400,000 visitors each year.


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Chromebooks go global; now available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany and more
Waiting for Chromebooks, well if you live in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland or Netherlands, you are in luck. Google today announced that its partners HP, Samsung and Acer will now start selling the Chromebooks in six new countries.
"Many of you around the world have told us you're eager to get your hands on a Chromebook, so we've been working with our partners to make this possible. Today we're happy to say we're one step closer to making Chromebooks truly "for everyone"–or rather, pour tout le monde, für alle, and voor iedereen," Google noted in a blog post.
To remind you, Google Chromebooks have been until available only in US and UK.
The search giant has also revealed that it will further expanding the availability of Chromebooks in the United States, where now more than 1,000 Best Buy stores will sell the Chrome OS powered laptops.
There is still no word on availability in India or any other country apart from the eight mentioned above, but given the expanding availability, we have hope that many more countries will get these Chrome OS devices by the end of 2013.
"It's been rewarding to work with our partners to make Chromebooks available to more people around the world, and we're looking forward to bringing Chromebooks to even more countries in the months to come," Google added in the blog post.
Country-wise availability details:
Australia: Samsung Chromebook ($349) and the Acer Chromebook ($299) are now available in select JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman stores and the HP Chromebook is on its way.
Canada: Samsung ($269.00) and Acer ($249.99) Chromebooks will be available at both BestBuy.ca and Futureshop.ca online and will soon be available in store. The HP Pavillion 14 Chromebook ($329.99) will be available at HPshopping.ca.
France: Samsung Chromebook is priced at 299 euros (excluding shipping) at Fnac.com, Ticketmaster, Amazon and Pixmania, as well as 10 Fnac stores in the Paris region.
Germany: Samsung Chromebook will be available at Amazon, Cyberport and Saturn online and in the Saturn store on Hamburg's Mönckebergstraße for 299 euros. The Acer Chromebook C7 can be bought from Saturn, Cyberport, and Amazon online for 279 euros.
Ireland: Samsung Chromebook (279 euros) is now available PC world and Amazon online.
Netherlands: Acer (269 euros) and Samsung Chromebook ( 299 euros) are now available at mediamarkt.nl, saturn.nl and laptopshop.nl and in the store at all 41 Mediamarkt and Saturn stores.
Posted by Unknown at 10:24:00 pm


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Global contemporary art events and news observed from New York City. Suggestion? Email us.
Paintings By Queen Victoria Head to Auction in London ↠
Michael Rakowitz Proposes Gift of Fourth Plinth Statue to British Museum in Exchange for Return of Assyrian Arifacts to Iraq ↠
Art News Traces Continued Challenges of Repatriation at The Met ↠
Home » Go See – New York: Cory Arcangel "Pro Tools" at The Whitney through September 11th, 2011
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Go See – New York: Cory Arcangel "Pro Tools" at The Whitney through September 11th, 2011
Cory Arcangel, Various Self Playing Bowling Games (aka Beat the Champ) (2011), all images via The Whitney
Currently showing at The Whitney is "Pro Tools," the first major retrospective of Brooklyn-based Cory Arcangel. The show surveys a diverse set of works that display a focused obsession with both outdated technology and pop culture. The exhibition's title refers to a software that is used in sound mixing, and becomes a synecdoche for the way in which tools and trends allow culture to move forward, but in doing so render themselves obsolete.
Cory Arcangel, Various Self Playing Bowling Games (aka Beat the Champ) (2011) (detail)
More images and story after the jump…
Exiting the elevator on the Whitney's fourth floor, the viewer is immediately engulfed by an installation in a massive dark room in which "Various Self Playing Bowling Games (aka Beat the Champ)" is projected onto the entire wall of the first gallery. The piece projects from various game consoles from the 1970s-2000s, all auto-playing bowling games that have been hacked to allow the player to throw only gutter balls. The installation, which was co-commissioned with the Barbican in London, initially seems to have a wry irony to it, but soon moves past humor to the anxious tragic limbo of the continually distraught avatars; similarly, in another room, viewers are invited to participate in a Wii golf game in which the putt will always just miss the hole. According to the show's press release, "Arcangel sees golf games as a simulation of a simulation, 'a virtual re-enactment of a fake hunt played out in a carbon copy of nature.""
Cory Arcangel, Masters (2011) via WNYC
Cory Arcangel's work relies on his use of programming as a new vocabulary for minimalism, hacking amateur technologies for use as a sculptural medium. The Whitney's show takes up the entire 4th floor of the museum and moves through diverse and sorted facets of technological, pop, and art history. Arcangel traces the influences of Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" in a series of prints, creates an ultra-meta "supercut" of every episode of Seinfeld that mentions Kramer's "Coffee Table Book About Coffee Tables," and nods to Christian Marclay's "The Clock" in a recreation of Paganini's 'Violin Caprice no. 5′ via a video mashup of clips of Youtube guitarists, made with a program Arcangel wrote called Gould Pro as an homage to Glenn Gould. In every piece, however, the medium is used to the end of exploring the element of technology in relation to its human users, becoming much more strongly evocative than functional.
Cory Arcangel, Photoshop CS: 84 by 66 inches, 300 DPI, RGB, square pixels, default gradient "Spectrum," mousedown y=22100 x=14050, mouseup y=19700 x=1800, from the series Photoshop Gradient Demonstrations 2008-, (2010)
Also included in the show are large C-Prints based on an algorithm used to create gradients in Adobe Photoshop, which result in graded rainbows that are an updated, instantaneous versions of color field paintings and are, like much of Arcangel's work, conceptually dependent on the fact that they are open sourced. Like many hackers, Arcangel has said that he believes programming code should be in the public realm- almost all of his work is easily recreatable with the right tools. An extra wink to the visitor comes in the form of a cell phone tower and Wi-Fi access station, two resources normally forbidden in the museum. Arcangel asks the question of how, in the internet age, we can qualify the privatization of art, and thereby further emphasizes what seems to be his main theme: the humanism inherent in technology.
Cory Arcangel, Hello World #1 (2011)
Cory Arcangel, Super Mario Clouds v2k3 (2004)
Cory Arcangel's major art world debut came in 2004 with the exhibition of his "Super Mario Clouds v2k3″ at the Whitney Biennial; the piece consisted of a version of Super Mario modified so that nothing but the clouds remained. Since then, under representation by Team Gallery, Arcangel has shown a wider variety of works and become increasingly well known, often as the poster boy for an savvy irony he denies having any association with. He is the youngest artist to be given an entire floor at the Whitney since Bruce Nauman in 1973. "Pro Tools" will be up through September 11th, 2011.
- K. Sundberg
Exhibition Page [The Whitney]
Artist Website [Cory Arcangel]
Artist Cory Arcangel discovers the sublime in technology's stranger corners [CNN]
A Muse in the Machine: Click. Create [The New York Times]
Cory Arcangel Plays Around with Technology [The New Yorker]
Cory Arcangel Goes Old School [The Brooklyn Rail]
I Sing the Gadget Electronic [The New York Times]
The Joy of Obsolescence [New York Magazine]
May 26: Cory Arcangel [W]
Cory Arcangel [Interview]
Cory Arcangel: 500 Words [Artforum]
Rare species of sea turtle lays a one-of-a-kind nest.(Local)
The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA) August 5, 2005 Byline: JON W. GLASS VIRGINIA BEACH — BY jon w. Glass THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT VIRGINIA BEACH – On a calm night at high tide Monday, a green sea turtle lumbered onto the beach at southern Sandbridge, dug out a nest with its powerful flippers, laid 124 eggs and made history. in our site green sea turtle
The event, which occurred along a stretch of vacation cottages, was the first documented case of a green sea turtle laying a nest in Virginia, wildlife biologists said.
That kind of sea turtle, protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act, commonly nests in southeastern Florida, although a few females previously have laid eggs on beaches as far north as North Carolina's Outer Banks.
News of the Sandbridge nest spread quickly among a close-knit network of state and federal wildlife officials. Photographs snapped by an onlooker confirmed that it was a green sea turtle.
"It was just kind of a big 'wow!' for me," said John Gallegos, a senior biologist at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
"It is a mind blower," added refuge director Jared Brandwein.
Gallegos headed a team of refuge staffers who transplanted the leathery eggs – the size of Ping-Pong balls – to a secluded, protected site on the refuge Tuesday morning.
They moved the eggs in coolers and re buried them with sand from the original nest, placing them inside a heavy wire mesh cage to protect the eggs from predators such as raccoons and foxes. They used umbrellas to shade the eggs from the sun while Gallegos carefully tried to replace them in the same order as the mother laid them.
"It makes sense to mimic as much as you can the natural nest," Gallegos said.
The eggs are expected to hatch around mid-September. Because a nest this far north is so rare, biologists are debating whether to fly the hatchlings to Florida for release.
"Some think we shouldn't be encouraging green sea turtle nesting here because it may not be well-suited for them," Gallegos said.
Female sea turtles are thought to return to the beach of their birth as adults to lay eggs through a process known as "imprinting." Christina Trapani, a staffer at the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Program, said a beachgoer dialed 911 to report the turtle coming ashore Monday at about 7:30 p.m. A police dispatcher alerted the stranding team.
For more than three hours, a group of onlookers watched as the turtle dug a nest and laid its eggs. The turtle returned to the ocean at about 11 p.m.
While green sea turtles in Virginia are rare, nesting loggerhead turtles are fairly common, with an average of three or four a year nesting on or near the refuge since the 1980s. This summer, six loggerheads have laid eggs there.
It's possible that green sea turtles have nested in Virginia before, but there was no record of it until now, said Sandy MacPherson, national sea turtle coordinator at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's office in Jacksonville, Fla. here green sea turtle
Based on nest surveys, biologists estimate that 150 to 2,750 green sea turtles nest every year in the continental United States. Populations of the turtle off Florida and Mexico's Pacific Coast are considered endangered; the animals are viewed as threatened elsewhere.
The turtles, named for their greenish body fat, weigh 250 to 450 pounds as adults. They are herbivores, feeding mainly on sea grass and algae, and do not begin reproducing until they are 20 to 50 years old.
But the odds of reaching that age are dismal. Only one in 1,000 to one in 10,000 of the tiny hatchlings – with shells no more than 3 inches long – are thought to reach sexual maturity.
Mature females lay eggs once every two or three years, and they are known to congregate in lush grass beds off the Florida Keys and Bermuda when they aren't nesting. Juveniles spend time in the Pamlico Sound in North Carolina.
"When they go out into the ocean," MacPherson said, "it's like a needle in a haystack." * Reach Jon W. Glass at (757) 222-5119 or jon.glass@pilotonline.com.
This entry was posted on Friday, June 10th, 2011 at 9:10 pm and is filed under Go See. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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