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Arctic Research of the United States, Volume 15
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1.1 National Needs, Goals, and Objectives
United States research in the Arctic and this biennial revision are governed by U.S. national policy on the Arctic (announced by the U.S. Department of State), the Declaration on Establishment of the Arctic Council (announced by the U.S. Department of State), research goals and objectives agreed upon by the Interagency Committee, and guidance provided by the Arctic Research Commission.
1.1.1 National Needs and Problems
The national interest of the United States requires support of scientific and engineering research to implement its national policy objectives, including:
• Protecting the Arctic environment and conserving its biological resources;
• Assuring that natural resource management and economic development in the region are environmentally sustainable;
• Strengthening institutions for cooperation among the eight Arctic nations;
• Involving the Arctic's indigenous people in decisions that affect them;
• Enhancing scientific monitoring and research on, and assessment of, local, regional, and global environmental issues on Earth and in near-Earth space; and
• Meeting post-Cold-War national security and defense needs.
U.S. Arctic research uses the northern polar region as a natural laboratory to study processes that also occur at lower latitudes. Where appropriate, this research should be coordinated with the efforts of state and local governments and the private sector. The research should be carried out in a manner that benefits from and contributes to international cooperation. Arctic research policy is subject to periodic review and revision. The role of the Arctic in meeting national needs and addressing key policy issues is further highlighted below.
1.1.2 Nonrenewable Resources
The U.S. imports approximately 50% of its petroleum needs. About 17% of our domestic oil production comes via the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
System from the Prudhoe Bay region in Arctic Alaska. The Department of the Interior (USGS and MMS) estimates that at least 36% of the Nation's future reserves (undiscovered resources) of oil and natural gas liquids lie beneath northern Alaskan and the adjacent offshore areas. The State of Alaska reports that northern Alaska contains known gas reserves of 30.9 trillion cubic feet (tcf), which is about 18% of the Nation's gas reserve; currently plans are being discussed for a gas pipeline to transport this resource south. Additionally the Department of the Interior reports that there are approximately 160 tcf of undiscovered natural gas in northern Alaska and offshore, which is approximately 30% of the Nation's undiscovered natural gas. Gas hydrate resources of Arctic Alaska have been estimated by the USGS to range from 0 to 119,000 tcf (at 95 and 5% probabilities), with a mean estimate of 32,894 tcf. The USGS estimates that 98% of these resources occur under Federal waters in the Beaufort Sea.
In addition to oil and gas, the Arctic has large coal and peat resources. The U.S. Arctic has been estimated to contain about as much coal as the remainder of the U.S. However, U.S. Arctic coal production will be limited until the energy needs of Alaska grow substantially or the Pacific Rim countries provide sufficient impetus for further coal development.
Minerals are also important Arctic resources. The Red Dog lead–zinc–silver mine, north of the Arctic Circle, is one of the largest zinc-producing mines in the world, producing 60% of the U.S. zinc output. The Arctic shelves also contain mineral deposits. At least one offshore tin mine has been brought into production in Russia. Dredging for sand and gravel on the Arctic Ocean shelves supports hydrocarbon development and other large coastal and offshore construction projects.
1.1.3 Renewable Resources
Arctic and Bering Sea waters support some of the most productive fisheries in the world. The Bering Sea supplies nearly 5% of the world's fishery products. An estimated 4 million metric tons of 43 commercial species are caught every year by
fishing fleets from the United States, Russia, Japan, and other nations. Since the passage of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1976, American groundfish operations in Alaska have developed into an industry with an annual product value estimated at $2.2 billion. Dutch Harbor–Unalaska, Alaska, is the leading U.S. port in the quantity of commercial fish landings. Alaska leads all states in both total volume and total value of fish landings.
Dramatic and unexplained fluctuations have occurred in the catch of groundfish and shellfish and the stocks of marine mammals. There is considerable concern that the walleye pollock population will "crash" as others have in the past. Managing for sustainable yields requires further research. A number of other important fish and non-fish species are declining in North Pacific and Bering Sea coastal systems as well. For example, Pacific salmon runs have been at all-time lows in several major western Alaska watersheds over the past few years. Sea otters in the western Aleutians have declined dramatically. There are concerns that walruses may be experiencing population changes because of shifts in ice distribution. Populations of terrestrial and marine birds exhibiting significant declines include loons; sea ducks such as the threatened Steller's and spectacled eiders, and at-risk species such as black scoter, long-tailed duck, and common eider; seabirds such as red-legged kittiwakes and common murres; and several shorebirds including bristle-thighed curlews and buff-breasted sandpipers. Importantly, for most of these species there is little known about their life history, population dynamics, and habitat requirements, thus complicating the identification of factors that may be limiting their recovery to former levels of abundance. Additionally, Alaska Natives living in many coastal villages near the North Pacific and Bering Sea depend on these species for subsistence. Changes in their distribution and abundance would be devastating to the villages.
The impact on the coastal economy of Alaska and other northwestern U.S. states is magnified by substantial capitalization in vessels, port facilities, and processing plants and related income to a broad sector of the economy. A sustainable, predictable fishery stock is fundamental to the viability of this sector of the U.S. economy. Research on Arctic marine ecosystems is essential for understanding and managing their resources.
1.1.4 Global Change
High latitudes may experience the earliest onset of global warming if a "greenhouse effect"
occurs on Earth. Global climate models suggest that the amount of warming may be significantly greater in northern high-latitude regions than in lower latitudes, but the models do not agree on the amount of warming to be expected at high latitudes.
Furthermore, there is growing evidence that the polar regions play a key role in the physical processes responsible for global climate fluctuations and in some circumstances may be a prime agent of such fluctuations. For example, North Atlantic deep water formation may be affected by a delicate balancing in the amount of fresh water that is exported from the Arctic Basin and that flows from the East Greenland Current into the region of deep vertical convection in the North Atlantic. Heat flux through the variable ice cover of the Arctic Ocean may have a profound effect on the surface heat budget and the global climate.
Arctic biological processes can also affect global processes and result in positive feedback on CO2 increase and warming. It remains unclear whether Arctic ecosystems are functioning as sources or sinks for excess CO2. For example, a shift in vegetation from tundra to trees could have significant effects on regional climate.
High-latitude warming may disturb the equilibrium of Arctic ice masses and hence global sea levels. Such events are preserved in the geologic record, and polar regions are a natural repository of information about past climatic fluctuations.
The Arctic ozone layer has exhibited significant changes—concentrations are decreasing. These are expected to deepen over the next decade, as atmospheric chlorine and bromine reach high levels because of previous releases. Their causes and implications will continue to be a subject of research. Additional data may shed light on the causes and effects of both catastrophic and evolutionary global change. Arctic research provides a critical component of virtually every science element in the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
1.1.5 Social and Environmental Issues
Arctic populations live in close contact with their environment and are highly dependent on marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Contaminants pose a potential threat to the health of Arctic residents who rely on subsistence foods (fish, marine mammals, moose, and caribou). Heavy metals, organochlorines, soot, and other pollutants accumulate at high latitudes because of atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns and subsequent concentration in food
chains and organic soils. The effects of environmental change, including climate changes, can have enormous impacts on Arctic ecosystems, on the response of wildlife to ecosystem productivity, and on the human use of wildlife.
Other issues of importance to Arctic residents include social and economic changes such as those resulting from large-scale development and population influx. Many of these changes are positive, such as increased educational and employment opportunities, better medical care, and the use of modern technology. Other changes, such as social and cultural disruption, have been a cause for concern. Research addressing the phenomena of rapid social change, human–environment interactions, and the viability of small subsistence-dependent communities sheds light on the complex relationships between environment, economy, culture, and society.
Recent studies have found that concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane in Arctic haze layers are elevated with respect to background levels. Concentrations of these two gases are correlated, suggesting a common anthropogenic source (fossil fuel combustion) and subsequent transport into the Arctic. Soot carbon has been traced for thousands of kilometers across the Arctic, where it remains suspended in a dry, stable atmosphere. Ozone depletion in the polar vortex has enormous health implications to the people of the entire Northern Hemisphere.
High latitudes are also particularly susceptible to adverse conditions in the space environment, which can disrupt satellite operations, communications, navigation, and electric power distribution grids, leading to a variety of socioeconomic losses. These space environment effects, generally referred to as "space weather," are often associated with transient phenomena on the sun that may cause geomagnetic storms on Earth, which bring bright, dynamic auroral displays and intense ionospheric currents. These induced currents can cause massive network failures in electric power distribution systems and permanent damage to multi-million-dollar equipment in power generation plants.
1.1.6 U.S. Goals and Objectives for Arctic Research
Arctic research is aimed at resolving scientific, sociological, and technological problems concerning the physical and biological components of the Arctic and the interactive processes that govern the behavior of these components. The objectives include addressing the needs for increased knowledge on such issues as using the Arctic as a natu-
ral laboratory, national defense, natural hazards, global climate and weather, energy and minerals, transportation, communications, renewable resources, contaminants, environmental protection, health, adaptation, and Native cultures.
More specific long-term goals have been developed by the Interagency Committee to further guide the revision of the Plan:
• Pursue integrated, interagency, and international research and risk assessment programs for the purpose of managing Arctic risks;
• Continue to develop and maintain U.S. scientific and operational capabilities to perform research in the Arctic;
• Promote the improvement of environmental protection and mitigation technology and the enhancement of ecologically compatible resource use technology;
• Develop an understanding of the role of the Arctic in predicting global environmental changes and perform research to reveal early signals of global changes in the Arctic and determine their significance;
• Develop the scientific basis for responding to social changes and the health needs of Arctic people;
• Contribute to the understanding of the relationship between Arctic residents and their use of wildlife and how this relationship might be affected by global climate change and transported contaminants;
• Engage Arctic residents, scientists, and engineers in planning and conducting the research and report results to these individuals and the public;
• Continue to document and understand the role of permafrost in environmental activities;
• Advance knowledge of the Arctic geologic framework and paleoenvironments;
• Contribute to the understanding of upper atmospheric and outer space phenomena, particularly their effects on space-borne and ground-based technological systems;
• Develop and maintain databases and data and information networks; and
• Develop and maintain a strong technological base to support national security needs in the Arctic.
In addition to these goals and objectives for Arctic research developed by the Interagency Committee, the Arctic Research Commission has provided further guidance for U.S. Arctic research. This revision of the Plan is consistent with these Commission recommendations.
1.2 Budgetary Considerations
The Act does not provide separate additional funding for Arctic research. Agencies are expected to request and justify funds for these activities as part of the budget process. Table 1 presents a summary of each agency's Arctic research funding for the 2000–2002 period. The total interagency Arctic expenditure for FY 00 was $242 million; for FY 01 it is $240 million. Appendix C contains a detailed listing of existing Federal agency programs and budgets, divided by major subelements. The Plan contains the detailed agency budgets through FY 02. Program descriptions may be assumed to reflect the general direction of agency programs.
Table 1. Arctic research budgets by individual Federal agencies (in millions of dollars).
FY 00 Actual
FY 02 Proposed
DOD DOI NSF NASA NOAA DOE DHHS SI DOT EPA DA DOS Total
0.5 6.3 0.7 4.8 0.0 241.9
0.7 4.9 0.0 240.4
1.3 Interagency Coordination
The Arctic Research and Policy Act (Appendix E) requires cooperation among agencies of the U.S. Government having missions and programs relevant to the Arctic. It established the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee to "promote Federal interagency coordination of all Arctic research activities" [Section 108(a)(9)]. The Interagency Committee, chaired by the National Science Foundation (NSF), continues to provide the mechanism for guiding and coordinating U.S. Arctic research activities. The biennial revisions of the U.S. Arctic Research Plan serve as guidance for planning by individual agencies and for coordinating and implementing mutually beneficial national and international research programs.
Since the last revision of the Plan, significant progress in implementing recommendations has been made, and accomplishments continue to be identified. These include activities of the Interagency Committee and the Arctic Research Commission. Additional information can be found in the journal Arctic Research of the United States (Volume 14, Spring/Summer 2000), published by NSF on behalf of the IARPC.
The Act mandates coordination of U.S. Arctic research programs. Mechanisms for appropriate levels of coordination continue to evolve. Three levels of coordination and cooperation are needed for an effective national Arctic research program:
• Individual agency, and independent investigator, research programs;
• National coordination; and • International collaboration. Each element requires a mechanism for internal program development, review, and implementation, and each needs to be linked to the other two. The national effort is performed through the Interagency Committee. A staff oversight group of the Interagency Committee provides coordination, assisted by working groups representing specific agency programs. These are reported in the subsequent sections. Many interagency agreements and planning and coordinating activities already exist. Coordination with global change programs is an integral part of Arctic program development and implementation. Improved communication at all levels through existing newsletters and journals is encouraged.
1.4 International Cooperation
On October 13, 2000, in Barrow, Alaska, the U.S. Department of State completed its two-year chairmanship of the Arctic Council and handed
the gavel to Finland for the 2000–2002 period. The Arctic Council is an eight-nation forum established in 1996 to bring together in a senior policy
setting the environmental conservation elements of the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS) and issues of common concern related to sustainable development. In addition to the eight nations (Canada, Denmark/Greenland, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden, and the United States), many of the Arctic's indigenous communities are recognized as Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council.
The Arctic Council is entirely consistent with the objectives articulated in the U.S. Arctic Policy Statement of 1994 and offers an important vehicle for pursuing them. These policy objectives include:
• Protecting the Arctic environment and conserving its living resources;
• Promoting environmentally sustainable natural resource management and economic development in the region;
• Involving the indigenous people of the Arctic in decisions that affect them;
• Enhancing scientific monitoring and research on local, regional, and environmental issues; and
The United States has been an Arctic nation, with important interests in the region, since the purchase of Alaska in 1867. National security, economic development, human rights, and scientific research remain cornerstones of these interests. At the same time the pace of change in the region—particularly political and technological developments—continues to accelerate, creating interdependent challenges and opportunities for policy makers in Arctic regions.
U.S. Arctic policy reflects these elements of continuity and change. It emphasizes environmental protection, sustainable development, and the role of indigenous people, while recognizing U.S. national security requirements in a post-Cold-War world. It also is concerned with the need for scientific research—particularly in understanding the role of the Arctic in global environmental processes—and the importance of international cooperation in achieving Arctic objectives.
The Department of State works in close consultation with the State of Alaska, Alaskan indigenous people, and Alaskan nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) on Arctic issues and policy making. Federal agencies continue to give careful consideration to local Alaskan needs, including
the unique health, social, cultural, and environmental concerns of indigenous communities, when developing Arctic programs and policies. Alaskans will continue to be included as appropriate on U.S. delegations to Arctic-related meetings. U.S. Inuit, Aleut, Gwich'in, and Athabaskan populations are now represented as Permanent Participants on the Arctic Council, the Gwich'in and Athabaskans as a result of a ministerial decision in October 2000 in Barrow, Alaska. The Council now has six Permanent Participants.
The Arctic Council today includes five observer nations (Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom) with Arctic research and environmental interests. These nations have contributed to the environmental working groups of the Council and, at the Barrow Ministerial meeting, stated that they were interested in taking a more active role in the Council's work. The U.S. welcomed the offer by the United Kingdom to host a preparatory meeting of the Senior Arctic Officials in London prior to the Ministerial meeting in Barrow.
1.4.1 Environmental Protection
The U.S. expanded its international cooperation during the U.S. Chairmanship beyond the scope of the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy (AEPS).
The United States is fully engaged in the Arctic Council Action Plan to Eliminate Pollution in the Arctic (ACAP). The Environmental Protection Agency has provided leadership for an ACAP program to prevent production and remediate the effects of persistent organic pollutants in the Russian Federation. The U.S. also supports implementation of other projects to eliminate dioxins and obsolete pesticides from the Arctic.
The National Science Foundation and NOAA provide crucial leadership for the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA), in cooperation with the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, and for the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group, in cooperation with the International Arctic Science Committee. The U.S. is financing a substantial portion of the ACIA Secretariat, among other contributions.
U.S. engagement in prevention and remediation activities follows a decade of international cooperation to monitor and assess the levels of environmental pollution. Beginning in 1989 the eight Arctic countries first discussed the need for international cooperation to address environmen-
tal protection. In 1991 in Rovaniemi, Finland, they reached agreement on AEPS. In 1996 in Ottawa, Canada, the Arctic Council was created to address issues of sustainable development in the Arctic and to oversee and coordinate the programs established under AEPS. This nonbinding effort has primarily operated through four working groups to address environmental issues relevant to the circumpolar area:
• Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP): Assesses the health and ecological risks associated with contamination from radioactive waste, heavy metals, persistent organics, and other contaminants. Recommends targeted monitoring to collect current data from areas of special concern.
• Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF): Studies the adequacy of habitat protection and ways to strengthen wildlife protection through an international network of protected areas and more effective conservation practices.
• Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME): Creates international guidelines for offshore oil and gas development in the Arctic, organizes and promotes the drafting of a regional action plan for control of landbased sources of Arctic marine pollution, and collects information on Arctic shipping activities.
• Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPPR): Provides a forum in which participants work to better prevent, prepare for, and respond to the threat of environmental emergencies in the Arctic. Activities include risk assessment and recommendation of response measures.
Arctic Council Ministers approved the recommendation that the Senior Arctic Officials, under the leadership of the Finnish Chair, review the allocation of environmental work among the four working groups (AMAP, CAFF, PAME, EPPR) to remedy gaps and duplication, if any.
1.4.2 Sustainable Development
The Arctic Council Declaration describes sustainable development as "including economic and social development, improved health conditions, and cultural well-being." Further, the concept of sustainability is reflected in the description of environmental protection, which refers to "the health of the Arctic ecosystems, maintenance of biodiversity in the Arctic region, and conservation and sustainable use of natural resources."
At the Barrow Ministerial meeting in October 2000, Ministers endorsed and adopted the Arctic Council's Sustainable Development Framework Document, which forms a basis for continuing cooperation on sustainable development in the Arctic. The Framework Document, consistent with the Terms of Reference and Iqaluit Ministerial Declaration, identifies sustainable development projects, cooperative activities, and priorities for the Council's consideration.
In 1998, Ministers approved several sustainable development project proposals. In Barrow, Ministers welcomed the work accomplished during the 1998–2000 period. The U.S., with leadership from the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies at the University of Alaska Anchorage, completed its report on Arctic telemedicine. Alaska's Department of Community and Economic Development has a network of private, nongovernmental, and Arctic Council member states in support of its Arctic ecological and cultural tourism project. Ministers at Barrow approved a project of the Arctic Investigations Program of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish an integrated infectious disease–International Circumpolar Surveillance (ICS) system through a network of hospital and public health laboratory authorities in the Arctic.
1.4.3 Scientific Research
The United States continues to plan to further international scientific research through development of an increasingly integrated national Arctic research program. During the U.S. Chairmanship the U.S. took steps to support international cooperation in monitoring, assessment, and environmental research, as well as social science research related to sustainable development. U.S. support for the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment is a key example of promoting international collaborative research in the environmental sciences and in social science related to sustainable development.
The Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee, with advice from the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, coordinates Federal efforts to produce an integrated national program of research, monitoring, assessments, and priority setting that most effectively uses available resources. U.S. Arctic policy recognizes that cooperation among Arctic nations, including coordination of priorities, can make essential contributions to research in the region. To this end the Framework Document on Sustainable Development, support for the Survey of Living Conditions in the Arctic, and the
AMAP assessment on the state of the Arctic environment provide an important tool in influencing future research priorities.
1.4.4 Conservation
The United States works both nationally and internationally to improve efforts to conserve Arctic wildlife and protect habitat, with particular attention to polar bears, walruses, seals, caribou, migratory birds, and boreal forests.
Consistent with the Agreement on Conservation of Polar Bears, the U.S. and Russia signed an agreement in October 2000 to improve conservation of their shared population of polar bears. Several official studies are ongoing, including a study of pollution contamination of seals around two villages in northern Alaska. The U.S. also works to better implement existing measures, such as the 1916 Migratory Bird Treaty and other conservation measures, to mitigate seabird bycatch by commercial fishing vessels.
1.4.5 Cooperation with the Russian Federation and Other Nations
Via the Department of State's Environmental Diplomacy Funds (EDF), the U.S. is supporting international projects that assess pollutants in Russia for the benefit of the entire Arctic region. In FY 00, EDF contributed to an Arctic-Councilled project on Persistent Toxic Substances, Food Security, and Indigenous Peoples of the Russian Far North. The project will establish an air quality monitoring station in the Russian Far East to gather high-quality, comprehensive data on pollutants in the Russian Arctic. This project will also assess local pollution sources that affect the traditional foods of Natives in Russia. In FY 01, EDF will help support the Swedish-led Evaluation of Dioxins and Furans in the Russian Federation.
The findings of these projects will have relevance not only in Russia, but in the entire Arctic region. U.S. financial and resource contributions to these projects ensure a strong international presence on issues that ultimately affect our own Arctic inhabitants and ecosystems.
In addition to the broad-based cooperation within the Arctic Council, which, among other things, aids in establishing a more effective environmental regulatory infrastructure in Russia, other multilateral forums now exist to address specialized concerns. Through NATO, we engage the Russian military on defense-related environmental issues. On a trilateral basis, with Norway, we focus on the cleanup and consolidation of waste generated from military activities through the Arctic Military Environmental Cooperation (AMEC) process. Our support of the International Atomic Energy Agency's International Arctic Seas Assessment Program also has provided a conduit for monitoring and assessing radioactive contaminants in the seas adjacent to the Russian Arctic.
The former Soviet Union (FSU) had an extensive nuclear power program with numerous supporting waste management activities that involved ad hoc storage of low- and intermediate-level radioactive wastes by shallow land burial and in surface water impoundments, as well as storage of high-level wastes. The Mayak, Tomsk, and Krasnoyarsk sites all lie within a few kilometers of the edge of the West Siberian Plain and Basin. Past and continuing disposal of wastes at Mayak, Tomsk, and Krasnoyarsk to surface waters (for example, the Ob and Yenisey Rivers) and surface water impoundments, and by deep well injections at Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk, have the potential for contaminating the Arctic Ocean, the western Siberian oil and gas fields, and the regional water resources.
1.5 Revision to the Plan
This sixth revision to the United States Arctic Research Plan includes two major sections:
• Section 2. Special Focus Interagency Research Programs; and
• Section 3. Agency Programs. The Agency Programs represent the objectives of Federal agencies, focusing on the period covered by this revision (2002–2006). They are presented in eight major categories, and where common activities exist they are presented as
collective activities. Individual agency mission accomplishments were discussed in the Spring/ Summer 2000 issue of Arctic Research of the United States and will be updated in 2002. Several overall themes transcend essentially all integrated and research mission components.
Section 4 presents current activities related to field operational support necessary for implementation of the proposed interagency programs and research mission activities.
CooperationDevelopmentAlaskaActivitiesIssues
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We received a £1,654 grant from Shell UK Community Awards, to enable us to improve our technology resources and has allowed us to purchase 2 iPads, educational apps, four fun robots and a wireless printer, as well as fund a sessional worker who will help the children get the most out of these technologies.
Briggs Commercial Ltd have also very generously donated us an additional two iPads.
A member of Burntisland Fabrications Ltd's staff kindly nominated us to receive £600 from their charity fund, which we will use to help with day to day running costs of playgroup.
And last, but definitely not least, we received a fantastic amount from the Bank of Scotland Foundation which will cover our rental of the Toll Centre for the next year 1016/2017.
We'd like to say a huge Thank You to all of the organisations for their generosity, and also to the Grants Committee for all their hard work.
3. Come along and join in our events – our next one is the Halloween Disco on the 29th October at the Toll Centre.
4. Come and find us at the Burntisland Bonfire and Fireworks display on Thursday 3rd November where we've very kindly been given a stand and will be selling some yummy homemade goodies to keep you going for the evening!


As Laity—From its earliest days, Methodism has been a lay movement. The term laity comes fromlaos, which means of the people. The laity are the whole people of God, who serve as ministers witnessing to the work of God in individual lives and in the world.


If you study at a large university it's easy to get lost.
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Innovative iPhone Developer Smule Raises $3.9 Million
Jason Kincaid	@jasonkincaid / 10 years
Smule is one of our favorite iPhone developers – besides putting together ridiculously addictive apps like Ocarina (iTunes Link), the team is also especially adept at tapping into the iPhone's network effect, even on something as basic as a virtual lighter. Today, the company has announced that it has closed a $3.9 million funding round led by Granite Ventures, with Bessemer Venture Partners, Maples Investments, and Jeffrey C. Smith (the company's co-founder and CEO) also participating.
The company combines the talents of Smith, an experienced entrepreneur, with Dr. Ge Wang, an Assistant Professor at Stanford's Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (who is the company's other co-founder). Wang is partially responsible for the development of ChucK, an "on-the-fly audio programming language" that allows Smule's apps to create and transmit realistic music over the iPhone's network connection. Wang also conducts the Stanford Laptop Orchestra (video here), and the Smule Ocarina orchestra, which played at this year's Crunchie awards (video here).
Some of Smule's other applications include Zephyr, a interesting app that combines audio and visual effects to respond to your touch, and Sonic Vox, a voice shifter. Overall Smule's apps have gained over 1 million users.
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What are the MSSP pricing plans?
We offer affordable monitoring, starting at CHF 20k per year, or CHF 5k per quarter. We achieve this thanks to our unique platform but also by allowing our customers to select the frequency of the scans (i.e. quaterly, monthly, weekly, daily), and then select a package of issues (i.e. 1000, 500, 250, 100) that will be processed. The number of issues is key as it needs to match the capability of your organisation to remediate them (i.e. the security velocity). The number of issues is both an indication of the complexity of your cloud instances as well as an metrics of the effectiveness of your shift left, DevSecOps processes.
What is a Security Velocity?
Velocity is the metric used by agile software teams to measure its effectiveness at predicting the time it will take to complete a task. Basically velocity is the average number of "story points" or "hours of development" the team completes in the average sprint. The security velocity is a sub-component of the velocity, it's about measuring the capability of the software team, inclusive of DevOps and SRE, to remediate security issues over a period of time - i.e. a sprint. The security velocity is important to measure to ensure the flow of security issues pushed to remediation are aligned with the team capabilities, otherwise security issues will pile-up into the product backlog up to a point where they will just be discarded.
Which Cloud Services Providers do you support?
Contrary to most, if not all, Managed Security Services Providers which are just integrating and running off-the-shelf security software, we have our own Cloud Security Posture Monitoring platform. The short story is that it was first a product but then we went into becoming a service company. Our platform natively supports: AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, Exoscale, OVH Cloud, Hidora, Scaleway, and can integrate any Kubernetes or OpenShift cluster via a sensor. Owning our platform enables us to tailor our service to our customers' needs but also to be affordable and efficient in our service.
Cybersecurity Services for Cloud & DevOps
© 2022 Stack Sciences SA, Geneva, Switzerland


text:
Our Professional Team
EXPERIENCE INSIGHT ADVOCACY
Nicholas Pyle, President, joined his father at Pyle & Associates to expand and diversify the client portfolio. He is a specialist in the areas of trade association management, government relations, issue advocacy and representation in many functional areas of the food industry and strategic defense materials. Over nearly three decades, Nick leads Pyle & Associates' representation of some of the world's largest food and metal companies as well as a national wholesale bakers trade association in government relations. Nick has a B.G.S. degree from the University of Louisiana Lafayette and continues education in advocacy, legislative matters, and governmental relations.
Alexis Fobes, Senior Vice President, has been employed at Pyle & Associates since 1994. With over 20 years experience, she is an expert in supplemental feeding programs and is the principal for several clients. Alexis launched numerous products in the WIC cereal category and made Pyle & Associates a major player in the $300 million cereal market. She also led two successful brand recognition campaigns. Alexis graduated cum laude from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1994 with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Sociology.
Andrea Hart, Counsel & Government Affairs Director, joined the government affairs team at Pyle & Associates in 2015 after graduating with a J.D. from the University of Richmond School of Law. Andrea handles many of our legislative and regulatory efforts, including federal and state policies on agriculture, nutrition, labor, tax and commodities. She is the legal adviser for the firm and is licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia. During law school, Andrea focused on environmental policy and public interest issues. Her past experience includes legal aid litigation, as well as advocacy for regional and state agricultural interest groups.
Aisha Samaila, Communications Manager, joined Pyle & Associates in 2018 as a WIC consultant for branded and private label food companies. Aisha maintains our social media accounts and serves as our community relations lead for food brands in multiple WIC categories across the country. She graduated from Shenandoah University with a degree in Public Health and is currently pursuing her Masters in Public Health.
Consultant Ross Elkin is a senior marketing and business development executive. The common thread throughout his career is profitable growth of branded, differentiated businesses. Ross has extensive experience in consumer packaged goods including food, beverage, and personal care. Throughout his work in smaller organizations, Ross has developed the resourcefulness and sense of urgency needed to get things done.
Alwin Peterson joined Pyle & Associates as a WIC consultant after working with Nicholas Pyle for 25 years. He has over thirty years of experience directing various public health programs. Alwin served as the WIC Division Director in Michigan for 15 years and went on to serve as the Director for Georgia's Public Health Division. He attended the University of Detroit where he earned his Bachelors and Masters Degrees. He also earned a Masters Degree in Health Policy and Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Pyle & Associates welcomes internship candidates eager to gain firsthand experience in government relations. Flexible schedules and a modest stipend are available to qualified candidates.
Submit internship inquiries with a resume and brief introductory cover letter to Nick Pyle via email.
2019 Government Relations Intern, Chen Jianchao, visits Dirksen Senate Office Building. Chen is a JD Candidate ('21) at George Washington Law School from Shanghai, China.


text:
Q: Want to add and subtract items from $scope array I am using $scope.exchange to send data to an ng3 chart.  I want the chart to add a new value and delete the oldest value.  So I never have more than 3 points.  It currently adds 3 points every second but never removes any.  If I change the line with slice to $scope.exchange = [], the chart will draw the first 3 and never update again.  If I use the while loop that is commented out, then the chart re-draws everything every second.  This flashes the screen and looks ugly.  What can I do?
(function(){
var app = angular.module('exchange-directives', []);

app.directive('tableRows', function() {
    return {
        restrict: 'E',
        templateUrl: "js/directives/tableRow.html",
        scope:'=',
        link: function(scope, elements, attrs){
        },
        controller: ['$http', '$timeout', '$scope', function($http, $timeout, $scope) {
          var table = this;
            table.rows = [];
            var count = 0;
            var retrieveItems = function() {
                if($scope.exchange.length != 0) $scope.exchange.slice(3);
                //while($scope.exchange.length){
                //  $scope.exchange.pop();
                //}
                $http.get('/dashboard/history').success(function(data){//change back to '/dashboard/rates' when aws goes back online
                    table.rows = data;
                    for (i = 0; i < 3; i++){
                        var vals  = {
                            x: count++,
                            dates: data.dates[i],
                            rates: data.rates[i]
                  }
                        $scope.exchange.push(vals);
                    }
                    $timeout(retrieveItems, 1000);
            });
            }
            retrieveItems();

        }],
        controllerAs: "table",
    };
});
})();

A: It'd be easier with a fiddle, but here's what I think you want.  First off, I'd "unshift" this new info instead of "pushing" it.  It looks to me like you're currently adding the data to the end, then deleting that same data.  Then I'd pop() the end item, instead of assuming that the object has 3 items.  Next, I'd pass in the number of items you want to load.  I'm not sure how the table.rows array is being used, but I'd guess you want to unshift that as well.
var retrieveItems = function(num) {
    num = num || 1;
    if($scope.exchange.length != 0) $scope.exchange.pop();

    $http.get('/dashboard/history').success(function(data){
        table.rows.unshift(data);
        for (i = 0; i < num; i++){
            var vals  = {
                x: count++,
                dates: data.dates[i],
                rates: data.rates[i]
            }
            $scope.exchange.unshift(vals);
        }
        $timeout(retrieveItems, 1000);
    });
}
retrieveItems(3);

Hope this helps.

A: @Shashank was on the right track everything was creating a new object that the rest of my code could not accept.  pop() just mutates the current array and therefore is accepted by all parts of the code.  So I had to do
this.setHistory = function(input) {
    while($scope.exchange.length){
    $scope.exchange.pop();
    }
    $scope.history = input;
    startup(input, $scope.historyData);
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
New Hurricanes and All Blacks deals for duo
The Hurricanes and New Zealand rugby have received a huge boost with the news that Jordie Barrett and Ardie Savea have re-committed until the end of 2019.
25-Test Savea made his Super Rugby debut for the Hurricanes in 2013 and All Blacks Test debut in 2016, while Barrett made his Super and Test debut in 2017. He has played five Tests.
Savea said: "Wellington is my home town and it's great I can stay here and contribute as much as I can for the Hurricanes. Also, we all know how important next year is for the All Blacks with the Rugby World Cup in Japan and I really want to be a part of that campaign."
Black Caps through to World Cup final against Australia or England
Black Caps stave off Bangladesh threat
Munster welcome Rowntree to coaching staff
Barrett said: "I'm really enjoying my rugby at the moment after missing the back end of last season.
"Hopefully I can play my part in helping the Hurricanes go as far as we can this season and next and, if my form warrants it, I can also be involved in the All Blacks."
All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen added: "It's great to have two young players recommitting to New Zealand Rugby and their Super club. Ardie and Jordie are both incredibly talented footballers in their own right, have been outstanding in our environment and done the jersey proud and we look forward to working with both of them."
John Plumtree, who will take over as head coach of the Hurricanes in 2019, was delighted to have Barrett and Savea commit to the club for another year.
"It goes without saying that they are both world-class players," he said.
"Ardie has become an important leader within the squad, even though he's still quite young, while Jordie has quickly established himself as one of the best and most versatile players in the competition. They really want to stay at the Hurricanes and build on what we are doing so I really look forward to working alongside them to do that."


text:
Q: How to merge outputs of asyncio websockets at the same time? Question

*

*How can I merge the results of two or three asynchronous websocket results, defined with the library asyncio?

*I am downloading order book data (how many people want to buy or sell something at which price) of cryptocurrencies using websockets asynchronously, but having hard time showing the results of several coins.

*The desired output example is as follows, each output (the lowest ask price) of asynchronous webscokets is in a dictionary variable 'output_dict' :

output_dict
>>> {"XRP-BTC" : 0.00023, "ETH-BTC" : 0.04, "LTC-BTC" : 0.001}

*

*Each value is the lowest ask price, provided by a websocket, so what I want to do is to merge the outputs of several asynchronously working webscokets.

Code Example
import asyncio
import websockets
import ast
import time
import json

# websocket address for the cryptocurrency exchange OKEx
url = "wss://ws.okex.com:8443/ws/v5/public"

# function to download orderbook data, using websocket asynchronously
async def ws_orderbook5(crypto_pair):
    while True:
            try:
                async with websockets.connect(url) as ws:
                    channels = [{'channel': 'books5', 'instId': f'{crypto_pair}'}]
                    sub_param = {"op": "subscribe", "args": channels}
                    sub_str = json.dumps(sub_param)
                    await ws.send(sub_str)
                    print(f"send: {sub_str}")
                    res = await asyncio.wait_for(ws.recv(), timeout=25)

                    while True:
                        try:
                            res = await asyncio.wait_for(ws.recv(), timeout=25)
                            res = ast.literal_eval(res)
                            lowest_ask_price = res['data'][0]['asks'][0][0]
                            print(f"{crypto-pair} : Lowest ask price is {lowest_ask_price}")

                            time.sleep(1)

                        except (asyncio.TimeoutError, websockets.exceptions.ConnectionClosed) as e:
                            try:
                                await ws.send('ping')
                                print("")
                                print("ping")
                                res = await ws.recv()
                                continue
                            except Exception as e:
                                print("Failure due to an unknown error. Stopped working")
                                break
            except Exception as e:
                print("Failure due to an unknown error. Try working again")
                continue

*

*The variable res, which is the data downloaded from OKEx websocket looks like the following dictionary, when the argument crypto_pair = 'XRP-BTC' .

{'arg': {'channel': 'books5', 'instId': 'XRP-BTC'},
 'data': [{'asks': [['0.00002585', '4514.84', '0', '2'],
                    ['0.00002586', '5845.946', '0', '5'],
                    ['0.00002587', '30306.155', '0', '5'],
                    ['0.00002588', '9974.105', '0', '7'],
                    ['0.00002589', '3104.84', '0', '5']],
           'bids': [['0.00002582', '3988', '0', '2'],
                    ['0.00002581', '23349.817', '0', '4'],
                    ['0.0000258', '18735.565', '0', '8'],
                    ['0.00002579', '6429.196', '0', '6'],
                    ['0.00002578', '3492.795', '0', '5']],
           'instId': 'XRP-BTC',
           'ts': '1622805157064'}]
}

*

*As such what is printed on console is as follows. The argument here, for example, is "XRP-BTC" again.

XRP-BTC : The most favorable ask price is 0.00023

*

*My desired output is a dictionary consisting of name of each pair as a key, and its lowest ask price as a value.

output_dict
>>> {"XRP-BTC" : 0.00023, "ETH-BTC" : 0.04, "LTC-BTC" : 0.001}

*

*Can anyone tell me how I can merge the result of websockets so that I can make the dictionary?

A: You need to wrap your coroutine in a task, one for each currency pair
loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
loop.create_task(ws_orderbook5(pair1))
loop.create_task(ws_orderbook5(pair2))
loop.create_task(ws_orderbook5(pair3))
loop.run_forever()

To merge the results you can add the result of ws.recv() to an asyncio.Queue object.


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text:
De Nobili School, Maithon is a private Catholic primary and secondary school located in Maithon, in the Dhanbad district of the state of Jharkhand, India. The English-medium school is run by the Society of Jesus.

The school is named after a Christian missionary and Jesuit, Roberto de Nobili, who was the first foreigner to master Sanskrit, incognito, in the sixteenth-century Madurai. He apparently conducted himself like an orthodox Brahmin and is even said to have declared himself to be a descendant of Brahma.

Curriculum
De Nobili is an English medium co-educational school. Courses of study offered to lead to the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) examinations in Class 10 and the Indian School Certificate (ISC) examinations in Class 12.

See also

 List of Jesuit schools
 List of schools in Jharkhand

References

 Jesuit secondary schools in India
 Jesuit primary schools in India
 Christian schools in Jharkhand
 High schools and secondary schools in Jharkhand
 Education in Dhanbad district

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Matthew Ricketson | Black Inc.
Matthew Ricketson has worked as a journalist since 1981. A senior lecturer at Melbourne's RMIT, he has run the Journalism program there since 1995. His book Writing Feature Stories was published in 2004.


text:
You are here: Home / Lifestyle / Entertainment / 21 Attractive Selena Gomez's Feet Pictures
21 Attractive Selena Gomez's Feet Pictures
Selena Gomez's feet seem to be several fans around the world. Apparently, she is popular among foot lovers. Born in 1992, Selena Gomez has achieved quite a lot at her age. She is a singer, an actress, a businesswoman, and a TV producer. She has featured in several films, among them, Barney & Friends, Wizards of Waverly Place, Monte Carlo, The Dead Don't Die, and Living Undocumented, among others.
You have to be a foot lover to understand why her feet are among the sexiest. It is important to note that foot fetishism is not a porn thing but a sexual fantasy. Some people are sexually attracted to feet.
It is common with men, although there are some women into foot fetish too. What attracts you, a person? If their feet don't, there are other people who find them beautiful, and seemingly Selena Gomez's feet are very attractive.
Here Are Attractive Selena Gomez's Feet Pictures:
21 Gorgeous Emma Watson's Feet Pictures
21 Marvelous Jennifer Lopez's Feet Pictures
21 Eye-Catching Amber Heard's Feet Pictures
Marvelous Britney Spears's Feet Pictures
Eye-Catching Elizabeth Olsen's Feet Pictures
Jennifer Love Hewitt's Feet Pictures
Gorgeous Cara Delevingne's Feet Pictures
21 Marvelous Anne Hathaway's Feet Pictures
Selena Gomez's Feet Pictures
Gorgeous Jennifer Love Hewitt's Feet Pictures
Marvelous Anne Hathaway's Feet Pictures
21 Amazing Kristen Bell's Feet Pictures
Mila Kunis's Feet Pictures
21 Attractive Natalie Portman's Feet Pictures
Elizabeth Olsen's Feet Pictures
21 Gorgeous Kate Beckinsale's Feet Pictures
Olivia Munn's Feet Pictures


text:
Q: Solve ODE with log and absolute value Let $f(u)=-u\ln(\lvert u \rvert)$ if $u \neq 0$ and $f(0)=0$. Solve:
$$
\begin{cases}
u'(t)=f(u(t)), t \in \mathbb{R} \\
u(0)=u_0
\end{cases}
$$
For $u > 0$, I found:
$$u(t)=\exp(\exp(-t+\ln(\ln(u_0)))$$
For $u < 0$, I found:
$$u(t)=\exp(\exp(-t+\ln(\ln(-u_0))$$
All in all, for $u_0 \neq 0$, $$u(t)=\exp(\exp(-t+\ln(\ln(\rvert u_0\lvert))$$
Does it look correct to you? I am always troubled by absolute values in ODE. Furthermore, I don't really know what happens when $t=0$ or $u=0$.

A: To accommodate both positive and negative values of $u_0$ the solution should be in the form
$$ u(t)=\frac{u_0}{|u_0|}\exp(\exp(-t+\ln(\ln(|u_0|))) $$
Graphing the function illustrates that $u_0\in(-\infty,-1)\cup(1,\infty)$ so there is no concern for what happens when $u_0=0$.
Furthermore, letting $t=0$ gives, simply, $u(0)=u_0$ which is as it should b.


text:
Hello Curns
Jon Curnow's Digital Home
Eurovision Is Not A Serious Song Contest
So, what happened this year? Why are you so frustrated? Why are we suddenly upset about the bias? Simply because we did not do well? That's a little childish, isn't it?
Semifinal 1 EUROVISION 2008
Originally uploaded by proteusbcn
Dear Sir Terry
This weekend was the Eurovision Song Contest; the annual spectacle of music, strange traditional consumes & dubious musical interpretation of songs (and, as you might say, that's just the interval acts). It was as it has ever been: a pile of unconnected international pop pap presented as a serious content. The most important thing, you must agree, is to remember your sense of humour. Over the years, you have urged us not to take it too seriously.
I wasn't around for the 60s Brit-winners such as Sandy Shaw or Lulu. I don't really remember the song contests of the mid-70s when classics from Abba and the Brotherhood of Man were born. I do remember Johnny Logan, Bucks Fizz and Bobbysocks in all their 1980s glory. When Ireland went on a winning streak in the mid-90s we were holding Eurovision parties in our University flats. It was fun and an excuse – if one was really needed – to get very drunk and laugh at rubbish songs. Which we did with an international feel.
The Scandinavians always voted for each other (as they did this year). For goodness sake, we always expect Ireland to vote for the UK and vice versa (and we hope Malta does too) while we know the French won't. Call it political, call it similar musical tastes but that's how it's always been. It's not going to change. But that doesn't stop it being wonderfully silly entertainment in the best sense.
The last 10 contests have been won by Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Turkey, Ukraine, Greece, Finland, Serbia and Russia. If we take the 90s as the point when Eastern Europe started to enter the content then that makes it five wins to the new countries (Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Serbia & Russia) and 5 wins to the older entrants (Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, Greece & Finland).
Seems pretty fair to me. So, why have you started to loose your sense of humour?
Update on the voting from popbitch: "If only traditional Western European countries had voted this year the UK would have been third from bottom, rather than one of three with the lowest points".
Author jonPosted on May 26, 2008 Categories Miscellany 2008Tags eurovision, television, terrywoganLeave a comment on Eurovision Is Not A Serious Song Contest
Nice, Mobiles and TeleMedia
The session I was speaking at, 'The New Monetisation Paradigm: Content, Advertising, and Markets of One', was surprisingly well attended given the 4pm start time: conferences can be long hard days and 4 o'clock is certainly more 'retire to the bar' time than 'explore new business model opportunities that can generate revenue through advertising' time.
Last week I was in Nice, which is nice, especially in the sunshine. Truthfully, temperatures were hotter than I feel comfortable in and I had to be really careful as I'd failed miserably to plan for such heat and forgot hats and suncream. Luckily, the bars on the beach all have umbrellas for shade. And beer used for cooling purposes.
I don't recall ever having been to Nice before, so I was unprepared for the rich and the beautiful people wandering around. Bernie Eccelstone's doppelganger, in the nicest sense of that word, was drinking beers at a beach-front bar on Thursday afternoon which was unsurprising as the Formula One circus was in town, or rather, in the next town; the Monaco Grand Prix revving its engines in preparation for Sunday's race. Sitting here a few days later I can tell you that Lewis Hamilton won which means the bruises are worse as I have been kicking myself for not extending my visit and catching, at the very least, some practice circuits. Possibly a golden opportunity missed.
Fortunately, I was prepared for the TM Forum Management World 2008 conference which I was speaking at. I don't usually speak at this kind of event (large conference) but was looking forward to it, especially as I was in one of the break-out rooms speaking to audiences with an interest in 'Advertising & Monetizing TeleMedia Services'. The conference is aimed at the telecoms business in general with sessions ranging from 'End-User Device Management' to 'Using SDF/SDP for Rapid Service Deployment' and not an advertising-specific event. In fact, Microsoft was speaking on a whole range of topics unrelated to the ad technology world I'm used to working in (See also MSFT Press Pass). The session I was speaking at, 'The New Monetisation Paradigm: Content, Advertising, and Markets of One', was surprisingly well attended given the 4pm start time: conferences can be long hard days and 4 o'clock is certainly more 'retire to the bar' time than 'explore new business model opportunities that can generate revenue through advertising' time.
Given it's not an advertising-driven conference I wasn't sure exactly how to pitch the presentation of Microsoft Advertising's view of monetisation opportunities so I opted for a general view of display-based advertising markets, value & opportunities in a multi-screen environment that a Telco could easily provide. My co-presenters, Grant Lenahan from Telcordia Technologies and Gary Galinsky from Call Genie had taken slightly different views of advertising options on mobile, incorporating non-display opportunities (which include SMS messaging and ad-funded calling). All together, I think the three stories gelled into a very intriguing story for the operators' representatives in the audience.
Thankfully, all three if us had taken these different approaches to the idea of monetising services which meant that, while we were in overall agreement, our presentations were sufficiently different for the audience. I've found one of the downsides of some speaking engagements that are put together by third parties is a lack of, if you'll pardon me, engagement with your fellow speakers. Last week, I don't believe it really mattered as there were good stories to tell.
I focused on the Microsoft Advertising suite of tools to tell my story of 'connected advertising' which, in a nutshell, suggests that advertising should no longer be considered separate by medium. Advertising is a conversation, a long-term engagement or a multi-layered pitch to a consumer. It's not a 30 second radio spot, a 728 banner or mobile coupon. It's all those plus relationships from other communication tools or social sites and a compelling future, at least for me, is one where advertising messages know this and ensure you're not burned by messages nor are you swamped by irrelevant promotions. Advertising becomes both connected and smart.
So, where does mobile fit in? Well, my co-presenters were able to give compelling success stories for monetisation today: and some things are a long way from traditional thoughts of advertising. My pitch, if you like, was more of a future think-piece. The dots are not connected yet but they could be. I wanted to ask the audience to forget traditional notions of advertising and think how advertising to customers may become part of a larger communication through connected technology. I believe that's better for everybody and I wanted to hear what they had to say about it.
The discussion that followed the presentations was fascinating for me. I come from a background of working with content owners who need to generate revenue via advertising to provide the services they're offering. Much of the audience didn't come from that perspective; many were – understandably – unfamiliar with advertising processes and the roles each player in the ecosystem fulfils. Many represented the service provider in the mix who may, for example, be providing a gateway for others to advertise rather than sell media space themselves. It's a very different viewpoint and I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of adapting my experiences to a different environment. Only the future will show which way it will play out and, unlike the Monaco Grand Prix, I can't sit here and tell you who the winner will be.
Disclaimer: the views here are my own and are not necessarily the opinions of my employer nor of the conference management. You have read the full disclosure, haven't you?
Author jonPosted on May 22, 2008 August 11, 2016 Categories Digital AdvertisingTags advertising, formula1, mobile, speaking
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text:
The Coastal Museum in Sør-Trøndelag
Hitra / Vindfang / permanent exhibition / Norway / Coastal Museum in Sør-Trøndelag / concept / Kvorning Design & Communication
CLIENT: THE COASTAL MUSEUM IN SØR-TRØNDELAG
PROJECT: CONCEPT, PERMANENT EXHIBITION
LOCATION: HITRA, NORWAY
Kvorning Design & Communication and the Norwegian Vindfang have won the competition for an exhibition concept about Norway's second-largest export business, the aquaculture industry, for the Coastal Museum under the museum complex at Sør-Trøndelag in Norway. 'The Pioneers' takes as its inspiration the tales of the initiative-takers 'from the fish-farming heartland'. Who were they? What did they think? How did they advance by trial and error? What proved successful? And what did they learn?
At Hitra, on an island just off Trondheim, it's all about salmon. Here, fish eggs are fertilized, matured and hatched in fresh water. Here young salmonids grow to full size in the floating fish-rearing cages of the sea. And here at the Coastal Museum's Sandstad Department they are harvested. So this is the obvious location to convey the history of the Norwegian fish-farming industry, and to let 24 pioneers tell you about their contribution to the development of Norway's second-largest export trade.
Kvorning and Vindfang's concept conveys Norwegian fish-farming history from 1970 to the present day through three major narratives: The local history, with animation of Hitra and the area; the national history of the pioneers along the coast from Finnmark to Vestfold, and the history of the salmon and the industry as a reworked 360-degree show with moving pictures and natural sounds in Aegir's Hall: the octagonal cinema. Silhouettes of the pioneers reflect the dynamics. Past and present.


text:
Home Setback for India-Pakistan ties over Kashmir row
Setback for India-Pakistan ties over Kashmir row
Labourers buy bus tickets at a counter of Jammu and Kashmir Tourist Reception Centre (JKTRC) in Srinagar. - AFP
INDIA, PAKISTAN: India on Thursday hit back at Pakistan's downgrading of diplomatic ties over its clampdown on Kashmir, saying its decision to strip the restive region of its autonomy was an "internal affair".
India stripped Kashmir of its special status in the constitution on Monday and brought the region under its direct rule, angering Pakistan which has a competing claim to the Muslim-majority state.
Pakistan responded by downgrading its diplomatic ties with India Wednesday, announcing that it would expel the Indian envoy and suspend trade as the row between the neighbours deepened.
The countries have fought two wars over Kashmir.
"The recent developments pertaining to Article 370 are entirely the internal affair of India," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.
"Seeking to interfere in that jurisdiction by invoking an alarmist vision of the region will never succeed." New Delhi slammed Pakistan's actions as "alarmist", adding that its move would boost economic development in the Himalayan region.
Islamabad has called for the international community to intervene and vowed to take the matter to the United Nations Security Council. "We will call back our ambassador from Delhi and send back their" envoy, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi announced in televised comments Wednesday. The statement, released after Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a fresh meeting of the National Security Committee, branded Modi's decree "unilateral and illegal" and said there will be a "review of bilateral arrangements".
The Pakistani statements came as Washington refuted reports that it had been consulted by Delhi over the move in Kashmir.
Earlier this week the US called for peace and urged respect for rights in Kashmir.
China, which also claims part of Kashmir, has objected to Delhi's "unacceptable" moves on Kashmir.
Kashmir was previously a semi-autonomous state with its own flag and constitution, where only local residents could buy land or take government jobs. Its new status is as a territory directly ruled by New Delhi. Modi's government insists this will bring peace and prosperity, but experts warned the move is a gamble that could trigger conflict with Pakistan and re-ignite the insurgency.
The summer capital Srinagar, the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir, appeared a ghost town Wednesday as a security lockdown took hold under tens of thousands of additional troops. - AFP


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Your session fee includes one to two hour photo shoot at our Elsternwick studio, along with your favourite image presented as a mounted 8x12' fine art print and digital file.
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The abandoned Sheraton resort on Cook Islands
This abandoned Sheraton resort can be found on the south coast of Rarotonga, the main island of the Cook Islands with a population of 10,500, about 70% of the country's population. The resort dates back to 1987 when the Cook Islands government signed a deal with an Italian bank to finance the resort. The government acted as guarantors for the $36 million USD loan while Sheraton signed up to manage the property.
Construction work for the 5-star 200-suite hotel, including a golf course began in 1990 but it ended abruptly when the resort was 80% finished. The project run out of money when most of the $36 million disappeared down a black hole carved out by the mafia and other crooks. As a result, the country's finances were crippled and taxpayers are still saddled with the interest bill. There have been suggestions about possible redevelopment of the resort but nothing has moved forward as the issue of who owns the hotel has been stuck in the courts for years.
Many Rarotongans believe that the project was doomed from the beginning as the resort's site was cursed in 1911 following a bitter argument over ownership of the land. At the project's official launch, the grandson of the woman who cursed the land appeared dressed as a high priest intoning the resurrection of his grandmother's curse. Then, he slammed his spear into a rock onto which a plaque had just been unveiled by the Prime Minister, marking the beginning of the Sheraton project. When the rock split to ground level, the locals saw it as a sign that the resort was still cursed and doomed.
SEE ALSO: More abandoned hotels around the world // LIST OF ALL DESERTED PLACES
Babiche Martens/nzherald.co.nz
urbexcentral.com
Steve Parker/flickr.com
Richard Walker/flickr.com
Jeremy Leslie/flickr.com
Elizabeth Stegall/flickr.com
Mike/flickr.com
tparks_california/flickr.com
Labels: Cook Islands, hotel
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